AN: So, I want to explain there are just way too many ways for Sofia to save Buster if Crystal threw him and the writers of Sing 2 were just trying to give Rosita a reason to conquer her sudden acrophobia. And in this, she's likely going to play Miranda and at no point in Sofia the First does Miranda ever have to leap from a high place. And I don't see Porsha losing her role no matter how badly she acts. That's just not consistent with Sofia as a character. She's the one who told Kari "you don't have to be number one as long as you have lots of fun" in Princess Ballet. The lesson is always "you don't have to be the best, as long as you try your best that's all that matters." Although I can picture a certain instructor getting the axe in this when Crystal finds out he abuses his students.

Part 11

"Right hand Red!" Meena called out. She wasn't very good at the game so she'd volunteered to be the spinner.

The other girls already had their left feet on blue and now they had to all bend as far as they could to put their right hands on a red spot. Amber gave a shout as she toppled. Everyone laughed.

Sofia smiled. "This is fun! We need a game like this back home!"

Amber laughed. "Oh yeah, it would make our slumber parties so much better! Cleo would love it!"

Downstairs, Crystal was sharing a pot of tea with the guitarist and the other adults. Baileywick insisted on filling his role, arguing that he'd had a whole day of vacation and wanted to do something productive.

"I must admit, I'm surprised you came," the wolf said. "Mr. Moon admitted that he lied to me and said you weren't interested."

"I wasn't interested until I had time to think… and a piece of the best apple pie I've ever had," he looked at Tilly.

Roland laughed. "Oh, Matilda makes the best apple pies!"

Tilly grinned. "Bartleby loves them too. I made this one with some very special apples too. I'm glad you liked it, Mr. Calloway."

"And who is he?" Buster asked, curiously.

The woman smiled. "My husband, Bartleby. He's the bravest knight in Enchancia. We go on all kinds of adventures together." She sighed happily. "He's taking care of the manor while I'm here though."

A loud series of plops followed by squeals of laughter echoed from the floor above. Rosita smiled. "Maybe I should go check on them."

"It was nice of Gunter and Johnny to look after James and the other little boys," Miranda told her as she stood up.

"Gunter's our go-to babysitter and my kids all love him and Johnny." She and Miranda continued talking while they went up the grand staircase.

—————————

Johnny had just put on a movie marathon about a sentient race car and his many different owners to entertain the kids. The little girl piglets had joined the slumber, leaving him and Gunter in charge of the boys and James.

He was giving them a fresh bowl of hot, melty buttered popcorn when the doorbell rang. He answered it. "Oh, Ryan! It is Ryan right?" he asked.

The tiger nodded. "Yeah, I… just… wanted to apologize… for Klaus. He's kind of a jerk sometimes." He bit his lip, trying to think of something else to say.

Johnny smiled. "It's alright. We were just watching The Love Bug, want to join us?" He asked, opening the door wider.

"Sure, it sounds like fun," the other male perked up at the offer. He let Johnny lead him inside. "Um… wow… a lot of kids."

The gorilla nodded. "Yeah, Gunter and I are babysitting. Gunter, kids, this is Ryan. And you remember James, of course."

Ryan laughed and sat down. "How could I forget? Hey, kids. You don't mind if I join you?" He addressed the other adult in the room.

Gunter chuckled. "Not at all. Movie marathons are most fun with lots of people."

James had to ask. "What's a movie? How does all of this work? I wish we had stuff like this back home."

The pig smiled. "Like with television it's all done with cameras that use light and shadows to capture images and movement. This is one of my favorites. The car is alive!" He saw Johnny sit beside Ryan. He thought he saw Ryan staring at his friend but he might be imagining it.

————————

Up in the bedroom, Porsha and the other girls untangled themselves, laughing raucously. A knock came at the door.

"Are you girls okay in there?" Miranda's voice was heard.

Sofia leapt to her feet and ran to the door. "Yeah, mom. I just got my leg tangled in Amber's and we all went down." Her eyes twinkled with childlike abandon. "This is a fun game."

Rosita nodded. "Yes, I loved Twister as a kid. Are my lot behaving themselves." She peered in, looking for her 14 little girls.

Meena called back. "Yeah, Rosita, they're all great." She was enjoying pretending to be a teenager again although she and Ash were mainly there to be chaperones. "I didn't have a lot of friends as a teenager because I was so shy so… this is my first slumber party too."

Vivian smiled. "Until Sofia, I couldn't even talk to the others. She came up with the idea to sing to them instead. Because I stopped being so shy when I played my mandolin."

"Yeah! That's what Mr. Moon told me to do too. To just sing and I wouldn't be afraid anymore," Meena agreed.

Ash nodded. "I wasn't shy but I wasn't someone people wanted to be friends with. Other than Lance, everyone else thought I was strange."

Sofia settled into a beanbag chair. "Who is Lance?"

The porcupine sighed. "My ex-boyfriend. He dumped me five years ago. After cheating on me. Because he was jealous. Mr. Moon chose me for his talent show and not him."

The princess nodded, not fully understanding the concept of cheating but she understood jealousy. "I'm sorry he did that."

Miranda nodded. "You deserve far better. Is there anything you girls need? Cedric said you really liked the magic show."

In her long, oversized blue-green t-shirt, Porsha nodded. "Yes, it was amazing. And this has been so much fun. I wish we could do this all the time. I like having friends."

Rosita felt her mouth fall. "What about at school? You have friends there, right?" Maybe Sofia's suspicions were correct.

She shook her head. "I'm homeschooled. Daddy is very protective," she explained. "He just wants to keep me safe."

"And he's right to want that," Miranda said. "But there has to be a better way. Everyone needs friends."

————————

Meanwhile, in an alleyway near the hotel, a young lynx huddled in her cardboard box, hugging her hoodie to her to try and stay warm. She pulled out the money she had made that day. "I'll be able to eat breakfast tomorrow at least…" She sighed. When would things change? She wanted a real home. A bed to sleep in. To not wonder if she would eat that day or the next.

————————

Everyone else was slowly falling asleep but the piglets seemed to have boundless energy. To help, Sofia decided to tell them a story.

"And there I was, in the cave, all alone. Looking for Gnarlie so I could apologize and Dad came in," Sofia said. They all sat around a large platter of snack and drinks that Cedric had conjured for them. "He tried to make me leave but the floorboards gave out and we fell down into a pit."

The piglets gasped with alarm. "How'd you get out?" Hannah asked.

"All the trolls worked together to make a long chain, and they rescued us," she replied. "That was when Dad knew that the trolls were our friends and he changed the rule so that the trolls could come above whenever they want. The End."

The piglets all clapped. "Tell us another story!" They begged.

She nodded. "Alright. Oh, let me tell you about the time my friend Hildegarde and I got trapped in an enchanted painting…"

————————

The boys all fell asleep in front of the television by the time the second movie ended. Even James was passed out on the far sofa. Gunter went around covering everyone up so they wouldn't be too cold.

Ryan looked at Johnny. "So… do you know anymore about the show you're doing yet?"

The gorilla shook his head. "Not yet. I know it's a fairytale. James is from a fairytale world and they're sharing their stories with us."

"That's great. I'll be honest, fairytales are my favorite stories. Some of them can be oddly gruesome but I love the idea of magic and fantasy and true love's kiss," Ryan scratched his head embarrassedly. "I mean who wouldn't love a fairy godmother to come down and grant all their wishes, right?"

Johnny nodded. "I love fairytales too. I'd love to be a prince, fighting dragons and protecting the kingdom." He stood up and mimed the sword fighting that he'd seen in movies. He wasn't paying attention and he tripped over someone's bag, falling to the floor.

The tiger laughed and held out his hand to help him up. "I can picture it. Prince Johnny, protector of the kingdom of Redshore. Will he win the hand of the fair princess?"

The gorilla laughed. "Yeah, wouldn't that be a hoot?"

Ryan nodded. "Speaking of princesses, is there a "princess" waiting for you back home?"

Gunter chuckled at the question. He was sure now. Ryan had been subtly trying to flirt with Johnny all night but it was hard when the kids were awake.

Johnny shook his head. "No, I really am not interested in girls. I guess I will be when I meet the right girl, I just haven't yet." He looked down, blushing when the tiger's expression brightened. Maybe it wasn't a girl he was looking for.

AN: Sorry for taking so long on this. I've been focused on The Glue. I hope I've made this clear. Porsha is spoiled, her father gives her whatever she asks for. But she's still a very lovely girl. Material possessions will never take the place of social interaction. Please review.