At dawn's first sunrise, the sun rays beamed through the windows in the room. The room had grey walls with white trim, and the room had a twin-sized bed with a small nightstand. The nightstand had an alarm clock, a couple of books, and a glass of water. Along the bed and nightstand, there was a desk; just a simple desk with nothing, but a cup filled with pens and pencils along with a simple lamp. Lyon Alexandre Laurent, a six-year-old Siberian malamute wolf dog mix, lives in a foster home in Brisbane, Australia. He tossed and turned when the sun's rays hit through the window directly in front of where the bed is facing.

At 7 AM, Lyon soon stood up from the bed and rubbed his eyes. All groggy and unwilling to get out of bed, he knew he couldn't stay in bed forever. The young malamute opened the nightstand's drawer and grabbed his toothbrush, toothpaste, and hairbrush. He soon went out into his room noticing that other kids were heading to the downstairs bathroom. He knew at this time there would be a long line of other children waiting to use the bathroom. It was a very small orphanage, and lots of children were given a haven who have lost their parents. By the time Lyon showed up, he was too late as there were several other pups waiting in line. He moaned, knowing he should have been quicker next time; the malamute pup soon leaned against the wall hoping the wait won't take that long.

He soon had intrusive thoughts about that dreaded day when he lost both his parents due to an accident. He closed his eyes and started to think of his late parents; Marc and Audrey Laurent were his parents; his father was an oil rig worker, and his mother was an occupational therapist. The three of them have lived a comfortable life living in Australia; Lyon's father was of French descent so of course, it would make sense that his middle name, and surname sounded a bit foreign whereas his mother was naturally born in Australia. He remembered that day when he was left with a babysitter, who was a cocker spaniel, while the two parents were away for an evening dinner. When the malamute was asleep, he heard some sirens right in front of his house; the babysitter opened the door to hear the undesirable news that the parents encountered a horrendous truck accident.

Past:

The babysitter gave a light tap to the malamute pup, holding back her tears. "Lyon, there's someone you must see," she said with a brave tone. Lyon was confused at first, so he came downstairs to the entrance, and saw two German shepherd police officers. One of them slowly approached to Lyon. "Are you the son of Mr. and Mrs. Laurent," asked the police officer. Lyon nodded calmly. "This is going to be difficult to hear, and you've got to be a brave lad. Your parents… are dead. They got into a car accident." The malamute pup's heart sank, his eyes widened, and was soon moved to tears to hear those dreaded words. The officer too was crushed to see the young pup in this state and did his best to comfort Lyon. The other officer also approached Lyon, and asked "Do you have any other family close by? Surely you must know anyone." Unfortunately, Lyon did not know anyone who lived in Brisbane that is related to him. The two officers were hesitant, but they had no choice but to call social services to bring in Lyon to an orphanage.

Present:

As Lyon kept his eyes closed, one of the kids shouted "Hey, you're up next Laurent!". He soon opened them, realizing it was his turn to use the bathroom. He stood on top of the bathroom stool to reach the sink's level and applied some toothpaste to his toothbrush. He brushed in a counterclockwise motion on both sides of his teeth from the back teeth to the front and gargled some water to mix with the toothpaste. He spit out the mix of fresh mint paste and water in the sink, and then strokes his silver-grey hair with his hairbrush, ensuring that no bedhead is at present.

Once Lyon was done cleaning himself up, he soon headed to the cafeteria. Although the food isn't as great as his mother's cooking, it was still good enough to fill one's belly. Today's serving was oatmeal with fruit and orange juice along with plain yogurt. Lyon went straight up to the kitchen's bar grabbing a tray. He scooped up the oatmeal, the juice, and the yogurt, and went straight to the corner of the room; he isn't the most sociable dog in the foster home, so he prefers to eat alone. He never really got along with the other kids his own age. As quietly ate his food, a St. Bernard passed by along with his Doberman friend. Their names were Philip and Sphinx. These two have always picked on poor Lyon ever since he first arrived at the orphanage.

"Hey Laurent, why are you here by yourself?" snorted Philip. Lyon stared and chose to say nothing. "What's the matter, mate? Got nothing to say? Boy, aren't you an eyesore," Sphinx rudely remarked. Phillip grabbed Lyon's oatmeal and fruit; Lyon soon came up and tried reaching for his breakfast, but Philip's height soon bested the young malamute's height. Philip laughed in a condescending manner at Lyon for his short height, and he and Sphinx both walked away with the bowl of oatmeal and fruit. Lyon, ashamed of that moment, sat back in his seat. But he didn't complain nor cried at all; he shrugged it off and acted like it didn't phase him. Just then one of the workers at the orphanage walked up to him to make sure he was alright. Dana, a white terrier, has always been kind to Lyon ever since he first arrived at the orphanage.

"Is everything alright Lyon?", she asked with great concern. Lyon simply nodded off. "Yes, Ms. Dana. No problem at all."

"You know you can tell me. I can tell those two are always picking on you." Lyon simply did not want to trouble anyone with his problems. "Really, I am alright. There's no need to worry about what happened."

"Well, if you're sure. I just don't want you to have to deal with those two. I know it hasn't been an easy time. I just want you to know you can always confide in me." Lyon smiled softly, and he stood up from the table to head back to his room. He went to the nightstand's drawer and opened it to get something. In the drawer contained a picture of his parents and an infant version of himself. He sat in silence as he saw the photo of his family. His mother was a white husky with light blue eyes, and his father was a dark greyish wolf dog with heterochromia eyes; one green and one brown. Lyon inherited his greyish fur from his father and his mother's eyes. It is obvious that he inherited the wolf-dog genes from his father and Siberian husky from his mother. Thinking about his late parents made him realize how much he misses them so much. Although he is supported greatly by Dana, and the other staff members, he knew how lonely his life was. He wanted to cry, but it was hard to feel any emotion. All he could do was hold the family photo as tight as possible to his chest and think of how tough things are.

Gone. Why are you two gone?

It was now 3 PM in the afternoon, and Lyon was outside in the orphanage's backyard. It was a very spacious field where the kids go out and play. It contained a basketball court and a small playground with a slide and seesaw. Lyon simply sat by the oak tree away from the other kids. On days like this, he would read his book about Grimms' Fairy Tales, the book given to him by his mother. He was an avid reader, so he occasionally like reading fiction.

Just as he was reading a story about The Junpier Tree, another kid passed by to him. A Shih Tzu pup with white and black fur soon took notice of Lyon. Lyon looked up, and at first sight, he was somewhat puzzled. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the kid. "I couldn't help noticing the book you were reading. Is it a fairytale book by any chance?" Lyon was reluctant to converse back, but it's not like he was rude to others. "Yes, it is a book about different stories in one book. It is something given to me by my mum when I was four."

"Oh, cool," exclaimed the Shih Tzu. "I've always loved listening to those stories. You must really treasure that book."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Lyon rubbed his neck in awkwardness. "I mean, I do love reading other types of books, but this one is very special to me."

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened to your parents? How did you end up here?" Lyon didn't feel comfortable with that sort of question. He simply cleared his throat, shoved himself a bit backward to the tree, and looked down at his book with dismay. The Shih Tzu realized how insensitive that question was, and he was ashamed to ask such a thing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't think you would feel uncomfortable with that type of question."

"Nah, it's okay. I don't mind sharing a bit," said Lyon. "My parents went out for the evening to dinner, and I was left with a babysitter. Just when I was in bed, I received the news from the police that my parents got into an accident. They…. didn't make it." The other pup was in shock to hear that. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I really should have not asked."

"It's okay, I don't mind. I guess I needed to let it out. It's not every day I get to talk to someone my own age." The two looked down in silence; the awkwardness was a bit vexing, especially for Lyon. The Shih Tzu sighed, and then he was willing to share his story. "I came here because my dad was…. well, I guess you can say he is sick right now. And he's doing his best to get better."

"Oh? "asked Lyon raising a brow. "Yeah. He usually isn't mean, but when he is drinking that stuff from glass bottles, he kind of gets scary, and sometimes I go to my room until he calms down. I'm only here temporarily until my aunt comes to Brisbane to pick me up. I was told I will be living with her until then."

"Where is your aunt from?"

"Sydney. I don't have any other family in Brisbane since me and dad only got each other. After my aunt heard the news, she was willing to let me stay with her until dad gets better." Lyon intently listened to the pup's story. "That must be tough," he said with an empathetic tone. "Yeah. I love him so much, but I wished he stopped drinking that stuff," the Shih Tzu rubbed his arm, looking down at the ground. "And your mum?"

"My mum's been gone for a long time. She and dad are no longer together. Ever since he lost his job, he has struggled to find one. They both separated because of my dad's problem."

"Why didn't you go with your mum instead?"

"Because he wanted me to stay with him. My mum didn't want me to stay, but he promised to her he will find a job to support us. But things only got worse when daddy started drinking that stuff from a glass bottle."

"So how come they didn't tell you were going with your mum instead?" Lyon was curious about the reason he could stay with his mother.

The Shih Tzu had a dark expression. "When I said I wanted to be with dad, she was so angry that day. She wants nothing to do with me or him, so she just left out of our lives."

Lyon couldn't believe what he had just heard. How could the kid's own mother have just said that simply because he wanted to stay with his father? It was just downright cruel. The Shih Tzu couldn't help but tear up a bit. Lyon just sat there helplessly. He couldn't think of what to say. But he had to at least show some moral support.

"Hey, it's alright. I know things aren't at their best, but I think your dad still cares about you. While he's not well, I'm sure he's doing his best. And you have your aunty, so, of course, you have at least someone who cares for you." The Shih Tzu rubbed his eyes and smiled. He appreciated Lyon trying to reach out for comfort. Lyon, however, couldn't tell what he was feeling. It was hard to describe his own emotions right now, but he knew watching a kid crying about his tragic story wasn't going to solve the problem. "What's your name?" Lyon asked.

"My name is Ethan," the Shih Tzu pup said. "Lyon," said the malamute shaking Ethan's paw. The two conversed with each other about their interests, dislikes, their past lives, and what stories they like in Lyon's book. This was the first time Lyon has interacted with someone his own age for a very long time ever since he was orphaned. The sun soon set, and the two realized how late it has gotten. Every child rushed back to the doors, but the two pups were just strolling along in a casual manner. At dinner time, the two sat together eating their mac and cheese with broccoli.

"So, when is your aunt coming?", asked Lyon. "Hopefully soon. I've been here for two days.", said Ethan. "At least you get to leave here," Lyon sighed. "How long have you've been here?" asked Ethan.

"Three weeks ago. It almost feels like forever. I wonder if I will ever get adopted."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried. I'm sure you will have a home," Ethan said with a brightened mood. Lyon was confused about how he was all sad to cheerful, but he won't complain. When the two went to put their trays back in the dumbwaiter, Lyon was shoved to the ground by an unknown force. He looked up and saw Philip laughing at him. Sphinx grinned mischievously to see the malamute in the ground.

"Hey, that wasn't funny," shouted Ethan. "Oh, look Sphinx. Lyon here has made a friend. A pipsqueak friend", snorted Philip. Ethan scowled at the two bullies. Lyon stood up, dusted himself off, and he held Ethan back "Don't mate, these two are the worst," he whispered to Ethan. "But he pushed you, and he called me a pipsqueak," Ethan complained.

"Pay no heed to them. They've always been like this ever since I first came here."

"Ha! These two were made for each other," Sphinx said. The two bully dogs walked away. Ethan couldn't believe that Lyon would let these two pester him. "You should tell a grown-up, Lyon. These two have no right to boss you around like that," Ethan warned.

"I don't really like to dob on anyone. Besides, telling someone won't make much of a difference. They have always picked on me even when I have told the staff members about their rudeness," said Lyon.

"How come?"

Lyon rubbed his neck and sighed. "I just don't like being pitied on. I don't really want to trouble anyone with my problems. It's just the way it is." Ethan had a confused look. Why would someone like Lyon who seemed so kind accept the bullying behavior?

As bedtime was approaching, Lyon was brushing his teeth once more in the bathroom. At least he was first in line, unlike the past morning. He soon thought of the words Ethan said to him regarding telling an adult about the two bullies' behavior. Really though, is it worth leaning on to someone for support? All I get is empty sympathy from the adults. Do they really care about my issues?

Lyon gave one last spit from the toothpaste and headed back to the hallway. He then said goodnight to Ethan since they both live on different floors and went straight back to his room. Lyon was in his bed reading a different book. It was a sci-fi book about a kid who traveled back in time to the past. This book was from his father. Just as he was silently reading, a knock from his door. It was Dana again, checking up to see the young malamute.

"Oh. I'm sorry Ms. Dana. I was so absorbed to reading this book, I didn't realize it was so late," said Lyon hiding his book behind the pillow.

"Please, don't worry about it. I was just wanting to check up on you. I heard you've made a friend today," said Dana with a smile. Lyon shook his head.

"This must be the first time you've spoken to a kid your age. When you first showed up, you did like to create a distance from the others."

"Well, I guess I'm used to being closed off to others. I don't think I'm very well liked here," sighed Lyon.

"Hey now, that is not true," Dana said with a frowned expression. "You are a kind, intelligent young man. What makes you think you are not well liked?"

"Well, you already know what Philip and Sphinx are like. They just like to use me as their punching bag. I don't bother asking for help from you because I don't want you to feel bad about my problems."

Dana was shocked to hear such words from a six-year-old. "You shouldn't say such things, Lyon. You are liked. You are great."

"But how come when I first showed up here, most of the adults give me this look in their eye, feeling sorry about my situation? All I get is sympathy. Even when a family shows up and sees me, I am rejected. I know I won't get adopted," Lyon complained and laid down flat on the bed.

"Lyon, you know that is not true. The only reason we look at you is that we are worried about you. I know losing your parents at a young age is not easy. And we have spoken with Philip and Sphinx about their improper behavior. They won't be doing that anymore." Dana cleared her throat, not knowing what to say to the discouraged malamute pup. "You are well liked. I like you just the way you are. When you first showed up here, I knew there is good in you. And just because one family rejected you before, doesn't mean no one is going to adopt you. You will have a home one day. I promise you that."

Lyon looked down sadly at his book. He wished the words Dana said were true. Dana reached out to him, but he looked away. She sighed, knowing how the pup always kept this shell to protect him from connecting to others. "Do you want to talk about your day? It will take your mind off things."

Lyon nodded no, but he was feeling thirsty. "I guess a drink of water would be nice. Would it be okay if I had some by my nightstand?"

"Of course," said Dana with a soft smile. She headed downstairs to the kitchen, grabbed a cup and poured some water, and headed back to Lyon's room. The malamute took a sip of water and placed the cup near him whenever he wanted to drink some again later. "I'm going to check on the others now. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"I won't," Lyon said.

"Alright kiddo, sweet dreams," said Dana closing the door. Lyon looked up to the ceiling thinking as time passed by. His eyes soon felt heavy and drifted off to sleep. He dreamed about his old life again where he was sitting by the dining table. His mother was making lunch while his father was reading the newspaper. The room was a light cream-colored wall with a nice scent of spices in the room. The table was neat with lilies in a vase. The room was connected to a verandah with white-trimmed colored paint, a garden bench, and plenty of flowers surrounding the outdoor area. Lyon's mother made very good sandwiches. He could almost smell the nice aroma in his sleep, but just as he was about to grab the first bite, he soon woke up, realizing he took a bite off his pillow. The pup got back to his senses and realized he is back in reality again. He sighed, knowing that even dreams have a way of manipulating the mind.

If only I could return to those days, once more.

The next morning Lyon woke up. With the same groggy feeling as before, he soon jumped out of bed grabbing his toothpaste and hairbrush. As he came out of his room, he saw his friend Ethan bringing down his luggage. The malamute ran to the Shih Tzu. "Wait, you're leaving already?", asked Lyon. "Yeah, my aunt is here already. I was just getting ready to bring my things down to the lobby now.," explained Ethan. "Oh," said Lyon with a saddened look. "Well, do you want any help with that?"

"I would appreciate that, thanks," exclaimed Ethan. The two were dragging Ethan's suitcase to the downstairs lobby. In the room was another Shih Tzu with a beige color pattern. That must have been Ethan's aunt. The woman then saw the two dragging Ethan's suitcase. She walked up to them and hugged Ethan tightly. "It's so good to see you, Ethan," said the aunt. "Yes, Aunt Elise. Me too," said Ethan hugging her back. She looked at Lyon while he silently stood there. "Is he your friend?"

"Yes, we just met yesterday. He was one of the first kids I conversed with." Elise smiled at Lyon while Lyon nervously smiled back. "I appreciate you giving Ethan company. I know he really likes making friends with other kids his own age."

"No trouble at all," Lyon modestly. Ethan walked up to Lyon. "Thanks for being my friend. Even though it only lasted for a day. I'll miss you," Ethan said with a sad smile. He hugged Lyon, but Lyon was surprised at first. Although he couldn't reciprocate the same feeling back, he simply returned the hug back as well. "Yeah…likewise."

Ethan grabbed his aunt's hand, and Elise grabbed Ethan's luggage. "We should get going now, sweetie."

Ethan nodded, and the two headed out to the door. Lyon stood there in silence. He didn't feel any sadness, but more like an emptiness in his heart. It felt like it was the first, and the last he ever made a friend at the orphanage.

During the afternoon, Lyon was reading his fairytale book again from yesterday, this time reading Hansel and Gretel. Once again, he was alone. It didn't seem to bother him as much, but it did feel nice having some decent company. Ethan was still fresh on his mind. He wasn't sure what made him think of him. Perhaps it was the kindness he first got from someone his own age. Although Dana's kindness was fine, it would be better if he has gotten that from someone close to his level.

Author's Note: Greetings. This is my first time posting a fanfic story, so I just felt like being creative, and letting my mind as I write this story in the Bluey universe. I've recently fallen in love with this show and was inspired to write my own OC story. I don't know how often I'll post a new chapter, but I'll do my best to write the best story you could ever ask for.

edit: In case you're wondering, I will add Bluey original characters too. I just need to think about how the story will play by ear.