Author note: I hope you enjoy this new installment and continue to look for updates to this story. It really shocked me to see this pairing get so little love. Believe me I looked. If you find any let me know. Please xp Yes I know it's a kids movie about animals singing. Late to the fandom but I saw a ship and wanted to see it sail enjoy
Also if you don't approve of stories like this just move on I enjoy writing about these two way too much to be bothered to stop. I'm officially labeling this pairing as 'Johnnymoon'
Chapter 2
Ugh! That was downright embarrassing, Johnny internally groaned. He headed down to the backstage area. Everything more spacious and less of a hazard. Nana Noodleman had really pulled through in making the theater bigger and better. It never failed to amaze him to see the changes. Johnny looked around at the new equipment and spotted Eddie with Meena. They were currently working on the sound equipment his parents had bought for him. Finally proud to see their son following a passion. Eddie noticed him and waved eagerly. Meena waved shyly. The elephant enjoyed singing but had a knack for the backstage know how. She tended to help Eddie when needed and he helped create new sound for her performances. Johnny smiled at them and continued to his work space.
"Oh Johnny it's good to see you!" he heard Miss Crawly sweetly say. He turned to see her shakily hold up a tray full of steaming tea cups and cut sandwiches. "Why Johnny your arm!" she exclaimed finally taking note of his full profile. "Come with me I'll help you with that. Would you care for a cup of tea? Sandwich?" She was already walking away to his work room. "Thanks Miss Crawly" Johnny smiled at her and grabbed a few sandwiches and happily grubbed, realizing he'd been a nervous wreck all morning and hadn't had anything to eat. Miss Crawly set the tray down on the empty table in his soundproof room. There wasn't much to his private quarters. The old piano from the original theater was located in the corner, couple chairs, a stereo, stack of CDs threatening to fall over and a futon he sometimes crashed on when he didn't feel like going home to an empty garage.
"You really need to tidy up in here Johnny" Miss Crawly mumbled as she carefully walking over candy wrappers and crumpled paper. She led him to the seat by the piano and worked on his arm. He held the box open for her as she plucked the rest of porcupines needles from his arm. No one really questioned his state since they were used to Ash popping by. Why, her room was filled with them whenever she got lost in her music!
Johnny began to wander off to ignore the task at hand and stared at the beat up piano. It was being held by rope and looked to fall apart any moment. It had splinters and had to be handled delicately. Seeing as the theater was granted a new piano, glossy black and more beautiful to look at the crew saw no point keeping it onstage. Mr. Moon had even bought a smaller, easier to move piano for Miss Crawly in her office. The old lizard still enjoyed playing to pass the time. Which left this beat up one and what to do with it.
/
Summer heat had set in. It had taken a few months of endless work to get the basic foundation done. Portable lighting from the construction crew were strewn about in random places within since the roof was done. They were moving in new equipment and the workers had brought over the old piano asking what Mr. Moon had wanted to do with it. That day only Meena, Mike and Johnny were with him. Mike had passed by to see if the theater would be up and running anytime soon. On his way out he just had to throw in his two cents into the matter.
"Just throw it out back, damn things an eyesore" he shouted out as he began walking out.
"We can't do that! It has memories! Miss Crawly says its been with the theater since day one!" she yelled after him. It fell on deaf ears as he shut the door. Buster came to stand next to her "It'll be alright Meena I'll figure out something. You should head home. Its getting late. Don't worry your mother now" he looked up at her fondly. Suddenly realizing the setting sun she said, "Okay I will, I know its falling apart but it seems a shame to throw away something that was part of your theater Mr. Moon…promise you won't toss it?" Before he could respond, they heard her phone play Carrie Underwood's 'Mama's song" signaling her mother already getting frantic she wasn't home yet. "Gotta go Mr. Moon, see you tomorrow!" she was barreling out the door and trying to calm her mother down on the phone.
Buster shook his head and chuckled. Johnny was cleaning up some rubble still in the theater. He wore a white tank top to cope with the heat in the theater. The seating area was still bare. He picked up a rag nearby and started wiping his brow. He heard Mr. Moon sigh and turned to look at him. He stood in front of the piano, flannel sleeves rolled up and bowtie gone. He wore jeans instead of his usual slacks. Meena had left the entrance door open. With the setting sun it let in a golden light that bathed the small koala's profile, mesmerizing Johnny. "Something wrong Mr. Moon?" "Hmm? No just what Meena said…its true this old girl's been with me since day one." He began playing a few notes. "When my father was…still around he introduced me to Miss Crawly and asked her to teach me how to play." Johnny walked over to him and stood in the light of the sun with him. "I didn't know you played, you should show me sometime!" Johnny said excitedly.
"Eh I know a few songs but I just didn't have what it took to be really good." He said this almost bitterly. It was then Johnny realized Mr. Moon must've tried finding a talent in show biz himself. "My dad just didn't want me giving up though. He…encouraged me no matter what" He began playing an old melody. "If I realized I couldn't do something, he just hugged me said I'd find my calling" Buster closed his eyes and continued the simple melody. "You know, Ms. Crawly and him would always be upstairs chatting away as she played the piano for him. I still remember smelling the coffee they would sip as he requested songs from their old days. Chatted about things in the past and Ms. Crawly was so happy to have an audience. After…he passed she just didn't have the heart to play anymore. Soon it was just gathering dust and with the heavy memories around it, I suppose we both chose to ignore it. That is", he turned to Johnny, eyes misty, "till you came along Johnny. I knew when I first heard you sing. Heard the soul in you. I couldn't help but envision you playing tenderly on the piano. Before I knew it I told Ms. Crawly and she was so excited to have a reason to play again." He stopped playing and stared at the piano.
"Sounds like a good dad." Johnny said quietly. Buster turned away and started wiping his face. Johnny was so surprised to see Moon like this and before he knew it he was reaching out his hand to him. Buster cleared his throat which stopped the gorilla in his tracks. "I'm sorry for getting so emotional Johnny, forgive me. It was unprofessional." He gave him an embarrassed smile to pass off the heavy air that had settled around them. "You don't ever have to apologize fer that Mr. Moon. I know what a Dad can mean to a kid. Truthfully I'm right jealous of how amazing yours was. Seems an honest bloke who did his best for his only son. When me mum signed me up for piano, I reckon I got to a week's worth o class before my dad came bellowing in an dragging me out. Chair an all. Shouting 'No Boy o mine is learning a sissy talent!' He and me mum argued all night for that! I still remember the burnt breakfast she'd make fer him as revenge. Lasted about a month before he apologized to er!" Johnny said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. Buster couldn't help but laugh at that.
"I'm sure your father cares for you in his own way Johnny. I've seen the change you have talking on the phone with him." Johnny was surprised to hear that. "Er sorry I couldn't help overhear a conversation you had with him yesterday. Sounds really proud of you now." The sun was dipping further down as Buster said this and made the koala seem made of light. Johnny couldn't help but think how beautiful he looked. "I'll take it" Johnny said. Buster shook his head. "Johnny, you don't have to its old and falling apart! Miss Crawly and I were looking for one online for you! One for the soundproof rooms." "Its alright Mr. Moon, I'm attached to her too. She saw me start off and brought me here. I guess I can't let er go either" he grinned at the grey koala. Mr. Moon smiled up at the gorilla. "Thank you Johnny, you have no idea how much this means to me" Mr. Moon looked into his eyes and Johnny felt his heart flutter.
"We should call it a day", Mr. Moon muttered as he turned to look outside. "Its getting really dark and the crew's already left." "Right" Johnny responded as he grabbed his jacket, skateboard and backpack. He waited in the warm summer night for Mr. Moon to lock up the entrance. Eddie was by his car, headphones in place listening to music. "Well that's my ride, goodnight Johnny" he began walking away to the sheep. "Um Mr. Moon?" Johnny asked hesitantly. Not ready to say goodbye to the koala just yet. "Yes Johnny?" the koala turned and smiled at him. "Um, er, wot was the song you was playing in there? Sounded nice." Buster gave him a melancholy smile, "Its 'can't help falling in love' by Elvis Presley."
He was about to start walking but stopped, looked into Johnny's eyes and said lastly. "It…was my parent's favorite song." With that he walked to Eddie, who waved goodbye to Johnny. They both entered the car and drove away. The young ape stood there silently as the car disappeared into the balmy night. As soon as he returned to the empty garage he collapsed on his bed turned on his laptop and typed something into the search engine. When a video link popped up he plugged in his ear phones and played it.
'Wise men say, Only fools rush in
But I can't help…falling in love…with you
Shall I stay? Would it be a sin,
If I can't help falling in love….with you?'
~*~*~end of chapter two~*~*~
So lemme know what you all think. Hope you enjoyed this. I still want to have a steady flow of music in this. Leave some suggestions if you'd like. I'm open to ideas. I honestly don't know how far I'll go with this story.