Chapter 41

Saturday Night Perdition

Pulling into the parking lot of Open Season, Kel smoothly guided the Prowler to my preferred parking spot--then tossed me the keys as we made our way to the door.

"Thanks Rick, that_was a _rush!_I've _never_driven one of those before, _damn--_now I see why you _like'em so much!" Kel grinned at me, a slightly manic look in her eyes.

"S'okay, Kel. You got us here alive, and mostly kept it to the speed limit." I chuckled good-naturedly at the vixen's exuberant excitement.

"Yeah, Sorry about that. It's got so much _power_it makes me wanna open it up and see what it'll do. I guess I've got a bit of a lead paw." Kel grinned sheepishly. "But that was fun, thanks again Rick!"

Holding the door for her, I told her, "No problem Kel, anytime." Then I saw a placard in the entryway announcing tonight's band competition. Thrash Metal Garage Bands...ooog, I thought.

"Looks like another Battle-of-the-Bands, should be a good night."

"Looks like..." Kel said scanning the crowd, seeing her shiver just a bit.

"You_okay_, Kel?' placing a paw on her shoulder.

"Huh--yeah... Just need to get a tighter grip on my shielding is all." She gave me a warm smile and I nodded. "Oh yeah, _especially_on Amateur Night." On this night, each band had their own set of fans and groupies. The emotionally charged atmosphere could be a little much to _Anyone_sensitive to energy.

"RICK!" Mike called out descending the stairs from Max's office. "Kel! Thank you..." He gave the Vixen a heartfelt hug as we walked into the back room. "Cassy told me what you've been doing, and--" He had the look of profound gratitude in his eyes. "I owe_you, more than you can know." Then he turned to me, his demeanor calm. "And _you, my friend...we have a _lot_to discuss, but I would like you two to be with Cassy and me when we tie the knot, it is just going to be at the Courthouse, but...would you be my Best Fur? Max said he'd be there to walk Cassy down the aisle. Would you mind being her maid of honor, Kel?" She nodded, grinning at the good news.

"We could discuss it all tomorrow, I suppose. But I wanted to ask you two before then." Mike added. "Sounds like a plan, "I said. "So, how is it having her home with you?" I asked while punching in for my shift--seeing the huge grin on the ferret's face I had a pretty good idea.

"Oh gods, Rick...I tell you, I dam near didn't make it to work tonight! as soon as we got home she dragged me into the bedroom! I _barely_managed to drag myself outta there in time to get to _work!"_Kel and I chuckled, knowing that the bunny had made good on her threat.

"And that's not the half of it! As I was leaving for work, get this...she said _that_was just a _warm-up_for when I get _back!_I swear, that girl is going to boff me to death!" Mike exclaimed. "Well, I guess there are worse ways to go..." I said, patting my friend on the back.

"I guess you're right." he grinned, insanely happy.

"Hey Mike, what's the difference between a light bulb and a pregnant bunny?" I grinned.

"Uh, I don't know, Rick...what?" Mike looked somewhat lost.

"You_can't_un-screw a pregnant bunny!" "Oh-my-God, that's _FUNNY!"_Mike chuckled "Not that I'd _WANT_to, mind you!" he crowed.

"Touché!" I shot back with a thumbs-up. By the time we took up our stations behind the bar, the place was filling up fast. I could see Panda Phil, complete with flamboyant Hawaiian shirt, take up his position to emcee the night's event. He tapped the mike and leaned in.

"Check-check! Is this thing on, or am I just talking to myself here?"

This elicited a ripple of laughter from the crowd. Meanwhile, Mike noticed a distinguished gentle-fur in his late fifties sitting at the end of the bar.

"Good evening sir, name's Mike. What can I get for you this evening?" The old gray bunny regarded the ferret bartender a moment before answering.

"Ah yes, Michael...Michael Ferretti, if I'm not mistaken..." The bespectacled Bunny replied with a friendly smile on his muzzle.

"Uh, yessir, that'd be me," Mike answered, trying to remember who this fellow was.

"You_may_not remember me, but suffice it to say, we've met before, Michael."

Mike nodded; he could accept that. "Are these old ears of mine mistaken, or are you getting hitched?"

"Yessir!" Mike said enthusiastically, "First thing Monday morning, which for me, is around noon!" Mike grinned at the fellow sitting across the bar from him, and the old rabbit beamed in response. "Well, congratulations--hope it works out for you. If you'd care for some advice, I'd be pleased to give it," the elder rabbit said in a fatherly way.

"Um, yes please--you're a married fur?" Mike asked. The rabbit nodded sagely.

"Yup, been married thirty eight years myself, and I regret every day of it--the only day I don't regret was May Sixth, nineteen eighty six; She was visiting her ailing mother at the time." He said ruefully.

"Oh, come on, you're not telling me your _entire_marriage was _miserable,_are you sir?" Mike asked. "No, no...not at all, my fine young Fur. As a matter of fact, we went to Mexico on our honeymoon. Spent the entire two weeks in bed."

"Well,_that_doesn't sound too bad!" Mike grinned, recalling the events earlier that day.

"I had dysentery." the rabbit chuckled. "I could do with another glass of port, if you please." Mike replaced his glass. "If I may ask, why did you two ever get married in the first place?"

"Oh, I don't know. It was raining and we were in Pittsburgh, I guess." he sighed wistfully.

"Any kids?" Mike asked hopefully.

"Kids? Yes, yes they came along in due time--Sarah had twins." The old rabbit smiled. "Twins are so practical, you know." He paused to sip his port. "It's always nice to have a spare..." He winked good-naturedly at Mike.

"I don't get it, if you were so miserable, why didn't you just divorce her?" Mike ventured.

"Oh my, no--you don't understand. I'm from a generation to whom divorce was unheard of. Besides, in our family we don't divorce our wives, we bury them." The old rabbit chuckled, shaking his head.

"But still, thirty eight years, that's a pretty good run..."

"Oh, I suppose you're right," he said, pulling a faded photograph from his wallet. The picture showed a matronly rabbit in an apron, with a rolling pin in her paw. "It's not a pretty face, but underneath that flabby exterior, is an amazing lack of character. Yet, she's stuck with me, and that says a lot." he said, sliding the picture back in his wallet, shaking his head and paying for his port. "A word of advice?" He gave Mike a penetrating stare. "_Never_go to bed angry with each other." Mike nodded mutely. "If you don't heed this, it will poison your marriage quicker than arsenic." The rabbit then glanced at the stage and saw the first band tuning up.

"Well, looks like it's time for me to be moving along..." Pausing, he removed an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket. "Ah, almost forgot. Your uncle sends his regards--and this card." The old bunny slid the envelope across the bar, to the stunned ferret. "Ciao, Michael." He pushed himself off the bar and made his way to the door. Mike just looked from the envelope to the retreating rabbit and back to the letter from his uncle. He only had one uncle--his uncle Carmine in Sicily. He looked back toward the rabbit--he was gone. Gingerly, Mike picked up the envelope. It bore the indent of the Ferretti family crest. Opening it very slowly, he pulled out a heavy card, also bearing the Family Crest. At this point, he was almost afraid to open it.

"Whatcha got there, Mike?" I asked, spooking the ferret badly! "Whoa, sorry there Mike." I steadied my friend.

"It-it's a card from my uncle Carmine. That old rabbit delivered it..."

"So, What's he have to say?" I asked jovially. Mike opened the card. It was in Italian:

To My Nephew Michael,

A gift awaits you in Palermo

Vini, Vici, Morta

You are now free to get on with your life. For the past is dead, no oneplays a Ferretti for a fool. For now all debts have been paid.

Family traditions, Michael. Never forget them.

Your Loving Uncle

Carmine Ferretti.

P. S.: My garden has a new addition.

Mike read it over three times and his blood ran cold. "Oh my God..." he whispered.

"What is it, Mike? Bad news?" I asked. Mike seemed rather shaken by whatever was in the letter. He looked at me, puzzled. "Uh,yeah...no...um...I'm not sure, it's kinda cryptic," he mumbled, stuffing the card and envelopes in his apron pocket. "Eh, time to figure it out later." Mike grinned at me.

"Are you ready for the BATTLE-OF-THE-BANDS?" Panda Phil crowed into his mic.

"Here we go again..." I said to Mike, noticing how packed the place was.

After the first band had finished, and the cheering had been brought down to a dull roar, I noticed Kel looked on the verge of a migraine. I pulled her into the back room.

"How are you doing, hon?"

"Grrrrr, not good. The chaotic energy is giving me a headache! I've got my shields amped up as far as I can, and it's still getting to me." Kel moaned, holding her head. I fished around in my pocket and removed something I _knew_would help.

"Here, I think _this_might help." I suggested, pressing a round disk of smooth metallic stone into her paw. Kel felt the tension she was fighting drain from her as if someone had pulled a plug in a sink. "What is it?" she asked, a look of relief on her face

"Hematite. It helps with grounding excess energy. It _should_help. Sorry, I should have thought about it earlier." I said apologetically to the stunned vixen.

"No, no. S'okay, thanks. I--I think it'll help me get through tonight." She grinned and tucked it into her bra. I got back just as Lupé stepped up to the waitress station.

"Hrick!" she yelled to be heard above the racket the next band was making on stage.

"Three Moodslides...three shots of room, and a gynger hail, por favor." Flashing her a quick smile, I nodded to let her know I heard her. The place was jumping, _almost_standing room only! I could see Max survey the chaos while Bruno was prowling like a shark looking for trouble. That bear was in his element, I thought.

Kel noticed what a world of difference that piece of hematite made. She could circulate without feeling like everyone was trying to jackhammer their way into her mind. It was even an amazingly good_night. She'd made more in tips in three hours than she had all week! She had only one fool try and grab her tail; she spun around and the poor _schmo_practically _begged_her forgiveness. It _was_pretty cool, she thought. Not to mention the snippets of conversations she picked up. For example, two ferrets were sitting with an otter fem. "--last night she was banging on my door for over forty five minutes, but I wouldn't let her out!" Then there was the young wolf trying to pick up a _Very_dolled-up skunkette. "--if you're free later this evening?" "_No, no, no. I'm n_ever_free, honey." she shot back.

Kel had to just about bite her lip to keep from laughing! Then there were the three lionesses occupying a corner table and kvetching about the singles scene. "Tell me, why is it that every male who seems attractive is ether married, or barred on a technicality?" "Find 'em, fool 'em and forget em, I say." her friend grumbled. Near the bar, Kel saw this rather shapely raccoon fem strike a pose, before a pair of Fox boys. "See anything you like?" she asked. To their credit, one of 'em gave her one of the best_comeback lines she had ever heard. "...It's nights like _this_that drive males like _me_to femmes like _you--for nights like this!" He was wagging his eyebrows at her.

Then there were the two college furs standing by the wait station. "--s_o_I've sown a few wild oats..." "A few?" his friend said "You could qualify for a _farm_loan!" And when she set two glasses of beer before a lovely otter gal and this shifty eyed possum... "Oh Gaylord, I've heard_so_much about you..."

"Yeah, but you cant prove_any of _it!" He grinned.

Fortunately the evening was quickly coming to an end.

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