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“Come on buddy, what’s wrong?” Shaw asks, crouching low to Bear’s face and scratching behind his ears.
Bear boofs and jumps on the couch, turning away from her as he settles down on the nice cushions. Shaw sighs and hoists herself up the counter to the top cabinet. She pulls out the treats that Harold explicitly said to not give him. She shakes the box, waiting to hear his paws clicking on the floor. Only another scoff from Bear greets her.
“Hey sweetie,” Root says, coming in for a glass of water and leers at Shaw’s ass right at eye level. “What’re you up to?”
“You do something?”
Root raises her eyebrows. “Well seeing as I was home for less than 30 seconds…I’d say no. The question is Sameen, what did you do to invoke Bear’s ire?”
Shaw jumps off the counter and stares at Root. Root never backs down for a second.
“Fine.” Shaw pushes the box of treats at Root’s chest. “I’m getting steak.”
“Four steaks tonight?”
“Five.” Shaw grabs her jacket.
Root sits next to Bear after Shaw leaves and shakes the box of treats in front of his face. Bear whines but doesn’t beg for them as usual.
“Hmm…do you know what’s wrong?” she asks The Machine. Root listens and shrugs. “Guess you’re not a dog whisperer yet.” She gives Bear a hearty scratch on his back. “Sameen’s getting steak for you, don’t tell Harry.” She gathers his face in her hands. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Bear shakes her off and jumps off the couch, he circles a corner of the living room and drags his dog bed to the other side. He butts his head against the leg of Dog the Bear.
“Oh…” Root chuckles lightly and kneels next to Bear. “Sorry, it’s the only place Dog’s head wouldn’t hit the ceiling.”
Bear whines again and nudges Dog’s humongous stomach.
“Mmm…come on, let me introduce you to dog.”
When Shaw comes home, she finds Root and Bear sprawled out on top of Dog. Bear eating the treats out of Root’s hand and his tail wagging happily in the air. That night, Bear abandons his bed and sleeps on Dog’s giant stomach instead.