Disclaimer: Dangermouse and characters are property of Cosgrove/Hall productions, and I don't own them. This fiction and the characters of M6 Lori L'Amour and her assistant and other craziness the other side of the pond is my own insanity, property of me, Trynia Merin. I've been having THIS on my brain forever, and pardon the raw form of this fanfiction.

A Long Overdue Date

Part 4

By Trynia Merin

This story takes place after Two of the Best, and Two of the Worst

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They entered DM's private reserved box, which was really a box, a cigar box to be precise. Inside there were six nicely padded seats, and DM took the one with the closest view of the stage, while Penfold sat down next to him, after waiting nervously for Bagel to sit beside him. The last two were where 57 and Lori sat. They all glanced at the patrons filing in below, and into the private boxes. DM took a program that was handed to him, and skimmed over it. The others didn't' bother, and Bagel even started to draw doodles on hers, while Penfold slipped a comic book out of his pocket and put it into the middle of his program to secretly read it as they waited for the lights to dim. Finally they were all seated, and the lights dropped. Bagel heard a nervous mumbling from Penfold who hated the dark, and was trying to read his comic with the aid of a small pen sized flashlight. Lori craned her neck over the seat back to see the stage, and 57 tapped her shoulder.

"Try these, M6 and you'll get a jolly good look at the stage," he whispered and handed them to her. She smiled and held up a pair of high tech spy binoculars, which made perfect opera glasses.

"Thanks," she whispered to 57 who was watching the stage in rapt interest. He had taken off the shades, and was holding a second pair of ultra secret spy goggles to his face so he could see as the conductor, a rather shaggy mane lion came up and bowed as everyone applauded. The orchestra came into the pit, and the curtain rose as the band accompanying the main act came into view with a pastel colored backdrop. Then a spotlight shone on a tall slender mouse, with silky white fur and long blonde hair, done up in an ornate bun on the top of her head, and topped by a gold costume tiara. DM stood transfixed as she stood before the microphone in a green dress, emerald in shade. She wore long silk green gloves to match, with diamond bracelets, and an emerald pendant around her long willowy neck. When the orchestra cued, she began to sing a selection of her popular soft pop ballads, as well as notable opera numbers.

Throughout the whole thing, the audience was transfixed by her voice. Lori gazed at her cousin through her spy binoculars and smiled, wiping away a tear. That could have been her up there, but for a twist of fate. Noticing her sad mood, Agent 57 couldn't help but reach over and take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She turned to look at him with a small smile on her face. Penfold had stopped reading his comic surreptitiously, and so did Bagel stop her doodling. She glanced at Fifi L'Amour with great interest. Even the opera numbers were rendered interesting. She had the audience in the palm of her hand as she continued, and received a standing ovation at the end of the concert's first half.

"We'd best get a move on," DM said quickly. "I'll take you back, so you can meet on her break, in the dressing room…"

"Don't bother DM. I'm sure I can find the way," Lori laughed. "And you'll have her all to yourself at the end…"

Penfold started to giggle madly, and DM said, "Penfold, SHUSH…"

"I do wonder WHY he's so uptight about that… is it a British thing?" asked Bagel as she looked at Penfold.

"Cor yes, it is, right enough, you guessed it!" Penfold giggled. "And he's got PLENTY of practice keepin' secrets… and DM is as British as the British come…"

"Is that why you were wearing cotton in your ears yesterday… Because when I asked you about where the coffee was and you thought I said toffee," Bagel asked. "To keep yourself from hearing him talk in his sleep?"

"Crikey no, it's cause the chief snores…" Penfold giggled back.

"Is THAT what I hear sometimes late at night… I thought it was a top-secret device he was testing…"

"I don't USUALLY sleep," DM said sullenly. "And I'll have you know SOME of us like to keep some details of our lives PRIVATE… like what certain stuffed BEAR you like to sleep with?"

"I sleep with a stuffed raccoon," Bagel said as Penfold put a hand over his face.

"I'll be happy to escort you backstage, Ma'am," said 57, and he offered Lori his arm. She smiled and nodded to DM, who was left giving Penfold a rather hard glare from his one golden eye, his arms folded across his chest. Bagel and Penfold exchanged looks and each would erupt into a fit of giggles alternatively.

"When you've QUITE finished," DM said annoyedly.

"I'm sorry DM," Bagel said slowly. "I didn't mean…"

"Sorry DM," Penfold stifled his laugh behind his hand. "Pardon, it just… sort of popped out…"

"Give him a break, please?" Bagel asked, putting on her best pouting face.

"Oh very well. I'll go and get some refreshments for the pair of you, if you promise to behave yourselves. Do try not to wander off… or anything silly this time Penfold. Because last time you got locked in the broom closet thinking it was the entrance to the box!"

"Oh heck all right DM," Penfold mumbled. Bagel watched as DM got up and left them to their own devices.

"What comic are you reading?" Bagel leaned over.

"Er… emmm that would be one of those Japanese ones…" Penfold mumbled.

"Ohhh, I LOVE manga," Bagel smiled. "I see you like the Ranma ½ book! That's one of my favorites!"

"Go on… some chap turnin into a gel when he falls into cold water, and then he gets right by hot… isn't it balmy, and a right cut up?" Penfold laughed hysterically. "If I threw cold water on DM he'd be EVER so cross…"

"Well Yu-gi-Oh's another one I like reading…" Bagel said.

"A lot of fancy card tricks, and it's a might bit creepy, but at least it's just fiction… right. Nothing like that could EVER happen in real life… and that's why I can stands to read it… like," Penfold chuckled, glancing at Ranma falling into a swimming pool only to be transformed once more.

"Poor idiot, he doesn't know what hit him…"

"Crikey, he doesn't half have enough birds running after him cause his dad promised to marry him to them… poor bloke Mousse though… wish he'd get the girl Shampoo… love the names though… cor… wonder where Gel and Tonic are?"

***

"You said that you used DM's brother's likeness as a disguise?" Lori asked Agent 57 as they walked through the maze of backstage past orchestra members resting.

"Hem, well it was an unfortunate choice… because it does tend to remind him of a rather… tragic accident…" said 57 with a cough.

"How so?"

"Just between you and me and the lamppost…" said 57. "DM's brother also was an agent… but he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. One of Greenback's most nefarious plots, a doorway which could send him ANYWHERE in the world if he had a picture of it, to feed into the blasted thing…" said 57. "It was stolen from Dr. Squarkenkluck… and he had an idea to use it to steal treasures from all over the four corners of the globe…"

"Wait, you mean all he had to do was somehow feed a picture in of anywhere in the world, and walk through the doorway, and he'd be there?" Lori asked. "Fascinating!"

"DM's brother agent #6 was on the case, and unfortunately he got there first… but as DM was called in to help… because he'd been captured, the Baron fed in a picture of some remote location… and pushed #6 through. DM tried to shatter the wretched thing, but his brother was gone… and the picture was incinerated in the explosion, so they had no idea where the Baron had sent him… and he was never heard from or seen since!"

"Oh dear," said Lori. "I had no idea!"

"Quite a shock to all of us. He hardly ever talks about it much. It happed nigh on 5 years ago…" Agent 57 shivered. "I was watching him as he was captured by Greenback, in the disguise of a dust bin that Stiletto took into their ultra secret HQ, and I managed to radio Colonel K to send Danger mouse…"

"Ohhh," she whispered. "MIA?"

"Presumed missing… the poor blighter," sighed 57, looking forlorn. "#6 knew the job was dangerous when he took it, just like DM did. Entered the force just two years after DM did. He looked up to his older brother so… but it's a rather sad story…"

They stopped at the door to Fifi's dressing room, seeing her name with the gold star over the door. Lori glanced back at 57 to continue his story, but he quickly cleared his throat and said, "I believe this is the place… I'll wait outside for you…"

"I really WOULD like to hear more, if you're up to telling…" Lori whispered to him.

"Sad story for another day," he waved it off, a look of guilt on his face. She wondered how he managed to disguise himself so effectively. She'd have to ask Dangermouse about that sometime later. Raising her hand she knocked on the door, and heard her cousin's voice in reply.

"Entrez vous," said Fifi. Slowly Lori opened the door on her cousin, who was just touching up her makeup. Both mice looked at one another for a moment, and a smile came over her face.

"Lorraine, it has been YEARS!" she gushed as she held out her arms.

"Oh my GOSH, you look great… I'm SO sorry I never…" Lori got out, but her older cousin hugged her, slowly rocking her back and forth. "Darn it…"

"I'm so glad to see you, my beloved cousin… I have heard SO much about you," she whispered giving Lori a squeeze and they kissed each other on both cheeks in greeting. "You've become quite a young lady, let me look at you…"

"All those times I got tickets to see you, and could never make it, I feel like such an idiot!" Lori mumbled as Fifi took a good look at her.

"Say nothing, cheri," she tksed. "The secret agent business is a dangerous one, no? And we are together now… and there are so many old times to catch up on, no?"

"Oh yes," Lori smiled. "But I wish I hadn't carried that around with me… I feel so silly…"

"Family is family," Fifi smiled graciously as Lori still held her hand. "And are you making sure Monsieur DM is behaving himself, oui?"

"He doesn't talk much about you," said Lori, with a flush.

"Ahh, zat is his way," she said with a small sigh. "To protect me, most of all. And unfortunately zat is why I have sent ze letter after letter to vous, and nothing was ever sent back to me… and it was best that you'd continue to defend the free world. For I knew zat vous would want to come and sing the beautiful music with me…"

"Mademoiselle L'Amour, you are on in five minutes…"

"Zut alors I am coming!" she called back to the director. "I have someone VERY important here with me… no?"

Lori smiled, wiping another tear away, and said, "I'm just so glad to see you again… there is so much to tell you…"

"And zat we will have time for later, cheri," said Fifi, giving her a hug. "I weel walk with vous to the stage door, no?"

"Let's go," she smiled. "And I just couldn't' believe the look on his face when he saw me all slicked up, because I could SWEAR I looked like a younger you…"

"We are much alike, no, in appearance?" Fifi smiled as she walked out, and 57 saw both of them standing there.

"Good heavens, it's like looking at twins," said 57. "Two lovely ladies…"

"And I am looking at zomeone who should not be here, but is?" she asked, with a questioning look.

"Oh, that's just a disguise, he's my date…" said Lori with a flush. Agent 57 picked up Fifi's hand and kissed it, and she smiled with amusement, tempered with sadness.

"Hmm, a very handsome likeness…" said Fifi slowly. "And your gentleman should be taking you back now, and we will meet after the show. Until then, cheri…"

She walked past them, giving Lori a final hug and kiss on both cheeks as she let the stage manager escort her back onstage for the second half, leaving Lori and a very chastised 57 looking oddly at her. "Ahem, perhaps I should find another disguise?"

"Take me back to the box, and maybe I can have a few suggestions for you," Lori said sweetly.

"It was rather foolish, but I did want to look my best. And I didn't wish to resemble DM again…" he coughed. "But it was… for your benefit…"

"It was sweet of you," Lori said, kissing his cheek. "And I know by now appearance doesn't matter. Especially when you're a master of disguise."

"Ahem," he laughed awkwardly. "Shall we?"

"I always DID wonder how you managed to change, or is that a trade secret…"

"If you'll wait but a moment," he said, ducking into a broom closet. Who emerged next was a rather good likeness of Redford Roberts, a handsome hamster actor that Lori knew from her youth. She giggled.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Now it's like dating my brother," she giggled. "I was in the circus with him…"

"ER…" he said.

"No it becomes you," she smiled taking his hand. "And I'm sure it won't upset DM as much as looking like his long lost brother #6…"

"One more moment," he said, ducking in again. He reemerged as the spitting image of Sean Conroarly, the famous movie actor who was a lion, silvery gray mane that played James Bond in many a film. Amazingly the tuxedo looked very much the same, although it had grown to fit the larger handsome lion.

"Very nice," she smiled. He towered over her a bit, and smiled slowly, offering his arm. Sliding hers into his, he escorted her back to the booth.

***

Penfold and Bagel were sipping lemonade, and DM was slowly nursing a martini. He saw Lori returning with an older, but very handsome lion from many a silver screen flick, and gave a sigh of relief. "57, glad to see you've had time to change…"

"Sorry about that mix up DM," he said.

"Don't mention it," DM smiled. "So, Lori, did you…"

"It's rather personal, but I do hope she's going to stay around…"

"Oh she'll stay around all right," Penfold said, before Bagel clapped a hand over his mouth. DM shot Bagel a thankful look.

"I'm rather glad you shushed him," DM said to her with a slow grateful smile. "Because it saves me the time…"

"The concert's about to start again," Lori whispered as the lights flickered and they took their seats again. Penfold, mollified, sipped his soda rather noisily through the straw, and DM groaned as he put his hand over his face and shook his head.

"Good grief," he mumbled.

Little did they know that another figure was watching them from the sidelines, waiting to make his move? Fifi L'Amour was JUST the subject he needed in his latest scheme, and he was dying to get to her before DM was. Pulling the lapels of his red coat around his face, he slipped back past the red curtains where he had been standing when 57 and Lori had returned to the box. Elusively he tiptoed towards the staircase and down the main steps to the backstage to Fifi's dressing room. Unaware, DM and the others continued to watch as Fifi again took the stage, and wrapped the audience in her spell.

****