Thanks for the great reviews CAPJHMPAgirl, XxBlue and CrimsonxX, and WindRush! Your excitement for this story is so contagious – my motivation is through the roof. :D Can't wait to keep writing for you guys. Hope you like this next update!

Chapter Fourteen

Propelling herself with her foot, Luna spun around and around on her high stool. She had a pencil to her lip as she concentrated on the sketchpad on her lap. Her brow creased in irritation as she struggled to concentrate with Molly giggling behind her.

"We told you!" Molly hopped up and down, holding Candace's hands in her own. "You're the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

"Th-thanks, Molly! I'm glad you like it…" Candace smiled with an embarrassed blush lighting up her cheeks. She was modelling her completed white rabbit costume while they waited for Kathy. Luna had made it to be modest and easy to build, using a pattern for footie pajamas to get the suit assembled. They kept the feet and left the hands free, so they could play their instruments. The design had been simple and a little baggy, but it worked.

Molly took the tall ears from atop her head, examining them and testing their flexibility. "This must've been a pain to sew around this plastic like that…"

"It wasn't so bad," Candace explained. She took them and showed her the edge. "I just made a pocket to fit. Sort of like making a pillow… It was difficult getting them to stay on the headband, though. We had to make them smaller, so they wouldn't be so heavy and wobbling all over."

"Wow, you guys really thought this through," Molly marveled. Her time had been taken up with her wintry farm, Chase, and a new song. The lyrics that had been sticking together in her head like honey were flowing freely now. All she needed was some help with the bass line, and she'd be able to start on that whenever Kathy decided to show up.

Luna pouted and slapped her pencil down. She spun around to face her sister and friend. "I'm sick of waiting. Molly, have you thought about what animal you want to be?"

"Oh, not at all…" she admitted, bashfully twisting her hair. "See, I kind of wanted to be a cow or maybe a dog like Tucker…"

"That's not cute at all! We need something… sexier. You're front and center, so you need to catch some eyes," Luna drummed her fingers on the pad.

Both Molly and Candace blushed at the suggestion, wringing their fingers in worry. Candace squeaked when she saw a customer walk in, quickly pushing through to hide her bunny costumed self in the back.

"Think about it," Luna nodded to the farmer. She hopped from the stool and placed her sketchpad down on her seat, fluffing her skirt before going to see how to help the woman browsing.

Hm… something sexy? How was she going to pull off sexy?! Everyone knew Molly was the last to have any kind of sex appeal. She was clumsy. Somewhere below Candace in that cute department since she garnered more pity and cringes than 'aw's. Kathy was sexy. Luna could definitely have a shot if she grew up a little to match her personality. Molly ruefully had to admit Candace had a better shot with her 'shy, virgin bride' kind of shtick she could pull. Molly was raucous and silly and altogether not sexy.

Besides, Luna took the cat already, which was where Molly's ideas of cute animals ran out. And if she couldn't be a dog, she was out of options.

Molly took Luna's sketches and crawled atop the stool to examine them. She listened to her friend in the background pitching a new dress design to the client while she looked over the drawings on her lap. She used the pencil to tap her chin. "Something… something… Hey, Candace! You there?"

"Yes?" She whispered in a squeak behind the wall.

"What colors do you guys have to use? Brown, right?" Molly tried to think of animals in that color.

"And grey… but Luna's costume is already finished in that. She used all we had," Candace said.

"Hm… and I can't do Tucker since you're all white. That's too much white," Molly sighed with her last idea out of the window.

"Sorry!"

"No, don't apologize!" Molly giggled. She hummed to herself. "You know, I might not be able to use this brown either since Kathy wanted to be a horse…"

"Okay, you have a nice day~!" Luna trilled, waving as the woman left without buying anything. Once the door closed out the chill, she huffed at her bangs, stomping back over to her friends. "Bitch… So where are we? Kathy's still not here?"

Molly shook her head. "Nope, not yet."

"Have you heard from her? We were supposed to meet an hour ago!" Luna put her hands on her hips defiantly.

She shook her head in the negative once again, looking at the ceiling as she spun side to side on the stool. "No… but I might have an idea where she could be…"

Luna threw her hands in the air. "Well, great! That helps. I vote we start without her, then. Molly, what animal are you going to be?"

"I don't know!" Molly squeaked, holding the sketchpad up as a shield against the unruly pinkette. "Give me some more time!"

Luna rolled her eyes. Her cheeks coloring at the suggestion, she crossed her arms and said: "Well… maybe if I showed you what my outfit looked like… it'd give you an idea."

"Good idea!" Molly clapped.

Candace finally crept back into the open now that she was sure the two were the only ones in the store. Though her grandmother was very supportive of their musical adventures, Candace would be mortified if Shelly saw her wearing such a silly outfit. It was a good thing she was visiting with Irene today. Candace hugged her shoulders as Luna passed her to fetch her own costume. "Are you sure this is a… a good idea, Molly? I feel pretty silly…"

"That's because you're the only one wearing it right now," Molly reassured, giving her shoulder a pat. "Don't worry! Once Luna's out here and we get my costume started, it'll totally grow on you. You won't want to take it off!"

"Okay…" she mumbled doubtfully, tugging on the sleeves that were stubbornly only to her wrists.

It wasn't long at all until Luna appeared. Molly immediately applauded with squeals of delight. Luna's face darkened as she stood before her like she was being judged, not expecting such a thrilled reaction. Candace giggled at seeing her sister put on the spot for once.

"Wow! This is great! I love what you did without the sleeves!" Molly fawned, bouncing all around the girl to see the suit from all angles.

Luna kept her cool, flicking her hair over her shoulder with one of her fingerless gloved-hands. "Well, we had to get rid of the sleeves entirely since it looked too much like a mouse. I pointed the ears, curved the tail, and added these gloves to make things look more feline. Besides, Kathy and Candace can't have gloves with their instruments, so I took advantage of it."

"I want gloves, too!" Molly bounced in awe. "I love them! They're so cute!"

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Luna chuckled, passing her by and leaning over her sketch pad. "Hm… gloves, eh? What do you think about a raccoon? That seems to fit you."

"Ooo! Yeah!" She agreed, holding her hands in circles over her eyes. "And I can wear one of those mysterious masks! Smolder~"

Candace giggled at Molly's pose, and the brunette blew her a kiss. Luna rolled her eyes, but she got an idea. Holding up her hand, she ran to the back and reappeared with a brown suit of pajamas similar to the other two. She held it up to Molly's frame, and the girl instantly stiffened to become a mannequin.

"Isn't that Kathy's…?" Candace peeked over Luna's shoulder.

Luna nodded, carefully observing Molly. "Yeah… but they're the same size. And since she's not here, it's going to Molly!"

"Aw, I don't want to steal the horse from her!" Molly whined.

She stuck her nose in the air, holding the suit out for her to take. "Well, too bad! We'll never get this done in time for practice tonight if we don't start right away. We'll just have to figure out something else for her when she gets here."

Molly pouted her lip, but she didn't argue as she started to strip in the middle of the store to put the suit on. Candace shrieked and Luna scolded her as the sisters took her around to the kitchen before she could get her shirt off. Molly was glaringly oblivious to public establishments.

"We haven't sewn sleeves on it yet…" Candace said as Molly modelled the suit and Luna ran circles around her to sketch the rest of the design.

"That's fine. Molly doesn't need sleeves," Luna quipped. "Gloves, remember?"

"Are you sure this is okay?" Molly asked again. She eyed the door every few seconds, expecting Kathy to tear in and demand her costume.

"We can make her a black horse or whatever. We'll worry about her later," Luna said with authority, making Molly shut up. She drew the long curve of the bushy tail, wondering how they were going to give it a support system without making it look too clunky. As she attached the line with another curved one to make the familiar tail of the raccoon, she paused before drawing in the rings. Luna looked from the sketch to Molly and back. "Hold up. Don't move. I've got it!"

"Got what?" Molly asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"What is it, Luna?" Candace echoed, taking the sketch pad thrust at her. She looked over the design, not knowing what her sister was seeing.

"Candace, start sewing the ears. Use the same pattern for mine," Luna ordered, taking up the scissors. "I'll start cutting the tail. If we anchor it to the back here… see?"

"Oh…" Candace nodded. Her eyes widened as she saw what her sister was planning. Her cheeks flushed. "Oh-oh!"

"I wish I wasn't in the dark," Molly said.

Luna waved her hand at her. "Shut up! We'll have your costume ready soon. You'll love it! I promise!"

"Okay…"

"And if you don't – I'll wear it!" Luna snapped, rolling out the rest of the brown fabric, picking up some white left from Candace's scraps.

Molly watched them in awe, wrapped up in how the girls worked. It was obvious the sisters had done this all their lives, expertly pinning and cutting and hemming with speedy ease. She was so engrossed in their work that she didn't hear the bell ring as someone entered the front room.

"Phew! It's so cold!" Kathy called, stomping her boots free of snow on the mat. She untied the scarf from around her neck and shook her ponytail out from under the knit cap. Taking off her mittens, she stared around the empty room in confusion. Hearing some snipping from the kitchen, she hesitantly peeked around the corner. "Guys?"

"You're late!" Luna said first through pins in her mouth.

"Hi," Candace smiled shyly from her sitting spot on the floor, holding Molly's finished ears and the headband they were almost attached to.

"Sorry! I got caught up helping prepare for the dinner rush with Papa," Kathy apologized with an easy lie, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. "You know how busy it gets on Fridays. We open in a couple hours though, so we've got time, right?"

"Kathy! I'm so sorry!" Molly gushed, trying to hide behind the kitchen table so her friend couldn't see.

"Sorry?" Kathy chuckled. "What are you guys wearing? Are these the outfits already?!"

"Yeah," Luna said, dropping the last pin in the jar and sitting up straight. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed. The action was perfectly suited for her cat costume. "Three out of four done!"

"Wow…" Kathy said, impressed with their speed as well. If she ever tried to sew anything, it'd take forever. When she repaired a chair cushion for the restaurant, it took her half an hour.

"Molly, come here!" Luna demanded, chasing Molly around the table with the finished tail. "We have to put this on!"

"No!" Molly shook her head. "This can still be Kathy's!"

"Mine?" Kathy asked, a wrinkle of bewilderment in her brow.

Candace was left to explain as Luna tackled Molly to the floor, sitting on her back as she sewed the tail on. An occasional scream of pain was heard, then Luna would scold her for wriggling. Candace scratched her cheek, unsure of what to say. "See… um… since you weren't here, we used the suit we made for your horse costume for Molly. Luna got a really good idea, and…"

"Aw, that's okay," Kathy shrugged, even though it was obvious she was disappointed. It was her fault for being so late anyways. She tossed her bag against the wall and slid down to sit next to Candace. She poked her ears. "Glad you got the rabbit, Candace. You look great!"

"Th-thanks!" She chirped in response, fondling the headband atop her head.

"Finally!" Luna cheered. She stood and smoothed her skirts like her attack never happened, leaving Molly face down on the floor behind her. She took the ears from Candace and tossed them at her, clapping her hands in finality. "Well, that's done. Alright. Kathy, you're going to have to go with a Plan B."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kathy said, mussing up her hair. The ends were still sparkling with melting snowflakes. "What other colors do you have?"

"We have brown left!" Molly insisted, her face still in the floor.

Kathy rolled her eyes. "Too much brown, hon."

"Right! We need something that will pop…" Luna agreed, rubbing her chin. She went to an overloaded chest and stuck her head in. Only finding scraps too small, she grumbled as the biggest piece had polka dots. "This is the biggest thing we have. And it's hideous."

"No, wait…" Kathy struggled as she propelled herself to her feet. She took it from Luna, wrapping it around herself. The girls laughed as she modelled it. "People always said I was tall… yeah?"

"Oh my God!" Molly jumped up. She took the yellow fabric from her, holding it against Kathy herself. "If we covered these blue ugly things with brown, doesn't she look like a giraffe?!"

"Exactly!" Kathy high-fived her. "Sweet. Done."

"I love it!" Candace congratulated. "The headband would be really easy, too…"

"Alright. Fine! Everyone's good!" Luna smirked, looking them all over. She indicated herself, pointing to each girl in turn. "We have a cat, a rabbit, a giraffe, and—"

"Kathy! I almost forgot!" Molly pulled on her friend's arms. "I've got this new song, but I need help with the music part again. Can you help me?"

"I like it," Candace nodded to her sister.

"Of course, darlin!'" Kathy giggled, ruffling Molly's hair. "What's it about?"

"Such a strange circus we've got," Luna shook her head good-humoredly. "I sure wouldn't pay money to see it!"

"A boooooy," Molly exaggerated with a laugh. She punched Kathy in the shoulder. "Isn't that what was keeping you all afternoon? I see Owen likes the flavor of your lip gloss~"

"What did I just hear?" Luna turned, as did Candace to reunite their conversations.

"Molly!" Kathy scolded, slapping her arm. She grumpily crossed her arms, determined to hold a grudge. Too bad she was pretty bad at that. As Molly leered at her, she smiled back. "You're awful!"

"With love~!" Molly giggled. "Now, about that song—"

"We have a new song?" Candace piped up, not hearing about this before.

"Debuting at rehearsal tonight!" Molly announced with a bow.

Luna smugly held a hand on her hip, looking like a very surly kitty. Which was incredibly hard to take seriously. "Glad you're finally getting your shit together. Now everybody out! We have to close soon, and I don't want to spend all night sewing a giraffe costume!"

Molly hummed the completed song to herself, slapping her mattress for a beat as she looked through the pages. As she had told Candace, Molly was already quite used to her own costume. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever want to take it off. Though Luna had warned her the brown scraps they had used would be rough, they felt like her favorite flannel pajamas. It was only natural to relax in it.

The smile on her face grew as the chorus began, and she clapped her hands in rhythm. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm as she sang the next line. "His eyes on me… I'm going crazy!"

She jumped up from her bed, passing the empty mugs of hot cocoa she had shared with Kathy before she left to prepare for practice. Tucker raised his head as he watched her, tongue lolling as he panted by the fireplace. Molly danced around the table, leaving the sheets of music behind. She knew all of the words already. "Back of my mind, behind that curtain! Can't concentrate, these—oh!"

Molly stopped her spastic dancing. Pushing her bangs from her eyes, she ran to the window and peeked out. Her smile growing, she rushed to her door and pulled it open. Tucker was barking in excitement, so she snagged his collar before he pounced. "Hi!"

"I can't believe you're still here, you're going to be late for practice, what are you wearing?" It all came out in one breath as Chase's tone and expression changed from irritable to downright gawking. His jaw comically dropped as he began to laugh at her outfit, and Tucker was released to smell his hands in greeting.

"Hey!" Molly complained, holding her arms over her torso in defense. "I'm late because I was waiting for you! And I wanted to show you my new costume for the band…"

"Well, as long as you like it," Chase chuckled, hiding his hands in his coat pockets as the big dog snorted at him.

Molly rolled her eyes in a huff and left the door as Chase invited himself in. She went to her dresser and yanked the drawer open. "You're so rude! I thought you'd like it."

Getting his first look at the tail, he had to hold in his laughter again. He put a fist to his mouth as he closed the door behind him and walked to the table, sitting on the edge and propping his leg up on a chair. "Yeah, it's cute. Are the other girls wearing it, too?"

"Yup! We're all animals, but I'm the only fox~" Molly proudly turned, clothes to change into in her hand. She did a little curtsey. "Do you really think I'm cute?"

"Don't milk it…" Chase muttered, pulling at his bangs. Tucker came back to smell at him, so he gave him a pat. Having calmed down, the Pyrenees got a drink at his dish before plopping down in his spot by the fire.

Glad she got him a little flustered, she happily spun around and started to unzip her costume. Molly looked over her shoulder. "Well? Turn around!"

"Oh! Jeez… a little warning next time…" Chase left the table and turned as commanded. What he didn't expect was to be facing a dark window, giving him the full view of Molly's back as she stripped down to her underwear and left the fox costume behind. He blushed and held a hand to his eyes and stared at the floor, clearing his throat to appear casual as she put her shirt on behind him. "Uh… when's Echo again?"

"Echo?" She parroted. Molly hiked up her pants, remembering that was the name of the village with the gig she told him about. She had been so excited about it, that she had rushed him while he was trying to nap before his dinner shift. "Oh! Right! Their festival is on the twentieth, so we're going to leave this time next week. Why?"

"Good…" he nodded, peeking at the window to see if it was safe. Molly didn't like her shirt, so she was changing into a different sweater, somehow shirtless again when he looked. Chase instantly darkened again, trying to look anywhere else. "Because! Uh… the Starry Night Festival. Here. Next Wednesday."

"Oh, yeah…" Molly remembered, freeing her hair and smoothing it from the static. Not telling him it was okay to look yet, she crept up behind him, hugging his shoulders. "Hey! We can go together this year! Like a date! Yeah?"

"Yeah!" He had jumped at her sudden proximity. Since she was there though, he assumed it was fine for him to turn around at last. And lo and behold, Molly was fully clothed and dressed to go out in the weather. "Like a… date or whatever."

"We should've done this eons ago – which I know is totally my fault!" She cut him off with a pointed finger before he could retort. But she gave him a grin. "It's fun having you around."

"Glad I entertain," he sarcastically replied with a smirk. Molly was giving him a weird look. "What?"

"I don't know," she frowned. "Are we supposed to tell anyone? I don't think it's anyone's business, but…"

He took her gloved hand and shrugged, enjoying her flushed face. "Eh, let 'em figure it out. Come on – you're going to be late."

"Eee, you're right!" Molly leaned across him and snatched up her packet of music sheets. She waved to Tucker as he ran to follow her to the door. "Stay here, boy! Be good and watch the house until I get back, okay?"

"Is it alright to leave your fireplace like that?" Chase asked as she closed the door behind them and locked it.

Molly pocketed her keys, taking up his hand again. "Yeah, it's the only heat I've got, so I don't want to leave him in the cold, you know? I won't be gone long anyways. Now let's go – we're going to be late!"

"You're late!" Chase snapped, getting jerked along behind her as she lunged ahead into the snow. He tried to pull her back to walk at a more normal pace, but he was only forced along faster. That's what he got when dealing with a farmer with more upper arm strength. "I'll be early!"

"Papa Hayden could use help peeling the potatoes!" Molly sang, now jogging down the hill with Chase in her iron grip, making him jog to catch up, too.

"Aw…!" Chase groaned.

She winked at him. "Besides, this way you'll be the first to hear the new song about you!"

"About me?!" But she didn't respond. Chase made no further argument as they plowed their way quite literally to town, snow kicking up like dust in their wake. He just had to choose the energetic girl!

"You're late!" Luna shouted from her seat, arms crossed with drumsticks in her fists.

"Sorry!" Molly was already wriggling out of her coat as she opened the Brass Bar's door, breathing hard from the run. She tossed her coat aside as she hopped up on stage to the ready microphone awaiting her.

"You better be," Kathy stuck her tongue out in teasing.

"W-we should focus on starting, right?" Candace intervened, thinking the girls were actually mad.

"That's the kind of enthusiasm I like to hear!" Molly pumped her fist as the door opened and Chase entered. To make things less awkward, they had agreed to pretend to arrive separately. He didn't even glance at the group as he hung up his coat in back and casually tied his apron, greeting Hayden behind the bar.

Luna snatched the papers Molly handed to her. As she looked over the new song, her eyebrows rose. "This is a lot more… hardcore than the usual."

"Very drum and guitar heavy," Kathy agreed with a smirk. She was the only other person who knew what the song was like since she helped Molly with the final touches. "That's why we switched the setting on Candace's keyboard for that synth sound."

"Wow, this sounds really loud…" Candace noted the exclamation points in the lyrics and her rapid melody. "Do you think we can do it? I-in time for Echo Village?"

"Of course! I don't doubt you guys for a second," Molly gave them a thumbs up. She positioned herself at the microphone, muttering under her breath: "And it should help that I know all of the lyrics this time, so…"

"Good!" Luna shot back, having heard her. She propped the sheets on her music stand, getting a feel for where it was going. "So should we look it over for a while or just jump right in?"

"I wanna jump right in," Kathy volunteered, adjusting her music stand and hiking up her guitar strap. "This looks fun!"

"I'll try my best!" Candace agreed, hands wary over the keys.

"Awesome!" Molly said, gripping the stand and pulling the microphone up to her chin. She took a deep breath. "Everyone ready? Okay… this first part's the a capella, so you guys jump in all at once after—"

"We can read music, Molly!" Luna reprimanded with a huff.

"Okay, okay!" Molly laughed and rolled her shoulders to loosen up. She gave herself a whispered pep talk, helping her get in the zone. "This is the first run… and… go…"

Though she had said it herself, all three girls were taken aback as Molly began the song with twice the power they expected to hear out of her. Her vocals continued strong and with personality, hitting every note just as promised. Kathy frantically readied for the bass, Candace began the backing chords a little late, and Luna wasn't prepared for the work out she was about to get as she followed the progression.

It took the band three more tries to get going smoother. By the time they were talking it through and practicing individual, specific parts, patrons started to file in through the door. Kathy made to drop her stuff to waitress, but Hayden waved her the okay to keep practicing. Though she was worried, Chase and her father were handling the bar goers with relative ease without her. Still, she bit her lip through the rehearsal.

"Hey, that's my girlfriend!" Luke, a regular at the bar, declared from his seat. He was one of few people who could start drinking at this hour. Luke held his beer up in tribute, nudging the stranger next to him from out of town. "See the drummer? I'm dating the drummer."

"We are not! Stop telling lies – you're so embarrassing, Luke!" Luna denied, messing up the beat with the distraction as she fumed and blushed simultaneously. Candace left the piano to soothe her sister, telling her to ignore the carpenter since he was just drunk as usual.

"I've got dibs on the bass player," Owen remarked, giving Kathy a salute with his own drink. She timidly smiled, looking away.

"Woo!" Luke cheered, giving him a slap on the back.

Molly was secretly grateful her guy in the kitchen wasn't so showy. She shot a look his way and found him busy at the stove. When she looked away, she didn't feel the gaze he sent her way. They had unwittingly been playing eye tag for the past half an hour, but it didn't go completely unnoticed.

For instance, Kathy was finding it a good distraction from her own boyfriend. She watched as Molly sang out each note with confidence and precision, making herself the powerhouse of the band and claiming her deserved spot as headliner. And Chase was in the kitchen going back and forth to the bar and tables as a waiter, smiling to the customers and whistling. Whistling. Their equally chipper attitude was mighty suspicious. Kathy smirked.

"One more time, and that'll be a wrap!" Molly announced as a few more patrons entered, mingling with the locals. The girls nodded, a little winded from the energy of the song. They hovered over their respective instruments, waiting for that first verse from Molly.

She grabbed the microphone and closed her eyes, getting herself lost as she blared out the lyrics once again.

"I've got a backstage boyfriend starting the show!
He revs up the guitars, and we're ready to go!
We start 1, 2, 3…"

Sigh. And—!

Molly grinned, swooning from the stand. "My baby!"