Chapter 9: Saving The Best For Last

The dishes were cleaned up, so were the whole kitchen and the dining-room, and Chip was busy doing the same with the main room. He had to keep himself occupied and his thoughts on something else than Gadget. Yet he didn't work quite fast, he preferred taking some more time for it and not running out of work too early. And still, he finished the main room earlier than he desired.

"What shall I do now?" he asked himself. "I can't just sit here and wait for the date to go ahead. Distraction... I need distraction..."

He went to the controls of the TV, but he stopped before he turned it on. Most of the time when he was watching TV, Gadget was there, too. She had been sitting next to him most of the times, and he began to realize why. He simply dropped himself onto the couch and hoped for an idea of what to do.

"C'mon, Chip, it can't be so hard to find something in here that doesn't remind you of..."

The noises of the door opening got him off his train of thoughts. He actually expected only one of his friends to come, but even though he knew in advance he would regret it, he turned towards the door. As he had expected, it was Gadget who came in.

"Hi Chip," she said with a wonderfully cute smile. Then again, Chip was in a state of mind in which any of Gadget's smiles would have been wonderfully cute.

He pressed his jacket onto his chest as if to hide the thumping of his heart from Gadget's sensitive hearing. "Hi Gadget," he was barely able to pronounce. Noticing the new pair of overalls and the matchbox, he added the question, "Where have you been?"

Gadget tried to avoid telling him about the dress too early. "I... well, I got myself a pair of overalls and..."

Chip had finally found his distraction, at least a bit of it, and that was the curiosity about what else she was carrying around. "What's in the matchbox?"

"Oh... you'll find it out when the time has come, don't worry." Having said this, she disappeared into her room.

'Has she been to a junk yard?' Chip started wondering and thinking about what the contents of the matchbox may be. 'Does it contain some small parts for a new invention? Or does it still contain matches? Then I don't wanna know what she's inventing again... Wait.' His detective sense kicked in. 'She has been to someone who provides rodents with clothes, the overalls are the proof. And matchboxes are often used for... new... dresses... No, Chip, that's nonsense. She'd never wear a dress unless it's a disguise... or would she? She asked me if I minded dressing up, does that mean she's gonna go beyond a flower in her hair?'

Gadget laid the matchbox onto her bed and opened it. She took the dress out of it and placed it next to it, carefully not to ruin it with any wrinkles. But as she did, something slipped out of the dress and fell onto the floor. "What's that?" Gadget picked it up. It was a tiny black box, too small to be human junk. "Has Tanya forgotten it or left it in my dress accidentally?" Still, there was something about this box that was more important than its origin, and that was what was inside.

Fully aware of the fact that as a Rescue Ranger she did not only have friends but also some enemies, she stretched out her arms and held it away, turned the joint between the two halves towards herself, and opened it slowly. No detonation, no gas, no acid. "Gadget," she told herself, "you're overreacting." As the box proved to be harmless, she took a look into the half-open box. Whatever was in it, it was somehow shiny. So she opened the box completely.

On a piece of red velvet lay a golden necklace. A locket was attached to it, and on the locket, there was a tiny ruby which was a thoroughly crafted splinter left from the manufacturing of a human gem. "Golly, this is... beautiful," Gadget said, amazed by the piece of jewelry, and wondering where it came from. At first, she thought it was all a mistake. She had to bring it back the next day. Then she began to remember what she had seen on television and in her dream half a year ago. And she realized that what lay in that box before her was a perfect replica of what Rebecca wore with her dress. "Is it really for me?" It would be the very first piece of jewelry she would wear that was no part of a disguise.

But something else struck her. It seemed as if a piece of paper was hidden under the velvet. Obviously, it didn't entirely fit in there, an edge of it was still visible. Gadget removed first the velvet with the necklace on it and then the paper which she unfolded. It turned out to be a letter written by Tanya.

Dear Gadget,

If everything has worked as desired, you should now be in your room with your Rebecca Cunningham replica dress and uncertain about what to do with the matching necklace. Allow me to reassure you: It is yours, you shall have it. Actually, the necklace was the reason why I let you wait half a year for your dress. The dress was finished after a few weeks, but I knew from the very start that it would take me so long to get the gold, the gem, and have the jewelry made. As I have told you, I always wished to make such a dress one day. And I always knew just as well that it would never be really complete without the necklace.

Keep it, Gadget, and wear it with the dress on your date with Chip.

Yours,

Tanya

"Golly and a half... she wants me to wear it tonight..." She realized what a surprise it would be for Chip to see her in a dress—and wearing that jewel. Even she herself was far from used to it. Nonetheless, she decided not to waste a thought on not wearing either of them. "I'll wear them for Tanya. And I'll wear them for Chip."

Chip was still sitting on the couch and trying to make the idea of Gadget wearing a dress without disguising herself sound plausible. However, he quit when he noticed how the sun wasn't shining as brightly outside as it did a while ago. "Is it already... what time is it?" He took a glance at the local time clock on the wall—and jumped up from the couch. "Half an hour before sunset? We're getting late!"

He rushed downstairs and changed from his hat and bomber jacket into his tuxedo. Despite being in a hurry, he made sure that everything sat as desired, and even checked twice in the bathroom mirror. Satisfied with his looks and certain that he would please Gadget, too, he then went upstairs to her room and knocked on her door. "Gadget, get yourself ready to go, the sun will soon be setting!"

"Okay, Chip," she replied to the excited chipmunk from inside, "just give me a few minutes. Will you wait for me in the main room?"

"Sure I will," he said and went. He went back to the main room, and after he had arrived there, he still went on. He walked in circles until he told himself, "Will you stop now, Chip Maplewood?" He exhaled in a strong sigh. "This is not your first date, so what makes you so excited?" But he knew quite well what it was. This was not his first date, but it was probably his most important date, and he counted on it being his last date, at least the last one with Gadget. Dating her had always been for him looking for a chance to win her heart and to tell her how he felt for her. He knew meanwhile that he had achieved the former, but the latter was one of the greatest tasks he would have to solve in his life. Once that was done, and he hoped that it would be the case on that date, he thought he wouldn't have to go on another nerve-racking date. And even if he failed again, he would quit dating her. Still, a part of him wanted to go on dating her, so quitting would not be as easy as he wished for.

While he stood and stared at the police badge next to the front door, he heard Gadget behind him. "Chip?"

He turned around and was struck by a most incredible sight. There she was, standing in the passage to the other rooms of the Headquarters. He saw the mouse. He saw the dress. Upon a closer look, he saw the jewelry. She had always been beautiful, no matter what she wore. But she had never been that beautiful. He noticed that he was gasping when he tried to speak, and all he was able to pronounce was, "Wow..."

Aware of being looked at by the chipmunk whom she loved so, Gadget couldn't help but blush. "Do you like it?"

"Gadget, it's... you're... I can't even describe it! It's... fantastic!" He walked up to her and offered her his arm. "Ready to go?"

"Ready to go," she replied with a bit of shyness in her voice and hooked onto his arm.

Side by side as long as the alleyways in the Headquarters allowed it, they walked down to the hangar where the Rangerwing was standing and having its batteries recharged. Gadget disconnected the wires, and after opening the hangar door, Chip first pushed the Rangerwing out onto the landing strip, and then he proved what a gentleman he was by helping Gadget onto her seat. He went back to close the door and finally sat down next to his Queen of Hearts.

They exchanged smiles. They knew both what was about to happen now. They were both wishing for something to happen that they had been waiting for for many years. And they felt both that after the events of the past four weeks it was more likely to happen than ever before. All they needed was courage.

"Let's go and watch the sunset now," Chip proposed. Gadget nodded silently and switched on the motors. The Rangerwing hovered up from the landing pad, and when she switched to cruise mode, it made its way out of the tree.

As they flew through the park, they passed by above many rodent couples. There were so many couples that even these two lovebirds in their mechanical bird couldn't overlook them. These couples were walking together, some of them hand in hand, they were hugging or even kissing each other, and some others were even waving up to the Rangerwing.

"Look Chip, they're waving at us," Gadget remarked.

"I'm sure we don't have that many fans," Chip said.

"Maybe they're just happy being together with each other, and they're showing their happiness."

If he was together with Gadget, Chip thought, then he'd rather be alone with her and not disturbed by some flying contraption. Besides, although the weather was perfect, he had never seen so many loving couples in that part of the park before, not even on St. Valentine's Day. Perhaps it had something to do with certain plans of certain friends of his. It would have been a success for them in that case. Because now he desired to be with Gadget even more. All those couples down there gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

After a while of flying, they left the park and landed on top of a taller building. It was no skyscraper, though. Chip would have suggested the Empire State Building if it wasn't way too obvious, a cliché too overdone, and, apart from all that, a bit too far to fly. No, this building was just okay. Both him and Gadget climbed onto the backseat where there were no controls between them. Somehow, they did so unconsciously, just driven by their hearts, because they suddenly noticed where they were both sitting. Anyway, Chip took his chance and carefully laid his arm around Gadget. She let a sigh hear, moved a little bit closer, and put her head onto his shoulder.

It was all almost too wonderful for them. The sunset right before them. Chip feeling Gadget's head on his shoulder, her hair against his cheek, and the desire to snuggle into it. Gadget feeling Chip's arm around her. Both feeling each other's warmth. They forgot about everything else. All the crime they had fought together and they still had to fight. The matchmaking schemes of their teammates. It all didn't matter. All that mattered was them and the sunset.

Gadget felt like telling Chip that she loved him.

Chip felt like telling Gadget that he loved her. Again.

And still, they stayed silent.

"Chip?" Gadget broke the silence after a while.

"Hm?" Chip expected everything from her. Somewhere near the top of his list was her love confession.

"It's wonderful to be with you." That wasn't so far up the list, but nice to hear.

"It's wonderful to be with you, too." His free right hand wanted to hold her left hand.

"Thanks, Chip." Movements on the far side of her body, registered by his left hand, told Chip's subconsciousness what she was doing, that she was moving her hand over to him. And he took it. And they held hands from that moment on.

The time went on as the sun went down. A time in which plenty of chances were given to them to tell each other how they felt. Yet they still didn't.

When only a slight red glow on the horizon was left of a colorful sunset, Gadget lifted her head off Chip's shoulder again. It wasn't before then that they realized they were holding each other's hand. With a just slight hint of awkwardness, they let go of each other and slowly moved onto the front seats again.

Gadget let the Rangerwing take off again. "Chip," she asked, "shall I fly directly to the Morning Sun?"

"No," Chip answered, "let's have some fun with our mates. Fly to the Infinity first, and then take a path to the Morning Sun that they can't follow. They're certainly waiting for us, at least some of them, but I don't want them to find out where we are."

"Okay!"

In their hiding near the Infinity, five Rescue Rangers, two of them being new members of the team, were waiting for Chip and Gadget to come. They were sure that they would come flying in the Rangerwing on such an important date, so apart from looking out, listening to the ambient sounds was necessary, too. And they should not be disappointed.

Foxglove did the listening part. Of all Rangers, she had the best hearing. Suddenly, something caught her attention. "I can hear something buzz... electric motors with ventilators or propellers..."

"Is it them, Foxy?" Dale asked impatiently.

"Wait... yes, it's them!" she whispered, knowing about Gadget's hearing.

"Everyone get ready now," Tammy ordered, whispering, too. She, Dale, Foxglove and Monty hid and watched while Zipper waited for his cue to fly into the restaurant and start the MP3 player.

Like they had expected, the Rangerwing approached. It slowed down as if to hover and land. The waiting Rangers could even get a glance at Gadget's dress. But what they saw next came unexpected. The Rangerwing started to accelerate and climb again. It was out of sight for them soon.

"Zipper," Tammy said, "forget it. They've fooled us. Go and tell Sparky and LaWahini to come here. The operation is canceled."

The fly suggested following Chip and Gadget and see what can still be done.

"Do you know where they're going? Then tell us."

Zipper shrugged. Admitting the matchmaking task force's defeat, he left and flew to the broken-down fountain.

"What's up, Zipper?" LaWahini asked as she saw the fly. "Have they skipped dinner, or are they doing a little flight around the park before it?" As Zipper shook his head, she went on, "So we've got a problem, huh?"

He explained her briefly what had happened and what had not happened.

"That was it, then. Sparky! It's canceled! Let's go back to the others!"

The former lab rat came out through an open hatch. "What do you mean, 'that was it?'"

"They found out about our operation, and now they can be anywhere. It's over. C'mon, let's go."

Sparky was about to go but stopped in the tracks. "I can't leave this unfinished." He went into the hatch once more, the water pumps started, the illumination lit up for the first time in two years, and he came back and joined LaWahini and Zipper on their way back.

Not very far away, four animals of sinister appearance, a cat, a lizard, a mole and a rat, were searching for something—or rather somebody. They had been doing that for some hours, and they were running out of hope.

"Central Park is too big to search for a handful of rodents," Snout complained. "And the darkness doesn't make it easier."

"Shhh!" Wart requested silence. "I believe I hear something."

"Do you think it's them?" Mole asked quietly.

"Most likely," Snout said. "I can hear a strong Australian accent."

Said accent came from a burly mouse from down under. "Crikey, mates, all those preparations were in vain. Ya jes' can't trick a super sleuth like ol' Chipper."

Tammy's disappointment was easy to hear, too. "There's nothing more to do here. Let's go home."

"You ain't goin' nowhere, misssy!" someone suddenly hissed from behind. And a few seconds later, the matchmaking team found themselves caught in a net. Only Zipper managed to squeeze himself through the meshes and flew away. He headed for the Headquarters, the only place where he was sure to meet Chip and Gadget sooner or later.

"Hey Wart," Mepps reminded his reptile partner, "that fly is escaping!"

"Doesssn't matter. We don't have them all anyway. And he'll lead the othersss to usss."