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Finally another installment! I’m still on vacation, so I won’t have many opprotunities to write. I get home in a couple of weeks. Once that happens, I’ll be able to post much more regularly. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

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June 21st, 1969

The Crimson Plaza

Lionel had to wait until the following afternoon. The two Dogs fell asleep in each other’s arms, finally able to relax a little. Once Nathan had cleaned up the house and the two discussed what their response to Lionel’s plea, the two walked down to the Plaza to deliver the bad news. There was no way that they could help.

“What do you mean you can't help?” Lionel asked, “Aren't we worth it? They're killing us out there Travis.”

Travis looked over at Nathan and sighed. This was going just about as well as he thought it would. Nathan put his paw on the German Shepherd’s and gave it a firm squeeze.

“Lionel,” the younger Dog began, “You know what will happen if Travis and I get caught.”

“Besides,” Travis interjected, “Who says anyone will actually follow my lead? Two of our friends are dead, and I had something to do with it.”

Travis hung his head.

“Lionel,” he looked up with tears in his eyes, “I'm sure I had everything to do with it.”

“We need you Travis,” Lionel sighed, “You can help us buck the system. You're a cop damnit. You know them from the inside.”

“I'm not a cop any more Lionel,” Travis sighed, “At least not a New York City cop. I'm leaving in two weeks.”

Lionel snarled and hit the bar hard with his palm.

“Then what in the hell do you have to lose?” The Lion asked, “Do your part in making our lives a little better then go.”

“I won't be able to go and survive if I do this,” Travis stood up, starting to raise his voice, “No one will hire a gay cop who leads protests.”

“Then don't be a fucking cop Travis,” Lionel scoffed and leaned over the bar to get in the German Shepherd’s face, “Do you really think it'll be better anywhere else?”

Travis crossed his arms and stayed silent, biting back a smart remark.

“Your naiveté is dangerous Travis,” The Lion continued, “Do you really think you can make a difference there any more than you can here.”

Nathan shrank away, eyes lowered. Travis knew he wanted to say something. The German Shepherd gave him a nudge and a slight smile.

“He made all the difference in the world to me,” Nathan said quietly, “He’s done so much. I'm sorry Lionel, but we can't take the risk. Not now. Not when we’re so close to getting away.”

Lionel was the silent one now, his face softening as Nathan continued to speak. The younger male took a deep breath and stood up tall.

“I'm a cop killer Lionel,” Nathan continued, “If they catch me, they'll kill me. If I survive and go to trial, there's a good chance I'll be framed for even more. We want to help, we desperately do, but we can't be on the front lines with you.”

Lionel sighed and nodded. In response, Travis breathed a sigh of relief. The Dog’s friendship with Lionel was not something he wanted to throw away. He leaned over the bar and gave the Lion a hearty hug, pressing the Cat against him.

“Call me if you need any advice,” Travis broke the embrace, “We want to help you out as much as we can.”

Lionel nodded and went back to tending his bar.

“I'd recommend leaving now,” The Lion began, “There have been a lot of cops in and out of here lately. I’d hate for the two of you to get into trouble.”

“Thank you,” Travis waited for Nathan to stand up, “We’ll talk later alright.”

The two Dog’s walked out of the bar, keeping their heads down as a group of guys walked past. The Australian Cattle Dog took a deep breath and shuddered as they made it outside. Ever since he had agreed to leave with the German Shepherd, he had been nervous. Travis was sure he wouldn't be the same until they made it out of the city.

“W-was there a Fox in that group of guys?” Nathan asked, “Was August there? Did he see us?”

“I didn't see him Nathan,” Travis pat the younger Dog on the back, “Come on. Let's go hon. I'll do some writing and you can just relax.”

“O-okay,” Nathan replied, “That’ll be nice.”

The pair started walking home, walking shoulder to shoulder. Travis smiled and looked down at his feet. In this moment, things felt normal.

“Why is he like that?” The Cattle Dog asked, “August I mean. Why does he hate his own kind?”

Travis sighed.

“Well it's a long story,” the German Shepherd replied, “It doesn't excuse it, but August has had a hard life, especially after he got back from the war.”

“That makes sense,” Nathan scoffed, “Why’s he not still over there? He'd fit right in with the rest of those killers.”

“He almost died over there,” Travis replied, “He was part of a mortar crew. He's the only one who came back. He got discharged after the battle of la Drang. Drinking and disorderly conduct is what he said.”

The German Shepherd paused. He was told this story the first night he went out with his co-workers. The image of August’s tears popped into his head, and he gasped.

“You okay Travis?” Nathan asked, “You kinda got quiet for second.”

“Yeah I’m fine,” Travis looked up, “What the hell?”

As the pair talked, they had made it to the corner adjacent from the German Shepherd’s apartment. Two unmarked police cars, ones Travis recognized, were parked in front of the open door to his apartment. On the stoop was two uniformed police officers smoking cigarettes and talking amongst themselves.

“Stay here,” Travis adjusted his coat, “I’m going to figure this out. Don’t come home until they're gone.”

Nathan whined and nodded, stepping back to lean against the wall of an apartment building. Travis growled and walked to his doorstep, a snarl building up in his throat. It was Rudy and George, two white men, both newer to the force than Travis was.

“Travis,” Rudy looked like he had been slapped, “You're here.”

“No shit. This is my place isn't it?” Travis barked, “What the hell is this?”

“You should go and talk to August,” George began, “He’s upstairs, he’s the one with the warrant.”

“Warrant?” Travis growled, “Why the hell does he have a warrant?”

The two cops shrugged. Travis let out a snarl and forced his way past them, going up the stairs to the open door of his apartment. August was standing in front of the German Shepherd’s record collection. His ears perked up as the Dog came up behind him.

“Ah Travis,” August straightened up and chuckled, “I was hoping you'd be home.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Travis asked, “On what grounds are you searching my home?”

August produced a warrant from his back pocket and handed it to the German Shepherd.

“The chief called in a favor,” the Fox chuckled, “He had to make doubly sure that one of the ex-cops at the head of his investigation of didn't have a conflict of interest.”

“A conflict of interest isn’t a crime,” Travis scoffed and threw the warrant down, “Which means you have no grounds to be here.”

“Obstruction of justice is a crime,” August replied, “Believe me, after I told the chief about your little love nest he was more than keen on having me investigate.”

August pointed towards the closed guest bedroom door.

“Speaking of,” the Fox grinned, “I figured I'd save the most damning evidence for last. If that room is still empty, I'll have more than enough evidence to take you and your little boyfriend down to the station.”

Travis growled. He knew better than to counter with anything. The best course of action was to let August work his way through it. Any overt reaction would give the Fox ammunition to use against the German Shepherd. August opened up the door and let out a snarl.

The bed was unmade and covered with folded laundry. Nathan took the Fox’s observations to heart this morning and quickly made up the bedroom. The kid was smart, no doubt about that, and that made the German Shepherd's heart swell with pride. August trembled with rage as Travis gave the Fox a smirk.

“Did you find what you came for?” Travis asked, “Get out August. You've got nothing and I’ve done nothing.”

August slammed the bedroom door and trembled with rage. Seeing the Fox like this was going to make the Dog’s week.

“I've got one more person to talk to,” August chuckled, “Your housemate”

The Fox smirked as Travis frowned.

“I'm sure you've told him to wait till we've left,” August began, “I'll be right back. Don't touch anything. I’ll know if you do.”

August walked out of the apartment and down the stairs. Travis growled and walked over to his liquor cabinet. Damn what the Fox said, the German Shepherd needed a drink. He poured himself a scotch and sat back down on the couch, bringing the fiery liquid to his lips.

A few moments later, after Travis finished his drink, August and Nathan walked up the stairs. Nathan looked terrified and on the verge of tears. Hopefully, he had the wherewithal to keep his mouth shut.

“It looks like someone is bad at following instructions,” August clapped a paw on Nathan’s shoulder, “Guess who I saw lurking around the stoop.”

August smirked.

“I dismissed the guys downstairs,” The Fox continued, “Which means we have all the time in the world. You wait out here Travis, I think we’ll use your bedroom.”

Nathan let out a whine.

“Oh don’t worry puppy,” August cooed, “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

The German Shepherd grimaced at those words as the Fox led his boyfriend into the bedroom. It took every ounce of restraint in his body to keep himself from moving to the door before it closed. Silently, Travis walked forward and put his eye to the keyhole. If the Fox touched Nathan, Travis would kill him, no questions asked.

“So,” August smiled saccharinely, “You do realize that I know exactly who you are.”

Nathan stayed silent and hung his head,

“What's the matter?” August continued, “Don't you remember me? Don't be afraid my little pup of the night, I won't bring you in for telling the truth.”

The Cattle Dog looked up with tears in his eyes. August cooed again, his paw rubbing up Nathan’s arm. Travis bit back a whine, his anger replaced by fear. August was a predator, and interfering with his kill would only make things worse for his boyfriend.

“You used to say such wonderful things to me,” August sighed and looked down, “And I always repaid them. Now, please, tell me what I used to tell you.”

“Y-you always said you liked my fur,” Nathan took a shuddering breath, “How it felt, how you wanted to kiss every patch of black fur in the white.”

The Fox let out a dirty chuckle.

“Oh yes my dear,” August replied, “I have to ask why you changed the color. Black doesn't suit you and besides, am I supposed to kiss over every inch of you now?”

Nathan whimpered.

“What's the matter?” The Fox leaned in to kiss over the Dog’s neck, “You used to love how I kissed you, mmmr, how I used to make you moan and squirm. You used to call me your favorite.”

The Dog shied away, making the Fox snarl. As soon as the sound left his lips, August transitioned back to a smile. The bastard, Travis thought, was probably getting off on this.

“I'm sorry sweetie,” August chuckled, “You know how I can get. I'll try to be nice, but you need to be nice too.”

Nathan looked like he had been slapped. “Playing nice” was never one of August strong suits, but he must have done it enough to show Nathan the rewards for behaving and the punishments for disobeying.

“Tell me,” The Fox pulled back, “Why would you dye that beautiful fur?”

Nathan whimpered and, for a brief instant, appeared to crack.

“Travis said I should,” The Cattle Dog said quietly, “He said it would be the best way to, you know, get off the streets.”

“Travis said that?” August chuckled, “And why would a straight Fur like him care about whether or not you didn't have to work the streets.”

Nathan whimpered and rubbed his arm.

“He said I was worth more,” The Cattle Dog cried, “I’m sorry he was nice enough to help me. No one else did. Please don't get him in trouble. He didn't do anything.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” August said softly, “But if you were staying off the streets and living here, why bother dying that pretty fur?”

“I can’t stay cooped up in here all day,” Nathan replied, “I didn’t want to go outside and run into problems. People trying to have fun at my expense. I don’t do that stuff any more.”

“So then,” August smirked, “Are you saying, say, your favorite customer, would be able to put a claim on you?”

Travis tensed and nearly bumped against the door. There was no way in hell that he’d allow that to happen. The Australian Cattle Dog let out a quiet whimper.

“Would you leave Travis alone?” Nathan asked after a short pause, “Would you let him move on in peace.”

“No,” Travis whined under his breath, “No, no, no.”

August smirked. Travis knew he wanted nothing more than to crush the German Shepherd under his boot. He knew August wanted the chance to be the hero for once. The Fox would settle for this though. It was evident in the way he growled as he pulled the Cattle Dog into an embrace.

“Oh my dear pup,” The Fox murred, “I'll fulfill my end of the bargain if you fulfill yours.”

“Yes sir,” Nathan let out a shuddering whine as the Fox’s paws moved down to his rump, “I’ll do what you say.”

“Good,” August growled into Nathan's ear, “Then I'll see you out front at 5:30. I'm gonna need to blow off some steam after work.”

Nathan let out a quiet whimper as August got up from the bed and walked out of the room. The Fox gave Travis a smirk.

“Looks like my suspicions were unfounded,” August chuckled and clapped the Dog on the shoulder, “Oh well, I guess we both got something we wanted.”

Travis managed to restrain himself from giving the Fox a bite to the throat. There was nothing he could have done, at least not at this moment. The German Shepherd took a step back and let the Fox go through unharmed. As soon as August left the apartment, Travis ran to Nathan and held him close.

“I-it's okay,” Nathan wiped his eyes, “He doesn't do any lasting damage.”

“Lasting damage?” Travis growled, “This settles it. We've got to get you out of here, get us out of here.”

“If I leave what’s going to happen to you?” Nathan whined, “August is going to put two and two together.”

“Nothing will happen,” The German Shepherd frowned, “I'll get a job somewhere else. I don't have to be a cop Nathan.”

“They’ll find you, find us,” Nathan stood up and shook his head, “Take the cop job Travis. I can always meet you a month or two later.”

“You're out of your fucking mind if you think I'm leaving you here with that psychopath,” Travis growled, “No we’re getting you out of here as soon as humanly possible.”

Nathan sighed and kissed his boyfriend on the lips. Travis whined and pressed himself closer, not relinquishing the contact until the younger male pulled away. He took a deep breath and took a step back.

“I'm gonna have to shower,” The Australian Cattle Dog sighed, “He likes me clean. He'd always make me shower if he didn't get to me first.”

Travis hung his head and huffed. Nathan carresed the taller Dog’s muzzle, pulling his paw away as he accidently brushed too close to one of the German Shepherd’s injuries and made the Dog whimper.

“I'm doing this for us,” Nathan began, “Believe me, it's not because I want to.”

The German Shepherd let out another whine as Nathan kissed his cheek and walked into the bathroom.

“I know you don't,” Travis sighed under his breath, “I just don't see why you won't just run.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4 hours later

Travis looked up from his typewriter and stretched his fingers. It had taken three drafts and his back- up ribbon, but he finally came up with a letter to Chief Hickling that would do the trick. He read it over one last time before putting it into the envelope. The German Shepherd would put it in the mailbox as soon as his boyfriend got home.

He let out a quiet whine as he got up from his writing desk and walked to the liquor cabinet. Travis was under the impression that this would be a quickie. He immediately thought about the story he didn't finish telling Nathan, the story of what had turned August into the monster he was today.

After the war, the drinking didn't stop, even after his wife gave birth to their third pup. She quickly filed for divorce and got custody over all but one, the oldest. She still lived with him, as far as the German Shepherd knew, while she went to college. Vanessa must have saw something in her father that everyone else didn't.

Travis’s ears perked up as he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall towards his apartment. He reached up and grabbed two whisky glasses as well as the most expensive bottle of booze he had, a bourbon. The door slowly opened and Nathan walked in, head hung and blood dripping from his wrists.

“Nathan?” Travis whimpered and walked up to him, “Jesus are you okay?”

Nathan nodded slowly.

“C-can I have a cigarette?” The Australian Cattle Dog said quietly, “I know they're for emergencies, but someone should smoke them before they go stale.”

Travis nodded and walked over to his desk. The cigarettes were one of his few dirty secrets and something he wasn't very proud of. He grabbed the half empty pack of smokes and a lighter and sighed.

“What did he do to you?” Travis took a deep breath, “You can tell me. I promise I won't be mad at you.”

“He just tied me up,” The Australian Cattle Dog grabbed a cigarette out of the box and lit it, “Just too tight.”

“What the fuck did he tie you up with?” Travis growled, “Barbed wire?”

Nathan shivered and took a deep drag of his cigarette.

“It was just rope,” The Dog barely held back a cough, “He was just mad at me. Look, this isn't going to happen again. I'll behave, and in a couple of months I'll go to you.”

Travis walked over to the desk and picked up the sealed envelope. Nathan didn't notice, and turned around to smoke his cigarette.

“You're coming sooner than that,” Travis replied, “We’ll go to the travel agency tomorrow and find out where we're gonna live.”

Nathan paused and turned around.

“I’m not going to be a cop anymore,” The German Shepherd continued, “We can drop everything and go. Maybe go to San Francisco. It is the capital of the world for people like us.”

The Australian Cattle Dog started to cry, doing his best not to sob. Travis smiled slightly and walked forward, softly rubbing Nathan’s arm.

“San Francisco doesn’t do it for you?” Travis chuckled and wiped away Nathan’s tears, “How about Seattle? Maybe some place smaller? A farm?”

Nathan smiled and let out a quiet chuckle. He embraced his boyfriend with an arm, putting out his cigarette on the ashtray behind the German Shepherd. This was nice, Travis thought as his lovers other paw found his shoulder.

“A farm sounds nice,” Nathan nuzzled into Travis’s chest, “Something small, somewhere quiet. I'd really like that.”

“A farm huh?” Travis started to sway back and forth, holding the Cattle Dog close, “Maybe a dairy. I'd like to see you bent over working all day. We may have to have a no clothes policy. Just so I get the best views.”

Nathan laughed and gave the German Shepherd a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you Travis, you goofy German Shepherd you,” The younger male replied, “But we shouldn't do anything like that. You don't know a damn thing about cows or farming.”

“If you want a farm love then I swear to you I'll figure it out,” Travis nuzzled Nathan’s cheek, “Do you want me to draw you a bath?”

Nathan smiled and nodded. The news that he wouldn't have to suffer at August’s sadistic paws for long must have turned his mood around. Travis leaned in and gave his boyfriend a quick kiss before going into the bathroom. He started up the bathtub, sitting on the edge of it to face out into his apartment.

“I was going to walk out to mailbox and drop off my letter,” Travis began, “Want me to wait for you?”

The Australian Cattle Dog nodded and sat down beside the German Shepherd. It was hard for Travis to see the younger male liked this. As horrible as it sounded, he was happy he never ran into Nathan before he did. Arresting this poor kid would have weighed so heavily on his heart. Nathan let out a quiet whine and rested his head on the older male’s shoulders. They sat quietly until the bathtub filled up, both of them sharing in the other’s strength.

“You might want to leave the room,” Nathan sighedas he turned off the water, “You’re just going to get upset.”

“What do you mean?” Travis whined, “I thought you said he just tied you up.”

The Australian Cattle Dog took off his jacket and revealed his bloodstained white tee-shirt. Travis gasped, shed a few tears, then let out a snarl.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” Travis spat, “That no good son of a bitch.”

“Please,” Nathan sighed, “It won’t help. Can you please go?”

Travis took a deep breath and sighed. There would be plenty of time to be angry later. Right now, he needed to keep a clear head and keep his nose down. He lingered in the bathroom, wanting to be of some help to his boyfriend.

“Hon?” The Australian Cattle Dog continued, “Could you put on some music?”

The German Shepherd nodded and slowly walked out of the bathroom. He stopped in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at Nathan. He was slowly taking off his shirt, grimacing at the pain. Travis bit back a whine and turned back around, paws shaking nervously.

“What record do you want?” Travis asked, “We can play anything you want. Even the stuff I don’t like.”

“The Wilson Pickett one,” Nathan replied, “Midnight Mover. I like a lot of the songs on that one.”

Travis bit back even more tears as the thought of Victor dancing in his apartment crossed his mind and stuck there. He nodded, unable to hold them back now.

“What,” Travis choked back a sob, “What song?”

He cringed, half expecting Nathan to request Victor’s favorite song from that album. Even if they weren’t really together, Travis still missed the Black Lab so much. For a brief instant, he even reconsidered Lionel’s offer again. The German Shepherd owed it to Victor to make things right again. Nathan let out a sharp whine from behind Travis as he got into the tub. The German Shepherd knew better than to look.

“Down by the Sea,” Nathan said, “I really like that one.”

Travis breathed a shaky sigh of relief and got the record player ready. He turned as he started the song. Nathan had closed the shower curtain. The German Shepherd walked to the window and took a deep breath suddenly jonesing for a cigarette. He reached into his pocket and looked it over. Cigarettes reminded the German Shepherd of his father, who had worked and died in a cigarette factory. With a sigh he crumbled it up in his paw and dropped the pieces out the window, watching them slowly float to the alley below.

His ears perked up as he heard angry shouting coming down the alley. A young white man was sprinting down the alley, blood caking his forehead. The German Shepherd recognized the cause of the wound from here, a nightstick. Travis growled and shook his head. He knew he shouldn’t do this, but it didn’t look like whoever did the shouting was following the young man.

“Hey!” Travis shouted, “Run in that door. I’ll meet you there.”

Travis ran out the door, shutting the door to give Nathan his privacy, in order to meet the young man. The Dog ran down the stairs, moving to the side to allow the human to run past him.

“Go in the closet door to the top of the stairs” Travis began, “Quick and quiet, you can’t miss it.”

The human blushed and went into the apartment, breathing hard. Travis followed after him and locked the door behind them, looking over the stranger with concern. He was probably Nathan’s age and had a similar build. His brown hair was messy, no doubt due to the rough treatment the young man had received.

“What happened?” The German Shepherd asked, “Did a cop do that?”

The younger male nodded.

“I was meeting a date at the Crimson Plaza,” The Human whimpered, “I had been there five minutes when the cops came in. They took the bartender and my date and left. One of them chased me though. I think I lost him.”

Travis blinked. Humans never went to the Crimson Plaza. Furs gay and straight alike didn’t readily welcome humans into their establishments. The fact that he went there for a date was, bizarre.

“Who were you meeting?” Travis asked, “A Fur?”

The human nodded.

“I didn’t get his name before the cops came in,” He sighed, “But yeah, I was meeting with an Otter.”

“Wow,” Travis blinked, “What’s your name kid?”

“H-Harold,” The human looked down, “What’s yours?”

The Dog put a soft paw on the human’s shoulder and sat him down on the couch. If the kid was good enough to get a date with a Fur, then he was good enough for some hospitality. Travis walked over to the record player and turned the music off.

“I’m Travis,” The German Shepherd replied, “Just wait one second. Let me get some things from the bathroom to help you with that cut.”

The German Shepherd walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Nathan had pulled back the shower curtain, likely wondering what the hell was going on. Travis winced and looked down, unable to stifle a whine. Nathan’s torso was covered with bruises and his shoulder bore a nasty looking bite.

“I should take care of that cut after your bath,” Travis began, “I took some kid off of the street. The cops busted up the Plaza again, and arrested Lionel.”

“No way,” Nathan whined, “Is the kid okay?”

Travis started getting his first aid stuff together. It was getting low, but hopefully the German Shepherd wouldn’t need to replace it.

“Yeah, I think so,” Travis replied, “Just got hit in the head.”

“Okay,” Nathan nodded, “I’ll come out and help you in a second. Just let me get some clean clothes on.”

Travis smiled and gave his boyfriend a kiss on the forehead before standing back up and going out into the living room. Harold was standing over the sink, rinsing some of the dried blood off of his forehead. The German Shepherd let out a chuckle and set the supplies down on the counter.

“Happy to see that you’re awake enough to take care of that wound,” The German Shepherd smiled, “Mind if I take a look at it?”

The human moved his hand and lifted his hair out of the way to show Travis his wound, making the Dog whistle lowly. It wasn’t a big cut, only about half an inch long, but very swollen. The German walked over to his kitchen cabinet and grabbed his least favorite cocktail shaker.

“So who was in the bathroom?” Harold asked, “Boyfriend?”

Travis nodded, blushing as he walked over to the sink.

“I think the cut itself stopped bleeding,” Travis began as he filled the cocktail shaker full of ice, “Hopefully we can just get the swelling down and get you on your way.”

“Yeah,” Harold sighed, “I hope the Otter is okay. He was really nice to me.”

Travis handed Harold the metal cocktail shaker with a thin rag wrapped around it.

“So what are you doing dating Furs?” Travis asked, “I’m sure you know the stigma around that.”

Harold scoffed and turned away as he held the cocktail shaker to his head.

“Of course I do,” Harold began, “But why should I let stigma get in the way of being happy.”

The German Shepherd froze. He had never thought about it that way. Of course humans and Furs had the potential to fall in love. Love like he had for his boyfriend. Travis knew that he wouldn’t give that up for the world. Sure it was weird to think about the human’s flat lips planted against the muzzle of an Otter, but who the hell was he to judge?

“I guess so,” Travis shrugged, “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see him again.”

“Yeah?” The human asked, “How do you know?”

The German Shepherd scoffed.

“I used to be a cop here,” Travis replied, “They’ve got no evidence and nothing to convict them with. There’s no law against going to a bar. Not anymore.”

“A cop huh?” Harold chuckled, “What made you quit?”

Nathan walked out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but his towel. Travis looked over the Dog with a smile, his gaze following Nathan’s path. The German Shepherd couldn’t wait to get him far away from here. Soon, the ex-cop’s tail wagged.

“I think I get it,” Harold chuckled, “I think I should head home.”

“You sure?” Travis asked, “I’m more than happy to let you stay for a bit. What if there’s cops outside?”

The human set the cocktail shaker in the sink and shrugged.

“I’m sure they’re gone,” Harold sighed, “I hate to say it, but I’ve got plenty of experience dodging cops.”

The German Shepherd chuckled as the human shook his paw and left the kitchen. Harold practically ran into Nathan as he passed.

“Leaving so soon?” Nathan asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Your boyfriend made sure I was,” Harold smiled, “You’re a lucky Dog.”

Nathan smiled and blushed as the young man walked around him and out the door. He looked much better, less like a stray Dog who lost a fight. The Australian Cattle Dog walked up and embraced his lover, letting out a happy back as he did so.

“You told him we were together,” Nathan smiled, “Damn that makes me happy.”

“It seemed like the right thing to say,” Travis chuckled, “Given the circumstances and all that.”

The two maintained the embrace, lightly swaying back and forth. This was right. Travis murred and nuzzled into his mate’s neck, breathing in the Cattle Dog’s scent. He knew at that moment he had made the right choice. He couldn’t be a cop, not if it meant hurting people like Nathan. If only he were born straight, then his heart and head would be in it, but he couldn’t tear his community apart.

“What’s going to happen?” Nathan whined, “With the Plaza? With Lionel? Our friends?”

“I don’t know baby,” Travis sighed and held the younger Dog tighter, “I just don’t know.”

Nathan pulled back and looked up at his mate.

“Can’t we help?” Nathan asked, “Please? If we stay in the background, only bring in people we trust until the actual event. Couldn’t we help them fight back? Couldn’t we help them win?”

Travis paused for a moment.

“You can’t be there,” Travis said firmly, “I can’t put you at risk again.”

Nathan whined.

“I can help out from here right?” Nathan asked, “Make signs and get supplies ready.”

Travis knew Nathan wouldn’t take no for an answer. Making signs should be safe enough though. Even if the worst happened, they couldn’t necessarily link it back to Nathan.

“Fine,” Travis kissed the Australian Cattle Dog on the forehead, “But if this thing goes sideways. If I get arrested or thrown in jail. You go. Do you understand? Don’t leave me any hints in the apartment. Just go.”

Nathan whimpered.

“But what about you?” He asked, “How will I find you?”

Travis held the Dog tighter.

“Don’t worry about that,” Travis replied firmly, “I’ll find you.”

Nathan nuzzled into the German Shepherd, relaxed by Travis’s confidence. Travis hated to lie, but it’s what he had to do. It was for Nathan’s own good.