Choose One? Impossible! [Open]

[shadowsfial]

Jensen figured that it was a good time to go ahead and get another dog. He had been training them for about 10 years now so what could it hurt. Many of the big cats were being shipped off to breeding facilities and such so now he had allot of time on his hands. At least way to much for him. With only 5 big cats in the sanctuary now it was an easy task to feed, water, clean cages, and spend time with them. Though their mood always depended on playtime with him. Another good reason for coming here was he needed a playmate for his little Fenece Fox named Dalila. She was a treasure to him.

Walking into the shelter he looked at the two sections; Dogs and Cats. Well... It cant hurt to take more than one... They need homes after all...' Bad words to think about when you enter a shelter because you want to take them all home. He decided to walk into the cat section first since he doubted he would get one. He never really liked house cats, they seemed so fragile.

Walking through the door he frowned hearing all the cries from the cats and kittens. He started walking by the cages looking into each one watching the cats reaction to him. Though house cats were smaller their movements and body language was much like that of a large cat. He was about to leave when a small kitten caught his eye. It was at the back of the cage all huddled up. Jensen knelled down and looked into the cage and made a small noise and watched the kitten lift its head.

The kitten seemed to need someone. It was all alone unlike most of the kittens. The others had a buddy in with them but not this one, he was all alone with no one; Just like Jensen. Jensen bit his lip for a moment then slowly put his finger through one of the bars and watched the little boy trip over himself getting up too eagerly to be given just a bit of love. Jensen rubbed the kittens nose then pulled his hand away. I guess thats the one. He shook his head then stood up and walked to the front counter and requested for them to hold the kitten while he went back to look at the dogs.

At least he brought one animal out of this place so far. Walking back to the kennels he sighed hearing all the barking. He knew he was probably going to take one home. He had a big enough place though, he probably had enough room to take twenty home but he wouldn't have the time for that many dogs. The most he could Handel at a time was 5 and he wasn't going to get that many. The most would be two. It was a reasonable number.

Looking from kennel to kennel he sighed. All of them looked so sad. He knew he couldn't take them all though. He kept walking waiting for one to catch his eye just like the kitten had and it happened though the bad thing was that it was two dogs that caught his eye. They were in two kennels side by side. One was a black lab mix, the other some kind of mix he couldn't make out. He shook his head looking between the two. Now what... He sighed stressed as his mind began to lean more toward the lab mix when he read the papers. The other mix was bad with cats and small animals, that wouldn't be good with the cat he was getting and his small fox at home.

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[emma]

Emma pulled her truck into the parking lot of the animal shelter. She bit her lip as she stepped out. There was something about animal shelters that always made her feel sad. It was too much like an orphanage.
She tipped her western hat forward on her head and stepped out of the truck. She was wearing a tight T-shirt that said "I love my horse". The shirt looked more in place in town that her western boots and hat.
She stepped into the animal shelter. Immediately, she could hear the mewing of cats and barking of dogs. She wanted to plug her ears from the noise, to ignore it, to pretend that all of the animals weren't homeless. But instead, she went into the section marked "Dogs".
She had always wanted a dog. For weeks since her family had moved to West Virginia, home just hadn't seemed like home. She hoped that getting a pet would help. Her parents, of course, had no idea.
She walked down the row of cages, all holding miserable looking dogs. There was only one other person in the room, a handsome young man. She looked at him for a moment. He was looking critically between two cages. Emma thought once again how cute he was, feeling oddly flirtacious.
She forgot about him though, when she saw the dog that she wanted. It was an elderly looking mutt, scruffy, and not much to look at. Emma kneeled down and reached a hand in the cage, scratching the dog's ear.
The dog licked her hand slowly and carefully, as if afraid she would leave. Emma read the card on the cage. Her name was Rose, and she was about 11 or 12 years old. The card said that she was set to be euthanized the next day. Emma wiped tears away with her forearm.
"They won't kill you, sweetie." She whispered to the dog, "I'll take you home with me. And you can stay with me forever and ever."
She sang a song to the dog, just like she always sang to her horse.
"If you need a friend,
don't look to a stranger,
You know in the end,
I'll always be there.

And when you're in doubt,
and when you're in danger,
Take a look all around,
and I'll be there."
The dog seemed to perk up at the sweet sound of the music. Emma smiled and scratched the dog. She looked back to the handsome young man, hoping that he hadn't heard her singing. She suddenly felt shy.

[shadowsfial]

So the lab was the one. The dog was only 2, he felt bad that an older dog hadn't gotten his attention but hey. You go with what you like, you can't just take any pet home and hope it works out. He slid his hand into the kennel and stroked the dogs head watching it close its eyes and let its tongue hang out. A small laugh emitted itself from Jensen's throat but it was soon gone when another person came in.

Jensen glanced over at the lovely blonde walking past a few kennels. He looked back at the dog quickly keeping his eyes down. He had no reason to be nervous... at least he didn't think he did. Jensen shook his head starting to get a headache from all the barking dogs and he stood up again and pulled the papers off the dogs cage looking through them again making sure everything was good.

The dog hadn't been neutered yet but Jensen wouldn't dare let them do it. He always found it unfair, totally unfair. He leaned down and stroked the dogs head again then looked back over at the girl hearing her singing. Wow... she has a wonderful voice... Jensen finally realized that he had been looking at her the whole time she was singing and saw that she had looked over at him. He brought his eyes down quickly then stood up looking at the papers. You idiot! He shook his head and gave a small sigh then started to head for the door to sign the papers to adopt the lab mix and the cat.

His light footsteps were quick as he was walking till he slipped a bit on the slick floor. Thankfully he caught himself and he didn't end up doing the splits.[ouch] He let out a small sigh of relief but ended up slipping more falling onto his backside. He groaned then put his head in his hand. Great.... He was so embarrassed and he could swear all the dogs were even laughing at him.

[emma]

Emma smiled when the young man looked at her. She was almost sure that she saw his cheeks flush. She looked back into Rose's cage and stroked the dog, pulling the adoption papers off of the cage.
"You'll be sleeping in a nice, warm bed tonight, sweetie." She whispered.
She watched as the young man walked away. She saw him slip. He managed to stay on his feet before falling hard onto his back.
Emma gasped, dropping the adoption papers on the ground. She ran to where he was lying on the ground. His face was covered with his hands, and she couldn't tell if he were hurt or not.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay? I saw you fall just then." She couldn't help but smile, just a little bit. It was then that she recognised him. "Hey, you go to Pinewood, don't you? I do too, I'm Emma Woods, Whipperpool's owner."
She reached out a hand to help him up, dearly hoping that he wasn't hurt.

[shadowsfial]

Jensen was cursing at himself in his head till the young blonde's voice pierced his ears. He pulled his hand away from his pale face. He felt his cheeks warm with more embarrassment as she stood over him. His voice was a bit shaky as he stood up Yeah.. I am fine.

[/i] He sighed then brushed off his pants every thing but my pride that is... though I have very little

Pinewood? He had only been to the stable once so far and was planning on boarding death there. He didn't know how she knew he went there but ok. He was thinking about just shrugging and walking off but he couldn't he didn't want to be any more rude. I'm not really going there yet... I am waiting to see if I can board my stallion there. He bit his lip then looked down realizing that he no longer had the lab mix's papers in his hand.

He walked over and picked the two sets of papers up then handed the other one to her. He was surprised that she was adopting an elderly dog, most people would pass those up. Jensen had a 6 year old at home but that didn't compare to how kind this girl was being. He finally realized that he hadn't given his name in return and he frowned slightly. Sorry... My name is Jensen La Tour. Its nice to meet you Miss Woods. Jensen had always been taught to use their last name till you knew them well or they asked otherwise.

He looked back at the dog kennels then shook his head again. The nose was really starting to get to him. You want to step out of here? I am kind of getting a headach... He looked down at the floor thinking. Try not to kill myself this time[/b]
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[emma]

Emma smiled gratefully when she was handed the papers.
Thanks. And I've only seen you at Pinewood once, actually. I think that you were just looking around or something. I'm there almost all the time, so I see a lot that goes on... She realized that she was blabbering and quickly shut her mouth, only to continue talking again.
It's very nice to meet you though, Jensen. I like that name. I'm afraid 'Emma' isn't quite as original.
She clapped her hands over her ears as the barking persisted.
Yeah, let's step out of here. The noise is making my ears ring.
She smiled and began to walk toward the door, past the rows of homeless dogs. She smiled and scratched Rose's nose as she walked by her crate. She turned back to look at Jensen.
I'd like to know more about your horse, if you don't mind, Mr. La Tour. She partly said 'Mr. La Tour' as a joke, though she also wanted to be as polite as Jensen was.

[shadowsfial]

Jensen didn't say anything about the blabbering. He thought it was kind of cute though he could see how it could get annoying after a long period of time. He nodded as she said that they could leave and he headed for the door and held it open for her. Emma is a nice name. He was telling the truth. He liked her name.

She wants to know more about Death? There really nothing he could say. Once she was through the door he shut it gently. It was funny hearing someone call him Mr. La Tour. No one really said that, though he figured it was the same for every one else he spoke too, calling them miss or mister. You can just call me Jensen... He shrugged then walked over to the counter. There is not much to say about Death... he is just a large Friesian cross... human like personality.... wont let anyone but me touch him... He shrugged then started filling out some papers.

I guess you are really into horses hu? He glanced over at her then sighed looking at the kitten that he was adopting. They had set it up on the counter now in a crate. He stuck his finger through the small bars and rubbed its chin before continuing to fill out the forms. When he was done with the kittens he handed it over then began to fill out the dogs. Looking back up at the cat he smirked. You better not run out into the back and try to play with the others. He touched the kittens nose then looked over at Emma.

[emma]

Well thank you, Jensen. I'm glad that you like my name. Though I must say, Death is an interesting name choice for your horse.
She smiled, watching as Jensen stuck his fingers through the cage to scratch his kitten's face. Emma found the tiny bundle of fur adorable.
And yes, I'm very into horses. Emma said with a smile, Horses are my life, completely. I wasn't raised on a ranch or anything, and I never had a pony. I guess that I'm a natural horsewoman though. She laughed at her own words, realizing how stupid it must have sounded.
My horse, Poka, was a complete mental patient when I got him. He nearly killed his previous owner, and they were going to kill him because he was dangerous. I bought him on the spot, which was a stupid choice. I guess it was a decision of the heart.
Emma smiled, tapping her pen against her nose, remembering the day she had gotten her wild young horse.
It's taken a lot of trust and time, but now I can ride him without tack, and he follows me everywhere. It was worth the scars.
Emma rolled her sleeve down, showing Jensen the nasty scar running down her forearm. It had been Poka's work.
Horses are easy for me to relate to. Humans can be two-sided, but I've never met a two-sided horse. They're pure, you know? They let you know how they feel. They all have good intentions. She smiled and blushed, looking back down at the adoption papers for Rose. She wondered why she talked so much, to a practical stranger. Sometimes, though, talking was the best way to get to know people.

[shadowsfial]

Jensen actually found it quite relaxing having someone do most of the talking. It made up for him being so anti social. He was a good listener though. Death's name really stood out when people were talking about there horses, most names were cheerful but Death's was not. Well His full name is actually Deadly Son... It is a long story though. At least it was a long story to Jensen. It would probably only take a second to tell but he hated talking about the past.

Hearing about the trouble she spent working with her horse he felt a little more willing to be open with her. He always found that people who worked with animals with troubles were nicer people. Looking at her arm he smirked a bit. Thats a nasty one. I never got beat up by my horse... but I have with dogs and big cats. He looked back down at the papers in front of him trying to think of a name for the lab.

Jet! He wrote the name down then looked over at Emma when she said that humans could be two-sided. It was true and animals did always told you the truth, you just had to listen. Yeah, your right. He smiled then handed in the other form then waited for them to bring the dog out.

[emma]

Emma smiled.
Deadly Son. I like that. It's original.
Emma signed her name on the adoption papers and handed them in. When Jensen mentioned big cats, Emma was a little bit suprised.
Big cats? Like lions? She grinned at him, Does that make you a lion tamer?
She laughed. When she was living in Montana, the circus had come into town. She had seen tricks with white tigers and lions. Secretly, she had always wanted to be up close with the lions and tigers.
Spend all your time waiting for that second chance. For the break that would make it okay. There's always some reason to feel not good enough. And it's hard at the end of the day.
Emma leaned against the counters as she sang. For some reason, she didn't mind singing around Jensen now. He seemed harmless.
Sorry, She said, flashing him a smile, That song's been stuck in my head all day!

[shadowsfial]

She seemed a little surprised at the mention of bigs cats. It was a logical reaction, no one would have expected a shy, pale guy working with dangerous cats. Yeah, those are the ones. He didn't only keep lions, a variety came in. When she mentioned a lion tamer he laughed. No... Not really. I just train them a few things then I just keep them till they are moved off to a permanent home, though I have one permanent member of the family so far. Jensen smiled a bit hearing her sweet laugh. He was glad that that small bit of information could make her happy.

When she began to sing he glanced over then smirked. That song was familiar but he couldn't remember the title. Don't say sorry. Its a good song. He looked back down as they brung out the young lab mix and he smiled kindly as Jet wiggled full of joy. He took the lead then keeled down and stroked the dogs head. Hello there Jet. He rubbed the dogs head once more then stood back up and picked up the kitten in its small carrier.

Looking back at Emma he delivered a small smile. You know... If you want you are welcome to come over and see the cats. Sure she was the first one he had ever invited over in oh, 6 years. Jensen looked back down at the dog who was now looking in the other direction as they were bringing out Emma's new dog.

[emma]

Emma grinned.
Would you really let me come see them? That would really make my day, probably my whole year.
She laughed.
And that's amazing that you train them. It sounds a bit scary, to be honest. She leaned on the counter.
I imagine training a big cat would be a heck of a lot different than training a horse, huh?
Emma saw the elderly black dog led out. She rushed over in excitement.
Hey sweetheart. The old dog licked Emma's face. Emma laughed and wiped the slobber from her face. She stroked the dog's head.
Only I can't call you Rose now, can I? That was Jamie's middle name.
Emma turned to Jensen. She didn't want to leave him wondering who Jamie was.
Jamie was my sister. She died from cancer.
Emma wondered why she was telling him so many things. He wouldn't care a bit about her sister. She turned back to the dog.
Blackie? Honey? Nothing seemed to fit.
Hey, Jensen, have any name ideas for this old girl?

[shadowsfial]

Jensen was a bit blown back at how excited she was about seeing the cats. He never thought people would get that excited over them. Yeah. It would be good for them anyway. He gave a small smirk Way different. They can be fine with you one minnute and try to bite your head off the next. Penalty's personality fits that perfectly. He laughed lightly thinking about the loness for only a few moments before watching Emma run over to her dog.

The dog was very healthy for being so old. It was a surprise that she had any spunk left in her. He was a bit puzzled at first at the mention of her sisters name but it was all soon explained. Cancer.... wow thats a bad way to go.. Jensen looked down a bit with a small frown before looking back up hearing Emma talking to him again.

A name? He looked down at the elderly black dog and sighed. Names were always a hard thing to come up with. Thinking for a while going though so many names one hit him. Amor? Yeah! Jensen figured that it was the perfect name for the dog. It was from the french word Amour for love. How about Amor? He looked down at the black dog then smiled before looking back at Emma.

[emma]

Emma grinned in Jensen's direction.
Well, at least I know that horses won't try to bite my head off. Usually. She laughed brightly, petting the scruffy dog.
She smiled at the mention of the name.
Amor. She whispered softly.
What do you think? She asked the dog, I think you'd make the perfect Amor.
The dog wagged it's tail. Emma laughed softly and kissed it on the head.
Amor it is. The name fits.
Emma turned back to Jensen.
Amor, that's French, isn't it? She grinned and winked at him, One semester of French. I think that either means Peace or Love, but I'm pretty sure it's love. Am I right?
Emma stroked Amor. The dog seemed to be happy with the attention.
And these lions and tigers of yours, they won't bite off my head, will they? I'm rather fond of it.
Emma hugged Amor, thinking about what a perfect day it was turning into.

[shadowsfial]

Jensen laughed lightly then looked back down at the kitten. Yeah horses are much safer then cats. Both Emma and the dogs both seemed pleased with the name. That was a plus. French? Jensen nodded Yeah, its French for love. Jensen had never taken French classes but it was one language he grew up with. French class hu? Was it hard? He smiled a bit then sighed leaning against the counter and set the cat carrier down.

Hearing that she was rather fond of her head he laughed. I am fond of mine too... at least a Little bit. No, as long as you keep away from the few guys I tell you to you should be fine. He smiled then looked down at the dog sitting by his leg. Jet's tail was going a mile a minute and he was whining as loud as ever. Jensen shook his head then patted the dogs head. I think you and Nika are going to get along just fine... Don't know about Dalila though. He sighed again then looked back over at Emma. Well I think I am going to drag these guys home. If you are wanting to come now thats fine with me. He smiled a bit then looked back down at the black down whining by his leg.

It felt strange to him asking for someone to come over but maybe things would start to change for the better. Jensen scratched the back of his head then looked down at his shoes. Why is everything changing so fast? To him it seemed like he was in a totally new place though he hadn't moved from here in over fifteen years. He bit at the inside of his cheek then looked over rat the doors.