One day, Opal rode her bike as the other girls followed her, but Winn-Dixie seemed to go over to a certain shop.
"Hey, boy, where are we going?" Opal asked before she soon stopped and Winn-Dixie looked into the window to see pet collars on display.
"He wants a pet collar." Darla said.
"You like that?" Opal smiled to Winn-Dixie. "I bet if you had a collar like that, you'd feel like you belonged to somebody."
Winn-Dixie smiled and touched the glass with his paw.
"Well, maybe we could afford it." Opal guessed as Winn-Dixie came through a doggy door since it was a pet shop.
"I wonder how much it costs?" Darla said.
They soon came inside, and the shop seemed to be empty except for animals.
"Hello?" Opal called out as she took the red collar that Winn-Dixie wanted.
"Hello?" A voice replied.
"Who said that?" Darla asked.
"Who said that?" The voice replied.
"...I'm an idiot." Darla smirked.
"You're an idiot." The voice replied.
Darla glared and growled as she looked around for the voice. "Alright, wise guy, where are you?" She glared.
Amber and Annabelle soon followed after Darla.
"I think I found her." Annabelle said.
Darla looked over and then looked with Annabelle to see that it was a parrot. "Ohhh..." she then said.
"Someone has to be here... I mean, the door was open." Amber said as they looked around the pet shop.
"Yeah, but where could the store owner be?" Annabelle asked.
They began to wander around to look for someone and even came to the back to see a man there.
"I-I-I'm sorry..." Opal nervously said to him. "Do you work here?"
"Yeah, but we're closed," The worker replied as he walked in, then jolted as he got sniffed. "Hey! Hey..."
"Oops, sorry, Winn-Dixie, come!" Amber called out.
Winn-Dixie then stopped sniffing the man and walked over.
"Don't mind him," Opal said. "That's just how he says hello."
The man muttered slightly as he went behind the counter.
"Um, that's Winn-Dixie, and I'm Opal," The girl then continued. "And these are Amber, Annabelle, and Darla."
"And this is Patch." Darla added.
"And you are?" Amber smiled politely.
"I'm Otis." The man replied.
"Otis!" The parrot copied him.
"And who's the parrot?" Annabelle asked Otis.
"Gertrude." Otis replied.
"Nice name." Darla said.
"Well, Otis, my dog sure likes this red collar, but I don't get a big enough allowance afford somethin' this fancy." Opal said as she brought out the collar that Winn-Dixie pointed out.
"Well, look, Miss," Otis replied. "I'm mostly just here to take care of the animals."
"Otis!" The parrot squawked. "Shut up, idiot!"
"Uh, did Gertrude just talk without parroting someone?" Amber asked.
"It happens sometimes..." Otis rolled his eyes.
"I was thinking maybe we could set up an installment plan." Opal piped up.
"Well, I don't think I can do that." Otis said to her.
"Well, I could work for you," Opal suggested. "I could come in and sweep the floors and straighten up the shelves and take out the trash. I could do that."
"Well, that's what I do." Otis told her.
"Oh..." Opal frowned as she got her hopes up. "Well, you sure need some help."
"Otis! Hello!" Gertrude squawked.
"I'm real trustworthy, but the only thing is, Winn-Dixie, my dog, he'd have to come inside with me while I work," Opal said to Otis. "He doesn't like to be left alone."
"Well, Gertrude doesn't like dogs." Otis replied.
"Really?" Amber asked.
"Just the way she is," Otis shrugged. "Named after the owner too."
"Well, she might like Winn-Dixie," Opal suggested. "Almost everybody does. If the two of'em get along, then could I have the job?"
"Mm... I dunno." Otis shrugged as Winn-Dixie came up to Gertrude.
"Dog! Dog! Dog!" Gertrude squawked.
Patch simply face-pawed as he knew that wasn't good.
"I know it's a dog." Otis deadpanned to the parrot.
"Gertrude's a pretty bird!" Gertrude squawked and soon flew over to Winn-Dixie and sat on his head.
Patch soon smiled as that was a good sign.
"See? She likes him!" Opal beamed to Otis. "That's pretty amazing, don't you think?"
"I'll be damned..." Otis muttered to himself.
Amber was happy that this was working out.
"Then we're all set then," Opal smiled before going to leave. "Thanks!"
"No, wait, Miss, I-I c-can't just give you a job," Otis stammered. "I can't just give you a-"
"Thank you," Opal replied. "You won't be sorry. I'm a real hard worker."
"Besides, this way, she'll be able to pay for the collar." Amber added.
Otis sighed as it seemed pointless to argue about not letting Opal get a job, but he saw that agreeing was easier than disagreeing, so he allowed it.
"I'm gonna get a job, you guys." Opal smiled to Darla, Amber, and Annabelle.
"It's gonna be great working here." Annabelle smiled, happy for Opal.
"You guys will help me, right?" Opal asked.
"Of course," Amber replied. "What're friends for?"
"Yeah." Darla added.
"You guys are the best." Opal smiled as she finally had some friends around here since no one seemed to want to be her friend in this town.
"No problem, Opal." Darla smiled back.
They soon went back to Opal's for a bit as it was nearly sunset. Daniel appeared to be on the phone with someone who was calling about Winn-Dixie as they came through the door later on. Opal and Winn-Dixie seemed to have the same feeling as they listened in, but kept hidden so that Daniel wouldn't see them.
"Uh-huh, yeah, look, he's very playful," Daniel said as he was on the phone. "Yeah, he's great with kids. Opal thinks the world of him. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, listen, if you think of somebody, you be sure to give me a call, all right? I hope to see you in church on Sunday." he then hung up after a while.
"Are you actually thinking of giving up Winn-Dixie?" Darla asked once he hung up the phone. "What about Opal and Winn-Dixie?"
"Gah! Darla, I didn't see you there." Daniel yelped, feeling startled as she seemed to come from nowhere.
"Don't you care about Opal's happiness?" Darla asked. "And what about Winn-Dixie? He'll miss her so much, he'll miss both of you."
"He won't know what he's missing, and I can't keep Winn-Dixie here," Daniel sighed. "Mr. Alfred has a strict no dogs and kids policy, he made an exception for Opal because I bought this property before we moved in."
"But Opal will be so sad when Winn-Dixie's gone, before me, Amber, and Annabelle came, she didn't have any friends." Darla frowned.
"Oh, Darla, please, don't make this harder than it has to be..." Daniel replied.
"I just don't want to see Opal sad." Darla frowned.
"Neither do I..." Daniel admitted with a frown back.
"If only we could change Mr. Alfred's mind and get him to get rid of the no dog policy." Darla said.
"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't get involved," Daniel replied. "You're a little girl... I also called Animal Control to take Winn-Dixie away by tomorrow."
"NO!" Darla yelped.
"I'm sorry, but it must be done." Daniel sighed.
"So would you mind explaining this to her right now?" Darla asked.
"I guess I should..." Daniel said softly. "It's gonna be hard."
"You won't have to wait." Darla frowned before Opal came out with Winn-Dixie, Amber, and Annabelle and Patch.
"Oh, Opal..." Daniel frowned. "Um... Listen... Someone's coming to pick up Winn-Dixie tomorrow."
"I know, I heard..." Opal frowned. "We heard everything..."
"Oh, Opal..." Daniel frowned back. "You know we can't keep the dog."
Darla knew this had to be hard.
"Daddy, you can't let them do this!" Opal cried.
"I-I'm sorry, Opal, but I have to," Daniel frowned to his daughter. "We have to."
Patch frowned as he didn't know what to do. Opal soon didn't say anything, but just ran to the safety of her bedroom which made her father sigh as he should've expected that from her. Darla frowned as she also expected this.
"I'm really sorry..." Daniel said to the kids. "Please don't you all be mad at me too."
"Well... I guess we can't fully blame you..." Amber said.
"I'm sure something will turn out in the end," Annabelle suggested. "I have a feeling in my heart."
"Same here." Darla said.
Daniel just sighed as he felt like he was left in a tight spot because of what was going to happen tomorrow morning.
'Please let Winn-Dixie stay with them.' Patch thought to himself, referring to Opal and her father.
Daniel didn't say anything as he just went to his own bed for the night while Opal stayed in her room that night with Winn-Dixie, and where Patch decided to stay with them and would do everything in his power to keep Winn-Dixie from being taken.
The girls soon came back.
"Patch is staying at the Buloni house?" Atticus asked the girls once they came back. "Well... If he really wants to. He's such a good and loyal friend."
"He's going to try and keep Winn-Dixie from getting taken away from Opal and her dad." Darla said.
"Like I said, Patch is such a good and loyal friend." Atticus replied.
"Why can't Cherry be like that?" Darla asked.
"Aw, Darla... Cherry's a good friend..." Atticus said. "She's my best friend after all."
"Yeah, that's true." Darla smiled.
"I know she might not seem like it a lot, but she has her moments," Atticus replied. "Before I knew about Jessica or when you were adopted, she was practically my sister."
"Aw!" The girls smiled.
Cherry soon came out of the shower and was in her pajamas as she looked a bit tired tonight.
"Okay, girls, better get settled in for the night." Atticus suggested as Cherry didn't like too much noise if she was winding down for the evening.
"Alright," The girls said. "Night, Atticus, night, Cherry."
"Good night, girls." Atticus replied.
"Night." Cherry added.
The girls then went to get themselves set for bed, just hoping the best for tomorrow while Patch stayed with the Buloni family that night.
"Well, I better get some rest." Atticus yawned.
Cherry nodded and let him go to get some sleep.
"Don't stay up too late, Cherry." Atticus said as he went to get some sleep.
"I won't stay up late." Cherry said.
Atticus nodded and soon crawled into bed to get some sleep.
"I just wish I could help you guys with Winn-Dixie," Cherry then whispered once they all fell asleep and she stared out the window. "Maybe something will come to me during my work in the dream realm."
Eventually, once everyone fell asleep, Cherry began to explore the Dream Realm.
"Casper seems to be taking care of fairy tale adventures..." Cherry commented. "Makes me wonder how he hasn't been sent to Ever After High... Even if Cathleen thinks that sounds like a bad rip-off on Monster High." She soon saw that Opal's dad was asleep as she saw his door and where she had a feeling this might be her opportunity to try and help. She soon looked around and opened the door, going inside of it and closing it behind her.
"Here goes nothing." Cherry said.
Daniel seemed to be having a rather depressing dream about his wife leaving him, he saw her coming back sometimes, but she usually had something mean or nasty to say to him which would hurt his feelings, such as telling him that he was a bad father.
"Yeah, that's not happening this time." Cherry said as she made the nightmare wife vanish.
Daniel looked surprised and looked around.
"It looks to me like someone is being consumed by the emotion of fear," Cherry said to herself, remembering some of Princess Luna's tutoring. "Perhaps, he is just scared because he's alone, and not even God can help him."
Daniel soon looked and saw Cherry and wondered how she got in his dream.
"Don't be afraid, sir," Cherry replied before smirking. "Though I can be pretty scary."
"Berry? What're you doing here?" Daniel asked.
"First of all, it's Cherry, and secondly, I'm here to help you." Cherry told the preacher.
"Help me?" Daniel asked. "With what?"
"Your fears," Cherry said. "You seem to feel like you're living in a nightmare because you still feel guilt and you're repressing the fact that your wife left you and you're having a hard time raising a ten-year-old girl by yourself." she then added, sounding like a therapist.
"Actually, that's exactly what I'm feeling." Daniel said before the area changed into a therapy room.
"I see... I see..." Cherry replied as her glasses seemed to change to fit with the mood.
"I just don't know what to do sometimes..." Daniel said. "I love Opal very much, and I want her to be happy, but... I just don't know what to do."
"Well, what's your heart telling you?" Cherry asked.
"I'm not sure... I called Animal Control, that's what I thought was right." Daniel replied.
"Hmm... Really? Then why am I getting the opposite answer?" Cherry asked.
"Uh, tonight seems like a clear night, I think tomorrow might be a thunderstorm, but I'm not certain," Daniel replied. "Why?"
"Winn-Dixie might have some issues..." Cherry replied. "Most dogs hate thunder."
"Oh, right..." Daniel said.
"It seems to be a dog thing..." Cherry said, knowing how dogs felt about thunderstorms. "Especially Patch when he was first adopted by Atticus."
"He must have been frightened." Daniel said.
"Yeah, Patch can never sleep alone," Cherry replied. "At least that I know of..."
"Well, Winn-Dixie will never be alone with me and Opal around." Daniel said.
"Now you're starting to sound like a real father." Cherry sounded happy even if she didn't exactly physically show it, but people like Atticus knew that she was.
Daniel smiled as he was happy to hear that.
"Thank you, Dr. Harvey." Cherry hid a small smirk from her practice as a dream therapist about her old friend's father who now used his therapeutic studies with ghosts such as Casper's uncles as patients.