Welcome to my re-write of my Space Jam one shot. This is part of my planned re-writes of some of my much older work on this site. Written from the perspective of the characters as cast to the film.
Please enjoy and review!
'Alright, cut! Everyone take a breather while we adjust the set for the second half of the basketball scene. I want to get this scene wrapped up today!'
It had been a gruelling day on set. With the powerful stage lights looming over the cast, they had spent the past several hours filming one of the final scenes of Space Jam. Needless to say; they were all feeling the pressure by the time they reached a break. Having replayed the same sequences over six hours, everyone was glad to have a few minutes off set.
'Toon Squad cast; make sure you're ready for the next scene. The camera's are gonna be on you more so than the last scenes we've shot, so stay focused and in character. Monstar's cast, if you could join me over here I want to talk about the manoeuvres and stunts you'll be performing in the next scene.'
Watching as the director stepped down from the his raised chair Lola grabbed a towel and eased it around the back of her neck. The physical endurance had been at it's most trying that day and she was feeling the exhaustion begin to weigh on her.
'I tell ya what, if ya ask me, Joe is getting a bit stressed today ain't he?' Bugs muttered to his human co star Michael Jordan who grinned and ran a hand over his head. Yawning wearily, Michael picked up a bottle of water and sunk back in his chair while the Director told the camera men to take what they had filmed into the back room before re-arranging the camera's. Though the crew weren't the only ones feeling the heat.
As the filming was drawing to a close, Joe and Ivan, the director and producers respectively, were calling in the cast at all times of the morning and were working long into the day and night.
'Hey Lola,' Bugs called, walking over to his friend who was sat back on a bench taking a long drink of water.
'Hi Bugs,' she replied breathlessly as he sat beside her and stretched out his feet.
'Drink?' she offered softly, watching Bugs keenly take her up on the offer.
'I think I need it,' he smirked, before picking up a spare copy of the script that was lying next to him and flicking through it idly.
'Hey, we get a short part in here in the next scene,' he grinned, 'I wonder if we'll get to do that today?' he suggested with a wink, making Lola laugh as she leant over his shoulder to read it. As one of her ears fell forward, Lola made to brush it back when Bugs brushed it back for her. Feeling his gentle gloves touch against her fur, the young rabbit blushed a little at the contact, her eyes meeting his when the Director cut across her before she could thank him.
'Alright everyone; back on set! Technical operators get the lighting up again, all extras take your places in the crowds and remember, I want to see your enthusiasm! Toon Squad actors-'
'and actresses,' piped up Lola, watching the Director pause with a look of exasperation as Bugs put his arm around her and turned his face away, trying to turn his laugh into a cough.
'Yeah. Okay, just get on set everyone,' he sighed, feeling that it was pointless to try and give a proper pep talk after the long day they had all had.
'Okay, hit the lights, get the music on and…action!' he called, the music flooding the halls as the Monstar's actors instantly took on their characters personalities. As the second half of the game began to get underway, the cast were working even harder to keep up with the pace. Watching as three of their oversized competitors lunge at Wile E Coyote, he fell about the set in pieces when the camera's quickly moved around to Porky Pig who found himself crushed.
One thing the Director hadn't taken into consideration with the quick pace of filming, was that the camera's were a constant hazard with the speed in which they moved around the set. As the cast tried to manoeuvre the camera's, Bugs and Lola held back on the edge of the court for a few moments, only to dash across to the side as the camera swung round to follow Sylvester's movements. As the characters off set gave their co-stars sympathetic expressions, watching some of the cast coming away with minor cuts and bruises from the close proximity that they had with their Monstar co-stars, though none of the cast considered that anything could go dramatically wrong.
As Daffy amused everyone with the dazed child like act he gave upon being squashed into the court floor, the largest and leader of the Monstar's began to pick on Michael who found it much easier to dodge the hits than the others.
As one of the camera men passed Lola, a stage hand accidentally knocked Lola into the centre of the set, Bugs seeing the mistake and knowing she shouldn't be on the court. Though as he moved onto the court in an attempt to rectify the situation, Bugs's eyes turned wide as he saw one of the Monstar's on top of the basketball hoop ready to dive onto the court, and, unbeknown to him, straight onto Lola.
'No…' he started, realising that she hadn't seen the danger as he called out to her.
'Lola!'
Turning to try and see where Bugs was shouting from through the bright stage lights, she became worried as he shouted again.
'Lola, Lola, heads up!'
Turning around at the looming shadow over her, Lola's eyes widened at the co star that quickly threatened to crush her when she suddenly found herself thrown to the side of the court. Pushing herself up off the floor in a slight daze, Lola quickly grasped what had happened when she saw Bug's hand from beneath their co star.
Hearing the whistle blow, Lola wasn't paying attention to the scene or anything else around her as she called out to her saviour.
'Oh my Bugs! Bugs!'
Running to him and dropping to her knees beside his injured form, Lola handled him gently, not wanting to hurt him as she asked if he was okay.
'Oh yeah, I'm fine,' he started, shaking off his confused expression as he looked at her with sincerity. 'Are you okay?'
'Oh Bugs…thank you…'
'Ah, it was nothin'' he responded modestly, when Lola's hand began to caress his cheek.
'That was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me,' she admitted, giving into the feelings that had been lingering since filming began. Giving into temptation and kissing him passionately, Bug's love struck reaction was anything but an act in his surprise at her actions.
'We're so keeping that in there,' Joe exclaimed, 'hey Pete did you get all that?' he called, the crew member giving him a thumbs up as he looked over the footage on film.
As Lola stood up, she helped Bugs to his feet, Joe deciding to call it a night much to the relief of their co stars.
'Jeez, if thatsth all it took to get the night off, I'd have pushed ya in front of one of them hours ago,' Daffy smirked,
'Yeah, cheers Daff,' Bugs responded, rolling his eyes as Lola got called away by one of the producers. Watching her walk away with a smile on her face, Daffy interjected in his thoughts by coming up close to him.
'Never seen do sthomethin' like that before,'
'Yeah…you're right,' Bugs agreed, not looking in Daffy's direction as he saw Lola gathering her things and turning to him with a shy smile.
'I'll catch up with ya later Daff,' Bugs remarked dismissively, walking over to Lola, unsure of what he was going to say.
'Bugs I just want to say thank you again…I-'
'Are you kiddin'? There's no way I'd let anythin' happen to ya. You don't need to thank me,'
Seeing her grip her hand around the holdall she was carrying, Bugs realised that the crew had gone out into the back and the cast had mostly left, leaving them pretty much alone by the court.
'So listen, I was wonderin' as we're not working tonight and if ya not to busy…'
'I'd love too,' Lola smiled, Bugs taking her bag from her and slowly taking Lola's hand as they walked out of the studio.
'Oh and one more thing, I never got to thank you either,' Bug's admitted, putting down their stuff by his car.
'For what?' Lola questioned, looking up at him as he kissed her softly.
'For the best kiss I ever had,' he grinned, seeing the blush playing on her cheeks as he opened the door for her.
One year later…
Watching it on playback again Lola sat with one arm hugging her knees as she reversed the DVD with the remote watching that scene again. Bug's walked from the kitchen with a drink for them both and grinned at the TV screen.
'How many times is that now?' he teased, seeing Lola stick her tongue out at him as he chuckled and handed her a cup of hot chocolate.
'You didn't seem to mind it,' she countered with a slight pout touching her lips.
'Never said I did,' he grinned, 'it was our first kiss…'
As he came around the sofa and sat to one side allowing Lola to stretch out one arm underneath his back as she rested her head against his soft chest.
'Well it certainly wasn't the last,' she smiled
'Nope, turns out there was a lot of fun to follow,' he responded with a coy grin. 'Besides, after a kiss like that, I wasn't ever about to let ya go…'
Smiling at him lovingly, Bugs kissed her gently and stroked her ears as she rested a hand across his abdomen, a glittering diamond ring shining on her ring finger, awaiting a golden band to join it…
So there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed re-writing this piece.
~x-xMasqueradeAngelx-x