Chapter 2: The Last Date
"...Um, Chip? Chip!" LaWahini called the Rangers' leader back to reality. "Earth to Chip!"
"Wha..." Chip turned his head away from one mouse and to another, similar-looking one, stopping briefly in front of himself where he discovered his breakfast which was kind of suddenly there. "Sorry, what's up, LaWahini?"
"I wanted to know if we four shall join you on your casework today."
"Sure, why not? The earlier you start, the quicker you get used to it. Especially you, LaWahini, still have to see what it means to be a Rescue Ranger."
"Alright. Say, Chip, is everything okay with you? You seemed a bit absent-minded." It was clear that she wanted to make up for what she had done to him and his friends.
"I was just... going through our recent plans once more. Y'know, I've organized about everything myself to make it a surprise for most of you, and I wanted to be sure that I haven't forgotten anything."
Except for LaWahini and maybe Sparky, everyone in the room knew or was at least certain that this was a lie. So was even Gadget who had been distracted by Chip's face and by her own thoughts, but she swiftly joined Chip's play. "Well, Chip, from what I've seen, I can say that everything is at its place and has been thought of. No need to worry." At least not about this issue.
The other issue was still being dealt with as Tammy showed. She and Gadget had grown very good friends shortly after they had met for the first time, another reason why she hung around a lot with the Rangers. "Chip, in case there's no case today, at least no major one... I mean, it's Saturday today and all... are there any plans for tonight?"
"No... no plans so far as far as I'm concerned. Dale, Foxy, what about you?"
"Dale has asked me out to the drive-in tonight," Foxglove replied. "They're showing some pirate movie. A sequel of a sequel, and still it's said to be pretty good."
Although he had worked on the Headquarters during the last weeks, too, Dale had had no clue about what all these expansions meant, and what was about to happen until this morning. And his dates with Foxglove were still holy for the two of them. So there was no chance for a night out with all the Rangers on the first evening together. But there were other chances which both Chip and Gadget were grateful for.
Dates... this word started spinning in Chip's head.
"Hey Chipper," Dale remarked, "you haven't been out with Gadget for weeks now."
Zipper made it more precise by pointing out that they were on no date since Gadget got her family back, and wondered if they had lost interest. This was of course far from being the case.
Chip and Gadget exchanged glances. They knew why they hadn't been dating recently. The events on and after the flight back from Bethesda gave them hope, but they scared them just as well. What if things didn't go on as they hoped they would, now that they had some hints about their mutual feelings? And what if they did go on that way? They realized that the most wonderful thing possible was waiting for a chance to happen, but that they weren't willing to give it this chance for some entirely pointless reasons.
Suddenly, Chip jumped up from his seat and from his half-finished breakfast. "Will you excuse me for a minute? I've got something to check."
"Yes," Gadget said as she got up, too, "there's something I'll have a look at, too."
Though they left together, they had different destinations. Gadget headed directly for her workshop. That was where she had hung up her personal calendar. And this day was marked in red with a name written below the number. "Yes, finally!" she almost shouted out. "She has promised me to have it completed in half a year. And today, half a year has passed." For a moment, she stood and stared at the calendar with dreamy eyes. Then, after a while, her mind drifted away from reality, and she saw herself in the store mirror again, just like she did in that dream. "He'll so love it. If I didn't know better, I'd say it'll easily enchant him."
Chip went straight to his room. He had a suspicion which he needed to be approved. Dale was still the fun-loving chipmunk he always was, but throughout the years, he had learned how far he could go with his mischief, particularly without endangering his now many friendships. For example, Chip's nightstand was taboo, and he respected it. Chip sat down on his bed, opened the drawer in his nightstand, and got out a book labeled, "Date Diary." He didn't keep a usual diary, but beside his case log, he wrote down every date he had been on with Gadget into this date diary.
He carefully opened the book. It was not the first of its kind, he had filled some more date diaries so far, the first one being as old as 16 years now. And this one barely had enough space for maybe one more entry. 'One last date,' he thought, 'and the book will be full. One last date...' He looked at the photograph of Gadget that served as a bookmark and sighed. 'I've been dating you for 16 years now. And what has become of us? Nothing. Nothing but a couple of fools who make themselves crazy every few weeks when they put too high hopes into yet another date. And things had just gotten worse since four weeks ago. No, it can't go on this way. I can't risk both the leader and the engineer of the Rescue Rangers losing their minds.' It was now when he noticed the serial number of the previous entry. 499. 'So I was right. The next date will be number 500. That's what I wanted to know.'
Chip closed the book and put it back into his nightstand. 'Okay, I'll take Gadget out on another date. It'll be our 500th date. It'll be the last date in this book. And I swear by Sureluck Jones and all his cases that when we return from this date and nothing has happened again and we're still singles, this'll have been our very last date. Maybe my mind will clear up again when I try to get over that. Even if I'll still see her every day.' This was nothing to get comfortable with easily, but it sounded like a wise decision to him.
When he left his room, he almost bumped into Gadget who was on her way back to breakfast. "Oh, er, hi Gadget," he stammered like he did when she had just moved into the tree.
"Is everything alright with you, Chip?" the mouse wondered, her face showing a slight hint of worries about her teammate. "You haven't been the same since that night. Well, I guess neither have I."
It was then when Chip remembered that no serious new inventions had left her workshop since then, and that all she had worked on in that time were the technical installations in the Headquarters' new rooms.
"Yes, we've been through a lot." They both knew what he meant. "Gadget, what do you think of Dale's remark?"
"That we haven't been on a date since then?"
"Yes."
On the one hand, after the recent developments, she was uncertain of what would happen on the first date since that night. On the other hand, there was something she was going to get that would serve her greatly on a date. "Well, would you like to go on a date again?"
"Sure." Actually, he wasn't sure. But he was keen on getting this done as quickly as he could. He didn't want to wait anymore. "Tonight? We could celebrate the team's and the Headquarters' successful expansion."
"That, and maybe a bit more." She hid her own uncertainty behind a beautiful smile.
"There's still a jubilee. It's gonna be our 500th date."
"Golly, we've been on 499 dates so far? Yes, that's definitely something to celebrate." And a great opportunity to finally finish what they had started so many years ago. "We should make this date something very special. Would you mind dressing up a bit?"
"Not at all, Gadget, not for you."
"And what'll we do tonight?"
"Let's redo our first date. Have a dinner at the Infinity and watch the sunset. Just that we change the order a bit. The sun is setting pretty early this time of the year."
"Sounds nice, Chip. Now let's go back to the others."
Said others weren't all inactive meanwhile. Being able to speak freely, Tammy asked Monty, "What do you think they're doing?"
"Dunno, Tammy, I can only guess. An' I guess they're goin' on another date tonight."
"Yet another date..." Foxglove gave a sigh. "How can it be so hard for them? It was so easy with Dale and me."
"Yes," LaWahini added, "not even Shaka and me took so long to become a couple. And that was only because when I got the hots for him, he still thought girls were stupid."
"Blimey, lads an' lasses, Désirée an' I were engaged after jes' a few weeks. I let 'er go fer a truck full o' cheese, but that's another story."
"Do I know this story?" Sparky wondered.
"Don't think so, Sparky," Monty answered. That was something he liked about Sparky. He could tell him the same old tales over and over again since they rarely got stuck in his memory, if ever. "But I'll tell ya later."
Tammy raised her voice. "Okay, everyone. Hands up, everyone who thinks they need help."
Everyone raised their hands with the exception of Foxglove who raised a wing and Sparky who asked, "Um, help with what?"
Dale tried to explain. "Getting together. Hooking up. Becoming a couple."
"And whom are you talking about, if I may ask?"
"Chip and Gadget."
"Okay, that's all I needed to know. Oh, and who do you think shall help them?"
Tammy said, "Well, I thought we could do that. Chipper always says that the Rescue Rangers help those who are in need of help. And these two are in urgent need of help."
"Tammy," Foxglove remarked, "you're talking about matchmaking!"
"Sure I am, Foxy. Do you have a better idea, that is, other than leaving it all to them? I mean, have you raised your wing or not?"
"No better idea. Hey LaWahini, you're the rookie among us, what do you think?"
Having left a life of crime and loneliness behind, the former Hawaiian mouse was eager to do good. "I'm in. So what are we gonna do?"
Zipper reminded the group of the fact that they couldn't plan anything as long as they didn't know yet what Chip and Gadget were planning. They didn't even know when or even if this date was going to happen.
"That's true," Tammy confirmed, "but we can still collect some basic ideas."
"Shush," Foxglove warned, "I hear steps. They're coming back."
Dale gave his girlfriend a peck on the cheek. "What'd we do if we didn't have you an' your hearing, Foxy?" They were the only Rangers in a relationship so far.
"Yes, I can imagine how great she'd be on surveillance." Chip had just entered the room again, and he had heard Dale's words, but nothing before them. And neither did Gadget despite her not quite bat-like, but still excellent hearing.
The topic changed quickly when LaWahini continued the discussion. "So what about your plans for tonight?"
"I take it that was what you were talking about after we left, what to do with an evening when we're not complete," Chip said.
"Um, right."
"Count Gadget and me out. We're on a date, too."
"Really?" Tammy didn't even try to hide her delight.
"Really. Is that a reason to be so excited?"
"Er... well..."
"C'mon, folks. Think twice. You don't wanna throw a party behind my back when Dale and Foxy aren't here, do you?"
Tammy pretended to give in. "Yeah, you're right, it wouldn't be half as much fun without them. And we don't want them to miss anything."
"Don't worry, lass," Monty picked up the acting, "there's always another evenin'."
So did LaWahini. "Aw, what a pity, he has found out about our secret. Sorry, Chip. That was probably something wrong to do on our first day as Rescue Rangers, huh?"
"Probably, yes."
"Mind if I get back to the date? What are you gonna do tonight?"
"Yeah," Dale added, "what if someone comes with a new case while you're away?"
"Well, I must admit that you don't make it easy for me to go at all. But to satisfy your curiosity, and so that you know where we are in case something occurs: We'll leave before sunset, watch the sunset together, and have a dinner at the Infinity."
"Infinity?" The strange name confused LaWahini.
"A restaurant," Foxglove explained. "Dale and I had our first date there, too. I can show you where it is."
"Ah, thanks. Anything else planned, Chip? Gadget?"
The inventor mouse suggested, "I'd love to take a stroll again after dinner."
"That'd mean that we'd have to park the Rangerwing somewhere," Chip said. "But I can't see why not."
Gadget showed a smile. "Thanks, Chip. Come, let's get some more coffee from the kitchen." Upon her command, they got up once more, took the empty coffee pots, and disappeared into Monty's favorite room.
"Chip," Gadget said, "you let them get away with that party idea? They wanted to take the chance when you're not here!"
Chip pulled her close to him and whispered into her ear. "Shhh. Gadget, there have never been any party plans."
"Not?" she whispered back.
"No, that's all a spontaneous fake. They'd never throw a party without us, especially not on their first day."
"But why..."
"They only lured us into telling them what we're doing tonight. As precisely as possible. And they tried to hide their real intentions and some poor acting skills."
"You mean..."
"Gadget, what does the word 'matchmaking' tell you?"
"'Matchmaking?' Gee willikers! And now they know everything about tonight."
"They know absolutely nothing, Gadget. They believe they do, but they don't. Because we're gonna do something different. Listen." Chip told her another plan that was different enough to not give anyone of their old or new teammates any chance to have any influence on it, yet kept them believing that everything was going on as desired, at least in the beginning.
"Sounds good, Chip."
With two filled pots of coffee in their hands, Chip and Gadget came back from the kitchen. "Aw c'mon, Gadget," Chip said out loud, "Why shall I be so strict? We're not the Army. And when they wanna party, I'd love to party with them."