40 (UISYA)

Below is the description of Ann and Larie's **40th meeting** (EARTH 6) from the Ed, Edd n Eddy fanfiction series, Until I See You Again.

If you landed here without prior knowledge of the series, please visit its page first.

## Story

>    Ann is a friendly Border Collie dog, professionally trained to herd livestock, but meets her first challenge when a new batch of pigs are brought in. A huge hairy boar, named Larie, gets an immediate crush on her and takes every opportunity to call for her or barge out of his pen for a greeting. The human farmers used to tolerate it, but start to reach their limit after meeting with his aggressive temper when trying to force him away.
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> Ann worries they'll lose trust in her capabilities as a herder, and after many weeks of hollering, decides to give Larie her time to listen what he wants. She finds he has nothing different to say from the usual and asks him to stop causing trouble now she gave him a chance to swoon her. He doesn't think her hasty visit qualifies as a date and wants to meet her in private.
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> The other pigs scold Larie for his stereotypical "pig" behaviour and being a bother to them as well. Ann adds a dog could never be attracted to a pig and she can't return his feelings.
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> After this confirmation, Larie announces his leave and jumps straight out of the pen without effort. After the initial surprise, Ann tries to chase the escaped pig, but can't keep up with his lightning speed and is eventually stopped by a group of wolves.
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> They recognize what kind of dog she is and figure there's a farm nearby for them to attack. They plan to kill the walking alarm system and look for it, but Larie shows up again to fight them off and does so rather unconventionally. Only two wolves survive and are forced to accept his demand of serving him as their new leader.
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> Thinking to have impressed Ann by showing off his dominance, he awaits her response, but finds her disturbed by the slaughter. Ann explains not to like wild animals and their inhumane practises, so Larie explains there was no other way to win. After listening to his words and experiencing his way of fighting, she understands he's far from tame and he confirms he's been sneaking out into the wild for the entirety of his life. She thinks it'd be better if he stayed in the wild and says they should part ways. Again denied by her, Larie leaves with his two slavish wolves.
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> A few months pass and Larie is the revered leader of around 50 wolves. Considering how he acquired and proved himself to them, they greatly respect their pig leader and obey his every word. Many of the females admit to have a crush on him as well and wish to be their equal, but Larie has no interest in wolves and stayed a one-man leadership this entire time. His mind is still set on the farm dog that wanted nothing to do with him, but as his new life is all he has, he gives in and asks the wolves to fight each other for the position, since their proclaimed beauty and desired character traits are impossible to gauge as a pig.
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> During the competition, a familiar face manages to move towards the spectating Larie. Ann tell him to have looked for him this entire time and needs him to return. From the humans she understood he's a fairly rare breed and she feels guilty for letting him go. Larie is honest to say he couldn't care less about the humans, and feels slightly let down over the reason of her visit. She understands his position and isn't sure how to respond.
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> Larie changes the subject and comments on the marks in her neck. Ann explains the humans mistook her intentions and tried to keep her tied up after she kept escaping to find him, which makes Larie wonder why she even went through the trouble. He's displeased with the abuse they've inflict on her, but Ann reassures him it's nothing out of the ordinary for a dog. He disagrees heavily.
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> He invites her to stay in his pack, but she's disturbed by the competition he's hosting and says she could never fight like that to earn herself basic respect. She's also says to have a tight bond with her humans that she and Larie don't, and Larie reminds her of her own reluctance to get to know him.
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> Her lingering presence starts to annoy the jealous wolves, despite Larie's earlier approval, and they ask for her to leave his side. She figures to be done anyway and departs, but near the border gets mauled by two other wolves who think she's an intruder. Larie shows up to stop it, but has to carry her wounded body back to the farm.
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> When no human or pig cares to console her and she's left leashed outside bleeding until the vet comes, he decides to stay and lie down next to her. Ann says he should go before he's seen, but he claims to know how to open any door and lock, and can leave at any time. He proves this much by opening the door to the house and using the kitchen tap to refill her bowl. His level of intelligence impresses Ann.
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> They again talk about her role on the farm and if her owners consider her a pet or a worker. Ann stays convinced to be better off with them than in the wild and claims to love her job. With half of her face bitten off by his wolves, Larie knows it's become hard to reassure her safety within his group, though tries. When the humans find them together, Larie allows himself get pushed back inside the pen on Ann's request.
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> During night time, Larie struggles between leaving or staying to check on Ann after having received her operation. The other pigs repeat he's wasting his time with her, which motivates the stubborn Larie to stay until morning. It takes until dusk for Ann to wake up. The protective cone on her head prevents her from reaching her water bowl and she whines to her owners, who misunderstand and leash her outside. Larie proves not to be a bragger and casually opens the pen to help her find a way to drink. His idea to use a bucket and figuring out the mechanic of a water hose again earns him points with Ann, though he still can't convince her to leave the farm.
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> When someone comes to check Ann and sees the bucket and Larie set loose, he begins to think there's a person messing around on his property and becomes antsy. The nervous farmers battle with Larie on getting him back inside the pen, and as they can't ask the wounded Ann's help, they start poking his unmoving body with sticks. Ann is displeased by their overreaction and lashes out at their sticks. Knowing how to calm her owners down, she lies her head against Larie. He grins his widest grin at the staring, still skeptical pigs, while the humans disappear and return with an unusual rope. Larie growls at them, but Ann explains they're giving him special treatment and he should accept the leash.
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> Ann is happy and takes this as confirmation of her owners' goodness, but Larie says it shouldn't have to include leashes. With the two touching shoulders, she attempts to swoon Larie to stay, and shares a tip that humans don't like to be dominated, only kindness. He replies not to be a kind person, but she points him to the things he's done for her so far.
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> Because of the medicine, she is mostly knocked out and Larie only has himself as company. When the humans show up to bring her back inside for the night, Larie is returned to the pen. Little was said, but with her touch, he believes to have a chance. He watched the windows and waits for some kind of sign she wants to be with him after all, but she only shows up to gesture the coast is clear to escape.
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> Another two months pass, and Ann surprises Larie with a second visit. Her given excuse is to show him she's fully healed and check on his own well-being, though she becomes visibly uneasy when Larie's chosen mate appears to put an end to their informal chatter. When the other wolves start giving Ann stares as well, she wants to cut her visit short, but Larie insists on talking in private.
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> She doesn't make it a secret he's been on her mind and learned to enjoy his odd company. He says there's still room for her in his pack, but her mind hasn't changed on that. She says to fear wolves, and her job makes her and them natural enemies. Larie says that won't matter if she becomes his mate and wants her in that position. She's confused by his request and notes him on the young she-wolf who was sitting by his side, to which he answers with brutal honesty not to see her as his mate.
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> The she-wolf appears and is offended by her husband's words, but believes he's doubting her strength and demands to fight the one he finds worthy to prove hers. Ann becomes nervous and says not to be a fighter and declines with her tail between her legs. Larie's wife is angered by her weak mentality and states weak females should not be allowed to reproduce with strong men. The statement puzzles Ann and she asks if she believes pigs and wolves can have offspring, to which she replies Larie to be a wolf.
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> Ann's rebuttals don't land with her, and since he's strong and doesn't look like the common pink-skinned pig, the ignorant wolf keeps insisting she's right. Larie grows tired of listening to her idiocy and breaks up the argument by dubbing Ann his wife, catching both Ann and his now ex-wife off guard. She doesn't stand for it and attacks Ann while distracted, earning her a crushing bite from Larie as punishment.
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> The whimpering wolf lies harmless on the ground as he closes in to kill her for her actions, but Ann pleads for her life and says he's been unfair to her. He doesn't disagree, but warns her that wolves will constantly try to up-rank others and she won't return her kindness.
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> She asks if she's right worrying about not having a safe home with him, and he hesitantly admits it'll be hard work.
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> With the floored she-wolf being back to bearing her teeth at her, Ann faces the facts and turns around. The wolf feels victorious, but receives no praise and has to watch her pig husband follow his love interest's footsteps.
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> Larie abandons his pack and gives up his dignity to be with Ann on the farm, where he earns himself the life of a pet pig.
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## See also

* Until I See You Again
* An, Ann n Anny
* Ed, Edd n Eddy Working