Title: Puppy Love

Author: Black_Wingedbird

Rating: PG

Author's Note: I think I've kept you guys depressed enough. Now it's time for a happy story! Enjoy!

"Busta, you do not have to go out again!" Chris whined, seeing Busta sitting at the door of the bus and looking out into the dark and rain.

The little dog whined and wagged his tail as he waiting for someone to let him out. Chris groaned and looked at his clock before getting up. It was blinking 12:00. "Damn storm," he mumbled, walking through the dark. The rest if the guys were still sleeping through the loud rumble of thunder and flashes of lightning. "Shit!" Chris cursed, stubbing his toe on the corner of a table. A flash of lightning showed him the correct way to the door, and he continued safely. "This is the last time," Chris mumbled, turning on the small outside light. "Hurry up," he added, opening the door. "What the-" he started, looking down at the small figure in the doorway.

There, huddled in the doorway, sat a small, brown dog.

She looked up at Chris and wagged her tail. Chris stood there for a minute, stunned. He glanced back to make sure the others were still sleeping, then whispered, "Come on, get in here!"

He patted his leg and the dog wearily trotted in, wagging her long tail. Chris shut the door and examined the dog. She was small, but two and a half times bigger than Busta. He figured she weighed about fifty pounds, and she had long, red-brown fur. Her eyes were a soft brown color. She was soaking wet, and Chris noticed how fat she was. "Hold on, I'll dry you off," Chris whispered to the newcomer. He turned on a small lamp that sat on the table as Busta and the dog greeted each other. Chris grabbed the nearest shirt, which happened to be baby blue, and sat down in front of the dog. He gently started to dry her off, and she licked his chin in return. As he dried her off, he felt her stomach and realized she was pregnant.

~o0O0o~

Thankfully, the alarm clock had a battery back up. It went off exactly at 5:30am, and J.C. was the first one to lazily throw his pillow at it.

"Is it me, or does that thing get earlier every day?" Lance yelled from his bunk.

He was answered by tired groans from the others as they slowly rolled out of bed. They each began gathering their clothes and heading for the shower or to get breakfast and watch TV.

"Get up Chris," Justin said, smacking Chris on the head as he walked by. "Get up Busta," he added, tapping Busta, who lay beside Chris. "Get up, dog," Justin continued, tapping the brown dog that lay at Chris's feet. He continued on and got his Apple Jacks, then sat down on the couch with the box. J.C. was in the shower, so Justin, Lance, and Joey sat watching cartoons with their breakfast.

After a few minutes they snapped their heads up and at each other. "Dog?!" they all questioned. Lance and Joey shot up and ran back to Chris's bunk, Justin trailing behind.

"Get up!" Joey said, slapping Chris as Lance petted the new dog.

"What?" Chris mumbled, turning his back to them.

"What's this dog doing here?" Joey asked, petting the dog. She still lay on Chris's feet and wagged her tail at the attention. Lance and Joey ran their fingers through her long, silky light brown fur.

"Don't touch me," Chris mumbled.

"Move," Justin told Joey. Then he threw a handful of AppleJacks at Chris, and the dogs jumped up and gobbled them down, licking Chris clean.

"Ew! God, Justin, you're dead!" Chris yelled from under 70 lbs. of wriggling dog.

The guys cracked up as Chris was buried in dog. He managed to roll out from under them, landing on the floor with a thud.

"What was that?" J.C. yelled from the bathroom. He came out; still dripping wet and with a white towel wrapped around his waist. He saw the new dog and exclaimed, "What is that?"

"That's what we're gonna find out," Lance replied, watching as Chris picked himself up and sat on his bunk in between the two dogs.

~o0O0o~

"Guys, this dog came to me last night and she doesn't have a home. Even worse, she's pregnant."

"NO! Stop right there! We're not keeping it!" J.C. started, going back in the bathroom.

Chris started petting her, and she nuzzled him, blowing on his neck. He put on his puppy face and looked at the others.

"Oh, there he goes," Justin said through a mouth of AppleJacks. "I like her, but I gotta go with J.C. on this one. We can't keep this big of a dog, and puppies, on this bus. Sorry man."

Chris kept his puppy face on and looked at Joey.

"No, no, no. Don't even look at me. I would if I could, but you can't," Joey said, backing up.

Chris then turned to Lance, but he had already slipped away. "Guys," he whined. "She's pregnant! I'm not gonna turn her back out in the streets!"

"You don't have to," J.C. yelled form the bathroom. "Give her to a vet."

"But they'll put her to sleep!" Chris replied, getting up and heading to the refrigerator.

"Then you figure something out," J.C. answered.

"Fine. I will. I'll stay here all day until I find her a good home," Chris said, finding some old tacos in the fridge.

Joey, Lance, and Justin watched Chris as he unwrapped the tacos, smelled them, picked off the mold, and set one on a plate for himself, and split the other one in half and gave it to the dogs.

Then Chris grabbed his plate and sat down beside Justin. The others watched with amazement as he ate the old, cold taco.

"Is that good?" Joey asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Chris asked as he munched.

"Never mind," Joey said, rolling his eyes.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Justin said, moving away from Chris.

"What?" Chris asked, looking around, trying to see what the others were staring at.

"Shower's free," J.C. announced, coming out of the bathroom fully dressed.

"I'm next!" Joey and Justin yelled at the same time. They stared at each other, and then Joey challenged, "I'll fight ya for it."

"You're on!" Justin replied, setting down his AppleJacks.

"Okay, let's go," Joey said, motioning to the door.

"Justin stepped out into the damp morning air, followed by Joey, who grabbed a basket ball on his way.

Lance looked at Chris, who said, "Go ahead. We'll both have plenty of time by the time they're done."

Lance grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom, laughing.

"So you're not going with us then?" J.C. asked, looking through the refrigerator for something to eat.

"No, I gotta figure out what to do with her," Chris replied, finishing his taco.

J.C. shut the door and turned around. "What happened to those tacos that were in here?"

"I ate them," Chris replied simply. He held his plate down to let the dogs lick it clean.

"You ate- but those were in here for three weeks!" J.C. exclaimed.

"Was it?" Chris asked, watching the dogs.

"I swear," J.C. started, opening the fridge again. "Your stomach must be made of steel. Nothing makes you sick."

"I am invincible," Chris teased, getting up and laying the plate next to the sink. Then he went back to the couch and lay down, turning the cartoons back on. The new dog came over and laid her head on Chris's chest, looking at him with expressive brown eyes. "Hey, J.C., look at this," Chris called to J.C., who still had his head in the refrigerator.

J.C. turned around, pulling out a slice of pizza. He threw it on the plate Chris just set down and took it over to where Chris was laying. "What?" he asked, taking a bite of pizza.

"I think she loves me," Chris replied, smiling as he petted her soft head.

"She is kinda cute," J.C. agreed, kneeling down next to her. "She's pregnant, you say?" he asked, felling her stomach.

"Yeah, that or she's really fat," Chris replied, with a hint of annoyance.

"Haha. Hey- I can feel the puppies!" J.C. exclaimed.

"I know. It's because she has no fat," Chris replied, watching J.C. continue to eat off the plate the dogs licked.

When J.C.'s touching became too uncomfortable for her, she jumped on Chris and lay down, curled up on his stomach.

"She doesn't like you," Chris announced, gently petting the dog.

"That's though," J.C. replied. "That's why she can't stay."

Chris came close to telling J.C. off, but instead said, "I know." He didn't know why he had such strong feelings for this dog, but she was special. Chris turned his head and looked out the window to hide the tears that were forming. Suddenly, he had an idea.

~o0O0o~

"When we come back, that dog better be gone," J.C. said as the guys headed out.

"Okay, whatever," Chris said, practically shoving the guys out the door. "Bye!" he called after them, closing the door. "Now, time to work," he said to his canine companions.

They sat and watched him curiously as he took out all the drawers that were under his bunk and dumped them out. The new dog lay down on her side and whined softly.

Chris froze as a feeling of dread rose up. "What's wrong?" he asked her, going over and kneeling next to her. She raised her tail slightly in an attempt to wag it and didn't even move her head as she looked at him.

When she whined again, Chris believed his feeling to be true; she was having her puppies.

~o0O0o~

Chris had made the dog's bed under his bunk by taking out all the cardboard drawers and emptying them into the closet. Then he cut the fronts off and glued them together, forming a removable wall to the space under his bunk. Inside, he placed some towels and old shirts for her to lie on. Busta lay on Chris's bed and watched curiously. Chris decided to name the dog Hope, because she had trusted him with her puppies.

Chris was scared out of his mind. He had no idea what to do. While he was making her bed, he had put in the movie, '101 Dalmatians' and watched the delivery part over and over again. He got some boiling water, although he had no idea what it was for. He still had a couple hours before the guys came back, but he hadn't planned on the puppies being born yet. He planned on having Hope stay under his bunk without being noticed, but not the puppies too.

He gave a frustrated sigh as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He sat petting Hope's silky head, and she started to whine again. Chris's eyes wandered to her back end, and he saw the first blood-covered pup.

Then he fainted.

~o0O0o~

Chris slowly came to, and he carefully sat up, confused. He was slightly dizzy as he looked around, trying to figure out what happened. Everything hit him full force when he saw Hope, and seven nursing puppies.

"Hope?" Chris asked.

The dog was lying on her side, completely still as Chris came over to her. His heart began racing as he started to pet her, getting no response. Then he pushed one of her front legs, then blew on her face.

Nothing.

Chris's heart grew heavy and he got a sick feeling as he silently started to cry.

She was dead.

Tears blinded Chris as he bent over her and gave her one last hug. Slowly and regretfully, Chris turned his attention to the seven tiny newborns. Their eyes were still closed as they piled on top of each other to eat. They were specked white and brown; each one differently marked.

He watched the puppies nurse as he tried to pull himself together. The rest of the guys would be back any minute and he was stuck crying over a dead dog and her tiny puppies.

One by one, the puppies finished eating and dragged themselves into a pile, nestled down in the bloody towels. Chris grabbed his jacket and numbly picked himself up. He laid the jacket on the floor and carefully placed Hope on the jacket and wrapped her up. The puppies were sound asleep, and he replaced the cover on the hide-away bed before taking Hope out to the second rental car.

He drove to the nearest vet and explained what happened. The vet told him he had done everything he could, and that Hope had died from being so malnourished and not being able to stop bleeding. The vet said he would cremate her for free, and gave Chris some puppy formula and explained how to care for them.

Chris left the vet's office feeling a little better, and nervous about having to take care of the pups. He debated on whether or not to tell the other guys, and soon decided against it.

When he got back to the bus, the others hadn't arrived yet and he ran inside to check on the pups. Chris tossed his jacket on the table and joined Busta, who was staring at the fake wall with interest.

"Hey buddy," Chris said, petting Busta and taking the wall down. "Guess you're the dad now. Will you help me take care of these little guys?" Chris asked.

Busta licked Chris's hand, then ran into the puppy's bed and began checking each one.

Chris marveled at how tiny the puppies were. He could easily fit three of their warm bodies on one hand. With a warm heart, he watched them weakly and blindly crawl around.

The slamming of a car door broke his attention. "Shit," he muttered, putting the wall back on the puppy bed. He sat down on the sofa just as the guys boarded the bus. Chris turned on the TV and pretended to be involved.

"What are you doing?" Lance asked, looking at a nervous Chris.

"I'm watchin' TV," Chris replied, glancing at the others.

"Really?" Joey asked suspiciously. "What are you watching?"

"I-"

"What's this?" J.C. asked, holding up the bag of supplies that the vet gave Chris.

"It's nothing," Chris said, jumping up.

"Oooh, I think it's something," Joey teased as Chris headed towards J.C.

"Come on, give it back," Chris whined, holding out his hand.

J.C. tossed the bag to Joey as Chris pounced on him, knocking them down.

As Chris and J.C. untangled themselves, Joey looked in the bag and cracked up.

"May I ask what you're doing with a bottle and a can of milk?" Joey asked, laughing.

"Chris, is there something you need to tell us?" Lance asked, cracking up.

Then J.C. grew serious and asked, "You're not a father, are you?"

"No- I, uh…" Chris started, not sure what to say.

"Oh my God. Christopher- I…" J.C. stuttered, sitting down before his legs gave out on him.

"I can't believe it!" Justin exclaimed. "You're the one always telling us to wait!"

"Guys-" Chris started.

"Do we know her?" J.C. asked, holding his head in his hands.

Giving in, Chris said, "Yeah, but she's gone now."

"Oh, man. What a bitch. Did you get to see the baby before she left you?" Joey asked, rubbing Chris's shoulder.

"Yeah I saw them," Chris said, instantly regretting it when he saw the shock on their faces.

"Them? You have twins?" Justin exclaimed.

"How long have you been hiding this from us?" Lance asked.

"I-" Chris started.

"It this gets out…"J.C. interrupted.

"It won't," Chris assured them.

They sat in stunned in silence, until Justin finally spoke up. "Where's Busta?"

Chris looked around and realized he must have put Busta in with the puppies.

"Here Busta!" Joey called while they all started searching the bus.

Chris watched the secret door, praying Busta wouldn't break it down. Then Chris saw a little black nose poke out under a corner, glistening in the light. "Uh, why don't you guys go outside and look for him?" Chris said, jumping up. He sat on his bunk and kicked the wall back on.

The others gave him a look that they would have given a be-headed chicken. "I guess it's a father thing," Joey whispered to Justin.

The guys left, shaking their heads and confused. Outside, they spread out and began calling for Busta.

~o0O0o~

Inside, Chris ran and locked the door behind them. Then he grabbed the milk and bottle and went back to the puppies. He took down the wall and sure enough, Busta ran out. The puppies were crying pitifully and blindly looking for their mother. "I know, I know. You guys are hungry. Hold on, I'll get you some food." Chris began to read the directions on the milk, when a little ball of light brown/blonde fur ran into him, and began crying when it realized it was by itself. Its tiny ears flopped as it bit the air, trying to find it's mother's milk.

Chris laughed as he thought of the perfect name for the little guy.

He named it Nick.

~o0O0o~

"Well this sucks," Justin said, shivering in the cold night air.

"It's his dog, let him look for it," J.C. agreed, walking back to the bus.

They walked up to the door, but when they tried it, it was locked. "What the-?" J.C. exclaimed, trying the door again.

"That stupid son of a-" Justin muttered, his teeth rattling as he shivered.

"Chris!" Joey yelled. Then he got an idea and walked around the side of the bus. "Hey Justin, come here!" he called.

Justin hugged himself as he walked over to Joey. "What?" he asked.

Joey moved under one of the bus windows, then bent down and cupped his hands. "Step up here and get his attention."

J.C. and Lance joined them as Justin peeked in the window. He sighed as he watched Chris microwaving the milk. After a few seconds, Chris took it out and tested it on his arm. "The poor guy," Justin said, his breath fogging up the window. "He's making a bottle of milk."

"Oh, man, this is worse than I thought. We're gonna have to get him some physiological help to get over this," J.C. groaned.

"How could someone take his first born children like that? If I ever see her, I'll-"

Justin interrupted Joey as he whispered, "Crap!" and jumped down.

"Did he see you?" Lance asked.

"I don't think so. We better give him some time alone though," Justin replied.

~o0O0o~

Chris took the milk back to the puppies. He sat down and held the bottle out in front of the closest puppy. It found the bottle and began sucking on it happily. Chris couldn't tell if it was a male or female, but when he looked under it, he found a tiny bulge, bigger than the rest of the puppies. The little male was all white except for brown markings on the tip of it's tail, and some that resembled a small goatee on its face. Chris experimentally took the bottle away, and the puppy gave a pitiful, tiny growl. Chris laughed, and as he gave the bottle back, named the puppy A.J.

~o0O0o~

After half an hour, the puppies were finally done eating. There were five males, and only two girls, one of which he named Trust, in memory of Hope. The other female was the runt of the litter, and she was a tad bit strange. Several times, she would repeatedly run into walls, and get so lost she would cry until Chris moved her. She spent a lot of time licking herself and cuddled next to Nick. Chris named her Britney.

Next came Brian, a handsome little male puppy, beautifully marked with brown and white marbleized spots. His fur was slightly wavy, even though it was so short. Brian was nice to all his brothers and sisters, and had a shorter nose than the rest of the puppies. Then came a smaller male, who was totally brown. Often, he would lick the other males when they were piled together. Chris named this one Howie.

Finally, came the shyest puppy. The puppy's dark brown fur stood straight up on its head, and it had gentle greensih-grey eyes. The bottom of its lips were black, and so was a spot on the bottom of its chin. Chris named this pup Kevin.

Chris suddenly realized the rest of the guys were still outside, and ran to let them in. When they came in, they were half-frozen and unusually nice to Chris.

"You feeling okay, man?" Justin chattered.

"I'm fine," Chris replied, confused.

"You want to order tacos or something?" Joey asked.

"No…I'm not hungry," Chris said, eyeing each of them.

"Okay, we'll be right here if you need anything, or just want to talk," J.C. said as they sat down in front of the TV.

Extremely confused and tired from his day, Chris just sighed, then lay down on his bunk and fell asleep.

~o0O0o~

The next morning, Chris woke up first. He heard a ripping sound before he even opened his eyes. Busta, who always slept beside Chris, began licking Chris's face to wake him up. Chris pushed Busta away and rubbed off the slobber. Then he looked around and gasped at what he saw.

He numbly got out of bed, stepping on the fallen wall he had made. All over the room lay torn clothing and shredded paper. Sitting right in the middle of it all, was A.J., his eyes now open. Kevin and Trust were sleeping, curled up next to each other. Howie was chasing Nick around, in their weak, stumbling puppy way. Brian was chewing a piece of torn shirt, and began wagging his tail furiously when he saw Chris.

Chris sighed, and yanked one of his braids, hoping to wake up. Instead, he was left with a sore spot on his head. The puppies looked at Chris expectantly, wanting him to join them. Kevin and Trust woke up and wobbly trotted over to Chris, sitting before him and looking up with innocent eyes. Suddenly, A.J. ran for Kevin, and knocked the puppy down. They started giving little puppy squeaks and yelps as they rolled over each other, playing.

Chris bent down and picked up Trust, looking her in the eyes. Then he realized he couldn't be mad at the tiny ball of fur and he smiled, petting its head. "Come on, we'll get some breakfast," he whispered, not waking the others.

~o0O0o~

The warm sun shone through the bus as Chris got to work. He could only salvage three of the fifteen shirts, which he wondered how they even chewed them, having no teeth. He picked up the paper and put it into a trash bag, along with the ruined shirts. The puppies lapped the milk from a bowl as Chris fixed the wall under his bunk. He added two locks, and kept the keys on a necklace he would never take off. He started to the bathroom, and found Britney, cocking her head as she looked in the full-length mirror. She then started to lick the mirror, until Chris picked her up and put her with the others.

Once he had cleaned up himself and the bus, he headed out into the warm morning air, the seven puppies trailing behind him. While he waited for all the puppies to go to the bathroom, he glanced at his watch. It was 8:30, and the others usually woke up at 9:00. He turned his attention back to the puppies, and watched them wobble through the grass. They were getting stronger by the minute, and Chris could almost see them growing. Brittany sat beside Chris, not wanting to get her feet wet by the morning dew that shimmered on the grass. The puppies were too short to be seen they were only located by the trail they made through the grass.

Chris grew concerned as he watched Nick squatting as he urinated. "No, no, no. You gotta lift your leg!" Chris shouted. "Here, let me show you." Chris went over next to the puppy, who looked at Chris with amusement. Chris got down on all fours and lifted his leg. "Like this," he said, showing the puppy the right way.

~o0O0o~

Justin yawned as he woke up. He thought he had heard something outside, and he stretched, revealing his toned abs. He rolled over into the sun and blinked. He pushed himself up and looked out the window, the covers dropping further, showing his boxers. "I must be dreaming," he said out loud, looking out the window. Outside, he saw Chris on all fours lifting his leg like a dog. He rubbed his eyes, and looked out the window again.

Still there.

"Oh, man, he's totally lost it," Justin said, a little louder. He sat spellbound, watching Chris, until the alarm clock went off, pushing him back into reality.

Justin turned to the others as they woke up, eager to show them the scene outside.

~o0O0o~

Chris gave up with trying to teach Nick how to pee like a 'man', when he heard the alarm clock go off in the bus. He glanced at his watch, reading the time 8:35. "They must have set it for earlier today," Chris told the puppies as he started to get up. He felt a tug on the back of his head, and turned to see A.J. attempting to pull out an extension.

He shook the annoying puppy loose, then stood up, trying to come up with a way to get the puppies back inside. As he desperately looked around, he noticed the others were watching him through a bus window.

He gave an embarrassed smile as the others tried to make something out of his behavior. "What?" he asked, gently stepping on A.J. to hold him down as he tried to eat Chris's jeans.

The others shook their heads sympathetically before they turned away. When he made sure they weren't looking, Chris got his bearings on all the puppies. Trust and Kevin lay at his feet, while the others lay on their bellies, eating grass. Britney sat royally under the bus, licking her feet to clean them. "What am I gonna do with all you?" Chris asked, looking around for a place to stash the puppies. His eyes fell on the second rental car; the one no one else would drive because it was lime green. Chris felt a little hurt by the gestures, as he picked out the car. "Well, you guys would be safe in there, for a little while anyway," Chris said, gathering the puppies in his arms.

The puppies wriggled in his arms as he carried them over to the car. He balanced the puppies as he opened the door, then placed the puppies on the driver's seat.

They looked up at him with sad brown eyes, sensing he was leaving them. "You guys stay here. I'll be back soon," he said, then shut the door and headed for the bus. When he stepped inside, the guys stopped what they were doing and looked at Chris sympathetically.

"So what were you doing outside?" Lance asked casually.

Chris thought for a moment, open-mouthed. "I, uh, was looking- no, I was checking the air in the tires,"" he stuttered.

"Out in the grass?" Joey questioned, not looking up from his cereal bowl.

Chris started to blush as he lied, "Yeah, well, I uh, dropped the gauge and it blew in the grass, and I was getting it.

"It blew? I thought they were metal," Justin asked.

"It's a strong wind," Chris replied.

"Doesn't look windy to me," Lance replied, looking out the window.

Chris grew redder as he argued, "Weirder stuff has happened."

"So where is it?" J.C. asked.

"What?" Chris replied.

"The tire gauge," J.C. said flatly.

"In my pants," Chris shot back.

"Oh. Okay."

A horn honking outside broke the silence. The guys raced Chris to the window, and won.

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is your car's horn honking?"

Chris moved to the window a few feet away and looked out. From there he could see one of the puppies standing on its hind legs, trying to see out. Luckily, he was still too short to be seen by the others. "Uh, it's the alarm," Chris replied finally.

"What set it off?" Joey asked, looking around outside.

"Rabbit."

"Rabbit? I don't see one."

"It ran off."

"How'd it set off the alarm? Don't you have to try to break in?"

"It ran into the side of the car."

"That hard?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

Chris left it at that, and headed over to the refrigerator to scrounge for breakfast. While the others knew Chris was lying, Joey remained at the window, looking for the rabbit.

After finding nothing in the refrigerator, Chris moved to the cabinet, and pulled out a can of ravioli. He pulled out the can opener, opened the can, then got a spoon and dumped the ravioli into a bowl. He ignored the staring eyes that followed him as he sat on the couch and began eating.

"Okay, well I'm gonna get a shower now," Justin said, taking a deep breath.

"Lucky," J.C. mumbled. "Hurry up. If this keeps up, I may get sick."

"Hey, I don't have to listen to this. I'll just go outside," Chris huffed, getting up and carrying his bowl outside.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for him," Lance said flatly, watching Chris go to his car and get in. They continued watching a few minutes while Chris looked around the car, then got out and came back to the bus.

"I forgot my milk," Chris answered before they could ask. He grabbed the bottle and can then went back outside.

J.C. and Lance looked at each other for a few minutes, reading each other's thoughts, before J.C. reached for the phone book. "I'll look up the doctor's number."

Lance grabbed the phone and replied, "I'll make the appointment."

~o0O0o~

The puppies were curled up in the front passenger seat, sleeping peacefully. Chris smiled as he opened the door, accidentally waking up the puppies. He could have sworn Britney shot him an evil, grumpy look as he got in the car. Chris sat in the driver's seat and prepared the puppy's meal as they began to crawl onto his lap. "Hold on guys," he said, gently pushing Nick and A.J. down. Brain was still curled up while the others played around him. Chris took the top off the bottle and went to fill it with milk when he realized he didn't get the can opener.'Crap,' he thought, opening the door again. "You guys stay here," he told the puppies. Then he headed towards the bus, taking a deep breath as he went.

~o0O0o~

"Here he comes!"

Chris heard the others shuffling around as he opened the door to the bus. He looked around, watching the others look at him with guilty expressions.

"What?" he asked, heading for the drawer that held the can opener.

"Nothing," the others replied, a little too fast.

"I'm getting the can opener, then I'm leaving," Chris informed them, in case a sudden movement startled them.

"Okay," J.C. replied. "Take your time."

"No thanks," Chris said under his breath.

"So, Chris," Joey started, "What were the names of your kids?"

Chris choked on his own spit at the question that had caught him off guard. "What?" he asked, turning red.

"Your kids," Joey repeated.

"Uh," Chris stuttered. 'I can't lie to them,' he thought as he replied, "Kevin, and uh, Britney."

"I thought you said they were twins," J.C. interrupted.

"Uh…" Chris's mind raced as he thought up an explanation. "They are. Just not identical."

"Oh."

Chris hated lying to his friends, so he decided to leave before they could ask any more questions. He walked through their questioning gazes and walked off the bus. When he got back to the car, the puppies were still awake and climbing all over the seats. Brian was the only one that remained still as Chris resumed his place in the passenger seat. The puppies began climbing on Chris, eagerly waiting their meal.

Chris quickly got the puppies their food and began feeding the first one, who was Britney. She greedily took a fourth of the bottle for herself before she quit, and went to lie down next to the still sleeping Brian. The others ate their fill, then went to lie down for a relaxing nap in the sun. Chris started worrying when Brian still hadn't wakened up. He gently nudged the puppy awake, and stuck the bottle in its mouth, forcing it to eat.

Brian reluctantly began eating, and soon after he was done and curled up on the seat again. A phase of worry passed over Chris, but it soon faded as his heart melted at the sight of all the puppies curled up on top of each other, sleeping.

He decided to let them sleep ad enjoy the peacefulness. Dreading going back to face the others, he decided to stay in the car. Chris turned on the radio and immediately regretted it when he recognized the first notes of The Backstreet Boys's 'Larger Than Life.'

Instantly, all the puppy's heads shot up and they began howling with the music, following the vocals perfectly. Chris sat stunned at what he was seeing. He turned the music off, and the puppies stopped. He turned it back on, and they fell right in sync with the music.

He changed the channel, and 'I Want You Back' rang through then car. The puppies began whimpering and covered their heads with their tiny paws. Chris laughed at their actions, wishing he could share this with the others.

~o0O0o~

"What's he doing now?" Justin asked as he emerged from the bathroom. He had a white towel wrapped low around his waist, and drops of water fell from his curly blonde hair and onto his broad shoulders.

Joey was crouched at the window, looking out through his binoculars at Chris. "He's laughing at his ravioli," Joey announced, stating what he saw.

"Promise me none of you will have a family behind my back," J.C. sighed.

"No problem," Justin replied.

Joey suddenly threw the binoculars on the floor and turned around. "He's coming!"

~o0O0o~

Chris got on the bus and was greeted by the smiles of all the others. "If you don't knock it off, your faces will get stuck like that," he said.

"How can we not be happy for you, Dad?" Lance teased.

"Whatever," Chris mumbled.

"Hey, we're going shopping later, you wanna come?" Justin asked.

"No, I got things to take care of around here," Chris replied.

" Like what?" J.C. asked.

"Uh…FumanSkeeto stuff," he lied.

"Oh. OK, well if you change your mind…" J.C. stared.

"I know," Chris interrupted. "Thanks anyway."

The others looked at each other knowingly as Chris dug a through a suitcase.

~o0O0o~

An hour later, the guys had left for the mall. Chris moved the puppies inside and they were now playing Busta. Brian was still sleeping, and Britney had found some of Chris's Pixie Stix, torn them open, then greedily began eating them. Chris could almost watch her getting fat, but she also liked to clean herself, and when she wasn't eating or being pretty, she was hanging on Nick. Nick proved to be the most annoying one of the bunch, and he was constantly whining and looking at Chris with a pitiful face. A.J. was the bully of the group, and was always pushing the other puppies around. Kevin and Trust were usually in a corner, being extremely good. Howie spent most of his time smelling the other males where he shouldn't.

Chris was interrupted from watching the puppies when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"This is Dr. Campbell, the vet you saw the other day about the puppies…" the voice on the other line announced.

"Yeah, I remember. What can I do for you?" Chris replied, motioning for the dogs to be quiet when they started barking shrilly.

"Well, I just wanted you to bring the puppies to my office so I can check them over. You can also pick up Hope's remains, if you wish," the vet replied.

Chris felt a wave of sorrow pass over him at the memory of the dog that had blessed him with these tiny miracles. "Sure," he replied, blinking away his tears. "We'll be right there."

~o0O0o~

"So far they all check out okay," the vet announced as he checked Britney. "This one's getting pretty heavy for her age, but if it becomes a problem, we can surgically take care of it."

Chris nodded as he happily watched the puppies crawl around the tiny examining room. He held Brian on his lap; he was the last to be checked. The vet set Britney down on the floor, and she immediately began to clean herself. Then he picked up Brian and put the stethoscope to the puppy's heart.

His face changed from happiness to concern as he moved the stethoscope around Brian's chest. "Hmm."

Chris became worried. "What?" he asked, hoping it was nothing.

But it was indeed something. "It seems this one has a heart murmur."

Chris's mouth dropped open before the asked; "He's got a whole in his heart?"

"I'm afraid so," the doctor concluded, pulling off his stethoscope.

Chris was too stunned to acknowledge his crushed spirit. "Will he die?" he asked numbly, like it was all a dream.

"Not if he gets surgery. I must tell you though; it will not be cheap. And the sooner the better, I'm afraid."

Chris took the puppy back in his arms and hugged it. "Will he live long if he does get the surgery?"

"The odds are very good that he will."

Chris blinked away his tears as he gave the puppy another comforting hug. "Okay, let's do it."

~o0O0o~

Chris returned home with the six healthy puppies, and he felt something was missing. The puppies didn't seem to notice they were short a brother, but Chris felt empty inside. It was amazing how attached he had become in such a short time.

Chris was now feeding the puppies again when he heard the others return from the mall. Busta began barking as Chris ran to put the puppies in their bed. He threw he bottle under a cushion on the couch, then jumped on it and turned on the TV.

Justin was the first on the bus, carrying his JCPenny bags, followed by Joey, carrying a Spencer's' bag. Lance and J.C. trailed behind; shutting the door just as Busta ran out. "What are you doing?" Justin smiled, looking at Chris.

"Nothing," Chris replied. "What did you guys get?"

"I got some tight shirts," Justin said, throwing his bags on his bunk.

"I got some superman stuff," Joey beamed.

"Big surprise," Chris mumbled.

"We got you something too," J.C. added.

"You did? What?" Chris asked, getting up.

"It's outside," J.C. said.

Chris went over to the door and opened it.

There in the grass, stood a wooden baby crib, complete with a red bow.

Chris's mouth dropped open.

~o0O0o~

"It's for your kids, if you find them," J.C. explained, proud of himself.

"Guys, I uh…"

"It's okay, don't thank us yet. We just want to see you happy," Lance said, beaming with pride.

Chris snapped out of it and decided to humor them. "It's great guys. Thanks. They'll love it."

The guys smiled and happily headed inside. Busta began sniffing the leg of the crib, and Chris walked over to inspect it. "What am I gonna do?" he asked Busta.

~o0O0o~

Inside, the guys were crowded around the window watching Chris. "I think he likes it," Lance said.

"I think we made him cry," Justin said, looking through the Joey's binoculars. Outside, Chris had bent down to pet Busta and the Pug shook, sending hair flying everywhere, including Chris's eyes. He was now rubbing them, trying to get out the dog hair.

"Poor guy. By the way, how are we gonna get him to his therapy session?" Lance asked.

"I don't know yet. But we'll get him there one way or another. He needs to share his feeling," J.C. replied.

"Incoming," Joey announced, seeing Chris head for them.

Chris got on the bus, still digging at his puffy, red eyes and sniffling.

"Hey man, we're sorry. We didn't mean to upset you…" J.C. started.

"It's okay," Chris replied, heading for the bathroom. He looked at the others after he passed them, realizing what J.C. had said. Busta followed him into the bathroom and got a drink form the toilet as Chris washed out his eyes.

"Don't let him do that!" J.C. yelled.

"Do what?" Chris asked, teasing J.C. the way a little kid teased their stressed mother.

J.C. didn't reply, and Chris headed back out when he was done. He sat on his bunk while Busta lay at his feet, guarding the puppies. He thought he heard one of the puppy's whine, but the sound was covered up when Lance sat on the couch.

"What's this?" Lance asked, pulling up the side of the cushion and holding up the bottle.

Chris looked at the floor as all the eyes turned to him.

Taking a deep breath, J.C. stepped forward in front of Chris. "Okay Chris, don't take this the wrong way, but we scheduled an appointment for you at a physiologist. He can help you deal with this whole baby thing, okay?"

Chris looked up, shocked. "What?"

"Now don't get mad, we're just-"

Scratch. Scratch.

"What's that?" J.C. asked, looking around.

Scratch.

"What?" Chris asked innocently.

Yip! Scatch.

"Don't you hear that?"

"No, what does it sound like?" Chris asked.

"Something's digging," J.C. replied.

Scratch.

"Nope. Don't hear it. Maybe you're just losing it," Chris said.

J.C. was about to argue, when Justin screamed. "What happened to my clothes?!" he yelled, holding up the torn shirts Chris had stuffed in the trash can.

Everyone looked at Chris as he asked, "What?"

"What happened?" Justin repeated, shaking the torn shirt.

Chris watched as a piece of it fell to the floor. "It's a long story," he said, thinking. "I'll pay you back. Don't worry about it."

"Enlighten me," Justin said. "I want to hear this."

"I was trying to make a surprise dinner for you," Chris started.

"Keep going. I'm not seeing how this fits in with my clothes."

"And I accidentally spilled some spaghetti sauce on my shirt."

"Yeah…" Justin pressured.

"And I wanted to look nice, but all of my clothes were ghetto, so I took one of your shirts." Chris received an angry look from Justin and continued. "Then I was draining the spaghetti when I dropped an earring down the garbage disposal." Lance started laughing as Chris continued. "Well, I had to get it, right? So I put my hand down the disposal. I almost had it back up, when I accidentally turned on the garbage disposal" Everyone except Justin and Chris began laughing as Chris finished. "And your shirts are to big on me, so the sleeve got stuck in there and it ripped the shirt off me. I'm lucky I didn't die!"

Justin glared at Chris as he asked, "What about the other shirts?"

"Well, it was still down there."

"You did that twelve times?!"

"Fifteen really," Chris mumbled, making his eyes big and soft.

Justin's mouth dropped open to yell, but he just sighed as Chris gave him the puppy face. "Whatever." Justin threw the shirt back in the trash and said, "It's a good thing I just got more clothes."

J.C. was still trying to listen for the noise, and Busta was raising his lip as J.C. approached the puppy's bed. "What's wrong, boy?" J.C. asked, backing off.

Chris picked Busta up, who was now growling at J.C.

"What's wrong with your dog?" J.C. asked, taking a step back.

"He's just really protective," Chris said, petting Busta. "Maybe you guys should leave."

"This is not his bus, why should I leave?" J.C. asked.

Busta growled more as the hair on his back stood up. "Please, just go," Chris said.

"Okay, we'll go," Joey said softly. The others glared at him, but followed him out into the sun.

Just as the door shut, the puppies began barking. Chris locked the door, then went back and unlocked the puppy hide-away. They all ran out, ears flapping as they nearly knocked Chris down. They were bubbling over with energy from their short nap. Their tails wagged so furiously, their tiny bodies wriggled all over. They licked him and teased Busta, then continued playing. A.J. grabbed Busta's tail and began pulling. Britney started chasing Nick, but lost him when he turned a corner and she flew into a wall, head first. She shook herself, then got up and stumbled off.

Chris felt something tug on his pant leg and looked down to see A.J. pulling with all his might, tail high in the air. He playfully growled a harmless puppy growl and looked at Chris with fire in his light brown eyes. Chris bent down and picked him up with one hand. "Why do you hate me?" Chris asked. The pup howled, then licked Chris as he wiggled to get down. Chris laughed as he set the feisty pup down, which scampered off to beat up Howie. Trust trotted over and placed her front feet on Chris's leg, looking at him and wanting to be picked up. Instead, Chris sat down and let her curl up on his lap. She was a replica of her mother, so trusting and kind. He heard something crash, and turned around to see Britney in the middle of a pile of potato chips. An overturned table lay beside her, one leg broken. She greedily began eating the chips, and growled when Brian came too close. When she had inhaled all the chips, she began licking herself clean as Nick helped.

Chris turned back to Trust, and then felt something warm running down his back.

Chris quickly turned around, seeing A.J. sitting behind him, looking guilty. Chris felt his back, then cautiously sniffed his hand. "I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled, recognizing the smell of urine. He jumped up, sending Trust scrambling to her feet, and began chasing A.J. The puppy tucked his tail and ran into the puppy bed, trying to bury himself in the towels. Chris grabbed A.J.'s tail and pulled the puppy out, swearing to himself. "Why do you make my life hell?" Chris asked, holding the puppy close to his face. In response, the tiny brown ball of fur lunged for Chris's nose, catching the tip of it. "OW! You little…" Chris yelled, dropping the puppy, who flew back into the bed and hid.

Another crash interrupted his thoughts as he looked up to see Britney gobbling down a 3 lb. Bag of skittles Chris had opened an hour ago. Britney had pulled the bag off his bunk, sending them scattering in all directions. The puppies gathered around, grabbing what they could get.

Near tears, Chris sighed in hopelessness. His nose was starting to bleed, and he reeked of urine. He shoved the Skittles under his bunk, and the puppies followed. Once they were all in, he slammed the door shut and locked it. Busta followed him to the bathroom and drank out of the toilet as Chris cleaned up his nose.

~o0O0o~

"I can't see him!" Justin whispered, balancing on top of Joey's shoulders.

"He's making enough noise!" J.C. argued. "I'd think you could see him!"

"He WAS making noise," Justin corrected. "He's not there now."

Joey trembled under Justin's weight. "You think you could hurry it up?"

"Hold on one min-"

Justin was cut off as Joey collapsed him and Justin getting tangled up. Lance and J.C. cracked up as they helped the two get up.

~o0O0o~

Chris froze when he heard a crash. Busta's head went up, and neither made a noise as they listened, except for the water dripping off Busta's chin.

~o0O0o~

"Good one," Justin whispered loudly to Joey. "I think all of China heard that!"

"Well, if you weren't so big, maybe-"

"Guys, be quiet! I got an idea. Let's roll the car over here, then we all can see in," J.C. said.

They considered it for a moment before running to get the car.

~o0O0o~

Chris walked out of the bathroom to watch TV and unlock the bus door. He had borrowed another of Justin's shirts, and his nose was no longer bleeding. As he walked by the windows, his mind barley recognized the fact that almost no sun was coming through one of them.

He unlocked the door, then sat down in front of the TV. The puppies were sleeping again, giving him some peace. He flipped through the channels, landing on a rerun of the Mickey Mouse Club. He decided to watch it for a while to see if Justin or J.C. was on it. Then he realized his stomach was rumbling again, so he wandered over to the refrigerator.

Chris pulled out a Dr. Pepper and a yogurt. He walked back to the couch and sat down and began eating. His hand in mid-air, he spotted the others looking in the window, staring at him. Then they blushed and all jumped out of view. Chris sighed as he chose to ignore them.

~o0O0o~

"Did he see us?"

"I don't know!"

"How can he eat that? It's been in there for a month!"

"Well I ate one yesterday." Everyone looked at Joey and he added, "Never mind."

"Why is he wearing my shirt?" Justin asked.

"I think he feels insecure," Lance replied.

"Oh, man," J.C. groaned, looking at his watch. "His appointment is in ten minutes!"

"We gotta go," Lance said.

"Now, he's not going to go by himself, so we gotta help him. But gently," He added, seeing Justin's evil grin.

"I got an idea!" Joey exclaimed. He then proceeded to whisper his plan to the others.

~o0O0o~

Chris was so preoccupied; he didn't even realize how sour the yogurt was. He laughed as he saw a young Justin and Britney Spears singing on TV. Then he watched as the real Justin entered the bus, smiled, and then grabbed a roll of duct tape. Justin smiled at Chris again, then bounced off the bus steps, shutting the door behind him.

Chris stared at the door and thought for a moment, trying to figure out what Justin was up to. Then he realized the yogurt he was holding in his mouth was horrible tasting. He made a face as he carefully swallowed what was in his mouth. Chris looked at the half- empty container for the expiation date and found it was a month ago. He shrugged to himself and tossed the container in the trash on his way out the door.

He stepped off the bus, blinking in the bright sun. He stepped forward to find the others when he tripped over something and fell face first on the pavement.

~o0O0o~

When Chris woke up, the first thing he realized was that he couldn't move. He looked down and saw that his feet and hands were each duct taped together. Then he realized he was in a car, and they it was moving. He looked out the window and saw they were on a highway. "He's awake!" Joey announced.

Chris looked next to him. Joey sat beside him, and Lance sat on the other side of Joey. J.C. was driving, and Justin was in the passenger seat.

"Hey, man, are you okay? We didn't mean to knock you out or anything," J.C. apologized.

"What happened?" Chris asked, confused. He couldn't move and had a headache. His stomach was also starting to churn.

"Well, you know that appointment with the psychologist?" J.C. began.

"Kinda."

"Well, you're going. But it's only because we care about you."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Chris started.

"Come on now, its not that bad. Just try it. For us," J.C. started.

"No, I think I'm really gonna be sick," Chris replied, his mouth watering.

"Oh, crap!'' Joey yelled, moving closer to Lance as J.C. slammed on the brakes and swerved off the road.

Justin jumped out and opened Chris's door, letting him out. Chris hopped out; his feet still taped together. He just made it out before he threw up on the side of the road.

Justin leaned in the car and announced, "Well, there's that yogurt again."

"God, Just, I didn't need that visual right now," J.C. groaned.

"No problem," he smiled, ducking back out of the car and helping Chris.

Once Chris was done the started driving again. "So why am I tied up?" Chris asked.

"Because we knew you wouldn't come under your own power," Lance replied.

"And we just want to see you get through this," Joey said, placing his hand on Chris's shoulder.

"Thanks," Chris mumbled sarcastically.

~o0O0o~

"Okay now, stay with us," J.C. warned while Joey cut the tape that held Chris's feet.

"I think I can handle it," Chris mumbled, feeling J.C.'s hand wrap around his arm.

"Don't touch me," Chris shot back, starting to struggle. He instantly felt Joey's strong arm holding him in place and gently pushing him forward, into the psychologist's office.

The receptionist looked with a question gaze.

"We're here for Chris Kirkpatrick's appointment," J.C. announced.

"And that would be Mr. Kirkpatrick?" she questioned, pointing to Chris, his still bound together in front of him.

"Yeah," Joey said, smiling. "This is just a precautionary."

"Okay," the secretary sighed, rolling her eyes. "You can go on in."

"Thanks," Lance smiled, shoving Chris.

Chris glared at the secretary, hating her for not saving him. She cast him an apologetic look before the door shut behind him.

~o0O0o~

The ride home was silent. The psychologist prescribed Chris some Prozac to help him get over his 'ordeal', and the others were told include Chris in everything and make him feel wanted.

Chris pouted and rolled his eyes for the twentieth time as he looked out the window. At least he was untapped. He was anxious to get home and check on the puppies and he started bouncing his leg in anticipation.

"You okay?" Joey asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, leave me alone," Chris shot back, harsher than he meant.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry," Joey quickly apologized.

Chris heard the hurt in his friend's voice and apologized also. "I'm sorry too. I'm just a little tense right now."

"We understand," Lance said. "And we're here for you all the way."

Chris rolled his eyes and continued to look out the window, too preoccupied to notice the things outside.

Soon, they back to the bus. Chris headed towards his car when J.C. called. "Not so fast! Get back here and take your medicine!"

Chris stopped for a moment before arguing, "No."

"Don't argue, get in the bus and take it. The sooner, the better," J.C. replied.

"I really don't think I should," Chris replied, his feet planted to his spot.

"Chris, get in here now," J.C. ordered.

Chris stood where he was, stubbornly glaring J.C.

"Fine," J.C. said, going inside the bus.

Chris smiled at himself until J.C. returned, accompanied by Joey and Justin. In his left hand, he held the bottle of pills. Chris's smile faded and his eyes grew big as the three approached. "You're going to take these," J.C. announced firmly.

Chris began to back up, but was caught by Joey and Justin, who held him in place. "We only want you to get better," Joey said as J.C. got a pill ready.

"But-" No sooner had Chris opened his mouth, then J.C. forced a dose of Prozac in his mouth, and then his nose and mouth shut. Chris struggled against Justin and Joey, but soon realized he was no match for both of them.

Eventually, he swallowed the pill, and J.C. allowed him to breathe again. "See?" J.C. asked.

"Yes," Chris mumbled, stepping aside when Joey and Justin released him.

"Okay, we'll be inside. Come in in a few minutes," Joey said, then the three walked off.

Chris watched them go with annoyance, then turned his attention back to the puppies.

~o0O0o~

Chris had driven the puppies to a nearby park in order to let them play with out being caught by his friends. The Prozac had put him in an extremely good mood, not to mention an energy boost. The almost high-like affect earned him strange glances from passerby's as he ran around with the puppies.

The scene was priceless as Chris played with the puppies. They chased him around the park, the puppies playfully bounding after Chris. Eventually one of them fell, and the others jumped on it, playfully nipping it, then they would hurry to catch up with the others. The sun bounced off their fur, making it shine a sparkling light brown. Their ears flapped as they ran along, their feet still too big for their bodies.

Chris ran to a shady spot under a towering Oak tree, and sat under it. As the puppies caught up, they jumped on Chris, knocking him over. He laughed as they tugged at his braids with their tiny puppy teeth.

Chris played with the puppies until they were all breathing hard and worn out. "Well, we better get back. The guys are gonna be upset," he sighed, getting up. The puppies also got up, and tiredly followed Chris to the car. One by one, Chris put them in the car until they were all in. Chris got in the passenger seat when his cell phone began ringing.

"Hello?"

"This is Dr. Campbell, from the animal clinic…"

"Yeah?" Chris replied.

"I was just calling to let you know the puppy is fine and out of surgery with no complications."

"So he's okay now?" Chris asked, smiling.

"Yes, he should be ready to go in a few days," the vet said, sensing Chris's enthusiasm.

"Great," Chris replied. "Just give me a call when I can come get him."

"Of course. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, thanks," Chris added before hanging up. "You guys hear that? Brian's okay!" The puppies were too busy sleeping to hear the good news, but Chris drove home happily anyway.

~o0O0o~

Chris bounded on the bus, wearing a smile bright enough to turn night to day.

"What's wrong with you?" Joey asked wearily.

"Not a thing!" Chris replied, sitting next to Justin. "How's my favorite 18 year old?" Chris asked, rubbing Justin's hair.

Justin ducked and moved away from Chris. "I was fine," he replied, fixing his hair.

"Isn't it beautiful outside?" Chris asked, getting up. "I feel great."

J.C. whispered to Lance, "It's the Prozac."

Lance nodded with understanding as they watched Chris.

"So what are we going to do on this lovely day?" Chris asked, pulling out his rollerblades.

Curious, J.C. replied, "I'm going to stay here."

"Really? That's too bad. Well, I'm off!" Chris said in one breath as he put on his rollerblades and skated to the door.

The others watched him go and J.C. yelled, "Goodbye!"

"Bye!" Chris replied.

The others looked at each other then heard the thumping of bus steps and rollerblades meeting painfully.

Joey went to the door and found Chris in a heap at the bottom of the steps. "Hurt, didn't it?" he teased.

"A little," Chris smiled, picking himself up then skating off.

~o0O0o~

"Scary thing is, that's how he normally acts," Justin said, watching Chris skate around outside.

"I know. Pretty scary," J.C. replied.

"Well, I'm gonna go get us some dinner," Joey announced, getting up.

"Tacos?" Lance asked.

"Yeah," Joey said, rolling his eyes. "Doctor's orders."

"Okay, bye," Lance replied.

"Bye," Joey said, closing the door behind him. He was nearly run over as Chris came flying around the bus, then kept going, and adding a jump twist.

Joey sighed as he ran to the car, then took off for supper.

~o0O0o~

"Chris! Food!" Justin called out the window. Chris was still outside skating around, even though he was covered in sweat. J.C. had just finished crushing the Prozac and hid it in Chris's tacos when Chris jumped on the bus and skated to the sink to wash his hands.

"Have fun?" Lance asked hypothetically.

"Yup," Chris panted, drying his hands and joining them at the table.

"Here you go," J.C. said, pushing the drugged tacos to Chris.

Within seconds, they were gone. "Was that good?" Lance asked.

"Yup," Chris smiled, then headed back outside.

"Bye," they called after him.

They were answered by the clatter of skates and a body falling down the stairs.

~o0O0o~

They awoke the next morning to find Chris's bed empty. "Did he ever come in?" Joey asked.

"I don't think so," J.C. replied.

"Uh, I think I know why," Justin said, looking out the window. They gasped at the sight before them.

There, in the middle of the parking lot, stood a full sized, 15 foot half pipe. Chris was skating in it, a sport he had mastered overnight. The others went outside to watch, the sun arming their bare chests.

Chris jumped to the starting platform when he saw them, and steadied himself on the handrails as he called to them, "Hey guys!"

"Chris, how-?"

"Where-?"

Chris smiled as he replied, "I made it."

They walked around it, inspecting it. "You made this?" they questioned.

"Yeah, last night."

"Good job," was all they managed to say.

"You guys wanna try it out?"

"Uh, maybe later," Justin said, the others nodding their heads in agreement.

"Okay," Chris replied, climbing down the ladder. As he started towards them, they noticed he was covered in bruises.

"What happened to you?" Lance asked.

"It takes a while to get the hang of," Chris explained. Then his eyes wandered to his car, and he saw one of the puppies looking out the window. "Uh, I gotta go," he said, quickly taking his skates off.

"What? Where?" J.C asked.

"Um, to the store. To get Band-Aids," Chris replied, running over to his car. Before the others could answer, he jumped in the car and took off.

Chris wound up at the vet's office. He had no other place to go, and he wanted to see Brian. His good mood was tapering off, and it left him very emotional. His heart broke at the sight of the tiny puppy with tubes and monitors stuck in him. But at the same time, he was glad Brian pulled through.

The other puppies wandered around the vet's small office, getting into mischief. "You look worn out," the vet observed, seeing the young man dead on his feet.

"I am. These puppies are a big responsibility," Chris replied, his eyes closing briefly.

"I know. They need lost of exercise and stimulation," she said, watching Chris sway slightly as he closed his eyes again. She grabbed a chair and almost reached him, but he fell to the floor first, sound asleep.

The puppies dropped what they were doing and all ran to jump on the sleeping form they accepted as their mother. Not knowing quite what to do, Dr. Campbell drug Chris over to the waiting room couch and pulled him up on it.

She then went back to work, smiling as the puppies climbed on Chris's chest and went to sleep.

~o0O0o~

"Well, its about time," J.C. mumbled, watching Chris's car pull up to the bus.

Chris had slept for four hours at the vet's office. Luckily she wasn't too busy that day, and the few customers she did have didn't mind seeing the tiny puppies sleeping on a handsome young man's chest.

As Chris stepped on the bus, a taco was shoved in his face. "Eat this," J.C. ordered, mad for letting Chris leave that morning with out his medicine.

Chris didn't argue, and ate the drugged taco on his way to the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, bare chested. He threw the old shirt on the floor and got a fresh one. He then sat down in front of the TV, joining the others.

"Don't throw your clothes around," J.C. said, picking up Chris's old shirt. As he went to throw it in the hamper, he noticed it was covered in dog hair. "Chris, what color is Busta?" he asked, examining the brown hairs.

"Tan. Why?" Chris replied.

"Just wondering why shirt is covered in dog hair if it's not from your dog."

"I…uh…" Chris stuttered. He was beginning to feel happy, although he wasn't sure why. He had to struggle not to smile or laugh as he made up a somewhat believable story. "I…I met this girl-"

"Oh, man. Tell me you didn't have more kids already," Joey groaned.

"-At the toy store," Chris continued, his leg starting to burn with energy. "She showed me all the baby toys and stuffed animals," he continued, smiling. "I picked out this giant stuffed bear to send to the kids. It looked a lot like you, Joey," he added, getting up and pacing. "So it was too big to fit in a cart, so I had to carry it out to the car. And that's how the hair got on my shirt," he finished, laughing.

"So where is it now?" Lance asked.

"I mailed it already," Chris smiled, grabbing his rollerblades. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta run," he said; already halfway out the door.

Suddenly Justin cracked up. "God, he's so hilarious. If Prozac can do that for him, we'll have to get him drunk sometime."

The others laughed and agreed as they watched their hyperactive friend make use of his half pipe outside.

~o0O0o~

A few hours later, the effects of the Prozac had worn off, leaving Chris over-emotional. He sat in the car, feeding the puppies. He was worn out from skating, but also from having to have to lie to his friends. For the first time, he realized he wouldn't be able to keep the puppies. They were ruining his life. While they were a joy to have, they also forced him to lie to his friends and take a medicine for people with a serious problem.

Broken heartedly, he headed back inside. He had made up his mind that when he paid for Brian's surgery, he would leave the others with the vet. He was almost in tears as he boarded the bus, dropping his skates by the door. The others looked at him expectantly, but grew concerned when there was no remark about the beautiful night, or how good he felt.

"Hey, Chris, you okay?" Lance asked, sincerely.

"Yeah," Chris replied his eyes red.

"You sure? You don't look okay. We can talk about it if-"

"No! I said I was fine! Just leave me alone!" Chris yelled, grabbing his pillow and leaving.

He ran out to his car, where he spent the night curled up with the puppies.

~o0O0o~

The next morning, Chris awoke to the persistent licking of Britney, accompanied by A.J. tugging on his braids. Kevin and Trust lay curled up next to him as Brian and Howie made a game of trying to jump over him.

He gently pushed the puppies away and looked at his watch. It was 8:30am, and the morning sun was shining brightly through the car windows. "Well guys, let's go get breakfast," he said, starting the car.

He drove through the McDonald's drive-thru; Britney aroused and excited at the smell of food. She climbed on his chest, trying to get out as Chris 'pulled up to the next window.' The young girl at the window repeated the total, chewing her gum and not looking too happy to be at work on this beautiful Saturday morning. Chris grew annoyed as Britney was constantly in his way as he tried to get his wallet. "Hold on," Chris blushed, dropping Britney in the back seat. He no sooner had his wallet out of his pocket, and then Britney was back in his face.

Chris handed the money to the young girl, who looked to be in her early teens. Her name tag read 'Kimmy,' and she took Chris's money. Then her eyes fell on Britney. "She is so cute!" Kimmy said, breaking out of her bad mood.

"Thanks," Chris replied. "She gets annoying when she gets hungry." He started to pull away when he got an idea. "You wouldn't be looking for a dog, would you?"

"Oh, I already have one," she replied.

"Oh," Chris mumbled.

She saw Chris's reaction and added, "But I suppose another one wouldn't hurt."

"Really?" Chris perked up.

"I guess. You look like you have your hands full there. I'll tell you what, you get your food, and I'll meet you in the parking lot."

"Sounds good," Chris replied, smiling.

~o0O0o~

Chris continued on his way, less one puppy. Kimmy had fallen in love with Britney as soon as Chris placed the puppy in her arms. She gladly took the puppy, and tried to pay Chris, but he refused.

Now he drove knowing he had made one girl very happy. He continued to the park, hoping to give away more of the puppies. He found a spot by a sidewalk and set the remaining puppies in an old McDonald's box. He sat next to them, putting on his pathetic face for the entire passerby's.

Eventually, two rollerbladers came up to him. They were both young girls, and began looking at the puppies. "You girls need a puppy?" Chris asked hopefully.

"How much do they cost?" the first girl asked.

"I'm giving them away," Chris replied, handing each of the girls a puppy.

Their hearts melted at the tiny balls of fur. "DJ, your mom was looking for a dog, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, and I know your mom will let you have one, Ali," DJ replied.

"What are their names?" Ali asked, petting the head of the puppy she held.

"You have Howie," Chris said, pointing to DJ. "And you have Nick," he finished, pointing to Ali.

"They're so sweet," DJ said, rubbing her cheek against Howie's head. He turned to lick her as she announced, "We'll take them."

~o0O0o~

By the time Chris was ready to leave, he had given away all the puppies except Trust. She was special to him, and he just couldn't bring himself to give her away. He had given A.J. to a cute girl named Katie, and Kevin was to be shared between long-time friends Stacie and Joey. So he headed to the vet's office, with one lone pup.

~o0O0o~

It was 11:00am when Chris arrived at the vet's. He still had Trust, and hugged her as he walked inside.

"Hello Chris," Dr. Campbell greeted.

"Hey," Chris mumbled, depressed at what had to be done.

"I can't keep them," he replied, his voice cracking.

"Oh," she said, sitting down next to him on the waiting room bench. "Finally got out of hand?"

"Yeah," he said softly, hugging Trust. He had purposely kept her, knowing she was special.

"But you need to remember how good of a life you gave the puppies, while you had them. With out you, they wouldn't have survived," she comforted, pushing her long brown hair behind her ears.

"Then why do I feel so miserable?" he asked, a tear falling from his soft brown eye.

"Because you love them. And that's the most they could have had. You gave those puppies a second chance on life. I guess you could say you got a dose of puppy love."

Chris smiled as he got up. He had to get away from there now, while he could. "How much do I owe you?" he asked, pulling out his wallet.

She got up and brought up his bill on the computer. "$204.57," she announced.

He didn't say anything and handed her his credit card. He would have paid anything.

"Oh," she remembered. "I have Hope's remains, if you'd like them now."

"Sure," he replied, his throat tightening again.

He followed her to the back room where she handed him a gold urn. It had a plaque that read, 'Hope. ? -1999. A trusting mother.'

Chris's eyes flooded with tears as he whispered, "Thanks." He gave her a quick hug, and she could feel his heart racing. Then before she could say anything else, he turned and left, his tears falling freely.

She sighed as she got Trust and put her in a crate. Then she went back to her computer and saw Chris's wallet still lying there.

~o0O0o~

Chris drove as slow as he could, taking all the back roads on his way back to the bus. He had to pull himself together before the others saw him. But every time he looked as the urn, he became upset again.

This was going to be a long drive home.

~o0O0o~

"Well, the doctor said this would take some time-"

"Justin, he was fine! Something happened that upset him again!" J.C. argued. They were worried by Chris's outburst last night when he had been making such good improvement.

The phone rang, interrupting them. J.C. grabbed it first. "Hello?"

"Uh, hi, this is Dr. Campbell of Northside Animal Clinic. I was calling for Chris Kirkpatrick..."

"He's not here right now. But why was he at your office? Busta is fine," J.C. asked, puzzled.

"He didn't tell you about the puppies?" she asked.

"Puppies?! No, what-"

"Oops. Uh, OK, just tell him I called…"

"No, I wanna hear this," J.C. interrupted.

"Well, it's a long story, but he has been taking care of seven puppies for about a week now, and he forgot his wallet when he was paying for one of the puppy's heart surgery."

"What?!"

"But when he came in today, he was really upset because he decided to leave the puppies with me."

Suddenly everything clicked. "The dog he found was pregnant, remember?" he asked the others. "I told him to get rid of her, and he did, but kept all the puppies."

"Actually, the mother died in childbirth. Chris picked up her remains today."

J.C. was lost in thought. "So the whole thing about his kids was fake…"

"And we got him Prozac! No wonder-" Lance trailed off.

"Thanks for your help," J.C. told the vet. "We'll send him by." Once he hung up, he continued, "Man, he must feel awful. I feel awful. We treated him like a lunatic when he was keeping seven puppies alive right under our noses."

"So he didn't have kids?" Joey asked.

The others rolled their eyes at Joey as Justin stated, "Well, we gotta do something."

Lance's face lit up with a sly grin. "I gotta plan."

~o0O0o~

Chris slowly walked to the bus. He dreaded going in,especially after his outburst last night. He protectively cradled the urn under his arm as he opened the door to the bus.

"Hey," J.C. started.

"Look, I'm sorry about last night. It's been a really long week, and I'm sorry." Chris interrupted.

"No, we're sorry," J.C. replied.

"Why?" Chris asked, confused.

"We know what you did. Dr. Campbell called."

"What? Why?" Chris asked, surprised.

"You left your wallet," Lance said.

"Chris, we're sorry about everything too. You should have told us. If it's something that important, you don't need to hide it from us."

Chris ducked his head as he sat his urn on a table, then sat down next to it. "I couldn't turn those puppies away," he started, on the verge of tears. "Hope trusted me with them. Like she knew I would take care of them. But I couldn't lie to you guys anymore," he finished, sniffing and wiping his eyes.

Joey opened his mouth to say something when Justin bounded on the bus, smiling.

"Chris, we feel really bad about everything and, well…we just wanted to do something for you," J.C. stated, a smile spreading over his face also.

"What?" Chris asked.

"It's outside," Justin said, moving aside.

"It's not another crib, is it?" Chris asked teasingly as he got up.

"Not even close," Justin replied, following Chris outside.

Chris's mouth dropped open. Tears began stinging his eyes as he laid eyes on the best thing anyone had ever done for him. "You guys…" he started, walking towards Trust, who was sitting in the grass before him with a red bow, tied around her neck.

"I think he likes it," Justin whispered to the others.

They smiled brightly and their hearts grew soft as they watched the perfect reunion of man and puppy. They all learned something that day. Most importantly, they learned that once again, love has no boundaries.

Epilogue

Britney, Howie, Nick, A.J., and Kevin lived happily with my friends, you know who you are.

Brian recovered fully, and was given to the Seeing Eye Dog Foundation, where he would be able to help others.

End

Don't take a prescription if it's not for you. It's dangerous and stupid!

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