Here you go! I give you chapter 12. Well don't just sit there, read!

Flushed Away is owned by (c)Dreamworks & (c)Aardman

Chapter 12: Ambushed

Night time arrived in London, Tabitha, her cousin Nicole and their parents arrived home. When all of the lights were out, the family were fast asleep except Roddy, who was wide awake, sitting on his bed and was deep in thought. Then a creaking sound was made by a slightly opened door, and without a glance Roddy knew someone was coming to him.

"Bob, I know you're trying to cheer me up but please no more fish" said Roddy

"Roddy, it's me" when he heard the unexpected voice, he quickly turned to the door and found Rita entering the room.

"Oh, come in" said Roddy in a gloomy tone. Rita climbed up the table and went in the cage.

"I came to see if you're alright and I'm sorry about before" said Rita "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings"

"I know" said Roddy "and I shouldn't have overreact because of that" Rita looked around Roddy's cage, then she saw a little girl sleeping soundly on her bed.

"This must be Tabitha" said Rita

"Yeah, she's a sweet girl once you get to know her" said Roddy

"She must have taken good care of you"

"Yeah"

"I'm going back to the Dodger, are you coming?"

"It's been a long time I haven't slept here. I'll stay here for the night, I hope you understand"

"I understand, I'll see you tomorrow then"

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight and thank you Roddy" after the both exchanged smiles, Rita left the room and went down the manhole outside the house. When she climbed down half-way to the boat, Sid controlled the mechanical hand and used it to bring her down to the deck.

"Did it all work out?" asked Sid

"Yeah" said Rita

"That's great, but where's Roddy?"

"He's staying there for the night so he'll be here tomorrow"

"I'm glad it all work out. You know Roddy never hated you"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, it's obvious why you two always fight. You know what they say: 'The more you hate, the more you lo--" Sid paused when he realized that he was about to give Rita a clue that Roddy likes her. Sid changed the subject. "Oh, look at the time. I better get to bed now, g'night Rita" Sid panicked as he went below the deck.

"Goodnight Sid" then Rita was alone. She took out a pillow and a blanket and puts them on a sponge for her to sleep. She lay down and closed her eyes, but she wasn't sleepy. Few hours have passed and Rita was still wide awake. She sat up and when she lowered her head down, her attention was caught by the locket she wore. She never had a chance to open it until now. As she opened the locket, a piece of paper was found. She unfolded the paper and reads it.

Rita,

I want you to know that everytime I step in to your house with your loving family in it, that welcoming feeling came into my life, and I realize I was thinking of you. What I'm trying to say is...thank you for everything. You're the greatest. And I hope this necklace will remind you of me, because I'm always by your side no matter what.

Roddy

"He can be too sweet sometimes" she smiled and puts the paper in her pocket. She lay down and soon she was fast asleep, leaving a smile on her face.

Morning came in London, Rita started to woke up by a distress call.

"Help! Someone help!" Rita jumped out from bed and went out the boat. She ran to the next corner and found a tall French rat being attacked by the Toad's henchrats.

"Please don't hurt me, have mercy" begged the French rat

"Tell me where the booty is and we'll beat you up like a scrambled egg" said Spike

"Uh Spike, don't you mean 'or'?" Whitey interrupted

"Ugh, tell me where the booty is or we'll beat you up like a scrambled egg"

"I don't know what you're talking about" said the French rat

"Alright, you ask for it" said Spike about to punch him but he stopped when Rita showed up.

"Hey! Let him go!" yelled Rita

"It's Rita!" said Whitey

"Retreat lads! Retreat!" yelled Spike and all of the henchrats went in to their submarine and submerge from the water.

"That was easy" said Rita and approached the tall rat "Are you alright?"

"Thank you mademoiselle, thank you" said the French rat as he kissed her hand as a sign of appreciation.

"It's no problem at all" said Rita as she secretly wipes her hand at the back of her shirt.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Fromage"

"A pleasure to meet you, well I better be going"

"Oh not yet my little flower, Fromage always pays his debt" he took out a cheese from his bag and gave it to Rita.

"Sorry, but I couldn't"

"Oh come, come now, it's the least I can do after you rescue me from those horrible thieves"

"If you insist, in fact, I'm a little hungry" said Rita and ate the cheese. "This isn't half bad, what kind of cheese is this?"

"It's to die for" said Fromage with an evil grin. Not for long, Rita fell on the ground and was unconscious. He approached to her and took the necklace around her neck. "You're mine now beautiful" he said triumphantly. Then the submarine emerged from the water and came out the henchrats. "That was good acting boys, very good indeed" he said to them.

On the Jammy Dodger II, Sid went out from the hatch and looked for Rita but he couldn't find her anywhere on the boat. Then he heard voices nearby. He went out of the boat and stuck his head out at the corner of the wall and there he found the henchrats and Rita lying unconscious.

"Is she dead?" asked Spike

"Not yet, she will wake up sooner or later" said Fromage "but the poison that I gave her will slowly weakens her body and soon she'll be dead as a doornail" they all laughed menacingly. "And you just wait until the big finale when I bring out the big cheese in the city, they will soon be swimming with the fish. Your amphibian boss may be a fruitcake, but I love his evil plan" they all laughed menacingly but Fat Barry interrupted them.

"But what if one of us accidentally ate the cheese" said Fat Barry

"Barry, you ate the cheese, didn't you?" asked Spike

"A little, I couldn't resist"

"Don't worry my fat friend, drink this antidote and you'll be better in a flash" Fromage gave the vial of antidote to Fat Barry and drank it.

"What should we do with her?" asked Whitey

"I'd say throw her in the rapids!" said Spike

"Very tempting, but it would be better if we bring her along to perish with the others" said Fromage. Whitey carried the unconscious rat and all of them went back to the submarine, heading back to Ratropolis.

"I've got to tell Rodders" Sid rushed to the ladder and climbed out from the manhole. He ran towards the house but a stray cat blocked his way.

"Oi look lads, breakfast has come to us" the cat called out his friends and three more cats appeared. Sid ran away from them, but the cats are chasing after him. He dodged at every pounce the cats made but he made a mistake when he took a left turn that leads to an alley.

"Dead end?" Sid was surprised, he turned back to escape but it was too late. The cats blocked the way and Sid couldn't find a way to escape.

"So lads, which would you like?"

"I'll go for the head"

"I'll take the tail"

"No fair, you ate a tail yesterday"

"That was a squirrel, do you know how much hairball I coughed that time?"

"Hunt now, complain later"

As the cats went closer to the terrified rat, Sid bumped into a trash can and came out another cat.

"Oi, what's going on here?" said the cat

"Oi Bob, you're just in time for breakfast" said the stray cat

"Wait a minute lads, he's with me" Bob went out of the trash can and went in front of his rat friend.

"Bob?" Sid was lucky to found his friend

"Go on lads, find something else to eat" said Bob and the stray cats left them. "Sid, what are you doing in a place like this?"

"No time Bob" said Sid as he climbed up on the cat "We've got to go back to the house and warn Roddy. Rita is in danger"

"Danger? I'm on it!" exclaimed Bob as he rushed back to the house.