FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Welcome back, my lovely reader~

Being a writer is my dream job but it has full-time hours and doesn't pay the bills. I want to keep writing these stories for everyone to enjoy and your support on Patreon or Ko-Fi helps make that happen. Patrons even get to see stories a week early to avoid all that pesky waiting. I also appreciate non-financial support like faving, voting, and following me on Twitter. Thank you so much for your continued support! Please enjoy the episode.

And with that out of the way...

Welcome back, my lovely reader!

I've given you a lot of sex over the last few episodes, eh lovely? Let's dial it down a bit and actually focus on some plot, shall we? This is more than just porn after all and if you're this far into L&L I'd imagine it wasn't just the sex that got you here!

The girls and boys both have their own tribulations to contend with today, but perhaps they'll come out all the stronger for it. We'll also get to see a familiar face as well!

Let's jump right in!

--*--

Episode 4:

Blood, Song, and Dues Paid

Karen looked upon the unassuming red brick building on the west side of town, her large mocha ears lifting as she sat in the passenger's seat of Ivory's car. "This place? It looks like an old warehouse or something." The rabbit had her right footpaw propped up on the dashboard of the car, her arm over her knee. She had opted for function over fashion, going with blue jeans and a snug black top for the rehearsal, her regular boots she wore everywhere on.

Ivory gave a grin, showing her sharp teeth as she pulled her sunglasses off and looked over at her lover. "Well, yeah, it's not supposed to stand out. If it did, people would be swarming it to see which major artist was going to be using it."

"Not stand out eh? Like you driving a small compact car instead of some fancy sports car?" Karen grinned back at Ivory as she spoke.

The cat hummed out playfully, "I will have you know I always enjoyed driving small little cars like this. It makes parking and maneuvering in traffic much simpler." Ivory then clicked her tongue and tugged a large wide-brimmed sun hat on before shoving the sunglasses back on. "But yes... it still feels weird running around hiding in broad daylight sometimes. I can usually get away with it more or less, so long as I don't wear anything too fancy or my makeup, I'm not THAT famous after all."

"I dunno, 'Foxy Lover' did break into the top ten, people certainly know your name now." Karen grinned as she spoke, then gave the cat a hungry look. "Well they can look all they want, but they can't touch."

Ivory purred as she saw the look and moved closer to Karen, bumping her muzzle to the bunny's. They kissed eagerly as Ivory felt Karen's paws already moving over the blue blouse she had worn, fingertips squeezing the swell of her breasts lightly.

"Now now my rabbit... business first, you can have me afterward..." Ivory purred the words after breaking the kiss, her lips still brushing Karen's before she pulled back, the rabbit's handpaws hesitating to let her go before withdrawing.

"Fine... I suppose it wouldn't do to show up smelling like sex," Karen muttered, tucking a stray lock of chocolate-colored hair back into place before climbing from the small compact car.

Ivory followed suit, sliding from the driver's side of the vehicle and straightening the knee-length skirt she had worn for the day, a matching blue to the blouse, a simple pair of open-toed sandals on her footpaws, showing her claws were painted in the same hue of blue.

The hesitation was obvious as Ivory looked back at Karen and offered a small smile, "Nervous?"

"Yeah, a little. I've never done something like this before." Karen looked at the brick building, feeling her stomach twist slightly.

"Yeah? Had you ever had group sex like we did the other night, or banged another woman's husband?" Ivory asked the words nonchalantly while giving Karen a smile.

"What? Of course, I hadn't, what's that got to do with this though?" The rabbit huffed out at the cat, her cheeks feeling hot as she thought about the questions, the subject taking her back to the sex she had with Joseph and her.

"Oh, just that life is always full of new experiences. Just go for it and see what happens. Don't be afraid of the unknown." Ivory spoke lovingly and reached her handpaw out toward Karen.

Karen gave a quick nod and grasped Ivory's paw, feeling their fingers interlock together before the cat gave a gentle tug and pulled the rabbit into motion, walking with her to the side door of the large building.

Ivory didn't bother knocking and just grabbed the handle of the old metal door, giving it a bump with her hip to dislodge it. The metal groaned in protest as the door opened to a dimly lit hallway. Karen had to blink her eyes several times to adjust to the darker room, the summer sun having left her blinded now that she was inside.

Ivory let out a slight hiss, her own eyes taking a little longer to adjust to the darkness. Finally, the two of them made their way down the hallway until it led to yet another metal door, this one not so fussy to get open.

The door led to a large open room with dozens of instruments of various types laid about. Everything from classical instruments like cellos and violins, to more modern things like electric guitars. The whole room was bathed in soft white light, making everything look clear and sharp. Along one side of the room was a large glass wall with what was obviously a recording studio within it on the other side of the glass.

The door leading to the glass-walled room promptly slid open and a large curvy bovine-woman appeared from within. She easily had over a foot in height on Karen, possibly being as tall as Isaac. Her hair was jet black with white highlights running through the length as it flowed in a long cascade down her back. The tips of her hair ended at a long thin white tail with a small tuft of black fur at the tip. She wore a flowing sundress of blue and gold, the hemline of the fabric brushing the floor of the studio as she walked.

"Welcome back my little gattina! It is good to see you once more." The larger female called out in a smooth rolling voice that commanded confidence and grace. Ivory quickly moved over to her and the two clasped paws before exchanging kisses on the side of one another's muzzle.

"It's good to see you too, Bianca! I've missed you these last several months!" Ivory purred the words, giving a wide-tooth grin, her own tail flicking and coiling about.

"Ha! You are a little masochist you are, my little gattina. We quarreled but we had a good time then, didn't we?" The bovine woman gave her own grin before releasing Ivory's paws and turning her full attention to the rabbit in the room.

Karen blinked up at the large cow towering over her, she was big. Not just fat either, just large and muscular, but not toned like she worked out, more like just a natural large bulk that came with her. She did indeed have the curves of a woman that loved to eat though and her size easily matched both of the other two girls put together.

"Oh. Uh... hello there, nice to meet you?" Karen spoke out politely as she looked up at the large female. She had taken down guys bigger than this but her sheer size and confidence made her look indomitable currently.

Bianca lifted her drooped white and black ears up at the soft words from the rabbit and gave a wide grin. "You want to sing little coniglia? You need to be louder than that!"

Karen blinked at the words, confusion showing on her face. "Coni-what?"

Ivory giggled as she moved over towards Karen and bumped her own hip against the bunny's. "It means 'rabbit'."

"Oh..." Karen processed the statement then put a paw on her hip and looked up at the woman still grinning and looming over her, "Y-yeah I do wanna sing, I can be plenty loud thanks." The rabbit mused in thought for a moment before continuing, "Also, you obviously speak English, why not just use 'cat' and 'rabbit'?"

The bovine-woman gave another wide grin before shifting her gaze over to Ivory. "Ah, you have brought me a practical one, eh my gattina? She is a thinker first then."

Ivory shrugged at the statement, "Trust me, Bianca. She can be plenty impulsive if you give her a chance."

Karen blushed at Ivory's words, understanding the hidden meaning behind them. Bianca turned back to Karen and snorted through her nose heavily before speaking out, "To answer the question, the why is just who I am. We are in show business little coniglia, nothing about it is practical!" By now Bianca had raised her handpaws to the ceiling as if giving a riveting speech to a crowd.

"Uh... right. So..." Karen trailed off rubbing the back of her head, not sure what to make of the eccentric woman before her.

"So now, sing for me!" Bianca barked out, pointing a finger at Karen.

"W-what? Right now, out of the blue?" The rabbit stammered words, feeling panic fill her chest.

"Yes, now! You want to sing, I need to know what we are working with, you know? So sing for me."

"Just pretend we're at karaoke, Karen. She did the same thing to me when I first got here," Ivory purred the words with a grin.

Karen blushed and rattled thoughts around in her head before finally clearing her throat, "Ah... S-so hold me, and never let me go my foxy lover. I wanna dance with you and no other..."

Ivory snorted back a laugh and grinned. "Really? My song?"

Bianca nodded her head in thought, "Hmm... the harmony is there, you have strong vocal cords."

Karen lifted her large mocha ears up at the words, showing off the silver hoops along the inside of them. "Oh, really? You think I'm good?"

"No! I think you are terrible!" Bianca practically snarled the words as she crossed her arms over her large ample breasts through the dress. Karen flinched at the words but the bovine woman continued. "This one, she was awful too when I got her. I will fix it!"

Ivory rolled her eyes and gave a toothy grin, "It's true, Bianca is a slave driver. I don't envy you, Karen."

The cow lifted her ears up and looked over at the cat. "Oh, you think you will sit and watch? You two want to sing together, you both will practice together!"

"What?! B-but I already proved I can sing! I've got a top ten single for fuck sake!" Ivory snarled the words, clenching her paws and hissing. The tone of her voice took on a more haughty and irritated tone Karen wasn't used to hearing from her as if a princess being scolded.

Bianca let out an amused laugh and moved to ruffle the cat's ears and muss her neat hair. "My little gattina, I was ten years into my opera career with all of the home country in love with me, and I always had to practice and keep up. You have had a sip of the wine and nothing more!"

The bovine woman stepped away from the two girls and looked upon a platinum record mounted on the wall, putting her handpaws on her hips. "You will always have others trying to take you down, it is a competition, just like anything else. You will train and you will improve, or someone will come to take your job."

Ivory showed her teeth as she hissed back in response, "Yeah but I've been kicking my own ass for over a year!"

"And I kicked mine for over thirty!" The cow retorted back, giving the cat a stern look. "You've had a single top ten hit, as in one. I had two dozen, and when you have one of these, then you tell me you can take a break." Bianca jerked her thumb back towards the record on the wall as she spoke the words.

Ivory clenched her teeth and jerked her head away, her cheeks hot with anger. Karen simply whistled in response to the instructor's words. "Damn... you're something else, Lady." The rabbit huffed the words, a bit of admiration in her tone.

"Your flattering words will just make me work you harder, little coniglia, but thank you." The cow huffed the words with a wide grin then looked at the pouting cat. "You are ready to retire already? Then get out of my studio and I will have this cute girl replace you. You want to keep singing and have your fans, you work hard and you act like a professional."

Ivory flinched at the words, showing her teeth and glaring at the cow, "You're still a bitch."

Bianca grinned wide at the words and held her paws out, palms up. "And you are still a child, but a child with untapped talent. You two warm-up and drink some water, we will begin in ten minutes."

"What the hell have you gotten me into, love?" Karen spoke the words quietly once Bianca had slipped into the other room.

Ivory sighed in response and rolled her neck. "She's a cunt, but a lovable one, and she is the best. I could only hope to have the talent and ability she does even if I did this for twenty more years. Even now she could probably come out of retirement and go back on the opera circuit."

Karen flicked her ears curiously. "Huh... is there even any money or call for that these days?"

"Oh, you better believe there is! Maybe not here in this country, but if she went home and announced she was touring again... Hot damn she would make money paw over fist." Ivory spoke out, her own admiration showing in her voice.

"I have a feeling... it's not about the money for her," Karen mused the words as she moved to the water pitcher on a small table and poured a glass.

"Funny enough, I get that..." Ivory purred, a small smile spreading on her muzzle. "When I'm on stage, when I see all those people and how happy they are. I really do love my fans."

Karen huffed playfully, "Trying to make me jealous, love?"

"Not that kind of love, you possessive coniglia!" The cat hummed playfully with a grin.

"I swear to the gods! If you start that up I will never bang you again!" Karen snarled at Ivory, giving her a playful glare.

--*--

Joseph pulled on his second fingerless glove, tugging the strap into place. A durable reinforced set that covered his knuckles and improved his grip. He routinely used them at the various gyms they would stop at while touring. The fox clenched his fist, the tight grip feeling good, and filled him with confidence. "So what's the plan?"

Isaac cut his eyes to the young fox and snorted out a huff before answering him, "The plan is for you to stay out of the way and let me handle everything." The wolf spoke the words in an all-business tone of voice, standing outside of the car, checking through the duster he had on to make sure the various weapons and tools were in order.

The fox gave him a playful grin and flicked his tail about. "Yeah? And how would Karen take to that plan?" Joseph growled the words in amusement as he slid his exposed padded-fingertips into the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the side of the car.

"Karen is a licensed and trained professional, you are not." The wolf snarled back sharply, reaching his handpaw back behind him to flick the safety off on his barretta in the sewn-in holster of his duster, the weight of the gun resting against the small of his back.

"Sure sure, but seriously, what should I do if things go south?" Joseph cut his eyes to Isaac with a bit of concern in them.

Isaac grew quiet in contemplation before adjusting the duster. He had on his worn jeans and hiking boots, the typical outfit he would wear on the job along with a plain black t-shirt. "This guy has been laying low here for almost three months, he has most likely gotten complacent and won't be expecting anything. He even picked up a part-time job here at this hardware store, hence why we are making this public. Less likely to go south that way."

"Yes, we grab him as he gets off work, I got all those details yesterday. I want to know what you want me to do IF things don't go as planned." The fox's voice had the edge of irritation and concern in it now.

Isaac could plainly tell his younger lover was simply concerned for him. The wolf looked away, thinking about last night and the one before that, along with the years of build-up to this point. He huffed and drooped his large red ears before cutting his blue eyes back to the fox, a look of concern in them as well. He didn't want him to get hurt on this, he didn't want to risk losing him now that he had grown attached, now that he and Ivory were such a prominent fixture in his and Karen's life.

Joseph saw the look and gave the wolf a reassuring smile before speaking again, "I know it's not a game, I'm not gonna act like some dumb kid, but I don't want you out there alone either, this is a team thing for a reason, yeah?"

Isaac growled to himself, a brief glance at the fox's eyes had reminded him of Hazel and the concern she always had for him over his investigator gig. "Just watch my back, let me do all the talking. We flank him, and if he tries to run, you let me chase him down."

"So, I'm just there to look good eh?" The fox growled cheerfully, pulling his paws out of his jeans and giving a playful flex, showing off the defined toned muscles in his arm.

"Well, you certainly looked good drooling on your paws and knees last night!" The wolf snarled teasingly before reaching back to slap the fox on the rear.

Joseph yipped out and growled back playfully, his tail whipping about now. "Well, I had to let you return the favor, I doubt you want to be a bottom every time!"

Isaac grinned and looked into the fox's eyes for a long moment, the chestnut hue of them reminding him of his ex-wife. Joseph blinked back into the wolf's icy blue eyes, the color reminding him of Ivory's.

"Just don't do anything stupid, okay?" Isaac huffed the words and looked away, feeling his cheeks warming up.

"Y-yeah... I got your back man." Joseph barked the words awkwardly and cut his own eyes away, feeling his pulse pacing up a few notches.

The larger dog took a steadying breath and checked his phone for the time. "Keys said he would be off at fifteen hundred, so any minute now. We know he drives that truck over there, so we cut him off. That's why I parked between the store and his vehicle. We will walk up like we are customers with a question."

"Ah Keys, I've not talked to them in a while now. I should reach out to them when we get back," Joseph muses the words and perked his ears out as the bounty they were here for came out of the store.

"Alright... show time." Isaac rolled his neck, feeling a few pops and creaks in his shoulders before shaking his arms out and moving towards the male that had just stepped out of the store.

Joseph followed along a pace behind the wolf. He sized the guy up that was walking, a little smaller than him, a feline, perhaps a lynx. Joseph had enough competitive experience to know the guy moved like he was trained in fighting, and given his size and body tone he would be fast.

The lynx paid no mind to the two of them at first, his red apron from work kicking up in the breeze, then an ear flicked up in the realization that the two were moving towards him with obvious intention. Both the dogs saw his body language change, his posture growing tenser.

"Son of a bitch..." Isaac snarled quietly through clenched teeth.

"Nothing we can do about it now." Joseph huffed out quietly in response.

The lynx stopped in his tracks to let the dogs cover the last few paces before speaking out, "If you gentlemen need help, I'm off work, but an associate inside will be happy-"

"You know why we're here, Harvey." Isaac growled the words out sternly.

The cat gave a defeated sigh and shrugged. "It took a while, I was starting to think no one cared."

"So, we cool? You want this done the easy way I assume?" Isaac huffed the words in a deadly serious tone.

"Of course, I want the easy way." Harvey raised his paws, palms open submissively.

"Good, this makes it easier for everyone." Isaac reached into his duster to get the wrist restraints as he moved in on the lynx.

Both the dogs saw the tension shift as the cat dipped forward on a bent knee. Joseph, being a knife user himself recognized the motion at once as Harvey's paw slipped into his back pocket in the fluid familiar motion, the movements lightning quick.

"Knife!" The fox barked out as Isaac's body had already been responding on reflex, his brain catching up to the split-second warning. The wolf had been preparing for an unarmed blow to counter but knew full well the lynx may have been armed.

"Fucker!" Isaac barked, seeing the glint of steel as he sidestepped and jerked his torso away. The blade flashed out cutting into his shirt in a wide arc just missing the wolf's throat as he jerked his head up and away, the tip of the blade biting into his cheek faintly.

Joseph had already positioned and readied the snap kick by the time the blade had swept. Harvey knew the other dog wouldn't just sit there and had already been expecting something, but not a kick of all things. The cat threw his free arm up in a haphazard block saving his skull from the blow.

The impact to his arm made the lynx reel back and stumble before regaining his balance and shifting into a low crouching stance, knife at the ready, his left arm feeling numb from the hit. "Fucking mutts!" Harvey hissed out.

The fox had produced his own butterfly knife as Harvey reeled back, brandishing it in an underhanded stance, his right knee bent slightly, all his weight on the front of his footpaws in a traditional Muay Thai stance. "Trying to hurt my fucking wolf?! Don't worry about going back to jail, I will put you six feet under instead!" Joseph snarled the words out furiously, his sharp canines showing, his ears perked straight up and tail whipping about.

"Your wolf?!" The lynx hissed out as he raised his knife and grinned. "You think I'm going to let a couple of fa-"

"That's enough, both of you!" Isaac barked the words out between the two of them. The wolf had already drawn his baretta and had it trained on Harvey's chest, a thin line of blood rolling down his cheek fur and over his throat. "You know what they say about bringing a knife to a gunfight, Harvey..."

The cat hissed at the wolf and hesitated. "Hiding behind a gun? At least your boyfriend was man enough to face me equally."

"Yes, he is a paragon of fair play, now drop the knife before I give you a few extra holes to breathe out of!" The wolf snarled the orders, his aim not wavering from the lynx's chest.

"Fucking dogs..." Harvey snarled the words and opened his handpaw, letting the knife tumble to the parking lot. By now they had drawn half a dozen spectators, a few already on their phones, contacting the police no doubt.

"Good boy, paws on your head, then on the ground," Isaac growled the words in commandment.

"Of course, you would want me on the ground... want me to bring my pants down first too?" The cat hissed the words mockingly before dropping to his knees and moving to his chest, paws still on his head.

"Piece of shit!" Joseph snarled as he flicked his knife closed and pocketed it.

"Joseph!" Isaac called out angrily. The fox perked his ears and looked over at the wolf. "Be cool, you're a liability to me if you lose your damn head over this idiot's words!"

Joseph clenched his teeth at the reprimand but said nothing. The cat spoke out in a chuckle, "Oh a lovers quarrel, how touching."

"Shut up already." Isaac groaned the words as he moved over to the downed cat and jerked his handpaws behind his back, placing the plastic wrist cuffs on him. "Man, the chatty ones are the worst." The wolf growled and hauled the lynx to his footpaws, walking him to the car.

"Are you okay?" Joseph asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Isaac called out, looking confused.

"I dunno, because you're fucking bleeding!?" The fox fired back, annoyance in his voice.

"Oh, am I?" Isaac looked himself over, realizing his shirt was gashed open and seeing the faintest signs of blood on his collar. The wolf looked at himself in the reflection of the passenger side window in the car seeing the blood along his cheek and throat. "Huh... guess I am. Not bad you sneaky damn cat."

"Maybe you're getting too old for this game, dog." The lynx purred the words with a grin.

Isaac rolled his eyes and looked bored. "Look... I've had a hundred smart-mouthed guys in this work, you're not going to say anything any of them didn't say. If I hear one more irritating thing from you, you're going to spend the five-hour ride back, gagged. We clear?"

The cat rolled his eyes but eased the tension in his arms. "Yes sir."

"Good boy." The wolf moved the cat into the back seat, then looked over at the trunk of the car that had been raised. Joseph was already in the back with the first aid kit.

"Idiot... how could you not feel that?!" The fox barked as he swabbed the wounds clean.

Isaac hissed at the sting of the disinfectant and rolled his eyes. "Fuck, I think this hurts worse than the cut did... Anyway, I guess I just didn't feel it because of the adrenaline."

The police had already come and gone after Isaac explained the situation. Presenting them with the proper credentials and extradition warrants was enough to make them shove off. He had to toe around the facts a little to avoid explaining Joseph, but the small-town cops didn't seem too worried about the details, happier to wash their paws of it and avoid any report writing.

"You had me sick with worry, I wasn't sure what I would do if something happened to you!" Joseph muttered the words under his breath while applying a gauze to the small knife wound.

"Well, most likely on your way to prison if you had acted on your words." The wolf grinned as he spoke, happy to be done with all the stinging and burning of the wound treatment.

"Fair enough. I would end anyone that hurt you or the girls, without hesitation." Joseph growled while putting the first aid kit back into the trunk of his car.

"Wow, that's really sweet, in a homicidal kind of way..." Isaac chuckled as he gave the fox a wide grin.

Joseph blushed under his cheek fur at the words and shook his head. "I guess that does sound kind of crazy, it's not like I sit around thinking about it, or plotting, or something."

The wolf laughed out and ruffled the fox's ears, "Relax, I'm picking on you. That level of anger is perfectly normal." Isaac grinned and rubbed one of Joseph's ears then huffed out, "Thanks for the warning, it might have been bad otherwise..."

"I-I'm sure you would have been fine... Me barking out like that might have just thrown you off, you might not have even been injured had I not said anything and distracted you."

"Silly dog, just take my gratitude and stop overthinking it." The wolf grabbed the fox's collar and jerked him closer, his muzzle brushing against Joseph's before pushing into a hungry kiss.

The fox's eyes widened at the kiss, the emotions and adrenaline from the whole thing coming to bear, the fear of losing him, and the knife standoff. The terror, excitement, fury, and relief. It all rushed forth.

The fox let out a little grunt and gripped the wolf's own collar. Isaac recognized the response from when Karen got high on adrenaline and wasn't surprised when the fox pushed harder and more aggressively into the kiss. Joseph's tongue shoved into his maw and the wolf eagerly met it with his own, tilting his head so the kiss could grow deeper.

The two dogs kissed heatedly for several moments, Joseph's handpaws tugging at the cut-open shirt as if he would tear it off right here behind the car in the parking lot in front of everyone.

Isaac let the kiss linger for a few more heartbeats before breaking away and huffing into the fox's face, his paw moving to rub at Joseph's flicking ears. "Ha... down boy... save it for later..."

Joseph shuddered as he tried to calm himself, his heart pounding, his knees feeling weak as he felt the effects of adrenaline and desire tearing through his body. He gave a quick few nods and leaned into Isaac with a soft pant on his breath. "Y-yeah... sorry..."

"It's fine my fox, happens to the bunny all the time," Isaac growled softly while petting and stroking the young dog's head.

"Is that right?" Joseph asked with a grin, gently pulling from the larger dog's chest, still feeling his strong paws rubbing at his ears.

"Of course, one of the reasons we do this is for the adrenaline kick." The wolf grinned as he spoke the words, pulling his handpaws from Joseph's head and shrugging out of his duster, placing it in the trunk of the car.

"I bet the sex is pretty wild," The fox mused the words, wagging his tail as he thought about Karen all wound up and eager to go.

"You have no idea..." Isaac hummed, his gaze looking distant, showing he was thinking about the same thing. A moment later the wolf shook his head and grabbed at his cut-open shirt, peeling it off and tossing it into the trunk, showing the strong broad muscles of his back to the younger dog.

Joseph looked Isaac over, his tail wagging a bit more eagerly as he moved his fingertips over the wolf's back, huffing out softly as he raked his claws through the thin crimson fur. "How about you? Does it get you keyed up too?"

Isaac smiled as he unzipped his duffle bag to withdraw a new t-shirt, feeling Joseph's paws rubbing along his shoulders. "Wanna find out when we get home tonight?" The wolf grinned before pulling from the fox's paws and tugging on his fresh shirt.

"Damn right I do! Why wait until tonight? We've still got a few hours left on our room, let's go now and leave this bozo in the car!" The fox spoke the words excitedly, his tail furiously wagging now.

Isaac grinned and rolled his eyes, "You sound so much like Karen right now. Rein it in and let's hit the road."

Joseph fussed at the response but nodded as he moved to climb into the driver's seat and start the car up. "Fine... ugh."

"You guys are actually kind of cute," Harvey spoke from the back seat, lounging back against the door with his paws bound.

The fox snorted through his nose and grumbled, "Who asked you?!"

"Now now, it's a long ride. We might as well be civil and try to make it pleasant for all of us," Isaac spoke the words gently as he slid into the passenger's seat and buckled himself in.

The lynx huffed out lightly, "That's right, fox. Listen to your mate like a good dog."

"Eat me!" The fox hastily replied with a growl in his voice.

"That's enough you two." Isaac groaned the words, the frustration showing in his voice already. "Joe, stop getting so riled up and keep your cool. Harv, stop being a pest or I'm throwing you in the trunk."

"Harv?" The lynx snorted in response and rolled his eyes. "Anyway... fine, I will knock it off."

"Thank you," Isaac spoke out gently, then turned to look at Joseph who had grown silent while driving. The fox cut his eyes towards Isaac and then refocused on the road, not saying anything.

A silence settled onto the cabin of the vehicle for several minutes. Finally, Isaac spoke out once more to Joseph, "You okay man?"

"I'm not a child you know," The fox spat the words back sharply, it was plainly obvious he had them on his tongue waiting to say them.

"I never said you were, Joe," Isaac spoke gently as he looked from the passenger window to his lover.

"You sure act like it, giving me orders and talking like I'm a kid." The young fox growled, his knuckles popping as he gripped the wheel hard.

"Look, we were in a high-stress situation and it was new for you..." The wolf sighed and ran his padded-fingertips through his red hair, the faintest signs of white showing at the roots. "As far as I was concerned, you were a baby in this run. You had zero experience, so I-"

"I mean after the fact, in the car a few minutes ago," Joseph shot back.

Isaac looked away and grew silent for a few moments, he had no excuses for that. "Sorry... I just didn't want you getting baited into petty bickering. I apologize if it seemed I was trying to boss you around."

Joseph felt his shoulders loosen up and his grip ease at his lover's words and flicked an ear, "It's... it's no big deal."

"You guys new to this or something?" Harvey called out from the back seat, an amused grin on his face.

"Shut up." Both dogs said in unison, then perked their ears up at one another speaking in time.

"Jinx! You guys owe me a soda," The lynx called out from the backseat playfully. Isaac looked at him and snorted through his nose in irritation. Harvey gave him a toothy grin and flicked one of his ears. "Seriously though, you guys act like you're just starting to date instead of like a married couple."

Joseph choked out before snapping back sharply, "Who said we were married, asshole?!"

"You two are obviously together and both wearing wedding bands. I just assumed as much?" The cat spoke the words curiously in response to the fox's defensive statement.

Isaac nodded his head having already put it together before Joseph's response. "Yeah, we are newlyweds, it's been a constant struggle over who should be the dominant lead of the relationship, so it gets a little crazy sometimes..."

Joseph's ears shot up at the wolf's words, his cheeks growing hot as he barked out in protest, "What the fuck?" Isaac gave Joseph a wide grin in response.

Harvey grinned and flopped over onto his side, laying across the back seat. "So that's it huh? Well, I worked all day so I'm going to nap, you two love birds try not to argue too loudly, eh?"

Joseph grumbled to himself, "You sure are chill for a guy being dragged back off to jail."

The lynx had his eyes closed now as he responded with a half yawn, "I expected it to happen every day I was on the run, it's kind of a relief to have it finally over and done with."

Isaac nodded at the statement. "I hear that a lot actually, a lot of perps just panic and run, then find themselves painted in a corner with nothing they can do but wait."

Joseph looked out the windshield while driving, thinking about the whole affair. "It's funny how some decisions can have such major ramifications on our lives..."

"How scholarly of you," Isaac growled the words teasingly, giving the fox a playful smile. "Are you referring to recent decisions? Feeling any regrets now?"

Joseph cut his eyes to the wolf and gave a grin before he returned his attention to the road and focused on his driving. "Not at all. You guys... all three of you, are the best thing that ever happened to me."

--*--

Karen downed what felt like her hundredth glass of water and gave a ragged sigh before glaring at Ivory. The cat looked equally fussed and tired as the rabbit snarled, "We've been at this all day... my throat is killing me!"

Ivory crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from the annoyed bunny, huffing out gently. "Y-yeah, I know. I'm sorry, okay?!"

"Joe said it would be a few hours tops, and that was at the height of it. it's been over seven, on the first day!" Karen snapped out, the edge of frustration and anger showing in her tone.

Ivory closed her eyes and let the rabbit finish before opening them and looking back at her. "Yeah I didn't expect her to go full tilt, it's probably my fault since I'm already trained up. So blame me okay?!" The words came out sharp and irritated as Ivory's tail snapped about and flicked.

Karen frowned at the look on the cat's face and let out a soft sigh before stepping over and moving a paw to rest gently on Ivory's hip, leaning closer to her and speaking softly into her perked ears. "Sorry... I'm not trying to be a bitch to you..."

Ivory felt her tension ease slightly as Karen touched her. "No, I get it. I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"You didn't drag me into anything, love. I still want to do this with you..." Karen spoke the words gently and pushed her forehead to the cat's, her lips brushing Ivory's softly.

The two started to kiss when Bianca's voice rang out from across the studio. "You two are very close for married girls, is this the sort of relationship I'm working with during this training?" The cow bellowed the words cheerfully as she walked in both paws on her wide hips, grinning with amusement.

Ivory jerked away from Karen with a blush under she cheek fur and snapped back at the cow sharply. "Fuck, Bianca! I thought you were on a conference call?!" Karen just looked away awkwardly.

"The call was quick, the company wanted to know if we started to record yet. I reminded them you were still on vacation and this was extra training out of your own pocket," The cow huffed the words and looked over at Karen who was turned away from both of them. "This little coniglia, I had suspicious thoughts, but you and her?"

Karen felt her stomach twist at the words, feeling fear and doubt wash over her at the response Ivory would give to a stranger, would she deny it and try to hide it, or make excuses for it.

"Yeah, we are together, have been for a while now." The cat spoke the words matter-of-factly, without hesitation, then rested a handpaw on her hip. "Is that going to be an issue with the training?" Karen felt her heart leap at the affirmation of their relationship.

"So long as you keep it professional in my studio and keep your infidelity away from my name, no, we will be good." The cow spoke the words flicking her tail as she crossed her arms over her chest looking the two over.

"I-it's not like that, we aren't cheating or anything!" Karen spoke the words out quickly, blushing under her fur at the awkward exchange as she tried to explain.

"If that is what you think, it is no business of mine. I do not judge, but your husband's might if it got out, yes? Is it different since it is not another man?" The cow spoke the words curiously, flicking an ear up as she turned to look at Ivory.

Ivory hissed through her teeth and rubbed the back of her head, she hadn't wanted this to go so far, she had wanted to keep it professional to the letter but here they were. The cat sighed and shook her head before looking to her instructor. "Short version; They know, they are on board, it's a mutual thing between us all. Can we let it go now?"

Bianca processed the words for a moment then nodded, "Oh! Ho ho... so you are living wildly my little gattina. I also did such exciting things in my youth, though not so... openly."

Karen caught the tone in her voice and spoke up right away, "Do you think it would cause her problems if it got out? I don't want to damage Ivory's career!" The concern in her voice was obvious.

The larger woman rubbed her chin in thought and gave a shrug, "In my day, such things would be the death of one's career, especially in my home country. These days though? People are more open-minded, the young are more free-thinking, yes?"

Ivory leaned against the glass wall and huffed out in fatigue. "We can cross that bridge when we come to it, I won't hide my love even if it costs me my career. More importantly... Are we done yet? I'm dead and so is Karen."

Bianca gave a wide grin and looked at the clock on the wall. "Ah, are we done? You two still have an hour left, you know?"

The cat gave the cow a flat look, "What... do you mean, are we?"

The bovine woman withdrew her phone and looked it over. "Your manager Joseph, he booked me for the whole eight-hour day. He said, 'Work with them until they tell you they are done for the day.'"

Karen lifted her ears at the words. "You mean..."

"Are you telling me we could have bailed from this torture session hours ago!?" Ivory hissed the words, stomping her footpaw. "Why didn't you say something sooner, you... bitch!"

Bianca huffed through her nose and gave a casual shrug, "You didn't ask, I am paid for eight hours, I came to work for eight hours." The cow looked to Karen and gave a knowing grin. "You had a rough time my little coniglia, but you made good progress for your first day. I hope you will not give up on this ambition of yours."

"Uh... thank you." Karen spoke the words with a bit of shock in her voice, feeling her warm up at the praise.

"So we are calling it a wrap then?" Bianca said cheerfully.

"Yes!" Ivory snapped out immediately.

"So we meet again tomorrow then?" The cow asked curiously, giving the cat a wry smile.

"Are you insane?" Ivory hissed out, her fists clenched.

"Well..." Karen spoke out, earning a shocked look from her lover.

"You want to?!" Ivory spat out the words, the shock in her own voice evident.

Karen gave a cocky grin and folded her arms, "W-well, yeah actually. I mean maybe not as long as today, but..."

"Oh ho! I knew I saw the flames of a fighter in your eyes my coniglia! You, you are a warrior, yes? You rise to a challenge and relish in the heat of battle! Always craving the new sensations of victory over adversity!"

"Yeah! That's right!" Karen huffed the words excitedly, her little mocha tail flicking about rapidly as she clenched her paws into fists with a grin.

"Oh for the love of..." Ivory muttered under her breath, dragging her paw through her hair.

"Yes! We will mold you into a fierce warrior of song! People will be captivated and enthralled by your indomitable spirit!" Bianca now practically sang the words, her arms stretched upwards in an over-the-top display.

"O-okay! Let's do it!" The rabbit jerked both her large dark ears up, fist raised in a similar fashion.

Ivory slapped her forehead and hissed, "This is going to be a long week..."

--*--

"Everything seems to be in order. Your payment should already be in your account," The intake officer spoke out in a bored tone of voice as he jotted some things down on a form behind the desk he was sitting at.

"Great, how are the girls, Jarome?" Isaac asked in a conversational tone.

The bored-looking deer looked up from his papers, his attitude shifting as he lifted his ears a bit. "Well, you know Jasmine is killing it on the softball team, and Kate is doing great with her new music lessons. How is Karen? I'm surprised she isn't with you."

"Wow, what position did she end up in on the team, what's Kate playing? Yeah, the wife was occupied with some other errands, just me this time." Isaac spoke in a friendly tone as the two engaged in casual banter with one another.

Joseph flicked an ear listening in on the conversation while standing around behind Isaac and looking about the lobby. There were loved ones waiting for their friends or family to come out after being bailed out, others waiting for bond officers to make bail for said loved ones.

A few minutes of idle chit-chat passed between the wolf and deer before the officer reined it back in and decided he should probably get back to work. "Well, I should process the next perp and stop running my gob." The buck looked back at the paperwork then to the wolf. "Anything else to add from the apprehension? Any trouble?"

"Nah, he was a good boy more or less." The wolf growled the words with a grin on his face.

The fox perked his ears up at that and turned to interrupt the two of them. "The fuck do you mean he was a good boy?!" Joseph snarled as he looked over at Isaac. "What about your cheek?!"

The deer gave Isaac a questioning look, acknowledging the bandage on his face before speaking, "Isaac, did this guy attack you?"

"Relax James, we just spooked him. Nothing to press charges over, the guy has enough stacked on him already." Isaac spoke the words calmly and cut his eyes over to Joseph. "It's cool, Joe."

The fox snarled a growl of disapproval and stomped out of the lobby to the parking lot. Isaac gave Jarome an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

The deer seemed to ease his tension and gave the wolf a curious look before speaking. "Who's the fox? New trainee or something?"

The wolf sucked in a breath through his teeth trying to think of how to explain it. "Complicated... He had nothing to do with the job, he is just protective of me."

"Right. Sounds like a lot of drama I don't need a part of." James nodded his head, sensing the awkward mood starting to settle. "So... We aren't tacking an assault charge on?"

"I would rather not, Jarome. The guy was just scared, and it worked out. He has enough problems waiting for him, no need to tack on another year or something over this," Isaac rubbed the back of his head as he spoke the words.

"Alright, Isaac, it's your decision." Jarome signed off on a form and pushed it into a box on his desk. "Tell Karen, I said hi, okay?"

"Will do, see you next time." Isaac gave the deer a smile and a wave of his handpaw before turning and walking out of the jail and into the parking lot.

"What even the fuck was that?!" Joseph was barking out the words angrily before the wolf had even gotten within ten yards of him.

"Harvey already has a nice fat rap sheet on him just from his other shit. No need to salt a wound," Isaac spoke out in a soothing tone of voice as he closed the distance and stopped a few paces from the young fox.

"So what? Fucker tried to cut your throat out!" Joseph growled and clenched both his paws into fists at his side, his tail thrashing now.

"Joe, Calm down. What good will it do to kick him while he is down? He was just scared." The wolf said while keeping a calm relaxed posture as he spoke.

"Yeah? Well, I was scared too ya know! What if he had-"

"He didn't," Isaac interjected.

Joseph was shivering now his fists shaking. "Yeah but what if he had?!"

The wolf snorted out through his nose and closed the last few paces. Saying nothing he just pulled the smaller dog into his chest, holding him in a close embrace with one arm, his palm paw at the small of his back.

With a small shudder, the younger dog released his tension in the embrace, pushing into Isaac's chest with his face. "Stupid... Idiot..."

Isaac grinned and moved a paw to rub at the dog's ears while he muttered into his shirt, a memory of Karen doing something similar early into their career together. "It's okay, Joe. We don't have to always be vengeful. Sometimes it's healthier to let it go..."

"Is that right?" The fox spoke with a weakness in his voice as he pressed harder into the wolf's chest. "And what if he had gotten you?"

"Given you probably would have beaten him to death on the spot? I don't think bottled revenge would be an issue at that point." The wolf laughed as he spoke the words.

"It's not funny!" The fox growled the words and grabbed the front of Issac's shirt, jerking him a few inches down to eye level. "I almost lost you!"

The wolf saw the tears well up in his younger dog's eyes through his glaring. "I'm fine, I'm not going anywhere." The wolf spoke the words gently, rubbing at the fox's ear, palm still resting on his head.

Joseph grit his teeth, ears folding downward as he clung to Isaac's shirt. "Y-yeah? You promise?"

"Of course. You think I'm letting you have both our wives to yourself?" The wolf growled the words playfully and ruffled the fox's ears.

"Ngh..." Joseph grunted at the rough play of his ears then blushed as he moved in to push his muzzle to Isaac's, kissing him with a desperate growl in his throat.

Isaac grinned as Joseph moved in and happily accepted his younger lover's kiss. The two of them clung and embraced once again next to Joseph's car, kissing heatedly their heads tilted to fully deepen the kiss.

Several heartbeats later Isaac pulled from the kiss and let out a soft huff, "Feel better now?"

The younger dog nodded and eased his grip on Issac's shirt before stepping back and composing himself. "Y-yeah... sorry..."

Isaac grinned and rubbed at the fox's ear for a few more moments before pulling his paw away and moving towards the driver's side of the car. "C'mon Joe, we told the girls we would meet them at your old shop, let's not keep them waiting."

Joseph huffed out and nodded, moving to the passenger's side of the vehicle and climbing in. "Yeah, this was the first time I had been away from Ivory in over a year. I didn't realize how much I had missed her."

Isaac smiled and nodded. "I get that, it's been the same for me and Karen, we do everything together. I miss her as well." He grinned at the fox as he snapped his seatbelt on. "Not that I've not enjoyed this time with you... my fox."

--*--

Karen and Ivory were already at the old coffee shop and had taken a table when their dogs walked in. Karen saw the small dressing on her husband's chin and cheek right away. "Isaac, what the hell happened?!" Her voice came out sharp and worried.

"It's fine, Angel. Guy got a little panicked, me and Joe took care of it." Isaac spoke the words casually as he pulled up a seat next to his wife.

Karen gave the wolf a flat look and shook her head. "Damn it... I knew I should have gone with you..."

"It's a scratch! It won't even leave a scar." Isaac grinned and moved a paw to stroke at his wife's head, rubbing one of her ears gently. Karen eased her tension and let out a soft sigh at the wolf's touch.

"How about you Joe, are you alright?" Karen spoke towards him gently while Isaac rubbed one of her ears through her dark hair.

The fox grinned and flicked his tail about. "Sure sure, other than a bruise on my shin I'm perfectly fine!"

That got Ivory's attention, her brown and white ears perking upwards. "Your shin? Just what happened, hun?"

The two dogs gave the account of what happened with their bounty run to their wives. Both the girls seemed agitated that it ended up turning so dangerous on them but let it go since both of their husbands seemed to be back safely, more or less.

"So how were your lessons with Bianca?" Joseph asked curiously, picking up his mug of coffee with cream but no sugar.

Ivory grimaced and rolled her eyes. "That bitch is a slave driver like always!" The cat groaned the words while holding her own cup of coffee, extra cream in it but sans the sugar just like her partners.

"That's why she's the best." Joseph hummed the words with a grin before taking a sip of his coffee, then fixed his gaze on Karen and perked an ear curiously. "How was it, Karen?"

The rabbit gave the fox a fiery look and huffed out excitedly. "It was invigorating! We're meeting up again tomorrow for more training! I will tear down these walls of challenge and emerge stronger!"

Joseph gave her a blank look and then shifted his gaze to Ivory who was holding her paw against her head. "She has been like this since we wrapped up. Bianca tuned-in on her and cracked out some crazy inspirational speech, now Karen is chomping at the bit to get back into the studio."

Isaac grinned at the display. "Once my rabbit sets her mind to something, she won't let go until she is satisfied." The wolf growled, the pride in his voice evident.

Karen shifted her emerald eyes about the trio of them and felt her cheeks burning at the talk of her. "I mean, it's just that I want to do my best for Ivory..."

The cat gave a happy purr and leaned over giving Karen a kiss on the side of her muzzle, resting a paw on her inner thigh. "I know my rabbit... I'm happy to see you so fired up, I'm sure it will do me good too."

"It will," Joseph said with a nod as he pulled out his phone and sorted through some things. "I will put you in for lessons for the next two days in a row. Let me know if you want more after that, Karen."

"Three hours," Ivory snarled out as she glared at her husband.

"Three hours?" Joseph asked curiously.

"Yes! We were there for almost eight hours today!" Ivory hissed out, showing her teeth, her tail flicking and coiling in agitation.

Joseph blinked several times. "Holy shit... I just scheduled Bianca all day because I didn't know when you guys would get around to showing up. I didn't expect you to go the whole time!"

"Yeah well, no more than that. I want to spend some of this month off catching up with you two, not working my tail off!" Ivory spoke in a haughty tone of voice as she looked between Ivory and Issac.

"I wouldn't mind helping you work your tail off," Isaac growled the words with a hungry grin as he leaned onto his elbows and looked at Ivory. The statement earned an embarrassed grin from the blonde cat but half glares from the fox and rabbit. The wolf lifted his ears and blinked at the other two. "W-what? Shouldn't we get used to this sort of thing if we're going to be doing this?"

Joseph paused for a moment before giving a nod, "Y-yes... sorry it's just still new."

Karen blushed and looked between the three of them before shaking her head, "Sorry, honey... like Joe said, it's still new, it caught me off guard. I'm not actually miffed at you."

The older dog gave a shrug, "I mostly did it to test the waters truth be told. We've had some time apart as a group, after all, it seemed a good way to see how we were handling things." He cut his gaze back to Ivory and gave a gentle smile. "How did it make you feel?"

Ivory grinned. "Joseph says things like that to me all the time, I enjoyed it quite a bit..."

"No harm no foul then?" Isaac cuts his gaze over to Joseph in question.

Joseph shook his head and gave a smile. "I'm not upset, like I said, it just blindsided me. It's still something to get used to." He gave a playful grin at Isaac and then looked over at Karen. "So long as it's you two, I don't mind..."

The brief tension subsided and the four of them settled into a comfortable chatter, talking about the trials and tribulations of the day. Half an hour passed and the shift change for the coffee shop started, the evening crew coming in to relieve the afternoon one.

Ivory lifted her ears and gave a grin towards the entrance. "It's about time you showed up. We've been waiting almost an hour!"

The persian cat that came through the door walked up to the group, snatching a chair from a smaller unoccupied table before taking a seat. "Yes, well you didn't give me a lot of warning, Ivory." Crystal purred the words as she ran her paw through her bluish-gray hair, the heavy fluffy tail behind her wagging about more like a dogs would.

Crystal gave a nod to Karen and grinned, "Hey boss."

Karen grinned at her in response and just shook her head before speaking, "You seem well."

"I can't complain." Crystal looked over at Joe and quirked a brow. "You've gotten bigger, how's the married life treating you?"

The fox smiled at his old manager and gave a shrug. "It keeps me busy, that's for sure. It's great to see you again."

"Yeah, I've not seen you guys since you sold out and quit your day job." Crystal purred the words cheerfully.

"I didn't even ask when we got paid!" Ivory hummed the words in a sing-song voice.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore," Crystal spoke back, mimicking Ivory's little tune in her voice.

Joseph snorted through his nose at the exchange, feeling an awkward urge to go listen to ska. "A-anyway... the label she signed with pretty much threw her straight into training and recording. We didn't have much say in the matter."

Crystal gave the fox a wide grin, "It's a coffee shop sweetie, not a law firm. I had you guys replaced in twelve hours. People walk out all the time."

"Then there's you..." Crystal cut her amber eyes up at the large wolf whom she happened to be sitting next to.

Isaac felt himself shift awkwardly and straighten his back before blinking down at the persian. "Uhm... Yes?"

Crystal shrugged her shoulders and grinned. "Oh, nothing... I just get the suspicion you're the root of all this... I knew the moment I laid my eyes on your hunky ass, that first night."

"Hunkey Ass?" Karen gave Crystal an amused grin. "What are you, sixty?"

"This job makes me feel like it sometimes!" Crystal laughed the words then huffed out with a little more resignation in her voice. "Good to see you guys though."

"Hey, I've tried to text with you at least a few times a week." Ivory purred the words and smiled at her old friend, tail flicking about slowly.

"Yeah, I appreciate it. We should go out at least once while you're back in town." The persian spoke the words pointedly as she rose from her seat, pushing the chair back to the unoccupied table.

"Clocking in?" Joseph asked her.

"Yeah... these kids will drown us all in salty tears if I don't let them get out of here on time." The persian sighed and gave a shrug. "You guys take care, let's catch up more later."

The older cat sauntered off to the back of the shop and silence fell upon the table for a few moments before Joseph broke it. "She seems well."

Karen and Ivory nodded at Joseph as the rabbit spoke up. "Yeah, she seems to be the same old Crystal."

"She looks tired and worn out," Isaac said in a matter-of-fact tone. The other three grew silent but didn't argue with the wolf, giving a silent agreement on his statement.

"Well it's a service job, it will suck the life out of you." Karen shrugged a shoulder before continuing. "She's been in this gig since high school, it's been close to ten years for her."

Joseph lifted his ears and looked over towards the counter, watching Crystal getting to work instructing the younger staff members. "I feel I lucked out, landing in this situation with all of you. I probably would have settled into this job through college or found another one like it."

"Isn't she done with school now?" Karen asked Ivory curiously, knowing the cat had the closest relationship with Crystal.

"Yeah, finished it up shortly before me and Joe went on tour." The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "No one is hiring for her field, she needs experience to get the job, but can't get experience if she doesn't land a job in the field, to begin with. The classic catch twenty-two."

Isaac snorted through his nose. "Maybe I should see if Keys can work something."

"Seems abusive to rely on them for so much though." Karen mused the words as she drummed her claws on the table.

"Why? Keys gets paid for the work, it's their job, Karen." Joseph spoke up, adding to the conversation.

"That's true. Who would pay Keys though? How much would it cost?" Karen asked Isaac and Joseph, the two dogs having the most experience dealing with the informant.

"We would pay for it." Ivory spoke out pointedly. "Crystal has done a lot for me over the years, and was even good enough to be supportive of me and Joe when we started dating, turning a blind eye to our shenanigans in the shop."

"Ah, the supply closet fiasco..." Joseph growled the words in amusement, his tail flicking about and his tone of voice sounding prideful.

Isaac snorted back a laugh. "Wow, how bold of you two! It must have been during a seasonal heat." Ivory gave the wolf a grin and tapped her own padded-finger on the tip of her nose in response to his statement.

"Well, I can reach out to Keys about it tomorrow, we should probably hit it," Joseph said as he rose from his seat and rolled his shoulders. The other three stood as well and Joseph nodded to Ivory. "You bring the envelope?"

Ivory nodded and fished out a small sealed envelope from her bag and tossed it upon the table next to the glasses. It simply had the name 'Crystal' written upon it.

Karen gave the two a curious look but the cat and fox just walked towards the exit of the shop motioning for their lovers to follow. Once the four of them were outside and moving towards their cars Ivory spoke up to answer the rabbit's curiosity. "It's a written letter from me and Joseph thanking her for all the things she did for us."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Karen grinned as she kept pace with the two of them and her husband.

"And a check for ten thousand dollars." Joseph huffed out casually.

"What?! Damn... you guys don't hold back do you?" Isaac barked the words, sounding impressed.

Joseph stopped at his car that was parked next to the small compact Ivory had been driving. "Just like with you guys, Crystal was a big part in how things went down with me and Ivory. I always pay my dues."

Ivory looked upon her husband for a long moment, seeing a mannerism that reminded her of his mother Josephine. She smiled and grabbed the fox's arm and bumped her hip against his. "WE pay our dues, Hun."

Joseph smiled and moved a paw to rest on Ivory's hip, pulling her against him possessively. The cat purred and pushed closer to her husband.

"You guys are staying the night with us again, yeah?" Ivory purred out while clinging to her fox, glancing over at the wolf and rabbit with a hungry look in her eyes.

Isaac flicked his ears up, blushing a little as he spoke"I mean I would hate to impose on both of y-"

"Yes!" Karen practically barked the answer out after seeing the look Ivory was giving her.

Ivory grinned at the rabbit and Joseph looked over at the wolf with an apologetic smile. "The real Alpha's of the relationship have spoken, eh?"

Isaac gave the fox a knowing grin and shrugged, "Leading us around like puppies."

---

If you enjoyed this, support me please? It doesn't have to be financial either, just share my stuff and get my name out there. Vote, Fave, Comment, offer feedback, anything. Thank you and as always, I'm nothing without your support.

Did you enjoy the story? Feel free to feed my caffeine addiction with a tip! Ko-Fi.

If you enjoyed this and want to keep up with me, you can find me on Twitter@stargazer_g

Want to talk about my work with me or others that like it? I've got a discord for that!

If you want to support my creation of more writing, check out myPatreon page! You can even get episodes a week early there.