Chapter 36: Spicy Declarations

"Ahh... I'm going down!"

Olivia squealed as Scarlett fell onto her back, and proceeded to tickle her senseless, "How dare you expose my only weakness?! Noohahahaha!" the girls burst with cacophonous laughter, and it wasn't long before the ordeal escalated into a full-out tickle war.

"Huh." Mindy commented as she raised a spoonful of gumbo to her lips, "I had no idea that she was so good with kids."

Dakota strode to the opposite side of the island she was planted at, "Me neither."

"I wonder what Olivia did to melt that icy cold heart of hers."

"I believe it's called Stockholm syndrome."

She inhaled, causing the soup to spew into the wrong tube. Mindy hacked and wheezed much to Dakota's amusement. Once she'd somewhat regained her composure, she let out an authentic chuckle.

"That-that wasn't funny."

Dakota's eyes sparkled with mirth, "Then why are you laughing?"

Mindy couldn't provide an answer through her excessive giggles, "You know speaking of laughter… I don't think I've ever seen Scarlett laugh this much before." Her cheeks reddened as she watched the tickling pair with fondness, "She should do it more often…it suits her."

Wanting to join in the fun, Peter put down his bowl and made a beeline towards the girls.

"Tag! You're it!" He shouted as he tapped Olivia on the shoulder, and zoomed into the parlor.

Scarlett followed him inside, "You'll never catch us!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Be careful, and don't break anything!" Mrs. Judson called after them, "I just cleaned!"

Mr. Flaversham sniffed the air, "Something smells heavenly."

"That would be eh…what did you call it again Dakota?" Dr. Dawson inquired.

"Seafood gumbo!" the teen grabbed a bowl and filled it as he started to explain, "It has shrimp, chicken, sausage, rice, beans, carrots, and anything else that floats your boat (even though I'm still confused as to why you guys have shrimp and chicken this small but I'm not gonna think about it too hard). I will admit that I was a bit limited on spices since London in this time period isn't used to using….how we say (riskay) condiments in their dishes and Mindy accidently conjured up cinnamon instead of the Cajun seasoning I specifically asked for, the little rascal."

The girl in question swallowed before joining in, "Hey, it was an honest mistake."

"Hm, tell that to my tingling tastebuds." Dakota then offered the stew to the toymaker, "Try some?"

Mr. Flaversham was hesitant as he took it from him, but shrugged and lifted a small spoonful to his mouth. He smacked his lips a couple of times before his eyes lit up, "This is such an odd combination of flavors…but somehow amazing!"

"Aw, thanks." Dakota grinned from ear-to-ear, "Just doing what I can to bring sunshine to others."

"Stop, you're starting to sound like Snow White or something." Mindy teased.

"What can I say?" He shrugged as he wiggled his brows back-and-forth, "This place changes people…for instance, makes them burst into spontaneous song and dance numbers on the fly?"

"Get out of here!" She exclaimed even though she was laughing, "I can't handle all of this whimsy! Just because I love Disney and I'm protecting its characters from an evil tyrant doesn't mean I appreciate the corniness of the brand or the tropes it lives by, come on! That was a one-time thing!"

"Sure it was."

"Please Mr. Flamhammer." Basil scooted over and pulled a stool beside him, "Join us."

"Flaversham."

"Whatever."

"So, you're a toymaker?" Jiminy Cricket asked as the mouse settled down, "My friend Gepetto is a toymaker too. He mainly specializes in woodwork such as Pinocchio! He's a puppet who can talk…I-I hope he's doing alright without me. He is really trying harder to become a real-"

As Flaversham asked about the impossibility of a walking talking marionette, Dakota and Mindy had their own conversation on the sidelines.

"If someone told you a week ago that you'd be eating gumbo in Basil of Baker Street's apartment with your two best friends along with a bunch of Disney characters on an epic quest to free the world you created from a sketchy Projectionist…would you believe them?" Dakota questioned.

"Of course not." She answered in an instant, "Who would believe something that outlandishly crazy?"

"I would."

"No you wouldn't."

"Yeah, I wouldn't."

"Do you think…do you think that I…that we'll be able to pull this off?" Mindy asked out of the blue.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who created this entire world using only your imagination!" Dakota spread his arms out for emphasis, "If anyone can stand up to The Projectionist, it's you."

"But there's so much pressure to-"

"-Weren't you the one who said earlier that in this place you can't have a negative attitude?" Dakota cut her off with a blinding smile, "Relax, it's only a matter of time before we have all of the symbols... Besides, you can count on us being with you every step of the way, so there's no reason to worry!"

"But I only have two." Mindy withdrew her amulet and observed it with narrowed eyes, "Even if I find all seven, it's gonna be difficult to be able to control all of my powers. Hell, it's difficult to control them now."

"You'll figure it out." Dakota assured her, "The Dremesphere has pretty much acknowledged that we're the main characters in this story by having us perform a musical number out of nowhere. Therefore, I think it's sufficed to say that Disney logic applies to us now. Everything is gonna work out in the end, you'll see."

Mindy tried her best to return the smile, but she bit her lip and cast her eyes downwards.

She wished that she could tell Dakota then and there about The Projectionist, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find the right words to say. It wasn't as if he could magically make everything better with the snap of his fingers. Plus, she had already made him worry about her enough for these past few days, and she didn't want him to worry even more.

The last thing she wanted to do was be a burden.

"Hey." Her heart skipped a beat when Dakota tilted her chin up to meet his gaze, "You've got this."

For some reason, his reassurance was enough to convince her, "What did I ever do to deserve someone as happy and wholesome as you in my life?"

"Dunno." He blushed at the compliment, "I guess you're just that lucky."

They held each other's stares for a few moments before Scarlett entered the room out of breath with Olivia and Peter following suit. She took a seat next to Mindy at the island, "Yo, Davendork can you hit me up with that avocado salad you promised please and thank you!"

Dakota snapped back to attention, "Uh yeah, sure thing Bloom and Gloom!" He picked up a bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocados, and pickles and slid it over to her, "There ya go! One pickled salad for my favorite vegan gal pal."

"Appreciate it."

Mindy wrinkled her nose in mock-disgust, "How are you able to eat that without throwing up all over the floor?"

"Oh shut up!" Scarlett's voice was muffled due to her stuffed mouth, "Lots of people eat pickles in salad! I really don't understand why you're so offended by this!"

"I've said it a thousand times before, and I'll say it again! It's weird!"

"You're weird!"

"I guess we both have something in common then." Mindy shook her head with a laugh, "I'll be back in a few. I gotta clear some things up with my co-captain real quick."

"Sure by all means." Dakota made finger guns as she made her way to the far end of the table, and continued to talk even though she was too far to hear him, "Don't let me stop you-heh, you can do whatever you want you beautiful, beautiful angel you hahahaha."

He watched her for a few seconds with a light-hearted, yet awkward grin…the sound of someone clearing their throat brought him back to Earth. He turned towards Scarlett Bloom who was giving him a sly, half-lidded smile.

His own smile drooped a bit, "What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"But you're thinking something." Dakota said…he then eyed her curiously, "I also know that you desperately want to say something to me right now so come on! Out with it!"

Scarlett kept him in suspense for a moment…then she fluttered her lashes promiscuously, "Did I catch you making goo-goo eyes at our girl just now?"

"Whaaaat?" His voice raised an octave as he twiddled his fingers, "Pssh! No! No! Wha-what makes you think that I would ever-you're not buying this, are you?"

The smirk of satisfaction that slithered across her face spoke wonders.

Dakota released a sigh as he rubbed his cheekbones, "The truth is…I don't know what I'm feeling. I mean, I've always viewed Mindy as a little sister you know? But for these past few days-keep in mind I could totally be misreading her signals…I…I think that she's hinted at wanting something more."

He looked up only to have his pupils shrink to pinpricks.

Scarlett was beaming from ear-to-ear, it was an unusual look for her to say the least, "Oh…that's…that's l-lovely! Hahahaha, uh so when did you start catching feelings for Mi-"

Dakota slapped a hand over her mouth whilst glancing around, "-keep your voice down… and to answer your question: never! I've never even considered the possibility of us becoming an item. That's why I'm internally freaking out!"

"Okay, slow your roll crazy town." She switched back to her familiar neutral self, "I didn't realize that you didn't actually feel the same way about her…um, let's handle this logically, what has she been doing to make you believe that she thinks of you as more than just a friend?"

"She gives me these…looks." When he caught her disbelieving expression, he felt compelled to continue, "I don't know how to describe it. It's just that, every time she looks at me I feel weird. Like, fuzzy and warm and lovely and…oh sweet cheese and crackers, I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it!"

"Are we talking about a good nauseous or a bad nauseous?"

"I don't know!" Dakota burst out, "All I know is that it doesn't feel pleasant…but, at the same time it does?"

"Alright, I know what the problem is." He immediately perked up, "You're overanalyzing the situation. It's clear that you're being paranoid, and making a big deal out of nothing. It's not as if she straight-up tried to kiss you on the lips or anything."

When he didn't answer, Scarlett's eyes grew wide… "No, no, no, don't tell me she-"

"-she kissed me on the cheek last night!"

She sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, for a second there I thought- ahem, never mind…so that automatically means that she's head over heels in love with you?"

"I. Don't. Know!"

"Friends do that sort of thing all the time Davendork, and it doesn't mean anything other than: "I appreciate you, and I'm grateful that I'm friends with you.""

"But what if she didn't intend for it to come off that way?" Dakota asked in a panicked frenzy, "What if she does have a crush on me, I confront her about it, and then things can never be the same between us?! What we have right now is good! Can't things just stay the way they are? Oh God, what am I gonna do?!"

"Do you wanna know what I think you should do?" Scarlett put her hands on his shoulders and bored her eyes into his, "Forget about it…if you like how things are, and you don't want them to change…then you shouldn't do anything to elicit change. Unless Mindy does something brash like kiss you on the mouth or declare her undying love for you, then there's no reason to dwell on this. And, if it'll make you feel better, I can go undercover and fill you in whenever she shows signals that she's into you (if she ever does)."

"You're a real one Bloom and Gloom."

"That's what I'm here for."

Once everyone had finished eating and conversing, Basil ushered everybody into the parlor and revealed the newspaper clipping from Buckingham Palace. The picture showed Basil and Dawson kneeled before Queen Mousetoria as she thanked them both for their courage and vigor throughout the whole incident.

Mindy and company had been ignored for the majority of the ceremony due to her involvement in trapping them on The Isle of Oblivion (even though the queen had yet to figure out that they weren't actually on the Isle of Oblivion) and also because they weren't mice.

She had taken it with a grain of salt. At the time, it had been perfectly justified for them to not want anything to do with her and what she was trying to accomplish. Now, at least she and the rest of her mouse family had some clarity, and she could only hope that they would pass on the message that she was going to do better, and connect The Isle to the rest of The Dremesphere as soon as she figured out how.

"To be thanked by the queen herself!" Dawson puffed up his chest, "Oh, how very thrilling! Eh, Basil?"

The detective wore a pleased smile as he withdrew the late Professor Ratigan's dinner bell from his robe pocket, and placed it on the mantle beside the newspaper clipping, "All in a day's work doctor."

"Oh Dr. Dawson, you were wonderful!" Olivia complimented.

Peter cleared his throat, "And what are we? Chopped liver?"

"I think that it goes without saying that you were all incredibly helpful throughout this entire fiasco Mr. Pan." Dawson chuckled.

"Indeed." Mr. Flaversham admitted before pulling out a pocket watch, and checking the time, "Oh my, we're late to catch our train."

"You're leaving London?" Scarlett inquired.

"Yes, I'm afraid." The toymaker shrugged, "We've decided to go back home to Scotland for a year or two. At least until this whole thing has been put to rest, and it's safe to return."

She nodded in understanding, "Considering everything you've gone through, I don't blame you."

"Thank you." Mr. Flaversham gave her a warm smile before turning to everyone else, "All of you…I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't been there. Especially you Mr. Basil." He then singled out Mindy, "And Princess, I speak for both of us when I say that we hope that you succeed in your task of freeing The Dremesphere from The Projectionist's rule, and joining the worlds together again."

"That really means a lot." She shook his hand and walked him to the door, "Don't worry…I'm going to do everything I can to right the wrongs I've done."

"I expect nothing less from you." He then called out to his daughter, "Come along Olivia!"

"Yes father!" The little girl cooed before wrapping her arms around the detective's waist, "Goodbye Basil. I…" She started to tear up, "I'll never forget you."

Basil laughed as he knelt down and put his hands on her shoulders, "Nor I you Miss…Miss Flangerhanger."

Olivia was about to correct him, but instead shook her head with a smile.

The doctor laughed in amusement, "Whatever."

"Goodbye Dr. Dawson."

"Goodbye my dear."

"Goodbye Miss Scarlett." Olivia drew her into an embrace.

"Yeah um, I don't really do goodbyes." She replied as she returned the gesture, "Let's just say, see you later…okay kid?"

"Okay, see you later then." The little girl whirled around to hug Mindy next, "Goodbye Princess."

"Call me Mindy." She then lowered her voice to a whisper as she winked, "The whole princess thing is a little overrated."

This made Olivia giggle before addressing everybody else, "Goodbye."

The rest of the crew let out collective farewells as the Flavershams exited the flat.

"Well." Basil sniffed, "Not a bad little girl, actually."

"Not at all." Dawson agreed as he made his way over to the door, and grabbed his bowler hat and overcoat from the railing, "Well, it's time that I was on my way too."

"You sure ya don't wanna join Mediocrity at its Finest?" Dakota asked, "We could really use a medic."

"Thank you for your generous offer, but I'm afraid I get seasick quite easily." The doctor said as he put on his coat, "Besides, the case is over, and perhaps it's best that I find my own living quarters."

"But...but I thought-" Basil was cut off by a soft tapping sound, "Now who could that be?"

Since Dawson was closest, he swung the door open to reveal a lady mouse donning an olive-green dress with a matching feathered hat, "Is…is this the home of the famous Basil of Baker Street?"

"Indeed it is miss!" The doctor chirped as he removed his hat…he frowned when he caught the distressed expression on her face, "You look as if you're in some trouble."

"Oh, I am!" The lady's voice broke into a couple sobs as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, "I am!"

"Then you've come to precisely the right place."

"Ah!" Basil popped up, and put his arm around him with a cheery smile, "Allow me to introduce my trusted associate, Doctor Dawson! With whom I do all my cases! Isn't that right, doctor?"

"What? What?" Dawson's eyes widened as he turned to face the detective, who had offered him his hand. Without a second thought, he shook it, "Yes…yes…by all means."

"So, you're not coming with us then."

Basil's eyes shone apologetically as he turned towards the princess, "I'm terribly sorry, but…but-"

"-Your place is here." Mindy finished as a wave of sadness washed over her, "I guess that means I'll have to deal with these turkeys on my own."

"Thanks for talking about us when we can hear everything you're saying, hon." Scarlett commented, "I totally don't feel offended by it at all."

The detective couldn't help but chuckle, "You've managed to survive their company for this long, what's another week or two?"

"But we're all a bunch of idiots who have no idea what we're doing."

"Again, totally fine with the fact that you're talking about us while we're still in the room."

"You aren't idiots." Basil insisted, "In fact, you're some of the most intelligent young people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in my lifetime."

Mindy huffed, "Right."

"No, I mean it… and from what I've seen you accomplish these couple of days, I believe that you will handle yourselves just fine on your own without my input." He winked.

The princess and detective smiled at each other for a few moments.

"Well." Mindy wiped some stray tears that had welled up in her eyes, "Let's get this show on the road then… Alistaire, if you'd be so kind?"

When the time was right, the Amulet of Illusions shot a beam of illumination at the door of 221B Baker Street.

The mice (and Scarlett) gaped at the sight, whilst everyone who was already accustomed to what Alistaire could do didn't bat an eyelash. Mindy looked extremely pleased with herself as the milky-white light pulsed and formed a blurry, transparent barrier around the open doorway.

Once it was complete, she stepped forward and stuck her hand into the gooey substance.

She stifled a laugh when it bulged to its normal size.

Mindy smirked down at the pendant around her neck, "Nicely done bud." she then turned to her entourage whilst clasping her hands, "Alright gang, it's time to mosey along so now is as good a time as ever to say our goodby-"

"-we-we're g-gonna miss you guys so much!" Dakota broke into sobs as he threw his arms around Basil and Dawson.

They were a bit taken aback, but returned the gesture regardless.

"We'll miss you too Master Davenport." Dr. Dawson assured him as he patted the emotional teen on the back.

"Huh, I quite like the sound of that nickname." When he came out of the embrace, he dabbed his eyes on the edge of his shirt before turning to wiggle his brows at Scarlett and Mindy, "Nudge, nudge, wink, wink."

Mindy pushed the bridge of her oval lenses to keep them from sliding off of her nose, "That's gonna be a hard no."

"I have to agree with her on this one." Scarlett's eyes flickered mischievously as a thought popped into her head, "Not only is it far less superior to your other nickname, but it almost sounds as if you want us to join you in a harem or something."

"Not what I meant and I am going to shut up right about now." Dakota hurriedly moved on to give Mrs. Judson a hug, "Thanks for letting me almost burn down your kitchen."

The landlady chuckled, "You could never burn down my kitchen, even if that was your original intention…are you sure that you wouldn't like to take the recipe for my cheese crumpets with you?"

"Don't worry." He tapped his temple, "Got it all up here in my noggin…" Dakota sniffled as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve, "I'm really gonna miss cooking with you Mrs. J."

"Believe me, I will too." Mrs. Judson cupped his cheek with a bittersweet smile, "It was nice meeting an upstanding young man who's as passionate as any woman when it comes to cooking food."

"Thanks." Dakota beamed before turning towards the girls, "Well, I'll see you both on the other side! Take as much time as you need to say-"

But Scarlett was already zooming towards the door.

"Miss Bloom, wait."

She paused mid-step, then turned to face Basil of Baker Street.

His arm was outstretched, but he quickly retracted it when he remembered her words from the previous night. The detective cleared his throat as he stepped forward. "When this whole…fiasco is over and done with, and it isn't of any inconvenience to you do you think…do you think we will see each other again?"

Scarlett's thin line of a mouth quirked into the sliver of a smile, "I certainly hope so."

"I do look forward to it, and will count the seconds un-"

"-I'm gonna stop you right there pops." She cut him off as she wrung her hands together and avoided eye-contact, "Basil, I do enjoy your company really I do. That's a lot coming from me because I tend not to trust other peo-mice, easily. But the fact of the matter is that I am not of your species. Not only that, but I tend to uh…how do I put this? Swing the other way, if you catch my drift."

It took Basil a moment to understand what she was implying.

"Oh…well, that certainly changes things, doesn't it?" he said after a moment of awkward silence, "Never-nevertheless, I wish you nothing but the best. And I hope that we can still be friends?"

"Of course…see ya around Furry Barrie Ingham." Scarlett gave a salute before she refaced the door and stepped past the threshold, returning herself to her normal size.

"Why pray tell does she insist on calling me that?"

"Probably, because your voice actor's name is Barrie Ingham."

"Really?"

"Sorry, sorry." Mindy buried her face in her hands, "That was a little too meta for my liking."

"Anyhow, we're gonna bounce! Later guys!" Dakota approached the door…then, stuck his head in.

He proceeded to wheeze with outrageous laughter as it grew to a freakishly inconceivable size. Driven by curiosity, Peter joined him and held his stomach as tears threatened to pour from his eyes. The boys then looked at each other and screeched like a couple of half-crazed banshees while Mindy looked on with a disappointed (yet amused) smirk.

When they'd somewhat gotten their laughter under control, they exited the flat with Jiminy trailing behind them shaking his head in befuddlement.

"Ah, they are hopeless idiots…. But then again they're my hopeless idiots." Mindy waited a moment before turning back to the three stupefied mice before her.

"I don't want to take up any more of your time, so I'll try to keep this brief." She clasped her hands together as her mouth curved into a genuine smile, "Thank you so much for everything. I would have never found another piece of my past without you, and I'm eternally grateful for your help."

"The feeling is mutual." Basil said before sticking out his hand, "It's been a pleasure working with you."

Mindy was a bit deflated by his formal approach, but she complied. As soon as she interlocked her hand with his, she was unexpectedly drawn into a tight embrace. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around the detective with a sniffle.

"Good luck." He whispered, "And next time you see The Projectionist, give him hell."

"I'll do my best."

When they detangled from each other, Mindy padded towards the light.

She snuck one last glance over her shoulder before closing her eyes, and stepping through.

When she reopened them, she was back to her true height and stood in an empty, quiet cobblestone London Street. The fog made it difficult to see the entrance of Basil's apartment, as well as the location of her friends. Mindy shivered as a gelid chill swept over her. She found herself wishing she had asked to borrow a coat. She thought about reentering the apartment, but the idea was trashed as soon as she saw the pulsing mass of white light shoot back into her amulet, leaving the door appearing untouched.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Peter piped up beside her.

"More like, someone?" Jiminy Cricket questioned from atop his hat.

Mindy rolled her eyes, "Get over here, you shorty."

"I'd be delighted." He bowed before hopping onto his usual spot on her shoulder, "Now, if you wouldn't mind doing the honors?"

"Gladly." She chirped as she pressed the golden gem of her amulet, spilling shimmering magic out onto the street, "Okay everyone think of happy thoughts, and let's blow this popsicle stand!"

Mindy then sprinkled the pixie dust onto her companions, and did herself last. After remembering the spontaneous musical number she and Dakota performed at the Rat Trap, she soared into the clouds and joined the rest of her friends.

"Everybody ready to go?" Peter asked.

"Wait." Dakota looked around in confusion, "Where's Scarlett?"

Mindy glanced down, only to find that she had remained standing motionless on the street… She fumbled to hover in front of her, and tilted her head at the crestfallen expression that adorned her face.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Scarlett insisted with a seemingly reassuring grin, "It's just that…I don't think I have very many happy thoughts left."

She promptly looked away.

Mindy looked on with pity…then she landed beside her. She contemplated her options before she eventually placed a hand on her shoulder with a comforting smile, "Hey, it's okay…it took me a while to find my happy thought too. I'm sure that we can figure out what yours is together."

Scarlett turned to face her, "And until that time comes?"

"Well, I haven't told you this, but while I was in Neverland, I acquired some pretty badass super strength." Mindy flexed with a teasing scowl, causing Scarlett to bust out laughing. "So, since our resident dork is too busy carrying his big ol' pot of gumbo, I guess that means I'll have to carry you on my own."

"Give it your best shot skimpy Mindy."

"Skimpy?"

"Yeah, don't think I haven't noticed those overalls you've been rocking…seriously, since when do you have legs for days?"

"Apparently, now." She said as she thoughtfully brushed her hands against her silky-smooth thighs… "It's so weird. I haven't really questioned it until this point, but ever since I've arrived in The Dremesphere, my body has gone through some…changes."

"Did you finally hit puberty?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Mindy laughed, "I-I don't know how to explain it. You know what, just forget that I said anything."

Scarlett offered a smile, "Well if it's any consolation, your legs look amazing."

She blushed at her friend's compliment, and without another word, swept her into her arms bridal-style. Scarlett let out a surprised yelp in response, but wrapped her arms securely around Mindy's neck.

"I guess I underestimated you." She commented, "But why did you lift me up like this?"

"To be honest, I've never picked somebody up before." Mindy admitted, "This was the easiest way I could think of."

"So what?" Scarlett huffed, "You're calling me fat?"

Mindy giggled as she took off into the sky, "I never said that."

"But I bet you were thinking it."

"You're not a mind reader, and you have no idea what I'm thinking."

"You don't know that."

"I'm pretty sure I do."

"Now look who's pretending to be a mind reader!"

"That's just basic intuition."

The others watched the two as they continued to bicker. Then, Peter shrugged before leading everybody to where they had hidden the Jolly Rancher amongst the thousands of twinkling stars. Along the way, Mindy nearly dropped the girl in her arms when they encountered some wind turbulence.

Instead of screaming bloody murder, Scarlett simply laughed it off, "How's that badass super strength working out for ya sport?"

"I'm not losing my balance because my super strength is fading." The corners of Mindy's mouth curved into a mischievous smirk, "It's because you're fat."

"Woooow, really?"

"Hey, you're the one who said it first!"

"Yeah, but you're my friend! You're not supposed to agree with my self-deprecation!"

"Well too bad, cause I just did!"

"Melinda Maye Singh, you are an idiot."

"Thank you Scarlett Arianna Bloom."