Daddy

Chapter 1

"I have many things I would like to say to you,

but I will not do it with pen and paper. Rather,

I hope to see you soon so we can speak face to face."

(3 John 13-14)

"There is no fear in love because love casts out fear."

(1 John 4:18)

It was a bright, sunny day in New York City. Located in a tree in Central Park was the Rescue Rangers Headquarters.

Gadget Hackwrench stepped out onto the front porch and observed the setting. The morning dew still clung to the leaves. The blond-haired mouse was still in her pajamas. She picked up the wad of mail that rested at her feet and entered the house once again. The aroma of cheese met her nostrils as she entered the house. Monty was cooking again.

"What cha got there, Gadget, love?" Monty asked.

"Just the mail," Gadget replied as she looked through the envelopes. One envelope caught her attention. This one had Dale's name on it.

She looked over at the red-nosed chipmunk, who, like the others, was still in his pajamas. He was wrapped up in Foxglove's wings. His lover, the pink bat, smiled at him. Her baby blue eyes seemed to sparkle as the sunlight hit them.

Setting aside the rest of the mail, she approached Dale with his envelope in her hands. "Oh, Dale," she said softly. She held up the envelope. "You've got mail."

"From who?" Dale inquired.

Gadget looked at the return address. "Someone named Jeremy Oakmont."

"Gimme that," Dale snapped. He snatched the envelope from her so fast that she barely had time to blink.

Everyone–including Zipper–watched Dale as he ripped open the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper that he took out. As he read the letter, he turned a ghostly white and his body began to shake uncontrollably. He shook so badly he could barely hold onto the letter.

He suddenly leaped from the table and ran to the bathroom. Once he'd closed and locked the bathroom door, he threw open the toilet seat and began throwing up.

Outside, the others tried to overhear what was going on.

Gadget gently knocked on the bathroom door. "Dale, are you okay?" In response, she heard Dale retching.

Dale took several deep breathsto calm himself. He felt hot, as if someone had turned up the thermostat full blast. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look well. He didn't even feel well. He felt nauseous.

He gripped the side of the sink, his claws scraping against the metal, scratching it. He took several more deep breaths to calm himself down. Unfortunately, the hot air only made him feel hotter.

Outside, everyone watched as the door knob turned. They heard the toilet flush, then saw Dale exit the bathroom.

"Dale, are you all right?" Chip asked.

"Perfect, never been better," Dale replied as he walked past the group. He entered the kitchen and tore up the letter from his father and threw the ripped up pieces in the trash.

"Are you hungry?" Monty asked. "You sure look like you could use something to eat."

Dale shook his head. "No, thanks, Monty," he stated. "I'm not hungry. I've suddenly lost my appetite." He walked out of the house.

The five friends stared at each other in bewilderment.

Later, Dale looked at Chip to make sure that he was asleep. Once he was sure that Chip was asleep, he pulled his suitcase out from underneath Chip's bed. He'd packed his things earlier that day.

It was only ten o' clock at night. By now everyone was asleep. Well, everyone except Gadget and Dale himself. As he passed Gadget's room, he could see light emitting from the crack of her door, telling him that she was still up, probably working on a new invention. He knew that she'd go to bed early in the morning and sleep throughout most of the day. He'd figured this out when he'd pulled one of his all-nighters.

Realizing that he'd have to sneak out to avoid disrupting Gadget, he quietly–or at least as quietly as possible–crept over to the front door.

The night air was cool. The leaves rustled as a light breeze blew. The breeze seemed to relax the fear-stricken chipmunk.

To Dale's right was the Ranger Wing, positioned in front of the runway. He shook his head. Based on where he was going, he realized he'd never get to his destination using the Ranger Wing.

He had some friends in LA who, as one of them put it, were "major rock stars." They were an extremely popular pop group. There were three of them, as opposed to the original four or five members of a pop group.

"Now the only question is how to get there," Dale pondered. He couldn't fly there. Ever since 9/11, security at airports had become air-tight, and using a hangglider was out of the question. Therefore, a train would be the best means of travel. Wit this thought in mind, he began heading towards the train station.