| " | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJake took the offered sweet from the rat, who was now acting far more uncomfortable than when he had approached the smaller miniature pinscher and was starting to edge away. "Well, uh... sorry about that mix-up. Enjoy!" "Whoop, now hol' up a sec!" Jake snipped, and the rat to jerked to a halt. Peeling the bright red wrapper off, slow, deliberate and thoughtful, he continued. "Don't think I'm so innocent I don't know what you were tryin' to do. You came up to me thinking I was a pup all by my lonesome. I've been around a while an' this isn't my first time being mistaken for a pup, so get that wire tail back here an' listen close unless you want to be in some real shit..." Glancing around anxiously, the rodent backtracked, following Jake's command despite obviously trying to decide whether he should still bolt. "Look bud, you're not that old... Twenty-five?" "Umm... nineteen. Sir" An eyebrow arched in surprise "Shiiit, kid... an' don't call me 'sir'." he chided, waggling the candy back and forth in a scolding demeanor. "You're... not real experienced. First time tryin' shit like this ain't it?" The rat stared at his feet, pink nose flushed red in shame and shock, he nodded, too humiliated to answer back. "So! Planning on kidnapping me? Dragging me off an' havin' your way before abandonin' me in a ditch, or maybe some other fucked up shit?" The long whiskered nose snapped up with an expression of genuine horror. "What?? No! I just- It was so I- I just wanted to get to- to know some- I'd never do! -- I wasn't planning on anything! I was just- I wanted- I was just trying to-to..." his voice trailed off into silence. "'Just trying to' WHAT? Come on now, spit it out!" With a glance around in case someone else was close enough to overhear, the rodent hissed though clenched teeth in a harsh, loud whisper "I'm just lonely, ok?! No one my age GETS me and all I get is shit on! I've always got along with younger kits FINE! I just wanted a FRIEND. Is that so damned wrong? Yeah, damn it, I'm a god damned virgin and I was HOPING something more might happen but wasn't going to hurt anyone for it! THAT'S 'WHAT'!" The canine snorted derisively, but his demeanor softened. He popped the lollipop in his muzzle, thought hard. "Walk with me kid." Jake turned and started back down the park lawn. The rat obeyed, finding it awkward not to outpace someone half his height. "What's you name son?" "Uh... Brandon." "Well, the way I see it Brandon," he said a minute later, rolling the crumpled wrapper around in his paw. "there's three ways this ends. One, I call the police an' you end up in some shit. Jailtime, outcast, personal hell, all that good stuff. Whatever happens, you're not gonna able to come back to this sweet park an' spend months or years in a nervous, anxious wreck about the law hanging over your head..." He glanced sideways at the defeated boy, who was on the verge of tears. "Two: you could try an' convince me that you've learned your lesson an' won't pull any stupid shit again. If you're lucky, you can walk away..." A small glimmer of hope sparked in tear filled eyes "Three: well, you said you was lonely an' I.... I think I might have a choice that we BOTH would like a lot ..." \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t