Part 6
Later that evening, Marcus and his boys accompanied Porsha to the Crystal mansion. Suki was trying to go through it to find any documents that Crystal might have left behind in the event of his passing.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" She asked, hugging the wolf.
Porsha nodded. "I guess. I need to get my things. We're leaving tonight."
"What? You're going back with them? Porsha, I thought… Your father wants you to take over the company. He wanted me to train you until you were of age."
"That can wait," Marcus said. "I told you I was adopting her."
The redhead looked at him in shock. She had been prepared to live with Porsha. "I didn't realize you meant it. So… you'll both be all the way in Calatonia…."
Marcus nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry, I'll call and keep you up to date. And you can call as often as you like."
Suki sighed. "Alright. It's just…. I've watched Porsha grow up. I love her like she's my own. I promised James that I'd…" Her breath hitched.
The gorilla patted her back. "You might not believe me but I know what you're feeling right now. You don't stop loving someone no matter what they do. Not if you truly love them. If you need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on…" He felt responsible. If he'd done a better job of protecting Mr. Moon, he wouldn't have had to seek justice on his own,
Brown eyes still a little red and puffy, Porsha packed a couple of bags with some clothes and the few material possessions she cared to bring with her. Framed photos of her father and mother. A few of the more sentimental keepsakes he had given her over the years. She wasn't taking a lot, Johnny had warned her that there wasn't a lot of room for bric-a-brac.
"Aunt Suki, I'm sorry. I can't stay here. I'm only seventeen. I still need to finish school and college. I'm not ready for that," she explained. "I need to get out of this city and find out who I am now. Out from my father's shadow."
The Saluki nodded quietly. "I know, sweetie. I just… I wasn't thinking. You're right. This is your time now." She hugged the young wolf. "In that case, I'll continue to take care of the company until you're ready."
Porsha turned to the door. Jerry was standing there glaring at her. "Jerry, don't look at me like that. I only did what I thought was right for me."
"Yeah, right for you. You, you, you. That's all you ever think about and because of your selfishness, Mr. Crystal is dead!" He snapped at her. "You killed your father!"
Marcus glowered at the cat, ready to wring his neck. "You little shit…"
The wolf teen gasped at the harsh words, her eyes shining with new tears. Suki shot the cat a glare and blocked Marcus. "I've got this. Jerry! That was out of line! Apologize!"
Porsha shook her head. "No, he only said what he meant. Jerry, I'm sorry you feel that way. I better go. I'll be riding with Big Daddy." She hurried to the gorilla with her few bags, letting him comfort her.
Suki hugged her again. "Or you could use the gift your father gave you for your last birthday." She suggested.
—
They were just about ready to head to checkout with their bags. It was time to go home. Back to Calatonia.
With arms folded in minor irritation, tapping his navy blue dance shoes on the floor, Klaus watched as Johnny added his duffel to the trolley. "I'm sorry sir, but I have to go. At least for a while. Redshore City is not my home. After… I don't think it could ever be my home." A tiger's paw took his hand and he smiled back at Ryan.
The dance instructor sighed. "Very well then I better go pack and tender my resignation."
The mountain gorilla froze with confusion. "What? Why?" He asked.
Kickenklober nodded. "Johnny, do you know how long I have looked for a pupil like you? So much raw talent, someone I can finally train in my ways. I am coming with you."
Nooshy laughed. "Are you joking? You thought he couldn't learn in 200 years."
He poked her with his stick. "I was pushing Johnny. I knew if I pushed enough, he'd find a way to learn the steps. Only when we are pushed to our breaking point does our true potential shine through." He argued his case. "There is no better way to get someone to do something then suggesting it cannot be done." Before they could protest further, he leapt away in a series of grand jeté.
"I knew he could do it," Ryan said, his arm slipped around Johnny's waist. "I'm coming too." The announcement surprised the gorilla yet again. "What? I'm not letting you go without me. I waited too long for someone like you to let you go now. If you'll have me."
Johnny smiled up at him and just let Ryan hold him. "Of course…" Okay, maybe Redshore City hadn't been a complete bust. He noticed Nooshy was hanging on the edge of things and wondered if his father had talked to her yet. He went over to her. "So, are you excited?"
She shook her head. "About what? Saying goodbye to the first real friends I've ever had?"
"Goodbye? You're coming too. Dad wants to adopt you," Johnny corrected her.
Nooshy shook her head again. "But he's adopting Porsha."
"He's adopting both of you," Johnny reassured her. "Come on, let him adopt you. You'd be my little sister."
The lynx's eyes lit up. "Really? He really wants to adopt me. I don't have to go back to the streets?"
"Never. You are coming home with us," he confirmed. "If you want to." He opened his arms to her.
She leaped into them. "You bet I want to! I've always wanted a family. I thought it was possible but I didn't want to get my hopes up."
Johnny hugged her. "And I've always wanted a little sister. Now I have two. I apologize in advance, the house is a little small but we'll make it work."
She hugged him back. "Thank you, Johnny. Thank you."
—
Just three weeks ago, Moon had asked Ash to rejoin the gang temporarily to do this show. When she ran out on Rick's club, she had been so excited to work with them again. Her solo career was working out great but seeing Buster made her realize that she had never been as happy as when she worked with them. She wasn't sure it had been worth it now. She'd give up music entirely if it meant having Buster back.
"This is my big hello!" Throwing her bag on the trolley, she was startled by her phone vibrating and playing the chorus to her first hit song. She answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"
"Ash? Please don't hang up!" A voice she hadn't heard in five years begged.
"Lance?" She asked incredulously. "Um… How… How are you?" It was asinine but there was an expected decorum when starting a phone call.
He chuckled. "I feel like I should be asking that. I… I know you probably hate me but I saw the news and I had to call. I am so sorry. Are you alright?"
She blinked her eyes a few times and wiped at her face. "I am or I will be. We're actually about to leave now." Even three weeks ago, she would have just hung up on the male porcupine but that he had called just to make sure she was okay? She couldn't help but feel touched. "It's hard. He was very special to us, to me."
"I know. Look, I'd like to come to the service, if it's okay…" he asked. "I'd like to pay my respects."
"If you want to, yeah… you'd be welcome," she replied. "Will Becky be coming with you?"
He scoffed over the phone. "Oh no, she left me. Don't worry, I'm better off without her. But I'll see you on Thursday then."
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Ash didn't know what it meant but she felt a little lighter. It had helped to share a little of what was on her mind with someone who wasn't as close to the situation. She still couldn't believe it was Lance.
—
Outside the hotel, Meena was standing on the sidewalk with her family while Alphonso and his best friend, the orangutan Tyler were hooking their follow car up to the hitch of their food truck.
"I still can't believe you're actually coming with us," Meena blushed. "You're uprooting your life for me. Are you really sure about this?"
Tyler laughed. "Oh he's sure. He hasn't stopped talking about you since the first time you met. Seriously, I'm glad you finally said something to him. It shut him up."
Alphonso blushed as bright as Meena. "Ty! Stop helping me!" He pleaded. "Really, Meena, this is what I want. We've already gotten a spot reserved at a heated indoor parking facility attached the local commissary and we're going to be working Calatonia's Farmer's Market. It's all set up." When he told Tyler what he wanted to do, the orangutan had immediately started hunting down the resources they would need in the new city. He hadn't even questioned it.
Everyone trickled out of the hotel. The cast was about to go to the bus station before they heard a horn honking. A large pink bus, complete with Porsha's photograph wrapped around it, rolled up to the hotel.
"I'm ready guys!" She announced. "And what do you think of this? If we have to go back sad, we can at least go back in style."
They just stared at the bus in astonishment. "Whoa! What is this?" Johnny asked.
Porsha smiled. "Daddy gave me this party bus for my birthday this year. Isn't it awesome? I thought we could hitch the truck up to the back and we can strap Mr. Calloway's bike into the back of the truck. There's plenty of room for everyone."
The piglets didn't need much encouragement. They ran full tilt into the bus. Rosita and Norman ran after them, determined not to let their precious angels make a mess of the bus. One by one, the rest followed. Klaus was going to follow in a couple of weeks after working out his notice with Crystal Entertainment.
So Alphonso could ride with Meena, Marcus volunteered Barry to accompany Tyler in their food truck.
Finally they were on their way, pulling away from Crystal Tower Hotel. Rosita looked out the window. Three weeks ago she had been the one to push the others to follow Buster's plan. Because it was her dream to play for Redshore City. Now she wished she had let Johnny and Meena talk him out of it. If she had….
An arm pulled her close as she felt the pain growing again. "I never want to come back here again." She whispered to her husband who only nodded. Her dream was gone, ruined, tainted. "We never should have come here."
AN: So this was more of an interlude to transition us back to Calatonia as opposed to a full chapter.