Disclaimer: Basil of Baker Street, David Q. Dawson, and Ratigan are © Eve Titus & Disney. Katherine Mousechester and Sharen & Minnie Mildres are © Disney, but their names (apart from Katherine's stage name-Miss Kitty) and personalities are © me.

A/N: This story starts immediately after the curtain closes on Miss Kitty in the movie. Miss Kitty goes to Basil's house the day after he saves the Queen, so if you think that wasn't long enough for him to heal, sue me. Or flame me. Flames will be used to light Basil's Bunsen burner. So ha.

P.S. If the cockney accents of the mice sound terrible, be nice.

After The Curtain
By HelenOfTroy AND mepb13

After the curtain closed on her, the mouse turned excitedly to her friends. "Well, 'ow

did I do?"

"You did beautifully, Kit!" Sharen clapped her gloved hands. "It's 'ard t'believe that was your first time singin' that!"

Katherine "Miss Kitty" Mousechester blushed slightly. "Oh, you...it weren't anythin', really..."

"Oh, don't ever say that!" That was Minnie, Sharen's twin sister. "You're the best singer I've ever 'eard!"

"Minnie," Katherine said, "you've been sayin' that t'me since I started workin' 'ere. Give yourself some credit-the songs ain't the same without your dancin'."

"But...but...Sharen, back me up 'ere, will you, sis? Kit's bein' all modest again."

Sharen laughed. "Kit, be a dear an' 'umor my sister. I'm too tired t'argue."

She brought out a basket from behind her back. "Besides, look what I found! It was a gift from a"-she made quote marks with her paws-"secret admirer."

"Oh?" Katherine arched a single perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Would you 'appen t' know 'is name?"

"Well...it was from James."

Sharen and Minnie were second cousins of the one and only Ratigan.

"'James'?" Katherine feigned surprise. "When did 'e become kind enough t'send 'is wonderful cousins a gift basket?"

Minnie giggled. "You think 'e sent this for us? You're the one 'e comes t'see. You're the one everyone comes t'see."

"Well, whether or not people come 'ere t'see 'er or not, let's not let this lovely basket go t'waste," Sharen said. "There's a bottle of wine in 'ere that's so strong it's against the law. Come on!"

Cheering softly so as not to interrupt the other performers, the three mice slipped into their shared dressing room.

"Pour me another shot, Sharen!" Katherine cried. "I ain't 'ad enough t'forget where I work!"

Sharen sighed. "Well, Kit, you've only 'ad one glass. I don't think that's even enough to fuddle a lightweight like you."

The three mice were in their shared dressing room (more like a closet, Sharen always said), enjoying the gift basket.

The room was small, with wooden chairs and one small table. Cheap votive candles lit up the scene, illuminating Katherine's eyes, which were already glazing over from the wine.

Katherine grinned at her friend's remark, turning to the other twin. "Minnie, what about you? You 'ain't touched your glass."

"I...I ain't thirsty." Her paws, clenched into fists already, constricted tighter so that the knuckles turned white.

Sharen cocked her head to the side. "Minnie...is somethin' wrong?"

"N-nothin'...I didn't do anythin'!" She shoved her paws under the table.

Katherine, lightheaded as she was, did not miss this movement. "Minnie?..."

"I didn't do anythin'! Leave me alone!" Her voice quivered.

"Minnie," Sharen said, "what d'you got in your paws?"

"I-I-I-"Her lower lip trembled.

"Oh Minnie." Katherine had finally figured out what was going on. "Not again..."

"I didn't mean to!" Minnie cried. "It w-was that-that bloke in the striped shirt. When I-when I kissed 'im on the cheek, I just...just reached in 'is pocket and...and..."

She collapsed into tears.

Sharen, always the protective sister, leaned over and embraced her twin. "Minnie, it's all right. You can't 'elp your stealin'..."

"I didn't mean to," Minnie wailed. "Honestly, I didn't...if the boss finds out, 'e'll fire me for sure..."

"Listen, Minnie, it's all right. We'll go find the bloke, return 'is stuff...what'd you take, anyway?"

Minnie held out her hand. "A...a couple o'shillin's an' a news clippin'. Nothin' big."

"Right. We'll go find the bloke-"

"Let me do it."

Minnie stared at the blue-eyed mouse behind her. "N-no, Kit, don't w- worry, I'll retur-"

"Believe me, Min, it's better if I do it. No offense, but you an' Sharen are a bit more...expendable than me. After all, the boss ain't gonna fire 'is star singer, is 'e?" His only singer, she reminded herself.

Minnie sniffled. "No...I guess not."

"So 'ere, give me the shillins' and the clippin' and I'll go return 'em." She held out her paw.

Minnie held out her own paw, dropping the aforementioned items into Katherine's.

"Th-thanks."

"No problem."

Slipping out of the dressing room, she scurried down the narrow hall, out a side door, and into the main area of the bar.

The sight that greeted her was not pretty.

"'Oly..." Katherine uttered a string of furious oaths. Working at a pub like this had its disadvantages, but the language lessons were wonderful.

The barroom was complete chaos. Mice were beating each other with chairs, knives, mugs, and everything else they could get their paws on.

Shots were ringing out all over the place. Katherine jumped as a bullet went whizzing past her, lodging in the wall quite close to her head.

She'd seen plenty of barroom brawls in her two years at the Trap, but nothing this bad. An ugly, drunken mouse appeared out of the shadows, leering evilly; she could smell the Trap's famous terrible whiskey on his breath. "Sweet'art, izz too late f'r a li'l gel like ye t'be out here. Ow'z 'bout I take ye 'ome and-"

Katherine promptly slapped him. He slumped to the ground at her feet.

She slipped back through the door. None of the other mice had seen her come through, and she intended to keep it that way.
"What??"

Katherine nodded. "It's true. I went in there, an' I ain't goin' back."

"But...what about the bloke in the shirt? 'E might be lookin' for 'is stuff- "

"Minnie, you stole five shillin's and a piece of paper. 'Ooever this bloke is, 'e's not gonna care."

"Let me see that clippin'," Sharen said.

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm nosy."

"Fair enough." Katherine handed it over.

Minnie peered at it over her twin's shoulder. "Basil o' Baker Street Solves Mysterious Disappearance. 'Oo's Basil o'Baker Street?"

"'Ow should I know?" Sharen said. "Now, quit peekin' over my shoulder. I'll show you the paper when I'm done."

When she finally got done ten minutes later (she was a slow reader) she handed the paper to her sister. "There's not much t'read, just loads of mush about 'ow great this Basil chap is. 'E's some kind o' tec, by the looks of it."

"A 'tec?" Katherine leaned over. "What would that bloke go see a 'tec for?"

"Maybe 'e's a bobby," Minnie offered. "Maybe 'e needed t'go solve a crime with Basil's 'elp. Maybe that's why 'e came 'ere; James comes 'ere a lot, don't he?"

"Maybe," Katherine replied. "There was someone else with 'im, remember? 'E looked mad when 'is friend came up on stage. Maybe 'e didn't want t'be noticed."

"Or maybe 'e was just jealous," Sharen said. "We should 'ave gotten 'im up there too. Then Minnie could've picked 'is pocket an' we wouldn't be wonderin' as much- oh Minnie, I didn't mean it that way!"

Minnie had burst into tears again.

The other two mice hurried to comfort her. Five minutes later, she had dried her eyes and smiled weakly. "Right. What were you saying, Kit?"

"Well, we were discussin' the possibility of this 'tec comin' 'ere to- what's that word?-appre'end your wonderful cousin," Katherine said. "Then we remembered the two blokes that were just 'ere, an'we're currently jumpin' t'conclusions...shall I go on?" "Don't let 'er," said Sharen. "If you do, we'll be up at one in the mornin' tryin' to stay awake while she's jabberin' on."

"Well, fine, if that's what you think of me." Katherine slumped in her chair and mock-sulked.

Sharen yawned. "All this talk of 'tecs an' stuff is makin' me tired. Mind if I take a kip, Minnie?"

"Oh no, go ahead. Me an' Kit can discuss it-Kit?"

Kit was already asleep, head flung back on the top of her chair.

Sharen grinned sleepily. "All that intrigue must've gotten t'er 'ead. She ain't gonna wake up for ages after this."

Minnie smiled. "Right. You just go t'sleep now. I ain't sleepy just yet."

Smiling one last time, her sister closed her eyes and laid her head on the dressing room table. "G'night...Minn..."

She fell asleep before her sentence was finished.

Reaching over, Minnie blew out the candles. "G'night, sis."

After that, the only noise in the dressing room was light breathing and not-so-light snoring.