Title: "Chosen Owner"
Author: Kat Lee
Dedicated To: My beloved Drew - Happy Valentine's Day, my darling heart! I love you!
Rating: G/K
Summary: She chose him.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

"What's this, mi corazon?" Papi asked, his little, brown tail wagging uncertainly as he spied the pink ribbon tied around his beloved Chloe's neck. "You're not being collared again?" he asked hopefully while mentally preparing to give her his chi-wow-hua speech.

Chloe looked bashfully down at her front paws. "No, of course not," she said, adding, almost as if she could read her lifemate's thoughts, "No one collars us. We're chi-wow-huas. Except . . . " Her big, chocolate eyes slowly raised back up to face Papi. "I already have been collared. I'm owned, Papi."

Papi jumped. "No one owns a chi-wow-hua!" he exclaimed, tossing his head proudly into the air.

"But I like this owner," Chloe started hesitantly, her own tail slowly beginning to wag. She took a few steps closer to her mate. "Actually, I love him quite a lot." She smiled, amending, "With all my heart."

He stilled and looked at her in confusion. Seeing his eyes begin to darken with anger and jealousy, Chloe hurried on, "I love him. He owns my heart, so he owns me."

"Who is this - ?" Papi started fiercely.

Chloe's giggle stopped Papi in mid-demand. "It's you, Papi," she said, pressing her nose to his tawny cheek. Her entire body wriggled. "You own my heart. I'm all yours. The ribbon is for you."

Papi nearly melted but refused to forget her error. She had to understand what they really meant to each other and that no one could own a chiwowhua. His front paws shifted anxiously with his barely controlled excitement as he yipped to her, "Mi corazon, you are my heart, and you own my heart. Still, no one owns a chi-wow-hua! Although it is my honor and upmost blessing to own your heart, you are still your own chi-wow-hua. I would never think of quelling your independence or trying to control you in any way!"

He took a dangling end of her ribbon in his mouth, and from around it, continued, "You have no need of collars, leashes, or ribbons for you are in possession of your own self! You are a free chi-wow-hua, as beautiful as the day is long, and although I will follow you always to the end of Earth and beyond, if need be, no one, not even I, will ever rule you!" He tugged her ribbon from her neck.

"Oh, Papi!" Chloe exclaimed, giggling and rolling her eyes at his declaration. "I meant nothing wrongful by it! I know we are strong and able to stand on our own feet. I know no one else rules us. But you do rule my heart, and I choose to give all that I am to you!"

"As all that I am is yours, mi amor, but you still don't need this ribbon." He had managed to pull some of the ribbon from her neck, but the other part seemed to determine to hang on. He nibbled at it, his teeth and tongue lightly grazing her fur.

"Oh, Papi!" Chloe again exclaimed, giggling. She licked his cheek and then his ear, and this time, he did melt, forgetting all about his declarations of their status as chi-wow-huas, letting the ribbon fall the rest of the way from her neck, turning his mouth toward hers, dancing back on his little paws so that he could get the best possible aim, and kissing the chi-wow-hua that would always be his life mate.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Papi!" Chloe sighed happily between their sweet and passionate kisses.

The wag of his tail swept through his entire body so that he shook with his joyful excitement from the tip of his black nose all the way through the ends of his paws. "Happy Valentine's Day, mi corazon!" As it had been since Chloe had first allowed Papi into her heart, their Valentine's Day spent together truly was a momentous, romantic, and wonderful celebration!

The End