Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! By: Reyelene

Upon recently reading some new Great Mouse Detective fan-fictions, I've come across ones that have brought Felicia back to life. You would think that if I firmly believe in the possibility of Fidget surviving the fall in The River Thames, I would find the idea of Felicia surviving to be plausible, right? Not exactly, and here's why I think this. Felicia was practically mangled by the guard dogs, the plausibility of her surviving would be ZERO. Fidget, on the other hand, has a multitude of possibilities of surviving the River Thames outside my own little theories, that is. Furthermore, I'm not really a Felicia fan, nor am I a fan of cats either (I think that's something Fidget and I share). BUT, I do like an occasional challenge and I figured since everyone else took a stab at dedicating fan-fictions/pastiches to Felicia, I got the nagging feeling that I should do one as well. Soooooo ... here it goes!


Chapter 2: She's on the Loose!

Visions of the dark past plagued Fidget's brain as he turned away from the sight of the mouse tail. He had remembered ... It wasn't just buckets of fish Fidget fed to Felicia ... It was Ratigan's prisoners. Just as Fidget was the executioner to Captain Lillian Bates of the Nightwing pirates, he was also the executioner to the innocent mice Ratigan kept as prisoners. Felicia may have been the one who ate them, but it was Fidget who was appointed the task of bringing them to her. They were among the widows and orphans Professor Ratigan had kidnapped that never came out. Each one sent to Felicia to meet their untimely demise shivered in fear, some were good at masking it like the martyrs they were, while most cried hysterically, saying they didn't want to die or they were too young to die. Some even looked Fidget in the face moments away before their execution, asking him "why are you doing this!?" or "Have mercy!" And to think that Fidget had been unfazed the whole time that happened!? The thought had now made Fidget sick to his stomach, causing him to vomit. Why hadn't he realized how brainwashed he was back then?

"It's that cat who did it!" cried one of the towns mice. "That cat Professor Ratigan once had!"

"But didn't that cat die?" mentioned another. "The Royal Guard dogs at Buckingham Palace killed her. All that was left was her bow and some fur."

"Yes, but she could've escaped. After all, it was only a bow and some fur. No body parts were found. Cats are very sneaky, you know."

Yeah, tell me about it, was what Fidget wanted to say in agreement but was still getting over feeling sick. He also didn't want to attract attention to himself, especially when it came to the scene of the crime.

"Hey, you!" a mouse cried, pointing a finger in Fidget's direction. The peg-legged bat didn't realize the mouse was pointing at him ... until the mouse approached him more closely and swatted his shoulder. Fidget lifted his yellow eyes upward. "Why are you on your knees for?!"

Fidget didn't answer. Did the mouse seriously have to ask him that, after the bat just got sick!? Nevertheless, Fidget rose to his foot and peg so as not to be rude (after all, he already made a bad impression on that girl rat). Absentmindedly, he placed a webbed hand on his stomach, anticipating a second urge to vomit.

"Aren't going to help the little lady!?" the mouse demanded. "Or are you going to just get sick in front of the crowd!?"

"I ... don't know how to help her," Fidget replied. "But ... I can try." Honestly, Fidget had no idea why he gave the mouse such a weak answer, especially since the mouse was so rude to him for being inconsiderate. Nevertheless, this wasn't the time or place for an argument. Fidget sauntered in the crying lady's direction, removing his webbed hand from his stomach and placing it behind his head in a nervous manner. He looked at the mouse lady with guilt in his eyes and his whole body was rigid. How could he help her? He wasn't too good with words and he didn't want to say something that would make her more upset than she really was. And she was still holding onto that dismembered tail, which made Fidget feel all the more awkward to approach her any more closely. Finally, Fidget spoke. "Are ... are you alright, miss?"

Surprisingly, the lady mouse steadied her tears and looked up to meet her speaker. She had the same pair of green eyes as Deniece did, upon noticing Fidget relaxed more around the woman. Unfortunately, this woman did not share the same thoughts as Fidget, and her tear-filled green eyes suddenly narrowed to two angry slits. She lifted her hand and pointed a finger at the peg-legged bat. "You!"

Fidget blinked in surprise. "What? Me?!"

"You did this, didn't you!?"

Now Fidget had jerked back, eyes wide as his accuser lifted herself to her feet and shook the tail in front of his face. "What are you talkin' about, lady?"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about!" the lady mouse continued to accuse him. "I saw you carry my little sister away ... and she never came back!"

Fidget gave the lady mouse a perplexed stare as he tried to retrace in the back of his mind all the innocent victims he had brought to Ratigan to be executed to Felicia. Since Fidget had once been accused before by the Von Freirherr brothers, he learned not to defend himself this time. It was possible that Fidget may have encountered this lady's little sister at some point, but he didn't recall too many of the little orphans having the same features as this lady.

"You're not listening, are you!?" the lady mouse snapped her fingers in front Fidget's face, catching him off guard. The peg-legged bat didn't realize she was still talking to him.

Fidget blinked his eyes and shook his head giddily. "I ... I'm sorry ... your sister?"

"Yes, my sister!" the lady shouted. "And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! I want to know why you did this to my husband!"

Contradictory to what Fidget planned in mind, he spoke in his own defense. "Ma'am, I don't know anyt'ing about your husband! I've never even seen him before!"

The lady mouse laughed, refusing to believe anything this creature said. "And I suppose you've never seen my little sister before!?"

Fidget shrugged his shoulder as he shook his head. "M-my mind's a blank."

"If you don't know anything, how come you just got sick a few minutes ago!?" another mouse asked Fidget accusingly. It was the same male mouse who forced Fidget into helping the little lady. The bat clutched his stomach, feeling as if he was going to be sick again. The sight of the dismembered tail didn't help either. The lady mouse still shook it, causing Fidget to walk backwards in faltering steps. Once again, he fell to his knees and vomited on the pavement. His body shivered uncontrollably as the crowd of mice that stood before him began to mock him.

"Not so cocky now that your guilt has been exposed, are you!?" said the rude mouse.

"That still won't match the dread my little sister must've felt before you had her killed!" the lady mouse followed. "And obviously, you haven't learned your lesson since my husband is now gone!"

"If that cat is still alive, maybe we should provide her an offering!" another mouse from the crowd volunteered.

"Say, that's a good idea!" the rude mouse agreed. "Then he won't be able to do it again!"

"No, that's not enough!" the lady mouse cried. "I want him to suffer, as he is suffering now!"

"P-please ... s-stop," Fidget begged. He could feel one of the mice grab him by the collar, but Fidget was too weak to fight back. The bat slowly opened his yellow eyes to look into the eyes of of his attacker. Instead, Fidget noticed something moving in the distance, causing his eyes to shift. It was ... something giant ... and it was coming closer. Fidget's blood had now run cold. Although the details of the figure were obscured by the fog, he knew what it was. He furiously tugged on the mouse's sleeve to get his attention. "C-c-cat!"

"You think you can trick us, creature?!" the mouse mocked. "We're not stupid! We can see through your lies!"

"You're not listenin'!" Fidget raised his voice as he continued to tug the mouse's sleeve. "Look!"

The crowd of mice (and the mouse that held him) ignored Fidget, still assuming he was lying to throw them off guard ... until the green-eyed lady mouse heard a faint "Meow ..."

The lady mouse's blood went cold and her entire body froze in fear. "What ... what was that?"

Although he was still trembling out of his skin, Fidget bit the mouse on the hand to be released. The giant cat was now only a foot away from behind the lady mouse ... and its body arched back, ready to pounce. "Why are you all standin' around!?" Fidget shouted, ignoring the mouse's complaints about being bit. "Get outta here!"

All the mice dispersed themselves, including the rude mouse that had threatened Fidget earlier ... except for the lady mouse, who noticed the shadow that was growing from behind her. But she was too frozen in her feet to move. Aggravated by the stand-still moment displayed by the lady while the giant cat was obviously fixing its gaze on her, Fidget sprung into action, pulled her by the arm, and forced her into a run as further away from the beast as possible. The sound of something crashing in the background followed. Most likely the cat had crashed against the wall, thinking an available mouse was still there for it to snack on. Fidget glanced back only once. Indeed, the cat did crash into something and knocked itself out, allowing the two an opportunity to catch their breaths.

"Where are you taking me!?" the lady mouse demanded, freeing her wrist from the bat's grasp.

"Away from dat!" Fidget spat out as he pointed to the large cat in the distance. He turned his gaze back at the lady mouse. "You should run home! Don't let dat cat see you!"

"Well, I never!" the lady mouse huffed and she rubbed her wrist, which was now slightly bruised because Fidget was too rough in grabbing her. "You have the worst manners ever! You think you can order me around after what you just did to my little sister and now my husband!?"

"Ok, for da last time!" Fidget protested. "I have never seen your husband before! And I don't know who your sister was!"

Without warning, the lady mouse slapped Fidget in the face. "Didn't I tell you not to pretend you don't know anything!?"

Fidget rubbed his sore cheek. "I'm serious, I don't know! I haven't seen any kids dat have da same features as you!"

At this, the lady mouse blinked in confusion. Was this bat daft? Who said her sister was a child? "My sister was a young teenager! And how could you not know who she was, when she was the one who kept asking you why you took her away?!"

Once again, Fidget placed a webbed hand behind his head and backtracked in his mind the faces of innocents he had seen. Then he remembered something ... Yes, there was a red-headed girl mouse ... and she did have this lady's green eyes! And as Fidget had bound her hands behind her back and escorted her to meet her demise, she turned to him once and asked, "Why!? Why are you doing this!?" Those were her final words before Felicia snapped the red-headed up in her jaws. His large ears drooped guiltily. "D-did she ... have r-red hair?"

"Oh, now you remember! Now it all comes back to you!"

Fidget did not respond, but noticed that Felicia had finally regained consciousness. It wouldn't be long before she would spot them before charging.

"Go home, now!" Fidget told the lady mouse.

The lady mouse looked at him with a gaze that was a mixture of anger and seriousness. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to submissively take orders from the likes of you, like I'm one of your slaves, you are sadly mistaken!"

Fidget crossed his arms. If she was trying to scare him, it was not working. "If you don't go home, Felicia will come after you!"

But the lady mouse continued to antagonize Fidget. "Oohhh, look who's high-and-mighty! I'm not leaving until you tell me why you had my sister-"

"YOU DON'T LIKE TO LISTEN, DO YOU!?" Fidget yelled at the top of his lungs, now getting aggravated by this lady mouse's presence. "GET DA HELL OUTTA HERE! NOW!"

The lady mouse's jaw dropped and she ran off. As much as he disliked it, Fidget had to put on his scary face to get her to leave. She just wouldn't shut up and Fidget knew Felicia could care less to hear words of reason from anybody.

Still, there was just one little problem ... Felicia was now staring straight at HIM. She was no more than three feet away from the bat; pure fear brought Fidget to a standstill. His mind was screaming to run away, but both his leg froze. And Felicia's eyes gleamed with delight as she grinned wickedly. Fidget's blood had run cold, he clamped both his yellow eyes shut, anticipating one of Felicia's large paws to strike at him. Frustration raced through his mind. Why couldn't he move!? Who will help Deniece with her groceries now!? Who will console the Collins in their time of need!? And who will carry out the lessons Father Richards bestowed upon Fidget!?

"So, you survived, didn't you?"

Suddenly, Fidget could hear a voice in his head ... and it sounded like a mixture between a warped record, a cat's purr, and a woman's voice. Was the cat ... speaking to him!? Now Fidget KNEW he was going mad. But he dared not open his eyes for fear he might actually see the cat talking to him and faint, leaving himself vulnerable for her.

"The only creature who escaped me ... Who would've thought a little coward would still be alive, in the midst of all mousedom? The same one who sent those to be executed by ME. Now, he is so vulnerable ... So exposed for all to witness his cowardice ... And now, you're mine!"

A river of sweat streamed from his whole body. If these were indeed words that were escaping from the cat's mouth, they were words of truth. Who else would possibly know about the many mice that were executed to Felicia?

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty ..."

Fidget's ears perked at the sound of another lady's voice. Then suddenly, he heard a loud hiss that somehow caused him to finally break from his trance and run as fast as his foot and peg could carry him. He didn't dare to look back. He kept on running, until he finally reached the Collins household. The old mice couple were not home yet, so it saved Fidget the the stress of having to explain the situation for now. He knew he would eventually have to tell them ... if only it weren't so hard to. Fidget learned there were certain topics of conversation his foster parents were very sensitive about ... he chose NOT to tell certain details because he KNEW it would only stress them out more, and he didn't want to do that. Not after they had been so good to him. But by NOT telling them certain details, it made it a lot harder for Fidget to open up. Sometimes it made him feel very sickly, which in turn made the Collins couple worry, then he would find himself apologizing for being sick.

Fidget, who had been leaning against the door, slid to his hands and knees, shaking from head to foot as the horrifying images of that dismembered tail and a maniacal Felicia plagued his head.

"She's on da loose ..."

Deniece had just returned to her house after visiting with Basil of Baker Street. The mouse detective had been telling her that there has been a few gruesome murders that occurred ... All of them were dismembered body parts of mice, found by alleys and sometimes on sidewalks. Basil had said the sight had made him sick to his stomach. Never in the whole history of mousedom have there ever been murders such as these, he had told her. And Basil had ANOTHER lady visitor at his flat ... a female rat by the name of Allison Lydell. This girl rat told Basil that she had seen a giant cat roaming around the neighborhood, Allison knew the cat to be named Felicia. But how was that possible!? Wasn't Ratigan's feline executioner killed by the Royal Guard Dogs at Buckingham Palace?!

But, there was also something else. Basil told Deniece that Dawson ran into a couple of young mice citizens on the way home, and they blamed a certain peg-legged bat for the murders. Now Deniece KNEW that was a lie. Fidget had been helping her with the groceries, not to mention that she ran into a dark-haired lady mouse in a green dress and a male mouse who was with her said they saw Fidget get sick and vomit onto the sidewalk. That was exactly what had happened when Selena Lunarias antagonized Fidget. Fidget wouldn't have had the stomach for it.

And speaking of Fidget, over the past years Deniece had noticed the bat was getting sick a lot and fainting a lot. Years of abuse with the Nightwing Pirates and Professor Ratigan catching up with him, no doubt. But Father Richards said that was actually a sign that Fidget was healing and becoming a better person. Not to mention Fidget had showed his affectionate side more, easily moved to tears by song during Christmas (his birthday), expressing his thoughts more, though at times he still held back (out of shame of his past). Deniece liked it when Fidget showed his more affectionate side, but she also liked it when Fidget took charge, learning how to overcome his cowardice, bit by bit. And she could tell that it made the bat a lot more happier. Whenever she told him she was proud of him for doing something, he would blush, turn his gaze slightly away, and smile in a way that made him glow from within. But he still had a lot to improve on, including his mannerisms with other people (like that Allison girl).

Still, she was curious to hear what Fidget had to say about all this.

"Niecy ...? Are ... you ... home?"

And speaking of the peg-legged bat himself, Deniece walked over to open the door. Fidget could barely stand on his foot and a peg as exhaustion overcame him. A startled sound escaped Deniece's mouth. He looked as if he had been through war. The bat wasn't physically scarred or injured (aside from his crippled wing and peg-leg, that is), but his arm and leg movements were a lot less fluid and looked more like a decrepit old man. He fell to his knees the way a neglected wooden puppet would.

"Niecy ..." Fidget repeated, his tone extremely breathy. "Cat ... on ... da loose ..."

Deniece already knew what cat Fidget was talking about. But seeing the current state that he was in, she refrained from letting on that she already knew and that Basil had told her. The last thing Fidget needed was another thing to stress him out. His nerves were already shot as they are.

"I ... s-saw her ..." Fidget continued. "She ... almost ... ch-charged at us ..."

By us, Deniece had a good idea who he meant. Those two mice who witnessed Fidget getting sick both bragged that Fidget's sick spells were iGod's way of punishing him/i for the innocents he had executed. The lady mouse in green huffed and complained how Fidget ordered her around, and how dare he tell her that she should go home or the cat would get her. Honestly, Deniece had no idea what she was complaining about. It sounded as if Fidget saved her life, but she made it sound like an insult. Even Basil, as much as he was inclined to believe Fidget to be at fault for anything, interrupted that lady mouse with a question of his own. "And what gratitude did you give him for his troubles?" was what Basil asked. The lady's rant ceased abruptly, and she and the other mouse both lowered their heads in shame. Deniece was actually surprised to hear someone like Basil, who was obviously considered a mortal enemy to Fidget, speak in the peg-legged bat's defense. Deniece assumed it was because Basil found the lady mouse to be quite annoying. She sounded no different than from Sophie and the girls who used to gossip about Deniece when she used to work at The Rat Trap.

"How did you escape?" Deniece asked in a calm, soothing voice as she held both of Fidget's webbed hands in hers. The peg-legged bat, although his tone was still breathy, managed to giggle inwardly. The way Deniece held his hands in hers as he was on his knees ... He always thought that a man in mousedom society was the first to take a woman's hands in his, not the other way around. But neither Fidget nor Deniece followed typical mousedom traditions. In many ways, Deniece was more like a man, tough and favoring science over childish fantasies, while Fidget was more like a woman, sensitive and getting sick too easily. Deniece feared a world of ignorance and how it made people behave toward each other; Fidget feared everything.

"I ... I don't know ..." Fidget replied. "I heard ... some udher girl's voice. Dhen, Felicia hissed, and I ran." Fidget did not dare to tell Deniece that he thought he heard Felicia speak to him. She would've definitely thought Fidget had gone mad and start treating him more like a patient than her friend, and Fidget did not want that. He rose to his foot and peg, but almost tripped again since he was still feeling off balance.

"You've come home just in time," Deniece replied, changing the subject to get Fidget's mind off his ordeal with the cat. "I was just preparing a hot bath for myself ... but the tub is big enough for two."

"I'm afraid I'll fall asleep in da bathtub and drown myself," Fidget replied, half-jokingly.

"Oh no, you won't!" Deniece replied in a tone that was a mixture of sternness and teasing. "Besides, you know I'll catch you if you do."

Fidget let out a breathy chuckle. "Maybe da hot water will give me energy?"

Deniece smiled and motioned to Fidget with her large wing to follow her to the bathroom. When the two bats arrived, Fidget saw that she had already had the bathtub set up. He watched as the lady bat disrobed before his eyes, revealing her slim, yet curvaceous body.

"Hey, maybe I don't need da bath ... You're hot enough already!" Fidget replied, his large yellow eyes opened wide, eyebrows raising to prove a point.

Deniece gave him a light slap on his arm. "Shame on you!" she said, trying to sound serious but couldn't help the giggle escaping her throat.

Fidget laughed. "Hey, at least it's not da Rat Trap."

"Yes, but I know you, Fidget," Deniece pointed out. "Let me remind you, this is not Miss Kitty you're dealing with! And if your peg-leg gets stuck in a hole, I'm not gonna help you out!"

"Haha! Aw, come on Niecy!" Fidget replied, laughing a lot harder now as he unbuttoned his vest in a very slow manner. And it wasn't long until Fidget himself was completely disrobed. Fidget was half Deniece's height, his head reaching her waist, and his body, although skinny, had its share of appeal. Deniece's green eyes followed the outline of his collar bone and chest. Fidget had a nice chest and while his ribs slightly protruded, he was not without a bit of flesh on his stomach. Deniece stroked his stomach with her webbed hand, giving Fidget such a thrill he could feel it in his nether region. He covered her hand in both of his as he arched forward, a boyish smile gracing his face that made him blush. He was enveloped by that same warm feeling he always had whenever Deniece had touched him. Fidget couldn't tell what it was, but Deniece always had a way of bringing out his inner child.

"You can tell me all about your misadventures, Fidget," Deniece whispered in his ear, "after our bath."

The dapple-furred kitten Allison called Dianah arched her back as she hissed at Felicia. The fat feline was obviously angry that Dianah had disturbed her during meal time when she was about to pounce on that scrawny little bat that once got away from her grasp. Allison, who had been sitting on Dianah's back the whole time, glared at Felicia with her tawny-colored eyes. "So this is what the kitten Charles and I once took care of resorts to?!" Allison said defiantly. "Why don't you trust us to take you to a doctor?!"

Felicia simply hissed at the girl rat and her cat, just before walking away ... in a convulsive manner. Allison crossed her arms and shook her head. "You're a fool, Felicia," she muttered under her breath. "Once, Charles and I would've welcomed you with open arms, and we would've seen to it that you would've got operated on. Instead, you chose to serve that Ratigan character and live a life of luxury. Such an act will be your undoing."

Dianah, who was still hissing at the thought of Felicia's presence, turned around to walk Allison back at their place. Allison clasped tufts of the kitten's fur in frustration. That little Mad Hatter of an employee ... she thought. WHY doesn't he do something about this?! Allison leaned her upper torso forward as she thought about the scrawny little bat Felicia was after. That bat's presence certainly causes a lot of trouble. It's about time someone set him straight. And that someone will have to be ME!

"How did you end up being Felicia's caretaker?"

Fidget had woken up from a nap and found himself next to Deniece on her bed. After the two bats dried each other and dressed in more comfortable clothes, both had decided to take a nap in Deniece's bedroom. Fidget fell asleep right away, the bath had been a blissful experience. It was a full moon, just as it was when they had bonded and shared their love for each other. Fidget volunteered to wash Deniece's butter-toned hair, which Deniece thought was unnecessary since she was grown up enough to wash her own hair (not to mention Fidget sometimes would pour too much shampoo in her hair). But she knew Fidget just wanted to be helpful, so she gave him specific directions on how to wash hair. Although Deniece wanted to wait until after their bath for Fidget to talk about his misadventures during the evening, it was Fidget who decided to bring up the subject. He confessed to Deniece that, upon coming face to face with the feline, he began to hear a voice in his head and that it sounded like Felicia was speaking to him. Deniece asked if he wanted to tell Dr. Hemingway about this experience. That was the last thing Fidget wanted. Such an option made him feel like he was being pitied; he didn't want pity. He just wanted someone to listen to him. He thanked Deniece for listening to him and for treating him like an equal. He told her that it helped him to forget all his deepest fears. The rest of the bathing hour ended with the two bats giggling and playfully splashing each other like little children. During his slumber, Fidget dreamt the same dream he had before he was rudely awakened by Ratigan: the bat was completely in the nude from head to foot, having both feet and capable of flight again. In his previous dream, a golden silhouette figure shaped like a tall, female bat, had teased his ribs and stomach with her slender webbed fingers, causing him to giggle like a little school boy. Unlike other past dreams, which were all nightmares, this particular one had been consistent. It was always that same silhouette, teasing him, dancing playfully, and beckoning to come with her to a safe place. It was as if the full moon sent a messenger to him. But alas, when Fidget followed and things were going so well in the dream, he was always rudely awakened, either by Captain Bates or Ratigan. But this time, that same golden silhouette took form ... into the shape of Deniece. She approached Fidget from the back and caressed his bare tummy with her left hand, causing the bat to clasp that area with his hands. A tiny blush appeared on the gray-furred bat's face, he was touched (both physically and emotionally). Deniece's opposite hand rubbed his lower back, Fidget's resistance relaxed and he inhaled a deep, cleansing breath before exhaling. Of all the past women he had been involved with, none of them touched Fidget in the spots Deniece had touched him ... and it felt good. Alas, as in the past when the dream got this good, Fidget woke up. But no longer was it a rude awakening. Deniece lay across from him, and that put his mind at ease.

"As soon as I was employed to Ratigan," Fidget replied to Deniece's question. "He told me he once had anudher bat who was to be his second-in-command. He said his name was ... Llewelyn of Breconshire."

"Llewelyn of Breconshire?" Deniece repeated curiously.

Fidget nodded. "He was supposed to be da best, Ratigan said. Llewelyn had dis way of makin' his victims bend to his will by appealin' to dheir deepest desires."

Deniece's ears flattened in fear. This Llewelyn character sounded like another zealot, no different than Selena Lunarias. And being all too familiar with the kind of reputation Professor Ratigan had, it was no surprise he would hire someone like that.

"But, dis Llewelyn was a traitor," Fidget continued. "He swore loyalty to Ratigan, but he had desires of his own. Ratigan told me he had a couple of his own henchmice killed and stole most of da treasure dhey had stolen already. Dhen Llewelyn disappeared, never to be seen again. Ratigan dhen found a lost, alley kitten ... dat, dat stupid furball. He fed her fish, like any udher cat would eat. Dhen he trained her to kill. He swore dat anyone who betrayed him, upset him, or defied him in any way would be executed by her."

"That doesn't tell me how you became her caretaker," Deniece replied, confused as to how the topic of conversation took a tangent.

"I became Ratigan's right-hand bat, shortly after I injured myself," Fidget replied. "Since I was already disabled, with my wing and leg, I wasn't a threat to him. And he heard of my reputation as an executioner to Captain Lillian Bates after Vulture had walked da plank. He t'ought I was a perfect fit for da job to help him take care of dat fat cat."

"Now Fidget, that's not nice," Deniece pointed out. "You don't need to resort insults."

"Well, it's true, Niecy," Fidget insisted. "Dat idiot cat is fat! It's because of her I was put on da spot today! And just when I only wanted to move on with my life!"

Deniece studied Fidget's face as he told his tale about his role as the executioner. A sad expression formed on his face and he turned away to avoid her green-eyed gaze. "Who accused you of a crime today?"

Fidget's ears flapped curiously as his eyes finally met hers. "How did you know?"

"Basil and I met the lady mouse you rescued," Deniece replied with a half-smile. "She thinks you killed her husband just as you did her little sister."

Fidget heaved a deep sigh of regret. "If you're wonderin' if dat's true, sadly I did have her sister executed. But I know nuthin' about her husband, Niecy, I swear. All I saw of him was what was left of his remains in her hands." At this, Fidget covered his mouth in a hesitant attempt to keep himself from throwing up again.

"Yes, that lady and another mouse did say they saw you get sick," Deniece told him. "She also complained that you ordered her around, telling her to go home or that cat would eat her."

"Niecy, what was I supposed to do?" Fidget reacted. "Dat stupid lady kept goin' on and on about her husband, while dat fatty cat was chargin' toward us! I know did wrong by having her sister executed, but dat doesn't mean I wanted her to meet da same fate." The peg-legged bat huffed in frustration. "She wouldn't listen to me, Niecy. I just don't know why it's so hard to care!"

"I'm not saying you were wrong in helping her, Fidget," Deniece assured him. "And honestly, both Basil and I thought she was rather annoying. Just don't be surprised if you get asked questions about what you remember. There has been more than one murder the past couple of weeks. All of them were half-eaten victims, Basil is intent on getting to the bottom of this."

Fidget rolled his eyes. "Well all I can tell him is how much I hated dat damn cat! I hate cats, Niecy!"

"Allison is also on the hunt for some clues," Deniece continued, in attempt to move the conversation forward. "She suspects it was Ratigan's cat, Felicia."

"AND DAT GIRL CREEPS ME OUT!" Fidget snapped, giving Deniece a startle. Upon seeing her expression, he softened his voice again. "I see her and her cat, Niecy, I see Ratigan and stupid furball all over again!"

"Well, I wouldn't worry about her or her cat, if I were you," Deniece advised. "Her interests are solely on finding Felicia. What confuses me is how did Felicia survive? Last information I received about her was she was killed by The Guard Dogs."

Once again, Fidget turned his gaze away. Dat confuses me too, Niecy ...