This should sound familiar to you, or at least somewhat familiar. Its my rewrite of Darkest Days, a little "project" I've been working on for a while. Please don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

All credit goes to the original authors/producers. No monetary gain is involved!


The havoc Jenner had caused made quite a mess for the rats to clean up. Bits and shards of rope and wood lay scattered everywhere, and made clearing the area a task in and of itself. The rain didn't help them at all. Soon after they'd watched Mrs. Brisby use the Stone, watched her finish a job they couldn't, the slight drizzle had turned into a downpour. They knew working in such conditions was dangerous, but, no matter how much they wanted to quit, they knew the equipment had to be taken care of. Half of them stayed at the demolished worksite, the rest going to the halls of the rosebush, to eliminate any sign they had lived there.

Mrs. Brisby had fallen unconscious, exhausted from her deed. Justin wasted no time taking her to Ash, the colony's doctor. He and Ages looked her over, saying at last she was perfectly fine, aside from one thing. Her hands had been badly burned by the Stone's power, her skin blistered and peeling. They were surprised to find nothing else, considering the beating she'd received from Jenner. There's not even a bruise, Justin remarked silently. He recalled the vicious backhand she'd gotten, being slammed against the side of her house.

A few minutes later he was back at the cinderblock, the mother mouse clasped tightly in his arms. The children were waiting outside the front door, their "Aunt" standing beside them. The old shrew looked angrily away as he came, kneeling so Martin and Ages could carry Mrs. Brisby inside. The oldest daughter, Teresa, if he remembered correctly, stood staring at him, batting her long eyelashes, blushing and shyly giggling. Cynthia stood behind her, holding tightly to her sister's skirt.

"She'll sleep comfortably now," Ages said, coming back with Martin. Seconds later he vanished again, going to check on bed-confined Timothy. Martin stared at the rat before him, features wide with wonder.

"You're a rat…" he said quietly. Auntie Shrew huffed in anger.

"Harry barbarians," she muttered before storming off. Justin chuckled.

"Yes, I am," he said to the boy. Martin looked to the others.

"You're smaller than they are," he said, making the rat shrug.

"It's always been that way," he said lightly. He held out a scarred hand. "My name's Justin," he spoke, recalling they hadn't been introduced.

Martin nodded mutely, ignoring the paw. "I-I'm Martin," he said, and pointed to the girls. "Those are my sisters, Teresa and Cynthia."

"Timmy inside," Cynthia said quickly, then ducked back behind her sister. Seconds later Martin began asking questions, wanting to know how he'd learned to sword fight, or if he'd ever drugged the cat. Justin told him how it'd been his job to drug Dragon until two years earlier, when he'd grown too large to fit through the hole beneath the cabinet. The other inquiry took longer to answer, but eventually the lad seemed satisfied, if still a bit bewildered. They talked a while longer, then Justin said it was time for him to go.

"I've rested long enough," he told them. Cynthia darted out before he could move, kissing his cheek.

"Thanks for saving my mommy," she said quietly, then ran back to her sister. The guard laughed, asking if they'd tell Ages to send for him when their mother woke up. They promised they would, and he finally answered the call coming from the distance.

(****)

He was still outside a few hours later, going through the debris with three rats in tow: Orion, his top lieutenant, Brutus, and Arthur, head of the construction guild. The site was almost clean, but there was one detail everyone had ignored, grey sheets protecting Nicodemus, Sullivan, and Jenner from the rain. Justin had given strict orders that he'd recover the bodies, and had chosen three of his most trusted friends to assist him. The rain had started falling again, knocking around loose pieces of wood, partially blocking their paths to the corpses.

When it rains, it pours, he thought, shoving aside a soaked timber. He looked up, and the lantern in his hand dropped to the ground. "S-Sullivan?"

The brown rat was sitting against the large stone, sheet clasped in his hand, face locked in a dazed stare. "Justin?" he asked, voice a hoarse whisper. "Is that…why are you…am I…dead?"

Justin stood speechless, shaking his head, trying to come to his senses. "No, you're not," he answered, still in that disembodied voice. "But I swore you were," he stopped, still thinking a ghost stood before him. "Jenner, he…he killed you-he cut you wide open…you should be dead."

Sullivan's hand went to his stomach, as though to make sure his legs were still attached. He didn't feel anything, not even pain. Still, he somehow knew Justin spoke the truth. "I think," he said finally. "I think I was."

The rain was taking another short break. The four of them came closer, Brutus standing and watching silently as the others knelt before Sullivan. Justin and Orion were directly in front of him, with Arthur off to one side. Justin shoved Sullivan's torn shirt aside. There was no blood, not even a hint of a scar.

"Nothing," Arthur said quietly.

"What happened?" asked Sullivan.

Justin stared at him long before answering, searching for any kind of explanation. "The rain caused a cave-in," he said at last, still thinking a ghost was before him. "The house was sinking straight down; we did everything we could to save it, but nothing worked. Finally it went completely under. I thought for sure the children were dead, but then Mrs. Brisby used the Stone, and…" he trailed off.

"What, that mouse woman?" Sullivan said, staring at them all. "What do you mean?"

"The Stone," Justin repeated firmly. "It was the Stone; it had to be!"

"What?" questioned Orion.

"What are you talking about?" said Arthur.

"There was no way the children could've survived that," Justin told them. "The house was submerged for more than a minute, but she used the Stone and it must have…" he trailed off again, but in bewilderment instead of confusion. The gem had more power than they'd ever realized.

"Right," mused Arthur. "It makes sense…"

"It's the same with your cut," Justin told Sullivan. "I saw Jenner's blade tear your stomach open and…shit!" he leapt to his feet, looking around wildly. "Shit!"

"Jenner!" cried Orion.

They took off running to the other side of the boulder, Sullivan getting up slowly to follow them. When he finally made it over the piles of debris, he saw them standing around a field of mud, a tattered grey sheet tossed to one side. He noticed the looks of distress on their faces, knowing it wasn't what was there that worried them, it was what wasn't there: Jenner's dead body.

Oh dear God…

(****)

Mrs. Brisby awoke from a deep, dreamless sleep, fully refreshed. She looked around, seeing her home was perfectly clean, the dirt walls packed even better than they had been before. The only problem was that she had no idea how she'd gotten there. All she could remember was desperation, Justin dragging her from the block while it sunk, his firm hands the only thing keeping her from leaping back into the swirling mud. Then all of a sudden she'd been surrounded by warmth, fear, doubt and hesitation vanishing completely, but then the world had fallen into silent darkness, and now here she was. She suddenly noticed a stinging in her hands, and rubbed them gently together.

"You were burned," Ages said quietly, startling her. She had no idea what time it was, but knew it must have been late for him to speak so softly. She looked for her children, learning they'd all fallen asleep in one bed, a sight she hadn't seen for a long time. They must have been scared, she thought, and turned her attention back to Ages.

"They're not as bad as they look," he whispered, motioning to her hands. "They should heal quickly."

She held her burning paws together. "What's been going on?" she asked quietly. "What time is it?"

"You've been out for almost two hours," he told her. "It's close to three. The rats have been cleaning up the mess left behind, but-"

"The rats!" she almost shouted it, barely recalling her sleeping children. "Are they still here? Where's Justin?"

"They haven't gone yet," he said. "But they will soon. Justin wanted me to send for him the moment you awoke. Are you…alright, Mrs. Brisby?" he added, looking quizzically at her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured him, barely hiding the blush on her cheeks. "What about Justin?"

"Wait here, I'll get him." He got up, leaving without another word.

(****)

Justin looked up, seeing the storm was done. The sky cleared as he made his way to the Brisbys' newly relocated home. He arrived just as the moon appeared, his smile glistening in its light as he watched her emerge from the block. Wow, he thought. She looked so beautiful under the mouse gasped in joy, running toward him. They met in the middle, Justin taking her happily in his arms. He could feel her body tremble,but the tremors shrunk the longer he held her, until they'd completely disappeared.

"Oh, Justin," she whispered. It was all she could say. She was no longer worried about her children, but the safety of her new friends. She slowly lifted her head from his chest. "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about us," he said calmly. His voice sent waves of confidence coursing through her body. He broke their embrace, staring in her eyes. "We're always a step ahead, ready for anything, including this."

She looked confused. "You were prepared to move?"

"Not entirely," he admitted. "But we always believed in a back-up plan for emergencies, should we ever be discovered. The bush had been altered for years, to enable us to pull out quickly. All the wiring, the lights, have been ripped out, and everything moveable is already gone. Everything else has been buried, deeper than we ever lived; you couldn't tell who had lived there."

She listened to him speak, knowing she could listen to his voice for eternity. He was full of such confidence, such bravery; in many ways he reminded her of Jonathan, the ways he'd always comforted her, made sure they'd always had enough food and clothes for the children. She suddenly noticed his appearance, reaching over to straighten his collar. His clothes were clean, whole, defiantly not what he'd fought Jenner in. He noticed her staring, and gave a charming smile. "Am I everything you expected?" he asked.

She giggled. "Yes, very much so," but then a streak of sadness ran through her, erasing her smile.

"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly anxious. He couldn't stand the thought of her suffering.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, shaking her head slowly. "About…"

"About what?" he asked. He tilted her chin back with his hand.

"Nicodemus," she sighed deeply. "What will you do without him?"

He laughed. "Mrs. Brisby, Nicodemus is alive."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"He's alive," Justin repeated. She smiled, falling back in his arms, though couldn't hide her confusion.

"But I thought Mr. Ages said that-"

"He said Nicodemus was dead," he told her. "And he was right. But Mrs. Brisby, that stone," his grip tightened with excitement. "No one knows what happened, but when you used that stone, you saved his life- you brought him back to life!"

"But, but, I," she stumbled for words. "But how?"

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it saved your children, Nicodemus and Sullivan…"

She noted some hesitance in his voice. "What is it?"

"We've gone through so much," he told her. "But I don't even know your first name."

"Oh, it's Elizabeth," she blushed, suddenly feeling shy. "Elizabeth Brisby."

"Elizabeth," he said it slowly, savoring the sound it made. She did as well, loving how secure his voice made her feel, how just hearing him speak could erase her fear and worry.

"Nicodemus is alive," she mused, still bewildered.

"Yes, but he's decided to retire," he smiled. "Something about enjoying his second chance."

"What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth Brisby," he told her. "You are looking at the newly appointed leader of the rats."

She smiled, laughing with relief as he hugged her again, but Justin suddenly felt differently. He knew he needed to leave soon, begging for time to stand still. He was fighting tooth and nail, trying to suppress the sinking in his heart, the pain reminding him of their unavoidable separation. "Come with us, Elizabeth," he said suddenly, taking her hands. "You and your family—come with us to Thorn Valley."

"Oh, Justin," sadness entered her voice again. "You know we can't. I wish we could," she put her hands on his chest. "I wish we could go to your valley, live in your perfect world, but this place…this is our home. We don't…" a single tear slipped down her cheek. He quickly wiped it away.

"I knew when I asked you'd refuse," he said, knowing he didn't mean it the way she thought. "Timothy needs to recover, and besides, why go through all the effort to move the house if you aren't going to live in it?"

She giggled, though the tears still fell. Justin was never too far from joking. "Maybe someday," she said quietly. "But I'm afraid we wouldn't belong. We aren't rats."

"That's meaningless to them," he told her. "They'd honor you just like they did Jonathan. But you are right. For now you should stay here." In his heart, he knew she should stay for there were dark days ahead for his people, days she'd be better off never seeing, an evil he never wanted her near again. He found himself repeating her words, "Maybe someday?"

She nodded. "I would like that." Her tears had finally stopped. She stared deeply in his eyes, Justin returning the gaze with every ounce of emotion he could. He leaned forward, then stopped, suddenly unsure, but then he felt her claws drift to his shoulders. He breathed deeply, closed his eyes, and kissed her.

Her lips melted with his, fingers curling around the cloth of his shirt. Her eyelids fluttered several times before falling shut, a gasp drifting from her throat when he suddenly lifted her, holding her tightly to his chest. Her arms locked around his neck. She moaned softly as their kiss deepened, allowing him to hold her as her feet left the ground. When he finally pulled away she was breathless, never wanting to leave the warmth of his arms. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered, just seconds before he kissed her again. It was deeper this time, full of longing passion.

He'd waited for that moment since he'd laid eyes on her. His heart soared higher than ever, body growing hot as his fur stood on end. Screw Thorn Valley, he thought, pulling away for the last time. He gently set her back on the ground. Screw NIMH; I just need her. He gazed at her, at her lovely face blushing in the moonlight. Neither spoke this time, both knowing exactly what the other would say. He thought she'd run after such a display, but she welcomed his last embrace gladly, her head falling atop his racing heart. They remained that way for a small eternity, neither ready when they were forced to end it.