Thanks to DSLeo for reviewing.

Despite being at the vet's until after midnight and staying up for another three hours when I forced Luke to just drive and keep driving, somehow I woke up early on Saturday morning.

"Hey…" I looked down from the edge of my bed and Paul Anka's dog bed that I had put right next to mine so I didn't need to do other than stretch my arm down the edge of the bed to feel him. "Are you alright today?" Paul Anka just yawned. "Yeah, me too… But feeling like this there is no way I'll fall back asleep." I got up, Luke was still asleep. "Daddy's going to be up and make your burger just the way you like it, but I can't. But I have something even better…" He got onto his feet and followed me where I walked and got his broccoli from the fridge.

When Paul Anka followed me, and the broccoli I held my hand I suddenly saw a slowness and stiffness in his moves that I definitely hadn't noticed before.

Every moment left with him I wanted to last and cherish forever. Every little one. And as for starters I put one piece of broccoli to boil, and with the rest I broke into pieces and handed to him.

"There wouldn't ever be a dog like you." I told him while I gave him the last piece. "But the first time I saw you I just knew that you were mine…" I turned when Luke came into the room and smiled slightly. "What do you say Paul Anka? Would there ever be another dog who knew the exact way he wanted his burgers fried?"

"That is one spoiled dog…" Luke said with a laugh while making himself a breakfast. "I guess he only deserves the best… Does he show any symptoms after what happened last night?"

"No…." I answered a bit too fast. "…At least I don't think so. But I just… I just haven't noticed before that he's actually getting old…" Luke looked down on him- maybe he saw what I saw. "…But now cook him, his burger. And I'll go call Rory."

Luke let hear a short, almost silent chuckle and shook his head. And I suddenly remembered the last time I had had my phone was before Paul Anka had a seizure…

"Where is my phone?"

I could hear it as Luke started cooking Paul Anka's burger.

"LUKE? Can you call my phone?"

Paul Anka was standing by the stove, some boiled broccoli and mince on it. But right when I came into the kitchen he looked away from it and up on me with a look in his eyes as if I was stupid.

Maybe he remembered all of the earlier times Luke had had to call my phone for me to hear it all earlier times I had put it out and various reasons why I couldn't find it again.

I had never had a reason like him getting seriously ill right in front of me before.

"Oh, there it is. Don't worry about calling Luke. It was where it always is."

I pressed on Rory's number in contacts and called before I'd even realized that once she answered I would have no idea what to say.

I could always hope it would be a while before she replied and I'd get a time to think.

"Hey mum."

She picked it up after not even half a signal had gone by. And I was just about to say something at all when there was another, squeaky kind of voice on the end of the line.

"Hi nana."

"Hello Leo… Rory…" I turned to my dog. "Paul Anka… Leo!" Paul Anka barked as at the mention of pizza. "Leo, Leo." Paul Anka barked twice and I could hear the young boy screaming with laughter. "Listen Leo. I have to talk to your mum for a bit…"

"Go and search up your dad…" I heard Rory say. "…I think he was going somewhere and maybe you can come with him."

"Awesome!" There was a second or two and then I heard her Leo had left the phone.

"You sound sad." Rory's tone had changed. "is there something wrong?"

I had dreamed away for just a few seconds. Remembering how Leo and Paul Anka had been the best of friends ever since Leo had been a baby and didn't mind it when Paul Anka came sniffing up in his face.

"Mu-um." Rory's voice got me back to here and now. "What is it?"

"Listen… Paul Anka's sick."

"Sick?" Right away I could hear the worry in Rory's voice. "How… do you mean… He can't be…"

"No. He's currently waiting for his meal. But he had a seizure…"

"A seizure? Like an Epilepsy- or brain tumor- or stroke kind of seiure?"

Rory had never been the best with medical. But she wasn't wrong.

"Yeah…" I sighed and couldn't cover the shakiness in it. "He has a brain tumor." I could hear Rory gasp. "But… considering everything. Both Jeannie and I figured that it would be for the best if we just leave it for now… If… when he has another seizure we'll sort out what happens afterwards."

The pause told me everything about how Rory figured what was left unsaid.

"I was thinking maybe you and Leo… and Logan of course, would like to come. And we'll make sure that however long Paul Anka have left we'll make the best out of it."

There was a long pause.

"I don't think we can come over right this now… We've already got plans. Don't worry. Of course we'll come… We'll be there tomorrow, both I and Leo and Logan. No matter what. And we'll bring stuff so we can stay for…."

She didn't express it out loud, but I knew what she meant. I'd already thought it through and through and through…

"Can't wait to see you then."

We hung up, and I watched as Luke finished cooking and handed Paul Anka his food bowl.

For a few moments I forgot what Paul Anka was like. It was way more important to just watch him than anything else. Then I watched him stare at Luke, turn towards me and looking back and forth several times before I remembered.

"Right." I got up from the couch. "You don't like eating when you're being watched."

Nope!

No one would look at him and know there was something strange about him. But anyone who knew him ith his all quirks and specialties knew there couldn't ever be another dog like Paul Anka.

Random fact

When I put the story up. This was the last full chapter I had finished. Even though I had quite a bit of the rest done as well. Now I have two full chapters more and quite a bit more.