Do they work us over here! Most days I have nine classes in a row, soon to be upped to ten. And if I wrote like mad when I came home too, I'd never get any rest.
This fic started as a recollection in Karma Circle 03: Older Brother, Younger Sister, but rapidly expanded to be much larger. I'd already been thinking about this subject for quite some time, since thejennamonster brought up the question of what happened to that puppy that Membrane reminded Gaz to feed in "Future Dib." And when I read AzureF's fics, "Realization" I saw how much more real and believable the physical setting becomes when one describes the weather and the seasons.
Disclaimer: Once again I don't own Invader Zim. But I have owned several dogs.
Puppy Love
The new school year had just started and with it, the fall. Outside, each passing morning took just a little bit longer to warm up than it had the day before. But once the sun rose high enough, it could still be quite warm indeed, and by the time people headed home in the afternoon, many of them would be carrying the same jackets and sweaters they so needed that very morning. Today more gold peeked through the leaves waving outside the kitchen window.
It was still early enough in the morning for the temperature to be much cooler outdoors than indoors, so a thick coating of steam gathered inside the kitchen windows as Professor Membrane's coffee began to brew. Soon deciding that this had already taken too long, he put the kettle on to boil. Instant coffee would save 55.5 seconds of his valuable time! But wouldn't really "instant" coffee be something you could drink as soon as you opened the jar? The Professor resolved that his next project, after he'd perfected Super Toast, would be Super Coffee!
He reached over Dib and Gaz, eating their breakfast cereal, to place his latest batch of toast on the table in front of them.
"And here is today's Super Toast... prototype!" he announced dramatically. "Eat up, son, eat up, daughter, before I get famous and I just might have to be away on a business trip from time to time! As always, I will be expecting you to rate this batch for me on taste, texture, and the general level of energy you experience today!"
Tired though he was of eating toast day after day, Dib figured he'd better take two slices of toast in case his father's prediction came true; not to be outdone, Gaz quickly grabbed three.
After asking them the usual questions of how skool was coming along, the Professor said something that neither of them saw coming.
"Your mother thinks it would be good to get you a puppy," he said suddenly, quickly finishing his mug of coffee before reaching for his briefcase. "You know, for... company and protection!"
Dib quickly glanced at Gaz but she kept her eyes on their father as if nothing at all was unusual about what he had just said. Who knows, maybe their mother actually had discussed this with him before...
Setting the empty mug down on the counter and heading for the door, the Professor made an additional observation with Dib in mind, "... and son, the little extra responsibility might even make you less insane," as if Dib could get any more responsible than he was already.
Dib sent another cautious glance Gaz's way; this time she noticed, and before he'd spoken so much as one word, her glare was already telling him to shut up.
- - - - -
A few weeks later, Dib and Gaz were coming home from skool as they always did, Gaz elbowing Dib aside to make it into the house first, marking that microscopic accomplishment by smirking as if she'd "won" something, before sinking back into her usual apathy.
Quickly recovering, Dib went to close the door behind them. Now that skool was behind him for another day he could turn on the TV! Or get a bottle of soda! Or check his computer for a message from the Swollen Eyeballs! Skool was out! Yaay!
Today, however, something completely unexpected happened. Dib had barely closed the door when something came scampering out of nowhere, its claws clicking across the floor... and a puppy rushed up to greet them, all sniffing and licking, all wiggling and wobbling under their feet! Once more shoving Dib aside, Gaz stooped to pick it up.
The puppy was tiny, not much bigger than an adult's hand. Its wooly hair was a light caramel color, slightly darker on its tail. From below its pointed little ears, its eyes peered out at them like glittering buttons; its nose constantly sniffed at everything. Dib could see a white bib across the front of its chest.
Dib was utterly delighted. He hadn't dared to hope that his father would actually honor a promise of something as wonderful as this. "A puppy!" he squealed, reaching out to pat it, but Gaz quickly turned away from him, keeping the puppy to herself.
Gaz refused to allow him to hold the puppy for even a second. Much though he longed for his turn, Dib could hardly just take something out of her hands without her attacking him like a savage animal. Instead, he tried pointing out that she'd had the puppy ever since they got home and that it was his turn now. Not that the mature and civilized approach did him any good; Gaz merely snarled her withering contempt for any tactic other than her own brute force. "Whiner!"
When the Professor finally came home... much later, Dib was still waiting for a chance to hold the puppy.
"I see your mother's introduced you to the latest addition to our family! How do you like him?" the Professor asked, stooping down a little.
"He's great!" Dib rejoiced, despite not having been able to actually hold the puppy yet.
"He's okay I guess," Gaz muttered. This new game, keeping something away from somebody else who also wanted it, was still fun. This one might not have enough explosions, but she was still winning... as she always did.
"Have you thought of a name for him yet?" was the Professor's next question, and by the time Dib had narrowed his suggestions down to two, "Sundog" and "Doggerel," and was still coming up with a clever combination of both, Gaz had already shouted, Piggy!"
"Piggy! I like that!" The Professor chuckled, rubbing his chin as he straightened up. "Now pay attention, this is important," he said, as if coming to a particularly crucial part of a university lecture. "Statistics show that approximately 2.2 million dogs end up in an animal shelter each year... and depending on the year, from 55 to 58 of those end up being euthanized ()... but that's not going to happen here, is it? Of course not! He will return companionship and protection at least the equal of the care you give him!"
Gaz had gone back to looking at the puppy again, but Dib nodded slowly and solemnly, looking up at his father. Of course, he could already guess easily enough who'd end up doing most of the work.
"You can divide up the chores," the Professor continued. "One of you will do inside chores, a - "
"ME!" snapped Gaz, much to Dib's surprise, until he realized a second later what that would mean. Gaz would get to feed the puppy, give him water and put him to bed. Dib's part would be cleaning up the yard after the puppy and coaxing him into the vet's office.
Having exhausted his children's allowance of attention for the day, the Professor headed downstairs once again before his experiments fell too far behind schedule.
Dib followed Gaz as she took Piggy into the kitchen, where she found nothing with meat in it except some bologna. Even though Dib had been planning to have it for his lunch the next day he knew the puppy had to eat something, so he didn't object, not even silently. Instead he made a mental note to go to the grocery store soon for dog food and more bologna. Gaz set the plate on the floor and they crouched on the kitchen floor, one on either side of the puppy, watching him eat.
As soon as Piggy had gobbled up the last of the bologna, he licked his lips before sniffing around the plate once more just in case he missed a bite somehow. This was Gaz's cue to carry him back to the living room, where she placed him on the couch beside her. When she reached once again for her GameSlave, Dib began hoping anew that he was about to get his chance with the puppy. And as Piggy no longer seemed to be the center of Gaz's attention, he began looking for a way off the couch to investigate something else in his new home. But without taking her eyes off her game, Gaz yanked the puppy back to sit right next to her and looped her arm around him, glaring at Dib as if only she was allowed to even touch the puppy indoors.
Finally realizing he wouldn't get a chance to hold Piggy any time soon, Dib slowly headed for the stairs to see if the Swollen Eyeballs had sent him any messages since that morning... putting on speed with anticipation of telling Darkbootie about the new puppy!
- - - - -
This is going to work out great, thought Gaz. Finally, somebody who won't leave me, and who even knows how to keep his mouth shut. Dib won't shut up until I punch him in the mouth... and THEN'S when he goes away! He's supposed to always hang around just in case I want anything; he's not supposed to do anything I don't like. Ever.
Only the sounds of Gaz's video game now disturbed the silence. Piggy began to wriggle, but this made the arm clamp down tighter over him. Only when he kept still did the arm ease its grip. Sighing, Piggy put his head on his front paws and was soon asleep.
- - - - -
Immersed in his homework, Dib wondered for half a second who Gaz could be yelling at to shut up if they weren't even in the same room. Then he remembered and headed for the living room.
Piggy was wandering uneasily up and down the couch. At one point he looked like he was about to nudge Gaz, backing down at the last second.
"You know that whole bugging me thing... you're doing it again. I said... I'd let you out... IN A MINUTE!" Immediately Gaz returned to her game, something which always made her forget anything else even existed.
Piggy restlessly jumped from one front paw to the other; he obviously needed to get down from the couch yet was strictly forbidden to do so. The whimpering sounded frantic enough that Dib dared to risk Gaz's vicious temper; what would happen if the puppy had an accident right next to her didn't bear thinking about.
"He needs to go outside, Gaz, and that is my job after all."
"Then take him outside, Dib," Gaz ordered, seizing the opportunity to sound as if she was speaking to a servant, gloating and smirking as if she'd won some mysterious contest of wills that only she knew about. Dib hastily found an old cord lying around and looped it around Piggy's collar before taking him outside.
After having been forced to wait so long the puppy went almost immediately, but now that he could finally enjoy having Piggy all to himself, Dib was in no particular hurry to return indoors. As soon as Piggy finished, Dib sat down on the front step, letting the puppy sniff and lick his fingers before gently scratching all around the fluffy neck. The little tail began to wag.
When he finally stood up, Dib began to amble down the walk just for somewhere to go, the puppy happily bouncing along after him. When Dib reluctantly turned around to go back toward the house again, the puppy suddenly found something to sniff at... and something else... and then something else...
They ended up walking all the way to the corner before turning around, and the trip back took just as long. Dib enjoyed every moment of it. He never knew that beetles, snails and discarded gum wrappers could be so interesting.
The temperature was striking the happy medium; it was neither hot nor cold. From behind a large pink cloud, the setting sun was bathing each golden tree in a golden light; the entire world seemed to be made of gold. This is a golden evening, Dib thought, wallowing in contentment. Long shadows lay across the cool grass, and the few voices Dib did hear sounded subdued and far away; pleasantly tired from working all day, everyone was now ready for a quiet, peaceful evening at home. A car rested in nearly every driveway; here and there windows were lighting up like remote suns.
It had been a very long time indeed since Dib had enjoyed simply being outdoors this much. As always, Dib felt removed from all the family socializing, but this time it was in a good way. For these few moments, he was finally able savor the joy of having a new puppy.
"What took you so long?" Gaz demanded the second he opened the door, patting the couch next to her to order Piggy to jump up next to her.
"It took him a while to go," Dib said. Glancing at the puppy, Dib was positive Piggy winked at him as if to say, "I won't tell!'
Dib's chance to take Piggy outside came a little earlier the next day; this time he made the offer right after Piggy had finished eating. Despite the earlier hour, the temperature was the same as it had been when Dib stepped outside with the puppy the previous day. But Dib didn't notice. He only knew that he enjoyed this walk every bit as much. It didn't even bother him that it was pouring rain.
End of Chapter One
(A/N) Figures as reported by the National Council for Pet Population Study and Policy.
To be continued...