Chapter 4 - Gentlemice?

"Famous last words," Alyssa murmured as they finished getting dressed and brushed their hair. "By the way, how are we going to feed them without Marla seeing them?"

"I'll deal with that. But first I need to grab a decent sized purse," Sophie reassured her, taking one last look at herself before opening the door. "Ok, time for make up." Stepping out of the bathroom, she walked over to the vanity and set to work. "I hope you're not trying to kill each other."

"As we've said before, 'try' is the key term," Basil huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his face away from Ratigan, partially because he wished not to look at his smug face, partially because he felt his temperature rising from what the rat had commented while the girls went to the ladies' room.

"Surely, Basil, you can see they're rather attractive young girls," Ratigan had taunted him just moments ago.

"They're humans," he had retorted, giving him a suspicious look. "Are you accusing me of something, Ratigan?"

"Oh, if I did, I'd be guilty of it myself," he had chuckled sinisterly in response. Placing his hand upon his chest, he sighed dramatically and said, "Dear Sophie is such a darling, and quite beautiful, won't you say?"

Basil clenched his fists in an effort not to strangle him. In a low voice, he had started, "Now see here-" when the door opened and Sophie walked out towards the vanity. The words had stopped, but he sent a fast, deadly look towards his enemy before turning away in an effort to cool down.

"Well, I just hope you two behave when we go out," she said with a chuckle as she began to apply a thin line of chocolate-colored eyeliner.

"My dear, we'll be little angels! Won't we, Basil?" smirked Ratigan as he pinched Basil's cheek. Basil had to bite his tongue in order not to lose his temper or slap his hand away, which was exactly what he knew the rat wanted.

"We'll see about that, I'm sure," Sophie said, turning to face them as she slipped a simple silver barrette into her hair to hold it away from her eyes. "Ok, I'm going to find a purse big enough for…why are you staring at me like that?"

The two rodents gawked at her as she stood before them, dressed simply, yet elegant in her own way. She seemed to sparkle like a crown jewel hidden away in the Tower of London.

"Darling Sophia!" Ratigan gasped, placing his hand over his heart as he gaped wide-eyed at her. "You look astounding, stunning, marvelous-!"

"Lovely," Basil whispered, only to feel his cheeks burn and his eyes widen as he realized what he had done. He immediately covered his mouth but it was too late.

"'Lovely'?" Ratigan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "That's all you can come up with?"

Sophie blushed before them, giving a nervous giggle before curtsying. "Well, thank you both. Um, anyways, I'll be back in a jiffy." Hurrying off, she caught a look from Alyssa, who smirked and mouthed "told ya so" to her disdain. Sticking her tongue out at the girl, she entered the closet and dug around for a moment until she found an appropriate bag and fished it out. "This should do the trick," she said aloud, going back to her bed before grabbing her wallet, phone, flash drive, notebook, pen and pencil, eyeliner and lip gloss. "This bag has pockets on the side so each of you can ride in your very own and zip it to hide or peep out," she explained, showing them the side of her purse. "I'll grab some snacks and that'll have to be your breakfast for the time being until lunch. I'll get you something nice, promise!"

"You've already done quite enough," Basil said sincerely, adjusting his hat before unzipping his pocket and slipping inside. Sending a contemptuous look at his rival, he asked, "Ready, Professor?"

"Ready when you are, Detective," Ratigan smiled wickedly, drawing out each syllable of the last word.

Alyssa groaned as she brushed her teeth, frowning as she watched her trusting, kind-hearted sister take mortal foes into her purse and prepare to head out into the world. "This is a recipe for disaster…"

~221B~

His brows furrowed in determination, Dawson snuck out as quietly as he could, making his way towards the spell book that Bleulynn had left abandoned as he moped on the floor. He was so close he could see his shadow hovering over the words, words that came from another time and place…

"Step away from there!"

Dawson nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing the raspy voice cry out, his head turning to see the old mouse hopping to his feet. "That is not yours-!"

"And neither is it yours!" he snapped back, snatching the book off the table. "What have you done with Basil and Professor Ratigan?!"

The mouse's bloodshot eyes closed once more as he moaned, falling to his knees again.

"Kinda kooky, huh?" Fidget whispered, having hidden behind the table as Dawson snuck out to grab the book.

"Quite," Dawson nodded in agreement. He was unaccustomed to being on such good terms with Ratigan's lacky Fidget, the peg-legged bat, but ever since they had met when Basil and Ratigan went to attack each other, Fidget had not put up a fight or caused him any trouble. If anything, he was happy to help the good doctor. When Dawson had asked him of his compliance after they planned to steal Bleulynn's book, the bat merely shrugged and said, "You ain't so bad, Doc. Since the Boss came back and found me, it's been tough."

"Why don't you find some other line of work?" Dawson asked, only to get a raised, skeptical eyebrow from the bat. "There must be something you could do…but we'll discuss that later," he said , turning his attention back to the task at hand. Now they stood there together, working as an odd team as they watched the deranged old mouse moan and cry at their feet.

"I said, what have you done with them?!" Dawson demanded, finally starting to lose his temper.

"They were supposed to be punished!" Bleulynn shook his head. "But he took the ring and page…they have a way back…"

"They can come home?!" Dawson asked, hope blooming within him. Setting his jaw firm, he looked down on the mouse and demanded, "We're going to help them get home, and you are going to helpus, whether you like it or not. While we're at it, tell us where you sent them!"

The magician glared at him at first, but his tired eyes quickly became soft with regret as he sighed in defeat. "I sent them to a world where mice are not as sophisticated or intelligent as we are…into a world where we do not exist, merely figments of imagination…and it could be possible that they are able to return if they figure out how to work the magic…but it is also possible, and better for them, if…"

"If?" Fidget prompted him.

"…if they were dead."

~221B~

After having breakfast and sneaking some food to her little companions, Sophie said goodbye to her father and ignored Marla as she took Alyssa to school. The mouse and rat were amazed with how advanced the vehicles had become, slick, silent, and speedy on the road.

"Don't give her any trouble," Alyssa warned them before slipping out of the car and immediately joining a young man who walked her into the school.

"I take it that's Mr. Kawalski?" Basil noted, seeing how the two smiled and joked in each other's presense.

"Yup, that's Pete," Sophie smiled, driving off to get to school. "He's a sweet boy, just as shy and awkward as Aly."

"I beg your pardon, but your sister is anything but shy and awkward," Ratigan commented, rolling his eyes as he remembered how she was constantly nagging at them.

"Not with us, maybe, but in school she's much more self-conscious, and Peter is a good friend to her who makes her feel comfortable in her own skin," Sophie replied.

"Tell me, Miss Ward-" Basil began.

"Basil you can just call me Sophie," she grinned at him before returning her attention to the road.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, hoping to God that Ratigan was not observing his face to see the blush that was beginning to appear. "Very well, Miss Sophie. Out of curiosity, tell me if I'm incorrect. You're studying here at the University of Richmond to become an English teacher, am I right?"

"Right on target," she beamed. "And how did you deduce that?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to bore you," he waved it off nonchalantly.

"Please, Basil, I think it's brilliant how you're able to pick these things up by a mere glance," she insisted. She knew she was feeding his ego – she'd seen the film countless times to know what he was like – but he was so sweet with her and he really was quite clever…she wished she could be and sound as smart as him when he spoke. So, she encouraged him.

"Oh, well, if you insist," he said coolly, allowing himself to smirk quickly as he sensed Ratigan's evident irritation from the way he tapped his foot impatiently on the seat. "From the several volumes of English literature on your shelves and the stack of papers you had sitting on your sister's desk on guidelines with how to run a classroom, it's obvious that you're interested in both trades. Also, there was that…curt conversation you and that Marla woman shared," he added, his lip curling in disgust as he remembered how fake she had acted in the kitchen with the girls while her husband read some flat toy called a "tablet", completely clueless as to what his daughters were suffering. "I recall that you and Miss Alyssa discussed having another year before graduation, which can only mean that you're currently studying for your Bachelor's degree, and puts you at about your early twenties."

"Twenty-two in September," she smiled. "Genius, Basil!"

"But there's more," he held up his hand, showing that he was far from finished. Ratigan moaned and covered his ears, using his forefingers to rub his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut. Ignoring him, Basil brightly continued, "You hope to write your own novels in the future, as you have several journals lying about and a bountiful amount of pens and pencils available at just about every corner in your room, and your right hand's middle finger had developed a writer's callus that all authors acquire from constant use of the pen and from gripping it a smidge too tight."

At this, she glanced at her hand, her eyes widening for a moment before casting him an impressed smile once more. "Guess you're right about me grabbing onto them too tight…my mom used to tell me that." She smiled wistfully at the memory of her mother, pulling into a parking space at the university. Parking the car, she rubbed the bump on her finger, covering is with her hand. "I've had this since I was little…I remember I used to be so self-conscious about it…stupid, huh?"

Hopping out of his seat and scurrying over, he climbed up the wheel and touched her hand, offering a genuine smile. "Not at all, Miss Sophie. Not at all."

She offered her hand to him, smiling as she helped him into the purse before getting out of the car and locking it on her way to class. "I'm so nervous," she whispered as she took her seat and waited for class to start, students still flocking into the auditorium with a few minutes to spare.

"What on earth for?' Ratigan asked, taking her forefinger and kissing it upon the knuckle. "You're wonderful, my dear, go on and show them what you're made of!"

"Thanks, Padraic," she smiled uneasily, unsure of how to take his overly exaggerated display of affection.

"Ok, let's settle down, ladies and gents," the (human) professor at the front of the room called out, once he had scribbled down roll call. "Ah, Sophie Ward, you've signed up to go first. Ready?"

"Yes, Professor," she answered, pulling her flash drive out of her purse before standing up, tucking her hair away from her face, her eyes showing her anxiety. Basil touched her hand as she grasped the tiny stick which she claimed contained her presentation. "Just take a deep breath, Miss Sophie. You'll be fine." He offered her a smile as was rewarded with one from her, nodding her head as she briefly curled her finger around his hand before taking off to the front of the room.

"How sweet of you, Basil," Ratigan guffawed, enjoying the look of impatience on his enemy's face. "If I didn't know any better-"

"You don't, clearly," he snapped back before looking towards the front of the room. "Now be quiet. Unlike you, I'm actually interested to see what this is."

Sophie stuck the stick into the side of the screen called a "computer" and waited a moment before clicking some items and tapping a button, causing the screen behind her to light up with a set of pictures and words. "Good morning everybody," she said warmly, masking her worry with a cheerful smile. "Today we'll all be talking about different authors and their works during the Victorian era, which vary from the Bronte Sisters to Charles Dickens and even Lewis Caroll. However, mine is from a genre that is considered borderline of fiction and reality, as its characters are so unique and their abilities phenomenal." Motioning towards the screen behind her, she added, "We'll be kicking this off with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the popular 'Sherlock Holmes' series."

Basil stared throughout the whole presentation, soaking in every bit that she discussed and explained. The insights she gave on other people's perspectives as well as her own showed him that she was deeply interested and intrigued in his human counterpart, and hoped to share that same curiosity and love for reading and analyzing the character to future students.

"Over the years, Sherlock Holmes and his colorful cast have been represented in a variety of ways through visual media, some of the more well-known and popular versions including Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson, respectively," Sophie continued as she drew near to completing her presentation. Basil gaped at the screen, seeing a black and white photo of the actor with his name. "There is also the more modern series 'Sherlock', staring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in the title roles." She clicked the next page, casting a knowing smile to the two rodents hidden in her bag. "And of course, the underappreciated Walt Disney film, 'The Great Mouse Detective'. While its characters of Basil, Dawson, and Ratigan are based off of the original story and figures, they are perfect examples of what Holmes, Watson, and even Professor Moriarty stand for."

Both Basil and Ratigan were in awe as their faces on the screen, opposing human counterparts that had been placed beside the photos. With a few closing sentences, Sophie finished her presentation with a bow, receiving applause from her fellow classmates. Basil joined them as he watched her take her flash drive out and hurry back to her seat, tipping his hat to her with a jovial smile.

"Well executed, Miss Sophie! That was marvelous!" he complimented her at once upon her arrival.

"Bravo, an extraordinary performance," Ratigan clapped, bowing to her.

"Thanks, gentlemen," she blushed modestly, slipping back into her seat. "I just hope I didn't go overboard and take too long."

"Oh, we wouldn't have minded," Ratigan waved it off, earning a giggle from the girl. "By the by, could we get out of these pockets for the time being?"

"Sure," she consented. "Where's the harm? I'm the last one back here so no one will see us." She observed Ratigan as he pulled himself out and sat comfortably on a face towel he'd brought along, acting as a cushion for him. He adjusted his gloves and cape before returning his attention to the front, clearly trying to act like the perfect, composed gentlemouse he strove to be.

Basil rolled his eyes at this, climbing to the top of the bag to get a better view. He felt Sophie tap his shoulder at that moment, prompting him to glance over to see her asking with her eyes if he wanted to sit on her shoulder. It was innocent enough, as friends anyways…

"Wait a moment…'friends'?" he thought. He barely knew this girl…and yet he was already referring to her as a friend in his mind. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he mulled it over in his mind, his eyes locking with hers. Seeing her looking at him with such kindness and sincerity made his heart thump irregularly. It was most unusual, and he wasn't sure that was normal for him…what bothered him the most was that he liked it. Still, he couldn't turn her down, not with those beautiful green eyes on him full of questions and care. With a light nod of his head, he stepped onto her hand and allowed her to place him on her shoulder. Scooting close to her neck, where her hair would act as a curtain to shield him in case someone looked back, he felt her body's warmth radiate onto him. Her hair smelled like vanilla, no doubt from the shampoo she used. For a moment, for just a brief moment, he relaxed and sat back, watching the rest of the presentations from his comfy perch.

One after the other went, all of them very interesting, but none quite striking the same chord as it had when Sophie had presented. Basil occasionally let his eye wander over to see Ratigan yawning or checking his pocket watch. Satisfied for the moment, he would return his attention to the front of the room. Halfway through these presentations, Basil stretched his arms, feeling stiff from sitting for so long. It so happened that Ratigan turned around to ask Sophie at what time they would be getting out of this dull and tedious class when his eyes caught sight of a golden sparkle in Basil's coat. His own eyes grew large as he realized what it was. Jumping to his feet, he climbed to the top of Sophie's purse and leapt for her shoulder, his feral side coming through.

"What-?!" she started, closing her eyes as he tackled her, falling onto the desk with Basil as they began to wrestle.

"You had it with you all this time!" Ratigan growled, swiping at the detective as Basil nimbly ducked away. "Give it to me!"

"Stop it!" Basil hissed. "We're going to attract attention!"

"Hand it over, Basil!" the rat all but roared, earning the full attention of the class.

"MICE!" screamed one girl.

"RATS!" shouted another.

"I am not a rat!" Ratigan snapped at them, momentarily distracted from the fight.

At once, the room was in a panic, some of the girls running out while the men starting shouting to one another on calling pest control. Sophie grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, reaching to grab the rodents and flee. "Knock it off-!"

"Look out!" Basil warned her as she reached for him.

Sophie was fully aware of how furious Ratigan was – he looked about ready to tear Basil to shreds. Nevertheless, she inserted her hand and blocked him, biting her lip as he scratched her instead of the detective. Thinking fast, she snatched the towel he had used earlier as a cushion and covered him in it, squeezing him tightly before tossing him into the bag and zipping it closed. "Hang on," she told Basil as she held him in her bleeding hand, close to her heart, and ran out of the room as fast as she could.