DISCLAIMER: I do not own The secret of NIMH, Mrs. Brisby or any other related characters. I own this story and the names given to Mrs. Brisby and Mr. Ages.
Joanna groaned. What did she do last night? Her head felt like as heavy as a stone. She had such a weird dream. She was being chased by Dragon and this courageous, HANDSOME mouse called Jonathan saved her.
Suddenly she heard voices.
"She's waking up, I think." Someone's voice said. It kinda sounded like the one of that handsome mouse in her dreams. Was she still dreaming?
"Yes, I think you're quite right." Another voice said. She knew that one. Although she had met him just a few times, she knew that voice was from Mr. Ages. He was that old mouse that lived alone in the broken down tractor. Why was she here?
"Joanna, can you hear me?" Mr. Ages' voice said.
Joanna opened her eyes, getting blinded by the sudden light. Slowly her eyes got adjusted by the light and she could look around. She was in Mr. Ages home alright.
"W-what happened?" Joanna asked. "W-why am I here?"
"Don't you remember?" the other voice asked. She turned her head to the source of the voice and saw him, Jonathan. Then it all came back to her. Dragon. Jonathan. His daring yet dangerous rescue.
"Jonathan." She cried as she jumped to him, grabbing him in a hug.
"O-o-okay." Jonathan said, not really knowing what to do next. He threw an angry expression at Mr. Ages, who was snickering behind them.
"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome." He whispered back.
"Joanna, WHY were you at the Fitzgibbon house?" Mr. Ages asked sternly. "You know it's dangerous there."
"I know, but I needed some supplies for my new house." Joanna said.
"You finally moved out your Aunts house, have you?" Mr. Ages asked with a smile. "Finally got sick of her constant meddling, did you?
"No, I'm just old enough." She said. "And maybe a bit."
Jonathan gave her a good look. She didn't look much younger than him. Just about the same age.
"Where do you live now, if I may ask." Mr. Ages asked.
"Oh, the concrete block at the edge of the field." Joanna said with a smile.
"I know that place." Mr. Ages said.
"Ahem, Horatio, is Joanna alright now?" Jonathan asked.
"She is 100 percent alright." Mr. Ages said.
"I never knew your name was Horatio, Mr. Ages." Joanna said, suddenly wobbling at her feet. Jonathan quickly gabbed her shoulders, making her blush.
"Maybe 90 or 85 percent, I think." Jonathan said. "Let me escort you home, my fair lady."
"M-maybe that's better." Joanna said with a shy smile.
"You better get going than." Mr. Ages said, pushing them to the door. "C'mon, shoo, shoo."
After Mr. Ages slammed the door behind them, they both burst into laughter.
"O-okay …" Jonathan said, wiping a tear of laughter. "Show me the way to your house."
"O-okay, t-this way." Joanna shyly said. 'This is the first time I bring a man back to my home' she thought to herself. 'Maybe not in the way I'd like it, but it's a start.'
They talked a lot while walking. Well, mostly Joanna was talking. Jonathan tried to hide as much he could from his past in NIMH and the Rats of NIMH. He had to make up most of the stuff, except the stuff from before NIMH.
"And that when I decided it was time to get a place of my own." Joanna finished her story. "Oh, I'm sorry. Normally I don't talk this much."
"Don't be sorry." Jonathan said, smiling softly at her. "I enjoy hearing you talk. You have a really lovely voice."
"Flatterer." Joanna blushed.
"No, I mean it." Jonathan said. "…is this your place?"
"Indeed." Joanna sadly said. She didn't want him to leave, but to ask him in … no, too early. "W-will I see you again."
"I hope so." Jonathan said, putting his paws on her waist.
"Jonathan, your cape …" Joanna said in shock.
"What about it?" Jonathan asked taking his cape from his back. He raised an eyebrow when he saw what happened. The cape was ragged on its end. It seemed that Dragon's claws had gotten closer than he had thought.
"I'm so sorry." Joanna said.
"Hey, you didn't do this." Jonathan said. He looked at the cape for a moment and decided. He threw the red ragged cape over Joanna's shoulders and tied the knot.
"W-what are you doing?" she asked.
"Giving you a present." Jonathan said with a smile. "To remember me by."
Jonathan took a step backwards and gave Joanna a good look. "It really suits you, Joanna."
Joanna blushed, fiddling with the cape. "Thank you, I will treasure it always."
Jonathan noticed that it was getting dark. He had to get back to the Rose Bush. "Well, ahem, I …I better get going." He said, taking another few steps backwards.
"Do you have to?" Joanna asked. "When will I see you again?"
"Soon, I hope." Jonathan said. But he knew it was going to be very unlikely that he would ever see her again in a very long time.
"Okay … until we meet again, Joanna." Jonathan said. He turned around, wanting to walk away. He sighed, spun around and gave Joanna a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he turned around and walked away, leaving a confused Joanna behind.
"Oh my…" Joanna said, blushing. "B-bye, Jonathan."
Jonathan turned around and gave Joanna a last smile and wave, before disappearing in the night.
"Well, you certainly look chipper than when you left." Justin remarked as Jonathan entered through the secret door.
"It was …great." Jonathan said, sadness in his voice.
"Okay, who is she?" Justin asked with a smirk.
"Wha-what do you mean?" Jonathan asked. "Did you spy on me?"
"No, but there's only one thing that can put a man in such a mood, while he was as down as a grumpy old crow just the same morning." Justin said. "The first time you meet the girl of your dreams."
"Is it that obvious?" Jonathan asked.
"It seems that you have found something in the Above that draws you back, isn't it?" Nicodemus, once again walking from the shadows, asked.
"I …I met a girl." Jonathan said. "She was in danger. Dragon was after her and …"
"I know what transpired in the above, young Brisby." Nicodemus said.
"Probably his magic mirror." Justin muttered against Jonathan.
"Indeed." Nicodemus said. "Did you find what you wanted?"
"I …I think I do." Jonathan said. "What should I do?"
"Follow your heart, young friend." Nicodemus said. "I've always known that your place was in the Above, Jonathan. Now you know too."
"But why so sudden?" Jonathan asked. "I…I don't know what I must do."
"What does your heart say, Jon?" Justin asked.
Jonathan smiled. "I know what I must do." Jonathan said.
"Than this is farewell for now, Jonathan Brisby." Nicodemus said, placing his hand on the young mouse's shoulder.
Jonathan grabbed Nicodemus' arm. "If the Rats of NIMH ever need my service, you know where to find me, Nicodemus."
Jonathan turned to Justin. "I'll miss you, my friend." He said.
"And I you." Justin said, hugging his friend. "And now, go. Your girl is waiting for you."
Jonathan ran to the exit and vanished out of sight.
"Nicodemus, do you think we're really going to see Jonathan again?" Justin asked.
"I have a feeling that the part the name Brisby has in our story is not done." Nicodemus said. "And not only Jonathan. I have a feeling that all who carry his name will have a great destiny."
Justin gave his leader a questioning look. "You know something, don't you, Nicodemus?"
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Nicodemus said, walking back to his room. "Only time will tell."
"Always with the riddles." Justin muttered.
"Oh and Justin, about your request for joining the guard." Nicodemus said. "considering it approved. Go to the Captain. He's awaiting you."
"YES!" Justin cheered as he ran through the hall. "Thank you, Nicodemus."
Joanna watched out her window, to the bushes where Jonathan vanished from her sight. Why was her heart beating so fast when she thought of him? Why did her mind kept going back to him, to his eyes, his voice, his …everything?
A knocking on the door woke her from her thoughts.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"It's me!" Jonathan's voice yelled.
Joanna's heart jumped up when she heard the sound of his voice. She ran to the door, fixing herself a bit up before she opened up.
"H-hi, J-Jonathan." She said as she opened the door. "W-what are y-you doing here?"
"I just had to see you again, Joanna." Jonathan said, taking her hands, making her blush. "I couldn't wait for a next time.
"I'm glad you're back." Joanna said. "But shouldn't you be going home?"
"I-I don't have home." Jonathan said; taking a seat on one of the 'chairs' in the house. "Not anymore." He was telling the truth. Before NIMH, he lived somewhere else, but the humans had destroyed it in order to capture him.
"Oh …" Joanna said, not knowing what else to say. "But you don't come from these parts neither, don't you?"
"I don't." Jonathan said. "I've …traveled a lot. Seen a lot of things. Lots of beautiful things, but also a lot of hardship and suffering."
Joanna shivered.
"But I'll spare you those tales." Jonathan said with a smile.
"What will you do now?" Joanna asked, hoping he wouldn't leave to soon. "Go on the road again."
"I'm tired of traveling and searching for thing I don't know I'm searching for." Jonathan said. "I like this place …maybe I found the thing I was searching for. Something's definitely making me want to stay at this place."
Joanna noticed he was smiling at her. She blushed and looked away with a smile. "G-good for you …" she stuttered. "W-where will you sleep?"
"I don't know." Jonathan said. "Maybe Horatio …Mr. Ages will allow me to stay."
"I've been meaning to ask you that." Joanna said. "Where do you know Mr. Ages from? He arrived here a year ago and nothing implied that he knew …or even liked other people."
"He was a friend of my father …before our home was …destroyed." Jonathan said with a sad face. "He tried to a father to me, but that never worked out. We just became friends, like he was with my father"
"I-I h-have a b-better I-idea." Joanna stuttered, building up all the courage she could muster. "Why don't you s-stay ….stay …"
"Stay where?" Jonathan asked with a smile, knowing where she was going.
"with me! I'd like you to stay with me!" Joanna yelled out. She closed her eyes and looked down at the ground, suspecting him to laugh or be offended by the idea.
Here surprise couldn't be greater as Jonathans paw gently lifter her chin up, making her stare into his eyes, and seeing that he was smiling at her.
"I'd be honored, dear Joanna." Jonathan whispered against her.
A thousand butterflies flew around in Joanna's stomach. "G-g-great!" She eageIrly said. "I-I-I'll make a bed for you …a-and then something to eat. You j-just rest."
"Now what kind of a guest would I be if I didn't help with everything?" Jonathan laughed with a smile.
Joanna bit her lower lip and nodded. "If you would be so kind to follow me, I'll show you around."
"Lead the way, my fair lady." Jonathan said with a bow.
Joanna couldn't fall asleep that night. Her thought kept going to Jonathan, who was sleeping in the other room, and kept her awake.
She jumped out of her bed and tiptoed to the chamber where Jonathan was. She carefully peeped inside and smiled as she saw him. He was snoring a bit, but a kind of pleasant snoring. Not like the loud snoring of her Auntie Shrew. She saw that he kept turning and twisting in his sleep, expressions of pain and fear flashing on his face. This man had suffered, she noticed. But she would be there for him, help him forget whatever kind of suffering he had.
She sighed happily. She tiptoed back to her room, where she leaned crawled back into her bed; staring at the ceiling of her concrete house.
"Mrs. Brisby." She said to herself. "I like the sound of that."
The story is not done, if you thought that. There is still a lot to be discovered. How dis the Great Owl know of Jonathan. where did the Stone come from. All will be revealed in the next chapters.
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