Wow! I'm so surprised and happy to see all those lovely reviews! I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter. That's right, I'm here with another chapter because I just had to continue the story. I hope chapter two is just as good as chapter one! Happy reading :)

There was a day where I didn't want Steve to go to work. I don't know how to explain how I felt. Something was telling me not to let him go, so I tried everything.

"Eddie!" Steve yelled when I grabbed the thing he put around his leg. The death stick in it was heavy, but I didn't care. He chased me around the house, cornering me eventually.

"Give it to me," he ordered. I made a noise in my throat. Without the death stick, he couldn't go to work. I knew that much. I called it a death stick, but I knew it's real name was a gun. My previous owner had taught me that.

"Eddie," Steve said, his voice had a warning to it now. I shook my head about, grunting in return. He launched himself at me then, and I wasn't fast enough. He wrestled the thing out of my mouth and put it on his leg. I reverted to grabbing a hold of his pant leg with my teeth.

"What is with you today?" Steve asked, removing himself from my grip. He surged towards the door, and I ran to stand in the way. I could smell Danno coming. I knew he was going to leave with Steve.

"Whoa," he said, opening the door and finding me and Steve in a stand off. "What's with him?"

"I don't know. He's making it hard for me to leave."

"Think he's trying to tell you something?" Danno asked.

"Eddie, stop," Steve said as I tried to push him backwards with my head and body. He looked at Danno. "Help much?"

"Here," Danno said. "Go get it, Eddie!"

I smelled the treat before I saw it, and I instantly drooled. I couldn't help myself. I ran for it.

"Go, go, go," Steve said, using my distraction to make his escape. I whipped my head around, treat in my teeth to see the door shut. Bugger. I raced to the window, barking like crazy. Don't go! He can't go! I saw Steve look back at me once before getting into Danno's car. I whimpered and whined. Something bad was coming. I just knew it.

...

A long time later, Jerry comes to Steve's house. It was dark by this point and raining. I was cowering under Steve's bed from the storm. I didn't like storms.

"Eddie!" Jerry's voice called. My ears perked. What was he doing here? Was Steve with him? I belly crawled out from under the bed and scampered down the hall and stairs to Jerry. He smelled sad and afraid. I stopped in my tracks. What was wrong? Something was wrong.

"Come on, let's get you something to eat," Jerry said. I followed him to the kitchen where he put down fresh water and food in my bowls. I scarfed it. Jerry watched from his chair. I went over to him when I was done and placed my head on his knee. He started to pet me.

"Steve isn't going to be home for a few days," Jerry began. My ears perked. I knew it! Something bad had happened! I whimpered. Where was my friend? What had happened to him?

"He's okay. He's just in quarantine. They got the antidote in time, but they are making sure they're all going to be okay," Jerry assured me. All of them? So not just Steve? What was happening? Jerry seemed shaken. His black box chirped, and he looked at it.

"Steve wants to see you," Jerry said to me. "Come on, we're going for a car ride."

Oh boy. I loved car rides.

...

I followed Steve's scent through the halls and to where the glass was. I pressed my nose against it. What was this? Why was he trapped in there? Jerry huffed behind me, out of breath. I barked.

"Shhh!" Jerry ordered. I didn't care. I wanted Steve.

Then, there he was.

"Hey, buddy," Steve said, bending down in front of me on the other side of the glass. I whined and stamped my feet. Why couldn't he pet me? What was going on?

"I think he's figured out something is wrong," Jerry commented.

Duh.

"I'm okay, pal," Steve told me, putting his hand on the glass. I pressed my face into the glass next to it. I wanted him to scratch my ears so bad. I wanted to lick his face very much.

"Should I take him to my place or just stay at yours?" Jerry asked. "Or just drop in to feed him?"

"He's better at home," Steve answered. "Either stay with him or just drop by. Your choice."

"All right," Jerry agreed. I wagged my tail fiercely. Steve smiled.

"I'll be home soon," he promised me. "Be good."

Again, he says to be good. Do I look like a bad dog? I licked my chops in response, making him chuckle. Then Danno, Tani, and Junior appeared behind him.

"Hey buddy," they all said, waving at me. I wagged my tail harder back. At least Steve wasn't alone in there. It made me feel a little better.

"You better get him out before someone kicks him out," Steve said to Jerry after a moment.

Oh no. I am not leaving Steve. I planted myself to the ground firmly. Jerry tugged at my leash.

"Come on," he said. Each tug felt a little more desperate. I knew he didn't like disappointing Steve. I was holding my ground, though.

"Eddie, go home," Steve said. "I'll be home soon. Be good for Jerry."

Ugh. How could I ignore his order? Obeying orders was something I was good at...most of the time. I sighed and licked the glass to say goodbye. It tasted very clean, almost too clean. I followed Jerry reluctantly, smacking my lips to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. I looked back before we went around the corner, and Steve still had his hand on the glass, watching me. As much as I wanted to run back and be with him, I knew he needed me to go home and be good. I would do that for him.

...

The next while was so lonely. Jerry decided to just drop in on me. Lou did too. He kept telling me things were okay. I appreciated the both of them looking out for me. I missed Steve so much, though, especially at night. His bed was too empty without him, and that was where I was, trying to sleep. I know he didn't let me on too often, but I figured he would let this be an exception. When Lynn was here, I wasn't even allowed in the bedroom. I knew what was going on in there when they did that, though. I'm not stupid.

What was that? My head snapped up alert, nose twitching. There was a noise. I heard it. I got off the bed and dropped to the floor, going out into the hall. There it was again! I felt my hackles raise. Intruder! I decided not to bark. Why ruin the element of surprise for when they get in here? I made my way to the door carefully, listening. Then, to my amazement, the door opened! That fool, Jerry, must have forgotten to lock it! I stepped back quickly, getting ready to attack this intruder.

"Steve?" the person called. It was a woman, and it wasn't Lynn. I charged towards her, growling.

"Oh!" she cried. Then I stopped. Her scent. I had smelled it before.

"Are you an attack dog?" she asked me. I sniffed harder. Where had I smelled that scent before? She held out her hand, and I sniffed it. Then it came back to me.

The closet. The sweatshirt. Steve not letting me eat it. His sadness about it. Catherine.

This was Catherine!

"Oh, hello," she laughed as I launched forward and licked her face. Why was she here? And in the dark? I pranced around, excited. Steve would be so happy!

"Steve's not here is he?" she asked. I cocked my head, making her giggle again.

"You're very cute," she said, petting me again. I was right. I did love her scratches. She looked around, and I could smell sadness on her too.

"I won't stay. I heard what happened and came to see if he was all right," she told me. "I know he's with Lynn now. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. This will just be our secret, okay?"

No. I didn't want to have a secret. She needed to stay! Steve missed her! Why were people so bad at Stay? They were always leaving! She was already going out the door before I could even try to stop her.

Wait! I barked and jolted forward.

"Bye pup," she said, waving and shutting the door.

Noooooo! I howled. Drat these infernal doors! I scratched at it vigorously, still barking. Come back, Catherine! If I could just...urgh. I tried biting the circle on the door (I saw that is what they touched to make it open), but it wouldn't open. I only succeeded in hurting my teeth and getting a metallic taste in my mouth. I pressed my face against the window, watching the car drive away with Catherine in it. How fair was this? I couldn't tell Steve she had been here, and by the sounds of it, she wasn't coming back. This made me anxious. I was already upset about Steve not being here. This was really making me upset. I was going to have to find a way to let him know she had been here, and it was going to have to involve that sweatshirt. I sat down, thinking. Yes, I could do it. I could find a way. Steve was my friend, and he was sad from missing Catherine, so I was going to get them back together. That was my plan, and I was going to succeed in doing it.

Just know that I have not seen any of season 9 yet, so I'm making things a little AU mixed with canon when it comes to Catherine. Let me know what you think of the story so far!

Songs that inspired me while writing the chapter:

Homefront by Brian Tyler

Faded Fluorescence by Lights & Motion

Bailey by Rachel Portman