Chapter 27
Acceptance

	"Mike, take the night off." Max ordered
	"But, boss…" Mike protested. Seeing Rick and Gwen there, Max Badger smirked. "No, Mike. You need time off. Gwen, Rick, can he stay with you?" he asked as if Mike weren't even there.
	"All ready done." Gwen nodded, smiling at Max.
	"Thanks Gwen, Rick. Okay then, I will see you on Monday, Mike." Max dismissed him with a wave.
	"But…but…" Mike protested yet again, but knew Max was right. Slumping in resignation, he sighed. "Oh, all right…"
	"Good" Max nodded. "Gwen, get him outta here, take him home with you, and try and cheer him up, will ya?" Gwen snapped to attention, and gave Max a crisp British officer's salute. "Yessir!" She placed her paws on Mike's arm; directing, "C'mon Mike, were outta here." And with that she dragged him home.
# #
 	As Gwen led Mike into the house and sat him down at the table, she asked, "Okay Mister, When was the last time you had a decent meal?" Gwen asked, paws on her hips.
	"Uh…does coffee count?" He asked still in a state of shock.
	"No," Gwen shook her head "And nether did those Danish we had before we went to see Cassy. You need food, mister."
	"But, I'm not—" was all he managed before the rest of his protest died in his throat after seeing the look she was giving him. "Yes ma'am…" He said meekly.
	"That's better." Gwen smiled and went about fixing dinner.
#  #
	"Oh Gods Gwen, that was wonderful! Where did you learn to cook?" Mike asked as he finished off his wine. He was in *much* better spirits despite the tragedy. Gods he needed this.
	"Kacy showed me quite a bit of it, the rest I picked up here and there." Gwen said as she put away the last of the dinner dishes after putting a plate in the fridge for Rick.
	"Now gentle-fur, if you would follow me please…" Gwen smiled, taking him by the paws and leading him out to the patio.
	"What? I don't understand?" he said, somewhat confused by her actions.
She fixed him with a gaze that showed there would be no argument here. 
	"You sir, need to relax." Gwen flipped the switch on the hot tub. “A good meal is only part of the equation." She next set out two fluffy towels. 
	"Cassandra entrusted you into my care, and I intend to do whatever is necessary to ensure you relax, for you will be no good to her if you crack under the stress, Capisce?"
	"Um, uh, oh" Mike stammered as Gwen started to strip down to her fur. Seeing him just standing there, she commanded, "Well, get with it. You can't wear your clothes in the tub." She stood before him as she had come into the world, in just her fur—paws on hips watching him.
He just stood there, thunderstruck.  Gwen sighed and stepped up to him and started to remove his clothes. He was somewhat shocked by her boldness, but she soon had him down to his fur. She took him by the paw and led him into the hot tub. As he settled into the hot water he became aware of just how tense he was. He sighed, letting the water and the jets do their job.
Half an hour later he opened his eyes and gazed at the beautiful green eyed Skunk sitting across from him, a blissful smile on her muzzle as she regarded him. "Better?" He nodded.
	"Oh yeah, I don't know how  to you thank you Gwen, I just…"
	"You feel responsible…you’re not, but you can not accept that yet." she said, seeing him nod in agreement, he sighed heavily…
	"I can’t shake the feeling that if I would have hesitated…" His voice trailed off.
Gwen snapped her fingers jolting him out of his revere.  "You know what he was planning to do, yet you keep kicking yourself for acting on your instinct." 
Mike shook his head. "Gwen, how do you know what he was planning? You weren't there…"
	"No, but this was…" She paused, reached over the side of the hot tub and came up with his Stiletto in her paw. "How? Where did you get that? " Mike would know that blade anywhere, it being a gift from his uncle Carmine on his trip to Sicily to learn of his family history.
Gwen examined the blade, slowly running her finger down the length of the blade, not the edge, but the centerline. "You killed him with this, you pierced his heart, right here, "
Gwen pointed to a spot on the blade.
	"His heart beat it's last with this blade transfixed. His last thoughts are imprinted upon it, carried by his blood; you might say... I can read what was in his heart as he died, his heart's desire if you will." Gwen's eyes seemed to take on a subtle glow as she spoke, this was sounding too much like what his grandmother would say, but as muck he would wish it were otherwise, he knew she was speaking the truth.
	"Do you want to see what he was planning to do?" She fixed him with an unwavering gaze that seemed to look into the depths of his very soul. Nothing was hidden from her sight.
	"D-Do I-I really want to know, m-mistress?" 
Mike knelt before her; he knew he was in the presence of P-O-W-E-R. She smiled just a bit at his honorific of 'mistress'.
	"It may help assuage your sense of guilt, But, as with everything, the choice…is yours."
There was an otherworldly tone to Gwen's voice, as if something was speaking through her. Swallowing hard, he was acutely aware of his fear, but found himself nodding. He even heard his voice speaking. "Show Me."
	His mind was filled with images of theft, violence, Seeing the two femmes, those thoughts turned to other things, if they resisted, he would kill them then take his pleasure with them—then to cover his tracks, he would burn the place to the ground. 
	His dark thoughts were shattered by a flash of PAIN…as if seeing out of the wolf's eyes, to gaze uncomprehendingly at the handle and quillins of the knife in his chest. How did that get there? The world vanished in a swirling of red mist, as the numbing cold spread from his chest, permeating his whole being. The world slipped sideways and was swallowed by blackness....
	"Now you know the cost of your inaction." It was a voice speaking directly to his soul… "Do you regret your choice?"  The voice asked in that timeless void, His heart cried out…"NO!"
Mike blinked, and saw Gwen watching him; an inscrutable smile dusted her muzzle.
	"So be it." 
She said as she closed the distance between them enfolding him in a full body embrace.
#   #
	When I got home, I found them in a guest room—Mike blissfully sleeping, Gwen sitting at the end of the bed in full lotus position watching the ferret sleep.
She joined me in the kitchen. "How's he doing?"
	"He will heal. He was headed for suicide with the guilt and remorse building in his soul, but now that he has seen, he can heal. He has forgiven himself at last."
I kissed her gently. “I love you!" She grinned
	"Likewise, shweetheart. Care for some dinner?"
  #     #     

Mike woke to the tantalizing aroma of... Coffee, and =sniff sniff= BACON! Oh yeah, I've got to get me some of that. He felt at peace—God love that woman, Mike thought, Gwen was a miracle worker. Everything seemed to be going to hell in a hand-basket, but somehow, Gwen showed him the way...
	A good meal, a relaxing soak, then she toweled him off and led him in the room and…oh Gods that girl has TALENT!  She massaged him into Jell-O...the last thing he saw before he drifted off to sleep was Gwen sitting at the foot of the bed, wearing nothing but her lovely fur, in full lotus position, watching over him.
	Everything seemed to be in perspective...he thought as he donned the terrycloth robe sitting on the chair, made his way to the kitchen, and savored the smell of…Coffee.

	"Morning Mike." I said, seeing my friend wander into the kitchen "How are you doing this morning?" He and Gwen were sitting at the dining table.
	"Much better. My God Rick, your wife is one talented fur." Mike announced as he sat at the table, a cup of coffee in his paw. "Magic paws!" Gwen grinned, and I chuckled.
	"That she is…so when do you want to see Cassy?" Mike set down his cup. 
	"Well sir, Gwen showed me the wisdom of not skipping meals. So, how about after 	breakfast, more coffee and a shower?"
	"That's a sound plan." I nodded, heading back in the kitchen. "And speaking of 	breakfast, how does Eggs, Bacon and Toast sound to you?"
	"Great, Thanks man, Fried if you please." Mike replied. Looking across the table from the lovely skunk he just had to smile. 
	"Gods Gwen, thank you." Mike began. "Once more I find myself in your debt. First, for getting Cassy and I together, and two, for...last night." his voice trailed off.
	"You needed to know the truth, you needed healing. You were rapidly heading down a 	very dark path, from which you may not have returned." Gwen said, a look of great compassion in her eyes. Mike just nodded. "You got that right. You know, I sometimes wish you could have met my grandmother, Isabella Ferretti. I think you two would have had a lot in common." Gwen regarded him over the rim of her coffee cup. "Are you referring to, Straga Nona?" Gwen grinned.
	"D’oh!" Mike said slapping himself on the forehead. "Of course, you would know about her."
	"Here ya go, Mike. Enjoy!" I set down an oval platter loaded with bacon, six fried eggs and four pieces of toast.
 	"My god, Rick." Mike exclaimed. "Do I look like Bruno?" He asked good-naturedly of me about the feast presented to him. I just grinned. "Nah, that would be an hors d’ouveure for Bruno. KC has told me a thing or two."
	"Thanks Rick, it's wonderful!"
	#      #      #