Pet Quartet (ch24)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

At long last, we are wrapping up Pet AU

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Chapter 24. A Little Healing

The following day was the busiest the local vet had ever seen.

Blake and her group arrived early in the morning for their appointments, but there was already a line to wait on. She curled up in her crate with Ruby and Weiss in the birdcage on one side and Yang on the other.

One of their neighboring humans - the one who ran Zwei's house - had agreed to take Adam to the vet, therefore Blake hadn't had to ride in the car with him.

She didn't see or smell him at the vet's office just yet, but she recognized several other animals who had joined the fray last night, including Coco and Velvet. The ferret and rabbit only had a few nicks and scratches that needed ointment, and Blake was glad they hadn't sustained any serious injuries. She meowed her thanks to them when their crate was brought past her.

As the vet's office filled up, she recognized several stray cats and dogs from last night. The humans had caught them too, but instead of hurting or punishing them, they had brought them to get treated. Blake just hoped this had changed some of their minds about humans.

When it was her flock's turn to go in, Blake toughed it out for once as she was inspected and treated. The medicine they made her eat tasted horrible, and the shots she was given stung a bit.

Ruby was given a few tiny bandages around her legs and one across her muzzle, Weiss was given a small splint for her wing to ensure it could start healing instead of cause her more pain.

But by far, Yang got the short end of the stick this time. After she was patched up, she was forced to wear a big ridiculous cone around her neck.

The other three tried not to laugh. They failed horribly.

As Yang was released, she limped over to them with her head bowed in embarrassment.

"Oh my," Weiss chirped, barely containing herself. "What in the world is that?"

"Yang!" Ruby laughed out loud. "You-You look! S-So funny! Ahaha!"

Yang looked to them both and sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. I guess I'd laugh too if it wasn't on my head."

Blake chuckles too, but also purrs from inside her crate.

"I'm sure there's a reason for it."

Yang just whimpered to herself and flopped down on the floor. She did start to feel a bit better when she saw most of the other dogs were being given the same thing, though.

When they were finally brought back home and went for a short walk to go see everyone, just about every dog on the block had a cone. As they walked at a very slow and easy pace, Blake and her friends thanked everyone who had come to their aid last night.

And of course they thanked Penny most of all, as she had been the one to gather the reinforcements.

Penny had been taken to be treated by a kind human as well, and now she had the same matching bandages hidden beneath her fur like the rest of them did.

All throughout the day, Blake kept an ear tuned into the humans' gossip, and the rumors floating around from the other animals. Apparently, Adam and most of his followers had been treated and brought to the local shelter. More specialized persons had evidently come to care for the rats, snake, and lizards.

From what Blake could gather, those five were being taken a few towns over to join a brand new children's zoo. Blake didn't think she and her friends needed to worry about them any longer.

Though she did ask the other animals to keep her updated on any news they might've heard about Adam. In spite of all he'd done to her and her friends, she still couldn't help but worry about him now.

As the days passed on, the four of them stayed inside for the most part and just slept as they began to heal from their injuries. Their humans doted on them more than usual, which no one minded except for Ruby.

"It's so boooooriiiinng," she complained. "I wanna go out and play…"

"We all do," Weiss reasoned. "But we'll just have to wait a while longer."

"Uuugghh…"

"Hey!" Yang said. "Why don't we play "I Spy"? I'll go first. I Spy something… white!"

"Your cone," Weiss sighed.

"Oh, yeah," Yang grinned. "It's pretty much the only thing I can see…"

The others chuckled, but continued with the tamer game nonetheless.

They contented themselves with their usual indoor activities of bug-hunting and following the sunlight as it shifted through the windows. When grooming time came around, Yang struggled to get her tongue out far enough to lick the others without bumping them with her cone, which always made Ruby giggle. Whenever Yang had an itch she couldn't reach, Weiss or Blake would get it for her.

Weiss was a bit upset that she wasn't able to fly again for the time being. She got back into her habit of sitting on the window sill and watching the other birds outside. Blake and Ruby took turns sitting beside her, or Yang would offer the top of her cone for Weiss to perch on and watch from.

As Blake watched her one evening, she remembered something and strode over to inquire.

"Hey, Weiss? Who were those white birds that came to help us?"

Weiss puffed up her chest a little proudly.

"That was my sister's flock," she replied. "I recognized her right away. She couldn't stick around that night, but I know she must be around here somewhere, keeping an eye on me, no doubt."

"And who were those two black birds?" Ruby wondered. "A raven and a crow?"

"Them, I'm not sure about."

"Maybe they were mine," Yang suggested, wagging her tail. "I used to talk to birds like those back when I had my old humans."

"Maybe," Blake shrugged. "Who knows? I guess we all have friends looking out for us, huh?"

"Yeah…" Ruby hummed. "Oh! Speaking of friends! I gotta go see Penny!" She scurried to the door flap, and Blake followed more slowly to hold it open for her.

"Tell her we all said hi."

"I will!" Ruby hopped out with her cape billowing behind her and ran around to the front porch. Penny was curled up in her bed of grass and leaves that Ruby and Blake had helped her gather. It was also lined with Yang's shed fur and a few of Weiss' loose downy feathers. Sunlight was streaming in through the planks of wood above. Ruby poked her nose in and called out.

"Penny? It's me!"

The skunk lifted her head and smiled.

"Ruby! Please come in!"

Ruby crawled underneath the wooden boards and ran over to hug her.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing much better!" Penny replied. "What about you and your friends?"

"On the road to recovery! We'll be back out to play before you know it!"

And they were. It was only about a week later - and another vet visit - when Blake and all her friends were cleared. Their wounds had all healed, bandages and cones had all been removed, and even Weiss' wing was as good as new. All they had to do was keep taking a little medicine mixed in with their food.

They were healed up quickly enough to get back outside and enjoy the rest of the summer together with all their friends.

Their humans took them to more parks, on short hiking trips, to lakes and to a lot of other fun places.

And when they stayed home, they went for walks and played with their friends, or simply played amongst themselves in their yard.

Regardless of the day's activities, every evening ended the same - with baths, dinner, and grooming.

Eventually, they heard enough chatter from the other animals and birds about Adam and his group. The strays had all been healed up, fed, and given warm places to rest. Either the people of the neighborhood had taken them in, or they had been put up for adoption at a local shelter.

Blake heard that Adam had met a little girl who had fallen in love with him at first sight. And from what she heard, he never felt the need to use his claws again.

Now, Blake slept soundly at night, with her friends all around her, and her mind no longer troubled by thoughts of him. She could finally stop worrying enough to let him go, and started to enjoy living her own life to the fullest with her little flock.

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A/N: We are winding down now. One final chapter to go!