...

Third Person P.O.V

"Good morning!"

Buster's voice echoes inside of the magnificent concert hall, the walls black with tall, ice blue crystal shards along the back portion that lit up the hall. The floor was a sleek black, gold outlining the walls and seating areas.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" he calls, making the crew all pause what they were doing and gather around him. "Thank you, yes. Okay! Um, on behalf of myself and the cast, I just want to say that to be given this incredible opportunity to work for you all here at the Crystal Tower Theater, well... it's an honor for all of us."

He smiles at Mason and his crew, nodding to the cast.

"And I believe that together, we can make a show that'll take this audience out of this world!"

(Y/N) listens to her cue, removing the sheet off of a model of the show they want to create. The crew and group gasp in awe at the model, a golden rocket on the front blasting off with dust clouds around it and stars and planets above.

"Thank you, Steve, for... staying up and making this on such short notice," (Y/N) thanks with an apologetic smile, the man smiling tiredly and shooting her a weak thumbs up.

"Great work, Steve!" Buster thanks as well, smiling as the crew applaud Steve. "And here she is, folks!"

Buster walks over to the model, flipping it over like a storybook page so the other scene pops up. The group once again murmur in awe at the model, (Y/N) grinning as she turns to Rosita.

"And who else but Rosita could be the star of our show?" she rhetorically questions, glancing to her.

Rosita's face falls as she gasps in surprise, her hands clasping to her mouth.

"That's you, baby!" Gunter laughs, shaking her shoulders lightly as he gives her a side hug.

"The-- The lead role?" Rosita asks, blinking rapidly in disbelief.

Buster smiles and nods, "trust us! You are perfect for it."

Tears well up in Rosita's eyes as the crew cheers for her, Meena hugging her in joy as Gunter laughs proudly. Johnny pats her back with an encouraging nod, (Y/N) smiling widely as she nods to Rosita.

"Wait till my kids hear about this!" she wipes at her tears, her voice breaking as she chuckles.

"And so!" Buster gains everyone's attention once more, "the story goes like this."

He flips the model to the next scene.

"Rosita plays an astronaut searching for a missing space explorer," he gestures dramatically over the space scene. "Together, with their trusty robot..."

"That's me!" Gunter squeals eagerly, pointing to himself and he and the cast walk closer.

"Mmhm! Yes, they follow the trail across six planets," Buster continues, flipping the model to the next one. "There's a planet of devotion, a planet of war, a planet of love, one of despair, one of joy, and of saudade."

He glances at (Y/N) for her to continue.

"Basically," (Y/N) points to each individual planet, each planet having one or more cast member. "Each planet has their own musical number performed by us!"

The crew all 'ooh' in sync, nodding in appreciation.

"And-- And how does it end?" Rosita questions in excitement, tilting her head. "Do I find the explorer?"

"Uh..." (Y/N) trails off, her and Buster exchanging a nervous look.

"Oh," Gunter chuckles, shaking his head nonchalantly. "We have no clue what we're going to do at the end."

Buster lunges at Gunter, clasping a hand over his mouth and forcing a laugh. "Gunter, no-- no, no. Whoa, whoa, whoa! We do have great ideas for the ending. Right (Y/N)?"

(Y/N) slowly blinks, forcing a smile. "Sure..."

Johnny shoots her an amused smirk, his brow raising in silent, playful accusation.

The crew murmur in some apprehension, glancing at one another.

"We just-- all right," Buster clears his throat, making the group turn back to him. "We've only got three weeks to make this a reality, folks! Let's get to work!" he quickly dismisses them, clapping his hands.

The main group linger as the crew disperses, all eager to receive their roles.

"Johnny!" Buster calls, waving him over. "You are gonna play an alien warrior who guards his princess, who is... can anyone guess...?"

(Y/N) stares blankly at him for a few moments, zoning out a bit before jumping as Johnny lightly bumps his arm against hers.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry--" she rubs her eyes, shaking her head out. "I'm a little tired. What did you say?"

Buster's excitement deflates before he chuckles, shaking his head in amusement. "I said you're playing the princess."

"Right, right," (Y/N) smiles at this, looping her arm around Johnny's as he grins down at her. "Why're you telling me? I helped you write the part, doofus."

Johnny chuckles softly, bumping his temple against the top of her head affectionately.

"You guys'll have a little romance scene," Buster explains, pointing to the planets on the model. "And then, you both will be fighting in a fantastic battle scene!"

Johnny perks up, a crooked grin on his face. "Yes!"

"I thought you should, like, fight for her, but then I was like," Gunter dramatically gasps loudly, pressing his hands to his cheeks. "What if she was a total warrior princess?!"

"Heck yeah!" Ash agrees with a laugh, her and (Y/N) fist bumping.

"Now then, (Y/N), Johnny, follow me!" Buster beckons them as he turns, leading them to their dance rehearsal.

...

...

Dancers for the show stretch in a ballet studio room, a mirror lining along a back wall with railings for the dancers along the side.

One man raises his leg above his head, a group of girls stretching sideways in an impressive, unnatural pose. Another man balances between two chairs, performing the splits with one smooth motion as he stretches his back backwards.

A girl on the phone casually stretches, laying with her front on the ground and her legs bent back and on either side of her head. A man besides her does a handstand, lowering his legs into a split position and exhaling sharply as he holds it.

(Y/N) looks around in awe, Johnny blinking rapidly in disbelief at the flexibility of some of the dancers.

"Johnny, (Y/N), I want you guys to meet your fellow dancers!" Buster introduces with a grin, gesturing around with open arms.

"Uh," (Y/N) raises her hand in greeting, smiling. "Hey, guys."

Gunter waves excitedly to the dances, making them chuckle at his energy.

"Hello, lads," Johnny greets nervously, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

The dancers all murmur in polite greeting, acknowledging the two. All but one, that is.

"Wait-- you said we'd be in a battle scene," Johnny says with confusion, turning to Buster.

"Well, it is..." Buster chuckles and shrugs lightly, tilting his head side to side. "But Gunter saw it as more of a... a..."

"Basically, it's a dance fight," (Y/N) answers, gaining Johnny's attention.

"Yeah!" Gunter yells with a laugh, raising is arms up and spinning.

Johnny's smile twitches nervously, his brows furrowing. "Okay..."

(Y/N) frowns with some concern, taking his hand. "Hey, don't worry! We've danced together before, remember? You were a natural."

"She's right!" Buster pats Johnny's shoulder, nodding in agreement. "And this time, you guys will be working with the number one choreographer in Redshore City."

Buster hands (Y/N) the business card, Johnny peering over her to look down at the card.

(Y/N) can't help the snort that escapes her, finding the man on the business card amusing.

"'Klaus Kickenklober?'" she questions with another snort, rolling her eyes. "This guy looks way too uptight, Buster. And what's with that pose, anyway?"

She hands Johnny the card, shaking her head as she turns to Buster.

"Ah! Shh!" Buster quickly shushes her, covering her mouth with his hand.

(Y/N) gives him a blank glare, "Move your hand or I'll bite you."

Her speech was muffled, but Buster knew what she meant as he quickly removes his hand.

His eyes dart to a lone man by the mirror, the man stretching his arms out as he exhales quietly through his mouth.

Buster leads (Y/N) a few feet from Johnny, his voice quiet. "See that guy over there? Blond dude, blue eyes? White tank top?"

(Y/N) sighs as she glances over to the man subtly. The man was leaning against the wall with a bored expression as his light blue eyes focus on the floor, the sides of his blond hair shaven and faded in the back. She glances back to Buster, nodding for him to continue.

"That's Nikolaus Kickenklober. Klaus' son," he explains, nervously looking towards the man before turning back to her. "I hope he didn't hear you mocking and laughing at his dad..."

"Who cares if he did?" (Y/N) questions with a shrug, her tone light and uncaring.

"Well, what if he says something?" Buster demands, eyebrow raising.

She shrugs in response, letting out a snicker. "Let him."

Johnny looks over at Nikolaus, looking back down at the card. He could see the resemblance between the two, and hums lightly. He glances back up, his expression shifting to surprise when he sees Nikolaus looking back at him.

He offers a small wave, Nikolaus staring at him for a moment. Nikolaus' eyes shift towards (Y/N) for a few moments before he focuses on Johnny, rolling his eyes with a scoff and a smirk as he turns his head away.

Johnny's smile falls at this, his brows furrowing lightly as he frowns in confusion. Johnny looks back towards (Y/N), (Y/N) not noticing the interaction as she continues talking to Buster about the dance choreographer.

"Just trust me, (Y/N)!" Buster walks over to Johnny with (Y/N), (Y/N) huffing lightly. "Klaus will turn you guys into pros in no time!"

"Fine," she replies in a monotone, her expression brightening as she smiles towards Johnny.

Johnny's mood lightens at this as he smiles warmly back, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and hugging her to his side. He looks over his shoulder towards Nikolaus, Nikolaus side-eyeing him and (Y/N) with a small frown of thought.

"Uh... Mr. Moon? Miss (Y/N)?" a voice meekly calls, gaining their attention.

(Y/N) smiles apologetically at Johnny, stretching up and kissing his cheek before walking over to the distressed Meena.

Buster joins her, the two meeting her in the hall. Crew members bustled around the three, all hard at work as chatter could be heard in the back.

"You all right?" (Y/N) questions with concern, sliding the glass door shut behind them.

Meena twiddles her hands together, looking down at her feet with a blush. "Gunter said I'm in a romantic scene, and uh-- uh, I..."

Her cheeks brighten with a heavy blush.

"I have to kiss someone," she whispers with embarrassment, shaking her head and making some of her hair fall in her face.

(Y/N) smiles sympathetically, "Yeah... I wasn't sure about that, but--"

"It's gonna be an amazing, beautiful scene!" Buster tries to reassure, giving (Y/N) a quick look for her to help.

"Oh, yeah!" (Y/N) nods, forcing a cheerful smile as she nods along. "If it makes you feel better, I have a romance scene too! And I have to kiss my partner."

Meena frowns, peering out from her hair. "Your... partner is Johnny... your boyfriend..."

(Y/N) stares at her for a few moments, nodding and clicking her tongue. "... Good point."

Meena sighs, biting her thumb nail anxiously. "Mr. Moon, Miss (Y/N), I-- I've never even had a boyfriend or any of that stuff."

Buster waves his hand nonchalantly, walking forward as Meena follows. "Don't you worry! I'm gonna cast a great partner for you."

"Promise?" Meena asks nervously, still unsure.

"Promise," Buster vows, side hugging the girl reassuringly.

(Y/N) watches the two walk away with uncertainty, shrugging to herself before turning to walk back to the ballet studio.

She yelps when she runs into someone, quickly looking up and blinking quickly in surprise at the sight of Nikolaus looking down at her with an annoyed scowl.

(Y/N) simply stares back boredly. "Excuse you."

Nikolaus' face drops in surprise as his brows furrow, (Y/N) walking past him and purposely hitting her shoulder against his arm harshly. He turns and watches her enter the room through the glass, her annoyance lighting up to joy as she walks over to Johnny.

He watches her for a few more moments, adjusting the duffle bag on his shoulder with a small hum before turning and walking down the hall.

...

"Mr. Moon," Mason calls as he walks over, making Buster turn and face him with a greeting smile as Meena walks away. "We're ready to start building the rest of the sets, and..."

"Okay," Buster rubs his hands together nervously, glancing around quickly. "Okay, okay. Listen," he lowers his voice to a hush, "I don't know exactly what they are yet. So... could you give me one more night to figure this out?"

Mason nods, boredly smacking his lips together and turning to the crew before speaking loudly. "Hey! This guy doesn't have it figured out, so we can't start work right now!"

Buster's face pales as he quickly looks around, the members all looking over as he stammers.

"Mason!" he loudly clears his throat, shaking his head.

Mason ignores this, "did everyone hear that?"

"Hey! Don't--"

The workers stop what they're doing, Mason continuing to speak in a loud monotone.

"He does not have the show figured out!"

Buster continues to shush him while stammering out 'buhs,' his eyes darting around as he forces a smile to the others.

"I'm looking into his eyes, and all I see is fear!" Mason continues, adjusting his construction hat.

Buster whistles sharply, waving his hand for Mason to stop. "Hey, hey, hey! Listen, listen!"

"And a little bit of shame," Mason finishes, shrugging to himself as he walks off.

Buster huffs, his shoulders drooping as he scowls. "Yeah, yeah. Look, I-- I think everyone heard you, Mason. Thank you so much."

Gunter strolls over casually, looking around in awe as he fixes his gold pineapple hoodie.

"Gunter!" Buster sighs in relief, rushing over. "We have work to do."

...

..

"And then I'm thinking, Ash, you know, she can, like, totally have a duet with Clay Calloway!" Gunter describes with a bright smile, Buster typing his exact words onto the laptop.

(Y/N) sits on the couch with Johnny at her side, his arm thrown over the back of the couch around her shoulders as they look over their song. Meena sat in front of them, her foot tapping the floor anxiously as she sighs and leans back in her seat.

Rosita was on the other side of the long white sofa, rummaging through her suitcase with a content smile. Ash sat by Buster with her guitar laid across her front, a smile on her face as she listens to his idea.

"Cause, like, she's a star! That is, like, guiding them all the way back home again," Gunter finishes proudly, using two fingers to imitate people walking on his palm.

Buster laughs in delight, nodding. "Gunter, that is perfect for Ash!"

The doorbell rings, making the group look over in slightly surprised expressions at the disturbance.

...

(Hi there-- a refresher for those wondering. Micky and Casper-- Twins, the oldest, 8. Hannah and Rory, now 7. Carla, now 6. And Gail, now 5.)

...

Before anyone could get to the door, it was slammed open, six familiar kids running inside with excited screams.

"Mommy!" Rory yells happily, her and her siblings all racing over towards Rosita.

"Oh, my darlings!" Rosita gasps in surprise, lowering herself and catching two of her children in a hug. "You're here!"

"Yeah! Johnny! (Y/N)!" Micky yells as he runs over, jumping onto the couch and throwing himself over the two as they laugh.

"Hey!" Johnny greets with a laugh, scooping the boy up and holding him over his head with ease.

"(Y/N)!" Casper runs over as well, almost tripping as he clamors onto the couch and hugs (Y/N) tightly.

"Hey, bud!" (Y/N) smiles as she ruffles his hair. "Been well behaved for your dad?"

"Uh..." Casper and Micky exchange a glance, answering her question.

Meena giggles as she bounces Hannah on her lap, Hannah clapping and laughing with a smile.

Rosita tightly hugs Gail and Rory, Carla, Hannah and her brothers running over and nearly tackling her as they hug her as well.

"My gosh! I wasn't expecting you till the morning," Rosita chuckles tearfully, gently stroking Hannah's hair from her face and planting a kiss on Micky's head.

"I know," Norman laughs tiredly as he walks in, their suitcases left by the door. "But they couldn't wait to see you. The star of the show, huh?"

He scoops up Micky, Rosita rising and balancing Rory on her hip.

"Can you believe it?" she questions with a happy sigh, her kids all chattering loudly in excitement. "It's literally my dream come true."

"I know," Norman smiles softly, leaning down and exchanging a kiss with Rosita.

"Ew!" Rory gags, climbing off Rosita and rushing away with Casper in tow.

"I am so proud of you, honey," Norman continues, setting Micky down and hugging her tightly.

Buster yelps as the children now torture him, all climbing over him to peer at his laptop as Ash chuckles in amusement. Rory curiously looks over her guitar, Ash allowing her to strum the cords lightly as she gasps in awe.

"Help!" Buster cries, trying to type and yelping as he falls over from the weight on him.

"Mr. Moon!" Miss Crawly gets his attention, holding up a news article with red marker underlining some material as she walks over. "I found him!"

(Y/N) perks up at this, her and Buster looking at one another as she smiles in relief.

"Clay Calloway?" Buster questions with wide eyes, turning to Miss Crawly.

"Yeah," Miss Crawly looks over her handiwork, the wall filled with her research and investigation on where he might be. "I found his home address."

Buster rushes over with Micky still hanging on his back, Ash running over as well as (Y/N) sighs in heavy relief and slumps against Johnny. He chuckles and hugs her to his side, holding their script for her as they continue looking over it.

"No way!" Ash says in awe, taking the news article and looking over it.

"Yes way!" Buster laughs, shrugging Micky off him and adjusting his white collared shirt. "Miss Crawly, I'm gonna need you to go visit him first thing tomorrow."

"Oh, yes, sir!" Miss Crawly nods, smiling warmly as she pats Micky's head as he runs by her.

"You'll need to rent a car and take him a letter and, uh..." Buster scratches the back of his head, looking to the table. "Maybe one of those fruit baskets. Yeah! One of those'll do. You got that?"

Miss Crawly nods once more, "got it."

...

..