Maltese
by The Jackal

Ken knocked on Okaze's door. He wondered if Patty was up for another game of football. Patty answered.

"Ken!" She exclaimed. She turned, "Daddy! Ken's here! Come in, Ken!"

Ken walked in and found Okaze tying Scooter's shoe. Scooter looked up and gave him a shy smile. Okaze straightened and turned, "What's up?"

"Looks like I caught you leaving."

Okaze shrugged, "Getting ready to go shopping."

"Can I borrow Patty for a game?" asked Ken. Patty giggled.

"Sorry, Ken. Shopping time means I get a new toy! Can't miss it!" Patty hopped once. "What about the afternoon? We'll be back!"

Ken looked disappointed, "Who's gonna be my goalie then?"

Patty shrugged, "What about Hikari? He's good."

"Yeah, I guess." He ruffled her hair, "But you've got to promise me. Tuesday afternoon."

"Sure thing!" Patty ran to her father who helped her into her jacket.

"We'll be back around one if the game is still on," Okaze added as he locked the door.


One o'clock came and went, the hours fading into four. Still, Okaze and the children had not returned. Ken couldn't help feeling worried. Aya glanced at him, "If you're so worried why don't you call him. He has a cell phone you know."

Youji looked up, "Worried about who?"

"Whom," corrected Omi.

"Worried about _whom_." Youji made a face at Omi who was doing his homework and didn't notice.

Ken sighed, "Okaze said he'd be back at one and it's already four."

At the mention of Okaze, Youji turned away. "Don't bother. That man can take care of himself. And his kids."

"I know..." Ken turned to Aya, "What's his number?"
Ken went to another room to call Okaze. The phone rang several times before...

"Who is it?"

Ken jumped at Okaze's brisk tone. "Uh...Hi! It's Ken!"

There was a long pause, "Ken?"

Ken gave a short laugh, "You know, the football player who annoys you all the time? Where are you? Didn't you say you'd get back at one? It's four!"

Another pause, "Four already?"

"Where are you?" Ken asked again, worry niggling the back of his mind.

"I'm at the hospital. Scooter had a seizure."

Ken sat up. "WHAT?" He winced and spoke quieter. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She took a nasty fall though. Got a few stitches."

Ken ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm sorry, Okaze. She's not sick is she?"

"No, she's not sick."

"You're awful calm about it. This has happened before?"

"Since she was a baby."

"Wow. Well, when will you get back?"

Okaze sighed, "Who knows? Patty, don't touch that. It's not a toy. Look she's starting to wake up. I'll talk to you later, OK?"

Ken nodded, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah. Could you go walk and feed Granite for me? Poor thing probably thinks I've abandoned him."

Ken winced again at the memory of that dog...and that dog's teeth. "Sure, no problem."

"Thanks," Okaze answered quickly, "I appreciate it. Bye."

"Bye." Ken hung up the phone. "Great, just great. Ken, this is the day your bleeding heart gets you killed." He stood and walked out. As he left Omi looked up.

"Is everything OK, Ken?"

Ken sighed, "Yeah. Okaze just asked me to take the dog out for him."

Youji laughed. "Any last requests?"


Ken went down the stairs. Before he even got to Okaze's door the barking started. And the growling and the clawing.

Ken stopped at the door. "Aw, Okaze....Why this? Anything but this..."

He reached under the door and pulled out the spare key, "Remember, Ken. He won't bite you."

The lock clicked and the dog stopped barking. Ken paused listening to the abrupt silence. "Okay..." He pushed the door open. Granite sat there, tongue lolling and tail wagging. A red leash dangled from his jaws. The dog whined with urgency bumping his head against Ken's leg.

Ken patted Granite's head. "You're not so bad after all."

Ken knelt and clipped the leash to the collar. "Now we're just going to go for a little..."

Ken couldn't finish. Burning with his need to pee, the dog yanked him around dragging him down the hall. "Woah! Wait! S-Stop!"

Onto the street, knocking into a businessman, who cursed profusely. "S-s-sorry!" shouted Ken as he was dragged through the oncoming crowd. "Geez! Will you slow down just a minute there! Granite!"

The doberman charged forward, head held low. He was making for a certain tree -- his tree. Ken tried to stop the dog byy shouting every known command.

"Sit! Uh...Stay! Um...Oops! Sorry ma'am! Heel! Stop! Woah...OUCH!" Ken tripped and fell scraping his elbows. "You stupid dog!" He checked the injury and saw small red pinpoints oozing from a long white mark. He glared ferociously and was met by a slobbering tongue kissing his face. He grimaced and wiped his sleeve across his face. "Well, I'm glad you're happy. Does Okaze have to put up with this?"

He got up and brushed himself off. "Let's go then. If you're finished." Granite turned and smiled at him, baring his milky white fangs. Ken shuddered and walked the dog back to the apartments. When he reached Okaze's door, the dog paused whining.

Ken yanked the leash, "Come on! I can't take you all day!" He opened the door and forced the reluctant pup inside. Ken closed the door on the dog just as it sat down and began to howl.

Ken sighed, and waited for the noise to stop. It didn't. It sounded like the poor dog was dying. Ken remembered Okaze's words. "Poor thing. He probably thinks we abandoned him." Ken ran his hands through his hair.

"You _so_ owe me Kaz..." he muttered as he opened the door. Out bounded the joyous Granite, whining with relief and jumping up to like Ken's face.

"YOU BROUGHT THE DOG?!!"

"Oh, shut up..." grumbled Ken as Granite bounded happily into his apartment, "The dog was howling like crazy! I couldn't just leave him!"

Youji stood as the dog attempted to put his paws in his lap. "Yes you could..."

The dog yipped, turning to Omi. Omi gathered his things, "No way I can study in here. See ya, Ken."

Aya was already gone. "Huh? Wait a minute!"

"Not a chance," muttered Omi on his way out the door.

"But...! But...!" Youji just waved and walked out behind Omi. "Guys! Come on...." Ken glared at Granite who looked very happy. Ken closed the door. "What am I supposed to do with a dog all day?" he glared at Granite. "You stupid, mutt..."

Granite bared his teeth, snarled, and barked. Ken backed up. "Sorry! Uh...You like cheese? I've got cheese..."

The dog continued to growl and jumped on the sofa. When Ken tried to protest, his growl increased in volume. Granite pawed the remote and turned the TV to Animal Planet, his tail wagging with joy.

"I don't believe this..."


It was around ten o'clock when Granite jumped off the couch and started barking at the door. Ken, half-asleep on the Laz-E-Boy jerked up. "Finally! He's back!"

Ken opened the door and Granite trotted down the stairs to meet his master. Ken followed the dog.

"Hey, 'Kaz! That dog of yours kept me up all night _and_ took over the TV! He also gobbled down my chee..." Ken had to stop talking when he saw Okaze. His usual neat ponytail was frayed and unkempt and he looked like walking was painful. Scooter was draped on her father's shoulder, soundly asleep and a small white bandage on her forehead and what looked like four or five band-aids on each arm. Patty ran forward and unlocked the door, letting Granite in first before entering.

Okaze turned to Ken, with tired, tortured eyes. "Thanks for your help, Ken. I appreciate it."

"No problem," Ken answer softly, forgetting completely about what happed with Granite. "If there's anything else I can..."

Okaze walked in without answering so Ken followed without asking. Patty came in hurrying with a tub of warm water. Okaze laid Scooter on the couch while Patty set the tub of water on the coffee table. Scooter woke up and immediately started whimpering, salty tears making a weary descent down her cheeks. Okaze laid one bandaged arm into the water and rubbed Scooter's tears away with his thumb.

"What happened?" Ken's voice was hoarse with emotion as Scooter started to cry again, pain in her eyes.

Patty walked up. "It's none of your business Ken."

Her voice was so cold that Ken was surprised that it came out of a four-year-old girl.

"Patty!" Okaze snapped. "Ken, if it's alright with you, could you put her to bed?"

Patty turned to her father, pouting. "But Daaaaaaaa....!"

"Quiet! Get to your room," Okaze turned back to Scooter, who continued to cry feebly.

Patty walked to her room, determined to hate everything Ken would do or say. She flopped roughly in her bed and crossed her arms awkwardly across her chest. Ken walked in his brown eyes clouded with concern.

"Patty...."

"She's not sick! She's fine! She's my sister and she's just and strong as smart and...and...You're not sorry, so don't even say it!" Patty wiped away the deliquent tears that escaped from her eyes. "Don't even say it..."

Ken sat on the bed. "You must have been worried about her."

Patty said nothing, just stared at her hands. She stared as Ken's hand came to cover them both.

"But even through all this you're still strong. I admire that."

Patty sniffed shaking her head. "I'm not str...strong...I'm weak 'cause I can't help Daddy!" Her voice climbed and Patty cried while Ken stroked her hair.

She was asleep when Okaze peeked in. Scooter was deep in an exhausted sleep that he painfully desired at the moment. He looked at Ken who slipped carefully off the bed, replacing the blanket over her tiny body.

Okaze let him out of the room and they silently went back to the kitchen. Okaze sat down at the table and Ken sat opposite him.

"I'll repay you for the trouble Granite caused you," Okaze began.

"Forget it!" Ken sharply interrupted. Then quietly added, "I'd do it a million times over if it means helping you out a little bit."

Okaze shook his head, turning away. His hair was out of his ponytail and cascaded down his back, shoulders, and over his face in limp, dark vines.
His eyes were deeply shadowed with fatigue, the dark lines etched into his face with four years of misery. His wrinkled clothes added so much more darkness to his form that it seemed that he was literally falling apart, losing himself piece by piece to an abismal void. HIs eyes were empty as they stared at nothing, lost in some memory or thought.

Ken got up, giving Okaze a rough shake on the shoulder. "You'll make it. And she will too. I'll talk to in the morning." Suddenly, he was struck with a thought. "I know! I'll take Patty and Scooter to school tomorrow and you'll sleep in!"

Okaze looked reluctant. "I don't know, Ken..."

"Come on! It won't be ten minutes with me before they get to school. What? Don't you trust me?"

Okaze looked at Ken. His eyes raked him up and down, no don't considering every gesture, word, and deed of Ken Hidaka since they met that fateful night. Ken felt like he was before the judge that would decide his life and death, instead of wondering if he was fit enough to be a baby-sitter.

Okaze sighed deeply, caving in. "Their school begins at 8:00 but I expect them to be there at least thirty minutes before head."

Ken smiled. "You got it!"

"And," Okaze added, "They'll get to the flower shop at four if you don't mind keeping them the rest of the day."

Ken nearly split his face in half he was grinning so big. "Really! That's wonderful. I treat them so good they'll start calling _me_ Daddy."

Okaze seriously doubted that but put up with Ken's joshing. "Now go away and let me sleep."

When Ken left the stars seemed to be shining even brighter than when he left. Maybe the clouds had cleared. Or maybe Ken was working to cherish and nurture a life instead of taking one away.


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