Chapter 1: The New Rangers

Things had changed again.

First, the changes involved only Gadget. Four weeks ago, the Rescue Rangers had been to her the family that she didn't have. But then Geegaw, her father, came back after 20 years of having most of the world believe that he was dead. The Rangers helped him liberate his wife Stephanie and another 70 mice from the National Institute for Mental Health. And as soon as they were back home, Gadget learned from her parents that she had a twin who happened to be someone the Rangers already knew from an earlier case. So within less than a week, Gadget got a whole family.

But the changes were not over yet. They went on for the Rangers as a whole. For many years now, they were ruled by the policy never to change a running system. There had always been a few technical improvements, but all in all, the Rangers had stayed the same. It had been Chip's decision to leave them as they were since they proved reliable and efficient the way they were. And now, it had been his decision, too, to drop it and make the team even more efficient. In a certain way, the recent events had affected him as well. That was why he held a meeting on this November morning. However, the reason why he held it before both breakfast and sunrise was exclusively known to him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Chip spoke out loud while eight other animals stood and listened, "we have all gathered here at the Rescue Rangers Headquarters in these still early hours of the day, because I've got something to announce. I have made a decision. Let me start this way: From today on, the Rescue Rangers will no more be a team of five."

Dale gulped heavily. Did his best friend really dare throw him out of the team? After all they had been through? Even after bringing Chip together with his sister that night? And what did that have to do with the additional rooms which had been created at the Headquarters? And, above all, why should that be a reason to get Foxglove, Tammy, Sparky, and LaWahini here before breakfast? His fear and confusion slowly grew stronger than his hunger.

"You may wonder now what these words of mine mean. And you, the guests, may wonder just as well about the recent construction works and the masses of wood chips we got out of the tree. Actually, I had planned this as a kind of surprise for everyone, and yes, including the whole team. Well, first of all, the two new large rooms are for new facilities. One is a laboratory for both research and investigational works. And the other one shall be an infirmary. The Rescue Rangers have often not been able to finish a case without a certain amount of bruises, so I found it necessary." Once again, he remembered the night in Bethesda when they freed Gadget's mother. It was a wonder that no-one got injured on that case. In fact, it was only due to the excellent teamwork that the Rangers were still five when they were back in New York City.

Sparky's eyes widened upon the word "laboratory", and so did Tammy's eyes upon the word "infirmary".

Chip continued his speech, "Of the smaller rooms, some are for guests, in case they have to spend the night or a longer timespan here. I can read the question from your faces now what the other rooms are for. To give you a little hint, Gadget has not installed a separate girl's bathroom without a reason."

"Golly, that's a girl's bathroom? But I am the only girl here! Well, of course except Tammy and Foxglove and my sister." It seemed like Gadget was the first to have a clue. Even she didn't realize in the first place why she had built what she had built. "Wait, do you mean—"

"I said we have a number of extra rooms. I said we have an additional bathroom. And I said that the number of Rescue Rangers will change today." Chip lifted up his voice saying, "And this can only mean that the number will increase. Yes, the reason for this early gathering is because I'd like to introduce my old team to their new mates."

He walked up to the little red bat. "Foxglove. You have a good heart. You've overcome evil before it got you in its claws—or its vacuum cleaner, to be more specific. You've helped us not only against our only magic opponent so far, but also on many other cases, using your ability to fly without any technical devices. And you've made my best friend happy," he added with a smile. "From now on, you may call yourself a Rescue Ranger. Welcome to the team!" he said, shaking her wing.

A few steps to the side, and he stood in front of the red-haired squirrel, his former teen-age admirer. "Tammy. You, too, have proved useful on some cases so far..."

Dale whispered to Monterey Jack, "Not without a reason, I bet." This didn't stay unnoticed by Chip.

"I've heard, you, Dale. And I must admit that you're right. But, Tammy, you told me yourself that that was long ago, and you're over it, now that you're grown up. I know you've worked hard over the past few years to fulfill a little dream of yours, namely to become a nurse. Well, I hereby offer you your first job as a nurse and a chance to gather some practical experiences... at the Rescue Rangers Headquarters." Hearing this, Tammy's beautiful face shone brighter than the rising morning sun. And like Foxglove before, she couldn't find a word to say when Chip shook her hand as a welcome, so he proceeded to the rat in the laboratory coat.

"Sparky. You and Buzz spent some fine years at the MIT, so I can understand how hard it was for you to hear that they decided to keep Buzz as a mascot, but had no further use for you. Like Foxy and Tammy, you proved useful on the cases into which we dragged you whenever you came to visit us, not to mention the case on which we met for the first time. The least I can do for you now is to offer you your own laboratory." This had actually been a hard decision for Chip, considering that Gadget who was going to join Sparky at the lab may still have some feelings for him.

"My own laboratory? Aw Chip, that's so great! Is it far away from here?" the lab rat wondered.

"It's here at the Rescue Rangers Headquarters, Sparky. And by the way, you're now a Rescue Ranger, too."

"Oh, I didn't know that there's a lab in here!"

Chip had enough experience with Sparky by now to stay calm and kind whenever this little quirk of his occurred. "I've already told you, Sparky. And before I forget it: Buzz has mailed me and promised to supply us with whatever we may need from the MIT's labs. Now welcome aboard, Sparky!" They shook hands without Chip getting an electrical shock.

Gadget grinned to Monty, whispering, "I told you it was a good idea to place that rubber mat where Chip would be standing to introduce Sparky. I was sure that he'd forget both the gloves and grounding himself."

What came now was the hardest part. Chip stood up in front of the only mouse in the row of four. The Rangers had been on the Hawaiian Islands only once so far, but they had almost paid that one time with their lives, all because of her. They had all sworn that they wanted to never meet Lawhiney again. Not even for finding out why she looked almost exactly like Gadget. Now things had changed. She had been brought back by her family to the land where she was born, she had decided to drop the name the villagers had given her and to take back the name her mother had chosen for her, LaWahini. The Rangers knew why she looked like Gadget, they knew what made her do all that to them, and they knew that she was eager to leave that past behind like she left her old home behind.

But Chip hadn't been there when she met her mother, her father and her sister. So he wasn't all that sure of LaWahini's change of mind, and whether he can trust the mouse who wanted to fry him and his friends in an artificial volcano. It had actually been the decision of all the Hackwrench family to let her participate in the Rangers' casework and look at crime from the other side.

"LaWahini," he started, "I know little about you so far. Most of what I know is from a time when you were a villain. One of our opponents. Yes, you've nearly sealed the fate of the Rescue Rangers back then." The formerly Hawaiian mouse was about to frown and see if she would be given another chance to apologize, but Chip's smirk cheered her up a bit. "But from what your family has told me about you, it was just, well, a phase. Besides, if you really wanted to take revenge on us, you'd have had more than enough chances to do so. So to give you a chance to do good and to start a new life, I hereby offer you a Rescue Rangers membership." With these words, he stretched out his hand to her.

"Chip, you're not doing this 'cause I've kissed you that day, are you?"

"Of course not! Remember that you've played Gadget. I thought it was her kissing me. No, I'm sure someone with your IQ will be useful for the Rangers."

"I still can't see the point. I mean, it's nice that you're willing to have me in your team despite all I've done to you. But I wasn't able to gather as much knowledge and experience as you. I haven't seen much more in my life than Hawaii, that boring village with its stupid inhabitants, and the complete lack of a landscape on that volcano."

"You've defeated the Rangers when you were not much more than half as old as now. Does that make you worthy or not?"

LaWahini took a moment to think, then she shook Chip's hand. "Okay, I'm in."

"Then welcome aboard, LaWahini! Oh, and it's great that you remember my name now."

"Well, I guess I have to remember the leader's name now, right, Chop?" She watched Chip's face form an expression of confusion for a moment. "Hey, I was kidding!"

With the smile returning to his face, Chip continued, "Alright, let's go on with the next point on the agenda."

"There's another point?" Dale wondered.

"Yup. Breakfast."

"That's one bonzer point, Chipper," Monty remarked. "Me tummy's been so loud fer the last minutes that I 'aven't understood 'alf o' what y've said. Mind if I take this over, mate?"

"Of course not, Monty. Show our new members what you can. I believe a very special day in the history of the Rescue Rangers deserves a very special breakfast."

The rotund Aussie mouse went ahead as everyone headed for the dining-room which was still in its old place next to the kitchen. The last to leave the main room were Gadget and Chip. As he watched her walk in front of him, the events of the previous month came back to his mind once more—two certain events, two rather similar events. He thought about how much easier everything would have been if they had actually kissed. But they had only almost kissed. Twice. For him, it wasn't enough to serve as a proof of their mutual love. These almost-kisses were mere hints, and sometimes even a detective like him had to rely on hard facts.

At the table, Chip and Gadget sat down opposite each other. With four new Rangers and the larger table, the seating plan had changed, but still the both of them decided to take seats from where they could still see each other's face. They didn't mind having to think of that certain case; however, they weren't sure if they even desired to be reminded. What they both knew, though, while they more and more began to stare at each other, was that there was something else that had to change. And they wanted it to change quite soon.