Jiminy Cricket was tucking a pen behind his ear and making cricket noises when Geppetto approached, bearing a cup of coffee.

Archie opened his umbrella and held it over both of their heads as the sky drizzled. "What's new?"

"The Mad Hatter punched Will Scarlet for setting foot in Granny's Diner," Geppetto shrugged. "Will seemed to like it, but Granny did not. Then Emma arrested Will for sneaking in Granny's back room and stealing half a bottle of tequila. He was in jail, but he broke out, so Emma ran all around Storybrooke trying to catch him…I swear, he's worse than Wednesday's uncle Lester." He took a sip of coffee.

Pongo heeled Archie without a leash. Unbothered by the rain, he stopped a moment to chase his tail then kept his ears on the conversation. An intelligent dog, he put scraps and pieces together where applicable.

Archie was saying, "I guess if Will were an animal, he'd be a slippery minx."

"It's the most excitement this sleepy town has seen in ages," Geppetto asserted gruffly as they walked. "Of the things that don't involve the Evil Queen…I am pretty sure she killed Graham and faked the autopsy results. Katherine's heart was supposed to be," he pointed to the ground, "in that box. She was dead, but she isn't. And the Evil Queen took Graham's heart back in the Enchanted Forest. He didn't have one, yet his autopsy ignored that. There's so much drama on that queen. But Will Scarlet has nothing to do with her, so it was kinda fun to be a witness to the punch…then hear of all the kooky things the fellow got into today."

Jiminy Cricket tossed his neck. "Don't be too sure that Will Scarlet has nothing to do with our dear queen," he cautioned. "He might be her brother…or her spirit of Satan channeled by magic."

Geppetto shuddered. "I suppose you're right," he mused. "That woman would change his DNA if she had to to ensure she's connected to all the drama around here…"

Pongo caught a whiff of something furry and new. He lost interest in the humans. Deserting the friends, he headed off to discover what awaited him.

His nose led him past the animal shelter, where a community service worker gave him a dirty look and pondered why Jiminy "can't keep that white rat with spots leashed." The woman was a Storybrooke resident who'd been in Boston's prison for killing her neighbor with a shovel because "he had too many dogs". The animal shelter man had hoped to help her turn a new leaf by allowing her to reduce her sentence by helping him, but it wasn't going how he'd hoped.

Pongo decided it was in his best interest to bite her before following the scent. He reserved his bites for bad people. And relished breaking their skin. His tail wagged as he ran from her. Partly from the confrontation and partly from the pursuit.

Once upon a time, he had sired fifteen puppies. None of them were in Storybrooke. They were somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Anita, Roger, and Perdita had all been murdered by a smirking Regina. Before the curse. She'd left Pongo alive because he'd bit her so hard for killing Perdy that blood had gushed copiously from her wound as she murdered his owner and Roger's wife. Regina had healed her wound when she was done punishing Anita and Roger for meeting Snow and refusing to disclose her location. Jutting her chin out, she'd snarled, "I'll let you suffer."

Geppetto had adopted Pongo when he'd learned what Regina had done, but now, in Storybrooke, Pongo was so used to Jiminy. He'd become his dog. Regina would never earn Pongo's forgiveness. He'd bite her any chance he got.

Running into the forest with his tail whipping, Pongo sensed he was getting close. Past trees he rushed…until he came nose-to-nose with a large black wolf.

They sniffed each other as their tails wagged amicably. The black wolf had a friend—a grey wolf with a blood red eye and one black as night.

The three of them spent fifteen minutes wagging their tails, sniffing each other, and licking each other's tongues before gamboling about the forest in a doggie game of tag.

At one point, Pongo lunged at Ruby, gripping her large triangular ear in his teeth. Mouth stained with loose black fur, he felt her throw her body on the ground. She licked the underside of his chin then shook her head frantically in effort to free her ear.

All the while, Pongo's tail whipped and he growled playfully.

Graham's wolf friend knocked him over with his snout. Pongo released the ear to lick the two eye colored wolf on the cheek. Then he dashed off, leaving Graham's wolf putty in Ruby's teeth.

They were having so much fun, howling and barking and chasing that twilight passed in a blur, leaving pitch-blackness all around them. Archie would be worried, for Pongo was never out this late. Pongo was enjoying himself so much he spared no thought for his kind human friend.

The sound of a ship's whistle pierced through the night. The ship was docking at a neighboring town of Storybrooke. The canines heard and ignored the noise.

Happy, Pongo raced in circles. Then he lowered his side to the ground. Ruby stood over him, and he licked the back of her leg.

The other wolf sat on Pongo's toes, nearly crushing them. Then he licked Pongo behind the ear and darted off.

Pongo lunged to his feet, nearly catching up to the wolf in one stride. But another scent boggled his nose.

Tucking his tail around his leg, he made a mad dash for the Wishing Well. The two wolves followed his lead. Having stronger noses, they'd already smelled whatever-it-was but didn't find it important enough to ruin their game.

When they arrived at the well, Ruby was ahead of Pongo. Wagging her tail, she had a wolfish grin on her face as she seemed to beckon at the well. To proudly present a treasure to Pongo.

He loped up to the well. Lifting on his hind legs, he peered down the chute then let out a jolly "woof!" The vile thing that was Cora's spellbook was safe from Regina in the confines of the well. For today, at least. His nose coaxed him on another wild goose chase.

This time he found a young eagle. Said eagle was bold. He tried to peck Pongo's eyes out. Ruby leapt up and fastened her sharp, strong teeth around his throat. Breaking his neck, it took her less than fifteen seconds to defeat him.

All three of them ripped into the eagle, making a late-night meal out of a bird of prey. Pongo, who mostly dined on dog food, was overjoyed to have some fresh meat.

All of a sudden, Ruby snarled, showing her teeth. The Qui Shen was brushing along branches in the forest as he floated under his cloak. Peeling her lips back, Ruby spread her paws so she could leap up and sink her savage teeth in the soulsucker if need be. Her eyes remained on the undead being.

Graham's wolf also pored hostile eyes upon the Qui Shen, but he remained sitting. Growls slipped from his tonsils. Peeling his lips back, he was ferocious.

The Qui Shen, however, wasn't fussed. He wasn't interested in the wolves. He continued on his way without swooping down.

Graham's wolf twitched his tail as if to say, "Don't come back," then led the other two to Regina's vault. Sitting in front of the door, he howled desperately, for he sensed the ashes of his friend's heart floating about in the hidden room. Furious on Graham's behalf, he scratched desperately at the crease between the door and the wall. It didn't budge. He lifted on his hind legs and scratched a mark on the door. Demolishing her property was his only way to battle the woman, who was smart enough to evade having her throat ripped out.

Then he pranced up to Pongo and gripped his ear playfully in his teeth before leaping back. With his front low on the ground and rump high, he wagged his tail with shining eyes. Sending the body language invitation, "Let's play!"

The three canines bounced like the happiest of friends. Running wild through the forest.

Then Pongo's nose got blocked by another nose. Before he could process what was happening, quills shot out. One got Pongo in the leg.

He tried to dash away, but the quill hindered his movement. A sad puppy noise emanated from his throat when he realized playtime was over. He lowered himself to the ground several feet from the porcupine, curled into a ball, and tucked his tail out of sight.

Unfortunately, he picked a spot on a badger home. The offended animal shoved him off his doorframe with such force, Pongo flew a few inches away.

Ruby came to Pongo's aid. Resuming her human form, she hefted his heavy body in the air and carried him to Archie's as Graham's wolf heeled her, licking Pongo repeatedly to show concern.

Archie hadn't been sleeping, for he'd been waiting in case his faithful friend returned. He accepted Pongo from Ruby's arm when she knocked, hugging his four-legged friend. Cooing loving words.

"We had so much fun with him!" Ruby enlightened, her cheeks rosy from the run. "You might want to take him to the vet tomorrow."

Archie smiled fondly at her. "Thank you, Ruby." Of course he planned to take Pongo to the vet to have the quill professionally removed, but he knew Ruby's advice was meant to be more caring than implying he didn't know what to do with his own dog. Graciously, he patted her shoulder, failing to notice a dejected Abu stumbling out the door, empty-handed.