Chapter Text

Dude, I haven't done that in a long time.

I started some fanfictions in the past, but I had a big block and ended up just stopping. They are still there on fanfiction.net, waiting for something to change.

I thought I would just read since then, but one day, out of nowhere, I had the inspiration to write this.

There is a manga called “My Stepmom's Daughter Was My Ex-Girlfriend”, and while waiting for my tablet to download a chapter, I was watching an episode of 101 Dalmatian Street and realized that Dylan and Dolly were arguing in a way that was similar to the protagonists of the manga in a chapter. And then two words came to mind: “What if…”

Observations:

1. I am excited and have a lot of free time, but I cannot say how often I will write chapters.
2. I have a somewhat descriptive style of writing. Rather than saying that someone did a certain action or sound in a paragraph, I like to write that action or the onomatopoeia of the sound in parentheses during the dialogue, and I think this may seems strange or confusing at first.
3. I write in my native language (Brazilian Portuguese) and will be posting the chapters after translating. I will be posting simultaneously on Ao3 (Archive Of Our Own) and Wattpad, in English and Spanish respectively.
4. In this story we will have anthro characters, since some concepts I took from the manga would not make sense with normal dogs, especially a scene that I want to include. 
5. After watching 'Zootopia', 'Beastars' and 'BNA', I came to the conclusion that a world with only anthropomorphic animals is different from ours and very complicated, so I will do something a little mixed.
1. In this world, there are humans, anthros and animals. Humans and anthros coexist in society since ancient times, and animals are like in our world
2. Anthros are mammal animals that can be pets in our world, like dogs, cats, foxes, etc.
3. Because of this the animals that are pets in this world are rabbits, mice, ferrets, birds, reptiles and fish, and in some cases farm animals.
4. Animals such as chickens, cattle, pigs, horses and other farm animals will be like in our world.
5. So, we get rid of questions like 'carnivore eating herbivore!?', 'what do you eat in this world?' and of course 'are there products like meat, milk and eggs?' that may occur. (If you're vegetarian or vegan, I'm sorry if I screw this up for you)
6. Because of that, IF I include Officer Pearl (I'm still not convinced) she will be a human.
7. Wild mammals that look like animals that are pets like wolves, foxes, dingos and wild cats live in nature as nomads and rarely interact with society, although there are some exceptions (in other words, I am justifying Fergus and Poodlewolf to exist in this context)
8. Although humans and anthro coexist in the same society, conflicts can occur (let’s agree, we humans do not coexist well among us, let alone if there was another species with a similar level of intelligence).
9. These conflicts can range from arguments and bar fights to even rape and homicide (not that I plan to include any sexual or gore violence scenes, but that it be understood that this is a reality in this world).
10. Anthros can have any job that humans can, with a few points: Generally, a human doctor treats humans and an anthro doctor treats their species, so in this context a veterinarian has a very limited position.
11. There are two types of schools in this world, common and specialized. Common schools receive students of any kind and specialized schools focus on one anthro species. The Dalmatians will study at a specialized dog school.
6. Just like in the manga, my story will have flashbacks, but here the flashbacks will follow a chronology parallel to the present.
7. Although the British education system is different, I will follow the Japanese grade system as it is used in the manga, however the school year will follow the British system starting in September and ending in July. For visual assistance, I found an online table that I hope to answer any questions regarding this issue. (I don't remember which site it was on.)
8. I will have to reduce the number of family members. Not only because obviously 100 anthro dogs won’t fit in a three-story house, but also because only 20 of the Dalmatians are real characters and the others are just to fill the screen. Furthermore, in the manga the family is small so I reached a middle ground with the family members who will be part of this story. Both Doug and Delilah will initially be single parents with 8 children each, and just like in the manga, the ex-girlfriend's family moves into the ex-boyfriend's house after the parents' wedding.
9. Before anyone criticizes this type of relationship, a point made in the manga that I researched to ascertain is the fact that stepsiblings can marry, since the law prohibits marriage between consanguineous relatives. 
10. Dylan and one of Dolly's brothers (I will not spoil) will have clinical cases treatable with antidepressants and use the same medicine.
1. This is not part of the manga (as far as I know), it is something I considered using since to me Dylan always seemed extremely obsessed with cleanliness and organization to an unhealthy level, which can be a characteristic of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
2. The aforementioned medicine (fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac) is a drug that has a low rate of side effects in new patients who have never used it and in some places it is used in dogs and cats, so I thought it was good to use it. 
3. Also there are few if none side effects if someone under this medicine needs a dose of epinephrine in case of an allergic reaction, which Dylan may have with cat fur.
11. Just like in the manga, ex-couple have birthday on the same day, and I chose the date of December 14 for two reasons:
1. In December 14, 2018, was shown a sneak peak of the first episode of the series and the short "Merry Pups"
2. in addition, December is the month of my birthday.

Anyway, that's all for now.  I hope this explanation helps with any questions that readers may have.

Thank you for your attention.

Chapter Text

It was a common afternoon in London. Not 'common' in the sense of being routine, but because of the atmosphere that this day had.

It wasn't hot, it wasn't cold.

There wasn't much sun, but there weren't many clouds in the sky either.

It was basically one of those basic, tedious days when you just say "meh" and move on, waiting for something to happen.

The tedious atmosphere was everywhere, in houses, on the streets, in workplaces and especially on a street where two young dalmatians with backpacks were walking side by side as they returned from school.

Both had approximately the same height, one male and one female, the boy with a white ear with black spots and a black with white spots, while the girl had both white ears but one with two spots and the other with three, in addition to three small spots under each eye and marks on the legs and forearms that looked like socks. Their clothes consisted of plain T-shirts (red for him and blue for her) and jeans with openings for their tails, with both wearing sneakers, his in almost perfect condition and hers slightly worn.

Both showed signs of being as neutral as the day itself. However, things were different internally.

Behind masks of neutrality on their faces, both faced a whirlwind of emotions inside.

There is something that they both want to say.

There is something that they both want to hear.

There is something that they both want to do.

However, neither is willing to take the first step.

In this street, in which both have walked together several times, walking with smiling faces while talking about the most varied subjects…

"Dylan..." The girl breaks the silence, without expressing any emotion.

Something heartbreaking is about to happen.

"Y-Yes, Dolly?" The boy tries to maintain his neutrality, but his tail starts to wag with enthusiasm, taken by hope.

"(sigh)... Let's just put an end to this."

Dylan's eyes widened and his tail stopped.

"(sigh)... Right."

Dylan was surprised by his own reaction.

And as much as he tried to struggle with his rationality, the young dalmatian was unable to insist on the matter, mostly because of what he felt.

He was not angry, and despite the melancholic nature of his features, he was not sad either. No, what he felt was a thousand times worse.

Remorse.

How could he let this go so far?

How could he have made such a stupid mistake?

How can he let it end like this?

Actually, he knew exactly how. Quickly going through the recent events in his mind, he could determine each and every decision that led him to this day, and it definitely started almost a year ago when he met Dolly.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

ONE YEAR AGO . . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a quiet day in early August, right in the middle of summer vacation, and for a change, Dylan found himself strolling through the park.

Dylan had never been very sociable, preferring to lock himself in his tree house with his hobbies or spend time with his family rather than risk having to socialize with other animals.

Still, the day was really tedious today, and not even polishing his moonstone collection or rearranging the books seemed to be able to entertain him. Not only that, but the house was perfectly tidy, his telescope was useless during the day, his mother was working and his siblings were enjoying their summer vacation each in their own way and stayed in their rooms, absorbed in their own interests .

This left Dylan without many options for how to spend the day, so he put on some comfortable clothes (red polo shirt, blue shorts and sports sandals), grabbed his fanny pack, warned Dawkins to keep an eye on the others and went for a walk in the park.

Sure, there were other places he could visit in a busy neighborhood like Camden, but the park seemed the least likely to start a conversation with anyone and that was a big advantage.

Not that he had anything against other animals, and, in fact, Dylan could be very friendly when interacting with others. The problem was just how others reacted to him.

Dylan was what many would label Nerd or Geek (although he considered himself only studious) and hardly found anyone who was interested in the same things. And, if that weren't enough, he had a case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which almost always made others angry at him.

Head down and hands in pockets, he followed the concrete floor, occasionally looking sideways to enjoy the view of the park while trying to distract himself.

"(sigh) Maybe it would have been better to bring along Dizzy today. She would enjoy this better than me."

It had been a while since Dylan had gotten used to being a loner when he wasn't with his family, but it didn't get any easier. And as much as he was grateful for the unconditional love they gave him daily, he couldn't stop wondering if he was destined to be alone for the rest of his life.

"Watch out!"

While absorbed in his thoughts, Dylan did not notice until it was too late another dog approaching at high speed on a skateboard and as a result both ended up rolling across the grass.

As soon as he recovered from the initial shock, Dylan found himself lying on his back on the ground, feeling pain in various parts of his body and a weight on his abdomen.

"(groan) Uuugh~"

The sound caught Dylan's attention, who looked at what was causing the feel of weight over him.

Crossed over him was another dalmatian dog, wearing a blue shirt with a wide orange stripe in the middle, slightly tight denim shorts, and safety sports equipment, even though it was barefoot.

" A-Are you okay?"

As soon as it heard Dylan speak, the stranger tried to get up abruptly, which allowed Dylan to see two things.

First, that the stranger was a girl.

"Ouch!"

Second, she was hurt.

The girl fell like a stone, landing on her butt while holding the ankle of her right leg and contorted her face in pain.

Dylan, acting on instinct, kneeled beside the girl and removed the fanny pack, leaving it beside the girl while holding her leg just above where she was holding it.

"Where does it hurt?"

The girl looked at him with what looked like a mixture of confusion and fear, looking at him intently.

"Keep calm, I know what I'm doing. Let me have a look."

Although still scared and a little confused by the current situation, the girl took her hands off her ankle, allowing Dylan to observe what had happened.

He looked at the wound carefully and nudged it lightly with a finger.

"(groan)"

"Good news, it looks like you just fell in a bad way. I will solve this in a minute."

The girl was surprised by the confidence that Dylan showed, but she was even more surprised when he opened the bigger pocket of the fanny pack that she had not noticed until then. Inside was what looked like a professional first aid kit, not to mention whatever was in the side pockets.

Dylan deftly took a wet towel and wiped the area around the ankle, taking care not to cause the girl any more discomfort. As soon as the place was clean, he opened a side pocket of the pouch and took a small blue plastic bag, in which he placed the used wet towel. Then he took a sachet with ointment for swelling and applied it to her ankle.

"(moan) Ooooh…" The girl relaxed immediately, feeling the slightly cold sensation of the ointment relieve the pain.

Dylan smiled when he saw he was succeeding, but kept his concentration. He discarded the ointment sachet in the bag and took a small plastic package containing a roll of short bandage, which he wrapped with precision and tenderness around the girl's ankle. He threw the package into the blue bag and took a small carton with star-shaped stickers that had a smiling face on it and took one to seal the bandage.

He then closed the fanny pack and fastened the belt again on his hips, then put the bag in the back pocket of his shorts, to properly dispose of it later.

 "(sigh of relief) Well, now you just make as little effort as possible. It will probably be better tomorrow." He saw the girl hug her legs and rest her chin on her knees, looking down with her cheeks slightly flushed. "(chuckles) How adorable. She seems to be as shy as Da Vinci."

He was pleased to see that the girl was fine, and he felt fulfilled for using his first aid skills on someone other than one of his siblings for a change.

However, after a long, uncomfortable silence, he began to suspect that the girl was not only being shy.

She was looking at the floor sadly, avoiding looking at him as she seemed to expect him to do something that made her uncomfortable. It was almost like that time when the triplets broke the Mother's Day vase he had made at school and…

Then the reality of the situation finally caught up with him.

"Wait... is she…"

For a brief moment, the girl lifted her head slightly and their eyes met. Her eyes were full of apprehension, like a little girl waiting to be punished by her parents.

"She is!"

Dylan's eyes widened. The girl expected him to scold her for what had happened, and that left him without a course of action. On the one hand the girl could have skated more slowly, but on the other he could have dodged if he hadn't been so distracted by his ruminations.

Dylan had no idea of what was the protocol to be followed in this situation, since clearly the girl was hurt while he was just a little dirty. And the most complicated thing was that the girl must be of the same age as him, but she was acting like one of his little sisters. Which leads into the fact that he is not used to interacting with girls other than his mother or sisters.

It was then that it occurred to him: what if he dealt with it as he would with one of his sisters?

He bent down to face her, put his right hand on her helmet and patted her as he would one of his sisters, making her look him in the eye while he maintained a friendly smile. 

"Hey, don't be like that. I ain’t angry with you." The girl looked at him puzzled, raising an eyebrow and looking at him intently as if trying to understand how he knew what she was thinking. "Accidents happen, and you clearly got the worst of it."

The girl seemed to be relieved by this. Dylan then took his hand off her helmet and stood up, offering his hand to help her up.

"By the way, my name is Dylan. And you?"

Still a little unsure, the girl cautiously accepted the gesture.

"I-I'm D-Dolly." As soon as she stood up, she felt pain in her ankle again, but not as much as before.

Dylan helped her to balance, guiding her to a nearby bench and helping her to sit up and put her skateboard under her injured leg for support.

He then sat on the other side of the bench, leaving enough space for another dog between them.

"W-Where did you learn to do all this?"

"My mom taught me. It’s one of the advantages of living with a doctor." He then took a look at the sticker on the bandage and blushed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry if the sticker looks childish. My little sister chose it the last time I replaced the first aid kit."

The girl looked at the bandage and smiled.

"(shy giggles) T-That’s okay. I think it’s cute." She looked briefly at Dylan and blushed, looking away as she stared at the ground awkwardly.

Dylan smiled at the girl's reaction. She was opening up a little more, but she was still clearly embarrassed. However, he had enough experience with Da Vinci to know that he needed to be patient and let her take the time she needed to feel comfortable.

"So, you skate here often?" 

A moment of silence, and then…

"N-Not really, t-this is the first time I have c-come here. My family j-just arrived in the c-city."

The boy was intrigued, wagging his tail with interest. It wasn't always that he met a new person, let alone someone new in the city.

"Oh! And where did you come from?"

"S-San F-Francisco." Dylan looked at her with confusion, and she realized that she had to be clearer. "C-California. W-We came from America."

Dylan was surprised.

"So you are not only new to the city, but also to the country?"

"Not all of us. My father's family has roots in London, and he lived here for a time in his childhood with some relatives who owned a farm. He always dreamed of bringing the family back here and after a lot of paperwork he did it."

"Wow! You must all be very excited then."

"(sigh) Not at all. Most of my younger siblings are seeing it as an adventure, my brother Dante doesn't seem to care too much, and my dad is certainly loving it, but…"

"But?"

Dolly was thoughtful, trying to choose her words.

"I don't want to sound offensive, but I was never interested in this place, and I don't like it here. The new house is cramped, the neighborhood looks tedious, and not to mention the crazy weather."

Dylan was intrigued by Dolly's statement, putting his hand on his chin and taking on a thoughtful look.

"I don't think I can say that I understand, since I was born and raised here. But I can imagine that it is a very stressful experience to be in a new place where you don't know anyone."

"(sigh)And it gets worse. I was excited when i’ve found out that there was a skate park area in this park near my house, thinking that I had finally found a way to enjoy it here and fit in, but I ended up just walking around for hours, in a totally empty place."

"Actually, this doesn't surprise me, considering the time of year we’re in."

"How’s that?"

"By your height, I can imagine that you’re 13, just like me. Am I right?" Dolly nodded, surprised by Dylan's perception. "Well, at this time of year there is almost nobody in our age group or other people besides those with small children in the park, due to the summer vacation."

"(GASP!) What? Why?"

"Young people in the region tend to come here a lot after school." Dylan pointed to a distant wall, where a closed gate was, next to the skate park that Dolly had mentioned. "That’s the south entrance to the park. Leaving that gate and crossing the street, there is a narrow pedestrian street that runs for two blocks to the nearest school and that many students use to come here after class. Because of this, when the vacations come they usually go to more distant places, some going to the countryside, the beach or even another country. My family, for example, always spends the last weekend of vacation in Cornwall."

"Oh, so that's why I didn't find anyone at the skatepark." Dolly felt a little relieved, but then she was intrigued. "But what about you? Why are you in the park today?"

A little embarrassed, the boy scratched behind his head, 

"Actually, I don't usually go out much. I spend most of my time at home taking care of my siblings, so today is a rare occasion when I take a break."

"Wait, so you’re the top dog of your family?" Dolly asked with bright eyes, getting closer and staring at Dylan in awe as she wagged her tail with energy.

Dylan blushed, caught off guard.

Apparently, his position made the shy girl so excited that she ignored her inhibitions. Still, thai was a sensitive subject for Dylan.

Top dog is an important position in a canine family, the position being just below the parents in the family hierarchy when the family has two or more children. The authority of this post depends on what the parents consider appropriate in raising their children and is generally granted to the oldest child, as in Dylan’s case, or else to the child in which the parents have the most trust. There are still occasions when the top dog designates a sibling to help when there are too many siblings to supervise on his own or even rare cases where a younger sibling challenges the current one for the top dog position, despite being seen with bad eyes as a practice coming from less civilized times when the dispute could be to the death.

One way or another, over time the position of top dog ended up being associated with being arrogant, authoritarian, intimidating or even abusive in some cases where the parents raise their children with physical punishment, and Dylan was nowhere near to these cases. In reality, he was the total opposite of the stereotype, which meant that the few to whom he shared such information doubted him or thought that he was not fit for the post.

"Surprising, right? (sigh) Most immediately assume that a top dog is selfish and bossy, but I think there must be some like me out there: nice dogs that genuinely care about their siblings." Dylan didn't dare look at Dolly, since he himself was already doubting that after all this time. "(sigh) You probably never saw a top dog that wasn't a selfish jerk like the ones on TV, right?"

"Are you kidding?" Dylan immediately turned, and as soon as their eyes met Dolly pointed a thumb to herself and smiled from ear to ear, wagging her tail even more enthusiastically. "I'm just like that!"

This surprised Dylan.

There weren't many families with a top dog in Camden, but he had already met some top dog girls and they were all as the stereotype dictated: cocky, arrogant and with their snouts held high while they thought about themselves as the most important dogs in the world, caring more about themselves than their siblings. 

The girl before him didn't look like that at all.

"Y-You are?"

"You can bet on it!" Dolly was getting more and more excited, holding back just because of her aching ankle. "In all these years, I have never met another top dog that didn't think only of itself!"

Dylan was surprised, but his tail started to wag as enthusiastically as Dolly's.

Was it even possible? Another dog that saw the world as he saw it?

Sure, Dolly appeared to be the athletic type while he was more technical, but there was still a chance.

A chance, after years of feeling alone, to have a friend who understood him, with whom he could share his thoughts in a way that he could not with his family.

"This is your chance, Dylan! Don't screw it!"

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

"(sigh) I think that's it then."

So engrossed in his thoughts, Dylan didn't realize that they had reached the end of the path.

In front of them, across the street, was the south entrance to the park. For almost a year they walked this path after school, then said goodbye when they reached that street, Dylan's house staying to the left and Dolly's to the right. 

Dylan hadn't anticipated that there would be a last time.

"(sigh) Sure."

"I talked with my dad. For the next school year, I’ll be in Class 3-D."

That was the final hit to break Dylan's heart completely. If she had only gone to Class B or Class C, he could still see her occasionally, maybe even get a new chance if fate allowed, but with him in Class A and her in Class D, they wouldn't just have classes at different times, but totally different schedules.

"S-So we s-shouldn't see each other again?"

"(sigh) I think it's better this way. It’s clear that we can’t be close to each other without that uncomfortable silence, so maybe it’s better…"

"To just forget about it?"

Dolly turned towards him, startled. She could see Dylan's bleak face, and it made her equally sad.

With a sad smile, she approached him and put her hand on his cheek, making him look into her eyes.

"I’ll never forget you, Dylan. I've never met anyone like you, and I doubt I'll ever meet another." Dolly then gave him a brief kiss on the cheek, then stepped away. "Goodbye, Dylan."

With that, the girl turned and went on her way, while Dylan slowly put his hand on his cheek. 

It was the last time those delicate lips touched him, and he tried to feel her touch for as long as possible. Focusing on that prevented him from realizing the tears that were falling from his eyes, or that he was sobbing slightly.

Dylan turned and headed toward his house, feeling worse than trash as he recalled his moments beside Dolly.

"This is all my fault…"

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TO BE CONTINUED

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Chapter Text

(I forgot to say, but the titles will be quotations of lyrics from some of my favorite songs. The current one is an excerpt from the amazing “What's Up” by the band 4 Non Blondes, better known as He-Man’s Heyeyeahh)

Please, take a look at the first chapter posted, as I updated the explanations (I realized that I forgot to explain how this world works and added a part to explain). In addition, I switched to numeric markers (the new part is marker 5).

There is a moment in this chapter that involves making some juice. I have described how it is done in the region where I live, so I apologize if it seems strange, but I guarantee it is delicious and refreshing on a hot day.

What's Going On Part 1 - Dolly

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TWO YEARS AGO. . . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dolly was feeling good today, even with the cloudy sky that gave a dark touch to this day.

Sitting on the same park bench as she was almost a week ago, the girl kept swinging her legs back and forth, smiling happily while looking in all directions.

“Where is he? Where is he?”

Dolly was anxious, as she had often been for the past five days.

After meeting so abruptly, she and Dylan shared their phone numbers and agreed to meet again in the same place. This time, without running over him with her skateboarding.

It didn't take long and she could see the boy approaching, which made her tail wag with intensity. Which seemed to be happening all too often these days, with Dolly finally having something in London that excited her.

“Hey!” Dylan saluted, sitting down in the same place he was last time. “Sorry for coming late. I had to solve an argument between my sisters.”

“(chuckles) That’s okay, I know how hard it can be. Just yesterday I had to force the younger ones to go to bed at the right time.”

Dylan then smiled happily, his tail wagging slightly.

“Hehe. I can relate to that. Siblings are so complicated at times.”

“Haha. They really are, aren’t they?”

Even in cloudy weather, talking to Dylan made everything seem perfect. It was almost as if they were from the same family.

“By the way, how many siblings do you have?” The girl asked, feeling curious. "I bet I have more.”

“(chuckles) I highly doubt it. We are eight, me included.”

Dolly's tail wagged even more.

“No way!” She looked straight into Dylan's eyes, who was confused. She then took out her cell phone and showed him a picture that her father had taken at the airport when they arrived in London. “We’re eight too!”

“What?” Dylan was surprised, thinking it was a joke. But then he looked at the picture and got excited. “This is amazing!”

“I know, right? I mean, what are the chances?”

Dylan looked closely at the picture, noticing some details.

“Despite that, we have some differences. You guys are two girls and six boys, while in my house we are three boys and five girls.”

“Oh, really?” Dolly was intrigued. “You have a picture?”

“Actually, no.” Dylan smiled sheepishly, scratching behind his head. “I don't usually take pictures with my cell phone.”

“What? And why’s that?”

“It may sound silly, but I never had any interest in the various functions of cell phones. For me, they are a distraction from what really matters: talking directly to someone else.”

"Oh…” Dolly then scratched her chin, thinking about what Dylan said. “I never saw it that way. I mean, I know that humans live with their faces on screens, but we anthro tend to use it more sparingly. Like, I only use it to take pictures of my family, and I don't post any of them on social medias.”

“Huh, I think that makes sense. What about your parents? Why aren't they in the picture?”

At that, Dolly's smile went away.

She put the phone away and looked sadly at the floor.

“My dad took the picture. In fact, it's just us and dad. (sigh) My mom passed away years ago.”

This was a touchy subject for Dolly's family, and as much as she felt comfortable around Dylan, she didn't think it was time to go any further.

It was then that she felt Dylan take her hand.

Looking up, Dolly saw that the boy had a look as melancholic as hers, he then assumed a comforting smile on his face and held her hand tighter but with affection.

“I understand. My father died three years ago, and it’s still very difficult to talk about it. (sigh) Sometimes, it seems like this will never heal, but, as the oldest one, I need to try to move on for my siblings.”

Dolly was speechless. That was exactly how she felt.

Since she was little, Dolly has always had trouble meeting new people, being highly shy until she felt comfortable around the person. However, upon meeting Dylan, she felt as if she could really trust him even though they had just met. And now she understood why.

Dylan literally went through the same things as she did.

Both were the oldest children in families that suffered heavy losses.

Both had great responsibility at home to help their grieving parents.

Both were a top dog who genuinely loved their siblings and wanted the best for them.

What was once a light thought in the back of her mind was now a certainty: Meeting Dylan was probably the best thing that ever happened to her. 

Smiling, the girl pulled the boy into a strong hug.

“Dog! Why did I take so long to meet him?”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW. . . _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's morning.

A sunny Thursday in London, which is perfect for the start of summer vacation.

However, in a house in the Camden region, the residents are all asleep, all windows closed by thick curtains that block out the light.

However…

RRRRRIIIIINNNGGGGG

An alarm rings in one of the bedrooms, where two bodies rest on the same bed, the blanket that was covering them lying on the floor. The larger body started to move and a sleepy hand wanders around the nightstand until it finds a cell phone whose screen has an alarm.

And quickly turn it off.

“Damn alarm! How did I forget to turn this shit off?”

Silence takes over the room, until the smaller body wakes up completely and begins to jump over the larger one.

“Dolly! Dolly! Get up!”

“(grunt) Go back to sleep, Dee Dee.”

“But it's morning already!”

Silence again, until the curtains are opened and sunlight floods the room, allowing one to see clearly what the room is like.

The room itself is not much, with only one bed, a small nightstand table right beside the bed, a modest wardrobe and a chest with toys, as well as a door and a window that faces the bed. 

In the bedroom are two dalmatians, one bigger on the bed and one smaller in front of the window, both wearing pajamas with the same light blue color with small images of sports equipment such as skateboards, skates, helmets and different types of balls and clubs. The younger still held the curtain, receiving the sun with joy.

The same sun is not well received by the older dalmatian, who reacts like a vampire.

“Argh! Close that curtain!” -She exclaims, putting the pillow over her face to try to hide from the sun.

“Come on Dolly! It's the first day of summer vacation! Aren't you excited?”

“(yawn) Listen little sis, waking up early is the last thing a teenager wants to do on the first day of vacation.” Dolly reached to the floor and picked up the fallen blanket, then wrapped herself with it. “You can wake the others if you want, but I want to sleep.”

Dee Dee angrily snorted, her angry features still adorable.

Being Dolly's younger sister, Dee Dee shared certain traits with her.

Both had very long pointed ears (although Dolly's were as long as an adult's) with more spots on one than on the other.

Dee Dee didn't have three spots under each eye, but she did have one in the lower and upper corners of each eye, almost as if she were using eyeliner.

Like Dolly, she had a lot of black at the edges, but instead of wide patches that resembled long socks, she had both hands and feet completely black, as if she was always wearing gloves and boots.

Possibly the biggest difference between them was Dee Dee's main feature: a big spot that resembled an exclamation point that went from the snout to the forehead.

Dee Dee had an obsession: being like Dolly, which she did by wearing smaller versions of Dolly’s clothes, riding her old skateboard and even wearing two thin blue collars when Dolly started wearing her three colored ones.

But above all, in her seven years of life Dee Dee had assimilated one of the main traits of Dolly's personality.

She hates being ignored.

With a battle cry, the little dalmatian threw herself against her sister, taking her by surprise and throwing off the blanket.

“Dee Dee! What you think you're… HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”

“That's what you taught me about tickling. Strike first! Strike hard!” The little girl said, attacking the older one where she knew Dolly was most susceptible to tickling. “No mercy!”

Dolly became a cackling mess, entirely at the puppy's mercy. For a long time she stayed that way, until Dee Dee started to tire, creating a gap that Dolly promptly exploited.

In a sudden movement, she turned and launched herself at her little attacker, surprising Dee Dee.

She immobilized the little one, trapping her between her legs and holding both arms with one hand, while the other very close to her face.

“Hehe. I think you forgot the most important lesson. Do not challenge the master!”

Dolly then started to tickle Dee Dee's belly, making the pup taste a dose of her own medicine.

Dee Dee on the other hand never protested or tried to get out of this, as she had already won. Dolly was playing with her.

Now fifteen, Dolly was no longer the same as she was when the family moved to London, and is now easily recognizable as a teenage Dalmatian. She was taller, her features more feminine and her bust was developing to the point that she now wears a bra.

Not only that, but her behavior was also different since the previous summer vacation. She became more serious, she didn’t play with the pups as often, and although she still did some of her chores, she left all the others for Dante, her second in command.

For Dee Dee, it was as if for a moment the old Dolly had freed herself from the clutches of this boring teenager who replaced her.

When Dee Dee was practically crying with laughter, Dolly decided it was time to stop. She stopped the attack and stood up, stretching her arms and opening her muzzle in a long yawn to then look at Dee Dee, who was sitting up after catching her breath.

“Right, you naughty puppy. Now that we're awake, let's start the day.” Dolly then pointed at the bed, with a serious stare. “I'll prepare breakfast. I want you to make the bed and then brush your teeth before going down. Do we have a deal?”

“Argh! Aye aye, captain!”

Dolly rolled her eyes, smiling.

“Why does she likes playing pirates so much?”

Dolly exchanged her pajamas for her usual colored shirt and shorts, in addition to her three thin collars, and then left the room and started the day.

As she left the room, she saw the same three doors she saw every morning.

Being small, the family house had a very simple design, with the entrance on the lower floor, the small living room, the kitchen that included the dining room and a bathroom. Upstairs, there was another bathroom and three bedrooms, two small bedrooms and a master suite. Below that was a basement, where the washing machine and dryer were located, as well as boxes with belongings that didn't fit in the rooms.

Being the only girls in the house, Dolly and Dee Dee shared one of the small rooms, while their father stayed in the other, leaving the master suite for the six boys in the house to share.

Dolly then glanced at the master suite door and shivered, remembering the last time she saw the interior of the boys' room.

“How can they sleep in that mess?”

The house itself was not that bad, the only problem was that it was clearly for a family of at most four medium-sized members, whereas they were nine and like most Dalmatians taller than most people. Their father had tried to get another home in these two years, but this was the only one that was at a reasonable distance from both his work and their school, so that she and her siblings could walk peacefully to school every day, in addition of course to the fact the house was very close to the park if they wanted to spend some time outdoors.

Dolly went down the stairs and went to the kitchen, enjoying the silence as long as she could. She didn't bother to look in the fridge or cupboards, knowing exactly what today's menu would be. 

Actually, the everyday menu.

She was never very good in the kitchen, so every meal prepared by Dolly consisted of a bowl of kibble with some fried, roasted or stewed protein. For breakfast today she would prepare the most basic: a portion of kibble accompanied by fried strips of bacon for nine dogs.

Not that eating kibble was bad, after all it was something that has been in the diet of dogs for centuries. The problem was that it gave a repetitive feel to each meal, making the experience somewhat tedious. Not only that, but Dolly had the habit of getting distracted while cooking, which could result in anything from burnt meat to even meat so boiled that it looked like porridge.

It was not for nothing that all the siblings looked forward to the rare occasions when they went out to eat.

It didn't take long untill someone else also arrived in the kitchen.

“Good Morning.” Dolly greeted when she felt the other presence in the kitchen, knowing who it was without even looking. “If you can make juice, it would be of great help.”

Behind her was a dog about the same height as her, only two or three fingers shorter, with a disinterested expression on his face. He wore a black shirt with a skull with a bluish-green mohawk, ripped jeans (teens and their fashions) and like Dolly was walking barefoot. He also had reddish eye bags under his eyes and a large gray collar with metal spikes around his neck.

The most impressive thing was the fact that he is the opposite of how a dalmatian normally is, having black fur with white spots, almost as if he were a shiny pokémon. He also had some of the white parts dyed purple, these being the spots on the left ear, the part from the middle to the tip of his tail and even the fingers of both hands.

“Sure, why not? It might be our last meal after all.”

He said, going to the counter and taking out a knife and a cutting board. He deftly began to peel oranges and then cut them on the board and throw in the blender that was on the counter.

Dolly rolled her eyes. She knew it was bait, but decided she was going to bite anyway.

“(sigh) And what sign of the end of the world did you notice today, Dante?”

“Oh, it has nothing to do with the end of the world.” Dante replied, smirking. He put the last pieces of orange in the blender and pressed the on button. “It's just that, considering your culinary skills, we can all die at the first spoonful.”

“(sarcastically) Ha-Ha-Ha. I'm laughing to death.” Dolly answered automatically, until she remembered who she was talking to. “Wait! Did Dante just make a joke?”

This caught Dolly's attention, who stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Dante intently.

Dante was humming "You’ve got a friend in me" from Toy Story, while wagging his tail with joy.

“Wait, are you… happy?”

“Huh?” Dante was confused and turned around, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, dog... You ARE happy!”

As much as she loved her brother, Dolly couldn't help shivering.

Being only a year younger than her, in his fourteen years Dante was known for spending most of his time playing video games and for having the habit of repressing his emotions, assuming a passive expression on his face almost all the time, and, on some occasions, he just smiled briefly.

However, an even rarer occasion was when Dante was so happy that this joy could manifest itself externally. In the past, Dolly would have been happy for Dante to express his emotions, if not for what happened four years ago.

Dante had the habit of making some predictions (which were as good as Mick Jagger's at the World Cup) and at the time he said that the city of San Francisco would be destroyed, it was clearly a laughing matter among the siblings. Surprisingly, there was actually a 4.2 earthquake that lasted just under thirty seconds, which caused almost no serious damage to the city despite the scare. And getting part of the prediction right made Dante happy.

The problem is that during the quake Dante looked like a totally different person.

While Dolly and the others followed the safety procedures that their father had taught them, he smiled like a maniac and wagged his tail like never before, hopping around the house and calling himself Dantastico, while repeating that it was doomsday.

Since then, Dolly and the others have been apprehensive whenever Dante is very happy.

“So what if I'm happy?” Dante asked, slightly offended. He turned off the blender and began to sift the juice while placing it in a huge jar. “You always say I should be more positive.”

Dolly felt cornered, unsure how to respond without sounding offensive.

Dante on the other hand looked back and rolled his eyes.

“(grunt) You’re going to burn the bacon.”

This took Dolly out of her stupor and she hurriedly saved the bacon before it was too late.

They remained silent for a while, until Dolly felt compelled to apologize.

“(sigh) I’m sorry, bro. I just…”

“Is it because of the earthquake?” Dolly did not dare answer, which confirmed Dante's suspicions. “(sigh) I know it wasn't one of my best moments, but I guarantee you, it won't happen again.”

Dante went to the fridge and picked up some ice cubes, which he placed halfway through the jar. He then went to Dolly's side and started putting kibble in bowls so she could then add the bacon to complete.

“Sorry, Dante. It's just… that really scared me. I love you all so much, and to see you in that state…”

“(sigh) I know. To be honest, I was quite startled myself when the adrenaline went down.” Dante went to the table, putting the bowls in place. “I know it is hard for any of you to believe, but sometimes I can really feel that something is going to happen, and at the time I totally ignored the dangers when I thought I was finally able to prove it to you.”

Dolly finished frying the last portion and placed it on the last bowl. After putting it in place at the table, she went to Dante and hugged him.

“Sorry. I promise to try to take you more seriously, but you need to understand that some of your predictions are far-fetched.”

Dante returned the hug, wagging his tail with joy.

“I understand. And don't worry, I'm working on it.”

Both remained in the embrace for a while, until they were interrupted by a shout.

“Breakfast!”

The two separated and looked at the entrance to the kitchen, not too surprised by what they saw.

Dee Dee apparently woke up the other family members, who were now advancing into the kitchen like a stampede.

At the front came the triplets, a playful ten-year-old trio who liked to be called the Dimitri Trio (Dolly still didn’t understand why their parents named them Dimitri 1, 2 and 3), all three wearing just their golden necklaces with numbers from 1 to 3 and white underpants, which contrasted well with the fact that they had black fur with few white spots from the waist down. They also had both ears black, a spot that resembled a lightning bolt on the forehead and spots on the eyes that resembled 1, 2 and 3 in binary code(nothing-spot, spot-nothing and spot-spot), as well as white spots on the left ear ranging from 1 to 3, plus small pieces missing on the ears, being on the right for Dimitris 1 and 3 and on the left for Dimitri 2.

Just behind them came Delgado, behind just because he had to descend the wheelchair by the elevator in the stairway wall. Delgado was nine years old and had few spots on his body, but just like Dolly had more than half of his arms covered in black fur, ranging from above his elbows to half of his hands, and a missing piece of his right ear, which differently from the ones of the Dimitris that looked like bites, his looked like a perfectly straight cut. Delgado always wore shorts and sports shirts, today's combination being a white jersey with a vertical black stripe in the middle that went up to the also black collar of the shirt, with a number 10 on the back, accompanied by light brown shorts.

After them came DJ, thirteen, walking calmly with his hands in his pockets while listening to music on his red headphones, which he always left covering one ear while the other stood upright. DJ had a reasonable number of spots on his body, hands with black fur that was in contrast to the white paws with the area close to the heel black as if he was wearing spats, black ears with a white spot each and half of the tail was perfectly divided in half between black and white. He wore a black shirt with circular patterns around a white circle, as if it were a vinyl record, and blue pants with black and white sneakers.

Behind them all came Dee Dee getting a piggyback ride on the back of the head of the family who was having fun carrying the little girl. Doug, who today would have a day off from his job at the fire department, was wearing only a pair of shorts, which exposed his physical traits.

At 42, Doug was a tall, muscular dog that, like most of his children, had a large part of his body covered in black fur, which covered from behind the neck to part of the legs and arms, where there were white spots, in addition to a black spot in the right eye. He also had fur missing at the whole right shoulder area, where you could see recent scars mixed with very older ones, the fur in this area extremely thin since it was literally growing back.

“Good morning guys. Enjoy the grub.” Dolly said, smiling while she and Dante went to their seats, she and Dante always sitting respectively on the right and left of their father.

“Good morning, Dolly! Good morning Dante!” The siblings exclaimed with joy, happy that their older siblings once again prepared breakfast.

“Good morning, my favorite teenagers!” Doug exclaimed, hugging both with Dee Dee still on the back of his neck.

Dolly and Dante blushed briefly. Their father could be a little embarrassing with his hugging habits, and even worse was the fact that sometimes he put in a little more force than necessary.

Everyone soon sat down in their seats and started eating, chatting happily about what to do on the first day of vacation.

Everyone was very excited, until Doug caught everyone's attention.

“Pups, one moment please.” Doug waited until everyone looked at him and went on, a little wary in his voice. “As you know, I've been dating my girlfriend Delilah for some time. We talked and agreed to hold a family dinner this Saturday at a restaurant that has a playground area.”

Just as Doug expected, the reaction was the same as before: Dolly continued her meal as if she didn't mind, Dante closed his eyes and began to move his hands in circles on his forehead to 'access his psychic gift' and the other kids looked at each other, a mixture of concern and doubt on their faces.

This was not the first time Doug had met someone in the past few years. In fact this was the fifth girlfriend since they moved to London, and to them it was surprising that they had lasted so long.

Doug was an incorrigible romantic who knew how to please a woman with a level of respect that was rare nowadays, and although at first things seemed to go well, sooner or later it came to the point when the relationship ended: when Doug introduced his kids to his girlfriend.

Doug saw his pups as the most important in his life, so either the relationship ended because the girlfriend didn’t like his kids, or because the girlfriend tried to do something he didn’t approve of, like the one that suggested he put Dolly and the Dimitris in boarding schools for considering them too wild.

Because of this, the pups didn’t believe that their father would have a chance at love, although with Delilah things seemed different.

To begin with, he was not introducing his children after the third meeting as usual, having waited almost six months to introduce them. In addition, this time they would go to a restaurant instead of having his girlfriend over to their house, which seemed very promising since at least they could eat out if things went wrong.

Still, there was some uncertainty between the puppies and Doug was getting nervous about the delay in receiving a comment.

Surprisingly, Dante broke the silence with a smile on his face.

“Don't worry, guys. I see a promising future with this dinner.”

Then everyone looked at Dante, eyes wide.

The others then realized what Dolly had already noticed, that Dante was having one of his happy moments.

And like her, they did not react well, looking at Dante with a mixture of fear and doubt.

“(sigh) Not again…” Dante rolled his eyes, then took a deep breath. “Yes, I'm happy today. And no, I'm not “manically happy”, just “happy” happy.”

“And... Why are you happy today?” Dimitri 1 asked, he and the other two with a raised eyebrow.

“It is none of your busineeeess ~” Dante replied, eating another spoonful while smiling with satisfaction.

Which didn't do much to reassure the others.

"Leaving that aside," DJ began, drawing attention to himself as he looked up and scratched his chin in deep thought. “That dinner looks really promising.”

With the exception of Dolly, the others then began to get a little excited.

“What kind of things do they have in this playground?” Dimitri 1 asked, considering spending most of his time in that area.

“Yeah!” Dimitris 2 and 3 said, wagging their tails.

“Well, from what Delilah told me, for the younger ones they have a big indoor ball pool with plastic balls, an inflatable jumping castle, and for the older ones they have some arcade games.”

The boys and Dee Dee were thrilled, while Dolly finally seemed to be interested in the subject.

“So this was her idea?” Dolly asked, a slightly suspicious look on her face.

“Kind of.” Doug replied, scratching his chin. “I gave the idea, and she suggested the place. There’s something we both want to do and we think a neutral family-friendly environment would be the best for this.”

It made Dolly think a little.

She had been staying in seclusion for the past few months, her father's current loving relationship hurting her more than the others.

She had nothing against Doug dating and believed he deserved to be happy, but since what happened last year with Dylan, seeing how happy Doug was with this Delilah made her feel a mixture of remorse and envy.

However, she couldn't deny that Doug looked happier than ever since he met Delilah, and after last month he seemed to be glowing with joy. If Delilah was really that good for Doug, and was even willing to try to build a connection with Dolly and her siblings, then Dolly could put aside her broken heart and help her family.

“(sigh) Well, I think we better get ready then.” She smiled with a little forced smile, but it showed that she was willing to try. “I hope this restaurant has a table big enough for the ten of us.”

The siblings were encouraged seeing that Dolly would support this, all wagging their tails with enthusiasm.

“Actually, we’ll be more than ten.” Doug said, making everyone except Dante (who remained happily eating in his happy little world) look at him with confusion. “Have I mentioned that Delilah have kids too?”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part of the reason I’ve chosen San Francisco as Dolly’s old city was an episode of ‘Monk’ with an earthquake. I’ve researched about earthquakes, so I think 4.2 would have the effect described.

Chapter Text

This chapter introduces a character who communicates through sign language. When the text is like this, it is because the character will be communicating in this way .

At the end of the chapter, I will explain some points covered in this chapter, including Dylan's medical condition.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

TWO YEARS AGO. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

“Oh my dog. Oh my dog. Oh my dog!”

Dylan was trying to control himself, but it was being really difficult, as the last thing he expected when comforting Dolly was for her to immediately hug him.

The young dalmatian was really happy to make a new friend, especially one who had so much in common with him, but that didn't change the fact that she decided to hug him all of a sudden.

Not that Dylan had an aversion to touch, after all dogs are generally very affectionate among their group and interact very physically with each other, whether hugging or nuzzling their foreheads. Dylan himself was always willing to give a hug when appropriate.

The problem is that one aspect of Dylan's OCD that he found most difficult to control was, ironically, the need to be in control of the situation.

Dylan had to plan each step in advance before taking the first one, and if things got slightly off the script he reacted in a way that varied between stressing or suffering a panic attack.

Like right now.

“Why is she hugging me? She should be super shy and she shouldn't be doing it yet, we just met! Hugs should take place after at least two months, soon after we get to know each other so she can lose her shyness and before we create a special handshake.”

The boy's mind was bubbling with thoughts, trying to consider what to do.

“On the other hand, this can be good. If she feels comfortable enough to hug me now, maybe I can move the schedule forward. So, we could be best friends in five months instead of nine, and plan on going to the same college two years before!

But... What if she wants to take a course that’s not available at the same college as me? We would end up following different paths and never seeing each other again, and our pups wouldn't grow up together and be best friends! Oh my dog! My pup will grow up without a best friend!”

While Dylan had his internal conflict, Dolly realized that he did not respond to the hug and broke away from him, blushing as she looked at the floor.

“S-Sorry, I got carried away.” She already had a sense of what Dylan was like and found it strange not to receive any response and looked at the boy, getting confused when she saw his wide eyes. “Dylan?”

Dolly then waved a hand right in front of his face and was concerned when he remained motionless. 

“Dude, you're scaring me.”

Again, no answer.

Dolly was even more concerned. Dylan appeared to be in shock.

“But I just ... Did a hug do that?”

She had an idea of how to get Dylan out of this state, but she had doubts if it was a good idea in this situation. However, Dylan remained still and that was making her even more worried.

So she made up her mind.

“(sigh) Well, it's all or nothing.”

Dolly brought her hand close to Dylan's muzzle and flicked his nose.

What caused a reaction.

“Ouch!”

Dylan immediately brought both hands to his snout. Dogs are usually sensitive in that part of the body, but he had a much more sensitive nose than normal.

“Sorry, I'm really sorry!” Dolly exclaimed immediately, raising both hands in peace. “You was all still and didn't respond. I was getting scared.”

Dylan then realized what he was doing, and felt terrible. Not only did he react badly to Dolly's hug, he also let himself be lost in his ruminations right in front of her. This left him with no options.

Dylan's greatest quality (and sometimes his greatest torment) is a moral compulsion to speak the truth. Which, combined with his condition, made lying impossible.

The last time he and his siblings planned a surprise for their mother, she found one of the decorations and asked what it was doing in that place. Dylan immediately started to sweat and breathe faster, trying his hardest to ignore the question, but after a few moments he couldn't take it anymore and told that it was part of a surprise for her. What made all the siblings facepalm and sigh.

In this case, Dolly didn't ask specifically what had happened, but Dylan knew it was only a matter of time before she asked and he couldn't help but tell the truth.

“Good job, Dylan. Now I'm going to have to tell her the second time we meet. (sigh) Goodbye, new friend.”

Preparing for the worst, Dylan took a deep breath and looked straight at Dolly.

“It's not your fault, Dolly. In fact, it's all my fault for not telling you before.”

“Tell me what?” The girl raised an eyebrow.

“(sigh) I have OCD.” Dylan then took a deep breath, preparing to continue. “It's…”

“A mental disorder.” Dolly said, surprising the boy. She then scratched her chin thoughtfully. “If I remember it right, someone with OCD can freak out under certain circumstances.”

“T-That's right! How do you know about that?”

Dolly blushed, looking to the side awkwardly as she scratched behind the neck.

“My family goes to doctors a lot, so I made it a habit to read pamphlets in waiting rooms. I read several pamphlets when we went to take my brother to the psychologist.”

“Oh... And your brother…”

“(sigh) Depression. Apparently, our mother's death affected him more than the rest of us.” Dolly looked a little upset by the subject, but then she smiled and took on a more positive tone. “But he's better now. We give him the space he needs and the happiness pills did wonders for his mood.”

“ Happiness pills?” Dylan was confused by the choice of words, but then understood what she meant. “Oh, you’re talking about antidepressants. They really help a lot sometimes.”

Dolly was confused again, looking at Dylan doubtfully.

“Do you use antidepressants? Isn't that for… well, depression?”

“Yes, but not exclusively. Some doctors, like my therapist, prescribe antidepressants to help control OCD.” Dylan was relieved that Dolly understood his situation. He then looked a little arrogant and pointed at himself with his thumb. “In fact, I stopped taking it a few weeks ago.”

Dolly started to feel uncomfortable hearing this.

“Did you… stop taking your meds?”

Dylan realized what he said and blushed, waving his arms frantically as he explained.

“N-Not in this meaning. My therapist put me on an observation period to assess how to continue my treatment.”

“Oh! Dad said my brother's therapist said something about this. It's to see if you still need the medicine, isn't it?”

“Yes. I used the medication for a year and if I keep it under control without the help of the medication we will move on with the therapy he developed.”

“Wow! This looks great.” Dolly was happy for Dylan, seeing this as a sign that her brother would also make progress. But then she remembered something that made her raise an eyebrow. “But what about what happened just now?”

“Oh, that? Believe it or not, that is a proof of progress.” Dylan then blushed, again embarrassed. “I used to react worse at the beginning of my treatment.”

“Hehe. So, do you mean I'm meeting the 'new and improved Dylan'?” Dolly said, in a playful tone.

“Hehe. I think you can say that.”

The two laughed a little together.

The more they talked, the more they seemed to be able to understand each other.

“Well, what should I avoid doing?”

“Huh?”

“You know, the triggers for negative reactions.” Dolly then took Dylan's hand, as he had done before. “The last thing I want is to hurt my new best friend.”

Those words filled Dylan with joy, with a smile from ear to ear and his tail wagging like crazy.

“B-Best friend?”

“Well, technically you’re my only friend at the moment, but still my best friend.”

This time Dylan surprised them both by hugging Dolly, his tail wagging more than ever in his life.

“If this is a dream, I never want to wake up!”

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

“(GASP!)”

Dylan woke up sitting up in a jump, his shirtless torso covered with sweat and breathing quickly.

He then took on a furious expression and closed his hands in fists, then punched the bed.

“Shit! Why do I keep dreaming about her?!”

That was a question that he has been asking a lot in the last few weeks.

Dylan had some dreams as he approached July and now he dreamed repeatedly of the events of that time of the year. The time that marked both the beginning and the end of his relationship with Dolly.

The teen put his hand under the pillow and took out his phone, looking at the time on the screen.

4:17 AM 1 Unread message from Mom

Dylan was intrigued, especially when he saw that the message had been sent just over an hour ago and immediately clicked on the message icon.

Good morning sweetie. I hope you're having a good day.

The Hospital called me for an emergency, and I’ll take the opportunity to do a few hours in the clinic in advance. I'll be back in time for dinner.

The teen was slightly surprised. Today was supposed to be a free day for his mother, but apparently he would have to take care of everything for himself today.

Which was not what he had planned.

“And on top of that I woke up almost half an hour before the alarm. (sigh) Well, better start the day soon.”

Dylan then clapped his hands, making the lights turn on. He then stood up, standing in the middle of the room.

The teen dalmatian, wearing only a pair of red pajama pants, began to stretch, then to throw himself on the floor and do some push-ups.

Dylan had changed a lot since last summer. He was taller and his face had lost the last remnants of baby fat, not to mention that despite remaining thin, his body was developing muscle, making him a dog that imposed respect only with his presence.

However, as much as his growth was remarkable, the same cannot be said for Dylan's room, which had a lot of space and little furniture, which made it look lonely and depressing.

He had a simple bed; a table in front of a swivel chair, which had a computer, a printer, some well-organized office supplies and an orange bottle of medicine; and a sliding door leading to the closet. Other than that, the room had nothing left, no pictures or posters on the walls, a bookcase with books or even some piece of clothing lying on the floor.

Most would find the room practically devoid of personality, but that was how Dylan preferred it, simple and perfectly ordered. After all, he only used this space to do his homework and sleep.

Dylan finished his daily push-ups and went to the table to get the bottle of pills. It had been eight months since his therapist started prescribing antidepressants, which were now at a higher dose than the last time. With a resigned sigh, he swallowed a pill and then left the room, entering the hall on the second floor of the house.

The hallway, like Dylan's room, was quite spacious and had a stairway to the lower floor, a stairwell on the roof to the attic, Dylan's room and three other doors leading to his mother's room, the room full of boxes that used to be his father's office and the bathroom on this floor, which was Dylan's goal.

As soon as he entered the bathroom, he went to the small cabinet above the sink and took one of the two toothbrushes that were kept inside, looking at his reflection while brushing his teeth.

As soon as it was over, he put the toothbrush away and went back to the bedroom. As soon as he entered he went straight to the closet and opened it.

The closet, like the bedroom, had plenty of free space. Inside were two rods of sturdy wood that held several hangers, most of which were empty, as well as a shoe rack with dividers for twenty pairs of shoes but which kept only six, and four drawers of which he only used one for underwear and socks. Four more pajama pants like the one he was wearing hung on the hangers, eight blue jeans, four shorts and ten red shirts of different types, plus a protector that kept the suit that Dylan wore on special occasions, a red sweater, a black leather jacket and seven identical sets of red sweats for exercises. 

Dylan picked up one of the sweats and put them on, then put on running shoes and left the room again.

Upon leaving, Dylan went to the stairs and passed silently down the first floor hallway. Unlike the upper floor, this one had two sets of stairs, so Dylan had to go down the hall to get down. Unlike the top floor, this one had five doors, to the three bedrooms and the bathroom on the floor and a closet in front of the stairs where the cleaning equipment was.

Dylan walked calmly and couldn't help but smile when he imagined his siblings sleeping peacefully in their rooms. Unlike him, who had a room to himself, his seven siblings shared the three on this floor, his two brothers in the room facing the bathroom and his five sisters divided into the other two who were facing each other.

As much as he liked his independence, Dylan was sometimes a little jealous that his siblings shared their rooms. Although at the same time a roommate meant that he would not have complete control over the room.

After descending another flight of stairs, this one containing several family photos, Dylan arrived in the main floor corridor. The corridor cut this floor from the front door to the access to the backyard, in addition to the door jambs that led to the living room and kitchen, which were connected by the dining/playing room, and a door below the stairs that led to the basement/laundry.

The hallway had some pictures on the walls, as well as some furniture next to the door and a very striking clock on the wall.

As he headed for the door, Dylan passed a large painting that was right next to the entrance to the living room, a painting that contained a family photo with all nine residents wearing formal clothes and their collars, taken three years earlier.

Dylan looked at himself in the photo and sighed. His mother was planning to take another one now that everyone was older, but he wasn't very excited.

The family used to take a new photo from time to time, with everyone wearing matching clothes and smiling happily. And even when it was taken, just two years after Dylan's father's death, he still managed to look at the camera while wearing a silly Christmas sweater and his red collar with a silver star pendant, and smile with optimism.

Unlike nowadays.

Wearing a collar was a choice based in style among dogs, and everyone in Dylan's family had one, although he hadn't worn his since his father's death. The last time, the only reason he used it was because of his compulsion for symmetry, which was now under control.

“Why bother?”

The teen shook his head and assumed a determined look, going to the door. He put his hand on a scanner by the door and it opened, allowing him to feel the fresh morning air on his fur.

After closing the door, Dylan started his morning run, heading towards the park.

About a year and a half ago, Dylan's therapist indicated to do exercises to help relieve stress and after a series of attempts that he wanted to avoid remembering, he ended up adhering to this regime of doing fifty push-ups and a run around the closed park every morning, plus fifty more push-ups before bed.

The original purpose of the exercise was to release more endorphins into Dylan's body, and while Dylan was running he was also sometimes able to perform another less pleasant task.

Face his own thoughts.

While running, Dylan tried to stay focused on his chores for today, but it was difficult when his thoughts always went back to the past.

His father's disappearance.

The call asking his mother to go to the morgue.

The devastating news that caused the emotional shock that triggered his OCD.

The sadness that the family went through.

The teen slowed down, his eyes starting to water. His first thought said that he should immediately return home and ask for a strong group hug from his siblings, but then he remembered his therapist’s words and resumed his step, looking forward with determination.

“Come on, Dylan! It’s like Dr. Samson says: do not seek comfort, but confront.”

At times like this, the words of Dylan's therapist resonated in his head. One of the biggest problems with OCD was the intrusive thoughts that plagued him, and according to Dr. Samson the quickest way to get rid of those thoughts was to agree with them to shut them up.

It was necessary to accept that there is no way to avoid stress, what you can do is change how you react to stress and this involves something that the young dalmatian has avoided in recent years.

To improve, Dylan had to face his problems and not run away from them.

This was not simple in some cases.

Dylan then let his thoughts flow, but this time he tried to focus on the positive.

Yes, it was terrible to spend days without knowing about his father and it was devastating to find out that he died in such a terrible way, but he still had his mother and siblings with him.

He was sad for a long time, but managed to adapt.

His OCD was a pain, but with Dr. Samson's help he was making progress.

“More like restoring the damage.”

At that moment, Dylan felt as if he had been punched.

As much as he had to face his problems, this was the only part of his life that Dylan tried to forget.

Dolly.

Dylan was making little progress on his previous treatment, until he met Dolly.

His new best friend always treated him like a normal person, in addition to being present in his daily life whether at school or through text messages and calls. It was Dolly who helped him find an exercise routine he could do and it was also she who helped him to follow the exercise routine. And when they decided to be more than friends Dylan went through the greatest happiness he felt in years, rarely feeling the effects of his condition. However, that happened and then Dolly decided to break up with him.

And his life was turned upside down.

At once it was like almost four years of therapy had gone down the drain and Dylan spent the summer vacation that year feeling down, immersed in a sea of self-pity and depressing thoughts while blaming himself for the end of his relationship with the one he believed to be his soul mate.

It took days for him to talk to his family again and weeks for him to feel ready to talk about it with Dr. Samson. He just told his family that he had declared for his crush at school and was rejected, surprising himself when he saw that he managed to tell a half truth.

However, things were different with Dr. Samson.

He told his therapist everything, since due to his confidentiality, he talked about Dolly in several of the therapy sessions. The therapist tried to help Dylan in the best possible way, but after much insistence on the part of the dalmatian, at Dylan's own request he again prescribed antidepressants.

However, over the months it became evident that due to puberty and his emotional state, the same dosage as before had no effect on Dylan's metabolism and the therapist had to increase the dosage twice until the medication proved viable.

And as soon as the medication took effect, he finally managed to think clearly.

A peculiar effect of antidepressants is the increased focus, which allowed Dylan to see what happened to him from another perspective.

If he hadn't been so dazzled by his new friend or hopelessly in love with his first love, he would have seen what was now more than obvious.

The truth was that Dolly served as training wheels for him, disguising the fact that he was making no progress. Instead of facing his OCD head on as therapy required, he was seeking Dolly's support all the time. Even his exercise regimen, which before he came back with the medication consisted of a few laps in the park after school twice a week, was done in the company of Dolly.

As for dating, it was so obvious that Dylan felt frustrated for a long time. They hurried too fast and ignored that they were still too young and too immature for this type of relationship, which ended up damaging their relationship to the point where they no longer saw each other.

To make things worse, he from the beginning put Dolly on a pedestal, in order to ignore reality and see her as a saint to be venerated. And as much as Dolly was a good sister and someone who clearly had a kind soul, that didn't change the fact that she was stubborn, competitive, arrogant and most of all impulsive.

The young dalmatian could not help but imagine that things would have been different if they had taken it slow, but in the end it served to emphasize that he had to deal with his problems alone instead of having the support of others.

Since then, Dylan has reshaped his life.

He now lives for himself and his family, focusing on treatment to get his OCD under control. Upon returning to school, he adopted a cold and professional approach, now focused on seeing everyone around him as mere colleagues and avoiding any attempt to approach him, determined to avoid friendship or romance altogether.

Dylan was a family dog and was determined to stay that way for the rest of his life, even if it meant not starting his own family one day. Still, he would always be there for his siblings and nephews when they needed him.

When he finally got back to reality, the young Dalmatian realized that he was already on Dalmatian Street again.

As Dylan approached home, he realized that the run had been more productive than usual. He had some uncomfortable thoughts, but he dealt with them quickly and now he felt a little better.

Dylan came home, again putting his hand on a scanner and went inside. He immediately took off his running shoes and returned barefoot to his room, where he grabbed a pair of shorts and a red shirt and then went to the bathroom again, this time to take a shower.

And after that, his day would really start.

Later ...

It was just over eight o'clock in the morning, and since he got out of the bath Dylan hasn't stopped to rest.

He put on clothes to wash, swept the house, cleaned windows and dusted furniture from the second floor to the ground floor, leaving only his siblings' rooms untouched. Now, he was going to go ahead with preparing breakfast and headed for the kitchen.

He did basically the same thing every morning, with the exception of course that a little earlier and shortly after preparing breakfast he would go to school while his siblings ate and prepared for their classes.

That was the fun part of the vacation. He had time to have breakfast with his siblings and sometimes even with his mother if her shift allowed, but at the same time he had a big time gap for the time he would be at school, since his other tasks would only be done later.

Once in the kitchen, Dylan considered several options for what to prepare. Usually breakfast was simple, consisting of porridge, or cereal with milk, or even good old dog kibble, but considering that today he would have time and had something important to discuss with his siblings, Dylan ended up opting for something more special.

With a smile on his face, Dylan took several ingredients from the cabinets and the fridge, in addition to a large transparent bowl and a big wooden spoon.

One of Dylan's favorite tasks was cooking, which he did very well. Depending on his mother's work schedule, the young Dalmatian had to prepare two or three meals a day, which aroused his desire to study some of the old cookbooks that were in the attic. 

All the meals he prepared were full of love and dedication, and seeing his family's satisfied faces as they ate made Dylan feel fulfilled.

Dylan started the oven to preheat and masterfully put flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, a bit of salt and lots of chocolate chips in the bowl, stirring well with the wooden spoon until the dough reached the point he wanted.

Chocolate chip cookies were a family favorite, mainly because chocolate was something they didn't eat often, and knowing his siblings well, the young Dalmatian knew that cookies would soften them enough to be receptive to what he had planned.

Putting some small balls of dough on three baking sheets, Dylan put them in the oven and decided to set the table.

He went to the large room that connected the kitchen and the living room, carrying two chairs that were in front of the small kitchen table. The room was the largest in the house, had a window overlooking the backyard and was well decorated, with several things scattered around the cubicles of a large bookcase and on the walls, a fireplace with a small oven inside, and the floor had several toys and cushions scattered. Dylan turned on the light and removed the toys and pillows from the middle of the room, placing them in some of the cubicles. He then went to the switch in the room, but instead of pressing the button to turn on the lights, he pressed another that made a funny noise.

 Suddenly, a large wooden rectangle stood out from the floor in the middle of the room and began to be lifted by hydraulic cylinders at the ends, until it reached the height of a dining table. Soon after, from under the table came two benches with light blue upholstery fabric on the long sides of the table. He then placed a chair at each end of the table and then placed a tablecloth to cover the table that had hitherto been part of the wooden floor.

Dylan observed everything with a brief smile.

The dalmatian recalled what the same room looked like years ago, with a large table in the center. However, with the larger number of siblings the family needed ample space for indoor activities, making the room that once served only for meals also be a room to play when they could not stay outside. In the beginning it consisted of placing the old table in the kitchen when they had to use that space, which was very laborious, until Dawkins ended up creating this special table.

“Dawkins is really impressive.”

Dylan was very proud of his brother. Just a year younger than Dylan, Dawkins was clearly the smartest in the family. In addition to the table, he made the biometric security system on the front door, created lights that lit up with clapping in the rooms, modified the heating system in the house, improved some home appliances, created a computer completely from scratch and even created a machine to serve kibble with an old accordion.

Dylan could spend the whole day admiring his brother, but he had work to do.

Returning to the kitchen, Dylan arrived in time to remove the first batch of cookies from the oven.

Wearing gloves to avoid burning his hands, the teen removed the baking sheets from the oven and placed the cookies on a large plate on which a roasted turkey could fit. Then he put more dough balls to bake.

Considering that a batch of cookies took about ten minutes to bake and he had enough dough for another batch, Dylan thought it was time to call his siblings.

The dalmatian went to the bottom of the stairs, took a breath and then screamed.

“BREAKFAST!!!!!”

He then went back to the kitchen and picked up a few glasses, following calmly to set them on the table. He placed a glass in front of one of the chairs, then placed four on the left and three on the right of the chair, with some space between the glasses.

Upon returning to the kitchen, he waited for a while and then removed the second batch, adding to the stack of cookies on the huge plate.

As soon as Dylan put the last batch in the oven, he could hear footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Breakfast! Breakfast!”

It didn't take long and a puppy wearing blue pajamas and a collar with diagonal stripes in navy blue and light blue entered the kitchen, running up to Dylan and hugging him.

“Good morning, Dylan!”

“(chuckles) Good morning to you too, Dizzy.”

As the youngest puppy in the house, Dizzy was quite small compared to Dylan, barely reaching his legs. She had several spots on her body, part of her right arm and left leg covered in black fur, her left ear black with two white spots, and her main feature was a large spot covering a large part of her face, similar to a raccoon.

Dylan put his hands under Dizzy's arms and lifted her up, making the little girl laugh a lot. Dizzy then noticed the plate of cookies and her eyes lit up.

“Are we going to have cookies for breakfast?”

“Yes. I'm finishing the last batch now, and I was going to prepare something for us to drink. Any suggestions?”

With her tail wagging, Dizzy knew exactly what she wanted.

“Strawberry milkshake?” She suggested, with high expectations.

Dylan stopped to think a little.

He really wanted as much cooperation as possible, so making strawberry milkshake would be a big help.

“Milkshake, then. You help me?”

The little girl nodded, her head just didn't move faster than her tail.

Dylan took a pot of vanilla ice cream from the freezer, as well as the blender on top of the fridge, while Dizzy took a carton of milk and a jar of strawberries from the fridge and carried it over to the kitchen table. While Dylan plugged the blender into the plug socket, Dizzy put the strawberries and milk into the blender, quickly eating a strawberry when Dylan wasn't looking.

As soon as he turned, Dylan noticed a reddish patch on the fur next to Dizzy's lips, which made him smile.

“She's so adorable. I doubt that there's another puppy like her out there.”

Dylan then took the spoon and put some scoops of ice cream until the blender was full and covered it. He then turned the blender on at full power, until the mixture became pink and homogeneous.

He then separated the blender cup from the engine, and handed it to Dizzy.

“Could you take it to the table? I'll take the last cookies from the oven.”

“Sure!”

Carefully, the little girl took the blender cup and went to the other room, while Dylan went to the oven to remove the last batch of cookies.

As he got a little distracted preparing the milkshake with Dizzy, they got a little darker.

“Great! Now they're not perfect!” Dylan then shook his head, struggling with his thoughts. “Yes, they're not perfect. But that's okay, since nothing is perfect.”

Dylan then smiled, remembering the time when he was devastated if anything was slightly out of the way it was supposed to be, almost as if Gordon Ramsay had yelled at him.

He then dumped them on the plate and placed the baking sheets in the dishwasher and then picked up the plate to take it with care.

Upon arriving in the living room, the Dalmatian saw that in addition to Dizzy all his siblings were sitting at the table, waiting for him to arrive with their glasses full of milkshake.

Dizzy was sitting in the spot immediately to the left of the chair.

Beside her were three identical dalmatians, the ten-year-old triplets Deja Vu, Dallas and Destiny respectively. They had few spots on their bodies, especially one on the right cheek that looked like a beauty mark, and the three wore fancy pajamas of bright pink silk and pink collars decorated with a symbol that followed that of the pendant, being a heart for Destiny, a diamond for Dallas and a circle with an 'X' in the middle for Deja Vu. 

On the other side, immediately to the right of the chair, was Dawkins, the only one of Dylan's siblings who was not wearing his night robes. He had both ears and tail totally black, perfectly round spots covering each eye, several small spots on the forehead and three spots on each cheek, resembling freckles in humans. He wore a dark blue wool vest over a white button-down shirt with the first two buttons loose and the collar open, allowing to see his blue collar with molecule pendant, perfectly ironed light blue pants and brown moccasin over black socks.

To his right was Da Vinci, the oldest of the girls. She had a big spot on the tip of her left ear, two little spots near the tip of her right, and a big spot in the shape of a palette with a small spot just below the other in her right eye. And on her body she had not only normal dalmatian spots but also some blue, red and orange spots that she did with hair dye, as well as dye whose colors he often changed in both arms from the hands to the elbow, being the choice of this moment purple on the right arm and pink on the left. Her sleepwear consisted of lightweight fabric shorts and a tie-dye shirt in various colors that she dyed herself. Unlike the others who were wearing a collar or without like Dylan, Da Vinci wore a pink bandana around her neck, which she used to cover her face when necessary.

Right next to her was Deepak, the most striking of the family despite being silent. Not only did his body split perfectly symmetrically in black and white, even having parallel spots on both ears, he also had his face divided by a curved line, making his face resemble the yin-yang symbol. He wore a collar divided between blue and red and wore pajamas that were similar to orange robes that monks wear in martial arts films, and even wore a striped black and white fabric belt.

The siblings had been sitting this way for years due to Dylan's OCD, which in the beginning organized things compulsively. Even after he stopped the compulsion to organize, they were so used to sitting this way that they just continued.

Dizzy had a naughty expression on her face, as if she knew something she wasn't going to tell others. They were curious to know what Dylan was preparing that smelled so good, and Dizzy was teasing them.

But as soon as Dylan arrived with the cookies everyone started wagging their tails with joy, and with the exception of Dizzy who already knew what to expect and Dawkins who kept his composure, they all stuck out their tongues.

“Good morning guys. I hope you're hungry.”

“We sure are.” The triplets said together.

“Shall we wait for Mom?” Dawkins asked, looking at the empty chair.

“She had to respond to an emergency at the hospital and will not be back until dinner time.” Dylan saw that his siblings were a little upset, probably having already planned some activity that involved their mother. “But look on the bright side: you can eat as many cookies as you want, and if she asks I will say that you ate kibble and fruits.”

As soon as Dylan put the plate on the table, his siblings started to get the cookies, so that before he sat down everyone was already finishing the first one.

“Oh my dog! You need to make these cookies more often, Dylan.” Da Vinci exclaimed, starting to eat a second cookie.

The others just grunted to show they agreed. Deepak then stopped and started to gesture with his hands while smiling from ear to ear.

“Thank you. Your cooking is a blessing in our lives, honorable older brother.”

This made Dylan smile and he then responded in sign language as well.

“Your welcome.”

Sign language was something that only the older four fully understood, so the younger ones knew only simple things like greetings and thanking.

“What did he say?” Dizzy asked, having understood Dylan but almost nothing from Deepak. She was swallowing half of her glass of milkshake after eating the fifth cookie.

“He thanked Dylan for the cookies and praised his culinary skills.” Dawkins replied, eating his cookie with some decorum. “In an extremely formal way, I must point out.”

Dizzy raised an eyebrow, now more confused.

“(giggles) He spoke difficult words like Dawkins, but in sign language.” Da Vinci explained, making Dawkins look at her with indignation.

“It’s not fair when…” Destiny started.

“...Only the four of you…” Dallas continued.

“...Understand each other.” Déjà Vu concluded.

“Yeah!” Dizzy exclaimed, speaking with her mouth full while chewing another cookie. “It’s like you guys are part of a secret club.”

The comment generated laughter among the older three. In fact, they used to talk about sensitive matters with their mother using sign language, as Deepak was the only of the youngest that knew and he was disciplined enough not to snoop.

“Speaking of secrets.” Dawkins started, looking at a cookie with some suspicion and then looking at Dylan with some curiosity. “Considering that our dear older brother is a dog of habit, I can't help but imagine that there is a reason for him to serve us cookies and milkshake in the morning and say he won't tell Mom.”

Dawkins's comment made everyone except Dizzy stop and look at Dylan with the same level of curiosity.

Dylan just smiled sheepishly. He knew that moment would come, but he still wasn't entirely comfortable with what he was going to say.

“(sigh) Dawkins is right. I wanted to do something special for you today because I have a favor to ask.”

“You…” Destiny started.

“...Want…” Dallas continued.

“...To ask us…” Déjà Vu continued.

“...a favor?” The three concluded.

Everyone raised an eyebrow at that.

They had a strong brotherly relationship and Dylan always did anything for them. For him to do something for a favor, it was probably something he didn't expect them to easily agree on.

“And what favor would that be?” Asked Dawkins.

“As you know, this Saturday we will meet Doug and his children.” Everyone nodded, so far the conversation was a reminder of what their mother had said two days earlier. “(sigh) And I want to plan what we're going to do.”

The siblings looked at each other, slightly concerned. Even Dizzy stopped eating and looked at Dylan.

“And no, it's not because of my OCD. In fact, it's for mom.”

This left the others even more confused.

“What does Mom have to do with it?” Dizzy asked.

Dylan took a deep breath.

There was no easy way to say that.

“I think she should get married again.”

Everyone looked at him in total disbelief.

“You think they are getting married?!” Almost everyone spoke at the same time, while Deepak seemed to shout without making a sound, his eyes wide and his arms waving frantically.

Dylan held out his arms, trying to calm them down.

“No, I don't think they are getting married. Not now at least. (sigh) But I want them to know that we agree with that decision if they decide to do it.”

“And do you agree?” Dawkins asked, looking at Dylan with a penetrating look.

The older brother was slightly uncomfortable. Dawkins knew him better than the others, and he knew when Dylan was hiding something.

“(sigh) Not yet. At least, not entirely. But that is not the issue here.”

“And what would be?” Da Vinci asked.

“You know what? I'll be straightforward.” Dylan took on a serious look, leaving his siblings intimidated. He wanted to spare his siblings from the truth, but apparently he had to pull the band-aid at once. “Our mother is a 42-year-old woman with a job with complicated shifts and eight children. How many dogs out there do you think are interested in someone like her?”

This immediately shocked the other siblings.

Dylan didn't usually speak that way, and the worst was that he was right.

Since their father died, Delilah has dedicated herself to taking care of her children. She had to work hard and even though the older ones helped with the house, Dylan's case added another difficulty that she had to deal with. It was not for nothing that she surprised them by announcing that she was with a boyfriend.

These past few months she has been happier than the past five years, and Dylan was right to say that the relationship with Doug was something that was unlikely to happen again.

Dylan knew it was necessary to talk about it, but he still felt bad to see that his siblings were so depressed. Dizzy in particular was the most affected in this case, since she grew up without her father.

“I know this is difficult, but we need to accept that our mother have the right to be happy.” Dylan took on a calmer tone, smiling tenderly. “And if this Doug is willing not only to have a relationship with her but also to be part of our lives, then we must do our best to make it work.”

This encouraged the others a little more, but they were still concerned.

“And what about Doug's family?” Deepak asked, gesturing with trembling hands.

“Yes, there is the question of Doug's family.” Dylan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, looking up. “Mom just said he has a family as big as ours, so we can expect at least eight other young dogs besides us. And that's why I want to plan what we're going to do, because there's no point in supporting Mom and Doug's relationship if we don't get along with his kids.”

“Then…” Destiny started.

“...The favor …” Dallas continued

“...You want to ask…” Déjà Vu continued.

“...Is for us to be nice with his children?” The three concluded, both with their left eyebrows raised.

“That seems relatively simple.” Dawkins added.

The rest agreed, slightly confused.

“I know it sounds simple, but we have to be very careful with them.” Dylan got serious again, like a leader explaining his tactic. “We don't know what they are like, or what they like or dislike. We have to guarantee a great first impression or we risk creating an enmity between us and them.”

Dylan's argument made everyone ponder.

If there was a misunderstanding between the children, the relationship between Doug and Delilah could be affected.

“And what do you have in mind?” Da Vinci asked, feeling uncomfortable just imagining what it would be like to meet new dogs.

“It may seem cliché, but I'm thinking of using the classic Divide and Conquer. Our biggest advantage is that we know the location, so let's use that to our advantage. First stage: When we arrive at the restaurant, the parents will introduce their children, and at that time we all must choose someone from Doug's children for the second stage.” Dylan looked closely at his siblings, seeing that they were focused on what he was saying. “In the second stage, we’ll take advantage of the time it takes for the food to be ready and socialize with Doug's children. Dawkins, you will take anyone you want to the arcade. Show why your name is on all high scores.” Dylan then started pointing to his siblings, who immediately nodded. “Triple D and Dizzy. You will take the young ones to the ball pit and the jumping castle.” The four girls got big smiles, excited about their task. “Now, Da Vinci and Deepak. You should be together all the time, so Da Vinci will have someone to give support with her shyness and Deepak someone who can translate sign language. In the meantime, we will give Mom and Doug time to be alone, ensuring that their relationship progresses. Do you think you can follow this plan?”

Everyone else looked at each other, then took on a determined stare.

“Yes!!!” They answered in chorus.

Dylan smiled. He felt more relaxed knowing that his siblings would help with his plan, and if all went well, their mother might remarry in the near future.

“What about you, Dylan?” Dizzy asked.

“(sigh) I will deal with the biggest obstacle. Identify and interact with their top dog.”

Everyone else opened their eyes wide. This detail had gone unnoticed by them.

It was no secret that Dylan's past encounters with other top dogs did not end well, especially since most top dogs were very different from Dylan.

“Are you sure about that?” Dawkins asked, slightly concerned. “I guarantee that I can do well in the arcade, and the others are likely to succeed too, but do you really think you can deal with another top dog without creating enmity between the two of you?”

Faced with Dawkins's question, Dylan stopped and looked at his siblings.

The biggest obstacle in dealing with the top dog in Doug's family was the fact that, in the possibility of bringing the two families together, Dylan and the other top dog would find themselves in a position where one of them would cease to be a top dog in favor of the other, and that in itself was reason to cause a rivalry between them from the beginning.

Dylan still didn't have an idea to solve this, and considering past experiences he knew that the chances of him getting along with the other top dog were minimal.

“It would be too much to ask to meet someone like Dolly again.” With a determined stare, Dylan put his left hand on his chest and raised his right with an open palm. “(sigh) I, Dylan Dalmatian, swear by the dog that I will do everything in my power to reach an understanding with the top dog of the other family.”

At that, all the others were astonished.

Dylan was normally trustworthy, but taking a solemn oath?

This proved how serious he was.

“Well, if we're done, I'll retire a little.” Dylan then stood up, preparing to leave the room. “Dawkins, you're in charge.”

Dylan felt as if he had lifted a weight from his shoulders. It would be difficult to deal with the other family, but he felt much more confident knowing that he would have the support of his siblings.

"Actually..." Dawkins said, drawing Dylan's attention before he could leave the room. “I have plans for right now.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I didn't want this chapter to be so long, but explaining Dylan's emotional and psychological state ended up taking up more space than I expected.

Did you know that in July, the sunrise / sunset time in London is approximately 05:00/21:00?

Dylan sure gets up early.

Observations:

My reference to the interior of the house is based on how it is shown in the series and the changes if the family was composed of anthro dogs. The most basic thing that can be observed is that the house has three main floors, a basement, an attic and the backyard in which the tree house is located, and by the number of windows it is possible to deduce that there are around eight rooms on the floors between the ground floor and the attic.

One thing that occurred to me is that the room where the puppies spend most of their time is where they eat and play, but an interesting thing is that it is not shown how they put or remove the tables for meals, although we often see the use of the machinery that serves kibble. In my view, if Dawkins manages to make the kibble machine, the built-in table seemed an even more impressive idea.

Medical moment:

I am a big fan of the police series 'Monk', and because of that I researched a lot about OCD. And in case you don't know, in this series the protagonist not only suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder but also has several phobias that make his life quite complicated, even more after his wife died and he got worse drastically. Even so, he managed to have some friends and live in society.

It is still discussed in medicine what causes OCD, and the main theories are that it is caused by biological or environmental issues and can be triggered by events of great stress. Because of this, I decided that the death of Dylan's father was the catalyst that triggered this condition.

And don't worry, his father's death will be addressed again in the future.

Chapter Text

Let's see a day in the life of Dawkins.

*

*

Dawkins had a lot to think about.

As he walked through the park, the young dalmatian could not help but imagine the various ways that Saturday night dinner could go wrong.

In particular, with the part that concerns Dylan.

His older brother is someone that Dawkins sees with great esteem and respect, but at the same time he recognizes Dylan's limitations. As much as he is a good leader among the siblings and someone who was always kind to their family, Dawkins could not ignore the fact that Dylan had not been the same since his relapse last summer.

While walking distracted, he ended up tripping over someone.

“Hey! Look where you’re going!”

Dawkins ran into someone bigger than him, so he had to look up.

In front of him was a dog whose muzzle was just above Dawkins' head, his fur coat black with white spots and with some purple spots on his left ear, wearing clothes that suggested he was not someone you should anger.

The other dog had his back to Dawkins, but turned his face to face the smaller dalmatian with an intimidating look.

And as soon as he laid eyes on Dawkins, his gaze quickly gave way to a friendly one and his tail wagged slightly.

“Oh, good morning, Dawkins. Walking with your head in the clouds again, from what I see.”

The smaller dalmatian felt relieved, his tail wagging as he smiled.

“Hehe. Sorry, Dante. Something unexpected happened today. In fact, it affects you too.”

“Really?” Dante immediately raised an eyebrow, the comment attracting his interest. “Don't tell me your siblings found out?”

“No, it's something else. How about we go to Lucky's?” Dawkins proposed as he started walking with a smile on his face. “I can give you the details on the way.”

“Sure. A snack would go well.”

The two dalmatians started walking side by side, Dante with his hands in his pockets and Dawkins with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Both were happy, not only that their families were about to have dinner together, but also that they could spend the day together today.

Their friendship was very strong, and although they had their differences, the things they had in common were very important to them.

Just like the beginning of their friendship.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

ONE YEAR AND THREE MONTHS AGO. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

It was another day of school at Camden's dog school. The school year had just started and in that second week the classes were still very simple.

It was the last class of the day, and due to the teacher having food poisoning, the 1-D class had all this time to do what they wanted and Dawkins was, as usual, feeling lonely and bored.

The biggest obstacle when he arrived at the dog school’s middle school classes was that the elementary classes were mixed in the current classes, and Dawkins was in a class in which he didn't know anyone.

But today it was different.

This free class was the perfect chance to get to know his new classmates better, as everyone seemed to be gathering in smaller groups. With dogs being sociable animals, Dawkins just needed to find a group to interact with. His mother and Dylan had advised him to start simply, finding something that could start a conversation.

There were 20 dogs in the room, divided into five rows with four tables each. Dawkins sat in the third place in the middle row, which literally placed him in the middle of the room. Such a position allowed him to observe the whole room, and looking around he realized how the other dogs got together and did not feel that he could fit in with any of them.

All eight girls in the room gathered at the back of the room, talking about fashion. Dawkins was not going to interact with them.

Four boys, all of them rottweilers, were talking about joining the school's wrestling team. Dawkins was always small for his age, so that sort of thing seemed like suicide to him.

Another six were small dogs, talking enthusiastically about football. Dawkins was not much taller than them and they seemed friendly, but at the same time he was not interested in sports. Especially one in which 22 people run from side to side kicking an almost always black and white ball, which caused some nightmares when he was younger.

In that, only he and the dog that sat in front of Dawkins remained.

Said dog made the situation worse, because if Dawkins was not comfortable to go to the others, the others were not comfortable to talk near him and because he was right behind Dawkins was affected.

Dawkins had already considered talking to him, but there was good reason not to approach.

On the first day, the teacher had assigned the students' seats and asked each one to get up and talk a little about himself, and he was the most succinct of all.

“I'm Dante Dalmatian. I'm new to the city. Leave me alone and we’ll have no problems.”

Dawkins winced as he remembered that day. The problem was not what Dante said, but how he said it. Dante not only had a striking coat but also eyebags and a collar that added to his height made him so intimidating that even the rottweilers walked on eggshells near him.

Not that Dante was a bully, but he was clearly a very reserved dog and none of the other students spoke to him unless he spoke first, which until now consisted of a brief 'good morning' for Dawkins and the others who sat next to him.

At the moment, Dante was leaning over his desk, looking intently at some electronic device connected to headphones he was using.

After making sure there was nothing he could do, Dawkins picked up a book and began to study the subject in advance.

Time passed slowly for the young dalmatian, but eventually the time came for the bell that announced the end of classes.

Everyone else had already packed up and was leaving, so Dawkins realized that if he didn't hurry, he would be alone with Dante.

Wanting to avoid any problems, Dawkins hurried to put the books in his backpack to leave, while Dante seemed to be absorbed in whatever he was doing. Dawkins went to the door as soon as he was finished, but then stopped to look at the last student in the room.

Dante was still focused on what he was doing, and that was when a thought occurred to Dawkins.

The door was at the back of the room, and all the other students were away from Dante. Add that to the headphones and it would be possible that the inverted dalmatian didn't realize it was time to go.

Dawkins spent a while contemplating his options.

On the one hand, he didn't want to risk bothering Dante, but on the other hand, it didn't seem right to let him risk being locked up in school.

“(sigh) I can't believe I'm going to do that.”

With shaky steps, Dawkins went to his antisocial classmate and raised his hand slowly, his face expressing deep fear.

He then nudged Dante's shoulder and braced himself for the worst.

Dante turned with a fierce look as soon as he felt the touch of another student, but then he was confused to see the smaller dog looking at him as if he feared for his life. And even more to see that only the two were in the room.

“What's up?” He asked with some suspicion, taking off the headphones.

“T-The class is over.”

Dante was confused for a moment, but then he understood what was going on.

“Oh… right... Thanks. Dawkins, right?”

Dawkins nodded briefly, and Dante stood up to put his things in the backpack. At that moment, Dawkins was able to see what managed to keep Dante's focus for so long.

Dante had a custom Nintendo 3DS, which, like him, was black with white spots. In addition, he had a peculiar keychain attached to the side.

That immediately caught the attention of Dawkins.

“Oh kibbles! Is that a Shiny Mega Rayquaza keychain?!”

Dante turned, looking at Dawkins with a raised eyebrow.

Although it is something commonly associated with humans, it is not uncommon for anthros to play video games. However, Pokémon was a somewhat controversial franchise among the anthros, and the vast majority of the anthros that are fans tend to hide it as a dark secret

“Do you... like Rayquaza?”

“Well, it's not my favorite legendary, but it sure got more interesting for me after the mega evolution and the Dragon Ascent move.”

“Huh... I think it makes sense. It is really impressive to attack your opponent by acting as a living meteorite.” Dante put his game in his backpack and started walking, Dawkins instinctively following him. “But I admit that it's not my favorite pokémon either.”

“Really? And which would it be?”

“Houndoom. I know that most dogs find pokémon like him offensive, but I really like his dangerous style.”

“I understand. I don't deny that pokémon like this make me a little uncomfortable at times, but I think humans feel that way with Gardevoir or Gothitelle.”

“Hehe. You mean those who don't have fantasies about them, right?” Both left school, and Dante realized that Dawkins was going the same way as him. “Are you going to the park?”

“What?” Dawkins was confused for a moment, but then he realized he was walking with Dante. “Oh, no, no. I wouldn't even have time for that. My house is not far, west of the park.”

“Seriously? My house is east of the park.” Dante then took on a thoughtful look, scratching his chin. “We could talk more often. If you want of course.”

“Sure. It would be great to have someone to talk to.” Dawkins was happy to see what Dante was like, but then he was intrigued. “Don't get me wrong, but you didn't seem very willing to make friends.”

Dante was a little embarrassed, scratching behind his neck.

“Yeah, I know. (sigh) This is a new experience for me.”

“Oh I see. It must be really hard to start over at a new school. I'm a little out of place myself, since all the other dogs I knew are in other classes.”

“He. Dude, this is not even half of my problem.” Dante smiled wryly, and noticed Dawkins's confused look. “I don't know if you get it by my voice, but I'm new not only at school or in the city, but also in the country.”

Dawkins's eyes widened, taken by surprise.

“(chuckles) You didn't expect that, did you? This isn't even the biggest problem in fact. The school itself is the problem.”

“How?”

“(sigh) I've never studied at a dog-only school before, so I'm not really used to having friends of our kind. And considering that most dogs have bullied me in the past, I thought it would be better to keep my distance from others. It is not the best way to make friends, but if others are afraid to get close then I avoid getting in trouble.”

Given this, Dawkins had a better understanding of Dante.

The inverted dalmatian was not antisocial or threatening. He was a boy of the same age as Dawkins, who was going through a lot of new things at the time and had a hard time trusting other dogs.

Dawkins smiled happily, extending his hand.

“Well, it would be an honor to be your first friend in London.”

Dante was surprised by the offer at first, but then he smiled and shook Dawkins's hand, both with their tails wagging slightly.

“Hehe. My siblings won't believe it.” Both thought.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

Since then, their friendship has grown stronger as they discovered the things they had in common.

Both were the second child in a family of nine, and both helped their respective top dogs to look after the other siblings while their widowed parents worked. They had different tastes and hobbies, but they were bonded by video games, especially the Pokémon and Final Fantasy franchises.

They communicated all the time at school or by phone, and whenever possible the two met in the park or at one of the nearby establishments to do something together.

However, due to the busy lifestyle that the two had helping their respective top dogs, and the few occasions when they got free time, they were rarely able to meet outside school, and because of this the triplets teased Dawkins saying he had an imaginary friend.

Dawkins and Dante had planned to spend more time together last summer, but due to Dylan's relapse and problems with Dante's sister they ended up communicating only by phone during their last vacation, even though they lived so close to each other.

Because of this, today would be the perfect day for the two of them to have fun, since both parents would have the day off and they would not be so needed in their homes. And even though Delilah was called at the last minute, Dylan was understanding enough to let Dawkins enjoy the day while he took care of Deepak and the girls alone.

“Speaking of eating, my dad finally told me about Saturday’s dinner over breakfast.”

“Seriously? I commented to you as soon as my mom told us. Why did he wait so long?”

“(sigh) Considering his past relationships, I think he is afraid that my siblings and I won't like her.”

“Makes sense.” Dawkins scratched his chin, taking on a thoughtful look. “I imagine you got impatient.”

“Oh, it was hard. I did managed to be quiet yesterday, but this morning I could barely contain the excitement.” Dante smiled happily, his tail wagging more than before. “On the other hand, your morning must have been quite normal.”

“Actually, Dylan surprised us today.”

This surprised Dante.

“Seriously? You said he was predictable.”

“And he usually is. However, this morning he prepared cookies and strawberry milkshakes for us, and then shared with us a strategy for Saturday's dinner.”

“Strategy?” Dante raised his eyebrow again, this time slightly worried. “Does he want to sabotage dinner?”

“Quite the opposite. He devised a strategy so that my siblings and yours can get along.”

“Really?” Dante was excited, wagging his tail with energy. 

The two then reached their destination.

Lucky's was a fast food chain that started in the 1960s, founded by a dalmatian who named the establishment after him. Because of this, the company's logo was a white background with four black spots that formed a lucky horseshoe.

There were several Lucky's around the world, and many in London, with the closest being the one near the north entrance to the park, very popular with young people even on vacations.

Even though it was too early for lunch, the two dalmatians ordered the hamburger and fries combo with large soda. The smaller dalmatian then drew his wallet and along with a credit card he drew another card that was white with the company logo.

Dawkins smiled briefly as he remembered the first time he paid the bill for both of them, almost a year ago. Dawkins was already sure that Dante was a true friend, so he felt comfortable revealing his family's secret: Lucky was his great-uncle and because of that he, the oldest of his siblings and some distant relatives had a special card that granted 70% off at any Lucky's in Europe. 

The surprised expression on Dante's face was unforgettable.

As soon as they received the trays with their orders, they went to the back of the restaurant and easily found a small table with two chairs.

While eating their hamburgers and fries, they started talking again.

“And what did your brother plan?”

“He wants our siblings to avoid creating any kind of enmity, so he proposed that each one of us choose one of you to play with until the meal arrives.”

“Well, in this case we both have that part covered.” Dante held out his fist, and Dawkins responded by bumping his against Dante's. “Did he give any explanation for wanting you all to try so hard?”

"Well…" Dawkins scratched behind his head feeling slightly embarrassed, Dante looking at him intently as he drank some soda. “He thinks our parents should get married.”

Dante immediately choked and spat out his drink.

“( PFFTTTT) He what?”

“Hehe. We also reacted like that.”

“From what you told me earlier, I thought he would be the most difficult to collaborate with their relationship.” 

“And he should. Dylan was closest to our father, and he always seemed not to accept his death. However, it seems that I underestimated how far he is willing to go for the family.”

“Still, it seems very unexpected. Did he ever give a reason?”

“According to him, the age, profession and number of children of our mother greatly reduces the number of suitors willing to court her.”

At that, Dante scratched his chin, pondering. 

“Considering how many girlfriends my dad has had since he decided to try again, I think Dylan is absolutely right.”

“I suppose so. Both of our parents seem to have found the best option for a romantic relationship, but we still can't be sure that their relationship will work.”

“Maybe.” Dante shrugged and continued to eat, still half of  his fries remaining. “But if things really work between them, we both get eight more siblings to worry about.”

“(chuckles) I think it would be an unusual experience. In fact, our relationship is already so intimate that our parents getting married would only make it official that we are brothers.”

“Oh, how nice of you, little bro.” Dante took on a playful tone, but in fact he also saw Dawkins as another of his brothers. “Who knows? We could be roommates.”

“Haha. I don't know if Deepak would like it, although maybe we could share a room between the three of us.”

“Hehe. Considering that I share a room with all five of my brothers, this seems much more comfortable.”

“I'm really curious about that. Dylan, Deepak and I are used to sharing our beds when one of our little sisters has a nightmare, but what is it like sharing a bed with five other dogs every day?”

“Well, most of the time it's cozy, especially in winter. And because we sleep together we rarely have nightmares.” Dante scratched his chin and looked up, remembering his nights. “But at the same time it is a little uncomfortable on hot nights and sometimes the Dimitris kicks in their sleep, so I would say it has as many pros as cons.”

It made Dawkins think for a while.

“Well, if our parents really decide to get married, I think you'll have to stop doing that.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Considering that your house only has three rooms, you would probably either live with us or we would all move to a bigger house. In both scenarios, we would have enough space for each one to have their own bed.”

“Huh… I'm already so used to sleeping with the others that I can't imagine what it would be like to have my own bed.”

“Well, that's still a big "if", so we don't need to think about it now.”

“I think so.” Dante finished his meal, and realized that Dawkins had finished his, too. “Where are we going now?”

“I'm open to suggestions. We have all day so there’s no shortage of options.”

Dante took a moment to think and then had an idea.

“Tell me Dawkins, do you have anything against riding a bus?”

Dawkins raised an eyebrow.

Later ...

After hours of touring London, the two were finally on a bus to get back to Camden.

“Kibbles! I can't believe we did it!”

Dawkins was more excited than when the day started, a euphoric smile on his face and his tail wagging frantically.

“It's like I keep saying, Dawkins. You need to loosen up more.”

Both had bags from some stores they visited, containing things they bought and the shirts they were wearing earlier, now replaced by Pokémon shirts. Dawkins wore a shirt with a large Rotom in the middle, surrounded by its alternate forms, while Dante wore one with a Shiny Charizard and the phrase "I'm the coolest among 4096" written in letters that glowed in the dark.

Needless to say, some anthro on the way looked at them with some discomfort or even indignation, but Dante as always ignored the others around him and Dawkins felt a great increase in self-confidence with Dante by his side.

After buying the shirts, they went to several stores, from video game stores to a bookstore where Dawkins got a maintenance manual for electronics that contained new techniques he intended to practice this summer vacation.

“I think you're right. And if all goes well, there will be plenty of opportunities to have a day like this again.”

Dante nodded, smiling with satisfaction.

“Maybe next time we can take some of our siblings. I know the Dimitris would love the game store.”

“Well, considering that the only one who likes video games besides me is Dizzy, I think it would be nice to spend time with your brothers.”

They soon arrived at their stop and got off the bus.

Dante then raised his fist, and Dawkins immediately returned the gesture.

“I had a lot of fun today, Dawkins. I can't wait for this dinner.”

“I think the same. See you in two days, then.”

“See you later, little bro.”

Dante smiled and followed the path to his home. Smiling too, Dawkins also went on his way, looking forward to Saturday’s dinner.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As for the story:

Without realizing it, I made a mistake in the previous chapter. In Dizzy's description, I wrote “left ear completely black”, but when I saw one of the screenshots of Dizzy on my computer, I remembered that she has two white spots on the left ear. This flaw has now been corrected.

I know it may seem strange to see Dante cheerful, but that is due to the way I see the character. Seeing the way he interacts with the other puppies (especially during "Power to the Puppies", "Dante's Inferno" and the flea episode), I always thought that Dante's problem comes down to attention. He clearly cares about his siblings, to the point of helping when Dylan tried to impress Portia and not make any negative comments about it. Another example is the way he was happy when everyone started to believe his predictions in "Dante's Inferno", showing that he can be more positive depending on how others act with him.

Because of this, in a family structure in which he has not only attention but responsibilities, Dante has no reason to be so sad.

He will continue with the predictions, but they will not be only negative.

Important:

I will have to travel for Christmas, so I am not sure if I will be able to finish the next chapter before the first week of January.

However, it is possible that my family will cancel the New Year's trip and if that happens I may be able to publish another chapter before 2020 is over.

Chapter Text

I mention a van in this chapter. I don't know much about vehicles, so I'm not ashamed to admit that I copied Vanzilla from The Loud House.

DANTE

Saturday.

Usually, the day of the week when you can rest and spend quality time with family and/or friends after a busy week.

At least, if you're not Dante.

“That should do it.” The inverted Dalmatian said, rubbing a handkerchief on his sweaty forehead while holding a wrench with his other hand.

“Thanks, Dante! You’re the best!” Delgado said enthusiastically.

Dante spent the last half hour in the backyard, changing the wheels on Delgado's wheelchair that had gone limp.

It was not an easy task for a dog without much manual skill like Dante, but as an older brother he was willing to help.

“(chuckles) You're welcome.” He replied smiling, but then assumed a serious expression. “But please try to remember that this wheelchair is only for moving.”

Delgado smiled sheepishly, scratching behind his head.

“Sorry. I’ve got really excited.”

“It's ok. Now, get ready. We leave in less than an hour.”

With a smile on his face, Delgado climbed into the wheelchair and went inside.

Dante just smiled, not quite surprised that Delgado was running at top speed.

Delgado was a good puppy, but he still caused problems at times.

Even though he was born with only thighs, Delgado has not been standing still since he started to crawl, and when he started using a wheelchair it was even more difficult to stop him.

Due to Doug being a somewhat overprotective father, Delgado currently had three wheelchairs, the one Dante just repaired for normal day-to-day situations, a folding one in the trunk of the family van for when they had to leave the house, and the third, which was the cause of the current problem.

During the family's last year in California, Dolly took Dante, Delgado and Dee Dee with her to buy her new skateboard at a sports equipment store, while Doug took DJ and the Dimitri Trio to the last dentist appointment they had before the move. 

That day, they were introduced to sports wheelchairs, and after two months of insistence on the part of the siblings, Doug ended up buying one for multiple sports.

That in itself was not a problem, as Delgado ended up becoming as skilled at WCMX as Dolly and Dee Dee were at Skateboarding.

The problem was Dolly.

Since Delgado was only nine years old, Doug decided that he could only use his sports wheelchair when supervised, which was not usually a problem, as Dolly always took Delgado and Dee Dee with her when she went skateboarding.

However, last summer, it started to change. At first, she just seemed constantly sad, but after a while she started to go to the park less and less, and some time after Doug started dating Delilah, she only left the house for school.

Dante immediately took over some of Dolly's responsibilities, Dee Dee was able to find other things to do, and most of the boys were finding a way to adapt. However, Delgado was a different matter. The hyperactive puppy was constantly with too much energy to spend, to the point of trying to do some stunts using his regular wheelchair.

Dante even managed to take Delgado to the park a few times, but considering that recently he was practically the top dog and with no help, he couldn't spend too much time on just one sibling.

“(sigh) At those times, it would be great to have Dawkins as a brother.”

The inverted Dalmatian then went back into the house, remembering that he still had to check if the Dimitri trio was ready to leave.

Coincidentally, as soon as he entered, the door that led to the basement opened and the three left.

The three were without their necklaces and wore black pants and black hoodies with the hoods down, in addition to a square of green fabric glued to their ear bites. In addition, both ears were completely black and the three had spots around both eyes.

Dante frowned, looking at them with some discomfort.

“Did the three of you really have to do that today?” He said, holding out the handkerchief.

The three looked at Dante with some embarrassment, until one stepped forward and took the handkerchief.

“Sorry, big bro.” He then rubbed part of his left ear and the area around his right eye, revealing to be Dimitri 1.

“But we are almost ready.” Dimitri 2 said, the easiest to identify since he was the only one with the green fabric in the left ear. “We just have to clean the makeup and change from the costumes.”

“We shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.” The third added.

“(sigh) Alright. Just try not to get dirty afterwards.” Dante was about to follow when a thought came. “DJ was with you?”

The three nodded negatively.

“We didn’t have to ask for his help this time.” Dimitri 1 said, his face clean and passing the handkerchief to Dimitri 2.

“Right. Finish getting ready and then keep an eye on Delgado. I don't want to have to fix his chair twice in the same day.”

The three nodded positively, and then went up the stairs. As he prepared to go too, Dante noticed that DJ was in the living room, watching a music video show on television.

DJ had been wearing the same clothes since Thursday, and by the way he looked at the television, he clearly intended to wear those same clothes for dinner as well and was just waiting to go out.

Dante couldn't complain, since despite the clothes he was wearing were slightly different, they were exactly the same colors as the clothes he wears every day. All that was left now was for the family to arrive in time.

In fact, he didn't even have to worry about the time.

Due to the fact that his family always takes time to leave the house, he decided to think one step ahead and put clocks and cell phones up by half an hour, which gave him almost an hour to wait for the others.

With nothing else to do until it was time to leave, he decided to sit next to the DJ and wait, taking out his cell phone and checking on things at Dawkins' house.

*

*

*

DA VINCI

“How about this one?” Dizzy asked, showing a shirt to her roommate.

“Hmmm… No. This one won't do either.”

They were both in their room, Dizzy already ready in a light blue shirt with a dark blue spiral on the front and wearing light jeans and white sneakers, while Da Vinci was just wearing her jeans and sneakers while choosing one of her many shirts.

The room, which like the other siblings' rooms had the same basic structure, was almost always organized in spite of Da Vinci's artistic articles and Dizzy's toys, but today it had several of the clothes in the closet scattered on the beds of both. 

Da Vinci had been mentally preparing for this dinner since the beginning of the week, but she was very insecure now that they had less than half an hour to go to the restaurant.

She wanted to follow Dylan's plan in an exemplary way, and for that she wanted to choose her best personalized shirt. She wanted something that was impressive, but at the same time she didn't want to wear something too colorful to not stand out.

“That’s it!”

She then started searching through the clothes on her side of the closet, until she found what she was looking for.

After the long selection, Da Vinci ended up opting for a black shirt with white spots that she never had the opportunity to wear.

As soon as she put on her shirt, she turned and held out her arms.

“What do you think?”

Dizzy's eyes lit up, watching her older sister in awe.

“It's very cool! It's like a Dalmatian shirt, but in a reverse way!”

“(chuckles) That's the intention. I doubt that any of Doug's children won't get surprised.” Smiling, Da Vinci tied her bandana around her neck and started putting away the other shirts, and Dizzy soon started to help.

As soon as they put the shirts away, the two went down to the living room.

Upon arriving, they saw that only Dylan and their mother were missing.

Dawkins was wearing his usual clothes, but this time he was wearing a light blue tie with small molecules, which was loose and slightly off-center in an attempt to look cool.

Deepak was wearing jeans, blue sneakers with some red stripes that matched his collar, and a black shirt with a big red circle in the center, on which was a logo that looked like the left side silhouette of a cat's head with a red eye.

The triplets were wearing identical very stylish clothes, so their collars were the only way to differentiate them. The clothes, which they wore often, consisted of short pink skirts; white button-down shirts with short sleeves, with the collars instead of ties; pink blazer like that of business women; pink knee-high socks; and beautiful pink shoes with sequins. They certainly had an interesting definition for 'casual dress'.

Everyone was seated on the couch, Dawkins with his snout glued to his cell phone while the others were watching a DVD that contained one of the old works of the triplets. Dizzy sat on the rug, while Da Vinci stood by the couch.

Dawkins looked quickly at Da Vinci as soon as he noticed her presence, being surprised by the shirt she was wearing. He then went back to his cell phone and started typing something, thinking he was being subtle with his reaction.

Da Vinci didn't pay much attention to that and decided to focus on what was on television.

On the screen was being shown an episode of a sitcom in which a widowed father raised his three daughters with the help of his two best friends, resulting almost always in funny situations. This was the oldest work of the triplets, who at the time shared the role of the youngest daughter.

From there they became child stars popularly known as 'Triple D' and became famous throughout Europe. They appeared on several television shows, recorded countless commercials that were shown all over the world, and even made a few small appearances in movies.

However, like many child stars, the three ended up falling into obscurity.

Not that they lacked talent, after all they still received some offers occasionally. In addition, they had accumulated a fortune of which most was deposited in the bank, since Delilah decided to keep it safe until they were of age. 

The point was that Delilah didn't like how all the fame was making her little girls more and more arrogant and spoiled, so she decided to stop their careers three years ago. 

Being the most innocent, Déjà vu didn't bother with it too much, but it took a few months for Destiny and Dallas to stop rebelling. However, after the turbulent first year, they became more humble and accepted the new reality of their family life.

They behaved so well, that last year Delilah let them post videos on the internet, which to the shock of the girls was not very popular. However, the biggest shock was to discover that after almost three years away, people seemed to have forgotten them.

Da Vinci felt a little bad for the little divas, but she couldn't deny that the change in attitude was welcome.

Soon the siblings heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and not long after their mother appeared in the living room.

Delilah was a tall, slender adult dalmatian, with long ears with a triangular tip and just like Dylan had a black right ear and a white left, although she only had two spots on her right ear and the left had four spots in a similar pattern to Dylan's left ear.

She was wearing a light blue blouse and jeans, as well as not very flashy shoes and her blue collar.

Most of the siblings smiled when they saw their mother, but Da Vinci felt slightly uncomfortable.

Delilah's clothes highlighted her hips and above all her bust, which in recent months had caused the young dalmatian to be a little jealous.

Da Vinci was overcoming her shyness a little, but now that she was thirteen she developed a new problem.

At this age, most dogs already suffered the first effects of puberty, including some classmates from Da Vinci, and when she compared her growth to them she felt a little uncomfortable with herself, thinking that she was not as feminine.

And considering that their mother was one of the most attractive dalmatians Da Vinci has ever seen, she wondered if she would be as attractive as she is one day.

“Are you ready, sweeties?” Delilah was happy to see that she would be able to leave the house on time, until she realized that one of her children was missing. “Where's Dylan?”

In that, everyone realized that, in fact, Dylan was the last.

Normally, Dylan would be the first to be ready for an event, regardless of the occasion.

Da Vinci was a little concerned. The advantage of Dylan's condition was that he followed a behavioral routine, so that the family could immediately see that something was wrong when he acted out of the norm.

The artist then realized that her mother's smile was gone, giving way to an expression of doubt and concern. She then remembered how determined Dylan seemed to make this day perfect for their mother.

“He should be coming by now.” She said, smiling confidently.

The others followed Da Vinci's example, although they were still a little unsure.

That was enough to make Delilah smile again, and soon they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Destiny saw that this was her cue and turned off the television, all the siblings getting up and getting ready to leave the living room.

However, when everyone arrived in the corridor, they were paralyzed when they saw Dylan, their eyes wide.

The teenage dalmatian was wearing one of his red shirts and one of his jeans, with his best pair of sneakers and his leather jacket. However, what really surprised them was the fact that he was wearing a red collar, to which a silver star-shaped pendant was attached.

Dylan had just come down the stairs and walked over to the others, his face embarrassed as he scratched behind his head.

“Sorry for the delay. I couldn’t decide on what to wear.”

Everyone else was left without action, taken by surprise.

It had been three years since Dylan last used his collar, and at the time he was doing it just so that everyone in the family photo was wearing a collar.

“That’s okay, dear.” Delilah said, stroking Dylan's head. “I know this is more difficult for you. Thank you for making the effort.”

Dylan smiled sheepishly, his face slightly blushed.

The family then left the house and got into Delilah's car, a red family vehicle with two rows of seats behind the front seats. Dylan sat next to their mother, with Dawkins, Da Vinci and Deepak in the middle row and Dizzy and the triplets in the back of the car.

As they made their way to their destination, Da Vinci couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable.

As far as Delilah knew, Dylan's apparent effort to put on a collar was the only anomaly this week, but Da Vinci and the others had seen different behavior since Thursday morning.

“I just hope he gets along with the other top dog.”

*

*

*

DOLLY

“Come on, dad!”

Dolly stood impatient in front of the front door, arms crossed as she tapped her foot repeatedly.

It was less than twenty minutes before they were due to meet Delilah's family, and Doug was the only one who wasn't ready yet.

Dolly was wearing her usual stripe shirt and jeans shorts, but for the occasion she was willing to put on sneakers.

Beside her was Dee Dee, dressed exactly the same way in her obsession with emulating her older sister.

Dante was leaning against the wall, smiling and with his face on his cell phone. If Dolly hadn't been so focused on rushing their father, she would have noticed the moment that Dante read something that surprised him and then gave a short laugh.

In the living room were the Dimitri Trio and Delgado, the four playing cards.

Delgado was dressed simply, with his fingerless gloves; black collar without pendant with golden clasp; red shirt and black shorts.

The triplets, on the other hand, were strikingly dressed, wearing jeans; sneakers with lights on the sole that glowed when they stepped on the floor; white tank top; and black leather jackets with some golden details. The jackets had two pockets on the bottom front, one on each side, and were made without zippers or buttons, so they were always open. And the most interesting thing about the jackets was the area on the left side that was above the chest, in which a large letter D was seen in gold followed by a number, so that the jackets read “D1”, D2 ”and“ D3 ” . In addition, there was a certain volume in one of Dimitri 2's pockets.

Of all, the one that seemed most relaxed was DJ, who was right next to Dante listening to music on his headphones, moving his head slightly to the beat. He would only wear the same clothes as always, but ended up accepting to put on a jacket like the ones of the Dimitris, but in this the details were silver and it said "DJ".

“I'm coming, my honeys.” Doug replied from upstairs.

Upon hearing this, the four who were in the living room put the cards away and went into the hall.

However, as soon as Doug came down, Delgado, the Dimitri Trio and Dee Dee tried to contain their laughter, Dolly and Dante were immediately embarrassed, and DJ stared at their father with wide eyes and open mouth.

Doug was wearing a red Hawaiian shirt with palm trees prints, shorts and sandals. Sure, they were going to have a 'casual dinner' with Delilah's family, but Doug was so casual he looked like a tourist on the beach.

And the kind that makes its own kids deny they know him.

As soon as Doug saw his children's eyes, he was slightly embarrassed.

“Too casual?” The father asked, scratching behind his head.

The children did not know what to say, but seeing that they were almost late, Dolly took the lead.

“(sigh) No. You are dressed like a dad.” Doug smiled at the comment, unaware of the slight sarcasm in Dolly's voice, who went to the front door and opened it, causing the others to leave. “Just try not to wreck the car, Magnum.”

The siblings all laughed lightly, and even Doug found the joke a little funny. 

Doug easily took Delgado in his arms and the family then headed for the car, while Dolly stayed behind to lock the door.

The family vehicle was a large blue and white van with two doors on each side and three rows of seats behind the front seats. Doug carefully seated Delgado in the center of the seat directly behind the driver, with DJ sitting on his left side, and the father then sat in the driver's seat, programming the destination on the GPS while waiting for everyone to be in the van. The Dimitris sat on the last stool, talking about what they would do in the restaurant, and Dee Dee lay down on the stool between the ones her brothers were sitting, totally comfortable.

As soon as she made sure the door was securely locked, Dolly turned and almost got a start when she came face to face with Dante.

The inverted dalmatian, who had been smiling since Thursday, was looking at her with concern.

“W-What’s up?”

Dante looked deep into her eyes, a little unsure of what he was about to say.

“As I said before, I feel that in general this will be a great day for everyone involved.”

“But...?”

“(sigh) I can't say what, but I feel a cloud of negativity in you. Something you regret will cause you discomfort while the rest of us have fun.”

That worried Dolly.

She was still having conflicting feelings about the whole issue of meeting Delilah and her family, but she thought she was managing to cover it up well. She didn't expect to have fun, but she also couldn't deny that it was possible that dinner would be uncomfortable for her.

Still, being one of Dante's predictions, the chance of actually happening was slim.

“Don't worry, little bro.” With a forced smile, Dolly put her left arm around Dante's shoulders and started walking, taking him with her. “I promise to do my best so that nothing goes wrong.”

Although still worried about Dolly, Dante got in the car and sat next to Delgado, the puppy being thus flanked on both sides by Dante and DJ.

Dolly sat down next to Doug and put on the seat belt. As soon as everyone was properly accommodated, Doug started the journey.

Traffic was relatively calm, so the GPS stipulated that they would take less than 15 minutes to arrive.

In that time, Dolly was thinking about Dante's warning.

It wasn't normal for Dante to get it right, but as much as she wanted to, she couldn't deny that a regret from the past had eaten away at her for months.

Despite what she said last summer, she did try to forget about her relationship with Dylan, but when she was almost succeeding, Doug started dating Delilah and it was like she was punched in the face every day. At first she thought it was just her imagination, but as the months went by it was impossible to deny what she saw.

Dolly had never noticed before they broke up, but the truth was that Dylan was a lot like Doug when it came to relationships. Both were affectionate, concerned about the well-being of their girlfriend, were always willing to help and above all, they made the same lovely dorky face while looking at nothing.

Seeing her father's happiness reminded Dolly of the happy moments she spent with Dylan, but most of all what haunted her, Dylan's shattered stare when she said their relationship should end.

Dolly's moment of self-loathing was interrupted when Doug turned off the van's engine.

They were in one of the spaces of a large parking lot, which was in front of a large restaurant. Next to the restaurant, there was an outside area with a metal structure covered with a net, inside which you could see some toys for small children, especially an inflatable castle. On the roof of the restaurant is a large plaque written Dearly's, in neon lights that were not yet on since it would still take two hours to start getting dark.

Everyone then got out of the van, and Dante, who had been the first, was just about to unfold the wheelchair that was in the trunk. As soon as he was finished, DJ helped Delgado to sit down and the family headed for the restaurant.

The decor of the place was cozy, the lights were not very bright, and as there was a specific area for children, there was almost no noise besides the slight sound of cutlery and some muffled conversations.

Right at the entrance, there was a counter where the front desk attendant was, smiling amiably while guiding other customers on how to get to their table. The attendant was a human in his thirties, tall and thin with blond hair and a prominent nose. He wore a white shirt with an open collar and no tie, brown trousers and waistcoat and on the waistcoat there was a nametag written 'Roger' in a font that resembled very old writing.

Doug went to the attendant, who was a little surprised to see how the adult Dalmatian was dressed.

“G-Good afternoon. Welcome to Dearly's. How can I help you?”

“Hello. We made a reservation in the name of Doug Dalmatian.”

The attendant nodded and started searching the computer until he found Doug's reservation.

“Oh, right. Party room reservation from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with regular menus instead of the party buffet in the name of Doug Dalmatian.” He looked quickly at Doug's family and was a little confused. “It says here that the reservation is for 18. The room is already ready, so if you want you can wait for the others there.”

This left Doug slightly surprised.

“Did we get here first?” Doug then looked at the clock on the counter, surprised to see that they had arrived ten minutes earlier. He didn't understand how it happened, but he decided not to think about it too much. “Well, I think we'll wait for the others in the party room then.”

“Very well.” The attendant typed something on the computer and then took some thin strips of red plastic, in which there was a small bar code in the middle. “You should put on these VIP bracelets. The party room doors have special locks that open when scanning this bar code.”

Doug took the bracelets and distributed them to his children, who were very surprised to learn that the parents had booked the restaurant's party room.”

As soon as everyone put on their bracelets, the attendant called another employee, who guided them to the party room. Along the way, they were able to see a little of the interior of the restaurant, like the normal lounge where most of the customers were eating, the entrance to the bathrooms, even the arcade and access to the recreation area, which were in the back. They then came to a vintage-looking wooden door, but with a special reader in the lock.

Doug passed his bracelet to the reader and everyone entered, being impressed by the room.

In addition to the wooden door through which they entered, there was a much larger one on the other side of the room, made of glass and with access to the recreation area. In the center of the room was a table large enough to impress the pups, with 18 chairs, distributed so that two were at one end and eight on each side, and with red folders on the table in front of each chair. On one wall there was a soda machine and two juice machines, thus offering twelve drink options, and just below it was a table with napkin holders and cup holders, the latter with three sizes of paper cups to choose from. On the other wall, there was a counter similar to those seen in fast foods, with spaces for depositing trays and a built-in trash can, and just above there was a kind of speaker next to a button.

The walls were devoid of any kind of adornment or decoration, but it was not difficult to imagine that this room would normally be filled with balloons and other things suitable for a birthday party.

The clerk stayed at the door after the family entered and coughed slightly to get attention. As soon as all eyes focused on him, he was ready to speak while pointing at the drink machines.

“As part of the party room reservation, you are entitled to unlimited drinks refills.” He smiled to see the sparkle in the eyes of the puppies, and continued pointing to the device on the other wall. “That intercom is to inform any request. When you are ready to order, just choose the menu options and as soon as possible the waiters will deliver your orders.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the clerk closed the door and left the dalmatians alone.

The siblings observed everything with some enthusiasm, and Dimitri 2 took the object that was making volume in the pocket of his jacket, revealing a small video camera that he promptly used to film the room where they were.

Dolly in particular was very impressed by all of this, wondering how much money the couple was spending just to get to know each other's children.

“Did you two really have to do all this?” Dolly questioned her father, making all the other puppies look at the father of the family.

Doug smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck as he looked away.

“Well, this was the best place to gather all of us, since no other table in the restaurant is so big. In addition, in a private room we don’t have to worry about not disturbing other customers.”

The response was satisfactory enough for most of the puppies, but Dolly couldn't help but imagine that all of this was a sign that Doug and Delilah's relationship was more serious than they thought.

However, she was taken out of her thoughts when she felt someone tug at her arm.

Looking down, she saw Dee Dee with a slightly embarrassed look while keeping her legs together.

Dolly smiled when she saw how adorable her little sister was when she needed to go to the bathroom. She then took the little girl's hand and headed for the door.

“We’ll go to the girls' room. We’ll be back soon.”

Remembering where she had seen the bathroom door, Dolly guided Dee Dee.

Once in the bathroom, Dolly and Dee Dee were impressed. The bathroom was large, with ten divisions for the toilets and a large marble countertop with ten sinks, on which was a large mirror above.

The two were alone, so it was possible to hear the echo of their steps. Dolly leaned against the marble counter while she waited for Dee Dee to finish relieving herself.

As much as she was still uncomfortable with the situation, Dolly had to admit that at least the place seemed to be able to distract her if she didn't get along with Delilah's family.

Soon, Dee Dee finished and immediately went to wash her hands, a smiling face and her tail wagging.

“Hehehe. Someone is excited.” Dolly exclaimed, with a teasing tone in her voice and a raised eyebrow.

“Have you seen those toys?” Dee Dee replied, getting even more excited. “I just hope there's someone my age.”

The two started walking, Dolly thinking about what her little sister said.

Dee Dee didn't have many friends outside of school and the skate park, and in the case of the latter, she could only see when Dolly was willing to take her.

So if the parents' relationship evolved, making friends with one of Delilah's children would be beneficial for the little dalmatian.

“Well, if there isn't, you can spend time with me.”

Dee Dee then looked at Dolly with a raised eyebrow.

“But shouldn't you be playing with someone your age?”

“(sigh) Honestly, I doubt that any of Delilah's kids will pique my interest.” She then put her hand on Dee Dee's head and petted her tenderly. “But the important thing is not us, but Dad and Delilah. If they still want to be together after putting together almost twenty dalmatians in one room, then everything else can be resolved later.”

Dee Dee just nodded, leaning into Dolly's touch.

The two held hands and returned to the party room, and as Dolly opened the door, she could hear Doug's voice.

“Oh, look. There they are.”

As soon as they entered the room, the two could see that another nine Dalmatians were in the room.

What first caught their attention was the adult Dalmatian who was hugging their father, she being almost as beautiful as Dolly remembered her mother was.

In addition to her there were eight puppies, among those who stood out the most were three young Dalmatians not much older than Dee Dee who were dressed identically, a dalmatian with colored spots who wore a shirt that resembled Dante's coat, a little Dalmatian that must have been the same age as Dee Dee, and a teenager who had his back to them and was taller than Dolly and Dante.

Dee Dee was encouraged to see that there were other girls close to her age and started to pull Dolly.

Dolly, on the other hand, was petrified as soon as the tall teenager turned, their eyes meeting with the same level of astonishment.

Dolly couldn't process what was going on, but a thought occurred to her. She remembered what happened when they were leaving the house, and ended up screaming internally.

“WHAT THE FUCK, DANTE!”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sorry, no scenes in the past this time. I did a scene that best describes how Delgado got his special wheelchair, but I thought this was not the time for that.

I wanted to try something different in this chapter, showing different points of view instead of making the entire chapter focused on just one character. I hope it looks good.

As for the restaurant, this will probably be the only reference to Roger and Anita in this story, as I imagined a different story for the 101 Dalmatians that excludes the two from the equation (let's face it, Pongo and Perdita don't need humans in this context).

Speaking of reference, my brother got to read the first part of “What's Going On” and called my attention to a point.

I like to do at least one reference per chapter, but in that one (and this one too) I was really inspired by multiple references, and when I made one with Delgado, I didn't realize that I made a reference that only makes sense in Brazil.

In Brazil, the same actor does the voices of Delgado and Ben 10 in the most recent version, and I made a reference to that by describing Delgado's clothes as being similar to those Ben wore in “Ben 10 Alien Force” when he played football(or soccer, depending on where you live).

Speaking of which, when I mentioned in this chapter that Triple D post videos on the internet, it was a reference to a Brazilian YouTube channel called “Quem Dubla” that does interviews with voice actors, and among the six interviewers are the voice actors of Destiny, Dallas and Deja Vu, who are friends and tend to be in the same series, in this case as sisters (Destiny's voice actress is the daughter of the voice actor/director who created the channel, so I think it's natural for her to recommend her friends to participate).

Still on this subject, I described Doug as being very muscular because his voice actor also voices Terry Crews in multiple works of his, and whenever I hear that voice I immediately think of Terry Crews showing his muscles while advertising deodorant. I believe it is an auditory version of when you remember an actor because of a specific role.

In the next chapter, we'll have what (I'm pretty sure) everyone is waiting for: Dylan and Dolly's reunion.

Chapter Text

DYLAN

“I can do this!”

The teen dalmatian was determined, although he knew this was going to be a long day.

Delilah had stopped the car, and while the dalmatians were getting ready to get out of the car, Dylan mentally went over his task.

“No matter how, I have to come to terms with the top dog of their family.”

He opened the car door and then got out, facing his battlefield.

Dearly's is a family friendly restaurant that Dylan's family has frequented for years, the former owner being one of his father's oldest clients. Being one of the few places Dylan felt comfortable besides his own home, the young dalmatian knew every little bit of the place perfectly, and that was his greatest advantage in succeeding in the plan.

As soon as they entered the restaurant, the dalmatians saw the receptionist, who smiled a lot when he saw them.

“Delilah! It is a pleasure to see you guys again!”

“(chuckles) Hello, Roger.” - The mother replied, smiling when she saw a man. “Never thought I would meet you at the reception after being promoted.”

The man scratched behind his neck, blushing slightly.

“Well, I'm still getting used to it, but being the manager doesn't mean staying in an office all the time.” He then looked at the pups and smiled gently. “You know I love receiving customers.”

The pups all laughed briefly, while Dylan allowed himself a smile.

Roger is the son of the former owner of the restaurant, and a college friend of Dylan's father. In fact, it was Roger who referred his friend to his father, and as long as Dylan could remember the family visited and were received either by Roger or by his father.

And the last time the Dalmatian family was here, it was precisely for Roger's father's retirement party, whose decided it was time for his son to take over.

“Well, I'm glad you're adapting.” Delilah said, feeling happy for her friend.

“And I'm happy to see you again.” Roger then looked at Dylan, blinking discreetly. “Will you want the usual table? Your timing is perfect as it is currently available.”

Dylan blushed a little at that moment.

After he developed his OCD, he spent years insisting that the family sit in the same place, and now that he has overcome this, the young dalmatian felt a little ashamed.

“It won't be necessary. In fact, we have a reservation for tonight.”

At that, Roger raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

“For tonight?”

At that, Delilah noticed Roger's reaction, and felt a little worried.

“I mean, the reservation was made, but not in my name. We’re with Doug Dalmatian.”

Upon hearing this, Roger breathed a sigh of relief. Forgetting a reservation in the name of your late friend's family seemed to be unforgivable for the human.

“Gosh, for a moment I almost died.” A thought occurred to the man, and he looked at Delilah with a curious look. “And where do you know Mr. Doug from? Is he one of your distant relatives?”

She hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to answer this to someone who knew her husband personally, but before she could answer, Dizzy spoke.

“He's Mom's boyfriend!”

Delilah turned red as a tomato and all the pups, with the exception of Dylan, were holding back laughter, while Roger was extremely surprised.

As soon as he recovered, the man took Delilah's hands and smiled happily.

“I'm so happy for you, Delilah!” He then took on a playful tone and blinked. “Just don't forget to invite Anita and me to the wedding.”

Delilah felt even more ashamed, and Dylan's siblings laughed lightly.

Dylan on the other hand was surprised to see that Roger was so receptive to the news.

“It seems that I'm not the only one who expects her to marry again.”

As soon as Delilah recovered, she changed the subject.

“And the room? Is it ready yet?”

This surprised her children, and Dylan raised an eyebrow.

“Did they reserve the party room?”

“Oh, Yes.” Roger released Delilah's hands, still smiling. “Actually, it wasn't even five minutes ago that I sent Hugh to take his family to the party room.”

Delilah was happy to know that Doug had already arrived, and Dylan's siblings were surprised to learn that they were going to meet Doug's family in the party room.

Dylan, on the other hand, was assessing the situation.

“Okay, that can be useful.” Dylan's body was basically on autopilot, not listening to what his mother and Roger talked about, not even noticing the moment when he put on a bracelet from the restaurant, or when they started heading towards the party room. “ That wasn't part of the plan, but some unforeseen circumstances are acceptable. The party room guarantees a neutral and isolated place from other customers, so that we can avoid distractions during dinner, and depending on how things go I can be alone with the other top dog.”

The young dalmatian went over the various ways he could try to dialogue with the unknown dog, until they arrived at the party room.

Delilah opened the door and was the first to enter, being soon followed by Dylan, who quickly observed the other dalmatians as his siblings entered.

There were five pups sitting in front of the table, so that they could watch the wooden door and had their backs to the glass one. And standing there was an adult dalmatian on the other side of the table with his back to them, talking to his children.

Dylan's focus was immediately drawn to the adult dalmatian.

“Oh my dog!”

Dylan always thought his mother was the tallest dalmatian he knew, but Doug was even taller, being able to put his muzzle over Delilah's head. And if that weren't enough, he still possessed the physical build that would normally be seen in shorter but robust dogs, such as pitbulls, boxers or rottweilers.

Basically, if Doug wore purple shorts and painted himself green, he would easily win a superhero cosplay contest.

Right after him, Delilah's other children also looked in surprise at Doug, especially Dizzy, who had amazed twinkling eyes seeing such a big dog.

The huge dog turned, with shiny eyes as soon as it saw Delilah.

“Delilah!” The giant said, attracting Dylan's attention.

Doug then ran to Delilah and grabbed her around the waist, lifted her up and spun her around, while they both laughed happily.

Dylan allowed himself a smile when he saw the happiness on his mother's face. It was obvious that despite being huge Doug was very friendly.

While the lovers greeted each other with smiles and caresses, Dylan and his siblings began to approach the table slowly. The teenage dalmatian then looked behind Doug and watched his children closely.

At first glance, they didn't look bad.

Four of them wore matching jackets, one being a pup with headphones that looked about Da Vinci's age and triplets who were probably the same age as his little sisters. The other puppy looked a little older than Dizzy, but younger than the triplets of both families, and was in a wheelchair.

Dylan felt confident to see what he was dealing with. Apparently, his mother was exaggerating to say that Doug had a family as big as theirs, or perhaps she was referring to the number of distant relatives.

Still, something in the back of Dylan's mind was bothering the teenage dalmatian.

“Why do they look so familiar?”

Doug's children immediately looked at Dylan, somewhat impressed by his height despite being the children of a huge dalmatian. For some reason, Doug's children then focused their eyes on something close to Dylan, and following the line of sight he noticed their eyes on Da Vinci, but Dylan attributed this to the shirt she was wearing.

Dylan then looked at the dog next to her and realized that Dawkins was looking puzzled at Doug's children. Da Vinci, Deepak and the triplets also noticed Dawkins' behavior, and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Looking for someone?” A voice said from behind them, taking Dylan and his siblings by surprise.

As they turned, they saw an unusual-looking dog dressed in black in an intimidating style, with his hands in his pockets and his back against the wall, with a penetrating stare and an arrogant smile.

Apparently, he was in this place from the beginning, but looking closely Dylan realized that the place where he was allowed the intimidating dog to be hidden behind the door when they entered.

Deepak and the girls were intimidated to see him, but Dawkins smiled happily as he wagged his tail. Dylan was shocked not only to see what appeared to be an inverted dalmatian but to feel a certain nostalgia at seeing him, his mind now bubbling up with the feeling that he was forgetting something important.

The inverted dalmatian then started walking slowly and passed them as he went over to his brothers, winking briefly at Dawkins as he passed them.

Doug, Delilah and Doug's children looked at it with some curiosity, until Delilah looked around the room and raised an eyebrow.

“And where are your girls?”

Doug then lowered Delilah, but continued to hug her.

“Dee Dee had to go to the bathroom, so we have to wait for the girls.”

“So, how about we start introducing ourselves in the meantime?”

All eyes focused on the adults, waiting to see what would happen.

While they were still hugging each other, Delilah looked at Doug's children and smiled.

“I'm Delilah. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Doug's children smiled briefly, the puppy in the wheelchair and the triplets wagging their tails slightly.

Doug looked at Dylan and his siblings, smiling friendly as he looked at them.

“And I'm Doug. Your mom and I like to talk about our kids, so I'm happy to be able to meet you all in person.”

“I think it would be good for you kids to introduce yourselves.” Delilah suggested, seeing that some were a little shy. “Although maybe we should wait for the girls to come back from the bathroom.”

Dylan thought this was a good idea, and the way Doug's kids exchanged looks it was obvious that they were thinking the same thing. This gave him time to reorganize himself.

“Very well, then it seems that the oldest among them is the one with the unusual fur coat. Or maybe it's the girl who took their little sister to the bathroom. Anyway, they don't seem aggressive so maybe I don't have to...

The sound of the lock releasing and the door opening attracted everyone's attention.

“Oh, look. There they are.” Doug said, smiling happily to see that his daughters had returned.

Dylan immediately looked back, and as he did, he stood still. Suddenly, several suppressed memories came back and he understood why Doug's children looked familiar.

They were her brothers.

“OH MY DOG!”

*

*

*

DAWKINS

“Oh, look. There they are.”

As soon as Doug said that, Delilah and her children looked back, seeing a small dalmatian of Dizzy's age walking up to them, and right behind her a girl of Dylan's age wearing identical clothes. 

The siblings showed different levels of surprise, with Dawkins and Deepak blushing briefly at the girl's appearance, while Da Vinci and the triplets felt a slight twinge that they didn't know how to explain, almost as if they were seeing someone who had offended them.

However, an invisible force that none of them knew how to explain made them look in the same direction, as if their most basic instincts moved them to check on their older brother.

And what they saw was extremely disturbing.

Dylan's eyes were wide as plates and his jaw dropped, staring at the girl in astonishment, as if he were seeing a terrible apparition. And if they weren't watching their brother, they would see that the boys across the table were staring at their sister, who just like Dylan was petrified, moving only because Dee Dee was pulling on her arm.

“You arrived just in time!” Doug exclaimed, removing all the pups from the state they were in. “Delilah just said that as soon as you two arrived we should let you pups introduce yourselves.”

Despite Doug's high spirits, it seemed that no one would speak.

The pups seemed to be waiting for their respective top dogs to start the introductions, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen.

Dylan looked uncomfortable in the presence of Dante's older sister, and Dawkins noticed that she, too, was showing some discomfort.

From what he heard from Dante, Dolly was shy with strangers and had problems with boys last summer, and considering that she seemed to be a very attractive dalmatian, it was no wonder that Dylan, who had problems with girls, felt intimidated.

Dawkins and Dante then exchanged looks.

Both clearly had the same idea, and with a determined look they nodded at the same time.

Both went to their parents' side, and Dante put his arm around Dawkins in a half hug.

“Well, I think we better get started.” Dante said, making everyone look at the two with some intrigue. “I'm Dante, I'm fourteen, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that it's a pleasure to finally be able to meet my best friend's family. Right, Dawkins?”

Dawkins blushed briefly when he saw that all eyes were focused on him and Dante. Especially Da Vinci and the triplets, who were incredulous.

“I agree with you totally, Dante.” Dawkins then put an arm around Dante's shoulder, smiling kindly at the others. “We know everyone's a little nervous about this situation, but Dante and I have talked about it a lot.”

Dante nodded, realizing that most of the pups seemed to be less tense.

“We already talked a lot about each other's siblings, and we can guarantee that there is nothing to worry about. In fact, we think you can all be good friends too.”

This seemed to work very well, as Dawkins noticed several tails wagging. Glancing back, he could see their parents looking at him and Dante with affection and pride.

The two then looked at their respective older siblings with kind smiles, trying to encourage them to continue.

After taking a long breath, Dylan looked at Dante's siblings and tried to smile a little, although it was clear that he was embarrassed.

“(sigh) I'm Dylan, Delilah's eldest son. I have some… problems when dealing with new people. I may not know you or your father well, but I trust my mother and brother enough to try to get out of my comfort zone.”

Dylan's words were even more effective than Dawkins and Dante's, and soon the others were motivated.

Dante's brother who wore headphones then stood up, a slight smile and a relaxed expression on his face.

“My name is Doug Junior, but I like to be called DJ.” He then raised his hand making the peace sign, still with a peaceful face. “I am thirteen and if my nickname and clothing didn't make it obvious, I like music.”

As soon as he introduced himself, everyone looked at each other, and Da Vinci was next.

“I'm Da Vinci. I am also thirteen and I like art, especially paintings and personalized shirts.” She then held up a piece of her shirt, blushing slightly as she looked at Dante. “I expected to surprise you with this shirt, but I think it's not so impressive if you see Dante every day.”

The comment made everyone laugh, putting an end to all the tension in the room.

Deepak then nudged Da Vinci's arm, making her look at him.

He was slightly embarrassed, and after a moment of confusion, Da Vinci remembered the task Dylan had given her.

“Oh, and this is our brother Deepak.” She put her hand on his head, patting it gently while looking at Doug's children. “He’s the quiet type, and is communicating by sign language. He can nod his head if you ask anything simple, but to answer a more specific question, Mom, Dylan, Dawkins and I can translate what he says.”

Dawkins can see that the comment surprised Dante's siblings, especially the younger ones.

“I think these are Delgado and Dee Dee?”

The puppy in the wheelchair then left his place beside his brothers and spun in front of the table, stopping in front of Dawkins' siblings.

“I'm Delgado! I am nine years old and I play wheelchair sports. I'm also the fastest puppy on wheels!” To the surprise of Dawkins and his siblings, the puppy in the wheelchair approached Deepak, smiling with excitement as he faced Deepak. He then began to gesture with his hands as he spoke. “I'm also learning sign language. It would be good to practice with someone fluent.”

This surprised Dawkins' younger sisters, as such a young puppy was already learning something they found so difficult.

Dawkins, however, looked at Dante with a raised eyebrow, and when he met his friend’s eyes Dante just smiled awkwardly and shrugged, showing that he forgot about that.

After Delgado, the other boys decided to introduce themselves.

“We are the Dimitri Trio. I'm Dimitri 1.”

“I'm Dimitri 2.”

“And I'm Dimitri 3.”

With the exception of Dylan and Dawkins, all of Delilah's children raised an eyebrow, looking at them doubtfully.

“And yes, those are our names.” Dimitri 1 said, realizing that the others were doubting them. He then pointed at Doug. “I know it sounds weird, but this is his fault, not ours.”

The father smiled self-consciously, trying to look away.

“We’re triplets, but it is not very hard to differentiate us.” Dimitri 2 added.

“Just look at the left ear.” Dimitri 3 told them, pointing to this ear to expose its three white spots.

Dawkins noticed that his little sisters looked at the other triplets with a little envy. An undeniable fact about the three was that they hated it when someone could not tell them apart, the great disadvantage of being identical triplets.

Following the example of her brothers, Dee Dee also decided to introduce herself.

“I'm Dee Dee. I am seven years old and I am the youngest. I like to skate with my big sister.” She then hugged Dolly, looking at her with sparkles in her eyes. “I want to be as incredible as she is one day.”

The comment made Dolly blush briefly, especially when she realized that everyone was looking at her.

However, before she could think of what to say, Dizzy ran to Dee Dee.

“I am also seven!” She exclaimed happily, making Dee Dee look at her with a brighter twinkle in her eye. “I'm Dizzy. Want to go play in the ball pool later?”

“Sure!”

Both wagged their tails with joy, Dawkins and the others touched by the combined cuteness of both.

Soon after, it was the turn of Triple D, who put themselves in a pose with Destiny facing in the middle and the other two posing on the left and right side of her.

“And we are…” The three said together.

“Destiny!”

“Dallas!”

“Déjà Vu!”

“But you must have heard of us.” The three concluded at the same time, smiling arrogantly with their eyes closed.

However, much to their surprise, such a comment did not elicit the desired reaction in Dante's siblings, since most looked at them with some doubt, while Dimitri 2 and Dimitri 3 looked at them as if they were trying to remember where they knew them.

After them, there was only one dalmatian in the room needing to introduce herself, and everyone focused on Dolly.

The teenage girl realized she had no way of avoiding it and resigned herself to what she should do.

“(sigh) I'm Dolly. Like Dylan, I am the top dog in the family. And as Dee Dee said, I like to skate.” She crossed her arms and looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks. “I'm not doing very well at the moment, but don't let that get in the way of your fun.”

Everyone except Dylan looked at Dolly sympathetically, her siblings for being proud, Dawkins's siblings for seeing that it wouldn't be too difficult for Dylan to interact with the other top dog, and the parents for seeing that their children were getting along.

However, Dawkins looked at Dylan and was intrigued by what he saw.

Dylan gave Dolly a cold, distant look, the kind Dawkins had seen him use with mean top dogs in the past.

This perplexed the scientific dalmatian.

“What happened?”

*

*

*

DOUG

Doug was happy with the way things were going.

The biggest concern he and Delilah had was that their kids wouldn't get along, and the friendship between Dante and Dawkins was a welcome surprise.

The fact that both attested that the pups can get along well helped a lot with the introductions, and it was evident that almost all the tension in the room was gone.

“Now that we all introduced ourselves, how about you pups get to know each other a little better?” Doug exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. He then looked at Dante and Dawkins, smiling happily. “Although some of you already seem to know each other very well.”

This made the vast majority laugh a little, although Doug realized that Dylan and Dolly were still tense.

And interestingly, they both shivered slightly when they heard the last part of what he said.

“Doug's right.” Delilah added, also watching the two oldest kids. “We thought it would be good for you kids to spend time together in the recreational areas.”

The pups looked at the adults with some curiosity, all except Dylan and Dolly with their tails wagging slightly.

“So this is what we're going to do.” Doug took out his cell phone and looked at the time, one eyebrow raised. “It's still 6:23. You can do whatever you want until 7:30, and then let's get together here and choose what to eat.”

The pups were thrilled to hear that, but Delilah remembered one thing.

“Actually, I think we can let them have fun until 8.” She said, attracting Doug's attention. “The manager is a friend of the family, and he said we can stay until closing time if we want.”

This surprised not only Doug but his children, and apparently Dylan was slightly surprised to hear that.

“And he said the dessert would be free!” Dizzy exclaimed, making the tails of all Doug's children wag with joy.

“Well, I guess that's it, then.” Doug went on with his speech, now even more optimistic. “Go have fun, pups!”

Almost everyone immediately went out the glass door, while Dylan and Dolly stared at each other for a moment before leaving, but walking slowly and cautiously.

As soon as they were alone in the room, the couple looked at each other. Doug wagged his tail with as much intensity as the pups, while Delilah smiled to see how excited he was.

“Did you saw that, Delilah? They're already getting along!”

“(chuckles) I know. Dawkins did tell me that he had a friend whose father was busy, but I didn't expect it to be just one of your kids.”

“It can only be a sign!” Doug then remembered how Dylan and Dolly were doing, and looked concerned. “But Dylan and Dolly don't look very excited.”

“I noticed.” Delilah was also a little crestfallen, but she had a little hope in her voice. “Dylan usually doesn't get along with other top dogs, but I saw that he is trying hard today.”

“Dolly is trying too.” Doug smiled sadly, remembering the past. “I can't help thinking it's my fault.”

Delilah then placed both hands on Doug's cheeks, making him look straight into her eyes.

“Don't be so hard on yourself, Doug. You were trying to move on, and it's not your fault that most women aren't interested in being part of a big family.” Then she looked away and rested her head against his chest, feeling a little sad. “At least you tried to meet someone and move on. If we hadn't met that day…”

This time, Doug comforted Delilah, hugging her tenderly as he rested his head on hers.

“I know. I think it was good that I didn't succeed in my other relationships. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had this chance with you.”

Delilah snuggled closer to Doug's chest, smiling at hearing his kind words.

“Do you think they'll get surprised?”

Realizing what she meant, Doug laughed lightly, imagining the pups' reactions.

“I think that at least Dante and Dawkins already expect this. As for the others... Well, I think we can wait until dinner and see for ourselves. Maybe ask for their opinion.”

Delilah broke away from the hug, looking at Doug with a raised eyebrow.

“Would you let them decide that?”

“But of course!” Doug replied, surprised that she even asked. “The happiness and well-being of our children must be our highest priority.”

Delilah smiled tenderly, giving Doug a passionate stare.

“Oh, Doug. You were certainly born to be a father.”

She then kissed him, and Doug returned the gesture, deepening the kiss.

“I just hope they think the same.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I know the first thing you are going to think about is: what did you do with DJ’ name?

The point is: DJ looks more like a nickname than a name, like in the Spider-Man comics, when they call “Mary Jane” MJ or “John Jonah Jameson” JJ Jameson or JJJ. With that in mind, I thought the best thing to do would be to show that his name is Doug Junior once just to make it clear that DJ is a nickname, and after that he will always be called DJ.

Speaking about him, has anyone else noticed that at the end of the series opening, when we see the family gathered around the name of the series, DJ is making the peace sign and his paw is white instead of black?

In addition, some more information about Dylan's father.

I think Saturday Night's Alright will have two or three more parts, and after that I will make shorter chapters that will not need to be divided into more than two parts if they get too long.

Chapter Text

Something important at the end, please read (I don't want to take time at the beginning)

*

*

*

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR,

FAR AWAY…

Sorry, I couldn't resist 🤣

Previously, the pups left the party room to enjoy themselves. Following Dylan's plan, his siblings split into groups with Doug's children.

Let's see what happens.

DANTE

“That looks interesting."

The inverted dalmatian was in the arcade, accompanied by Dawkins. Dante was impressed by the variety of games that were in this room, and even more so by the fact that there were barcode readers beside the coin entries. 

“That's…”

“That's right!” Dawkins replied excitedly, passing his bracelet on the reader of the machine closest to the door and showing that the game was starting. “You would have no way of knowing since it’s the first time you came here, but these machines have been modified to accept the VIP bracelet code as if they were coins.”

“And how many times can the same bracelet be used?”

Dawkins smiled as he gave Dante a superiority stare.

“The code on these bracelets is the same for all guests on a reservation. They're printed taking into account the number of people in the same event, and in the case of a party room reservation, the code allows each guest to play as many times as they want within the reservation period.”

“Well, that's very convenient.”

Dante was excited about the possibility of playing old games with his best friend, even more with unlimited attempts. He then paid attention to the machine that Dawkins used as a demonstration and was surprised by what he saw, staring at the shorter dalmatian with wide eyes.

They were in front of a Pac-Man machine, and on the screen was a table with the top ten scores.

All of them said “DAWKINSD”.

Dawkins smiled with a certain arrogance, feeling full of pride.

“What can I say? My family has been coming to this place for years.”

Dante then looked closely at the screen, until something caught his eye.

“Wait! I already played on a machine like this in California.” He turned, looking at Dawkins with a raised eyebrow while pointing back with his thumb. “Has that machine been modified?”

At that moment, Dawkins felt even more proud, his tail wagging intensely.

“Very perceptive on your part. In fact, I improved the machine myself.” He then showed Dante the side of the machine, where there was a small sticker similar to the molecule pendant that Dawkins wore. “You will find this stamp on all machines. I like to put on the things I worked on.”

Dante was impressed. He knew Dawkins was smart, but to imagine that someone the same age as he managed to do that was almost unbelievable.

“And when did you have time to do that?”

“Oh, I don't think it ever occurred to me to tell you that, but I've been maintaining these machines monthly since I was nine.”

Upon hearing this, Dante was even more shocked.

“Did you reprogram 80s arcade machines when you were nine?”

“No, no.” Dawkins waved his hand dismissively like it was nothing, still full of pride. “The first time I did that I was seven. One of the advantages of personally knowing the owners of the establishment is that they know about my talents. In fact, I was the one who made the code reading system and the special lock for the party room.” 

Dante just stared at his friend, his eyes wide.

“How smart he really is?” Still recovering from the shock, Dante then decided to accept this and proceed. “And what did you change in the game?”

“Well, essentially I was dissatisfied with the maximum score. They just thought about keeping a number below the words "High Score" and that made the best player anonymous.” Dawkins then pointed to his name on the screen, smiling less proudly. “I will not bore you with the technical details, but basically I added a system that allows you to save the ten highest scores with a text of up to eight digits.”

Dante nodded, understanding his friend's point. Part of the fun with games is to challenge someone to compare skills, and a game that doesn't set a benchmark for comparing your skills seems obsolete these days.

Looking around, he saw that there were about twenty machines in the room, not just electronic games but also games like pinballs and a classic "Whac-A-Mole" machine.

“And did you modify all these games?”

“Not all of them.” Dawkins put his hand on his chin, recalling his improvements. “Only one of the three pinball machines has a screen and complex programming, and some of the others already had a system for adding the player's name or initials, so I just made all of these allow an eight-digit name to be easier.”

Dante was surprised to see that Dawkins was so skilled. He would probably own a big technology company someday.

“If you don't mind me asking, how does the restaurant pay you for maintaining your improvements?”

At that, Dawkins became a little shy, looking away.

“Well, I have a card in my wallet with a code that never expires. So, I can play whenever my family comes here without being a guest at an event.”

“Seriously?” Dawkins nodded sheepishly. It was obvious that despite genius, the dalmatian was still just a teenager. Dante then looked at the screen once again and pointed to Dawkins' name on the screen. “And I suppose all the machines are like this?”

“Well, until last month, yes. I am not so arrogant as to think that no one can beat me.”

“Oh, really?” Then Dante snapped his neck and cracked his knuckles, smirking maliciously. “Well, let's see how many of those High Scores of yours I can beat in an hour and a half.”

*

*

*

DIMITRI 1

The young dalmatian walked quietly with his brothers by his side, both with smug expressions on their faces. Right in front of them went the girl triplets, walking with their noses up while walking with a swing similar to that of models on a catwalk.

All triplets headed towards an outside table inside the play area, in a corner near the wall. The Dimitris suggested that they talk, and for some reason that the boys couldn't understand, they wanted to stay away from the other pups.

On a normal day the trio would have gone with Dante and Dawkins to spend time playing in the arcade, but meeting Delilah's family opened up several new opportunities for the trio.

“They're so funny.” The puppy thought, holding a laugh as he observed the girls' attitude. “This is going to be very interesting.”

The three were always interested in meeting other triplets, but considering that was rare, the three never had a chance.

Until now.

Dimitri 1 was imagining several scenarios in which the six could interact together. Of course, there was the question of them being girls, but if there was one thing he learned from living with Dolly and Dee Dee, it is that girls are not like the stereotype portrayed in the media and literature of old.

The truth is that girls like to have fun as much as boys, so as different as they were it was just a matter of finding something that the six like to do.

How hard could that be?

In that recreation area there was not only the inflatable castle and the ball pool that Doug had mentioned, but also a large slide and four seesaws.

They arrived at the table the girls had chosen, a rectangular table with benches on either side, covered by a large parasol. They sat on the benches against the wall, so the Dimitris had their backs to the toys.

“So? What do you want to talk about?” -Dimitri gave the most sympathetic smile he had ever given, but the girls' reactions was raised eyebrows and slight suspicion.

“Do you really…” Destiny started.

“...Want to talk to us…” Dallas continued.

“...Instead of playing?” Déjà Vu concluded.

The way they spoke took the three by surprise. The girls not only seemed to be confused, but also spoke in sync.

The Dimitris have always been very close, one of them sometimes knowing very well what was going on in the minds of the other two. However, the way they spoke was surreal, looking like something very well written and rehearsed. Almost like that classic horror scene of the sinister twins who spoke together, but in this case with triplets.

“Well, our parents suggested that we get to know each other better, right?”

“Besides, that’s a chance that we’ve always waited for.” Dimitri 2 added.

The girls smiled at that, and Dimitri could hear the distinctive sound of three tails tapping the seat upholstery.

“Have you…”  Destiny started.

“...Really wanted…” Dallas continued.

“...To meet us?” Déjà Vu concluded.

“Well, not you three in specific.” Dimitri 3 said, causing a certain disappointment in the girls. “I don't know about the three of you, but we always wanted to meet other triplets.”

“Oh, that…” Destiny started.

“...Really is…” Dallas continued.

“...Your…” Déjà Vu continued.

“...Only reason?” The three concluded together, a slight sadness in their voices. However, they soon recovered and took on a gentle tone while speaking at the same time. “And what do you want to know?”

The boys cheered up, but Dimitri 1 felt a little uncomfortable with what he was going to ask.

“Well, to start, do you always talk like that?”

The three of them raised an eyebrow until they opened their eyes wide and made an "o" with their mouths.

“Right, the sync.” Destiny said, smiling self-consciously.

“We're so used to it that we don't even notice it sometimes.” Deja Vu added, equally embarrassed and looking away a little.

“You guys don't do that?” Dallas asked, an eyebrow raised as she looked at the three with full interest. “You seemed well synchronized when you presented yourselves.”

The three blushed slightly, realizing that Dallas was a little right.

“We really are very close, but we do not complete each other's lines.” Dimitri 1 said, trying to explain.

“That's right.” Dimitri 2 added, although he was a little embarrassed to speak right after his brother. “We even say things that complement what the other said, but the way you do it looks like you have telepathy or something.”

“It's cool, but a little scary.” Dimitri 3 said, scratching his chin while thinking. “But considering that we can interact more in the future, I think we can get used to it.”

The girls had slightly reddened cheeks, almost matching their pink clothes.

“I think so.” Destiny replied, a slight sweetness in her voice because of embarrassment. “We're also not used to other boys besides our brothers talking to us.”

“Why?” Dimitri 2 asked.

“Well, usually, either the boys have a crush on us...” Destiny started.

“Or they avoid talking to us because they think girls are dumb.” Dallas concluded. 

“Or they are fans of our old works.” Deja Vu said, tapping a finger against her chin and looking up while thinking. “In that case, they either ask us for autographs or watch us with adoring looks that make us feel uncomfortable.”

Destiny and Dallas immediately shot her a look, while Dimitri 1 and Dimitri 2 were slightly confused.

However, Dimitri 3 was wide-eyed, apparently making the connection with what they said at the time they presented themselves.

“That’s It!” He exclaimed with energy, while standing. “That's why I thought I had already seen you. You're Triple D!”

The three blushed when they were recognized with such enthusiasm, and Dimitri 1 was confused, looking at his brother with a raised eyebrow.

“You're right!” Dimitri 2 hit his forehead, now understanding why he also thought he already knew them. “Destiny, Dallas and Deja Vu. How did I let this slip?”

The girls were even more embarrassed, while Dimitri 1 was even more confused.

“Did I miss something?”

At that, everyone else looked at him in astonishment, and now he was the one who was embarrassed.

“Wait, they know…”  Destiny started.

“...Who we are…” Dallas continued.

“...But you…” Déjà Vu continued.

“...Have no idea?” The three concluded together, both with such an exaggerated expression of surprise on their faces that it looked like an anime reaction.

The boy felt even more self-conscious, cringing in his place.

“Bro, they're famous actresses who left the stage some time ago.” Dimitri 3 said, trying to make his brother understand what they were talking about.

“That's right.” Dimitri 2 added, remembering a detail then. “Remember the little sister in “Spot-Full House”? They shared the role.”

At that, the older triplet looked at the girls closely and his eyes widened.

“Oh, dog. You're right.” He still felt a little embarrassed, scratching behind his head while looking away. “Sorry if I offended you, but I don't usually pay much attention to the actors.”

“Yeah, he likes to analyze the script.” Dimitri 2 added.

“Sometimes too much.” Dimitri 3 then rolled his eyes, remembering a certain occasion. “You should have seen the tantrum he had watching Justice League.”

In this, Dimitri 1 took offense.

“Hey, I still stand what I said.” He then crossed his arms and sulked while looking unfocused ahead. “That movie has so many plot holes and logic flaws that it's offensive to comic book fans.”

At that the three girls laughed lightly, making Dimitri 1 blush again.

“Wow, they even laugh in sync. Although I have to admit that they have a cute laugh.” He then composed himself and assumed a friendly attitude again. “Well, leaving that aside, anything else about us that you want to know?”

At that, the three seemed to be surprised.

“Yes, you can just ask.” Dimitri 3 said, sitting down again.

“Although we may not have something as interesting to tell as you do.” Dimitri 2 added, scratching the back of his neck as he smiled awkwardly.

Looking closely at the girls, they realized that they were shocked at the way they were dealing with the fact that they were celebrities.

“Are you still going to chat casually with us?” Destiny asked, totally incredulous.

“And why not?” Dimitri 1 asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We just admitted that we were celebrities.” Dallas said, hoping it would serve to explain the situation.

“I don't see how it changes anything.” Dimitri 2 shrugged, clearly not bothering about it.

Deja Vu then looked at him and Dimitri 3, clearly confused.

“But you two seemed very excited about it.”

“Oh, so that’s it? We just admire your work.” Dimitri 3 understood the point, and then smiled sympathetically and shrugged. “We won't treat you differently just because of this.”

“In fact, our dream is one day to work in the entertainment business.” Dimitri 2 said, taking his camera and showing it to the girls. “I like to film.” He then points to Dimitri 1. “He directs and writes the scripts.” And then points to Dimitri 3. “And he takes care of editing and effects.”

“So, interacting with actresses doesn't seem so unusual.” Dimitri 1 said, realizing how surprised they seemed with what Dimitri 3 said about not treating them differently. "Besides, if you think about it, our parents' relationship makes us almost the same family, right? Do any of your siblings treat you differently for your careers?"

In that, the three seemed to reflect for a moment. Then, they had wide smiles on their faces and the three Dimitris could hear an intense sound of tails hitting the seat upholstery.

“Then it…”  Destiny started.

“...Will be…” Dallas continued.

“...A pleasure to chat…” Déjà Vu continued.

“...With future filmmakers.” The three concluded together, clearly excited to learn about the Dimitris' career dreams.

“I think we'll get along with them.” Dimitri 1 smiled, realizing that he was also wagging his tail. “And so? What do you want to know?”

*

*

*

DA VINCI

After the division, Da Vinci found herself accompanied by DJ, Deepak, Delgado, Dizzy and Dee Dee. The six went to the outside area covered by the net, and while the younger ones went out to have fun in the ball pool and the inflatable castle, and the musician returned to the ballroom, the artist settled on a covered table with a parasol, from which she had a clear view of the youngest pups, as well as the table where the triplets of both families sat.

Apparently, their parents were the only customers who took their children, so there were no other children at the time.

After a moment, DJ returned, carrying two paper cups of the largest size drink.

“Grape soda, right?” He asked, offering her a cup.

Da Vinci took the cup with a smile, a feeling of tranquility taking over her body.

“That's right. Thank you very much.”

“It was no big deal.” He shrugged and sat in the chair closest to Da Vinci, watching the pups playing. “It seems that Dante and Dawkins were right.”

Da Vinci nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

She would normally be very insecure around a person she just met, but the words of the parents and Dante and Dawkins were very encouraging. In addition, DJ emanated a certain tranquility around him, almost as if he was accompanied by relaxing ambient music.

“Speaking of which, I still don't believe that our brothers were friends and haven't told us.”

“Actually, that doesn't surprise me.” DJ took a sip of his drink, and when he noticed Da Vinci's raised eyebrow he decided to explain it in more detail. “I don't know about your brother, but Dante is very introverted. Unless you ask a specific question, he won't speak to you.”

“That sounds a little sad.” Da Vinci assumed an expression of sadness, looking at the youngest pups.

DJ then noticed her reaction, and realized that he  chose the words badly.

“That's not what I meant.” He immediately took on a worried tone, taking Da Vinci by surprise. “Of course, he is silent most of the time, but Dante loves us and is always willing to help us. He's even Dolly’s second in charge.”

“Oh, really?” That information took Da Vinci by surprise. She looked up and scratched her chin with a finger. “I think it makes sense for them to be friends then.”

“How's that?” DJ raised an eyebrow, curious about the direction of the conversation.

“Dawkins is the second in charge at our house. He and Dylan work together to keep the house in order.”

“Huh, interesting. Until some time ago, Dolly and Dante were like that.”

Da Vinci was immediately drawn to the comment, her curiosity asking for more.

“Seriously? And what happened?”

“(sigh) Until some time ago, Dolly was recovering from a bad experience she had with a boy. She is not very subtle, so it was clear to my brothers and me that our father dating again brought back those bad feelings.”

Hearing that made Da Vinci feel bad for Dolly.

She still hadn't fallen in love, but living with three former actresses made her watch enough romantic movies to get a sense of what it's like to be heartbroken.

And to make things worse, Dolly was having to get over it while watching her dad being happy with his girlfriend.

“That seems terrible! Didn't Doug notice?”

“Dolly is very good at hiding what she really feels. As far as our father knows, she is still in pain because of the boy who rejected her.”

“And why didn't any of you tell him?”

In that, DJ looked at her with a little interested look, his face practically said "seriously?".

“Sorry, stupid question.” Da Vinci's cheeks flushed, and she looked away. “Still, it must be very difficult to deal with.”

“(sigh) Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, but lately she hasn't been the same. She used to be like We Will Rock You, but now she looks like Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Upon hearing this, Da Vinci was totally confused. Although not a music enthusiast, being born and raised in England, she was familiar with the band Queen, but did not understand what any of these songs had to do with Dolly's emotional state.

“What?”

DJ noticed her confusion, and decided to explain.

“I mean, in the sense of rhythm. Before she was full of energy and followed at a steady pace as in We Will Rock You, but now she has varied moods like the different rhythms of Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Oh I get it!” Da Vinci's eyes widened, now having a better sense of what was going on with Dolly. “In terms of art, before she was like a happy, harmonious and easy to interpret landscape, but now she has become an abstract figure with multiple interpretations.” She then remembered that Dylan was alone with her and worried. “And how would you describe her mood today?”

DJ put his hand on his chin and began to think with a serious face.

“She is trying hard to support our parents' relationship, and from what I could see Dylan doesn't seem to be the type to initiate conflict. Unless your brother somehow says or does something that reminds her of the boy who hurt her, they should get along.

It made Da Vinci sigh in relief and smile.

“I think I can relax then. There is no way for Dylan to act like the boy who hurt Dolly.”

*

*

*

DYLAN

"What do I do now?”

While walking beside the girl, Dylan was unable to concentrate.

While the others were having fun with the various options offered by the restaurant, the two older pups began their interaction with a walk around the block.

They could see that their siblings found this strange, but at the moment it was crucial that they talk.

The only problem was starting the conversation.

An uncomfortable silence was reigning, causing a negative nostalgic feeling that reminded them of the last few weeks of their past relationship.

“Dog, it's the same as before. Only that now it's a thousand times worse!” While trying to remain calm, Dylan could not avoid the concerns that were coming. “After what I told them, there's no way my siblings can get along with Dolly. And I don't even know if her family knows about us! This can end badly in so many ways that..."

“… taller.”

“Huh?”

Dylan looked to the side, taken by surprise by the girl starting the conversation. He hadn't realized how much he missed her voice until now.

“You got taller. We were about the same height before, but now I have to look up to look you in the eye.” Dolly explained, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. She looked more closely at him and then looked away, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shy. “It seems that puberty did wonders for you.”

“For me?” The boy was shocked by the comment. With a slight flush on his cheeks, he studied Dolly's body, now more curvy and with an admirable volume on her bust. She was more attractive than before, but the young dalmatian would not admit it. “If you say so.”

Dolly seemed to be uncomfortable with the coldness in his voice, but Dylan tried not to care.

“Nice collar, by the way.” Dolly was trying to make small conversation, although she was clearly embarrassed to be close to him. “You look good with one.”

“You know why I don't like using one.” Dylan was short and sweet, except by the sweet part. He couldn't help but use a harsh tone with her, and he wasn't even bothering to try. He then smiled sarcastically, while taking on a mocking tone “I wanted to dress in the best way possible to impress my mom's boyfriend's top dog, but it seems like I just wasted time.”

The girl flinched at the hostility in Dylan's voice, which made him stop and think.

Dolly is a girl with a strong and determined personality, but she has always had a degree of shyness with new people, especially boys. And although the two had already had a relationship before, she was acting like the first day they met.

And Dylan realized he could use that to his advantage.

In the past, she had been one of the most important people in his life, but now she was not only a reminder of how weak he was in the past, but also a threat to his mother's relationship.

Therefore, he could not, in any way, let her feel comfortable around him.

“What do they know?” Dylan asked, still in a cold tone as he looked ahead, as if the girl didn't deserve his attention.

Dolly was even more embarrassed to hear the question.

“I told them I declared myself to a boy but I was rejected.”

"Hmm." Dylan nodded, considering how to use this to his advantage. Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of outrage at that. “Ironic since she broke up with me.”

“What about your family?”

“Basically the same thing.” Dylan shrugged, pretending not to pay much attention to that. “I never gave details or names, so they just know that a girl didn't wanted to be in a relationship with me.”

She bit her lip and looked away as she crossed her arms. Apparently, the comment made Dolly feel bad, and for some reason he couldn't explain the boy felt a little twinge of satisfaction.

“Dylan, I…”

“That's in the past.” Dylan already imagined what she would say, but the truth is that he no longer trusts her. “(sigh) I won't lie, at first I felt devastated, but with time I got over it and managed to forget you.”

This seemed to surprise her.

Eyes wide, she looked at Dylan in total disbelief.

“Y-You forgot me?”

"I think it's more like 'suppressing any memories about' than forgetting, but..." Dylan even made quotes with the fingers of both hands, Dolly getting even more shocked.

The girl then looked at him, her eyes looking like they were about to cry.

“Are you serious?”

Dylan just looked at her with the same coldness he gave the nasty dogs he met, a look that Dolly had seen him give someone before, and that she apparently never expected to receive.

“Dolly, have I ever lied to you?”

The truth is that he was failing miserably to suppress such memories, especially after the dreams began. However, Dolly had no way of knowing that, or that Dylan was now able to lie naturally.

The girl just lowered her head, clearly holding back tears. Dylan kept his neutral expression on his face, but his tail wagged slightly and inside it was like he was skipping in happiness with a psychotic smile on his face.

“Dog, why do I feel so good?”

Dylan had never noticed it before, but he apparently had a vindictive side. One side that seemed to take pleasure in seeing that Dolly was feeling bad. He considered several ways to humiliate her in front of both families, to make her suffer as he did.

This vindictive side might be new and strange, but Dylan was enjoying it.

The problem is that this side was immediately knocked out by Dylan's main characteristic.

Compassion.

“What am I doing?”

Upon observing the state Dolly was in, Dylan was immediately overcome with guilt.

As much as he suffered after the breakup, deep down he was still a kind and friendly dog. He was sure he would never trust Dolly in the same way as before, but now that he wasn't focusing on suppressing memories about her, Dylan couldn't ignore what he knew. 

Her family had suffered as much as his, so that even now he was able to sympathize with her. Not as much as before, but he still couldn't ignore her sadness.

He then put his hand on her shoulder, making the girl look him in the eye.

“(sigh) Dolly, if there's one thing we can learn from our parents' relationship, it's that we need to move on. I can't deny that we had some good times together, but it wasn't meant to be. At the moment, what really matters is that our parents have a chance to be happy in a relationship again, and I won't let our past ruin their future.”

Dolly smiled at that.

Sadly, but still smiled.

“Do you really agree with that?”

That question made Dylan pause for a moment. He wasn't entirely in agreement before, and now that he knows that Doug is Dolly's father, it was as if the situation had gotten worse.

But then Dr. Samson's phrase came to mind.

“Do not seek comfort, but confront.”

“Sincerely? (sigh) Not yet. But I am already preparing for the most likely results.”

Yes, the situation was far from ideal, but now he had a chance to eventually resolve the problems he had with Dolly. In addition, he had a big advantage.

Considering their relationship, Dylan had a sense of how to act with Dolly.

At the moment, she was again the shy and unsure Dolly when they first met, so this was the best time to interact with her. If he took care not to make her too comfortable around him or make her angry, Dylan could keep Dolly in check long enough for the others to interact with her siblings, and thus prevent her from revealing anything about their past relationship.

At least, until the inevitable moment when she is more confident and Dylan has to deal with her stubborn side.

A moment he's not looking forward to.

His answer seemed sufficiently good for Dolly, who then became serious.

“What about what happened between us?”

“No one needs to know. I want to avoid any and all interference on the part of us or our siblings. Whether their relationship has to go right or wrong, it must depend entirely on them.”

Dolly got a little thoughtful and scratched her chin, analyzing what Dylan said.

“Hmmm… what about our siblings? It would be nice to have help taking into account that you can't lie.”

Dylan smiled, pleased that she hadn't realized how much he had changed.

“I don't see how any of them would ask me directly if we were lovers. Besides, knowing my sisters, they would surely hate you for breaking up with me.”

“Huh, I think you're right. Still, we have a lot to discuss.”

“We can discuss better later, since our parents are dating. Now, we need to focus on an explanation.”

“An what”

“If you haven't noticed, everyone saw our reactions to what should've been our first meeting. We need a reason that's satisfactory enough that they don't insist on more information.”

“Wait, you want to lie?”

Dylan smiled and shook his head.

“Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. Don’t you remember? Various details of our relationship can be used in another context, that doesn't imply that we were a couple or even friends.”

“You mean like half-truths?” The girl scratched her chin again, this time even more concentrated. She clearly disagreed, but she still wasn't comfortable enough to argue. “I'm not sure it's a good idea, even if it's yours. I mean, you wouldn't have to lie, but how do we explain this uncomfortable tension between us?”

The adolescent dalmatian felt slightly embarrassed. Dolly didn't even realize that she praised Dylan's intelligence, but he still felt a little pride.

It was then that something occurred to him.

“Actually, three things happened between us, which not only do not imply that we know each other well, but one of them can justify our discomfort with each other and prevent other questions from arising.”

Dolly got a little excited, wagging her tail slightly.

“And which ones?”

Dylan looked at her, an arrogant smile and a sly look on his face.

“The one thing I am absolutely sure that both families know about.”

Dolly then opened her eyes wide, being immediately startled and swallowing.

“(GULP) Please tell me it’s not what I am thinking.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I will wait a little longer to reveal what the Dimitris are doing in the basement, but I thought it would be good to at least give a general idea of what they do, as it helps to create a bond with the girls.

*

If you didn't know, Pac-Man's original arcade game memorized only the High Score, and did not allow initials. This serves not only to reference one of the greatest games of all time, but also to demonstrate Dawkins' skill. And before anyone has any wrong ideas and calls me old, I'm still in my twenties, and I only know this because I like to research things from the 80s (sometimes it seems that I like this time more than my uncles who were teenagers at that time).

*

And I'm sorry if the "Full House" pun looked silly. In fact, there is another one coming up in the next chapter.

*

By the way, Wattpad user Dafter_Dalmata made a comment that made me realize that I forgot a detail in my explanation of how this world works.

Anthros usually have no surname, and dogs often use the breed as a surname. Because of that, Doug and Delilah are technically already “Mr. & Mrs. Dalmatian” even though they are not married, as they do not actually have a "surname".

This idea occurred to me when watching the episode where Roxy is in love with Dylan, when Delilah calls Roxy “Roxy Rottweiler” and she calls Delilah “Mrs. Dalmatian".

Chapter Text

For those who were waiting, more information about Dylan's father, as well as finally something about Dolly's mother.

And just to highlight what I said in my note from the previous chapter, bad puns at a certain point.

*

*

*

DOLLY

Dolly was having a hard time processing what was going on.

Earlier, she thought that staying in the same room as her father's girlfriend was the most uncomfortable thing that could happen to her today.

Now, she was hanging out with her ex-boyfriend, who had made her agree to tell in full something very embarrassing that she had done almost two years ago.

Uncomfortable was not enough to describe how she felt.

“I still can't believe that Dante’s right this time!”

After the brief walk around the block, the two ex-lovers returned to the restaurant, heading over to where the other pups were to see how their respective younger siblings were dealing with each other.

When they were about to enter, Dylan opened the door and stretched out his arm as he bowed slightly, allowing her to enter first.

Dolly blushed slightly, but managed to maintain her composure when she entered.

“Thanks.” She tried, but she couldn't help but smile. “ He's still a gentleman.”

They proceeded towards the play area, and although she was walking calmly beside Dylan, inside she was freaking out.

She regretted breaking up with Dylan, and just being by his side, she felt a strong urge to hug him and ask for another chance. However, her stubbornness and pride held her back, remembering that this would imply revealing the real reason for breaking up with him.

The truth was that Dolly never wanted to break up with Dylan.

She felt she had to do something about the uncomfortable silence that grew between them, and on the last day of school the year before, she thought the best way to do that was with a bluff. She hoped the suggestion would force Dylan to talk about it, so that things could go back to the way they used to and they could move on.

However, Dylan's reaction to the suggestion left her completely heartbroken.

Dylan agreed.

He didn't nod, or groan in irritation.

Just agreed.

And she also gave as many signs as possible to force a reaction.

Lying about changing classes after the summer.

Admitting what she felt for him.

And even taking a while when she went to kiss him on the cheek, hoping for him to try to switch to a kiss on the lips.

For Dolly, it hurt more than the situation itself. It was as if their relationship was something so simple that Dylan saw no need to fight for it.

As soon as she turned her back on him that day, she started to cry as she increased her pace more and more, to the point where she was running as fast as she could. She then isolated herself in her and Dee Dee's room and spent hours crying, in a way she hadn't since her mother's death.

She was devastated, and in the first month she couldn't feel anything but sadness and anger, in order to really ask her father to transfer her to class 3-D. But the worst came later.

When she tried to rationalize what happened, she remembered two things that made her feel like an idiot.

The first, Dylan's bleak look, which still haunted her today.

The second, and probably the most important, was that Dylan always valued what she wanted more than his own will.

Dylan was a kind and respectful young man, and since they met he has done everything he could to help Dolly adapt to the new life in London.

Often even putting himself outside his comfort zone.

With the exception of what the boy called The Incident, whose mere memory made Dolly wince, Dylan proved time after time that he was willing to do anything to make her happy, so it was not surprising that he had prioritized what she wanted rather than his own feelings.

She realized very late that Dylan was sorry for what had happened, but was unable to express himself. And instead of helping him find a way to apologize, Dolly broke his heart.

Dolly intended to do her best to forget what happened and move on, but it seems that fate has other plans.

As soon as they reached the play area, she could see two things that intrigued her. First, that their siblings were the only children in the place. 

And even more impressive, everyone was getting along very well.

Dizzy and Dee Dee were in the ball pit, laughing happily as they threw plastic balls at each other.

Deepak and Delgado were in the inflatable castle, with Delgado's wheelchair standing in front of it. Deepak was smiling, although he seemed slightly concerned that Delgado was jumping even higher than himself even though he was shorter and had no legs.

Da Vinci and DJ were sitting at a small table nearby, watching the younger ones as they drank something and talked with smiles on their faces.

And a little further away were the two groups of triplets, sitting at a larger table while talking happily with their tails wagging.

The scene touched Dolly's heart, who smiled when she saw that everyone already seemed like good friends.

“Or almost family.”

At that moment, she shuddered when she realized an important detail.

“Hey, Dylan.”

The boy glanced at her, a little curiosity on his face.

“What?”

“You're more observant than me. Is it just me, or does it look like our parents are very close in just six months?”

This made the boy raise an eyebrow and put his hand on his chin, analyzing the situation.

“I don't think I can opine since I've only dated once so far, but I admit that their relationship seems to be evolving surprisingly fast.”

Dolly was slightly surprised to learn that Dylan never had another girlfriend. On the one hand, it made her feel like she might be able to get another chance, but on the other she couldn't help but question whether she hurt him to the point that he never wanted to date again, be it with her or anyone else.

“(sigh) I also only had one boyfriend, but unlike your mother, my father has been in other relationships. I have never seen his datings last so long, let alone the level of affection they seem to have for each other.”

"Interesting ..." Dylan continued with his hand on his chin, but he didn't seem to think much of it. “If everything goes well today, maybe my theory will prove correct.”

Dolly immediately looked at him doubtfully, slightly surprised that he already expected this to happen.

“And what theory would that be?”

“My mother has never been romantically involved since my father's death, and she told me that besides a crush in her youth, my father was the only dog she fell in love with.” He then shrugged, ignoring Dolly's surprise. “So, if she's willing to have a relationship with your father, I believe she intends to go all the way.”

“Wait, so you think they will…”

“Not so soon, but it seems the most likely scenario.” He then patted Dolly on the back, while smiling playfully. “Welcome to the family, sis.”

Dolly looked at him in disbelief, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped.

Dylan just smiled when he saw her reaction, and looked at the others.

“Why don't you sit down with DJ and Da Vinci? I'll go get some drinks and we can watch the others together until dinner time.”

Still shocked by Dylan's theory, Dolly just nodded and headed over to where the others were.

They were both slightly surprised to see her, and Dolly could see that Da Vinci looked a little embarrassed when he looked at Dolly

Dolly on the other hand just smiled gently.

“If I remember it right, she’s very shy. But it seems that she’s already feeling comfortable around DJ.”

“Hey, I didn't expect to see you so soon, Dolly.” DJ said, drinking some of his drink.

“And where's Dylan?” Da Vinci asked, looking behind Dolly with a little concern.

“We saw you two here and decided to join in your idea.” Dolly then sat in the chair to the right of DJ, thus facing Da Vinci. “Dylan offered to get the drinks.”

“Hehe, this is Dylan, always helping.”

Dolly couldn't help smiling slightly. Apparently, even after what happened between them, Dylan remained the same.

“And how was your walk?” DJ asked, slightly curious.

“Dylan and I talked for a while, and I think we got along.” She then remembered what they agreed to say, and turned red. “There is something we have to tell, but as it’s somewhat uncomfortable, let's say it just once, when everyone is together.”

They both looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but before they could insist any further, Dylan arrived.

“I'm back.” Dylan smiled happily and wagged his tail slightly as if there was nothing out of the ordinary, which made Dolly feel a little more uncomfortable. He then sat down on the other chair and held out a glass to her. “Here’s your drink, Dolly.”

Dolly took the cup and blushed slightly when she saw that Dylan had brought her a bigger glass with lemon soda.

“He still remembers!”

“So, any problem with the other pups?” Dylan asked the younger siblings, drinking some of his orange soda.

“Quite the opposite!” Da Vinci replied smiling. “So far everyone is having a great time.”

“I would say that everything is going according to your plan.” DJ said casually, drinking some of his drink.

Dylan immediately choked and spat out some of his drink, while Dolly was curious and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Plan?”

*

*

*

DYLAN

After leaving Dolly, Dylan entered the party room again, not too surprised by what he saw.

The two adults were sitting side by side in the seats at one end of the table, holding each other's hands while looking into each other's eyes with silly smiles on their faces and noses together.

However, as soon as they realized that Dylan entered, the two blushed and felt embarrassed, like two children caught doing mischief.

“Oh, Dylan. Are you done already?" Doug asked, trying to hide his embarrassment and failing miserably.

Dylan smiled when he saw how adorable the two were together. It reminded him of his father for an instant.

His father was a very reserved dog, so Dylan never saw him show such affection for his wife when observed. In fact, the only time he watched his father show affection for his wife like that, was on a night when he was hiding under the kitchen table, eating cookies long after bedtime when he was almost five.

The two were very happy and passionate, and after talking for a while they went up to their room. Dylan was hiding for a while to make sure they were away before going back to his room, but he heard some sounds that his young mind couldn't process at the time.

Later that year the triplets were born, and Dylan now understood what happened that night when he saw his father's most loving side.

Dylan put that awkward memory aside and focused on the now, pointing at the drink machine.

“I came to get some drinks. Dolly and I ended up getting thirsty.”

In this, the parents' faces lit up with happiness.

“And how are you two doing?” Delilah asked, her voice full of enthusiasm.

Dylan blushed a little. It was obvious that they wanted all the pups to get along with each other.

“Well, I would say it's going very well.” He then went to the machine and took two paper cups, one medium for him and one bigger for Dolly, instinctively remembering her preferences without realizing it. “Until I've met her, I thought I was the only top dog that really cares about the younger siblings, and I think we can get along if we get over something.”

In this, both adults were intrigued.

“And what would that be?” Delilah asked, clearly confused by what her eldest son said.

At that, Dylan's face was very red.

As much as he knew that the event he and Dolly were going to tell about justified a difficult interaction between them, the teenage Dalmatian was very uncomfortable to remember that.

“Let's say this isn't the first time we've met.” Dylan realized that they were both even more shocked, but he gave no time for them to ask more. “We agreed that this is one of those cases where it’s better to talk instead of letting it eat away at us, but as it’s somewhat embarrassing for both of us, we’ll tell you only once when everyone is together.” Dylan then took the cups and prepared to leave, looking at the two with an embarrassed smile. “And I would appreciate it if you made it clear to the others not to laugh at us because of it.”

The two looked at each other for a moment, but then looked at him with love and understanding.

“Don’t worry dear. I understand that you have a hard time admitting certain things.” Delilah managed to maintain her composure, but then she couldn't contain a light laugh. “Although I can't promise that I won’t laugh when you tell us what happened.”

“Hehe. I hate to say it, but I think I might as well end up laughing.” Doug smiled sheepishly, scratching behind his neck. “Although knowing Dolly, I can't help imagining that this embarrassing experience starts with her running over you with her skateboard.”

Dylan was surprised, not only that they were in sync to the point of quickly agreeing on this, but also that Doug guessed how the two met.

“Hehe. I think you really know your daughter, but I wish it had stopped there.” The boy then prepared to leave, and seeing that he was holding the two cups, Doug got up and opened the door for the young Dalmatian. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” The adult replied, smiling happily as he held the door for Dylan.

“I'm liking him. I think we'll get along.”

Doug was a good guy, and Dylan had to admit that he was doing a great job trying to bring the two families together.

“Too bad his daughter’s not like that.” The voice in his mind said.

Normally, Dylan would agree automatically just to let the thought go, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge in his chest.

After feeling comfortable with him, Dolly showed herself as someone strong and determined, the kind of person who never gives up in the face of problems until she wins. That's why it hurt so much when she broke up with him.

Because she was so stubborn and proud, Dolly couldn't admit she was wrong after The Incident, and instead of helping her feel more comfortable apologizing, Dylan chose to wait in silence until she apologized. Not only did this allow the tension between them to become unpleasant, but it finally made her decide that it was better to end the relationship rather than solve the problem.

At first he felt terrible, and after returning with the pills and rethinking the situation, he was furious. It was as if their relationship was the only thing she was not willing to persist in.

But now that he could see Dolly's current state, Dylan was in doubt. He could see clearly that she felt remorse when she looked at him, and that made no sense.

“Unless…” At that moment, even the voice in his mind seemed confused.

Then something occurred to him and he froze, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped.

“She's regretful!?”

The voice quieted, Dylan's mind focused on reviewing every moment he spent with Dolly today.

She was cautious and submissive, quickly accepting what Dylan proposed, even if it would embarrass her in front of everyone. In addition, she paid him some praise, either intentionally or naturally without realizing it. And besides, for a brief moment it looked like she was going to apologize.

“( GASP ) Like the first time we met!”

And then it all made sense.

Just like the first time they met, Dolly was feeling guilty and afraid of how he was going to react, only this time Dylan was scolding her.

And if she was feeling guilty after all this time, then she must still care about what happened.

It made Dylan feel refreshed.

Sure, things could never be the same as before, but if he could only be Dolly's friend again, things could work out perfectly between the two families, and maybe that way the possible marriage could happen even earlier.

Smiling with renewed spirits, the boy headed for the table where Dolly, Da Vinci and DJ were talking.

“I'm back.” He sat in the last available chair, facing DJ and with Dolly on the left and Da Vinci on the right. He then handed Dolly her drink, unaware that he was smiling. “Here’s your drink, Dolly.” Dolly took the cup, and Dylan started talking to the others. “So, any problem with the other pups?”

Dylan drank some of his orange soda, now more relaxed. After all, looking after pups was one of his specialties.

“Quite the opposite!” Da Vinci replied smiling. “So far everyone is having a great time.”

“I would say that everything is going according to your plan.” DJ said casually, drinking some of his drink.

Dylan was pleased with Da Vinci's report, but immediately choked and spat out some of his drink upon hearing what DJ said.

Dylan gave Da Vinci a look of complete betrayal, but then he saw Dolly looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Plan?

Looking into his ex-girlfriend's eyes, Dylan saw a brief flash of aggression. He was handling well with confused and embarrassed Dolly, but he realized that if she got angry enough her impulsive side would prevail.

And Dolly's impulsive side has always been unpredictable for him.

“It's no big deal.” DJ said, attracting the attention of the ex-couple. “I told Da Vinci that it would be awesome if our parents decide to get married, and she slipped out that Dylan was already expecting it.” He then looked at Dylan and raised a thumbs up. “You can count me in.”

Dolly was shocked by what DJ said, apparently leaving aside that Dylan was plotting behind her.

“Wait, do you really think that?”

“(sigh) Dolly, look at them.” DJ said, pointing to the others while giving her a serious stare. “I have never seen our younger siblings so happy when playing with other children, and besides, one of them is a friend of Dante, of all the dogs. Not to mention how happy Dad and Delilah look together.” He then looked at her with serious eyes and crossed his arms, preparing for what he was going to say. “I know you're not doing well at the moment, but even you have to admit that we couldn't ask for a better stepmother.”

Dylan and Dolly stared at the musician in total disbelief, both with wide eyes and dropping jaws.

Dolly clearly didn't expect to hear that from her younger brother, but Dylan was shocked by his attitude.

Dylan remembered what Dolly had told her about her siblings, and according to her Dante and DJ were basically like Dawkins and Da Vinci to him. He never had to hear a sermon from one of his younger siblings before, and seeing that happen to Dolly was surreal, as Dylan never witnessed a younger sibling speak to the top dog like that.

“It seems that Dolly’s not the only one I have to keep an eye on.”

A slight tension took over the table, until Da Vinci decided to speak.

“Listen, I know that DJ could’ve expressed himself better, but he really believes that this is the best for all of us. (chuckles) Besides, it's not like they're getting married this week.”

It made Dolly look thoughtful, clearly pondering.

“(sigh) Okay, I think I can get used to the idea in due time.” She then looked seriously at DJ. “But don't expect too much from me.”

That was enough to put a smile on the younger ones, and Dylan was pleased to see how things were going.

The four then spent the rest of the time talking while watching the others, and Dylan had to admit that it was good to be around Dolly again.

“Who knows, maybe we will be friends again one day?”

*

*

*

DÉJÀ VU

Déjà Vu just couldn't believe what was happening.

First, the initial shock of discovering that Doug's family also had triplets.

Then, the boys facilitated their part of Dylan's plan by asking to talk to Triple D.

Then, they surprise them by showing that they are friendly and will not treat them differently.

And if that weren't enough, they even wanted to be filmmakers in the future.

Could they surprise them more?

“And how are your other siblings like?” Destiny asked.

“Delgado and Dee Dee respect us, but not as much as the others.” Dimitri 1 said, smiling happily while thinking about his siblings. “And the older ones are very nice to us. They support us a lot with our dream, and DJ even helps us sometimes.”

“Is that why he wears a jacket like the three of you?” Dallas asked, watching the boys' clothes with interest. “I have to say, I am impressed with your style. It's like a modern version of the bad boys from the old movies, but the sneakers with lights add a touch that makes you adorable instead of threatening.”

The boys had reddened cheeks, smiling self-consciously. Déjà Vu couldn't help but find the scene cute.

“Thank you.” The three boys responded at the same time.

“In fact, the jackets were a gift from our sponsor.” Dimitri 3 said, soon receiving angry looks from the other two.

“Sponsor?” The three asked together, eyes wide.

Dimitri 3 was slightly embarrassed when he realized that the other two were shooting daggers at him with their eyes, and after looking at each other Dimitri 2 and Dimitri 3 looked at Dimitri 1, who then took a breath and started talking.

“Listen, Dante said not to talk about this today because it is the first time that our families have met, so if you really want to know, you can't let anyone know about it.” Triple D stared at each other for a moment, and then looked at him with smiles on their faces and nodded. “(sigh) Very well, the truth is that we’re already in the entertainment business, but unlike you who became celebrities, we are still working on being recognized.”

The three were shocked. It was one thing to find out that the boys dreamed of becoming filmmakers, but knowing that they were already working on it was impressive, even more since the boys didn't have the same types of contacts that they got.

“So, does it mean that your work is already in circulation?” Déjà Vu asked, remembering Dimitri 2’s camera.

“It's been in circulation for four years, actually.” - Dimitri 2 said, his tail wagging a little. “We have a channel on WoofTube.”

Once again, the girls were amazed, staring at the Dimitris with wide eyes and jaws dropping.

WoofTube was a video sharing platform that emerged five years ago, created by a mysterious millionaire who ran a technological and multimedia empire. The company, called HD International, is recognized worldwide for working only with high definition of image and video, and its mysterious founder became known as Master HD.

He from the beginning of the company showed that he was not afraid to compete with the big names that already existed, including creating WoofTube as a clear declaration of war to his biggest competitor at the time, even making a similar logo, but putting a "play" symbol stylized to look like a paw mark. He also created a social network called Fetchbook and a streaming service he called Scratchflix.

Due to the great focus on anthros, most thought that Master HD was an anthro, but some interviews with humans and anthros who came to know the true identity of Master HD revealed that he is a shy human who prefers anonymity.

The mysterious identity of the owner of HD International helped make the company and its products known, and WoofTube was their biggest success.

Several anthros became famous because of WoofTube, and it was precisely on WoofTube that Triple D were trying to win back their fans around the world.

Knowing that the Dimitris were so successful that they had a sponsor was impressive, and although Déjà Vu was genuinely happy for the boys, she could see in Destiny and Dallas's eyes that they were feeling a twinge of jealousy.

“That’s so cool, guys.” Déjà vu said, trying to prevent Destiny or Dallas from saying something inappropriate. “But then why does DJ have the same jacket?”

“Well, he helps us with some of our videos.” Dimitri 2 said, getting immediately excited and wagging his tail a lot. “DJ doesn't just like music, he's a music genius. Some of our most viewed videos are the ones where he plays a song.”

“So, is he part of your channel?” Dallas asked, finding the way Dimitri 2 explained confused.

“Actually, it's more like a recurring guest. Even so, when our sponsor suggested matching jackets, we insisted that all four should get one, personalizing with our nicknames.” Dimitri 3 said, and when he realized that the girls were confused he pointed to the “D3” on the jacket. “We admire him a lot, so when we were little we called ourselves D1, D2 and D3 to match his nickname.”

“That sounds adorable.” Destiny said, her face taken by tenderness. “And above all, it shows that you have a strong bond with your brother.”

“Well, I think he was the coolest sibling when we were puppies.” Dimitri 2 said, looking thoughtful. “Dolly wasn't very interesting to us when we were younger, and Dante still intimidates us a little, even though he is the most responsible among us. So I think DJ ended up becoming our favorite sibling.”

“And what kinds of songs does he play?” Déjà Vu asked, now interested in DJ’s talent.

“Depends on the occasion. He plays a lot of instruments, so there are plenty of options.” Dimitri 1 said with joy, but was a little embarrassed and scratched behind his head. “DJ used to play more often in the past, but he doesn't feel the "vibes" after we moved.” He made quotes with his fingers and rolled his eyes. “We don't understand him sometimes, but I think it's his way of saying he's uninspired.”

The girls just nodded. Being actresses, they understand what it's like to be uninspired to do something. However, something that Dimitri 1 said caught their attention.

“Wait, so you're not from London?” Destiny asked, she, like Déjà Vu and Dallas, was very excited to know that the boys came from elsewhere.

“And where did you come from?” Dallas asked.

“Until two years ago, we lived in the city where we were born, San Francisco.” Dimitri 3 replied, without giving much importance.

At that, the three girls were shocked.

“You mean…” Destiny started.

“...that your family...” Dallas continued.

“...came from…” Déjà Vu continued.

“...California?” The three concluded.

The three boys nodded at the same time, smiling calmly.

“And just out of curiosity…” Destiny started.

“Have you ever been to Hollywood?” Dallas concluded, the two of them with a sparkle in their eyes as they anxiously waited for an answer.

Déjà Vu laughed lightly at their behavior. Both have always been very enthusiastic about their artistic career, whereas Déjà Vu did not care much. Even more so after their father died.

The truth is that their career started by accident.

One day, when they were not even two years old, their father was taking care of them when he was called in an emergency at the office of one of his clients and had to take the three together since Delilah had taken the others for a medical checkup.

They went to a huge building where there were several offices, and coincidentally,  their father took the elevator at the time a human talent agent.

He was desperate looking for identical twins who were dalmatian anthros between the age of one and a half and two, and luckily for him he found an anthro dalmatian who had identical triplets.

After the talent agent insisted, their parents accepted, on the condition that their father was the manager.

Because of this, their father left several of his clients aside to focus on their careers, keeping only the most intimate clients like the owners of Dearly's.

For Destiny and Dallas it was all about fame and glamor, but for Déjà Vu it was different. Although she was a little naive and didn't seem as smart as the other two, Déjà Vu was the one with the biggest heart.

She never cared much for fame, and for her the artistic career was something that bonded her to her sisters and especially to their father. He gave up doing what he liked to work with to manage their careers and ensure that all his children had the best possible future, and for Déjà Vu doing a good job meant showing gratitude for what their father was doing.

And when he died, Déjà Vu felt a little hurt when she learned that her sisters immediately started looking for a new manager.

That's why she immediately agreed when Delilah decided to make them take a break from their careers, because even though he was a nice guy, the new manager could never replace her father.

Déjà Vu did not imagine coming back into the spotlight anytime soon, but she couldn't deny that the energy emanating from Destiny, Dallas and the Dimitris reminded her of when they observed gig proposals with their father.

“Actually, we did got to visit there.” Dimitri 1 answered Destiny and Dallas's question, making them even more excited.

“Once, during family vacations, our parents took us to travel all over California.” Dimitri 2 said, getting very excited while remembering.

“We were still quite young, but never forget the day we visited Hollywood.” Dimitri 3 added, as excited as Destiny and Dallas.

“Hehe. It was very funny.” Dimitri 1 smiled while taking on a nostalgic look, remembering what they did. “Our parents took the family on a tour inside a studio, and the three of us escaped the tour van and entered the film set.”

“It was on that day that our passion for production began.” Dimitri 3 said, also smiling nostalgically.

“We have an album with photos of the trip at home, so the next time we meet we can show you a photo of the three of us on the walk of fame.” Dimitri 2 added.

Upon hearing this, Destiny and Dallas were so excited that it looked like they were about to take flight.

“That would be pretty cool.” Déjà Vu said with a modest smile, but then took on a playful tone, winking at the boys. “And you saying that you guys would have nothing interesting to tell us.”

The three of them turned red in the cheeks, looking away as they smiled awkwardly.

“Well, considering you three…” Dimitri 1 started.

“...Are famous actresses,...” Dimitri 2 continued.

“...We thought that this…” Dimitri 3 continued.

“...Wouldn’t be very impressive for you.” The three concluded together.

For an instant, all six stood motionless, eyes wide and jaw dropping.

And then...

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!”

...the six started to laugh wildly.

“Hahaha!” Dimitri 1 tried to keep from laughing, but it was hard. “Oh, dog! This is contagious!”

The six remained laughing for a while, until they managed to calm down. From her position, Déjà Vu could see that everyone else stopped what they were doing to look at the six.

“Looks like we have an audience.”

The others then looked around, and realized that the others were looking at their group.

When they saw that they were noticed, the others went back to what they were doing before the wild fit of laughter.

“Back to the subject…” Dallas caught everyone's attention, ignoring what happened. “We always wanted to go to Hollywood, but our parents only allowed us to take gigs in Europe.”

“Seriously? And why is that?” Dimitri 3 asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Well, our father was our manager.” Destiny said, with a slight sadness in her voice. 

“He supervised our work, so everything we did was designed in a way that would not overwhelm our mother.” Déjà Vu added.

“Makes sense.” Dimitri 2 said, scratching his chin while thinking. “According to Dad, our mother also followed her career thinking about how it would affect us.”

“Yeah, it seems really difficult to raise so many children with two parents who work at different times.” Dallas added. “I'm glad Mom has Dylan to help. And you guys have Dolly to help, right?”

The Dimitris nodded, both agreeing to Dallas.

The six would continue the conversation, but then Dylan approached them.

“Hey, guys.” He smiled kindly, in a way that the six knew well by their respective older siblings. “I hate to spoil your fun, but it's time to go back.”

The six were taken by surprise, and looking at the others they could see that Dolly was with Deepak, Dizzy and Dee Dee, while DJ helped Delgado in the wheelchair.

“Wow, it’s dinner time already?” Dimitri 1 took out his cell phone and looked at the screen, seeing that it was two minutes before 8.

“We didn't even notice the time passing.” Destiny said, surprised that almost an hour and a half had passed.

“So it's a good sign.” Dylan smiled happily, and the girls already imagined the reason. “It shows that you are getting along.”

The six smiled and wagged their tails, getting up and going with Dylan to where the others were.

The day’s not over yet, but Déjà Vu knew that all six were already looking forward to the next time their parents got all the pups together. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And now we've seen Dolly's side of what happened in the prologue, which gives us an important insight into their breakup. It's just a shame that she and Dylan don't see it the same way.

*

Everyone is heading to the party room, ready for dinner, unaware that things are happening not only between Dylan and Dolly but also between Doug and Delilah. We will see how they deal with what is to come.

And believe me, I doubt anyone can guess what I planned as a background for their relationship.

*

When Dylan got Dolly's favorite drink, I did it with my favorite drink in mind, the lemon flavor of a carbonated drink brand called, amazingly, Dolly. The drink itself is very tasty, and depending on the region of Brazil there is a different selection of flavors to choose from (although Dolly Cola is not very popular, as they have to compete with Coca-Cola and Pepsi, which are MUCH better) .

And the best thing is their jingle, which is basically singing "Dolly" several times for twenty seconds.

Recently, I thought of a funny scene, in which Dolly would come into the kitchen and see Dylan saying to the other pups "No one is going to take my Dolly from me" and she would get emotional and with hearts in her eyes. But then she would look closely and see that Dylan was protectively hugging a bottle of Dolly soda and would be furious, and the scene would end with her furiously leaving the kitchen, while the others rescue a knocked out Dylan who is next to a plastic bottle broken in the middle and lying in a puddle of soda, all the pups totally shocked and without understanding what happened.🤣

Chapter Text

The image was made by me, testing an update in the image editor on my computer. In the future, whenever the Dalmatians have a meal, imagine them sitting that way.

I don't know if that happens in London schools, but in this chapter I mention what I like best about anime and manga: the Valentine's Day chocolate exchange chapter.

I just love it, although I don't like chocolate that much.

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*

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DA VINCI

Da Vinci watched closely as Dylan and Dolly gathered the other pups together, being surprised by what she saw.

“They're good at that.” She then looked at DJ, who after helping an exhausted Delgado to climb into the wheelchair, placed himself behind him while slowly guiding the chair. “It's like he said, when she’s not depressed she’s as good at it as Dylan.”

They soon gathered all the pups together, and Da Vinci took a last sip of soda before getting up and throwing the cups from the table into a nearby dumpster.

She then went to the others, who were preparing to enter.

“Okay, guys.” Dylan said, drawing everyone's attention. “I know you guys were having fun, but you don't have to be sad, we can still talk a lot during dinner. And considering that our parents seem to like each other a lot and we really are getting along, we’ll definitely meet more often.”

With exception of Dylan and Dolly, all wagged happily their tails, and Da Vinci realized she was too. She had only talked to DJ and Dolly until now, but watching the others she thought she could get used to them quickly.

Deepak then caught Dylan's attention and started talking.

“I agree with you completely, brother.” He then looked at Delgado's state of exhaustion and chuckled. “ And I believe my new friend needs to eat soon.”

Da Vinci noticed the moment when everyone but Dylan and Delgado looked at Deepak with a raised eyebrow.

“Haha. I sure do.” Delgado said, attracting the attention of the others. “Oh, he praised Dylan and said I need to eat soon.”

“Can you really understand him?” Dizzy asked with bright eyes, shocked to see that Delgado really understood Deepak.

“Sure!” Delgado replied, feeling proud. “I started learning about six or seven months ago. I discovered a video lesson on the internet by chance, and I ended up liking it a lot.” He then got a little sad, looking down. “It's a cool thing to do, since we haven't been out of the house a lot lately.”

A slight tension grew in the air.

Da Vinci remembered DJ's words. Since Dolly started to isolate herself, he and the other siblings started spending a lot of time at home, and Delgado was the most affected by it.

At this moment, Dimitri 1 looked at Deepak and something occurred to him.

"No offense ..." He then looked at Dylan, his face full of embarrassment. “But I'm really curious. I always thought mute people were also deaf, but from what you said, he listens very well.”

At that moment, Da Vinci and her siblings were momentarily confused, until something occurred to Da Vinci.

“Oh, dog.” She did a facepalm against her forehead and rolled her eyes. “I'm sorry, I somehow forgot to explain. Deepak is not deaf or mute, he’s under a vow of silence.”

Da Vinci could see that Dolly's siblings showed mixed reactions, with the Dimitris getting a twinkle in their eyes while the others looked confused. Dolly, however, did not seem at all surprised by this.

“Did Dylan talk to her about it?”

“This is so cool!” The Dimitris said at the same time, the three surrounding Deepak and looking at him with adoration.

“What is a vow of silence?” Dee Dee asked, looking at Dylan and Dolly.

“It's one of the coolest things in the world!” Dimitri 2 said.

“We’ve seen this in some movies and series.” Dimitri 3 added, excited. “It’s usually shown as something practiced by religious people from isolated monasteries or monks who practice martial arts.”

“They take a vow to never speak.” Dimitri 1 said, and then he gave a little laugh. “We watched an episode of a series with a very funny detective, that in less than three minutes irritated a monk so much, that the monk ended up talking after nine years in silence.”

After this explanation from her older brothers, Dee Dee understood what they were talking about.

“So, it's like a big game to see who keeps silent for the longest time?” She then got excited too, and looked at Deepak with adoration. “And how long has he not spoken?”

“Well, if today is Saturday…” Dylan started, counting on his fingers. “Then today he completes…” Dylan took a while to continue, watching the pups' excitement. “…six days.”

Dylan stared at the pups with a smirk on his face, watching their disappointed faces and their dropped jaws.

Dylan and his siblings laughed lightly at their reaction, but Da Vinci recovered from her laughter and smiled gently.

“Sorry about Dylan. He's responsible, but sometimes he makes some pranks. Deepak started his vow of silence on Monday, so it may not look very impressive to you guys yet.”

The pups didn't seem to take offense at Dylan's prank, and from the way Da Vinci saw they were taking Deepak's vow of silence well.

“Hehe. Sorry, pups.” Dylan said, scratching behind the neck. However, it was clear from his smile that he felt no shame or remorse for what he did. “Actually, the vow of silence isn't exactly like in the movies. It’s like in some religions where people spend a period of time meditating or fasting, so this thing about someone being banned from speaking for the rest of life is pure fiction.”

“And why are you doing this?” Delgado asked, looking at Deepak with a raised eyebrow.

“Just for fun.” The puppy gestured, leaving Delgado surprised. “Although I won't complain if really achieving spiritual enlightenment in the process.”

“Fun and what?” Delgado asked, very confused. “I couldn't understand the rest.”

Delgado's siblings were even more confused than he was, and by the blush on his cheeks, Deepak was embarrassed to use words that his new friend can’t understand.

“It's like Dee Dee said, a game.” Da Vinci answered for her brother, explaining Deepak's motives. “Deepak is part of an… interesting group of anthros. Every year, some of them take a vow of silence during the summer vacations. Last year, Deepak managed to go a little over a month without speaking, and intends to surpass that mark this year.”

Most seemed to accept the explanation well, and the Dimitris and Delgado looked at Deepak with admiration again.

DJ, on the other hand, was confused.

“Then, when you guys learned sign language? From what you said earlier, the four older ones and your mother already knew sign language before Deepak started with the vow of silence.”

The question got Da Vinci and the others saddened, which left DJ and his siblings confused.

“(sigh) Our father.” Dylan said, looking at DJ and his siblings with empathy. “In simple words, we’re also dealing with the death of one of our parents, so I think we can all agree to avoid this type of conversation.” DJ and the others also got saddened by Dylan talking about this, and it was possible to see that there was a little guilt in DJ's eyes. “But to answer your question, in our father's side of the family, there is the possibility of being born with partial or total deafness, or else of developing after a certain age. Because of this, his family has a tradition of beginning to teach their children around the age of three or four.”

“Then you guys…” Delgado asked, looking at Dylan and the others with a little concern.

“No. Our generation was fortunate for medicine to advance so that our mother only needed to take some medicine to prevent us from being born with it, but that didn't exist before twenty years ago so our father would be affected. In fact, when he died, he already needed a hearing aid.”

Dylan took a deep breath. He had more to say, but he clearly needed some time.

“He taught us sign language so that we could communicate when he got totally deaf, but also because it’s something useful since there are many dalmatians with partial or total deafness. That way, not only would we keep the tradition, we could also help if someone needed an interpreter.”

DJ and the others were moved by the noble attitude of Dylan's father.

“But now what matters is that we’re all here, together. Our parents are waiting for us for dinner, so how about we go inside?”

Da Vinci could see a little cheer rise between the pups, with slight smiles and the occasional wagging tail.

Everyone promptly started walking towards the glass door that led to the party room, and when they arrived Dylan passed his bracelet on the reader to open the door.

As soon as they entered, everyone saw Doug and Delilah sitting in their seats at the end of the table, but they also saw Dante and Dawkins, sitting facing each other on opposite sides of the table.

They were seated so that the seats closest to the parents were empty, clearly for Dylan and Dolly to sit.

“Welcome back, pups!” Doug greeted, his voice full of cheer. “Everyone have fun?”

With the exception of Dylan and Dolly, everyone that was in the play area started talking together, making their parents laugh a little when they saw them so excited.

“It's good to see that everyone’s getting along.” Delilah said, smiling kindly while she had an open menu in front of her. “Why don't you kids sit down and choose what to eat?”

The pups promptly sat down, Doug's children near Dante and Delilah's children near Dawkins. Da Vinci and her siblings followed their habit of sitting in order of age, and she noticed that the others seemed to copy that method.

She also noticed that Dylan and Dolly exchanged looks before they sat down, and was even more curious about what Dolly said about the two telling something embarrassing that happened between them.

Looking closely, Da Vinci noticed that Dante had both hands in a metal bowl full of ice on the table.

“What happened?” She said, looking at the inverted dalmatian with a raised eyebrow.

This caught the attention of the other pups, who apparently hadn't noticed until now.

Doug, Delilah and Dawkins laughed lightly, while Dante shrugged with a smug smile.

“I just got a little excited.” He then nodded in the direction of Dawkins. “But now your brother isn't the top scorer in all the video games.”

Upon hearing this, all of Dawkins’ siblings looked at him in astonishment, causing mild discomfort in the scientific dalmatian. 

“I confess that I'm still processing what happened.” He blushed slightly, and looked to the side as he scratched behind the neck. “I knew that Dante was good, but I wasn't expecting him to break my high scores in eight games in such a short time.”

Then everyone looked at Dante and his hands in the ice, who just shrugged again.

“Totally worth it.”

“Leaving that aside…” Delilah said, drawing the pups' attention. - Dante has already decided that he wants a creamy mushroom soup, and before anyone asks, he’ll eat it with a straw.” Delilah smiled slightly, and everyone but Dylan chuckled. “Get your menus and choose what you want to eat. After that, we can talk some more.”

Everyone nodded, and soon almost everyone dipped their noses into the menus.

Doug ordered a rare steak with vegetables and mashed potatoes; Delilah ordered a mushroom risotto accompanied by chicken fillet; Delgado, Dizzy and Dee Dee ordered the special kid's dish, which consisted of a small burger, a small portion of french fries, some chicken nuggets, a little salad and accompanying it came a large sheet of paper with a coloring image and a small box of crayons; Dylan ordered the same dish as Doug, but with the steak medium rare; Deepak ordered tuna fillet with fries; DJ and the Dimitris ordered the same, the three-tier burger that weighed almost 2 pounds with fries; Da Vinci ordered spaghetti with meatballs; Triple D ordered lasagna, but Destiny asked for a meat one, Dallas for a spinach one, and Déjà Vu one made only with pasta, sauce and 4 types of cheese; Dawkins ordered shepherd’s pie; and Dolly was a little indecisive, so she ended up opting for the same as Doug and Dylan.

As soon as the orders were made, Da Vinci promptly addressed Dante and Dawkins.

“I think everyone’s wondering, so here it goes: How did you two become friends?”

Everyone looked at the two of them, who were smiling because they were happy someone finally asked.

“I was starting to think that nobody wanted to know.” - Dante said, shrugging. “We met almost two years ago.

This made everyone even more curious, and Da Vinci realized that Dylan and Dolly were looking at them with raised eyebrows.

“Dante seemed a little intimidating at first, but in the second week of classes I caught a glimpse of his portable console and we talked while we were leaving.”

“And when we realized, we were already friends.” Dante smiled happily, wagging his tail with energy. He then looked at the adults, smiling smugly. “Four months ago, we told each other that our parents were dating, and it wasn't too hard to find out that our parents were dating each other.”

“So, both of you knew all this time?” DJ asked, looking at the two a little offended.

“I agree with DJ.” Da Vinci said, attracting the attention of the youngest. “Why haven’t you told us before?

“Well, actually, I did.” Dawkins said, looking at his sisters with a raised eyebrow. “You know, in the several times that I mentioned my friend with the firefighter father, that couldn't visit us because he always helped at home?”

In that, Da Vinci and Triple D had their faces red like tomatoes, looking away.

“Wait, so Dante is your imaginary friend?” Dizzy said, making Dante and his brothers laugh a little.

Amid the laughter, Dylan noticed something.

“Wait a second.” He then looked quickly at the two, who were a little confused. “Thursday, when you said you had planned to spend the day with your friend…”

“I planned to spend the day with Dante.” Dawkins said, as if it were obvious.

“Oh, my dog!” Dimitri 1 said, looking at Dante with wide eyes. “That's why you were so happy that morning!”

Dante just smirked and winked at him.

“Still, that was a nice surprise.” Doug said, looking at Dante and Dawkins fondly. “And to think that Delilah and I were afraid that our pups would never get along.”

Everyone smiled slightly. In the end, what mattered was that everyone was getting along.

“Speaking of which…” Delilah caught the pups' attention, while looking at Dylan and Dolly with a mischievous smile on her face. “We learned that you’re not the only ones that already knew each other.”

With the exception of DJ and Da Vinci, all the pups looked at the older ones, Dante and Dawkins the most surprised of all.

“You already knew each other?” They asked at the same time.

The two oldest smiled self-consciously, looking away.

“Well, it's kind of a long story.” Dylan started, and saw that everyone was looking at him with interest. “Two summers ago, I was walking absentmindedly through the park, when Dolly appeared on her skateboard and ran into me.”

“Ouch!” The Dimitris, Triple D, Delgado, Dizzy and Dee Dee said at the same time, wincing while imagining.

“Dylan was very kind to me.” Dolly looked down, her face red and her voice a little hesitant. “He talked to me and explained to me about how the park worked, especially the appropriate area for me to skate.” Dolly took a brief pause, which made Da Vinci a little suspicious, but then went on. “After that, we met again after the vacations. Coincidentally, we were not only in the same school, but also in the same class.”

This surprised all the pups a little.

“So the two of you are best friends too?” Dee Dee asked enthusiastically.

“Not exactly.” Dylan scratched behind his neck, uncomfortable with the subject. “Dolly went to another class last year, and we haven't seen each other until today.”

For a moment, all the pups looked at Dylan and Dolly with a raised eyebrow.

"Could it be... " Da Vinci looked at Dolly intently, but dismissed the thought. “No, there’s no way. DJ said she was rejected by a boy at about the same time that Dylan was rejected too.”

From the reactions of the others, Da Vinci realized that everyone except Dizzy and Dee Dee seemed to be thinking similarly.

“But you can be friends now, right?” Dizzy asked innocently.

Dylan and Dolly blushed even more.

The parents realized this, and decided to speak.

“Pups, we need to say something before they continue.” Delilah said, holding Doug's hand.

“Your siblings went through something embarrassing, and before they tell us, we ask everyone to respect their desire not to bring it up after they say what happened.”

“And please don't interrupt until they finish telling us.” Delilah said, giving the pups a loving but authoritative look.

All the siblings looked at each other, but they soon nodded.

Doug and Delilah then smiled to encourage their oldests. They looked at each other briefly and apparently decided that Dylan would speak.

He then started by looking at Dolly's siblings.

“(sigh) Well, considering that most of you may not know it, I like to cook. In February last year, our room had a chocolate exchange, and the other boys and I thought it would be nice to prepare some homemade chocolates for the girls. We gathered our money and three classmates bought the ingredients, I took charge of preparing the chocolates, while one of our classmates helped me to put in red boxes in the shape of hearts that two other classmate had made.”

The pups remained silent, and Da Vinci couldn't help but remember that day.

It was a Monday, and Dylan had spent the afternoon of the previous day with his classmates Hansel making heart-shaped chocolates using ten different fillings.

Da Vinci and the other girls loved to lick the bowls afterwards.

“The girls and I really liked the gesture, and I even gave Dylan a kiss to thank him.” Dolly looked nostalgic, but as soon as she finished speaking, she blushed more than before. “O-On the c-cheek, of course.” The pups held their laughter, and Dylan was blushing too. “I love chocolate, so I decided I would eat it all right away.”

“We were both standing while talking, and when Dolly was halfway through the chocolates, she gave a loud burp and then... Well, I think you all know the rest.”

Everyone was confused for a moment, until everyone got wide-eyed and then started to laugh wildly.

Even the parents.

Most impressive was that Deepak could laugh without making any sound, clearly determined to remain silent until the end of the summer.

Dylan and Dolly hid their faces in their hands, totally ashamed.

Da Vinci remembered that day well, Dylan coming home after his regular time accompanied by their mother, who had to leave the hospital to pick him up. He had both his shirt and part of his face brown, his eyes wide and glassy as if in a trance. Delilah explained that a girl got sick and threw up on Dylan, who ended up going into shock.

The situation seemed serious at the time, but now that they had a more complete version of what had happened, Dylan's siblings couldn't help but laugh.

As soon as the laughter started to subside, Dawkins looked straight at Dylan as he tried to hold back the laughter.

“Hahaha. So, Dolly was the girl that threw up on you?”

“Wow, not surprised you’re so ashamed.” DJ said, already with no sign that he would continue laughing.

Dante laughed the most, but he managed to stop to share his thoughts.

“Hehe. I think if Dolly hadn't asked us not to tell anyone, Dawkins and I would have figured that already.”

“Indeed.” Then Dawkins put his hand on his chin, assuming a thoughtful tone. "But from what Dante told me, Dolly has already ingested more chocolate than you gave her without any drastic reaction. Why would she throw up in that case?”

It made everyone stop to think, but Dylan promptly responded.

“We talked about it already. One of my fillings for the homemade chocolates contained cinnamon, and as Dolly is allergic it caused her a severe indigestion.”

“So, that was all because of an allergy?” Delgado asked, confused by this. “I thought allergies made people sneeze.”

“Well, not always, dear.” Delilah said, a faint doctor tone in her voice. “There are different allergic reactions, and even in a family there can be different allergies. For example, I am allergic to orchids, whereas Dylan is allergic to cats.”

This seemed sufficient to satisfy Delgado's curiosity, and before anyone could say anything the door opened and two waiters came in with a metal cart with three shelves, on which were the dishes.

“Well, I think we better talk about something else.” Doug said, receiving his plate. “This type of conversation is not appropriate during a meal.”

Everyone laughed lightly and after receiving their plates everyone started to eat.

The conversation became more and more relaxed, and Da Vinci could already imagine everyone as one big family.

“If Dylan’s right, I think there's nothing stopping us from being a big happy family.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This was actually half of the chapter, but I ended up preferring to stop here and post since the entire chapter would end up having almost 9000 words.

*

I made an edit in the previous chapters. After rereading the last chapter, I realized that I fumbled with the chronology of Dylan's father's death.

Before, he would have died six years ago, but with the correction the death occurred five years ago.

*

In the next chapter, we will conclude Saturday Night's Alright, which means the end of the initial arc.

I know it may seem obvious what happens next, but believe me, I am very unpredictable.

Chapter Text

ATTENTION PLEASE: Even though I divided the chapter last week, this chapter is still huge, and I don't like to use more than 5000 words in a single chapter.

For this reason, I decided to split in two again (technically in three, if counting last week's chapter), and do a 'double update', even though technically it is only one chapter. So, I remembered the old vinyls and cassette tapes, which had a Side A and a Side B, and since I'm using titles with musical references, it seemed like a good idea. My author notes will be on Side B. Please read, there is something important there.

*

After a brief absence, finally a scene in the past, with a flashback included (This part will blow your mind).

*

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*

DELILAH

Delilah couldn't be happier.

During most of the dinner the conversation was calm and casual, allowing everyone to get to know each other better. In addition, the night continued more and more promising, and the more she saw the pups interacting with each other, the more she was sure that they would accept what she and Doug were going to say.

They were now eating the dessert, a delicious chocolate cake that came whole and Doug cut it into large slices for everyone.

However, when he was serving the last slice, his shirt sleeve lifted slightly, allowing her children to see Doug's shoulder.

And they were very surprised by what they saw.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM!?” Triple D shouted, eyes wide and dread on their faces.

The others watched Doug's shoulder as well, and Delilah could see that they were shocked, especially Dylan.

Doug was confused for a moment, looking at Delilah doubtfully.

She realized what was going on in his mind, so she promptly took his hand and smiled comfortingly. She then turned towards the pups, giving them a tender look.

“I think it's time to tell. Seven months ago, Doug was injured while saving two children from a fire.” She then put her hand on his shoulder, stroking gently. “He had to go to the hospital, and I took care of his injuries. (chuckles) I've never seen a dog recover so quickly from a burn like that.”

The pups were amazed to hear this.

“So, are you dating one of your patients?” Asked Da Vinci, raising an eyebrow. “You docs don’t have any rules about that?”

“Actually yes, but these rules only apply within the hospital.” Delilah replied, shrugging as she smiled. “As long as we don't do anything inappropriate inside the hospital, no one can complain about me following my boyfriend's recovery.”

They shared a brief kiss, and as soon as they looked at the pups they saw that they were a little less surprised.

“It must have been quite a day.” Dylan said, scratching his chin as he pondered. “So, if you've been dating for six months, I suppose it took a while after you met to decide to date.”

At that, the two exchanged glances, a slight flush on their cheeks.

“Actually…”

_________________________________________________________________________________________

SEVEN MONTHS AGO. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a slightly busy night at the hospital.

A building burned down two hours ago, and the emergency was attending to the victims.

Among the doctors on duty tonight was Delilah, who was walking down the halls with a nurse.

The nurse, a Cocker Spaniel, was reading one of the sheets on a clipboard carefully.

“The patient is Lieutenant Dalmatian, from the fire department. He wrapped two pups in his fireproof jacket and used his body as a battering ram to knock down a burning door, which caused an injury to his right shoulder. The ER team had to remove some of his clothes and realized that the wound required a surgeon's touch.”

The description surprised Delilah a little, the situation looking strangely nostalgic.

“And how is he?” Delilah asked the nurse, both walking hurriedly.

"He doesn't show any signs of concussion or internal injuries, but his shoulder..." She winced as she made a pained face. “No wonder they called you.”

Delilah just nodded, imagining that the situation was unpleasant.

Delilah was one of the most respected surgeons in London, and although she was always ready to help any type of patient, it was rare that they specifically needed her to care for someone who was not on the verge of death.

Apparently, the firefighter had superficial burns and lost part of his fur, as well as fragments of burnt wood pierced deep in his shoulder. It wasn't serious enough to need an operating room, but it was also complicated enough to call one of the hospital's most experienced doctors.

They reached the ER area, a large open area with several stretchers separated by metal partitions with blue curtains. In one of these was the patient that Delilah was supposed to see and she was shocked by what she saw.

The dog, which was on one of the largest partitions, was immensely big, so big that if Delilah had not known from the chart that he was a Dalmatian, she would have thought she was facing the biggest Pit Bull she had ever seen.

He was shirtless, which had been cut with scissors due to his injured shoulder. Still, he remained in a fireman's pants and boots, and with his muscles Delilah couldn't help a slight blush on her face.

She shook her head and regained her focus, walking purposefully towards the patient and then greeted him with a professional tone.

“Good night, Lieutenant. I came to heal your injuries.” She then looked at the wound and was immediately shocked by what she saw. The firefighter's shoulder had a large burned and furless area, and in addition several splinters of wood were pierced in the muscles, some the size of fingers. “No wonder they called me.”

The fireman saw the concern on Delilah's face and smiled self-consciously, scratching the back of his neck with his other arm.

“It’s pretty bad, isn't it?”

Delilah picked up some medical instruments, preparing to work on the wound.

“Believe me, you're nowhere near the top ten worst.” She noticed that he smiled with the joke and soon started cleaning a small area with gauze soaked in alcohol. However, to her surprise, he did not react the way she expected. “Doesn't that hurt?”

The patient shrugged, smiling slightly.

“It burns a lot, but I always had a lot of tolerance for pain.”

Delilah nodded, finishing cleaning and reaching for a syringe. She had dealt with this type of injury before, in fact even before she was a doctor, and no matter how much they say they endure the pain, to date only one dog has actually managed to remain calm throughout the process without anesthesia.

“Still, that’s really necessary.” She applied the anesthesia and was surprised to see that he once again did not react. “Wow, look at that, and isn't it that you really tolerate pain?”

“Hehe. What can I say? Being a firefighter and a father requires a very resistant body.” Then he noticed something and got wide-eyed. “Oh, dog! I have to tell my children if I get hospitalized.”

Delilah smiled at the dog's reaction. It was rare to see a male dog display such intense emotions in front of someone he barely knew.

Although she was feeling comfortable around him.

“Don't worry. I just need to remove the splinters and disinfect the wound.” She then took medical tweezers and a metal container, beginning to carefully remove the splinters and placing them in the container. “You'll be with your wife and kids in no time.”

Upon hearing this, the dog got crestfallen and with a sad look.

“Actually, it's just me and the pups. (sigh) My wife passed a few years ago.”

Delilah felt bad about causing such a reaction. She understood very well what it was like.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't want to…”

“No, no. You had no way of knowing.” The dog just shook his head, a sad smile on his face. “It's been almost seven years since she died, but we still miss her.”

“(sigh) I know exactly how that feels like.” The dog looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she decided to continue. “My husband died almost five years ago.”

“Oh... I see. I'm sorry, doc.”

A silence formed between them for a while, until Delilah noticed that there were some scars between the burns and asked a question.

“Have you injured your shoulder before?”

At that, the patient smiled self-consciously, looking away.

“Actually, I had. And the funny thing is that this would be the second time this has happened to me.”

This caught Delilah's attention.

“Have you done this before?”

“Well, not in the same way, but the general idea was the same.”

“It looks like an interesting story. Would you mind telling me while I finish this?”

The fireman stopped for a moment to think. He didn't seem embarrassed, just wondering if he should tell Delilah or not.

“Sure, why not? At the time I was just a puppy, living on a farm in Suffolk. Some friends and distant relatives who lived in London visited the farm from time to time, and on one of these occasions, a friend from London and I got into a big trouble exploring an abandoned cabin.”

Delilah continued to carefully remove the splinters, but the story seemed familiar.

“And you set fire to the abandoned cabin?”

“No, no. When we were arriving at the cabin it started to rain a lot, so we took shelter inside and decided to explore. It turns out that the cabin was in an area at risk of flooding because of a nearby river.”

Delilah then freezes, just as she was about to remove the biggest splinter. Her mind wandering to the past.

⏮⏮⏮⏮⏯FLASHBACK EFFECT...

Delilah was elated. The almost thirteen-year-old Dalmatian was walking across the field, with a huge smile on her face.

She went with her parents to her grandparents' farm in Suffolk, where there would be a big family reunion the next day, to celebrate her grandfather Pongo and her grandmother Perdita's 40th wedding anniversary.

It would give her the whole day to spend with her best friend.

“Are you sure about that, Delilah? I mean, there must be a reason why this cabin has been abandoned for so many years.”

She looked back and saw her friend walking hesitantly behind her.

“Come on, Doug! Where’s your spirit of adventure?”

Doug was a dog the same age as Delilah, who lived on the farm with his grandparents. They had known each other since they wore diapers, and although they could only see each other a few times a year, they both enjoyed spending time together.

Unlike most dalmatians, he had a sturdy, strong body, and judging by the size of his father in the photos she saw, Doug was likely to be very muscular in the future.

Still, his physique did not influence the fact that he was a little too concerned.

“But my grandfather said that it will rain today! What if we catch a cold?”

Delilah rolled her eyes, taking a long, bored breath.

“If we go soon, we'll be back before it rains.” She then put a hand on Doug's shoulder, smiling enthusiastically. “Besides, if you didn't want to explore you wouldn't be here.”

Doug was a little worried for a moment, biting his lip as he looked at the clouds.

Finally…

“(sigh) Okay, but let's go soon.”

Delilah just smiled, holding Doug's hand as she guided him. She didn't really want to explore an abandoned cabin, she wanted to be alone with Doug.

Recently, Delilah was feeling something stronger and stronger when she thought about Doug, and although she had a hunch of what it was, she thought the best way to be sure was to be alone with him, which was very difficult with both families.

Then, she heard about this abandoned cabin near the river and saw the perfect chance.

They soon got close to the cabin and as soon as they saw it, the two looked closely and Delilah was intrigued by what they saw.

The cabin was made of old grayed wood with two floors, the entire structure attached to the ground by thick logs buried deep on the ground, but they seemed to be rotten. There was a covered porch at the front, although there were several holes. With the exception of the front door, which was falling apart, all the windows were boarded up.

The cabin certainly didn't seem like the right place to confirm what she felt for Doug, and Delilah was reconsidering her idea when nature decided to choose for her.

BRAKABOOM !!!!!

The two were startled by the thunder, and soon after it started raining heavily.

“Let's take shelter.” Doug said, taking a commanding tone and pulling Delilah into the cabin. “It may not be in the best of conditions, but it will have to do.”

The two immediately stayed on the porch, avoiding the areas with holes above them, while watching the rain.

“Maybe I can still do it. ” The young woman thought, having an idea immediately.

She then approached Doug, standing next to him and placing her head on his shoulder. She felt him shiver and tense, but soon he relaxed.

“You know, I usually hate rain.” She then nuzzled his shoulder with her head, feeling comfortable. “But with you by my side, I feel like I can spend hours watching the rain.”

Delilah looked up and met Doug's gaze. He had very red cheeks and wide eyes.

He was about to say something, when the ceiling above them broke and water started to fall on them like an open shower at full power.

“I-I think we b-better get in.”

Before Delilah could answer, he was already opening the door, which was not locked.

Doug left the door open, and as soon as they entered they were surprised by what they saw.

Although abandoned, the cabin still had furniture, which consisted of tables and chairs made of wood, as well as bookshelves that were empty everywhere. The furniture looked better than the house, which was surprising.

“Why did they leave all this behind?” Delilah said, approaching the table and touching to confirm.

“My grandfather said that this region near the river became unfit to live, so this and two other houses were abandoned.”

“Seriously? And why that?”

Doug put his hand on his chin and started to think, and by his face he was trying really hard.

“I can't remember for sure. I think it had something to do with the terrain. Did you notice that the terrain here is lower?”

Delila started to think too, and in fact, part of the way it looked like they were going down a slight slope.

“That's a little suspicious.” Then she looked at the stairs leading to the upper floor and had an idea. “Let's see what's up there?”

“I don't think it's a good idea.” Doug looked at the ceiling, feeling a little unsure. “If the top floor is like the porch cover, the floor may sag under our weight.”

Delilah started to think a little, and looked up at the ceiling. The wood didn't look like the walls, although it didn't look as good as the furniture.

“I think we can go. I mean, the porch cover has been out there for years, but this roof looks much better than the walls.”

“Hmmm… (sigh) Okay, but I'll go first.”

Doug guided the way, watching carefully if the steps were firm. As soon as they reached the top floor, Doug walked carefully to check that the wooden floor could support his weight. As soon as he was sure it was safe, he let Delilah pass and the two started exploring.

There were three rooms on the upper floor, and in one of them they found a bookcase full of books, positioned next to a window that overlooked the back of the house, which was only partially sealed, the boards so bumpy and spaced apart that enough lighting would enter. so they can see clearly.

In addition, there was a wooden bed with an old mattress and a very old blanket, which was as thick and heavy as carpet. Still, it was more comfortable than sitting on the floor.

Doug saw that the terrain around the house was getting covered in water, and that made him raise an eyebrow.

“Looks like we're going to be here for a while.” He then looked at the bookcase and took out a book. “Well, Grandpa always says that books are great for spending time.”

Delilah smiled slightly, but she also took one of the books.

“Okay, but next time, we'll get stuck in an abandoned house that has a television.” The girl said with a teasing tone.

Doug laughed briefly, and the two sat on opposite sides of the bed, facing each other with a stack of books between them. They lost track of time while inspecting the books, the two of them in silence while reading, but still satisfied to be in each other's company.

Delilah was satisfied at the moment. Even though they were both silent, there was no discomfort whatsoever. Quite the contrary, just by being in each other's company like this she could be sure that she liked Doug more than just as a friend.

The only problem now was to find out if he felt the same way.

Doug was a very kind and friendly dog, and although Delilah was sure she was his best friend, she couldn't deny that he spent more time with the dogs in the area, especially some girls who seemed to be more friendly to him than with other boys.

“How can I know if he feels the same way?”

The girl stopped paying attention to the book and began to rethink her strategy, when suddenly they heard a high-pitched squeak and the whole cabin shook.

“What was that?” Both said at the same time.

They immediately left the room to go back downstairs, Doug once again leading the way. He stopped suddenly, leaving Delilah momentarily confused, until she looked at the stairs and was extremely amazed, her eyes wide.

The house was flooded, with water reaching the penultimate step. Delilah was frozen, until Doug's voice pulled her out of that state.

“Did you feel that?”

The girl raised an eyebrow, but stopped to try to feel if there was anything strange.

In fact, Delilah managed to feel that there was a slight movement on the floor, but she couldn't say exactly what.

“Oh my dog!” Doug exclaimed, his eyes wide and an expression of pure dread on his face. He ran to the bedroom and looked out the window, getting even more nervous. “What the fuck!”

The girl was surprised to hear Doug curse, but as soon as she looked out the partially covered window she was shocked by what she saw.

Outside, there was so much water that it looked like the house was inside the river. The girl was speechless until she realized that the trees outside seemed to be moving.

“What the…”

“That's what I felt, a movement similar to that of a boat.” Doug said, looking down. “Those logs below the cabin must have broken with the weight of the water.”

Delilah was surprised for a moment, until she finally understood what was going on.

“And what are we going to do?”

Doug put his hand on his chin and started to think. He looked around and watched the room closely until he had an idea.

“As much as the cabin is made of old wood, it seems that it is heavy enough to be dragged slowly.” He then looked out the window, watching the sky. “The rain is getting weaker, so the water level should not rise much more. (sigh) The adults are going to be furious, but I think that by nightfall the water will have gone down enough to get us back.”

Delilah felt more secure when she heard that.

She then looked at Doug with a raised eyebrow.

“You seem to know a lot about this.”

The boy got red cheeks, looking away while scratching behind his neck.

“Well, you know I worry a lot sometimes. Lately I have been studying hard, preparing to assist in cases of natural disasters or fires.”

“Oh, like a firefighter?”

Doug was confused for a moment, but when he was about to speak, something occurred to him and he was thoughtful.

“Hmmm… Now that you mention it, I think it really looks like what a firefighter does.” He then shook his head negatively while laughing at the idea. “But I could never be one.”

“And why not?” Delilah looked at him, eyebrow raised and deep interest.

“Well, you said it yourself, I worry too much. Besides, my father would never allow it. He thinks that Dalmatian firefighters are a cliché.”

Upon hearing this, Delilah was outraged. She looked at Doug with a stern look, which made him a little intimidated.

“Doug, you shouldn't think this way! Sure, you think a lot about what can go wrong, but that's because you are someone who really cares about safety.” She put her hand on his shoulder, smiling comfortingly. “Besides, if I had heard you, we wouldn't be stuck here.”

“But, my father…”

“Huff! As if his opinion mattered.” Delilah rolled her eyes dismissively, making her position about Doug's father clear. “If he really cared about you, you would be living with him and his wife in his fancy house, not on the farm with your grandfather, only talking to him on the phone on your birthday.”

“But…”

“No 'buts', Doug. You're the only one in your family or mine who doesn't think badly of him, and it just shows how different you really are from that horrible dog.”

Doug smiled a little, but he still didn't seem very confident.

“And I mean it, Doug. You can be anything you want, just need more confidence.”

The boy smiled, and in a quick movement, Doug caught her around the waist and spun her around in the air a little, before hugging her tightly and nuzzling her forehead with his.

“Thank you, Delilah. You really are an amazing friend!”

Delilah returned the hug, snuggling against Doug as he nuzzled her.

Doug was always very affectionate, and if there was one thing Delilah liked, it was his habit of hugging her that way. She didn't know how to explain why, but something about the way he could lift her easily made the loving embrace that came afterwards more pleasurable. Besides, there was the fact that she was the only one he treated like that.

The two stayed that way for a while, until the cabin shook again.

This time, however, it seemed that the ground was slightly inclined, and they realized that the water was now reaching a few inches from the ground, enough to wet their paws.

“What is going on now?” Delilah asked in a panic, clinging tightly against Doug. “Why did the water suddenly rise?”

Doug was thoughtful for a moment, until his face was filled with fear.

“Oh, no…”

“What is happening, Doug?”

“If it has stopped raining, then it is not the water that is rising.” He looked straight into Delilah's eyes seriously, in a way that Delilah had only seen when an adult had something very serious to tell. “The cabin is sinking.”

“What?”

“I no longer feel the cabin move, and the water level has risen very sharply after that last shake. In addition, the floor seems to be a little inclined now.” He then looked down, realizing that the water was above his heels and rising. “If we don't leave here soon, we may not have another chance.”

Doug stopped hugging her and started walking around the room again, considering the options. Delilah remained silent so as not to disturb, but she was terrified.

Doug didn't seem to see many options, until he looked out the window and was surprised by what he saw.

“Thank you, dog!”

He then proceeded to look closely at the room, even touching the walls.

Delilah went to the window to see what made Doug so excited, and as she looked out the window she realized why the cabin had stopped moving.

The back of the cabin was trapped in a heap of rocks, logs and leaves, forming something similar to a beaver dam, which must have been no more than a foot below the window. In addition, the makeshift dam had stopped the cabin near the bank of this 'river', so that they were close to a part where a slight slope connected the dam with the higher ground. 

“What are you thinking?” She asked Doug, one eyebrow raised.

“If this dam is strong enough to hold the cabin, it must support our weight. We just have to run as fast as possible until we leave the wetland.”

Delilah reflected for a while, while Doug continued to feel the walls. In fact, Doug's idea sounded great in theory, but there was still an obstacle to putting it into practice.

“And how do we get out there?”

“I'm working on it. I just need to…” At that moment, the part of the wall that Doug touched creaked differently from the rest, and he smiled. “Bingo!”

Doug then went to the bed and picked up the heavy blanket, immediately placing it around Delilah, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Doug, what are you…”

“Do you trust me?”

They looked at each other for a moment, and finally Delilah nodded.

Doug smiled, and covered her with the blanket and positioned her.

“When I say, count to ten and then run in a straight line and don't take off the blanket until I tell you.”

Delilah was a little concerned, but she still nodded. She could feel the water rising, now approaching her knee. Whatever Doug was going to do, he had to do it soon.

“(sigh) Very well… NOW!”

Without being able to see what was happening, the girl trusted Doug, immediately starting to count while listening to the sound of Doug running on the waterlogged floor.

“ 1…”

“ 2…”

“ 3…”

“ 4…”

“ 5…”

“AAAAAHH!” Doug shouted.

CRASH!!!

Delilah was a little startled by the scream and the noise that followed. She felt the water rise faster, but kept her concentration as she continued to count.

“6…”

“7…”

“8…”

“9…”

“10!” Delilah shouted, immediately running in a straight line.

The girl blindly trusted Doug's instructions, and instead of hitting a wall, she found herself groundless for a moment, until she was caught in someone's arms.

“Ouch!” Doug exclaimed on impulse, clearly in pain.

Before Delilah could say anything, she felt Doug toss her on one of his shoulders and start running while carrying her like a bale of hay.

Delilah could sense that something was wrong.

Doug had carried her like this before, and as always when he carried something, he had done it by putting the weight on his right shoulder. This time, she felt that the arm that held her was the left, and that Doug seemed to be running erratically, and he was constantly grunting.

At some point, Doug jumped still with Delilah in his arms, and continued to run some more.

The whole thing must not have taken even a full minute, when suddenly, Delilah felt the moment Doug stumbled, and was overcome with fear.

She soon felt herself crashing into something solid and then started to roll. As soon as she stopped rolling, she disentangled herself from the blanket and was surprised by what she saw.

They were on a rain-muddy lawn, a few feet from the dam and the cabin.

Delilah looked at the scene a little intimidated, until she was overwhelmed with joy.

“Oh, dog! That was really close! Are you okay, Doug?” She doesn't hear an answer, just a few moans, so she looks around until she finds her friend, being shocked by what she saw. “Oh my dog!”

Doug looked good at first, until you noticed the right side.

The area of the right shoulder on the shirt was with a large tear, allowing not only to see that his shoulder was dislocated and full of splinters of old wood pierced deep in the muscles, but also that his arm was loose like a rag doll lying on the floor.

Doug just moans some more, as he sits down. The girl looks at him in complete dread, but Doug just smiles as if it's no problem at all.

“Hey, why the long face? We did it!”

The girl was confused at first, but then she was furious.

"For dog’s sake Doug, this is too serious! You almost lost your arm!”

“And what? If I hadn't done that, we both would have drowned.”

She then lowered her head, feeling guilty.

Whenever she went to the farm to spend time with Doug, he was willing to do anything she came up with, even stupid ideas like that.

She knew the boy had other friends in the area, but with them Doug was different. He acted as the voice of reason with others, always persuading them to give up reckless or even potentially dangerous ideas. However, when Doug was with her, he accompanied her in whatever kind of madness-full mischief Delilah suggested. He still tried to convince her otherwise, but he didn't insist as hard as he would with someone else.

Doug had already said he would do anything for her, and now he has proven how far he is willing to go.

That was perhaps the answer she was looking for, but she needed to be sure.

“Doug... Why? Why do you do so much for me?”

Doug just smiled, looking at her with adoration in his eyes.

He then approached and in a movement that surprised the girl kissed her on the lips quickly.

Delilah blushed like a tomato, and looking at Doug she saw that he too had a red face, but he smiled more happily than on a Christmas morning, his tail wagging like crazy.

“Because I love you, Delilah.”

Delilah didn't react for a few seconds, still taken by surprise.

However, as soon as the initial shock passed, she smiled from ear to ear, her tail wagging wildly.

She then threw herself against the boy, catching him totally off guard, and started to kiss him.

“I love you too, Doug!”

⏭⏭⏭⏭⏯FLASHBACK END...

After the long silence, Doug realizes something is wrong and turns around, looking at the doctor with concern.

Delilah then looks at him well, letting her childhood memories become clearer.

Back covered with black fur with white spots, as well as most of the arms.

Spot around the right eye.

Willing to throw himself in danger to save someone.

She dropped the medical instruments on the floor, covering her mouth with both hands while looking at the firefighter in total disbelief.

“D-Doug?!”

Doug couldn't understand what was going on, and got even more confused when she said his name with a face filled with astonishment. He then looked closely at her.

The ears were long, right one black and left one white, the pattern of the spots familiar. Her face was startled and her eyes were full of disbelief, in a way that looked familiar.

It was then that he remembered where he had seen that stare.

“Delilah?”

Still amazed, the doctor slowly nodded, still processing what was happening.

As soon as she confirmed his suspicion, Doug froze, looking at her with the same astonishment, only to be overcome by immense joy with bright eyes.

“Delilah!”

In a movement that startled the doctor even more, Doug rose from the bed and stretched out his strong arms, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her up, then spun around the room.

Delilah finally came out of her stupor, being overwhelmed by the joy of meeting with her childhood best friend (and first love) after all these years.

“(chuckles) Oh, Doug. You're still the same.”

The others around them on ER saw the scene with some astonishment, not understanding how they went from medical care to public display of affection.

“I just can't believe it!” Doug exclaimed, placing her back on the floor. “I thought I would never see you again!”

“Hehe. You were not the only one. I hardly recognized you.” Delilah tried to calm her breathing, her body totally euphoric. Then something occurred to her, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Wait, in the chart it said 'Lieutenant Dalmatian'. I thought you had your father's last name.”

At that, all of Doug's joy was gone, giving way to a hateful stare that Delilah never thought she would see in him.

“Don't even remember me about that son of a…” He then realized what he was going to say, and looked up in terror. “Sorry, Grandma, it was an accident.”

Delilah was a little confused to see Doug acting this way, but she couldn't help but laugh briefly when she saw him look up at the sky.

“Doug, you know your grandmother is still alive, don't you?”

The dog was slightly confused, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, until his eyes widened and he facepalmed, highly frustrated.

“Grrr! Of course he lied about this too!” Doug snarled angrily but then got surprised again, and looked at Delilah with a little fear. “And my grandfather?”

Delilah looked at him with a raised eyebrow, more and more confused.

“Both are alive and well, as are my grandparents. I mean, for four anthros almost 90 years old, they are a health wonder.”

“(chuckles) I think life in the countryside is really good for health.”

They both laughed briefly, but Delilah couldn't help but worry.

“Doug, what happened to you?”

“What are you talking about?” He then smiled nervously, his eyes filled with dread. “I'm great!”

Delilah crossed her arms, looking at him with the same level of seriousness that she used with her pups when they did something wrong.

“Doug, you're still a terrible liar.”

He looked at her with a stare that was a mixture of shame and fear, until he looked down with a defeated face.

“(sigh) You were right, Delilah, you were all right. My dad is the worst dog in the world.” He then looked at her, eyes full of anger. “I was so blind! I don't know how I could ever have thought that he wanted me!”

Delilah instinctively approached Doug, holding his hands gently as she looked comfortably into his eyes.

“Don't be like that, Doug. I won't lie, I was sad to lose contact with you, but I always thought that you were happy somehow.” She looked at him sadly for a moment, but then she squeezed his hands tighter as she smiled comfortingly, her eyes filled with compassion for her former puppy love. “You have always seen the best in others, even in him, and it’s not your fault if he cannot love even his own son.”

It made Doug smile slightly, looking her in the eye with the same level of warmth as almost thirty years ago.

“Thank you, Delilah.” Doug then came closer, instinctively caressing her forehead with his. “After all these years, you can still make me feel better with just a few words. It seems that we never moved away.”

Delilah was swept away by the nostalgia of having Doug so close. In fact, it was as if they were again two pups who had just admitted their feelings for each other.

"What if..."

She then turned away from Doug, looking him straight in the eye. He was slightly confused by her reaction, but he seemed to be waiting for her to say what bothered her.

"I don't want to sound impulsive Doug, but what do you think about going out together after I get you discharged? I think we have a lot to catch up.”

Doug was slightly confused for a moment, until he smiled happily as he wagged his tail.

“I would love to go out with you, Delilah!”

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

“And that's how this started.” Delilah said, looking passionately into Doug's eyes. “We tried to reconnect, and we felt that there was still something strong between us.”

“We started slowly in the first month, but as the days passed I felt the courage to ask to be officially her boyfriend.” Doug said, looking at Delilah with the same affection.

The two then looked at the pups, seeing different levels of astonishment on their faces.

“Do you have any questions?” They both asked, a slight flush on their cheeks.

*

Continue on Side B

Chapter Text

DYLAN

Dylan's eyes were wide, staring at the adult Dalmatians.

He was prepared for a romance that had started months ago, probably with the two of them bumping into each other by accident; or stuck in an elevator; or a blind date organized by their friends; or even the most common today, through an online website or a mobile application.

Dylan would never have expected Doug to be his mother's first lost love, which she has vaguely mentioned four or five times in the past ten years.

“So she really loved only one dog besides my dad. And I dated his daughter.” Then his eyes widened even more, almost jumping out of their sockets. “Oh my dog! They would have met again sooner if Dolly and I hadn't kept our relationship a secret.”

While Dylan thought about every little detail of what happened in the past two years, others decided to express their doubts.

“But the Dimitris…” Destiny started.

“...Said that you guys…” Dallas continued.

“...Came from California.” Déjà Vu concluded.

“How can you be childhood friends?” The three said together.

In that, Dylan got out of his trance. 

“That's a good question.”

The pups looked at the adults with questioning looks, leaving Delilah a little unsure, while Doug seemed to start to sweat.

The two exchanged a brief look, until Delilah held Doug's hand, smiling encouragingly.

“(takes a deep breath and sighs) Pups, this is a delicate subject for me.” He then looked at his children, his face full of guilt. “In all these years, I only told Delilah everything, and the only other dog that knew was my late wife Camila. In fact, I hoped I wouldn't have to tell anyone else, so I'm sorry, but I'll only tell you what is really necessary.”

Everyone was slightly startled by Doug's words, but remained silent as he continued.

“My father is possibly the most selfish and soulless dog in the world, although it took me years to realize. My mother died when I was still a puppy, but he didn't even care. After a year he married a Golden Retriever from a wealthy family and moved to America, leaving me with my grandparents without a second thought. When Delilah and I were almost fourteen and we were in the first steps of a long-distance romance, my father came to visit saying that he wanted me to move in with him in New York, and as I was very naive I ended up accepting it. He made me lose contact with Delilah and the rest of my family, and to make things worse I found out, almost too late, that he just wanted me around so he could marry me with his partner's daughter.”

All the pups were shocked to hear this, and Dylan realized that this was, in fact, the first time that Dolly and her siblings heard this story. 

“Is that why you never talked about our grandparents before?” Dolly asked, clearly shocked to learn that she was related to someone like that.

“(sigh) Camila's father wasn't a good dog too, but he was no worse than my father.”

“What do you mean with 'was'?” Dawkins asked, one eyebrow raised.

“From what I heard, he and his 2nd wife died before DJ was born. In a way, my father got what he wanted, since Camila was the only heiress and sold her part so he could leave us alone.”

This surprised everyone a little, even more DJ.

“If your marriage was arranged, then have you and Mom really loved each other?”

Doug's other children looked at their father with faces full of doubt. He then smiled kindly, while gently squeezing Delilah's hand.

“I loved your mother as much as I love Delilah. And that’s why my father never got what he wanted.”

“Why?” DJ asked, one eyebrow raised.

“He wanted to train me like a pet, preparing me to do whatever he wanted, and after Camila and I were married, I should make the decisions for the couple, and in fact the decisions would be his. The problem was that my father tried to control my steps all the time, putting me in an expensive school and making Camila the only person I could spend time with. And although she hated me at first, over time we became good friends, and when we graduated we were already in love with each other.”

“But that doesn't make any sense.” Dolly said, looking at her father with doubt. "Weren't you two falling in love part of the plan?"

Doug smiled slightly, negatively shaking his head.

"Part of the reason your mother hated me in the beginning was because she knew what our parents wanted. She was a princess who lived like a prisoner, and she thought I would treat her the same. When she got to know me better, she thought it wouldn't be so hurtful having me as her husband, and when we started college, I asked if she wanted to be my girlfriend, and she got extremely confused. It was then that I discovered that we had been engaged since we were introduced, and when she found out that I treated her well because I liked her and not out of obligation, she kissed me for the first time.”

Doug smiled with a bit of nostalgia in his eyes, and Dylan realized that his mother didn't seem bothered that Doug was thinking of another woman.

“Is it because she’s dead? Or is my mother just this mature?”

“Anyway, after Camila told me about our engagement, I went to question my father about it, and he congratulated me for doing my part for the company. After that, I started to evaluate everything my father did, and after discovering something really unpleasant, I realized that I should get away from him as soon as possible.”

“So you ran away?” Dimitri 1 asked, his eyes shining with emotion.

“Well, not right away. We were caught in a trap that we couldn't just walk out. Camila and I had nothing that was really ours, since our parents paid even for our college dorms, so until we started working we couldn't leave. We pretended to stick to the plan, always acting as they expected, waiting for our chance to escape.” Doug scratched behind his neck, feeling a little uncomfortable. “I know it may sound bad, but when we were almost 24, Camila's grandmother died, leaving her as the only heir, and we saw our chance. Her father never really minded, thinking he would control this money until our wedding, however, to the surprise of our parents, the day after reading the will, we both left even our clothes behind and went to California, stopping in Las Vegas on the way to get married.” Doug laughed briefly, recalling the occasion. “Camila thought that if we were to rebel, we should marry there with a thematic ceremonialist.”

“One what?” Dizzy and Dee Dee asked together.

"Erm, how can I say..." Doug started scratching his chin, thinking about his words. "It's like a normal wedding, but with the priest wearing a costume. In that case, as a 60s rock star."

"You were married by an Elvis impersonator?” Delilah asked, looking at Doug with a raised eyebrow. “You haven't told me that part before.”

Doug blushed briefly, feeling ashamed.

“Well, I was embarrassed after knowing how well planned and traditional your wedding was.”

Except for Dylan and Dolly, all the pups laughed.

After a moment, Doug and Delilah looked at each other again with great affection and Doug went on.

“Anyway, after Camila died, I no longer saw a reason to stay in California. It took me some time to prepare, but two years ago I finally returned to England with my children.”

“And found your old girlfriend again.” Dimitri 1 said, scratching his chin with a thoughtful look. "You know, I think that would make a good romantic comedy script.”

“And for how long have you searched for Mom?” Destiny asked, she and her sisters in a romantic atmosphere.

Doug got embarrassed again, looking down.

“We only met by chance.” Delilah said, holding Doug's hand even tighter as she caressed him with her other hand. "Doug doesn't feel ready to meet with those who are part of his past yet."

At that, everyone again looked at Doug with raised eyebrows.

"So who else do we have to know?” Dolly asked.

"(sigh) Basically, our whole family.” Doug was still sad, his face filled with shame. “They spent years telling me that my dad was no good, and yet I left them to go live with him. I... I don't have the courage to face them after that."

Doug remained sad for a while, and everyone was silent, all sympathizing with him a little.

Dylan in particular stared at him in awe.

“He really is a special dog.” 

“And when are we going to meet them?” Dee Dee asked, her tail wagging with emotion.

Doug looked a little scared, but Delilah smiled happily.

“We're working on it. Doug needs to face the family with what we want to do.”

This sparked the interest of the pups, especially the older two.

“And what do you want to do?” Dolly asked.

The couple looked at each other briefly with nervous smiles.

"Pups, first of all, I want you all to know that this is not yet definitive.” Doug said in a tone of voice that mixed affection and seriousness. “I talked to Delilah, and she agreed with me that before we make it official, we should ask your opinion."

"And what would it be?" Dylan asked. " Oh my dog, don't tell me it’s what I'm thinking. "

The two took a deep breath, preparing for what they were going to say.

“I asked Delilah to marry me…”

“... and I accepted.”

The two then looked at the pups with a hopeful look, while watching their reactions.

For a moment, everyone looked at the adults with amazed eyes and dropping jaws, until everyone else started talking together while Dylan and Dolly stood frozen. 

As good as it was, Dylan was still in a dilemma.

He foresaw a wedding in the near future, but not so soon. Not to mention the whole issue of dating Dolly and their break up. Such a thing would surely hinder the happiness he was witnessing.

On the other hand, the fact that Doug was willing to let the pups have their say in the couple's love life was the definitive proof that he was the perfect dog for Delilah.

“I have to be objective. The two of them getting married was the long-term goal, but with the wedding happening earlier I have to rethink my priorities.” He then looked at Dolly, realizing that she still seemed to be shocked. “Dante seems to be happy with the idea, and DJ has already made it clear that he agrees with that, so my focus now should be Dolly. It all depends on keeping our old relationship a secret, at least until they’re prepared for the truth.” He then looked quickly at the younger siblings, focusing on their faces. “They seem to be happy about it, so maybe I don't need to worry too much.” He then looked at his own siblings, identifying his greatest threat. “I need to be careful with Da Vinci and Triple D. I need them to like Dolly, or else they can hate her when they find out she is the girl who broke my heart.”

With his rethought strategy, Dylan cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention.

He then reclined in his chair and crossed his arms, looking directly at the adults with a raised eyebrow.

“Don't you think you're going too fast?” Everyone looked at him with a little doubt, especially those who knew he expected the two of them to marry “Don't get me wrong, I liked Doug and I really think the pups are getting along. Still, I'm not very comfortable with such a big change taking place so fast.”

This made the other pups pause for a moment to reflect. Dylan was taking one last test before fully supporting the marriage, and his next step depended entirely on how the adults would respond.

*

*

*

DOUG

“I asked Delilah to marry me…”

“… and I accepted.”

The two then looked at the pups with a hopeful look, while watching their reactions.

For a moment Doug thought they would be petrified forever, but after seeing the euphoric reaction of most of the pups he felt more relaxed.

After all, as hard as it was to understand what the pups were saying, the excited faces and wagging tails seemed like a good sign.

Still, part of Doug felt immensely guilty.

He was not comfortable hiding information from the pups, especially seeing the excitement they showed.

But he couldn't tell all the facts without exposing something that both he and Camila, and Delilah and Danny, decided they would never tell their pups.

“I still can't believe they thought the same way we did.”

Doug tried to keep his cool, but Dylan clearing his throat and looking at the adults with a raised eyebrow took him by surprise.

“Don't you think you're going too fast? Don't get me wrong, I liked Doug and I really think the pups are getting along. Still, I'm not very comfortable with such a big change taking place so fast.”

Dylan's question was valid, as well as expected. However, something else caught Doug's attention.

“He already likes me!?”

Doug felt his tail wag, but tried to keep a confident posture.

“It's a good question, Dylan.” Delilah said, smiling. “And in fact, we already expected this.”

“We're serious. This is a decision that affects all of you, and we want your opinion on that.” Doug then took on a sadder tone, looking down. “I certainly don't want to be the kind of dog that ignores the opinion of his children.”

In fact, Doug considered it the only good thing he learned after living with his father.

The pups seemed to think for a moment, until Dee Dee was the first to speak.

“I don't remember Mom, no matter how hard I try.” She started a little sad, but looked at Delilah and assumed a cheerful tone. “So, I think it would be cool to have a new mom and more brothers and sisters.”

Everyone smiled slightly, although Doug and his other children, with the exception of Delgado, looked at her with a little sadness.

“Can we ever tell her?”

“I think the same!” Dizzy said, taking Doug out of his melancholy thoughts.

“It would be awesome to have more siblings to play with!” Delgado said, wagging his tail. “And I would learn sign language better!”

“I kind of already see Dawkins as a brother.” Dante said, shrugging and smiling, his hands still immersed in the ice.” So I think that would only make things official.”

“I surely agree.” Dawkins said, smiling happily.

“It wouldn't be…” Destiny started.

“...Bad to have…” Dallas continued.

“...A bigger family.” Déjà Vu concluded.

“The three of us think the same.” Dimitri 1 said, he and his two brothers with their arms behind each other's shoulders.

“In fact I talked about it with Da Vinci.” DJ said, drawing everyone's attention.  “I liked how our siblings played together, and you two look good as a couple.”

“It's like he said.” Da Vinci added, smiling shyly. “Although it may take me a while to get used to a family with more boys than girls.”

Deepak just smiled, raising both thumbs positively.

Everyone then looked at the two older ones.

Dylan was still with his arms crossed, and was giving Dolly an inquiring look, as if he wanted to hear her opinion first.

“(sigh) I don't really feel I have the right to give my opinion.” Dolly started, looking at the adults with a little guilt. “You two deserve to be happy, and after knowing what happened between you, it would be unfair to get in your way because I'm not dealing well because things haven't worked between me and my first love.” She then had flushed cheeks, looking away while smiling awkwardly. “And maybe I need some maternal advice.”

Everyone smiled slightly when they saw Dolly open up, but they were a little concerned to see that Dylan maintained the same impartiality.

“(sigh) So, I think I only have one thing to ask.” He then smiled, taking on a playful tone and winking at Doug. “When's the wedding, Daddy?”

Everyone was surprised for a moment, until the adults smiled happily, Delilah with a loving look and Doug shedding tears of joy.

“Well, we still have a lot to plan.” Delilah said, holding Doug's hand. “We depended on your answer before proceeding.”

“We want to get married before the end of the summer, but we are thinking of living together in a month.” Doug saw the pups' surprised reaction, and then went on. “We will both have three days off on the same date, and we think it would be the perfect date for the moving.”

“Are we moving?” Da Vinci asked, a bit of fear on her face.

“Yes and no.” Doug replied, scratching the back of his neck. “The pups and I have been living on Cocker Street since we arrived in London, and Delilah thinks it would be nice for us all to live on Dalmatian Street.”

“The house always seemed to have a lot of space, even with so many of us.” Delilah said, smiling. “I believe we just need to organize.”

“And that's where we need you, Dylan.” Doug looked directly at the boy, taking him by surprise. “Delilah told me that you practically run the house, so I think you are the perfect dog to coordinate our moving.”

Dylan looked shocked at first, but soon took on an expression of seriousness, looking at nothing while scratching his chin.

“I suppose I can do the task. It will be a little challenging, but it can be done.” He then opened his eyes wide, and looked at Doug with a raised eyebrow. “Can I evaluate your current home? It would help if I can see what I'm working with.”

“Sure.” Doug smiled happily, happy to see that Dylan was excited about the moving. “We’ll do a clean up on Tuesday, so how about Wednesday afternoon?”

“Would be great. The sooner I start, the better I can prepare for this moving.”

The adults were happy to see that this was practically resolved, but DJ caught their attention.

“Just one question. Why do you want to get married before the end of the summer?”

Doug felt a little uncomfortable, looking away as he blushed.

“Your father and I know exactly where to get married, and summer is the best time for that.” Delilah replied, holding Doug's hand and looking at him encouragingly.

“(sigh) We want to get married in Suffolk, where I grew up with my grandfather.” Doug then bit his lip, a bit of fear in his eyes. “But first I have to face him.”

“Besides, it’s the perfect time to gather as many distant relatives as possible. “Delilah added, wagging her tail with joy. “They'll be very surprised to hear that Doug is back and we're getting married.”

“If they want to see me.” Doug was crestfallen again. “I wouldn't blame them if they never want to.”

Doug couldn't help the sadness that came over him.

He left a family that loved him to live with the hellhound in person, and he just didn't say that anything good came of it because of Camila and the pups.

Still, he couldn't help but imagine that he had become another outcast to the family, just like his father.

“The bastard certainly deserved it!”

Doug then felt a hand touch his right shoulder, and looking up he found Dolly's compassionate eyes, which at that moment reminded him of his late wife.

“Don't worry dad. And even if they don't want to see you anymore, you at least have us.”

Doug then looked at his children, all looking at him in the same way as Dolly.

He then felt Delilah squeeze his hand tighter, and as he looked at her, Doug saw that her children were looking at him with love and understanding as well.

His eyes watered again, while a huge smile formed on his face and his tail started wagging madly.

“I feel like we're already a family.”

*

*

*

DOLLY

“Come on, Dee Dee!” The teenager exclaimed with a little irritation, holding her sister's toothbrush. “Even the boys have already gone to their room.”

The young Dalmatian was looking seriously at her sister, who was smiling happily as she ran in circles in the bathroom.

“You don't understand, Dolly!” The little girl stared at Dolly, standing in a place but still shaking. “We’ll have more sisters! Aren't you tired of just having boys with us all the time?”

At that, Dolly paused a moment to think, handing over Dee Dee's toothbrush, who promptly started brushing her teeth.

“She's a little right. And with Dizzy around, she may be over this phase of wanting to imitate me.” She then crossed her arms, looking at the little one with a bit of curiosity. “What about the other boys?”

Dee Dee finished brushing her teeth and spat in the sink, scratching her chin as she thought.

“Hmmm… They don't look bad. Deepak is a little strange, but Delgado liked him. And Dawkins is Dante's friend, so he must be a very brave dog.”

Dolly can't help but giggle. As far as she remembered the conversations she had with Dylan, braveness was not one of Dawkins' greatest qualities.

“And Dylan is amazing!” At that, Dolly looked at Dee Dee with a raised eyebrow, confused to see that she was excited about it. “I was scared when Dizzy said he was a top dog, but he is super friendly, and so smart that Dad asked him to take care of the moving!”  At that moment, Dee Dee's eyes widened, and she was a little apprehensive. “Will we continue to sleep together after that?”

The question took Dolly by surprise.

She didn't know how Dylan would organize the house after the moving, so she couldn't guarantee that they would still sleep together.

With a sympathetic smile, Dolly placed her hands under the puppy's arms, lifting her until their snouts were glued together.

“Don't worry, little sis.” Dolly affectionately rubbed her nose with Dee Dee's, making the little one laugh. “Even if we don't stay in the same room, we'll still live together.” Dolly then smiled playfully and winked. “And who knows? Maybe you could share a room with Dizzy.”

Upon hearing this, the puppy perked up, wagging her tail wildly.

“That would be so awesome! We would have slumber parties every night!”

Dolly laughed a little at her sister's innocence. She then started walking, still carrying Dee Dee.

“Well, now straight to bed. I'm really tired.”

The pup offered no opposition, yawning as soon as they entered the room.

Dolly laid Dee Dee on the bed and then took the blanket, covering both as she lay down. They both snuggled together, and although Dee Dee quickly fell asleep, Dolly stayed awake.

That day was full of surprises for her, and Dolly still didn't know how to process all the information she received.

“I don't know what is more surreal, to find out that Delilah and Dad want to get married; Dante being right with a prediction; or then…”

At that moment, she saw Dylan clearly in her mind, causing her cheeks to flush.

“Dylan is so different now, and yet he looks the same. Was that how our parents felt when they met again?”

When thinking about the adults, she assumed a sad look, snuggling more against the sleeping Dee Dee in search of comfort.

“If I had not proposed to date in secret, we would have helped our parents to meet again sooner.” She then rolled her eyes and snorted, feeling frustrated with herself. “ (sigh) Great. Not only did I ruin things between Dylan and me, I also prevented them from finding happiness. If it weren't for me, they would already be married and we would be a happy family.” It was then that a sudden thought came to her, leaving Dolly horrified. “Wait, if we became a family…”

Just now she had thought about it, but the truth was that there would be no happy ending for her in this story.

Doug and Delilah had found their first love after all these years, at a sad time in their lives, and they could be happy. In addition, all the pups were getting along, and it was obvious that in time everyone would love each other like siblings, and being the loving dog he is, Dylan is sure to love the new stepsiblings as much as his own blood siblings.

Meanwhile, Dolly would be living in a house where she was constantly reminded of her regrets, every day being close to the dog that would be perfect for her, but never getting another chance since he was now her stepbrother.

“It seems that Dante was wrong after all.” She hugged Dee Dee, who even asleep returned the gesture, snuggling into her. “It's not just for today, I'll be uncomfortable for the rest of our lives.”

Sleep came to her that night, but she felt that even when she was awake she was in a nightmare.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I wanted to keep this a secret longer, but since Doug HAD to talk about his wife, I think I'd better start by talking about the elephant in the room.

As they won't speak or appear, I thought it would be nice to use Danny and Camila as a base for Dylan and Dolly's dead parents, also doing a re-interpretation of something that happens in the manga I used as a base, when the young couple is said to looks like their parents when young.

Although, in fact, I might use Danny in a scene from the past, as I'm making a whole mystery about what he did and how he died. But it would be brief, like a Stan Lee cameo in a Marvel movie.

Being a Transformers fan, I love a character that is an alternate version of another character, like Skywarp and Cliffjumper are to Starscream and Bumblebee.

Danny and Camila are interesting to me, although I actually HATE the script for the episodes where Dylan and Dolly become them, as I am against the idea of someone acting differently just because of the opinions of others.

*

If you're wondering about Suffolk and Doug's family, this is something I took from the original story in Dodie Smith's book. I'm following a special timeline I created, mixing the new series with some things from the book, the 1961 animated film and the old animated series.

Is this necessary? Yes, because in the manga I used as a base, the boy's father says he is going to get married and then we see the first family dinner with the parents already married. Doug and Delilah don't seem the type to do that, so I decided to give more depth to this instant marriage with a past between Doug and Delilah, as well as a little more drama with Doug having to face his past.

I bet no one expected this.

*

I wrote the whole part of how Doug and Delilah met again while writing parts 1 and 2 of What's Going On, so I thought it would be good to use this now, before the story starts to move forward.

I just didn't think it would make the chapter so long.

*

With that, I finished the 1st arc, the presentation of the characters and the wedding announcement. From now on, we will see how the “new family” adapts to the changes that will come, while the pups create bonds between them.

A semi-spoiler: Dolly won't be depressed for long, but I will start the moments between the new stepsiblings with Dylan and Dolly's brother with depression. 

And if you expected it to be Dante, you're in for a big surprise.

Chapter Text

DYLAN

"And after that, we said goodbye and each family went to their car. (sigh) Although maybe I should start thinking about all of us as one family."

"That's very interesting."

Dylan rolled his eyes. Interesting was not the word he would use to describe the situation.

It was almost 11 am on Monday, and he was lying on a divan, telling the therapist about the recent events.

The young dalmatian would normally feel calm in Dr. Samson's office, but with everything that was going on, his nerves refused to calm down.

"I managed to maintain a positive attitude and I was even a little playful, but I'm not sure I can stay calm for a long time. (sigh) And worse, the day after tomorrow I must visit their house to start planning their moving."

"Hmmm… It doesn't look so bad."

Dylan was surprised to hear this, immediately sitting up and looking at the psychologist sitting next to him.

Dr. Samson was a human of medium height and short light-brown hair, wearing glasses and wearing jeans and a thematic shirt with a tall, muscular superhero with long green hair.

Dylan was already used to his therapist's casual behavior, as well as his unusual office. The room had a decor that looked like a comic book store, with several shelves full of comic books, board games and even a glass bookcase with action figures inside the box. There was a table by the open window, with a chair for the doctor and two on the other side. Also, a little further away was the divan on which Dylan was lying, with an armchair beside which the therapist was sitting, holding a small notepad and pencil.

The office was also technically a duplex, with the first floor being a compounding pharmacy run by the therapist's wife. In fact, she was the one who took care of Dylan's special dosage, although the young dalmatian did not understand how a psychologist who avoids prescribing medications unless it is extremely necessary was married to someone who makes such medications.

The psychologist was an expert in treating children and teens, and Dylan remembered how he spent his first therapy sessions just reading comics until he felt comfortable talking to the doctor.

Samson has spent the past five years helping Dylan overcome his problems, saying not what he wanted to hear, but what he needed to hear.

Dylan had a great deal of respect for the human therapist, but this time he was not very willing to listen.

"How can this not be ‘so bad’? I just said that I almost couldn't stay calm during dinner!"

"(sigh) Dylan, do you know why I specialize in treating minors?"

The young dog crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, speaking mockingly. 

"Because you have Peter Pan Syndrome?"

The doctor laughed briefly, not taking Dylan's behavior as an offense.

"I won't deny that other adults think I'm childish, but that's not why. (sigh) When I was a child, my older brother suffered from depression, but we didn't know about it until it was too late."

Dylan felt a little bad about being rude to the doctor, realizing that the matter was a delicate one for him.

"Sorry. So, is your brother the reason you're a psychologist?"

"In part, yes." He then pointed at the shirt, smiling proudly. "But when you're eight years old and discover that there is a superhero with your name, it can end up influencing your career. Although I don't have an alter-ego strong enough to lift a truck."

The dalmatian smiled. The therapist's cheerful and relaxed manner was almost always welcome.

"But besides that, there is another important factor. While other therapists treat both or adults only, I believe that young people need more attention than most think." The therapist then put the notebook and pencil in his pocket, and took a comic book, an issue of Batman. "Let's use our friend here for example. He witnessed something traumatic when he was very young, and only as an adult did he show clear signs of mental imbalance."  He then picked up a Spider-Man issue. "And our friend here is not much different. Although older, he has also suffered terrible trauma, and blames himself totally for something in which he was not the only one involved."

Dylan looked at the doctor curiously, the argument making him a little confused.

"I thought you liked superheroes."

"And I do like them. But liking something or someone does not mean ignoring defects." Samson took off his glasses for a moment, taking a handkerchief from his pants pocket and cleaning the lenses. "I won't deny that it is fun to follow the adventures that great artists put on these pages, but since I was younger than you, I have always stopped to think what was going on in their minds. Of course, many heroes do this out of altruism, but there are also those like these two, who feel compelled by a traumatic past." He put the handkerchief away and put his glasses back on, looking at Dylan as a friend talking about something they both like. "I am not saying that they could not be heroes in any other way, but the point is that, like in the case of my brother, the adults around never paid enough attention to realize that there was something wrong. See your case, for example. From what we both talked about, and a few things I asked your mom, I came to the conclusion that you already had a degree of OCD before your father died."

Dylan was surprised to hear that.

"What are you talking about?"

"(sigh) According to your mother, you already had a compulsion for organization since three years before. For your parents, this should be a characteristic of you, like the intelligence you and Dawkins showed early, Deepak's fixation with felines, or the fact that Da Vinci feels well covered in paint. I believe you were just having this compulsion to organize, and your father's death served as a catalyst to make your case worse."

The young dalmatian stopped to think, lying with his arms crossed behind his head while looking at the ceiling.

Samson was friends with a doctor who worked with his mother, who recommended that Delilah took her children for an evaluation after the tragedy. The others only needed a few sessions to be released by the therapist, while Dylan was diagnosed with OCD.

Everyone was sad at the time, but it really was a little suspicious that Dylan was the only one to develop a psychological disorder.

But if something traumatic or emotionally devastating was really capable of causing a worsening of his medical condition...

"Like when Dolly broke up with me?"

"Hmmm... I think that's a valid example, since you ended up getting very attached to her."

"So how can visiting her house not be a bad thing?" The boy sat down again, looking at the therapist as if he were begging for an answer.

The therapist smiled at him sarcastically, making the boy roll his eyes.

"(sigh) I know: Do not seek comfort, but confront." He looked at Samson with a raised eyebrow, still confused by the situation. "Don't you think that in this case I could suffer another trauma that could make my situation worse?"

The therapist put his hand on his chin, leaning back in his chair while looking up with a playful smile on his face.

"Well, there's always the option of telling everything. If your parents know, they can take action."

The dalmatian immediately looked at the therapist angrily.

"Don't joke with that, doctor."

"I still don't understand what the problem is with that." This time, he looked at Dylan with a raised eyebrow. "If both of your parents had a relationship years before you and Dolly were born, the fact that you dated your step-sister shouldn't be a problem."

"I did my homework, doctor. Legally, our previous relationship means that we could be a couple without any complications, but even though I still find her attractive, I don't think we should try again. In addition, the real problem is our younger siblings."

The therapist remained thoughtful, assessing what Dylan was saying.

"How are the younger siblings a problem?"

"Well, my sisters think I don’t know, but one day, while I was getting clothes to wash, I discovered a whiteboard hidden under Da Vinci's bed, and on the board were several names of girls from my school who studied with me, with some names crossed out."

"Do you think they want to find out the identity of the girl who rejected you?"

"(sigh) It's the only explanation. But, if they are willing to go this far for a girl who rejected me, imagine what they would do if they found out that we dated and she chose to break up with me instead of solving the first problem we had in our relationship. That without mentioning that Doug made it clear that they can cancel the wedding if everyone does not agree."

"And what do you intend to do?"

Dylan sat down, crossing his arms and looking at the therapist with determined eyes.

"I'm not an idiot, I know very well that I can't hide it forever. I want to make sure everyone becomes a real family, and when the time is right Dolly and I will tell the truth."

"It seems like a very simple plan." Still in a passive tone, Samson leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. "And how do you intend to start?"

"The pups seem to interact well with each other, so I need to get Dolly to be accepted by my sisters. Also, I need to spend time with her siblings."

"Like you would do visiting their house?" Samson asked in a teasing tone, while smirking with a raised eyebrow.

Dylan was opening his mouth to speak when his eyes widened and he immediately fell silent, his face sulking like a small child grimacing after being told no.

" I hate it when he does that! " He then took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't beat a psychologist in a logic discussion. "I can't see how to refute your argument, but I still don't feel comfortable with it."

"Let's do it this way: don't try to get along with all of them, but with one. And let that pup speak well of you to others."

Dylan began to reflect on that.

In fact, it was basically the same strategy he used at the dinner. Only this time he would be alone, interacting with each of Dolly's siblings at a time.

"I think I can do that."

"That's the spirit." He then looked at a clock on the wall, raising his eyebrow. "Well, it looks like our session today is over, and my next patient should already be in the waiting room." Samson got up from his chair, smiling friendly as he headed for the door. "When I get back, we'll talk more about this. Although by then you may have already solved the problem."

Dylan smiled and stood up, following the doctor to the office door. He was a little better, but another problem was emerging.

Dr. Samson would be away for three weeks to take a family vacation, and although he was available via emergency text messages or calls, Dylan feared what might happen in that period of time.

They left the office and found themselves in the waiting room, where Dylan got surprised.

"Dylan?"

Sitting on one of the two sofas in the waiting room was a DJ, reading a magazine about musical bands.

He was as surprised as Dylan himself.

"DJ?" Then he remembered something, and almost facepalmed immediately. " How could I forget? "  

Right in the first weeks that he and Dolly spent together, she mentioned that her father was looking for a therapist for her brother and asked about Dylan's therapist. He promptly handed her a business card from Dr. Samson that he kept in his wallet, but after that the two never mentioned the subject anymore, focusing on their relationship.

"Do you already know each other?" Samson asked, looking at the two with some curiosity.

Dylan looked at the therapist with some doubt, until he remembered something important.

" I never said much about Dolly's siblings, so he couldn't have known that she is related to another patient of his. "

Dylan was ready to respond, but DJ was faster.

"Our parents are getting married soon." He then stood up and placed the magazine on a table in front of the sofa, then looked straight at Dylan with a raised eyebrow. "Do you also consult with Dr. Samson?"

"Yes. Dr. Samson has helped me a lot over the past five years." Dylan then noticed that he was alone and raised an eyebrow. They lived at a relative distance from each other, so Dylan knew that DJ could only have arrived here by car or taking a bus. "What about you? Do you also come alone for consultations?"

DJ smiled proudly, shrugging.

"My father is a little overprotective, so this is actually the fifth time I have come alone." He then laughed briefly, remembering something. "The first time, he spent hours reviewing the path I should take, and he called me every five minutes to find out where I was."

Dylan smiled at DJ's words. This showed once again that Doug was a very dedicated father.

"I can imagine. My mother also accompanied me every time for the first two years." DJ smiled at that, and Dylan realized he was comfortable with the young musician. "Wait, if he is alone..." An idea occurred to the teen dalmatian, who then smiled amicably at his future brother. "You know, I have some free time. What do you think about going to eat together after your session?"

DJ perked up a little, but then looked at Dylan with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sure? You would wait an hour before my session ends."

Dylan shrugged, keeping his smile.

"It is never a nuisance for me to do something for one of my siblings."

The younger dalmatian smiled, wagging his tail.

"Well, then I think we better get started, DJ." Dr. Samson said, inviting DJ to enter the office. "It seems that you have a lot of news to tell."

Both entered the therapist's office, leaving Dylan in the waiting room.

He sat on the sofa and picked up a magazine on the table, smiling with satisfaction.

" I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. "

*

*

*

DJ

"Well, it looks like our time is up for today." Dr. Samson said, looking at the clock on the wall. Then an idea came to him. "Actually, wait a minute."

The therapist got up and left the room, leaving DJ a little confused.

DJ was sitting in one of the chairs at the therapist's table, as different from how patients did in the movies, he preferred to sit instead of lying on the divan.

It didn't take long and he came back with Dylan, making DJ as confused as Dylan seemed to be. He then invited Dylan to sit in the chair next to DJ, making the young dalmatian feel like he had a fight with someone at school and they had both been taken to the principal.

"Since the three of us have plans for lunch, I'll be brief." The therapist looked at them with a mixture of understanding and seriousness, which DJ normally saw in his father. "As you both know, the confidentiality between doctor and patient prevents me from talking about anything they say to me in this room. So I can only say that I think you two should talk a little bit about your clinical cases."

The two looked at each other for a moment, then looked at the therapist with a raised eyebrow.

"And how would we do that?" Dylan asked.

At that, the doctor smiled at them.

"In the same way that you talked about your problems with me: spend time together, and in time you will feel comfortable talking about it."

Both dalmatians looked equally surprised. DJ was ready to ask something, but Dylan once again spoke first.

"So, you think we should talk about something, but since you can't say what it is, you want us to talk until we eventually bring it up?"

" Does he really have a problem? He looks very well. "

DJ tried to focus on the conversation, ignoring his thoughts.

" Maybe he's almost cured. "

Or at least trying.

DJ was having trouble with his thoughts since they moved in, as if a part of him was constantly questioning everything that happened around him. He did not know how to explain what was happening, and unlike his previous therapist in California, Dr. Samson was looking for other ways to solve the problem other than to leave DJ totally doped up with controlled drugs that he had to take multiple times a day.

Not that the previous medicines were totally bad, but during that time DJ had a hard time thinking about anything other than music. But now, it seemed that he suffered the opposite, having trouble playing something if he didn't have a music sheet to follow.

He was happy to be able to think clearly, but those thoughts that doubted everything were very irritating, almost like having a three-year-old child follow him wherever he went, asking repetitive questions that drive someone crazy.

The young dalmatian thought that the problem would be solved if Dr. Samson increased the dosage of his antidepressants, but the therapist insisted on repeating his phrase "do not seek comfort, but confront" every time DJ touched on the subject.

On the one hand, it was nice to be treated by a therapist who believed more in treating the condition than filling the patient with drugs that make him act like a zombie, but on the other, DJ couldn't help but relate the irritating thoughts and the lack of musical inspiration with the dosage of the medication.

It was then that an idea occurred to the young musician.

" Maybe that's the case. He wants me to talk to someone that does keep it under control. "

That made sense. If Dylan is seeing Dr. Samson for five years, that means he is at least three years ahead of DJ in therapy.

That, of course, if they have the same problem.

"Can't you at least give a tip?" The musician asked, seeking a little help.

The therapist smiled, but it was possible to see that the answer would not be very pleasant.

"See this as an opportunity to mature. In addition, you can support each other in a way that none of your other siblings can."

The two were thoughtful for a moment, until Dylan looked directly at the musician, smiling gently.

"I'm willing to try. What do you think?"

DJ soon found himself smiling, Dylan's presence apparently filling him with confidence.

"Sure, why not?"

"Great!" The therapist said, smiling happily. "Since this is resolved, I believe it is time to say goodbye."

The two dalmatians laughed briefly and stood up, saying bye to the therapist and leaving the office together.

DJ let Dylan guide him, acting naturally as if it were Dolly who was next to him.

"What would you like to eat?" Dylan asked.

This made the musician slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, I intended to go to this Lucky's down the block and then take the bus to go home."

Dylan put his hand on his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Hmmm ... I think it can be good. I prefer the Lucky's near the park, but there are some tables for two or three outside, which would be perfect for us to talk."

They kept walking, and DJ was surprised to see that he was actually comfortable around his future brother.

" He looks like a good top dog, just like Dolly used to be. He gives an impression not only of authority, but of kindness as well. "  

They soon arrived at the restaurant and asked for similar combos, and DJ was surprised to see that Dylan paid for both, using a strange card.

They took the trays with the orders and went outside, seeing that although it was a little past noon, there was no one outside. They sat across from each other at a table for two and prepared to eat.

DJ was wondering what they should talk about, when Dylan caught his attention.

"Since there's no one else around, I think we can talk a little, and I think I should start with the most important. (takes a deep breath) I suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which makes it a little difficult for me to interact with people." He then scratched his chin, again thoughtful. "That's exactly why I was surprised last Saturday. I didn't expect to feel so comfortable around so many new dogs."

DJ was speechless.

He already knew about OCD by reading some waiting room pamphlets, and it was surprising to know that Dylan suffered from this condition.

"Wow, you must have made great progress in your therapy to talk about it so easily."

 Dylan's cheeks flushed, and he looked away.

"Actually, I just thought it would be fair for you to know." The musician looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Dylan looked guilty. "(sigh) DJ, I need to confess something. I already know that you have depression."

The musical pup was shocked, eyes wide and jaw dropping.

"H-How do you k-know that?"

"Don't tell her I told you, but Dolly told me. When Dolly and I were... well, I think we can say friends, she suddenly hugged me, which triggered a panic attack. I told her about my OCD and I thought she would never come near me again after learning that I have a psychological problem, but she surprised me by saying that it didn't bother her, because one of her brothers suffered from depression."

DJ didn't know how to react.

On the one hand, he felt betrayed by his older sister, but on the other he admired her attitude when trying to be friends with Dylan even though he suffered from a psychological condition.

Then, a thought occurred to him.

"And what else did she tell you?"

"About you? Practically nothing. If it weren't for seeing you in the clinic, I wouldn't know which one of you suffered from depression."

DJ was surprised to hear that. He realized that he could have pretended not to know what Dylan was talking about, making the older dog think he was mistaken.

However...

"I'm still a little surprised, but I think this is a good situation. At least now I know that my new siblings won't think I’m strange when they know."

"Hehe. I know how you feel. Although it may be easier for my siblings to get used to you than your brothers to get used to me."

"What do you mean by that?" DJ asked with a raised eyebrow, but more curious than concerned.

"Well, part of my condition involves a compulsion to organize. And from what Dolly told me once, you and your brothers are a bit of mess makers."

The musician blushed, feeling self-conscious. In fact, Doug's room was the only tidy room in their home.

"And this is serious?"

"Not much, but according to my siblings I can be a little annoying with this, besides worrying a lot about safety."

"PFFT! Bro, you can't be worse than Dad." DJ waved his hand, scoffing at what Dylan said. "He makes us practice emergency procedures every two weeks. In fact, after our cleaning tomorrow we will practice again."

Dylan smiled happily, getting DJ a little confused.

"Really? Now I’m sure we’ll get along."

DJ laughed briefly, finding it hilarious to meet a teenager who agreed with his father.

"Speaking of which, do you already have any idea of what we are going to do in the moving?"

"I have a vague idea. As Mom said, we have a lot of space at home, so I’d most likely put three or four of us in each room."

Upon hearing this, the musician was very impressed.

"How big is your house?"

"(chuckles) Technically, it will be your house too. We have three floors, although it might look like four if you count the attic. In addition, a basement and a back yard with plenty of space."

"Wow. It's a lot of space." DJ was surprised at how much space the family would have, until something occurred to him. "And why do you live in such a big house?"

"The house belonged to my grandfather, who thought he would have many children just like his father. But my grandmother had medical complications during her pregnancy, so they decided to have only my mother. When he retired, they moved to a house near the beach and left the house for my mom and dad, who just like they intended to have a lot of children." Dylan looked a little sad to remember his father, but then smiled again. "But it seems that we will finally have a full house as my grandfather wanted."

"No kidding." DJ whistled, impressed just to imagine what it would be like in the new house. "We will be almost twenty living in the same house."

"Hehe. I can imagine." Dylan then scratched his chin, looking up while thinking. "What do you think about us sharing a room with one or two brothers? We are getting along, so I think that would be good for the new family dynamic."

DJ smiled, wagging his tail.

"That would be great!" He then scratched his chin, smiling with a raised eyebrow. "I think I even know who could share a room with us."

DJ told his idea to Dylan, who readily agreed.

The musical pup was feeling very optimistic, knowing that he would now have the support of an older brother who not only knew what it was like to have psychological problems, but who seemed to be overcoming it.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Samson is based on the Marvel hero named Doc Samson, one of the heroes with gamma radiation powers. He was also a therapist for Bruce Banner, among others.

His family is not important, I just wanted a connection between the therapist and the drugs he prescribes, as this will be important in the future.

*

When I wrote the part that Dylan says “homework”, I couldn't help but imagine that in this world some student would say to the teacher “My brother / sister ate my homework”.

*

Just to be clear, Dr. Samson ALREADY KNEW that DJ's sister was the girl Dylan talked about, and by talking to both he knows there is more to the story than Dylan knows.

However, the health professional's ethics prevent him from disclosing information about his patients, so he can't help as much as he wants to.

Chapter Text

DYLAN

"I can do that!"

With those words in mind, the teenage Dalmatian rang the bell.

RRRRRIIIINNNGGG

But then he started to get worried.

"What if it's a bad idea? What if Dolly told them? What if…"

Dylan was taken out of his panic attack when he saw the door open, and what he saw left him momentarily confused.

Dimitri 3 had opened the door, wearing camo shorts, white tank top and his collar. But what really caught Dylan's attention was the fact that he was wearing big black round-rimmed glasses, which were the same size and shape as the spots around his eyes.

He looked a little embarrassed to see Dylan, his cheeks slightly flushed and avoiding eye contact.

"H-Hello, D-Dylan." The pup said, embarrassed. He then opened the door wider and stood aside for Dylan to enter. "Welcome home."

"Hi, Dimitri 3." Dylan promptly entered and raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the pup's behavior. "Are you okay? You look a little uncomfortable."

He closed the door, leaned his back against the wall and then lowered his head, looking at the floor with his arms crossed behind his back and moving his toes.

"I-I don't really like to be s-seen wearing glasses, but I couldn't find the box with my contact lenses."

Dylan smiled sympathetically, placing a hand on Dimitri 3's shoulder and making the pup look at him.

"You don't need to be ashamed of wearing glasses. Besides, your glasses suit you."

The pup smiled slightly, his tail wagging slowly.

Dylan was feeling well. Helping Dimitri 3 with his insecurities seemed natural to him, as he would with his siblings.

Soon, Doug appeared, smiling happily at the sight of the teen Dalmatian.

"Dylan! Glad you came!"

The teenager looked at his future stepfather carefully, being a little surprised by what he saw.

Doug was wearing a shirt similar to the one he wore during their dinner, but blue, with shorts and sandals.

"He really likes to dress like someone on vacation." He removed his hand from Dimitri 3's shoulder, extending his hand to Doug. "Good afternoon, Doug. Sorry if I made you wait."

Doug looked a little confused for a moment, but accepted Dylan's handshake, smiling gently.

"Don't worry, son." The adult Dalmatian then yawned, stretching his arms. "I'm on the dawn shift this week, so I actually just woke up."

Dylan couldn't say whether it was something he thought of or a slip-up because he just woke up, but hearing Doug call him son was a really strange thing.

And for some reason he couldn't explain, his tail wagged when he heard that.

Doug then looked at Dimitri 3, raising an eyebrow.

"D3, where are the others? The rooms were empty and there was no one in the kitchen."

The pup's eyes widened when he realized that his father was confused.

"Oh, right. Dante suggested to take us to the park so as not to disturb Dylan, and Dolly offered to stay home and welcome him if you were still sleeping." He then blushed again, scratching behind his ear with discomfort on his face. "But I convinced her to switch places with me, since I haven't found my lenses yet."

Dylan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this.

"So it will be just the three of us? It seems that I worried for nothing."

Doug sighed slightly in frustration, kneeling and placing both hands on his son's shoulders.

"Honey, you shouldn't be ashamed of being as you are. See Dante, for example. Others laughed at him, saying that he is not a real Dalmatian, but he has learned to ignore it."

Dimitri 3 looked a little less uncomfortable, but it was still clear that this would not be resolved so easily.

"I-I'll try, dad."

Dylan smiled when he saw the scene before him, although he felt a slight twinge of envy.

Although he was very introverted to most people, Dylan's father was always very affectionate with his pups.

"I think I miss that kind of thing."

Doug smiled and patted Dimitri on the head, then stood up.

As soon as he did that, his stomach growled, making him embarrassed in front of the two young Dalmatians.

"Sorry, I think I need to eat." He scratched behind his neck, smiling self-consciously. "D3, show Dylan the house. And don't forget to show the things in the basement."

The pup nodded, while Doug retired to the kitchen.

"Where do you want to start?"

Dylan put his hand on his chin, thinking carefully about what to do.

"I think it's best to start upstairs, then go to the basement."

"Alright then." He then smiled self-consciously, looking away as he started walking. "I must warn you, our room is a little messy."

Dylan just smiled. The three Dimitris looked like kids with a lot of energy to spend, so Dylan already expected to find a messy room.

For this very reason he was surprised to see that when Dimitri 3 said "our room", he did not refer to the triplets, but to all six boys.

"What the dog happened here?

The bedroom, which due to its size should be for the parents of the house, had a large bed against the wall, a big shelf on which was a television connected to three video game consoles installed on different shelves, a closet built into the wall with running doors, and a trunk with toys, but some of the clothes and toys that should have been in the closet or in the trunk were scattered on the floor.

Neither Dolly nor DJ said the house was small at this point. Dylan was speechless, shocked by the mess he was witnessing, and the teenager remained that way until Dimitri 3 said something that made his blood freeze in terror.

"If you think this is bad now, you should have seen it before yesterday's cleaning."

Dylan stared at the pup with astonishment, and when he realized that Dimitri 3 was not kidding he shuddered at the thought.

The first thing Dylan noticed was that the clothes on the floor and in the closet followed a pattern, making it clear that the boys liked to wear similar clothes every day, and due to the number of camo shorts and tank tops, the Dimitris always dressed the same way, as well as Triple D.

"I think that with the exception of Da Vinci, who wears a different shirt every day, we should all look like cartoon characters who are always in the same outfit." He then frowned, a little uncomfortable. "I just wish they were more organized."

"(sigh) Well, I hope that after the move you will keep the rooms tidy." He took a notepad and pen from his pocket, starting to take notes.

"Actually, we are not really messy." Dimitri 3 said, a little offended. "We should each keep our things in place, but most of the time we end up throwing each other's things around the room and then we end up arguing about who should put it in place."

This caught Dylan's attention. If Dolly's stubbornness was something shared among all the siblings, he would have a lot of work to do.

He then looked carefully at the bed, noticing something interesting.

The bed was actually three single beds next to each other vertically, with three mattresses placed horizontally, giving the impression that the bed was huge.

However, something else in the bed frame caught his attention.

"Is that a triple bunk bed?"

"Not exactly" Dimitri 3 scratched his ear, a thoughtful look on his face. "There are two demountable bunk beds, one double and one triple. As I remember, the double is a little bigger, so the beds at the ends are from the double and the bed in the middle from the triple."

This didn't surprise Dylan much. In fact, the Triple D slept in a triple pink bunk, and Da Vinci and Dizzy's beds were originally a bunk that Dylan and Dawkins shared when younger, now separated into two beds.

"What about the other parts of the triple one?"

"One part is Dad's bed, and the other part is Dolly and Dee Dee's bed."

Dylan nodded, taking that into account.

"This is a good idea. Bunk beds are very useful for large families, as they save space." He took note, and then put his hand on his chin. "I can replace mine and Dawkins’ beds with another bunk and then buy one more. So I can put two bunks per room and four of us in each room and then…" At that moment, a thought happened to him. " Wait, we are nine boys and seven girls. How do I do this division? I don't think I should leave boys and girls in the same room." Shaking his head, he decided to put that aside. "Better save it for later. After all, I have three weeks to plan."

Dimitri 3 remained silent so as not to disturb, until a humming sound came from one of the pockets of his shorts.

He took a cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen, being happy with the message.

"Awesome!"

This attracted Dylan's attention.

"What happened?"

"D2 found my contact lenses when he went to buy an ice cream. It seems that during yesterday’s cleaning, one of us put the box in his jacket pocket, thinking it was mine."

"I think it makes sense, considering you wear similar clothes." Then a thought occurred to Dylan. "Speaking of which, where do you usually keep your contact lenses?"

"Usually, I keep it on the shelf, next to the television. And the glasses are in the protective case, which I keep inside the closet."

Dylan scratched his chin, considering this.

"I'll take that into account during the moving. I think you should stay next to a nightstand and put them both in a drawer. It is more practical and less likely to lose it again."

Dimitri 3 thought for a moment, then nodded.

Dylan took some more notes and addressed the pup.

"I think we're done here. Shall we go to the next room?"

"Sure."

They then went to Doug's room, which, like the boys' room, surprised Dylan.

But for a totally opposite reason.

Doug's room was less than half the size of Dylan's, but it was equally neat. There was a bed that was clearly short for someone so tall, a small wardrobe, and a large wooden trunk.

"He will enjoy sleeping with Mom, since her double bed is much bigger than this. In addition, they will share the closet, so we will not need the wardrobes." He then looked at the trunk. He wanted to know what was inside, but he didn't want to invade Doug's privacy. "Do you know what's in the trunk?"

The pup got a little sad, looking at the ground again.

"It's my mom's stuff. Photos of her entire life, prizes she won, wedding dress, etc. Many of our things are in the basement, but he wants to keep that trunk close by so that nothing happens."

Dylan was a little surprised to hear that.

"(sigh) I understand. We left many of my dad's things in his office."

This made Dimitri 3 curious.

"He worked at home?"

"Sometimes, especially after the triplets became famous and he managed their careers."

The two were silent for a while, until Dylan took a deep breath.

"Well, let's continue."

The two left Doug's room and headed for the girls' room, where Dylan was once again surprised.

He felt himself in the story of the Golden Retriever and the Three Bears, first a very messy room, then a very tidy room, and now a room with neither too much of one nor too much of the other.

All the clothes were in the wardrobe, the bed was made, and the room was free of dust or dirt, but there were still lots of toys everywhere.

Dylan was a little surprised. Taking into account Dolly's personality and her habit of acting impulsively, he expected a dirty room, with boxes of partially eaten pizza and various sport props scattered throughout.

"After all this time, she still surprises me."

He didn't notice, but he smiled wistfully and wagged his tail.

After leaving the girls' room, they went to the basement and that's when Dylan had the biggest surprise of the day.

The basement seemed to be divided into four sectors, the first being the area next to the stairs, where there was a washing machine with a clothes dryer installed next to it, just like in his house. On the other side of the stairs, there was a wooden structure about 3 feet tall that took up a lot of space, and above that there were several cardboard boxes sealed with tape.

The other half of the basement seemed only partially divided, as things seemed to be slightly related. On one side, there was a table with a sophisticated and expensive looking computer, a briefcase and some audio editing equipment as in a recording studio, as well as some microphones, a camera tripod, and on the wall there was a big blue cloth. On the other side, there was an amplifier, a drum set, a red electronic keyboard, and some closed instrument cases.

Dylan watched this scene with wide eyes, totally lost.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's a little complicated. - Dimitri 3 scratched behind his left ear, trying to think of how to explain. He then decided to start with the boxes. "The problem with moving here is that Dad didn't get a house at least the same size as our old house, so in these boxes are our things that don't fit in the house, like books, most of Dante's video game collection, Dolly’s skateboarding prizes, DJ’s music prizes, most of our photo albums…" At that, his eyes widened, suddenly noticing something and snapping his fingers. "Now I remember. My brothers and I promised to show one of them to Triple D. We thought it was in Dad's trunk, but he said it's in one of those boxes."

Dylan was impressed. He was a little curious to know what was in the other boxes, but he knew it would be very time consuming, and Dimitri 3 might not know everything that was in store.

"Ok, I get it. And that wooden structure underneath?"

"Dad put this in case there is a flood. The other things in the basement can be bought again, but most of the things in those boxes are of sentimental value."

"He really is a cautious dog." Dylan was satisfied for the time being, then watching the rest of the basement. "And what do you do there?"

"That’s our studio." Dimitri 3 was excited, his tail wagging a lot. He went to the desk with the computer, pointing to the blue cloth. "The basement is soundproof, so D1, D2 and I shoot our videos here, and then I edit on this computer."

Dimitri 3 turned on the computer screen, revealing that it was already on. When looking at the screen, Dylan noticed an advanced program for editing videos, probably the kind that professionals use. He then showed a video he was working on, and Dylan was speechless.

On the screen were three identical pups, wearing black hooded sweaters and black pants, all three talking to the viewer while the background changed from time to time.

Most striking, however, was the fact that the three had spots on both eyes, no spots on the left ear, and no ear with a bite mark. Somehow, Dimitri 3 digitally altered the appearance of the three on a professional level.

"This is a video of a monthly segment that we make, answering questions from our subscribers." The pup smiled proudly, showing his work. "We still haven't decided on the background, so I made the program run the video with some examples to choose from later."

Dylan still wasn't sure what to say, and focused on the briefcase next to the computer.

"And what's in that briefcase? More equipment?"

"Much better!" The pup's face lit up with joy, and he opened the briefcase. "That's where we keep our prizes."

As soon as the teenager saw what was in the briefcase, he almost stopped breathing.

Inside the case were two frames, one on each half of the case, and in the center of the frames were rectangular objects with metallic paint in the shape of the WoofTube logo right in the center, one silver and the other gold. And although he was not a fan of internet trends, Dylan immediately recognized these objects.

After Triple D tried to be successful on the platform, the girls often shared their desire to win one of these prizes, which were given in recognition of the number of followers a channel had, the silver one for having one hundred thousand followers and the golden for one million.

This showed that the three Dimitris were not only far ahead of Triple D on the platform, but that three ten-year-old pups were talented enough to be recognized by millions.

"Dolly told me she had siblings who post videos on the internet, but she never said you were so skilled."

The comment made Dimitri 3's face red with shame.

"N-No need to be so i-impressed. I bet many dogs can do that."

"Adults? Probably many. At your age? I think it's unlikely."

The pup blushed even more, even more embarrassed. Still, he smiled, happy that Dylan appreciated the talent of him and his brothers. 

"He didn't look so shy Saturday. Doesn't he feel confident away from the other Dimitris?"

Dimitri 3 then looked at Dylan again, and looked a little unsure again.

"I know it must be difficult for you to organize all the things for our move, but if you can, can you separate a space for us?" He wasn't using the puppy eyes, but his shyness was just as moving. "We don't need a lot of space, and this is very important for the three of us." 

Dylan smiled happily, petting Dimitri 3's head.

"Don't worry about it. I would never stop my siblings from following their dreams, especially with you having so much talent." He then looked up, scratching his chin with his other hand. "In fact, you would have even more space, since we have an attic to store things and our basement is practically empty."

Dimitri 3 smiled happily, wagging his tail like crazy. He then hugged Dylan, his head resting on his belly due to the height difference.

"Thanks, Dylan!"

Dylan smiled, returning the hug.

He still had some problems with his personal space and with unexpected physical contact, but this time he didn't feel any discomfort, actually feeling like it was one of his siblings who was hugging him.

"I feel so good with him. It is as if we were already brothers."

After some time, Dimitri 3 broke the hug, closed the case carefully and turned off the computer screen, going to the musical instruments with a smile on his face.

"Anyway, to finish with the basement, these are DJ’s amplifier and musical instruments." He then began to point out one by one, exposing his brother's collection. "He has a drum set, a keyboard, an electric guitar, a bass, a classic guitar, a tuba, and, in the middle of those boxes, a violin, a clarinet, a flute and a theremin."

He looked at the teenage dalmatian, who looked back as if he were telling a bad joke.

"DJ plays all these instruments?"

"It seems hard to believe, doesn't it?" The pup got excited, clearly a fan of DJ. "Dad said he started playing at the age of two, on the piano of a friend of our mother. After that, she bought his first keyboard and encouraged him to try to play any instrument he wanted, and I don't know an instrument that he can't play."

Dylan was shocked by this. In the time they spent together, he focused only on Dolly, but now he realized that they all really left a lifetime behind when they came to London, and were still in the process of starting over.

"Well, I think I can organize it all in our house." Dylan said with a little arrogance, but then put his hand on his chin and began to think. "Although our basement is not soundproof. Maybe I need Dawkins' help with this." He looked at the pup again, following his inspection. "I think we can go up now."

Dimitri 3 nodded, and the two soon went upstairs.

They went to the living room, where they found Doug sitting watching television.

The living room was only slightly smaller than the one at the family house on Dalmatian Street, with a sofa, a bookshelf on which the television and DVD player were attached, as well as several films and some books.

"Hey, boys. How's your inventory going, Dylan?"

"I'm already having some ideas. In fact, I was more surprised by your precautions in the basement. You seem to be prepared for everything."

Doug seemed to be a little self-conscious, although he was clearly a little proud.

"Hehe. Thanks. From what your mother said, you're not much different in that regard."

Dylan smiled, flattered that a fireman would praise his precautions.

"I just don't like being taken by surprise." He then remembered the conversation he had the other day and decided to find out more. "DJ had told me that you do emergency simulations with your kids."

Doug then scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little apprehensive.

"I hope it's not a problem for you and the others. I'm not the kind of parent that forces kids to do things, but that's something that I really think is necessary."

"Actually, I would love to help." Dylan smiled, filled with excitement. "This is something that I have wanted to implement since a long time ago, but I was always afraid of my siblings thinking it was an exaggeration because of my OCD."

Doug smiled, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"None of my children were ever interested in that! We could review the security protocols together!"

Dylan wagged his tail, the idea of planning security measures with Doug making him more excited than he thought possible.

"I would love it!" They both smiled at each other, and Dylan felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt since his father's death. "He's not even my stepfather yet, and we're already planning a father and son time."

Despite all the worries Dylan had, one thing was certain.

"We will fit in well as a family."

Doug's eyes then widened, he clearly remembered something.

"Dylan, I would like to ask you a favor. But your mother cannot know."

At that, Dylan looked at Doug with a raised eyebrow.

"And what favor would that be?"

*

*

*

DOLLY

"Want some help?" Dante asked.

Dolly, who was finishing frying some steaks, turned and smiled. Everyone was already seated at the table waiting, but as usual Dante was the only one who offered to help her.

"Thanks. I'm almost done, so just put the food on the plates."

Dante nodded and went to do what Dolly asked, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Dolly was in a great mood, majorly because she hadn't met Dylan today.

"Hehe. My brothers are so easy to manipulate at times."

The teenage Dalmatian mentally went over her plan, from discreetly giving Dante the idea of going to the park so he thought it was his idea, and then offering to show Dylan the house. And of course, the day before she hid Dimitri 3's contact lenses, knowing that he would offer to stay in her place so as not to be seen in public wearing glasses.

Dolly knew she couldn't avoid Dylan forever, but it would still be a few weeks before they lived in the same house, and she wanted that time to prepare herself emotionally for what would happen.

Dante soon finished serving the dishes, and Dolly placed a steak in each, leaving her plate for last.

"I'm going to have to talk to Dylan about who's going to prepare the meals. I never liked it that much, and if I have to cook with him around it will be worse."

Dolly left the pan in the sink and sat down to eat, remaining silent while the others talked.

"... then I said that our room was worse before cleaning, and he looked at me as if a second head had grown on me." Dimitri 3 said, his mood much better since he put on his contact lenses.

"Hehe. This does not surprise me." Dante said, eating some kibble while leaving the steak for later. "From what Dawkins told me, Dylan is as dedicated to cleaning and organizing as Dad is to safety."

This left the other pups, with the exception of DJ, surprised and thoughtful.

"And he said something about the move?" Dee Dee asked, a little anxiously.

"He didn't say much about it." Dimitri 3 said scratching his chin with one eye closed, trying to remember the details. "But he assured me that we will have enough space in the basement for our studio and DJ instruments."

This seemed to cheer up the other Dimitris and DJ, but it was not the answer Dee Dee expected.

DJ noticed this, and smiled gently at the youngest.

"Actually, when we had lunch together, Dylan talked a little about it with me." In that, all the siblings, especially Dolly, looked closely at DJ. "He told me that the house has three floors, which is why he was thinking of putting four of us in each room."

"Seriously?" The Dimitris, Delgado and Dee Dee said at the same time.

DJ just nodded, eating another spoonful of his kibble.

For a while, the youngest pups were commenting on their opinions on this, until Dimitri 2 said something that caught everyone's attention.

"You know, there's something I can't stop thinking about. If Dolly or Dante had introduced us to Dylan or Dawkins in our first year in London, our parents would have been together much earlier and we would already be a family."

Everyone seemed to ponder this, which made Dolly a little uncomfortable.

"I don't think it would be like that." The teenager said, trying to avoid thinking too much about it. "It is not as if you also invited all your friends to visit us."

"Your sister is right." Doug said, wondering the possibilities. "Besides, I would probably be afraid to speak to Delilah."

At that, Dolly stopped to reflect.

She still didn't quite understand Doug's fear of meeting the dogs that had been part of his old life in Suffolk, but considering that he only met Delilah out of medical obligation, even though he knew that her family lived in London, it was a indication that this relationship was not as simple as it seemed.

The teenager continued to eat, until...

"What if Dylan and Dolly were a couple?" Dimitri 1 said, scratching his chin.

Dolly gasped right away.

"COFF! COFF! What?"

Everyone around was more surprised by her reaction than Dimitri 1's suggestion, and the young scriptwriter felt a little frightened.

"I-It's just a ‘what if’ suggestion. I mean, if you were a couple, Dad would make a point of meeting your boyfriend's family."

Dolly calmed down a little, but was still apprehensive.

"That if Dolly told us." Dante said, making Dolly's blood run cold in her veins. "Knowing her, Dolly would keep the relationship a secret as much as possible, to prevent Dad from embarrassing her."

"How would I embarrass her?" Doug asked, totally confused.

"For real?" Dolly asked, offended that Doug didn't understand. She then crossed her arms and looked at him with angry eyes. "Remember the last time I invited a friend home, four years ago? You started showing him some photos from when I wore diapers, and talked about how long it took me to learn how to use the bathroom on my own! Why do you think none of us invite friends to come here?"

The father raised a finger and was about to answer, until he noticed the discomfort of his other children and his eyes widened when he realized that all his kids think the same.

He lowered his head, feeling sad, and Dolly felt bad for having raised her voice with her father.

"(sigh) Besides, even if Dylan and I had been a couple, it wouldn't end well."

It made everyone look at her with raised eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?" Dante asked.

"Think about it. If Dylan and I were a couple, we would have to end our relationship when our parents got married."

The younger ones were confused by those words, while Dante and DJ started to ponder.

However, what Dolly never expected was what her father did next.

"Hahaha. That would not be a problem."

Everyone was immediately confused, especially Dolly herself.

"And how could that not be a problem? I may not be an adult, but even I know that incest is a bad thing."

"What is incest?" Dee Dee asked, and Dolly realized that she exposed the younger ones to something very delicate.

Doug smiled understandingly, looking at the younger ones.

"Incest is a complicated thing, honey. Simply put, it is forbidden for anyone to date or marry a close blood relative, such as a brother or sister."

"And why would anyone want to marry his sister?" Delgado asked, sticking out his tongue with disgust. "That would be very weird."

"Hehe. For many, it sure would." Doug smiled, imagining something that Dolly didn't know what it was, but it made her curious. "But love is complicated. Remember that friend of yours who lived next door in California?"

Delgado was a little confused, but soon remembered.

"The one with the two daddies?"

"Exactly. When I was your age, it was also considered wrong for two people of the same gender to get married, and it was even considered a crime."

"But, this incest thing is or not wrong?" Dimitri 3 asked, clearly confused.

"Like I said, it's complicated." Doug scratched his chin, still considering his explanation. "The main reason for being banned is that if there is a genetic disease in the family, children would be more likely to be born with this disease if the parents were blood relatives."

"That's stupid." DJ said, raising an eyebrow. "By this logic, the couple should only be prohibited from having children, and not from being a couple."

"Well, that's the main argument, not the only one. It is something cultural all over the world, and it is prohibited in many religions." Doug spoke without much emotion, as if he were repeating something he memorized out of obligation. "Even so, in most countries there are no problems for relationships between distant relatives, such as cousins of varying degrees. Furthermore, for us anthros there is a loophole in these laws."

"A loophole?" Dolly asked, a twinge of hope taking her heart. "And what would be?"

Doug winced in discomfort, leaving the pups slightly confused.

"In the case of us anthros, siblings can marry if both are castrated."

Except for Delgado, all the boys shuddered.

"Then my point remains." Dolly said sadly, trying not to make the reason for her sadness clear. "Things wouldn't end well between us."

Doug then looked at her with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Honey, I don't think you understand me." Dolly looked at him, confused, and Doug went on. "I said it is forbidden for blood siblings to marry."

Dolly was confused for a moment, until her eyes widened, a gleam in her eyes that left the others confused.

"If stepsiblings can be a couple, then I still have a chance!"

The family continued to discuss possibilities for a while, but Dolly paid no attention to what the others were saying, eating with energy so she could get to bed as soon as possible.

With her hopes renewed, the teen Dalmatian had a clear objective.

"I'm surely going to win my Dylan back!"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have done a lot of research on marriages and kinship to be sure, so I am confident that I am right with the path I am taking in this story.

Besides, the incest thing between anthros is just a joke that came to me because of the human habit of castrating their pets.

*

As for the Dimitris, I wanted them to be a hit on the internet, and I already wrote part of the chapter in which Triple D discovers that the Dimitris are, technically, more famous than they are.

I also wanted one of Dolly's brothers to wear glasses for this chapter, and it struck me as funny that it was Dimitri 3, as he has perfectly round spots around both eyes.

*

Originally, I would just let the contact lenses disappear as a coincidence, but I watched the episode in which Dolly and Dawkins turn the house into a giant freezer and focused on the phrase "She knows exactly how to play me". As an older brother, I really appreciate the art of manipulating the younger siblings, so I decided to add that and still use in this chapter the moment when Dolly discovers that there is still a possibility of being with Dylan romantically.

*

Due to my creative way of thinking, I already have an accumulation of partially written chapters (I say that because I have dialogues and entire scenes, but I still don't know where and when to use them), and I do it for good reason.

So here's a tip: I'm creating a very complex plot just like the Marvel films, so be prepared for a lot of surprises, as several things that may seem random or silly now, will be really important later.

Chapter Text

This chapter takes place at the same time as the next two, but in different places, and when I was almost halfway through the next one, I changed my mind and decided to write this first. 

In this chapter, Doug begins his journey to reconnect with his past.

I'm going to introduce Doug's family, so if it looks confusing, the notes at the end will clear up any doubts for now.

*

*

*

DOUG

To say that Doug was nervous was an understatement.

One thing that has never changed since he was a puppy was his ease in worrying.

It didn't help that he was about to meet with someone who had known him since he was a puppy.

Doug took advantage of his last day off before moving to go to Delilah's parents' house, thinking he should start reconnecting with his past with his future wife's father.

"I think I will arrive at lunch. I hope I'm not a nuisance."

Doug had left the house before the pups woke up and was driving for just over five hours, and according to the GPS, he only had to go straight for 2 km and he would reach his destination.

He had obtained the address from Dylan when the young Dalmatian went to inspect the house, and asked him not to tell Delilah.

It wasn't that Doug wanted to act behind her back, but he knew that Delilah would want to tag along.

And that was something he had to do on his own.

Doug arrived at what looked like a wooden farmhouse-style fence, bringing back memories of his childhood. He then saw a gate with a wooden sign above it with "Dalmatian Ranch" written on it and entered.

He continued inside the property and stopped the car in front of the main house and got out of the car, watching his surroundings with a mixture of fear and wonder in his eyes.

The main house was large and beautiful, made of wood and in the style of a country house with two floors, as well as a beautiful vegetable garden nearby with some fresh vegetables. There was a small wooden barn painted in classic red; three smaller houses a little further away, where the employees lived, and also ten cottages scattered across the land; and near the main house there was a dead tree with some ropes tied to a field plowing tractor, and by the marks on the ground someone tried to pull the tree out but the tractor failed.

The terrain was quite extensive as far as Doug could see, and he had a beautiful view of a lighthouse that seemed to be inside the property, as well as a fenced area with a few cows. According to Dylan, the lighthouse was about a ten-minute walk from the beach, down a trail on the hill.

Delilah had said that after retiring, her father decided to go back to the roots in the countryside, buying a property in Cornwall and making it as similar as possible to the family farm in Suffolk, creating a strange “beach farm”, which for Doug it seemed like a fun idea, and something he would expect from her father.

The place also served as a summer camp for tourists, who rented the cottages to experience what life in the country was like in the past, without television or internet, although the lights were electric and in the main and staff houses there was Wi-Fi.

Delilah and her kids usually spend the end of the summer vacation here, staying with her dad in the main house, and Doug wanted to make sure he was welcome before including his kids in those plans.

The Dalmatian took a deep breath and started walking, heading for the front door. He reached over to the door and closed his hand in a fist, but stood still when he was almost touching the wood.

He was overcome with fear, paralyzed by the possibility of being rejected by Delilah's father. In childhood, he admired her father a lot, even affectionately calling him Uncle, before leaving everyone behind and going to live with Cerberus.

He then remembered last week's dinner, and how all the pups looked at him. What kind of father would he be to them if he couldn't even speak to his father-in-law?

" Come on, Doug! You can do it!"

With renewed determination, he knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.

Almost a minute passed, and Doug was considering knocking again, when he heard the lock click and the door swung open.

In front of Doug was a dog in his 60s, the left ear completely black and a spot around the right eye, with fur slightly faded and wearing glasses with a thin rope at the ends of the frame to hold it behind the head. He wore a red collar with a star-shaped pendant with the word sheriff written on it, and was wearing a plaid flannel shirt and brown pants, with a bull's head buckle in his belt, looking like a retired cowboy.

He looked at Doug with a little intrigue, as if he knew him but couldn't remember where.

"What do you want, lad?"

Doug smiled self-consciously, still nervous.

"(sigh) It's been so long that I don't even know where to start."

The older dog raised an eyebrow, looking at Doug curiously.

"I know you?"

"Maybe that will help." Doug then took a deep breath, then smiled happily and used puppy eyes. - Hi, Uncle Patch! Can you tell me another one of your adventures with Thunderbolt?"

Patch's eyes widened, looking at Doug in amazement.

"Doug?"

Doug just nodded as he smiled awkwardly, still unsure of the reaction he would cause to Patch.

To his surprise, Patch smiled happily, his tail wagging intensely, before hugging Doug. Although surprised, he promptly returned the gesture.

"What are you doing here? I thought I would never see you again!"

"I've returned to England two years ago. I am living with my children in London."

Patch perked up even more, walking into the house and gesturing for Doug to follow him.

"Don't just stand there, lad! Come in and tell me everything!"

Doug was surprised by such hospitality, but promptly agreed to enter. Patch led him to the dining room, where the table was set.

The dining room was large and spacious, separated from the kitchen by a counter full of doors and drawers next to a stove. With the exception of the wood stove, everything looked modern, like the electric stove, the double fridge, and the appliances.

The dining room table was large and rectangular, with a long wooden bench on each side, and it immediately reminded Doug of when the family would place several tables and benches like this in front of the barn when several of his distant relatives gathered. Near one end was a small pot on the table, containing a stew with meat and vegetables, the smell of which immediately aroused memories in Doug.

"You arrived just in time. I just made Aunt Missy's stew." Patch promptly took two plates, two spoons and a soup ladle from the cupboard, making it clear that Doug had no choice. "Good thing I made a lot."

Doug sat on one side, with Patch sitting on the other, and the host soon served them both.

Doug tasted the stew, immediately seized with childhood memories.

"Oh my dog! Just like Grandma did!"

Patch laughed briefly, also enjoying the stew.

"Hehe. You don't have to exaggerate. It took me years to practice, but my stew is still not as good as hers." Patch then remembered what Doug said earlier, and looked at the younger Dalmatian with curiosity. "But you were talking about your kids, right?"

"That's right. I have eight, six boys and two girls."

"You don't say. Delilah also has eight." A thought occurred to Patch and he was wide-eyed. "Oh, my dog. Delilah will love to hear that you are back."

"Hehe. In fact, she already knows. How do you think I got your address?"

"So, did you want to come and visit your old Uncle Patch?" Patch looked happy, although a little confused. "Why didn't you bring the kids? I would love to meet them!"

Doug felt ashamed, looking away.

"I wanted to come alone before, since I didn't know how you would react if you saw me again."

"What are you talking about, lad?"

"(sigh) Patch, I'm sorry. You were my family, and I left all of you to go and live with him." Doug spoke sadly, although his voice was full of poison when mentioning his father. "I wouldn't blame any of you for hating me."

Doug remained crestfallen, waiting for Patch to say something.

"Ouch!!"

Instead, he received a flick on the muzzle.

Doug reflexively put both hands over his nose, looking at Patch in total confusion.

Patch was looking at him with narrowed eyes. Not as if she hated him, but the way he looked at Doug and Delilah after they got into trouble.

"Douglas Dalmatian! Don't you dare think such a thing about your family."

Despite his age and being shorter than him, Doug couldn't help feeling intimidated as he had when he was thirteen.

"B-But I turned my back on my family, j-just like him. How could you not hate me?"

Patch looked at Doug with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by what he said.

"Do you think that's why we hate your father? Because he left us?"

Doug's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wasn't that the reason?"

"For dog's sake, Doug! Of course not!" Patch facepalmed, frustrated by the younger dalmatian. "I ran away from home myself, and the family didn't hate me for that! (sigh) But I don't think I can blame you for thinking that. We never told your generation, and I doubt your father would tell the truth, and that if he told you anything."

This left Doug completely baffled.

For years, he placed himself on the same level as his father, believing that leaving England and losing contact with his family made him an outcast.

"What did he do then?"

Patch was hesitant, considering whether or not to tell Doug what his father had done.

"Doug, I don't want to destroy the way you see your father."

"HUFF! As if that were possible." Doug rolled his eyes, and when he looked at Patch he saw that he was confused. "He took me to New York just to profit from an arranged marriage, and made it clear that his goals were more important than me."

Patch was motionless for a while, processing what Doug said.

"Oh, Doug. I'm so sorry." The old Dalmatian's face was filled with guilt, looking at Doug with deep sadness. "When I heard that he wanted you to move in with him, I thought that he had finally changed. If I knew…"

"It wasn't your fault, Patch. (sigh) I chose to go with him, so I am to blame for him almost selling my soul." Doug then took a deep breath, looking at Patch with a determined look. "Please, I need to know what he did."

Patch remained unsure for a moment, until he looked into Doug's eyes and then took a deep breath.

"(sigh) First of all, you need to understand that your father was not always like this."

"How so?"

"When we were puppies, your father was very kind, almost like you. But he changed after… her."

Patch spoke the last word with deep hatred, and Doug winced.

"I know what she did to you all was terrible, but that doesn't justify the things he does."

Patch bit his lip and looked away. There was clearly something he was hiding, but before Doug could ask, Patch started to speak.

"Anyway, the problems started long after that. Do you remember the story of my London adventure?"

Doug was thoughtful for a moment trying to remember, although he was a little confused.

"When you were eight, you ran away from home and went to London, where you met Thunderbolt in a contest. He was going through an existential crisis and after recreating some scenes from the episodes of his show, you two arrested real criminals, including his old partner. After that, you two appeared in the newspaper and you became his new partner."

Patch nodded, then proceeded.

"Exactly. After that, I became a celebrity and spent a good part of my childhood traveling between Suffolk and Hollywood, since even though I was famous I didn't want to leave my family. When I was twelve I met my wife Dotty, at the time a young actress who auditioned to be my love interest on the show. "

He was taken in by a nostalgic and sad air, and Doug then remembered something.

"Delilah told me. I understand." Patch looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Doug went on. "I know I haven't been married as long as you have, but I know how painful it is to lose a wife."

Patch looked shocked for a moment, then smiled sadly at Doug.

"Your life has been very difficult, hasn't it?" Doug smiled sadly too, and Patch soon went on. "Anyway, we spent the last five seasons of the show acting together, and outside the studio, Dotty and I became a real couple. I took her with me to Suffolk after the show was over, to introduce her to the family before telling them that I proposed to her, when one of my cousins did something unthinkable."

Patch took on a hateful look, and Doug knew at once which cousin Patch was talking about.

"What did he do to her?"

"(sigh) Everyone asked her several questions, and one of my sisters praised Dotty's clothes and she started talking about fashion. She always liked fashion, and being from America at a time when news didn't spread very widely, she didn't know that her favorite stylist from England had been arrested for trying to harm our family."

Doug's eyes widened, staring at Patch in amazement.

"She…"

"She mentioned Cruella De Vil and how much she admired her work, and in the next instant, your father pounced on her and started strangling her. Like you, your dad was always a big, strong dog, so it took my dad, your grandfather, me and five others to contain him. All the while, he spoke profanities at Dotty, while calling us traitors for protecting someone who sympathized with the enemy."

Doug was speechless.

His Aunt Dotty has always been one of the kindest anthros he has ever known, and he couldn't imagine anyone doing anything so bad against her.

"I know he is not a nice dog, but assaulting someone... I really didn't expect that."

"Believe me, Doug, none of us expected. After that, we bought a house in Camden, and your father stopped talking to me."

"What about Auntie Dotty?"

"I told her the whole story, and she went to apologize to our family, even though it was an accident. She tried to apologize even to your father, who instead of being understanding and accepting her into the family, became increasingly hostile towards all of us for welcoming her into the family."

"So, that was the reason you started to hate him?"

Patch looked at Doug sadly, as if what he had to say was so bad that he couldn't muster the strength to say it.

"A few years later, he did something much, much worse, which was so low and despicable, that even my uncle and aunt lost any love for him." He then stood up, crossing his arms and looking at Doug sternly. "But I really think you shouldn't know."

Doug was divided. On the one hand, he did not want to upset one of the dogs who served as a father figure in his youth, but on the other hand he felt he must have known how low his father could go.

He then stood up, looking resolutely at the older Dalmatian.

"I take the risk. No matter what, I can take it."

Patch seemed to be in conflict, whatever it was seemed to be extremely terrible.

Doug walked around to the other side of the table, placing his hands on his uncle's shoulders and looking at him straight in the eye.

"Believe me, Uncle Patch. After all I've been through, I'm ready to know the truth."

Patch was still very apprehensive, but he took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye.

"Doug, your father didn't leave your mother after she died. He left shortly after getting her pregnant."

"But my grandfather said…"

"He, you grandmother and my parents decided that this should be a secret, so no one of your generation knows that. As you know, after what Cruella did, my parents and your grandparents decided to raise not only their own children, but also the other puppies that she intended to use for her insane fashion. (sigh) You mother was one of those pups, welcomed as part of the family, but not officially adopted. Your father took advantage of her naivety, and while he was building his company in London, he took her with him as if they were a couple, but in fact he just wanted her around to do housework and satisfy him at night, and when he got a rich bride, he told her everything before he left her and she returned crying to the farm." He stopped to take a deep breath, preparing for what he was going to say. "Sometime after you were born, she couldn't take it anymore and committed suicide. When we notified your father, he said it was not his problem, and after that the family gave up on him."

Patch finished his report with concern, while Doug stood motionless for a moment, as if he were still processing what Patch said.

The older Dalmatian was getting worried when Doug smiled happily.

"Uncle Patch, I have a question. That tree that is tied to the tractor... Are you trying to remove it?"

Patch was confused, looking at Doug with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, yes. The youngsters who work for me tried to pull out with the tractor, but the engine broke down."

"Right. I'll be right back."

Still smiling, Doug went back the way he and Patch took, whistling along the way as Patch followed him with apprehension.

As soon as Doug arrived outside, he saw a pair of thick heavy-duty gloves on the tractor seat and put them on.

"Safety first~" Doug hummed, then assumed a look of hatred and started pushing the tree with his hands as he growled.  "RRRAAGGHHH!"

Patch looked at the scene in complete amazement, unsure how to react.

"That bastard! How could he do this with his own family? With Aunt Dotty? With me? WITH MY MOTHER?"

Doug pushed hard, putting all the pent-up anger of years into this one onslaught.

And to Patch's horror, the tree fell, a large patch of soil attached to the roots coming together.

Doug breathed heavily for a while, then let out a powerful howl and dropped to his knees on the floor, immediately starting to cry.

"I have no more doubts. If he was able to do this with his own family, then he really is involved in it."

Doug felt desolate, crying even more than when Camila died. Then he felt a weight on his shoulder and looked up.

Patch had a hand on Doug's shoulder, looking at him with the comforting look of a loving father.

"I'm sorry, Doug. (sigh) I shouldn't have told you."

Doug wiped the tears away with his forearm, smiling sadly.

"No. (sigh) I needed to hear that."

"How about we go in and finish lunch? Aunt Missy would be furious that we stopped in the middle of lunch."

Doug laughed briefly, getting up and leaving the gloves where he picked them up.

The two dalmatians went back into the house and continued their meal in silence, both still digesting what had happened.

As soon as Doug finished eating, he remembered something. When he was young, he was shown several pictures of when he was a baby, and in these pictures, a woman whose face did not appear did several things, such as breastfeeding, changing diapers or holding him in her lap. He then looked at Patch with a raised eyebrow.

"If my mother committed suicide shortly after I was born, who is the woman in my childhood photos?"

Patch laughed briefly, looking at Doug with a little smugness.

"Hehe. No wonder you don't remember, since you was so small. The one in the pictures was my Dotty."

Doug's jaw dropped, looking at Patch with wide eyes.

"Your wife? But how?"

"Your mother and Dotty became good friends, since besides having the same name both were pregnant at the same time."

"Same name?" Doug looked at the older Dalmatian with a raised eyebrow, totally confused. "But my mother's name…"

"Doug, "Dotty" is a nickname." Patch laughed heartily, staring with a playful smile. "Did you really think that was her name?"

Doug looked at him with an unimpressed look, raising an eyebrow wryly.

"Your name is "Patch", and some of your siblings are called "Lucky", "Rolly", "Cadpig" and "Tripod", and you were all named for a characteristic you had when you were born. Why would I doubt that "Dotty" was your wife's name?"

Patch then started scratching his chin, pondering Doug's argument.

"I think you're right. Anyway, Dotty and I went back to Suffolk after your father went to America and stayed there until shortly after Delilah was born, and your mother and Dotty became friends. During that time, my mother and your grandmother spent time with the future mothers, advising and teaching them some things. We thought your mom was better because of her friendship with Dotty, but three months after you were born…"

"She committed suicide." Doug was sad to remember that, but he still needed to know. "What did she do?"

"She threw herself into the river. According to the doctor, she had taken some sleeping pills, so we think at least she left without pain. You were still very young and needed breast milk, so Dotty offered to take care of you until you were big enough to eat solid foods."

"So, I grew up with you? For how long?"

"We took care of you until you're a year old, and then we took you to the farm." Patch was then filled with nostalgia again, smiling as he looked at Doug. "At that time, you and Delilah became inseparable. Hehe. You even slept in the same crib as Delilah."

Doug remembered a photo he saw that was exactly like that, but at the time he thought it was just an occasional thing, not something that happened constantly for months.

He then blushed, a little embarrassed.

"I knew that Delilah and I were close in our childhood, but I couldn't remember the reason."

"Hehe. You were really a cute duo. Before you left, Dotty and I joked with the other adults, saying that you kids would get married one day."

Doug was then totally embarrassed, with a smile that made it clear that he was afraid of something.

Patch then looked at Doug with a raised eyebrow.

"Doug, this is the same face you used to make every time when Delilah denied that you both had made any mischief. What is happening?"

Doug gulped, then looked at Patch as he smiled nervously.

"Like I said, I met with Delilah. We've been reconnecting for a few months, and last week we took all the kids out to dinner."

"You both took all of your children to dinner?" Patch's eyes widened, surprised to hear that. "It must have been quite an experience."

"And it was. Anyway, after seeing that they got along, Delilah and I asked their opinion about something we want to do soon, and as they were receptive, we decided to move on."

"And what do you plan to do?"

The two face each other for a moment, Doug nervous and Patch curious, until Doug had the strength to speak.

"(sigh) Sir, I asked for your daughter's hand in marriage, and we plan to get married before the end of the summer."

Patch stood motionless, staring at Doug with wide eyes.

Then after a long silence, he got up and walked around the table, then hugged Doug.

"I just wish my Dotty was here to see this." Patch smiled as he released tears of joy. He then smirked, raising an eyebrow. "And what are the plans for the wedding?"

Doug was momentarily stunned, surprised that Patch was so excited about the wedding.

"We were thinking of getting married at the farm in Suffolk, before the end of the summer."

"So fast?" Patch raised an eyebrow, finding the moment a bit early.

"We want as many relatives as possible, and according to Delilah, the end of summer is perfect for that."

Patch looked up while rubbing his chin, pondering the plans for the wedding.

"I think you're right. I can help notify the family if you are still scared."

"Hehe. I would appreciate it very much. Although I feel calmer after knowing that the family never hated me."

"Just don't tell that to the others. They may be offended if they know you thought that."

"I can imagine." Doug then stroked his nose, smiling self-consciously. "I haven't had a flick on my snout since I was a puppy."

"Hehe. It is a very effective way to discipline mischievous puppies." An idea came to him, and he then looked at Doug curiously. "Speaking of puppies, how much do your children know about the family?"

Doug felt self-conscious, scratching behind his neck.

"Only that I thought I was a pariah, and that my father is Cerberus himself. Also, Delilah and I told them that we have known each other since we were puppies, but we both found it a bit early to tell them that we are second cousins."

"Well, you should tell as soon as possible then. In fact, how do you plan to have a honeymoon with 16 children?"

Doug blushed immediately, uncomfortable discussing such a thing with his future father-in-law.

"We were thinking about skipping that part. As much as Dylan and my daughter Dolly are good top dogs, Delilah and I don't think they are ready to take care of everyone else by themselves so soon."

"Is that the only problem?" Patch then smiled with a raised eyebrow, leaving Doug a little confused. "Did Delilah tell you about what she does at the end of the summer?"

"She said she brings the pups to spend the last week of vacation here." Doug was confused for a moment, until his eyes widened in realization. "You are not suggesting…"

"If you plan to get married before the end of the summer, I can bring them here with me after the wedding, while you and Delilah spend a week alone."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Doug, I love spending time with my grandchildren, and it would be nice to meet my new grandchildren." Patch then winked, smirking. "And who knows, maybe this week alone will be perfect for you to give me more grandchildren."

Doug laughed briefly, happy despite the teasing.

"Hehe. I don't think we'll have any more children anytime soon, but I promise you will be the first to know."

The two talked for a few more hours, and Doug felt more and more confident that everything would end well.

*

*

*

PATCH

After Doug left, Patch continued with his daily duties until sunset.

He had two families living in two of the smaller houses on the property, but he still enjoyed working so he wouldn't feel unnecessary.

He was in front of the fallen tree, thinking about what to do to remove it, when a surprised voice came from behind him.

"Mr. Dalmatian! Did you manage to remove the tree with the broken tractor?"

Patch turned, seeing a young Border Collie with gray and white fur with a black patch on the right side of her face and a gray patch on the left, looking at him with astonished eyes of black pupils and blue sclera instead of white. She was wearing a red shirt and denim overalls with a pocket in the front with an opening at the back for her mostly black tail with a little white at the end, and a wide-brimmed straw hat with openings for her black ears.

Patch smiled fondly, his manager's daughter was almost a granddaughter to him.

"(chuckles) Don't be silly, Summer. Doug helped me."

The girl raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side, totally confused.

"Who is Doug?"

"A childhood friend of Delilah, who moved to America years ago." He then put his hand on the tree, smiling. "Do you believe he removed the tree with his bare hands, wearing only the gloves your father left on the tractor?"

The girl's jaw dropped, looking in surprise at the scene.

"What kind of anthro is he? A wolf? A Pitbull?"

"Believe it or not, he is a Dalmatian." Patch then scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. "Although he may look like a gorilla with so many muscles."

Summer was totally baffled by the description, clearly having trouble imagining such a Dalmatian.

"I wish I saw that."

"Hehe. I confess that I was scared to see him bring down the tree. But you will probably meet him soon, as he is going to marry Delilah."

"Really?" The girl raised an eyebrow, a little doubtful. "And what does Dylan think of that?"

"According to Doug, the two are getting along, and are even planning the house changes together."

"He must be a very special dog if Dylan accepted him as a stepfather."

"Hehe. Doug was a lot like Dylan when he was a kid, so I'm not too surprised. In fact, from what Doug said, his oldest daughter, Dolly, looks a bit like Delilah when she was young and impulsive."

Summer winced, and looked at Patch with a little concern.

"He said anything about how is the relationship between Dylan and this Dolly?" Patch looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and Summer quickly added. "You know he doesn't get along with other top dogs."

"Oh, is that all? Doug said they met shortly after he brought his children to England, and studied together for a year."

The girl's eyes widened, as if she had seen a ghost.

"T-This is very interesting, but I still have to finish my c-chores. See you later, Mr. Dalmatian."

The girl left so fast that it looked like she flew, leaving Patch confused for a moment.

He then smiled as he rolled his eyes, thinking again about what to do with the tree.

"Youngsters these days... Always in a hurry."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SURPRISE !!!

Seriously, I don't think anyone expected Doug and Delilah to be related.

Besides, I don't know if this custom exists outside Brazil, but here we sometimes call a distant relative or friend of the parents “Uncle / Aunt” in childhood, so I thought it would be nice if Doug called his father's cousin Uncle Patch.

*

 My explanation makes sense, although it may seem strange.

I read Dodie Smith's original book, and like many other book adaptations, several changes were made, such as the fact that Cruella was married and had a cat. Furthermore, Hunter could not exist, as Cruella claims to be the last of the De Vil and even made her husband have her last name.

I don't think there is anyone who doesn't know the Disney story, so I don't think it's a spoiler to tell the differences between the Disney versions and the book.

In the original, Perdita was not Pongo's mate, but rather a stray dog that humans welcomed, Pongo's mate being a dog with no clear name, which they refer to as “Missis” or “Mrs. Pongo ”, which Disney apparently decided to discard. In the story, Perdita's humans sold her offspring to Cruella, and Perdita ran away from home to find her offspring, which resulted in poor health when the humans found her. She helped Missis to breastfeed her young, as one female would not be able to produce enough milk to breastfeed 15 pups, and reunited with her pups when they rescued the others. At the end of the book they go to live on a farm, where the humans intended to start a “dalmatian dynasty”, and they find Perdita's mate, Prince, whose humans gladly accept that he lives with the others on the farm, totaling 101 dalmatians.

In this dynamic, the 101 dalmatians are:

4 adults and 97 puppies; of which 15 are Pongo's puppies, 8 are Prince's puppies, and 74 adopted puppies.

Taking that into account, I think they used some of that as a basis for the new series, since we have two adults and two teenagers taking care of 97 puppies. 

Anyway, I decided to mix some of these concepts, imagining that sooner or later there would be a loving relationship between the puppies.

In this timeline, Pongo and his sister Missy lived happily with their mates in houses in the same neighborhood, until they had their puppies stolen. After recovering their kids, as well as welcoming others that no one reported kidnapping, they went to live together on a farm, and Pongo and his brother-in-law shared the role of patriarch of a large family of 101, who over the past 60 years grew up and spread throughout the world, creating what they call the Dalmatian Dynasty.

As they would all be parents of the adopted puppies, so as not to cause disagreements between the puppies, the four adults gave up their surnames, so they would all be anthros without a surname and would all be called "Dalmatian". 

Delilah is the daughter of Pongo's eldest son, and Doug, son of Prince's eldest son. Doug's father was always different from the others, and in addition to recovering his surname as soon as he became of age, shortly after having a child he decided to leave Doug's mother still pregnant with Prince and abandon the family to pursue his own goals.

By the way, "Dotty" and Doug's mother have the same name by a last-minute change, which occurred when I watched Deadpool 2 again. More specifically, the part where he mocks the movie Batman Vs Superman because their mothers have the same name.

Their names will be revealed in the future.

And the name is NOT Martha.

*

As for Doug's father, I wanted to create someone who was more despicable and hateful than Cruella, but I admit that I may have exaggerated his evilness level a bit.

And yes, he will appear eventually.

*

This is probably the last time I explain something of the plot in my author notes, since from now on each and every information about the past will be revealed from the point of view of the characters, as they discover or remember.

Chapter Text

One of the sections in this chapter is slightly different. I like to specify a character so I don't have to explain the parts with thoughts, but the third section will have thoughts from multiple characters.

*

*

*

DANTE

"That's ridiculous!" Delgado exclaimed, looking down with fury. "Why can't I use my wheelchair?"

The puppy was sitting on Dante's shoulders, with Dante's neck between his thighs and holding his ears as he would hold the handlebars of a bicycle.

Dante just rolled his eyes, smiling wryly. While carrying Delgado he held Dee Dee's hand with one hand and her skateboard with the other, DJ coming close behind with Delgado's sports wheelchair.

"We both know that the minute I put you in the chair you will run at full speed."

"I won't do that!"

Dante just looked up with a raised eyebrow and a smug smile, making Delgado blush and look away.

It was a Saturday morning, and Dante was taking the siblings to the park. Dolly once again did not want to leave the house, and although Doug was off today, he left early to solve something that only Dante, Dylan, Dolly and Dimitri 3 knew, asking them to keep secret.

"I still can't believe he asked Dylan for this."

They soon arrived at the south entrance to the park, and Dante smiled at what he saw.

In front of the gate were Delilah and almost all of her children, all apparently happy that Dante and his siblings arrived. Delilah carried a large picnic basket and Dawkins a slightly smaller cooler, and Dizzy was right next to Delilah, carrying a first aid bag.

But what most caught the attention of the inverted Dalmatian was Da Vinci's personalized shirt. She was wearing a white shirt with a large misshapen pink stain, which reminded Dante of the ink spots that psychiatrists use in the movies.

The others were dressed the same as they were on Saturday, with the exception of Dizzy, who was wearing a shirt similar to the one she wore the other day, but with the colors of the shirt and the spiral reversed, and wearing shorts instead of pants. She also wore roller skates on her paws and was wearing protective gear, and her black helmet was decorated with several spirals in her two shades of blue.

"You finally arrived." Dawkins said, smiling. He then looked at Dante closely and raised an eyebrow. "You look tired."

"We woke up late." Dante replied, letting go of Dee Dee's hand and handing over her skateboard. "Dad left early and Dolly turned off our alarm clocks so no one would wake her up today." He and DJ then put Delgado in the wheelchair, and to Dante's surprise he was calm instead of running at top speed. "And where are Dylan and Deepak?"

"Dylan wanted to have some “Dylan time” and left alone." Dawkins said, making quotation marks with his fingers. "And Deepak wanted to take advantage of the fact that there would be no one else at home to spend the day meditating."

Dante was a little curious to know what Dawkins was talking about, but Dee Dee ended up talking first.

"What's Dylan time?" The puppy asked, her head slightly tilted.

"Dawkins is just being dramatic." Da Vinci said, rolling her eyes. "Dylan is a good top dog, but sometimes he likes to be alone."

"Actually, Dolly is like that too." DJ said, scratching his chin. "I wonder what else they have in common."

The pups were excited to meet again, and Delilah smiled when she saw the pups getting along.

"Well, I hope we can have a nice day even without Doug, Dylan and Dolly. What do you normally do in the park?"

Being responsible for his siblings, Dante volunteered to speak, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Usually, I keep an eye on Delgado and Dee Dee in the skatepark area, while DJ and the Dimitris walk around the park."

Delilah pondered for a moment, and then had an idea.

"So how about if I watch the two of them and Dizzy while the rest of you stroll through the park? Then Dawkins and the others can serve as guides to where we have our picnics."

The pups were very excited about this, and Dante shrugged as he smiled slightly.

As soon as the dalmatians passed through the gate, they promptly parted ways, Delilah taking the little sportspups to the skatepark, the two sets of triplets walking together with the girls guiding, and Dante and Dawkins walking with DJ and Da Vinci right behind.

As he was barefoot, Dante felt the grass in his paw pads, a sensation he really loved to feel. He, like Dolly, Dee Dee and the Dimitris was among the anthros who only wear shoes on special occasions or when they were going to walk a lot.

The four walked in comfortable silence for a while, until the four found a bench big enough for everyone and sat down, Da Vinci on one end, Dawkins at her side, with the cooler on the floor in front of his legs, Dante next to him and DJ at the other end. The location gave them a good view of where the Dimitris and Triple D were sitting on the grass talking, which they said was the place where the picnic would be.

"Our younger siblings are cute together, don't you think?" Da Vinci said, looking at the six with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"It doesn't surprise me very much." Dante said, shrugging. "I don't know about the girls, but the Dimitris always wanted to meet other triplets."

"I don't think Triple D ever thought about it too much." Dawkins joined the conversation, scratching his chin. "Déjà Vu is very innocent, so I think she really wants to get along with them, but Destiny and Dallas have very inflated egos, so I think they are enjoying being the center of attention."

"As I understand it, they used to be very famous, right?" DJ asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think they would be jealous if they find out that the Dimitris are famous?"

"They are?" Da Vinci asked, surprised.

"They have a channel on WoofTube, with millions of followers." DJ replied, speaking casually as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Millions!?" Dawkins was surprised, looking at Dante in amazement. "You never told me that their channel was so popular."

Dante shrugged, not at all bothered.

"You told me that your family doesn't usually use social media, so I thought it was unnecessary to mention that."

Dawkins looked at the six, now with apprehension.

"Oh, kibbles."

"What's the problem?" Dante raised an eyebrow, feeling a little apprehensive.

"I am not worried about Déjà Vu, but Destiny and Dallas are a little sensitive to the issue with their fame. I am afraid that this will cause a conflict between them and the Dimitris."

Dante raised an eyebrow, then turned towards them and closed his eyes.

He felt a slight warmth in his chest, leaving him calm and happy.

"They'll be fine." Dante said with a smile, making DJ and Da Vinci raise eyebrows. "I don't feel anything bad in their near future."

Dawkins then started to scratch his chin, a little calmer, but still worried.

"Nothing against your predictions, Dante, but Destiny and Dallas can be very unpredictable."

"Do you believe in his predictions?" DJ asked in amazement, looking at Dawkins with wide eyes.

"Dante makes predictions?" Da Vinci asked, confused.

Dante and Dawkins were a little uncomfortable with the way their younger siblings looked at them.

"Well, I've been studying what Dante calls 'predictions' for a while, and the data is interesting." Dawkins said, looking away.

"Actually, Dawkins helped me a lot." Dante smiled then, remembering the tests they did. "I made a lot of mistakes with my predictions, until Dawkins helped me to realize that I was guessing my sensations."

"Sensations?" DJ asked, confused.

"It's actually quite simple." Dawkins smiled happily, happy to share his findings. "We spent some time testing this at school, and I came to the conclusion that Dante's instincts seem to indicate whether something good or bad is going to happen. He was able to indicate with 90% accuracy whether something good or bad was going to happen, but the accuracy drops to 15% when he tries to guess exactly what is going to happen."

DJ's eyes widened, surprised by Dawkins' report.

"So, can he really see the future?"

Dante and Dawkins shook their heads.

"I can't "see" what's going to happen, just feel it."

"Still, it's impressive." Da Vinci said, but then she started to think. "Actually, we have someone in the family who does that."

DJ was surprised, while Dante smiled.

"Dawkins told me. It seems that your great-grand aunt is also able to feel things."

"Wow, this is surreal." DJ exclaimed, looking at the void in total disillusionment. "I need a moment to process all of this."

The others laughed a little at DJ's reaction, although Dante knew it was difficult for his siblings to believe his predictions.

Still, something was bothering Dante.

He had been feeling something bad around Dolly, and this morning was stronger, almost like a week ago, when he felt that she would be uncomfortable during their dinner.

"What could it be? It's not like she's going to meet someone today."

*

*

*

DEE DEE

Dee Dee was very excited.

After walking for a while with Delilah, she, her brother and her new sister arrived at the skatepark.

She thought it was a little strange that Delgado wasn't running in front of them as he always did, but considering that Delilah was there, she thought he didn't want to upset their new mom.

Dee Dee didn't quite understand well how this marriage thing worked, but the way she did, Delilah was her mother now, and the little girl was very happy about it. 

Delilah sat on a nearby bench, watching the three closely.

Dee Dee and Delgado started to go around the tracks, with Dizzy in the middle and both respectively on her left and right. Dee Dee did not know how to explain why, but having her new mother watching made her a little nervous, and apparently, Delgado, too, since he was restraining himself.

After a while, the puppy in the wheelchair caught their attention.

"How about we go to the ramp now? Dee Dee and I haven't done tricks in a while."

"I can't wait to see what you can do!" Dizzy said, smiling and wagging her tail. "From what Dee Dee said, you two and Dolly are amazing."

Dee Dee smiled with a little arrogance, Dizzy's words massaging her ego.

From what they talked about last week, Dizzy got her skates two years ago, as a Christmas present from her grandfather, and for now only skates in a straight line, without doing any special maneuvers.

"How about you, Dizzy?" Delgado asked, one eyebrow raised.

The pup shook her head, slightly flushed.

"I still don't know how to do any tricks. But the others are very supportive." She closed her hand into a fist and knocked on the helmet, as if it were a door. "Dylan bought super-tough protective gear, and Da Vinci painted these spirals for me. And one of the older ones comes with me to the park every Saturday, almost always Dylan or Deepak."

The two were impressed by the dedication of the older siblings, but something seemed strange to them.

"Do they let Deepak be responsible for you?" Delgado asked, his eyes wide. "I thought he was just a year older than the Dimitris and Triple D."

Dizzy got a little confused, looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

"What's the matter with that? Don't your older brothers bring you to the park?"

They both shook their heads.

"Dad thinks this is a top dog responsibility." Delgado said, a little crestfallen. "So, we can only come to the park if Dolly or Dante are available."

"Which doesn't happen much." Dee Dee added, also crestfallen. "It would be nice to come to the park more often."

At that, Dizzy smiled and wagged her tail.

"But now you can!" They both looked at her with raised eyebrows, clearly confused. "Now that we are siblings, Dylan and Deepak can bring you too."

The two stopped, eyes wide. As soon as she realized that they were no longer beside her, Dizzy stopped and turned to look at them with a little concern.

Dee Dee froze, as if her brain was restarting. After a moment, her eyes flashed, a wide smile appeared on her face, and her tail started to wag so fast that it looked like a blur.

"This is going to be awesome!"

*

*

*

DIMITRI 1 & DESTINY

The six triplets walked together for a while, until they reached the place where Delilah's family had picnics, Triple D's favorite spot in the park.

It was an area where the grass was soft and comforting, and was close to flowers on all sides, so that even a light breeze from any direction brought a sweet, fragrant aroma to them.

As soon as they sat down, it was clear that the boys were a little uncomfortable with something.

"First of all, I would like to apologize." Dimitri 1 said, making the three girls raise their eyebrows. "I know we promised to bring the album with our photos in Hollywood the next time we see each other, but Dad told us that this album is somewhere in the basement, so we will only be able to see it after the move."

This shocked the girls a little, but they smiled understandingly. Destiny and her sisters were looking forward to seeing these photos, but they would not be mad at them for not bringing the photos.

"Don't worry, Dimitri 1." Destiny said, smiling happily.

"We can wait a little longer." Complemented Dallas.

"After all, we will have a lot of time when we live in the same house." Déjà Vu added.

The boys smiled, wagging their tails.

" They're really nice." - Dimitri 1 thought, watching their faces and realizing that they were being sincere. "Thanks for understanding, girls." Then his eyes widened, and he quickly added. "Also, you don't have to call us by our full names. Since we are going to be a family, you can call us by our nicknames like our other siblings."

The three of them giggled briefly with their cheeks slightly flushed.

"All right then, D1." Déjà Vu said.

"And what do you want to talk about today?" Dimitri 2 asked.

The girls were a little thoughtful, until Destiny had an idea. Since the boys were barefoot and wearing camouflage shorts, it allowed her to see something that she had no way of noticing last week.

"I don't want to sound rude, but I couldn't help noticing your legs." The three raised eyebrows, clearly confused rather than offended. "Is your fur coat like that or is it a matter of style?"

"Hehe. I think it must seem a little strange at first." Dimitri 1 said, raising the hem of the shorts a little more up to the middle of the thigh. "We are identical and with black fur with white spots from the waist down, and with the exception of the eyes and the left ear, we have no spot from the waist up."

This surprised the girls, who were very impressed.

"So you're saying…" Destiny started.

"...That your coats..." Dallas continued.

"...Looks like pants?" Déjà Vu concluded.

The three boys blushed a little, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I never thought this way." Dimitri 2 said, eyes wide and looking at his own hip as if he could see under his shorts. 

"It's a very interesting pattern." Déjà Vu said, scratching her chin. "It's almost as unique as Deepak's fur pattern."

"Actually, I think it's more impressive." Dallas said, making the other two look at her. "If the pattern is the same for all three, then it is even more special."

The three girls pondered for a while, until the three stood with their faces completely red, looking at the Dimitris with wide eyes.

"H-How are you…" Destiny started.

"...S-Sure you three…" Dallas continued.

"...Are r-really identical?" Déjà Vu concluded.

The three boys raised an eyebrow, confused by their reaction.

"We always bathe together in the bathtub." Dimitri 1 said.

"And it's easy to see that since we wash each other's backs." Dimitri 3 added.

"(chuckles) Until last night, we were exactly the same." Dimitri 2 concluded in a mocking tone.

"Do you bathe together?" The three girls said at the same time, eyes wide.

"Sure, since we were born." Dimitri 1 said.

"We have several water toys and Dad lets us stay as long as we want in the bathtub." Dimitri 2 said, smiling happily.

"It's fun, and sometimes Delgado comes too." Dimitri 3 added, to then raise an eyebrow. "You don't do that?"

The girls immediately blushed, Dallas and Déjà Vu looking at Destiny, who looked down in shame.

Destiny couldn't deny that the three of them used to bathe together since they were pups, but since three years ago, she argued that she was too mature for that and started to bathe separately.

Dallas and Déjà Vu were still bathing together, Déjà Vu occasionally calling Destiny to join them, but Destiny always acted superior, scolding the two for being immature.

"I thought our sync proved that we are more united than they are, but I think I was wrong."

The boys were a little confused by the behavior of Triple D, without knowing what was going on.

"This must be a delicate subject for them. " Dimitri 1 quickly realized that he should change the subject, and had an idea. "You know, I just realized that we didn't show any of our videos to you."

This immediately attracted the attention of the girls, who smiled as they wagged their tails.

Dimitri 1 realized this worked, and immediately took his phone out of his pocket, quickly opening the WoofTube app and putting it on their channel.

"It would be nice to hear your opinion." Dimitri 3 said, smiling gently. "Although you certainly have seen better."

Dimitri 1 rolled his eyes.

It was no secret that the success of their channel was due to the special effects that Dimitri 3 did, but his insecurity and shyness made the youngest of the Dimitris doubt his own ability. Which was very annoying at times.

"I think that if professionals like them like it, he will gain more confidence."

He handed the cell phone to Destiny and the girls kept their faces close, their cheeks practically glued together.

They chose the most recent video from the channel and put it in the full screen option, and soon their eyes were wide with what they saw.

Two of the Dimitris were in a police station, one dressed as a policeman and the other wearing brown pants, a white shirt and wearing a tie. Most impressively, they both had spots on both eyes and no spots or bites on their ears.

"Officer, I want to report a theft!" Citizen Dimitri said.

"Don't worry, citizen." Policeman Dimitri said, taking out a notebook and a pen. "Did you get to see the criminal?"

"Yes, he was wearing a monocle."

"Uh-huh…"

The screen focused on the policeman, who lowered his head to look at the notebook and started to write it down, but as soon as he looked up, the screen showed them both on the scene and the citizen was now using a monocle.

The policeman raised an eyebrow, looking at the other in amazement, but continued his work.

"Uh-huh… Ok… Uh… Anything else?"

"Yes! He had a big furry mustache."

Once again, the screen focused on the policeman taking notes for about a second, and when he looked up the citizen had a huge, comical red mustache.

The policeman then narrowed his eyes, looking at the citizen suspiciously.

"Got it... Did you notice any more details?"

"Oh, he was dressed as a yodeller!" The policeman continued to stare at the citizen, who then raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to write it down?"

"I'm just testing one thing."

The screen showed a front view of the policeman, and then showed a front view of the citizen with black borders creating an oval shape in the middle of the screen with the citizen in the middle, demonstrating the policeman's view.

The oval shape receded slowly and everything went dark for a fraction of a second at the same time as a sound was made to demonstrate that the policeman blinked. Soon, the screen became normal, showing the citizen who now wore a green suspenders overall and a green hat with a white feather, and the screen soon showed the two on the scene.

"AAAAAHH!" The policeman shouted, backing away in fright and assuming a defensive posture. "What did he steal?"

The citizen approached with a deep sigh, leaving his face at an uncomfortably close distance to the policeman's face and looking at him with a seductive look.

"A kiss." He replied, to quickly pucker up his lips and get even closer.

The scene focused on the policeman, his eyes wide with astonishment and his lips forming a comical inverted 'U' like a sad emoji.

The video ended, giving way to several suggestions from other videos and soon the girls couldn't take it anymore and started laughing.

"Hahaha. Oh, my dog! That was great." Dallas exclaimed, running a finger over her eye to wipe away a tear of laughter.

"How did you do that?" Déjà Vu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"D3 and I acted, while D2 filmed." Dimitri 1 explained, smiling arrogantly and patting Dimitri 3 on the shoulder. "D3 is practically a master of special effects. He even had the idea to change our appearance to look like identical triplets in our videos."

Dimitri 3 blushed slightly, smiling as he looked at the floor awkwardly.

"It's not that impressive, D1. It's just a trick with chroma keying and makeup."

"Are you kidding?" Triple D said at the same time, scaring Dimitri 3.

"I've always admired the special effects." Déjà Vu said, eyes shining. "Compared to what I have seen, you are practically a professional!"

Dimitri 3 blushed a little, but did not try to contradict the girls.

"She's right, D3." Destiny said, looking at their channel to see the number of followers. "I'm sure that your…"

Destiny intended to use the number of followers as an argument to motivate him, but she froze as soon as she saw the number, her eyes wide and her jaw almost falling to the floor.

The others looked at her with raised eyebrows, Dallas and Déjà Vu the most confused.

"Destiny? Are you okay?" Déjà Vu asked, waving her hand in front of her.

"What's the problem?" Dallas asked, looking at her with concern.

The two then looked at the cell phone, and immediately became the same as Destiny.

On the screen was the homepage of the Dimitri's channel, and to their amazement, it said:

The Dimitri Trio 9,994,649 subscribers

The boys raised their eyebrows, increasingly confused by the girls' reaction.

"Something wrong?" Dimitri 1 asked.

It took a while, but the girls recovered. They then looked at the Dimitris as if they were the most intimidating dogs in the world.

"You n-never…" Destiny started.

"...S-Said you were.." Dallas continued.

"...So p-popular." Déjà Vu concluded.

"Is that so impressive?" Dimitri 2 asked.

"Yeah, I mean, you're famous all over the world, aren't you?" Dimitri 3 said, the most confused of the three.

Déjà Vu looked away, smiling nervously, while Destiny and Dallas blushed deeply and bowed their heads in total shame.

"What do I do now? They think we're still famous." Destiny started to feel panic taking over her body, not paying attention to anything around her. "Now they will definitely treat us differently."

An uncomfortable silence overtook the six, until Déjà Vu decided to speak.

"(sigh) Boys, the truth is that we haven't been acting for three years now."

"What?" The three Dimitris exclaimed together, all with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Dimitri 3 asked.

Destiny looked at the three with a little fear, still worried about how they would treat them.

"(sigh) Mom made us stop." Dallas said, placing her hand on Destiny's shoulder and looking at the floor with remorse. "It's our fault. We started to get very arrogant, sometimes even treating our siblings as if they were inferior to us." Then she looked at Déjà Vu, feeling a little ashamed. "Even Déjà Vu, who tried to talk to us about it several times, but Destiny and I always ignored her."

"So, it was like an intervention?" Dimitri 2 asked, still surprised. "I would say it worked, because you are very nice."

This put a smile on Destiny and Dallas, although they were still a little embarrassed.

"But you're still going to act, aren't you?" Dimitri 3 asked, a little worried. "You were great."

"I agree with D3." Dimitri 2 said, crossing his arms and looking at them seriously. "You participated in so many successful things that it would be a waste if you stopped for good."

This raised the girls' spirits even more. Destiny in particular felt motivated, although she was still feeling insecure.

"We are trying to convince Mom that we really are ready to return, but we're not sure if it's a good idea."

"And why wouldn't it be?" Dimitri 1 raised an eyebrow.

She took a deep breath and touched the cell phone screen a few times, then gave it back to Dimitri 1.

"Look at it yourself."

With raised eyebrows, the Dimitris looked at the screen, which now showed another channel.

Triple D Official 36,151 subscribers

The three were surprised to see that they had so few followers, but saw no problem.

"They look as insecure as D3."

While Dimitri 1 was thinking about what to do, Destiny spoke again.

"As we improved our behavior, Mom let us create a channel on WoofTube. But we don't seem to be as good as we used to be."

The girls looked down, both a little sad.

Dimitri 1 started to overlook what they were doing, and was not surprised that they have few followers for celebrities.

Their channel had four types of videos: Destiny reacting to photos of people wearing outfits considered unfashionable; Dallas giving makeup tips; the three of them reviewing films and series, which by the titles of the videos almost always focused on the clothes; and Déjà Vu doing life hacks that were far from practical, or wasn't at least funny to watch. In addition, the image definition was not very good, and all the videos were filmed from what appeared to be a dressing table in their bedroom, at a not-so-favorable angle.

Dimitri 2 and Dimitri 3 looked worriedly at their brother, knowing that he would do one of his critic-like reviews.

"(sigh) Girls, I'll be honest. Your channel looks very amateur and doesn’t have very interesting content, so you’ll really have a hard time getting more followers unless someone is a fan of you guys or likes this type of material. Also, you seem to be totally biased in reacts and reviews, which makes it look that you are either arrogant or jealous haters of the actresses you criticize."

The girls were speechless again, staring at Dimitri 1 with wide eyes.

"(sigh) I have to agree with D1 in this one." Dimitri 2 said, rolling his eyes afterwards. "And I hate to agree with his reviews."

"You are famous actresses, so it would be nice to see your acting." Dimitri 3 said, scratching his chin while thinking. "You could do some short sketches, like we do."

"He's right." Dimitri 2 said, also thinking.

Dallas and Déjà Vu were excited about the idea, while Destiny felt a little embarrassed.

"It's not that easy." Destiny started, and when she saw that the boys were confused she continued. "We even thought about making videos with performances, but none of us can think of a scene or dialogue. Furthermore, we do everything on our own, as we do not think it would be fair to involve our siblings in this after the way we treated them."

That left Dallas and Déjà Vu crestfallen again, while the three Dimitris were thinking with one hand on their chins.

"She's right on that point... Wait a minute!"

An idea occurred to Dimitri 1, and he and his brothers assembled with their arms around each other's shoulders and whispered so that the girls could not hear.

Triple D looked at the Dimitris with raised eyebrows, until the three ended their meeting and looked at the girls with knowing looks that made the girls a little uncomfortable.

"Do you guys know about the 'merge' function of WoofTube?" Dimitri 1 asked, smiling smugly with a raised eyebrow.

The girls raised their eyebrows, a little confused.

Master HD had created an interesting concept on his platform, called 'merge channels'. Owners of two or more channels with the same sponsor could get in touch with someone from HD International, who, after seeing to it that all parties signed a term of responsibility in which they agreed with the same name, would merge the channels into one.

"Yeah, we've heard of it." Destiny replied with a little uncertainty. "What about that?"

The Dimitris continued to smirk with their shie eating grims, wiggling their eyebrows suggestively.

Soon, the girls understood what they were implying, being even more surprised than to discover that the Dimitris had almost ten million subscribers.

"Do you three…" Destiny started.

"...Really want…" Dallas continued.

"...To merge…" Déjà Vu continued.

"...Our channels?" The three concluded, still incredulous.

"It would be very good for all of us, and as we were not your brothers in the arrogant phase, there is no reason for you to refuse our help." Dimitri 1, shrugging. "Each of us already makes separate videos in addition to the ones we make together, so what would be three more? In addition, I have scripts for various sketches that we have never been able to do before, because we didn't have any girls our age to participate."

The girls froze, their brains still processing the information they received.

They then slowly began to smile from ear to ear, with their tails wagging very intensely.

In a movement that shocked the Dimitris, they jumped on the boys, creating a group hug.

After the brief astonishment, the boys promptly returned the hug.

The six were holding each other for a while, until they heard some giggles.

They looked back and only then did they notice Dante, Dawkins and Da Vinci sitting on a bench not far away, and DJ standing next to them, holding his cell phone.

"Hehe. Sorry, but I thought our parents would like to see that later."

The six blushed a lot immediately, breaking the hug and staying away from each other.

DJ laughed briefly at their reaction, turning away and returning to the bench with the other older pups.

As soon as DJ was gone, the six started talking again.

"We are really grateful to you, boys." Dallas said.

"We promise not to hinder you." Destiny added.

The boys shrugged, smiling nonchalantly.

"I don't see how you could hinder us." Dimitri 2 said.

"With your help, we can further improve our videos." Dimitri 3.

Dimitri 1 then remembered something, scratching behind his ear with a little concern.

"I just hope we don't give Luther too much trouble."

"Who's Luther?" The girls asked, all with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, it's our sponsor." Dimitri 2 said, just now remembering that detail. "He understands a lot about WoofTube and always helps us."

"He takes care of costumes and accessories, making my job much easier." Dimitri 3 said, scratching his ear. "In fact, we have to talk to him before we merge the channels."

In that, the girls were concerned.

"What if he refuses?" Destiny asked.

"PFFT. As if." Dimitri 1 rolled his eyes, amused by the idea. "Luther is practically family. He's going to love this."

The girls were overjoyed again, and all six were a little unsure as to what to do next.

"Hey, how about we go play with the toys a little bit?" Déjà Vu suggested, looking at the empty playground not far away. "It would be better now than after the picnic."

The others pondered for a moment, and then they all went to have some fun until it was time to eat.

*

*

*

DELILAH

With a bit of apprehension, Delilah watched Delgado, Dizzy and Dee Dee while they played, only some feets away.

She didn't worry much about Delgado and Dee Dee, as Doug had said that they do extreme sports with Dolly. What worried her was Dizzy trying to imitate such things.

To her surprise, Dizzy just stayed around while the other pups demonstrated their skills, and even some young people who were skateboarding or roller skating stopped to watch them both.

"They are good at that." She then raised a finger and was tipping her chin as she pondered. " I wonder how skillful Dolly is. Doug said she has won some awards in the past."

Despite appreciating the talent of her future stepkids, Delilah was feeling a little uncomfortable.

She still felt insecure, afraid that the pups would think she would be like the stepmothers in fairy tales.

She was also a little curious to know what Doug was doing today, although she suspected that he had gone to visit his grandfather.

"Ouch!"

Delilah suddenly came out of her thoughts, looking worriedly at the children.

Dee Dee had fallen to the ground, her skateboard a little far while holding one knee with both hands and had a pained expression on her face.

Following her instincts, Delilah immediately got up and ran to help the little girl.

Delgado and Dizzy, who were closer, were already beside her, and the young people who were watching went back to what they were doing when they realized that an adult would take care of it.

"Are you OK, sweetie?" Delilah asked, opening her first aid kit.

Dee Dee was almost crying, her lower lip trembling as she pouted.

"M-My knee h-hurts a lot!"

Delilah looked at her tenderly, caressing her right cheek as she placed her other hand over Dee Dee's.

"I can take a look?" Reluctantly, Dee Dee stopped touching her knee, and Delilah was relieved by what she saw. "Oh, sweetie, it's just a scratch. I get this over with quickly."

Delilah took a spray medicine and sprayed it over the wound, Dee Dee clearly surprised to find that the medicine caused no pain.

Delilah then covered the wound with a transparent band-aid with smiling emojis, then gently patted Dee Dee's helmet.

"There, sweetie". Delilah smiled kindly at the little girl, but took on a more severe tone when she spoke. "But next time, I suggest you wear knee pads, like Dizzy."

Dee Dee smiled sheepishly, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"D-Dolly doesn't use it, so I thought I could stop using it."

"Sweetie, Dolly has more experience than you." Then she raised an eyebrow, a little uncomfortable. "But then again, she should wear protection. Accidents happen."

Dee Dee nodded, then hugged Delilah.

"Thank you mommy. I promise to be more careful."

Delilah automatically returned the hug, but her mind was blank and her eyes were wide. And a wide smile formed on her face, while her tail wagged happily.

"She called me mommy!"

After breaking the hug, Dee Dee tried to stand, but soon felt pain again and groaned.

"It will still hurt a little, so you should rest." She then looked at the other pups, realizing that they seemed to be a little tired. "How about we get the others together and start the picnic?"

The tails of the three started to wag, and smiles appeared on their faces.

Delilah laughed lightly at their reaction, getting up and going to pick up the picnic basket where she was sitting, the pups following her immediately.

They then set out to walk and it was not long before they found the four older ones sitting on a bench talking, the six triplets playing on the playground.

As soon as the older ones saw Delilah and the three pups arriving, Dawkins got up, taking the cooler and going to meet his mother. The others apparently realized that Delilah was going to start the picnic, as soon as the six were already running towards the others.

Delilah then placed a small tablecloth that looked like a Dalmatian's spotted pattern on the floor, placing the picnic basket next to the towel and placing the contents of the basket on the towel. Dawkins placed the cooler beside the basket, and then sat down next to the towel.

One by one, the pups sat around Delilah and the towel, their tails wagging anxiously.

Delilah finished removing the contents of the basket, smiling with satisfaction at what she was going to serve. On the towel were several sandwiches packed in paper napkins perfectly folded equally, as well as a jar full of chocolate chip cookies, and inside the cooler there was a bit of ice and several juice boxes in four flavors.

It was obvious that the pups were eager to eat, but Delilah had something to say before.

"Kids, first of all, I would like to thank you once again for the support of all of you. I can't put into words how much it means to Doug and me."

The pups smiled at that, some seemingly proud and others a little embarrassed.

"And of course, thank Dylan for preparing this food for us.  Now, help yourselves."

As soon as they had Delilah's consent, the pups moved forward on sandwiches and juice boxes, causing the mother great joy as she watched them tenderly.

Seeing all of them having fun together made Delilah sure she wasn't being too hasty with the wedding, and if the others started calling her mom just like Dee Dee, she was sure to feel like the happiest dog in London.

Still, she couldn't help but think about Dylan and Dolly.

It had been a few hours since they arrived at the park, so it was likely that Dolly was already awake, and Dylan leaving the house for something other than going to school or doing a chore was so rare that she couldn't help to ponder.

"What are they doing now?"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just to be clear, I am not doing a ship between Dimitri 1 and Destiny in this story, although I like the ship Dimitris X Triple D.

They need a little bit of prominence because they are both kinda top dogs within their sets of triplets, so the ideas usually come from them. 

*

And if you are curious as well as Delilah, the next chapter will focus on Dylan and Dolly. 

Chapter Text

This chapter starts almost at the same time as the previous one.

*

*

*

DYLAN

Dylan was standing completely still, considering his options, as he prepared to ring the doorbell at Doug's house.

Knowing Doug's plans for today, he took advantage of his mother's idea of organizing a picnic so that he and Dolly could talk without risking being overheard.

He had arrived a little earlier, and waited almost twenty minutes after Dolly's siblings went to the park to get closer. However, now that he was so close to ringing the bell, Dylan's nerves were once again turning against him.

"That's a bad idea. How can I be alone with Dolly? She was always unpredictable!"

The young Dalmatian weighed his options well, but in the end he rang the bell.

"(sigh) I have no other choice. Either we come to an agreement now or she may end up ruining everything with her impulsiveness."

Seconds after Dylan rang the doorbell, Dolly opened the door, smiling happily.

"Good morning, Dyl. Welcome back."

Dolly was dressed the way Dylan was used to seeing her, in a slightly bigger shirt and shorts, but what caught the eye was the shirt itself.

"Did she keep the shirt?"

The shirt was black, with several colorful dots similar to fireworks everywhere, and on the chest there were big colorful letters written "I Love Boom Night!".

The shirt had been a gift from Dylan four months after they met, on the first Boom Night that Dolly spent in London.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, slightly suspicious. He entered the house cautiously, and found himself accompanied by Dolly into the living room, realizing that her tail kept wagging.

The two sat on the couch with a short distance between them, making Dylan remember the second time they met at the park. There was a tension that Dylan couldn't help, especially with Dolly so excited.

"And how was your week?" The girl asked, smiling happily.

Dylan was still suspicious that there was something strange, but he knew that talking a little about other matters would help to make him more comfortable.

"It was a little… productive, I would say. DJ and Dimitri 3 already seem to like me, and I'm already making progress in planning how to distribute everything at home."

"Hehe. They sure like you. When DJ came home Monday, he smiled like he hadn't in years. And D3 was very excited to know that you will find space for their studio."

"Well, it is my duty as an older brother to help my siblings in the best possible way." Dylan then took a deep breath, feeling it was time to talk about what he wanted. "(sigh) Which brings us to what I want to discuss with you."

Dolly immediately changed her posture, devoting her full attention to Dylan.

"She really is unpredictable." Dylan almost let himself be carried away by his thoughts, but focused on what he had to do. "Obviously we cannot hide our old relationship forever, but we must be careful until the time is right. I don't worry too much about your brothers and Dizzy and Dee Dee are too young to understand anyway, so my focus is on getting Da Vinci and Triple D to like you."

At that, Dolly raised an eyebrow.

"And why wouldn't they like me?"

"Firstly, you are a tomboy and they are more typical girls, especially Triple D. Secondly, they do not know that I know, but it seems that they are trying to discover the identity of the girl I fell in love with. I don't know their intentions, but knowing my sisters, it can only be a mean prank or a plan for revenge."

Dolly shivered briefly, gulping.

"I got it. And how do I get them to like me?"

Dylan then scratched his chin, pondering.

"I think Da Vinci would be easier. Despite the shyness, she is very respected by the other girls, and last week she seemed to be comfortable around you, which is already a great start."

Dolly put a finger to her chin and pondered it a little.

"I think I can get along with her, since I also had problems with shyness at her age." Dolly then smiled mischievously, blinking briefly with one eye. "Maybe I can help her get over it like someone did for me."

The boy blushed briefly, the compliment taking him by surprise.

"Anyway, if everything goes well, maybe until the end of the year or beginning of the next, we can tell what really happened between us and move on."

Upon hearing this, Dolly was very interested, looking at Dylan with a look full of mischief.

"And what do you have in mind?"

Dylan raised an eyebrow, a little confused.

"Like I said, move on. It may take a while, but over time I am sure that we will be able to see each other as siblings."

Dolly smiled even more when she heard that, looking at Dylan as if she knew a secret and was going to tease him to tell.

"Are you sure about this?" Dolly said, approaching him.

Dylan was having a great combination of emotions.

Apprehension.

Curiosity.

Fear.

Discomfort.

And strangely, excitement.

She moved closer, placing her head on Dylan's shoulder and snuggling in the warmth of his body.

"(sigh) Dylan, I need to confess something. The truth is, I never really wanted to break up with you."

Dylan was petrified to hear that, looking down with wide eyes and meeting a regretful look in Dolly.

Inside his mind, it was like there were five miniature Dylans inside a control room.

In front of the control panel there was a yellow Dylan with blue spots wearing a green shirt, a light blue Dylan with blue spots wearing glasses and wearing a white turtleneck sweater, a red Dylan with the usual black spots wearing brown pants, white shirt and wearing a tie, and a light green Dylan with dark green spots and a light purple Dylan with dark purple spots stuck inside a cage with a plaque written antidepressants, and both wearing a black shirt written "Team OCD" in white letters. 

"She never wanted to break up with me?!" The blue and yellow Dylans exclaimed together, their eyes shining and their tails wagging, while the red Dylan took on an angry look and smoke began to come out of his ears.

"It's too late! We will not trust her again!"

"But…" The yellow Dylan started to speak, but was interrupted.

"H-He's right." Purple Dylan said, panicking. "She will only hurt us again!"

"That's right!" Green Dylan said, sticking out his tongue and making a disgusted face. "Yuck! Her hygiene is terrible. How could you let us kiss her?"

The blue and yellow Dylans exchanged a look, then gagged the purple and green Dylans.

"(sigh) Why can't the antidepressants shut these two up for good?" Blue Dylan asked rhetorically, taking on a wistful tone. "I would also be less needed that way."

"For me you should be with them!" Red Dylan said, a furious look as he stared at the blue one. "Who made him cry in his room for weeks? Or be melancholy when he remembers Dad?"

The blue Dylan started to cry, and the yellow one promptly went to him, hugging him comfortably as he stared at the red one sternly.

"You're being nasty again." He then pointed to a corner of the room, where there was a sign written "anger's corner" above a chair facing the wall's corner. "Go to the corner now!"

The red Dylan snarled menacingly and the top of his head started to catch fire, but the yellow one maintained its authority posture. The red and yellow Dylans stared at each other for a moment, until the red one snorted in anger and sat on the chair, staring at the wall with a furious look and blowing smoke out of his ears.

Then the yellow Dylan...

"Dylan? Are you okay?" Dolly asked.

Back to reality, Dylan looked at Dolly, remembering what was going on.

"I think Dizzy made me watch Inside Out too many times." He then shook his head, remaining defensive as he looked at Dolly. "I didn't expect to hear… that."

"(sigh) I can imagine. But it is the purest truth."

"So why did you break up with me?"

Dolly bit her lip and looked away, immediately embarrassed.

"Don't get mad, but I was testing you. I wanted to end that situation we were in without an apology, and you agreed so quickly that I thought that was what you wanted." She then tucked her head even more against Dylan's shoulder, becoming melancholy. "A few weeks later, it occurred to me that you never wanted that too, but you agreed because you thought that was what I wanted." 

Without realizing it, Dylan wrapped his arm around Dolly, instinctively trying to comfort her.

"(sigh) I really didn't want to, but considering the situation we were in, I thought it would be useless to argue."

"I thought I could get over it, but I just can't forget you. (sigh) And when Dad started dating, it made me feel even worse."

Dylan then tilted his head, laying it over Dolly's.

"To be honest, I sometimes still think about the time we spent together." Dylan knew he should stop here, but he would not forgive himself if he did not say everything. "With the exception of my family, you were the most important person in my life."

Although he couldn't see her face, Dylan knew that Dolly was flushed.

A moment of silence took over the room, but different from when they broke up, this time it was a comforting silence, in which both felt calm.

Until, after a while, Dolly broke the silence.

"I know it's still early, especially with all this secret stuff, but how about we try again?"

The question caught Dylan off guard, but he stopped to reflect.

He had missed having her so close, to feel the heat of her body against his, and to hear the sound of her breathing.

All of this brought memories that put a smile on his face, which made him think it might be a good idea, but after a moment, the smile was replaced by a frown of sadness.

It was like Dr. Samson had said in the last therapy session: liking something or someone does not mean ignoring the defects.

Dolly was a good older sister and loving daughter with Doug, he had no doubts about that. She was also kind, fun, athletic and energetic, and now she looks even more attractive to Dylan.

However, despite her qualities, Dolly was also stubborn, impulsive, immature, and most of all unpredictable. And not to mention the fact that after overcoming the initial shyness, she revealed that she needed to be the focus of attention and could be irritated if ignored for a long time.

In the end, Dylan had to acknowledge that Dolly might be a good girlfriend, but only after she matured.

Which could never happen.

He then let his mind wander, remembering the first time that she showed one of her flaws.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

ONE YEAR AND NINE MONTHS AGO. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

Dylan was very happy today.

It was near the end of September and he was standing on the skate park, looking in awe as Dolly performed her tricks in front of him and other young people. They had recently left school for today, and he agreed to see a demonstration of how skillful she was.

The boy didn't know what was most impressive, Dolly's maneuvers or the fact that he could see her every day.

Camden Dog School divided each grade into six classes with up to twenty students from A to F, with classes A to C starting at 07:00 AM and classes D to F starting at 09:00 AM. In fact, Dylan's siblings were all in Classes D to F, which allowed him to be at home, with any homework or chore ready when their classes were over, ready to help any of them with what they needed before preparing their dinner.

Furthermore, with the exception of a friend who was in the same room as him for the past three years, he did not interact much with the other students, making his time at school a little monotonous.

That changed on the first day of school, when to his surprise, he met Dolly again and found out that she was in the same classroom as him, and as the seats were alphabetically designated, he would sit behind her every day.

Since then, they have spent this entire month talking whenever possible, especially after making it a habit to go together to the south entrance of the park before going to their respective homes, sometimes going to the park together for some time before going to their houses.

Like today.

"Did you see that?" Dolly asked, approaching him after finishing another risky trick. "This is one of my favorites!"

"You're really good." The boy was impressed with the skill of his new friend, and when looking around he saw that others were looking at them. "And it seems that I am not the only one to think so."

Dolly closed her eyes as she smiled smugly, holding her skateboard and making a pose as she rejoiced in the audience's ovation.

Something that surprised Dylan was to discover that, despite being shy around someone she doesn't know well, Dolly loved being the center of attention. It was as if her shyness was weaker than her ego, which loved to be fed.

"Look what he did!" One of the dogs said, making everyone look at the highest ramp.

A Husky was doing a trick as risky as Dolly's, culminating in a few flips in midair and landing on the floor upside down with one hand.

Dylan smiled at that, wagging his tail slightly when he recognized the dog.

"Isn't that Husky in our classroom?" Dolly asked, looking at the mentioned dog.

"Oh, yes, it's Hansel." Dylan replied cheerfully, not noticing Dolly's irritated tone of voice. "He comes here to practice after classes three times a week. They say he is the best skater in the region."

Dylan then looked at Dolly's face, and was slightly disturbed by what he saw.

Dolly looked at Hansel angrily, growling menacingly and squeezing the skateboard tightly, with a nervous twitch in one eye.

"Best skater in the region!?"

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW. . . _________________________________________________________________________________________

On that day, Dylan first saw the competitive side of Dolly.

She made a point of challenging Hansel in front of everyone, and then almost broke an arm just to defeat him. And after that, she'd been looking at Hansel aggressively for weeks, almost permanently damaging Dylan's friendship with the Husky in the process.

Not to mention The Incident.

Dolly had several good points, but her impulsiveness made her react in the worst possible way to the smallest of problems.

"I think there is no other option."

Dylan moved away from Dolly, leaving the girl a little confused. He put his hands on Dolly's shoulders, looking her straight in the eye with a sad smile on his face.

"Dolly, I appreciate that you are willing to try again, but we cannot be a couple again. We will be siblings, and we can be nothing else."

The boy expected her to be sad or offended, but to prove her unpredictability, Dolly smiled and wagged her tail.

"That's where you're wrong! My brothers started a conversation about relationships this week, and thanks to that, Dad told us that stepsiblings can get married!"

Dylan's eyes widened when he heard that.

He didn't really expect Dolly to know that.

She then looked at his face, raising an eyebrow when she recognized his reaction.

"You already knew?"

Dylan immediately nodded.

"I've known that for years. My family is very big and complicated, and when we went to a wedding between second cousins, my parents explained about marriage and kinship."

"So what's the problem?"

Dylan looked at her closely, and after taking a deep breath he preferred to say it directly.

"You are the problem, Dolly."

Her eyes widened, an expression of pure astonishment on her face.

"W-What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes almost watering and her lower lip quivering.

"(sigh) After we broke up, I had a relapse in my treatment. I was really bad for months, and I'm only moving on because I'm taking antidepressants at an absurdly high dosage." He looked at Dolly seriously, although he still held her shoulders fondly. "I'm still recovering, and as important as you have been in my life, I can't risk getting involved with you that way again."

Dolly appeared to be in conflict, carefully considering Dylan's words.

"What if I helped you? Like last time?"

Dylan shook his head.

"That was precisely the problem. I was too dependent on you, and when we broke up, it not only hurt me, it left me lost. I now deal with my problems alone."

Dolly looked ready to cry, and in a movement that shocked Dylan, she kissed him.

Dylan went completely still, totally unsure of what to do. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but for him it seemed like an eternity.

Realizing that Dylan was not responding, Dolly turned away from him, her eyes crying.

The boy stood still for a moment, eyes wide, until he became serious and stood up.

"I think I better go." Dylan exclaimed neutrally, trying to maintain his composure. "Don't do it again, please."

"S-Sorry, I needed to t-try." She then wiped away her tears, smiling sadly. "Any way to make you change your mind?"

Dylan prepared to leave, but stopped when he heard the question.

Although he was trying to maintain a firm posture, inside he was a mess.

He kept thinking about the various ways this could go wrong, how he could have another relapse, or even get worse.

But Dolly's kiss intensified feelings that he could no longer fight. As much as his mind said it was not a good idea, his heart was emanating a feeling that he really missed.

- (sigh) Maybe someday.

He then left the house, going to his house to think.

Later ...

After serving dinner to his siblings, Dylan went to his room and laid on the bed, looking up with his arms crossed below his head.

He really couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Dolly, or the kiss.

He felt mixed emotions, but most of all guilt, as well as an addict who relapsed after deciding to quit.

Dylan knew it was risky to try to be more than a brother to Dolly, but he felt like every cell in his body wanted the girl close to him.

It would be easier if he could ask someone for advice, but in this situation there seemed to be no one who could help him.

It would take someone who knew about his relationship with Dolly, and who also understood about a girl's way of thinking.

It was then that his eyes widened.

"That's it!" Dylan almost facepalmed, feeling like an idiot. " She can help me!"

While Dylan was still thinking about his course of action, his cell phone rang.

He picked up the phone, and when he looked at the screen he was surprised to see who was calling.

"Wow, what a coincidence."

He accepted the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Summer. How are you?"

"Hey, Dylan. I'm fine, but I have something I really need to talk to you about."

Dylan realized from the tension in her voice that there was something wrong.

"What's up?"

"(sigh) I just spoke to your grandfather, and he told me that he spent a good part of the day with your future stepfather."

Upon hearing that, Dylan's eyes widened.

"Oh, dog! Sorry, Summer. I really forgot to tell you."

"It's okay, I just wasn't expecting it. Especially when he said that your stepfather has a daughter named Dolly and that she studied with you."

Dylan winced and gulped.

Summer was his oldest friend, almost a sister to him, and so someone with whom he shared some of his secrets, including dating Dolly.

In fact, it was Summer's opinion that he consulted when Dolly suggested their secret dating.

"And what do you think of that?"

"What do I think of that? "Summer sounded furious, and Dylan winced again. "She broke my best friend's heart! What I want to know is how you are feeling."

Dylan stopped to think. On the one hand, he was thinking about talking to her about it, but now he thought that Summer's opinion would not be impartial.

"It is complicated. I was being careful since she seemed to feel guilty, but after spending some time alone today, she admitted that she regretted breaking up with me, and asked me to give her another chance."

Summer was silent for a while, and knowing her Dylan knew she must be pondering.

"What happened next?"

"Immediately, I said I couldn't be more than her brother, but she kissed me and asked if my decision was final while crying."

"And what did you answer?"

"I stayed neutral, said "maybe someday" and left."

Dylan heard a grunt and a hit sound, and he readily assumed that Summer rolled her eyes and facepalmed.

"(sigh) I can't believe I'm going to say that, but I think you should give her another chance."

Dylan was surprised, almost dropping the phone.

"You what?"

"Dylan, I saw how you were when you two were a couple. She made you happy, and I didn't see you smiling so much after what happened to your father. If she really feels sorry and wants to try again, you should give her a chance."

"It's not that I don't want to, but after what happened…"

"Dylan, I think we can accept that you're just as much to blame for the "Incident" as she is."

Dylan sulked, looking angrily at the ceiling.

"Still, she should have apologized instead of giving me the silent treatment." He then remembered something Dolly said, and decided to use it to strengthen his argument. "Besides, according to her, she didn't want to break up with me, but to test me, and by respecting her opinion and not objecting, she really broke up with me."

In that, Summer was silent for a while, and Dylan assumed that she had been convinced.

However...

"(sigh) You're an idiot."

"What?"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT!" She shouted, and once again, Dylan almost dropped the phone. "The way you told me the first time, it seemed like she was a stubborn and selfish bitch, but now you come to tell me that you had a chance to say something about it and did absolutely nothing?!"

"I-I d-didn't…"

"Dylan, I know you're different from other boys, but even you should be able to understand that girls don't like when their boyfriends don't show interest! Now you're going to do your best to fix things with Dolly, or I swear the next time we see each other, I'm going to kick your balls."

Dylan winced. He knew that Summer would carry out the threat.

"I'm already trying to get along with her, I just don't think it's a good idea to be a couple again."

Summer was silent for a while, again pondering.

"Dylan, be honest. What is the real problem?"

The boy considered for a moment. He had several different reasons at the tip of his tongue, but in reality there was only one real reason.

"(sigh) I'm afraid, Summer. Afraid that she will leave me again. I-I wouldn't stand it."

Dylan felt like he was about to cry. A silence fell, and after a while he heard Summer take a deep breath.

"Dylan, you can't let fear stop you from being happy. In addition, you cannot avoid her if you are going to live in the same house."

The boy was silent. He knew he couldn't argue with that logic.

Apparently, Summer realized that Dylan was not going to answer and continued.

"I'm not telling you to go back to being a couple right away. Just keep in mind that it may not be so easy if she really wants to be your girlfriend."

This left Dylan confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"(chuckles) You have no idea what a girl is capable of when she really wants something. Or someone."

Upon hearing this, he gulped. Knowing Dolly, it scared him even more.

*

*

*

DOLLY

Dolly was seated in her place at the dinner table, her body moving automatically while her face conveyed deep disinterest.

The others chatted happily, telling about the day in the park.

"And the sandwiches were so yummy!" Delgado exclaimed, licking his chops as he remembered the taste.

"And the cookies even more!" Dee Dee said, eyes shining. "Mom said Dylan cooked everything for the picnic, but I still can't believe a boy cooks so well."

Dolly felt awkward hearing this.

Something that surprised everyone was when everyone came back and Dolly asked about the band-aid on Dee Dee's knee, to which the little one replied "Mom put it on after I fell".

Apparently, Dee Dee understood that Delilah was already their mother, and it took everyone by surprise.

Especially Doug.

"Well, according to Delilah, Dylan is very fond of cooking." Doug started calmly, but then began to scratch his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what else he knows how to cook."

Another thing that bothered Dolly was Doug's condition.

He arrived just before dinner and went to take a shower, and when he came back from the shower everyone realized that he was tense with something.

On a normal day, Dolly would insist until Doug told her what the problem was, but since she was still sad after talking to Dylan, the girl intended to once again finish dinner and go straight to bed.

But she was not the only one who knew how to get information from their father.

"(sigh) Dad, what happened?" Dante said, making everyone look at the inverted dalmatian as he stared at Doug with a raised eyebrow. "I can feel that something is bothering you."

Doug was clearly uncomfortable, and after a moment, he took a deep breath and looked at the pups seriously.

"Honeys, today I went to Cornwall to meet with Patch, Delilah's father."

Dolly was not bothered by this, since she and Dante had already been informed. What surprised her was what he said afterwards.

"(sigh) Among other things, he told me the truth about my father." He tightened his hands tightly around the cutlery, and Dolly was sure he had bent another spoon. "Let's just say he is even worse than I thought, and it will take me a while to process everything."

The pups shuddered a little.

Dolly and Dante instructed the others not to ask about their mysterious grandfather, but seeing that Doug was in that state after discovering even more bad things he did, Dolly couldn't help but imagine a red horned dog holding a trident.

Looking around, she realized that the others seemed to think the same thing.

"(sigh) Leaving that aside, Patch gave me some good news." Doug said smiling, and the pups looked at him curiously. "Apparently, our family just hates my dad, so we won't have any problems with the wedding. In addition, he said he is looking forward to meeting his eight new grandchildren."

Dolly's siblings were delighted to hear this, while she was a little curious.

She never had a grandfather, so she didn't know what to expect from Delilah's father. Although any grandfather must be better than Doug's father.

"And when are we going to meet him?" DJ asked.

"I'm not sure. Probably only on the wedding day." Again, Doug scratched his chin, pondering. "We are still seeing the details, but the most important thing is that Delilah and I will tell you and the other pups something before the wedding."

"And what would that be?" Dante asked.

Doug smiled sheepishly, and Dolly and the others looked at him suspiciously.

"You will know soon."

This made Dolly and the others even more curious, but the girl decided to put that aside and finish eating.

She was the first to finish eating and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and go to bed.

As Dolly looked at herself in the mirror and brushed her teeth, she thought of her next move. She was determined with her plan to win back Dylan, but she didn't know how to proceed after finding out that his condition was so delicate as to take high doses of antidepressants.

She only met Dylan after he was progressing through treatment, so Dolly didn't know what would happen if she were too insistent. On the other hand, he made it clear that his decision wasn't final, so giving him too much space was also not an option.

This was a situation that required a perfect balance between determination and self-control, which was a great challenge for Dolly, who was always an adept of all or nothing.

She finished brushing her teeth and went to the bedroom, immediately lying on the bed.

"How can I make this work?"

Planning in detail wasn't her speciality, and it wasn't like Dylan was going to help with that. He made it clear that the fear of getting worse is stronger than what he feels for her, and the more Dolly thought, the more it seemed that her problem had no solution. She could have determination, but the reality is that there was no way she could save this relationship on her own.

At that moment, her eyes widened.

"What if I'm not alone?"

A part of Dylan's plan was for Dolly to make his sisters like her, but he said nothing about talking to them about Dylan.

Dolly just had to pretend to know less about Dylan's problems and get information on how to deal with those problems. Furthermore, if after winning the affection of the new sisters she could convince the other girls of her intentions, she would have help with her plan to win back Dylan.

Dolly then smiled wickedly, more and more excited with her plan.

"Hehe. I can't wait to spend time with my new little sisters…"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The title is part of the second verse of Cher's song "If I Could Turn Back Time", which plays during the credits of Deadpool 2. Originally, the title of each chapter would be a line of this song since it speaks totally of a lover who is sorry for ending a relationship in a bad way, but I changed my mind and decided to use more songs since some chapters are focused on other members of the family.

I plan to use the next line, "Too Proud To Tell You I Was Wrong" in a future chapter between Dylan and Dolly, but for now this will be the last chapter focused in their relationship as my focus at the moment will be interactions between the family.

*

Chapter Text

DEEPAK

It was a quiet Wednesday afternoon, and Deepak was in the park, sitting on the grass while meditating.

After a while, he felt someone touching his arm and opened his eyes, looking up and smiling slightly when he saw who caught his attention.

Behind him was a siamese mixed cat with piercing blue eyes, with the characteristic brown areas on the hands, feet and center of the face, but with a coat closer to ice gray than cream and light gray stripes near the hands. He wore a collar with a silver spheric bell, a green shirt with gold details and black pants, as well as walking barefoot.

As soon as Deepak looked at him, the cat smiled and started to gesture with his hands.

"Hello, Deepak. Have you been waiting a long time?"

In fact, the Dalmatian had arrived about an hour ago, but he would not say so. He had arranged to meet with his friends at the place where they usually meet, but decided to take the chance to spend time alone.

He smiled self-consciously and promptly answered his friend's question.

"Hello, Loki. I arrived early to meditate a little, so I didn't notice the time passing."

The cat smiled and rolled his eyes playfully, promptly sitting across from Deepak with some distance between them.

"I don't understand how you can do that. Sometimes it even seems like you are one of the followers of Guru Meow.

The pup rolled his eyes, also smiling.

"That would be very strange, since most of the quotes are to belittle dogs."

"Who looks down on dogs?" A female voice said, drawing their attention.

They then noticed a Dachshund girl with a light brown coat, wearing a red shirt and denim shorts. 

The girl was a friend of theirs named Julie, the oldest in the group of friends for a few months and the second most striking after Deepak.

She promptly sat down next to them, forming almost a triangle.

Which was interesting to see, considering the long abdomen and her short arms and legs.

"Loki was suggesting that my meditation makes me look like a follower of Guru Meow."

The girl immediately raised an eyebrow while scratching her chin.

"I think it makes sense, although it would be very strange." She remained thoughtful for a moment, but then focused on the cat. "And the others?"

"They should be coming soon. What surprised me was that our spotted friend arrived first."

Julie laughed briefly and Deepak looked away, flushed and embarrassed.

Deepak had a reputation for coming last whenever the group of friends got together.

The three talked for a few minutes, until they saw two other cats approaching.

One of them was an almost all orange-striped cat on the face and back, with the front part having a little cream fur from the neck down. He wore a light blue polo shirt with an open collar, gray pants and sport shoes.

Just behind him was a girl, and when Deepak saw her his tail started wagging frantically, his cheeks blushed, and a silly smile appeared on his face.

She was a white-haired Persian cat, a coat so white and fluffy that if someone compared it to the coats of Deepak's family it would look like those bleach commercials. Her eyes were blue and luminous like crystal water, and Deepak felt he could drown if he looked at them too much.

And if that was not enough, she walked with grace and elegance and was covered by a black parasol, in addition to being dressed in a black dress with purple details, and such a combination immediately brought three words to the young Dalmatian's mind.

Gothic.

Anime.

Loli.

The two soon sat down with the group forming a circle, with the girl sitting to Deepak's left.

"Sorry for being late." The orange cat said, laughing awkwardly. "Our parents left early and forgot to buy things to prepare lunch." He then punched the Goth cat lightly on the shoulder and laughed. "I can't leave the house without feeding my little sister."

"No problem, Toby." Julie said, while Loki shrugged and Deepak looked at the Persian cat. When looking at her too, Julie raised an eyebrow when realizing that the cat seemed shy and restless. "What's wrong, Agatha?"

The cat flushed and flinched, her head down and her tail moving slowly with discomfort.

Deepak and Loki noticed the reaction and were puzzled, the Dalmatian immediately stopped acting like a lovebird and looking at her with concern.

Toby, on the other hand, started to laugh and patted his sister on the back.

"She's embarrassed because she is out of the game too."

The three were confused to hear this, and Deepak looked at Agatha with a raised eyebrow. Deepak had known his group of friends since he was four and taught them sign language, and Loki had created this game to help them practice. The rule was that everyone should make a kind of vow of silence, and during this period they should communicate preferably in sign language, although they could use other non-verbal ways since unlike Deepak they did not have families that communicated in this way. They met whenever possible, and if any of them had spoken, they should immediately speak normally again and be out of the game.

Leaving the game was not so bad, although for Agatha it was different.

She was the youngest in the group (not in the sense of age, since she was only a month younger than Deepak), and she felt a little insecure at times. In fact, Toby introduced her to the group six years ago, when her mother married Toby's father. Although Loki and Julie were a little afraid at first, Deepak immediately sympathized with the girl and welcomed her into the group.

However, the Dalmatian started looking at her differently since last year, when she decided to dress in the Gothic Lolita style.

Deepak would have remained considering his feelings for the cat had her brother not caught everyone's attention.

"Hahaha! She thought she saw a giant spider in the attic and started running around the house screaming in desperation." Toby smirked, while Agatha cringed more. "In the end, it was just a Halloween decoration that wasn't even realistic."

Upon hearing this, Loki and Julie started to laugh, while Deepak at least struggled to keep from laughing.

Agatha flinched even more, and Deepak put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and they both looked straight in the eye, he smiled comfortably and she smiled shyly with flushed cheeks.

"I still can't believe that three of us are already out." Julie said, slightly frustrated "I mean, we started almost three weeks ago, and last year it took almost a month for the first one to be disqualified."

"Well, there's always the winter break." Toby said, shrugging. "It doesn't last as long as the summer vacation, but it's still another long game."

"T-Toby is right." Agatha said, her voice sounding melodious to Deepak. She then looked at him, smiling gently. "And who knows? Maybe Deepak will finally win a match."

Deepak was excited by the vote of confidence, although he was also a little embarrassed. In the five years he took part in the vow of silence, Deepak never won the game, whether it was summer vacation, winter break or spring break.

And he could only blame himself.

"I don't think it's going to happen." Loki pointed immediately, looking at the Dalmatian with concern. "Deepak always ends up stressing about something, and considering that he will now gain eight more siblings and a stepfather, there will be plenty of things to stress him out."

The others were slightly concerned, while Deepak smiled at Loki's comment.

"I don't think it's going to happen. My mom's fiance is a great dad, and my new stepsiblings seem disciplined enough not to cause any problems. " Deepak argued, and then remembered something. " Speaking of which, one of them is two years younger than us and was learning sign language on his own. In less than a year he seems to have learned to communicate very well."

This surprised the other four.

"For real?" Julie said, assuming a thoughtful tone. "Maybe we could call him to join us to practice."

The others began to ponder, while Deepak smiled and started wagging his tail at the thought of including Delgado in the group.

"It would be like when I introduced Agatha to you guys." Toby said, hand on his chin as he pondered. "Although he is younger than us."

"I think it would be nice to meet another brother of yours." Agatha said thoughtfully. She then smiled slightly and looked into the void with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Meeting Dylan for sure was an unforgettable experience."

The others held their laughter, while Deepak felt a twinge of jealousy.

Ever since Agatha met Dylan, she had been acting strangely around the teenage Dalmatian, and now that Deepak was almost certain he was attracted to her, her passionate look at the mention of Dylan made him uncomfortable.

"What does she see in him?"

The group went on talking in their own way for the rest of the afternoon, asking about Deepak's new siblings and sharing things that happened recently.

But even though Deepak was not too concerned with what would happen when interacting with the new brothers, there was one brother in particular who worried him.

And this brother already lived with him.

*

*

*

DYLAN

"Dog! Why is this so difficult?" Dylan exclaimed frustrated, pulling both ears and grunting.

Dylan stood before an easel that held a cork board, on which he was making a scheme with various notes and drawings of all members of the future family pinned.

He had already talked to the adults about the idea of the bunk beds, and Doug had already volunteered to check this out on the day he put the house up for sale. Which confirmed the two-week deadline for the move.

After two weeks, he had already planned how to distribute the furniture and belongings that are in Doug's current home, but so far he was only sure of one of the rooms. No matter how hard he tried, Dylan couldn't evenly divide the 16 pups into the four bedrooms, and that was driving him crazy.

Taking a deep breath, the young Dalmatian threw himself on a beanbag behind him and tried to relax.

He then looked around and considered something.

"Well, maybe I could turn here into a bedroom. Most of my stuff is already here."

Around Dylan was the beanbag where he reclined, as well as some other cushions; a bookcase with books of varied subjects; a bookcase with a collection of stones and some fossils; a table on which was the box of a game with the painting of a mix of wolf and poodle; a telescope positioned on a window; and, of course, the corkboard in which he was planning the new division of the house.

After taking a good look at everything around him, Dylan rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Huff! It wouldn't work. I would have nowhere to put what's already here, other than having no more common beds."

Dylan was in his treehouse, a solid wooden structure about two-thirds the size of the rooms inside the house. Patch had built this tree house even before Dylan's mother was born, and he did such a good job that Dylan's father didn't need much effort to renovate it when he was five. 

The treehouse was Dylan's special place, where he stayed when he wanted to be alone. No one entered without Dylan's permission, and none of the siblings dared to disturb him when he was there.

That's why he was surprised to hear someone calling him.

"Dylan? Can we talk to you?"

When looking at the entrance, Dylan saw his triplet little sisters, the three of them showing deep discomfort and even a little fear in their eyes.

He raised an eyebrow and then straightened up, sitting up and by pointing to the cushions next to him.

The girls entered cautiously and sat down, looking at Dylan as if they had done something wrong.

"Did something happen? You guys look worried."

The three exchanged glances for a few moments, until Destiny spoke.

"We want your help." Then she assumed a sad tone, looking away. "But we will understand if you refuse."

This left the teenager even more confused.

"And what do you want help with?"

There was more silence, and then Dallas spoke.

"We talked with the Dimitris before the picnic, and they suggested merging our channels."

"The six of us wanted you to help us talk to Mom and Doug on Sunday." Deja Vu added.

This took the teenage Dalmatian by surprise, but he kept his cool and scratched his chin as he thought.

The night before, their mother announced that Doug and the other pups would come for lunch on Sunday, apparently to tell all of them how they would proceed with their wedding preparations after Doug visited Patch in Cornwall.

For Dylan, this was the time limit for deciding the division of the house, since everyone would be together and they would still have time to discuss any changes if necessary.

On the one hand, Dylan was stressed about dividing the house, but on the other he was always willing to see his siblings happy. Also, Destiny and Dallas have been behaving really well lately, so it might be a good idea to let them act in the videos of the Dimitris.

In the back of his mind, he came to think that Destiny and Dallas wanted to take advantage of the boys' fame and the ingenuity of Deja Vu, but he dismissed that thought and decided to trust his little sisters.

"I think I can help." He said calmly and with a gentle smile, which made the girls smile and wag their tails. But then he took on a serious tone that immediately made them apprehensive. "And I hope I don't have to deal with another arrogant phase."

Destiny and Dallas blushed, while Deja Vu looked away and covered her snout with her hand to keep from laughing.

"D-Don't worry, Dylan." Destiny said, a little embarrassed. "We won't do that again."

Dallas promptly nodded, also embarrassed by the way they acted.

"We are over it."

Dylan smiled kindly, and they soon smiled too.

However, as Deja Vu turned her face away, she saw the plan Dylan was making and soon became curious.

"What is it?"

Destiny and Dallas immediately looked at what caught their sister's attention, and were also curious.

Dylan even thought about saying it was a delicate matter, but he shrugged and decided to tell it, lying on the beanbag and looking at the ceiling.

"It is the planning of the new division of the house. I've thought about where and how to put most things, but I'm still having trouble with the rooms."

Upon hearing this, the three stood with wide eyes and jaw dropping, looking at Dylan in total disbelief.

"You..." Destiny started.

"...Can't…" Dallas continued.

"...Plan?" Deja Vu concluded.

"(dramatic sigh) It's a disaster!" Dallas said, eyes closed and her hand resting against her forehead in a dramatic pose.

"(dramatic sigh) How could this happen?" Destiny said, also in a dramatic pose.

Soon, Deja Vu also took on a dramatic pose and the three sighed together.

Dylan looked at them with a raised eyebrow, and after a few moments the three of them started to laugh.

The teenage Dalmatian rolled his eyes and smiled slightly.

"They love to do it, don't they?" He then put his arms under his head as a pillow and closed his eyes. "Leaving your dramatic performance aside, it is not an exaggeration on my part. I really can't seem to share the house evenly."

He couldn't say it with his eyes closed, but the girls were confused and looked at the planning again.

"What's the problem, exactly?" Destiny asked. "We have a lot of space available, don't we?"

"The problem is not the space, but the residents. I thought it was better to do as in your room and put bunk beds in the rooms, and share four of us per room. However, there are an odd number of boys and girls."

"What's the problem?" Dallas asked. "We are siblings, aren't we? In addition, we sometimes share a bed with you, Dawkins or Deepak when we have a nightmare. What would be the problem with sharing a room with a boy?"

Dylan immediately laughed at Dallas' suggestion, still keeping himself relaxed and with his eyes closed.

In her young, innocent mind it might seem simple, but Dylan knew better.

"You guys have heard of puberty, right?"

The three were confused and exchanged glances, looking at Dylan with raised eyebrows.

"What does…" Destiny started.

"...This have to do…" Dallas continued.

"...With dividing the rooms?" Deja Vu concluded.

"Part of puberty is changing the way you see everything around you a little bit. For example, Dawkins is almost always speaking words that you don't understand to feel more mature, Da Vinci has become more shy, I wanted to stop sharing a room, and Dawkins and I are almost sure that Deepak have a crush on someone."

This intrigued the girls.

"Deepak have a crush?" The three said at the same time.

Dylan laughed lightly at their reaction, not surprised that they had paid more attention to that part.

"Let's focus on what really matters. Imagine that I put the three of you and the Dimitris in the same room. The three of you have already stopped bathing together, and you have always been sisters. Do you really think that you would be able to get along with them for the next two years, when you are going to start going through changes like me and the others?"

The three stood pondering for a while, and then looked at the corkboard.

"So, you want roommates that will get along for years?" Destiny asked.

Dylan nodded, although he didn't know if they were looking at him.

"At least for a while. I don't know about Dolly, but I plan to go to college as soon as I finish school. After that, I think you could all reorganize the rooms."

Again silence, until Deja Vu looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What if our parents have more children before that?"

At the question, Dylan shrugged and remained calm.

"I already considered that possibility too. Doug is not exactly like me, but one of the things we have in common is planning. He is not the type to have another child anytime soon, and even if an unplanned pregnancy occurs, with the way he cares about his children, the new family member would sleep in a crib in their room for at least three years."

"You really thought of everything, didn't you?" Dallas exclaimed with wide eyes, impressed by Dylan's preparation. "You could be Batman with so much preparation."

Dylan smiled, although he didn't quite agree with the compliment.

"If I were so good, I wouldn't be having trouble dividing the rooms." Dylan felt that the girls would say something and decided to complement. "And before any of you say anything, I already considered leaving an odd number of roommates. The problem would be to put everyone's things in the room without causing fights about one having more space than the other."

The girls were thoughtful, looking at the corkboard again.

Dylan had already looked at it so much that he didn't need to look to imagine the observations they might be making.

"For example, I couldn't put the Dimitris and Dawkins in the same room. Dawkins' desk and chemicals shelf take up a lot of space, that's why Dawkins' best roommate is Deepak, who has few things in their room. I could put Dawkins' 'lab' in the basement with DJ's instruments and the Dimitris' studio, but then it would seem that Dawkins has few things in the room."

The whole thing seemed like a logical challenge, and as much as the teenager tried, he couldn't find the solution. Worse, Dylan felt like he was forgetting something.

"It looks really complicated." Deja Vu said, a thoughtful look taking over her. "It's a pity that you can't put a little of each other's things in another room."

Dylan laughed briefly, the simplicity of Deja Vu's suggestion looking ridiculous to him. If there was another room, it would make more sense to distribute the siblings better than to pile up everyone's things in one room.

Although that idea was not so bad considering it would be almost like what he did by putting his things in the treehouse.

"It could even be an option, if we had another spare room in the house."

For a moment the teen Dalmatian remained calm, until his eyes widened and he sat up abruptly, startling the girls.

Dylan looked at the diagram in the corkboard again, going over each of the locations he wrote down.

Attic.

Two bedrooms on the third floor.

Three bedrooms on the second floor.

Basement.

Thanks to Deja Vu's comment, Dylan finally realized what he was forgetting. There were not five, but six rooms in the house. He just forgot that the room next to his was converted into an office.

"Dad's office…"

A slight fear took over Dylan.

Was he really going to relocate his father's things that had remained untouched for years?

Dylan felt ashamed that he had thought of doing such a thing. It would be like disrespecting his father!

"Would it?"

Dylan's mind was filled with doubt.

After his father's death, Dylan kept the room locked and only went there once a week to clean the dust, keeping the place as if it were a museum in honor of his father.

Still, the room only had work objects, books on the shelves, and the papers on the table that his father was working on before disappearing, the way Danny left it.

The really important things were scattered around the house, in the shape of everything he bought for his kids, pictures on the stairway and ground floor walls, the treehouse he modernized to be safe and comfortable for Dylan, and most of all Dylan himself and his siblings, which Danny has always pointed out as his most valuable possession.

With a resolute look, Dylan made up his mind.

"I'll put his things in the attic. That way, I will have enough space for everything."

He was so focused, he hardly noticed when the girls called him.

"Dylan?" The three said at the same time, looking at the teenager with concern.

Dylan just smiled, standing up.

"Sorry, it's just that I finally figured out how to do this." He then put his hand on his chin and thought. "It's almost time to prepare dinner. What do you think about discussing the details about convincing Mom and Doug to let you join the Dimitris in the kitchen while I prepare the food?"

The three were a little confused, but soon smiled and wagged their tails.

"We will love it!" The three said at the same time.

Dylan smiled as he saw how much energy the girls were emanating, and then guided them into the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to make curry with kibble. It must be ready by the time Mom comes."

*

*

*

DELILAH

Delilah had finished her shift today, and was already packing things in her purse. She managed to work well today, even though her head was almost overloading.

On Sunday afternoon she met with Doug and they talked about Doug's visit to Cornwall. She was shocked to learn the truth about Doug's father, especially the part where he almost killed her mother.

The two agreed to get everyone together again, but this time Delilah thought it best for all of them to lunch on Dalmatian Street so that Doug's children would get to know the house where they were going to live.

In addition to being a safer place to tell about 'Doug's family' in particular, as they did not know how the pups would react to discovering that they were third cousins that were going to become stepsiblings.

When Delilah was almost ready to leave, someone knocked on the door and she went to answer it.

At the door was a male nurse, carrying several folders with some papers in them and holding one out to Delilah.

"Dr. Dalmatian, the results have arrived."

Delilah was confused for a moment, but then she remembered what it was about.

"I thought the test results wouldn't arrive until next week."

"From what I was told, a billionaire donated new equipment to the laboratory, and it accelerated the process of several tests."

This surprised Delilah a little. She heard a rumor about it from the other doctors, but didn't think it was going to happen so soon.

"Well, I will not complain about someone making our work easier." She replied smiling, and took the folder. "Thank you very much."

The nurse smiled and nodded, continuing to hand the other files over to other doctors.

As soon as she closed the door, Delilah returned to her seat in front of the table and opened the folder.

Normally she would not see the results without the patient being present, but in this case she made an exception, since she herself requested the tests for personal reasons.

Delilah had ordered tests for Doug's DNA, blood and even fur in an attempt to better understand the body of her future husband.

Something she hadn't been able to understand in the past few months was Doug's recovery from the shoulder injury. Not that it was unusual for burns to heal quickly, but when the scars became less visible and Doug's fur grew back without any medication, Delilah was sure there was something unusual about his metabolism. Delilah even sent some of Doug's fur divided into two samples, a sample of the unaffected area of the arm and a sample of the fur that had grown up again.

At first she saw nothing unusual about the blood tests, but the detailed DNA test was a surprise.

Her eyes widened as she read what the test results said, and she almost dropped the folder.

"This is impossible!"

She followed up with other results, and saw even more things that didn't make sense.

Somehow, Doug had a genetic mutation that Delilah had never seen before, that not only made him tolerant of pain, but also made him so strong and resilient that he was closer to a bear than to a dog, and still made the immune system and its recovery speed five times more potent than normal for a dog.

And if that weren't enough, the fur samples showed even more confusing results.

Something Delilah had always liked about Doug was the softness of his fur, which made hugging him or nuzzling him an extremely comfortable experience.

And according to the exams, this was because in some way Doug's fur retained the softness and texture expected from puppy fur, while being more resistant than an adult dog's and naturally shiny as if he used some special shampoo like that of the show dogs. Even the growing fur hairs had an absurd quality.

Delilah was totally baffled.

She had examined other relatives before, and for those she hadn't personally examined were granted access to medical examinations. As far as she knew, there was no other case like Doug's on both his and her sides of the family, and that was unprecedented.

"Our sides of the family…"

It was then that an epiphany occurred and Delilah's eyes widened again.

There were also relatives who were adopted into the family, which she now knew to include Doug's mother.

That might explain why, but it created a great deal of concern for Delilah.

Considering that Doug's mother had a hereditary genetic abnormality, it was possible that Doug was not the only one.

"I need to test Dolly and the others as soon as possible."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About Deepak's friends, with the exception of Agatha I based them on pets I met, especially Loki who is basically my cat. I thought it would be interesting to use he in a chapter as he constantly tries to lay on my computer when I am writing my chapters.

*

I was in doubt as to the name for Deepak's crush, but I watched on YouTube a video with a musical act from the new Marvel series Wandavision called "Agatha All Along" and I couldn't get the song out of my head, which ended up influencing the choice of the name.

*

Finally showing Dylan's treehouse, and the explanation for having nothing but the bed, clothes and a computer in his room.

*

I wasn't going to finish Dylan's part with dinner, but I watched My Hero Academia at the camp's arch and saw the students prepare curry so it made me think this, and that if dogs prepared curry, they would use kibble instead of rice.

*

And as for Doug's medical tests, well, let's say I'm preparing something special.

And no, he is not a 'mutant' in the sense of being one of the X-Men, only that there is something really rare about his genes.

Chapter Text

Chapter with cooking. Their lunch will have some gourmet style dishes, so I'll put some images of the dishes in question in my notes at the end to help with any doubts, since I only discovered the existence of most of these dishes after I did some research.

*

*

*

DANTE

"And here we are!" Doug said, turning off the van's engine.

Dante and his siblings looked out the windows, and were impressed by what they saw.

The van was parked next to Delilah's car on the sidewalk, and in front of both vehicles was a house that made theirs look even smaller.

"Is this where we are going to live?" Dee Dee asked, her tail wagging happily. "It looks like a mansion!"

Dante laughed at the little girl's exaggeration, but he couldn't deny that the house looked much better than the one they inhabit now.

Soon, they got out of the van and headed for the door, where something caught the attention of his siblings.

"What is that?" Delgado asked, pointing to a device beside the door.

Even though he already knew about the machine, Dante was impressed to finally see one of the inventions that Dawkins had in the house.

And his siblings even more since they didn't know what it was.

"It looks like a biometric reader…" Dimitri 1 said, looking at the device with interest while scratching his chin. "It looks more realistic than any I've seen in movies."

"(chuckles) That's because it's real." Doug said, attracting everyone's attention except Dante and Dolly. "According to Delilah, Dawkins installed a very advanced security system in the house."

The others looked closely at the reader saying 'ooooo', and Dante was a little puzzled to see that Dolly also seemed to already know about it.

"Maybe Dylan told her?"

Doug then pressed the doorbell button, and after a few seconds they heard a strange electronic sound followed by the sound of the door lock opening.

As soon as the door opened, they were greeted by Delilah, wearing a light blue shirt and beige shorts.

"Glad you finally arrived." She came over and kissed Doug, and the younger ones made some comical disgusted faces. She then looked at Dante and the others smiling "Ready to see the house where you are going to live?"

The others started wagging their tails and entered happily, while Dante raised an eyebrow.

"Something is wrong." He then closed his eyes, concentrating. "Dad and Delilah are nervous about whatever they are going to tell us, but other than that there is also another thing worrying her."

Dante wasn't sure how to proceed.

If it were with Doug, he would wait a moment when the two were alone to ask, but he still didn't feel that the bond between him and his future stepmother was close enough.

"I think I'd better talk to Dawkins about it."

It didn't take long and they found themselves in the living room, where almost everyone else was sitting on the carpet, while Dylan was absent, Deepak was meditating on a yoga ball and Dawkins was sitting on the couch.

Another thing that differentiated the Dalmatian inventor from the others was the fact that he was again formally dressed and with shoes, while everyone else was dressed as you would expect from a family at home on the weekend, in simple shirts, light trousers or shorts, and all bare.

Dante remained standing watching, while his siblings began to interact with the other pups almost instantly.

Except for a certain sister, who looked at the room with some intrigue.

"Where's Dylan?" Dolly asked, turning and looking at Delilah.

"Oh, he's making lunch." Then she scratched her chin, taking on a thoughtful tone. She seemed to have an idea and then looked at all the pups smiling. "I need to talk to Doug for a while, so what if you all talk for a while while Dylan finishes preparing lunch? It's a good chance to get used to living together."

Everyone seemed to like the idea, and soon began to divide.

Delilah took Doug with her, apparently to her room, and Dawkins remained in his place on the sofa, smiling and patting the sofa so that Dante sat next to him, which the inverted Dalmatian promptly did.

The Dimitris and Triple D went up the stairs, which made Dante slightly intrigued. Delgado and Dee Dee sat on the carpet with Dizzy, who turned on the television to watch a cartoon about a blue puppy who lived with her father, mother and younger sister. DJ and Da Vinci sat next to them, talking to each other and occasionally looking at the younger three.

Dante started talking to Dawkins, but after a few moments he realized that someone was missing.

"When Dolly left the room?"

*

*

*

DOUG & DELILAH

After a short walk around the house, Doug and Delilah entered the room they soon would share and sat on the bed.

Delilah quickly leaned on Doug, laying her head on his shoulder. She was afraid of how Doug was going to react, but she knew she should tell him the results of the tests.

Doug, on the other hand, had already had enough physical contact with Delilah to realize immediately that something was bothering her.

"What's the matter, dear?"

Delilah remained quiet for a moment, then tilted her head slightly to look into Doug's eyes.

"Remember the tests I ordered?"

Doug was confused for a moment, until he remembered.

"Oh, sure. I imagine the results have already arrived?"

"Yes. (Sigh) And I really wasn't expecting what's in the results."

This worried Doug.

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, your genes have a mutation that I've never seen before. I am really baffled."

Doug was still for a moment, until his eyes widened and he started to laugh.

"Hehe. Oh, dog. For a moment, I thought something serious had happened."

Delilah was confused, looking at Doug with a raised eyebrow.

"You already knew?"

At that, Doug raised an eyebrow too.

"Well, yes. I have known this for almost eight years. Wasn't it in my medical records?"

Delilah remained confused for an instant, until her eyes widened and she facepalmed and groaned in frustration.

"Dog, I feel like an idiot! How did I forget to look at your medical record?"

In fact, Delilah knew why. Since Doug's case included a burn, she didn't bother looking for anything else in the records other than allergies to medications.

"I can't believe I made a rookie mistake!" She reproached herself internally, covering her face with both hands in shame.

Doug saw some fun in that, but he preferred to remain silent so as not to frustrate Delilah further.

She remained grunting for a while with her hands on her face, until she recovered and looked at Doug curiously.

"How did you find out?"

At that, Doug was a little embarrassed, scratching behind his neck.

"Camila and I were worried about Delgado when he was born, and the doctor recommended to examine in depth what was going on. After seeing the results of the DNA test, I decided to do the same with myself and the others to find out if any of my other children had the same problem."

"And do any of them have it?"

"(sigh) More or less. Each of us has a different mutation in this gene, so we were affected differently. The only thing in common is that our coats are softer than those of other dogs, and in Dante's case the fur is inverted in color."

"Different in what way?"

"Well, they're really weird, actually. Dolly and Dee Dee have sharp reflexes; Dante is very observant and has great motor coordination, which is what makes him so good at video games; DJ has sharp hearing and improved flexibility in the fingers; the Dimitris like me are stronger than dogs normally are. (sigh) And unfortunately, this gene caused Delgado's legs to malform, so he was born with only thighs. On the positive side, he is also pain-tolerant like me."

This made Delilah's eyes widen, looking at Doug with concern. They had decided not to keep secrets, and that seemed like a betrayal on Doug's part.

"This is very important! Why didn't you tell me?"

Doug lowered his head, feeling guilty.

"Honestly, I wanted to forget that. Especially after discovering that my son can't walk because of me."

"Oh, Doug..." She snuggled closer to Doug, trying to comfort him. "You need to stop blaming yourself for everything. You had no way of knowing that."

"(sigh) Actually, I could." Doug was sad, but then he took on an angry look that made Delilah slightly worried. "If he had told me."

Delilah was confused for a moment, until she realized who Doug was referring to.

"Your father knew?"

"If he knew?" Doug took on a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes. "He's the cause!"

Delilah's eyes widened, surprised by Doug's argument.

"But... There is no precedent on Uncle Prince's side of the family. How can your father be involved in this?"

Doug took a deep breath.

He knew he couldn't stop now after telling Delilah so much. Still, that was the thing that bothered him the most in the last few years, until he found out about his mother.

With determination, he looked her in the eye.

"Have you heard of MGH?"

Delilah was confused for a moment, until her eyes widened.

"Now it all makes sense!"

MGH was a steroid that was injected into the bloodstream, very rare nowadays, but in the past it was widely used by dogs that participated in dog shows. MGH has two variations, one that increases the quality of the fur, and another that increases the gain in muscle mass, which would explain why Doug and his father were so big.

Another common use of muscle mass variation was in the area of cattle breeding, as injecting a certain dose into a calf for six months resulted in an absurdly large ox in two years.

At first, there was nothing to stop the trade and use of MGH, however in the 80s it was discovered that although it did not cause unwanted collateral damage to the user, the steroid caused mutations in the children and grandchildren of the anthro that used it.

Because of this, several anthros died at birth or before completing a year because of complications, and a few who survived had physical abilities that made them different from other anthros, some even with deformities or missing limbs.

Most governments never went so far as to ban the use of MGH, but dog shows decided to severely punish any competitor that used it, as this would harm the pedigree of that lineage.

"Now I understand." Delilah said at last, trying to comfort Doug with a smile. "But you needn't worry. There is a medicine I used while pregnant, called…"

"Essex?" Doug said, still sad.

Delilah was surprised that Doug knew about the medicine. This was the same medication she used during pregnancy so that her children would not develop deafness when they grew up.

He noticed Delilah's confusion and decided to proceed.

"(sigh) I didn't want to damage her memory, but the truth is that Camila is from a long line of show dogs, and in the beginning her mother made her use MGH. She stopped using after we left our parents, and when she was pregnant with Dolly the doctor recommended using Essex. We thought it helped, but when Delgado was born and we did the tests, we found that we did not really avoid the problem since the dosage that the doctor went through was not adequate in the case of the two parents with the organism altered by MGH.

This left Delilah even more shocked.

In fact, it was undeniable that things would be very different if Doug knew he also had remnants of the steroid in his body, and since he could only find out about it with a test that is not part of the routine medical examinations, there was no one to blame if not Doug's father for never telling his son that he used MGH.

There was nothing she could say, so Delilah hugged him tightly, a gesture that Doug immediately reciprocated.

"Don't worry, Doug. What matters is that everyone is fine now, and if one day we have more children we already know what to do."

Doug hugged her tighter, nuzzling her forehead with his.

"(sigh) Thank you, dear."

They then lay down on the bed, still embracing, and did not need to speak to know that they agreed to remain silent and embraced until the food was ready.

*

*

*

DYLAN

Dylan was in the kitchen, wearing a chef's hat and wearing a red apron over his clothes and whistling cheerfully while wagging his tail.

Despite the insistence of Delilah, Dawkins and Da Vinci to help, he took it upon himself to cook for all 18 dogs alone today. He used the argument that it would help to gain experience in preparing larger portions of food, but the real reason was another.

"It should be almost ready." He crouched down, smiling confidently, and looked out of the oven's glass door, admiring what looked like four loaves of bread on a tray and a round shaped casserole covered with aluminum foil on the bottom grid. "They'll adore me after today."

Something Dylan liked to hear about the other week's picnic was the fact that Doug's kids were dazzled by the sandwiches and cookies he made. This gave him the idea to conquer their admiration with his culinary skills by preparing some of his best dishes.

"The Wellingtons should be ready in ten minutes. " He then looked up from the kitchen table, where there were two casseroles covered with their respective lids, both emanating a bit of heat vapors due to the temperature of the contents hidden inside. " Two of the three side dishes are already ready, so I think I can put them on the table now."

The young Dalmatian then put on protective gloves and headed for the dining room with a casserole in each hand.

He went all the way from the kitchen to the living room, immediately meeting the others.

Dante and Dawkins were engaged in conversation, and DJ, Da Vinci and the three youngest were entertained by the television. Dylan had overheard the bell and then his mother saying something he couldn't understand from the kitchen, and was a little puzzled that no one had come to the kitchen.

"Hey guys!" He exclaimed, attracting everyone's attention. "Where are the others?"

"Mom and Dad went to talk." Dizzy said, smiling.

"And the others also went upstairs." Dee Dee said, also smiling.

Dylan was overcome by the combined tenderness of both. If he already found Dizzy adorable, the two together exuded so much sweetness that one could have cavities just by looking at them for a long time.

He started to feel warmth through his gloves and remembered what he was supposed to do.

"Well, lunch will be ready in ten minutes. If you can call the others and wait at the table it would help a lot."

As soon as he said that, Dizzy and Dee Dee exchanged looks and then ran up the stairs to call the others. And Dylan could do nothing but smile.

He headed for the dining room, satisfied with what he was seeing.

The table was already set up, with plates, cutlery and glasses in place, as well as a bowl of red fruit punch with plenty of ice. There were two chairs at one end, side by side, and Dylan rolled his eyes slightly while smiling.

Delilah wanted to be seated next to Doug, as well as the last dinner they all had together, and Dylan was amused to remember that there was a time when he would freak out at this, saying that the table would not be symmetrical with two chairs at one end and no chair in the other.

He put the casseroles in place, leaving space in the middle of the table for what would be his great triumph.

He prepared to go back to the kitchen and saw that Dizzy and Dee Dee were already coming down the stairs, and right behind them came the six triplets.

"It shouldn't be long before everyone is in the dining room."

Dylan walked quietly into the kitchen, and stood in front of the oven with a smile on his face.

He was enjoying this moment of peace, until he heard a voice behind him.

"Nice apron."

Dylan almost jumped when he heard Dolly's voice, but kept his cool and turned around calmly, finding the girl with her back against the wall and grinning mischievously.

"It is very useful for cooking." The boy said calmly, pointing to a pocket in front, where there was a spatula. "It even has a pocket in case I need to keep any utensils nearby."

Dolly nodded, still smiling as she looked at Dylan closely.

And that made it even more difficult to maintain his composure.

"When did you enter the kitchen?"

"I was hiding on the stairs, and I waited for you to go to the living room to hide and give you a scare." Then she shrugged, still smiling. "Kind of hard when there is no hiding place, so I just decided to wait for you. But it looks like you didn't see me anyway."

Dylan shrugged, turning his attention back to the oven.

"Normally, no one comes in here while I cook. Or at least ask me for permission first."

Dolly raised an eyebrow at that, looking at Dylan with intrigue.

"I thought you weren't the authoritarian type."

"And I'm not." Dylan looked at the watch and decided it was time to turn off the oven. "It's like I told you before, sometimes my siblings act with caution near me, for fear of causing me discomfort. And ironically, it makes me uncomfortable."

Carefully, he opened the oven and removed the covered round casserole first.

"(sigh) I think I can understand." Dolly assumed a guilty tone, looking at the floor. "Sometimes, we do the same with DJ."

Dylan nodded, placing the casserole on the table and preparing to take out the tray with the four wellingtons. When he was going to do that, an idea came to him.

Due to the size and the shape of the tray, he would have to make two trips to take them both dishes to the dining room, however, since Dolly was around…

"Well, Summer told me to try to make amends with her." He then turned around smiling awkwardly. "Can you help me? There is another pair of gloves in the first drawer to the left of the table."

Dolly looked a little surprised for a moment, but then she followed Dylan's instructions and put on protective gloves, then picked up the round casserole.

However, she seemed curious.

"You had already taken two before, didn't you? Anything else?"

Dylan nodded, taking the other dish. He smiled with satisfaction when he saw what looked like four round loaves with a crust between orange and brown, with some diagonal lines that he had lightly marked with a knife.

"Only dessert, but that is for later." He then started walking, and Dolly followed close behind.

Dolly smiled and wagged her tail when she heard that.

"I can hardly wait!" Then she realized what Dylan was carrying, and raised an eyebrow. "Do you make your own breads too?"

"Actually, those are wellingtons."

Upon hearing that, Dolly just shrugged.

"Call your British bread what you want, but I'll call it bread."

Dylan laughed lightly, rolling his eyes.

"You are the daughter of a dog who was born in England and you've been living in London for two years, and still don't know what wellingtons are?"

Dolly shrugged again, without much interest in the subject.

"Food is food. What matters is the taste, not the name you give."

The boy paused a moment to think, considering her argument.

"Hmmm... I think I can agree with you, but some people really care about the names of the dishes."

They entered the living room, and Dylan immediately realized that everyone was already in the dining room.

As soon as he and Dolly entered the dining room, everyone was wagging their tails.

"Can we have lunch now?" Dizzy asked, her tongue out of her mouth and salivating.

"The smell is great!" Delgado said, smelling the food on the table.

Dylan smiled, carefully going to the middle of the table and placing the Wellingtons in the exact center.

"You guys look very excited." Dylan spoke with false modesty, clearly loving the pups' excitement. He took the other dish with Dolly, and placed it next to the wellingtons.

Doug's other children looked on curiously, his siblings and his mother smiled happily, and Doug looked wide-eyed.

"Y-You p-prepared wellingtons? A-Alone?"

"What is a wellington?" DJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It is one of the most traditional British dishes." Dawkins said, attracting the attention of Doug's children. "It's complicated to do, but it's one of Dylan's specialties."

Delilah's children just smiled as they licked their chops, already imagining the taste, while Doug's children said 'oooo'.

Well, almost all of them.

"Is that serious?" Dolly asked, sitting down again between Dante and Doug and looking at the wellingtons with a raised eyebrow. "What is so special about these breads?"

Her siblings were thoughtful for a while, and Doug looked like he was about to say something, but Dylan was quicker.

"That's the point." He said, smiling smugly. He then took a large kitchen knife that he had left on the table and with the skill that someone would see at a cooking show cut one of the wellingtons into ten slices of the same thickness. "These are not breads."

Just like in a swordsman movie, a few seconds passed and then the slices parted slightly, revealing a surprise to Dolly and the others who had never seen a wellington, who were left slack-jawed.

Although the outside was a soft dough with a crunchy crust, inside it was meat wrapped in some kind of pate, creating an interesting contrast in the colors of the dough, the pate, and the meat, which was pink in the middle.

Dylan smiled from ear to ear, loving the reaction of his future stepsiblings.

"My new siblings, I am pleased to introduce you, Beef Wellington."

"Okay, I take back what I said." Dolly said, totally puzzled.  "This is certainly not just a bread with a fancy name."

Dylan then cut the other three wellingtons, all 40 pieces of the same size, a skill that Dylan developed due to his OCD.

"And what did you prepare as side dishes?" Dawkins asked, puzzling Doug's children again.

"Well, I didn't know the preferences of our new siblings, so I prepared three side dishes." Dylan then removed the lid from one of the rectangular casseroles, revealing asparagus covered with something yellow. "First, asparagus with hollandaise sauce." He then took the lid off the other rectangular casserole, revealing something yellow covered with grated cheese." I also prepared mashed potatoes with truffle brie, although this is the first time I have made this dish." He then took the lid off the round casserole, revealing something that looked like a lot of potato slices baked together. "And in case any of you don't want mashed potatoes, Pommes Anna." Dylan realized that even his mother and siblings were impressed, and smiled even more. "Feel free to choose or try a little of everything."

Everyone was stunned by the banquet that Dylan prepared, and meanwhile he took off his apron and gloves and hung it by the fireplace, so he could then sit in his place. The others were still unresponsive, until Dylan looked at them with a raised eyebrow and a playful smile.

"Aren't you hungry?"

This seemed to awaken the others from the state of shock, and immediately everyone started to help themselves.

Of course, everyone took two slices of beef wellington and a portion of each side.

What followed was a symphony formed by the sound of cutlery and moans of joy and pleasure, and as Dylan slowly enjoyed his meal, he felt a strong satisfaction at seeing everyone so happy with the meal he had prepared.

"It was really worth it."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was going to put one more part in this chapter, but I will leave it for the next and end here.

*

As for the steroid used in Doug's father, I took it from the Marvel comics. Well, actually, a game based on Marvel characters, called Avengers Alliance (rest in peace).

MGH is the acronym for "Mutant Growth Hormone", and as the name suggests granted to some henchmen in the game mutant powers, usually random.

The other medication is inspired by one of my favorite Marvel villains, Mister Sinister, who likes to play with others' genetics.

*

As for the menu, I am a fan of British chef Gordon Ramsay and all his television shows(which sadly have been off-air in Brazil for two or three years, since they started making a Brazilian version with a French chef), and one thing he always points out as being hard to cook right is Beef Wellington.

So, I thought it was appropriate for Dylan to show his culinary expertise by making such a recipe and some interesting side dishes too.

I discovered the side dishes by researching what is usually served with Beef Wellington, and as I couldn't choose one from the huge list that I found, I thought it best to have a banquet with the three that I liked best.

Beef Wellington

Hollandaise Sauce Asparagus

Truffle Brie Mashed Potatoes

Pommes Anna

For the next chapter, I'll start with them eating dessert, which will be:

Chocolate Mousse

Chapter Text

Once again, I'm sorry for the delay. My family is very serious about commitments and promises, and it bothers me a lot not to do something when I said I would. 

Also, I caught a cold this week, but luckily I was able to finish this chapter.

*

*

*

DOLLY

Dolly was feeling in heaven, with a silly smile on her face, her eyes looking lovingly out of nowhere, and a spoon in her mouth.

After lunch, which had already left her in awe of Dylan's cooking skill, the boy left the room for a few minutes along with Dawkins and Dante (who apparently already sees Dylan as a top dog he wants to help) to take the dishes and plates. This was another thing that surprised her, since with the exception of Doug, Delilah, Dylan and Dawkins, who maintained good manners at the table, everyone else was excited to the point of licking the plates, leaving them practically clean.

And as soon as the three returned, they each carried a tray with six white porcelain ramekins, filled with chocolate mousse covered with a little whipped cream and some raspberries, in addition to chocolate shavings.

And if it didn't look good enough, the taste was practically divine.

If hisValentine's Day chocolates weren't enough, today's meal was irrefutable proof that Dylan was her complete opposite when it came to cooking.

"Dog, why did I break up with him?"

Dolly was very focused on savoring it, but when she spooned the ramekin again she realized that she had no more mousse.

"Did I really eat the whole thing?!"

Looking at the others, Dolly realized that all 18 ramekins were empty, leaving her even more impressed.

As soon as everyone dropped their spoons, Dylan stood up and caught everyone's attention.

"Now that we have finished the meal, I would like to talk about the changes that we will make in two weeks, when we will all move in together." He then exchanged glances quickly with Triple D, who in turn looked at the Dimitris, and then the six triplets looked at Dylan and nodded. "But first, Triple D and the Dimitris would like to say something."

Everyone else was confused, and Dolly raised an eyebrow. She was the first to realize that the six had gone up to the girls' room together, but she didn't think there was a hidden reason.

"What are they up to?"

Although on opposite sides of the table, the six stood up together at almost the same time, looking at the adult Dalmatians with determination, although Deja Vu's eyes showed a little uncertainty.

"Mom…" Said the girls.

"Dad…" Said the boys.

"We talked at the picnic…" Dallas said.

"…And we found out that we have more in common than we thought." Said Dimitri 2.

"And then I had an idea, which I suggested to everyone." Said Dimitri 1.

"And as much as we all agree…" Said Destiny.

"We want to ask your permission." Said Dimitri 3.

"And we would be very happy if you agree." Said Deja Vu.

Doug and Delilah raised an eyebrow, looking at all the triplets with curiosity. The six then took a deep breath and went on.

"We want to merge our channels." The six said together.

With the exception of Dylan, all the siblings looked at the six in surprise, while the parents tilted their heads slightly and looked at their children without understanding what they were talking about.

"And what exactly would that be?" Delilah asked.

The six then looked at Dylan, who after clearing his throat looked neutrally at the adults.

"It is one of the options in Wooftube. Basically, they have two channels at the moment, but they want to merge both channels into one, in which they will work together making videos."

The parents' eyes widened as they understood what it was about.

"Oh…" They both said at the same time.

They then exchanged glances briefly with thoughtful faces, but then smiled at each other and looked at their children.

"Well, then you have our permission." Delilah said, smiling as she looked at them kindly.

"We are happy that you are all getting along." Doug said cheerfully, but soon took on an embarrassed tone. "It's always better to do things with the family."

Dolly couldn't help feeling that there was something behind what Doug said, and she had the impression that his voice shook when he said 'family'.

The six were shocked for a moment, clearly surprised that it was so easy to get their parents' permission.

Even so, they just exchanged glances and then smiled as they wagged their tails, then sat in their seats.

Dylan, who was smiling after the situation, decided to proceed.

"Well, that was faster than I expected." He then started to walk across the dining room towards something, and Dolly and the others saw what looked like an easel with a canvas covered by a sheet. Dylan put the easel on the other end of the table and stood beside it, standing close to Dizzy and Dee Dee. "It gave me some work, but after some time I managed to determine the best way to share the space in the house."

"And what is this?" Dee Dee asked, pointing to the covered easel.

Dylan smiled, and patted her head gently.

"(chuckles) I'm going to get to that part." He then looked at DJ and the Dimitris, assuming a professional tone. "For starters, Dawkins and I will soundproof the basement, so DJ will be able to practice with his instruments and the Dimitris and Triple D will be able to record their videos without worrying about the noise."

This made the aforementioned pups happy, and Dolly couldn't help but smile when she saw their joy.

"There will be no changes on this floor, so let's go to the rooms." He then took on a more serious tone, placing his hand on the sheet. "And for that I asked Da Vinci to help me."

Dylan then pulled the sheet up, revealing something that surprised everyone but the artistic pup.

On the easel was a white and blue frame with five empty rectangles of black lines, on which were very detailed stickers of Delilah and her children, divided between the rectangles. Next to it were some stickers that were not glued, and Dolly realized that it was she, Doug, and the other pups.

Dolly was impressed, immediately looking at Da Vinci, who even smiling was a little flushed.

But before she could say anything, Dylan continued with the explanation.

"This is the current room division. I talked to our parents, and we agreed to use bunk beds in the rooms that we kids will share. Then, the rooms will be divided in this way."

Dylan then took other stickers and started gluing inside the rectangles, in addition to changing one that was already glued. As soon as he was done, he walked away and let the others see the new roommates.

"These are the changes: Obviously, our parents will share their room; Dawkins will now share the room with me, Dante and DJ, and the scientific stuff he owns will be placed in an area of the attic, so that Deepak can share the room with Delgado and the Dimitris; Destiny, Dallas and Deja Vu will remain in the same room, and Dolly and Dee Dee will share the room with Da Vinci and Dizzy."

All the pups seemed satisfied with that, as did the parents. Glancing at Dee Dee quickly, Dolly realized that the little girl was happier than ever, obviously because she continued to share a room with Dolly while also sharing with Dizzy.

And Dolly couldn't help shivering.

"I have the impression that Da Vinci and I will have trouble sleeping for a while."

Still, sharing a room with Da Vinci was perfect for Dolly's plans, although a part of her was slightly disappointed that she didn't share the room with Dylan.

"Hehe. It can still happen…"

"And are you going to change anything else?" Dawkins asked, making Dolly stop daydreaming.

Everyone then looked at Dylan, who took a deep breath before continuing.

"Yes. There are some things that will go to the attic, but I decided that it would be better to put some things from everyone in one room, such as the video games of Dante and Dawkins, the television that is in the living room of the other house, and things like photo albums, books and awards."

Dolly and her siblings were impressed by Dylan's idea, and judging by Dante's face, she was sure he planned to spend more time in this room than on his own.

However, Delilah and Dylan's siblings looked at him doubtfully.

"But there are no more rooms." Da Vinci said.

At this, Dylan shrugged, smiling nonchalantly.

"There will be after I put the things that are in Dad's office in the attic."

Dizzy and most of Dolly's siblings were confused, while Doug, Delilah, Dolly, Dante and all the others of Dylan's siblings looked at him with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

Deepak even made a strange sound, like a balloon deflating, giving the impression that he was holding himself as tightly as possible not to speak.

"Are you really going to do that?" Dawkins asked, looking at Dylan as if he had lost his sanity.

Dylan just shrugged, making them even more shocked.

"We need the space, and with the exception of the table and the swivel chair, I can put everything in three or four boxes in the attic." He then took a deep breath, assuming a sad smile and looking at his siblings, who still showed concern. "I know he would want it that way."

Dawkins and the others smiled forcefully, not yet convinced of it. Delilah looked at Dylan still with concern, and Dolly noticed the moment when they faced each other and Dylan smiled with more confidence.

The mother then smiled and touched Doug's arm, who looked at her. She nodded as she smiled, and despite doubting for a moment, Doug also smiled and looked at Dylan.

"Well, I think this is a great plan, Dylan. Anything else to add?"

"No, that's all." Dylan then put the presentation material back in the corner, and then sat down again in his place, looking at the adults with curiosity. - "Now, I think we all want to know what you two want to tell us."

Dolly and the others were a little excited to remember that, and after exchanging looks Doug started talking.

"Well, last Saturday, I started to reconnect with my past by visiting Delilah's father, Patch. And in addition to telling me that I am not an outcast to my own family, he advised Delilah and me to tell all of you about my family."

This made all the pups even more interested, some even wagging their tails.

"I can't wait any longer!" Delgado said, looking at Doug with high expectations. "You make it look like our family keeps some big secret!"

At that, the adults exchanged glances briefly, smiling self-consciously.

"It's not really a secret…" Doug said, scratching behind his neck and looking away.

"We just never mentioned it before." Delilah said, looking at the pups with a bit of concern. "And now, we are a little worried that you will all react badly to discovering this."

In this, all the pups were confused, although they are clearly still curious.

Dolly then realized that even Dylan looked curious, and it made her a little worried.

"What if it affects him in a bad way?"

However, before she could think about it, Delilah spoke again.

"Well, I think it's best to start with the simplest. About 60 years ago, my grandfather Pongo and his sister Missy, together with their spouses Perdita and Prince, went to live together in Suffolk, raising together their biological children and other Dalmatian pups that they decided to take in due to a tragedy that our family avoids talking about."

"And how many pups did they take in?" DJ asked, intrigued by this fact.

At that, Dylan and his siblings laughed briefly, leaving the pups on the other side of the table confused.

"You probably won't believe it." Dawkins said, smiling with a raised eyebrow.

Dylan nodded, looking at them with understanding eyes.

"We ourselves have difficulties to believe sometimes."

This made Dolly raise an eyebrow, looking at Dylan with intrigue.

"Are there so many of them?"

Dylan shrugged, smiling with superiority.

"If you think 74 is too many, then yes."

At that, Dolly and the others dropped their jaws and looked at Delilah, waiting for her to say that Dylan was joking.

Instead, she smiled and continued.

"It really is an impressive number. And adding to my father, his 14 siblings, their 8 cousins and the 4 adults, the family consisted of 101 Dalmatians."

Delilah's children just smiled, while Dolly and the others still couldn't believe it.

"Actually, that was just the beginning." Doug said, crushing any hope that Dolly had of this being a joke. "According to Patch, about a thousand anthros live in the region, and of these almost half are descended from most of the biological pups and the 74 adopted pups."

Dolly and the others were shocked by this.

"Dylan told me his family was big, but I didn't think it was that big."

Doug's children remained in shock for a while, until Dante raised an eyebrow and asked a question.

"Wait, what about the other biological children?"

This brought his siblings out of shock, and Delilah promptly responded.

"Well, those went outside the region or even the country. My dad, for example, lives in Cornwall now, lived in this house while I was growing up, grew up on the farm in Suffolk, and even lived in California for a while while participating in the Thunderbolt Show."

This surprised Dolly and most of her siblings.

For some reason that they never understood, Doug loved to watch this old series whose first seasons were in black and white, and now they had an idea of the reason.

"Wait, was your father Thunderbolt's sidekick?" Dee Dee asked, her tail wagging as she stared at Delilah with adoration. "So, the farm where you are going to get married is that of the show?"

Doug and Delilah laughed briefly, looking at the little girl fondly.

"No, sweetie." Delilah replied, her voice full of kindness as she spoke with the sweetness of an understanding mother explaining something. "That farm was somewhere in America, and we're getting married on the family farm."

This seemed to satisfy Dee Dee's curiosity for now, and she and Doug's other children began to ponder what they had learned.

However, Delilah's children, especially the second oldest, were confused.

"Wait, I thought you were going to tell us about Doug's family." Dawkins exclaimed, looking at the adults with a raised eyebrow. "How is this related to our family history?"

It made everyone look at the adults with raised eyebrows.

Doug and Delilah exchanged glances again, and then nodded and looked at the pups with determination.

"In fact, it's totally related." Delilah said, leaving the pups even more confused. "My father is the oldest son of Pongo and Perdita."

"(sigh) And although he is an outcast, my father is the oldest son of Prince and Missy." Doug said, a little embarrassed.

After Doug spoke, total silence formed in the dining room, while everyone looked at the adult Dalmatians with eyes so wide that it looked like they were going to fall.

Dolly could now understand why Doug knew so much about loving relationships between relatives, although that raised several new questions.

And a new perception of her relationship with Dylan.

"Without even knowing it, I fell in love with my distant cousin, who will be my stepbrother after our parents, cousins who have known each other since they were pups, get married."

The whole thing seemed totally surreal, and Dolly was grateful that everyone was just as shocked as she was, because otherwise she wouldn't know how to explain her reaction.

It seemed that no one would dare to disturb the sound of silence, until Dylan composed himself and cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention.

"So the family that Doug lost touch with and that he was afraid of is our family?" His voice was a little shaky, and just by looking they all could see that Dylan was using all the self-control he had to keep his composure and not freak out. "What, by the way, makes you two third cousins?"

"(sigh) Sorry for not telling you pups before." Doug said, crestfallen. "We thought it would be better to wait until we were sure that all of you would get along before telling you that we are already from the same family."

This seemed to relax Dylan's nerves a little, and gave Dolly something to ponder.

In the past, she thought she got along well with Dylan because of the things they had in common, and then because she was attracted to him. But now, knowing that they had always been distant relatives, she couldn't help but imagine that things would have been different if her father had kept in touch with the family before returning to England.

"Considering how Dylan is, we would never have been more than distant cousins and friends." Then she looked at him with concern. " Can I still convince him to give me one more chance now?"

As she thought about these things, a low, timid voice caught everyone's attention.

"I just can't understand one thing." Da Vinci said, making everyone look at her. "If we're all of the same family, why didn't we ever know about Doug or his father?"

"She's right." Dawkins said, putting his hand on his chin and assuming a thoughtful look. "Besides, I never heard of having an outcast in the family."

This made the others even more confused, and everyone looked at the adults for clarification.

Doug immediately felt uncomfortable, but after looking at Delilah and her comforting and understanding smile, he took a deep breath and prepared to speak.

"(sigh) That was another thing Patch told me. I thought I was another pariah for the family because I went to live with him, but in fact he did a lot of bad things, which Delilah and I preferred not to tell you pups about, but the worst thing was to say that he didn't care about my mother's death, and this after leaving my mother before I was born to marry a rich dog."

Dolly thought that nothing could be more surprising than discovering that she had always been related to Dylan.

She was wrong.

"Are we really related to a dog like that?" DJ asked, looking at Doug in total desolation.

The father could do nothing but nod sadly.

"I just learned it recently myself." Delilah said, holding Doug's hand tightly. "When we were pups, everyone took on a look of pure hatred when he was mentioned, even when he started sending presents and making birthday calls to Doug. And after Doug moved in with him and we lost touch, me and the rest of our generation started talking less and less about the two, thinking we would never see Doug again." She smiled then, snuggling against Doug and nuzzling his forehead with hers. "And I'm glad we're wrong."

Doug smiled slightly, also stroking Delilah.

"Hehe. And from the whole family, I met just with my favorite cousin."

Their love was really moving, but it was not enough to totally calm the pups.

They all looked at the adults with different levels of discomfort and doubt, making them both feel worried.

Then Delilah had an idea.

"How about if you kids go to get some fresh air in the backyard?" The mother said, smiling gently. "All of you must be needing some time to process all of this."

None of the children said anything for a while, until Dylan got up.

"Well, I think it would be a good idea." He then looked at Dante and Dawkins quickly, smiling slightly. "Dawkins, Dante, could you help me get the ramekins to the kitchen before that?"

The two were still a little shaken, but they quickly nodded and helped Dylan.

In time, each one got up from the table and headed for the backyard, until only Dolly and the parents were left in the dining room.

She looked at them both with uncertainty, and the two became concerned after some time.

Dolly herself wasn't sure what she was doing, but she knew she had to ask them something.

"Is there anything else we need to know?"

The adults exchanged glances briefly, but then looked at her smiling.

"Nothing that is as surprising as what we told you today." Delilah said.

"Just the kind of thing that parents usually tell about their youth." Doug said, laughing at the thought.

Dolly didn't feel very confident about it.

"The way you talked about the family's past and my grandfather, it looks like you're hiding something."

The parents' smiles faded when they heard that, and they both looked at Dolly sadly.

"(sigh) Honey, it's not that we're keeping secrets." Doug said, looking at Dolly in a way that made it clear how uncomfortable he was about it. "Certain details of our family history are very unpleasant."

Delilah immediately nodded, looking at Dolly in a loving, motherly way.

"We are adults, and yet we get chills just thinking about it. When we were younger than you, we and the others of our generation decided that certain things should not be passed on to the next generation."

"So, you guys want this to be forgotten?" Dolly raised an eyebrow, deeply intrigued by this. "Is the family's past that bad?"

"(sigh) Dolly, do you trust me?" Doug asked, to which Dolly responded with a nod. "So believe me when I say it's better if you don't know."

The girl remained looking at them for a moment, until at last she took a deep breath.

"(sigh) Okay, I'll trust you." She then stood up, preparing to leave, and spoke with a playful tone. "Well, I'm going to go to the backyard, spend time with my fourth cousins who will be my stepsiblings."

The adults laughed briefly, and Dolly left the dining room.

But as soon as she was out of sight, she took on a determined expression on her face.

"Okay, in addition to getting Dylan back, I have to add discovering the family secrets to my plans."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a good family lunch, nothing better than a bombastic fact about the family.

And now that the pups know they are from the same family, they will have even more things to talk about.

*

The part where Triple D and the Dimitris spoke together left me with a bit of a headache.

At times like this, I regret the synchronized dialogues, but then I read the text a few more times when revising the original, translating, and revising the translation, and I think the result is really cool.

*

I had to resist the temptation to get Deepak to speak in this chapter, because although it was the perfect occasion, I prefer to keep my original idea.

*

I think I will write one or two more chapters before they move in. Most of my ideas for the interaction between the dalmatians need them to live in the same house, so I want to get to this part as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

A comment on the previous chapter made me realize that I made a mistake.

I got confused with the degree of kinship, so Doug and Delilah are second cousins, not third. I corrected this in the previous chapters, and from now on I will try to pay more attention.

This chapter may seem a little strange, and that's because of the way I'm going to proceed with the narrative. Basically, I will present some points without developing them, since they are problems that will only be dealt with in the future.

Besides, it wouldn't be a family drama story without a little bit of sadness here and there.

AND AN IMPORTANT THING: the beginning of this chapter may be a little suggestive, but I will do no more than imply.

*

*

*

DYLAN

"Aaahhh… I needed this."

Dylan was in the bathroom, taking a hot shower after the exhausting day he had.

After getting wet for a while, he started shampooing his head and ears, humming happily with his eyes closed. After a while, the right hand took the soap and started rubbing his chest, while the left hand was using a bath loofah to spread the soap.

The timing was perfect, the circular movement of the hands not only cleaning but creating a really soothing sensation on Dylan's chest as he rubbed shampoo over his head.

Until Dylan was overcome with fear and stood completely still under the shower, his eyes wide.

"Wait, if I'm rubbing my shampoo on the head…"

It was then that the hands stopped rubbing soap on Dylan's chest, closing around him as he felt someone embrace him from behind, making him blush while he remained motionless.

He then felt something approach his face, and a warm breath when a familiar voice whispered near his ear.

"What's wrong, Dyl? Am I not cleaning right?"

The young Dalmatian turned his head immediately, which left him with his nose touching Dolly's, with both looking directly into each other's eyes. 

She with a seductive look.

He with one of pure dread.

"D-Dolly! W-What are you d-doing?!"

She smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just taking a shower with my brother. Or do you prefer me to call you cousin?" She then licked Dylan's snout, then smiled from ear to ear. "Or boyfriend?"

Dylan's face became redder and redder, and he had to use maximum self-control not to look down and see Dolly's breasts.

"Dolly, you know we can't do this!"

Dolly laughed at Dylan's reaction, laying her head on his shoulder and snuggling, so that he now felt two soft things being pressed against his back.

"Relax, slobber face. What's the worst that could happen?"

Dylan was about to respond when a loud noise caught their attention.

As soon as Dylan looked across the bathroom, his eyes widened again, and the blood ran cold in his veins.

In front of them was Doug, holding a battering ram and standing over what was left of the door, and right behind him was Delilah.

Doug looked at them both with deep anger, while Delilah's eyes were filled with tears as she stared at the scene in utter disbelief.

"Dylan… How could you?" Delilah asked, her eyes practically pleading.

Dylan was about to say something when he realized that Dolly was no longer hugging him, and Doug started to move towards him with the battering ram in place and Dylan was then in total despair.

And in that he woke up.

"NOOOOO!"

The young Dalmatian woke up screaming, immediately sitting on the bed while breathing hard. He looked around in fear, and when he realized he was not in danger he sighed in relief, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Good, it was just a nightmare."

It took a few moments, but the young Dalmatian managed to breathe regularly again, and after seeing on his cell phone that it was almost time to start with his routine, Dylan got up from the bed and started with his exercises.

The teen dalmatian finished the push-ups and was heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth, but the dream immediately came to his mind, and the discomfort he felt motivated him to skip this step.

"I'll postpone it until after I get back. I should be calmer by then."

He then changed clothes and left the house, heading for the park for his morning walk.

The sun was still weak on this Tuesday morning, and there was almost no one on the street or in the park, making Dylan's journey even more peaceful. As he walked, he reflected on what was going on in his life.

After the parents' revelation two days ago, he and the other pups went out into the yard, and surprisingly most of the pups accepted the fact that they were already from the same family, especially Dante, Dawkins, Dizzy and Dee Dee.

At the end of the day, it seemed like only Dylan, Dolly and DJ were still upset, and although Dylan didn't quite know what the problem was with the other two, the young Dalmatian knew exactly what was bothering him.

The fact that Doug was on the other side of the family didn't really affect how Dylan saw his future stepfather, the new brothers or the new little sister.

"(sigh) Again, Dolly is my problem."

If it wasn't bad enough to have to deal with what happened in the past, finding out that Dolly was a distant cousin made Dylan reevaluate their entire relationship.

He always felt a connection with the girl, and for a long time he thought it was because he was in love with her. But now, a new theory has emerged in his thoughts.

"What if my subconscious recognized her as part of my family, and I mistook this for being in love?"

This theory could explain some things, but it had some holes.

On the one hand, this would explain why they felt so comfortable with each other, even with her shyness and the negative reactions of his OCD to physical contact.

On the other hand, Dylan never related in this way to any of the other pups in the family, regardless of the degree of kinship.

And above all, he was never romantically attracted to any of his other cousins.

"(sigh) Why is it so different with her?"

As much as he tried, the teen Dalmatian could not find an answer, so that when he got home, Dylan had only come to one conclusion.

As much as he doubted the reason, Dolly was someone really special in Dylan's life.

He then went into the house, ready to move on with his day, although the issues in his mind are not resolved.

*

*

*

DAWKINS

Dawkins was sitting on his bed reading a book, while on the opposite side, Deepak was meditating on his yoga ball.

Both always woke up early, and spent time relaxing in the room while waiting for Dylan to call everyone for breakfast.

Dawkins really enjoyed those moments of peace, and as he read he felt a touch on his shoulder.

Looking to the side, he saw Deepak looking at him with a bit of concern.

Dawkins immediately put a bookmark and closed the book, crossing his legs and looking at Deepak.

"What is bothering, brother?"

Deepak sat on Dawkins's bed, also with his legs crossed, and started to move his hands with a little hesitation.

"I am not feeling very comfortable with this thing of changing roommates."

Dawkins immediately raised an eyebrow. On Sunday, Deepak seemed one of the most excited about the changes Dylan planned, spending a good deal of time communicating with Delgado in sign language.

"And what is the reason for that? I thought you and Delgado were getting along."

Deepak immediately shook his head.

"That is not the problem, not even the triplets, by the way. I think I can get along with all of them."

Dawkins was even more curious, but he said nothing and Deepak realized that he should continue.

"Since yesterday, I finally realized something that I didn't stop to think about because of my initial excitement." He then took a deep breath, looking down sadly. " I'll be the older brother in the room."

At that moment, Dawkins' eyes widened, realizing the problem.

Deepak had a self-esteem problem about being an older brother, not seeing himself as someone worthy of this responsibility.

To help him deal with this, Dylan, Dawkins and Da Vinci convinced their mother to let Deepak take care of Dizzy in the park, and his progress has been looking good for the past few months.

Apparently, not enough.

"(sigh) Deepak, with a larger number of siblings in the family, the older ones will have more responsibilities, but you forget that there will also be more older brothers." He then put a hand on Deepak's shoulder, looking at him comfortingly. "Most of the responsibilities will be left to Dylan and Dolly, with some tasks being delegated to me and Dante, and if necessary, to DJ and Da Vinci."

Deepak looked less nervous, but still looked at Dawkins with concern.

"Even so, I will be the oldest of the five roommates. What if they don't want to go to sleep on the right time? Or clean the room?"

At that, Dawkins put a hand on his chin and pondered.

Although Dylan cleaned most of the house, the roommates were in charge of cleaning their respective rooms, so the older brother usually only went into the rooms to get the baskets with dirty clothes to wash.

In addition, both Dylan and Delilah trusted that others would respect bedtime, although Da Vinci has already admitted having troubles to make Dizzy sleep at the right time sometimes.

Bearing in mind that Deepak does not feel fit to be in charge, it was understandable that he was afraid that others would not follow the rules and that he would have to intervene.

However, Dawkins smirked, patting Deepak on the shoulder.

"Well, we're on vacation now, so bedtime is not entirely relevant. And if something like that happens after the summer, you just need to say you're going to call Dante. From what he told me, the Dimitris are afraid to make him angry."

Deepak looked at Dawkins uncertainly, which made the scientific pup look at his younger brother seriously.

"(sigh) Deepak, you need to have more confidence in yourself. Mom, Dylan, Da Vinci and I believe in your ability, but none of that will help if you don't believe it yourself."

Deepak was thoughtful, but Dawkins didn't feel he had made much progress.

"I think I'm going to have to ask Dylan to help me with this."

"BREAKFAST!" Dylan's voice screamed, resounding throughout the house.

Dawkins was taken aback, realizing that he was so focused on motivating Deepak that he forgot it was almost breakfast time.

"(sigh) I think we better go eat." Dawkins got up from the bed, and as soon as Deepak got up too, he continued. "If you want, we can talk more later, but I really think you're ready."

Deepak smiled with a little uncertainty, and Dawkins considered that a big improvement.

"I'm still not confident, but I think I can try harder to take care of them."

They both headed out of the room, and Dawkins put a hand on Deepak's shoulder, smiling kindly.

"Don't you see it? You are even talking like a good older brother."

*

*

*

DOLLY

Dolly was finishing preparing breakfast, a sad expression on her face that one might think it was because she was awake not long ago.

But, it was because of thinking a lot about certain subjects.

Since Sunday, Dolly had been unable to think of anything other than her kinship with Dylan.

Not that it was a bad thing, actually knowing something else she had in common with Dylan only made her think even more that they were meant to be together.

What really bothered the Dalmatian girl was the way Dylan reacted.

When all the pups were gathered in the backyard, Dylan talked to everyone but her, and in fact he even avoided her. It was as if he couldn't look at Dolly after discovering that they were distant relatives, which made no sense to her since their parents were going to be married and they were closest relatives.

And if that weren't enough, her curiosity demanded that Dolly discover the secrets that the family was trying to hide. Even though the parents have a good reason to want to forget what happened in the past, Dolly thought it was unfair for them to decide for her whether or not she should know.

"I still feel a lot of negativity in you."

Dolly was startled briefly, but managed to keep her composure.

"(sigh) I don't want to talk about it, Dante."

The inverted Dalmatian shrugged, finishing putting things on the table.

Before, Dolly avoided talking about Dante's supposed paranormal abilities for doubting him, but now she was a little scared.

Surprisingly, Dante was silent and the two remained silent until it was time to call the others to eat. And in fact, Dolly spent the rest of the morning talking to no one.

And strangely, she was not the only one.

*

*

*

DJ

The musical pup was lying on the couch, looking up without focusing on anything specific.

Although he was accepting the idea of having new siblings and a stepmother, knowing that everyone was already related was very confusing for him.

Since he was born, his family has always consisted of Doug, Camila and his siblings, with both adults avoiding talking about any of their relatives as much as possible.

It seemed unfair to him to know that he had such a big family all this time, especially after meeting Dylan and the others.

While he was thinking about the various possible scenarios, DJ noticed the sound of paws in the room and looked to the side, seeing an almost completely black dog looking at him with an understanding smile.

"Are you still thinking about it?" Dante asked, sitting on the floor so that he looked directly into DJ's eyes.

"(sigh) I can't think of anything else, Dante."

Dante nodded, looking at his younger brother with curiosity.

"What's the problem, exactly? I thought you liked them."

"And I like them." DJ smiled at the thought of his new siblings, but soon became sad. "And that's the problem."

This made the inverted dalmatian raise an eyebrow, but he managed to maintain his composure.

"Could you explain it to me better? This is a little confusing."

DJ realized he would have to be more specific, and still looking at the ceiling he continued.

"Well, they're great. The Dimitris found sisters who are interested in the same things as them, as well as Dee Dee; you and Dawkins are already practically brothers from what I could see; Deepak is helping Delgado; Da Vinci and I can understand each other, and Dylan already acts like the big brother I never had." As soon as DJ realized what he said, he quickly looked at Dante with concern. "Not that you're a bad big brother."

Instead of taking offense, Dante just smiled and shrugged, looking at DJ with the same calmness as before.

"Don't worry, I know what you mean." Then Dante laughed, rolling his eyes. "From what Dawkins told me, and the time I spent with him and the others, I think I'm also happy that Dylan is going to be my older brother."

"It's not just that." The musician replied, nodding negatively with his head. "I know that you and the others have a hard time dealing with my problems sometimes, but Dylan really understands me."

Dante scratched his chin, pondering DJ's words.

"And I still don't understand the problem. If our new siblings are that good, why does that bother you?"

"Because we should already know them!" DJ shouted, facing Dante angrily, then he got sad and looked away. "Dad taught us that nothing is more important than the family, but at the same time kept us away from the rest of the family." He then took on a melancholy tone, his eyes almost watering as he turned on his side in a fetal position. "I can't help thinking that I would be less broken if I already knew Dylan when Mom died."

He then felt movement on the couch, and soon felt that Dante was hugging him from behind.

"Don't be like that, DJ." Dante hugged him warmly, nuzzling DJ's head with his chin. “Besides, from what Dawkins told me, their father only died two years after Mom, so I would say that you have been dealing with your depression longer than Dylan with his OCD."

DJ snuggled into Dante's embrace, feeling a little better. As intimidating as the inverted dalmatian was, he showed his caring side when one of the younger siblings was sad.

On a normal day, DJ would feel much better with a little affection from his older brother, but something Dante said made him feel worse.

"If Dylan's been broken for less time than I, and he seems to be getting better, why am I still like that?"

*

*

*

DIMITRIS

"Are you ready?" asked Dimitri 1.

"Yes!" Dimitri 2 and Dimitri 3 replied together, both with a determined tone.

The three were in the basement, sitting on cushions around Dimitri 1's cell phone, with a bit of nervousness.

The three were not like that because they were negatively affected by what happened two days ago, in fact they were very excited to discover that they were not only related to Triple D, but also to a veteran actor like Patch.

No, what really bothered the three of them was what they were about to do.

"(sigh) Well, let's get on with it." Dimitri 1 said, touching the 'call' button on the phone screen, which was already on the speaker.

On the screen was written 'Luther', along with a photo of the three Dimitris along with a human, but it was too small to see the appearance of the four clearly.

After a few seconds, someone on the other end of the line answered with a lot of joy in the voice.

"Hey, good morning, D1. How are you guys?"

"Hi, Luther. We are fine." Dimitri 1 replied, a little nervous about what he was going to say. "Listen, the call is on speaker, and we have to say something important to you."

There was a brief moment of silence, but the cheerful voice soon returned.

"Of course. Did you have an idea for a new video or is it a family matter?"

"A little bit of both, actually." Dimitri 3 said.

"Yeah, something like that. Remember we said our dad was dating?" Dimitri 1 asked, to which Luther answered on the other side with an 'uh-hum' before the young Dalmatian continued. "It turns out that she was a love of his youth before he moved to America, and after a few months they decided that their love is still very strong."

"Also, she is a widow who also has eight children, and we are all getting along." Said Dimitri 3, wagging his tail when thinking about the new stepsiblings. "It turns out that after dating for a few months and seeing that all of us pups get along, they decided that they are going to get married before the end of the summer."

"Wow, this is amazing!" Luther's voice expressed even more joy, and the triplets could imagine how much he was smiling. "I'm glad Doug found someone so special." Then he was quiet for a moment, and then continued. "If your future stepmother also has eight children, I imagine you will move to another house, right?"

This question was already expected by the triplets.

Luther has always been very helpful to the Dimitris and their family, and since last year he has been helping Doug find a bigger home for them to live in.

"Yes." Dimitri 2 said, smiling happily. "(chuckles) And believe it or not, we are going to live on Dalmatian Street."

"(chuckles) Really? Hehe. It really looks like something funny." Again, a little silence. "Hmm, I don't remember having a house for sale on this street the last time I checked the properties in your region."

"That's because we're not going to buy another house." Dimitri 1 said, and they could already imagine Luther raising an eyebrow. "Our future mother, Delilah, has lived in the house since she was a pup."

"And the house is huge!" Dimitri 2 exclaimed, wagging his tail. "The house has three floors, a basement, an attic, and a huge backyard, with a tree house." At that moment, his voice was a little disappointed. "Although the treehouse is the personal area of their top dog, Dylan."

"Well, at least the house looks awesome." Silence again, and then he asked curiously. "And speaking of top dogs, how is Dolly handling this? I remember that she doesn't get along very well with other top dogs."

"Actually, it turns out they were schoolmates." Dimitri 3 said, scratching his chin. "In fact, Dante and one of them were already best friends."

"Wait, so now you are going to have two darkness dogs in the family?"

The three couldn't help but smile at Luther's reaction. The human found Dante very intimidating, so it was to be expected that he would react like that.

"Hehe. In fact, it seems that the only thing in common between them is fixation in video games." Dimitri 1 said, and then remembered the most important part of the call. "And speaking of things in common, Delilah has triplets the same age as us, and like us, they have a channel on WoofTube."

"Oh, really? That looks really great!"

"Exactly." Dimitri 1 said, happy that it looked like Luther was taking it well. "And because they are girls, we thought about working together, and I suggested merging our channels."

As soon as he said that, Luther was silent for a long time, which made the three nervous.

Until Luther finally spoke.

"Are you three sure about that? I mean, I trust your opinion, but a change like this can cause you to lose subscribers, and you already have almost 10 million subscribers."

The three considered for a moment.

In fact, the milestone of 10 million subscribers was something very special on WoofTube, especially for those who lived in London, as this meant that they could meet the Master HD personally when receiving the award.

But even if they were at risk of taking more time to receive this honor, the three were already determined to work with the new sisters.

"We're sure of it." The three said together.

Luther was silent again, and this time the Dimitris really felt a slight fear that they would lose their sponsor and friend.

"(sigh) Well, I'll start with the paperwork then. In the meantime, it would be good for you to talk to your new sisters and decide what the name of the new channel will be."

The three were happy to see that Luther accepted their idea, the three of them wagging their tails with euphoria.

"Thank you, Luther!" Dimitri 1 said, smiling from ear to ear. "And don't worry, you will definitely love them when you meet them."

"Hehe. I'm looking forward to it." Another brief moment of silence. "As a matter of fact, as you are minors, I will need to have a meeting with your parents so they can sign the papers for the channel merger."

"Sure, we can do that." Dimitri 1 said, then put a hand on his chin. "Actually, even if the wedding is not going to take place until the end of the summer, our parents have decided that we will move to the other house over the weekend of next week, so I think we can have this meeting shortly after we move."

"That would be perfect, since the sooner we do this, the better." Luther then remembered something, and added. "By the way, before merging the channels you and your sisters need to notify the subscribers of both your channels, and as soon as you merge the channels, you need to post a video in up to a week with at least one member from each of the channels that were merged."

The three nodded, even though Luther couldn't see.

"Okay, we'll talk to them." Dimitri 1 said.

"Thank you very much, Luther." Dimitri 2 said.

"You will not regret." said Dimitri 3.

"Hehe. All for my best WoofTubers. We talk later. See you, guys."

"Bye, Luther!" The three said at the same time.

The sponsor ended the call, and the three brothers soon exchanged looks.

"Now we just have to tell it to the girls!" Dimitri 2 said, wagging his tail.

"This is going to be amazing, and I already know the perfect script for the first video to do with them!" Dimitri 1 said, smiling victoriously. He then scratched his chin, taking on a thoughtful tone. "We will need one of us, one of them, and five of our brothers, as well as a scenario that looks like a police station."

"We have to set up the studio first, and decide the best angles for the camera." Dimitri 2 said heartily, but soon realized that Dimitri 3 was thoughtful. "What's up, D3?"

The other two focused on the third Dimitri, which seemed to be filled with guilt.

"I still think we should have told him that our sisters are Triple D. It looks like we're lying to Luther."

Upon hearing this, the other two rolled their eyes, sighing.

"D3, we already talked about it. He would probably think that we are playing a prank." Dimitri 1 said seriously, and then he and Dimitri 2 smirked. "Besides, it will be a lot of fun to see his surprised face."

"Hehe. That's right." Dimitri 2 said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

The two looked confident, but Dimitri 3 was even more concerned.

"Something bad always happens when someone says that."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In this chapter, I think I can divide the readers into two groups: readers who were shocked by the scene in the shower, and readers who were disappointed that nothing more hot had happened. XD

*

I was tempted to get Dylan to meet Dolly in the park, but when I was about to do that, it occurred to me that Dolly wouldn't be up shortly after sunrise.

*

I think the most important thing in this chapter is to remember that everyone is still suffering in some way, since the previous chapters may have left the impression that only Dylan, Dolly and DJ have problems.

*

As for DJ, the main problem with him is that he is comparing his progress with that of Dylan, which psychiatrists point out as something that patients should not do since each person has different problems and deals with such problems at different rates.

*

We have Luther's first 'appearance', although only his voice has appeared in this chapter.

He and WoofTube will be very interesting in the future.

Chapter Text

DANTE & DAWKINS

It was Thursday afternoon, and Dante and Dawkins were sitting on a bench in the park, watching closely as Delgado and Dee Dee helped Dizzy skate on a ramp for the first time. turn.

Dawkins was slightly concerned when Dee Dee suggested this, but as soon as he saw that the 'ramp' itself looked more like a slight slope on the ground, the scientific dalmatian calmed down.

The best friends, who will become brothers, and who are also third cousins, were at the park not only to have a little fun, but also to see if the new situation made any difference in the way they interact with each other. with the other.

And surprisingly, it looked like nothing had changed.

"You know, this is very strange." Dante said, breaking the silence. "Our siblings seem to be happier or else bothered by the fact that we are related, but I don't feel any different." He then looked in the direction of Dawkins, with a raised eyebrow. "How are you doing?"

Dawkins put a hand on his chin and began to ponder. Within seconds, he already had an answer.

"I don't feel any difference either, at least in the way I feel about you." He then smiled awkwardly, blushing a little.  "But I admit that I feel a little guilty for not having united our family before."

Dante nodded, scratching his chin.

"Yeah, I feel bad for that too. I mean, it's good to know that we were always from the same family, but after a conversation I had with DJ two days ago, I can't stop thinking that I could have at least taken you home to meet Daddy, or at least talked about 'your' family."

Dawkins found it funny how Dante waved his fingers like quotation marks, and soon something occurred to him.

"Actually, that might not have worked out very well, since he thought the whole family hated him."

"Hehe. Yeah, maybe he even forbade me to see you for fear of your mother finding out who your best friend's father was." They both laughed at the idea, but Dante soon took on a sad tone. "I still can't believe that someone as kind as my father is the son of such a terrible dog."

Dawkins couldn't help shivering at the thought of Doug's father.

"Me neither, and besides, he is the son of dogs so generous that they helped raise 74 pups that had no family." Dawkins' incredulity gave way to surprise and his eyes widened. "Oh, kibbles! That explains everything."

Dante was intrigued by Dawkins' sudden change of emotion, and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

Dawkins looked straight at Dante, smiling with his eyes still wide.

"Dante, that means my great-aunt Missy is your great-grandmother."

Dante didn't understand it at first, but then his eyes widened too.

Dawkins used Missy as a reference to believe in Dante's senses, as several relatives confirmed seeing evidence that her intuitions were right.

And considering the size of the family, that meant a lot of witnesses.

"And that might explain why I'm so intuitive." Dante smiled, but was soon confused. "But I thought you said there was no other case in the family."

"There was no other confirmed case in the family, at least until now. I even considered Deepak to have some degree of this ability, but I thought it was something related to meditation. In addition, a third cousin who lives on the farm always seems to know when the weather's going to change." Dawkins then started wagging his tail, extremely excited. "If we ask other family members if they feel any strong intuition before doing something, we may discover others."

This made Dante ponder a little.

If they confirmed that there was some kind of sensitive skill in the family, Dante would finally prove to Dolly and the others that it was not just his imagination.

This made the inverted dalmatian smile like he never smiled since the 'Dantastico' thing years ago, while wagging his tail with a lot of energy.

"Well, where do we start?"

Dawkins was momentarily puzzled by Dante's reaction, but he soon smiled again and wagged his tail.

"Well, we can start by talking to Great-Aunt Missy. We are inevitably due to visit the farm in a few weeks to talk to the older members of the family about our parents' wedding, so we can take the time to ask her. After that, we can use the wedding itself to talk to other relatives."

Dante started to think. In fact, that seemed like the best idea they could have at the moment, but there was still a doubt, which made him look at Dawkins with a raised eyebrow.

"Wouldn't it be uncomfortable for them to answer these questions during a party? Even more so if none of them know me?"

Dawkins laughed briefly, and looked at Dante, still smiling.

"Hehe. You really need to know more dogs in our family." Seeing that Dante was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, Dawkins decided to elaborate. "The dogs in our family are, for the most part, very friendly, and everyone always talks about the most varied subjects. Furthermore, as we are many at events such as weddings or the annual family reunion, it is not uncommon for some of us to have to introduce ourselves to someone again, as it is difficult to remember everyone's names." He then looked thoughtful, scratching his chin. "I mean, with the exception of me, Dylan and about a dozen other relatives who have a great memory."

Dante was impressed by the way Dawkins described the family, and soon took on a thoughtful tone.

"Well, considering that I can recite the whole pokedex in numerical order, I think I can at least remember the names of our relatives."

"Actually, there are not so many names to remember, but actually remember who is who."

This made Dante raise his eyebrow again.

"What?"

"Well, most of our family doesn't seem to be very creative with names. For example, we have seven named Mary, four named John, three named Dylan, another two named Dawkins and even a cousin Dante in our parent's generation, making you the second Dante in the family."

This made the inverted dalmatian's eyes widen.

"Wow!" He looked at nothing, pondering. "It looks like it's going to be more difficult than I thought." He took on a thoughtful tone again, and then looked at Dawkins curiously. "And when is this family reunion?"

"Always on the 25th of January. It is the date when we became a family of 101 Dalmatians. Or at least when great-grandparents Pongo, Perdita, Prince and Missy officially took care of the pups without a family."

Dante was thoughtful again, but before the two could talk more, Delgado, Dizzy and Dee Dee approached.

"Dante, we're a little tired." Dee Dee said, and then the three looked at the two older ones with huge pup eyes. "Can we have a snack at Lucky's?"

Dante immediately smiled wryly, rolling his eyes. Apparently, the three have already teamed up to manipulate the older brothers.

He then looked at Dawkins, who smiled and agreed.

"Okay, let's go then."

Dante and Dawkins got up from the bench, and the three were filled with joy, immediately following the older brothers out of the park.

As they headed for Lucky's, a thought occurred to Dante.

"Hey, Dawkins." The scientific dalmatian looked at Dante, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and smiling mischievously. "Will I get a discount card from Uncle Lucky too?"

*

*

*

PATCH

Patch was alone at home, inside his office. He was preparing for a videoconference through his computer, trying to spend time reading a text on the screen and sometimes looking anxiously to the bottom corner to see the time.

" Just a few more minutes now…"

The old actor always remembered fondly the day when Dylan and Dawkins taught him how to use the computer to communicate with his family. Until then, he thought the computer was just for work or for playing solitaire.

Now, Patch knew several ways to use the computer, although he did not understand some of the things that young people did.

Especially on a certain website that he discovered.

"How do these young people create so many fanfictions?" Patch asked himself, raising an eyebrow. " And why do they argue so much about who is the best couple?"

Patch continued to read some more, and realized he was looking at the time again.

He was excited to be able to video conference with his family, but he also couldn't help feeling a little anxious at the moment. It took him just over a week to organize everything, and yet he was still concerned about how the family would react.

Not that he was afraid of his own family like Doug, but with what he had to tell to them, Patch knew there would be some tension.

Finally, the appointed time came and Patch closed his internet browser and activated the video conference program.

The screen was showing Patch's webcam image and an icon he clicked on. It was then that the screen changed, showing a blue-eyed Dalmatian a few years younger than Patch, with a spot on the forehead and one near each cheek, as well as long white ears, looking at him with a smile full of joy.

"Patch! I'm so happy to see you!"

Patch smiled tenderly, with all the love of an older brother.

"It's good to see you too, Cadpig." He then looked behind her, raising an eyebrow when he saw that she was alone. "Where are Dad and Uncle Prince?"

As soon as he said that, the Dalmatian blushed slightly and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, just a moment."

Patch was able to see her get up from where she was and turn the computer around, so the camera now focused on two elderly dalmatians sitting on a couch, both wearing grandparent-like glasses. They were about the same height, one with few spots, both ears completely black and wearing a red collar, while the other had many spots all over his body, including his white ears and face, and wore a black collar.

"Hello son. I didn't expect you to be the first." The black-eared dog said smiling, clearly remembering that Patch was one of the last to arrive when he was a pup. The dog beside him just smiled gently, remaining silent as his brother-in-law spoke. "(chuckles) Your sister had just started the conference and was still moving the computer when you called."

Patch smiled when he saw his father, Pongo, and his uncle Prince. The two always seemed like real brothers to Patch, and always in sync in raising all the pups.

The old actor was only sad that he couldn't count on his mother and aunt, as they, like their oldest daughters, were enjoying a girls-only trip and would only be back in a few weeks.

Cadpig then sat on the couch, in the middle of the two older Dalmatians, and looked at the camera still embarrassed.

"I'm not used to it." She then snorted slightly, looking at Patch with a raised eyebrow. "I still don't understand why the younger ones can't participate. My son is much better at this computer thing than I am."

Patch smiled slightly, rolling his eyes.

"You could do like me and ask one of your grandchildren to teach you."

Cadpig just shrugged, not paying much attention.

"You know I don't care much about technology. Except for television, of course."

On that, Patch could agree.

Cadpig was the smallest and youngest of his blood siblings, and has spent almost her entire life in the countryside, and since she was a pup she has only shown interest in television.

Before they could proceed, the screen split, and on the other side there was a dog with eyes of black iris and blue corneas that had both ears completely black, wearing a suit that looked expensive and for someone who works with a lot of money, as well as a red collar.

"Hey, did Patch join the call before me?" The business dalmatian asked, clearly surprised.

"Actually, he was the first to join, Lucky." Cadpig said, smiling when she saw her other brother, but a little curious that he was so well dressed. "I thought you would be free today."

Lucky looked at the outfit he was wearing, and blushed slightly, immediately scratching his neck.

"Actually, I had a work emergency, and I had to come to the office."

This made Patch and Cadpig laugh lightly, while the older Dalmatians maintained their composure.

"Well, such bad luck, no?" Patch said, making Cadpig laugh and Lucky look at him with an indifferent face. "What happened?"

"Believe it or not, someone confused orders for supplies for all Lucky's in London, and because of that my meat supplier and my vegetable supplier sent the wrong quantities of hamburger meat and potatoes." Lucky took a deep breath, looking at the ceiling in total boredom. "Sometimes, I think I should have joined the kibble business."