Old Habits

Written by & copyright of Earl Bacon Foxonian@aol.com

Featuring Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen and Cindy, Cassie's bassist.
Cassie-http://members.aol.com/rufinoform/Cassie.htm
Cindy-http://members.aol.com/CassieRockVixen1/donna_fritz_06.jpg


Please read the prequil, "Sound Of Love", featuring Cassie at
http://members.aol.com/CassieRockVixen5/sound_of_love.txt
Please read the sequil, "Out of the Past", featuring Cassie at
http://members.aol.com/CassieRockVixen5/out_of_the_past.txt

Cassie and all other characters are created by & copyright of Earl Bacon except for
Laretta, who is copyright Andre Cotton, Alex, who is copyright Donna Fritz and Vixina, who is copyright Cloudchaser Shaconage

CAUTION
This story contains some (but not much) mild, non-graphic nudity that is related to the story just after the halfway point.  No yiffy situations.


Cindy sat in her dressing room She was about ready to leave to take the stage with Cassie
and the rest of the band, but first, she reached into a drawer in her dressing table
and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel's No 7 whiskey.  She unscrewed the top and
without thinking, put the open bottle up to her muzzle and took two deep drinks.  She
closed her eyes as the warmth of the fire liquid spread through her body.

*knock* "Hey, Cindy!"  The long white head haired snow lepoard morph recognized the voice.
It was Cassie, the red fox vixen who was not only her band mate, but a longtime
friend.  Quickly, Cindy resealed the lid of the whiskey bottle and stuffed it into the
dresser drawer.  "Just a sec, Cass," Cindy said as she hurredly popped a breath mint into
her mouth before sitting up to answer the door.  Cassie looked a little bewildered upon
seeing her bassist.  "What's up, Cass?  I thought we still had an hour until show time,"
Cindy said.  "We do, but you are usually up there a good hour or two before the rest of
us.  Lately, you have been coming up with Alex and Laretta.  That's not like you, Cind,"
the vixen replied.

With a slightly annoyed look, Cindy began to reach for her bass.  "So I've been taking it
easy this tour, what's the big deal?  It's not like I'm not showing up on stage at
all."  Cassie stood in front of the snow lepoard, preventing her from walking around her.
The vixen had her arms crossed and had a slightly stern look on her face as she
spoke.  "Cindy, you aren't drinking again, are you?"  Cindy pulled back with a shocked look
on her face before she replied.  "Who, me?  Come on, Cass. You know I haven't had a
drop since the whole Furrosity thing.  What gives?"  "Nothing. it's just that you
started doing this same thing, showing up later and later for rehersals until we found
you that time.  I just got a little worried since you made that drinking crack on the
radio show we were on," Cassie said.

As Cindy' worked her way around Cassie and toward the exit, she smiled at the vixen as
she spoke.  "Cass, that was just a joke!  You are always so serious about stuff. Just
lighten up and have some fun, okay?  See you up there."  With that, Cindy started out the
door toward the stage.  Cassie stood there for a moment, watching Cindy head down
the corridor, her long white hair swaying back back and forth as she moved, her
cornrowed bangs moving in time to her walk. As the clumping of the snow lepoard's
leather biker boots faded, Cassie stared down at the floor.  She closed her eyes and began
to think about Cindy's last bout with the bottle.  It almost destroyed both her career and
her friendship with Cassie.  Plus it was a contributing factor to Furrosity's final breakup.

After spending the night in a hospital bed shaking with the dt's, Cindy told the vixen
that she was through with booze forever.  Cassie had to admit that the snow lepoard had
been doing remarkibly well.  Not only hadn't she had a drink since that time, but she had
even improved on her work ethic and her playing.  In the vixen's opinion, Cindy was now
a great bass player, at least the best she had ever played with.  Now she was showing up
late, like she did in Furrosity.  Cassie hoped she was wrong, but the signs were starting
to show themselves again.  As she looked at the tiny image of Cindy at the end of the
corridor leading to the stage, a tear began to run down her red and white furred face
and muzzle.

*Two Weeks Later*

"Where's Cindy?" Cassie asked as she met the rest of the band on stage.  They were playing
a show for some guests of a local radio station.  Contest winners, Cassie surmized.
Haven't seen her," Rachel said, as she proceeded to test her keyboards.  "Me neither,"
Laretta joined in.  "Ah think Alex knows whar she is," Vixina said.  Cassie hurries to
face the bespecled red fox vixen.  "Okay", Cassie began, "If it's not to much to ask, where
is both Alex and Cindy?"  "Hey, I'm over here!" Alex,the little arctic fox vixen said
from behind her drum kit.  Cassie then said to Alex.  "Is Cindy still in her dressing
room?"  "Oh yeah!  And she's having a grand old time, with her giggleing and laughing
and all!"  A frightened look took over Cassie's face as she headed for the stage door at
a run.  "Everybody stay here.  I'll be back in few."  The vixen said as she left the stage.


Thinking quicky, Cassie stopped at the stage manager's office and got the pass key for
Cindy's dressing room.  She then ran down toward the dressing rooms.  As she rounded
the corner, Andy, the band's manager, appeared directly in her path.  "Whoa, Cass.
Where's the fire?" Andy asked.  It's Cindy.  She's drinking again.  Get your car to the
back door, we may have to take her back to the hotel.  I'm on my way to see how bad she
is," Cassie told the wolf morph in mid stride.  "Okay, Cass.  I'll he waiting.  I'll tell
the rest of the band that Cindy's sick and we have to take her to the hotel, okay?"
Andy shouted down the corridor.  "Whatever," a distant voice replied.

As Cassie approached the dressing room door, she could her Cindy moaning and laughing.
"Not good," the vixen thought as she unlocked the door.  Upon entenng the the room, Cassie
saw her worst fears confirmed.  The was the snow lepoard, weaing only her black
satin panties.  Her spotted grey and white fur coverd feet and legs were up on the end of
the sofa in the room.  The rest of Cindy was lying sprawled on the floor.  Cindy was on
her back her right hand was clenched around a bottle of Jacks, nearly empty.  Her left had
was holding the hem of her leather mini skirt.  The rest of her outfit lay strewn over
the room, as if she had ripped off the rest of her clothes when she was drunk.
Not surprising, Cassie thought, since alcohol causes most furry morphs to get overheated
when loaded.

The red fox vixen picked up her long blue thigh slitted dress as she knelt down next to
her friend.  As Cindy opened her eyes and saw the look of sadness in Cassie's eyes, the
snow lepard began to cry.  "I'm so sorry Cass.  I thought I finally had it beat.  Nothing
for over four years, now.  I've blown it again Oh, God!  I've ruined myself!" Cindy said
as she began to howl with both sadness and anger at her weakness.  Cassie then took
her friend's head in her lap and began to stroke the lepoard's long mane of white hair.
It's okay, Cind.  I know how hard you tried.  But you will have to go back to rehab again,
you know."  "Yeah, I know," Cindy said between sobs.  "But that will be at least a few
weeks, maybe a month ot two.  Are you going to 'kick me out' over this, or replace me?"

"No.  We will wait for you, Cind. But, I'm going to tell the rest of the hand about
this.  They have a right to know why were going off tour," the vixen began, "Plus, after
you get out of rehab, I'm going to suggest that everybody, myself included, keep an eye
on you.  No booze or anything.  But you are going to have to work on it too.  I can't give
you another break again I think you know why."  The snow lepord looked up at Cassie with
a very tired expression before replying.  "Because it would'nt be fair to the band.  To
tell you the truth, I would be pissed with me too if I was someone else, you know?"
Cassie laughed and said "You're still a little hammered, but I get the drift"

"Thanks,Cass." Cindy said. She then started to stand up and put on her skirt before
falling over and passing out on the floor.  "Cassie, is she okay?"  Andy asked.  The
vixen began to put on Cindy's bra and the rest of her clothing in order to get her out of
the theater without getting arrested.  "Yeah.  She's just out cold help me get her dressed"

*Four days later.*

"Hello everbody," a Young golden retriever morph said as he addressed the group.  Why don't
we all say our names and tell the group who we are and why we are here?"  A slender long
white haired snow leopard, wearing a black T-shirt, black leather miniskirt, light
black nylons and black leather biker boots raised her hand.  She stood up and addressed
the group.  "Hello.  My name is Cindy."  "Hi Cindy," the group responded in unison.  The
snow leapord coughed once and then continued,  I've been an alcoholic for over 20 years and
I have a drinking problem."

THE END