Disclaimer: I do not own Danger Mouse or any characters featured. They are the property of Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall. I also do not own The Little Mermaid; neither the one by Hans Christian Anderson, nor the Disney adaptation.
Notes: This story serves as a follow-up for the episode Crumhorn Strikes Back. Due to that, there is a spoiler warning. This one is just brotherly love and friendship fluff. The information about Danger Mouse's parents being secret agents and him being raised by a nanny comes from the book The Danger Mouse File. Fifi is not an original character. Though never seen, she seems to be Danger Mouse's old flame from France. He doesn't really like to talk about her, so things might've fallen flat between them. Esmeralda isn't original either, she seems to be Isambard's parrot.
I hope you enjoy this!
(Linebreaks hate me, so they will be replaced by DMEP)
DMEP
Oh! Do you want me to tell you a stowy? Wight. Esmewalda and I will tell you about Danger Mouse and Penfold. They live in a wed pillar-box on a corner of a stweet and they are hewoes. Danger Mouse is getting weady to wead to Penfold. I wanna hear it too! Let's go listen, Esmewalda!
"Alright, are you and Teddy comfortable?" Danger Mouse asked Penfold as they sat on the sofa. He looked to his currently-female assistant.
"What are you weading, Uncle Danger Mouse?" Penfold asked as she shifted closer.
"How about the story of The Little Mermaid? Would you prefer the Disney picture book? Or would you rather the story by Hans Christian Anderson?"
"Disney, pwease!"
He picked up the selected book. He knew there had to be a reason he kept it in his library. Of course, he had never expected he would be reading it to his assistant who had turned into a little girl due to a mishap of accidentally taking a transformation pill. He opened the book. "Can you see the pictures alright?"
She nodded.
"Right. Here we go then." He cleared his throat then started to read the book.
DMEP
As he reached the part about Ursula and Prince Eric's wedding, he paused as the sound of gentle snoring filled his ears. He looked to see his assistant was fast asleep. "After a day like today, I can't say I blame him. Her. Erm, which would be the appropriate pronoun anyway? Oh, well, best get Penfold to bed." He closed the book, set it down, rose to his feet and carefully scooped the hamster (and the hamster's teddy bear) into his arms.
As he carried the tiny rodent to the bedroom said rodent claimed, Danger Mouse could not help but start pondering. Was this what it felt like to be a father?
DMEP
"There we are, all tucked in." Feeling something he hadn't felt before, he bent down and gave his currently-much-younger assistant a tender kiss on the forehead. He smiled gently. "Rest well, Penfold." He quietly made his way out of the bedroom, closing the door halfway so if the assistant-turned-child needed him, he would be certain to hear any calls loud and clear.
He paused in the passageway and put his paw to his forehead. "What happened there, I wonder?" he whispered. He thought hard about it. "It's almost as if some paternal instinct had taken over. I know this is only temporary, and that is still Penfold. So, why did that happen?" He continued on his way back to the living room, still thinking about it. "It's not that it was a bad feeling, though at the same time, there was a touch of sorrow attached. Why? I mean, I love my job and with how dangerous it is, there is no way I could ever truly settle down and have a family of my own. Sure, my parents had me, but Mother and Father left me with a nanny. I think I only ever heard Mother's voice once...the night I was born. Since then..." He sighed. "Not really knowing them is a curse and a blessing. It means none of our lives would be endangered in order to get one of us to follow heinous plots. But, there are times I wish I knew them. Nanny was sweet, of course she was. But, what if I was raised by my parents instead?"
DMEP
Danger Mouse had a cup of tea in his paws as he sat at the table and continued pondering. "What would life have been like if I hadn't followed this path? What if I had stayed with...well, with Fifi, and we were wed and had children? There's no doubt I am good with kids, Fifi showed the same when she spoke with children she knew." He lifted the cup and had a sip before lowering it down to the table again. "Would I have minded the peaceful life? I know that nowadays I claim anything outside of death-defying adventure is rather dull, but that is because my life is full of death-defying adventure. If I had lived a normal life, would I have preferred life being quiet?"
He removed his paws and leaned back in his chair. He cast his one-eyed glance to the ceiling. "Yet, I still wonder this; would I have been able to meet Penfold, had my life been like that? Would I have had other friends who were just as loyal?"
DMEP
Penfold stirred and opened his eyes. His? Yes, it seemed the transformation pill had finally worn off while he was having his nap. "Hm? How'd I get here, eh? Last I remember was having what I thought was a sweetie, then DM reading The Little Mermaid to me...I must've dropped off." He sat up, reached to the nightstand and picked up his glasses. As he slipped them on, he noticed his forehead was tingling. He could faintly recall feeling something there before he was completely dead to the world. That feeling was rather familiar; it brought him back to his days as a little boy and his mother would kiss him on his forehead every night when she tucked him in. "DM kissed me? Why?" The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. At that time, he was in the form of a young, female child. "Did DM suddenly think he was my father?" He pushed back the covers and clambered off his bed.
DMEP
The mouse shook his head before having the final sip of tea. "No, as nice as a life like that sounds, I think I prefer things as they are now."
"Prefer what as they are now?"
"A life of adventure, saving the world day after day, getting calls from Colonel K and having Penfold by my side as my assistant."
"Aww, Chief..."
He quickly turned around and saw his assistant standing there. "Penfold! Ah, it seems the transformation pill has worn off. How are you feeling?"
"A little confused."
"I think that would make two of us."
"Eh?"
He smiled gently and shook his head. "Never mind. So then, what has you in a bit of a muddle?"
"Sir, did you...um...kiss my forehead before? I'm pretty sure someone did."
"Yes. Yes, I did."
"How come?"
"For that brief moment, paternal feelings filled me."
"Paternal? Because I was a kid?"
"Yes. It's hard to explain, but at that moment, I felt like a father instead of a secret agent. It happened before I realised it."
"Ah."
"You know, I've been pondering what life would be like if I wasn't a secret agent. If I had lived a normal life. I came to the conclusion that this life is far better suited to me."
"As much as I don't like the danger we go through, I have to admit I like my life like this too."
"You do?"
"Sure. I got to meet you, didn't I?" He beamed brightly, almost enough to outmatch the sun. "If there was one person in the world I would rather have as my best friend, it would always be you."
"Penfold..." He rose from his seat, stepped closer to the hamster, bent down and warmly embraced him, touched by his words. "This is exactly why I am glad life turned out like this."
He returned the embrace, his eyes closed. "Me too, DM."
DMEP
Ahem. I hope you will excuse my earlier behaviour; turned out I had taken one of those transformation pills Crumhorn invented. Right, as our story closes on this touching scene shared between two friends, one can't help but wonder where else their lives will lead. Well, maybe we'll be able to find out in the next narrative of...Danger Mouse!
DMEP
After-notes: I'd had this story in mind for a little while, but couldn't think of how it should go. Considering how kindhearted Danger Mouse is, he would be a great father if he had settled down and had kids with someone, maybe Fifi. I had to add the fluff at the end, my writing pattern made me do it. I hope Penfold and Isambard as little girls weren't written too irritatingly.
Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it. You don't have to review, but if you choose to say something, please don't flame. Constructive criticism is welcomed though. Thank you again. See you next time!