Dedicated to Dr. Phoenix (formerly known as Shelly Lane), who reviewed my fic, Christmas at Baker Street.
London has been saved and thanks to Basil of Baker Street, the greatest detective who had stopped Ratigan. Basil may not have been physically strong enough to bring Ratigan down, yet he'd been clever enough to seize the no-good professor's bell.
As of now, Basil was pedaling up to his friends. Dawson reached down to meet Basil's hands. "Dawson, I can make it up there," Basil argued.
"No, you can't," Dawson insisted, "You're sore. Grab onto my hands, doctor's orders."
Basil's partner was right. This was an order, not a suggestion! It would be foolish to argue with a doctor at a time like this. Against his better judgement, Basil accepted the help.
Dawson, Flaversham, and Olivia pulled the detective up in order for him to reach the landing of their built aircraft.
"Basil, are you alright?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, he will be as soon as I get him patched up," Dawson replied.
Olivia sniffed. "Basil could've died because of me."
"Now, now," Dawson said, trying to comfort the distraught girl. "You mustn't blame yourself like that. Besides, you were lucky your father has caught you, so you don't end up with Basil and his archenemy."
"You haven't done anything wrong at the time," Basil assured her.
It was true. Olivia hadn't done anything wrong. Yes, she, as well as Dawson had been forgetful when they were in the toy store, but everyone was distracted all the while. Thankfully, it wasn't hopeless because when they had each other, what could go wrong?
"He's right, Olivia, and besides, you've been a brave and faithful girl, who had kept her faith strong and you should be proud," Olivia's father said.
"Thanks, Daddy," Olivia said, wiping away a tear of joy and relief. It had been an overwhelming night for everybody, but with that diabolic creature out of the shadows, everyone in London could finally have a chance to rejoice. Olivia changed the subject, "Is Ratigan gone?"
Basil looked down. "Should be." He looked down harder to see if the nefarious professor had disappeared. Shifting his gaze back to the Flavershams and Dawson, he said, "My calculations are correct."
"What does he mean?" the girl asked curiously.
"That means Ratigan's gone," Dawson replied.
"Indeed," Basil announced proudly. "Want to come over to my house for some cheese crumpets?"
"Yay! Hooray!" the Flavershams and Dawson cheered.
…
The Flavershams were in the living room with Mrs. Judson, who served them tea and cheese crumpets. The Flavershams were in there because Mrs. Judson didn't want them to hear Basil scream from his room behind the closed door.
"Ow!" he yelped in pain as Dawson stitched Basil's back after putting peroxide on it. "Dawson, it doesn't look that bad!"
"I'm afraid it does," Dawson said to the stubborn detective, "But you got lucky."
"I suppose so," Basil sighed.
"You'll get better soon. I assure you. You'll feel better enough to solve mysteries in no time at all."
"Daddy, I feel bad for Basil," Olivia said.
"I do, too, Olivia," said Mr. Flaversham. "But he will be better soon."
"How soon?"
"A few days."
Mrs. Judson came back in the living room. "How are the cheese crumpets tasting?" she asked.
"Scrumptious," Mr. Flaversham replied.
"I had them before and they were delicious, Daddy," Olivia told her father.
"Well, you've been here long enough to know you like them." Hiram Flaversham winked at his daughter.
"Yep."
"Dawson had some, too," Mrs. Judson said. "And he liked them very much."
Dawson emerged from the room. "All stitched and bandaged up, but he's alright."
Mrs. Judson, Olivia, and her father sighed in relief. Basil waved at them with a sheepish smile on his face.
…
Days later, Basil started to get better than he had the week before. "Well, everyone," Dawson announced. "My work here is done."
Olivia gasped happily. "Mr. Basil! You're alright!" She jumped into his arms.
"Careful, now, Olivia!" Basil warned with a laugh, seeing how excited a child like Olivia was to see him.
"Sorry, Basil," Olivia apologized. "I'm just glad you're alright."
"Yes, I'm alright, Miss Flipflop."
Olivia and her father giggled. "It's Flaversham!"
"Whatever," Basil said jokingly.
Dawson chuckled with them, as well. "She's used to it."
…
The Flavershams moved in safely in London safe from criminals. Suddenly, they heard a phone call. Hiram Flaversham went over to pick it up. "Hello?" he said, "Who is it?"
"It's Basil of Baker Street, my good fellow," Basil replied.
"Olivia, this is for you," Hiram said, handing the phone over to his daughter.
"Hello, Basil," she said.
"Did you move out safely?" Basil asked.
"Yes, we did, Mr. Basil," Olivia replied.
"Guess what Dawson and I did tonight?" Basil said, changing the subject.
"What is it?" Olivia asked, hopping in eagerness at his sudden change in subject.
"We solved the case of the missing emerald ring of the young lady from the Hampstead District."
"Was she pretty? Was she nice?"
"Nice, indeed, Miss Flamstead." Olivia gigged at his fuss-up. Their conversation broke into an abrupt halt when Basil heard a door knock. "Who could be disturbing me from my conversation?" Basil wondered out loud in annoyance.
With great courtesy, Dr. Dawson answered the door for him. It was a sad looking bat, the one who had a peg leg. The same one who kidnapped the Flavershams. The same one Ratigan overthrown. It was Fidget!
"I'll be back," Basil told Olivia as he set the phone down on the table. "Fidget, what the devil are you doing here?"
"Have you gone mad?" seconded Dawson.
"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't take you to jail!" Basil shouted.
"I…I…I am here to apologize for what I did to you and the mice family," Fidget answered weakly. After all, he just came out of the Thames, alive. He made it out okay, but what the mice detectives said put him on the spot. He'd felt remorseful for what he'd done.
Basil and Dawson grabbed a towel and had the bat sit on the carpet to keep him warm next to the fireplace. "That rat wanted me to do it and if I didn't do what he said, he would've…" Fidget said, drying himself off, though the fire was doing most of its work.
"Punished you? Hurt you?" Basil interrupted.
"Yes," Fidget said with a nod.
Basil returned back to the phone with Olivia. "Olivia, Dawson and I have a little visitor."
"Who is it, Basil?" Olivia asked gleefully.
"It's the bat who kidnapped you and your father," said Basil, disheartened.
"Oh, no!" Mr. Flaversham and Olivia gasped.
"Fidget, this is for you," Basil said, handing Fidget the phone.
"Hello," Fidget spoke out.
"How do you expect us to trust you after what you did to us and the famous detectives?" Olivia retorted.
"Yes, I should've clobbered you when I had the chance!" Mr. Flaversham shouted at the bat with clenched teeth and fists.
"I would've deserved it," Fidget replied in that same gloomy tone.
"Olivia will need someone dependable and trustworthy to help her solve mysteries," her father said sternly to the bat.
"Yes, I do," Olivia said, giving her father credit for his comeback.
Basil patted Fidget on the back. Fidget never felt it before. "Would you like some tea to warm you up?"
"Yeah, thanks," Fidget replied with a smile.
Mrs. Judson was cleaning up the living room until she saw a bat sitting next to the fireplace. She gasped at the sight of him. "Oh, my! You must be chilled to the bone, you poor thing!"
"Mrs. Judson, why don't you give him some tea?" Basil suggested.
"And my fresh cheese crumpets to go with it!" Mrs. Judson said as she happily rushed to the kitchen with tea and cheese crumpets.
"I'm hungry, too," Fidget said.
"And that's when Mrs. Judson comes in," Basil said gently as he put one finger beneath his chin, "She makes some goodies."
"Here you go, dear," Mrs. Judson said to Fidget as she set the pot of tea and tray of cheese crumpets on the table.
The tea and crumpets smelled delicious. "Thank you," Fidget said quietly and he started to drink his cup of tea and pluck out a cheese crumpet, enjoying it. "Mmm. You outdid yourself."
Mrs. Judson winked at him.
The tea warmed him and he went to have a second helping of a cheese crumpet. He'd been very hungry.
Olivia and her father stood perplexed, wondering who will call back.
"Fidget," Basil said as soon as Fidget was full, "Would you like to be Olivia's partner?"
"Who's Olivia?" Fidget cocked an eyebrow.
"The girl whose father you kidnapped along with herself," replied Basil.
"Oh, her," Fidget recollected, "Oh, I'll have to think about it."
Basil picked up his phone. "Hello," Basil said, "I'm back."
"Well, who will be my partner?" Olivia inquired.
"Well, the bat, Fidget is thinking about it," Basil answered.
"I hope he's thinking through about it," she said.
"Oh, I'm sure he is. He was forced to do things for Ratigan before."
"He was?" Olivia gasped.
"This cannot be!" Flaversham said, covering his mouth in surprise.
"Oh, it can," Basil corrected.
"I sure hope he doesn't cause any more trouble," Olivia warned.
"Me, too," Flaversham agreed.
"I doubt he will. If he does, you can talk to me. He's harmless now."
"Harmless, indeed," Dawson agreed.
Olivia and her father nodded simply in acceptance.
After a while, Fidget decided to have the phone and Basil allowed it. "Hello," Fidget said, "Listen. Before I make my decision, I owe you an apology."
"So is it true that Ratigan made you do bad things?" Olivia asked curiously.
"Yes, girly and I'm really sorry about it."
"You can solve mysteries with me on one condition: Do NOT kidnap me, understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. You sound sensible now," Mr. Flaversham told the bat¸ "You finally realize how evil Ratigan is."
"If anything happens, I'll see what I can do for you," Olivia told Fidget.
"And I'd be glad to return the favor," Fidget said with a smirk.
"You sound as if you made it out of the water okay," Olivia mused.
"That I did," said Fidget, touched by the girl's words, "Thanks for noticing."
"I hope you feel better soon, Fidget," Olivia said with concern.
"I'll see you when I get better," Fidget promised.
"Sounds like a decision has been made," Basil cut in.
"Bye," the Flavershams and Fidget said simultaneously before they hung up.
"Here, Fidget. Here's a pillow." Basil put a pillow underneath Fidget's head and bundled Fidget up with blankets before the little bat dozed off into a peaceful slumber.
Dawson tapped Basil on the shoulder. "Basil, do you think we should bring him to bed in case he has nightmares out in the living room?"
"Yes, I think so. I fear he may not get much sleep out here." Basil cradled a sleeping Fidget in his arms, comforting him as Dawson followed. On their way upstairs, they heard breathy and quiet snores from the snoozing bat. Fidget nuzzled his head against the mouse detective's chest with gratitude until they reached upstairs, which made Basil smirk. Basil unwrapped the blankets and tucked him into bed. "Goodnight, Fidget," the mouse detective whispered.
"Sleep tight," Dr. Dawson whispered.
The excitement wore them off completely.
After days of recovery, Basil and Dawson took Fidget to the Flavershams' new home and both Fidget and Olivia were ready to begin their mystery solving.
The End
