Just off the Key of Reason

Chapter 21: You've been the Song in the Background, Turning up Now

Rachel was preparing dinosaur egg oatmeal when they made the call. Quinn had seen it in the grocery store and requested it, and Rachel complied because she was in awe of this phenomenon. Colored dinosaurs emerged from tiny eggs made of sugar.

It was fucking magical. And Quinn was delighted.

But right now Quinn sat ramrod straight at the kitchen bar with Jelly in front of her, sprawled over the phone and looking for attention. Quinn wasn't giving it. She ran her hands along her red reindeer pajamas nervously.

Rachel was trying to keep her thoughts of "this is the worst fucking idea ever" and "this will determine Quinn's fate and the rest of our lives forever" inside her head. She was aware they were just a tiny bit dramatic, but she just kept thinking them.

And watching dinosaurs emerge.

"Quinn. This is amazing." Rachel stated overly brightly, sliding a bowl full of transforming eggs in front of Quinn and hopping up onto the chair next to her.

Quinn switched her somber gaze from the kitty-covered-phone to her food, and her eyes lit up a little. She looked at Rachel's bowl and they widened even more.

"Wait, why do you have so many triceratopses? All I have are stegosauruses!"

Wow. Rachel had a girlfriend who could successfully pluralize stegosaurus. She wasn't so sure about the triceratops, because she wasn't a damn paleontologist. Really, Rachel could be eating fucking velociraptors for all she knew. She willingly traded bowls, even though Quinn's was covered in a mountain of powdered sugar, and Quinn ate all her dinosaurs before switching to the actual oatmeal.

Quinn had brightened by the time they shoved Jelly off the phone to call Lisa, and Rachel had determined they would both be diabetic before they turned thirty.

Quinn looked at her nervously, fingers hovering over the numbers, and Rachel gave her a dorky thumbs-up and a confident nod. She still wasn't sure that this was a good idea. At all. But Quinn smiled slightly, and Rachel took her free hand as she dialed, stopping it from playing with the spoons on the counter.

"Hello?" Lisa said loudly over the speakerphone.

Rachel knocked two of the spoons off the counter she was so startled. This woman always seemed to terrify her when they crossed paths. And yep, she still sounded like a blender.

Rachel watched the words get stuck in Quinn's throat, and her jaw work up and down a few times before Quinn gathered herself and spoke.

"Hi, Aunt Lisa. It's Quinn…And Rachel."

There was a pause for a second, and Rachel swallowed more of her oatmeal extremely slowly because it sounded like the loudest thing in the world right now. God, could she swallow more loudly? No. It was impossible. Did Quinn hear that? Why was her apartment so quiet? Where were all the damn animals?

"Oh. Hello…Quinn. How are you?" Lisa didn't sound cold or unwelcoming, maybe just unsure. Surprised. Rachel couldn't blame her. She'd almost shanked the woman with a spork the last time they spoke.

"I'm well, thank you." Quinn said slowly and clearly.

Rachel swallowed again, contracting her neck muscles like a python to make it as quiet as possible. She started choking, and Quinn stared at her and then thumped her on the back.

"Who was that? Is that Rachel? Is she alright?" Lisa said through the speaker, tone more curious than concerned.

Rachel nodded vigorously. God, pull yourself together. Fucking dinosaur oatmeal. Quinn smiled and tweaked her ear.

"Yes, Lisa, I'm fine, thank you." Rachel said, shoving her bowl away because it was only causing problems. "Quinn has some news for you!"

Again, there was silence. Rachel didn't choke this time.

"Alright, then. Let's hear it."

Rachel looked at Quinn expectantly, and Quinn nodded slightly and took a deep breath. Rachel was prepared to stop her and bring her back should she lose her words a little along the way. Jelly was too, as she went slinking along the kitchen counter with her good eye looking in Rachel and Quinn's direction.

"I'm going to NYU." Quinn started. Her fingers fidgeted even while Rachel held them. "I'm doing the two year accelerated degree program for biology, with a minor in animal studies, because I want to work at the zoo professionally. I start-I start this summer. And I can do pre-vet if I want, I just-I just haven't decided yet."

Quinn took another breath and licked her lips. She looked surprised when she came away with powdered sugar, and Rachel smiled and squeezed her hand.

It was silent again. God. Lisa was just an expert at building suspense. Or outrage.

"Well…I guess you finally decided to listen to me."

Hmm.

Quinn looked like she didn't know what to say to that, so Rachel gladly stepped in. Very gladly. She reined it in a little bit because, you know, they were asking this woman for thousands of dollars of tuition. They should probably be nice to her.

Or be so passive-aggressive that it seemed like they were being nice. But that couldn't be healthy.

"Quinn actually made this decision on her own, Lisa. On her own time, when it was right for her, and with unconditional support."

Rachel heard Lisa sigh over the phone. That, or their phone was malfunctioning and projecting odd noises. Rachel wouldn't be surprised.

"Okay, then. Either way, it's the right decision. You might have a future, Quinn."

Quinn looked down at her lap and Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"But I don't understand why you're telling me. Your girlfriend made it pretty clear that I was some kind of terrible influence on you." Lisa stated.

Quinn took another breath. She looked at Rachel like she'd rather be anywhere but there, at that breakfast bar having that conversation. Quinn looked distraught, and Rachel stood up and wrapped her arms around her from behind. She kissed Quinn's ear encouragingly.

"I've-I've qualified and applied for a few scholarships, and with that, plus government aid and savings…I can only afford about half the tuition. I thought since-"

"You thought I could pay for the rest." Lisa interrupted.

Quinn shook her head around like this was physically painful. It was for Rachel. Quinn's head hit her in the jaw, but she just tightened her hold when Quinn twisted to apologize. Rachel nodded towards the phone.

"I thought-I mean, you were-you were willing to pay for Columbia, and this is still…college. I'm just starting a little bit later. I can always-We can-I mean-"

Rachel tapped Quinn's cheek at the same time as Lisa spoke. "Quinn, Quinn. Listen, of course I'll pay for NYU. It's what I always wanted for you, and you know that."

Well alrighty then. Time to hang up.

"But I want you to do pre-vet." Lisa added.

Crap.

Quinn was silent. Rachel tried not to choke on her saliva.

"Okay." Quinn said quietly after a few moments. Rachel stared at her with wide eyes. And then at the phone, like she was waiting for it to come alive.

"Alright, then-"

"What? No!" Rachel cut Lisa off, unwrapping her arms from Quinn and moving to stand right next to the counter. "Ms. Fabray, you can't just-"

"Rachel, Rachel it's fine." Quinn said softly, gently trying to pull Rachel away from the phone. Rachel stared at her incredulously and allowed herself to be moved like a ragdoll.

Fucking strings, man. She knew they were coming. Rachel didn't even hear what Quinn said as she hung up with Lisa. All of her energy was directed into the disbelieving stare that was boring into Quinn's soul. Into Quinn's soul. She hoped her girlfriend could feel it.

"Quinn!"

Quinn looked a little bit frightened, and very confused, as she stood up from the bar to face Rachel.

"How can you let her do that?" Rachel asked loudly, flailing her arms about with exasperated energy. If she spun them around enough, she could take off, fly the fuck out of here and to whichever part of suburbia Lisa called home.

"Do what?" Quinn asked, standing stock still and staring at her.

"Let her manipulate you again! Tie you up in strings. Quinn, I knew this was a horrible idea."

Yeah, it was one string. But it was such an important one, it was basically a rope.

Quinn glanced around the room like she was looking for answers. "She's not-she's not manipulating me. I'll do pre-vet because I want to, not because she's-"

"No, you think you want to! She's putting it in your head because it's the only way she'll pay for college." Rachel wasn't yelling, but she was desperately trying to get her point across, and was only minutely aware, deep in her subconscious, that she was losing a couple of her marbles at the moment.

Or all her marbles. Did she have any left?

"Rachel, I'm doing all this for myself! You know that. I can think for myself." Quinn stated, raising her voice. She was so soft-spoken that it barely made any difference, but all of the animals came sauntering out of the bedroom when they heard it.

They were curious. What was this? An argument? Oh goodness.

Rachel saw Quinn's shiny eyes and shut herself up immediately. It was open house day. Speech day. This isn't what she wanted. She reached for Barnaby's leash, and he came bounding towards her happily.

"I know. I know, Quinn." Rachel said, softening her expression and speaking quietly. "That's not what I meant… I'm gonna go for a walk, okay? I'll see you at the open house."

Quinn nodded sadly, and Rachel walked over and kissed her softly on the cheek before escorting Barnaby out the door.

The first thing Rachel did when her feet hit the sidewalk was call Tom. The open house was due to start at noon, so she had two hours to locate her marbles and get her shit together.

~oooooooooo~

The first thing Tom asked is where the hell they were able to find dinosaur egg oatmeal in the city, because his son would love it. Next, after Rachel told him where the nearest Target was, and explained what had happened, he told Rachel that she was overreacting. Yes, Rachel was aware, so they moved on from that point quickly. Tom said that she was acting like a concerned and loving girlfriend, just getting carried away like she tended to do, and all she needed to do was talk to Quinn.

Just talk to her. That was easy.

He said Quinn, and people with Asperger's in general, wouldn't be able to deal with that passive-aggressive, beating around the bush bullshit. She needed a straightforward conversation.

Rachel could do that. She had already known that, and she could do that.

Barnaby had thoroughly enjoyed his two hour walk, and he was still bounding along beside Rachel as they made their way to the open house. It was actually pretty crowded along the street. Lots of dogs. Cats. Children who should be locked up in the cages instead of the dogs. Random things that looked like badgers. Geez, where did these things come from?

Rachel slithered in through the front door, dragging her excited goldie behind her, and made her way out to the large exercise yard where the main event was taking place.

Hopefully they'd picked up all the dog crap before setting up.

"Rachel!" Rachel spun around at the excited squeal and smiled when Brittany frolicked over to her, a duck in her arms.

A duck. In her arms.

"Brittany, hey! What've you got there?" Rachel asked brightly, leaning backwards as a beak shot out to peck at her. Peck away at her eyes. Rachel was having pigeon flashbacks.

Santana emerged from the crowd with the most humorless, somber expression Rachel had ever seen on her face. She looked resigned to some kind of fate. Like the gallows. Maybe a painful death.

"They rescue ducks here, who've, like, hurt their wings and stuff." Brittany explained brightly. "And this guy was born here, and he's never been out in the wild, because the other ducks might hurt him or he'd die or something. So we're adopting him!"

Rachel bit her cheek until it bled to keep from laughing. Santana just seemed ready to murder somebody. Preferably a duck, but that probably wasn't going to happen, so that murderous gaze was just fixed on Rachel.

"We named him Flappy!" Brittany exclaimed.

Oh dear God.

"It's great that you're rescuing an animal, Britt." The mental images assaulting Rachel's brain were making it impossible to not laugh at Santana. Rachel needed to get out of there. "Have you guys seen Quinn?"

Brittany nodded, rocking the duck like a baby and ignoring its seemingly angry, frenzied squawks. Santana's gaze softened a tiny bit, and she tilted her head towards the back of the small stage.

"She was freaking out a little, Berry. Go calm her down."

Brittany nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, San said she'd beat up anybody who didn't like Quinn's speech, but I don't think Quinn believed her."

Rachel smiled her thanks, and then lost her mind for half a second and reached out to pat the duck on the head. She wrapped the bite with a napkin, surprised that ducks could draw blood, because really, they didn't have teeth. Right? Rachel wasn't going to check any time soon.

She found Quinn easily, sitting on the steps on the back side of the stage and rocking back and forth. Quinn shot up when she saw Rachel, reached her in two strides, and wrapped her in a hug.

Rachel returned it and rubbed Quinn's quivering back. "You're okay, bear. I love you."

"Love you. Love you too. Love you so much." Quinn said into Rachel's hair. Rachel had to smile. She pulled back and stepped away to tie Barnaby to a pole. She was going to tie him to one of the metal stage supports, but she figured he'd catch sight of something cool, shoot off, and make the stage collapse.

With Quinn on it. Which wouldn't be ideal.

"Quinn, I just want to ask you a question, okay?" Rachel said, grabbing both of Quinn's shaky hands.

"What happened to your hand?" Quinn asked abruptly, looking down at the napkin-bandage Rachel had constructed. Blood was soaking through, and it was a little bit disgusting.

Rachel shook her head. "It's nothing. Britt's duck bit me."

Quinn frowned and moved her hand up like she was going to kiss it better, but seemed to change her mind halfway there. Rachel thought it was for the best. Who knows where that duck had been.

Oh God, did she need some kind of shot?

Quinn stepped closer, rubbing Rachel's hand lightly. "Go ahead. Ask me." Bright, anxious hazel eyes focused on Rachel's.

"Do you want to be a vet?"

One question. That's all Rachel had. Straightforward and easy. She would roll with whatever the answer was.

"Yes." Quinn said, lips quirked up. She looked excited. And crazy nervous. Rachel scanned her face, though she knew Quinn was pretty much incapable of lying. A "yes" was good enough for her.

Rachel smiled and leaned up and kissed Quinn. "I'm sorry for earlier. You're a sweetheart, baby, and the world isn't, and I want to protect you."

Quinn flushed and Rachel ruffled her hair, chuckling when Quinn squirmed away.

"Thanks." Quinn said quietly.

Rachel glanced around at the increasing crowd, and then at her phone. Quinn had five minutes before her speech. It was a fucking madhouse. Animal house. Pet-filled mob.

"How are you doing?" Rachel asked, nudging Barnaby with her foot as he strangled himself to reach a group of passing children.

What he was planning to do with those children should he reach them, Rachel didn't know.

Quinn took a deep breath and looked at Rachel with her own strangled expression. Rachel expected nothing less. They were surrounded by people. Quinn was about to talk to all of them. Rachel squeezed her shaky hands again and Quinn shifted her weight from side to side.

"Alright, baby. Breathe. Remember, just breathe." Rachel rubbed Quinn's back some more.

"You've practiced this, you know this, you got this. Right? If anything happens, I'll jump on stage and start singing My Man."

Or Don't Rain on My Parade. Which one would the "dog crowd" appreciate more? Either way, they would leave this place with applause.

Quinn shook her head around anxiously before lolling it backward and staring at the sky. Her eyes darted from side to side. Rachel wondered what to do.

Drug her up? Nah. Probably not a good idea.

Quote a cuddly bear? Yes. Definitely.

"Quinn, bear, look at me." Rachel said softly, waiting for Quinn to look down and then ducking to meet her eyes.

"You…were quoting Pooh Bear to me the other night."

In some sort of oddly-turned, half-drunken, exhausted conversation that Rachel looked back on fondly. Quinn was breathing shallowly but Rachel could tell she was listening.

"So now, I have some wisdom for you. Are you ready for this?" Rachel asked like she was about to impart the secrets of the world.

Quinn nodded slightly. Rachel squeezed her hands tighter. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Quinn nodded again. Rachel smiled. "Are you absolutely sure, Quinn, because-"

"Rachel!" Quinn whined, looking back at the sky and then down at Rachel again.

"Okay, okay. Big bear…If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember."

Rachel couldn't imagine a tomorrow like that, but she was preserving the accuracy of the quote, and A. A. Milne would be proud. Pooh Bear would be proud. Quinn probably knew this quote, so she'd be proud as well.

But she'd be proud anyway.

"You are braver than you believe," Rachel paused so it would sink in, "stronger than you seem…and smarter than you think." Rachel spoke slowly and clearly, and Quinn's eyes were fixed on hers, breathing slowing down as the masses gathered around the stage.

"But the most important thing is…Even if we're apart, I'll always be with you." Rachel finished. Quinn didn't say anything, and Rachel tapped her cheek. She still didn't say anything, so Rachel gave her a hug.

"Quinn, you're here for the animals. For what you love, okay, so just go out there and talk about them."

"Bears." Quinn blurted.

Well alrighty. Bears. Bears for the win.

Rachel smiled at her and then pulled back and straightened the small bow on Quinn's dress. She untied Barnaby from his pole, and he celebrated like he'd been stranded on a desert island. Rachel was struck with sudden inspiration, which happens a lot because she's Rachel and she's brilliant, and she handed the leash over to Quinn.

"Take him up there. If he leaps off the stage or something…I'll catch him."

Yeah fucking right. If Barnaby jumped off the stage they'd be dealing with a stampede.

Quinn nodded and patted his head, twisting the leash around her fingers. Rachel gave her one last kiss, lingering for a moment to try to ground Quinn. She was probably sending her up in the air again, because that's what kisses did to Rachel, but whatever. It was better than limbo.

Rachel plopped down in the grass at the front of the stage next to Santana, Brittany, and Flappy. She stayed far from Flappy. As far as possible. But she knew if he wanted to attack her, he would. There was no stopping him.

He was an angry bird.

"Here to talk about the joy of adopting animals is one of our most valued handlers. She's only been here for three months, but she knows exactly how to make all the animals fall in love with her, and maybe the staff too." Barry spoke from the podium with a smile, and some kind of bird on his shoulder.

God, they were everywhere.

"Please welcome Quinn Fabray and her little monster Barnaby."

Rachel clapped loudly and hooted as Quinn walked up the steps, or Barnaby dragged her up the steps, and over to the podium. Santana whistled, which obviously terrified the duck, because it flapped its wings and hollered like somebody lit it on fire.

If only Rachel had a lighter.

Quinn looked mildly alarmed as she stared down at it from the stage. Rachel understood. She was terrified. But she tore her gaze from the violent duck and fixed it on Quinn.

Quinn's mouth was open slightly, but she hadn't said anything. She was looking out over the crowd, and she shook her head once, bouncing her hair around, and looked at Rachel. Rachel grinned exaggeratedly and tapped her own lips.

Words. Start with words. And a smile.

After that, Rachel had no fucking idea, but this smile was not leaving her face. Quinn needed it.

"Hello, everybody!" Quinn greeted brightly, clinging tightly to Barnaby's leash. Rachel could see her chest heaving.

"Yo!" Santana yelled. Rachel rolled her eyes, but smiled at her gratefully.

Any sort of familiarity would be good for Quinn.

"Thank you-thank you for coming to support the animal rescue today. Even if you're not adopting, even if you're just looking around at all these sweet faces, your support means the world to us."

Quinn took a deep breath and rocked up on her tip toes. Two sentences and she was probably exhausted. She clacked her teeth together. Rachel willed her to talk. Talk about anything. Bears. Stegosauruses. Oatmeal.

Barnaby jumped up and put his front paws against Quinn's stomach, face on the podium. He was probably looking for food. All he'd had for breakfast was dog food. It was crazy. Where were his waffles?

Quinn shoved him down and chuckled, visibly relaxing as she ruffled his ears.

"This is Barnaby, my second best friend in the whole world. His favorite foods are Sugar Puffs and maple syrup, and he loves to go swimming in the park in the middle of winter if the ponds aren't frozen."

The audience was laughing. They probably thought Quinn was joking. She was actually just listing facts about Barnaby, but Rachel laughed along because some of what Barnaby did might qualify as mistreatment of animals and she didn't want to be arrested.

Quinn blinked exaggeratedly and lightly banged her fist against the podium a couple times, and then started her short speech, slowly and clearly.

"A dog's face… can change a life. It can change a mind…A perspective. It can inspire emotion, and it can bring comfort. On a horrible day, when you're running late or you're out of cookies, and nobody's talking to you, and people are being mean…A dog will be there. Or a cat. Or a duck." Quinn paused and flashed a smile in Flappy's direction.

"And they-they ask nothing in return, except maybe waffles and Sugar Puffs. They sit there with their alert ears and trusting eyes and loyal hearts and souls, and listen to you cry or laugh or complain, and they keep coming back. They don't change. Humans can say 'oh, today I want to be an owl,' but dogs are consistent."

Rachel always got a little lost at that point, wondering how she could transform into an owl, and how the hell Quinn had worked that into her speech.

"Animals don't understand why-why the people who are supposed to take care of them, to love them…abandon them. Or neglect them…So they end up here. If they're lucky. And they get to sit in cages and crates all day long, hoping somebody picks them to take home."

Quinn took a breath and patted Barnaby's head for a moment. "I don't think that'd be fun. Sitting in cages, waiting for someone to save you. I mean, I know it's not. I grew up in a children's home for eight years, until my aunt adopted me. Even then, I wasn't… happy…or loved. Or saved. That didn't change until Barnaby came along."

Rachel's vision was going blurry, and she gripped the grass tightly so she wouldn't stand up and initiate some sort of inappropriate public display of affection. Santana kept insisting it was raining. On her face. And nowhere else.

"And that's because the first conversation I had with my girlfriend, my first love, only love, was about Barnaby…Over Barnaby. As he happily lay on his back and let us rub his tummy."

Santana had to grab Rachel's arm to prevent her from rushing the stage. Quinn was smiling at her with those shiny hazel eyes, and she looked so in love, no matter how haltingly her words were coming out, and Rachel was just so proud-God. She was overwhelmed.

Pull it the fuck together. Rein it in, Rachel.

That was not working.

"Barnaby was like a bridge for us. I'm not…good with people, so…he made it easier. Animals bring people together. They have…different colored eyes, and way more patterns and colors than people, and, I mean, it would be pretty cool to see a human with permanent Dalmatian spots, but…"

Quinn seemed to lose her train of thought for a moment as she gazed out at the crowd. Rachel lost it too. It was long gone. That wasn't even in the speech. Quinn was lost in her mind until Barnaby tried to charge off the stage and she had to pull him back.

"And, um." Quinn blinked her eyes again and licked her lips. "It might not seem like animals make things easier when they're eating your DVD player or flooding your kitchen…but they do. When you need a happy face to make you smile. They-they do."

Rachel had lost herself about four minutes ago. Quinn was making her fall in love with Barnaby. That couldn't be normal. She wasn't supposed to be in love with her dog. God, she wanted to adopt this whole damn animal rescue now. All the animals. Bring them all home.

"Technically, Barnaby belongs to my girlfriend, Rachel."

"Yeah, right!" Santana yelled, leaning into Rachel to keep her distance from the raging duck in Brittany's arms.

Quinn smiled down at the podium. "Rachel is the most kind-hearted, caring woman I know, and together we've brought three other rescues into our home. She calls them a demon, a polar bear, and a jelly bean, and…they kind of are. But they're our family now."

Rachel wondered what the demon was destroying right now.

"I just hope some of you, or all of you, will take a chance on these animals. Just one chance. They won't disappoint, and they'll give you love and smiles as long as they live."

Pssht. Flappy didn't seem to agree with that.

"So thank you for coming. And if you like animals, I suggest visiting the zoos. You can sit and watch the polar bears in Central Park, or the lions in the Bronx. Oh, and the-the Bronx Zoo has zebras as well. And elephants."

And elephants. Elephants was the last word of Quinn's speech, and she blinked and turned around abruptly, dragging Barnaby over to the steps as the audience applauded.

Rachel saw an empty stage and instinctively wanted to fill it and sing My Man for all these wonderful people. She tried to control her urges. The microphone was calling her.

The mass around the stage started to break up as everybody went back to looking around at all the animals up for adoption and informational booths. Rachel walked towards the stage and Quinn met her halfway.

"That was perfect!" Rachel squealed, jumping up with her hands on Quinn's shoulders to kiss Quinn's mouth. Quinn smiled into it and her ears turned red.

"Do you-do you think people listened?"

"Oh my God, bear, you had Santana in tears. Yeah, they listened. You were breaking some hearts, baby."

Quinn bit her lip. She looked excited now. Uh-oh.

"I have something to show you." She stated, taking Rachel's hand before Rachel even consented and leading her cautiously through the crowd. A train of three with Barnaby as the caboose.

They came to a stop in front of the cat area.

Shit.

Quinn stepped aside so that Rachel could see into the cage they were in front of, and Rachel stepped forward hesitantly. Quinn bit her lip. She looked hopeful. Eyes bright, staring at Rachel.

Inside the cage were the two largest cats Rachel had ever seen. They were huge-ass monsters. Beasts. Like Clifford the Big Red Dog, in cat form. Rachel looked at the tags warily. The big blob of white was a female named Butter.

Butter. How could you be anything but morbidly obese with a name like butter?

Butter had two different colored eyes. One blue, one yellow. Her buddy was a ball of smoky gray named George. Apparently they'd been abandoned by the Hudson, malnourished and underweight, and had now compensated for that by becoming unbelievably fat.

Ridiculously, astonishingly fat.

"Quinn." Rachel didn't know what to say. Could these animals even fit in a cat carrier? Or, God, in her apartment?

"Little Bear." Quinn whispered, looking at her hopefully.

Rachel stared at her for a moment, and then back at the cats. They seemed playful. They looked about as capable of exercise as Rachel did when she was rolling about on her yoga balls, but they were playful.

Rachel sighed and dropped her forehead onto Quinn's chest to hide her smile.

"You have to put them on a diet."

Quinn made an excited noise in her throat and hugged Rachel tightly. Barnaby whined when Butter whacked him on the nose with her paw. Rachel groaned.

"I'll take care of them." Quinn promised.

And that was it. They were at six. Rachel had gained five animals in four months, plus a bear named Quinn who required daily feeding.

She laughed into Quinn's chest. It was all she could do.