Ending their military careers and finding a nice ranch out in the British countryside was the best thing Price had ever thought of. Price had spent years handling the two hybrids, Johnny and Simon, and he couldn't imagine leaving them in the special forces. The two Great Pyrenees needed the new way of life.

Three months in and Price could see how beneficial it had become. Johnny was less reactive and more restful, and Simon slept more, his ears actually perked up sometimes, and he started to leave his mask off. Price took care of the horses and cows and goats, while Johnny and Simon protected the whole ranch from wolves and other predators.

Everything was normal until there a knock came early in the morning. The elderly farmer down the road, a few long miles from what Price remembered, was on the front porch with his hybrid. A young, well-built breed, for certain. "I'm terribly sorry." The elderly man sighed, "I was hoping you could take my hybrid in? The wife and I, well, we're getting old and can't live way out here anymore..."

It wasn't unusual for the older people to give up hybrids, young ones especially. They just had too much energy for such old bones. John looked the hybrid over, glancing sideways to see Simon and Johnny jumping over the porch railing to get closer.

Simon was the first to approach fully, sniffing and poking at the hybrid. "I think the choice has been made for me." Price chuckled as he watched Simon's tail swish slowly back and forth. The poor thing would belong to Simon as a mate now, if Price knew that look on Simon's face.

It was strange, having this cute little thing on the ranch. Not a guard dog by any stretch of the imagination, but that was okay. There were other uses on the ranch than just protecting the animals. Sometimes just a cuddle was needed.

"Come, over here." Simon growled one night when Johnny started to play too roughly for Simon's liking. Johnny was stronger than the new blood, and Simon didn't want anyone getting hurt over a silly game of shoving each other.