A Cat's don't Dance Feature:

Romeo & Juliet: Love is Furever

By Reg-D-Fanfiction

 

Prologue:

One night, at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, the movie business was taken by storm. Animals had put on a HUGE musical number that changed the perspective of everyone that came to watch the Darla Dimple movie: 'Little Ark Angel'.  That night the audience got a little treat: finally knowing adorable little Darla was really A SPOILED BRAT. Thanks to those animals she is no longer deceiving anyone. Two of those animals were Danny, an orange Indiana farm-tabby with high dreams of dancing and singing on movie screens, and Sawyer, a white Persian that was a known resident of Hollywood with a voice of an angel and dance moves to match. They were at the center of it all. They brought the animals back up from pure hopelessness, to a brighter future, and maybe finding love along the way. But where are they now? They, along with all the other animals in Hollywood, are living amongst us people, living their new everyday lives.

Part 1:

This story begins with Danny and Sawyer, enjoying a quick brunch at a local diner in town. It has been at least three weeks since the events at the Chinese Theater, and they have been going steady. But lately Danny has been troubled. He’s reading a recent newspaper article, with the headline reading: "Animal Movies highly requested," about animals gaining better roles, but lately it has been slow.

"...Hmmm..." sighs Danny at the sight of the headline. "Animal casting has been going a little slow lately, hasn’t it?"

Sawyer is sitting across from him at the other end of the round cafe table, mixing cream in her coffee.

"I guess so..." she replies calmly.

"But, y'know, the only thing I'm wondering is: why haven't we been given any parts yet?" says Danny still feeling a little troubled as he glances at Sawyer, then back at the paper.

"Danny, it's only been a few weeks, maybe they're still dreaming up a perfect movie for us..."

"I hope so... and I just hope that all our efforts haven’t gone to waste."

"Oh, Danny... Just stop worrying. We’ll get a part soon... But for now, I gotta go."

"What? Where are you off to?"

"Mr. Wink still needs me at the Animal Agency."

Before the Chinese Theater performance, Sawyer worked as a secretary at an animal actor agency, but was fired after the Ark incident. Luckily, Farley Wink re-hired her because of the flood of casting reservations for new movies, and you don't expect Farley to do everything all on his own, do you?

"Ha-ha... I guess Farley can't survive without you..." teases Danny.

"I guess not. Well, gotta go. See you later..." replies Sawyer while finishing her coffee and leaving.

"Ah..." Danny sighs, while turning the page of his newspaper. "That Sawyer, she's one in a million. I know I can't survive without her..."

     Part 2:

It was about 11:28 am, and Sawyer had made it to work. She is currently typing up request forms, while her boss, Farley Wink, was excepting call after call for animal roles and reservations in his own office. As soon as Sawyer finished her 10th page, she received a call.

"Hello?" answered Sawyer to the call on her desk phone. "Farley Wink Animal Agency, how can I help you?"

"Excuse me, is this Miss Sawyer?" asks a mysterious voice.

"Yes, may I know who is asking?"

"That doesn’t matter now. The important thing is that I would like to ask you a very important question..."

"Okay, what would that be, sir?"

"First of all, before I ask, can I drop by at maybe 12 or so?"

"I’m sorry, but Mr. Wink isn’t, expecting any cli--"

"That’s fine, see you then..." says the voice before hanging up.

"Uh... Good bye... Humph!" says Sawyer feeling a little insulted because the man just invited himself in, without an appointment, and hanging-up before saying 'Good Bye'. She then looks at the clock, and notices it was already exactly 11:30, which meant he would be around in thirty minutes. A strange feeling comes over her, but she tunes it out and continues working.

Thirty minutes later, a man arrives at the door of the office. Sawyer notices the silhouette of his figure behind the door and tells him to enter. As he does so, Sawyer sees a man standing at maybe 5' 6", wearing 1929 stunner glasses with gold frames, a felt fedora hat in a light grey color, a brown leather bomber jacket with a white short sleeved polo-shirt under it, gray Chambray work pants and black shoes. His skin was an interesting shade of tan, too. Either he had an all-over tan or was born with that shade of skin color. He places his hat on the coat rack to show off his dark black hair, and comes up to Sawyer's desk.

"Ah, Miss Sawyer, I presume...?" he asks, pretending to act suave.

"Yes, and you are?" she replies with sarcasm.

"I'm the man you spoke with on the phone. And I would like to say you sound even lovelier in person."

"Oh... Um... Thank you... So, may I know your name, since you already know mine?"

"My card." says the man as he takes out a card from his bomber jacket. "Reginald McGreg, at your service."

"Okay... Mr. McGreg, if I may ask? You said over the phone, if you could ask me a very important question? What would that question be...?"

"Well...--"

But before Reginald can finish his sentence, Farley Wink bursts from his office holding some papers.

"SAWYER!!! I WANT YOU TO FILE THESE REQUEST FORMS RIGHT AWAY AND RIGHT NOW!!!!" he bellows.

"...Right away, Mr. Wink..." replies Sawyer sounding bored, before getting up and taking the forms from Farley.

"That-a girl Sawyer. Anyway I – who’s THIS!?" says Farley, noticing Reginald standing in the room. "I’M NOT EXPECTING ANY CLIENTS TODAY SAWYER!! WHAT'S HE DOING HERE!?!?"

"Ah! Farley Wink. Just the man I was looking for." says Reginald, while shaking Farley's hand. "Listen I'm looking for a talent agency to cast my movie --"

"WELL YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE, PAL!! I HAVE TWENTY OTHER PICTURES RESERVING ANIMALS AND I --" 

"And I found your agency is the best..." flattered Reginald, while reaching into his jacket. ”And I'm willing to pay for your services..."

Reginald then takes out a very fat envelope, and gives it to Farley. Confused and sarcastic, Farley opens the envelope, and reveals a HUGE WAD OF COLD HARD CASH!!!!

"I counted it myself..." says Reginald, confidently.

"How... much... is this... anyway...?" asks Farley in great awe. Sawyer also notices how much money was showing in the envelope, from her position at the file cabinet and she is pretty shocked too.

"Hmmm.... Probably... 5,500 dollars give or take a few thousands..."

"F-F-F-F-F-F-Fiv-Fiv-F-F-- FIVE THANSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!?!?!?!?!"

"Yes. Give or take... Or maybe it was 6,500... Maybe I am thousand dollars off, but you get the point."

"FARLEY WINK ANIMAL ACTOR AGENCY AT YOUR SERVICE, SIR!!!" declares Farley while shaking Reginald's hand violently.

"V-v-very good... Anyway: here's the cast list. Just find animal actors for those marked TBA, and for the ones that have names already, just find out if they're available."

"Okay, let's see here..." says Farley as he takes the casting sheet from Reginald. He then reads the title. "'Romeo and Juliet: Love is Forever'... Hmm..."

"It’s actually ‘Furever’. And you don't need to cast Romeo and Juliet, I see my 'Juliet' right there..." says Reginald pointing at Sawyer.

"What? Me?" she says in shock.

"Yes, Sawyer, you… Ever since I heard about what happened at the Chinese Theater, and saw your picture in the newspaper with your other friends, I said to myself 'They're perfect!' So here I am."

"No, I can't be Juliet... I..."  

"...Please?..." coaxes Reginald in a soft pleading tone in his voice, with his stunner glasses showing a glimpse of his eyes. Sawyer stars into his deep brown eyes of his; it was as if he was giving up everything just so that she would play this part.

"...But I... -- Fine... I'll do it..."

"Oh good, and if you can get in touch with... what's his name... uh.... Dino... uhm... DANNY! Danny. Tell him that he got the lead role along side you."

"Danny?" says Sawyer slightly stunned. "Oh yes, I will..." 

"Very well, I'm off." Reginald says, walking to the coat rack to get his hat and then turning around to Farley and Sawyer. "I'll be back..." he said in a weird tone, and out the door he goes.

Sawyer was very confused about the role. She then takes the casting sheet from Farley, and reviews it, and noticing that the names of all her friends are already there. Pudge, Tillie, T.W., Cranston, Francis, everyone! Everyone from... that night... Then Reginald came back to the office.

"Oh, by the way Sawyer, before I forget, can you do me one last favor: can you and Danny come to my office tomorrow at 4 pm?"

"Uh... Sure..." replies Sawyer, feeling a little skeptical.

"Great, thanks... The address in on that card I gave you." says Reginald before finally leaving.

Sawyer is feeling really strange about Reginald McGreg. It’s as if he knows something that they don’t, but she shakes it off to call Danny and tell him the news.

     Part 3:

The next day, after Sawyer's meeting with the mysterious Reginald McGreg, she and Danny find themselves looking for his office building. Danny is SO excited about finally getting a leading role in a feature length movie he can’t stop jigging about on the streets. Sawyer on the other paw, is still feeling uneasy.  For most the night, the strange feeling about Mr. McGreg had bothered her, the same way it had at the office. Danny then nudges her from her thoughts.

"Hey! Sawyer! C'mon? Aren't you excited!?" he says happily, while still giving a few jigs.

"Danny, calm down. You can trust me, I am... but..." Sawyer replies carefully. "It's just, I'm not feeling very comfortable with the director..."

"Heh, were you comfortable with Flannigan?"

"...Uhm..."

"I'm kidding! That was a trick question. Besides, we talked about this over the phone yesterday, right?"

"I guess... but..."

"Hold on, is this right?" asks Danny, uncertain of the area. Sawyer then stopped and checks her purse for the card Reginald gave her. Once she has it, she checks it, then the area.

"Yep, this has to be the place." she said.

They stand in front of a brownish red, five-story building, inside of which Mr. McGreg’s office should be. Danny and Sawyer waste no time and enter the building. Danny opens the door first like a gentleman, to let Sawyer in and then he follows. They climb the stairs to the fourth floor, were McGreg's office is. As they step inside they take a quick look around, noting the waiting room layout and how nice it looks. It is more brightly lit than the hallway, and adjacent from the door is the secretary's desk. At her left, there’s a bench with its back on the wall, and to the right corner of the desk was a single chair. Across from her desk is another door, which has to be Reginald's private office. A file cabinet with a vase of roses on top, sits to one side of it. Danny and Sawyer walk up to the secretary, but as they approach they hear very strange music pumping from speakers at the four corners of the ceiling (what they don't know is that what they are hearing is what we call an electric guitar).

"Good afternoon ma’am. We're here to see--" says Sawyer, but she is interrupted by the secretary.

"I know, Mr. McGreg is expecting you, but he's currently busy at the moment. You’re welcome to wait." she says kindly. "You could sit on that bench over there. Just make yourself at home."

"Hey, thanks a lot." says Danny, as they settle down on the bench.

While they wait, they still hear the music, but then it changes form instrumental to vocals:

I Took My Baby on a Saturday Bang

'Boy Is That Girl With You?' Yes We're One And The Same

Now I Believe In Miracles, and A Miracle

Has Happened Tonight

But, If you're thinkin' about My Baby

It Don't Matter If You're

Black Or White!

Danny kind of enjoys it, because the beat is danceable, so he starts jigging around in his seat. Sawyer calmed him down a bit, but he continues, slightly bobbing his head, and patting his lap to the beat of the song. The secretary's desk has two phones, one phone with a green strap on it, and the other with a red strap. The green phone starts to ring, signifying that the call is coming from Reginald’s office. The secretary quickly answers it. 

"Yes Mr. McGreg?" she answers.

"Miss Da Pest*, are my guests here yet?" asks Reginald over the office-to-office phone.

"Yes Mr. McGreg, they are. Shall I send them in?"

"You can, but I'm still busy in the 'back room'. Just send them in, the door’s open."

"Very well Mr. McGreg." says the secretary. "Okay, Mr. McGreg will see you now."

(*The name came from an old Alvin and The Chipmunks episode. The only difference is that, this Ms. Da Pest is human, not a chipmunk... )

Sawyer got up first and Danny follows. They then entered Reginald's office. When they entered they yet again hear strange music -- and of course, they had no idea what the lyrics mean.

It's the music that we choose x 4

Polyester!!

It's the music that we choose x 4

What they see is an awesomely designed office. It is a perfect square, and Reginald's desk is but a few feet from the door. The desk has two phones on it like Ms. Da Pest’s outside. Above the chair behind the desk, is a painting with a gold frame with a title plate at the bottom of it that reads: 'Night's Intersection', that shows a beautiful city intersection in the blue of night. Aside from the chair behind the desk that seemed to belong to Reginald, are two other chairs for clients. The other two walls are decorated quite differently. The right wall has scripts of some sort, boxed up in glass cases about one inch bigger than the paper size, hung on the wall. The other wall has two weapons on display. They also notice a door at the right of a desk next to the script wall, which they assume is the 'back room’ or a bathroom.

The world is spinnin' too fast

I'm buyin’ lead Nike shoes

To keep myself tethered

To the days I tried to lose

POLYESTER!!

My mama said to slow down

You must make your own shoes

Stop dancing to the music

Of 'Gorillaz' in a happy mood

POLYESTER!!

Keep a mild groove on...

Reginald has an amazing office, yet they don't see him anywhere. Since that is the case, they continue to look around as the music plays on...

They do the bump

(It's the music that we choose) x4

POLYESTER!!

(Keep a mild grove on)

["Keep" and "They" start at the same time]

They do the bump

(It's the music that we choose) x4

Here you go!

Get the cool...

(Na na na na na na na)

Get the cool shoe shine

(Na na na na na na) x4

Danny walks over to a wall with the scripts. The scripts have titles like: "A Day as a Dog", "A Kiss from a Dove", "The Forest Protector", and "My Fair Lady Bunny". Looking at them, you'd know that Reginald wrote them. Sawyer looks at the opposite wall at the two guns, overlapping themselves in an 'X'. Sawyer never had any experience with guns, but those ones on the wall bring back her paranoia. Just then, Reginald comes out of the ‘backroom’ door, finished with whatever he was doing. Today he is wearing a white long-sleeved polo with its sleeved rolled up with a grey striped vest on top; slacks with the same design as the vest, and black dress shoes. He still wears his gold-framed stunner glasses. He then sees Sawyer, who was reaching out towards one of the guns.

"Ah, yes...!" he says, letting the door slam lightly, and the music instantly stopped.

"Oh...! Mr. McGreg! I --" yelps Sawyer, after hearing Reginald's voice and at the sound of the door slam. Danny quickly turns to see what happened, and then he sees Reginald has joined them.

"It’s okay... They were gifts from an old friend..." Reginald says, approaching Sawyer and taking one of the guns from the wall. "This one’s called it a Thomson Sub-machinegun and is gonna be one of the props used in the movie. The other’s called a M1 Garand."

"Speaking of movies, Mr. McGreg..." adds Danny, as Reginald returns the gun to its proper place.  "Did you write these scripts for some future movies?"

"Actually, yes, I have, but they're just stories. The story for your movie is the most important at the moment. Come now, let's sit?"

Reginald sits behind his desk, while Danny and Sawyer sit on the two chairs on the other side of the desk. Reginald then takes out the main script for the film from a drawer of his desk.

"Okay, I'm gonna review the synopsis of the story." he says to the two cats, after putting the script on the desk. "Are you two familiar with ‘Romeo and Juliet’ -- the play that is?"

"I am!" declares Danny. "We did the play of it at school, back home at Kokomo."

"I've... read about it, in the past..." admits Sawyer.

"Well, in this story, things will be a bit different: Instead of tights and Shakespearian clothes, some of you will wear suits and other casual 1930 clothes. Instead of horses, cars, and -- my personal favorite part of this film -- instead of sword and such,- guns!"

"Oh, that sounds... kind of interesting, but is there --"

"Yes Danny, I've added some singing n’ dancing bits for you, Sawyer, and some of your friends, to show your abilities."

"Okay. That’s all I wanted know."

"But you must show me you can be convincing on the non-singing, acting parts."

"No problem, Reginald, you mind if I call you Reginald?"

"Sure, why not. Anyhow, here's what the story's about...:

Romeo and Juliet: Love is Furever

It's just as the original Romeo and Juliet, but this time, it is set here in Hollywood, and would have a mob-like feel (and the main characters are animals).

Why? You see, the Montague’s and the Capulets own HUGE businesses in the Hollywood area, and have 'men-at-arms' to protect it.

But, those men-at-arms get themselves in great gun-battles with each other, which disturb the peace of the streets and incur the wrath of the police, and your families encourage it.

But of course, Romeo and Juliet (you two), in the end, stop the feud with their love.

This shows their families, love is stronger than any of their weapons and hatred.

 

-- Understand? I hope you two can give me a convincing performance. Can you do that for me?"

"Don't worry, Reginald! We won't let you down!!" proudly assures Danny.

"Great! So we'll review the full script with you two on, oh... say... next weekend, at Stage 8?  Would that be okay?"

"...I believe so..." replies Sawyer.

"Good, I'm giving the casting maybe two weeks or so to fill all the parts, so we'll just rehearse in the meantime before we start filming. And with that, I let you go. You can leave now. And don’t worry; I’ll inform your friends that have parts already to come to rehearsals."

"Okay, and thanks, Reginald. Don't worry, we’ll all give you the best performance that you have ever SEEN!!" declares Danny, as he and Sawyer get up to exit Reginald’s office.

In the waiting area, Danny and Sawyer say goodbye to Miss Da Pest and leave. Meanwhile, Reginald is opening a drawer in his desk, digging though the other papers, and finally taking out a photo which he holds in his left hand.

"I hope you keep your word Danny..." he says to himself, while stroking the photo with his right index finger, "...That you, Sawyer, and everyone else would -- no -- WILL, give me the best performance I’ve ever seen. For their sake...."

Outside the office building, Sawyer's paranoia returns.

"See, Danny, didn't you feel anything strange about Mr. McGreg?" asks Sawyer, in uneasiness.

"Kinda... Is that why you didn't talk much at the office?"

"A bit... But..."

"Well to tell the truth Sawyer, I did feel a little funny around him... As if... he was hiding something..."

"See? That's the feeling I meant."

"Hmmm....... It doesn't matter all that much. Besides, he's giving us our first movie roles." says Danny in a happy tone. "We can't say anything about him now, because without him, our dreams wouldn't have become a reality, right?"

"Yeah... I guess you're right." giggles Sawyer while stepping closer to Danny to slip her paws around his left arm and feeling his presence instantly erase all paranoid thoughts from her mind.

"So... Sawyer...Uh... Wanna go out for dinner, tonight?" asks Danny, shyly.

"...I'd love to..." replies Sawyer, calmly.

So, Danny and Sawyer have landed the big one, and now are staring in a new movie just for animals.

...But...

Who is this mysterious Reginald McGreg? Where did he come from, and why does he have such a great interest in Danny, Sawyer and their friends, and not any other animal.

Is it because, of what they did, that had caught his eye? Or is there something more?

But still, he has given them what they have been wanting since from their days as kittens:

...A starring role in Hollywood...

Only time, can tell who Reginald really is, and if his vision will ever come true...

END PROLGUE

 

All Cats Don't Dance characters mentioned in this story © Warner Bros. Studios.

Any others characters, otherwise, belong to me.

Special thanks to:

Shelley Pleger, for getting me started, assisting me all she could and reviving my love for the film.

Gorillaz, for Reginald’s Office music. A slight tribute to them.

Michael Jackson, for the secretary’s office music. A tribute to him. R.I.P. King of Pop.

You can contact me on my E-mail: og_freema_251@yahoo.com,

Or look for me on the Cats Don't Dance II yahoo group

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