Case of the Missing Cookie
by: Karin-sama
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. . .chibi-neko idea taken from skippy who got the Gundam boys from Gundam Wing. Dane-kun was made up by Jilly-chan, and of course I'm always me (even though I look different and don't have nearly as much patience or cool stuff.) Everyone clear? All right! Release the chibis!!
Summary: Duo stole the cookie from the cookie jar. Who me? Yes, you. Couldn't be. Then WHO?! That's just what the chibis are trying to find out in the case of Quatre's missing cookie.
""Duo-chan?!" Karin-sama winced, her fingers curled over her keyboard. What now? She stretched backward, gaining an upside down view of her grandfather clock. Twenty minutes of quiet since she'd left them enjoying their cookies downstairs. Twenty minutes, just enough time for her to get into what she had been doing. Twenty minutes was almost a new record. It had been so quiet, well, with the exception of Dane-kun wailing some kind of song as he painted the barn, but with the window shut that had been muffled dramatically. "Where are you, Duo-chan?" She stood, lips pursed, trying to guess what Duo-chan had done now and trying to distinguish which high pitched voice was calling for him. It didn't sound quite like Wu-chan, and that was something new. It was usually Wu-chan that Duo-chan seemed to like to torment the most. No way it could be Heero-chan. She was still rapt in contemplating the new shriek when a burst of chibi-neko raced through her study door.
"I didn't do it! I swear!" Karin-sama knelt just in time to catch the sprinting chibi as he cannoned into the room, intent on burying himself under the study sofa. "It wasn't me," Duo-chan squeaked as he trembled with the mixed emotions of either throwing his arms around her neck for protection or wriggling out of her grasp for the same reason. She held on tight and he buried his face in her arm, occassionally squeaking that whatever had happened, it wasn't his doing. "I didn't do it. . .at least, I don't think I did." Sometimes Duo-chan forgot the mischief he'd done since he didn't think it was mischief to begin with.
"All right, Duo-chan, just calm down a minute and tell me exactly what it was that you didn't do." The chibis often had to be told to explain themselves as they had a tendency to think that Karin-sama knew just about everything. Duo-chan panted and looked up at her, ready to begin his story. He was just opening his mouth when Trowa-chan rushed in, eyes sparking anger and hurt. Karin-sama could have been knocked over by a feather. Tro-chan didn't get angry. No wonder she hadn't been able to determine who had been screaming for Duo-chan. . .she couldn't remember ever hearing Tro-chan shriek. Whatever had happened, it must have been pretty serious to make Tro-chan mad. Karin-sama called for help from some divine power to settle this one.
"That's it, Duo-chan! You're not getting out of this one." He folded his arms in a rather adorable impression of intimidation. Karin-sama might have smiled if she hadn't been sighing. She sat down on the sofa and beckoned Tro-chan to come up to sit with her. Duo-chan climbed to her shoulder even as Tro-chan climbed to her lap.
"Hold up," she commanded as the chibis glared at each other. "Someone's going to tell me what happened right?"
"Duo-chan is a cookie thief," Tro-chan accused immediately just as Duo-chan was saying once again that he'd done nothing wrong. "He ate the one that I made for Quatre-chan."
"I didn't!" Duo-chan shook his head, so upset he was on the brink of tears. Karin-sama regretted the sugar cookies she'd allowed them to decorate. Not that she thought this would have occurred in twenty minutes. Quatre-chan was going to save his because Tro-chan had put a star on it in pretty green frosting. It was a special cookie so it was indeed a serious crime to steal it. . much less actually eat it. She looked up at Duo-chan.
"Did you take the cookie, Duo-chan?" Such direct questions usually worked on Duo-chan since he always told the truth, even if he had done something wrong. If he'd taken it, then he would admit it now that she was asking. Maybe he hadn't known. . or there must be some other reason. Duo-chan teased. . but he wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings on purpose. But Duo-chan just shook his head, denying the theft.
"Duo-chan," Tro-chan sounded shocked. "You're lying!" Duo-chan's tail bristled.
"I'm not!!" He turned pleading eyes on Karin-sama. "You know I don't lie. I didn't take the cookie."
"Your tongue is green, Duo-chan," Trowa-chan pointed out, and much to Karin-sama's dismay she saw that he was right. And that was very strange since she remembered distinctly that Duo-chan's cookie had been smothered in red frosting. It looked like Tro-chan was not unfounded in his allegations.
"Why is your tongue green, Duo-chan?" Karin-sama asked him, wondering why this was so difficult.
"I didn't," he whimpered, starting to cry in a very un-Duo-chan-like fashion. "I know I didn't. Why won't you believe me?"
By this time Trowa-chan's anger was wearing down and he started second guessing if Duo-chan really had taken the cookie or not. But he must have, who else would have? It had to be Duo-chan. . his tongue was green! But he didn't want to argue anymore and he didn't want anymore feelings to get hurt, so being the sensible chibi-neko that he is, he came up with a plan that would work for all of them.
"Suppose we have a trial then, Duo-chan?" Tro-chan suggested in a sudden burst of compassion for his fellow chibi. "Then you can prove your innocence and we can figure out this whole mess, eh?" By this time the other nekos had made their way to the study, but they were listening outside the door to see what would happen inside. Like Karin-sama, they had never seen Trowa-chan get angry and wondered what he'd do to Duo-chan, and then what Karin-sama was going to say. At the mention of the trial, however, they began to get excited. Tro-chan always came up with the best plans.
"Justice!" Wu-chan chirped, leaping through the door and gaining himself a few surprised glances. Heero-chan was close behind, and Quatre-chan came in slowly, giving Duo-chan sorrowful looks.
"What do you say, Karin-sama?" Tro-chan asked. "Good idea?" Karin-sama nodded her consent, giving her computer screen one last longing look.
"Ok, Duo-chan you come and stand here because you are the accursed."
"The accused," Karin-sama corrected, hiding a smile behind her hand. Tro-chan stared up at her with an expression that clearly said he knew what he was doing.
"That's what I said," he told her seriously. "Come here, Duo-chan. No, Quatre-chan, you are over here, face Karin-sama on the couch, that's right. You are the persecuter." Karin-sama opened her mouth, but decided that it wasn't in her job description as jury. "I'm your lawyer, Quatre-chan. Heero-chan, you defend Duo-chan." Heero-chan looked a little disappointed, fingering his water pistol. Apparently he'd been wanting to carry out some form of sentence instead, not try to get Duo-chan out of trouble. However, when Tro-chan is in charge, no one can really argue. He always knew so much about these kinds of things.
"What do I do?" Wu-chan wandered from the couch to Duo-chan's side of the room and back.
"Well," Tro-chan seemed astonished that he would ask such a question. "You're the judge of course. You sit up there with Karin-sama." Satisfied that his position was by far the best, Wu-chan leaped up to snuggle next to his guardian's side. Tro-chan gave his little assembly a quick inspection to make sure everyone was where they should be. After nodding once, he took his own place at Quatre-chan's right hand.
"All rise," Tro-chan began, taking the missing role of bailiff upon himself as they had run out of family members. "All rise, the court of Judge Wu-chan is now in session."
"How do we rise, Tro-chan?" Quatre-chan whispered, wondering if it was an operation akin to the rising of bread dough.
"Like this." Tro-chan stood on his tip-toes and gave Wu-chan a salute. Heero-chan copied expertly, though Duo-chan had a little trouble keeping his balance.
"Um, now what?" Wu-chan asked, feeling a little strange being saluted for such a long time. Tro-chan, never wobbling on his toes, sighed just slightly.
"You tell us we can be seated," he whispered so the important judge wouldn't lose his dignity.
"Oh, right, you can sit down now and we'll get started." Pause. "Uh, take it away, Tro-chan."
"Right, Your Excellency," Tro-chan came forward with dignity, obviously knowing what he was doing. "I call Quatre-chan to the stand." Quatre-chan, after some guidance on where the 'stand' was, curled up in Karin-sama's lap and awaited the questioning. "At three thirty-five this afternoon we all came home from school. And upon arrival, Karin-sama, this lady here, had our snack waiting for us. Could you tell me what that snack was?"
"Cookies, Tro-chan, everyone knows that."
"We have to do this right, Quatre-chan, or we won't get to the bottom of this. Now pay attention. We were also given some frosting for our cookies, weren't we?"
"Yes."
"Could you tell me what colors?" Quatre-chan bit his lip to think about that one.
"Well," he muttered, ticking each color off on his fingers. "There was green and white and red and blue." Tro-chan nodded his agreement.
"Could you tell me what color your cookie was?" Quatre-chan smiled, even as he started to tear up.
"Well, the one I made was white with a blue smiley face on it. I gave it to you, Tro-chan." Tro-chan held up one hand.
"Please," he cut him off. "Answer only one question at a time. Now, you did not eat this cookie?" Quatre-chan looked confused.
"I gave it to you, Tro-chan, don't you remember?"
"So the answer is no then, correct?" Quatre-chan nodded, puzzled.
"And was there another cookie in your procession?"
"What's procession?" Wu-chan interrupted, cocking his head.
"It means that he had another one," Tro-chan informed. "Didn't you?"
"Yes, Tro-chan, you gave it to me. It had a green star on it."
"Could you describe the cookie for the jury?" Tro-chan swept his hand up to Karin-sama.
"I just did."
"Quatre-chan, you must be cooperative or we won't see justice. I know this is hard for you," Tro-chan sighed and shook his head. "But we'll get through this all right? Now, please tell Karin-sama what the cookie looked like." Karin-sama had to work hard at not rolling her eyes. She wondered how much television Dane-kun allowed them to watch when he was over baby-sitting. Quatre-chan looked up at her obediently.
"Karin-sama," he said very clearly, so she would be sure to know exactly what the cookie looked like. "The cookie that Tro-chan gave me had a green star on it, colored in." He looked back at his friend. "How was that?"
"Very good," Tro-chan approved. "And you didn't eat this cookie either?"
"No --" Quatre-chan was about ready to explain what had happened with the cookie, but as Tro-chan had now seen a pattern in how Quatre-chan answered, he was ready with the next question so everything could go in order.
"What happened to this cookie? What did you do with it?"
"I left it on the table for after dinner and we --"
"Who is we?" Wu-chan interrupted again, catching the spirit of Tro-chan's questioning style.
"Tro-chan and I. We went outside to see if Dane-kun wanted a cookie, only we couldn't find him and he couldn't hear us calling. We had to give up and go back inside, but when we did, the cookie was gone!"
"Was there anyone else there in the kitchen?" Tro-chan took over again.
"Triby was there, and Duo-chan was there licking his fingers." Karin-sama grabbed Quatre-chan around the middle to lift him as she stood.
"Hold on a second," she interrupted the trial. "What do you mean Triby was in the kitchen? How did he get there? Who let him inside?" Triby, who was quite a large dog, certainly had no place in Karin-sama's museum, especially in the kitchen were he could easily reach the counters and table. She had figured that the chibi-nekos knew this, but wouldn't put it past them to want him to have a cookie too. There was a round of shrugs and a chorus of, "I don't know."
"Is he still in the house?" Karin-sama tried to keep her voice calm. Quatre-chan nodded.
"I think so, Karin-sama. The door was still open, come to think of it."
"Ok, we're taking a recess until I get the dog outside."
"But Karin-sama," Tro-chan protested. "He was going to be my weakness."
"You'll have to find another witness, Tro-chan, because he's just too big to be bringing up the stairs and into my study. I'll be right back." She deposited Quatre-chan on the sofa and hurried out of the room to see where Triby had decided to wander and if anything were already broken.
Triby, however, being the well trained dog that he was, had remained politely in the kitchen, as he hadn't been invited anywhere else. Everything seemed to be in its right place, so Karin-sama just shrugged and whistled for him to follow her outside. Once back in the sunshine, Triby made a round of the yard, just to make sure nothing had changed while he had been gone, before rushing back to Karin-sama so she could hook his chain back onto his collar.
"Oye, Karin-chan, whatcha up to?" Dane-kun called from the ladder, waving his paintbrush frantically. Since she was already outside, she decided she may as well see how he was doing on the barn.
"We're having a trial," she informed him as he carefully descended the ladder. He was covered in bright red paint. Karin-sama wondered if he'd gotten as much on the actual barn wall as he had on himself.
"That's nice, that's nice," he grinned, obviously not really paying attention to the situation. "Everything's going great out here too. Give me another hour and yer barn will be like brand new. Oh, and thanks for the cookie you left me on the counter, Karin-chan," he leaned down to give her a wink. "Sure hit the spot." She was about ready to wave off his thanks when she stopped dead and thought about that.
"I didn't know you were inside."
"Well, the mail was here so I figured I'd bring it in and then head out the kitchen door to get back to work. Mail's on the table, I figured I was too dirty to bring it up to ya. Where ya going? There wasn't anything that important, just a letter from Jilly-chan and some ad about a hedgeclipper."
"Just come with me for a moment, won't you Dane-kun?" With a bemused expression on his face, he followed her inside and up the stairs to her study. Apparently she didn't think he was too dirty to go up there. She shut the door tightly behind her and they made their way up.
"Karin-sama!" Tro-chan beamed. "How did you know that Dane-kun was my next witness?" She smiled as she took her place on the couch again.
"Woman's intuition," she purred, crossing her ankles.
"But he wasn't anywhere around when we were outside," Quatre-chan protested. "How would he know?"
"It's ok, Quatre-chan. We'll ask him anyway," Tro-chan stepped forward. "You," he pointed dramatically as Dane-kun took the safest seat in the place next to Karin-sama. Although the look on her face made him wonder if it really was the safest place after all. "Where were you when Quatre-chan and I came outside?"
"I was checking the mail," Dane-kun was too bewildered not to answer.
"How come we didn't see you?" Quatre-chan interrupted.
"Please, Quatre-chan, let me handle this," Tro-chan begged his buddy before turning on Dane-kun. "How come we didn't see you?" Dane-kun just shrugged.
"I didn't see you fellas either," he defended himself.
"The cookie, Tro-chan, ask him about the cookie," Karin-sama prompted. She did have things she needed to get done after all. Tro-chan nodded, obviously just getting to the cookie part himself.
"Did you eat the cookie on the counter?" Tro-chan was noticing that Heero-chan and Duo-chan were beginning to be a little bored with the trial, since they hadn't been able to participate very much, so he figured that he needed to wrap it up before they wandered away and forgot the importance of what was going on.
"Well, sure, wasn't it mine?" Dane-kun raised his hands defensively. "I'm sure sorry if it belonged to someone else." Tro-chan looked slightly disappointed, but brightened again as a sudden thought occurred to him.
"Could you please describe the cookie?"
"Yeah, it was still kinda warm and just the right kind of crumbly," Dane-kun turned big eyes on Karin-sama. "You sure do know how to make cookies, Karin-chan." Tro-chan sweatdropped as Karin-sama blushed.
"I mean," he interrupted politely. "What did it look like?"
"Oh, that, didn't much pay attention to that," Dane-kun scratched his head. "Finished it in two bites, you know, but I think it had a green star on it or something."
"AHA!" Tro-chan and Heero-chan squeaked. "You're the cookie thief!" Dane-kun looked shocked.
"I told you I didn't do it!" Duo-chan squawked to anyone who cared to listen.
"I sentence you to five lashes with Heero-chan's water pistol," judge Wu-chan shook a little fist at Dane-kun. Heero-chan looked as if Christmas had just come early. "And," Wu-chan added before Heero-chan could get started. "You must make us all cookies afterward."
"How about," Karin-sama intervened. "I do the cookies and Dane-kun can finish the barn?"
"So since I didn't do it," Duo-chan was still talking to no one but himself. "I think I'll go outside and play." But Karin-sama was too quick for him and grabbed him around the waist before he could sneak off.
"Not so fast, Duo-chan," she said, lifting him up. "You still haven't explained why your tongue is green?"
"Oh, that," Duo-chan giggled nervously. "Well, there was a little bit of green frosting left, so I was cleaning it up for you, Karin-sama. I hid under the table when Dane-kun came in."
"So you saw him take the cookie?" Karin-sama sighed.
"Well, sure, and he left the back door open too so Triby and I shared the rest of the frosting together."
"Why didn't you just say so to begin with?" Karin-sama thought of all the wasted time.
"Well, I thought Tro-chan wanted to have a trial. He didn't get to the part where he asked me about the cookie before you came in with Dane-kun, so I never had the chance."
"Oh for heaven's sake. Heero-chan, not in here, spray him outside. And give Duo-chan a few lashes while you're at it." She put him gently on the floor. Heero-chan gave her a look that clearly said Christmas and his birthday were on the same day before grabbing Duo-chan by his braid and rushing off downstairs, followed by the rest of the gang. Dane-kun scratched his head, gave Karin-sama a look, shrugged, and went off with them.
"Might wash some of the paint off," he told her as he shut her door. Karin-sama collapsed into her desk chair, waking her computer back up. Quiet, she thought, and closed her eyes. How wonderful. Well, it was wonderful until Dane-kun began his own off key rendition of "Singing in the Rain" which made Triby start to bark and the chibi-nekos to laugh. She gave a quick glance out the window to see Dane-kun being chased by the dog being chased by her chibi-nekos. One minute, she counted in her head, trying to see if they could set a new record before something else happened.
by: Karin-sama
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. . .chibi-neko idea taken from skippy who got the Gundam boys from Gundam Wing. Dane-kun was made up by Jilly-chan, and of course I'm always me (even though I look different and don't have nearly as much patience or cool stuff.) Everyone clear? All right! Release the chibis!!
Summary: Duo stole the cookie from the cookie jar. Who me? Yes, you. Couldn't be. Then WHO?! That's just what the chibis are trying to find out in the case of Quatre's missing cookie.
""Duo-chan?!" Karin-sama winced, her fingers curled over her keyboard. What now? She stretched backward, gaining an upside down view of her grandfather clock. Twenty minutes of quiet since she'd left them enjoying their cookies downstairs. Twenty minutes, just enough time for her to get into what she had been doing. Twenty minutes was almost a new record. It had been so quiet, well, with the exception of Dane-kun wailing some kind of song as he painted the barn, but with the window shut that had been muffled dramatically. "Where are you, Duo-chan?" She stood, lips pursed, trying to guess what Duo-chan had done now and trying to distinguish which high pitched voice was calling for him. It didn't sound quite like Wu-chan, and that was something new. It was usually Wu-chan that Duo-chan seemed to like to torment the most. No way it could be Heero-chan. She was still rapt in contemplating the new shriek when a burst of chibi-neko raced through her study door.
"I didn't do it! I swear!" Karin-sama knelt just in time to catch the sprinting chibi as he cannoned into the room, intent on burying himself under the study sofa. "It wasn't me," Duo-chan squeaked as he trembled with the mixed emotions of either throwing his arms around her neck for protection or wriggling out of her grasp for the same reason. She held on tight and he buried his face in her arm, occassionally squeaking that whatever had happened, it wasn't his doing. "I didn't do it. . .at least, I don't think I did." Sometimes Duo-chan forgot the mischief he'd done since he didn't think it was mischief to begin with.
"All right, Duo-chan, just calm down a minute and tell me exactly what it was that you didn't do." The chibis often had to be told to explain themselves as they had a tendency to think that Karin-sama knew just about everything. Duo-chan panted and looked up at her, ready to begin his story. He was just opening his mouth when Trowa-chan rushed in, eyes sparking anger and hurt. Karin-sama could have been knocked over by a feather. Tro-chan didn't get angry. No wonder she hadn't been able to determine who had been screaming for Duo-chan. . .she couldn't remember ever hearing Tro-chan shriek. Whatever had happened, it must have been pretty serious to make Tro-chan mad. Karin-sama called for help from some divine power to settle this one.
"That's it, Duo-chan! You're not getting out of this one." He folded his arms in a rather adorable impression of intimidation. Karin-sama might have smiled if she hadn't been sighing. She sat down on the sofa and beckoned Tro-chan to come up to sit with her. Duo-chan climbed to her shoulder even as Tro-chan climbed to her lap.
"Hold up," she commanded as the chibis glared at each other. "Someone's going to tell me what happened right?"
"Duo-chan is a cookie thief," Tro-chan accused immediately just as Duo-chan was saying once again that he'd done nothing wrong. "He ate the one that I made for Quatre-chan."
"I didn't!" Duo-chan shook his head, so upset he was on the brink of tears. Karin-sama regretted the sugar cookies she'd allowed them to decorate. Not that she thought this would have occurred in twenty minutes. Quatre-chan was going to save his because Tro-chan had put a star on it in pretty green frosting. It was a special cookie so it was indeed a serious crime to steal it. . much less actually eat it. She looked up at Duo-chan.
"Did you take the cookie, Duo-chan?" Such direct questions usually worked on Duo-chan since he always told the truth, even if he had done something wrong. If he'd taken it, then he would admit it now that she was asking. Maybe he hadn't known. . or there must be some other reason. Duo-chan teased. . but he wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings on purpose. But Duo-chan just shook his head, denying the theft.
"Duo-chan," Tro-chan sounded shocked. "You're lying!" Duo-chan's tail bristled.
"I'm not!!" He turned pleading eyes on Karin-sama. "You know I don't lie. I didn't take the cookie."
"Your tongue is green, Duo-chan," Trowa-chan pointed out, and much to Karin-sama's dismay she saw that he was right. And that was very strange since she remembered distinctly that Duo-chan's cookie had been smothered in red frosting. It looked like Tro-chan was not unfounded in his allegations.
"Why is your tongue green, Duo-chan?" Karin-sama asked him, wondering why this was so difficult.
"I didn't," he whimpered, starting to cry in a very un-Duo-chan-like fashion. "I know I didn't. Why won't you believe me?"
By this time Trowa-chan's anger was wearing down and he started second guessing if Duo-chan really had taken the cookie or not. But he must have, who else would have? It had to be Duo-chan. . his tongue was green! But he didn't want to argue anymore and he didn't want anymore feelings to get hurt, so being the sensible chibi-neko that he is, he came up with a plan that would work for all of them.
"Suppose we have a trial then, Duo-chan?" Tro-chan suggested in a sudden burst of compassion for his fellow chibi. "Then you can prove your innocence and we can figure out this whole mess, eh?" By this time the other nekos had made their way to the study, but they were listening outside the door to see what would happen inside. Like Karin-sama, they had never seen Trowa-chan get angry and wondered what he'd do to Duo-chan, and then what Karin-sama was going to say. At the mention of the trial, however, they began to get excited. Tro-chan always came up with the best plans.
"Justice!" Wu-chan chirped, leaping through the door and gaining himself a few surprised glances. Heero-chan was close behind, and Quatre-chan came in slowly, giving Duo-chan sorrowful looks.
"What do you say, Karin-sama?" Tro-chan asked. "Good idea?" Karin-sama nodded her consent, giving her computer screen one last longing look.
"Ok, Duo-chan you come and stand here because you are the accursed."
"The accused," Karin-sama corrected, hiding a smile behind her hand. Tro-chan stared up at her with an expression that clearly said he knew what he was doing.
"That's what I said," he told her seriously. "Come here, Duo-chan. No, Quatre-chan, you are over here, face Karin-sama on the couch, that's right. You are the persecuter." Karin-sama opened her mouth, but decided that it wasn't in her job description as jury. "I'm your lawyer, Quatre-chan. Heero-chan, you defend Duo-chan." Heero-chan looked a little disappointed, fingering his water pistol. Apparently he'd been wanting to carry out some form of sentence instead, not try to get Duo-chan out of trouble. However, when Tro-chan is in charge, no one can really argue. He always knew so much about these kinds of things.
"What do I do?" Wu-chan wandered from the couch to Duo-chan's side of the room and back.
"Well," Tro-chan seemed astonished that he would ask such a question. "You're the judge of course. You sit up there with Karin-sama." Satisfied that his position was by far the best, Wu-chan leaped up to snuggle next to his guardian's side. Tro-chan gave his little assembly a quick inspection to make sure everyone was where they should be. After nodding once, he took his own place at Quatre-chan's right hand.
"All rise," Tro-chan began, taking the missing role of bailiff upon himself as they had run out of family members. "All rise, the court of Judge Wu-chan is now in session."
"How do we rise, Tro-chan?" Quatre-chan whispered, wondering if it was an operation akin to the rising of bread dough.
"Like this." Tro-chan stood on his tip-toes and gave Wu-chan a salute. Heero-chan copied expertly, though Duo-chan had a little trouble keeping his balance.
"Um, now what?" Wu-chan asked, feeling a little strange being saluted for such a long time. Tro-chan, never wobbling on his toes, sighed just slightly.
"You tell us we can be seated," he whispered so the important judge wouldn't lose his dignity.
"Oh, right, you can sit down now and we'll get started." Pause. "Uh, take it away, Tro-chan."
"Right, Your Excellency," Tro-chan came forward with dignity, obviously knowing what he was doing. "I call Quatre-chan to the stand." Quatre-chan, after some guidance on where the 'stand' was, curled up in Karin-sama's lap and awaited the questioning. "At three thirty-five this afternoon we all came home from school. And upon arrival, Karin-sama, this lady here, had our snack waiting for us. Could you tell me what that snack was?"
"Cookies, Tro-chan, everyone knows that."
"We have to do this right, Quatre-chan, or we won't get to the bottom of this. Now pay attention. We were also given some frosting for our cookies, weren't we?"
"Yes."
"Could you tell me what colors?" Quatre-chan bit his lip to think about that one.
"Well," he muttered, ticking each color off on his fingers. "There was green and white and red and blue." Tro-chan nodded his agreement.
"Could you tell me what color your cookie was?" Quatre-chan smiled, even as he started to tear up.
"Well, the one I made was white with a blue smiley face on it. I gave it to you, Tro-chan." Tro-chan held up one hand.
"Please," he cut him off. "Answer only one question at a time. Now, you did not eat this cookie?" Quatre-chan looked confused.
"I gave it to you, Tro-chan, don't you remember?"
"So the answer is no then, correct?" Quatre-chan nodded, puzzled.
"And was there another cookie in your procession?"
"What's procession?" Wu-chan interrupted, cocking his head.
"It means that he had another one," Tro-chan informed. "Didn't you?"
"Yes, Tro-chan, you gave it to me. It had a green star on it."
"Could you describe the cookie for the jury?" Tro-chan swept his hand up to Karin-sama.
"I just did."
"Quatre-chan, you must be cooperative or we won't see justice. I know this is hard for you," Tro-chan sighed and shook his head. "But we'll get through this all right? Now, please tell Karin-sama what the cookie looked like." Karin-sama had to work hard at not rolling her eyes. She wondered how much television Dane-kun allowed them to watch when he was over baby-sitting. Quatre-chan looked up at her obediently.
"Karin-sama," he said very clearly, so she would be sure to know exactly what the cookie looked like. "The cookie that Tro-chan gave me had a green star on it, colored in." He looked back at his friend. "How was that?"
"Very good," Tro-chan approved. "And you didn't eat this cookie either?"
"No --" Quatre-chan was about ready to explain what had happened with the cookie, but as Tro-chan had now seen a pattern in how Quatre-chan answered, he was ready with the next question so everything could go in order.
"What happened to this cookie? What did you do with it?"
"I left it on the table for after dinner and we --"
"Who is we?" Wu-chan interrupted again, catching the spirit of Tro-chan's questioning style.
"Tro-chan and I. We went outside to see if Dane-kun wanted a cookie, only we couldn't find him and he couldn't hear us calling. We had to give up and go back inside, but when we did, the cookie was gone!"
"Was there anyone else there in the kitchen?" Tro-chan took over again.
"Triby was there, and Duo-chan was there licking his fingers." Karin-sama grabbed Quatre-chan around the middle to lift him as she stood.
"Hold on a second," she interrupted the trial. "What do you mean Triby was in the kitchen? How did he get there? Who let him inside?" Triby, who was quite a large dog, certainly had no place in Karin-sama's museum, especially in the kitchen were he could easily reach the counters and table. She had figured that the chibi-nekos knew this, but wouldn't put it past them to want him to have a cookie too. There was a round of shrugs and a chorus of, "I don't know."
"Is he still in the house?" Karin-sama tried to keep her voice calm. Quatre-chan nodded.
"I think so, Karin-sama. The door was still open, come to think of it."
"Ok, we're taking a recess until I get the dog outside."
"But Karin-sama," Tro-chan protested. "He was going to be my weakness."
"You'll have to find another witness, Tro-chan, because he's just too big to be bringing up the stairs and into my study. I'll be right back." She deposited Quatre-chan on the sofa and hurried out of the room to see where Triby had decided to wander and if anything were already broken.
Triby, however, being the well trained dog that he was, had remained politely in the kitchen, as he hadn't been invited anywhere else. Everything seemed to be in its right place, so Karin-sama just shrugged and whistled for him to follow her outside. Once back in the sunshine, Triby made a round of the yard, just to make sure nothing had changed while he had been gone, before rushing back to Karin-sama so she could hook his chain back onto his collar.
"Oye, Karin-chan, whatcha up to?" Dane-kun called from the ladder, waving his paintbrush frantically. Since she was already outside, she decided she may as well see how he was doing on the barn.
"We're having a trial," she informed him as he carefully descended the ladder. He was covered in bright red paint. Karin-sama wondered if he'd gotten as much on the actual barn wall as he had on himself.
"That's nice, that's nice," he grinned, obviously not really paying attention to the situation. "Everything's going great out here too. Give me another hour and yer barn will be like brand new. Oh, and thanks for the cookie you left me on the counter, Karin-chan," he leaned down to give her a wink. "Sure hit the spot." She was about ready to wave off his thanks when she stopped dead and thought about that.
"I didn't know you were inside."
"Well, the mail was here so I figured I'd bring it in and then head out the kitchen door to get back to work. Mail's on the table, I figured I was too dirty to bring it up to ya. Where ya going? There wasn't anything that important, just a letter from Jilly-chan and some ad about a hedgeclipper."
"Just come with me for a moment, won't you Dane-kun?" With a bemused expression on his face, he followed her inside and up the stairs to her study. Apparently she didn't think he was too dirty to go up there. She shut the door tightly behind her and they made their way up.
"Karin-sama!" Tro-chan beamed. "How did you know that Dane-kun was my next witness?" She smiled as she took her place on the couch again.
"Woman's intuition," she purred, crossing her ankles.
"But he wasn't anywhere around when we were outside," Quatre-chan protested. "How would he know?"
"It's ok, Quatre-chan. We'll ask him anyway," Tro-chan stepped forward. "You," he pointed dramatically as Dane-kun took the safest seat in the place next to Karin-sama. Although the look on her face made him wonder if it really was the safest place after all. "Where were you when Quatre-chan and I came outside?"
"I was checking the mail," Dane-kun was too bewildered not to answer.
"How come we didn't see you?" Quatre-chan interrupted.
"Please, Quatre-chan, let me handle this," Tro-chan begged his buddy before turning on Dane-kun. "How come we didn't see you?" Dane-kun just shrugged.
"I didn't see you fellas either," he defended himself.
"The cookie, Tro-chan, ask him about the cookie," Karin-sama prompted. She did have things she needed to get done after all. Tro-chan nodded, obviously just getting to the cookie part himself.
"Did you eat the cookie on the counter?" Tro-chan was noticing that Heero-chan and Duo-chan were beginning to be a little bored with the trial, since they hadn't been able to participate very much, so he figured that he needed to wrap it up before they wandered away and forgot the importance of what was going on.
"Well, sure, wasn't it mine?" Dane-kun raised his hands defensively. "I'm sure sorry if it belonged to someone else." Tro-chan looked slightly disappointed, but brightened again as a sudden thought occurred to him.
"Could you please describe the cookie?"
"Yeah, it was still kinda warm and just the right kind of crumbly," Dane-kun turned big eyes on Karin-sama. "You sure do know how to make cookies, Karin-chan." Tro-chan sweatdropped as Karin-sama blushed.
"I mean," he interrupted politely. "What did it look like?"
"Oh, that, didn't much pay attention to that," Dane-kun scratched his head. "Finished it in two bites, you know, but I think it had a green star on it or something."
"AHA!" Tro-chan and Heero-chan squeaked. "You're the cookie thief!" Dane-kun looked shocked.
"I told you I didn't do it!" Duo-chan squawked to anyone who cared to listen.
"I sentence you to five lashes with Heero-chan's water pistol," judge Wu-chan shook a little fist at Dane-kun. Heero-chan looked as if Christmas had just come early. "And," Wu-chan added before Heero-chan could get started. "You must make us all cookies afterward."
"How about," Karin-sama intervened. "I do the cookies and Dane-kun can finish the barn?"
"So since I didn't do it," Duo-chan was still talking to no one but himself. "I think I'll go outside and play." But Karin-sama was too quick for him and grabbed him around the waist before he could sneak off.
"Not so fast, Duo-chan," she said, lifting him up. "You still haven't explained why your tongue is green?"
"Oh, that," Duo-chan giggled nervously. "Well, there was a little bit of green frosting left, so I was cleaning it up for you, Karin-sama. I hid under the table when Dane-kun came in."
"So you saw him take the cookie?" Karin-sama sighed.
"Well, sure, and he left the back door open too so Triby and I shared the rest of the frosting together."
"Why didn't you just say so to begin with?" Karin-sama thought of all the wasted time.
"Well, I thought Tro-chan wanted to have a trial. He didn't get to the part where he asked me about the cookie before you came in with Dane-kun, so I never had the chance."
"Oh for heaven's sake. Heero-chan, not in here, spray him outside. And give Duo-chan a few lashes while you're at it." She put him gently on the floor. Heero-chan gave her a look that clearly said Christmas and his birthday were on the same day before grabbing Duo-chan by his braid and rushing off downstairs, followed by the rest of the gang. Dane-kun scratched his head, gave Karin-sama a look, shrugged, and went off with them.
"Might wash some of the paint off," he told her as he shut her door. Karin-sama collapsed into her desk chair, waking her computer back up. Quiet, she thought, and closed her eyes. How wonderful. Well, it was wonderful until Dane-kun began his own off key rendition of "Singing in the Rain" which made Triby start to bark and the chibi-nekos to laugh. She gave a quick glance out the window to see Dane-kun being chased by the dog being chased by her chibi-nekos. One minute, she counted in her head, trying to see if they could set a new record before something else happened.