welcome to my first new chapter of my '102 Dalmatians' story, chapter number nine, even if it'd be listed as chapter twelve in the chapter guide. maybe, I should've waited until I was finally done with the story, and then did both of the character list. that sort of thing seems to always be a problem for me. oh well, anyway, this new nineth chapter is a full one-thousand-two-hundred words long. of course, it doesn't include this explanatory headnote, at all. nor does it include the (mandatory) disclaimer that makes up the next paragraph after this headnote, or the one insert of my comment to my own story under the guise of an author's note. OK, enough jawing about. time to get on with the (obligatory) disclaimer.

disclamation: I don't own '102 Dalmatians' in any way, shape, or form. I mean, I own it on DVD, but I was only seven when it first appeared in theaters, at all. so, it wouldn't even be natural for me to have owned '102 Dalmatians', at all. I also don't own either of the '101 Dalmatians' movies. I was but two or three years old when the live action remake came out, and when the original animated classic of '101 Dalmatians' came to theaters, I didn't even exist, yet. all these films are owned by the Walt Disney Movie Productions Company and by Dodie Smith.

Back from within her apartment, Kim and her dalmatian male, Patch, took a look at the newspaper. It was nothing but bad news for them both, though.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton: I do not believe it! I just don't believe it!

Of course, Kim was incredibly appalled that anyone would have trusted anyone like her to free her from prison. Patch, himself, had a ton more experience with the woman in question from the newspaper. Patch, however, only barked his reply in his own tongue about Cruella DeVil, or 'Ella', as she had claimed she preferred to have called by the days that he and his new owner, Kim, had even seen 'Ella's release from within the newspaper.

Patch: Just when I think I was finally rid of her, the devil woman just has to be trusted by the court, again.

Of course, Kim, having her own opinions on a woman like 'Ella' DeVil, still voiced her own concerns about the devil woman being released after a much longer period of time.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton: How could they release that_ that_

To Patch, however, it made no difference how long prison held onto the devil woman.

Patch: When is the court ever going to learn that the devil woman just can't ever be trusted to not want a fur fashion coat?

Kim once again had her own reply. Only thing about that following reply of hers was it was all about feeling sorry for whomever at the probation office would have had to look after 'Ella' while she was performing her five-hundred hours of community service.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton: You know, I pity the poor probation officer that has to look af_

That was when Kim suddenly realized that she still had her newest probational caseload to view. She realized that she might just have described herself when she stated for whom she would have felt sorry.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton (continued): Oh, no. No, it's not possible that I could've been chosen as_

Kimberly dared herself to look into the folder that held her newest caseload file, anyway. It was as though she somehow hoped that she could have changed what might have been inside of it by just wishing and hoping, alone.

A/N: ya see the reference to the 'Dig-a-dig-a-dog, dig-a-dig-a-dog' song from both the beginning and the ending credits I just made there? yeah, as I'd said before, all the professionals work that way. ya know, I wonder if I could make a living outta doing this sort of thing.

Of course, fate was not on Kim's side as it seemed, because the new file she had received from her employer, Fan, was none other than a request to look after the one and only Cruella 'Ella' DeVil.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton (continued): Oh!

Naturally, Kim was surprised at the recipience of the Cruella DeVil as her newest assigned case. Of course, Patch, having previously been dognapped by Cruella as a puppy, knew better than anyone left in London, even in the family, how truly horrible the devil woman really could have been were it never for the treatment she underwent in prison, however long this new treatment would have lasted. He spoke to her in his own language as he barked at her.

Patch: You really should just do it, ya know, Kim.

Patch even looked at Kim with his best puppy-dog-eyes for a little extra effort in her acceptance toward the task of having needed to watch over Cruella/Ella like a hawk. Kim, however, just continued looking at 'Ella's mugshot photo as though the devil woman, herself, were staring right back at poor Kim in her own living room. Of course, Cruella DeVil's mugshot photograph staring back at her was just enough to convince Kim to reject her assignment to look after the devil woman in question, even if the woman's release from prison had dredged up painful memories for poor Patch.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton: Well, I refuse. I'm not doing it.

Patch, however, had just gone from puppy-dog-eyed pleading to begging Kim to take on the task of looking after the devil woman with his own left front paw. It was not a very pretty sight when coming from a puppy of the legendary Pongo and Perdita such as Patch was. He had always tried to be the toughest out of his brothers and sisters as a puppy.

Patch: Come on, Kim. Ya gotta do this. If you'd been there when I was abducted by Jasper and Horace twice under the devil woman's orders as a puppy, you'd know that this isn't a request from Fan you'd even have the luxury to ignore, at all.

Whenever Patch begged and pleaded for something, it was always a sight so strange that it would have even brought fear into his family's hearts more than the thought of Cruella/Ella being released from prison if any of them had known of it by then.

Naturally as his new owner, Kim knew exactly what Patch had been saying to her through his puppy-dog-eyed begs and pleas. She just pretended to be unaware of how her own dalmatian male felt about the situation at hand about 'Ella' DeVil's probational hearings.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton: What?

That was when Patch finally resorted to reminding Kim for whom she would have even had to handle 'Ella's probation if never for herself or for the newly reformed devil woman. She would have had no choice but to handle them anyway, since Fan had already asked it of her from within the very portfolio she had given to Kim.

Patch: If you won't do it for yourself and definitely not for the supposedly cured devil woman, I think that you may just need to do it for my new family.

Needless to say, Kim knew exactly what Patch had said to her as he looked at her with his saddest and most pleading eyes.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton: You remember her, don't you? And you also remember what she tried to do to you, twice.

Of course, at the reminder of Cruella having tried twice to make a fur coat out of him and all his brothers and sisters, both biological and adoptive, Patch just placed his head onto Kim's loveseat as he just whined miserably at the memory of almost becoming a piece of clothing for the devil woman. Kim just pet her dalmatian male on the head, trying to comfort him about that memory. It was the kind of memory that one would never have even liked to remember.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton (continued): Oh, Patch.

With his sad, pleading eyes confirming where his concern lay should she have gone through with her refusal of Cruella's probational case, Kim understood what she had needed to do if only to ease poor Patch's concerns for him and his family.

Kimberly 'Kim/Kimmy' Sefton (continued): OK, I'll do it for you. And for the family.

As soon as he had barked at her, it was very obvious that Patch had thanked Kim for putting the needs of him and his family before what she had wanted to do with Cruella's caseload file.

Patch: That's my girl, Kimmy. You don't really have to even like working with the devil woman or become her friend or her acquaintance or anything like a friend to her. You just need to keep the mad lady in line. If you won't do it for yourself or even just for the sake of keeping an eye on her, then just do it for me and for the family.

Then, Kim and Patch finally went to bed when they were done with their negotiation about her acceptance towards Cruella's probational case.