AN: The Glue but from Buster's point of view. After he goes to Paradise. Don't worry, I don't lean too heavy towards any religious ideologies in this, it's just my version of the afterlife a la Beetlejuice or similar stories.

You will need to read The Glue to be able to follow this.

Part 0

A few months after his theater was rebuilt, Buster Moon sat with his mentor and benefactor, Nana Noodleman. "Is this really necessary, Nana?" He asked, looking at the legal paperwork.

"Mr. Moon, how many times have you cheated death recently?" The elderly sheep asked. "The Squid Tank incident shows me that you lack a sense of self preservation. What would happen to your cast if something happened to you and this wasn't done?"

The young koala shrugged. "I guess you have a point."

The two went over all of the paperwork, discussing who would get the theater, where his most precious trinket would go. Who would run things in his absence.

Finally, she was putting it all safely in a thick folder and binding it with a rubber band. "This is a formality though, Nana. I'm only 39. I'm not dying anytime soon."

——————

Four and a half years later, Buster found himself struggling to get free from the entertainment tycoon as they rode up the lift to the catwalk 1000 feet above the stage. Almost eye level with Rosita's springboard.

Blue eyes shrank to pin pricks. "Got you now, you low-life little loser!" He growled.

"I am not a loser and I'm not a low-life. We did what we came here to do! And there's nothing you can do or say to change that… even if you kill me… I've won…" Buster could see his life starting to flash before his eyes. Could this really be it? After coming this far?

Jimmy hauled Buster to the edge of the catwalk towering over the stage. He laughed. "We'll see about that."

Buster screamed with terror as he felt himself plummeting. He thought of his friends, his family, Nana, Eddie. Oh good lord, Eddie. He would never get to tell him. He was never going to see him again. Then he saw Rosita, she was coming towards him. For a brief moment, he had a flash of hope that died when he realized he was falling too fast. He watched her go by him and he could see the dismay in her face. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears starting, accepting his fate. "It's okay, Rosita…" he thought to himself just before pain surged through every inch of his body and

everything went black.

———————

He opened his eyes to see Rosita hovering over him. Everything hurt. His bones were broken and he could feel the blood pooling beneath him. He coughed as he felt fluid enter his throat. "Rosita… you… you made the jump. I'm so proud of you…"

She shook her head while the rest of the cast joined them on stage. "Shhh, don't talk about that now. We need to get you some help."

He forced a smile, wanting to try to ease her mind. He knew, he could tell, there was nothing they could do. "We… we need to finish the show." He had to see the fruits of their labors. "If we don't… he wins…"

A shadow settled over him and he looked up at Marcus who held him in his arms.

"How could we finish now?" Johnny asked. "When you're better, we can try again, so you can see the ending." He argued. The young gorilla male couldn't believe this was happening. Why couldn't he stop that maniacal wolf?

Buster looked at him with a sad smile. "Johnny… you're such a good boy. Your father is right… to be so proud of you. Please… finish… finish the show… please…"

Meena nodded. "He's right. We need to get you to a hospital, Mr. Moon. You'll be alright." If only she'd seen Crystal sooner. If only she'd thought to sit on him.

Buster smiled at the elephant. "No… please, we need to… finish the… show. Please…" He seized with pain, fighting just to stay conscious. He saw Ash nearby. "Please, let me… let me see… the end…" He coughed up more blood, aware of the rattling in his chest. He knew and he had to see the end. "Please… we worked… so… hard…."

"Mr. Moon, please, we can do the show again when you're better," Meena begged.

Buster wanted to reach out to her but he couldn't even lift his arm. "It's okay, Meena. It's going to be… alright… I love you all… so much… Please… let me….. see… the end…" Meena and Ash were the closest he would get to having daughters, Johnny was like his son.

She reached out to him instead, stroking his head. "Mr. Moon, please…. Let us get you some help…"

"Meena…" he smiled up at her. "I'm so…. So proud of you… I'm glad I…. got to…. know you… to see you blossom… Thank you… for everything…"

The elephant realized she wasn't going to change his mind. She just couldn't accept what she was seeing. She picked up his hand and squeezed.

Marcus held him. "It'll be alright, now. We'll watch the end of the show, then go to the hospital." He looked at his son. "This is what he wants." He whispered.

Johnny's lip trembled and he gently pulled Meena away. "He'll be alright. He has to be…" he heard him trying to reassure her. Like a brother and sister. Buster smiled. He had a family.

Gunter touched Rosita's hand. "We have to finish the show." He whispered. She could see tears in his eyes.

Rosita looked at Buster. "Are you really sure this is what you want? We could always try again another time, when you've had a chance to heal. We could do it even better for you…" She stroked his cheek. "Please, let us get you help…"

He smiled at her. "Rosita… you're such… such a… good mama… thank you… for making me… part of your family… I'm sorry… I… really want… to see the end… before… please…" He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Resolutely, she nodded. "Then… you hold on, okay. Just hold on until we can get you help. Please… You're going to be alright…"

He smiled. "Yes… I know… I'm… I'm not scared…" He wasn't either. He knew he should be. Who knew what would come next?

Marcus carried Buster back to the control booth. Porsha took Buster's little hand. "Mr. Moon, I'm so sorry. It's my fault you're hurt."

His chest rattled as he fought for each breath. For a brief moment, he was only vaguely aware of the pain. "Porsha, no. It's not your fault. You… you were great…." He looked out at the stage. While they got back into position, he looked up at the gorilla holding him. "Marcus… I… I need to ask you something… I'm not… I'm not going to make it…"

Marcus forced a smile. "Don't say things like that. Just hold on until we can get you some help."

He shook his head. "You… you don't have to… sugarcoat it… I know… I can… feel it… it's… it's okay…" Breathing was painful, every bone in his body felt broken, shattered. But he had to see the ending. "I need to know… that they'll be alright… without me… I can't rest without knowing…"

Choking back emotion, Marcus nodded. "They'll be fine. I promise. I'll see to it… that isn't something you need to worry about." He picked up the little gray hand and squeezed, attempting to give him some comfort. "Don't worry, Mr. Moon, I'll take care of them."

Buster smiled up at him. "Thank you. I love them. Johnny's lucky… to have a father like you…" He coughed and groaned as the pain gradually became worse. "At least we did it. We played Redshore City. I'm going out… on a high note… you know?"

Marcus nodded, understandingly. "Don't give up. It might not be it," he lied. "Mr. Moon, you did so much for my son… you saved my family. Thank you." How could this be happening? Why wasn't he watching after the wolf himself or directly guarding Moon? His son had called him to help protect Buster and he had failed.

Buster grinned and grit his teeth through another surge of pain. He coughed, blood oozing from his mouth. Breathing really hurt and it was difficult to get any air. It felt like a tiny knife was stuck in his lung.

Porsha watched the koala fighting for his life. "Mr. Moon, you're going to be alright. You have to be. This is all my fault…." She used a tissue to wipe up the blood.

"I… I'll… be alright," he promised. "I'll get to see my dad again. And my mom. It's okay, Porsha." He smiled.

She shook her head. "No… no, no. You have to fight. You have to make it through this. Please. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone telling Linda anything. I'm so sorry. You can't die, please. I'm sorry."

Marcus looked down at the young girl, just barely a woman, not even full grown yet.

Buster chuckled. "It's okay, Porsha. It's not your fault. It's just… the way the ball bounces sometimes… Stick with them… I know they'll welcome you. You're going to be… a star someday…" His eyes were starting to glaze over.

Marcus prayed quietly. "Please, Marion, don't… don't let him… Johnny needs his mentor." He squeezed the little hand. "Mr. Moon, you must fight. Don't give up. If you can just hold on until we get to the hospital…"

The koala looked up at the gorilla. "I'm sorry, Mr. Green. I am trying…" His little body trembled with every shallow breath that he fought to take. "It's okay… You did your best… I don't blame you…"

Barry dragged Crystal down the lift and Porsha ran over. "How could you Daddy? How could you hurt Mr. Moon?" She wept.

He growled. "You traitor! He fired you! He humiliated me!"

"He didn't fire me! He put me in the show! You hurt him!" She sobbed as she gripped the front of his suit. "You have to help him. You did this. Please, Daddy, you have to help him! Save him, please!" Even now, she thought her father could do anything if he wanted to. That he could fix everything.

Crystal looked at the little koala. He could see fear within those deep pools of crystal blue. "I… I don't think I can…" he told her.

Marcus came over, forcing him to look even closer at his victim. "If he dies, so do you." He vowed. "Porsha, say your goodbyes and go wait for the curtain calls."

Porsha nodded with understanding. She glared at him. "I hate you, Daddy. I hate you!" She ran back to the rest of the troupe, crying. She didn't mean it. It was her fault anyway.

Crystal tried to break free. "Porsha! Porsha, wait!" He called after her. All of a sudden all he wanted was his daughter. To hold her and comfort her and reassure her. But he couldn't escape the iron grip. Marcus didn't miss the tears in his eyes. "Let me go! Porsha!"

Buster watched the wolf as he struggled, trying to get to his child. "Don't… don't hate him… please…" he begged Marcus. "It won't help…" he looked into the wolf's blue eyes. "I… I… forgive you…" he whispered weakly. His eyes went in and out of focus and he looked out at the stage.

"We have survived the wormhole…"

——————————

Thankfully, the pain slowly receded until he felt nothing. Growing weaker, Buster watched and listened to the porcupine who had wowed him once with her amazing voice and songwriting. The electric guitar riff that followed preceded Clay coming out onto the stage to sing with her.

He thought about the last five years. All of the great shows he got to see his troupe perform. He had no idea that Redshore City, this show would be his last. And he still felt it was worth it. This show was the greatest show he'd ever put out. He smiled proudly. A few tears fell from his eyes.

But he also thought of the things he wouldn't get to do. The words he would never get to say. He thought of him. "I'm sorry, Eddie…" He whispered to the air. His only regret was he wouldn't get to tell him how he felt. He wouldn't even get to say goodbye.

As the glass platform began to rise with Ash, Clay, Rosita and Gunter, the koala couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as he felt extraordinarily tired and he heaved a heavy sigh and fell asleep for only a minute. He snapped his eyes open. He couldn't sleep yet. They'd done it. They'd played Redshore City. He looked at the crowd, applauding and cheering. Then he had to blink a few times before he saw him. An older koala in the crowd, wearing a tan golf hat and a green plaid shirt talking with a lovely lioness, surrounded by a male elephant, female gorilla, and a female arctic wolf. Without thinking, he jumped out of Marcus' arms and ran to him.

"Dad! You're here! You came!" He didn't even consider the connotations.

Benji Moon smiled. "I'm so proud of you. This is Mrs. Calloway."

Buster nodded. "Always a pleasure."

"Thank you for making my husband snap out of it," the lioness said with a grin at the white-maned lion on stage.

The older koala nodded. "Come along now. Your mother has dinner waiting." He hugged his son.

Buster stopped and turned to the stage while his troupe came out. "Not yet, Dad. I still need to do the curtain calls. Come meet my friends." He was about to join them when he saw Marcus. He understood. "Okay, Dad. Okay…" He turned to his team once more. "You did great, guys. I love you all." He followed his dad and Mrs. Calloway to the double doors. He stopped and turned back. "Will they be okay, Dad? Did I do everything I could?"

Benji took his son by the hand. "You'll have to trust in them now, son. Now it's time for you to rest. Oh… let me introduce you to the others. This is Naveed Patel."

The elephant waved. "Thank you for helping my daughter break out of her shell."

He shook his head. "All I did was show her how talented she really is." He turned to see the elephant bowing with the others until his father tapped his shoulder.

Benji took his hand. "Come along son, I'll continue introductions on the way. Your mother is waiting."

Through the doors they walked, the doors closing behind them.

AN: This idea has been stewing since I decided to have Buster kind of be like Professor Proton in Big Bang Theory. I love movies like Beetlejuice and stories that touch on what the afterlife might be like. This is simply my take on it. Please review.