Thanks to Skullgal94 for reviewing!
A few moments later, out on the street, after Olivia, Dawson, and Veronica had caught up, Toby was busy sniffing the street. He gave a sudden howl, and then broke into a run. Olivia was holding onto Basil's waist at Toby's collar, while Veronica was riding in front of Basil, his arms on either side of her.
"The thrill of the hunt, eh, Dawson?" Basil called out to Dawson, who was currently clinging to Toby's tail.
"Q-Q-Quite," Dawson said.
"Our peg-legged quarry can't be far now," Basil called.
Soon enough, they arrived at a toy shop as Toby howled again. Basil was the first to jump off of Toby's muzzle onto a window ledge.
"Splendid job, Toby!" Basil said.
Olivia stood on Toby's muzzle and held her arms out to Basil, who gave her a look of annoyance, but held his arms out to her. She jumped and he caught her and set her down, nudging her forward.
"Do you need any help?" Basil said.
"No thanks," Veronica said. "I can manage. I'm a tough girl. I tie my own corset and everything."
But, as she jumped off, she came up short and Basil caught her. It was only when Basil had pulled her up that they both noticed their proximity to each other. They were so close to each other that it seemed like no body part of theirs wasn't touching the other's and their lips were inches away from each other.
Veronica smiled and laughed sheepishly, as she patted his shoulders patronizingly and said, with a blush, "Sorry, guess I did need that help after all."
Meanwhile, as Dawson was moving to get off of Toby, Toby began to growl at him again. Dawson tipped his hat and was about to jump off, but Toby deliberately sneezed, sending Dawson tumbling head over heels, before he hit Basil. Veronica stifled a giggle, as Basil looked down at Dawson, before he turned to Toby.
"Now, Toby, sit," Basil said. Toby remained standing and Basil marched back down the window sill and stood in front of Toby. "Toby, sit," Basil said.
"Sit, Toby," Olivia and Veronica said, and Toby obeyed, causing Basil to stare incredulously at Olivia and Veronica, and Veronica just smiled and shrugged.
"Good boy," Basil said, before he moved past Olivia and Veronica. "If you'll excuse me."
As Veronica followed, she could hear Olivia saying to Toby, "You be good now. We're going to find my father."
Basil was humming to himself, as he inspected the ledge and the window, before he saw a tiny hole in the center of the round window and pointed at it triumphantly.
"Aha! Here is our friend's entrance," Basil said.
"But, Basil," Dawson said, "how could he fit through such a tiny-"
Veronica sighed and shook her head, as she thought to herself, Even a monkey would know how he could fit in there.
She cut him off by taking his hand and saying, "Like this, Doctor."
She stuck one of his fingers into the hole and Basil stared at her, impressed, as Dawson pulled his hand back, taking the window with him and creating an effective door.
"Veronica, you impress me," Basil complimented.
"One of the many advantages of having the World's Greatest Criminal Mind for your boss," Veronica said, with a smirk.
Basil shushed her and climbed in first, followed by Veronica, Olivia, and Dawson. After getting inside, Dawson closed the window. As they walked through the store, Dawson didn't look where he was going before he bumped into something.
"Ooh! I beg your pardon," Dawson began. "I-"
Dawson stopped when he saw what he had bumped into: a huge doll.
"Oh my," Dawson said, as he and Olivia looked around. "Upon my word, I've never seen so many toys."
Basil darted out from behind the doll's leg, as he said, "Behind any of which could lurk a bloodthirsty assassin. So, please, Doctor, be very careful."
As Basil stealthily moved between the toys and through shadows, Olivia, Dawson, and Veronica stayed close behind. The four mice climbed up a ladder, leading to a higher shelf. Basil, Veronica, and Dawson crept down the shelf. Suddenly, there was a loud crashing noise behind them, causing them to jump out of their fur, and Dawson jumped into Basil's arms, while Veronica whirled around, whipping out her dagger, as Basil and Dawson also turned around. The source of the noise was actually a toy music box that Olivia had turned on and watched as the noisy fireman band played.
"Oh! What the…" Basil said. "Ooh!"
Utterly annoyed, Basil dropped Dawson and leapt for the control lever, shutting the toy off.
"Don't. Touch. Anything." Veronica whispered sternly to Olivia. "We're trying to find that peg-legged bat."
Basil looked at Veronica, grateful for her help, before he said to Olivia, intensely and quietly, "Please! Quiet!" He then turned to Dawson and said, "Don't let this girl out of your sight."
Dawson stood to attention and saluted Basil, as he walked past, before he glanced over at Olivia, who was giving a playful salute of her own.
"Now, Olivia, dear, stay close," Dawson said, taking her hand.
As the four walked across a chessboard, Basil paused by the rook.
"Hmm," he said, before he moved the rook over one space. "Checkmate." But then, he spotted something and said, "Aha!" He held out his magnifying glass to his eye, staring at a set of odd footprints. "Evidence of our peg-legged adversary."
Basil followed the footprints, stopping at rows of naked toy soldiers.
"Hmm…how very odd," Basil said.
"What is it, Basil?" asked Dawson.
"Isn't it painfully obvious, Doctor?" Basil said. "These dolls have been stripped of their uniforms. And not by any child, either." He and Olivia looked at each other, as they both examined the footprints, before Basil looked over his shoulder, seeing more evidence. "Hello," Basil said, as he looked around the insides of mechanical toys, where all the gears were missing. "Someone has taken the liberty of removing the clockwork mechanisms from these toys."
Dawson picked up a list and said, "Basil."
"Please, I'm trying to concentrate," Basil said.
"But, Basil, I-I," Dawson began.
Suddenly, the toy store seemed to come to life and as Basil, Dawson, and Veronica watched, neither of them noticed Olivia sneak off, until Veronica turned and saw her walking away. She snuck off after her and it was only when she came around the corner that she heard Olivia scream, as did Basil and Dawson.
"Olivia!" Dawson shouted.
Veronica ran out of her hiding place, pulling her dagger out once more, knowing this time she was gonna need it, and saw Fidget throw Olivia into a bag, as he said, "Gotcha!"
But then, Veronica caught him by his peg leg and said, "Hello, Fidget. Remember me?"
"Get off, Thompson," Fidget yelled, but Veronica refused to let go, until he whipped out a knife and stabbed her in the side, before he grabbed the bag and dashed off, but Veronica pulled the knife out of her side and, holding her side in one hand while the other held her dagger, caught up with Basil and Dawson.
"Quickly," Basil shouted.
He and Veronica disappeared behind a book, until Veronica yelled, "Look out!"
The pair quickly changed directions and Dawson followed, as a large Ferris wheel toy rolled towards them.
Now, it was Basil's turn to yell, "Look out!" as he and Dawson leapt out of the way and Basil quickly pulled Veronica out of the way and the three jumped onto an Around the World path toy.
A large doll began to fall right towards them and Veronica yelled, "Run!"
The trio began to run for their lives, but the paper path moved along their feet. Just as the doll was about to crush them, they reached the end of the path and jumped off, as the doll broke. Basil rushed past Veronica and Dawson, but Fidget wound up a toy jouster. Basil leapt onto a trumpet, while Veronica leapt out of the way and the jousting spear got Dawson by his coat and pinned him to a dartboard.
Basil looked behind him, only for two cymbals to smack him in the face, from the fireman band music box, which had started up again. A dazed Basil stumbled about, before he fell over on a pile of marbles, several of which flew towards Dawson and one hit him.
Basil regained consciousness and began to chase after Fidget again, jumping onto a spring horse, using it to jump from shelf to shelf, while Veronica hurried over to Dawson to help him down.
"Stop, you fiend!" Basil yelled.
Once he reached the top shelf, he fell off the horse at the base of a large pyramid of building blocks. Basil began trying to climb to the top, but Fidget jumped up and the blocks tumbled and fell taking Basil with them.
A few seconds later, after Veronica had freed Dawson, the two began to look for Basil.
"Basil! Basil!" Dawson called out.
The two mice heard the sound of a doll saying 'Mama' repeatedly, before they pushed aside a small boat and drum and found Basil tangled up in the pull string of the doll, as he was furiously trying to untie himself.
"Basil!" Dawson said. "Olivia…she's…"
"She's gone, Dawson!" Basil yelled. "Confound it! I told you to watch over the girl." He managed to untie the string and fell to the ground, before he said, "Now, she's been spirited away by that maniacal little monster. Soon to be in the clutches of the most depraved minds in all London! I should have known better than to…" But then he trailed off, as he noticed Dawson simply standing there, his back turned and his head hanging sadly, and Veronica gently resting her hand on his shoulder, and Basil couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy, much to his surprise, as he had never been in love before, as he watched and said, "Than to…Um, eh, Dawson? Dawson?" He was starting to get concerned. "I say, Dawson, old chap?"
Dawson sadly wiped his face, as he said, "Oh, ah, poor girl. I should have watched her more closely."
Basil felt bad, realizing that he had gone on and on about how the case had turned out, not even taking Dawson's feelings into consideration, as he said, "Don't worry, old fellow. It's not entirely hopeless." Dawson said nothing, but looked at Basil, as Basil added, "We'll get her back."
"Do-Do you think there's a chance?" asked Dawson.
Veronica sighed, as she said, "How could there not be?"
Basil lit his pipe and said, "There's always a chance, Doctor, as long as one can think."
He began to pace around the room and Dawson sighed, as he put his hands in his pockets. But then, he looked puzzled as he pulled out the list.
"'Get the following,'" Dawson read. "'Tools, gears…'"
That caught Basil's attention.
"What?" Basil said, as he turned around.
"'Girl, unif-'" Dawson read, before Basil took the list.
"Dawson, you've done it!" Basil exclaimed. "This list is precisely what we need.
"What?" Dawson said.
Basil put his deerstalker cap on, as he rushed to the window and said, "Quickly, back to Baker Street!"
"Yes," Veronica agreed, as she hurried after him. "Back to-" But suddenly, she grabbed her side in pain and yelled, "Ow!"
Hearing Veronica cry out in pain, he turned and said to her in concern, "Veronica? What's wrong?"
Veronica said nothing, but slowly drew her hand away from her side, all covered in blood.
"Damn Fidget," She said. "I think we'll have something else to take care of once we return to Baker Street."