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Time Passes

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Sampson had the distinction of being created in the core worlds. Unlike many other genetically modified organisms, the large Dog was produced in the Sol system, and on Terra nonetheless! While it was not really that 'big of a deal', it was a badge of some esteem among the Geniticons, whose usual points of origin included mid-sphere worlds amidst the ambling stretch of the council worlds.

The company which held the patent on Sampson's genetic coding had gone out of business before he was technically ready to be sold and, thus, his service was liquidated as part of a bankruptcy contract. The Dog was sold to a well-off family, the Metzgers, who were land owners on four different continents. He was purchased as a companion for Rory Metzger, the eldest of the two sons, and trained to do security by a retired combat specialist who was working as a consultant for the family.

Despite having a specific task, Sampson was treated more or less like one of the family. While it was still many years until Geneticons were granted independence by the Council, the Metzgers were never one for servants and owe be the man who suggested to Mr. Metzger that Sampson was a 'slave'. No, the Dog was well treated and , despite being a few years younger than Rory, Sampson was ultimately assigned as his primary bodyguard and it was a duty that the Dog took seriously.

As time passed, Sampson became more than a bodyguard to his employer's son; they became friends. The Dog was always by Rory's side and the companionship had a great effect on the Dog. He was not just an employee and he was not just loyal; he was a comrade, and he was a zealot. Due to land use rules and ownership laws enforced (or not enforced) by the governing global council, the Metzger family had a lot of enemies, especially among fellow well-off households who begrudged them their success. There were three attempts on Rory's life before he turned twenty and Sampson helped foil them all, though not without injury.

When Rory got married at twenty five Sampson was there at the ceremony dressed in a tuxedo that had to be specially made for him; back then it wasn't the normal kind of clothes for his kind, but Rory had insisted. Sampson was still recovering from a wound he'd sustained by a mass driver round during the fourth attempt on Rory's life so he had to walk with a cane but that too was supplied by his employer and he proudly posed with his best friend and the bride for as many wedding pictures as they required.

Life grew even more joyous when Rory's wife, Julia gave birth a year and a half later to their first child: a son. Ever the perfectionist, Sampson was not the least bit concerned when he learned that the baby, Jacob, was also to be his responsibility. The Dog was used to protecting the Metzger household and, even though his contract had been handed off to Rory as a wedding present, the idea of having an entire family to serve once again thrilled and excited him; he was ready to continue serving because the desire to help was as strong for him as the need to draw breath.

Jacob, as it turned out, took quite a lot of effort. For the first two years of the child's life he was fairly easy to keep track of, especially since he spent most of that time with his mother. Once he got the hang of walking, however, he was cruising all around the estate, wandering the grounds as far as he could get without being stopped by a door, fence, gate, or hedgerow. Since both of his parents were taking more of an active role in the family business at that point it was up to Sampson to keep track of the boy.

Sampson became a babysitter, but he didn't mind. The Dog had been designed after Newfoundland, meaning he was enormous, but also very good with children-- an ideal solution to keep would-be kidnappers away from little Jacob. He was with the lad as he grew, serving as a friend, companion, bodyguard and, in some ways, as a surrogate parent. The final job became almost full-time once Jacob's grandfather died since Rory and his wife had to take over the major operations of their real estate empire, leaving them less time for their son.

Although Sampson had never received any formal education he had received basic training for interaction including language and etiquette. His combat instructor also provided him with what he needed to know in the way of tactics, observation, recon, and combat. It wasn't until Jacob started getting a private education that the Dog began to learn scholastics, including how to read and write. There was no end to Jacob's enthusiasm when the two of them worked together on the homework provided by the tutor. The boy was smart, and picked up on things twice as quickly as Sampson, then learned his lessons even better by helping to instruct the Dog.

By the time Jacob had turned seventeen the Dog saw far more of the boy than his parents. Between running the family business and preparing for a change-of-life child, the two were almost never on the same continent as their son, let alone in the same house. Sampson still talked with Rory almost daily but, trusting in the Dog's service, the man had elected to assign the Dog to Jacob. It turned out to be a decision that would haunt Sampson ever more.

Two weeks before Jacob's sister was due to be born the Metzgers were traveling in Europe and on their way to an OBGYN appointment. The security guard on duty was a human named Irving and the three of them were en route to the clinic when the vehicle was bombed. In one fell swoop Sampson lost his best friend, his best friend's wife, and almost all of his family. He felt as though he had failed, and, over the course of the next few weeks things only got worse.

Jacob had been excited at the prospect of having his family around him since Rory had promised to take a month off after the birth of their daughter. Suddenly the only living member of his immediate family, the teen was forced to take on quite a burden, especially since he was still a year from the age of majority. At the end of the week a lawyer employed by Jacob's aunt visited the estate and explained that he would be moving to live with his aunt and that the estate was to be rolled into the business holdings, along with Sampson's contract.

The teen, despite having been raised to one day take over the business was never formal and never professional. In that moment, however, Sampson's heart almost burst with pride at just how efficient Jacob could be when he turned to the lawyer and began citing line after line, argument after argument about how the man would not only lose his practice, but likely end up destitute begging for credits before the year were out if he tried to enforce a legal argument that was obviously against his father's will.

The lawyer put up an argument for the better part of an hour, finally providing a last-ditch effort and claimed that Jacob could not maintain his parents' estate since he didn't have a guardian. Without even a pause the young man pointed at Sampson. "He's over eighteen and he's lived here longer than I have. My father's will says that I have a right to select any of his employees as a guardian. I choose Sampson."

The paperwork took a number of days to square away, and not just because the Dog was a Geneticon. By that point genetically created individuals had gained independence but it was the first case of one serving not only as a guardian but, as it turned out, had been named as Executor of Rory Metzger's estate. No longer able to argue the point, the attorney helped close out the paperwork (Jacob made sure it continued to be on his aunt's payroll), and then departed. Sampson never saw the man again.

Life went in a new trajectory after that as Sampson was forced to step up and learn more about what it took to run a house. He and Jacob worked together to keep things moving and, after a lot of preparation and consulting some business experts, Jacob urged Sampson to divest him from the family holdings. The young man had no real interest in real estate and honestly just wanted to be able to follow his own path; Sampson had no reason to say no, and over the course of the following year Jacob officially entered retirement.

Sampson remained by the boy's side for the duration, not quite an employee, not quite a friend, not quite a parent and not quite a guardian, but somehow a little of all four. One night, however, that relationship changed again, and it started with a scream. Sampson, whose room was right next to Jacob wasted no time in charging to the rescue. Shoulder-checking the door, the large Dog pushed his way through, sidearm coming to the ready to take in the scene and assess the danger. Jacob hadn't had nightmares since he was ten but as Sampson took in the sight of the young man cowering against the headboard with his legs pulled up to his chest he couldn't help but draw the comparison.

He was at Jacob's side in an instant, settling his large bulk onto the mattress and pulling the Human close. Sampson's thick fur enveloped the teen the moment his arms wrapped around the young man, speaking softly and offering calming words of comfort. It created an eerie flashback to the times when he'd used to comfort the child and he found it cathartic and reinvigorating-- a break, and a throwback to simpler times an a simpler life, before things became complicated. Jacob was calmed before long, but things suddenly grew more complicated when the teen stood up on the mattress, and kissed him.

It was not the kind of kiss that Jacob used for his mother; there was far more to it and, despite the size difference, with the aid of standing on the mattress and Sampson being seated, there was nothing separating the Human's lips from the Dog's muzzle. The Geneticon was understandably confused and bewildered, surprised that his ward would express himself in such a manner. What followed, however, were four words that could have easily been misconstrued, but the tone in which they were spoken explained it all: "You're everything to me."

Sampson didn't respond; he didn't know what to say or how to say it, so instead he did what he'd been trained to do: he let Jacob take the initiative and, surprisingly, the young man who was usually so indecisive was anything but. Sampson had always been a loyal Geneticon doing anything and everything required of him; in most cases he enjoyed it for the simple sake of fulfilling his owner's wishes. The Dog was no longer a tool, however, and he knew he could have said no if he'd wanted to... but he didn't want to say no.

It was the first time Sampson had ever been with anyone in such a way and, by Jacob's own admission, it was the Human's first time as well. It had been awkward, but wonderful in a way that the Geneticon hadn't known to be possible. The Dog honestly didn't know what it meant for the future but, as he lay in Jacob's bed, the Human curled up against his side, Sampson knew it didn't matter. He knew that his life had taken many twists and turns. Time had changed many things. He'd lost a lot. Resting his muzzle atop Jacob's head the Dog smiled as his tail beat out a soft tempo against the mattress. Yes, it was true that time changed everything and not even relationships were immune... but not all changes were bad ones.