Ruby had been back at work for a month. Nearly everything went back to routine. She caught up with her work friends. She got to know almost all the new people, all but one. Luke was all business with her. He seemed like he didn’t like her. He was friendly and would talk to everyone else. She didn’t know what was wrong with him, but Ruby was determined to fix him.
Ruby did everything she could to get Luke to like her. She tried to talk to him about fluffies. He just nodded. She tried to cook or bake him some things, but he politely refused. Tried to offer to go out for drinks or dinner. He would turn her down. Offer to get him something. He would deny. He denied her every offer. Her co-workers asked her to stop but she couldn’t. Her world wasn’t right and she had to fix it.
Dave was trying to convince Ruby to leave Luke alone when the room went quiet. Everyone turned to look at the person that just walked off the elevator.
The woman paid no mind to the people around her. She was use to people going quiet and staring at her. Though the fluffies hanging off her shoulders were more interesting. The fluffies weren’t like any they seen before. One was black with a red mane and tail and green eyes. The other blue with light gray mane, tail and shocks, and red and gold eyes. They both had cat eyes, large bat wings and cow horns.
The fluffies looked at Ruby and hissed, revealing their sharp teeth. They turned back and whispered something in the woman’s ears. The woman nodded and patted their heads.
Ruby wanted to cry. The fluffies didn’t like her, but fluffies liked everybody. She grabbed a mirror on a near by desk and checked herself. She smelled herself. She looked and smelled normal. What did she do wrong?
Ruby shook away any self doubt. No, it wasn’t something about her that was wrong. It was something about them. They didn’t look or act like normal fluffies. That had to be the reason, nothing else made since.
Luke stood up. “Oh, hi Alice, it’s lunch time already.”
Alice smiled. “Yes, now hurry, we don’t have long.”
Luke grabbed his coat and hop to meet Alice. He hoped his plan to get Ruby to leave him alone worked. People had a habit of thinking him and Alice were more than friends, including their fluffies. For once, they were going to act on it a little. Anything to get that fake girl away from him.
The black and red fluffy hopped into Luke’s arms and made a loud purring noise. She was happy to see her human daddy, even if he said he wasn’t. She knew the truth, they all knew the truth even if he didn’t.
Ruby watch them leave in shock and horror. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. She didn’t understand what happened or why she felt the way she did. She had to know who that woman was. “Who was that?” she asked no one in particular.
Dave answered, he was in on it. “That was his girlfriend, Dr. Alice. I heard something about her taking him out to lunch for awhile to make him feel a lot more safe at work.” He crossed his arms and have her a hard look. “I wouldn’t know why?”
Ruby wanted to disappear, she never felt this embarrassed, sad, and angry. This couldn’t be happening. Not to her. She did nothing wrong. She was just being nice and to be his friend. Someone, someone there told lies about her and made him not like her. That had to be it. There was no other way. But who? Who would do such a thing?
Dolly rubbed her belly feeling her babies move. She was both sad and happy. She wanted babies of her own, but she got them through bad special huggies. She wanted a Special Friend of her very own. But mummah didn’t want that. She wanted Feather’s Special Friend Beloved to be the father. At first she hated Beloved and Feather for what they done. They told her it was necessary. They would be punished, mummah gave the worst punishment if they didn’t stay in line. She didn’t believe them, until she gave them sorry poopies. Mummah beat her face calling her a worthless low life shit factory. Then she made Dolly clean up her poopies from Feather and Beloved and the floor. She made the other to fluffies insult her while she did it. If they didn’t do it, she would hit them in the face until the said exactly what she told them to. After the poopies were clean she gave Beloved a shot and made him gave Dolly bad enfies in her poopie place while he insulted her and made her say she was enjoying it. She was left in the sorry box for two days. After a bath she was put back in the safe room.
Beloved and Feather cuddled and groomed her while she cried. She understood. She finally understood they were victims just like her and their mummah was a monster. Just like her mummah from before her nice mummah. She missed her. Nice mummah was strict, but she wasn’t mean. She never hurt them.
The rest of her pregnancy to this point had been peaceful. Beloved treated her the same as Feather. He helped her to the litter box, got her food. Helped with her grooming. Everything he did for Feather, he did for Dolly. He wanted them to be happy so his foals would be healthy.
Dolly whined. “Bewobed, tummy hab bad owwies.”
Beloved ran towards Dolly. “Am babbehs comings?”
Dolly nodded. “Babbehs comings.”
Beloved did what their mummah told him to. He went over to Feather and put his weight on her to make her go into labor. He called out to their mummah.
Ruby ran in 30 minutes later. She throw Beloved out and prepared the birthing area for the two mare. She lay they mare down side by side. She tied up tails. She set up a electronic foot bath. She set it a safe temperature for the newborns. And set aside some towels.
The first foal slid out of Dolly. Dolly tried to turn around to see her foal. She was smack and told to focus on delivering the rest. Ruby cleaned the foal and set it to the side.
Ten healthy foals were delivered by both mares. Some were born patterned, and some had more solid colors and some of them with a strip or two in their stubby tails. Three were earthies, three were pegasus, two were unicorns and two alicorns. Ruby thought it wasn’t bad for their first real litters.
Ruby show Feather the foals. “Look at all your pretty and good babies, Feather.”
Feather smelled the foals. She knew not all of them were hers. But they all smelled like they were hers. She couldn’t tell the difference between her babies and Dolly’s. She panicked. “Which babbehs am Feathew’s babbehs?”
Ruby smiled. Her plan worked perfectly. “They are all your babies silly. Dolly didn’t have babies. She not a mummah. She’s a wet nurse, nothing more.” She set the towel down. “Feed you babies, Dolly will help you.” Ruby left and let Beloved in.
Beloved looked at his foals. Four had already found their way to a teat between the mares. “Babbehs am su pwetty.” He looked at the two mares and frowned. They didn’t look happy. “Wat am wwong?”
Dolly let her tears fall. “Dowwy nu know which babbehs am Dowwy’s, aww smeww wike Fowwy’s, smeww wike Feathew’s babbehs too. Mummah says Feathah onwy am mummah, Dowwy am nothin’ buh nuwse.”
Beloved hugged Dolly. “Am otay’ Dowwy, shawe babbehs. 'Ou mummah too, know in heawt, nu say, buh know in heawt. Aww babbehs am Dowwy babbehs too.” He started to groom her.
Feather agreed. “Yes, we shawe babbehs. Feathah an’ Dowwy boff mummah, buh nu say.”
Dolly hugged Beloved back. She felt better.
Ruby laughed at her cell phone. They think they can circumvent her little set up. They would learn. When they messed up, they would learn who decides which role they have. Until that time. She had another problem to deal with. She had to get her work life perfect again.
their reaction shows they knew more bout her than herself.