The Runaway Adventures ll: Snowbound in Park Avenue

Chapter 1: The Winter Walk

Sunset scattered all over the frozen, hard streets of an old New England town one winter evening. A fierce chill blew throughout, causing most people to stay indoors, with their fireplaces keeping them nice and toasty through the harsh chill outside. Despite the coldness, beauty abounded, with the sunset brilliantly shining over the snow, the gleams of which radiated throughout. Every building, from the schoolhouse to the city hall, was covered with a thick blanket of white wrapped from rooftop to rooftop. Across the yards, there were many freshly bought Christmas trees, decorated with sparkling and shimmering lights, that also wafted a fresh pine scent through town, while the brewery smothered the town with a warm scent of apple cider. The faint sound of Christmas music from choirs on the streets and churches and sleighs being pulled by horses with the ensuing jingling from the bells added to the wintry yet welcoming atmosphere.

While the scents abounded outside, hardly anyone was able to enjoy their delights, for there was only one source of warmth outside. This warmth came from a large family walking through town to take in the sights and senses and to get away from the confines of their beautiful yet crowded house. At the center of the group and easily the tallest figures were Jim Dear and Darling, two very loving and kind people who appreciated this time outside to get some fresh air and spend some intimate moments together. They were bundled in warm, heavy coats, which they used often considering they liked to walk so much. Being pushed by them in a stroller was their young son Junior. Now two years old, Junior was a sprightly inquisitive child, always paying attention to his surroundings and delighting in the attention of his family. He loved the outside just as much as everyone else, especially the way the little snowflakes tickled his nose, making him giggle as the snow slowly melted to water. While it was cold, he was happy, for he had a warm baby sized blanket perfect for braving even the frigid of days.

Oddly enough though, Jim Dear, Darling, and Junior were the only humans of their large family. What made their family so large could be seen in Jim Dear and Darling's hands, where they each held onto a bunch of leashes that were attached to a cavalcade of dogs. Leading the way was Lady, a beautiful light brown dog with luscious dark brown ears, deep, chocolate eyes exuding warmth, a jaunty gait, and a gentle grin stretching across her face, for she was very happy with how her life was turning out. Lady was Jim Dear and Darling's first dog, and though they loved all their dogs, she always held a special place in their hearts. When Jim Dear and Darling first got her, they could never imagine that they would have so many dogs. But through her love, gentle spirit, and devotion, Lady found herself becoming the matriarch of a large family, none of whom would have been with her without the warmth and love in her heart she extended to others. Right by Lady's side was her husband, Tramp. Tramp was once a street dog who lived life as a vagabond, not having an owner and taking life in stride, making wonder out of a world where he had to fight for survival every day. His upbringing and life couldn't have been further than Lady's, yet upon getting to know each other and with the help of a spaghetti dinner, the two of them feel deeply in love with each other. Lady loved Tramp so much that she even considered leaving her family to be with him, and Tramp ultimately chose to give up his adventurous life on the streets to live with Lady. While he had a rambunctious side which made him leave their house frequently, Lady always knew that Tramp would come back to her, despite his dating many other girls in the past. For a while, Lady desperately feared Tramp abandoning her, especially during those times when he took off from home or when another girl dog was passing by. But Lady now understood without a shadow of a doubt that Tramp was completely devoted to her and likewise was much more comfortable with Tramp going out on his own, making them both much happier.

Trotting right behind them were two of their daughters, Annette and Colette. Both of them resembled their mother and to an even greater extent each other, though Colette had longer ears and a red collar whereas Annette had shorter ears and a blue collar. Formerly quick to judge and easy to irritate, Annette and Colette soon began to realize how much they loved their family when in turn their brother, their brother again and his girlfriend, and their sister all ran away from home. These times when they've run away, especially when their mother and father had been out looking for them, made them realize what life felt like without a family, and made them much more appreciative of their family. While Annette and Colette still did not get into the brash antics of their siblings and always tried to maintain their best behavior, they had become simply grateful to have their siblings and parents back together in the home with them and became much more pleasant and kind as a result.

Right behind them were Lady and Tramp's remaining two puppies, Scamp and Danielle. Scamp looked like the spitting image of his father in miniature, while Danielle resembled her mother, except with a more casual, unkempt appearance. The two of them were both rambunctious puppies, especially Scamp. The only boy in Lady and Tramp's litter, Scamp had his father's rebellious attitude and drive for adventure and excitement, yet also for a long time felt lonely, being the only boy of the puppies, as well as being the most easily bored. This, along with his general irritation of rules, encouraged Scamp to have run away from home twice, and only after much persuasion and learning to understand that his family truly did care for him did he finally come home. Danielle was less rebellious than Scamp, but she still had a great amount of energy which made her quick to bore. Her mind, though, was a bit slow, which sometimes led her to unwittingly getting herself in trouble. She also had a very sensitive nature she inherited from her mother. For a long time, she had tried very hard to fit in with her sisters, causing her to try to conceal her wild side from them, and always making her a bit unhappy deep down. This concealment, along with her energy and sensitivity all contributed to her decision to run away, and only after she like Scamp was reminded of how much her family loved her, no matter who she was, did she finally choose to return home.

Nowadays though, Scamp and Danielle were both much happier than they had ever been, not only for their greater appreciation for their family, but they had both also found their special soulmates. On Scamp's left side was his girlfriend Angel and on Danielle's right side was her boyfriend Puffball. Angel was a young blonde dog just Scamp's age, with adorable pointy ears, with one of them slightly folded, a large blonde hair tuft, bright blue eyes, and a fluffy tail perched over her back. Puffball was also their age, with greyish fur with speckles, long black ears, a short black tail and emerald green eyes. Scamp and Danielle both met their lovers on their runaway excursions, and Angel and Puffball were both street dogs that longed for a family who both helped to persuade their loved ones to return home. Showing their deep love, Lady and Tramp agreed to take Angel and Puffball in, as did Jim Dear and Darling, so their loved ones came to live with them and become part of the family. Angel and Puffball were endlessly grateful by finally getting the home and family they have dreamed of, as were Scamp and Danielle, who became much more affectionate with their parents and owners from their kind actions. Now, though very young, both couples were together almost as much as Lady and Tramp were, and Lady and Tramp knew in their hearts that both Scamp and Angel and Danielle and Puffball were sure to be soulmates for life.

Bringing up the rear were Angel's parents, Peg and Spunky from the behind. Peg had long blonde ears and had Angel's fluffy tail, coat, and blue eyes, while Spunky had a much shorter orange and white coat with Angel's general build, ears, and light colored nose. Like Angel, they were both street dogs before being taken in by Jim Dear and Darling, and both knew Tramp from his past days on the street. Spunky was once taught by Tramp on how to survive on the street, and quickly learned a lot of Tramp's special tricks to survive. It was, in fact, because of the survival techniques he learned from Tramp that he was still alive, for had he not played dead, he would have ultimately been murdered. He still, however, carried a severe limp on his back right leg as a result of that attempt on his life. Peg meanwhile, was one of Tramp's old girlfriends. While holding a crush on him for a while and arousing Lady's suspicions, her seeing Lady and Tramp's love for each other made her realize how strongly they felt towards each other. Peg then stopped flirting with Tramp, and after helping them find the runaway puppies, she was reunited with Spunky, whom she thought was dead, and the two of them have happily been together ever since. Angel, meanwhile, had presumed them both dead, and upon reuniting with her parents, she was overjoyed, especially after Jim Dear, Darling, Lady and Tramp opened their doors up to her parents to live with them as well.

Now, this large family, while far bigger from when Jim Dear first brought home Lady, felt an even greater sense of intimacy, for all of the emotional turbulence they've been through together made them all realize the depth and strength of their feelings to each other. Little did they know, however, that another challenge was blowing ever closer in the frosty, frigid wind.