Always Go Back (Jack Reacher Fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Moved

"Sage. Sage. Sage!"

Sage moaned as he rolled onto his side. This felt oddly familiar and excitement shot through him as he awoke. "Skylar?"

There was a deep sigh as a dog dragged itself forward and settled besides Sage. Sage turned his head and jumped when he realized who it was. "No, Molly."

Sage sighed as he laid on his side with his paws pulled into his chest. He ached all over, but at least his neck felt a little bit better. He squirmed a bit before he turned on his other side, sighing heavily.

Molly came over to Sage and laid right beside him, rumbling softly. Sage pressed against her because of the warmth and how soft her fur was. He managed to open his eyes as Molly started to lick him between his ears.

"What are you doing," asked Sage in surprise. No one but Skylar used to groom his fur. He hadn't spent a lot of time with other dogs.

Molly laughed. "It's called sharing tongues. It's when animals groom each other out of respect or affection," she explained gently as she continued to lap at his fur. "Besides, it looks like you haven't groomed your fur in years!"

"I've groomed myself! I just can't reach everywhere," flashed Sage in surprise.

Molly touched her nose to Sage's ear before she just laid beside him, trying to warm him up. "I really didn't get to properly thank you for saving my life before you passed out," she confessed with a shrug.

"It was nothing, Molly, really. I've been through much worse," pointed out Sage as he struggled to sit up in the cage that he was in. He surprised at how much room Molly and him had, but he was content to just stay by her side.

Molly hung her head. "Yeah, I guess but that was really heroic. No one has ever done that for me," she confessed with a sigh. She just looked defeated and dejected at the same time.

Sage rose to his paws and staggered forward when he felt his paws moving under him. They had to be in some sort of truck, but it was dark and he could only make out the sound of other dogs around him. Some were barking, but most of them were quiet and meek about the outcome.

"What's wrong, Molly," Sage murmured as he joined her side.

Molly shot him a glance with tears glinting in her eyes. "I lost my puppies," she replied. "I can't smell them anymore."

"I'm so sorry," growled Sage as he looked around. He didn't mean to come across cross, but he had no idea who could take puppies away from their mother. That was beyond cruel in his eyes.

"I knew that it was coming. I didn't want to get attached and that's why I didn't name them. I've never been able to keep my puppies. I have no idea where they are or what they're doing. I don't even know if they're alive," Molly confessed as she lowered down and crossed her paws before she curled her tail around her haunches.

Sage followed and nudged Molly's cheek with his nose before he laid beside her. This time Sage wanted to comfort her and not the other way around. "I'm sure that they'll be fine if they have your kindness."

"Thanks. You're sweet for a military dog." Sage opened his mouth to speak, but Molly cut him off. "Yes, I know what you are. I could smell you from a mile away. That and human scent."

Sage felt his pelt grow hot. That could've been why Fang had seemed so eager to kill him besides the fact that his life was on the line. He still smelled a lot like Reacher and human things. That could probably anger a lot of the dogs who never had the actually had a human to are about them.

"Is he nice?"

Sage shook his head out of his daydream. "Excuse me?"

"Is he nice," repeated Molly with a flick of her ears. "I mean I smell man on your fur and that's the only human. He must be nice, isn't he?"

"Well, he doesn't talk a whole lot, but neither do I. He was in the military too a long time ago, but I didn't know him then. Things have changed in my life, but I'm still content," Sage barked with the firmness and discipline of a military dog.

Molly nodded slowly as she took everything in. "Do you miss him?"

"Yeah, I do," replied Sage awkwardly. He didn't talk about his emotions much. He never knew how to express them and he saw Molly's eyes glitter in amusement at that.

"And what about that other name that you keep calling out," Molly pressed.

"Other name," echoed Sage in disbelief.

"Yeah, Skylar."

Sage immediately looked at his paws. He knew that he could cry out her name when he was sleeping, but now he was starting to daydream about her too. This was not a conversation that he wanted to have with a dog that he just met, but he didn't seem to have a choice.

"Was she someone that you loved? Sister? Mother? Daughter?"

"Mate," corrected Sage in an offhanded tone. He looked back to Molly and quieted his voice. "She was my mate."

Molly's eyes were round in sympathy and Sage automatically looked away. He didn't want pity. That wasn't why he was telling her all this. Did she have to look at him like some sort of wounded pup?

"I'm so sorry, Sage. I had no idea." She licked her paws a bit. "I never actually had a mate. It was all just for the pups and most of them time they had to tie me down so that I didn't attack him. I never really knew the love of anyone."

"What about your mother," questioned Sage tiredly. The ache in his chest was starting to return.

Molly shook her head. "I never really knew her. I think that I've seen her and know what she looks like, but those are just fantasies. I just want to stop this life."

Sage had almost forgotten where they had been just a few hours earlier. He stuck his nose through the bars and breathed heavily. "Do you know where they're taking us?"

"Another ring if I had to guess. However, I'm pretty sure that this one must be pretty big," barked Molly with a yawn. "I've never been in a truck with this many dogs before. They usually don't like it to since we get into fights pretty easily here."

The thought of another ring made Sage's stomach churn in unease. Reacher would have absolutely no idea where he was or where he was going.

He wasn't even sure if Reacher was looking for him. He could be quite a lot of trouble, but ever since Sage had saved Reacher's life a few moons ago things had changed. He wasn't sure if that was a good things or not, but it made it much harder to let go. They had been through a lot and they hadn't been separated for this long before.

"Sage, do you think that your friend will come for you," questioned Molly, once again pulling him out of his daydream.

Sage twitched his ears. "I'd like to think so, but I don't know. I think that he'll try and nothing is impossible."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in this human," Molly commented.

"I do! It's a different relationship that we have. I can speak to humans and they understand me because of the experiments done to me. Anyway, we've been through a lot and we have a very specific mindset," Sage explained.

Interest glowed in Molly's eyes as she dragged herself forward. "And what exactly do you two do?"

"Honestly, we raise a little hell and make sure the bastards that we chase don't see the light of day again," replied Sage as he thrust a paw against the ground. He saw the blankness in Molly's eyes so he tried to explain. "Well, we make sure that bad guys, those who cheat, lie, and kill to get what they want are stopped. We've done somethings with drugs and human trafficking and now we're doing dogfighting. I just didn't think I'd infiltrate this way."

Molly gave a nod of agreement, as if she approved. "Well, this seems like an interesting life. What would be this so called 'raiser of hell's' name?"

That was something that Sage had no shame in saying. "Jack Reacher."