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Prompt: Headlights on a dark roadTitle: Found The country lanes were dark, the moon providing barely any light. According to readouts, the anomaly was here, somewhere.Had Becker been travelling any faster he would have hit the creature when it appeared in the road. He stopped mere feet from it, the critter’s eyes huge, alarmed, as it sat frozen to the spot, staring up at him. Becker radioed the others his location and got out of the car. It was only little and if he caught it now he wouldn’t have to chase it later, he reasoned, offering it a biscuit from his stash in the glovebox. ----------Prompt: Rain Becker crouched, offering a digestive to the creature currently standing in the road in front of his car. It was some kind of wolf, only a cub, but even he realised it didn’t belong in this era.
The rain was getting heavier, soaking them both. The cub’s wet fur made it look rather pitiful, but still wary as it eyed the biscuit, daring to take it.
~.~
Thirty minutes and numerous biscuits later, the cub sat in the vehicle’s footwell, by the heater. Becker sniffed, grimacing at the aroma of wet dog.
“You smell,” he told it as it settled in.
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Prompt: The telephone
Title: Stranded.
The wolf cub’s ears flattened and it growled as Becker’s phone rang. He scrambled to silence it, seeing how the shrill sound upset the little cub.
“See? It’s just a phone,” he told it, but the cub continued to growl softly. Had it been fully grown it would have been menacing but on the cub it just looked cute, Becker thought.
He answered the call, listening in dismay as Connor updated him, before turning back to the cub. He offered a hand to it, waiting until it sniffed him cautiously. The anomaly was gone; the poor thing was stranded here.
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Prompt: Reunion
Becker parked the car and walked toward the others. They were looking at something on the ground. Animal footprints in the mud.
“The anomaly was here,” Connor told him. “And something definitely came through.”
Leading them back to the vehicle, Becker opened the door. “Something did,” he said, showing them the cub.
Still sitting in the footwell, the cub shied away from Connor and Abby when they looked in. It whined softly until Becker moved closer and reached in to pet it.
“It seems to like you,” Abby observed, backing off. “Maybe you should drive it back to the ARC.”
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Prompt: (Picture prompt - christmas tree and decorations)
Title: Houseguest
Becker opened the gate on the cage and watched the wolf cub edge out cautiously. He’d had to make all kinds of assurances to Lester before he was allowed to bring it home, but the poor thing had whined and howled when he put it into the menagerie.
The cub prowled around the room, exploring its new surroundings carefully. It sneezed when it sniffed at the Christmas tree, the tinsel tickling its nose, before eventually curling up in front of the fire.
Becker smiled, watching it getting comfortable; he couldn’t leave it alone in the ARC at Christmas, could he?
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Prompt: Christmas Carol
Becker was woken abruptly from his snooze on the sofa. Still half asleep, it took him a moment to realise where the sound was coming from.
Sitting in front of the TV he’d left on when he fell asleep, the wolf cub was watching, fascinated. On screen, a choir was singing Christmas carols around a tree, and the cub howled along with them.
Taking the remote, Becker hit mute but the cub turned to him with such a pitiful expression that he sighed, turning the volume back up. The cub howled again: His neighbours were not going to be happy.
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Prompt: Grateful
Becker was getting worried now. Moss, the wolf cub he’d brought home to care for, had escaped almost four hours ago. The whole team, even Lester, had been searching for him but, so far, nothing. Becker knew that Moss was a wild animal, that he could probably look after himself, but he was just a cub…
He and Matt were making a second sweep of the park when his phone rang.
“We’ve got him.”
“Thank you! Where are you?”
As he went to meet Connor, Becker decided he owed them all a drink for spending their Saturday searching for Moss.
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Prompt: Leftovers
Matt missed Becker. Usually, they ate together in the canteen each day, catching up or just enjoying each other’s company, but recently Becker had been spending his lunch hour in his office. Well, Matt had decided, if Becker wouldn’t come to him…
Sitting in Becker’s office, eating his lunch, Matt smiled as he watched Becker. Moss, the wolf cub, was curled up under the desk, occasionally whimpering pathetically in the hope that Becker would sneak him another piece of sandwich.
“You shouldn’t feed him that.”
Becker glanced at Moss. “But he’s hungry.”
“No, he just knows that you’re a pushover.”
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Prompt: Role Model
Lester watched Becker walk through the ARC with the wolf cub he’d adopted. The cub trotted alongside him, sitting and waiting patiently when Becker paused to talk to Jess. Lester frowned. Becker had barely glanced at the cub and yet he’d obeyed, unlike Connor’s Diictodons. They’d eaten another of his shoes last night while ignoring his frustrated commands to put it down.
Maybe Becker would let the cub come and play with them; that good behaviour might rub off on them. Or better yet, maybe he’d give them a bit of obedience training…
“Becker? I have a favour to ask…”
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Prompt: How to win friends and influence people
Moss stood at the edge of the room, his hackles raised as Sid and Nancy barrelled toward him. Becker’s low warning stopped the cub growling but they obviously got the message, skidding to a halt, the three creatures eyeing each other warily.
“This was a bad idea,” Lester said eventually.
Becker smiled. “Maybe not. Look.”
Nancy had left Sid and Moss glaring at one another and was dragging one of her stuffed toys toward them. She dropped it in front of Moss and backed away.
After a few moments, Moss’s tail began to wag.
Lester heaved a sigh of relief.
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Prompt: Bruises
Matt watched Lester limp into his office and sit down.
“What happened to him?”
“A wolf and two over-enthusiastic diictadons,” Becker told him. “Moss had a playdate with Sid and Nancy yesterday.”
“They didn’t get along?”
Becker shook his head. “They had a great time. Unfortunately, Lester came in, not paying attention and fell over Sid.”
Matt sniggered.
“It wasn’t funny! It took me ten minutes to coax Sid, Nancy and Moss from under the table after Lester had finished yelling at them.”
“So, no more playdates?”
Becker sighed. “No, it’s just at my house next time.”
Matt looked sympathetic.
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Prompt: (picture prompt- anomaly)
Title: Homeward bound
“Becker, let him go. It’s where he belongs.”
Becker glared at Lester but reluctantly released the wolf cub’s collar.
Before them, the anomaly which would take Moss home glittered. Moss looked wary, possibly remembering the last time he’d been near an anomaly, but still he edged forward. Becker’s heart sank as he watched Moss wander through, vanishing completely.
He’d gone, and now the anomaly was starting to flicker.
Seconds before the anomaly closed, a grey blur raced back through and hurled himself at Becker.
“Good boy, Moss,” Becker told him, picking him up and hugging him, ignoring the others’ amusement.
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Prompt: Gold
“Always believin’… you are gold! Gold!...”
Matt pinched himself, hoping that when he woke up he wouldn’t be stuck in a car, listening to Spandau Ballet. No luck. He and Becker were taking Moss to the seaside for the day and if this was anyone else but Becker… He’d do almost anything for Becker but this was pushing it.
He reached over and turned the stereo off. Hearing a whimper from the back seat, Matt glanced at Moss.
“Don’t give me that look; it’s staying off. I’m sick of pop music.”
In the driver’s seat, Becker looked amused. “You realise that you’re arguing with a wolf…”
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Prompt: Handheld anomaly detector
Matt looked out of the window; the sea was grey, the sky still murky, but it didn’t matter. They needed a break and what better than giving an over-excitable cub his first glimpse of the beach? Even better, he got a whole day with Becker.
Going to open the back door to let Moss out, he groaned. How the hell did Moss get hold of that?
“What’s up?” Becker asked.
Matt indicated to the guilty looking cub. “Let’s hope there isn’t an anomaly shout anywhere around here,” he said, eyeing the mangled, chewed remains of Becker’s handheld anomaly detector.
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Prompt: Photographic evidence
“So how are we going to explain this?” Becker asked as he collected the remains of his anomaly detector into a bag. “Lester will make me get rid of Moss if I tell him Moss ate it. I could tell him I lost it, I suppose.”
Matt shrugged. “You could, but what about this?”
Holding out his phone, he showed Becker the photograph of Moss and the debris.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I might.”
“What do you want?”
Matt smiled. “Dinner.”
Becker frowned. “That’s all?”
“And maybe breakfast tomorrow.”
Becker stared. “Do you mean…?”
Matt nodded. “If you want me to. Well?”
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Prompt: Make do and mend
Title: Yes
“Seriously? You’re blackmailing me into going out with you?” Becker asked in disbelief.
“No!” Matt’s grin faded. “Sorry. You don’t have to, if you don’t want.”
Becker rolled his eyes. “Idiot. I… Moss, no!”
He managed to hook a finger into Moss’s collar just as the wolf finished chewing through his lead.
“He needs a new one,” Matt observed, watching Becker knot the pieces together.
“This will be fine.”
As they started walking, Moss saw Matt take Becker’s hand and growled, pushing between them. That was his human.
Becker glanced at him. “Stop that.”
Matt laughed. “I think he’s jealous.”
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Prompt: Sick as a dog
Moss snatched the piece of hotdog from Matt’s fingers
“I wouldn’t feed him any more, if I were you.”
“I just want him to like me,” Matt admitted. “I’d like to be able to touch you without him growling at me.”
That would be nice, Becker thought.
“Anyway, it’s just a few treats,” Matt said, scratching Moss behind the ears.
~.~
Matt glared at Becker as he cleaned the wolf puke off his shoe.
“Don’t say it.”
Becker bit back his laughter. “On the bright side, I think he likes you. He threw up on your shoes, not mine.”
“Piss off.”
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Prompt: Shakespeare
Title: Hints
Matt and Becker leaned on the railing, watching Moss play on the beach. He was darting around, chasing a flock of seagulls each time they landed.
“You never said if you’d have dinner with me,” Matt said.
Becker smiled. “You never actually asked me; blackmail doesn’t count. You never even said you were interested before today…”
“I hinted! What was I meant to do? Spout poetry at you?” Matt asked. “’Shall I compare thee to a summers’ day, thou art more temperate and-‘”
“No more poetry. I find this works much better,” Becker said, pulling Matt closer and kissing him.
---tbc
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Prompt: Professor Nick Cutter
Title: Voice of reason
Matt, Becker and Moss scrambled into the car. As Matt phoned the ARC, summoning the team, Becker looked longingly at where his gun case was usually stored. If he had his guns, he could just go and deal with the flying prehistoric menaces before they ate anything they shouldn’t.
“We can’t just go around killing them! Who knows what the consequences would be?” The distinctly Scottish voice in the back of his mind echoed a certain professor. Becker sighed, not knowing when Nick Cutter had become the voice of his conscience but he knew that Matt would agree.
Sodding do-gooders.
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Prompt: It’s a jungle out there
Becker wound down the car window. Moss smelled like the seaweed he’d rolled in earlier.
“Maybe we should go and see what the creatures are doing.”
Matt pointed out of the window, to the skies, where two pteranodons were circling, getting closer to the car.
“I’m not getting out of here unarmed. It’s a bloody jungle out there.”
Becker agreed reluctantly.
“But I’m bored. And Moss stinks.”
Matt edged closer to Becker. “I can’t do anything about Moss but I have a few ideas about keeping you occupied…”
Becker smiled. Result!
They were still occupied when the ARC team arrived.
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Prompt: The age of chivalry
“What are you watching?” Connor asked, coming to stand by Abby. She pointed to Matt and Becker, getting kitted out to deal with the Pteranodons. Matt had already got Becker his guns, and was now trying to help him with his body armour.
Becker appeared slightly confused. “I can dress myself, you know.”
Matt frowned. “I know. I was just…” he sighed. “Never mind.”
Suddenly, it dawned on him. “This is your equivalent of pulling out my chair for me, isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Is so. It’s sweet."
Matt’s cheeks pinked slightly.
Abby smiled, glancing across at Connor. “Adorable, aren’t they?”
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Prompt: In the sewers
Title: Bait
Becker stood with Abby, peering into the drainage tunnel where the smallest pteranodon had squeezed itself into, hiding from them.
“Maybe it’ll get come out when it gets bored,” Becker mused, then sighed. “I know: Wishful thinking. Plan B?”
Matt and Connor finished locking the anomaly, coming to join them.
“That looks disgusting,” Connor observed, looking in and wrinkling his nose. He glanced around. “So, who’s going in?”
Matt smirked. “That would be you. It’s our day off, remember?”
“Actually, he’s not,” Becker said. Connor’s relief faded as Becker added, “We’re going to lure it out. Connor, you’re the bait.”
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Prompt: Deadline
Title: In a flap
“Try flapping your arms about,” Becker called. Two hours and the pteranodon refused to leave its hiding place, even to chase Connor.
“Flap your own sodding arms,” he heard Connor grumble.
“Bitch all you want,” Becker replied, “but the sooner we catch this thing, the sooner we can go home.”
“Got plans, have you?” Abby asked.
Matt smirked. “He wants to get home in time for CSI.”
Becker flushed. “I don’t,” he insisted. “I would like to get back before Moss pees in the car or eats something he shouldn’t, though.”
Matt considered that. “Good point,” he agreed. “Connor, flap!”
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Prompt: Full moon
Sitting at the window of his holiday flat, Bill watched. They’d been on the beach for a while now, three people, hiding near the cliff: a little blonde woman, a tall man in jeans and a bulletproof vest, a man in a leather jacket. The fourth person, a skinny young man, was bouncing around the beach near the old overflow pipe, waving his arms around like a lunatic.
He hadn’t a clue what they were doing but it was amusing as hell to watch.
Bill smiled; it was a full moon tonight. It always seemed to bring out the crazies.
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Prompt: History
Title: Tradition
It always happened to him, Connor thought miserably. From the very beginning, it had always been him. He was habitually the one who got chased, attacked, knocked down and dirtied.
He’d hit the ground as the pteranodon came barrelling out of the drainage tunnel, squawking angrily, heading straight for him. It took off, flying over him and straight back into the anomaly as Connor got to his feet and attempted to brush the dirt off him. All it accomplished was to smear it around. His clothes were gritty with sand and he smelled like seaweed.
He was tired of it.
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Prompt: Strange Bedfellows
Matt propped his socked feet on the coffee table, settling in beside Becker on the sofa. The TV was on but they paid it no attention, both exhausted and barely keeping their eyes open.
Moss, now clean and scenty-fresh after Becker’s insistence on bathing him when they got home, padded into the room. He was getting used to the other human now; he made Becker happy. With a calculated leap, Moss was on the sofa, wriggling around and getting comfortable.
Ten minutes later, Moss lay upside down in the narrow gap between them, as fast asleep as the two men.
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Prompt: Black and blue
Connor stepped out of the shower to find Lester in the doorway, watching him. Moving closer he slid his arms around Lester’s neck and kiss him.
“You’re all wet,” Lester grumbled.
Connor just smiled. “Yep, that’ll happen when you have a shower.”
Lester took Connor into his arms to return the kiss, frowning when Connor flinched. He stepped away and looked more closely.
“What happened?” he demanded, examining the bruises down Connor’s side and hip.
“I landed on some rocks when I dived to avoid the Pteranodon,” Connor told him.
Lester hugged him more gently. “Come on; time for bed.”
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Prompt: Gluttony
Title: Comfort food
“Here you are,” Lester said, handing Connor the mug. “Tea.”
“Is there any more chocolate cake?”
Lester nodded. When he saw Connor’s expectant gaze, watching as he slouched on the sofa, waiting, he sighed. “You know, a few bruises don’t stop you from walking to the kitchen.”
“Aww, please, James,” Connor whined, batting his eyelashes at Lester.
“You’ve already had two slices,” Lester grumbled, though he still headed for the kitchen, returning moments later with a plate.
Connor cut a piece, stabbing it on his fork and offering it. “Want to share?”
Lester smiled, sitting down and taking the offering.
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Prompt: All that I’m living for
Matt woke, momentarily wondering where he was. He smiled, remembering. Becker had kissed him yesterday and now was asleep next to him on the sofa, head resting on Matt’s shoulder.
He’d waited so long for Becker to want him; this was what he’d been living for.
Moss, stretched out over Becker’s lap, rolled over and farted in his sleep making Matt grimace.
Ok, maybe not exactly this…
He nudged Moss until the wolf slid off the sofa, landing on the floor and glaring at Matt before going to his basket.
Becker roused then, nose wrinkling.
Matt sighed. “It wasn’t me.”
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Prompt: The longest day
Matt stared miserably at the paperwork before him. It was meant to be their weekend off but no, the Pteranodons’ appearance yesterday meant that he and Becker had to come into the ARC to fill out field reports, explain damaged anomaly detectors (how, he wasn’t sure; Becker couldn’t exactly write ‘eaten by wolf’ on the form, could he?), why they’d used Connor as bait. Lester was upset about that.
The morning had started well- kisses, breakfast, more kisses… Now he just wanted to get back to Becker’s house and finish what they’d started.
Matt sighed. Would this day never end?
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Prompt: High noon
Lester paced toward Jess’s desk, frowning.
“Where’s Matt?”
Damn. She’d hoped he wouldn’t ask.
“And while we’re on the subject, have you seen Becker recently?”
Jess heaved a relieved sigh. This, she could answer truthfully. “He was here about ten minutes ago.”
Lester waited. “And now?” he persisted.
Jess held out as long as he could before blurting, “They left!”
~.~
Becker lay in the midday sun, eyes closed. He and Matt were stretched out on loungers in his garden, Moss lying beside them.
“This is better than paperwork,” Matt mused. “How long do you reckon before Lester notices we’re gone?”
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Prompt: Expect the unexpected
Title: Unwelcome guests
Matt pressed Becker back against the tree trunk, Becker’s arms around him, holding him close. Just as their lips met, a growl from Moss made Matt sigh, pulling away.
Before he could snap at the wolf, however, a discreet cough made them both turn. Two of Becker’s men were standing a nearby, in full combat gear.
Passers by were eyeing them warily: Moss was growling at them.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Sorry, boss. Lester said to escort you back to the ARC.”
“How did you find us?”
The man smiled. “Matt forgot to switch off his locator.”
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Prompt: The substitute
Matt and Becker arrived back at the ARC with their escort, and Lester was waiting. He watched them, a calm smile on his face. It was disturbing.
“Why isn’t he angry? He brought us back at gunpoint and now he just stands there, smiling. What’s he up to?” Matt whispered.
Becker frowned. He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t like it. Angry, stressed, Lester, he could deal with, but this?
“He’s doing it to mess with our heads,” he replied.
“Either that or the real Lester has been abducted by aliens and they left us that in his place,” Matt mused.
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Prompt: Battle Scars
Matt glanced at Becker, then back at the anomaly detector on Lester’s desk. He’d told Becker to throw it away, hide the evidence- he thought he had- but no, Becker had tried to fix it instead. What he’d ended up with, and what Lester had found, was detector with wolf teeth marks in the plastic, pieced back together with superglue.
“It got damaged while we were chasing the creatures,” Becker lied smoothly.
“Your report said that Moss was in the car while you dealt with the creatures.”
“Sir?”
Lester pointed with his pen. “In that case, explain the teeth marks.”
----tbc----
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Prompt: Unanswered questions
Title: An educated guess
Lester watched Becker and Matt thoughtfully. Neither of them were being particularly forthcoming about the damaged detector- it was Moss’s doing, Lester knew, though Becker wouldn’t admit it- or anything else he asked them about.
They didn’t need to. He’d have to be blind not to see the shift in their relationship but neither was admitting that, either.
He sighed. He’d tormented them enough, no matter how much they deserved it for letting Connor get hurt.
“You can go. And gentlemen? I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that, should I see any unprofessional conduct-”
Becker blushed. “You won’t.”
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Prompt: Proper procedure
Matt urged Becker toward his bedroom, frowning as Becker paused in the doorway; he’d thought he and Becker were on the same page…
“What’s wrong?”
Becker shuffled uneasily. “It’s just… Is this a bit backwards? We haven’t even been on a proper date.”
It was kind of adorable, Matt thought. “Sorry Hils. I’ve wanted you for months but you’re right. We’ll do this in the right order. How about dinner? Tomorrow?”
Becker looked torn. “I suppose, if we’re going to go out…” he mused and, mind made up, dragged Matt into a heated kiss, pushing him back into the bedroom.
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Prompt: The morning after
Matt woke, reaching for Becker but finding the bed empty. He sat up, looking around. Becker’s clothes were missing. His heart sank. He and Becker had slept together; he didn’t regret it but what if Becker did? It would be awkward at work, not to mention losing his best friend.
When Becker came into the room, Matt’s relief must have been evident.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You thought I’d gone?” Becker asked disbelievingly.
“Your clothes weren’t there.”
“Idiot.” Becker leaned in for a kiss. “Moss wanted to pee and I didn’t think you’d want me taking him outside naked.”
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Prompt: University
Title: Same as it ever was
It was nice. Comfortable. Becker hadn’t been sure what he’d been expecting after he and Matt had moved their relationship rather hastily forward last night. He’d wondered if it would make things uneasy between them, but it hadn’t.
He glanced across at Matt who was sitting next to him on the sofa. Matt was staring at the crossword puzzle in the newspaper, pen poised but writing nothing.
“Clue?”
Matt frowned. “I don’t need your help.”
Becker smiled, leaning closer so that he could read it for himself.
“7 down is ‘University’,” he said.
Matt glared, but wrote it in anyway.
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Prompt: I can’t see anything
Title: Hunter’s instinct
They hurried to the kitchen when Moss started growling.
“What’s up with him?” Matt asked.
Becker glanced out of the window for signs of intruders. “No idea. I can’t see anything.”
Just then, Moss let out a delighted woof, pouncing on the big black spider that had made a break for freedom from its hiding place under the fridge. Batting it with his paw, he looked disappointed when it stopped moving. He gave it a lick before gagging, spitting it out again.
“That’s disgusting,” Matt commented as Becker collected the dead spider in a tissue and threw in the bin.
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Prompt: It’s all greek to me
Title: Mating rituals
Moss peered around the bedroom door, watching his two humans in confusion: Becker was on the bed with Matt bent over him, his head over Becker’s groin.
Didn’t they understand that they were doing it wrong? He may not have spent much time with other wolves but he still knew how it worked. When you found a mate, you sniffed their bottom and they sniffed yours.
Matt was definitely sniffing the wrong side. From the sounds Becker was making, however, Moss thought he seemed quite happy with the arrangement.
Humans were just weird; he was never going to understand them.
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Prompt: Magnetic
Title: Animal magnetism
Matt and Becker sat on the bench at the edge of the park, watching as Moss flirted. There really wasn’t a better word for it; the cub pranced around the other dog walkers with his best wide eyed, I’m-so-cute expression, relishing in the cuddles and attention he was getting in return.
Eventually he came bounding back to them or rather, to the woman who sat down next to them with her Labrador.
“Moss, enough.”
The woman scratched behind Moss’s ears. “Aww, he’s not bothering me.”
Moss looked to Becker with an expression that clearly said ‘you’re just jealous’.
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Prompt: Past prompts (using: “You want me to put that where?”)
Moss eyed the veterinarian over his shoulder. He was standing on a cold table, Becker holding him still while this stranger ran latex-clad hands over him. He’d had his teeth examined, lights shone at his eyes, his ears looked into, and now the man stood there with a long thermometer.
“We’ll just take his temperature,” the vet told Becker.
Moss suddenly understood where this was going.
Oh hell no!
He started growling, making it very clear that, should the stranger or that thermometer get anywhere near to where they had been heading, someone was going to lose a hand.
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Prompt: Autumn colours
Title: Autumn leaves
Becker and Matt watched as Moss chased the leaf that had just fluttered down from the tree above. The wolf cub pounced on the spot where it landed before stopping and looking around, bewildered, when he couldn’t find it among all of the other autumn leaves that were already on the ground.
“I thought that wolves were meant to be brilliant hunters,” Matt said, laughing at the confused cub.
Becker rolled his eyes, watching as Moss rustled about in the leaves. “I think he’s the exception.”
Another leaf fell from the tree above Moss’s head and the chase began again.
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Prompt: Vital signs
Matt was watching Moss when Becker pressed a mug of tea into his hand. The cub was sprawled on his back, his legs in the air and his head lolling over the front of his basket and onto the floor.
“Do you think he’s okay? He hasn’t moved for ages.”
Becker crouched near the basket, checking Moss. “He’s just sleeping.”
The cub opened one eye and glared at him before rolling over and going back to sleep with a disgruntled snuffle.
“He’s fine. You worry too much.”
“Sorry,” Matt told him.
Becker smiled. “Don’t be; I find it rather endearing.”
----tbc----
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Prompt: Forgetful
Moss eyed the keys that Becker had left on the seat. He kept trying to reach them through the cracked-open window but his arm wasn’t long enough.
On the passenger seat, Moss tipped his head to one side as Becker made gestures indicating for Moss to push the keys closer.
~.~
Matt laughed. “He doesn’t understand.”
“He does,” Becker insisted, looking back through the window. “Moss, fetch the keys.”
“Just call the AA! You locked your keys, and a wolf, in your car; it happens all the time. Well, maybe not the wolf.”
“No. He can do it. Come on, Moss…”
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Prompt: Wheel of fortune
Title: Leaving it to chance
Matt looked at Moss, still sitting patiently in the locked car. “Hils, call the AA!”
Becker frowned. “They’ll think it’s a joke.”
“So call the lads: I’ll bet that Dev can get into the car in no time.”
“And can you imagine the smart-arse comments I’ll get? I can’t decide which is worse.”
Matt took a coin from his pocket. “Heads, it’s the AA, alright?”
~.~
Forty minutes later, the man from the AA popped the lock on the door, letting Moss out. Moss jumped down from the seat, pausing to drop Becker’s keys at his feet, looking pleased with himself.
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Prompt: The Undiscovered Country
Connor patted the sofa next to him for Moss to jump up. He liked looking after Moss when Becker and Matt wanted a night out. It was fun, he thought, offering Moss a piece of popcorn.
“Okay Moss, now I don’t expect Matt and Becker have educated you properly about this kind of thing, so it’s up to me, right?”
As Moss munched the kernel of popcorn, Connor started the DVD.
“Now pay attention,” he said. “This is Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. It’s not one of the best films, but that’s only because Picard is way cooler than Kirk…”
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Prompt: Tricks and treats
Title: Trick or treat
Becker glanced down at the sound of Moss trotting into the room.
“Oh, poor baby! What’s that nasty man done to you?”
Moss looked up at him from underneath his little hat, held on with elastic, and wagged his tail through the hole in the back of his pumpkin costume.
Connor bounced into the room, dressed as a skeleton.
“Doesn’t he look adorable? I’m going to take him trick or treating.”
“Connor, he’s a wolf, not a child and you’re too old for trick or treating.”
Connor frowned. “For that, we won’t share our sweets with you! Come on, Moss.”
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Prompt: Fireworks
Matt frowned as Moss ran across the room and hid behind an armchair.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Becker glanced over to look over at the cowering wolf from where he was laid along the sofa. His head was in Matt’s lap, Matt running his fingers idly through Becker’s hair as they watched TV.
“Fireworks,” Becker said. “It’s weird; he loves to watch when its thunder and lightening outside, but he’s scared of fireworks.”
Moss whined as another firework went off outside.
“I suppose he’ll be sleeping with us tonight?”
Becker smiled up at Matt. “I’ll make it up to you.”
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Prompt: Fresh meat
Moss was bored. No one would play with him. He’d been sitting here, waiting, but Becker was busy. Matt had similarly waved him away, barely looking up as he focussed on the paperwork in his hand.
Footsteps made Moss’s ears prick up and he watched the young man come into the room. Ah-ha! Someone new, he thought, bounding over to the man and looking up at him pleadingly.
“Sir, would you like me to take him for a walk while you finish working?”
Before Becker could answer, Moss had retrieved his lead and was waiting by the young man’s feet.
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