Author's note: Thanks as always to usuals. I like my fictional playmates. They're fun.

Chapter 23

Heather grabbed her purse and double checked the contents. She grabbed her purse from last night and transferred some items between the two bags. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Heather, are you kidding me? What's with that shirt and hat? Real subtle. Go change before Jim sees you. We get the point. Shelters good, breeders bad," groaned Sebastian. "Jim is right. You need more protection if you guys are going to be together. If it were up to me, you would be getting both dogs and bodyguards. So, don't push it! Jim has made a lot of enemies, any of whom would love to harm you if they thought there was the smallest chance that it would hurt Jim. You are being reckless! You know better! So, stop being so damn bull-headed and give in this once. For God's sake Kitten, just let Jim and I do this for you. You have to stop being so fucking independent and accept help when you need it! And you need it now! So, go back upstairs and change into something less inflammatory." Sebastian hadn't meant to yell at his friend, but maybe she deserved it if she just refused to accept that her romance with Jim now placed her in a significantly increased level of danger. He loved her, but she was by far the most stubbornly frustrating person he had ever met.

Heather studied Sebastian for a moment. He never yelled at her unless it was really important. "Do you seriously think I need personal security? You know how I feel about that? Is dating Jim really that dangerous? I mean, yeah, I know some of what he does, but seriously? Bodyguards? Guard dogs? Really? This is some serious next level shit here. I love Jim, but I don't know if I can do this. Bash, why do I fall in love with complicated guys? Brian, you, Jim. What is wrong with me?" Heather looked like she was about to cry. Sebastian hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head.

"Heather, there is nothing wrong with you. You are wonderful. You just have awful taste in men," he joked. "And, honey, you CAN do this. You and Jim love each other. Jim doesn't love anyone, but somehow you have managed to make him love you. For real. But to do this, you have to understand that some things are going to have to change. You must get more security. You have to take steps to be safer. Neither Jim or I are going to be able to do our jobs if we doubt your safety. I know you don't want bodyguards, but I think you need them. Is there anything Jim or I can do to change your mind?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I would need to talk to Jim, but what if I was able to send a few of my top guys from home here to cover you? I can't promise anything. I would absolutely have to talk to Jim, but let me see what I can do. But for today, let's go and look at some dogs. Just please go change first, okay?"

"Alright, give me a couple minutes and I'll go change." Heather started to walk up the stairs. She looked at the top of the stairs and saw Jim standing there.

"Come here, baby." Jim put his arms out to her. "I know this seems overwhelming, but I promise this is necessary. You trust Sebastian, right? I do too. That's why he is the head of my security. If he thinks you need bodyguards, then you need them. We'll figure something out that works for everyone, I promise. And if you want to wear that, fine, go ahead. If someone doesn't want to sell us a dog because of a stupid t-shirt and hat, then fuck them. Let's go."

They walked downstairs, and Heather picked her purse back up. "C'mon Bash, let's go. Jim said I could wear this, so I'm going to. Let's go look at some puppies." Heather tossed him the car keys and walked out the front door and out to the car.

Jim pulled Sebastian aside. "I heard what you said to her. Thanks, Moran. I was trying to think of a nice way of saying all that, but you pretty much covered it all. We'll talk about bodyguards later. Let's get back and deal with Patterson, then we'll meet about who to send over here to cover her. We'll have to arrange housing and relocation asap."

"Sounds good. I plotted a route based on the location of the breeders. The first one is about 10 minutes from here. He has year old German Sheppards that he trains himself. He's ex-Marine. Name is Sigfoose."

Jim and Sebastian got in the car and Sebastian backed the car down the driveway and out onto the road. They pulled into the Sigfoose property and followed the signs for the "Semper Fi Canine Training Academy." They parked and exited the vehicle. A tall, fit man in his 40's met them halfway to the door of the building. "Good morning, folks. I'm Steve Sigfoose. How can I help you?"

Sebastian stuck his hand out and introduced himself. Jim and Heather followed suit. "I understand you have some trained German Sheppard guard dogs available for purchase. We would be interested in seeing them," stated Jim.

"Yes, sir. That's correct. I have two left. There are $1000 each. Purebred. Neutered, as are all my guard dogs. Trained them myself. I have over 25 years' experience training dogs, including time in the military. They are in the kennels right now. If you would like to follow me, I can show them to you all now." Jim, Sebastian, and Heather followed Steve to the right side of the building. "Can you tell me more about what you would be using my dogs for? Who would be their primary caretaker? I do require vet and personal references. I reserve the right to scheduled home visits for the first 6 months as often as I feel appropriate. I find that this reduces the chances of my dogs being used for illicit purposes, such as dog fighting, drug dens, abuse, etc. I'm sure you understand."

Jim nudged Heather lightly. "Well, Mr. Sigfoose, the dogs would be for me. My boyfriend Jim and my best friend Sebastian here both think that I need more protection at home since I live alone. I already have two cats, but truthfully, they're more likely to beg a burglar for food than defend the house. The dogs I get would have to get along with the cats. If I'm interested in the dogs, I can give you my vet's information. I'm sure she would give you a glowing recommendation. I take very good care of my cats. I grew up with cats and dogs, so I'm very used to caring for them. For personal references, let me know who you would like to speak to and I can give that to you as well. My boss, my neighbors, my minister, whoever. Everyone will tell you I'm a pretty good person. No drug dens or dog fighting at my house. I'm a trauma surgeon, so my schedule can be a little nutty, but I do have a few neighbors who I can count on to come over and take care of the animals if my schedule gets too busy to get home in a decent amount of time. That doesn't happen very often, but I like to have a back-up plan just in case. For the home visits, all I ask is that you give me a call a day or two ahead of time to set something up, just to make sure I'm going to be home when you want to come over. I don't live far away, but I still don't want you to have to drive over and waste your time if I'm not home."

"Sounds good. Please call me Steve. So here are the kennels. The two I have left are year old males. Atticus is on the left and Finch is on the right." Steve opened the gate and signaled for the dogs to come over.

"I see you're a Harper Lee fan. So am I," smiled Heather. "May I pet them?"

"Yes, but hold on for a minute." He turned to towards the dogs. "Hier. Stehan. Gute Hund." Turning back to Heather, "Okay, go ahead."

Heather reached down and pet both dogs on their heads and underneath their chins. The dogs sat perfectly still and accepted the attention willingly. "I see that they accept commands in German. Do they also take them in English? If not, would you please give me a copy of the command words? I speak German fluently, but I want to make sure that I'm giving the exact commands they were trained with. Anyone else taking care of them would also need that information, particularly if they did not speak German."

"Oh, yes of course. That would be standard."

"Excellent. If I were interested in them, when would they be available for me to take home? Also, I would like to see full vet records on both, including immunizations, any blood test results, health issues, etc. Also, if possible, the vet records of both parents. In fact, if possible, I would like to see the parents if they are available. How are these two's siblings? Any physical or behavioral issues with any of them? Why are these two available? Are they housebroken? General temperament, particularly around other animals and children. Jim, Sebastian, can either of you think of questions or issues I haven't raised?" Jim was trying to hide a proud smile at the business acumen of his girlfriend on his face, but shook his head. Sebastian shook his head as well.

"They would be available as soon as I completed the reference checks. I have the vet records for both of them and the mother here. The mother is here, but the father is in California. I have his vet records up to the point of breeding. These two were a part of a 6-dog litter. The other four are doing well. Two of them work as police dogs, one for Baltimore City, the other for Harford County. The other two are privately owned by a family. Nobody has reported any issues and I have checked in multiple times with all four. These two are available simply because no one has claimed them. They're great dogs, just haven't found the right homes for them yet. They are housebroken. I do that as part of their training, as is temperament training with other animals, children, the disabled, the elderly, and a wide variety of the general population. Anything else?"

"Ok. This is a major purchase, not just financially, but also emotionally and from a security standpoint. I just want to make sure I'm covering all of my bases here. Can you excuse us for a few minutes? I like to discuss this with Jim and Sebastian. Thank you." Heather nodded for the other two to walk with her. They stopped about 20 feet away from the dog kennel. "I like both of these dogs. They seem well trained and obedient. Steve seems like a decent guy and his terms sound fair. I know a few guys from the BCPD K9 Unit and their standards are very high. I'd like to go ahead and get these dogs. Today if possible. What do you think?"

"Did you want to look at any of the other breeders? We have one with pit bulls, another one with German Sheppards, a Rottweiler breeder, and a place with Dobermans. I know you like pit bulls. Are you sure you don't want to look around a bit more? We have time," said Sebastian. He exchanged a look with Jim. "We don't have to rush."

"Kitten, Sebby is right. You don't have to settle for the first thing you see. You have options." Jim worried that he and Sebastian had pushed a little too hard this morning.

"No, I'm happy with these two. I like this guy. These dogs seem great. I like that he's so close, so if I have any trouble, he's right down the road to help out with any training refinements. This feels solid. Both of the dogs are beautiful as well. $2000 seems very reasonable for two purebred, housebroken, well-trained dogs. I say we go for it."

"Ok, if you're sure, then let's go discuss the terms with him," remarked Jim. The trio walked back to the kennels. "Steve, Heather has decided to buy these dogs from you. Shall we go inside and take care of the paperwork," said Jim.

"Certainly. Please follow me inside to the office." Steve led them back around the building and into the small, simple office. "Please have a seat. I have some paperwork for you to fill out." He handed Heather a stack of paperwork and a pen. "May I get you something to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Yes, please. A bottle of water would be wonderful, thank you," stated Heather. Jim and Sebastian requested tea.

Steve handed Heather a bottle of cold water from the small refrigerator and turned the electric kettle on for the tea. "What time does your vet's office open? If they are open now, I can call them and get the vet reference out of the way now. I would also need two personal references."

Heather looked at her watch. "The office opened about 10 minutes ago. Here is the number. They are open, but not seeing patents for the first 30 minutes of the day for administrative duties, so you should be able to speak to someone now if you hurry." She pulled the vet's business card out of her wallet and handed it to the trainer. She wrote down Kate and her boss's names and numbers down on another piece of paper and gave it to him as well. "Kate is a friend and Marc is my boss. You should be able to reach both now for my personal references."

"Okay, thank you. I'll call your vet first, then the other two. Go ahead and continue working on the paperwork while I do that."

Steve sat down at his desk and dialed the first number. He spoke to the vet and asked a through series of questions regarding the Heather's history of pet ownership and related topics. He appeared happy with the answers he received. He called her two personal references and spent quite some time grilling each reference carefully. Heather, meanwhile, had finished the paperwork and set it aside. She tried not to eavesdrop, but the office was cramped. About halfway through the second phone call, she noticed an elderly black poodle curled up under a side table. She approached the dog and held her hand out for the dog to sniff it. The dog cautiously sniffed and licked her hand. Heather began softly petting the dog and quietly talking to it. The dog rolled over and showed her belly. Heather gave her gentle belly rubs and the dog closed her eyes, contented. Heather stopped for a moment to scratch her own nose and the dog opened her eyes and gave a small whine at the lack of attention. "Oh, I'm sorry, little girl. I had an itchy I had to take care of. How rude of me to take attention away from you to handle my needs. C'mere. I've got more belly rubs for you." Heather laughed and gently stroked the dog's flank and returned to rubbing the belly. "Is this better?" The dog placed one of her paws on Heather's knee and closed her eyes again.

Steve hung up the phone and said, "Well your references all check out. Your vet really likes you a lot. Said you were one of the most responsible pet parents he had ever seen. I like that. Your boss speaks very highly of you, as well. Let me look through your application here." Steve was quiet for a few minutes as he reviewed the paperwork. "I see you own your own home. How much land do you own? These dogs are used to having plenty of space to run around in when they are outside. They are meant to be inside dogs, but they do need plenty of outside time to play."

"I own just under 3 acres. It is all fenced in. And monitored by video feed by a security firm. I also have access to the video feed from my phone, computer, and several monitors in my home. But when the dogs are outside, I will be outside with them. I've never been comfortable leaving my pets outside alone, just to be safe. Periodically, we do get some wild animals in the yard, mostly deer and skunks. Maybe I'm just being overcautious, but I prefer to err on the side of safety. Particularly because my pets are more than just animals. They are family members and I like to keep my family as safe as possible."

"I'm glad that you see your pets as family. These dogs are trained to keep people safe, but they are also great companions. Three acres is more than enough room. I don't like to sell my dogs to people who live in apartments or don't have adequate space for them. German shepherds are very intelligent dogs and get bored easily if they don't get a chance to exercise. Boredom tends to lead to destruction." Steve continued to review the paperwork. Finally, he looked up and said, "Well, Heather, everything looks good here. I feel pretty confident that you and these dogs are going to be a good match. When did you want to take them home?"

Heather's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Just like that? Wow, thank you!" She looked over at Jim. "What do you think, honey?"

Jim smiled and said, "I think I owe this man $2000." Turning towards Steve, "Cash okay?"

Heather beamed. "We need to stop by the pet store and pick up a few things before we can take them home. We'll need food, beds, bowls, some toys, collars, and leashes. What am I forgetting?" Heather felt like there was something she wasn't accounting for, but it just wasn't coming to her. She tried to review a day in the life of a dog in her mind. She had food and bowls for meals, beds for sleeping, toys for playing, and collars and leashes for walks. Everything sounded like it was covered, but it still felt like she was forgetting something. "It'll come to me later I'm sure," she thought to herself. "The pet store will be open at 9 am, so let's plan to head there next to do some shopping. After we get everything, we can come back to pick them up. So, maybe 11 am? Does that sound okay?"

"Can you make it 11:30? I have a training client at 10 and I want to make sure that I'm totally done before you guys get here. That's another thing. I offer free training for the six months and then after that it's 50% off. In case you and/or the dogs need a little help getting used to each other. Here's my card. If you get on the website, you can schedule any training you might need there. Or you can always just call me and schedule over the phone. Also, since these are the last two, I can send their food, collars, and toys with them since I won't need them. I have about a week's worth of food left, so you should pick more up, but that will at least get you started."

"Great! Thank you so much. That will be a huge help. Yeah, 11:30 is fine. That will perfect, just in case we need a little extra time to get everything home and ready."

Jim handed Steve the money and Steve wrote him a receipt. "I'll go ahead and give them both bathes after you guys leave so they'll be fresh and clean for their new home. Thank you so much. I really think you are going to be very happy with these two guys. I'll miss them, but at least I know they're going to a good home."

"No, thank you so much, Steve. Atticus and Finch are going to be great additions to my family. I just have to convince the cats that now. It might be a little rocky for a week or two, but soon everyone will good friends, I'm sure. Oh, I did forget to mention one thing. I'm taking a short trip to London in two weeks for a job interview. I'll be gone about four days total. I'm going to stop by the vet's office and see if I can add Atticus and Finch to the cats' boarding reservation. I doubt it will be a problem, but just in case they don't have room, do you have any recommendations for boarding places that take big dogs?"

"Actually, if your vet can't take them, call me and I'll watch them while you're gone. I won't even charge you. It'll be like a mini reunion for us. Just bring all of their stuff and leave me your contact info."

"Seriously? Steve, you are the BEST! That would fantastic, but if I bring them back here, I would insist on paying you something for the time and trouble. I will let you know either way when I come pick them up later. Again, thank you so much!"

Jim, Sebastian, Heather, and Steve left the small office and walked out to the car. Steve waved them goodbye as they pulled out down the driveway. "Yay! I got doggies now," exclaimed Heather. "Bash, pull up the address for the PetSmart in Hampden Square. We'll probably get there a few minutes before they open, but we can wait in the car until it opens." Heather was quiet for a moment. "On a more somber note, I guess we have to discuss bodyguards now, don't we," she asked the car in general. "Do you two still think it's truly necessary?"

Sebastian exchanged a look in the rearview mirror with Jim. Jim spoke up first. "I know you really don't want to have them, but … since Sebastian and I are going to be so far away from you, I think you should have them. I would feel a lot better knowing that you were protected by trained people and the dogs. I'm willing to discuss negotiations about the matter. What are you thinking?"

"Well … I'm pretty strongly against having them but, Bash made a proposal this morning that I would be willing to consider. He said that he would have to discuss it with you first, but we're all here so let's discuss. He said that there was a possibility that he could perhaps relocate some of your current security team here to America to be my security. He didn't promise anything, other than to discuss it with you. I understand if that is not a viable solution, but it is something I would consider IF I got to hand pick these people and they reported to me. I don't want or need babysitters or yet another set of parents telling me what I can and can not do. Between my parents, step-parents, and my sisters, I have more than enough 'mommies' trying to control my actions, I don't need more, thank you. Obviously, since you would be paying them, they would also report to you, but I need to be able to live as free of a life as possible. I will still continue working at the hospital in my current role. I will still go hang out with my friends and co-workers. I am willing to make some minor changes, but I will not be a prisoner in my own home. If I feel like going grocery shopping at 2 in the morning, I will go grocery shopping at 2 in the morning. I'll just take along a security buddy. What about that?"

Jim thought for a moment. "I think we can make that work. I would prefer that you have security asap, instead of waiting the two weeks until you come to England to meet my men. What if Sebastian and I pick a few people we think you would like and you can try them out until you come over and meet everyone else? Worse case scenario, you have to tolerate someone for 2 weeks and then if you don't like them, we won't relocate them. Would the people who are on duty be able to stay at your place just while they are on duty and you are home? Like at night. We would have them at a nearby hotel or something when they are not on duty. How hard would it be to get them security clearance at the hospital? They would need to be with you at all times?"

"While they are on duty, yes, they could stay at my house in one of the guest rooms if they follow house rules. Like being nice to the cats, keeping the house tidy, respecting kitchen rules, etc. I would need to meet with the Head of Security to get them security clearance for the hospital. They could be most of the places I am. When I'm with patients, I would need them to stand outside of the room for HIPAA purposes. No one is escorting me into the bathroom or the OR changing room. When I'm in the OR, they can stand or sit against a far wall, well out of the way. If you have any with medical training, I may be able to incorporate them a bit more. Perhaps as a personal assistant or scribe." A thought occurred to Heather. She knew the answer, but figured she would ask anyway. "Can I have Bash? Who better to protect your most prized possession then your head of security? I would be so super safe with him around, Jim. And isn't that what this is all about? Keeping me safe and secure?" Heather fluttered her eyelashes.

"While I'm sure Sebastian would do a top notch job keeping you safe and out of trouble, I need him with me back home. To keep me safe and out of trouble. But nice try, love. Really, A for effort." Jim had seen straight through her trickery. Heather pouted for a few seconds. "Sebastian, what do you think? Who would you recommend? I was thinking 3 total. Each does a 16-hour shift, rotating. McDonald, Al-Shaw, and Koslov."

"Ok, I'll call them when we get back from the pet store. Heather, we can FaceTime them, so you know what they look like and can talk to them for a few minutes to see if you like them enough. Sound okay?"

"I guess. Jim, are you sure I can't keep Bashie at least for a few days? Just until the others get settled."

"No, love, no can do. Sebastian has a very important appointment first thing Monday morning that he absolutely can not miss. Don't you, Bashie?"

"Yeah. I guess. Whatever. I'm fine. I don't need to go. It's not time yet. I got three more months before I'm due. Tch, whatever," the blond muttered under his breath.

"Oh, where are you going sweetie? Is everything okay?" Heather instinctively reached out to touch Sebastian's shoulder.

"I'm going to the dentist. Jim wants me to go for a check-up. I don't need one. But Jim insisted," Sebastian grumbled.

"Oh, honey. I'm sure it'll be fine. I know you hate going, but regular check-ups are important. You can't let your teeth go to rot, babe. On the upside, it's only twice a year for what like 45 minutes each time. You'll be in and out in no time. I'll tell ya what. When you get done, make your next appointment and then call me and I'll make a trip over to come with you that time. I'll hold your hand and then after, we'll go shooting or drinking or something fun, okay? Maybe I'll bring Kate and you can show off your clean, pretty mouth to her instead." Heather teased and winked at her friend. "I'm sure Jim and I can find something to do while you entertain Katie. Maybe go visit elderly shut-ins or volunteer at a soup kitchen."

"Yeah, Sebastian, you don't want your teeth to rot or develop bad breath. I would be so displeased if that happened," chimed in Jim.

Sebastian shot a murderous look towards Jim in the rearview mirror. He pulled into the strip mall and parked in front of the pet store. "Looks like we have 10 minutes before they open. Heather, the arts and crafts store looks open. Do you want to go in there for a few minutes until 9?"

"Okay. I can pick up some supplies to make pillows with."

The trio went into the store and Heather bought some pillow fluff and fabric. She decided about halfway through the store to make some pillows for the dogs to sleep on, in addition to buying them each a dog bed at the pet store. After paying for her items, she led the guys over to the pet store and got a shopping cart. They filled the cart with a large bag of the food Steve had the dogs on, two extra large dog beds, leashes, a fancy water filtration system with a bowl, a variety of rugged dog toys, dog shampoo and conditioner, and two dog seat belt set-ups. Heather picked up a bottle of doggie pheromones claiming to "calm the inner puppy in times of turmoil." She read the back of the bottle and seriously considered buying a few bottles to spray around the house. Jim picked up the bottle out of her hand and put it back on the shelf. "Heather, this is b.s. science and you know it. The dogs will be fine. The cats might be a slightly different story, but they will adjust. You are overthinking this. Come on, I think we have everything we need."

"Hang on, I want to pick up a couple things for the cats to reassure them that they are not being replaced." She grabbed some cat nip and a few toys stuffed with cat nip and threw them in the cart.

Jim pushed the cart to the front. He unloaded everything onto the counter and paid for it all. Sebastian and Heather loaded it back into the cart. Heather kissed Jim and thanked him for his generosity. "Anything to make my kitten happy," he smiled.

They loaded the bags into the car and climbed in. Heather got in the back. She was feeling very excited about the morning's events. She told Sebastian to drive over to the vet's office on the way home. She hoped that they would be able to fit the dogs in for boarding. She settled back against the seat and started daydreaming. Jim looked back at her and saw her lost in thought, staring out the window, with a lazy smile on her face. He thought about how much he was going to miss her after they left that evening, but was glad it would only be two weeks until he saw her again. He started to think about what they could do while she was there, outside of the obvious. "Definitely the Ferris wheel. There was a Shakespeare in the Park group usually during the summer. I'll have to see what they're doing. Le Bon Petit's definitely. Introduce her to Beau and Davin. Maybe see if Davin would cook for them, either at home or the restaurant. Clothes shopping, of course." He laughed to himself at the memory of her reaction to his mention of Vivienne. "I'll have to introduce them."

After a few minutes, Sebastian pulled into the vet's parking lot. "Heather, we're here. Did you want to run in by yourself," he called back.

"Yeah, just give me a couple minutes." Heather got out of the car and entered the office. She greeted the receptionist and explained the situation to her. The receptionist checked the boarding records and found that they could take the dogs for that time period. Heather thanked her and exited the building. She got back in the car and announced the good news. "This will make it a bit easier. I'll only have to go to one place for all of the animals instead of two. Though, I have a feeling Steve might be a little disappointed."

They drove home and unloaded the trunk. The cats sniffed the bags and gave Heather the stink eye when she told them the wonderful news about their new brothers. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9:45. "Okay, we've got about an hour and a half before we have to leave again. Is there anything you guys want to do with that time? Do you need to pack or anything?" Both men shook their heads. "Did it already."

"Okay, do you want to play a board game? Watch a movie? Make the streets run red with the blood of the innocent? What sounds good?"

Jim perked up. "The bloody street thing sounds fun. What do you think, Sebastian? Up for some random murder?"

"Um, yeah … murder is fun, but I think we should work on the security thing first. Let me call the guys up so Heather can talk to them and see if she likes them enough. Let's try Al-Shaw first. Sebastian pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and listened to it ring twice. "Yes, sir," answered the lightly accented man on the other end. Sebastian told him the details of the plans and handed the phone over to Heather.

"Hello, sir. How are you?"

"I am well, ma'am. Thank you for asking. How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. So, Sebastian has explained the situation to you, does this sound like something you would be interested in doing? The trial period would be for two weeks and I must warn you, I am very picky and frankly, I'm kind of a bitch to deal with at times. Your job would be to keep me safe without getting in the way. Are you capable of doing this?"

"Yes, ma'am. I can be quite inconspicuous when I need to be. I would need you to listen to me and follow my directions if a situation arose. Would this be a problem for you, ma'am?"

"That will remain to be seen. I am very independent and rather set in my ways. I am used to taking calculated risks in life. I also have military experience and have extensive experience with handguns. I have won quite a few marksmanship awards at the expert level, so I feel more confident than your average civilian. As I have told Sebastian and Mr. Moriarty, I will not be held prisoner in my own home or workplace. Any security I have will need to adapt to my lifestyle, not vice versa. So, I will ask again, do you feel capable of carrying out this mission?"

"I think we can work together, ma'am. Do you have any other questions for me?"

"No, that should do it. Sebastian assures me that you will be a suitable fit and I trust his judgement. I will hand you back to him now." She handed the phone back to Sebastian and gave a thumbs up. Sebastian informed the man that he would meet with him the next morning to discuss details, then hung up the phone. Sebastian called the other two men and they had similar conversations. Heather approved them both. By the time the phone interviews were over, it was 11:10. Heather suggested that they leave now. They would be slightly early, but she doubted that it would be a true problem.

Heather quickly installed the two dog seatbelts in the back seat and grabbed the leashes. They left the house and arrived at Sigsfoose's at 11:25. They entered the office and greeted Steve. "Are my boys ready," asked Heather. "Yup, here they are," said Steve, standing up. He called the two dogs out from behind his desk. Heather leaned down and pet both of them. She hooked their leashes on their collars. "I spoke to my vet and they can watch these guys while I'm gone, but thank you again for the offer." Steve handed Jim 2 thick manila envelopes. "Here are their vet records, copies of their parents' records, their papers, all of the transfer paperwork, and everything else you will need for their records. I faxed copies of their records to your vet a little while ago. I included a couple copies of their commands in German and the English translation. I gathered their food and stuff over here. I can carry that out to your car if you would like. Is there anything else you can think of that you need from me?"

"Um, I think that's everything I can think of. Come on boys. Let's get ready to go to your new home. You can meet your new brother and sister. They're kitties, so they might not act very happy to meet you, but they are so excited. Kitties just show their happiness in a different way that doggies." Heather secured Atticus in the seat belt in the back seat, sat down in the middle seat, and secured Finch on her other side. Steve and Sebastian placed the supplies and paperwork in the trunk. Jim got in the front passenger seat and turned around to the crowded back seat. Heather was petting both dogs simultaneously. Sebastian shut the trunk lid and shook Steve's hand. He got in the driver's side and started the car. "Are we all ready to go?"

"Yup, let's get these babies home," said Heather. "Are you guys ready to see your new house? You are going to love it there. I just know it."

Sebastian pulled out of the driveway and headed back to Heather's home.