I apologize for the long wait. I've handwritten chapters (including this one) in my journal and was working on other fics. Oh, and a head's up here, thanks, teamdark2741 (now known as Fidgetfan1 on Fanfiction) and Reyelene for the reviews. The wait is over! Time for Fidget's next adventure in Paris.
"Minister Frollo, you have visitors on their way to the castle," the Archdeacon told Frollo.
"Blasphemy!" Frollo retorted, "That's a group of unholy demons that I will send back to Hell, where they belong!"
"You don't always have to be so downright stereotypical; I'm sure they're just visiting."
"Very well. I hope it shall be quick."
A girl bat had just witnessed another bat like herself flapping his wings with a dog and a group of mice close behind him. "Mr. Bat. Mrs. Bat," she began. Her name was Stellaluna.
"Yes, Stellaluna?" Mr. Bat asked.
"I saw a bat just like us," Stellaluna replied, "Only he has a peg leg. He's…"
"That's unmistakably our son, Fidget," Mrs. Bat interrupted, "He's flying."
"He's flying?!" Mr. Bat gasped, taken aback.
"I should welcome them," Stellaluna said, "I'll be back!" As she said this, she hovered downward to welcome the visitors. "Hello, welcome to Paris. You've come to the right village. I'm Stellaluna."
"I'm Basil of Baker Street and this is my associate, Dr. Dawson," Basil said as he gestured towards his friends, "Our dog, Toby, Hiram and Olivia Flaversham, and last, but not least…Fidget, our peg legged friend."
"Hi," Fidget greeted with a wave.
"Hi." Stellaluna took a liking to this creature instantly, so she decided to take a walk with him. "I see you must've been looking for your parents," she assumed.
"Yeah, that's what I've been doing," Fidget replied, "Wait. How'd you know that?"
"Well, they are up there waiting for you and I've known them for a while."
He enjoyed his walk with someone of his kind, but couldn't help thinking something bad was bound to approach. Maybe those wolves would soon return when he least expected it. A snarl and howl made Fidget jump.
"It's okay, Fidget," Stellaluna soothed, "Those are just wolves. They might be looking for food."
Fidget gulped. Stellaluna didn't want to worry him, so she held his hand, which made him feel safe. When everyone came inside the castle, Fidget's parents, and some other bats took a glance at the peg legged bat.
"Son," Mr. Bat breathed.
"Fidget," Mrs. Bat gasped.
"Mom. Dad," Fidget said and hugged them, "I missed you."
"We missed you, too, son," Fidget's mother said.
Stellaluna introduced their new guests to the bat's parents.
"We have no idea where you would've gone," fretted the bat's mother.
"Dear, we had to tell him to run someplace safe from Professor Ratigan, remember?" Fidget's father reminded her.
This made Fidget really nervous. "Well, about that."
His parents were also worried. "Fidget, is there something you want to talk to us about?" Fidget's father asked.
"Okay, as long as you don't yell at me or punish me afterwards." Fidget used this as an afterthought. "Deal?"
His parents nodded earnestly.
"Go ahead, son," his father encouraged.
"I worked for that rat," Fidget pointed out sadly.
His parents and the other bats gasped in shock.
"I wanted nothing to do with it! He forced me to kidnap families of innocent people! If I didn't do it, I would've been eaten by his cat, Felicia! Then, the very day he didn't need me anymore, he threw me overboard into the Thames, but before I fell, I called desperately, telling him I couldn't fly and stand up for myself at the same time. I thought he cared about me, but no, he didn't."
"I worked for a villain, myself," Bartok, the albino bat said, "So, you're not the only one."
"Thanks," said Fidget.
Since Fidget's parents were so understanding and proud of their son for ditching that rat, they clapped their tension away among other satisfied bats. "Thank you for telling us, Fidget," his mother told him, "We must go to Minister Claude Frollo very shortly. He'll think of something."
"You must've been a brave boy," his father beamed proudly as he rubbed Fidget's head, "Great job standing up to that rat."
Fidget can do nothing, but smile for he was glad to get it out of the way.
"Good job, Fidget," Basil said, patting him on the shoulder.
"I would've kicked Ratigan in the keister for you," Bartok said to Fidget.
Fidget giggled at Bartok's comment.
"Was that funny?" Batty Koda, the rainforest bat asked.
Fidget nodded, still laughing.
…
Frollo turned to his visitors. "Welcome to my humble home," he greeted formally, "And what can I do for you today?"
"Our son has something to discuss with you," Fidget's father replied.
Fidget explained everything he did in his years of working for Ratigan and laid out his misfortunes along with it.
Claude Frollo was listening intently and at the very end of Fidget's speech, he said, "Thank you for your trouble and for respecting my hospitality of the church."
Fidget smiled warmly and boy was he glad this was over! He took a bow.
Frollo took the party upstairs, where he had kept Quasimodo. "This is where I once had Quasimodo stay in and where he had befriended a spawned gypsy witch."
"Frollo, let's not be rude to our guests!" the Archdeacon scolded. Then, he led them away from the unfriendly judge. "Don't mind him. He had killed Quasimodo's mother, who was in fact an innocent gypsy and he falsely imprisoned him." Turning to Fidget, "Just like you had been in your back story, lad, but look at what you've become now. You've come a long way since and you should be thankful for it."
Indeed, Fidget was! He'd recovered from Stockholm Syndrome and the demons of his past. "That I am," he said, "That I am." Completely overwhelmed, he stared out at the night sky. It was oh so lovely out there.
Behind him, Claude Frollo decided to take a look, too.
"No, don't freaking-" Fidget started as he turned and frowned at the man, who walked behind him.
"I'm not here to attack you, but what do you see?" Claude wanted to know.
"The night sky," Fidget replied, his expression changing.
"Ah, how fascinating," Frollo mused.
Fidget nodded, yawned, and dozed off.
"Why are you sleeping?" Frollo demanded, "I always thought bats sleep during the daytime."
"Oh, he's a different bat," Basil said, "He just has a different sleep schedule, that's all."
"I sleep during the night, too," Bartok said and his girlfriend kissed him as if she agreed with him.
"Me, too," Batty Koda saluted.
Stellaluna bent over and picked up the bat, who had fallen asleep on the floor, and caressed him. She felt him vibrating, which meant he was snoring. However, she wasn't at all offended.
Fidget's mother planted a kiss on one of Fidget's cheeks. "Goodnight, sweetie. Sweet dreams."
"Sleep tight, buddy," his father whispered.
"Hey, how about I take you to bed?" Stellaluna asked the sleeping creature.
"I think he'll like that," Olivia said brightly.
"You know what?" Me, too," Stellaluna agreed, her smile broadening. Whispering in Fidget's ear, "Well, if it's okay with you, then it's okay with us."
Author's note: Judge Claude Frollo and the Archdeacon belong to The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Disney. Bartok, Bartok's girlfriend, and Batty Koda belong to 20th Century Fox, except Bartok and his girlfriend also belong to Don Bluth's Anastasia. Stellaluna belongs to MGM studios and Janell Cannon.
*Now, we all know that Fidget is NOTHING like Frollo because they don't compare, at all.
*Man, Fidget felt much better giving out his speech about working for Ratigan over with! He somehow managed to get it off his chest!
See you all in the next chapter!