Chapter 19 – The Cat Came Back
A passenger train slows up to a platform and comes to a stop. As human passengers step off with their traveling bags, an obese gray tabby cat sleeks off, unnoticed by the humans. Fat Cat chuckles in amusement as he roams his way to the streets. He makes his way towards a van with a Happy Tom Cat Food logo on the side. Hopping onto the back of a van, before the driver loads in one last box of supplies, then closes the back hatch. Finally, Fat Cat is heading home.
Twenty-five minutes later, the van stops in front of a factory. The driver walks to the back and opens up the hatch doors, and he is surprised to see a cat hop out. Another chuckle escapes the Cat's lips as he walks towards his secret entrance.
"Simple human minds are so easily startled." Fat Cat amuses himself.
The corrupt feline makes his way into the factory, sneaking by the other human workers. He recalls his old access through the air ducts, making his way to the upper levels of the factory.
In Fat Cat's office, his four minions lounged around in boredom. The sudden sound of the elevator moving up cause them to jump.
"Someone's coming," Wart hisses.
"Who is it? Who is it?" Mepps panics.
The four misfits end up running around the room in a panic, until the doors open, and Fat Cat walks out.
"What do you muttonheads think you're doing?" The Fat Cat growls.
"Oh look, it's the boss. He's back." Mole squinted up at the large tabby.
"How was your retreat?" Wart asks in wonder.
"The retreat was astounding." Fat Cat responds as he heads for his closet. He opens the door and pulls out his purple tux. "After the retreat, I went to Paris to visit my cousin for a while."
"You were gone for such a long time; we thought you weren't ever going to come back," Mepps whined.
"Awe, I'm happy to hear I was missed while I was gone." The tabby sarcastically purred. He buttoned up his vest and threw on his jacket before turning to his crew with authority. "I must say I'm touched."
"Does your return mean we are back in business?" Snout asks, hopefully.
"Indeed, it does." Fat Cat smiles wickedly. "As I spoke with my cousin one night, we both discovered a popular painting that everyone is talking about."
"A painting, boss?" Mole questions.
Fat Cat walks up to the stout rodent and pats him on the head. "That's correct, my simple-minded fool. There's a painting called 'The fish.' A famous artist by the name of Soan Miko has an exhibit happening at the art museum this week, and the word on the street is that it is trendy amongst the rich snobs in this city." The grey tabby announces.
Fat Cat turns on the big screen monitor to show off the image of the painting—created with primary colors, random shapes, and uneven strokes.
"Gosh, Fat Cat, this painting looks like a child did it." Mole comments.
"That's because simpletons like yourself cannot truly admire pure art. Those rich cats in the swanky part of town will pay with their right claw for this painting. Tonight, my simple morons, we are going to steal it." Fat Cat growls with delight. "After we sell it to the highest bidder, I will rise again as the top mobster cat in this city!"
Fat Cat and his henchmen chuckle in amusement over how simple this plan is.
Without realizing, Fat Cat has an intruder that was listening in on their conversation. Up from the shadows along the ceiling rafters, Foxglove opens her eyes. She slips out of the Tom Cat Food Factory through the skylight without been seen or heard. Her mission is to get back to the Ranger's Headquarters as fast as possible.
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It turns out; Chip decided to have a nap too. After helping Clara get the twins up and getting them ready for breakfast, Chip just had to lie down. Close to lunchtime, both Chip and Dale finally wake up after a five-hour sleep.
Dale, temporarily sharing Monterey's room, walks out just as Chip leaves his old room. The two of them smile at each other as they head for the upper level of the tree.
"Had to take a nap, too, did you?" Dale asks in a half yawn.
"Yep, I got so tired all of a sudden that I wasn't able to think straight. Clara said that I should just go and lie down. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light." Chip explains as he puts on his signature fedora.
"She really looks out for you, doesn't she?" Dale comments.
"Oh, yeah. She's the best." Chip nods in agreement.
By now, Clara is becoming more comfortable being around Chip's former teammates and friends. While her husband slept, she got to know more about Gadget, Monty, and Zipper. They told her about how they all originally formed the Rescue Rangers.
Tammy admitted to Clara that she once had a crush on Chip, and Midge talked about how she got help from Chip and the Rescue Rangers when she lost her flock on the way to Capistrano.
They are all sitting at the couch while the twins play on the slide. It has become apparent that it is something the two younglings love doing. It could be the swirly motion they experience as they slide down.
Nonetheless, as the adults are now enjoying some tea and talk, at the same time, the kids entertain themselves.
The moment Amber and Tucker reach the bottom of the slide, the two of them head back up the stairs to the hangar to slide back down. The twins pass Chip and Dale on their way towards the stairs.
"Hi daddy, Hi Uncle Dale!" The twins' chorus as they rush by.
"Where are they off to in such a hurry?" Dale asks, before pausing for a second. "Wait-da-minute, did they just call me, uncle?"
"They wouldn't be wrong." Chip shrugs.
"I told them to refer to everyone as their aunty and uncles. You know, since the Rescue Rangers were practically your family before you became a part of mine," Clara explains, walking up to her husband.
"That's perfect." Chip coos to her. "So, where are our little ones headed?" He asks, rephrasing Dale's question earlier.
"The little tykes really enjoy the slide. We are finding it very entertaining watching them having so much fun with it." Monty chuckles. "Not to mention, giving us a chance to take a break."
"They are just so cute." Tammy swoons. "We've been playing all morning with them."
"Maybe I should design an obstacle course for them. You know, to give them more of a challenging game to play." Gadget suggests.
The twins' giggles echo from up the slide, indicating they are about to slide down again.
A mischievous grin curls up on Chip's lips. He turns to his best friend, and asks, "Speaking of games, Dale, want to play 'catch the toddlers' with me?"
Dale, catching on to Chip's plan, recalling the other night when he witnessed him chasing his kids in the yard. With a mischievous grin of his own, Dale nods, "Okay."
It's been far too long since either of them got to be their youthful trouble-making selves. Both chipmunks quickly ran up to either side of the slide and crouched down so the twins wouldn't notice them.
Amber is the first to make it down, but before she can land on her feet, Chip lunges out and grabs her. Tucker doesn't even get a chance to react when he sees his sister being captured by their dad when he, too, is caught by Dale. Both kids start squealing with excitement as they try squirming out of their captor's grip.
Clara and the others find much joy in watching the two chipmunks wrestle with the twins.
Eventually, Tucker does escape Dale's grip and rushes right up to Clara. "Mommy!" He cries out, jumping into her arms.
"You need to hold on tighter to them, Dale." Chip chuckles. "They do get their speed from their mom."
Thinking she has a shot of escape, Amber tries jerking herself to freedom. However, Chip anticipated her move and tightened his grip.
"See what I mean." He makes his point across. Bringing his nose down against Amber's ear, Chip adds, "Nice try, Pumpkinseed."
"Awe," Amber pouts. She reluctantly slumps back against her father's chest.
Dale and the others giggle at the antics between father and daughter. Chip and Dale stand up just as the door flies open, and Foxglove barges through. She is relieved to see that everyone is present and accounted for, including the former leader, Chip, and three new chipmunks she hadn't seen before.
"Hi Chip," she says, flying past the chipmunk and his family and not even thinking of why they are present in the first place.
"Daddy, a bat." Amber points out with excitement in her tone.
"Dale, I…" this is when Foxglove pauses briefly as her brain starts catching up to what's happening.
Dale smiles and waits. The others on the couch stifle their giggles.
Foxglove does a double-take to Chip, then back to Dale than back to Chip and his family, before returning to Dale. Dale chuckles at her confusion.
"You're not seeing things, Foxy. Chip is alive." The red-nosed chipmunk clarifies. "…And this is his family, Clara, and their twins, Amber and Tucker."
"Um, Hello," Foxglove politely waves at Chip and his family. They wave back before Foxglove starts shaking her head back to the point of her arrival. "Dale, I'm sure there's a long explanation to all of this, but you aren't going to believe it. Fat Cat is back, and he's got plans to steal a famous painting tonight."
"Golly, it's been so long since we heard from Fat Cat." Gadget taps her finger up against her chin. "We thought he disappeared for good from the last time we beat him."
"Fat Cat…?" Chip starts to scratch his head as he tries to remember one of their more popular arch-nemesis. "Wait, isn't he a large grey tabby that wears a tux?"
"That'd be the scalawag," Monty confirms.
Foxglove holds up her wing, just as she is about to ask a question. However, Dale prevented her from asking. He takes her wing into his paws, drawing her attention back to him.
"That falls in with the long explanation that we will get into later, Foxglove. Tell us what you heard of Fat Cat's plan first." He suggests.