Chapter Thirteen
The Rescue Rangers were fairly well known to the staff of the Saint Bernard Veterinary Hospital. Though they rarely needed the specialized medical services themselves they would occasionally bring in the more seriously wounded whom they had rescued. Some of the staff took comfort in the calm and professional manner with which the Rangers comported themselves in such situations... but they seemed unusually troubled when they brought in two mice.
Chip paced back and forth through the waiting room. For those unaware of the situation they’d swear he was awaiting word from the maternity ward. Dale, Monterrey, Fangs, and Zipper were all seated nearby, all of whom were also quite anxious. As the door to the waiting room opened all turned to see who was coming out. Gadget emerged with one arm around Raven and the girl’s trench coat in the other. The ugly splotch of dried blood on the coat was an uncomfortable reminder of why they were all there.
Gadget led Raven towards the seat next to Fangs. She looked to be in good shape with just some bandages on her elbows. The awkward way she walked and the vacant expression on her face indicated injuries that were much less tangible. As Raven slowly took her seat she could be seen to shake ever so slightly... much less than when she arrived.
“How is she?” Chip asked Gadget.
“Just some cuts and scrapes on her knees and elbows,” Gadget answered calmly, “The nurse washed out the wounds, applied some antibiotics and bandaged them... should be better in a couple days.” Gadget looked towards Raven with obvious concern. “They also gave her a mild sedative,” she finished.
“The blood?” Chip asked as he motioned to Raven’s coat.
“Dee’s,” Gadget explained quietly as she lifted it a little, “She was leaning over Raven when she was hit by the projectile. Since it went all the way through, she... bled.” Both Raven and Chip felt numb at the thought. When Raven shuddered suddenly Fangs put a wing around her. As she leaned against him he wrapped the other wing around.
“Did you hear anything about Dee?” Chip asked.
Gadget shook her head, “No... sorry.” Chip resumed his pacing as Gadget took the seat on Raven’s other side and held her paw.
“Shouldn’t worry yourself too much there, Chipper,” Monterrey stated, “Dee’s as game as Ned Kelly. It’d take more than a splinter to do in someone like her!” Though it was a commendable effort to lift Chip’s spirits, Monterrey’s voice betrayed his own uncertainty.
As Chip continued his pacing the Southmonts rushed into the waiting room with Foxglove following behind.
“Raven!” Ann cried out as she caught sight of her adopted daughter. She raced over to where Raven was seated, lifted her to her feet and embraced her tightly “Oh, my little gaiskäseh! Are you ok?”
“Uh, yeah, yeah... I-I’m fine, I’m fine,” Raven stammered.
“Where’s Dee?” Ben asked Chip, “How is she?”
“We don’t know,” Chip answered, “We haven’t heard anything since we brought her in... she was in pretty bad shape.” Ann clutched Raven even tighter upon hearing this.
“Well, no news is better than bad news I guess,” Ben sighed.
“How did you get here so fast?” Dale asked.
“I stopped to tell the wolves and Canina first,” Foxglove answered, “They gave me a ride to the Southmonts’ and then here... In fact, they’re right outside.”
“I guess I’ll go let ‘em know what little we know,” Monterrey stated as he left the waiting room.
In short order all the new arrivals found a seat. Not long after taking her seat Ann caught sight of Raven’s blood stained coat; instinctively she clutched her husband’s paw. In turn, he put a reassuring arm around her. It was half an hour later when Chip, out of frustration, located a nurse and demanded that she find somebody who could give them some word on Dee’s condition. It was another half hour until somebody finally showed up with news.
As the bespectacled mouse entered the waiting room he caught the attention of everyone as he addressed Chip, who was still pacing, “You were asking into Miss Hawkfeather’s condition?”
“Yes!” Chip responded with a slight hint of annoyance.
The doctor took a deep breath before continuing. “She got out of surgery just a little while ago-”
“She’s alive?!” Ann interrupted.
“Yes,” the physician responded after a slight pause, “We removed the projectile from her torso and with it a good portion of her right lung... we tried to save as much of it as possible but there was quite a bit of damage that was done. We also had to attend to some ribs that were broken when the spear went through. She has a seventy to eighty percent chance of recovery,” there was a substantial pause before he added slowly, “provided she survives the next twenty four hours.”
Ben stood and approached slowly, “And... what are her chances... for that?”
The doctor bowed his head and took another deep breath. “She... has a little less than a fifty percent chance of surviving the night,” he answered. Ben awkwardly returned to his seat as the doctor explained, “She had lost a great deal of blood by the time she arrived, and normally we don’t operate under those conditions unless it’s absolutely necessary... What it boils down to is whether or not her body can handle the stress.”
“Can I see her?” Chip eventually asked.
“Are you part of her family?”
“Well-”
“I’m sorry,” the doctor responded firmly, “unless you’re a direct relation I can’t allow it.”
“I’m her fiancé,” Chip stated, “If there’s the chance she might not survive I think I have the right to see her!”
The doctor nodded, “Ok.”
“I want to see her, too,” Raven stated as she stood.
The physician was quite hesitant to allow this, “I don’t think-”
“She’s my mother!” Raven interrupted, “And I’m the reason she’s here in the first place! If she’s not going to survive I have more right than anyone to see her before-” she choked as the words ‘she dies’ entered her mind, “before then!”
“Raven,” Ann started, but before she could say ‘I don’t think you should’ Gadget stood up beside her.
“I’ll go with her,” Gadget reassured Mrs Southmont.
“Are you a relation?” the doctor asked with obvious irritation.
“I’m her sister,” Gadget answered.
“And I suppose you’re her uncle,” the physician remarked sarcastically to Monterrey. “Ok, the three of you can come,” he stated to Chip, Gadget and Raven, “but you won’t be able to stay long.”
“Does anyone know how we can get in touch with Bob?” Monterrey asked the others once the party had left, “Just in case?”
==
“Now we had to remove most of her hair for the operation,” the doctor mentioned as he led Chip, Gadget and Raven to Dee’s room, “I just wanted to warn you before you saw her.” Arriving at the proper door they stopped and holding open the entrance the doctor stated, “You can talk to her, just don’t expect her to respond.”
In the room, Dee was laying prone on a bed surrounded by a variety of medical equipment, some of which she was attached to. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly agape as she took deep, regular breaths. Despite the dark brown of her fur, her pallor was quite evident. With her black hair cut close to the head she looked a great deal like her daughter. It was that last point more than anything else that bothered the girl.
“She looks a lot like she did after Raven and Rebecca were born,” Chip mentioned quietly as he remembered the photo she’d shown him the year before, “Though she did look a little healthier then.”
When Chip took Dee’s paw in his there was some reaction from her. Her eyelids twitched and her mouth closed slowly. As everyone watched, Dee’s eyes began to open. After a moment she slowly turned her head towards Chip. She blinked a few times before saying weakly, “Chip...” At a loss for any greater response, Chip simply squeezed her paw. Though muffled by the oxygen mask strapped to her muzzle, everyone heard Dee ask, “Is Raven... safe?”
Raven’s blood ran cold when she heard the question. After everything that had happened, Dee’s first concern was for her safety.
“Yes, she’s safe,” Chip answered, “She’s right here!” Chip motioned Raven closer.
Dee looked towards her daughter and, seeing her, lifted her paw from Chip’s. Raven took hold of her mother’s paw as she drew close.
“Do you... forgive me?” Dee asked in a voice just as weak as before.
Tears began to form in Raven’s eyes as she answered, “I forgive you...” and a tear streaked down her cheek as she added, “Mom.”
A smile played upon Dee’s face as she closed her eyes and, as her paw slipped from Raven’s, she lapsed back into unconsciousness.
“I think you should go now,” the doctor quietly suggested.
As the three were escorted back to the waiting room Gadget turned to Chip. “Do you think we should tell her about the tape?” she asked him quietly.
“I’m not sure,” Chip answered after a little thought, “That was supposed to be for when we wrapped up the case.”
“I know,” Gadget admitted, “But if she doesn’t... survive... it wouldn’t make any sense to wait till then, so maybe she should know now.”
Chip cringed at the logic behind Gadget’s argument, but he couldn’t refute it. He stopped the group and pulled Raven aside to speak to her. “Raven, Dee recorded a message for you last night... she wanted you to have it after we were done with the case... but...”
“You think I should hear it now... just in case she doesn’t make it,” Raven finished. Chip nodded solemnly. “Ok,” Raven sighed after a moment.
“You don’t have to, you know,” Gadget reminded her.
“I know,” Raven conceded, “But my curiosity would really bother me if I didn’t... and I have enough things to bother me tonight as it is.”
Back in the waiting room the Southmonts were concerned, though not surprised, to see that Raven had been crying. After some discussion it was decided that all would return to Rescue Ranger Headquarters for the night.
When it was time to depart, Romulus suggested that Honker and Canina give the others a ride back. “There’s something I have to take care of,” he explained.
==
Gadget led Raven into her workshop where the tape player was kept. She made the obligatory explanation that all Raven had to do was depress the button marked ‘PLAY’. With that, Gadget left the girl alone in the room.
Raven put off starting the message for awhile. Part of her very much wanted to hear what the message said, but another part of her felt that listening to it that night was as good as declaring her mother dead. She sat, looking at the device, as if waiting for some sign to tell her it was ok. Well, I told everyone I was going to listen to it, she thought, so I better do it, or admit I didn’t have the courage to do what I said I would. Raven walked over, pressed down the PLAY button and returned to her seat.
“I would’ve given this message to you personally,” Dee’s voice stated from the speaker, “but you probably wouldn’t want to talk to me in the first place... and besides, I’m not sure I could get through it even if you would put up with it. When I was your age, having children was the furthest thing from my mind, my only interest back then was having fun... any way I could. I never thought about responsibility, I never thought about others, only myself. And I was proud of the fact I could outsmart just about everybody, I manipulated and used anybody I felt like... especially males. I thought I was always in control, that I could always find a way out of the problems I caused. My mother tried to warn me about what my irresponsible behavior would get me into, but I never listened. But when I found out I was pregnant I realized just how little control I really had over my life, and I was terrified. I’d finally gotten myself into trouble I couldn’t lie or cheat my way out of.
“I realized that my life up to that point had been a complete failure, that finding creative ways to avoid responsibilities had consequences I couldn’t avoid. I figured that since being completely irresponsible had caused me to be a complete failure then taking responsibility for my actions wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I started listening to my mother’s advice and decided to start a new life for myself... and that new life would start with my family. I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t want it, but I couldn’t run from it either. I started doing what I was supposed to, started using my creativity to deal with problems rather than avoid them... and I was proud of myself for it, for once my life really had meaning.
“Having you was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If it hadn’t been for you my life would have been meaningless. And when the doctors let me hold you and your sister... I guess no one told you about that, you had a sister named Becky... When they let me hold both of you I thought I could do anything and I promised that I wouldn’t fail you the same way I had failed myself. The problem was that my own mistakes came back to haunt me. Your sister died. The doctors discovered that it was because her heart hadn’t formed properly.” Dee’s voice became more emotional as the recording continued. “That was my fault! If I had waited to have children until I was physically more mature that wouldn’t have happened! I made a mistake and your sister paid for that mistake with her life!
“I couldn’t let that happen to you! I wouldn’t let you be hurt by any of my other mistakes... and I would make mistakes, it would only be a matter of time. I didn’t know what I was doing, I had been lying to myself that I could handle being a mother, I had lied to myself so that I would believe that I wasn’t a complete failure after all. But I was... I had no right to be a mother, there was no way I could give you the life you deserved. That’s why I wanted Ann and Ben to raise you... because they could do it right. I didn’t want to hurt you, that’s why I wanted you to think they were your real parents. I didn’t want you to be burdened by my reputation. And I didn’t want to risk that I might somehow screw things up for you in the future so I avoided any contact with you. As far as everyone else in the world was concerned the Southmonts were your parents and I was a complete stranger who had no reason to be associated with any of you.
Dee’s voice had returned to it’s previous calm , but that calm was shattered as she blurted out, “But I failed anyway! I never should have told Chip about my past... should have told him it was none of his business. And I shouldn’t have come here. I figured there wasn’t any real chance I could do any harm because this was such a large city. I figured I could stop by to visit Chip and leave without any chance of getting involved in your life. Just like before, I put my own pleasure before anything else and you got hurt because of it! I failed Becky and I failed you! I know there’s nothing I can do to change any of this... I can’t give you back the life you had before. The only thing I can do is leave... I won’t be here to remind you about how I screwed up your life, about how miserable I made you... I can give you back what little remains of the life you knew before.” Dee paused before adding, “I’m sorry.”
Raven was almost in tears again. She thought the recording was finished and was about to get up to turn it off when Dee’s voice resumed.
“Now, you have every right to stop the tape right here because you probably don’t want to hear what I’m going to do next.” There was something in Dee’s voice that made Raven a little uneasy, but she couldn’t place it. “Before you and your sister were born, while I was still carrying you, I-” Dee’s voice stopped abruptly, and Raven knew what it was about Dee’s voice that bothered her... she had been on the verge of crying as she recorded this part. “I looked forward to the chance to sing you a lullaby... just like my mother always did for me. I almost did during the short time I was allowed to hold you in the hospital, but I was too embarrassed because of everyone standing around so I decided to wait till I brought you home... But that never happened! Becky died the next day, and I gave you up. The closest I ever came was singing lullabies for the wolf pups. But I want to sing you one now,” Dee’s voice broke, “so you can stop the tape now and leave in disgust if you want... I won’t blame you for it...”
Tears began to trail down Raven’s cheeks as she listened to the silence that was left as Dee composed herself. Part of Raven wanted to stop the tape, she wasn’t sure she could handle what she knew was coming. But that part of her was silenced when Dee’s voice began. Softly, she began to sing Lee Ann Womack’s ‘I Hope You Dance’:
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens.
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance-
I hope you da-a-a-a-a-ance.
I hope you da-a-ance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance.
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking,
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making.
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to selling out- reconsider.
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance-
I hope you da-a-a-a-a-ance.
I hope you da-a-ance.
I hope you da-a-a-a-a-ance.
I hope you da-a-ance.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance-
Da-a-a-a-a-a-ance.
I hope you da-a-ance
I hope you da-a-a-a-a-ance.
I hope you da-a-ance.
Raven had completely broken down by the time Dee’s voice trailed off at the end of her lullaby.
==
The elder Southmonts were in the kitchen preparing a dinner for everyone so they didn’t notice Raven come bursting out of Gadget’s workshop and out the door. Fangs, however, had and soon had followed Raven outside. In the waning daylight Fangs spotted the young mouse seated at the far end of the branch, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Why did I have to be such a stupid, selfish bitch?!” Raven wailed as Fangs sat down beside her, “I treated her like shit... went out of my way to hurt her... she didn’t do anything to me... she was still willing to give her life for me... after everything I did!”
“Isn’t that what mothers are supposed to do?” Fangs asked rhetorically. Even as he spoke he wished he had something better to say.
“It’s all my fault,” Raven sobbed.
“No it isn’t,” Fangs assured her.
“Yes, it is!” Raven responded, “It’s my fault she almost got killed! And if she dies it will be my fault!”
“You can’t blame yourself for that,” Fangs reassured her.
“The reason I didn’t get out with the others is because I went after the diamond on my own, that’s why I didn’t know everyone evacuated,” Raven explained.
“So?” Fangs shrugged.
“Do you know why I wanted to get the diamond back?” Raven asked pointedly. Fangs merely shook his head. “Because I wanted to use the diamond to get all that power,” she answered, “That’s all that mattered to me! I’d lost my family... my life didn’t make any sense... the only thing that still made sense was my dream of being a sorceress! I wanted to get the diamond first so I could give them a replica to return to the museum... while I kept the real one.”
Fangs had known Raven was hiding something from him, he hadn’t wanted to think about the possibility. He was angry that she hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him, but couldn’t bring himself to hate her for what she’d done, not with the emotional torment she was putting herself through. Fangs kept searching his mind for something, anything to say to make Raven feel better.
“Everything that has gone wrong has been my fault!” Raven continued, “Tammy and I were kidnaped because I wanted power... the others were nearly killed trying to save us because of that... I led you and everyone else on because I still wanted to get my hands on the diamond... because of that I kept attacking Dee, kept treating her like shit,” Raven began to break down again as she spoke, “and now she might die because of me, because I wanted power so bad that I didn’t care who I hurt! I should be the one dying in the hospital, not her... she doesn’t deserve this!”
“I forgive you,” Fangs eventually said. As Raven turned to look at him through eyes red and swollen from crying he added, “and I think she would too.”
Raven leaned up against her friend and he wrapped his wings around her. I don’t deserve someone like this, she thought to herself, I lied to him... and risked his life... but he’s still here for me. Raven put her arms around Fangs and held him tightly as she continued to cry. I hope she’ll forgive me... even if I don’t deserve it.
Chapter Fourteen
Dinner progressed with very little talk. There was the almost obligatory round of compliments to the Southmonts for having cooked dinner for everyone. This was accompanied by Monterrey’s suggestion that the only thing the meal lacked was cheese. Raven ate very little. Though this didn’t come as a particular surprise to anyone, they would have been surprised had they known the true cause of her melancholy.
Neither chiropterid was present for dinner. Foxglove didn’t want the Southmonts to go through any more trouble than they had to in preparing the meal and opted to catch her own dinner. There was also the fact that she hadn’t enjoyed a nice juicy moth in quite awhile and it was starting to get to her. Fangs couldn’t join the others for dinner since vampire bats can’t ‘eat’.
With dinner complete and the dishes being taken care of by Monterrey and Gadget, Chip began contemplating how to proceed with the case... it was a far more pleasant subject to think of than Dee’s condition. “The logical thing to do would be to have Zipper tail Freddie again,” he said aloud.
“But what if she becomes invisible again?” Dale asked.
Chip was actually quite surprised that Dale had listened to him. “He could try hiding somewhere on her clothing,” Chip responded, “hang onto the back of her blouse or something like that.”
Returning from the kitchen, Gadget joined in on the discussion, “But would that be safe? We don’t know what effect an invisibility spell would be on someone it wasn’t meant for.”
Chip thought that over for a moment. “Raven?” he asked. The young mouse didn’t respond, she just sat quietly on the couch looking miserable. Chip addressed her again.
“Huh?” Raven asked vacantly.
“We were wondering if anything would happen to Zipper if he were holding onto Freddie when she becomes invisible,” Chip explained.
“Nothing, really,” Raven answered sullenly, “though he’d still be visible unless he concentrated on being invisible himself.”
“He’d actually be able to tap into her magic?” Gadget asked.
“Sort of,” Raven mumbled.
Chip was concerned about the girl’s emotional state and thought he had found something that could help take her mind off of things, at least for a little while. “Maybe you could help Zipper prepare for that, I mean it’s not like Freddie would volunteer.”
“Sure,” Raven shrugged.
As Raven and Zipper went off to practice his disappearing act Foxglove and Fangs returned from their respective outings.
“Good!” Chip declared as they entered, “I wanted to talk to the two of you next!” Chip led the two bats away from the door as he began to explain, “We’re going to be making a concerted effort to locate the diamond and part of that will mean keeping Freddie’s apartment under constant surveillance. That’s where you two come in. There’s an air duct leading into her place; one of you should be there at all times in the off chance you’ll overhear something important.” He then addressed them individually, “Foxglove- since you’re used to being up during the day that’ll be your shift. Fangs- you’ll cover the place at night.” Chip made one final statement to both, “The two of you can work out the exact times between yourselves.”
==
When the time for sleep grew close it was agreed that the Southmonts (including Raven) and Fangs could spend the night at Ranger Headquarters. This made a great deal of sense since most would be heading to the hospital first thing in the morning and it would be a fairly substantial walk from the Southmonts’ home. Though Fangs didn’t have to rely on the Rangers for transportation he wasn’t comfortable leaving Raven out of sight for too long. Gadget arranged a couple of spare beds for Ann and Ben Southmont while Raven preferred to take the couch. Fangs and Foxglove were both content to perch on the ceiling.
Raven was having great difficulty getting comfortable. It wasn’t so much the couch that was causing her the discomfort, it was her own conscience. She kept hearing every hateful thing she had said to Dee over the past few days. In an effort to silence her mind Raven thought back to when she was still a little girl when her mother... when Ann... would sing her a lullaby. But the only thing such thought kept bringing up was the lullaby Dee had recorded for her. This nearly brought her to tears once more.
Above, and a little to the left, hung a distressed vampire bat. Fangs listened as Raven tossed and turned on the couch below. Every time she shifted position he would take an echosounding of her to get a glimpse of her facial expression. It was never reassuring, and occasionally he’d catch ‘sight’ of a tear.
Between Fangs and Raven they were making enough noise to keep Foxglove very much awake: the sound of Raven tossing on the couch followed by a high pitched shriek from Fangs followed by a deep sigh. “You’re really worried about her aren’t you?” Foxglove asked Fangs in a frequency that only another bat could hear.
“Yeah,” Fangs responded similarly.
“Do you love her?” Foxglove wasn’t sure why she asked, but she did.
“Yeah,” Fangs responded again.
“Does she know?”
“I don’t know,” Fangs answered in a resigned tone.
“Maybe you should tell her... at some point,” Foxglove suggested, “It might help her.”
“No,” Fangs returned assuredly.
“Why not?”
“What if she doesn’t feel the same?” Fangs asked sternly, “What then? The chances of my finding someone who can love me are slim to none... closer to none. At least this way there’s the possibility... even if it is just in my mind.”
Foxglove decided to leave it at that. “Well, could you keep the noise down some?”
“Sure,” Fangs answered politely.
Oblivious to the discussion between Foxglove and Fangs, Chip lay in his bunk staring at the gold feather pendant Dee had given him a year before. He reached out and removed it from the peg on which it hung. Chip held on to the pendant, remembering back to the previous summer, until it became warm in his paw... as if it were a living thing. He looked back on their first meeting when she jumped from the cockpit of her plane... the surreal effect of seeing someone so similar to Gadget. He remembered how she’d flirt with him... The apprehension, and even a little fear, that first night alone on her roof beneath the moon... That first kiss... The first time he held her in his arms... The tears she cried as they parted company.
I don’t want to lose her, Chip thought to himself. He could feel a growing knot in his stomach. In stressful situations he always took charge, took matters into his own paws to get things done... always in control. This situation was different, there was noting he could do, no action he could take. As Chip lay there clutching the pendant he realized there was one thing he could do, something the rational minded chipmunk rarely did... he prayed. Drowsiness closed in on him, and as he surrendered to Sleep his final conscious thought crossed over to his unconscious, Please don’t let her die.
==
The day was still quite young as two separate teams departed Rescue Ranger Headquarters. Zipper and Foxglove immediately departed to begin their surveillance of Winifred’s apartment whereas Chip, the Southmonts and Fangs departed for the hospital to check on Dee’s condition.
“We have good news and bad news,” the bespectacled mouse doctor explained to Chip and the others, “The good news is that Miss Hawkfeather’s condition has stabilized, the bad news is that it’s because she slipped into a coma.”
“Well, given what the most likely alternative was we should be grateful,” Ben responded.
“Can we see her?” Ann joined in.
As the doctor led the party down the hall he turned to Chip, “Maybe you could help us solve a little mystery.”
“I guess,” Chip answered questioningly, “What is it?”
“Last evening Miss Hawkfeather received a ‘get well’ bouquet form a most unusual source,” the doctor explained, “I’m kinda hoping you’d know why.”
“What was so unusual about the source?” Chip asked.
The doctor stopped as he answered, “It was sent by Fat Cat.” Chip’s jaw nearly dropped as the doctor continued, “Most of what we receive care of Fat Cat is far less than pleasant... and usually in need of immediate medical attention.”
As the group resumed down the hall Chip recalled what Romulus had said the previous night about ‘having to take care of something’. Before he could say anything he noticed Mepps, one of Fat Cat’s lackeys, being pushed down the hall in a wheelchair by several mice in orderly uniforms.
“But I keep telling you I’m fine, I don’t need a check-up,” the scraggly feline protested.
“Healthy cats don’t cough up hair balls like that one I saw last night!” the doctor called after him as he passed. “You’d think with the resources he has that mobster could afford some kind of health care plan for his ‘employees’,” he mentioned to the group.
“Well you don’t make a profit by spoiling the help,” Chip explained.
“Why are you bothering to treat him at all?” Raven asked of the physician.
“My Hippocratic Oath,” the doctor explained simply, “Besides, the longer we keep him here the less harm he can do on behalf of his boss.” He added quietly to Chip, “We’re doing our little bit to help lighten the load for you guys out there.” Chip gave him an appreciative smile.
When the group arrived at Dee’s room they found her little changed form the previous day. Ann Southmont was the most affected by the sight and held onto her husband for support. And as Ben put his arms protectively around his wife he turned to the doctor, “How long will she be like this?”
“We don’t know,” the physician answered honestly, “Some people come out of a coma in a few days, others never do.” Chip took hold of Dee’s paw hoping for some kind of response, only to be disappointed. “There is one other thing,” the doctor continued, “even if she does wake up she’ll have to adjust to some changes in her lifestyle.”
“What do you mean?” Raven asked.
“Being impaled was just the most serious injury she sustained,” the doctor proceeded to explain, “Some other piece of debris, possibly a piece of masonry, struck her in the lower back causing irreparable damage to her spinal column.” He took a deep breath before finishing, “Barring a miracle, I don’t think there’s a chance she’ll ever walk again.”
A tear rolled down Raven’s cheek as she hung her head in shame. “It’s not fair,” she whispered under her breath. Fangs overheard Raven’s lament and placed a wing on her shoulder to comfort her.
“We... have a case to get back to,” Chip hesitantly stated.
“Ben and I will stay here,” Ann told him, “Talk to her... I’ve heard that helps.”
“Raven?” Chip asked, “Do you want to stay behind?”
The girl looked up at Chip for a moment before turning her gaze back to the floor. “I wanna go,” she mumbled quickly.
“I have to go now,” Chip said gently to his fiancé. “Remember, you said you’d marry me, so don’t think you can back out of it now,” he said with a forced smile, “I know you’re not the type to do that... and I know you’re not the type to give up without a fight, so I know you’ll get better.” His voice broke slightly as he added, “I love you.” Part of him didn’t want to let go of her paw, not until there was some kind of response. But he had responsibilities. Chip let her paw slip from his as he turned to leave.
On the way back to Ranger Headquarters, Chip, Raven and Fangs stopped off at Canina’s dressing trailer to inform Romulus and Honker of Dee’s condition. It also gave Chip an opportunity to follow up on a recent suspicion.
“How is she?” Romulus asked right off the bat.
“Alive,” Chip started, “but she’s in a coma... They don’t know when she’ll come out.” Romulus growled to himself in frustration. “Her back was also broken which means she’ll probably never walk again.”
Romulus trembled with rage. Like Chip, he was the type to take matters into his own paws when things got rough. Unlike Chip, however, the inability to take action wasn’t depressing... it was infuriating. Suddenly, with hackles raised and teeth bared, Romulus glared at Raven. “Why didn’t you leave that building with everyone else?!” he snarled at the girl.
Raven felt as if her blood had turned to ice water. The Raven that had hurled threats at the wolf while standing on his muzzle from a few days before was gone. The experiences of the previous day had very nearly destroyed her bold and aggressive attitude. She stood frozen in place, desperately trying to come up with an excuse, but she could do little more than gape in horror as the gigantic predator glared at her. Within moments Fangs placed himself between Raven and Romulus.
“Romulus, it’s not her fault!” Chip shouted. It soon dawned on him what might have more effect. “Do you think Dee would tolerate you acting like this towards her daughter?” he asked pointedly.
After a moment of thought, Romulus backed down. “Sorry, I’m... it’s just so frustrating,” the wolf explained.
“I know how you feel,” Chip offered, “there’s nothing either of us can do.”
“We’ll be waiting back at the Ranger Wing,” Fangs mentioned to Chip as he led Raven away.
“There was something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Chip stated once Fangs and Raven had gone, “You wouldn’t, by any chance, know why Fat Cat would send Dee a ‘get well’ bouquet, would you?”
Romulus gave Chip a very broad, toothy, grin. “Well, since he’s tried so hard and failed so many times to hurt you directly it made sense that if he caught wind of your fiance’s condition he’d bribe a nurse or doctor or someone to do her in and hurt you indirectly,” he began to explain, “So I explained to him that if she died while in the hospital I would have no choice but to assume he was responsible... in which case I’d have to kill him.”
Chip remembered, with a shudder, what Dee had told him about how easily killing came to someone like Romulus... and just how close Fat Cat came to his own death without doing anything to ‘deserve’ it. “You wouldn’t have really have killed him, would you?” Chip asked.
The wolf shrugged. “At least this way we can be reasonably sure that, if she does die, it wasn’t his doing,” he responded, “People like him are too cowardly to do something knowing it would inevitably lead to their own death.” Romulus hadn’t actually answered the question, but Chip didn’t see the point in pressing the matter... he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the answer anyway.
==
Gadget greeted Chip as he, Raven and Fangs returned from their excursion. “Chip, that mole that’s been passing us information about Rat Capone’s activities just informed us that he intends to take out Fat Cat later today,” she stated once Chip was through the door, “Well, I mean Rat Capone is going to take out Fat Cat, not the informant.”
“By ‘take out’ I assume you mean-” Chip ended the sentence by making a slashing motion across his neck.
“Precisely,” Gadget responded.
“Any details?” Chip asked. Gadget quickly railed off the information provided about the intended hit. “Great,” Chip stated sarcastically in response, “We’ll have to leave now if we want to be in place to stop him.” There was a flurry of activity as preparations were made and, as Chip, Gadget, Monterrey and Dale were on their way out, Chip turned to the other two. “Raven... Fangs... You’ll have to stay here,” Chip ordered, then he turned to Dale, “I want you to stay behind too.”
“Why me?” Dale protested.
“We need someone here in case Zipper or Foxglove come back with information about the diamond, and Raven and Fangs aren’t experienced in handling these kinds of things,” Chip explained hurriedly. “I have complete faith in you,” he finished in an effort to sooth Dale’s slightly bruised ego.
“Right!” Dale responded with a salute, “I won’t let you down!”
“Why are they going to save Fat Cat?” Fangs asked once the others had left, “Isn’t that rather self defeating?”
Dale made a clumsy attempt to answer the questions, but eventually settled on, “It’s kinda complicated, you’ll hafta ask Chip when they get back.” When Dale turned to go back to the television he noticed Raven sitting on the couch in an obvious state of depression. His first instinct was to try to lighten the mood. “Hey Raven,” he called cheerfully, “Since we’re all stuck here with time to kill I was wondering if you could teach me how to use magic to ‘zap’ things?”
The young mouse sighed deeply before answering. “Sorry,” Raven responded, “I’ve decided to give up magic... too much pain for too little gain.”
Chapter Fifteen
It was well past noontime when the Ranger Wing came in for a landing at Ranger Headquarters. Dale was watching cartoons, trying desperately to cheer up Raven as Fangs hung from the ceiling above trying to catch up on his sleep. The vampire’s sleep was interrupted as he caught wind of talking from without, Dale and Raven weren’t aware of the arrivals until the door flew open.
“No, Monty, we can’t tell Fat Cat we saved him just to give him a heart attack,” Chip scolded as he came through the door.
“That would defeat the purpose of having saved his life in the first place,” Gadget added.
“I was thinking it’d be worth it just to see the look on his face,” Monterrey said with a laugh.
“Maybe when Fat Cat is on his death bed we can tell him, that way we wouldn’t necessarily be responsible for his death,” Chip offered, “You get to see the look on his face, we’d loose our greatest threat to life and limb and everyone lives happily ever after.”
“Except for Fat Cat,” Gadget added, “but I guess that would only make sense.”
“Dale, did you hear anything from Foxglove or Zipper?” Chip asked.
“Nope,” Dale responded, “Not a word.”
“I take it you were successful?” Fangs asked as he looked down upon the others from above.
“Yes we were,” Chip responded with a hint of weariness in his voice, “And most importantly neither Fat Cat or Rat Capone have any idea we were involved.”
Fangs flitted down next to Chip, “Why, exactly, did you save Fat Cat’s life in the first place if you don’t want him to know he owes you?”
“For one thing,” Chip started, “it wouldn’t mean anything to him in the long run. He knows we’re not about to stop getting in his way so the only way he can live his life the way he wants to is to get rid of us... His logic would be along the lines of...” here Chip did a fair impression of his adversary in all his over-dramatic glory, “What’s the point in being alive if you’re not allowed to live? Someone as gifted as myself surely was not meant to work with, or for, the common rabble... but to get them to work for me, to pay tribute to my greatness.”
“Wowie-zowie, Chip, you sounded just like Fat Cat!” Dale applauded, “Now do Rat Capone!” Chip was by no means encouraged by Dale’s remark and the extra hard bonk he gave him made it abundantly clear.
“There’s that,” Monterrey added, “and that there are more than a few underlings who would love to try to carve out their own little empire after Fat Cat’s demise before Rat Capone can solidify his control over the turf... and they’ll be looking to make examples out of anyone who gets in their way.”
Fangs shuddered to think that sometimes someone’s life can boil down to a matter of convenience, especially when that someone has no realization of it. “I wonder if Fat Cat has any idea just how little control he has over things,” he idly pondered aloud.
Chip paid no heed to the chiropterid’s philosophical thought as he approached Raven... he hoped he could find some way to keep her mind off of her misery. “Um, I was thinking,” he opened to the depressed youth, “how difficult would it be to learn an invisibility spell? Is that something that someone has to be predisposed to or can anyone learn?”
Raven was visibly pained by having to think of the matter and it was evident in her voice as she responded bluntly, “I’m not into magic anymore.”
“Why?” Chip asked.
“It’s too much trouble and I don’t want to have anything more to do with it!” the girl responded angrily. Raven hoped there would be no follow up questions, or any discussion of the issue for that matter. She didn’t want the others to know she was responsible for all the trouble they were going through, especially Chip.
“Golly, and I was hoping I could talk to you about how magic works,” Gadget mentioned disappointedly, “I was thinking recently about what Arthur C. Clarke had said about any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic... that got me thinking that maybe the magic that you and others use may be leftover technology from some long dead society or even left behind by aliens... and if that was true and you, Freddie and others were actually tapping into some extraordinarily advanced technology, that discovering how it worked would be a great boon to mankind... and mousekind.” Gadget realized from the way Monterrey was shaking his head that future discussion of the matter was not necessarily conducive to Raven’s emotional well being.
“If no one minds,” Fangs stated before returning to the ceiling, “I’m gonna get back to my sleep.”
“We’ll try not to make too much noise,” Gadget offered.
“I’d appreciate that,” Fangs responded as he folded up his wings.
The others, as if responding to an unseen command, retired to the kitchen. Raven, lost in her depression, wasn’t aware of this and remained behind.
“All right, everyone,” Monterrey said as he dove into the refrigerator, “What all would you like for lunch?”
“I’m not really all that hungry,” Chip responded.
“I guess saving Fat Cat would tend to ruin one’s appetite,” Dale spoke up.
“It’s not that,” Chip corrected, “I’m not sure what to do about Raven... I mean, when Dee and I get married, she’ll be my step-daughter.” Chip added sullenly, “If Dee and I get married that is.”
“You shouldn’t talk like that, Chip, you have to believe that Dee will get better,” Gadget stated, “And I can talk with Raven if you like, I am her aunt after all.”
“No, that’s ok,” Chip assured Gadget, “I’ll think of something to say.”
As he expected, Chip found Raven still sitting alone on the couch, wallowing in her misery. For a moment he thought that she hadn’t even moved since he and the others left, but the fact that the volume on the television had been turned down told him otherwise. Sitting down beside her, Chip struck up some conversation, “I was wondering if you’d like to talk.”
“Is it about my giving up magic?” Raven ventured.
“No, not unless you want to talk about that,” Chip responded, “I was thinking it might help if we just... talked.”
“Sure, why not,” Raven shrugged, “But we’ll have to talk somewhere else so Fangs can get some sleep.”
“We can go outside onto the branch,” Chip suggested. Raven agreed and the two left the livingroom. As Chip closed the door Raven sat cross-legged on the branch. Sitting down nearby, Chip opened up, “I have the feeling you’ve been blaming yourself for what happened yesterday, but you shouldn’t.”
Raven clenched her teeth in frustration. It was her fault. Who was he to try to absolve her crime when he didn’t even know the truth behind it? And she wasn’t about to inform Chip of his mistake. Telling Fangs of her guilt was one thing, he was her friend and there was the chance for forgiveness. How could Chip forgive her if he knew the truth... that his fiancé was nearly killed and is now crippled for life because of her own selfish desires.
Chip noticed he wasn’t getting anywhere yet so he continued, “Whether you blame yourself or not, I do know that nobody who cares about you wants to see you this miserable. It won’t do you or anyone else any good. If you are blaming yourself, then beating yourself up over it won’t change what’s already happened... and won’t change the outcome.”
“I’m sorry,” Raven muttered weakly. Before Chip could ask why, she explained, “I’m sorry for behaving like I have been for the past few days.” She knew she really hadn’t treated Chip or the others all that bad... she wasn’t really saying it to Chip anyway. Raven wanted to say it Dee, she knew she’d have to eventually.
Chip awkwardly put an arm around her, “I don’t expect you to jump right up and start behaving like Dale... please don’t jump up and start behaving like Dale, just try not to drown yourself in your pain, ok?” Raven smiled briefly and nodded her head. “Is there anything else you’d feel like talking about?” Then Chip added lightly, “Anything Tammy told you about the two of us that you’d like cleared up?”
Raven actually laughed a little. “No,” she responded simply. Raven and Chip stood and returned inside. Chip felt confident that he would be able to handle a family of his own, and desperately hoped he would be allowed that chance.
It was nearing sundown when Fangs awoke. He wanted to leave early so he could feed before relieving Foxglove at the witch’s apartment, Fangs didn’t want to have to leave his post unless absolutely necessary. It felt good to have responsibilities beyond meeting his own need for survival, knowing there were others who could trust him as much as the Rangers did. If it weren’t for the emotional torture he knew Raven was going through he’d actually be enjoying himself.
As Fangs walked out onto the branch he met up with Ben Southmont. There was the basic exchange of pleasantries before the vampire took flight. When Ben walked through the door Chip immediately noticed and practically ran over.
“Any news on Dee’s condition?” Chip asked expectantly.
Ben shook his head solemnly. “We figured it would be best if one of us was around to keep an eye on Raven,” he explained, “as independent as she is she’s still our little girl. Besides, when the orderly came in to shorten Dee’s incisors it brought back some bad memories. My grandfather was in a coma before he passed away and my parents would bring me by to see him... it’s hard enough to see someone you care about in that kind of condition when they’re two generations older than you, but when they’re a generation younger...,” he trailed off as Chip gave him an understanding nod.
==
It was a little past sundown when Foxglove returned to Rescue Ranger Headquarters. To everyone’s dismay there was little to report... except that Freddie would occasionally talk in her sleep. “At first I thought my cover was blown because she addressed me by name,” Foxglove explained, “but I soon realized she was dreaming.”
“How could you tell?” Gadget asked.
“She kept saying how she enjoyed watching me suffer and how she was finally getting a chance to repay me for betraying her,” Foxglove responded, “then she’d say something like ‘That hurts doesn’t it’ as if she were actually doing something to me, but since nothing actually happened she must have been dreaming about it.”
Dale began to look a little concerned. “Um, maybe you should, y’know, lay low until this is all over?”
“Dale may ‘ave a point there, luv,” Monterrey agreed, “Freddie’s definitely got it in for you worse than the rest of us. If she got her mitts on ya’ the results probably wouldn’t be too pleasant.”
“I know,” Foxglove responded, “But if you can’t keep her from getting all those extra powers she’ll be coming after me anyway, and it’d be a lot harder to keep hidden. The way I see it, the best way to protect myself and others is to help stop her.”
“Spoken like a real Rescue Ranger,” Chip commented.
“Really?” Foxglove responded cheerfully.
“Well, nothing’s official,” Chip mentioned, “But you definitely have the right attitude.”
“I want to help too,” Raven stated as she walked over to join the group, “I may not be using magic any more but there has to be something else I can do.”
Ben Southmont wasn’t particularly pleased by his adopted daughter’s decision and made it clear as he pulled her aside. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he began to explain to her, “These people are professionals, this is what they do for a living... I mean, before, Dee was there to look out for you, regardless of how you behaved towards her, but she’s not there anymore... and we can’t be there either.”
Raven, being an adolescent and very much her mother’s child, wasn’t concerned about her own physical safety, and Ben realized that from the look she gave him. He figured it was time to rely on something more traditional... guilt.
“In the past couple days we’ve had to deal with you being kidnaped, you and Dee having a painful falling out, the two of you nearly being killed and now Dee is comatose in the hospital... and now you want to put yourself in harm’s way again,” here, Ben hoped to reel the youngster back form harm, “Do you really want to put people who care about you through that?”
Raven took a deep breath as she prepared to respond. She didn’t want to put her adopted parents through something like that, but that kind of guilt was outweighed by another kind... and she hoped Ben would understand. “No, I don’t want to put you through that,” she started seriously, “But I can’t just walk away form this either... I caused all of this, I started the ball rolling when I stole that diamond and a lot of people are going to get hurt because of that... a lot of people have already been hurt. This is my mess, I have to help clean it up... I have to take responsibility for my actions.”
Ben couldn’t help the pain he felt at hearing Raven’s logic. It was as if Dee’s own childhood crisis were being played out before him... only this time he wasn’t the spectator he was back then. And what added to the pain was the fear that Raven’s efforts, like her mother’s, would meet with failure causing her to be saddled with guilt for years... and that was just the best case scenario if she failed, he didn’t even want to think about the worst case.
“I know you’ve made up your mind about this, so I guess all I can do now is wish you best of luck,” Ben conceded in a solemn tone, then added with a weak laugh, “and pray your mother doesn’t hurt me too badly when she finds out I couldn’t talk you out of this.”
Raven gave her adopted father a hug before returning to the others. “Well, since my mother can’t help out is there anything I can do that might help make up for the loss? What did she do?”
“She could invent things,” Gadget suggested.
“She was good in a fight,” Monterrey added.
“She flirted like crazy with Chip,” Dale piped up... just before being bonked on the head by Chip.
Walking over to Dee’s bow and quiver of arrows Raven asked, “Are these hers?”
“Yeah, she brought those along when we went to rescue you and Tammy,” Chip answered, “and I have a feeling she was slightly disappointed that she didn’t get to use them.”
“So that’s where I get my aggression from,” Raven commented as she examined an arrow, “What are these things tipped with?”
“Looks like porcupine quills,” Gadget stated.
“Too-ra-loo! When your mum goes on the warpath she really means business!” Monterrey commented.
“I can make practice arrows for you to use so those aren’t ruined,” Gadget suggested to Raven, “Since there aren’t many porcupines in the city those would be kind of hard to replace.”
As Gadget led Raven to her workshop to manufacture arrows of similar weight and flight characteristics as the originals, a thought occurred to Monterrey. “Do you think Dee would approve of Raven using her weapons?” he asked.
“Actually,” Ben responded, “I think she’d be proud.”
==
The next morning, shortly after Foxglove had left for Winifred’s apartment, Fangs returned to Rescue Ranger Headquarters with his report of what transpired during his stakeout.
“Nothing,” Fangs stated bluntly.
“Nothing... at all?” Chip asked in disbelief.
Fangs shook his head. “I was hoping she’d take her accomplices with her so I could have a chance to poke around the place,” he explained, “but they stayed behind.”
“Probably to let Freddie know if the police stopped by to snoop around,” Raven hypothesized.
“And they didn’t say anything?” Gadget inquired.
“Nothing useful,” Fangs answered, “They played cards most of the time she was gone... their inane banter sounded like something out of a vaudeville routine.”
“Has Zipper noticed anything?” Monterrey asked.
“No,” Fangs responded glumly, “He’s been sticking to her like glue but hasn’t seen or heard anything... well, nothing that he feels worth mentioning.”
Chip thought things over. “If she’s found a safe place to hide the diamond- a place she doesn’t have to check up on- why did she hide it in a condemned building in the first place?” he wondered aloud.
“Maybe she didn’t realize it was condemned until that first night Zipper followed her,” Gadget supposed.
“Well, let’s hope she gets nervous and feels the need to check on the new hiding place before the next full moon,” Chip sighed.
However, the days passed with no useful information forthcoming. The days stretched on into a week... then two weeks. A few small cases were solved during that time but the satisfaction that came form a job well done was muted by an underlying frustration. A frustration heightened by the lack of improvement in Dee’s condition.
Neither Chip or Raven wasted the free time available to them since doing so would mean inadvertently contemplating their own individual pain. Raven worked hard to learn whatever she could about mechanics, flight, strategy... anything that could help fill the void left by her mother. Chip was always right there to help, to provide assistance, reassurance and what little wisdom he had to offer to her. Without intending to they helped one another on another level, with Raven’s enthusiasm helping to buoy Chip’s spirits and Chip’s paternal guidance providing structure and stability to Raven’s endeavors.
Even though Raven had very nearly acquired two sets of parents, she was increasingly aware of something missing. With the time she spent training and the time Fangs spent ‘on duty’ the time left to the pair had nearly vanished. Raven would eagerly await the return of her chiropteran companion, anxious to tell him about something she’d just discovered, only to get through a portion of her talk before he would drift off to sleep. There was never enough time to tell Fangs everything she wanted to. But that didn’t bother her too greatly, there would be plenty of time to talk after the case was closed. Time enough, even, to reveal how deeply her feelings for him ran.
Though part of Raven looked hopefully towards the future, part of Chip dreaded it. He could almost feel the time slipping away. Every night he’d look up at the moon, watching it grow in size... it was as if an eye were slowly opening, waiting to behold something unspeakable. When clear weather was forecast for the days surrounding the full moon he almost trembled with uncertainty... Raven growing to adulthood, Dee coming out of her coma, the future of the Rescue Rangers... none of that would mean a blessed thing if they couldn’t get that diamond in the next week.
Far in the back of Chip’s mind an idea had been growing, it’s voice growing with his own sense of desperation. Recently, while Winifred would be at work, Bud or Lou would step out for a time. One would always remain behind in the apartment while the other disappeared. Though it had been tried, following the one that stepped out simply wasn’t working. What was needed was someone, or a group, who could get information from them without arousing the slightest suspicion. Chip knew of only one person who had the right type of contacts on the street, but this was a favor he didn’t want to ask. It wasn’t the favor that bothered him, it was who he needed to ask.
Chip took a deep breath. “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he lamented as he set off for a meeting with Fat Cat.
Chapter Sixteen
The rat that served as the doorman at Fat Cat’s casino watched with great apprehension as two wolves casually approached... he wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a chipmunk sitting atop one of the canines. The wolves stopped and sat before the door looking down upon the worried rodent. Then, one of the predators spoke.
The wolf said in a heavy Spanish accent, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die.”
“What?” Chip asked in confusion once Romulus had finished his statement.
“Honker and I watched ‘The Princess Bride’ in Canina’s trailer last night,” Romulus explained as he turned his head about to (almost) face the rodent on his back, “I just had to say that to someone.”
Chip rolled his eyes as he prepared to disembark from his mount. Once he was on his feet he walked up to the door-rat and stated his business, “We’re here to talk with your boss.”
“Uh, sure,” the door-rat responded, “sure.” He then turned, ran in the door and shut it behind him. This was followed by the sound of locks being set in place.
“Gee, and I was looking forward to playing the slots while we were here,” Romulus joked.
Some time passed before voices could be heard from within, and at least one sounded somewhat panicked. The locks were undone, then the door opened just long enough for Snout, clutching a cellular phone, to be shoved out.
“Wait!” the panicked rat yelled as he tried to get back in before the door closed. Finding the door shut tight, Snout turned to face the three visitors. “Here!” he shouted as he tossed the phone over to them. “Okay, I gave ‘em the phone... now let me in!” Snout pleaded as he pounded on the door. He was quickly swallowed up by the entrance, which was locked once more.
“I think this has to do with the fact that every time I go in there I knock things over,” Romulus mentioned to Chip.
“Yes, that might have something to do with it,” Fat Cat commented through the phone, “Had I expected wolves to show up on a regular basis I would’ve had the interior designers take that into account. Now, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?”
Chip took a deep breath. “Listen carefully,” he stated clearly, “because I don’t want to have to repeat myself... We need your help.”
There was a long silence. “This has got to be a joke,” Fat Cat finally responded.
“It’s no joke,” Chip replied, “We need to find the Delronne Diamond before the next full moon.”
“Or what, your hairy companions will turn into humans?” the feline asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“If we can’t get to the diamond before then, a witch will use it to gain incredible powers,” Chip explained.
“And why should I care?” Fat Cat asked with disinterest.
“This woman is a couple nuts short of a fruitcake and is dangerous enough with what little power she already has,” Chip stated, “But once she uses that diamond to enhance her powers there’s nothing the human police will be able to do to stop her.”
“That didn’t answer my question,” the crime boss interjected, “Why should I care if the human police can’t stop her? If anything, the chaos will just provide me with greater room to maneuver.”
“You didn’t let me finish,” Chip countered, “She knows that animals have their own society, so it’s only a matter of time before she starts wreaking havoc in a way that would interfere with your ‘business’. And as I said before, she’s a lunatic, so the chances of ‘cutting a deal’ with her are practically nonexistent. Even if you were able to make some kind of arrangement with her there would be no way you could hold her to it... she’d turn on you the instant she thought she could get a charge out of it.”
The whole thing sounded a little far fetched to Fat Cat, he really wasn’t the type to believe in magic anyway. They’re probably just trying to dupe me into doing the hard work for them, he thought to himself, They get the diamond and get the thrill of having gotten me to do it for them. Maybe I can turn their little prank to my advantage.
“Very well then,” Fat Cat agreed, “I’ll have my people find the diamond and then let you have it.” ‘Let you have it’?! he thought, How could I have been so careless? Now he’ll think it’s a trap!
“No deal!” Chip responded sternly. “Your people find out where the diamond is located and we retrieve it.”
“I think I’d rather take my chances with the witch then,” the corrupt feline growled.
“I didn’t want to bring this up,” Chip began, “But you owe us.”
“Is that right,” Fat Cat chortled.
“Remember a couple weeks ago when some of Rat Capone’s goons tried to do you in only to be trampled by a stampede of panicked restaurant patrons before they could ‘give it to you’?” Chip asked.
“Of course,” the corpulent crime boss sighed out of boredom, “That... Wait, how would you have known about that?”
“Who do you think incited all those screams of ‘Eek! Mice!’ and ‘There are rats in my ratatouille!’?” Chip asked tauntingly.
Fat Cat quickly put Chip on hold. “That’s impossible,” he muttered to himself, “Why would they save my life? They know I want them dead.”
“Maybe they were just being nice,” Mepps suggested.
“Bah!” Fat Cat shouted as he dismissed his lackey, “Nobody’s that nice! Not unless they stand to gain by it. But what could they gain?”
“Sounds like they want your loyalty, boss,” Snout mentioned.
“That’s absurd!” the fat feline responded. My only loyalty is to myself! he thought to, they must realize that. But knowing that, they’d know I’d value my own life above all else... Then why wouldn’t they just threaten to kill me, like that wolf? No, that’s not their style... they’ve had numerous chances to kill me on their own but they never have. They won’t kill... but they could let someone else kill me!
“Of course! Nobody could be that good and decent!” Fat Cat declared as he pounded his clenched paw on his desk... he thought it was his desk, actually it was Mole’s head since he’d unintentionally started wandering about his office as he thought. “If I don’t do as they want, they would withdraw their protection thereby letting some amateur bump me off when I’m not looking!” he stated as his twisted mind concocted a conspiracy out of his own personality and paranoia, “That way my blood isn’t on their paws... and since someone else gets the blame for my death their reputation remains unsullied.”
Fat Cat returned to his desk and grabbed the cell phone. “I’ve underestimated the Rescue Rangers, they’re far more devious than I’d anticipated!” he exclaimed as he sat down, comforted by the fact that his opponents finally made more sense to him. “Alright,” he addressed Chip with what he hoped sounded like suppressed hostility, “I’ll help you. But don’t think this will lead to any kind of ‘understanding’ between us, understand?”
“Of course,” Chip responded, “Your people should keep an eye out for a snake named Bud and a spider named Lou, they’ve been working with this witch for some time.”
“A snake and a spider,” Fat Cat repeated, “Yes, I recall having heard of that combination in regards to this diamond before. I’ll have someone get in touch with you as soon as we find out anything... by the way, how do I get in touch with you?”
“You can have someone leave a message with Romulus here,” Chip answered, “he’s been staying with Canina LaFur on the set of her latest film.”
“Then it’s agreed,” Fat Cat stated before turning off his phone. He leaned back in his seat as a wicked smile crossed his face.
“You’re actually going to help them?” Wart asked in disbelief.
“Of course I’ll help them,” the fat feline responded, “I’ll help them... right into a trap.”
As Romulus and Chip proceeded on their way back, Romulus asked the obvious, “Think he’s going to work a trap into this?”
“I’d be surprised if he didn’t,” Chip answered.
==
“Oh! Hi, Tammy!” Gadget stated as she answered the door, “I guess this means you’re no longer grounded... of course I suppose you could’ve just snuck out when your mother wasn’t looking.”
“Hi, Gadget,” Tammy responded as she walked in, “Mom finally got tired of me and Bink playing inside all the time... continuing to punish me was getting to be more trouble than it was worth.”
“Chip should be back pretty soon,” Gadget confessed, assuming he was the reason Tammy was paying the Rangers a visit.
“That’s nice to know,” Tammy replied, “but I’m actually looking for Raven... and Fangs, too. I went to Raven’s home but there was nobody there, then I went to see if Fangs might know where Raven was- even though my mother has forbidden me to have anything more to do with him- but I couldn’t find him at the church.”
“Well, Raven and Fangs are both here,” Gadget answered, “and Mr and Mrs Southmont are probably at the hospital checking on Dee.”
“What happened?” Tammy asked.
“Technically it all started shortly after you left when we brought you and Raven back after rescuing you... you see-”
“Wait-wait, hold it,” Tammy interrupted quickly as she remembered that Gadget’s explanations tend to be far more complicated than necessary, “I’ll just ask Raven.”
“Oh, ok!” Gadget replied cheerfully, “She’s in my workshop practicing her archery.”
While en route to Gadget’s workshop Tammy thought it was odd that Raven would be practicing something other than magic, but she had been out of touch for nearly three weeks. As she pondered that fact she remembered the original reason she had been so angry that she had been grounded... *she* was in town... the enchantress that had stolen Chip away from her. It was a chance for Tammy to retrieve Chip from the clutches of that temptress... but there she was, grounded like a little kid!
Tammy tried to push those thoughts to the side. At least I can complain to Raven about it, she thought, and she might even be able to give me details about what *she* does to keep Chip... so I can at least fight fire with fire.
“Hiya, Raven!” Tammy stated as she entered the workshop.
Raven, who had been retrieving arrows from the target, looked back towards the door. “Hi, Tammy,” she responded, “You escape or something?”
“Something like that,” Tammy replied with a laugh, “Did I miss anything important while I was gone?”
“I guess that depends on your point of view,” Raven answered as she prepared to loose an arrow at the target, “A lot of things happened that were really important to me... and Fangs and the Rangers and all.”
“You know that’s what I meant by ‘important’,” Tammy scolded as the arrow shot through the air.
“Well, le’s see,” Raven mumbled as she tried to figure out where to start while preparing another arrow. “I found out that Doohickey Hawkfeather is my biological mother and that I had a sister named Rebecca who died shortly after we were born...” Raven continued her target practice as she spoke... “My mother was only about our age when that happened so that really messed her up emotionally because she felt it was her fault. The Southmonts agreed to raise me as their own, at her request, so that I wouldn’t be hurt by any future mistakes on her part... and so I wouldn’t be burdened by her reputation.”
“What kind of reputation?” Tammy inquired.
“She was a whore,” Raven stated bluntly.
“Well that figures,” Tammy responded in disgust, “She probably sees Chip as just another fuck.” She was soon aware that Raven was glaring at her. “Sorry,” the young squirrel stated, assuming Raven was upset at being interrupted.
“Anyway,” Raven continued, “I convinced myself from the start that she just got rid of me because a kid would’ve gotten in the way of her fun and didn’t care about me at all. I never tried to hide the fact I despised her and I blew up at her one night and she entirely broke down. When Chip saw what had happened he nearly belted me... well, he wanted to, I could tell from the way he looked at me.”
“Certainly is manipulative, isn’t she,” Tammy commented about her ‘adversary’. Again, Raven was glaring at her.
Raven resumed her narrative, “The next day she convinced Chip to let me continue to help with the case which, at the time, I didn’t understand. We knew Winifred had hidden the diamond in a building and we went in after it. Gadget discovered the place was about to be blown to pieces and Chip ordered us all to clear out... I didn’t hear him. When they did a head count after getting out they realized I was still inside so Dee went back in to get me. We got out just as the explosives went off... she shielded me with her body.”
“That’s why your parents would be at the hospital checking on her,” Tammy reasoned.
“She’s been in a coma for about two weeks now,” Raven pointed out, “She was conscious for a while when the doctor let us see her,” she sighed before she continued, “The first thing she asked Chip when she woke up was if I was ok... I was wrong about her, she did care about me... enough to be willing to sacrifice herself to save me.”
There was no comment from Tammy this time.
“You probably won’t want to hear this,” Raven began slowly, knowing Tammy was bound to take the news poorly, “A few days before, Chip proposed and she accepted... They’re engaged.”
“NO!” Tammy protested loudly.
“Tammy,” Raven sighed as she slumped her shoulders in dismay, “Grow up.”
The young squirrel was moments away from verbally blowing up at Raven, but thought better of it given what she had just been through. “Where is Chip, anyway?” Tammy eventually asked.
Raven hesitated, knowing her friend likely wouldn’t take that piece of news any better then the previous bit. “He went to meet with Fat Cat,” she answered with little emotion as she resumed her target practice.
Tammy was silent for a moment, utterly at a loss for what to say. “What?!” she eventually blurted out.
“We haven’t had any luck finding the diamond and only have a week left before that Winifred character can use it to become a full fledged sorceress,” Raven explained, “Chip’s hoping he can convince Fat Cat to help out.”
“That’s insane!” Tammy responded, “If Fat Cat finds it he’s just going to use it to lead the Rangers into a trap!”
“That was the general consensus of us all when Chip brought up the idea,” Raven pointed out calmly.
“And he still went ahead with the idea?” Tammy asked in confusion, “Gadg- Monte- you all let him go ahead with this?!”
“Yep,” the young mouse answered simply, “As distasteful as it is, it was the only workable solution we could find... it made sense.”
Tammy was becoming increasingly troubled by Raven’s surreal calm. “It made sense?!” she exclaimed. What’s wrong with everyone?! Tammy wondered to herself. “Don’t you want the diamond?” she asked.
“No!” Raven curtly replied, “I’m sick to death of magic!”
As Tammy’s confusion mounted she heard Chip return (actually, she only heard someone arrive, but from what Gadget had told her, she assumed it had to be him). “Chip?!” Tammy called out as she ran from Gadget’s workshop. She soon spotted him in the open living area, ran to him, and grabbed his jacket as she cried out in desperation, “What’s wrong with you?!”
“Looks like Raven told ‘er ‘bout Chip’s meeting with Fat Cat,” Monterrey mentioned quietly to Dale.
“You can’t make a deal with that lowlife!” Tammy pleaded with Chip, “You were able to stop Winifred before without help like that!”
“That was under different circumstances,” Chip responded as he pried the distraught squirrel from his jacket, “We knew where she was going to cast the spell back then and got to her in time... This time we don’t have the slightest clue where she’ll be and can’t cover the entire city ourselves.”
“And we’re not even sure she’s even going to be in the city,” Gadget added.
“Why not just follow her to the hiding place and snag the diamond when she gets ready to cast the spell?” Tammy inquired, wondering why such an obvious solution hadn’t been settled on in the first place.
“That’s our ‘last resort’,” Chip explained, “Remember, we’ve all met before, and if she and her two goons remember us from our last encounter then we’ll have lost the element of surprise... which would be essential this time.”
“But Fat Cat’s eyes on the street are far less conspicuous,” Raven joined in as she returned from Gadget’s workshop, “They’re more likely to overhear something Bud or Lou might mention while one or the other is out on the town.”
“We already have Zipper following Freddy everywhere she goes in the off chance she might say or do something that’ll be useful,” Chip added, “Plus, we have Foxglove and Fangs keeping Freddy’s apartment under twenty-four hour surveillance. This wasn’t an easy decision to make.”
Tammy accepted that the decision had been made and the deal struck, her continued protests weren’t going to change the situation.
“Oh, Raven,” Chip stated when Tammy had relented, “Romulus wants to know if you plan to visit the hospital today, otherwise I can tell him to head on back to Canina’s trailer.”
“Sure, it was about time I took a break anyhow,” Raven sighed.
“I’ll go with you,” Tammy offered.
Neither of the girls did much talking en route to the hospital which gave Tammy time to contemplate how thoroughly things had deteriorated in her absence. Chip had become engaged to someone that just wanted to use him... well, that’s how Tammy saw the relationship. Raven had abandoned her interest in magic. And to top it off, the Rangers were now making deals with Fat Cat.
This is crazy! Tammy thought to herself, How could this have all happened? She searched her mind for some kind of answer, anything that could tie it all together. Her! Tammy thought as her mind focused on Dee, Chip’s a very emotional person, and he fell head over heels for this floozy- so much so that he’s willing to marry her- and now she’s in a coma. That means he can’t possibly be thinking rationally, and since the other Rangers follow his lead they’re not likely to second guess his decisions! she reasoned, I knew she was no good for him!
Tammy followed Raven through the hospital to the room where Dee lay. Inside they were met by the elder Southmonts.
“I see your mother finally let you loose,” Ben mentioned to Tammy.
“I guess she realized it didn’t really do any good to keep me locked up for much longer,” the young squirrel answered.
“When you have kids of your own you’ll understand where she was coming from,” Ann pointed out.
“When I have kids I’m not going to ground them,” Tammy countered. Then, looking at Dee with a certain amount of contempt, thought to herself, And thanks to her I’m never going to have the chance.
“No improvement?” Raven asked.
“No,” Ann replied, “but at least there hasn’t been a change for the worse.”
Tammy continued to glare at Dee’s unconscious form. She can’t possibly love Chip the way I do, she thought, She’s just going to use him and break his heart. He’d be much better off if she just died.
“What are her chances for coming out of this?” Tammy asked.
“No one knows,” Ben answered.
“So it’s possible she’ll be like this for the rest of her life?” Tammy inquired further.
Ben nodded. “It’s possible,” he added quietly.
Poor Chip, Tammy thought, He’s going to pine away for her for his entire life. Maybe I can talk to him, make him realize how pointless this is, convince him to let her die with dignity. She thought about how such a conversation might go. No, Tammy concluded, Chip isn’t the type to give up hope, he wouldn’t let her go. A decision like that has to be made for him, for his own good. He’ll hurt, but at least I’ll be here to help him through it... I’m sure she wouldn’t be if the positions were reversed.
For a brief moment, something terrible took hold of Tammy’s thoughts. She looked over the life support equipment. Thoughts of how to disconnect them manifested themselves. Suddenly, Tammy became sickeningly aware of the kinds of thoughts that had occurred to her. She felt ill. Trying not to attract unnecessary (not to mention unwanted) attention, Tammy stepped out into the hall.
What’s wrong with me?! Tammy thought once she’d had a couple deep breaths, How can I say I love Chip when I can think of causing him that much pain... And what kind of Rescue Ranger could I be if I can think of doing things like that?! As her guilt continued to mount, Tammy made other realizations. What about Raven? That’s her mother! What kind of friend am I?
“Tammy, dear, are you ok?” Mrs Southmont asked as she stepped out into the hall.
“Huh?” Tammy felt numb as she hoped none of what she’d been thinking was said unintentionally. “Oh, uh, yeah,” she eventually reassured Ann, “I... just felt a little uncomfortable.”
“I understand,” the matronly mouse responded as she put a paw on Tammy’s shoulder.
No, you don’t, Tammy thought. When she returned to the room and observed her ‘competition’, she felt ashamed for what she’d thought. Coming up beside the bed, Tammy took Dee’s paw. “I’m sorry,” she stated simply.
Raven felt compelled to follow suit... she knew she would have to eventually. But she couldn’t. Not in front of others, in front of people who might ask her why she felt the need to apologize. She couldn’t bring herself to risk that, having to confess the depth of her guilt. “I... I have to go,” Raven mentioned to the others, “Gadget wanted to teach me about magnets... or something.”
There was an awkward silence as the two girls returned to Ranger headquarters. The silence was more than Tammy could bear, so she decided to start some form of small talk. “Why’s Gadget so interested in teaching you about magnets... or something?”
“Dee was working to help find the diamond,” Raven replied, “She’s an inventor and mechanic like Gadget. But now that she’s out of commission for the time being I’ve been trying to fill in as best I can, so I asked Gadget to teach me what she knows.”
Tammy thought about that for a moment. “I wonder if she’d be willing to take on another student?”
==
When Raven and Tammy returned the young squirrel quickly sought out Chip... there was something she felt she had to do. “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through,” Tammy stated as she hugged Chip tightly, “And I hope Dee gets better quickly... I’d love to get a chance to see you in a tux, even if it is because you’re marrying somebody other than me.”
“Thanks, Tammy,” Chip reciprocated warmly, “I was kinda worried about how you’d take the news.”
“I just want to know that you’ll be happy, that’s all,” Tammy assured him.
“Am I interrupting anything?” Gadget asked as she approached.
“No,” Tammy replied as she and Chip broke their embrace, “not really.”
“Raven tells me you’re interested in learning about mechanics and engineering,” Gadget mentioned.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” the girl responded politely, “Since you’ve all gone and made a deal with Fat Cat I can’t exactly just walk away, and if I’m going to stick around I want to be as much help as possible.”
“Ok, we could always use more help.” Gadget assented. “But we’re not too worried about Fat Cat,” she added, “after all, we have Romulus and Honker to back us up.”
“I just hope we’re not relying on them too much,” Chip sighed to himself as the ladies left the room.
Chapter Seventeen
The evening of the full moon began to set upon the city. Restaurants, those run by humans and non-humans alike, prepared for the influx of young couples desiring a romantic dinner, to be capped off by a stroll beneath the shimmering celestial globe. The Police were calling in every available officer to handle the monthly onslaught of trouble and general insanity brought on by ‘Moon Madness’. In a doghouse shaped trailer a wolf gnawed angrily on a bovine thigh bone.
Canina watched anxiously as Romulus noisily vented his frustration. With hackles raised and a low guttural growling barely audible over the clacking and crunching of his teeth on the bone the environment was less than pleasant. The fact that Honker was pacing back and forth along the far wall with ears back and tail tucked, periodically casting worried glances towards his brother, did nothing to help alleviate her concern.
“So, we, uh, just keep waiting,” Canina asked, “right?”
“Yes!” Romulus snapped, “Just like the last time you asked!”
“Of course,” the poodle responded quietly, “just like last time.”
“I hate waiting!” the irate wolf growled as he gnawed. Then, with a sickening ‘tweak’, the bone split lengthwise. Romulus wrenched the bone in half with a grotesque, cracking, rip. He then proceeded to gouge out the soft marrow with his incisors.
A knock at the trailer door caught the attention of everyone within. In the space of a second, Romulus reached the door and flung it open. “WHAT?!” he snarled.
A squat, dumpy looking rat in a tattered maroon sweater and dark blue vest stood trembling in the spacious entry. Barely able to see the massive canine from beneath his cap, Snout merely gaped in shock.
In no mood for pleasantries, Romulus grabbed the guest and brought him up to his face. “TALK!” the wolf barked, “WHILE YOU STILL HAVE A HEAD!”
“Th-th-the witch is keeping the diamond in the warehouse at the end of Pier 12!” the rat answered quickly.
“WHERE IN THE WAREHOUSE?!” Romulus demanded.
“I don’t know!” Snout yelped desperately. Romulus hurled the messenger aside as he leapt from the trailer door. Canina and Honker quickly followed. Once he finished rolling to a stop on the pavement, Snout lamented, “I should be getting hazard pay for this.”
Unobserved by all concerned, a female German Shepherd mix raced off from behind the trailer in pursuit of the other three canines.
==
“Here they come!” Gadget shouted from the branch when she spotted the wolves and Canina entering the park.
“Everyone to the hanger!” Chip shouted to the others in Ranger Headquarters.
“It’s somewhere in the warehouse at the end of Pier 12!” Romulus shouted up to Gadget as he slowed to a trot before turning back.
“We’ll meet you there!” Gadget shouted back before racing off to the hanger.
Just as Romulus left the park, the German Shepherd threw herself sideways into him as hard as she could manage. She bounced off his flank and came tumbling to a stop on the sidewalk while he collided shoulder first with a mailbox. Canina and Honker stopped short in order to figure out what had just occurred. With hackles raised and teeth bared, Romulus prepared to engage the individual that had ‘attacked’ him.
“Sorry, sir, I didn’t see you coming,” the Shepherd stated to Romulus as she turned away form him. Vigorously wagging her tail in his face, she implored “Please forgive me!”
The expression on the face of the infuriated wolf suddenly became one of intense curiosity. Honker, too, suddenly became intrigued and edged closer to their new acquaintance. Looking over her shoulder, the Shepherd realized she had the complete attention of both males and quickly began to trot off down the street.
As both wolves proceeded down the street after the collarless stray, Canina remained behind, utterly confused. “Boys,” she called after them, “Boys, the pier is this way!” she declared pointing in the opposite direction. “Fellas?” Canina shouted as she began to trot after the wayward wolves.
Once she had caught up with him, Canina stated gruffly to Romulus, “This is no time to go chasing tail! The Rangers are counting on us!” There was no reaction form the wolf as he continued down the street. “Are you listening to me?!” she asked as she grabbed at his collar.
As Canina’s paw brushed the guard hairs along the wolf’s neck he flung his head back snarling and snapped at her foreleg. Fortunately for Canina, however, she hadn’t been able to get hold of the collar and her limb was already falling away from Romulus as his powerful jaws snapped shut onto empty space. With only a glance at Canina, he continued after the other female.
“What in blazes is wrong with you?!” Canina shouted after Romulus as she began to chase him down. Still no reaction. She galloped past the two wolves and trotted up beside the stray. “What did you do to him?!” she asked.
“If you have to ask you can’t do it,” the stray responded smugly.
“And what, exactly, do you mean by that?!” Canina asked bluntly.
“He’s a male, I’m a female,” the Shepherd responded, “You figure it out!” As a gesture of contempt, the stray boffed Canina in the head with her shaggy tail, nearly knocking the wig off of the actress’ head.
As Canina stopped to fix her hair she realized what the Shepherd had meant. “Damn veterinarian!” she growled to herself. How am I supposed to compete with that? she thought. As Canina frantically searched her mind for some way to win back the wolves’ loyalty she remembered something Romulus had mentioned to her a few nights before about lupine courtship. “Where’s a stand-in when you need one,” she grumbled, “Looks like I’m going to have to do my own stunts this time!”
The stray was far too wrapped up in her own sense of accomplishment to hear the sound of Canina racing up behind her at full speed. This meant that her squeal when she felt Canina’s teeth clamp down on her ear wasn’t so much out of pain as it was out of utter shock. Before she knew it, the Shepherd was thrown against a wall and soon found herself muzzle to muzzle with a very angry star of stage, screen and occasional dog food commercial.
“Listen, you hussy!” Canina snarled, “You can either leave here with your tail tucked on your own or I can make you leave!”
The Shepherd gathered her wits about her and politely asked, “Would either of you gentlemen like to come to the assistance of a damsel in distress?” Romulus merely looked at her with his head cocked to the side.
“Forget it, sister!” Canina responded, “They’re not goin’ to interfere. This is just between you and me!”
“Sister?” the Shepherd asked sarcastically, “Listen, Granny, maybe you should get back to the nursing home before somebody misses you.”
“Well that’s it for you then!” Canina stated as she proceeded to teach the stray some manners... the hard way.
==
“Still no sign of them!” Fangs reported as he returned to the others just across the street from the warehouse at Pier 12.
“What could be keeping them?” Chip asked in frustration, “Even with heavy traffic it shouldn’t take them this long!”
“Should we risk heading in before Freddie shows up?” Tammy asked, knowing it meant walking into a possible trap with no backup. Chip looked at the digital watch in the dashboard of the Ranger Wing. The moon had already risen, and within a few more minutes would be visible over the buildings of the city.
Before Chip could determine an answer, Fangs’ ears perked up. “That’s a moot point now,” the vampire declared, “I can hear Freddie’s motorcycle!”
“Ok, ‘Plan B’ then,” Chip stated, “We ambush Freddie when she gets the diamond!”
As the witch approached, Foxglove arrived. “Please tell me you have the diamond already,” she pleaded as she landed.
“No,” Chip answered bluntly, “We’ll hafta’ go in after Freddie. Zipper’s still with her?”
“Uh huh.”
“He’ll only be able to distract her for a few moments on his own,” Chip pointed out, “Foxglove, you and Fangs go in through a window and as soon as you see Freddie with the diamond, help Zipper keep her from doing anything. The rest of us will join in as soon as we can get there from ground level.”
The roar of the motorcycle rose then suddenly came to a stop. The chiropteran pair flew off for the nearest window as the others raced across the street with whatever equipment they felt would be useful.
==
The wolves watched patiently as the two ladies slugged it out, obeying millennia of ingrained instinct and custom, waiting for one of the two combatants to prove herself the most capable. Though the Shepherd had youth and muscle on her side, years of training as a dancer meant Canina had stamina, coordination, and excellent health. Canina had another advantage in her favor... she was highly motivated by loyalty to her friends. Soon, the stray realized that what Fat Cat was offering her wasn’t worth all the trouble, and threw in the towel.
As the Shepherd limped off, Canina was nearly knocked over as Romulus began to snuggle up next to her. “Hey there, big guy!” she warned him as she pushed him back, “This ain’t the time or the place!” When Romulus gave her a playful nip on the neck she became a little more direct, and slapped him upside the head a couple times.
Romulus looked about in a confused manner. “Where are we?” he asked.
“Behind schedule!” Canina shouted as she took off down the street. Both wolves soon followed suit.
==
“Can you see her?” Fangs asked as he and Foxglove circled the inside of the spacious warehouse.
“Not yet,” Foxglove answered, “She may still be among some of these boxes. Wait!” Winifred’s acoustic silhouette stood out once she ventured out away from the piles of boxes near a far wall. “On your right,” Foxglove called out to Fangs, “she’s becoming visible!”
The two chiropterans ventured closer in an attempt to locate the diamond on Winifred’s person, careful to take erratic courses in order to appear like local bats just flitting about after bugs. As Foxglove and Fangs closed, they were met by Zipper who pointed out that Winifred had indeed recovered the diamond.
Clutching the diamond tightly in her right fist, Winifred strode out into the middle of the warehouse as Bud and Lou slithered and scuttled obediently behind her. Coming to a stop, she turned and looked towards one of the windows.
“Perfect!” the witch declared as she spotted the moon edging into sight, “In just I few minutes I’ll have all the power I could ever want!”
“Where are the others?” Fangs asked, “They should be here by now!”
==
Just as their chiropteran compatriots had entered through a window, the Rangers, Raven and Tammy reached one of the doors. As the rest cautiously entered, Raven got a paw stuck on a piece of gum. “Dammit!” she muttered. “I’ll be right with you!” Raven called out as she proceeded to extricate herself. The others disappeared into the structure.
Almost within sight of the center of the warehouse, the Rangers made their way past a pile of abandoned cloth and netting. Just as Fat Cat had hoped, they were too focused on trying to locate Freddie too notice the potential trap. The netting, flung by wire springs much like in a mousetrap, suddenly lunged up and over the group. As a drawstring pulled closed the open end, the Rangers and Tammy entirely lost their footing and collapsed into a jumbled heap. Fat Cat and his cronies soon emerged from their hiding places.
“It was a long wait,” Fat Cat began, “But I think it was well worth it.”
“You knew where the diamond was before today, didn’t you?” Chip asked accusingly.
“Well obviously,” Fat Cat responded.
“Where are the wolves?” Gadget asked to the other captives.
“Distracted,” Fat Cat answered, having overheard her question, “We’ve all heard it said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach... but for a wolf, it’s through his nose.”
“You idiot!” Tammy shouted, “Don’t you realize what’s going to happen now?!”
“An angel will get it’s wings?” Mole asked.
“QUIET!” Fat Cat commanded as he swatted a paw at his lackey. “You didn’t really think I’d buy that bit about a witch and magic powers did you?” he asked the Rangers, “Not that it matters, though. It only mattered that you did. And once that human realizes that she can’t get any magic powers from that rock she’ll toss it aside in anger... and I’ll be there to retrieve it.”
==
“Finally!” Winifred declared as the moon cleared the bottom frame of the window.
“GET HER!” Foxglove yelled as Winifred held up the diamond. She, Fangs and Zipper quickly descended on the witch intent on getting the diamond out of her grasp. Zipper flew up to Winifred’s face and batted at her eyes. Foxglove grasped at the diamond with her feet, but the witch retained her grasp... until Fangs raked his razor-sharp incisors across the back of her hand. As Foxglove took off with the diamond, Lou lassoed her about the neck with some webbing... the sudden jerk caused her to drop her prize. Bud lunged out and caught the gem in his mouth. Winifred, in turn, grabbed Bud by his throat and retrieved the diamond.
The witch once more held the diamond aloft to perform the spell. As Fangs flew in to grab at it, she flung her arms about at him. Once Fangs had backed off she held up the diamond again... only to have both bats close on her. Clutching the diamond in her fist she swung at her assailants, causing them to fly off beyond arms’ reach. With Zipper continually making passes at her eyes, Winifred grew increasingly enraged.
Realizing that every time she held out the diamond she would be set upon by the bats, Winifred decided to take the offensive. Grabbing Bud by the end of his tail, she flung him about like a whip. Taken completely off guard by the unorthodox tactic, both Foxglove and Fangs failed to react quickly enough to dodge the assault and were knocked out of the air. Before either could return to flight, the witch held the diamond up towards the moon.
Keeping her eyes open just long enough to aim it properly, Winifred quickly recited the spell before Zipper could make a meaningful attack. A beam of pale yellow light shot from the stone as Zipper raced towards her, only to be blown back several feet as his target was caught up in an explosion of light.
“Is that it?” Winifred asked, “I thought it’d feel different.”
==
Raven finally managed to loose her paw from the gum and, picking up her mother’s bow, raced into the warehouse to rejoin the others. She came to a sudden halt, though, after catching sight of Fat Cat and his gang standing about her captive comrades. The others won’t be a problem if I take him out, she thought as she drew an arrow form the quiver and aimed carefully for the feline’s chest.
==
“I guess I need to try out my new powers on something,” Winifred reasoned aloud, “or someone.” As she finished her statement, all within earshot took cover... even her accomplices. “Any volunteers?” the witch asked sadistically.
==
“Oh no you don’t!” Wart declared as he grabbed at Raven’s arms. The suddenness of the lizard’s action caused Raven to loose the arrow lower than intended. As the outraged youth dug her teeth into Wart’s hand, the wayward arrow impacted... right in Fat Cat’s left foot.
The injured feline’s yeowling caught Winifred’s attention, and when he hopped out from behind the boxes on one foot she took advantage of the situation. “My-my, ask and I shall receive!” the witch stated delightedly as she took aim.
To the astonishment of all present, Fat Cat especially, the portly crime boss was turned into a pig, a giraffe, a lamppost, and a statue of Buddha before returning to his natural form. After a short pause, and oblivious to the pain in his foot, Fat Cat ran screaming from the warehouse, his flunkeys in tow.
To the sound of Winifred’s triumphant cackling, Raven and Gadget both set to work cutting through the netting with razors. Before long, Foxglove, Fangs and Zipper arrived and the vampire joined in the effort.
Romulus, Honker and Canina finally arrived as the Rangers emerged from their fetter. “You ok?!” Romulus asked desperately.
“Depends on your point of view, mate,” Monterrey responded.
“Freddie was able to use the diamond!” Foxglove informed the overdue hunter.
Upon hearing of the consequences of his lateness, Romulus hung his head, “This is all because that bitch had me by the balls!”
“Honk,” Honker added pathetically.
“Right,” Romulus added, “That bitch had us both by the balls!”
“You can beat yourselves up later!” Chip chastised the predators, “But right now we’ve gotta do... something.”
“But what?” Dale asked.
Gadget turned to Raven, “You told us there was a counter spell, right?”
“Yeah,” Raven responded, “But I don’t see how the hell we can get it to work now!”
“How does it work?!” Chip demanded.
“Well,” Raven began as she thought, “If we can get the diamond we can cast the same spell by the first light of the morning sun... it would have the opposite effect, it would strip her of her powers.”
“So we’ve got two tasks,” Chip stated, “Get the diamond from her and keep her occupied till morning!”
“How?!” Dale asked.
Intent upon atoning for his previous failure, Romulus did what came easiest for him... he took action. “Like this!” he stated as he raced out into the open with Honker and Canina immediately behind.
By the time Winifred realized what was happening, both wolves and Canina were practically on top of her. In her terror, she cast the first spell that popped into her head. Before any of the canines hit the witch, they were transformed into stuffed animals and bounced off harmlessly.
“Well, that certainly helped,” Chip responded sarcastically, “Does anyone have a better idea?”
“They had the right idea, but they were too obvious,” Foxglove pointed out as she took flight. Fangs realized what she had in mind and took off in the opposite direction.
“Are they crazy?!” Tammy shouted.
“No, I see what they’re up to,” Raven responded when she watched the two approach the witch from both sides. As Winifred turned to deal with one, the other would land on her and bite her, pull her hair, anything to distract her. “As long as they stay right on top of her she can’t really do anything to them.”
“Zipper,” Chip called, “Go help out!”
“Can’t let them have all the fun!” Monterrey declared as he raced over to the beleaguered witch. He climbed up on a shoe and began to untie it.
“I’ll see if I can make use of this trap,” Gadget mentioned as she ran over to the pile of netting and wire. Tammy quickly joined her.
As Winifred frantically swatted at the bats she dropped the diamond. Seeing it skittering along the floor, Monterrey ran after it having just finished tying the witch’s shoelaces together. Returning to the others, he proudly displayed his catch. “One down, one to go!” He declared.
“And there she goes now!” Dale shouted as he watched Winifred trip up and collapse on the floor.
“Scraggly scrub brushes!” Winifred swore out of frustration. As she tried to stand she noticed the state of her shoe laces. “Bah!” she blurted out as she fired off a bolt of energy at the troublesome knot.
Having had to dodge the witch as she fell, both Foxglove and Fangs had put considerable distance between themselves and their target. But as the two dove back in to continue their harassment, Winifred saw them coming. Firing off bolts of energy at the pair she was able to drive them off. To their dismay, Winifred was now much more alert, and better able to keep them far enough back that they couldn’t make any dives at her.
Zipper, in an effort to draw her attention, continually flew up to her eyes, into her ears, and even darted close to her nostrils. But, with just a moment of thought, Winifred cast a spell ensuring that every breath she exhaled was laced with toxins. After only a few puffs, Zipper was forced to back off. Winifred promptly resumed firing upon the two bats, sometimes missing them only by an inch.
“How’s... whatever that is coming?” Chip asked of Gadget, Tammy and Raven as they worked on the former trap.
“In a few moments we should have a dandy catapult!” Gadget remarked. “Hey, Tammy, help me pull this wire back.”
As the two ladies pulled the wire spring back, Gadget lost her footing and with it her grip on the wire. With a startled scream, Tammy went sailing through the air. Fortunately, she hit Winifred rather than the cement floor several feet away. Clutching onto the witch’s blouse, Tammy quickly clambered up over the collar and right inside.
Winifred broke into hysterical laughter as the squirrel made laps inside her dress. “STOP IT! BA-HA-HA! STOP IT!” she shouted as she frantically pulled at her clothes, trying to shake the furry intruder out.
“Golly, that worked better than I planned!” Gadget remarked, “Even though I didn’t really plan it.”
Eventually, Tammy lost her grip and tumbled out of Winifred’s blouse. “Now for some scorched squirrel!” the witch declared as she prepared to blast the disoriented rodent. But before she could let loose with a bolt of energy, Fangs landed on her neck and slashed at her with his incisors.
Unfortunately for Fangs, all the frantic flying he’d been doing had tired him out and he was unable to dodge Winifred’s hand as she smacked him. As Tammy made a break for cover, the witch pulled the dazed vampire from her neck.
“Time to fight bats with bats!” Winifred stated as she held out her free hand and, with a flash, a Louisville Slugger materialized. As Winifred held her ‘ball’ out in front of her, Fangs realized what was about to happen and prepared to fly like mad as soon as she let go. The witch anticipated this, however, and gave a hard squeeze, forcing the air out of Fangs’ lungs and snapping a couple bones in his wings.
Foxglove flew towards the witch as fast as she could, hoping to close the distance before she could swing. As she closed, Foxglove tucked her head and thrust out a shoulder, letting her momentum carry her the rest of the way.
Winifred was utterly oblivious to the incoming projectile until Foxglove literally rammed into one of her eyes. In her shock, Winifred dropped Fangs and awkwardly swung the baseball bat simultaneously. Fangs received a glancing blow from the wooden club.
“NOOOO!!” Raven shrieked as she saw Fangs spiraling through the air.
Foxglove, surprised she was in as good a condition as she was after her kamikaze dive, continued to harass Winifred who was now babying a very bloodshot eye.
Falling to the cement floor, Fangs tumbled for several feet before coming to a stop not far from where most of the others had taken cover. Chip, Dale, Tammy, Gadget, and Monterrey raced over to check on Fangs.
“YOU BITCH!!” Raven screamed at Winifred, “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!” In her rage, Raven raced forward and tripped over something. Roaring in anger, she grabbed whatever it was that had tripped her, intent upon tearing it to pieces. In a brief moment of clarity, Raven realized she was holding the diamond. All her previous thoughts of abandoning magic vanished. What she wanted now, more than anything, was revenge... any way she could get it. Holding the diamond tightly, Raven quickly ran to get into the moonlight.
Chapter Eighteen
Raven climbed to the roof of the warehouse, it was the best place to find the moon. As she raced to get into the moonlight, all the things she had wanted to say to Fangs ran through her mind... all the things she would now never be able to say to him. Raven had nearly lost her mother because of her own arrogance, but there was one who was willing to forgive her despite her guilt, someone who wouldn’t leave her, someone she had come to love deeply... and now he was gone, gone forever.
==
“How is he?” Chip asked as Gadget examined Fangs. He wasn’t under any illusion that the prognosis would be cheery. Laying on his back, a wing grotesquely bent beneath him, he was at least still breathing.
“He has a concussion, and both wings are broken,” Gadget noted, “but his pulse is steady.”
Chip turned to see what effect the news had on Raven, only to realize she was nowhere to be seen. He also noticed the diamond had disappeared as well. “Uh-oh.”
Before anyone could ask what Chip’s concern was for, they heard Winifred call out, “Your death will be a lot less painful if you give me a good clean shot, you little back-stabber!”
“Foxy’s trying to handle Freddie on her own!” Dale shouted in surprise. “We’ve gotta help her!” he declared as he raced off.
“Tammy, let’s get that catapult working!” Gadget ordered. The two darted off to continue their work.
“We can’t just leave Fangs here,” Chip mentioned.
“C’mon, lad,” Monterrey grunted as he hefted up the unconscious bat, “Let’s find you someplace safe to wait this out!” Chip and Monterrey departed for a sheltered location for their injured companion.
Barely dodging Winifred’s constantly shifting feet, Dale leapt onto one of her shoes. He grabbed hold of the sock, yanked it down, and sank his teeth into her ankle. As Winifred swatted at Dale, Foxglove grabbed hold of an earlobe and gave a sharp yank.
Winifred tried to focus on just one of her two assailants long enough to get off a clean shot. Doing so, however, left her open to attack by a third. With a bright flash of light, the witch went flying across the warehouse into a pile of boxes.
“Crikey! What was that?!” Monterrey exclaimed after hearing Winifred’s startled scream.
Dale, who had been clinging to a sock, looked up from the floor where he’d landed and noticed someone new. “Who the heck is that!?” he asked upon seeing Winifred’s latest assailant. Striding across the warehouse was a young human female dressed in a grey shirt, blue jeans and a trench coat. She was thin with short black hair and a tan complexion.
“That’s Raven!” Chip exclaimed as Foxglove and Dale returned to the rest of the group.
“Sure looks different without her ears and tail!” Monterrey commented.
“Who do you think you are?!” Winifred angrily challenged the newcomer as she began to emerge from the pile of boxes she had been blasted into. Raven raced over to her. She pulled Winifred up and drew a fist back to punch her. However, Winifred swiftly transformed herself into a mouse and scampered off between Raven’s legs. Raven, in turn, transformed herself into a cat and pounced upon the rodent. Winifred returned to her human form and lifted the feline up by the scruff of her neck. Raven promptly dug every nail she could into Winifred’s arm. Winifred, howling at the pain, dropped Raven. “You’ll pay for that, whoever you are!” she declared as she prepared to blast the feline with a bolt of energy. But her adversary was nowhere to be seen.
In the form of a flea, Raven hopped behind Winifred. Retaking a human form, Raven grabbed her in a choke hold. Thinking of a creature with a thick powerful neck, Winifred assumed the form of a horse. Bucking wildly, the equine Winifred managed to toss Raven aside. Landing on the cement, Raven’s head was cushioned by the wolves and Canina who were still stuck as stuffed animals. “Sorry,” she commented as she got up.
“This is incredible!” Chip stated in amazement as the two sorceresses continued their battle.
“Yeah, this is almost as bizarre as the time I was a genie in a lamp!” Monterrey chimed in.
“How long is this going to go on?” Dale asked.
“I imagine it’ll continue until one of them tires out,” Foxglove responded.
“If that’s the case then my money’s on Raven,” Monterrey replied, “She’s got the advantage of youth.”
“The problem is we don’t know exactly how the spell affected them,” Chip pointed out, “For all we know they could have the exact same stamina.”
“Well, then there’s always the possibility one of them will make a mistake,” Gadget commented as she and Tammy joined the group.
“I don’t think we should take that kind of chance,” Tammy stated.
“What do you suggest we do, luv?” Monterrey asked, “We’re a little out of our league now.”
“Well,” Tammy stammered as she thought, “What if we could distract Freddie? That would give Raven a chance to get off a kill shot.” The reference drew everyone’s attention. “You know what I mean, do something to disable her,” Tammy added.
“We understand,” Chip replied. But I’m afraid a ‘kill shot’ is exactly what Raven has in mind now, he thought to himself.
“We were distracting her before,” Tammy continued.
“At that point Freddie was more or less stationary,” Monterrey pointed out, “But know she’s changin’ and movin’ about faster than a chameleon on a sugar rush!”
As there was a spectacular exchange of energy bolts, Dale added, “Besides, there’s twice as much of a chance of getting fried!”
“Wait, we don’t have to go out there to distract Winifred,” Gadget stated, “What if we could hit her with something from our catapult?”
“Like what?” Chip asked.
“WellIdunno,” Gadget mumbled as she surveyed the resources. “I know!” she declared before racing over to some rope, twine, and a pile of boomerangs that had fallen out of a box. Within a few moments Gadget had modified the catapult for launch. “Now, the next time Winifred takes a human form,” she began to explain, “I fire the plunger harpoon to anchor this end of the rope on her person, then we fire the catapult which will launch the boomerang carrying the other end of the rope.”
“And it’ll bind her up long enough for Raven to do... something,” Chip finished.
“Right!”
“But what if Freddie takes a form after the plunger hits her and it comes loose?” Tammy asked. She soon spied Dee’s quiver of arrows that Raven had left behind. “What about those?” Tammy suggested, “A porcupine quill wouldn’t come loose as easily as a plunger!”
“Hmm, that’s right,” Gadget agreed, “But I’m not sure I can attach the lead rope to any of them.” She inspected the quiver, and to her delight noticed that a couple of arrows had attachments for just such a purpose. “Golly, how convenient!”
Gadget quickly moved the twine that served as the lead rope from the plunger to one of the arrows and grabbed the bow. Watching Raven and Winifred as they dueled, she estimated the most likely position for Winifred to take, drew back the bow and waited. Gadget hadn’t waited long before Winifred, as a human, staggered back right into her sights. She let loose and the arrow flew straight to it’s target... Winifred’s left calf. “Oh, sorry!” Gadget replied out of instinct when she spotted a tiny trickle of blood seep from the impact sight.
As soon as the arrow hit home, Tammy set off the catapult. In the excitement, Winifred hadn’t noticed the arrow, but the boomerang flying around and around trailing a rope was another matter. She was far too stunned by the occurrence to immediately use her magic. When Raven noticed her adversary had temporarily frozen in place, she took advantage of the situation. The first spell she cast was to inhibit Winifred’s magic while bound by the rope, the next was to make the rope as rigid as steel. With the sudden change of weight caused by Raven’s second spell, Winifred toppled over with an “oof” and a ‘clank’.
Winifred struggled against her fetters, but to no avail. But her greatest disappointment came as each spell she tried failed, one after another. “What?! How?!” the witch stammered in frustration, “I couldn’t have lost my magic!”
“No,” Raven, as a human, replied coldly, “But you just can’t use it while you’re bound up.”
With Winifred incapacitated, the Rangers, Tammy and Foxglove emerged from their cover and approached the defeated witch. Raven approached as well.
“When I get loose I’m going to turn you all into sponges!” Winifred threatened, “Then throw you all into a garbage disposal!”
When Raven reached the side of her opponent she reached out a hand, into which materialized an aluminum bat. “Then we’ll have to do something about that,” she stated. Raven’s tone of voice sent a chill down Chip’s spine. When he saw her raise the bat above her head he realized, with horror, what she had in mind.
“WAIT!” Chip shouted as he placed himself between Raven and Winifred.
“WHAT?!” Raven hollered in anger as she lowered the weapon to her side.
“You can’t kill her!” Chip commanded.
“Why not?!” Raven hissed in response, “All she’s ever going to do is try to hurt people!”
“You don’t know that!” Chip stated, “No one does.” There was a pause as Raven slowly began to calm down. “Where do you get the authority to decide that she’ll never be given the opportunity to change?”
“She had a chance!” Raven shot back, “But she chose to continue to hurt innocent people!”
“And I gave you a chance,” Chip countered. Raven gave him a puzzled look. Chip knew he was walking a very fine line. He knew Raven didn’t react well to insults, and in this instance could do far more damage. “When you offered to help us get the diamond I let you and Fangs go along with us. And when you hurt Dee that first time, at the laundromat, I wanted you gone. I didn’t want to chance her getting hurt further, but I gave you a second chance. That night you went out of your way to hurt Dee, and when you showed up the next morning to ask if you could help us I wanted to throw you out a window rather than give you a third chance... but not your mother. She refused to give up hope in you, and she refused to let me give up on you.”
That last sentence hit Raven the hardest. She did give me another chance, she thought, and with that chance I nearly killed her! The sense of certainty that her rage had given her was being clouded by her sense of guilt.
“That’s what it all boils down to,” Chip continued, “Not giving up hope. I would rather let Freddie, or Fat Cat, or anyone else go knowing that they’ll probably try to kill me tomorrow... I would rather do that than give up hope that they might change. I don’t want to accept that they were destined to be worthless. And that’s what I don’t want to see you do, I don’t want to see you give up hope that things can change for the better. And I know that Dee wouldn’t want to see you give up hope either.”
“And do you really want Winifred’s death on your conscience?” Gadget asked.
“Your mother knows what it’s like to kill,” Chip pointed out, “And even though it was in self defense she hates what she had to do. But this isn’t even in self defense, at this point in time Winifred can’t hurt any of us... she’s helpless.”
Raven finally realized the mistake she had been about to make, but it didn’t ease any of her pain. She wanted revenge for what was done to Fangs, but couldn’t bring herself to actually do anything. Raven’s eyes began to fill with tears as her frustration grew. Throwing the bat aside, she fell to her knees, buried her face in her hands and cried. “He’s gone!” she wept.
That’s right, Chip realized, she probably thinks that Fangs is dead! “No, he isn’t,” Chip informed her as he put a paw on her enormous knee, “He’s hurt, but he isn’t dead.”
Raven looked down upon the chipmunk by her knee, “What?”
“Fangs isn’t dead,” Chip reiterated.
The girl’s spirits rose. “Where is he?” Raven asked as her sobbing subsided.
“Over this way!” Chip motioned.
Raven stood to follow him, but was gripped by a sudden sense of vertigo.
“Are you ok?” Gadget asked when she saw Raven waver slightly.
“Uh, yeah,” Raven answered, “I’m just not used to being this tall!” She followed Chip and the others to where Fangs lay unconscious. Raven knelt down beside him. “He’s so small!” she exclaimed. She reached down a hand to touch her friend, then stopped suddenly upon seeing the size of her hand. “Jeez, I don’t want to crush him,” Raven mentioned.
“Well, just change back into a mouse,” Tammy offered innocuously.
“Oh!” Raven exclaimed. With all that had happened she had temporarily forgotten all about her powers. Raven closed her eyes and was soon enveloped in a luminous mist. As the haze cleared, a small mouse knelt where the human had been.
“Do you think you can use your powers to heal him?” Tammy asked.
“Well, let’s find out,” Raven said as she placed her paws on her unconscious love. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Soon, a blueish light began to emanate from her paws and began to spread over the chiropteran’s body. In a matter of moments the light faded. Raven gazed upon Fangs. The bat groggily blinked his eyes. He lifted his head, then began to sit up. With a squeal, Raven threw her arms around Fangs. “I thought you were dead!” she cried.
“What happened?!” Fangs asked out of utter confusion, “I remember getting hit with a bat, but that’s about it.”
“It’s a long story!” Raven responded, “I’ll explain it later.” She released her grip on Fangs and sat up. “But there’s something I have to tell you before anything else happens,” Raven stated happily, taking his wings in her paws, “I love you!”
“I love you, too!” Fangs almost cried as he embraced Raven tightly, “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long!” For the first time since being taken from his parents as a child, he didn’t feel alone. He no longer felt like an outcast or pariah. Fangs knew he belonged and was wanted... and knew he was loved.
Though her wings were still sore from all the flying she’d done earlier, Foxglove embraced Dale from behind and laid her head upon his shoulder. Dale placed a paw on one of her wings and leaned his head on hers.
Raven and Fangs stood, brushing tears form their eyes. Then, upon catching each others gaze, embraced once more and, for the first time, they kissed. When they broke their kiss, they cradled each other as they cried. It was quite awhile before they let go of one another.
“I don’t mean to kill the mood,” Monterrey interjected gently, “But maybe something could be done for our tail wagging companions?”
“That’s right!” Raven exclaimed, “The wolves!” She turned to Fangs, “I’ll be right back!”
Raven began to run over to the stuffed animals that had previously been Romulus, Honker and Canina. The others quickly followed with Fangs and Foxglove flying along. Coming to a stop, Raven held up her paws towards the three toys. In a burst of light, the canines were restored to their natural forms. Honker, who had been upside down, flopped about for a bit before getting his footing. Romulus shook himself from head to tail.
“How nice of you to get around to us, darling,” Canina mentioned, “I was beginning to wonder how I was going to explain this to my agent.”
“So, what’re we going to do with Freddie over there?” Romulus asked.
“Don’t call me Freddie!” the witch hollered.
“Quiet, you!” Romulus commanded.
“We should get her up to the roof,” Raven answered, “That way I can cast the spell as soon as the sun rises over the buildings.”
“And how, exactly, are we supposed to lift her up there?” Monterrey asked.
Raven thought for a moment. Walking over to the witch, she looked her over. The others gathered around to see what the young sorceress was going to do. She held out her left paw and snapped her fingers with her right. In the blink of an eye, Winifred disappeared.
“Where’d she go?!” Romulus asked as he looked about frantically.
“She’s in my palm,” Raven explained.
Romulus bent down to get a close look. Indeed, there was a very tiny Winifred laying in the girl’s palm. “Ooh!” Romulus commented.
“What do you think you’re looking at you hairball?!” Winifred squeaked angrily.
Gadget quickly whispered something into Raven’s ear. “Oh, you’re right!” Raven responded. “Sweet dreams, Freddie,” she said as she waved a paw over her captive.
“Don’t call me-” Winifred was cut off mid sentence by a snore as the sleeping spell took hold.
“What was that about?” Dale asked.
“At the size she was shrunk to, the metal rope would’ve been substantially weaker,” Gadget pointed out, “Freddie would’ve been able to wriggle out of her bindings.”
Raven tucked the sleeping Winifred into a pocket of her trench coat. “Now to the roof,” she stated. Once upon the roof, Raven removed her captive form her makeshift prison and set her down. Stepping back considerably, Raven snapped her fingers. In an instant, Winifred was restored to her natural size, as were her bindings.
Chip was about to ask a particular favor of Raven. But before he could, she turned to Gadget.
“Aunt Gadget,” Raven asked, “Do you think you could give me and Fangs a lift to the hospital?”
“Do you feel ok?” Gadget asked.
“I’m fine, there’s just something I have to have removed there,” Raven responded.
“What?” inquired Gadget.
“My guilt,” Raven answered.
==
Gadget, Raven, and Fangs arrived at the Saint Bernard Veterinary Hospital in the Ranger Wing. Given the lateness of the hour, visitors weren’t normally permitted. However, Raven reasoned that an exception could be made for people who happened to be invisible. And, after some confused stumbling about, Gadget suggested that they walk single file with paw or wing of one on the shoulder of the one in front. As they crossed through the waiting room, they passed Ben Southmont asleep in a chair.
Once within Dee Hawkfeather’s room, the invisibility spell was removed. Gadget flipped on the light as Raven approached her prone parent. Laying her paws upon her, Raven closed her eyes. As with Fangs, a bluish glow spread form the girl’s paws and enveloped Dee’s body. Only this time, as the light faded, Raven nearly lost her balance.
Fangs quickly grabbed hold of Raven and steadied her. “You ok?” he asked, quite concerned.
“Yeah,” Raven answered weakly, “It’s just all the magic I’ve been using... I’m getting a little worn out.” Her fatigue was put on hold when she saw her mother stir.
Dee’s eyes opened slowly. She blinked several times as she adjusted to the lights. As she caught sight of her visitors, Dee turned her head to face them. Immediately, and with enormous relief, she recognized her daughter. “Raven!” she stated excitedly as she began to sit up, “You’re ok!”
“Yeah,” Raven answered just as excitedly, “Don’t you remember? I was here earlier and you asked if I was ok... you asked me to forgive you!”
“I thought I was dreaming!” Dee explained.
“Can you wiggle your toes?” Raven asked.
“Can I wiggle my toes?” Dee asked in complete confusion.
“Yeah, can you wiggle your toes,” Raven repeated.
Dee looked towards the foot of the bed, as did the rest. To their delight, the sheet over her toes wiggled about. Raven looked back to her mother, and with tears forming in her eyes hugged her tightly.
“Why did you ask me to wiggle my toes?!” Dee asked, even more confused than before. The daughter that had done all she could to convey her contempt for her was not only making odd requests but hugging her... not that she minded greatly. Raven let go of her mother and tried to explain, but was utterly dumb with emotion. “And while I’m asking questions... Why does everyone look like I just came back from the dead?”
“Well,” Gadget started to explain, only to be interrupted as an orderly entered the room.
“What’s going on in here?” he asked as he looked around. Seeing the previously comatose patient sitting upright and clearly quite lucid, he added, “Holy cow!” He quickly ducked out of the room.
“What was that about?” Dee asked.
“You were comatose for the past three weeks,” Gadget pointed out, “The doctors said that since your back was broken you would probably never be able to walk again.” Dee pulled the covers off her legs. She proceeded to move them about with little apparent effort.
The sound of two pairs of feet running up the hall was followed by the orderly and a doctor bursting into the room. “None of you people are supposed to be here!” he stated authoritatively.
“Does that mean I can go home now?” Dee asked playfully.
The doctor’s jaw dropped, “She’s awake!”
“That’s what I told you!” the orderly replied.
The doctor approached Dee and began to examine her, “How do you feel?”
“For having been comatose with a broken back I feel fine,” Dee replied.
Continuing his examination, the doctor proceeded to press his fingers into his patient’s right leg from the ankle upward. “Can you feel this?” he inquired.
“Yes,” Dee answered curtly, “and if you paw my thigh any higher than that you won’t be feeling with that paw for much longer!”
“Of course,” the doctor responded as he pulled his paw away. “Now, if you would, I’d like for you to lift up your gown to just about here,” he instructed as he motioned on his own right side.
Dee regarded the doctor with suspicion. “Why?”
“I want to check on the scarring, from the surgery,” he explained.
“What surgery?” Dee asked as she was completely oblivious to what all had happened to her.
“We had to remove a splinter that had lodged itself in your upper chest,” the doctor explained, “You lost much of your right lung and several ribs were broken.”
“Ok,” Dee relented. She lifted up her gown, careful not to reveal too much to the assembled group.
The doctor ran his fingers through Dee’s fur, looking for the telltale scars from the incisions. He found nothing but healthy skin beneath her fur. More so, he noticed her breathing. “Breath deeply,” he ordered as he placed his stethoscope to her chest. As she inhaled deeply several times, the doctor moved the stethoscope to her back. Dee’s right lung sounded perfectly intact. “That’s impossible,” the doctor remarked.
“What’s impossible,” Dee asked as she lowered her gown.
“You spontaneously regenerated lung tissue,” the incredulous physician explained, “Lots of it. I can’t even begin to explain how.”
“Magic,” Raven mentioned, barely able to contain herself.
“It would have to be,” the doctor reasoned.
“Well, since I’m in such good health,” Dee started, “I’d like to be on my way.”
“I’d like to keep you here for observation, if you don’t mind,” the doctor replied.
“Yes I mind,” Dee answered, “The last time a doctor told me that I lost a child... I’d like to leave now.”
“Ok,” the doctor began hesitantly, “I guess I’ll go start the paperwork.”
“Would you mind unhitching me first?” Dee asked, motioning to the various equipment she was hooked up to.
The physician complied with her request. Then, motioning to the closet, stated, “Your clothes and other effects are in there.”
Once fully unhitched, Dee got out of bed and retrieved her belongings. “A little privacy, please,” she requested. After having had a chance to fully clothe herself, the others rejoined Dee in her room to await the doctor’s return with the discharge papers.
Raven, who was having increasing difficulty keeping her eyes open, finally brought herself to address her mother on a very important issue. “Uh, Mom,” the girl asked a little sheepishly, finding it strange to refer to Dee as her mother, “I have to tell you... that... I’m sorry.” As the words left her mouth, the young mouse felt a great weight lifted from her heart. “I’m sorry for everything I said, and did, to you. I shouldn’t have treated you like that, I shouldn’t have attacked you.” While Raven spoke, she found it harder to hold back her tears. “I never gave you a chance, and I’m sorry!” she added as the tears began to flow.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Dee responded gently with a broad smile, “You have too much of me in you... in fact, I’m surprised you never tried to knock my teeth out!”
“You forgive me?” Raven asked excitedly through her tears.
“Of course I forgive you!” Dee answered as she embraced her daughter tightly, tears pouring form her eyes. “I’m sorry I gave you up,” she sobbed, “All I wanted from the beginning was for you to be happy!”
“I know,” Raven replied, “I know... You did what you had to do. Thank you... thanks for not giving up on me!”
Dee continued crying. The pain she had suffered for the past thirteen years was finally beginning to ebb, the torment of the past month was now just a memory. The images she had of Raven, her expression full of anger and hatred, began to dissolve... In their place were the images of just a few moments ago, most treasured among them, that first sight of her daughter standing by her side... smiling. At that moment, it was the most beautiful thing Dee could ever imagine.
Raven continued to cling to her mother, tears streaming down her cheeks. All the pain was gone... all the hate, all the anger, all the guilt... all of it was gone. In their place was a feeling of jubilation she had never known, a sense of relief she never could have imagined. She felt as if she had been reborn, that everything was new, and nothing was impossible.
“I love you!” Dee confessed, “I’ve always loved you!”
“I love you, too!” Raven replied.
==
When Raven entered the waiting room, she immediately hopped over to her adopted father, almost ready to explode with the great news she had for him. The orderly wheeled Dee close by in a wheelchair. Gadget was filled with excitement as she waited for Mr Southmont’s reaction.
“Hey, Dad, wake up!” Raven ordered as she shook his arm, much like she would early on Christmas morning.
The elder mouse awoke with a start. After a brief moment of confusion as he got his bearings, he addressed the exuberant youth, “Raven, what’s got you so excited?”
“Look who came to visit!” the girl stated as she pointed towards Dee.
Ben turned his head... and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw his goddaughter. If not for the greatly shortened hair and hideous tear in her jumpsuit, there would have been nothing to let on that she had just been on death’s doorstep. “How?!” was all he could get out.
“Raven used her magic to heal me!” Dee explained simply.
For a moment, Ben was unable to find his tongue. Then suddenly he was blessed with the power of speech. “I don’t know who to hug first!” he exclaimed.
“Her!” Dee stated, pointing to her daughter.
Jumping from his chair, Ben embraced his adopted daughter tightly, filled to bursting with pride. Then he turned and bent down to embrace Dee. “We didn’t know if we’d ever see you up and about again!” he declared.
“Well, I won’t be ‘up and about’ until I’m out the door,” Dee replied, “Hospital regulations and such.”
Once everyone had left the hospital and Dee was no longer confined to a wheelchair, Gadget turned to the elder Southmont, “We can give you lift back home before we head back to the warehouse.”
“Well, thank you,” he replied, “But, you’ll have to stay long enough so Ann can see that Dee is all right and that I’m not making all this up.”
==
Raven was sound asleep in the back of the Ranger Wing along with Fangs as they approached the warehouse at Pier 12. Chip could hardly contain his eagerness as he watched the aircraft approach, knowing it was undoubtedly carrying someone he had longed to hold for the past three, very long, weeks.
Once safely on the ground, Dee leapt from the Ranger Wing and raced up to meet her ecstatic fiancé. As they met, they clung to each other tightly with Chip lifting Dee off her feet and gayly twirling her about. Tammy was giggling, and practically bouncing, to see Chip so happy. Romulus let out a joyous howl and Honker honked excitedly upon seeing their friend once again. The sudden onslaught of howling and honking awoke Raven with a start, causing her to unintentionally dig her nails into Fangs, who was also, now, very much awake.
“Why you look healthier than a bull moose!” Monterrey greeted Dee.
“Yeah!” Dale joined in, “I guess.”
“What was it like to be in a coma?” Foxglove asked.
“It was the strangest thing,” Dee responded, “I kept having these odd dreams.” Pointing to Chip and Dale she continued, “In these dreams, the two of you were constantly tormenting this giant white duck! He had a really short temper and strange speech impediment... and he wore this bizarre sailor costume! But the strangest thing was... some of these dreams were in black and white! I mean, it was just plain weird!”
As the reunion continued, Fangs noted that Dee kept fiddling with her hair. Unsure if there was something wrong he brought it up.
“It’s just that I haven’t had short hair for so long,” Dee pointed out, “I kinda feel naked without it.”
“Well I think you look good this way,” Chip told her, then privately added, “It shows off your figure better.” Flattered, Dee chuckled and snuggled up to her future husband.
The night continued with talking and laughter. Everyone was careful not to get too loud so that Raven could get some sleep... there was still one spell she had to cast and no one wanted her to be too worn out to do it properly. As the dawn approached, Dee learned of how close Chip and Raven had become in her absence. It filled her with immense joy to know that they had moved beyond their earlier hostility and were now more like family.
As the sky in the East grew ever brighter and the stars blinked out one by one, the time came to wrap things up. With a little prodding, Raven woke up. Walking over to Winifred, she prepared to release her from the sleeping spell.
“Wait!” Romulus called out. The wolf raced over and stood straddling the slumbering witch. “Ok,” he stated, “You can wake her now.” As Raven cast the counter spell, the predator looked down upon Winifred’s face with a broad grin.
Winifred opened her eyes and gazed upon many, many sharp teeth. “BAAAAAHHH!” she shrieked.
“Now that was mean,” Dee scolded the wolf.
“And funny too!” Romulus added as he trotted happily back to the group.
Raven climbed up onto Winifred’s chest and removed the diamond from her trench coat. The young mouse looked towards the East, figuring exactly where the sun would emerge.
“What are you going to do to me?” Winifred asked.
“You mean you haven’t figured it out?” Raven replied.
“I’m a sorceress, not a mind reader!” the witch shot back.
“Well you won’t be either in a few moments,” the mouse replied, “When the sun rises, I’m going to remove your powers.”
“You can’t do that!” Winifred cried out in desperation.
“Why not?” Raven asked.
“Because, um,” Winifred stammered as she thought, “Because I promise to use my powers to help people from now on!”
“And if ya’ believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell ya’!” Monterrey responded.
Raven held the diamond aloft and recited the spell, and as the sun broke over the skyline a beam shot forth from the stone and enveloped both sorceresses in a brilliant light.
“NOOOO!!” Winifred screamed in protest.
As the light faded, Raven turned to Winifred, “Welcome back to mediocrity... Freddie.”
“DON’T CALL ME FREDDIE!!” the former sorceress hollered.
“Oh, shut up!” Raven replied as she hopped off.
“Wait,” Chip stated as he walked up to Raven, “Did you just give up your powers too?”
“Yeah,” Raven nodded.
“Why?” Dee asked, surprised that her daughter was so willing to give up something she’d wanted for so long.
“I wasn’t comfortable with that kind of power,” Raven responded, “I mean, it’s true that wanting something and having it are two completely different things. Besides, I’m not entirely sure I deserve that kind of power... If Chip hadn’t talked some sense into me I would’ve killed Freddie. And, as much as I might not want to admit it, I’m still a kid... I’m just not ready for that kind of responsibility, just like you weren’t ready to be a mother at my age.”
Dee, filled with immense pride, embraced her daughter tightly. “I’m glad you didn’t have to learn this the way I did,” she confided in her, “And I hope that if you have a daughter she doesn’t have to go through this shit when she’s thirteen!”
“Me too,” Raven agreed as she returned the embrace.
“Are you still going to give up magic entirely?” Fangs asked.
“No,” Raven answered as her mother released her, “But at least I’m not going to let it be an obsession anymore, I’ve been ignoring too many things because of that.” She added, giving a deliberate look to Fangs, “For one thing, I’d like to know what it’s like to have a boyfriend.” Everyone was amused by how much the vampire began to blush at the reference. “I’d also like to enjoy what I have left of my childhood,” Raven finished, looking back to her mother.
“I’ve got a question,” Monterrey stepped up, “What are we going to do with that diamond? We know how much trouble it can cause if it falls into the wrong hands... and now even Fat Cat knows about it’s power!”
“I think I can help out there,” an unfamiliar mouse in a cloak stated as he approached. “Allow me to introduce myself... I am the late Conrad Johnston.”
“What are you late for?” Dale asked. Chip, being in as good a mood as he was in, deferred bonking Dale on the head and merely groaned at the comment.
“Golly, for being dead you certainly are healthy!” Gadget remarked.
“Well, I eat right,” Conrad quipped. “I decided to retire from being ‘alive’,” he proceeded to explain, “It’s not easy being a sorcerer when you have the kind of public profile I had... the ‘dead’ at least have a quiet anonymity, we get to go about our lives without any notice.”
“I don’t know about that,” Monterrey commented, “Elvis seems to attract quite a bit of attention wherever he goes.”
“But that’s because he really isn’t dead,” Conrad replied with a laugh.
“You said you could help us with the diamond,” Chip stated, trying to get things back on topic.
“Right. I can take it back into my care and provide a duplicate to return to the museum,” the sorcerer explained, “I only donated the diamond in my will because I hoped that the legends of it’s power had finally died out and that it was now nothing more than a pretty stone. I guess it’ll be awhile before I can be rid of this albatross.”
“What albatross?” Romulus asked looking around, “I don’t see any.”
“He’s referring to the poem ‘Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner’,” Chip corrected the carnivore, “The albatross symbolizes a great burden someone has to bear.”
“Oh,” Romulus replied, “I was thinking if there was a dead bird around I could have it for breakfast or something.”
“If I may,” Conrad stated as he took the diamond from Raven. Reaching into his cloak, he removed a perfect duplicate. “I’ll see that this finds it’s way to the proper authorities,” he said, then pointing towards Winifred, “I’ll do the same for her.”
“But I’m the one that stole it in the first place,” Raven admitted.
“And you’ve learned from your mistake,” Conrad replied, “Correct?” Raven nodded. “And I’ve learned form mine,” the sorcerer continued, “I thought I could shirk my responsibilities. But thanks to all of you that mistake wasn’t nearly as disastrous as it could’ve been. One of these days I’d like to repay you.”
After a moment of thought, Conrad addressed Raven, “It’s unusual for someone of your age to become so adept at magic without a mentor to guide them, and it’s been some time since I’ve had an apprentice... Would you be interested?”
“Sorry,” Raven answered, “Like I’ve told the others, I have some new priorities in my life. Maybe when I’m older, though.”
The sorcerer chuckled pleasantly, “I wish I’d said that when I was your age, maybe I could’ve had a real childhood.”
Romulus was struck with a sudden desire to make a dramatic statement. As he cleared his throat, all those present gave him their attention. “Friends, rodents, chiropterans,” the wolf began, “Lend me your ears!” No sooner had Romulus made the statement then Hanker pulled a couple ears of corn from his fur and offered them to his brother. After his initial surprise had passed Romulus stated, “Ya’ know, Honker, if you keep this up people are going to start mistaking you for a cartoon character.” As Honker stuffed the corn back into his fur, Romulus prepared to continue his speech. “Great! Now I can’t even remember what I was going to say,” the wolf grumbled.
With an exchange of farewells, the Rangers and their comrades parted company with the sorcerer and returned home. It wasn’t long after boarding the Ranger Wing that Raven was once more sound asleep. And even after returning to Ranger headquarters, Raven found the couch and promptly went back to sleep. Given all she had done that night, everyone let her repose in peace.
On a table, Gadget spotted some things that hadn’t been there when they left the evening before. Quietly, she called the others over. Folded neatly on one end of the table was a cloak similar to that worn by the sorcerer Conrad, on top was a note addressed to Raven.
Dee picked up the note and read it aloud for the others. “Miss Southmont,” the note started, “In appreciation for helping correct the damage caused by my mistake I’ve left you a gift. This cloak will give you immunity to the weapons others might use to hurt you so that you’ll still be around when you’re older and might reconsider my offer. Besides, it’s more flattering than that trench coat,” Dee laughed as she finished the sentence, “that thing makes you look silly. -Conrad. PS- I guess I don’t have to tell you not to misuse my gift. -C.”
Chip picked up the note addressed to ‘The Rescue Rangers’. Opening it, he read the note aloud, “To the Rangers,” it began, “Considering what you’ve gone through, I’m not sure there is anyone that would disagree that you’ve all earned a vacation... so enjoy yourselves, I’ll mind the store while you’re gone. I imagine that obese feline will be taking a vacation as well... it’s not everyday someone gets turned into a pig, a giraffe, a lamppost, and a statue of Buddha. -Conrad.”
“Maybe you could all come visit me and the wolves again,” Dee suggested, “I was thinking of asking Raven if she’d like to come back with me for awhile... get to meet the rest of her family.”
“Golly, that sounds like a great idea!” Gadget responded, “And that’ll give me a chance to meet the rest of my family... of course that’s the same as Raven’s family since we’re family...”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Chip agreed, “It’ll give me a chance to let Bob know he’s going to have a brother-in-law.”
Dee turned to Fangs, “I think you should come with us too, you won’t have to feed off hobos and the homeless while you’re there.”
“Where?” Fangs asked.
“My home,” Dee answered, “I live in an abandoned sawmill in the middle of the woods... there’s a dairy farm nearby, plenty of cows, not to mention all the deer.”
“I guess it would be nice to get out of the city for awhile,” Fangs thought aloud.
“Then it’s agreed,” Monterrey declared, “We can start packing-” he was cut off in mid sentence as he yawned, “right after we all get a nice long nap.” As in most cases, the yawn was contagious, and everyone but Dee joined in.
“I’m not tired,” Dee pointed out lightly.
“That’s because you’ve been asleep for the past three weeks!” Chip replied.
“Then how ‘bout this,” Dee offered, “I’ll cradle you in my arms and sing you to sleep.”
“How can I refuse?” Chip responded.
Everyone began to depart for their various rooms to catch up on some much needed sleep. As Chip led Dee towards the room he shared with Dale, Dee pulled away. She quickly hopped over to the couch. Leaning over her daughter, she gave her a kiss on her cheek. “Gönoöhgwa',” she whispered.
Finally joining Chip in his room, Dale having agreed to take one of the spare beds elsewhere, Dee reclined on the bed. Chip removed his hat and laid down in the arms of his love. When he had made himself comfortable, Dee began to sing softly:
“The moon-cradle’s rocking and rocking
Where a cloud and a cloud go by
Silently rocking and rocking
The moon-cradle out in the sky.
Then comes the lad with the hazel
And the folding star’s in the rack
‘Night’s a good herd’ to the cattle,
He sings, ‘she brings all things back’
But the bond woman down by the boorie
Sings with a heart grown wild
How a hundred rivers are flowing
Between herself and her child
‘The geese, even they trudge homeward
That have their wings and the waste,
Let your thoughts be on Night the Herder.
And be quiet for a space.’
The moon-cradle’s rocking and rocking.
Where a cloud and a cloud go by,
Silently rocking and rocking
The moon cradle in the sky,
The snipe they are crying and crying
Liadine, liadine, liadine.
Where no track’s on the bog they are flying-
A lonely dream will be mine!
Where no track’s on the bog they are flying-
A lonely dream will be mine!”
As her husband-to-be lay asleep in her arms, Dee reflected on the past month, or at least what she could remember of it. She remembered telling Raven, in the recording she made for her, that she never should have told Chip about her past, never should have come here. “I’d do it all again,” Dee whispered.
“So would I,” Chip whispered back.
“I thought you were asleep,” Dee poked him.
“I was, but now I’m not,” Chip replied, “I’ll probably be asleep again soon, though.”
“Gönoöhgwa',” Dee whispered.
“I love you, too,” Chip whispered back.
The End
