Ace and his Youngling
Neglected Reader from the loving eyes of a dog.
Warning: Some description are weird because this is from a dog perspective.
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Ace has retired after a bad hit to his hip. Krypto was kind enough to visit, concerned that Ace would be upset to be benched forever.
He is not upset.
He could still help.
He could be useful… he just had to figure out how.
And he needed to focus on his recovery. The lack of running and fun things to do was more mortal than his wound, and he was not strong enough to go pee on his favorite tree. It was lucky that Alpha was smart enough to put Ace on disposable sheets.
A sudden noise made him wake up. A young face looked back at him with kind eyes and a chubby face. This was his Bat’s youngling, not a puppy anymore, but not an adult either. Still, it was so nice to see her that his tail moved in happiness. He was always behind his Bat, so he didn’t interact much with her. After all, it was Alpha’s job to train the young ones.
While Alpha had been the main guardian, his Bat had taken part in raising his little birds, but it must be different with females. They must be kinder with her. Ace could smell a hint of perpetual sadness, did she miss her mother too much?
Ace couldn’t remember much of his own mother, but he would be so sad if he ever lost one of his own pack.
“You are a very good boy.” The youngling petted his fur so lovingly that Ace melted at the feeling of that noisy itch in his back dying under her nails. “A good, good boy.”
Yeah, he was the best boy.
The very best.
And just his luck, she started to come every day to praise him like the good boy he was, and she began to get the hint that she must scratch him just under his left ear first. She was a smart one; his Bat must be very proud of her.
A few weeks later he was ready to get on his own paws, but his back leg was weak, so it was decided that he must walk in a funny crystal bucket with a mobile floor under him.
It was exhausting; they didn’t even let him drink the water from his crystal bucket, but two females were kind enough to dry him after the session.
Still, he had had enough of one awkward walk surrounded by water, so he refused to follow Alpha to the metal beast.
He was not going.
He was fine.
Oh! His youngling was back from her ride in the yellow metal beast all morning! She must have had so much fun sticking her head out of the window! Why couldn’t he go in the yellow beast? It looked more fun. His youngling smelled so happy with the other females that surrounded her.
“Hi, Ace.” His tail wiggled. “Hi, good boy.”
Yes! Tell Alpha he was a good boy and that Alpha had been so rude.
“Hello, dear.” Alpha came near, but Ace was smarter and hid behind his youngling. “Your meal is waiting in the kitchen. I’m afraid Ace and I must go to his appointment, and we are quite late.”
He sent a judgmental look at Alpha. Did he tell his youngling he was a bad boy?
Ace was not. Alpha was the bad boy trying to trick him.
“His rehabilitation?” Was she doubting he was a good boy? “Can I come?”
No! He was a good boy, his youngling must know… maybe a little unruly to Alpha, but must he come to the stupid bucket? He sent a resentful look to Alpha when his youngling stopped her pets.
His ears went a little down when she walked away.
Alpha was a traitor…
A high whistle got his ears up again.
“Come, Ace, let’s go.”
Oh… oh… youngling was in the metal beast. He couldn’t run, but he walked fast and climbed, trying not to damage his back leg. His youngling was smart enough to support his upper body while he worked on climbing the leather seats.
Oh, this was so nice! She hugged him all the ride; they even napped a little, and almost after a good blink they were outside the annoying place where his crystal bucket awaited. It was not so dreadful with his youngling there; she laughed a lot when Ace faked walking while in reality he was standing at the edge, where the floor didn’t move.
He huffed, annoyed, when his youngling and an older male made him get back to the middle. But he let it slide for his youngling, she must see him being a good boy. Still, he got her back when he shook his fur and drops of water splashed her.
He didn’t like bucket days, but they were bearable with his youngling coming every time. She even got him a squeaky duck to chew and throw at her while he walked surrounded by water.
And suddenly one day they stopped going. His leg was nice and strong again, and while he couldn’t run as fast as before, he could still chase his youngling in the backyard. Ace didn’t go to the Batcave much anymore; so many stairs made his hip sore, and he didn’t like the metal cube even if it was fast. He still saw his Bat, more to sleep at his side in his quick naps or on the rare days he got a good sleep.
He loved his Bat.
But it was so nice to be petted and called all the time a good boy.
Younglings were full of happiness like that.
And Ace felt less bad about being benched forever, because while Alpha was good at raising, Ace was good at making his youngling smile. She really needed all the kindness. Someday she smelled all gloomy, so Ace shared his duck with her, and it was kind of funny how the toy smashed her face.
“Stop it, Ace.” She tried to be angry.
But he could hear the hint of amusement in her voice. Ace was the best boy, because he made her go play with him.
His youngling needed sun and a good run every day. Taking her for a walk was hard work, Ace’s work, and he was quite good at it.
And he loved his Bat.
He really did.
So it was hard to get angry at him, but…
Why didn’t he pet his youngling? She was a good girl, the best girl.
He couldn’t ignore how sad she smelled after family meals, and oh, it was even worse when there was cake in the kitchen. He liked to lick the frosting she offered him—Alpha’s food was the best—but he started to loathe cake.
Food was alright, but it was not pack, and his youngling saw Alpha’s attempt to patch her bottomless sadness with food.
They treated her like she was the runt of the litter.
Yes, she was small.
But she was young, not a runt.
Alpha, as always, knew better, but the rest of the pack must be blind if they couldn’t see how good his youngling was.
Was it because she didn’t wear the tablecloth on her back? Or slept during the day? Well, Ace had received fewer pets from the other pack members, but it was because he didn’t go to the cave anymore. And his youngling was so smart, but Ace would worry if she went down there.
She smelled like flowers and butter, not steel and blood.
She was not hard shaped like the others, but she was not the runt.
So it was the others fault if they couldn’t see how good she was.
Ace had decided… being benched forever was good, because he would protect his youngling and chase her sadness away.
This was his girl, his very good and smart girl.
