Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the intellectual property of Paws Inc. and Paramount Global/Nickelodeon at the time this story was written.

Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

"Here we are."

A yellow car comes to a halt upon reaching the driveway of a familiar house.

"Home sweet home."

The man in the passenger seat can't help but let out a smile as he looks out the window, for he's finally home, his most favorite place of all.

"Argh!"

"Careful, Jon! You're still recovering." Liz urges, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry." Jon said. "It's just that I'm so excited to see the boys again."

"They've really missed you, Jon." Liz said, taking off her seatbelt.

"I know." Jon said as they both exit the vehicle.

"Liz?"

"Yes, Jon?"

"Thank you…for everything."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Within the house, a yellow canine munches away on a pile of discarded chicken bones when his ears suddenly pick up a very familiar sound.

*CLICK CLACK*

*CREEEEEEAK*

The dog carefully eyes the door as it slowly opens, ready to pounce on anyone who dares to try to break in…

*CLING*

…right as its hinges come loose…

*SLAM*

…and crashes down once more.

"That's it! I'm calling that handyman to-"

*BARK BARK*

"Odie!" Jon exclaims right as the dog flings himself straight into his arms. "Whoa!" The cartoonist just barely manages to catch him with his aching arms.

*MMM MMM MMM* Odie whimpers, his owner's face already soaked to the brim with doggy kisses.

"Yes, Odie." Jon laughs, stroking his back. "I'm home now."

"What's going on here?" Another familiar voice inquires as an orange cat enters the scene from the kitchen door, taking another bite out of his tuna fish sandwich.

"Garfield!"

*GASP*

The cat immediately drops his lunch as a very familiar man greets him by the broken door.

"*GULP* Jon? Is that…really you?" Garfield cautiously approaches him, wanting to make sure that this isn't yet another hallucination or dream sequence.

"Uhhh…Garfield? Are…you alright?" Jon asks, his cat perplexing the situation by continuously poking his stitched brown pants.

"Oh my God!" The cat leaps right into his owner's arms. "It really is you!"

"WHOA!" Jon, unable to maintain the weight of both his pets, tumbles to the ground. Liz can't help but smile upon seeing her three friends happily embracing each other.

*MMM MMM MMMMMMMMM* Odie whimpers, his owner's shirt already soaked in tears as he cuddles him even closer.

"Bout time you came back, Jonny Boy." Garfield said, his head resting on Jon's shoulder. "Now we can finally have some real food around-GAH!"

Suddenly reprieving himself from their hug, Garfield clutches onto his throbbing head.

*UH OH* Odie releases himself from the hug, attending to his best friend as he sets himself down.

"Garfield? Are you okay!?" Jon panics, praying to God that it's not a stroke, not after he just got him back!

Liz kneels down and gently places her hand on Garfield's head, ready to make an emergency appointment if needed.

"Ohhhhh." The cat moans, the pain now slowly beginning to subside itself. "I think…I just n-need to rest, preferably until next year."

"Garfield?" Jon asks, gently placing his hand on his head.

"Hmm…his body is at normal temperature." Liz informs them, getting herself back up.

"So you don't think it's a fever?" Jon asks.

"No, but I suggest we keep a very close eye on him, just to be sure." The veterinarian recommends.

*UH HUH* Odie agrees with her sentiment.

"Think you can do that for me, Liz?" Jon asks, getting himself up. "I still gotta find Arlene."

*MMM MMMMMM* Odie whimpers upon hearing that name.

"I'm sorry, Jon. We've looked everywhere for her." Liz said. "Nobody's seen her."

"Nobody!?"

The veterinarian shakes her head.

"Oh."

Closing his eyes, the cartoonist struggles to maintain his composure, for the thought of one of his own pets, one that he promised to take care of after witnessing the death of her former owner, is still out there, struggling to survive amidst a cruel, unforgiving world, is becoming too much for him to bear. Liz looks at her sole human friend with much concern. The poor guy just got released from the hospital, and already life is throwing all these complications right in his face! Her hand placed on his soaked shoulder helping to remind the cartoonist that he's not alone anymore.

"You go ahead and rest." She gently insists. "I'll go look for her."

"Y-You sure?" Jon asks. "I can-"

"Jon, the boys need you right now." The veterinarian urges him, pulling him into a tight hug. "And the last thing I need is for you to suffer any longer than you already have."

"*SNIFF* Thanks Liz." Jon said, touched by her gesture. "You're the best."

"Like I said, Jon, what are friends for?"

Per Liz's insistence, Jon heads over to his bedroom to get some rest, it looking almost exactly as it did before, only with his bed properly made. Though, judging by a few particular wrinkled spots on his blanket, he can tell that something has recently laid down on it during his absence, most likely Garfield.

Already feeling bushed, the cartoonist adjusts his pillows and pulls his blanket open before slumping onto the bed. Closing his eyes, his consciousness proceeds to drift away as his body begins to switch off for the night.

*CREEEEEEEAK*

"Huh?" Partially reopening his eyes, the cartoonist's blurry gaze is nearly blindsighted by a bright light illuminating from the partially opened door.

*MMM MMM MMMMM*

Hearing a familiar sound, Jon gives himself a closer look through the door, his vision slowly coming back as he makes out what appears to be a dog staring at him with a worried gaze.

"O-Odie? I-Is that y-you?"

Before he could get a response, the dog leaps onto the bed and makes himself comfortable right next to his owner.

Home truly is where you're understood.

Smiling, the cartoonist gently strokes Odie's back, pulling him even closer as the two drift off into a much-needed slumber.

"Reports have just come in that yet another mass shooting has occurred within the Northern side of town. With more than a dozen of these incidents reported across Indiana, citizens are now advised to remain cautious and safe in their homes until this situation has been properly dealt with. This is Judy Price of Channel 8 news."

Garfield switches the T.V. off right as the reporter signs herself off the air.

"*SIGH* And to think the professor's serum would help fix this town." The cat said to himself, ready to call it a night as leaps off the sofa. Whilst making himself comfortable under his trusty blue blanket, a sudden thought came to him, one with much regret as he remembers a name that was blurted out by his family a few hours prior.

Arlene.

Feeling guilty over his friend's disappearance, the orange feline briefly reminisces of some of the fun adventures, particularly all the dinners, they've both had whilst beginning to drift asleep…

…almost as if-

G̷̢͕̻̳͙͉͚͍͆͒͒͆̽̆̌Ḁ̶̡̜͓̀̑͂̂̔̃̚͝R̴̡͉̣͉̪̖̺̖͉̳̂͐̌͠͝F̴̢̳̻̳̲̲̣̝͆̓̃͌͒̅̅̃͆̉͜I̴̧̥̳͈̮̺̫̐͋̎̍̈́͛̿͘Ȩ̸̦͖͚̤̟̱͇͕͛̈̈̽̋̓̇͌͑̄ͅḼ̴̯̲̺̏̾̋̑ͅD̷̡͈̪̝̼̮̰̲̏͂̓͋̔̑͑͘

"AAGH!" The cat clasps his throbbing head as if it were about to explode. Taking in immensely deep breaths whilst resisting the urge to vomit, the nauseous feline begins to feel drowsy right before collapsing onto his bed.