At Baker Street, Hiram, Olivia Flaversham, and Fidget visited Basil of Baker Street. Since Olivia and Fidget had been doing cases together, Basil decided to have his say. "Miss Flaverfink, if you want to become a detective someday, then you'll have to be just like me," he said.
This comment made her angry more than him getting her last name wrong. "No," she replied defiantly.
"You're being a brat."
"You're a RAT! I can't do it and you can't change who people are!" she ranted and picked out a knife and pointed it directly at a tapestry. Then, without feeling guilty, she split it in between herself and Basil.
Basil looked like she'd slapped him in the face and Olivia glared at him.
"Basil!" Dr. Dawson scolded, "This is what happens when you push people around and push them away!"
"I'm happy for who I am and I'm especially proud of Fidget for helping me with my cases, Basil," Olivia continued, "Worst of all, nothing I did made you happy and if you're going to be that way, then I may as well not see you anymore." Without second thoughts, she ran away, while the mouse detective sat in his armchair, allowing himself to soak in shame because he decided to take consideration that kids like Olivia need time for themselves.
"How dare you talk to my daughter that way!" Mr. Flaversham said before heading outside, "How about we just not see you as much?" Without another word, he shut the door behind him and walked home.
Basil was alone until he said to Fidget, "Hi."
"What do you want?" Fidget replied hotly under his breath, just as upset as Olivia.
"But, I'm sorry," Basil tried to say.
"Livy was right and you know it!" Fidget said, defending Olivia's actions.
"You're a disgrace to me," Basil said, also starting to get mad.
"You know, Basil? I've had enough!" Fidget said, putting his foot down, "You have the same mind as Ratigan because that's the way you think about people like me and Olivia. You think all kids are brats and teenagers are punks! You treat us like nobodies!"
"Well, at least I don't kill people unless it's self-defense and as long as I'm doing my job," Basil said with a scoff. Making fun of Fidget seemed to satisfy him.
"But today, you weren't and don't even think of trying to change who I am, either!" Fidget yelled, "I've dealt with that long enough and if you want Olivia and me to stop running away, STAY OUT OF IT!"
"What if you get kidnapped again?" Basil demanded, laughing coldly, thinking the bat was merely acting childish, "Because it's against the law for someone under eighteen to run away."
"We'll think of ways, such as biting, scratching, punching, and stuff just so we get out of the criminal's grasp! If it still doesn't work, we'll bring out our weapons or stomp on that person's foot and I don't care about that stupid law! No one does! Who knows? No one will find Olivia or me. You can't just go around controlling other people's lives! You especially can't make Olivia and me promise that we won't run away ever again! What if at some point, she doesn't want to see you anymore?"
That put Basil on the spot.
"I seem to be more like her than I think because we both feel as if we get punished, blamed, and yelled at for everything. Yet I don't want her to end up like me and have her repeat my wrong doings, end up with a missing body part, and hang out with the wrong people!" Fidget paused before uttering anything else until finally, he continued to rant, "Look, I may or may not plan on having kids or getting married, but even if I was a detective, I'm certainly not going to act the same way you do!" With that, he blew raspberry and grabbed the same knife Olivia used when she tore the tapestry in half and gestured towards the tapestry. "You see this self-absorbed maniac? That's you!" Fidget was close to cutting the tapestry in half.
"Fidget, stop right there!" Basil demanded.
"Olivia and I can live without being ANYTHING like you!" Fidget exploded as he slashed the tapestry in between himself and Basil.
The mouse detective gasped bitterly. Fidget grinned wickedly at the now split tapestry and glowered at Basil, who was about to lay his hands on him, but of course, Fidget wouldn't allow it. In case things could get any uglier, he set the knife down. As punishment, the bat swore at him as he beat him up without feeling regret whatsoever when Basil tried to get a hold of him. When Fidget was through, he, too started to run away and slammed the door behind him, which made himself flinch. Basil lied on the floor, finding himself surrounded with guilt for his actions.
…
Olivia sat in the darkness, underneath an awning of an alley. Just then, she heard a loud cry. It was from her best friend, Fidget. One of his legs was scraped and it bled when he tripped over a curb with his peg leg. "Fidget, what are you doing here?" she inquired.
"Same reason as you," Fidget confessed as he sat next to her, "Almost. Almost because I mostly defended your actions."
"I think we should head home soon because Daddy may be expecting us," Olivia said.
"You're right. Let's go, Livy," Fidget replied, "Ow." And they started on their way home. In Fidget's case, he limped, but thankfully, Olivia held onto one of his wings for protection.
Once home, they weren't punished by Hiram Flaversham. He was upset as they were and chose to surround them with comfort. Upon seeing Fidget's knee, Hiram asked, "Fidget, what happened?"
"I tripped over a curb onto the gravel road," Fidget said sadly with tears forming his eyes, "It was an accident, but I should've watched where I was going."
"I'll wrap it with bandages and you'll be good to go, but try to be careful next time." He closely examined the bat's injured leg. "Hmm…it looks as if you're losing quite a bit of blood, but luckily, your leg's not broken." Tearing out a roll of bandages, he wrapped it around Fidget's bloody leg like a cast to stop the flow of blood. "You may not be walking for a few days, but you'll be better soon." Mr. Flaversham then called Basil of Baker Street on the phone about it and Basil felt very sorry to hear the news. Fidget couldn't walk for a few days because of him! Of course, Mr. Flaversham still decided that he, Olivia, and Fidget would not visit Basil much anymore. Upon hearing this, Basil said, "I understand that and I finally learned my lesson. So, I hope you and your family have a good night." He hung his phone and began sobbing. Basil not only learned his lesson about turning his close friends into something they were not and never will be, but began to come to terms that people like Olivia and Fidget couldn't promise him that they would never run away again and that they may not visit with him as often anymore.
Mrs. Judson had sewn the torn spaces of the tapestry, but replaced it with a new tapestry with Basil and Dawson together, but with their friends playing, and hung it on the wall.
All of a sudden, another thought occurred to Basil. Even though, he may not see Fidget and the Flavershams as much like he used to, he may unexpectedly come across them. The idea of it cheered him up and brought him back to reality.
A month or so later, the Flavershams and Fidget returned to Baker Street and visited Basil every once in a while.
The End
Author's note: "Look, I may or may not plan on having kids or getting married, but even if I was a detective, I'm certainly not going to act the same way you do!" What Fidget is implying is viewed in two different ways: You can say that he said it because he never wants to force anyone, including kids, teens, young adults, and/or women to stay put when they wouldn't stand by, so they'd come with to find their loved ones because as long as they're with him, they'd be okay…OR you can say in the other side of the coin that Fidget would never be as arrogant and cocky, smart-mouthy, conceited, judgmental, and mean as Basil because that's not what he wants and Fidget is just the very opposite; he has nice people like Olivia to encourage him and is grateful for it. I'd say it's both.
If you find this story upsetting, please keep in mind that there are days when both Olivia and Fidget feel like running away and it's part of who they are; that's just the way it goes. This story was just an example of why they feel like running away.