You left me behind

Tramp slowly walked back to the picnic, where the Festive Fourth of July spirit had dwindled down to a point. Aunt Sarah was in a hysteric panic as Darling tried to calm her down, Junior was crying for Scamp and the rest of the pups were ranting about his horrid behavior. Lady looked up with solemn eyes at her mate, seeing him slowing trudging up.

"Scamp...?" She murmured, looking a tad bit hopeful that he managed to convince their son, but it dropped as soon as she noticed his perplexed expression.

Tramp sighed and leaned down to nuzzle her, keeping silent for a while before finally speaking up again. "....It was his choice to stay with Buster......Told him our door was always open if he wanted to come home.."

Lady sighed shakily, her heart sinking low into her chest. Her little boy not wanting to come home? Every parent has to let their baby go sometime, but not this fast...Tramp kept her close to him, then looked down at his daughters as they crowded around their parents.

"....And....What about Rose...?" Danielle murmured, tilting her head innocently. "Did ya find her yet?"

"No sign of her yet either.." Tramp watched as the white collared pup bowed her head, letting out a slight whimper.

Lady circled her paw on the blanket, then nudged her daughters one by one. "Don't worry, girls....They'll both be home soon.....I believe in them...In the meantime let's help clean up and comfort Junior..."

"You go ahead, Pidge....I'm going to take a walk...." Tramp gave his wife a lick to the cheek before walking away back towards the alleys, hoping to catch scent of his youngest. He wandered aimlessly around town, skillfully avoiding the cars and horses as they trotted about with the carriages. He made his way back towards his home, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could have come straight home, but knew in the back of his mind that wasn't the case.

"Tramp."

He spun around, the fur along his neck bristling as that deep voice sounded from the shadows. "Buster. What do you want now?" He frowned, eyes narrowed. "Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?"

"No no no, not in the slightest." Buster chuckled, lifting an eyebrow. "What's the matter, you looking for your boy again? Trying to shove the powderpuff life down his throat?"

Tramp growled, then regained his composure, staring coldly at his old friend. "No. Scamp made his choice and I'm letting him figure it out on his own. I'm looking for something else."

"Oh something else, is it?" The Doberman/Rottweiler mix sneered, picking up a scrap off the floor. Tramp reeled back, recognizing it.

".....How did you....Where did you get that?"

"What, this?" Buster asked in an innocent tone before tossing it to him. "Is it yours?"

".....It's my daughter's." Tramp snarled, eyes blazing. "...What did you do to her?"

"I did nothing." Buster smirked, starting to circle the mutt with a menacing glare in his eyes. "You left me alone on the streets for that....*Lady.*You were my best friend and you abandoned me!"

"I fell in *LOVE*, Buster! I didn't want to live on the streets anymore, I wanted a new start! I was done!"

"But **I** wasn't!!" Buster roared, snapping close to Tramp's muzzle. Tramp didn't so much as flinch as he kept his eyes focused on Buster's. "You betrayed me and left me to fend for myself! You were the only one I could trust and you knocked me aside like roadkill!" Buster's eyes blazed with anger as he stopped his pacing and stared hard into Tramp's eyes. "You broke my trust, Tramp...And i'll never forgive you...."

"That doesn't explain what you've done with my daughter!" Tramp snarled back, stepping forward. "You already turned my son against me..."

Buster just cackled, throwing his head back. "Oh that's only the start, Tramp....I want to take everything you hold dear to you.....Your daughter is on my side too. She doesn't want to go back to the likes of you- to your cushy life."

"You're lying." Tramp scanned Buster, then pulled the collar close to him. "Rose wouldn't do that."

"Oh but she would."

"Then where is she?!" Tramp barked, eyes flashing. "I want to see her and hear her tell me that herself!!"

"Oh never mind that...." Buster smirked, shoving him aside. "She's a bit...tied up at the moment...." He chuckled again, giving Tramp another sinister smile. Tramp readied himself to launch at Buster- but he just laughed, shaking his head. "Oh you wouldn't do that, would you? Not with your daughters and mate walking along the sidewalk...."

Tramp turned his head, watching as the cockerspaniels raced up in worry. Before he could say another word, Buster had vanished, leaving behind Rose's collar.

Danielle bounded up to her father, noticing the strip of Violet leather laying stretched across the sidewalk. "R-Rose?"

"....N...No...Just her collar..." Tramp sighed, looking visibly shaken as he pulled his daughters close. "She.....Lost it..."

Danielle let out a low whine as she pawed at the gleaming tag. Lady nuzzled into her husband as Collette looked up at Tramp with an inquisitive look in her eyes. "...Who was that, papa?"

".....An.....Old friend of mine..." Tramp growled under his breath, then relaxed as he saw the girls staring up at him, triyng to regain his composure and attitude. "...Let's just say....We're no longer friends."