Disclaimer: This story is a fanfiction. I don't own WordGirl.

A/N Thanks for the patience, more will be required. There is still a lot I need to do this semester. I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year.

Cows. Florida had proven to be a state full of cows.

Sally leaned against the broken down car she and Jennifer had rented for the trip from the airport to the hotel. Looking out around her, there was nothing but cow fields and random tourist attractions.

"We're going to die Sally." Jennifer had remained in the car as she wished to hypervenality away from the watchful eye of the interstate traffic. "We'll starve out here! And buzzards will eat our flesh!"

"Shh, calm down." Sally spoke still watching the cattle graze peacefully. "The tow truck will be here in thirty minutes; nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say, you ate at the airport! I'm dying Sally! I. Am. dying!"

Maybe Jennifer needed to be left alone for a while. She seemed . . . stressed. Sally decided to take a short walk alongside the interstate. There was a traffic sign, or rather an information sign planted in the ground a little ways ahead. Oddly enough, the sign wasn't facing a direction were the drivers would be able to read it. Sally abandoned the car to take a better look at it.

"Where are you going?!" Jennifer wasted no time bolting from the car to catch up with her co-worker. "Don't leave me!"

"I'm just taking a little walk," Sally tried to explain as the frantic woman latched onto her arm. "Why don't you," Sally began prying Jennifer off. "Go back and look over the case files."

"We've already read those a thousand times; they're not going to change. I need to stay with you."

Sally rolled her eyes, but allowed her co-worker to remain next to her. The two women approached the sign and gave it a quick read. Orlampa?

"I didn't know there was an Orlampa on the map." Sally raised an eyebrow as she looked over the sign. There were no other words.

"Maybe, when our car broke down," Jennifer began breathing heavily again. "We were sent to another dimension. We're never going to get home."

"Oh Jennifer that's ridiculous."

"Is it, is it really?" The crazed woman grabbed the sign post. "I've seen these kinds of things on TV. People are sent to other worlds. Our plane landed in Orlando and we were on our way to Tampa and now, Bam! Another world!"

"Are you, sure you're not suffering from jet-lag?" Sally stepped back from her co-worker.

"Joke all you want Sally Botsford, but when we die out here and your children become homeless, don't come crying to me!" Jennifer shook the sign violently. "Take us home!"

Sally quickly walked- ran, ran back to the car. Why had she allowed the city to give her Jennifer for her research assistant? She could have requested Claire or Amy, no, she let the city pair her with Jennifer. Seated safely in the car, Sally decided against watching her assistant attack a sign and went to check the map. Orlampa must be on it somewhere. It would be awful if she had told the tow trucking company to pick them up in the wrong area.

Yawn. She would still be in bed if she were home. Hopefully Tim got the kids to sleep without much difficulty. Knowing him, he let Becky spend the night at Violet's and TJ was up watching monster movies. Sally would have to call them in the morning and set her husband straight. He couldn't let them party all week just because she was . . .

Her cell phone let out a ring from her purse. Sally frowned. Who would be calling her at this hour? She reached for the phone to see it was from home.

"Tim if you broke anything," Sally imagined her priceless China dishes smashed on the floor along with a pitiful apology thrown together by her husband, so wracked by his guilt he couldn't sleep until he confessed . . .

Sally prayed that was what this call was about; nothing about Becky.

"Hello." The weakness of her voice came as a surprise to both her and Tim.

"Sally, I, have to tell you, that. . ."

Sally tried to wait patiently. He was stumbling over every word, every syllable. It seemed he was doubting his word choice before he had even said anything. But somehow, what he was trying to say was coming in loud and clear.

"What happened to Becky?" Sally did her best to keep her voice clam. "Tim, calm down and tell me what happened."

"She's missing." Pause. "She, she was at Violet's but never came home when she left. The city thinks someone's taking the kids because other kids are missing and . . . Oh Sally."

He. Couldn't have said . . . Becky's missing?

Sally allowed the words to roll in her head with no result of understanding. How?

The woman remained seated in the car, stunned by the news she had received. Several lone cars whizzed by in the humid Florida dawn.

o.

The whole night had been wasted as far as Adler was concerned. Theodore had managed to escape, WordGirl was nowhere to be found and Comte's equipment proved useless. All his efforts were beginning to back fire and he was running out of time. The King of Britannica was due to die any day now and he still had nothing to boost his standings. Worse yet, if word got back home that the late prince Theodore had a son . . . Adler shuttered at the thought.

"I have to kill that boy."

There was no way Adler was going to let eighteen years of planning and manipulation slip thru his fingers like this. And it was definitely not going to be taken away by children. With no other course of action to take, Adler returned to the lake house he and Curtis had converted into their base of operation.

"No one else knows Theodore is here," Adler spoke to himself as he cleared the security system. "No one even knows he exists. Perhaps they won't find out until after I'm king, and by then it will be too late for him."

Adler stepped into the house and surveyed the room. There was very little furniture, only the equipment he had brought from Britannica, and the room was rather cold and quiet. It was also dark. The only lights came from the glowing computer screens and from the street lamps outside. But that was the only light Adler would allow. Anymore and neighbors would wonder why the house's occupants were up at three in the morning.

"Curtis!" Adler headed toward the bedrooms at the back of the house. "Curtis where are you?!"

"In here!" Came the muffled reply. Curtis then emerged from the room to stand in the hall with Adler. "The boy's still in there."

"For your sake, I'd hope so."

"He," Curtis cleared his throat nervously, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Adler. "He won't say if he knows who WordGirl is."

Adler closed his eyes for a minute; his wet, matted hair covered his forehead making it hard for Curtis to read his facial expression in the dark. When Adler finally opened his eyes again it was easy to see his less than favorable mood.

"Can you not even handle a child." Adler spoke thru gritted teeth. "I swear, you are the most idiotic being to ever breath air." Adler shoved Curtis aside as he entered the room.

"The kid's sleeping right now, Adler," Curtis spoke these words so hastily, and he regretted their concerned tone. "I mean, I think it would be best to question him further in the morning after he's-"

"Do I look like I care about his health!" Adler wheeled on Curtis frightening the man out of the room; and unknowingly causing the child to winch in his false sleeping state. "I'll show you how much I care!" Adler went straight for the bed and snatched Todd up by the collar of his outer shirt. Adler glared hard at the youth fearfully dangling before him. "Now either you tell me where I can find WordGirl or I'll serve you as her replacement."

Todd looked past Adler's face. Curtis was mouthing the words 'status quo.'

Adler watched the boy's eyes divert. In that instant Adler knew something was amiss between his assistant and the child. He would deal with that later; oh but how it angered him.

"Look at me!" Adler shook Todd as if straightening a piece of paper. The child gave the man his full attention. "Tell me who she is!"

"I, I . . ." Todd gripped his hands to his collar to try and ease the pressure. "I don't know for sure."

"Think hard, this is your life you're playing with."

Adler's gaze was almost too much for Todd to handle. If he had to remain with this man for too much longer he knew he would lose his composure.

"See how dark it is outside?" Adler thrust Todd to the bed, disorienting the child for a moment, before taking hold of the back of both the shirts Todd was wearing. Adler then dragged the boy across the room and forcibly pressed him against the only window present. The boy grunted in pain while Adler continued to speak. "You have until the sun comes up to 'make sure' you have the right answer for me, or else."

Adler released the boy and made his way to leave. The door was slammed behind him and undoubtedly locked. The child shook for a moment on the floor before responding to what had just taken place.

Todd climbed back onto the bed and got comfortable, wiping away any tears that tried to escape his eyes. He half wanted to say that Becky was WordGirl in hopes it would get himself out of this situation. The world was going to find out sooner or later. Besides, if this man was going to kill her anyway what difference would it make whether he told or not . . ?

"Because that's not what real friends do."

But ratting out WordGirl was the only way he could get out of there. He didn't have any other leads; she had to be Becky.

"Even if I tell, Curtis said he's going to kill me anyway."

What was he going to say when Adler came back in the morning? What words could save his life?

Outside of the bedroom door, Adler had unleashed his resentment on Curtis.

"What are you doing with that boy?" Adler's voice was low and hot.

"I don't know what you're talking about Adler." Curtis immediately got on the defensive. He had a bad feeling about the direction of this conversation.

"That boy looked to you."

"He was just scared and lo-"

"Don't play stupid with me!"

The loud shouting could be clearly heard in the bedroom. Todd watched the door intently as the voices continued; pulling his knees close to himself.

"I've worked too hard for you to blow this now." Adler stepped close to Curtis.

"I already told you, I'm not helping that kid."

"So now you're helping him?"

"No!"

"For eighteen years I've sucked up to the king, playing lap dog in his son's absence, and I will not have you take that away from me Curtis."

"I'm not helping or working with that kid. I just did what you told me to Adler."

Adler remained unconvinced by Curtis' pleas. He knew his partner's actions were suggesting pity for the child.

"Adler, I've worked with you this entire time," Curtis spoke. He could only hope his choice of helping Todd wouldn't back fire on him. Curtis couldn't blame the child; Todd was looking to him for help.

"Do you not want me to be king, Curtis? Is that it?"

"No, I, I want you to be king, it's just . . ."

"Just what?" This statement was said with such malice, Curtis knew his next words would have to be delicately chosen.

Why had Curtis chosen to help Adler? This man . . . who wanted children dead, even the rightful heir to the throne . . . how could Curtis betray his planet like this? Here he was with the information that could revolutionize both Britannica and Lexicon, and he was still helping Adler. Britannica wasn't looking to crown a new king, they just didn't realize they had to find their heir. Curtis didn't want to break High Law by killing Todd, and he certainly didn't want to kill the heir to Britannica. That would be . . .

"Do you remember when we invaded Lexicon?"

Adler was confused and frustrated by Curtis' comment.

"What does that have to do . . ."

"The first time our planet invaded Lexicon, do you remember it?"

"Of course I do, I was there." Adler's rage took a back seat as he sized Curtis. "You're not making any sense. I'm asking you to tell me what you're doing with the boy."

"No," Curtis straightened a bit as he stood up to his superior. "You're asking me to commit treason."

o.

"My son couldn't have gotten far, we have to keep looking."

"And I assure you we will; later in the morning we'll resume."

The police station was buzzing with activity by five in the morning. Mrs. Ming had chewed out half the police staff for not being able to find her son.

"I don't care if you're men are tired! My countless tax dollars aren't being spent on your coffee breaks!"

Needless to say, her efforts were yielding very little result. The police had been out all night looking for Two-Brains' cheese mines, but none had been found. The children's families were still out looking, but they too were becoming weary. The whole city was baffled on what to do next.

"Look ma'am," the commissioner tried to comfort Mrs. Ming. "We are doing everything we know to do to try and find your son. The keyword being 'try.'"

Mrs. Ming slammed her hands down on the commissioner's desk continuing to argue with him, oblivious to the villain being brought in behind her. Dr. Two-Brains was all bandaged up and ready for questioning. The bullet injury he had suffered was nothing more but a flesh wound. The doctor was taken back into the interrogation room. One of the escorting officers than came along side the commissioner and whispered the news in his ear.

"Finally!" The commissioner smiled and turned back to the hostile woman in front of him. "See, we have brought the kidnapper in for questioning and once WordGirl arrives we'll-hey!"

Before the man could finish speaking Mrs. Ming was making her way to Dr. Two-Brains.

"Where's My Son!" Mrs. Ming threw open the door to the interrogation room with little difficulty. "If so much as one hair is messed up on his head . . ." The woman grabbed the mousy villain's jacket and raised him from his seat. "I will shred you to pieces, and I will shred those pieces to pieces! And I will keep shredding until there is nothing left to shred!"

The doctor had been shaken so much he had become dizzy. It was at this moment the commissioner entered the room and relinquished Mrs. Ming's hold on Two-Brains. He explained quickly that her methods wouldn't persuade the doctor of anything and that it was customary to let WordGirl speak with the villains first since they seemed to relate better to her.

"Well where is she!?" Mrs. Ming never removed her glare from the doctor.

"I don't know, we've tried calling her but-"

"Well then interrogate him yourselves!"

"Uh," the commissioner looked to his accompanying officer who only shrugged in response. "We don't really know how to do that."

"What! You're the police?!"

"Yeah, but WordGirl's always done it in the past, so we're going to wait for her." The officers smiled in hopes that the assertive woman would calm down. But alas, that was not the case.

"If you won't make him talk then I will!" Mrs. Ming, taking hold tightly onto the villain's lab coat, began shaking the doctor again. More officers had to be called in just to hold Mrs. Ming away from Dr. Two-Brains. The commissioner quickly moved Two-Brains to another room while the remaining officers locked Mrs. Ming away for her own safety . . . and possible their own.

Once Two-Brains was secure, the commissioner pulled up a chair and tried to speak.

"You know it would just be easier for everyone if you'd tell us where your cheese mines are."

"I don't have any cheese mines," Two-Brains rolled his eyes. "You can't even get cheese out of the ground; it's a dairy product."

"So . . . are you forcing children to slave away on your dairy farm?"

Two-Brains let out an aggravate groan. This wasn't right! Here he was arrested while that crazy man was out there after Tobey, and no one believed him. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone, he wanted to help.

"Listen to me," Two-Brains had to try, even though it would fail, he had to try; he had to make them listen. "I had nothing to do with the reporter's disappearance, but I think I know who does. If you would just let me out . . ."

There came a sudden knock on the door from another police officer. She looked a bit panicky as she gazed thru the glass and signaled for the commissioner to come out.

"Just a minute Two-Brains." The commissioner went to the door. "What is it now? I'm trying to disclose the location of the enslaved children."

"I'm sorry sir, but the other families of the missing children are here and they all want to speak with you."

"Oh, cheese and crackers," the man crossed his arms as he made his way out front. "How can these people expect me to find their children if they keep bombarding me with silly clues to the children's whereabouts?"

"But, wouldn't that be helpful sir." The female officer asked, confusion tainting her words.

Instead of answering her, the man went out to see the families. All of them looked distressed, wet and tired. Their hopeful eyes were overshadowed by their fearful expressions as they looked to the commissioner for help. Tim wasted no time speaking up for the search party.

"Sir, have you heard anything about our kids yet?"

"Uh . . . no."

"But," Mrs. Heaslip clasped her in a pleading fashion. "Something's had to come up. They couldn't have just vanished. Did someone set up a ransom? Has some one seen them?"

Violet peeked her head out from around her mother's legs. She had never been in the police station before. Too bad her first time was for something like this. But while the adults spoke, maybe she could find a place to sit down and rest her feet. Even though she had put on her walking shoes, she was still dressed in her princess costume from her party. The wet dress was rather heavy to carry around.

Violet slipped out of the assembled group and down the hall. There were wanted posters, water coolers, prisoner benches and locked offices, but no comfortable chairs. But then she finally spotted what her aching feet had been longing for.

Violet opened the door to the second interrogation room. There was a unoccupied chair right next to the villain Dr. Two-Brains; what luck!

"Do you mind if I sit with you?"

As Violet spoke, the mousy villain looked up to see the door had been opened. Now was his chance to escape!

Slam.

Violet shut the door faster then she had opened it, and faster than Two-Brains could hope to run.

"Why'd you do that?! It's locked from the in here!"

"You don't know how happy I am to find a chair." Violet sat next to the man and let out a relived sigh. "My feet were killing me."

"Now they're going to wonder why you're in here and they're going to think I'm kidnapping you." Two-Brains slapped his hand against his forehead.

"Oh that's silly."

The doctor couldn't stop the twitch that was beginning to form in his right eye. How? Why? What had he done? Listen to Boxleinter, that's what. If that goody-goody part of himself had never spoken up, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"Besides, WordGirl will find everyone and the day will be saved!"

Violet swung her feet in ignorant bliss while Boxleinter's feelings overcame the doctor again. WordGirl's panicked faced, that strange weapon that evil man had, Tobey running for his life; it would be a miracle if the reporter boy were still alive.

"I'm afraid this might be out of WordGirl's league." the professor sighed.

"What do you mean?" Violet looked up at the crestfallen adult.

"I'm not sure, all I know is . . ."

The door handle to the room began to shake.

"Someone's coming," Two-Brains reached over and began pulling Violet to the ground. "Hide under that table over there before they see you." He whispered as the girl complied.

Violet wasn't sure why she was hiding, but it was probably not a good idea to bicker with a villain.

Two-Brains resumed his seated position just in time to see . . . Claire? What was Tobey's mother . . . of course she'd be looking for her son. And being the tough law woman that she was, Two-Brains needed to brace himself for more than just a 'shredding.'

"I'm only going to ask this once," Clair shut the door behind her. Several officers crowed the window to watch the exchange between the two. "Where's Tobey?" Claire was very somber for a mother who had just lost her kid. Well, at least compared to Mrs. Ming.

"I don't know."

"Wrong answer." Claire turned to the window in the door and nodded. The door was quickly opened by one of the officers as a small kitten was placed in the room. Upon seeing the cat, Two-Brains immediately jumped up in the chair shrieking as if he had 'seen a mouse' so to speak.

"Take it away!"

"There's a whole mess of cats out there Two-Brains, so I suggest you start talking. Where's my son?" Claire stood firm as the small kitty rolled onto its back and meowed.

The sugar sweet mew terrified the doctor and he cried out again. Those large incisors, slicing claws, ear splitting cries. Why was he being tormented so?! What had he done but try to help, never, never again!

"Tell me."

"I told you, I don't know."

Another kitten was brought into the room. Oh the horror that ensued as the two monsters began to play together. Tumbling over each other with vicious intent and hatred in their eyes. Claire continued to frown at Two-Brains as he managed to teeter precariously from the back of the chair.

"I'm losing my patience Two-Brains, talk or I'll bring another cat into this room."

"Alright, alright," the doctor cried out. "But get rid of those two first."

Claire turned back to the window and signaled for the kittens to be removed. Once the offending animals were gone, Two-Brains felt comfortable enough to sit back down in his chair and breathe a sigh of relief. But Claire didn't intend for the mousy villain to get too comfortable.

"You have two minutes to give me the location of my son or the cats return." Claire walked over and leaned against the table where Violet had been hiding. Luckily for Two-Brains the little girl didn't make a sound. She was still hiding as instructed assuming this was part of some kind of game . . . or maybe this would help find her friends.

"I get two minutes right?" Two-Brains asked.

"Only a minute and forty-five seconds now."

"Okay, listen to everything I have to say before you start bring in those cats again." The doctor's nerves were still a little shaken up. It had been such a stressful night; gun shots, rain, exhaustion, missing children, false accusations, and now cats! He just needed to collect his thoughts. "As I've said before, I don't know where you son is."

"Then perhaps the cats can-"

"You-said-I-had-two-minutes!"

Claire waited.

"I don't know where he is because WordGirl's furry sidekick took him away from a very dangerous situation I happened to stumble on."

Claire remained silent, but prompted the doctor to keep speaking by nodding her head.

"After I heard that some other villain was out kidnapping children and trumping my villainous reputation, I went out to stop him. But when I was out I saw your son walking about and some stranger aiming something at him. Since I knew children were being kidnapped I assumed the man was after your son too, so I went to stop him. But it turns out he had a weapon with qualities much different from any I've ever seen before. Your son ran away with HuggerFace and I got stuck with the crazy guy."

Dr. Two-Brains told his story with as much detail as his minds could remember. Claire's dominating disposition gave way to a sickening worry that was painting itself in all her features. Two-Brains had expected this, being it was Tobey's mother. No parent would want to hear that, but at the same time, only a parent would have listened to him long enough to not assume he was still trying to build a mine.

"So you see Ms. MacCallister, the real perpetrator is still at large. But I have an advantage no other member of the city has; I know what he looks like." Sigh. "I know it may be hard to trust me considering I encouraged your son to once build a cheese stealing robot with me . . . but I really do care about your son's well being . . . as well as WordGirl's . . . and the other missing kid."

Claire had been staring at the floor for the better part of Two-Brains speech. It was as if she was in a state of shocked disbelief.

"You don't sound like the Two-Brains that Sally's talked about on trail."

"To be honest, I'm not certain I am."

"You're not just saying this to get out of here are you?" Claire set upon the doctor a hard stare.

"Trust me, I'd put on a much better façade if that was my only goal." A moment of understanding passed between the two. "You have to convince them somehow that I'm . . ."

"Do you have any idea where to start looking first?" Claire looked back at the officers. They had become very bored with watching the conversation and most likely weren't listening.

"Well, yeah, but . . ."

"It would take me days to persuade the commissioner that you were innocent, and I'm not going to mess with all that when my son's life is in danger."

Two-Brains stood with a questionable look. He watched the woman open the door and speak with the officers. The team of law enforcers left quickly talking amongst themselves.

"You're . . . going to let me out?"

"We have to hurry; they won't stay away for long." Claire came back to the doctor and began pushing him to the door.

"Wait a second, wait a second. You know you could lose your job doing this, right?"

Claire looked at the man for a moment and then resumed what she was doing.

"Where to first?"

"I wager it best to start where I last saw Tobey, but the lake for the reporter boy is closer. I'm certain there's clues there."

Both adults left the room, the door slightly ajar. Violet crawled from under the table and stood in the empty room. Two-Brains had seen Tobey. Maybe he was right about Scoops' location too. She would have to tell her mommy. Violet lifted the sides of her wet costume and ran back to the area where all the adults were gathered. Unfortunately they were still fighting, and it looked like it was getting worse.

Everyone was getting pretty tired, but she couldn't just wait around. . .

"I wonder what WordGirl is doing?" Violet thought back on the doctor's words. What if that weapon was stronger than WordGirl and she got hurt. Violet covered her mouth as she gasped. Becky could be in great danger! Telling her mom would have to wait; her best friend needed her.

Violet made her way to the front door of the police station unnoticed by all . . . except one.

o.

"Sally! Sally wait!" Jennifer cried as she did her best to climb over a barbed-wire fence which resulted in her falling face first into the ground.

"Just wait in the car!" Sally wasn't going to sit idly by while her daughter was in trouble. She had to get home and she had to do it now. Luckily for her, in this uncharted spot of the world there was a tourist attraction that involved planes. Maybe should could get a ride back home.

"Sally!" Jennifer stood waving from the fence. "What about the case?!"

"You can handle it! I have to get home. Don't worry you'll be okay!" Sally took off in a jog across the field toward the airplane hangars in the distance. She could only hope that someone would be kind enough to help her home . . . and that Jennifer wouldn't hurt herself.

"I'm sorry Becky." Sally huffed just as the Florida sun broke out over the horizon.