Dale sighed and hugged herself as she watched the grinning, giant, golden, cat atop the old tuna canning factory, as it approached. Before long, the Ranger Wing was sitting right in front of it. It was freshly polished, so it gleamed with an almost erie light manner in the moonlight; but its age still showed, giving it a very intimidating air about it. Memories of her time there didn't help things at all. In fact, they only made them worse, and still it was obvious that there was something else the matter as well. Chip brought Dale in close and held her.
“It's okay, Dale,” he said. “I'll be right here to protect you. We'll all be.”
Dale looked at Monterrey and Gadget who wholeheartedly agreed. “Thanks, but it's not that,” Dale said, leaning back into Chip's embrace.
“What is it then,” Monterrey asked.
“Well, It's just that it's been a while since anyone from here's seen me,” Dale answered. “And I don't know what's gonna happen when they do.”
Chip stopped holding Dale, grabbed her arms and held her at arm's lengths, and looked her straight in the eye. “Dale,” he said. “I'll protect you. No matter WHAT happens, I will protect you. Okay?”
For a moment, Dale was sat there, looking into Chip's eyes. They were hard, and driven, and showed the bright glimmer of sheer determination. He was going to protect her, just as he said, no matter what. With a single tear and a smile, Dale nodded. Chip smiled as he let go of Dale, and jumped out of the Wing. He hurried over Dale's side and opened the door for her, and offered her his paw. Dale smiled as she accepted and exited the Wing. She clung on to Chip's arm as they made their entrance.
“It's going to be okay, Dale,” Chip whispered in her ear as they walked through the door. “I'm right here.”
“Yeah, Dale,” Monterrey said, as he straightened his tie. “We're all here fer ya! Ain't nothing here that's gonna change tha-”
Monterrey stopped mid sentence as a cutely dressed Rat girl skipped by them holding a large serving platter of assorted cheeses- is scents wafting up Monterrey's nose. His eyes started to swirl, and his bushy mustache wound itself up and puffed back out. Right after that, he started to walk off after the rat waitress, muttering a single word.
“Cheese...”
The rest of the rangers smiled and sighed. With everything that happened, it was nice to see a little bit of normalcy return to their lives. Gadget volunteered to go after Monterrey and keep him out of too much trouble, and Chip thought it was a good idea to for him and Dale to follow. As he expected, the Rat girl had led them all to the main room (but, somehow before Monterrey managed to chomp all her cheese).
As Chip and Dale took a look around, they noticed something unsettling- the entire crowd was concentrated in a single area. And most of them were holding gifts. It was obvious that they'd just walked in on some sort of celebration. Chip and Dale, her curiosity getting the better of her, led their group over to the crowd to see who was the center of attention and for what. Unfortunately, before they could much closer, a slow and dopey sounding voice rang out, freezing them in their tracks.
“Hey,” it called out. “It's the Rescue Rangers! I think. Boss!”
Mole!
Just then, the entire crowd turned around, and glared at them. Their faces ranged from confusion, annoyance to anger and hatred. Dale and Gadget squeaked as they clung to Chip and Monterrey, respectively. The crowd, now seeming like a mob, started murmuring and growling amongst themselves in agreement. But they all commented at one time or another that they thought Dale was a boy. Some thought she was just a cross dresser, but all the commotion settled down with the sounding of one familiar voice.
“Ah, the Rescue Rangers,” it said. “What an unexpected surprise!”
The mob parted, like the biblical ocean, revealing a large, fat, gray tabby cat, dressed in what was no doubt an expensive suit- Fat Cat! But this time, he had Ember and Shimmer on each of his arms. They both had a tranquil, yet seductive look on their face. While very attractive, both had a slight bump to their stomachs, and they had a certain glow about them. Dale and Gadget took one look at them and gasped. Both blushing profusely, they clutched, Dale and Monterrey's sleeves and they smiled gleefully. In truth however, they didn't know how to feel about it. It was great for them, but could cause serious problems for the Rangers later on.
“Dale,” Chip asked, surprised that Dale would know what was going on.
“Chip,” Dale said, blushing. “They're... They're...”
“With Kittens,” Ember finished for them with a light chuckle.
“Both of them,” Monterrey asked Gadget.
“Both of us,” Shimmer said, smiling, with a paw over her slightly protruding belly.
Though none of the boys said it, they all thought the exact same thing- “Alright, Fat Cat!”
“Yes, I'm a proud father to be,” Fat Cat said, bringing the girls back to their current situation. “But I doubt that's what bring you here, hmm?”
“It was my idea,” Gadget answered. “Things have been kinda hectic for us, and I thought we could use a little break.”
“And so you decided to come here, of all nights,” Fat Cat finished. “A likely story. Boys! Get them!”
Before the Rangers had a chance to react, they were each caught and held by a different Fat Cat goon. Chip was held by Newt, Gadget by a Rat in typical Brox attire. Monterrey by the tall langy orange cat, who was surprisingly strong for his size, and Dale was being held by Mole.
“A likely story,” Fat Cat said. “That you just happened to stop by on the night I 'acquired' the two gifts I gave to my queens. What do you take me for? Take them away boys. And this time, keep them separated!”
“Uh, right Boss,” Mole said as he and the other henchmen took their separate charges in different directions- despite their vigorous struggling, Chip especially.
“CHIIP!” Dale screamed. “CHIP!! HELP!!!”
Chip managed to look behind Newt and saw Dale desperately struggling against Mole's big arms.
“DAAALE!!” he cried out to her, but stopped when he saw Mole talk into Dale's ear.
“Don't worry,” he heard Mole say to Dale, as he took her way, his paw feeling her chest. “We're gonna have some fun together.”
Chip gasped when he heard that, and started to think of a way out of his captor's grip. But all of them stopped when they noticed Mole jerking his head from side to side. With each jerk, his center of gravity shifted. It looked as if he was avoiding something. When he happened to spin around, it was obvious he was indeed avoiding something- Dale! She was repeatedly trying to nail Mole with the back of her head. The look of unadulterated rage and determination told anyone who was looking that she had no intention of stopping until she hit her mark, which she did. Mole dropped Dale as he recoiled backwards, holding his face. Without giving it a second thought, she gave her cocked her knee back and swung it upwards right between Mole's legs. Everyone cringed as the blow landed, and Mole let out an uncharacteristic high pitched scream. Dale backed off as he doubled over, his paws clasped tightly between this thighs. He looked up at Dale, his eyes wide and burning with pain and anger, only to see two tightly clasped paws speeding towards his face. The impact made Mole stand straight up, and promptly fall back, unconscious. Dale looked down at Mole, still breathing hard. She caught her breath, brushed her hair out of her face and shot a very menacing glare back at Fat Cat and Company- a look as if to ask 'Who else wants some?'. No one moved or said a word, but could only watch in wide-eyed amazement- Chip especially. With a blush, he realized something. Is it wrong that I found that so hot, just now?
While Fat Cat and his goons were were mesmerized by what they had just seen, the rest of the Rangers finally managed to slip out of their grip. Chip and Monterrey punched out their respective captors and both punched out Gadget's. With Fat Cat's henchmen taken care of, Chip immediately ran towards Dale, who did the same; they met with passionate embrace in the middle, as Gadget and Monterrey rushed over towards them. When the commotion and emotions from their ordeal finally died down, Dale looked up at Fat Cat.
“We really didn't know about your gifts, Fat Cat,” she said. “And really, we don't care.”
Fat Cat gasped, long and loud at that news. “I'm sorry,” he said, regaining his composure, “Come again?”
“She said,” Chip answered. “That we didn't know that you took anything. We don't know WHAT you took. And, We. Don't. Care.”
Fat Cat fixed his gaze upon the rodents who had given so much trouble and grief, as if he was trying to figure out what game they were playing, then he noticed Dale. Well, he thought, at least he got a more believable disguise, but it was a plain as day- that was the goofy looking one.
“Really,” Fat Cat grinned. “Well, if you had no intention of crashing my club, then why go through the trouble with a better female disguise from last time, and for that matter, why only one of you, this time?”
“IT'S NOT A DISGUISE!! I'M REALLY A GIRL!!” Dale screamed, making everyone in earshot jump. She calmed down, and looked at her paws. “I'm really a girl.” With everyone still in shock from her outburst, she broke free from Chip's arms and made her way to the oversized feline.
“All we wanted was one night, Fat Cat,” she fumed. “Just ONE night. Just to go out and have fun- no Ranger stuff attached. But we can't even have that!? I'm already going through enough stuff right now, and I don't need you sending your goons after us on our day off!” By this time, she had already made her way onto Fat Cat's chest and was looking him in they eye. “Now, you are going to leave us alone, and let us have our fun. Or, so help me I'll-”
“Or, you'll what,” Fat Cat asked, plucking Dale off of his chest. That broke Chip out of his stupor. He shook his head to clear it and ran towards Fat Cat, but stopped in his tracks when Shimmer spoke up
“Oh, just leave them be,” she said. “They're not here for any trouble. They just want a night to rest and relaxation.”
“Yeah,” Ember said, reaching over to take Dale gently in her paw. “These are our guests, and we won't have our kits growing up with this sort of hospitality.” She turned her attention to Dale. “I'm so sorry about this,” she smiled. Daddy C gets so protective of what he has from time to time.” She let Dale down on the floor. “In fact, why don't all of you stay the night- the full 5 star treatment. On us. Our little way of saying we're sorry.”
“What,” Fat Cat sputtered. “Ladies, these are the Rescue Rangers! You can't expect me to-”
“Oh we can,” Amber cut Fat Cat off, as she looked over at him, her gentle expression having gave way to a serious and determined one.
“Because you WILL,” Shimmer finished, as she followed suit.
Realizing that he'd been beat, Fat Cat sighed. “Yes, Dears,” he conceded.
With that, the Rangers made their way to the main room, except for Dale, and Chip, who stayed behind only to keep an eye on Dale. Dale gave them a quick, but heartfelt thank you, before walking over to Chip, who took her arm in his. Amber and Shimmer smiled at the fleeting rodents as they rubbed a paw over their tummies.
“Why would you two do that,” Fat Cat asked his queens when the Rangers were out of earshot. “Why stick up for a rodent, and a Ranger at that!?”
Shimmer, and and Amber exchanged a quick glance and smiled blissfully. “Let's just say,” Shimmer started. “That we've been through exactly what she went through,” Amber finished.
“Is this yet another female thing,” Fat Cat asked trying to wrap his mind around a chipmunk and two queens going through the same things.
“You could say that,” the Shimmer answered, their eyes fixed on Dale.
