Chapter 5
Kim sighed and gazed out of the window as she poured herself a glass of water.
Another day...another day alone. This apartment had suddenly seemed too dreary when Danger Mouse and Penfold had slipped away early. Kim had been convinced all day that they would call, but they never had. At the end of the day, when she had been forced to admit defeat, Kim had cried herself to sleep.
She knew he had had to leave, of course. With his position, she had realised he would have to go sooner or later. But Kim still felt hurt, and had been unhappy for several weeks. Her parents and her brothers were all very worried about her. She felt guilty for getting them involved in her problems, but it wasn't like they would understand.
Kim suddenly realised that her glass was overflowing and quickly turned the tap off. Taking a sip of water, she went into the lounge and settled herself on the couch.
At that moment, there was a knocking at the door.
*
Danger Mouse nervously fidgeted as he waited for Kim to answer the door.
What would he say to her? Would she look different from before? Did she - did she have someone new?
That thought scared DM. What if it were true? Suppose Kim had found someone else? He would feel like an idiot.
The door opened. DM looked up and saw Kim's face looking out. She looked the same as before - except there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked rather upset.
"Um, hello", said DM nervously, "Uh - you don't recognise me, but - oh, this is really hard..."
Kim stared hard at this person. She looked into the amber eyes and gasped.
"Danger Mouse?" she asked.
"Yes - it's me", said DM, relieved she knew it was him.
"How - how did you -"
"It's a long story", said DM.
Kim pulled him inside the apartment and slammed the door.
"Why did you leave without telling me?" she asked him, her eyes registering hurt.
"I realised I wouldn't be able to leave", explained DM, "It was best to go whilst you were asleep".
Kim cocked her head. She studied him for a while.
"I see", she said at last, "Now, are you going to tell me about..."
She waved her hand around, gesturing at his human form.
"Well, you see..." DM explained about the medicine.
"It certainly worked", commented Kim.
"I'll have to get back to the rendevous soon", said DM. He sounded sad.
"Where do we go from here?" asked Kim quietly, "I mean, after that night -"
'I know", interrupted DM, "I know. I shouldn't have pushed you so far".
"Well, to be perfectly honest..." A blush appeared in Kim's cheeks.
"Yes?" prompted DM.
"I liked it".
DM stared at her. Kim stared back at him, willing him to reply.
"Well - erm - I have to admit, it was nice..." DM blushed horribly.
"It was sweet", Kim said in a gentle voice, "And it felt - right".
DM gave a sigh. Then he took both of her hands and sat her down. He looked her straight in the eye.
"Kim - listen", he said, "I can't deny that the relationship between us has gone far beyond friendship, and I also can't deny that I wanted it to happen. But the world needs me. Penfold needs me".
"We could all move in together", said Kim. DM saw that she looked frightened, and wished that he didn't have to do this.
"Kim - it's impossible", he said, "You are a wonderful woman. The man who has you will be the luckiest alive. But that night, we were both swept away. I'm sorry".
Kim felt her whole world collapse. A lump appeared in her throat and tears stung her eyes.
"Kim", began DM, trying to put his arms around her, but she pushed him away.
"I thought - I really thought..." she whispered.
"I'm sorry, Kim", DM said quietly.
She turned to him.
"Me too".
There was an awkward silence.
"Now get out", snapped Kim.
DM knew there was no more to say. He rose, and left the flat.
After he was gone, Kim burst into tears.
Outside, DM collapsed against the wall and gave in to his own stream of tears, sobbing madly and not caring.
*
Danger Mouse arrived back at the alley. His stomach was making peculiar growling noises. Then a wave of nausea suddenly overtook and DM realised that he was transforming back to himself. He fell to the ground and closed his eyes tightly.
There was a vibrating sensation, and DM opened his one eye. He looked at his white fingers and felt his ears. Yes, he was indeed himself again.
Venturing deeper into the alley, DM heard scurrying feet and Penfold came into view. On seeing his friend, he ran and threw his arms around his waist.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
DM gave Penfold a brief squeeze before gently detatching him.
"I'm fine, Penfold", he said in a soft voice.
Then the two of them made their way back to where Colonel K and Agent 57 were.
"Well, how did it go?" asked Colonel K.
"Apart from the pain in transforming to and back, it went rather well", answered DM. He just wanted to get out of here.
"You stopped at a place, though", noted the Colonel, "An apartment not far from here".
DM looked away.
"Why, DM?" asked Colonel K.
"It was Kim's place", mumbled DM, wishing the Colonel would just forget it, "I - I went to thank her".
"Very considerate", replied the Colonel, "But you must be careful, DM".
DM nodded automatically. He was glad when the Colonel finally dismissed him and he could go home.
When the two heroes arrived back at the pillarbox, it was very late.
"You had better get to bed, Penfold", said Danger Mouse to his assistant.
"Chief, please tell me what's wrong", begged Penfold.
"You wouldn't understand", said DM gently.
"What wouldn't I understand?" cried Penfold.
DM sat on the sofa. He regarded Penfold for a moment. He was immensely fond of him - but could Penfold understand this?
Maybe. He HAD known him for four years.
"Please, Danger Mouse", pleaded Penfold, "You've always been there for me when I had a problem".
"Penfold..." DM's voice suddenly cracked and he looked directly at him.
"I've just made the biggest mistake of my life".
And he told Penfold everything.
Kim sighed and gazed out of the window as she poured herself a glass of water.
Another day...another day alone. This apartment had suddenly seemed too dreary when Danger Mouse and Penfold had slipped away early. Kim had been convinced all day that they would call, but they never had. At the end of the day, when she had been forced to admit defeat, Kim had cried herself to sleep.
She knew he had had to leave, of course. With his position, she had realised he would have to go sooner or later. But Kim still felt hurt, and had been unhappy for several weeks. Her parents and her brothers were all very worried about her. She felt guilty for getting them involved in her problems, but it wasn't like they would understand.
Kim suddenly realised that her glass was overflowing and quickly turned the tap off. Taking a sip of water, she went into the lounge and settled herself on the couch.
At that moment, there was a knocking at the door.
*
Danger Mouse nervously fidgeted as he waited for Kim to answer the door.
What would he say to her? Would she look different from before? Did she - did she have someone new?
That thought scared DM. What if it were true? Suppose Kim had found someone else? He would feel like an idiot.
The door opened. DM looked up and saw Kim's face looking out. She looked the same as before - except there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked rather upset.
"Um, hello", said DM nervously, "Uh - you don't recognise me, but - oh, this is really hard..."
Kim stared hard at this person. She looked into the amber eyes and gasped.
"Danger Mouse?" she asked.
"Yes - it's me", said DM, relieved she knew it was him.
"How - how did you -"
"It's a long story", said DM.
Kim pulled him inside the apartment and slammed the door.
"Why did you leave without telling me?" she asked him, her eyes registering hurt.
"I realised I wouldn't be able to leave", explained DM, "It was best to go whilst you were asleep".
Kim cocked her head. She studied him for a while.
"I see", she said at last, "Now, are you going to tell me about..."
She waved her hand around, gesturing at his human form.
"Well, you see..." DM explained about the medicine.
"It certainly worked", commented Kim.
"I'll have to get back to the rendevous soon", said DM. He sounded sad.
"Where do we go from here?" asked Kim quietly, "I mean, after that night -"
'I know", interrupted DM, "I know. I shouldn't have pushed you so far".
"Well, to be perfectly honest..." A blush appeared in Kim's cheeks.
"Yes?" prompted DM.
"I liked it".
DM stared at her. Kim stared back at him, willing him to reply.
"Well - erm - I have to admit, it was nice..." DM blushed horribly.
"It was sweet", Kim said in a gentle voice, "And it felt - right".
DM gave a sigh. Then he took both of her hands and sat her down. He looked her straight in the eye.
"Kim - listen", he said, "I can't deny that the relationship between us has gone far beyond friendship, and I also can't deny that I wanted it to happen. But the world needs me. Penfold needs me".
"We could all move in together", said Kim. DM saw that she looked frightened, and wished that he didn't have to do this.
"Kim - it's impossible", he said, "You are a wonderful woman. The man who has you will be the luckiest alive. But that night, we were both swept away. I'm sorry".
Kim felt her whole world collapse. A lump appeared in her throat and tears stung her eyes.
"Kim", began DM, trying to put his arms around her, but she pushed him away.
"I thought - I really thought..." she whispered.
"I'm sorry, Kim", DM said quietly.
She turned to him.
"Me too".
There was an awkward silence.
"Now get out", snapped Kim.
DM knew there was no more to say. He rose, and left the flat.
After he was gone, Kim burst into tears.
Outside, DM collapsed against the wall and gave in to his own stream of tears, sobbing madly and not caring.
*
Danger Mouse arrived back at the alley. His stomach was making peculiar growling noises. Then a wave of nausea suddenly overtook and DM realised that he was transforming back to himself. He fell to the ground and closed his eyes tightly.
There was a vibrating sensation, and DM opened his one eye. He looked at his white fingers and felt his ears. Yes, he was indeed himself again.
Venturing deeper into the alley, DM heard scurrying feet and Penfold came into view. On seeing his friend, he ran and threw his arms around his waist.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
DM gave Penfold a brief squeeze before gently detatching him.
"I'm fine, Penfold", he said in a soft voice.
Then the two of them made their way back to where Colonel K and Agent 57 were.
"Well, how did it go?" asked Colonel K.
"Apart from the pain in transforming to and back, it went rather well", answered DM. He just wanted to get out of here.
"You stopped at a place, though", noted the Colonel, "An apartment not far from here".
DM looked away.
"Why, DM?" asked Colonel K.
"It was Kim's place", mumbled DM, wishing the Colonel would just forget it, "I - I went to thank her".
"Very considerate", replied the Colonel, "But you must be careful, DM".
DM nodded automatically. He was glad when the Colonel finally dismissed him and he could go home.
When the two heroes arrived back at the pillarbox, it was very late.
"You had better get to bed, Penfold", said Danger Mouse to his assistant.
"Chief, please tell me what's wrong", begged Penfold.
"You wouldn't understand", said DM gently.
"What wouldn't I understand?" cried Penfold.
DM sat on the sofa. He regarded Penfold for a moment. He was immensely fond of him - but could Penfold understand this?
Maybe. He HAD known him for four years.
"Please, Danger Mouse", pleaded Penfold, "You've always been there for me when I had a problem".
"Penfold..." DM's voice suddenly cracked and he looked directly at him.
"I've just made the biggest mistake of my life".
And he told Penfold everything.