Gabriel - Pets (Patreon)

“Thank you for coming.”

Gabriel was waiting for me in the front lobby of the precinct. The cavern had still not recovered from the recent storm and water dripped down the cave walls into small, fenced off puddles.  Tysi, at the front desk, was ducking under an umbrella and trying very hard not to glare at their supervisor as they were forced to work under this condition. They locked eyes with me, as if to plead for me to do something. If anyone had the Warden’s ear, it was the Market.

“You said it was urgent,” I answered, looking back at Gabriel. “Is everything okay?” It was rare that he had me meet him here. I had been back to the prisoner caves several times, of course. To deliver food. To meet him for a date. To remind him that we even had a date.  But it was all on my terms. Given our first meeting.

“It is most certainly not,” he said. There were stress lines around his eyes. Something had happened that had not only caught him off guard, but had put him at a general loss. An uncertainty that felt odd for Gabriel.

Reaching out, I took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this together.”

I watched as he swallowed, squeezing my hand briefly in return. Then, he pushed open the door to the long corridors that led to the cells, leading me through.

The cells were far emptier now than when I had first arrived at the market. The individuals that truly were meant to be here were not kept on the upper levels either. Too much of an uprising risk.

We came to his office quick enough but instead of going in, he stopped just outside the door.  He turned to me, his face a mask of stern superiority. This is what I liked to call his Warden face. The no nonsense one that demanded everyone listen.

“I will need you to take caution,” he said gently. “I know you and I know that you will want to help. But what is in there, is an enemy. You need to harden your heart. Do you understand?”

I felt a small jolt of fear. “Gabriel, whatever it is, we will deal with it together.”  I scooted closer, cupping his cheek. He leaned into my touch.

“I just do not want you to get hurt,” he whispered. “But I find myself at an utter loss. This is not a thing I have ever dealt with before.”

“I will be careful.” I tried to pour as much reassurance into my words as possible. Willing him to trust me.

He was reluctant. Whatever was on the other side had scared him. I braced myself as he turned away from me, taking out his skeleton key and opening the door.

The office was thrashed. A chair was turned over and looked as if it had been chewed on while the papers on Gabriel’s desk were scattered everywhere. There was a foul smell coming from within that reminded me of the sewers. Along with the broken lamp tipped to the side and the way the overhead lantern flickered, the entire place screamed of grave danger.

“Where is it?” I whispered as the two of us slipped inside. Gabriel shut the door behind us.

“Just under the desk.”

I approached with caution, sorely wishing I had a weapon of some sort. I took comfort in the fact that behind me, Gabriel had drawn his sword. There was a shuffle under the desk. Something scurried further into the dark shadows.  As I kneeled, I braced myself.

There before me was a creature. Wet nose gleaming in the broken light. Eyes large and brown, staring at me from beneath… furred paws and floppy ears.

I paused.

“Gabriel.”

“Yes.”

“This is a puppy.”

“Yes.”

Right. Okay. “So where is the threat?”

When I looked over my shoulder, he was not looking at me. He was staring at the dog beneath his desk. Cornered. “Right there.”

“Is there something about this puppy that I need to know?” I asked. “Does it turn into a demon? Is it poisonous? Will it eat me alive?”

“I am unsure. We must take caution.”

“Oh, for fucks sake, Gabriel.” I crouched down even further, looking at the small little floppy eared mess. The dog was muddy and looked scared out of its mind. Which, to be fair, I had been in the same situation as it had. Being trapped in an unknown environment with Gabriel Caine did not breed comfort and understanding.

“Hi, little one,” I whispered. “Come on. I’m not going to hurt you.” I held out my hand, waiting for the dog to sniff it. They took a cursory scuttle forward, pressing their nose to my fingers before tentatively licking my fingers. “There you go,” I smiled.

“Be careful,” Gabriel snapped behind me. “You do not know what the creature is capable of.”

I rolled my eyes, reaching in and pulling the dog out from beneath the desk. The poor thing was caked in mud, wet and shivering. “They are not a beast, Gabriel. It looks like they got caught up in the storm.”

“You do not know that.”

“Gabriel,” I laughed. “Their heart is racing in fear. They’re not here to take down the market.”

“You do not know their intentions. This animal is clearly not paper.”

No. The dog was warm and as I cuddled them closer, they tried to burrow in the crook of my neck. They were real. Which was an anomaly in the market. But I highly doubted it was here for anything nefarious.

“We need to get them food and water. And warm them up.” I told him, already exiting the office. “Do you want me to take them to your place or mine? Never mind. I don’t know why I asked. I’ll be taking them to mine.”

“You most certainly will not.” The puppy whimpered as Gabriel raised his voice.

“I will. Because you will try to kill the thing the second it barks.”  I turned and stared up at Gabriel. “It’s a dog. A very normal and scared dog.” There was confusion written all across Gabriel’s face at this. As if he couldn’t understand what I was seeing. “Normal puppies,” I continued, “are not evil. They are just babies. Pets in other realms. And this little one, is lost. So we will take care of it.”

“I do not think–”

“It’s a good idea. Yes. I know.” I pulled the puppy up to my face however, taking their paw and waving it at Gabriel. “But look how cute they are.”

Gabriel looked entirely unamused.

“Do not blame me if it kills you in your sleep.”

“I won’t,” I grinned. “Now. Go get me some puppy food. Water. A leash. A bed.”

“It does not need a bed.”

I held the dog up. “She does need a bed. A cute one too. Not just a generic pillow. If you look at it and don’t like it, that’s the one I want you to buy.”  We had reached the front office by now, the dog licking my face as it obviously agreed I was much better than the silly man that had trapped her in his office.

“You are not keeping this dog,” he demanded.

“Uh huh.” I turned to Tysi.  “Can you help the Warden get a list together of things to take care of a puppy?”

“A puppy?” Their eyes went bright. “Oh! How cute! And lucky. You know if you find a real animal it’s considered a gift from the fates?”

“It is not.”

I rolled my lips, trying to hide my amusement. “That’s exactly what I thought too.” Turning, I winked at Gabriel. “Muffin and I will see you in an hour.”

“Do not name it,” he practically roared.

“Say bye to daddy, Muffin,” I sang.  I could hear his protest even when I was halfway across the market.