Title: The Taming of Shiho Hahnenfuss

Author: paws_bells

Beta-ed by: MelissaRose85

Characters/Pairing: Shiho Hahnenfuss and Yzak Joule

Type: Continuous (InComplete)

Genre: Humor/Romance

Word Count: 4830

Rating: T (Contains content not suitable for children)

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed/Gundam Seed Destiny belongs to Morosawa Chiaki and Fukuda Mitsuo.

Summary: Post GSD. When good girls go bad, their bewildered commanders are suddenly left wondering what on earth is going on. One-shot series.

Prompt: adopt a pet

Created on: 03/07/13

Completed on: 06/07/13

Chapter Last Revised on: 25/04/14

V. The Dog that Looks like a Lion

Shiho stood before the low, single story building in front of her and looked at the modest signage that hung above its doors.

Aprilius City Animal Shelter, it read, and today, the brunette was visiting with the intention of bringing a four legged companion home to share her life with. She had always had a fondness for animals, but had never had the opportunity to demonstrate that affection. Her parents had not been particularly enthusiastic about the idea of having pets in the house, and therefore, growing up, Shiho had never had any – her time was often occupied by lessons of the academic and scholastic nature instead. Then, she had enlisted into the military, and there was no time or place for thoughts of pets or other frivolous notions, not with war constantly on the forefront of everyone's minds, and like so many things that she had wanted to do but had to give up for one reason or another, Shiho had forgotten all about it – until now.

She had given a lot of thought to this desire of hers for the past few weeks – because this was not a small decision and would impact her life for better or for worse. A pet was for life, they always said, and Shiho wanted to make sure that she was completely prepared for the responsibilities that came with having an animal companion. So, she did her research, studiously reading up on the various animals that could be legally reared as pets, solemnly weighing all the pros and cons, considering all the possible factors that would affect her as a pet owner.

She was financially sound and was more than capable of supporting another mouth in her household. She resided in a rather expansive apartment all on her own, so living space was not a factor. There was a reliable pet sitting agency in the vicinity of her neighborhood for when she had to leave Aprilius One for ZAFT-related travels, and, last but not least, Shiho wanted a pet. She wanted something to love and to care for, who would be there to greet her at the door when she came home after a long day of work, who would not mind loving her back unconditionally.

Maybe I'm lonely, Shiho acknowledged honestly to herself. There was no need to lie or pretend to ignore what she had always known. It was what she was trying to fix in the first place, after all.

Well, here's to a new beginning.

It was partly the reason why she had chosen to adopt rather than to purchase an animal companion from one of those upscale, trendy pet shops in downtown Aprilius One. This was her new start, and Shiho thought that it would be nice if her decision to do so would also be able to help save a small life in the process. Walking into the building, the pretty brunette made her way towards the administrative section of the shelter and was immediately welcomed by a friendly male volunteer who stood up the moment he saw her approach.

"Hello," Shiho greeted politely. "I believe I made an appointment to view the animals at this time today."

The man's eyes lit up with recognition, and he emerged from behind the counter to stand before her. "Ah, you must be Miss Hahnenfuss! I'm Tom Delmont – we spoke on the phone last week."

Shiho gave the older man a firm handshake. "Mr. Delmont, I'm grateful for your assistance; your vast knowledge on pet ownership was very helpful." She had called up the animal shelter to ask for advice on the issue, intent on hearing all the professional opinions and unbiased information before she made her decision, and after her studies, today was finally the day.

Tom smiled at the young lady. "You are most welcome, Miss Hahnenfuss. It's wonderful that you are being so thorough in your considerations. If only there were more people like you, we would not have so many poor abandoned animals waiting to be rehomed here. So, you have decided to adopt?"

Shiho nodded. "I'd like to adopt a dog, Mr. Delmont. Considering my lack of experience, a smaller breed should suit my requirements best. Do you have any small-sized dogs in your kennels?"

"I can't deny that the toy breeds are usually easier to care for compared to their larger relatives. You're in luck, Miss Hahnenfuss, we do have a few waiting for adoption at this present moment. Perhaps we'll be able to find one that'll tickle your fancy." Tom started to usher the brunette down the hallway and towards the backdoor of the building, where the viewing gallery was. They passed by an indoor cattery on the way, and Shiho briefly eyed the playful little kittens and their older, lazier counterparts with interest. "Here, watch your steps. We'll have to go through the large breeds' kennels first to reach the little ones, but be warned, it'll get a bit loud – the dogs become very excited when there're visitors."

Tom's warning came not a second too soon, for the moment they stepped into the kennels, it immediately sounded as if all hell had just broken loose. The deafening cacophony of loud, enthusiastic barks, yips and howls were simply deafening as numerous dogs of all kinds immediately raced to the front of their cells and threw themselves at their cages' doors in an eager frenzy, tails wagging furiously with mad joy, mouths parted in happy pants –from mutts of indeterminate ancestries to the pure breeds. There was the slight doggy musk in the air, an inescapable scent since they were literally in a dog house, but it was not overpowering, and the animals appeared quite well kept and content.

"They are really well taken care of," Shiho commented, and Tom beamed.

"Well, this is the viewing gallery, after all, and these dogs are all waiting to be adopted. It's our job to present them at their best so that they stand a decent chance of finding their forever homes, you know."

The ZAFT Major nodded her understanding, looking around as she did so. There were so many lovely animals here, all perfectly healthy and with so much affection to give – it was such a pity that most people would rather buy their pets than adopt.

They were reaching the end of the row, the exit linking to the next kennel where the smaller breeds were kept, when her curious gaze was arrested by steady golden eyes belonging to the occupant residing in the last enclosure. Shiho's footsteps slowed, and then stopped altogether as she just stared at the canine watching her with quiet, almost regal, intensity. Unlike all the other dogs that were going wild with excitement, this one was just watchful and silent, sitting at the furthest end of its cage and observing her calmly. The sheer intelligence in its eyes attracted Shiho's attention, and the animal's remote beauty took her breath away.

"I see you've met our permanent resident," Tom spoke then.

"Permanent resident?" Shiho echoed, still not taking her eyes off of the dog's.

"Yes, he's been here for two years, and counting. His previous owner decided to migrate to Earth but chose not to take him along, which is ironic, because his is one of the oldest dog breeds originating from Earth. Unfortunately, our society currently has no appreciation for dogs like him; most people I know prefer the friendlier – cuter – looking canines like the Golden Retrievers and Labradors. Furthermore, his appearance has also intimidated all of our visitors so far."

"He's beautiful," Shiho murmured in quiet protest, slowly crouching down before the enclosure to take a better look at the handsome creature. Tom laughed.

"Yes. Yes, he is. But not everyone knows to appreciate his brand of beauty." The shelter volunteer paused, and then studied the brunette's captivated demeanor. It was obvious that she was quite taken with the canine. Perhaps Miss Hahnenfuss might not be going home with a little dog, after all.

"His name is 'Killer,' a highly inappropriate title bequeathed to him by his last owner if any, since contrary to his appearance, he's actually very gentle and quite well-trained. Would you like to interact with him, Miss Hahnenfuss?"

Shiho finally took her eyes off of the dog to glance at her host. She looked briefly uncertain – that was a huge animal, but even so, a part of her was already moved, the connection made. "May I, Mr. Delmont?"

Tom smiled kindly.

"I don't see why not."

Three hours later, Shiho unlocked the doors to her apartment and then took a step back, giving her new flat mate his first glimpse of their house.

"Here we are," she told the reticent, watchful dog beside her. "This is your home from now on."

The animal looked at her with its soulful golden eyes, and then, after a while, it slowly padded through the doorway and started to sniff around the floor with surprisingly delicacy. Shiho followed him in and shut the door behind her, carefully juggling the emergency pet supplies that the animal shelter had thoughtfully given her to tide her through the next few days until she bought her own. The brunette wasted no time setting up her new pet's food and water bowls in the corner of her kitchen, and then busied herself by stowing away the packages of dog food in her dry pantry. She was startled when she turned around and saw that the dog had followed after her very quietly – she was going to have to get used to having a living shadow tailing her from now on.

Shiho put out her hand towards her canine, and her eyes warmed slightly when he gave her fingers a polite sniff. She gently patted his large head and then brushed past him, moving to her study to settle the remainder of the administration matters that proclaimed her a new pet owner. She was surprised when he ambled after her, seeming to prefer human company, but at the moment, still a bit standoffish as he figured out his new place in life. The young woman left him to his own devices and booted up her computer instead, logging onto Aprilius City Council's website and downloading the electronic form for pet licensing – it was mandatory for all pets living in Aprilius One to be formally registered.

At the same time, Shiho still had difficulty believing that she had actually gone and adopted such a huge dog; she had left her home this morning with a vague idea of the tiny canine whom she would be sharing her life with – small, compact, a convenient fit in her lifestyle - but evidently, her heart did not quite agree with the logical thinking of her mind, and now she was the owner of a dog that she had never dreamed she would own. It was going to take a lot more work caring for such a large animal, but somehow, as her pet finally lay himself down on the floor beside her chair, Shiho could not find it in herself to mind the extra effort that she was going to have to put in for him. Because she was an inexperienced owner and her new canine was so big (he was a potential threat to the public just by size alone), she had to sign up for weekly obedience classes just so that she could be allowed to bring him home with her. Technically though, the classes were more for her benefit than for his – thanks to a demonstration from Mr. Delmont earlier, she already knew that her dog was a very well trained and gentle individual – it was she who had to learn how to be a good, responsible owner.

Filling out the licensing form did not take very long, but Shiho quickly reached a snag at the very end. Pausing at the section where the name of her pet was needed, she hesitated to put in the awful name that her new dog had gone by for the last three years of his life.

"I think I will give you a new name," the brunette spoke to the canine thoughtfully, and he peeled open an eye to look at her. Taking his response for consent, Shiho pondered deeply for a good name before she finally filled in that last detail and sent the form off for approval. Then, her paperwork completed, she went on to check her mail next, and somehow wasn't surprised to see that a good portion of the unopened messages had been sent straight from the ZAFT Headquarters. Commander Joule was as persistent as always, and something told Shiho that if she continued to ignore his summons, then there was going to be hell to pay very soon.

Besides, it had already been three weeks since she had taken her leave from her bureaucratic duties. There would be a joint training exercise with ORB coming up soon, and she should probably try to get all of her work done before that. Not to mention, by now, it was not only the Commander who was leaving her the messages demanding for her return – there was also Captain Elsman, as well as a few of her other fellow colleagues and several heads of other ZAFT departments, all asking in varying degrees of politeness (and desperation) for her impending return. What on earth is going on back in the office?

Perhaps it was really time to head back to work.

I wonder if ZAFT has a pet policy?

Yzak eyed his newly returned subordinate grudgingly as the rest of the administration, finance, and logistical department heads excused themselves and started to file out of the conference room, each looking satisfied and relieved as most of their issues and concerns had been cleared up and/or resolved in this rather informative and fruitful sit-down with the ranked members of the Joule Team. In the span of a single session, with what seemed like complete and utter ease, they had managed to resolve at least two-thirds of the bureaucratic matters that had accumulated in the last three weeks of her absence.

She had called for the meeting the day before, and not surprisingly, the idea had immediately been embraced by the rest of the ZAFT members involved. The arrangement was hugely productive, and she had been as quietly efficient as always; despite her ELOA, she had still kept herself abreast on the daily administrative affairs of the Joule Team, and was therefore able to assist in quickly smoothing out problems and getting things done. Her unruffled, steady demeanor and methodical and unbiased attention to detail also made her a very good negotiator, and with her around, they had managed to settle a good number of pending requests and agendas related to the other departments, all without rocking the unsteady boat that was also known as office politics.

Yzak was frankly impressed. He didn't even knew that he had such a capable subordinate under him all this time, and she proved to be so good at this it was no wonder the other ZAFT divisions were once again all appeased and happy with the Joule Team now that she was back to take control of the situation. The silver-haired male glowered inwardly just remembering the dread on their faces when they saw him stride into the meeting room earlier that morning, as opposed to the utter joy and relief that showed on their expressions in stark contrast when Hahnenfuss came in five minutes later.

"You're scowling again, Yzak." Sitting beside him as the Rousseau's Captain, Dearka commented dryly even as he absently shuffled his notes and gathered them in a neat stack to be taken back to his office with him. "You know, I thought you would be happier now that Shiho is back and your office won't look that much like a war zone anymore."

"I'm happy. This is my happy face, can't you tell?" the White Coat muttered, much to his best friend's look of disbelief. "I didn't realize how dependent this Team is on Hahnenfuss. A meeting. She managed to resolve more than half of the issues we have in the single span of one meeting, and ended it just in time for lunch break too. The other department heads like working with her so much that they are all but prostrating themselves on the ground before her in worship – I bet I can get just as much done if they were willing to cooperate with me in the first place."

Yzak sounded disgruntled and was obviously jealous of the Major's deft people management skills. His golden-haired friend shook his head.

"I can't blame them really; if given the choice to work with either Shiho or you, I'd definitely go for Shiho too," Dearka quipped. "No offense, buddy, but you can be kinda scary to deal with."

But of course Yzak promptly took offense.

"I'm not scary, dammit!" he objected loud enough to be heard from the other end of the room, where Hahnenfuss was speaking quietly to the last of the exiting department heads. The poor bespectacled accountant all but jumped at the unexpected bellow, then quickly stammered out her excuses and bolted out the door like a frightened mouse.

Dearka had to struggle to keep a straight face. "Man, don't you just love it when arguments win themselves," he commented at last with a grin, and Yzak looked at him like he wanted to reach over and commit murder. The two men sobered slightly when the Major slowly approached them.

The young woman offered them a polite salute. "Commander Joule. Captain Elsman."

"Heya, Shiho," the golden-haired Black Coat greeted amicably. "No need to be so formal; you're the heroine of the day, you know?"

Yzak snorted. "Speak for yourself, Elsman."

Dearka just winked at the brunette and stage whispered. "Don't mind our Commander; he's just being a sour puss as usual."

The silver-haired Joule scowled at his best friend before returning his attention to the Major, who was impeccably attired in her Red Coat uniform, and was also holding a thick folder of papers under her arm. "Yes, Hahnenfuss?"

"Commander Joule, I'll have all of the documents that we discussed earlier completed and on your desk by end of business today. The rest of the paperwork should be processed and filed at the latest the day after tomorrow. I trust that this is satisfactory to you?"

Yzak grunted. The Major paused and looked at him. Then, she spoke again, more carefully this time. "I adopted a dog a few days ago," she mentioned all of a sudden, and he looked at her like she was crazy.

"And you are telling me because?"

"Oh, you got yourself a dog, Shiho?" Dearka enthused, perking up with interest. "What's its name? What does it looks like?"

A mildly hesitant look crept up to her usually placid features.

"His name is O'Hana, and since he's still new to me and my apartment, I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone right now, so I'll be bringing him along to work with me. I've checked; ZAFT doesn't have a pet policy, but HR assured me that this shouldn't be a problem as long as my commanding officer agrees to it."

Hahnenfuss proceeded to look at the White Coat with surprisingly expressive violet eyes. "Can my dog stay, Sir? He's really quiet; you won't even notice his presence, I promise."

Yzak just stared as his subordinate gave him a slightly imploring look. For some reason, her expression both alarmed and irritated him. "If I say 'no,' you are going to go on leave again, aren't you?" he demanded instead.

"I'll have no other alternative but to do so, yes," she replied at last. The Joule heir twitched.

"In that case, you may keep your mutt with you, so long as he does not disrupt the office," he muttered sourly. "It's not as if I really have a choice, do I-"

But then Hahnenfuss was smiling, her gaze softening with relief and gentle elation, and he just paused and watched her. She inclined her head slightly towards him. "Thank you, Commander Joule," she spoke lightly, sincerely. "Please excuse me if there's nothing else-"

"Oh no, you don't, Shiho!" Dearka interrupted with an easygoing grin. "You can't possibly just return from a three week long leave of absence and then expect to just go back to your routine like nothing unusual has happened. Yzak here has mentioned that you have been up to some very interesting exploits." At that, the silver-haired male in question turned and gave his friend a very irritated glare. "Let's lunch together; I want to hear more. And is your puppy in your office right now? Bring him along with you; I want to see the little fur ball that has captured our Major Hahnenfuss' heart."

The brunette was uncertain. "He's not really a puppy," she hedged slowly. The tanned blonde just waved off the minor details.

"Irrelevant. I want to see your little O'Hana. It's settled then; Yzak and I will meet you outside the cafeteria."

"Why do I have to be dragged into this?" Yzak grumbled.

"Well, you also need to eat, don't you?" Dearka retorted matter-of-factly, and his reasoning could not be refuted. Smiling, the Black Coat returned his gaze to the Major. "We will see you downstairs in ten minutes, Shiho! Remember to bring the puppy!"

Ten minutes later, the two men were gaping unceremoniously as Hahnenfuss treaded calmly towards them with her puppy in tow. Looped around her slender wrist was a thin strip of leather that connected her to her pet as it ambled sedately beside her, and the fragile ribbon of a leash was quite obviously only for show, because taking into consideration the sheer bulk of the animal, nothing short of a cattle prod would be able to hold the beast back should it decide to attack.

It was huge.

The top of its wide shoulders was actually on level with its mistress's hips, and its body was muscular and sturdy, yet surprisingly lean and sleek for its great size. Its chest was deep and barrel-like, its luxuriant coat a rich, rusty red, extremely dense with double layers of water resistant fur that made it appear even larger than it already was. Its paws were nearly the size of dinner plates, curved at the tips with wicked looking black claws, and its tail was long and plumed, curling back to rest on its lower spine. A lush, thick mane framed the fierce features of its broad head, a stout, square snout characterizing its strong, jowled muzzle, and a pair of highly intelligent, deep set, almond-shaped gold eyes surveyed its surroundings with aloof attentiveness as it walked beside its owner with proud, regal grace.

"Oh, wow," Dearka breathed as he eyed the humongous dog with muted amazement in his eyes. "Wow."

Wow, indeed. The animal was so fearsome looking that everyone who encountered it immediately stopped to gawk. Conversations stalled in the hallway as heads turned and watched the huge beast pass by in shock and disbelief, and those in its way immediately threw themselves to the side in alarm and nervous fear. The whispers erupted then, but neither canine nor its human paid them any attention as they meandered their way through the lunch crowd and to their waiting companions.

Hahnenfuss greeted them with a slight incline of her head when she finally came up to them. "Commander Joule. Captain Elsman. This is my dog, O'Hana."

Dearka was smiling like an excited young boy as he looked at the large canidae in front of him, being something of an avid animal lover himself.

"Good god, Shiho, you never mentioned that he's so huge! What a handsome dog! Wait till I tell Millie about him; she's definitely going to want to take pictures of him!" The blonde was already crouching down before the dog, his hand extended for the gorgeous creature to sniff, greeting it in the way of its kind, only reaching over to stroke that lovely, plush pelt when the animal politely accepted his presence.

Dearka grinned. "He's absolutely magnificent, Shiho! Isn't he, Yzak?"

Whatever Yzak was thinking, 'magnificent' was definitely not it, judging by the appalled look on his face.

"Are you crazy?" the silver-haired Joule barked with incredulity. "That's not a dog; that's a bloody lion!"

And with its sheer size, solid build, and thick, maned fur, Hahnenfuss' pet looked every bit like the king of beasts. Even his coloring was a close match, and it was no wonder that everyone who had encountered him blanched and dove out of the way at his approach.

"Actually, O'Hana is a Tibetan Mastiff, Sir," the Major corrected him then. "He's a very old breed of dog, his line a near direct descendent of wolves."

"Shiho's right, Yzak," Dearka chimed in, now rubbing behind the pendant, v-shaped ear of the dog. "This fella here is definitely all canine; it's his thick fur gives him his leonine appearance – very good looking, he is. This is the first time I've seen a Tibetan Mastiff, though; I heard that they are very rare. You said that you adopted him, Shiho?"

The brunette nodded. "He has been living in the shelter for the last two years. According to the staff there, the other adopters found his sheer size and fierce appearance off putting." Shiho gently caressed her dog's head, and the animal leaned contentedly into her touch. Her violet eyes gentled with affection for her pet. "I think he's a great dog. He's been absolutely lovely so far, a perfect gentleman."

Dearka chuckled. "Shiho, this is the first time that I heard you speak so highly of a male," he teased, though off course the Hahnenfuss took it as seriously as always.

Glancing at her colleague and friend, she steadfastly replied. "I believe in giving credit where credit is due."

The blonde guffawed. Shiho's sense of humor was incredibly dry, but it was always refreshing because she would never simper or feign her response no matter who she happened to be interacting with.

Yzak stared at his subordinates like they were both out of their minds. Then, he eyed the huge dog standing quietly beside Hahnenfuss and fought the urge to frown.

"This animal is a huge responsibility. Do you even know what you are doing?" he asked sharply.

She looked at him. "O'Hana is very well-trained and socialized – the shelter made sure of that. We are also attending weekly obedience classes so that I can learn how to be a good owner to him – I'm working on it."

And they all knew that once she had set her mind on doing something, she usually focused and would keep at it until it was done to the very best of her abilities. This would be no different.

"By the way, why is he called O'Hana?" Dearka asked then, curious. "There's nothing remotely flower-like about this dog, and his name is completely misleading! I really thought that he was one of those cutesy little puppies when you mentioned him earlier."

Before Shiho could answer though, Yzak replied in her stead.

"What are you talking about? The name fits. O'Hana means 'honorable flower' in Japanese, a reference to the Noble Hahnenfuss House, whose family crest is that of a Buttercup." The silver-haired Commander pointed at the dog's collar then, where a discreet but elegantly stylized charm hung. It was a familiar insignia, one that could be seen embossed on the Major's personal Mobile Suit; the Balsam flower – Housenka. Touch-Me-Not. Just like its owner, the canine would bear the same mark.

"Hahnenfuss is a flower too," the White Coat remarked bluntly, unthinkingly, before his brain quickly caught up with his mouth and he promptly realized how his words sounded.

Dearka didn't even need to say anything; he was grinning like a loon whereas the female Red Coat just stared at the Joule heir in surprise. Embarrassed, Yzak flushed and then very swiftly excused himself, stomping off into the cafeteria under the very convenient guise of purchasing his meal.

"The term 'ohana' also means 'family' in Hawaiian," Shiho continued softly then, even as they both watched their quick-tempered commanding officer disappear into the crowd. "O'Hana's part of my family now, and I wanted his name to portray as much of that as possible." A small, curious expression crept onto her tranquil features then. "…I'm astonished by Commander Joule's astute observations."

The Black Coat Captain was very amused. These two were a complete riot – both so oblivious, but even so, he didn't have to do anything because they still keep gravitating to each other regardless of their less than aware states. It was really hilarious – and fascinating at the same time.

"Trust me, Shiho, our Commander Joule can be very observant when it comes to matters of great importance to him."

::tsuzuku::

Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:

I'm alive! To all the readers who have been patiently waiting for this update, please accept my sincerest apology (I'm a very dodgy person, I know, ahahaha) and I also hope that you have enjoyed this installment.

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Do you know that the Tibetan Mastiff is the most expensive dog in the world? There was even a puppy that had been sold for $2 million lately, and I was inspired to write this chapter after reading the news article online. The Tibetan Mastiff is an amazingly awesome canine, so for those who had never seen one before, I'd recommend a quick Google search to see what they look like.

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I also did a bit of research and learned that the word Hahnenfuss is German for the Buttercup flower, hence I took the liberty of assigning the Buttercup as the crest of the Noble Hahnenfuss House. It goes very well with the general flower theme for Shiho, I feel, what with Yzak's 'Housenka' nickname for her as well as the surname of her House. Therefore, her pet will share the same distinction as well – what do you think? Good? Bad?

Also, O'Hana is very calm and serious in temperament, very regal and very much like Shiho in personality – I think that future interactions between him and Yzak will be very interesting indeed, ohohoho.

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The rest of the chapter is more or less self-explanatory, so I believe I will stop here this time. As always, thanks for reading!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws