You Made Me Beautiful: The Sequel
Part Three
Brenna "Snakelady" Dawkins
A Jackie Chan Adventures Fanfic
Rating: PG-13 Disclaimer: Jackie Chan and subsequent characters belong to Jackie Chan and associates. It'd be pretty useless to sue me since I have nothing! I've made no profit nor will see any from this fic.
Summary: With VampireNaomi's permission, I have taken it upon myself to continue her fic since she had no plans to. When we last saw Finn, he was at the mercy of the evil William and it seems no one is there to help the thief--- or is there?
(Author's Note: Ever have a fic practically write itself? This one sure seems to be doing just that! More Fun with Finn following! Say that five times fast!)
Finn woke up lying on the floor beside of Jade's bed. It was disorientating, the colorblindness, his new location. His stomach growled, great. He'd have to get Jade to feed him somehow. Then he realized he had another urge and sighed. He had to go to the bathroom. There wasn't anyway he knew of where he could maneuver onto the toilet in this form. This royally sucked and could prove to be embarrassing. He was going to have to rely completely upon Jade. He was used to being independent. Had been since he was fifteen.
Finn raised himself up, his head towered over the bed even though he was still sitting. He saw her lying there flat on her stomach, tangled in her sheets. He'd been amazed she trusted him enough to let him sleep in her room. But then again, he supposed she was still hiding him from her uncles. His big question was, how long was she going to keep him like this?
He felt the urge to go to the bathroom more pressing. Finn knew he was going to have to wake her up and get her to understand he needed--- God, that he needed to be taken for a walk. He couldn't believe he coined the phrase in his head. Finn shoved his muzzle up against Jade's side, hoping she'd wake to the touch. She didn't. Frustrated, he shoved at her again. This only got a mumbled response out of her, muffled by the pillow. Finn grabbed at the sheet next with his teeth and pulled it off of her. She only rolled up into a tight ball and threw her arm over her face. Finn snorted in irritation. So be it! He grabbed up a mouthfull the pajamas she had been wearing and yanked roughly. So roughly, with a startled yell, Jade fell off the bed and on top of Finn.
"Hey! It's Sunday! I hardly got any sleep last night, no thanks to you!" She smacked him in his wide and furry chest. Then tried to claw back into bed.
But Finn was relentless. He grabbed the leg of her pajama's and pulled. Jade slid back down to the floor.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked crossly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Finn whined at her, hoping she'd catch a clue.
"What?" She demanded again.
How could he make her understand? Finn thought for a moment, then sighed. Getting up, he went to her door and clawed at the door while he whined at her.
Jade blinked then in relief, he thought he saw a glimmer of understanding.
"OH!"
Now what was she going to do? Jade quickly ran her fingers through her hair. She couldn't go out and take him for a walk in her pajamas. She couldn't go out of her room with Finn without anyone in Section 13 seeing them.
"Finn, I know you have to go to the bathroom, but listen carefully. Someone's going to see us and ask questions. Jackie will find out sooner rather then later about you then I planned."
Finn whined again. Jade sighed. "Okay, okay. Look, I need to get dressed. U-u-u-um, just look at the door. Don't you DARE turn around!"
The dog snorted but turned back around to face the door so he couldn't watch her change clothes. Jade sighed. This was going to be an awkward arrangement to be sure. But at the moment, it couldn't be helped. Once she was finally dressed, she realized she couldn't take him for a walk without a leash. Digging through her junk, she found a long rope. She made a loop in it and knew Finn would protest. But again, there was no choice.
Finn stared at the door, wondering why it took her so frigging long to get dressed. He knew women had a tendency to take more time in getting ready, but Jade was no woman. He jerked when he saw something pass over his head and then slip down his neck and tighten.
"Calm down, it's just a make-shift leash. There are strong leash laws around here, you know."
Finn eyed her coldly but scratched at the door impatiently, knowing he'd have to get her back for this indignacy later. Jade cautiously opened the door and had to haul back on Finn's leash to keep him from bolting out of her room. Finn choked against the rope and pulled back reluctantly. He gave her another glare but held back.
"Stay beside me!" She instructed. Then stepped out after she inspected the hallway in both directions and found it clear. Pulling on the leash, she ushered Finn along, hoping beyond hope that they could make it to the secret exit before anyone saw them.
Finn was able to keep up with her easily with his long legs. As they hurried down the hall, he couldn't help but notice all the smells. He had no idea what they meant except for one. After hanging out in Jade's room for that short time, he thought he could discern Jade's scent. Even once they'd be out among a lot of people, he still thought he'd be able to detect it. He snorted. He was losing his mind! He was being led around on a leash by a girl who had kicked him in the face who knows how many times. He was about to paint a fire hydrant yellow. He was--- a house dog. One thing he swore right then he'd NEVER do, even if Jade threatened him, was to fetch.
Luckily, it was too early for anyone in the living quarters section of the government lab to be wandering the halls so Jade got Finn outside without anyone inside seeing them. Once out, she heaved a loud sigh of relief.
Finn took a look around them and cringed. Great--- another alley. He HATED alleys! Jade strode forward, pulling on the leash to encourage Finn to follow. He did, reluctantly. Stupid leash! He knew he was strong enough to drag her around if he wanted to. But if he ran, he'd be stuck being a stupid dog for the rest of his life. So until Jade decided to give him his humanity back, he'd have to play nice.
Jade took him out on the street. It was still very early in the morning, so not many people were out. Those that were stared at the odd pair, a tiny Chinese grade schooler leading a massive dog that towered over her and yet followed with a meekness that left jaws dropping. Finn refused to look at the gawkers, knowing he looked ridiculous. Jade ignored them too, she was busy scouting out a rest stop for Finn. She didn't really know what to look for. She didn't know what Finn would feel comfortable with. They didn't really have that many options, after all. But she supposed he already knew that and would take exception to anything anyway. Then she saw a tree that was planted in the sidewalk and headed towards it.
"Okay, Finn. Um, do what, um, you gotta do." She stopped beside the tree.
Finn shook his head. No way was he going on a tree, and NEVER while Jade watched! When it became clear to Jade that Finn wasn't going to cooperate, she shook her head.
"It's the tree or nothing, Finn."
Finn whined, annoyed and embarrassed. He stared at her with classic puppy dog eyes and Jade got the hint.
"Okay, I wont watch." She rolled her eyes and turned her back.
Finn shook his head and then after seeing how dogs in the park took care of business in the past, he lifted his leg awkwardly and took care of his own. After he was finished, he walked back into Jade's sight.
"Okay. So, what am I going to tell Uncle Jackie about you? We can't tell him you're Finn. That'd kinda blow the point of this."
Finn wanted to know exactly what the point was, but he couldn't ask. Why was she doing this to him? Why not just turn him into a human and let him go before anyone else in Section 13 was the wiser? Was him playing as her pet some sort of payback? Did she have any idea how humiliated he was right then?
"Well, guess we can't putt this off any longer. Jackie'll find out about you anyway. He's not going to like you."
Finn snorted and Jade had to grin.
"Okay, so I'm not telling you stuff you already don't know. I guess I'm just stalling."
Finn supposed he couldn't blame her for that. He wasn't necessarily thrilled about meeting Chan and crew in that form either. Jade finally led him back to the government facility. Finn's stomach growled loudly and Jade heard. She sighed, now she supposed she had to find him something to eat. They didn't have any kibble on hand not, she knew, that Finn would ever eat dog food. But she knew that Jackie would not let him eat at the table either.
She walked him back to the living quarters area of Section 13. A few agents were milling around. They did spare the two a glance, but not much more. All in the facility were used to the unusual antics of the eleven- year-old, which was a relief to Jade. No one stopped her as they walked through. She was heading towards the small kitchen, her mind was fully on the problem of feeding Finn when they turned a corner and almost ran into Captain Black.
Finn winced and backed up, putting himself behind Jade as he came face to face with a man who's made it his life's mission to arrest him and the Dark Hand. Jade looked up at the bald director with a worried look on her face.
"Jade." Black took in the scene with a frown. "What are you doing with--- that thing?"
Finn took exception to that and snorted from behind Jade. Jade flashed Black a false grin. "You mean my new dog?"
"Jackie let you get a dog?" Black said disbelieving.
"Heh, not yet! But he never said I couldn't!"
Finn listened to the exchange, wondering if Black was going to fall for Jade's line. He read the scowl on Blacks face and knew Black wasn't dumb. But it also wasn't any of his business.
Black shook his head, "Is it potty trained?"
Finn wanted to just die of embarrassment.
Jade enthusiastically nodded and scratched Finn under his chin, "Sure is! Just took him out this morning. Don't worry, Black, Zephyr wont leave any messes!"
Finn cocked his head. Zephyr? Where'd she get that name? Well, he supposed she couldn't use his real name. Jade was a weird kid, though. But he always knew that anyway.
Black gave him one longer look that Finn knew well. If he screwed up, he was going to be toast. Finn hung back instinctively even pressed himself into Jade, hoping that his chances of staying would improve if he made himself look less threatening. Of course, he was nearly the size of a small pony, so it would be a challenge. Jade just kept scratching him beneath the chin and he tried his best not to enjoy the attention. Black shrugged.
"Just keep it away from the main lab. Oh, and if I find one flea or tick---" He let the threat hang but didn't finish, just gave Jade a stern look and walked off.
Jade heaved a loud and overly done sigh. "Jeeze, that was close!"
Finn didn't know if he could take much more of this. Meeting Black like that was nerve wracking. Finn whined.
"Come on, Finn. I know you hate this, but you are going to have to get used to it."
He didn't want to have to get used to it! He didn't want this! He'd do almost anything to keep from having to play the part of mild mannered Jade's pet dog! Well, almost anything. Images of William torturing him flooded back into his addled mind. That disturbing fear made him seek comfort, any comfort. He leaned into Jade again. But she wasn't expecting it and was thrown off balance from his weight.
"What are you doing, you big dope?" She demanded pertly.
Sheepishly, Finn moved back from her. After she regained her composure, she pulled Finn along to the kitchen. No one was there, and for that, Jade was eternally grateful. Now she could raid the fridge without fear. And raid it she did. Finn sat back on his haunches, eagerly awaiting to see what Jade could find. She pulled out a raw steak and grinned, showing it to him.
"M-m-m-m! This will be good. Oh hey, I forgot we had these!" And she continued to pile things on the floor in a bowl she had put out for Finn. His stomach growled again, insistently. He was eager and starving and could eat almost anything. "Okay. There you go! Have at it!"
He just looked at the mess.
"What? Most dogs would give their eye-teeth to have a steak handed to them!"
Finn shook his head. He wasn't going to eat raw meat. You could get worms from something like that, or worse! And besides, he never liked his anywhere close to rare. Most of the stuff she'd thrown in his bowl required cooking and he doubted Jade had any talent in that area. After all, she was just a kid.
"AAAAIYAAAAH!" Screeched a familiar voice from behind.
Jade recovered from her near heart attack as did Finn.
"What is a horse doing in the kit-chen?" Uncle shouted and pointed at Finn.
"Come on, Uncle, Zephyr's a dog, not a horse. And I'm feeding him."
"You do NOT give dog's people food!" Uncle groused and hurried over to the mess on the floor. "Dog's eat dog food, hacha-a-a!"
No way, Finn thought then realized the old man was about to take his food away. Where he wouldn't touch it before, now he protected it with a low and threatening growl. Uncle snatched his hand away with his face drawn in shock.
"Dog going to eat Unc-l-l-l-le!"
"No, Zephyr, BAD DOG!" Jade leapt into action and swatted Finn in the muzzle again which won her a withering look from Finn.
"Dog going to eat Jade next!" Uncle wailed.
"Dog isn't going to eat either one of us. Zeph is a good dog, really, Uncle! I promise!" And to prove her point she hugged Finn by the neck tightly and nuzzled the side of his huge head with her face.
Finn took exception to that but could do nothing but barely tolerate the unwelcome contact. He knew she was just putting on a show for the old man. So he didn't do anything but stand there.
"See? He's a good dog. Nice Zeph!" She scratched him behind the ear on the other side of his head. Damn, but he was beginning to like that!
Uncle decided to try to pet him but Finn wouldn't allow it. He growled low again and the hand stalled just before his muzzle as he bared his teeth. Jade, he'd allow the petting from, but no way was he going to let anyone else touch him.
"Finn." He heard her whisper fiercely into his nearby ear. But he had his mind made up. Only Jade could get this close to him without any harm. Finn ducked his head, but kept a watchful eye on Uncle who refrained from trying to get any closer, which was just fine with him. He wondered why Jade still clung to him and decided he had more important things to worry about.
Jade let go of the huge ball of fur and went to Uncle. "See? Zeph's a good boy. I'm sure if you give him time he'll warm up to you."
Like Hell, Finn thought to himself and still hovered over the food that he was probably going to refuse to eat anyway, even though his stomach growled impatiently. Maybe something in there was edible without having to cook it, but he doubted it. He nosed through the contents of the bowl, each scent from each item more pronounced then he remembered being as a human. There was some cottage cheese in the bottom, he lapped that up hungrily. Some dry cereal was mixed into the mess and he picked out what he could find of that to eat. Some strawberries and grapes and other things luckily had found their way into his bowl. He didn't touch the raw steak or the corn still on the cob uncooked, or the salad. Nosing through the bowl, he'd discovered enough that filled his complaining stomach up.
"Jackie will not like this." Uncle gave Finn the evil eye, "Where did you get such an animal?"
"He's a stray. Needs a good home. I found him lost and starving and he looked hurt."
Finn blinked. The element of truth always helps aide any lie. Jade was clever, he had to concede. Maybe she actually had a brain to go with that mouth of hers.
Tohru waddled into the room and paused at the site of the huge dog in the kitchen. Finn saw Tohru and didn't know what to do. Then he remembered Tohru wouldn't recognize him so he played it cool.
"New ingredient for soup?" Tohru dryly asked.
Finn growled at Tohru indignantly, not appreciating the humor one bit.
"Jade's pet." Uncle grumbled disapprovingly and crossed his lanky arms.
"Jackie let you have a dog?" Tohru asked disbelieving.
Jade smiled at him winningly. "He's going to. Just look at him. Isn't he sweet!?" She asked in a sing-song voice.
"Does he do tricks?" Tohru wanted to know and Finn growled at him again. "He looks dangerous."
Jade was eager to prove that Finn was going to be a good boy, "He does anything I tell him. He listens only to me!" She went back to Finn's side, he had gone back rooting through his bowl hoping to find something else. She grabbed up his neck fur and pulled. Finn sighed and lifted his head. It towered over her. "Okay, boy." She looked him the eye warningly. "Lay down." Pause--- "Down, boy." She motioned with her hand.
Finn sighed and did as instructed. Jade smiled winningly. "Roll over, boy!" He did that too. "Speak, boy!" Finn barked. "See?" She stated with pride.
"He's dirty." Uncle shook his head, "You must give him bath. He's smells bad!"
"Um." Jade hesitated and glanced at Finn who didn't look too happy. "Come on, boy. You heard Uncle."
Finn followed Jade and she knew he was moping. He'd never live down the fact that she'd be giving him a bath. How many more indignities must he cope with that day? They made it to the main washroom. She locked the door and gathered some towels.
"Come on, Finn. Get into the tub." She was beginning to know that look he gave her very well. "Come on, Finn. You think this is my idea of fun? No. There are a million things I'd rather do then give you a bath."
With reluctance showing in every move, he easily stepped into the tub. Jade ran the water, not too hot, but not too cold, slipped the rope off his neck and grabbed up the soap.
"Man, you're hairy. You aren't this hairy as a human, are you?" Jade joked and began to wash him.
God, was he being punished or something? Finn had to wonder.
"All wet like that, you look like a giant drowned rat." Jade laughed at his expense. He hung his head and felt sorry for himself as Jade scrubbed at him. She was going towards the hindquarters and Finn sidestepped uneasily. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere NEAR THAT."
Finn wanted out of the tub, out of that body, just--- out. Jade's hands roved all over him. It made him uncomfortable. Sure he was a dog, but he was born a man first. And it just wasn't right that she was giving him a bath. If he had the skin for it, he'd be blushing so red right now. Why did she have to joke about his body like that? Just because he was a bad guy didn't mean he wasn't sensitive. The message felt rather good. She wasn't too rough with him, but not too gentle so as not to be affective. He lifted each of his huge paws for her and she got between each of his toes and in between his pads. Well, he had to admit she took the job rather seriously and he was getting a rather thorough cleaning. Once the soaping was done, she rinsed him good with warm water. He actually felt better after she turned the water off.
At her urging, he stepped out of the tub. He quickly formed a puddle where he stood and waited. Jade soon attacked him with a towel, fiercely rubbing him down. He had to brace himself for this. It was over relatively quickly.
"You clean up nice. See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"
Finn snorted in disdain. Jade grinned.
"Come on." She waved at him, expecting him to follow now at her bidding. He couldn't believe he was going to obey her commands. As he kept reminding himself, he hadn't much of a choice. "Gotta take you to see Jackie."
Finn hung his head. That was not what he wanted to hear. Please, not Chan! Couldn't she just lock him up in her room and hide him? He'd rather that then his staying there be balanced on the whim of Jackie Chan. He followed her without the leash placidly. Somehow, he had to impress the Chan man. He'd need to be ultra friendly to the kid. She'd been nice enough to him, despite the indignities. He owed her a Hell of a lot. The least he could do was play nice, for now, anyway.
Jade found Jackie with his nose in a book. He was intently studying, as usual so he didn't notice his niece's entrance. Finn hung back reluctantly. Jade, sensing Finn's anxiety took to scratching his ear again. Finn didn't want to go any closer.
"Uncle Jackie? Remember how I said I wanted a pet?"
Jackie didn't look up from his book, "No pets, Jade."
"But, what if he's really, really smart? Really sweet? Obeys everything I say?"
"I doubt you could find such an animal, Jade. Please, can't you wait and save this discussion for later? I'm in the middle of something important for the museum."
Jade would not be put off, "But, what if I DID find such an animal?" She frowned. "Jackie, could you look up from that book for just one minute ple-e-e-e-ease?"
"Jade---"but what Jackie was going to say died on his lips. He saw the gigantic dog next to his small niece. "--- where did you get this?"
"Zephyr is a great dog, Jackie! Just think of how good a protector he'll be! With him around, no bad guys would mess with me!"
"I'd be more worried about your safety BECAUSE of him, Jade. This dog is HUGE! Look! He's just too big. He's dangerous."
"Zephyr is NOT dangerous!" Jade snapped petulantly. "Irish Wolfhounds are actually very gentle. He's smart and obeys everything I say. Come on, Jackie, please? I'll never ask for anything else for as long as I live!"
Finn snorted. Jackie wasn't going to fall for that old line, was he? If he was, he was dumber then he originally thought. He had to wonder, though, why she said all those nice things about him. Of course, it had to solely be for Jackie's benefit. Oh well. Why was he worrying about it anyway?
"Jackie, he can't go out on the streets." Jade's eyes welled up with false tears.
"That's where you found him, though."
"Jackie. Please? The streets is no place for a dog."
"And neither is Section 13."
Jade stamped her foot. "Jackie, you always go on about how irresponsible I am. Well, this is the PERFECT way to teach me responsibility."
"He might belong to someone else, Jade, you ever think of that? He's not your usual stray." Jackie told her.
"Well, we can keep him and put his pictures up around San Fran and see if anyone answers. In the meantime, we take care of him. How about it?" Jade said hopefully.
Jackie rubbed his chin with his hand, his eyes never left the massive dog. "I don't know."
"Please? Jackie? Please? If he doesn't belong to anyone else, can't we keep him? You always talk about how important it was for me to make friends!" She hugged Finn around the neck again and Finn sighed.
"I meant human friends your own age, Jade." Jackie mulled things over in his mind. Teaching Jade responsibility was a winning idea. Just--- why'd the dog have to be so big? Jade held her breath as she watched Jackie actively think it over. Her hand gripped Finn's ear and he leaned into her, just as anxious. "Okay. We put pictures up and if no one claims him in a month, he's yours. I'd better not have to remind you to feed him or take him for walks or else he's gone, okay?"
Jade squeezed Finn then ran to Jackie and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Jackie! You wont have to remind me ever! Zephyr does that for me! Don't you, boy?" She turned to look back at Finn and winked. Finn snorted.
"And if he stays ours, first thing we're going to get him fixed if he isn't already." Jackie informed her.
Finn felt like he'd faint. Say it wasn't so! This couldn't be happening! Anything but that!
Jade's eyes went wide. "No, Jackie, you can't do that! He's not a puppy anymore!"
"Jade, fixing dogs help make them live longer. Besides, it will also help calm them down."
"But Zephyr's not high strung!" Jade insisted.
Finn couldn't believe that his two best friends were on the line and counting on the wiles of a questionable eleven-year-old. He watched the bargaining with dread. One wrong move on Jade's part and he was literally screwed!
Jade was frantically trying to come up with a good reason to keep Finn whole. "But Jackie! Don't you know that you could sell purebred Wolfhound puppies for several hundred dollars?"
Uncle had come in just then, "Aiya-a-a! Hundred's of dollars for a puppy? Who would do such a foolish thing?"
Jade shrugged, not daring to look at Finn, "Breeders of show dogs."
"But Jade, he doesn't have any papers. We don't know if he's a purebred Wolfhound or not." Jackie said reasonably.
"But still!" Jade persisted. "Even still, you could sell them for a lot of money."
"A lot of money, huh?" Uncle liked the idea. "Hundreds of dollars if he's a purebred? I say he keeps them, Jackie!"
"I didn't know this was a debate." Jackie said perturbed.
"Please, Jackie? Please?" Jade pleaded, almost frantically.
Jackie didn't know why it was so important to Jade, but he sighed. "Fine. He wont get fixed. But he is still going to the vet to get shots."
Finn felt weak with relief. A few shots he could handle in exchange for keeping himself whole! Jade really came through for him, even if it was by a roundabout and rather disgusting idea. He wasn't going to do it with another dog, no way! No matter how much Jade threatened. Jade hurried back to Finn's side and hugged him again.
"Welcome to the family, Zephyr!" She said happily.
Finn sighed for the millionth time that day. It could always be worse, he thought to himself.
To Be Continued---
Part Three
Brenna "Snakelady" Dawkins
A Jackie Chan Adventures Fanfic
Rating: PG-13 Disclaimer: Jackie Chan and subsequent characters belong to Jackie Chan and associates. It'd be pretty useless to sue me since I have nothing! I've made no profit nor will see any from this fic.
Summary: With VampireNaomi's permission, I have taken it upon myself to continue her fic since she had no plans to. When we last saw Finn, he was at the mercy of the evil William and it seems no one is there to help the thief--- or is there?
(Author's Note: Ever have a fic practically write itself? This one sure seems to be doing just that! More Fun with Finn following! Say that five times fast!)
Finn woke up lying on the floor beside of Jade's bed. It was disorientating, the colorblindness, his new location. His stomach growled, great. He'd have to get Jade to feed him somehow. Then he realized he had another urge and sighed. He had to go to the bathroom. There wasn't anyway he knew of where he could maneuver onto the toilet in this form. This royally sucked and could prove to be embarrassing. He was going to have to rely completely upon Jade. He was used to being independent. Had been since he was fifteen.
Finn raised himself up, his head towered over the bed even though he was still sitting. He saw her lying there flat on her stomach, tangled in her sheets. He'd been amazed she trusted him enough to let him sleep in her room. But then again, he supposed she was still hiding him from her uncles. His big question was, how long was she going to keep him like this?
He felt the urge to go to the bathroom more pressing. Finn knew he was going to have to wake her up and get her to understand he needed--- God, that he needed to be taken for a walk. He couldn't believe he coined the phrase in his head. Finn shoved his muzzle up against Jade's side, hoping she'd wake to the touch. She didn't. Frustrated, he shoved at her again. This only got a mumbled response out of her, muffled by the pillow. Finn grabbed at the sheet next with his teeth and pulled it off of her. She only rolled up into a tight ball and threw her arm over her face. Finn snorted in irritation. So be it! He grabbed up a mouthfull the pajamas she had been wearing and yanked roughly. So roughly, with a startled yell, Jade fell off the bed and on top of Finn.
"Hey! It's Sunday! I hardly got any sleep last night, no thanks to you!" She smacked him in his wide and furry chest. Then tried to claw back into bed.
But Finn was relentless. He grabbed the leg of her pajama's and pulled. Jade slid back down to the floor.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked crossly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Finn whined at her, hoping she'd catch a clue.
"What?" She demanded again.
How could he make her understand? Finn thought for a moment, then sighed. Getting up, he went to her door and clawed at the door while he whined at her.
Jade blinked then in relief, he thought he saw a glimmer of understanding.
"OH!"
Now what was she going to do? Jade quickly ran her fingers through her hair. She couldn't go out and take him for a walk in her pajamas. She couldn't go out of her room with Finn without anyone in Section 13 seeing them.
"Finn, I know you have to go to the bathroom, but listen carefully. Someone's going to see us and ask questions. Jackie will find out sooner rather then later about you then I planned."
Finn whined again. Jade sighed. "Okay, okay. Look, I need to get dressed. U-u-u-um, just look at the door. Don't you DARE turn around!"
The dog snorted but turned back around to face the door so he couldn't watch her change clothes. Jade sighed. This was going to be an awkward arrangement to be sure. But at the moment, it couldn't be helped. Once she was finally dressed, she realized she couldn't take him for a walk without a leash. Digging through her junk, she found a long rope. She made a loop in it and knew Finn would protest. But again, there was no choice.
Finn stared at the door, wondering why it took her so frigging long to get dressed. He knew women had a tendency to take more time in getting ready, but Jade was no woman. He jerked when he saw something pass over his head and then slip down his neck and tighten.
"Calm down, it's just a make-shift leash. There are strong leash laws around here, you know."
Finn eyed her coldly but scratched at the door impatiently, knowing he'd have to get her back for this indignacy later. Jade cautiously opened the door and had to haul back on Finn's leash to keep him from bolting out of her room. Finn choked against the rope and pulled back reluctantly. He gave her another glare but held back.
"Stay beside me!" She instructed. Then stepped out after she inspected the hallway in both directions and found it clear. Pulling on the leash, she ushered Finn along, hoping beyond hope that they could make it to the secret exit before anyone saw them.
Finn was able to keep up with her easily with his long legs. As they hurried down the hall, he couldn't help but notice all the smells. He had no idea what they meant except for one. After hanging out in Jade's room for that short time, he thought he could discern Jade's scent. Even once they'd be out among a lot of people, he still thought he'd be able to detect it. He snorted. He was losing his mind! He was being led around on a leash by a girl who had kicked him in the face who knows how many times. He was about to paint a fire hydrant yellow. He was--- a house dog. One thing he swore right then he'd NEVER do, even if Jade threatened him, was to fetch.
Luckily, it was too early for anyone in the living quarters section of the government lab to be wandering the halls so Jade got Finn outside without anyone inside seeing them. Once out, she heaved a loud sigh of relief.
Finn took a look around them and cringed. Great--- another alley. He HATED alleys! Jade strode forward, pulling on the leash to encourage Finn to follow. He did, reluctantly. Stupid leash! He knew he was strong enough to drag her around if he wanted to. But if he ran, he'd be stuck being a stupid dog for the rest of his life. So until Jade decided to give him his humanity back, he'd have to play nice.
Jade took him out on the street. It was still very early in the morning, so not many people were out. Those that were stared at the odd pair, a tiny Chinese grade schooler leading a massive dog that towered over her and yet followed with a meekness that left jaws dropping. Finn refused to look at the gawkers, knowing he looked ridiculous. Jade ignored them too, she was busy scouting out a rest stop for Finn. She didn't really know what to look for. She didn't know what Finn would feel comfortable with. They didn't really have that many options, after all. But she supposed he already knew that and would take exception to anything anyway. Then she saw a tree that was planted in the sidewalk and headed towards it.
"Okay, Finn. Um, do what, um, you gotta do." She stopped beside the tree.
Finn shook his head. No way was he going on a tree, and NEVER while Jade watched! When it became clear to Jade that Finn wasn't going to cooperate, she shook her head.
"It's the tree or nothing, Finn."
Finn whined, annoyed and embarrassed. He stared at her with classic puppy dog eyes and Jade got the hint.
"Okay, I wont watch." She rolled her eyes and turned her back.
Finn shook his head and then after seeing how dogs in the park took care of business in the past, he lifted his leg awkwardly and took care of his own. After he was finished, he walked back into Jade's sight.
"Okay. So, what am I going to tell Uncle Jackie about you? We can't tell him you're Finn. That'd kinda blow the point of this."
Finn wanted to know exactly what the point was, but he couldn't ask. Why was she doing this to him? Why not just turn him into a human and let him go before anyone else in Section 13 was the wiser? Was him playing as her pet some sort of payback? Did she have any idea how humiliated he was right then?
"Well, guess we can't putt this off any longer. Jackie'll find out about you anyway. He's not going to like you."
Finn snorted and Jade had to grin.
"Okay, so I'm not telling you stuff you already don't know. I guess I'm just stalling."
Finn supposed he couldn't blame her for that. He wasn't necessarily thrilled about meeting Chan and crew in that form either. Jade finally led him back to the government facility. Finn's stomach growled loudly and Jade heard. She sighed, now she supposed she had to find him something to eat. They didn't have any kibble on hand not, she knew, that Finn would ever eat dog food. But she knew that Jackie would not let him eat at the table either.
She walked him back to the living quarters area of Section 13. A few agents were milling around. They did spare the two a glance, but not much more. All in the facility were used to the unusual antics of the eleven- year-old, which was a relief to Jade. No one stopped her as they walked through. She was heading towards the small kitchen, her mind was fully on the problem of feeding Finn when they turned a corner and almost ran into Captain Black.
Finn winced and backed up, putting himself behind Jade as he came face to face with a man who's made it his life's mission to arrest him and the Dark Hand. Jade looked up at the bald director with a worried look on her face.
"Jade." Black took in the scene with a frown. "What are you doing with--- that thing?"
Finn took exception to that and snorted from behind Jade. Jade flashed Black a false grin. "You mean my new dog?"
"Jackie let you get a dog?" Black said disbelieving.
"Heh, not yet! But he never said I couldn't!"
Finn listened to the exchange, wondering if Black was going to fall for Jade's line. He read the scowl on Blacks face and knew Black wasn't dumb. But it also wasn't any of his business.
Black shook his head, "Is it potty trained?"
Finn wanted to just die of embarrassment.
Jade enthusiastically nodded and scratched Finn under his chin, "Sure is! Just took him out this morning. Don't worry, Black, Zephyr wont leave any messes!"
Finn cocked his head. Zephyr? Where'd she get that name? Well, he supposed she couldn't use his real name. Jade was a weird kid, though. But he always knew that anyway.
Black gave him one longer look that Finn knew well. If he screwed up, he was going to be toast. Finn hung back instinctively even pressed himself into Jade, hoping that his chances of staying would improve if he made himself look less threatening. Of course, he was nearly the size of a small pony, so it would be a challenge. Jade just kept scratching him beneath the chin and he tried his best not to enjoy the attention. Black shrugged.
"Just keep it away from the main lab. Oh, and if I find one flea or tick---" He let the threat hang but didn't finish, just gave Jade a stern look and walked off.
Jade heaved a loud and overly done sigh. "Jeeze, that was close!"
Finn didn't know if he could take much more of this. Meeting Black like that was nerve wracking. Finn whined.
"Come on, Finn. I know you hate this, but you are going to have to get used to it."
He didn't want to have to get used to it! He didn't want this! He'd do almost anything to keep from having to play the part of mild mannered Jade's pet dog! Well, almost anything. Images of William torturing him flooded back into his addled mind. That disturbing fear made him seek comfort, any comfort. He leaned into Jade again. But she wasn't expecting it and was thrown off balance from his weight.
"What are you doing, you big dope?" She demanded pertly.
Sheepishly, Finn moved back from her. After she regained her composure, she pulled Finn along to the kitchen. No one was there, and for that, Jade was eternally grateful. Now she could raid the fridge without fear. And raid it she did. Finn sat back on his haunches, eagerly awaiting to see what Jade could find. She pulled out a raw steak and grinned, showing it to him.
"M-m-m-m! This will be good. Oh hey, I forgot we had these!" And she continued to pile things on the floor in a bowl she had put out for Finn. His stomach growled again, insistently. He was eager and starving and could eat almost anything. "Okay. There you go! Have at it!"
He just looked at the mess.
"What? Most dogs would give their eye-teeth to have a steak handed to them!"
Finn shook his head. He wasn't going to eat raw meat. You could get worms from something like that, or worse! And besides, he never liked his anywhere close to rare. Most of the stuff she'd thrown in his bowl required cooking and he doubted Jade had any talent in that area. After all, she was just a kid.
"AAAAIYAAAAH!" Screeched a familiar voice from behind.
Jade recovered from her near heart attack as did Finn.
"What is a horse doing in the kit-chen?" Uncle shouted and pointed at Finn.
"Come on, Uncle, Zephyr's a dog, not a horse. And I'm feeding him."
"You do NOT give dog's people food!" Uncle groused and hurried over to the mess on the floor. "Dog's eat dog food, hacha-a-a!"
No way, Finn thought then realized the old man was about to take his food away. Where he wouldn't touch it before, now he protected it with a low and threatening growl. Uncle snatched his hand away with his face drawn in shock.
"Dog going to eat Unc-l-l-l-le!"
"No, Zephyr, BAD DOG!" Jade leapt into action and swatted Finn in the muzzle again which won her a withering look from Finn.
"Dog going to eat Jade next!" Uncle wailed.
"Dog isn't going to eat either one of us. Zeph is a good dog, really, Uncle! I promise!" And to prove her point she hugged Finn by the neck tightly and nuzzled the side of his huge head with her face.
Finn took exception to that but could do nothing but barely tolerate the unwelcome contact. He knew she was just putting on a show for the old man. So he didn't do anything but stand there.
"See? He's a good dog. Nice Zeph!" She scratched him behind the ear on the other side of his head. Damn, but he was beginning to like that!
Uncle decided to try to pet him but Finn wouldn't allow it. He growled low again and the hand stalled just before his muzzle as he bared his teeth. Jade, he'd allow the petting from, but no way was he going to let anyone else touch him.
"Finn." He heard her whisper fiercely into his nearby ear. But he had his mind made up. Only Jade could get this close to him without any harm. Finn ducked his head, but kept a watchful eye on Uncle who refrained from trying to get any closer, which was just fine with him. He wondered why Jade still clung to him and decided he had more important things to worry about.
Jade let go of the huge ball of fur and went to Uncle. "See? Zeph's a good boy. I'm sure if you give him time he'll warm up to you."
Like Hell, Finn thought to himself and still hovered over the food that he was probably going to refuse to eat anyway, even though his stomach growled impatiently. Maybe something in there was edible without having to cook it, but he doubted it. He nosed through the contents of the bowl, each scent from each item more pronounced then he remembered being as a human. There was some cottage cheese in the bottom, he lapped that up hungrily. Some dry cereal was mixed into the mess and he picked out what he could find of that to eat. Some strawberries and grapes and other things luckily had found their way into his bowl. He didn't touch the raw steak or the corn still on the cob uncooked, or the salad. Nosing through the bowl, he'd discovered enough that filled his complaining stomach up.
"Jackie will not like this." Uncle gave Finn the evil eye, "Where did you get such an animal?"
"He's a stray. Needs a good home. I found him lost and starving and he looked hurt."
Finn blinked. The element of truth always helps aide any lie. Jade was clever, he had to concede. Maybe she actually had a brain to go with that mouth of hers.
Tohru waddled into the room and paused at the site of the huge dog in the kitchen. Finn saw Tohru and didn't know what to do. Then he remembered Tohru wouldn't recognize him so he played it cool.
"New ingredient for soup?" Tohru dryly asked.
Finn growled at Tohru indignantly, not appreciating the humor one bit.
"Jade's pet." Uncle grumbled disapprovingly and crossed his lanky arms.
"Jackie let you have a dog?" Tohru asked disbelieving.
Jade smiled at him winningly. "He's going to. Just look at him. Isn't he sweet!?" She asked in a sing-song voice.
"Does he do tricks?" Tohru wanted to know and Finn growled at him again. "He looks dangerous."
Jade was eager to prove that Finn was going to be a good boy, "He does anything I tell him. He listens only to me!" She went back to Finn's side, he had gone back rooting through his bowl hoping to find something else. She grabbed up his neck fur and pulled. Finn sighed and lifted his head. It towered over her. "Okay, boy." She looked him the eye warningly. "Lay down." Pause--- "Down, boy." She motioned with her hand.
Finn sighed and did as instructed. Jade smiled winningly. "Roll over, boy!" He did that too. "Speak, boy!" Finn barked. "See?" She stated with pride.
"He's dirty." Uncle shook his head, "You must give him bath. He's smells bad!"
"Um." Jade hesitated and glanced at Finn who didn't look too happy. "Come on, boy. You heard Uncle."
Finn followed Jade and she knew he was moping. He'd never live down the fact that she'd be giving him a bath. How many more indignities must he cope with that day? They made it to the main washroom. She locked the door and gathered some towels.
"Come on, Finn. Get into the tub." She was beginning to know that look he gave her very well. "Come on, Finn. You think this is my idea of fun? No. There are a million things I'd rather do then give you a bath."
With reluctance showing in every move, he easily stepped into the tub. Jade ran the water, not too hot, but not too cold, slipped the rope off his neck and grabbed up the soap.
"Man, you're hairy. You aren't this hairy as a human, are you?" Jade joked and began to wash him.
God, was he being punished or something? Finn had to wonder.
"All wet like that, you look like a giant drowned rat." Jade laughed at his expense. He hung his head and felt sorry for himself as Jade scrubbed at him. She was going towards the hindquarters and Finn sidestepped uneasily. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere NEAR THAT."
Finn wanted out of the tub, out of that body, just--- out. Jade's hands roved all over him. It made him uncomfortable. Sure he was a dog, but he was born a man first. And it just wasn't right that she was giving him a bath. If he had the skin for it, he'd be blushing so red right now. Why did she have to joke about his body like that? Just because he was a bad guy didn't mean he wasn't sensitive. The message felt rather good. She wasn't too rough with him, but not too gentle so as not to be affective. He lifted each of his huge paws for her and she got between each of his toes and in between his pads. Well, he had to admit she took the job rather seriously and he was getting a rather thorough cleaning. Once the soaping was done, she rinsed him good with warm water. He actually felt better after she turned the water off.
At her urging, he stepped out of the tub. He quickly formed a puddle where he stood and waited. Jade soon attacked him with a towel, fiercely rubbing him down. He had to brace himself for this. It was over relatively quickly.
"You clean up nice. See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"
Finn snorted in disdain. Jade grinned.
"Come on." She waved at him, expecting him to follow now at her bidding. He couldn't believe he was going to obey her commands. As he kept reminding himself, he hadn't much of a choice. "Gotta take you to see Jackie."
Finn hung his head. That was not what he wanted to hear. Please, not Chan! Couldn't she just lock him up in her room and hide him? He'd rather that then his staying there be balanced on the whim of Jackie Chan. He followed her without the leash placidly. Somehow, he had to impress the Chan man. He'd need to be ultra friendly to the kid. She'd been nice enough to him, despite the indignities. He owed her a Hell of a lot. The least he could do was play nice, for now, anyway.
Jade found Jackie with his nose in a book. He was intently studying, as usual so he didn't notice his niece's entrance. Finn hung back reluctantly. Jade, sensing Finn's anxiety took to scratching his ear again. Finn didn't want to go any closer.
"Uncle Jackie? Remember how I said I wanted a pet?"
Jackie didn't look up from his book, "No pets, Jade."
"But, what if he's really, really smart? Really sweet? Obeys everything I say?"
"I doubt you could find such an animal, Jade. Please, can't you wait and save this discussion for later? I'm in the middle of something important for the museum."
Jade would not be put off, "But, what if I DID find such an animal?" She frowned. "Jackie, could you look up from that book for just one minute ple-e-e-e-ease?"
"Jade---"but what Jackie was going to say died on his lips. He saw the gigantic dog next to his small niece. "--- where did you get this?"
"Zephyr is a great dog, Jackie! Just think of how good a protector he'll be! With him around, no bad guys would mess with me!"
"I'd be more worried about your safety BECAUSE of him, Jade. This dog is HUGE! Look! He's just too big. He's dangerous."
"Zephyr is NOT dangerous!" Jade snapped petulantly. "Irish Wolfhounds are actually very gentle. He's smart and obeys everything I say. Come on, Jackie, please? I'll never ask for anything else for as long as I live!"
Finn snorted. Jackie wasn't going to fall for that old line, was he? If he was, he was dumber then he originally thought. He had to wonder, though, why she said all those nice things about him. Of course, it had to solely be for Jackie's benefit. Oh well. Why was he worrying about it anyway?
"Jackie, he can't go out on the streets." Jade's eyes welled up with false tears.
"That's where you found him, though."
"Jackie. Please? The streets is no place for a dog."
"And neither is Section 13."
Jade stamped her foot. "Jackie, you always go on about how irresponsible I am. Well, this is the PERFECT way to teach me responsibility."
"He might belong to someone else, Jade, you ever think of that? He's not your usual stray." Jackie told her.
"Well, we can keep him and put his pictures up around San Fran and see if anyone answers. In the meantime, we take care of him. How about it?" Jade said hopefully.
Jackie rubbed his chin with his hand, his eyes never left the massive dog. "I don't know."
"Please? Jackie? Please? If he doesn't belong to anyone else, can't we keep him? You always talk about how important it was for me to make friends!" She hugged Finn around the neck again and Finn sighed.
"I meant human friends your own age, Jade." Jackie mulled things over in his mind. Teaching Jade responsibility was a winning idea. Just--- why'd the dog have to be so big? Jade held her breath as she watched Jackie actively think it over. Her hand gripped Finn's ear and he leaned into her, just as anxious. "Okay. We put pictures up and if no one claims him in a month, he's yours. I'd better not have to remind you to feed him or take him for walks or else he's gone, okay?"
Jade squeezed Finn then ran to Jackie and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Jackie! You wont have to remind me ever! Zephyr does that for me! Don't you, boy?" She turned to look back at Finn and winked. Finn snorted.
"And if he stays ours, first thing we're going to get him fixed if he isn't already." Jackie informed her.
Finn felt like he'd faint. Say it wasn't so! This couldn't be happening! Anything but that!
Jade's eyes went wide. "No, Jackie, you can't do that! He's not a puppy anymore!"
"Jade, fixing dogs help make them live longer. Besides, it will also help calm them down."
"But Zephyr's not high strung!" Jade insisted.
Finn couldn't believe that his two best friends were on the line and counting on the wiles of a questionable eleven-year-old. He watched the bargaining with dread. One wrong move on Jade's part and he was literally screwed!
Jade was frantically trying to come up with a good reason to keep Finn whole. "But Jackie! Don't you know that you could sell purebred Wolfhound puppies for several hundred dollars?"
Uncle had come in just then, "Aiya-a-a! Hundred's of dollars for a puppy? Who would do such a foolish thing?"
Jade shrugged, not daring to look at Finn, "Breeders of show dogs."
"But Jade, he doesn't have any papers. We don't know if he's a purebred Wolfhound or not." Jackie said reasonably.
"But still!" Jade persisted. "Even still, you could sell them for a lot of money."
"A lot of money, huh?" Uncle liked the idea. "Hundreds of dollars if he's a purebred? I say he keeps them, Jackie!"
"I didn't know this was a debate." Jackie said perturbed.
"Please, Jackie? Please?" Jade pleaded, almost frantically.
Jackie didn't know why it was so important to Jade, but he sighed. "Fine. He wont get fixed. But he is still going to the vet to get shots."
Finn felt weak with relief. A few shots he could handle in exchange for keeping himself whole! Jade really came through for him, even if it was by a roundabout and rather disgusting idea. He wasn't going to do it with another dog, no way! No matter how much Jade threatened. Jade hurried back to Finn's side and hugged him again.
"Welcome to the family, Zephyr!" She said happily.
Finn sighed for the millionth time that day. It could always be worse, he thought to himself.
To Be Continued---