Scout: Rookie

[Amazee Dayzee]

The case will eventually be solved and the creep will be brought to justice as he deserves once they catch him. But ONLY if Scout doesn't crash the scooter while flooring it to follow the bus. LOL

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Bonus chapter today and double chapters next Friday because nobody's the boss of me.

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Chapter 19: The Mall

The bus came to a stop, and a bunch of people got off. Scout squinted through the rain, looking at each of the people as they started shuffling toward the nearest building, a big shopping mall. Scout had been there before; if the guy they were chasing got in there, they might well lose him among all the people.
Adam was the first one to spot him. “There. He’s headed for the mall!”
Scout swerved his scooter and pulled it into the parking lot, parking it in the designated spot and pocketing the keys. “Let’s catch ‘im!” He jumped off and darted toward the spot he’d seen him in last, watching for him. “There ‘e goes!” He ran inside after the trenchcoat he saw.
“Scout, wait!” Adam ran after him. He activated his radio. “Dispatch, this is Canine-Eight-Seven-Six, be advised we have eyes on a person of interest in case file-”
Scout didn’t hear, and kept going. Inside the mall, he paused and looked around. The trenchcoated person turned to look at him, then rushed around a corner. Scout took off, weaving around people hurriedly. He chased the man all through the mall; sometimes, he was close to catching him, sometimes he managed to get a little further away before Scout could find him.
One time, Scout almost managed to grab him. “Hol’ on, we jus’ wanna talk t’ ya!” He grunted, frustrated, as the man managed to slip away, running up an escalator. Scout grumbled and followed him, ignoring the grumbles from a few humans. “Wait!”
At the top of the escalator, he looked around, grunting. Half of his problem was vantage point; he couldn’t see very far because he was so much shorter than all the humans. He growled and looked around, then climbed up on the railing overlooking the first floor of the mall to see more. He balanced on the railing and looked around. There he was, crossing to the other side near the elevator. Scout grunted and started running, still balanced atop the railing. “Hol’ up!”
The trenchcoat turned to look at Scout, then took off running again. Scout huffed and paused, panting. He watched the trenchcoat billow a little as the man ran to the far side of the row of shops. Scout’s eyes wandered to the space between; decorative sculptures dangled from the ceiling, forming almost a bridge across. He put his ears back and closed his eyes for a moment, imagining that they were sheep. He used to jump across gaps bigger than that all the time, back on the farm.
Just not with the fifteen foot drop below them if he missed.
He grunted and jumped to the first sculpture, his heart skipping a beat just as he did. He landed-light-pawed, on the first one and immediately set his paws to jump to the second one, then the third, then the fourth. Within seconds, he was across, and he jumped to the railing on the other side. A bunch of people had stopped to watch in shock, and he ignored them, looking around for his prey.
He spotted the trenchcoat leaning against the wall, apparently winded. Scout scowled and reached into his vest pocket, pulling out his bolas. An iron ring with three lengths of rope connected to three iron weights, which he uncoiled and held by the ring. “Okay, ah’m done askin’.”
Scout jumped down off the railing and started swinging the bolas, spinning it up until it whirred in his hand. He dodged around people, keeping the bolas spinning, until he had a clear shot, letting the bolas fly directly at the trenchcoat guy. The whole contraption spun through the air, separating when it hit so one of the weights swung around clockwise while the other two wrapped counterclockwise, tangling up the trenchcoat and knocking him down. Scout darted after it, arriving moments after the man fell.
He crouched next to him and hurriedly grabbed his hat off the floor, pushing it back on at the top of the trenchcoat and starting to untangle him. “Ah asked ya t’ stop. Now ye’re all tangled up. Now calm down, ye’re not in trouble, we just wanna talk t’ ya.”
He squirmed and struggled. “No, not like this, I can’t- let me go!”
Scout grunted. “Hold still, ye’re jus’ gettin’ more tangled.”
Adam ran up behind, panting. “Scout! I finally caught up to you.” He bent over, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “You got him!”
Scout spoke quietly to the Trenchcoat. “We jus’ wanna speak t’ ya, Mister Beltweather. Don’t worry, we won’t hurt ya. Ye’re not under arrest.”
A mall security cop ran up. “All right everybody, break it up, break it up.” He knelt down next to them. “You can’t just run into my mall and start chasing people, I don’t care if you ARE police officers.”
Scout turned to him and looked him up and down. “We need t’ borrow yer office.”
“Scout!” Adam grunted, elbowing Scout in the vest, then turned to the security guard. “Sorry, he’s a rookie. Normally, he’s very by-the-book. I don’t know why he’s gone nuts suddenly. May we please take our suspect to your security office to speak with him?”
He looked between them, then sighed. “All right, follow me.” He stood up and helped the trenchcoat to his feet. Scout held the man’s arm as they walked through the crowd and through a door to an employee passage that ran behind all the shops, straight to a security area, where he opened the door to an office. “You can use this room here. I need to get back to my security cameras.”
Scout nodded and ushered the trenchcoat into the room, sitting him down and dragging another chair around to sit across from him. Adam glanced around the room and nodded his satisfaction. “Thank you.” He closed the door.
Scout stared at the Trenchcoat for a while, then spoke up. “Ye’ll feel better if’n ya let yer tail outta yer pant leg. Ah bet that’s uncomfortable.”
There was a pause. “You know my name. That means you know who I am. And that I’m human.”
“Ah know ya WERE human.” He shook his head. “Ya don’t gotta hide. We know what happened to ya.”
Adam opened his mouth to speak, and Scout shook his head at him. He closed his mouth again, looking confused.
After a moment, the trenchcoat reached up and removed his hat. He paused, then started to unbutton his trenchcoat. As it fell away, tan fur and a feline head became visible just underneath the neckline. Scout could see where tiny holes had been cut out for the eyes.
Adam gasped. “He’s a cougar.”
“Puma, actually.” Scout nodded. “A little bit bigger, slightly different. Different members of th’ same species. Subspecies.” He paused, watching him pull his tail out of his pants bashfully.
“... How did you know?” He looked up at them, his ears perking awkwardly.
Scout stared across at the puma quietly. “You don’t watch the news, do ya, Mister Beltweather?”
He shook his head. “No, I usually just work from home and then watch movies. How’d you know?”
“Because if you did, you’d know you weren’t the only one who got changed.” Adam interjected, glancing at Scout.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Seems like Norman definitely is someone whose picture you would find in the dictionary under the word recluse with what we know about him. He doesn't keep his property looking nice and apparently is so isolated he doesn't watch the news or read anything that would reveal he wasn't the only one forcefully changed.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 20: Interview with Beltweather

Scout frowned and patted Mr. Beltweather on the shoulder. “If ye’d been watchin’ th’ news, you’da known that thousands got changed. There’s jus’ a few things ah don’t understand. Th’ Event was eighteen months ago, but th’ first reported sightin’s of you were only six months ago. Why th’ difference?”
Adam’s ears perked, and he looked at Scout in surprise. “I didn’t even think about that.”
Mr. Beltweather’s ears went back. “Maybe I should start from the beginning.”
He took a deep breath and started. “Well… when this first happened to me… I panicked. I ran to my computer and immediately searched for other people this had happened to. There were… a few stories. A news story about some kid turning into a squirrel, and another saying it had happened to a few more people, but nothing specific. Nothing about whether there was a cure, or what to do if it happened to you, nothing. Everybody else I could find that this had happened to had turned into things that were relatively cute and harmless. Meanwhile, I was a large predator. Obviously, I was worried that animal control would be on my back in seconds if I went OUT. There was nobody that could corroborate my story, convince them that I was who I said I was, so I decided not to go out until I figured things out.
“For a while, I survived off delivery- I used shopping apps to have supplies delivered to my house, and I worked remotely from home, so I didn’t have to worry about losing my job. I was worried that if I continued poking around the internet for answers, it would attract attention, so I didn’t risk it. I just did my work on my computer and spent the rest of my time watching cheesy comedies on television. When my bills came, I would just pay them online.”
He paused for a moment, looking up as the security guard came in to offer them bottles of water. He sipped from his gratefully before continuing. “But delivery is expensive- they charge more for the items, then you have order fees and delivery fees and tips- it was eating into my savings. A lot. So eventually I realized I HAD to start going out.
“But I was paranoid. I was worried someone was going to figure out what I was and send animal control after me. So I went through my closet for a way to disguise myself. I had this trenchcoat from a long time ago, when they were fashionable, and that hat. If I tied the boots tight enough, they would stay on even with my new paws, and I could hide my tail inside my pants. I had some cash lying around, which I used to pay bus fare to get to an ATM. Obviously, I couldn’t drive looking like this. I used the ATM so my purchases couldn’t be tracked. You know, so people couldn’t find me.”
He paused, considering. “How… DID you find me? I was careful not to go out when my neighbors were home, so you couldn’t have gotten much when you came around asking questions.”
Adam pointed at Scout. “My partner’s very smart. When he’s not busy causing a panic in a crowded shopping mall.”
Mr. Beltweather looked down at Scout. “You found me? How?”
Scout looked up at him. “Ya always went t’ th’ same stores. Ah was able t’ figure out which bus ya were takin’, an’ then we asked th’ driver where you got on. We noticed yer house was in disrepair, an’ ah figured that was ‘cause ye were hidin’ from th’ neighbors an’ didn’t want t’ be seen mowin’ yer lawn.”
He put his ears back. “Oh… and from there, you were able to figure out that I was… this?” He gestured to himself.
Scout shook his head. “No, ah figured out ye were a Changed from th’ security footage of th’ grocery store. Ah could see yer tail movin’ inside yer pants.”
“A… Changed?” He seemed confused.
Adam nodded. “That’s what we call victims of the mass metamorphosis Event eighteen months ago. Humans who have been changed into animals. Just about any animal you can imagine.”
Scout nodded. “Ah’m willin’ t’ bet that, since ye were avoidin’ lookin’ up anythin’ about it, ye missed that there’s help fer th’ condition? Ye can even get proof of citizenship, so animal control don’t come after ya.”
His ears perked. “I can? Since when?!”
“About fifteen months ago.” Adam shrugged. “If you wanna come with us down to the precinct, we can help you fill out the paperwork and print you out a provisional proof of citizenship. We’ll even sneak you out an employee exit, so you don’t have to be seen going through the mall with a pair of cops.”
Mr. Beltweather took a deep breath. “I think I’d like that. I’m so tired of being scared that someone’s going to drag me away all the time. I can’t live like this.”
Adam nodded and pressed his radio button. “Dispatch, this is Canine-Eight-Seven-Six. We have apprehended our suspect and are bringing him in to fill out some paperwork. Requesting a paddywagon at the east employee entrance of the River Ridge Mall A S A P.” He left the room, leaving Scout and Mr. Beltweather alone in the room.
Mr. Beltweather stared down at Scout nervously. “You know, for some reason, you’re scarier than the big, muscley guy. I don’t know, something about the way you carry yourself sets my fangs on edge.”
Scout shrugged, then started winding his bolas up to restow it in his vest pocket. “Ah’m not sure why. Ya gave me a good run fer mah money when ye were runnin’ away.”
He hesitated. “No, I’m pretty sure the only reason you didn’t catch me sooner was because there were so many other people.” He paused. “For what it’s worth, if I had realized that you could actually help me, I wouldn’t have run. I just panicked when you came knocking on my door again. The first time, acting like I wasn’t home was enough to get you to go away, but when you said you’d come in if I didn’t answer, I freaked out. I thought if I could get out of the house for a while, then even if you came back you’d leave me alone once you realized I was able to leave.”
Scout nodded. “Goin’ in th’ mall was smart. Ya could have almost lost me, if’n ah hadn’t climbed th’ railin’.”
Adam came back in. “It’s all arranged. There’ll be a car here to take you to the precinct in five minutes.” He nodded at Mr. Beltweather, who started putting his coat and hat back on. He didn’t hide his tail this time, letting it hang freely. When he was ready to go, he stood up, and Scout got on the far side of him from Adam, leading him down the hallway to the nearest exit.
Before exiting the building, he paused and turned to face them. “Thank you for helping me, officers. I really appreciate it.”
Adam nodded. “When you get to the precinct, wait for us. We’ve got to go get my partner’s scooter before we can follow you back.”
He nodded, then turned and exited the building, climbing into the back of the human squad car that was waiting outside.

[Amazee Dayzee]

If Norman ever feels lonely and needs someone of his own species to hang out with because a lot of people are a bit guarded about hanging out with a cougar he can always seek out Gale and see if there is a connection there. Who know? Maybe they will fall in love and Pueblo will get a new daddy.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 21: Final Report

A few of the other officers whispered to each other as Scout and Adam entered the station and headed toward Scout’s desk, where Mr. Beltweather was waiting for them. Someone had given him a cup of coffee to drink while he waited, and he gave a little smile when he noticed Scout approaching.
Adam nudged Scout. “It’s your catch, you do the paperwork. I’m gonna go file my report.”
Scout nodded at him and watched him leave for a moment before turning back to Mr. Beltweather and having a seat. He pulled up his computer and started searching for the proper forms in the network. After a moment, he started chatting while he searched. “How’s th’ coffee, Mr. Beltweather?”
He startled at the mention of his name. “Oh! Uh… not great. You… uh.. You can call me Norman.” He looked at him, then looked around. “Everybody’s looking at me.”
Scout gave a shrug. “It’s not every day someone brings in a puma. ‘Specially not me. Ye’re mah first case.”
“Oh… Well, congratulations, I guess. Sorry I caused so much trouble.” His ears went back nervously as he glanced around.
“You were scared. Ah don’t blame ya fer tryin’ t’ get away.” He printed off the paperwork he needed and got up to go and get it from the office printer. He came back a few moments later and set the three forms in front of Norman, passing him a pen. “Ah need ya t’ fill these out. Ah’ll be right here, doin’ mah own paperwork.”
“Um… okay.” He nodded and awkwardly picked up the pen.
Scout returned to his seat and grabbed a blank report form, starting to fill it out. He wrote as fast as he could while keeping his handwriting legible, but still noticed that Norman had finished his three forms before Scout finished his one. He took the forms from him and glanced over them, then nodded, satisfied that they were filled out completely. “All right, come with me. Ah’ll get ya t’ where these need t’ go. They’ll take ye’re picture, print you out a temporary license, an’ then an officer will take ya where ya need t’ go.”
Norman followed him as he went through the door to the human side of the building and up to a fairly new-ish looking counter, climbing up the stepladder built right into the counter to look over it. “Ah got a Changed here, wants t’ update his paperwork.” He passed the forms over and gestured for Norman to step forward.
The worker at the counter took the paperwork and glanced over it, then smiled up at Norman. “We’ll take care of you, Mr. Beltweather. Let me just scan these in.” She looked down at Scout. “Thank you, Specialist Edwards. You can go, we’ll take it from here.”
Scout nodded and climbed back down to the ground, turning and rushing back to his desk. He skidded to a halt when he saw Sergeant Alana standing at his desk, reading his report. “Sergeant! Ah was just comin’ back t’ bring that t’ ya. We solved th’ case ya gave us.”
She was quiet for a moment as she finished reading his report, then looked at him and silently motioned for him to follow. He put his ears back and started following her. This couldn’t be good.
She led him back to her office and closed the door behind them, silently motioning for him to have a seat before going around behind her desk and sitting down. She typed something into her computer, clicked the mouse a few times, then turned the monitor so he could see it before hitting a button on her keyboard.
The screen was showing a video of Scout running along the railing in the crowded mall, his eyes laser-focused on something off-screen, then suddenly turning and jumping across a decorative sculpture. People in the camera’s audio range chattered loudly as Scout dismounted to the railing on the other side and resumed running along it, pulling his Bolas out of his vest and starting to wind it up as he climbed down.
Scout flinched when she paused the video again and turned the screen back to herself. She still hadn’t said a word. She just kept staring at him as if waiting for him to speak.
He didn’t try to speak. He just looked back at her, waiting for her to start yelling. It was silence for a while as the two dogs stared at each other across the desk. Finally, Sergeant Alana leaned forward and folded her hands together. “Care to guess how many protocol violations?”
Scout put his ears back and looked down at the ground. “... Six. Ah followed a suspect int’ a populated area, left mah partner behind, took unsafe shortcuts, drew mah weapon around bystanders, didn’t report in by radio as ah was chasin’ ‘im, an’ didn’t notify local human officers ah was there.”
“Seven, actually. You also didn’t give warning before you used your weapon.” She pushed her keyboard aside and leaned back, staring down at him. “Obviously, I have to put an official reprimand in your file. My boss, Staff Sergeant Brooks on the human side of the building, wants me to send you back to retraining.”
Scout flinched. Sergeant Alana shook her head. “I’m not going to do that. You obviously know exactly what you did wrong, so I think retraining would be a waste of resources.”
Her voice remained weirdly calm. She didn’t seem mad. Scout looked up at her nervously. “Ma’am, ah’m sorry if this is impertinent, but… y’don’t seem particularly ANGRY at me fer violatin’ protocol…”
“Well spotted. You’ll make an excellent detective some day.” She turned back to her computer and clicked the mouse a few times before turning the screen back to Scout to show him a freeze frame from the video, right before he dismounted the first railing onto the sculpture. “What do you see here, Scout?”
Scout flinched at the image. “Ah see mahself riskin’ mah neck t’ save a few seconds chasin’ a man that weren’t even under arrest.”
She turned the screen back to herself. “I see a promising young officer demonstrating sharper focus than most seasoned officers twice his age with four or five hundred times his experience can muster. Yes, it resulted in you breaking a few rules, but other than that, this was an excellent show of skill, courage, and ingenuity. You used your smaller size to your advantage, resulting in catching your man. Officially, I have to reprimand you for the rules you broke, but unofficially, I’m proud of you. I would never have thought of that, and he probably would have gotten away from me.”
Scout nodded, the rock that felt like it was sitting in his gut starting to melt. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She leaned forward and folded her hands again. “You’re suspended for one week. I’ll see you in two weeks, after your break, at the start of your next regularly scheduled shift. Go finish up any paperwork you have, and go home.”
Scout stood up, his ears held back. “Yes, ma’am.” He turned and started to open the door to leave.
“Oh, and Scout?” Scout paused and turned to look back at Sergeant Alana. “Congratulations on solving your case.”

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

We're finishing off this story with a double upload. Thank you very much for reading! We won't be leaving Scout for very long- there's another story on the way!

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Chapter 22: Suspended

Scout peeled off his vest and hung it up carefully in his locker, then sighed and sat on the bench, staring into the locker blankly. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain to Ma and Paw that he had gotten suspended from his job and wouldn’t be going this week.
He wasn’t sure how he was going to deal with not really having anything to do for that long. He usually started to go stir-crazy by the end of his week off. He sighed and fidgeted with the lock on his work collar, eventually unclipping it and standing up to hang it up.
“Scout.” A voice sounded behind Scout, startling him out of his thinking. He turned around to see Adam standing in the entryway to the locker room.
Scout gave a little wave. “Oh. Hi. Ah’ve been suspended. Ah gotta go home.”
“I know. Sarge told me.” He walked over and put a hand on Scout’s shoulder. “You okay?”
He nodded quietly, folding his collar in his hands and staring at the ground. “Ah don’ like gettin in trouble.”
“Not many people do.” He chuckled. “I got a scolding, too. Sarge was a little upset I wasn’t able to stop you from running off like that.”
Scout flinched. “Ah got YOU in trouble, too?! Ah’m jus’ awful t’day. Ah’m sorry.”
Adam snickered. “Don’t be. Everybody gets a reprimand or a dressing-down once in a while, I’m used to it. Honestly, as locked-in as you were, I doubt even Sarge would have been able to stop you.”
He put his ears back. “Yeah… sorry, ah don’t know what happened. Ah just zoned in on ‘im, an’ then catchin’ ‘im was all ah could think about.” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Adam took a seat on the bench and looked at the ceiling. “I know what happened. You’re a border collie.”
Scout blinked. “Ah don’ know what that has t’ do with anythin’.”
“Well… You’re a herding breed. Protecting your herd is your instinct, as well as fending off predators.” He shrugged. “You got so locked in because you were chasing a predator. Not necessarily a literal predator, just, you know, someone you thought of like a predator.”
He wasn’t doing a good job of explaining it, but Scout thought he understood. “Ye’r sayin’ that ah locked in on ‘im because he triggered mah herdin’ instinct?”
“Sure. You used to actually herd sheep, so you have the skills to back up that instinct. I lost track of you for a moment, you know. The next thing I know, you’re jumping over my head across a gap thirty feet in the air and running across a handrail like a tightrope.” He nudged him. “I’d have fallen and broken my neck if I tried that.”
Scout looked up at him. After a moment, he sighed and started putting his collar on. “You gettin’ a new partner? Someone that won’t run off on ya?”
He shrugged. “Well… I’m on desk duty for the rest of the week. Apparently, my partner’s been suspended, so I can’t be on field duty until he comes back.”
Scout’s ears perked. “Ya mean ya didn’t get reassigned?”
“I asked not to be. Been a while since I had a partner that could actually keep up with me. Of course, we’ll have to work on that part where you get so focused you forget to follow protocol.” Adam grinned. “Can’t have you running off on me like that when there’s an actually dangerous fugitive to catch.”
Scout gave a weak little smile. “Ah’m jus’ worried how ah’m gonna tell mah Ma an’ Paw ah got suspended from mah job.”
Adam shrugged. “Just do what I do when I get suspended. Tell them you got extra time off as a reward for solving your case.”
Scout paused in putting on his bandana. “Ya mean, lie to ‘em?”
“Sure. My dad never questions it.” He grinned.
“Ah don’ think ah can do that. Ma would know. Ah don’ know how, but Ma ALWAYS knows.” Scout nodded sagely.
Adam shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m supposed to escort you out of the building to make sure you leave. Just standard procedure.”
Scout nodded and closed his locker, giving the dial a spin to be sure it was locked. Not that it mattered; everybody seemed to know his locker combination anyway. “Ah’m all ready t’ go.”
Adam grinned and held up the keys to Scout’s scooter. “Probably gonna need these, then. You left them at your desk.”
Scout’s ears warmed a little, and he snatched them. “Er… thanks.”
Adam grinned and motioned for him to come with him. Scout nodded and followed him. They walked out to the parking lot together, and Adam patted Scout’s back. “See ya in two weeks, hey?”
Scout nodded and climbed aboard his scooter. “Ah’ll see ya later, ah guess.” Adam stood back and waved as Scout drove away.
During the ride home, Scout kept thinking about how he was going to tell Ma and Paw that he’d gotten in trouble. He wasn’t looking forward to Ma’s look of disappointment.
When he got back to his neighborhood, he sighed and turned toward his house. He could see a few of the neighborhood dogs and cats milling around, going about their business. A few of them glanced his way as he passed. He knew there was no way they knew, but he felt like they knew.
When he stopped at a stop sign, he felt the back of his scooter suddenly get heavier, and a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. He glanced down at the chocolate fur, then back at the lab grinning at him. “What are you doing home? It’s not even lunchtime yet.”
Scout smiled at Coco. He felt a little better, with her there. “Ah got suspended. Don’t get t’ work this week.”
She scoffed and nudged him. “Suspended?! What did you do?”
He smiled sheepishly. “Ah went chasin’ a suspect through th’ mall.”
“Scout!” She shook her head, waiting for him to park in the driveway and get up to open the door. She dug in his collar for his house key, going around to the garage door to open the bigger garage door for him. Once it was open, she waved him in. “You’re gonna get in so much trouble with your parents.”
Scout nodded, parking his scooter. “Ah’ll probably get grounded.”
Once Scout was parked, Coco leaned in to kiss him. Scout’s tail wagged gently. “Mmm. Get cleaned up, you can at least come over to Sunny’s with me before you get grounded.”
Scout nodded. “Ah’d like that. Ah can tell th’ story of my latest arrest t’ our friends.”
Coco grinned and grabbed his hand. “I can’t wait to hear it.” She watched Scout close the garage door, then grinned and groped his backside. “Actually… I’m gonna help you get cleaned up. Maybe I can help you reach your back.”
“Ah don’t need help cleaning… ohhhh.” He trailed off when he realized what she meant.


Chapter 23: Grounded

Scout lay out on the lawn and watched clouds drift by. It was nice, quiet, and peaceful. It kind of reminded Scout of the long-gone days, when he’d used to lay out in the fields with his sheep and just BE.
A shadow fell over Scout’s face, and he opened his eyes, looking up at Coco as she stood over him. He wordlessly patted the grass next to himself, inviting her to join him.
She smiled and lay down next to him, grabbing his hand and watching the clouds with him. They lay there together for a while, just watching clouds drift away, neither one speaking for a long time.
Finally, Coco spoke up. “So… you get grounded?”
Scout nodded “Ah did, but it’s nothin’ too harsh. Ma says ah can’t drive ma scooter fer two weeks. Considerin’ ah can’t take mah scooter out exceptin’ t’ go t’ work anyway, it’s no big deal.”
“Seems kinda mild for getting suspended from your job.” She scooted closer to him and kissed his cheek.
“Ma says there’s bound t’ be some growin’ pains an’ it ain’t nothin’ t’ worry about.” He shrugged, returning the kiss and squeezing her hand.
She nibbled his neck affectionately, pressing into him. “Well… then I’m not worried about it either.”
Scout smiled and turned to lick her nose. “Mm. Ah think it’s good that ah got extra time off work, since ye were away most of mah last break.”
She grinned. “It means we get lots of time together.”
Scout’s tail wagged gently, and Coco’s wagged in response. “What did ya have in mind?”
She leaned in and whispered in Scout’s ear. Scout’s ear, in response, warmed up considerably. “Ah dunno, that seems…”
She continued whispering, laying her hand on his chest and wagging her tail playfully.
Scout’s ears warmed up more, and he looked over at her. “Are… are ya sure?”
She beamed at him happily and nodded. “If you’re ready.”
Scout looked around, then grinned and stood up, putting out his hand to help her up. “Well then… ah think maybe it’s time ah learned somethin’ new, ain’t it?”
She gripped his hand and pulled herself up with a grin, wagging her tail. “Don’t worry, I can teach you.”
Scout’s tail wagged excitedly as Coco led him toward the house. “Ah promise ah’m a quick study.”
“Oh… we have time.” She grinned and led him inside.

THE END

[Amazee Dayzee]

So glad that we got to see how Scout's first case went for him and how he succeeded in closing it even if he got reprimanded for it! I can't wait to see what else Scout will get up to after his two-week suspension!