Ya! Slightly Faster update! =^-^= hope this story is coming out ok Masked Mouse.
And thank you all who have reviewed you make my day. ^_^
Nicole, Thank you for your review, I will try to be extra carful with my spelling, I check it but some times some just pass by me, I'll do my best to make sure it happens, if anything, less. ^-^;
A/N: ah! Sorry I seem to have made Ratigan a bit OOC…I guess I just have a hard time NOT making him more evil then he really is….hope that doesn't bug anyone….not to bad anyways.
***********
The room was cold and dry, Wrika opened her eyes to see what had happened and quickly regretted it.
All of her friends were asleep, or unconscious; she wasn't sure which one. Erika had tear stains on her fur and all of them were bonded down.
She looked down at her self, her hands were bound behind her back like the others and her feet chained to the wall behind her.
"Psst, guys." She tried to get one of them to wake up, they needed to find a way out. "Guys." She said a bit louder. Her effort was rewarded with a grunt from Dan.
"I feel I've been hit in the head with a bat…" he stated opening his eyes to focus on Wrika.
He looked around in horror, out of reaction he moved his hands just to find he couldn't.
A low growl escaped his lips, and he looked to the side to see Erika.
"Who ever is responsible for this will pay." He threatened under hi breath.
Erika heard Dan voice and slowly opened her eyes, fresh tears rolling down into her tan fur.
Carline and Basil were next to awake.
"What?...where are we?" Carline questioned looking around in a hurry.
"This was a trap." Every one moved there gaze to Basil, "I should have known." He cursed himself inwardly.
Erika looked at all her friends and depression swept over her. "This is all my fault." She hung her head in sorrow. "I should have never took off like I did."
Carline looked at her friend narrowing her eyes.
"It's not your fault, you didn't know this would happen." Dan began, but before he could go on Carline interrupted.
"Your right this is your fault!" she snapped. "Why would you just wonder off? You could at least have told us where you were going! What telling your best friends what up isn't important enough for you?!"
Erika started to cry again, "I couldn't tell you!" she snapped back in tears.
Carline stopped and gave a look of surprise.
"I couldn't tell you what I saw…." Tears were falling freely as the dream came back more clear then before. "You all were in pain; and Basil close to death…" she sniffed as more tears rolled into her fur.
The room went silent, as if what was just said needed to sink in.
"That's enough chaps," Basil broke in, "This isn't going to get us out; we need a plan."
Before another word could be spoke, the door opened filling the room with a blinding light.
Once there eyes adjusted they all looked up to see no other then Ratigan standing above them with the most evil of grins.
"Well, well, well." He began walking over to Basil.
He lifted Basil's chin roughly to look at him, "It appears the 'Great Mouse Detective' can be trapped."
Basil gave a death glare but quickly rethought his look when Ratigan pulled his face closer to his.
"Now, we wouldn't want to ruin that face of yours to soon would we?" he grinned.
Basil tried to pull his face away but Ratigan held his chin tight.
"Trust me, you don't want to rush me…" Basil had never felt fear in the face of his enemy and wasn't about to start now.
"Do your worse 'Rat' in the end I'll see you behind bars!"
Ratigan smacked Basil in the face at his words. "I told you not to rush me…but since you wish it." Unlocking Basil's chains Ratigan dragged him away from the others. "He'll be back." The rat stated with a grin and shut the door leaving Dan and the others alone.
This is all my fault and now Basil's paying the price." Erika cried.
Dan moved closer as best he could.
"Its ok, we can't changed what happened but we have to find a way out and save Basil."
"But how?" Carline questioned. "It's not like we can exactly move."
"We will find a way." Dan remarked. "I know it."
****
Ratigan dragged Basil into his lair and tossed him to the floor.
"Ready?" Ratigan asked with a grin.
Basil didn't know what the rat was talking about but stood up ready to speak when Fidget and another mouse hit him in the back making him fall back down.
"Ah!" Basil gripped his side as he fell hard on it.
"Not what I had in mind. But anything to keep you from moving." Ratigan laughed.
Before Basil had a chance to fully open his eyes after having them closed for a while holding in his grunt of pain all of the hunch men were hovering over him.
********
"Basil!, what do you think Ratigan will do to him?" Erika asked fear in her eyes.
"I'm…I'm not sure, but what ever it is, it can't be good." Dan replied struggling in his chains. "If only there was a way out." He mumbled.
"We have to save him…" Wrika added following Dan lead to try to get out of her bonds.
Carline just sat there staring at the ground. "None of this would have happened if we never played that song…" she said coldly.
Dan looked at her upsetly, "We didn't know that song would cause all this, there is no need to dwell on it…it won't help us now."
Wrika gave up the struggle and leaned back against the wall. "I guess all we can do is wait….and hope for a way out." She remarked with a small sigh.
"I think you may be right…" Dan agreed hopelessly.
**********
After what seemed like forever Basil was thrown back into the cell with them.
He had blood running down his chin and a black eye along with a mess of cuts and bruises.
"I'll be back; I'm not any where done with you…." Ratigan smiled evilly as he chained Basil back up. He then shot a glance at Dan, but then back to Basil. "I may just have to find a fun game to play with the rest of you…no point Basil of Baker Street having all of it." He laughed.
With out any more words spoken Ratigan grinned and left the room.
"Are you okay Basil?" Erika asked; she knew he wasn't but she didn't know what else to say.
"Ya, I'll be fine…he just let his men have fun with me as there punching bag, I haven't broken yet." He said pain in this voice but a very small hint of humor. Truth was, he didn't want the kids to be worried, children, no matter what age, didn't need to be overwhelmed by fear.
"We will got out of this alive and well." He added before putting his head back on the wall behind him.
Every one was quit knowing Basil needed rest after what he was put though and to have time for all of them to think.
Basil didn't get to sleep long before the hour was up Ratigan came back in the room and dragged him away with out so much as a word.
"I'll be back shortly for the rest of you…" he laughed from the other side of the door.
Once Basil was tied down to a mouse trap and Ratigan went back and grabbed up Carline and Wrika doing the same with them.
Ratigan then stared at Dan and Erika.
"What are you planning to do with us all?" Dan asked in a snapping tone.
Ratigan just grinned. "Nothing to you two….yet." he said then left the room with them both in there alone.
After about two hours of being in the room worried for the others safety Dan spoke. He couldn't take it, there was no telling what Ratigan would do to them, he had to tell Erika everything….other wise he may not ever have the chance.
"Hay Erika." Dan began.
"Ya?" she questioned, hurt still consumed in her face.
"I have to tell you something….before I don't have the chance…." He lowered his head not sure he wanted to tell her now that he started.
"I want to believe we have a chance, that we can find a way out of this….but just in case that does not happen…I have to tell you…" he paused again taking a deep breath.
"I do to." She broke in a single tear falling down her face. "But you first."
Dan swallowed hard and answered, "Okay, here it goes…..I….I love you."
Erika's head jerked up, and Dan saw it as a sing of surprise and disgust. He bent his head down with his eyes closed, at least it was off his chest….he did not expect her to have the same feeling…so why did it still hurt?
A small smile played on her face, "I love you too."
This time Dan's head jerked up. "Really?" he asked as if she was pulling his leg.
Erika nodded tears of joy and pain feeling her eyes. She really did love him….it was as clear as day.
"Oh Erika….if nothing else in this world mattered…" he trailed off not fully knowing where he was headed with that.
He pulled at his chains again and found he had loosened them where he could at least put his hands in front of him and no long keep them behind him.
He them cupped Erika's face in his hands. "I've always loved you…" with that said he lend in and kissed her.
After what seemed like hours they broke the kiss for air. "Erika…I don't know if we will get out of this alive, and I know I love you…with all that I am…."
Erika seemed to know where he was going with this and kissed his neck before whispering in his ear. "We are in a time were that is looked down upon if not wed…"
Dan nodded and kissed her again before putting in his two cents. "Please my love….it may be the only chance we have…we will keep it short, sweet, and discreet." He said simply.
Erika couldn't help it, all her life she wanted to be with Dan, and now she had the chance…and they were trapped in a cell.
"Ok, as long as no one finds out." She said worry in her voice.
Dan brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes, "They won't." He assured her.
**********
Wrika, Carline, and Basil were all tied down to a sitting up right, mouse trap waiting to see what Ratigan had in store for them.
"What are you waiting for?" Wrika snapped not being able to stand the suspense any longer.
Ratigan smirked "Nothing, I have just what I want….well almost what I want."
"What do you mean?" Carline asked.
Walking over to Basil he dragged a long claw across his jaw line down to his neck, making the detective hold his breath in fear the wrong air way could cause the claw to break skin.
"You see, I have my greatest foe at my mercy, but what I don't have is some new recruits..." he said making sure if Basil opened his mouth to deny he would be leaking blood.
"New recruits?" Wrika asked confused at what Ratigan needed new henchmen for.
Ratigan brought his claw back up to Basil's jaw line and pressed his muzzle closed and held it that way with one claw.
"Why yes…I could really use a few good…sly, mice to help me take down this for sake'n city." He remarked.
"Never!" Wrika snapped and anger.
Ratigan smirked, "I thought you'd say that….that's why I'm going to make you a deal…become my helpers in crime and I'll let the famous Basil of Baker Street live." He slowly cut a line under Basil's chin making him hiss in pain.
"Well?" he pushed waiting for an answer.
Basil quickly pulled his head away and yelled before any of them could speak. "Don't do it!" he couldn't get another word out, for Ratigan cupped his mouth shut.
"I'm still waiting…" he grinned but with a hint of irritation in his eyes.
Basil again pulled away and bite Ratigan's paw having him pull it away from his mouth altogether.
"It's not worth it! What ever you do don't…" Ratigan grabbed his muzzle again and sank his claws in to him making him scream and struggle.
"Keep this up and it wont matter what the answer is, you will die." He growled.
Wrika didn't know why but suddenly she saw something…a flash,
Basil was sitting in a chair, he was much older, brown hair was gray and a sweet old lady mouse was next to him. two more mice entered the room, they….they were mice she knew! Both which had a baby similar to….Erika!? the baby was sleeping and Basil held her close rocking her.
Suddenly there was a skip in time and the baby was five walking and talking, Basil was there along with the others. Another time skip, the baby was a teen, and it was no long questionable, the baby WAS Erika!
Then the flashes stopped.
Wrika took a minute to regain her thoughts.
Ratigan seemed very angry at the lack of answer he was so 'patently' waiting for and grabbed both Wrika and Carline after cutting them free from the trap.
"I'll run the offer by you again! For now I'll let you consult with your other two friends."
As the two of them were tossed back into the cell Ratigan dragged Basil and hog tied him throwing him next to Dan.
"I'll be back…and I want an answer." He snapped and slammed the door shut.
Both Dan and Erika were confused at what had just happened and looked to Carline for answers.
Wrika and Carline looked in to Basil's eyes as they saw he was fighting the darkness but was quickly losing.
Carline saw the questioned looks in her friends eyes and was thinking how to answer, but couldn't help notice the two of them were a lot closer then they were when they left….and Dan's and Erika's hands were able to reach were before they couldn't…
The more they thought about it the moment they entered the cell both had seemed to be smiling….the smile….
Carline glanced over at Wrika and both decided they would ask questions later…right now they were the ones who needed answers.
As Wrika explained what had just happened and what was offered to them Basil was falling asleep, but he couldn't help the smell that entered his small nose….and the smell was not unfamiliar. Pulse being the detective that he was new from the looks on both Dan and Erika's faces and they sudden new 'closeness' something was going on between them…of coarse he could tell they both 'liked' each other but this was a new 'like' and a new type of 'close' friendship. But now was not the time to pry or think too much on it, now was a time to find a way out of a desperate situation.
Before Wrika and Carline got done explaining the deal of having Basil's life speared for there help in crime Basil had fully fallen into the darkness of sleep.
Wrika seeing this took the opportunely to tell Erika about her past vision.
"Erika, I have to tell you something." She began glancing back at Basil dead asleep on the ground then back at her friend. "I had a vision, well more like a flash back."
Erika gave her friend her full attention despite Dan's arm around her waist.
"I think Basil's your grandfather." She said bluntly she really wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush like she would normally do.
Erika and Dan both seemed to have the same shocked reaction.
"What?! That can't be!" she gasped more then said.
Dan did a double take as if taking Wrika's words into concretion. "Ya' know, now that you mention it, you two do look alike in a small way."
Erika stared at Basil but this time closer as thou trying to see what they saw.
"You have the same green eyes, the same color fur and your muzzles are similar." Dan added noticing all this for the first time himself.
"I….I think….your right…" Erika said almost speechless. She never did get to meet her grandpa due to him passing away just two years ago and lived to far away so her family never got to go visit before he dead.
Slowly crawling over so to net wake him, Erika brushed a strand of hair out of Basil's face. She couldn't completely wrap her mind around it, but yes it made since, she did feel a type of love for this mouse…he really was family. Leaning over carefully she kissed her future grandpa on the forehead.
Dan pulled Erika close wrapping her back in his arms. "Don't worry we will get out of here….besides we defiantly can't let him die…other wise you may never be born…" as these words flew out of his mouth he just about sobbed heavily; he couldn't think of a world with out Erika.
"But how?" she asked a tear falling from her eye.
Carline threw her head back slightly hitting the wall frustrated.
Wrika put her head down resting on her keens trying to think.
"We don't have a way out do we?" Erika questioned knowing the answer.
Carline sighed, "No…" she looked at both her friends them back at the sleeping detective. "There is something that is bugging me thou…" she was now staring at both Dan and Erika.
They seemed to know what was coming…after all, they were there friends….
Erika swallowed, "We…" before another word could be spoke Wrika snapped up.
"I know how to escape!" she practically shouted. It was then her friends realized she was in a trace and just now snapped out of it.
Forgetting the on coming conversation all of them looked at Wrika and waited.
"I know just how we can escape…." She grinned.
******
^_^ Please R&R next chapter will be up shortly. ;)