"Of course. It isn't like you could avoid me." He means it to be teasing, but he trails off a little at the end, thinking of their recently-mended rift. "And I'm sure Sarge and Molly will like having the playmate," he adds, as casually as he can, running a hand down the puppy's back.

He wonders how much Daine actually has to translate - he's never had a problem communicating with any of the animals he's encountered with her. But to be fair, he was with Daine. For all he knows, he could have been talking gibberish and Daine had the decently to translate it into something intelligible. The thought triggers his nerves again, but only a little. He'll be fine.

He returns Daine's smile, but frowns slightly when she mentions the puppy's reticence to give her name. "I want to call her" - he cuts off and shifts his gaze to the puppy - "I want to call you by your name."