Disclaimer: I own none of the rights to Wallace and Gromit. They belong to Aardman and their rightful owners.

Forging bonds

The gale force winds whipped relentlessly through the small town in England, West Wallaby street.

The sky was positively spitting with rain as it was a cold and soaking rainy night in the midst of Springtime and everyone in town had wisely decided to remain indoors to stay out of the maliciously hammering downpour. The raindrops were violent and the skies were filled with clouds so black that the colour could be comparable to chucking a bottle of ink up into the heavens.

One could say that "it was raining cats and dogs" to be more accurate.

It was known that the world could be cruel and unkind but, right now, it seemed the most cruel and unkind to a little beagle puppy named Gromit.

He lived on the streets in a box.

He was alone, cold and hungry.

The very young pup sat in the big cardboard box that he had considered his home, his little legs brought up to his chest while he tried to keep warm with his blanket that was thoroughly drenched with rain as it had been draped over his shoulders to try and act as shelter, even though it was poor. His small body shuddered from the cold and his brown ears drooped even more than before as he tried his best to keep warm by drawing his arms and legs in as close to his body as possible.

All little Gromit had in this whole world was his name, his blanket and the box of crackers he was holding with a death grip.

He couldn't remember when he had started to live on the streets but he had been limping along as the days, weeks and months flew by...he had been trying so hard to keep himself alive and well. Thankfully, he was able to keep his body weight fairly average despite the starvation gnawing away at his poor little tummy and if someone were to ask "how was that possible?" then the pup would have been as clueless as them.

Squeezing his eyes shut was all he could do to keep from breaking out into a major panic.

Gromit kept on shivering while the bitter nip of the air bit into his arms and legs, the blanket doing little to nothing when it came to protecting him from the cold and wet. The fact that he was taking shelter inside an already-soaked cardboard box that was moments away from falling apart due to the weight of the water soaking in to it wasn't very helpful either…but, alas, it was better than nothing.

He couldn't afford to complain right now.

THOOOOOOM-KRAK!

Gromit's heart skipped a beat when a loud burst of thunder exploded from above and lightning cracked against the heavens, the accompanying flash went away momentarily as it returned to its awful natural scene where it was hammering down with splatters of raindrops.

The pup's small head shot up and his ears stood tall and erect before he settled down again, alas noticeably more guarded than he was mere seconds ago while the thunder blasted and the lightning basked the world in a blinding light for a split millisecond. He wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him whole so he could escape this awful thunderstorm. His eyes were wide and overflowing with tears of terror, his muzzle scrunched up and a soft sob quivered from his nonexistent mouth and he reached up with two shaky paws to pull his rag/blanket even tighter around his own shoulders.

He screwed his eyes shut as he tried to keep warm against the dark wet and stormy night.

…But then his ears pricked up when he heard something.

Footsteps perhaps?

Abruptly, the pup's head picked up and his eyes opened while he noted that the volume of the splashing intermingling with the supposed footsteps was growing louder and louder by the second; it wasn't long before Gromit found himself staring at the feet of someone stepping out in front of him and his box shelter.

Gromit jerked backwards with eyes wide and full of terror.

The feet…they belonged to a human man!

As if hearing the sound of his movements, the man had apparently bent down to investigate what was in the unassuming cardboard box and was soon staring at the pup with eyes wide as dinner plates. He was just as surprised to find the pup as the pup was of seeing him.

"H-Hello?" The human cautiously called out, stooping down to meet Gromit on eye level. "Who do we have here?"

That was when Gromit got a good look at the man who had stumbled across him.

Compared to other human men, he was as skinny as a beanpole and his complexion was almost as pale as snow but just pink enough to be considered healthy. He had a head full of brown/dark ginger hair that was clearly beginning to thin at the top and a big bulky beard and moustache to match. He wore a pair of brown wool trousers, a white shirt, a red tie and a green knitted pullover vest. Even though the night was dark and the storm was wild, Gromit could see this man's eyes were overflowing with this kind and humble aura while also containing a slither of high intelligence.

It's a known fact that dogs born in the streets had the lesson ingrained within their minds to fear humans as soon as they were old enough to think.

Why should Gromit be any different?

The pup and human stared at one another for what felt like an eternity, neither able to break their gazes as they became transfixed upon one another.

The beagle pup, still not really trusting this man but also wanting to maintain some morality as well as common decency despite his young age, shuffled over to one side of his poor box shelter to make room for the him so he could sit next to him and get some cover from the rain.

It was an offer that Wallace happily agreed to and sat next to the pup.

It wasn't entirely known why he accepted as he had brought an umbrella but Gromit didn't question it right now.

Anyways, it was after that the two were just left looking out into the stormy night.

"I think introductions are in order if we are going to be stuck in here awhile." The inventor gestured to himself with one hand. "My name is Wallace. What is your name, chap?"

Gromit, in response, directed the man's attention to one of the inner walls of the box they shared and proceeded to point to a section where there were a series of scribbles and scrawlings made in black marker, one such marking being the most apparent as it was penned on the side of his cardboard dwellings. While the writing was smudged with rain water, it was still somewhat legible. One would have to squint but the name "Gromit" was written plain and clear despite the smudging that rendered it barely legible.

Gromit pointed to the writing and then pointed back to himself in an introductory manner.

"Well it is nice to meet you, Gromit!" The man beamed merrily before he saw what was being clasped tightly in the puppy's hands. "Oh! I see you've got some crackers!"

Gromit blinked since he had forgotten that he'd still been holding the box of crackers and proceeded to look down at it and then back up at the human man with mild surprise.

"I'm partial to them myself, especially with some cheese."

Gromit felt his (seemingly nonexistent) mouth water to the point of it being sopping wet and he could feel his stomach churn inside his gut as the hunger pangs worsened now that he was being reminded of the fact that he had not eaten a proper meal in three whole days and he wasn't going to fib and say that cheese and crackers sounded very appetising right about now.

The pup promptly lain a hand over his tummy to try and stifle the noise as his tummy grumbled.

He wasn't the only one either.

At the very same time, as if on cue, Wallace's stomach growled too.

The inventor tried to silence his grumbly tummy but it was no use as it gurgled like a drain. He could feel the heat of embarrassment strike his cheeks as he now recalled the fact that he had not eaten since breakfast and it was now9 o'clockat night. He felt a tad sheepish when he recalled this fact as he had to admit that he was rubbish at keeping a good routine and taking care of himself, it was a bit embarrassing since he was a grown man and knew he should be taking care of himself automatically.

Gromit sighed through his big black nose before he reached into the box he had been holding preciously and found two remaining crackers inside and then he pulled out said crackers and reluctantly handed one of them up to the man, still very much afraid but also beginning to soften up.

"For me?" Wallace gasped.

Gromit nodded, paw still outstretched towards him to pass him the cracker.

Wallace was touched, it was clear that this pup was starving and he was willing to share his last bit of food in spite of this and something as priceless and delectable as crackers. He wasted no time in taking small yet deliberate nibbles of the cracker and savoured each bite he took whilst Gromit had practicallyinhaledhis cracker and proceeded to devour it on the spot.

What else could be expected when someone so young had to endure without much food?

"Thanks, lad."

The two munched their crackers in relative silence after that with aforementioned silence only being broken by the loud rainfall hammering all around them.

Wallace looked up at the box ceiling and very quickly grew concerned that the box itself won't hold up for long against the rain, it could come crumbling down into mush any second and, accordingly, he could feel a knot of worry coil in his chest like a spring and he could feel each and every single hair present on his body stand up on end as though electrified but he also knew that he couldn't rush these things either…he needed to take things slow but he couldn't dawdle either.

He swallowed the last of his cracker and hummed with satisfaction before he looked back down at the young beagle, trying not to let the worry in his heart show itself in his outwards appearance.

"Might I ask why you are sitting out here?" He asked off-handedly.

Gromit just shrugged his shoulders helplessly in response.

Wallace decided to add to his previous inquiry.

"Are you waiting for your family?"

Despite it being so dark, it was clear to see the lights in little Gromit's eyes vanishing in an instant as he looked away with sadness, his gaze fixing itself upon one of the walls of his cardboard abode. He found himself clutching the now-empty box even tighter in his paws and his heart threatened to shatter into a billion shards and pieces right then and there.

Wallace asked yet another question, "How long have they been gone?"

Gromit's small eyes hardened as he stared emptily ahead.

This was a reaction that made Wallace quickly realise as to what was being implied and he frowned.

The canine parents had either abandoned the poor pup to fend for himself or they met a tragic end sometime ago and weren't able to return to their little one; either way, it was clear that this tiny and helpless tyke was now all on his own with nobody to help him or guide him. This poor little one had been waiting in a cardboard box for someone to come find him and thinking about this predicament.

The inventor started to wonder how long it had been since the poor lad had been in a safe environment with a roof over his head and food in his tummy?

How long had he been left out here, struggling to survive?

It was a pitiful situation indeed.

"Oh…I am so sorry, lad." The inventor crooned.

Gromit didn't acknowledge the human man, his eyes started to moisten but he had no idea if it was simply rainwater dripping down his face or if he was silently weeping. He felt so guilty admitting this but he didn't know what happened to his family, he couldn't even remember what they looked like —not in a way that mattered anyway. What hecouldremember, however, was that he was very loved and that made their absence not only more painful but it made it that much more confronting as a reality. Nevertheless, Gromit awaited his parents' return with unwavering loyalty and unfaltering paitence…even if he knew that they were gone.

Meanwhile, Wallace swallowed reflexively and looked down at the poor little pup with sympathy while his heart felt this horrible pang with each beat in his chest.

Wallace sensed the little pup was frightened and he didn't blame him in the slightest. Gromit had been left to fend for himself and was now on the cusp of starvation from the sounds of things and he had been waiting for his family to return…only he'd been left for an uncertain amount of time. The poor chap probably couldn't last much longer since his ribs were showing and all he had to survive on were crackers which he had just shared the last ofwith him. With the weather how it is right now, there was an added possibility that the poor whelp might catch a cold or something.

The inventor felt this overwhelming urge to pick the little one up and take him back to his home and away from this life since, as much as some might expect, he couldn't just leave him here.

But how could he go about in gaining his trust?

Wallace pondered and wracked his brain for a lengthy few moments until an idea dawned on him.

Truthfully, he had always envisioned himself to be alone since he found he wasn't much of a ladies man due to how awkward and clumsy he could be. He had tried to make himself a companion but that didn't end well (embarrassingly it even almost blown up his house and he got into a bit of legal trouble) so the thought of getting a pet companion had never crossed his mind —despite his reservations, however, that didn't stop the urge to just pick the pup up and bring him home to protect and love him increasing with each passing instant.

He…He couldn't stand to leave the orphaned pup out here!

He just couldn't turn a blind eye, could he?

"Would you like to come home with me?" Wallace asked the pup.

Gromit hesitated and his eyes widened in shock when he heard that as his head spun round to look up at the human man sat next to him.

The young beagle wanted to keep waiting for his parents to return and come back for him but, alas, despite how young he was, the pup was smart enough to recognise the fact that the chances of them returning and in good health diminished with each passing day. It felt like an arrow was piercing his heart whenever he even considered the possibility on whether or not his family was even looking for him or even if they were able to anymore but he couldn't just sit here waiting forever, as sad a fact that was, and he felt like he could trust this person.

The was the reality of his situation right now was that if he kept waiting like this then he'd probably wind up starved beyond comprehension and the end results would be grim. Realistically he would have no choice but to acquiesce to this upsetting reality unless he wanted to starve out here.

The pup nodded his head feebly and his eyes became huge and glossy.

He began to tremble as the cool air reached his dirty cream/beige coloured coat; he curled into a ball while he drew his own limbs in even closer to his body than before to persevere through the harsh cold. His eyes clamped shut again. The fact that he was already wet due to the heavy downpour hammering down overhead wasn't helping in the slightest —if not worsening his condition. Not even the dirty blanket he'd wrapped himself in was helping since it had already been reduced to a soaking wet rag.

Then he let out a tiny sneeze which simply became the final straw for Wallace.

He couldn't take this anymore.

The inventor proceeded to fold up his umbrella and simply tucked it under one arm so he could free both hands and then he rolled his shoulders back to shed his jacket and remove it before he reached down to try and pick the orphaned puppy up.

The pup just instinctively jerked back a bit (not that there was a whole lot of room in the box) as he was a bit unsure as to what this man was doing and proceeded to eye him suspiciously, a shred of his better instincts stubbornly clinging on to the fear he had retained of all mankind. Despite him skittering away a bit to avoid the man's arms, he was stunned when the jacket found its own way wrapped around his frail little body.

It was only after he was wrapped up that Wallace finally shuffled out of the shelter the box provided from the rain, soaking them both immediately, as he situated little Gromit into his arms while he rose to stand up on his own two feet. The man wobbled a bit as he hadn't expected his legs to go numb due to the prolonged time he had spent knelt down and in a cramped shelter too! He even had to give his legs a bit of a shake in order to wake up his sleeping muscles.

The puppy, meanwhile, was taken aback as he glanced down at himself and then back up at Wallace who threw on a gentle smile as he spoke to pacify the frightened Gromit.

"It's alright, lad…I promise to keep you safe." Wallace reassured.

Those were the words that changed everything as Gromit's eyes returned to their normal size and he calmed down.

The innocent little puppy found that he was so comfortable in the warmth and the shelter of Wallace's embrace that he was quickly losing the battle of trying to stay awake and the beagle pup snuggled himself more comfortably inside Wallace's jacket and squirmed to try and to get into a more comfortable position while the pup's rescuer could feel his paws poking the inventor as he shifted about before finally resting his head against the crook of his arm and he let out a deep sigh while closing his eyes to drift off to sleep. He didn't know the reason as to why but he felt safer than he had ever been when he was with this man and that finally convinced him that he could drop his guard.

Wallace felt his heart explode due to the sheer cuteness alone and he couldn't hold back a smile.

It wasn't all that surprising that Gromit had fallen asleep straight away since he had probably kept his guard up for so long and hadn't slept well at all before now. It appeared that he was very comfortable as the warmth coming from the jacket he had been bundled up in seeped through the fabric and transferred into his body heat. His big black nose wiggled as he snuffled oh-so slightly, taking in light and quiet breaths as he curled up into a ball in the inventor's arms.

Wallace shook his head to himself —partially to shake the rainwater out of his beard and to finally let his current situation properly sink in.

Then he hugged the pup closer to his chest and began to walk off into the night.

"Let's go home."

Wallace said that more to himself but, admittedly, he also might have said that to the sleeping pup too. He had been alone for so long and he had been considering making himself a robotic companion but the plans weren't developing like he thought out. What was companionship without a bond there? There were just some bonds you could not make with a machine…and, besides, this pup needed someone and Wallace had already decided that he would gladly be that someone.

They could be there for each other from now on.

A/N: Here's a new story about how Wallace and Gromit became a duo…or at least how I think they became a duo.

Merry Christmas and happy new year, everyone!

-Chloemcg