Chapter 4

"How the heck did Minnie deal with those flower hats?" Mickey asked, himself, the flower sticking out from under his helmet and every once in a while flying in front of his eyes. He quickly reached up and pushed the flower back inside the helmet before turning back to following Pete and Oswald. The two kept disappearing from sight through the blizzard that was rolling in, so Mickey just hoped he wasn't too far behind.

-.-.-.-

"Just make yerself comfy while I tidy up a bit." Pete smiled sweetly before sinking himself through the door that separated the building in half.

Oswald took off his jacket and laid it on the sofa before turning to the window. "Mickey, you better hurry up." Before his eyes the snow piled up as the blizzard moved in. Oswald shook his head and looked around him at the small living space and kitchenette in this half of the cabin. He quickly realized there would be no place for two cats to be hiding and assumed that's what Pete was referring to when he said 'tidy up'. He sat down in defeat and tried to look like he was happy to be there when Pete came back into the room and sat down next to the rabbit.

"There we go, so…" Pete laid a hand on Oswald shoulder only for the rabbit to shiver in both disgust and surprise. "Oh, are you cold?"

"A little." Oswald lied, getting out from under Pete's arm and standing up to put distance between himself and the bear. "Um, I need to use your bathroom."

"Oh, it's just through that door." Pete offered, getting up to throw wood in the fire.

Oswald quickly walked through the door, closing it behind himself and sighing as he leaned against it. He rolled his eyes before pushing himself off the door. "Homer, Mr. Whiskers, where are you." He hissed, opening the first door he saw. "Oh, the bathroom." Closing the door he looked around, trying to find someplace for Pete to have hidden them. A rug laid beside the bed, getting Oswald to look under it for any secret entrance to maybe a basement only for the hard wood floor to continue under it. A crash sounded from above him getting his attention to the ceiling. He looked around for a hatch only to find no way up to the attic.

"Sadie, you ok?" Pete's voice called, getting Oswald to give up his search for a moment as he rushed into the bathroom. Only a second after Oswald had shut the door he heard Pete's footstep and peg leg walk to the door.

"Ya, I'm ok." Oswald tried. "Just give me a minute."

"Ok, I'll go aherd and warm up some ale." Pete said, his peg leg making it obvious he was heading away from the door.

Oswald looked up in relief when his eyes noticed a hatch in the ceiling just over the sink. He quickly took off his heals and hopped up to the sink to pull down the small cord to reveal a short ladder leading to the attic. He pulled himself up to the ladder and climbed up as quietly as he could.

A murmur of muffled voices turned Oswald around as soon as his head appeared over the ceiling floor only to smile at what he saw. Tied up and gaged sat Mr. J.P. Whiskers and his son, Homer. "Man, am I glad to see you!" Oswald whispered, only to stop as Pete's voice boomed up to them.

"Sadie?" Pete's voice asked, almost as if he was starting to realize something wasn't right.

"Coming." Oswald called down in the high pitch voice. He turned back to the two and whispered, "Hang on, I'll get you free once I get rid of him."

Oswald hurried back down the ladder and quickly flushed the toilet to give him some of a sound blanket to cover the sound of the hatch being pushed back into place. Quickly he ran the water in the sink as he put his shoes back on and slowed down his breathing before turning off the faucet and smiled. He opened the door only to look up at Pete's towering form. "Never eat at Sloppy Joes, worst idea ever." Oswald tried, smiling at the bear. "Did you warm up that ale? I could use with something warm inside me."

Pete's hard look softened, just as Oswald hopped, and the bear moved out of the doorway so Oswald could go back into the living room.

-.-.-.-

Mickey slowed down as a cabin came into sight, the smoke rising from its chimney showing someone was inside at the moment. He stopped the snowmobile a few yards from the cabin in a snow covered bush and turned it off before creeping his way towards the window, freezing as he kept most of himself under the snow that was collecting up to the windowsill. Peeking over the edge he saw Oswald and Pete drinking something, Pete laughing as a redness came over Oswald's features.

"That rabbit's crazier than I thought." Mickey mumbled to himself. He looked up and realized he had to get inside somehow. There was no way he was going to survive out in the snow until Oswald did whatever he was planning. Mickey forced his way through the snow to the back of the house and felt around for a back door of some kind only for the back wall to only hold two more windows.

Mickey tried his luck with the first one, trying to shake it enough to unlock it only for nothing to happen. He trudged over to the other window and pushed up, expecting the same only to be surprised as it left his hands and clanged up against the wood frame. Quickly, before Pete could check on the window, Mickey threw himself inside and shut the window behind himself before ducking into the wardrobe in the bedroom. Just as Mickey was shutting the door on himself he heard the door to the room opened and Pete walking around the room to find out what had made the noise.

"Oh come off it Petie." Oswald's high pitched voice said from the doorway. "I didn't hear anything."

"Maybe ye're right." Pete said, marked with a hic. "Where were we?"

The two left the bedroom, letting Mickey able to get out of the wardrobe. He noticed a gum wrapper on the floor by the door and out of curiosity looked at it first only to be glad he did. Picking it up he saw, in Oswald's quick handwriting, "N attic".

Mickey looked up at the ceiling, trying to find where he could get to the attic from where he was only for him to see nothing but flush wood above him. As his eyes trailed the ceiling he noticed, close to the fire place, the wood was starting to rot away. He smiled as he scrambled up to the hearth and pulled away at the wood only to find it raining down on himself. Quickly he created a hole big enough for himself and climbed up the brick to the attic. He pulled a flash light from his jacket pocket and shined it around him only to smile as his light caught two bodies tied together.

Mickey quickly untied the gag around the older cat's mouth before shushing the cat. "Pete's still downstairs."

"Rescued by wimmin." The cat hissed, shaking his head as Mickey hurriedly untied the two.

Mickey shook his head, not bothering to correct the man, and quickly wrapped the ropes into a loop and threw it over his head to carry.

"Howz it goin'?" Oswald's voice asked as a light appeared in the opposite direction from where Mickey had come from.

"How's Pete?" Mickey asked, walking over to the hole only to be surprised it was a hatch into the bathroom.

"Drunk and out cod, hic, cold." Oswald said, squinting his eyes as he looked up at the mouse.

"How many have you had?" Mickey asked, helping Mr. Whiskers to the ladder.

"I losss count after twen'y." Oswald admitted.

"Wait till Ortensia sees you like that!" Homer exclaimed with a laugh as he waited for his father to get off the ladder.

"Shu' up." Oswald growled, helping his father-in-law the best he could.

"Oswald?" Mr. Whiskers asked, looking at the rabbit as he stepped on the floor.

"We'll exchange stories after we git you two to safety and Pete arreded." Oswald hurried, as Mickey followed Homer down the ladder.

"I better tie him up before we go." Mickey said, leaving the room while he pulled the rope off. The three followed him into the living room and saw him tying up the drunken bear. After making sure the bear couldn't leave without taking the sofa with him, the four left for the Mountie Police Station.

AN: Drinking is not bad (as long as you're of age for where you live). Drinking in excess is bad. Drinking to try to get your "friend" KO'ed is worst. Drinking to knock out a criminal is acceptable. Poor Oswald, trying to stay aware enough to get Pete to drink more to knock him out only to end up drunk himself. What he must do to put the bear behind bars.

Oswald: *hic* it's a 'ard life…. BUT someone 'asssta do it!

Mickey: Just hold on to Mr. Whiskers while we drive back to the station, and SHUT UP!

Oswald: But the lights in the skies are sooo perdy! *leaning back as his ears blew behind them in the wind*

Mr. Whiskers: I pray you never get this drunk around my daughter.

Oswald: *leans up to Mr. Whisker's ear* I hate to remind ya, she's my wife too you know.

Homer: Says the rabbit in the dress. I so want a picture of this!

Mickey: I think video'd do you better.

AN: Read and review while the three try and drive back with a drunk Oswald.