Well, I got chapter 4 here. Enjoy as I take a nap... I don't own Warner Brothers stuff, Nada Sampson, or 'Pins and Needles' by The Birthday Massacre, and 'Forever', which is also by them. Only Kari, Hale, and Marie. Listen to those songs while reading their performance parts. It'll make more sense.
Third Person POV:
Bugs made his way to the Monstars' house. After the night of Hale and Kari's performance, Bugs and the rest of the Looney Tunes reconstructed the abandoned house into an actual home.
The entire place was now a large mansion with bonus guest bedrooms and additional rooms added, including a gaming room, outdoor swimming pool, a personal sauna, large gourmet kitchen and much more.
The Monstars couldn't believe the expense that the Tunes pulled out just for them, but Bugs assured them that it was no biggie.
Making his way to the front door, his extra sensitive ears were able to pick up Pound's shouting from inside the home.
Knocking with caution, hoping that he wasn't interrupting anything important, Bugs waited. In a matter of a minute, Blanko opened the door and looked down, greeting the gray hare with a friendly grin.
"Hey there, Bugs. We just finished breakfast, so come on in."
Nodding with a "Thanks.", the rabbit made himself comfortable inside their domain. "Say, uh, where's the other guys, doc?"
Blanko rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes for a moment. Bugs raised a brow. "Is something wrong?"
Blanko nodded. "Nawt's been a bit more depressed than usual. He didn't eat for the past three days and Pound's trying to get him down here to eat at least something."
Bugs gave a worried look and pointed over towards upstairs. "Is he up there?" Blanko sighed. "Yeah. Pound, Bupkus and Bang are up there trying to get him out of his room. He refuses to open the door."
Now Bugs gave a seriously worried look. "Is he..?"
Blanko gave him a scared look and mildly shook his head. "No way! He responds and we checked. It's just that he doesn't acknowledge us as often and mostly shuts himself in his room. I checked on him once; he mostly lays down on his bed and stares at the ceiling with a sad look."
Blanko sighed in defeat, looking down at the hare helplessly. "You gotta help us, Bugs. Can you knock some sense into him? We're worried that he might just get worse."
Bugs gave his usual grin. "No problem, doc. Lead the way." Blanko motioned for the hare to follow him up the stairs. They walked up and turned left into the long and broad corridor. Making a right, they went down to the end of the hall, where they saw the other three Monstars in front of their friend's door.
Bupkus looked over at the sound of footsteps and greeted the hare with a surprised look. "Hey, Bugs! Mind if you help us? Nawt won't open his door."
He couldn't help but raise a curious brow at the large alien. "Is he alive?" Bang growled. "Oh he is alive, alright. He just won't open the stupid door! I can hear him throw the basketball around the room for peat's sake!"
Pound shook his head, obviously getting agitated. "I'm telling ya, if he doesn't open this door, I'm gonna bust it down!"
Bugs raised his hands, motioning for him to calm down. "Take it easy, Pound. Let me try to talk to him."
The four Monstars moved so as to give the bunny some space near the door. Bugs cleared his throat and spoke up against the door. "Hey Nawt, it's Bugs. Listen, the guys and I are worried sick about ya. But we can't help ya if you don't let us. Why don't you open the door and we can talk things over? I may not be much of help, but-"
He was cut off as the door cracked open, Nawt looking down at the hare, his eyes almost bloodshot from possibly crying and lack of sleep.
"You look like hell, man." Bang said with wide eyes, now slightly scared for his friend's sanity and well being.
"Come on out here, Nawt. It's not healthy to stay up in here all day." Bugs coaxed. Looking down at the floor for a moment, he nodded his head in compliance. The red Monstar opened the door and got out of the room. Although his clothes weren't haggard, his features read a different story.
"Now let's go downstairs and get a little something for ya. You know as well as I that Kari wouldn't want to see you like this."
Nawt raised his head at the mention of her name. He nodded weakly. "Yeah. You're right. She'd probably be mad at me if she saw me like this." He closed his eyes bitterly at the memory of when they left back to Looney Tune Land.
Bugs nodded his head in sentiment. Before anyone could usher a word, a loud banging echoed from downstairs. They all raced down the hall and looked down below. The banging was coming from the front door.
"Let's see who that is, shall we?" Bugs inquired, hoping he was right about who it may be. The Monstars glanced among one another with wonder, sans Nawt who was too wrapped up in his own emotional turmoil to even care.
Bang approached the door and was surprised to see who it was. Bugs took a peek from the green alien's side and nearly fell at the sight and collision of who it was. Falling backwards from the sudden tackle, Bugs wheezed out, "Daffy? What on earth-?"
Daffy jumped off of Bugs, happiness dancing in his eyes like nothing before. "All of you have to come quickly! Yosemite hasth something to show all of us, including you guysth!" The mallard pointed at the Monstars.
"What's going on?" Blanko asked raising a brow. Pound crossed his arms. "What do you mean he has something to show us?"
Daffy shook his head. "No time to explain! He saysth that we have to be there and that it was a huge surprise!"
Bugs got up, wiping off the dirt from his fur. "And exactly where is "there", doc?" Daffy gave him a sour look. "The amphitheater, of course!"
Bupkus gave a bewildered look. "What's at the amphitheater?" The Monstars glanced around one another, Nawt raising a brow at the sudden turn of events.
Daffy face palmed himself hard and gave them all a frustrated look. "All I know, is that we have to be there, and he did say something about a surprise; something involving a special performance. That's all I know! Now can we go?"
All of them gawked at the duck, especially Nawt. "A special performance?" Bugs had a feeling about it, a really good feeling.
"For the last time, YES! Now let's get a move on before we miss it!" Without waiting, Daffy took off in the direction leading to the amphitheater.
Bugs turned around and faced the Monstars with a knowing grin. "So what do ya say, docs? Shall we all go and join them on this 'big surprise'?"
Taking one final look at each other, the Monstars grinned and nodded in agreement. Nawt gave a small smile. "Let's go then. I'm kinda curious to know what this surprise really is."
Without warning, Bupkus picked up Bugs and threw him over his shoulder. "Let's vamoose!" They all took off at high speed in the same direction Daffy went. Bugs thought silently to himself; a grin playing on his features. 'I guess Sam pulled through, after all...'
Normal POV:
"So how did it go with those NBA players? Did ya, I say, did ya give them their talents back?" Foghorn asked us as we were now at the amphitheater. Hale got the drums set and the keyboards. I tuned the guitar, making sure they strummed at the right pitches.
Finishing the touches on the guitar, I glanced up and gave him a smile. "Of course. We found them at a gym near the theater a few days after the talent show. They looked miserable when we saw them."
Hale frowned at the memory. "Yeah, they looked really pathetic, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. We played a round or two of basketball with them afterward and that was it."
Foghorn gazed up at the sky as in thought. "Oh, I see." Wile was sitting down playing peek-a-boo with Marie. The two year old giggled in delight. Nada walked up to the two of us curiously.
"Mind if I can help with something?" she asked hopefully. I gave her a warm smile and nodded. "Sure! You can play the keyboards, right?" She nodded her head. "I took some lessons. I'm sure I can handle it."
It was true. Hale taught Nada the ropes to the keyboards a a token of gratitude for her teaching me how to dance, as well as Hale himself on some occasions. Hale got up and stretched his back. "Okay; everything's all set to go! Now we just need a number."
Foghorn gave him a questionable look. "A number? Like between 1 and 10?" I giggled and shook my head. "No, silly! A song. Hale was referring to a song for our surprise performance.. and I think I know one. Hale, come here a sec! You too, Nada!"
I brought them closer and whispered in their ears what song I had in mind. Hale nodded his head. "Sounds good to me, and it works well, especially for the welcoming committee." Nada smiled, going along with the idea. "Sure! Let's go for it!"
Wile, Marie, and Foghorn gave interested looks towards the teens. "What song you have in mind?"
I gave him a tiny sad smile. "Something Hale and I worked on as a school and home project. You'll hear what we mean in a moment."
The three of us ready with our assigned instruments: Nada with the keyboards and synthesizers (yes, she learned that too), Hale at the drums, and I with the guitar which I learned from Hale, we glanced at one another with confidence. Hale and I had mics, since the both of us knew what the lyrics were and he agreed to take on the chorus line with me.
"Ready, sis?" Hale gave me a grin.
"Ready, bro." I replied. This was like deja vu all over again, with the exception of Nada's present being.
Taking a deep breath, we steadied ourselves... and we started the music. The rest of the Tunes showed up the moment we started up the music, including Bugs, Daffy, and the Monstars.. even Nawt. We didn't notice them at the moment as we were focusing on our playing.
"Once a night, the bedroom light
Leads out from inside my window
Eyes white, I keep out of sight
This city's just not pretty like it used to be
It's always a nightmare, it's never a dream
The promise we made to kill the days between
They live in the heartbeat and sleep till the light is gone
Hale and I kicked up the chorus, our hearts unknowingly beating at the same time we said each line.
It's been so long
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
So long
I can feel it tearing me apart
I strummed hard on the guitar, the adrenaline rushing as I knew Hale was beating those drums and Nada tuning in perfectly with the synthesizer. I summoned my voice up to the words as they left my mouth with powerful emotion.
To the bed, the left unsaid
Crawl in from outside my window
Hands red and cold as the dead
A pity they're not pretty like they used to be
It's always a nightmare, never a dream
The promise we made to kill the days between
They live in the heartbeat and sleep till the light is gone
The chorus struck up again, every ounce of feeling and emotion flowing right through.
It's been so long
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
So long
I can feel it tearing me apart
The music tuned down a bit, leaving Nada only playing melodically on the keys. I gazed up and saw nothing but a blurry crowd, knowing my emotions are having at me. I spoke up the second to last stanza, sadness evident as I sung out.
It's never a whisper, it's always a scream
The promise we made to kill the time between
They live in a heartbeat and sleep till the light is gone
It's been so long
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
So long
I can feel it tearing me apart"
We played a little harder as we brought the song to a close, the struggling emotion felt with every fiber of the song itself. As the song came to an end, we heard only a couple seconds of silence until a loud roar came from the crowd before us.
I glanced up and looked at Hale and Nada, giving another nod. Turning to the mic, I spoke up. "We have one more number to perform for all of you guys. However, this one in particular is for someone I hold dear to me, and truth to be told... it's about how I felt the night after the talent show. I hope you will all appreciate it."
I gave the signal to Nada as she danced her fingers across the keyboard, tuning up a beautiful melody.
Giving it a moment for Hale to sync in with Nada's playing, I then took hold of the words from my heart; those feelings exactly from the night when the talent show ended, singing them out.
"Today is the first of our numbers
We're never asleep
Sometimes there's a voice when I close my eyes
Sometimes I can't hear you speak
Did you learn to take cover
Or are you running away?
And you see right through me
This shouldn't last forever
You're so close
Now it's time to say goodbye
I then strummed the guitar, smiling a bit.
You wait for the sun in the morning
I'm waiting for rain
Sometimes you're too close when I close my eyes
For now, you're quiet again
The story is over
You never wanted the same
Did you learn to take cover
Or are you running away?
And you see right through me
This shouldn't last forever
You're so close
Now it's time to say goodbye
Talk to me
This voice is the faintest I've heard in the longest time
Now that it's time that you pretend
You know I do
Do you want to see this to the end?
You know, you know I do
And you see right through me
this shouldn't last forever
You're so close
Now it's time to say goodbye
Talk to me
This voice is the faintest I've heard in the longest time"
We finished the song with it's bittersweet melody to the very end. I felt my eyes burning as they blurred my sight. I heard the cheers of the crowd, whistling, hooting, and even some crying.
I tried to keep my composure at it's best, but to no avail. I started to break down, closing my eyes and letting the warm tears escape me. That's when I felt a pair of strong arms embrace me and my head resting on a strong, broad chest. Then a voice rumbled from deep within the figure holding me; a voice I longed to hear from for the past six years.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Looking up, I gave in to my emotions completely as I saw Nawt looking down at me with silent tears of pure happiness streaming down his own countenance.
I embraced him back, holding him close and afraid to let go for fear that he may disappear like those many times I dreamed of him being by my side only to wake to nothing but my pillow. He hushed me, stroking my back gently.
"Don't cry, sweetheart. I've been waiting too. Now the waiting's over... for both of us."
'It's real... this is all finally real. Thank you, God.'
He hugged me with equal force. To confirm the reality, he lifted my face up gently by my chin to meet his gaze and joined his lips with mine.