Chapter One

Meg: Once again I have proceeded to write another adventure of Meg Sarentis and the GMD characters, but I have no idea how long it will take me to finish it. I have three jobs this summer not to mention cross-country practices, saxophone lessons, SAT studying, babysitting and Writing Club. Actually I have no stories for the latter activity either; I don't share my Meg Sarentis stories with them.

JWJ: Thank God!

Lizz: You shared Chapter Five of "The Great Locomotive Chase" with us!

Meg: Yeah, up to the 'Are you drunk? Drugged?' part. Then I stopped because Mrs. P. looked like she had been corrupted enough for one day.

JWJ: That poor woman.

Meg: Oh shut up. You're the only one here not in that club!

JWJ: For a few very good reasons. One, you all read stupid stories that are about girls.

Everyone else: So?

JWJ: Two, you all usually do a little guy-bashing during those meetings.

Leigh: Actually, it's usually Meg and RAEB and Mrs. P.

RAEB: BECAUSE GUYS ARE MORONS!

Sarah: Down RAEB.

JWJ: And three, all your stories stink.

RAEB: See? Guys ARE morons.

Emma: Well, at least JWJ is.

Leigh: Pileup!

(Everyone except Lizz tackles JWJ.)

Lizz: Guys, that's not very nice.

RAEB: Who cares?

Lizz: Fine, guess I'll do the disclaimer. Basil, Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan and Hiram and Olivia Flaversham are owned by Disney and Eve Titus and may not be used without permission. Meg Sarentis and everyone else are owned by Megana and may not be used without permission.

It was a dark and stormy night...

(Meg: Heehee, I've always wanted to say that!

JWJ: Weirdo.

Meg: Fine, fine, it was actually a dark and stormy afternoon. Happy?

JWJ: Not until you stop writing these dumb stories.

Meg: Whatever.)

It was a dark and stormy afternoon, and the little flat in Baker Street was filled with mice. Mr. Flaversham and Rahle sat in front of the fire playing a very competitive game of chess. Isabelle Fremly and Dawson sat near the front window deep in conversation. Mrs. Judson attempted to teach both Olivia and Li Yan how to knit on the other side of the room.

And I was trying to play a duet with Basil on the violin. With his help I had somewhat improved over the past months. He had been very patient with me, but there were times when I tried his patience.

"Meg, that is not a quarter note."

"Oh. I thought it was a dotted quarter."

"And this phrase here..." he played it rapidly on his violin. "Like that."

"You're too fast. Play it again, slowly."

He played the phrase again. I tried to imitate it, but got lost in the middle. "That is a B natural, not B sharp," he said, exasperated.

"It is?" I peered at the paper. "But there's the symbol for sharp, right there."

"That's the symbol for natural. This is the symbol for sharp," he said, pointing to another symbol near the top of the page. "Notice the difference?"

"Oh. But they look the same!"

"Not quite. Try it again."

I started at the beginning, but halfway through I messed up on the same phrase. "You're holding your bow wrong," said Basil, shaking his head. He took my arms and moved them in the right position. "There." I tried it again, and played most of the phrase right. Basil smiled. "Good, Megana."

Mr. Flaversham had already beaten Rahle at three games of chess, and the little French mouse was not happy.

"Vous avez de la chance," he grumbled as Flaversham took away his queen.

Olivia was learning quickly how to knit, chatting with Mrs. Judson. Li Yan, however, stared off into space. She had dropped her knitting, and it was starting to unravel.

Isabelle and Dawson conversed in low tones, looking happy. Isabelle laughed every so often. Her cheeks were red with merriment.

I suddenly felt very lonely, watching them together.

"Meg?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, realizing that I had my violin on my shoulder, the bow lying across the strings but not moving, the last note I had played long since dead. "Oh, sorry Basil," I said distractedly, shooting one more glance at Dawson and Isabelle.

Basil followed my gaze. "And I thought I was the only one suffering from separation anxiety."

"Well, I've decided to join the club," I said, forcing out a laugh.

Basil shook his head. "That isn't all, is it?"

I scrunched up my face in mock annoyance. "You know too much about people and their emotions."

"No, I notice more about their behaviors."

"True," I said quietly.

"So what is wrong with Dawson and Isabelle?"

"Nothing's wrong with it. They're happy. I want them to be happy. It's just that I don't want them to… be... happy!" Basil raised an eyebrow. "All right, I didn't mean it in that way," I said.

"Then how did you mean it?" Basil asked filling up his pipe.

"I meant that I... I don't know. Stop confusing me!"

"How in the world am I confusing you?"

I looked at Basil. His lips were pursed and his mouth twisted to the side, his eyes wide and baffled. The expression was too comic for Basil. I must have been wearing a funny expression on my face, because we both burst out laughing.

After about a minute of helpless laughter, everybody stopped what they were doing to stare at us, confused. When we finally calmed down, Rahle snapped, "What is so funny?"

"Nothing," Basil said lightly.

"Fine! Laugh all you want, you silly people!" Rahle barked. "I will find out!"

"Find out what?" Flaversham asked him.

"Make your move!" Rahle shot back, motioning to the chessboard.

"I did about a minute ago. Checkmate."

"What? C'est impossible!" Rahle shouted, looking frantically at the chessboard. "You cheated!"

Flaversham sighed. "No, I did not."

"Yes you did!"

Isabelle looked puzzled. "What just happened?"

"I'm not sure," I answered, giggling.

Just then there was a loud banging on the door. Isabelle got up to answer it.

Mr. Liang burst in.

"Mr. Liang! We weren't expecting you for at least another hour!" Mrs. Judson said as Li Yan ran up to give her grandfather a hug.

"Hello, Li Yan," Liang said. He looked at all of us solemnly. "There was an accident. A train ran off the tracks, and is in the Thames. They're asking for all the help they can get in trying to get the survivors out."

Basil, Dawson, Flaversham, Isabelle, and I immediately grabbed our coats.

"Hold on a minute," Basil said to Isabelle and I. "You both should stay here."

"Come on, they're going to need a few volunteer nurses," Isabelle protested. I nodded in agreement.

"Someone should stay with Li Yan and Olivia," Dawson said.

"Oh, I will stay with them," Mrs. Judson said.

Even Mr. Liang shook his head. "No, they have all the medical help they can get. It's men to get survivors out of the train that they need."

"We can do that!"

"No."

"What about you?" Basil asked Rahle, who had just lit up a cigar.

"Take that disgusting thing outside!" Mrs. Judson exclaimed. She was not fond of the French mouse. Her hatred of cigars did not help matters, since Rahle had a habit of smoking them every time he visited.

"Fine! Fine!" he said nervously, quickly putting it out. He always acted like a bad schoolboy being scolded by his teacher during his interactions with her.

"Come on man, are you coming or not?" Dawson snapped.

"Where?"

Mr. Liang sighed. Basil pulled Rahle from his chair up and dragged him to the door. "That's of no concern to you right now."

"You insane English-types are all mad! A poor artist can't even enjoy himself on a miserable evening to sit by the fire! No, he has to be dragged about everywhere!"

"David, I want to help!" Isabelle said to Dawson.

"Sorry Isabelle, it's too risky."

"I don't care!"

"I want to help too!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Me also," Li Yan offered.

"NO!" everyone else said in unison. "You're too young!"

Li Yan frowned. Olivia threw herself in a chair and pouted.

"We're wasting time!" said Liang impatiently.

"Miss Fremly, you're here on invitation," said Basil. "Your father would murder poor Dawson over here if he knew you were involved in such a dangerous rescue. Out of respect for Dawson, stay here. Meg, you..." he trailed off, as if at a loss for words.

"What about me?" Rahle asked.

"You're coming!" Basil barked.

"Zut."

They started to leave. I grabbed Basil by the arm. "Basil-"

"Meg, please stay here and look after everyone."

"They can take care of themselves!"

"Please Meg," he said in a low voice, grasping my hand. "You know that Baker Street is always in danger from Ratigan. I can trust you with the responsibility of making sure everyone else is safe."

"Oh, well... all right," I said, feeling a little better about the situation.

"Thank you." He followed the others out the door.

"Be careful!" I called out to them.

"Men," Isabelle huffed as I closed the door. "They think they're the only ones that can help in an emergency."

"They do have some superiority issues, don't they?" I grinned. Isabelle smiled.

"So… that Frenchman, Rahle, he's..." she paused.

"Unbearable!" Mrs. Judson broke in. "I cannot stand that man! He is disrespectful, rude, conceited, obnoxious, and-"

"Egotistical?" I added.

"Yes!"

"Mrs. Judson, I have never heard you say such things about anyone!"

The landlady shook her head. "There are exceptions to everything. Well, I will make us some dinner."

"We'll help..."

"No, no! Go entertain the young girls," she said, shooing us away.

It was dark, and none of the men had come back home. Isabelle stared out the window. "I'm worried," she said as I approached her. "They've been gone for close to three hours."

"They'll be fine."

"But still..." she became silent.

"So Isabelle… has Dawson proposed yet?" I said mischievously.

She gave me a look of surprise. "What are you talking about? David? Propose! Hah!"

"Come on, Isabelle. He's crazy about you!"

"Is he really?" she said, chuckling.

"Of course he is! Don't you love him?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"Oh, this is so exciting! You two are perfect for each other!"

"Meg Havers!"

"Isabelle Fremly!" I mocked.

She rolled her eyes. "You need to get interested in someone else's courtship." Then her eyes widened. "What about you and Basil?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What about me and Basil?"

"You two were so cute together over there in the corner, playing that song!"

"He's being nice."

"Oh, come on! He likes you."

My heart skipped a beat. I wondered if Isabelle knew something I did not know.

Basil had been nicer to me as of late. Well, at least more tolerable. He had not even forced me to stay behind at Baker Street tonight. That did not mean, however, that he regarded me in a romantic sense… right? Sometimes I felt that we had something more than a business relationship or even a friendship. I did not think I was willing to admit that there was more.

And what about Josh? It had been about one year since his death, but I had known him so little that I felt like it was time to move on. However, I could not even begin to conceive Basil as a possible suitor.

"Never."

"You don't like him?"

"Isabelle, he drives everyone crazy! He's too... smart... for me."

"That is the single most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, Megana. And you still didn't answer my question."

"I feel nothing more for Basil than I would feel for a friend."

"You are cold."

"Why? Do you know something I don't know?"

"Well, Rahle thinks that Basil is attracted to you."

"Rahle also thinks that the Romanovs are trying to have him assassinated."

"What?"

"Long story. Does Dawson know anything about this?"

"No." (Reader, she was lying through her teeth, but I did not know this.)

"Then it is of no importance," I said lightly, walking over to Li Yan and Olivia.

"Meg, you're impossible!"

"Hello Meesus Meg," Li Yan said, still struggling with the knitting.

"How's it going?" I asked.

"This is hard."

"You will learn in time, dear," Mrs. Judson said.

I heard the sound of Toby barking from Upper 221B.

"Yes, knitting is hard," I offered. "You'll get it."

"I hope so."

A flash of lightning, followed by a crash, made us all jump. Toby stopped barking.

"What was that?" Olivia whispered.

There was another flash of lightning. The portrait of Ratigan on the mantle seemed to leer more evilly at me. I shivered, remembering Basil's warning.

"It was probably nothing," I said uncertainly. I grabbed a candle from the table and lit it. "Umm... everyone wait here."

"I'll come," Isabelle said quietly.

I looked up the dark stairs. I really did not want to go up to the second floor of the flat alone.

"All right."

We slowly ventured up the stairs to the next floor. "Why don't we look in here?" Isabelle said, motioning to my room.

I nodded. We cautiously opened the door. My room was a mess; books and papers were on every single available surface. A bed, a washstand, a bureau, and a bookcase, as well as two large trunks took up most of the floor space.

"This is your room?" Isabelle said, trying hard not to laugh, as we searched under the bed. "A little... cramped, don't you think?"

"Smallest room in the house," I said. "This was where I stayed when I worked here as a maid. When Josh died, Mrs. Judson offered me the same room. I wasn't expecting to stay here very long."

"Then what happened?"

"Oh... Basil asked me to be his... um.... secretary." We moved on to Dawson's room. His was larger. There were papers on the floors, but in neat piles.

"What's with the papers?" Isabelle asked.

"Dawson records practically all of Basil's cases. He thinks it will be very important someday."

"What about the ones in your room?"

"Information on cases I've helped with. Basil's supposed to go through it all and catalog it somehow, but he can't seem to find the time." She shook her head. I shrugged. "That's life here at Baker Street."

We continued on to the next room. "Why did you stay here so long?" she asked.

"I already told you why."

"No. What I mean is, you didn't have to. But why did you?"

"I really don't know," I confessed. "It's not like I knew Basil or Dawson well. Mrs. Judson was really the one I was close to. But maybe they made me feel safe; like I was home."

"Oh."

We had made it to the end of the hallway when I heard a yelp. It sounded like it was far away. Isabelle looked at me in alarm. "That was from downstairs," she hissed.

"It was?"

We hurried down the stairs. There was no one in sight. The fire had gone out, and the lamp was missing from the table. "Mrs. Judson? Olivia? Li Yan?" These words seemed to echo back to me with a dreadful finality. "Oh God..."

"Meg, the front door is still locked," Isabelle called.

"They have to still be here."

"Where?"

My eyes traveled to Basil's bedroom. I went to the door and threw it open.

"Looking for something?" an all-too familiar voice asked me mockingly.

My candle went out, plunging me into darkness. But I had seen enough.

My worst nightmare had come back.

Everyone: (collective blink)

Meg: What? Didn't any of you like that chapter?

Everyone: (collective blink)

Meg: It's okay. It's not one of my best beginnings. I don't want to exhaust the whole Meg/Ratigan thing by putting it in too many times, so if anyone thinks I need to drop it for awhile, then review and tell me. I'm also working out a whole Meg/Basil thing. Actually, I'm nowhere near figuring out how to approach that. I'll wait for some brilliant inspiration. So until then... (shrugs)

Emma: 'Until then' what?

Meg: I dunno.

Everyone: (collective blink)