"Liar." Harry told Katie quietly, "You know what the fine print of the vacation contract says about staying your -entire stay-. Remember that conservative family with the pint sized World of Warcraft addict who were told you didn't get to ditch early?"
Katie didn't so much as blink. "Don't worry about it. We both know you can just bring up the file on Sam's stay, and rewrite it so he was meant to stay only a day or two."
"And you know I'll do this only because you asked me to."
"Yes."
"And that we'd both be in deep dog doo if we caught doing this."
"And I know that we won't get caught. Because you're that good. The middle men are that apathetic. And none of the other huskies is gonna question the poor guy leaving early."
"Only if you promise not to wear the dress."
"For two days. That's all you get, take it or leave it."
Harry knew better than to negotiate on this. "Fine, I'll rewrite his file as soon as we get back. No one will think anything of me looking at his profile after what he did to Mr. 'turn the surplus dudes into ladies' MK II."
"Move you dogs! Move!" Naomi barked to get the huskies moving as quickly as they could without damaging Spike further. "Almost a pity," Said Naomi, as from the guests' point of view the huskies vanished back into thin air, "Some of those bucks could use some time as does."
While Zack was thinking, 'not your call to make' he stayed quiet out of respect for his pack leader. Besides, he had more important things to do, like getting their charge back to the park's medical center as quickly as possible! Ironic, since Zack had betted they'd be carrying away Sam on a stretcher right now.
+++++++++
The news hounds were gone in a flash, knowing better than to try and get a statement out of the huskies. All three making a beeline for their little territory, knowing every member of the park would want to hear this news! Harrison delaying only long enough to tell Keith he'd have his winnings for him by tomorrow in the news hounds' meeting spot.
Keith never replied to the hound dog's statement. Keith and Jackie were both shaken up, Keith actually more so. He kept unconsciously hiding his sheath, looking down, and making his vision occasionally waist level. Seeing what Sam had done to Spike had completely unnerved him, suddenly realizing just how vulnerable that piece of himself was. He took his steps hesitantly and cagily. The image of Sam's kick into Spike groin replaying over and over again in his mind. He was scared. Jackie said nothing, she just held him from behind, gently stroking his fur, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
Monty Mongooses' motley crew said nothing, suggested nothing. They merely wandered back to their remote 'Bat Cave' location in a daze. Any their expectations and conspiracy theories blown out of the water by Sam's actions. Taking away the romance of their game. The silence was golden to those who knew them, but at the same time, wrong.
As for the foxes, even Jasmine could not ignore this. She stared at the events in total shock. While she had off handedly disliked the scarred guy, she unconsciously felt for something between her legs that was no longer there her addled brain almost coming to the conclude Jason had been spaded. She didn't resist in the slightest when her mother hugged her from behind.
Mike had had all the excitement and drama drained out of the events. Yes, the fights so far had been brutal, even vicious, but that had been out of left field. It would have normally been nowhere near that deadly a move, but the scarred guy thinking about the judge had apparently been the decision maker. Mike kept enough of his wits that he noticed perhaps the person MOST shaken up by these events was the winner! Poor guy. Mike wished he knew'em better so he could tell the big guy a few words. Cause in spite of everything, Mike wondered, what COULD the big guy have done differently? Of course, the big guy didn't seem to be thinking that way from his body language. He wanted to go down and talk to him, but Mike felt Jasmine needed Mike too, the big guy apparently had Hannah to talk to.
The other does had no clue what so ever how Lateisha could have possibly moved that fast, only that she had. At the speed the huskies seemed to appear, Lateisha had come between Sam and Leticia before Lateisha did something cruel.
Su Yin simply hugged Jenny, both of them sitting down. Su Yin couldn't say she blamed Sam for wanting out, or for turning over the crown of antlers to Jeremy. Perhaps his entering, and leaving command would hold some weight with the bucks after all. She still couldn't say she didn't think Spike and Drake's plan wouldn't have worked to the doe's advantage, but perhaps, Sam's declaration would keep things sane around here after all.
"Are they going to be okay?" Jenny asked, not really being precise on who she meant.
"Yes, yes they are." Su Yin said as kindly as she could to the shaken doe. Su Yin wondered if she should leave this part out of her book because it was too graphic, or because she knew Sam would never ever wanted to be reminded of this day for the rest of Samantha's life.
Sam meanwhile, the center of the buck's universe, in the winner's circle, doubted if he could -ever- bring himself to come back to this park. In spite of the good friends he had made. If he ever did, he already knew he'd stay the female this time, and Samantha's husband would be the male.
The buck's meanwhile, had it set already into their minds to follow their herd leader's command without question. Weather this ingrained behavior lasted after they left the park, would be their own choice to make. Many were secretly very happy that Spike had lost, in spite of the gruesome way the finale had occurred and perhaps would have followed Sam's orders out of plain gratitude.
"Guess we won't need that coin after all." Breathed out John.
"I'm thinking you almost -wanted- me a doe." Robbie whispered to him.
John shook his head. "I like does, not stags, and like we agreed bro, either of us being does would just plain too weird."
"Glade that's something we can agree on."
Hannah meanwhile, noticed how the moment she had Sam started to talk to each other, the other bucks were looking at her like she was royalty. Well, at least she wasn't like to get any 'come on baby give me some' suitors after this.
Drake spotted something, and without giving it any thought, rushed over, grabbed it, and handed it back to Sam who took it just from reaction. Sam realized it was the horn he had broken off. Sam's first urge was to throw it away, but realized that would have been the same as spitting in door Drake's face. So Sam held onto it. Wondering if he could just walk to the back building, knock on the wall and go in. Or had to wait until the huskies came for him. He hasn't been here long enough to learn the finer details like that. All the same, he needed a bit to gather his wits, and say good-bye to the friends he had made here first.
Jeremy meanwhile, in spite of Spike's vision. Fully intended to follow through on Sam's orders. He had wanted to see how far he would get. And through happen stance and what not, here he was, herd leader at last. And he felt his confidence mix with fear. He wondered if this was how John Adams felt when George Washington handed Adams the Presidency. He spotted the doe who had been presiding over the tournament after beauty queen Hannah had stepped down. He saw how she was looking him over. Maybe things wouldn't be SO bad.