Oxnard looked up from the table over at Boss, who'd entered a very moody state since Bijou left. A stark contrast to his over-enthusiastic happiness earlier in the day.

"Oxnard, you let it slip again," sighed an exasperated Panda, bending down to pick up a screw that rolled under the table. "Look, I really appreciate you offering to help with this, but to be honest you can probably help best by, well, not helping." Panda looked over at him, but Oxnard obviously hadn't heard. Panda coughed.

"Wha?" Oxnard looked round. "Oh look, sorry Panda, I'm really not being much use, am I?" He asked. "Do you mind if I leave you to it?"

"Not at all," replied a relieved Panda. Oxnard stood up and wandered over to the corner, where Sandy, Maxwell, and Pashmina were sat.

"I really don't think I can stand any more of this stupid contest." Pashmina was saying as he approached. "They're both behaving like children." Pashmina glanced over at Penelope, who was happily sat playing with a pile of blocks. "In fact, WORSE than kids." She sighed. "And Stan isn't helping. He shouldn't encourage them. Last I heard, he was trying to organise a gladiator battle to the death. Do you think you could have a word, Sandy?" Pashmina pleaded.

"I'll have a go," she replied, "But I'm, like, not making any promises. Stan will totally do what he wants, when he wants. But I'll try."

"Thank you." Pashmina smiled. Oxnard wandered over and sat down.

"What's the matter, Oxnard?" Asked Maxwell. "Panda didn't need help after all?"

"Not really," replied Oxnard. He turned to the three. "I wonder if Bijou found Hamtaro…" He started. Sandy looked at him.

"I'm sure something weird is going on." She said. "First Boss acting all weird this morning, and now Hamtaro not showing up? It's like, far too much of a coincidence." Oxnard frowned. So he'd been along the right lines earlier with his thinking.

"You don't think maybe Boss has done something to Hamtaro, do you?" He asked quietly, his face solemn. Maxwell looked taken aback.

"You don't think Boss would seriously do that, do you?" He asked, shocked.

"Well, maybe not." Conceded Oxnard, but the faces of the others suggested they'd been thinking it too. Oxnard was worried. The four hams sat in silence for a little while, until Penelope wandered over with an armful of blocks.

"You come to cheer us up then, Penelope?" Asked Pashmina, forcing a smile. Penelope sat down and began to stack them up one by one. At that point, the clubhouse door burst open, and Bijou came storming in. Oxnard opened his mouth to speak, but the look in Bijou's eyes told him most of what he needed to know. Boss looked round at her, almost petrified.

"You!" Bijou seethed with anger. "You disgusting monster, how could you have done that!" Boss stared back in stunned silence, caught off guard by Bijou's anger.

"What's happened, Bijou?" Asked Sandy, concerned.

"Boss attacked Hamtaro." she replied, her eyes beginning to cry again. She threw down her bloodstained ribbon onto the table, for all to see.. There was a collective gasp from the others in the clubhouse. "He's had to go see the vet! He could be seriously hurt! No wonder you didn't want me going looking for him this morning!" She wiped away the tears that were forming with her paw, before continuing. "Are you not you even going to say anything?" She shouted.

"Ok!" Boss yelled back. "Ok, I hit him, but he deserved it. He hurt me on the inside, so I had to hurt him on the outside. It's fair! I'm sure the little traitor will be fine anyway, more's the pity." Bijou narrowed here eyes.

"Hurt you inside? How could Hamtaro do that, you have obviously not got anything there. You're a heartless Monster, Boss. We gave you a second chance today, and you have blown it. I for one will not spend any more time in the company of such a foul hamster." She spun round, grabbing her ribbon up off the table, and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. There was a stunned silence, broken only by the sound of Panda hastily packing away the lamp and his tools, correctly predicting what was coming next.

"Well?" Shouted Boss, just as he finished shoving the final parts into his pack. "What are all of you still doing here? Get out, before I come after each and every one of you!" The others, still shocked, filed out without a word. Cappy was last out, and he glanced back at Boss with a worried look. "Get out of here!" Boss shouted at him, and he walked out sadly, closing the door. For a moment the group stood their, stunned. Then Boss wrenched the door open. "And take this with you!" He yelled, holding up Snoozer by the neck of his sock and dropping him into the dirt. He slammed the door, and there was the sound of bolts sliding into place.

"Now he is in one heck of a sour mood!" Said Howdy. He bent down. "Someone wanna give me a hand with this lump?" He asked, pointing at Snoozer. "I'll take him on back over to my place for now, there's enough room there for him, sure enough." Stan bent down and grabbed Snoozer's legs, and the group filed out the tunnel just as the light was fading. Oxnard glanced across the park, just able to see a white hamster in the distance, running off, a stained ribbon in one of her paws.