The next day, after a night of settling in the cottage, Basil, Dawson, and Flaversham told Olivia to watch over Fidget when she and Fidget enter the forest to gather some berries and if they see or hear anything suspicious, they'd call their friend's and father's names.
"Thank you," Olivia said, "I'll watch over Fidget and we'll let you know when we need you." To Fidget, she added, "It's okay, Fidget. We can eat some of the berries we get."
"We'll need enough for blueberry pie," Basil told them. Handing them a basket, he added, "Here you go, children."
"Try to be back in time for lunch," Mr. Flaversham warned.
"What's for lunch?" Fidget asked.
"Peanut butter and jam sandwiches," Dawson replied.
"Sweet!" Fidget exclaimed ecstatically.
"Well, let's get started," Olivia said.
"Bring Toby," Basil said, and told his dog, "Toby, if you hear, smell, or see anything, howl."
Toby nodded and followed the two outside.
"Have fun!" Mr. Flaversham called.
"Be careful out there!" Basil warned.
"Good luck!" Dawson cried.
"Bye!" Fidget and Olivia called and started on their way with Toby behind them.
…
Fidget was helping Olivia pick berries and put them in the basket. Toby was holding the handle. After a while, Olivia finally said, "That should be enough berries."
"Now we need to grab some for ourselves, Livy," Fidget said, "I'm starving!"
"Me, too, Fidget," Olivia giggled. "You were a good helper." She winked at him.
Fidget wandered off to get her flowers.
"Fidget! Where are you going?" Olivia cried desperately, "I'm supposed to be watching you!"
"This will only be a second, Olivia," Fidget assured her. "It's a surprise."
"I hope it's a good one," she said wistfully.
He responded by gathering flowers and jumped in front of Olivia, scaring her, making her scream. "Fidget, you shouldn't do that!" she scolded, "You scared me to death!"
"Wouldn't be my first time," the bat said with a grin, which soon faded. "Oh, I brought you these." He handed her a bouquet of flowers he'd been hiding behind his back.
Well, that changed her mood. "For me? Oh, thank you!" she squealed in delight and sniffed the flowers. "How thoughtful!" Even Toby gave them a sniff, which made him sneeze, causing the berries to blow away. Then the bat and mouse started to pick them up and throw them back in the basket.
Fidget's and Olivia's tummies started to growl, so they helped themselves to some berries from the bushes.
"Thanks for looking out for me, Olivia," Fidget told her.
"And thanks again for the flowers," Olivia said as she started to kiss him on the cheek when Maleficent approached with her crow, Diaval.
"Well, well, well," Maleficent sneered, "If it wasn't the mouse girl who is to break the spell I bestowed on your best friend. Why couldn't you wait until you break the spell?"
"Maleficent, Basil of Baker Street, Dr. Dawson, and my Daddy will find out what you've been up to and they will save us!" Olivia retorted.
"Don't be too sure."
"They have ways!" Fidget replied.
"Basil's a very clever mouse and he can find out where you are as well as the three good fairies!" Olivia finished.
"Do you want these flowers?" Maleficent asked, holding a bouquet of flowers. She was playing with them and didn't know whether or not, Basil and the others will find them.
"Caw! Caw!" Diaval crowed.
"We don't take flowers from strangers, I'm ten," Olivia said.
"And I'm eighteen," Fidget said and both of them added, "And that's not what smart people do, anyway." Then, like they promised, they called for Basil, Dawson, even their father. Toby howled.
That infuriated Maleficent, but Diaval, in his human form said, "Calm down."
Minutes later, Basil, Dawson, Mr. Flaversham, and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather finally came to the rescue.
"Are you alright, children?" Flora asked.
Fidget and Olivia nodded.
The three good fairies made Maleficent and her crow leave with their magic.
Fidget and Olivia thanked the fairies and their friends and father for saving them and headed back to the cottage for lunch and made blueberry pie.
…
Night came and Fidget and Olivia spent a half hour chasing fireflies and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather pretended to be the fireflies. The three fairies decided to have fun with them, which the grown-up mice agreed to. The adult mice went out for an evening stroll with Toby, enjoying the night in the fantasy forest. Eventually, Olivia and Fidget and the fairies followed them through the forest.
"Oh, my," Dawson said.
"My word, it's beautiful," Basil mused.
"Children!" Maleficent muttered. "They seem tougher than I expected."
"Maleficent, they're not the type who would fall for these tricks," Diaval, in his human form said. "Besides, I never agreed to this."
"Then why did you caw?" Maleficent demanded with her hands on her hips.
Diaval folded his arms. "So you wouldn't get mad at me. Don't you remember the time when you were good? What is wrong with you? They're more than just kids. The girl mouse is the one who can break the spell."
Maleficent sighed. "You're right, Diaval."
When the travelers were about to walk in the water, where they weren't looking, Maleficent froze them and brought them to shore.
"Lovely forest," Olivia said.
"Why, thank you child," Maleficent said. "We got off on the wrong foot."
"Oh, really?" Fidget cocked an eyebrow, remembering their earlier encounter.
"Yes," Diaval said, and to Maleficent, he added through clenched teeth, "And are you sure about that?"
"Why, yes," Maleficent replied earnestly. "You can come and go as you please." Then she told them her life story: "I was a fairy who grew up in this forest. Then a boy king, Stephan came into my life. He used to be my friend until his father suggested Stephan should cut my wings so that he could take his father's place as king. Stephan betrayed me!"
"So he cut your wings?" Basil asked. "How dreadful!"
"Exactly. That was why I became so despicable until I met Diaval, my pet bird." Everyone listened and Maleficent went on, "I saved him from being tortured and killed by King Stephan's army, so I turned him into a human." Then she mentioned the time she wasn't invited like the day before, except, Aurora, King Stephan's daughter was a baby at the time and Stephan and his wife allowed the three fairies to each bestow a gift on their daughter. When Maleficent attended, she bestowed a gift, threatening the child's life like she'd done to Fidget. "When Aurora turned sixteen, she grew in grace and beauty and thanks to her aunts. I eventually grew fond of the girl when she referred to me as her fairy godmother and Diaval as a 'pretty bird'. I felt remorseful for displaying the curse on her that night. The next day or two, Aurora asked me if I was behind the curse and when she returned to the castle, I got the curse over with and brought her to life when her prince couldn't. I was her best friend. Stephan, filled with vengeance tried to kill me, but Aurora, his daughter was there to save me by grabbing my wings and I changed Diaval into a dragon. Later, I killed Stephan, who had no remorse for betraying me and my heart became whole again. The next day, Aurora and the prince, Philip got married in my forest and we all lived happily ever after."
"Wow! Must be a bad king," Fidget sympathized. Maleficent gave him a sad look.
Olivia was the one who changed the subject. "Were you friends with the fairies?"
That went well. Maleficent felt better and replied, "Yes, after I became Aurora's friend."
"Would you like come in for some blueberry pie?" Dawson asked.
"We made it," Flaversham said.
"Yes, I'd like some," Maleficent answered.
"Me, too," Diaval agreed and the two followed Basil and co and the fairies inside for blueberry pie.
…
That night, Maleficent and Diaval watched from afar in admiration as they watched Olivia tuck Fidget in and kissed him goodnight on the cheek. Olivia went in her room and slept in her bed.
Maleficent made her way to the cottage and when she made it, she bade Fidget goodnight. Feeling guilty, she tried to undo the curse she set on him with her own hands, but then she stopped to realize that Olivia was the one to undo it. Maleficent brought this on Fidget, so she had the bat's friends save him as soon as they return to the castle.
Author's notes: Bet you haven't seen it coming. Maleficent has a soft spot for Fidget and the others already, but we'll see what happens next. Until then, I have some random things to say from this chapter.
In the 95-page version of The Adventures of The Great Mouse Detective, Olivia is ten. Her age was never specified in the film, though some say she's eight.
Regarding Fidget, it's hard to say how old he is since he had a hard life. Either way, he said he was too young to die as he pointed out in not only the film, but in the previous chapter. I'd say he's in his teens. Most likely. He can't be any older than Basil.
See you in the next chapter!