Gel peeks open an eye, glancing at the clock before squealing in glee. "Yes! It's Monday!" She stops, buzzing in midair for a moment with a hoof to her chin. "...I think that's the first time anyone's ever said that..." She shrugs and lands on the ground, shifting into her favorite disguise as she approaches the closet, rummaging through it for the perfect outfit.

Rhino groggily works up the brain power to speak from the bed as the pets snooze on. "Ugh... it's not morning already... is it?"

She turns to him, smirking slightly as she pulls on his hoof. "Come on, Rhino! I need your help with my outfit!" She holds up two dresses, tilting her head at him. "What do you think? Semi-formal or casual?"

He groans as he flops back onto the pillows. "No make me use brain..." He rolls over to go back to sleep. "Just a few more..."

She pouts, walking around the bed to face him. "...you had no problems getting up on Friday..." She leans down and kisses his cheek. "...please, Rhino...for me? I just...want to make a good first impression..."

He sighs as he rouses himself. "Love and guilt... apparently better motivation to get up than coffee." He sits up in bed, trying not to wake the pets. "Hmm... casual dress would likely be sufficient seeing as most ponies would go into the interview with nothing on... I suggest semi-formal to show that you are serious about wanting the position..." He covers his mouth with a hoof as he yawns to end his contribution.

"Semi-formal it is!" She gives him a quick peck as she puts on her rimless glasses. She pulls on her blue silk dress, turning her back to him and looking over her shoulder. "...could you zip me up, please?"

He thinks a moment. "I could use magic, but why waste the opportunity?" He gets up and uses his teeth to drag the zipper up her back until it fastens at her neck. He uses his position at the end to give her neck a quick kiss.

She shudders softly from the action and playfully flicks him with her tail. "Tease..." She sighs, turning to look at him curiously. "...so...w-what do you think I should expect?"

He cracks his neck. "Well... Mane and Manila are coming in earlier today... Manila moreso. As the office manager, she handles most of the non-medical stuff, including interviewing potentials. So you'll be dealing with her."

"...o-okay..." She looks out the window at the rising sun, unsure. "...how...how did they react...t-to my outburst at the cafe?" She turns to him, her eyes clearly conveying her worry as it starts to overwhelm her. "...d-do you think...t-they might be upset at that?"

He quickly gives her a long kiss to calm her down. When he feels her breathing normalize, he breaks the kiss. "It'll be fine, you pretty much shouted out why you did it, and anypony could understand." He stifles another yawn. "Any other concerns I need to alleviate before I have my morning milk?"

"...does this dress make me look fluffy?" She turns to her side, looking back at herself before winking at him. "Just kidding. I should be fine, love." She heads out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Let me get you your drink.

He smiles at the thought of the white drink, taking another step to clear his head. He stops as he feels a weight on his tail. His head cranes around to find Selena with her claws locked in the hairs, giving him a cute look. He chuckles as he swishes his tail back and forth to try and dislodge her. This only serves to make her climb up the tail so that she ends up near the top, still as fixed to it as she was at the bottom.

She mews, looking up at him with wide eyes, almost pleading for him to let her stay.

He groans as he looks away. "Why do I have to have a weakness to cute things..." He turns back to her, giving her a nuzzle. "You're lucky I don't need a shower this morning."

She climbs up onto his back and curls up, purring happily. Her tail flicks over her nose as she starts to take a catnap.

He smiles softly at the kitten, leaning over and nuzzling her very softly. "Well, at least one of us gets to sleep..."

At that moment, Gel returns with the glass in her magical aura. She pauses in the doorway as she sees this scene, smiling softly. "...that's so cute..." She floats the glass over to him, giggling quietly. "...your drink, Doctor..."

He raises it as he takes it. "My compliments to the chef." He sips the cool liquid with a smile as it goes down. After less than a minute, he's drained the glass and licked his lips. He looks to the little one on his back. "I guess I have a passenger for now." He begins to walk around the room, gathering the few things he needs for work.

She stays in the doorway, watching him as he bustles about. "...you cleaned your coat last night, right?"

He nods. "It should still be in the dryer..." He gather up the items in a ball of levitation and starts heading down the stairs. "I'm just gonna grab an apple or something for breakfast, do you want anything?"

"...I could use an apple." She follows him down, smiling to herself. "...and maybe some of your love..." She winks at him before leaning over and playfully nipping his neck, her fangs exposing themselves for this.

He shivers as he smiles back at her. "Shame on you... doing things like that when I can't defend myself or retaliate because of a passenger... I guess I'll just have to love you into submission." His eyes soften as he lets a large amount of his feelings for her suddenly rush to the surface.

She trembles, trying to keep the sudden influx from overwhelming her. "...R-Rhino...y-you can't do that...n-not while I'm in a dress...at least, not this one..." She closes her eyes, barely able to steady herself.

He stops the emotion assault as he tilts his head. "What would you being in a dress have to do with this?"

"...w-well...t-this is flammable..." She blushes, turning away. "...I-I don't want to burn it up on accident..."

His eyes widen in understanding. "Ah... right... that little quirk of this form..." He raids the fridge with his magic as levitates one red and one green apple out. He levitates the red over to her. "Apple to cool you off?"

"...t-thanks..." She grabs it and quickly stuffs it into her mouth, trying to keep herself from saying anything else embarrassing.

Rhino takes a bit of his own, more tart apple, chewing through a few bites before speaking again. "So... onto the next obstacle..." He motions his head towards his furry passenger.

She looks at the kitten for a moment. continuing to chew her own food. ...there's nothing against a vet bringing a pet to work, is there?

Well, I mean, no there isn't... He looks towards the stairs. What about the boys though? Isn't it unfair to let Selena come and not them? Or would they appreciate a day at home? I don't know...

...well, I suppose we can bring them. She giggles, heading out of the kitchen. Who knows? They might make the place a little livelier between appointments...

A short time later and the little family of five arrive at the clinic. Rhino is wearing his jacket, Gel is her semi-formal dress, Specter on the stallion's head, Selena still asleep on his back, and Mercury parked on Gel's back. The little ones all look up at the slightly familiar building as Rhino does his usual routine of opening it up and holding the door open for Gel. "After you."

She smiles at him and steps inside, caressing his cheek with her tail. "Such a gentlestallion."

He dumps his bag into his office and comes back to the front, checking the clock before turning to her. "Alright, Manila should be here any minute now, so anything last minute that you want to address?"

She taps her chin, looking at the fox on her back for a moment. "...will she be surprised we brought our pets here with us?"

He chuckles. "Probably, she didn't get to see them last time because after I gave them their shots they just stayed asleep in my office the whole time. She loves cute animals though, it'll be fine."

"Okay, then..." She glances around before pointing at a white box on the wall. "...is that a first aid kit, or something else?" She sheepishly smiles before sighing, rubbing the back of her neck. "...I can't think of any other questions, at the moment..."

The sound of the door sliding open causes Rhino to look towards it. Well, lucky you, you don't have to think of any others.

Manila waves as she sees the two ponies. "Hey you two!" She tilts her head as she gets closer. "Or should I say, you two plus a few." She giggles at the rhyme.

Gel smiles, nervous. "H-hi, Miss Manila...um..." She stands there for a second, her mind blanking on the words. She looks at the stallion, a bright blush on her cheeks. ...h-help?

He thinks the words to her. You want to know if you could apply for a job.

T-thanks. She quickly turns to the other mare, embarrassed. "...I-I was wondering...m-may I apply for a job here?"

The earth pony's ears fold back after a moment. "Oh... right... after last Friday..." She shakes her head and looks over Gel. "Hmm... one moment!" Manila dives behind her desk and the sounds of drawers, cabinets, and papers filling the air.

The white mare blinks at this, looking at her coltfriend once more. ...she really is that energetic, isn't she?

He nods. When she wants to be.

The other mare pops back up, a folder in her hooves and a professional demeanor on her face. She walks over to some of the seats and sits down, motioning to one of the spots in front of her with the pen in her mouth. "Have a seat."

She quietly nods and does as she's told, still blushing softly.

The green stallion shoots her a smile. You'll do great, love.

Manila clears her throat as Rhino sits a few seats away from Gel. The manila colored mare speaks seriously as she cracks open the folder and clicks the pen. "Alright then Miss Angel, tell me, why do you wish to work here, what positions are you looking at, and what prior experiences do you have?"

She nods, thinking to herself for a moment before responding. "...I-I'd like to work here...because I feel I could help out around here...I-I was hoping to be a...nurse, I guess? I-is that what you are?" She sheepishly smiles.

Manila lets a small smile through. "Technically, my title is office manager, but I do a variety of things around here. Mostly the job is paperwork, running the front desk, interacting with clients, but yes, when needed, we can function as nurses. Is that the job you are asking about?"

"Y-yes, please." She tilts her head to one side, thinking a bit. ...prior experiences...hmm... "...um...d-does being a...f-field medic count...i-if I've helped out gryphons and the like? O-or are you looking more along the lines of a...s-secretary? B-because I've been both..."

"Hmm.." The other mare jotts down a few notes. "It always helps to have both lines of experiences. So, you said you worked with griffins, any other non-pony sapient species?"

"...well...I've been around manticores..." She looks down, almost as if visualizing the creatures as she taps a hoof with every species. "...diamond dogs...minotaurs...several changelings...and I believe I met a cockatrice once...heard the call and closed my eyes until it left..." She shrugs as if it was nothing.

Manila had been scribbling down the list until they got to a particular item and her pen halted. "You said... changelings?"

"...um...y-yes..." She squirms in her seat, nervous. "...w-why do you ask?"

The mare clears her throat. "I umm, I assume this was during the... Canterlot invasion?"

She grimaces before turning her head down, unsure. "...n-not exactly...t-they were nice, and one of them was injured...I-I couldn't not help her...i-it would've been awful of me to do that..."

Manila stays quiet a moment. "Huh... I guess there's different ones in every group..." She scribbles down more notes. "Preferred hours and residence at which we can contact you?"

"...preferred hours?" She glances at Rhino for a moment, a small smile on her lips. "...the morning shift...and I believe you have my residence already..." She giggles, finally starting to feel relaxed.

The earth pony smiles. "And a very influential reference. Actually, on that note, there are a few things I should mention: we are fairly laid back on employee interactions here, given our small staff, but we ask that any interactions not related to work, not interfere with it. In short, if we have customers, watch yourselves, if we don't, feel free. Any questions about that or anything else?"

She stares at her for a moment. "...just a couple...what would you recommend a mare going through heat to do?" She holds her hooves up, blushing softly. "C-completely hypothetical, of course."

Manila waves a hoof. "It's alright, we all go through it. Well... there isn't a specific rule set, but I'd say just take whatever precautions you wish, and if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed while you are here, you may excuse yourself if you are with a patient to take whatever actions you need to get yourself under control again, as long as you have somepony cover for you or don't take too long."

"...okay...t-thank you for that..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...my other question...i-is about work attire..."

The mare tilts her head. "Ah yes, well, generally for the non-doctors we have scrubs in a few different colors. Does that answer your question?"

Gel nods, smiling softly. "...I think it does...and that's all the questions I had..."

"In that case, I have only one thing to say to you Miss Angel," Manila suddenly pulls out her camera from behind her.

"Smile!"

The white mare reflexively does as she's told, giving a small smile.

*Click*

Manila smiles as the picture scrolls out of the camera. She pops it into the folder and snaps it shut as she prances happily back to her desk. The sound of a typewriter comes from behind it as she motions down the hall. "Storage is the last room in the hall, please go there, strip, and find a set of scrubs that fit while I finish up a few things here. I should be all set by the time you come back"

She nods, even as she rushes down the corridor. ...that was...interesting... She looks ahead, noticing the door in question.

Rhino walks around to watch over Manila's shoulder as she works. True, but she did get all the important information... including some even I didn't know.

...yeah...I suppose I should've mentioned those when my memory came back... She opens the door and enters the closet. She rummages around for a moment before stopping, surprised. ...huh. They have two in exactly my size...both of my sizes... She giggles as she slips one on, the sky-blue fabric hugging her body perfectly. Aw, it even has cute little clouds!

Selena leaps off of Rhino's head and onto the desk next to the typewriter. The feline looks up at him and mews softly, almost looking expectantly at him.

I can't wait to see you in it. He leans down to the kitten. "Tired of observing? Or did you want something?"

She cranes her neck, staring pointedly at the bag with their food.

Gel nods and, putting the second set into a bag, heads back down the hall, glancing at the examination room as she passes. ...just out of curiosity...is there anything I should avoid saying around pets?

Nothing I can think of, every pet can have a different trigger word so there's no way to tell the pattern. He sees what the kitten is looking at. "Oh, right! You guys haven't had breakfast yet because you usually eat at home after I leave..." He pets Selena and Specter, who has been observing. "I'm sorry, it slipped my mind." He starts to get out each of their bowls and prepares the food.

Selena purrs, watching him do this for a moment before being distracted by the one she dubs "the Silver Menace". '...Mercury, what are you doing?'

At this moment, the white mare walks into the lobby, pausing at the entrance to the hall for a moment.

'...Nothing...' The silver fox creeps slowly up on Manila's unsuspecting back. He had scampered back towards the main area when Gel had started changing. The kit's tail swishes as he gets to a spot for prime pouncing.

'You're going to get in trouble.' She sniffs, turning up her nose. 'Stop being so uncouth before you do something you'll regret.'

'It'll be fine-' He is cut off by the sound of his food hitting the bottom of his bowl. He immediately stops his intended assault and walks quickly over to his bowl, his small teeth buried in the omnivore chow almost instantly.

Selena sighs softly, turning to look at the office manager nearby. She mews, walking up and rubbing up against her briefly.

Gel giggles, watching this scene. "...it seems our little princess has taken a liking to you, Miss Manila..."

The earth mare seems to shiver as she quickly finishes up her work. "That's good... but I need to finish before I can..." she suddenly slaps the folder shut as she reaches the end of the paper, "done!" She scoops up the kitten and rubs her nose with her own. "Oh my goodness aren't you a sweet little thing!"

The small ball of bluish-gray fur purrs happily, enjoying the attention being lavished upon her.

The disguised changeling just watches this, bumping Rhino's side with her elbow. ...isn't that a cute sight, love?

Rhino tears his eyes away from watching the two male pets eat. Hmm? Aww... yes it is... He starts to turn back to the other but gets a glimpse of Gel, drawing his attention. Well... hello~ nurse...

She blushes brightly, her gaze turning to him. ...um...t-thanks for your approval... She flicks her tail across his snout as she approaches the desk, casting a lidded look over her shoulder at him. Maybe I'll wear something similar for our next 'fun time'.

His face burns brightly with a blush as the images flood his brain.

While Rhino struggles to reboot his brain, Manila sets Selena down on her desk to pet her while she slides a nametag over to Gel with her picture on it. "There you go, all set. I just need to discuss something with Sis and we'll be all set."

Gel stares blankly at her for a moment before it hits her. "Oh, you mean Doctor Goodall...o-okay, then..." She picks up the nametag and heads back over to her stallion, gently kissing his cheek. "...Doctor..."

He smiles at the kiss, even as he continues blushing. "Y-yes?"

"...w-what would you like me to do?" She glances around, curious. She notices their kitten climbing onto the typewriter and curling up, a small smile on her lips. ...um...regarding our pets, I mean...

He chuckles as he looks at the little ones. "I don't see anything wrong, I figure we let them play." Manila walks over to the two other pets and they begin to try to climb her. "See? Manila agrees."

...i-if you say so... She coughs politely, giving her best polite smile. "...s-so...h-how was your weekend?" ...I wonder if I need to work on my small talk...

Manila turns from the pets for a brief moment. "In a word? Lazy." She giggles before going back to the fuzzy creatures.

At that moment, the door to the clinic opens up and Doctor Goodall walks in. "She's right, but we all need a lazy weekend now and then."

Gel snaps to attention, smiling nervously at the new arrival. "G-good morning, Doctor Goodall!" ...why am I so jumpy today?

The vet smiles. "No need to be nervous..." she quickly peeks at the nametag, "...Angel. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure of what to call you. Anyways, yes, good morning!" She takes another look at the unicorn mare, noticing the outfit. "Did I miss something?"

Manila nods, pushing Rhino next to her sister and pulling Gel next to herself. "Everyone, meet our new official in-training co-office manager as well as Doctor Rhino's assistant, and the unofficial Changeling expert of the clinic." She turns to Gel quickly. "Bear in mind though that the last title is of an advisory role, all actions must be done by Mane or Rhino due to legal reasons." She squeezes Angel in a hug. "Welcome to the crew!"

Rhino and Mane give hoofstomps of applause as Manila pins the tag on the mare's scrub shirt.

She gives them a small, forced smile, her eye twitching slightly. "T-thank you. I-I couldn't ask for a better place to work." ...Rhino? I think I'll need that first aid kit, now...

He cringes as the sisters start talking quietly and rapidly in a huddle. The pin got you didn't it? Well, the rule is to leave it in until you can deal with it, so can you hold on for a minute until we can get away from these two?

...I guess I can... She walks over to the desk, where Selena is pouncing on the keys, typing up some random gibberish on the paper inside it. ...aw...with a little practice, I bet she could write a message to us... She giggles, shaking her head.

I wonder what she would say... The sisters wave a hoof for him to join the huddle. One second love... Apparently I'm being summoned. He joins their hushed conversation.

The odd mare out looks over at them, tilting her head to one side. ...you know, it's times like these I wish the psychic link would pick up what you're saying and hearing... She sighs and glances at the other two pets, smiling softly at them. "...did you enjoy your meal?"

She doesn't notice the kitten leaping off the desk and heading towards her own bowl.

Specter nods as he nibbles on the nut he is still holding. Mercury goes up to Gel and starts curling around her hooves, peeking his head out towards the group of whispering ponies in curiosity.

The white mare giggles, happily petting the kit. "...are you wondering what they're saying, too, my little fox?"

Suddenly, the whispering stops and all three ponies turn to face her. Manila claps her hooves together. "Alright, last minute announcements: Due to a 33% increase in number of employees, the staff shall now be divided into two teams. Morning Squad will consist of Doctor Rhino and Angel, where Afternoon Squad shall be Doctor Goodall and myself. Morning shall work until lunch, Afternoon shall come in a little before lunch to allow overlap time in case of overflow of patients. Questions?"

Gel blinks, her mind slowly catching up with the other mare's words. She shakes her head, smiling softly. "...I-I don't think so..."

"In that case, Mane and I are going to go be lazy for a few hours before we have to come back. Anything you need to know is on the various instructions located on the desk, and I'm sure Rhino will answer any questions that may come up. If anything doesn't get solved with either of those, ask me when we get back." She and Doctor Goodall are already halfway out the door, happy to have mornings off now. "Have fun you two!"

Rhino waves to them before suddenly dipping his head and sliding it underneath Angel so that she slides onto his back sideways. "Time to deal with my first patient of the day."

She blushes, trying to keep her eyes off of him. "...o-okay, Doctor..."

The three pets watch the retreating ponies a moment before they all head over to the desk and start climbing all over it and the chair.

Meanwhile, Rhino heads down the hall to the examination room and grabs the first aid kit with his magic along the way. He arrives at the examination room and slides her onto the metal table. "Now, let's take a look at that wound."

She sighs softly, pulling off the shirt and removing the pin in one smooth motion. As soon as she does, a drop of blue starts to form on her chest. "...it's...not too bad, I guess..."

He parts her coat so he can get a clearer view. "Clean entry, no tearing, a little deep for my tastes but it's not too bad..." He uses a tissue to wipe the blood off before disinfecting the area, drying it off again, putting some ointment, and finally ending it with a kiss on her lips. "There you go, it should be forgotten by the end of the day."

She blushes brightly, giving him a sly look. "...why, Doctor...do you treat all your patients this way?" She playfully nuzzles his cheek before sliding her top back on. She stares at the pin, and the blue liquid on its tip. "...so...d-do you know how to put it on...without being jabbed?"

He simply grabs her shirt in his magic, pulls it out slightly, and pushes the pin through a wrinkle he creates. When he lets go of the shirt, it simply drapes back onto her chest, nametag in place. "Now if only you had one that said 'Has a protective coltfriend' we'd be all set."

Her cheeks flush even more. "...um...I-I'd hope we wouldn't need it...b-but that's just my opinion..."

He smiles as he gives her a kiss on the cheek. "I feel the same, but as a slightly paranoid pony about some things, I don't dismiss the possibility of needing that." He holds out a hoof to help her off the table. "Shall we see what the little ones are up to?"

She gratefully takes the hoof, nodding quietly. "...s-sure..."

He helps her off the table and the two head back towards the front, their tails unintentionally entwining. They walk into the lobby to and entertaining sight. Selena is playing around on the typewriter again, scribing more gibberish onto the page. Specter is playing with the cup of pens, taking each one out and swinging it in an almost sword-like motion. Finally, Mercury has gotten into some of the drawers and is popping his head out of them like a meerkat before diving back in and coming out of a different drawer.

Gel smiles, shaking her head. "...I can't believe how cute this all is..." She looks at the squirrel, confused. ...is he...fighting an invisible enemy, or is it just me?

Rhino smiles. I think it's more like he's testing different weapons. Either way, that's your desk they've taken over.

She tilts her head to one side, thinking about this a bit. ...I suppose it is, huh? I don't have the heart to tell them to stop, though... She sighs, leaning against his side.

They stay silent a moment before he send a thought her way. I feel like we're both going to be pushover parents...

Probably. She looks up at him, an eyebrow raised. Do you think I'll have to pull drill sergeant if they get out of line? Because I don't like doing that...

He thinks a moment. Only if it gets really bad. Generally harshness is only required in extreme circumstances. Besides, I can muster up my stern side if I need to... the problem is keeping it.

She nods, turning to look at their pets for a few more seconds. ...I suppose we'll find out when it comes to that...

***

The couple drop the little ones off at home after work, the pets falling asleep after an active day. Rhino and Gel then head out to do some errands, ending with a trip to the dairy barn at the farm. As Rhino heads in to get the supplies, Gel is left leaning against the barn wall outside with her thoughts.

She sighs, unsure of what to do. ...I suppose I could just...no, I've had enough apple bucking to last a lifetime...their apples are still good, though...

The sudden sound of flapping wings draws her attention upward. A blue pegasus stallion with white mane and tail lands close and looks appraisingly at her before a familiar pressure presses against her mind.

She frowns at him, an eyebrow raised as she actively resists the sensation. "...can I...help you?"

He blinks in confusion before looking around. Seeing nopony else near, he says a single word. "Colonel."

She flinches, leaning close and lowering her voice. "...enough of that...my target is nearby, so he might overhear..." She clears her throat before smiling softly at him. "...call me...Angel...okay?" Even as she does this, she wonders what to do about this situation. ...should I call for Rhino? No, this soldier would get suspicious if I did... "...this...might not be a good time...he's really...protective..."

The disguised changeling looks toward the barn before nodding and speaking quietly. "Very well, ma'am. I'll approach again at a better time. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I'm not sure..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...maybe in a couple of days...but until then..." She gives him a quick salute. "Keep on your guard, soldier." ...I really wish I knew who this was...or his rank, at the very least...

He gives her one in return. "Yes ma'am. Sergeant 273 out." He takes off and after a few seconds is indistinguishable from any other pegasus out for a flight.

Gel blinks, following the retreating changeling with her eyes for a few moments. "...I suppose that settles that, then..." She shrugs and looks around, curious. "...now...where is that stallion of mine?"

Said stallion exits the barn a moment later, laden with his usual load of pure dairy product. "Ready to head home, love?"

She smiles softly, happily nuzzling his cheek. "...definitely..."