AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews and faves and follows! I'm gonna try to update this every Thursday and I have up to seven chapters planned. Also, I hope this chapter doesn't sound too- off. I wasn't really sure what someone would do at an animal shelter since I've never worked at one myself, so I struggled a bit with the first half of this chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy this!

Three days later Sora and Roxas got the call letting them know they had gotten the job at the sanctuary. They went in for their first day (only getting lost once this time).

Xion walked past with a grumpy cat whose leg was wrapped in a cast. "Hi guys! Really busy today. Saix is waiting in the kennels for you!" She chirped.

"I wonder if she's always that happy?" Roxas mused as they went through the door Xion pointed to.

"More or less." Saix responded, startling both boys. "This is the kennel for the animals that are up for adoption. They need to be fed and have their bedding changed. Think you can handle that?" The boys nodded. "Good. One of you take the dogs and the other take the cats. Food amounts and any special instructions are on the clipboards." He clipped out, pointing to the tray with the foods and clipboards.

"Rock Paper Scissors?" Sora suggested once Saix had left them to it.

"Which do you want?" Roxas asked.

"Dogs. They don't have evil claws."

Roxas laughed. "I'll take cats. Gimme that clipboard." The boys worked companionably in the kennels, cleaning and feeding the animals and refilling all the water bowls. Saix came to check up on them and nodded with approval.

"Good job. Take a few of the dogs out to the yard and let them play once they've finished eating. Stay in the yard." He warned then left.

Sora frowned. "I get the feeling he really doesn't want us leaving in the yard. Weird huh?"

Roxas shrugged. "Probably thinks we'll lose the dogs in the woods. Or that they'll get hurt."

"Oh that makes sense." Sora said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

When they took the dogs out into the yard, Xion joined them. "Hey. How you liking your first day?" She giggled and started petting as many of the dogs as she could reach.

Roxas smiled. "Pretty good. It's not that hard."

"It's not now. But once Saix and Vexen let you work with the injured animals it'll get a bit harder." Xion said. "But I wouldn't worry too much. You'll do fine."

When the group went back inside they were met by a tall, thin, blond man and a shorter, slate haired man both in white lab coats.

"These are the new assistants I presume." The blond drawled. "I am Dr. Vexen and this is Zexion. He is doing a residency with us to finish up his veterinary certificate. Please just stay out of our way." He then left, trailing Zexion behind.

"Don't worry. Vexen and Zexion just aren't that social, it's not that they don't like you." Xion reassured after the two had left. "Come on, let's play with the cats now. They need exercise too!"

The next few weeks went much the same way as their first day did. First they would feed and clean the kennels, then exercise the dogs in the yard after being warned again to not stray from the well maintained plot of grass (the boys personally thought Saix was being a broken record, but followed the instruction anyway), then inside to play with the cats and take their lunch break. In the afternoons they helped Xion with paperwork or adopted out the animals.

Soon their afternoons also included helping out with injured animals. Sora was especially good at getting animals to swallow pills, much to the delight of Vexen, who though he was a vet never had as much luck with it as Sora.

Roxas began to hate this part of the job because he always felt so bad for the poor animals who had gotten hurt. He would always mumble some sort of comforting words to the injured animals he cared for and gently pet them when no one was looking.

After a month something strange happened.

"Morning Xi- mmmph?" Sora blinked as his normal boisterous greeting was silenced by Xion's hand over his mouth.

"Hush! Saix isn't feeling well, so you have to do everything as quietly as you can. And we can't use the break room cause he'll be in there all day." She said quietly. She took her hand off Sora's mouth and handed him the clipboards. "He gets really short-tempered on days like these so don't do anything you aren't supposed to."

"What's wrong with him? And if he's not feeling well then why is he here today?" Roxas asked.

Xion bit her lip. "He'll be ok… This happens a lot- I mean not a lot but every mon- I mean every so often….. It's nothing to be concerned with, honest!" She rambled nervously. "And he's here today because- because- uh. There was an injured dog that came in! Yeah it got hit by a car and Saix had to stay here all night to help it." Xion smiled hopefully at them.

The twins looked at each other then back to Xion. "You're really bad at lying. And you didn't have to make something up to tell us." Sora said.

"Yeah you could've just said it was none of our business." Roxas added.

Xion hung her head. "I know. I'm sorry, but it really isn't something to be concerned with. Just please try to keep quiet today? He'll be better soon."

Sora nodded. "Sure. Well we better get to work. See ya later Xion."

"So what do you think is wrong with Saix?" Sora mused as he and Roxas took the dogs out into the yard.

"Well it can't be too serious or he wouldn't have come in today. But he apparently can't do any work and Xion kinda made it sound like this happens pretty often." Roxas said. "And you know, I noticed a cot in the break room, one of those fold away kinds, I wonder if it's for him to rest on when this happens? Which means he always comes in even if he's not feeling well? But that doesn't make any sense; if anything him being here and not being able to work puts him in the way of things."

"Very good deductive skills Roxas. I wouldn't have thought you had the knack for it."

Roxas scowled as Vexen's sudden appearance made him jump. "Well am I right?" he asked sulkily.

"Yes Saix will still come to the shelter when he has his episodes, but like I am sure Xion told you, it is nothing you boys need to concern yourselves with. This heat, on the other hand, is, and we don't want the animals dehydrating so come along inside and make sure they all have full water bowls."

"Are there other animals who need your attention in the woods?" Sora asked Vexen as they rounded up the dogs.

"What? Why do you ask that?!" Vexen asked.

"Well, you have your doctor's bag with you, and you were heading towards the door so you probably wouldn't have just come out of it."

"It seems Roxas isn't the only one who can make deductions. These woods are part of the sanctuary, meaning it's a safe haven for wild animals. Which is why you shouldn't go back there, you could disturb those creatures who don't relish human contact." Vexen hurriedly swept inside before the twins could question him further.

"You ever get the feeling that they're trying to hide something from us?" Roxas asked wryly.