A/N: Hi, gang. I've just realised something. To remarry you need to get divorced from your first partner, or you can't get married again. For some reason, I've given Stella's mum and dad the same surname, which means they would still be together – even if Stella's mum now has a double surname in her marriage to Woodruff's dad. Therefore, I'm changing Stella's dad's name to 'Wellard'. Thankyou EastEnders!

Anyway, - Cough cough – ADULT CONTENT – cough cough!

BTW - guess who recently turned 14? ;)

Chapter 2

Danger Mouse smiled as he watched a familiar car pull up outside the pillarbox from his bedroom window. He ran out of his room and called out for all to hear as he entered the lounge.

"Woodruff's here!"

There was thumping on the landing, and Penfold appeared on the lounge steps.

"Where?" he asked eagerly.

"He's downstairs. He'll take the lift, I expect", replied DM as Kim appeared.

No sooner had he spoken then the lift in the wall gave a sudden 'Ping!' and the door opened to reveal a grinning Woodruff.

"Hi, guys", he said, stepping out.

"Woodruff!" Penfold ran up to him and Woodruff gave him a hug.

"Hello, Penfold", he smiled. But no sooner had he let the hamster go then Kim came forward to claim her hug.

"How was the wedding?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh, it was brilliant!" answered Woodruff. "There was a huge reception and Dad and Freya didn't get away until five! When Freya threw the bouquet, Stella's cousin caught it by accident! You should've seen the look on his face, it was great!"

DM laughed as he came forward and shook his friend's hand. "Glad to hear you enjoyed it".

"Yeah, but it's good to see you guys again", smiled Woodruff. "Anyway, you ready to come down to Dad's and meet Stella tomorrow?"

DM nodded.

"What's she like, Woodruff?" Kim wanted to know.

"She's nice", replied Woodruff. "You'll like her".

Kim smiled.
Helen was leaning against the wall inside her room, playing with her wings. She wondered whether it had been a good idea to mention Jack to Baron Greenback. Even for Jack, wasn't working for someone like Greenback a bit too much? Stella hung her head in her wings.

Why had she left him alone? She had been a coward at heart, she realised. Working for Greenback had really changed her. She was tougher and maybe even a little wiser. She was different from the way she had been in the past, when her brother had been arrested for numerous shopliftings and Helen had been sent away to the children's home.

If only she had realised sooner just how much she still had to learn.
The next day...

Danger Mouse stretched luxuriously under the covers in his bedroom early that morning. Although single, it was quite large and allowed the agent body-room. Placing his hands behind his head, DM gazed up at the ceiling.

It had been another hot night. The weather was getting considerably warmer and DM, sick of sweating for hours on end, had forgone the blanket and instead had grabbed a thin sheet from the airing cupboard. His pyjama top also lay on the floor – it had been THAT warm!

DM remembered that Woodruff would be coming to pick them up today to take them down to meet Stella. The agent wondered what she was like and was glad that Woodruff had taken to her, considering the state that he had been in back in February. The pressure and anxiety had really gotten to Woodruff back then and DM was glad that Woodruff had trusted him enough to confide in him. He had come to regard both Penfold and Woodruff as brothers, a group of siblings. And Kim – she had a special place in DM's heart. It was a nice feeling after all those years alone.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Immediately, DM jumped out of bed and reached for his pyjama top.

"Yes?" he called through the door hastily, trying to button up the buttons right.

"DM, it's Kim. Can I come in?"

DM growled in frustration as he realised that he had put a button through the wrong hole.

"Sorry?" Kim sounded puzzled as she knocked again.

"Uh – hold on, Kim!" the agent called back. Finally managing to sort out his buttons, he reached for the door and flung it open with more force than was needed to reveal Kim's stunned face.

"Morning", she said. "Um – I brought you a cup of tea".

"Oh, thanks, Kim", said DM, taking the mug from her. As she smiled and turned to leave, he sighed with relief.

"That was awkward", he managed finally.
"Dad?"

Jack was woken from his sleep by a feminine voice nearby. He opened his eyes to see a Black Labrador in the doorway, looking at Wellard's bed worriedly. She turned and saw him struggling to sit up on his bed.

"Sorry", she apologised. "I didn't mean to wake you".

Jack shrugged. "It's OK. If you're looking for Wellard, they've taken him for a walk around the hospital".

Stella smiled. "He wasn't moaning about having to stay in bed all day, was he?"

"Yeah, now you mention it, he was", grinned Jack thoughtfully.

Stella grinned at him. "You must be Jack. I'm Stella. Dad told me about you once, when I came to visit. You were having your leg examined at the time, so you won't remember".

Jack raised an eyebrow at her. He wasn't used to this sort of thing – a girl smiling at him and knowing his name, when he didn't even know her.

"What happened to your leg?" asked Stella.

"It was – crushed under a car tyre", said Jack gruffly. Stella winced.

"I'm sorry to hear that", she said gently.

"I'll be out of here in a few days", replied Jack, as Stella sat down on the chair beside the bed, clearly intent on starting a conversation. Jack went pink and looked down at his hands, which were folded together on top of his legs. This was all so new to him: being a subject of interest.

No harm in it, he thought. As long as I don't give too much away...

"How old are you, then?" he asked casually. "If it's OK to ask?"

"I'm twenty-two", Stella replied.

"So am I", he grinned at her. "I'll be twenty-three in a few months, though".

As he was speaking, he saw Stella cast a brief, curious look at the empty table and shelf above the bed. Jack blinked at her, and then realised that she was looking for some trace of visitors. As soon as Stella realised he had caught her looking around, she quickly turned back to him.

"I haven't had any visitors", Jack said, to prevent an awkward silence. Stella looked at him curiously.

"My Mum's dead", Jack told her soberly. "My Dad's...well..." He stopped, because thinking of his father had brought the familiar hate bubbling up inside him.

"It's OK – you don't have to tell me if it's something personal", said Stella.

The tiger was really surprised. Before he knew what he was doing, he blurted the secret out.

"He ran off with a teenager", he said, remembering the pain and the loneliness of the old times.

Stella looked disgusted. The look did not go un-noticed.

"It's sick, isn't it?" said Jack. "The stupid idiot – he never stayed in touch, either".

Stella took up the tiger's paw.

"I'm sorry, Jack", she said quietly. "It must have felt terrible".

Jack had never felt so many emotions at once. He was suddenly very nervous, though he also felt very happy. He could experience a feeling of ease, as though all his troubles were gone. And there was something else – Stella believed him, and she hadn't even shied away from him. With other people, it was as if Jack was a piece of dirt – Jack had been thought to be a liar, or someone to be avoided, or even both.

At that moment, the door opened and the nurses came in, supporting a greying Golden Labrador on crutches. Stella abruptly let go of Jack's paw and stood up.

"Hi, Dad", she said, walking over to him and kissing him on the cheek.

"Hi, love". Wellard smiled at his daughter. "How was your mother's wedding?"

"It was fine", Stella said. "I'll tell you more in the car. Are you ready to go?"

Wellard nodded as Stella picked up her father's bags. His eyes strayed over Jack.

"I see you've met my room-mate", he said, turning to Stella.

Stella fixed eyes with Jack.

"Looks like it", she said lightly. She walked back over to Jack.

"Give me your phone number and email address, OK?" she said. "I'd like to have a chat with you, get to know you more".

Jack lowered his head, blushing as Stella handed him a notebook and a pen.

"Uh – is it OK if I just give you my email address?" he asked.

Stella nodded. "Sure, that's fine".

Jack scribbled down the address and handed the paper back to Stella. She grinned at him again. "I'll be in touch".

Waving, Stella walked back over to her father, picked up his bag and then walked alongside her father out of the ward.

Jack lay back on his pillows. It was funny – but the first time in a long time he felt really, truly content.
Stella was smiling at the road ahead as her car pulled away from the hospital. Her father, sitting in the passenger seat beside her, observed her out of the corner of his eye.

"You seemed to like that young fella", he observed.

"He was nice", replied Stella, her eyes still fixed on the road.

"Yes, well". Her father paused a moment before answering. "I don't think it's a good idea to keep in touch with him, love".

Stella's grin faded and she turned her head to look at her father as they stopped at a traffic light. "Why not?"

Her father shrugged. "You know his type, Stella. He can't have had a good home-life – he's not the sort of person I would trust".

"I trust him", said Stella stoutly. "Besides", she added, as the lights turned green. "You don't know him enough to judge him, Dad".

"Neither do you", replied Wellard. "I've been sharing a hospital ward with him for three weeks. I know his type. Try and avoid him".

"Dad – trust me on this, OK?" pleaded Stella. "Just give him a chance. He seemed quite shy when I spoke to him".

"Don't judge on first sight", warned her father.

Stella shook her head as they reached the roundabout. She was going to email her new acquaintance as soon as she could, and she was going to find out herself whether Jack Blackstone was really worth knowing.
"Welcome to my old man's humble abode", smiled Woodruff as his car pulled up in the driveway of a small house. Looking around, DM spotted the huge garden, as did Penfold.

"Cor!" cried the young hamster, peeking out through the window. "Nice garden!"

"Thanks", smiled Woodruff, as he unbuckled his seat-belt.

"Whose car is that, Woodruff?" asked DM, pointing at the Rover parked next to them.

"That's Stella's car. She said she'd be here", said Woodruff, as he opened his door and climbed out. The others followed suit.

"Come on", said Woodruff, gesturing with his head. He walked up the steps and opened the door. DM followed him and found himself in a small hallway. There was a small cupboard, a wooden staircase leading upstairs and a door leading into another room. A grandmother clock also stood against the wall.

"The kitchen and the lounge are connected", explained Woodruff. "Stella!' he called. "Stella!"

There was no reply. Woodruff turned to Kim and shrugged.

"She'll be outside, I guess", he said. "She's been here before – she loves the garden".

DM smiled as Woodruff crossed the hallway into the lounge. The trio followed him and saw a pair of French windows leading out into the back garden. Woodruff opened them and stepped out onto the garden slabs.

"I'll just go find her", he called through. "Make yourself at home".

DM smiled and then as Woodruff disappeared into the garden, he gazed around the room. His gaze landed on some photos on the mantelpiece.

While Kim went out into the hallway to look at the clock and Penfold went to explore the kitchen, DM took the nearest framed picture off the mantelpiece and looked at it. The picture showed a Border Collie, about twelve years old, with an older Border Collie and a Rough Collie. This had to be Woodruff and his parents.

DM gently put the photo down and picked up the next one. It was Woodruff again, this time with just his father. He looked older – late teens at least. He was grinning out from the picture and had his one of his arms around his father.

Woodruff had told DM that his parents had broken up when he was sixteen. The agent realised straight away that this photo had been taken a few years after the divorce. Smiling sadly, he put the photo down and picked up the last one.

The last photo could very easily have been taken a few weeks ago. It showed a Black Labrador sitting on the sunny grass in what appeared to be some kind of park. One arm was slung over her knees, and the other she used to lean back on the grass. Kneeling down next to her was no-one else other than Woodruff. He had an arm around the Labrador and was grinning widely. DM smiled again. This must be Stella, Woodruff's new sister. After several conflicts of a hard life, it was good to see Woodruff finally settling down with a new family.

DM left the pictures on the mantelpiece and went out into the hallway where Kim was admiring the clock.

"My grandad had one of these", she told DM as he came to stand beside her. "After Grandma died, he saved up until he could afford one to stand in the hallway. Jerry, Ricky and I loved playing about around it when we were kids".

DM opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, a new voice entered the conversation.

"May I help you?"

Kim and DM both turned to see a Black Labrador coming down the stairs. She wore a casual red top and rather loose jeans. In one hand she held a frying- pan and she eyed the two of them rather warily.

DM stepped forwards.

"Miss Weatherfield?" he inquired. Stella nodded, her eyebrows raised.

"It's alright. Your brother Woodruff brought us here. We're good friends".

Stella's face cleared. "Oh! You're – you're Danger Mouse?"

DM smiled and nodded. Stella, looking very self-conscious, immediately tried to hide the pan behind her back.

"I'm sorry", she said, giving them a grin. "I just promised my step-dad that the house would stay intact".

"Don't worry, I understand". DM held out his hand and Stella shook it. She then turned to the agent's second assistant.

"It's Kim, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes". Kim grinned back. "It's good to finally meet you, Stella".

"You too", said Stella, as Penfold came out of the kitchen. The Labrador turned to look at the hamster, who was nervously shuffling his feet in the doorway.

"This is Penfold", smiled Kim, taking the hamster's hand and bringing him over. "Penfold, this is Stella".

Penfold looked up at Stella. "Hello", he said, giving her a little wave.

Like many others, Stella immediately fell in love with the little hamster with the glasses and the crumpled collar. She smiled down at him.

"Hello, Penfold. It's lovely to meet you. Listen, I've got some fresh-baked muffins in the kitchen. Would you like some?"

Penfold's face lit up.

"Cor, yes please!"

"OK, then, if you hang around for a tick..." Stella turned back to DM. "Where's Woodruff, by the way?"

"Oh, he went out into the garden to find you", replied DM. "I expect he'll be coming back now".

No sooner had he said it than Woodruff came back from the lounge.

"Stella!" he exclaimed, seeing his sister on the stairs. "There you are!"

Stella grinned at the collie. "'Bout time – I nearly used the pan on your friends!"

Woodruff rolled his eyes when he saw the frying pan behind his sister's back.

'Well, at least it shows you'll guard your space", he laughed.

Penfold chuckled along with him. "Yea. Now, what was that about muffins?"
That night...

Jack was asleep in his hospital bed when his window was opened. The tiger stirred as a dark shadow dropped into the room.

"What – wassat?" The tiger looked around drowsily and saw a dark figure move towards the bed. Fully alert, Jack sat bolt upright.

"Who's there?" he called, reaching for his hospital lamp.

Suddenly, a pair of hands clamped themselves over Jack's mouth. Were they hands? They felt soft – like – like –

"Helen!" Jack gave a muffled cry and turned on his lamp with his free hand. The light illuminated the hawk's face as she stared down at Jack. Yes, it definitely was her!

"How did you get up here?" Jack wanted to know. "We're on the second floor!"

"I'm a hawk, aren't I?" Helen replied. "And your window was open".

Jack's smile faded as he heard the familiar sharp tone.

"Jack? How are you feeling?" the hawk asked.

The tiger turned away.

"Fine, no thanks to you", he snapped.

"Jack – I'm sorry I left you", said Helen. "I've been thinking over these last few months. I shouldn't have left you – I was a coward, I know".

"Boy, an apology. There's a change". Jack was glaring at the floor. The anger and bitterness that he felt towards Helen had overpowered the longing to see her again. He now just wished she would get out.

"Jack". Helen's voice suddenly sounded desperate. Jack looked around at her. as he did, Helen did something she had never done before. She threw her wings around him in a hug. Jack was startled and then shied away from Helen.

"You still left me", he spat. "I've been sitting in a hospital bed for two months, waiting for my leg to get better again. Because of you, Woodruff crushed my leg. And you've been FREE. You've been free to do whatever you want, and I'VE been dreading the day I'll be discharged because it would mean going straight to a police-cell. They've BEEN here. I've made a confession and everything".

"Don't worry. You're getting out of here", said Helen.

Jack blinked.

"What?"

"I know some people. We're going to bust you out".

"Helen, I'm not getting crutches until tomorrow! I can't come now!"

"You're not going to come now. You're getting crutches tomorrow? Good. We'll get you out of here then".

Helen walked back over to the window and stood on the sill, ready to fly.

'Wait!" Jack called after her. "Who's 'we'?"

"You'll see", said Helen. "Be ready at eleven o'clock tomorrow night".

Then, she jumped off the windowsill and was gone. Jack stared at it for a moment. Then he heard footsteps coming and quickly arranged his pillows, shut his light off and pretended to be asleep as two nurses entered the ward.

"I thought I heard voices..." said one.

"Look, the window's open", said the other. "It was probably just the wind".

Jack heard the window being slammed shut, and then the nurses leaving the ward. He rolled back over onto his back, and frowned.

So he was leaving tomorrow. And yet, he wasn't excited – he was troubled. What if they got caught? What was Helen planning this time?

And why was something holding Jack back?