//I'm sure our students will weep at the thought,// Jono muttered, down on his hands and knees, trying to coax a hissing Joni out from under the sofa. //Or just be angry that we didn't take them along with us, I suppose.//

This was getting ridiculous, Fandom. Ridiculous and horrible. Mostly horrible.

//Whatever's close to hand,// Jono replied, managing to get his hand on one of Joni's hind legs and getting swiped at for his troubles. //Son of a--//

Well, at least he had the cat, now. Though she wasn't terribly thrilled to be had.

//... No, that would've been smart,// Jono muttered, stuffing Joni into her carrier and then latching the door shut. //Is Beethoven in there with you? I got Joni. She got me, too.//

//... I'm not going to ask what you're doing. I have the feeling it's better I don't know.//

Jono gathered the carrier containing the yowling kitten under one arm, and then went to collect Hendrix, who promised to be significantly more easygoing about the whole ordeal than Joni was. Because, really, if a tree frog caused him that sort of grief, he'd start to worry about the state of affairs here on the island.

//Excellent. I'll be there just as soon as...// Into the container went the frog, and Jono paused to make sure there was enough moisture to last them the trip. He'd stop at a pet shop for crickets when they got where they were going. //... As I get in there.//

A few moments later, in Jono came, carrying two pets and an empty carrier.

...

//Really?//

Well, it had worked.

//Here,// Jono sighed, setting Joni and Hendrix down and making his way to the suitcase to collect Beethoven. //I'll remedy that.//

Good luck with that one if Beethoven saw the carrier, Starsmore.

Jono slid one hand under Beethoven's front legs, and then did his best to get the other under his behind, scooping up the armload of cat and giving Hannibal a nod.

//You get the carrier, I'll cram him in there?//

Manhandling Beethoven into one of those things was a two person job at least.

And now they had two angry cats and one very mellow frog, as Jono closed the door on Beethoven and latched it shut.

//Cranky old bloke has no idea how lucky he is right now,// Jono muttered, stepping back to survey the small menagerie. //Ah well. He'll like it at the mansion. Unless something blows it up, I suppose.//

Just go ahead and jinx it, Jono, sure.

//God, yes. Please, let's.// Jono grabbed his suitcase, tucked Hendrix neatly under one armpit, and then picked up Joni's bag. //The sooner we get the hell away from that, the sooner we... well, don't have to listen to it, mostly.//

Which was a win in Jonothon's book.

Ah, but at least they'd shut up eventually, or wander off and scream elsewhere.

//Oh thank God,// Jono muttered, stalking across the lawn toward the mansion, equally relieved to hear that Joni was calming down a little, too.

"..." said the sun.

Jono gave his shoulders a shrug.

//Nothing that Logan saw fit to warn me about recently, and everyone looks more or less in one piece and in a decent frame of mind. I don't suppose, 'it's nearly the weekend' warrants a warning, does it?//

It was hard to tell around here.

//Safest bet,// Jono agreed, nodding down at one of the students as they came to investigate the cats. Of course now Joni was being a little angel, purring and rubbing her face against the fingers poking through the bars of her carrier.

Traitor.

//In is quiet. Definite points in favour of in, right there.//