<HTML>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</HTML>