A Dilemma On The Trip Home

"Let me collapse, Stan," Alan yawned feeling exhausted. "I need my rest."

"Me too, Melody," Valerie yawned in agreement with Alan. "just let me collapse, please!"

"This is what you get for staying up later than curfew all the time!" Stanley scolded Alan.

"You and Shades need to go to bed earlier! Early to bed, early to rise!" Melody scolded Valerie.

Charlie & Rosa and Alexander came up to the others, Stanley was losing his grip on Alan while Melody was losing her grip on Valerie.

"Somebody help me support Alan," Stanley grunted in pain. "I am losing my grip!"

Henry raced up to Stanley, "I will help you support Alan." he said to him.

"And somebody help me support Valerie," Melody grunted in pain. "I too am losing my grip!"

Alexander raced up to Melody, "I will help you support Valerie." he said to her.

Henry helped Stanley support Alan while Alexander helped Melody support Valerie.

Upon the ship back to the United States in the girls' cabin, Josie tucked Valerie into the bottom bunk where she would be sleeping that night.

"What are we going to do about our practice," Josie asked worriedly. "what are we going to do while our star tambourinist is resting?"

"Look no farther, Josie-kins," Alexandra said. "I will take Valerie's place for the moment."

"Break a leg, girls." Alexander said to Josie & Melody.

"Thanks, Alex." Josie & Melody said in unison.

Alexander then turned to Alexandra, "Don't steal their thunder, Sister Dear, remember, the Pussycats are a team!" he reminded her.

"I wouldn't dream of doing that this time, Brother Dear," Alexandra said. "besides, what are you going to be doing?"

"Alexander," Josie, Melody, and Alexandra heard Valerie shouting out. "stay with me please!"

"I need to stay by Valerie's side," Alexander said. "she needs me."

Meanwhile, in the boys' cabin, Henry tucked Alan into the bottom bunk where he would be sleeping that night.

"What are we going to do about our practice," Henry asked worriedly. "what are we going to do while our star oboist is resting?"

"Look no farther, Henry," someone said. "I will take Shades' place for the moment."

Henry then turned to Alan M. standing in the doorway, "Have you ever played the oboe before?" he reminded him.

"Nope, to be honest, Henry," Alan M. said. "I have never had a lesson in my life, but I'll try my hardest."

"You are super!" Anne exclaimed in a whisper so as to not wake her sleeping twin brother.

"Thanks, Anne," Alan M. said. "besides, what are you going to be doing?"

"Cheetah Cub," Henry, Alan M., and Anne heard Alan shouting out. "stay with me please!"

"I need to stay by Alan's side," Anne said. "he needs me."

Over in the ship's theater, Josie, Alexandra, and Melody began to practice.

Alexandra took Valerie's place as lead vocalist.

Alexandra: Listen to the beat of my heart, babe;

Listen to the song it's singin';

Look what you've done;

You've started bells a ringin';

So glad I've got to know you;

I'll find a way to show you;

I'll love you just a little bit more;

With every beat of my heart;

The very first time I tasted your lovin';

You and me;

We started somethin';

You make me feel like;

I've been dreamin';

Baby, look at the way I'm changin';

My whole life is rearrangin';

Strange that I love you more;

With every bit of my heart;

I can hear my heart now;

Can't you hear it too;

The bells are ringin' baby;

Ringin' just for you;

Josie: Oh;

Alexandra: So glad I've got to know you;

I'll find a way to show you;

I'll love you just a little bit more;

With every beat of my heart;

Come a little bit closer;

Can't you feel my love burnin';

So glad I've got to know you;

I'll find a way to show you;

I'll love you just a little bit more;

With every beat of my heart;

Josie: Oh yeah;

Alexandra: So glad I've got to know you;

I'll find a way to show you;

I'll love you just a little bit more;

With every beat of my heart;

Josie: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah;

Alexandra: So glad I've got to know you;

I'll find a way to show you;

I'll love you just a little bit more;

With every beat of my heart;

Josie: Oh yeah;

Alexandra: So glad I've got to know you;

I'll find a way to show you;

I'll love you just a little bit more;

With every beat of my heart.

Once the Pussycats' practice was over, everyone was clapping but Henry & Alan M. were clapping the hardest.

"You did wonderfully, Alexandra!" Henry & Alan M. exclaimed in unison.

"Thanks, Henry," Alexandra said. "thank you, Alan Dear, now, Alan Dear, it's your turn to wow me on the oboe."

"I'll try, Alexandra." Alan M. said.

Alan M, Tom, Henry, Stanley, and Suzie took their places and began to practice for their gig in Rome Italy.

Stanley & Suzie: Chan;

Henry Chan;

Henry: Anywhere you go;

I'll find you;

Turn around;

I'm right behind you;

How many times;

Must I remind you;

I am a super sleuth.

After the Chan clan's practice, Flip ws still under Alexandra's spell.

"Wow, Josie," Flip sighed dreamily. "you are one out of sight chick!"

"Chief! Earth to Chief," Scooter said to Flip. "come in, Chief!"

Scooter tried snapping his fingers, but he couldn't master it, so Mimi snapped her own fingers and awoke Flip from his trance.

"Who? What? Where am I?" Flip asked.

"Flip Gene Chan! You were caught in a trance!" Suzie laughed.

Flip just blushed scarlet, "I was? How embarrassing!" he exclaimed.

A few hours later, Alexander, Anne, Alan, and Valerie came into the ship's dining room from the boys' cabin and the girls' cabin, Alan & Valerie were both well rested.

"It's supper time." Charlie said to the friendly foursome.

"Awesome," Alexander said. "I'm starving!"

"Me too!" Anne said.

When Stanley saw Alan & Valerie, he laughed out loud, "Here they are now, the Tired Tinkers!" he laughed at Alan & Valerie, teasing them.

"Stanley! You fiend, don't tease us like that! We were doing something very important!" Valerie scolded.

"Ditching practice no doubt!" Stanley said to Valerie & Alan sarcastically.

"You know we'd never do that!" Alan told Stanley in protest.

"Yeah, right, then how come Alan M. & Alexandra had to fill in for you all because you were sleeping?" Stanley asked Alan & Valerie sarcastically.

"Groovy Gears & I were working on something too important to sleep last night." Alan told Stanley.

"Like what exactly?" Stanley asked sarcastically.

"We are inventing lie detector that tells if a person's lying just by their tone of voice, there really is no need to hook them up to the machine!" Valerie answered Stanley.

"Oh sure." Stanley said sarcastically.

"Lying! Lying! Lying!" the lie detector said in it robotic voice to Stanley.

"Unfortunately," Alan said. "Groovy Gears & I have a few kinks to fix tonight!"

"Oh no you don't, Alan Joseph Chan," Suzie scolded. "both you and Valerie are going to have an early night tonight!"

Everyone had to laugh.

A few weeks after returning to her home in Sacramento, Valerie was busy reorganizing her toolbox.