"Hey Zuma. Are you okay?" Charm asked Zuma who was just waking up. 

"Yeah. I'm fine, thanks. All owange?" Replied Zuma looking all around at himself. He had a bright orange cast on his front paw and an orange bandaid on his nose. Plus, he had a neon orange ice pack on his chin from where he got punched the day before by the crazy man.

"Of course Zuma! If I'm the one fixing you up, I might as well throw in some bright orange, my favorite color," Said Charm. She then leaned in and kissed Zuma on the cheek. Zuma's fur then began to heat up when they got in contact. He smiled and kissed her back on the cheek. They then turned toward each other and kissed right on the mouth.

"Now I feel even bettew..."said Zuma letting out a soft sigh."I wove you."

"I love you too!" Said Charm. Suddenly she realized that Zuma had the slight speech impediment again. "Zuma, you have a speech impediment. Did you hear it?"

"Yes," Zuma answered sadly. "I think it was the bwow to my mouth yestewday fwom the cwazy man." He then leaned his head down in sadness. "I want it to go away. It's weally embawwassing."

"It's okay Zuma. It actually sounds really cute when you talk," said Charm licking Zuma on the cheek. "It's perfect."

"Thanks Chawm," Zuma said. "That's weally sweet." He then pushed his head into her neck and licked her cheek.

"Hey Zuma, we still didn't get any food from Kroger. Let's get some."     "Okay Chawm. Let's go. "

The two pups snuck into the store. It just opened, so no one saw them. The lights on the ceiling were blinking and flickering threatening to turn off. At first, when they thought they were alone, a worker who was walking out of the restroom without washing his hands scratching his butt spotted them. 

"HEY! You dogs aren't allowed to be here! Get out! Scram! Leave or else!" He said clicking his gun he picked up from the shelf behind him.

The two pups trembling with fear started to back away and out of the store slowly. Suddenly, without warning, the man aimed his gun at Charm and pulled the trigger. 

"Ow!" Said Charm. 

"Chawm! Awe you okay?!" Screamed Zuma. Blood was coming out of the bullet hole in Charm's ear.

"No," Charm cried. 

Zuma then angrily ran full speed toward the man. The man started shooting his gun at Zuma but Zuma was too fast and missed the bullets. Zuma quickly ran all the way to the man and bit one of the man's legs. Zuma smiled when he tasted blood and kicked his arm making the man drop his gun barely hitting Zuma when it fell to the floor. Zuma then jumped onto the man's shoulders and with good paw, pulled his hair. The man cried out and fell to the floor clutching his legs to himself rolling around on the floor in pain.

"And THAT, is what you get, fow messing with the one and onwy wondewful Chawm." Yelled Zuma to the man. He just moaned in reply. 

Zuma walked up to Charm.

"Awe you okay?" 

"Kind of," answered Charm. She began to feel dizzy from losing so much blood. 

"Hewe, wet me cawwy you," said Zuma as he lifted her up. As soon as he picked her up, she fell unconscious on his back.

When Charm woke up the next day, she had a hole in her ear that would never go away. She began to whimper. 

"Chawm, it's okay," Zuma said.

"No, it's not," she said sobbing. "Now I have an ugly hole in my ear. It's so unattractive and makes me look weak."

"No it doesn't Chawm. It symbowizes that you have gone thwough a wot. It shows that even though our lives are cwazy, we awe still living thwough it. It shows that you awe stwong which in its own way makes you wook even mowe beautiful."

"Thank you Zuma. That really means a lot to me," said Charm who was now smiling. 

"I wove you Chawm."

"I love you too Zuma."

*kiss