Disclaimer: Same disclaimer, different chapter…

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews…you guys are the best!!!

Pen Pals

The weeks and months passed and pretty soon, the letter came that would change both of their lives…possibly forever.

"Yippee!" Penny shouted as she read her friend's latest note.

"What's the matter, dear?" her mother asked.

"Cody's coming! Cody's coming!" the girl shouted. "He said so in the letter---at the end of the month!" She could barely contain herself. After all, he seemed like such a wonderful chap, judging by everything she'd read.

"Quiet now," the woman instructed, "you'll wake the baby." Penny had almost forgotten about her new baby brother who was sleeping peacefully in the next room.

"Sorry, Mom." The girl slipped back inside her room and closed the door. But that didn't stop her from proclaiming the good news. "Rufus, Bernard, Bianca---Cody's coming to here to visit---and he's bringing his mouse, too!"

"That's swell," Bernard commented, fiddling with his newsboy cap. "It'll be nice to see good ol' Jake again."

"I think so, too," added Bianca. "This will be fun." Rufus smiled.

"Penny gets to see her friend, and I get another mouse to chase." They all laughed, knowing kind and gentle Rufus would never chase a mouse.

"We have a lot to do to get ready," Bernard remarked. "When should we get started?"

"As soon as possible," was Penny's reply. Rufus had to object.

"Why so early? The kid's not coming for a few more weeks."

"Because," she explained, "everything has to be perfect." Bernard and Bianca had already set to tidying up the room.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Cody was busy jamming things into a suitcase and checking them off of a list. Jake scurried over.

"Whatcha doin', mate?" he asked.

"Packing for the trip."

"So soon?"

"Well, I'd hate to be doing it at the last minute and forget something important."

"Like the vegemite?" Jake suggested, a hint of hopefulness in his voice. Cody chuckled.

"Right---important things like vegemite." They continued packing until the mouse thought of something.

"Hey---are you sure your mum and dad are gonna let you go alone? I mean, it's pretty far…all the way to America."

"Oh, I won't be alone," Cody answered. "You're comin' with me." Jake's whiskers perked up.

"Really---you mean it?"

"Yeah---you have contacts in America, right?" The creature nodded, bringing Bianca to thought.

"I sure do. Gee, thanks, mate---we're finally gettin' out of the bloody Outback---for once!" He was elated. Even after running an airstrip, Jake had never been out of the proximity. The boy could empathize; neither had he.

"Well, I guess that's all of it."

"Yup." Cody looked at the clock. It was late; he must have lost track of time.

"We should probably get to sleep," he suggested. Jake acquiesced.

"All right---good night."

"'Night." But neither of them went right to sleep.

"Hey, Cody," Jake squeaked, "what're the chances Bianca'll fall for me?"

"Dunno," was the answer he received. "Slim to none---why?"

The rodent shrugged, perching himself on the open windowsill, staring out at the star-filled sky and the earth that sat below it.

"No special reason." Jake had never really had anything against Bernard, but he knew he could be better for Bianca. "Betcha a cracker I'll make her say I love you by the time we have to come back home." Cody lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling, grinning at his friend's unrequited affection.

"Wow! A whole cracker?" he asked mockingly. "Oh, it's a bet!" Jake frowned.

"Oh yeah, laugh if ya want---but to a mouse, it's a lot." The awaited rebuttal never came, for within a few minutes, Cody was fast asleep, no doubt dreaming about his upcoming vacation. No one to talk to left Jake to return his gaze to the tranquility of nature after dark.

Only a few more weeks, he thought, 'til I rescue Bianca, show her that I can give her everything she's ever wanted…only a few more weeks…

---Thanks for readin' this far. Chapter four might be up sometime within the next week, barring technical difficulties. One last time, I dig you guys.