Sunaru: I revised this ficcie, cause it needed some work. I wrote this ficcie after reading the first book, so everyone thought that Justin dead which totally pissed me off, so I wrote this. Then, I just read the second book, so that really proves it. But this is if he really was one of the two who was caught by the NIMH people. So just enjoy...

Chapter One

Isabella and many other rats waited anxiously at the edge of the woods. The other rats were at Thorn Valley, taking care of young or setting up the town that they were going to live in.

They were waiting for the other ten rats that had volunteered for staying back. She knew Justin would be all right, but she held her breath.

Everyone had their ears pricked up to hear the slightest sound of footsteps. "Listen, I hear footsteps!" someone exclaimed merrily about an hour after waiting.

Isabella looked the way he pointed. She was smiling, relieved that they had finally came back. A few seconds later, seven rats ran out of the woods.

But Isabella saw that Justin, Brutus and Gordon hadn't come back with the rest.

She went over to one of rats that returned. "Excuse me, where are the other three?" she asked uneasily. "We all left without looking back, so I'm not sure, they might be dead."

At that her eyes began to water. "No! They have to be all right!" she exclaimed desperately.

As everyone started going back to Thorn Valley, Isabella sat stubbornly waiting for the rest to come, all alone.

While she waited she a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach began to grow.

About half an hour later, she heard something. She quickly got up and yelled, "Justin?" Brutus came from the woods. "Brutus, where is Justin?" she asked immediately.

"Didn't he come with the others already?" He asked concernedly. She shook her head. "How many came back?"

"Seven, why?" she asked curiously and worriedly. He looked at her solemnly.

"Two died, trying to escape, because of the poison gas. If he wasn't one of the seven that came back already, then that means... " He couldn't even say it. Isabella shook her head unbelievingly.

Her eyes welled up with tears and she desperately covered her eyes. She fell to ground and began to shake violently.

Brutus stooped down to her level and hugged her. "Come on. We should go back, it's starting to get dark."

She stood up still shaking, and Brutus put his arm around her so she wouldn't trip. So they walked back, both feeling bad for their lose.

Meanwhile

The white van NIMH van was driving back to it's headquarters.

The doctor was driving and the man with the bag with the two rats inside sat on the passenger's side. He opened the bag the rats were in and lifted one up.

He was a stupid guy that was curious about dead things; often he'd pick up road kill and examined it at home. (Sunaru: lol)

His eyes widened in realization. "Uh... Doc, you know those two dead rats?"

Doctor Schultz looked sideways as he drove the white van. "Yeah, what about them?" "They're alive..."

The doctor slammed on the brakes, as he was about to hit a cat. "What?!" he yelled, full of surprise. He looked at the man and then the rat still in his hand.

Sunaru: Pretty Please Review!!! I luv reviews, who doesn't? No flames, but constructive criticism welcome. Cookies for good reviews !

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