"My dress, Fern! My dress!" bawled Muffy. Not wasting a second, Fern shoved the distraught girl into the back of her mother's car, and bounded in after.

"Mom, take us back to Mavis' house!" the poodle girl barked. "And make it snappy!"

"What am I, a yo-yo?" said Mrs. Walters, switching on the motor.

So hasty was their flight from the Crosswire condo that the girls didn't bother to buckle their belts. Muffy wept profusely, wiping her eyes with her fists. "My dress, my dress…he's gonna give my dress to that horrible Mr. Gelt!"

"Buck up, Muffy," said Fern calmly. "There's nothing in the box but one of Mavis' bath towels."

Muffy gaped at her with astonished, tear-filled eyes.

"I made the switch as soon as Mavis took it off," Fern told her. "She was none the wiser. The dress is safely hidden away in the Cutlers' clothes hamper."

"You…you mean…" stammered Muffy, her nose hidden behind a handkerchief.

"When I learned about Gelt and the Mafia, I knew I had to act," said Fern.

"You…saved my dress," said Muffy with relief. "You're a hero. You're my hero."

"It was the least I could…" Before Fern could finish, a pair of grateful arms wrapped around her. Muffy's eyes gushed tears again, not of bitterness, but of joy.

"We're not…out of the woods…yet," said Fern, struggling to breathe against Muffy's tight embrace. "When your dad…finds out…anger…warpath…vengeance…fire mingled with blood…"

"I love you, Fern," said Muffy, smiling from ear to ear. "I love you as much as a girl can love another girl."

"You're…crushing…me," Fern choked out.

Muffy's braids trailed behind her as she rushed eagerly into Mavis' house. "My dress!" she exclaimed happily. "Mydressmydressmydressmydress!"

"Back so soon?" said Mavis, surprised at the girls' rapid entrance. "Did you decide you wanted to listen to my Shakespeare CD's after all?"

"I'd love to," said Fern, "but something tells me we don't have the time."

"Ewww!" she heard Muffy groan from the bathroom. "It's damp! It's stinky! Feeeeern!"

"Relax," said the poodle girl nonchalantly. "It cleans itself, remember?"

The alien dress was stained in a few spots, but still in one piece, much to the relief of Muffy and Fern. "I thought I'd lost you forever," said Muffy, draping the article of clothing from her fingers.

"You still might," said Fern ominously. "We've got to hide it, and hide it good, before your dad catches up with us."

"What's the matter?" Mavis asked them.

"It's Mr. Crosswire," replied Fern. "He wants to give the dress to Gelt."

"Omigosh," said the hamster girl. "Why?"

"Because he's afraid," Muffy chimed in.

"Gelt threatened him," Fern added. "He said he'd have the dress, or he'd have revenge."

"I wish I could help you," said Mavis, "but I'm sure my dad doesn't want the dress in our house, not when the Mafia's looking for it."

Muffy and Fern gazed at each other as if trying to exchange thoughts. "There must be somebody who can help us," mused Muffy, "somebody who would never, ever tell my dad where the dress is hidden."

"I don't know if we can count on my mom," said Fern, glancing out the window at the Walters family car and the impatient mother within.

A light suddenly glowed in Muffy's head. "I know just the person," she declared.

After bidding farewell to Mavis, the two girls hurried back to the waiting car, Muffy's space dress in tow. "Mom," said Fern as she fastened her belt, "you've got to drive us to Crown City. It's an emergency."

"Crown City?" said the peevish poodle woman. "That's more than a hundred miles from here."

As Muffy quickly dialed a number on her phone, Fern tried to bargain with her mother: "Could you drive us halfway to Crown City?"

"No can do," was Mrs. Walters' answer. "By the time we get that far, you'll be up past your bedtime."

"Hi, Odette," said Muffy into her communication device. "Yeah, it's me. Can I talk to your dad?"

"What kind of emergency are you talking about?" Mrs. Walters asked her daughter. "Not a fashion-related emergency, I hope."

"Mr. Cooper?" said Muffy in a chipper tone. "It's me, Muffy Crosswire. I'm in a bit of a bind, and could sure use some legal advice. Can I stop by your place tonight?"

"Mom, this is a matter of life and death," said Fern desperately.

"It's fashion-related, isn't it?" said her mother.

"But, Mr. Cooper, this is very important," Muffy continued. "And you know what else? It's a chance for you to humiliate my father."

"Mom, have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" Fern pleaded.

"Don't bother," said Muffy, placing a hand over her cell phone. "Mr. Cooper's coming here."

To be continued