With a peal of maniacal laughter, the villain twirled his cape menacingly, declaring to the hapless citizens, "No one can defeat me now!"
However, all was not lost, for in a burst of light, the clouds parted to reveal…
The clouds parted to reveal Writer's Block, sworn enemy of Authoress Wannabe. How was she supposed to write a best seller if she couldn't even come up with a good name for a superhero? Would anyone even be interested in reading a book about two nemeses who didn't recognize each other's alter egos and were the closest of friends when not using their super powers?
Michelle's thoughts were interrupted by what must have been a flash of lightning, but it made no sense. The beauty of the sunlight remained unhidden by clouds in the cerulean sky. Her confusion was augmented by the sound of frightened screams, followed by a loud splash in the swimming pool.
"What do you suppose that was, Bailey?" she asked, turning to her sister.
Bailey shrugged. "Beats me."
The young women hurried over to the pool to see two rodents thrashing in the water. A rat appeared to be attempting to drown a mouse.
"Are those two wearing clothes?!" Michelle demanded rhetorically.
As one of the most highly renowned ballerinas in the country, Bailey had perfectly mastered the art of acting under pressure and thinking quickly, all the while maintaining an air of graceful sophistication. Before Michelle had recovered from her shock, Bailey had already gotten a net and rescued the two unusual visitors.
"Curse you, Basil!" the rat exclaimed vehemently.
"Language!" Michelle chided. "My sister and I find it much better if we express ourselves without profanities!"
"How did you get here?" Bailey queried. "I hope it wasn't through the use of magic."
"Hardly!" replied the mouse. "However, I believe it would be more beneficial if we were to resume our discourse after changing our attire."
In a short time, the rodents were sitting on Bailey's couch, wrapped in crudely stitched garments hastily made from pieces of cloth that Michelle had found. She hoped she was mistaken, but the visitors seemed to be growing to human size.
"Alright," Michelle began, "I already know how I came to be visiting my sister this Monday afternoon. We're in the same book club, and we were just rereading a few favorites. What I don't know is how the two of you came to be in the swimming pool."
"Same here." Bailey said, agreeing with her sister.
The mouse held his chin, trying to figure out how he and his arch nemesis were out here in the first place, but nothing came to mind; the same applied for Bailey as she also pondered, wondering how a mouse and a rat in it up in the swimming pool. She hoped that it wasn't by magic, which she despised.
"What was the last thing that you did before you two found yourselves in the swimming pool in my backyard?" she asked them curiously.
Basil turned to the woman in front of him, noting that she looked to be almost 21 years old. She had long brown hair that was slightly curly at the ends and had some bangs that framed her face, slightly rosy red cheeks, earth brown eyes, pale peach skin with a slight tan. She wore a dark magenta shirt, long black sweat pants, a yellow satchel, and black ballet slippers.
He stared at her for a moment, fascinated by this human in a way he couldn't describe, but he did answer her question. "I was investigating a case involving a famous pianist's children being kidnapped. My trusted partner Dawson and I were on the trail until we came upon an abandoned warehouse where the perpetrator was keeping them hostage. When we stepped in, much to my shock and dismay, we found that it was Ratigan who was behind this." He turned to the rat who sat next to him and both glared at each other before he continued, "He was presumed deceased when he plummeted from the clock tower. My partner went to liberate the hostages from Fidget, who somehow managed to survive being cast into the Thames, and Ratigan and I fought each other, my intention being to secure him in prison where he belongs whereas his motive was to cause my demise for interfering too long. As we were literally at each other's throats, there was a flash of light that nearly blinded me, and I immediately felt as if I were falling for a few moments before I found myself landing in water, where my arch enemy was trying to drown me a few minutes ago."
"That's what I felt too, except I was the one trying to drown that miserable pipsqueak upon our rather splashful landing." Ratigan stated.
The two sisters could clearly see that the two rodents regarded each other with repulsion beyond compare.
Michelle cleared her throat. "Before you two think of killing each other, perhaps we can introduce ourselves?"
The glare was broken as the two turned to her.
Ratigan stood, taking off his hat and bowing grandly. "I am Padraic Ratigan, the world's greatest criminal mind. As you've already heard, this is Defective Basil of Baker Street."
"Detective," Basil corrected.
The King of Crime wondered how the two young ladies could possibly be sisters, for the older girl had completely straight hair that hung to her waist, but it was much lighter than Bailey's. The flaxen color reminded him of the golden glow of a wheat field in the summer sun. Her eyes were the color of the sea, and her skin had tanned slightly from time spent outdoors. Although her hands seemed a bit rough, her long nails crowned her slender fingers perfectly.
"Do you keep a cat?" Ratigan asked. "I notice your hands have slight scratches on them. Are these the marks of a playful kitten?"
Hiding a laugh, Michelle responded, "Isaiah was a little eager for his bottle, I suppose. He's one of the new lion cubs."
"Don't lions eat humans?"
"I work at the zoo. I don't know how I stand my life. It's just too awful getting to hold baby lions, baby cheetahs, baby meerkats, baby painted dogs…" She sighed in exasperation and rubbed her forehead as if trying to relieve a migraine. "Those baby wolves were just awful, and don't get me started on how many times I've had to walk around with birds all over me like a living cloak, as if I were some sort of fairy tale princess! It's terrible! Why did I ever go into zoology?!"
"I have been wondering that myself ever since you started working at the zoo." Bailey said to her with a sign.
She turned back to the two rodents in front of her. "My name is Bailey Palmer, and this is my sister, Michelle."
"Might I inquire how you two are related? You bear no resemblance to each other." Basil remarked boldly in curiosity as the professor wondered the same thing.
"Don't worry; we get that a lot. We may not look physically related, but we are indeed related by blood. I get my looks from my mom and a hint of my dad, and Michelle got hers mainly from our Aunt Tory, according to our parents. We've never actually met her; they told us that she lives very far from Pasadena, but they never told us where. I don't know why though." Bailey answered him as she took careful note of the detective's appearance.
He had a very light shade of brown fur and with an even lighter shade around his muzzle, and his eyes were emerald, her favorite color. The investigator piqued her interest for reasons other than her fondness for detectives and detective stories, yet she could not tell what it was.
"So, what now?" Michelle asked her sister.
"I should think that was obvious: Basil and Ratigan will stay here until we can find a way to get them back home." Bailey answered to his sister.
Silence befell the group for a few moments before Basil and Ratigan practically flew off the couch, shouting in protest at the same time.
"I will do no such thing!"
"There's no way I'm staying here with him!"
The detective and professor glared at each other again, this time with even more anger then before; the two knew that there was no way that either of them was going to stay in the same house as the other, but their stare down was soon stopped as Bailey came between them, breaking them apart as she then said with a lot of seriousness, "Alright, break it up, you two; that is enough! You're both acting like children, and it simply will not help your current situation, nor is it becoming of you two."
"WE ARE NOT- -!" the two were about to shout at the same time, but were soon cut off as Bailey spoke again, still serious but also reasonable, "ENOUGH! Now listen! I understand that you two are enemies and do not want to be in the same house as the other, let alone the same room for that matter, but in this case neither of you has any other choice. Both of you are in a world that is obviously very different from your own, and the only ones who know about your existence at the moment are my sister and myself, and if anyone else finds out about you two, then there would be panic, and you both will be taken away to who knows where and be subjected to secret military experiments of the wrong and dangerous sort or even worse than that. You both are just going to have to deal with it until you're back home. You don't have to like each other, but you cannot kill each other, and you two must both be on your best behavior and not argue with the other to the point where someone will get hurt, whether you, the other, or someone else caught in the crossfire. Do I make myself clear?"
The two stared at her for several seconds, both caught off guard by her manner, but they released their sighs as they both knew, no matter how much the other wanted to say otherwise, that Bailey was right. If the two were ever going to get back home, they would both have to learn to live together with their hosts and try not to harm the other, "try" being the key word.
With that decided the two sat back on the couch as they both nodded.
"Very well. We will comply to your conditions to the very best of our abilities," Basil answered.
The Professor nodded in agreement.
"Good. " Bailey concluded.
Michelle chuckled. "That's my sister for you, always wanting to play the peacekeeper whenever things get out of hand." At the mention of peacekeeper, she couldn't help but raise her arm with three fingers extended as a tribute to Suzanne Collins. "Quite reasonable and understanding, but alway quick to react, though her moods do change quite unexpectedly."
"Okay, since I have several guest bedrooms upstairs, it won't be a problem for you both to have a separate room, so to prevent any more arguments or anything worse, I also have two bathrooms, as well as quite a few other rooms in this house so no one will get bored, and this house is far from anyone else's house, surrounded by lots of trees, so no one will freak out if you're outside whether in the front or back yard. However, there is one small problem. "
Understanding Bailey's concern, Michelle concluded, "You both will need your own set of clothes besides the ones that are still in the washing machine right now. Finding clothes for Basil is no problem since he is about the same structure and height as other humans, but Ratigan, on the other hand, is much taller than most humans are, and his body structure is quite different than others; finding clothes for him will be a challenge, and even though my sister and I can sew, we can only do patch jobs. You both have noticed that the clothes we made for you two are not exactly adequate."
The two siblings held their chins as they went into deep thought, but then an idea hit Bailey like a bolt of lightning, "There is a way to fix that problem, It will be risky, but it is a risk that we must take."
"Are you sure?" Michelle asked her cautiously. "Then again, what other choice do we have? Besides I'm sure he will keep this a secret for us, if not for theirs then for our own safety."
Bailey answered her with a nod.
"What are you talking about?" the professor asked them curiously before Basil had the opportunity to pose the question.
The sisters looked at each other for a moment before turning back to their two guests as Bailey explained, "There is one person that we know that can help us with that problem; he's an expert clothes designer that can create any style or design and shape of clothing, no matter what the person's height, age, or body structure. He has been making clothes for a very long time, so making clothes for the professor will not be of any problem whatsoever. Of course he might freak out once see these guys, but I don't have a doubt that he will keep this a secret for us."
"To whom do you refer?" Basil queried.
"Our older brother, of course, who also happens to live here in Pasadena. His name is Alex. The three of us have had a close bond with each other ever since we were very young, so I'm sure he'll understand once we explain to him." Michelle answered him.
Bailey turned to the door.
"Expecting someone?" Michelle inquired.
"No one actually. I wasn't expecting anyone today." Bailey responded.
"Not even Mrs. Small? She did ask you to babysit her kids for her," Michelle pointed out.
"That is true, but that's not until this Wednesday, but I thought I heard someone knock. I'll go check it out." She made her way to the hallway, leaving her sister and two rodent guests alone.
"Miss Palmer, does your sister babysit often?" Ratigan queried.
"She sure does," Michelle answered, "She absolutely love children. It's not only to earn money when she's not at work, but she also wants to get as much experience in child care as she can in case she ever gets married and has kids of her own. She loves to be like a sister/mother figure to as many kids as she meets. She's very friendly and caring, very responsible, and she has a calm demeanor. Everybody loves her. She's just waiting for the right guy to love her romantically. Until then, there's always babysitting and her work on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the local bakery."
Basil lit his pipe. "She is also a participant in theater and ballet, is she not?"
"Yes actually. She's a very lovely, graceful, and well-known actress and ballerina. How did you know that?" Michelle wondered aloud.
"Elementary," Basil responded. "You've no doubt observed her stately gait and how she always..."
"He read it on a program," Ratigan interrupted, picking up a small piece of paper from the coffee table. "See? Here's your sister on the front, and here's her name. This is probably from her last recital."
Attempting to conceal the grin that was beginning to form at the corners of her mouth, Michelle asked, "Well then, Mr. Basil, let us put your sleuthing skills to the test. What can you tell me about myself?"
"Very well then, Miss Palmer. You are employed at the zoological garden, mainly handling the felines: lions, cheetahs, leopards, tigers, jaguars, pumas, caracals, servals, and the like but your specialization is caring for the juvenile animals, more specifically, the infants. On your hands are multiple scars caused by the claws and teeth of those animals, varying in angle, size, and length, for each is caused by a different species of cat. Furthermore, you are an authoress. The deep calluses on you thumbs and first two fingers could only be caused by holding your writing utensil a smidge too tightly from all the writing you've done. Judging from their depth, I can only deduce that you've been book writer for years." Basil answered her.
Michelle stared at him as she blinked at this, quite stunned. "Amazing! I know I already mentioned working in a zoo, but still...!"
"Actually it's elementary, my dear Miss Palmer. " Basil smirked.
Ratigan merely huffed at this as he crossed his arm and turned his head away from him in annoyance.
Would you care to add anything?" Michelle sat beside Ratigan, lightly resting her hand over his. "I know you to be a genius as well."
Ratigan blushed at this, though he tried to hide it as he cleared his throat. Never before had a female approached him like this, nor had he ever courted. Despite his bewilderment as to why he felt this way next to a lady of another species, he quickly shook it off and answered her.
"If you insist. Since the callouses are the same on the fingers of both of your hands, I can estimate that you are ambidextrous. Not only that, but you are also an athlete in tennis and soccer. The callouses on both your palms and fingers show that you were holding the handle of a racket, the size being approximately that of a tennis racket, and you have a nice build in your arms from swinging to hit the ball with said racket. And as for soccer? The build in you legs says it too, from running and kicking a ball that was rolling. You kicked it using your feet, shins, or knees; there are a number of calluses on your legs."
Michelle feigned shock. "For shame! Next I suppose you'll be looking at my ankles!" She lightly punched Ratigan's arm. "Fair is fair. Now I shall tell you about yourselves. Neither of you has much experience talking to women. The first is entirely formal in an effort to conceal any and all emotion, and the second never expected that he would so much as speak to a lady, so he wasn't at all prepared."
The two rodents blinked at her before she continued, "Mr. Basil is a detective judging by his outfit, thought process, and mannerism. The tiny scars on his hands and slight burn stains on the cuffs of his sleeves tell me that he enjoys chemistry, especially working with dangerous chemicals. As for Mr. Ratigan, by the look of his outfit, I could only guess that he use to be a teacher, no, a professor. From what he said earlier, I would have to say that you were one of mathematics because of the way he sees everything as logical. He also favors for operas, which is why he wears a cape, to make him more dramatic and give him the slight appearance of a favored character."
Before anyone else in the room could respond, voices and footsteps were heard in the hallway as they got closer to the living room. One was Bailey's, and the other was an unfamiliar male voice.
"Alex it's okay! They haven't done us harm! There's no need to worry!"
"Bailey, harmless or not, I want to see them and confirm for myself whether or not they are safe to be around. "
"Alex, Michelle and I are older now; we can take care of ourselves. Besides, you might want to slow down. The appearance of our guests is... well, rather odd but they are gentlemen... as long as one doesn't anger the other."
"They fight each other? That's it! I want to see them!"
"Alex, wait!"
The man who came into the room looked to be almost 23 years old. His hair was very short, the same color as Bailey's, but his eyes were the same as Michelle's; his skin was a pale light tan, and his height was close to Ratigan's by an inch and a half. He wore a navy blue jacket on top of a light blue shirt, black pants, and black boots.
As soon as he saw the mouse and rat in the living room, he was taken aback as his eyes widened and his mouth hung open in very deep shock.
"Hello," Michelle greeted nonchalantly. "I was just getting to know our guests." She took Ratigan's hand. "As you can see from the long, slender fingers, he's blatantly a musician."
Alex finally managed to speak. "Bailey, when you said one of your visitors was a rat, I didn't think you meant a literal rodent, let alone two of them!"
Ratigan glared at the man, about to yell at him, but then he remembered what Bailey told him, so he managed to calm himself. "My dear sir, first of all, would you kindly not call me by that word? We are mice, and you are the older brother of these fine young ladies, are you not?"
The three humans looked at him in bewilderment. Why would he not want to be called by his species name? Why would he refer to himself as a mouse when he obviously wasn't? They decided to humor him.
Alex eventually nodded as he answered, "Yes I am. Might I ask who you two are?"
Basil clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You've a rather unusual way for beginning conversations, my good fellow, but I find no harm in introducing ourselves. I am Basil of Baker Street, and this is my nemesis, the nefarious Professor RATigan!"
Ratigan bristled at the emphasis on the first three letters of his name, but he held his tongue. Through his mind raced endless questions about why he had not yet succeeded in his plots against Basil's life.
Although the sleuth remained alert and attempted to give every implication of full attention, his peripheral vision rested on Bailey. She was rather attractive for a human. What a pity she had not been born a rodent!
"Just another Irene Adler," Basil told himself. "What use have I for such nonsense?"
However, despite his finest efforts, his valiant attempts to dismiss Bailey's natural grace were to no avail.
"Mr. Basil?"
He hadn't realized he was daydreaming. Being caught in a reverie highly vexed the investigator.
Are you alright? You've been zoned out for a while." Bailey asked him as he realized that she was staring at him in concern.
"I assure you all is well, Miss Palmer. I was merely introspecting." Basil reassured her.
"Anyway, Bailey mentioned that you two needed me to make you some clothes. Correct?" Alex asked the two rodents.
Basil nodded. "If you would be so kind."
"Once I get the exact measurements of you two... uh, gentlemen, I can get to work on it right away." Alex told them. His tone became serious, "But I will give you two this one warning and one warning only: During your stay here, you both better be on your best behavior because if anything were to happen to my sisters because of you two, I will hunt you down and kill you!"
Michelle laughed and waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh, please, Alex! Do you think after all my time at the zoo, I don't know how to dispose of unwanted carcasses?"
Alex sighed. "Okay, you have a point." Unable to resist, he concluded, "but I still stand by what I said! You two got it?!"
The two quickly nodded wordlessly. They could obviously tell that he was very protective of his family, especially of his little sisters.
Bailey changed the subject. "Are you both musicians?"
The two rodents turn to her as they nodded.
"I could tell from their hands. Mr. Basil plays the flute, though he favors the violin. Mr. Ratigan, on the other hand, plays the harp and piano."
"Do either of you write songs?" Michelle asked. "I do sometimes when I get too bored."
Strolling over to her baby grand, she played as she sang a low alto. "Memories, all of mine are with you still. Don't forget me."
Her voice became soprano for the second part of the duet she sang by herself, "Love, I swear I never will. Memories, precious thoughts that turn back time, please let him be one more day alive and mine."
She lowered her voice again. "You'll still have me in memories." Once more her voice raised an octave. "Life too sweet, too short, too fast! How can it be that this day has been his last?! Memories, make this night yesterday's dawn! It's killing me that tomorrow he'll be gone! He's leaving me..."
Here she held the note while playing the lower part of the duet on the piano before finishing, "Just memories."
Everyone clapped as she finished.
Ratigan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her sing so sweetly. "That was beautiful, Miss Palmer."
Michelle bowed. "Thank you, my dear flatterer."
Turning to Bailey, Basil queried, "Do you sing as well, Miss Palmer?"
"Yes I do, I can't write any good songs, but I can sing pretty well. I've been singing since I was little."
"I think Mr. Basil was asking for a demonstration," Michelle stated.
Bailey blushed slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of..."
"Oh, come on! You know they won't criticize too harshly with Sir Alex the Vigilant Protector around!"
Bailey chuckled at this. "If you insist. "
Taking out her iPhone, she looked for a song to sing. Both Basil and Ratigan took note of some of the odd devices they'd never seen before, for this home of the 21st Century was far different than their own dwellings in the latter Victorian Era. They would have to ask the three humans about what sort of things they had so that they could understand later.
Soon Bailey found a song that she thought that they might like, a melody from a movie she favored. As the music began to play, a few moments later, she started to sing.
Dreams to dream
In the dark of the night
When the world goes wrong
I can still make it right
I can see, so far in my dreams
I'll follow my dreams
Until they come true
Come with me
You will see what I mean
There's a world inside
No one else ever sees
You will go, so far in my dreams
Somewhere in my dreams
Your dreams will come true
There is a star
Waiting to guide us
Shining inside us
When we close our eyes!
Don't let go
If you stay close to me
In my dreams tonight
You will see what I see
Dreams to dream
As near as can be
Inside you and me
They always come true
Basil's breath was stilled at the angelic tones of the melody. As the others applauded, he stood enraptured.
"Will you sing for us, Professor?" Michelle requested.
Ratigan looked away shyly. "Oh...um...I don't know."
"Come now!" she coaxed. "I'll sing with you."
Crossing the room, she sat beside him and began a song from a musical she favored. "Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius. I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now." Always overeager to get into character at any opportunity, Michelle couldn't resist stroking his face. "You're here! That's all I need to know, and you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close, and rain will make the flowers grow."
Her head fell on his shoulder, and she smiled serenely up at him.
Ratigan hesitated.
"Wait. You wouldn't know this song, would you? It was written after your time," Michelle observed. "Well, here's how it ends." She gently seized his arm and wrapped it around her.
"If we're through with the theatrics, perhaps we can get down to business," Alex put in.
Everyone suddenly knew what he meant, and Bailey was the first to speak, "Oh yes, of course; we still need to get you two measured and show you around the house. I'm sorry we got so caught up there."
"Yeah, same here. Sorry." Michelle unwrapped herself from Ratigan's arm, slightly embarrassed, although to be honest, she wasn't a bit sorry.
"Never fret. Delightful conversation does tend to distract one." Basil assured them.
"For once I agree with the detective." Ratigan commented, although for reasons he couldn't explain, he found himself wondering about the lyrics to the song about rainfall.
"So then, shall we begin?" Bailey asked them.
The two rodents nodded.
"So let's go!" Michelle chimed in
Basil and Ratigan got off the couch as Michelle and Bailey began giving them the grand tour of the house.
Little did any of them know that this was a start of a new adventure and that things were about to change drastically for them all.