Beautiful Music - Chapter 2
#2 of Beautiful Music
Well, here's my second story here, and yet more plot development. Don't worry folks, it'll get to what everyone has been waiting for. Give it time. After all, poor Keith has had to wait all this time, you can too. Questions and comments can go to [email protected]
Beautiful Music
Chapter Two - Recovery and Redemption
181658MAY2024, Enforcers PR Office, Seattle, WA, USA
Two weeks had passed since the mishap at the stadium, and Keith had since returned to his old job heading up the PR office. He had published a story the previous week regarding his own disappearance, and the fact that the band would be postponing all shows until a new lead singer was found. He was doing a decent job of avoiding the other band members, letting others in the office take the call whenever one of them would try to reach him. He was finally putting that disaster behind him.
181704MAY2024, Enforcers Train, travelling to San Diego, CA, USA
Kody sighed and hung up the phone, cursing quietly to himself as he looked at Sonatina sitting quietly in the corner of the train car, unmoving. He walked over to Tamrin and sat down next to her, nodding his head towards the distraught fox. "Hasn't said a word in two weeks, has she?" Tamrin just shook her head, and leaned against Kody. "Well, if I can ever find that idiot, I'll give him a piece of my mind for her."
Risisi walked into the car at this point, moving to Sonatina and speaking softly, the fox nodding and going back to hir room. Risisi then turned to Kody. "Call the PR office again. We know he's there, his car was seen there last week. Leave a message if you have to, but let him know exactly what he's done. It's unforgivable."
181735MAY2024, Enforcers PR Office, Seattle, WA, USA
Keith sighed when he read the message, going back into his office and closing the door, taking out a notebook and flicking through it. He found the date of the next show, and where it was being held, nodding to himself. He called his secretary and relayed a few instructions, having her call others into the office. It took all of ten minutes for them to arrive and receive their instructions, and then Keith shooed them out of his office. He had a lot of work to do in the next week.
241950MAY2024, San Diego Stadium, Backstage
The enforcers were sitting in the dressing room, sans lead vocalist, looking at the press release that had been issued. It said a new band member had been hired, and the show tonight would go on as planned. They were all a bit confused, but they had called the PR office and been told that the new member would show up on stage last, coming in from a side door rather than from underneath the stage like usual. They had accepted this, and simply wondered who the office had found to replace Keith.
None of them said a word when the bell rang, simply getting up and heading out the door to their places, taking a deep breath and waiting for the house lights to go off and the PA to come on. None of them expected what came next.
242000MAY2024, San Diego Stadium, Stage
The lights dimmed as always, and the PA system came to life as reliably as ever. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to announce, all the way from Seattle, The Enforcers!"
The stage lifts whirred to life, and the five furs came up to stage level, smiling and waving to the crowd, getting ready to prep their instruments when they all realized they were already set up. The queue was on the monitor already, with "Sonatina's Song" at the top of the list, and a sticky note by each monitor with "Just Play" written on it. They all took their places, shooting confused looks at each other, when the first bar of the song came over the PA, played by acoustic guitar rather than piano, Keith's part.
Everyone started to play, fumbling the first refrain from shock. All but Sonatina, who stood there, shaking slightly as shi looked at the screen, seeing the lyrics coming up. Shi took a deep breath and started to play, stopping with everyone else when they heard Keith's voice come through the speakers, leaving just the unseen guitar playing with his singing. They all turned and looked when a spotlight kicked on, revealing Keith at the far end of the stage, wearing all black and holding a guitar, smiling at the deafening wave of applause once the audience saw him.
Sonatina stood, shocked, when shi saw Keith standing there, and simply watched him walk over to his regular place, finishing the song. He looked at the others and rubbed the back of his head, setting the guitar aside on the stand he had placed there earlier. He didn't bother taking his mic off the PA system before he spoke. "Sorry about leaving like that. Had to take some time and sort things out after what happened, you know?" He noticed the grey blur out of the corner of his eye just in time to turn and crouch, tumbling back under Sonatina's weight as shi tackled him.
Kody flinched when he saw Sonatina take Keith down, dropping his drumsticks and running over to Keith's place, laughing when he saw the fox pinning the poor guy, crying and licking his face. He took a second to stop laughing and keyed his mic to the PA. "Hey you two, we have a show to do. You guys can continue that afterwards." He then went back and took his place again, picking up his sticks and smiling to himself. He knew that it was going to be a long show that night.
250247MAY2024, San Diego Stadium, Backstage
Everyone was back in the dressing room, sitting on folding chairs, Keith facing the others silently, taking in their expressions. He smiled a bit to himself when he saw Sonatina's tail wagging behind hir, and took a deep breath. "Well, I'm sure you all have questions. Or at least something to say to me. Come on, out with it." Kody looked at all the others before turning back to the human, scowling. "You're an idiot, Keith." Then the wolf grinned. "You forgot to tune your guitar."
Keith chuckled and shook his head a bit. "It's new. I had to pick it up on the way here. My old one is still on the train, as you know." Risisi sighed, standing up and walking over to Keith, hauling her hand back and slapping him, knocking him out of his chair. "You asshole! Do you know how badly you leaving hurt Sonatina? She was devastated! She didn't talk, and she only ate when I fed her!"
The human looked up at the raccoon from the floor, rubbing his jaw where a bruise was already starting to form, small pricks of blood makring his cheek where her claws struck him. "That's why I'm here now. Look at hir. Seem happy to you? Jesus, ow..." He grumbled to himself as he righted his chair and sat down, only to be bowled over by Sonatina, curling up against him and glaring at Risisi. Keith saw stars when his head hit the ground, blinking away the tears that formed in his eyes. "Not to self, get a freaking helmet..."
251232MAY2024, Enforcers Train, Compartment 1, San Diego Switchyard
Keith sat in his chair, looking over the show schedule to try and fit in the show that was cancelled in his absence. Sonatina sat on the bed behind him, swinging hir legs idly as shi watched him. "Keith, we need to talk. It's important." Keith put his pen down and swung to face hir, resting his elbows on his knees. "Well, if it's about, well... What makes you different than other girls, I already know. Worked in PR, after all. Had to keep it out of the papers." Sonatina blinked and looked at him, looking confused. "You... Know?" Keith nodded, smiling, and turned back to his papers. "Known for a few years, actually. Me and me alone, out of the PR office. And these train schedules are a nightmare..."
Sonatina smiled and stood up quietly, standing behind Keith and slipping hir arms around his neck, leaning over him. "You knew that, but you still... Well, you still like me?" Keith smiled and nodded, making a few notes on his papers before Sonatina pulled his chair back and sat on his lap, curling up against him. "Well, why do you like me?" Keith blinked, shocked, and looked at hir. "Well... Well it's hard to explain, really. It's a lot of things. Doesn't change the fact, right?" Sonatina smiled and nodded, pulling him down into a kiss before slipping off his lap. "Get that schedule done, we'll continue later."