The Power of Love

[trekkie]

Chapter One

Maxwell smiled as he walked down the sidewalk of a park in his hometown of Babylon Gardens. There was a time in his life that the cat thought that he would never find someone to love. Now he had three mates, three who loved him as much as he loved them, three soulmates. They were: Grape, the purple and white cat who was his solo girlfriend before he entered into a poly-amorous relationship with the other two, the Pomeranian, Tarot and Peanut, the tan and brown dog who lived and still did live with Grape. When Max started off in the relationship, he was nervous and scared, his insecurities not allowing him to believe that three such awesome pets could love him. His mates had assured him, however, that they did indeed love him and that he was a valued partner in the relationship. The love and support of his three mates had allowed Max to decrease the insecurity which had plagued Max's life, and also help the cat to kick his catnip habit for which Max's owner was both thankful and amazed. The support and the love of his mates also allowed him to fully mend fences with his ex Sabrina and become good friends with her current boyfriend, the K-9 officer Fido. Max was thinking about his mates when he saw four dogs approaching him on the sidewalk. Upon seeing them a good chunk of Max's happiness vanished.

"Oh, hairballs.” he muttered

"Well, well, well," came an unfortunately familiar voice, "Lookee here, it is one of the freaks."

The voice belonged to his housemate Bino who seemed to regard any dog who liked cats as beneath contempt, his feeling about cats was even worse. With Bino were his girlfriend the snobbish saluki Duchess, Boris her bodyguard/flunky and Griswold, a dog who regarded himself as the ultimate catch. All four were members of the Good Old Dogs Club, a club that Bino had founded with his brother Fido. After Fido came out with his love for the black cat, Sabrina, Bino had forced him out of the club. Membership in the club had dropped since Fido's departure and the membership continued to dwindle after Bino's ex-friend Fox left the club. Of course, if you asked any of the members of the foursome, they would say that the clubs was just shedding members who did not belong in such a distinguished organization.

Max really did not care for any member of the group, but he especially didn't like Duchess. In his (and his mates') opinion she was a snobbish, cruel and power-hungry dog. She also treated Bino like dirt, a fact that rankled Max despite the fact that he and Bino were usually at odds. Max hated seeing his housemate disrespected, well, unless he and his mates were doing the disrespecting. That was fun, and generally good-natured, unlike Duchess's cruel jabs. The dogs stood on the sidewalk four-wide so that Max couldn't pass them without going through the cold, wet grass. Going around the foursome wouldn't have done any good anyway, as the four would just pursue him. Better to just get this over with, Max's braced himself for the annoyance of having to deal with four unrepentant bullies who hated him simply because of who he was and who he loved.

"Stupid freak!" Bino said, "I can't believe I have share my house with a creature like you. Bad enough, you're a cat, but you have to be be in such a disgraceful relationship. You disgust me."

"Then I must be doing something right. " Max said

"Why don't you just tell your owner he is a freak and ought to be dumped in the street?" Duchess asked

"I've tried that. My owner thinks the relationship is cute." Bino said, disgusted, "Apparently it helped that stupid cat give up catnip. My owner just doesn't see what tolerating a relationship like this does to my reputation."

"It probably improves it. " Max said, "Your reputation can't get much worse."

"Shut up cat." Duchess said, "One day you and your freak friends will be run out of this community, and that day can't come soon enough."

"Yeah, " Griswold said, "that would keep us normal pets from having to deal with the likes of you."

"Oh," Max said, "you guys are normal?"

"And proud of it." Griswold said

"Then, I'm glad I'm a freak makes me feel so much better about myself." Max smiled

"Oh yeah ?" Griswold said, "Well, at least I'm not a cat!"

"A fact we cats are eternally grateful for." Max said

"I, all of us are glad to be dogs, your natural superiors." Griswold said, approaching Max, "If you don't watch it we'll show you how smart we really are."

"I think you've done that already." Max said

"Ha! You admit we're superior!" Griswold said

"Come back here you idiot," Duchess said, "dear dog could you be any dumber?"

"Yeah, listen to my Duchie-poo she knows best." Bino said as Griswold rejoined the group

"If you don't stop calling me that I will toss you in a pit of rabid otters." Duchess said

"Ha! You do love me!" Bino gave a slimy smile

"Loves you?" Max was incredulous "She just threatened to toss you in a pit of rabid otters."

"Last week it was rabid wolverines." Bino said, "Bye freak" With that the four dogs pushed past Max and made their way on down the street.

Max shook his head. He just didn't see the appeal of being with someone like Duchess. he and his mates respected each other and talked over their disputes. They truly cared and loved each other. Thinking about his mates brought Max's thought back to when he first entered into the relationship. He feared he was losing Grape. How foolish he had been! He not only kept Grape he gained Tarot and Peanut. Max was glad his insecurity didn't ruin what was now the best thing in his life. Quietly Max said a prayer that Bino would find someone who truly respected him, and treated the dog with dignity. Max then saw Peanut approaching, the dog smiled when he saw Max and came over to the cat. Max hugged Peanut, grooming down Peanut's brown ear fur, a touch Peanut especially liked.

"Love you. How are you? How is Grape? " Max asked as Peanut kissed his muzzle

"Love you too. Grape and I are good. She's napping right now." Peanut said, "Don't worry I made sure to yell 'Graaaaape!' before I left and I told her I was going out so she wouldn't be to concerned. What's with the foolish foursome?"

"Oh, the usual. They called us freaks, and said we'd be removed from this community. Griswold tried some lame insults. Duchess threatened to toss Bino into a pit of rabid animals." Max said. He and Peanut smiled as they walked down the sidewalk, enjoying each other's company. Neither saw the woman in the bushes. She dialed a number on her cell phone and spoke.

"They're heading towards you. Make sure you're ready."

[Amazee Dayzee]

Great job on starting this very engrossing story so far! I cannot wait to see where this goes! I assume this is from a different universe from Resurgemus?

[trekkie]

Thanks, Dayzee! It is a different universe, than Resurgemus. For example Jeff doesn’t die, (no one does) and Maxwell dates Peanut in addition to Grape and Tarot. There will be some peril for Maxwell and Peanut, and although some unpleasant things do happen to them, but they aren’t hurt badly.

[FireworkFox]

Nice job! I enjoyed this very much!

[trekkie]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed! Before I forget, let me thank biddyfox and Obbi for giving me the inspiration for this story.

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Great chapter trekkie, always enjoy seeing Duchess and her goons being put in their place. This poly relationship is interesting, I look forward to wherever it leads

[Amazee Dayzee]

I also have to ask something about the story. Is Bino gonna eventually have a heel-face turn like he is having in Resurgemus or is he gonna be a jerk like usual and it looks like it got multiplied 10 fold?

[trekkie]

Thanks, Nathan! Glad you’re enjoying it! Bino will indeed do a heel-face turn though it takes a bit longer for him to do so.

[Amazee Dayzee]

As long as he doesn't get any worse (he seemed thoroughly more cruel in the beginning), I am fine with that.

[trekkie]

Firstly, thanks to everyone who read and thanks to everyone who left compliments.

Chapter 2

As the cat and dog talked the conversation covered many subjects, including the new Pridelands movie, which they wanted to see, and the rumored mini-series, which they hoped, like the movies would do justice to the book series. They talked about their parents who after initial skepticism, came to accept and like the poly-amorous relationship among their pets. The conversation, as they talked about their families drifted back to Bino and his snide remarks about the relationship and its members. Peanut noticed that Maxwell seemed conflicted, part of him disliking his housemate for his rude attitude towards his mates and another part of him seemed unwilling to condemn the dog to harshly.

"You care about Bino don't you?" Peanut asked

"Well, yeah," Max said, "It can't be easy dealing with that charming young lady, Duchess, and well, I don't think he has any true friends. Granted, a lot of this, if not most of it is his own fault, and I am not denying the dude is a massive pain in the tail, but seeing him when he's alone, it just breaks my heart. "

"What's he like when he's alone?" Peanut asked, "if you feel comfortable telling me."

"He sits in his room with his back to the wall, trying to convince himself that Duchess loves him and plotting new moronic schemes to gain her respect. He doesn't go to the dog park as he once did, he doesn't come out for dinner, he just sits there and tries to come up with a way of winning the heart of that miserable saluki. It is heartbreaking to see someone so in need of a true friend and yet so reluctant to admit it. I've tried to reach out to him, but he just rebuffs me. I think, somewhere in his mind he knows that Duchess and the others don't care for him, but the just can't bring himself to believe it." Tears swam in Max's eyes.
"I'm sorry," the cat said,"I didn't men to get so emotional there. I just feel so sorry for him, even if he does hate me, which i don't think he does despite what he says and how he acts. I mean I'm not a perfect cat by any stretch of the imagination, and maybe i should've been nicer to him, but I do care about him."

"Of course you do, Max, " Peanut said as he comforted the cat, "you're a good guy, and if you want to know the truth i feel sorry for him too. I've seen how Duchess treats him. I've tried to reach out to him as well, but he spurns me as he does you. I think you might be right about him not having true friends, and as you said he caused his own problems, but it must be miserable to not have true friends or a caring mate."

"The girls might call us soft-hearted," Max said, "and howl, maybe we are but someone has to be with Bino. Now don't get me wrong i love Tarot and Grape dearly, and they are so awesome with us, but I wouldn't want to tall them what Bino and company just said. Grape would hit them with a skillet, or maybe a saucepan, no it would be a skillet, and Tarot, well Tarot would make them wish they had been hit by a skillet, or a saucepan for that matter."

"We're very lucky to have such protective and loving mates. " Peanut said, "You know it's odd, when Grape first met you I didn't see what she saw in you, and now i just can't imagine my life without you. Want to get some pizza?"

"That was a quick subject change." Max noted

"I'm hungry, and I like pizza." Peanut said

"Me too. In your defense I was kind of a jerk back then, I was dealing with my insecurities and all this other carp and I just didn't do it too well. To tell the truth, Peanut, I never thought I'd be friends, let alone mates with you. But now, I just can't imagine my life without you either. How would you like a twelve piece pepperoni and mushroom for the pizza? That way we'll have some leftovers."

"Sounds good to me." Peanut said, I like pepperoni and mushrooms. Let me just call Grape and Tarot so they know I'll be with you. They wre planning a girls' night, anyway, but at least they won't worry about me. I'll text mom, too." Peanut did and did so.

"To totally change the subject," Max said, "isn't awesome that we both got accepted into the K-9 squad?"

"It is." Peanut said, "the academy was hard work but it was worth it. I've always wanted to be a K-9 and now I am."

"I just remember how proud your parents, my dad, Grape and Tarot were when we graduated from the academy." Max said, "I have to admit I was a little reluctant when you suggested going out but, I am just so happy to be a K-9. Who are you training under?"

"Fox, " Peanut said, "you?"

"Terrance," Max said, "apparently they want me to be a lab tech with him. Suits me just fine."

"I'm going to be on the investigative team." Peanut said, "That'll be exciting."

"Do you want to go to my house and have the pizza delivered ?" Max said, "Dad and Bino have meetings so we should have the place to ourselves for a couple of hours. I have some new lousy kung-fu movies too. "

"Now that sounds like fun." Peanut said as they walked down the sidewalk towards Max's house.

As they did so a woman watched them from a Subaru SUV, as she watched the dog and cat approach Max's house the driver nodded to the passenger. They had to do it now, if the cat and dog reached the safety of the house, they'd have to abort the mission and the organization will have wasted a great deal of money. They got out of the SUV and hurried towards the unsuspecting animals. One of the woman grabbed Peanut, while Max evaded the other woman's grasp. Seeing his mate in trouble, Max slashed the woman with his claws and sank his fangs into her skin. Max felt a needle prick in his shoulder but continued to slash and bite the woman who had Peanut. After a second needle prick Max's world went black and he was placed in a cloth sack. Peanut bit his attacker and fought valiantly, but eventually, he too was subdued by a needle and paced in a cloth sack. The cloth sacks were placed in the back of the SUV and the two women got in the front seat. Quickly they headed for the highway and headed out of Babylon Gardens. As they sped away the passenger dialed a number on her cell phone., and on the other end a dog's paw picked up the phone.

"It is done." the passenger said

"Good." the dog said, "No one saw you? The people in this community would not understand why you had to do what you did."

"Way of the filthy world." The passenger said, "No. No one saw us. The street and sidewalk were empty."

"Excellent." the dog said, "I'll expect my payment soon."

"It'll be at the P.O. Box you indicated." the passenger said, "You've done your kind a great service."

"I live to serve." the dog said, she then looked down at her desk where there was a photo of Peanut as a puppy, "You'll pay for breaking my heart." She told the picture, "Oh, you'll pay darling."

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

That escalated quickly. So no pizza party? Great chapter trekkie, I'm eager to know what happens next.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Really wonderful job on this! I love this chapter!

[trekkie]

Chapter 3

When Max awoke he saw nothing but blackness, his head and shoulder hurt and his mind was in a fog. What had happened? The last thing he remembered he and Peanut were planning out their evening and then two women grabbed them. He remembered attacking the woman who was attacking Peanut, and feeling a pain like a bee sting in his shoulder. He realized with a growing sense of dread that he and Peanut had been petnapped, and his mind flashed back to when he and Fox had been petnapped by a deranged man who wanted to feed them to his pet alligator. Fortunately Grape had rescued them and the man had been arrested. He remembered that Fox had been taken by two nuts from PeTA, before being rescued by the K9s. He also remembered that Fox, who was serving as an instructor in the K9 academy while recuperating from a badger attack, seemed to show particular pride in Max's graduation from the academy, maybe, Max thought, being petnapped together had bonded he and the husky. Fox was now Peanut's CO and Max knew from seeing Bino's injuries after he picked on King, that if you hurt anyone Fox cared for, you'd soon regret it. The same could be said for Grape and Tarot, whoever these petnappers were, they had picked on the wrong pets. Max heard groaning coming from nearby, and knew that he wasn't alone.

"Peanut, is that you? Are you okay, relatively speaking?" Max asked

"Yeah, its me. I'm okay, I guess. What the howl happened to us? Where are we?" Peanut asked

"I think we've been petnapped" Max said, "and I think we're in a vehicle of some sort, but other than that I have no idea."

"Who would want to petnap us?" Peanut asked, "If money is the motive neither your dad or my parents are very rich."

"I was just thinking about that myself," I think that my dad and your parents would give any ransom notes to the police. For our petnappers' sake, I hope the police find them before Grape and Tarot."

"Yeah." Peanut agreed, "The most the police can do is throw them in jail, Tarot and Grape would probably make them wish that they were serving a life term at Alcatraz. Okay maybe not that bad, but the girls won't be happy someone took us, and that's putting it lightly."

"What if they took us for a different reason?" Max wondered , "Do you remember when Fox was taken by those creeps from PeTA?"

"Oh, boy do I." Peanut said, "Even though the guys were captured mom and dad were very reluctant to let us go out by ourselves."

"Yeah, dad was the same way." Max said, "I didn't mind, it gave me a chance to catch up on Pridelands and some movies. Bino, on the other paw, kept talking about the Good Old Dog Club and.." Max stopped talking as the SUV's engine was turned off, and he heard what he presumed to be the vehicle's front doors slam. Outside he heard the two women talking. He and Peanut lay still.

"Blasted cat scratched and bit me. and that dog bit me." one of them said

"Go easy on them, they don't know they are being used to further the cause of false dominance." the other said

"Easy for you to say you didn't have to have your hand checked at the hospital." the first woman said

"Once we make them understand how they're being used, they'll be on our side . Think about our enemies experiencing the pain you suffered but in triplicate." The second woman said

"You're right that'll be delicious revenge," the first woman said
The tailgate of the SUV was opened and the first woman took out Max. Her partner took out Peanut and carried the two animals into a rented storefront in a rather woebegone looking mini-mall. Once inside, they went through a hallway into a large backroom. In the back room a veterinarian removed Max and Peanut from the sacks and checked their vital signs. After verifying the two were okay she placed them on two pet cots and left the room.

Meanwhile, in Babylon Gardens, Tarot and Grape had just finished the first movie of their mini-marathon and were about decide what to have for dinner, when Jill Sandwich, Grape and Peanut's mom, and a maternal figure to all four walked in. She smiled at Grape and Tarot, when she had first heard about the poly-love relationship between her pets she was a little unsure, but after seeing the difference it made in all four animals she was glad they were in such a devoted relationship. Having read Peanut's text she knew he'd be spending most of the day with Max and Earl had a Chamber of Commerce meeting, it would just be her Grape and Tarot for most of the evening. Jill looked out the window and saw that the mail had arrived and went out to get it.

As it was late November, there were many catalogs and appeals from charities. Jill sorted the mail into piles for each member of the family and junk mail. Earl's car magazines had arrived as had Grape and Peanut's Pridelands magazines. Jill continues to sort until she came to an envelope with no stamp or return address. "To the owners of Peanut Butter Sandwich " was written in block letters across the front. As she opened the envelope she felt as sense of unease. That unease turned to panic when she read the short sinister note inside. "We Have Liberated Your Dog." the note read, "Do Not Contact The Authorities, You Will Never See Him Again.". Jill went to the bedroom and sat on the bed trying to collect here thoughts. She wondered if Max's dad, Jeff had received a note as well. That question was answered in the affirmative when a panicked, Jeff called her saying he had gotten a similar note about Max. He had tried Max's phone and there was no response. Jill tried Peanut's phone, only to get no response as well. Jill called Earl and told him what happened. Earl promised to get home as soon as he could. Jill knew she had to tell Grape and Tarot what had happened. She knew that the cat and dog would want to charge after the people who had taken their mates, and while she respected their devotion she couldn't allow them to endanger themselves. Going to the living room where the cat and dog were still snuggled on the couch, Jill just decided to tell them the truth.

"Grape, Tarot, " she said, "Max and Peanut have been petnapped."

"What?!" They both cried

[FireworkFox]

Great work on this chapter!
So, from what I understand, these ladies want Peanut and Max to join some sort of revolution? What?!
I'm gonna be honest, that's not what I was expecting at all.

[trekkie]

Thank you. Yeah, you got it, the women are part of a more militant version of PeTA. Peanut and Max will express their disagreement and disgust with the actions of the women, in no uncertain terms.

[Amazee Dayzee]

This chapter has indeed came out very nice and suspenseful! I hope you continue soon!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Great chapter, trekkie. I'm interested in learning more about these womens' motives and of what Grape and Tarot will do next. This is an exciting story, well done

[trekkie]

Thanks guys.

[trekkie]

Sorry for the late update, everyone.

Chapter 3
The Pomeranian and the purple cat looked at each other in shock. Dinner was forgotten as the full impact of what Jill said hit them. Their mates had been petnapped and from the fear that they detected in Jill's voice whoever did it had her shaken. Tarot and Grape thought about the fun the four had had in the had recently, going to Heathcliff's , watching movies, snuggling, playing multiple Imaginates, and causing lighthearted mischief at the Good Old Dogs Club. Indeed. the time since the four of them had become an official foursome had been the most fun either of them had ever had. Both Grape and Tarot came to the same conclusion, whomever had taken their mates would soon regret doing so. They also realized it had been several minutes since anyone had spoken.

"Do you know who took them, mom?" Grape asked

"No." Jill said, "I got this note in the mail, today, and Max's dad got one about Max."

Jill showed Tarot and Grape the note. The cat and dog read the short but frightening message. Their anger at the petnappers increased with each vicious word until by the end, both were enraged. Their minds flashed back to when Fox had been petnapped by PeTA. Fox had been rescued very quickly, and Tarot and Grape hoped that their mates would be as lucky. But, they couldn't just sit around and do nothing while Max and Peanut were in trouble. Tarot got up and went to her overnight bag, she then rummaged around trying to find the digital crystal she sometimes used for her psychic sessions. Truth be told, sometimes tarot missed the style of her od crystal ball but this is what she had now. Finding the crystal's carrying case, she took it out of the bag and took it over to where her purple and white mate sat.

"The digital crystal, eh?" Grape said upon seeing the case

"Yeah." said Tarot, "I was going to start teaching you some basics in crystal reading, but it looks like we need it for more urgent purposes."

As the cat and dog put their paws on the crystal and Tarot recited the words she knew as well as her own name and an added spell to help find out who had taken their lost mates. They Max attack the woman who was grabbing Peanut only to get jabbed twice with a needle for his trouble. They then saw Peanut bite his attacker before he too was jabbed with the needle. They saw their mates being placed into cloth sacks and placed into the back of the SUV. It was frightening and frustrating to see their mates being taken and not being able to do a thing about it. They did make sure to note the descriptions of the women who took them as well as the description and license plate number of the SUV, and the route that the women took out of Babylon Gardens. Eventually the crystal went blank and the two were left staring at nothing.

"Carp!" Tarot exclaimed, "I knew I should've paid the extra money for the extended vision package."

"That's okay, hon." Grape said, "We now know a lot more than we did before, and we can give this information to the police." Grape then turned to her mother. "Mom, have either you or Jeff called the police?"

"I haven't. I don't know about Jeff, Max's dad." Jill answered, "If you guys have some information you don't have to ask my permission to call."

Grape picked up her cell phone and called the number for the K-9 unit. She knew that they were the ones to contact about petnapped pets. After what felt like forever, the cat heard someone pick up the phone.

"K-9 department, Officer Limburg speaking, how can I help you?' came a voice both Garpe and Tarot knew very well

"Fox, this is Grape. i don't know if you've heard, but Max and Peanut have been petnapped." Grape said

"What?" Fox said. The husky got out his pen and pad and prepared to get any information he could to help the imperiled duo. Fellow officers Fox thought with cold fury, someone has taken two fellow officers. His anger rose as he thought about the terror that Max and Peanut must be experiencing. He was quite familiar with it having been petnapped twice himself. Also if he had to be honest with himself, he was quite proud of Max and Peanut. he had shared a bond with Max since being petnapped with the cat, and he always admired Peanut's love of reading. Fox, knew though that he had to calm down, and get information to help find Max and Peanut. Taking a deep and steadying breath he asked, "What do you guys know?"

"Well, Tarot and I had to use magic(k) to get this information, but.." Grape started

"Don't worry about that, magic(k) has proven more reliable than our informants." Fox said, "Even Sergeant Ralph is coming around."

"Okay, thay were taken by two women, they were thin White women with blond hair, medium height. They had on black jackets and pants. They put Max and Peanut in the back of a gray Subaru Forester Illinois license plate ABBY93. When we last saw them they were headed westward on Route 57. "

"This is very good information, thank you." Fox said, " Grape, Tarot, I promise you that every officer will work our hardest on this and we will not rest until we find Max and Peanut."

"Thanks, Fox. This is just...I just can't believe this is happening. Let us know if you need our help." Grape said

"I promise I will." Fox said, "I'll get this information to the squad." The husky then hung up and hurried off to do so.

Grape hung up the phone and looked at Tarot. " We have got to get the boys back," the cat said, "Max and Peanut have been so awesome to us, so understanding of me crushing on Res and on muscular guys..."

"And of me dragging us off on magic(k)al quests and dealing with all the carp that comes with them. They put up with our foibles very well and howl, they even cook for us without being asked. You know on our last date, Max could tell I was feeling down and he made me Chicken Parmesan. Dad always makes it for me and Sabrina. Max's is as good if not better. He also gave a red rose to Sabrina because he could tell she missed dad."

"Maxie is a great cook. His dad taught him and now he is teaching Peanut." Grape said, "When i was snuggling with Peanut recently, i was upset because it was the anniversary of me being abandoned. Peanut drew a picture of the four of us, and put a note on it saying that I would never be abandoned again. Do you remember when the boys sand Let it Be me by the Everly Brothers last time we were at Heathcliff's ? We are so lucky to have them."

"I do remember that, and you're right we are lucky to have them as mates. They're always saying how lucky they are to have us but we are just as lucky as them." The dog wiped tears from her eyes and reached out to take Grape's paw and squeezed it. Grape squeezed her paw back and the two mates embraced for comfort. Grape and Tarot made a promise that as soon as Peanut and Max were they'd tell their guys exactly how much they were loved. In the meantime, Grape and Tarot would try and help the K-9s find their missing mates and apprehend those responsible for taking Max and Peanut. They also made a vow that if either Max or Peanut were harmed in either way, those responsible would gain a whole new appreciation of the power of love.

[NHWestoN]

Just found this story and I'm intrigued already.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I really do love how well this chapter was written! Keep it up!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Gripping. Good thing Tarot's still got some magic(k) left in her. Let the hunt begin, it's about time those women get what they deserve Great stuff, trekkie!

[FireworkFox]

Great job on this! You're the best writer I've ever seen!
It is clear that the cold hammer of Justice will come down hard.

[trekkie]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your kind words. Sarah (the female K-9) is an OC a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Chapter 5 (the previous chapter should have been 4)

Fox hurried down the hallway to Sergeant Ralph's office. Two fellow officers had been petnapped and time was of the essence. The sooner he told his sergeant about the case, the sooner the K-9s could organize a search for Peanut and Maxwell. While Fox went went over what he knew, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten to ask. He took out his cell phone and dialed Grape, who Peanut had listed as an emergency contact.

"Grape?" Fox said when the cat answered, " Fox, i forgot to ask you when and where Max and Peanut were taken."

"Oh, sorry, we forgot to tell you." Grape said, "It was about three to four hours ago two blocks from Maxie's, er, Max's house headed to the park. My parents and Max's father got notes advising us not to call the police. Sorry, we didn't tell you we were still in shock, I think."

"That's okay." Fox said, "Hang on to those notes we'll need them for evidence. Do you think that your parents will allow you guys to come on the search with us? If I can convince Sergeant Ralph, hopefully we can take you crystal along, I think he'll agree, his officers are very important to him. And what the howl, its as good as any other idea. Don't worry we can keep you safe."

Grape talked to her mom, and Tarot texted Prof. D'Angelo who was her guardian. Both gave their permission.

"Its okay with our parents if its okay with you guys." Grape said, "The crystal has a range of ten miles."

"Good." Fox said, "I'll call you before we come to pick you up." He then knocked on Ralph's door and and entered upon Ralph's invitation.

"Yes, Fox?" Ralph looked up at the husky

"Sarge, Max and Peanut have been petnapped." Fox said, " I just got off the phone with Grape and Tarot, their mates. They used magic(k) to get this information but.."

Fox relayed the information to Ralph, as he did so he noticed a look of anger come over the dog's face. No, it was more than anger, it was absolute fury. He knew his sergeant to be gruff but fair and levelheaded. He knew now that the sergeant would move heaven and earth to find his missing officers and Fox realized, suddenly, that although he had calmed himself, he was furious too. Whomever had taken Max and Peanut had made a very Grave mistake, indeed.

After getting the details from Fox, Ralph called all officers backed to headquarters ASAP. Fox went to the evidence lab and alerted Terrance and Mungo, who was assisting the British dog until Max began work. Terrance put the license plate information into the computer, hoping to find the owner of the SUV, and printed out the results. He also summarized the results plus Fox's information and printed out copies for the team. He snatched the printouts and hurried along with Fox and Mungo to the briefing room. The three officers waited for what seemed like forever until the rest of the squad joined them. The squad took their seats, Terrance giving the information he had gathered to Ralph, who stood at the front of the room.

"All right guys, for those who don't know Officers Peanut Butter Sandwich and Maxwell Rufus Foley have been petnapped." Ralph said, "You'll find all the information that we know on the summaries on your desks. Mungo, Sarah, i want you two to go to the scene of the petnapping, see if there were any witnesses, or cameras and gather any evidence. Kevin, Fido, see if our suspects were seen elsewhere in Babylon Gardens and talk to the parents of our victims. Terrance, Fox, you're with me. Remember time is of the essence here, we cannot and we will not allow any person to think that they can just take any officer in this department or any pet in this town without there being serious repercussions. Are there any questions?"

No one spoke.

"Okay then, you have your orders. Dismissed." Ralph said

Six spoke as one, "Yes, sir." , and the officers hurried off to their assigned duties. Each knew that the safety and well being of a fellow officers depended on their actions today, and each made a vow that they would work as hard as they could to get Max and Peanut home safely. As for the petnappers, when they were found, the K-9s would do their best to see to it that they were punished as severely as the law allowed.

Terrance and Fox went with Sergeant Ralph and met to meet with the highway patrol. The officer liaison, a usually jovial man named Justin Coward and his partner Nicole Davis, would be working with the K-9s. Coward's mood today was far removed from his usual jolliness, he and Davis looked as upset and angry as anyone on the K-9 squad upon learning of the abduction of two officers. They had taken two vehicles, Davis had driven an unmarked car and Coward had a patrol SUV. Davis said she would take Ralph pick up Grape and Tarot, and Fox called the cat and dog to alert them. They would then join Coward, Fox, and Terrance on the search. The officers got into their vehicles and went out to rescue their fellow officers and try and deliver justice to the petnappers.

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

It's satisfying to see the entire K9 squad swing into action. Those women have no idea who they're messing with. Exciting chapter!

[CunningFox]

This is coming along really nice. Great work.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am a big fan of how this is all coming along! Please keep on writing!

[trekkie]

Thanks, guys. By the way from now on, i will be bouncing back and forth between Max and Peanut and the K-9s (with Grape and Tarot), and (some) of the petnappers will soon face justice.

[FireworkFox]

I loved this chapter! It is good to see Fox is on the case.

[trekkie]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'm sure that I speak for everybody when I say that we all are so excited for what's next but we don't want you to feel rushed so just take your time because it will be worth the wait!

[trekkie]

Thanks, again everybody, sorry its taken me such a long time to get this chapter up.

Chapter 6 Meeting Sister Clarissa

While these events were going on in Babylon Gardens, Max and Peanut were sitting on their cots in the backroom and trying to figure things out. They had had a chance to explore the room and found it contained, a a table and chairs, a TV, a dry erase board and markers, and the pet cots on which they now sat. There was also a small bathroom with a sink, toilet and tub. There was, however, no means of escape, so the cat and dog asked themselves some questions. Why had they been petnapped and who petnapped them? Were they targeted or were they taken at random? If they were targeted by whom and why? Peanut remembered something he had heard, he had thought it was a dream, but now he wasn't so sure. The brown dog looked over at Max.

"I think I heard one of our petnappers talking to someone on the phone." Peanut said, "I couldn't hear who was on the other end , but the woman who took us did say 'it is done'. I thought it was a dream at first but now, I don't know. I think someone in Babylon Gardens was helping the petnappers."

"As troubling as that thought may be, I agree with you." Max said, "The only question is who were they working with and why. Okay, that's technically two questions, I guess, but you know what I mean."

"I do." Peanut said,"Who dislikes us enough? Duchess, Bino and their goons maybe?"

"I don't know." Max said, "I can't see Bino being involved in something this extreme. Yes, he's a walking pain in the tail, and I know some of the things he says about us are vile, but I don't think he means them. I think he is just trying to impress Duchess, and have her love him. He wants what we have he wants, he needs someone to love him. Putting all that aside there is one reason why I don't think Bino planned this."

"What's that?" Peanut asked

"The plan worked." Max said, "Now Duchess, I could see her doing something like this she's a lot more ruthless than Bino and-" Max's ears twitched, "Carp. Someone's coming."

Max and Peanut turned towards the door. It opened to reveal a short white woman with cropped neon-green hair wearing a black shirt and pants. She had a pink canvas bag, and took two booklets, pens and black baseball caps out of it, setting them on the table. Max and Peanut went to the table and looked at the booklet. The title read: Welcome to Freedom! A Guide For Liberated Animals.

"You must be Maxwell and Peanut. I'm Sister Clarissa, one of your liberators." the woman said

"Are you from PeTA?" Peanut asked

"PeTA?" Sister Clarissa made a face, "Those sellouts? No, we are for total animal liberation from artificial human dominance, we are soldiers in the upcoming liberation revolution! We are the best friends of animals throughout the globe! We are the voice of those whose voices are stifled by their brainwashed devotion to humans! We are your liberators, your agents of freedom, we are Pet Operational Organizational Posse!" With every sentence Sister Clarissa got more and more excited until she was shouting and her eyes were crazed.

"P.O.O.P. ?" Peanut asked

"We're working on the name." Sister Clarissa said

"Ma'am?" Max raised his paw, "Why did you pick us to liberate?"

"We were told you both were in an unnatural relationship. " Clarissa said

"Unnatural? " Max asked, "Like your hair?"

"This is my natural hair color." Clarissa snapped

"Sure." Peanut said, "and I'm the queen of Brazil."

"My hair color is not relevant to your liberation." Clarissa said, "now if-"

"I don't know." Max cut in, "If you can't be honest with us about hair color how can we trust you about other things?"

"Okay, fine! I dye my hair! And I never went to Smith! Is that what you want to know, mother? Oh, sure, just because you and Caroline went to Smith, I should go to Smith too! Well, maybe I didn't want to go ! Did you ever think of that, mother?" Clarissa seemed to be going insane, fearing the consequences if this continued, Max and Peanut tried to calm her down.

"Calm down." Max said, "We don't care if you went to Smith or not."

"Yeah, take some deep breaths." Peanut said

Clarissa did so and then turned to the animals, "Sorry about that." she said once she had calmed down, "Anyway, we will liberate you and set you free from human domination! Doesn't that sound great?"

"Look lady, I spent my early life as a feral. I hated it." Max said " Now I have a father and mates who love me. I have a home. You and your group are nothing more than a bunch of egotists who want to impose your will on animals, regardless of whether it is good for us. You all make me sick"

"Brainwashed." Clarissa said and turned to Peanut , "What about you, dearie?"

"Don't dearie me, " Peanut said, "I agree with Max, you guys are completely and utterly selfish. You don't care about us only about your sick agenda."

"Both of you are so brainwashed." Clarissa said, "I'm just glad Lass and Syrup told us about you."

"Who are Lass and Syrup?" Peanut asked

"Our contacts, your friends." Clarissa said, "I'll let you read our booklets, I'm sure you'll be convinced that we're right." She then got up and left.

"Well," Max said, rolling his eyes, "she seemed stable."

"Max, what are we going to do?" Peanut asked, "These people are crazy."

"No doubt." Max said, "They'll find us, don't worry, Tarot still has magic(k) and the K-9s are very determined and they will find us. Until then, well, we have each other."

Peanut smiled a little. It was true, They had been petnapped, and their captors seemed to be insane. But their mates and fellow officers would find them. Until then, they had each other. Max and Peanut decided to take Clarissa's advice, and as they snuggled together they laughed and rolled their eyes at the absurdity of the booklet's suggestions.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Tis really is a very exciting chapter! Keep it up!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Great chapter trekkie. Thanks for sticking with this story, I really enjoy it. Though these women still make me mad, I'm in favor of Peanut and Max staging a rebellion.

[Dogglar]

Woah hey just found this, and I'm really likin it so far! Also, again I just found this, I swear I knew nothing about this before writing mine. The names and setting is pure coincidence I swear

I look forward to more, trekkie!

[Amazee Dayzee]

I think its safe to say that everybody will look forward to more.

[FireworkFox]

I loved this chapter! I'm glad to see that Max and Peanut are (somewhat) okay.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I will definitely be glad when they are completely out of this situation though.

[NHWestoN]

Rescue awaits!

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hopefully not a moment too soon.