Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A Feverish Reunion

Chapter 1, On the Outside, Things are Great

Johnny’s friends weren’t idiots. They could all see how the teenager was getting sadder and sadder, in the 2 months that followed their performance in the rubble of the original Moon Theater.

Things were great at first glance. Nana Noodleman, bless her heart, had become quite the motherly figure for their motley crew. She paid to rebuild the Moon Theater, and she even paid for their next show and each person’s salary. Mike, Johnny, Rosita, Meena, Gunter and Ash were all being paid very well as official members of the theater now, and even Eddie was being paid to be a backstage crew member- his new lifetime passion ever since their rubble show that crowded thousands of animals all around the city to watch. Nana was always at the theater too, checking in and giving advice, or sitting around and laughing with them when they weren’t rehearsing. Miss. Crawly was everyone’s eccentric grandma, always loving and sweet but absentminded. 

Ash, Meena and Johnny, being the only teenagers of their crew at age 16, 17 and 18 respectively, had grown to be best of friends and spent hours hanging out even outside of rehearsals. 

Rosita was their second mom, always around to hug them and give them candy from her purse if they were sad, or to cheer them on when they were doing well. Gunter was like a crazy Uncle, and even Mike of all people was getting better. He was still a grouch, but with the pay he got from Nana Noodleman, and the small Moon family worming their way slowly into his icy heart, he was slowly melting to them. Very slowly. He still was pretty hard on 18 year old Ash for being a moody teenager, and Johnny for being what he thinks of as “overly sensitive” for a 17 year old, but there was absolutely no denying Mike’s fondness for Meena. One he’d had for her ever since she’d blown everyone else away with her performance of “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing” two months ago. He was almost paternal to the youngest Moon family member, it was really quite sweet.

And Eddie and Buster were like their two gay parents who constantly worried, coddled, and lectured them. Although Eddie and Buster aren’t together or anything, everyone had bets on when they’d finally just kiss already. The two of them were always staring at each other with heart eyes or doting on one another. Their love is obvious to everyone but the two of them.

So, things on the outside were great. Summer vacation had ended and Johnny and Meena were back to high school during the days, but then they’d join everyone else at the theater every afternoon and late into the night, rehearsing for their next show. Ash had dropped out of high school the year before to run away with her ex-boyfriend Lance, but was sometimes telling Johnny in secret that she was thinking of going back and getting her GED, or just graduating normally just to have her high school credentials. 

Things were good.

But still, Johnny got sadder and sadder every day, and more and more tired.

So on the first day of the second month since their rubble show, each member of the Moon family made it their mission to try and figure out why.

Rosita baked Johnny cookies and invited him over to her family dinner one night, planning to ask Johnny when the moment was right, what was wrong. But instead, she’d just spent the night swooning over how sweet Johnny was with her 25 kids, and laughing with him and her husband Norman as the two of them got along surprisingly well. At the end of the night she’d sent Johnny off with enough leftovers to last a week, and hadn’t thought once to ask Johnny how he was doing until the kid was already driving away in his sleek black car.

Gunter had tried to get Johnny to sing his emotions, by playing a boatload of depressing songs and singing dramatically to them. This only made Johnny roll on the floor with laughter, right along with Buster and Meena.

Mike tried to bully Johnny into spilling the truth by spitting out harsh insults about Johnny’s manhood, and that just made the teenaged mountain gorilla annoyed and hurt.

Buster and Eddie tried to sit him down and have a serious conversation with him but ended up talking about boring things like taxes, new techie stuff, and rehearsal hours and things Johnny could work on. When Eddie had started ranting about different lightbulbs and what they did, Johnny had made up an excuse to leave. Miss Crawly tried to ask him what was wrong as she gave him guitar lessons or continued with their piano lessons, but the lessons themselves always took priority.

Finally, Ash and Meena tried an old fashioned intervention on Johnny, but all they could get out of him was a series of excuses about how he was just tired and not sleeping well, and that he was perfectly happy and they had nothing to worry about.

It wasn’t until the night Buster invited everyone’s families over for dinner that they all realized what was wrong. 

Meena’s family were adorable and super supportive, and very cuddly with everyone. Ash’s parents who had forgiven her and reconciled with her for running away the year before after the show, were also proud but more reserved. Eddie’s parents looked quite uptight and above it all, Rosita’s 25 kids were incredibly unruly, and Nana Noodleman sat next to Buster the whole time looking like a proud mom. Mike and his girlfriend Violet were very lovey-dovey with one another as well. It was a loud and rowdy dinner, but everyone was happy, and everyone’s family were there.

Except of course, for Johnny’s.

Johnny’s, who were still locked up in jail and would be for the foreseeable future. His two adoptive uncles who were family friends but more like family, than friends, and his Dad.

Oh, his Dad. Who he had made up with the night of the concert, and was growing closer to every day, much more than he’d ever had before.

His Dad, who’d actually broken out of prison briefly just to share his pride, and then proceeded to apologize the next time Johnny visited him in jail. His dad, who for the first time in Johnny’s life was avidly interested in who Johnny was, and what Johnny loves. His dad, who even asked Johnny to tell him ways he could continue to improve as a father, who was constantly surprising Johnny with his love and was finally giving Johnny the attention and respect the teenager had craved since he was little...

Was rotting in a jail cell and leaving Johnny all alone.

Sure, him and his Father hadn’t been the closest before the rubble show, but his dad had always taken care of him. Always made sure he had enough to eat, and stayed in school, always made sure to include him in everything the gang did even though Johnny wasn’t interested in crime, he always appreciated being included. And even before they were close, his dad was still fiercely protective and there for Johnny. Just more subtly, and in the background compared to what it was now. His father Marcus wouldn’t say things like he does now, like “I love you Johnny”, or “I am so proud that you’re my son”, or anything, but he would always pat Johnny on the back when he was proud, beam and brag about the kid, and he’d even pull him into an awkward hug or two if he was sad.

Maybe his dad wasn’t perfect, but he had always been there. Which is what made it even harder now that they were so close, and his dad wasn’t there, at least not physically.

Because something Johnny hadn’t told the others was how he was struggling a lot, both financially and mentally. Even with the good salary he got working at the Moon Theater, Johnny still had to pay the mortgage on their garage house, and he still had to keep the garage open for customers. Not only was it exhausting to run it alone, but it was also expensive to get the right car parts to fix people’s cars and motorcycles when they showed up. The garage had always been a front to the gang member’s crimes first and foremost, but it was also Marcus’ not so secret passion, and Marcus had taught his son how to be a mechanic as soon as Johnny had turned 10. Not only that, but Johnny had to make sure no one found out he was living on his own at 17. If anyone found out that he didn’t trust, CPS could be called on him. So he had to make sure things always seemed great. The only people who knew he was living alone were Ash and Meena, who’d promised to keep it a secret from the other adults in their group if Johnny promised he was ok, which of course, he did. Ash was quick to buy it, since she had been a 17-year old living without an adult for a whole year. Well ok, she had her horrific boyfriend Lance who was 19, but as mature as a 13 year old prepubescent boy, so she helped Johnny out by convincing naive Meena that Johnny would be ok alone. Not once had it crossed her mind that she had never been ok with just her and Lance, so why would Johnny be ok with just himself?

So, not only was Johnny going to school and working at the Moon theater, but he was also struggling to pay money to live and eat, working at the garage on the weekends, and barely getting any sleep because he was so stressed out to make everything seem perfect.

He missed the sound of his Father using the punching bag or laughing obnoxiously with his uncles late at night. He missed the smell of coffee and greasy breakfast foods in the morning when he woke up. He missed the company of his family as he worked on people’s cars, and he especially missed his father when he was surrounded by his new found family, who were all so loving and protective, and some maternal and paternal, but none of them, none of them are his father.

So when they finished dinner the night everyone’s families had come, and Meena’s mom asked Johnny if his parents were working, and if that’s why they couldn’t make it, Johnny had stood up from the table so quickly that he’d sent food flying, a wild look in his eyes as he tried not to start sobbing like a baby in front of everyone… announcing that his dad was in prison, and had gone running from the room after letting out a choked cry.

That had been a week ago now, and Johnny hadn’t shown up to the theater in days. Everyone felt stupid. They all knew about Johnny’s father and his situation, but absolutely none of them had been bright enough to connect the dots. Even when Johnny would go on about how wonderful it was lately with his father. They’d all just heard the happy stories of their growing bond, and didn’t even stop to think about how hard it was for the two of them to be apart. 

And after a week of not hearing a peep from Johnny, they were beyond worried. They’d already shown up to his garage a few times to check in, and Meena and Ash couldn’t even think of a good excuse as to why no one was answering, so the adults finally learned the truth that Johnny was alone.

Thankfully though… they had Nana Noodleman. Nana Noodleman, oh bless her heart, who wasted no time to pay heaps of money to get Johnny’s dad and two uncles out of prison.

Excitedly, a plan was made. They’d invite Johnny over to the theater and bang! His family would be waiting for a tearful and permanent  surprise reunion. They pulled out all the stops, and everyone’s families would be there too. It was going to be great.

The only problem… was Johnny, still alone at the garage, exhausted and sad, and now… laid out with a heavy fever.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2, Reaching Johnny

In the garage home, upstairs in his father’s bedroom, Johnny lay curled in on himself on his dad’s large king sized bed.

Everything hurt, from his stomach that sent waves of sloshing nausea through his body, to his head that pounded like jackhammers against his skull. His fur was damp with sweat, and his long fingers were curled into fists, hugging his knees to his chest as he lay in a fetal position on top of the bed sheets and covers.

Ridiculous. It was ridiculous for a seventeen year old to be laying in his dad’s bed, crying from feeling so sick, and trying so desperately to be comforted when no one was around to hold him. Because, that’s all he wanted- to be held. And that was also ridiculous. No normal teenager wanted to be held as badly as Johnny did right now.

Maybe it was the raging fever, or maybe it was the intense loneliness that had been coursing through him for the past few months despite being surrounded by friends, but whatever it was, it had the small gorilla, still big compared to other animals but small for his species, shaking like a leaf and crying through squeezed shut eyes for the only person who could make him feel better now- his dad.

Johnny had always been more sensitive than most boys. Not sniveling and weak, but quicker to take on more vulnerable emotions than most boys in society did. He’d always been embarrassed by it though, and tried to keep his emotions in check when he was in public or with others he cared about.

Even still, no matter how tough his dad was, or how tough his dad wanted him to be, his dad had always been there for Johnny when he was sick. He’d sit next to Johnny’s bed and keep him company in the rare times when Johnny was bed ridden with sickness as a kid, and he’d only leave Johnny’s side to get the kid something to eat, or if he had to use the bathroom or something. His father had never been cuddly or anything, but he’d always been right by Johnny’s side when sickness reared its ugly head.

But he wasn’t here now. He hadn’t been here physically for Johnny in months, and despite their super close connection lately, Johnny’s dad felt miles and miles away. That’s why Johnny was in his dad’s room now, and had been staying there for the past few weeks anyways. To feel closer to his dad.

* RING, RING, RING *

Johnny’s phone started blaring. It wasn’t just a normal ringtone either, it was literally Ash and Meena saying the words ‘ring’ obnoxiously loud. They’d gotten a hold of his phone a few months back, and they’d changed his ring tone and a few other things on his phone after teasing him for how generic and unpersonalized a lot of his settings were.

Usually, getting a call meant happy things for Johnny. He’d never been unpopular at school or anything, but he’d never had friends who really wanted to hang out outside of school, or he’d been too busy with his dad’s gang to be able to hang out. So usually when he got calls lately, he would answer to Meena or Ash, or one of his adult mentors calling to ask him out or to check in on his well being.

But his theater family had been calling incessantly for a week now, ever since Johnny had come home from humiliating himself at the family dinner, and started to feel too ill both physically and mentally to come to rehearsals.

No doubt, his friends were worried. Although the 10 calls a day made that annoyingly obvious. Johnny hadn’t answered a single call in days. The first few days because he was too embarrassed and tired of explaining he was fine, but in the last few days, it was because Johnny felt too ill to have a conversation.

He was actually starting to worry that he might need to see a doctor. But if there was one thing Johnny did get from his father, it was his sense of stubbornness. The same stubbornness that let him think he could go to dress rehearsals and still make it back to pick up his family that day they’d been caught by the police, that was now telling him he didn’t need a doctor and he’d get better on his own thank you very much .

* RING, RING, RING*

“Ughhh.” Johnny moaned. Usually his friends would call once every few hours, but not today! Today, they’d been calling and calling and calling, back to back to back.

* RING, RING, RING! ANSWER DA PHONE* came Ash’s voice, and Johnny grimaced.

“A’right already. A’right.” Johnny fumbled with his cellphone sitting on the bedside table. His British accent was even thicker than normal from how stuffed up his nose is. “If I answer ‘he phone will you leave me be?” He mumbled to himself, before pressing the green answering button.

“‘Ello?” He said, fighting back a cough that wanted to come out, just barely swallowing it down. The last thing he needed was for his friends to know he’s sick. They’d charge over to his house as a group and they wouldn’t take him ignoring them as an answer to leave this time.

“Johnny? Are you ok?” Came Buster’s voice on the other side, and Johnny could hear others talking in the background as well, whispering concerns.

“Yea, yea, I’m fine Mr. Moon.” Johnny said, just as a large bead of sweat rolled into his right eye and he had to blink excessively to get it out. “Wha’s up?” He forced his voice into sounding cheerful, hoping it would work.

Seemingly, it did, cause Buster responded brighty, “Oh great! I’m glad. I was just calling to ask you to come down to the theater… for uhh… rehearsals.”

There was something weird in Mr. Moon’s voice, but Johnny was far too out of it for that to register.

“Uhhh, right. Sorry Mr. Moon.” Johnny said, shaking from chills in the middle of his sentence. “I’ve just been… uhhh, busy.” He lied.

“Well Johnny,” Buster continued, “I’m afraid to say if you don’t come to rehearsals now, I will have to recast your part. You’ve missed a whole week of practice.”

Johnny’s body shook again, this time from a combination of chills and shock. Would Mr. Moon really do that? Would he really recast his part when they still had over a month until the first performance? 

But of course he would! As much of a family as they were, Mr. Moon still had a business to run, and Johnny hadn’t shown up to rehearsals in a week! It didn’t matter how close they all were, Johnny didn’t get special treatment. And he really didn’t want to be fired. Humiliating, and very hurtful. That’s what that’d be. But even more so… if he was fired from the show, would he still be welcome in their found family?

Suddenly Johnny felt terribly insecure and selfish for how he’d been hiding out for a week. Even if 75% of that time had been from sickness.

“O-ok.” Johnny said, swallowing back tears. Once again, his raging fever made it harder than normal to control his emotions. He only hoped that it didn’t sound in his voice over the phone. “I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” He said.

Then he hung up before Buster could say goodbye. Not because he was upset, or trying to be rude, but because the cough he had swallowed earlier, was now forcing itself out of him, ripping through him like an avalanche, forcing him to hang his head over his body and the side of the bed, racking coughs blistering his sore throat. Tears of pain and aching sadness spilled from his eyes, but still, he forced himself up, grasping the wall on his right to keep himself from falling over.

Shakily, feeling like hell warmed over, Johnny slowly changed out of his pajama shirt, staying in his sweatpants, but donning one of his dad’s overly large t-shirts. A shirt that would sit tight on his dad’s broad chest, but hung like an extremely short dress on Johnny. 

He felt too sick to venture over to his room all the way down the hall when the stairs downstairs were right next to his dad’s bedroom, and besides, wearing his dad’s shirt gave him comfort, when everything else in his world was currently spinning. Literally. Johnny was incredibly dizzy.

Thankfully, the garage was only a few blocks from the Moon Theater. The only reason Johnny hadn’t been able to save his dad and uncles from the police that dreaded day a few months ago, was because their meeting spot for the robbery was much farther away.

Johnny could usually just ride his skateboard, or drive his car a minute to the theater. But today, he knew he was in no shape to drive. Even as sick as he was, Johnny thought of the animals he might put in danger if he got behind the wheel, or even tried to speed on his skateboard. So instead, he just stumbled to the theater, looking like he was drunk, or like he hadn’t slept properly in weeks. The latter, was actually true.

By the time he made it to the theater, Johnny felt like he’d ran a marathon. If he didn’t have fur, he’d be beat red, but as it was, he felt like it anyways- the heat from his skin making him feel like a raging furnace.

Briefly, he realized that he hadn’t really thought this through. Did he actually think he’d be able to make it through a rehearsal, or hide his sickness from the others? He really wasn’t thinking straight. 

Oh well. At least if Mr. Moon saw him like this, he’d know why Johnny had been missing rehearsals, and maybe he’d let him go back home and not recast him. Or, more likely, Johnny was about to be coddled by everyone inside.

A few days ago, this sounded awful, but honestly, with how Johnny is feeling now, a little coddling actually sounded nice. Maybe even Ash would cuddle with him. It wouldn’t be the same as if it were his dad, but at least then Johnny wouldn’t feel so needy.

Making up his mind, and he had come this far already, Johnny steeled himself as best as he could, and walked into the Moon Theater….

His jaw dropping at what he saw.

There in the middle of his friend group, with all his friends and even their family members again, were his dad and uncles.

Johnny made eye contact with his dad, and watched in slow motion as his father’s face went from excited and smiling, to intensely concerned. All around him, everyone gasped.

It was all too much for Johnny. Everything, the sickness, the loneliness, the isolation he’d put himself into for the last week, and the threats of being fired by Mr. Moon, crashed into him at once, and his knees gave out.

“Da-ad!” He cried, sobbing, as the world around him darkened, and the edges of his vision slowly faded into nothing.

Large, muscular arms wrapping around him in a warm embrace was the last thing Johnny remembered, before his muscles went limp and he collapsed into the warmth of his father’s arms.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3, Dad’s got you.

Marcus had been laying on the bed in his jail cell, staring up at the ceiling in boredom, when three rhino prison guards, a tall black sheep, a nervous white sheep, and an oddly familiar tiny koala showed up just outside the prison bars.

It’d been an exhausting, boring, but all around life changing few months for the large gorilla and his two best friends who were stuck in jail with him now. Marcus had gone from his alias ‘Big Daddy’, as a menacing and mean brute who only cared about money and bringing his beloved son into his gang, back to Marcus- the guy who’s biggest concern now was doing right by his son, doing his time, and trying to figure out who he was now that his tiny gang had broken up. He found himself spending time laughing with his two best friends over silly things now, instead of constantly barking orders or planning big robberies. He spent his time watching the television with his friends in their cell, working in the prison yard, reading, or waiting in anticipation to see his kid.

Overall, Marcus found himself turning into a lot of what he used to be, such a long time ago. A kind, soft-spoken man like he was when he’d met and fallen in love with Johnny’s mother and the two of them had started a family together. A soft person, who no one had known for 16 years now, since Johnny’s mother died a year after their son’s birth.

But he knew he still had a lot of making up to do, before he could ever be proud of himself as a father. At night, he would lay awake in his cell thinking about all of his mistakes, but particularly the ones he’d made with his kid.

His kid, who had always been sensitive, kind hearted, and soft spoken like Marcus was trying to be now. His kid, who had never had to try at all to be the best person around, selfless and putting others first, because he already was naturally. Marcus had been an idiot. He’d felt for so so many years that his kid wasn’t strong enough or manly enough to be in his stupid, useless gang. Now, he saw how blind he’d always been. There was no one in the world more precious than his son. 

He’d always loved his son fiercely, but he’d spent too much time wishing Johnny was more like him, or his two uncles, to stop and see the value in what his son really was. Talented, kind, and far too good for the sufferings of this world and his father’s mistakes.

So when he saw visitors outside of his cell, Marcus was quick to get up and go talk to them. If he wasn’t mistaken, the small koala at the door was none other than Buster Moon, the mentor and father figure who’d been there for Johnny in these past few months, when Marcus could not be. He’d yet to meet the man himself until now, but there was no mistaking it, he was just as bubbly and passionate as Johnny had described him to be.

“Hi there! You must be Marcus, Johnny’s father!” Buster announced as Marcus moved towards the cell door, arms crossed over his chest warily. His large stature made him intimidating without trying to be, but if Buster was nervous, he didn’t show it.

“Yeah. What’s it to ya?” Marcus asked. 

Ugh. Why do I have to be so naturally standoffish? Be nice, Marcus! The large mountain gorilla thought, chastising himself.

Hey, it wasn’t easy to change so quickly, when you’ve been one way for so long. But he was trying.

Next to the small koala, the white sheep nervously gulped, but laid a protective hand on the koala’s right shoulder.

To anyone that knew the two of them, they’d see how Buster minutely relaxed under his best friend’s touch, but to Marcus, he still didn’t notice anything other than exuberance coming from Buster.

“I’m Buster, Buster Moon.” The koala said, a little too dramatically, and Marcus fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“Is Johnny ok?” He asked, before his mind could even register the question. He still wasn’t used to so openly asking about the well being of his child, but it was surprisingly easy to be overly concerned. 

“Sure he is!” Buster smiled, and briefly Marcus wondered if he should be nice and shake the hand that Buster was suddenly thrusting at him from in between the bars. “It’s nice to meet you!” The koala laughed.

By now Marcus’ two best friends Barry and Al had come over and were watching the exchange curiously.

Marcus rolled his eyes but shook Buster’s hand anyways through the bars.

“And this is my best friend Eddie Noodleman and his great aunt Nana Noodleman!” Buster gestured to the two beside him. Eddie looked excited to be mentioned and Nana was mumbling something about how she hated being called a ‘great aunt’.

Smile, Marcus. This is the man who’s been watching out for Johnny. The gruff gorilla thought.

“Err, nice ta meetcha.” He said, and then gestured to his friends. “This is Barry and Al, Johnny’s uncles and my friends.”

The two awkward gorillas exchanged pleasant hellos as well.

More than anything, Marcus just wanted to know why the heck they were visiting now, when they hadn’t in the past two months they’d been here, but he forced himself to keep smiling.

There was something weird in his stomach telling him not to mess up now. As if this visit was something important.

“We’re here to get you out.” Buster said with a wide smile, again dramatically, looping his arm through Eddie’s.

Theater people. Marcus thought. He was still getting used to them.

But then he did a double take.

“Wait, what do you mean, getting us out?” He asked, and shared looks of cautious awe with his two buddies. 

Behind them, the turtle, alligator and beaver that also shared the cell with them looked up with gasps.

“Well, Johnny’s been a bit down lately missing you,” Buster explained, and Marcus’ heart dropped, “So Nana pulled some strings and is paying to get you and Johnny’s uncles out of jail! You’ll be on probation of course and you’ll need to keep a spotless record to stay out of jail, but as of now, you’re free to leave!” 

Marcus’ eyes widened and he looked over to the police rhinos for confirmation. Ever since he’d broken out to see his son’s concert, the rhinos had treated him more like an animal, with more kindness. When they’d found out he just wanted to see his son sing, Marcus suddenly became more animal to them than he’d ever been before.

The police rhinos nodded, small smiles on their lips.

“Yeah, we’re here to let you go.” One said, and for the first time in months, since Marcus saw his kid backstage, Marcus beamed right along with Buster and his friends.

The rhinos let them out and they had to do some final paperwork and checks before leaving, but before Marcus knew it, they were all outside in the fresh, sunny air, getting into Nana Noodleman’s limo driven by an old penguin, to go to the Moon Theater to surprise Johnny.

When they were sitting down, another thought occurred to Marcus.

“Wait, I thought you said Johnny is ok?” He asked, and the others looked at him like he was crazy. Why bring that up all of a sudden? “You said he’s been sad lately.” He elaborated, when everyone kept looking at him like he had two heads instead of one.

Buster scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Oh right, that.” He exchanged a look with Eddie that made Marcus incredibly uneasy.

“He’s just been quiet lately, and sad. We found out recently after a family dinner at the theater that he was just missing you guys. He stopped coming to rehearsals after that. And that was a week ago.”

Marcus’ stomach dropped into his feet, and his worry came out as anger.

“What?! Why didn’t ya mention this before?” He screamed, and Buster flinched back against Eddie, who looked angry in return.

“Before?! Before when?” The white sheep asked, suddenly confident when it came to defending Buster. “We only just met you a few minutes ago, and if you ask me, you should be thanking us for getting you out, and for watching over your kid for the past few months, especially when he was so sorely missing you! And you weren’t around!”

Ouch. A low blow. But, it made Marcus remember himself. And suddenly he was embarrassed. The sheep was right. He’d yet to thank them for anything, when they’d already done so much.

There was an awkward silence for a minute, before Marcus sighed.

“You’re right.” He said. Eddie and the others looked taken aback, even his two buddies did. No one who knew him, or had just met him, had ever seen him to be the type who admits to his wrongdoings.

“You’re right.” He repeated, “I need to thank you. Thank you, for watching over my boy when you never had to do anything. Thank you for getting us out of prison and setting up a surprise party for our reunion. But most of all, thank you for believing in my son when I was too much of a fool to do so myself. You’ve been invaluable to Johnny, and for that, I can never repay you.” He looked right in Eddie’s and Buster’s eyes.

And watched with almost fondness as Buster wiped a few tears out of his eyes. “You’re welcome.” He said, and then added, “But looking out for Johnny has never been anything but wonderful. We love the kid. He’s kind and gracious, and very talented.” And then Buster did something especially surprising, and laid a hand on Marcus’ arm. “But don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve made mistakes, sure. But we’ve all seen” He gestured again to himself and Nana Noodleman, “How much you’ve helped Johnny in the past few months. When we first met him, he was even quieter than he is now. He kept to himself outside of singing practices, and he didn’t talk much or open up. He didn’t believe he was that talented, and he didn’t think he was important.”

With every word, Marcus’ heart shattered more. He’d never known his kid was in so much pain.

“But in the past few months, Johnny has opened up a lot. We’d all thought maybe he was just an introvert when we first met him, and no doubt he is, but he’s also a vibrant and happy kid, and he is part of the glue that holds our small theater family together. Ever since the two of you made up, with exception of this past week of course, Johnny has been so happy, loud and enthusiastic, and passionate and confident. You helped get him there, Marcus.”

But Buster was being too kind, cause really, Marcus should have gotten Johnny there years ago, not just now that his kid was 17.

But he’d continue to be better, Marcus swore to himself, he would be.

“Thank you.” Marcus said, unable to think of anything else to say. His bumbling buddies were wiping away tears, and Marcus somehow wished that he could be that open with his emotions too.

But it didn’t matter. They were at the Moon Theater now, and when they entered, there was no more time to be outwardly emotional anyways.

Inside the theater, a huge banner saying “Welcome home Johnny’s family!” was hung up, and underneath it on a large table was a beautiful hand baked cake. Next to the cake on either side were the other theater member’s Johnny would ramble about during visits, and their large and small families.

It made Marcus choke up for a second, to see they were all there for Johnny. All the adults had taken off of work, or whatever else was going on in their lives to come and watch Johnny reunite with his dad and uncles. And Johnny’s high school friends Ash and Meena were spending their Saturday here too.

Maybe they did that anyways for rehearsals or whatever, but it was still flattering and heartwarming to the rough and tumble mountain gorilla.

Upon entering the three adult gorillas were immediately accosted with introductions and not entirely unwelcome hugs by different members of the theater family.

Marcus especially liked Meena and Ash, who seemed nervous to meet him but very kind and respectful. It made him happy to be able to instantly tell how much the kids loved Johnny. He could see it in their eyes and the way they nervously shook his hand.

By the time introductions had concluded and people were settling down, Buster had dramatically come to the center stage and announced to them all he was going to call Johnny down to the theater, and their plan would be in action.

Everyone fell silent as Buster called Johnny, since they didn’t want to alert the kid that they were all there, anddd let’s be honest, they also wanted to listen in on the conversation.

But it took Buster five calls to reach Johnny. And the more calls he made, the more worried everyone was getting. It was like a slimy snake was crawling around in Marcus’ stomach, and suddenly he was really worried that Johnny was worse off than even Buster was letting on.

By the fifth call, Marcus was about to just leave and go see his kid at home out of concern, but then finally, finally, Johnny picked up.

“‘Ello?” The kid’s voice came through the speaker phone, and Marcus winced along with everyone else. Johnny’s voice was scratchy and rough, but also quiet and unsure.

Something was really, really wrong.

“Johnny? Are you ok?” Buster asked with a high amount of concern, and Meena’s mom whispered in the background her own worry for the boy, before being shushed by Meena’s grandfather.

“Yea, yea, I’m fine Mr. Moon, Wha’s up?” Johnny asked in a cheerful voice. This calmed down most of the people in the room, who went from looking concerned to happy and excited again. Marcus however, wasn’t so sure. Johnny even sounded a little congested. Was he sick?

He proceeded to watch as Mr. Moon stumbled over a lie, asking Johnny to come down to the theater for rehearsals. Marcus really did roll his eyes that time. For someone who was an actor, he was a terrible liar.

When Johnny expressed he was sorry that he’d been so busy lately, something weird flip-flopped within Marcus. What could possibly be making Johnny busy? School? It’s true that junior year was hard, but Johnny had always been a smart kid. But now that Marcus thought about it, Johnny had been making less phone calls to the prison in the past week. He was scheduled to come visit tomorrow, so Marcus hadn’t realized that something might be up.

“Well Johnny,” Buster said, “I’m afraid to say if you don’t come to rehearsals now, I will have to recast your part. You’ve missed a whole week of practice.”

WHAT?! What was Buster doing?! Was he really trying to scare his kid into coming down, when something is obviously wrong? Marcus had to suppress a growl.

He watched others beside him facepalm at Buster’s unfortunate choice of words.

When Johnny responded again, there was no mistaking to anyone the emotion in his voice. “O-ok. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He said, and then hung up before Buster could say anything else.

After the phone call ended, everyone rounded on Buster.

“What the heck, Mr. Moon. Why would you say that to him?” Ash moaned.

“Buster, man, not a great way to get him here.” Eddie said, rubbing his knuckles over his forehead.

“Something is obviously wrong with my kid, and you threaten to recast him?!” Marcus seethed.

Buster looked at them all sheepishly. “I’m sorry, ok? I couldn’t think of another way to get him to come for sure.”

Everyone moaned again, but when Buster said in a smaller voice, “I really am sorry.” Everyone calmed down.

“Oh, it’s ok Mr. Moon.” Meena said softly, “And Mr. Marcus sir, I think Johnny’s ok. He’s just been sad lately, that’s all. But when he sees you, he’ll be happy again!”

Everyone shared their assent.

Marcus couldn’t help but smiling then. Even though something in his stomach was trying to say something was really wrong, the part of him that was overwhelmed with love and excitement to see his kid won out, and he was soon grinning ear to ear. 

The others were right. Even if Johnny was sad, and maybe a little sick, everything would be great now that they were about to be reunited, right?

…. Wrong.

As the excitement built like a shaky tower within the theater, and the entrance doors swung open, Marcus looked towards his kid with the brightest, happiest smile he’d had in months…

But that smile faded as soon as he met eyes with the teenager. Johnny looked awful. He was swaying left and right with a hand over his stomach. His furs was matted with sweat and his eyes were bloodshot. His lips were cracked and chapped, and he was wearing his shoes on the wrong feet, and one of his dad’s t-shirts.

Marcus watched with a fond but terrible concern as his son tried and failed to steady himself upon entering. When the two of them met eyes and Johnny’s pupils blew wide, Marcus’ overprotective dad senses went into a chaotic flurry inside him.

And he watched as his kid stumbled and fell to his knees, sobbing out for him.

Marcus’ ears were ringing as he ran forward to catch his son, the world around him tunneling and losing focus as the only thing that was important now, was catching his kid before he face planted with the ground.

He reached Johnny just in time for the kid to fall unconscious. Limp and burning with fever in Marcus’ strong arms.

“Shit! Shit, Shit!” Marcus fumbled, failing to care that there were two other young people in the theater that he probably shouldn’t be cursing in front of.

With no trouble at all, Marcus lifted his kid easily into his arms and cradled him like a small child, terrified at how hot his son is, and how light he was. Easily, Johnny had lost at least 5 or 6 pounds since he’d last seen him, only two weeks ago now for prison visitation.

“Johnny!” Ash cried out besides them, and came running up to them along with the others. “Oh God, oh God, what’s wrong with him?” She cried, even as Meena supported her on her right.

Marcus looked down at his son’s face, seeing his eyes closed but fluttering, and his kid subconsciously grabbed onto Marcus’ arm even while he wasn’t awake. There was a tight frown on his lips and beads of sweat were rolling down his black furred face.

“Quick, bring him over here!” Buster cried out, beckoning them to a couch that laid backstage and carelessly dumping bags and other belongings people had placed there onto the floor to make room for Johnny.

Carefully, as if his kid was made out of glass, Marcus laid Johnny down onto the soft cushion, immediately kneeling beside him and running his large hands softly down Johnny’s blazing cheeks. Barry and Al came on either side of him too, Barry grasping tightly to Johnny’s hand. 

From Buster’s office, old Ms. Crawly came waddling over with a thermometer. Delicately, more so than anyone had expected from him, Marcus placed the end of the thermometer into Johnny’s right ear and held it until it beeped.

“Shit.” Marcus said again upon seeing the temperature. It was pretty high.

Ms. Crawly patted Johnny’s arm with deep concern, her wrinkly face even more wrinkled with concern.

“Ms. Crawly, I think you need to call for an ambulance.” Buster said, when he saw the kid’s temperature too.

In the corner, both Meena and Ash were silently crying for their friend, and being held in a comforting embrace by Rosita who was looking very pale with worry.

“N-nooo.” A voice mumbled and Marcus was at immediate attention, “Nooo hos-hospitallss..” he said, and then looked up at his dad with glazed over, not entirely there eyes, “Please… Dad.”

Marcus’ heart shattered again. By now it was probably in millions of tiny pieces.

He looked around him, and decided, fuck it. He wasn’t going to be self conscious in comforting his kid like he had in the past.

Gathering the kid in his arms, he sat on the couch so that Johnny was leaning into his chest, arms wrapped around the slighter gorilla, and spoke softly to him.

“Hi, my boy.” He said soothingly, and watched as Johnny’s eyes filled, and spilled over with tears, and Johnny very weakly hugged his father in return.

“Hiya, Dad.” He responded. “Y-you’re here. You’re really here.”

Marcus nodded, a few tears spilling from his own eyes without shame. “Yeah son, I am.” He brushed at Johnny’s fur on his overly heated cheek.

The theater around them had fallen silent. Everyone was waiting to see what Marcus would do, and were probably wondering why he wasn’t addressing the elephant in the room. And that elephant wasn’t Meena or her family members, but of course how Johnny was really sick.

But Marcus knew what he was doing. He needed to really reach his kid before pulling something like a doctor on him. He knew his kid was terrified of doctors. Had been ever since he was old enough to understand his mom had died in a hospital.

Besides, this was the first time Marcus had held his kid… well, since his kid was really young. Before he had started to be too tough on him, and barely ever hugged him. Sure, he’d hugged Johnny backstage a few months ago and hugged him occasionally in the past, but he hadn’t held Johnny since before he was 12. 

“How?” Johnny asked, his voice cracking, and his head too weak to keep holding up, so he laid it on his dad’s chest and didn’t really move. “How are you here?”

Marcus’ concern was only getting worse and worse. Now his kid was so weak he could barely move, and his body was hot. Also, normal Johnny would probably be quite reserved about being the center of attention right now when he was this vulnerable. But current Johnny was too out of it to really notice anyone else around them.

Over his shoulder, Ms. Crawly gestured to the phone in her hands and back at Johnny. Marcus nodded at her discreetly, and she smiled sadly and walked away with the phone, so she could call an ambulance without Johnny hearing her.

In the past, Marcus would think they were overreacting to call an ambulance for a fever. But since Johnny was so weak, had gone unconscious, and had a dangerously high fever, Marcus had no qualms with calling for one. The doctors would be able to get Johnny’s fever down in minutes.

Marcus knew how stubborn his kid is too, how stubborn he’d always been, especially when it came to asking for help when sick because of his fear for hospitals and doctors.

“Your friends bailed me and your uncles out of jail.” He said, then gestured to Johnny’s uncles and friends who he was just now noticing were all there, “Your uhhh… family, got us out.” He corrected himself, and watched as the others nearby swooned at being called Johnny’s family, and looked very, very grateful.

“Huh.” Johnny said, “Oh. Wow.” He squeezed Barry’s hand in his own and fondly smiled at Al as the man patted his shoulder, then he looked over at the rest of his small found family, sniffled once, and then burst into loud sobs.

Oh, Johnny my boy. Marcus thought, as Johnny buried his face in his dad’s chest, crying there.

One by one, every member of the Moon family came over and joined in on hugging Johnny, who was too high in fever to be able to control his emotions.

They held him there for a while, until the teenager started to cough, violently.

Marcus then sat his son up and patted at his back, muttering soothing words.

“There there now, my boy.” He soothed, “Dad’s got you.”

This somehow just made Johnny start crying harder, and coughing louder.

But when the coughing fit passed, he laid his head back to rest on his dad’s chest again, this time holding both Meena’s and Ash’s hands tightly in both of his own, Rosita also coming in with an ice pack and laying it on his head, humming soothingly.

“Johnny, kiddo, why didn’t you tell any of us you’re so sick?” Buster asked, his hand tightly in Eddie’s as he brought over a cup of cold water for Johnny to drink.

Johnny tried to shrug, but was too weak, and just said “I’m sorry. Didn’ wan you ta worry.” He slurred.

Concern in Marcus was skyrocketing. Where was that ambulance?!

But then Ms. Crawly snuck back in and gave him a subtle thumbs up, and Marcus felt slightly better knowing that help was on the way.

“Johnny, we will always worry about you.” Some mouse said, and Marcus was surprised to see everyone else looking so surprised that the mouse said that.

Ah, that must be Mike then, the mean and grouchy mouse with a soft side that Johnny told him about. He’d already forgotten from Mike’s introduction earlier. 

Johnny looked at the mouse with watery eyes.

“Really?” He asked, then chuckled a little deliriously.

“Really.”

“Even you?” Johnny asked.

“Even me.” Mike replied.

And then the moment was broken when ambulance noises could be heard from outside.

As out of it as he was, Johnny still realized what was happening, and looked to his dad with soft betrayal, but mostly fear in his eyes.

“Da-ad!” He cried, squirming in the older man’s hold, “Dad, wha? Why?”

Marcus felt terrible, but he held his son even tighter still. “We need to get your fever lowered, bud.” He said, “It’ll be ok, I promise.” Then, “Do you trust me?”

There was a scary moment when Marcus thought Johnny would say no, but then he was looking at his dad with eyes so full of trust, that Marcus’ shattered heart slowly started to rebuild in his chest.

“Yeah Dad. ‘Course I do.” He said, and then snuggled back into Marcus’ side as the doctors with a stretcher came rushing in.

Several hours later, after Johnny was brought to the hospital via an ambulance, given lots of fever medication and looked over, it was close to 2 in the morning, and they were being allowed to go home.

Johnny had a bad case of the flu, and they had been right to bring him into the hospital. As scared as Johnny was, and he’d been scared (poor Marcus had had to hold him through a few panic attacks at being there), if they hadn’t brought him to the doctor now, Johnny’s fever could have been fatal. And, he wasn’t breathing very well either from his cough and his throat being so blocked up with mucus.

But Johnny’s small theater family had stayed with him the whole time, and now despite the doctors saying they could spend the night if they wanted to, they were being cleared to leave if they so chose to, to bring Johnny back home to rest in bed and recover. The doctors promised he should get better with medicine within the week.

They looked like a crazy family all walking with Johnny back to Nana’s limo, which is how most of them had travelled to the hospital other than Marcus who stayed with Johnny in the ambulance. They all piled into the limo and were brought back to their respective houses, whispering goodnights, hugs, and even “I love you’s” to one another that sent Marcus’ shattered heart into overtime for repairs.

Soon, it was just the gorilla family of four, going back into the garage house for the night.

Barry and Al settled their stuff in their rooms, hugged Johnny softly goodnight (Marcus’ heart, oh man, it just kept growing better and better), and then they went off to bed.

Marcus, carrying a sleepy Johnny in his arms despite the gorilla being way too old to be carried, made the executive decision to bring Johnny to his bedroom, and his heart practically exploded with love at what he saw when they entered.

His room had clearly been used for at least the past week. The bed was unkempt, and some of Johnny’s clothes, as well as his skateboard and a few other loved items were lying on the floor and bedside table.

Johnny, noticing his dad’s obvious fond face, and now in a much less fevered state, squirmed to get out of his dad’s arms in embarrassment, cheeks blazing under his fur with a blush.

“Uhhhh, Dad, Uhhhh. Oh God. I’m sorry.” He said, “You must think I’m crazy, uhhh…” He rambled.

Marcus placed his son down on the bed and sat next to him, wrapping his arm around the kid’s shoulders.

“Shhh. You’re fine.” Marcus said, and Johnny looked at him with surprise. Marcus felt terrible again briefly. It was his fault of course that his son would be so worried about appearances around him. Yet another thing he needed to fix- showing Johnny he didn’t always need to be tough.

“And I’m sorry about earlier.” Johnny continued. “I made a right mess out of myself in front of everyone. SO embarrassing.” 

Marcus shushed him again, pulling his son into a warm embrace, the millionth one of the night.

“Dad?” Johnny asked curiously, his voice muffled against the fabric shirt of his dad’s chest.

“Never again Johnny.” Marcus said, and the boy flinched, “Never again do you ever need to feel ashamed about being yourself, feeling emotions, or being sick. I never want you to feel like that anymore. I am so, so sorry.”

Johnny relaxed, pulling his dad tighter in the embrace. “It’s ok Dad. I forgive you.” He said.

Marcus pulled out of the hug, a wet laugh escaping him that sounded more like a sob. “You’re too good kid. You’re just too good.”

Johnny raised his eyebrows out the man, but laughed himself, and let out a yawn.

“Nah Dad, I’m just Johnny.”

The two of them lay back to sleep, and Johnny rested his head on his dad’s chest. Still so shocked that this all was happening.

“Johnny, my boy.” His dad muttered. “Not just Johnny. Talented, kind, empathetic, stubborn.” He playfully ruffled Johnny’s head at the last one. “I’ll try my best not to let you down again.”

Johnny just rolled his eyes, but started to let his eyes close, tired and still sick. “Don’t worry ‘bout it Dad.” He said, and then, “I love you.”

And even though Johnny had fallen asleep right away, Marcus replied.

“I love you too, my son.”