Serena looks up when her faithful lab companion, Topaz barks once, stating there was company, Serena smirks, " CSI Stokes, welcome back, is Mikina all right? "
" How'd you… never mind, Dr. Maris gave Mikina a clean bill of health. How many dogs do you have here? "
Serena smiles, " All told, one thousand. Most of the pups will be sold. Some get too attached to me, or I keep some for breeding stock. One whole litter of lab pups was actually already bought by LVPD for Search and Rescue, Cadaver, and drug purposes. They're getting trained as we speak, including the officers whom will be handling them. "
" Then where are… ? " CSI Stokes starts to ask her.
" Off site, mountain training today. A volunteer dog walker agreed to be the missing hiker. " Serena answers and then Topaz's hackles raise and she growls menacingly. Serena stiffens as she hears the panicked yips and she whistles long and hard, " Jadeite, Carter, shirabe! "
Two black labs go hurtling off even as Serena and Topaz follow. Serena's brown eyes harden when she sees the coyotes trying to get at her Lundehund pups. " Jadeite, Carter, Atakku! "
The labs wasted no time in going after the coyotes and Serena whistles again in two short bursts. Two chocolate labs come barreling up, " Sapphire, Quartz, Atakku! "
With four dogs mixing it up with the coyotes they back off, CSI Stokes had followed her, " I have never seen dogs fight off a pack of hungry coyotes. "
" They're trained to guard and to stay on the property, " Serena answers and turns her attention to her guard labs, " Jadeite, Carter, Sapphire, Quartz, good job, all of you. Junkai! "
All four labs obey immediately, " Okay, what did you just tell them? "
" I told them to patrol, CSI Stokes, now, let's get Mikina settled but first… Ruby, Onyx, come! "
Two yellow labs race up to her, " Yogo. "
The labs obey and she heads back to her house, Topaz at her side, " You know, you might as well call me Nick. "
" All right, Nick. " Serena says and walks in, Nick following her in with Mikina in her cage. Serena takes it from him and places Mikina in her new home, still in the carrier, litter box included. Serena lets Mikina out and the pup whimpers, " I know, baby, you'll be staying with me for now, this is your new home. "
Mikina looks around and barks once to show she understood and heads for the rawhide bone in the corner and starts gnawing on it. " Rekka, kuru. "
The Irish Setter pup comes barreling down the stairs to her, " Pure! "
Rekka joins Mikina and Serena heads outside with Nick and Topaz, " Can you tell me how the Takedas died? "
" No, I can't, Serena, not yet. " Nick states, " What language do you give your commands in? "
" Japanese. "
" Can Mikina identify our perps? " Nick asks.
" By scent, yes she can, didn't you watch Turner and Hooch? " Serena replies.
" All right, so she can recognize them by scent or voice, got it, even at her age? "
" Especially at her age. Dalmatians were my most recent acquisition but all dogs have greater hearing and olfactory processes than humans do. " Serena states firmly.
" Do you train any tracking dogs? "
" Ah, to hunt down suspects, basic Search and Rescue stuff. " Serena says and heads for her dachshund pups. The Wire Hairs were looking at her with those sad, sad eyes and she sighs and sets up the kiddie pool and grabs a bucket of tennis balls before letting the six month old pups out, giving them all a firm stay command, though she said Taizai she gets ready, she grabs a ball and aims for the pool, " Lynx, fetchi. "
She throws the ball and Lynx catches it only to land in the pool and looks at her displeased, she rewards him and continues on, " Why the kiddie pool? "
" To get them used to water. " Serena replies.
" Do you name all of them? "
" I do, and they're all registered as well. " Serena responds to Nick.
" Can anyone buy a dog from you? " Nick asks her.
" House or apartment? " Serena asks.
" House, and yes, I have plenty of space and I have a neighbor girl who would love to watch over any dog I would get while I'm at work. I will take your course, though can we do English commands? "
" I have a late litter of Irish Setter pups that are too young for training yet, what kind of dog would you like? " Serena asks.
" I wouldn't mind a Irish Setter, male pup. "
" I'd let you see them right now, but they're too young yet. " Serena says firmly.
" My boss would like to know why it looked like Mikina wasn't noticed. It seems she only came out after everything went down. " Nick states.
Serena smiles and heads for her Dalmatian pups, Mikina's litter mates. She looks them over and smiles, " Tenku, kuru. "
The aforementioned pup races over, " Janpu. "
The pup jumps out of the enclosure and Serena rewards him with praise and a treat, for coming when called and for jumping on command, " Tenku, kakusu. "
Nick watches as the pup races off and then he can't spot the pup, " What did you tell him to do? "
Serena shakes her head, " I commanded him to hide, a command that I teach all of my puppies, just in case. "
" Okay, wow, can you teach mine to do that? "
" I could, though you will have to pay me and take my training course, and supply me with background information. I never allow my pups to be bought by convicted felons. " Serena states.
" Damn, you're protective of them, aren't you? "
" Tenku, kuru! "
The pup races to her, " Yamero, Tenku. "
He freezes and looks at her, " Suwari. "
Tenku sits immediately and Nick blinks, " You really have them well trained, don't you? "
Serena rounds up the Wire Hair Dachshunds and puts them back in their kennel, so to speak and looks at Tenku, and grabs a tennis ball, lobbing it towards the kiddie pool while shouting, " Fetchi! "
Tenku was off like a shot, catching the ball and somersaulting in midair to avoid the pool. Serena rolls her eyes, " Definitely like Tenku no Touma. Oh well, he still caught the ball, he definitely won't be a S and R dog, but he will make a great pet for someone, he's acrobatic. "
" Did you teach him how to do that? " Nick asks.
" No, I didn't. He did that all on his own, Tenku, kuru. "
Tenku trots over with the ball, " Suwari. "
He sits promptly and Serena looks at him, " Ataeru, Tenku. "
Tenku gives her the ball and Serena rewards him with five treats and lavish praise. She had given him a dark blue collar in honor of the armor he was named after. She knew she was going to end up keeping Tenku as well. She smiles as he gives her a kiss, " Yes, you're a mommas boy, aren't you? "
Tenku gives her more kisses and obeys her hand motion to rejoin his litter mates. " I must say, I'm impressed. " Nick states.
" Don't be, all they need is love and patience and I have both of those for them. " Serena states and stretches.
Then she heads for her car and grabs her cell phone, " Marlene, I'm going out for a while, you wanna keep an eye on the place for me? "
When she gets an affirmative Serena smiles, " I'll leave you to find your own way out. I'm going to hit the shelters, see if I can find some more jewels. "
Nick blinks as Serena walks off and gets into her car and drives off. Serena pulls into the first shelter and walks in. She is appalled by what she sees, " Who brought in the Border Collie and her pups? "
A volunteer scrambles to find the information, " A well to do family that lost it all in the stock market. The mom is pedigreed, she had the pups while here. "
" I'll take them and the papers, is the father pedigreed as well. "
" Yes, I have those papers too, though the father is no longer living. " the volunteer states.
" I'll take them as well, so I can get the pups registered, there is the appropriate DNA testing, correct? " Serena asks.
" Not yet, the pups are too young, though the father's DNA is registered. "
" Crate them up in appropriate sized crate, I'll drop them off at my vet, Dr. Maris' place. " Serena states.
The volunteer nods and Serena continues to look around, finding a male Rough Collie pup, " What can you tell me about this pup? "
" Not yet been neutered, shots are current, has papers, owners just couldn't afford to keep him. "
" I'll need his records as well. "
The volunteer nods as Serena continues to look, she thanked Selene for the credit card Trista had given her. It had unlimited funds and allowed her to buy the stock she needed. Trista paid for the card and wanted her hime to be happy. Serena also managed to find a pedigreed female, non-related Rough Collie pup and would be checking with her breeder friends for an appropriate mate for her new mama.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, CSI, or Ronin Warriors.