Another story idea that popped in my head. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Ally, her parents, and Snickers belong to Sparkling Lover and were used with permission, Ben 10 and it's characters belong to Cartoon Network and Man Of Action, and I own Rachel and the dog Chocolate.

Friendship's Clock And Call

Ally was racing toward the Grant Mansion with excitement. Rachel had called a couple days ago to let her aunt and uncle know that she had finished college and was now a graduate. Ally wanted to visit, and her parents were needed at a meeting out of town and so decided to let Ally sleep over at the Mansion. Now, she reached the steps and quickly opened the door, closing it behind her and dropping her backpack as she raced into the hallway and surprised both Heatblast and Rachel when she tackled them. All three hit the floor with Ally giggling. Rachel chuckled at bit.

"Well, you got us, Ally," she said, getting up and helping Heatblast up before the Pyronite grabbed Ally and hugged her, tickling her sides a little, making her laugh.

"Congrats on graduating, cousin!" Ally said to Rachel once she got free of Heatblast.

"Thanks, Ally," said Rachel. "It feels good to be finished."

Later on, Ally was outside walking when a huge bird came out of nowhere and grabbed her. It looked like a parrot that had been given steroids as it was about ten times bigger than a normal bird. Mad laughter sounded and she saw a strange man riding on the bird's back.

"At last!" he said. "Phase one is finished and now for the next phase!"

Ally struggled but couldn't escape as she wondered who this man was. They arrived at an abandoned lab where she was put inside a small cage.

"Let me out, you creep!" she said to him.

"The name's Dr. Animo!" he said. "You'll be wise to remember that, child!"

"What do you want?" she asked, a little scared.

"I want your older cousin, the one who has the ability to speak to animals!" he said. "She'll do perfect to lead my army."

Ally was confused. Rachel could talk to animals? That was pretty neat, but Ally was certain Rachel couldn't do that. "What are you talking about? She can't talk to animals!" she said.

"Ah, but she can. I have seen the videos of her doing so!"

A video appeared and Ally saw a brown dog and Rachel standing there. Dr. Animo turned the dialogue on and Ally heard her cousin speak.

"The Knights are coming our way?" she asked the dog.

The dog barked and whimpered at her.

Rachel nodded. "Alright, but be careful, Chocolate. We'll be ready to help as you lead the others in to distract the Knights," she said.

The dog barked and headed off and Rachel quickly ran off.

The video ended and Dr. Animo turned to Ally. "How else did you think your cousin knew when the Knights were coming into town so that she could stop them?" he asked.

Ally couldn't answer that one. Her cousin could understand animals? That was a new one on her.

"Now," said the mad doctor. "You are my bait for Rachel. When she comes, I will make her lead my army."

"She'll never work for you!" said Ally.

"Oh, she will if she wants you to live!"

Now Ally was scared. She was not only the mad doctor's bait but his leverage too. A loud clanging sound was heard.

"Time's up, Animo."

The thick voice caught both the scientist and Ally off guard as Dr. Animo was suddenly tossed up and over some of his equipment, crashing down on some boxes and losing consciousness.

A barking sound was heard and Ally gasped when a huge orange creature that looked like a dog came up to her cage and whimpered. There was no door, so how did the doctor get her inside. A huge yellow robot came out.

"Wait a moment, Wildmutt," he said. "Let's have a look back in time."

Ally's eyes widened when she saw the wind-up part of the robot's head move and the area was covered in green as the whole scene played backwards and showed that Animo had a special key in his hand that would open and close the cage and done with strong magnets.

Everything then went back to normal and the robot looked at Ally. "Hold very still," he said and placed his hands on the top of the cage. Thanks to his time power, the top of the cage demagnetized and came off, allowing him to reach in and pick up the small child, who was shaking a little.

"Don't be afraid, Ally," said the robot.

She was surprised he knew her name. "Are you another friend of Rachel's?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Yes," he said. "My name is Clockwork and this is Wildmutt."

The orange alien came up and rubbed Ally's hand and she patted him. A thought came to her.

"Is it true Rachel can talk to animals?" she asked.

"Yes," said Clockwork. "Your uncle Charlie also has that gift and Rachel got the ability from him."

Ally was amazed and Wildmutt barked suddenly as Dr. Animo's creations came to lift. Clockwork placed Ally on Wildmutt's back.

"Get Ally to the Mansion! I'll hold these scrapheaps off!"

Wildmutt nodded and headed off with Ally holding on for the ride. It was pretty crazy as the huge alien bounded around off of trees and raced through the woods that were at the far end of wherever they were, which was a few towns over from Staybrook.

Clockwork blasted the experiments with his time rays and suddenly, the roof caved in on one section and Rook's Proto-Truk appeared and Rachel hopped out to lean down from the side of it, her Proto-Tool in her hand.

"Need some help, Clockwork?" she asked.

He nodded. "Feel free to help!" he said in response and Rachel and Rook immediately started blasting the experiments back and Rachel even trapped Animo for the police. They had just finished their work when the sirens sounded.

"Head out!" Rachel called and jumped into the Proto-Truk with Clockwork behind her as Rook quickly activated the flying mechanism and they flew out, keeping an eye opened for Wildmutt and Ally.

Ally hung on as Wildmutt moved quickly and then they both heard a familiar engine. "Hey!" a voice called down to them. "How about a lift?"

Ally saw it was Rachel who had called out to them and Rook was driving his Proto-Truk turned aircraft towards them. Wildmutt let out a bark and Ally held on as the orange alien jumped into a tall tree and leapt for the open back doors of the aircraft, landing safely inside.

"Ally!" Rachel said and scooped up her cousin in a hug. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," she said. "Thanks to them."

Rachel saw Clockwork and Wildmutt. "Thanks, guys," she said and Wildmutt barked.

"Yes, Wildmutt. This is my cousin I've spoken about," Rachel said, surprising Ally.

"You can really understand animals, Rachel?" she asked.

Rachel smiled. "Yes," she said. "I inherited Uncle Charlie's gift somehow and that's how I can understand animals as clearly as I understand humans."

"Cool," said Ally. "Although they scared me a bit."

"Well, I know the perfect solution!" said Clockwork. Rachel caught on and handed Ally to him. Ally was then turned into a mess of cute giggles as Clockwork tickled her. "Tickle tickle tickle!" he teased. "You're as ticklish as Rachel."

Ally laughed as Clockwork continued to tickle her and then Wildmutt started licking Ally's cheek, to which Clockwork let her up from the tickle torture as Wildmutt gently pinned her and continued to lick her. "Hey, stop," Ally giggled. "You're tickling me!"

Everyone laughed as Wildmutt finally let Ally up and she scooted back a little. "Man, not even Snickers has licked me that much," she said.

Rachel laughed. "Wildmutt does that a lot. It's his way of showing affection," she said.

Laughing, they all made it safely back to the Mansion with Ally hanging out with Clockwork and Wildmutt and Heatblast and Four Arms joined in after they got back from a mission. Rachel and Rook watched the five friends have a good time together as she then leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her lovingly as the cute scene was forever etched in their minds.

How was it? Please review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418