Chapter 3

Tony walked down Hester Street with his newfound companions. Sad to say, these were the first friends he had in quite a while, since before he came to America. Tammany Hall was some distance away, so Tony continued to keep an eye out for any Russian looking mice that might be Fievel's family. After some time he finally got the courage to talk to the girl he had met as well.

"So, guess I haven't properly introduced myself. The name's Tony Toponi." Said Tony as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"Oh, well my name's Bridget." she said with a smile.

"And my name's Fievel Mousekewitz!" Fievel declared with a giggle.

"Ahem…don't you mean Filly?" Tony said, eyeing him.

"Oh yeah…Filly." Fievel corrected himself sheepishly. Bridget laughed, finding Fievel cutely amusing.

"Filly here is a hero, freed everyone who was trapped workin' in the sweatshop I was at." Tony explained, patting Fievel's back.

"Oh really? All by himself?" asked Bridget.

"It was my idea to escape the sweatshop just like the mouse with the long hair!" said Fievel proudly. Bridget gave a puzzled expression.

"It's a long story, but I've got to admit if it weren't for this kid I may never have gotten out of that place." Said Tony.

"Never say never Tony." Said Fievel, shaking a finger at him.

"Who taught you that one kid? And besides, you just said it twice!" said Tony with a chuckle.

"Said what twice?" asked Fievel.

"Never!" Tony answered.

"Oooh! Tony what did I tell you about saying that?" Fievel scolded him playfully.

Tony rolled his eyes as Bridget giggled, finding their playful argument hilarious.

"Glad you're enjoying this." Tony said to Bridget.

"Oh don't mind me darlin', you two are just too cute together!" said Bridget. Tony blushed a little, because she was indirectly calling him cute. "Well at any rate, I think it's just awful how sweatshops are being run in this city, we really ought to get together and do something about it."

"Yeah, we really oughtta…" said Tony, staring at Bridget.

"Things just keep getting worse and worse, this is supposed to be America!" Bridget continued. "I'm sure the both of you had your freedom's violated for quite some time before escaping. And a poor lad like Filly…I don't like to even think it."

"Well, Filly here only had to put up with it for a few days." Said Tony.

"I see this lad has too much determination to be held captive for long." Said Bridget fondly. Fievel smiled up at her proudly. "Well…how long were you there for Tony?"

"Me? Ahh…'bout a year." Tony said with a shrug.

"A whole year?!" Bridget gasped. "I can't imagine it!"

"It was nothing I guess…no big deal…" Tony lied, trying to look tough. But Bridget could still see the hardship Tony had gone through, the pain that was just beneath the surface.

"Well…now that you're out…do you have a home to go to?" asked Bridget with concern.

Tony looked down. "Not unless Orphan Alley is a home. I haven't had a place to live since I came to America."

"Oh you poor darling." Said Bridget, putting an arm around him and causing him to blush more. "Well you can both stay with me until Filly finds his family I suppose."

"Really?" Fievel asked happily.

"I couldn't let you two sleep on the streets could I?" Bridget replied.

"Sure I couldn't keep staying with you…after we find Filly's family?" asked Tony bashfully.

"I…don't see why not." Said Bridget, her cheeks turning red as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Fievel scratched his head. "Why do you two always act so strange around each other?"

"Err…no reason Filly." Tony said, nudging him with his elbow somewhat firmly to signal him to be quiet. Bridget giggled shyly.

"Hey…" Fievel rubbed his upper arm. "Well…are we there yet?"

"Almost," answered Bridget, "Should be just across the street from up here."

Their conversation stopped as they reached a street curb, and then hurried across the street avoiding the horse trolleys, which drove through the busy streets. They made it safely to the other side, and before long they were staring up at the massive human building of Tammany Hall. The mouse version was just underneath, in a small door to the side of the human doors. Bridget approached a nearby police mouse who patrolled the area. He seemed to be familiar with Bridget already.

"May we speak with Honest John please?" asked Bridget.

"You again huh? Honest John is too busy today to listen to your rants about the cats." replied the police mouse irritably.

"No, this time is different. We're searching for this boy's family." Bridget pleaded.

The police mouse eyed Fievel. "Well, Honest John is attending the funerals and wakes of the victims of the latest cat massacre. You'll have to track him down. He's not here."

"Track him down?" Bridget said disappointedly. "Well which wake will he be at next?"

"Hmm…" the police mouse looked at a sheet of paper, "Mickey O'Hare I believe is his next one, it starts in an hour. Its over near the Five Points."

"Do you have the address? I wouldn't want to be lost in that section of town." Asked Bridget persistently.

Five Points was a dangerous section of town, the police mouse couldn't argue with that. So he begrudgingly wrote the address down and handed it to Bridget.

"There you go, now this had better be important enough for you to be interrupting a wake. And remember you didn't hear about this from me." Said the police mouse.

"Thank you officer." Said Bridget, turning around to face Tony and Fievel. "Alright, come along you two, I suppose we have a wake to attend. And we'd better stay close."

"Sure it's a good idea to bring Filly? I mean…" Tony's protective instincts toward Fievel were showing. He didn't know if Fievel should be going to a wake, let alone one on the bad side of town.

"Well, do you have a problem with it Filly?" Bridget asked.

"What's a wake?" asked Fievel.

Bridget winced a little. "It's…it's a type of funeral."

"Oh…well…" Fievel hesitated. "…will there be food?"

"Hmm? Well…I'd imagine so." Bridget answered.

"Okay then lets go! I'm starving!" exclaimed Fievel.

Tony couldn't help but chuckle at this. The three then made their way through the streets toward the Five Points neighborhood, a poor section of town named for the five streets that came together there. It was deep within the Mott Street Mauler's territory. They found the address to the building, which had a sign posted reading "A Grand Wake for Mickey O'Hare". As they walked in, Bridget was excited to see that Honest John was indeed there and they hadn't missed him. They would have to wait for the right moment to talk to him though. In the meantime Tony and Bridget sat down and waited for the opportunity while Fievel went off to eat some cheese.

Meanwhile, Honest John stumbled through drunkenly, sipping his drink. "Its me third wake today, and I'm not finished yet." He declared, his Irish accent coupled with a drunken slur.

"We've got to do something about those cats." A police mouse complained.

"Besides paying Warren T. Rat for no protection." Said Honest John, as he walked over to the dead body of Mickey O'Hare. "The poor lad, he never got the chance to vote. Well, I'll see to it that he votes from now on."

Honest John wrote Mickey O'Hare's name in a notebook full of "ghost votes". Just then the door burst open, and a mouse woman dressed in elegant Victorian clothing barged in.

"Honest John!" she exclaimed, her accent very strong.

"Why, it's Gussie Mausheimer!" said a random mouse.

Tony recognized the name. "Hooee! She's the richest mouse in New York! What's she doing slumming in this part of town?"

Fievel shrugged, and Bridget simply looked on. Gussie Mausheimer had been part of the outspoken No-Cats movement that Bridget was a part of, and had provided a lot of funding towards the cause.

Gussie walked through the crowd not really knowing nor caring what she was interrupting. She turned and noticed a dead body holding a cross lying on a table.

"Why, there's a dead mouse on that table!" she gasped.

"It's an Irish custom, Gussie." Said Honest John, removing his hat respectfully. "The cats got him today."

"Pwecisely why I am here to see you." said Gussie, her accent leaving her unable to pronounce the letters "L" and "R". Honest John offered her a drink but she pushed it aside with her fan. "Today was the worst ever! Those cats are killing evwyone! They don't even know the difference between wich and poor, the wetches."

"Shameful…" said Honest John in agreement.

"As you know I have dedicated my wife to helping those wess fortunate than myself…"she stopped to shoot a look at Fievel, who was busy stuffing his mouth with cheese, "…and that's evwyone. And now I want you to help me. We must have a wowie!"

"A wowie? What's a wowie?" asked Honest John as someone poured him another drink.

"You know, a wowie! A warge gathering of mice for a weason." she explained.

"Oh, a rally!" said Honest John.

"That's what I said…a wowie." She said, as she batted Honest John's hand away from grabbing a feather that had fallen from her hat onto her chest. She sighed, "Tomowow, we will gather at Mausheimer park and decide what to do. I'll bwing the uptown mice and you bwing the mice fwom downtown."

"Madame, you can count on Honest John." He said drunkenly, as Gussie slammed the door shut.

Bridget smiled and took Tony's hand. "At last, we're all going to get together and do something about the cats!"

"Bridget…" Fievel said, getting her attention.

"Oh Filly," Bridget turned and kneeled down to Fievel, looking up at Honest John. "Oh Honest John, he's lost his family. By any chance do you know the Mousekewitzes?

Honest John looked Fievel over carefully. Fievel gagged as Honest John burped in his face. "Are they registered to vote?"

"They just got off the boat." Bridget answered.

"Sorry, don't know them yet." Honest John said with a drunken chuckle as he took another drink. Fievel sighed sadly as he held onto Bridget. It was another hope dashed to pieces.

"Come on Filly, let's go home. You're welcome to stay at my place till you find your folks." Said Bridget.

Tony patted Fievel's back. "We'll come up with another plan tomorrow. Hey, they might even be at the rally. What was it you said…never say never?"

"Never say never." Fievel repeated half-heartedly, looking down. He clung to Bridget's arm as she got up.

"We best be going. I'll take you back to my home now." Bridget said as Tony walked along side her and they left the room.

Tony repeated Fievel's saying in his head the rest of the trip towards Bridget's home. It echoed something he had once believed as a child, but had since forgotten after all he had been through. He vowed he wouldn't let the same thing happen to Fievel.