_What_Bunnies_Are_For_-_Part_13_

        Marcus and Tabby were followed by a smartly dressed bunny
pushing a tea cart. She offered refreshments to all; Tabby didn't
want anything, but the other bunny petted her ears and all but poured
tea from a smaller pot into her mouth. It seemed to help. Marcus was
dismissed at once. He caught Jamie staring at him as he opened the
door. "You have a problem?" he asked. Jamie looked away; Marcus left.
        Jamie sat with Tabby. "Are you okay?" he asked.
        "I'm not hot all over anymore and my chest isn't pounding.
I'll need an EKG later to be sure, but Marcus said I got the antidote
before much could happen to me. It usually takes three hours."
        "No, I mean, are you okay?"
        Tabby looked him in the face for the first time since she'd
arrived. "I'm scared. I feel sick to my stomach. I need you to hold
me. But you still have to talk to the manager." She nuzzled his
chest; he could feel her quivering. "I'll be all right for now."
        "I was wrong," the suit said, in front of them. "Your plan
was most elegant, but it wasn't simple at all. Machiavellian, in
fact; I imagine you even accounted for chaotic complexities, yes?"
        "I'm sorry, sir."
        "That, Mr. Mullens, was a programmed response, taught to her
when she was a kitt by the factory that made her. She genuinely feels
sorry for having offended me. She's ready to be punished now. But
I'm not angry, Tabatha. I admire the way you managed to manipulate
me. It's not an easy thing to do, Mr. Mullens, as she can tell you."
        "Tabby? Was it... programmed?"
        The bunny shook her head. "Conditioned," she corrected.
        "An unimportant difference in her case. Mr. Mullens has
offered to take you home with him, Tabatha. You'll be his property,
his personal bunny. Would you like that?"
        Tabby looked up. "Is that why you spared me?"
        The suit laughed. "Now _that_ is _not_ what she was supposed
to say! She's supposed to be disappointed that she's no longer wanted
but passively accept her new master, not question the circumstances!"
        "See? She's sentient!"
        The suit laughed again, in spite of himself. "I think you
knew all along that was why you'd be spared. Mullens, owning a bunny
is more responsibility than you know. She has needs that you won't
expect. You'll have to meet them or she could go mad or even die. She
was created to live in an institutional setting, like the mansion."
        "I need something to do, Jamie. I get bored easily, I need to
feel that I'm useful."
        "That's a problem," Jamie said, then smacked his forehead.
"No, it's no problem at all! You can take care of my mother, keep the
house, then I'll be free to get a full time job! If I can find one."
        Tabby looked up at the suit, who looked back thoughtfully. He
said nothing; she didn't push the issue. "There's more," she went on.
"I need a _lot_ of physical affection. I can't go without sex for any
length of time Jamie, I can go insane if I'm denied touch. I need to
know I'm loved and wanted. You'll be the only one who can give me
that. And your religion doesn't approve of sex with furries."
        The unionist looked away in thought. The suit started to look
triumphant as the silence went on, began to smile, his mouth opened
to speak. "Have you ever heard of a Lilly Holly Catholic?" Jamie said
at last. "That's one who goes to church on Easter and Christmas and
hasn't seen the inside of a confessional in years." Jamie put an arm
around Tabby's shoulders. "As for the affection, well, we'll find a
way, mother isn't a cold shoulder of beef and neither am I. It's just
a matter of knowing when and how. We'll work something out. And as
for... <gulp> the other... you'll just have to teach me."


        Tabby giggled prettily as Mrs. Mullens, in her chair by the
window, gave the bunny a hug around the waist and sent her off to the
door. Jamie was just coming in and hardly had his coat off, but she
grabbed him in a tight embrace and kissed his mouth passionately. He
had no trouble returning the kiss, but soon broke off, panting.
        "You're not breathing through your nose, silly!" she giggled.
        "It's not that," he panted, "I had to run three blocks from
the bus stop! Won't those bloody reporters ever get tired of us?"
        "I know, I had to stop answering the door! At least the new
answering machine keeps them off the telephone. <giggle> It's hard to
override an old, mechanical unit!" She gently nipped his nose. "Can
we go upstairs now?"
        Jamie massaged the bunny's rear, pulling her even closer to
him. "Ah, you'll be needing a little something about now, won't you?"
he said, smiling broadly. "Just let me catch my breath first, love."
        Jamie sat on the stairs, while Tabby sat on the step above
him and massaged his shoulders. "Still no work love, but I talked the
pension office into calling you supplemental household help. We'll be
getting extra in mother's pension cheque to cover your expenses. The
union's been giving me more to do, too. They're being a lot better
about the Furry Problem than you considered."
        "You haven't tried to get _them_ to support furries yet."
        "Just give them time! Let them meet you a few times... get to
know you, they'll come.... Oh, that's nice! A little lower, please?"
        Tabby giggled and massaged lower. "Things are going pretty
much as I planned, then. I'll need to meet the press more next, let
the rest of the world know. <giggle> Right now I need you!" and she
started pulling him up the stairs by his armpits. Jamie turned,
growling playfully, and chased her right into bed.

                                The End
Copyright 1995 Allan D. Burrows
All Rights Reserved after publication