With Valentine's Day coming around the corner, I'd figured I would do this chapter and place some homages and references from other romantic movies.

All you'll need to do is imagine the song from Madagascar 3, "Love Always Comes As A Surprise" by Peter Asher playing in the background.

"Captain of the Guard, I insist you do something!"

The Palace of Justice was surrounded by the people of Paris, crying out their pleas for help to Rocky.

"They took my silver! All my coins to pay my landlord! They'll throw us out! My bracelet is gone! My life savings is gone!"

It was then Rocky had to get the crowd to settle down.

"Whoa! Whoa!" he shouted. "Have no worry. The king's guard is on the case. We'll find the culprits."

He jumped onto Toby's back and rode off, muttering to himself quietly.

"Where we'll find them, I don't know."

Then, he remembered what Spike told him about the circus holding the stolen loot.

With a jerk, Toby ran toward the circus...

...only to be found closed.

"Oh, shoot!" Rocky snapped.

But then, the rooster noticed a light in a carriage and thought it over.

Maybe Spike is right he thought to himself. But I'll wait just to be sure.

Toby then bolted away from the circus.

The next day, Spike was paying for his breakfast and was about to head back to Notre Dame but he heard a voice.

"Hello."

Spike jumped with a panicked yelp and placed his fists up.

"Come on then!" he shouted, not noticing Cholena. "Nobody steals from Spike gets away with it!"

Then he turned to see Cholena and lowered his fists.

"Hi, C-Cholena" Spike said nervously. "I-I-I-I-I-I was just... Hi."

Cholena chuckled and smiled, making the rat smile in return.

"I saw you with the teacup" she finally said. "He's lucky to have a good friend like you."

"Thanks" Spike replied. "I do me best. But hey, you were really brilliant last night"

"Me? Oh, it's not a problem. I just have to stand there and look pretty, you know?"

"It can't be a big deal. I mean you-you have to make the audience look where they're supposed to, not give away the trick."

"Hmm. You mean... hocus their pocus?"

"Delusion their illusion?"

"Abra their cadabra?"

The two rodents laughed at their own terrible puns.

"Actually, I would really like to walk the tightrope" admitted Cholena. "Oh. But I'm not really very good at it."

"Okay, but I'm sure you can do anything" Spike replied, trying to be encouraging.

Cholena sighed and stared at the city of Paris. It was beautiful and yet she hasn't seen it.

After a moment, Spike finally spoke up.

"Listen, after I ring the morning mass, would you like to see Paris... with me?" he asked.

"I'd really like that" smiled Cholena.

And with that, Cholena left the bakery shop and left Spike standing with a look as if to say 'what just happened' and eyes wide.

Later that day, Spike finished ringing the morning mass and had Lu-La take over the afternoon and evening mass, so he could show Cholena the entire world of Paris for the day.

Their first stop was Bonejangles' puppet where he used his skeleton hands to imitate a lovely couple.

"You know, the Festival D'Amour is in two days. Would you, uh, like to go?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"Oh, but please. We shall have a good time."

"Well, uh, I'd love to."

The skeleton hands kissed and the audience clapped.

Spike blushed, staring at Cholena but turned away with embarrassment when she turned to face him.

They then went on a boat ride along the river and saw the view of Paris.

"It's so beautiful" Cholena gasped in awe.

But then Spike fell into the water with a splash.

Confused, Cholena looked over the edge of the boat to see where Spike went.

Suddenly, Spike popped up, surprising Cholena.

"Just thought I'd drop in!" he laughed, pulling her in with him.

Seconds later, Cholena resurfaced and climbed back on the boat, shivered from the cold river.

Spike climbed back on the boat with an 'evil' chuckle.

The Indian mouse could tell Spike was the mischievous type and playfully pushed him back into the river.

By the time they went to shore, Spike was covered in mud.

Chuckling at Spike's silliness, Cholena gently removed the mud from Spike's face.

Later, they rolled around in the grass and stopped to smell the flowers.

Cholena noticed something in the grass.

"Oh, I think I saw weeds" she whispered.

Spike shook his head almost aggressively but he gently took Cholena's hand and had her pick up the plant and smell it.

"Mmm, it smells so flowery" she sighed. "They're wonderful."

"It's rosemary" Spike replied.

They later had lunch to a nice spaghetti dinner.

At one point they were so distracted that they ended up chewing opposite ends of the same spaghetti and accidentally nibbled their way into a kiss.

Surprised, Spike pulled away and blushed, almost embarrassed.

But Cholena took a napkin and wiped the sauce off Spike's mouth.

Day suddenly turned into night and the two were running on the roofs of houses, laughing and playing with each other.

Spike even taught Cholena to walk on a string of flags as if it were a tightrope.

After a couple of tries with Spike's help, Cholena eventually managed to walk on her own.

"I don't believe it!" cheered Cholena. "I'm doing it!"

Soon rain started to fall from the sky, soaking Spike and Cholena. But they didn't care; they only splashed in the puddles and danced in the rain.

Suddenly, Spike's foot slipped and he and Cholena fell into a puddle unharmed.

Laughing at the sudden surprise, Cholena kissed Spike's cheek, making the rat gasp.

They stared at each other, feeling something they've never felt before.

After a moment, Spike snapped out of it and helped Cholena up.

They both ran as fast as they could for the cathedral to dry off.

Unknown to them, Tzekel Kan was watching them in the dry, shadows and glared darkly.

He knew Cholena would be distracted sooner rather than later and yet... she was distracting the little vermin as he asked her to.

Once inside, Spike and Cholena dried themselves off.

While they were drying themselves, Mrs. Potts and Lu-La had set up candles all over the room and lit them.

"Oh. It does my heart good to see our boy like that" said Mrs. Potts with a proud smile.

Chip wanted to see but Mrs. Potts wouldn't let him.

"Now off to the cupboard now, Chip" said the teapot gently. "It's past your bedtime."

She kissed her son as he yawned and bounced off.

"Goodnight, love" Mrs. Potts called softly.

Afterwards, Cholena was distracted by a gem reflecting in her eye and saw Le Fidele.

She climbed up the ladder and sniffed the bell.

Spike suddenly landed on the ground from the rafters.

"Ain't she a beauty?" he asked.

"Oh, yes" smiled Cholena. "It's beautiful."

"This is La Fidele... "The Faithful One." But she's even more beautiful on the inside."

He showed Cholena the inside of La Fidele, which had all the beautiful gems.

They both crawled under the bell.

It was so bright, it felt like God was shining His light in one room. Even the gems shined on Spike and Cholena.

"Whoa" whispered Cholena. "This must be worth a fortune."

Spike scoffed. "As if..."

Cholena played with her reflection, but then she noticed Tzekel Kan in the gem.

The Indian mouse gasped, shaking her head. When she looked again, the gem only showed her worried face.

Upset, she wrapped her arms around herself.

I will become Tzekel Kan if I hurt Spike she thought to herself.

Spike noticed Cholena shivering a little and placed a hand on her shoulder. They had to get warm.

They shared a gentle smile as they left the bell and sat near a fire that Spike had set up.

Cholena was wrapped in a warm blanket while Spike warmed his hands.

It was quiet at first, then Cholena finally spoke.

"Do you really think there's more to me than what you see?" she asked. "That I have something else to give?"

"Yeah, I do" nodded Spike. "I may not be handsome but I am a fighter."

"Wonder how long you've been here."

Spike then proceeded in telling the story of his entire story; he told Cholena how Nooth lied to him and raised him in an abusive way until Ginger and Rocky came into his life and they headed up destroying Nooth's wrath forever.

Cholena was surprised to see who Spike was and how he came to be. And how his life is similar to hers.

With a heavy sigh, Cholena stared at the fire.

"I've never ever met anyone like you, Spike" she said. "I mean, you understand the world... better than anyone I've ever known.

"Do you really think so?" asked Spike.

Cholena nodded with a smile and...

"CHOLENA!" screamed a voice. "GET DOWN HERE! COME HOME!"

"Oh, it's late" panicked Cholena. "Tzekel Kan knows it's late and I should have been at the circus by now."

Spike gently urged Cholena to go and the Indian mouse ran down the stairs.

The rat sighed romantically until he heard the door slam.

He snapped out of it and wondered what happened.

"I hope it's not contagious" he muttered.

To Be Continued...