I did it! No angst! I wrote a story, short though it is, with NO ANGST! This is character study, of sorts, and is a sequel to 'That's What Friends are For'. It is rated G.

All original due South characters are the property of the geniuses who created them. No infringement of copyright is intended. No profit is made or expected from this story. Please do not post to any other site without my express, written permission. 'Clueless and Silly' is © January 2000.

robsure@earthlink.net

My name is...well, if you've been reading our story you know what my name is. I thought it was about time you learned about me, from the one who knows me best, me.

Most everyone I know thinks that I am clueless, clueless and silly. I say most everyone because there is one person who believes in me...Kerri. I love Kerri because of the way she loves me.

I don't necessarily think I'm clueless, maybe uninformed sometimes, and of course I am clumsy. But I've always been big and have overly large feet, so being clumsy comes naturally, right? I broke a crystal wineglass the other day and everyone looked at me as if I was the biggest, clumsiest thing they'd ever seen. Everyone, that is, except Kerri. I love Kerri because of the way she loves me.

Life here at the bookshop is pretty good. It's really comfortable having her around all the time. She gets busy a lot, and doesn't always have enough time for me, but sometimes she just stops what she's doing and holds me. I really like that. She's soft, and warm, and when she's been in the tearoom, she smells good too. She sings sometimes, when no one else is in the shop. She's told me she thinks her voice is pretty bad, but she doesn't seem to mind if I listen. Sometimes it hurts my ears, but I would never, ever, tell her. I know she feels comfortable around me, and of course I feel comfortable, and safe, around her. I love Kerri because of the way she loves me...but I think I told you that.

I get really jealous and really sad sometimes, though. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I know she loves me, but it didn't take too long for me to figure out that she loves someone else too. And I think she loves him more than me. I thought he was my best friend, and maybe he still is, after all he did see her first. I've wondered if it's okay to share. No, I am NOT dumb, just uninformed. Maybe I should share her with him, because I don't want to lose Kerri or my best friend. I'm sure that if I made her choose, she'd choose him. So, I suppose that as long as I don't make waves, she won't stop loving me. I love the way she loves me.

Diefenbaker says it's okay for her to love someone else. I try really hard to listen to him, and follow his example, he is my mentor, after all. He told me the best way to earn her love was to go on the paper, stay out of the tearoom, and not wag my tail anywhere near the coffee table, which is how I broke the wineglass. If all else failed he said I should look at her with love in my soft brown eyes. Kerri's always saying she loves my soft brown eyes. Diefenbaker says that within a few weeks I should have her wrapped around my paw. Then I'll really love the way she loves me.

Renfield is my best friend, and the other one that Kerri loves. He doesn't treat me quite as well as Kerri does, and he's not near as soft when he holds me. He gets angry sometimes when I forget Diefenbaker's advice and go somewhere other than on the paper, especially if it's somewhere where he needs to walk. But I know he loves me, because he picked me, out of several other candidates, who were my littermates. I was so happy when he picked me. And when he introduced me to Kerri, I knew I was the happiest pup in the world! So, I guess Diefenbaker is right, it's okay to share.

I do get mad at both of them sometimes, though. Sometimes, at night I'll hear them playing in the room where they sleep. You know, talking and laughing, and making other interesting sounds? Sometimes they moan, and I worry because I can't get in to help them. Once, when I heard Kerri moaning and I wouldn't stop scratching at their door, Renfield actually yelled at me! And then, when I wouldn't stop trying to get in to help, he actually came roaring out of the room and chased me away! I pouted for two days...all I wanted to do was help!

But Kerri made it up to me. After two days she came to me and apologized. She said she loved me, and we could play and hug and have our privacy while Renfield was at work, but she loved him too, and they needed to play and hug and have their privacy at night. Diefenbaker said he would explain what she meant when I was a little older. But I guess he was right, I do have her wrapped around my paw.

So, all things considered, life with Kerri and Renfield is pretty darn good. Let all the others think I'm clueless and silly. Having people think that does have its advantages sometimes. And as long as Kerri believes in me, and Renfield doesn't shout at me, that's all that matters.

Now, if they would just get rid of that Ray person. But I'm working on that,

Your Friend,

Dickens