I Do Not Own The Great Mouse Detective, but I Do Own Kay McDowell, her sister Sarah, Jeffrey and Johnathan. So now ladies and gents...Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Kay

The police as well as Basil and I search the whole property area, but no signs of Jeffrey anywhere and assumed he made his clean escape.

This was bad, Jeffrey got exactly what he wanted and thus seems to be a more challenging criminal then Ratigan. Though I realized that blowing up the same building was also Ratigan's first big criminal act, it really seemed like Jeffrey was falling right into Ratigan's footsteps...how am I going to tell Sarah.

Sarah!...that's right, she wants me home...I still hoped that maybe after I come home for a couple of days she'll let me come back, but I doubt it. Not after I tell her about tonight...but she thinks that Basil and I...I will never tell Basil my feelings, thus maybe when I tell him, he will confess too and I won't have to leave. SHe won't make me come home if I'm being courted.

I walked over to Basil as the guests from the gala started to depart the ballroom. Tapping him on the should to get his attention.

"Please Kay I'm trying to think."

"But...Basil I need to tell you something."

"What is it Kay?"

"I love you..."

I watched as he turned around to face me with a curious look in his green eyes.

"What did you say?"

"I've been trying to tell you for the last couple of weeks, but I kept getting interrupted. So before it happens again I just had to blurt it out...I love you Basil...everything about you. From how excited you can get about cases to how you can drive us all crazy. I love everything about you. Good and bad."

I stood up on my tiptoes and then pulled him into a kiss. One that I put all of my love and passion into for him. When I seperated from him he looked shocked almost. I waited for a couple of minutes for him to say something...anything honestly if it meant for him to stop staring out into space. Then it seemed his facial looks went stern as he walked past me. He got almost to the doorway when he turned to me.

"Well? are you coming Kay?"

Wait...that's it? nothing? no "I Love You too" or "I'm sorry if I lead you on, but I just want to be friends"? just ignore the whole thing? I felt like crying as I walked towards him, but I wouldn't. In fact I wouldn't bother to take his hand when I got up onto Toby nor say anything really. It wasn't till I got upstairs to my room and locked it was when I freely let the tears stain my face.

That man was so frustrating, first he kissed me, then shows no honest emotion to me for almost a month other then possible fondness and then out of nowhere a kiss on the lips, telling me he has trouble with public emotion. Then when I confess to him in a not so public area he just pushes it way? My god Mrs. Judson was right, if he didn't tell me after I told him then he never was going to.

My sister was right. It was better for it to night happen. I went to sit at my little desk with my feather pen, ink and paper and decided to leave Basil a note since I was going to be leaving for the boat in a few hours. Crying while I wrote, it tore my heart apart, but I now had to go home and try to move on. I folded up nicely and tied it up with a blue ribbon of mine I found in my drawer.

I wrote his name on it and laid it on my desk as I went onto get out of now my most hated dress. A dress I worked hard on...that I wore to a gala...in the arms of a man that I love, but who did not share the same for me. I left the dress on the bed for I had no plans on taking it with me...it would only serve a purpose of reminding me of tonight. I got on my usual slacks, button up shirt, shoes, coat and my deerstalker hat.

I packed everything else in my bags, though so my departure wouldn't be noticed early I made my bed to look like I was in it. I grabbed my bags and letter and quietly left my now dark room. I noticed as I was coming down into the living room one...amazingly no one was out here, and two...it was four-thirty in the morning. I had some time on my hands before my cab showed up. I took one more look around. Looked at the chair Dawson would sit in across from Basil's. The fireplace my coat hung up on when I first arrived here, the couch I spent a good portion of my time in. I knew was going to miss this place as well as Dawson, Mrs. Judson and most of all...Basil.

I allowed one tear to slid down my face, but no more as I laid my letter in his chair, next to his violin. I knew he would see it if it's with his instrument of choice. I picked up my bags and took one more look as I quietly opened the door, re-locked it and left to my waiting cab.

Good bye Basil...I'll always love you.

Basil

I hadn't been able to sleep all night. Just kept thinking about what Kay said...and how much I wished for that I had said it right there and then. I knew it wasn't my best moment to have gone the way I did, but she caught me off guard. I wanted to explain myself when we got home, but I don't think she even knew that I was talking to her as she went up the stairs. I knew my mistake when I heard her door locked.

"I'm an idiot!"

"Well Mr. Basil you know how much I'd hate to agree with you..."

"Do you mind Mrs. Judson."

"She told you didn't she? and you blew it."

"She caught me off guard."

"That's what love does Basil."

"My mind was still on that case."

"And you don't think hers wasn't either? but maybe she was thinking that before something else happened she needed to tell you."

"That sounds like what she said in reference."

"And like a fool you pushed it under the rug and moved on."

"I plan to make it up to her."

"Good luck, you're going to need it after breaking that girl's heart."

"I plan to tell her you know."

"When? when it's too late. Now if you excuse me I'm going to bed. I suggest you do the same."

Though I took her advice, my mind wasn't tired at all as I kept trying to see what I can do tomorrow. Though I think the best thing was to go in there and tell her. I decided that I was going to go wake her up in the morning and speak with her. To explain myself, apologize probably a hundred times and finally tell her...that I love her too. I just hope she will accept this foolish mouse as I finally fell asleep.

I woke up from a nightmare. One that when I saw Kay downstairs, still in the dress she wore to the gala and her hair flowing down. She looked so beautifully sad. I go up to her, to tell her I love her as my paw touches her cheek, she starts to turn to ash and blow away. I shivered at the thought of it. Looking at my wall clock it was eight a.m and decided this was a good time to go see Kay before everyone else woke up. I wasn't sure at first if her door was still locked, but when I tried to listen in the door opened easily. Strange, but I could see her asleep in her bed. Her dress laying on the end of the bed, I picked it up gently and sat it down in her chair then took a seat on her bed close to her.

I shook her gently at first, quietly asking her to wake up. I spent probably a minute or so trying to wake her up. i thought either she was that deep asleep or she wasn't wanting to speak with me. I was going to go out and leave her be, but I couldn't...because I don't remember feeling or hearing her breath.

I spoke louder as I walked back over to her, in hopes maybe it was my imagination. I started shaking as I spoke, but nothing. In a panic I tossed off her covers, but all I could see was a lump there. I lit up one of the lamps and saw a balled up blanket and a couple of pillows, but no Kay.

I rushed out and down the stairs, pleading with myself to not let this be the dream. I got down into the living room and she wasn't there. I was almost relieved as I rushed to the kitchen and she wasn't there either. I started to worry now. What if Jeffrey came in during the night and kidnapped her.

Get a hold of yourself old boy, there would be signs that he came in some how.

And there wasn't. I needed to think. I went over to my usual red chair and sitting by my violin was a note tied up in ribbon...with my name on it. I moved my violin and held the note as I sat down. Slowly opening the note as if it was as fragile as the ash form of Kay...no keep your mind off the dream.

I opened it, noticed the tear marks on the paper as I read it...and read it again...again...but I couldn't believe it still as I read it one more time.

Dear My Beloved Basil,

Although it may not have been the best time, but I had to tell you. I
opened my heart and confessed completely to you...that I love you...
and yet you just swept it under as if it was nothing. That it wasn't
important.

It would be a lie if I said that it didn't hurt me. It did and I realized
that after I told you, if you didn't tell me by that point, you were never
going to. Now it doesn't matter, though I had hoped if you gave me some
answer this would have either been easier or I wouldn't have to at all,
but my sister told me when she called to come home after the case was over.

So that's what I'm doing, I'm going home on this mornings boat. I'm sorry
I couldn't tell you to your face, but I couldn't face you and risk more
heartache. I know I'm a coward, but it's better this way. I'm sorry...
I hope you will be okay and maybe someday forgive me. Maybe if you're ever
in Carson City, Nevada you can look me up...if you've forgiven me by
then.

I'll love you forever My Basil. Please be good to yourself.

Love
Kay.

Oh my god Kay, what have I done!

She cried while writing it, I felt like crying while reading this. I folded it up and placed it in my pocket. i couldn't let her keep thinking that I didn't feel that way about her.

"But how could I possibly beat her there. She's already got a head start on the boat."

"Then maybe you need to find another way." said Mrs. Judson as she came down the stairs

"Mrs. Judson, I apologize for waking you."

"Do not worry about it. You go to America and bring Kay back."

"But there won't be another boat till tomorrow."

"Well then as I said. I'm sure her majesty could help you. I've heard rumors that her majesty uses carrier pigeons to get from place to place without being seen, but then again you never know."

I smiled as I rushed over and hugged Mrs. Judson a thank you and up the stairs to pack a bag, throw on my clothes, rushed back down to grab my coat and hat, then rushed out to find Toby asleep near by. We got going once I woke him and told him what I needed him to do...for Kay...anything.