Sweet and Sour

Just a quick story idea I came up with.

Bolt, Mittens, Rhino, Penny, Mr. and Mrs. Forrester ©Disney

Thunder ©Tundrathesnowpup

## Summary

While doing a science project for school, Penny accidently knocks over a bottle of chocolate syrup and Bolt gets to it.

## Story

It was just a few minutes before Penny got home from school, and Bolt and Thunder were waiting paitently at the bus stop.

"Are you *really* sure that she's gonna come back?" The german shepherd asked.

Bolt went though this talk from the first day of school with Thunder, so it didn't bother him at all.

"Yeah," Bolt reassured, putting a paw on Thunder's shoulder, "she always comes back, unless she gets the late bus."

Thunder giggled slightly at Bolt's joke.

Suddenly, the school bus pulled up. Kids of all ages began coming off and Penny was one of them.

"Hey, guys!" Penny sang out, bending down to pet her two dogs. "Did'ya miss me?"

Thunder licked Penny's hand, while Bolt barked in response.

"Race ya home!" Penny cried, straightening herself up and running off, Bolt and Thunder at her heels.

Bolt turned to Thunder. "What did I tell you? She always comes back!"

Thunder rolled her eyes playfully.

••••••••••••••••••••

"Mom, I'm home!" Penny called out to Mrs. Forrseter, who was in the kitchen, making Penny her after-school snack.

"Hey, Sweetie!" Mrs. Forester said, "I'm just finishing up your snack. How was your day?"

"We had a substitute teacher in science today," Penny explained, "for homework, we had to do independent study. Since we're doing a review of solids, liquids, and gasses, I'm going to make a science project on liquids."

"I thought you learned that a while back," Mrs. Forrester pointed out.

"We recently did a test on it, and most of the kids didn't pass," Penny sighed, "I think me, Jane and few others got an A."

"I remember that you got an A," Mrs. Forrester smiled.

"When's Dad coming home?" Penny asked, changing the subject.

"Around 6:00," Mrs. Forrester said.

"Got'cha," Penny mumbled, sliding into her seat.

"Watch this," Thunder whispered, creeping over to Penny's chair.

Thunder pawed at Penny's leg and whined.

"What is it, girl?" Penny laughed, as Thunder put on the most irresitable "Dog Face".

Thunder whimpered and pawed at Penny's leg again.

"Sorry, Thunder," Penny said, petting the dog's head, "but I can't give you ta piece of this. Chocolate's bad for dogs."

Regected, Thunder sulked back over to Bolt and slumped in a dog bed, eyes fixed on Penny.

A black and white cat pranced over to the German shepherd. "Didn't work, hm?"

Thunder sighed. "Nope. She said that this stuff called *chocolate* was bad for us."

"How is chocolate bad, Mittens?" Bolt asked, feeling a bit stupid at himself for asking.

Mittens opened her mouth. "I have absolutley no idea."

Rhino snickered from "his" couch.

"Quit it!" Thunder warned with her teeth.

Rhino saluted her, a big grin on his fluffy face.

"Jeez," Thunder whispered under her breath.

••••••••••••••••••••

After Penny finished her snack, she got out the ingredients for her science experiment.

"I might as well get done with this before dinner," Penny told her mom.

"That's fine, sweetie," Mrs. Forrester said, filling up a pot of water, and placing it on the stove.

"Pasta?" Penny asked.

"Macaroni and garlic bread," Mrs. Forrester corrected.

"Don't forget to make non-garlic bread for the animals," the girl reminded, pouring some orange juice in a beaker.

As she reached over for a carton of sour milk, her elbow knocked over a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup, which spilled all over the floor. The animals were asleep by this time, Thunder and Bolt in the dog bed, Mittens on the sofa and Rhino cuddling the remote on "his" couch. Hearing the bottle, Bolt's ears perked up. Careful not to wake Thunder, he slowly crept up to the brown, oozy liquid and gave a quick swipe of it with his tongue. It tasted very sweet.

*Hey,* Bolt thought, *this stuff is good!*

Before the others woke up, Bolt cleaned the area until it was spotless.

"Watch out, Bolt!" Penny fried, almost tripping over the dog.

Bolt scooted sideways and trotted back to the others.

"Hey, Bolt," Thunder began, scratching her ear, "what were you eating other there?"

"I dunno," Bolt shrugged, "but it tasted very sweet!"

"Lemme guess," Mittens yawned, stretching, "you ate it all up. Right?"

Bolt blushed. "You can say that....heh heh..."

Mittens rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Thunder, do you wanna go chase some cars?" Bolt asked, turning to look back at the German shepherd.

"Sure!" Thunder barked, standing up, and stepping out of the bed.

They were half-way to the front door when Bolt stopped short, hir arm wrapped around his stomach.

"B..Bolt?" Thunder asked, tail tucked between her legs, "are you ok..?"

"I think so..." Bolt whined in pain, as his stomach rumbled, "n-n-no...I don't think so.....!"

"What's going on?" Mittens asked, jumping off the couch, along with Rhino.

"I think Bolt's sick!" Thunder yelped, her eyes dilated in fear.

"Get.....get Penny..!" Bolt groaned, slowly lying down.

"What does it feel like?" Thunder asked.

"It..feels like someone's.......taking a hammer and a...stick to it..!" Bolt moaned, as another growl escaped his stomach.

"Bolt?" Penny cried, nursing the dog in her arms, "Bolt, what's wrong?!"

Mrs. Forrester turned the burner off and quickly dialed the vet.

Thunder whimpered as she watched Bolt, pain clouding his amber eyes.

"Hang on, Bolt," Thunder choked out, "you're gonna be fine!"

Bolt smiled weakly, looking up at the female dog. I'm..gonna be just fine..."

Thunder whimpered as Penny stood up.

"when can they take him in?" Penny asked, still holding Bolt.

"They'll take him in about ten minutes, so we better get in the car," Mrs. Forrester explained, grabbing her keys.

Penny grabbed her cell phone, and punched in some numbers. "Hello? Dad? Bolt's sick. I dunno what he ate, but meet us at the vet, ok? Thanks. Bye!"

Thunder tried to follow them.

"Sorry, Thunder," Penny said, sympathetically, "but you need to stay here."

Thunder whimpwred as the door closed.

The German shepherd jumped on the back of the couch, as she watched the car back out of the driveway.

"I've..never seen this side of you, Thunder..." Rhino said, "but I like it..."

Thunder looked down at the hamster. "Th...thanks..."

Mittens jumped up as well and pet her companion's head.

"Bolt...please come back..please...."

••••••••••••••••••••

Once they reached the vet, Bolt clenched his teeth, remembering a past experience at the vet when he was a pup.

"It's gonna be ok, boy..." Penny comforted, stroking the dog's head.

Bolt weakly thumped his tail in response.

"We need to take Bolt into the room now," Dr. Drake advised, petting Bolt's head.

Penny let her pick up the sick dog and carry him into a room.

"Hey, Bolt," Dr. Doyle petted the shepherd's back, "I heard you have some stomach problems. Don't worry, we'll fix you up..."

••••••••••••••••••••

Thunder crawled over to the dog bed, slightly whimpering.

"You ok..?" Mittens asked the German shepherd, concern welled up in her eyes.

Thunder nodded, glancing over at an unfamiliar brown bottle lying on its side.

"What's that..?" Thunder mumbled, slightly pointing a shaky paw towards the bottle.

"I'll go see," Mittens said, warily eying the bottle.

She batted it with her paw for a bit before standing it up. Her eyes grew wide in fear.

"What? What is it?!" Thunder yelped, shaking a bit.

Mittens showed her the bottle. It had the words, *Hershey's chocolate syrup* printed on it.

"P-Penny said that chocolate was bad for dogs-" Thunder cut herself off, now realizing what Bolt was eating a few hours ago.

"*This* was what he was eating..?" Mittens asked in a shaky voice.

Thunder nodded, her soft gold eyes glaring daggers at the bottle. Now she realized why Penny shooed her away during her snack! All because of the chocolate that was included!

"Will he..?" Thunder began, but Mittens just shrugged.

Thunder's eyes grew huge. "Do you think he'll make it?"

"If Bolt can go through a burning building, I'm sure he's gonna make it," Mittens reassured once again.

"I hope so...." Thunder sighed, curling up into a ball.

••••••••••••••••••••

Meanwhile, Penny was still waiting for Bolt at the vet's office. Penny's "dad" finally made it to the vet's and was also waiting for Bolt.

"It's not your fault, Penny...." the professor reassured.

"It *is* my fault!" Penny cried, "the vet said Bolt got chocolate. *I* had chocolate! It's my fault! If I didn't have to do the independent study, this wouldn't happen-"

"Mittens possibly jumped on the counter and knocked it over," Mrs. Forester suggested.

"She knows better than that..." Penny mumbled, sinking lower into her seat.

Suddenly, Dr. Doyle came out of the hospital room. "I'm pleased to say that he's gonna make a full recovery!"

Penny breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are we able to bring him home?" Mrs. Forester asked.

The vet nodded.

Penny stood up and swiftly walked into the hospital room. She emerged a few seconds later carrying Bolt, who was fast asleep.

"You're gonna be just fine, Bolt...." Penny whispered.

••••••••••••••••••••

The next morning, Bolt woke up and looked around. He was back home. And very thirsty. He looked next to him. Thunder was sleeping peacefully, curled up in a ball. Bolt smiled and stood up, heading towards his water dish. Upon hearing something, like metal sliding across the floor, Thunder's ears pricked up.

"Bolt..?"

The American white shepherd froze, looking bag over at the sleepy German shepherd. "Good morning, Thunder. Did you sleep well?"

Thunder stretched and yawned. "Mmm-hmm."

"Good," Bolt bent his head down and took a bite of his food.

"What did they do to you at the vet's?" Thunder asked, cocking her head.

"They just gave me some weird-tasting water," Bolt said, "that's all," Bolt explained.

"That was it?" Thunder asked, bending her head down to get a drink.

"Pretty much..." Bolt said, trailing off a bit.

"I...was worried about you when you left..." Thunder said, awkwardly fidgeting her paws.

"Y'know...me too," Bolt said softly, "I was afraid of never coming back home, and not getting to see you again..."

"R-really..?" Thunder asked, touched.

Bolt blushed really hard.

"What?" Thunder asked, folding her ears back slightly.

Before she could do anything, Bolt leaned in, and kissed her.

"Mnh?!" Thunder cried, her eyes open wide.

As soon as it was done, it was over, both dogs blushing like mad.

Bolt looked at his new mate. "Soooo...."

Thunder looked back at Mittens and Rhino, who hadn't woken up yet. "We don't want them to get involved...right?"

"Yep..." Bolt said, looking at Thunder, pulling her closer, "don't want them involved..."