((Side thread to ‘Play Testing))

Ally was totally confused by this point. Gregory had actually left her at home rather than going to work with him today and also left that boy in his house with her. She was sitting in the front hallway on the wood floor playing with Casey for the time being. The puppy had become the friend she’d never had and gave her all the attention she could. She was smiling as she pet Casey then started playing tug-o-war with a rope, one end in Casey’s mouth the other in Ally’s hands. It took two hands to keep it from slipping from her grasp. She was wearing the normal attire (hopefully everyone knows it by now) and her gaze looked over to the guest bed room every now and then. The boy from the hospital had remained in it for the most part. Oh well. She wasn’t one to bother another unless it was some urgent reason.

The playful growling of the puppy echoed through the house where wood floors were present including all the way back to the guest bedroom’s door.

He hadn't really slept all night long. He stayed sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. He had dozed every so often but didn't sleep soundly like most kids his age would have. That was probably due to having the bits scared out of him by being locked in the dark closet for what felt like, to him, forever.

He could hear the dog growling somewhere in the house. Didn't matter much to him. The poor kid hadn't even come out of the room to go to the bathroom even though he really had to piss something awful.

It seemed Casey had gotten bored of playing tug-o-war and suddenly sprinted off down the right hallway, knocked the door open with her paw and then disappeared inside the guest bedroom. Ally just sat there for a moment unsure of what she should do. She really didn’t know the boy and wasn’t sure if she should go after the puppy. Eventually she stood up and walked quietly down the hallway. Bare feet on the wood didn’t make any noise though it made her feet cold.

She peeked around the open door to see if he was sleeping or not, to find him sitting on his bed with his knees to his chest. Casey was attempting to try and jump up on his bed, stubbing tail wagging furiously behind her making her entire butt shake.

Blade continued to just sit there on the bed even through listening to the puppy growling playfully and stuff. He'd never been around a puppy. Only older dogs that his 'friends' fought and stuff. Nothing else. They weren't pets. They were money makers.

The door to the room suddenly opened further and he couldn't help but flinch. Imagine the surprise when in came running the puppy and not the one who had locked him in the closet. He just sat there for a while and watched the pup trying to jump onto the bed.

A slight smile actually began to creep onto his face as he watched it. Finally he pushed his knees away from his chest and reached down to pat the pup on its head. The more he pet the pup, the wider his smile seemed to grow. He then reached down and helped the pup up onto the bed.

She watched silently as the boy leaned over and petted the pup which seemed to make him feel better as he was now smiling and finally picked up Casey and let her onto the bed.

”So why did Greg bring you home?” She couldn’t help but ask. He never brought home patients.

He didn't know that the girl was in the doorway and continued to pet the pup. A laugh had almost escaped from him as he let it lick his face. That is, until a voice suddenly came from the doorway.

The pup nearly fell off the bed as he recoiled suddenly from the pup and pressed himself against the wall at the head of the bed. His knees came back up to his chest. His eyes averted to his feet.

"I ain't got no where else to go..." he muttered.

She thought about it a moment before she stepped inside the room and sat down on the end of the bed. Casey came over to since the boy had recoiled away from her. The pup was still quite energetic so Ally started to pet her gently which started to make her yawn and a bit sleepy.

”I don’t either.” Which was another way of saying that she didn’t belong to Greg either. At least not by blood.

"Oh," was his reply. He was still looking at his feet. "Where'd you come from then?"

”Further east from here and down in the states. Illinois to be exact.” Wow. This was probably the most she’d ever spoken to anyone at one time, but she had this feeling that she and the boy were alike in some way. At least in her opinion Greg was keeping them both there against there will.

”What’s your name?” The puppy had fallen asleep by now as she continued to pet it gently.

Unlike Ally, Blade had come with Greg of his own free will. It had been either come with Greg, or have to go with social services. Social services was so not an option. So he came with Greg.

"Blade." No. He was not about to give his real name. He hated his name. He hadn't answered to it in such a long time. It even felt wrong just saying it. The previous day he had to say it not once but three times. "Yours?"

Blade. That was interesting. No doubt it wasn’t his real name but she didn’t really care. As long as she didn’t have to refer to him as ‘the boy’ constantly.

”Alyssa. But everyone calls me Ally.” Or at least what people were allowed to talk to her or the nurses that called her over the intercom when Gregory needed her.

”He’s been acting weird lately.” Which means he usually doesn’t bring home people that are of no use to him.

He shrugs slightly. "I wouldn't know. Never met him before till yesterday. Hell, didn't even get here to this city till yesterday."

No. I guess he wouldn’t know of he was acting strangely or not. She looked down at Casey as she stroked her gently.

”Her names Casey. You can play with her when ever if you want. I don’t mind.” She looked back up at him when she finished speaking.

"Thanks," he muttered. "Never been around a puppy before. Just my friends adult dogs. They were fightin' dogs. Used to make 'em money."

She was a bit puzzled with the idea of people actually fighting dogs for money. It sounded like a horrendous idea to profit from. Dogs were living, breathing beings with feelings to. But she didn’t say anything about it. She wasn’t in the mood to upset him if she argued the idea.

”Why are you so nervous?” She noticed the way the boy was sitting and recognized the emotion it was giving off as she had sat that way a lot when around Gregory and he had caught her talking to someone.

He shrugged slightly. He wasn't about to tell her about having been locked in the closet and being scared of the dark. "Not used to new places I guess."

”I understand that.” She was petrified when she had first spent the night at Gregory’s first place. It was dark and the roof leaked. The place definitely needed fixer upper, but they hadn’t stayed there long. Not with her help anyways. He quickly moved into nicer places the more money he had gotten.

”He isn’t the most loving man.” She stated rather coldly. That burning feeling that she got just thinking about how he kept her here coursed through her veins. But it quickly subsided as the better half was in control and remained in control 95% of the time.

He shrugs slightly. "Wouldn't be the first time I'm around someone that isn't loving. It's the story of my life."

She looked away from the boy again. ”Same here.” Of course even through the nightmares she still wasn’t sure what had happened before she was seven. The idea that it was a bad dream and only a dream that her mind was making up was still there.

The boy finally began to unfold his legs. Not entirely though. Just enough to show that he was sort of relaxing a little. It was from the motion of unfolding his legs again that he realized he really needed to take a piss.

"Where's the bathroom?" he finally asked.

Ally watched him sort of relax at the moment and she made a half smile attempt as he asked where the bathroom was.

”It’s the first room on the right down the opposite hall.” She said it with a rather bland voice as she looked down at the puppy again.

The kid jumped off the bed and shot down the hall towards the bathroom. Damn. If he'd have waited any longer, he just might have pissed himself. That wouldn't have been a good thing and he would likely have died of embarrassment right then and there.

After pissin' and washin' his hands, he headed back into the guest room. "How old's your dog?" he asks just to have conversation going.

She waited on the bed while he used the restroom and then looked to the door as he came back in and asked his question.

”The lady said she was around four months, but they weren’t for sure.”

"Oh," he replied. "What kind of dog is she?"

”She’s a golden retriever/Australian shepherd mix. I like her stubby tail.” She said smiling and poking the little tail. Casey’s paws were twitching by this point, no doubt she was dreaming.

"Yeah. It's cute. Boxers have stubby tails. I've seem 'em at the dog fights."

She looked at him as he spoke yet again of dog fights. ”It’s not right to fight dogs.” She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Ally had to say what she thought of the idea.

Blade merely shrugged before hopping back onto the bed. He flopped against the pillow and crossed his arms behind his head. His feet crossed at the ankles. He was, however, careful so as to not disturb the sleeping puppy.

"The dogs didn't ever object."

She looked down at Casey as she spoke. ”That’s because people can’t hear their voices. Though some gifted people can though rare.”

The boy shrugged again. "I don't believe in that type of stuff. Ain't no such thing." Remember kiddies, Blade doesn't know there's such a thing as magic.

Now this caused her to raise and eyebrow. He didn’t know about the magical world. That meant the he didn’t know if he had a gift or not and right now she assumed he didn’t. Why the heck was Gregory dealing with this kid if there was no benefit of making money from him? It caused her to remain quiet and just stare at him in puzzlement, thinking about Greg and if suddenly his motives were changing for some reason. She couldn’t think of why but lately nothing surprised her with the way he was acting.

"When's he come home anyway?"

”It varies. Depends on how long they want him to stay. He’s never left me at home before.” It was obvious that she was confused why she had been left home alone. Well she wasn’t really alone since Blade was there as well, but still.

"Oh," was all he said. The boy was quickly running out of things to say.

Ally had stopped petting the puppy and a few moments later it was starting to rouse. A yawn emitted throwing puppy breath into the air nearby. She smiled as she looked down at the puppy.

”I have to take her on a walk soon and let her go to the bathroom. Want to come?”

He shrugged slightly and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Sure."

”Alright.” By this time the puppy was starting to become more excited and playful. Of course it was, Ally had stopped rubbing it. She had that affect on things you know. The puppy jumped off the bed and burst out the door down the hallway barking. Alyssa walked across the hallway to her room and got the leash. Coming back out she whistled for Casey and the puppy came to her. Latching it on to her collar she opened the door and waited for Blade to come out before shutting it behind them.

Blade followed along behind Ally and her pup. He was silent for the time being.