Chapter 8

Wheels In Motion

"Open Season, Rick speaking." His rich mellow voice gave Gwen tiny shivers of delight. The sound of dance music filling the background.

"Hey Sweetie!" Gwen chirped into the phone.

"Gwen? Hey love what's up?"

"Hey, is Mike working with you tonight?"

"Mike? Yeah, he's here, what's up love?"

"Did you hear about that wreck downtown tonight?"

"The bus and semi? Yeah, good thing no one was seriously hurt, why?" Rick asked, somewhat puzzled.

Gwen said as calmly as she could, "Because we were _almost_in the middle of it." Rick's blood ran cold.

"Oh my God! Honey, are you all okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine love. The girls are soaking it out in the hot tub." Gwen smiled into the phone, "I was thinking, Cassy might like to talk with Mike, that's all."

I could hear the grin in her voice. "Oookay, I get it. Doing a little matchmaking, are we?" Rick glanced over to Mike at the end of the bar.

"Maybe." Gwen said coyly

"Sure, I can probably drag Mike home with me--what should I tell him?"

Gwen paused, Thinking for a moment, "Tell him--tell him that we were almost involved in that big wreck downtown, which we were, and that Cassy was very shaken up by it, and would he mind coming over, to... to _comfort_her. Yeah, that's it, comfort her." Gwen grinned mischievously. Loki was dancing in her glowing green eyes.

"Gotcha. You're evil, you know that. I like it." Rick chuckled to his soul mate.

Gwen giggled.

"So, how's Kel taking it?"

"Oh, Glad to be alive, horny," Gwen paused, " She _likes_you, you know..." Her voice trailed off, the grin on her muzzle dazzling in the dark kitchen.

"Um, uh...yeah. But Gwen..." I had a sinking feeling--I _knew_where this conversation was going.

"All I'm saying love...is I wouldn't mind sharing our bed with her tonight, if it comes to that, ya know?" Gwen Trilled,I nodded.

"Uh-huh, Okay, I love you." I knew enough not to argue when she knew I was beat. Kel _had_just gotten out of a bad relationship, and I was the one she came to for moral support. . .

Gwen chuckled, "Okay, love you. See you two in a few hours. I'll have dinner waiting for you when you get here."

"Really, great! What are you planning?" I asked with interest.

"Grandma's special Damianna spaghetti sauce and angel hair pasta."

I knew that Damianna was a known aphrodisiac and mild euphoric. With Gwen adding it to pasta sauce, it would make for a very interesting meal. "You're_evil_, I love you." I said, blowing her a kiss over the phone.

"C-ya!" Gwen replied. Hanging up the phone, she got the sauce on the stove. Lots of garlic, oregano, thyme, basil and two large handfuls of Damianna went into two quarts of her marinara. A cup of Zinfandel to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes Two hours _should_be about right. Setting the sauce to simmer, and holding her paws over the pot she invoked joy and love into the sauce. Pink and purple sparkles drifted from her out stretched paws and incorporated into the sauce. She gave a self-satisfied smile, and then went to check on the girls.

"Answering a call of nature?" Cassy asked.

Cocking her head to the side, "Something like that." a mischievous grin blossoming on her muzzle "Okay, this has _officially_become a Sleep-over, and there's No getting out of it." Gwen chuckled.

Kel and Cassy just stared at each other a moment, grinning at the idea.

"Now _THAT_sounds like Fun!" Cassy flashed a grin back at her.

"What's cooking Gwen?" Kel asked, sniffing a savory scent in the air. "Besides Wench stew in the hot tub!" she chuckled.

"My special spaghetti sauce, it's my grand's recipe and I think you'll like it." Gwen nodded.

"What can we help you with?" Kel asked, including Cassy as well.

"I don't know, let's see what we can whip up, this is a celebration of Life, after all." Gwen beamed holding up two fluffy towels.

I hung up the phone. Surveying the premises it wasn't to bad a crowd, for a Thursday night. I watched Mike pop the caps on six bottles of beer in rapid-fire succession.

"Hey Mike! Come here a minute."

"YO! Whazzup, Ha-Coona?"

"You're free tonight, right? No plans?"

"Nope, what you got in mind?" Mike asked, drying his paws on a bar towel.

"Um, that was Gwen on the phone..."

"Oh? How's their 'Girls-Night-Out going? Aren't they planning on coming by here later?" Mike asked hopefully.

"Um that_was_the plan. That's why she called..." I hedged.

"Uh-oh, what happened?" Mike sensed something was amiss, real concern on his face.

At this point I was trying to keep my voice even. "You know that big wreck down town, earlier?" "Yeah, it was on the news, nasty!" Mike pointed to the T.V. mounted on the wall. "Yeah. Well they were_almost_in the middle of it..." "Oh my God! Are--are they all right?" Mike asked, visibly paling.

"Yeah, they're all at home. It's just that Cassy was pretty badly shaken up--hell, they _all_were. Gwen was calling to ask if you might be able to come home with me after work and give Cassy a bit of aid and comfort." Rick asked, placing his paw on mikes shoulder.

"Oh my God, sure, no problem. Cassy's okay, right?" Mike asked, quite rattled. He had seen the breaking news coverage. And the thought of Kel's powder puff in the middle of it chilled him to the core of his soul.

"Thanks Mike. Oh, by the way, Gwen will have dinner waiting for us."

"Cool." Mike shook himself out of his reverie, "Glad they are all okay, that was a hell of a wreck." Turning back to the crowd. "OKAY! Who's next?"

The house was filled with the rich heady aromas of Italian cooking. The girls were in the dining room wrapped in terrycloth robes chatting and putting the finishing touches on an antipasti tray. When I entered the front door, Mike on my heels, I was floored by the scents. "Wow, smell _that?"_Mike asked me. Being Sicilian, he loved a good pasta dish.

"Honey, we're home!" I called out.

"In the Dining room!" Gwen answered, followed by a gale of giggling.

"Mikey!" Cassy squealed, dashing up and covering him with kisses as we came into view.

"BWAH?" was all the startled ferret could say. He gazed into Cassy's smoldering azure blue eyes. Gods, she was beautiful. He thought

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_for coming over, sweetie. It's been a hell of a night! Do you know we almost _died_tonight?" Cassy said sweetly, handing Mike a glass of wine. I looked from Gwen to Kel. "It's true." Kel spoke softly, handing me a glass. "If it wasn't for Gwen's premonition, we would all be very deadright now."

"I am SO glad we didn't die!" Cassy said, hugging the stuffing out of Mike. Turning to face him she asked wistfully, "Mike, is it true? That you really do _like_me?"

"Um-um-um-um-um C-Cassy, I uh, I think you are very _special_and..."

"You _DO_love me!" Cassy squealed, hitting Mike with a string of rapid-fire kisses that left him reeling, and she began guiding him to a chair. Her kisses had left the ferret weak kneed.

"Well, yeah Cass, I do..." Mike stammered as the overjoyed bunny sat in his lap.

"Oooh!" Cassy crooned wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head into the ample cleavage of her low-slung robe.

"Oh Mike, I think you are a real great guy, but I didn't think you liked me. Why didn't you say anything before this?"

"Well, um...I couldn't Cassy...I've been hurt one time too many, Rick knows, he was there." he sighed, sipping his wine.

"But Mike," Cassy's voice pitched just above a whisper "I'd never...ever_hurt _you." she kissed him gently, melting into his embrace.

I took Gwen and Kel in a hug. "Gods I'm glad you are all safe." And kissed them each on the cheek. Gwen gave Kel's paw a squeeze behind my back while I looked over the feast set out on the table. A massive salad, antipasti platter, with olives, veggies, thin sliced salami and other goodies, a serving bowl with pasta and sauce, sliced French bread, wine, butter, and dressings. "This all looks _SO_wonderful." I complimented, as we sat and celebrated life.

Kel sat back looking over the decimated remains on the table, She had to admit it, that was a _wonderful_meal, and that sauce, mmm good stuff. Rick and Gwen held hands smiling at each other. Kel watched Cassy and Mike feed each other olives. It crossed her mind that she was the odd fur out...still, they made a cute couple.

"Hey you two," I said jovially, "We DO have a Guest room, you know."

Mike and Cassy paused a moment, exchanged a look, and then got up and disappeared down the hall giggling. Gwen, Kel and I grinned at each other, each doing our best not to laugh.

I started to clear the table, the girls joined in and soon everything was cleared, and when the last dish was put away I reached out and enfolded Kel in an unexpected embrace.

"I want to thank you for everything you did tonight, Kel." I rumbled in her ear.

She melted into me. "What?" she murmured, her head resting against my broad chest. Realizing just how _good_it felt to be held. "It was Gwen who saved the day..."

"Maybe so," I said, my voice rumbling in my chest as my paws ran up and down her back. "But _you_were behind the wheel."

She felt Gwen's paws gently massaging her shoulders. Ooh, that felt _sooo_good, Kel thought. She felt Gwen's muzzle brush her ear.

"You_don't_have to sleep alone tonight," Gwen's gentle, slightly husky voice in her ear " If you don't want to."

"...Really?" Kel's voice was shaker than she probably would have liked.

"Mm-hum" I nodded looking over to Gwen.

Kel looked from Me to Gwen. "...Truly?" Kel hoped she wasn't misreading all of this.

"If you would like to join us," Gwen suggested, "You would be _more_than welcome, hon."

"We could just cuddle, if you would like?" My warm smile was reflected in my eyes. "...If Gwen's okay with this, and she has indicated that she is..." I nodded.

Kel nodded, her voice barely above a whisper "I'd like that...I'd forgotten how good it feels just to be held." She reached for us, and we for her. And with Kel between us, we led her to our bedroom. All the while, the sounds of soft moaning came from the guest room.

With me in the Master bathroom, Gwen took the opportunity to talk with Kel.

"You know, you _don't_have to do this, if it makes you uncomfortable..."

"Oh no, it's not that," Kel said hesitantly. "It's just...Rick's--you really d_on't_mind? I mean if..." A confused look framed the poor vixen's face. Gwen smiled softly.

" I _love_him, I think the events tonight...Kel, you, I and Cassy nearly _died_tonight. That makes us _more_than friends, and if _you_want this, it's okay with me. _I_asked_You,_Remember?"

"Well yeah, but..." Kel smiled.

"No pressure love. Like I said, you are _welcome_here," Gwen reassured, holding out her paw. "Won't you come to bed?" she asked as I exited the bathroom.

Now she was lying in the king size bed, in nothing but her fur. Me on one side, Gwen on the other, The love she felt from these two furs seemed almost palpable.

"Rick, Gwen, thank you...this means more to me than I can say," Kel said in the dark as we held her, silent tears slid down her cheeks.

"W-we almost _died_tonight," she swallowed hard, taking Gwen's paw in hers.

"I-I _owe_you my life Gwen." [sniff] "and Rick, oh Gods you've _always_been there for me..." I reached out and took her paw in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "...And I've _never_told you how I felt about you...and when I met Gwen that night, I--I_never_thought we'd ever..." I leaned over and kissed her gently. It was the most sacred night of her life.

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