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Itu had one arm wrapped around Sayen's shoulders, the other holding her paw. They stepped up another stair. "I knew we should never have done that," the raccoon cried. She stopped and looked up at her husband, "I can't face them, please, let's just go home. I don't want to be humiliated anymore."

"Sayen," the wild dog tried to comfort his wife.

"This is all your fault!" she snapped. "I should never have listened to you! If it hadn't been for you we'd be sitting on that damn bench feeding ducks," she broke out sobbing again.

"I know, but it's not over...,"

"I don't want to lose my job! What will we do?"

"I still make enough money for both of us. And we don't know that they're going to...,"

"Of course they're going to!"

"Sayen Sharma? Itu...," a nervous voice called from the top of the stairs. They looked up to see Carey, a secretary of the bank, looking down at them. "Could you come this way, please?"

Sayen gulped. The two reluctantly climbed the rest of the stairs to follow the deer. He led them a short ways down the hall to the board room. Several of the members of the board were already present.

"Sayen, Itu," Mike, a badger said from the head of the table. "Please, sit," he said curtly. They took the two seats that had been left open for them at the opposite end of the table.

"I'm sure you know what this is about. We asked you not to come in today while we deliberated the matter, and decided to bring you in after hours to inform you of our decision, to save you from further embarrassment. Though all things considered, I don't think you really would have cared about that," he added snidely.

"Mike, please, I'm sorry. We're sorry. We should never have, I know, we know, please, Mike, I've been with the bank almost my entire life. I...," Sayen rambled quickly.

"Yes, Sayen, your years of service have been taken into account in our decision. And it makes our decision all the more regrettable." Sayen let out a cry. The badger coldly watched her.

"Your actions at the country club were, quite frankly, reprehensible. And while it might be argued that they did not involve the bank's buisness at all, you are a representative of the bank, and therefore your actions even in your off time reflect back on us here.

"In short, your decision to commit scandal by treating the club like Cyvis Beach has led to scandal at the bank. Prominent account holders are asking what actions will be taken." Mike was the president of the country club where the aforementioned scandal had taken place. Sayen had overlooked the fact that he was effectively her boss when they so callously tossed aside his remarks when interviewing them about it at the club. A decision she was now very much regretting.

There was a knock at the open door. "Oh, I didn't think the meeting was starting until five," the black and white rabbit said from it's frame.

"Ah, yes, Jonathan, was it?"

"Yes," the rabbit stepped in, dropping some of the untidy papers he carried, then stooping to pick them up.

"Jonathan here is one of the prominent account holders we spoke of," Itu and Sayen recognized the rabbit as one who may have had designs on their daughter-in-law. They hadn't thought anything had gotten to the point of anything threatening their son's marriage. But perhaps Katlego renewing his love for his wife and squashing the rabbit's chances had driven him to aid in this as a form of revenge. "He is a representative of both Watermania and Zanyland," a water park and amusement park in nearby Lyre City. He had firm ground to stand on then which made it easy to hide his personal vendetta.

"I'm actually the owner," he said shyly. "Well, the parent company. We own numerous amusement parks, cruise lines, hotels, and other vacation destinations across the world. I have my various accounts with this bank here." he indicated his paperwork.

"I mean I don't have everything with this bank, it is a small bank after all. But I've always been a firm believer in supporting the little guy."

"So, yes," Mike continued, "Jonathan here is the single largest account holder at this bank. And as you can hear from his list, his accounts represent a large variety of family friendly vacation attractions.

"So if your actions reflect badly upon our bank, our bank will reflect badly upon his business. You can understand his concern." The rabbit looked from the badger to the wild dog and raccoon. "Do you have any questions regarding this?"

Sayen held her head down, "No, sir," she said softly.

"Didn't you say you were turned into a woman and held hostage magically over the past year?" Itu asked the rabbit.

Sayen's face went taut. Itu was challenging him, after all this...

"Oh, yes, I was. I didn't think anyone believed me."

"Must have made it hard to run all those companies?"

"Oh, yeah, that's the thing about being an eccentric billionaire. Mention you might like exploring remote mountain villages to learn about their peoples and cultures to broaden your understanding of the world and then everyone assumes that's where you went when you vanish the next day.

"Rather depressing, really, that no one came looking for me even after so long. But I try to look on the bright side that my companies operated flawlessly in my absense.

"That's how I design them to work. It's like how I got my start. Just a kid living in the suburbs with my parents. Their only child at the time. Well, a friend started a lemonade stand, I helped out, had fun. The next week I decided to open my own hot dog and lemonade stand. But of course I did my own way. Making the best lemonade and hot dogs I could.

"And by the end of the week I had actual business furs driving to my street on their lunch break just to get the hot dogs I sold. My friends were jealous of my success, and tried opening their own, but they didn't succeed as well as I had. But I wanted to help them, so I came up with a system where I'd ride my bike between the stands and help them. Basically, I'd bring them food to cook and show them how I was doing it, and they'd operate the stands and share the money with me."

He paused. "That was less than a month in, when most ten year olds have long since gotten bored of their lemonade stand I had started a franchise," he laughed.

They all just watched him for a while. "Yeah, that's why I like helping the little guy when I can. Remembering where I came from."

"So, what happened to all your friends?" Itu asked.

"Oh, the guy who opened the stand with me is C.E.O. of Mr. Hot Dog, of which I am a shareholder, of course. Then I've got one girl who runs Zanyworld over in Lyre City, then another girl manages a portion of my cruise fleet, then another boy...,"

"Um, yes, Jonathan," Mike interrupted, "I'm really sorry to interrupt, however we do need to get to business."

"Oh, yes, I had almost forgotten. I do tend to go on about these things. I believe I was speaking with their daughter-in-law recently, Karen Sharma? Yes, must be. Really nice cat. Your son is a lucky fur to have her," he laughed slightly again.

Sayen and Itu both tensed up and darkened their expressions. They sought any hint of malice in Johnathan's words. It was one thing to attack them like this, but to come after their family would not be tolerated.

"Yes, Katlego is an excellent golfer." Mike remarked. "He was going to be watched by scouts for the pro tour at the tournament yesterday until his parents here talked him out of it."

"Oh really, I went to that tournament, I didn't see the scouts. Unless they were the two sheep that kept asking all the questions. I mean, I'd think it would be hard to scout talent being smashed drunk like that."

"Uh, no, they're always like that."

"Oh, then the scouts?"

"They didn't show up," Mike said darkly. "Apparently Katlego wasn't as high on their list as we'd thought, but still...,

"Well, no harm done, then," the rabbit interrupted, "Why did they talk him out of it?"

"I don't know, apparently they thought he was neglecting his wife or some such thing. He went down to Zanyworld with her. Personally I don't understand how anyone can like all that vomit inducing twisted metal." A look of horror crossed the badger's face.

The wild dog and raccoon had to struggle not to laugh as Mike looked to the seemingly hurt rabbit who just had his business insulted. At least now Mike had to deal with some repercussions of his own.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean, I...,"

"It's okay, they're not for everyone," the rabbit said saddly. He perked up though and continued, "You know, I actually bought myself an amusement park for my sixteenth birthday. Well, bought it a few months beforehand. It was a run down place, but I wanted to fix it up and have my party there with all of my friends. Then it turned out to be more involved in refurbishing an amusement park than I had originally anticipated. Ended up opening a month after my seventeenth birthday. Didn't do real well, either, all in all I ended up selling it at a loss. Oh, well, they can't all be winners."

Sayen and Itu just glanced at one another. They didn't know what to make of the odd rabbit's stories. Itu reached over and took his wife's paw.

"I do that, buy myself big birthday presents to share," he laughed, "Like, for my twenty-first birthday I bought a b...,"

"Yes, Jonathan, I'm sorry to interrupt again, but we really must be getting on with things."

"Oh, yes, sorry. Um..., is there a chair for me?" he asked, looking around.

"Uh, you may have mine. I think it'd be best if I stood for the rest of this, anyway." Mike climbed to his feet. The rabbit hurried over to his chair and sat down, spilling his papers over the table in the process. "Though if you'd wish, you may explain to the Sharmas how their actions affect your business, so they might better understand the upheaval they've caused."

Itu gave his wife's paw a squeeze.

"Uh, yes, sure, well," Jonathan turned to face them.

"Please, no," Sayen whispered.

"We don't need to be humiliated anymore," Itu said.

"Oh, I have no intention of humiliating you." Jonathan said. "I do wish to explain though, as Mike here said. Now, as I understand it, you two were engaged in... um... fornicating on the country club property. Well, I have no problem with sex itself, obviously, but society has rules about where you can and cannot 'do it,' as they say.

"Now, when people do such things outside of permissible grounds, there can be some backlash. Knowing you, Sayen, correct?"

It was a moment before Mike said, "Yes,"

"Sayen, knowing you worked for the bank with which I held accounts, I of course had to make inquiries as to whether or not such backlash would come to the bank. Because quite frankly given the nature of my businesses and the accounts I hold here, such backlash could adversly affect my future business with this bank."

"And of course Jonathan here being one of our largest account holders."

"The largest," the rabbit interjected.

"All the moreso, we cannot take his concerns lightly. So, do you two have anything to say in your defense?"

"No." Itu said softly.

"No," Sayen looked up teary eyed. "I'm sorry. We really didn't mean it to go this far. We really didn't want to hurt your businesses, Mr...,"

"Cyvis."

"Mr. Cyvis," Sayen finished slowly, thinking.

Mike slowly turned his head, horror across his face to the rabbit. The remainder of the board shifted uneasily in their seats. Some murmured amongst one another. They all new that name.

The name of the beach south of Lyre City which allowed sexual activity amongst its patrons on its sands. Mike gulped, "Like the beach?"

"Yes, that. It's actually the only thing I own that has my name on it," he picked up a paper from the pile, "Here we go, right here. It's also the only beach I own, oddly. But yeah, that's what I was going to tell you I bought for my twenty-first birthday. Run down beach, full of broken glass and needles. Went through and cleaned it all up. No slight feat, but easier than refurbishing an entire amusement park.

"But yeah, threw a big ass party. Everything went wild, insane amounts of alcohol consumption to people stripping naked and skinny dipping to out and out sex. The next morning people were still fucking there, I walked it, disgusted and hung over. By the afternoon though the horny twenty-one year old in me kicked back in and said, run with it. So, I did."

"Your parents must be thrilled."

"Oh, they didn't like it at first, but they started frequenting it themselves after only a few months. Of course my father passed away two years back from cancer, unfortunately. But my mother still goes there."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sayen said.

"Thank you. He was a good man," there was a bit of a tear in the rabbit's eye. "Though, I believe you misunderstood me earlier. I'm not concerned about your actions hurting my business. I'm concerned about the bank's decision regarding your actions. After all, it's one little act that happened at night on private property. So if the bank doesn't want to associate with that I'm certain they won't want to associate with my beach. And since my beach is associated with me and I'm associated with all my other accounts, I'll have to withdraw them, too. I believe that's what mathematicians call 'transitive.' Anyway, I hope they decide to keep you since that will mean alot of paperwork on my part."

Everyone sat silent for a while. Jonathan spoke up again.

"Would you care to present the board's decision now, Mike?"

"Um..., I think we need to deliberate some more."

"Oh, well, I'm sure you can do that here. I can even provide some advice. I'm thinking something to the effect of 'while Sayen Sharma has been rumoured to be engaged in regretable actions, it has been determined that those actions in no way affect the work she does for the bank. And she will be kept on in her present capacity.'

"That sound good to you all?"

"Um, no offense, sir, but, 'rumoured?'"

"Well, I think we all know what happened," he winked at the couple. "But still, I believe the official letter from the club regarding their banishment was they had engaged in 'behaviour unfitting with the image of the club.' So there's enough room to play, there. What do you think?"

"Well, I think we'll need to put it to an official vote, but, I think we'll go with what you said."

"Good, oh, and one more thing, the club is private property technically. And I looked through the club bylaws here," he pulled a small paperback book from his pocket and fanned it. "Well, actually I had my overpriced lawyers do it since I'm still miffed at them for the whole not missing me for a year thing. But there's nothing that specifically says sex on the course is forbidden. Not that that's particularly good logic for this sort of thing, but enough that we can let them back in the club, provided they promise not to get caught doing it again?"

"We really don't want...," Itu began.

"Of course we won't, thank you, sir." Sayen interrupted her husband quickly.

"One more thing, I believe Sayen's duties include wining and dining prospective clients, and quite frankly I haven't had a dinner with her. Though I know I technically haven't been a prospective client since I opened my first savings account here when I was eight, I have been rather disappointed with the quality of customer service around here. I mean, I'm the bank's largest account holder and you didn't even know my name," the rabbit said the last as he shifted his voice and expression away from his previous cheery and aloof tone.

"I have been rather irritated by things as of late and as such am in the mood to be spiteful. So I may just decide to move all my accounts anyway just because I'm pissed off. Having the lovely Mrs. Sharma and her husband treat me, at the bank's expense, of course, to a nice dinner would go a long way to ensuring that I don't do just that.

"Um, we think that can be arranged...,"

"Good, tell you what, I'll pay to let both of them take me out now, and we'll send you the reciept so you can reimburse me, okay?"

"Okay." Mike said sheepishly.

"Good. I do hope you two like really expensive wine."

***

After they reached the lobby of the bank, Jonathan turned to the two following him. "I do hope you can forgive me," he said.

"Forgive you, you saved our asses back there," Itu remarked.

"Well, there was considerable guilt given the machinations against your family...,"

"What machinations?" Sayen asked darkly.

"Well, regarding the lovely Karen. See, I have been looking for some time for a girl of my own. But I haven't had much luck, another downside of being rich, you can't tell who actually likes you and who just wants to get into your pants because that's where you keep your wallet. And my recent detainment has left me mor furstrated. So when I met a cat I seemed to be clicking with and whose own husband was neglecting her, I decided to implement a few ideas.

"I didn't do anything major, not yet." he added quickly, noting their darkening expressions, "But I kind of pulled some strings with sponsors to arrange for Katlego to move down on the talent scouts' interest sheets. They weren't coming to the tournament yesterday long before your act last Friday."

"Why?" Itu asked.

"I figured it might drive a wedge between them, if it suddenly seemed she'd been neglected for so long all for nothing. And I probably would have went through with it if you hadn't talked him out of the tournament, and given me time to think.

"That's why I'm apologizing. That's not the kind of guy I am. I don't like taking advantage of other people but that's exactly what I was doing. And I am sorry for it.

"And saving us...,"

"Partially as an attempt to make amends, also kind of buttering you up for this admission, yes. I could never have mentioned this, but I need to get it off my conscience and come clean. I do hope you can forgive me,"

"You did save our bacon, but this is a rather hurtful admission." Sayen said.

"Like I said, I'm not proud of it. I am sorry, and I will make it up to you anyway I can."

"Can you get Katlego back in the eyes of the tour?" Itu asked.

"Yes, though do let him keep his eye on that cat of his. I won't guarantee I won't play nice next time around."

"She has a sister, you know. Single, too." Sayen ventured.

"Oh, really? Please tell me she's not gay."

"Bi, I believe."

"Works for me."

"Oh, and one more thing...," Itu sneered.