Quick Authors note here:
If by some miracle you came across this story, "Hi! (;"
I gotta' make a couple of things clear.
1. This is a continuation to something that was not my idea. "Essansee/Terriere" sort of just stopped updating this story, so of course I had to come in and pick up where she left off. Here's the link to her page: u/4525893/Essansee. I'm doing this without her permission, so...yeah.
2. There is no number two, read and enjoy!
"How to get Aunt Sarah to trust me?", she wondered to herself. Danielle was currently lying on the porch by herself, trying to come up with ways to gain Aunt Sarah's trust. Yet, try as she might, she couldn't think of anything.
Sighing she put her head down and closed her eyes. Listening in, she could hear the usual going-ons of her family. Her parents were nearby on the lawn, talking about generally anything, including the dead rats that seemed to be popping up more and more. Collette was out flirting with Meelus. Annette, Killian, Scamp and Angel were probably hanging out among themselves and Aunt Sarah was cooking and hurting everyone's ears with her 'singing'.
She drowned all of them out and thought of the only one she couldn't hear. As much as she wanted to run upstairs and figure her new friend out, she knew that Aunt Sarah would not approve.
She sadly reopened her eyes, when suddenly her parent's seemingly random conversation caught her attention.
"...haven't fetched the newspaper for Jim Dear in ages."
"Dogs fetch the newspaper?!", she thought out loud, getting the attention of her parents on the lawn, who spun around to look at her.
"Of course they do", Tramp chuckled,"your mother used to get it every morning, before I came along."
"Why did you fetch it Mom?", she asked with confusion in her voice.
"Well dear, I suppose that it was a matter of showing my appreciation to Jim Dear and getting him to trust me." Lady smiled and then continued, "Your father also fetched the paper a few times after he got here and Jim Dear warmed up to him rather quickly."
"I use to fetch his slippers too", Tramp added in.
"But I've never seen you two do any of those things before", she said quizzically.
"That's because your father keeps me in bed all morning", she said while throwing him a quick glance.
Smiling warmly, he stood tall and proclaimed, "Guilty as charged."
Danielle was now quiet in thought, as she slowly pieced together a plan in her head. When it finally came together she blurted out, "That's how I'll get her trust!"
"Who's trust dear?", her Mother asked curiously.
She opened her mouth to start explaining, but then realised that it would be best to start putting things into motion immediately. So she quickly said, "Long story. Thanks Mom, thanks Dad", and ran off.
Peeking carefully into the kitchen she saw Aunt Sarah finish up whatever she was cooking and fall into one of the chairs looking exhausted.
Thinking as quick as she possibly could, she sniffed out the old woman's slippers and approached her with the slippers in her mouth, feeling rather good about herself.
"Merciful heavens!", the old woman's scream hurt her delicate ears once more.
Jim Dear just so happened to be entering the kitchen when Aunt Sarah screamed. He dropped the strange items that he was carrying and hurried over to her.
"What's wrong now Sarah?", he asked, it almost sounded like he was annoyed.
She pointed at Danielle, "I would appreciate being able to work hard, without having to deal with your dogs covering my slippers in drool."
He looked at Danielle and sighed, "Put them down girl."
She tilted her head slightly sideways to indicate that she was confused.
He repeated himself, this time with the same loud stern voice she heard earlier, "Put them down girl"
This time she obeyed and scurried from the kitchen, feeling frustrated.
She slumped down on the carpet and tried her best to figure out what she had done wrong. While in her deep thought, she did not notice two particular cats approaching her with sly grins on their faces. One of them batted her on the muzzle to get her attention.
"Hey!", she shouted, upset that they ruined her train of thought.
"Don't mind us doggy, it's just that we couldn't help, but notice that you seem to be trying to please that old bag of bones", Si said innocently.
"Yes, but why is what we want to know", followed Am.
Danielle quickly decided that the two of them checked out, so she told them.
"I'm trying to get her to trust me", then realising something she quickly added, "maybe you two could help?"
"Why we would be pleased to help", Am said. "Yes, very pleased we'll tell you exactly what to do", followed Si.
"Great, what do I do?", she asked as excitement registered in her voice.
They went over and whispered gently in her ears. She listened intently, only stopping to ask a very important question. When they were done, she giggled with delight and got ready.
She hid under the kitchen table with Aunt Sarah's 'present' in her mouth.
"Jim! Darling! Supper is ready!", she called out to the two, who arrived shortly later with Junior in between the two of them.
"Well then let's eat", she said while sitting down.
Danielle waited a moment and then left the dead rat right at the old woman's feet. Then she gently nudged her foot.
What followed was a scream to end all screams. The peace in the kitchen instantly evaporated, replaced by sheer chaos. The table flipped upside down, broken plates and wasted food, lied everywhere. Poor Aunt Sarah lied in the middle of it all. The other two humans were still so shocked that it took them a second to realise that Danielle was there. Once he saw the rat, Jim Dear exploded with anger.
For a second, she didn't even realise that he was shouting at her and when she did, she could only pick up parts of his loud and fast rant. "...been acting up all day...keep making her scream...upsetting her!...unacceptable". She didn't know how to react, so she just cowered under the man's anger.
While all this was going on she saw her family in the background. Her three sisters and two brothers were staring at her with theirs mouths wide open and jaws on the floor. She saw Si and Am quietly snickering in the background. However, it was when she saw her parents, that she realised how much trouble she was actually in. Lady threw her daughter a look of disapproval, while Tramp looked at her with disappointment in his eyes.
She let out a yelp, surprised that Jim Dear had just picked her up. He marched outside and she gasped when she saw where he was taking her.
"I'm sorry", he said while fastening the chain that led to the doghouse around her collar, "but this is for your own good."
He stood up, marched away into the house and slammed the door behind him, clearly still angry.
For a moment she just sat there confused. And then when everything registered, emotions slowly came out.
First was one of great shame, when she thought of her parents, particularly the look in her father's eyes.
Then she felt embarrassment at having been scolded like that in front of her brothers and sisters.
Third came anger, as she realised how gullible she had been and how easily those undignified cats had fooled her. "She always appreciates when we bring her dead rats", they had told her. Looking back now, it did seem rather fishy.
Last came sadness as she slumped down in the doghouse. Everyone seemed to be unhappy with her and now she would never gain Aunt Sarah's trust.
"I'll never see my friend again", she thought before closing her eyes.