Part 4

How did he end up here? Edward was not completely. One minute he was laying on the ground, covered in ice cream, the next he was talking to a pair of elephants, an orangutan, a tiger and a gorilla and now, he was in a rehearsal studio with the female elephant. The little koala had begged him to help her and Edward was too gallant to refuse such a humble request.

"So we have to sing a love song but I've never even had a boyfriend. I don't know what love feels like," she explained her problem to the prince.

Edward tilted his head in thought. "I don't believe that. I saw you looking at the boy elephant when he helped me up. And I've been watching you all day."

Meena blushed and hid her face behind her ears. "But is that love? I've never even had a crush before. I can't even talk to him."

Edward nodded. "That is love. If you can't talk, sing. Like this. I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss and a miss I have begun to miss. Pure and sweet waiting to complete my love song."

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Eventually, work forced Crystal to return to his duties. He found Suki admiring the flowers. "Oh, you got them! Good."

She smiled. "Oh Jimmy, you're so sweet sometimes. These roses are exquisite. Thank you."

He scratched his head. "I'm glad you like them. I can be very sweet. The sweetest in fact." He said, earning a light chuckle from her. "Oh, Moon is back. I've asked Giselle to assist him. She'll be able to keep him from lying to me again."

Suki nodded. "That's actually a great idea. She comes off as very trustworthy, he'll lower his guard around her." 'As you have…' she thought to herself.

He stroked his chin. "You know, I'm wondering if we shouldn't do something spectacular for opening night. A big dinner or a dance or…. A ball! Yes! We'll have our own royal ball!" He applauded his own brilliance. 'She'll like that,' he thought to himself.

"But you're not royalty, sir," Jerry contradicted him.

Crystal glowered daggers at the tomcat. "I know that but she thinks I am. Anyway, it would just be for that one night."

Suki nodded. "I think it's a wonderful idea, sir." It had been so long since he got excited for something besides his own success.

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Giselle watched as Buster went through the majority of rehearsals until it was Porsha's turn. She smiled for the wolf teen as she stepped off the spacecraft.

"Captain's log, I must take care! For I have landed on the planet of War," she said very woodenly, making the koala cringe.

He sighed. "Giselle, would you mind getting me a cup of coffee? I need to talk to Porsha." He only hoped he could do this.

She nodded. "Alright, Mr. Moon. Be kind to her, she seems so scared up there."

Buster blinked as Giselle went to fetch the coffee. He called Porsha into an upstairs office. "Porsha… look, you know we are all putting so much work into this show. I personally think it could be the greatest show ever."

Porsha smiled proudly while sipping her pink drink. "Thank you."

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Giselle went down to the snack table where everyone else seemed to be congregating. She found the coffeemaker. She poured a portion of the hot liquid into a paper cup.

"An apple turnover, from Mr. Crystal." A piping hot turnover appeared under her nose and Giselle could spell the tempting cinnamon taste.

She accepted the plate from the rat with a smile. "Thank you so much sir…." She lifted it to take a taste.

"You're firing me!" The shout made Giselle drop the turnover and the coffee, spilling it over her. She yelped and grabbed napkins to clean herself and the floor and threw away the ruined pastry. She looked up to see Porsha stomping out of the office. "Wait until my daddy hears that you fired me!"

"But I didn't fire you!" The koala shouted. "Porsha! Wait! Don't go!" He cried out as the wolf left the stage. "Oh I'm one dead koala."

"Porsha?" Giselle ran over. "Don't worry, Mr. Moon, I'll go talk to her."

"Please, do. Mr. Crystal will kill me. I didn't fire her. I just wanted her to switch roles with Rosita," Buster indicated a pig dressed in a green costume.

"Alright, I understand." She didn't really but she didn't want her to be sad. She ran out of the stage and looked around the plaza. Porsha was gone.

Nathaniel groaned in frustration. That was two apples down and she hadn't even tried a bite.

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Edward worked with Meena on her song for hours. "You don't want to think about it. You don't think love. You feel love." He explained. They practiced the routine again with no improvement. "Alright, try thinking about the elephant in the courtyard." She sighed and her eyes softened. "That! That's the look! Let's try again and just think about that elephant."

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"And the hottest story today," a redheaded horse announced from her green chair on her set. "Porsha Crystal was reportedly fired from her father's show."

Crystal threw his cup at the television, destroying it. "He fired my daughter! My daughter! How dare he! Now the whole world thinks my daughter is a talentless hack!" He glared at his sobbing daughter. "Will you knock it off, you've embarrassed me enough!"

"But Daddy!" Porsha protested.

"Take her home! And bring me Moon! Now!" He shouted.

Crystal's bodyguards looked at the young girl sympathetically and gestured for her to follow them.

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Home was where Giselle found Porsha an hour later. She quickly hugged the crying wolf. "Here you are! I was so worried about you."

Porsha cried. "I… I… I was… was fired! And Daddy got so mad at me! He said I embarrassed him and that I'm a talentless loser."

Giselle pet her head gently. "Sweetie, I'm sure he didn't mean it. I'll talk to him. Now, I talked to Mr. Moon. He said he did not fire you."

She wiped her eyes. "He didn't? But he was so mean."

The young woman shook her head. "He just thinks it would be a good idea for you to switch roles with Rosita."

Porsha looked down. "She was supposed to be the lead but she was too scared to jump. I wanted to be in the show and I thought if I was the lead then Daddy would be so proud of me."

"Oh sweetheart, your daddy will be proud of you whether you're the lead or the green pig. And so will I," she hugged her again.

The wolf finished crying and smiled. "Really? They don't hate me?"

"No, honey, no one hates you," Giselle rubbed her back. "Come on, let's go talk to your dad."

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"That's it, you're getting it," Edward praised Meena's progress. He really should be looking for Giselle but he felt an obligation to help these new friends.

Suddenly, a green lizard came running in. "Guys! Change of plans! The show's off! We have to get out of here!"

Edward barely had a moment to ask what was going on before he was dragged into running away from the stage. He didn't even think about Nathaniel in his haste.

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Crystal hated giving that little loser any more time. He fired his daughter and embarrassed him in far too many ways. But Jerry was right. He couldn't kill someone right before going on the air. Then he regretted his moment of mercy when Jerry informed him that Moon had escaped somehow.

He could only send his thugs after him while going onstage to greet the red mare. "Good afternoon Linda. Have I got some hot news for ya, you're looking great…"

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Giselle went back to Crystal Headquarters with the upset teen. She wasn't familiar with the sensation inside of her but she hated that Porsha was so hurt. How could her father say such horrible things? He was so nice otherwise.

He wasn't in the office. She looked at Porsha. "Where would he be?"

"Oh, he's probably in the studio. With Linda. This way," Porsha replied, leading her down the hallway. "Aunt Suki!" She waved at the dog standing outside the studio.

Suki gasped. "Porsha, you shouldn't be here. Giselle, please, take her home."

Giselle shook her head. "No, I want to talk to James. He made his daughter cry and that's not okay."

"Giselle, listen to me, take my advice. Get Porsha and take her home. Find your prince and go home. This is for your own good," Suki pressed. "No! Stop!" She screamed as Giselle pushed past her.

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In their hotel room, the troupe quickly packed their belongings while Edward watched the magic mirror.

"That's right, I'm the victim. I shut down my show because of a talentless little twerp named…"

"Excuse me, miss, you can't…"

"Giselle!" Edward shouted, getting their attention. "It's Giselle! She's in the magic mirror."

Giselle was indeed on TV, glaring daggers at James Crystal in the green chair, his daughter nearby. "James, we have to talk!"

Crystal sputtered. "Giselle, this isn't the time. We are…"

"No! You listen! You made your daughter cry! Why? Why did you call her a talentless loser?" She demanded, making the audience gasp in dismay.

Buster shook his head. "That girl is going to get herself killed!"

Edward shook his head. "Where is that? Where is my bride!"

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Crystal thought Moon made him look bad, yet Giselle was making him look worse, like an abusive father. He dismissed himself from the show and dragged the girl back to his office.

"How dare you!" He shouted at her, "I take you in, give you food, a bed, clothes and this is the thanks I get!" He slammed his fists into his desk, destroying the bric-a-brac. "How dare you damage my reputation!"

Giselle trembled visibly but didn't back down. "Because your reputation is all you care about! You don't care that your daughter thinks you think she's a talentless hack. Whatever a hack is, it doesn't sound very nice. She thinks you don't love her anymore! All you care about is your company and reputation and it makes me…." She paced back and forth. "Makes me so… oh you… sometimes you… you make me so…"

He felt his anger diffusing while she struggled to get her words. "So what? Makes you so what?"

"Angry!" She cried out. "Ahhh! I'm angry!" She smiled and giggled strangely. "I'm angry! I'm angry!" She punched his shoulder weakly.

He shook his head. "Are you alright?" He didn't know what to make of her.

She got control of her breathing, realizing how close they were. She could smell his rich, deep natural musk. She reached out to touch his fur. "I'm… I'm fine… I'm… fit as a fiddle…" They were so close and for a moment, they seemed to lean towards each other.

He nodded. "Come on… let's go home…" He'd been ready to kill her and Moon but there was something about her. He couldn't stay angry at her.

AN: Please review. And vote. Should Giselle stay a human or should she become a wolf?