The castle's new chef, Jojo the Who, was going over the menu with Austin and Rudy.

A.N. I know Jojo is a singer and not a cook but I decided to add him in for Jojo fans. I didn't use Ned, Jojo's father, because I figured his being accident-prone wouldn't be a good trait for a chef.

"Uh, these are the, uh, the choices for Sunday's dinner with the king of Lincolnshire." Jojo said, handing Austin a menu; he was a shy guy, but very friendly. "I-I'm thinking he'd like my, uh, my f-fettuccine alfredo."

"I'm thinking he'd be crazy not to." Rudy laughed.

"Same here, that's one of your best dishes." Austin agreed.

"Oh, thank you sires." Jojo smiled before leaving for the kitchen.

Austin then saw Tasha with a picnic basket.

"Are we ready Tasha?" He asked.

"Sure are." Tasha smiled.

"*Mm*, smells great." Rudy licked his lips. "Wish I was going."

"Yeah, sorry Rudy but this is a couples' only outing." Austin said apologetically.

"It's okay, I believe there are leftovers in the kitchen." Rudy grinned.

"Tell Uniqua I'll be right there." Austin said as he and Rudy headed down some stairs.

"Will do!" Tasha saluted before leaving with the basket.

As Austin and Rudy entered a room, they saw Horton with some sheet-covered items on a table.

"Ah, morning Austin and Rudy." Horton smiled.

"Morning Horton." Austin and Rudy smiled.

"Jinx!" Rudy laughed.

Austin just smirked at him.

"So what do we have here?" Austin asked Horton.

"All the clues from the strange events of last night." Horton explained, removing the sheet. "Here's a piece of the suspect's clothing."

"Excellent, find out who makes this kind of cloth. And more importantly, who buys it."

"I can get a little rough if you're having trouble getting answers." Rudy suggested.

"Just try not to hurt anyone." Austin chuckled,

"Including yourself." Horton noogied Rudy.

"Hey cut it out!" Rudy laughed.

"Anyway, I also have an arrow from the trap and some hairs." Horton continued. "The hairs, combined with this mold of the suspect's footprint, hints that he is half ape. Perhaps half gorilla."

"Good work Horton!" Austin smiled.

"Only one footprint?" Rudy chuckled. "That makes our job half as easy." He joked. "Get it? Cause half of two is one-hey!"

Horton was noogieing Rudy again. Austin laughed.

Meanwhile, Tasha was loading the wagon. There was not only a picnic basket but also a bowl of fruit and a candelabra. Pablo, Tommy, and Morton were keeping Uniqua company while she waited for Austin. Pablo still had a wounded tail, which was obvious because it had been bandaged.

"Wow, that's gonna be some picnic!" Pablo smiled.

"Austin is trying to make up for forgetting our anniversary." Uniqua explained.

"Too bad I can't come, but I need to rest my tail anyway." Pablo shrugged.

"That reminds me, no one told me what happened." Uniqua realized.

"Your prince almost got us-" Tommy was about to say but Morton wrapped his tail around Tommy's mouth.

"Oh nothing, We unfortunately lost the guy. Pablo got hurt trying to stop him from disappearing and Austin and Rudy had to stop looking for him in order to take Pablo home." Morton said quickly.

Tommy glared at Morton. Even though Morton, Pablo, and the princes had really been the ones in danger Tommy had still been close enough to the scene to almost get hurt. In fact, if he hadn't ducked he would've gotten hurt.

"Come on don't tease Tommy, let him go." Uniqua said.

Morton released Tommy, who decided not to say anything more about that night.

"Don't mind them Uniqua, you can't expect much from commoners." Tommy dusted himself off.

"Don't tell me you still think you're a prince." Pablo was surprised.

No one had said anything about that subject for a year. At least not since Tommy found out that the kiss didn't work. He was too embarrassed and confused to say anything. But apparently he had gotten over it now.

"I don't think, I know!" Tommy retorted.

"I don't think you know either." Morton chuckled.

Pablo laughed.

"Watch it or I'll have you put on the rack!" Tommy scolded.

"Oh come on, Uniqua gave you the kiss and you're still yellow and chubby." Morton pointed out.

"Something went wrong...hey! Watch it with those 'chubby' remarks!" Tommy snapped.

Austin then arrived.

"How did the investigation go?" Uniqua asked.

"Great, Horton and Rudy have gone to look into the clues Horton found." Austin smiled. "I'm gonna join them after our picnic."

"Wonderful...oh, what about Jane's birthday?" Unqiua remembered.

"Rudy already sent her a letter saying that we'll hold a big celebration for her after we solve this mystery." Austin explained.

"Surely these clues can wait a couple days."

"No, and don't call-"

"Please, not that old joke." Uniqua rolled her eyes.

"Sorry." Austin said. "Anyway, we have to catch this guy before he strikes again and hurts someone. I'm sure mom understands."

"True..."

"Anyway enough of that talk, let's just enjoy our picnic." Austin smiled.

They got into the wagon and left.

Meanwhile, Jane still believed that Austin and Rudy had forgotten her birthday.

"Happy birthday to me." She sang sadly. "Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday poor Jane, happy big five-oh to me." She started crying, but then suddenly stopped. "Ch-ch-Chamberlain!" She called out.

A colorful hot hair balloon with a boat shaped basket was arriving, and the banner on it read:

"'Happy Birthday Mother'!" Jane read ecstatically. "Oh I'd knew they would remember!"

Tyrone had arrived and was also very happy.

"Hello down there!" The clown piloting the hot air balloon laughed. "Hello!"

Tyrone winced a little but laughed too. He used to hate clowns but recently changed his mind. Even so some old habits are hard to break. Jane also laughed.

"Oh how cute." She smiled.

"What are you doing here Jane? They're having a big party for you over at Swan Lake!" The clown laughed.

"A party?" Jane was very happy. "They must have solved their mystery early!"

The hot air balloon landed on the ground.

"Go on, go on get in your highness!" Tyrone said excitedly, pushing Jane towards the hot air balloon.

Jane immediately got in.

"Welcome aboard dear queen!" The clown laughed. "And now I'd like to point out some safety features...but there are none!"

Jane laughed weakly.

"And here we go!" The clown laughed as the hot air balloon took off.

"Safe journey! Au revoir!" Tyrone called after them.

The balloon was now high in the air.

"Oh it's lovely, I can see everything!" Jane looked around. "There's the Duke of Wicksam's home. He sent me the most obnoxious birthday card! *Gasp* oh there he is! Oh what I wouldn't give for an overripe melon! Oh there's Swan Lake, I can't wait...uh, why are we flying away from it?"

"Well, there's been a little change in our flight plan." The clown chuckled. "Our new destination..."

The clown ripped off his mask. It was Clavius!

"My place." Clavius said, laughing sinisterly.

Now most kidnapped people would be frightened, but Jane wasn't an ordinary person. She wasn't an ordinary queen for that matter.

"No one spoils my birthday!" Jane growled; she then started strangling him.

Clavius protested, though most of it was made incomprehensible due to him being strangled.

"What are you...stop it...don't you know the rules..." Clavius protested.

"You take me to Austin's or I'll throw you out like a jar of bad mayonnaise!" Jane threatened.

Clavius managed to break her grip on him.

"May I offer you a seat?" He said sarcastically, picking her up and forcing her down on a stool.

"When Austin and Rudy find out about this you will be in significant trouble!" Jane glared.

"I'm not scared of your little boys." Clavius retorted. "In fact, while you were busy enjoying the scenery I sent Austin a ransom note down that tells him exactly where to find me. I believe your Chamberlain is already on his way to give him the note."

Sure enough, Tyrone had gotten the note and had already left for Swan Lake.

Clavius and Jane had arrived at Clavius's home in the mountain.

"Whatever it is you have planned you will never get away with it!" Jane scolded. "Because you are a bad person and bad people stand no chance against good people like my sons Prince Austin and Prince Rudy."

Clavius ignored her and tossed Knuckles the rope to the hot air balloon so that Knuckles could tie bring them over to the staircase.

"Did your parents ignore you as a child? Hm? So tell Queen Jane, what dark secrets lurk inside that tiny twisted mind of yours. Come on, out with it!" Jane continued; if she was gonna be a hostage she wasn't gonna make it easy for her captor.

"Don't you ever shut up?" Clavius protested.

"Have you any idea of the penalty for kidnapping?" Jane asked.

"Where's a gag?" Clavius asked Knuckles. "Give me anything, uh...a sock!"

Knuckles just shrugged. There was nothing handy.

"Well I'm not even talking about kidnapping a queen." Jane continued. "Just your basic kidnapping!"

"*Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya!* I don't hear you!" Clavius said, blocking his ears. "*Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya!* I'm not listening! *Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya!*"

"I'm talking to you!" Jane scolded.

"Get her in the pen, yes?" Clavius said calmly to Knuckles as he left...before losing his temper. "Get her in the pen!"

Knuckles reached for Jane's arm.

"Don't touch me!" Jane snapped. "I may be a hostage but I'm still the queen! And it's still my birthday!"

Jane left the boat and headed for the stairs.

"You will walk five paces behind me, no more no less. Come."

Knuckles followed, counting out his steps.

"One, two, three, four, five, one, two, three, four, five..."

Clavius groaned in frustration.

They then stopped at the pen and Knuckles stood aside. Jane just stood there and pointed her head at the pen door.

"Oh, sorry." Knuckles opened the door.

There was a pause.

"Bow!" Jane ordered.

Knuckles, after thinking it over, did. He needed time to figure out how to bow. At least he was able to count to five...

"Now, I am sure that it is well past lunch." Jane said as she entered the pen. "My favorite birthday treat is cucumber sandwiches and peppermint tea."

Knuckles shut the pen door.

"Go!"

Knuckles left.

"What are you doing?" Clavius glared.

"You know, I was just, uh, uh, getting her, uh, um, cucumber sandwiches and some, um, peppermint tea." Knuckles said.

"I see, fascinating." Clavius said with fake interest as he grabbed Knuckles by the shirtfront. "Get to work on the traps!"

"Make sure to slice the cucumbers thinly!" Jane called out.

"She is the queen." Knuckles pointed out.

"Really?" Clavius said sarcastically. "How nice, how thoughtful, and what are you? Miss Suzy Homemaker? And what am I, a piece of lint? Do I have to remind you that I am about to become the most powerful man in the world?" He snapped.

Knuckles, realizing that Clavius had a point, headed for the gondola and left. Clavius left too, knowing that Jane was not going to keep quiet...

"All right, don't bring me lunch." Jane said dryly. "BUT MY BIRTHDAY DINNER HAD BETTER BE AWFULLY SPECIAL!"

Clavius groaned, since he heard that even though he had already left in the hot air balloon.