Thanks to everyone who has been reading; this story officially has my second-highest hit count, and it's making me VERY happy. Please review, because it totally makes my day!
Chapter 12"Trouble Usually Finds Us"
Sophia Marskov was a master planner. She had managed to do two impossible things, and she'd done them simultaneously. First, she had managed to keep me safe from an elusive assassin, and second, she had managed to keep Dale away from Chip and me. It had to be something of a record.
When I had told Sophia that trouble usually found us, I had honestly expected something catastrophic to happen in the course of the evening. But now, it was nearly midnight, the party was in full swing, and not a sign of an assassin anywhere.
Sophia had utterly captivated Dale the entire evening, introducing him to all of her famous friends, the musicians, the chefs, the servants, and anyone else who entered the room. Dale was grinning ridiculously, Sophia's arm in his, chauffeuring her to and fro.
"Dale looks like he's enjoying himself," Chip said briskly. We were standing together beside a balcony overlooking the back garden.
"That's for sure. I haven't seen him this entertained in ages." I paused to watch Dale tell a joke to a passing server. "She's really got him wrapped around her finger."
Chip nodded and looked at me. He seemed more serious just now, and a bit nervous.
"I'm starting to think the assassin won't show up, Chip," I reassured, figuring he was worried the assassin hadn't kept his appointment. "You know, it's kind of funny that we keep calling him 'the assassin.' Only important people have assassins."
He shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just, you know...it was really nice of Sophia to do this." Did he mean specifically him and I, or just for the Rangers in general? "For us, I mean. You and me. I've really enjoyed, well, having you to myself this evening." He was going bright red.
I swallowed carefully, looking down at the glistening floor. "You know, I've enjoyed it too." That was about the best I could do with my blood pumping in my ears that loudly.I knew Sophia had been brainwashing me ever since we met, and I also knew that it was certainly working. The seed had already been sown, who knows how long ago, and all it needed was a little TLC. Heaven knows Sophia was doing all she possibly could for the cause. And I had to say, I was starting to agree with her. Everything was starting to fit into place; there was just one something left that I had to find within myself...
"Gadget, have you seen the garden yet?"
Chip was talking. I blinked myself out of my befuddled state. "Sorry, what did you say?"
He held his paw out to me. "I asked if you'd seen the garden yet."
Was it just as coincidence that the orchestra was playing "Moonlight Becomes You" and the moon was a huge tonight? "No, I haven't."
He grinned, still looking a bit nervous. "Well, shall we go take a look at it?"
I accepted the proffered paw in my own and he led me out onto the balcony. My heart was thudding harder than it had that night on the Anastasia. Even with the smooth, cool air around me, I felt hot and flustered. I'd seen enough movies to know what was coming next.
He certainly took his time about doing it though, because we just stood there together, taking in the picturesque gardens and the drifting moon. It was really pretty, but the longer we stood there, the more nervous, or maybe excited, I got. I fished around for something to say. "It's a waxing gibbous."
"Huh?"
I pointed. "The moon. It's a waxing gibbous. Two more days and we'll have a full moon."
"Oh!" He slipped an arm around my waist. "You always take things so literally, Gadget."
I looked over at him matter-of-factly. "All I said was that the moon is a waxing gibbous. It's true."
He laughed. "You're hopeless. Hopeless."
"What do you mean, Chip? I mean, golly, I know I state the obvious a lot, but no one else ever seems to, and someone's got to do it." Chip was rolling his eyes, smiling.
Didn't I have a point? What was it called, 'naming the elephant?' Telling the group what was painfully obvious? No one ever seemed to realize what was right under their noses, and I always do, so why not just tell everyone else what's coming and... What the heck?
With a smile that had melted more than one teenager girl's heart, Chip leaned over and kissed me softly. I couldn't have been more shocked if Dale had started doing differential calculus on the Saturday funnies.
He waited for a moment. When I didn't answer, he backed away. "Uh, Gadget?"
"It's...it's all right, Chip."
"All right?"
"Um, yes. I mean..." What did I mean? It took a minute, but the shock wore off and I realized what had happened. And I laughed. Chip seemed to take this as utter rejection, and his arm dropped from my waist. He stepped away.
"Oh, no, Chip, I don't mean it like that," I laughed, catching his arm and looking at him sincerely. "You just...caught me off guard, that's all."
He frowned. "I'd hardly call all this set up 'catching you off guard.'"
"Oh, golly, you know I think at warp speed. My mind was gone, that's all." He didn't seem convinced. We froze there, suspended. Jeepers, couldn't he realize that he had just shocked me, and yes, despite the moon, the music, the dance, I hadn't been fully there? I had to make him understand...
Another few seconds, hanging in time between the gaiety of the party and the solitude of the garden, and I nervously leaned over and kissed him lingeringly on the cheek. "Understand?" I asked softly.
He swallowed hard and took my paw again, smiling. My stomach swooped, and he pulled me closer, both of us ready now for the real, precious thing, when a high, piercing shriek from inside the ballroom stopped us cold.
"CHIP!"
The chemistry evaporated. We spun on the spot as Dale's voice ricocheted across the balcony and into our ears. "What the?" Chip exclaimed and we rushed for the doorway.
The ballroom was in pandemonium. It was just like one of those old Western movie bar-fights. Dozens of ninja mice were appearing seemingly out of thin air; tables were overturning, china was breaking, champagne was spilling, and all the guests were shrieking and running for cover.
"Apparently the assassin came after all," I whispered, hanging on Chip's arm.
"Where is she!" The deep, guttural voice boomed from near the staircase.
"Who is it?" I asked, trying to move forward. Chip held me back.
"You're not going in there, Gadget. It's you he wants."
"But who is-" Towering in the hall adjacent to the staircase was a mouse I thought long gone and taken care of: Bubbles. He had Sophia by the arm, holding her up and demanding she tell him where I was.
Sophia was being shaken like a rag doll. "We have to help her!" I said, again twisting away.
"No!" Chip dragged me back out onto the balcony and pinned me against the wall. "You're not going out there!"
"That pest!" Bubbles's voice tumbled out of the hall to meet us. "She got the better of me once, and now she's killed my brother! She's gonna pay!"
"Chip, we've got to help her!"
"Don't worry, we will, but we're going to hide you first." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a rope. Only Chip would be carrying a rope in his tuxedo pocket.
"What are you going to do?" I asked. Chip stepped back and swung the rope above his head a few times before lassoing the windowsill above us.
"You're going up there and staying there," he declared, tugging at the rope to make sure it was fast.
"But Sophia-"
"Gadget, just trust me on this one, okay? Come on!" Chip grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to the rope. "You're going!"
Slightly put-off, I climbed up as best as I could in my dress, my thoughts whisking around in tempest.
So Bubbles was the one behind all this. That would make the watermarks painfully obvious. Hadn't Dale even said the Cola Cult would put bubbles on a paper? Why did I have to think his idea was pointless? And I thought I could see the obvious. Apparently not.
I climbed through the window and tore into the bathroom, flipping on the light and riffling frantically through a pile of towels before seeing my coveralls hanging on the back of the door. I shrugged the Dior off as quickly as I could without ripping it, then pulled my coveralls on, shoving my goggles back into place. I wasn't going to sit here and let my friends deal with my assassin. I was going to help.
cdcdcdcdcdcdcdccdcdcdcdcddcdcddcdcccdcdcdccdd
Chaos reigned in the ballroom as I halted at the top of the stairs for the second time that evening. I watched mice rolling around in a frenzy. Ninjas were taking people out left and right. Shouting and shattering noises met my ears.
Through the panic I picked out Bubbles. He had abandoned poor Sophia, and was now scrambling around the floor after Chip. A few seconds of squabbling, and Bubbles caught him and hoisted him in the air by his neck. Chip hung on for dear life, kicking.
"I'm going to break your puny skull on the wall if you don't tell me where you hid that monster, chipmunk!"
"Not on my watch!" Monterey came whizzing out from behind a table, his fists doubled. "You're not gonna try that if ol' Monterey 'as something to say about it!" Monterey crashed into Bubbles, only to bounce off and land flat on his back.
"Hehe. Think you can knock me over, cheese breath? Try again!" He turned back to Chip. "Now where is that twisted inventor friend of yours?" he demanded, squeezing tight. My stomach clenched in sympathy.
"Don't call her that, you creep!" snarled Chip, still kicking.
That was it.
"Bubbles!" The room went silent, a blanket muffling a fire. Bubbles looked up and saw me. With a thud, he dropped Chip to the ground and snarled, starting towards me.
"There you are, you little-"
I wasn't going to put up with him bad-mouthing me. "Shut up, coward!"
"Well, well, you've developed quite a tempter since we last met. Not that you weren't always a sack of sappy girl hormones." He started up the stairs. "Only you could be so easily manipulated by simple sabotage. Little wimp." He stopped just below me. The air was thick between us. "I'm surprised you managed to kill my brother, even if it was to save your friends."
"You want me, Bubbles? We take this outside."
"All right," he agreed silkily, reaching up and taking my arm. He began pulling me slowly down the stairs, his touch so sickeningly gentle that it burned.
The Rangers and Sophia, all slightly worse for wear, were waiting at the bottom of the steps. "Let 'er go, mate," growled Monterey, eyes blazing.
"Yeah!" chimed Chip and Dale in unison, stepping forward.
"Get out of my way," said Bubbles quietly, sweeping them over with a wave of his arm. "This is between Gadget and I."
We started down the hall towards the door. No one talked, hardly anyone moved. Everyone was watching us, waiting for the Rangers or I to do something. But there was no plan, I just wanted Bubbles away from my friends, even more than I wanted him away from me.
Okay, folks, click the review button. Please. Now? I'm getting desperate for reviews...