Part 2

Suki had given them back their hotel suite in the aftermath. They took Buster back there and laid him on the sofa.

The way he lay there, Meena thought he might just be sleeping. But she knew better. It was unfair. He believed in her when she didn't believe in herself. A big hand on her shoulder made her look into Johnny's broken expression. He hugged her and they cried into each other's shoulders.

Rosita sobbed in her husband's arms. "It's my fault. I couldn't catch him. I tried but I couldn't."

Norman rubbed her back. "Honey, you can't blame yourself. It's not your fault." He wanted to say it would be okay but he knew it wouldn't. The poor little koala had made his wife a star and reignited their passion.

"Daddy, why won't Mr. Moon wake up? Why is everyone so sad?" Caspar asked. "Why is Mommy crying?"

Norman was conflicted. His children needed him too. "Caspar, children… Mr. Moon was very badly hurt tonight. So he…. he went to go be with his daddy now."

"But he'll come back right? He'll wake up soon? Right?" Caspar asked.

Gunter pulled Caspar away. "Let's go to bed kiddos." He said. Norman gave a grateful half-grin for the dancer's help. He wasn't ready to have this talk with them yet.

Porsha sat in one of the chairs, crying. "This is all my fault. I got Daddy so mad at Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon was hurt because of me." She was only barely aware of two large gorilla arms hugging her and she sobbed into the offered chest.

"No," Marcus said softly. "Your father did this on his own. I will apologize to you however, because while I know he is your father but we cannot let this go."

She shook her head. "Of course not…" When Barry had pulled her father from the booth, she had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing him again. "Oh Daddy, how could you?" She sobbed, mourning for Mr. Moon and her father.

"It's not your fault," Clay said softly. "It's mine. I should have just done the show. When I heard about it, I knew Crystal was ruthless, I knew he might hurt the little guy in retaliation. I could have played along. But I was too busy mourning my Ruby." He was angry at having his peace disturbed but he didn't like that this little koala had paid the ultimate price over it.

Ash shook her head. "No, I shouldn't have let him lie about knowing you, Clay. But in the end, we didn't do this. Crystal did. Evil son of a…" Rosita's eyes went wide and she remembered. "Sorry for my language, Rosita, but he's an evil son of a bitch. Sorry, Porsha."

The wolf shrugged. "He's my father but "evil son of a bitch" is fitting. Whatever happens now… I just… if I hadn't misunderstood Mr. Moon. If I hadn't begged to be in the show in the first place."

"No, Porsha, no. Don't do this to yourself," Ash told her. "You didn't mean for this to happen. No more than any of us did." She knelt beside the still koala. "What happens now?"

The mom of the group, Rosita took a deep breath and pulled away from her husband. "Now… I'm going to go call Nana. I don't want her hearing about this on the news. And Eddie. Oh poor Eddie…" They all knew Eddie had deep feelings for Buster but he was always too busy working to notice. Now he never would. "Oh they're going to be devastated. Then… we all need to get some sleep. We're going to need strength to face tomorrow."

—————

It was after midnight but Nana was still awake. When she lay down that night to sleep, she couldn't help the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Ma'am, there is a phone call," her penguin butler entered the room with her phone on a silver platter. "It's Mrs. Rosita."

Rosita? Why would the pig be calling her? Buster usually called her. That feeling grew worse as she accepted the phone. "Yes, Rosita… what can I do for you?"

Hobbs waited patiently. He wasn't ready for Nana to drop the phone receiver. "Ma'am?" He handed it back to her.

"I'm sorry, Nana…" Rosita apologized. "I tried… I tried…"

The elderly sheep forced herself to breathe. "There's nothing to apologize for. I don't blame you. I just wasn't expecting a call like this. Thank you for letting me know." She heard the pig crying. "Look, you get some rest. I'll talk to my grandson. We're coming out there." She hung up and dialed. "Eddie, dear, I know it's late but I need you to come over. Yes. Right now. Pack a bag. It's not something that can be discussed over the phone. Just come over right away, sweetheart, please." She hung up and let Hobbs take the phone, leaving her alone before allowing herself to grieve. How could she push Moon into making that journey? He was safe here. Her last words to him had even been a taunt to make sure he went to Redshore City. She had lost many friends in her time but this was the worst blow she'd felt in a long time. Tears hit the blanket as she wept. "Mr. Moon…. I'm sorry… this wasn't supposed to happen."

—————

The night was long but it did eventually end and the sun rose on the New Moon troupe. Rosita was up first. Or to be more specific, she never did get to sleep. She held her friend close. "I'm sorry I never got to tell you how grateful I am. Because of you… I got to sing and dance for the masses. I owe you everything. We all do. I love you, Buster."

"Rosita?" Norman's worried voice reached her. "You never did get any sleep, honey," he reminded her. He saw how she held the koala. "I'm so sorry, honey. He was special. To all of us."

She let out a sob. "I tried! I couldn't catch him! I tried! It's not fair Norman. He worked so hard with us on this show. He wanted it as much as we did." Tears wet Buster's gray fur. "It's not right!"

Nooshy, Johnny's friend and dance coach, came from the bedroom she was sharing with Porsha She didn't know the little koala as well as Rosita or Johnny but it was hard not to like him. She'd seen plenty of death, growing up on the streets, but she still felt a little sadness for Mr. Moon. Knowing her new friends, Johnny especially, were all so upset, made her even sadder.

Absently, she picked up the remote, vaguely aware of a door opening and closing, and turned on the news. Her mouth fell open and she quickly shut it off as she saw Porsha coming out. "Do not turn that back on." She warned Rosita softly.

"What's wrong?" Porsha asked. "What is it?"

Nooshy bit her lip and reluctantly switched it back on. "This just in, Mr. James Crystal was found this morning, dead from an apparent suicide. He was found just outside Crystal Tower Headquarters." The arctic wolf was sprawled on the ground, contorted in ways the body was not meant to be contorted. A brown striped cat was sobbing brokenly over his body. "I'm sorry." She wasn't sorry for the wolf's death but she was sorry for Porsha's loss.

Porsha's trembled. Marcus had warned her but he was still her father. "Daddy…"

Rosita left her task of keeping vigil over the koala and went to the wolf. Tenderly, she pulled the teenager into a hug and let her cry.

"It's… I'm okay…" she lied. "I knew it was coming. At least…. He can't hurt anyone else now… he's with my mom now." She hugged the sow and sobbed. Losing two people she cared about back to back was hard on her.

"It's okay to cry for him, honey. No matter what he did, you still loved him and losing him is still hard on you. None of us will ever hold it against you," she rubbed her back.

One by one, the cast trickled out of their bedrooms. They each took a mournful glance at their boss before trying to go about their morning routine.

The door suddenly opened and Marcus came in with Barry and Stan. They each carried bags of fast food. "We got breakfast!" Marcus announced. "Come and eat!" When no one responded to the mention of food, he turned to Johnny. "Come on, boy," he nudged the younger gorilla. "You need to eat something." He knew they didn't want to but they had to continue on.

Johnny recognized his father's commanding expression. "Thanks, Dad…" He dug a breakfast sandwich from one of the bags. The spicy turkey sausage would have been a treat any other morning but this morning, it just felt like his life was falling apart and he couldn't enjoy it. Until Buster Moon, his life had been an empty pursuit of being a lookout for his dad's criminal gang of robbers. Just leaning against the alley wall and singing for his own enjoyment. Before Buster Moon, the last person who thought he could be a singer was his mother. But, now, it was all over. The little koala who believed in him was gone.

Marcus, Stan and Barry took it upon themselves to push everyone to get a sandwich as well. Marcus was a forceful gorilla when he needed to be.

Rosita tried to refuse. "Please, let my kids and husband eat first. There's so many of us… I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are," Marcus challenged her. "You're hungry and you're exhausted. Your children need to see you eating."

"Please, honey," Norman begged. "Eat for me?"

She sighed and took out an egg biscuit. "I just don't know… what's going to happen to us?" She asked the question on everyone's mind.

"I don't know…" Meena said. "I called my mom last night. They're coming out here to try and help." They looked up when they heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Peering out the peephole, she gasped before opening it. "Alphonso?" She couldn't keep from smiling when she saw him. "You came to find me?"

The ice cream vendor smiled. "I missed you last night and I asked around. I hope I'm not being too forward or creepy."

She giggled. "No, not at all. I'm sorry I didn't stick around." The smile quickly faded as she remembered why she didn't. "We were just having breakfast, would you like to come in?" She didn't know how appropriate it was but she didn't want to miss her chance with him.

He sighed. "I can't. I have to get the truck open but I couldn't start without having seen you. Please, come by when you can." He saw her tearful eyes. While he didn't quite know what happened, he had seen the koala fall. He just didn't know if it was meant to be part of the show. But judging by her expression, he had a feeling it wasn't. He wondered if he should stay. When he first met Meena, he was so shy, he could only come up with a cheesy line from a cheesy movie he'd seen once. She had seemed upset and he had wanted to cheer her up. Now, she seemed even more upset than before. "You know what… it's only 9 and Tyler can open up. So sure."

She tried to smile and opened the door wider to let him inside. "Hey everybody. This is Alphonso." She introduced him.

It didn't take Alphonso long to realize he was right. Everyone in the suite seemed very subdued. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding…"

Johnny shook his head. "No… you're not… it's just… it was a bad night last night."

"I don't know, I thought Meena did great. And you did too. The way you tore up the stage," Alphonso praised them. He expected to hear thank yous but they only seemed to get sadder. Meena seemed to be barely holding her emotions in though not successfully. "And your jump was great, Captain Rosita." He knew he'd said the wrong thing when she ran from the room. "I'm sorry. I'll go…"

Meena stopped him. "No, please… Stay… you see, when Rosita jumped… It was because Crystal threw our boss off of the catwalk. He didn't make it." She leaned over, burdened by the pain.

The elephant finally saw the koala laying on the couch. "Oh! Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry. That's terrible." He put his arm around her, hoping she'd accept it. She began sobbing into him. "I guess that's why Crystal jumped. He probably couldn't imagine jail for a guy like him."

Marcus nodded. "Oh yeah, he never would have made it…" He thought about what happened after everyone had gone to bed. When he'd gone to Crystal's office, where Barry and Stan were holding him captive.

——————

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't drop you!" Marcus demanded as the wind whipped through their fur.

Crystal dragged his claws against his captor in vain. "Please, please, no! Don't drop me. Please, spare me. I have a daughter! Please! PORSHA! Suki! Jerry! Help me!" He begged.

"What? I thought you liked hanging over rooftops and tall precipices. You had no problem this to a helpless koala and throwing him off that catwalk!" Marcus growled. "You murdered my son's mentor! As for your daughter, oh she knows she's never going to see ya again. She's better off without ya. Don't worry, we'll take care of her for ya."

Crystal screamed with terror. "No! No! I'm sorry! Please!" But his pleas fell on deaf ears as the large hands released his jacket. "Ahhhhh!"

——————

The wolf's final screams had been delightful to hear. And no, Marcus did not consider it murder. He considered it justice. The chances of Crystal facing any legal punishment was low because he would just buy off the judge and jury. No, there was only one way to deal with a rabid wolf.

Alphonso felt like a, well a fortieth wheel in this room. He was intruding on a very private hurt but Meena was so upset, he couldn't leave. "I'm sorry, Meena." He held her, letting her use his shirt to cry in.

It was quiet, very quiet. Until Johnny spoke up. "I remember trying out for him. And when you were arrested, Dad, I was going to steal the prize money to bail you out. But I saw his notes on my audition, he said I was a natural-born singer."

Ash nodded. "He hated Lance but he gave me a spot. He tried to make me into a pop princess." She laughed. "Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy. But here's my number, so call me, maybe." She imitated Buster's moves. "Yeah that didn't work."

Gunter chuckled. "Und when he put Rosita and me together."

"I did not expect that to work out," Rosita admitted. "He thought I was boring to watch and he wanted us to dance. I didn't think I had it in me anymore but… I'm glad he did. You're the best dance partner I could ask for, Gunter."

The flamboyant pig smiled. "Ja. I told you, you just needed to let the music move your body parts." He looked at his boss. "He loved ze theater." He wiped his eyes with a tissue. "Remember his motto. Dream big dreams."

Meena nodded. "I failed my audition. I was so afraid to sing in public that I couldn't do it. But… then the theater flooded and we thought we'd never get to do the show. I never cared about the so-called prize money. I went back and I just started singing with my headphones. And suddenly he was there. Asking me if I could sing in front of an audience. I almost didn't and he gave me encouragement."

Ash smiled. "And you totally blew them away. Heck, you literally brought down the house." She saw Clay was listening while he tuned his guitar. "He really was a very special guy."

The lion smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better than I did."

Alphonso listened to their stories, wishing he'd gotten to meet the producer for himself. "I can't believe it, you're Clay Calloway."

He nodded. "So I've heard." He grabbed a bagel sandwich from the bag and ate.

——————

When Suki had first met the koala director three weeks prior, in his little local theater, she had liked their show. It had been absolutely adorable. However, she didn't think they were ready for Redshore. They definitely weren't ready for her boss. She was heartbroken when she was proven right. While their performance had been a hit, the cost was just too high. When she watched her boss take and throw Moon from the catwalk, she'd felt sick to her stomach. If Marcus hadn't insisted on her letting them deal with Crystal, she would have had him arrested.

When she'd found the suicide note, after hearing of his jump, she had a feeling he was forced to write it. She should say something but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Crystal deserved his fate. She would need to find and talk to Porsha. She was her father's only heir.

"Miss Lane, there's a pink and purple helicopter coming this way," Jerry said, his voice breaking as though he had not stopped crying in hours. And honestly, he hadn't. He'd had genuine feelings for his boss, feelings he never got the chance to express.

Suki looked perplexed as she went out to the helipad. Jerry was right. A pink and purple helicopter was just landing. A penguin jumped out of the pilot's seat and opened the door. She covered her mouth in shock. "Aren't you Nana Noodleman? The world famous opera singer."

A white sheep pushed past the elderly ewe. "Forget that, where is Buster? Where is he? This joke he's playing isn't funny."

Suki looked at Nana. "We're friends of Buster Moon and his troupe. Take us to them at once." She ordered the dog.

———————

They were still reminiscing on their early days with the theater. The few who weren't there to witness the events only listened.

"So he really offered 100,000?" Porsha asked. "He didn't have that did he?"

Johnny laughed. "Not even close but Mrs Crawly told me it was only ever supposed to be 1,000. She accidentally included two more zeroes. And he spent the rest of the contest trying to get the money."

"Buster!" A familiar voice shouted from outside before a loud bang came from the door. "Buster, open this door! You got me down here and it's not funny!"

Rosita opened the door for the two sheep and Suki. "Eddie… Nana… thank you for coming."

Eddie pushed past her. "Where's Buster?" He demanded. "This joke of his isn't funny. Because it's not possible! Buster can't die! Not when his own theater flooding and falling down around him couldn't kill him. Buster!" The Suffolk sheep finally found him. He ran to the sofa and began shaking him. "Buster, buddy. I'm here. Come on, pal, I came. It's time to stop kidding around. Please… wake up…." He began to quake. "Buster… Buster please… I never got… I never got to tell ya… Nana, please, make him wake up." He pulled his best friend into his arms, the truth hitting him like a semi.