Dog Man loved being a police officer. He loved chasing bad guys, helping people, and getting ear scratches from the Chief. But today? Today, he had a *problem.*

He couldn't stop thinking about home.

He had only left for work an hour ago, but his tail wasn't wagging like usual. His paws dragged as he walked through the station, his mind drifting back to Petey and Li'l Petey. Was Petey making sure Li'l Petey ate breakfast? Was he being *nice*? What if Petey was teaching him *evil* things while he was gone?

Dog Man let out a dramatic whine and flopped onto the floor.

Chief walked in, sipping his morning coffee. "DOG MAN! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOIN' ON THE FLOOR?!"

Dog Man whimpered.

Chief squinted. "You don't look sick... Are ya *sad*?"

Dog Man nodded miserably.

Chief blinked. "Wait a minute. Are you tellin' me you—*you*, the biggest goofball in town—are too *sad* to chase bad guys today?!"

Dog Man nodded again.

Chief scratched his head. "Well, what's gotten into you?"

Dog Man perked up and pulled out his notepad. He scribbled something down in messy handwriting and held it up:

**"I HAVE A FAMILY NOW!!"**

Chief spit out his coffee. "WHAT?!"

Dog Man quickly flipped the page and scribbled more.

**"PETEY & LI'L PETEY MOVED IN!!"**

Chief choked on air. "YOU'RE LIVING WITH *PETEY?!*"

Dog Man nodded proudly.

Chief grabbed the notepad and read it again, just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. "Hold on, hold on. So you're tellin' me... that YOU and PETEY—aka the *villain* who's been fightin' us for *years*—are now ROOMMATES?!"

Dog Man nodded again, wagging his tail slightly.

Chief slammed the notepad onto his desk. "I—I can't—I need to sit down." He collapsed into his chair, rubbing his temples. "This is *too much* for my old heart..."

Dog Man scribbled again:

**"LI'L PETEY LOVES US BOTH! SO WE'RE A FAMILY NOW!"**

Chief sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I *guess* I can't argue with that. That kitten *is* the sweetest thing I ever met..."

Dog Man nodded enthusiastically.

Chief rubbed his face. "Alright, fine. But what's *your* problem, then? Why're you actin' like a lovesick puppy?"

Dog Man flopped over dramatically and held up a new note:

**"I MISS THEM!!! :("**

Chief groaned. "Dog Man, you've been gone for *one hour!*"

Dog Man whined, rolling onto his back.

Chief sighed. "Alright, alright! How about this—you finish your patrol, and if you do a *good job*, you can leave early today."

Dog Man leapt up instantly, tail wagging at hyper speed.

"BUT ONLY IF YOU ACTUALLY *WORK!*" Chief yelled as Dog Man zoomed out of the room.

Chief sighed, shaking his head. "Sheesh. First he eats homework, now he's got *family* problems? What's next? A PTA meeting?"

——**Meanwhile, Back at Home...** ————————

Petey sat on the couch, peacefully sipping his coffee. Li'l Petey sat beside him, coloring happily.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Petey's tail flicked. "It's weird, huh?"

Li'l Petey looked up. "What's weird?"

Petey gestured around the room. "No loud barkin'. No tail thumpin'. No drool everywhere. The mutt's usually makin' a ruckus by now."

Li'l Petey giggled. "You miss Dog Man, don't you?"

Petey choked on his coffee. "*What?!* Pffft—no way! I just think it's *suspiciously quiet*, that's all!"

Li'l Petey smirked. "Suuuure."

Petey crossed his arms, scowling. "Look, kid, just 'cause you're all 'yay, we're a happy family now!' doesn't mean *I* have to be."

Li'l Petey tilted his head. "But we *are* a happy family, right?"

Petey's scowl softened.

Before he could answer, the front door *burst* open, and Dog Man *launched* himself inside like a rocket.

Petey yelped. "WHAT THE—"

Dog Man tackled him into a hug, wagging his tail so hard he nearly knocked over the coffee table.

"ACK—PERSONAL SPACE, YOU MUTT!" Petey shouted, struggling to escape.

Dog Man just licked his face.

"BLECH! STOP IT! DISGUSTING!"

Li'l Petey clapped excitedly. "DOG MAN, YOU'RE HOME EARLY!!"

Dog Man barked happily and nuzzled both of them.

Petey groaned. "Ugh, don't tell me you left work early just 'cause you *missed us* or somethin'..."

Dog Man gave him the biggest, goofiest smile.

Petey sighed. "I *knew* it."

Li'l Petey just giggled and jumped into Dog Man's arms. "Yay! Now we can have another family night!"

Petey shook his head. "Unbelievable. This is my life now."

Dog Man grinned and wagged his tail, completely unbothered.

And, deep down—though he'd never admit it—Petey didn't really mind.

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