Chapter Text
"Well... what do ya think...?"
Suki couldn't believe her eyes as the young bride stepped out from behind the privacy curtain. She was clad in an angelic, obscenely expensive white gown, custom-made by Louis Vixéun himself.
It featured intricate embroidery and delicate lace detailing, with small, shimmering crystals adorning every inch of the fabric. The bodice was fitted and embellished with tiny pearls, while the full skirt cascaded down in voluminous folds. The train alone was at least several meters long, only adding to the grandeur on display.
They'd been told during the design process that this dress would be Vixéun's finest work yet, and it was evident that he had more than delivered. But while the dress itself was certainly a work of art, the young wolf wearing it was what truly made it a masterpiece.
Stephanie Frangipane - soon to be known publicly as Stephanie Crystal, or Mrs. Redshore City - was already renowned for her radiant beauty, and the sparkling white dress perfectly accentuated her dark teal fur and greenish-gold eyes. But of course, she had to look particularly stunning on her big day, especially for the very prolific groom she was about to marry.
"Oh, sweetheart... you look absolutely beautiful..." Suki gently dabbed her eyes, though it didn't do much to hold back the tears that were already coming down her face.
"I know, I just... I just can't believe this is really happening!"
Stephanie nearly shrieked as she quickly pulled Suki into a hug, both beaming with excitement while they giggled like school girls. It seemed like only yesterday, Stephanie was just a talented young singer that Suki saw performing at Peralta's, and now only three years later, she was about to tie the knot with the biggest mogul in the entertainment industry.
Suki remained smiling as Stephanie went over to the mirror to admire herself, though the saluki couldn't help noticing a more neutral, almost concerned expression form on the young wolf's face when she stared at her reflection. After a moment or two of hesitation, Suki quietly stood by her side again, carefully brushing the loose quiff of fur hanging over her friend's face.
"You okay, Steph...?"
"What...? Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm great.." Stephanie cleared her throat, thinking for a moment as she continued looking at herself. "I was just... I guess I... I um... eh, I dunno, Suki. Something just feels a little off, y'know...?"
"Oh... what do you mean...?" Suki pressed gently.
"Well, I just... I..." Stephanie sighed, gnawing on her bottom lip. "Jimmy's been real busy with work lately, and... and it seems like I've barely been been in the same room with him these last couple weeks. I mean, yeah, I... I know you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding and stuff, but I thought that was just for the day!"
Suki chuckled at this remark, but she couldn't help feeling her heart sink when she saw the rather hurt look forming on the young wolf's face. As much as she had tried to shelter Stephanie from Jimmy's worst aspects over the years, his inattentiveness and neglect was a hard issue to avoid. Though this was only a minor cruelty in comparison to what her employer was truly capable of, it was clear that his young fiancé had been badly affected by it nonetheless.
"Eh, it's probably just nerves, though..." Stephanie shook her head, trying to sound more casual. "I really am lookin' forward to it. Y'know, the wedding, and... and being married, it... it's gonna be great."
"Hmm... of course it will, sweetheart..." Suki placed a reassuring hand on Stephanie's shoulder, tenderly stroking down the slightly ruffled fur there. "And yeah, I get you're nervous, but y'know, wedding jitters, it's... it's totally normal. But what's important is that you love Jimmy, and... and uh... and he loves you too. Hmm... yeah... everything's gonna be fine, Stephanie."
Stephanie nodded, her smile returning as she pulled the saluki into another hug, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. While in reality their embrace had only lasted about ten seconds, it certainly felt a lot longer, as all the other sounds surrounding them slowed to a halt and finally faded to sweet, beautiful silence. For just a few, fleeting moments, it felt like the entire world had come to a standstill, and there was no one else in it but just the two of them.
"Thanks, Suki..." Stephanie almost whispered, sniffling a bit. "Thanks for everything."
The sound of a high-pitched, rather obnoxious voice clearing his throat finally snapped them out of this, as they looked over to the doorway where a small, well-dressed little cat was waiting.
"It, um... it's time, Miss Frangipane..." Jerry said, anxious with excitement. "They're all waiting."
As the endpoint to three years of casual courting, the wedding ceremony was quite the spectacle. The citizens of Redshore City would expect nothing less from their entertainment king, and Stephanie was sure this should be the happiest day of her life.
She certainly felt happy, and everyone else around her seemed utterly overjoyed, especially Suki. But there was a strange feeling as well, and Stephanie wasn't quite sure what it was - fear, emptiness, perhaps just gas - but she just couldn't shake it. Though she made sure to keep a smile on her face for her adoring public, just as Jimmy had always told her to.
Having spent most of the after-party being asked about the type of dress she was wearing, all eyes were on Stephanie and her new husband as they cut the towering vanilla cake in the centre of the ballroom.
Stephanie had barely lifted the knife off the cake when the reporters and paparazzi quickly surrounded the newlyweds again. She felt relatively confident to start with as she answered more of their questions, though that confidence quickly faltered when she realised that Jimmy had already made his way halfway across the ballroom, and was now talking on his gold-plated phone while the press swarmed his new wife like moths to a flame.
"Mrs. Crystal...!" One reporter's voice took Stephanie off-guard, and she cleared her throat as she squinted past the bright flashes of the cameras. "How does it feel to be the new Queen of Redshore City...?"
"Oh... I guess..." Stephanie glanced back at Jimmy, who still paid her no attention as he continued barking orders to his business partner on the other end of the line. "It's uh... it's good... yeah, it's real good..."
"YOU THREATENED MY THERAPIST...?!"
Stephanie had more than her fill of miserable and borderline traumatic experiences while married to the biggest name in the entertainment industry. But knowing her husband had finally caught onto the one source of venting that she had was just enough to finally push her over the edge.
"Oh here we go..." Jimmy reclined in his seat, sending an annoyed glare back at his wife. "Another one of your moods again, huh...?"
Stephanie was snarling like a wild beast as she grabbed the half-empty glass decanter from off the desk, tossing it against the wall with a shattering CRASH!
"Don't you ever speak to him!" She shouted. "You wanna therapist, get your own damn therapist! Cause you got bigger problems than I do, Jimmy!"
"Oh, you wanna talk about bigger problems?! You're the biggest problem I got, baby!" Jimmy finally went on the attack. "All the time and money I wasted on you, nothin' in return, and now I find out you're talking to some quack shrink!"
"Nothing in return...?! I've given you everything!" Stephanie nearly shrieked. "I've been your wife, I gave you a daughter! I put my whole life on hold for you, Jimmy, what more do ya want from me...?!"
"You know exactly what I wanted, don't you play the victim here!" Jimmy snapped. "You were supposed to be my headliner! My next big star!"
"I was trying my best!"
"Oh please, ya can't even read the damn lyrics unless somebody spells 'em out for ya!" Jimmy nearly laughed as he recalled the image from her past rehearsals. "Watchin' you stutter on that stage was like a bad comedy! And now everybody in my theatre knows I'm married to some book-dumb, talentless gold digger!"
Stephanie tensed a little a Jimmy rose from his seat, though she managed to remain fairly confident as he pointed an accusing finger. "I told ya what was gonnna happen if ya made me look bad!"
"How can I not make ya look bad...?!" Stephanie rebutted. "All I'm ever 'sposed to do around here is smile, wave, and walk on eggshells, and it still ain't good enough for ya! I give, and give, and give, and all you give back is this... th-this selfishness, and neglect, and the cheating, and the -"
"Ah, don't be such a drama queen, y'worthless little ingrate!" Jimmy scoffed. "Y'knew whatcha signed up for, and it ain't my fault ya can't handle it! Either get out or get over it!"
"I RAISED MY HAND TO MY CHILD BECAUSE OF YOU!" Stephanie's voice cracked as she said this, a few burning tears already dribbling down her face. "AND I'LL NEVER GET OVER THAT! EVER!"
"Oh what, you're still upset about that stupid little slap?!" Jimmy stood in the doorway while Stephanie stormed out. "Come on, a little tough love don't hurt nobody! Besides, little brat probably deserved it anyhow!"
"Don't you dare say that!" Stephanie called back, making Jimmy roll his eyes as she came back in. "That wasn't tough love, it wasn't love at all! It was hatred, Jimmy, hatred for you! Not that you'd know the difference!"
Jimmy's careless grimace tightened into a scowl as Stephanie came back, rolling a full suitcase in with her as she continued.
"Because you don't love her, and ya certainly don't love me either!" She said. "You just possess us! We ain't nothin' more than property to you, are we?!"
"Whaddaya think you're doing with that...?!" Jimmy hissed.
"I shoulda done this years ago! If you hadn't trapped me with that contract, I'd have taken off before y'even proposed!" Stephanie struggled to put on her jacket. "So I'm leaving tonight, and there's nothing you can do or say to change that!"
"Oh yeah? And what about the kid, huh...?" Jimmy interjected. "Ya just gonna leave her too?!"
"Believe me, Jimmy, if you think I'm letting ya keep that precious little angel under your thumb, you've got another thing coming!" Stephanie snarled in a fierce, protective tone, which only grew louder and more defiant as she prodded his chest with her finger. "Porsha's the only good thing I've ever gotten outta this, and there's nothing I'll ever regret more than having her with you!"
Jimmy's face went a furious red, but he only just managed to force his more casual visage on as Stephanie continued her rant.
"Now I'm takin' her with me, and we're never comin' back to Redshore again!"
"You can't honestly be serious!" Jimmy stifled an ominously hollow chuckle. "Ya really think either of you'd last five minutes without me?! Where y'even gonna go, huh?"
"I'm taking her home!" Stephanie's voice was strained while tears streamed down her face, but she wasn't any less passionate. "I'll get a normal job, we'll live in a normal house, she'll go to a normal school, make normal friends, and live a normal life! Anything I can give Porsha there is better than how you've trapped us both in here!"
"RARGH!" Jimmy swung his arm back, sending most of the items on his desk flying. While a brief look of fear flashed on Stephanie's face, she quickly regained her defiant expression as she stared him down. His attempt at intimidation having failed, Jimmy then pressed the intercom and yelled into it. "Jerry, get security here now!"
"Oh what, big fella, you're gonna go full lockdown?! No way in or out?!" Stephanie nearly laughed, before a darkly dressed leopard and grey wolf - Roman and Kendall, respectively - approached her from behind and grabbed both of her arms. "Wait, what are ya -?! Get your hands off me, you thugs!"
"Escort her off the premises." Jimmy said coldly. "She's played her part here."
"No!" Stephanie grunted while she struggled to escape their grip, trying her best to get over to Jimmy as he slowly, silently approached her. "I'm not leaving here without Porsha, you slimy - UGH!"
She wheezed when Jimmy suddenly latched his hand around the collar of her shirt, dragging her closer as he yelled into her face.
"YOU'RE LUCKY YOU AIN'T LEAVIN' OUTTA THAT WINDOW!" Jimmy's familiar rage finally burst out, making Stephanie whimper a bit as he tightened his grip on her. "No one makes me look like a fool! Especially not some pathetic, low-life little loser like you!"
Stephanie still struggled to breathe while Jimmy tightened his grip, biting down hard on her bottom lip as he looked her right in her slowly misting eyes.
"You're nothing without me, Stephanie! Y'always were nothing and you'll always be nothing!" Jimmy gave a satisfied hiss as he pulled his all-too-familiar sadistic grin. "And you're not getting my daughter either..."
This was just enough to give Stephanie another burst of courage as she spoke up again. "She's my daughter too!"
"Well then I hope she doesn't turn out anything like you!" Jimmy's voice was particularly spiteful on that last part, letting out a forceful grunt as he finally loosened his grip, then looked to the two thugs holding Stephanie's arms. "Pack her things. Send her back to whatever podunk little gutter town she crawled out of!"
"NO!" Stephanie continued to kick and fight as Kendall and Roman pulled her out of the office and towards the front door, tears now streaming down her face while she yelled and shrieked in physical and emotional agony. "No, you... Jimmy, please, ya can't do this! Ugh... PORSHA!"
Although it was after midnight, the vibrant lights of Fabulous Redshore City - particularly its central attraction, the Crystal Tower Theatre - were shining just as bright as ever. When first arriving three years prior, a younger, more innocent Stephanie had been utterly amazed by this dazzling skyline, but now as she observed from the dirty window of a cramped, dilapidated motel room, she couldn't see anything more than the soulless, obnoxious spectacle that it truly was.
Having tired herself out after a whole half hour of struggling - during which her captors had suffered several minor injuries - Stephanie was now sat silently on the bottom corner of the room's small, creaky bed, barely acknowledging Kendall and Roman as they brought her things in. Roman was carrying two suitcases - the one that Stephanie had already packed during her argument, and another they'd packed for her - while Kendall carried a plain, black gym bag.
"What's that...?" She asked, her voice still slightly strained from all the crying and shouting she'd been doing earlier.
"It's your severance package..." Jerry said as he entered, his almost childish cheeriness striking a stark contrast with what he was actually saying while he unzipped the gym bag, revealing at least two dozen wrapped bundles of cash. "Seven hundred thousand dollars, courtesy of Mr. Crystal."
"Seriously...? Hush money...?!" Stephanie felt her eyes misting up again as her face beamed a furious red. "All I wanted from him was my goddamned daughter!"
"Well, I'm afraid that's not an option, Mrs. Crystal. Your husband is very insistent on -"
"Frangipane!" Stephanie cut him off, crossing her arms as she looked away. "Alright, I'm not a Crystal. I never was."
"Oh, okay... well anyway, Miss Frangipane, Mr. Crystal wanted me to give you this..."
Jerry nervously shuffled over and passed Stephanie a small, paper slip, which upon closer inspection, she realised was actually a freshly-printed ticket.
Bus Number: 12-21
Departure Time: 8:00am
Destination: Sealattle
"Sealattle...?"
"Oh yeah, it's really nice there..." Jerry smiled. "We've not set you up with anything, but it's a great place for you to start over!"
"Hmm... right. And you boys are totally okay with all this, huh...?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she glared at Jerry and the two thugs behind him, though her voice still shook with pain. "Yeah, you uh... ya feelin' proud, fellas...?"
"What's there to feel proud about...?" Kendall scoffed. "We're just doing our jobs."
"But how can ya live with yourselves...?" Stephanie pleaded. "I mean, come on, separating a mother from her daughter like this?! Hell, don't even think about me, think about what this is gonna do to Porsha!"
"Listen, lady, you knew what ya were gettin' into when ya married Mr. Crystal!" Kendall cut her off, the grey wolf taking a moment to straighten his sunglasses. "Should've thought about your daughter before ya made that little scene over at the mansion."
Stephanie was taken aback, feeling another a wave of visceral fury briefly wash over her. For just a moment she considered lashing out at the other wolf in the room, but she knew it wouldn't change anything. So instead she simply took a deep breath, and tried her best to recompose herself.
"Fine..." She almost whispered, her voice cold yet controlled. "I'll take the damn money. But you boys ain't seen the last of me! That I can promise ya!"
"You're right... we'll see that once we put ya on that bus tomorrow morning..." Kendall pulled a smug, vicious smirk, turning back towards the door as he and Roman left the room.
Jerry remained for another moment or two, completely ignorant of the palpable tension, then clapped his hands together and regained the spring in his step. "Well then! Guess that settles it. Roman and Kendall will send you on your way in the morning. Til then, we'll uh... we'll just leave you to rest, Miss Frangipane."
Stephanie watched as the cat shuffled out of the room room, closing the door behind him. There was almost silence now, nothing but the faint sound of traffic and wind outside to keep her company. So with nothing else to do, Stephanie lay back on the bed, staring down at the bundles of cash that were still in the bag on the floor.
It was certainly a lot of money, more than Stephanie had ever seen in one place throughout her marriage or even her life. But all the money in the world couldn't bring her daughter back to her, or treat the pain of being torn away from the only piece of family she'd ever had or known. And the more Stephanie thought about this, the more something inside her began to shift...
And then, finally, it snapped.
Stephanie suddenly shot right up off the bed, and knelt down on the floor to unzip her first suitcase. After taking a few moments to dig through it, she fished out a bunch of dark clothes, before closing the curtains on both the room's windows while she frantically changed into them. She wasn't entirely certain that Roman and Kendall weren't still guarding the front door waiting, so rather than take the risk, she opened the back window and slipped out around the rear side of the building.
Perhaps in another version of these events, she would have simply thrown in the towel, disappeared, and let Jimmy erase every trace of her existence. But this was not that version of events, nor would she allow it to become so.
Because she was Stephanie Frangipane, and this was her story.
Notes:
Author's Note: Just wanted to give a quick shout out to my good friend and frequent reader/reviewer UNCLE SAM THE MAN, who coincidentally is celebrating his birthday today. Your work on the Moon Family series and the Poor Little Rich Girl AU was what got me into both reading and writing Sing fics, and has been a major inspiration and influence for all my recent stories, especially this one. So I wish you all the very best!
And as a special treat, I've also decided to drop the second chapter early. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: The Escape
Chapter Text
Stephanie's heart was pounding hard in her chest as she approached the Crystal Mansion. It was just after two in the morning, and the building was shrouded in darkness, except for the half crescent moon hanging in the sky, and the dim glow of a few lights that illuminated the windows on the first floor.
The young wolf was decked from head to toe in black, her goldish-green eyes and the ruffled white fur of her muzzle being the only things that stood out otherwise. Her turtleneck sweater hugged her figure tightly and the black hoodie she wore over it helped to flatten down her ears to further simplify her silhouette, while her sneakers and cargo pants would allow for plenty of easy movement during her break-in.
As she approached the gate, Stephanie could feel her nerves kicking into overdrive. It was made of wrought iron - coated, of course, in solid gold - and stood just over twelve feet tall, with a security camera perched on top. Two antelope guards were positioned a few feet away, their backs facing her while they listened to updates through their earpieces.
Shuffling in the shadows the far corner, Stephanie quickly but carefully clambered up the gate, making sure not to get her leg or clothes caught on the sharp spires while she made her way over the top to the other side. Although there was a soft, sprawling flower bed below that may have cushioned her fall, she knew better than to risk potentially making a noise that would get the guards' attention, so she quietly climbed downwards just as she'd done when ascending.
The big, beautiful garden on the premises was a convenient, well-shadowed shortcut to the back entrance of the mansion, and Stephanie tiptoed through it without detection, eventually reaching a footpath was lined with various sculptures made in Jimmy's likeness. These busts and statues kept Stephanie slightly on edge as she made her way through, subconsciously dreading the thought of the real Jimmy coming out from behind one of them and catching her in the act, but thankfully this didn't happen as she finally reached the back door.
Knowing that it was already locked, and another security camera was hanging down right above it, Stephanie planted herself right against the wall and looked up, seeing the slightly ajar, second story window that was just about fifteen feet above her. The ornate, gold-plated gardening lattice on the wall was just high enough for her to climb right up to the window sill, allowing Stephanie to pry the window just open enough to get herself inside.
This was a bathroom - one of at least five - which led right into the main hallway to the grand staircase in the centre of the building, and after making sure no one else was around, Stephanie quickly bolted upwards to the third floor. Despite it being cast in darkness, it was still abundantly clear that the Crystal Mansion was truly an architectural marvel, with its gleaming, smooth marble floors, polished alabaster marble walls, and a single, sparkling chandelier - made, once again, of solid gold - dangling down from the ceiling.
But Stephanie wasn't in the mood to admire it as she ascended the stairs. While it had certainly been a magnificent prison she'd been staying in for the last several years, it was a prison nonetheless, and all she wanted to do was rescue her most precious cargo and get out of there.
Finally, she reached the top of the staircase, seeing the door to Porsha's room directly opposite Jimmy's. She could faintly hear the older wolf's snoring from behind his door, so Stephanie made sure to be quiet as she turned the handle on her daughter's door and slowly pried it open.
Despite only just tucking her in a few hours prior, Stephanie couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed seeing the four-and-a-half-year-old fast asleep in her bed, draped in Stephanie's own fluffy red dressing gown. After taking a brief moment to process this, Stephanie then went over to the closet, pulling out a small, turquoise-coloured backpack, and began frantically shoving some of her little pup's favourite toys, clothes and drawing books into it.
She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't even notice the door behind her prying open again, or the silhouette of the figure that was slowly approaching from behind until their hand finally grabbed her shoulder.
"GAH! Get away from me, ya filthy son of a - Mmfh !"
Stephanie continued muffling as the figure covered her mouth with their other hand, her eyes going wide point when she saw who it was.
"Ssh, be quiet!" Suki sounded desperate as she glanced back to the door, making sure they weren't being watched or heard. The saluki gently closed it over with one hand, before picking up a smaller pile of Porsha's things and shoving them into the backpack. "She's not gonna be able to carry this on her own, so you need to travel light."
"Wait, Suki, you... you're helping me...?" Stephanie was still overwhelmed, but she was put more at ease when the saluki looked back to her and cupped her face affectionately.
"Hmm... what else would you expect me to do...?" Suki then zipped the bag shut. "Oh, and uh... and Jerry gave you the severance money, right...?"
"Y'mean the hush money? Uh, yeah... y-yeah, he did. Seven hundred grand."
"Good, now you need to get outta of this city and never ever come back!" Suki took Stephanie's hand, looking the wolf right in the eye. "Do you understand...? Never!"
"Uh, okay... okay, yeah, I understand..." Stephanie tried to reduce her hyperventilation and calm herself down. "Suki, he... he was gonna keep Porsha from me..."
"Yeah, and when he finds out you took her, he'll have his thugs all over the city looking for you!" Suki let out a soft sigh as her eyes misted up a bit. "If they track you down, Stephanie, chances are they're not gonna be bringing you back here... especially not in one piece."
Stephanie nodded, then clicked her tongue. "Ah shoot, I gotta get another ticket."
"Children under five travel for free." Suki cut in bluntly. "Porsha won't need one."
"Oh yeah... yeah, Porsha..." Stephanie pursed her lips. "Yeah, that's uh... that's what I was talking about."
"Just as long as you're gone by morning, he won't be able to track you. From there it's up to you, but all that matters is that you just get outta here."
Stephanie then went over to the bed, wrapping Porsha up in the fluffy bathrobe and holding her close to her chest as she went back over to the saluki. "Alright, come. Let's get going, then... you don't gotta pack anything, do ya, Suki...?"
Suki hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering with emotion, before finally letting out a small, defeated sigh. This made Stephanie sink a little, having already realised what the saluki was going to say.
"I can't..." Suki looked down. "I'm sorry. I really wish I could, Stephanie, but... but y'know, my brother, and his wife, they'd never -"
"No no, it... it's okay, I get it..." Stephanie pulled a small smile, titling Suki's head slightly to give her friend a kiss on the cheek. "We're really gonna miss ya, though..."
"Hmm... I got you into this life, Stephanie." Suki pulled the wolf into a hug, making sure not to crush or wake up the little one sleeping in her arms. "It's only right I help get you out of it."
"I'm never gonna forget ya, Suki..." Stephanie sniffled, tightening her grip while she returned the embrace, before finally pulling away and draping the backpack over her free arm. "And neither is she... I'll make sure of it."
"Yeah..." Suki removed her glasses while a few small, bittersweet tears dripped down her warm, beaming face. "Alright... now you better get going..."
Stephanie nodded, and carefully made her way out the room and down the stairs. Suki watched silently as the wolf reached the bottom floor and headed for the back door, making sure not to alert the guards outside or the little pup still sleeping in her arms.
It certainly still hurt to see her friend go after all this time, but Suki knew it would be for the best. And she could hope that Stephanie and her precious little Porsha would be safe and happy wherever they ended up.
It must have been early morning now, judging by the sun that was peeking through the slightly ajar curtains. Since Stephanie took off, Suki had been lounging on the couch in front of the TV, a blanket loosely hanging off her legs. But despite the comfortable setting, she hadn't gotten even a minute of sleep, instead sitting upright while a thousand thoughts raced through her mind.
The sound of the front doors opening, followed by an overly-enthusiastic tune being idly whistled, alerted her to Jerry's arrival, so she quickly straightened up and gave a small, quiet wave to the cat as he entered. Jerry raised a curious, but not quite suspicious, eyebrow at this apparent civility - being used to a much more dismissive response from the saluki - but after a moment he pulled a small smile and returned the gesture while making his way upstairs.
"Oh boy..." Suki whispered quietly under her breath, glancing upwards to the higher level as the lights came on, and the slightly creaky door to Porsha's room was pulled open. "Three... two... one..."
Jerry's high-pitched gasp cut the tension like a knife, and the cat's quick, frantic footsteps became audible as he darted out of the room. He had seemed unusually cheery when he first arrived, despite the horrible thing his employer had done mere hours beforehand, so Suki did somewhat appreciate seeing Jerry's happiness being immediately dashed by his discovery. But knowing where he was going next, she knew things were about to escalate very quickly, so she got up off the couch and made her way upstairs right as the cat entered the opposite bedroom.
"Mr. Crystal, wake up!"
"Gah! Jerry...?!" Jimmy's tone struck a balance between startled and annoyed, and Suki held back behind the doorway while Jerry tried to explain himself.
Suki knew from past incidents that her employer didn't like to be disturbed during his sleep, especially not by Jerry, and the news he was about to hear certainly wasn't going to help his mood.
"I know, I'm so sorry to wake you up, sir!" Jerry was still slightly breathless as he spoke a mile-a-minute. "It's Stephanie! She's broken into the mansion, taken your daughter and she's leaving town right now!"
"She's WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT...?!"
Suki couldn't help stifling a chuckle when she heard Jimmy leap out of bed, prompting a high-pitched shriek from Jerry as the poor cat finally saw what the blanket had been covering. But she quickly straightened up when her employer stormed out of the bedroom, tying the sash on his black and gold bathrobe.
"I want them found and brought back here NOW!" He snarled angrily as he stormed down the stairs, Suki anxiously trying to keep up with him. "Then I want ya to find the deepest hole in the city, dig it deeper, and put her in it!"
"Y-yes, sir..." Suki nervously cleared her throat. "I'll do what I can, Mr -"
"I don't care what you can do! That bus does not leave that station!" Jimmy bellowed, picking up a marble bust of his likeness and shattering it against the wall. "When I get my hands on that little thief, I'll... oh, I'll tear her to shreds! No one makes me look like a fool! NO ONE!"
Stephanie kept her hood up with her sunglasses on as she entered the station, concealing just enough of her recognisable face to avoid making a scene, while not covering up enough to look suspicious or attract attention from the security present.
Pulling her two suitcases with one hand, carrying her sleeping daughter in the other, and with the gym bag of money and the backpack of Porsha's things hanging off her other shoulder, the added weight would certainly be a hindrance if Stephanie found herself having to run. But with no sign of Jimmy's thugs and her escape route still a few minutes from it's scheduled departure, it seemed she wouldn't have to resort to that, so she made a quick stop in one of the various food stalls that were lined up across the station.
"Alright... let's see here..." She quickly surveyed the display of various cooked pastries and breakfast items that hung above the till, before finally spotting a familiar image. "Ooh... ya don't do that French toast to go, do ya...?"
"Oh yes. It takes about two minutes to reheat, ma'am..." The tortoise behind the counter answered.
"Perfect! Yeah, I'll take two to go, please..." Stephanie passed over some cash while still holding onto Porsha with one hand, chuckling at the little one still lying asleep. "It's her favourite, so..."
After packing the two containers of cooked food into the backpack, Stephanie made her way across to a neighbouring stall to buy a few other essentials - namely some water, juice and various candies and chocolates - before pricking up when she heard the voice over the PA.
"12-21 for Sealattle, leaving in fifteen minutes."
"Oh crap, uh... y-yeah, this is everything, thanks..." Stephanie quickly paid for the confectionaries and let the chimpanzee vendor drape the bag over one of her arms, before grabbing her suitcases again and heading off towards the terminals.
At least a hundred thoughts were still racing through her head as she went from a speed walk into a sprint - Jimmy, Suki, the thugs - but she managed to focus all of those thoughts onto just two things: the bus, and Porsha. That was all that mattered right now, and as long as they reached the terminal in the next five minutes, everything else came second.
"Alright, we're rolling out here!" The giraffe in the driver's seat stuck his neck out of the bus to make this announcement, before closing the doors and taking off from the 12-21 terminal. "Whoa!"
The sharp SCREECH! of the bus making an emergency stop sent most of its passengers jolting forwards, some of the smaller animals even falling out out their seats. A minor ambience of confused and concerned murmurings broke out among the passengers as they all looked to the driver's window, seeing the big black SUV that had pulled out in front of them a few seconds prior, and the darkly-dressed leopard and wolf that were now approaching.
"Open up, right now!" Kendall demanded as he hammered his fist on the door, his vicious scowl showing enough of his fury even with the sunglasses covering his eyes. "You better not be hidin' her in there!"
After taking a moment to reassure and calm down his passengers, the driver opened the doors to let the two hostile individuals in, remaining seated as they made their way towards the passenger area. Kendall remained at the front of the bus, baring his teeth viciously to intimidate the animals all staring fearfully at him, while Roman made his way towards the back to confront their escaped fugitive.
"Mrs. Crystal! Hand over the girl, and you can... wait..." The leopard cut himself off as he turned around to face his partner again, with his raised eyebrows making it clear that his eyes were wide with both shock and horror beneath. "Where the hell is she...?!"
Stephanie couldn't help but chuckle as she watched this scene unfold from the back window of the 12-16 bus. It had left the station ten minutes before the 12-21 was scheduled, just allowing her to see the later bus being stopped and searched through by Jimmy's thugs in the distance.
She exhaled with relief as she sat back on her seat and looked down at the two tickets in her hand, casually crumpling the Sealattle one that Jerry had given her. She'd bought the second ticket in cash, so it's purchase couldn't be traced to her account, and since children under ten travelled for free, she didn't need to buy another ticket for her precious little stowaway.
The bus was about an hour into its journey when Porsha finally woke up, yawning gently as she rubbed one of her eyes.
"Morning, sleepy head..." Stephanie whispered warmly, pressing her little one's nose like a button. "How ya doin'...?"
Porsha pondered what was happening for a moment or two, though she barely seemed to notice the fact that she was on a big moving vehicle instead of her own bed. But after this brief silence, the little wolf pulled a small scowl and crossed her arms, shuffling a few inches down the seat to make some distance between them.
"Hmm... well, what's gotten into you? Huh, Little Miss Grumpy?" Stephanie chuckled gently, turning her daughter's pouting little face back towards herself. "Somebody wake up on the wrong side of the... the uh... bus seat thingy?"
"What do you care...?!" Porsha snapped, though for some reason she sounded rather hurt.
Nevertheless, this tone of voice did take Stephanie off-guard. But being in too good a mood to reprimand her little one, she remained casual and sweet.
"Well, I care cause I'm your Mommy, and I love ya, sunshine."
"No you don't!" Porsha said, tearing up a bit as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "You don't even want me. You said it!"
"Didn't want ya...?" Stephanie scoffed. "Porsha, when'd I ever say something like that...?"
"It was when I... I got outta bed, cause I heard ya fighting with Daddy..." Porsha sniffled, hunching forward as she lowered her ears. "And ya said... you said you Rugrat me!"
"Rugrat...?" Stephanie couldn't help stifling a chuckle, before her eyes widened when she realised what Porsha had just mispronounced. "Oh... regret...?"
"Is it… is it cause of what I said on Valentine's Day…?" Porsha sounded choked up while she began to wring her hands together, holding back even more tears. "Cause I didn't wanna make ya sad, Mommy, I was just -!"
"Oh no... no no no, baby, I didn't mean it like that... aw, c'mere..." Stephanie gently pulled the little one into a hug, kissing the top of Porsha's head. " I didn't mean it like that at all, sunshine. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and that's something I do mean, baby."
Porsha looked up at her with still tearful eyes, analysing her mother's face for any hint of dishonesty, but all she saw was love and warmth in Stephanie's gaze. Now fully convinced, the four-and-a-half year old then wiped her nose with the front of her hand before returning the embrace, burying her head in her mother's chest.
While time seemed to slow down all around her, Stephanie was sure she must have held onto her little one for a good few minutes, though having thought she'd lost Porsha forever only a few hours prior, she certainly wasn't in any mood for letting her go now. But when it was apparent that the little pup was feeling slightly crushed, Stephanie loosened her grip and placed her daughter back beside her on the actual seat.
"Wait... why are we on a big bus thingy...?" Porsha spoke up again as she looked around, having only finally noticed the unfamiliar location they were sat in. "And where's Daddy...?"
"Oh..." Stephanie's eyes widened a little, and she crouched down to be closer to her daughter's eye level. "Well, uh... y-y'see, Porsha, Daddy... he's, um... well, he's not... ugh..."
After spending the better part of thirty seconds stammering to herself, Stephanie finally thought back to another conversation she and her little one had previously had, the very same conversation that had prompted this little getaway in the first place.
"Do ya remember those big changes I told ya about, Porsha...?" Stephanie's face lit up a bit when her daughter nodded, then she took both the little one's hands in her own. "Well... this is it! We're makin' those changes together. Just you and me, sunshine!"
"Really?!" Porsha gasped, already overwhelmed with excitement. "Wow, I can't believe we're... wait... but... b-but where are we going, Mommy...?"
"Hmm... we're going home, sunshine..." Stephanie chuckled warmly as she reached back into her pocket. She then fished out the recently-stamped ticket for Porsha to see, letting the little pup squint a bit to study the words printed onto it.
Bus Number: 12-16
Departure Time: 7:50am
Destination: Calatonia
Chapter 3: First Impressions
Chapter Text
Though it had been just short of nine years since she left, Calatonia didn't actually seem that different from how Stephanie remembered it. While it would hardly be considered rural or podunk, it was still a far cry from the overwhelming and downright chaotic spectacle of Redshore.
In her teen years, Stephanie had been counting down the days until she could leave this town and follow her dreams. But now, returning as an older, more jaded and perhaps wiser wolf than before, seeing it again after all these years was certainly a sight for sore eyes.
"Okay, so it looks like we have a vacancy in Room 817 on the second floor. How long do you two think you'll be staying with us...?"
"Eh... about forty or fifty years, maybe...?" Stephanie shrugged with a chuckle, though it seemed neither Porsha or the small, white mouse at the concierge desk had caught on to her personal in-joke. "Oh, y'mean for real...? Uh... well, I... I dunno, really... see, we uh..."
Stephanie glanced down at her daughter again, prompting Porsha to pull a big, innocent smile, then sighed as she leaned a little forward on the desk so that the pup couldn't eavesdrop on this conversation.
"Alright, here's the thing, uh... Nancy...?" She squinted a little to see the tiny name tag the concierge was wearing, then gave a small, self-deprecating scoff. "I'm kinda starting fresh here, y'know? See, my husband and me don't exactly get along, so we were kinda in a hurry to get outta there, and I didn't have much time to plan ahead or -"
"Oh no. No no no, no need to explain, sweetie..." Nancy smiled, then turned back to her computer - which was about the size of Stephanie's phone - and typed something in. "Yeah, I can just put indefinite here. We'll charge you on a weekly basis, then you can stay as long as you need."
"Aw, thank God... yeah, that'd be real great, Nancy..." Stephanie sighed with relief. "Yeah, it shouldn't be too long, I just gotta figure out what me and my daughter are gonna be doin' in this town, y'know...?"
"Of course, I totally get it..." Nancy smiled. "Miss...?"
"Oh yeah, it's uh... it's Frangipane..." Stephanie said, standing slightly straighter with a more confident, almost proud expression on her face. "Hmm... Stephanie Frangipane."
As soon as they'd arrived at the room, Stephanie had left Porsha to explore the new surroundings while she went into the en suite to freshen herself up. Although the slightly rickety-sounding shower - which couldn't seem to decide whether it was going to be hot or cold - wasn't anywhere near the standards of the Crystal Mansion or its affiliated attractions, it was exactly what she'd needed after such a long, tedious journey, and not just the ten hour bus ride.
After spending the better part of ten minutes under the water, during which a faint mist of steam had settled on the entire room, Stephanie finally switched off the faucet and stepped out. She wrapped the larger of the two towels around her body while gently wiping her face with the smaller one, and after wiping the fog away from the small mirror over the sink, she couldn't help chuckling at her reflection.
Her fur was completely soaked and unkempt, and long streaks of mascara still dribbled down from under both her eyes. Shaking her head with an amused smirk, Stephanie quickly cleaned herself up and dried herself off, then slipped into her red fluffy bathrobe before walking out into the main room.
She had expected to find Porsha jumping up and down on the double bed, watching the TV opposite, or digging through the bags to find her toys and drawing books. But instead, the four-and-a-half-year-old was sat quietly by the window at the very end of the room, gazing out curiously onto the streets below.
"Hmm... enjoying the view there, baby...?"
"Aw yeah, it looks amazing down there, Mommy!" Porsha didn't turn to face her mother, still looking down with awe at the city. "So is this Cally... uh... C-Cala... Calay-Tanya...?"
"Hmm... it's Calatonia, Porsha..." Stephanie gently corrected her as she sat beside her daughter at the window. "It's home..."
"It is...?" Porsha tilted her head, still unsure as she studied the simpler, far less towering skyline outside. "But it doesn't look like home..."
"Well, that's cause it's Mommy's home, baby..." Stephanie chuckled at the still curious look on her daughter's face. "This is where I grew up. And it's where you're gonna grow up too."
"Really...?!"
"Uh-huh..." Stephanie smiled. "Yeah, lotta memories around here. Hmm... guess ya could say whole place was kinda like my own little kingdom, huh...?"
"Kingdom...?" Porsha finally tilted her head to look at Stephanie, her eyes widening a little. "Wait, are... are you a princess, Mommy...?"
"Princess?! Ha! God, I wish..." Stephanie laughed, quickly pulling Porsha into a hug as she planted a few kisses on top of the younger wolf's head. "But nah, I wasn't a princess. Actually, I uh... well, I... I barely had anything at all when I was your age, Porsha."
"Oh..." Porsha lowered her ears, slightly saddened to hear this. "How come...?"
"What...?" Stephanie snapped out of the brief trance these thoughts had put her into, then quickly cleared her throat. "Well, because uh... nah, it's a long story. But y'know, princesses aren't exactly commonplace around here, sunshine. Can't be a princess if ya don't have a castle, huh...?"
"Oh... but isn't that one there a castle...?"
Porsha pointed out the window, prompting Stephanie to look out and see for herself. While the night sky was well-illuminated by various buildings and signs lining either end of the street, Stephanie realised her daughter was pointing at the only building opposite that wasn't lit at all. If it were a house or a small newsagent they probably wouldn't have noticed it, but given that this tall, slender building practically towered over its neighbours, it was rather hard to miss.
"No no, baby, that's not a castle, it's uh... it's uh... oh gosh..."
Stephanie felt her heart sink a little as she finally recognised the old building. Despite it's boarded up front door, shattered windows and slightly deteriorated structure, it hadn't lost that much of the beauty or majesty from its heyday, but seeing it like this was still rather upsetting after how she remembered it being when she'd left all those years ago.
"It's the Prairie..."
"The what...?" Porsha asked.
"Uh, the Prairie. Yeah, I used to do a couple shows there a few years back..." Stephanie sighed, before looking down at the curious look on her daughter's face. "Well basically, it used to be a theatre. Y'know, like the big one that Daddy has...?"
"Oh yeah, okay..." Porsha smiled naively, then looked over to the run-down, boarded-up structure again. "Then why's it look like that...? Daddy's isn't like that."
"I dunno, baby, I guess... I guess it must have closed down or something..." Stephanie pursed her lips, feeling rather bittersweet as she thought back. "Hmm... I had a lotta good times there. Made a lotta good friends too."
"Really...?" Porsha's face lit up a little when Stephanie nodded, only to droop down in what seemed like disappointment as she looked over at the old theatre across the street again. "Aw... I really wish I coulda done that, Mommy..."
Stephanie's eyes widened a little when she heard Porsha say this, and she slowly glanced over to the gym bag sat on the bed behind them, and the massive bundles of money that were still inside it. As she stared at it for another moment or two, the gears in her head quickly started clicking together, and an idea began to form in it.
"Hmm... maybe ya will, sunshine..." She said in a rather neutral tone, pulling a small smirk as she looked down at her little one again. "Maybe ya will..."
The next couple days were fairly uneventful, and aside from a couple visits to the park across the road, and eating lunch and dinner at various restaurants in the immediate vicinity, the pair had barely left the bed and breakfast where they'd set up shop.
Entertaining Porsha had been easy enough, since she spent most of her time on the floor in front of the TV doodling in her drawing books. So Stephanie had spent most of this free time sat on her bed while she typed feverishly onto her laptop, gradually turning her new idea into a more professional pitch.
Before either of them knew it, the weekend was over and it was finally Monday, so Stephanie decided this would be the perfect opportunity to put this new plan into action. But knowing that where she was going was perhaps not the best place to bring her young, easily-distracted child, she decided it was time to start integrating herself and her daughter back into the wider Calatonia community.
"Uh... Sir Chool...?" Porsha cupped her chin, struggling to read the sign on front of the gate they were standing at. "What's that mean, Mommy?"
"Hmm... it says school, baby..." Stephanie knelt down closer to her daughter's level, straightening the little one's shirt and the backpack she was wearing. "Okay, so uh... so ya just gotta do what the nice teacher lady says, be nice to the other kids, and if ya get hungry, ya got those sandwiches I bought yesterday in your bag. Okay...?"
"Uh... y-yeah, I guess so..." Porsha rubbed her arm nervously, sniffling a bit as she glanced over to the building behind the gate. "But I... I still don't get why you're leaving me here, Mommy."
"Cause Mommy's gonna be doin' boring adult stuff all day, Porsha... y'know, honestly, even for me. It's gonna be so goddamn dreary, I'm not even gonna be able to... able to..." Stephanie playfully rolled her eyes and dropped her head down, dramatically pretending to snore as Porsha giggled. Having lifted her daughter's spirits, Stephanie lifted her head back up and held on tight to Porsha's hands. "So yeah, I'm not putting you through that. So I'm just gonna leave ya here for the next few hours to enjoy yourself."
"Well yeah, but there's..." Porsha glanced across the gate, hesitating for a moment before she leaned closer to her mother and whispered. "There's other kids here..."
"Yeah, and that's a good thing, Porsha..." Stephanie chuckled. "Goin' to school and playin' with other kids is a big part of, like, development and stuff... definitely was for me. Y'know, when I was your age, I used to love hanging out over here. Sometimes I almost wished I coulda stayed here full time!"
"Really...?"
"Uh-huh. And it's gonna be great for you too. Have some fun, make some friends. Nice, huh...?" Stephanie then gestured to the bench behind herself. "Oh yeah, and you're gonna come out at three, and I'm gonna be sitting right there waiting for ya. Okay...?"
"Okay, yeah... right there..." Porsha eyed the bench for another moment or two, clearly to make a mental note of it, then clambered up and threw her arms around Stephanie's neck. "Love ya, Mommy..."
"Hmm... love ya too, sunshine..." Stephanie gave her little pup a kiss on the forehead, then lowered her back down and held the gate open. "Alright... off ya go..."
Porsha hesitated for a few brief seconds, then closed her and eyes and took a deep breath. Once she exhaled, she gave a small nod, and finally entered as Stephanie closed the gate again behind her.
"She'll be fine..." Stephanie quietly whispered to herself as Porsha was greeted by a beautiful, bespectacled clouded leopard - clearly the teacher of the kindergarten class - and was led inside. She remained there for another moment or two, taking a few hesitant steps back before finally taking a deep breath of her own. "Yeah... she'll be fine..."
"Okay okay okay, let's start over, uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat and straightened up as she walked down the street, dramatically rehearsing the pitch she was about to make. "Ms. Noodleman, my name is Stephanie Frangipane, and I'm interested in reopening - ugh, dammit!"
Her conversation with herself did get a few curious and concerned glances from the other animals that she passed by, but none of them were intrusive enough to speak up, nor did Stephanie pay them any mind either.
"Alright, ya gotta make it personal... talk about the history first, so uh..." Stephanie started again. "Nana, ya might remember I used to perform with ya at the Prairie and... and I didn't call ya Nana. Ugh! Oh, that's just terrific..."
It was only then when Stephanie realised she was already right outside the gate of the finest estate in the entire city. The home of Calatonia's most iconic and beloved performer.
While technically only two stories high, the Noodleman Mansion positively towered over most of the houses surrounding it, even more so than the Prairie did in its area of the city. Its smooth, pure white stone exterior contrasted starkly with the fine gold and vibrant pink embellishments on its roof, windows and doors. Rather than a more modern button or switch for a doorbell, the door instead had a long cord dangling down in front of it, and after some uncertainty, Stephanie pulled down on it to prompt the loud DING-DONG! noise.
"Ugh..." A deep, slightly gruff voice yawned as the door opened. "Yeah, what's up...?"
To Stephanie's surprise, it was not the usual penguin butler who answered the door, but another sheep. The bright yellow suit jacket and orange shorts were a dead giveaway that he wasn't an employee, and though he didn't look much older than herself, he certainly looked a lot more fatigued, despite it only being just before midday.
"Uh... can I help you...?" He asked again, snapping Stephanie out of her brief moment of studying him.
"Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm here to see Ms. Noodleman..." Stephanie said, straightening the modest but still elegant white shirt and black pants she was wearing. "Say, you uh... you're her grandson, aren't ya...? Uh... Eli...?"
"Eddie, actually..." He answered back, before holding the door a little more open to let her in. "Yeah, Nana doesn't usually see folks anymore, though, so unless you got some kinda appointment..."
"Oh, don't worry, I'm just here to..." Stephanie cut herself off as she entered the room and finally got a good look at its interior. "Whoa..."
All of the walls in the mansion were a bright pink, once again contrasting with the smooth, chessboard-like grey and white floor she was standing on. A beautiful but simple golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, complementing the staircase that curved around the back wall. While she may have had some recency bias for having just escaped from it, she could see that far more life and love had been put into this place than the obnoxious interior of the Crystal estate. But Stephanie was quickly snapped out of this amazed admiration as the upstairs door opened and a familiar figure finally made her way down.
"Ah, Nana!"
And there she was - Nana Noodleman herself. Though she was already a few steps from the bottom, her long purple dress trailed behind her all the way up to the half point of the stairs she'd already come down. But during her entire descent, the old sheep's steely stare pierced Stephanie's soul like a knife, which was more than enough of a sign that she hadn't lost any of her stone-cold confidence or her incredibly high standards in her old age.
"Aw, look at you, huh? Picture of health. Why, ya don't look a day over eighty!"
Stephanie paused awkwardly at her own remark, before quickly regaining her composure as she cautiously headed to the bottom of the stairs to greet her old mentor.
"It's, uh, it's Stephanie. Y'know, Frangipane. I uh... I performed with your old Troupe at the Prairie a few years back."
"Frangipane...?" Nana studied her for another moment or two, prompting Stephanie to stand straighter - almost militantly so, just as she would do in her younger years - before it finally clicked. "Oh yes, of course... The Swan In Wolf's Clothing..."
"Swan in... uh...?" Stephanie's eyes widened a little, though she quickly loosened up with a nostalgic chuckle. Though she had previously convinced herself not to, this little moment of levity was enough to prompt her to start using her old mentor's first name. "Damn, I almost forgot all about that... yeah, well uh... well, it's really great to see ya, Nana..."
"Yes, quite..." Nana strode past the wolf and made her way towards the closed doors of the dining room. "Then to what do I owe the pleasure for this visit, Miss Frangipane...? It must be a decade at least since you were last here."
"Well, it's probably more like eight years or so, but uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat, and tried her best to keep up with the old sheep while giving her some distance. "But anyway... as ya can probably see, Nana, I'm actually back in town, and I couldn't help noticin' that the Prairie's all boarded up now. So I was wondering if maybe you'd wanna hear my -"
"Ahem..." Nana's penguin butler finally made his appearance, clearing his throat as he opened the doors to reveal the long, hand carded mahogany table. "Your lunch awaits, Ma'am."
"Ah yes. Thank you, Hobbs..." Nana stood straight, rolling her eyes with a scoff as Eddie shuffled past her and sat down, before then turning her attention back towards the wolf standing behind her. "Would you care to join us, Miss Frangipane...?"
"Join ya...? What, like, for lunch...?" Stephanie glanced over at the table. "Well uh... y-yeah, I guess I could eat, but I'd hate to impose on ya like that, Nana."
"Oh nonsense. Anything's better than having to strike up a conversation with my useless grandson..." Nana snarked, making Eddie drop his head a little. "Besides, I'd like to hear more about these plans you have for the Prairie..."
This was by far the most bizarre situation Porsha had ever experienced, no doubt about it.
Only a few days prior, she was playing, drawing and singing in her big, comfy bedroom back at the Crystal Mansion, with no one around to bother her. And the next thing she knew, she was in a room that was barely even half that size, and with at least two dozen other children playing and having fun all around her. While her mother had assured her otherwise before dropping her off that morning, she still couldn't shake the feeling that this was not merely another town, but another world entirely from the one that she was used to.
"Have some fun, make some friends. Nice, huh?"
Stephanie's words had been ringing in the back of Porsha's mind for the better part of three hours now, but it wasn't until she'd actually set foot into this classroom when the young wolf realised that she'd never played with or even really spoken to someone her own age before.
And every time she tried to approach or talk to one of the many other children playing here, she'd either been flat out ignored, or her nerves had gotten the better of her and she ran off before even saying anything. And now, here she was, quietly sitting alone on a small, wooden bench at the back corner of the room, watching all the other kids having fun and making friends without her.
Or so it seemed...
"Hmm...?"
Porsha's ears suddenly pricked up a little at what sounded like faint sniffling, which upon glancing around, she realised was coming from behind the bright red bookcase beside her. After a moment of uncertain hesitation, and checking to make sure that the teacher and other children weren't looking, the little pup clambered down off the bench and tiptoed over to the source of the noise, and carefully poked her head around the back to see where it was coming from.
It was another little girl, not a years difference younger or older than Porsha, sat sobbing quietly in the corner. Though calling her little was perhaps rather inaccurate, given that she was a lot bigger and hefiter than most of the other children.
She was dressed in blue jeans, big red sneakers, and a greenish-turquoise sweater, though Porsha still found her actual appearance rather unusual. Her skin was a light grey, and she had a long nose that stuck out from her face, with big flappy ears that were folded over her eyes, and two small tufts of brown hair at the top of her head that were tied into pigtails.
Porsha had seen older animals like this working at her father's hotel back in Redshore. They were called heffalumps, or at least that's what she'd always heard Jimmy calling them. But while she'd always found their size and big, booming voices rather scary, this smaller one just looked like she really needed a friend, which was something Porsha could certainly relate to.
"Um..." Porsha cleared her throat, finally getting the young pachyderm's attention. "Hi...?"
"Oh... hello..." The other girl's ears folded away, revealing her slightly freckled cheeks and her still slightly misty green eyes. Somehow she seemed even more scared than before as she tucked her knees into her chest and shuffled back a little. "What do... w-what do you want...?"
"Whaddaya mean...? Oh, uh... n-nothing, I don't want anything..." Porsha itched the back of her neck. "Ya just... ya just seem a little lonely, is all..."
"Oh..." The little one sighed, sniffling a bit as she wiped her face with her sleeve. "Yeah, but it's okay, I just... I just get really scared around the other kids."
"Aw yeah, me too..." Porsha giggled, hesitating for another moment or two. "Could I, uh... could I sit here with ya, then...?"
"What...?" The pachyderm's eyes widened a little. "You... you wanna sit with me? But nobody wants to sit with me."
"Well, I do..." Porsha chuckled. "Y'know, if... if it's okay...?"
The other girl thought for a moment, then shuffled over a little and patted the space she'd just left. "Yeah, okay... I'd really like that."
"Great!" The little wolf quickly shuffled over and sat down in the spot, tucking her knees into her chest just as the other girl was doing. "Oh, and uh... I'm Porsha, by the way."
"Hmm... it's really nice to meet you." The elephant answered back, her face beaming a warm red as she pulled a small smile. "I'm Meena..."
Chapter 4: New Connections
Chapter Text
Though it was a rather last minute arrangement, Stephanie was surprised that there was more than enough food to spare for her to join the Noodlemans for their lunch. They tucked into a mushroom risotto with grilled asparagus, accompanied by a cheese salad with roasted beetroots, mixed greens and crumbled parmesan cheese. With she and Porsha having mostly relied on fast food for the past few days, it was certainly a surprise to be served such a substantial yet elegant meal outside of Redshore.
"So, Miss Frangipane..."
Stephanie was snapped out of her own thoughts as she straightened up and looked over to Nana, who still remained focused on her meal without making eye contact.
"It's been a few years since you rather abruptly disappeared."
"Oh, right. Well... I kinda went off to seek my fortunes, as ya might say." Stephanie chuckled. "Just packed up everything I had, got on a bus to -"
"Yes, I heard..." Nana cut her off. "You did quite well for yourself, didn't you? Hitching your wagon to Jimmy Crystal. Next best thing to marrying royalty, I would say."
"Right... funny you should say that, Nana, because um... well, it... it didn't work out." Stephanie winced. "Yeah, that's actually why I came back."
Nana eyed her suspiciously. "You had children, did you not?"
"Uh-huh, just the one. Porsha." Stephanie realised the less-than-stellar conclusions that Nana was coming to, so she quickly clarified herself. "She's here too! Well y'know, not here here, she's at school today, but um... but yeah, I brought her back to Calatonia. I figured this was better for both of us."
Nana nodded, still keeping a neutral expression, so Stephanie then turned to face her grandson.
"So, um... what have you been working on recently, Eddie...?"
"Well..." Eddie slurped some of his soup. "I manage a baseball team."
"Oh, cool..." Stephanie nodded, just about to take a swig of her drink. "Little League...?"
"Fantasy League."
Stephanie just barely resisted the urge to burst out laughing and spit her drink everywhere, having just noticed the disapproving glare that Eddie's answer had gotten from his grandmother, so she quickly forced herself to swallow it before she spoke. "Well, that's a uh... a pretty interesting project, I'll bet."
"Hmm..." Nana sat a little straighter, now more intrigued as she finally looked at Stephanie directly. "And what exactly do you have in mind for yourself, Miss Frangipane?"
"Well, I uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat. "I've not exactly got it a hundred percent ironed out yet, Nana, but I couldn't help noticin' the Prairie's all closed down now."
"Ah, yes..." Nana pulled a rather bitter grimace. "You can thank that ruffian Graham Griswold for that."
"Griswold? What's he got to do with... uh... y'know what, never mind." Stephanie shook her head to regain her focus. "Anyways, I um... I'm wanting to reopen it."
"What for...?"
"Well whaddaya mean what for? Shows, obviously!" Stephanie stifled a laugh. "I mean, come on, Nana! Y'know, first time I saw ya singin' when I was a kid, I -"
"Ugh... please don't start talking about Golden Slumbers..." Eddie groaned, prompting another glare from his grandmother.
"Well actually, for me it was when ya did Holding Out For A Hero. But still, Nana, you were absolutely amazing!" Stephanie gushed, holding a hand over a heart. "And I bet there's a ton of little kids out there right now, just like my Porsha, and they're all waiting to be inspired, just like in the good old days!"
"They were not good old days, Miss Frangipane." Nana scoffed, though she took on a more sentimental tone as she seemed to stare off into space. "They were magnificent. And that theatre, the Prairie... it was a palace of wonder and magic."
Eddie rolled his eyes while he continued eating, though Stephanie propped up her head with both hands as she listened to Nana.
"I can recall the ushers in their velvet suits. Queues a mile long just to get a ticket. The curtain rising over that glorious stage..." Nana sighed. "Music and light, bringing dreams to life."
"Ya said it better than I ever coulda done, Nana..." Stephanie smiled, before feeling a surge of determination. "And that's what I wanna bring back. Y'know, the magic, the wonder, the music... I wanna give kids like Porsha, and... and her kids, and even their kids... I want 'em all to get a chance to feel that same feeling."
Nana regarded her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You know, you just might just be onto something there, Miss Frangipane. Perhaps it is time for the Prairie to rise again."
Stephanie felt a thrill of excitement. "Ya really mean it, Nana?"
"I do..." Nana gave a small smile. "But you must understand, my dear, it won't be easy. There's the matter of funding, and permits, and of course, you'll be having to hire a crew and performers."
"Oh yeah yeah, sure." Stephanie rubbed her temple as she tried to process all this. "I mean, I got about seven hundred grand now, but I gotta think about takin' care of Porsha, gettin' an apartment and all that. So yeah, it'll probably take a few years to get all the money and stuff to even buy the old place, Nana."
"I assume you'll be contacting Florence at least?"
"What, y'mean Florence Fletcher? Yeah, of course I will!" Stephanie laughed. "But yeah, I just... I really do believe in this, Nana. And I think if we all pitch in... y'know, me, Florence, you, all the old gang, we... we could make something real special here."
Nana pursed her lips, then gave another small nod. "Very well, Miss Frangipane. I look forward to seeing what you'll make of it."
Porsha clutched her backpack tightly as she walked alongside Meena towards the gate. Though she had been utterly terrified at this same position only a few hours prior, she certainly felt a lot better standing here now talking with her new friend, and it was clear Meena felt the same.
"Wait... you have three parents...?" Porsha tilted her head at the three adult elephants that were waving to them. "I thought ya said ya only had one, Meena."
"Oh, I do. My Mommy's that one in the middle." Meena answered, pointing to the most youthful looking of the three. "That's my Grandma and Grandpa with her. Y'know... my Mommy's Mommy and Daddy?"
"Gramma and Grampa...? Hmm..." Porsha pursed her lips and pondered this to herself, having never heard of such a thing. "I don't got any of those... or at least I don't think so..."
"Oh... well okay, I... I think I gotta go now..." Meena started shuffling over to her family, turning back again to give a shy little wave to the wolf pup. "I'll see you tomorrow, Porsha."
"Huh...? Oh, uh... y-yeah, tomorrow..." Porsha pulled a little smiled as she waved back. "Bye, Meena!"
As her new friend left with her family, Porsha went over to the bench where her mother had told her to wait, and climbed up to sit down on it. With nothing else to do, the little wolf sat here silently, focusing on the big clock that hung from the tower of the school. By the time the big hand was pointing down, all the other kindergarteners had left with their families and the parents for the older classes were starting to arrive, but Stephanie was still nowhere in sight.
"Y'alright there, dear...?"
Porsha tensed up a bit at the sound of this voice, and the fairly large shadow that was cast over herself, but she calmed down a bit when she saw the towering but still friendly-looking figure they were actually attached to.
"Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm okay." She answered. "I'm just waitin' for my Mommy. She was 'sposed to be here at three."
"Ah, well that's not a problem. I'm sure your Mummy's just running a bit late..." The gorilla carefully lowered herself down onto the other end of the bench, making sure to give the little pup a comfortable space. "My little one doesn't finish for another five minutes. So I'll just sit here with you, if that's alright..."
"Um... alright..." Porsha nodded with a small smirk. "Yeah, that'd be okay..."
They sat in silence for the better part of a minute, though Porsha spent much of that time tilting her head and studying the older woman sat beside her.
Most other gorillas that she'd seen - mainly the ones that did the heavy lifting over at the Crystal Tower Theatre - were big and scary monsters, even more so than the elephants she'd seen there. This one looked a little shorter than they were and was also on the chubbier side, but even with her unkempt, darkish-brown fur and the casual, somewhat frumpy clothes she wore, she actually looked quite pretty.
"Wait..." Porsha finally broke the silence. "Are you Florence Fletcher...?"
"Florence Fl... the Florence Fletcher?!" The gorilla laughed heartily, straightening her small, circular glasses. "Dear me. Oh, I wish, darling. I'm surprised someone your age even knows who that is!"
"PORSHA!" Stephanie's voice echoed from the small crowd of other parents while she made her way through, the wolf letting out a sigh of relief as she bolted over to the bench where her daughter was sat. "Aw, baby, I'm so sorry! Y'okay...?"
"Yeah. I'm fine, Mommy."
Porsha tried to climb down from the bench, prompting Stephanie to kneel down and help her, before looking to the other woman present.
"Yeah, I just... I got held up, lost track of time, y'know...? Sorry if she was botherin' ya..."
"Oh no no, she wasn't a bother at all... and I know it can be tough, love. It's no different when you've got an eight-year-old either..." The gorilla chuckled, crossing her legs while she studied the two wolves. "So... you two new in town...?"
"Uh... old, actually..." Stephanie scoffed, thinking for a moment before extending a hand. "Yeah, I uh... I'm Stephanie, by the way."
"Ah..." The gorilla gave a warm smile, then gently shook Stephanie's hand while answering with her own name. "I'm Mary."
The bell right above the clock on the tower then rang, as the students from the older classes all came out. While Stephanie picked Porsha up off the ground, they watched some of these kids climbing up on the old oak tree right outside the gate, which prompted an annoyed grimace from their new acquaintance.
"Right... there's my boy now..." Mary sighed, getting to her feet as she began walking towards the gate. "It was lovely meeting you both!"
"Yeah, you too!" Stephanie called, giving a small wave before she started heading down towards the bus stop with her own little one in her arms. "Well, she seemed real nice. Didn't she, sunshine...?"
"Jonathan!" Mary's harsh but concerned scolding suddenly took them - and everyone else in the area - off-guard for a brief moment, and they all turned to see her reaching up to pull a much younger gorilla down from the branch he was hanging off of. "What did I say about climbing on that bloody tree?!"
After finding a small bench for two near the middle of the bus, Stephanie had kept her gaze fixated on her phone screen while she typed some notes from her meeting, though she still made sure to keep a tight but protective grip on Porsha's hand. Eventually, the little pup found herself getting rather bored of this silence, especially since all the other passengers were almost just as tired and quiet around them, and she finally decided to speak up.
"So... what did you do today, Mommy...?"
"Huh...?" Stephanie's eyes widened a little as she snapped out of her concentration, then looked down at her daughter. "What was that, sunshine...?"
"Well, I just... ya left me at that Sir Chool place today..." Porsha pursed her lips as Stephanie scoffed, having been amused by her continued mispronunciation, but the older wolf straightened up a bit to listen again. "So... where did ya go...?"
"Uh... well, I just had a couple errands to run, baby..." Stephanie said. "Yeah, but I um... I had to go over to the Noodleman place to see Nana again. See, I'm thinkin' of buyin' the old -"
"Oh, is that my Gramma...?!"
"Wait, what?!" Stephanie's eyes bulged to their widest point, making Porsha tense back a bit. "I... how did... Grandma...?!"
"Well yeah... I was talkin' to one of my new friends today, and she lives with her Mommy too!" Porsha waffled on. "She doesn't have a Daddy, though, so her Mommy's Mommy and Daddy live with them instead, and she calls 'em Gramma and -"
"No no, baby. It... oh boy..." Stephanie stifled a chuckle. "No, Porsha. Nana's not your Grandma."
"Then why is she called Nana...?"
"Because that's her name!" Stephanie laughed. "Nana, she... she's this old singer, I used to work with her a few years back, it... ugh, never mind, but point is... she's somebody that I have a lot of respect for, Porsha, and that's why I wanna do something very special that's gonna make her real happy."
"Oh, okay..."
"Wait..." Stephanie straightened up. "Did you just say y'made a friend today?"
"Uh-huh!" Porsha nodded excitedly. "Her name's Meena. She's a heffalump! Mmfh!"
Porsha's voice was muffled when Stephanie suddenly put a hand over her daughter's mouth. Stephanie glanced over to the pachyderm couple sitting a few seats away, making sure they hadn't heard what Porsha had just said, then sighed as she looked back to her daughter and took her hand away.
"Porsha, ya can't call 'em that word..." She almost whispered. "They're called elephants."
"But Daddy calls 'em that..."
"And that's cause Daddy's a racist asshole, baby."
"Oh..." Porsha looked down to the floor. Mother and daughter both remained silent for the better part of a minute, before the little one sat slightly straighter and finally spoke up again. "Mommy...?"
"Uh-huh...?"
"What's a racist asshole?"
"Aw geez... um..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, biting her bottom lip as she thought about how to answer. "Well... let's just say it's a very mean kinda person you definitely shouldn't be."
"Oh, okay..." Porsha itched the back of her head. "I don't wanna be a racist asshole, Mommy."
"I know ya don't, Porsha." Stephanie gently kissed her little one's forehead. "Ya just gotta stop using those words Daddy uses, okay?"
Porsha nodded, pulling a small smile as she held onto her mother's hand. "Okay, Mommy."
"BLERRRRRGH... ERGH... BLAGH!"
Stephanie had tried her best to be as quiet as possible, both for Porsha's sake and the neighbouring guests in the other rooms. But even with the bathroom door locked and her head hovering right over the toilet bowl, her violent grunts and retches echoed right back at her as she continued vomiting into it.
"BLURGH! AALACK!"
Her hands were shaking, even as the gripped the edge tight, and this only made it hurt even more as she stuck her left index finger right down her throat again, prompting another disgusting onslaught into the water. Seeing the gorgeous meal that had been prepared and served to her at the Noodleman Mansion was already depressing enough when she'd been eating it a few hours earlier, and seeing the mashed up remains of it now floating in the toilet below only made the literal pit in her stomach sink even deeper.
"Ugh... oh God.. BLERRRRRGH!"
This was the last of it, but it still made tears stream down her face as she coughed and gagged, finally forcing the rest of her lunch out and flushing it down without a trace. After about a minute of taking deep, tearful breaths, she finally pulled herself back up to face the mirror above the sink, her ears drooping down as she took in every depressing detail of her reflection.
Every time she put herself through this disgusting ordeal, the dark, mascara-stained circles under her eyes and the sweat-stained ruffling of her fur seemed to age her at least a decade older than she actually was, and she shook her head in disgust before finally splashing her face with freezing water from the faucet.
But as much as she hated doing it, the habit had become far too ingrained over the past few years for her to put it away so easily.
The sudden knock at the door almost made her jolt up with fright, though she relaxed a little as she heard her naive four-and-a-half year old's voice. "Mommy...? I uh... I got my paj... my pajjy... uh... my PJ's on!"
"Oh, uh... y-yeah, good girl!" Stephanie coughed back, trying to make herself sound happy. "Yeah, I'll just be a second, Porsha. Mommy's just... she's just cleaning up..."
She heard Porsha's footsteps receding from behind the door, then let out a long, fatigued sigh as she looked back at herself in the mirror.
"Oh, she's so beautiful..."
Stephanie turned to see Suki and Jerry standing in the doorway, and noticed the saluki's eyes misting up a bit as she observed the little pup lying in the crib. The wolf was equally tearful as she knelt down beside it, gently rocking her newborn while Porsha softly snored.
Jerry and Suki both tensed up a bit when Jimmy passed by, the older wolf giving a small, but still rather smug, grin at the sight of his wife and daughter. He then turned his attention back to his phone and continued walking on, prompting his two assistants to trail behind him.
"Porsha's quite the little angel. Isn't she, sir...?" Jerry said in an eager tone, quickly shoving himself in front of Suki as the saluki playfully rolled her eyes. "I uh... I bet she's really gonna take after you, Mr. Crystal. "
"Oh-ho, I'll bet!" Jimmy let out a rather hollow chuckle as he stopped and turned back, still focusing on his screen. "So uh... it's been about two weeks now, Suki. Any idea when Steph's gonna be gettin' herself back to normal...?"
"Normal...?" Suki's eyes widened. "What... w-what do you mean, sir...?"
"I'm just saying... ain't all that fat 'sposed to go away once ya have the kid...?"
"Wait, you mean her... the b-baby weight...? But she..." Suki gulped, then tried to put on a more firm tone. "Mr. Crystal, your wife just gave birth. It's perfectly natural for her to -"
"You just leave that to us, Mr. Crystal!" Jerry cut in, still sounding as chipper as ever. "In fact, I'm gonna go and look up all the best exercise and diet programmes right now, sir! We'll have Mrs. Crystal back to her pre-baby size in no time!"
"Hmm... great. Thanks, Jerry. Sooner we get her fixed, the better..." Jimmy looked at his phone again as he and the little cat walked off, though Suki could still catch a little bit of what he was saying before they entered the elevator. "Last thing we need's her showin' up lookin' like one of those tubby little mommy pigs next time I'm puttin' on a show."
Suki struggled to restrain her disgusted sneer until her employer was definitely out of sight, but her heart sank to the floor when she turned back to the nursery. Stephanie was stood right there in the doorway, gently cradling her little pup in her arms while her eyes became red-rimmed with tears.
"Oh honey, I..." Suki struggled to speak, so instead she rushed over to pull the wolf into a hug. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that, Stephanie."
"No no, Suki, it... it's okay, really..." Stephanie pulled out of the embrace, trying to sound casual again as she wiped her tears. "Yeah, I uh... I could probably shed a couple pounds. No big deal."
"Alright, come on, you, into bed..."
Stephanie let out a tired chuckle as she pulled back the covers, then picked up her giggling four-and-a-half year-old off the floor and placed her right there on the other end. With the room only having one king-sized bed, Stephanie had decided the best option was for her to share it with her little one, and Porsha wasn't complaining about getting to stay close to her mother all night long.
She waited for Porsha to shuffle under the covers before tucking her in, then planted a small kiss on her little one's forehead. "Okay... you all good here?"
"Uh-huh!" Porsha rested back in her bed, and watched as her mother lay back too. "Hey, Mommy...?"
"Yeah...?" Stephanie jolted around, a concerned look on her face. "What is it, baby...?"
Porsha hesitated for a moment, biting her bottom lip, then finally came out with it. "Could you tell me a story?"
"A story?!" Stephanie scoffed, then shuffled over onto her side, propping herself up with her elbow. "What story...?"
"Well, I dunno, I just..." Porsha fumbled her hands together. "Meena was telling me today that her Mommy always tells her stories before she goes to bed. Y'know, like... like fairy tales, and stuff like that..."
"Oh..." Stephanie pursed her lips. "Yeah... Moms do that, don't they...?"
Porsha shrugged, still rather uncertain. "Well, if ya don't know any, Mommy, I can just -"
"Oh no, it... it's okay, sunshine, I'll think of one... alright... okay okay okay, now let me think..." Stephanie clicked her tongue as a story formed in her head, before looking back to her daughter with a smile. "Alright... I think I got one..."
"Ooh!" Porsha brightened up a bit, making herself more comfortable in the bed as she propped herself up against her oversized pillow. "Okay, I'm ready, Mommy!"
"Hmm..." Stephanie gently clasped one of Porsha's hand in her own. "Okay, well uh... Once upon a time, there was a peasant girl."
"Oh, like a bird...?"
"What? No no, that's a pheasant, Porsha. A peasant is, uh... well, it... it basically means she was poor." Stephanie waited a moment for Porsha to nod, indicating that she understood, before continuing. "Anyway, this peasant girl, she uh... well, she didn't have a Mommy, or a Daddy, but she had big dreams, and she wasn't gonna stop at anything until she made 'em come true."
"Was she a pretty peasant girl?" Porsha asked.
"Well, she didn't like to brag, but she certainly turned a few heads." Stephanie chuckled, before wincing a little. "More than she should have, really, but... but whatever, that's not the point of this story."
Porsha nodded.
"Anyways, one day she packed up what little she had and set off to the most fabulous kingdom there ever coulda been!" Stephanie continued. "She ended up marrying the King of this kingdom, and they had a little baby. Hmm... she was the most precious little princess in the whole wide world."
"I thought I was the most precious little princess in the whole wide world." Porsha interrupted, though she seemed more curious than offended.
"Well sure you are now, sunshine, but ya gotta remember this story was like hundreds of years ago." Stephanie explained, prompting a shrug of acceptance from her little one.
For a brief moment, Stephanie couldn't help feeling a little impressed with herself that she'd thought up such an easy answer on the spot, even more so that Porsha apparently didn't feel the need for further elaboration. But rather than pat herself on the back just yet, she figured she still had more story to tell.
"But when time went on, the Queen realised that she wasn't really happy in this kingdom. The King was a very mean and greedy king, and he didn't care about her or their daughter."
"If he was so mean, why did she marry him?" Porsha's question took Stephanie much more off-guard than her previous one, and the next few seconds passed in complete silence.
"Um... w-well, I... I dunno, I guess... I guess she was just... ugh..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "She made a terrible mistake."
"Oh..." Porsha's eyes widened a little at the sudden change in her mother's tone. Despite her naivete, the four-and-a-half year-old could sense that she had touched upon something sensitive. "I'm sorry, Mommy, I didn't mean to make ya sad again..."
"What, no! N-no, ya didn't, baby, it's okay!" Stephanie sounded rather desperate, but she forced a smile. "Besides, y'know, it... it's just a story, right...?"
"Right..." Porsha nodded, though she still looked a little uneasy.
Stephanie cleared her throat and continued her tale, trying her best to regain her composure.
"So anyway, the... the Queen decided to leave the kingdom and took her daughter with her, and they travelled far and wide until she found a place where they could finally be happy..." She beamed lovingly as she tightened her grip on Porsha's hand. "She became the ruler of this new land, and she and her precious little princess lived happily ever after... hmm... The End."
"Aw... that's a nice story, Mommy..." Porsha said, her earlier discomfort forgotten as she nestled back into the bed again. "Real nice..."
Stephanie smiled, still keeping a grip on her daughter's hand for another moment or two. "Alright... now it's time for ya to go to sleep, okay?"
"Okay..." Porsha yawned, already starting to drift off. "Goodnight, Mommy..."
Stephanie gently caressed her daughter's head, feeling a few tears prick at her own eyes, then she reached over and finally switched off the light.
"Yeah.. goodnight, sunshine..."
Chapter 5: Redshore With Rage
Chapter Text
Throughout the entire ride in the elevator, Suki had shut her eyes tight and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her racing thoughts and throbbing nerves as she and Jerry followed Kendall and Roman to the office. While it was only a short distance from the elevator, the saluki could almost feel the blue hallway stretching out as the large, gold-plated door seemed to get further and further away from them. But eventually, they finally reached it, and even the leopard and grey wolf on either side of her stood up stiff as a board while she reached forward and turned the handle.
The very first thing that caught her attention was the new portrait that took up the entirety of the left wall, depicting their employer in a Bonaparte-esque military uniform, as a testament to the powerful figure and great man he believed himself to be. Jimmy had this painting commissioned about a month prior - before all of this had occurred - and Suki could only assume that he'd finally had it put up today to soothe his badly wounded ego.
At the very end of the room, right behind his desk, Jimmy was stood in the sliding glass doorway that led to the balcony, overlooking the vast Redshore skyline. As he turned around to see his visitors, they saw he was holding a cup from his finest ornate china teaset, and he gave it a light blow to make the small trail of steam disappear from it.
"Well, great job, everybody..." He finally said after a good few minutes of complete silence, seeming far more calm and casual than expected as he stirred the tiny golden spoon in his cup. "That treacherous little leech has been put in her place, my daughter's safe at home where she belongs, and everything's goin' just great... yeah... we're doin' great work here... great work..."
Suki and Jerry exchanged a glance, then looked over to Kendall and Roman, both of whom remained completely stone faced despite sharing in their confusion. The little cat then cleared his throat, hesitated another moment or two, and finally took a step forward.
"Well, uh... w-well actually, Mr. Crystal, we haven't exactly -"
"YEAH, I KNOW YA HAVEN'T, JERRY, I WAS BEIN' SARCASTIC!" Jimmy finally bellowed as he threw the cup down on the floor, before sending most of the items on his desk flying with a single stroke from the back of his hand. "GOD! What the hell do I even pay ya for?!"
Roman stepped forward. "Sir, we've been searching the entire city for the last week, but there's no sign of Mrs Crystal or your -"
"The city?! She said it herself she wasn't stickin' around here, morons!" Jimmy cut in, pinching the bridge of his before he looked down to the cat grovelling at his feet. "Ya got her the damn Sealattle ticket. Didn't ya, Jerry...?"
"Oh, uh... y-yes sir, of course." Jerry stammered, clutching his tablet tight with both hands as he frantically flicked through the screen . "But... b-but it says here the ticket was never used. So I guess, uh... I g-guess that means she just didn't get on it."
"Um, if I may, Mr. Crystal..." Suki cut in, finally seizing the opportunity to lay out the alibi she'd privately concocted. "I also reached out to the RCB terminal in Sealattle, and they've not seen any sign of her on their side either. Wherever Stephanie and Porsha went, sir, it wasn't there."
"Ugh!" Jimmy paced back and forth, grunting and muttering to himself, before looking past his two assistants to see the two thugs stood behind them. "And it goes without sayin' you two are fired!"
"Fired...?!" Kendall and Roman spoke in-sync, though the grey wolf seemed especially taken aback as he removed his dark black sunglasses.
"B-but sir, you... ya can't be serious, Mr. Crystal!" Kendall's voice was naturally rather gruff, even more so than Jimmy's at time, but Suki had never heard him sound so desperate, and almost scared as he approached his soon-to-be-former employer. "But... b-but we've worked for ya for years! We've never let ya down before, sir, and we -!"
"Let me down...?!" Jimmy then turned his piercing gaze towards Kendall, almost laughing as he got right up in the other wolf's face until they were eye to eye. "Lettin' me down ain't even the half of it! Havin' to get rid of that conniving little gold digger was bad enough, but you two mutts let her break into my mansion and steal from me!"
Kendall remained silent with nothing else to argue - though even if he had, he'd still have held his tongue in Jimmy's presence - and as much as the grey wolf liked to put on an intimidating tough front, even he had to bite hard on his bottom lip as his employer continued ranting.
"So I'll tell ya what this is, buddy, and it ain't lettin' me down. It's a complete DISASTER!" Jimmy snarled. "And now that she's got the kid, I ain't even thinkin' about what's gonna happen if she ends up talkin' wherever she is!"
Everyone else's eyes widened a little in surprise for a good few seconds, though after some hesitation, Roman was the first to ask. "Uh... t-talking, sir...?"
"Yeah, of course talking! You boys know what talkin' is, don't ya...?!" Jimmy scoffed, clenching both his fists before slamming one on his desk. "This ain't about finding that little traitor anymore, this is about silencing her!"
Suki let out a small, horrified gasp - though thankfully, it seemed Jimmy hadn't heard her - and she tried her best to remain straight faced as he continued ranting to his two thugs.
"All I wanted was for you two boys to make this little problem disappear, and instead ya let her disappear with all the leverage and crap she wasn't even meant to have!" Jimmy seemed to have finally gotten most of his more visceral rage out of his system, and turned back around to race the balcony window again. "Now get out, the pair of ya!"
Suki took one final look at Roman and Kendall, noticing how the more defeated expression on the leopard's face contrasted with the more rageful look on the grey wolf's, before they both turned and left the room without a word. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she turned her attention back to Jimmy, who had slumped down onto the golden seat behind his desk.
"Well, Mr. Crystal, that um..." She hesitated for a moment. "I'm not trying to suggest that was an overreaction, sir, but Roman and Kendall have worked here since -"
"Y'know I got one rule in this whole damn company, Suki: Be useful or be gone!" Jimmy cut her off. Suki knew from previous rants that he actually had many other arbitrary rules and restrictions, but he'd often say this just to emphasise which ever one he was currently ranting about. "Those two nitwits can't come in here actin' like Stephanie's some kinda strategic genius, when they're too dumb to know their own head from their ass!"
"Right, sir. Of course..." Suki took on a more submissive posture as she stepped back, exchanging a rather spiteful glare with Jerry as the cat pushed past her.
Jimmy let out a groan, before reaching for the decanter of scotch - the only thing that he hadn't knocked off his desk - and pouring himself a glass. "Well, while I'm here... any other bad news...?"
"Uh... well, Mr. Calloway's lawyer got back to us about using his songs in the new hotel ads..." Jerry sounded cheerful as he looked at his tablet, though his smile quickly faltered. "They uh... they sent a cease and desist. Again."
"Terrific..." Jimmy snarled as he downed his glass in one go, slamming it back down on the table while he pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand. "Guy's wife kicks it and he puts his whole career on hold. Pah! I'd count myself lucky if Steph were able to just drop dead like that. It'd save us all a hell of a lotta trouble!"
Suki winced at Jimmy's callous words, but she knew better than to speak up or show any signs of disagreement. Instead, she forced herself to maintain a neutral expression, her tail flicking anxiously behind her.
Jerry, sensing the tension in the room, quickly shifted gears. "But, uh... but on a more positive note, sir, the auditions are still set for two o' clock. I um... I really think we've got a lot of really impressive acts trying out today, Mr. Crystal."
"Ugh... fine..." Jimmy finally stood up, straightening his suit and shirt as he headed out the door, and Jerry followed behind him, leaving Suki to clean up the mess he'd made of his office. "They better be good, Jerry. I think I've had my fill of folks wastin' my time for this week."
As she tidied up, Suki couldn't shake off the thought of Stephanie and Porsha out there, possibly in danger. It was preferable to think that she'd done all that she could, helping them pack and erasing the security tape of their escape, but there was no way to be certain. For now, she simply had to play her role and maintain a facade of loyalty.
Once she placed the last broken piece into the trash bin, Suki took a moment to compose herself. She straightened her posture, wiped away any tears or other traces of frustration that she was sure would be visible on her face, and headed back to the elevator.
"RRRAAAAGGGGHHH!"
Kendall kicked the door to his apartment open, the power and momentum almost sending it flying off his hinges before the grey wolf slammed it shut with just as much force.
As he dropped to his knees and gripped his head tight with both hands, the walls of his already small living space seemed to close in even more, which only worsened the wildfire of humiliation, grief and pure fury that raged within him. He forced himself back to his feet as he struggled to remove his black suit jacket, eventually tearing it off and throwing both ends halfway across the room, before giving his grey shirt and black tie a similar treatment as they all landed in a messy heap on the floor.
His primal roars and the sounds of various furniture, decorations and other valuables being tossed and shattered echoed throughout the entire apartment block. After a good half hour of releasing this pent-up fury, Kendall - now clad in an unkempt white tanktop - collapsed back onto his torn up couch, as what was once his sole place of relaxation and comfort now resembled a chaotic, war-ravaged battlefield.
In the midst of the chaos that swirled in both his mind and his home, the grey wolf shut his eyes as he remained fixated on the one who had caused his downfall, and the thought of the smug, victorious look that must have been on Stephanie's face when she escaped only fuelled his hatred even more. The grey wolf's heart pounded with a dangerous mix of anger and determination, and his knuckles almost turned white as he clenched them tight, while the thought of her scrawny neck in his grasp and the life slowly leaving her eyes played out in full, vivid detail in his mind.
"You're gonna pay for this, ya little tramp..." He seethed through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom. "Mr. Crystal wants ya silent... oh-ho, I'll make ya silent alright!"
It was after midnight when Suki finally returned home and retreated to her bedroom, holding both her shoes in one hand while her jacket was draped over the other. After changing into her bedclothes - or rather, just stripping down to her tank top and leggings - the saluki sat upright on her bed and switched on the cassette player on her side table, resuming the tape she'd been listening to before leaving that morning.
"Porsha's the only good thing I've ever gotten outta this, and there's nothing I'll ever regret more than having her with you!"
Her heart was heavy with conflicting emotions at the sound of Stephanie's voice, and her hands trembled slightly by the time Jimmy started shouting as well.
"YOU'RE LUCKY YOU AIN'T LEAVIN' OUTTA THAT WINDOW!" Though she hadn't been present for this argument, Suki could tell that Jimmy was red in the face with rage, and the sound of Stephanie's strained choking made it apparent that Jimmy had taken a tight grip of her collar. "No one makes me look like a fool! Especially not some pathetic, low-life little loser like you!"
Jerry, always the loyal assistant, had instructed Suki to erase the tape that very same night, naturally to protect their employer from any potential consequences. But while for a brief moment at the time she may have seriously considered doing so, something within her had rebelled against the notion. And now listening to the conversation play out in full, she still wasn't sure if this was the right decision or not.
"NO!" The last few seconds of the tape caught the sound of Stephanie's feet being dragged across the floor, and her frantic struggle to escape Kendall and Roman's grips. "No, you... Jimmy, please, ya can't do this! Ugh... PORSHA!"
Suki's eyes were gushing with tears when the tape finally ended, and she removed her glasses and wiped her face with one hand while carefully taking the cassette from the player with the other. Taking a deep breath, the saluki slowly opened the drawer of her bedside table and placed the tape inside, nestling it amongst the keepsakes and other little trinkets that held sentimental value to her. She then closed the drawer, shutting away this dark little secret with it, and finally sprawled back on her bed.
"Stay safe, Stephanie..." She whispered to herself, quietly repeating it a few times before she finally drifted off. "Stay safe."
Chapter 6: Building Bonds and Breaking Bones
Chapter Text
The next few weeks were quite eventful. Stephanie had managed to find a nice, spacious apartment in the central city - right in the middle of the distance between the school and the theatre - and had also found a convenient job vacancy at the Perkins Home For The Infirm. She and Porsha had also begun to gradually integrate themselves into the local community, and Stephanie had found herself getting along particularly well with the gorilla mother they'd befriended on the first day.
"Grandma...?!"
Mary stopped in her tracks and propped herself up against a streetlight as she burst out laughing, trying not to drop the two cups of coffee she and Stephanie had just bought.
"Bloody hell... first she thinks I'm Florence Fletcher, and then she thinks Nana Noodleman's her grandmother! Next thing you know, she'll be saying Clay Calloway's her godfather!" She added, making Stephanie laugh too. "I'll tell you this much, dear, your Porsha's got a wonderful little imagination."
"Yeah... she's one special kid." Stephanie chortled back, giving the gorilla a moment to get back up before they continued walking down the street together. "But uh... b-but kids don't like... need grandparents, right? I mean, obviously they need 'em, but y'know, they don't need 'em, like... around...?"
"Well, it... I suppose it depends, really..." Mary shrugged, though Stephanie couldn't help getting the impression that the gorilla was thinking some rather uncomfortable thoughts. "Johnny's got Bruce and Diedre on his Dad's side, but um... but we don't talk to my Dad."
"Oh...?" Stephanie clicked her tongue, hesitating whether or not to question this further. "But what, um... w-what about your Mom...?"
"My... m-my Mum...?"
This question made Mary freeze up on the spot, and she stared off into space for a good few seconds. Stephanie tried to study the gorilla's face during this brief silence, trying to get a sense of what was going on inside her head, before Mary finally snapped out of it and cleared her throat.
"Well, that... that's one of many reasons why we don't talk to my Dad..." Mary took on what sounded like a more hurt, and perhaps even bitter, tone as she said this. "And... and that's all I want to say about that."
"Oh... oh yeah, sure... sure..." Stephanie winced a little, barely feeling able to look the other woman in the eye as they continued walking quietly. "Look, I... I really didn't mean to prod, Mary, I never woulda -"
"No no, Steph, it's fine! Yeah, it uh... that was years ago, so..." Mary forced a smile, trying her best to look and sound casual again, though it didn't do much to salvage the awkward moment. So they remained mutually silent for most of the walk after that point, but Mary finally lit up again when they reached their destination. "Oh hey, we're here!"
"Ah, great! Come on!"
Stephanie was unusually giddy as she grabbed Mary's forearm, pulling the gorilla across the street so they were standing right in front of the Prairie Theatre. As Stephanie had previously observed, most of its windows were cracked and shattered, the few that weren't were boarded up like the doors, and the walls were all covered in messy but still surprisingly artistic neon green graffiti. But other than that, it was actually in fairly good condition, and its name was still emblazoned above the door in big, weathered letters.
"Hmm... Pray-rye the Tree..." Mary snickered to herself, while Stephanie tilted her head curiously. "Oh, it's uh... that's what Johnny called it first time I showed it him. He was only six then, so... not much of a reader."
"Aw..." Stephanie clicked her tongue, then looked back up at the sign. "Hmm... God... really is amazing seein' the old girl again."
"Yeah..." Mary held a hand over her heart, letting out a small, happy sigh. Though this quickly faltered when the wolf beside her suddenly knelt down and opened the bag she'd been carrying. "Uh... Steph, what are you doing?"
"What?" Stephanie stood back up again, having fished out a long, but fairly lightweight, iron crowbar. "Ya can't expect me to buy the place before I get the full tour..."
"Um... I don't actually think you're allowed to do that... ooh!" Mary winced a bit as Stephanie began yanking off some of the wooden boards, catching them as the wolf threw them in her direction. The gorilla straightened her glasses with her free hand, quickly glancing around to make sure they weren't being watched. "But... b-but what about the owners?"
"Pah! What owners...? Mary, this place was ditched years ago, no one's gonna care!" Stephanie chuckled, letting out a final forceful grunt as she pulled down the last few planks. "Alright, that oughta do it..."
Due to the fallen beams, rubble and other obstructions that had piled up behind the door, it took a bit more of struggle to finally open it, and they both had to step back to avoid the thick cloud of dust and smoke that came belching out of the long-neglected lobby. Stephanie switched on her phone's flashlight as she walked into the dimly lit interior, making sure to avoid treading on the broken glass and other sharp objects that were littered all over the floor, and after some hesitation, Mary followed cautiously behind her.
"Steph, I'm not even kidding. We could both get arrested for -"
"Oh-ho, would ya look at that!" Stephanie's voice echoed out as she ran into the auditorium, joyously spinning in the impromptu spotlight of the massive hole in the ceiling. "Doesn't it just make you wanna cry...?!"
"Uh-huh... yeah, for more reasons than one..." Mary held a hand to her face, trying to block out the musty smell of abandoment that met with the scent of old popcorn and stale fabric seats. "Still looks to be in good nick, though..."
"Oh yeah, it needs a little spit and polish here and there, but on the whole she looks great!" Stephanie headed over to the front row of the empty audience, pulling herself up onto the old and very creaky wooden stage. "God, would ya look at that view..."
Mary followed suit, carefully making her way to sit beside Stephanie on the edge of the stage. They sat here for the better part of a minute, neither saying a word as they gazed up at the sun shining down on them through the roof, and the oddly graceful way that the millions of dust specs danced and glowed in its rays.
"So, um... so what about your parents, Steph...?" Mary finally broke the silence, taking the wolf slightly off-guard as she turned to face her. "I mean, y'know... if you don't me prodding."
"Parents? Oh God, ya... ya mean my parents...?" Stephanie's eyes widened a little more when Mary nodded, and she stammered for a few seconds as she drummed her fingers on the wooden floor. "Um... well, that... it's gonna sound kinda crazy, but uh... I never met 'em."
"Never met them...?"
"I mean, I guess I technically did cause they had me, obviously, but uh... but no, they didn't raise me..." Stephanie shut her eyes and bit down hard on her bottom lip, trying to prevent some bittersweet - but mostly bitter - memories from resurfacing. "Cause the thing is, I uh... I was a foster kid."
"Oh... well, that... that's surprising... I mean, not in a bad way, I just... I um... well, I..." Mary stuttered, before clearing her throat again. "W-what was it like, then? The whole foster care thing. Y'know, did you ever, um...?"
"Get a family? Yeah, I kinda bounced around a few..." Stephanie sighed. "Longest family I stayed with was probably the first one. The McBrides."
"Oh yeah?" Mary said, now even more intrigued. "So how old were you...?"
"Eh, about nine, ten, I dunno. But yeah, I was there about a year or so... was pretty good startin' out, actually." Stephanie answered. "They already had a couple kids, and they were both great, and... and the Mom was just wonderful, but uh... well, I... I kinda started actin' out."
"Acting out?"
"Yeah, y'know... basically, it was Fourth of July, and I stuck a firecracker down the Dad's pants. He... and if ya asked me, he totally deserved it, but... but it was still real funny at the time!" Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose as she let out a hoarse, rather bitter-sounding laugh, though she seemed more regretful as she hunched forward. "But obviously then, they uh... they put me back in the system after that, so most other families wouldn't go near me. Anybody who did, well... I'd just act out again, and... and then it all circled back to square one, y'know...?"
"Oh..." Mary pursed her lips, looking away from a moment as she removed her glasses and wiped her face. "Hmm... and I thought I had it rough."
"Nah, it was fine..." Stephanie smirked, crossing her legs while she let her tail drape over the edge. "I mean, yeah, it was a rough couple years, don't get me wrong. But then I came over to this place, joined Nana's troupe, and well... this kinda became home for a while. Y'know, singin' and dancin' and stuff, and... all the old gang, like Caleb, and Jane, and Gerald, and... and Florence... hmm... closest thing to family I've ever had, really..."
"Yeah, it sounds great." Mary sighed, taking a more forlorn look around the big, empty theatre they were standing in. "When I was little, I'd have given anything to be up on this stage... singing my heart like you lot used to do. Hmm... wasn't meant to be, I suppose."
"Says who...?" Stephanie chuckled, gently nudging the gorilla's shoulder. "Hey, first thing I'm gonna do when I buy this place, I'm gonna make you my opening act. How's that sound, huh...?"
"Ha ha, very funny..."
"No no no, it's not a joke, Mary, I'm serious!" Stephanie laughed, but she still sounded completely sincere as she held her friend's hand. "Come on, it... I don't believe it's ever too late for ya to chase your dreams."
It was clear by the look on Mary's face that she was rather touched by this, but after a moment of what seemed to be consideration, she let out a small sigh and looked away again.
"No, it... it's alright, Stephanie. It's nice of you to say that, it is really is, but... but my time's gone..." She said, not noticing the wolf beside her completely freeze up when she said this. "Though I think if you do find yourself looking for something with a future in showbiz, my Johnny'll be the first one in -"
"TIME...?!" Stephanie suddenly shot up off the stage, lifting up her sleeve to check her watch as her eyes bulged wide. "Oh crap, it's ten thirty!"
"Ten thirty?! Doesn't your shift at Perkins start at eleven?!"
"Yeah, it does, I just... ugh, dammit!" Stephanie scrambled to pick up her back, putting her phone and crowbar back into it, then immediately bolted off towards the front door. "Oh yeah... crap, I uh... I'll see ya at the school later, Mary! Usual spot, okay!"
"Oh, uh... y-yeah, okay... take care, dear..." Mary gave a small little wave as the wolf took off, before glancing around at the big, empty husk of a building she was now sitting completely alone in. "So... do I, like, lock up or something...?"
"She shoots, she scores! WHOO-HOO!" Porsha yelled out dramatically after the ball flew into the net. Admittedly, she had initially been fairly nervous at the thought of playing soccer, but she soon found herself quite adept at it.
The class had been split into pairs to practice scoring and defending goals and Porsha, naturally, went with Meena. But while the young wolf had effortlessly gotten the ball in the net seven times in a row, she wasn't entirely certain whether it was her own talent or her partner's reluctance to even try to catch it.
But then the teacher blew her whistle, signalling the pairs to swap places. So Porsha quickly ran over to stand in the small, plastic goal net while Meena awkwardly shuffled over to the marked white area on the grass.
For the better part of a minute, the elephant quietly fidgeted with her trunk as she looked down at her feet, studying the ball that was only a few inches away. Porsha knew all too well that her friend was shy and nervous about pretty much everything she ever did, and while she was normally perfectly happy with that, the four-and-a-half-year-old couldn't help rolling her eyes impatiently.
"Ugh... come on, Meena..." She whined, though still sounding fairly playful. "All ya gotta do is kick it!"
"Um... uh, y-yeah, okay..." Meena gulped. She hesitating for a moment before giving the ball a small, dispassionate nudge with her massive foot, which only sent it quietly rolling a few inches away from herself. "Sorry..."
Despite Porsha's advice and encouragement, Meena's next four attempts weren't much better. While she'd at least gotten it closer to the goal each time, the elephant's kicks were still too weak and uncoordinated to actually make an impact, and Porsha found herself having to leave the net just to pick it up and send it rolling back to her partner.
"Meena!" Porsha groaned, no longer trying to hide her annoyance. "You're not even trying!"
"Well... well, I am, it's just.." Meena sniffled a bit, wringing her hands together. "It's just hard."
"Well then, ya gotta try harder! Like this..." Porsha demonstrated by doing a short run, then swung her foot forward to kick a small patch of grass flying into the air. "See? Don't even think about it, ya just gotta run up and kick it over!"
"Um... y-yeah, okay..." Meena placed the ball back on its white marked area, then stepped a few paces back. The elephant eyed the ball, then the net she was meant to kick it to, and closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay... here goes..."
And finally, she ran up and kicked!
The teacher and all the other children turned at the sound of the resounding THUD! as Meena's foot connected with the ball. They all watched with awe as it flew off the ground and sailed through the air, gaining even more speed as it closed in on its target. Meena's heart raced with a mix of fear and exhilaration, and what was actually less than a second almost felt like an eternity as she held her breath, watching the ball spiralling right towards the goalkeeper.
But then, rather than the soft ripple of hitting the fabric net, the ball instead made contact with the sound of a loud, sickening CRUNCH! which was then followed by a pained, piercing shriek that echoed throughout the entire field.
"AAAAAAOOOOOOWWWWWW!"
"Okay... okay, here goes..." Stephanie took a deep breath, keeping her tail tucked between her legs as she padded through the halls of the home.
She had perhaps been expecting something more rustic or old-fashioned, but she'd been pleasantly surprised by the contemporary but still welcoming décor of the home's interior, with it's cool white walls, navy blue carpets and various amateur pieces of art displayed all over them. The residents she'd already met also seemed quite happy and friendly, though the client she'd actually been assigned to apparently had a reputation of keeping to herself.
Stephanie was snapped out of her thoughts as she finally reached the door at the end of the hallway. She straightened down the stylish but still modest shirt and skirt she was wearing, while straightening herself up to project an air of confidence, then finally turned the handle and gently pried the door open.
The room was simple enough, and very clean, though it was cast in a rather dull semi-darkness with the blinds on the large window being half-closed. There was a flat-screen television in the corner, and the wooden closet and chest of drawers were slightly aged but still in good condition.
"Hello...?" A soft but slightly gruff voice spoke up, prompting Stephanie to turn to the figure sat on the bed a few feet away. "Who's that...?"
The koala was somewhere in her sixties, but was clad in a rather stylish black turtleneck and white jeans, while her thin-framed, circular glasses magnified her bright blue eyes. Though sounding rather suspicious at the wolf standing in her doorway, she looked peaceful enough as she put down the book she was reading and carefully clambered off the bed to get a better look at her visitor.
"Oh... who are you...?" She asked, straightening her glasses as she squinted a bit.
"Hmm? Oh, uh... yeah, it's um... Bernadette?" Stephanie said, before letting out a scoff. "Sorry, no, it's... I'm not saying I'm Bernadette, I just... y-you're Bernadette, right...?"
"Well, it's Bernie, but... but yeah..." The koala answered, itching under her chin before repeating her question. "So who are you?"
"Oh right, yeah!" Stephanie cleared her throat then reached a hand forward for the koala. "I'm Stephanie, I'm gonna be your new carer."
"Ah...?" Bernie gently shook the wolf's hand, then turned back towards her bed. "What happened to the last one? Uh... w-what was her name again...? G-Grainy, or something?"
"Oh, you mean Gráinne?" Stephanie hesitated for a moment as Bernie tried to climb up onto the bed, then gently held the koala's waist to help her up. "Yeah, she doesn't work here anymore..."
"She doesn't...?" Bernie raised an eyebrow. "She wasn't stealing anything, was she? Cause one of the fellas down the hall there was complaining about his carer taking stuff."
"Oh no no, she didn't do anything like that..." Stephanie chuckled. "Yeah, she just went to college. Y'know, they uh... they said she was saving up during the summer, so..."
"Ah, good... yeah, good for her... really wish my boy had that kinda sense when he was that age..." Bernie let out a small scoff, then turned to the younger woman who was now sat on the corner of the bed. "What about you? Did you ever go to college...?"
"College? No no, I uh..." Stephanie wasn't sure if it was appropriate discussing the last few years with someone who was still a stranger, but after some hesitation she figured it would be a good icebreaker for her client. "I actually moved to Redshore when I was around that age. Y'know, I uh... I was wanting to be a singer."
"Singer? Aw, geez..." Bernie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, since you're here now, I take it that didn't work out, then?"
"I guess not..." Stephanie chortled, though she had to try her best not to relive some of her most recent traumatic moments. "Yeah, it uh... it wasn't all it was cracked up to me. Me and my daughter, we... well, we barely made it out alive..."
"Really? Well, I'm real sorry to hear that..." Bernie looked down. "Y'know, my son's always dreamed of going up in the big leagues like that, but... but I always tell him, it... it's a real dangerous way of life under all that glamour and stuff..."
"Hmm... yeah..." Stephanie stared off into space for a moment. "Yeah, it really is..."
"Stephanie!" They both jolted up as one of the other carers, a young white rabbit, opened the door and ran in. "Honey, we... w-we just got a call from Calatonia Infirmary, it's about your daughter!"
"WHAT...?!"
Chapter 7: A Medical Meet Cute
Chapter Text
Even though she was fully clothed, Porsha still felt a chill from the metal table she'd been sat down on, though the coldness did help to soften the searing pain of her still oddly-angled forearm. The four-and-a-half-year-old shuffled over to the very edge of the surface and draped her legs down, casually swinging them back and forth while she looked around the large, sterile room.
The walls and cabinets were all a smooth, pure white, which only seemed even brighter with the long, fluorescent lights that hung down from the ceiling, and there was a constant but subtle hum coming from all the strange machines and equipment all around her. But then the door - which blended perfectly into the wall - finally opened, and Porsha tensed up a little as the nurse entered.
This pig looked to be around her mother's age - not a year's difference older or younger - and was clad in a plain, short-sleeved light blue shirt, with matching pants and a small white cap covering the top of her head. Though this sterile medical uniform made her look very professional, especially with the clipboard and pen she was holding, she still gave off a comforting, compassionate aura as she smiled at the young child sat in front of her.
"Hi, sweetie..." She finally said, giving a small wave before she looked at the names on her list. "It's uh... it's Porsha, right?"
"Uh... yeah. Hell-OW!" Porsha fought back tears as she clutched her forearm, having instinctively tried to raise it so she could wave back, and she felt her face flaring red as the pig climbed up to get closer to her level. "Sorry, um... y-yeah, I'm Porsha."
"Aw, that's a lovely name. It's really nice to meet you, Porsha..." The nurse said, her emerald eyes sparkling with an almost motherly warmth. "My name's Rosita, and I'm gonna be taking care of you today, okay?"
"Um... y-yeah, okay." Porsha nodded, thinking for a moment as her eyes widened in mild horror. "Wait, but... d-d-does Mommy know where we are? Cause I... I don't want her to go to school to pick me up, and find out I'm -!"
"Oh no no no, don't you worry about that, honey. We called your Mommy and told her about everything, so she's gonna come straight here to take you home..." Rosita said, calmly caressing the top of the pup's head with one hand while gently holding her forearm with the other. "Now Porsha, I'm just gonna need you to hold your arm still so I can take a look at it, okay?"
"Uh-huh..." Porsha nodded, keeping her entire body still - even holding her breath for a moment or two - while the pig inspected her injury.
"Hmm... alright..." Rosita finally spoke up again. "Looks like it's just dislocated."
"What's that mean?"
"Dislocated? Well, it um... it basically means your arm joint's not where it supposed to be... but don't worry, it's not that bad." Rosita said, before noticing the more pained grimace on the wolf's face. "I mean, yeah, it's still gonna hurt. But y'know, considering you got hit with a high-speed soccer ball, honey, you're actually really lucky it's not broken."
Porsha nodded quietly, itching the back of her head with her other hand. "But... b-but you can fix it, right?"
"Well, I wouldn't be that great at my job if I couldn't do that, sweetie!" Rosita laughed, hesitating for a moment while she gently clasped onto Porsha's left elbow. "Anyway, um... totally random question, Porsha, but what's your favourite food?"
"Ooh, that's an easy one! Me and Mommy always used to have French toast back in - ooh!" Porsha shut her eyes tight as she felt a brief but still sharp flash of pain, but after a moment it suddenly gave way to a much more relaxed feeling of relief, and she slowly opened her eyes again. "What, what... w-what happened?"
"Well, I um... I fixed it." Rosita chuckled, gesturing down towards the wolf's now correctly realigned forearm. "See? Good as new."
"Oh... th-that's it?" Porsha raised an eyebrow as the pig nodded. Her arm still ached a little as she lifted it up and clenched her fist, but it was still far less painful than it had been before. "Hmm... well, that didn't seem so bad."
"Yeah, it wasn't, was it..." Rosita mumbled quietly to herself as she reached into the small cabinet on the table, fishing out a small, red lollipop and passing it to Porsha. "And that's for being a big, brave girl."
"Ooh, thank you!" Porsha's eyes lit up as she looked at the tiny but vibrant little treat in her hand, before she noticed Rosita holding her other hand again. "Oh... what are ya doin' now?"
"Don't worry, honey, I'm just doing the finishing touches..." Rosita said while she wrapped some bright blue fabric around Porsha's arm. "I'm gonna put a cast over this so it'll heal up nice and strong."
"A cast?" Porsha tilted her head. "What, like in the theatre...?"
"Theatre...? Oh no no no, not that kind of cast, sweetie..." Rosita let out a small scoff, then finished wrapping up the bandage - tying it off with a small bow right over Porsha's hand - before getting out a more sturdy white fabric and soaking it in the sink beside the table. "So, uh... do you like the theatre, Porsha? Y'know, like singing, and dancing and stuff?"
"My Mommy does, and my Daddy's got a real big one. He's got a hotel too!"
"He does...?" Rosita raised an eyebrow when the little one nodded, then she gave a small sigh as a few older memories resurfaced. "Gosh, I... y'know, back when I was about your age, Porsha, I really wanted to be a singer. Always dreamt of getting on a bus, heading down to Redshore City, and -"
"Oh yeah, Redshore!" Porsha cut in, her excitement almost causing Rosita to drop the cast material she'd made. "That's where me and Mommy came from!"
"Really? Hmm... wow..." Rosita was at least somewhat genuinely awed, though she still exaggerated her flattered gasp as she pretended to bow her head. "Oh forgive me, Ma'am, I had no idea I was serving a celebrity!"
"Oh God... oh God, oh God, oh God!" Stephanie repeated to herself over and over again as she headed up the stairs - since the elevator was taking too long - and barged through the doors onto the main hospital wing, though she managed to slow down her hyperventilating when she ran up to the gazelle sat at the reception desk. "Uh, h-hey, I uh... m-my daughter's supposed to be somewhere here, ya wouldn't know where she's bein' treated, would ya?"
"I'll take a look now, Ma'am..." The receptionist looked to his screen. "What's her name?"
"She's Porsha, Porsha Cryst... ugh... Frangipane, Porsha Frangipane." Stephanie cleared her throat. "Yeah, she's four. Uh, she's a wolf, and... ugh, dunno why I said that, of course she's a wolf, but um... b-but I got a call from her school sayin' she hurt her hand or something."
"Oh yeah, she's being seen now in the emergency wing..." The receptionist said, quickly beckoning Stephanie back before she took off. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait for her here, Ma'am."
"For real...?" Stephanie scoffed. "But I'm her Mom!"
"Do you have any identification on you?"
"Well no, not on me right now, but... come on, man, she looks just like me!" Stephanie let out a rather hoarse laugh, but after a moment she simply shrugged in defeat. "Alright... do I just, like, wait or something?"
"Yep. Right there, Ma'am." The gazelle gestured towards the seats on the other side of the room - where several other patients and their relatives were already waiting - and then turned back to his computer.
Stephanie rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath, then calmly went over to it. The two seats at the end were occupied by a pig around her age, who was fully sat on one while propping his seemingly twisted ankle up on the other, though he was nice enough to move it over to the small table in front of him to allow her to sit.
"Aw, thanks..." Stephanie sighed with relief, quickly taking the free seat while it was there. She remained quiet for a good few minutes, listening to the faint beeping of the monitors in the wards and the muffled announcements that coming from the tinny speakers on the corners of the ceiling, before she finally decided to strike up a conversation. "So, uh... rough day, huh?"
"Yeah, fell off my bike on the way to work." The pig winced a little. "Y'know, I was basically praying for something to keep me from going to that office today, but this was not what I had in mind..."
"Talk about a happy accident, huh...?" Stephanie chortled, trying to think of what kind of jobs would actually require her new acquaintance to have an office. "So what, are you like an agent? I mean, not like a secret one or nothin' like that, but like uh... I dunno, a talent one?"
"I wish..." He scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I work at SFJ. Y'know, accounting. It's not exactly fun, but hey... pays the bills, I guess."
Stephanie nodded, pursing her lips, and they sat in silence again, while her curious ears caught bits and pieces of another conversation some of the trainee nurses were having a few feet away.
"Griswold? Just now...?" The first nurse, a daschund, said. "God... he wasn't even that old, was he?"
"Says here he was seventy-eight..." The other nurse, a fox, answered back as she looked at her phone to read the article. "Y'know, being the Calatonia Kingpin and all, you'd think he'd be killed in like a shootout or something, right...? Instead, he was just hooked up to machines like some sad little vegetable."
"Yeah... hmm..." The daschund hesitated. "Do you think those stories about him killing his wife are true?"
It was at this point Stephanie checked herself out of overhearing this talk - mainly because the subject matter they were bringing up was hitting quite close to home - and she turned her attention back to the pig sat beside her. On the one hand, the wolf had a feeling that her new acquaintance's predicament wasn't any of her business, though after studying the pig's more tired and miserable posture as he looked at his phone - where his employer was undoubtedly asking his whereabouts - she felt the sudden urge to speak up.
"Y'know, speakin' from experience... if ya ain't happy with your lot of life, like your job, or your... y-your marriage, then there's no shame tryin' something new." She said. "Cause believe me, buddy, life is way too short to spend it doin' something ya hate."
"Yeah, well... wish somebody had told me that before I dropped out of law school..." The pig answered back, sighing wistfully. "Probably woulda had my own firm by now if I'd stuck to it."
"Hey, who says ya won't...?" Stephanie playfully nudged his shoulder, though having misjudged her force, she nearly knocked him right off the seat. "Ooh, sorry! Uh... yeah, but uh... but yeah, totally. Ya gotta go for your chances and do what makes ya happy... that's the code I'm livin' by from now on."
"Mommy!"
"Porsha! Oh God, baby, I was so worried!" Stephanie's face lit up as she got down on her knees, letting her little one rush over and jump right into her arms. "Y'okay, sunshine?"
"Uh-huh! This nice nurse lady fixed my hand. See?" Porsha held up her arm, letting Stephanie get a good look at the firm white cast that now covered it. "It's kinda itchy, though, but it ain't too bad..."
The pig sat beside Stephanie watched with a small smile at the mother wolf and her daughter, though he was taken off-guard when he saw the slightly plump but still very beautiful young nurse that had finally made her way over to them.
"Oh hey there, you uh... y-you must be Porsha's Mom..." Rosita was slightly short of breath - having used most of her energy trying to catch up to the excited little wolf - but she quickly cleared her throat and straightened up as she extended a hand for Stephanie to shake. "My name's Rosita, I'm the nurse who treated her."
"Aw, glad to meet ya! Yeah, I'm Stephanie... Frangipane. And uh... well, y'already know Porsha, I guess..." Stephanie chortled. "But uh... but yeah, I really can't thank ya enough for this. Y'know, I've been sayin' this for years, but you hospital folks really don't get paid what you're worth in this line of business!"
"Oh yeah, honey, that's just a matter of fact..." Rosita chuckled, putting her hands on her hips as she pulled a small smile. "But yeah, it... it was my pleasure. You have a wonderful little girl there, Ms. Frangipane."
"Hmm... yeah, I really do..." Stephanie looked back to the little wolf in her arms and gave her a quick but affectionate kiss on the forehead, before standing back up with Porsha still in her grip. "Alright, well... guess I better get this little warrior back home before she breaks the other arm, huh?"
"Dislocates!" Porsha cut in, making Stephanie's eyes widen a little, though she climbed up to look over her mother's shoulder as they headed towards the elevator. "Bye, Rosita! Thanks for fixing my arm!"
"Oh yeah, you're welcome, Porsha! Hmm... sweet kid." Rosita beamed warmly as the two wolves descended out of her sight, before looking back down at the clipboard in her arms to find her next patient. "Alright, let's see here, uh... N-Norman? Is there a Norman here?"
"What? Oh yeah, that's me, I'm Norman!" The other pig spoke up while he clambered down off the seat, wincing a little as he lowered his twisted ankle off the table and limped over to the nurse. "Yeah, that uh... th-that's me. Hi..."
"Oh, uh... h-hello..." Rosita found herself stammering as she froze up, taken slightly off-guard by the handsome young man standing in front of her.
For a good few seconds - though it seemed a lot longer from their perspective - it felt as though everyone and everything else around the two pigs had completely vanished into thin air, and the pair were simply standing in an otherwise empty void as they gazed silently at each other. Until the sudden BEEEEEEEP! of a machine in one of the other rooms finally snapped them out of their smitten trance.
"Ugh... sorry..." Rosita chuckled, straightening herself up again before she gestured to the end of the hallway. "Shall we...?"
Chapter Text
Although there was still a notable chill in the early autumn air, the mid-morning sun was shining like the brightest of summer days as Stephanie made her way down to the Calatonia Wharf. It was a mile long structure stretching alongside the city's main shoreline, about a thirty minute walk from the Theatre. Though mainly used as a shipping and loading dock during the winter and spring months, the wharf's main claim to fame was the annual Autumn Festival, which Stephanie had recently learned had been hosted for the last few years by a new organisation: the Fletcher Foundation.
So with the preparations for the occassion already underway, as evidenced by the set crew that were hard at work, Stephanie felt it was a good opportunity to finally reacquaint herself with her old troupe members.
The large, wooden stage at the very edge of the wharf was still there after all these years, just as Stephanie remembered it from years ago. Though she was rather surprised when she saw three small children that were all sitting and playing together in the centre of it.
Two of the little ones - a gorilla and a serval, both dressed in blue - looked to be around Porsha's age, while the third one - a smaller gorilla, clad in a vibrant red shirt - couldn't have been older than two. Yet despite their young age and diminutive size, Stephanie couldn't help finding the youngsters awfully familiar, especially the older gorilla girl, who clearly already had the makings of a diva.
"- and then the Pirate Queen swings in and... and, uh..." The girl cut herself off when she turned and finally spotted the unfamiliar wolf that was standing in front of the stage, before holding onto the smaller gorilla closer while she continued suspiciously eyeing the visitor. "Auntie! There's a weird lady looking at us!"
"Darling, I told you not to bother the crew members..." A more familiar voice responded as Stephanie looked over to the far corner of the stage.
The older gorilla that this voice belonged to wore a casual but stylish black blazer over a glittering white shirt, and seemed to have a slight limp on her right foot while using a long, black cane with a silver orb handle to steady herself. For a good few seconds she still had her eyes glued to a clipboard in her hand, though after Stephanie cleared her throat, the gorilla finally looked over, pulling an expression that almost made her look like she'd seen a long-dead ghost.
"Well well well..." She finally said, a friendly smile tugging at her face as the wolf climbed up on the stage. "Hello, stranger!"
"Hmm... hey, Florence." Stephanie chuckled, keeping her hands in her pockets as she tilted her head. "Long time no see."
"Oh yes, of course, Steph, I just... God, I just can't believe you're here!" Florence reached a hand forward for Stephanie to take, but was slightly surprised when the wolf pulled her into a hug instead, though this allowed her to catch the eye of two other adults passing by the stage. "Ooh... Caleb, Jane! Look who it is!"
"Caleb and Jane are here...?" Stephanie pulled out of the embrace, turning around to see the tall, slender caracal and the shorter serval that were stood there. "Oh my gosh... hey, you guys!"
"Stephanie!" The serval got up on her tiptoes while the wolf knelt down on the edge of the stage, allowing them to embrace. "Oh darling, it's lovely to see you!"
"Certainly been a few years..." Caleb smiled, though he seemed slightly put off by the wolf's much thinner frame. "You look, um... you look well, Steph."
"Aw, thanks. So do you guys..." Stephanie said, studying her old friends for another moment or two. "So, uh... so what's been kickin' the last couple years, huh? Ya still doin' your magic shows, Mr. Incredible Caleb?"
"Oh no no, not anymore." Caleb affectionately patted Jane's shoulder. "Yeah, I've not had the time after my two assistants settled down."
"Settled down?" Stephanie glanced over to Jane, her eyes widening as she noticed the ring on the serval's finger. "Holy crap, Jane, you and Gerald tied the knot?!"
"Yeah, five years next spring..." Jane held up her hand to show the ring off, beaming warmly as she glanced over to the much younger serval sat with the two gorillas a few feet away. "You might have already met our Tim there."
"Aw yeah, he's a cute little fella. Just you wait, though, he'll be a strapping young Adonis when he gets a little bigger!"
Stephanie chuckled as she glanced over to the little one, who's face turned a bright, embarrassed red when he realised he was being looked at. She then turned her attention to the two young gorillas Tim was still sat with, turning back to see Florence watching them fondly.
"Hmm... I take it those two are your girls, huh?"
"Eh, that noisy little drama queen here is my brother's daughter, Marilyn..." Florence playfully rolled her eyes, though she knelt down with a welcoming smile when she noticed her niece was carrying the smaller gorilla over to her. "This one's my Audrey. Hmm... my special little superstar."
"Aw..." Stephanie clicked her tongue as she watched the little one clambering up Florence's arm and finally resting on her mother's shoulder. "Y'know, call me crazy, but I always felt like ya had kind of a Mom energy, Florence."
"Oh, I'm flattered. But, um... but what about you, Stephanie?" Florence asked. "You had a daughter, didn't you? I um... I'm wanting to say Ferrari?"
"Yeah, it's Porsha, actually..." Stephanie corrected with a smirk. "You were pretty close, though. Y'know, cause of the uh... the car thing. But yeah, she's here with me, we're both doin' great."
"Ah, good..." Caleb spoke up again. "How long are you two here for, then?"
"How long? Oh... well, uh... f-forever, actually." Stephanie winced a little as they all looked at her, itching the back of her neck. "Yeah, I uh... things didn't exactly work out in Redshore, so we're kinda just startin' over. It's why I came over here to see you guys, actually."
"Oh..." Florence's eyes widened a little, her curiosity now piqued. "What do you mean, dear?"
"Well, I uh... I'm gonna buy the Prairie." Stephanie said, though she couldn't help noticing the utter lack of enthusiasm on all her old friend's faces. "Y'know, fix it up, get it open again, put on shows and stuff?"
"Reopen the Prairie? Steph, it's a bloody wasteland now!" Jane nearly laughed. "Last show we had on in there was the one where Florence fell and broke her leg!"
Stephanie glanced over to Florence again, noticing the gorilla grip her cane tighter in one hand while holding her little one closer with the other. "Well, uh... y-yeah, it's not exactly in pristine condition, guys, but it's nothing a little spit and polish won't fix! A-and I'm already savin' up cash for it, too, so if ya all chip in what ya can, then -"
"Stephanie, I um..." Florence cleared her throat, wincing a bit as the wolf looked over to her. "I really hate to say no to you, old friend, but um... I'm going to have to turn that down."
"What...?!" Stephanie nearly shouted, looking over to Jane and Caleb as they gave similarly reluctant expressions. "But... b-but you guys can't be serious, we... we loved that theatre! Y'know, the... th-the shows, the memories, it -"
"Yeah, and we'll always cherish them." Caleb interrupted, glancing over to the middle of the stage where Marilyn was pinning down and tickling Tim. "But we've all got other priorities now, Stephanie. Y'know, the... the children, the Foundation, the Festival. We can't afford to keep living in the past."
Stephanie couldn't help feeling her heart sink a little as feelings of disappointment and slight frustration slowly bubbled inside her.
"Well, that uh..." She cleared her throat, trying to sound less hurt than she actually was. "That's not exactly what I was hopin' for you guys to say here, but... but y'know, if that's the choice you're making, well... I can't exactly force ya to do this with me."
"For what it's worth, Stephanie, there's... there's definitely potential..." Florence hesitated, placing a hand on the wolf's shoulder. "It's not a path we're taking, but... but it doesn't mean you can't."
"Uh-huh... y-yeah, I know..." Stephanie sighed, forcing a smile while she climbed down off the stage, before putting her arms in her pockets as she started walking away from her old friends. "I just... I guess I just really wanted to make it like the good old days, y'know...?"
"Damn, baby, that's a lotta names!"
Although Stephanie had initially intended for them to enjoy the more scenic route home, she couldn't help admiring the sheer number and variety of signatures that had been etched onto her daughter's cast, while Porsha explained each name and the animals who had put them there in long-winded detail. Though this was still a perfectly fine way to distract her from the rather crushing disappointment that she'd felt from her visit to the Wharf a few hours prior.
"Hmm... I don't see Meena's name anywhere here, sunshine..." She said after some closer inspection.
"Ooh, it's this one here! See...?" Porsha held up her arm again, pointing to the barely comprehensible name written on the palm. "Y'know, for somebody with real big hands, she writes real tiny, doesn't she, Mommy...?"
"Yeah, she does. I hear that's a good thing, though." Stephanie pursed her lips. "Back when I was in school, they'd always get mad at me for writin' too big. Goin' off the lines, not spacin' it out, all that stuff."
Porsha nodded, but she now seemed more conflicted. "She was still real sad about what happened, though. She keeps sayin' sorry to me all the time..."
"She did? Aw..." Stephanie clicked her tongue. "That just means she cares about ya, sunshine."
"Yeah, I guess." Porsha shrugged. "But it was a lotta weeks ago, Mommy! And I keep tellin' her it's okay, but she just doesn't get it."
"Ah, that's okay... she's probably just shocked still, but that'll pass." Stephanie chuckled. "God, I wish folks would say sorry to me that many times, Porsha. I'm almost kinda jealous of ya!"
Porsha giggled, though she straightened up a little at the sight of the tall, wrought iron gate they were walking past. "Oh... I didn't know we was goin' this way home, Mommy... that's the scary stone place."
"Scary stone place? Oh come on, sunshine, it's just a cemetary! There's nothin' in there to be scared of..." Stephanie said as they stopped for a moment, letting Porsha get a better look. "See? Looks kinda nice, huh...?"
To Porsha's pleasant surprise, the Calatonia Cemetery was nothing like the gothic, horrifying wastelands that she'd seen in movies and music videos, and with its bright green grass, various colourful wild flowers and strong confident oak trees lining both sides of its various paths, it almost looked quite welcoming.
Though the two wolves' attention was quickly drawn to the very busy service that seemed to be carried out on the far side of the area. Fifteen rows of benches had been set out in front of the newest gravestone, though it's coffin still remained in the open, and the seats all filled to the brim with animals that were dressed in black to fit the solemn occasion.
"I suppose I'll start by saying that Graham Griswold was known for many different things to many different folks..." A rather familiar voice echoed off from the slightly tinny microphone, and Stephanie squinted a little at the podium to see a gorilla stood there, dressed fully in black as everyone else was. "Calatonia Kingpin, Boss, the Big Man, um... well, Mr. Griswold was probably the obvious one."
"Hey, that's Johnny's Mommy!" Porsha cut in as she leaned into the gate, though Stephanie had to hold her little one back so she didn't slip through the bars.
Stephanie had initially assumed that her daughter had just got her gorillas confused again - just as she'd mistaken the first one she'd seen for Florence on her first day at school - though after squinting a little, she realised that it was indeed Mary speaking at the podium, though her face and eyes were mostly concealed by the veiled fascinator hat she was wearing.
"Huh... I didn't know she knew Griswold..." Stephanie muttered to herself, cupping her chin curiously. "I wonder what she's doin' here..."
"What are any of 'em doin' here...?" Porsha tilted her head, her innocent gaze still fixated on the mourners. "What are they all sad for, Mommy?"
"Hmm...? Oh, uh..." Stephanie stammered for a moment or two as she knelt to Porsha's level trying to think of the best way to explain this. "Well, y'see, Porsha, that's uh... that's a funeral goin' on over there. See that long box...?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, there's a fella in that box who all these folks really liked..." Stephanie said. "And... and y'know, now that he's gone, sunshine, they've all come together to talk about how much they miss him. I mean, yeah, it's kinda sad, but in a way it's uh... it's celebratin' him too."
"Oh... okay..." Porsha let go of the bars of the gate and took a few steps back, letting Stephanie take ahold of her right hand as they continued walking down the street. They both remained silent for the better part of a minute, though the burning question on the five-year-old's mind almost seemed to be eating her up on the inside, until she finally came out with it. "Mommy...?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"Am I gonna get a funeral too...?" Porsha asked.
"Aw geez..." Stephanie let out a scoff, trying her best to sound casual without slipping into an existential rant. "Well... probably. But don't you worry, sunshine, cause ya ain't gotta start thinkin' about that for a long, long time, sunshine!"
BZZZZZZZTTTTT!
The sound of the doorbell made Suki jolt up a bit, though she let out a sigh of relief when she went to the door to let her visitor. "Oh... thanks so much for coming, Charlie..."
At face value, the male saluki seemed slightly shorter than herself, though after Suki took off her boots she saw that she was now standing three inches shorter than her brother, just as she'd always been growing up. Beneath his grey suit jacket, Charlie's shirt and tie were both shades of green - contrasting the brighter green, blue and turquoise colour scheme of his sister's clothes - and the long, eagle-headed cane in his hand helped to steady the very severe limp in his right leg.
"Well, I'm here now, sis..." He finally spoke up as he took a seat on the long, white couch in the centre of the room, pulling a small, reassuring smile when Suki sat on the smaller seat opposite him. "What did you wanna talk about?"
"I um... I just really need some advice." Suki took a deep breath. "Y'know... legal advice."
"Ah. I suppose you're asking the right guy, then..." Charlie answered back, holding a hand over his heart as he dramatically reintroduced himself. "Charlie Lane, Attorney at Law, at your service."
"Ha ha, very funny..." Suki rolled her eyes playfully, before hunching forward with a more serious expression again. "It's about Stephanie."
"Stephanie Crystal?"
"Oh, uh... y-yeah." Suki cleared her throat. "It's um... it's about when she and Porsha left."
"Suki, I've already advised Mr. Crystal to file a missing persons report, and he wasn't interested in that." Charlie sighed. "Y'know, for someone so deadset on finding his wife and daughter, he doesn't seem that willing to try."
"Oh believe me, Charlie, he has his ways..." Suki let some bitter venom sneak into her voice then, gently drumming her fingers on the armrest while she thought to herself. "But it's not that, there's... there's a tape."
"A tape?"
"Yeah, from... f-from the night she left." Suki said. "She, um... she was planning to leave, yeah, but she... sh-she didn't leave willingly, Charlie."
"She didn't...?" Charlie raised an eyebrow, straightening his rounded rectangular glasses. "What do you mean by that, Suki?"
"Well, they... th-they got into a fight. Stephanie was talking about leaving, and... and taking Porsha with her, but Jimmy, he... he really didn't like that. So he had his thugs take her out..." Suki's eyes widened a little, and she shot up slightly to correct herself. "They removed her, I mean! Yeah, they didn't... they didn't take her out like that."
"Ah, okay..." Charlie reclined back on the couch, cupping his chin as he nodded knowingly. "Hmm... so let me guess. They tried to send her away, get rid of her, so she broke back in and took Porsha along with her?"
Suki hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
"Right, well that... that complicates things for Mr. Crystal, then." Charlie said. "And... and that's all on the tape?"
"Uh-huh. The fight, the threats, her getting dragged out..." Suki felt her eyes misting up a bit, though she couldn't help chuckling as she thought of something Jimmy would always say. "The whole shaboodle."
"Hmm..." Charlie thought some more. "Suki, if something like that were to get out, it... it'd ruin him."
"I know, and part of me just really wants to come out with it, y'know, for... f-for Stephanie's sake, but... but if I'm the one who does it, who knows what he's gonna do..." Suki said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And it's not just me, there's... there's you, and... a-and Ellie and Cherry. I can't put you guys through that."
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, it... it's tough, I get it."
Suki sighed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of her dilemma. She looked at Charlie with pleading eyes, hoping that he would have a solution she hadn't thought of yet.
"Charlie, what am I gonna do...?" She whimpered, her voice filled with both frustration and fear.
"I... I really can't answer that right now, Suki." Charlie leaned forward. "But, um... but where's the tape now, do you have it?"
"Y-yeah, it's in my room... Jerry wanted me to destroy it, but... well, I didn't..." Suki prepared to stand up. "Do you wanna hear it?"
"No no, Suki, just... just sit down." Charlie sighed. "For now, you just need to keep it hidden and make sure nobody else knows about it. Especially not anybody at Crystal Entertainment."
"What...?" Suki's eyes widened in surprise. "But... b-but what about Stephanie and Porsha? I mean, they're out there hiding God knows where, and it's only a matter of time before he tracks them down! I have to help them somehow, Charlie!"
"I know, and you can, but you have to be strategic about it..." Charlie said sternly, reaching over to take his sister's hand. "Look, I know Stephanie and Porsha mean a lot to you, Suki, but you leaking that tape right now would just put even more of a target on their backs."
"Ugh..." Suki bit down hard on her bottom lip, feeling some small tears pricking at her eyes again as she removed her glasses to wipe them away. "So what, I just... I just wait, then?"
"For now..." Charlie said. "One way or another, Suki, that tape is gonna get out there. But you need to wait until the opportune moment. When Crystal's at his most vulnerable."
"Oh, terrific..." Suki rolled her eyes. "And how the hell am I even supposed to know when that moment is, Charlie?"
"Hmm... you'll know, sis." Charlie smiled encouragingly. "Trust me, you'll know."
Suki nodded, then reached over and pulled her brother into a tight embrace, burying her head in his shoulder. "Hmm... thanks, Charlie."
"Yeah..." He said warmly, slowly returning the embrace as he stroked the back of his sister's head. "Any time, Suki."
After another half hour or so of catching up, Charlie finally excused himself and picked his cane back up, prompting Suki to lead him over to the door. She watched him make his way down the steps, the sound of his cane tapping against the concrete becoming fainter and fainter the further down he went, before she finally stepped back inside the apartment and closed the door again.
Charlie's words still stuck with her for the rest of the night, even when she'd retired to her room and got into bed, and they continued to swirl in her head as she stared up at the ceiling.
"The opportune moment..." She repeated to herself, finally nodding in acceptance. "Hmm, okay... the opportune moment."
Notes:
Just wanted to give another quick shout out to UNCLE SAM THE MAN, the creator of Suki's OC family (her brother Charlie, his wife Ellie and their daughter Cherry) from his wonderful Moon Family series. I really appreciate you letting me use Charlie here, and even though it's a fairly small role, I'll certainly do my best to do your OC justice! Take care!
Chapter Text
At least at face value, the next few weeks were fairly uneventful. Whenever she wasn't dropping Porsha off at school, taking her to the hospital to get her arm treated, or going to the Perkins Home to look after Bernie, Stephanie was mostly confined to her room at her apartment, drafting, rehearsing then re-drafting and re-rehearsing her prospective plan to present to the representatives of the SFJ Bank.
There a slight but still fairly comfortable chill in the crisp October air, and the vibrant hues of red, orange and yellow on all the trees painted quite the picturesque backdrop to Stephanie and Porsha's morning walk. Stephanie kept a tight but still gentle grip on Porsha's left hand, which had been fully healed and released from its cast around a week or so prior, though the five-year-old was never one to complain about staying close to her mother all the way up to the gate of the kindergarten entrance.
"Alright, same as always, baby..." Stephanie knelt down to Porsha's level, her warm breath slightly visible in the air as she did some final checks of the little one's backpack. "I'm gonna be right here at three when ya come out, okay...?"
"Okay!" Porsha then jumped up, throwing her arms around Stephanie's neck and giving the older wolf a kiss on the cheek. "Love ya, Mommy!"
"Hmm... love ya too, sunshine..." Stephanie pried herself from the embrace and gave Porsha a quick little peck on the forehead, then held open the gate to let the pup run over to Meena. "Have fun, Porsha!"
Stephanie then stood back up and took a few steps away from the gate, her goldish-green eyes surveying the crowd of other parents as she tried to search for a familiar face. She eventually did find one, and while it wasn't the one she had been hoping to see, the young gorilla heading alone towards the main school entrance was a good enough substitute as she quickly ran over to him.
"Oh, uh... Johnny! Hey, Johnny, just hold up a second!"
"Huh...?" The boy stopped at the gateway and removed the earphones he'd been listening to, keeping a grip on his backpack as he turned to face the much taller wolf. "Oh... hi, Stephanie. I mean, Miss um... Miss Franga... uh... Frangee...?"
"Oh no no, sweetie, Stephanie's fine..." She chortled, hunching a little closer to his level as she cleared her throat. "Anyway, I uh... I've not seen your Mom the last couple days, is she here?"
"My Mum...?" Johnny bit his bottom lip, then shrugged. "No, she um... I don't think she's been feeling very well."
"Aw, really..." Stephanie tilted her head. "What, she got the flu or something...?"
"Well no, I... I don't think so." Johnny rubbed his arm and took a few steps closer to the door, the nine-year-old clearly not wanting to continue this conversation much longer. "She's been acting weird."
"Weird...?" Stephanie bit her bottom lip, feeling her claws anxiously dig into the fabric of the gym back slung around her shoulder. "It's uh... it's not cause of the funeral, is it?"
She noticed Johnny freeze up on the spot when she said this, which did quite a lot to answer her question despite his silence. Though after a moment or two he snapped out of this brief catatonic state and quickly shook his head, keeping it lowered as he shuffled closer to the door again.
"I um... I... I..." He stammered nervously, before finally clearing her throat as he straightened up a bit. "My Mum and Dad say I'm not supposed to talk about that."
"Really...?" Stephanie kept a neutral expression, though on the inside she felt her heart sink a little. She had hoped for a different answer, one that would relieve her concerns, though all this one really did was raise more questions, but she could at least tell this wasn't the right place or individual to ask them. "Alright, I'll uh... s-sorry to keep ya waitin' there, honey, you go ahead..."
Johnny nodded, then quickly turned around and bolted straight through the door, making a run for his classroom before Stephanie could change her mind and question him further. Stephanie hung back there for another moment or two, focusing on the young gorilla until he finally vanished from sight, and the hundreds of thoughts swirling in her head about what she had seen in the cemetary were slowly turning into thousands.
Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off
The sudden burst of music made Stephanie jolt up for a moment, though the subtle buzzing in her back pocket made her realize it was one of her ringtones, and she reached into her pocket to pull out her phone and answered.
"Oh... hey, Rosita... yeah, I can talk, what's up...?"
"But this is not just a broken down old building. Oh no, not at all. It's a palace of wonder, and magic, but above all else, it's a place full of history... a long, proud history, almost as much as Calatonia itself!"
Stephanie continued gesturing towards the flip chart she'd set up, then straightened up again as she prepared to wrap up her long-practiced pitch. She'd been going on seamlessly for the better part of five minutes, and her audience of one still seemed quite engaged, so all she had to do was bring it on home for the final stretch.
"And with this renovation project, I'd like to have the opportunity to continue that history. To inspire the next generation, just as mine was all those years ago . If I can breathe new life into this hallowed temple, I won't just be bringing back a place for folks to sing and dance in. I'll be restoring a vital part of our city's community!"
She lowered her head as she finished talking, before casually flicking the switch beside her to turn the lights in the room back on. "Well, uh... w-whaddaya think? Pretty good, huh...?"
"Hmm... well, you uh... you've definitely got the charisma for it, kiddo, I'll give you that..." Bernie nodded, shuffling over to the edge of her bed as Stephanie helped her down to the floor. "You think the bank lady's gonna take to it...? Uh... what'd you say her name was again?"
"Oh, uh... Judith. Yeah, Norman said her name was Judith..." Stephanie said, rolling her eyes with a scotch. "She's apparently a real stick in the mud. Y'know, like uh... like hard to please and stuff."
"Ah well, I'm pretty sure you've gotta be when you're in that line of work..." Bernie said, prompting Stephanie to shrug in acceptance. The koala was slightly shaky, but stable enough, as she made her way over to the dresser on the other side of the room, pulling out a darkish-red shawl to drape over her shoulders. "What's the place you're wanting to buy, anyway?"
"The place? Oh, nothing, it's uh... it's just some old broken down building downtown..." Stephanie said, putting her hands in her pockets.
While Stephanie felt she had gotten quite close to Bernie - and was sure that Bernie had taken a shine to her too - in the weeks she'd been working at the Perkins Home, the old koala had made her disdain for the performative arts quite apparent. So while she had greatly appreciated all the advice and feedback that Bernie had given her about this pitch and her long-term business plans, the wolf still couldn't bring herself to say it was the local theatre that she'd set her sights on.
"But anyway, uh..." She spoke up after a moment of rather awkward silence. "Do ya really think the presentation's good, Bernie?"
"Oh yeah, absolutely. Hmm... you might wanna consider rewording some of that last stuff, though..." Bernie said as she made her way back over to her bed. "Y'know, that whole hallowed temple thing makes it sound like you're talkin' about a church or something."
"Ah... yeah, that uh..." Stephanie cringed a little as she looked to her notepad, quickly crossing out that section. "That's a good point, actually."
"Then again, it's not the old church place you're trying to buy, is it...?"
"Oh no no no, it's not that..." Stephanie forced a laugh. "Yeah, I think I've committed more than enough sins in my lifetime."
Bernie chuckled, shaking her head as she climbed back up to her pillow. "Well, uh... well other than that, it seems pretty great. Yeah... I definitely think that Judith lady's gonna like it."
"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I mean, it's not that I don't like workin' here and all, seeing ya and stuff, but... well, I gotta admit, I'm real passionate about this whole project, Bernie..."
"Yeah, I can tell. You actually remind me a lot of my son..." Bernie pulled a small, possibly proud smile, though she still seemed rather uncertain. "Y'know, Baxter always told our kid to... to dream big dreams and stuff, but... well, passion can only take you so far. There's no point chasing a dream if you're not gonna be able to keep it going."
"Hmm... yeah, I've learned that the hard way..." Stephanie itched under her chin as she eyed the doorway, her eyes widening a little as another thought popped into her head. "Say, uh... didn't you say they were comin' to see ya today...? Your husband and your son, I mean..."
"I did...? Wait, is it Monday...?" Bernie pursed her lips, then glanced over to the calendar that was hung up on the wall, rolling her eyes in a playful manner. "Ah, so it is. Alright... look Steph, I'll let you know right away, my kid's a lot to take in. So you might find yourself a little -"
"Actually, um... ugh... I really hate to do this to ya, Bernie, but I actually gotta run..." Stephanie reached into her pocket and fished out her phone, before folding away the flip chart and shoving it into her gym bag as she gathered the rest of her belongings. "Tell 'em I said hi, okay!"
"Oh, uh... y-yeah, okay..." Bernie was rather taken aback by how quickly the wolf took off out the door, though she couldn't help letting a small smile cross her face as she looked over to the pictures on her bedside table, particularly focusing on the happy young koala that was posing in the centre of the biggest one. "Yeah... probably a good thing not having the two of you in the same room..."
From her past few visits to the Calatonia Infirmary - mostly regarding treatment for Porsha's arm, and the subsequent removal of her cast - Stephanie had rather gotten used to the the smooth white walls, the bright fluorescent lights, and the rather sharp scent of antiseptic that she always sensed as she made her way through the hospital wing to Rosita's office. Though she was rather taken off-guard when she opened the door to see the nurse holding one of her tools like a microphone while she belted out the chorus to the song playing on the radio.
This is...
The part when I say I don't want ya
I'm stronger than I've been before
This is...
The part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more
"Gah!" Rosita jolted up when she finally turned around and realised she wasn't alone, almost looking like she was about to suffer a heart attack, though she quickly straightened up again and cleared her throat. "Ah, uh... Stephanie, hi! Yeah, um... s-sorry about that, I was just on break, so... kinda got a little lost, then."
"Oh no no, it's fine. Yeah, it's amazing, actually..." Stephanie chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "Y'know, ya got a great set of pipes on ya."
"Really...? Hmm..." Rosita tilted her head when Stephanie nodded, a rather flattered red beaming on her cheeks before she looked away. "Norman's said so too, but y'know... kinda figured he was just being nice."
"Oh yeah, I can see he's been real nice..." Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she gestured towards the big, beautiful bunch of roses that were sat beside the radio on the windowsill, a gift from Rosita's all-but-confirmed boyfriend.
It had occurred to Stephanie that Norman getting this particular flower for someone called Rosita was perhaps a little on the nose, but she had to admit it was still a very romantic gesture nonetheless, especially from someone who didn't have cash to burn like her own ex did.
"Well, uh... anyways, what was it ya wanted to talk about? Y'know, ya said it was pretty urgent."
"Huh? Oh yeah, urgent stuff. Well, uh... why don't you just take a seat, honey?" Rosita gestured towards the operating table, letting Stephanie sit down while she went to her desk to get the file. "Yeah, so... y'know how we had you go through that check-up the day we took off Porsha's cast?"
"Uh-huh..." Stephanie nodded, casually draping her tail over her lap as she softly stroked it. "Yeah, I remember."
"Well, I had a quick look at the results and I just had a few, um... I don't wanna say problems, just... minor concerns." Rosita opened the page, trying to find the section she was talking about. "I guess the first thing worth mentioning is your weight."
"Oh God..." Stephanie grumbled under her breath as she put a hand to her face. She had to try her best to fight back tears as she sat a little straighter again, though she couldn't disguise the fearful tone in her voice. "Look, I put on a ton when I was havin' Porsha, and I really have been tryin' to keep it all off, Rosita, but it's just so damn -"
"No no no no no, that's not what I'm saying at all!" Rosita took on a more motherly-sounding tone - though it almost sounded like a reprimand - as she took the wolf's trembling hand. "Honey, you have to stop losing weight!"
"I know, but I... wait..." Stephanie's eyes widened. "Stop?"
"Yes! Stephanie, look at your waist, you're insanely underweight for a wolf your age... alright, I got the number somewhere here, uh..." Rosita quickly skimmed through the pages of her document. "Ah, there it is. Yeah, last we checked you're only around 67 pounds."
"Oh..." Stephanie bit her bottom lip. "How much am I 'sposed to be?"
"Ninety at least, but even that's pushing it!" Rosita let out a sigh. "Sweetie, I dunno what kind of diet you've been on since you had Porsha, but you're way past the point of needing it now. Add that to what's been going on with your liver, and -"
"Liver...?!"
"Ugh... yeah..." Rosita shook her head as she turned the page again. "I um... I don't usually prod about this sorta stuff, but um... do you drink, Stephanie?"
Rosita noticed the wolf's entire body freeze up when she said this, as her claws dug right into the metal table she was sat on. The slight twitches in Stephanie's eyes and nose, and the soft, strained whimpers being forced out of her mouth almost made it seem like she was reliving some rather uncomfortable memories, though she eventually snapped out of it in order to finally give a verbal answer.
"I... I did, a lot..." She said. "But not after... after, uh... no, not anymore."
"Okay, well that's good." Rosita nodded, finally letting Stephanie see the document in her hand as she pointed to the X-Ray scan paperclipped to the page. "I don't know when exactly you stopped, but it's a good thing you did. If you kept that up, plus you not eating, well... I hate to think what could have happened."
"Ugh... well, if you're trying to get me to eat more, Rosita, that's definitely ruined my appetite..." Stephanie forced a laugh, though the more serious look on Rosita's face only made her feel even more unnerved. "But um... b-but yeah, that does look pretty bad. So what happens now? Do I gotta have like a surgery or something?"
"Oh no, nothing like that, thank goodness..." Rosita took on her usual tone again, closing the document and putting it back in her desk. "Like I said, you're really lucky we found this when we did. If you're already stopped the drinking, all you need to worry about now is eating more."
"Uh, yeah... y-yeah, okay... I'll get right on it..." Stephanie shrugged with a smile, before lowering her head as she bit her bottom lip again. "But y'know, he, uh... he made it do it."
"Hmm...?" Rosita turned back to face her. "What was that, honey?"
"He... h-he made me do it. Porsha's Dad." Stephanie felt her eyes misting up again. "I was pretty lean and stuff when I first met him, then I kinda ballooned and stuff when we were havin' Porsha, and... hmm... she was barely even outta me before he was talkin' about gettin' me back to... t-to normal."
"Aw, Steph..." Rosita clicked her tongue, shaking her head in disapproval, and a bit of disgust. "Hmm... I'm starting to see why you left that guy."
"Oh, ya don't know the half of it..." Stephanie let out a rather harsh chuckle, though she managed to regain her more chipper mood as she wiped her eyes and stood up off the table. "Well anyway, uh... that's all ya wanted to say, huh?"
"Uh-huh, that's about it." Rosita nodded, counting on her hand as she reiterated her previous advice. "Yeah, so stay off the alcohol, put your pounds back on, and uh... oh yeah, doesn't look like you're a smoker, but I'd suggest you stay away from that too."
"Oh yeah, obviously. Hmm... don't wanna let Porsha see me doin' that sorta stuff..." Stephanie held back in the doorway for another moment or two, then glanced over to the radio that was still playing beside the flower. "Oh and by the way, Rosita, ya better keep that singin' voice workin' good. You're gonna need when I have ya workin' in the Prairie in a couple years!"
She noticed the pig freeze up as her face beamed red again - her expression seeming to mix flattered with flabbergasted and even a little terrified - then gave her an encouraging wink and closed the door before Rosita had a chance to respond or object.
Although it was just after two in the afternoon, there was already a warm, red to black gradient in the autumn sky to begin the early evening. The faint chill of the air gently caressed Stephanie's fur as the wolf made her way down the street, and she followed the faint sound of gently lapping water all the way to the canal that cut right through the middle of the city.
While she'd already been trying her best to avoid the temptation of drinking since her return to Calatonia, hearing that suggestion from someone else - a medical official, no less - was exactly the prompt to continue doing so. And as unfamiliar as the thought of not vomiting out most of her meals was sure to be, Rosita's insistence was more than enough to convince her. These thoughts continued racing through the wolf's head as she gripped onto the railing and overlooked the now darkened and slightly turbulent waves of the water below her, and finally dissipated after she took a long, satisfied inhale of the cool but comforting afternoon air.
By what seemed to be completely random chance, the direction of the wind then turned Stephanie's attention towards the bridge that overlooked the canal, about fifty yards or so to her right. At first glance there seemed to be a figure stood there, right in the centre of the curve, but it wasn't until she squinted a little harder when Stephanie finally recognised the individual in question.
"Oh... Mary! Hey, Mary!" She pulled a big smile and stood on her tiptoes and frantically waved to get her friend's attention, though the gorilla didn't seem to notice her as she continued silently gazing at the river below. "Mary...?"
Only clad in a simple, short-sleeved shirt and jeans, Mary had her eyes shut and she wasn't wearing her circular glasses, which upon closer inspection Stephanie noticed were actually folded up beside the gorilla on top of a folded up scarf and jacket. She seemed to be holding something small in her eyes, and held it up to her lips to plant a small, tearful kiss on whatever it was, before saying something to herself that Stephanie was too far away to hear.
It was only then when Stephanie realised that Mary wasn't standing behind the railing of the bridge at all - she was in front of it, dangling right over the water - and she barely had time to process this before the gorilla suddenly loosened her grip and plummeted like a rock into the barely-lit depths below.
"Oh my god... MARY!"
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Shake It Off" - Taylor Swift
"Break Free" - Ariana Grande
Chapter 10: The Scars That Make Us
Notes:
Content Warning: This chapter has mentions of attempted suicide, past domestic violence and sexual abuse. I've already mentioned these in the first chapter's warning, but I felt it was better safe than sorry.
Chapter Text
"Oh God... oh God, oh God, oh God!"
Stephanie repeated to herself under her breath, her heart still pounding in her chest as she ran up to the centre of the bridge and latched onto the railing to get a better look at the water below. A quick glance at the small pile of belongings that had been left on the side of the bridge allowed her to notice Mary's small, golden wedding ring sat at the very top right beside her folded up glasses, which only further confirmed Stephanie's fear that the gorilla's fall into the water was not an accident.
A large, whitish-blue patch of bubbles and foam was still visible on the surface from where Mary had landed, and squinting just hard enough, Stephanie spotted what appeared to be her silhouette sinking to the bottom of the otherwise empty canal. And so, having stripped down to her black tank top and leggings - with her jacket, beanie hat, skirt and shoes leaving a messily strewn trail behind her - Stephanie climbed up over the railing and launched herself off in a swift, graceful dive.
Time seemed to slow down for her as she straightened her body and closed her eyes, only hearing the sounds of her own rapid breaths until she was enveloped in the cold, dark depths of the water below. The forceful pressure of the current pushed hard against the wolf as she descended through the murky, silent abyss, but her keen senses and a sudden burst of determination pushed her forward with just as much passionate ferocity.
After spending what seemed like forever fighting her way to the bottom, Stephanie finally found Mary there. The gorilla didn't seem to have sustained any physical injuries - though it was too dark to tell for certain - but hitting the water had knocked her completely unconscious, and she was now lying limp, her body only barely floating off the ground. Taking a quick moment to study her form, Stephanie noticed Mary's left foot was snagged on one of the rocks, so she quickly swam over to pry it free, then turned her attention back to moving her entire body back up to the surface.
When her attempts at pulling on her midsection and the collar of her shirt both proved fruitless - due to both the gorilla's much heavier weight and the still crushing pressure of the water they were both submerged in - Stephanie managed to force Mary's body upwards, giving herself room to shuffle behind her. She then wrapped her arms around the gorilla's torso, stopping just under her armpits, and summoning all the strength she had left, began forcing herself and her friend back towards the surface.
With her arms literally tied, Stephanie only had her legs to propel herself and Mary upwards, which only made the weight and forces crushing and pulling them down even more of a struggle. Although the natural size difference between a wolf and gorilla would have made this situation difficult for Stephanie to endure either way, being informed that she was dangerously underweight less than an hour prior made this feel like even more of an uphill battle, but it was still one she had every intention of fighting and winning.
Her almost empty lungs burned for air and her usually perfect vision slowly became distorted, to the point where the blurred, reddish sunlight waiting on the other side of the water's dark blue ceiling was now the only thing she could make out in the vast darkness that surrounded her. But for just this brief moment, that was all that Stephanie needed, the light at the end of the tunnel for her to reach, and all that mattered was that she - and more importantly, the unconscious gorilla she was carrying - made it up there.
And so, after being completely submerged for the better part of two minutes - which certainly felt a lot longer - Stephanie finally broke up through the surface!
She immediately let out a loud gasp for air, then took a few more quick desperate breaths to get her lungs filled again. The weight of the other body in her arms still pulled her down to her neckline in the water, and having to keep Mary's still limply-hanging head above the surface made things even tougher. But after taking a quick moment to manoeuvre around - with the fear of drowning now being far less of a threat, albeit still not an impossibility - Stephanie finally managed to get into a good position, and began forcefully kicking her legs again to move them both towards the bank at the right side of the canal.
"Alright... alright, almost there... almost there... GAH!" Stephanie groaned breathlessly to herself as she pulled with all her strain and strength, finally pulling Mary's body away from the water and lying the gorilla down on the smooth, concrete ground of the canal bank. "Ugh... okay... okay okay okay, let's go..."
Though the wolf felt like she was only seconds away from fainting with exhaustion herself, she was still dead focused on her unconscious friend laying there beside her. She remained knelt down as she gently turned Mary onto her back, then placed both her hands in the middle of the gorilla's chest and pressed down with all the power she had left to muster.
"Come on... come on, that's it..." She wheezed painfully while she continued compressing, her already drenched face becoming even more wet with the sweat beading from her forehead and the small tears forming in her eyes. "Come on, Mary, don't do this to me... come on... COME ON, MARY!"
Mary's eyes opened wide as her body finally convulsed back to life again, and a violent eruption of water burst out of her lungs. Stephanie let out a long sigh of fatigue and relief, being too tired and overwhelmed to even speak, then shuffled backwards as the gorilla turned onto her side to cough the rest of the water out of her lungs.
Once she'd coughed up the rest of the water, Mary was still slightly breathless as she sat back up to take in her surroundings, barely even noticing the exhausted wolf that was slumped down beside her. "Wait, but how... h-how did...? Stephanie, what... w-what are you doing here...?"
"Oh, Mary!" Stephanie's face was even more soaked with relieved tears as she suddenly launched herself at Mary, tightly wrapping her arms around the gorilla's neck while she planted several clumsy kisses all over her face. "God... honey, I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Okay, but I... I..." Mary looked over to the bridge to their right, squinting a little to see her pile of belongings still sat on the railing, then bit her bottom lip as she turned back to her rescuer. "You... y-y-you saw me...?"
Stephanie hesitated, then nodded. "Uh-huh... yeah, I saw ya jump, Mary..."
Mary said nothing, simply hunching over wit her knees tucked into her chest as she put her hands to her face.
"Look, I gotta say, I was actually in a real great mood today, I really don't appreciate jumpin' into a freezin' cold canal..." Stephanie let out a playful chuckle, though she immediately regretted it when she heard the gorilla beside her sobbing and hyperventilating. "Aw no... no no no, honey I was just kidding!"
"N-no, I... I just... I..." Mary choked as she wiped away the strains of mascara from around her reddened eyes, though it did nothing to stop the tears that were still streaming down her face. "I just can't do this anymore!"
Stephanie was taken slightly off-guard when Mary suddenly buried her face in her shoulder, but after a moment she softly stroked the back of the gorilla's head while he's gently shushed her. She remained silent for at least a minute, though it was gradually clicking together in the wolf's head what had actually driven Mary to jump off the bridge.
"This uh..." She finally spoke up, clearing her throat as a slightly calmer Mary pried herself out of the embrace. "Was this about Graham Griswold...?"
"What?!" Mary snapped her head around, taking on a slightly more intense tone that seemed to mix furious and terrified. "How did you know about that?!"
"N-nothing, honest!" Stephanie raised both her hands in surrender, shuffling back a few inches in case her words provoked an even more volatile reaction. "I just, I... ugh... w-we saw ya at the funeral... y'know, me and Porsha."
"You did...?" Mary's expression sank even more when Stephanie nodded, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh God..."
"Look, Mary, I dunno how the hell ya got involved with that psycho, but if ya owed money or something, I can get whatever ya -"
"Money...?" Mary scoffed in a dismissive but fairly neutral tone as she wiped her face. "No, it... it's nothing to do with that, Stephanie, it... it's complicated."
"Well, they ya gotta uncomplicate it!" Stephanie still sounded concerned despite her growing impatience, which only made the gorilla beside her even more stressed. "God! Mary, it's bad enough that ya just tried to drown yourself, but I'm tryin' to help ya here! Alright, and I can't do that if you're not gonna tell me what's -"
"HE'S MY DAD!"
Mary's outburst had taken all of the air out of the small area they were sat on, and they both remained frozen - Mary being red in the face while Stephanie stared wide-eyed - for a good minute or two after this until she spoke up again.
"Well, he... h-he was my Dad. Y'know, before he... y-yeah..." Mary rubbed her arm, letting out a rather bitter chuckle. "Yeah, I um... I did tell you before that I don't talk to him, didn't I...?"
"Uh... y-yeah, I guess ya did, but... but y'know, your Dad being the Calatonia Kingpin woulda been pretty useful to know too..." Stephanie itched the back of her neck as she glanced down at the gorilla's arm and midsection, which after a brief moment of study only made her heart sink even more. "Oh God..."
Mary's dampened fur and unkempt shirt exposed at least a dozen scars and marks all over her arms and stomach. They looked fairly consistent in both shape and severity, and seemed to have been primarily inflicted by a belt or something similar, which already told Stephanie almost everything she needed to know about Mary's relationship with her recently deceased father.
"He did that to you, didn't he...?" She said softly, prompting Mary - after a moment of hesitation - to nod. Stephanie herself held back her words for another moment or two, before she finally spoke up again. "And your Mom...?"
This question made Mary freeze up on the spot, and she stared off into space for a good few seconds, just as she had done the first time Stephanie had asked her about her mother. But this time she snapped herself out of it long enough to nod again.
"I was probably around the age my Johnny was when she... when... ugh..." She put a hand to her face, holding back even more tears. "She was always going on about us going somewhere else, and that just made him lose it and he... he just... I'm sorry, I just -!"
"No no, it's okay..." Stephanie took Mary's hand, giving a small, reassuring smile. While the wolf had no intention of making this situation about herself, she couldn't deny that the gorilla's story was hitting very close to home. "Y'know, I... I kinda went through something like that when I left Porsha's Dad back in Redshore. We were lucky to make it out, really..."
"Really...?" Mary sniffled a bit, hunching forward again. "Stephanie, I'm not trying to act like I had it worse or anything, I just -"
"No no, I get it, Mary..." Stephanie cut in, though she felt herself freezing up a bit when some even more unsettling memories starting coming back to the surface. "Besides, I um... well, it wasn't exactly much better when I was a kid, either."
"Hmm..." Mary nodded. "Well, not knowing your real parents is probably hard, but if they were anything like my Dad was, then maybe -"
"No no, I... well yeah, but... but that's not what I meant, Mary..." Stephanie tucked her own knees into her chest as she looked out at the canal they'd just escaped from. "Remember when I talked about acting out as a kid? Y'know, a couple months back?"
"Um... oh yeah. That uh... the thing with you putting the firework in the bloke's trousers or something?"
"Oh God, yeah..." Stephanie chortled, wiping her slightly misty eyes. "Well, the thing is, uh... there actually was a reason for doin' that."
Stephanie glanced over to Mary, noticing that the gorilla had now sat back up and was looking at her directly, the expression on her face almost serving as a demand to know more. Having already dug herself in what she'd said so far, Stephanie rolled her eyes with a sigh before finally coming out with it.
"It's like I said before, I... I was probably around ten when I got took in by the McBrides." She said. "They already had a couple kids, and they were both great, and... and the Mom was just amazing, but... b-but the Dad, he..."
Mary bit her bottom lip and looked away for a moment, seemingly because she'd already guessed what Stephanie was about to say. But after a moment, she looked back to the wolf and gave her a reassuring nod, prompting Stephanie to continue.
"He used to come into my room at night..." She said, holding back tears as she fumbled her hands together. "Y'know, his... h-his wife and his kids were all sleepin' and stuff, and... and he'd come in, wake me up, and... and he'd... yeah..."
"Oh, darling..." Mary gently clasped onto Stephanie's hand, the dynamic almost completely flipping from where it had been moments prior. The gorilla wasn't entirely sure if this was the right time for levity, but she ultimately decided to go for it. "He really did deserve that firework up his backside, didn't he?"
"It was actually a firecracker, but yeah..." Stephanie said as they both chuckled, before wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "But yeah, it... it's good to finally be able to talk about it. Y'know, with uh... with somebody who'll understand."
Mary nodded, sniffling a bit as she looked away again.
"I've thought about it... talking, I mean..." She said after a few moments of contemplative. "Y'know, Marcus, he... he used to work for my Dad when we first met. He knows what were going on. He's asked a couple times since the funeral, but I just... no, I... I can't put him and Johnny through any of that."
"Oh, but ya could put 'em through this...?!" Stephanie snarked as she gestured upwards, pointing towards the bridge Mary had just jumped off of. "God, even I couldn't bear losin' ya, Mary! How did ya think your family was gonna cope?!"
"Well, I dunno, they... they're..." Mary couldn't think of an answer, so she sighed and lowered her head again. "Yeah, you... you're probably right."
"Of course I am!" Stephanie said, placing a comforting hand on the gorilla's shoulder. "Ya might not have had the best start in life, Mary, but look where ya are now! You've a husband who loves you, you got a wonderful little kid, ya... trust me, Mary, stuff like that's too good to throw away."
"I know, I know, I just..." Mary wiped her eyes again, now whimpering a little. "I just... I just thought... I thought everything he did would just go away when he died, but it... but it's still there..."
"And there's a good chance it always will be..." Stephanie said. "Mary, all those guys, they... y'know, Mr. McBride, Griswold, and Ji... uh... P-Porsha's dad, they... they're no different. Sure, the names might change, but they're all the same..."
Mary looked back to the wolf, then nodded silently.
"And they hurt us..." Stephanie continued. "They hurt us real bad. But jumpin' off bridges like that ain't gonna fix any of it. Alright, we gotta be more than just victims, Mary, we have to be! Y'know, it's not just for Johnny and Porsha, but... but for us too. Ooh!"
Stephanie was taken slightly off guard when Mary grabbed a hold of her again and pulled her into a hug, though after a moment or two she slowly returned the embrace.
"Hmm... you're gonna be okay, Mary..." She whispered quietly, stroking the back of the gorilla's head while they both looked out at the water in front of them. "We're gonna be okay..."
"Ah-ha, there she is!"
Marcus' booming voice made Mary jolt up a bit as she and Johnny entered the garage shop, while her husband got out from under the black pick-up truck he'd been fixing up.
"Bloody hell, you're drenched to the skin, love..." He said, before looking over to the rain that was coming down outside the window. "Only thought it were a bit of a drizzle."
"Hmm? Oh yeah, it is now..." Mary chuckled, hanging up her only slightly damp jacket and scarf, then lifted up her son so he could put his on the hook beside it. "Was bloody bucketing it down earlier, though..."
After putting Johnny back down on the floor, Mary still held onto her son while she knelt down a little, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead before she finally let him go.
Johnny tilted his head, studying the rather uncertain expression on her face. "Y'alright, Mum...?"
"Oh yes, darling. Hmm... never better..." Mary answered back, gently holding onto his hands. "Thing is, Johnny, you um... your Dad and me just have to have a quick chat, so uh... I reckon it's gonna be be a bit boring, so how about you go and listen to your music for a bit, eh...? I'll call you when we're having dinner."
"Oh... uh... y-yeah, okay..."
Johnny took a few steps back, exchanging a brief glance with his equally confused father, then finally took off to his room. Mary remained knelt down until she made sure he'd closed the door behind him, then stood back up with a small sigh.
"So you went and picked him up today, then...?" Marcus asked after a brief silence, prompting Mary to nod. "But y'know, if you still weren't feeling great, love, you could have just asked me or -"
"No no, it's alright, I... it was better me going." Mary made her way over to the old red couch and sat down keeping her eyes fixated on the ring on her finger. "Besides, I think he knows I've been acting a bit off the last couple weeks."
"Nah, come on..." Marcus sat beside her, gently placing his hand over her own. "Johnny don't hold nothin' against ya, Mary..."
"Hmm... I know..." Mary sat up, then straightened her glasses. "Marcus, darling, I... I, um..."
"Yeah...?" He said, an uncertain but still encouraging look on his face. "What is it, Mary...?"
Mary hesitated for just around a minute, then finally let out a long exhale. "I want to talk about my Dad, Marcus."
"You do? Oh, brill..." Marcus relaxed as he let out a small, relieved chuckle, though he quickly realised his choice of words. "I mean, not brill as in good, but... but um... yeah, y'know what I mean, love."
Her husband's reaction was already a pleasant surprise as it was, but rather than get her hopes up, Mary quickly asked for one more bit of clarity. "So you um... so you're alright hearing me talk about it...?"
"Yeah, course I am! Why wouldn't I be...?" Marcus said, keeping his grip on his wife's hand. "I'm all ears, Mary."
"Ah, well... good. Yeah, alright..."
And so the conversation finally unfolded, and Mary came out with everything that had been on her mind for all those years. For the better part of an hour the couple were so busy talking and listening to each other that they hadn't even noticed the door to their son's room moving slightly ajar, or the nine-year-old poking his head out of it to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Johnny wasn't entirely sure what his parents were talking about, though he'd pieced together a somewhat vague idea, yet he still felt a small but very proud smile tugging at his lips as he watched his mother pouring her heart out. He'd had a strange feeling in his stomach for weeks, and it had been especially bad for most of that day, but as he watched and listened it was slowly fading away, and a new feeling took its place.
It was mostly feeling of relief, a little bit of happiness too despite what he was hearing. But above all else, this feeling was telling the young gorilla that the worst truly had passed, and things could and would only get better from here.
Chapter 11: The First Strike
Chapter Text
Although the beginning of winter was only about two weeks away, the morning was the warmest and sunniest that it had been since the summertime as Stephanie strode down the street. Since dropping off Porsha at Meena's an hour earlier, a single goal had been at the forefront of Stephanie's mind - though it had already been gradually consuming her thoughts for the last few weeks - and she couldn't help feeling excitement and a slight bit of dread that this goal was finally on the path to fruition.
It was admittedly rather warm with the formal outfit she was wearing - a white suit shirt, a plain black blazer over it and a matching skirt that stopped at her knees - though the weather was the last thing on her mind as she neared her destination. The various folders and rolled up blueprints she was carrying in her arms were also quite the heavy burden, but Stephanie did manage to force most of them into one hand while using the other to push open the glass doors that led to the main lobby.
"Yeah, it's uh... Stephanie Frangipane. I'm here to see Judith..." She pulled a small, nervous smile at the figure towering high over her, before letting out an relieved exhale when the giraffe behind the desk gestured towards the elevator. "Oh, yeah. Uh... m-my friend said she's on Floor Fifteen, right? Yep, terrific. Thanks!"
While she ascended, it occurred to Stephanie that this was the first time she'd even set foot in an elevator since returning to Calatonia. This fairly simple, compact box was a far cry from the sleek, enforced glass cylinders that she'd gotten used to using at Crystal Entertainment, but given the gradual disdain she'd grown to have for Redshore City over the years she'd lived there, no longer having to look out at its skyline as she went up was a welcome change of pace.
And with the elevator taking its sweet time to actually reach the fifteenth floor - just a couple minutes away from her two 'o clock appointment - Stephanie used her brief privacy to make a quick call to the former SFJ employee that had made this meeting possible for her.
"Okay, so what is she, again? Species-wise, I mean. Alpaca?"
"Llama, actually..." Norman's voice on the other end was slightly juddered, likely due to the bus he was currently on. "Yeah, I've seen a couple clients calling her an alpaca, and uh... well, they weren't exactly clients anymore after that."
"Ah... y-yeah, okay, I'll remember that. Guess ya can't be too careful, huh...?"
Stephanie let out a slightly dry chuckle at another of Norman's remarks, though she wasn't completely listening as she kept her eyes fixated on the screen above the elevator door.
"Well, I'm comin' up on her floor now, so uh..." She cleared her throat and straightened up the files in her hands. "I guess I better go."
"Great. Well, uh... good luck, Stephanie."
"Uh-huh, yep. Yeah, thanks again, Norman..." Stephanie quickly stopped herself from hanging up for just another moment, as she'd just remembered the pig's current whereabouts. "Oh crap, yeah... good luck with your diploma, by the way! Rosita's gonna call ya as soon as ya get there, okay?"
"Not if I call her first!" Norman laughed. "Alright, well... I'll leave to you to it. Take care, Stephanie."
Stephanie kept a smile forced into her face, even though Norman couldn't see her anyway, until he finally hung up. The wolf let out a long exhale as she propped herself up against the back of the elevator, still staring up at the screen above the door until she was finally snapped out of it by a piercing DING!
The room was fairly plain in design, with its beige walls and greyish-blue, velvet-like floor almost causing it to resemble a principle's office. At least the ones she'd seen in the movies, since Stephanie had thankfully never actually stepped foot in one, either for herself or for Porsha's sake.
The desk in front of the window seemed to be made of a basic pine - nice enough, but clearly not too costly - and there had been some efforts taken to customise it with small family photos being propped up on top. Though any potential warmth or homeliness was dampened by the sight of the llama that was sat on the other side of it.
Norman had warned Stephanie that Judith was a very hard llama to please, though taking one glance at her here - her perfectly straight posture, her professional but muted and uninviting dress code, and a sour expression and steely glare that only just fell short of Nana Noodleman herself - was more than enough to confirm this. And now here Stephanie was, stood in front of her first major hurdle in restoring Calatonia's entertainment industry.
"Okay, well I'm just gonna need ya to take a moment and picture this..."
Stephanie cleared her throat as she stood up, using some fairly dramatic body language to emphasise her words.
"Picture a cute little girl, maybe nine, ten, I dunno. She's dressed in the best clothes she has, and she's five rows away from the front..." She said, her voice echoing slightly off the battery-operated microphone she was holding. "There's queues a mile long outside just to get a ticket, the curtain's risin' over a big, beautiful stage... and there she is, Nana Noodleman, beltin' out tunes like there's no tomorrow... music and light, bringing -"
"Yes, very sentimental." Judith snarked while she looked through the various blueprints and scribbled something in her checklist, not even looking the wolf in the eye. "Miss Frangipane, I have a very tight schedule today. Are you going somewhere with this?"
"What...?" Stephanie's eyes widened a little, and she switched off the microphone to avoid any inappropriate echoes. "Uh... y-yeah, I am. See, I was trying to go for dramatic and stuff there, so uh..."
"Ma'am, you're applying for an investment, not auditioning for a show..." Judith put her checklist down and leaned slightly forward on her desk. "Just because this is about the Prairie doesn't mean you need the theatrics."
"Ah, well uh... well no, I guess not..." Stephanie chuckled nervously as she sat down on the seat in front of the desk, itching the back of her neck. "So uh... hmm... to be honest, I'm not exactly sure what to say here without theatrics, y'know...?"
"Well, we can start simple and talk about your interest in the property..." Judith raised an eyebrow as she referred back to the files Stephanie had laid out on the table. "The Prairie Theatre closed its doors six years ago, and there hasn't been a single bid or offer of any kind on this land since then. Not even from the Fletcher Foundation. So what exactly would a young woman like yourself want with it?"
"Um... I was kinda goin' on a whole speech about that before ya cut me off then, so..." Stephanie let out a casual scoff, though the unamused look on Judith's face prevented her from actually laughing, so she straightened up in her seat and tried to talk in a more professional manner. "W-well, y'know, it's like I was sayin' before, I got a lotta history with that old place."
Judith's expression remained neutral, but a small gesture she did with her hand prompted Stephanie to continue.
"I um... first time I went was with my foster family when I was a kid. Then when I got a little older, I ended up workin' with the Noodleman troupe for a while, but then I left town, and uh..." Stephanie bit her bottom lip, internally wrestling with herself whether or not to disclose her experiences in Redshore. "Well... around nine years and one kid later, I came back home and found the old place all boarded up. And I dunno, that just... that's just kinda depressing, ain't it...?"
"Hmm... so it is sentimental value, then..." Judith nodded silently, her face now displaying what seemed to be a glimmer of intrigue. "And, hypothetically, if you were to purchase this property, what exactly do you have in mind for it?"
"Oh... uh... kinda thought that whole story would have answered that, but uh... y-yeah, y'know, I'm just wanting to get it back on the map. Restore its former glory, all that stuff..." Stephanie said, before another thought suddenly occurred to her. "I mean, I don't have all the money for it right now, but... y'know, I'm savin' up for it."
"Yes, that's fine... as I mentioned before, there's been no other buyers since it closed..." Judith referred to her checklist again, though this time she kept eye contact. "When do you predict you'll have the funds needed?"
"Ah, well... I actually had a couple talks with one of your employees about this... well, former employee, but still..." Stephanie reopened her portfolio, pulling out a stapled, five page document and passing it to the llama. "He crunched a couple numbers, looked at my income, all my expenses... cause y'know, like I said before, I got a daughter to look after too, and uh... well, things being as they are, he reckons it'll take around three or four years before I get the first deposit. Plus, I gotta toss in some more for the renovations and stuff, so..."
Judith nodded slowly, quietly murmuring to herself as she studied the detailed plan in her hands, before she finally spoke up again in a more enthusiastic tone. "I can see you've put a lot of thought into this, Miss Frangipane."
"Yeah, no kidding..." Stephanie chuckled. "B-but yeah, I uh... I'm real passionate about doin' this whole thing and uh... well, I really think I can pull it off."
"But you have to remember this is only for the initial deposit." Judith sounded more serious again, though her tone did seem more sincere than before. "If you were to purchase and renovate the property, you'll still have to keep on top of your payments to maintain it as a business."
"Oh yeah, I get that..." Stephanie lounged back slightly in her chair. "Just out of curiosity or whatever, what uh... what would ya say was, like, the yearly money to keep up after I buy it?"
"At least thirty thousand, per annum." Judith said bluntly. "But I'm sure you understand that we will take action if you fall behind on those payments. You may think this is harsh for me to say, Miss Frangipane, but we're running a bank here, not a charity."
"Uh-huh... yep..." Stephanie nodded quietly, wringing her hands as she sat up again. "But hey, y'know... that's still a good few years away, so... guess I'll cross that bridge if I get to it, huh...?"
"Oh yes, of course. I just wanted to make sure you knew ahead of time..." Judith regarded Stephanie for a moment, her gaze steady and thoughtful. "Overall, there's certainly potential. And if your commitment matches your passions, this could be a very profitable venture for you, Miss Frangipane."
"Oh, thank God..." Stephanie exhaled. "Y'know; all things considered, I actually think this turned out a lot better that I'd expected. And there's definitely no other buyers, right...?"
"None so far, Ma'am."
"Great! Yeah, that's uh... that's terrific!" Stephanie reached over and shook the llama's hand, a new burst of confidence accompanying her determination. "I'm lookin' forward to doin' business with ya, Judith!"
Although it was only around four in the afternoon, the sky had already begun to dim and darken, and the soft wind carried a slight chill through the air.
But Stephanie was in far too good a mood to be bothered by the cold, and if it weren't for the heavy folders she was still carrying, the wolf was sure she'd be dancing down the empty street. At least a thousand thoughts were racing through her head, as vibrant, exaggerated visions of her future began flashing before her eyes.
She could see herself carrying massive bags with dollar signs on them, dumping them on Judith's desk as the llama's eyes bulged wide. This then transitioned to images of herself leading a construction crew to restore the theatre to its rightful glory, until it finally ended with her standing in front of a big red ribbon, with Porsha and the rest of the community anxiously waiting for her to cut it.
And as she passed by a seemingly empty alleyway, Stephanie couldn't resist striking a heroic pose as she practiced her literal opening line out-loud.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Calatonia... welcome back, to the Prairie Thea-UGH!"
Stephanie was snapped out of her blissful premonitions when a hand suddenly snaked around her waist from behind, the other hand grabbing her mouth to muffle her scream as the figure yanked her back into the alleyway.
She struggled and kicked with all her strength, eventually sending a sharp elbow into her attacker's midsection as he loosened his grip, before he threw her against the nearby dumpster with a hard, echoing THUD!
"Agh! What the hell do ya think you're -?!"
Stephanie grunted with pain as the assailant grabbed her again, forcing her against the wall as he tore the folders out of her hand and let them scatter all over the filthy ground. The figure kept a tight grip on her shoulders as he continued pinning her down, while Stephanie eventually got ahold of his hood and dug her claws right into it, before she finally sent her kneecap right between his legs and forced him to let her go.
RRRRRRRRIPPPPP!
As she tumbled down to the ground, wincing at the brief but still sharp pain in her left leg, Stephanie looked at her hand to see that she was now holding the hood her attacker had been wearing. It took a moment for her to recognise her attacker - since she was used to seeing him in a fine suit with black sunglasses covering his eyes - but after taking a moment to study him, it soon became abundantly clear where she had seen this furious-looking grey wolf before.
"Kendall...?!"
"Ah, ya remember me, huh...?" He scoffed back, holding a hand to the cut that her claws had left on his forehead. "Well, do ya remember gettin' me fired too...?!"
"Fired? What... w-what are ya talkin' about...?!" Stephanie pulled herself to her feet, though she struggled to stay upright as she staggered back. "Jimmy fired ya...?"
"Right after ya escaped with your little brat!" Kendall roared, his eyes turning a bloodshot red as a long, sadistic grin stretched across his face. "But it's all good. Cause after I take care of you, I'm gonna bring little Porsha right back to her Daddy..."
"The hell you are!"
Stephanie snarled like a vicious beast as she launched herself at Kendall, wrapping her legs around his midsection while she gripped the back of his head with both hands, before propelling her head forwards so that it connected hard with a loud, painful SMACK!
"Gah!"
Kendall stumbled back, both from Stephanie's added weight and the shock of the headbutt, and fell onto his back with Stephanie now being the one pinning him down. Stephanie was still slightly dazed herself from their head-to-head contact, not helped by the cloud of dust that had been caused by their landing, but her protective rage overcame it as she latched her claws onto Kendall's shoulders and continued forcing him to the ground.
"He is never gonna have my daughter!" She roared in his face, tears still forming in her eyes despite her ravenous fury. "You're gonna have to pry her outta my cold, dead hands before - UGH!"
Stephanie loosened her grip as Kendall tossed some of the scattered dust into her face, barely managing to open them again before the other wolf's fist connected with a powerful THWACK!
The force of the punch sent her spiralling to the ground as she planted face first on the gravel. Kendall then gripped the back of her neck, yanking so hard that he tore the collar of her blazer as he threw her against the dumpster again with another THUD!
Stephanie winced and whimpered, barely even able to move as she tried to drag herself across the ground. Along with the agony she already felt on her leg, she could also feel the cuts that had opened on both her right temple and left cheek, and the small but boiling hot trails of blood that were running down her face. She was finding it hard to open her left eye, and she wasn't sure whether it was simply from the dust, or the swelling from the punch, but it became an unfortunate blind spot as her attacked forced her onto her back and pinned her down again.
"Oh ho ho, yeah..." Kendall snarled sadistically as he placed both hands on Stephanie's neck, putting his strongest shoulder into it to apply as much force as possible. "Ya got no idea how long I've been waitin' for this!"
The grey wolf's heart pounded with a dangerous mix of anger and determination, and his knuckles almost turned white as he clenched them tight, as he finally got to experience the sight of a bloodied and battered Stephanie wheezing for breath at his mercy.
Stephanie fought back with every ounce of strength she could muster, kicking her legs at Kendall's lower body while she desperately pulled and clawed at his hands, but it was no use. His grip only tightened the more she struggled, and the world around her began to blur as the lack of oxygen took its toll. Her already deteriorating vision started to fade in both eyes, and with the sun having already vanished in the dark sky, all she could make out was the terrifying sight of her would-be-murderer's satisfied grin.
She was snapped back to reality by a sudden CLATTER! as a gust of air rushed back into her lungs. As she sat up, wheezing painfully while she held a hand to her chest, Stephanie realised that Kendall was no longer holding her neck, but it wasn't until her vision cleared when she saw the grey wolf was now the one being throttled and thrown about.
"Not so much fun when someone's doing it to you, is it! You big, stupid bully!" The gorilla grunted when she finally let Kendall go, giving the retreating wolf a kick up the backside that sent him flying. "Yeah, that's right, clear off! Next time, I won't ask nicely!"
"Wait...?" Stephanie still ached from the hearing she'd suffered, squinting a little as she finally recognised her rescuer. "Mary...?!"
"Stephanie...?! Oh my God!" Mary dropped her tougher facade as she quickly knelt down, gently sitting the wolf up and propping her back against the wall. "I didn't even know that was you, are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine... I just... ugh..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, then reached over to regather the papers that had fallen out of her portfolio during the struggle. "I'm just glad this didn't happen before I went to the bank..."
"Oh, darling..." Mary exhaled as she pulled Stephanie into a hug, making sure not to keep too tight a grip with the pain her friend was already in. "Who even was that bloke, anyway? Did you know him?"
"What? Oh, uh... n-no. He's just a nobody..." Stephanie tried her best to feign ignorance as she pulled out of the embrace, wincing a little when she felt where Kendall's hands had been on her neck. "Usually, I'd have had that covered, but then he sucker punched me, so..."
"Oh..." Mary bit her bottom lip as she glanced down at Stephanie's torn blazer and her unkempt, frayed skirt. "He didn't, um... he wasn't trying to... y'know?"
"Oh no. No no no, I... I think he probably just wanted my purse or something..." Stephanie finished putting her papers back together, then pulled herself back up to her feet. "Ya see hoodlums like that all the time in - AGH!"
"Stephanie!" Mary quickly grabbed ahold of the wolf so she didn't fall, taking a quick glance down at her already bruised left ankle. "Oh God, I think you twisted it. We've got to get you to the hospital!"
"No no, don't bother with the hospital. Agh... I gotta get back home for Porsha, y'know...?" Stephanie draped her arm over Mary's shoulder, letting the gorilla support her while she lifted her left foot off the ground. "Yeah, I got the number of one of the nurses. We'll give her a call back at the apartment."
"You sure...?" Mary looked uncertain, but Stephanie's silent nod put her more at ease. "Hmm... alright then. Your place isn't too far from here, is it...?"
"Nah, it's like ten minutes..." Stephanie put her best foot forward as the gorilla continued supporting her, and they remained silent for a good few seconds as they walked down the street together. "Oh, and uh... and thanks, Mary..."
"Nah, think nothing of it, dear..." Mary smiled. "Besides, I suppose I did owe you one."
"Y'know, I gotta admit. I had a feelin' today was gonna be a tough one, but this wasn't what I had in mind...!" Stephanie winced with a hiss as she felt the water Rosita was applying on her leg, giving a thumbs up for the pig to continue before relaxing back on the couch again. "Guess something just had to happen to keep me from havin' too good a time, huh?"
"I really can't imagine how scary that must have been for you, Stephanie... oh honey, you need to keep holding that..." Rosita pointed to Stephanie's face, prompting the wolf to press the frozen bag of peas back onto her left eye. "Honestly, the nerve of some folks. So this guy just attacked you for no reason?"
"What? Oh, uh... y-yeah, no reason." Stephanie cleared her throat. "But hey, it's just a twisted ankle and a couple cuts and bruises, right? No big deal..."
"No big deal...?!" Mary scoffed as she sat down on the couch beside her, passing her a cup of the coffee she'd just made. "Stephanie, he was trying to bloody strangle you!"
"Okay, yeah, so that was a little extreme, but it's fine, really..." Stephanie's ears pricked up as she heard the front door opening, and the familiar voices of a little pup and elephant chatting as they entered. "Look, I can guarantee Porsha's gonna be freakin' out, so the last thing I need is you guys doin' the -"
"Mommy...?!" Porsha shrieked right on cue as she and Meena both went wide-eyed at the sight of Stephanie's condition, which equally surprised Meena's mother as she waited in the doorway. "What happened... did ya get dislocated...?!"
"Oh, why did I teach her that word...?" Rosita rolled her eyes playfully, then beckoned the five-year-old to come closer. "Your Mommy's fine, Porsha. She's just got a twisted ankle."
"B-but ya can untwist it, can't ya...?"
"Well, that's not exactly how it works, honey, but... basically, yeah..." Rosita chuckled, then lifted the little one up onto the couch so she was sat right next to Stephanie. "I'm just making her better now."
Porsha seemed a little more at ease, but she was still curious as she looked up at her mother. "How did it happen, Mommy...?"
"Eh, y'know me, sunshine. Mommy got into a disagreement with somebody, and things got a little messy..." Stephanie chuckled, then gestured towards the gorilla sat beside them. "You think I look bad, ya oughta see what your Aunt Mary did to the other guy!"
Porsha gasped with awe. "Wow, really?!"
"Aunt?!" Mary laughed. "Come on, Steph, I think that's a bit - ooh!"
Mary jolted up a bit when Porsha suddenly jumped onto her chest and threw her arms around her neck. The gorilla wasn't entirely sure what to do, but an encouraging nod from both Stephanie and Rosita prompted her to gently return the embrace.
"I'm really glad you're here, Aunt Mary."
"Hmm... so am I, Porsha..." Mary said quietly, feeling her eyes misting up a bit. "So am I..."
Chapter 12: The Party's Over
Chapter Text
"Alright, come on... get in there, you... there ya go!"
Stephanie let out a sigh of relief as she finally got her feet inside the red and gold knee-high boots. The actual shoe area fit her foot just fine - and she had more than enough space from her toes to the cap - but the long shaft of the boot was quite a tight fit. While it was comfortable enough for her now, Stephanie couldn't help dreading the difficulty that she was going to have with taking them off later that night.
But burying that thought, the wolf stood up from the bed and strutted over to the mirror, spinning on the spot to get a good look at her costume. After taking a moment to readjust her golden tiara - which had been knocked off-balance by her twirl - she struck a heroic pose and crossed her arms in an X shape across her chest.
The vibrant red corset top accentuated her figure quite well, and along with the golden, W-shaped crest on the neckline, struck a start contrast with her dark teal fur. Her forearms were covered by matching gold bangles, and her short, star-spangled blue skirt flared out about halfway down her thighs.
After getting this costume a few weeks prior, Stephanie had been casually working out in her spare time to put on a little more muscle for the occasion. While her slightly improved physique wasn't quite that apparent in her usual outfits, she'd hoped this more revealing one would a good opportunity to finally show it off.
"Whoa! Ya look great, Mommy!" Porsha's voice took Stephanie off-guard for a moment, prompting her to turn around to see her daughter standing in the doorway. "Just like the real Wonder Woman!"
"Hmm... thanks, sunshine."
Stephanie couldn't help chuckling at the sight of what the seven-year-old was wearing, and the small paper bag full of other accessories she hadn't put on yet. Porsha was clad in a set of leather brown shoes and slightly oversized denim dungarees, though the top half was still draped down around her waist since she hadn't finished buttoning up the long-sleeved green shirt underneath it yet, and the white gloves she was wearing wasn't making that much easier for her.
"Alright, baby, let me do it..." Stephanie got down on one knee so she was closer to Porsha's level, prompting the pup to come closer and let her mother button up the shirt for her. "Gotta look nice and pretty for the party tonight, huh?"
"But you're always pretty, Mommy..." Porsha said, though her tone sounded slightly more concerned than complimentary. "I hope there's enough food for all the grown-ups there, though."
Stephanie chortled. "It's Halloween, Porsha, of course there's gonna be plenty of food there..."
"Well, okay..." Porsha said, still unsure while Stephanie finished fastening the buttons on her shirt, and pulled the straps on her overalls up onto her shoulders. "Cause Barney said on Friday his Daddy thinks ya look like a snack, so I don't want him to get hungry and try and eat you, Mommy."
The young wolf noticed her mother's face beam a vibrant red, almost matching the shade of her outfit, while her eyes bulged wide. But after a moment or two of processing this new information, her cheeks faded to a more mildly embarrassed pink, while she forced a smile back onto her face.
"Well, don't you worry about me, sunshine, I'll manage..." She said, keeping a sweet tone while she ruffled the top of Porsha's head. "But I don't think you and Meena are gonna be hangin' out with that Barney kid anymore."
"Oh... okay, Mommy. Ooh, I almost forgot!" Porsha then reached into her paper bag, fishing out what at first glance seemed to be a small black brush - but Stephanie quickly realised it was actually a fake moustache - and a green newsboy cap with a white L clumsily drawn on the front. "Can ya help me put these on too...?"
"Hmm... yeah, okay..." Stephanie placed the hat on her daughter's head, slightly tilting it left and right to make sure it was straight. She then puckered her lips, prompting Porsha to do the same, and gently attached the moustache right under the younger wolf's nose. "So, uh... why exactly are ya dressed like a plumber, sunshine...?"
"Cause I'm Luigi! See... WA-HOO!" Porsha took on a slightly higher pitch as she made this sound, while also jumping up on the spot and striking a pose in mid-air. "Y'know, like in the video game!"
"Ah, got it..." Stephanie shook her head with an amused smirk. "I thought his name was Mario, though."
"No no no, Mario's the red one... Meena's going as him." Porsha said, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, I was thinking of goin' as the Princess first, but I like Luigi better. Plus, if I went as the Princess, I'd probably have to kiss her, so..."
"Well, would that really be so bad...?" Stephanie raised a playful eyebrow, while it was now Porsha's face beaming red. She was rather curious why her daughter had reacted this way, but rather than prod further, Stephanie did the final adjustment's to the younger wolf's outfit, and gentled nuzzled her nose with her own. "Alright, y'all set...?"
"Uh-huh! Ooh, I gotta go get my bucket!" Porsha held onto her hat as she darted out the room and ran back towards her own bedroom.
Stephanie headed back over to her bed to finish getting ready, picking up the long flowing cape - one half coloured red, and the other with blue and white stripes - and draped it over her shoulders to complete the ensemble. As she looked back in the mirror to help herself fasten the clip on the cape, she couldn't help admiring her look in the outfit again, and felt a growing sense of excitement for the night ahead.
The vibrant reddish gradient of the night sky complemented the playfully spooky atmosphere of fully decorated streets as Porsha and Meena made their rounds, along with countless other children of various ages were all embarking on similar ventures. While she had to appreciate the amount of creativity that had gone into the wide variety of costumes she could see, some of the more monstrous looking figures prompted her to grip her pumpkin-shaped bucket a little tighter. Though the eleven-year-old that was walking right alongside them helped her feel at least safe enough to continue without her mother present.
"I still don't get why ya didn't go as Donkey Kong, Johnny..." She said as she looked up at the gorilla, who rolled his eyes playfully. "I mean, your costume's nice and all, it's just... well, you and Meena wearin' the same colours makes me feel kinda weird, y'know..."
"Aw, come on, Porsha! Oops!" Meena quickly latched her trunk around the brush head that she was wearing for a fake moustache, making sure it didn't fall off her face. "I couldn't be Mario if I didn't have Luigi!"
"Yeah, and you two look brill! I'm the only odd one out here, Porsha..." Johnny said, gesturing towards the maskless Spider-Man costume he had on. "Besides, I don't think my Mum wants me dressing up like some big, angry -"
"Ugh!" The three stopped dead in their tracks as they all looked at the ground ahead of them, seeing the animal that had tumbled onto her backside after running right into Johnny's chest.
"Aw, mate, I'm really sorry!" Johnny knelt down to the porcupine's level, while he, Porsha and Meena frantically picked up the candies and other items that she'd dropped while falling. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you...?"
"Oh, uh... n-no, it's okay..." She answered back, lisping a little due to the braces on her teeth, though she seemed happy enough as she straightened her glasses. "Yeah, I was just in a hurry to catch up with - ooh!"
The girl cut herself off when she and Johnny both reached for her bag, their eyes bulging to their widest points as their hands touched and their eyes finally met. Porsha and Meena both remained silent as they stood watching this, though the young wolf in particularly couldn't help feeling rather mesmerised by what she was seeing unfold.
The porcupine looked to be around Johnny's age, though she was only around Meena's height, despite being older than the elephant. While her quills and face were painted in various shades of black and red, matching the Shadow costume she'd scrambled together for herself, her bright blue eyes were magnified by her glasses as she gazed at the handsome young boy in front of her.
"Ashley...? Hey, Ashley!" Another voice suddenly called from across the street, prompting the four of them to look over to the hedgehog that was stood waving, dressed identically in a blue, Sonic-themed version of the porcupine's costume. "Was wondering where you got to! Y'okay...?"
"Oh yeah! I'm coming, Katy!" Ashley quickly grabbed her back out of Johnny's hands and stood back up, letting Meena and Porsha put the rest of her scattered sweets into it. "Sorry about running into you guys!"
"Oh no no, that's all on me... you um... yeah, on your way, then..." Johnny took a step back and extended a hand forward, signalling the porcupine to awkwardly shuffle past him as she ran across the empty street to rejoin her group. "Hmm... right..."
"What was that about...?" Porsha asked, while she and Meena both looked curiously up at the gorilla.
"Eh...?" Johnny's face went slightly red, but he remained casual as she shrugged. "What do you mean, Porsha...?"
"You were lookin' at her funny."
"What?! No I wasn't!"
"Yeah, you were! Wasn't he...?" Porsha looked over to Meena, who nodded. "See! I told ya, Johnny!"
"Well no, I were just... I bumped into her, I was just... just, um..." Johnny itched the back of his neck, then shook his head and cleared his throat. "Right, I think we'd better get a move on. Got more houses to hit, don't we...?"
The young girls accepted his response without further inquiry, their attention redirected to the prospect of gathering more candy. With smiles on their faces, they continued their trick-or-treating journey, the previous encounter soon fading into the background of their lively Halloween adventure.
Rosita and Norman's apartment was lively with music and laughter as the fully-costumed guests mingled around the fully decked living room and kitchen. Stephanie had left her cape draped over the back of the couch as she sat down, stifling a laugh at the sparkly but still very flattering green leotard and blonde wig the hostess was wearing as she sat beside her with two glasses of punch.
"Oh hey, it's Tinker Bell! Yeah, I figured this had to be the work of magic!" Stephanie kept a playful but still impressed tone as she glanced around the room, which was fully decorated with skeleton, jack-o-lantern and cobweb decorations. "But seriously though, Ro, I really love what you've been doin' with the place. It's lookin' great!"
"Hmm... yeah, you sound just like Norman..." Rosita beamed with pride, glancing over with a smile to her boyfriend on the other side of the room, then looked down at her own costume. "And yeah, this is probably a little uh... garish, I guess, but it was either this or dressing up as the ninja lady from Daredevil."
"Oh yeah... was wonderin' what he was supposed to be..." Stephanie took another look at Norman, studying the red, devil-looking mask he was wearing over one of his usual business suits. "Some kinda like demon lawyer or something...?"
"Nah, it's some old superhero... he's like a blind lawyer, who fights crime. It's silly, I know, but it's cute..." Rosita chuckled, shaking her head with a smile. "Oh yeah, and uh... and how's things coming along with the fundraising, Steph...?"
"Uh... y-yeah, it's uh... it's good..." Stephanie's smile faltered a little, but she tried to sound optimistic. "I mean, yeah, the bank's been a little tight with the money lately cause of that whole war thing goin' on Schnitzeldorf, but I'm gettin' there."
"Ah, good..." Rosita wasn't entirely convinced, but she knew better than to prod further. Though before she could change the subject, she jolted up a little at the sound of the doorbell. "Oh, I totally forgot about the kids! I'll just be a sec, Steph."
"Oh no no, you sit yourself down, Rosita. I got it..." Stephanie gave a quick wink, then stood up and approached the door, grabbing the bowl of candies and other treats off the phone table as she opened the door.
"Trick or treat!" The small group of little ones on the other side all chorused in unison, though most of them - particularly the twelve-year-old porcupine that was stood behind the youngsters - went wide-eyed at the side of the tall, stunning but barely dressed wolf that was towering over them.
"Oh ho ho, what a scary little bunch we've got here!" Stephanie chortled playfully while she knelt to their level, unintentionally giving the more curious boys an even better look at her neckline while she held out the bowl. "Alright, kiddos, take your pick!"
As the kids eagerly grabbed their treats, Stephanie took a quick glance back to the party behind her, though she couldn't help but notice a silence had settled over most of the adults, with what seemed to be unhappy expressions on many of their faces as they watched her. But despite her uncertainty at this, she kept her smile as she looked back to the kids, who seemed happy enough as they went on their way. "Happy Halloween, you guys! Oh... hey... y'okay, sweetie?"
The young porcupine snapped out of his briefly smitten trance, still glancing down at the wolf's outfit for another moment or two before one of the younger skunks ran back over and pulled him over. "Come on, Lance! We still got more doors to go to!"
Stephanie shook her head with a chuckle, then stood back up and closed the door before returning to her spot on the couch beside Rosita. The other guests seemed to have gone back to their mingling and partying, though the thought of their disapproving stares was still vividly etched in her mind until the pig gently took hold of her hand and spoke up.
"Y'okay there, Steph...?"
"What? Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm fine..." Stephanie cleared her throat, speaking a little quieter as she leaned closer to Rosita. "Did I uh... was I doin' something wrong, then? Everybody was kinda lookin' at me funny, so..."
"Oh boy... well, maybe the sexy Wonder Woman costume wasn't the most appropriate thing for those little kids to be looking at..." Rosita chortled playfully, making Stephanie's face beam a bright red when she realised this. "But y'know what, it's fine. I mean, if you don't mind me saying, Steph, you've certainly got the looks for it!"
"Aw, thanks..." Stephanie glanced down at her outfit, regaining her chipper mood despite the mild embarrassment she'd just experienced. "Y'know, back in Redshore, I actually auditioned for it a couple times before I had Porsha. Got pretty close too, I think, but uh... yeah. It was some of the earlier projects, though, not that one they're working on now..."
"Really? Wow!" Rosita stifled a laugh. "Well if you ask me, Stephanie, they're the ones who missed out there, cause... well, look at you, you look incredible! Bet you'd have got it if you'd stuck around."
"Eh, I dunno..." Stephanie cleared her throat and looked away for a moment. "Besides, uh... well, me and Porsha had other reasons for leaving."
Rosita nodded, before glancing upwards towards another of the guests trying to get her attention, then clambered down off the couch. "But seriousuly, Steph, don't worry about any of that. Water under the bridge."
"Uh-huh, yeah..." Stephanie let out a sigh, lounging back a little on the couch while Rosita rejoined the mingling. After another moment or two of hesitation, the wolf quickly grabbed her previously discarded cape off the back cushion and draped it over herself again, pulling it a little tighter to cover her entire upper torso. "Hmm... better safe than sorry..."
Before they knew it, Monday had rolled back around, and Stephanie was walking Porsha down the now all too familiar path to school. Stephanie still found it rather unusual taking her daughter to the other side of the parking lot where the older children entered - even though Porsha had finished kindergarten over a year ago - though she figured this was just a symptom of the bittersweet yet precious experience of getting to see her little one growing up, an experience that she very much remembered was nearly taken away from her only two years prior.
But as they arrived at the parking lot, Stephanie couldn't help finding the near complete silence rather peculiar. It would have been one thing if the area was completely empty, which had happened before a few days when they were either early or late, but all the parents were here as usual, yet they abruptly ceased their conversations and seemed to avert their gazes as the two wolves arrived.
Though knowing better than to risk making a scene, Stephanie simply led Porsha nearer to the front door and knelt to the little one's level, making sure she didn't notice the cold shoulder they both seemed to be getting.
"Alright... books, check... bag, check... sandwiches, double check!" Stephanie chuckled as she slipped Porsha's backpack over the pup's shoulders, then ruffled the top of the seven-year-old's head. "Right... all set, baby...?"
"Uh-huh!" Porsha clambered up and threw her arms around Stephanie's neck, giving her a kiss on the cheek as usual. "Love ya, Mommy..."
"Hmm... I love ya too, sunshine..." Stephanie gave her little pup a kiss on the forehead, then lowered her back down and prodded her forward. "Alright... off ya go..."
Stephanie stood back up as Porsha ran over to greet Meena at the door, and they both went inside. She took a deep breath, then turned back around to look at the other adults, most of whom were averting their eyes again, if they hadn't already disappeared completely while she wasn't looking. Stephanie then bit her bottom lip as she surveyed the few that remained, trying in vain to spot either of Johnny's parents among them, before her eye finally caught sight of the elephant that was walking away.
"Oh, uh... m-morning, Leslie!"
Despite her cheery tone, Stephanie's words almost seemed to echo amongst the silence for a good few seconds, while Meena's mother remained completely frozen on the spot. She noticed the elephant's hands shaking a little, clearly uncertain whether to turn around and face her, but after a moment or two of this, Leslie continued on her way, while the others gradually followed suit.
"God, talk about the silent treatment!"
Stephanie grumbled to herself as she strutted down the street, not even caring if anyone heard her saying this aloud. The wolf was slightly hunched forwards with her hands shoved in her coat pockets, a rather bitter scowl forming on her face while she continued her private rant.
"You wear one sexy costume for Halloween, then they act like they don't even know ya! Well, it ain't my fault I got the goods, so those snowflakes can kiss my... oh, y'gotta be kiddin' me!"
Snapping out of her contemplation, Stephanie rolled her eyes as she noticed a small crowd of animals gathering on the street corner in front of the electrical store, all of them watching and discussing a broadcast playing on the TV screens in the window. With the main road being too packed with speeding cars to risk going around them, she had no choice but to make her way through, stopping herself about halfway when she saw what had grabbed the bystanders' attention.
The loud, irritating ear worm that blared off the speakers would have likely annoyed her even in a good mood, but her already sour feelings only worsened when she recognised the glamorously dressed horse sat on the couch. "Oh, God..."
"Welcome back to the Monday edition of your new favourite gossip show, Hot News! I'm your host, the Queen of Gossip, Linda Le Bon!"
Beneath her cheery, overly-friendly front, Linda Le Bon was one of the most ruthless trend-chasers in the entertainment industry, and she wouldn't stop at anything to make the biggest splash possible, no matter what story she was covering. During Stephanie's time in Redshore, she'd lost count of the times she'd been forced to have interviews with this patronising reporter, who seemed to constantly seek her out at every given opportunity, and the thought of her now having her own show to do even more of that was enough to make the wolf's skin crawl.
Though her annoyance quickly transformed into a horrified shock when the camera finally cut to the tall, white wolf that was sat on the couch opposite.
"And back to our hottest story today, we're joined now by the king of Redshore City himself, Mr. Jimmy Crystal, yay!" Linda cheered as her ravenous audience all applauded, while Jimmy pulled his usual big, friendly smile for his adoring public. "Now Jimmy, honey, it's not exactly a secret that your beautiful wife and your darling little girl have been out of the limelight for the better part of two years. But now, in a shocking new statement, you're accusing your ex-wife of kidnapping!"
This bombshell revelation prompted a dramatic "ooh!" from the audience within the studio, and a few murmurings among the crowd surrounding herself, though Stephanie felt these noises slowly drowning out as her hands trembled, her eyes widened and her mouth hung agape.
"Well, I don't know what else I can tell ya, Linda, but... but I just can't keep it in anymore, y'know...?" Jimmy sniffled a bit as he wiped his eye. "My little Porsha was stolen from her own bed in the dead of night, and taken away to God knows where! We've been trying to find them nonstop for the last two years, and I've barely slept a wink!"
Though Stephanie knew from experience that these were crocodile tears, the audience watching seemed convinced, going off the obnoxious "aww..." sound they all made in unison. But there was no time to be amused by this, with at least a thousand other thoughts swirling through her head as Jimmy continued.
"This was the work of a vindictive, nasty woman called Stephanie Frangipane..." Jimmy was now glaring right into the camera, his piercing gaze and words causing Stephanie to hyperventilate as he seemed to be addressing her directly. "Now I really wanted to settle this all nice and quiet-like, but ya gave me no choice. I don't know where you are, or what lies you've been tellin' there, but we're gonna track ya down, Stephanie. And I'm gonna get back what you took from me..."
"Oh God... no..." Stephanie turned on her heels and shoved her way out of the crowd again, breaking out into a desperate but determined sprint as she raced back down the street towards the school. "No no no no no!"
Chapter 13: The Case Is Made
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Mommy...? Mommy, what's going on...?!"
Porsha had been asking this question - and countless others - ever since Stephanie had gotten her from school, especially since she hadn't even been there for an hour when her mother had abruptly returned and asked to take her home. Stephanie had barely said anything in response as she scooped her little one off the ground and immediately bolted back to their apartment, before fastening all three locks on the door and placing a chair in front of it for good measure. And now, the seven-year-old was sat in the doorway of her mother's bedroom, anxiously watching as Stephanie pulled down her old suitcase and began shoving as many clothes and other valuables into it as she could.
"Mommy, you're bein' scary, I dunno what's -"
"Mommy can't talk right now, Porsha, she's just gotta think!" Stephanie cut her off with a grunt, then let out a long, fatigued exhale. "Alright… alright alright alright, maybe… m-maybe if we head to the airport, I can figure out a flight time, and then we'll -"
"Ooh, are we going on vacation…?" Porsha's mood brightened up a little, though she still looked uncertain. "Wait… when are we comin' back? Cause y'know, Meena's birthday's in a couple weeks, and I was real -"
"No, Porsha, we… ugh…" Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, dreading how her daughter would react to the bombshell she was about to drop, before kneeling down to Porsha's level and holding her hand. "We're not comin' back here, sunshine."
"What?!" Porsha's eyes bulged wide as she stumbled back, pulling her hand out of Stephanie's grip. "But… b-but we gotta come back, Mommy, we can't stay on vacation forever!"
"It's not a vacation, Porsha! Alright, it… it just… oh, God…" Stephanie groaned. "Look, something's come up, and we're not gonna be safe here that much longer, baby. Alright, so we gotta get outta here before they -"
"But I don't wanna go!" Porsha interrupted, her eyes misting up a bit as she pulled an expression that only made Stephanie's heart sink even lower. "B-b-but what about Meena, or Johnny, and Rosita, and that… that, uh… th-that nice old koala lady ya always hang out with…?"
"Porsha, we're gonna go get a new home someplace else, and ya can make all kinds of new friends there. But we need to -!"
"But I don't wanna go get a new home! I like this home!"
"Yeah, I know ya like it, Porsha, I do too! Do ya really think I'd be tryin' to make ya leave if we had a choice…?!" Stephanie tried her best to restrain her temper as she gripped Porsha's hands again. "Look, I know this sounds scary, sunshine, and believe me, it really is. But the last thing Mommy needs right now is you not playin' ball with me here, okay…?"
They both jolted up when they heard the handle rattling on the front door, followed by a frantic KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!, which prompted Stephanie to grab Porsha off the floor and throw her into the still-opened closet.
"Mommy, wait… w-what are ya…?!" Porsha's voice was muffled by all the coats and scarves her mother was burying her in, her greenish-gold eyes now being the old thing visible under the pile of clothing as Stephanie stared right into them.
"Stay in here, and don't come out until I say so…" Stephanie said sternly, though her sweat-soaked fur and horrified expression made it clear she was fighting off a serious panic attack. "Y'understand…?! Stay!"
Porsha hesitated, then nodded, before shutting her eyes tight as Stephanie closed the door of the closet, shrouding her in complete darkness.
The knocking at the door continued as Stephanie ran over to the kitchen area and dug through the top drawer, eventually fishing out a rolling pin in case she had to defend herself. She had briefly considered a knife, though with the possibility of this hypothetical attacker disarming her, she figured that a blunt weapon would be easier for herself to avoid or counter than a sharp blade. And with the door not having a peephole, it was impossible for her to be certain what or who was waiting on the other side.
For a good few seconds the wolf was planted back-first beside the door, holding out a brief hope that the visitor would give up their pursuit and leave, but the knocking continued still. So, biting down hard on her bottom lip and tightening her left hand's grip on her weapon, Stephanie used her right hand to move her imprompu barricade and open the door, nearly shrieking with shock as a pair of arms immediately latched onto her.
"Mary...?"
"Oh darling, we were so worried!"
The gorilla was holding back tears as she gently tightened her embrace, and the wolf in her arms wasn't much better. Stephanie was short of breath as she rested her head on Mary's shoulder, letting her arms hang limp as the rolling pin clattered down onto the floor. They stayed here for a good minute or so before Stephanie finally pried herself free, her vision still being blurred by the tears that had formed in her eyes.
"Mary, I..." She whimpered. "I'm just so -"
"Hey, come on... that's it, it's alright..." Mary smiled, brushing some of the wolf's unkempt fur out of her face. "We came as soon as we saw it, darling..."
"Wait wait wait... we...?!" Stephanie shook her head to regather her bearings, then looked down at the two pigs that were stood beside Mary. "Oh... hey, guys..."
"Hi, sweetie..." Rosita took a hold of Stephanie's hand, leading the wolf back inside as Norman and Mary followed them. "You feeling okay...?"
"Well, I just... I... I dunno..." Stephanie crossed her arms, gripping her own shoulders as she hunched forwards. "So, you uh... y-you guys all saw the show, huh...?"
"Uh-huh..." Rosita nodded, stifling a small chuckle. "Y'know, Steph, when you said Porsha's Dad was some head honcho from Redshore, I didn't think you meant the head honcho from Redshore! I mean, yeah, I guess anybody who works there is pretty high profile, but... come on, Jimmy Crystal...?!"
"Yeah, well... ya can't exactly blame me for not telling..." Stephanie sighed, then headed back into her room and resumed her packing. "The second somebody tattles where we are, he'll send a whole frickin' army after us!"
"Hang on..." Mary cupped her chin, thinking to herself for a moment before her eyes went wide. "That bloke who you had the scuffle with a couple years back... th-that wasn't one of his, was it...?"
Stephanie hesitated, then nodded with a sigh. "Uh, yeah... Kendall. He, um... he was one of the ones who had me taken from the mansion. I guess me and Porsha gettin' away got 'im fired or something, but... b-but I dunno, Jimmy's got a lotta folks in his pocket."
She grunted forcefully as she shoved the last few items into her suitcase, finally zipping it shut before she stood back up and straightened her clothes. "So, uh... N-Norman, you wouldn't mind drivin' us down to the airport, would ya...?"
"Well no, I guess not, it's just... wait, airport...?" Norman said, glancing over to an equally surprised and confused Rosita and Mary. "Stephanie, you... you can't just leave..."
"Course I can, I did it before!" Stephanie forced a laugh, though her eyes and voice both betrayed a feeling of fear as she rubbed her arm. "I mean... ugh... look, I don't got a choice. Alright, Jimmy's out there, sayin' all that crap about me, and -"
"And running away's just going to make you look guilty!" Mary cut her off. "You'll never clear your name doing that, Steph!"
"For God's sake, Mary, I don't care about clearin' my name!" Stephanie was holding back tears again, despite her aggression. "All that matters to me is keepin' Porsha safe, and gettin' away from that frickin' psychopath!"
"Well, she's gonna be a lot safer here than she'd be going on the run. And so are you..." Rosita said, taking the wolf's hand again. "Look, I know you're scared, Stephanie, and I completely understand, believe me, but... but Norman and Mary are right. If you run away now, you'll just keep running forever."
"Yeah, well, what do you care, huh...?" Stephanie scoffed, taking on a more bitter tone as she yanked her hand out of Rosita. "Y'know, why... w-why are ya all here like you're on my side or something...?"
"We are on your side!" Mary said, almost laughing despite her concern. "Why wouldn't we be...?"
"Nobody else is, that's why!" Stephanie groaned. "Come on, ya just found out all this other stuff I've been coverin' up, what's stoppin' ya from thinkin' I ain't hidin' nothin' else?!"
"It doesn't matter if you are, Steph!" Mary said. "You're our friend, and we want to help you!"
"Well, what's in it for ya...?!"
"What's in it for me is that I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you!"
Mary's outburst instantly sucked all the air out of the room, making Stephanie, Norman and Rosita all freeze up. After a good ten seconds or so of complete silence, the gorilla's expression finally softened again as she slumped down on the couch and put a hand to her face.
"If you hadn't been there to pull from that canal, Steph, I... I'd have just... oh, God..." She sniffled a bit, before wiping her face and sitting back up again. "Johnny could have lost his mother that day. And if I can make sure Porsha doesn't lose hers, I will."
"Yeah..." Rosita nodded, gently holding onto the gorilla's hand, before they looked over to the wolf again. "I know you think you're the only one who sees Crystal for what he is, Stephanie, but you're not. And you've been fighting him alone long enough."
Stephanie stood there, her body trembling with a mixture of fear, frustration, and gratitude while she wiped her still tearful face. "Guys, I just... I just dunno what to say..."
"Can ya say I'm allowed to come out now, Mommy...?" Porsha's still muffled voice suddenly called from the closet. "It's real dark in here!"
"Oh God, Porsha!" Stephanie quickly knelt down and opened the door, letting out a hoarse laugh as she pulled her little one out from under all the clothes she'd buried her in. "Sorry, sunshine..."
Porsha squinted a little until her eyes re-adjusted to the light, looking at the two pigs and the gorilla that were all smiling at her, before facing her mother again. "Do we still have to leave, Mommy...?"
Stephanie hesitated for a moment, looking over to their friends just as Porsha had done a moment prior, before taking a deep breath. "No... we're not runnin' away anymore, Porsha... I'm not runnin' away."
"Welcome back to the Friday edition of Hot News!" Linda crossed her legs and lounged back in her chair, waiting until her rabid audience had stopped cheering. "We're back again with the hottest story on everybody's minds: The Crystal Family Drama!"
This prompted another excited "ooh" from the crowd in attendance, which only grew louder as the wedding photograph of Jimmy and his ex-wife flashed up on the screen, before it was split right down the middle in an elaborate PowerPoint graphic.
"Jimmy Crystal and Stephanie Frangipane are gonna be meeting at the Redshore City Courthouse later today, to discuss the custody of their adorable little daughter Porsha. And I'll be right there in the fray to give you a big, juicy Hot News exclusive!"
The courtyard was teeming with reporters from all the networks in the city, microphones poised with their cameras ready to capture any hint of a story. Due to them seemingly being focused on the black limo pulling up from Crystal Entertainment, Stephanie and her entourage took the opportunity to stealthily maneuver their way through the crowd as they entered the lobby.
The towering size of the room was intimidating enough as it was, though the fine marble and gold aesthetic was especially off-putting with the memories it brought back of the Crystal Mansion. Though having her trusty lawyer by her side did help to put her more at ease, and the three towering gorillas that stood right behind them gave them both an added sense of comfort and security.
"Thanks again for doin' this, Marcus..." She turned back to the lead gorilla. "I know it was kinda short notice and all, but... but I really appreciate it."
"Nah, think nothin' of it, Miss..." Marcus answered back, as his two companions - Stan and Barry - nodded in agreement. "My Mary was sayin' ya needed protection, and that's all we needed to 'ear."
Stephanie nodded with a smile, though it faltered a little as she looked behind the gorillas to see the opposing entourage entering the door they'd just come through. Neither her ex-husband or his lawyer seemed to be present, which would have been reassuring if it weren't for the familiar cat and saluki that were walking at the front.
Jerry still had his eyes fixated on his tablet and chattered on aimlessly as he walked, though Suki just managed to glance over and make eye contact with the wolf as she passed by her. This brevity made it hard for Stephanie to read her expression, especially since the saluki was actively trying to keep a straight face, but both could sense a look of both sadness and uncertainty in the other's eyes, and there was clearly a mutual desire to run over into each other's arms that they both had to resist.
Stephanie was snapped out of this thought when she felt a hand touching her own, and looked down to see Norman giving her a reassuring smile.
"So, uh... h-how d'ya feel about the case...?" She asked after another brief silence.
"Oh yeah, don't worry about that, Steph..." Norman tapped the side of his nose, giving a brief glance back at the opposing entourage that had just entered the courtroom. "I got an ace up my sleeve. Got it right before we came here..."
"Really?! What is it...?" Stephanie knelt down with anxious anticipation, though Norman's almost mischevious expression made it clear now wasn't the time to disclose it. "Right... well, uh... well anyways, you guys just go in and sit down... I'm gonna go freshen up..."
"Yep, you got it, Steph... boys..." Norman gestured to Marcus, Stan and Barry, leading them into the courtroom while Stephanie made her way down the left corridor.
The lady's bathroom was completely empty, and to Stephanie's surprise, it seemed most of the lights on the ceiling hadn't been switched on. Luckily, the lights hanging over the long sink on the left-side wall were still working - as was the small security camera positioned in the top corner - so she quickly made he way over to it. She latched both hands onto the basin and switched on the faucet, and threw a few splashes of cold water onto her face, which turned out to be exactly what she needed to wake herself up.
"Okay... okay okay okay..." She looked up and stared at her reflection, taking a few more quick breaths to try and calm her nerves. "Yeah... you can do this..."
Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off
The sudden burst of music made Stephanie jolt up for a moment, though the subtle buzzing in her back pocket made her realize it was one of her ringtones. As she reached into it and pulled out a phone, the familiar photograph on the Caller ID screen was a welcome sight to make her feel better.
"Hey, Rosita..." She let out a sigh of relief as she answered. "How ya doing...?"
"Oh yeah, we're all fine this side, Stephanie..." Rosita said. "What about you? You and the boys get there okay...?"
"Uh, yeah... yeah, it's okay for now..." Stephanie let out a rather playful chuckle. "Y'know, Norman's lookin' great in his lawyer getup... yeah... real handsome..."
"Oh, I'll bet..." Rosita giggled, though Stephanie could tell her friend was going red in the face. "But before you get any ideas, just remember he's already taken, Steph!"
"Hey babe, what happens in Redshore stays in Redshore!" Stephanie rebutted as they both let out a laugh, though after a moment she managed to calm herself down a bit, and couldn't help worrying that she'd gone too far. "But... ya know I wouldn't do that... right, Rosita...?"
"Hmm... yeah, I know..." Rosita said, hesitating for a moment before she let out a small sigh. "Anyway, um... how are you feeling, Stephanie?"
"Um... y-yeah, I'm good..." Stephanie replied, biting her bottom lip as she drummed her fingers on the sink table. "How's Porsha doing?"
"Oh yeah, she's great..." Rosita said. "I put on one of those Harry Plopper movies for her and Meena to watch..."
"Ah, good... yeah, she really likes that..." Stephanie sniffled a bit. "Hmm... so she's happy enough, then...?"
"She is..." Rosita said. She knew that Stephanie wasn't being completely honest about her thoughts, but rather than prod further, the pig decided to end their conversation on a more encouraging note. "He's not gonna win, Stephanie... Norman's never gonna let happen, and neither are you."
Stephanie felt a small wave of relief washing over herself from these words, but she couldn't help letting her eyes mist up a little. "Thanks, Rosita. You, Mary... all you guys doin' this for us, it... it really means a lot..."
"Oh yeah, of course... that's what you do for family, Stephanie..." Rosita chuckled, taking on a tone that almost sounded motherly, despite not having children of her own yet. "Alright... good luck, sweetheart..."
"Uh-huh... alright, bye..." Stephanie kept a smile forced onto her face - even though Rosita couldn't see her face - until she finally hung up, and let out a long sigh. "Oh boy..."
Upon turning back to face the sink and switch off the faucet, Stephanie suddenly noticed that the room was much quieter than it was before Rosita called. She wasn't entirely sure why, until it finally clicked - or rather, stopped clicking - when she looked up and saw the red light on the security camera had disappeared.
"Huh...? Ugh!"
Stephanie grunted when a hand suddenly reached out from the shadows and grabbed onto her left forearm, forcing it behind her back while another hand latched onto her right shoulder. She tried to pull away as the figure pulled her closer, only to let out a high-pitched gasp when her assailant's face finally emerged from the darkness and leaned in towards hers.
"Hello, Stephanie..." He growled in her ear, his familiar voice sending a chill through Stephanie as her breath stilled in her throat. "Nice to see ya again..."
"Ji... J-Jimmy...?" Stephanie struggled to pry herself free, but he still held on tight. Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere being scared, she mustered up all the courage and confidence she could, despite the terrifying presence she was literally enveloped in. "So... ya just waitin' here to see girls doin' their business, huh...?"
"Hmm... Just wanted make sure you were wolf enough to show up." Jimmy scoffed, almost sounding amused, though he tightened his grip on her wrist. "I'm real glad ya did, though... cause ya always did look good in chains, Stephanie..."
By looking in the mirror, Stephanie noticed Jimmy's nose start to twitch with what seemed to be intrigue, while his eyes glanced down at the collar of her shirt. It was then when the older wolf realized that the smell that had grabbed his attention was her perfume - a nice mix of vanilla and strawberry, with a minor hint of cinnamon - and he suddenly stuck his nose right into the fur on Stephanie's neck to take a long, satisfied inhale of it.
"Jimmy..." Stephanie could feel herself starting to hyperventilate. She shut her eyes tight while small tears started to run down her face, and her voice gradually turned to a quiet, scared whimper. "Jimmy, stop it... please..."
"I gave ya a little break, Stephanie, but you were never gonna get away for real..." Jimmy let out a hollow chuckle as he kept his hand on her wrist, gently caressing her neck with the other. "You made a big mistake stealin' from me, baby... and I can't wait to see ya choke on it! Ugh!"
Jimmy staggered back, holding a hand to his stomach where Stephanie's elbow had just jabbed him, and he looked up with a scowl at the other wolf. They were both breathing heavily, and Stephanie was standing straight with a vicious, hateful glare in her eyes, even with the line of tear-stained mascara that was running down her left cheek. It was clearly she was wrestling with herself whether or not to say anything, but she ultimately decided against, grabbing her phone from the sink and heading towards the door.
"I hope ya said goodbye to the kid before ya left, Stephanie..." Jimmy snarled, making Stephanie stop in the doorway for a moment. "Cause ya ain't gonna get the chance to do it after I get her back!"
Stephanie remained there for another moment or two, digging her claws right into the door that she was holding, before she finally straightened up and left the room. Jimmy remained fixated on his ex-wife - or rather, her lower backside - while she headed out and closed the door behind her, and he couldn't resist pulling a smug, victorious smile as he turned over to the mirror to straighten his suit and tie.
"Hmm... lookin' good, Jimmy..." He said to himself. "Lookin' real good..."
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Shake It Off" - Taylor Swift
Chapter 14: The Proceedings
Chapter Text
Stephanie stepped into the crowded courtroom, doing her best to ignore the flashing cameras and the barrage of questions being shouted at her by the press. She spotted Norman sat at the defendant desk, with their gorilla security sat on the row right behind him, and frantically straightened herself up as she quickly strode over.
"Oh hey, there you are!" Norman laughed as she sat beside him, though the pig's face quickly shifted to a more concerned expression. "How you holding up, Steph...?"
"Huh...?" Stephanie straightened up a bit, realising her fur and clothes were still ruffled and unkempt from what had happened in the bathroom, so she took a moment to brush herself down. "Oh, uh... y-yeah, Norman, I'm fine... I just... I just wanna get this over with, y'know...?"
"Hey, don't worry about it, Stephanie..." Norman said softly as he held her hand. "You're not gonna lose Porsha. I promise."
Stephanie pulled a small smile at this, only to freeze up again as she heard the doors open, and a familiar voice once again spoke up among the reporters hounding around the new arrival.
"Thank you all for coming! Really, thank you all so much, I appreciate it, I... I really do!" Jimmy Crystal projected out loudly through the barrage of cameras and questions, and Stephanie bit her bottom lip as she and Norman turned to see the white wolf and his legal team entering the courtroom. "I just... it's just been so hard, y'know... my little angel bein' away, not knowin' where she is, it... it really does hurt. But I know we're gonna be able to work things out!"
"Oh God..." Stephanie's eyes bulged to their widest point when she finally spotted the lawyer that was stood beside her ex-husband. While he was taller and more strapping than the other saluki that she knew - which was likely the result of his past military service - his rounded rectangular glasses and the eagle-headed cane he used to support his limp made him easy to recognise nonetheless. "Charlie..."
"Who...?" Norman said.
"Jimmy's lawyer, he... he's Charlie Lane... Suki's brother..." Stephanie whispered as she turned back around and slumped down in her seat, avoiding eye contact with Jimmy and Charlie as they approached the plaintiff table opposite them. "He's the biggest heavy hitter on the Crystal legal team. Plus he's a war hero too, so..."
"Ah..." Norman winced a little, but quickly patted Stephanie's hand. "But hey... we knew it'd be an uphill battle, right...?"
"Oh hey, look who it is!" Jimmy let out a hollow laugh to get Stephanie's attention, prompting her to send a glare his way. "I was beginning to think you'd be runnin' away again..."
Stephanie clenched both fists on the table, letting out a quiet snarl as she bared her teeth. She knew that Jimmy was only trying to provoke her, but she had to keep herself from taking his bait, just as she had in the bathroom. As Jimmy and Charlie sat down, Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose and lounged back in her chair, sending a rather hopeless look towards the pig beside her.
"Whatever that secret weapon is ya got, Norman... I really hope it's worth it..."
The doors in the back finally opened as the judge - an elderly but still indimating looking lion - entered the courtroom, momentarily silencing the buzzing energy of the crowd as he took his seat.
"Good afternoon..." He said, straightening his glasses as he read the sheet in his hands. "We are here today to begin the custody proceedings, in the case of Jimmy Crystal V. Stephanie Frangipane."
Stephanie took a deep breath, trying to center herself and maintain her composure, while Norman held her hand and gave her an encouraging nod.
"Before we proceed, I want to remind both parties that this is a court of law, and we will conduct ourselves accordingly..." The judge then looked down towards both wolves present at the front. "Mr. Crystal, Ms. Frangipane, we are here to determine what is in the best interest of your child. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Your Honour..." Stephanie and Jimmy responded in near-unison.
"Very well, then you may proceed..."
Porsha was planted right in front of the TV, her small frame tense with worry while her eyes were fixed on the screen. The hours, days and weeks had gradually all blurred into one throughout her time watching the trial, and while Rosita had occassionally put on the cartoon channel in a bid to cheer her up, the young wolf always changed it back to the news channel to keep watching the proceedings.
She was particularly focused on Stephanie, who had barely said a word throughout the entire trial, though this hadn't stopped the cameras from remaining fixated on her while the reporters and commentators obsessively analysed her body language. With each new day of footage, Stephanie seemed to deteriorate more and more, eventually looking like a tired, messy shell of herself, and Porsha couldn't help feeling a pit form in her stomach as her mother's new appearance brought some nastier memories back to light.
"Porsha..." Rosita's voice snapped Porsha out of her focus on the screen, and she turned around to see the pig sat on the couch behind her. "You comfy down there, sweetie...?"
Rather than say anything, Porsha quickly sat up and ran over to the couch, climbing up onto it to sit beside Rosita as they turned their attention back to the screen.
"She looks real sad..." Porsha finally spoke up again as her mother came back on the screen, while Rosita noticed the little wolf gently clutching her left forearm. "I haven't seen her like that since... since, um..."
"Yeah... I'm sure she is..." Rosita placed a comforting arm around Porsha's shoulder. "This can be pretty complicated, Porsha. It's not much fun for anybody, really..."
"Hmm..." Porsha nestled a little closer into Rosita's embrace. They remained silent for another minute or two, still focused on the screen, while Porsha fumbled her hands together, before she finally spoke up again. "Rosita...?"
"Uh-huh...?"
"Is, um..." Porsha's voice quivered as while her eyes misted up a bit, while she finally asked a question that made Rosita's heart completely sink. "Is Mommy gonna be taken away?"
"Oh... well, uh... P-Porsha, I..." Rosita sighed, then tightened her embrace, planting a little kiss on top of the pup's head. "I can't promise she won't, Porsha, but... b-but your mommy loves you very much. Cause she's fighting really hard for you, and... and even if she doesn't win, she knows you're worth it."
"Do ya really think so?"
"Absolutely..." Rosita's voice was filled with conviction, but she still kept an encouraging tone as she gently pressed the wolf's nose. "There's no power on earth that can match a mother's love, Porsha. You've gotta remember that."
"Okay..." Porsha's tense shoulders eased slightly as she relaxed a little, though she started sniffling again as she turned her attention back to the TV. "It's still scary, though..."
"Hmm... yeah, I know..." Rosita gently stroked the back of Porsha's head, putting the little one more at ease. Although the pig didn't want to make promises she couldn't guarantee, she could tell some words of comfort, however vauge, were still necessary for the girl to hear. "It's gonna be okay, Porsha. You've just gotta keep hoping for it."
By the third week of the trial, Stephanie had almost completely zoned out of anything that was actually being said, only instinctively standing and sitting back down whenever the judge entered and left the room. The wolf had been trying to repress her negative thoughts, but by now her mind was utterly racing rampant with a thousand different worries and doubts as she shuffled and writhed in her seat.
As hopeless as she'd been feeling throughout the proceedings, she couldn't help admiring the commitment and confidence Norman exuded with each testimony and piece of evidence he presented, though this only made her heart sink even more whenever Charlie presented something else to contradict or rebut it.
The dismissal of Kendall's attack a few days prior had been especially disheartening. Stephanie had been confident going in that this would have guaranteed a win - to the point where she'd initially assumed this was the secret weapon that Norman had been hyping up to her - though since Kendall was unemployed and acting of his own accord at the time, Jimmy was cleared of any responsibility for that incident. It was probably around this point when Stephanie had fallen into the depressed stupour that had taken hold of her for the past few days, and this whirlwind of negative thoughts had only worsened as the trial dragged on.
The thought of losing the case and potentially going to prison for kidnapping were scary enough as they were, but they were nothing in comparison to the far more crushing thought of losing her little one. Stephanie could already feel her skin crawl at the idea of Porsha growing up in Redshore under Jimmy's wing, and the image of that sweet, kindhearted little pup growing into a selfish, rotten little dumpster fire like her father was almost too much for her to bear.
It was almost relieving when Charlie's next words finally snapped her back to reality, though Stephanie still felt completely blindsided by what he was saying.
"I call..." Charlie hesitated for a moment, exchanging a brief glance with Jimmy before he completed his sentence. "S-Suki... I um... I call Suki Lane to the stand."
"Suki? But what's... ugh, dammit..." Stephanie frantically patted Norman's hand, whispering to him while Stephanie made her way over to the podium and took her oath. "Norman, what's goin' on? I mean, what... w-what are they askin' her about...?"
"What, you didn't hear...?" Norman raised an eyebrow, though his tone and expression was otherwise sympathetic. "She's gonna talk about... the Valentine's incident, whatever that is."
"Valentines...?" Stephanie thought for a moment as she pursed her lips, before her eyes bulged wide as it finally clicked. "Oh God..."
"If you wouldn't mind, Miss Lane, could you please give some context leading to what happened?" Charlie asked, while his sister straightened up in the seat. "You claim Stephanie had been drinking that day. Is that correct...?"
"Uh-huh... oh, I mean... y-yes..." Suki leaned into the microphone, trying her best to avoid eye contact with both the wolves on either side of the case. "Th-that morning, Stephanie had gotten a call regarding Mr. Crystal."
"I see..." Charlie cupped his chin. "And what was the subject of this call?"
"It was a call about his behaviour..." Suki gulped, quickly glancing over to see the reddish beam forming on Jimmy's face, a clear warning to watch what she said next. "You see, there had been some, um... w-well, to put it bluntly... infidelities."
"That ain't exactly relevant to the case, though!" Jimmy objected, while Stephanie noticed what seemed to be a look of fear flash on his face as he looked to the crowd. "Y'know, cause this ain't about me, right...?"
"Mr. Crystal..." The judge cut in, making Jimmy scoff as he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair like a pouting child, a sight that both Stephanie and Charlie couldn't help finding brief amusement in. "Mr. Lane, please continue."
"Thank you, Your Honour..." Charlie looked back to his sister, taking on a more serious tone again. "So... Stephanie didn't take the news of her husband's affairs well, I assume...?"
"Oh no, definitely not..." Suki sighed. "She tried drowning her sorrows, if you catch my drift, but... but Porsha was playing nearby, and she... she just saw red..."
Stephanie closed her eyes and hunched forward a little, Suki's words now being the only thing she could hear as this particularly nasty memory made its way back to the surface.
"Porsha, for the love of... ugh!" Stephanie slammed her half-empty glass down, slightly startling her daughter and cutting off her imaginative rambling. "What part of leave Mommy alone right now is so hard for ya to understand, huh...?!"
"Sorry, Mommy..." Porsha's ears drooped as she took a few steps back, fumbling her hands nervously. "Are you in one of your moods again...?"
Stephanie suddenly sat up straight, a tight scowl forming on her face as she glared at her anxious four-and-a-half year old. "What did you just say to me...?!"
"Well, when you get upset, Daddy always says you're - ouch!"
Porsha yelped when Stephanie suddenly grabbed her left forearm and yanked her closer. Without any hesitation Suki ran over to intervene, trying in vain to free the whimpering pup from her mother's hold, only for Stephanie to force her off as she tightened her grip on Porsha.
"Don't you ever speak to your mother like that again!" Stephanie snarled in Porsha's terrified face, baring her teeth like a savage beast. "Do you understand me...?!"
"Mommy, you're hurting me...! Ugh!"
"I'm miserable enough being married to a cheating slob like your father, and the last thing I need is to have a useless little brat like you for a daughter!"
Suki's heart nearly stopped when Stephanie swung hard with the back of her hand, sending Porsha to the floor with a THUD!
"Porsha!" Suki skidded down on her knees and sat the little one back up, gently holding a hand to her visibly reddened cheek. "Oh honey, are you okay...?"
Porsha winced a little as Suki studied the brownish-purple bruise growing on her forearm, though she otherwise remained relatively calm, barring a few sniffles. Her attention was more focused on her mother, who had collapsed to her knees with her face in her hands while she wept uncontrollably.
"What have I done...?" Stephanie's voice was muffled by her hands. "Oh God, what have I done...?!"
Suki wasn't sure which of the two was in greater need of comfort, though she ultimately decided to shuffle over and wrap her arms around the sobbing Stephanie. "It's okay, sweetheart... it's okay..."
"I'm just... I'm just so tired, Suki..." Stephanie choked out through her tears. "I'm tired of all of it..."
"I know, Stephanie." Suki sighed, planting a soft kiss on the wolf's forehead before tightening her embrace. "I know..."
"I call Stephanie Frangipane to the stand..."
Charlie's words snapped Stephanie back to reality again, causing her to look around and realise that the entire courtroom was now staring right at her. While most of their expressions seemed to be disapproving glares following Suki's testimony, Norman's still looked sympathetic and their three gorilla bodyguards all seemed more neutral, while Jimmy had that familiar smug grin etched onto his face as he relaxed back in his seat.
Norman gently patted Stephanie's hand and pointed to the witness podium, prompting the wolf to stand up and make her way over to it, trying to avoid eye contact with her opponent, the judge and the jury while she sat down. The bailiff presented a large, ancient-looking Bible towards her, and she placed her hand over it to take her oath.
"Ms. Frangipane..." The bailiff said. "While on this stand, do you swear to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
"I do..." Stephanie nodded, straightening up and clearing her throat as the saluki approached her. "Oh, uh... h-hey, Charlie. Long time no see, huh...?"
"Hmm... yeah..." Charlie's expression looked rather neutral, though she could sense the pain - and what perhaps sounded like some regret - in his voice before he began his questioning. "As we've just heard, Ms. Frangipane, Miss Lane claims that you physically assaulted your daughter during a drunken rage. Do you um... do you deny this...?"
"Deny? W-well, I... I um..."
Stephanie hesitated, biting down on her bottom lip as she surveyed the curious eyes all around the courtroom, before finally letting out a regretful sigh.
"N-no, I don't... it's true."
This prompted a collective gasp among the entire courtroom, which was especially loud with the massive crowd in attendance. Despite this, Stephanie remained focused on the more quiet disappointment etched onto Charlie's face before he turned away.
"B-but ya gotta understand, I was smashed, okay?!" She said, desperately trying to keep control. "Y'know, I... I ain't even touched alcohol in years! Norman, you'll back me up on that, won't ya...? Rosita even said I'd be dead if I kept -!"
"Yes, thank you..." Charlie cut her off, tightly gripping his cane as he turned back to face the court. "Speaking as a father myself, I believe that every child deserves the basic right of a safe and stable environment. And we have to be fully committed to ensuring that Porsha gets those rights, and all the care, love, and support she needs... regardless of which of her parents provides it to her."
"I've been providin' that to her for two goddamned years!" Stephanie suddenly barked, furiously slamming her fist on the podium as it echoed around the room. "Look, I ain't pretendin' I'm some perfect parent, but ya can't act like I'm the monster here! This is total bull-!"
"Ms. Frangipane!" The judge cut her off, sending a glare Stephanie's way while her face still beamed red, now out of mild embarrassment rather than anger.
"N-no, Your Honour, it's alright..." Charlie raised his hands calmly, looking over to the wolf as he spoke a little quieter. "Stephanie, please... don't make this worse for yourself..."
Stephanie took some deep breaths as she unclenched her fists and the red beam faded from her cheeks, the sound of camera shutters and anxious murmurs now being the only sounds in the courtroom as she sat back down on her seat. She noticed the smug look still on Jimmy's face, which had only gotten more enthusiastic after both Suki's testimony and Stephanie's outburst.
"Right... s-sorry..." She finally said, pulling a small grimace as she looked over at Charlie again. "But... b-but yeah, Suki, she... she was tellin' the truth."
"Okay..." Charlie said, nodding slowly. "That being said... Suki did emphasise that this was the only incident of that kind. And there haven't been any since during your time in Calatonia?"
"Oh no, definitely not..." Stephanie sat straighter again, itching the back of her head. "Yeah, like I said before, I uh... I don't drink no more, so... well, I do drink, obviously, but y'know... nothin' with alcohol in it."
"Good..." Charlie felt a smile tugging at his lips, though he managed to hide it before Jimmy saw. "Then, if I'm understanding correctly, Ms. Frangipane. This was not a common occurence, then?"
"No. No, not at all..." Stephanie felt her eyes misting up as she sat up again, looking around the court while she continued. "Look, I know I've made mistakes, but there's nothin' that matters more to me than keeping my Porsha safe. It's the whole reason I took her away in the first place, she was never gonna be -"
"No ya didn't, ya spiteful little liar!" Jimmy bellowed as he stood up from the plaintiff table, catching Stephanie off-guard as his charismatic facade briefly cracked to reveal his true, far more visceral rage beneath it. "You stole her to get back at me!"
After taking a few deep breaths, and receiving a glare from both Charlie and the judge, Jimmy slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms again, aggressively yanking his hand away from Jerry's after the cat tried to calm or comfort him.
"Right. Well, uh..." Charlie cleared his throat, then looked back to Stephanie and the judge. "Thank you, Ms. Frangipane. No further questions."
Stephanie felt a mix of relief and anxiety as she stood up and returned to her seat beside Norman.
The faces of the jury and the crowd seemed more neutral and uncertain now as she glanced around at them, though she could tell that Suki's testimony - and her subsequent admittance to it - had left a rather significant impact. She felt herself zoning out again for the rest of the day, but was eventually snapped back again when she felt Norman's hand touching her own. She looked down to see the pig smiling at her, before looking around to see the crowd behind them beginning to disperse.
"Oh... are we done...?"
"Uh-huh. Until tomorrow..." Norman said, turning to Marcus and nodding. "You guys get the car ready, we'll just be a minute."
"Will do, mate..." Marcus said, gently patting Stephanie on the back before he, Stan and Barry left the room.
Stephanie leaned forward, pinching the bridge of her nose as she let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Norman, I... look, I know I shoulda told ya about the Valentine's thing, but I just -"
"Nah, it's okay. I get it." Norman patted her hand. "I mean, it... it's bad, Steph, don't get me wrong, but... but you're not like that anymore. That's what important."
"Yeah... yeah, I know..." Stephanie sat back up, pulling a small smile as she looked over to see Charlie and Suki leaving the courtroom behind Jimmy. "Kinda feels like Charlie took it easy on me, though..."
"Hmm... I wonder why..." Norman chuckled, though Stephanie couldn't help sensing what sounded like a mischievous tone in his voice as she turned back to him. "But hey... if that was meant to be their ace, I still think we got a chance with ours."
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "And ya still ain't tellin' me what that whole ace up your sleeve thing is, huh...?"
Norman shook his head, then climbed off his seat and stood back up, gesturing towards the door as he and Stephanie left the now empty courtroom.
"You've just gotta have a little more patience, Steph..." He said cryptically. "We've gotta save it for the opportune moment."
Chapter 15: The Opportune Moment
Chapter Text
"Miss Frangipane, Miss Frangipane! Stephanie, How about a statement? What are your thoughts on the case? Is it true you're a child abuser? Stephanie?!"
"Alright, alright, clear the way!" Marcus barked harshly as the reporters messily shuffled past, creating a somewhat clear path for the defendant to make her way through.
Stephanie kept her head held high as she walked in, her dark sunglasses and white, wide-brimmed hat helping to conceal the worried expression on her face until they were inside the lobby. Once she made sure Marcus had closed the door, keeping out the prying eyes of the press, she removed these accessories and pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, frustrated groan.
"Ya think I shoulda said something to 'em...?" She asked her bodyguard as he trailed a few inches behind her. "Y'know, last day of the case, and all...?"
"Oh no, love, you were right not sayin' nothin' to 'em... all them lot want is headlines..." Marcus said. "Some of 'em were bloody relentless with Mary after her old man kicked it. Best to just ignore 'em."
"Yeah... yeah, you're probably right..." Stephanie kept a tight grip on the hat in her hands as they approached the door to the courtroom. "At this point, I just really wanna get this over and done with, y'know..."
Aside from a few quiet mumblings in the crowd, the courtroom was near-silent when Stephanie entered, her footsteps echoing from the marble floor as she made her way over to the defendants table.
"Oh hey! Morning, Steph..."
As Norman shuffled over a little to give her some space to sit down, Stephanie couldn't help noticing the rather energetic gleam in the pig's eye, or the very enthusiastic smile that had crossed his face. Given that luck had hardly been on their side for the last four weeks, Stephanie couldn't quite fathom the reason behind her lawyer's uncharacteristic cheerfulness, especially when he was hardly the most excitable individual even on a good day.
"So, uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat, though her voice was still tinged with a hoarse skepticism, while she leaned in closer to whisper. "I'm guessin' you're gonna be usin' that secret weapon today, huh...?"
"Hmm..." Norman nodded, giving her a small wink as he looked back to the files on the desk and began sorting them. "You'll know when, Stephanie. Believe me, you'll know when."
The brief flicker of anticipation Stephanie felt was suddenly replaced by a more familiar dread as the doors to the courtroom flew open again, and the opposing entourage made their big grand entrance. Despite Marcus previously closing the lobby off to keep the paparazzi out, Jimmy had gladly allowed them to follow as he basked in the glory and attention he was receiving. By this point, the white wolf wasn't even bothering with his crocodile tears anymore, and he carried his signature aura of invincible confidence as if he'd already won.
"Great, yes, thank you! Yes, thank you all so much!" Jimmy waved, shook hands and patted the backs of all the reporters singing his praises. "I tell ya, it's been a long one, but it's all gonna be worth it!"
When they turned around in their seats to study the new arrivals, Stephanie's eye was first caught by Suki and Charlie, the two salukis silently trailing behind Jimmy as he made his way to the prosecution desk. But a quick glance over at Norman allowed to her to notice that the pig was directly eyeing the much shorter cat that quickly walked ahead of his employer.
Before she could even begin to question why her lawyer was so interested in Jerry, Stephanie found herself tensing up again as a hand tightly gripped her right shoulder. She knew all who well who the hand belonged to, but rather than turn her head to face her ex-husband directly, she kept her focus on the wall straight ahead, though she could still feel her husband's intense gaze fixated directly onto her like a crosshairs.
"They're gonna be makin' their verdict today..."
Jimmy's lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk as he eyed the jury gathering to sit in their box, while he took his hand off Stephanie's shoulder and used it to slowly stroke the right side of her face.
"Just a couple more hours of this, and Porsha's all mine."
Stephanie felt her heart skipping several beats as her throat constricted tight, which made it harder to quell the raging fire that was burning its way to the surface. But a more gentle grip that she eventually felt on her left hand, which she instinctively knew was Norman's, served as a comforting reassurance, as well as a subtle reminder not to take Jimmy's bait.
Despite the countless thoughts racing through her head, Stephanie remained completely stone-faced without making eye contact for at least a minute, at which point Jimmy let out an ominously hollow chuckle before he finally sat down at the opposite desk. It was then when the doors at the back of the courtroom finally opened, and everyone else rose from their seat as the judge entered to begin their final day of proceedings.
"Okay..." Stephanie closed her eyes and clenched both her fists, letting out a long exhale before she finally opened them again. "Just one more day... one more day..."
The first hour or so was fairly uneventful, mainly consisting of Charlie presenting more miscellaneous evidence related to the early years of Stephanie and Jimmy's marriage. So Stephanie found herself phasing out and getting lost in her thoughts again - both the good and the bad - for most of the morning, until a rather unexpected statement snapped her back to reality.
"I call Jerry Jonze to the stand!"
Stephanie straightened up in her seat and looked over to Norman, who was now standing up beside the table, and they watched as the much shorter cat clumsily fumbled his way to the front and shuffled over to the witness podium. As he sat down, Jerry's eyes darted all around the room, though he was clearly trying to avoid making any eye contact with his employer, and Stephanie noticed a slight tremble in his hands before he sat on them both.
"Alright, you just gotta keep quiet now, okay...?" Norman whispered as he got on his tiptoes to whisper to Stephanie. "No matter what he says, don't react."
Stephanie hesitated, then nodded, her jaw clenched tight while her eyes fixed back onto Jerry. "Okay... do whatever ya gotta do, Norman."
"Mr. Jonze..." Norman approached the podium, his demeanor professional yet probing. "You've worked for Mr. Crystal a good few years, haven't you...?"
"Oh, yeah, just around uh... y-yeah, about ten, eleven years this spring." Jerry pulled a small but still forced smile. "B-but y'know, it hardly feels like any time's passed at all, cause it's really been such a fun adventure getting to -"
"Yes, I'm sure you have good memories, Mr. Jonze..." Norman cut the cat off, before clearing his throat. "Your employment predates Mr. Crystal's marriage to Ms. Frangipane, doesn't it? You attended their wedding."
"That's right." Jerry said. "For the record, might I just say it really was a lovely service!"
"Yes, you may say that..." Norman chuckled, taking on a slightly friendlier tone. "And you were also present for most of the other major events in their relationship. The wedding, Porsha being born... Mr. Crystal's infidelity."
Stephanie noticed Jerry freezing up as his face went almost ghost-white, nearly matching the shade of his very angry-looking employer's face. But rather than prodding further with that particular subject, Norman then turned the topic back to the case at hand.
"You were also present at the Crystal Mansion the night Stephanie left, weren't you...?" Norman cupped his chin as Jerry nodded. "Do you remember anything from that night, Mr. Jonze...?"
"Oh, of course. Like it was yesterday..." Jerry swallowed hard, his hands gripping the sides of the podium. "Well, you see, um... sh-she was very angry, throwing things around, screaming, being um... well, like I said, angry. Mr. Crystal tried to calm her down, but she just kept yelling at him, and she was talking about how she couldn't wait to get out of there, and um... w-well then, she did. Get out of there, I mean."
"I see..." Norman nodded. "And she never mentioned wanting to take Porsha with her...?"
Jerry hesitated, then shook his head as a few gasps and murmurings came from the crowd. "No. Not once."
Stephanie felt her blood boil as both her fists clenched tight, her claws digging into her palms while she bit down hard on her bottom lip. Hearing Jerry say such blatant lies about her was infuriating enough as it was, and Norman's advice to keep her cool had only made her feel even more frustrated, but despite this, she only just managed to force some restraint as Jerry continued.
"At her request, I bought her a ticket to Sealattle, and then she left..." Jerry now looked straight ahead, trying to not look Norman or Stephanie in the eye. "A few hours later, she came back, broke into the mansion, and took little Porsha right out of her bed."
"Yeah, that sure sounds like a kidnapping to me..." Norman chuckled, turning back to see Stephanie glaring right at him with her arms crossed, before gesturing to one of the bailiffs in the corner. "Well, thank you very much for your testimony, Mr. Jonze."
"Oh yes, sir." Jerry nodded in a rather smug manner, glancing over to Jimmy as the wolf pulled a devious, victorious smile. "All in the course of justice."
"Of course, of course..." Norman put his hands in his pocket as he walked away from the podium. "And I'm sure my final piece of evidence will verify everything you've said, Mr. Jonze."
"Absolu-" Jerry cut himself off. "Wait... evidence?"
"Oh yeah, I've been looking forward to presenting this one for the whole trial..."
Norman nodded gratefully to the bailiff as the latter carried over a tape deck and passed him a small cassette, which prompted Stephanie to squint a little to see the familiar logo printed on the front side: Crystal Estate Security.
"This is a security tape from the Crystal Mansion, provided by a verified but anonymous employee of Crystal Entertainment..." Norman announced as he held up the cassette, prompting even more murmurings from the crowd. "It features the recorded conversation that played out between Mr. Crystal and Ms. Frangipane before she left... so I think we should give it a listen to see just how much it lines up with Mr. Jonze's story..."
Stephanie sat completely upright in her seat as Norman placed the tape in the deck. While the pig wound the tape to the desired timestamp, Stephanie glanced over to the prosecution desk to study the more uncertain expression forming on Jimmy's face, which quickly contorted into his more familiar rage as it finally began playing.
"YOU THREATENED MY THERAPIST!"
The sound of her own voice did catch Stephanie rather off-guard for a moment or two, but she quickly relaxed as the rest of the conversation unfolded, while a deep, focused silence fell across the courtroom for a good few minutes.
"Come on, a little tough love don't hurt nobody! Besides, little brat probably deserved it anyhow!"
This callous remark prompted more than a few shocked gasps from the crowd, while Jimmy hunched forward in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. Stephanie couldn't help feeling a smile tug at her lips as she glanced over to see this, barely even focusing on the tape until her own voice pulled her back into it.
"Porsha's the only good thing I've ever gotten outta this, and there's nothing I'll ever regret more than having her with you!" Many eyes - including Jimmy's - were now focused on Jerry as the cat sank a little lower in the witness seat. "Now I'm takin' her with me, and we're never comin' back to Redshore again!"
The longer the tape went on, the more contradictions and gaping holes were identified in Jerry's story, and it all led up to the moment where Kendall and Roman were called in to forcibly remove Jimmy's ex from the premises.
"YOU'RE LUCKY YOU AIN'T LEAVIN' OUTTA THAT WINDOW!" Jimmy was now almost cringing with embarrassment as his enraged rants were on full display for the entire courtroom - and the dozens of reporters and camera operators that he had allowed to follow him in - to hear. "Pack her things. Send her back to whatever podunk little gutter town she crawled out of!"
"NO!" The last few seconds of the tape caught the sound of Stephanie's feet being dragged across the floor, and her frantic struggle to escape the guards' grips. "No, you... Jimmy, please, ya can't do this! Ugh... PORSHA!"
Everyone sat in silence for a good minute after the tape ended, none of them really sure what to say until Norman - flashing a confident smirk - straightened his suit and returned to his seat beside Stephanie.
"Thank you, Your Honour..." He finally said. "No further questions."
After the lawyers on both sides spent the rest of the morning presenting more pieces of evidence - all of which were hopelessly overshadowed by the massive bombshell that had been dropped with the tape - the case had finally been presented in its entirety, and the twelve animals that comprised the jury were sent away to discuss the findings. From the first day of the proceedings, Norman and Marcus had both warned Stephanie that the jury's deliberations could take several hours, if not a day or more, so it was a rather unexpected shock when the same 12 animals re-entered the courtroom and returned to their stand just short of forty-five minutes later.
"Let the court take note, the deliberations have ceased at 13:43pm..." The judge announced, before looking over to the lead juror - a gazelle - and lowering his glasses. "Has a verdict been decided...?"
"Yes, Your Honour..." The gazelle answered back, her expression neutral to the point of unreadable as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, folded sheet of paper.
Stephanie's heart pounded in her chest as she anxiously dug her claws into the old wooden table she was sat at. She stole a glance towards the prosecution table, and noticed Jerry tugging on the elbow of Jimmy's suit, only for the older wolf to forcefully shrug the cat of his arm as he remained focused on the juror.
Finally, the jury returned to their seats, their expressions unreadable. The judge, sensing the collective anticipation, cleared his throat and urged the lead juror to announce the verdict. Stephanie held her breath, her hands clenched together, her eyes fixed on the juror.
"We, the jury, have reached a unanimous verdict. For the charges of kidnapping and child endangerment..." The gazelle held back for a moment or two, letting both the feelings of both excitement and anxiety hang in the air across the entire courtroom. "We find Stephanie Angelica Frangipane... not guilty."
"WHAT...?!" Stephanie and Jimmy called out almost in-sync, though one was more shocked with excitement while the other was shocked with offence.
This announcement alone was almost enough to make Stephanie jump out of her seat, hug Norman and their three bodyguards and dance around the courtroom like a madwoman, but she just managed to restrain herself in order to hear the rest of the juror's statement.
"For the charges of domestic and financial abuse, and attempted false imprisonment... we find James Robert Crystal... guilty..." The juror's words prompted a massive, collective gasp to echo from the entire crowd present, almost loud enough to drown out her final line. "And for the charges of perjury under oath, and attempted obstruction of the course of justice... we find Jerry Samuel Jonze... guilty."
With the juror's announcements finished, Stephanie finally felt herself relax as a monsoon or both relief and joy washed over her. The pain and stress that had been at the forefront of her mind for the last several weeks - and had been there deep down for at least two years before that - almost seemed to melt away, and she almost felt herself being carried off into an imaginary dreamland as the judge delivered the final decision.
"Based on the unanimous decision of the jury, I hereby grant full custody of Porsha Frangipane-Crystal to her mother, Stephanie Frangipane..." He said, giving Stephanie a brief but warm smile, before looking over to the anxious looking cat and the furious looking white wolf at the prosecution desk. "Furthermore, James Robert Crystal will be required to pay Ms. Frangipane nine hundred thousand dollars in restitution and child support."
"WA-HOO!"
Stephanie finally let out a massive, triumphant cheer, even jumping up on the spot and striking the same pose that Porsha had done before the Halloween party, while the entire courtroom erupted into a madrigal of gasps, cheers and congratulations. After grabbing Norman's documents from the desk and throwing them all into the air, the wolf then grabbed her lawyer's hands and yanked him out of his seat, making him dance with her under the papers and folders falling around them.
They were so immersed in the bliss of their victory that they hadn't even noticed the look of humiliated rage that had formed on Jimmy's face, making his blue eyes go bloodshot as the white fur on his cheeks burned a deadly red.
"Mr. Crystal, I'm really sorry, I... ugh!" Jerry grunted as he fell off his seat, frantically trying to catch up to his employer as he shoved his way past the crowd and the reporters and stormed out of the courtroom. "Sir, I thought we'd erased that tape! Oh, I mean, uh... n-no, Mr. Crystal, please wait!"
"Oh hey! Uh... Mr. Lane!" Norman made his way over to the prosecution desk as Charlie was standing up, extending a hand that the saluki shook. "It was a real honour, sir."
"Ah, the honour was all mine, Norman..." Charlie nodded, glancing over to Stephanie with a quick wink. "As long as justice prevails, I'm a happy man."
Stephanie once again found herself flanked by reporters and cameramen as she and Norman left the courtroom. Though after the success of their case, Marcus, Stan and Barry were making far less of an effort to hold back the much more positive reception they were receiving.
"Okay, thank you all. Y-yes, thank you..." Stephanie cleared her throat as the journalists simmered down a little, most of them still pointing their microphones at her. "Well, uh... well I ain't exactly much of a public speaker or nothin' but... but I guess all I gotta say is uh... is that I'm real happy all this stuff is finally behind me, and... and now I just wanna go back home and be with my daughter again..."
"Aww..." The reporters, including Linda Le Bon herself, all said in near-unison, before then turning their attention to the pig that had actually won the case. "Norman, do you have anything to say? How does it feel winning against the best lawyer in Redshore City...?"
"Well, I haven't exactly got much to say about that last part, but uh... but I do have somebody I wanna send a message to..." Norman then gripped one of the microphones with both hands, taking on a rather giddy tone as he shouted right into one of the cameras. "Rosita, it's me! I made it, honey!"
Stephanie laughed at this, as did most of the others present, though once this started leading to Norman being asked who specifically he was referring to, the wolf used this brief distraction to quietly slip herself out of the crowd, and she quickly shuffled her way towards the lady's bathroom.
Unlike her previous visit a few weeks prior, the bathroom was fully illuminated, though still empty, and the security camera hanging in the corner still flashed red, a watchful but comforting presence as Stephanie made her way over to the sink and immediately splashed several handfuls of cold water onto her face.
"Hmm... I never doubted you for a second."
The familiar voice almost made Stephanie's heart skip a beat as she jolted back, only to relax again when she saw the slender, smiling saluki that was standing there.
Stephanie nearly shrieked as she quickly ran over and pulled Suki into a hug, both beaming with excitement while they giggled like school girls. It seemed like only yesterday, they were doing the exact same thing right before Stephanie was to be walked down the aisle at her wedding, but now just short of ten years, a disastrous marriage and a highly publicised custody battle later, she and her old friend were embracing each other again as if nothing had changed.
"I can't stay long..." Suki whispered as she carefully pried herself from the embrace, her voice filled with excitement and a hint of caution while she wiped her eye. "Mr. Crystal doesn't know I'm here, but I just... I just really had to come see you."
"Yeah, I know..." Stephanie chuckled warmly as she cupped the saluki's face. "It's real good to see you too, Suki."
"As much as I've missed little Porsha, I'm really glad she didn't have to go back to her father."
"Oh yeah... and thank God for that tape too, huh...?" Stephanie said, putting her hands on her hips as they both laughed. "I know there's the whole anonymity thing goin' on there, but I tell ya, Suki... if I know who that fella was that sent it in, I'd kiss him right on the lips! Ooh!"
Stephanie was taken off-guard when Suki suddenly leaned forwards and planted her lips on her own, but after a moment of surprise she gladly returned it. While in reality their kiss had only lasted about five seconds, it certainly felt a lot longer, as even with the rather cramped environment of the ladies' bathroom, the pair found themselves in a vast but beautiful void where there was nothing and nobody else but the two of them.
The momentary but all too familiar spark finally faded as Suki pulled away, though a mixture of surprise and intrigue still shimmered between them as she slowly backed herself over towards the door.
"Take care of yourselves, Stephanie..." Suki said, taking on warm tone as she held back even more happy tears. "You and Porsha."
Stephanie nodded, holding a hand over her heart as it fluttered with both gratitude and affection. "You too, Suki..."
And with a final, but clearly very reluctant, little wave, Suki finally made her way out the door and closed it behind her, turning Stephanie's attention back to her even more rejuvenated reflection once again.
"MOMMY!"
"Bring it on in, sunshine! Ooh!" Stephanie had barely made it through the apartment door when her seven-year-old leapt into her arms and sent them both tumbling backwards onto the floor.
"Ha ha! There she is, the woman of the hour!" Mary said as she and Johnny led the other animals present - Meena and her family, Rosita, and a few of the other parents and their children from school - in a big round of applause as the two wolves entered the room, before rushing over to pull Stephanie into a hug. "We all knew you could do it, Steph!"
"Hmm, yeah... Stephanie let Porsha carefully slip back down onto the floor before returning the gorilla's embrace. "I'm just glad to be home, Mary."
"Oh honey, you were amazing!" Rosita nearly shrieked as she grabbed Norman and pulled him into a classic ballroom dip, planting a deep kiss right on his lips. "Norman, you beat Charlie Lane himself! It's incredible!"
"Well, to be fair to Charlie, I think he was taking it easy on us..." Norman chuckled as he stood back up again, giving his girlfriend another quick kiss on the cheek before they looked to Stephanie. "But hey, anything to show up Mr. Crystal, huh...?"
"Oh God, I wish I could have seen my father pull a face like that back when he was around!" Mary laughed while Marcus threw his arm around her shoulder and she picked Johnny up off the floor. "And that payout he owes you too! Bloody hell, Steph, nine hundred thousand!"
"Oh no, ya better believe it! It's even more than I needed!" Stephanie put her hands on her hips as she struck a proud, triumphant pose. "And that's why, first thing tomorrow, I'm headin' right down to SFJ and I'm buyin' the Prairie!"
"The Prairie? Oh... oh yeah... that..." Rosita bit her bottom lip, though she remained casual. "Well y'know, Steph, it's not really an urgent thing, is it? I mean you could wait until you -"
"Wait?! Hell no! Y'know, Ro, I just feel so... I feel pumped up, y'know, like I'm invincible..." Stephanie dramatically pounded her chest with one fist, letting out a laugh. "Besides, I'm already on top, where's the harm in goin' higher, huh...?"
"Well yes, we understand that, darling, but um..." Mary itched the back of her neck. "Thing is, I um... I don't really know how we were supposed to tell you..."
"Look, I don't care if I'm rushin' into things or whatever, but it doesn't matter!" Stephanie finally reached over to the thin glasses of champagne that had been set on the coffee table, holding one up as she prepared to make a toast. "Me and Porsha are here, we put Jimmy behind us, and now we're gonna start a brand new chapter in our -!"
"For God's sake, Stephanie, the theatre's been sold!"
Mary's outburst took all the air out the room as Stephanie froze up on the spot. The wolf's eyes bulged wide and her grip loosened slightly on the glass in her hand, almost dropping it on the floor before she snapped herself back to reality.
"S-sold...?" She repeated for clarity, which Mary confirmed with a nod. Stephanie felt her invincible mood slowly crumbling down as she gradually processed this new information, only for a hateful scowl to slowly form on her face. "Jimmy did this, didn't he?! He must have... must have found out I was savin' the money for this and he... he... that slimy son of a -!"
"No no, it... it's nothing to do with Jimmy, Steph..." Rosita said, gently taking the wolf's hand. "We um... it got bought a couple days after you left for Redshore... we wanted to tell you, but uh... well, we didn't need you in this kinda mood for the case, y'know..."
"But... b-but I thought I was the only one interested..." Stephanie seemed sadder now, but there was still some anger bubbling under the surface. "Judith said so herself, this doesn't make any sense!"
"We thought so too, love, but some little fellow just popped up from out of nowhere and paid in full..." Mary seemed genuinely impressed. "You really should have seen him, he had loads of buckets of cash on him, says he spent years saving it up. And uh... oh, speaking of which, that's him there...!"
Mary gestured towards the news feed that was playing on the television in the corner, showing a big grand event that had occurred only hours earlier. The familiar setting in the footage prompted Stephanie to turn up the volume, as she squinted to study the headline at the bottom of the screen:
LOCAL THEATRE GRAND RE-OPENING
As beautiful as the former Prairie Theatre looked in its newly-refurbished glory, Stephanie couldn't help but feel a slight heartbreak that she wasn't there to cut the ribbon herself. Though her eyes narrowed when she finally spotted the small, well-dressed koala holding the ceremonial scissors, while pulling the biggest, proudest smile his face could possibly make.
"All creatures great and small, welcome to the Moon Theatre!"
Chapter 16: New Moon Rising
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Although there was still a faint chill in the January air, the sun broke through the grey clouds to cast a golden hue over Stephanie and Porsha as they walked their way down towards the school. While Porsha had been attending during her mother's absence - normally with Rosita dropping her off - this was Stephanie's first visit to the school since Jimmy's appearance on Hot News, and despite her triumph at the custody proceedings a week prior, Stephanie still felt a slight sense of dread at the thought of finally seeing the other parents again.
The reception seemed to be casual enough once they reached the parking lot, and Stephanie exchanged some silent smiles and waves with a few of the other earlier arrivals. She was still hesitant to loosen the tight but gentle grip that she was holding onto her seven-year-old's hand with, but after the ordeal they'd been going through for the last few months, Porsha clearly wasn't in that much of a hurry to be separated from her mother again any time soon.
"Meena!" Porsha finally let go of Stephanie's hand as she ran over to the gate, her momentum nearly knocking the elephant over when she ran into her arms.
Although her daughter had made more friends and acquaintances than she could count in their past few years living in Calatonia, Stephanie could tell that Meena was Porsha's absolute favourite. No matter how long it had been since the two last saw each other, whether they'd spent a week, a day or even an hour apart, every time they reunited Porsha always seemed to run to her friend's arms as if returning home for the first time in decades. Which was especially amusing, given the fact that neither she or Meena were even a decade old yet.
"Oh... uh, Stephanie...?"
"Huh...?" Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts and quickly shook her head, turning to face the older elephant that was stood beside her. "Oh... L-Leslie, hi!"
"Y-yeah... hi, Steph, I um..." Leslie cleared her throat, keeping a smile while she and Stephanie watched both their daughters heading towards their class, though it dropped to a more regretful frown as she let out a sigh. "Look, I just... I'm really sorry."
"Sorry...?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow, thinking for a moment before it finally clicked. "Oh yeah, ya mean the uh... the whole cold shoulder thing you guys were doin' with me, right?"
"Yeah, that..." Leslie started wringing her hands together. "I just... well, we... me and everybody else, we just... we really weren't being fair to you. When Mr. Crystal was on that show, telling all those stories, it just... I guess it was just really convincing."
"Hmm... yeah, that's Jimmy for ya..." Stephanie put her hands on her hips, letting out a playful scoff. "I mean, to be honest... when you guys first started ignorin' me, I kinda figured you were mad cause of that Wonder Woman outfit I was wearin' last Halloween!"
"Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about that!" Leslie went wide-eyed as they both laughed. "Yeah, that... that really wasn't good timing for you at all, was it?"
"Nah, it was fine... all water under the bridge, I guess..." Stephanie shrugged, keeping a warm smile as she patted Leslie on the shoulder. "I really appreciate the apology, though. Ooh!"
Stephanie was taken slightly off-guard when Leslie suddenly pulled her into a hug, though after a moment of overcoming her surprise she quickly returned it.
"I just can't believe you and Porsha had to go through all that..." Leslie was going misty-eyed as she pulled out of the embrace, still keeping a grip on Stephanie's hand. "And... and you almost lost her too! If someone tried to take Meena away from me, I just... I can't even begin to think what I'd do..."
"Hey... no power on Earth that can match a mother's love, right...?" Stephanie gently cupped Leslie's chin, prompting the elephant to nod, before they looked over to the window of the school and saw their daughters inside. "The only thing that matters now is that they're safe."
"Yeah..." Leslie sniffled a bit as she wiped her face, though she still had a sympathetic expression as she looked back to the wolf. "Oh, and um... I'm really sorry to hear about the Prairie too... we all know you had your heart set on that, Steph..."
"The Prairie? Oh... oh, yeah..." Stephanie winced a little as some more negative feelings finally started fighting their way back to the surface, though she forced a reassuring smile back onto her face. "I guess there actually is something else that matters right now..."
Once there was a way
To get back homeward
Once there was a way
To get back home
Sleep, pretty darling
Do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
As incensed as Stephanie had been about this unfolding of events - the thought of having to refer to the formerly named Prairie by its new name still made her blood boil - she couldn't deny that the Theatre looked truly magnificent in its newly-refurbished state, even more so than she had always imagined it would.
Since it was still mid-morning, and the company didn't have any shows to prepare yet, the lobby was completely empty, and the sound of Stephanie's footsteps on the marble floor echoed slightly as the wolf made her way inside. A scent of somewhat fresh paint still lingered in the air of the room and mingled with faint remnants of nostalgia for the Prairie's glory days, which only grew more enticing as Stephanie walked onto the spotless, red velvet carpet that led straight towards the auditorium. And upon opening the doors, the sight of the theatre's main stage in all its glory was far from a disappointment.
"Whoa..."
As she made her way down through the centre, Stephanie carefully traced her fingers among the red leather seats when she passed them by, while looking upwards at the vast space all around her. Upon squinting a little, she noticed a few cracks and loose beams hanging from the ceiling, and while the sight of building equipment in the corner did put her a little more at ease, the thought of the theatre still needing further renovations after they'd already had its big public reopening was still somewhat concerning.
The old, splinter-covered wood that had covered the stage on her previous visits had now been completely replaced with new, finely-sanded pine panels, though there was still a slight creak as Stephanie pulled herself up onto it and sat on the edge to have a better look at her surroundings. The wolf felt a small, wistful smile tugging at her lips as she gazed out into the empty auditorium, and she gently closed her eyes as her mind replayed a few vivid memories of the full crowds she used to perform to in her younger years.
But yet, as wonderful as it was to see her treasured venue given new life after all those years, deep down she couldn't help feeling a sense of emptiness from the missed opportunity of restoring it herself.
"This was it. The moment it all began. The moment an ordinary little guy fell in love with the Theatre."
Stephanie tensed up a little at the sound of the voice that seemed to echo throughout the entire building, though she quickly calmed down when she realised it wasn't speaking to her directly. After recognising it as the voice of the theatre's new owner, as she'd heard on the news broadcast a few days prior, the wolf's twitching ears drew her back towards the staircase in the front lobby, and she began to ascend it as the voice grew louder.
"Everything about it. The lights, the way the scenery moved, even the smell. He was only six years old, but his plans to become the first koala bear in space were suddenly... toast!"
After manoeuvring her way through the various floors and hallways - most of which were still only half constructed with building equipment set aside for it - Stephanie finally reached what appeared to be the main office on the top level. There was a desk at the very end of the room, right in front of the window, besides which there stood a rotating fan, a large printer, and an old, wooden piano. And to its left was another, closed door, where Stephanie could hear the slightly muffled voice still speaking on the other side.
"Some folks may have said he grew up to be the greatest showman the city has ever seen. Some called him a visionary. A maverick."
Upon opening the door and peeking her head inside, Stephanie immediately noticed the large, stylised artwork of Nana Noodleman's Epiphany that was hung in the centre of the wall, surrounded by various other posters and photographs from the Prairie Theatre's heyday.
"Sure, some folks said he was as crazy as he was stubborn, but I say wonder and magic don't come easy, pal."
Though he was facing away from her in his tall swivel chair, Stephanie saw the large, circular ears of the theatre's new owner sticking out from either side as he looked up proudly at his wall display, while he continued repeating what appeared to be a well-rehearsed pep talk to himself.
"And oh, there would never be any doubt. The name Buster Moon would go down in entertainment history..."
The koala finally swivelled around, flashing a charismatic grin towards his imaginary audience.
"And I should know... because I... am Buster -"
"Moon...?" Stephanie finally cut in, prompting the diminutive marsupial to shoot up in his seat. "Um... y-you're Buster Moon, right...?"
"Oh yeah... I mean yes, that's me..." Buster cleared his throat and sat slightly straighter, clearly trying to look more professional. "B-but yes, I'm Buster Moon, the uh... well, the one and only, as far as I know."
"Uh-huh, yeah, terrific, um..." Stephanie shuffled her way into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her while she flattened her skirt down. "I um... I was really hopin' to talk to ya. If you've got the time, that is."
"Oh... uh... y-yeah, okay..." He bit his bottom lip, still seeming unsure as he eyed his visitor. "So how did, um... wait, did Ms. Crawly let you in...?"
"Huh...? Ooh!"
Stephanie suddenly jolted up as she felt someone walking into the back of her, turning around to see a short, elderly lizard standing there. The dead-looking glare in the reptile's right eye sent a slight shiver through Stephanie, though she was put somewhat more at ease when she realised it was only a glass prosthetic, and the little old lady otherwise looked quite friendly.
"Good morning, Mr. Moon..." She said shakily.
"Top of the morning to you too, Ms. Crawly!"
"Oh, and I was just checking your schedule, Mr. Moon..." Ms. Crawly took out her clipboard, pointing her pencil to one of the items on her checklist. "You and Mr. Noodleman still have your lunch meeting at Les Calmers booked for noon, sir."
"Wait..." Stephanie froze up briefly. "Noodleman...?!"
"Ah, of course... knew I was forgetting something..." Buster then gestured towards the wolf that was still stood in the doorway. "Yeah, I was just speaking to Miss, um... oh... I'm sorry, Ma'am, I don't think I got your name..."
"What? Oh... w-well, uh..." Stephanie reached a hand over for Buster to shake. "It's Stephanie... Stephanie Frangipane."
"Ah, well it's lovely to meet you, Stephanie..." Buster sat back, more relaxed and casual. "Can we interest you in a tea, or a coffee, or something?"
"Uh, no... n-no thanks, I'm fine, thank you." Stephanie exchanged a cordial smile with Ms. Crawly as the lizard headed back to her own desk, then glanced over to the empty seat opposite the koala. "Anyways, like I said, I uh... I was actually wondering if I could just have a quick word with you, Mr. Moon."
"Ah, well then by all means take a seat, Miss Frangipane." Buster straightened back up while Stephanie sat down opposite his desk. "From what I've heard about businesses, I think you're supposed to make appointments before you come into places. But hey, nobody's done that here yet, so I dunno what the heck to believe!"
Stephanie chuckled, mainly to give the koala a sense of comfort to improve her negotiating chances, but she couldn't help but find some genuine amusement from his remark.
"Believe me, Mr. Moon. Handling appointments can be a real pain in the tail when you're in charge."
"Oh yeah, I'll bet..." Buster then went silent for a moment, cupping his chin while he studied Stephanie's face. "Hmm... y'know, I just... I can't help feeling like I know you from somewhere..."
"Hoo boy..." Stephanie winced with a frustrated exhale. She'd been lucky enough that most of the friends she'd made over the last few years weren't that familiar with the Crystal Empire prior to her custody battle, but she figured it was only a matter of time before someone recognised the ex-wife of Redshore City's recently humiliated mogul. "Yeah, I used to be married to -"
"Ah-ha, that's it!" Buster suddenly snapped his fingers. "You used to perform here, didn't you?!"
"Wait, what...?" Stephanie pursed her lips, slightly taken off-guard while Buster dug through his desk drawer. "I mean, um... y-yes, actually, I did."
"Ah-ha, here it is!" Buster suddenly fished out an old frame, containing a picture of Nana and her last troupe in front of the Prairie Theatre. "That's you there, isn't it? Right behind Florence Fletcher."
"Ah.." Stephanie let out a small, relieved sigh. "So it is..."
"Well, this is even more exciting. Speaking to a veteran of the proud Prairie Legacy..." Buster chuckled, then leaned a little closer. "So, what we can do for you, Ma'am?"
"Well, um... this is pretty awkward, but uh..." Stephanie hesitated for a moment or two, pinching the bridge of her nose, then finally came out with it. "I wanna buy this place from you."
"Wait, what?!" Buster's eyes bulged to their widest point. "B-but... but I've only had it for, like, a week..."
"Yeah, I know, but the thing is..." Stephanie struggled to find her words, not helped by the rather hurt expression on the koala's face, then took another deep breath. "Look, I appreciate that ya probably spent a lotta money on this, Mr. Moon, but I've been trying to get this theatre for a long time, and... and I literally just got the money I needed, like, two days ago, and.. and frankly, it's a little insane for ya to just pop up outta nowhere and take it from under me, y'know?"
"Oh..." Buster winced. "Yeah, that does seem a little unfair to you, doesn't it?"
"I'm glad to hear ya think so..." Stephanie leaned forward a little. "I'll fully reimburse ya, though, so... y'know, it's not like you're gonna lose anything outta this... right?"
"Well yeah, but I... I just... um..." Buster pursed his lips, thinking for a moment while he awkwardly drummed his fingers on the desk, before he finally let out a soft exhale. "Respectfully, Miss Frangipane, I... I'm gonna have to turn you down."
"What?!" Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Look, if it's about the money, I got more than enough to pay back what ya spent, but I -"
"No no, just... just hold on a second, Ma'am..." Buster raised his hand and cleared his throat, prompting Stephanie to sit a little straighter so she could hear him out. "It's not about money, really, it's just... well, this old theatre, it... it really means a lot to me..."
Stephanie bit her bottom lip, sensing from the koala's tone and body language that he was about to give her some kind of sob story.
"Okay, but um... you see that bucket there...?" Buster pointed to the shelf behind him, allowing Stephanie to notice a small but rather shiny pitcher displayed on a wooden pedestal. "Do you wanna know why I have that there...?"
"Is it cause the roof is leaking...?" Stephanie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, what? Oh right! Uh, no..." Buster chuckled, before gesturing towards a near-identical bucket placed only a few away from the first, collecting the water while it gently dripped down from the slightly contorted pipe on the ceiling. "That's the bucket for the leak."
He then grabbed the first bucket and swivelled it around, letting Stephanie see the Moon Car Wash logo proudly emblazoned on the front. "I actually keep this one because it belongs to my father, Baxter."
"Oh..." Stephanie's eyes narrowed a little.
"He spent nearly every day for the last thirty years, washing cars and helping me raise money just so I could buy this place..." Buster explained, letting out a nostalgic sigh while he held the bucket close to his chest. "Hmm... dream big dreams. That's what he's always said to me."
"Damn... well, thirty years certainly beats two and a half... wait, did ya said his name's Baxter…?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow when Buster nodded, and after taking a moment to ponder this - while also studying the koala's somewhat familiar features - her eyes widened as it finally clicked. "Oh my God, you're Bernie's kid!"
"B-Bernie...?" Buster's ears drooped a little, and Stephanie could see his grey fur almost going ghost-white. "You know my Mom...?"
"Yeah, I do part-time at the Perkins Home!" Stephanie laughed, finally lounging back a little in her chair. "God, it all makes so much sense now... you're the one she always complains about!"
"Complains...?!"
"Well, maybe complains is a little harsh, but um... but yeah, she's usually got a lot to say about ya..." Stephanie let out an awkward chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck, before lowering her head a little. "Y'know, now that I think about it, she uh... she's always said me and you got a lot in common. Just had to be this, didn't it...?"
"She said that...?" Buster pursed his lips when Stephanie nodded, seeming pleasantly surprised. "Hmm... well, if you're as passionate about this theatre as I am, Miss Frangipane, I guess I'm not that crazy after all!"
"Either that or we're both totally nuts!" Stephanie clapped back as they both laughed.
Stephanie then noticed the koala lounging back as he cupped his chin, thinking to himself for another moment or two, before he finally spoke up again. "Are you hungry, Stephanie?"
"Hungry...? W-well, uh..." Stephanie held a hand to her midsection, while Buster grabbed the leather satchel that was draped on the shelf behind him. "Well yeah, I... I guess I could eat. Why...?"
"I'm gonna be meeting my pal to discuss some of my show ideas..." Buster clambered down off his seat and came out from behind the desk, now wearing a blue suit jacket over his white shirt while he adjusted his red bow-tie. "I just figure, if you're not too busy, perhaps you'd like to join us...?"
"Oh, um... y-yeah, okay, I guess I could do that..." Stephanie stood up and grabbed her purse, tilting her head a little when she noticed the koala heading over to the couch at the other end of the room. "Uh... the door's this way, ain't it...?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I don't normally use that..." Buster whistled to himself while he got up on the couch, titling the large portrait hung on the wall to reveal a massive, gaping hole behind it. "I've made myself a little network of shortcuts."
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Golden Slumbers" - The Beatles
Chapter 17: Shortcut To Success
Chapter Text
"Uh... Mr. Moon, are you sure this is safe? GAH!"
Stephanie shrieked as she lost her footing, only just managing to catch herself from plummeting into the dusty, desolate darkness below. The wolf's hands and legs both latched onto the rickety wooden beam that she'd previously been walking on, her tail now hanging limp below her, and she carefully crawled along this makeshift bridge until she reached the slightly safer platform at the other end.
Her new koala acquaintance seemed to have made a far easier job swinging and manoeuvring around the nooks and crannies of the theatre's rafters - presumably due to both his experience and his ancestry - and he had been difficult to keep up with as a result, but he had at least been courteous enough to stop and wait for her a few times.
"Ah, there you are!" Buster said in his usual chipper tone as Stephanie finally caught up, apparently not even noticing the flustered expression on her face while he gestured to his left. "After you, Ma'am..."
"Huh...?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow, before the bright light ahead caught her attention, and she looked over the edge of the platform to see the wooden floor of the stage right below them. "Wait... we're not gonna jump, are we...?!"
"Jump...?! Oh no no no, I'm not that crazy!" Buster stifled a laugh, before heading over to the large, gold-painted crescent moon that was dangling from a cable right above the top curtain. "I know I'm a little on the light side, but it should be strong enough to hold two..."
"Hold? Wait, you... you wanna...?" Stephanie stammered. Although she'd been trying her best to keep up a friendly tone throughout their meeting, it was at this point where she finally decided to speak her mind in the bluntest, most deadpan manner possible. "There is no way in hell that I'm goin' down on that thing, Mr. Moon."
"I assure you, Miss Frangipane, it's perfectly safe..." Buster clambered onto the prop, taking a moment to let it steady itself, then sat down on it, patting the space he'd left beside him while placing his other hand on the switch. "It's quicker than the stairs, anyway..."
Stephanie clenched both her fists and bit her bottom lip, hesitating while she internally wrestled with herself over what to do. After a good few seconds, she finally let out a sigh before climbing across onto the prop moon, carefully moving her backside to avoid getting poked by the corner of the crescent as she sat down beside the koala.
"Okay... okay, you've got me on your little moon thing, Moon, so let's go down nice and sl-AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Buster hadn't warned her when he had flicked the switch, prompting the prop moon to plummet straight down. Stephanie gripped the crescent corner with both hands while she screamed, narrowly moving her head to dodge the counterweight as it flew up past her.
The moon finally came to a stop with a loud, forceful YANK!, nearly sending both its passengers flying off, but now it just quietly creaked while it hovered inches off the stage floor, allowing them to safely disembark.
"See? Ooh, watch yourself!" Buster quickly grabbed the very dizzy wolf's hands while she shakily got back to her feet. "Y'okay...?"
"Uh-huh... y-yeah, I'm... I'm all good..." Stephanie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose until her vision finally cleared and she could stand straight again. "No offence, Mr. Moon, but I think ya just put me off tall heights for life..."
"Ah... right, yeah, that... that's understandable..." Buster let out a nervous chuckle, though he regained his usual bravado as he gestured towards the door at the end of the auditorium. "Shall we...?"
The lunchtime bell had barely begun to ring when Johnny hurriedly shuffled out of his chemistry class, keeping his new keyboard clutched close to his chest as he bolted down the already-bustling corridor. The young gorilla hadn't felt entirely confident with the idea of bringing his new instrument to school, despite - or perhaps because - his mother had gotten it specifically for him to do so. But even with all his objections about how his friends or other students would react to it, Mary had insisted her son put his newest Christmas gift and his long-held love of music to good use.
A large, orange banner was still hung over the door to the music room - BAND PRACTICE - and the volunteers sheet that had been stapled to the wall was completely covered in names, including Johnny's own. The eleven-year-old felt his heart pounding even harder in his chest as he got closer and closer to the door, and he stopped for just a moment to take a final, very deep breath, before he finally latched onto the handle.
"Alright..." He whispered to himself as he shut his eyes. "No turning back now..."
The faint conversations that he'd heard from the other side all ground to a unanimous halt the moment Johnny entered the room, and he slowly opened his eyes to see every student in the room was now looking directly at him. The expressions on their faces - at least most of them - seemed to be more curious than hostile, but even despite the wide variety of both animals and instruments that were present, the complete absence of any other gorillas made the newest arrival stick out like a sore thumb.
"Oh, um... h-hello, lads...?" Johnny broke the brief silence, giving a small wave with his free hand, though no one seemed to respond. "Uh... right, okay, guess I'll just... um... y-yeah, alright..."
Keeping his instrument tight to his chest, Johnny carefully trod around the back of the group, trying to spot a suitable space for himself to sit. Whenever he saw one, it always seemed to immediately be taken by someone else, or the student beside it would simply make it clear that he wasn't welcome to sit there. After about a minute of fruitless searching, the gorilla began to silently accept that he'd either have to stand up or sit on the floor for the entire session, though he was beginning to seriously consider bolting out of the room and never thinking of music or singing ever again.
"Um... y-you can sit here with me if you want."
A soft but rather familiar voice snapped Johnny out of his thoughts. He briefly pondered where he'd heard this voice before - mostly recognising the slight lisp caused by the braces on her teeth - though he finally looked down to see where it came from when the girl spoke up again.
"So, uh... do you wanna sit down or what...?"
Despite the porcupine's rather frumpy looking appearance - her slightly oversized clothes, the old wooden guitar that was clearly too big for her, and the overly-sparkly metal pieces in her big toothy grin - Johnny was immediately drawn to her bright blue eyes, which were only magnified more by the red-framed glasses she was wearing. But after realising that he'd been gazing at her for much longer than was probably appropriate, the gorilla then turned his attention back to the empty seat she was gesturing to.
"Oh... uh, y-yeah, that'd be brill!" He said, quickly sitting down while he unfolded his keyboard to set it up. "Thanks."
"Yeah, no worries..."
The porcupine kept her warm, welcoming tone while she sent a smaller, more intimate smile his way, before she looked back down and refocused on tuning her own instrument. Though he pretended to still be focused on his keyboard as he finished setting it up, Johnny couldn't help but steal another few quick glances at the girl beside him, pondering her vaguely familiar features until it finally clicked.
"Hang on a minute... you're that girl from Halloween!"
After blurting this out, Johnny quickly covered his mouth, while some of the other students looked over at him again. He noticed a faint blush beaming on the porcupine's cheeks from his realisation, but she seemed more flattered and amused than embarrassed of offended.
"Yeah, I um... I'm sorry I knocked you up..." He said in a quieter tone, though his eyes bulged wide when he realised he'd just made another slip up. "OVER! I mean knocked... knocked you over."
"Yeah, it's okay..." The porcupine girl struggled playfully, while a slightly mischievous grin tugged at her lips. "I kinda thought you'd recognise me straight away, though."
"Well, to be fair, mate, you look right different without your Sonic outfit..." Johnny smiled sheepishly, before pursing his lips. "Hang on, Sonic's the blue one, isn't he...?"
"Yeah, my buddy Katy went as Sonic. I was Shadow..." She chuckled after correcting him. "Y'know, I'd think somebody dressed as Spider-Man woulda been harder to recognise, but you weren't wearing the mask..."
"Oh yeah, I know... I were watching these younger kids that night, and I didn't want them to not recognise me, so..." The gorilla tried to remain confident, though after a moment of hesitation, he suddenly extended a hand to the porcupine. "I, um... I'm Johnny, by the way..."
"Hmm... nice to meet you. Well, y'know, officially..." The porcupine brushed some of her loose quills aside as she gently held his hand and shook it. "I'm Ashley."
Though Stephanie had hoped the elevating prop moon would be the most exciting yet terrifying experience she'd have to endure that day, the bike ride wasn't much better. Buster's so called "classic" - presumably his euphuism for old, rusty and barely standing - two-wheeler was clearly built to only hold one animal as it was, and the reckless way that the koala cycled through the traffic was nothing short of death-defying.
"And here we are!"
Stephanie was snapped out of her traumatised trance by the sound of Buster's voice - which had lost none of its energy or enthusiasm, despite the perilous journey they'd just embarked on - and she looked up to see the very sophisticated establishment in front of them.
Though the wolf had only ever been to Les Calmers on one occasion - attending a special meal with the Mayor, along with Nana and the rest of her old troupe - it didn't seem to have changed much in the years since. The floor was a checkered black and white, not dissimilar from what she'd seen at the Noodleman Mansion, and instead of walls, the sides of the main restaurant were comprised of large, clear blue water tanks, filled with at least two hundred floating squid of varying colours.
"So, uh... I guess ya still got cash to burn if you're eating out this fancy, Mr. Moon..."
"Well, kinda..." Buster sounded slightly nervous. "But you know what they say, Ma'am. When you get to the big leagues, you've gotta enjoy it!"
"Uh-huh. And who exactly says that...?"
"Oh, um... well, I just... uh... oh, there he is!" Buster picked up his pace - though Stephanie's longer legs made it easy to catch up with him - as he approached the table in the middle of the main room, where a surprisingly familiar sheep was sat waiting. "Miss Frangipane, allow me to introduce my good friend -"
"Eddie Noodleman...?!" Stephanie's eyes widened a little as she blurted this out, making the sheep shoot up when he heard his name. "Oh God... this all makes so much sense now..."
"Wait, you..." Buster climbed up onto the seat opposite Eddie, glancing back and forth between his newest acquaintance and his equally confused old friend. "You guys know each other...?"
"Uh... I guess so...?" Eddie shrugged, sending an anxious look Buster's way before he looked over at the wolf who was still standing up. "Yeah, I'm not exactly good with faces, so uh... I dunno, can I get a hint or something...?"
"A hint? Oh yeah, uh... r-right..." Stephanie cleared her throat, then quickly grabbed a chair from the empty table behind her as she sat right between them in the middle. "Yeah, a couple years ago I had lunch with you and your Nana. Y'know, you uh... oh, let me think... um... ah, that's it! Y'were talkin' about your fantasy football team, remember?"
"Ugh... baseball..." Eddie crossed his arms as he sat back in his seat, though other than this minor offence it seemed he'd finally processed what she was telling him. "Well anyway, uh... what exactly are we doing here?"
For the next five minutes or so Stephanie was sat quietly in her chair, looking through the menu of elegant but extortionately expensive dishes while the diminutive showman beside her launched into his enthusiastic pitch for the Moon Theatre's debut show.
"I'm telling you, it's gonna be spectacular! There's gonna be sword fights, dance fights, and I bet if we get a good demolition guy, we'll even pull off some real, honest to God explosions too!"
Stephanie glanced around to see a few of the other animals sending annoyed glares the koala's way, and though she certainly wanted to find his excitement irritating, there was something oddly infectious about it as well.
"These folks think they know War Of Attrition, oh-ho, they got another thing coming!"
"Wait... War Of Attrition...?" Stephanie finally spoke up as she lowered her menu, nearly letting out a harsh-sounding laugh. "Ya mean that old black and white movie from Schnitzeldorf?"
"Yep, that's the one! A good old classic! Great book, too!" Buster nodded proudly. "And, might I point out, pretty relevant to what's going on over there now, wouldn't you say...?"
"Uh-huh..." Stephanie was unenthusiastic as she raised an eyebrow. "And you think puttin' dance fights and big explosions in there is the best way to go about that kinda thing...?"
"Oh..." Buster's eyes slowly widened and his ears went limp when this realisation finally hit him. "Huh... that actually is pretty poor taste, isn't it...?"
"Yeah, it's definitely gonna be pretty damn awkward... plus, ya gotta think about the budget and stuff too!" Stephanie said, being surprised by the somewhat dumbfounded looks on both Buster and Eddie's face. "I mean... this is gonna be your first show, right...?"
"It is."
"Yeah, so why are ya blowin' all this money on fancy crap that most folks probably won't even wanna see?" She continued, now leaning forward a little and propping her elbows up on the table while she looked at Buster directly. "Look, Moon, when ya get to the big leagues, the last thing ya gotta do is look like you're compensatin' for something. Y'know, ya gotta... ya gotta start out small and work your work up to it! Be uh... dammit, what's the word I'm lookin' for... um... ooh, practical! That's it!"
"Hmm..." Buster cupped his chin while a curious expression formed on his face. "Well, forgive me if I'm intruding, Miss Frangipane, but um... I can't help getting the feeling you're saying this from experience."
"Experience? Oh, um... w-well yeah, I... I guess ya could say a got a little... a lot, actually..." Stephanie cleared her throat again, anxiously gripping her tail as she lay it down on her lap. "Yeah, I um... before Porsha came along, I did a ton of gigs over in Redshore, so..."
"I'm sorry, but who's Porsha...?"
"Hmm? Oh, she's my daughter..." Stephanie noticed a more neutral but uncertain look flashing briefly on Buster's face after she'd said this, but he quickly regained his smile while prompting her to continue. "But yeah, I uh... I kinda had to work my way up. Y'know, it was mostly smaller venues to start off with... bars, speakeasies, stuff like that, but then I got noticed by -"
"Oh yeah, that's right!" Eddie suddenly cut in, pointing directly at the wolf he finally recognised. "You're the one who left that Jimmy Crystal guy!"
"You were married to Mr. Crystal...?!" Buster's eyes bulged wide as he straightened up, going from curious to outright amazed as he looked over to Stephanie again. "Wowza!"
"Oh God..."
Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose. While she had been expecting her new acquaintance to already know from the moment they met, it had been a welcome and pleasant surprise when he seemed oblivious, which only made it even more frustrating for him to find out this dirty little secret after all.
"Ugh..." After a good few seconds of silence and hesitation, Stephanie finally managed to look Buster in the eye again, speaking as deadpan. "Yeah... it ain't exactly a big deal or nothin' like that, but... b-but yeah, I... I was married to Jimmy Crystal... that's uh... that's Porsha's Dad."
"Boy, this uh... well, this is great, actually!" Buster laughed, excitedly drumming his open palms on the table. "I guess you know the ins and outs of this business after all, Miss Frangipane!"
"Well yeah..." Stephanie scoffed. "Y'know, that's kinda the whole reason I was plannin' to buy the place, so..."
"Ah, of course... of course..." Buster held his chin again as he lounged back in his seat, a smile forming on his face as a new idea formed in his head. "Hmm... y'know, I think we can work with this..."
"Assistant Theatre Manager and Co-Producer...?" Rosita sounded genuinely awed while she read off the scribbled on napkin Stephanie had passed to her. "Wow... so you just walked right in and he had a job waiting for you to take, huh...?"
"Waiting for me to take...? Ha!" Stephanie scoffed bitterly, crossing her arms while she lounged back on the couch. "Come on, Ro, that's like the most made-up name for a position ever! He just made it up on the spot, like all the other stupid ideas he was sproutin' off. It's nothin' but a jumble of words he pulled right out of his -!"
"Stephanie!" Rosita cut her off with a raised eyebrow, gesturing towards the seven-year-old wolf pup who was sat in front of the TV a few feet away. "But seriously, though, I really don't get why you're being so negative about this, Steph. Cause y'know, Mr. Moon didn't have to be so nice to you."
"Oh yeah, real nice of him..." Stephanie snarked. "Bad enough he steals the theatre from under me, now he's offerin' me a pity job! Ugh... I tell ya, after all the crap me and Porsha have been put through, the last thing we need is pity! And that's all this so-called job thing is!"
"Hmm..." Rosita then tilted her head with a small smile. "So why do you look like you're considering it...?"
"Well... w-well, I dunno, I..." Stephanie hesitated, struggling to make eye contact with the pig before she looked down to the floor. "I guess he was just pretty convincing..."
"Hmm..." Rosita then packed up her things and headed over to the door, playfully ruffling the top of Porsha's head on the way. "The ball's in your court, Steph. Whatever you do with it's up to you."
"Right... right..." Stephanie nodded slowly while the pig left and closed the door behind her, still eyeing the napkin on the table while Porsha watched her cartoons. "Hmm..."
Chapter 18: The Dates
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You make me feel so young
You make me feel so spring has sprung
And every time I see you grin
I'm such a happy individual
While Stephanie had seen her fair share of breathtaking productions at the Crystal Tower Theatre, there was something immensely satisfying about seeing her old childhood venue fully packed with hundreds of animals, while the full orchestra echoed off all the stage in tandem with their dimunitive performer's surprisingly booming voice. The audiences had been steadily growing with the shows they'd been putting on for the last six months, but with their latest headliner they'd sold out nearly every night.
You and I
Are just like a couple of tots
Runnin' across a meadow
Pickin' up lots of forget me nots
"So, how's he looking out there...?" Buster's voice snapped Stephanie out of her concentration on the stage, and she turned to see the koala stood right below her while he peeked out the bottom corner of the curtain. "Hmm... he's really got the pizzazz, huh?"
"Yeah, I'll give him that..." Stephanie let out a small chuckle while she turned her attention back towards the centre of the stage, where a spotlight was still shining down on the tiny but well-dressed mouse that was singing his heart out for the mesmerised crowd. "Got another full house again, too."
"It's great, isn't it!" Buster laughed, gently pulling away from the curtain while the music - now accompanied by their singer's saxophone solo - remained audible on the other side, and he quickly clambered up to sit on the mixing desk, closer to his much taller business partner's eye level. "I mean, seriously? A one-mouse Sinatra tribute show? You really are a genius, Stephanie!"
"Well I gotta admit, Moon, when I said ya had to start small, Mike over there wasn't exactly what I had in mind..." Stephanie chuckled while she itched the back of her neck. "But ya look at the profits, all the folks out there lovin' it, well... kinda speaks for itself, don't it...?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Buster let out a small sigh, propping his head up with his hand. "Hmm... yeah... it really is great."
And even when I'm old and gray
I'm going to feel the way I do today
Cause you, you make me feel so young!
When the song drew to a close, followed by the thunderous applause and hollering of the crowd, Stephanie briefly glanced over to Buster's direction and saw that the koala was still gazing at her, though they both immediately averted their eye contact within mere milliseconds of making it. The next ten seconds or so almost felt like an hour with the long, awkward silence that had set in between them, until it was thankfully broken when their tiny performer came backstage for his intermission.
"Ah, Mike!" Buster regained his usual chipperness as he jumped down from the desk, clearly not being used to having to crouch down to an even smaller animal's level. "Oh-ho, you were incredible! I mean, you've been terrific every night this week, but you've really earned that paycheck, my friend!"
"Aw, you're too kind, Mr. Moon, too kind..." Mike playfully twirled the tiny, maroon fedora in his hands, the young mouse's confident visage briefly betraying a more sincere smile while he looked back to the cheering crowd. "But y'know, it ain't all about the money. Ya gotta do it for the art, too..."
"Hmm... spoken like a true artiste..." Stephanie snarked, though neither Buster or Mike seemed to hear her as they continued their conversation, and their words almost faded to complete silence as she watched them.
After all the struggles and the nastier sides of showbusiness that the wolf had experienced during her time in Redshore, the sight of these younger, more idealistic animals laughing and gushing over their mutual love of the arts was bittersweet to say the least. She couldn't shake the feeling that in another life, or perhaps even at a later point in this one, the more crushing realities of this way of life would have turned these pleasant, passionate boys into cyncial, greedy shells of who they were now. And she was almost beginning to feel a strong determination - or perhaps even a responsibility - to prevent this from ever happening to them.
"Well, what do you think?" Buster's voice snapped her back to reality again, and she looked down to see staring right back up at her. "I mean... if you're not doing anything that night..."
"What? Oh, uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat - having realised that her employer had just asked her a question - but rather than ask him to repeat himself, she decided it was better to simply answer. "Uh, y-yeah, sure. I think it's a good idea."
"Oh, wonderful!" Buster seemed even giddier than usual as he grabbed his blue suit jacket and threw it over himself. "I'll book the table at the Wharf on Saturday, then. Dad's really been looking forward to meeting you, Steph!"
"Uh-huh... w-wait..." Stephanie's eyes bulged wide. "Dad...?!"
"Yeah, alright, that... wait, that's not it, I... uh, let's see... hmm... yeah, there we go..."
Stephanie tried her best to strike a model-like pose - being a little rusty from a few years of inexperience - while she examined her reflection. She let her sleeved left arm hang limp while putting her right hand on her slightly tilted hip, placing her left foot forward so that her long, thin leg stuck out from the slit in her dress.
"Hmm... not half bad..."
This emerald-tinted gown - which apparently debuted in a designer Autumn Collection a few years prior - was fairly simple in design, and a far cry from the obnoxiously elaborate gowns that she used to wear at Jimmy's premieres. The plain green bodice had a strap over the left shoulder, which connected to the sleeve that ended at her wrist, while she wore a silver watch on her right arm to make sure it wasn't completely bare in comparison.
With the healthier weight she'd gained since coming to Calatonia, Stephanie couldn't even fit herself into any of the fancier dresses that she'd originally taken from Redshore. This perhaps wasn't that surprising, given that most of those barely-wearable art pieces were suffocating even after she'd starved herself, but throwing away all those material reminders of her ex-husband had been an extremely therapeutic experience.
Although she'd been tempted by this dress a few times when she and Porsha had seen it on sale at the market, Stephanie had never thought she'd ever need to wear something like this again. But when her new employer suddenly asked if she'd join him and his parents at the opening of the Autumn Festival - and she'd just as abruptly agreed - the wolf felt the sudden urge to immediately run down to buy it, and couldn't help feeling lucky that it was both still available and fit her so well.
Porsha was sat on the couch in front of the TV when Stephanie came in to get her shoes, the little one splitting her attention between the programme on the screen and the copy of War Of Attrition that she was reading.
"How's it comin' along…?" Stephanie leaned on the back of the couch, gently straightening the blue-lensed glasses her daughter was wearing. "Not too tough for ya, is it…?"
"Um… n-no. I don't think so, Mommy." Porsha answered back, titling her head a little while she focused on one of the paragraphs. "Some of the bigger words are a little weird-lookin' still, but it's okay, I think…"
Stephanie couldn't help sniffling a little despite her smile. While Porsha seemed to have been adjusting well since her diagnosis, everyone else could tell the little one was struggling more than she was comfortable to admit. But rather than agitate her further with a direct confrontation, Stephanie had agreed with the others to just give the young wolf all the help and support they could, no questions asked.
"Alright, well… I should be back about eleven, sunshine. Johnny shouldn't be too long, either…" Stephanie went over to the mirror on the wall while she put in her small, pearl earrings and finished applying her last few bits of makeup. "Any idea when Meena's coming…?"
"Yeah, Ashley's bringing her over about seven, I think." Porsha answered. "We're gonna watch a couple Harry Ploppers."
"Ah… cool..." Stephanie checked through her handbag, making sure she had everything she needed, before she suddenly froze up. "Wait… who's Ashley?"
"Oh, she's this girl Johnny knows from school." Porsha said, still not looking up from her book. "He always looks at her funny."
"Funny? What do ya mean, baby?"
"Well… I dunno…" Porsha sat up, trying her best to mimic the behaviour she was talking about. "Y'know, anytime he sees her, he always freezes up like this, and he just kinda… looks at her… like, for a real long time… like he's been hippopotamatised, or something…"
"Oh… ooh…" Stephanie stared off into space for a moment, biting her bottom lip. "Right… yeah…"
"What…?"
"Hmm? Oh… n-nothing, Porsha, it's nothing…" Stephanie chuckled, ruffling the top of her eight-year-old's head. "I'll tell ya when ya get older, okay….?"
"Oh… okay…"
Porsha lounged back again and refocused on her book, only briefly looking up again when her mother reached into her purse and placed some money on the table.
"Alright, that's fifty bucks if you guys wanna order pizza or something."
"Oh..." Porsha said. "Is that gonna be enough?"
"Where do ya think y'are, Crystal Tower?!" Stephanie chortled. "Fifty's plenty for a couple pizzas, Porsha."
"Eh... I guess so." Porsha shrugged, then put her book and glasses aside as she sat up from the couch. "Do we need to save some for you and your boyfriend?"
"Only if ya can't finish it…" Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. "And for the last time, Porsha, Mr. Moon is not my boyfriend."
"Then why are you going on a date with him?"
"Well y'know, it… it's not exactly a date, per se, it's just, uh…" Stephanie cupped her chin while she thought to herself, then grabbed her jacket from off the rack and threw it over herself. "It's a… a casual business meeting, that's all."
"Where you're all dolled up and wearing a sexy dress?"
"Hey!" Stephanie turned back, her face showing a hint of blush. "You better not be usin' that kinda language at school, young lady!"
"What... dolled...?" Porsha pouted innocently, though she couldn't hold back the small mischievous grin tugging at her lips.
"Yeah, very cute..." Stephanie came back over, carefully stroking the younger wolf's slightly droopy ear. "Seriously, though, the other Mommies and Daddies ain't gonna be happy with me if they hear ya talkin' like that, Porsha."
"Yeah, I know..." Porsha held her knees while she gently rocked back and forth, eyeing the door at the end of the room. "Is he gonna be pickin' ya up...?"
"Nah, I'm gonna walk. It's only down at the Wharf..." Stephanie cupped her little one's chin. "Just like when we're walkin' to school, right...?"
Porsha nodded, though she looked a little more worried. "But you're gonna be careful, aren't ya...?"
"Of course I am, baby!" Stephanie knelt down in front of the couch, making sure not to stretch or rip the skirt of her dress while she looked her daughter in the eye. "Porsha, do ya really think we'd have got by for this long from me not being careful...?"
"Well, I dunno... I guess not..." Porsha itched the back of her neck, before shuffling slightly forward and throwing her arms around the older wolf's neck. "Have a nice night, Mommy."
"Hmm..." Stephanie carefully pried herself out of her daughter's embrace, then left a kiss on Porsha's forehead. "You too, sunshine."
Though the sun had already set, there was still a reddish aura in the sky as Stephanie made her way to the Wharf. The streets were slightly less bustling than usual - presumably because most of the town were already attending the festival - but she still took the time to greet and smile at the animals that she passed by. In the wake of both the custody trial and getting her new position at the Moon Theatre, Stephanie found that a lot more of Calatonia's residents seemed to recognise her now, but she'd take a simple, friendly hello over a bunch of cameras and microphones being shoved in her face any day.
She was still about five minutes away from her destination when she stopped at a utility post right next to the bridge over the canal, which was covered with posters and flyers advertising upcoming businesses and craftsmen. Since working at the Theatre, Stephanie often found herself checking this pillar to find potential new performers to contact for their shows, and most of the ones she'd managed to get ahold of - including Mike - seemed to have paid off quite well.
Stephanie muttered casually to herself while she looked at all the most recently-stapled flyers. She eventually caught sight of a bright, glitter and sharpie covered poster that was stuck right in the middle of the others, and her eyes narrowed studiously as she tore it off to read what it said.
"Dancer, singer, straight from Schnitzeldorf. If ya need Piggy Power, call Gunt... uh... Gunter? Hmm... okay..."
After some hesitation, Stephanie folded up the sheet and placed it in her purse, then continued on her journey. Even when she was still a minute or two away from the Calatonia Wharf, the salty sea air mixed with the scents of various confectionaries and spices drifted on the air, mingling with the joyous chatter of the festival-goers. The wolf was a little overwhelmed as she made her way through the bustling crowd, though she did manage to see a few familiar faces along the way.
Rosita and Norman were sharing Redshore-style volcano smoothie outside the ice cream stall, and they both gave Stephanie a friendly wave when they spotted her. Stephanie also spotted Florence and Caleb - the event's organisers - stood on the main stage, seemingly getting ready to introduce the entertainment for the evening, and they both gave their old friend a nod when she made eye contact with them. After about a minute or two of surveying the area, Stephanie's eyes finally landed on a trio of koalas gathered at the far end of the Wharf, not far away and she felt a small smile tugging at her lips.
The suit Buster wore was a slightly darker blue than his usual outfit, and it seemed he'd gone through the effort of combing down the fur on his head and ears. Stephanie would have almost been amused by him trying too hard to impress, but given her own appearance that perhaps would have come across as hypocritical on her part. Bernie also looked rather elegant, wearing a pair of silver earrings - which were utterly dwarfed by the massive ears they were attached to - to go with her dark blue blazer and black jeans, and finally seeing her and her son sat beside each other was a rather surreal experience.
Stephanie's attention then shifted to the other koala sat between them, clad in a light-brown flat cap and an olive-green jacket with rectangular glasses. It didn't take long for Stephanie to realise that this was Buster's father, Baxter Moon, though it wasn't until the three stepped down from their table to greet her that she noticed how frail he actually looked. Buster had mentioned an unspecified health scare that they'd experienced with his father a few weeks ago, though he hadn't gone into any further detail - and Stephanie herself hadn't bothered asking - but with the shaky way that Baxter walked, even with the cane he used for support, it must have been quite the scare indeed.
"Ah, there you are!" Buster's voice snapped Stephanie out of her thoughts, while the koala gently took her hand and led her over to his two elders. "Right, well uh… Stephanie, I'd really like for you to meet my Dad, Baxter. And of course, you already know my -"
"Bernie!" Stephanie knelt down to their level, holding both the older woman's hands in her own. "Aw honey, it's so good to see ya! All dolled up and outta the home for the night, huh?"
"Yeah, it's good to stretch my legs once in a while…" Bernie snarked back, though the smile on her face did seem sincerely happy to see her old carer. "I really missed having you around, kiddo…"
"Hmm…" Stephanie beamed warmly, then turned her attention to the other koala present. "Oh, and Mr. Moon! Oh, I mean… um… other Mr. Moon… uh…?"
"It's just Baxter, actually. Mr. Moon's my son." Baxter chuckled as he straightened his cap and shook Stephanie's hand. "Y'know, with how much Buster and Bernie have been talking about you all this time, I was actually beginning to wonder if you were even real."
"Oh-ho, I can assure you, sir, I am very much real." Stephanie laughed. "Yeah, it actually is kinda weird it's taken us this long to meet, huh?"
"No less of a pleasure, though… ugh…" Baxter strained a little as he clutched a hand to his chest, while tightening his grip on his cane with the other, but he kept a casual front as both his son and wife tried to steady him. "No no, it's fine… I'm fine. It's just playing up again…"
"No worries, Dad, we're gonna get sat down now…" Buster gently led his father back over to the table they'd reserved, which had four seats circling around it, and looked over to Stephanie with an attempt at a reassuring grin. "The doctor said it'd be good to get him out, but uh… well y'know, we can't be too careful."
"Yeah, that's our Buster. Always worrying too much..." Baxter laughed, gently patting his son's hand. "I promise you, kiddo, I'm not gonna have another stroke tonight, okay...?"
Stephanie silently took the seat beside Buster, sitting directly opposite Bernie while the latter sent a slightly concerned look her way. For the briefest moment the wolf felt the mild temptation to try lightening the mood with a joke - probably something about Buster putting the wrong parent in the Perkins Home - but given the distress etched on both his and Bernie's faces, Stephanie ultimately decided that levity wouldn't be appropriate for this particular moment.
"Well anyways, uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat when the three Moons all turned their attention back to her. "I guess you guys must be pretty proud, huh? Y'know, Buster, he uh... he's finally got the Theatre up and running."
"Oh yeah, it looks great!" Baxter laughed, looking over to Buster with a smile. "Hmm... I still remember that night after we came home from Epiphany. You were only six, and you were already talking about wanting to buy it!"
"Hey, a Moon's not a Moon unless he reaches for the stars, Dad!" Buster's boastful tone gave way to a more uncertain chuckle as he looked over to his other parent. "I mean... I know you were never exactly on board with it, Mom, but I really think -"
"Says who? You really think I'd have sold that necklace I wasn't on board...?" Bernie scoffed, shaking her head with a grin. "Yeah, I had my doubts, but what kinda mother doesn't? Besides, from the looks of things, you two have been doin' pretty well with that Theatre of yours, kiddo."
"Ah, well uh..." Buster awkwardly drummed his fingers on the table, unsure what to say. "Good... yeah, that's... that's really good."
"Hmm..." Bernie chuckled, then turned her attention over to the slightly blushing wolf sat beside her son. "I'm really glad he's got you around too, Steph. Hopefully, you'll make an honest man out of our boy."
"MOM!"
It was around 9:30 when Ashley carefully dimmed the lamp beside her, casting the living room in a semi-darkness with the television screen as its main light source. Porsha and Meena were both knelt down in front of it, mesmerised by the magical world of Harry Plopper, while the porcupine and gorilla lounged back on the couch behind them.
"Alright, um..." Johnny thought for a moment about the next music-related question he could ask, having been quietly doing so with his classmate for the better part of an hour. "How about... favourite singer?"
"Oh yeah, it's gotta be Clay Calloway..." Ashley answered back. Hearing her speak without a lisp was still rather surreal for most of her friends to contemplate, though the biggest surprise from getting her braces removed a month prior was how husky and almost deep the porcupine's voice sounded without them. "Like seriously, Johnny has the guy ever written a bad song?"
"Well, if he has, my Mum's not let me hear it!" Johnny held back a laugh, though he put on a more sincere tone as he looked over to his friend. "But yeah, you've always had that rock star kind of thing going, Ashley."
"Oh man, that'd be a real dream!" Ashley let out a small sigh while she rested back on the couch. "Yeah... y'know, Lance was actually talking to me yesterday about wanting to start a band with his buddy Derek. Said they'd let me do backing vocals."
"Backing vocals? Oh come on, mate, you're too good for that!"
Johnny covered his mouth when he realised how loud he was getting, quickly glancing over to make sure the two eight-year-olds hadn't been distracted from their movie. While they hadn't spoken much, the gorilla was never that comfortable whenever Ashley talked about her so-called boyfriend - from what his parents had always told him, he didn't even know twelve-years-old was an appropriate age for that kind of relationship - so he had a tendancy to raise his voice whenever Lance was brought up.
"But yeah, y'know, you... you've got a right nice voice, Ashely..." He said gently. "You can't just be shoved in the background for him."
"Well no, I... I guess not." Ashley looked a little more uncertain for a moment. "But hey, y'know, you... you gotta start somewhere, right?"
They remained silence for at least five minutes after this, casually looking over to the movie that the two younger animals were still fully invested in, until an idea that popped into Johnny's head and prompted him to speak up again.
"You could audition for Mr. Moon!" He said, making Ashley's eyes widen a little behind her glasses. "Yeah, Stephanie works there, so you can go in and see her! She's always lookin' for new singers to put in their shows, and... and my Mum's been nagging me about it for ages, but she'll get you set up right away!"
"For real...?" Ashley said, looking more enthuasitic after the gorilla nodded, while a more confident smile crossed her face. "Hmm... yeah, that'd be great, actually. Wait... Stephanie's, um... s-she's Porsha's Mom, right...?"
"Yeah, that's right. Why...?"
"Well, I dunno, it's just kinda..." Ashley cringed a little. "Seems kinda weird calling her by her first name, right? I mean... she's like, a grownup."
"Oh... well yeah, but she... she's been around my Mum and Dad a lot." Johnny itched the back of his neck, taking on a slightly sadder tone that piqued the porcupine's curiosity again. "Yeah, a couple years back, my grandad, he um... well, it... it were right hard for my Mum to deal with, and she... she nearly, um..."
"Nearly what...?"
"Nah, it's just..." Johnny sniffled, though his body language made it fairly easy for Ashley to piece together what he was inferring. "Point is, my Mum were in a bad spot when that happened, and... and if Steph hadn't been there for her, she... she probably would have... yeah..."
Though she'd mostly been enjoying the wizarding whimsy on the screen, Porsha's sharp ears had managed to catch small snippets of the conversation going on behind them - mainly whenever her mother was brought up - and after some hesitation she turned her head slightly to glance at her two babysitters. Johnny had a slightly sad looking smile on his face while he looked over at the more comforting, empathetic expression on Ashley's, though the little wolf was mainly focused on the sight of their joined hands.
At least a hundred questions began to form in Porsha's head - most of which she was sure her own mother wouldn't even be able to answer properly - but knowing better than to ask them now, Porsha remained silent, sending a reassuring smile Meena's way before they both turned their attention back to the screen.
The Wharf was still alive with activity when Stephanie excused herself from the Moon Family, leaving Buster to continue reminiscing with his parents while she headed over to the nearby tiki bar to get them some another round of drinks.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, I think you're in the wrong spot. The, uh, fashion show's down that way!" Rosita's voice prompted Stephanie to swivel around in her bar chair, seeing the familiar pig and gorilla standing there.
"Oh... hey, girls." Stephanie chuckled, idly drumming her fingers on the table while she waited for her order. "Didn't see ya comin' in, Mary, when you'd get here?"
"About an hour ago..." Mary shrugged, having what seemed to be a nostalgic smile on her face. "Me and Marcus have just been catching up with Joanne."
"Aw, cool... wait... who's Joanne?"
"Y'know, Joanne Crawly. From the Theatre..."
Mary gestured over to the other end of the Wharf, making Stephanie's eyes widen a little when she saw the familiar, elderly lizard chatting with Marcus.
"You guys know Ms. Crawly?!"
"Course I do!" Mary laughed. "Where do you think I learned piano from?"
Rosita climbed up on the seat beside Stephanie, glancing over to the family of koalas a few feet away. "So... how's your date going, Steph?"
"Oh God, not you guys too..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I must have said this to Porsha like a thousand times. Alright, it ain't a date, he ain't my boyfriend, he's my boss, and we're just havin' a casual business meeting. With his parents. And I'm wearin' a sexy dress."
"Right..." Rosita said slowly, exchanging an equally unconvinced look with Mary. "Alright, well um... how's it been over at the Theatre?"
"Oh yeah, it's been great!" Stephanie seemed more enthusiastic now, barely paying attention to the main stage lighting up at the other side of the Wharf. "Yeah, we're gonna be startin' the auditions next week, so..."
"Aw, brill!" Mary exclaimed, glancing over to Ms. Crawly. "Yeah, Joanne were just saying she might give my Johnny a couple lessons. I'll make sure he's first in line!"
"Not if I get there first, Mary!" Rosita cut in as all three of them laughed, while the antelope behind the bar finally brough the platter of four beverages and laid them on the counter.
"Oh, thank you!" Stephanie said, carefully grabbing the tray while she stood back up. "Right, ladies. Better get these drinks over to Buster before he thinks I ran off!"
"Buster...?" Mary raised an eyebrow, tilting her glasses slightly down. "Don't you mean Mr. Moon?"
"What...?" Stephanie felt a small blush beaming on her cheeks. "Uh... y-yeah, I mean... sure, Buster, Mr. Moon, it uh... yeah, whatever. I'll catch up with you guys later!"
"Have fun, Steph!" Rosita called while the wolf took off back to her date - who definitely wasn't a date - and looked over to the gorilla beside her. "You think we're reading too much into it...?"
"Eh, who knows...?" Mary shrugged, looking over to see their friend laughing and joking with her boss and his parents again. "It'd be good for her, though..."
"Yeah..." Rosita sighed. "Yeah, I think so too."
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"You Make Me Feel So Young" - Frank Sinatra
Chapter 19: Pulling Through
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Ah... there we go..."
Stephanie let out a long, satisfied exhale, while the warm aroma of the coffee she'd just poured out slowly lifted her mid-morning grogginess. The mug, which has no handle, was still too hot to touch, though the wolf eventually managed to get ahold of it after covering her hands with the sleeves of her sweater.
As the Assistant Theatre Manager and Co-Producer, a title she still found herself struggling to embrace fully, Stephanie had taken over the responsibilities running of the venue in the temporary absence of its owner. While she'd been trying to keep things ship-shape, the overwhelming workload did make the wolf reconsider whether losing out on owning the Theatre herself was a missed opportunity or a narrowly dodged bullet.
"Oh God..." Stephanie whispered under her breath as she reached the top of the stairs, looking down to see the menagerie of animals that were already lining up in the lobby all the way out the side of the building, before taking another deep breath to steady herself. "Alright, just gotta grin and bear it... it's just until Baxter gets better."
Once she'd managed to shuffle her way through the sea of hopeful auditions and reached the auditorium door, making sure not to drop or spill her still steaming cup, Stephanie slipped her way inside and approached the stage, her sharp gaze quickly settling on the giddy eight-year-old that was already sat waiting on the front row.
"Ooh! Hi, Mommy!" Porsha stood up on the cushion of her chair, nearly bouncing on it in her excitement. "Ya ready to see more cool stuff?"
"Eh..." Stephanie's little murmur couldn't quite hide her weariness, but she managed to force a small smile while she sat herself down on the seat beside her daughter. "Hmm... yeah, Mommy's always ready for the cool stuff, sunshine."
"Babe, are you sure you wanna go through with this...?"
Lance's words made Ashley briefly freeze in the middle of the bridge. Her boyfriend hadn't said much during the bus ride and most of the walk afterwards, so she couldn't help feeling taken off-guard by him suddenly expressing doubts when they were only about five minutes away from the Moon Theatre.
"Uh... y-yeah, of course I do!" Her confident tone faltered a little as she tightened her grip on her guitar case. "Why...?"
"I dunno, Ash, I just... I just don't get it..." Lance gently pried his hand away from his girlfriend's and stuck them both in his pockets. "I mean, yeah, I get you're not big on the whole backing vocals thing, but it's gotta be better than joining a bunch of theatre weirdos."
"Oh come on, Lance, they're not weirdos. They're just, uh... y'know, passionate..." Ash shrugged. "Besides, Johnny said he'd put in a good word for me, so... might as well take the opportunity, right? Could even make a fun hobby."
"Uh-huh... wait, Johnny? That gorilla guy from your music club...?" Lance arched an eyebrow when Ash nodded. "How the heck did he get in there?"
"His parents are friends with the producer lady."
"Oh, is that what he says?" Lance scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, Ash, you've heard all the stories." Lance said, barely noticing the disapproving glare on the other porcupine's face. "I mean, seriously, a gorilla wanting to be a singer? I don't buy that for a second. They're probably doing one of those laundering things, or maybe he's stealing stuff for them, or -!"
"Ugh, just stop, Lance!" Ashley finally snapped, making her boyfriend purse his lips while he raised both his hands in surrender. "You can't say stuff like that! God, if you even knew half of what Johnny and his Mom went through, you'd -!"
"Alright, geez..." Lance exhaled harshly. "You don't have to get all woke about it, babe..."
"Oh, uh... y-yeah... sure..." Ash looked down to the ground, biting down on her bottom lip, and they remained silent until they were just across the street from her destination. "Oh hey! We're here!"
"Hmm..." Lance thought for a moment, cupping his chin. "Oh yeah, and talking of hobbies, how's Katy doing with that karate class?"
"It's boxing, actually. She's doing great, though..." Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I saw a couple of her classes, she's got a really good, uh... what's that word again? Not a jab, the one where they swing it...?"
"A hook?"
"Yep, that's it! Hmm..." Ash's eyes then widened a little. "Why'd you ask?"
"Well, I dunno..." Lance shrugged, though this didn't hide the rather mischievous glint in his eyes. "I mean, if you're looking for a hobby, Ash, I'd even pick getting punched in the face over coming to this place."
"Oh ha ha, very funny..." Ash rolled her eyes, straightening her glasses while she looked across the street. "Besides, I think I got a better chance at this place than I would taking Katy in a fight."
Even after the road became empty, the young porcupine took a couple more deep breaths, before turning over to her boyfriend while he casually crossed his arms. "So uh... you wanna wish me luck?"
"Nah... hmm... you don't need it."
"Aw..." Ash's cheek beamed a warm red, then she quickly leaned over and pressed her lips right on Lance's. "Love you too, babe."
Although Porsha had enjoyed most of the acts they'd seen so far, Stephanie's fatigue only worsened as she endured one lacklustre audition after another. Admittedly, some were genuinely decent, but she found herself somewhat disheartened when she checked her watch and discovered that what she thought had been at least several days was actually only two hours.
I want love to forget that you offended me
Or how you have defended me
When everybody tore me down
Yeah I want love to change my friends to enemies,
Change my friends to enemies
And show me how it's all my fault
The porcupine on stage looked to be about fifteen and she was mostly dressed in stylish blue denim, which made her pink, heart-shaped sunglasses stand out all the more. But she had quite a nice voice, and despite the original song not including one, the tambourine she was using was a surprisingly fitting instrument for it.
Yeah, I won't let love disrupt, corrupt or interrupt me
I won't let love disrupt, corrupt or interrupt me
I won't let love disrupt, corrupt, or interrupt me anymore.
"Wow... great! Yeah, it's a little unorthodox, but uh... but yeah. I really liked it." Stephanie looked at the checklist in her hands while Porsha excitedly clapped for the performer. "So, it's uh... it's Rebecca, right...?"
"Well yeah, I mean... I wasn't sure if I was supposed to put my full name or not, but my friends usually just call me Becky..." The porcupine answered, lifting her sunglasses while she tilted her head. "So, does this mean I'm, like, in or something...?"
"For now, it means I'm gonna mark ya down as a possibility, but I definitely think ya got potential, Becky..." Stephanie gave a small smile. "But yeah, thank you. Um... next please!"
Becky had a slightly excited spring in her step as she quickly made her way backstage again, though a brief glance back at the main stage caused her to run right into the next animal in line. "Oh... sorry about that, sweetie!"
"Oh no no, it was my fault, I was just... ugh, dammit!" The other, younger porcupine struggled to get ahold of her guitar case, while her glasses hung crooked off her face. "Yeah, I got everything!"
"Hmm... okay, I think you're on next, anyway..." Becky patted the other porcupine's shoulder, before taking off again. "Good luck!"
Stephanie was still hunched over the small table she'd set up and continued reading through the notes she'd written about the other performers, barely noticing her little one's face light up when the next performer came centre-stage.
"Ooh, Ashley! Hey Ashley, over here!"
"Hmm... hi, Porsha..." Ash gave a small wave to the eight-year-old while she opened her guitar case, before quietly clearing her throat in a bid to get the older wolf's attention. "Um... am I supposed to, like, wait to be called, or something?"
"What...? Oh no, no no no, I'll just be a sec, I uh... wait..." Stephanie's eyes narrowed a little, glancing down at Porsha then back over to the porcupine on stage. "Ashley? Oh yeah, you uh... you're Johnny's friend from school, right? The one he's always talkin' about...?"
"He is...?" Ash briefly felt her cheeks burning red while she clutched her guitar case tighter, though she quickly shook her head and tried to regain her more deadpan tone. "Uh, y-yeah, that's me. Well, I actually just go by Ash now, but uh... but yeah, I'm Johnny's friend."
"Oh, nice... hmm... it's good to finally get a face to the name, huh...?" Stephanie straightened up a little in her seat, prompting Porsha to try mimicking her mother's posture. "Well anyways, uh... you wanna get yourself started?"
"Okay, well I guess I'll just, uh... yeah..." The porcupine cleared her throat again, trying to keep her guitar upright while she spoke into the microphone. "My name's Ash, I'm thirteen years old, and today I'm gonna be singing -"
Ash was cut off when the doors to the auditorium flew open, the loud SLAM! echoing off all the walls as everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Stephanie scrambled upright and turned around in her seat, her eyes widening when she saw the familiar little koala stood in the doorway.
Buster wasn't wearing his blue suit jacket or his red bow tie, his fur was unkempt, his ears were drooped and heavy gags hung under his eyes. He clearly hadn't been expecting the auditorium to be occupied when he barged in, but looked as though he was barely able to stand, only just propping himself up against one of the doors.
"Moon...?" Stephanie spoke with surprisingly genuine concern as she stood up, leaving Porsha in her seat to watch while she hurriedly ran over and knelt to her employer's level. "Moon, y'okay...?"
"I... I j-just... h-he..." Buster's breathing was heavy as he tried to stammer out his barely audible words, before his gaze fell to the floor as he stumbled back into the lobby. "I gotta go..."
"No, Moon, just... Buster, wait!" Stephanie called as she stood back up, her heart utterly plummeting as the koala turned away and clumsily made his way up the stairs. She was just about to follow him, before glancing over to see the old lizard who was still sat in the front doorway, still crying her eye out. "Ms. Crawly...?"
"Oh, Ms. Frangipane, it... it's terrible..." Ms. Crawly managed to choke out through her tears aftee she blew her nose, while the wolf knelt beside her. "He was doing so well... Mr. Moon really thought he was going to pull through..."
"Pull through? What do ya... oh... oh..." Stephanie let out a sigh, gently placing her hand on the old lizard's. "Baxter...?"
Ms. Crawly hesitated for a moment, still letting out a monsoon of sobs and sniffles, then finally nodded.
"Oh, God..."
At least a hundred thoughts were racing through Stephanie's head - Buster, his parents, the theatre, Porsha, and for some reason, even Suki - while she stood back up and re-entered the auditorium. Though she was snapped out of this brief catatonia when she glanced over to see Porsha staring at her from her seat, along with Ash and all the other animals that were watching from the stage.
"Mommy...?" Porsha tilted her head, a curious but concerned expression etched on her face. "Is Mr. Moon okay...?"
"I uh... I don't... um... how do I, uh... no, it... ugh..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, then straightened up as she looked over to the stage. "Look, I'm sorry, everybody, but we're gonna have to close up for today. So, I'm just gonna need ya all to go home."
"What...?!" Ash exclaimed. "But... b-but what about my audition?"
"I dunno, kid, ya just gotta come back another day..." Stephanie answered, trying her best not to get frustrated. "It ain't a good time."
"No, but that's not fair!" Ash objected, sounding more passionate while she gestured to the other animals in line. "We've been waiting here for hours, you can't just dismiss us just because you -!"
"Well, I'm doin' it anyway!" Stephanie finally snapped, her harsh tone making everyone freeze up. "And if you don't like it, nobody's forcing ya to come back!"
Stephanie briefly held back when she noticed that even Porsha was cowering fearfully at her outburst, though she still kept her authoritative posture as she looked over to the porcupine again. Ash's glasses didn't conceal the small tears welling up in her eyes, though a frustrated scowl quickly formed on her face as she climbed off the stage and stormed out the door, slamming it shut behind her.
"Ugh..." Stephanie rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips while she glanced over to her daughter. "When you turn into a teenager, Porsha, don't be like that kid."
"Oh..." Porsha gulped. "Okay, Mommy..."
"Moon...?"
It was mid-afternoon when Stephanie finally came into Buster's office, seeing the koala seated silently at his desk while he held the Moon Car Wash bucket to his chest. She hesitated for a moment before she took the seat opposite him, offering a small, sympathetic smile when he finally looked over to her.
"How ya holding up...?" She asked softly, her voice filled with genuine concern, though he remained silent as he looked back down at the bucket. "Hmm... right... so, uh... so how'd Bernie take it...?"
Buster's eyes flickered briefly, having clearly not even thought about his mother's reaction until Stephanie brought it up, but still, no words escaped his lips. Stephanie let out a sigh, then slowly hunched forward on the desk, reaching a hand over and placing it on the koala's.
"I know it ain't easy losin' a parent..." She said, looking down to the floor while she let out a scoff, which seemed to pique Buster's curiosity as he looked over to her again. "Y'know, my... my friend Mary lost her Dad a couple years back. And he wasn't a good guy, by any means, y'know, he made her life Hell, but she... she was in a real dark place after he kicked it."
"Oh..." Buster finally spoke up, his voice still strained, though a good few seconds passed in silence before he spoke again. "Have you ever lost a parent, Steph...?"
"What...?" Stephanie paused, her expression faltering for a moment before she processed his question. "Oh, you mean... uh... no. Well, I guess technically... um... I dunno."
"You don't know if you lost a parent?"
"Ugh, no, I... oh, geez..." Stephanie straightened up, letting out a sigh. "I didn't lose my parents, I just... never had 'em. I was a foster kid, so... y'know."
"Oh... oh, Steph, I'm really sorry, I didn't even -"
"N-no, please, Moon, it... it's okay..." Stephanie forced a smile. "Besides, we're not talkin' about me, we're talkin' about your Dad."
"Hmm... I dunno, I just... I thought I'd be more ready than this..." Buster put the bucket upright on the shelf, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Y'know, after that first stroke in the summer, me and Mom, we just... it felt like we were just counting down the days after that, but it... but it still hurts. It hurts a lot."
Stephanie nodded slowly. "Well, y'know, maybe... maybe that's a good thing."
"It's a good thing he's dead?!"
"What, no! No no no, that ain't what I... I just... ugh..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing a chuckle. "What I meant was... it's a good thing that it hurts for ya to lose him. "Y'know, cause... cause I never even had parents, but I can tell you and your Dad were close, Moon."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Buster's lips, a fleeting moment of nostalgia making its way through his the grief. "Yeah... yeah, we were."
"Right... I mean, if ya were that close to him, or course it's gonna hurt losin' him..." Stephanie continued, a hint of a playful tone in her voice while she lounged back. "Y'know, in a weird almost kinda little jealous. I mean, I dunno if it makes us lucky, but me and Porsha, well.. we ain't got any kinda family like that, so... we're never getting hurt that way."
Her eyes narrowed with intrigue when Buster suddenly reached behind his desk and pulled out what seemed to be an old bottle of whisky, the amber liquid glinting in the soft light of his desk lamp. Stephanie couldn't help feeling some nastier memories resurface when the koala poured out two glasses and slid one toward her, but after some hesitation she finally picked it up and raised it with her.
"Well, uh..." Buster cleared his throat. "Here's to you, Dad."
"Hmm..." Stephanie nodded, a bittersweet smile on her face. "To Baxter."
They clinked their glasses together, letting the sound ringing in the air for a good few seconds as it echoed around the room. Stephanie looked over as Buster downed his glass in one, though she simply stared down at her own while she slowly swirled it in her hands.
"Hmm... the last time I was holding a drink like this, I threw it against the wall in Jimmy's office..." She finally said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Which was not the biggest mess I made that night."
"Jimmy? Oh, you mean Mr. Crystal!" Buster straightened up, seemingly regaining some of his usual, somewhat childish curiosity. "He's um... he's Porsha's Dad, isn't he?"
"Ugh... unfortunately."
"Hmm..." Buster tapped his finger against the glass in his hand, biting his bottom lip for a few seconds before he finally came out with it. "This um... this might not be a great time, Stephanie, and... and if you don't wanna answer, that's fine too."
"Answer what...?"
"Well, I'm just curious, but um..." Buster exhaled. "What exactly happened between you guys? You and Mr. Crystal, I mean."
"Oh God, I um... ugh..." Stephanie groaned as she itched the back of her neck, her gaze slowly becoming more distant as she looked up at the ceiling. "Well, it just... hmm. When I first moved to Redshore, I used to go and sing in places. Y'know, payin' the rent, makin' ends meet, all that crap."
"Uh-huh."
"Anyways, I ended up singin' in this place called Peralta's, and that's where I met Suki..." Stephanie briefly looked over to Buster as the koala as he tilted his head. "Oh, uh... Suki Lane. She uh... she works for Jimmy."
"Ah, got it!"
"Right, well uh..." Stephanie continued. "When I got my contract signed with him, Jimmy was real fond of me. Or so he said. Y'know, he'd take me to fancy shows, dinners, I got all these gifts and stuff."
"Oh yeah, Mom calls that love bombing..." Buster cut in.
"Love bombing? Hmm... yeah, that's a good way of putting it..." Stephanie sighed, her voice tinged with regret. "I did everything I could to impress him. Y'know, make him think I was good enough for him, or whatever. He'd say wear this, or eat that, and... and I listened."
"Oh..." Though it was brief, Buster's tone indicated that he was catching on to her implications.
"We tied the knot about three years in, and it seemed pretty great at first, especially with Porsha around. But then, y'know, we kinda just uh... drifted, really. He was workin' on his shows, or his premieres, or whatever, and... he still kept goin' to the parties and the dinners and stuff, but... well, I never got the invites. Hmm... yeah, most nights it was just me, the couch and a couple bottles of wine, y'know...? Then I found out about the cheating, and I -"
"Cheating...?!" Buster gasped, sounding genuinely flabbergasted. "Who'd ever wanna cheat on you...?!"
Stephanie paused, her eyes widening a little while she pursed her lips, prompting the koala's face to go slightly red while he recoiled back into his seat.
"Right, well uh... anyways, I finally packed up what I had and I was gonna take off with Porsha, but... he wasn't gonna just gonna give her over..." Stephanie let a small hint of pride slip into her voice laced with a mix of resignation and strength. "I mean, yeah, it was pretty frickin' scary when he tried to get his thugs to kill me after I took her, but -"
"He did what...?!"
"Okay okay okay, before ya overreact, Moon, it all turned out fine..." Stephanie raised her hands, letting out a dry chuckle. had his thugs forcibly remove me from the mansion. "Y'know, it was a good few years ago, so... plus, now I got full custody and stuff, so there's no way Jimmy's gonna hurt me and Porsha now."
"Ah... okay... y-yeah, that's good..." Buster let out a long, fatigued sigh as he lounged back, almost as if he'd been through this horrific ordeal himself.
"But the point is, Moon, I pulled through..." Stephanie said, finally breaking the long, somber silence that had settled between them. "Just like Mary pulled through. And you and your Dad pulled through when ya got this Theatre. Hmm... and now ya gotta pull through this too."
Buster slowly nodded, letting a warm smile tug at his lips while he gazed at the beautiful wolf opposite, before he suddenly grabbed the bottle of whisky and filled his glass again.
"To pulling through..." He said, raising it up as she did the same.
"Hmm..." Stephanie nodded proudly, before clinking her glass against the koala's. "To pulling through."
The sun was just beginning to set outside when Stephanie left Buster's office and reentered the auditorium, seeing Porsha lying flat out and snoring in her seat. The older wolf smiled while she shook her head, making sure not to disturb her eight-year-old's peaceful slumber as she gently scooped her out of the seat and carried her over to the lobby.
With Porsha nestled against her chest, and having to use both arms to cradle her, Stephanie turned around and pressed her back against the front door in order to pry it open and get out. Though she quickly froze up when she looked to the edge of the pavement ahead and noticed a small, familiar figure sat huddled up on top of her guitar case.
"Ashley...?!" She said, prompting the porcupine to shoot up and turn around to face her. "God, your parents oughta be worried sick, what the heck are ya still doin' out here?"
"Oh, I uh... I've been waiting for you..." Ash stood up, still crossing her arms to keep herself warm while she shivered a little. "I just... I just really wanna audition."
"Audition? Still...?" Stephanie felt her heart sink a little at the sight of the porcupine's freezing posture and her dishevelled, slightly tear-stained face, but she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Listen, kid, I know you're passionate, but this really hasn't been a good day for us. Y'know, the boss, he just lost his -"
"N-no, just... ugh... please, Miss Franga... uh... Franny... um... well, whatever your name is, just hear me out!" Ash straightened her glasses, trying to sound and look more professional as she began the speech she'd been rehearsing during her time outside. "If I've learned anything from Clay Calloway, Eel-ton John, Florence Fletcher and all those guys, it's... it's that nothing's more powerful than music. Y'know, it's not just catchy or fun, it... it's everything! It tears you down, it builds you back up, it saves lives!"
"Uh-huh... y-yeah..." Stephanie quickly rolled her eyes, trying her best to seem interested, but after a moment she pursed her lips, and an idea began to form in her head. "Hmm..."
"And there's nothing I've ever wanted more than to be able to get up on a stage, and give the world my -!"
"Now you just hold that thought, cause I'm gonna stop ya right there, kiddo!" Stephanie raised a hand to silence the porcupine, who noticed a more confident grin forming on the wolf's face. "I'm gonna need ya to come on in..."
Around half an hour later Porsha finally woke up, once again finding herself in the same seat she'd fallen asleep in. As the eight-year-old yawned and stretched herself awake, she looked to her left to see her mother sat there beside her, only now accompanied by Buster and Ms. Crawly.
"Oh... hi, Mr. Moon! Are ya still sad...?"
"What...?" Buster tensed up, then looked past Stephanie to see her daughter - who despite being only eight, was just slightly taller than him - waving, and he awkwardly smiled back. "Oh, uh... n-not so bad now, kiddo."
They all looked up at the stage as Ash made her way to the centre, quickly getting out her guitar again while she adjusted the microphone.
"Okay, um... guess I'll just take it from the top..." She said, her voice trembling slightly as it echoed. "My name's Ash, I'm thirteen years old, and today I'm gonna be singing a song by Clay Calloway."
"Hmm... great." Stephanie nodded with a wink. "Whenever you're ready."
Having decided not to use a backing track, the gentle sound of Ash's fingers plucking two of her guitar strings echoed off the stage and the entire auditorium around them. The porcupine closed her eyes and bobbed her head along to the iconic rhythm, using her free hand to gently pat the bottom of her instrument for percussion.
See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I'll wait, for you
Slight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails, she makes me wait
And I wait, without you
Porsha still hadn't completely gotten used to what Ash sounded like without braces even when she was just talking, but now hearing that same voice singing was utterly mesmerising. And when taking a quick glance at her mother and the other two members of their impromptu audience, it was clear they were just as captivated by the porcupine's performance.
With or without you
With or without you, ah, ah
I can't live
With or without you
While Ash sang; Stephanie couldn't help feeling her heart flutter as small, bittersweet tears formed in her eyes. Despite all the memories that were playing on repeat in her mind - marrying Jimmy, leaving Suki, Mary's jump, Kendall's attack - she didn't quite feel the intense pain or misery that she was used to associating to them. Rather, it was a more calm feeling, perhaps almost peaceful, and it only increased when she felt a smaller hand slowly latching onto her left forearm.
My hands are tied
My body bruised, she got me with
Nothing to win, and
Nothing left to lose
Though she had initially assumed it was Porsha, Stephanie was rather surprised when she looked down and saw that it was actually Buster that was holding her wrist. The koala looked up at her with a tearful but clearly grateful smile on his face, and after a moment or two of hesitation, the wolf gave a small but equally sincere one in return.
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away
Porsha glanced back over at her mother, now raising a curious yet also suspicious eyebrow when Stephanie gently clasped Buster's hand in her own. Quite a few questions began to form in the little wolf's head while she saw this, only adding to the pile of countless questions that Stephanie still hadn't answered from that night at the Autumn Festival. But rather than asking them now, the eight-year-old simply lounged back in her seat, enjoying both the music and the moment as the porcupine on stage sang her heart out for them.
With or without you
With or without you, oh
I can't live
With or without you
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Love Interruption" - Jack White
"With Or Without You" - U2
Chapter 20: The Big News
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Tag, you're it!"
"Ugh... girls, come on, take it easy..." Stephanie chuckled tiredly as the two eight-year-olds chased each other in circles around her, having been doing so non-stop for at least the last twenty minutes. The older wolf jolted up slightly when Porsha slid under her legs and ran onwards with Meena in pursuit, though she briefly panicked when it looked like the pup was about to run right off the edge of the sidewalk. "Ah-ah-ah! Not in the road, sunshine!"
"Oh! Oh yeah... sorry, Mommy..." Porsha froze on the spot, inches from the traffic, and turned back to face her mother, only for Meena to quickly tap her on the back and run the opposite way. "Aw come on, Meena, I thought that was a time out!"
Stephanie rolled her eyes, letting the two little ones continue their right behind her as she walked up to the entrance of the Theatre and unlocked the door.
"Alright... go crazy..." She gestured inside as the little wolf and elephant raced past her right into the empty auditorium. "Oh, and don't break anything, Porsha! Again!"
BZZZZZ... BZZZZZ...
Stephanie tensed up a little when she felt a soft vibration on her backside, before digging into her pocket to fish out her phone. She'd given most of her regular phone numbers songs for ringtones, and would usually hang up the unfamiliar ones that didn't, but just before she could hang up she was taken aback by the name on the Caller ID screen.
"Florence...?"
While she had hoped exchanging numbers with her old friend at the festival would have allowed for some gradual reconciliation, Stephanie had decided to wait for Florence to call her, but given the fact that Florence hadn't done so in the three months that had passed since then, it seemed she had been waiting for Stephanie to do the same. Nevertheless, Stephanie continued to let the phone ring for a good few seconds, her finger hovering gently over the answer button, as she pondered what to do.
"Oh! Good morning, Ms. Frangipane!"
"Huh?" Stephanie snapped back to reality, glancing at her screen to see that the call had gone to voice mail, before looking down at the lizard beside her. "Oh... morning, Ms. Crawly. Y'okay?"
"Oh, very good, Ma'am. thank you..." Ms. Crawly then gestured to the doors of the auditorium. "Mr. Moon's just getting things ready over at the stage. Are your friends still coming?"
"Yeah, I don't think they'll be too long..." Stephanie pushed the door open, propping it with her long arm to allow the lizard to come in front. "Anyways, uh... h-how have you guys been holdin' up since the funeral?"
Quickly, she hung up the call, deciding to check back later. She greeted Buster warmly as he stepped into view, his distinctive koala charm intact even amidst the recent hardships he had faced. "Hey there, Mr. Moon," she said, using Buster's theater nickname, "How've you been holding up since the funeral last week?"
"As well as we can be!" Buster's voice nearly made Stephanie jump out of her skin, before she turned to see the koala standing up on the aisle seat on the back row, mere inches away from her. "I mean, yeah, it's uh... it's still a little tough, sure, but... but it was a good service."
"Oh... oh yeah, it was. It was real lovely." Stephanie smiled, giving Buster some space as he clambered down from the seat and led her and Ms. Crawly to the front row. "Y'know, I ain't much of a religious gal, Moon, but your Dad's probably in a better place up there somewhere, right?"
"Yeah... yeah, I really hope so, Steph..." Buster did seem slightly melancholy as he said this, though he quickly bounced back when he took the front row seat and hunched forward on the table he'd set up. "But hey, no need worrying about it now. All I we gotta do now is get back to work."
"Hmm..." Stephanie nodded as she carefully sat beside Buster, only to look up on the stage to see a familiar porcupine showing off her guitar to Porsha and Meena. "Oh... Ash came in early today, huh?"
"Yep..." Buster didn't seem to pay much attention, having already opened his clipboard to start start scribbling down some notes. "Said she wanted to talk to Johnny about something."
"Ah... course she did." Stephanie rolled her eyes playfully. "Real set of lovebirds, those two kids."
"Lovebirds? What, Ash and Johnny...?" Buster kept his voice down, making sure the porcupine on stage couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation. "I thought Ash already had a boyfriend, that uh... that Lance fella."
"Trust me, Mr. Moon, I know smitten when I see it."
"Oh, you uh... y-you do...?" Buster quickly straightened up in his seat and tidied up his shirt and bow tie, before clearing his throat in a bid to change the subject. "Well anyway, uh... w-what time are your friends coming today, Steph...?"
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
While Rosita had seemed to be in a far more energetic mood than usual when she'd first arrived, Stephanie could practically smell her friend's nervousness coming back in full force once she got up on the stage, standing right in the centre of it and barely moving an inch while she sang. Though since Buster seemed to be concentrating more on the vocals, and still had his eyes glued to his clipboard, Stephanie managed to make a few small, non-verbal gestures for Rosita's voice and tone to follow, almost acting like an impromptu conductor.
Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go oh, oh, oh
As you shoot across the sky, sky, sky
Rosita had tried her quick glance over to the side of the stage allowed Rosita to notice the younger animals were all watching her audition as well. Porsha seemed particularly into it as she danced on the spot and silently mouthed the words, unknowingly supplying a much needed boost of confidence that prompted the pig to belt out the rest of the final chorus.
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go oh, oh, oh
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe
"WHOO! Yeah!" Stephanie stood up, whistling with her fingers while everyone else - sans Buster - applauded for Rosita as she took a small, slightly awkward bow. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about! I told ya you had the voice for this, Ro, that was incredible!"
"You really think so?" Rosita seemed both flattered and slightly overwhelmed by the praise, which everyone else murmured in agreement with, though Stephanie noticed a warm red beaming on the pig's cheeks as she looked down at her left hand. "Feels like this day's just getting better and better for me..."
"Huh... uh... y-yeah, I bet it is..." Stephanie nodded, not entirely sure what the pig meant by that. It was only then when the wolf realised that Buster hadn't said anything since the song had ended, and the expression on his face made it hard to ascertain if he'd enjoyed it or not. "Well, uh... she's pretty amazing, huh, Moon...?"
"Rosita, Rosita, Rosita..." Buster murmured to himself, rolling the R's while he looked at the notes he'd written. "Hmm... great set of pipes, but boring to watch."
"Boring...?" Rosita and Stephanie spoke in-sync. After their brief moment of mutual shock had passed, the pig simply shrugged - for some reason seeming in too good a mood to be upset - and began walking to the edge of the stage, while the wolf immediately began to turn her more passionate ire on the koala sat beside her.
"Moon, that ain't fair, ya can't say stuff like -!"
"But there's no worry to worry about that!" Buster suddenly cut her off, having seemingly not even heard what Stephanie had just said, and he regained his usual enthusiasm as he looked back up at Rosita. "We just gotta figure out a way to spice things up a little!"
"Spice things up...?" Rosita gulped, rubbing her arm. "What, like... d-dancing, or something?"
"Oh yeah, sure, dancing! Yeah, we'll get you a couple instructors, choreographers, they'll turn you into a pro in no time!" Buster cupped his chin as he thought for a moment, then looked over to face his associate. "Say, Steph, you wouldn't know that famous guy from Redshore, would you...?"
"Huh...?" Stephanie shook her head to get herself back to reality, still having barely processed what Buster was suggesting. "Wait, what... wh-what famous guy?"
"Y'know, the choreographer. Um... oh, what's his name? Klaus something?"
"Kickenklober...?!" Stephanie let out a hoarse laugh when Buster nodded, then shook her head. "Even putting aside the fact that he's way outta your pay grade, Moon, the guy's a frickin' psycho. We're not puttin' Rosita through that."
"Oh..." Buster winced a little. "Yeah, I guess I better trust your judgment when it comes to psychos, huh?"
"Yeah, probably..." Stephanie leaned back in her seat, drumming her fingers on the armrest, before straightening up a little as she glanced down at her handbag on the floor. "Hmm... actually..."
"What...?" Buster tilted his head as Rosita sat on the edge of the stage, just as intrigued by the wolf's behaviour as Stephanie picked up her purse and searched through it.
"Ah-ha, here it is!" Stephanie finally fished out the bright, glitter and sharpie covered poster, unfolding it for Buster to see. "We could get this fella in! Y'know, let him teach Ro a couple moves, maybe pair 'em up on stage or something?"
"Pair up? What, you mean... like duets, and stuff?" Rosita didn't seem so certain when Stephanie nodded, but she tried her best to keep an open mind as she got down off the stage and approached them to get a better look at the flyer for herself. "Well, who is this guy?"
"It says here his name's Gunter. Ooh, he's from Schnitzeldorf too!" Buster passed the poster over to Rosita - letting her get a look at the slightly blurry photograph of the other pig in the middle of it - and looked to Stephanie. "Yeah, I think we could make that work."
"Oh yeah, totally!" Stephanie's enthusiasm faltered a little as she looked over to Rosita, noticing a more neutral but still rather disappointed expression on her face. "I mean... that's only if you're okay with it, Ro...?"
"Hmm? Oh no, I... no, I mean yes! Yeah, I uh... I'm great with that, actually." Rosita let out what sounded like a sigh of relief, regaining her cheeriness as she looked down at her hand. "Yeah, whatever stops me making a fool of myself on that stage, I'm game."
"Terrific!" Buster nodded, gesturing over to a seat next to Stephanie for Rosita to sit at while he turned to the next page in his clipboard. "Alright, Johnny, that's you up next!"
"Come here, love... have a look at yourself..."
Mary hesitated, then slowly approached, letting her father put his arm on her shoulder as he straightened her up and guided her over to the mirror, giving her a full view of her reflection.
"Now, do ya know who I see standing here in this mirror, Mary?"
"Dunno..." Mary exhaled, trying to sound casual. "But I'll suppose it's going to be something mean."
"Well, what I see is someone who's gonna take Calatonia by storm! Someone who's still gonna be loved, respected and remembered. Someone that folks'll be talking about years, decades, even centuries to come!" Graham sounded a lot more sincere than Mary had expected. He sounded encouraging, perhaps even proud. "But then of course, I see you stood here too."
Mary's smile dropped, but Graham's tone remained the same, despite his much more cutting words.
"A clumsy, chubby, four-eyed little nobody, who never does anything but leech off her generous, and far too patient old man..." He then ruffled the top of Mary's head, his forceful manner almost giving her whiplash. "Do ya really think somebody like that's cut out to be a superstar...?"
"Well, I... I..." Mary bit her bottom lip, then looked down again. "No... no, I suppose not."
"Course she's not..." Graham then patted her shoulder - rather more forceful than necessary, but seemingly affectionate enough - while cupping her chin with his other hand. "All this girl needs to do is keep her head down, do as she's told, and not go following stupid dreams."
"Mum...?"
Mary jolted up as Johnny's voice snapped her out of her reminiscing. She quickly wiped her face with her hand, not wanting her thirteen-year-old to see her tears as she turned to see him standing in the doorway.
"Oh... there you are, love..." She said, her voice still slightly strained from her crying, while she quickly held up her phone and pretended to look around the large, backstage room they were standing in. "I were just trying to see if I could get a good reception spot. The Wi-Fi thing's being a bit crap."
"Oh yeah, Mr. Moon said it's on the blink or something. I think that bloke's up there fixing it..." Johnny then pointed to the window right at the top corner of the wall, allowing Mary to spot the armadillo technician that was rewiring the satellite. "Anyway, I um... Rosita's all done, so I'm gonna be on stage next, Mum..."
"Oh, are you...? Great!" Mary did have some genuine enthusiasm in her voice, though there was still a sadder sentiment to it as she knelt to the boy's level and gently straightened the leather jacket he had on. "Hmm... look at you now, eh...? My handsome little man, getting up to sing for the whole world."
"Well, not really... it's just Stephanie and Mr. Moon. Oh yeah, and that Joanne lady..." Johnny gulped. "And Ash..."
"Oh yeah, don't you worry about her, Johnny..." Mary lowered her glasses slightly, giving her son a playful wink as his cheeks went red. "If you have even half the rugged charm your Dad has, that girl'll be swooning over you in no time."
"Oh God, Mum, don't say that in front of her!" Johnny whined, though he was still laughing when Mary took his hand and stood him in front of a tall mirror propped up in the corner. "Ugh, seriously? Mum, I look fine, I've gotta be on any minute."
"I know, love, I know..." Mary seemed oddly focused while she straightened the younger gorilla's shift and tried to tidy up the unkempt fur on his head. "You can't just look fine, darling, you need to look your best!"
"It's only an audition..." Johnny rolled his eyes, then finally pried himself from his mother's grip. "Alright, alright, I'll do it myself!"
Mary shook her head playfully, feeling a small smile tug at her lips as she watched her boy trying to make himself look more presentable, before glancing upwards to see the mirror in front of them. Even if she hadn't been thinking of her father's words in that prior moment, the sight of herself now standing in his shoes did hit somewhat close to home, but something inside her was telling her to finally right this wrong.
"Mum...?" Johnny was slightly surprised when Mary gently held the back of his head, tilting it upwards so that he was now looking directly at his reflection. "Something wrong...?"
"Hmm..." Mary sniffled a bit. "Do you know who I see standing here in this mirror, Johnny?"
"Uh..." Johnny thought some more, then shrugged. "Just you and me, innit?"
"I see a boy..." Mary said, her eyes already beginning to mist up from the speech she had planned. "He's an ambitious little lad, loads of big dreams. Of course, he did take a lot of them from his Mum."
Johnny giggled as Mary ruffled the top of his head, though he remained silently focused on the mirror while his mother continued.
"It's not always been easy. His Mum went through a right lot when she were his age. And it stuck with her. It still does, actually..." Mary wiped her face with her hand again, gently holding her son's shoulder with the other. "And a couple years back, his Mum, she... she nearly did something really bloody stupid."
She glanced down at Johnny as the younger gorilla lowered his head. While she and Marcus had never told their son outright what she'd tried to do on the bridge that day, Mary knew all too well how observant her boy could be, and a part of her couldn't help feeling that he'd already long figured it out by now.
"But I... um... b-but she didn't suffer for nothing..." She then cupped Johnny's chin, lifting it up so he could see his reflection again. "She might not have got to live her dream, but... but now she's here to see her boy live his."
Johnny nodded slowly, trying his best not to cry, though Mary had already completely given up on holding back tears when she knelt down again and pulled her son into a crushing but loving embrace. "And if that lad plays his cards right, he'll be taking Calatonia by bloody storm, he will!"
It's a little bit funny
This feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can
Easily hide
Don't have much money, but
Boy, if I did
I'd buy a big house where
We both could live
Everyone was near completely silent - including even Porsha and Meena, who were sat with Ash a few rows from the front - as Johnny sang into the centre-stage microphone. Though he was still rather nervous, his voice sounded almost heavenly as it gracefully echoed off all the walls, in perfect harmony with the gentle tune that his mother was playing on the piano behind him.
If I was a sculptor
But then again, no
Or a man who makes potions
In a traveling show
I know it's not much
But it's the best I can do
My gift is my song, and
This one's for you
Stephanie felt Rosita's hand clasping over her own as they both focused on Mary. The gorilla had her eyes closed and silently mouthed the words, clearly feeling right in her element while she played, though there were more than a few moments when it seemed she had to stop herself from actually singing out loud.
And you can tell everybody
This is your song
It may be quite simple, but
Now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
While you're in the world
When Johnny stopped singing, Mary still had a few more instrumental bars to conclude the song with, though the sounds of her music still faintly echoed around the big, silent auditorium for a good few seconds even after she stopped.
"Well, um..." Johnny cleared his throat and stuck his hands in his pockets, trying his best to make contact with anyone other than Ash while they all eyed him. "Was that any good, Mr. Moon...?"
"Good...?!" Buster shot up in his seat, making the two gorillas on stage jolt up a little. "That was better than good, kiddo, you guys were fantastic!"
"Guys...?" Mary's eyes widened a little, as she quickly stood up from the piano. "N-no, Mr. Moon, it's only Johnny auditioning. I were just here to -"
"Oh-ho, don't you even think of selling yourself short, Ma'am!" Buster cut her off. "Big, soulful girl like you, tenderly playing the keys! I still got goosebumps from it now!"
"Always knew she had in her..." Ms. Crawly nodded, before turning attention to the still blushing younger gorilla. "And as for you, well... seems you really do take after your Momma now, don't you, young man...?"
"Hmm... in all the best ways..." Stephanie added, sending a quick wink Mary's way, before looking over to the still standing koala. "So, I take it that means they're in, Mr. Moon...?"
It was around an hour or so later when the satellite was finally fixed. The adults were too busy talking among themselves to notice this, though the younger animals were incredibly grateful to have the internet and Buster's old television working again.
"Ugh, it's about time! I've not checked my Quacker for like two hours!" Ash straightened her glasses as she sat beside Johnny at the lunch table and opened her phone, once again bearing a full signal while her notifications came pouring in. "Damn, there's like a million of these over from Redshore, all about... oh my God..."
Buster was at the doorway of the auditorium, paying the armadillo for his services, so Ms. Crawly took the responsibility of flicking through the channels on the television set, trying her best to find something the two eight-year-olds sat in front of it would enjoy.
"Gotta hand it to ya, Ro, it looks like you were right..." Stephanie grunted slightly as she finally popped the cork off the champagne she'd just taken from Buster's office, clumsily pouring out two glasses for the theatre troupe's two newest additions. "This day really is just gettin' better and better, huh...?"
"Yeah, and I'm really glad about it too..." Rosita gently clasped her glass with both hands. "Honestly, I didn't tell Norman, but I was definitely expecting it all to go downhill for me after this morning. But y'know, even if all this had been a total -"
"Morning...? But you didn't get here until... hang on a minute..." Mary raised an eyebrow as she and Stephanie both suspiciously eyes the pig, who now had a red beam on her cheeks and a cheeky little smile on her face. "Did something happen to you this morning, Rosita...?"
"Well..." Rosita lounged back and propped her kneecap up with both hands, allowing her friends to finally notice the small, emerald ring on her left hand as their eyes bulged wide. "You could say the theatre wasn't the only thing I signed up for today..."
"Wait, is that... did Norman... oh my...and... y-ya said yes, right...?!" Stephanie barely waited for Rosita to nod before she let out an excited shriek, immediately latching onto the pig's arms and dragging her into a tight hug. "Aw, Ro, congratulations!"
"Quite the bloody courtship, too!" Mary laughed, gently patting Rosita on the back. "How long have you been a thing again...?"
"Two years, secen months, and uh... ah-bup-bup-bup-bup... oh, six days!" Rosita was still slightly strained before she pulled herself free from Stephanie's embrace. "But yeah, y'know... we were just having breakfast, I was about to set off. Then Norman, he just... he just got down on one knee, proposed there and then in the middle of the kitchen! I mean, I know it's not exactly Paris, Steph, but -"
"Oh no, don't you start selling Norman short, Ro!" Stephanie laughed, though she was mostly trying to avoid thinking about anything regarding when and where her own ex had popped the question to her. "Ya still got way better taste in men than I've ever had, buddy!"
BZZZZZ... BZZZZZ...
Stephanie tensed up a little when she felt the vibration in her pocket again, quickly fishing out her phone and seeing the familiar name that had been calling that morning.
"Oh, uh... just gimme a second, girls, I gotta take this..." Stephanie left Rosita and Mary to continue gushing about the big engagement news, barely even noticing Ash take the remote from Ms. Crawly as she finally answered the phone. "Well hello, stranger!"
"Stephanie? Is that you? Oh finally, I've been calling all day!" Florence sounded slightly breathless on the other end, and it was clear she had been - and most likely still was - crying her eyes out for hours. "Oh darling, I'm so sorry, I... I really can't imagine what it must be -!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, Florence, slow down a sec!" Stephanie cut off her old friend's tearful tangent as she propped herself up against the pillar behind her. "Sorry for what, I... I um... w-what are ya talkin' about here...?"
"What am I taking about?" Florence sounded taken aback, almost offended. "Haven't you seen the feeds? It's been going viral for about six hours now!"
"Ah... right..." Stephanie winced a little. "Well the thing is, Florence, we've been kinda cut off most of the day over here, so I ain't exactly sure what's been goin' on in the -"
"Hey, Mommy, look!" Porsha suddenly blurred, getting everyone's attention as she went right up to the television screen. "It's Daddy's big building!"
"Huh...?" Stephanie lowered the phone, still keeping Florence on the line, as she looked up in the direction her daughter's voice was coming from, and she finally saw the broadcast on the screen for herself.
As Porsha had observed, it was indeed the massive monument of the Crystal Tower being focused on, and the camera slowly panned down to show a squadron of fully armoured police officers escorting a figure across the parking lot.
"Wait wait wait wait wait, he's innocent!" The all too familiar high pitched voice of Jerry was audible above the reporters' narration, as the tiny cat tried his best to follow the entourage and their prisoner. "Mr. Crystal, please, I love you!"
And there he was. Stephanie almost felt the need to pinch herself, but judging by the reaction of everyone else in the room, they were all seeing exactly what she was. James Robert Crystal, Mr. Redshore Crystal, was hunched over, handcuffed, and being dragged to a police car, trying in vain to pry himself free every step of the way.
"Ya can't do this to me! D'ya even know who I am...?!" Jimmy's eyes were bloodshot and he was bearing his teeth as he thrashed and fought - though the rhinoceros officer restraining him made his physical struggles all for naught - and he finally resorted to ranting right into the news camera. "All this crap, it's just lies, fake news and nothin' else! None of ya got nothin' on me! I'm the victim of a witch hunt, ya hear me...? A WITCH HUNT!"
"They got him...?" Stephanie's voice was barely above a whisper as everyone looked over at her, before she suddenly shot up and let out a loud, overjoyed howl. "THEY ACTUALLY GOT HIM!"
This prompted a resounding and very enthusiastic cheer from everyone present - with the sole exception of Ash, who's eyes were still glued to the screen - and Stephanie spent at least two minutes going around giving hugs and kisses to all of them before she finally returned to her call.
"I take it you've seen it news, then?"
"Y-yeah, we've just seen it now! It's frickin' incredible!" Stephanie's voice was strained by all her whooping, laughing and cheering, though there was a sincere tone of relief to it as she wiped her joyful tears away with the back of her wrist. "I just... I just can't believe it's really happening. I mean, are ya seein' this? They're puttin' him away, Florence!"
"Oh, it really is wonderful, darling!" Florence sniffled a bit, before her happier and congratulatory tone slowly gave way to a more melancholy one. "Terrible thing he did to that poor girl, though..."
"Yeah, well... the good news is he's gonna answer for it now, that and all the other... wait..." Stephanie pursed her lips and froze up for a moment, then curiously tilted her head when she looked over to the television again. "What... w-what poor girl...?"
It was right at that moment when a familar photograph flashed up on the screen, right above the main headline explaining what had happened. Even after dropping her phone on the floor, for the better part of five seconds afterwards - which certainly felt a whole lot longer - Stephanie was completely frozen on the spot, her breath still in her throat while her heart had all but completely stopped in her chest.
"If you're just joining us now, I'll reiterate tonight's top story... prolific entertainment mogul Jimmy Crystal has been officially placed under arrest by Redshore City police, charged with the murder of one Suki Lane."
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Firework" - Katy Perry
"Your Song" - Elton John
Chapter 21: The One Way Ticket
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"And the hits just keep on coming! Hits for the stock market, that is!" The buffalo on the television bellowed loudly as a picture of Jimmy - with red cheeks and big, teary eyes lazily photoshopped onto it - appeared on the screen behind him. "Yes, Crystal Entertainment's numbers just suffered yet another massive plummet, following a thirteenth accusation of workplace misconduct against Jimmy Crystal!"
Suki pinched the bridge of her nose, turning down the volume as the presenter explained more of the details, most of which she'd already been hearing non-stop at the crisis meetings all day. Although the current accusations were rightfully devastating for the public to hear, Suki knew these were only minor offences compared to the countless other crimes and shady practices that the Crystal Empire had been built on.
Predictably, Jimmy and his latest accuser - one Clementina Buckley - were trending in all corners of the Quacker app on her phone, with various comments, jokes and complaints being levelled at this and all the other controversies that the company had endured for the last several months. Jimmy's legal team - which Charlie had been excluded from, after the custody hearing - had issued a statement claiming a so-called "addiction", and unsurprisingly this had been met with the most scorn and mockery from the public.
DrEctor: Gorgeous young women that are easily taken advantage of is a weird thing to be addicted to, NGL.
Wrangled4Ever: TBH, 13 sounds way too low. Wouldn't shock me at all if it gets to hundreds.
WokeAndProudOfIt: There's an armed conflict going on in Schnitzeldorf, climate change and a worldwide banking crisis, yet we're supposed to be getting upset for some rich white wolf sleeping around. What is the world coming to...?!
UncleSamTheEagle: Ironically, his actual wife was the prettiest one.
Suki was taken slightly aback by this last post, especially when she saw that it had a familiar photo attached. It was Stephanie, somewhere in her mid-twenties, pre-pregnancy, stood in the centre of the red carpet at one of Jimmy's premieres, rocking a very flattering red dress while she waved and posed for her adoring public.
This led to a fairly long thread of other old photographs from various events that the couple had attended together, both before and in the early days of their marriage. But while the young wolf looked absolutely stunning in all of them, the chronological order of the pictures was mainly indicated by the more fatigued, lifeless expression that progressively formed on Stephanie's face as the reality of her situation slowly set in on her.
TheLoraxWasRight: Like seriously, if I had a girl like this, I'd be treating her like a goddamn queen!
NotWildKnuckles: Someone who has such little respect for women has no right raising a daughter. Or a son either, for that matter.
FeministFreeSpeech: Funny how you all thought SF was the bad guy going into that trial. She had the right idea taking the kid and ditching his ass!
TheCalatoniaChronicle: In all seriousness, his wife's actually doing a lot of really great things here in Calatonia. She's been helping run our local theatre, and now it's selling out all the time - Crystal should've had her running things for him too!
The photograph that was attached to this post - showing Stephanie and Porsha sitting on the edge of a wooden stage, next to a short but surprisingly handsome koala - took Suki even more off guard, as she finally got a good look at how her old friend and her daughter had changed in the last three years.
"Oh my gosh..."
While it had lingered in the back of her mind when seeing Stephanie at the custody hearing - though her more formal, modest outfits at the time made it difficult to know for certain - it was only seeing this picture that made Suki realise the wolf was at least twice the weight that she'd been during her later years in Redshore. She wasn't fat by any means - in fact, it was clearly much healthier than her dangerously thin figure from before - and her added curves and fuller face only seemed to further emphasise her natural beauty and the much happier expression she now wore.
Due to Porsha not being present during her custody trial, Suki found her appearance to be an even more drastic change. The cute, slightly chubby four-and-a-half-year-old Suki remembered seemed to have shot up in height - already being just a little taller than the koala sat beside her - and while she certainly still had a long way to go before being her complete spitting image, she was thankfully taking far more after her mother.
Suki couldn't help feeling her eyes misting up a little while they lingered on the various images, and she removed her glasses to wipe her face as a pang of sadness gradually washed over her. While she was mostly happy that Stephanie and Porsha had managed to get away - and that she'd played what little role she could in ensuring they'd do so - Suki knew things just weren't the same at either the Crystal Mansion or Redshore City as a whole without them around.
And as she set her phone aside and lounged back to gaze up at the ceiling, Suki felt her mind drifting back to the fateful Valentine's Day night that had set all these events into the motion.
"Come with us. Me and Porsha." Stephanie said, quickly sitting up on the couch and pulling Suki back up with her. "We can get outta here... leave Redshore behind, start someplace new. All three of us."
"Oh boy..." Suki exhaled as she pinched the bridge of her nose, while the wolf left a trail of kisses across her muzzle and cheek. "Stephanie, no."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!" Stephanie nearly laughed, gently grabbing Suki's chin and turning the saluki's head to face hers. "Come on, you're as miserable here as me and her are! We don't need Jimmy!"
"Stephanie, just... j-just slow down, okay, think about what you're -"
"I have thought about it!" Stephanie interrupted, with her firm tone making it clear that Suki wasn't going to convince her otherwise. "Alright, I... I already talked to Porsha about it in there, she... well, she probably had no idea what I was talkin' about, but point is, she's game! Alright... a-and sure, we gotta hammer out all the plan and stuff, but we can do it! We can get away from all this, we can be free! Look, I know it sounds crazy, Suki, but -"
"Crazy?!" Suki almost laughed. "Stephanie, crazy doesn't have enough syllables to describe what you're talking about here! You can't expect to just up and leave, and think that Jimmy's not gonna do something about it! If I've learned anything from Jimmy Crystal, he's one wolf you do not wanna be on the wrong side of..."
Stephanie took another moment to process Suki's words, her ears and smile drooping down while she quietly slumped back in disappointment. "Quite the motivational speaker, aren't ya...?"
Suki sighed, putting her glasses back on. "Look, I know you're not happy here, Stephanie, but trying to run off into the sunset isn't going to change anything."
"How will I know if I don't try it...?" Stephanie shrugged. "I mean, worst case scenario, Jimmy just drags me and Porsha back here, right? What do I have to lose...?"
Suki bit her bottom lip, knowing full well that Jimmy and his thugs would definitely not be so gentle in such circumstances, but rather than upset her friend further, she simply sat up straight and took on a more firm tone. "Well... I just want you know that if you leave -"
"When we leave." Stephanie cut in, raising an eyebrow as she pulled a more confident smirk, a all-too-familiar expression that Suki felt she hadn't seen in a good long while. "I've made up my mind, Suki."
Having nothing to argue against her with, not that she wanted to, Suki kept a gentle grip on her friend's hand while affectionately stroking the wolf's face with the other. "Well, whatever you choose to do, I... I'm really gonna miss you, Stephanie."
"Hmm... you too, Suki." Stephanie gently nestled closer to Suki, resting her head on the saluki's shoulder as she closed her eyes. "You too..."
The gentle buzz of a notification on her phone suddenly snapped Suki out of her reminiscing, and she glanced down to see what the title of the message said:
PURCHASE COMPLETE - YOU'RE ALL SET TO GO!
Everything else for the last few minutes had been a bit of a blur while she was thinking about what Stephanie had said, but it now appeared at least one part of her mind had been conscious enough to open the Redshore City Bus app and purchase a single, one-way ticket. And Suki couldn't help feeling a smile form on her face as she clicked on the message to see the details of her upcoming escapade.
Bus Number: 12-16
Departure Time: 11:50am
Destination: Calatonia
"Hmm... perfect."
Her tiredness from the long day was suddenly replaced with an injection of excitement as the saluki rushed around her apartment, grabbing all the valuables she could take and packing them all into two large suitcases. Suki decided to leave most of her outfits in the closet, only packing a few different shirts, pants and shoes to maintain herself for a few days or weeks. It was perhaps a little early to think so far ahead, but if this really was to be a permanent move, she figured it was better to buy new clothes once she'd sorted out living arrangements.
At least a hundred thoughts were racing through her head - some more minor, such as Porsha potentially not remembering her, or how Charlie was going to feel about her decision - but the most prominent was the question of how her employer was going to react to her leaving. And with the bus scheduled to depart just before midday, Suki wasn't even sure if she should even go into work that morning.
Could she just get on the bus and disappear without a trace, just as Stephanie and Porsha? Or would it be better to go see Jimmy to offer her resignation in person? Would he just dismiss her and continue on as if she never existed, or would he try to track her down? And, if he did, how long would it take for him to figure out where she'd gone...?!
The more Suki pondered this, it was really starting to feel like a no-win scenario any way she looked at it. While Stephanie seemed to have managed well enough, and at least had some protection from her victory in court, Suki still felt a nagging feeling that, as long as Jimmy was still around, they would never truly be safe from him.
"Well, if you ask me, I don't think Jimmy Crystal's gonna be able to take much more than this!" The voice of a guest presenter on the TV suddenly grabbed Suki's attention, prompting her to look over to the screen at the panel that were now discussing the various Crystal controversies. "Honestly, all this just feels like it's just scratching the surface. He gets one more whistleblower, somebody who brings all this together... pfft... finished."
"Whistleblower...?"
The makings of an idea began to form in her head - along with several arguments both in favour of and against it - as Suki frantically dug through her just-packed suitcase to get her laptop, quickly setting it up on the coffee table and opening the screencast app. After quickly brushing down her fur and straightening her shirt and glasses to look as presentable as possible, she leaned forward and adjusted the camera to put herself in the centre frame.
"Okay... okay..."
Her finger still hovered over the Enter button for at least another thirty seconds, still not sure whether or not she should actually do this. But she finally did, and the red light flashed at the top of the screen while a ten-second countdown began at the centre of the frame. Taking another deep breath, Suki sat up straight and waited for the recording to begin.
"No turning back now..."
Hello, hello
I'm at a place called Vertigo
It's everything I wish I didn't know
Except you give me something
I can feel
"GAH! I'm up, I'm up!" Suki jolted awake, nearly tumbling off the couch that she'd fallen asleep on. Even after putting her glasses back on, her eyes still took the better part of a minute to adjust to the bright, mid-morning sun that was shining in through her window. The Clay Calloway song on her ringtone was still blasting out full volume as her phone vibrated on the table, and she rolled her eyes when she looked down to see the name on the Caller ID. "Ugh... Jerry..."
She hesitated for another moment or two, mostly so she could peel off the sweat stained clothes that were still stuck to her body, then finally picked up the phone and answered, letting the cat's high-pitched, more anxious than usual voice pierce her ears. "Finally! I thought you'd never pick up!"
"Yeah, well, I did, Jerry..." She snarked back. "What do you want...?"
"Mr. Crystal wants to see you."
"Oh... h-he does...?" Suki froze up, pursing her lips as she tried to think. Logically, there was surely no way that Jimmy had already caught on to what she was planning to do - after all, it's not like he could read minds - but she knew she couldn't completely rule it out, so she tried her best to sound calm and collected. "Well, I uh... I could drop by this afternoon if that -"
"He means now." Jerry cut her off, sounding unusually blunt. "Right now. Immediately."
"Right... yeah..." Suki pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a sigh. "I'll be there in half an hour."
Once her moped was parked outside the Crystal Tower, Suki had no time for hellos or any other kind of greeting with her fellow employees as she made her way straight to the private elevator. Her mind continued to spin with thoughts, fears and questions as she ascended, and the vibrant, dazzling Skyline of Redshore City wasn't doing much to put her at ease.
As she still wasn't entirely certain why Jimmy had asked to see her in the first place - ideally, he'd tell her he needed to make cuts and had already decided to fire her, though she didn't expect this to be the case - Suki still wasn't sure whether to inform him of her intentions to quit her job and leave the city. But she definitely wasn't going to tell him where or who she was planning to go to, or the post that was currently saved in the Drafts section on her Quacker app.
The saluki was about halfway up the side of the building when she checked the clock on phone, seeing the number 10:27am flash up on the screen before she put it away. Counting down, Suki had less than ninety minutes to return home, retrieve her cases and get to the bus station, though she did keep her money and passport in her handbag, just in case she had to skip the second step of her escape plan.
She was briefly snapped out of these thoughts when the high-pitched DING! of the top floor sent a slight chill through her bones, before the doors slid open and she strutted down the hallway. Although she was putting on a smart, confident front, the saluki couldn't help feeling a tight knot forming in her stomach as she approached the big, golden doors of Jimmy's office, but after taking a final deep breath, she finally pushed it open and stepped inside.
"You, um... you wanted to see me, Mr. Crystal...?"
"Yes I did, yes I did! Come on in!" Jimmy was stood at the balcony window - which took up the entire back wall of the room - and casually stirred a cup of tea in his hand while he faced away from his visitor.
"Okay... well, um..." Suki hesitated for a moment, before settling down on the chair right in front of the desk, sitting straight with her legs crossed in a calm, professional manner. "How can I be of service, sir...?"
"Eh... I guess I just wanted somebody to talk to..." Jimmy placed his cup on the desk as he sat in his big, golden throne and leaned slightly forwards. "About Stephanie..."
"Stephanie...?" Suki bit down on her bottom lip, trying her best to figure out how exactly this conversation was going to go. "Are you um... are you wanting to take further legal action...?"
"Oh no... no no no, nothing like that..." Jimmy let out a casual, almost playful, chuckle. "I'd say she's embarrassed me enough on that front, wouldn't you...?"
"I suppose. Hmm... know when to hold them, know when to fold them, right...?" Suki chortled, but she quickly straightened up when Jimmy didn't laugh in response. "Um... Mr. Crystal. I know this has been a lot of you. Y'know, the custody battle, the allegations -"
"The stock market too."
"Oh. Y-yeah, that... um..." Suki cleared her throat again, trying her best to keep her poker face. "It's been tough for everybody, sir, but... but we've been doing anything and everything we can to resolve it."
Jimmy looked at her again, a rather neutral, cryptic expression etched onto his face. "Anything and everything, huh...?"
"Of course, sir..."
"Well, then let me ask you something..." Jimmy leaned back in his seat, keeping his friendly tone and smile. "What'd I do to make you disrespect me, huh?"
Suki's felt her heart skip a beat, and her smile immediately dropped. "What...?"
"Oh what, you think I'm an idiot...?" Jimmy remained casual, which only made his words even more unsettling. "Y-ya think I'm some kinda bozo...?"
"No... no sir, not at all..." Suki tugged at the collar of her shirt, which almost felt like it was choking her as the knot in her stomach slowly tightened again. "I... I d-don't know what you're -"
"That tape... the one the little piggy used in court..." Jimmy leaned forward slightly, holding up one of his hands so he could study his own claws. "The night she left, I told Jerry to have it erased... and then he told you to do it..."
"He... h-he did...?" Suki pretended to think, then feigned surprise. "Oh yes, of course he did! Ugh... I'm sorry, it um... it must have slipped my mind, sir... b -because y'know, that night, it um... it was quite a stressful experience for everyone, Mr. Crystal..."
"Yeah, I'll bet it was..." Jimmy let out a sigh, then stood up, still keeping his hands planted on the desk as he towered over the saluki sat in front of him. "But y'know, funnily enough... turns out one of our security tapes actually was tampered with that night..."
"Oh... really...?"
"Yeah... in Porsha's room. Pretty peculiar, ain't it...?" Jimmy let out a low growl, a rageful reddish tint slowly beginning to form on his cheeks. "Footage cuts around 2am... doesn't come back on til 4... woulda been right around the time Steph came back for her..."
"Hmm... well, that um... th-that is peculiar, Mr. Crystal..." Suki's eyes slowly bulged to their widest point as she gripped the arms of her chair tight, while Jimmy slowly moved forwards until his face was mere inches away from hers. "Sir, I... th-there's something we need to -"
"YOU HELPED HER ESCAPE!"
Jimmy suddenly lunged forward and slammed his fists hard on the desk, almost breaking it in half. Suki was sent flying back by the force of his outburst as she tumbled back in her seat and fell to the floor, along with the various desk toys and fine glass decanter that fell down and shattered around her.
"Ugh..." The saluki groaned as she rolled off her toppled chair and crawled onto her front, her vision still slightly blurry after her fall. Suki had to squint to see her phone lying a few feet away and grabbed it, only just managing to press the Quacker icon before Jimmy pulled her up onto her knees.
"Treacherous little tramp!" He snarled right in Suki's face as she began to hyperventilate. "You've been workin' for her all along, haven't ya...?!"
"N-no... sir, please, I never..." Suki felt her eyes misting up as she tried to stammer out an alibi, which only hurt more when Jimmy tightened his grip. "I... I just..."
But then, it happened. For just one small, fleeting moment, Suki stopped struggling, and her felt her breath gradually returned to normal. The saluki let out a small exhale, a calm confidence washing over the utter terror she felt in Jimmy's grasp, as she finally looked her rather dumbfounded employer right in the eye.
"It's true..." She said, keeping her defiant expression while she steadily rose to her feet. "I did help her. I had to."
Suki wasn't entirely sure how she had expected Jimmy to react - most likely, it probably would have involved a lot of shouting and breaking things - but it was still surprising to see what he actually did.
The reddish tint on Jimmy's cheeks had faded to a more relaxed pink, while he still held that perplexed look on his face as he slowly loosened his grip and let Suki go. The white wolf wasn't even looking at her anymore as he took a few deep breaths and stepped back, standing up straight while he gripped the corner of his broken desk.
For the next five seconds or so, which certainly felt a lot longer, Suki entertained the thought of bolting out the door, running to the elevator and getting out. She had a few ideas for what could potentially happen after - perhaps he'd just stand there and let her go, or he'd call his thugs, or maybe even give chase himself - and yet, she didn't run. She just stood there still, they both did.
Somehow, the sight of Jimmy Crystal looking perfectly calm and staring at the left wall, seemingly focused on his Bonaparte-esque portrait that took up the entirety of it, was even more unsettling than when he was trashing his office during one of his enraged tantrums. But as much as Suki wanted to leave, something inside was telling her not to. It was a feeling that, one way or another, this was the very last time she and her tormentor would ever be in the same room, let alone speak, and there were things that she couldn't and shouldn't leave unsaid.
"I couldn't let you take Porsha from her..." She finally broke the silence, noticing Jimmy's scowl expose his teeth while he clenched his fists. "You already took so much from her, and I couldn't let you keep them ap-"
THWACK! Suki was sent spiralling down when Jimmy's fist connected hard with her left cheek, planting face-first on the floor with a blunt THUD!
The saluki winced in pain as she got up on her hands and knees, cringing at the taste of her blood while it dripped off the corner of her mouth onto the floor below her. The small lump floating in the sticky red puddle took Suki off guard for a moment, until she put her tongue to her gums and felt the fairly large gap where a tooth used to be.
"Who in the hell do ya think y'are...?!" Jimmy roared, his familiar fury coming back in full force. "Huh...?!"
Suki barely had time to process this before Jimmy swung his foot into her stomach, wheezing out loudly as she flopped down on the floor again.
"You were always soft for her..." He continued. "You're the one who brought that little gold digger into here in the first place!"
"I... I... ugh..." Suki clutched her stomach as she propped herself back up against one of the pillars, pulling a smug grin as she looked at her cracked phone screen. "I'm not the one who married her..."
"RRRAAAGGGGGHHH!" Jimmy stomped Suki's face hard with his foot, the back of her head denting the pillar behind her, before throwing her like a ragdoll to the other side of the room. "It was all a sham! A con! You were tryin' to bring me down the whole damn time!"
"Oh yeah... t-typical Jimmy Crystal..." Suki snarled hoarsely, discarding her cracked glasses while she spat out another bloody tooth. "Always thinking the world's out to get you!"
"WHAT...?!"
"This wasn't a crazy conspiracy, or some... s-some convoluted revenge scheme. This was reuniting a wonderful woman with the girl you tried to take from her!" Suki wiped her bloody, battered face, taking a deep breath before forced herself to her feet. "And I... I helped them because it was the right thing to do, sir."
"The right thing to do..." Jimmy gripped Suki's collar, then roared in her face. "...IS WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO!"
"Gah!" Suki grunted as he yanked her forward, dragging her along the floor as he opened the window behind him and approached the balcony. "No... NO!"
"I really didn't want to have to do this to ya, Suki. But you didn't give me any - ARGH!" Jimmy yanked his hand up after the saluki sank her teeth into it. But before Suki could crawl away, he gripped the fur on top of her head, then threw her hard against the metal rail of the balcony with a echoing CLANG!
Suki clutched her forehead as the vibrations rang in her ears, while more blood streamed down from her nose and mouth onto her green shirt. Jimmy's heavy breathing was the first thing she heard as she regathered her bearings, right before the white wolf latched his hand around her neck and hoisted her off the floor.
"That low little loser thought she was gonna humiliate me, huh...?" He growled, bearing his teeth as his blue eyes turned bloodshot. "No one makes me look like a fool! NO ONE!"
"She... she's not a loser..." Suki choked weakly, barely able to keep her tearful, swollen eyes open, though she couldn't help pulling a big, toothy smile as the wolf glared at her. "They got away from you. They're safe, they're happy, they're... t-they're together. And there is nothing you can do or say to change that now, Jimmy..."
"Nothin' I can do...?" Jimmy snarled with an ominous chuckle as he held her face closer to his own, before holding out his arm to dangle the already near-lifeless saluki over the balcony. "I'm Jimmy frickin' Crystal, and I can do whatever I WANT!"
"Oh no... no no no no no!" Jerry was short of breath when he barged into the completely trashed office, barely noticing the broken glass, scattered debris and overturned furniture as he ran to the balcony where his employer was stood overlooking the skyline. "Mr Crystal! We got a problem, it... i-it's Suki, sir!"
"Hmm..." Jimmy grunted back, still peering down as the sounds of car horns, police sirens and panicked screams echoed from far below. But the wolf didn't seem concerned as he turned back to face the terrified little cat - in fact, he almost looked relieved, even satisfied - before straightening down his suit and adjusting his cuff links. "Jerry, tell 'em we're movin' the auditions up to noon. Oh yeah... and get somebody to clean up all this while we're gone."
"Huh? Oh, uh... y-y-yes, sir, I'll get right on that. But... b-but no, wait!" Jerry frantically wiped the sweat off his brow as he looked down to his tablet, trying to keep up with Jimmy as he walked to the door. "S-sir, you need to see this... it was Suki, she -"
"Suki's been taken care of, Jerry!" Jimmy snapped, making the cat tense up as he glanced back over to the balcony, quickly putting two and two together. "Now, are ya gonna get those auditions ready, or do I gotta do everything by -?"
"She posted something!" Jerry finally blurted out, wincing as Jimmy froze up on the spot and turned around to glare at him again. "About five minutes ago, she, um... sh-she posted a video. On Quacker, sir."
"What...?!" Jimmy swiped the tablet from Jerry's hand and looked at the screen, his bloodshot eyes bulging wide when he saw Suki's Quacker profile, and the single, solitary post that had been uploaded onto it seven minutes earlier. "No... NO!"
"My name... is Suki Lane. For thirteen years, I've worked as a talent scout for Crystal Entertainment, and a personal assistant for Jimmy Crystal and Stephanie Frangipane... and... and, um..."
Suki's voice was still rather shaky on the recording, but after some hesitation, she sat up straight and cleared her throat, taking on a more confident expression as she looked right into the camera to begin her monologue.
"And this is my story..."
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Vertigo" - U2
Chapter 22: The Mourning After
Chapter Text
"Okay... alright, that's enough..." Stephanie let out a hoarse sigh as she lounged back on the seat and crossed her arms, prompting Charlie to pause the projection.
They were only about nine minutes in to Suki's twenty minute video, the majority of which had been dedicated to explaining Jimmy's various money laundering schemes and the truth behind Crystal Entertainment's notoriously high "suicide" rate. Seeing the face and hearing the voice of her recently departed friend was hard enough to bear as it was, and it was surely even more so for the saluki sat opposite her, but Stephanie knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself back from a complete breakdown once the video moved on to discussing her and Jimmy's marriage.
"So, she um..." Stephanie cleared her throat, wiping her eye with the back of her hand as Charlie turned to her. "Sh-she filmed this before, right...?"
"Oh, um... y-yeah, I think so." Charlie sniffled a bit as he looked down at the phone in his hands, trying to hold himself together at the sight of his sister's face on the screen. "The um... the upload time was just after 10:30, so... she'd have been in the room with him when she posted it."
"Oh God..." Stephanie whimpered, hunching forward as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "She knew she wasn't gettin' outta there..."
"Hmm... a dying declaration..." Charlie lowered his head, though Stephanie couldn't help sensing a hint of what sounded like pride in his voice. "Good news is, they followed up on all the leads Suki mentioned here. The laundering, the evasion, the blackmail, all that, and... and it checks out. Jack from the firm says Jimmy's got at least thirty-seven indictments against him. Suki's murder is right at the top of the list."
"Really...?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow when Charlie nodded, but she wasn't quite certain enough to be put at ease yet. "Well, um... y-yeah, that's good. Really good. So, you uh... y-you're gonna put him away, right?"
"Well... n-not me, specifically, Steph..." Charlie hesitated, gripping his eagle-headed cane as the wolf stared. "Ellie and I still have the funeral to take care of, and... and I can't put my family through any more of this. Not now."
"Right... right, yeah... hmm... y'know, to be honest, Charlie, I forgot ya even had a family..." Stephanie let out a subdued laugh as she lounged back in her seat. "Suki used to talk about you guys all the time. You, and Ellie, and uh... and your kid, um...?"
"Cherry."
"Yeah, Cherry, that's it!" Stephanie sighed. "But yeah, I uh... I get it, ya don't wanna take the case. Losin' Suki is enough as it is."
Charlie nodded, drumming his fingers on the table while he bit his bottom lip. "So, um... how did Porsha take it?"
"Porsha...? Oh, uh..." Stephanie clicked her tongue and itched under her chin. "It's kinda hard to tell. I mean, yeah, she saw the news and stuff, but... honestly, I dunno if Porsha even remembers her anymore."
"Oh..." Charlie seemed rather saddened - perhaps even disappointedg - by this suggestion, but he kept a smile on his face. "Well, it'd be a shame if she did forget. Hmm... I'm sure Suki was really looking forward to seeing her again."
"Oh yeah, I'll bet... wait..." Stephanie froze up. "Whaddaya mean again...?"
Charlie sighed, opening the photo app on his phone as he passed it over for Stephanie to look through the most recent pictures that he'd been sent. The compact but still fairly nice apartment shown in the photographs wasn't one Stephanie had seen before, though it didn't take too long for her to realise who the resident of this place had been.
"The police searched her home for the initial investigation. Y'know, standard procedure. Trying to find anything out of the ordinary..." He said, as Stephanie noticed the two suitcases that stood beside the coffee table in one of the pictures. "Turns out she'd been packing."
Stephanie was already subconsciously putting two and two together as she looked at these photos, but she was still taken off guard when she flicked to the last photo in the album: a screenshot of a Redshore City Bus confirmation. A one-way ticket to Calatonia.
"Calatonia? She... sh-she... she was coming here..." Stephanie tried to keep herself together, but she was still getting choked up by tears as she put a hand to her face, her voice slowly turning to a whimper. "Did Jimmy find out...? Is that... i-is that why he... why he...? Oh God, Charlie, what have I done...?!"
"We can't know for certain. Unless Jimmy says so, but... you know what he's like..." Charlie said, giving the wolf's hands a comforting grip as she continued sobbing. "Even if he did know, Stephanie, you can't blame yourself for -"
"I told her to come with us!" Stephanie suddenly shrieked as she sat back up, her reddened face now covered with tear-stained streams of mascara. "God, that... that Valentine's Day, before we left, I... I told her we were leavin' and I said... I-I-I said she could go with us! B-b-but she, Suki wanted to stay put, and... God dammit, Charlie, we coulda gotten away from Jimmy together!"
"And Jimmy would have tracked you down, just like he did before!" Charlie slammed his cane on the floor, his forceful tone literally scaring Stephanie straight as she froze up in her seat. "If she'd gone with you then, who do you think would have given your lawyer that tape...? And who... w-who would have kept Jimmy and his thugs off your scent all these years? Would have you had your back, Steph...?"
"W-well, I... I uh..." Stephanie sighed, rubbing her arm. "I dunno, Charlie."
"No, you don't..." Charlie took a deep breath to calm himself down, readjusting his glasses as he looked up at the projection screen again. "Look, it... it wasn't an easy decision for her to let you go without her, Steph. Believe me, I could tell. But there was nothing Suki wanted more than for you and Porsha to be safe. Even... even if meant removing her from the picture."
"But I... I, um... well... y-yeah, I know..." Stephanie lowered her head, wiping her face with the front of her sleeve, before she looked around the living room of her own apartment. "It's just... this life, this city, all the friends we've made here, I just... I just wanted to share it with her, Charlie."
"I know..." Charlie said, placing a hand on her shoulder as he stood up. "But there's a good chance you wouldn't have had this great life at all if not for her."
Stephanie remained silent, clasping her hands together as she hunched forward on the table, but she did manage to force a smile on her face as she nodded.
Charlie took this as a sign to go, so he tightened his grip on his cane, unplugged and packed up the projector, and headed to the doorway. He held back there just another moment or two, getting a final look at the wolf as she got up from the table and slumped herself down on the couch in front of the TV, but knowing there was little else he could say or do for her now, he simply opened the door and left.
"MARIO! WA-HOO!"
The high pitched whistle and the catchy victory tune snapped Porsha out of her thinking session, as she looked over to the TV screen to see that she'd just come in second place. The young wolf wasn't even focused enough to feel either happy or sad about her loss, though she did manage to force a half-hearted smile for the elephant that was currently dancing and singing in front of the screen to celebrate her victory.
Although her passionate vocalisations were more noise than actual lyrics, Meena's voice was still rather hypnotic in its beauty, and it was especially impressive for a little elephant who wasn't even nine years old yet.
"Wow, that uh... th-that's real great, Meena..." Porsha said, trying her best to sound happy. "Damn, you uh... ya really raced circles around me this time, huh...?"
"Ooh-hoo, yeah! I can't believe I actually did it! Y'know, I just got in the groove and... an-and VROOM!" Meena was still overwhelmed by her giggling fit as she slumped back down on the couch, the force of her weight nearly sending the wolf pup flying off. Though once she'd calmed down, it didn't take long for the elephant to finally notice that something was amiss. "You uh... you okay, Porsha?"
"Huh...?" Porsha cleared her throat. "Oh, uh... y-y-yeah, I'm fine. I just... I'm just a little off my game today, I guess."
"Yeah, I thought it was kinda weird when you missed all those power-ups. You're usually great at finding those..." Meena hesitated, itching the back of her neck, then carefully shuffled closer. "It, um... is it about your Mom's friend...? That lady who died?"
"Lady? Oh, ya mean my Aunt Suki...?" Porsha bit her bottom lip when Meena nodded, hunching forward with her hands clasped together. "Mommy's been... ugh, I mean... my Mom, she... she's been actin' weird about it."
"Well yeah, she's just sad about it."
"But it's been like two weeks! She shoulda gotten over it by now, everybody's been thinkin' it!" Porsha whined, letting out an exhale as she put a hand to her face. "Am I bein' mean thinkin' like that...?"
"No. Well, maybe, I... I dunno, Porsha, it's kinda hard to figure out what grown-ups do when they're sad..." Meena's ears folded in closer to her eyes, which Porsha had figured by now was usually a sign of discomfort or uncertainty. "My Mom sometimes acts like that. Y'know, when... w-when she talks about my Dad."
"Hmm... wait, your Dad...?" Porsha straightened up. "I thought ya said ya didn't have a Dad, Meena."
"I don't. Well, no, I... I did, I guess." Meena fumbled her hands, sniffling a bit. "He died when I was a baby. Y'know, before we met."
"Oh... okay..." Porsha thought for a moment, uncertain if she should prod further. "Do you, like, remember him or anything?"
"Not much... like I said, Mom always gets sad when we talk about him, but... b-but I don't, really." Meena tilted her head. "I guess that's kinda like what that Aunt Suki lady is like for you, right...?"
"Y-yeah... yeah, it is, kinda..." Porsha pursed her lips. "It's a little fuzzy, but... b-but she used to be around all the time back at our old house. Then when we came here, we never talked to her, never talked about her, so she kinda just... not disappeared, but like, uh... I dunno... faded, I guess...?"
"Right..." Meena nodded. "Maybe that's why your Mom's so sad about it."
"Yeah..." Porsha lounged back onto he couch, twiddling her thumbs as she looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe..."
"Oh boy... Ms. Crawly said it was bad, but I didn't think it was this bad."
"Ugh... and a very good evening to you too, Mr. Moon..." Stephanie snarked groggily, taking a step back to let the koala shuffle his way past her into the apartment. "Porsha went to Meena's tonight. They're havin' a slumber party, so... yeah..."
"Ah, okay..." Buster tried his best to look happy. "So, uh... it's just you, huh."
"Hmm... me and all my thoughts..."
Although she knew Buster was coming to see her, the wolf hadn't bothered to brush down her unkempt fur or remove the fluffy red bathrobe she'd been wearing over her clothes for most of the day. But since she had taken the effort to have a shower, even she wasn't sure if this had been an active decision or just resigned apathy brought on by her current depressive state.
As she closed the door and followed him to the couch, Stephanie noticed that Buster almost seemed to be in awe as he looked around the room, and it only then occurred to her that - despite knowing and working with him for the better part of a year by now - she'd never actually brought the koala back to the apartment before.
"Oh, this looks lovely. Really like all the pictures, and... oh hey, I got that poster up back at the... the, uh... oh..." Buster cut himself off as he reached the coffee table in front of the couch, having spotted the open bottle of red wine and the three flute glasses stood beside it. "I uh... I thought you didn't drink."
"I don't... I just drown my sorrows." Stephanie slumped down on the couch and poured herself a glass - with at least a third of what she poured out clumsily spilling onto the floor - before downing it all in one. "That's what Suki always said."
"Ah..." Buster clasped his hands together, biting his bottom lip. "Listen, Steph, we... w-we know you're upset, but I really want you to -"
"Upset...?! No, no no no, that's... th-that's ridiculous, I ain't upset. Why would I be upset...?" Stephanie seemed more theatrical and eccentric than Buster was used to seeing her, not helped by the fact that she was on at least her second glass already. "What, because my friend's dead? B-b-because she got killed by my ex...? Or cause he threw her off a roof, and she splatted like a pancake, and... an-and now her family can't even give her a goddamned OPEN CASKET...?!"
She tossed the glass with an enraged, almost bestial roar, and Buster dodged behind the coffee table as it flew right past him and shattered against the wall.
"So yeah, Moon, I am pretty damn upset!" Stephanie let out a sigh to calm herself down, holding a hand to her face as Buster carefully clambered up beside her on the couch. "All the lives Jimmy ruined, all the folks he's hurt... all for nothing!"
"Well, um... the good thing is he's getting put away for it." Buster kept his smile. "Like they say, for every cloud a silver -!"
"N-no, just... j-just don't, okay...?!" Stephanie cut him off, letting out a groan. "I'm feelin' bad enough without you and your... y-y-your giddy optimism!"
"Right... sorry..." Buster chuckled nervously, though his tone remained sincere. "Stephanie, we... the rest of us can't speak for Suki, cause um... well, we never knew her like you did. Well actually, we... w-we never met her at all, so -"
"Ugh, what's your point...?!" Stephanie snapped impatiently - not wanting to be reminded of the plans Suki had made prior to her death - but she immediately regretted it. "Sorry, I just... w-what exactly are ya gettin' at...?"
"Well, I just... all the things she did for you. Y'know, helping you escape, giving Norman that tape, filming that video she posted, it... it took guts. Especially going against somebody like Jimmy Crystal." Buster almost sounded awed. "And I can't imagine she did those things for nothing, Steph. And she didn't die for nothing, either."
As much as Stephanie wanted to deny it, the koala's words were getting to her, but she let out a more bitter scoff as she reached for the bottle on the table again. "Yeah, well... if I hadn't gone to Redshore in the first place, none of this woulda happened. Never woulda met Jimmy, never woulda gone through all that crap, never woulda -"
"You wouldn't have had Porsha." Buster cut her off, making the wolf freeze up. "We wouldn't have helped save the theatre, you... heck, you probably wouldn't have brought all of us together, Steph!"
"Hmm..." Stephanie chortled, feeling he mood steadily improve. "Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that... can't help feelin' you'd have handled things pretty good in the long run, Moon."
"Well, maybe, but... b-but the point is, Stephanie, you've done great things here. For all of us. And you wouldn't have done them if Suki didn't do so many good things for you first..." Buster then suddenly straightened up, almost laughing as another thought suddenly occurred to him. "Hmm... y'know, I... I just realised something. You didn't need to be jealous of me anymore!"
Stephanie narrowed her eyes. "Jealous?!"
"Yeah! Remember, uh... oh boy, um... it was when my Dad died, you uh... you said you were jealous, cause you never had anyone you cared about enough to get hurt like that..." Buster said. "But you had Suki the whole time! You got hurt like that after all, Steph!"
"Y'do realise that's not a good thing, right...?"
"Well no, that's not what I'm saying, I just... you were close to her." Buster took on a warmer, more encouraging tone. "And now it's up to you to pull through for her. Keep on going. Just like I did with my Dad."
Stephanie let out a harsh exhale, partially annoyed that Buster had turned her own words against her, while also being frustrated with herself knowing he was completely right. She found herself idly gazing at the koala while he took the two remaining glasses and filled them both, and a cocktail of strong emotions swirled within her as her grief and anger slowly gave way to a warmer, fuzzier feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Well..." Buster cleared his throat, briefly snapping the wolf out of her smitten stare as he passed her a glass. "Here's to pulling through."
"Hmm..." Stephanie smiled, clinking her glass against his. "To Suki."
It was around 9am when Stephanie woke up, though she'd spent the better part of an hour sat on the couch in her fluffy red bathroom - albeit with nothing under it this time - watching the morning news. While the sun spilling in from the windows was already brightening up her day in more ways than one, the wolf felt her mood improve even more when the doorbell rang.
"Morning, sunshine! Ooh!" Stephanie was taken off-guard - despite it being a usual occurrence by now - when Porsha threw her arms around her lower waist, the eight-and-a-half-year-old only just being tall enough to reach that height. "Good slumber party...?"
"Oh yeah, it was great!" Porsha released her mother from the embrace, then shuffled past her and headed to the kitchen while Stephanie remained stood at the doorway with Rosita. "Hey Mommy, is there still cereal left...?"
"Yeah, there should be!" Stephanie called back, rolling her eyes as she heard her daughter clattering about in the cupboard, before taking a step back to let the pig into the living room. "Yeah, um... thanks for pickin' her up, Ro."
"Oh no, Steph, it's fine."
Rosita made her way over to the couch and clambered up onto it, letting the wolf sit beside her. A slightly awkward settled on the pair for a minute or two - the sound of Porsha's clumsy attempts at making her breakfast being the only ambience - until Rosita finally spoke up again.
"So, um... we haven't seen much of you around the Theatre the last couple weeks..."
"Yeah, I know..." Stephanie pulled the corners of her bathrobe closer together to cover herself a little more. "Look, I'm sorry I've been actin' weird lately, it's just..."
"You're grieving, Steph, there's nothing weird about it." Rosita gently held the wolf's hand, keeping her usual compassionate tone. "Norman told us about Suki. Me and Mary, I mean. She, um... we know she meant a lot to you."
"Hmm... yeah, she did." Stephanie sniffled a bit, but she kept smiling as she reached for the half-finished coffee cup on the table. "It's okay, though, I... I think I'm through most of it now. The bad stuff, I mean..."
"Clearly..." Rosita raised an eyebrow as she looked at the table. The rather cryptic tone in the pig's voice took Stephanie off-guard for a moment, until she glanced over to realise Rosita was looking directly at the quarter-filled wine bottle. "Stephanie, I know this is a lot for you, but you can't fall back to -"
"Hey hey hey, it's not falling back, Ro. I just, uh... y'know... slipped a little. It was only last night, trust me." Stephanie shook her head, pulling a small smirk as she gestured to the bottle. "Besides, that wasn't all me."
"It wasn't...?! But who the heck else did -?!"
"MR. MOON...?!" Porsha suddenly blurted out, making Stephanie and Rosita turn around on the couch to see the surprise, wide-eyed koala - looking dishevelled and wearing a shirt that was clearly too big for him - stood in the doorway to Stephanie's room. "What the heck are you doin' here...?!"
"Oh, um... m-m-morning, girls, I uh..." Buster bit his bottom lip, itching the back of his head as he tried to think of an alibi. "Well, it's uh... th-the thing is, I... there was a, um..."
"They had a nasty gas leak at the Theatre last night..." Stephanie cut in, giving a reassuring nod to Buster. "Moon needed somewhere to sleep, so we had a little, uh... slumber party. Right, Moon?"
"Oh, well, it uh..." Buster cleared his throat. "Y-y-yeah, that's right. Exactly!"
"For real...?" Porsha was still surprised, but she seemed rather convinced when both Stephanie and Buster nodded in agreement. "Well, that's cool. I didn't even know grown-ups did that!"
"You're still young, Porsha." Rosita chuckled, glancing over to Stephanie as the wolf gave her a sly wink. "There's a lot of things you don't know about grown-ups."
Chapter 23: Big Changes
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Cause he gets up in the morning
And he goes to work at nine
And he comes back home at five-thirty
Gets the same train every time
The clock radio on the side table clicked on at exactly 8am, letting out a loud, high-pitched BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! until Stephanie reached over to switch it off. The wolf was in an unusually chipper mood as her eyes fluttered open and she sat up in the bed, and the sunlight casting into the room along with the pleasantly catchy song playing on the radio only brightened her up even more.
He's a well respected man about town
Doing the best things so conservatively
Rather than throw away the day by sleeping in, Stephanie swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched her arms out straight, letting out a satisfied exhale as all her joints went back into place. She found herself humming and murmuring the song's lyrics to herself when she sat at her vanity mirror and began applying her makeup, though after adding the last finishing touches she couldn't help finally singing out loud while she admired her reflection.
Cause you're oh, so good!
And you're oh, so fine!
And you're oh, so healthy!
In your body and your mind!
After getting changed - opting for a plain but flattering black blazer and skirt - Stephanie headed into the kitchen to make breakfast, changing the TV to the same radio channel so that the music continued to echo around the apartment. She placed two slices of bread on the griddle, letting them cook over a small, steady heat while she went to her daughter's room and approached the younger wolf's bed.
"Come on, sunshine..." She chuckled, playfully tapping her finger on the head that was still buried under the covers. "Gotta get up for school."
"Ugh..." A groggy voice groaned back, still muffled under the blanket. "Five more minutes...?"
"I give ya five minutes, baby, ya take an hour..." Stephanie snarked, rolling her eyes before she grabbed the bottom of the blanket and yanked them off. "UP AND AT 'EM!"
"Mooooom...!" Porsha whined back, the fourteen-year-old finally sitting up to pull the covers back over her lower body. "What's even the big deal? It's just gonna be like every other day."
"Yeah, and I expect ya to get up for all those days too, Porsha..." Stephanie ruffled the top of her daughter's head, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm makin' French Toast, by the way."
"Oh... y-yeah, cool..." Porsha yawned, then lounged back in her bed as Stephanie left the room and closed the door over behind her. A soft, vibrating BZZZZZ... drew the wolf's attention to her phone on the nightstand, and she reached over to grab it and see Meena's text message on her screen. "Hmm..."
Trying to figure out what to wear!
Which one makes me look least fat...?
Porsha clicked her tongue as she studied the photos her friend had sent of herself in various outfits, quietly murmuring to herself as she typed out her response.
"You... don't need... to... worry. You... look... gorge... wait, how do ya... oh, gorgeous. Yeah... nothing wrong... with... being... a little... curvy. Hashtag... Big... And... Beautiful..." She hesitated as her finger hovered over the Send icon, before her cheeks suddenly flared a bright red. "Oh God, that's way too flirty, I gotta reword that... okay, um..."
"RISE AND SHINE, SWEETHEART!"
"Gah, what the...?! W-whoa!" Porsha jolted up in a panic, letting out a shriek as she tumbled back and fell to the floor with a blunt THUD! After taking around ten seconds to regather her bearings, the young wolf pulled herself up out of the pile of pillows and bedsheets and made her way over to the window, rolling her eyes when she saw the familiar little lizard down on the ground with the megaphone. "Oh... morning, Ms. Crawly!"
"GOOD MORNING, PORSHA!"
"Ah... the wake-up call worked, then..." Stephanie chortled as she came back into the room, passing Porsha her French toast while she looked out the window to wave to Ms. Crawly herself. "Thanks, Joanne!"
Porsha was still clad in her blue sci-fi pyjamas as she took her breakfast into the kitchen, propping herself up with her elbows while she leaned against the centre table. While she did quite enjoy the song that was still playing on the radio channel, her curiosity was enough of a prompt to reach over the couch and grab the remote to have a quick glance at what else was on.
"In other news, former Redshore City entertainment mogul Jimmy Crystal is set to appear in court today, to hear the final verdict regarding his potential -"
"Oh, shoot!"
Porsha quickly scrambled to switch off the news feed as she heard her bedroom door creak open. The young wolf only just managed to turn the channel back to the radio station before her mother came back in, and tried her best to look casual and inconspicuous as she dug into her French toast again.
"So..." She paused for a moment, thinking of anything else to say. "So, uh... s-so since when was Ms. Crawly the neighbourhood alarm clock...?"
"That was just a little experiment me and Buster came up with the other day. Operation: Sleeping Beauty..." Stephanie chortled, keeping some of her daughter's laundry from the day before draped over her arm as she went over to the washing machine. "Seeing as you're wide awake now, I think we got a major breakthrough."
"Terrific..." Porsha snarked, still scrolling through her phone with one hand while eating her French toast with the other. "By the way, does Rosita still want me to come over tonight...?"
"Yeah, they want ya round at seven." Stephanie answered, standing up again after she closed the washing machine door. "She said she'll have the lil' tykes in bed before ya get there. As long as ya don't make a ruckus, it'll be fine."
"Oh yeah, cool..."
Porsha pursed her lips as she thought for a moment. Given the struggles that her own mother had endured raising just her alone, the younger wolf could only imagine what Norman and Rosita had to go through raising twenty five troublemaking three-year-olds.
"Why'd they ask me to do it, anyway?" She asked as Stephanie straightened back up. "Doesn't that Gunter guy normally babysit for 'em?"
"Ah, well... last time Gunter was there, the kids strung him up with gummy rolls and tied him to a coffee table like some kinda sacrifice..." Stephanie chuckled, barely managing to hold back a laugh as Porsha's eyes bulged wide. "Don't worry, Porsha, you're gonna be great. Just don't let 'em near the candy jars, okay...?"
"Oh, uh... y-y-yeah, okay..." Porsha nodded, drumming her fingers on the table for a moment, before finishing her meal and heading back to her bedroom to change. "So, uh... so what are you guys all doin' tonight?"
"Eh... Buster just wants to draft out some ideas for the next show. Everybody's got shifts and stuff all day, so tonight's the best time we can all meet up."
Stephanie looked through some of the paperwork that was scattered all over the table, including a letter that she'd opened from the Council the night before.
"Ugh... one of the fuse boxes backstage is actin' up too." She said. "City Hall says it's like a fire hazard or something, so... Ro's gonna take a look and see if we need to call somebody."
"For real...?" Porsha came back in, now wearing an old leather jacket - which was still quite oversized for her, despite previously belonging to a nine-year-old gorilla - over her mother's old vintage Clay Calloway shirt, with her backpack draped over her shoulder. "Is she even, uh... what's that word again, um... q-qualified, for that sorta stuff?"
"She got a Masters in Engineering before goin' to med school, so she's about as qualified as the guys who'll charge money for it..." Stephanie cut off her laughter when she noticed a familiar framed photograph buried under the pile of papers, silently picking it up while Porsha continued talking.
"Alright, well... as long as she knows what she's doing, I guess..." Porsha closed the fridge door, having raided it of most of its chocolates and sweets to load into her bag, before looking over to see Stephanie still in her catatonic state. "Y'okay there, Mom...?"
"What...? Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm fine, baby..." Stephanie cleared her throat, wiping the corner of her eye as she propped her and Suki's old Valentine's photo back up on the table. "So, you uh... y'all set to go?"
"Uh-huh!" Porsha quickly ran over and wrapped her arms around Stephanie's waist, gently resting her head right under her mother's chin. "Love ya, Mom."
Stephanie sniffled, feeling her eyes mist up as she gently tightened her grip. Even now, she'd often found herself shocked by how much her Porsha had grown over the last decade - and how close she had come to completely missing out on seeing it - but seeing Suki's photo had been an even more sentimental reminder of the pain and sacrifices they'd had to endure to get where they were now.
"Yeah..." She exhaled, kissing the top of Porsha's forehead before finally letting her go to the door. "Love ya too, sunshine."
"Mum, did you really have to sit in and listen, then...?" Johnny whined, keeping his keyboard tucked under his armpit as he and Mary left the music room and headed down the mostly empty school hallway. "Everyone were looking at you like a right weirdo."
"Oh, don't be daft, love, it was fine!" Mary laughed, playfully ruffling the top of her seventeen-and-a-half year old's head. "Besides, they all sounded great. Y'know, you really ought to get some of them kids to try auditioning at the Theatre. Bet Mr. Moon'll love that!"
"Most of them other kids don't even know me and Ash do that stuff at the theatre for Mr. Moon."
"So? What's wrong with them finding out, darling...?" Mary then stood up straight and pursed her lips, finally realising who wasn't with them. "Hang on... where is Ashley? I thought she were coming with us."
"She is." Johnny said, rolling his eyes. "You're the one who came early, Mum."
"Why weren't she in the music club thing, then?"
"She's doing this self defence thing with her mate today. See...?" Johnny stopped suddenly, making Mary realise they'd walked right into the school gymnasium, and he pointed over to the ring that was surrounded by some of the other students. "That's them in there now!"
"Is it?" Mary repositioned her glasses as she squinted a little. "Oh, bloody hell, it is!"
Ash was wearing a rubber head guard and a baggy red shirt that was one size too big - though the porcupine's quills still protruded from both - and she and the hedgehog both wore red leather gloves as they traded blows. Or rather, Ash tried her best to throw punches that either didn't land or made little impact, and otherwise just let herself get hit by her clearly more experienced opponent.
"Oh God, poor girl looks bloody hopeless..." Mary shook her head, almost like she was feeling secondhand embarrassment for the young porcupine. "And who's that other one battering her?"
"That's her friend, Katy. Remember, she's come by the Theatre with us a couple times..." Johnny said, cringing a little as they saw Ash taking more quick jabs to her head and chest. "She's um... sh-she's usually right nice, Katy is. Y'know, when she's not doing this."
"Oh yeah, love, I'm sure she is..." Mary chortled, still slightly nervous. "Still, she's knocking nine bells out of her, isn't she? Ooh!"
THWACK! There was a collective wince from the entire crowd of other students watching when Katy's right hook that sent Ash straight to the canvas. The porcupine was clearly dazed by the blow as she propped herself up with her elbows, only just beating the count of ten as she managed to clumsily pull herself back to her feet.
Even Katy looked concerned, gently holding onto Ash's hands to try keeping her friend steady. "Y'okay, Ashley?"
"What? Uh... y-y-yeah, Katy, I'm good." Ash tried to take a fighting stance again, only to droop her arms with relief when the instructor blew the whistle to end the round. "Oh, thank God."
"Shake that one off, babe! You got it!" Lance called over from one of the benches a few feet away, barely taking attention off his phone, before he glanced over to see the two gorillas that had just arrived. "Oh hey, J Man! What's up, dude...?"
"Oh yeah, uh... h-hi, Lance..." Johnny pulled a slightly awkward smile as he waved to the porcupine. From what his parents had always taught him, the young gorilla would have hoped that Lance wouldn't be so casual seeing what his girlfriend was putting herself through, but with how he'd seen them together in the past, it wasn't too surprising either. "Wait... Mum? Mum, what are you doing...?"
"Ugh... okay..." Ash was still taking long, deep breaths as she propped herself up on the corner post, trying her best to stop the small but messy trail of blood that was dripping from her nostrils onto her shirt. "Eh... at least it's red, I guess..."
"Ashley... Ashley, hey!" Mary's voice took the seventeen year old off guard, as she glanced up to see the gorilla standing behind the ropes. "Y'alright there, darling?"
"Oh... h-hey, Johnny's Mom." Ash pulled a smile, giving a quick but loud snort after this caused her nose to start bleeding again. "I thought you weren't picking us up til later...?"
"Well yeah, I came a bit earlier to see Johnny practice, but um... but yeah, I just thought I'd quickly pop over, see how you're holding up." Mary took a tissue from her purse, gently holding it to the eighteen-year-old's nose. "I take it you're not ahead on points, then."
"Hey, to be fair, two rounds was way longer than I thought I was gonna last..." Ash winced a little. "I think Katy's going easy on me."
"Oh yeah, I can tell." Mary snarked. "Love that defence strategy, by the way. Yeah, blocking all those hits with your face. Right clever, that is."
Ash rolled her eyes, though even this caused some pain with the bruises near them. "Well, what else am I supposed to do?"
"Keep your bloody guard up, that's what!" Mary nearly laughed. "You're not her punching bag, Ashley."
"I might as well be, it's not like I'm gonna beat her..." Ash groaned, glancing back over to the hedgehog stood at the opposite corner. "Katy's been doing this since like 8th Grade, she's basically a pro."
"Well, I wouldn't say that. She's been making a few slip ups." Mary made a beckoning gesture with her hand, prompting Ash to lean a little closer. "Alright, so she does the little jabs with her left, then she always does the big swing with her right. If you slip under that, then her -"
"Wait wait wait, are... a-are you coaching me...?!" Ash went wide-eyed when Mary shrugged. "Since when did you know anything about boxing?"
"Eh, me and Johnny's Dad watch it on TV all the time." Mary chuckled, then cleared her throat. "Now, if you duck under her right when she swings, her side's wide open. So you've got to just dig it right in there, knock the wind out of her. Know what I mean, love...?"
"Uh... y-yeah, I think so. Wait, so it's her right side I hit, right...?" Ash asked for extra clarity, tilting her head when Mary nodded. The porcupine then stood back up when the whistle blew to signal the next round, almost forgetting to put her mouthguard back in before she left her corner. "Okay... okay..."
The first minute or so seemed to be more of the same, though Ash was at least making more of an effort to block the smaller jabs Katy was sending her way. Johnny noticed his mother murmuring to herself while they watched, almost like she was still trying to give Ash advice when the porcupine couldn't even hear her from the distance, and Mary seemed to be getting both anxious and excited as she concentrated on the hedgehog's right hand.
"Alright, any minute... any minute now, come on..."
Finally, Katy swung with her right, and everyone watching almost felt time slowing down as the next two seconds seemed to stretch to a long, painful minute. Ash had taken the advice to heart as she swiftly ducked down, letting the hedgehog's fist sail right over her head. Katy was still mid-swing when Ash noticed the right side of her lower midsection was now completely unprotected - just as Mary had said it would be - and felt a full surge of pure adrenaline as she sent a direct hit right into the opening with a powerful THWACK!
"Eurgh...!" Katy froze up as all the air in her lungs - and her mouthguard - flew straight out, releasing a high-pitched noise which sounded like the midpoint between a pained grunt and a breathless wheeze. For a brief moment it seemed like the hedgehog's entire body had switched off, staggering a few inches forwards before she finally flopped down face-first on the canvas with a THUD!
"YES, GET IN THERE!" Mary suddenly shrieked, quickly covering her mouth when the students - including Johnny and Lance - all looked over at her. "Oh, uh... s-sorry, I just... I told her to do that, so..."
"Oh God, Katy!" Ash paid no attention to the instructor blowing the whistle as she clumsily took her gloves and headguard off, throwing them aside before she carefully sat the hedgehog back up. "Y'okay?"
"Y-y-yeah, I'm good. I'm fine, it's just... that was a hell of a shot... ow!" Katy let out a hoarse laugh, though even that caused her some pain as she clutched her stomach. "Y'know, I figured I was gonna have to let you win one of these days, Ashley, but I wasn't even taking it easy on you that time."
"Yeah, well..." Ash suddenly froze up, looking over to Mary and Johnny as they waved to her from just outside the ring. "Wait, did I win...?!"
"Hell yeah, you won!" Lance suddenly cut off what Johnny was going to say, clumsily moving past the gorilla as he climbed in and rushed over to his girlfriend. "Babe, you were awesome! Katy came out swingin' like BASH! But then you went like WHOOSH! and then you went WHAM! and Katy went down like BLERGH...!"
"Ugh... yeah, real flattering impressions, Lance..." Katy snarked as she took off her own gear, letting Ash help her to her feet before she pulled the porcupine into a hug. "Knew you had a fighting spirit in there somewhere, Ashley."
"Hmm, yeah..." Ash still ached a little as she climbed down out of the ring and picked up her backpack. "I'm definitely sticking to singing, though."
"Oh yeah, deffo." Johnny nodded, with Mary noticing the more shy posture he took on when the porcupine got closer to him, before the three of them started walking out into the hallway. "Still, you did right well."
"Aw. Thanks, Johnny..." Ash said, before looking up at the older gorilla. "Oh, and I uh... I really appreciated the coaching."
"Nah, think nothing of it, love." Mary chuckled, taking on a slightly more bitter tone. "Yeah, I don't like to just look away when somebody needs a hand up."
"Hey, you guys!" Porsha loudly exclaimed as soon as the door opened, only to cut herself off when the mother pig on the other side quickly shushed her. "Ooh... sorry..."
"Oh no no, it's fine, honey... we just put the kids to bed." Rosita whispered, glancing over to the couch where her husband was still putting on his shoes. "Yeah, they're actually pretty heavy sleepers once you get them down, but just don't make any loud noises, okay?"
"Oh yeah, I can do that. Quiet as a mouse." Porsha made a "lips sealed" gesture over her mouth, before taking a moment to consider her words. "Well y'know, not like that Mike guy, but... b-but yeah, y'know what I mean."
"Yeah, as far as mice go, Mike's definitely the loudest we've met." Norman said as he and his wife both laughed, before they took a step back to let the young wolf into their living room. "Still, it was real nice of you to do this, Porsha. Y'know, after what happened with Gunter last month, I thought we'd never be able to get a sitter ever again."
"Nah, come on, it's fine... besides, I've been saying to my Mom for ages I wanna help out more." Porsha sat herself down on the couch, glancing over at the staircase towards the door to the piglets' bedroom. "I mean, babysitting ain't exactly what I had in mind, but yeah, we're always happy helping you guys out."
"Hmm... and we really appreciate it." Rosita gently clasped Porsha's hand in her own. "Alright, we'll be back around 9, so uh... oh, and Stephanie gave you all the low-down, right?"
"Uh... yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, she did..." Porsha took a moment to recall her mother's advice. "Yeah, she said don't make no noise, don't give 'em candy, and... and uh..."
"And if anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me." Rosita got up on her tiptoes to give Porsha a kiss on the cheek, then headed back over to the door with Norman. "Okay... have fun, Porsha!"
"Uh-huh, yep, will do!" Porsha sounded frantic, almost impatient, as she sat up stiff as a board, keeping a smile on her face as the two pigs closed the door over. "Byyyyyyyyeeee..."
The fourteen-year-old waited another five seconds or so, then quickly darted over to the window to look down into the street. Porsha squinted a little to keep her eye on Norman and Rosita as they crossed the street, making sure they were definitely gone before she darted back over to the couch and started texting Meena.
"Watching... the... piglets. House... all... to... ourselves... how 'bout some... Quickflix... and... oh God, no, that's way too flirty!" Porsha groaned to herself, taking a few deep breaths to regain her focus as the reddish beam faded from her cheeks. "Okay, uh... ooh, hang out! Yeah, that's it... how about... we... hang... out. Yes, nailed it!"
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Well Respected Man" - The Kinks
Chapter 24: The Next Move
Chapter Text
"Alright, now just watch your step." Buster gently clasped onto Stephanie's left hand, carefully guiding the wolf up the stairs while she covered her eyes with her right. "That's it, nice and - hey, no peeking!"
"Buster..." Stephanie groaned in playful annoyance. As much as she always tried her best to show disdain or disapproval of her boyfriend's love for theatrics, they both knew full well she loved it. "Honey, it's just a little renovating, do ya really gotta do the whole surprise party thing on me?"
"Trust me, Steph, it's gonna be worth it!"
Stephanie could hear Buster grunting as he climbed up on what sounded like his desk, so she stood up a little straighter to await the koala's next command.
"Okay, and..." Buster patted his hands on the table, an impromptu drum roll to build the tension. "Open up!"
Finally, Stephanie took her hand away and opened her eyes, which only widened more when she saw the new office. "Whoa..."
The wall separating Buster's office from her own had been taken away, merging them into one, and the various posters and photographs that used to hang on Buster's back wall were now evenly spread out all over, which Stephanie could only assume Rosita had a hand in. Her own desk had been moved to the middle of the left wall, and at the back wall where it used to be there now hung a fairly large, flat screen TV, in front of a stylish but welcoming looking black couch.
"Well, what do you think...?" Buster excitedly rushed over to the other side of the couch, where an electric heater - which Stephanie had initially mistaken for an actual chiminea at first glance - was propped against the wall beside the TV. "When you wanna keep things toasty in the winter, you just plug it right in! Yeah, we thought about installing a real fireplace, but I figured that'd just be a disaster waiting to happen."
"Ah, that's a first..." Stephanie snarked playfully, before Buster took her hand again and led her out the room to the door on the other side of the hallway. "Oh God, there's more...?!"
"Oh yeah, we went all out!" Buster pried the door open, revealing a simple but still charmingly decorated bedroom. A large, queen-sized bed was positioned in the centre of the room, with a dresser and nightstands on either side. "This one's your room. Well, y'know... ours, I guess."
"Ours?!" Stephanie had been gradually connecting the dots while in the previous room, but this revelation did still take her slightly off guard. "You're serious...?"
"Of course!" Buster responded, not a hint of irony in his voice, then went to the door right beside it.
Stephanie had always been used to this door being completely boarded up - Ms. Crawly had previously told them it was an old projection room that they'd stopped using long before the Prairie had closed down - which only made it more surprising when Buster opened the door to show her the vibrant room that was waiting on the other side. The walls were turquoise, the double bed at the middle of the back wall was covered with a navy blue duvet and plush green cushions, and a small purple lava lamp sat on the side table.
"We had a couple different ideas for how to do this one up, but Rosita thought it'd be best if we just left it for Porsha to figure out."
"Aw, Buster, I..." Stephanie was slightly breathless, feeling some tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she held a hand over her heart. "I dunno what to say."
"Well, um..." Buster cleared his throat, itching the back of his neck as the wolf knelt down to his level. "Do you like it, Steph?"
"Hmm..." Stephanie held both Buster's cheeks, planting a kiss on her boyfriend's lips. "I love it. Thank you."
"I mean, obviously, you can't exactly move in yet. We've still gotta figure out a kitchen, bathroom, all that stuff, but uh..." Buster chuckled. "Still, do you think Porsha'd be okay with it?"
"Eh..." Stephanie rolled her eye with a chuckle. "Me and Porsha relocated all the time when she was little. It's basically tradition at this point!"
"Okay, let's see..." Rosita muttered quietly to herself, her brow furrowing in concentration as she traced her fingers over the tangle of wires in the fuse box. "Ah-ha, here it is! Norman, could you just pass me the wrench. The smaller one?"
"This one...?" Norman reached into the toolbox and held up one of the items, waiting for his wife to nod before he handed it over. "Here you go, honey."
"Perfect. Thanks, sweetie."
Stephanie bit her bottom lip as she, Buster and Mike stood watching, keeping about ten feet away while Rosita continued her work. Though she was clad in an apron, a hard hat and protective gloves, and was by far the most experienced of them when it came to mechanics and engineering, they still couldn't help feeling some anxiety for the mother pig on the off chance that something went wrong.
"So, uh..." Mike cleared his throat, trying her best not to distract her friend. "How's it lookin' in there, Porky? Easy fix?"
"Uh-huh! Yeah, it's fine, just gotta do a few more finishing touches..." Rosita let out a small grunt as she finished screwing the last few loose bolts on the panel, before finally closing the door shut and getting up off her knees. "Right, that oughta do it. At least for now."
"Aw, Rosita, you're a lifesaver!" Buster let out a sigh of relief, running over to take the pig's hands. "We really appreciate it. And I bet the inspector lady's gonna appreciate it too next time she comes!"
"Hmm... anything for you guys." Rosita wiped her brow, a small smile tugging at her lips as she sent a wink Stephanie's way. "But still... you probably should keep an eye on it, Mr. Moon. Y'know, just to be safe."
"Oh hey, company's here!" Mike bellowed out as they looked over to the side doors, seeing the porcupine and two gorillas that were approaching them. "Whoa! Hey Prickly, why's your face all messed up...?"
"Messed up? Oh yeah, you uh... you mean all this..." Ash still winced a little from her bruises, but she seemed quite confident as she looked up at a very proud Mary. "You think I look bad, Mike, you oughta see the other girl."
"Oy... well, as long as we don't gotta get the cops here..." Mike shrugged, before walking off with Ash and Johnny towards the stage. "Never saw ya as much of a fighter, though, kid."
Stephanie didn't have much time to ponder the context behind this when Mary suddenly pulled her into a tight but gentle hug. "Sorry to hear about Jimmy, love."
"Hmm...?" Stephanie's voice was a little higher pitched, though she tried her best to be casual as she pulled out of the embrace. "Uh, y-y-yeah, Mary, I... I'm fine, I'm great. I mean, yeah, it's uh... it ain't exactly what I woulda wanted, but... but I can handle it."
"Still can't believe they're actually letting him out." Rosita clicked her tongue, shaking her head in disappointment. "It's barely even a slap on the wrist."
"W-w-well, it's still five years, so it's better than nothing. A-a-and ya gotta remember, girls, it... it ain't exactly lettin' him out either..." Stephanie put up both her hands, trying her best to diffuse the negative attitudes. "I mean, house arrest is still arrest, right? Y'know, as long as Jimmy doesn't come near us, we're all good here."
"You sure...?" Mary said, making it clear she and Rosita weren't entirely convinced, though they silently but mutually agreed not to prod any further. "Right... well, as long as you're feeling okay about it, Steph."
"Oh yeah! Y-yeah, I'm totally fine about this, trust me!" Stephanie forced a laugh as she placed her hands on her hips, thinking for a moment about how to change the subject before she cleared her throat. "Well anyways, uh... Buster's gettin' everybody on the stage, so..."
"Yeah, I'm just gonna come out and say it. Bumbleboar's death scene was done way better in the book."
For the last two hours, Rosita and Norman's living room had been bathed in the soft glow of the TV screen as their babysitter - and the guest she'd secretly invited - watched the penultimate Harry Plopper movie. While Porsha and Meena had spent much of the runtime nitpicking, complaining and even occasionally disagreeing with each other over certain creative liberties taken with the adaptation, it did still make for a fun movie night.
When the credits finally rolled, Porsha gingerly reached over and turned on the side lamp. Though she had noticed something different about Meena's appearance when the elephant had first arrived, the wolf hadn't been entirely sure what it was until the lamp finally shed some literal light back on the subject.
It was then when Porsha finally processed that Meena was wearing makeup. Nothing too shabby or excessive - just a light dash of purple eye shadow with a bit of red blush on her cheeks - but just enough to be noticeable. Meena herself was too busy switching the TV back onto the main cable to notice Porsha gazing at her, though Porsha was finally snapped back to reality by the top story on the news channel.
"- and will carry out the remainder of his sentence at the Crystal Mansion in Redshore City..." The daschund reporter on the screen spoke solemnly in front of the Redshore City courthouse, while a photograph of a familiar white wolf - in the very unfamiliar sight of orange prison garments - was displayed on the corner. "Mr. Crystal served the first five of a thirty year sentence in the Redshore State Penitentiary, charged with multiple corporate crimes, including embezzlement, blackmail and most infamously, the murder of his longtime employee, Suki Lane."
Porsha bit her bottom lip and tucked her knees into her chest, still fidgeting as various photographs of her parents, Suki, and even some of her younger self appeared in the collage on screen. The voices of the various reporters almost seemed to blend together and fade away as Porsha remained fixated on the images, though Meena turning down the volume did help with this effect.
"After the break, we'll be joined by famed Calatonia starlet Florence Fletcher, who'll be sharing her thoughts about the recent developments, and elaborating on her personal history with the Crystal-Frangipane family."
"Ooh, Florence Fletcher! Awesome..." Meena tried her best to sound excited, hoping it would lighten the mood a little, though she could tell by the look on her friend's face that it wasn't helping much. "Hey, um... y'okay, Porsha?"
"Hmm...?" Porsha's voice was a little higher pitched, though she tried her best to sound casual and confident. "Uh... yeah. Y-y-yeah, I'm all good, Meena, I'm fine."
"You sure? Cause I get being upset if it's about your Dad, Porsha, I just -"
"Yeah, well, it ain't exactly about my Dad, though, is it...?!" Porsha pursed her lips, having not meant to snap, and looked down to the floor. "Well, it is about him, it's just... it's more about my Mom. I think."
"Yeah..." Meena nodded slowly, before they both looked back at the screen. They remained silent for the better part of a minute, before another nagging question formed in the elephant's head. "Are you gonna visit?"
Porsha straightened up. "Visit who, Meena?"
"Your Dad. Y'know, cause uh... cause he's not technically locked up anymore..." Meena hesitated. "You think you'll go see him?"
"Go see that psycho...?" Porsha almost laughed, though her tone was tinged with anger, resentment, and just about every other negative emotion she could muster. "PAH! No way!"
The young wolf covered her mouth and glanced upwards towards the stairs, hoping her sudden exclamation hadn't woken the twenty-five little ones she was supposed to be babysitting. Luckily, it seemed the piglets hadn't been disturbed, but Porsha did make sure to quieten down when she turned back to face Meena.
"Sorry about that, I just... yeah... but um... b-b-but no. No, I'm not gonna visit him." Porsha continued, letting out a scoff as she itched the back of her neck. "Besides, even if I wanted to, my Mom wouldn't let him get in a million miles of him."
"Hmm... yeah, that makes sense." Meena winced, looking back over to the photo of the saluki that was still being displayed on the news. "And he did kill that lady your Mom really liked."
"Oh yeah... yeah, Aunt Suki..." Porsha sighed, hunching forward a little as she clasped her hands together. "Yeah, there's really nothin' worth finding there. With my Dad, I mean."
Meena thought some more. "You don't have to say if you don't want to, Porsha, but uh... but do you remember what was it like living with your Dad? Y'know, before you came here?"
"Ugh... trust me, buddy, I remember plenty!" Porsha groaned, then lounged back on the couch. "Or at least... plenty enough."
"Oh... so what he was like?"
"Scary..." Porsha said bluntly, but she soon realised the look on Meena's face was prompting her to elaborate. "Well, y'know, he was... he was big, he was shouty. He was always real mean to everybody. Mom, Aunt Suki, that uh... th-this little cat fella who was always with him. He never said he loved me, heck, he never even said he liked me! It's like he barely even knew I was there half the time."
"Hmm... guess he wasn't much of a Dad anyway, then?" Meena tried her best to make that sound like a joke, which prompted Porsha to force another smile as she nodded. "At least things got better off when you and your Mom came here, right?"
"Oh, hell yeah! Things got way better after I met you!"
Both their eyes bulged wide after Porsha said this, her words hanging in the air for at least a good thirty seconds or so.
"You, uh... you guys!" Porsha finally broke the silence, forcing a more casual front back on. "Yeah, y-y-you guys, I meant. Y'know, like… l-l-like everybody here. Like Johnny, and... a-and Ash, and Rosita, and Aunt Mary, and stuff... yeah. All you guys."
"Uh... yeah, sure, that... that makes sense..." Meena smiled, though Porsha couldn't help noticing what seemed to be a more disappointed look briefly flash on the elephant's face before they looked back at the screen. "Oh hey, Florence is on!"
Another long, awkward moment of mutual silence passed between the pair, with the only voices coming from the interview on the TV. Meena had her ears folded over her face, trying her best not to glance over at her friend in case they accidentally locked eyes, before she finally cleared her throat and spoke up again.
"I um... hmm... hey, Porsha..." She pulled her ears back as the young wolf looked at her, before pulling a small smile. "Things got way better after I met you, too."
"Aw..." Porsha beamed warmly as she leaned over, planting a kiss on Meena's cheek before resting her head on the elephant's shoulder. "Love ya too, buddy."
"Yes, Romeo and Juliet! The greatest love story ever told... told in a brand new way courtesy of the Moon Theatre!"
Stephanie could hear Buster's voice echoing from the stage while he presented his latest pitch to their cast. He'd previously told her his ideas for it earlier that morning - and Stephanie had made a few suggestions of her own, such as casting Johnny and Ash in the lead - so she decided to have some time to herself backstage while the others received their briefing.
"Still can't believe they're actually letting him out." Rosita's words continued ringing in her head. "It's barely even a slap on the wrist."
As much as Stephanie had tried to downplay her friends' concerns regarding the recent development, the thought of Jimmy not having to spend the rest of his life in a cell still made her sick to her stomach. Then again, she could only assume his cell at Redshore State Penitentiary would be fancier than the best suite at the Crystal Hotel anyway. So regardless of the facility, he'd be serving his sentence in luxury, far more than he deserved after all the things he'd done.
BZZZZZ... BZZZZZ...
Stephanie jolted up, being snapped out of her various depressing thoughts when she felt a sudden vibration on her bottom half. The wolf then reached into her back pocket and fished out her phone, not even thinking about the unfamiliar number on the screen - her first instinct was that it was the safety inspector, who she still hadn't listed as a contact yet - when she pressed the notification and answered.
"Moon Theatre, dreamin' big dreams." She tried her best to sound happy as she repeated Buster's catchphrase, which she'd developed a habit of doing whenever she got a call. "How can I help?"
"Hello, Stephanie..." The familiar snarl sent a chill through Stephanie's bones as she froze up on the spot, her breath stilling in her throat while her ex-husband let out an ominously hollow chuckle. "Nice to hear from ya again..."
"J... J-Jimmy...?"
Chapter 25: The Promises
Chapter Text
For a good five seconds Stephanie stayed frozen on the spot. She felt her left hand shaking uncontrollably while her right hand gripped tighter around the phone that it was holding to her ear, and she found herself barely able to breathe. The wolf wasn't entirely sure whether this was a panic attack, a heart attack or something else entirely, but she was slightly snapped out of her traumatic catatonia when her ex-husband's voice spoke up again.
"Ya sound surprised to hear me, Steph..." Jimmy scoffed. "Ya didn't really think I wasn't gonna keep in touch, did ya...?"
"B-but how... how'd... ugh... how did you get this number...?" Stephanie quivered a little, but she managed to mix in a tone of anger to make her fear less evident, before she rolled her eyes and regained her usual deadpan voice. "Y'know what, doesn't matter... I know ya have your ways."
"Was pretty easy, actually. Ever since the trial... y'know, the first one... Jerry's been keepin' tabs on that podunk little fixer-upper you've been running..." Although she couldn't see his face, Stephanie could tell when Jimmy was sneering with disgust. "Bad enough ya brought down my whole company, but then ya gotta give folks that amateur crap instead!"
"I ain't the one who committed all them crimes..." Stephanie snarked, now sounding more confident even with the sound of the other wolf's heavy, enraged breathing on the other end. She briefly glanced towards the stage, making sure Buster and the rest of the group weren't eavesdropping, then closed the side curtain over to further their separation. "Listen, I ain't got all day, Jimmy, so whaddaya want...?"
"Oh, nothing... just wanted to catch up, y'know?" Jimmy's tone was casual, though Stephanie knew better than to be fooled by his façade. "Can't a fella keep in touch with the gal who ruined his life...?"
"Yeah, well... I ain't got nothin' more to say to ya, Jimmy..." Stephanie shot back, preparing to hang up. "So if ya don't mind, I got more important stuff to spend -"
"Don't you dare dismiss me, you little tramp!" Jimmy's sudden outburst took Stephanie off guard, almost causing her to drop her phone, but she managed to prop herself against the wall while her ex continued his rant. "The least ya can do is hear what I gotta say about it! Last twenty years you've given me nothin' but grief! You and that treacherous little -!"
"Don't you dare say her name!" Stephanie hissed, trying her best to keep her voice down so the others on stage couldn't hear her. "What ya did to me and Porsha's bad enough, but they shoulda thrown away the key after what you did to my friend!"
"PAH! Suki got what she deserved!" Jimmy spat, followed by an audible THUMP! of him slamming his fist on a table. "And it ain't even a tenth of what I oughta do to you!"
Stephanie felt her nostrils flare as she growled hatefully, though after a moment she managed to calm herself down and straightened up again. "By the way, it's actually seventeen-and-a-half years. But I get it, though... sure as hell feels a lot longer."
"Hmm... yeah... well, on the bright side, it ain't got much longer to go..." Jimmy's voice oozed with a false sweetness, which only made his actual words even more ominous. "I thought about surprisin' ya, but now that I've paid my dues, turned over a new leaf, all that crap... I figured I'd be nice and give ya a fair warning."
"Warning...?" Stephanie felt the fur on her face flaring up, while her grip slowly tightened on her phone until her knuckles hurt. "Warning for what?"
"I'm thinking of payin' a visit to that... that so-called theatre ya got over there in Calatonia." Jimmy was clearly pulling his signature sadistic grin on the other end of the phone. "We're gonna catch up, Steph. Whether you like it or not."
"Oh, come on..." Stephanie nearly laughed, looking around the room with a confident grin. "Ya really really you're get within a hundred feet of this place? I make one call to the cops, and -"
"And do what? Keep 'em posted outside your place 24/7...? Waitin' for a fella who's already under house arrest...?" Jimmy's words made Stephanie sink down into a nearby seat. "You keep cryin' wolf, sooner or later they're gonna stop comin' to help ya. Hmm... and I got all the time in the world to wait for that."
"Yeah... yeah, I guess ya do..." Stephanie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she hunched forwards. "Why... w-why do ya gotta keep doin' this, Jimmy...? Why can't ya just stay in your big fancy house and leave us alone?"
"Because you humiliated me!" Jimmy roared, straining the microphone. "First ya stole my kid, then ya showed me up in court, then ya got me locked up! How else am I supposed -!"
"Ya did those things to yourself, and you know it!" Stephanie snapped back, not even caring that she was now raising her voice. "Me and Porsha have been outta your hair for ten years now, Jimmy, why can't ya just move on already...? We have!"
"Oh-ho, I will..." Jimmy hissed. "Right after I burn everything you've built right down to the ground! With you inside! And that's my promise!"
"Well, we're puttin' on a show at the end of the month..." Stephanie snarked back. "I'll save ya a front row seat!"
And with that, Stephanie hung up and shoved her phone back into her pocket and grabbed her purse. The wolf had almost forgotten that she wasn't the only one in the building as she strutted over to the curtain and pulled it aside, freezing up for a moment when her boyfriend and the rest of the group looked at her.
"Oh, uh..." She cleared her throat, quickly brushing some of her unkempt fur to make herself look presentable again. "S-s-sorry to interrupt!
trying her best to tidy herself up again as she pulled the curtain aside and headed onto the stage. "Alright, what did I miss...?"
"Oh no no, Stephanie, it's all good!" Buster laughed. Although his warm voice did sincerely cheer her up a little, Stephanie still found herself having to force a happier facade as the koala got down from the table he was stood on. "Yeah, I was just gonna go onto some of those costume ideas we were talking about earlier."
"What? Oh yeah, for the uh... f-f-for the thing..." Stephanie cleared her throat, itching the back of her neck as she shuffled her way past Mary and Norman and headed to the edge of the stage. "Yeah, you go ahead with the thing, honey, go go go..."
Rosita turned around in her seat, watching as the wolf headed down towards the auditorium door. "You okay, Steph...?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine, I just..." Stephanie turned on the spot, taking a yawn as she pulled a dramatic stretch, then walked backwards towards the door. "I just, uh... I think I oughta go home, wait for Porsha, y'know... pretty sure she didn't take her keys with her tonight!"
"Ah, of course! Can't have that now, can we?" Buster ran to the edge of the stage, waving to the wolf before she finally closed the door. "See you tomorrow, Steph!"
The koala kept his smile until Stephanie left, though his ears lowered slightly as he looked back to the others.
"So, she's um... she's taking it pretty hard, huh?"
"Mom...?! Mom, are ya home?"
"Oh, uh... y-yeah, sunshine, in here!" Stephanie called back, quickly closing the wine cupboard she was about to reach into as she pulled a carton of orange juice from the fridge instead. She quickly wiped the streaks of tear-stained mascara off her face and propped herself up on the table, trying her best to look casual as her fourteen-year-old came into the room. "So, uh... good night? I mean, not good night like that, I uh... w-was it a good night?"
"Oh yeah, it was real nice." Porsha answered back, leaving her backpack on the couch as she headed into her bedroom. "Yeah, the little fellas just stayed in bed all night, so... wasn't any trouble, really."
"Ah, cool..." Stephanie waited in the doorway for a moment or two, making sure Porsha had enough time and privacy to change into her pyjamas, then came into the room. "Oh, and let me guess, ya had Meena come over and watched a couple Harry Ploppers, right? Hmm... Quickflix and chill?"
"Mom!" Porsha's face beamed a bright red, though after a moment both she and her mother both burst into a giggling fit as she laid back on her bed, and Stephanie sat down on the bottom corner. "But seriously, though, we're just friends."
"Oh yeah, I've heard that before, baby..." Stephanie shook her head with a chuckle. "Heck, I used to say that about Buster, remember?"
"No, ya used to say ya worked for him..." Porsha corrected, tilting her head as she thought for a moment. "Which I'm pretty sure is, like, real not ethicable or something, but hey... it works, it works, I guess."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that ain't even the word, sunshine, but yeah..." Stephanie gently patted her daughter's kneecap. "But honestly, Porsha, if you and Meena... y'know... and I'm not sayin' ya do, just hypothetically... you girls ain't got nothin' to be ashamed of. You know that, right?"
"Uh... y-yeah, I guess so." Porsha then folded her knees back into her chest, hesitating for a good ten seconds before she spoke up again. "But yeah, we uh... we only watched the one Harry Plopper, then the uh... th-then we watched the news."
"News? But Porsha, ya hate watchin' the -" Stephanie cut herself off, as it reoccurred to her what the top story of the day was. "Oh... that means you uh... y-y-ya saw him, didn't ya...?"
"Yeah..." Porsha nodded. "So uh... s-so do we gotta do anything about him gettin' let out or -?"
"He's not out!" Stephanie covered her mouth, having not meant to snap, then let out a small sigh and looked down. "Sorry, but uh... b-but yeah, house arrest is still arrest, Porsha. So uh... s-so technically, he's still inside, y'know..."
"Right..." Porsha nestled back down against her pillow while Stephanie stood back up. "So ya feel okay about it, right?"
"Okay? Yeah, of course, I feel great!" Stephanie forced a laugh, gently cupping the younger wolf's chin before planting a kiss on her forehead. "Everything's gonna work out fine, Porsha. That's a promise."
"Hmm..." Porsha still wasn't completely convinced, but rather than prod she simply smiled. "Night, Mom."
"Night, sunshine..." Stephanie took a deep breath, then headed to the door.
"Hey, Mom..."
"Uh-huh...?" Stephanie froze in the doorway, turning back to look at her daughter. "What's wrong, Porsha?"
"It um... it wasn't your fault, Mom." Porsha said, watching how her mother seemed to straighten up on the spot. "Y'know... what happened to Aunt Suki."
"Uh... yeah... yeah, I know..." Stephanie sniffled a bit, managing to hold back her tears until she'd closed the door over. "I know..."
The early Autumn chill fluttered through the air, with a rather gloomy set of clouds casting a dull shadow over the Perkins Home For The Infirm. It made for a much colder journey than Stephanie's previous visit, but once she'd made her way inside, the smiling face of her boyfriend's mother was more than enough to warm her up.
"Oh hey! Morning, sweetie!"
"Hi, Bernie..." Stephanie smiled as she came into the room. "Sorry I've not been round the last couple weeks."
"Ah, think nothing of it... Buster did say you were busy..." Bernie grunted as she started to clamber down off her bed, jolting a little in surprise as Stephanie gently helped her down to the floor. "Oh... thanks, Steph."
"Sure, no worries." Stephanie cleared her throat, then knelt down to the old koala's level as she held her hand. "So uh... so how ya been holdin' up?"
"Pretty good, actually..." Bernie hesitated, taking on a gentler tone. "Oh, and I uh... I heard about your last fella getting out too. It ain't right, that."
"Uh-huh. Yeah..." Stephanie stood back up, making sure she'd closed the door to Bernie's room - making sure the home's other residents and their carers couldn't hear the conversation - then took a seat. "I um... I wasn't really sure who else to talk to about this, Bernie, but uh..."
"Oh..." Bernie pursed her lips. "What's up, kiddo?"
"Jimmy, he uh... oh, that's the other guy, by the way, he um..." Stephanie cleared her throat. "He called me last week."
"Called you?! What about...?!"
"Well, y'know, he... he was talkin' about comin' here. To Calatonia. He wanted to..." Stephanie scoffed, then made air quotes with her fingers. "To catch up, if you get my drift."
"Oh... oh..." Bernie bit her bottom lip, finally understanding the insinuations. "But... b-but Buster said he was under house arrest or something."
"That doesn't matter. He's got his ways."
"What kinda ways?" Bernie scoffed, not noticing the angrier expression on the wolf's face. "The law's there for a reason, kiddo. He sets one foot outside that big fancy -"
"Ya don't know him like I do, Bernie! None of ya do!" Stephanie finally snapped, clutching both sides of her head as she stood up and strutted back and forth in the room. "God, I've been sayin' the same thing to everybody all week, but I know it's not true! He'll find a way out, he always does!"
"Alright, just calm down, honey, you'll never -"
"You calm down!" Stephanie cut in, clumsily wiping her eyes as tears started flooding down from them. "Ugh, don't ya get it, Bernie?! I'm never gonna get away from him!"
"Oh come on, Steph, you know that's not true." Bernie reached for the wolf's hand, though Stephanie quickly yanked it away. "Heck, the whole reason you and your Porsha are here now is cause you got away."
"Yeah, and he's been leerin' over us ever since!" Stephanie groaned, then slumped back down in her seat, taking a moment to calm down before she hunched forward again. "Sorry, I just... it... it's never gonna end."
"What is...?"
"It. All of it. Y'know, me, him, Porsha, all that crap..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, trying her best not to cry again. "We're just gonna keep runnin' and... an-and he's gonna keep chasin' us, and... and the folks we care about are gonna keep gettin' hurt, or... or worse..."
"Hmm... some boys just don't get no means no, huh?" Bernie snarked, though she soon realised Stephanie wasn't in the mood for levity. The old koala then reached for the wolf's hands, gently clasping them as Stephanie looked down at her. "You can't keep being afraid of him, Steph. You can't let it control you."
"Bernie, I... ugh..." Stephanie put her whole hand to her face. "Jimmy's gonna be comin' here any day now, and I can't protect any of you! Alright, the only way it's gonna end is when me or him ends up six feet in the -!"
"Stephanie!" Bernie suddenly barked, taking the wolf off-guard as she straightened up in her seat. "Don't you dare start talking like that!"
Stephanie bit her bottom lip and shut her eyes tight, letting out a long, tired exhale. "Okay... sorry, Bernie..."
"Look, I get it, alright? I get it's hard, and I get you're scared, and... and I get you're sick of keeping this a secret from everybody else..." Bernie's tone was softer again, but more resolute. "But it's like Baxter always used to say. Don't let fear stop you from doing the things you love."
Stephanie hesitated, then nodded, prompting Bernie to reach a little higher so she could cup the wolf's chin.
"You're more than a victim, Steph. You and everybody else this Jimmy guy's hurt. And you gotta let him know that."
"I know, I know, I just..." Stephanie whimpered. "I'm just so tired or running away, Bernie."
"Then don't..." Bernie's words made Stephanie's eyes bulge wide. "Don't run away. Run forward. Leave him in the dust where he belongs."
Stephanie scoffed. "Trust me, it's easier said than done."
"Hmm... maybe so. But you've come a long way since I first met you, Steph. You, Porsha, all your friends at that theatre. Heck, you even brought my Buster along for the ride!" Bernie said as they both chortled, before she gently patted Stephanie's hand. "You didn't let this jerk hold you back then, and you've been going on way too long to let him do it now."
"You really think so?"
"Of course!" Bernie laughed. "That fella might have put you at rock bottom, Steph. But now, there's only way left to go, and that's UP!"
Brniee was taken off-guard when Stephanie suddenly knelt down and pulled her into a tight hug, though after a moment or two she gladly returned it. They stayed in this embrace for the better part of a minute, before the wolf finally got back up to her feet.
"Okay... okay, yeah..." Stephanie took a deep breath, then looked down at the now curious koala below her. "I know what we gotta do."
"Wait, what...?" Bernie raised an eyebrow as the wolf suddenly darted out the door, taking a few shaky steps over to see where she was going. "Stephanie...?"
At least a hundred different thoughts were racing in Stephanie's head as she bolted down the hallway, past the reception desk and right out into the parking lot, quickly fishing out and dialling her phone as she held it to her ear.
"Come on... come-on-come-on-come-on... Buster, hey!" She covered her mouth, having not meant to yell, then tried her best to keep her thoughts in order. "Honey, listen... I know you're still doin' a lotta work on that whole Romeo and Juliet thing, but I think I got an even better idea!"
Chapter 26: The Plan Of Attack
Chapter Text
"Wait..." Meena stopped in the doorway, looking at the poster that one of the theatre attendants had just placed at the ticket booth. "I thought they were doing Romeo and Juliet?"
"Well yeah, they were." Porsha stepped back to where her friend had stopped, looking up at the poster the elephant was pointing to. "Mom just kinda came up with this idea on the fly, though."
"The Suki Lane Memorial Concert...?" Meena read the title on the poster aloud, then glanced down to the date shown at the bottom. "Oh, it's on Sunday...?"
"Uh-huh. She wants it on for the anniversary. Y'know, six years since it happened..." Porsha shrugged. "I mean, it's a little last minute, sure, but I don't think they're doin' any big sets or nothin' like that for it. It's just gonna be the guys singin' on stage, so..."
"Oh yeah, that makes sense." Meena followed Porsha through the auditorium doors and down the aisle to the stage, where they saw the gorilla and lizard sat together at the piano. "Um... h-hi, Ms. Crawly! Oh, and uh... a-and Johnny's Mom!"
"Ah... morning, girls." Mary smiled at them both, while Ms. Crawly gave a small wave. "We're just doing a bit of rehearsing for Johnny's song."
"Oh, cool..." Porsha climbed up on the edge of the stage and sat down to watch them. "So, what song's Johnny gonna he doin' for the show, Aunt Mary?"
"It's uh... it's one of Eel-ton John's newer ones..." Mary tilted her glasses a bit to get a better look at the sheet music. "Yeah, it's um... it's not really one I've listened to that much, so... Joanne's just helping me get the hang of it."
"Hmm... just like old times, sweetheart." Ms. Crawly gently patted Mary's hand, letting the gorilla continue to recite the keys while she turned her attention to the young wolf. "Have you gone upstairs to see your Mom yet...?"
"My Mom?" Porsha's eyes widened a little. "Uh... n-n-no, me and Meena just got here. Why, what's up?"
"Oh, one of her friends from Redshore's upstairs with her and Mr. Moon."
"Really...?" Porsha glanced over to Meena, who shrugged, then hit her bottom lip as she climbed down off the stage. "Well, I uh... I g-guess I better go up and see her, then..."
Meena briefly considered following Porsha as the wolf went back into the lobby and ascended the stairs to Buster and Stephanie's shared office, but ultimately decided to hold back, quickly clearing her throat as she turned over to the adults on the stage. "So, uh... so how's Johnny feeling about the song?"
"Oh yeah, he's fine... been listening to it all week..." Mary chortled. "To be honest, though, I think he's a bit miffed he'll not be doing that duet with Ashley anymore."
"Gah...!" Porsha had barely made it up the stairs when she felt several small but quite heavy objects latching onto her back, soon finding herself buried alive under a pile of twenty-five very excited piglets. "Ugh... hey there, little fellas..."
"Okay kids, let's give her some space here!" Rosita's voice was exactly what Porsha needed to hear as she managed to pry her hand free from under the piglet pile, letting the mother pig latch onto her forearm so she could slowly pull her out from under it. "Yeah, sorry about that, Porsha. Norman's got a case to talk through at the firm and we couldn't get a sitter, so... had to bring home to work today."
"Oh no, I ain't complaining..." Porsha chuckled as she sat up, gently taking Casper off her shoulder and tickling the piglet's stomach before she handed him over to his mother. "I mean, yeah, they're a handful, sure... but they're a good handful."
"Hmm... yeah." Rosita gave her runt a little kiss on the forehead, before heading down the stairs as the rest of the litter followed her. "Oh, by the way, sweetie, I think your Mom's looking for you!"
"Yeah, I'm goin' to see her now..." Porsha started heading down the hallway towards the office again, though she quickly bolted back to the top stop when she realised little Zoe was still hanging onto her tail. "Rosita, ya missed one!"
"Ah, there she is!" Stephanie was sat on the corner of Buster's desk when Porsha entered the room, and gestured towards the other gentleman in the room as he rose from his seat. "Porsha, you uh... y-ya remember Charlie, right? Y'know, Suki's brother?"
"Oh, uh..." Porsha froze up for a moment, feeling like she was being put on the spot as she tried to study the older, bespectacled saluki. "I... k-k-kinda, I guess? Well, that is, um... ugh... n-n-no, not really."
Porsha and Stephanie both winced a little at this, though they were put more at ease when Charlie simply chuckled.
"Yeah, I can't say I blame you, kid..." Charlie sent an encouraging, almost fatherly wink Porsha's way. "Don't think you were much older than a baby when I saw you last."
"Oh, okay. Yeah, that makes sense, actually..." Porsha snickered. "Honestly, everything before we came here just kinda blends together, y'know..."
The fourteen-year-old was taken slightly off guard when the three adults all laughed heartily at this. She did notice what seemed to be a slightly more conflicted look briefly flash on her mother's face - likely due to some of the nastier memories they'd tried to bury from that era - but Stephanie quickly forced a smile back on when she realised her daughter was looking at her.
"Well, uh... w-w-well anyways, I uh..." Porsha cleared her throat. "So what brings ya over here, Charlie? I mean Mr. Lane! I mean, uh... well, whatever ya call yourself."
"Hmm..." Charlie shook his head in amusement, though he did seem rather sentimental when he looked down at a framed photograph of another saluki on the desk. "We um... we're actually here to see this show you guys are putting. Y'know, me, Ellie and Cherry."
"Cherry's here...?!" Porsha's face lit up as she excitedly shrieked, quickly covering her mouth as a red blush beamed on her cheeks. "Sorry, I uh... b-b-but yeah, I think I remember her. She's the one Aunt Suki used to bring over, right?"
"Yeah, that's right, sunshine." Stephanie chuckled. "Charlie here is Cherry's Dad, so uh... so that's probably where you'd know 'im from."
"Oh... oh, wow, that... yeah, that's all addin' up now, actually... ooh!" Porsha jolted up when she felt something hit the back of her legs, turning around to see the familiar marsupial that had just bumped into her. "Oh hey! Morning, Buster..."
"Hey, kiddo... sorry about that..." Buster picked up the clipboard that he'd dropped and quickly shuffled past her, his face lighting up when he saw the guest that was stood in front of his desk. "Ah, and this must be Mr. Lane! Good to finally put a face to the name, Sir!"
"Likewise, Mr. Moon..." Charlie crouched a little, unable to kneel due to his injured leg, and extended a hand for the koala to shake. "Yeah, I'm not staying long, but I just wanted to come by and say hello before the show on Sunday."
"Oh, of course!" Buster exclaimed, sending a smile to the older wolf lounging on his desk. "Yeah, Steph did say you and your family were coming. We got you guys seats in the royal box, right next to the Noodleman party!"
"Looking forward to it!" Charlie let out a small sigh, then picked up his briefcase and tightened his grip on his cane. "Right, well I uh... I'll leave you all to it, then."
"Sure! I'll show ya out." Stephanie jumped off the desk, prompting Porsha to shuffle back as her mother held open the door to let their guest past. "After you, Charlie."
"Ooh, and... t-t-tell Cherry I said hi!" Porsha poked her head out the office to call this as Stephanie and Charlie headed down the hallway, then let out an exhale as she looked back at Buster. "Ya don't think he was upset I didn't remember him, do ya?"
"Nah. Come on, kiddo, you guys haven't seen each other in years!" Buster laughed as he clambered up onto his seat and continued reading through some of his notes. "Honestly, Porsha, sometimes my Mom forgets who I am after a week..."
"Well yeah, but Grandma Bernie's old and stuff..." Porsha pursed her lips. "Well, y'know, not old old, like Nana, but uh... but yeah, she's a little fuzzy."
"Hmm..." Buster shook his head. "Yeah, but time does that to your memories, Porsha. Doesn't matter how old you are."
"Well, I gotta hand it to you, Steph, you've really made something of yourself here."
"He says as if he's surprised!" Stephanie's response made both her and Charlie laugh as they reached the bottom of the stairs and approached the front doors, though she pulled a more sincere smile as she looked behind them again at the. "But yeah... everything we built up here, y'know, it... it's great. I'm real proud of it, Charlie."
"I'm really glad... hmm... and I know Suki'd be glad too." Charlie sniffled a bit, and they both remained silent for around another minute as they stood in the lobby. "Yeah, but I um... I'm really sorry we never visited before, we just um... well, I wasn't entirely sure if -"
"Oh no no no, it's fine! Yeah, we um... well, I wouldn't say you guys were unwelcome or nothin' like that, Charlie, I figured ya just needed to find a good time for it..." Stephanie thought for a moment, then cleared her throat. "But hey, y'know, if uh... if ya wanted to stay another couple days, I bet Porsha'd love to show Cherry around. Y'know... catch up on things."
"Oh yeah. I'll definitely ask her." Charlie nodded, letting out another small sigh as he looked over to the poster that still hung over the ticket booth. "Steph, I... I um..."
"Yeah..." Stephanie gently clasped the saluki's hand, slowly pulling him into a hug as they both went misty eyed. "I miss her too, Charlie."
"She always said her name was never going to be a poster... y'know, the whole uh... the unsung hero behind the curtain thing..." Charlie sniffled as he pulled out of the embrace. "It really means the world to us, Steph. Thank you."
"Hmm... it's my pleasure..." Stephanie nodded warmly, though a more hateful tone slipped into her voice as another. "Suki deserves to be remembered, Charlie. Way more than he deserves to be."
Charlie nodded knowingly, a more concerned and uncertain expression slowly forming on his face.
"So, um... have you heard from Jimmy at all?"
"What, why...?!" Stephanie suddenly snapped, making Charlie tense back a little, though she quickly regained her usual tone as she straightened down her ruffled fur. "I-I-I mean, uh... n-no, I haven't. He's not called, or threatened me or anything, if that's what ya mean."
Charlie nodded, though he didn't seem completely convinced, most likely due to the very specific denials that the wolf had just made. But knowing Stephanie wasn't in the mood to be prodded further, he simply placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile before he opened the door.
"Just be careful, Stephanie." He said, still holding halfway through the doorway. "Jimmy might not take kindly to being called out like this. You don't want to risk retaliation."
"Retaliation? Nah... I ain't worried about that, Charlie..." Stephanie scoffed, putting her hands on her hips, though her smile slowly gave way to a more determined grimace once he'd headed out the door. "In fact, I'm lookin' forward to it."
"Looking forward to what...?" Ash's voice made Stephanie jolt up on the spot, before she turned around to see the porcupine looking up at her.
"Oh, uh... n-nothing much, sweetie, just uh... just the show, y'know..." Stephanie quickly gestured towards the poster again, this seeming to be enough of an answer as Ash simply shrugged and turned back to the soda can she was drinking from. "Well anyways, uh... how's your rehearsals going, kid?"
"Eh... still looking over the options list you gave me yesterday..." Ash went into the auditorium and sat on one of the seats at the back row, before straightening her glasses as she looked down at the sheet in her hand. "I mean... 21 Reasons, Since U Been Gone, Wrecking Ball... these are all breakup songs."
"I know, it's thematic..." Stephanie said, kneeling down to the porcupine's level so she could get a better look at the list for herself. "Y'know, it's gotta connect to the real story we're telling here. Like a, uh... oh, what's that word Buster used, um... oh, analogy! That's it."
"Right, I get it relates to what you went through, Ms. F, but... but uh..." Ash leaned in a little, almost whispering. "Isn't it gonna look a little awkward with me singing the break-up song...? Y'know, cause I uh... well, I actually have a boyfriend, so..."
"Oh yeah... him..." Stephanie rolled her eyes, though she regained her playfulness as she gently ruffled the quills on Ash's head. "Alright honey, if ya think that deadbeat's gonna get sensitive about it, ya can sing one of the other ones instead... oh hey, what about Die Young...? Who doesn't love Kesha, huh...?"
"Well yeah, I do, but uh..." Ash winced a little, gesturing towards the poster again. "It's not exactly appropriate, is it? Y'know, the whole murdered at 35 thing."
"Oh yeah, actually, that uh... yeah, that wouldn't be a good idea, would it?" Stephanie itched the back of her neck. "Don't even know why we put it there, to be honest."
"Yeah..." Ash then looked down the sheet again, eventually putting her finger to one of the songs near the bottom. "Oh hey, what about this one? REO Horsewagon?"
"That one...?" Stephanie clicked her tongue as she saw the song title. "Well, it's a classic, sure, but... y'know, I think it's more about fallin' in love than fallin' outta it, right? Doesn't really fit what we're goin' for here..."
"Well yeah, but you fell in love again, right?" Ash's eyes glanced towards the steps. "Y'know, maybe this song's more about you and Moon than you and that Crystal guy."
"Hmm..." Stephanie pursed her lips, thinking for a moment or two before she took out her pen and circled the song. "Y'know, I kinda like the sound of that, actually..."
Ash's face lit up. "Really?"
"Hundred percent!" Stephanie laughed, trying her best to avoid Ash's quills as she patted the porcupine on the back. "Y'know, kid, if you're ever done singing, I bet you'd be a good director too... ya really got good vision for that sorta stuff."
"Pun intended?" Ash snarked as she gestured to her glasses, though she did seem sincerely touched by the wolf's words. "But yeah, I um... Lance is always talking about building our own label when we're out of school, so... maybe I'll do some directing there."
"Label... oh..." Stephanie's ears lowered a little, her tone striking a mix between surprised and disappointed. "Label...? So you, uh... y-y-you're stickin' around with him, huh?"
"Wait, what...?" Ash was taken off guard, but she managed to force a laugh as she stood on top of the seat. "Well yeah, of course I'm sticking with Lance, he's my soulmate..."
"Oh God..." Stephanie rolled her eyes, though this time she made no attempt to sugarcoat her contempt as she stood up. "Let me guess, he's the one who said the soulmate thing first, right? Has he said he can do better yet...?"
"What, no! Well, I uh... no, I don't think so, but... well, maybe when we were fighting or something, but..." Ash took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to clear her thoughts and figure out what Stephanie was getting at. "So what, you're trying to say Lance is like that Crystal guy? Come on, Ms. F, get real for a -"
"I did get real! That's the whole reason I'm here now!" Stephanie cut her off, getting frustrated, though her tone was still sincere as she took the porcupine's hands. "Alright, trust me, kid, I fell for those signs too..."
"What signs...?!"
"First he says you're soulmates, then he starts actin' like he could do so much better, but all he's really doin' is stoppin' ya from figurin' out how much better you could do!" Stephanie groaned in disgust, though her voice betrayed some genuine pain. "Once ya start lowerin' yourself for him, he starts acting cruel, and cheating, and the next thing y'know, he's cuttin' ya off from the folks who actually care about ya, and when they try to help, he straight up -!"
"Hey, just cause you messed that up doesn't mean I will!" Ash finally barked quickly covering her mouth when she realised the sound of the piano had suddenly stopped.
She and Stephanie then turned to the open auditorium doors, seeing that Mary had stopped playing, and that she and everyone else in the room - including all twenty-five of Rosita's piglets - were directly looking at them.
"Uh... s-s-sorry, I uh... I just, um..." Ash quickly clambered down from the seat and took a few steps towards the door to the lobby, before letting out a groan. "Whatever, I'll just... I'll do the stupid song..."
"Wait, kid, just... Ash, hang on!" Stephanie reached out a hand, though she held back as the porcupine went into the lobby and bolted up the stairs, clearly ending their conversation. "Ugh... stupid kid..."
The next couple passed at a brisk pace, and the entire Moon Theatre was bustling with energy when the night of the concert finally arrived. Buster and Ms. Crawly observed from the office window as a steady stream of animals flowed through the entrance, forming a long line that wrapped around the block.
"Gosh, looks like we got the whole town up in here!" Buster laughed heartily, patting the old lizard on the back. "If I knew putting a show on for free would get such a full house, I'd have been doing it every night!"
Buster then clambered down from the windowsill, throwing his blue suit jacket over himself as he went to open the door. He was taken slightly off-guard when the door opened before him, and he found him staring up at the statuesque stunner that had just entered.
"W-wow... Steph, you... y-you look amazing..." He was slightly short of breath, making the wolf blush a little as she clasped her hands together. "Wait... that's not a new dress, is it?"
"What, this old thing?" Stephanie chuckled as she looked down at the glittery turquoise dress she was wearing. It was shorter than her usual skirts, but the darker green leggings she wore underneath did manage to preserve a sense of professional modesty. "Hmm... it's uh, it's one of Suki's old ones. Yeah, Ellie brought it over from Redshore, so..."
"Ah... right..."
"Well anyways, uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat, kneeling down so she could adjust the koala's red bow tie, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Everybody's getting ready."
"Let's move it or lose it, everybody!"
Ms. Crawly was bellowing out orders through her megaphone as soon as the three came down the stairs, prompting everyone to work even faster with their preparations. Stephanie went to the curtain to peek through at the crowd in attendance, while Buster went to each of his performers to recap their planned schedule.
"Alright, alright, alright, let's have another look here..." Buster murmured to himself as he looked at the checklist on his clipboard, while Porsha and Meena crouched behind him to get a look for themselves. "Okay, Rosita, you're up first!"
"You got it, boss!" Rosita responded confidently, sharing a quick kiss with Norman before her husband led the piglets to their seats. "Wish me luck, you guys!"
"You don't need it, honey!" Norman called proudly. "You're gonna knock 'em dead!"
"Hmm... then after that it's you, Johnny!" Buster continued, prompting a thumbs-up from the young gorilla while his parents helped him adjust the red suit he was wearing. "And Ash, you're -"
"After Johnny, I got it..." Ash cut in, reading through the lyrics on her sheet while Lance tried to finish tuning her guitar for her.
"Great, and where's uh... oh, there you are!" Buster spun around to spot the mouse that was standing on the mixing desk. "Then you gotta bring it on home for the finale, Mike!"
"I always do, Moon!" Mike laughed back, gracefully swirling the diamond-headed cane in his hand while he slid down the power cable to the floor.
Stephanie murmured to herself as she continued peeking through the gap in the curtain, surveying the massive crowd that were practically flooding the auditorium. By taking a quick glance up at the higher balconies, she was able to spot Charlie, his wife Ellie and another saluki that looked just a little older than Porsha - though she hadn't seen the little one in years, Stephanie could only assume this was Cherry - sitting beside Nana and Eddie in the royal box, just as Buster had promised them the other day.
She then turned her attention downwards towards the lower seats, noticing that Norman and the piglets had taken up most of the front row. Looking around Stephanie managed to spot a whole menagerie of familiar faces in the crowd, including Bernie, Meena's family, a few of her and Porsha's teachers and kids from the school, some of Rosita's friends from her Halloween parties, Jerry, Kendall, and by squinting a little harder, Stephanie even managed to spot Nancy from the...
"Wait..."
Stephanie snapped her gaze back to the middle third row where the small, chubby cat, and tall, grey wolf were sat together, letting out a small gasp when she realised her eyes hadn't deceived her. It was indeed Jerry and Kendall, sitting right at the edge of the aisle, and their presence - coupled with the several other familiar figures that she quickly spotted scattered around the crowd - was all the confirmation she needed that, for better of worse, what she had predicted had indeed come to pass.
"He's here..."
"Huh...?" Buster's voice snapped Stephanie back to reality as she turned to see everyone backstage was staring at her, and it was only then that the wolf realised she'd just spoken out loud. "You say something, Steph?"
"What? Oh, uh... n-no, I was just, uh..." Stephanie cleared her throat as she stepped closer to the group, not noticing Mary slip past her to look through the curtain for herself. "I was just keepin' any eye out. Y'know, for uh... f-f-for Florence! Yeah, she said she might -"
"Hey, I know that bloke!" Mary suddenly cut her off, making Stephanie tense up a little as some of the others went over to look. "Yeah, that wolf there, the one in the sunglasses! He's that prat who mugged Steph a few years back!"
"Right... don't you worry, Ms. F..." Marcus cracked his knuckles into place. "I'll get rid of 'im for ya..."
"N-n-no no, Marcus, that..." Stephanie groaned, forcing a laugh. "That's not necessary, really, I just -"
"Wait, but that..." Rosita thought for a moment, her fingers gripping the edge of the curtain as she - and the others - looked over to Stephanie. "Didn't you say that guy used to work for... for uh..."
"Ugh... yeah... him..." Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose as she let out a long, harsh exhale, knowing any attempts to backtrack or cover up now would be a futile effort. "Alright, there's... there's, um... th-there's somethin' I haven't told you guys about tonight."
This prompted some confused and curious murmurings among the group as they all exchanged questions and puzzled glances, before Stephanie finally came out with her.
"Ugh, Jimmy's here tonight, okay...?!"
"WHAT...?!" Almost everyone exclaimed in-sync, though Porsha's voice was the loudest by far as she ran over to take her mother's hands. "Dad's here?! Like, here here?! B-but... but how'd he... why'd... ugh... where even is he?"
"I dunno, sunshine, I just..." Stephanie bit her bottom lip, shut her eyes tight and clenched her fists tighter. "He... h-he called me last week. The night he got out on house arrest, he... he said he was comin' for me..."
She then felt a smaller hand clasping onto her own, looking down to see the koala gently holding her forearm.
"Steph, I... why didn't you tell us?" Buster asked.
"Yeah, woulda been great to know ahead of time not to come! Ow!" Lance grunted when Ash jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow, while most of the others - even including Mike - sent annoyed glares his way. "What? Don't like act like you're not all thinking it!"
"Look, me and Porsha have been runnin' away from this guy for ten years now! Alright, and that's never gonna stop until me and Jimmy finish what we started!" Stephanie seemed more determined as she wiped her slightly misty eyes. "So that's why we're doin' this show tonight. He's gonna come for me, so I'm gonna lure him in and -!"
"Oh, and you're gonna trap him, aren't you...?!"
"Wait, what...?" Stephanie's eyes widened a little as she, and the others, looked over to a suddenly very excited Rosita. "Trap him?"
"Oh my gosh, it all makes total sense! Then he gets charged for breaking his house arrest, and they finally lock him up for good!" Rosita quickly ran over and threw her arms around the older wolf's legs, only just being able to reach that height. "Aw, Steph, you're a genius!"
"I... I, um..." Stephanie's mouth opened to object, but then after a moment of hesitation, she finally cleared her throat. "Yeah, that's... that's definitely the plan, Ro. Ya hit it right on the head... so, uh... yeah..."
"Moon Troupe, huddle up!" Buster suddenly snapped his fingers, prompting the others - including Marcus, Meena and even Lance - to gather around him. They stayed like this for the better part of a minute - Porsha and Stephanie both glancing silently at each other as they tried to overhear the barely audible discussion - before they all separated and the koala swivelled around on the spot to face the two wolves again. "Alright, Steph... we're in!"
"In...?!" Stephanie nearly shrieked. "In what...?"
"Uh, we're in on the plan to catch Porsha's crazy Dad..." Ash snarked, playfully rolling her eyes. "Obviously."
"Hey, you've taken care of us all these years, Stephanie!" Johnny said, while Mary pulled both him and Marcus into a hug. "It's about time you let us take care of you for once, innit?"
"Eh, what the hell..." Mike straightened his suit, then did a small but sincere salute. "Just tell us what to do, Steph, we'll follow ya into battle!"
"Really...?" Stephanie felt herself getting teary-eyed again as she sniffled a bit, then wiped her face with the back of her forearm. "Aw, guys, I... I dunno what to say..."
"Hey, we've come this far, Mom." Porsha shrugged, gently clasping onto the older wolf's hand. "Might as well go all the way. For Aunt Suki, right?"
"Hmm... yeah... for Aunt Suki..." Stephanie nodded proudly, then looked back to the whole crew as a confident smile crossed her face. "Alright... here's what we're gonna do..."
Chapter 27: I'm Gonna Love Me Again
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"All creatures great and small..." Buster's amplified voice boomed from the speakers and echoed off all the walls, prompting the audience's chatter to cease as the koala descended on the Theatre's signature golden moon prop. He still held his microphone as he clambered down onto the stage floor, while the red curtain remained closed behind him. "I am your host, Buster Moon, and I bid you all a very warm welcome, to the Suki Lane Memorial Concert."
He briefly looked over to the corner of the stage, where Stephanie and Porsha were both stood, waiting for the older wolf to give a thumbs up gesture before he continued.
"Tonight, we come together not just to commemorate the life of one remarkable soul, but also the many, many remarkable souls who have spent their lives suffering in silence..." Buster took a deep breath, taking a moment while a large image - showing a collage of various photographs provided by the Lane family - was projected on the red curtain behind him. "Now, Suki here wasn't just a name or a statistic. She was a daughter... a sister... a friend. She had dreams, aspirations, and a fearless, selfless spirit that could not be easily extinguished."
A quick glance up at the royal box allowed Buster to notice Charlie and his family, all of whom were already getting choked up at both his words and the images of their departed loved one on display.
"But as we stand here tonight in remembrance, we also oughta acknowledge the recent release of one Jimmy Crystal, whose heinous actions tragically took Miss Lane from the world those six years ago." Buster could feel himself getting a little unsettled as he spoke about this, especially when he spotted some of the various hostiles that were scattered around the crowd, but he was determined to pull through. "So while our cast sing for you tonight, I'd like each and every one of you to consider those that have been oppressed and hurt, and those that are too afraid to stand up for themselves and others. And we can all unite together to pave the way for change... for justice... and for a world where no voice has to be silenced. Thank you."
A soft but still resounding applause broke out among the audience as Buster climbed back onto the prop moon, giving it a soft tug as it lifted him back up above the stage where he was out of their sight. "How's things looking up here, Ms. Crawly?"
"No signs of Crystal yet, Mr. Moon..." The old lizard answered back, still peering through her telescope down at the crowd below. "I've counted fourteen so far. Eight if you count Mr. Jonze."
The audience fell back into an excited hush when the curtain rose, and the stage was bathed in a soothing blue light as the familiar silhouette of a pig emerged from the darkness.
Rosita's dark blue dress was somewhat more modest than the leotards she usually wore in the other shows, but judging by her husband and children's awestruck reactions on the front row, she looked no less stunning as she strode towards centre stage. She took a deep breath as she gripped the microphone that had been propped up, waiting for the hypnotic synth backing track to begin before she let her voice weave its magic.
No words appear before me
In the aftermath
Salt streams out my eyes
And into my ears
Every single thing I touch
Becomes sick with sadness
Cause it's all over now
All out to sea
While most of the crowd were mesmerised by Rosita's performance, Ms. Crawly adjusted her spyglass as she spotted Jerry on the third row, while the cat made a silent, discreet gesture to the grey wolf beside him. This prompted Kendall, Roman and the five other thugs - a cougar, a daschund, a chimpanzee, a fox and a hedgehog - to leave their seats and head towards the lobby. "Oh, Mr. Moon! That's the first squadron on the move!"
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
You were bigger than the whole sky
You were more than just a short time
And I've got a lot to pine about
I've got a lot to live without
I'm never gonna meet
What could have been, would have been
What should have been you
"Alright, this way!" Kendall barked orders to his crew the moment they were outside on the sidewalk, leading them round the corner of the Moon Theatre towards the side alley. The grey wolf ran right up to the back fire doors, growling in frustration as he shoved and yanked the handles to no avail, before taking a step back and looking to the others. "Well, what are ya waitin' for? Break it in!"
Roman rolled his eyes, though they were concealed by his dark sunglasses, before giving the doors a forceful kick that sent them flying open. To their surprise, there was no alarm, and though they all remained on alert, the corridor seemed completely deserted as they walked into it. Kendall shoved his way to the front, leading the group into the dark backstage room.
Did some bird
Flap its wings over in Asia?
Did some force take you
Because I didn't pray?
The sound of Rosita's voice was still faintly audible from the stage, though it almost seemed eerie as Kendall and his crew made their way through the backstage area. There were props, costumes and set pieces hung up on the racks and scattered around the floor, but the actors that were seemingly supposed to use them were nowhere in sight.
Kendall looked down to the floor as a long silhouette caught his eye, a small, devious smile crossing his face when he traced it back to the corner of the stage where Stephanie was observing the performance. He raised his hand to get the attention of his peers, which then turned into a signal to proceed forwards as they approached their seemingly oblivious target.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
You were bigger than the whole sky
You were more than just a short time
And I've got a lot to pine about
I've got a lot to live without
I'm never gonna meet
What could have been, would have been
What should have been you
"NOW!" Stephanie suddenly barked as she turned on the spot, making Kendall and the rest of his crew freeze up on the spot.
"INCOMING...!" Mike's bellowing voice echoed from the rafters above. It quickly grew louder as the mouse swung down on a sand-bag, only just managing to jump off before it sent Kendall flying into the wall with a powerful THWACK!
The other thugs barely had time to react to their leader's predicament before they looked up at the ceiling, seeing a young gorilla and two porcupines hanging from the beams with a large, heavy tarpaulin stretched out between them. The trio let go of the beams they were hanging onto and gracefully parachuted down, letting the tarp cascade down with them.
"Gah!" Roman just managed to slip out of the way as the cover cascaded down onto the rest of his group, only for a massive arm to latch onto him from behind and yank him back. Marcus kept the leopard in an effortlessly tight headlock as he signalled to Stan and Barry, prompting his two associates to take care of the other thugs while Johnny, Ash and Lance - with some extra help from Porsha and Meena - held the tarp down.
Once the hostile party were completely subdued, Porsha quickly scrambled to her feet and ran over to her mother, gently taking Stephanie's hands as the older wolf tried to steady her own hyperventilation. After a few seconds, and a few more deep breaths, Stephanie finally managed to relax herself as the moment passed, and a small, satisfied smile crossed her face as she looked back over to the stage for Rosita's final chorus.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
You were bigger than the whole sky
You were more than just a short time
And I've got a lot to pine about
I've got a lot to live without
I'm never gonna meet
What could have been, would have been
What should have been you
The last note of the song lingered in the air for just a moment or two, only to be broken by a resounding round of cheers and applause from the audience. Unsurprisingly, the cheers from Norman and the piglets were by far the loudest as Rosita gave a graceful curtsy for her adoring public, waving and blowing kisses to her fans and family while she quickly rushed off the stage.
"Oh hey, it worked!" Rosita's face lit up as she came backstage, seeing the rest of the group's handiwork, before rushing over to pull Ash into a hug. "Great idea with the tarp trap, honey. Wasn't any trouble, was there?"
"Nah, they walked right into it..." Ash chuckled, gently pulling herself from the mother pig's embrace as she straightened the glasses. "Still... I always thought that only worked in movies."
"Hey, I told ya you had a vision for directing, kid..." Stephanie sent a wink Ash's way, making the porcupine's face beam red for a moment, before looking over to side stairs as Buster made his way over. "How's things lookin' up there, honey?"
"Ms. Crawly's still on lookout. Any of Crystal's other guys make a move, we'll be ready for them!" Buster reported, then glanced over to the slightly-dimmed stage while Mary took her seat at the piano. "Alright, Johnny, you're up next!"
"On it!"
Johnny finished straightening up his red suit and began his approach towards the stage, only to get knocked to the floor with a THUD! when a figure suddenly barged past him.
"Johnny!" Ash was just about to run to the gorilla's side, only to grunt in pain when a hand suddenly snaked around her neck from behind and yanked her backwards. "Ugh, get off me!"
"Hey dude, take you're stinkin' paws off my - whoa!" Lance was cut off when Kendall grabbed onto him with his other hand, the grey wolf panting and snarling as he backed into the corner with both his hostages.
"Ash!" Stephanie's eyes bulged wide, though her fearful expression quickly shifted to a more determined scowl. "Put 'em down, Ken, they're not part of -"
"One step closer, and the Prickle Twins get it!" Kendall cut Stephanie off as she and the others freeze up on the spot, only to loosen his grip on Lance when the porcupine swung his head back, sticking some quills right into his left wrist. "ARGH!"
"Lance!" Ash's face lit up as her boyfriend dropped down onto the floor, only for her smile to drop when the other porcupine immediately scrambled to his feet and bolted out the door without even looking back. "Wait, but... b-but... Lance, I... LANCE, WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Shut up!" Kendall barked harshly as he placed his hand over Ash's mouth, muffling the porcupine's voice while manoeuvring his arms around her quills to prevent her from repeating Lance's escape route. He then looked over to Stephanie and Porsha, pulling a sinister, toothy grin as he tightened his grip on the porcupine in his arms. "Now... if ya want your little friend here to stay in one piece, you're gonna stay nice and quiet-like til Daddy gets here..."
Mary shut her eyes and let out a small, sharp exhale, only just resisting the urge to punch her defenceless, bedridden father right in the face. Eventually, she opened them again, taking on a calmer, but still sad, tone as she looked him right in the eye.
"Why are you like this…?" She finally asked, the slightly wide-eyed expression on Graham's face indicating he hadn't expected to hear this question. "Seriously, what... what did I do to ever deserve any of this from you... eh...?"
Graham scoffed, and Mary couldn't tell whether his response was answering her question or deflecting it. "You were weak... pathetic... an embarrassment. Y'always have been."
"Hmm... right..." Mary shook her head, finally accepting that she was never going to get through, so she stood up and straightened down her shirt. "Well, maybe if you hadn't so worried about that, Dad, you wouldn't be sitting here all alone like this..."
"Y'think I care about being alone...?" Graham spat, though his arrogance came back in full force as he lounged back with a smirk. "I might have not have made many friends in my life, Mary, but I made an impact! Folks are gonna remember me! Yeah... the Calatonia Kingpin! The Infamous Graham Griswold, eh...?"
Mary glanced over to Charlotte for a moment, then let out a small sigh. "But is it worth being infamous for all the wrong reasons, though...?"
"Of course!" Graham's hearty laughter was punctuated by his strained coughing. "What, you'd rather I be like you?! Some worthless little waste of space who -!"
"I am not a waste of space!" Mary hissed, which prompted a mean-spirited little smirk to form on her father's face as the power began to shift again.
"Oh come on, don't lie to yourself, love! No one's gonna remember you!" He said. "Bloody hell, ya could die tomorrow, and even Marcus and Johnny'd forget ya existed by the end of the week!"
Graham's words were still ringing on loop in Mary's head while she tried to slow down her breathing. This usually happened whenever she was about to perform, though since she was always sat in the back playing her piano while everyone else performed in the foreground, it had always been easy enough to conceal her nerves in public. At least most of the time.
It wasn't until the lights brightened up onstage when Mary saw that Johnny hadn't come on yet, and a quick glance to her right caused her to realise that the entire crowd was now directly focused on her. She had hoped the awkward moment would pass once her son made his entrance, but then the catchy bass line of the backing track began to play, and the young performance definitely should have come on by now.
Mary tensed up and shut her eyes tight, her fingers hovering inches above the ivories. The next five seconds seemed to stretch on for at least a minute as she argued internally with herself, while another voice slowly began to drown out all her father's words of discouragement.
"When I was little, I'd have given anything to be up on this stage... singing my heart out like you lot used to do. Hmm... wasn't meant to be, I suppose."
"Says who...?" Stephanie chuckled, gently nudging the gorilla's shoulder. "Hey, first thing I'm gonna do when I buy this place, I'm gonna make you my opening act. How's that sound, huh...?"
"Ha ha, very funny..."
"No no no, it's not a joke, Mary, I'm serious!" Stephanie laughed, but she still sounded completely sincere as she held her friend's hand. "Come on, it... I don't believe it's ever too late for ya to chase your dreams."
The sound of a piano tune snapped Mary back to reality, only to look down and realise that she'd already started playing it, while the bass line on the backing track transitioned to a full blown orchestra. Even with her son seemingly absent for whatever reason, she knew the show had to go on, so after just another moment or two of hesitation, she finally started belting out the lyrics.
Oh, the joke was never hard to tell
Threw my spare change in the wishing well
The dream alone is always in your hands
If that don't fill the boy, and build the man
"Alright, Ken, just listen to me..." Stephanie took a single, shaky step forward, reaching out her hand as the other wolf tightened his grip on Ash's neck. "Look, I know me and Jimmy have put ya through a lot, okay, but ya can't take it out on -"
"I'll take it out on whoever I want!" Kendall snapped, pointing his free hand over to Porsha while keeping eye contact with her mother. "Ya didn't want anybody hurt, ya shoulda left your little brat where she belonged! Cause things were goin' great for me before you -"
"Oh, really? Well, if that sorta life's what you call great, buddy, maybe ya really are a... a... wait..."
Stephanie pursed her lips and straightened up when she heard the music and singing, before she and everyone else, including Kendall, looked over to the stage to see where - and who - it was coming from. "MARY...?!"
I'm gonna love me again
Check in on my very best friend
Find the wind to fill my sails
Rise above the broken rails
"Ugh!"
Kendall suddenly grunted when one of the cast members darted over and shoulder-checked him. As the grey wolf tumbled to the floor, his porcupine hostage flew out of his grip and up into the air, the momentum of her fall causing her to knock over her rescuer as she landed in his arms.
While most of the group quickly ran over to tie up the near-unconscious Kendall, before loading him up into the pile of thugs they'd already captured, Ash shook her slightly dizzy head and took off her slightly cracked glasses, her blue eyes widening when they met the brown eyes of the young gorilla that had just caught her.
Unbound by any ties that break or bend
I'm free, and don't you know?
No clown to claim he used to know me then
I'm free, and don't you know?
And oh, oh, oh
I'm gonna love me again
"You okay, Ash...?" Johnny sat back up and gently brushed some of the loose quills out of the porcupine's face. He tensed up a little when Ash threw her arms around his neck, but after getting an encouraging nod from both his father and Stephanie, he slowly returned the embrace. "Yeah... you're okay, mate..."
"Hmm... I've never been better..." Ash gave Johnny a quick kiss on the cheek, chuckling at the bright red blush that suddenly beamed off the gorilla's face, before leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "Now get out there and sing with your Mom..."
Back on the stage, Mary was playing the instrumental bridge to the second verse, taking a few deep breaths to get her voice ready again. But just before she could open her mouth to sing, she was cut off by a resounding cheer from both the audience and the backstage, her face lighting up with joy as Johnny finally ran on stage to take over.
The golden age was somehow bittersweet
But now the past lies sleeping, in the deep
The peaceful days that followed hollow nights
A kiss or touch could feel like Kryptonite
"WA-HEY, GET IN THERE!" Marcus bellowed as he, Stan and Barry all cheered and hollered for their loved ones on the stage.
While everyone else backstage was enthusiastically enjoying the performance, Buster looked up to see Stephanie getting a little misty-eyed as she watched the mother and son performing their duet, and he reached up to gently grip the wolf's hand. Stephanie looked down at the koala with a small, tearful smile, sniffling a bit as she knelt down to his level and pulled him into a hug.
Back on the stage, Mary shifted over a little on her seat, allowing Johnny to sit beside her and have a try on the keys for himself. Despite making them up on the spot, his improvised riffs complemented the song's main motif, and his mother was able to answer his tunes with some energetic melodies of her own. Though their voices were both slightly strained by the time they reached the final chorus, it was nevertheless a beautiful harmony as mother and son both belted out the lyrics.
I'm gonna love me again
Check in on my very best friend
Find the wind to fill my sails
Rise above the broken rails
On the third row, Jerry jolted up with a shriek when he heard the blaring alarm of the phone in his back pocket, though the audience were too focused on the two performers onstage while the cat quickly clambered down off his seat and ran out of the auditorium.
Unbound by any ties that break or bend
I'm free, and don't you know?
No clown to claim he used to know me then
I'm free, and don't you know?
And oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
I'm gonna love me again!
The crowd both backstage and in the audience erupted into applause when the song ended. Johnny tensed up for a moment when he saw some of his and Ash's classmates from band practice had made their way to the front row, though he relaxed when he realised they were all cheering him on.
"Mum!" He whined playfully when Mary suddenly put her arm around him and pulled him closer, giving her son a kiss on the forehead as they both laughed. Johnny then tightly clasped his left hand onto his mother's right, the pair exchanging a silent nod before they took a grateful bow to their adoring public.
"YES! WOO-HOO!" Stephanie's cheers were the loudest by far as Johnny and Mary came off the stage, the wolf ruffling the younger gorilla's head before throwing her arms around his mother. "Aw, Mary, I can't believe ya actually did it, you were amazing!"
"Hmm... yeah..." Mary gently pried herself from Stephanie's embrace, carefully making her way past the rest of her castmates as she darted right over into her husband's arms.
"Mary, I... I just..." Marcus was cut off when Mary placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him closer, both closing their eyes as their lips finally connected. Both their faces beamed a loving red as they pulled out of the kiss, before they gently pressed their foreheads together. "I'm so proud of you, love..."
Johnny was barely paying attention to the praise he was receiving from Meena and Rosita as he looked over to the corner, where Ash was silently tuning her guitar. His parents both looked over to watch the younger gorilla as he quietly shuffled over to where the porcupine was sat, quickly clearing his throat to try and get her attention.
"Oh, hey!" Ash's face lit up as she put her instrument aside and sat up, throwing her arms around Johnny's lower waist - only just being tall enough to reach it - as he tensed up a little. "You did great out there! And back here too!"
"Back here? Oh, you mean the uh... y-yeah, that..." Johnny chuckled nervously, though he did show some concern as he knelt to her level. "But you're okay, though, yeah? He didn't hurt you or nothing, did he?"
"Hurt me? How could he do that, I had you protecting me!" Ash laughed, playfully nudging Johnny's shoulder. "Big strong guy like you having my back, he didn't have a chance."
"I suppose not..." Johnny bit his bottom lip, briefly glancing over to both his parents and Porsha as they all gave him an encouraging thumbs up gesture. ""So, anyway, Ash, I um... you're not doing anything after the show, are you?"
Ash's face flared up red for just a moment. She glanced over to the door that Lance had fled out of a few minutes prior, before tilting her head back to the young gorilla with a smile as she fluttered her big, blue eyes. "Hmm... I'm free if you are, Johnny."
"Alright, Ash, that's you up next!" Buster suddenly hollered as he ran over with his clipboard, though he took on a gentler tone as he gripped the porcupine's hand. "You sure you're still up for it, kiddo? Cause after what happened a second ago, it's okay if you wanna skip straight to Mike..."
"What, are you kidding?!" Ash scoffed, quickly grabbing her guitar as she flattened down her vibrant red jacket. "Gotta keep the show rolling, Moon!"
"Ah-ha, that's my girl!" Stephanie held her hand lower, letting Ash give her a high-five as the porcupine rushed past her onto the stage. The wolf then turned her attention over to the other side of the room, seeing Mary kneeling down to pull her old mentor into a tight embrace.
"Hmm... always knew ya could do it, sweetheart..."
"Wait..." Stephanie straightened up and pursed her lips as her eyes bulged wide. "Joanne...?!"
"Mom...?" Porsha gently gripped Stephanie's shoulder, briefly making the older wolf tense up again before she realised everyone else was staring at her too. "Mom, what's wrong?"
"I... I just..." Stephanie clutched her chest as she started to hyperventilate again, and her voice began to quiver with anxiety while everyone else turned their attention towards something behind her. "If... i-i-if Joanne's down here, who... who's up there watchin' the crowd?"
CLICK-CLICK!
Stephanie froze up on the spot, and the others remained just as motionless when this sound cut through the silence like a knife. Not being familiar with the noise, Stephanie wouldn't have usually assumed that it was the sound of a handgun, though it was easy enough to put two and two together when she felt the barrel pressing right against the back of her head.
And if this weren't terrifying enough, the snarling, all-too-familiar voice of the animal holding it sent a deep chill right down her spine.
"Hello, Stephanie..."
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Bigger Than The Whole Sky" - Taylor Swift
"I'm Gonna Love Me Again" - Elton John
Chapter 28: Praying
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There were a few murmurs scattered across crowd as the lights went up again, revealing Ash stood centre stage right in front of the microphone while the reddish spotlight shone down on her.
Not being entirely used to performing solo, the porcupine could feel sticky patches of sweat slowly forming on her forehead and armpits, though her red jacket at least helped cover up the latter. She had to squint a little as she surveyed the audience, having left her cracked glasses backstage, though while she wasn't quite able to make out any familiar faces from either her school of family, she could faintly make out both her parents and Katy cheering some support.
The near-silence lasted for just around thirty-seconds, but Ash was just saved from suffocation when the synth backing track finally started up. She slowly strummed her electric guitar, her head bopping in rhythm with the music, before she leaned right into the microphone and began to sing.
I can't fight this feeling any longer
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow
What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show
At least a hundred different thoughts were racing through Ash's head as she sang, most of them revolving around Kendall's attack, and the thought of Lance abandoning her when she needed him most. But yet, as much as she tried not to think about it, her mind kept racing back to when she found herself in Johnny's arms, which suddenly gave way to a whole other sea of memories that she suddenly began to see in a whole new light.
I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I say there is no reason for my fear
Cause I feel so secure
When we're together
You give my life direction
You make everything so clear
All their good times together - from the first time they met that Halloween night, to all their rehearsals, even when he and Mary had supported her during the defence class - seemed to be playing on loop in her mind, and Ash couldn't help letting her voice falter just a little as her eyes slowly widened with her new realisation.
And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer
Than I ever thought I might
Suddenly feeling a surge of determination, Ash finally gave her guitar a powerful riff as the stage lit up with full, vibrant colours, and she began to sang out the lyrics with all the confidence, passion and pride that these newly renewed feelings could allow her to muster.
And I can't fight this feeling anymore!
I've forgotten what I started fighting for!
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever
'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crashing through your door
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore!
Ash's voice echoed still slightly faintly through the backstage room, though the rest of the cast were too focused on their current predicament to listen. Stephanie let her breath lie still in her throat while she slowly tuned on the spot, raising her arms in a gesture of surrender as she now directly faced the barrel of the silver-plated handgun.
"To think ya used to be so beautiful..." Jimmy clicked his tongue and shook his head as he studied his ex-wife's figure. "Ya really let yourself go, Steph..."
"Hmm... could say the same to you..." Stephanie snarked back, managing to force a smirk onto her face despite the utter terror she was feeling. "Guess all that crappy prison food's not to your liking, huh?"
"Grrrr..." A familiar look of visceral rage briefly flashed across Jimmy's face, his piercing blue eyes turning bloodshot as he bared his teeth, though after a moment he managed to regain his cool as he kept the gun pointed right between her eyes. "Well, no worries... I'm gonna be puttin' ya outta your misery anyway..."
"No!" Rosita finally spoke up, standing right between the two wolves as Jimmy glanced down at her. "If you wanna hurt Stephanie, you'll have to go through me first!"
"Yeah, and I'm sure she'll cherish those three seconds, tubby..." Jimmy scoffed, before sending the mother pig to the floor with a swift but forceful kick.
"Ro!" Stephanie gasped, only just stopping herself from rushing to her friend's side when Jimmy pointed the gun at her temple again. She briefly let out a small sigh of relief when Rosita pulled herself back to her feet, only looking a little dizzy as she stood with Johnny and his parents. "Jimmy, please, they... they ain't got nothin' to do with this, I swear!"
"Oh, I think they do..." Jimmy gestured with his free hand towards the other side of the room, where Kendall and the rest of his group were still piled up, then looked over to the rest of the Moon Theatre's staff. "Real sorry she had to drag all of ya into this. I'm afraid that's just what she always does."
"Don't you try playing that game with us, mate, we know the kind of bloke you are!" Mary snapped, giving Marcus a reassuring smile when he tried to hold her back.
"Hmm..." Jimmy looked over to the door as the rest of his thugs entered and stood behind them, glancing down towards the small, tubby cat that had led them in. "Well, what do you think, Jerry? Should we let Steph watch them die, or the other way around?"
"Oh... w-well, uh..." Jerry stammered. "I, um... I-I-I think you should decide, Mr. Crystal. Whatever makes you happy, sir."
"Stop it!" Porsha finally spoke up as she yanked herself away from Meena, only to freeze up when the white wolf snapped his head over to face her directly. "Oh... I, uh... I-I-I mean... please...?"
"Huh..." Jimmy lowered the gun slightly as he studied her for another moment or two, the others being too terrified to say anything, until it finally clicked where he recognised this young wolf from. "Hmm... Porsha..."
"Y-y-yeah, it... it's me..." Porsha bit her bottom lip, trying her best not to gag as she tried to finish her sentence. "...Daddy."
What seemed to be a genuine smile briefly crossed the white wolf's face, though it quickly turned to a sneer of disgust when he got a better look at what his daughter has grown into over the last decade.
"God, look what she's turned ya into..." He scoffed bitterly. "Fat, frumpy, dressed like some podunk little -"
"Hey, don't talk to her like -!" Buster cut himself off, freezing on the spot when Jimmy sent a glare his way. The koala wasn't entirely certain if the wolf knew who he was - either in regards to Stephanie or the theatre - but after a few brief seconds of eye contact he quickly stepped back beside Meena.
"Hmm... thought not." Jimmy then turned his attention back to the two other wolves in the room, keeping his weapon pointed at Stephanie while looking over to their daughter. "But don't you worry about none of that, baby. We'll get y'all fixed up when we're back home."
"She's not goin' anywhere!" Stephanie snapped, almost forgetting for just a moment that she had a gun pointed to her forehead.
"Hey, she's gotta go somewhere once you're in the ground!" Jimmy let out a hoarse, hollow laugh, then looked back to his rather timid looking daughter. "So whaddaya say, Porsha? You wanna get away from all this, finally get back to where ya really belong?"
"I... I, uh..."
Porsha quickly glanced over to her mother and the rest of the Moon Theatre staff, most of whom were silently shaking their heads, practically begging her not to agree. As her eyes trailed back to her father, they were suddenly drawn for a brief moment to something on her floor, right by Jimmy's feet, which prompted the young wolf to stand up straighter with a more confident, defiant tone.
"No."
"No...? Whaddaya mean no?!" Jimmy snapped, though after a quick look at Jerry - who seemed to be silently telling him that aggression wouldn't be the best approach here - he shook his head with an unconcerned, almost dismissive chortle. "Yeah, alright… I figured you'd be a little backwards after she brainwashed ya, but... it ain't your fault she stole ya, kid."
"Stole me...?!"
"Porsha!" Stephanie, Buster, Meena and some of the others all cried out when the young wolf suddenly threw herself right in front of the gun, standing right between it and her mother as she glared at her father. Though thankfully, even with the angry expression on his face, Jimmy slowly lowered the weapon while his daughter went on her rant.
"Leavin' Redshore was the best thing that happened to me! And to Mom!" Porsha said, tears welling up in her eyes but refusing to fall. "What, ya really thought we were happy there with you? I barely had no friends, she was starvin' and drinkin' herself to death, and you were too busy puttin' on your big, fancy shows to even care! Aunt Suki was the only good thing Mom ever had over there, and cause of you, she's six feet under the ground too!"
Stephanie reached for her daughter's shoulder. "Alright, sunshine, that's -"
"Just take a look around here, Dad! Look what we've done, look what we've built!" Porsha stretched her arms out, gesturing towards the theatre they were standing in, then keeping one arm raised as she pointed to the rest of the group. "We've had the most wonderful times, with the most wonderful folks in the world! They'd do anything for us, and we'd do anything for them! And that's more of a family than I'd have ever gotten stayin' with you!"
"Ugh..." Jimmy scoffed, trying his best to quell his fuming rage. "Porsha Elizabeth Crystal, you better shut your mouth before -"
"My name is Frangipane!" Porsha shrieked in his face, now feeling brave enough to prod him in the chest with her finger. "It's my mother's name, and I'm proud to have it! Cause she didn't steal me, ya racist asshole, she saved me!"
Having spent most of her energy on this passionate venting, Porsha jolted a little when she felt two arms suddenly reaching around her shoulders. Though she quickly relaxed when she realised Stephanie had simply pulled her into a hug, which she gladly returned as her tearful mother gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Hmm..." Despite the rage smouldering in his eyes, Jimmy remained eerily calm. "Then, I'm guessing that means you're not comin' back with us, huh?"
"No, Dad, I'm not..." Porsha gently pried herself from her mother's embrace, once again standing tall and proud right between her parents. "I'd rather die!"
CLICK-CLICK!
Porsha's eyes - and just about everyone else's, including Jerry and the thugs' - bulged wide when Jimmy raised the gun again, this time pointing it directly at her head with Stephanie right behind her.
"Really didn't think you'd be stupid enough to do that..." Jimmy snarked. "Now if ya both hold still, I can do this in one... GAH!"
Jimmy suddenly jerked his leg up when something ran up his pants, stumbling back to the floor with as the gun fell from his hands and landed right at Johnny's feet. Once the younger gorilla grabbed the weapon - doing so with the sleeves of his shirt - his parents, Stan and Barry immediately sprang into action dispatching the remaining henchmen.
"Jerry! Ugh, get it off! Get it off, get it off, get it off!" Jimmy almost whined as he continued writhing and contorting on the floor, trying his best to either crush or grab the smaller animal that was moving around under his clothes. Finally, he sat up and reached his hand under his shirt, pulling a furious scowl as he yanked the tiny mouse out of it. "Grrr..."
"Oh, uh... h-hey there... Stephanie's told us a lot about ya..." Mike chucked nervously, tipping his fedora to the white wolf, only for Jimmy to flick him away and send him flying halfway across the room. "I REGRET NOTHING!"
"Mike!" Stephanie called, wincing a little when the mouse hit the wall with an audible SMACK!, before holding Porsha close as Jimmy got back to his feet. "Jimmy... Jimmy, please, ya just gotta -"
"NO!" Jimmy roared, which gave way to a more savage hiss as he slowly approached them. "I've given you your chances, both of you! And now it's time to finish this!"
"I couldn't agree more!" Porsha shouted, making Jimmy freeze up on the spot, right where she wanted him to be. "NOW!"
"Huh...? WHOA!" Jimmy called out when the floor suddenly gave way beneath him, landing with another hard THUD! on the bottom. He swivelled around onto his back as he looked around the fenced, cage-like structure he'd fallen into, before looking up at the koala who had just pulled the switch. "You!"
"Ms. Crawly put some cushions and snacks down there, so… you should be comfortable 'til the show's over."
"You little -!" Jimmy was cut off when Buster closed the trap door on his face, though the banging of his fists was still audible on the other side.
"You girls okay...?" Buster rushed over to the other two wolves, though they were too breathless to answer as Stephanie pulled Buster and Porsha into a hug. "Yeah... yeah, you're okay..."
"We're all sorted here, too!" Mary said, gesturing over to the now much bigger pile of defeated henchmen that Meena and Rosita were helping to tie up - including Jerry, who it seemed from his lack of injuries had simply surrendered - before gently taking the gun out of Johnny's hands. "Right, go get your phone and ring the police, love. There's a good lad."
"On it!" Johnny took off with Ms. Crawly while the sound of applause emanated from the stage.
"Oh hey, you got more of them! Great!" Ash said, the porcupine still short of breath after finishing her number. "Where's Crystal, did you get him too?"
"Yep, he's right under there!" Buster pointed to the trap door, before reaching for his clipboard and looking at the schedule. "Alright, time to get things back on track. Mike, we need you up next!"
"I um... I don't think that's gonna happen, Mr. Moon..." Rosita suddenly spoke up.
Everyone looked over to the mother pig as she came back over from the corner, all of their eyes widening when they saw the bruised, barely conscious mouse in her hands.
"Oh my gosh!" Porsha stayed knelt down, not noticing Stephanie standing up and going over to the mixing desk. "Is he gonna be okay?"
"Well, nothing's broken or anything, so he's fine there..." Rosita said, before looking over to Buster again. "He's not in any shape to go on stage, though."
"But it's the finale!" Buster tried his best not to panic. "We can't just cut the show off like this!"
"Well yeah, but who's gonna sing instead?" Mary asked. "Unless you want to do it, Meena."
"Me...?!" Meena froze up as everyone looked over to her. "N-no, that's crazy! I've never even been on stage before!"
"Aw, come on, Meena, ya got a great voice!" Porsha said, letting the others murmur in agreement. "You go out there, you'd blow that audience away no problem! Right, Mom?"
Porsha suddenly straightened up when her mother didn't answer, before she and the rest of the group looked around and realised that Stephanie had completely disappeared.
"Mom...?"
The stage lights slowly began to rise again, casting their warm glow upon the audience. Though what started out as murmured anticipation suddenly turned to a confused silence, as all eyes both backstage and in the crowd were drawn to the lone figure that was now standing centre-stage.
It wasn't the small, Sinatra-singing mouse they had been expecting, but a wolf. And not just any wolf... it was Stephanie Frangipane herself!
"Mom...?!" Porsha covered her mouth after blurting this out loud, letting it echo slightly across the entire auditorium, though the rest of the cast were just as taken aback as they observed from the corner of the stage.
Stephanie took a few deep breaths, gripping the microphone with both her trembling hands as she surveyed the awed but unsure looks among the crowd, particularly the gazes of both the Lane and Noodleman families as they watched from the royal box. The wolf gave a final glance over to the others at the side of the stage, seeing all their excited, encouraging faces. Buster was stood at the front, pulling a small smile before quietly uttering a single word...
"Sing..."
Letting out a final exhale, Stephanie looked over to Ms. Crawly on the sound desk, giving the old lizard a small nod and prompting her to start the music. Having switched out Mike's copy of "My Way" before coming on stage, a soft piano motif began to play instead, and Stephanie slowly closed her eyes before she sang along.
Well, you almost had me fooled
Told me that I was
Nothing without you
Oh, but after everything you've done
I can thank you for
How strong I have become
Stephanie could feel herself getting choked up a bit as she moved onto the first bridge, but she managed to hold her tone despite it.
Cause you brought the flames
And you put me through hell
I had to learn
How to fight for myself
And we both know
All the truths I could tell
I'll just say this is
I wish you farewell
Even she could tell that her voice was slightly huskier and more strained than it was in her youth - as to be expected from a near fifteen year hiatus - but from what she could tell it was hardly an issue, as the entire Moon Theatre - but especially Porsha - seemed to be utterly mesmerised by her singing.
I hope you're somewhere praying
Praying
I hope your soul is changing
Changing
I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees
Praying
While everyone both onstage and off was spellbound by the wolf's performance onstage, the Moon Troupe paid no attention to Jerry as the cat carefully pried himself from the ropes that had bound him, and managed to free himself from the ropes that had bound him. He stealthily made his way down the stairs under the stage. "Mr. Crystal? Sir, are you in -"
"Yeah, obviously I'm down here, Jerry, I got trapped!" Jimmy snapped impatiently. "Don't just stand there like an idiot, get me outta here!"
I'm proud of who I am
No more monsters
I can breathe again
And you said that I was done
Well, you were wrong and now
The best is yet to come
"Okay... I got it..." Jerry quickly ran over with a long pair of pliers he'd found on the floor, clumsily trying to latch them onto the lock. "Watch your fingers... ooh!"
The lock was barely cut when Jimmy suddenly gave the door a swift, forceful kick, sending the cat flying before he bolted back up the stairs.
Cause I can make it on my own
And I don't need you
I found a strength I've never known
I'll bring thunder, I'll bring rain
When I'm finished
They won't even know your name
Jimmy kept his head lowered as he reached the top of the stairs and re-entered the main backstage area, making sure he wasn't caught by the cast members or their gorilla bodyguards. He felt himself burning with rage when he looked over to see his ex-wife singing on stage, quickly piecing together who her song was mainly being directed towards, before pulling a small, devious smile when the fuse box in the corner caught his eye.
You brought the flames
And you put me through hell
I had to learn
How to fight for myself
And we both know
All the truth I could tell
I'll just say this is
I wish you farewell
Back on the stage, Stephanie continued to pour her heart and soul into the song. As she closed her eyes, all her worst memories played on loop in her head - her foster father's abuse, her marriage to Jimmy, Mary's jump, Suki's murder - but it only fuelled her passion more as she belted out the chorus.
I hope you're somewhere praying
Praying
I hope your soul is changing
Changing
I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees
Praying
As the final verse arrived, Stephanie stomped her foot in rhythm with the music, which now had a swelling orchestra in tandem with the piano, and the audience all clapped along to the same beat.
Sometimes
I pray for you at night
Someday
Maybe you'll see the light
Some say, in life
You're gonna get what you give
But some things
Only God can forgive
The music stopped as Stephanie held the high note for a good five seconds - this being a signature she'd developed during her performances in years past - before starting again the entire stage lit up with sparks and strobe lights, lighting up the entire Theatre as the crowd hollered with awe and wonder.
I hope you're somewhere praying!
Praying!
I hope your soul is changing!
Changing!
Stephanie's energy was so spent by both her singing and her experiences backstage that she could barely keep standing, but she managed to bring the song to a softer diminuendo as her tears glistened under the stage lights.
I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees
Praying
The audience's cheers and applause were still echoing behind Stephanie when the still-breathless wolf made her way backstage again. Though the reception of her friends and cast mates was just as enthusiastic, especially from the younger wolf that bolted over to tackle her to the floor.
"EEEK! Ya did it, ya did it, ya did it!" Porsha shrieked with excitement, nearly crushing the life out of her mother as they both let tears of joy flood down their faces.
"Steph, that was incredible!" Rosita said as she took the wolf's hand, while everyone else murmured and gushed in agreement. "I mean, I knew you said you were a performer, but I didn't think you had pipes like that..."
"Yeah, well..." Stephanie chuckled, giving Porsha another quick kiss on the forehead. "I've been holdin' that in for a long, long time."
"WHOO-HOO, YEAH!" Buster hollered with joy, getting a glance at the still very enthusiastic audience as he looked over to his cast. "Well, what are you guys waitin' for? Get out there!"
KA-BOOM!
Almost everyone was sent flying back when the fuse box suddenly erupted, vomiting a violent flurry of sparks that went all over the walls and set one of the red curtains ablaze. Johnny tackled Ash out of the way of the flaming cloth as it fell down, and the audience all began to scream and panic while the fire quickly spread to the rest of the stage and beyond.
"Oh my God!" Mary gasped as she - and most of the others - looked up at the wires on the ceiling, which had already begun to spark and rain more fire down onto the wooden beams. She then began untying Kendall and the rest of the thugs from their ropes, prompting some of the others to do the same, allowing them to move while the fire continued to spread. "We've got to get out of here! NOW!"
"It's this way!" Porsha pointed to the backstage door, which was still accessible despite the flames forming on either side, and began to run towards it as the others did the same. "Hurry, follow me! UGH!"
"PORSHA!"
Nearly everyone on the Moon staff shouted in-sync - though Stephanie's shriek was by far the loudest - when Porsha was suddenly sent off her feet, and they all froze up in horror as the young head wolf's head collided against the wall with a hard, painful THWACK!
"NO!" Stephanie skidded down onto her knees, barely feeling the pain of the broken splinters and glass on the hot floor, as she tried to prop her barely-conscious daughter's body upright, and Buster and Rosita quickly ran to their side. Stephanie's eyes widened when she felt something hot and sticky running down onto her hand, going ghost-white when she saw the blood that was oozing from the cut on the younger wolf's head. "Oh no... no-no-no-no-no!"
A loud metallic CLANG! suddenly made everyone tense up as they looked over to the ravenous sea of fire emanating from where the fuse box had exploded, as a tall, almost demonic looking silhouette slowly emerged from it. Jimmy's black suit and white fur were singed and covered in dirty grey cinders, though it barely bothered him anymore as he sent a fierce, hateful glare towards his ex-wife.
"Like I told ya before, Steph..." He let out a fierce, almost bestial snarl, holding up the prop sword that he'd used to cut the fuse box while the flames cast a hellish red glow onto his face. "I'm burnin' it all to the ground!"
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Can't Fight This Feeling" - REO Speedwagon
"Praying" - Kesha
Chapter 29: The Showdown
Chapter Text
"No, Steph, wait!" Buster called to no avail when the wolf suddenly scooped Porsha's body off the floor and bolted back to the other side of the room, narrowly manoeuvring past the still raging flames as she made her way up the stairs. "Stephanie!"
"Oh no, ya don't!" Jimmy kicked the koala aside, still wielding the prop sword as he took off in the same direction his ex-wife had gone. "You ain't gettin' away from me that easy, ya low life little -!"
"You!"
Jimmy froze up - as did everyone else - when they saw the two sheep that were coming down the stairs, as the elder of the pair sent one of her signature cold, steely stares and pointed an accusatory finger.
"How dare you set foot in here, you vile ruffian!" Nana scolded harshly, not showing any fear of either the flames or the very angry white wolf who was ascending the stairs to her level. "I shall not tolerate this flagrant assault on the -"
"Get outta my way, y'old broad!" Jimmy cut her off, clenching his free hand into a fist before it sent it into the elder sheep's stomach with an audible THUMP!
"NANA!"
Buster and Eddie both cried out in-sync as she tumbled down to the bottom step and landed hard with a hard THUD! on the floor, while Jimmy barged past the younger sheep and continued making his way up to the higher level. Rosita quickly ran over and knelt beside Nana's body, carefully propping her up against the corner post as she checked for any serious injuries.
"Come on, Nana, don't go out on us..." She muttered intently to herself as she tried to revive the old sheep, letting out a sigh of relief when Nana finally opened her eyes and her breath returned to its usual, steady pace. "Alright, she's okay... but we gotta get her outta here! Right now!"
The adults were so focused on Nana that they barely noticed Johnny, Ash and Meena all making their way up the stairs, very nearly catching up to the white wolf before he reached the top and slammed the door shut in their faces.
"I got unfinished business with that trollop and her little brat!" Jimmy snarled as he twisted the lock right, tearing off the handle before pulling down some of the beams from the collapsing beams to barricade the door even more. "And you pathetic little amateurs ain't gonna interfere!"
"Alright... alright, that's it..."
Stephanie slammed the door to Buster's office tight and scrambled around the room, grabbing the coats off the various racks and bundling them up at the bottom to keep out the smoke. The wolf then ran over to the window and forced it more open, trying to let as much air in as possible as she ran over to the table where her daughter's motionless body was laid down.
She'd tried her best to cover the cut on Porsha's head with some of the cloth sheets she found in the drawer, and though the white fabric was now soaked wet, it seemed the bleeding had mostly stopped. But Porsha still hadn't moved since Stephanie had put her there, and while the younger wolf's breathing had been slow and laboured for the last few minutes, it was hard to tell if she was breathing at all now.
"Porsha... baby, come on, ya gotta wake up..."
Stephanie's voice quivered as she clasped both sides of the younger wolf's face with her trembling hands. Her fingers carefully traced the scruffy contours of Porsha's fur, and she found herself starting to hyperventilate as the warmth seemed to slowly fade from her daughter's cheeks.
"Please, sunshine, I... I can't lose you too, Porsha."
And then... nothing.
While it seemed she hadn't been moving for the last few minutes, Stephanie could feel Porsha's body finally going completely limp in her arms, her lip quivering and her hands shaking as the younger wolf's head dropped down.
"Oh no... no... NO!" Stephanie held both hands to Porsha's chest and pressed them down over and over and over again, still getting no response even after she'd tired herself out. "Come on, Porsha, come on! Don't do this to me!"
Time seemed to stand still as Stephanie fell to her knees, pulling the younger wolf's lifeless form into a tight embrace. Her intense sobbing was slightly muffled as she leaned into her daughter's shoulder, rocking back and forth as she continued to clutch Porsha's body right.
Stephanie barely noticed the sliver of orange light being slowly cast into the room as the door slowly pried open behind her, though she was almost past the point of caring about anything else as she kept her head buried in Porsha's chest, not even reacting to the footsteps slowly approaching or the hand that softly gripped her shoulder.
"Terrible shame, ain't it...?" Jimmy said, trying his best to sound sincere, but still unable to resist a mildly mocking tone. "Far too young to go..."
"You killed her..." Stephanie spat back, not looking the white wolf in the eye, though her anger was still overpowered by her utter despair. "You took my daughter from me..."
"Never woulda happened if you didn't take her first... this is exactly what I've been tryin' to show ya, Steph..." Jimmy almost sounded like a wise mentor as he towered over his ex-wife, gently patting her on the back as she continued sobbing. "Everything ya touch, everybody ya get close to... it always ends in pain and misery. Every time. And now you got Porsha killed too... just like ya did with Suki..."
"Oh God, what have I done..." Stephanie whimpered, still crying her eyes out as she latched onto her daughter's body. "I'm sorry, baby... I'm so, so sorry..."
"There ya go, that's it... get it outta your system..." Jimmy pulled a small, devious smile as he slowly reached behind his back with his other hand. "I know it hurts, Steph, but... I'm doin' us all a favour with this."
"Huh...?"
Just by chance, a small movement caught Stephanie's eye, and she briefly glanced up from Porsha to study the tall silhouette cast against the red-hued wall, raising its arm above its head. Her eyes suddenly bulged wide when she turned on the spot, seeing Jimmy holding the prop sword pointed down, ready to strike.
"HOLY SH-!"
"Gah!" Jimmy grunted when he brought the blade down, only for Stephanie to suddenly shoot up to her feet and latch onto his wrist with her hand. "What the...?!"
Both wolves put all of their strength and effort in as their struggle brought them to the centre of the room, Jimmy trying his best to force the sword down on Stephanie while she kept the blade only inches away from piercing her neck. Despite her predicament, several hundred thoughts and feelings were racing through Stephanie's entire body as she continued to restrain Jimmy's arm - mostly the same sadness she felt for Porsha, mixed with some fear and uncertainty - but as she looked into Jimmy's piercing blue eyes and studied the sadistic smirk still on his lips, she found her emotions slowly overpowered by a deep, powerful rage.
"RRRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
"Ugh!" Jimmy yelped when Stephanie sent her kneecap right between his legs, loosening his grip on the prop sword as it fell to the floor with a metallic CLATTER!
He barely had time to react this when his ex-wife then gripped the back of his head with both hands, before propelling her head forwards so that it connected hard with a loud, painful SMACK!
Jimmy stumbled back and fell to the floor, sitting himself up against the wall as both the headbutt and the smoke inhalation sent his senses all over the place. It took just under half a minute for his vision to clear up again to see Stephanie now standing over him, still having that blazing fury in her greenish-gold eyes as she pointed the blade right at his neck.
"N-n-now, Steph, let's just take it easy..." He stammered. "Alright, just listen to -"
"NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME!" Stephanie bellowed harshly, burning tears still streaking down her face as all her emotions came barrelling to the surface. "Ever since we met, all you ever did was hurt me and control me, and make me feel like I'm worthless! And if I'd not gotten Porsha outta there, you'd have been no different with her either, would ya?! But oh no, ya couldn't just let us leave! Not good for lil' Jimmy's crybaby ego, was it?!"
"You know what ya did, ya ungrateful little -!"
"Well, I've had ENOUGH!" Stephanie shrieked, making Jimmy tense up before she threw the prop sword to the floor. "Ya say I'm the one bringin' pain and misery everywhere I go, but we were happy here! And Suki woulda been happy here too!"
"Steph..."
"And do you wanna know why that is, Jimmy...?" Stephanie sent all the fury and hatred she could muster into her piercing stare as she sent it directly to her ex husband's face. "Because I ain't the one causin' pain and misery... YOU ARE! And ya always have been!"
"M... Ma... M-m-mom...?"
"Porsha...?" Stephanie straightened up, the burning rage fading away from her tearful eyes as she slowly turned back to the table, her face then lighting up with joy when she saw the young wolf sitting back up. "SUNSHINE!"
"Ooh!" Porsha yelped when her mother suddenly darted over and pulled her into a hug, still slightly dizzy from both the smoke and the bang she'd suffered to her head, though she quickly returned the embrace as she slowly regained her bearings. "It's okay, Mom... it's okay..."
"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Stephanie gushed, crying tears of just about every emotion possible as she planted clumsy kisses all over her daughter's face. "I'm never gonna let y'outta my sight again, I promise, I... aw, Porsha, I love you so, so much!"
"Hmm... I love ya too, Mommy..." Porsha sniffled a bit, resting her head on Stephanie's shoulder, only to let out a gasp when she looked up. "WATCH OUT!"
Stephanie grunted when Porsha suddenly tackled her to the floor, narrowly avoiding the prop sword as Jimmy swung it down onto the table. She kept Porsha behind her as they carefully backed towards the door, keeping their eyes on the white wolf as he aggressively yanked and pulled on his still stuck weapon.
"Come on, ya stupid - THERE!" Jimmy finally pulled the sword out, turning to the other two wolves as he pointed it at them. "Now, time for you two to go down with the - ARGH!"
Porsha and Stephanie both tensed up when Jimmy suddenly stumbled down and planted face-first on the floor, dropping the weapon at their feet. After picking up the sword for herself, Stephanie pursed her lips when saw the familiar portrait that had been thrown at her ex-husband's head, her face lighting up when she looked over to the gap in the wall that it had been covering up.
"Buster!"
"Pays to have shortcuts, doesn't it?" Buster clambered out of the hole, tensing up a little when it completely collapsed behind him, before running over to the window and propping it open. "Alright, we gotta go this way!"
"Wait, wait, wait, out the window?! But what about the -?" Porsha cut herself off when she looked to the door behind her, seeing the flames ravaging the floors and walls as it spread through the hallway. "Alright, fair enough."
"Everyone, for your safety, stay back!" One of the police officers called through a megaphone in an attempt to quell the crowd, while the cast - and most of the audience that had been evacuated - gathered on the street corner outside. "The building's integrity is failing! Repeat, stand back!"
While it had been the better part of seven years since the formerly named Prairie Theatre had celebrated its grand reopening, there was still a rather morbid contrast seeing it now being completely consumed by flames. Two large fire engines were now parked at either end of the site, though as it seemed little could be done to save the building itself, they instead focused on containing the blaze from spreading to either of its neighbours.
"Rosita? Rosita!" Norman called out while he and the piglets made their way to the front of the crowd, making the mother pig's face light up with relief before she ran over into her husband's arms. "Oh, you're okay... you're okay..."
Ash and Johnny both went over to help the couple keep count of their little ones, while Meena stayed in front of the theatre with most of the adults, looking down at her hands as the small mouse she was holding finally woke up.
"Ugh... my head... I tell ya, that's the last time I try and do any of that hero stuff..." Mike groaned, rubbing his temple, before finally looking up to see the raging inferno only a few feet away from him. "Hey, what the hell happened here?! I take a nap for five minutes, and you guys burn the whole place down?!"
"Well no, not exactly, it uh... w-well, it..." Meena continued to stammer for a moment or two, mainly distracted by what she was still witnessing, before rolling her eyes as she finally came out with it. "Ugh, Mr. Crystal went crazy, and he set the fuse box on fire! But Porsha and her Mom are still in there, and... a-a-and I think Mr. Moon -"
"I see them! They're up there!" Mary suddenly called, drawing the entire crowd's attention to one of the higher window where a koala and two wolves were carefully clambering out onto the side of the building. The gorilla squinted a little to get a better view, before latching onto Marcus' arm as she looked down at the fire that was spreading upwards towards the trio. "Oh God, they're not going to jump, are they?!"
"Stephanie!" Charlie put both hands around his mouth, amplifying his voice just enough for the wolf to hear him as she, Porsha and Buster all looked down. "You need to keep climbing up! Away from the fire!"
Stephanie glanced up towards the roof, taking a moment to figure whether it would be a shorter, safer distance up to there or down to the ground, but eventually gave a small nod, and looked down at Porsha and Buster. "Alright, you guys heard him. Up we go!"
She took a step back, waiting for her daughter and Buster to start climbing up first before she trailed behind them. While they'd made a updates to the Theatre's interior over the years, the original baroque sculpting made certain parts of the walls fairly easy to grip onto, and they managed to keep a steady distance ahead of the flames as they got closer to the roof.
"That's it, keep going, you two! Almost there!" Stephanie called up while Buster and Porsha got to the top, before something sharp suddenly dug into her leg and yanked her down. "Argh!"
"Mom!" Porsha cried as she and Buster looked down, both gasping when they noticed the white wolf that was restraining Stephanie a few feet down. "Ugh, let her go, asshole!"
Stephanie grunted in pain, trying her best to keep both hands on the wall while she kicked and stomped Jimmy's face with her other foot.
"Ow!" Jimmy finally loosened his grip when Stephanie's heel poked his left eye, his claws leaving deep gashes in the wall as he managed to slow his fall. He took a moment to regain his vision before he looked up, his already bloodshot eyes burning with rage while he watched his ex-wife quickly climbing the rest of the way to the top.
Some flames had already spread to the top of the building and were beginning to protrude through the roof, though Porsha managed to find a relatively safe spot near the middle and helped her mother limp over to it. Once Stephanie sat down, she pressed both her hands to the small but deep gash that Jimmy's claws had left on her leg, which still bled profusely despite its size, but she made sure to force a reassuring smile as her daughter knelt beside her.
"I'm okay, baby..." She said, still rather breathless as Porsha gripped her forearm. "It's gonna be okay."
"Alright, good news!" Buster ran back over, pointing to the left side of the roof where the flames hadn't reached yet. "Looks like the fire isn't gonna spread next door, so if we get across to it, we can -"
"Nobody's goin' nowhere!" Jimmy's voice made them all tense up as they looked over to the front, where the white wolf had finally clawed his way up and stepped onto the roof, snarling like a wild beast as he pointed directly at his ex-wife. "Especially not you!"
"Wait, Mom... Mom, what are ya doing?!" Porsha and Buster both tried to hold Stephanie back as the older wolf forced herself to her feet, gently pushing her daughter behind her while she sent a strong, hateful glare to her ex-husband. "Mom...?"
"Yeah..." Jimmy let out one of his ominously hollow chuckles, shaking his head as Stephanie clenched her fists. "Can't imagine how ya must be feeling... all these years runnin' away, and all for nothing, huh?"
"Hmm... I'm not running away..." Stephanie said, taking a quick glance down at the surface beneath Jimmy's feet, before she suddenly charged at Jimmy with all her speed and power. "I'M RUNNING FORWARDS!"
Porsha and Buster's eyes bulged wide when Stephanie grabbed Jimmy's midsection and tackled him down, making the already shaky panels completely give way beneath the two wolves as they hit it with a loud, painful CRASH!
"MOM!"
The faintly echoing sound of Porsha's voice was the only noise Stephanie could process as she and Jimmy both fell through the hole they'd made, beginning at least a hundred foot drop that led to an endless, hellish inferno below. What was truly around ten seconds seemed to stretch to at least a minute as she closed her eyes, waiting for the flames to take her...
But then she stopped.
"Huh...?"
The sounds of the wind above and the crackling fire below prompted Stephanie to open her eyes, realising that she was now dangling in mid-air, only a few feet from the ceiling where she'd fallen through. Yet she felt unable to feel relief for her narrow escape, as she kept her eyes on the white wolf beneath her that was still falling. Jimmy's voice had an unsettling echo as he plummeted, still keeping a hateful glare on his ex-wife until he finally disappeared into the fiery abyss below.
"STEPHANIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...!"
"Ugh!" Stephanie finally turned her head away, only just avoiding seeing her ex-husband hit the bottom, though this also allowed her to look up and notice the younger wolf that had just managed to catch her.
"Okay, okay... one... two... three!" Porsha strained and grunted as she and Buster both tried to pull Stephanie back up through the hole and onto the roof with them, waiting until they were somewhat safe before she threw her arms around her mother and pulled her into a tearful embrace. "Aw, Mom, I... I-I-I thought I was gonna lose you!"
"Hmm... nah..." Stephanie planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead, letting Porsha bury her head on her shoulder while she gently clasped Buster's hand. "Like he said, baby... nobody's goin' nowhere, huh? Now, we gotta get off of this thing..."
Within the next ten minutes or so, the flames had finally been put out, though the Moon Theatre had been reduced to little more than a sad, greyish-black pile of soot and rubble.
The cast and their loved ones were all gathered at the barrier that had cordoned off the area, while the firefighters carefully trekked into the darkness searching for any other signs of life. The larger animals allowed an elderly koala to carefully make her way to the front of the group, before she glanced over to the neighbouring building as a long ladder was set up in front of it.
"Oh my gosh, there... th-there they are!"
Bernie's voice grabbed everyone's attention as she pointed over to the ladder, allowing them to see Buster, Porsha and Stephanie all climbing down to safety. The younger koala had barely reached the bottom before both his mother and Ms. Crawly suddenly ran into his arms, though he managed to regain his bearings and return their embrace, while the rest of the group ran over to the two wolves.
"Aw, guys, we were so worried!" Rosita's face lit up when Stephanie and Mary both knelt down to her level and let them pull her into a hug, while they looked over to the children. "Hmm..."
"Alright, alright..." They heard Porsha playfully grunting as Meena, Johnny and Ash - along with all-twenty-five of the piglets - piled onto her. "Y'know, I'm pretty sure I'm still bleedin' here, you guys..."
"Well... it looks like you guys really brought down the house, huh..." Charlie's voice prompted Stephanie to pry herself from Rosita's hug, rising back to her feet as the saluki - along with both his own family and the Noodlemans - came over. "I'm guessing that's not usually how things go down over here."
"Yeah, not really..." Suki chuckled nervously, still coughing a little from the smoke she'd inhaled while inside. "Ugh... listen, Charlie, I... I'm sorry we used Suki's show for this, but I couldn't just -"
"No, no, it... it's fine..." Charlie sniffled a bit, holding back happy tears as he placed a gentle grip on her shoulder. "Hmm... she'd have been really proud of you, Steph."
Stephanie felt herself getting misty-eyed at this, before she glanced back over to the now-levelled theatre and spotting the two koalas that were stood in front of it. Buster seemed to be holding something in his arms while he and Bernie stood behind the barrier, and by coming over to them, Stephanie quickly recognised the slightly dusty and dented bucket in his arms, the Moon Car Wash logo still proudly emblazoned on the front.
"Aw, honey..." She gently pried the pitcher out of her boyfriend's hand, placing it on the floor, right in front of the Moon Theatre's remains. "I never wanted it to go this way..."
"Nah, it's okay..." Buster nodded, slowly pulling a smile as he clasped his hands around one of hers. "Hmm... y'know, the old girl, it... it's just a theatre, Steph."
"Wait, what? It wasn't just a theatre, Buster, it was your dream!" Stephanie forced a laugh, though there was still a regretful tone in her voice as she looked over to Porsha and the rest of their friends. "Y'know, it... i-i-i-it was our dream, it was everything we built, and... and now it's gone... it's gone because of me..."
"Hmm... I wouldn't worry so much about that, Ms. Frangipane..."
Nana's slightly frail voice spoke up while the crowd parted, prompting Stephanie to stand back up as the old sheep - with Eddie propping her up - limped over. The wolf wasn't entirely sure how the old sheep had ended up in this condition - having raced up the stairs mere moments before it happened - but she was more focused on Nana's words as they both looked at the building's remains.
"As it happens, it did occur to me that our beloved Prairie could do with some more... thorough renovations." Nana winced. "I would have preferred something less elaborate, of course, but... well, I'm sure you know from experience what a good clean slate can do..."
"Oh, ain't that the truth!" Stephanie chortled.
The wolf then held out her arm, prompting Porsha to rush over and pull her into a hug again, She planted a kiss on the younger wolf's forehead and let Porsha rest it on her shoulder, both letting out small exhales while they looked out at the wreckage where the Moon Theatre had once stood.
It was mostly a sigh of relief, though they did still feel some heavy fatigue from what they'd experienced, both on that night and on various other incidents over the last decade. But above all else, this feeling was telling the two wolves that the worst truly had passed, and things could and would only get better from here.
"So..." Stephanie exhaled, glancing over to Buster and the rest of the group as they surrounded her and her daughter again. "I guess that means we're makin' some big changes again, huh?"
"Eh..." Porsha shrugged, before looking up at her mother with a playful smirk. "That's always worked out for us before."
"Hmm, yeah... ya got that right, sunshine."
Chapter 30: The Happy Ending
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Um... sunshine...? Porsha..?"
Porsha shook her head up when Rosita's voice snapped her back to reality, glancing down at her hand to see the mother pig's gently clasping onto her forearm. The twenty-one-year-old then sat up in her seat, looking across the circular table to see the familiar lynx, porcupine and elephant all eyeing her.
"Oh, sorry... musta zoned out for a second, there..." She said, clearing her throat. "Uh... what were we talkin' about, again?"
"You were telling us your story!" Nooshy sounded excited, almost to the point of impatient, while she leaned a little closer and propped her head up with her elbows. "It were getting right good too..."
"Story... oh, ya mean the one about my Mom!" Porsha scoffed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she leaned back in her chair. "Geez, I wasn't ramblin' or nothing, was I...?"
"Rambling? Nah..." Ash chortled, tilting her head while she thought for a moment. "Well, maybe a little, Porsha, but... hey, you've had a lotta time to think about this, so..."
"Yeah, I'm actually kinda curious about that, honey..." Rosita tilted her head back to face the wolf. "When exactly did you start thinking out this whole... well, I don't even know what to call it, uh... this whole what if thing about your Mom?"
"Well, I dunno, it... at least a couple years." Porsha clasped her hands together while she hunched forwards. "It was probably that day when we found her. Down where she's, um... y'know..."
Rosita's smile lowered a little, causing a rather awkward but sad silence to settle among the others when they realised what and where Porsha was referring to.
"I guess it's just kind of, um... oh what's the word... therapeutic, I think?" Porsha cringed a little, though the reassuring nods she got from the others seemed to indicate she had in fact pronounced it correctly. "Yeah, I just... I know my Dad didn't let it happen and all, but... but it's real weird to think about, ain't it? I mean, I coulda grown up here with all you guys!"
"Well... not all of us." Nooshy sounded rather sheepish, though it was still laced with a playful tone as she shrugged. "By the way, was I ever gonna show up in this little timeline you've been cooking up?"
"Wait, are you... oh... oh my gosh! Noosh, you're not from here either, are ya...?" Porsha winced a little when the lynx shook her head. "Aw, buddy, I'm real sorry..."
"Nah, come on, it's only a bit of fun..."
"Besides, Porsha, lots of our friends aren't from Calatonia." Meena said, taking a quick glance down at the bracelet on her forearm - where the words Your Majesty were inscribed in silver on the front - as her face beamed a faint pink. "Like there's Alfonso, and there's Clay, and... a-a-and Ryan, and Mr. Kickenklober, and -"
"Oh yeah, and Darius, too!" Porsha cut in, only for Meena and the others to murmur awkwardly among themselves. "Okay, but I get the point. Y'know, if all that stuff I came up with did happen, we never woulda met any of those guys."
"Plus you gotta remember, Porsha, even Calatonia's a pretty big town..." Ash added, glancing over to Rosita and Meena as they both nodded in agreement. "I mean, we didn't even meet until we auditioned for Moon's singing contest, so..."
"For real?" Porsha raised an eyebrow when the others nodded. "Hmm... well, I know Uncle Buster said somethin' like that on the bus a couple months back, but I didn't think he meant it literally. I woulda been sure y'at least went to high school with Johnny, Ash, you guys are only like a couple months apart."
"Porsha, Johnny didn't even go to high school after his Mom died. Or at least that's what he's said."
"Oh..." Porsha bit her bottom lip, then looked back over to the mother pig sat beside her. "Did I least get your thing kinda right, Rosita? Y'know, the whole meetin' Norman thing?"
"Well, you were pretty close with how the courting played out..." Rosita chuckled warmly, letting a slightly flattered blush beam on her cheeks. "But funnily enough, I actually did meet Norman in high school."
"Wait, what...?" Porsha's eyes widened a little. "I thought... I-I-I thought ya told me you was in the Emergency Ward when ya got with him."
"Well yeah, I was, but I'd known him for years by then!" Rosita laughed, gently patting the young wolf's hand. "But hey, for what it's worth, you really nailed how romantic my Norman can be, sunshine."
"Hmm... yeah..." Porsha sighed. "I guess I've been thinkin' all this time to myself about it, I just... I just kinda let my imagination run wild, y'know...?"
"Yeah, you've always had a habit of doing that, Porsha..."
Suki's voice made Porsha straighten up again when she came into the room. The now all-too-familiar ring on her left hand briefly got Porsha's attention as it gently gripped her shoulder, before the saluki crouched down a little to give her a kiss on her cheek.
"So... what's been going on here?" Suki said as she looked over to the others at the table. "Didn't miss anything big, did I?"
"Oh... w-w-well, Aunt Suki, I uh..." Porsha stammered to find an answer, while the others were just as uncertain. Explaining the rather detailed tangent that she'd gone on for most of the afternoon was bound to be difficult enough, but with the storyline itself, they could only assume it'd be especially awkward telling Suki of all animals. "I... I-I-I guess I was just -"
"We were just talking about Stephanie." Ash cut in, sending a quick wink Porsha's way as the wolf let out a relieved exhale. "Yeah, we um... Porsha was just reminiscing."
"Aw, sweetheart..." Suki tenderly traced her hand across Porsha's cheek before pulling her into a hug. "We have some great memories with her, don't we?"
"Hmm... yeah..." Porsha nodded, lowering her head a little. "I just really wish we coulda made more, is all... and we probably woulda done, if we got to come here with her like she wanted."
"Well, you're both here now, and that's what's important." Rosita nodded, pulling a small smile as they both looked over at her. "Sure, you might not be able to make memories with your Mom anymore, Porsha but... but y'know, you're... you're here, you're happy, so... maybe instead, you're just making memories for her."
"Huh...?" Porsha pursed her lips, and a quick glance at Suki indicated the latter was just as surprised by this. "I never really thought about it like that..."
"Hey, uh, Suki...?" Buster's voice suddenly echoed through the staff lounge, and they all glanced up to the top of the steps where the koala was poking his head out his office. "Caleb and Tim have a couple new ideas for Becky's number, you wanna come take a look?"
"Be right there, honey!" Suki called back, ruffling the top of Porsha's head as she stood back up. "Right, I'll see you guys later on."
"See ya, Aunt Suki!" Porsha gave a quick wave as the saluki headed up the stairs, before she turned back to the table where everyone else was still looking at her. "Okay, so uh... w-w-where'd I leave off again?"
"You were literally on the ending, I'm not even kidding!" Nooshy sounded almost anxious as she leaned forward on the table again. "So... how's it end?"
"Oh... okay..." Porsha took another deep breath, drumming her fingers on the table before she straightened back up in her seat. "Okay, let me think..."
"Oh darling, you look absolutely beautiful!"
"Aw, please don't cry, Aunt Mary." Porsha gently gripped the gorilla's hands, trying to hold back both giggles and tears of her own. "Otherwise, you're gonna make me cry, and all my makeup's gonna be a total mess..."
"You know what I get like, Porsha, I can't help it." Mary sniffled a bit as she straightened her glasses, tenderly cupping the eighteen-year-old's face to get a better look at her. "Sometimes, I still find it hard to believe you're that cute little pup I found on the bench that day."
"Hmm... yeah..." Porsha then glanced towards the opened door to the office, where a small privacy curtain was set up. "She nearly done in there?"
"Oh yeah, any minute now." Mary straightened down her suit and headed towards the steps where Marcus was waiting. "We'll see you both out there!"
"Uh-huh, sure thing!"
"Oh, there y'are, baby..." A familiar voice grabbed Porsha's attention as she stepped into the room, though she froze up her mouth hung agape as the figure it belonged to stepped out. "Well... what do ya think...?"
The white dress was fairly simple in design, but it was nevertheless a thing of beauty. The sunlight cast through the window sent a slight shimmer through the snow-like fabric, allowing the subtle but intricate lace detailing to stick out like a delicate garden of blooming flowers.
Stephanie Frangipane-Moon was already renowned for her radiant beauty, and the sparkling white dress perfectly accentuated her dark teal fur and greenish-gold eyes. But of course, she had to look particularly stunning on such a big day.
"I mean... I know it ain't Louis Vixéun or nothing, but it..."
"Oh no no no, Mom, you... y-y-ya look amazing!" Porsha ran over and held onto her mother's forearms, gently pulling her over to the mirror that had been set up beside the curtain. "See? Just like a movie star!"
"Ah, so no change there, then..." Stephanie scoffed as they both laughed. She nearly shrieked with joy as she pulled Porsha into a hug, mother and daughter both beaming with excitement while they giggled like school girls. "I just can't believe this is really happening!"
"Hey, ya just gotta dream big dreams..." Porsha chuckled. "That's what Buster and Grandma Bernie always say, right?"
"Hmm... yeah, they do."
Porsha remained smiling as Stephanie continued admiring herself in the mirror, though the young wolf couldn't help noticing a more neutral, almost concerned expression form on her mother's face when she stared at her reflection. After a moment or two of hesitation, Porsha quietly shuffled over and stood by her side again, carefully brushing the loose quiff of fur hanging over her face.
"Y'okay, Mom...?"
"What...? Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm great.."
Stephanie cleared her throat, thinking for a moment as she continued looking at herself. Porsha's smile sank a little when she realised the wolf had turned her gaze over to the mantel piece, where an old Valentine's Day photo of herself and a familiar saluki was propped right on the edge.
"I just..." Stephanie sniffled a bit, wiping her slightly misty eye with her thumb. "I just really wish your Aunt Suki was here to see this..."
"Hmm..." Porsha gently took Stephanie's hand and held it up, planting a kiss on it before she pulled her mother closer again. "She is, Mom. She is."
The familiar "ahem" of a throat being cleared pulled them back to reality, as they looked over to the doorway where a small, well-dressed little koala was waiting.
"Well, um..." Buster straightened his slightly-darker-than-usual suit, anxious with excitement. "We're all set to go."
"Got it!" Porsha straightened up, making sure her makeup hadn't been ruined by her tears while she flattened down her sparkly purple dress, before holding out her arm to her mother. "Y'ready for this...?"
"Hmm..." Stephanie nodded, carefully linking her own arm around her daughter's as they headed towards the door. "I'm ready as I'll ever be, sunshine."
Don't wanna live as an untold story
Rather go out in a blaze of glory
I can't hear you, I don't fear you
The news crew had just finished setting up their equipment as the music on the speakers - the song in question having been chosen specifically by Porsha - began to play full volume, and the entire street packed up with hundreds of excited animals. The ten rows of benches that had been placed in front of the large, ornate red ribbon were all filled to the point of overflowing, and many more were stood up around them to form a massive, bustling crowd. It almost looked to be the entire crowd in attendance, and it was by far the happiest and most excited group of animals anyone could ever have seen.
I'll live now, cause the bad die last
Dodging bullets with your broken past
Well I can't hear you, I don't fear you now!
The third iteration of the formerly-named Prairie Theatre had been an ongoing project since the fire that had occurred those four long years ago. The cast had kept themselves busy in the meantime, of course, by helping to raise some of the funds with performances at both the Fat Cat nightclub, and the Fletcher Foundation's stage on the Calatonia Wharf. But now the re-renovations were complete, and it was finally time to reopen the doors of Calatonia's most iconic venue to the public once again.
Wrapped in your regret
What a waste of blood and sweat
Whoa oh-oh!
"Hey, there they are!" Johnny called out first as the music paused right before the chorus. This prompted a resounding and enthusiastic cheer and applause when the front doors opened and Buster stepped out, followed by his business - and personal - partner and her teenage daughter.
Having been at the centre of the story when the blaze had happened - and even before that point, due to their long, tumultuous history with one James Robert Crystal - it only made sense to have the three of them be the ones to officially begin this new chapter in their beloved theatre's history.
A quick surveyance over the crowd allowed Stephanie to see all the familiar faces that were in attendance. Their main cast - now including Meena - and their families had all taken up the front row, as was Charlie along with his wife and daughter, though most of them were trying their best to hold onto the very excited young piglets that were still scattered around. Bernie was sat just around the middle - right between Nana and Eddie, with Mike squeezed right in next to the latter - and she gave an encouraging wink to both her son and her daughter-in-law as they held up the large, golden ceremonial scissors.
But as she looked over all these smiling faces, Stephanie couldn't help thinking back to that night in Redshore City. When she was sat on a small, creaky bed, looking solemnly at a dazzling skyline through the dirty window of a cramped, dilapidated motel room.
The memories began to replay in her head - plain, black gym bag full of money, the bus ticket to Sealattle, Kendall and Jerry's callous dismissal of her pleas - but she found herself feeling better when she also recalled how she'd suited up in her darkest clothes, snuck out the window undetected and broke into Jimmy's golden fortress to get her little one back.
Perhaps in another version of these events, she would have simply thrown in the towel, disappeared, and let Jimmy erase every trace of her existence. Then she'd let Porsha grow up without a mother in her father's clutches, left a poor, depressed Mary to drown in the canal, and probably continued drinking and starving herself until she finally wasted away, forgotten and alone. For all she knew, none of them would even have been standing in this very spot now if she'd made such a choice back then.
But this was not that version of events, nor would she have allowed it to become so.
Because she was Stephanie Frangipane-Moon, and this was her story. And as much as she and her daughter had suffered along the way to their happily ending, she knew she couldn't possibly have asked for anything better.
"All creatures, great and small..." Buster, Porsha and Stephanie all latched onto the scissors as they held them over the ribbon. "Welcome to the New Moon Theatre!"
I wanna taste love and pain
Wanna feel pride and shame
Don't wanna take my time
Don't wanna waste one line
I wanna live better days
Never look back and say
It could have been me
Oh, it could have been me
It could have been me!
THE END
Notes:
Song(s) Used:
"Could Have Been Me" - The Struts
Chapter 31: Special Thanks
Chapter Text
Hey everyone! MysteryWriter2187 here!
Once again, I'd like to give a very special thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed both on FanFiction and AO3. And of course, I'd like to especially thank my good friends Tangled4Ever and UNCLE SAM THE MAN (I'm particularly grateful to the latter, for letting me use your OC's from your wonderful Moon Family series) for helping me through not only the development for this story, but for just about everything Sing-related I've done since joining this fandom last year.
I know I've been hyping up this fic for pretty much the entire year, and the Sing fanbase has really died down since then (even with Universal's announcement that a third film is in development) but for those who did stick around, I really hope that it was worth the wait!
While I've already introduced most of these OCs in other fics I've written, I wanted this story to sort of stand on its own for those who may not have read my past work. So once again taking a page from both Designation M and UNCLE SAM THE MAN, I figured I'd put another quick list of my casting choices for my OCs here:
Stephanie Frangipane - Sarah Paulson
Mary Griswold - Rachel Weisz
Bernie Moon - Kathy Najimy
Caleb Clark (recast) - Nick Mohammed
Florence Fletcher - Hannah Waddingham
Jane - Jessica Hynes
Katy (recast) - Kristen Bell
Graham Griswold - Andy Serkis
Charlie Lane - Willem Dafoe (character/fancast by UNCLE SAM THE MAN)
Most of you may remember when my "special thanks" chapters for both Love And Pain, Pride And Shame and One Way Left To Go included a brief tease for my next big Sing story, but in this case I actually have nothing left to tease. As I've mentioned a few times before, this is probably going to be my very last major Sing fanfic, and possibly my last Sing-related story ever on this site. While I do still enjoy this franchise, and I'm already really hyped for Sing 3 when it eventually comes, I feel as though I've done just about everything I can come up with for now, so I think it's simply time to bring this series to an end and move onto other commitments.
I'll probably be sticking around as a more casual reader - I'm especially looking forward to seeing how Ahdoss continues their amazing Moonfall series - but in terms of writing this is probably it. And even then, I might be able to come up with some minor short stories or one-shots at some point in the foreseeable future, and if I get enough requests I may do another Q/A session like I did for my Love And Pain deleted scenes. But if this truly is the end of my Sing fanfics, I've certainly enjoyed being able to share these stories with all of you, and I'm really grateful that you were invested enough to let this series go on for as long as it did.
Take care,
MysteryWriter2187
Pages Navigation
AshleyNamid on Chapter 3 Thu 11 May 2023 01:19PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 3 Thu 11 May 2023 01:28PM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 3 Thu 11 May 2023 07:34PM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 4 Tue 16 May 2023 12:16PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 4 Tue 16 May 2023 01:55PM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 4 Tue 16 May 2023 03:22PM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 5 Thu 18 May 2023 12:15PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 5 Thu 18 May 2023 08:45PM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 5 Thu 18 May 2023 08:41PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 5 Thu 18 May 2023 08:44PM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 6 Mon 22 May 2023 01:55AM UTC
Comment Actions
HeyHeyJ on Chapter 6 Wed 24 May 2023 07:06AM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 8 Mon 29 May 2023 10:36PM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 9 Fri 02 Jun 2023 02:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
ÓwÒ (Guest) on Chapter 11 Fri 09 Jun 2023 01:55AM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 11 Fri 09 Jun 2023 06:47PM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 12 Sun 11 Jun 2023 02:51AM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 12 Mon 12 Jun 2023 03:55AM UTC
Comment Actions
HeyHeyJ on Chapter 15 Sun 25 Jun 2023 05:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 15 Sun 25 Jun 2023 05:55PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 15 Thu 29 Jun 2023 11:25PM UTC
Comment Actions
AshleyNamid on Chapter 15 Thu 29 Jun 2023 03:26PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 15 Thu 29 Jun 2023 11:23PM UTC
Comment Actions
1_true_believer_3000 on Chapter 20 Fri 21 Jul 2023 04:45AM UTC
Last Edited Fri 21 Jul 2023 04:46AM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 20 Fri 21 Jul 2023 07:12PM UTC
Comment Actions
TFJoe1 on Chapter 21 Sat 15 Mar 2025 06:53AM UTC
Last Edited Sat 15 Mar 2025 08:38AM UTC
Comment Actions
BlackLiquidSorrow on Chapter 22 Mon 31 Jul 2023 11:50AM UTC
Comment Actions
1_true_believer_3000 on Chapter 24 Wed 16 Aug 2023 03:52AM UTC
Comment Actions
1_true_believer_3000 on Chapter 25 Mon 21 Aug 2023 12:37AM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 25 Mon 21 Aug 2023 12:42AM UTC
Comment Actions
1_true_believer_3000 on Chapter 25 Sun 22 Oct 2023 06:34PM UTC
Comment Actions
MysteryWriter2187 on Chapter 25 Mon 30 Oct 2023 01:38PM UTC
Comment Actions
1_true_believer_3000 on Chapter 25 Mon 30 Oct 2023 02:06PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation