Our story opens up at the Arbuckle house where we see Jon looking through his mail.
"Oh man," he thought "I'm in a real jam."
Lyman was sitting on the couch with Garfield and Odie sleeping on his lap while watching TV. Lyman turned around and saw Jon, looking all pale.
"Hey Jon" he said "What's on your mind?"
"We're facing a financial crisis, Lyman." said Jon.
"He probably spent all his money on Polka Ninjas videos" Garfield thought.
"A financial crisis?" asked Lyman "What do you mean?"
"Garfield." Jon pointed to his cat.
"What has he been doing?" asked Lyman.
"He's ate Mrs. Davis' canary," Jon explained.
"Tasted like chicken" Garfield thought.
"...damaged Mr. Willaim's curtains," Jon continued.
"Curtains shouldn't be so easy to rip." Garfield made a smug smile.
"And tore up the Johnson's flower beds." Jon finished.
"Dogs aren't the only animals who can that" Garfield smiled.
"This is a lot of money Lyman," Jon told his roommate "They're gonna sue us unless we find a way to pay for all the damage Garfield caused."
"I got an idea!" Lyman snapped his fingers "Why don't we have a garage sale? We've got lots of stuff that people would probably buy for a top dollar."
"That's not a bad idea Lyman" said Jon "We can sell some stuff. This place is getting full anyways."
So in just an hour or so, Jon and Lyman went into the yard and put out the stuff they wanted to get rid of, including a lamp, some vases and a few other things.
Garfield walked out of the pet door and saw Jon and Lyman selling the stuff to passing humans.
"Jon wants to sell useless pathetic stuff" he thought "I know just what to add."
At that same time, a man was driving in a limo with his daughter. He was making a business call.
"Listen pal!" he shouted through the phone "I don't care if you have to go to your son's bar mitzvah! I want you at work tomorrow and that's that!"
"Uh daddy?" the girl tapped on the man's shoulder "Cant you just let him take the day off?"
"Not now Madison," said the man "Daddy's busy."
"Say daddy," Madsion said to her father "Do you think we could do something today?"
"Sorry sweetie," said the man "I've got business to attend to. I don't know, go play with your friends or something."
Just then, the man noticed the yard sale going on at the Arbuckle residence.
"A yard sale, huh?" he looked out the window "Say Madison, why don't we go get you something?"
"I guess." she sighed.
Madison and her father walked out of the limo and looked at the yard for something.
"Whoa nelly!" Lyman saw the man "Johnny, we got us a big deal!"
"What do you mean, Lyman?" asked Jon.
"See that guy over there?" Lyman pointed to the man "That's JT Wolfsbottom, you know, the CEO of Paws Inc. He's got a whole compound a few miles outside of town. He'll surely pay us something big."
"Now that's a client we can afford." Jon added.
While Jon and Lyman walked over to Wolfsbottom, Garfield was pushing Odie with his head to the yard sale.
"Now here's something for a yard sale." Garfield laughed hissingly.
"Ruff! Ruff!" Odie barked at Garfield.
Madison then saw Odie. "Daddy! Daddy!"
"What is it Madison?" Wolfsbottom looked at his daughter "Daddy's discussing something with these nice men."
"I want that doggy over there!" she pointed to Odie.
"Very well then," said Wolfsbottom "How much for the yellow dog?"
"Actually Mr. Wolfsbottom," said Lyman "Odie's my dog and he's not for sale."
"He's in the yard right?" asked Wolfsbottom.
"Yeah," said Lyman.
"And this is a yard sale right?" Wolfsbottom continued. "And everything in the yard is for sale right?"
"Well," said Lyman "Yes, but-"
"Then give me that dog!" Wolfsbottom poked Lyman in the stomach "Right now!"
"But sir," said Lyman "I don't wanna-"
"Listen pal," Wolfsbottom snapped his fingers "You wouldn't wanna talk to human resources would you?"
Just then, two big, strong angry looking buff guys came out of the limo and cracked their knuckles at Jon and Lyman.
"Would you like him gift wrapped?" Jon and Lyman gulped.
In no time squat, Wolfsbottom bought Odie for twelve dollars and took him back to his mansion. Garfield was watching this from inside the house and was he shockingly surprised.
"Oh no!" he watched the limo drive off "That slime ball has Odie! So this means...this means I'm an only pet once again."
Garfield was overjoyed, he had never been so glad to be rid of Odie.
"Finally," he leaped onto the window ledge "I don't have to deal with that mutt anymore."
However, not everyone was as joyful as Garfield was.
"I cant believe I sold Odie," Lyman said sadly.
"I'm sorry Lyman." said Jon.
"Odie was all I had before I moved in," Lyman sat down "Well that and my only suitcase. But aside from that, he was the only thing I had."
"I'll try to get Odie back," Jon assured him "I'll call up Mr. Wolfsbottom and ask him."
"You cant reason with a guy who has lawyers and human resources." said Lyman "I just really want Odie back."
Garfield looked at Lyman and shockingly, with a lot of empathy.
"Odie may be a dumb dog, but he's our dumb dog" he thought "I have to get Odie back!"
Garfield leaped off the window ledge and walked over to a mouse hole.
He tapped the wall with his front paw "Yo Clyde! Get on out here!"
A purple-blue mouse crawled out of the hole.
"What is it Garfield?" he walked out of the hole.
"I need your help" Garfield grabbed Clyde by the tail with his front paw "Odie has been forcefully sold, I need your help."
"Sure" Clyde nodded. "Who bought him?"
"Some guy named JT Wolfsbottom" Garfield put Clyde down.
"I know that guy" Clyde snapped his fingers "The pack rats go to there all the time."
"Really?" Garfield looked at Clyde.
"Yeah" Clyde nodded "I'll take you there."
Garfield walked out the doggy door with Clyde sitting on his back.
"I cant believe I'm rescuing Odie" he thought "And I'm letting a mouse ride me"
"Don't worry Garfield" Clyde looked down at Garfield "We'll get him faster than you can say 'cheese and macaroni'."
"If we could say anything" Garfield looked at Clyde.
"Well, telepathically that is" Clyde blushed.
Meanwhile at the Wolfsbottom compound, Madison was trying to play with Odie.
"Come on puppy" Madison told Odie "Wanna play?"
Odie whimpered and shook his head.
"I understand," Madison looked at Odie with empathy "You miss your home and your old owner. I know what it's like to feel all alone, my daddy is hardly here. I don't want you to be all alone, so I'll take you back."
While Madison was taking Odie back to the Arbuckle house, Garfield and Clyde found the mansion.
"There it is Garfield" Clyde pointed to the mansion.
"I've been living wrong" Garfield looked at the mansion "Now we need to get Odie so Lyman will stop whining."
Garfield climbed up the window ledge and used his front claw to create a hole in the window and they leaped in.
"We're in" Clyde followed Garfield.
Just then, the house alarm went off.
"You telepathically spoke too soon" Garfield looked at Clyde.
Just then, Wolfsbottom came up and saw Garfield and Clyde. "Hey! You're that cat from that yard sale! Bet you came here to steal my dog! I'm taking you back to your owner and suing him!"
Wolfsbottom grabbed Garfield and threw him into a cage (with Clyde holding onto him) and drove back to the Arbuckle house. At that very moment, Madison arrived at the house and gave Lyman Odie back.
"Ruff! Ruff!" Odie licked his owner.
Just then, Wolfsbottom's car stopped right in front of the house and he stormed out with Garfield and Clyde in the pet carrier.
"Mr. Wolfsbottom?" asked Lyman "What're you doing here?"
"Listen pal!" Wolfsbottom shouted "Your cat came to my house and tried to steal my daughter's new dog! I'll sue you for every dime you're worth!"
"But sir," said Lyman "I-"
"No excuses!" Wolfsbottom shouted "I'm gonna sue you so bad! Your descendants will be born with fees!"
"Uh daddy?" Madison pulled Wolfsbottom's jacket.
"Not now honey" said Wolfsbottom "Do you know who I am? I am Jefferson Timothy Wolfsbottom! Famous millionaire! I'm gonna-"
"DADDY!" Madsion screamed at the top of her voice.
"What?" her father turned around.
"He didn't steal the puppy daddy," Madison explained "I gave him back."
"What?" Wolfsbottom asked "But I thought you wanted him. Make up your mind little lady! What do you want?"
Madison's eyes filled with tears and she ran inside the house, crying.
Lyman turned to Wolfsbottom "A dog is great, but it's no substitute for a parent."
Wolfsbottom realized what Lyman was talking about, so he went inside to comfort his daughter.
"Say honey," he put his hand over her shoulder "What do you say we do something together?"
"That would be great, daddy" Madison wiped away her tears and hugged her dad.
Wolfsbottom and Madison walked out of the house hand in hand to finally spend some nice quality time together. As for Lyman, he was glad to have Odie back.
"Well Clyde, looks like our mission is accomplished" Garfield looked at Lyman and Odie. "Sort of"
"I couldn't have thought it myself" Clyde fist bumped Garfield.
THE END
Author's Note:
Looks like Lyman has Odie back and Wolfsbottom is gonna make more time for his little angel! Looks like all is right with the world! Get ready for another wonderful story coming soon!