All In A Night's Work

Written by & copyright of Andre' Cotton Wolfie8808@hotmail.com

Featuring Laretta (Cassie's rhythm guitarist) and Cindy (Cassie's bassist)

Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org

Please read the prequil, "Fortunes," featuring Cassie, Rachel (Cassie's keyboardist) and Dominic & Xu (both created for the story)
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/fortunes.txt
Please read the sequil, "Darkside Encounter" Featuring Laretta (Cassie's rhythm guitarist) and Ben
Moss (Laretta's boyfriend)
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/darkside_encounter.txt

All characters created by & copyright of Earl Bacon except Laretta and Bob, who are created by and copyright of
Andre' Cotton, Alex, who is created by and copyright of Donna Fritz, Ben Moss, who is copyright Rick Hobson,
Victor Hernandez, who  is copyright himself and Vixina & Cloudchaser, who is created by and copyright of
Cloudchaser Shaconage

Excitement and emotion resonated throughout the crowds of spectators as night set upon New York City.  Many felt it
was finally due time for the annual Grammy Awards to return to the city, especially now more than ever.
Tonight's awards show would be symbolic in more than one way.  For the first time, famous furry-morph musicians
would take part in the ceremony as entertainers and award presenters.

The mixed crowd of human and furry-morph attendees and spectators showed only a spirited feeling of good will
and camaraderie.  For one night, they looked behind appearances and joined one another in the spirit of the
festivities.  In a relatively quiet back alley behind the auditorium, one particular furry-morph individual had
bigger things on his mind besides all the excitement in the public eye.

The white furred tiger morph paced back and forth nervously, twitching his whiskers and black striped tail in
agitation.  His appearance was impeccable for the occasion, with his rugged frame clothed in a neatly pressed
pinstriped jet black Armani suit and his feet shod in highly polished black wing tips.  His long white hair was
slicked back and tied into a short ponytail, and even his black striped white fur was neatly trimmed and groomed.
What was he doing, loitering about nervously in musty back alley instead of mingling with the crowds up front?

"This had better not be someone's twisted idea of a joke," he muttered under his breath to no one in particular as
he glanced down at the bouquet of violets and poinsettias in his hands, a special gift for his special someone.
The tiger, Victor Hernandez, cared little for the glamour of the 'glitterati' scene, and would have normally
preferred sitting in a quiet cafe, practicing a new song on his acoustic guitar or mandolin.  He was here for a
very important reason, however, and the longer he waited, the more agitated he became.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was approached by a coyote dressed in inconspicuous dark clothing and
sunglasses.  He was carrying a black duffle bag in in one of his gloved hands.  "You're Hernandez, right?"  the
coyote asked in a straightforward manner.  Victor nodded, "That's correct.  So, this isn't some sort of trick, is
it?"  He gave a strange look to the coyote's duffle bag.  "He's actually...in there?"  he asked in a very doubtful
tone in his voice.

The coyote grinned, "Well, I'll just let you see for yourself!"  He unzipped the front end of the duffle bag, "You're
A-OK to come out, buddy!"  He held out one of his hands in front of the opening, and out of the bag crawled a tiny
form.  Victor furrowed his brow, uncertain of what he was seeing.  "Um, you already had your dinner, didn't you?"
the coyote asked with a sly grin.  Victor slowly nodded as he got a better look at the small creature in front of him.

The creature was a small mouse with cream colored fur, large round ears and a long thin tail.  He was smartly dressed
in a white tuxedo jacket, black bow tie, and black trousers, all perfectly tailored for his tiny body.
"Interesting, like James Bond meets Stuart Little," Victor thought with an amused expression, "but by all means,
he should be terrified of me!  Why isn't he?"  The mouse just smiled politely and waved, "Hi there!  You must be
Victor.  My name's Ben, nice to meet you!"

Victor just shrugged and held up his index finger to Ben, the best he could do to offer a handshake to someone that
much smaller than him.  "Ahem, it's nice to make your acquaintance, Ben," he replied, "and don't worry, I prefer not
to eat live prey!"  he chuckled.  Ben laughed as he 'shook' Victor's hand, "Oh, I'm not worried!  I'm used to
dealing with large predators, and besides, if you even tried that, you'd have one angry wolfette to deal with!"

Victor chuckled and smiled, "Plus, I hear she's well on her way to earning a first degree black belt in karate!
You don't have a thing to worry about."  The coyote grinned and chimed in, "Glad to see you two hitting it off!  I
take it that you can take care of things from here?"  Victor nodded, "Yeah, I've got the front gate tickets, and
the pass to get us backstage."  He paused for a moment, "You seem somewhat familiar.  Haven't we met before?"

The coyote smiled and removed his sunglasses, "Sure!  You remember your charity album?  We helped with the
promo!"  Victor smiled and nodded, "Oh, of course!  Good to see you again!  I didn't recognize you with all those
black clothes,"  he laughed as he shook the coyote's hand.  "How on earth did you get this all planned out, though?"
he asked.  The coyote shook his head, "Hey, I'm just following directions.  Ben needed a lift here, and I needed
an excuse to check out the festivities!"  Ben nodded and spoke up, "Bob and I are 'roomies'.  We still haven't
figured out who sent us the plane tickets and instructions about where to meet you, but the important thing is we
made it here!"

Bob the coyote nodded and slipped his sunglasses back on, "Listen, I'm gonna go check out the scene.  You two have
a great time inside!"  Victor and Ben both waved, "Okay, thanks again, Bob!"  When he left, Victor looked down at
his free hand, where Ben was standing.  "So, I guess you're as in the dark about this as I am?"  Ben nodded
and shrugged, "Yeah, it looks like we have a mystery benefactor!  I admit it came as a bit of a surprise to be asked
to go to New York, just to attend the Grammys when I was in the middle of a big circuitry repair job in a
Cleveland office."  He smiled and straightened his jacket, "Still, if it means seeing my beautiful wolfette again,
I can't complain!"

Victor nodded and grinned.  Just days before, he received in the mail an authorized ticket and backstage pass for
the awards show and instructions to meet Ben before the show began.  The sender was anonymous, but the tickets and
pass were real.  Victor had his misgivings about the offer right from the start, but his desire to attend was
affirmed when he learned that someone special to him would be there as well.

"Someone very dear to me is here tonight, too," he smiled, thinking of his lover's silky ivory hair and
luminescent eyes.  "This must be one of the strangest things I've done in my life, but for her, I'd go anywhere!"
Ben nodded, "So you think you can get us in?"  Victor peered at the backstage pass, "Well, we'll find out very
soon!"  He whispered to Ben, "You should stay out of sight for now, just to be on the safe side."  The mouse nodded
and climbed into Victor's jacket pocket.

Victor just grinned and approached the front entrance.  He carefully made his way through the crowds to the
front entrance, looking after the bouquet to be certain the flowers would not get crushed.  He received a few
strange glances, but most people made way for him when they saw him carrying the bouquet.  He paused as he
approached the front entrance, where security was tight.

The human bouncers eyed him suspiciously.  They were rather muscular and armed with stun guns, so they would have
little trouble handling him if necessary.  "You have a ticket, I presume?"  one of the guards asked with
suspicion, "Otherwise, we won't hesitate to show you the way out."  Victor cleared his throat, "Ah, of course,"
he politely replied as he handed the guards his pass.  The guards glanced over the pass, giving somewhat puzzled
looks to each other and to Victor.  "Well, it looks legit to me," said the other guard, giving the pass back to Victor.

Victor smiled and nodded politely, "Thank you, and good evening!"  Before he could get much further, though, the
first guard stopped him.  "Hold it, please.  We'll have to ask you to step through our security screening, like all
the other guests."  Victor blinked and frowned as he saw where the guard mentioned.  Several guests, both human
and furry-morph, were waiting in line and being scanned and searched one at a time by several more guards.  A
necessary precaution, since these events required especially close oversight.  Victor, however, hoped this wouldn't
put a crimp in their plans.

"Bad news, Ben," he whispered towards his coat pocket, "They're going to be searching me, and might find you out!" 
The mouse crawled out of the pocket and grinned, "I don't think that'll be a problem!  Besides, it was getting stuffy
in there!"  Victor blinked, "Huh?  What do you..."  Before he could finish his question, Ben leaped out of the
pocket, ran up his arm, and took cover in the bouquet.  Victor was startled, but before he could say anything, it
was his turn to be scanned.  "Please leave your belongings here, sir," the guard requested, "This will only take
a moment."  Victor nodded and set the bouquet down gently, as the guards proceeded to scan him with a metal detector
and frisked his pockets.  He frowned as he held his arms up and tail down, bearing the indignity of the process the
best he could.  Just as they finished, one guard sniffed the bouquet for anything suspicious.  "Hmm, nice," the
guard replied with a chuckle, "Someone's going to get a nice surprise tonight!"  Victor just nodded silently as he
took back the flowers.

With flowers in hand, Victor peered curiously as the flowers rustled and Ben crawled out from underneath a
large poinsettia.  He grinned and waved, "So how'd that go?"  Victor chuckled, twitching his whiskers, "Very well,
it would seem!"  They took a look around the crowded foyer.  Many performers were casually conversing, but no sign
of the two ladies could be seen.

Ben frowned and climbed out of the bouquet onto the table top where Victor had laid the bouquet.  "What do we do
now?"  Victor shrugged and picked up a newspaper as he took a seat, "We wait until they've presented the award.  We
must have just missed them, and besides, we shouldn't distract them when they have this important job to focus on."
Ben nodded and loosened his tie a little, kicking his foot idly on the table top, "Sounds fair, I guess."

**********

Later on that same evening, the festivities were well under way.  Each of the furry-morph musicians received a
warm welcome and standing ovation from the mostly human audience as they came on stage to perform or present an award.

Jeffrey Wilcox, the Clydesdale stallion 'morph who was a big pop country star, had just finished his performance
and waved to a cheering audience.  This included two furry-morph ladies who were on their feet, cheering and
applauding loudly from their reserved balcony box seats.

It was largely expected that Cassie's Band would be asked to participate, and indeed, two members volunteered to
present the award for "Best New Artist", the same kind of award that Cassie and her band had themselves won.

Laretta, the band's rhythm guitarist and back-up vocalist, was very excited about the whole night since it began.
She could think of nothing besides the opportunity of representing the band.  Still, watching the night's events
helped her to relax and enjoy herself.

"It's been some night, hasn't it Cindy?"  Laretta asked her companion as she sat back down, wagging her tail
happily.  Cindy, the band's snow leopardess bass player, was seated casually next to Laretta with her legs crossed.
She nodded, "Yeah, I can't argue with that!"  She shifted in her seat, trying to make herself more comfortable
without looking too unsophisticated.  "You know, I've had my doubts about being a part of all this, but so far
I'm having a pretty good time!"

Laretta nodded slightly, thinking over the night.  She and Cindy were given the star treatment, escorted to the
red carpet via limousine and flanked by many eager photographers as they approached the front door.  Once inside,
they mingled right into the pre-show party scene, first touching base with the other furry-morph musicians, and
then gradually breaking the ice with the human attendees.  Much to their annoyance, some guests tried touching
them "just to see what real fur felt like!"  They backed off when Laretta forcefully reminded them of her martial
arts skills.

There was plenty for them to enjoy, nonetheless.  For Laretta, the highlight of the evening was meeting
Alanis Morisette, as well as Steven Page and Jim Creeggan of the Barenaked Ladies.  Cindy got the thrill of her
life when she shook hands with Lenny Kravitz, and later had some fun when some Harley-Davidson enthusiasts convinced
her to have her picture taken while sitting on a vintage Harley Bad Boy!

Laretta cleared her throat and replied, "What do you mean you had 'doubts', Cindy?  Most people here have been
really nice to us, and our being here is really important for the band's reputation!"  Cindy sighed and nodded, "I
know, Laretta, I know!  Still, it's a pretty crummy deal when you think about it.  The industry and academy heads
wanted the perfect publicity stunt to make this show a success.  What gimmick could possibly get more attention
then cozying up to us furry-morphs?  All we have to do is look pretty, tell a few jokes, read from a card, and
that's it!  The academy gets to look like the 'good guys' for being inclusive, and we walk away with no better
chances of actually *getting* an award then before!"

She shifted in her seat, looking more annoyed, "Trust me, it was great of them to move the show back here to NYC
where it belongs, but I really don't like the idea of being glorified eye candy!"

Laretta just stared at Cindy, and replied diplomatically, "Gee Cindy, how do you think Cassie would feel about
that?"  Cindy started to make a retort, but she just sighed and shrugged, thinking about her absent friend.
"Yeah, you've got a point there.  Cass was really excited about being able to do this.  I can't imagine how
disappointed she must be."

Laretta nodded sadly and thought about the dark haired vixen.  "Yeah, poor Cassie and Vixina.  What a major
league bummer for them to be out of action all of the sudden!"

Laretta thought of the unexpected turn of events that led to her and Cindy being there that night.  When the
academy sent the invitation to Cassie's Band weeks before to take part in the ceremony, the band very quickly
decided that Cassie and Vixina should be the ideal candidates for attending and handing out the award.  Everything
had been planned out perfectly, until just three days prior to the ceremony, when all the trouble began.

Cassie came down with a bad case of the flu.  With a high fever and a whooping cough, she was clearly in no shape
to attend the ceremony, and remained bedridden at her and Foxonian's lodge in the Berkshires.  As if things weren't
bad enough with that, Vixina ran into problems of her own.  She was in the middle of visiting her family in Alabama
and her boyfriend Cloudchaser in Tennessee, where they all wished her good luck.  On her drive back, though, in
the middle of the Appalachians, her custom-made vintage truck broke down and died.  She was able to get it towed to
a nearby garage, where the mechanic was very skilled and helpful.  Unfortunately, the mechanic told her that her
truck needed a rare and expensive part for the engine starter, and it would take over a week for him to have
it delivered if he placed a special order for it.  She was left stranded, unable to make it back to New York in time.

Andy, the band's wolf manager, and Foxonian tried to recover from these disasters as quickly as possible.
They immediately convened with the remaining band members for an 'emergency meeting', to see if they could convince
two of the others to go in Cassie's and Vixina's places.

"We want to assure you all of this," Andy started as Foxonian and the four other band members sat in a
round-table manner, "I can't tell you enough how important this will be for the band's publicity, but what's even
more important is that we do not in any way want to make any of you participate against your will."  He looked
calmly over the attentive group, "If this means that we can't send anyone to present the award, then so be it."

The four ladies fell silent and thought to themselves for a few moments before anyone replied.  Alex, the young
arctic vixen drummer, was the first to speak up.  "Um, I know this is really important and all, Andy," she
started hesitantly, "but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not volunteer myself."  Everyone turned their
attention towards her - without hostility - as she nervously continued.  "You see," she said, tugging nervously on
her tail, "This is just such a big responsibility, I'm too scared that I'd screw it all up!  All those people looking
at me, having to remember my lines...Oh boy, I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about it!"

Foxonian nodded and responded kindly, "That's quite all right, Alex.  No one's participating if it makes them
feel uncomfortable."  With that, Rachel sighed and spoke up, "Please allow me to withdraw too, then."  Laretta
blinked, "What's the matter, Rachel?  You're not afraid too, are you?"  The doe shook her head, "No, it's not that.
You see, the media has me nailed down as the 'oddball goth' of the group.  I don't really think that's the image
the band needs that night."

Cindy frowned and crossed her arms, "Rachel, you know that's a bunch of BS!"  Rachel nodded, "Of course, I do.  Not
that it really bothers me, in any case.  Goth is exactly who I am!"  She sighed and continued, "Just the same, I
know how important it is for us to be shown in a positive light, and that wouldn't make me the best candidate.
I'd wouldn't even try to change my image, not even for that one night."

When Rachel finished her piece, everyone's attention turned towards Cindy and Laretta, the remaining two candidates.
No one said anything to pressure them, but nonetheless Laretta was very quick to respond.  "I'll do it!"  she
said enthusiastically rising to the occasion, "Don't you guys worry about a thing.  I know I can handle
the responsibility!"  Foxonian nodded, "Okay Laretta, but it's not settled yet."  All eyes then focused on Cindy,
who rested her chin on her hands and remained silent, twitching her tail in annoyance.  "No pressure now, Cindy!"
Andy reassured her, as the others smiled gently and nodded in agreement.  "Yeah, right!"  Cindy thought silently
to herself with a scowl.  She literally wrestled with her conscience, torn between her loyalty to Cassie and the
others versus her inherent dislike for these 'glitzy, hyped-up shows' and the thought of her having to 'play her
part.'  After a short while of quietly hemming and hawing, her sense of duty won out.  She leaned back and gave
everyone a neutral stare, "What the hell.  Count me in!"  Everyone expressed joy (the bedridden Cassie included)
that they could finally go through with their plans.  Even Cindy did her best to make herself feel 'up to the
task' since then.

When the stage cleared for the next act, Cindy and Laretta knew that it would soon be time for them to do their
job.  Cindy shrugged herself out of her seat, stretched out her arms and let out a wide feline yawn.  "C'mon, time
to give this baby a home," she said almost nonchalantly as she held on to the award to be presented.

Laretta followed Cindy's prompting and rose from her chair, but then hesitated for a moment.  "Um, Cindy?"  she
asked cautiously.  "Yeah, what?"  Cindy replied.  Laretta simply gestured silently towards the floor at Cindy's
feet.  Cindy looked downwards, and returned a harsh glare to Laretta.  She crossed her arms and shook her head,
but Laretta just stood there with her own arms crossed and letting out a slight sigh.

Finally, Cindy snarled and relented as she sat back down and strapped a pair of black stiletto heeled sandals onto
her bare foot-paws.  She was dressed quite like the way she was at the Morphy awards show, in a beautiful black
satin blouse, gold hoop earrings in each ear, her black leather miniskirt, and of course the fancy sandals with
single straps holding them around her toes and ankles.

"How did I talk myself into wearing these things again?"  she grumbled.  "My feet are gonna hate me in the morning."

Laretta calmly replied, "Sorry, Cindy, but I don't think you can get away with walking onto the stage barefoot
this time.  We really should look our best.  At least, that's how I felt getting dressed up like this!"

Laretta had indeed replaced her traditional stage 'look' with something more appropriate for such a prestigious
and formal event.  She was wearing a very elegant red silk evening gown that clung to and emphasized her curves,
with thin spaghetti straps crossing her shoulders.  The gown flowed freely and gracefully its full length,
partially hiding her tail within its folds.  The hemline ended just above her ankles, revealing the dainty red
stiletto heeled sandals on her light gray furred feet.  They were similar to Cindy's, except that they also had
twin straps that criss-crossed her insteps and coiled around her ankles, tied into bows to keep them securely on
her feet.

Laretta had not only left her shoulder length hair its natural black color, but also had it specially styled for
the occasion.  She had her tresses permed into wavy curls, like gentle rapids on a river, that gracefully fringed
her face and muzzle.  A few tiny diamond stud earrings in each of her ears completed her look.

Cindy just sneered and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever.  As I was saying, time for us to get the ball rolling."
She got to her feet again, adjusting her balance slightly, and asked, "You've got the envelope, right Laretta?"

Laretta's eyes went wide with shock as she looked frantically from side to side.

"Laretta, what's wrong?"  Cindy asked suspiciously, "Where's the envelope?" The she-wolf's jaw dropped and she
started to hyperventilate as the snow leopardess kept her gaze fixed upon her.  She gulped and trembled as she
replied, "I...I don't know!!"

"WHAT?!!  Oh, brother!!"  Cindy half-shouted as she nearly dropped the award, "You have got to be kidding!
We're supposed to be on stage in ten minutes!  Why couldn't you be more careful?!"

Laretta whimpered and shrank back from her visibly angry companion.  "God, I'm so sorry, Cindy!"  she whimpered as
tears welled in her eyes, "I swear, I must be the world's biggest idiot!"

Cindy took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down when she saw Laretta start to cry.  "Look, it's okay.  We
all make mistakes," she told her sobbing friend.  "The important thing now is not to panic!  We still have some
time before we go on."  She rolled up the sleeves of her blouse and started to rummage around, "Maybe you just
dropped it somewhere!"

Laretta quickly stepped back as Cindy got down on her hands and knees.  "Cindy, wait!"  she exclaimed, "I remember
where it is now!"  Cindy almost shot straight up upon hearing this, nearly bumping her head on her seat.  "Why
didn't you say so sooner?!"  she said, glaring at the she-wolf, "So, where is it?"

A sly grin crept across Laretta's muzzle as she snuck her hand down the front of her dress, reached into her
modest-sized cleavage, and pulled out the small sealed envelope.  "Gotcha!"  the she-wolf giggled, as the
snow leopardess stared on dumbfounded.

Laretta smiled sweetly, hoping that Cindy wasn't too offended by her prank.  Cindy just stood there slack-jawed, at
a loss for words.  With Laretta still smiling, though, she just shook her head and poked the she-wolf in the ribs.
"I swear, you're becoming almost as bad as Alex!" she said with an exasperated look.  Laretta grinned and shrugged,
"I just wanted to lighten up the mood a little, that's all!"

Cindy just shrugged and smirked, "Yeah, sure.  Well, you've had your fun, now let's get going!"  she said as
she straightened out her blouse sleeves.  Both ladies hurried down towards behind the main stage, where they
waited anxiously.

They glanced over the list of nominees one more time.  "You see these guys, Cindy?"  Laretta asked as she pointed to
the band named 'Drops of Bronze'.  "Yeah, aren't they the band from Winnipeg?"  Cindy asked.  Laretta smiled and
nodded, "I was reading about them the night we went out.  I hope they win!"  Cindy nodded, "We heard them
perform earlier tonight.  They are really good."

The minutes seemed to stretch into hours as the announcer began to introduce the two ladies from Cassie's Band.
Laretta felt the anxiety creep over her, and she tightly gripped her own tail.  At least she thought it was her
tail, until she glanced down and saw that it was long, bushy, and had a pattern of black spots and circles on dark
gray and white.

An annoyed 'Ahem' drew Laretta's attention to her side, where the snow leopardess gave her a particularly annoyed
glare.  Laretta gasped and quickly released Cindy's tail, smiling sheepishly as she brushed it smooth.  For her
part, Cindy gave a sly grin and nudged Laretta's chin with her knuckles in a friendly gesture.  Laretta giggled
softly and responded by gently nudging Cindy on the shoulder.  Both were in fine spirits as the curtain began to rise...

**********

At the same time, in the living room of a rustic old skiing lodge in the Berkshire mountains, a dark haired vixen
rested in front of a wide screen TV.  Reclining on a sofa with her long, dark furred legs propped up on one end,
she kept herself wrapped in a warm blanket.  Cassie kept her bleary eyes focused on the show on TV the best she
could.  She adjusted her white sleeping robe over her pink nightgown slightly, trying to rest comfortably, as
difficult as it was.

She sniffed slightly, wiping off her snout with a Kleenex.  "I really wish I was feeling well enough to be there,"
she thought silently to herself, "but what can I do?  I've just got to hope the best for Cindy and Laretta."  She
began to smile, "But I know they'll do great!"

She took a slow sip from a mug of warm herbal tea, feeling the brew soothe her throat, when her ears perked up
and swiveled to the noise of pots crashing and some minor cursing from the nearby kitchen.  Cassie couldn't help but
to crack a fanged grin.  Her manager and true love, Foxonian, stayed faithfully by her side ever since she fell ill.
It was ironic, since she carefully looked after him whenever he suffered severe back pain.  This time, their roles
were reversed.

A moment later, the human male walked into the living room carrying a silver platter with a large steaming bowl.
He carefully set the tray down next to the resting vixen on the adjoining table.  "Here, honey," he said with a smile
as he stroked her ears, "I made you some nice hot chicken soup!"  Cassie frowned and coughed slightly, "You shouldn't
be spending so much time around me.  I'm afraid you'll catch whatever I have!" she said in a raspy voice.

Foxonian chuckled and patted her on the shoulder, "You really do worry about me too much.  All you need to worry
about now is resting and getting better."  He gently wrapped a warm shawl around her shoulders.  "If you stay
good, doctor will give you a nice treat when you're better!" he said with a laugh and a wink.  The vixen smiled
sweetly and touched his hand.

They were interrupted suddenly by a knock at the door.  Foxonian rose to answer the door as Cassie helped herself
to some of the soup.  "Hey guys, come on in!" he said to their guests.  Rachel, the tall whitetail doe dressed in
her usual gothic attire and makeup, smiled and waved to Cassie.  "I really don't feel ecstatic doing this to you
guys," she said in an uneasy tone, "Cassie really should be resting!"

Foxonian smiled, "It's no problem at all.  Cassie wanted to be up to watch the show anyway, and why not let us get
all together?"  Cassie just smiled and nodded in agreement to the doe.  Rachel nodded, "Oh well, we won't stay
too long."  She crossed her arms and looked back over her shoulder, "Right, Alex?"

Right behind her pranced in a smiling little arctic vixen dressed in a striped pink tank top, baggy blue jeans, and
red flip-flop style sandals with thick soles.  She looked up innocently and laughed, "Sure, no problem!"  She walked
up to the end of the couch where Cassie had her feet propped up.  "Hey Cassie, how's it going?"  The reclining
vixen grunted and shrugged, "I'm hanging in there."

After the two furry ladies settled in, Andy entered the lodge carrying a "Get Well" card that the whole band had
signed.  Everyone promptly took a seat, except of course on the couch, which doubled as Cassie's bed.  "We're not
too late, are we?"  Alex asked as she bounced into the recliner.  Foxonian shook his head, "No, you're okay.
They should be coming on after the next commercial break."

Cassie was enjoying reading her Get Well card when Andy's cell phone rang.  When he answered, he grinned and
announced, "Everyone, it's Vixina!"  Everyone shouted "Hi, Vixina!" to the phone, except Cassie, who had to settle for
a whisper.  "How are you holding up?"  Andy asked into the speaker.  From her own cell phone, Vixina replied,
"Ah'm awlrahght.  Ah wish mah dang ol' truck wuz outta th' shop!"  She smiled and continued, "But Ah sho' got a
fahne place t' stay!"  The reason she was smiling was obvious, as she cuddled in the lap of her red wolf
lover, Cloudchaser.  "Anywho, we's watchin' th' show raight now, an' Ah cain't wait t' see Cindy an' Laretta!  Ah
know they'll jest be super!"

Andy nodded and replied, "Okay, Vixina, glad to hear from you!  Cassie appreciates your condolences!"  When he
finished, Rachel said, "So, what's this I hear about Cindy and Laretta being 'specially rewarded' for standing in
for us?"  Cassie grinned a vixenish smile as Foxonian began to explain, "Well, we wanted to make this worth their
while.  It took some effort to track down their boyfriends, but hopefully everything went through okay."  Alex
grinned, "Gee, now that you say that, I kinda wish I did volunteer!"

Before anyone could say anything more, there was another knock at the door.  Most of the guests were surprised,
since they didn't expect anyone else to show up, but Foxonian smiled and winked to Cassie as he went to answer the
door.  "Hey Mister, did ya call for a doctor?" a voice asked at the open door.  "This one specializes in house
calls, especially when there are nice young ladies around!" he continued half-laughing.  Foxonian looked
slightly annoyed, but greeted the visitor just the same, "Come on in, Slim!"

The short brown otter roadie, dressed in a backwards baseball cap, flannel shirt, tattered jeans and sneakers,
sauntered into the room to the surprised looks of all, except Cassie, who also seemed to expect him.  "Hey, Slim,"
Alex managed to reply, "We weren't expecting you here tonight!"  Slim leaned back, with his back against the wall of
a nearby corner, and smugly replied, "And why not?  I helped out a lot too, you know!"

Rachel cleared her throat and said, "Are you pulling our legs, Slim?  I mean, you're great at fixing broken synths,
but really..."  An annoyed Slim looked like he was about to fire back, but Foxonian politely cut in.  "Actually,
Rachel, he's right.  You see, Cindy and Laretta were last-minute additions, and we had to make sure they could get
into the program without a hitch.  We needed some technical help with that part."  He put his hands behind his
back, "That, plus we needed to pull a few strings to allow two 'guests' onto the premises."

Slim nodded, "You know, I have made quite a few connections in my early years of stage work.  I ought to catch up
with that old wolverine, Ted.  I never thought I'd hear about him working backstage at the Grammys, of all places!"
he chuckled.

Cassie and Foxonian smiled to one another as Foxonian replied, "The important thing is, Cindy and Laretta are going
to get to enjoy a special night, and they should know how much we appreciate them."  Alex suddenly spoke up,
"Hey, they're gonna come on now!"  All eyes focused on the TV screen as the announcer began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are very proud to have with us tonight two very talented young ladies from the scene
of 'furry' hard rock.  They are undoubtedly the most charismatic and innovative performers to grace the stage with
a powerful, hard-driving sound and a distinctly sensitive and feminine gracefulness.  And have they got the award
to prove it!  Please give a warm welcome to tonight's representatives from Cassie's Band, Cindy McCormick and
Laretta Morrigan!"

The audience broke out into applause as both the snow leopardess and she-wolf gracefully walked across the
stage, smiling and waving.  Their friends watching at home were equally impressed.

"Za-Za-Za-ZOINKS!!" exclaimed an astounded Slim, who stared at the screen with a slack jaw.  "Wow, Laretta looks
so pretty!" gasped an awe-struck Alex.  Rachel chuckled and nodded, "And how about Cindy?  I'm amazed she actually
kept her shoes on this time!"

Everyone quieted and focused their attention as Cindy stood next to Laretta behind the podium.  "Thank you,
everyone!" Cindy announced, "We're very thrilled and honored to be here tonight!  Isn't that right, Laretta?"  The
she-wolf in the beautiful red dress smiled and nodded, "I agree, Cindy!  I couldn't think of a better honor
than recognizing the achievements of so many of our great fellow musicians, both human and furry-morph!"

Some polite applause followed their brief speech, as Laretta continued with a light tone.  "So Cindy, what do you
think of it being around all these people tonight?"  "It's pretty cool, Laretta," Cindy said with a slight
chuckle, "Almost too cool, in fact!  Just because we've got hair all over our bodies doesn't mean they have to max
out the A/C!  And don't get me started on how much static there is in the carpets!"  The audience burst into
laughter upon hearing Cindy's joke.

"Tell me about it!" Laretta laughed, "On the other hand, I guess we're lucky, since we're probably the only ones
who could show up wearing fur without getting red paint thrown on us!"  The she-wolf gave a fanged grin as more
laughter followed.

"Seriously speaking, folks," Cindy said in a calmer and more serious tone of voice, "Being here tonight really means
a lot to us.  We, with Cassie and the rest of the band, pride ourselves on reaching out to so many people, human
and furry alike.  Our fans are completely supportive and loyal, and we just can't thank them enough for that."

Laretta smiled sweetly and nodded, "Absolutely, Cindy!  It also warms my heart so much to see many of these same
folks make their own dreams come true through hard work and determination!"  The audience cheered and applauded
after hearing these graceful words.

Laretta cleared her throat and continued, "So with no further delay, we are proud to present the award for the best
new artist in today's popular music.   The nominees are..."

"Felicia Grant, for her R&B debut album 'Living City'" said Cindy.

"Devon Bellingham, with his best-selling soul album 'This Man's Journey'" said Laretta.

"Soul Upheaval, and their rock hit album 'Stuck on the 51st Floor'" said Cindy.

"Drops of Bronze, and their hot alt-rock debut 'Not of this Earth'" said Laretta.

Cindy tore open the envelope's seal with her claw and said, "And the winner is...Drops of Bronze!"

This announcement was followed by enthusiastic applause from the audience as a group of ecstatic young musicians
rushed up to the stage.  They happily shook hands with Cindy and a very proud Laretta, as the group's leader held
the award and tried to compose himself for his acceptance speech.

"Wow, I can't believe this!  I'm so totally psyched," said Arnold Branaghan, the group's lead guitarist and
singer, clutching the podium in excitement, "but we did it!  We're grateful to everyone who supported us and made
this possible, especially our friends and families.  Thanks a lot!"

Dustin Lang, the group's bassist, approached the podium, "I just wanna say hi to all my pals back at the hockey
rink.  To Mom and Dad, thanks for not scrapping my bass after that rec room incident!"

The whole band got together and shouted out, "Long live rock and roll!"  Laretta and Cindy smiled and applauded,
shaking hands with the other band members - Jake Massiano, the rhythm guitarist and mandolin player; Kelly Phillips,
the keyboard player; and Scott Winthrop, the drummer.  "Great job, all of you!" said Laretta with a broad grin.
Cindy smiled and nodded, "You guys kick tail!"

Back at the lodge, everyone was so impressed that they were also applauding the she-wolf and snow leopardess.  "They
did a super-duper job, didn't they?" asked an excited Alex.  Slim laughed, "Do ya really need to ask?"  Andynodded, "They should be proud of themselves, and we'll make sure they know how proud we are!"

Everyone turned to see Cassie sitting up next to Foxonian, with tears in her eyes.  She coughed a couple times,
managing a reply.  "Great job, you guys," she whispered in a hoarse rasp, with a warm smile on her lips.

**********

Soon after the award had been presented, a shadowy figure quickly passed behind the backstage.  Hiding behind a
curtain, the individual twitched his tail and whiskers in anticipation.  He drew his breath and felt his pulse
quicken when he saw her appear.  He never imagined her more beautiful than when he saw her tonight.  He drew his
face into a fanged grin.

At that time, Cindy and Laretta were unwinding after their job well done.  Cindy slumped back into a director's
chair and let out a deep sigh of relief.  "Yeah, we did it!" cheered Laretta, wagging her tail with excitement.

Cindy just rolled her eyes and muttered, "Yeah, mission accomplished.  Not a minute too soon, either!"  She scowled
and raised one of her foot-paws, rubbing her bare toes and instep.  "I couldn't stand another minute in these
heels!" she snarled.

Laretta paused and composed herself.  "You know Cindy, we can stay a little and watch the rest of the show if
you'd like."

Cindy looked up and gave Laretta a bewildered look as she started to undo her sandals, "Say what?"  Laretta clasped
her hands together and shuffled her feet nervously as she continued, "The academy invited us, remember?  We'd have
our own private balcony seats, refreshments and everything!  Wanna stay a little longer?"

Cindy shook her head, slightly mussing her neat silvery hair.  "Forget about it, Laretta!" she grumbled, "All I want
to do now is take off these stupid stilettos, catch a taxi home, change back into my normal clothes, and call it
a night!  You just give me one good reason why we should hang around this zoo any longer than we need to!"

At that moment, the curtain swept open to reveal the shadowy figure, startling both ladies.  He cleared his throat
and smiled at Cindy, "Actually, may I offer you a reason?  I would be very disappointed if you parted so soon."  He
held out the bouquet and opened his arms.

It took only a moment for the snow leopardess to react.  "VIC!!!!" she screamed with delight as her face broke into
an enthusiastic smile.  She instantly forgot about her complaints, sprang out of her chair, and raced straight for
the tiger's open arms.  Partially stumbling on her high heels, she nonetheless threw herself gracefully into his
arms, fiercely wrapping her own around his tough body.

They both laughed cheerfully as they drew together tightly into a warm, loving embrace.  Victor even lifted Cindy
off her feet and playfully twirled her around once in the air.  Cindy giggled and nibbled the side of his furry
neck, and Victor couldn't help but to return the gesture, until both were hugging and nuzzling.  Their embrace
was accentuated by the deep rumbles of both their purring.

Cindy broke from the embrace for a moment to see the colorful bouquet.  "For me?" she asked with amazement.
Victor smiled and nodded silently, nuzzling Cindy's ear.

Cindy purred and closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath of the flowers' perfumes.  "They're so beautiful!"
she exclaimed.  "Indeed they are," replied Victor with a warm smile.  He gently rubbed his finger under Cindy's chin
and touched his nose to hers, "Just like you!"  Cindy could only reply by licking and nuzzling Victor on the
cheek, which he happily accepted.

Meanwhile, Laretta just watched the scene quietly smiling and slightly wagging the tip of her tail.  "It's a
happy ending after all!" she thought, feeling very happy for her friend.  Victory gently parted the embrace from a
very reluctant Cindy, who kept one arm and her tail wrapped around his body.

"Hello, Laretta," Victor said politely to the she-wolf, extending his hand.  Laretta nodded and gently shook hands
with the tiger.  "I must say, you look stunning tonight!" he said, grinning and looking over the she-wolf
with admiration.

Cindy furrowed her brow and scowled slightly, gently poking Victor in the ribs with her elbow and a soft "Ahem."
Victor chuckled and put his arm around the snow leopardess' shoulders, "Alas, I can say no more!  My heart has
already been taken," he said as he kissed the smiling snow leopardess on the cheek, "and I can spare it to no one else!"

Laretta laughed, "I understand completely, Victor!  Oh, and thank you.  It was very nice of you to come by."
Cindy smiled and nodded, still tightly hugging her tiger, "You got that right!"  As Cindy took another smell of
the bouquet, Victor whispered something into her ear.  Her eyes widened with utter surprise as she peered into
the bouquet and then back at Victor.  Looking back to Laretta, she could hardly keep from breaking out into
giggles.  She nodded and winked to Victor as he took out a large poinsettia from the bouquet.

Laretta was confused by all this, and became utterly bewildered when Victor presented the flower directly to her.
"A gift for you," he said with a sly grin.  She wasn't so much surprised that he did this right in front of Cindy,
but also that Cindy didn't appear the least bit bothered by this gesture.  She just stood there and smiled.  "Go
on, take it Laretta!" she said with a wink.

Still completely perplexed, Laretta gently took the flower in her fingers.  "Um, okay.  Thank you, Victor!" she
said with much uncertainty.  She admired the large red flower, when suddenly it started to move.  She gasped when
she saw the large inner petals start to open, and out popped a smiling face!

The mouse climbed out of the flower and gave Laretta kiss on the nose!  "Surprise!" he exclaimed.

"BEN!!" exclaimed Laretta, gently taking the mouse in her hand and rubbing him against her muzzle.  "I just can't
tell you how happy I am to see you!" she said, giving him a gentle kiss.  "I think you just did!" laughed Ben, as
he took a long admiring look of the she-wolf, from her wavy hair and sparkling ears, down to her elegant gown and
red stiletto sandals.  Laretta giggled and cupped Ben safely in her hands, close to her soft chest, which he
cuddled against eagerly.  Cindy and Victor were polite enough to let them cuddle together for a good while.

"Hey there, Ben!" said Cindy in an elevated voice, taking a few careful steps forward.  Laretta had formally
introduced Ben to the band a while beforehand, when she "sneaked" him backstage before one of their shows.  She
recalled how unbelieving the rest of the band was initially.  Cindy and Alex, in fact, thought Laretta was flat
out joking when she told them her boyfriend was mouse-sized.

Nonetheless, Ben's pleasant personality and confident, outgoing disposition made him fast friends with Cassie
and Laretta's other friends.  The fact that he helped to repair a broken microphone before the show helped a lot,
as well.  He smiled and waved back to the snow leopardess, "Good evening!  You did a top-rate job out there, if I do
say so myself!"

Cindy laughed and leaned back against Victor, "And who would we rather hear it from than our two biggest fans?"
Laretta grinned as Ben climbed up on her shoulder and tickled her neck.  "This is just so incredible!  How did you
two make it back here to see us, anyway?"

Victor chuckled, "Well, we haven't quite figured that out!  Whoever it was who mailed us those tickets and the
backstage pass, we are greatly in their debt!"  Upon hearing this, Cindy and Laretta looked at one another and
started to laugh, leaving Victor and Ben hopelessly confused.  "What's so funny?" asked a perplexed Ben.  Cindy
laughed, "Sorry, you guys!  We're not telling!"  She gave a knowing wink to the she-wolf, who happily returned
the gesture.

Victor shrugged and cuddled against Cindy.  "Oh well, all that matters is that we are with you tonight!"
Carefully taking Ben back in her hands, Laretta softly replied, "Well, I hate to disappoint you guys, but I really
think we should be going soon!"

"Oh?  How come?" Ben asked, tugging playfully at Laretta's fur.  Laretta sighed and looked sadly at Cindy, "Well, I
know Cindy's ready to call it a night.  To tell you the truth, I'm feeling tuckered out, too!"

Before Laretta could continue, Cindy cut right in.  "Hey, hold it there!  It's not like we have to leave right
this instant!"  She composed herself and rubbed against Victor with a warm smile, "They won't kick us out if we
have guests, will they?"

Laretta giggled as the two felines brushed their black and white fur patterns together.  "I don't think so!" she
replied happily.

**********

The night went on without any seriously significant incidents.  More awards were dutifully presented and
emotionally accepted.

Up in the balcony above the stage, celebration of a different sort went on.  Two very happy furry-morph couples
enjoyed the night in each other's company.

The two felines shared their seat in a slightly peculiar manner, with Victor taking up the seat and Cindy draped
across his lap.  She had her arms crossed behind her head and her legs and feet up on his arms.  Even as the two
somehow occupied a seat intended for one, they both seemed to enjoy the arrangement just fine.

This was especially the case for Cindy.  Her black stiletto sandals lay on the floor beneath the seat.  She
couldn't have been happier to have Victor massage her feet with his strong yet nimble hands.  He gently caressed
her toes, arches and ankles with the touch of an expert.  The large grin on Cindy's muzzle and her deep, loud
purring expressed her satisfaction.

"MRROWR," Cindy purred in a sultry voice.  "I know who deserves to win the award for best romantic Latin male!"
She grinned and winked at Victor, wiggling her toes, while the tiger smiled and replied by gently tickling the sole
of her foot with his tail.

Cindy drew her hands from behind her head and gave Victor a hug around his shoulders.  With one free arm, she
reached for a nearby cart loaded with appetizers, selected a fancy biscuit garnished with tuna pate, and placed it
in Victor's mouth.  "Here is your reward, good sir!" she said in merry mock regal accent.  Victor chuckled and
thrust his arm behind Cindy, suddenly drew her forward such that her mouth opened in surprise and bit down on
the appetizer.  They both got a bite of the biscuit, and their lips drew together into a kiss.

Cindy was still slightly stunned as Victor laughed, "Delicious, I must say!"  The spotted feline also laughed, "Oh
yes, but you gotta warn me when you do that!"  She playfully swatted him on the back of his head with the tip of her
own tail, causing them both to laugh and snuggle.

Right near them, Laretta giggled softly as she relaxed in her own chair.  Like Cindy, she had removed her sandals
and kicked them underneath her seat.  As she watched the felines enjoy each other's company, she took her own
pleasure from the tuxedoed mouse who cuddled in the fur of her neck and under her chin.

"Mmmm," the she-wolf sighed as she wiggled her bare gray toes on the soft plush carpet, "A girl could really get used
to this!"  Ben paused for just a moment to wipe off his brow, "Whew!  I hope you're not expecting a full back rub
and foot massage, too!  I mean, that would take me weeks!"  Laretta laughed softly and rubbed her muzzle against
Ben, "Oh, I'm not complaining at all!"  She held him carefully in her hands as she gazed at him with tender eyes,
"Every little thing you do means the world to me!"

Ben churred happily, "Well, that's good," he chuckled, "because that's all I do, little things!"  He smiled and took
a brief look around, "I have to say that you ladies really made out well!  You really got the royal treatment."

Cindy replied while looking somewhat nonplussed, "Nice of you to notice, but not it's not all what we wanted."
Victor paused his massaging for a moment, "Oh, how do you mean?"

Cindy sniffed and made a gesture towards two lavishly decorated crystal baskets, "You see those?"  Victor nodded,
"Yes, in fact, I was going to ask you about them.  What are they?"

The snow leopardess rolled her eyes, "Gift baskets, obviously worth thousands of dollars.  The sponsors wanted
to congratulate us, but why this way?  I mean, what are we gonna do with them?"  Laretta slowly nodded her head
in agreement.

"So what will you do with them?" Ben asked.  Cindy and Laretta gestured to one another with fanged grins.  "Tell
'em, Laretta!" Cindy replied.  Laretta nodded and winked, "We'll auction them off at Sotheby's, and donate the
proceeds to charity!"

Victor laughed and applauded, "What a wonderful idea!  A class act, if I've ever seen one!"  Ben smiled and
nodded, applauding as well, "I couldn't have said it better myself!"  For their part, Cindy and Laretta both laughed
and gave each other high-fives.

They completed their celebration by each taking champagne flutes and helping themselves to iced non-alcoholic
sparkling grape cider.  "Remember what you said about us not actually getting any rewards tonight?" Laretta said with
a slight giggle to Cindy as she allowed Ben a sip of her cider.

Cindy just chuckled and nodded as she nuzzled with her tiger.  Both furry ladies cheerfully clinked their
champagne glasses together in celebration.

Last version completed:
October 14, 2002