Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bingo Heeler woke abruptly, feeling hands shake her gently out of slumber. She grumbled and swatted at them weakly, rolling over when they persisted.

“Bingo! Bingo, wake up!” Bluey’s cheery voice filled the previous silence of the room, even while she was attempting to whisper. The Blue Heeler shook her sister some more, struggling to contain her giggles. “We’re gonna go visit Muffin and Socks today!”

Huffing, Bingo rolled back over and opened her eyes. Above her, Bluey was clearly excited, her tail wagging back and forth at a steady pace. The Red Heeler sighed, lifting herself to a sitting position. “Oh, right!” The pup cracked a smile, her tail matching Bluey’s. She hurriedly got out of bed, pulling her pajama shirt down as she did.

Bluey took notice of their shared excitement and let a giggle escape. “I know! It’s been forever, I’m so excited!” The girl rocked back and forth on her heels, already changed into a set of day clothes. Bingo rushed to do the same.

These days, Bingo has started to spend more time dressing herself. As soon as she turned 7, Bandit and Chili trusted her to dress herself, and she had been running on the privilege high for months now. She couldn’t quite buy clothes yet, so she made do with what her parents got her. She dropped to her knees in front of her and Bluey’s shared dresser, digging around for a pair of shorts. Fishing out a few pairs, she laid them out on her unkempt bed. She wanted to look her best for her cousins after so long apart!

Bingo sifted through the closet, finding a few shirts that would go well with her shorts. The pup wanted to optimize for play, which wasn’t hard with her wardrobe. Regardless, she ignored her more feminine pieces such as skirts and dresses, as she usually did. In the end, she landed on light blue shorts and a pink t-shirt.

As she finished getting dressed, she did a spin for Bluey, who clapped and cheered exaggeratedly.

“You look simply marvelous, Bingo, darling!” Bluey put on a haughty expression and made fanciful motions with her hands as she talked.

Bingo grabbed the sides of her shorts and curtsied, bowing low to her sister. “Thank you, Bluey, dear!” After a beat of silence, the two burst into giggles.

Bandit and Chili were downstairs preparing the girls’ breakfast. Now that Bluey was 9, she often insisted on making her own breakfasts, desperate for a taste of independence as she aged. The Heeler couple didn’t find this to be any trouble, but they still prepared her breakfasts during special occasions. Today was one of those days, as Bandit and Chili, as well as the girls, would get to see their family and friends for the first time in a while after Trixie and Stripe moved from Brisbane to Newcastle. The younger Heeler brother had picked up a promotion in the city that would offer more opportunities for his children. After a bit of debate with Trixie and Bandit, he uprooted. The older Heeler brother had been missing him, his sister-in-law, and his nieces. The same went for Chili.

The Red Heeler was currently rounding up her family's odds and ends, stuff that still needed to be packed and stowed in the car in preparation for the long drive over and the visit. Since the drive took 16 hours roundtrip, the Heelers had decided to stay an extended weekend; that is, about 4 days, Friday through Monday. Today was Thursday, and they were getting ready for the drive. Then, they’d make the return trip Tuesday morning.

It was a tough job preparing her children for a trip, they were still young, after all, and with Bluey’s ADHD and Bingo’s autism, it made planning and preparing harder. Still, it was anything but a thankless job. Her family would be able to see their close extended family for the first time in a few months, and that was enough for Chili.

Bandit was cooking up in the kitchen, making his family servings of bacon, eggs, and French toast. The Blue Heeler grooved slightly to a radio station turned down low, 90’s Alternative Rock pouring from the speakers. This meal might be a little too much for Bingo to handle, but neither of the Heeler parents wanted to stop too frequently. The hope was that a large breakfast would hold their ravenous children over for a bit longer than usual. They also planned to put a few snack foods into the car; a few fruits and veggies stored in a cooler between Bandit and Chili, as well as some finger foods like chips and crackers. Bandit softly banged his hands open-palmed on the counter as he waited for the various foods to cook, humming along to the music.

“Dad!”

“Ah!” Bandit jumped, startled out of his groove. He looked behind him at his daughters, who were giggling behind their paws. “Don’t scare the cook! Now you don’t have food to eat!” Bandit waved his finger, moving in front of the nearly-done meal in an obvious manner.

“Nuh-uh! I can see it right behind you!” Bingo continued to giggle, tail wagging.

“Yeah! Give us our food!” Bluey took up an aggressive stance, a finger pointed menacingly at her dad.

Bandit narrowed his eyes as if he were in a Spaghetti Western. The Heeler girls followed suit, and somewhere in the back of their minds, they’re sure they heard the screeching cry of a Red-tailed hawk.

“What if I don’t wanna?” Bandit cocked his head to the side, exaggeratedly wringing his hands.

Bluey and Bingo crouched low. “Well, we’ll just have to show you-” The kids were cut off by a cough.

“Ahem! Is breakfast ready?” Chili leaned against the island, a look of knowing on her face. A smile teased at the corners of her muzzle; she loved that despite her children getting older, they still played nearly the same.

Bandit straightened his back out, dutifully turning back to the now fully cooked meal. “Looks done, babe!”

“Do we get to eat?” Bingo looked up at her mom, who shot her husband a look. Bandit’s mouth thinned, and he quickly got four plates out of the cupboard.

“Yup! Wouldn’t want you kids to starve, would we?” He portioned the food out onto the plates before each dog took their own. Now that Bluey insisted on making her breakfasts, the Heelers acquired a few new sets of dishes, each lined with the respective family members’ favorite color. Yellow for Bluey, blue for Bingo, green for Chili, and orange for Bandit. This made it easier to portion and serve, compared to the old set they had where Bluey and Bingo shared their plates. They wouldn’t mind sharing now, either, but Bingo’s Celiac Disease made it difficult to keep her safe when Bluey was branching out her food ideas. So, they bought new plates.

Bandit put one slice of French toast on Bingo and Bluey’s plates, then two scoops of scrambled eggs, and two pieces of bacon each topped the meal off for the young Heelers. He handed his girls their plates, and they went to the table, chattering about Bingo’s newest mini-hockey game and Bluey’s newest soccer tournament. He then served himself and Chili two pieces of toast, two scoops of eggs, and three pieces of bacon. Chili kissed him on the cheek as she picked up her plate, and they walked to their seats at the table.

“So, kids, are you excited to see your cousins?” Chili probed as she scrubbed her family's breakfast dishes.

Bluey and Bingo, who were outside in the middle of a game of mock soccer, looked up at her excitedly, their tails going a million miles a minute. “Yes!” They both ran up to her, where she was cleaning in the kitchen.

Chili chuckled. “I’m excited too! And so is your father. He’d love to see his brother and I’d love to see Trixie.” She sighed wistfully, yearning for the distance between her and her in-laws to shrink.

Bluey wrung her hands in the soccer jersey she threw over the top of her day clothes; an oversized yellow t-shirt and black shorts. “Do you think Muffin and Socks will want to see us?”

Chili smiled down at her in a comforting way as Bingo gave her a side hug. “Of course they’ll want to see you, Bluey. You four do facey-talk every few days, they miss you as much as you miss them.” She stroked her daughter's face, feeling her lean into the touch.

“Yeah, Bluey! Why would Muffin and Socks not want to see us?” Bingo gave her sister another squeeze before letting go, watching triumphantly as Bluey’s tail began to wag once more.

“You guys are right!” She turned to Bingo. “Bingo, you should play guard this time so I can practice my kicking!”

Bingo quickly agreed, and the two ran back to the backyard, where they kept the net.

In the front yard, Bandit was loading up all the odds and ends Chili had gathered from around the house into the SUV. Extra blankets and pillows, forgotten chargers, pairs of socks, and other assorted clothes were loaded into the back. Chili had also thrown in a few of the girls’ favorite board games that they knew Trixie and Stripe didn’t have.

Back in the 80s, Bandit had spent tons of his time at the local arcade. During this, he made sure his name filled out all the top ten spots on Tetris. So, to say he was a master wouldn’t be much of a surprise. He had stacked and organized all the remaining supplies into the back expertly, and even made sure there was still a spot where he could see out of the rearview mirror. He stood back and admired his work as he closed the trunk, before turning to Chili and the kids, who had all just come from the house. “Are we off?” The Heeler asked, tail twitching.

Chili nodded her affirmations. “We’re off!” She took a pause and then looked down at her girls. “Right, kids?’’

The two pups wagged their tails and yipped, before exclaiming, “Absolutely!”

Bandit chuckled and ruffled the fur on both of their heads, causing them to playfully growl. “Right on!” He gave Chili a quick peck on the lips before opening his door and hopping into the driver's seat.

Chili smiled and opened the door for Bluey, who clambered inside.

“Thanks, mum!”

“No problem, Bluey.” She responded as she walked to the other side of the car, where Bingo had already gotten into her booster seat and was trying to buckle herself up. She was still a tad stubby for her age, so sometimes she struggled. “Can you get it, Bingo?” She asked through the window.

Bingo grunted with effort as she stretched to get buckled. “Yes… Mum…” She stuck her tongue out slightly as she stretched just a little more.

Chili kept her eye on her youngest as she got into the car, buckling herself in.

“Mum! I did it!” Bingo yipped in triumph as the seatbelt finally clicked.

Bluey cheered for her sister, and Chili clapped.

“Good on ya, mate. Feels good gettin’ older, huh?”

Chili rolled her eyes playfully in the passenger seat as she cracked open a magazine.

Bingo giggled and wagged her tail. “Yeah! I can’t wait til I’m old enough to ride without a booster seat like Bluey.”

“That’s still a few years away, honey. You have to be at least 145 centimeters tall.” Chili responded truthfully, glancing in the rearview mirror at her daughters. She looked back down at the magazine as Bandit started the car.

Bingo’s tail drooped. “Aww, what?”

Bluey looked at her with sympathetic eyes, putting a paw on her shoulder. “It’s ok, Bingo! I know I’m tall for my age, but it’ll only be a year or two more for you if you don't get a growth spurt like I did.” It was true; Bluey, despite Heelers being a stubbier breed, was tall for her age. She was a little taller than the boys in her Grade 3 class, and the tallest girl. It never bothered her, and she secretly hoped she’d be taller than her parents when she fully grew.

Bingo frowned but nodded. She had accepted she was probably going to be short, but hoped for growth like Bluey got.

Bandit smiled sardonically. He pulled out of the driveway and started on the way to Newcastle. “I’m the shortest out of my brothers, kid. You get used to it.”

Bluey looked at her father, horrified. “You’re the shortest!? But, you aren’t even the youngest!”

Chili and Bandit chuckled. “Yup, we all only have a few centimeters between us, though. So, if you’re anything like us, one of you will be three to seven centimeters taller than the other.”

“But that’s so much distance!” Bingo exclaimed, holding the handles of her booster seat and leaning forward.

“Well,” Chili started, “I’m taller than your aunt Brandy, and she’s older than me! You could still take after your Uncle Stripe and me.” She gave her pup a comforting smile.

Bingo’s mood lifted, and her tail became active again. “Did ya hear that, Bluey? I could be taller than you!” She giggled excitedly.

Bluey smiled and rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes. I can’t wait for your growth spurt, Bingo.” She gave her sister a good-natured smile.

Bingo giggled back in response. Deep down inside, Bingo felt something dark and heavy stir inside her. She pursed her lips and turned to look out the window. Sometimes she felt like that, now more than ever. She assumed it was just a part of growing up; she was experiencing new emotions. She thought that they showed up at weird moments, though. When something unfair happened, she felt angry. When something sad happened, she felt sad. When something good happened, she was happy; but this emotion didn’t follow a predictable path. It reared its head whenever height was mentioned, or clothing, or makeup, or children. It was odd, especially because of how picky it was. She only felt it when dresses were talked about in relation to herself; why she didn’t wear dresses, even to important occasions like weddings. She only felt it when adults tried to put makeup on her, and then acted confused by her refusal. She only felt it when she was referred to as a mother; when she was her pretend children’s father, she was happy. But when she was her pretend children’s mother, she felt the strange emotion. That was just growing up, though. She’d probably understand when she got older.

Chili watched emotion brew on her daughter's face and felt something bubble up inside of her. Something was wrong, but for some reason, it felt wrong to ask when everyone else was around. This would have to be a private conversation. She narrowed her eyes and tried to focus on the magazine as Bandit turned the radio up.

Bluey was gently kicking her feet to the music, humming along to the parts she knew. This was a well-played station in the Heeler SUV, so she could recognize many of the songs. She looked out her window, watching the Brisbane scenery pass by. She could hardly contain her excitement, and her paws itched to do something with all her energy. She glanced around the backseat, still humming, when she spotted a sketchpad and a few colored pencils scattered on the ground. Her eyes lit up, and she picked up the items. She had started getting more into drawing recently; soccer was fun, but her coach said she should try to find a more calming activity to balance out her energy. She liked to draw animals and scenery the most, so she started constructing the scenery in her backyard on the page. With her mind and body preoccupied, the young Heeler took no notice of the predicament her sister was in.

Bandit was focused on the road, glancing at the SatNav display every once in a while. This was the first time he would be doing this drive, and with the length, he was just happy his children were quiet for a little while. His fingers tapped along to the beat of the radio, and in between glances towards the display and long looks towards the road, he noticed his wife. He recognized her apparent worry immediately and got her attention by brushing her arm with his tail.

Chili looked up at her husband as his tail touched her, and caught his eye. His expression was full of worry and confusion, and she could do nothing but give him a silent, equally worried smile in return. She did not want to discuss her worries, especially since she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what she was worrying about.

Bandit pursed his lips but nodded in understanding, dropping the topic and fully returning his attention to driving.

Along the way, the Heelers took up different activities. They all rotated between reading, drawing, napping, and playing road trip games. Bandit was mostly focused on driving, but he would oblige his children and play along every once in a while. It was good to keep his brain from going numb, anyway. At the moment, the entire family was engaged in a rather creative game of ISpy.

It was Bingo’s turn and she giggled as she rocked back and forth in her booster seat. “I spy with my little eye…” She looked from the bleak countryside out her window, to the contents of the car. “Hmm… something…” The pup drew out her turn, narrowing her eyes and sticking out her tongue as she tried to zero in on something that hadn’t already been said. Her eyes caught something fluorescent orange at the very top of her vision. It was her dad’s life vest, that he had brought in case the family wanted to take a ride on Uncle Stripe’s new boat, in the rearview mirror! The rest of the vests must have been underneath it, but Bingo had her target in sight. She took a few more seconds and a few sporadic glances around for good measure before clearing her throat. “Something orange!”

The rest of the Heeler’s got to work immediately, pointing out various orange items.

“Is it you?”

“No!” Bingo giggled.

“Is it mum?”

“Nope!”

“Is it some dead brush?”

“Nuh-uh!”

Bluey, Bandit, and Chili took a few minutes to scan the inside of the car. They couldn’t find anything that hadn’t already been said until Bandit adjusted the rearview mirror.

Chili and he saw the vest at the same time, looked at each other, and clamored over each other for victory.

“Dad’s life vest!”

“My life jacket!”

Bingo and Chili giggled at their parents. “You’re right!”

Chili, who had twisted herself around in her seat to look directly at Bingo, gave her daughter a quizzical look. “Which one of us won?”

Bluey and Bingo looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

Chili turned back around in her seat, sitting normally once more, smiling to herself at her children's antics. She noticed Bandit giving her a grin out of the side of her eye, and narrowed her eyes in challenge. “What’re you laughing at?”

“Nothin’,” He responded, driving steadily. “Just that I totally beat you.”

“Oh please, you did not!” Chili crossed her arms and looked at her husband, playfully angry.

Bandit glanced at her, still smiling. “Oh, I think I did.”

The Heeler parents continued to playfully bicker, much to the continued enjoyment of their children, until about the halfway point in their drive. Once they reached that point, Bandit pulled off into the parking lot of a gas station. The girls were over-eager to get out, and hurriedly unbuckled themselves, exiting the car. Chili followed suit, and Bandit pulled away, taking a spot next to a gas pump. Chili had the card, so he could just wait for the text to start refilling.

Bingo and Bluey ran into the gas station, their mum following suit. The two girls looked around in amazement; they had never seen this gas station before, and everything it had to offer seemed novel, even if it was just average gas station ware. Bluey wanted to run around and explore immediately, but Bingo felt the urge to stay near her mum. Chili wrapped her tail around her pup before calling out to Bluey.

“Bluey! Stay near me please, you can explore in a little bit.” Chili waited until Bluey made her way back before turning around and searching for the cash register.

The Heeler girls were ecstatic as they wandered the aisles with their mum. They had passed by a few things that Bluey saved in the back of her mind; she wanted to ask her mom about them after she found a cashier.

Likewise, a few things had also caught Bingo’s eye; namely drinks and snacks.  She and her sister had absolutely demolished the provided snacks during the four-hour drive, and despite being provided with water, Bingo had an ache for something sweeter. She kept her eyes peeled for any good snack foods up until they reached the cash register.

“Hello, could I get 100 on pump 10 please?” Chili handed the pale yellow bloodhound manning the register her card, holding on to both of her girls so neither of them could wander away. She was normally okay with them walking around their usual gas station because she knew those places inside and out. Here, she didn’t want anything to happen.

“Pump’s good to go, miss.” The bloodhound handed her card back, and Chili put it away as she texted Bandit.

“Thank you…” Chili glanced up at the employee's name tag. “...Pluto. Thank you!” She walked her children away from the register. As soon as they were in a new aisle, she was met with a chorus of requests.

“Can we get fizzy drinks?”

“Can we get jerky?”

“Can we get candy?”

“No, yes, and no. Only juice, we don’t want you kids too hyperactive in the car. I’m going to use the loo now, could you kids please wait for me outside after getting your stuff?”

“Ok, mum!”

As Chili walked into the entrance to the bathroom, she called over her shoulder, “Stay together, please!”

“Ok, mum!” The Heeler girls called back. Together, they trekked through the aisles, Bluey leading the way. In the end, they gathered two packs of jerky, teriyaki for Bingo and chili for Bluey, orange juice for Bluey, and a lemonade for Bingo, and sat on the bench outside the loo. The two pointed out the murals covering the walls showing all sorts of dogs doing all sorts of sporty activities, such as mountaineering, playing rugby and soccer, posing with cricket paddles, and so on. When the two saw the soccer players, they laughed and compared the painted dogs to Bluey. The girls made sure not to eat anything and instead sat as patiently as they could while waiting for their mum.

Bandit received the confirmation text from Chili and exited the SUV, popping the cap to the gas tank and putting the pump in. As the gas filled the tank, Bandit scrolled through the relevant sports news. He looked up when the gas stopped pumping, plugging the hose back into the kiosk and capping the tank off. He closed and locked the doors, making his way inside for a drink or something to snack on. As he entered the station, he thought it wise to see if his family was around. He scanned the area as he walked through the unfamiliar aisles, eyes landing on his children waiting outside the bathroom, snacks in hand. He smiled to himself knowing that they were safe, and turned around to procure a few snacks for himself and Chili.

The girls’ waiting game was interrupted by their father walking towards them. “Dad!” They both exclaimed, standing up and running to catch up with him.

“Hey, kiddos, what’s the deal?”

“We’re waiting for mum, she’s using the dunny.” Bluey responded, hanging onto her dad's arm.

“She also said we could get jerky and juice!” Bingo shoved the goods in Bandit's face.

The Blue Heeler chuckled, showing Bingo his items as well. He had gotten snack cakes for himself and trail mix to share, as well as a few things for Chili that he didn’t want the girls to see. She liked it sweet, and they did not want trapped hyperactive children in their car during the drive.

“Woah, who said you’re getting all of this, now?” Chili walked out of the bathroom, slightly shaking extra moisture off of her paws.

“Hi, mum!”

“Hey, babe. The girls were just telling me about how you let them get snacks.”

“Mm, I did say that. I don’t remember saying anything about you getting snacks, though.” She gave Bandit a sly grin.

Bandit feigned surprise and shock, paw clutching over his heart. “What!? But, I’m hungry!”

“Well, too bad!” The girls said in unison, their tails wagging.

“But, I got you snacks, too!” Bandit whispered, leaning forward, corralling his kids behind him much to their chagrin.

“Hey!”

“Dad!”

Chili raised her eyebrow. "Oh, did you, now?” She whispered back.

Bandit nodded his head quickly, still holding his kids back. They were gnawing at his fluffy arms, but as their father, he hardly felt their sharp puppy teeth anymore.

“Let us go, scoundrel!” Bluey had learned that from a pirate movie she watched with Chili, and she wouldn’t stop saying it when it came to announcing displeasure. She grabbed onto her father’s forearm and tried to tug him down, but wasn’t getting very far.

“Yeah, you scalpel!” Bingo sunk her baby teeth into her father’s tail.

Bluey turned to her sister, a look of confusion on her face. “Bingo, it’s ‘scoundrel’, not ‘scalpel’.”

Bingo took her teeth out of her father’s tail in embarrassment. “Oops, sorry…”

“It’s all good!” Bluey reassured her. All of a sudden, she felt herself being lifted up. “Wah! Hey! Put me down!” She barked out several laughs.

“I don’t think so, mate!” Bandit, who had handed off the snacks to Chili while the girls were occupied, scooped Bingo up as well and started to walk towards the entrance to the gas station.

“Dad! Put us down!” Bingo giggled, pounding at her father’s forearm.

“No can do!” He responded, walking out of the gas station with two giggling pups in his arms.

Chili watched them go with a gentle smile on her face. As she started walking back towards the cashier, she took stock of all the snacks she now had to buy; the expected from Bluey and Bingo, snack cakes from Bandit, and some sweets for herself. Bandit knew her so well.

Bandit strapped his children in their seats, much to their playful protests.

“Will we even get our snacks?”

“Yeah, we're starving!”

He smiled and ruffled Bluey’s fur. “You’re getting your snacks, kids. Your mum's buying them right now.”

“Yay!” They both cheered, hands thrown in the air.

Bandit looked behind him and smiled when he saw Chili walk out. “Looks like your mum’s out, kids.”

“Snacks! Snacks! Snacks!”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” Chili said in response, getting into her seat and rifling through the bags as Bandit got into his and started the car up.

“Jerky and juice for the kids, snacks for us… we’re all good.” She passed out everybody’s snacks, keeping hers carefully concealed in the bag.

“Are we ready to get this party started again?” Bandit asked, getting ready to enter back onto the main road.

“Yes!”

He smirked. “Alright, here we go!” He revved the car up and peeled off onto the road.

“Bandit!” Chili laughed, surprised.

“We’re gonna make it there before sundown, I swear it!”

The Heeler family’s chatter faded into the heat of the Australian summer as they left the gas station behind them, continuing the trek to their destination.

Chapter Text

Once the Heelers finally arrived at their extended family's house, it was dinner time, and the girls made sure to make that fact very clear to their parents.

“Are we there yet? I’m hungry…” Bluey tossed her head back, her ears hitting the back of the seat as she bemoaned her hunger.

“I’m hungry, too… do you know what we’re gonna have?” Bingo inquired, gently kicking her feet in a rhythmic pattern.

Bandit sighed as he finally pulled into his brother's subdivision. “Nah, mate, I’m not sure what we’re gonna be having. Might cook somethin’ on the barbie, though.” Staring at the road for so long was starting to make his vision swim, so he was grateful that they had finally made it to Newcastle.

“Hmm,” Bingo responded, tail moving slightly. That didn’t sound too bad to her.

“Are you gonna cook, or will Uncle Stripe cook?” Bluey asked, hands patting against her thighs.

“I reckon Uncle Stripe and Aunt Trixie’ll cook, whatever they’ll be cooking.” Bandit was trying to keep his and the girls’ voices low so as not to disturb Chilli from her nap. She had fallen asleep about an hour after they left the gas station, which was about when the kids took a quick nap, too. Bingo could always be relied on to sleep in the car during long drives; she loved the constant smooth motion of the car and it easily lulled her to sleep. Bluey was a bit more of a wild card, but when given nothing to do and when she ran out of things to make up, she would choose to sleep as well. Chilli was just a little stressed, and Bandit slightly envied his family's ability to fall asleep.

“Ok.” The girls simply responded, taking in the new and strange scenery of Newcastle around them. Their dad was just happy he didn’t have to talk anymore. After all, he had been the sole parental entertainer for about 2 and a half hours.

Bandit wouldn’t usually complain, as that was about the average amount of time he’d play with them at home. However, when he played with them at home, they were almost always moving, changing plans, or keeping him on his toes in some other way. In the car, they couldn’t do much of that. It was different and more than a little tiring, but Bandit was happy to do it if it meant Chilli could rest.

At that moment, Chilli gently touched his arm. He was slightly startled but relaxed quickly after.

Chilli, who had just woken from her nap, smiled at her husband. “Are we there?”

Bandit, rolling his eyes and letting out a very dramatic deep sigh, bemoaned “Not you too!”

This attitude slightly confused Chilli, but she caught on as soon as her children started laughing. The little buggers always asked choruses of “Are we there yet?” when a drive took too long for their liking. The Red Heeler rolled her eyes and playfully smacked Bandit on the arm, who guffawed and acted scandalized in turn.

“Chilli! Don’t teach our children that!”

She laughed, turning to sit properly in her seat. “A little bit of playful fun never hurt them.”

The girls quickly agreed. “Yeah, dad! We know you love each other, it’s just for fun!” Bluey spoke up.

“Yeah! You two smoochy kiss!” Bingo chimed in, causing both of them to giggle behind their paws. Despite growing older and more mature by the day, the two always found joy in calling their parents out on smoochy kissing.

Speaking of their parents, Bandit and Chilli simply huffed and rolled their eyes, smiles creasing both of their faces. Bandit was still driving steadily, although he had slowed since entering the subdivision. The streets were lined with trees, pups playing in their front yards. None of these houses looked like Stripe and Trixie’s, though. He glanced down at the SatNav.

Chilli was also scanning the outside, on the hunt for the house as well. Their new house was more spacious, but unlike the old one, this one was built as a one-story, meaning that the house was wider rather than taller. Knowing this, the Heeler kept an eye out on the corners and larger patches of land.

“Oh, dad! Is that the house?!” Bingo excitedly yipped, startling Bandit from his futile fight with the SatNav. As it turned out, she had been right. Bandit slowed the car to a crawl, and the family looked out on the sizable piece of land housing the extended Heeler family. Beautiful scenery and brush, large, gnarled trees in the front and the back, sprouts blossoming around the pond in their front yard, flowers dotting the wide expanse of the well-maintained yard… in short, it was a lovely property. The house itself wasn’t too bad, either; the wood paneling alternated between dark and light, the roof was slanted, and the windows were framed magnificently. It looked modern, yet lived in. Bandit whipped the car into the driveway, pulling up to the garage that must have housed Stripe’s dark gray Porsche Cayenne. He put the car into park as Chilli shot Trixie a text: “We’re here! :)”

Trixie, who was busy filling out applications and such, trying to find a new place of work, was interrupted when Muffin and Socks started barking in the living room. Muffin, who had recently turned five, started getting a good grasp on manners and the concept of an ‘inside voice’, so this was unlike her. Socks, however, had found her voice and her yips were a constant throughout the day. The little pup was still a girl of few words, but she could talk when she wanted to, which was rare. Trixie sighed, stretching out in her chair and pocketing her phone before getting up to check on her kids.

“Girls, what’s the matter?” Trixie asked as she walked into the mid-furnished living room; they were still looking for certain pieces that would fit the new vibe of their house.

Muffin and Socks were looking out the window, tails wagging excitedly.

“Mom! Uncle Bandit is here!” Muffin excitedly screeched, gripping the window sill with her chunky paws. Beside her, Socks nodded quickly, letting out excited yips every few seconds. The two were dressed in their finest playtime outfits, knowing that their cousins would show up soon. Muffin wore a sparkly purple and pink tutu with a white tank top, and Socks wore a brown skort with a tan sweater overtop. The pup had gotten into an accident that required the fur to be shaved off both of her arms, so she had to wear sweaters to warm herself up.

“Remember, Muffin, inside voice.”  Stripe reminded his daughter, ruffling the fur on her head. He had just stepped out of their bedroom, fur still damp from his shower.

Both Heeler parents looked out the window, standing behind their daughters. Through the double-sided glass, they saw Bandit and Chilli’s red SUV slide into park in their driveway. At the same time, Trixie received their arrival text. Every Heeler in the house felt excitement spark beneath their fur, and they rushed out of the house to meet their family.

“Hey!” Bandit yelled out the window, unbuckling and hopping out of the car, embracing his brother in a tight bear hug.

“How’s it goin’, mate?” Stripe asked, patting his older brother on the shoulder.

“Goin’ good, man! The drive here was a bit tough, though.” The brothers smiled knowingly at each other as they glanced down at their kids.

Chilli had been the next to exit the car, hugging Trixie and exchanging pleasantries as she unbuckled Bingo from the back seat.

As soon as Bingo was unbuckled, she joined Bluey in her reunion with their cousins, all four pups’ tails wagging.

“Bluey!” Muffin exclaimed, joyful, her voice raspy as always. The two older sisters nearly tackled each other with the force of their hug. The embrace was warm, and full of love.

“Muffin! Oh, it’s been so long!” Bluey was elated to see her favorite cousin, and couldn’t fight the grin from her face.

Beside the two, Bingo and Socks were also hugging. Bingo took notice of Socks’ playtime outfit, and the younger pup did a spin for her. The two giggled in excitement, but in the midst of it all, Bingo felt that strange emotion brew inside of her again. Why were her and Socks so different? Socks was comfortable in skirts, and Bingo shuddered at the thought of wearing one. As she looked around, she realized that Muffin was also wearing a skirt, and felt her mood dip further. Just as it started to show on her face, Bingo felt a paw grab her own.

Bluey smiled down at her sister, who had seemed to be upset just a moment before. Just as she had grabbed her paw, however, the younger pup stopped and took in her outfit, which Bluey thought was odd.

As Bingo looked at what Bluey was wearing, she felt herself relax. Bluey was also wearing shorts! She wasn’t weird, she was just like her sister. Bingo’s tail started to wag once more, but in the back of her mind, a voice nagged. Bluey still wore skirts and dresses. Bingo wouldn’t. She was weird, wasn’t she? Before she could dwell on those thoughts any longer, her sister pulled her along into the house.

Once inside, Bingo’s once nagging thoughts were swiftly silenced by the curiosity of the foreign place. It looked rather barren, but the pup was mostly focused on the new shape of it all.

Bluey, on the other hand, was very focused on the sparse furnishings. “How come you guy’s only have a couch, one chair, and a table in here?” The Blue Heeler looked at her aunt Trixie, who had walked in before them and had ushered Muffin and Socks inside as well, but Stripe was the one who responded.

“Ah, nothing to worry about, mate! We’re still finding things that’ll fit the vibe of our new house more.” Stripe answered, leading in Bandit and Chilli. At both of his niece's inquisitive and confused looks, he chuckled and cocked his head to Trixie. “Ask your aunt why it was so important.” He spoke teasingly, winking at his wife as he led his brother and sister-in-law into the kitchen, where furniture actually resided.

Aunt Trixie rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, before ushering all of the pups into the kitchen as well. “New house, new theme, kids! I felt as if our new space needed new furniture to go along with it.”

As the entire family took a seat, Stripe pulling up extra chairs to accommodate everyone, Bluey nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, I know how it feels. When I tried to move rooms a few years ago, I remember it felt so strange, even with things from my old room.” The 9-year-old explained, making sure she saved a seat next to her for Bingo, who gratefully accepted the gesture.

As a pup with autism, Bingo often felt overwhelmed in new surroundings and would need help to stay grounded. It had affected her less so here, since the only people around were her family. She still scooted her seat a little closer to Bluey’s, though.

The adults in the room stifled a well-meaning laugh as Bluey tried to relate her experience, but knew that it was best to encourage her attempts at compassion.

“Yes, I can see, Bluey! Thanks for understanding, mate.” Aunt Trixie said kindly, rifling through the fridge for the family-sized snack pack she had bought yesterday. It contained fruits and vegetables, and a variety of crackers.

Muffin and Socks had wedged between Bluey and Chilli, excited to be near their cousin. They could tell that Bingo needed some space.

The three girls tried their best to catch up with each other, only pausing when Trixie brought out the snack platter. They talked in a mimic of their parents; what was important to them, their recent accomplishments, and inquired about the others in a very adult manner.

“Yeah, so, I had to get my forearms shaved.” Socks concluded, dipping a few apple slices into the small container of ranch that came with the snack platter. Bluey had asked about her wearing a sweater in the summer, and Muffin, and occasionally Socks, told her about the pup's emergency shave.

Bingo and Bluey, who had been on the edge of their seats throughout the explanation, offered words of encouragement and sympathy. “That must be tough, Socks, I’m sorry.” Bluey extended her apologies, carefully swirling a carrot stick through a rogue splat of ranch, drawing a smiley face.

The pup nodded in acknowledgment, taking small bites of the peeled orange slices on the platter. She was still struggling with talking; it wasn’t anybody’s fault, she just let her louder sister talk for her.

Bingo had calmed down by now, but didn’t feel up to talking. Instead, she watched the adults. They were having fun, Bandit and Stripe hitting each other in their brotherly manner every once in a while, and Chilli and Trixie were visibly relaxing as they discussed their lives. She caught bits and pieces of their conversations; Trixie was still trying to find a job. It seemed that she was looking for something different than her old job; if Bingo recalled correctly, Aunt Trixie had an office job before the move. Bingo thought about it, and agreed with her aunt; an office job sounded dreadfully boring, and she’d have to wear makeup. Bingo could never really understand why people liked makeup; her mom had told her it made people feel pretty, but all it ever did was make Bingo feel wrong. The pup ate a few cheese slices from the snack platter as she listened in, jumping to her dad and uncle’s conversation to ignore the ugly feeling stirring in her chest.

Uncle Stripe and her dad seemed to be talking about something that happened many years ago, probably before Bluey was born. A surgery of some kind, the pup thought.

“Oh, yeah, mate,” Uncle Stripe said, Bingo straining to hear better. “That surgery was somethin’ fierce! I’m glad you and Rad never had to go through it; it took months for the incisions to properly heal.” The dog took a swig of whatever was in his cup, Bingo thought it might’ve been iced tea.

Her dad nodded in sympathy. “I’m just glad that you’re happier now; I know I was a little awful to you when we were kids, but I’d hate it if you were miserable like you were back then,  mate.” He sounded a lot more… sad than Bingo was used to hearing. She was pretty sure that ‘sad’ wasn’t the right word, but she didn’t have the vocabulary to express the emotion better. 

“Bingo, look at Socks!” Bluey and Muffin nudged her, catching her attention, and she turned herself a bit, looking at her cousins again. They were being their goofy selves, Socks trying to balance everything on her plate into a tower. Bingo giggled as the pile began to wiggle uncontrollably; her family was always a good distraction from her feelings, she was feeling happier already!

All four pups burst into fits of laughter as the tower finally toppled, spilling the contents all over the table. The adults tutted, but smiles still stretched across their snouts; after all, you could only be a kid once.

After the girls helped clean the mess up, the sun started to dip below the horizon. 

Bandit looked out the window at the slowly setting sun, before grumbling a bit under his breath. “Sorry, kids, looks like we spent too much time catching up! We weren’t able to cook anything.” The adults all looked at the kids, waiting for their responses. A chorus of soothes echoed from them as each pup assured that they would be fine. They all nodded to each other, the sun casting a quickly disappearing orange glow into the room. As it did, it seemed as if a wild exhaustion overcame Bingo’s sister and cousin; she didn’t understand, usually she was the first to tire out. Maybe it was because she was thinking too much. Regardless, she followed Muffin as the pudgy Heeler led them to the bathroom.

“Instead of multiple tiny bathrooms, we have two big bathrooms!” She explained in her raspy voice, leading her cousins into the shared family bathroom that was still novel to her. Muffin was right; the bathroom was large, it was the same size as Bingo’s bathroom. It made sense, the extended Heeler’s had lived in a tall house, one that wasn’t exactly wide and couldn’t comfortably accommodate a larger bathroom.

Now that they had more room, they had more area for grander things. Bingo was excited, and so was everyone else! She had started to miss her house, just a little bit, but this similar bathroom easily relieved those feelings.

“Woah! Does this bathroom have a shower, too?” Bluey asked, probably thinking of her own. Muffin shook her head, but said “That’s in my parents’ bathroom!”

As the girls all lined up by the sink to wash up, get the sticky off their hands, make themselves presentable while they still had a few minutes left before their inevitable bedtime, Bingo suddenly realized that there wasn’t enough room for all of them; unknowingly, Muffin and Bluey had shoved Socks and Bingo off to the side as they started to get ready. That wasn’t a problem, not really, since this was supposed to be a quick clean up. But, as the time dragged on and Bluey and Muffin started to mess around with each other, hogging the sink, Bingo began to think of some alternatives. Setting her shoulders, the little Heeler exited the bathroom and braced the wilderness of a new house, no guide in sight.

Stripe and Chili were talking in the living room, the red Heeler trying to gently inquire about Stripe’s surgery; this was the first time she had heard anything about a surgery, and was naturally curious.

“So, Stripe, what exactly did you need to have surgery for?” Chili asked, leaning forward in the well-loved couch beside the recliner, where Stripe sat.

The blue Heeler thought for a moment, but knew he wasn’t comfortable enough to share the reason quite yet.

“Sorry, Chili, I’m just not ready to share that with you yet, mate! It was cosmetic, though, so nothin’ about my health ya need to worry yourself about!”

Chili nodded in understanding, thanking Stripe and changing the topic. Neither noticed Bingo paused in the hallway behind them, who had just decided that she must know what a “cosmetic surgery” was sooner rather than later.

As she was deep in thought, when she started walking to where she thought Aunt Trixie’s bathroom was, she was startled by the sudden appearance of Socks, who was quiet as always.

“Ah! Socks! Did you follow me?!”

The younger Heeler nodded, easily situating herself behind her cousin as they continued to walk.

“Ok, well, I was looking for your mum’s bedroom, so that we could use her bathroom since Bluey and Muffin are being such bathroom hogs!”

Both pups giggled, and Socks took over the lead, showing Bingo to Trixie’s bedroom.

Bingo gently pushed open the door, and Socks hurried to the bathroom, which was just around the corner at the far side of the room. Bingo was right behind her, but something caught her eye.

Standing on her tippy toes to get a better look, Bingo reached up to the middle shelf of a bookcase against the wall, which held very little books and seemed more like a displayed junk drawer.

She pulled down a mug, the front showing a half-faded picture of a professional cricket player she didn’t know the name of. That wasn’t what caught her eye, though. She brought the mug closer to her face, and inspected the small, colorful flag sticking out. The Heeler had never seen a flag like this before; mostly, she saw country flags, or gimmick flags for brands hoisted at games. This reminded her of something that a dancer might twirl as a ribbon; it was very pretty, after all. It was horizontally striped blue, pink, white, then pink, then blue again. She wondered what it meant or what it stood for, but didn’t have time to finish the thought as Socks called to her from the bathroom.

Hurriedly, Bingo placed the mug back and ran to the bathroom.

The adults were now clustered in the living room, relaxing and chatting with each other as their pups got ready for bed.

“Did ya see that bugger on the field yesterday?”

“Yes, I could hardly believe my eyes!”

“Could ya believe that!”

“Absolutely! I’m saying that they should’ve replaced him!”

They heatedly discussed cricket, gesturing with their arms. It was more or less a family pastime; they all loved cricket, and they loved to talk. They could easily get carried away, however, and become a bit oblivious to their surroundings, as they were now.

The four pups watched from the hallway, giggling amongst themselves as their parents bantered. It was just about their bedtime, and they were all painfully aware of that; none of them wanted to sleep! They had just seen their family for the first time in a while, and they were all worked up. Even so, the threat of sleep decorated most of their eyes, save for Bingo. Of course, their fun was cut short as the parents noticed them and ushered each to the bedrooms.

Socks and Muffin had two different bedrooms, so the decision was made to split the girls into two; Bluey would sleep in Muffin’s room, and Bingo would sleep in Socks’ room. Not a bad compromise, and in no time, the pups were asleep. At least, Socks, Muffin, and Bluey were asleep.

“Alrighty, Stripe, Chili and I are gonna head to bed now. Thanks for lettin’ us crash in your spare bedroom.” Bandit spoke, Chili already leaving the living room in a tired stupor. She was getting travel exhaustion, sue her!

“Yes, thank you…” A yawn interrupted her words. “Thanks, Trixie.”

“Yeah, no problem, mate! Hope you two have a rest; goodnight!”

A cacophony of ‘goodnight’s rang quietly through the room, Trixie heading to bed soon after. That left Stripe to lounge alone in the living room, the T.V. turned down low and his eyelids starting to droop. The sports channels were playing reruns he had already seen a million times, so he began to channel surf.

Eventually, his arm got tired of holding the remote, and he sank down into his chair, feeling sleep starting to catch up to him. He was unceremoniously startled awake by a tug on his arm.

“Uncle Stripe?” He looked down, and Bingo stood on the side of his chair, eyes sleepy but obviously troubled in tandem.

Stripe sat up in his chair, shaking himself awake gently. “What’s up, kiddo?”

“Can I… can I watch T.V. with you?” She gave him her best pleading eyes.

He caved. He knew that he shouldn’t, that she should be getting her rest… but there was something in her eyes. Something that stirred long forgotten feelings present in his youth. He sighed, and patted the arm of the chair, which she delightfully, sluggishly climbed onto.

In silence, the two dogs sat, watching the show on the screen. Stripe had never heard of it, but it seemed aimed toward middle schoolers. As the episode continued, Stripe realized something… it seemed that the show was bringing up an allegory, or maybe an example? He wasn’t sure, but in his tired state, he didn’t question it until the scene was happening.

A sparkly cat, clad in shorts, walked onto the screen. The two other cats in front of her gasped.

“Sphynx!” They said in unison, looking mind-boggled at their friend's new appearance.

“What happened to you?” Asked the blue cat in front of her, ears pinned back, indicating his worry.

“Why are you wearing shorts?” Inquired the shaggy white cat, pointing at the long, knee-length purple shorts the sparkly cat, Sphynx, was wearing.

“Well,” Sphynx spoke, gesturing towards her shorts. “I felt like changing up my style and wearing something that made me feel more comfortable in my self-expression!”

The other two cats stared at her, puzzled.

The blue one asked, voice confused, “But… you’re a girl! Shouldn’t you be wearing skirts, like you usually do?”

The shaggy one elbowed him, speaking up. “Birman, dude, our moms wear shorts; does that make either any less of a girl?”

The blue cat, Birman, thought about this. “Well, I guess not! Sorry, Sphynx!”

All three cats giggled, before Sphynx's demeanor dropped. “Actually, I have something I need to tell you guys.”

The two nodded at her, indicating that they were listening.

“Birman, Persian, I…” Sphynx started, paws fidgeting. “I’m not a girl! I’m a boy.”

A moment of stunned silence, from the cats on screen and from the two dogs watching, and then a cacophony of questions.

“But, weren’t you born a girl? You can’t just change!” Birman said.

Sphynx nodded. “I was, but calling myself a girl didn’t make me happy. I feel like a boy on the inside; when people call me a girl, or I wear feminine things, it makes me upset. It’s not who I am inside.” They took a deep breath. “I’m tran—”

Sphynx's confession was cut off as the T.V. flashed to black.

Bingo, who was transfixed, looked around. Her Uncle Stripe was holding the remote, and had obviously turned the T.V. off.

Gloomily, she turned to him and said “Uncle Stripe! Why did you turn it off? I wanted to see what Sphynx was gonna say!”

He winced, and patted her back apologetically. “Sorry, kiddo. I don’t know if your parents want you watching that kind of stuff yet.”

“What!? But it was just a show!”

“I know, kid. I’m sorry. We should get you to bed—”

“No!” Bingo shouted as quietly as she could manage while still shouting. “I want to know what Sphynx was gonna say!” She wiggled away from Stripe, slipping off the chair and standing in front of him, tail swishing angrily.

He took a deep breath. “Bingo.”

“What?” She questioned back, eyes narrowed and arms crossed.

“If I tell you, will you go to bed?” Stripe was exhausted; he knew that she probably didn’t know about these things yet, and that maybe her parents should be the one to tell her, but he also knew when Bingo was being stubborn, and when she wouldn’t take no for an answer without struggling and biting the closest person. He had seen it enough in Muffin, and it seemed that the little Heeler was having a rare moment of aggression. This was one of those times, and he wanted to get both of them to bed without waking anyone up.

She thought for a second, hope clear in her eyes. “Will you really tell me?”

“Yes.”

She inched closer to her uncle until he patted the arm of the chair.

When she was situated, she looked at him, waiting.

He took another breath. “What Sphynx was going to say was that they were transgender.”

“What-gender?”

“Transgender, kid. It’s when you don’t feel happy as the gender you were born as, so you change it.”
“Oh. People can do that?”

“Lots of people do it, kid. I’m one of them.”

“You are? So you wanna be a girl?”

He laughed quietly, wrapping an arm around his niece as he began to explain. “No, Bingo. I was born a girl, and I wasn’t happy, so I changed into a boy.”
“Oh.” She thought long and hard, the two dogs sitting in slightly uncomfortable silence. “How did you know? How did you change?”

“Well,” He started. “I didn’t like wearing dresses, or skirts, or makeup when the time came. I thought I was just a tomboy, like a lot of 80s kids were, but that didn’t seem right. I hated when people called me by my old name, or talked about me like I was a girl. I was unhappy when I was a girl. So I made the tough decision to change.”

“Yes, but how did you do it?”

“Mm…” Stripe hummed, eyelids beginning to droop again.

“Uncle Stripe!” Bingo gently shook him, and he sat upright once more.

“Oh, yeah…” He thought for a moment, bringing his hand up to tap at his face.

“Well,” He cleared his throat. “I started by making sure! I would refer to myself as a boy, and would use he and him pronouns, just when I was all alone.”

Bingo nodded, listening intently.

“Then, when I found I was right, I told the people closest to me; my brothers and my friends. They helped me become a boy.”

He sighed out. “Then, I told my parents. It was the 80s, and times were tough back then for people like me. They weren’t very happy. They eventually came around, though.”

Bingo thought for a moment, tail swishing. “How?”

“Huh?”

“How did they help you be more like a boy?”
“They would call me a boy, and teach me things that guys did so that I could know and do them, too. They helped me find clothes I liked, boy clothes, and would help me learn how to deepen my voice. Eventually, they helped me replace all the girl chemicals inside me with boy ones! I needed money to get the medicine that does that, and they helped me.”

“Ah, ok.” Bingo nodded, feeling a strange hope bubble inside off her.

“Are you ready to go to bed now, kiddo?” He asked, smiling down at her.

“Mhm, I guess so.” She sighed, hopping off the arm of the chair.

Together, they walked to Socks’ room, the small pup inside snoring. Stripe tucked in Bingo, and they said their goodnights.

As Bingo lay in the room, on the floor, with only a few inches of blankets for padding, she thought. The little dog rolled over, bundling herself up in borrowed blankets. Looking up at Socks’ ceiling, she basked in the gentle glow of the stars stuck to the paint. As sleep overcame her, she whispered a wish to the stars.

“I want to be a boy.”