Crossing Paths  
 

The girls followed the lights and ended right back at the driveway where they saw a bus parked.

"Look Molly," Cricket exclaimed.
"That bus WINKED at me!"

"It's alive?" asked Molly, more curious by the second.

"I don't know" said Cricket, "but I think it's smiling at us."

"My name is Wiggle," said the bus to the girls, "and who might you be?"

The girls gasped and stared when they heard the bus talk! 

They were  also embarrassed that, in their amazement, they had forgotten their manners all together.

 

 
"I'm Miss Cricket," said the first pup nervously.
"I'm Sweet Molly Malone," said the second. 
"We are twins," they said together.

"Are you IDENTICAL twins?" asked Wiggle.

"No, we are FURternal twins, and we are running away because the Grand Beagle is going to make us live in different places."

"And who exactly is the Grand Beagle?" asked Wiggle, sensing she already knew what they were going to say and trying to hold back a giggle.

"She is a little old lady who runs this  pawphanage," said Molly, hoping Wiggle would help them escape.

"Did she TELL you that you are going to live apart?" asked Wiggle.
"Not exactly," confessed Cricket, "but we are not taking any chances!"

Wiggle was smiling and slightly amused by the girls' tale. 
"The head of the "pawphanage," as you call it, is named Grannie Annie," said Wiggle, "she is not a Grand Beagle!"

"She is not a beagle at all.  We have been tricked!" complained the girls, "you cannot trust uprights!"

Wiggle smiled gently. 
"You two haven't been around very much.  How old are you?"

"We are ONE years old," they said together.  "And we have run out of hope."

"It is impawsible to run out of hope," Wiggle told them.  "But lots of folks misplace their hope and don't know where to find it.  Be very very quiet and see if you can you feel something special  in the air" she said.

"Well," said Molly, "We saw some pretty light.  I thought it was FireFlies.  Cricket thought  it was the fairies.  But when we followed it, we ended up right back here"
"That is Rescue Dust you saw," said Henry.  He introduced himself and Patrick O'Malley and Frances to the girls.   Henry was driving Frances  into Rescue. "We saw rescue dust the minute we drove in," he said, knowing something was up.

Frances had been at the vets for a very long time and was coming to Rescue to finish her recovery, before going to her furever home.  She was so happy to be out of the hospital.

"Can we have a ride with you?" the girls asked Wiggle.

"We have to see what Grannie Annie has in mind for you two,"  Wiggle replied.

"Oh no, not HER," they whined.  "How will SHE know what we need?"

"That's easy," laughed Henry. 
"Grannie Annie  watches for the Rescue Dust.  You two should be no problem.  The air is full of it tonight."

He remembered being that young and scared, but ever since he knew what rescue angels do, Grannie Annie had become very  special to him.  He had pawficially approved her as an Upright Good Citizen because, in addition to the hundrends of dogs she helped,  she always had his favorite treats in her pawcket.

Henry watched how easy it was for Wiggle to entertain  the twins.   "She's really good with kids," he thought.  He helped Frances out of the WiggleBus and into the Rescue, while Patrick unloaded her belongings  from the bus.

"This sure is a busy place," thought Patrick.  "Even at this hour." 
Patrick O'Malley was getting very tall, and he was growing up so fast. 

Wiggle wondered if he had really become so polite and so helpful, or if he was just showing off in front of the girls.

"Time will tell," she smiled.