A/N: I laughed my way through most of this, what with the mental images going through my head as the scene progressed. I'm sincerely hoping this installment causes a few chuckles!

Chapter Summary: Remembering Marlene's failed blackmail attempt to procure a puppy, Cloud decides to visit the local pound and see if any there appeal to him. Tifa agreed that while a puppy would be too high-maintenance for their current lifestyle, an older dog that didn't mind crowds would be company for the kids while Cloud ran deliveries and Tifa worked the bar. All Tifa and Denzel asked was that he not bring home some yappy little furball to terrorize the clientele of Seventh Heaven... and what a mistake that proved to be!

Jealousy, Take 18

Ivy Elise Tanté

Sprawled on the concrete floor of the pound, wondering what in the world had just hit him, Cloud Strife contemplated the rough wooden ceiling above him and waited patiently for his head to stop spinning and his vision to clear.

The dark blue cable knit sweater was now peppered with animal hair and his pants and dust skirt decorated with gritty paw marks. When he sat up a tuff of black fur was balanced precariously on one of his blonde spikes. A shake of his head dislodged it, and he watched in bemusement as it drifted soundlessly to the floor beside him.

A harassed looking attendant came flying down the hallway between the cages, swearing under his breath and waving the end of the broken leash in his hand like a whip. "Darn that Wolf!" he spat out, leaning down to offer Cloud a hand. "I swear he's the devil incarnate, leading the inmates in revolt. You okay?"

Before Cloud could respond, a very large white form streaked by in a skittering scrabble of claws on concrete. It paused just long enough for him to catch hints of gray and black mixed with the white before a huge bushy tail longer than his arm swung in his direction. Even as he ducked, whatever the creature was nosed open the latch to the pen on his right, and the cage's inhabitant pelted out in hot pursuit of the...

"Was that a horse?" Cloud asked in disbelief, turning to look at the attendant.

His lips twitched as he shook his head. "No."

Before more could be said the critter was back, this time to liberate the incarcerated beast on the left. The handle was a little bent, so it took a bit more effort to lever it open than the one before. It allowed Cloud to see the animal clearly for the first time.

It looked like a wolf. The shaggy coat was predominately white, with gray and black streaking down his back and shadowing golden eyes. The tongue lolled out as it gave a canine grin and freed it's fellow prisoner, bending to nudge the smaller animal in the direction it wanted the dog to go. Both took off helter-skelter, insane barks echoing through the enclosure as they disappeared from sight.

Touching the wolf's head decoration on his pauldron, Cloud stared after the running animal with something like hunger in his eyes. "He's a wolf."

Giving up the thought of maintaining order, the attendant flopped onto the floor beside Cloud and laughed. "No, he's not a wolf." Grinning at the disbelieving look given him, he explained. "No, it's the truth. He doesn't have a single drop of wolf blood in him - he's a mix of several types of husky and malamute, with some Sheppard and Lab thrown in for good measure." Running a hand through his disordered hair, he introduced himself, "I'm Ronnie. You're the SOLDIER, right? Cloud Strife?"

"Yeah," Cloud agreed as he watched the dog that was clearly named Wolf assist in another jailbreak. "Why is he freeing the other animals?"

"Ah, long story." Ronnie smiled as Wolf paused to shoot him another of those hysterical canine grins before taking off again. Seeing Cloud's interested look, he elaborated, "The short version then: He's fully trained and certified in search and rescue. His owner was killed by a cave-in, and Wolf battered himself bloody trying to get his partner out. I heard about him, and asked if I could take him in while he healed." Blowing out a breath, Ronnie laughed softly. "He's smart - almost too smart, if you understand me. It makes him restless, and he's always looking for a new type of game to play or some kind of mischief to get into."

"And breaking the others out is his current game?" Cloud guessed, chuckling at the ease with which Wolf checked an unruly prisoner and encouraged it to go in the proper direction. He found it interesting that the dog's head stood taller than his while sitting, which would put him somewhere around chest high if he were standing.

After examining the broken leash, Ronnie stuffed it into his pocket. "It's time for their afternoon run. I was busy with phone calls so Wolf started opening the cages and leading them into the fenced exercise area. I swear the dog can read the clock just as easily as I can."

Cloud was about to make a comment when the dog returned and flopped down beside Ronnie, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. Though it was impossible to be sure, there was an air of achievement about him. Ronnie just laughed and stroked his regal head, adding, "That was a good boy. But next time wait for me, okay?"

Wolf looked right at Cloud, and stunned him by actually winking at him mischievously.

And heart all but melting in his chest, Cloud heard the words coming out of his mouth without conscious thought, "Ronnie, can we talk about this for a minute?"

-‚¬ƒ-

Nervous, stomach just a little upset, Cloud stood looking at the entrance to Seventh Heaven with trepidation. Beside him, Wolf was peering around at all the sights, nose working furiously as he tried to sniff everything at once. The hefty sack at his side held essentials and the few toys the dog still possessed.

Apparently Wolf was fond of giving new animals coming into the shelter a gift to make them feel better.

As Cloud had surmised, the dog's head was even with the middle of his chest when both were standing. But despite what seemed an excitable nature, Wolf was calm and followed behind him without the need for either commands or leash. Tail wagging, eyes alert, ears prickled upward, he awaited his new friend's signal patiently.

There were a lot of people eyeing the huge canine. No one seemed to be actually afraid of him, a testimony to the dog's rather sweet nature, but everyone was keeping their distance for the moment. Cloud couldn't blame them one bit. If he hadn't seen for himself how playful the dog was...

Well, there was no help for it now. Ronnie was allowing him a week with Wolf to see if he and his family were a good fit for the search and rescue dog. Cloud was hoping they would get along, because he didn't know if he was capable of giving him back. It had been love at first sight with Tifa, and Cloud well remembered being hit by that lightning bolt. Never had he thought it might apply to a dog. But that wink had pierced his heart as completely as Tifa's shy smile.

The gentle nudge to the small of his back told him Wolf was tired of standing on the sidewalk, and to get a move on. Laughing softly, Cloud rubbed between his ears, hauled up the bag and went up the steps to the small porch that shadowed the door to the bar. Still acting the gentleman, Wolf quietly padded behind him and waited for Cloud to open the door and step in before he followed.

Inside was a madhouse. Every stool, table and chair was filled while the two part-time bartenders mixed drinks or popped the top on beers so quickly their movements seemed blurred. Tifa was assisting her two waitresses in delivering trays of drinks and snacks, but her help didn't seem to be making a dent with the almost overwhelming crowd. Even as he watched, Yuffie darted out of the kitchen just long enough to toss an order at one of them before disappeared back into the relative sanity of the other room. Denzel was bussing tables while Marlene was filling up condiment bottles at a small portable table set up in the one quiet corner of the bar.

"Wolf, sit," Cloud barked without thought as he dropped the sack behind the door and took the busboy from Denzel. "Start sorting out the recyclables and get them into the bins. Then clear and reload the dishwasher if you can, okay?" The order was given in much quieter tones and Denzel gave a nod and scurried off. Without waiting to see what the dog -or the crowd, for that matter- would do concerning the presence of each other, he began clearing and wiping off tables.

For nearly half an hour his world fined down to stacking dishware, scrubbing wood, sweeping up debris and straightening chairs. As soon as a table became available it was filled. Cloud was forced at one point to head for the bar to snag an order booklet so he could take requests. It became almost a game to see which waitress was too slow to avoid him shoving the orders into their hands when they went by. He found that if he smiled at them, they seemed to forget to be irritated at the interruption. If he went so far as to thank them in a low voice, they seemed to forget their own names.

The laugh that rolled around the room startled him into looked up from his work. And he beheld the incredible sight of Wolf, tray clamped firmly in his jaws, prancing across the room to deliver the contents to a table in the far corner. The occupants made much of him as he -with all the skill of a veteran waitress- slid the tray onto their table and wagged his tail. As soon as they unloaded the tray, he had it between his teeth again and was threading his way through the tables to the kitchen door, where Yuffie waited with another order.

It was when he returned to take yet another tray when Tifa stepped to Cloud's side and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Cloud. I really don't know how you manage to do the things you do. And a wolf, no less." The kiss she bestowed upon him made him understand just how the waitresses felt when he smacked them with that soft smile and husky thank you.

"Well," he managed after a couple of deep breaths to get his brain back in working order. "He's not a wolf. He's a mix of huskies and several other breeds, and his owner named him Wolf. You said no to a puppy that would piddle on the floors or a yappy little furball to terrorize the clients, so..."

"And he is definitely neither of those. How did you find one so well trained?" She watched as Wolf accepted a chicken nugget, delicately taking it from the woman's hand before sitting back to scarf it down and reward her with that charming canine grin of his. Then he was on the move again, searching for another order to deliver.

His history made Cloud a little sad. "He's search and rescue, Tifa. His owner -they call them partners- was buried during a cave-in and Wolf almost killed himself trying to dig him out. He broke both his front legs and several ribs. By the time the manager of the pound, Ronnie, got hold of him, he was severely depressed and almost despondent. By giving him tasks around the pound, he gave Wolf back a sense of purpose. Now he needs a real family to care for. Ronnie said the best thing for him would be kids to play and cavort with."

Together they watched as Denzel paused long enough to give the dog an exuberant hug while Marlene swooped down with a kiss on one furry ear. The fact the dog was slightly taller than both of them didn't seem to register. The bartender closest to the kids stopped just long enough to put a bowl of water out for Wolf to lap, then returned to his duties with a happy smile. Even Yuffie danced out of the kitchen to cuddle close and sneak him another nugget.

Tifa found herself laughing as she mused, "I find myself wondering just who is well-trained here, Strife." She kissed him again, though he was disappointed it was on the cheek this time. "It seems we have a dog."

With that, she walked over to give Wolf a good back scrub before heading into the kitchen to see if Yuffie needed any help. Wolf took all the affection and attention in stride as he pranced over to the table the bartender pointed out and delivered the next order. As he went by Cloud on his way back to the bar, he leaned into the ex-SOLDIER's side momentarily before trotting off, giving Cloud the distinct impression he had just been thanked for providing an interesting new game...