Love & Lattes - Group Therapy Ep. 08

"I feel the same, but my paws are starting to ache... Guess I need more practice for this kind of take," He hummed as Ivory nuzzled his jaw with her own.

"All good things must come to an end... but maybe my husband and I, will do this again?" She offered a grin to him as he smiled back and finished the last few rolling notes on the piano.

"Whatever you want, baby. You're my star, it's my job to see you go far." He finished the outro and then they each stole a kiss as the whole place applauded them at the last-minute intermission performance.

"That was so fucking cute..." Crystal muttered as she shook her head while standing at the side of the stage with Karen and Isaac.

"Was any of that planned or scripted?" Karen asked as she looked between the wolf and persian, each of them offering a shrug.

"Thanks loves! I'll let you get back to your idols, thanks for humoring me!" Joseph gave a finger gun to the audience as they cheered, trotting off the stage with a cocky little grin. He met Karen's eyes and offered her a smile, "You caught your breath and ready to hit it, Mocha?"

She blinked at his overwhelming aura of control and nodded several times. "Y-Yeah... damn, Joe. I didn't think you had that in you..."

"No big deal, been living this life for a while, you'll get it soon enough, now get out there and break some hearts!" He barked out and flourished his paw as the rabbit perked her ears and nodded again before making her way back on stage, the crowd roaring to life.

"Phew... now I'll try not to puke as the adrenaline clears... ha ha!" Joseph rubbed the back of his head while grinning at Isaac and Crystal.

"Joe... damn man, just... wow." Isaac grinned at him, then perked his ears as the fox just sighed and slumped up against his chest, the wolf frowning and holding him.

"Thanks, give me a minute, that was nerve-wracking..." He growled as he leaned into Isaac, enjoying his scent, the fox smelling like the sweat and clinging musk of his wife that was holding onto him.

"Even I know adrenaline can be a mother fucker when you're coming down off it. I'll handle things here for a bit, get some water, Joe." Crystal slapped both the dogs on their shoulders and turned her feed back on. "Okay, mushy stuff inbound, dial the light intensity down by about half for the next duet!"

"Come on foxy, take a load off and have a bottle of water, Crystal will handle things," Isaac growled out as he helped joe away from the stage area. The fox took a seat but perked his ears as it wasn't on the steps, but right there on Isaac's knee. He didn't mind though, he was just happy to get some cold water down his throat as he sipped from his bottle.

"That was really impressive though, Joe. To go out there like that, be so smooth with it and calm... I couldn't have done it, foxy." The wolf said as his paw gently stroked the wagging tail before him.

"I went on stage a few times for and with Ivory on her last tour, usually to distract the audience with chatter or something if we needed more time for technical issues," Joseph finally spoke up after finishing off nearly half the bottle in one go. "Still, that's my first time playing and singing on stage like that."

"Well, you did great, Joe!" Isaac smiled and hugged him close, the smaller dog wagging his tail a little more.

"Thanks... it's the mantra I live by... for you, and them. Get shit done, do it for them... suffer the consequences once the situation has passed, but step up when it's time to step up." He nodded as he was held.

"That's impressive, Joe! I still remember when you came to be about Ivory to begin with. That took a lot of guts too for you, didn't it?" He grinned as the fox pulled back a little, offering him a nod.

"It did. I had a lot of respect for you, and I didn't want to make you feel like I'd just been buttering you up to get at your connections or something." Joseph gently pushed a paw to Isaacs' chest, giving his muzzle a quick kiss before finding his boots and standing once more.

Isaac nodded as he stood, thinking about how Joseph had a much more potent connection than he realized. Still, not relying on Josephine might be what made him this strong for Ivory and the rest of them. "I'd never have thought that in a million years, foxy." Isaac pushed his forehead to Joseph's. "You good now, love?"

"I am, thanks for the moment, let's get back to work." He offered his wolf a confident grin and hit the earpiece to make the feed go live again, moving back to the stage.

The concert came to a close and after an encore, everyone started packing things up. The girls had just finished their post-concert meeting with the managers, a normal meeting, not something perverse as Crystal was with them.

Isaac had been outside the small conference room keeping an eye on things as the head of security for the idols, so it surprised the girls and Joseph when he was standing there with a vixen they all knew quite well.

"Josie?!" Ivory mewed out happily and trotted right over, her heels clicking on the backstage concrete floor. The fox showed her sharp teeth in a loving grin that bellied the look of a predatory mother that would murder for her kits.

"Ivory, I did tell you I'd come to see your show before you all went to tour." She embraced the calico in a gentle hug, Ivory's purrs heavy and loud as the fox stroked her still-damp hair while they nuzzled. "My, but the two of you put on quite a show, that duet with my son was particularly lovely, I'll admit I cried a little during it."

"Mom, I'm thrilled you came out and happy to see you, but uh... how did you get back here without a pass?" Joseph called out with a curious tilt of his head.

Josephine scoffed and eased her hug on Ivory who pulled away. "Your mother goes where she wants, my pup. However, Isaac was kind enough to come to collect me and guide me where I needed to be after I applied enough... pressure, to the staff."

Isaac and Karen shared a quick look, the vixen perked her ears at their exchange but just lifted her arms. "Come here, give your mother a hug, or are you too embarrassed to do so in pub-"

"Oh give it a rest mom!" Joseph laughed as he moved over and hugged right up to her, listening to his mother's proud growls rumble in his ears as she held him, rubbing her muzzle against his before pushing his head down to her chest.

"My little pup has grown to be such a reliable fox and a bit of a showman himself. You've certainly inherited the charisma and presence for this kind of life, my pup. Also, you're welcome for the piano lessons." Josephine grinned as she hugged his head to her chest, Joseph grunting awkwardly, trying not to nuzzle into her.

"You also did well, Karen. I was concerned you'd have stage fright, but it looks like you had a successful first performance, my congratulations to you." Josephine looked at the rabbit after parting from her son.

"Thank you, Josephine. I did have a bout of it at the start, but between all my loved ones, I was able to power through somehow." Karen eased her stance slightly, but still seemed a little on edge over the vixen being here.

"You tore it up out there, love! There were points I felt like I was trying my best at just keeping up with you!" Ivory linked an arm to Karen's, purring happily as the rabbit hugged her with a more relaxed smile.

"Mom, I'm really happy I got to see you again before the tour started, I wish we had more time but we have to be out of the venue pretty soon and on our way." Joseph frowned as he moved over, holding paws with his mother.

The two foxes stood there staring upon one another, Josephine clearly showing some tears in her eyes as she nodded. "The last one was also difficult, not seeing you for so long... Make sure you video call your mother from time to time, alright my pup?"

"I will, I'll text and call you regularly too, so don't cry, mom." He hugged her as they nuzzled one another for a few more moments before parting. Josephine nodded and composed herself before straightening back up.

"Alright, I'll excuse myself so you all can begin your new adventure. I do wish you the best of fortune on it." The vixen spoke in her haughty little tone and poked her muzzle up, then cut her gaze to Isaac. "Isaac, would you be a gentlewolf and escort me to my car? The hour has grown late after all."

Karen and Isaac shared a look of concern before she gave her husband a nod. "Go ahead, honey. I don't think we're gonna have any security issues." He gave her a nod and they shared a quick kiss before he stepped over to the vixen.

"Ah, Karen... Might I trouble you for a hug? You are part of Joseph's family now, so I wish to welcome you... properly." She showed her sharp teeth as her arms spread.

Her heels clicked on the concrete as she moved forward, quirking a brow as if she didn't fully trust the fox, but then squeaked out as she was hugged right up. The vixen offered a growl as her muzzle pushed to the rabbits, rubbing against it as she'd done with Joseph and Ivory.

"Eh? A-are we that close already?" Karen stammered out as she lifted her muzzle, feeling the vixen push against it there too marking her fur.

"It's a tradition in this family," Josephine explained pointedly and just like that, pulled from the rabbit's arms, straightening herself and looking over to the wolf. "Shall we?"

Karen swallowed a lump in her throat, knowing that the 'family' part, wasn't as benign as Joseph and Ivory were probably thinking it was.

The gathering crowd didn't seem terribly interested in them as they stepped out, seeing it wasn't the idols or their manager. That stood to reason, Isaac hadn't gotten much of the limelight so he wouldn't be recognized unless fans really dug deep into Mocha's life.

They got to her parked car, a simple nondescript little sedan, not something you'd expect some crimelord to be driving around in. You would imagine armor-plated limos or something with an entourage of thugs at the ready with guns in their suits.

Josephine smiled as she saw Isaac looking her car over, the vixen taking out a cigarette, lighting it, and taking a pull from it. "The windshields are bulletproof, it also has reinforced doors, and a GPS signal that keeps everyone that needs to know my location aware."

He perked his ears as she seemed to read what he was thinking then he tilted his head. "You smoke, Josephine?"

"Only on special occasions like this. Some people are occasion drinkers, I'm a smoker." The vixen took another pull from the smoke and offered it to the wolf with a smirk. "Cheers?"

He showed his teeth in a grin and shook his head. "I've never even tried one, my old side-partner James always tried to get me to take a hit too."

"Ah Rickson, you still keep up with the detective?" Josephine leaned against her car, taking another puff from her cigarette, still looking every bit the femme fatal he'd seen her as years ago.

"We text occasionally, now and again he'll ask me for input on a case, but we don't go trapesing out onto the street together looking for clues and such if that's what you're asking, Josephine." She could hear his words were guarded as she smiled and shook her head.

"Relax, Isaac, I'm not trying to dig up dirt on your old buddy, just making conversation. I've already got his boss in my pocket, why would I care about him?" She showed a predatory grin before flicking her mostly smoked cigarette away, the cherry scattering off into the parking lot as it hit the ground.

"Were you trying to give one last flex before we hit the road, Josephine?" Isaac asked her point-blank.

"Perish the thought, I came here to see you all off, to show my support as a mother and... friend." She lifted herself from the lean and straightened her posture, dragging her paw through her long hair that showed just faint signs of white starting to come in. "I'll not throw any obligatory threats at you, Isaac. I'll simply ask you, as a mother, to please protect my son and daughter-in-law, protect them and... make them happy."

He perked his ears at that and gave a nod, a small rumble of thunder filling the air, a rarity in this part of the country. Josephine showed her sharp teeth in an amused grin at the ambiance and reached a paw up, gripping his collar and pulling him down. Isaac's eyes widened but he didn't resist her as she pushed her muzzle against his, pushing her scent onto his jaw.

"Like it or not... you are part of my family now, wolf... not in the capacity I originally would have wanted, but..." She shifted and pushed her snout under his chin and then on the other side, getting her scent into his fur like she'd done his wife.

"So... scent marking is part of the tradition huh?" Isaac said as Josephine gave a small huff against his throat.

"Indeed, though I seem to be more popular doing it than my late husband ever was... I wonder why that is?" She growled before she pushed to his jaw, her tongue coming out as she gave the side of his muzzle a small lap, Isaac's eyes going wider at the kiss, but then it was over and the vixen was before him fully composed once more.

Isaac swallowed the lump in his throat, rubbing his jaw. "Uh... was the kiss part of it as well?"

"Hardly, but humor me, at least it wasn't mouth-to-mouth like our last one." Josephine offered him another predatory grin. "I'd not put you in that kind of situation and upset my new daughter..."

The wolf bit his lower lip, knowing the 'daughter' title wasn't the same as what she called Ivory, but he just nodded at her. "I get what you're doing, but is this going to complicate my and Karen's lives?"

"Not at all. I stand by my previous words, just remember you're part of this now, and we don't accept resignations. So..." She set him with a deadly serious look and lifted her muzzle. "Do your utmost to protect what is mine, wolf. Otherwise, I will be very displeased."

Isaac offered her a lopsided grin and couldn't help but laugh as Josephine tilted her head. He showed a grin and shook his own head. "C'mon Josephine. I'd have already taken a bullet for any of the three of them, if this was motivation fuel I was already there."

She scoffed at that and poked her nose up. "W-well... then consider it a convoluted thing to steal a kiss from you, that way your ego will be sufficiently stroked!" She growled and pushed a paw to her chest, her tail snapping about in annoyance.

"Heh... Alright, but if I'm part of the family, does this mean I have to call you, mother?" He shrugged as the vixen glared daggers at him.

"Only if you wish me to put a bomb in your house while you're on tour, Isaac! You're as obstinant as Ivory and your wife! Tch... my son's tastes in partners..." She grumbled and folded her arms, jerking her gaze away, muzzle still poked up.

"Ha! I like this side of your better, Josephine... ya know?" He shoved his paws into his jacket and looked back at the venue, seeing the buses pulling in. "Hey... I gotta go, but uh... thanks for the kiss. Maybe if things had been different, ya know?"

"Indeed... but my son and daughter's happiness is paramount to me, so... take care of my pup, Isaac. Take care of him as more than just his guardian." She offered the wolf a nod as she smoothly slipped into her car.

Another rumble of thunder cried out as raindrops started falling on his ears while he stood there with his paws in his jacket, watching the sedan pull away. He thought back on those days and was sure Josephine was doing the same right now.

"Man... I really should invest in a hat one of these days," He barked out loud to the rain as it started falling harder, turning on his heel to walk back to the waiting buses.

The way to the bus was a frantic mess. It was the first time for Mocha as she clung to Cream, half afraid to get close to the screaming throng of fans that clambered against the wall of security, but Isaac and Joseph were by their side all the while.

At the calico's lead, the girls took a few minutes to autograph some albums or various other collectibles that fans had brought before Joseph played the bad dog role and told them they needed to make the bus.

Eventually, the four of them got inside as Ivory gave a relieved groan and collapsed right down to sit on one of the sofas that was bolted to the floor. "Oh, my gods... I'm one hundred dead after all that... Joe, tell me we've got at least two days until the next-"

"Tomorrow night, sorry baby." He offered a smile as the idol scowled at him and stood right back up, stomping over to him.

"You trying to kill me, Joeseph?" She hissed out and put her paws on her hips.

"Hey hey, I didn't pick the first leg of this tour, Jacob set that up," Joseph growled back with his own fussy look.

"C'mon guys, everyone's tired, no need to fuss. Ivory, love... It's okay... it just means will work the kinks out faster, right?" Karen gripped her feline lover's shoulder gently

"My angel is right, we're all just worn out and it's been a hectic day. Why don't we have a drink to celebrate and get some rest?" Isaac lifted a padded finger with a smile to the trio.

"Yeah, that might be nice, my legs feel like gelatin and my footpaws are throbbing." Ivory sighed as she flopped back down on the sofa, an arm over her eyes. "Ngh... bring me a beer, hun?"

"Of course, baby." Joseph barked out and moved over to the small mini-fridge bolted down as well, taking out one of Ivory's favorite beers.

"So this is it huh? This is just... what all our lives are going to be for the next year or so?" Karen finally looked around the bus in earnest, a rather large bed taking up the back end of it, two sofa's bolted to the floor with TVs above each of them.

"Yep, living out of a duffle bag, trying to keep yourself sane on long rides, milking every second of free time you can get when we stay over in a city. We warned you it'd be hell." Ivory nodded to her partner as she cracked open the beer, Joseph brought her.

"You think we'll fuss a lot?" Isaac asked, the other three looking to him, then around at one another.

"I mean, me and Ivory had our fair share of arguments and such last tour. It's bound to happen living so close together constantly. Let's just always promise to not take it personally, or get too personal with our frustrations." Joseph took out a few more beers for the other couple and one more for himself.

"I sure hope so, I hate the idea of fighting with any of you. Though I know we got into spats and arguments at our old job together from time to time." Karen opened her own beer and took a sip, moving to take a seat on the other sofa.

"Sure, but I could walk away from your bitch ass there, we can't do shit when we're driving down the interstate unless you wanna practice your cartwheel skills on asphalt going seventy miles an hour." Ivory scoffed out with a playful grin at the rabbit.

"My... bitch ass, is it?" Karen cocked a brow at that.

"Oh damn, we just got on the bus and we're already going?" Isaac barked out a laugh and moved right over to sit next to Ivory, throwing an arm around her as he held his open beer in his other paw. "C'mon my Siren, don't pick on your girlfriend, eh?"

Ivory perked her ears as the wolf settled against her, but leaned into his embrace, a loud purr filling her throat. Karen looked over at Joseph with an expectant glance, then down at the seat next to her. His ears perked and he quickly moved right over to take a seat next to his bunny girlfriend.

"So uhm... You two did great tonight and-" He grunted as Karen pushed against him, nuzzling under his arm so he'd lift it and hold her like Isaac was doing with Ivory. He couldn't help but grin, his cheeks feeling hot as she cuddle up to him, then looked back over at Isaac who smirked back at him.

"Aww geeze..." Isaac spoke out as he quickly tucked his own beer between his knees, grabbing Ivory's before it fell from her paws, the calico slumping on him already having drifted off to sleep.