fredbassett (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fredbassett) wrote2013-11-24 11:15 am
fredbassett) wrote2013-11-24 11:15 am
Entry tags:
Fic, Pups in the Park, Becker/Ryan, 15
Title : Pups in the Park
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Becker/Ryan, Allen Becker, Alex, Marcus and Kay
Disclaimer : Not mine, no money made, don’t sue. Pup!Verse belongs to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fififolle, many thanks to her for letting others play in her sandbox.
Spoilers : None
Summary : Allen takes the pups out to play, not expecting danger to threaten.
A/N : Written forfififolle’s birthday. Have a lovely day! Many thanks to lukadreaming.
“Stop worrying and get off to work. I’ll ring you if there’s any problem, but there won’t be,” Allen Becker told his son. “They’re over their coughs now and the fresh air in the park will do them the power of good.”
He looked down at his three grandchildren, milling happily around his feet. The pups had been at home for the past week, getting over a bad case of the grumps. Kay had gone down with it first, swollen glands progressing to the usual nasty hacking cough with a slight fever hard on its heels. Her brothers had quickly caught the bug off her and soon all three of them had been coughing fit to burst. But now, with the usual resilience of children, they’d shaken off the grumps and were clamouring to go for a walk to the local park, their first outing in a week.
“Be good for your granddad, kids,” Becker said, going down on one knee and giving each of them a quick kiss. He looked up. “Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it.”
Becker grabbed his kitbag and car keys and, with a last look at his pups, dashed out of the door. Allen wasn’t wholly sure what project his son was working on, but he knew it had a sufficiently high security level to have impressed even the Colonel, and Allen knew from long experience that his dominant wife was not easily impressed. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she hadn’t raised any objections to him having taken over childcare for his grandchildren during the past week, but it would be a mistake to think that acquiescence signified any softening of her attitude towards their son and his children. Or at least some of his children.
The Colonel still steadfastly maintained that her son should not be holding down a career in the military. In her view, an omega’s place was in the home, caring for his mate, the way Allen did. She disapproved of her son’s job and disapproved even more of his decision to keep his third child. In her view, Kay should have immediately been given up for adoption. Ruth Becker saw no point whatsoever in keeping what she saw as the runt of the litter.
Allen looked down at Kay, the third born, clever, beautiful little Kay, as bright as a button, the adored little sister of her two brothers and the darling of both her parents. Allen had fallen under her spell the minute he’d seen the chocolate brown little bundle of fur.
The three pups were still milling around his feet, uttering little yips of excitement. Allen reached for the brightly-coloured harnesses hanging up by the door. “Sit! You’re not going anywhere until you’re properly dressed.”
Three furry little backsides hit the floor as one, tails wagging and pink tongues poking out of their mouths. Allen bent down and lifted Kay’s front paws into her pink fleecy coat and fastened her bright pink harness over the top. Kay’s love affair with that particular colour showed no signs of abating. Alex’s blue coat went on next, followed by Marcus’s green one. As soon as their matching leads had been clipped on, they were ready to go out.
Despite their often rowdy behaviour in the house, the pups had been trained to absolute obedience when they were outside; the obvious product of two parents in the military. Becker and his brother had been just the same at that age, although no doubt the Colonel’s training methods had been a good deal more robust. The three of them trotted along happily at his heels, never pulling or hanging back. When they reached the park, Allen led them straight to the adventure playground, knowing that they wanted to let off some steam after being cooped up for so long.
Alex and Marcus promptly made a dash for the slide, scrambling up the steps and hurtling down the plastic chute, barking madly, before landing in soft sand in a tangle of paws. After each go on the slide they insisted on chasing each other around in circles, barking madly. Kay decided to leave her brothers to it and made a beeline for the swings. Allen lifted her into the box, made sure she was safely in place before he started pushing her backwards and forward and it wasn’t long before the boys were clamouring for the same treatment.
The roundabout provided no respite for his arms, but their exploits on the climbing frame could at least be observed from a safe distance. A huge plastic contraption with steps, planks and bars provided the perfect place for them to work off the last of their energy before Alan brought out a bowl of water for them all and some biscuits to provide a mid-morning snack.
When they’d finished in the playground, Allen let them run across the park to the lake. He made sure all three of them stayed out of the water and in any event, the pups had a healthy respect for the large white Aylesbury ducks that clustered on a small island in the middle of the lake. The ducks were almost the same size as the pups and took an extremely dim view of being chased by excitable children as Marcus has discovered to his cost on one occasion. The sight of the black-furred puppy being chased by a large, white and extremely cross duck had provided a timely lesson in the value of leaving well alone.
As they walked around the edge of the lake, Allen saw a woman coming towards them with a little girl holding her hand. Allen did a quick double-take and realised that when he’d last seen her a few weeks ago, the woman had been accompanied by a bouncy golden puppy with a bright purple coat. The child had obviously recently Changed, but her liking for purple was still evident in her polka dot dress and quilted jacket.
Allen smiled at the woman as Alex, Marcus and Kay ran up to her child and milled around, barking happily at their friend.
“She’s beautiful,” he said. “Were you expecting the Change?”
“Not quite so soon.” The woman bent down to stroke her daughter’s three friends. “Yours have got a few more years like this. They’re lovely at their age.”
“They’re lovely at any age,” Allen said. They chatted for a few minutes before Allen and the pups resumed their walk, skirting the edge of the pond and making their way towards an area of woodland on the heath.
Alex ran on ahead and disappeared into the bushes. A few moments later, Allen heard a loud bark, followed by an uncertain yip. Marcus and Kay looked at each other and promptly started running towards their brother.
“Kids, come back!” Allen knew his voice was sharp with concern but there had been something worrying in the tone of Alex’s bark.
He broke into a run, quickly overtaking them. At the edge of the wood he found Alex holding his ground against something that looked like a fancy chicken with a bad dose of mange. But any amusement Allen might have felt dissipated rapidly when the creature lunged forward, its sharp beak open, ready to tear at the puppy. Only Alex’s fast reactions saved him. The puppy rolled away, leaving the chicken-creature with a beak full of blond fur. Allen saw blood on Alex’s shoulder and felt his stomach twist in fear.
“Get behind me, now!”
He bent down and grabbed a thick stick, swinging it in front of him at the chicken. Instead of backing off, it jumped at him. The stick broke on impact, leaving Allen holding a short length of rotten wood, too soft to be any use. He swept his arm up, attempting to defend his face. Pain ripped into him and he realised with shock that his arm had been laid open to the bone through his jacket and shirt. He kicked out, sending the creature head over heels, but where there had been only one, suddenly there was a whole flock of them, chirruping menacingly, spreading out to outflank them on both sides.
“Run!”
Allen had never considered himself a heroic man – omegas weren’t, as a rule – but when his grandchildren were under threat, he knew that only one thing mattered: their safety. Another piece of wood proved more durable than the first, sweeping two of the creatures off their thin legs, but they were tougher than they looked and wouldn’t stay down. One jumped at him, taking a bite out of his thigh and suddenly they were swarming over him.
A volley of barking told Allen that the pups had not run. He struggled back to his feet, knowing that if he stayed down he was going to be in even bigger trouble. Using the branch in his hands like a club, Allen managed to knock one of the mutant chickens into a tree and he saw, with satisfaction, that it dropped limply to the ground. Only the presence of the three puppies prevented the creatures from getting behind him and bringing him down but his grandchildren were young and already tired from their games in the park and Allen knew just how sharp the attacking beaks were, as did Alex. His grandson’s shoulder was stained red, and he could see that Alex was limping, but all three puppies had stuck by him, barking loudly and dancing out of the way of the snapping beaks. He saw Alex and Marcus bowl one of the creatures over, giving as good as they were getting, but he knew their milk teeth would be no match for the hard beaks.
Despite having taken three of their attackers out of the fray, there were still at least six more coming at them, letting out squawks that sounded like angry parrots, their brightly coloured feathers fluffed out. Allen wondered what the hell the creatures were and where they’d come from. He was used to seeing parakeets in the trees, but these things were bigger, considerably more vicious, and like nothing he’d ever seen before.
Allen ignored the pain in his arm and leg and concentrated on trying to make sure that the creatures couldn’t get close to them. He’d played a lot of cricked at school and his eyesight and reflexes were still good. As much as he wanted his grandchildren as far away from him as possible, he knew that in fact they’d probably done the right thing by staying with him. The creatures had long, scaly legs, resembling heavier versions of the roadrunner from the old cartoons that Becker had enjoyed so much when he’d been a pup. They could almost certainly have run down any of the pups if they’d tried to get away.
A yelp from Kay made Allen redouble his efforts. He’d told Becker not to worry and he didn’t want to be proved a liar. The puppies meant more to him than his own safety, but if he went down, he knew they’d soon follow.
He gripped the branch harder, ignoring the pain in his arm and the blood that slicked his hands. He needed to take down at least two with his next swing.
The sound of a horn cut through the air and before Allen had chance to work out what the hell was happening, three black four-wheeled drive vehicles roared up to them, disgorging men in black uniforms. The sound of shots rang out and Allen realised he could hear his son’s voice giving the orders in a tone that would have impressed even the Colonel.
“Take those little fuckers down,” Becker yelled, pumping a bullet into a lethal-looking shotgun and picking off one of their attackers. The blast blew the creature apart.
“It’s OK, Allen, we’ve got this now.” Allen sagged with relief at the sound of Ryan’s calm voice, and the sight of his son and a group of heavily-armed soldiers taking control of the situation. The pain from Allen’s various injuries finally made themselves known through the haze of adrenaline coursing through his system and he went down on one knee, gathering the three wide-eyed puppies to him as a volley of gunshots almost deafened him.
A moment later, the medic nicknamed Ditzy was on his knees next to them, quickly and professionally checking the three pups over for injuries. The gash on Alex’s shoulder was the worst, but luckily it seemed to be no more than a graze. The pup’s thick fur had saved him from more damage. Marcus and Kay had lost a few clumps of fur each and Marcus had a cut over one eye that made Allen swear under his breath, doing his best to banish the thought of how close his grandchild had come to losing an eye.
“Finn, get the kids into the van and wrapped up in a blanket! I need to look at Allen. They’re fine, sir,” he said quickly. “I promise you.”
Allen felt suddenly light-headed as relief washed through him in a warm wave. He swayed, and found himself in his son’s strong arms, being helped to his feet.
“We’ve got you, Dad, you can let go of that bloody great big bit of wood now.”
At his son’s words, Allen managed to dredge up a grin from somewhere, in spite of the chunks that his opponents had managed to gouge out of his flesh. “I told you there was a good reason for learning to use a cricket bat.”
Becker grinned back at him. “You did, and I didn’t believe you. But I do now.” Allen found himself enveloped in a tight hug. “Thanks, Dad. You saved their lives. Now let Ditzy patch you up while I manage to convince myself that my kids really are OK.”
* * * * *
“What do you mean you can’t tell me what’s happened?” The Colonel stared at her husband in amazement.
“It’s above your security clearance, mother,” her son said. “More tea, dad?” Becker put a mug of tea – heavily-laced with whisky, if the smell was anything to go by – on the table. Allen smiled and accepted the drink. It had been obvious ever since the Colonel had swept into the room in what could best be described as high dudgeon that her son was enjoying himself baiting her.
Ruth Becker narrowed her eyes. “Don’t pull that one on me, Hilary. My husband is bandaged up like that ridiculous teddy bear they trot out every year for Pups in Need and you won’t let me see the children, so I imagine that they aren’t exactly unscathed, either. I demand an explanation.”
“The kids are fine, mother. A few scratches, but nothing that won’t heal. And no, I won’t tell you what happened. Dad’s had to sign the Official Secrets Act, so he won’t be telling you, either.”
“Tea or coffee, Colonel?” Ryan asked, standing in the doorway clearly doing his best to keep a smirk off his face.
The noise that greeted Ryan’s enquiry sounded suspiciously like the Colonel was in danger of blowing a gasket. Allen sipped his tea and settled back to enjoy the show.
It wasn’t often that the Colonel met her match. But her son was quite clearly playing on home ground at the moment and was determined not to give an inch. Allen actually had very little idea what had happened that morning or what had attacked them, but something had alerted his son and his mate to a problem in the park, something that had appeared to warrant the attention of a team of heavily-armed soldiers plus a small group of civilians.
While the debate between Becker and his mother was still raging, Allen picked up his tea and quietly slipped out of the room. After the excitement of the morning, the pups had been put to bed for the afternoon, all three of them cuddled up in their big bed in the nursery. Marcus and Kay were fast asleep, their faces poking out of a thick, blue blanket festooned with black and white paw prints. The cut about Marcus’s eyebrow had been cleaned and looked nowhere near as alarming as it had done earlier. The clumps of Kay’s missing fur were covered up, as was the bandage on Alex’s shoulder. The eldest of the three pups was awake, staring up at Allen out of wide, blue eyes. Allen gently ruffled his fur.
“I think it’ll be a couple more days before the three of them are back at nursery,” Ryan said quietly. “But Ditzy says they’ll be fine. Thanks for what you did today, Allen. Those were nasty little sods.”
Allen bent down and gave each of his grandchildren a gentle kiss.
“They’re worth fighting for. But I don’t need to tell you that, Tom, do I?”
Ryan smiled at him. “No, you don’t. Your son and these three are the best things that have ever happened to me, and I’ll fight for them all the way.”
The sound of the front door slamming loudly told Allen that another fight had just finished as well. And this time his wife hadn’t been the victor.
It made a pleasant change.
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Becker/Ryan, Allen Becker, Alex, Marcus and Kay
Disclaimer : Not mine, no money made, don’t sue. Pup!Verse belongs to
fififolle, many thanks to her for letting others play in her sandbox.Spoilers : None
Summary : Allen takes the pups out to play, not expecting danger to threaten.
A/N : Written for
fififolle’s birthday. Have a lovely day! Many thanks to lukadreaming.“Stop worrying and get off to work. I’ll ring you if there’s any problem, but there won’t be,” Allen Becker told his son. “They’re over their coughs now and the fresh air in the park will do them the power of good.”
He looked down at his three grandchildren, milling happily around his feet. The pups had been at home for the past week, getting over a bad case of the grumps. Kay had gone down with it first, swollen glands progressing to the usual nasty hacking cough with a slight fever hard on its heels. Her brothers had quickly caught the bug off her and soon all three of them had been coughing fit to burst. But now, with the usual resilience of children, they’d shaken off the grumps and were clamouring to go for a walk to the local park, their first outing in a week.
“Be good for your granddad, kids,” Becker said, going down on one knee and giving each of them a quick kiss. He looked up. “Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it.”
Becker grabbed his kitbag and car keys and, with a last look at his pups, dashed out of the door. Allen wasn’t wholly sure what project his son was working on, but he knew it had a sufficiently high security level to have impressed even the Colonel, and Allen knew from long experience that his dominant wife was not easily impressed. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she hadn’t raised any objections to him having taken over childcare for his grandchildren during the past week, but it would be a mistake to think that acquiescence signified any softening of her attitude towards their son and his children. Or at least some of his children.
The Colonel still steadfastly maintained that her son should not be holding down a career in the military. In her view, an omega’s place was in the home, caring for his mate, the way Allen did. She disapproved of her son’s job and disapproved even more of his decision to keep his third child. In her view, Kay should have immediately been given up for adoption. Ruth Becker saw no point whatsoever in keeping what she saw as the runt of the litter.
Allen looked down at Kay, the third born, clever, beautiful little Kay, as bright as a button, the adored little sister of her two brothers and the darling of both her parents. Allen had fallen under her spell the minute he’d seen the chocolate brown little bundle of fur.
The three pups were still milling around his feet, uttering little yips of excitement. Allen reached for the brightly-coloured harnesses hanging up by the door. “Sit! You’re not going anywhere until you’re properly dressed.”
Three furry little backsides hit the floor as one, tails wagging and pink tongues poking out of their mouths. Allen bent down and lifted Kay’s front paws into her pink fleecy coat and fastened her bright pink harness over the top. Kay’s love affair with that particular colour showed no signs of abating. Alex’s blue coat went on next, followed by Marcus’s green one. As soon as their matching leads had been clipped on, they were ready to go out.
Despite their often rowdy behaviour in the house, the pups had been trained to absolute obedience when they were outside; the obvious product of two parents in the military. Becker and his brother had been just the same at that age, although no doubt the Colonel’s training methods had been a good deal more robust. The three of them trotted along happily at his heels, never pulling or hanging back. When they reached the park, Allen led them straight to the adventure playground, knowing that they wanted to let off some steam after being cooped up for so long.
Alex and Marcus promptly made a dash for the slide, scrambling up the steps and hurtling down the plastic chute, barking madly, before landing in soft sand in a tangle of paws. After each go on the slide they insisted on chasing each other around in circles, barking madly. Kay decided to leave her brothers to it and made a beeline for the swings. Allen lifted her into the box, made sure she was safely in place before he started pushing her backwards and forward and it wasn’t long before the boys were clamouring for the same treatment.
The roundabout provided no respite for his arms, but their exploits on the climbing frame could at least be observed from a safe distance. A huge plastic contraption with steps, planks and bars provided the perfect place for them to work off the last of their energy before Alan brought out a bowl of water for them all and some biscuits to provide a mid-morning snack.
When they’d finished in the playground, Allen let them run across the park to the lake. He made sure all three of them stayed out of the water and in any event, the pups had a healthy respect for the large white Aylesbury ducks that clustered on a small island in the middle of the lake. The ducks were almost the same size as the pups and took an extremely dim view of being chased by excitable children as Marcus has discovered to his cost on one occasion. The sight of the black-furred puppy being chased by a large, white and extremely cross duck had provided a timely lesson in the value of leaving well alone.
As they walked around the edge of the lake, Allen saw a woman coming towards them with a little girl holding her hand. Allen did a quick double-take and realised that when he’d last seen her a few weeks ago, the woman had been accompanied by a bouncy golden puppy with a bright purple coat. The child had obviously recently Changed, but her liking for purple was still evident in her polka dot dress and quilted jacket.
Allen smiled at the woman as Alex, Marcus and Kay ran up to her child and milled around, barking happily at their friend.
“She’s beautiful,” he said. “Were you expecting the Change?”
“Not quite so soon.” The woman bent down to stroke her daughter’s three friends. “Yours have got a few more years like this. They’re lovely at their age.”
“They’re lovely at any age,” Allen said. They chatted for a few minutes before Allen and the pups resumed their walk, skirting the edge of the pond and making their way towards an area of woodland on the heath.
Alex ran on ahead and disappeared into the bushes. A few moments later, Allen heard a loud bark, followed by an uncertain yip. Marcus and Kay looked at each other and promptly started running towards their brother.
“Kids, come back!” Allen knew his voice was sharp with concern but there had been something worrying in the tone of Alex’s bark.
He broke into a run, quickly overtaking them. At the edge of the wood he found Alex holding his ground against something that looked like a fancy chicken with a bad dose of mange. But any amusement Allen might have felt dissipated rapidly when the creature lunged forward, its sharp beak open, ready to tear at the puppy. Only Alex’s fast reactions saved him. The puppy rolled away, leaving the chicken-creature with a beak full of blond fur. Allen saw blood on Alex’s shoulder and felt his stomach twist in fear.
“Get behind me, now!”
He bent down and grabbed a thick stick, swinging it in front of him at the chicken. Instead of backing off, it jumped at him. The stick broke on impact, leaving Allen holding a short length of rotten wood, too soft to be any use. He swept his arm up, attempting to defend his face. Pain ripped into him and he realised with shock that his arm had been laid open to the bone through his jacket and shirt. He kicked out, sending the creature head over heels, but where there had been only one, suddenly there was a whole flock of them, chirruping menacingly, spreading out to outflank them on both sides.
“Run!”
Allen had never considered himself a heroic man – omegas weren’t, as a rule – but when his grandchildren were under threat, he knew that only one thing mattered: their safety. Another piece of wood proved more durable than the first, sweeping two of the creatures off their thin legs, but they were tougher than they looked and wouldn’t stay down. One jumped at him, taking a bite out of his thigh and suddenly they were swarming over him.
A volley of barking told Allen that the pups had not run. He struggled back to his feet, knowing that if he stayed down he was going to be in even bigger trouble. Using the branch in his hands like a club, Allen managed to knock one of the mutant chickens into a tree and he saw, with satisfaction, that it dropped limply to the ground. Only the presence of the three puppies prevented the creatures from getting behind him and bringing him down but his grandchildren were young and already tired from their games in the park and Allen knew just how sharp the attacking beaks were, as did Alex. His grandson’s shoulder was stained red, and he could see that Alex was limping, but all three puppies had stuck by him, barking loudly and dancing out of the way of the snapping beaks. He saw Alex and Marcus bowl one of the creatures over, giving as good as they were getting, but he knew their milk teeth would be no match for the hard beaks.
Despite having taken three of their attackers out of the fray, there were still at least six more coming at them, letting out squawks that sounded like angry parrots, their brightly coloured feathers fluffed out. Allen wondered what the hell the creatures were and where they’d come from. He was used to seeing parakeets in the trees, but these things were bigger, considerably more vicious, and like nothing he’d ever seen before.
Allen ignored the pain in his arm and leg and concentrated on trying to make sure that the creatures couldn’t get close to them. He’d played a lot of cricked at school and his eyesight and reflexes were still good. As much as he wanted his grandchildren as far away from him as possible, he knew that in fact they’d probably done the right thing by staying with him. The creatures had long, scaly legs, resembling heavier versions of the roadrunner from the old cartoons that Becker had enjoyed so much when he’d been a pup. They could almost certainly have run down any of the pups if they’d tried to get away.
A yelp from Kay made Allen redouble his efforts. He’d told Becker not to worry and he didn’t want to be proved a liar. The puppies meant more to him than his own safety, but if he went down, he knew they’d soon follow.
He gripped the branch harder, ignoring the pain in his arm and the blood that slicked his hands. He needed to take down at least two with his next swing.
The sound of a horn cut through the air and before Allen had chance to work out what the hell was happening, three black four-wheeled drive vehicles roared up to them, disgorging men in black uniforms. The sound of shots rang out and Allen realised he could hear his son’s voice giving the orders in a tone that would have impressed even the Colonel.
“Take those little fuckers down,” Becker yelled, pumping a bullet into a lethal-looking shotgun and picking off one of their attackers. The blast blew the creature apart.
“It’s OK, Allen, we’ve got this now.” Allen sagged with relief at the sound of Ryan’s calm voice, and the sight of his son and a group of heavily-armed soldiers taking control of the situation. The pain from Allen’s various injuries finally made themselves known through the haze of adrenaline coursing through his system and he went down on one knee, gathering the three wide-eyed puppies to him as a volley of gunshots almost deafened him.
A moment later, the medic nicknamed Ditzy was on his knees next to them, quickly and professionally checking the three pups over for injuries. The gash on Alex’s shoulder was the worst, but luckily it seemed to be no more than a graze. The pup’s thick fur had saved him from more damage. Marcus and Kay had lost a few clumps of fur each and Marcus had a cut over one eye that made Allen swear under his breath, doing his best to banish the thought of how close his grandchild had come to losing an eye.
“Finn, get the kids into the van and wrapped up in a blanket! I need to look at Allen. They’re fine, sir,” he said quickly. “I promise you.”
Allen felt suddenly light-headed as relief washed through him in a warm wave. He swayed, and found himself in his son’s strong arms, being helped to his feet.
“We’ve got you, Dad, you can let go of that bloody great big bit of wood now.”
At his son’s words, Allen managed to dredge up a grin from somewhere, in spite of the chunks that his opponents had managed to gouge out of his flesh. “I told you there was a good reason for learning to use a cricket bat.”
Becker grinned back at him. “You did, and I didn’t believe you. But I do now.” Allen found himself enveloped in a tight hug. “Thanks, Dad. You saved their lives. Now let Ditzy patch you up while I manage to convince myself that my kids really are OK.”
* * * * *
“What do you mean you can’t tell me what’s happened?” The Colonel stared at her husband in amazement.
“It’s above your security clearance, mother,” her son said. “More tea, dad?” Becker put a mug of tea – heavily-laced with whisky, if the smell was anything to go by – on the table. Allen smiled and accepted the drink. It had been obvious ever since the Colonel had swept into the room in what could best be described as high dudgeon that her son was enjoying himself baiting her.
Ruth Becker narrowed her eyes. “Don’t pull that one on me, Hilary. My husband is bandaged up like that ridiculous teddy bear they trot out every year for Pups in Need and you won’t let me see the children, so I imagine that they aren’t exactly unscathed, either. I demand an explanation.”
“The kids are fine, mother. A few scratches, but nothing that won’t heal. And no, I won’t tell you what happened. Dad’s had to sign the Official Secrets Act, so he won’t be telling you, either.”
“Tea or coffee, Colonel?” Ryan asked, standing in the doorway clearly doing his best to keep a smirk off his face.
The noise that greeted Ryan’s enquiry sounded suspiciously like the Colonel was in danger of blowing a gasket. Allen sipped his tea and settled back to enjoy the show.
It wasn’t often that the Colonel met her match. But her son was quite clearly playing on home ground at the moment and was determined not to give an inch. Allen actually had very little idea what had happened that morning or what had attacked them, but something had alerted his son and his mate to a problem in the park, something that had appeared to warrant the attention of a team of heavily-armed soldiers plus a small group of civilians.
While the debate between Becker and his mother was still raging, Allen picked up his tea and quietly slipped out of the room. After the excitement of the morning, the pups had been put to bed for the afternoon, all three of them cuddled up in their big bed in the nursery. Marcus and Kay were fast asleep, their faces poking out of a thick, blue blanket festooned with black and white paw prints. The cut about Marcus’s eyebrow had been cleaned and looked nowhere near as alarming as it had done earlier. The clumps of Kay’s missing fur were covered up, as was the bandage on Alex’s shoulder. The eldest of the three pups was awake, staring up at Allen out of wide, blue eyes. Allen gently ruffled his fur.
“I think it’ll be a couple more days before the three of them are back at nursery,” Ryan said quietly. “But Ditzy says they’ll be fine. Thanks for what you did today, Allen. Those were nasty little sods.”
Allen bent down and gave each of his grandchildren a gentle kiss.
“They’re worth fighting for. But I don’t need to tell you that, Tom, do I?”
Ryan smiled at him. “No, you don’t. Your son and these three are the best things that have ever happened to me, and I’ll fight for them all the way.”
The sound of the front door slamming loudly told Allen that another fight had just finished as well. And this time his wife hadn’t been the victor.
It made a pleasant change.
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Brilliant fic, but poor Allen! *hugs* Glad everyone's OK and that bit with the Colonel at the end- priceless!
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Lovely :D
Can I have a word count for the masterlist please?
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Poor Allen and pups for having their first primeval adventure (and hopefully their last).
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Wow, that was a really exciting adventure. Allen was *amazing*.
The sight of the black-furred puppy being chased by a large, white and extremely cross duck had provided a timely lesson in the value of leaving well alone.
*titter* And everything was going so lovely at that point, just a happy gorgeous walk in the park \o/
Allen saw blood on Alex’s shoulder and felt his stomach twist in fear.
...
The stick broke on impact, leaving Allen holding a short length of rotten wood, too soft to be any use.
HOLY CRAP!! I was beside myself with terror for the pups and ALLEN!!! And it never seemed to end :(( Utter relief when the cavalry arrived and Allen could let go of his bit of wood. *PHEW*
Becker teasing Ruth was rather priceless *g*
A wonderful birthday present, thank you so much! I'm touched that you did this amazing thing for me. *hug*
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They are so adorable in their little fleecy coats, and they're brave pups as well! And Allen is a simply brilliant character! Tee hee hee at the Colonel being thwarted!
Oops, I seem to have overdone the exclamation marks!
*Sighs happily*
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PUPPIES!!!
Yay for Allen being so heroic! And the pups of course. And the slap down of the Colonel was just the icing on the cake!
Great fic! Yay!!!!
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