This chapter has similar elements to my other fanfic, Fidget and Eve.

Chapter 9: Criminal Plots/Eve & Clover

Eve brought Clover to her bedroom. "Don't worry, Clover, I'll be back," Eve assured her and closed her bedroom door. Then she locked it, in case Ratigan and Fidget went over there.

...

Ratigan opened Mr. Flaversham's prison door to see his project being built by the downcast toymaker. "Ah, Mr. Flaversham!" he said with an evil smile and laughed as he entered. He blocked the exit with his cape. "Allow me to present...your charming daughter and son!" He revealed the exit with his cape to display a bat with the toymaker's daughter and son, held captive.

Hiram stood up to see his daughter and adopted son. "Olivia! Andrew!"

"Father!" Olivia and Andrew cried, but when Fidget refused to let them go, they stomped on his foot.

"Ow!" Fidget yelped as he clutched onto his only foot, watching them flee. "My foot! My only foot!"

"Father!" Olivia said, crying tears of joy as she threw herself into her father's arms. "I thought we'd never find you!"

"Oh, there, there, there, my barins! I'm alright," Mr. Flaversham assured her as he consoled his crying daughter and son, "I was just so worried about my little girl and boy." He hugged his daughter and son some more and thought of Clover. "But where's Clover?"

"Probably with Basil, Dawson, and Eve," Andrew answered, but little did he and Olivia know that Clover was already looking for them in the awful sewer.

"I'm sure she did her best to protect you," Hiram told her.

"She'll come back for us," Andrew said, trying to bring light into the atmosphere.

"Aww, how sweet!" Ratigan said sarcastically as he grabbed onto his tissue and pretended to cry, "Aww, I just love tearful reunions!" He faked drying his eyes.

The father, son, and daughter happily hugged, but their reunion was cut short when Ratigan grabbed Olivia and Andrew each by the hand. "Now, come along, my dears," Ratigan said.

"Oh, please! Please!" Olivia pleaded as she and Andrew ended up back with Fidget, pulling them away from their father. Ratigan covered Mr. Flaversham's mouth and ignored both his and Olivia's and Andrew's pleas. "Father!"

"Oh, please, Professor!" Hiram begged as Ratigan held him by the apron straps, sending him back to his work chair.

"Now, now, now! Fidget will take good care of them!" Ratigan feigned sympathy and chuckled before frowning. "That is as long as we have no further delays!" He set the toymaker down.

"Yes, I'll finish it!" Mr. Flaversham said, grabbing his wrench and other tools used to build the robot queen. "Please, don't hurt my son and daughter!"

"Remember," Ratigan warned, before leaving him alone and stuck his head out the door. "It must be ready TONIGHT!" He slammed the door shut.

Olivia and Andrew struggled to get out of Fidget's grasp as he pulled them over to an empty wine bottle as Fidget hummed. They screamed, kicked, and pounded him. "Stop!" she yelled fiercely as Fidget set Andrew down and she was picked up. "Let me go, you ugly old thing!" Fidget threw her in the bottle halfway and reached for the cork. Olivia kicked, but she couldn't free herself.

"Fidget! You heard Olivia! Let her go!" Eve scolded Fidget.

Andrew tried to pull Olivia out, but Fidget knocked him down.

"How would you feel if this was you? This should be you!"

Fidget ignored his girlfriend. "That ought to hold ya!" Fidget mocked, pushing the cork against Olivia's sitting spot.

Once inside, Olivia was inside, her screams were muffled. "Help! Let me out! Let me out!"

Fidget jumped over to her. "See how you like that!" he snapped and immaturely blew a raspberry at her.

Eve advanced herself on Fidget. "Fidget, you could've just ignored her."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because she wasn't telling you to let her out! She meant someone else like her father or Basil, or Dawson."

"Yeah, don't talk to my adopted sister that way!" Andrew reprimanded.

"Shut up, brat!" Fidget yelled.

"Fidget, that's enough!" Eve yelled.

Eve pulled the cork out, so she could reunite Andrew with Olivia. "Sorry, Andrew," Eve said remorsefully as she stuffed Andrew in the bottle. "But at least you and your sister will be together." She pushed the cork against his rear end.

"Andrew!" Olivia cried and hugged him.

Fidget turned away from the trio and haughtily stuck up with his head confidently as he walked away.

"Ah! Uniforms! Oh, Fidget, I knew I could rely on you!" Ratigan said, browsing through Fidget's stolen items in a sack. When he saw Fidget, he asked, stopping Fidget, "You didn't forget anything?"

Fidget laughed confidently. "No problem! I took care of everything! Everything on the list!" Just as Fidget was about to get the list from his wing pocket to show Ratigan his accomplishment, he found out it was gone. "Uh, oh!"

Ratigan's bliss turned to annoyance. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"The list! I know I had it! I-" Fidget stuttered in disbelief his list disappeared.

"Where's the list?"

"Excuse me. I'll be right back, okay?" Eve told Andrew and Olivia and left to confront Ratigan and defend her boyfriend.

"The list, yeah, yeah, yeah," Fidget began nervously, "Well, you see, it was uh, it was like this: I was in the toy store getting uniforms when I heard an AARROOOHH! AARROOOHH!" He howled like a dog.

"You're not coming through," Ratigan said impatiently, rubbing his eyebrow, dismissing this as trivial rubbish.

Fidget panted like a dog. He pretended to run and he tied his ears around his chin, as if he was wearing a bonnet. "A dog came, I ran. I had baby bonnet, girl and boy in bag, this older girl took the bag from me, so I pushed her siblings back in, and Basil ch-ch-chased me!"

Hearing his enemy's name, Ratigan asked stunned and upset, "What? Basil's on the case? Why you gibbering little-"

Fidget wrapped himself in his wings, hiding as Ratigan towered over him and Ratigan clutched onto his chest, as if he was having a heart attack.

"Ratigan! Fidget has everything off the list because I checked to make sure!" Eve defended.

Ratigan's face turned red and finally started to calm himself. He chuckled. Fidget was back on his feet and shielded himself as Ratigan feigned affection. "Oh, dear Fidget," Ratigan said lovingly and held him like a baby. "You've been hanging upside down too long." Ratigan gently booped his nose, indicating that no harm would come to him.

"You mean, you're not mad?" Fidget asked cheerfully and giggled as Ratigan carried him to Felicia's lair with Eve following them, since she had eyes in the back of her head. "I'm glad you take it so well."

Ratigan rang his bell to call Felicia, making Fidget scream.

"Not me, you idiot!" Fidget shouted to the cat who was about to eat him, but he was able to fly away. "No, stop! You stupid furball!"

Felicia, having enough of him trying to escape, grabbed him and put him in her mouth.

"Open up! Open up!" Fidget screamed, although his screams were muffled. "Aye-yie-yie! Ooo-ooo, Aye! You're hurting my wings!"

Ratigan was rubbing his temples as he sat next to a wine bottle. "How dare that idiot Basil poke his stupid nose into my wonderful scheme and foul up everything!"

"Ratigan, we've already been over this!" Eve scolded the rat. "So you're making a big deal out of nothing!"

"How'd you like to join your boyfriend?"

"Oh, I wouldn't care one bit!" She then heard her love swear under his breath, making her cover her mouth as she giggled.

Inside Felicia's chubby cheeks, Fidget flapped his wings struggling to get out. "Let me out! Let me out!" he shouted and pried her mouth wide enough with his foot and pegleg, so he could fly out. "HEEELP!" But Felicia poked him in the stomach to get him back in her mouth, making him say, "Ow."

Ratigan glowered at his reflection on the wine bottle and continued to gripe about Basil, "Oh, I can just see that insufferable grin on his smug face!" He banged his forehead against the glass, making a ding and clutched onto his head because it ached. "Yes," he said and while this was happening, Fidget cried out in pain. "Yes, I can just see it." Ratigan snickered with glee and turned to Felicia and sweetly said, "Felicia, release him."

"Finally," sighed Eve.

Felicia looked stunned and displeased, hearing this. She wanted to eat Fidget, but with no other option she frowned. Fidget said, while in her mouth, "I'm too young to die!" She spat him out in distaste and he landed on the floor with a grunt. He was in poor shape because his body was twisted, his ears were filled with holes, and his tongue stuck out of his mouth. Ratigan plucked the male bat by the cheeks.

"Fidget, you delightful little maniac," Ratigan said, slightly jiggling Fidget and Fidget looked sad as his boss said, "You've presented me with a singular opportunity." Ratigan dropped Fidget, who plopped on the floor. "Poor Basil," Ratigan said, feigning sympathy and with a venomous smile, he added, "Oh, he's in for a little surprise!"

Fidget recovered to regain his senses and said, "What about the lady? Should I get her, too?"

"No, let her arrive," Ratigan replied. "I don't want her injured."

"Alright," Fidget said and yawned, exhausted from the night he stole the items.

Eve watched her boyfriend sleep and said to her boss, "It went well, Ratigan, compared to how you would do it."

"Go on," Ratigan persuaded.

"You see, I couldn't stand the way Basil treats Andrew, Clover, Olivia, and everyone else. Families are a big responsibility."

"I see that."

"So, you're not at all upset?"

"No, that's why I'll have you watch over the girl and boy."

"Really? Oh, thank you." He watched her go.

...

Eve unlocked her bedroom door and went to Clover, who was still in Eve's room. "We'll rescue your brother and sister when Ratigan's busy, okay?" Eve promised Clover, "Just in case Basil doesn't come."

"Alright. We can all get out of here, with or without him, anyway." Then, Clover sang a song about the detective, who berated her and Dawson before.

Yes, I made the choice

For Papa, I will stay,

But I don't deserve to lose my freedom in this way.

You monster!

"Fidget's been one, too," Eve said and Clover continued her song.

If you think that what you've done is right,

Well then, you're a fool!

Think again.

"I hope they come to their senses," Eve growled and Clover resumed her song.

Is this home?

Is this where I should learn to be happy?

Never dreamed

That a home could be dark and cold.

I was told

Every day in my childhood

Even when we grow old,

"Home will be where the heart is."

Never were words so true.

My heart's far, far away;

Home is too.

This reminded Eve when Fidget took her in and they became fast friends.

Is this home?

Is this what I must learn to believe in?

Try to find something good

In this tragic place

Just in case

I should stay here forever.

Held in this empty space.

Oh, but that won't be easy.

I know the reason why,

My heart's far, far away.

Home's a lie.

Eve began to regret living in the sewer, since it had criminals and she felt Clover's anger and sadness. Basil's home did not seem right for Clover, either. Clover preceded her song.

What I'd give

To return

To the life that I knew lately,

But I know

That I can't

Solve my problems going back.

"Me, either," Eve sighed.

Is this home?

Am I here for a day or forever?

Shut away

From the world until who knows when.

Oh, but then

As my life has been altered once,

It can change again.

Build higher walls around me;

Change every lock and key.

Nothing lasts;

Nothing holds all of me.

Eve sat next to Clover as Clover sang the last lines of the song.

My heart's far, far away.

Home and free!

"Mine, too," Eve told her.

"You'll find your family," Clover assured her, "Unless they find you." The two girls hugged.

"Sometimes I wonder if they're still alive. I have a little brother. He's really nice."

Clover tried to remember Eve's brother's name. "Flappy, right?"

"Yep."

"My mother was killed by crooks," said Clover.

Eve gasped. "I remember you telling me that and I'm sorry about that!"

"It wasn't your fault. Andrew, Olivia, and I had to go into hiding, but now that my father is our only relative we have left, we can't lose him, too."

Eve nodded. "That's why you and your siblings took this case, so you can bring back your only family you have."

"Yes."

Eve went over how their rescue mission for Olivia and Andrew was going to work. "When that rat's busy, we'll bring Andrew and Olivia outside and he and Fidget wouldn't even know they are gone."

"Deal."

"Then it's settled." With the plan formulated, Eve helped Clover get ready for The Rat Trap and Eve went to change her clothes. "You'll look ravishing in this pirate suit. We're going undercover."