((NOTE! This takes place before the Registration)

Ruby scampered into the pet shop, pratically dragging her father along with her. The now fourteen year old fox girl's belly was filled up with cake and candy as well as good wishes from everyone. But her father had a suprise for her and she didnt figure it out untill they pulled out infront of Hugo's massive pet emporium.

The store had thousands of critters waiting to be taken home by people of all ages and now her father had promised to get Ruby a small pet as long as she took good care of it. Now Vincent had offered Emerald the same thing on her birthday but she had politely declined due to the fact that a certain cat that lived at the mansion had taken a liking to her.

Ruby though, was estatic and looked at all of the animal's with great wonder. The Fox girl had her ears and tail covered but if she didnt they would both be moving at a mile a minute.

"Daddy what type of pet should I get?!" Ruby asked, eyes filled with child like glee.

Vincent had thoroughly enjoyed his youngest daughter’s fourteenth birthday. The bemused look on Ruby’s face as he’d bundled her into the car and headed off made him smile, only to be trumped by the look of joy when they arrived at their destination.

Before he knew it his arm was almost wrenched from its socket as he was hauled into the building as his daughter stared around in wide eyed wonderment. “You can get whatever pet you want,” he answered, “though there is one rule. It must be a pet that you can look after on your own. This will be your pet, not the family’s yours. That makes it your responsibility, understand?”

Ruby nodded furiously, looking around curiously. She went over to the fish, distracted by the shiny colors, the kit looked around but then began to note the lifespan of the fish. She felt her ears droop beneath her hat, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her pants.

"Wow....they might die before I even get them to the mansion." Ruby stated, before wandering to look elsewhere. She had seen rats, mice and Gerbils but none really appealed to her.

She finally met up with her father again in the middle of the squeaky toy aisle, looking at a stuffed pheasant.

"Thinking about getting that for mom," Ruby asked curiously, she paused for a moment. "Daddy, do you think you can help me look for a pet?"

((Vincent is the one that takes her to the ferrets and notes how smart they are.))

“How’d you guess?” said Vincent with a smile as he turned to face Ruby, “Do you think she’ll like it?” When he heard her ask for his help in looking for a pet he took her by the hand and led her towards one of the aisles.

“I had a look around while you were searching and came across these little fellers,” he said pointing to the ferrets, “What do you think of them?” He wondered what his daughter would make. It was there intelligence that had attracted him to them. The seemed like smart animals.

Ruby's eyes widened, looking at the little weasel like creatures. She saw ferets ranging in diffrent colors an styles untill one little one caught her eye. The creature was sleeping in the corner, curled up in a sock of some kind. It was mostly a brownish black but it had a stripe leading from its ears all the way down to its nose. The stripe though, looking like an F shape but it wasnt just any shape.

"Daddy! Look the little ferret in the corner, on his head, Its the helix symbol!"The little genius exclaimed.

Vincent looked closely at the ferret that Ruby was pointing at. The little fox girl was right, it did have the helix symbol on its head. Smiling he turned to Ruby and said “That’s a strange marking, but you’re right, it does look like the helix symbol. So, you interested?”

Over Ruby’s shoulder he gestured for one of the shop assistants to come over so they could get the ferret out for Ruby to have a closer look at it.

The out of breath assitant hustled over to the ferret tank with a small smile on her face. She saw the ferret the fox girl was gesturing to and picked it up gently from its sleep sack. She briefed the two Lupin Family members on Ferrets care. Such as food, cages, hamokk and sleep sack bedding, a somewhat large cage to accomadate it when she was done she saw the look in the young girls eyes, so determined to be a good ferret owner.

"Well it looks like you will have all you need after a bit of buying but there is one final test." The pet store employe stated right after explaining vetnary visits.

She placed the small male ferret in Ruby's outsreched hands, watching its reaction. The Ferret looked around, looking up at the fox girl. He woke up a bit more and scurried up Ruby's arm and around her neck. The creature nuzzled her cheek causing the fox girl to giggle happily.

The pet shop woman grinned. "Looks like you found a new family member, what are you gonna name the six month year old blaze ferret?"

"Helix" Ruby responded, holding the ferret in her arms, making it squeak as it wiggled in her arms. She looked up at her father pleadingly, "Please daddy, he already likes me."

Vincent couldn’t help but smile at Ruby as he watched her with the ferret. There was no doubt about it, this would be her pet. “He’s all yours Ruby, just remember all the things you have to do. We’ll be there to help you out if you need it, but he’s your responsibility.”

He was ready to buy Helix everything he needed, but he would wait for Ruby to go and pick it all out.

Ruby picked out a a cage and a bowl and all such items, walking in the store with helix on her shoulder. She then let the boy ferret decide on his sleep sack and hammok. The creature chosse one sack covered with equations and the hammok covered with foxes. Ruby smiled happily at the litle critter, hugging it happily, he chittered in response.

Ruby then picked up the stuffed pheasant and handed it to her father. "Thats perfect for mom." Ruby grinned as she gave Helix a stuffed mouse to play with.

Vincent followed Ruby, approving of all her choices. When they reached the stuffed toy section h looked briefly at the pheasant again that he had been thinking of getting Jade. Before he knew it the pheasant was shoved into his hands by Ruby.

Grinning at his daughter he looked over at the checkout before asking, “So, is that everything Helix needs?”

Ruby nodded, cuddling the ferret again. He made a tiny sqeaky noise before crawling on her shoulder. She giggled happily before hugging her father tightly, well as tightly as a fourteen year old can hug.

"Oh you're the best Daddy in the whole wide world!" Ruby exclaimed, while Helix nuzzled her father's cheek happily. The little ferret seemed to be happy he was going home with the youngest Lupin sister.

Vincent smiled and hugged his little girl back. She’d made a good choice, as the ferret clearly liked her. And him apparently, judging from the cheek nuzzling he was getting. “Come on then,” he said breaking the hug and placing his hands back on the trolley, “Let’s go pay for this.”

He worked his way through the crowd towards the check out slipping into one of the queues. “So,” he asked Ruby in a casual tone of voice, “What’s been your best present today?”

Ruby held Helix close to her as she looked up at her father happily.

"Well besides being with all of my family with lots of cake and candy, it was defiantly getting my newest friend," Ruby grinned, patting the ferret on the head. "Daddy I am gonna teach him all kinds of stuff and then he can be my assistant in the workshop. It will be so cool! Thank you so much for getting him for me!"

Helix squeaked happily, crawling on his 'Mommy's' shoulder, ferret tail wagging a bit.

“I see,” said Vincent as the reached the cashier who began to ring up their items, “So like how I got a little fox to help me in the lab you’re going to get a little ferret?” Grinning at Ruby he handed over his credit card and typed in his pin number.

With everything in the trolley he headed for the exit, “So, you reckon that Helix will be ok riding up front with you or should we strap him in the back?”

Ruby looked at her father aghast as if he had just said a bad word.

"Daddy you can't make Helix ride in the back, he might get car sick!" Ruby exclaimed with a gasp.

Helix looked at Vincent and nodded before stumbling about on Ruby's shouder acting as if he was drunk. The Ferret let out another squeak like noise before crawling into Ruby's shirt pocket and curling up in it.

"He is very comfy where he is." Ruby told her father with a pleading look.