A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! I am so, so sorry! I haven't updated for at least a year! If there are any readers out there still waiting, thankyou so much for your patience and time. It's my holidays, so I thought I should probably finish this story at least. There may be a couple more stories to follow before the series wraps up, but for the time being, here's not one, but two chapters to make up for the long delay!

Chapter 5

Danger Mouse spread out the files on the table and he, Kim and Penfold started to rifle through them. The files the police-station had kindly lent them dated back from about ten years ago, so they were quite old. Nevertheless, they had come in handy.

"Well, well," murmured DM, as he searched through the files. "Looks like Jack was quite the shoplifter when he was young."

"It's quite sad," said Kim, as she looked at one of the photos. "He could have been so much more."

"Father left the family; mother died of alcohol poisoning," DM read off his notes. "You're right, Kim, you can't help showing some sympathy. No wonder the lad fell in with such a rough crowd."

Kim smiled sadly as she set the photo down and looked at another. At that moment, the door opened and Woodruff entered with some more files under his arm.

"Got a few more," he told the trio, setting the new files down on the table. "There are some files in there about Helen Jacobs, Tony the Tiger's partner in crime."

Penfold picked up one of the files, and dropped it when he saw Helen's picture. "Crumbs, she looks mean!" he squeaked.

"Yes, and she's got the attitude to match," Kim sighed, taking the documents from from him.

"Tell me about it," Woodruff muttered darkly, rubbing the scar that dwelled beneath his hair.

DM wasn't listening to his friends' conversation: he was too busy looking at some of the other files. A shoplifter since the age of fourteen…it was shocking…and sad.

DM smiled ruefully and put the file back down again.

Maybe, when they did catch Jack, they could give him the chance to rebuild his life.

Helen frowned as she watched Jack work.

Her tiger friend, she recalled from memory, had been quite nervous when they had brought him to the hideout a week before. Now, he seemed to have become more cheerful, and despite being out of action and on crutches, he was helping the others as best as he could. He had buried himself so much in his work that he hadn't even noticed that Helen had been staring at him from her place on the other side of the Baron's creation for the past half-hour.

At that point, Leatherhead entered the room. He raised a hand in greeting to Helen, and she acknowledged him with her usual nod and tight smile. Then she watched the crow step over to Jack. The tiger turned and grinned at the crow, looking happier than Helen had ever seen him.

The hawk's eyes narrowed. Whenever Jack acted like that, it meant something was going on. She'd have to keep an eye on him.

"You've certainly perked up," Leatherhead whispered, as he and Jack managed to move a large hunk of steel between them. "It wouldn't have anything to do with this young lady you're meeting now, would it?"

Jack went pink.

"No…" he said, turning away and taking a sudden interest in a spanner that was lying on the work-bench.

"Well, be careful," warned Leatherhead. Jack turned back to him, eyebrows raised in a questioning glance.

"Helen's watching you. I think she knows that something's up." Leatherhead dropped his voice to a whisper as he gestured with his head in Helen's direction. Jack followed his gaze and saw the hawk staring straight at him. She met his eyes level with her own, and Jack felt his anxiety return. Helen was extremely observant.

"Ai, Jack!" Stiletto called out suddenly. "Come-a over here and-a help me finish this bit off!"

Jack nodded and tore his eyes away from Helen's accusing gaze. He approached Stiletto, glad for an excuse to get away from Helen.

Stiletto was standing next to an uncovered part of the machine. There was an open metal door in front of him and as Jack hobbled closer, he could see something glowing inside it.

"Which bit are you working on?" he asked Stiletto, as he stopped next to him. Stiletto moved aside so that Jack could see. The tiger poked his head into the hole, and cringed at the orange beams he saw. He brought his head out and turned to Stiletto.

"That looks a nasty piece of work," he said, slightly nervously.

"Has to be nasty. It's-a the Barone's orders." Stiletto shrugged and went back to his work. Jack chewed on his lower lip as he watched the crow bend down again.

I'd hate to be Danger Mouse, he thought ruefully.

"So, who is this guy you're meeting, Stell?" asked Woodruff cheerfully down the line.

"You'll find out," replied his sister, just as playfully.

"Why, I had no idea you had a luuuuurve interest!"

Stella, seated on her sofa with the cordless phone to her ear, rolled her eyes. "Really mature, bro."

"Just because I work alongside DM, doesn't mean I have to be a total grown-up," retorted Woodruff. "But if I get some time off this weekend, can I come and meet him, or would you rather have him to yourself?"

"You can come over," chuckled Stella. "Just don't embarrass me, OK?"

"Darn – caught me out. OK, Stella, I've got to go now; I have to make an early start in the morning. Night."

"Night," said Stella as Woodruff put the phone down. She sat on the sofa for a moment, and then made her way upstairs to choose a shirt for her rendezvous with Jack.

Greenback arrived in the work-house and eyed his employees. He noticed Jack standing in the far corner, chatting cheerfully with Stiletto as they closed up a hatch in the machine.

"Ai, Boss!" Stiletto greeted, glancing over and seeing the Baron. "I think we's ready to close for-a the night."

"Very well," said Greenback, waving his hand around dismissively. "I bid you goodnight. Jack – I want a word."

The tiger's head snapped up and his eyes widened. He turned around to look at Leatherhead, who was looking concerned, and then to Helen, who had narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Go on." Leatherhead gave the tiger a push. "He probably just wants to speak to you about work."

Jack nodded, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. He hobbled out of the workshop after Greenback without a second glance.

The two of them didn't speak a word until they were inside Greenback's office. As soon as Jack entered, Greenback slammed the door closed behind him.

"Sit," he said shortly, pointing to an extra chair in front of his desk. Gulping inwardly, Jack sat down and placed both of his crutches on the floor next to him. He then looked over the Baron's desk.

"Hello, Nero," he greeted when he saw the fluffy white caterpillar asleep in a pile of the Baron's papers. The caterpillar opened one eye, and growled lazily in greeting. Then Greenback reached down to pick him up and as he sat in his own chair on the other side of the desk, one hand stroking Nero, he gave Jack a rather suspicious stare.

"You've been doing well, Jack," he said suddenly. Jack, who had been playing nervously with his claws, looked up in surprise.

"S-sorry?"

"You've been doing well. I'm pleased with the effort you've been making. For someone of your current statue, you've excelled far more than I thought you would."

"Um – thanks." Jack smiled awkwardly and took a sudden interest in a picture on the desk of a female frog, with the words "To Schnookums – love Daisycake," on the front. He tried and failed to keep a straight face.

"Ah…" Greenback grabbed the picture and jammed it hurriedly into a drawer at his desk. "Er – yes – that's – uh – from my – SISTER! Yes, my dear sister!"

"OK…" Jack turned away so the Baron wouldn't see him giggling.

"Uh – yes – you've been very cheerful." The Baron raised an eyebrow, his previous embarrassed demeanor gone. Jack turned back to him, trying to look politely bewildered.

"Yeah, well…I'm just glad to be away from the police." He struggled with his words and tried to look innocent – anything to avoid the real reason why he was so happy.

"And very much so," the Baron complied with a nod of his head. "I'd hate to think you were hiding something from me."

"What makes you think that?" Jack asked as he felt his stomach lurch.

"It's not easy, what we're going to do. And I assume you wouldn't want to be responsible for my downfall."

"Oh – no, no! Of course not," replied Jack quickly. "I mean – you've brought me here; given me work. I'd never go against you."

"I'm glad to hear it." Greenback walked around the desk and brought his face nearer to Jack's. "Because I'd hate to hear – " he picked up a pencil from his desk " – that a member of my staff – " he broke the pencil in half " – was planning to betray me."

Jack gulped as the broken pencil shards fell to the floor. "I – get the picture," he croaked finally.

Danger Mouse packed the last of the files away in the library and sat down at his desk. He glanced up and spotted Penfold selecting a book from the shelf. The hamster caught his eye and smiled at him. DM smiled back, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You look so tired," said Kim. "Why don't you get to bed early – I'll wake you if we get a call."

DM smiled up at her. "Are you sure?"

"DM, you're tired; you've been worrying for a while now. Just relax and go to bed. Otherwise I'll have to knock you out and carry you!"

DM chuckled as he stood up. "I suppose I am a little tired. Thanks."

Kim returned his smile, and then kissed him on the cheek. "Don't mention it. Now off with you!"

"Night, Chief!" called Penfold, as DM opened the library door and stepped out. Once in the hallway, he leaned against the wall and yawned, Kim's kiss fresh in the front of his mind.

But increasing anxiety was jammed at the back.

A few days later, Stella sat outside a café in London. She was wearing blue jeans and a white top and sat stirring cup of coffee as she waited for Jack to arrive.

At that moment, a couple who looked just a few years older than Stella walked past the table, taking no notice of the Black Labrador and looking more interested in each other. Stella watched them walk away, feeling slightly awkward. It had suddenly occurred to her that, like Woodruff, she hadn't had a great deal of relationships in her time, at least nothing serious. She suddenly felt a bit strange – had Jack stood her up?

Almost as the unwelcome though ran through her head, a van pulled in by the café.

"Go!" Leatherhead hissed at Jack, as they pulled up next to the café. "Be ready to leave in an hour, tops! I'll be here!"

Jack nodded. He had had to get up early in order to escape from the Baron's hide-out to meet up with Stella. While the Baron was talking to Stiletto about some adjustments to his creation, Leatherhead and Jack had left in the pretence of getting some more tools from the town.

Jack opened the door and hobbled out on his crutches. He put his hood up, hoping no-one would recognise his face from television. Glancing around, he spotted Stella. Turning, he waved to Leatherhead. Leatherhead nodded, and then the van pulled out back onto the road and drove away out of sight.

Taking a deep breath, Jack turned and saw Stella standing up, smiling. He smiled nervously back, before hobbling over.

"Hi, Stella."