A/N: Don't worry, I didn't forget about this story! I'm on an updating spree, so expect chapters more frequently. And this was only meant to be about five chapters, so I should be done with it fairly soon.
Chapter 2
D.J. continued to stare at the dogs. She counted six, including Comet, but it was hard to tell because they were all running around. She didn't even take her eyes off them when her father, Jesse and Joey eventually came down the stairs.
"Who let the dogs out?" Danny exclaimed, trying to herd them back to the basement.
D.J. raised a tentative hand. "I did; Michelle and Stephanie aren't home yet. Quick question, Dad – did you get five more dogs without telling me?"
"Sort of," Jesse replied for Danny, who was busy with the canines. "We inherited them, and unfortunately the mutts have no choice but to stay here."
"Inherited? Who died?" D.J. asked, her voice full of panic. She tried to remember if any of her relatives was especially fond of Golden Retrievers.
Joey put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry; it's no one in the family. Do you remember Frank Flood?"
D.J. paused, searching her memory. "Yeah! Wasn't he the guy we got Comet from…oh."
"That's right. Some people get money, some get houses…" Jesse whined. "We get what could pass for a small kennel."
"Come on, it's not so bad! Aw, look how cute they are!" Joey cooed, petting one.
Noting that another canine was chewing a kitchen chair cushion, Danny retorted, "Aw, look how destructive they are!"
"Are we going to keep them?" D.J. asked, having mixed emotions on the subject. She loved dogs, but…she already had three blonde family members who always wrecked her stuff.
"Not unless pigs fly, heck freezes over, and money grows on trees – and they all gotta happen at the same time," Jesse informed her, steering away one of the dogs from ransacking a bottom cabinet. "They're in a no-kill shelter as soon as we can find one."
D.J. breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, but I think Stephanie and Michelle might need some convincing."
"Way ahead of you on that one," Danny assured her.
Joey glanced at him. "We are?"
"Yeah. The way I figure it, we've got no problem…if we tell them it's either the dogs, or their very own pony," Danny finished.
Jesse chuckled. "I'll chip in for horse feed and riding gear."
Leading another one of the dogs to the basement stairs, seeing D.J.'s book bag on the table reminded Danny of something. "Hey, D.J., wasn't your friend…what was his name…Dean here a few minutes ago?"
"He had to leave. He's allergic to dogs and had to go home to get some medicine," D.J. pouted.
"Allergic, huh?" Danny paused, about to grab another dog. "You know, guys, I guess it wouldn't be so bad if we kept maybe two extra…or three…or four…you know what, let's keep the whole bunch!"
"Dad!" D.J. replied, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Jesse picked up a dog and headed to the basement stairs. "No way! These dogs are outta here, especially this guy. Before, he did his business on my new jeans!"
"Jess…that's Comet," Joey laughed.
Jesse paused, noting the dog's collar. "So you are." He then gently put him back on the floor.
"We're home, everybody!"
The four froze. That was Michelle's unmistakable voice, calling from the yard. Panicking, they tried to shepherd the last of the Retrievers into the basement. Unfortunately, none of the dogs that had been there had stayed, so there were still six dogs running around the kitchen when Stephanie and Michelle walked in.
"Whoa baby!" The two exclaimed in unison upon seeing the chaos.
Stephanie dashed into the mass of dogs, hugging every one she could get her hands on. "We got more dogs! We got more dogs! Is this my birthday present?"
"No, sorry Steph. They're here for a short stay,." Danny answered. At "stay," one of the canines stopped in his tracks. Danny put a hand on his hip. "Now you listen?"
"What are the doggies doing here?" Michelle questioned, petting the dog nearest her.
Those in the room over ten gave each other uneasy looks. Death was an uncomfortable subject to talk about with kids, and they all felt there was no reason to have to explain it now. Clearing his throat, Danny began, "W-well, um, they're a…friend's. He's moving to an apartment, where's not allowed to have dogs…so he asked me if I could take care them for him."
From behind Michelle, Jesse mouthed, "Nice."
"That's great! We can be like 101 Dalmatians! You can be Perdi!" Stephanie stated, addressing the dog she was playing with. Reading the tag, she wrinkled her brow. "'Minnie'? Hey, Dad, wasn't she the dog who became Comet's mommy?"
His face reddening, Danny handed her a box of treats and used the strongest evasive parenting technique he knew of – changing the subject. "Honey, um, I'm sure the dogs are hungry. Why don't you give them each a treat?"
A few days later, D.J. and Stephanie were in the kitchen. Since D.J's normal chore of feeding Comet had morphed into serving dinner for six canines, she had enlisted her sister's help. "Okay," D.J. said, stepping to the side to avoid someone's tail. "How about you pour, and I'll serve?"
Stephanie cast a weary glance at the twenty-five pound bag of dry mix, which Danny had bought once he realized the dogs were going to be there for a while. "You've got to be kidding me."
"All right, fine, if you're going to whine about it," D.J. huffed, managing to lift the bag onto the table. Stephanie got the bowls they had been using as dishes and placed them around the bag.
"Now, how are we going to do this?" D.J. wondered aloud.
Stephanie put a hand on her hip. "Can't you just…pour it, like Captain Crunch? You know, if you squint your eye, the pieces do look like cereal."
"And get dog food all over floor? Dad would freak! He just waxed it this morning," D.J. pointed out. Finally, she snapped her fingers. "Got it!" Getting a few of her textbooks out of her nearby back pack, she slipped them under the bag. Then she ripped a hole in the bottom. The food rushed into one bowl, filling it up almost instantly.
Staring at her sister in awe, Stephanie exclaimed, "I love the way your mind works!"
"Glad to hear it, but you better move another bowl under the spout before it overflows!" D.J. warned. Once they were done, D.J. lifted the bag on an angle and told her sister to get a food storage clip.
She kept a firm grip on it until there was a knock on the door. "D.J.? It's Dean."
"Dean's here?" Panicking, D.J. dropped the bottom, and the rest of the food cascaded onto the tile floor. D.J. caught it before it was fully empty, but there was still a huge mess her father would not be happy about. "Uh oh."
Shaking her head, Stephanie held up her right hand, which had her thumb and index finger close together. "We were that close!"
"Okay, this isn't that bad. Dad shouldn't be back from the store in…" D. J. trailed off as there was another knock at the door. "Hold that thought." While Stephanie got a broom, D.J. opened the door less than a foot. "Dean, hi! What are you doing here?"
Smiling back, Dean answered, "Um, I just wanted to let you know that my mom got me some prescription allergy medicine. I know we were going to do the project at the park, but what other group is going to be able to do it on a bunch of Golden Retrievers…all at their own house?"
D.J. was beaming, and she almost invited him to come in, but then remembered the mess. "That is a great idea, Dean, and we should totally do it, but…not today, ok? You see, my dad's going to be making dinner in a few minutes, and…"
"What's that smell?" Dean interrupted, sniffing the air.
D.J. whirled around, and cringed. Stephanie had dropped nearly a whole bottle of cleaning fluid on the floor. She grinned sheepishly. "Oops."
"Stephanie!" D.J. yelled, abandoning the door and running to get the mop. Luckily, the dogs were too busy with their own food to notice. But she knew it was only a matter of time before they began mistaking the fluid for toilet water, and she knew that couldn't be healthy. "Oh, boy. Um…start getting the dogs out of here."
Stephanie tugged on Comet's collar, but he refused to budge, seemingly glued to his bowl. "Yeah, I don't think that's going to work."
Dean had wandered into the kitchen, and raised an eyebrow at the chaotic scene. "D.J., do you need help?"
"No, not…at…all," D.J. breathed, also attempting to move another canine. Eventually she stopped and gave Dean a weak smile. "Yes, please."
Dean approached a dog, then looked at her. "Um, they're not food possessive, are they?"
"They haven't been the times I fed them," D.J. answered, curious as to what he was going to do.
Dean reached down, picking up one of the dog's food bowl. The dog glanced up, riveted to the bowl in his hand. When Dean began to walk to the living room, the dog followed without resistance.
D.J. gaped at him. "How'd…"
"My aunt's a big dog lover. I have to take allergy medicine when I go to her house too," Dean explained.
Stephanie glanced at his retreating back, then turned to face her sister and jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "You should marry that boy."