"I don’t understand why she gave you those things." Peter moved out of the way as Egon carried a currently unoccupied large square wire cage over to a vacant spot on one of the lab tables. "Didn’t you tell her I hate rats?"

"Yes," replied Egon as he stood back a bit, analyzing the cage position with the potential of the occupants to pull something in through the bars. Satisfied all was safe, he turned to Peter. "I suspect that was a significant factor in her decision. She said something about you growing up and facing your fears." Humor sparkled in his blue eyes as Peter scowled.

"Aw, c’mon Peter." Ray grinned while cuddling one of the pink-eyed white-furred creatures in question in his hands, idly scratching it behind the ears. "Give them a chance. They make great pets!" Taking a step closer to Peter, he made a motion to hand the rat over.

"They’re rats Ray! And keep it away from me!" he cried as he backed away, hands up in defense against the fearsome rodent.

Holding another of the rodents up before him, Winston stared at the whiskered face as it stared back. "The man can face Gozer but he runs from a rat," he chuckled, offering the creature to Janine.

"Yeah, they’re cute in an ugly sort of way," she commented as the rat crawled into her open hands. Sniffing the air, it made its way up her arm to perch on her shoulder. It scanned the room from the new vantage point before sniffing at Janine’s ear ring then sticking its nose in her ear. Laughing, she cried, "Ah! That tickles!"

Peter looked at the white rat, looked hard at Egon then back at Janine and said, "What is this bizarre obsession you have with blond lab rats?"

"They’re really smart too," Ray pipped in. "You can teach them tricks just like a dog. Isn’t that right, Matilda?" he cooed to the grooming creature in his hands. As if in appreciation, she began licking his fingers. "Aw, look! She’s giving me kisses!"

"That’s disgusting!" Peter commented from near the empty cage, currently deemed a safe distance from the rodents. "Who knows what diseases you could catch!"

"Really, Peter," Egon chastised as he took Matilda from Ray. "This is a domestic animal, not a wild rat. They came from a lab. They’re perfectly safe." Peter retreated quickly as Egon walked over to the cage. Opening the front door, he deposited the rat back into the cage.

"What are you gonna do with them, Egon?" Winston asked as he petted the other one, which had made its way back down to Janine’s hands. The rat closed its eyes in contentment, almost seeming to smile.

"I’ll use them in some of my experiments," replied Egon as he came to retrieve the rodent. He offered open hands for Janine to place the rat in.

"You aren’t going to hurt them, are you?" she asked as she held the one a little closer.

"They’re pets! You can’t hurt them!" cried Ray.

"No, Janine, they will not be harmed," he assured her as she handed it over. "And they are not pets, Ray. They are only for experiments."

"Not pets, huh?" Peter asked from the doorway, the new safe haven in the room. "Then what’s with all the toys in the cage?"

"Environmental enrichment has been proven to increase the folds in the brain," explained Egon as he placed the rat back with its companion. Unnoticed by the others, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple tiny round dog treats. Giving one to each and a quick scratch on the head, he closed the cage door.

Peter sighed, "And that means...?"

"Makes them smarter. Maybe we should try giving you a wheel to run in," quipped Ray, smiling smugly as he headed past Peter out of the lab and completely missing the glare he was given.

"Or his own cage," commented Janine. Winston tried unsuccessfully to keep from laughing.

Peter glowered at Janine, "Don’t you have paperwork that needs filing?" With a satisfied smirk, Janine left the lab with a grinning Winston in tow.

Egon made to leave but stopped in front of Peter, about to say something. Before he could speak, Peter snapped, "Whatever it is, don’t say it!" Eyes glinting and a smile on his lips, Egon retreated leaving a scowling Peter in his wake.

Leaning against the door frame, Peter watched the caged rodents in morbid fascination. One ran with gusto in the shiny metal wheel while the other bounced around the cage before stopping and getting a drink from the water bottle. It then leaped onto its wheel-running cage mate and the two began play-wrestling with an occasional game of chase.

Peering down the hallway in both directions, Peter listened for any sound of his colleagues’ possible approach. Hearing nothing, he quietly crept closer to the cage until he stood before it. Sensing someone in the room, the two rats gave up their antics and dashed to the front of the cage, pushing their noses through the bars. Peter stared nervously at the twitching whiskers and beady pink eyes looking at him expectantly.

Noticing a sandwich bag containing some of the tiny round dog treats, he reached over tentatively and plucked out two treats while not once removing his eyes from the caged creatures. The rats watched his movements with extreme interest, as if they knew what he had reached for. He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder to be sure he was safe from notice.  Swallowing hard and wishing he could keep his hands from trembling, he took one treat in his fingers and slowly offered it to one of them through the bars of the cage. The first rat gingerly placed its teeth on the treat and took it from him. It then dashed up a ladder onto a shelf to eat its treasure in peace. The other rat waited patiently as Peter took the next treat and, a touch more boldly, offered it to the eager face. Taking the treat, it dashed over to a corner. The rat sat up on its hauches while holding the treat in its front paws and nibbled away at it.

Sighing quietly in relief, Peter stood up and turned to go. He paused for a moment at the door way, looking back at the rodents as they resumed their chase and wrestle games. Okay, maybe they aren’t so bad, he thought with a smile.

* * *