Part 117

Gerhardt watched Sarah playing with her friends with sadness. He had reunited with his brother but had been pushed away. He didn't know why he expected anything else but it still hurt.

He looked up as the gorilla and his partner came over with their stroller. "Hey…"

Gerhardt looked up. "Guten abend. Johnny? Right? And you are Ryan." He remembered Sarah introductions and her letters. "She told me about everyone. She only said you had the boy."

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, we only just adopted her. We had no idea that Gunter had a brother. He told us about his sister but not you." He explained.

The older pig sighed. "Gunter is angry at me. He hates me."

Johnny picked Noelle up as she started crying to be fed. "I'm sure that's not true. I don't think Gunter has the capacity to hate anyone. He's too nice."

Gerhardt looked up at him. "No, he hates me. Because I told Father about his…" He shook his head. It was none of their business. He looked over at the baby. "She is very cute. You are so lucky."

Johnny nodded. "We know. She just appeared at the orphanage and she was offered to us because we think she's his sister." He bounced her tenderly while he fed her. "He was so excited to be a big brother."

The pig smiled. "I remember when my brother and sister were born. They were twins… I loved them both… so much…"

Ryan and Johnny looked at each other. Why would Gunter hate his brother? Maybe it wasn't their business but they just couldn't picture Gunter hating anybody.

Chelsea came over, putting anymore of the topic on hold. "Ryan, that little Neo slays me. But I'm going to have to take René. We need some groceries if we're going to eat dinner tonight."

The tiger nodded understandingly. "No problem, Chels. We're probably going to take Neo home soon too. We'll walk with you, Gerhardt. To make sure you find your way back to the theater alright."

He sighed. "Danke. I am glad to see my dear niece so happy. At least she is loved here. She says much in her letters. She said you dance…"

Johnny nodded. "Yep, we do and sing. And act. And I play piano. Can you do anything like that?" He asked. "See you tomorrow, Chelsea."

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After getting home, Ash helped Tyler to get comfortable. Raquelle sat close to her favorite uncle. "Does it hurt a lot, Uncle Tyler?" She asked as he took his medicine.

He shook his head. "Not that bad. I only take this because the doctor says I have to if I want to get better." He handed the bottle back to Ash who put the bottle safely away, up high in where they couldn't accidentally get to it.

A knock came at the door and Ash answered it. "Hey, Ash." Alphonso greeted her. "Meena wanted to ask if you could use help with the twins again tonight? We rented a few movies they might like."

The porcupine female breathed a sigh. "Alphonso, thank you. Kids, would you like to spend the night with Uncle Alphie and Aunt Meena again?"

"Yay! Uncle Alphie!" Lancey cried out joyously. "I want to. Can we bake some cookies, Uncle Alphie?"

"I have a better idea. Wanna help me make some ice cream for the truck tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah! Yeah! And I can help you on the truck?" Lancey pleaded.

"That would get Uncle Alphie in dutch with the labor board, and possibly the board of health and child protective services, so no. But you can help me make the ice cream and you can color some fliers for me if you want to," he offered with a smile.

Raquelle tilted her head. "In dutch? What does that mean?" She asked as they followed him to his apartment.

Ash laughed. "That Raquelle is too smart for her own good. How are you feeling?" She asked.

He thought about it. "Sore but the medicine is starting to work. I'm sorry I scared you last night."

She shook her head. "I just… I don't know if I could handle losing someone else. I care about you, Tyler." She sat beside him.

He smiled and reached his good hand out to take her hand. "I… I care about you too, Ash. I… look, I just need to come out and say it. And I don't expect you to reciprocate, if you don't it's okay. But I have to say it. I… I…"

She laughed lightly at how nervous he was. She laid with him, kissing him gently. "I love you too. I was almost afraid to say it because it… well, the kids. They adore you and I was afraid… If things didn't go well then… they'd lose you. And they've already lost too much."

He hugged her close. "They'll never lose me. No matter how we go. I will always be here for them and for you." He promised.

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Darius was still trying to find his place in this group. They welcomed him as another performer but he wasn't really part of the group. They didn't invite him to Porsha's dinner or even offer him a part in the charity gig. Of course, he'd spent days before that bragging about how he had a date that night but it had been a lie. To hide how hurt he felt that they hadn't asked him to sing with them.

He had hoped that coming to Catatonia and joining their cast would help him find what he really wanted.

He was in his apartment above the dance studio, watching television, when he heard movement outside. Footsteps up the stairs, then the unmistakable sound of a bag ripping.

"Oh darn it!" A light curse echoed outside his door. "René, sweetie, please help Mommy pick up the groceries."

Curious, the yak leaped up and stepped outside. "Hello? Can I help?" He asked the leopardess, who was knelt down. He ran over and started helping without confirmation.

"Oh, yes, thank you so much. These paper grocery bags split if you look at them funny," she laughed. She groaned as they reached the eggs. "Oh no! My eggs!"

Darius shook his head. "Hey, don't worry. I bought two dozen last time because they were on sale but that's way too much for me. I'm Darius." He smiled at the woman and her daughter.

"Chelsea and this is my daughter, René," she explained.

"Are you one of the new dancers?" He asked as he helped her carry her surviving groceries.

She shook her head. "I'm the new CEO of Crystal Entertainment. I'm an old friend of Ryan's and they helped me out of a tight spot. Porsha gave me the job so her mom can retire to be a mom." She giggled.

He listened as they reached her door. "The New Moon Troupe is pretty good about helping people in tight spots." Once inside, he put what he was carrying on the countertop. "I'll go get those eggs." That was one thing he really liked. They were very willing to help those in need. And this woman seemed very nice.

He grabbed the extra dozen he'd bought that day. He had seen they were BOGO and he'd hesitated. He couldn't eat two dozen himself before they went bad but it was really hard to not just accept the freebie. He was glad he had now. He put them into one of his five reusable bags. He really only needed three of these huge things for his usual load.

He hurried back down the hall, finding them putting the groceries away. "Here you are."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

He nodded. "Sure. They were BOGO and I'd rather they not go to waste. And here's a reusable bag. It's huge. It can hold a few disposable bags filled with stuff." He explained.

She nodded. "Thank you. I kept meaning to get a few. So, I assume you work with the troupe? Porsha told me that everyone who lives here…"

Darius put the eggs in the fridge. "Yeah. I was Doug in our last big show. After Happily Ever After. Did you see it?"

Chelsea giggled. "No, I was still in Texas."

He tilted his head. "Oh! You have got to see it! I swear, it's some of my best work. Even if I was a minor character. Be right back." He dashed out and came back a few minutes later. "Eddie put it on DVD and we all got copies." He offered her the case. "You can borrow my copy. Kids love it!"

She accepted it. "Thank you. You're very kind." She looked over the front. "Oh there you are. And there's Ryan and Johnny. And Meena. And Porsha. It looks like a lot of fun." She read the summary on the back. "Thank you. I'm sure René will enjoy this." The yak was amusing and very friendly.

Darius nodded. "Terrific! Well, I better leave you two to your night. It was nice meeting you. You too, René. Welcome to the troupe." He turned and left, proud of his cunning. She'd have to, eventually, return it and they would get to talk again. She was cute. For a leopardess.

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Glenn put his sister to bed in Nooshy's bed again. "Nooshy, you're a real trooper." He told the lynx.

She waved him off. "It's no problem, Glenn. I'm just sorry for what you're going through." She said as she helped tuck the child in. She put on her boombox with some soft music meant to lull her to sleep. And it was another delay to having to tell Big Daddy about sneaking out in Redshore City. This was more important. She didn't know why she didn't really want to tell him. She felt bad enough about Porsha doing so much for her friends.

Chelsea regularly gave her updates. They all had found jobs in the hotel that suited their abilities and interests. They had more than enough to eat now and they weren't freezing in the alleyway at night now.

But Porsha had done all of that. Nooshy had tried taking them food and Porsha did so much more for them. Nooshy wanted to help them. To do something for the people who were her sort-of family for so many years. She wanted to find something that she could do for them. When she knew what she herself could do, she'd talk to Big Daddy. When she knew what kind of help she might need.

She appreciated how Porsha so eagerly helped her friends. She loved her for it. But she wanted to do something. There had to be something that she, and only she, could do.

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AN: What do you think Nooshy could do to help her alleyway friends? Comment some ideas for fun. How would you try and help someone in need?

I'm thinking of another spin off. An AM I THE ASSHOLE parody using the various characters and their issues. Would you derive some amusement from that? I'm still trying to pick out the songs for the finale. I'm thinking of putting Meena and Alphonso on the Joy planet, singing I Got Joy by the Talley Trio. Reach for the Light by Steve Winwood for Clay. Leaving Break Free. But Planet of War has me stumped.