Whassup, my fellow GMD fans? I had this idea for another fanfic, and I'm going to try to post as much of it as possible before I leave for winter break on Friday (won't be back until January 13th)!

As always, I don't own The Great Mouse Detective or its characters, only my OC's.

LONDON 1899

"ACHOO!"

It was a dreary January day. At 221 1/2 B Baker Street, the home of famed consulting detective Basil Benson, aka Basil of Baker Street, the famed detective was lying in his bed, sniffling and sneezing. He had come down with a minor flu a few days ago and the virus now had him bedridden.

Dr. David Q. Dawson, Basil's sleuthing partner and best friend, was taking his friend's temperature at the time of the most recent sneeze. He flinched to get out of the detective's path, then sighed as he realized a small bit of mucus had hit his shirt sleeve. "Gesundheit."

Basil sniffed and grinned weakly at the doctor. "Thank you, Dawson. Sorry about your sleeve."

"No, no, it's fine, it'll clean off," Dawson replied, wiping the spot with his handkerchief. I just wish that you'd learn to cover your mouth, he added silently.

There was a knock at the door. Danielle Ratigan-Benson, Basil's wife, came into the bedroom. "How is he doing, Doctor?"

"Not splendid," Dawson replied. "His fever has gone down slightly, so that's a good sign, but he's still very ill."

"Ill? I think I may be DYING!" Basil moaned. "My nose is stuffy, I'm burning up, and every single part of my body hurts."

Danielle smiled and shook her head at her husband's melodramatic behavior. "It's just the flu, Basil. You'll feel better in a few days."

"Yes, because I'll be DEAD," Basil replied. His wife chuckled and sat next to him. "You really are a baby when it comes to being sick, aren't you?"

Just then, Mrs. Deirdre Judson, the mice's landlady and housekeeper, came into the room. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but there's someone at the door, and she's asking to see Mr. Basil. What should I tell her?"

Basil frowned. "Tell her that I'll be right out." He sat up, then grimaced and clutched his stomach as it gurgled painfully from the flu. He lay right back down. "Or not."

"Don't worry, Basil, I'll talk to her," Dawson told his friend. The portly doctor got up from his seat and walked out to the main room, where a young woman of about twenty-five was waiting. She had auburn fur, red hair and bright green eyes and wore a dark green dress and coat and a white straw hat. She was sniffling into a plain white handkerchief. "Good evening, miss. I'm Dr. Dawson, Basil's partner. Basil is unwell, so..."

The woman blinked her eyes at the doctor. "I'm so sorry to bother you, Doctor. Perhaps I should come back when Mr. Basil is feeling better." She started off, but Dawson went up to her and gently held onto her hand.

"No, no, please stay, I shall talk to you," he reassured her. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance to you. Now tell me what is troubling you."

The woman sniffed. "My name is Vanessa. Vanessa Kingsleigh. I'm here about my husband, Harold Kingsleigh. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

"Yes, I believe I have...he's the co-manager of the Kingsleigh and Brennan Law Firm, correct?"

Vanessa smiled and nodded. "Yes, he is. Well, a few nights ago, Harold went out with his partner, Alfred Brennan, for a few beers...he hasn't been back home since! I tried talking to Mr. Brennan, but he won't see me. He claims he has no idea what's happened to my poor Harold. Usually he's so honest about things, but I don't know whether to believe him or not. Oh, I don't know what to do!" The young mouse woman sobbed into her handkerchief.

"Oh, you poor dear," Danielle responded, going up to the crying woman. "I can't imagine what you're going through. You must be so frightened!"

"Mrs. Kingsleigh, this is Danielle Benson, Basil's wife," Dawson introduced the two young women.

Vanessa sniffed. "Pleased to meet you, dear." She leaned into Danielle's chest and sobbed into her blouse. Rather than push the hysterical woman away, the ever-kind Danielle wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, my poor Harold! Where could he be?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Kingsleigh, we'll find him," Dawson reassured her. "Now, why don't you go home, maybe make yourself some soothing tea, and we'll contact you once we have more information?"

"That sounds lovely," Vanessa replied, straightening herself out. "Thank you, Doctor." With that, she left through the front door.

"...and now she has no idea where her husband has gone," Dawson was telling the story to Basil. "The poor thing is so distraught. The business partner claims he doesn't know his whereabouts, even though he was with him the night he disappeared."

Basil nodded. "That sounds suspicious. I think we should start by questioning him."

"WE? You're not serious, are you, Basil?"

"Of course I am, Dawson. You're going to need my help with this case. As intelligent as you are, old fellow, you're not the most observant of mice...no offense."

"None taken," Dawson lied, feeling more than a bit offended by his friend's comment. "But you're still very ill."

"Oh, come now, Dawson, I've never let being sick stop me from performing my duties as a detective, and I shan't begin today," Basil replied. He tried to sit up again, but immediately his stomach let out another loud grumble of pain. The detective lay back down and placed a hand on his belly. "Then again, perhaps I shall."

Danielle frowned as she thought of something. "Then I'LL take your place."

"WHAT?" both men reacted in unison.

"I'll help Dr. Dawson with the case," Danielle offered. "Like you said yourself, darling, he's not the most observant mouse in London...no offense, Doctor."

"Again, none taken," Dawson fibbed, although he was slightly less offended by Danielle than he had been by Basil.

"But Danielle, my dear, you don't know the first thing about being a detective," Basil reminded her.

"No, but I DID spend my childhood around criminals and thugs," Danielle reminded him. "I know all the tricks those gentlemen perform, and I can detect whenever they're lying. If Mr. Brennan is telling the truth about not knowing where Mr. Kingsleigh is, then I'll be able to tell. Besides, I want to help Mrs. Kingsleigh if at all possible. I know I'd want all the help I could get if you were the one missing."

Basil smiled. He knew his wife had excellent intentions, and that she was highly intelligent and capable of doing whatever she set her mind to...but more importantly, he knew that once she had her mind set on doing something, there was no way in hell anyone was going to talk her out of it. "Very well, Danielle, you can help Dr. Dawson with the case if you really want to. Just know that if you need any help whatsoever, you can always ask me."

Danielle smiled and kissed her husband's cheek. "I know, darling. But right now, you can help me by getting better as soon as possible, all right?"

"All right."

The young woman then ran out of the bedroom, followed by Dawson. She picked up her husband's Inverness cape and deerstalker hat and playfull tried them on. "How do I look?"

Dawson chuckled at his young friend's enthusiasm. "VERY detective-like."

"Good. Well, then, Doctor, let's away! The game is afoot!"

Ooh, so Danielle is following in her husband's footsteps! Well, you know what they say; if you want to catch a criminal, send a criminal...or in this case, the daughter of the World's Greatest Criminal Mind, heeheehee!

I just realized that this is probably the first time since "The Great Mouse Detective 2: Unexpected Love" that Dr. Dawson is getting a major role in one of my fanfics...poor guy, I keep looking over him! Then again, most of my fanfics HAVE been Ratigan-centric, seeing as he's my absolute favorite character from the movie, but I thought I'd break away from my usual pre-movie cutesy family fics with him and his girls (his "girls" being Danielle and her mom, just in case you didn't know, which you probably did...oh God, I'm rambling, somebody stop me!) Bottom line, I love Dawson and wanted him to get a bigger role in one of my fics.

Next chapter, Danielle and Dawson question Mr. Alfred Brennan. Does he really have no idea where his partner is? Or is he hiding something? If you wants to know, you gots to tune in!

All my best, DiscordantPrincess.