Bree

Even with their vast experience in the house pet and semi-wild varieties of domesticatable animals, the ordinarily competent staff of the pet supply store was at a loss for what to do with their newest charge: they'd tried to put her in with a female dog who'd just had pups, hoping that the young creature would be adopted by the canine, but though the dog seemed willing, the little fuzzy critter they put in with her did not make any attempt to join to that family.

And so, now they were clumsily hand-rearing her, as best they could, feeding her once every two hours nearly 8 ounces of formulated puppy milk, which on advice of the local wildlife institute they'd fortified with a veritable cocktail of vitamins and minerals. But everyone was getting worried; this was a pet shop, not a wildlife-rearing facility, and the little kit wasn't thriving... she hadn't gained an ounce since her birth, and that was very unusual in anything canid. The poor girl who'd found the kit's mother dead under the building was desperate for some sort of answer, knowing that she couldn't keep the kit forever, that the poor thing wasn't doing well, but feeling her heart would break if the little thing died.

Things were at a stalemate, at the moment, with the employees taking turns carrying her home at night, feeding her on their shifts and working with her cuddled into a small purse, which most of them hung around their necks as they moved about and helped customers. And, every now and again, a tiny patch of ruddy-amber fur would peek out, nose twitching and still-closed eyes staring around, before she'd lose that tiny burst of energy and flop back to the bottom of the bag, exhausted. She was weak and unhappy despite the staff's best care for her, and now they were desperate to find her a home with someone who had more experience.

At this exact moment, the tiny fennec fox pup was cuddled in her bag against the chest of the young woman who'd found her, a girl of no more than 17 by the name of Meaghan, who was reorganizing the selection of leashes on the shelf, talking softly to the kit in the back that hung around her neck. And the kit was listening, though Meaghan couldn't know.

Annie

While shopping for supplies for the group's new pets, Annie spotted the fennec fox. Her eyes widened in awe. Ever since she had been to the zoo as a young girl, she had wanted a fennec fox. She took a few shy steps closer, smiling subconsciously at the girl. "Is that a fennec fox?" She asked, very slightly awkwardly.

Bree

Meaghan looked up at Annie's voice, and offered a sad sort of smile. "Yes, this is Bree...found her under the building, poor thing, and her mother dead. We've been trying to hand-rear her but..." and her face fell a bit, showing how much it bothered her, "...she's just not doing very well. We're not really designed for caring for the more exotic animals, and I really think she just needs a more permanent home. We've been taking turns carrying her home each night, but she has to be bottle fed every two hours, and of course fennec foxes dig and burrow a lot, so she'd be difficult to keep as a house pet... but I just couldn't leave her down there, with her ma dead, all alone..." She wiped away a tear with one hand and gathered the tiny ball of dusty-amber fluff up into the other. The little one week old pup fit easily into her small palm, quivering there for a moment before Meaghan pulled her up to cuddle against her chest to keep the kit warm. "I just don't know," Meaghan began querulously, as the tears began to run, "if she's going to live very long..."

Annie

Annie felt sorry for the girl and the fox and was compelled to do something to help. "I have a lot of time and the proper materials, and there are four of us in the house." She began slowly. "Maybe...Maybe I could buy her from you?"

Bree

From the complete despair that was encompassing the young girl's face, a light of hope shone at Annie's words. "Buy her? Oh, I couldn't possibly charge you! If you'd just take care of her..." her face was lighting up now, looking as though she wanted to lean forward and hug Annie but restraining herself with the thought that this was a stranger, who probably wouldn't appreciate being hugged by someone they didn't know. Instead, she contented herself with her abundant words. "Oh, you've no idea how much that would mean to me, if you could help her! Just to know she's healthy and happy... yes, oh yes!" And she beamed at the other girl, cuddling the tiny fox close to her chest for a moment before extending her carefully to Annie. "If you ever need supplies, or help, or someone to sit with her, just come find me. I just - oh, thanks so much!"

Annie

Annie smiled politely and cheerfully, sharing in the girl's glee. "It's not a problem." She said happily, cuddling he fox close to her chest. She held her hand out for the girl to shake. "By the way, I'm Annie Ivory."

Bree

"Meaghan Maddox," the girl returned, taking the offered hand with a warm smile. "A pleasure," she said politely, before continuing, "I mean it. If there's ever something I can do... you know, bring her by for visits, or something. Oh, and here..." she took the purse from around her neck, and moved to rummage behind the checkout counter for a small cat carrier with an old t-shirt they'd been using to carry the kit back and forth to the different houses every night. "Here's her hidey-hole... maybe it'll make her feel more at home. You can keep the t-shirt, too... it's old and too small for me, anyway. But it makes her feel safe." And, after plopping the carefully resealed can of puppy milk into a bag to make it easy to carry, Meaghan reached out to the tiny creature cuddled so close to Annie and used a single finger to scrub the small, downy head of the little fox. "Bye-bye, Bree... be a good kit, okay?"

Annie

Annie smiled at Meaghan, gently putting the baby fox into the carrier and taking the puppy milk. "Well, I'll see you around. Have a nice day!" She said and waved, walking out the door slowly.