Happy Birthday Foxonian

Written by & copyright of Donna Fritz

Featuring Cassie, her band and Cassie's mate, Foxonian

Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen
http://members.aol.com/rufinoform/Cassie.htm

Please read the prequil, "Change Of Buisiness", featuring featuring Cassie, her band,
her manager Andy and her mate, Foxonian, at
http://members.aol.com/CassieRockVixen5/change_of_buisiness.txt
Please read the sequil, "Better Late Than Never", featuring featuring Cassie, her
chief roadie, Slim and her mate, Foxonian, at
http://members.aol.com/CassieRockVixen5/better_late_than_never.txt

All characters created by & copyright of Earl Bacon except Laretta, who is created by
and copyright of Andrew Cotton, Alex, who is created by and copyright of Donna Fritz
and Vixina, who is created by and copyright of Cloudchaser Shaconage.


Cassie stood on the deck of the Berkshire mountain lodge, enjoying the view.  A cheerful
breeze flirted her filmy sky-blue skirt around her legs and pushed her black head-hair
back from her triangular ears.  Surrounded by acres of woods, the red fox-morph vixen
savored the silence which was broken only by birdsong and the tap-tap-tap of a
distant woodpecker.  If Foxonian, her human lover, were there with her, her contentment
would be complete.  She sighed and turned back into the house. He was on his way, she
knew, but sometimes the hours they spent apart from each other felt like years.  Glancing
at the microwave, she saw it was almost three o’clock; she still had about four hours
before Foxonian arrived.

Time to start the cake, she decided, glad of something to do to fill the time besides
just anxiously waiting.  Padding to the kitchen, Cassie pulled a flowered apron from a
drawer and tied it over her sundress, then reached for the cookbook and paged through to
the cakes.  Today was Foxonian’s birthday, and she planned to make it a special one.  She
had invited the entire band.  They should start trickling in a few hours from now for
the surprise party.  She would have liked to make dinner as well as a cake, but Foxonian
had his heart set on the kind of pan-fried pizza that only Pizza Hut could really make
right.  Cassie shuddered at the thought of the grease and calories, but had to admit it
tasted good.  She didn’t indulge very often, and anyway, this was a special occasion.
She hummed a tune from her latest concert as she mixed the dry ingredients, then set
them aside to mix the eggs, oil, and water before combining the two bowls, her
white-tipped brush waving back and forth in time to the song.

"Hey, Cass!" Vixina was the first to arrive, in very short shorts, the torn edge of her
T-shirt barely reaching her midriff.  "Thanks for coming," Cassie said. "This’ll be a
great surprise party."  Vixina flopped down on the sofa and grinned at Cassie.  "An’
don’ worry, we know ya’ll don’ want us stayin’ too long," she drawled knowingly.
Laretta showed up shortly thereafter.  She draped her voluptuous lupine form on the
recliner, sitting sideways with one leg and her tail dangling over the arm of the
chair.  "When will Foxonian get here?"  Cassie consulted the clock.  "Sometime between
six-thirty and seven, he estimated when he called earlier."

The deep rumble of a Harley Sportster came next.  Cindy sure can’t sneak up on anybody on
that thing, Cassie thought as the snow-leopardess came in through the open door, her
black biker leathers contrasting nicely against her grey-and-charcoal fur.  Cindy’s
head-hair had been flattened a bit by the black skullcap-type helmet which she dropped next
to the door, and she fluffed her silky white tresses as best she could.  "I was worried I’d
be late," she said as she perched with fluid feline grace on one of the stools by the
counter, her long, thick-furred tail curling into an upside-down question mark.
"Where’s Rachel and Alex?"

Before anyone could respond, the unmistakable sound of Rachel’s 1958 Chrysler New
Yorker answered her question.  "Hope we’re not too late," Rachel appeared in the doorway a
few moments later, amusement warring with exasperation in her doe-femme eyes as she
smoothed her black frilly dress.  "Somehow one of the spark plugs came loose, and I
spent nearly half an hour waiting for a mechanic, who charged me—"  "—who charged you
nothing.  I paid the bill.  And it was only twenty minutes," Alex interrupted with a
laugh, coming up behind Rachel, her hot-pink shorts and halter top emphasizing the
whiteness of her fur. The arctic fox-morph looked up innocently through her blonde curls
at her friend. "Besides, I did check your oil for you," she added with a mischievous smile.

"Anybody want anything? Soda? Orange juice?" Cassie asked, diplomatically distracting
them.  Someday, she promised herself, I’m going to play a prank on Alex to even things up
a bit.  "A straightjacket?" Rachel asked wistfully, glancing at Alex.  The white
fox-femme grinned her infectious grin, and Rachel finally gave in with a shrug and
smiled back.  Flipping her thick black braid over her shoulder, she sat on a stool by
Cindy, her natural elegance undiminished by her black Army boots.  "Soda, please."  "Ice
water would be great," Alex said as she settled crosslegged on the floor by the window.

Cassie grinned at the smaller vixen. "Nope, no ice cubes," she laughed. "Not after last
time."  "No way!" Laretta agreed.  "What did I do?"  Alex tried to assume an air of
offended dignity, without much success.  "Okay, just cold water then."  "Soda heah,
please," Vixina said, cleaning her glasses and peering at them dubiously before putting
them back on.  Laretta said, "OJ for me, please."  "I’d like orange juice, too," Cindy got
up. "You want some help?"  "Sure, thanks," Cassie said.  The two of them went out to
the kitchen.

"You look great, Cindy." The slender red fox-morph gave the snow-leopardess a hug, then
looked her up and down approvingly. Cindy had gained enough weight to go from skinny
to svelte, and she carried herself with a sense of poise and confidence which Cassie
hadn’t seen in her friend for a long time.  "Thanks, I feel great.  Screaming along on
that ol’ Harley, the wind whipping my hair, what a rush! Better than booze ever was.  It’s
the power, Cass, the control.  Not just of the bike, but of myself."

Cindy ran cold tapwater into a glass as Cassie got out the orange juice.  "Thanks, Cass,"
she finished simply.  Cassie smiled at her friend, then got three cans of soda out of
the little refrigerator.  Cindy expertly scooped up the two orange juice glasses and
Alex’s water, and the two of them returned to the living room and distributed the
various beverages.  "Everybody figure out where they’re going to hide?" Cassie asked,
opening her soda and taking a sip.

By six-thirty the pizza was ordered, the finished cake was hidden on the floor behind
the coffee table and everyone kept leaping up expectantly every time an acorn bounced off
the verandah—except Cassie, who knew the sound of her lover’s car like her own
heartbeat.  Shortly before seven, she finally heard the long-awaited motor chugging up
the drive.  She shushed everybody, sending them all to their respective hiding places
and arranged herself casually on the sofa.  Foxonian walked in, running a hand through
his tousled brown hair.  "Whew.  What a drive."  He held out his arms in invitation.
"Hello, my love."  Cassie smiled as she got up and gave him a big hug.  "Welcome
home, sweetheart."  She pulled his head down for a kiss, and he responded with enthusiasm.

"SURPRISE!"  Everyone leaped out of hiding.  Cindy put the cake on the coffee table, which
had been cleared for just that purpose, and lit the candles.  "Happy Birthday!"  Cassie
felt Foxonian startle, but he didn’t break the kiss.  He continued to tell her without
words how much he loved her.  Only when Vixina dryly commented "Th’ candles ’re almost dahn
t’ th’ cake, y’know," did he finally release her to look at the various friends who
were waiting patiently and smiling.  "Make a wish!" Laretta gave a wolfish grin.
Foxonian pulled the willing Cassie to him and kissed the tip of one of her furry ears,
thought for a moment, then blew out the candles in one breath. He looked around to include
the whole roomful.

"Thanks, guys."  Cassie snuggled closer, curling her tail around Foxonian’s
leg affectionately.  "Happy Birthday, Foxonian."  Just then, yet another car pulled into
the crowded drive and a gangly teenage cheetah-morph appeared in the doorway, carrying
two pizza boxes.  Cassie regretfully wriggled free, took the hot boxes and put them on
the coffee table next to the cake, and paid the delivery boy. After he left, the
fox-femme produced paper plates and napkins from the cupboard. "Okay, everybody, dinner
is served."

At nine o’clock, the pizza and cake were only pleasant memories; Vixina stood
deliberately.  "Ah’m sooo tired," she gave a dramatic yawn.  "Ah think it’s abaht time
Ah oughta be gettin’ back to mah Cloudchasah."  She stretched languorously, and glanced
around the room to emphasize her hint.  "See ya at the studio, Cass!" Rachel helped
Cassie clear away the paper plates and carry glasses out to the kitchen.  Returning to
the living room, she gave Cassie a hug and Foxonian a sisterly peck on the cheek.
"Thanks, hope you two have a nice evening.  We should be going, too," she said,
catching Alex’s eye.  "Right, Alex?"  "Oh, yeah, uh, Fish needs to be fed," Alex agreed,
her tail twitching with suppressed laughter. "See ya later, Cassie!"

"Past my bedtime," Laretta stood and shook her fur to straighten it.  "Hope you had a
fun birthday, Foxonian."  She winked at Cassie, who leaned her back against Foxonian’s
chest, his arms hugging her tiny waist.  "Oh, I think he will," Cassie assured the
wolfess.  Laretta laughed, and padded out the door.  Cindy scooped up her helmet
and sunglasses. "Thanks, Cass." Cindy gave Foxonian an arch grin as she pulled the helmet
on, fixing her bangs so she could see.  "Hope you get your wish, whatever it was."  "Me,
too," Foxonian replied with a laugh.  "Hope you get your wish, too," Cassie said to
her friend. "I’m working on it," Cindy promised with a lighthearted wave, closing the
door behind her.

The man and the fox-femme listened to the Harley-Davidson rumble away, and the
resulting silence wrapped around them.  Standing next to Foxonian with her shoes off,
Cassie felt deliciously petite and protected, sheltered by his tall and broad-shouldered
self.  Cassie turned to face him, snuggling her sharp muzzle closer to her mate, her
eyes half-closed and her ears flat with the pleasure of his presence.  "I still didn’t
give you your present," Cassie murmured against Foxonian’s warm and solid chest.  "Oh,
yes, you did," he breathed into her hair, sweeping her up off her feet and kissing
her soundly.  One of her shoes fell off as Cassie struggled half-heartedly. "But I want
to give you your present," she protested.  "Later," the human growled, and carried
her upstairs.

THE END