AN- Hey there! It's me, the author. For now, you can call me Mary if you wanna. Not my real name, just my pen name, but Mary it is, if you wanna call me anything. Anywho, so so sorry to my faithful Tintin fans for waiting so long before a post, but I was on a minimum computer usage for the summer. My school is finally back into the swing o' things, so I should be able to update fairly often, in the exception of I got writers block, overloaded with work, or I'm too busy co-authoring a story for DorkyTinselChick- Coming Soon! The title will be The Host Club's Melody, so be sure to look out for the first chapter!

Tintin- With all due respect, I think that your readers want to read this next chapter now.

Me- Hang on a sec, I wanna thank all my new readers and commenters!

Tintin- Well, if you hadn't spent so much time ADVERTISING...

Eleanor- (adjusts glasses) Um, I can thank them for you if you want.

Me- Sure, go ahead.

Eleanor- Thanks to 9764321Poppy Princess123456789, Maddi Paige, Pink-Pencil-Girl303, Flora11, and Daniella the muggle for all your kind words, and a special thank you to kitty-kat-girlyyyxxx for following us. And an extra special thank you to Melody, for posting us.

Tintin- Well said.

Haddock- Hear Hear!

Snowy- Woah!

Haddock- Eh, could I do the disclaimer?

Me- Sure, what the hey.

Haddock- Mary only owns Eleanor, Nattie, and the place this story takes place at... did I say that right?

Tintin- Yes. Can we get on with it?

Me- Finnnne... Enjoy me readers! And only review if you wanna!

Tintin rocked a bit on his feet while he waited for Eleanor outside the entrance.

"I'll be seeing you, Eleanor!"

"Bye, Nattie!"

He heard all of a sudden as Eleanor jogged up to him after parting with a sandy blonde girl.

"Afternoon, Eleanor," Tintin greeted warmly.

"Hello. You wished to take a walk, I believe?"

"Yes, I did. Shall we?"

"After you."

The two started down a sidewalk.

"So, I believe that we have a few things to talk about, Tintin?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes we do, but I still think that we are a little too much out in the open for a private matter. In any case we can hardly decide anything without the participation of the Captain."

"Pardon? Captain?"

"Oh, he's a friend of mine. I met him a time ago and we do most of our adventures together."

"Most of your adventures? You mean you've dealt with this sort of ...uh... circumstances before?"

"Oh, yes. I didn't tell you, I'm a journalist. I have quite a history with this sort of thing."

"Really? So, what did the criminals last night want with you?"

"I caught one of them during a jewelery store heist. They wanted to know how much I knew about them."

"And they were willing to torture you?" Eleanor shuddered. "I'm surprised the police hadn't done more about this. Very unlike them you know. Normally they are very attentive."

"I was wondering about that too," Tintin agreed. "I don't see what they are so ignorant about. Surely this isn't so improbable? I mean, the fact that there was a torturing machine may be unusual for such criminals, but it isn't exactly unlikely." Tintin stopped in front of the hotel he was staying at.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, I shouldn't."

"No, please. The Captain would like to meet you." Tintin insisted.

"Well," Eleanor adjusted her glasses. "Alright."

Tintin grinned and opened the door for her.

"This way," he said, leading the way to his room before opening the door.

"Aye! There you are, laddie!" greeted the Captain in is very gruff, booming voice.

Eleanor jumped and adjusted her glasses as this thick, burly man roughly- but friendlily-shook hands with Tintin.

"Em, hello, Captain," Tintin said as his friend's eyes fell on the rather small looking Eleanor.

"Ehhhhh..."

"Captain, this is a friend of mine-"

"Eleanor," Eleanor said, sticking out her hand.

"I be Captain Haddock. Archibald Haddock," boomed the Captain, taking Eleanor's hand and squeezing and shaking it so hard that Eleanor almost yelped and her entire frame shook.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Eleanor said politely as she adjusted her now especially crooked glasses.

Tintin almost winced. He probably should have warned her about the Captain's 'firm' handshake.

"Pleasure's all mine. Eh, laddie, is this the lass that hay-wired the bucket of bolts last night?" the Captain asked Tintin.

"Yes, she is."

"Handy with a wrench, you say?"

"Yes."

Eleanor blushed a little and slightly bowed her head. The Captain brightened. Anyone who saved Tintin could definitely be a friend of his.

"Well, it's an honor to meet you, lass."

"Thank you, sir." Eleanor smiled. Apparently she did something that this man approved.

Tintin interjected.

"I brought her here so we can plan what to do, Captain. I wouldn't be surprised if someone was spying on her now."

"Why would anyone spy on her?"

"So they could catch her again, alone."

"Why would anyone want her alone?"

Tintin rubbed his forehead.

"Captain, she could be kidnapped again."

"Ohhh..." The Captain grinned, satisfied. Then he frowned. "Why?"

Tintin sighed, exasperatedly.

"Sir, I am very sure they never intended to let me go, so naturally they'd try to get me back," explained Eleanor.

"What makes you think that?"

"Why wouldn't they? I can repair machinery for them, once I was released I could easily alert the police."

"Ohh," Captain Haddock nodded as he understood the situation.

"Well, what are we going to do, then?"

"Trying to figure that out, Captain," said Tintin, tapping his chin. "There may not be a spy in the first place, but if there is, we need to be ready."

"Blistering barnacles, lad. There's no way we can be with her all the time."

"Actually..." Eleanor started in her quiet, thoughtful fashion.

"I think the first step would be to confirm whether or not there is a spy."

The Captain pointed a finger in her direction approvingly. "There you go, lassie!"

She may be a new friend, but he wasn't ready to follow her everywhere for no reason at all.

"And how do we do that?" asked Tintin

Eleanor shrugged.

"Set a trap I suppose. We may even catch the spy and we won't have to worry about it anymore."

Tintin blinked. Set a simple trap, just like that, and he could uncover an entire league of criminals.

"Brilliant.. we could make of dummy of her, set it some place and-" he started.

Eleanor adjusted her glasses and cut him off.

"Pardon me, Tintin, but it just occurred to me. You two are as involved as I am now. You're in just as much danger as I am."

"Chance of danger," Captain corrected.

"Yes, chance of danger. Which makes me wonder why no one caught either of you. Surely you've been alone sometime today. Have you been armed this entire time?"

Upon hearing this, Tintin put his hand to his pocket, where he kept his own handgun.

"Well, yes, actually, now that I think of it."

"And you, sir?" Eleanor asked the Captain.

The Captain thought over his day.

"I' been as vulnerable as a bird sleeping in it's nest," he replied a little sheepishly.

Eleanor looked at Tintin.

"If that is indeed the case, there shouldn't be a spy. At least not yet. Otherwise he would have followed you here and take the Captain, just to get to you unarmed."

Tintin nodded. That was true.

"And no one followed me home last night. Otherwise they'd kidnap me in my sleep," Eleanor added. Tintin furrowed his brow a bit.

"It is unlike such 'sophisticated' criminals to be so slow. What could be keeping them?" he wondered aloud. They all went silent as they pondered this. Suddenly Eleanor blanched.

"Tintin, what if they are more ahead than we think?"

"What do you mean?"

"The policemen did not believe me when I told them what happened. Could they be already involved?"

Tintin's eyes lit up.

"Of course! That's why they didn't believe you. But that still doesn't make sense. Why didn't they capture you when you went to them?"

Eleanor thought a bit.

"Because, I would have disappeared."

"Sorry?"

"If they kidnapped me again, no one would know what happened to me. I have a few good friends where I work. If I didn't turn up the next day they would go to my house to see if I was ill. The crooks didn't want to arouse any suspicion."

"Then how else would they capture you?" the Captain asked.

Eleanor blanched again and adjusted her glasses.

"I think they are planning a trap themselves."

"Thundering typhoons," breathed Captain Haddock.

"What sort of trap do you suppose?" asked Tintin

Eleanor adjusted her glasses.

"I really don't know. Anything that would make it look like I committed some crime," Eleanor shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'm really not a very good detective."

Tintin almost frowned. Not a good detective? She had gotten them this far hadn't she? Eleanor was a better detective than he would have guessed. Tintin would have contradicted her statement, but he didn't want to venture off topic.

"I don't believe there is any reason to panic then," said the Captain, trying but not really succeeding to be helpful.

"Though I would be cautious if I were you, lass."

Eleanor adjusted her glasses.

"I'll be most sure to, sir."

"Laddie, maybe you should walk the lass home. It wouldn't do to have her walk dark streets alone," the Captain suggested to Tintin.

Tintin nodded, then glanced at Eleanor's face for any sign of irritation or discomfort. He knew that in her place he would be most perfectly annoyed to have to have some guard to follow him everywhere. Tintin absently raised his eyebrows when he saw Eleanor looked both pleasant and relieved.

"I'd be glad to," he finally said with a smile. Eleanor returned the smile.

"Thank you very much for having me over."

"Not at all."

Eleanor stuck out her hand again to Captain Haddock.

"It was very nice meeting you," she said pleasantly.

"Likewise, lass."

"Shall we go?" said Tintin, opening the door for her.

Eleanor adjusted her glasses before walking through it.

"Thank you."

Captain Haddock smiled to himself after she left. That girl was nice.

Tintin walked Eleanor to her door.

"Very lovely house," he commented upon seeing her cozy home that Snowy had led him to earlier in the day. It was rather small, but it was a comfortable looking place.

"Oh, thank you."

"Be sure to keep your door locked."

"Indeed."

Tintin gave her a reassuring look.

"Don't worry, we will get to the bottom of this."

Eleanor smiled. "Yes, I think we will."

Tintin nodded fondly.

Eleanor adjusted her glasses and stuck her hand out.

"Goodnight, Tintin."

Tintin shook it. "Goodnight, Eleanor."