Something Wonderful

AN: Desperate to keep Crystal from doing something he'll regret, Suki makes a confession she'd long buried. She also gives him some harsh truths. Will opening her heart help him to make better decisions? Can she save the Crystal Family from splintering? Read and find out.

Part 1

Suki Lane was very familiar with James Crystal's infamous temper. He could be rather beastly in his manner when he wanted to be. Except with her and his daughter, she noted. Buster Moon wasn't the first fool she had to save from Crystal's wrath but he was the first to try and stay, taking over Crystal Tower Theater stage their musical. She wanted to kill the little koala herself but she couldn't think about that now. She still had to stop Crystal from acting on his anger. She was afraid to challenge him. What if he just killed her too but she couldn't let fear stop her. If he acted on his dark impulses… no, she couldn't let it happen.

On the way out, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the closest room.

"Miss Lane! What has gotten into you?" He demanded to know.

She gripped his hand. "James, you have got to stop! You have every right to be angry but you can't let it overcome your good sense."

"He made me look like a fool!" James argued. "You know I can't allow that! He made me look bad!" He growled.

She shook her head. "To whom? Not to me. Not to Porsha. Not to Jerry. He worships the ground you walk on. Isn't that enough?" She asked as he pushed past her. She followed him out into the limo. "James, if you do this, if you hurt Mr. Moon, you will lose everything! Including your daughter! She sent me a text begging me to come see her be the Green Alien." She held out the phone. "She's in the show. She was never fired. James, he has not made you look bad. He never could make you look bad. Not to me." She grabbed his hand again while still in the breezeway and he turned to lock eyes with her. She knew she had his attention. "I beg of you, James. Don't harm Mr. Moon. If you do, I'll lose you and I can't lose you. Please…."

The white wolf hadn't felt closeness like this in over a decade. "Suki, what? What are you trying to…" He was torn between his desire to murder Buster Moon and this feeling between them. He gulped as her mouth covered his. His heartbeat quickened but not in the same way as when Porsha told him that she was fired. The last time he felt this way was with Porsha's mother.

She pulled away. "I don't know if you feel the same way but I can't see you do this. I love you." She confessed.

Puzzled and shocked by the kiss, he sat quietly in the limo. He touched his lips and she knew she had him for now.

Finally, he asked, "So what should I do? I could have them arrested instead."

She shook her head. "I think you should let bygones be bygones. Let the show go on, resume working with Moon. It's not too late. I've heard he's very forgiving and has a very forgiving crew. If he really got Calloway, he's about to make you look like a god! All hail, James Crystal, patron saint of entertainment." She found the most logical argument to soothe James' ego. "Please, Jimmy… at least watch your daughter go on. She only wanted to be in it because of you. She loves you too."

He sighed. "And what if Calloway doesn't show?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "Then I WILL throw Mr. Moon off the roof, deal? Not you. I won't let you become a killer, James. You're better than that." She promised. "Not over something like this. It's not worth the cost. Mr. Moon is still valuable to you."

The arctic wolf considered her logic on the way to the theater. "And this doesn't, in any way, make me look like a fool?" He couldn't believe he was considering this but his head wasn't necessarily the one in control now. Now, all he wanted was to throw Jerry and his guards out and make the driver take them to the local Lover's Lane.

She shook her head. "Not at all. Never to me." She kissed him again, sensing Jerry, Crystal's bumbling sidekick, glaring daggers at her. To herself, she thought, 'Sorry Jerry but he was never going to return your affection anyway.'

James found himself putting his arms around the Saluki dog and returning her kiss. He missed this kind of closeness and intimacy with someone. He wondered how long Miss. Lane had been holding this in?

"Sir, we've reached the theater," Jerry announced loudly, prompting them to separate. But he didn't miss the pleased expression on his boss' face. Ten minutes ago, he'd been downright murderous.

Significantly calmer than he had been before, he got out and offered his arm to Suki in a way he never had before. She linked her arm in his. Why didn't she tell him sooner? She liked this.

"But… but sir… you still want us to stop the show right?" Jerry asked as they went inside.

James shook his head. "If Calloway doesn't show up, we'll stop it. Otherwise, I'll just look bad if I stop it now. That stupid, tenacious little koala." Calmer, he couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for him. He was the first person ever to defy him. It was intriguing.

Suki giggled. "Now who does he remind me of?" She teased.

"I know you're not going to say "me," he challenged her and she just laughed and they walked down the stairs where they were met with three burly gorillas. "Who are you? Where's my security team?"

The biggest gorilla crunched his knuckles, ready for a fight. "We're security tonight."

Suki nodded. "Mr. Moon must know his own team." She reasoned with James. "Can you please show us to Mr. Moon?"

Marcus took a moment to analyze the image in front of him. He was told this wolf was a couple oranges short of a fruit basket but now he seemed calm. He spoke into his walkie and a timid Buster Moon came out to the lobby, staying directly behind the large ex-felon.

"Suki? Mr…. Mr… Crystal?" Buster took in the two, the way Suki looked at Crystal and the madness was gone from Crystal's crystal-blue eyes.

Suki nodded. "Sorry, we're late. James and I needed to talk." She fixed Buster with a judgmental gaze. "I hope we haven't missed Porsha."

Buster shook his head. "Oh no, you're just in time actually. Um… You could join us in the control booth or Marcus could take you to your private box sir." Suki was pleased to see she had thrown the little producer off his guard. Porsha had confided in him that she hoped her father would come to see her instead of flying off the handle. He could understand that. Of course she wanted her father there for her. He smiled to himself, wistfully remembering the only show his father got to see him put on. It meant so much that his father got to be there. He just didn't know what had changed in the last several hours. "How did you…"

Suki scoffed and leaned over. "I learned a lesson from you and took a risk. Don't waste it." Louder, she responded to his first question. "What do you think, James? The box or the control booth?"

Crystal glared briefly at Buster. "The control booth. And you better have Calloway or so help me…" Suki's hand squeezed his arm. "I should wish my baby good luck."

Trembling in fear, Buster nodded. "Y.y.y. sir, follow me."

Porsha was still waiting in the booth when they came back. "Daddy!" She ran over and launched herself at the wolf. "I'm sorry Daddy. I didn't mean to make you so angry at Mr. Moon."

Crystal pulled away. "You need to get on stage, baby girl. The crowd will get impatient if you don't."

Porsha nodded and ran to the soundstage, getting in position. Buster jumped up into his seat and pushed the knobs and buttons. "Okay Porsha, it's your time to shine…"

The trampoline-platform rose up quickly on the hydraulic system. "Don't want to live as an untold story. Rather go out in a blaze of glory. I can't hear you, I don't fear you…"

AN: Will Rosita still be able to make the jump without having to catch Buster? Find out next time.