Title: Perfect
Category: TV Shows » Orphan Black
Author: OTP324B21
Language: English, Rating: Rated: K+
Genre: General
Published: 05-30-14, Updated: 05-30-14
Chapters: 1, Words: 879

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

"Oh my god, look at him." Cosima had her face pressed against the cage as she squatted close to the ground.

Delphine was standing just behind her, one hand in her pocket as the other was scratching her jaw. When Cosima has said she wanted a dog, she had imagined a tiny puppy. Maybe a yorkshire terrier, or given the girl's quirky behavior, maybe a cute and fluffy golden retriever or maybe even a cocker spaniel. "Cosima..." She warned as the woman stuck her fingers through the cage.

"He's so cute."

Cute was not the word Delphine would use for the one eyed brown and white dog that staggered out of its bed with a limp. He had the body and head of a pit bull, but the short legs and stature of what she guessed was a Corgi considering its large pointed ears. One of his back legs esd in a cast and walking seemed to be a problem for him.

"You poor baby, look at you." Cosima cooed softly to the animal.

Nervously, Delphine watched as the dog came up to the shorter woman, it's tail wagging back and forth eagerly, despite his bruised and bandaged body, as it began to lick her fingers. She expected to be in contact with a breeder after doing months of research on the many different breeds there were. She did not expect one day for Cosima to wake up and tell her they were going to a shelter.

Maybe she should have expected it. Cosima wasn't the type to pay thousands of dollars for a puppy. She wasn't the type to care about pureblood breeding or pedigree. She didn't care about AKC certifications or good lineage. No, of course Cosima would drag her into the small rescue shelter with bright flowers and trees painted on concrete walls. The information on the cage said that "Tommy" was around 3 or 4 months old but no real info was known as he was found abandoned in a house with two other puppies. The other two puppies, uninjured, were adopted already while he remained, suffering from eye wounds and a broken leg.

"Excuse me miss, but please don't put your hands through the fence." A boy who had to be no older than 18 stepped into the viewing room.

Cosima stood up slowly, grinning from ear to ear. "Sorry, he's totally adorable."

The boy looked at Delphine with a quirked eyebrow and she just shrugged.

"So..." Cosima smiled at Delphine before turning to the worker. "What exactly is the process for adopting?"

"Well, there's an application you have to fill out. We have to make sure the animal is compatible so we ask that everyone who's going to live with him or her is present at adoption." He looked between the two women with a questioning glance.

"There's no one else, just the two of us." Cosima quickly spoke up, back to squatting in front of the cage as the dog tried to get up on his hind legs but was repeatedly hindered by the cast. "Hey little guy, watch that leg."

"Okay." The worker looked up as if trying to remember what else was involved. "You have to talk with one of our applicant managers and if everything goes ok, you can take him or her home." He nodded more to himself than anyone else. "So, hey, would you be interested in sitting with Tommy in our visitor room? You guys seem to be getting along and even if you aren't ready to adopt, all the human contact these guys can get is always a benefit."

"Seriously?" Cosima's grinned, her tongue peeking out between her teeth in a smile that Delphine had only seen turned her way.

And that was how Delphine found herself in a closed room with soft chairs and floors that smelled like lemon and bleach.

Cosima had planted herself cross-legged on the floor and was currently feigning off the licking tongue of the puppy with a giggle. Cosima switched to scratching the soft fur of the puppy's sides as he tried to climb up her chest. "Hey, you're going to hurt yourself." She looked up at Delphine who was seated a little ways back in a chair. "Come here." She crooked a finger and Delphine couldn't resist.

Delphine slid down the wall as she sat down beside her partner. Almost instantly the puppy switched his attention to her and she found her lap full of the curious animal. "Cosima...I don't know..." She gingerly rubbed the soft fur of one ear, trying to avoid the injured eye that seemed to still be healing. "He is injured."

Moving closer so she was pressed against the blonde, Cosima rested her temple against the woman's shoulder, reaching over to scratch his head as the puppy seemed it was a perfect time to take a nap and curled into as close a ball as his cast would allow on Delphine's lap. "Look I know he's not perfect." Cosima looked up to find Delphine watching her. "But he's perfect for us."

Delphine felt all resolve she had shatter instantly.

"Ok, how are we doing?" The worker entered with a smile.

Biting her bottom lip at Cosima's questioning eyes, Delphine sighed softly. "We'll take him."