Happy Valentine's Day guys! I am terribly sorry for the large gap in updating this story. Long story short: My laptop crapped out last month and it had to get wiped out, so I lost everything (pictures, music, stories, etc.) Luckily though, I rewrote this by hand so I was able to retype it. ^_^ Probably not one of my best chapters, but oh well, still proud of it nonetheless. So anyway, enjoy everyone.
Chapter 6: Step By Step
The lingering odor of cigarette smoke filled the dim room as he easily tuned out the drunken laughter of those around him. His yellow eyes focused on the white-furred beauty dancing erotically in front of him, not once caring that she once more was fighting off bar patrons from crawling their way up on stage like she had done every night. The look in his eyes almost seemed to be of lust. However, that look of desire wasn't intentionally for her, it was for the woman that he could imagine. A woman much more to his liking. As he took a long swag from his cigarette, he heard someone nervously clear their throat beside him. Exhaling the smoke, he let out a sigh of annoyance.
"This had better be important, Hector," the large rodent warned as the grey and black furred mouse stood there, fiddling his fingers. "If not, someone will get what is coming to them."
"No, sir-I-I-I mean yes, sir. The matter is indeed important."
"Then pray. Quit babbling like such a buffoon and do tell me what it is."
The mouse stumbled slightly from the booming power of his boss' voice. "Right…Ah, y-you wished to be informed when-"
"Oh, that's right," the creature interrupted in a tone of irritation while he rudely snatched the rolled up newspaper from Hector's grasp. Putting out the cigarette, he and his trusted, but seemingly nervous companion made their way out of the overly crowded pub.
Five minutes into their awkwardly silent trip, Hector waited apprehensively as his leader scanned the front page article. Even as they got closer to the abandon flat they called home, not a single word slipped from either one of their lips. More sounds of cheering and drunken laughter became louder and much more obnoxious when the two got closer. All of that soon changed once the front door abruptly opened and slammed shut. The eloquent force caused all that were nearby to stiffen in fear and alarm. All remained quiet as they watched their leader take his rightful place by the fire, newspaper in his lap while he took out his golden plated cigarette case and a small box of matched. Lighting it, he glared at the paper once more.
"Murderers apprehended outside near the east end of greater London. No evidence of stolen goods to be seen." Pausing for a brief moment, the rodent hissed angrily at the last bit of words as if they were diseased. "Detective Basil assists Inspector Vole of Scotland Yard in the arrest of the criminals." Taking another long drag, he breathed out with powerful force. Crushing the newspaper, he stood up, growling. "You worthless idiots! He's getting to close for his own good."
"D-do you wish for us to take care of him for you, sir?" Hector asked hesitantly.
"No, you daft… I wish to take the matter into my own hands." Looking at the article once more, he grinded his teeth. "I am fed up with hearing that mouse's name. Lately that is all I see in the bloody papers. Basil of Baker Street this, or Basil of Baker Street that, he must learn that there are dire consequences to him meddling in affairs that don't include him." Kneeling in front of the fireplace, he casually placed the newspaper into the burning flames.
"Don't worry, boss. In a matter of day, you will have his name printed in the obituaries, as well as the pretty foreign girl-"
"That girl, my dear Hector, will be mine once rid of that arrogant pest for good," the vial fiend stated as he watched the burning embers devour the detective's photograph.
"You mean…You're not going to send her back?" Chauncey, a chubby white mouse questioned, rather confused by his employer's reply.
The rat placed his hands behind his back as he casually faced his loyal henchman. "And why should I? I might have brought her here so that I could use her to make Basil of Baker Street vulnerable. That doesn't mean that Miss Méndez will no longer be of use once her sweet lover has been disposed of."
"Governor, she's from the twenty-first century. She doesn't seem as timid as most women of this century. She'll fight back."
"That might be. But here's a question that you should ask yourself: just how strong will she be once the truth about her gets out?" At the far end of the room, there sat a large statue with gigantic claws surrounding it. With a swift movement of his hand, he grinned wickedly at the glowing image forming before him. " As planned, our beloved detective is slowly falling for the young woman. With help from yours truly, of course. Once he knows Miss Méndez's true identity and her involvement in my plan, he will feel betrayed and used. His poor heart will be broken, and therefore, will be easy to destroy. So you see, I may have the power to send the little liar back to her time, but why must the fun end there?"
The clock read thirty minutes passed five as I paced nervously in the safe confinements of my bedroom. Since earlier this evening, I began to question my feelings for the young woman just down the hall from me. This feeling, as comfortable as it felt, was a bit strange to me. It seemed to frighten me so. And with each passing minute, my heart began to race more rapidly.
"This is completely absurd!" I exclaimed while I struggled to tie my cravat properly.
"And why do you say that, Basil?" Dawson questioned rather amusingly as he leaned against the bedpost.
"Why do you think, Dawson? This is not like me at all." I glared at my friend as he chuckled on behalf of my current state.
"What isn't like you? Attending an instrumental performance? My dear, boy, I think that is much like you-"
"You know very well what I mean," I stepped in, snatching my tailcoat that lay across the bed. "For God's sake, she's my client."
"So you think spending one evening with the girl will ruin you? I swear Basil, you are making it sound as if you…" The doctor paused suddenly once he noticed my embarrassed expression. I could feel my face burning and my heart racing as he stood in front of me surprised and flabbergasted. "My…I never thought that it was possible."
"Dawson, whatever it is that you are thinking-"
"You have fallen for her, haven't you?"
Damn! "What? O-of course not! What on earth would give you such a ridiculous idea as that?"
"Well, for one, there's the way you have been behaving-"
"My behaviour towards Miss Méndez has nothing do to with-"
"Doesn't it?" For the moment, I had no response as I stood tall, buttoning my coat. I knew Dawson could sense the truth, but I also knew that he would wait until the end of the world before I admit such a thing. "You do know that you're silence does not help you much either, old boy. In fact, it tells me that I am indeed correct."
I sighed deeply, placing my hands in my trouser pockets. "I don't know how this could have happened. Is it even possible to feel such a thing in such a short amount of time?"
"For some, but for others it takes time." For the first time in years, I truly understood the words that were being said. Though I promised myself that I would forever remain a bachelor, I also forced myself to build a mental barrier to make sure that I could never fall in love. So the questions were these… How did I allow myself to let her in? How did I permit her to affect me in such a way? "As far as I can tell, she has slowly made you happier than I have ever seen you since I have come to live here. Do not dare deny it because it clearly shows. Who knows, perhaps it is she that can help you break away from your insidious cocaine habit."
"My dear friend, as well as my dear doctor," I scoffed lightly, "an occasional seven percent solution of cocaine has done nothing but keep me from a state of boredom. Do you seriously think a woman can change that?"
"Indeed I do," he said sternly, his smile lowering slightly. "I am sure Mrs. Judson has told you the same thing, but I feel that you need someone to keep you on the straight and narrow. Though you say that you do not need a woman in your life, it is obvious that you do. She is not afraid to stand up to you as you have told me on numerous occasions and we both know that though it's not uncommon, it's still unheard of. Perhaps the reason why you have not chosen to leave your life as a bachelor is not that you are incapable of commitment, but that you have not found the right one for you. Maybe you need someone who is able to stand up for herself. Someone who is independent. Perhaps Miss Méndez the right one for you."
"Of course this is coming from someone who is soon to become a married mouse-." I pointed out before being cut of hastily.
"No, Basil, this is coming from someone who happens to know you. Someone who has lived under the same roof as you. So don't you dare bring my marriage to Abigail into this. I can probably bet you somewhere down the line, you too will be betrothed. And maybe it will be to her."
I glanced in his direction once more until I shook my head in disagreement. "Though an amusing thought, I hardly doubt that," I said. "I would not be a suitable husband for I know if I were to marry her, she would be miserable, and would possibly divorce me at the first opportune moment."
"I personally think, if you were to give yourself a chance, you would make a fine husband. I and Mrs. Judson both believe that it is possible that she is your ideal match."
"Again, as amusing as it may be, she deserves better. Surely there are more fitting suitors for her back in Puerto Rico. She needs someone to whom she can rely on. Someone who can…Oh, never mind! The point is, I'm not for her."
"Ah, so that's it. You think you are not good enough for her," my companion laughed.
"No, I don't think I am. Sure, I could protect her, but for how long? I know all my flaws would sooner or later cause her to run away or even worse get her killed." Hearing such words caused me to scoff once more for feeling so vulnerable. "I am a mouse of science and detection! This is impossible, Dawson! Completely impossible!"
"But, why do you say that it is impossible? Because you wish to believe so-?"
"I'm not supposed to fall in love!" I shouted, but by doing that, I was really able to hear those shocking words as they slipped from my lips. In all my years, I never thought I would ever say those words. Groaning, I sat on the edge of my bed, allowing what I had said sink in. "I'm in love with her…"
"I'm in love with him," I whispered to myself as I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Never in a million years would I ever believe I would say such a thing. "This can't happen. This won't happen. Reason one, he's a fictional character. Reason two, never and I mean never would he ever feel that way for me. So basically I'd be wasting my time. Reason three…" I sighed as I walked away from the mirror, "I'm a human from the twenty-first century." When I first met Basil, I never expected to feel this way about him. Sure, I did love him, but being in love with him? That was territory that I knew would be daring and dangerous since he had many enemies. Then again, maybe that would be a risk willing to be taken…
"What am I doing?" I asked myself, sitting in front of the bureau. "This…this is insane. Nuts! I am not in love with him. Why? Because he's not real! He is nothing but a stupid cartoon character that I happen to have a crush on at the time. Sure I can see and talk to him, but at the end of the day, he's just a figment of my imagination. He is not real!" Once I got that bit of denial off my chest, I groaned before forcing myself to relax long enough to fix my hair before I heard a soft knock on the door.
"My dear, are you almost ready?" the familiar voiced called out, one that I was relieved to hear.
"Yes, Dr. Dawson. Just a moment," I replied while I placed the last bobby pin in it's rightful place. "You may come in if you'd like." Doing so, the elder mouse stood in awe.
"My, child, you certainly are a vision," he comment right when I rose from my seat.
"Thank you," I replied feeling my cheeks burn slightly. "Well, I best go. Basil is probably waiting."
"Of course." Stepping out of my room, I descended downstairs while Dr. Dawson remained behind. Standing at the top of the staircase, he smiled happily. "And thank you for entering his life."
The ride was a quiet one as Basil sat nervously beside me. Before leaving Baker Street, he barely said much. At first, I thought his silence was from having to wait for me, but he didn't seem angry, so that wasn't the case. I then remembered that I was told he had a tendency of not talking. But this didn't bother me. In fact, the silence gave me time to think.
"Y-you look beautiful, Miss Méndez," the detective complimented just when our carriage came to a stop. I watched when he opened the door and stepped out. Turning, he held his gloved hand out towards me. "Shall we? Unless you've changed your mind." Accepting it, I smiled softly. As the carriage departed, Basil offered me his arm before we made our way for the theater. "My sincere apologies for earlier, my dear. I often don't talk much."
"That's all right. I was told about that," I assured him when he stepped inside.
"But that dress certainly does suit you."
"Thank you."
Once removed of our coats, I looked around the large lobby. While doing so, I noticed multiple pairs of eyes focused on us, clearly amused at the sight before them. Without realizing it, I gripped onto the closest thing I could, almost like an instant reaction. In this case, the closest thing just happened to be the hand of a certain detective.
"Is something the matter?" Basil asked amusingly. Feeling embarrassed by my own actions, I hastily released my tight grip.
"Ah…no. Everything is fine," I replied nervously. He chuckled lightly, obviously seeing what caused me to react the way I did. Taking my hand into his, he kissed it tenderly before looping his harm around mine.
"Do not fret, darling. They are just surprised to see me with a female companion, and a gorgeous one at that." Allowing his response to sink in, we settled into our seats. I then began to wonder if he indeed was not capable of love, would he say such a thing? If he was, then does he mean what he says or not?
My thoughts soon disappeared the very second the curtains rose and the sound of an applause began. Beside me, Basil remained composed as he waited eagerly for the music to begin. I smiled softly and focused on the orchestra in front of me when a familiar piece began to play. The smooth and crisp sounds of the strings and woodwinds took me away as I closed my eyes, listening to each powerful note with great anticipation.
As time went by, I felt as if I was floating on air while the melodic sounds engulfed me. I was soon startled when I felt something gently touch the top of my hand. As I glanced down, I was surprised to see Basil's hand resting on mine. At first I thought he simply placed it there without any knowledge of my own being present. But I soon learned that his gesture was quite intentional when I noticed that he wasn't moving it. Feeling my cheeks getting warm, I turned my head only to meet his gaze. We both smiled as he then entwined his fingers with mine, and faced the stage once more. I on the other hand couldn't help but continue looking down at our locked hands. Was this the beginning of something more? For the moment, I decided to not jump ahead of myself and pay attention to what I was here for.
Throughout the entire performance, not once did the detective's hand leave mine. Every once in a while, I could sense his warm gaze upon me. Yet, once the last note began to echo, my smile lessened as Basil released his grip as everyone stood for a standing ovation. I felt a bit hurt by this, but I brushed it off while I myself followed the crowed in applauding the many musicians before us.
Leaving the theater, snow began to fall from the clear night's sky. All around us looked as if we were inside a large snow globe. As Basil and I made out way back to Baker Street, I began to giggle as snowflakes landed on my hair and face.
"You're shivering, dear," Basil pointed out when he heard my teeth chatter.
"Oh. I guess I'm just not used to the cold. I'll be fine," I assured him as I wrapped my coat around me a bit tighter. Not convinced, he removed his own coat and draped it around my shoulders.
"You won't be if you become ill." Taking my hand, he smiled softly. "I'm sure we can catch a cab from here." Spotting one, we rushed over before it departed towards Basil's flat.