[Note: This takes place about 5 years before the movie. If you're wondering where to find him in the movie, Auburn is the mouse who cries when Bartholomew is eaten. :-P Credit goes to Jenny Stead for naming him, though.]
Chapter 1
A Chance Meeting
The night smelled of adventure. Basil of Baker Street crept stealthily through the streets of London, every ounce of his being focused on his latest case. Tonight, for once, he was not chasing Ratigan. He was chasing an insane weasel apparently bent on taking over England with some bizarre contraption that demanded silver spoons and a large supply of goose feathers to keep it running.
It was not long before Basil's keen ears picked up the sound of a voice trickling from the shadows of a nearby alley. He followed the mumbling to a place just behind a large crate. Slowly, cautiously, he peeked around the corner.
There, sitting on an empty cigarette box, was none other than Auburn, one of Ratigan's thugs. Basil narrowed his eyes. He could make out little of what the other mouse was saying to himself, but Basil has no doubt it was something of a very sinister nature.
Without warning, he sprung from his hiding place. "Surrender, fiend!" he cried. "You have been caught by Basil of Baker Street!!"
Auburn fell to his knees on the ground instantly, shaking with fear. "Aw, can't a fellow even be miserable in peace?" he whined.
If Basil heard him, he made no sign of it. "All right, you scoundrel," he said coming closer, "What were you doing sneaking about back here? Come on! Confess!"
Auburn turned and glared at Basil. The detective was shocked to see tears on the mouse's face. "I was jus' sitting here, that's all! Is that against the law too now?!" He hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks with his sleeve. "I got as much right to be here as anybody, don't I?"
Basil nodded, slightly taken aback.
"Well what do you want then?" Auburn demanded. When Basil offered no reply, he climbed back onto the cigarette box. "If you've got nothin' to say, then go away and leave me alone! You've got no right pokin' into my business here!" He turned his back to Basil and buried his face in his hands.
Basil stood there, totally at a loss. Auburn, a well known criminal, was telling the greatest detective in England - maybe the best in the world - to go away and mind his own business! It was utterly unheard of!
"Now see here!" Basil said sharply. "Just who do you think you are to be telling me to… to… um…" Finally, Basil noticed exactly what the problem with this picture was. He stepped even closer to the supposed enemy. "Er… I say, old chap, is something the matter?"
"Do you enjoy making people miserable?" Auburn hissed in a voice he was obviously having great difficulty controlling. "I have enough trouble without you poking your nose about and mucking things up!" When Auburn turned to face him, Basil saw tears in the villain's eyes.
"What kind of trouble, besides the obvious?" Basil asked as he sat on the box beside the distraught mouse.
Auburn sniffed, flattening his ears against his head. "None you can help."
"Oh?" Basil raised his eyebrows. Auburn crossed his arms and hunched his shoulders over.
"Yeah, oh. Oh yerself, mister fancy detective. Have you ever lived like one of us?"
"Well, no, not exactly," Basil admitted. "But I've…"
"See?" Auburn interrupted. "You have no idea what it's like trying to raise a daughter in this… this…" Stubborn tears spilled down his cheeks. "…this Hell! 'Specially since she's got no mum to look after her proper, or teach her anything she's s'posed to know about being a proper lady… You have no IDEA what that's like!! You know I come home every night afraid she's been eaten by a cat or chased or hurt herself. She's only seven, Mr. Basil. Seven years old. And you know what else? Every night she asks me where her mum is, and I have to tell her that he mum's just gone on a little trip… be back soon as can be… 'cause she… that… damn cat…" He started sobbing.
Basil suddenly saw the city slums in a new light. He put his hand on Auburn's shoulder. "What's the girl's name?" he asked gently.
Auburn pulled his knees up to his chest. "Ginger," he mumbled.
"Does she live near Ratigan's hideout?"
"She lives inside it," Auburn answered hopelessly. Basil furrowed his brows.
"You've got to get her out of there," Basil said, lowering his voice. "There's still a chance for her to grow up without having to sleep with one eye open."
"Oh, really?" Auburn looked at Basil with contempt in his eyes. "If she leaves, I leave with her. And there's no way I can just walk right out without anybody noticing. The boss has informants all over the city. If I'm anywhere in England, he'll know. And he'll find me and that will be the end!" More tears fell as he thought of what dreaded fate might befall him and his child.
"At least… At least get her out of Ratigan's hands. I know places she'll be safe until…"
"Until what? Until you kill the boss and dismember the whole operation! Not bloody likely!"
Basil stood up and planted himself directly in front of Auburn. "Just get her out!" he said. "It doesn't matter how. I won't allow you to let her rot in that sewer! It's my responsibility to protect the innocent citizens of this city, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let a **child** waste away in a den of thieves. Even a child of sinners is innocent until you let her be otherwise."
Auburn looked away. "I can't…" he whispered. "I can't betray…"
"Then DON'T!" Basil yelled. Auburn jumped to his feet, startled. For a long moment, the two mice stared at each other. Finally, Auburn rubbed his sleeve over his eyes and said softly, "Ivy and Port."
With that, he turned and ran, leaving Basil to ponder the mysterious words. As the detective turned to go back to his home, a pair of glittering eyes peered out from behind a garbage can, then disappeared in the opposite direction.
Chapter 1
A Chance Meeting
The night smelled of adventure. Basil of Baker Street crept stealthily through the streets of London, every ounce of his being focused on his latest case. Tonight, for once, he was not chasing Ratigan. He was chasing an insane weasel apparently bent on taking over England with some bizarre contraption that demanded silver spoons and a large supply of goose feathers to keep it running.
It was not long before Basil's keen ears picked up the sound of a voice trickling from the shadows of a nearby alley. He followed the mumbling to a place just behind a large crate. Slowly, cautiously, he peeked around the corner.
There, sitting on an empty cigarette box, was none other than Auburn, one of Ratigan's thugs. Basil narrowed his eyes. He could make out little of what the other mouse was saying to himself, but Basil has no doubt it was something of a very sinister nature.
Without warning, he sprung from his hiding place. "Surrender, fiend!" he cried. "You have been caught by Basil of Baker Street!!"
Auburn fell to his knees on the ground instantly, shaking with fear. "Aw, can't a fellow even be miserable in peace?" he whined.
If Basil heard him, he made no sign of it. "All right, you scoundrel," he said coming closer, "What were you doing sneaking about back here? Come on! Confess!"
Auburn turned and glared at Basil. The detective was shocked to see tears on the mouse's face. "I was jus' sitting here, that's all! Is that against the law too now?!" He hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks with his sleeve. "I got as much right to be here as anybody, don't I?"
Basil nodded, slightly taken aback.
"Well what do you want then?" Auburn demanded. When Basil offered no reply, he climbed back onto the cigarette box. "If you've got nothin' to say, then go away and leave me alone! You've got no right pokin' into my business here!" He turned his back to Basil and buried his face in his hands.
Basil stood there, totally at a loss. Auburn, a well known criminal, was telling the greatest detective in England - maybe the best in the world - to go away and mind his own business! It was utterly unheard of!
"Now see here!" Basil said sharply. "Just who do you think you are to be telling me to… to… um…" Finally, Basil noticed exactly what the problem with this picture was. He stepped even closer to the supposed enemy. "Er… I say, old chap, is something the matter?"
"Do you enjoy making people miserable?" Auburn hissed in a voice he was obviously having great difficulty controlling. "I have enough trouble without you poking your nose about and mucking things up!" When Auburn turned to face him, Basil saw tears in the villain's eyes.
"What kind of trouble, besides the obvious?" Basil asked as he sat on the box beside the distraught mouse.
Auburn sniffed, flattening his ears against his head. "None you can help."
"Oh?" Basil raised his eyebrows. Auburn crossed his arms and hunched his shoulders over.
"Yeah, oh. Oh yerself, mister fancy detective. Have you ever lived like one of us?"
"Well, no, not exactly," Basil admitted. "But I've…"
"See?" Auburn interrupted. "You have no idea what it's like trying to raise a daughter in this… this…" Stubborn tears spilled down his cheeks. "…this Hell! 'Specially since she's got no mum to look after her proper, or teach her anything she's s'posed to know about being a proper lady… You have no IDEA what that's like!! You know I come home every night afraid she's been eaten by a cat or chased or hurt herself. She's only seven, Mr. Basil. Seven years old. And you know what else? Every night she asks me where her mum is, and I have to tell her that he mum's just gone on a little trip… be back soon as can be… 'cause she… that… damn cat…" He started sobbing.
Basil suddenly saw the city slums in a new light. He put his hand on Auburn's shoulder. "What's the girl's name?" he asked gently.
Auburn pulled his knees up to his chest. "Ginger," he mumbled.
"Does she live near Ratigan's hideout?"
"She lives inside it," Auburn answered hopelessly. Basil furrowed his brows.
"You've got to get her out of there," Basil said, lowering his voice. "There's still a chance for her to grow up without having to sleep with one eye open."
"Oh, really?" Auburn looked at Basil with contempt in his eyes. "If she leaves, I leave with her. And there's no way I can just walk right out without anybody noticing. The boss has informants all over the city. If I'm anywhere in England, he'll know. And he'll find me and that will be the end!" More tears fell as he thought of what dreaded fate might befall him and his child.
"At least… At least get her out of Ratigan's hands. I know places she'll be safe until…"
"Until what? Until you kill the boss and dismember the whole operation! Not bloody likely!"
Basil stood up and planted himself directly in front of Auburn. "Just get her out!" he said. "It doesn't matter how. I won't allow you to let her rot in that sewer! It's my responsibility to protect the innocent citizens of this city, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let a **child** waste away in a den of thieves. Even a child of sinners is innocent until you let her be otherwise."
Auburn looked away. "I can't…" he whispered. "I can't betray…"
"Then DON'T!" Basil yelled. Auburn jumped to his feet, startled. For a long moment, the two mice stared at each other. Finally, Auburn rubbed his sleeve over his eyes and said softly, "Ivy and Port."
With that, he turned and ran, leaving Basil to ponder the mysterious words. As the detective turned to go back to his home, a pair of glittering eyes peered out from behind a garbage can, then disappeared in the opposite direction.