Archive of Our Own

Another day at the New Moon Theater has come to an end. One by one, each member of the theater troupe left the building until two members were left. Perry was in his rehearsal space and finishing up packing up his belongings in his backpack. After doing so, the squirrel slung the straps of the bag over his shoulders and opened the door of his space. However, in doing so, a shout of irritation came out of nowhere.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Perry jolted and looked down to see Mike, who had stumbled back from the door.

"Look where ya goin', bush tail!" Mike snapped.

"S-sorry, Mike!" Perry quickly apologized to the mouse. "I-I didn't see you there…"

"What, you didn't see me from the glass door?"

"Well, it's just that you're so small and, well, you were under the glass frame of the door."

Mike rolled his eyes at the explanation.

"Whatever."

Perry, feeling somewhat guilty, decided to try to appeal to Mike.

"So, uh, you did great during rehearsals today." Perry complimented. "You were really on point with your singing."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Mike replied with a smug expression. "What can I say though? I'm a natural."

"You must have worked very hard to get a voice like that."

"You bet your fur I did. Not just anyone gets into the Lincoln School of Music, y'know?"

Mike always took any opportunity he could to brag about the school he graduated from. Still, it was a pretty admirable achievement and from what it seems, according to Mike, studying there pays off.

"So, any plans tonight?" Perry asked, trying to be friendly.

"Not sure how that's any of your business." Mike responded harshly, which made Perry flinch a little. "But, if you absolutely must know, I'm taking Nancy out to Les Calamars tonight."

"Oh ,really? I heard that place is really fancy and exclusive and stuff."

"Only the best for her. And myself, of course."

"Well, I hope it goes well for you."

"As long as those bears don't find eat there too, I'm sure that I'll be walking out there like royalty."

Yeah, Perry and the others have heard about the whole situation with Mike and a group of hostile bears. Mike had cheated, or as he liked to put it, 'cleverly outwitting' the bears out of a large sum of money during a card game one night and the mouse ended up spending it up by the time they found him. Mike then tried to make a deal with the bears by giving up the prize money Buster had promised during the fateful singing competition. When it turned out that the money didn't even exist, Mike ended up digging himself into an even deeper hole. Apparently, the bears were seriously relentless in making Mike pay, in one way or another and attempted to kidnap him and eat him during the show's revival. Luckily, Nancy swooped in for the save and both mice were able to outrun the bears once again.

"You haven't had any trouble with them again, have you?" Perry asked concerningly.

"Eh, there might have been a few close calls, but I manage." Mike replied.

"Then I guess that makes you very lucky, huh? Surviving quite a few encounters with a whole gang of bears."

"I suppose. Hey look, as much as I enjoy talking about myself, I gotta jet."

"Oh, right, of course. Dinner with the girlfriend. That'll be fun."

Done with the conversation, the two rodents began to make their way out of the theater. As Perry and Mike exited through the doors, Perry couldn't help but notice and admire Mike's red sports car.

"Wow, nice car." Perry commented.

"A real beaute, I know." Mike said smugly. "Maybe one day, if you get close to my level, you can get one too."

Before Mike could get in his car, a notification from Perry's phone chimed in. Perry got it out and once he checked it, the squirrel groaned. Although Mike could have just ignored whatever was making Perry upset, the mouse decided to pry.

"What's with the 'tude, bush tail?"

"Sorry, the driver I called for to pick me up had to cancel on me." Perry explained.

"Why?"

"He got into an accident. Apparently, some guy was joyriding and crashed into him."

Mike just shrugged.

"Well, I guess that's how the cookie crumbles."

"I guess." Perry said disappointedly. "At least I won't get charged for it. And I know the way home from here anyways. I'll just make the trip on foot."

"Well, alright then."

"See you tomorrow, Mike."

As Perry began walking away, Mike was left with a strange feeling. A feeling of…obligation? Why though? Mike didn't owe him anything and neither did Perry. Still, something in Mike was making him feel uncharacteristically generous.

"Hey bush tail! Wait!" Mike called.

Perry stopped and turned around.

"Mike? What's up?"

Mike was hesitant about the favor he was about to offer, but sighed and the words came out anyways.

"You wanna ride home?"

The offer surprised the squirrel. Mike never offered anyone besides Nancy a ride in his car. His very expensive car. The mouse would probably flip if anyone besides Nancy even got near his prized vehicle.

"Wha-are you serious?" Perry asked. "You never give anyone a ride in your car except your girlfriend."

"Yeah, well, I don't really wanna go to dinner knowing you had to walk who knows how far to whatever hovel you live in."

Perry blinked. His home wasn't that far from the theater. Walking there would take maybe fifteen minutes, but a drive there would just take about five. Still, Perry was still somewhat skeptical about the offer Mike placed on the table.

"You sure? I don't want to be a bother. And you also have dinner plans."

"Eh, I got time." Mike said nonchalantly. "And Nancy usually takes a while to get ready anyways."

"What's the catch?" Perry questioned.

"Look bush tail, I'm trying to be nice. Ever heard of the phrase 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'? Now are you getting in or what? Otherwise I can just leave you in the dust."

Perry bit his lower lip in hesitation, but decided that a drive home would be less tiring than a walk there.

"Alright, alright. I'm in."

With a nod, Mike unlocked his car, opened the door and jumped onto the driver's seat. Perry made his way to the passenger seat and did the same. Both Mike and Perry were small animals, so getting the car took a bit more effort than a larger animal would take. As Perry went to put on his seatbelt, he was about to ask Mike how he could drive such a big car. That's when the squirrel noticed that there were, in fact, small gas and brake pedals appropriately levitated to Mike's height. Also, the steering wheel was suited to his size and built in a way where he could properly reach it. Questions silently answered.

"Oh." Perry whispered.

"'Oh' what?" Mike asked, putting on his own seatbelt.

"Um, I was just wondering how someone as small as we are would be able to drive a car like this, but then I saw how the pedals and steering wheel were built and, well, then I got my answer."

"Yeah, well it wouldn't be fair to us little guys if we couldn't get a car like those big lugs. Gotta modify them in a way so we can get the experience too, y'know?"

"Well, I could never drive a car like this. Seems like a lot of effort just to get in."

"Sometimes you gotta take a few punches for the good life, bush tail. But you do you. Now let's get you home."

Mike then put the keys into the ignition, started the engine, and the car drove off with the two rodents.

"Alright, just give me directions and we should be there in no time." Mike said.

"Okay, uh, take a right here and then a left at Petunia's Flowers." Perry instructed.

Mike nodded and did as he was told. However, after turning left at the flower shop, Mike saw that the whole road ahead of him was jammed with other vehicles. Mike came to a screeching halt.

"Ugh, come on!" Mike groaned with frustration, blaring his horn a few times after stopping. "Great. You gotta plan B, bush tail?"

"Uh, yeah, just back up and I think we can take a different route."

However, the second Mike tried to do just that, several other cars came up behind him, trapping his car in the traffic jam.

"Oh for the love of-why me?!" Mike exclaimed angrily.

Perry shrunk at Mike's outburst.

"Oh gosh…that's not good."

"No duh! Now we have to wait for who knows how long in this stupid line!"

"I'm really sorry, Mike. Really, I am."

Mike pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, trying to calm down.

"No, no you didn't do anything. I just…I really hate traffic jams. And I also have that dinner plan. Nancy may take a long time to pretty herself up, but she doesn't take that long. I'm probably gonna get an earful later for being late."

Perry pursed his lips.

"You know, I can just get out and walk the rest of the way if you'd like. It'll probably save you time."

Mike just shook his head and sighed.

"No, it's fine. We're already going through with this plan and it'll just be a waste of time if we back out now. We'll just wait this out. I'll make it up to Nancy by spending extra on dinner or taking her on a shopping trip or somethin'."

"O-okay then."

For a moment, the two rodents sat in the car in silence. Perry then got the idea to try to make things a little better and start up a conversation.

"So, um, what made you want to get into music?" Perry asked.

Mike raised an eyebrow at this.

"What's it to ya?"

"J-just wondering. I mean, you play the sax and sing so well. That's gotta come from somewhere, right?"

"I still don't see what that concerns you."

"Well, we're in a traffic jam, so I thought we could try to pass the time by talking, you know?"

"I ain't one for small talk, bush tail."

Perry frowned and went back to staying silent for a bit. That's when Mike broke the silence.

"But if it's just eating you up inside, I guess I can chat for a bit."

"You sure?" Perry responded. "If talking about it actually makes you uncomfortable or something-"

"I've got nothing to be uncomfortable about, alright?" Mike snapped, making Perry flinch again.

After taking a deep breath, Mike began speaking.

"My ma introduced me to it. She took me to a jazz concert when I was a kid and I was enraptured by the music. I wanted to be like those guys. Playing beautiful music, the spotlight shining down on me, hundreds of animals adoring my talent, I wanted all of it. On my tenth birthday, ma gave me the saxophone you all see me with. I always made sure it stayed in pristine condition. Even now, you probably won't see a single speck of dust on it."

"Wow, I had no idea your sax had such a huge impact on your life." Perry said with awe. "It must mean a lot to you."

"It's my most prized possession. Might even be buried with it. Anyways, since that day, I practiced to become like those big stars. Along the way, I also got into singing. Even became one of the top musicians in my high school years."

Perry smiled at the story. Honestly, Perry was like Mike in this manner. The squirrel was introduced to singing at a young age and loved it. He wanted to be just like one of those stars one would hear on the radio or see on a huge stage. If it weren't for that incident in middle school, maybe he would have achieved his dream even sooner.

"Yeah, I was loved." Mike said with a smile. "I was getting all the praise and recognition that I deserved."

Mike's expression then changed from a smile to a small frown.

"But…not everyone thought highly of me."

"Why not?" Perry asked.

"My old man…he didn't recognize my talent. He said it was a waste of my time…and that it was all just a phase."

"Why did he say that?"

"My pa's a big shot lawyer. He was hoping that I'd end up becoming just like him. He kept saying that I had a brilliant mind, which I mean, he's not wrong, and that I'm just wasting it by 'blowing air into a metal pipe'. He never supported my decisions."

Perry also shared a somber expression.

"I'm…I'm sorry to hear that."

Mike shrugged.

"Eh, his words don't mean squat to me anymore. In fact, I told him that I was going to prove him wrong. That one day, my name was going to be in big, shiny lights. That I was going to have a crowd cheering for me one day, whether I had his support or not. After I graduated from high school, I enrolled in the Lincoln School of Music and I left with flying colors."

Perry's smile returned to him.

"That's amazing, Mike! It takes a lot of determination to do something like that!"

Mike chuckled.

"Well, motivation is key, bush tail. If I had to thank my old man for anything, it was giving me a motive to go far. Still, I didn't get where I am immediately. Even with a degree, things didn't go completely my way. I tried to apply to a ton of music venues and clubs, but I guess that the idea of a mouse becoming a musician was ludicrous to them, so I had to settle for playing for loose change for a while."

"What, seriously?" Perry exclaimed. "Even with all your hard work and graduating from a music school like that, you were stuck on the streets performing for loose change?"

"Sometimes, life ain't fair, bush tail." Mike commented gruffly. "But, other times, life throws you a bone. That so-called singing competition Moon held? It gave me the opportunity to perform for the bigger crowd I couldn't get on my own."

"But, you were only doing it for the money."

"Hey, stars don't just appear with nickels and dimes, you know? I needed financial support if I was going to live large. And when it turned out that hundred grand was just a box of junk, you probably can't imagine how betrayed I felt. I even took a loan from the bank for that!"

"Well, you were kinda overconfident back then." Perry muttered.

Mike shot a glare at the squirrel, but couldn't exactly say he was wrong either. Mike was so sure of himself that he would come out on top in the competition. Why wouldn't he? Buster, the host of the competition himself, loved the mouse's talent and gave him so much praise during rehearsals. How could he not believe that he'd easily win the hundred grand?

"In any case." Mike started with a hint of irritation. "Even though there wasn't any money involved, I came back to prove to everyone that I, little ol' Mike, have the skills that it takes to be a huge star. And you know what? That's what I did. I proved so many animals wrong. I proved my dad wrong. Animals were cheering for my singing."

"Yeah, you did amazing that night." Perry complimented. "That voice of yours is smooth like butter."

Mike couldn't help but proudly smile at the praise he had just received.

"Appreciate it, bush tail." Mike replied. "Anyways, then Jumbo came on stage, blew the crowd away, the bears snuck up on me and snatched me up, Nancy saved me, we escaped, blah blah blah."

"I'm pretty sure you enjoyed Meena's performance just as much as the rest of us."

"Girl's got potential, alright? I mean, when we all met her, she was just some quiet suburban girl. Now? She's the second best performer in the New Moon Theater! First being yours truly, of course."

"Actually, if the competition still went as planned, I think Meena would have won. No offense. But I mean, did you see how the crowd reacted to her performance?"

"Okay, first of all, no, I didn't see how the crowd reacted to her performance. Got nabbed by bears in the middle of it, remember? And second, Jumbo may have a golden voice, but she's still got a long way ahead of her. It's not just talent, but experience that makes it."

Perry chuckled softly.

"If you say so."

"And besides, I managed to do just fine on my own." Mike stated. "After being shown on TV, I landed a ton of high class gigs. Managed to pay off my debt with the bank in the process too."

"What about the bears?" Perry asked. "Why don't you pay them back so that they stop harassing you?"

Mike tensed up at that, which was rare for Perry to see.

"I don't think I can. Well, I mean I can pay the money, but after that whole fiasco at the theater and escaping death a second time with them, I'm pretty sure my beef with them ain't about the money anymore."

"Oh, I see. It's become personal, huh?"

Mike nodded.

"That's why I've been trying to lay low. Or at least stay in public places." Mike explained. "They can't do anything if they can't find me or if there's too many witnesses. As my girlfriend, Nancy's been doing the same. Gotta keep her safe too, you know?"

"Well, I think it's admirable that you care so much for her." Perry said. "Still, something needs to be done about those guys eventually, right?"

"Oh believe me, bush tail, if something could be done about them, I still wouldn't be running. But these guys have connections in high places. Almost untouchable."

"Sheesh, and you cheated these sort of guys out of money?" Perry asked.

"Hey, I thought that I could get away with it at the time!" Mike exclaimed defensively. "And besides, what I won from them is probably pennies compared to the rest of the cash they have stashed somewhere!"

"But now it's become personal."

"Yeah, well, I'll figure somethin' out."

Perry was now genuinely concerned for the mouse.

"You can't run from this forever, Mike." Perry stated.

"True, but they can't chase me forever." Mike replied. "Eventually, they'll have bigger fish to fry and I'll be too elusive for them. If I can just keep it down long enough, then they'll just give up. And if bad goes to worse, I'll just scram with Nancy. Go off perform for rich bigwigs or somethin'."

A thought suddenly came to Perry.

"Hey, you know, why did you come back to work with us at the theater?" the squirrel asked curiously. "I mean, you said that you were already making good money doing gigs for the rich, right?"

Mike was silent for a moment.

"Mike?"

Mike snapped out of his trance and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, well, it's not like I just do big gigs." Mike answered. "Those fancy clubs and venues aren't always hiring, you know? And even if they are, it's always been a one time thing for me. So I gotta find a place where I know is always welcoming. And Moon, despite pretty much lying to our faces, is an alright guy and it helps to work for a boss that isn't a total jerk. Basically, until I find those sweet gigs, I have to stick around. You get what I'm saying?"

"I suppose." Perry replied. "I mean, it doesn't hurt to make some extra money on the side."

"Yeah, yeah you get it. And besides, it gives me something to do besides playing for loose change all day."

"Yeah, working at the theater is miles better than what I used to do too."

"Speaking of which, what's your story, huh?" Mike asked. "I just told you my life story. It's only fair that you do some sharing yourself."

Perry nodded.

"Yeah, that does seem fair. Alright, so um, I was introduced to singing when my aunt decided that we should do Christmas carols one year and, well, I guess it kinda just hit off for me. Every house we went to had something good to say about my singing and it just encouraged me to keep doing it."

"Heh, yeah I remembered when I was like that too." Mike chuckled. "Sang like there was going to be no tomorrow during the holidays."

"For a while, I sang whenever I could. Any time I heard a song I like, I couldn't help but sing along to it. I was even the star in every elementary school recital and school play. I had a bright future ahead of me and I barely even knew it."

Perry's smile faded.

"But…then came the first year of middle school. I ended up joining the choir club."

"What, did the instructor not like your singing?" Mike asked. "Or were the other members all stuck up and treated you like trash?"

"No, nothing like that." Perry answered, shaking his head. "Lots of animals loved my singing. And my mom, she couldn’t have been more proud of me."

"Well, it sounds to me you had a promising career ahead of you. So what is it, bush tail? What's with the long face?"

Perry, while slightly uncomfortable with recalling his traumatic memory, kept going on with his tale.

"One day, after gym class, I had to deal with a group of bullies." Pery explained. "They…they mocked me. Thinking back, the insults weren't that bad, just some stupid kiddie trash talk. But, for a sixth grader, they stung a lot. Not only that, they also literally pushed me around. Like I was a puck at a hockey game. Again, the Perry you know now could have handled it, but I was just an eleven-year old.. That kind of stuff really messes up a kid, you know?"

Mike silently listened, nodding his head understandingly.

"These guys were bullying me for doing something that I enjoyed. And they mocked me for protesting too. I just wanted them to stop, but they just laughed and mimicked my pleas. It was only by chance that I was able to escape them. When I told my mom about what happened, she went straight to the principal's office to report the incident and those bullies got suspended."

"Alright, so you dealt with a few haters and they got what they deserved." Mike commented. "Should be a happy ending for you, right?"

Perry hung his head down.

"It should have been, right?" Perry replied. "Yeah, justice was served, but the damage had already been done. That single moment traumatized me. I was so scared of being hurt again. So scared, I just ended up quitting the choir club. No one wanted me to leave, and frankly, neither did I. But…I didn't want to risk having to deal with anything like that again. It worked, but it cost having to give up singing for people. I know, it's stupid to say that this of all things pushed me to stop singing for a while, but kids are kids, and as a kid back then, words and actions can have a serious impact on their future."

For once, Mike gave a sympathetic expression. Perry also had to deal with other animals that didn't appreciate his talent. Like Mike, just when Perry thought he had a bright future to chase, there was someone out there who had to ruin it for him.

"That's, uh…wowza." Mike simply said.

"You know, Mike, I wish I had the determination you had when you were younger." Perry admitted.

"Why's that?"

"Because unlike you, I let others get me down. I let others stop me from doing what I love. Their words stuck with me and I only sang to myself for years and ended up getting a job as a janitor. I let bullies shape my future for the worse and landed a job that I hated. Without a motivation to push forward, I began to let my dreams die out and just live life as it took me."

Perry's facial expressions slowly turned from pitiful to inspired.

"That is, until Mr. Moon held that singing competition."

Mike stayed silent. Both stories came back to that singing competition Buster hosted. It seems that if it weren't for him, both rodents would be living lives that they didn't want to live. To be honest, they both had Buster to thank for where they were now. Of course, Mike probably would never admit it. At least, not to his face.

"When I found that flyer for the competition, I figured that I could at least give it a try. I had matured since the incident, so I had at least gained back a bit of confidence. And then, I got in and met a lot of great friends."

Mike hummed at that last sentence. Could they really be considered friends? Yeah, they worked with each other a lot, but neither Mike nor Perry really had a lot of positive interactions. Most times, Mike just kind of saw Perry as a pushover and never gave the squirrel a second thought. Now though, with Perry in the passenger seat of his car, Mike had an opportunity to know the squirrel better and it turns out, the two had a bit more in common than he thought. But…they weren't necessarily friends, were they?

"I also saw an ad on TV, a PSA, I think, telling me that my future could be as big as I want it to be. And ever since then, those were words that I decided to live by. I wasn't going to let anyone stop me from chasing my dream anymore."

"Your dream can be as big as you want it to be." Mike repeated the saying in his mind. "That's…actually a pretty good mindset."

"I then quit my stupid job as a janitor and focused my attention on the competition. But I soon realized that winning the money meant almost nothing to me." Perry said with a smile. "I mean, yeah, winning a hundred grand would have been sweet and all, to pay for things like food and bills, but I figured that Mr. Moon would be a way better boss than the one I used to have and yearned to work for him. That way I could have a job I love and do the things I love at the same time."

"Well, I guess that's a good way to think about it, since Moon never had the money." Mike stated.

"Yeah, hearing that there was no money was a shock, but it was all an accident, remember?"

"Yeah yeah, the old lizard made a typo on the flyer and Moon was trying to get a sponsor so he could pay for the prize. Wish I knew that beforehand. Could have saved me a huge weight in the form of three bears."

"Well, on the bright side, you wouldn't have gotten to be with Nancy if he told the truth early." Perry reminded.

Mike gave that remark a quick thought.

"Yeah…yeah I guess you're right about that."

"Anyways, after the old theater got destroyed, I felt that my dreams were taken away again just like that. But then the revival happened and, well, here I am. Animals love my singing and I get to work with a super cool and supportive boss. Honestly, I wish more animals were like him. I think that the world would be a lot better if we worked under animals like Mr. Moon."

Mike smirked.

"Really? Animals who lie to others and fill them with false hope?"

Perry frowned slightly.

"Well, no, not like that. I mean animals who have your back all the time and treat you like family. And I mean, like a good family. A family who actually cares about you."

Mike gave this a quick thought too. Buster did treat everyone like family. And the koala did seem to be a genuinely kind, caring and supportive boss. That sort of thing is definitely a rarity with most bosses nowadays.

"I see." Mike uttered.

"The point is, I'm really grateful that Mr. Moon held that singing competition." Perry said with admiration for the koala in his eyes. "I owe him a lot. I'd still be hiding my voice from the world if it weren't for him."

"Yeah…and I'd still be playing on the streets for other animals' leftover cash." Mike mused. "Then again, I also wouldn't be hunted down by bears, but you know, details."

"You kinda did that on your own, Mike."

"Well, you know what? At first, I wanted to take it back, but like you said, I wouldn't have met the most amazing mouse ever otherwise. Still, could do without the bears."

"Wasn't the fact that you cheated at a card game was what got you into this mess?"

"Look bush tail, throw me a bone here. I'm on your side here for once."

Perry smirked. Even Mike can't deny the truth. Still, the squirrel was finally getting Mike to open up, which was something no member of the theater troupe has achieved so far.

"Well, you wanted to prove your dad wrong, right? Because of Mr. Moon, you proved that you were an amazing singer. Just like I did."

"Hmph, yeah, we did, didn't we?" Mike responded cockily.

Perry let out a soft laugh, but then realized what Mike just said.

"Wait, did you just say 'we'?" Perry asked with a surprised tone.

Mike then realized what he just said and froze.

"Did…you just admit I was an amazing singer?"

Mike tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Why did he have to make a slip of the tongue? Well, there's no going back now.

"So what if I did?" Mike asked, feigning his pompous attitude.

"Mike, you never compliment anyone." Perry stated. "You can probably imagine my surprise after hearing you say that I'm an amazing singer like you are."

"Look, I just have some respect for you, bush tail. Don't go thinking or telling anyone we're all buddy-buddy just because you have some good pipes."

Perry was about to say more, but just now, the vehicles in front of them began moving forward.

"Finally! The ball's finally moving!" Mike exclaimed. "Now let's get outta here! Seriously, that felt like forever!"

"It wasn't that bad." Perry commented. "I think talking helped time pass."

"Yeah well if the radio actually played some good music, that's what we'd be doing instead. Now where's wherever you live? That's the whole reason you're in my car, remember?"

Perry actually did forget that was the point of him being in Mike's car. Their talk just took his mind off of the traffic jam that much. And it actually felt good to talk about his past with someone, even if it was with Mike. In any case, Perry gave directions as Mike drove the car and soon enough, they had arrived at Perry's apartment building.

"Alright, here we are." Perry said as they drove up to the building.

"Huh. Not as shabby as I imagined." Mike commented.

Undoing his seatbelt, Perry opened his side of the car door and leaped out of the vehicle, closing said door after doing so.

"So, uh, thanks for the ride, Mike. And it was good talking to you."

"Yeah yeah, just don't go expecting this too much." Mike said, trying to fake a nonchalant attitude. "Otherwise I'll start charging you for lifts."

"Okay, so, um, enjoy your night."

"Sure hope I can. I better pray Nancy's still doing her makeup or whatever. Later, bush tail."

With that, Mike drove off and Perry made his way inside the building. As Perry walked up to his apartment, the talk in the car replayed inside the squirrel's mind over and over. Mike wasn't any sort of sympathetic or supportive towards anyone else in the theater, but today, for some reason, Mike showed compassion towards Perry. Heck, Mike even gave him a ride in his car. This was a lot for Perry to unpack and process. Maybe some leftover pizza will help him figure things out.

Meanwhile, Mike had arrived at his own apartment building, although the one he lived in was a lot fancier than the one Perry lived in. After parking his car and locking the doors, Mike hurried up to where he and his girlfriend lived. Maybe there was still time and Nancy hadn't noticed that he was running late to take them to dinner. Unfortunately, even Mike's luck runs out sometimes. As soon as the mouse opened the door to his apartment, he was met with a rather irritated female mouse.

"Oh, look who decided to show up." Nancy said with her paws on her hips. The woman in question was wearing a shiny, silk blue evening gown and matching blue pumps. To Mike, she looked absolutely stunning. As such, he tried to save himself by commenting on it.

"Woah, babe you look incredible."

Nancy wasn't having it.

"Don't 'babe' me, Michael." Nancy scolded. "You said we were going out for dinner tonight. And eating at Les Calamars no less! Seriously, where were you? And you give me flak about taking a long time!"

Mike winced. He very much expected this. At least he, hopefully, has a good excuse for her.

"Nancy, baby, we still are! I'll even make it up to you by letting you order the most expensive thing on the menu if you want!" Mike promised. "Or take you on a shopping trip later! You love those!"

Nancy crossed her arms, still not satisfied yet.

"You still didn't answer my question, Mike."

"Listen, sweetheart. I offered to drive bush tail home. His ride canceled on him and I gave him a lift. But then we got caught in traffic and so, I was late. I'm sorry, babe, really."

Nancy's expression almost immediately changed to a more positive one.

"Oh, you were just driving Perry home?" Nancy asked with a delighted smile. "Well, that changes everything! That's so sweet of you! I always love it when you act like a sweetheart!"

Mike mentally sighed in relief. Being nice really does pay off sometimes.

"Yeah, well, us little guys gotta stick together, you know? Anyways, I'll be ready in a few. Trust me, dinner at Les Calamar is gonna happen tonight."

"Alright! I'll wait right here, honey."

With that being said, Mike rushed to get ready for dinner.

"Dodged a bullet there."Mike said to himself. "Smooth as always, Mike."

The next day, Mike was performing a solo act on the stage at the New Moon Theater. The rest of the cast watched from backstage.

Why do I do just as you say

Why must I just give you your way

Why do I sigh, why don't I try to forget

It must have been that something lovers call fate

Kept me saying I have to wait

I saw them all, just couldn't fall, 'til we met

If there was something everyone at the theater can agree about Mike, it was that he has an amazing singing voice.

"Say what you want about him, but dang, can that mouse sing." Rena commented.

"If only he had the attitude to match his good singing." Lisa replied.

"You'd think after what happened he'd improve himself." Johnny said.

"Well…he kinda did." Perry stated, thinking back to yesterday. "I mean, he's better than he was before."

"Yeah, but he's still a jerk with an ego fifty times bigger than he is." Ash remarked.

"He's always going on and on about how great he is and he never says anything good about our singing." Dillian said.

"Yeah, we're all talented, too." Rosita responded. "We have just as much of a right to be here as he does."

"Actually, Mike said something nice about my singing." Perry uttered, once again recalling yesterday. "Said I had some good pipes."

"When did he say this?" Ash asked, mildly curious.

"When he gave me a ride in his car yesterday."

Now this revelation turned some heads.

"Mike gave you a ride in his car." Rena said with surprise. "Get outta here."

"That guy wouldn't even let you go near his car." Jessica added.

"Ja, last week he saw me walking by it und he flipped out like you vouldn't believe!" Gunter exclaimed. "Accused me of trying to hijack it und everything!"

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Mike here?" Rena asked with skepticism.

"Really, I'm telling the truth here!" Perry proclaimed. "My ride canceled on me last night after work and Mike, pretty much out of nowhere, just offered to drive me home!"

"For free?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, he didn't ask for anything in return or anything! Believe me, I was just as shocked. Thought there was going to be some kind of catch, but no, none of that. He even had a relatively good attitude about it too."

"Well, that was pretty nice of him." Meena replied quietly.

"Maybe you just caught him in a good mood or something." Lisa speculated.

"Maybe so, but you know, maybe Mike's not as bad as he keeps letting on." Perry said.

"I guess so." Johnny replied. "Still, I could do without the snark and the name calling."

"Yeah, he gives us all his own little nicknames." Jessica added. "For instance, he calls me 'moneybags' because I'm from a rich family."

"I got the favor of getting two." Dillian said sarcastically. "To him, I'm either 'bird-brain' or 'feathers'."

"Apparently, I'm known as 'sweet stuff' to Mike and Lisa's 'specs'." Rena stated. "And if he sees us together, we're known as the 'twin tails' to him."

"And he calls you 'bush tail', right Perry?" Ash asked.

"Well, it's not inaccurate." Perry responded. "I mean, my tail is kinda bushy."

"Well, it's still not very polite of him." Rosita stated.

At this time, Mike was finishing up the song he was singing.

For nobody else gave me a thrill

With all your faults, I love you still

It had to be you

Wonderful you

It had to be you

Buster soon came onto the stage and gave the mouse a round of applause.

"Outstanding work, Mike!" Buster complimented. "I expected nothing less out of you!"

"Oh, you're too kind, Mr. Moon, but you know, when you hire the best, you ought to expect the best!" Mike responded with a smug grin.

A few of the theater troupe members groaned or rolled their eyes at Mike's pompousness.

"Way to feed his ego." Ash muttered.

"I know, right?" Lisa added, agreeing with Ash. "He might as well be eating it for breakfast."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he actually does." Jessica said with her arms crossed.

"Keep up the good work!" Buster said. "Alright, Rosita, Gunther, let's see you both now!"

As Rosita and Gunther made their way onto the stage, Mike joined the others.

"Hope you've all been taking notes 'cause that's how you do it." Mike said haughtily.

"Ugh, seriously, where's your off button?" Rena scoffed.

"Hey, no need to be hostile, sweet stuff. I get it, not everyone can get up to my level."

"Oh, I think we're all well past that." Ash replied, referring to Mike's small stature.

"Watch it, spikes." Mike warned.

Perry decided to try to diffuse the situation.

"Uh, hey Mike, I think you did very well out there." Perry applauded. "Really, your voice is smooth as silk."

Mike turned to the squirrel with a raised eyebrow and a slight expression of surprise. Of course, the mouse quickly went back to his vain persona.

"Well, at least someone here appreciates me." Mike replied boastfully.

"Hey, uh, I think it was really nice of you to give Perry a ride home last night, Mike." Meena cautiously commended.

Mike then turned his attention to Meena with a shocked expression on his face.

"Who told you that?!"

"P-perry just did." Meena responded, shrinking back a little.

Mike then turned to Perry, who also shrunk back.

"Um, sorry, was it meant to be a secret?" Perry apologized.

Mike sighed, slightly annoyed.

"No, you know what, it's not a big deal. It's just, I kinda have an image to uphold."

"What image? The image of being a jerk to everyone?" Ash asked disdainfully.

"I said watch it, spikes."

"Mike, it's not gonna kill you to be nice once in a while." Jessica said. "In fact, maybe animals will actually start liking you better."

"Pah, I don't care what anyone else thinks of me." Mike scoffed. "Frankly, I already know I'm great and the only opinions that matter are the ones from Nancy. Now, if you excuse me, I've got some practicing to do."

With that, Mike walked away from everyone.

"Sheesh, what a guy." Dillian commented.

"Well, that's Mike for you." Johnny added. "Never the kind of bloke to sugarcoat anything he says."

While most of the group voiced their agreements, Perry just stared off to the direction where Mike walked off to with a concerned look on his face.

Eventually, everyone sang a song on stage and went off to practice. Perry, however, took this time to see how Mike was doing. The mouse was in a rehearsal space, talking on his phone with Nancy most likely being on the other side. Perry prudently opened Mike's rehearsal space door and spoke up.

"Hey Mike?"

Mike yelped and jolted with shock and turned to Perry, quickly giving the squirrel an irritated expression.

"Jeez bush tail! Don't go sneaking up on me like that!" Mike exclaimed. "Can't you see I'm on the phone?!"

Perry winced and hastily apologized.

"S-sorry, you're right. That was inconsiderate of me."

Mike rolled his eyes and went back to his conversation on the phone.

"Alright, anyways, later babe. See you tonight."

After disconnecting the call and shoving his phone in his suit pocket, Mike turned his attention to Perry.

"Aright, bush tail. Make this quick. Whaddya want?" Mike demanded.

"I, um, just came in to see how you're doing." Perry answered.

"Eh, I just promised Nancy to take her shopping later tonight. Just a way to make up to her after running late last night."

"Oh, sorry about that."

Mike shrugged.

"Meh, no big deal really. It's Nancy. I'm fine with buying nice things for her. Still, how can buying so many clothes make someone so happy? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice tailored suit as much as the next mouse and I've got myself a little set of suits and hats myself. Emphasis on the little, by the way. But seriously, how can one woman feel the need to have, like, a hundred dresses? Really, I don't get it."

Perry couldn't help but chuckle at Mike's rant.

"Hey, I'm with you, man. It's fine to have some nice clothes, like for special events and stuff, but I don't think I need a whole department store's worth of clothes."

Mike also gave an amused chuckle.

"Well, it at least makes her happy and occupied for a while. And I love seeing her happy."

"That's good." Perry simply responded.

The squirrel then decided to move on to why he came here.

"So, um, you aren't…upset about me telling the others about what you did for me last night, are you?"

Mike's mood quickly shifted.

"Ugh, I already told you, bush tail. It's not a big deal. But I still would have appreciated it if you had just kept this to yourself."

"But why though?" Perry asked. "I mean, yeah it was surprising that you did it at all, but it's not like anyone's gonna judge you for it or anything. Plus, I really did appreciate that you went out of your way to help me out."

Mike looked away curtly and crossed his arms.

"Haven't seen my reputation around here, bush tail?" Mike asked shortly. "I'm not exactly the most popular around here. I mean, I couldn't care less, mind you, but still, as the guy known for, figuratively, looking down on others, it's just sorta…weird."

"Weird how?" Perry asked.

"I mean, come on, have you met me? One moment, I walk around as if I own the place, although I might as well, and then the next moment, here I am, chatting with the theater's pushover. Seriously, what do you think animals are gonna say and believe when out of the blue, I act like a saint?"

Perry felt a little hurt that Mike called him a pushover, but quickly brushed it off.

"I thought you didn't care about what others think."

Mike fidgeted in place.

"Well…maybe that's not entirely true. Maybe I care a little. I mean, animals aren't gonna show up to see someone who's just a jerk, right? Might as well be a jerk with talent, you know?"

"Well, if you ask me, I think it's still admirable if you help others now and then." Perry said with a small smile. "You know, sometimes surprising others like that is a good thing. No one's perfect, yeah, but it's always nice to see the good side of yourself now and then."

"Well, that doesn't apply to everyone, you know?" Mike replied. "Take Jumbo, for instance. I doubt there's a single bad bone in her body."

"Yeah, but she's also pretty timid, and sometimes, kinda clumsy. Of course, she makes up for it with her kindness and her voice. You see, Mike, everyone has strengths and faults. Your main fault, obviously, is your pride."

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

But Perry continued.

"And your strengths include your singing talent, clearly, but you also have a sense of determination and a down-to-earth attitude."

Mike turned back to Perry with curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"I mean, you didn't let anyone stop you from getting this far, right?" Perry responded. "You proved your father wrong and became the great singer and musician that you are today."

Mike certainly couldn't disagree there.

"Well, yeah, that's true."

"And you usually see things the way they are. You've got a no-nonsense attitude, Mike. To me, it means you're honest. Brutally honest, yeah, but sometimes, critical feedback is necessary. Sometimes animals need the hard truth and even it may be hard to hear at first, it can help them improve and figure out what they did wrong the first time and motivate them to do better."

Mike pondered for a moment.

"I…never thought about it that way." Mike admitted. "I always thought I was just being my cynical self. That everyone should see things the way I do."

"No one can see things exactly the same way." Perry said. "But I personally think that's a good thing because this way, they can use their different strengths and views to bring each other together and come up with something good. Um, at least, that's how I see it."

Surprisingly, Mike gave a genuine smile to the squirrel.

"You know, bush tail, you're a pretty wise guy.'' Mike commented. "You're a bit meek, but you're also open-minded and see the good in others. Animals can learn from someone like you."

Perry, flattered by Mike's compliment, smiled back.

"Thanks Mike, that really means a lot coming from you."

Believing that this conversation has gone long enough, Perry decided to wrap things up.

"Anyways, it was good talking to you, Mike. I gotta get to practicing now. See you later."

However, before Perry could leave the rehearsal space, Mike stopped him.

"Hey, wait!"

Perry stopped and turned back to Mike.

"Yeah? What is it?"

For once, Mike seemed a bit nervous about what he was going to say.

"Hey, uh, if you're free, do you wanna go get a drink or two with me and Nancy on, let's say, this Saturday?" Mike asked. "I mean, if you're free, of course. And if you like that sort of thing. You can drink, right?"

Perry blinked in surprise. First a ride home and now a drink with Mike and his girlfriend? Still, Mike was finally opening up to someone besides Nancy. Might as well take this opportunity, right?

"Um, yeah, yeah I'm legal to drink, and sure, I enjoy a nice cocktail once in a while." Perry replied, agreeing to Mike's invitation. "So yeah, I can hang. Where are we meeting?"

Mike perked up at Perry's acceptance.

"Oh, we'll meet at the Blue Diamond." Mike answered, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "It's Nancy's favorite bar. It's on the corner of Prosper Lane. It's a big building with blue neon lights. Can't miss it, really."

"Okay. When should I be there?"

"Hm, I think around…six at night? Yeah, 6 PM. Drinks are cheaper for an hour, so let's meet at that time."

Perry nodded.

"Alright, I'm cool with that. See you then."

Perry then left the rehearsal space with a smile. Mike was also left with a grin on his face. For once, Mike was actually looking forward to spending some time with someone other than his girlfriend. The mouse also learned that he didn't dislike the squirrel as much as he thought. In fact, perhaps he didn't dislike him at all.

For Perry, Saturday night couldn't come faster. The night with Mike and Nancy was almost all he could think about until then. Perry followed the mouse's instructions and found himself at the Blue Diamond. The bar was exactly how Mike described it. The bar was a large building adorned with blue neon lights and also had the bar's name in big, blue, fancy letters.

"Wow, fancy." was all that Perry could say.

Perry then made way inside of the building. The interior was just as exquisite as the exterior. Walls of white marble, floor of polished ebony wood, leather stools, and of course, a few huge marble bars illuminated with blue lights with an assortment of bottles within the counters. However, as Perry made his way through the building, looking for Mike, he couldn’t help but notice a few strange looks he got from other animals. The animals in question were wearing fancy suits and dresses and here he was, wearing a plain white shirt, simple jeans and his signature black baseball cap and silver chain necklace. Honestly, Perry felt kind of out of place.

"Hey bush tail! Over here!"

Perry turned to the familiar voice and saw Mike and Nancy sitting at one of the bars. Because of their small sizes, the two mice had to be on the counters themselves, but it didn't seem like any of the other patrons or staff minded. Of course, why would it?

Perry quickly made his way towards the mice and climbed onto the leather stool next to them. Mike was wearing a silk blue suit and matching hat and Nancy was wearing an elegant, violet, and sparkly sleeveless dress that accumulated her body nicely.

"Hey Mike!" Perry greeted.

"Hey, glad you could make it." Mike responded. "Pretty nifty place, ain't it?"

"Yeah, it is. Kinda feel out of place, though. I would've worn something fancier if I knew this place would be this ornate."

"Eh, you look fine. I wouldn't worry about anyone else. Let's just enjoy the now, 'kay?"

Perry nodded, happy that Mike was being supportive.

"Anyways, this is Nancy." Mike introduced. "AKA, the best girlfriend a mouse could ask for."

Charmed, Nancy giggled at Mike's introduction to her.

"It's very nice to finally meet you, Perry." Nancy greeted. "Mike's said a lot of nice things about you."

"Nice to meet you too, Nancy." Perry politely replied. "Mike's told me a lot of great things about you, too."

"Oh, did he now? That's so sweet of him."

"Hey, how could I not, honey?" Mike responded. "You're a prize that I'm beyond lucky to have. Everyone ought to know that."

Nancy giggled again.

"Oh Mike, you charmer you."

"Anyways, we're here for drinks, bush tail. Whatcha getting?"

Perry took a moment to think and made a decision.

"Well, I could go for a Malibu Sunset right about now."

Mike nodded and then turned his attention to the monkey bartender attending the bar.

"Hey Mac! The usual for me and my girl here, and a Malibu Sunset for the squirrel!"

The bartender, apparently named Mac, nodded and got to work on preparing the drinks. Nancy then decided to start up a conversation.

"So, what's the story with you and my Mike?" Nancy asked curiously. "I mean, yeah, he told me you got a ride home thanks to him, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't ask just anyone to have a drink with him."

Perry scratched the back of his head.

"Well, even though it all kinda came out of nowhere, I think what started our bond was that we had similar pasts."

"Oh? You mean how for some reason, some animals didn't appreciate his wonderful talent?"

"So you know too?"

Mike nodded.

"Well, she obviously gets the right to know, being my girlfriend and all."

"Mike's opened up to me a lot." Nancy stated. "He may be a bit frosty with you guys at the theater, but let me tell you, he's actually a real sweetheart when you get to know him."

Mike looked a bit flustered after Nancy revealed that information.

"Nance, babe, come on. Not in front of bush tail."

"But it's true, Mikey! When you want to be, you're a real gentleman!"

Perry couldn't help but grin with amusement. However, Perry decided it was time to continue his side of the story.

"Anyways, the difference between my story and Mike's is that I let others get me down and for a while, had to be stuck with a job that made me unhappy." Perry said.

"Had to make bank moppin' in a store." Mike added.

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound like a fun job at all." Nancy commented.

"It wasn't, trust me." Perry responded. "But basically, I learned that I was better off actually following my dreams than working for an overpaid raccoon. I wanted to prove that my dream was still alive. Of course, this was all around when that singing competition was going on. We can thank Mr. Moon for that."

"Ah, yes. The singing competition. Mike told me all about that. I think I might have to thank that koala someday too. I mean, without him, I wouldn't be with Mike right now."

Mike grinned and put his arm around Nancy, holding her close.

"Wouldn't have felt the need to take a loan from the bank if it weren't for him." Mike responded. "All it took was to look rich for the bouncer and boom, I got the opportunity to win over Nancy."

"Yeah, it seems like we all ended up winning something better than a hundred grand." Perry

"And lemme tell ya, Nance here? Saying she's worth at least a billion would easily be an understatement."

Charmed once again, Nancy chuckled.

"Oh Mike, you and your way of words." Nancy replied.

At this time, the bartender had finished making all of their drinks and passed each of them to the rodents.

"Appreciate it." Mike thanked, slipping a hundred dollar bill to the monkey. "Keep the change."

With a grateful nod, the bartender took the money and went back to work.

"So, how's life been for you guys?" Perry asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"It's been very good, actually." Nancy answered. "Mike's gonna be performing at the Tycheros Casino next week."

"Didn't that place open up, like, last week?"

"Yep, and yours truly is gonna star in its first major show." Mike boasted.

"It amazes me how you can perform all these gigs and still show up for work at the theater." Perry commented.

"What can I say, bush tail? I know my way around these sorts of things."

"Mike really does know how to smooth talk his way through." Nancy added.

"Just had to show off my amazing vocals and butter up the owner a bit and hello twenty grand gig." Mike replied. "It's all uphill from here, babe."

"Well, I hope it goes really well for you, Mike." Perry replied. "Wish you luck. Not that you'll probably need it."

"Eh, I appreciate the sentiment. Never hurts to have a little luck."

The rest of the time at the bar went smoothly. The three rodents continued to make small talk, got a few more drinks, and just simply enjoyed each other's company. When the hour for cheaper drinks passed, Mike believed that now was the time to call it a night.

"Alright, you two ready to bounce?" Mike asked.

With a nod of confirmation from Nancy and Perry, the three rodents exited the building and headed towards Mike's car.

"Hey, thanks for inviting me to hang with you, Mike." Perry said with a smile.

"Don't mention it." Mike responded. "Let's just say that you're starting to grow on me a bit."

"It was very nice to meet and get to know you, Perry." Nancy remarked. "Hope we can spend time together again soon."

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Anyways, see at work, Mike."

However, before Mike could unlock his car, the mouse heard something.

"Hold on. Do you hear that?" Mike asked.

"Hear what, sweetie?" Nancy asked back.

Mike then turned his head towards a nearby alleyway.

"I hear…something from over there."

Curious, Mike made his way towards the alley, with Nancy and Perry following close behind.

"What is it, Mike?" Perry questioned.

As Mike walked closer, he began to make out what the sound could be.

"I…I think I heard some groaning."

"Mike, be careful." Nancy said worriedly. "It might not be safe."

"Relax babe, if it's something bad, we'll just make a run for it."

Nancy was still concerned and as such, stayed close to her boyfriend. As the three made their way into the alley, the sound arose again. This time, it was much more audible and clear.

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like a groan to me." Perry stated before calling out. "Hey, is someone there?"

"Not so loud, bush tail!" Mike hissed. "What if it's actually an ambush or somethin'?"

"I think it's down there." Nancy whispered, pointing down a corner in the alley. The rodents cautiously made their way to the supposed source of the groan. What they ended up finding shocked them all. What, or who, they found was a female brown bear, perhaps in her late teens, lying on the ground, beaten and battered.

"Oh my gosh!" Nancy gasped.

Perry wasted no time to rush to the bear's side.

"Hey! Hey, are you alright?!" Perry exclaimed.

"Bush tail, I know now's not really the time for this, but she look okay to you?!" Mike asked exasperatedly.

The bear groaned again, but it seemed like she was coming to.

"Oh thank goodness, you're alive!"

"I'm calling an ambulance now!" Nancy stated, quickly getting out her phone and dialing 911.

Mike took this moment to run to the bear's side.

"Hey kid, help's on the way." Mike empathetically said.

The bear slowly opened her eyes and grunted.

"What's your name?" Perry asked.

After another pained grunt, the bear finally spoke.

"L-ludmila…my name's Ludmila." the young bear weakly replied in a Russian accent.

"Okay, Ludmila, my girlfriend's getting you an ambulance." Mike said, although he was a bit put off from the accent. "Just hang in there, alright?"

"Hey, who did this to you?" Perry asked.

"I…I was attacked…by some gang members." Ludmila grunted. "They were wolves…call themselves the Urlatores."

Nancy rushed over to the Mike, Perry and the wounded Ludmila.

"Alright, help's on the way." Nancy announced, still on the line with 911. "You're gonna be fine, honey."

"Th-thank you…all of you." the bear said faintly.

After about two minutes, an ambulance had arrived and the paramedics had carried the bear onto a stretcher and put her in the vehicle. Perry had asked the paramedics if they could all go with her, just to make sure she got to the hospital okay. The paramedics agreed and the rodents joined the bear into the ambulance, although Mike was somewhat reluctant. Soon enough, the ambulance had arrived at the hospital and the paramedics quickly rolled the bear's stretcher to the emergency room with the rodents following. After a few minutes, Perry, Mike and Nancy were in the waiting room. They were all sitting anxiously in chairs. Despite just meeting the girl, they couldn't help but feel concern for Ludmila.

"You think she'll be okay, Mike?" Nancy asked worriedly.

"Yeah, she should be." Mike answered. "I mean, she's a bear, right? Bears are strong."

"But she was in really bad shape when we found her." Perry added somberly. "I just hope we found her in time."

Soon, an antelope doctor walked towards the three rodents.

"How is she, doc?" Mike asked. "She gonna make it?"

"She had a number of broken bones, but she fortunately doesn't have any internal injuries. She's going to survive."

The mice and squirrel breathe sighs of relief.

"That's good. Thank you for telling us." Perry replied.

"You all did a very good thing today."

With that, the doctor left the three.

"I'm happy that girl will be fine." Nancy commented with a small smile.

"Still, jumpin' a kid like that." Mike muttered. "Seriously messed up, even if they're a bear."

"She might not be here if it weren't for you, Mike." Perry said, grinning at the mouse.

"Yeah, you're a hero, hun!" Nancy added.

Mike was a bit flustered. Him, a hero? He honestly never thought that he'd ever get that title.

"Yeah…yeah I suppose I am!" Mike stated, feeling slightly boastful. "I saved a life! My image is gonna skyrocket after tonight!"

Perry rolled his eyes at Mike's ego now being boosted, but supposed that it was a small price to pay for making sure a young girl was safe and sound.

"Well, I suppose that means we can go now." Perry uttered.

Before they could, however, the three rodents heard a familiar voice.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" a loud Russian voice boomed from a distance. "WHERE'S MY NIECE?!"

Mike instantly recognized the voice and felt his heart skip a beat.

"Th-that's him!" Mike wheezed.

Nancy, also wearing a panicked expression, clutched onto her boyfriend.

"Oh no! What do we do?"

Perry quickly realized what exactly the mice were fearful of. The bear that Mike was hiding from had arrived at the hospital. It also didn't take much to piece together that the girl they had just saved was actually the niece of said bear. Perry darted his eyes to look for a way out, but couldn't find one. However, Perry did spot a trash can.

"Guys, quick! In there!" Perry exclaimed, pointing at said trash can.

"You kiddin me?!" Mike responded snappily. "These duds are made of mulberry silk!"

"OUT OF MY WAY!" the bear's voice roared.

Mike paled at the thought of the bear finding him.

"On second thought, what's one less suit?"

Mike quickly pulled Nancy with him and the mice hopped into the trash can while Perry tried to blend in with the other animals in the waiting area. Soon after, the ginormous bear with the black fedora stormed past the waiting area, not paying any other animal any mind. The bear was soon out of sight.

"Alright, quick guys, let's get out of here!" Perry hastily whispered to the mice.

"Nuh uh, no dice, bush tail!" Mike protested from the trash can. "I ain't goin' nowhere until that guy is one hundred and ten percent gone!"

Perry was about to argue, but remembered how much Mike truly feared the bear. He did try to kill him several times after all.

"Alright, fine. I'll keep a lookout." Perry responded.

The squirrel then grabbed a magazine, sat in a chair, and tried to keep himself hidden. Every so often, Mike would ask for an update and Perry would respond. So far, the bear hasn't returned. However, after about twenty minutes, Perry saw the bear walking down.

"Alright, I see him. I think he's gonna leave soon." Perry whispered to the trash can. "We bolt once he's outta here."

Unfortunately, the bear glanced at the direction Perry was at and did a double take as he walked by.

"Hey! You!" the bear exclaimed.

"Guys! Stay in there!" Perry quietly hissed, gripping his magazine tightly.

The bear stomped his way over to Perry, who was visibly shaking.

"You. I recognize you." the bear growled.

Not taking his eyes away from the magazine, Perry responded, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"M-maybe you're mistaking me for someone else."

Mike, still inside the trash can, felt very bad for the squirrel, and honestly, was starting to blame himself for unwittingly bringing Perry into his situation.

"No, now that I take a good look at you, I definitely know you." the bear responded. "You were one of those contestants at the singing show Mike was in. That means you know him."

"I'm so, so sorry, bush tail." Mike thought guiltily to himself.

"W-well, so what if I do?" Perry replied with slight defiance and gazing up at the bear. "Y-you can't do anything to m-me! Not in front of all these animals! You'll get caught in no time!"

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, little squirrel." the bear growled menacingly, making Perry shrink back. "But I digress. I may not be after you, but you do know him. That means you can be his messenger."

The bear leaned down and leered at the terrified squirrel.

"Tell Mike to watch his back. He may run and hide, but his luck will run out, and when it does, I'm going to be right there."

For some reason, Perry felt like he had enough of this bear making Mike feel even smaller than he already was.

"C-come on, don't you think you're being a bit harsh on him?" Perry asked nervously yet defiantly.

"That mouse cheated me out of money and made a fool out of me." the bear growled. "He needs to pay."

"Can't he just, you know, pay what he owes? He already makes a lot of money from gigs."

"Did you not hear me, squirrel boy? Mike also made a fool out of me. No one makes a fool out of me."

"Y-you're talking about when the Moon Theater collapsed, right?" Perry asked cautiously. "That wasn't necessarily his fault. I mean, how was he, or any of us, supposed to know the stage would explode and sweep us all away?"

The bear then yanked the squirrel up by his shirt, Perry yelping with shock, and brought him close to his face. Mike so badly wanted to step in, but what could he do? He's just a little mouse!

"You're treading on very thin ice, boy." the bear growled. "Don't you know who I am?"

"Wait wait wait! Let's be reasonable!" Perry pleaded. "Animals are staring, you know!"

The bear looked around and indeed, a majority of the animals in the waiting area were staring at the ordeal with shock. The bear gave a frustrated growl and reluctantly set the squirrel back down. Regaining composure, Perry continued.

"Look, I get it. You're beyond furious with Mike. What he did was wrong, that's no lie. But does he really deserve this?"

The bear gave a low huff.

"Sometimes you must get dirty to make a point. My point is that when you mess with me, you pay dearly."

"But don't you think it's, I dunno, kinda petty?"

"The strong need to put the weak in their place."

Perry very much didn’t appreciate this bear calling Mike weak, but for his own sake, kept a cool head.

"I don't think 'weak' is a word you should use to describe Mike." Perry replied.

The bear snickered.

"Hah, and what do you call an animal who runs from his problems?"

"Mike's changed since the singing competition. He just…needs time and someone to talk to. Lots of animals never gave him the time of day to really know who he is deep down."

The bear then gave the squirrel a devious looking grin.

"So you're friends with Mike?"

Perry didn't like the look the bear was giving him.

"I…I like to believe I am, yes."

"Well then." the bear responded, looking down at the squirrel dubiously. Perry himself was slowly backing away. "Seems like Mike has himself a new weakness."

"Hey! Back off, grizzly!"

The squirrel and the bear turned to the trash can. Perry widened his eyes in horror and the bear gave a vicious smirk.

"Mike! Don't!" Nancy's voice called.

However, Mike bravely jumped from the trash can and got in front of Perry. Nancy came out right after and tightly embraced her lover.

"Well well well, look who decided to play." the bear commented. "I suppose I was wrong to call you weak. Now I can call you foolish."

"Look buster, you want beef, you come to me." Mike stated valiantly. "Bush tail's got nothin' to do with this! Neither does my girl nor does anyone else at the theater! I'm the only one you should want!"

"Mike, no!" Nancy cried.

"It's fine, babe. What's he gonna do right now anyways? There are witnesses everywhere!"

"But what about afterwards, Mike? How long do we have to keep running?"

Mike gave his girlfriend a loving and caring expression.

"Not for long, sweetie. It's time for me to stop hiding in the shadows."

Mike then looked up at the bear.

"Hey big and gnarly! Ever wondered who found your niece and got her here?"

The bear suddenly changed his expression into one of surprise.

"Wait, you saved Mila?" the bear replied.

"Kid claimed she was attacked by some gang. Urba…mores, I think?"

"The Urlatores? I know them. Rival gang. Hates me, my men, and everyone I know and love. Must have attacked her to get back at me."

"Well, if it weren't for us, she'd still be in that alley, beaten like mashed potatoes. If you jump me later, how's your niece gonna react when she hears that her savior is in her uncle's belly?"

The bear glared at Mike. Then he turned to the squirrel.

"I'll ask you this once. Is what he is saying true?" the bear asked.

"Yes, yes he's speaking the absolute truth here!" Perry replied. "I was with him! Nancy called 911! We stayed with Ludmila and even took a ride in the ambulance with her! We weren't even going to leave until we heard she was going to be fine!"

Nancy also stepped in.

"Please mister, please just let my Mike go!" Nancy begged. "I know he may have done you wrong before, but I'm sure he wants to make things right! Let this be the start of it!"

The bear looked down at the rodents. Mike gazed up at him defiantly and Perry and Nancy were pleading for him. He found that somewhat admirable for a few animals smaller than the size of his shoe.

"You're all either very brave, or very foolish for standing up to someone like me." the bear commented. "But regardless…perhaps you do have a point."

Mike looked up with slight surprise.

"Listen here, Mike. I hate you. Despise you. Detest you. It is only because we are in such a public area that you are alive right now."

"Tell me how you really feel." Mike muttered.

Choosing to ignore that comment, the bear continued.

"But! I love my niece even more. After her parents perished in a fire when she was but a cub, I took it upon myself to raise her like my own. She means the world to me. You could imagine how I felt when I heard she was sent to the hospital."

The three rodents sedately, and sympathetically, nodded.

"And here I am, learning that her savior is none other than the mouse who stole from and humiliated me. Heh, ironic I suppose. One moment, I was more than ready to put you in your place, but now? I could end up destroying my niece's hero."

"But…you won't, right?" Perry asked. "Not after what he's done, right?"

The bear shook his head with a low chuckle.

"Nyet, little squirrel. Your friend has lucked out once again."

Nancy breathed a sigh of relief and embraced Mike.

"Oh this is wonderful, Mike!" Nancy exclaimed. "You're a hero and free!"

"Oh trust me, babe, I'm just as relieved as you are!" Mike responded, returning the embrace.

"BUT!"

The rodents quickly stopped celebrating and gazed right back up at the bear.

"I still expect Mike to pay me."

"But Mike saved your niece!" Perry protested.

"Yes, that is most certainly true." the bear responded. "Which is why I only expect half of what he owes. Of course, that shouldn't be a problem for him, right?"

"Of course not! That dough will be ready by lunch tomorrow!" Mike promised.

"I'll be holding you onto that. Oh, and one more thing."

With a very serious and dark expression, the bear leaned down to Mike's level.

"If you ever cheat me again, hero or not, I will make sure your world is razletelsya na kuski. Ponimat?"

Mike didn't need to understand Russian to know that the bear meant business.

"O-of course, sir! I've learned my lesson the first time!"

Standing straight, the bear nodded.

"Very good. I'll be leaving now."

With that, the bear finally stomped away, leaving the three rodents to sigh in relief once again.

"I think my life flashed before my eyes at least twice!" Perry exclaimed.

"Mike, you were very brave back there!" Nancy stated. "I'm also glad that this whole ordeal is finally over!"

"Well, you know, big guys like him can't be in power forever." Mike replied.

"I can't imagine how scary that must have been for you." Perry added.

"Hah, please."

Perry and Nancy stared at Mike with skepticism.

"...Okay, it was absolutely horrifying! I mean, could you blame me? The guy's like a thousand times bigger than me! I almost got eaten by him! Twice!"

"But you did stand up for me." Perry reminded.

"Yeah, that was very chivalrous of you." Nancy said.

"Well, he was threatening harm to ya, bush tail. I'd do the same for Nancy too. Don't matter if he's the size of the theater we work at."

Perry laughed at this.

"I don’t think anyone would mess with someone that big in the first place."

Mike and Nancy also laughed before the former asked Perry a question.

"Hey, uh, by the way, did you really mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"When he asked if you were friends with me and you basically said yes. Did…did you really mean that?"

Perry blinked at this. After the short amount of time he spent with this mouse, Perry felt like he had formed a connection with him. Mike is arrogant and snide, that much was very true, but he's also determined and, when it comes to it, courageous. Perry wanted to know more about this mouse. He wanted to be someone Mike can open up to.

"Yeah, yeah I did mean it." Perry answered. "You and I have more in common than we initially thought. And I honestly like spending time with you. But, uh, hey, do you consider me a friend?"

Mike gave it some thought. Perry's determined like him, but he also sees things in a brighter light. Perry sees the good in others, which probably helped him see Mike in a way many other animals wouldn't. Perry was also a great listener and is someone Mike could open up to, other than Nancy, of course.

"You know what, bush tail? Yeah, I do." Mike replied.

Perry's expression lit up.

"Y-you do?"

"You're a good guy, Perry. That's something the world needs these days. Next to Nancy, you're someone I can really open up to. Perhaps that's all I really needed."

Perry smiled, but realized what Mike just called him.

"Wait, did you just call me by my name? My actual name?"

Mike shrugged.

"Eh, don't sweat about it. I'm still gonna call you bush tail a lot. Besides, like I said, I'm really opening up to you."

"And I'm sure you can open up to everyone else at the theater when the time comes."

"Let's crawl before we walk."

"I know, I know, it takes time, but I'll help you get there."

Mike returned the smile.

"I'm sure you can, bush tail."

"By the way, you are going to pay that guy back, right Mike?" Nancy asked.

"Trust me, baby, that was the first and last time something like that's gonna happen." Mike assured her. "No more cheating big animals."

"Don't you mean 'no more cheating animals', period?" Perry asked.

"Again, crawl before we walk."

"Michael!" Nancy scolded.

"Kidding! Well, maybe."

With a scoff, Nancy bid Perry farewell for the night and took Mike with her. Perry waved the couple goodbye and made his own way out of the building.

The next day, Mike was about ready to go out on stage and Perry could see that everything was back to normal. Well, with a few changes, of course.

"Oh boy, another round of 'Boost Mike's Ego'" Ash stated sarcastically.

"Come on, Ash, Mike's not so bad anymore." Perry commented, defending his new friend.

"Since when?" Lisa asked.

"Since last night. I think I'm growing close to him."

"Really? Wow, look at you, Perry. Achieving the impossible here." Rena replied with an impressed look. "Think you can work your magic for us?"

"It ain't magic, sweet stuff." Mike said, walking through the group. "Bush tail just know the right things to say and when to say them."

"He's still calling you bush tail?" Rosita asked Perry.

"I think it's more of a term of endearment at this point." Perry replied. "In fact, I kinda like it now."

"Whatever you say, mate." Johnny said with a shrug.

"Mike! Let's see you out here!" Buster called.

Before Mike could make his way out to the stage, Mike turned to Perry.

"Hey bush tail. Wanna kill two birds with one stone?"

Dillian did not look very amused by the idiom.

"What do you mean?" Perry asked.

"Come on, Perry, you know what I mean. Let's do a duet together."

This shocked many members of the troupe.

"You want to do a duet?" Lisa exclaimed.

"Did you just call Perry by his real name?" Jessica added.

"Seriously, what happened between you two?" Ash questioned.

"Hey, mind your beeswax, will ya? Perry's grown on me, alright? The rest of you got some work to do."

"He'll come around." Perry replied to the group.

"Mike! You back there?" Buster called out again.

"So, what's it gonna be, Perry?" Mike asked. "Clock's ticking."

Perry smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to perform a duet with you, Mike."

Mike returned the smile.

"Then let's knock the socks off these posers."

Perry scoffed at Mike's arrogance, but knew that this sort of thing was going to take time. In any case, Perry followed Mike onto the stage. Buster looked surprised to see both rodents together.

"Perry? What are you-"

"Relax, Moon. I said bush tail here can do a song with me. I mean, kid's got talent, I've got talent, should be a no brainer, right?"

Buster paused for a moment, but decided to just accept it.

"Alright, but next time, let me know beforehand, okay?"

Mike nodded then got out a sheet of paper with lyrics on it and quickly whispered to Perry.

"Hey, in case you don't know this song, just follow my lead."

"Don't worry, I know it." Perry whispered back.

Soon, the music started and on cue, Mike began to sing.

If you`re ever in a jam, here I am.

Perry sang the next line.

If you`re ever in a mess, S.O.S.

The two rodents took turns singing each line, just like the song intended.

If you ever feel so happy you land in jail, I'm your bail

It's friendship, friendship

Just a perfect blendship

When other friendships have been forgot

Ours will still be hot

As the song went on, the cast were surprised at how well the two were together.

If you're ever down a well, ring my bell

And if you're ever up a tree just phone to me

If you ever lose your teeth and you're out to dine, borrow mine

It's friendship, friendship

Just a perfect blendship

When other friendships have been forgate

Ours will still be great

Within a few days, a mouse and a squirrel formed a bond they never even considered before. However, with the combination of one simple act of kindness, a bit of storytelling, and some good listening ears, the end result was one that changed the way one viewed the other and vice versa. For those like Mike, maybe all that needs to happen is to communicate with them and lend a good ear. Perry did just that and now, well, Mike was still kind of a jerk. But now, he was Perry's jerk. Maybe with a little more of the squirrel's prodding, and honestly, a bit of pride swallowing from Mike, the mouse can open up to the others like he did with Perry, his newfound friend. His kind, determined, open-minded friend.