Brook dragged her head from under the pillows. Sleep fogged her brain. Still the dog's barks echoed around the house.

I wish someone would shut that dog up already! Then she realised, that was her dog. She moaned and heaved herself out of bed. She stumbled into her bathroom and tugged open the curtains and blinked sleepily. The early morning sky was a rosy colour that faded into the blue of the day. Brook showered, and got dressed.

Now she was fully awake, she could think clearly. She made her bed, and made herself breakfast. As she did, her dog heard her moving around the house, and began barking excitedly and running up and down the back veranda, and around the yard. As Brook waited for her toast to cook, she boiled the jug and poured herself a warming cup of tea. She smeared peanut butter over her toast and walked to the kitchen table. She placed her plate on the table and walked over to the sliding glass doors that separated the kitchen from the veranda. She opened the sliding blinds, to be greeted with a blur of brown and black as her dog pawed anxiously at the glass.

"Good morning Dakota. Nice to see you up so early. Not to mention, waking everybody in the street is up just as early as you, because of you. Huh, funny." She said more to herself than the dog.

As she went to open the door, he sat down, knowing that to run and jump up to lick her face would most certainly not get his breakfast. But he could not stop his tail from wagging as Brook stepped out the door. As soon as she was two steps out the door, he stood and ran circles around her. Brook chuckled and stroked his head affectionately. He jerked his head around and tried to cover her hand with licks.

"All right Dakota, lets get you breakfast." She said. As soon as the word 'breakfast' popped out of her mouth, the huge German Shepard bounded towards the kitchen door, stopping just before the door. Even though it was wide open, he knew he was not allowed in there unless Brook asked him to. Brook smiled to herself. It was nice having such a well trained dog. As she went to the cupboard were she kept the dog food, she thought, painfully, why Dakota was so well trained. Her father had been in the Police K-9 squad, and Dakota was his K-9 partner. Her father had died only two months before, in a freak accident, when he somehow had lost all his blood in a bullet to the arm. Brook was still dealing with walking past his empty room every day. Since she had lived with her father, Dakota had been trained to respond to her and her father, and when her father died, Dakota was so upset, he refused any other handler, so the squad said something about Dakota almost being at retirement age anyway, and let her keep him. Dakota seemed to cheer up a bit after that. But the memory of her father was painful.

She tipped some dry dog food into Dakota's metal bowl, along with some rice and meat chunks. As she placed his bowl down next to her chair, she took a dog biscuit out of her pocket. Dakota, who was still waiting patiently at the door, which was still wide open, perked his ears at the prospect of a biscuit.

"Dakota, heel." She said, motioning to the opposite side of her chair. Dakota walked calmly past his food bowl, and sat next to her. She raised a finger, and placed the biscuits on top of his bowl. She made sure Dakota was looking at her, and flicked her finger in the bowls direction. Dakota jumped up, skittered around the chair, and buried his head in his food bowl. In seconds, the bowl was neatly clean, and Dakota was licking crumbs off the floor around the bowl. Brook checked her watch.

"Well Dakota, as of today, that's a new record." She said. Dakota looked up and cocked his head to one side, and he almost smiled. Brook began to eat her breakfast, and then sat sipping her tea, watching the sky fade from pink to periwinkle blue. When she was done, Dakota made a small noise somewhere between a grunt and a wine, and Brook looked at him. He waved his paw around a couple of times, then gave a 'huff'. She almost laughed. Dakota had timed her and decided she was slow.

She walked to her bedroom and pulled on her joggers. She piked up Dakota leash from her door rack, remembering painfully when it used to live on her fathers bedroom table. Dakota was waiting for her at the side gate, and sat still while she clipped the leash onto his collar. Another painful memory. Her father had decided that Dakota's 'birthday' was the same as his, and would by him presents. This collar had been the last present he had received before her father had passed away. She remembered Dakota's eyes when the red leather and silver letters had glinted as it came out of the packet, along with the matching leash. She remembered that his and her father's birthday was in another month.

She unlatched the gate, and stepped out into the bustle of the city morning. Brook walked until she reached the corner of her street, and then started to jog towards the park, Dakota keeping pace easily. As they jogged through the park gates, Dakota slowed to an easy walk, puffing. She was just as tired. She walked along the dappled paths of the park, and sipped from her water bottle. She found herself being lulled to the ongoing noise of the city, and she steady clink and puff of Dakota and his leash, and she crunch of her joggers on the gravel path. She was so relaxed, she hardly noticed Dakota's warning growl, and see the other person before she ran into his shoulder.

She was nocked backwards, and she hit the gravel with a thud. She looked up at the person, and recognised a guy from uni, Nick Ward. She wasn't really his friend, but wasn't his enemy. She didn't speak to him much. His Jade eyes were mixed with surprise and shock. She stood up brushing off the gravel from her hair, and the seat of her pants. She looked at Nick, her Brown eyes glowing slightly with anger.

"What, no sorry?" She demanded.

He started to say something but his words where cut of by a thundering growl. Brook looked at Dakota.

Dakota's hackles rose and his lip peeled back to reveal two rows of jagged white teeth. A deep resounding growl echoed around his chest. Nick's eyes narrowed under his fringe of auburn hair, and Brook gripped the leash tighter.

"Call your stupid dog off." Nick growled.

"He's not gonna hurt you. Not if you don't come any closer." She threatened. Dakota echoed her words with another rumbling growl. Nick took a step back, his eyes fixed on the bristling German Shepard. Dakota took a step forwards

"I said call of your dog!" he snarled. Dakota took this as a threat to Brook and lunged for Nick's arm. Nick gave what sounded like a strangled yell, and thrashed his arm around, trying in vain to throw off the dog. Brook, taken by surprise, could only watch stunned for a second, before she called Dakota off.

"Drop Dakota." She said sternly. Dakota regretfully let go of Nick's arm.

"That stupid dog attacked me!" Nick cried, rubbing his arm and glaring at Dakota.

Dakota was matching him stare for stare. Brook noticed as she watched Nick rub his arm, he wasn't bleeding. What was Nick, some kind of super human? He had just been attacked by a German Shepard with teeth that could dent solid wood, and he got away with less than a scratch. She noticed Nick looking at her expectantly. She raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Don't you have something to say to me?"

"Don't piss off my dog."

Nick just gaped at her. She gave him a look. "Well, uh, buy then." She gave him a little wave, flicked her hair over her shoulder, and jogged off, calling Dakota to follow. Nick glared at her back as she jogged off.

Stupid girl and her stupid dog that attacks me, out of ten odd people. Pfft. Nick thought. He turned and walked the opposite direction. Brook hurried away from Nick, all the while feeling his eyes on her back. When she rounded the corner and had gone a fair way down the path, she stopped. She kneeled and checked Dakota's mouth. Odd, no blood.

Strange. Every other poor soul Dakota has attacked has ended up with a mangled arm. And then this prissy city boy shows up and isn't even scratched? She thought hard about it. He'd seen what Dakota had done to a poor break and enter attempt. Not a pretty result. The guy lost a few fingers, and spent tow weeks in hospital.

Oh my gosh, this guy is like some alien or something! The more jittery side of her conscience gasped. The more reasonable, logical side snapped with a mocking remark.

And pigs fly. Yeah right! This Nick is just plain weird and should be labelled with an 'Avoid at all costs' sign. In neon flashing lights. For once, both sides agreed, and she decided to take the long way home to avoid that freak. To do that, she headed out the South gates of the park, and into the bustle of the city morning. She would have to circle the park until the North gates, passing by the East gates, then turn onto her home street. As she neared the North gates, Brook noticed Dakota pace change from a care-free jog to a paced, even lope. She darted a look at him. His ears were rammed forward and he was pulling on the leash. They rounded the corner and were approaching the North gates, when Dakota growled and tugged on the leash. Then a bone chilling scream rippled through the air, followed by shrill cries.

"MURDER! HELP SOMEONE, PLEASE! MURDER!"

Dakota tugged the leash out of Brooks hands, and sprung ahead, head down, his body a brown streak though the crowd. She pelted after him. She caught sight of a man walking hurriedly away from the North gates, heading straight for Dakota. Dakota made a beeline for him, and leapt onto the man's chest, nocking him down. The man gave a cry and was pushed off balance. Dakota stood, bristling, ears back, teeth bared. The man made to get up, and Dakota let loose a snarl, baring his full array of dagger teeth, and dropped his muzzle to the man's throat. The man stiffened and lay still. Brook arrived, puffin, and recognised Nicks pale face and burning jade eyes. Nick saw her.

"Get the dog off my chest." He said it slowly and carefully.

"Dakota, hold." Dakota gladly held his position. "First, tell me why my dog, out of fifty odd people chose to attack you?"

"Maybe he just doesn't like me, I dunno." Nick glared at her. After a moments debate in her head, she let Dakota off Nick's chest. As he did, Brook got a clear view of his arms, both of them. Neither of them were harmed, or even slightly scratched.

"Dakota, watch." Dakota stared intently at Nick.

"Why isn't he going back to you?"

"I told him to guard you. Now follow me. Dakota, bring."

With that she started walking through the North gates. Dakota herded him after her. He tried to turn away once, but Dakota let loose an echoing bark, and Brook turned back and glared at him. He glared back innocently. When she found the first park bench, she stopped and motioned for Nick to sit. He did, his eyes never leaving Dakota, who was growling softly.

"Is there any way the dog won't hate me?"

"Dakota," she said, putting as much emphasis on the word as she could without shouting, "May accept you if you hold your arm out wrist up towards him."

Nick looked at her as if she was insane. She shot him such a look that he was almost scared.

Scared? Of this GIRL? Still he held out his arm to Dakota. He sniffed it delicately, and sat with a grunt. "Well? Does he still hate me?"

"No, but he doesn't entirely trust you." Brook called to Dakota, as she took a seat on the bench. Dakota sat between her and Nick.

"Show me your arm?"

"Which one?"

"The one Dakota attacked." Nick gave her an odd look, a mix of fear and suspicion. But he held out a perfectly undamaged arm. Brook took it and felt for broken or fractured bones. As she did, she made her second chilling discovery. Although the day was warm, Nicks arm was ice cold. And undamaged. Brooks's eyes narrowed.

"Why isn't your arm mangled into strips, or even scratched? Dakota has caused broken arms and vanishing fingers, along with scars that seem so deep, they go through to the other side. And you not even scratched!" Nick sighed, and said rather softly;

"I'm not going to tell you. Not any time soon."

"Well next time my dog attacks someone…" Her sentence died in her throat. "What do you know about that murder?"

"Nothing, except that some poor person just got murdered." Nick said stiffly. Brook signalled Dakota with her hand. He sniffed Nicks top, face and shoes. When he was done, Brook stood.

"Follow me. Dakota, match." Dakota trotted down the path and Brook motioned for Nick to follow. She took off after her dog at a steady pace. Nick fell into pace behind her.

Why am I even following the stupid girl? It's not like I have to…Is it? One side of his conscience said.

Admit it, you have feelings for her. The other side said.

No! I can't have feelings for her!

Yes you can, just don't tell her. Pressed the other side.

Stupid idea. It'd never work. She's just a stupid girl with a dog that knows what I am. It was then he realised that the were headed towards the murder scene. That stupid dog. If I refuse to go, she'll guess. So I've got to go.

As they followed Dakota towards the murder scene, Brook pieced together a plan. First, Research. Second, observation. Thirdly, confirmation, and then accusation. Then hopefully truth. She was so deep in thought she nearly ran over Dakota, who had stopped in front of the police line. She would have walked straight over him, and into the murder scene, if a strong arm had not wrapped around her shoulders and steadied her. She looked around to see Nick attached to the other end of the arm. She stared bewilderedly at his arm. He let go of her so fast, it was like she was burning the skin off his arm.

"Thanks." She said. And, she found, she meant it. Nick nodded towards what was beyond the police line. Two policemen were bent over a woman's corpse. One of them leaned back on his heels and jotted down something on his notepad. He then addressed his partner.

"She has a few broken bones by the looks of it. But that throat thing I can't explain. It's just like that poor bugger last Friday."

Brook realised that these two 'policemen' were, in fact, forensic scientists.

"We took a sample of what was left of her blood, and matched it to the blood on the bumper of that car that crashed. It was a match. My guess is that she was walking across the road, got hit by a car, the car crashed, she dragged herself this far into the park without leaving any blood. Then the throat thing. That was phase one of her plan done. Now two, observation. She kneeled and praised Dakota, and pretended to untangle his leash. She shot a look at Nick. He was shifting from foot to foot, as if fighting the urge to run, and was shooting nervous glances at the police. Just as she dropped her gaze, he must have shot a look at her. She stood, and addressed him.

"Well. If you would follow me, I have a conclusion." Nick paled, though not much as he was already awfully pale. He still followed her to a bench a little away from the murder. As he sat down beside her, he opened his mouth as if to say something, thought twice and shut his mouth. But Brook's keen eyes spotted something. Something that iced her veins. Blood. Either that or he had died the edges of his teeth red. And a dried bit on the corner of his mouth.

"You know more than you're letting on." She said, and looked him straight in the eye. Her gaze must have been stronger than she thought, because Nick's eyes showed a hint of fear. He dropped his gaze, and let his ear-length auburn hair cover his face. His shoulders heaved in a sigh.

"If I could tell you without having to kill you afterwards, I would tell you. But your dog would kill me."