A. N: This is a day belated birthday present for a dear friend of mine. It took awhile to crank out because my brain kept on making last minute decisions as I'm typing.

Other than that, this is a story bit from the same story as the one with Fluffy the sabertooth tiger. This is kind of the first chapter, but not, because this is a different way I would have taken it. So when I do write the full story, not all of this will be in that actual first chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mickey, Minnie or Chief O'Hara, but I do own The Ace of Spades and Alfonzo T. Gato.

Mickey was actually surprised to find Minnie come knocking on his doorstep. He was surprised because he hadn't seen her in a while since she was always so busy with her Bowtique. He had tried calling her for dates every other day at first, but then it became obvious that she was just too busy since she never returned his calls. Well, that is to say she did return one of his calls, but again it was basically her saying she was simply too busy trying to get the bow business off the ground and attempt to get into high society. So, Mickey gave up, he didn't even visit her at the shop in person because he didn't want to be a bother since she was so busy.

In a small sense, they mutually put each other on the back burner, as Mickey decided to become preoccupied with plenty of adventures to go around, he did return home every so often, but eventually his adventuring came to an abrupt stop after coming home only to find that the tabloids were going bonkers over Minnie. More specifically, over the supposed separation of the two mice since there were pictures of Minnie with a handsome cat billionaire in just about every gossip paper posted in Mouseton. According to Police Chief O'Hara, it was so shocking to the tabloids that it almost hit local news, but thankfully the police put a stop to that since it really wasn't anyone's business. Although it didn't stop the printed tabloids from speculating.

Even Mickey knew better than to jump to conclusions. He had recalled on his last conversation with Minnie, and remembered that she was trying to get the bow business into high society. Well there it was standing next to her in all the pictures the paparazzi managed to get without getting caught. Minnie was a business woman now, so naturally she'd be looking for business allies and associates, and apparently she found one in Alfonzo T. Gato, which was the name of said handsome cat billionaire.

Mickey didn't mind. Truly he didn't, as she's done this sort of thing before the last time the two of them had mutually lost interest in each other back in the fifties. At the time they were both dating someone else, Mickey was dating a girl named Ingrid and Minnie was dating some international movie star. Both mice were actually dumped in those relationships. For Mickey, Ingrid was suddenly getting married to some other guy and for Minnie, her movie star boyfriend had to go shoot a movie overseas and probably would never come by Mouseton again, but at least he said he'd enjoyed his time with her while it lasted and he politely said goodbye. Mickey and Minnie accidentally met up at malt shop (remember this was the fifties) and got back together again of course.

However, this situation was far different from that one in the distant past, and not just because Mickey wasn't "being seen with anyone," but... just because it was business as usual, and the tabloids were having a field day coming up with their own conclusions. Keep in mind that Mickey was being forced to keep tabs on the tabloids because every time he went down to the station to see if there was a case he could work on, there would be officers who actually read the tabloids for amusement on their breaks and would fill him in. Anyway, the pictures of the two were only there because they were extremely casual business meetings. Alfonzo was crossing the line of professionalism, since these meetings really did look like they were going on dates, hence why there was so much buzz about it. That, and whoever was writing the articles had clearly followed Alfonzo's every move probably since the day he was born, as at least half of them went on in some kind of excitement about how Alfonzo had finally found "The One" and that the "Public" was anxiously waiting for the proposal.

Normally this would upset Mickey enough to have a huge fit of jealousy, a fit that would lead him to finding out where the feline lived and punch his lights out, not caring that he'd get sued for all he was worth. However, he wasn't upset, and he was uncharacteristically not even feeling the slightest twinge of jealousy. Of course it was probably because he was the only one who noticed that in every single picture that was discreetly taken of Minnie and Alfonzo, Minnie's smile wasn't genuine. It was a cheerleader smile through and through, but only Mickey noticed it. He knew what a real smile from her looked like, he should anyway, since he's known her for far longer than Alfonzo has, and time was all Mickey needed to be one step ahead of the cat.

The main problem with it all is that the tabloids wouldn't stay off of the subject and this went on for about two months until we come to where we are today. In which Mickey was still stunned stupid when he opened his door to find Minnie there on his doorstep. She was in a simple yet formal looking summery yellow dress, but more importantly she had tears in her eyes. Then she suddenly flung herself into his arms as she cried his name and sobbed into his shoulder. It took a great deal of Mickey's willpower to not act on instinct and ask if Alfonzo had done something to upset her. He knew he couldn't jump to conclusions like that, not right now, as it was too delicate of a situation. He had to act natural, like he didn't know anything about her business affairs. He'd only touch the subject of she did, as he casually flipped through the calendar on the wall to his right, shutting the door with his foot while he was at it.

"Let's see...Our anniversary of our very first date is still plenty of months away, it ain't an important holiday and it ain't yer birthday nor mine. Yet yer wearin' an awful formal lookin' dress that makes me feel like I should be in a tuxedo right now, even though I know we haven't made any plans, 'cause we haven't talked in a long time." The girl in his arms sobbed louder into his shoulder as she hugged him tighter, clearly sorry for putting him on hold for so long. However, he could tell her sobs held a deeper meaning behind them otherwise, why else would she be here?

"I know...and I'm sorry...for not...keeping in touch...and I'm sorry this is so sudden...but I...I..." Whatever it was that she wanted to ask him, her hesitance made it obvious that she decided to change her mind last minute. "Is it alright...if I spend the night...here with you? I'd rather...spend my time...with you...than do what I...should be doing for the sake of the Bowtique." She sniffled, hesitating on the last part for a good reason. A reason Mickey just figured out on his own, but he wouldn't press her on it unless she wanted to talk about it. He also mentally pat himself on the back for listening to common sense and not jumping to conclusions that would lead him to be angry enough to actually punch that billionaire's lights out and still not care that he'd be sued for all he was worth, though the crime would be worth it, to extract revenge for making Minnie cry that is.

"Of course ya can spend the night here, yer the only one who uses my guest bedroom anymore anyways. Besides we have quite a few months to catch up on, don't we?" He said warmly, this seemed to calm her down greatly as she began to compose herself. Mickey almost added that he was mentally laughing at the fact that their time apart was all on her part this time instead of him because he was on an adventure or something, but he decided against it since she was wallowing in enough shame as it is. She didn't need any more weight on her shoulders.

"Thank you so much, Mickey. You're the best." She said sincerely as she pulled away a little to look him in the eyes.

"Anytime, Min. Ya know I'll always be here fer ya." He replied sweetly, looking back into those big warm brown eyes of hers, as he wiped away her tears and running mascara. Then she remembered his little quip about it being a few months since they'd last seen each other, quite literally actually, and new tears started forming. She hid her face in his shoulder again starting to sob once more, hysterically this time, as even her voice came out in a shrill.

"HAS IT REALLY BEEN MONTHS?!" Mickey kept petting the back of her head in an effort to calm her down, and lightly kissing the side of her head to show he didn't hold anything against her.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh. Yeah, it's been a few months. Five months and ten days ta be exact, but it's okay, Minnie. We both needed time away from each other. Just took longer than usual is all." He said soothingly. She nodded against his body in agreement, but they both knew that wasn't all that she was crying about. Slowly but surely she managed to compose herself again, which took a great deal of soothing and comforting words from Mickey. Nestling her head in the crook of his neck also helped greatly, as she relished in his natural musk, ooh he smelled good. She missed that about him, but she hadn't realized that until now.

Unfortunately as much as Mickey wanted to avoid the Alfonzo topic for both of their sakes, he knew he had no choice but to bring it up. Mostly because her dress was so formal as simple, summery, and yellow as it was, that Mickey felt extremely out of place in his own house and casual attire. Piecing together her formal attire, her hesitance on what she really wanted to ask, and her last minute decision on asking to spend the night here, he came up with a conclusion on what her case may be and had to voice it. "Ya haven't called him ta cancel his dinner plans yet have ya?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Shocked that he figured her out so quickly, she pulled away a little bit. "How did you-?"

"Ya wouldn't be all dolled up out of the blue if it were meant fer me, Minnie. It's either he invited ya ta dinner at his place and ya wanted ta bring me along as yer little bodyguard, not that I would've minded. Or, he invited ya ta dinner at some swanky restaurant an' yer scared he was gonna propose ta ya." Mickey explained his theories with a straight face. Minnie didn't see a trace of jealousy on him at all.

"Yes to the former and the proposal part of the latter," Minnie admitted reluctantly. Her guilt started to eat away at her in full swing, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing yet again. Mickey saw them and immediately hugged her against him, offering words of comfort.

"Hey,hey, it's okay, Min. I'm not mad at ya fer any of this. He's crossed the line of professionalism one too many times, it ain't yer fault. Yer only fault is being the one ta put our relationship on the back burner this time, instead of it being me just 'cause I'm on an adventure, an' that makes... Well, I guess it makes us even. C'mon, how 'bout we talk about this on the couch, huh?" He said gently. She nodded against his chest and let him lead her to the loveseat couch. She stayed curled up against him by sitting in his lap with her legs to one side of him, and while this certainly surprised Mickey he didn't complain. It was just that it had been so long since he felt her this close to him. It felt nice, he missed her touch, but he couldn't dwell on that right now as he had to focus on making her happy and see that real genuine smile again.

"You're...really not mad?" She sniffled. She has neglected him before in an effort to make him jealous, and that was when she was "dating" Mortimer Rodawn (spelled Rodent, but pronounced Rodawn), that plan only backfired because Mickey got clever and fired the envy fest right back at her with a female cousin of his, who she didn't know at the time. But Minnie treated Mickey like dirt during that whole fiasco (thankfully Rodawn was a fraud and Mickey found out and gave him the boot in the most clever of ways-a singing telegram), still she had no idea how Mickey could forgive her after that.

" 'Course not, Minnie. If I was I would've...well, never ya mind what I woulda done, all ya need ta know is that it wouldn't be directed at you, it'd be directed at him." This made Minnie feel much better, so much better that she couldn't help but point out something.

"Is that a hint of jealousy I hear?" She chuckled with a sly grin. While she would never admit it, Minnie did always find it flattering whenever Mickey was a little jealous of any man vying for her attention. In fact she would have actually preferred Mickey at his worst in a fit of jealousy toward Alfonzo this time. Whenever she had to meet up with Alfonzo for a "business meeting" she half anticipated for Mickey to just walk by and hit Alfonzo upside the head for being so informal with these meetings.

"Maybe, but then, I'd be fibbing if I said it wasn't. Really though, its a surprise even ta me that I wasn't all that jealous this time. Though, yer cheerleader smiles in each an' every one of the pictures in the tabloids certainly helped. An' mind ya I was forced ta keep tabs on them gossip papers by everyone down at the station!" Mickey explained that last part quickly to get his point across in time so that she wouldn't jump to conclusions.

"They really made you read them?" She asked in shocked disbelief.

"Well, they naturally started getting suspicious of Alfonzo's intentions with ya once it became obvious that the tabloids weren't gonna get off the subject anytime soon. Heck, even the Chief asked me to go an' ask ya how serious yer relationship with him was...obviously I never did, 'cause it ain't none of my business and it ain't none of theirs." Minnie gave him a peck on the cheek at how sweet he was. It sent pleasurable shivers down Mickey's spine, after all it was the first time in a long while since she's kissed him.

"Thank you for your consideration." She said sweetly.

"Yer welcome, Min. I honestly didn't want ta have anything ta do with any of it...But these days...it's startin' ta look like I don't have much of a choice anymore." He admitted with hints of regret, even his ears started drooping.

"Whaddaya mean?" Minnie asked curiously.

"The fella that works missing persons' cases down at the station found that five people went missing sometime after working with Alfonzo. After doing a little more research, five turned into thirty, and at that rate, who knows how many others there are that haven't been reported…. The scary thing is most of them were women. Now mind ya as far as I know those are just rumors goin' around the station so don't hold me to it. I'm just warnin' ya ta be careful around him from now on okay?" Minnie nodded. "Good, now are ya gonna call him ta cancel or not? I ain't makin' dinner 'til ya do."

"Fine, I suppose it would be best if I call him instead of him calling me only to find I'm canceling last minute." Minnie said while rolling her eyes. Then she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Alfonzo's number, not minding Mickey being there to listen in on the short phone conversation. Mickey on the other hand was not as comfortable as she was since he still didn't want to have anything to do with the feline billionaire. Minnie stopped him before he could even try to get up or move away by pinning him to the couch with her hand to his chest.

Three rings and Alfonzo picked up with a worried tone before Minnie could even say hello. "Minnie dear! Are you alright?"

The volume on Minnie's cell phone was pretty high, so Mickey could hear him too and merely raised his non-existent eyebrows while keeping quiet.

"Yes I'm fine, and I'm sorry this is so last minute, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make tonight's meeting. Is it alright if we reschedule?" Even while on the phone she was giving a cheerleader smile while her voice played out the part. She could've won an award for her performance.

"Of course, as long as you're not injured or anything. I'll call you tomorrow to let you know when the next best day for a meeting is, alright?" He said in the sincerest of tones. Mickey couldn't tell if his sincerity was genuine or not. It sounded real enough, but he'd have to meet the guy in person in order to make a rightful judgment.

"Thanks for worrying, but I'm really a-okay, and thank you so much for rescheduling. It's just that some family matters came up that I must attend to." Minnie replied with a glance at Mickey when she said 'family matters.'

"I understand, family is more important than business. I'll let you go to attend to your family matters, Minnie darling. Au revoir, Ma chéri!"

"Thank you. Bye–bye!" Click. Minnie hung up and looked at Mickey and she found him biting his lip, most likely to resist from laughing.

"Family is more important than business," Mickey mocked Alfonzo's British accent with a snarky one of his own. "While the phrase itself is true, he was lying about it."

"And just how could you tell?" Minnie asked skeptically.

"I didn't have ta actually, I just know because he's a little brother ta someone we know…The Ace of Spades." Mickey announced with a sly grin.

"What?!"Minnie asked in disbelief. "Spade? Our Spade? That international hussy of a jewel thief who flirts with you every chance she gets? That Ace of Spades?"

"Yep, she's his older twin sister, and therefore Alfonzo's got little brother issues. Anything expensive he does, is compensation for his sister's equally expensive and destructive actions." He explained with that grin still plastered to his face. "Of course he might be compensating for something else too but that's beside the point." Then he remembered a little detail that needed attention about her phone conversation. "Now while I'm flattered that I was alluded ta as a family matter, there's still the matter of you being on first name basis with pet names on the side." He said with an even tone to keep Minnie from guessing his emotions correctly, but she did anyway.

"It's only on his end. I don't call him by any pet names." She soothed.

"Good, but yer still accidentally leading him on. Just like ya did with Mr. Slicker oh-so many years ago." Mickey deadpanned with amusement on his face.

"Hence why I was worried that he'd propose if I had gone to that meeting." Minnie retorted right back.

"He doesn't have the right ta unless he's kissed ya a years' worth of kisses…Or in our case…Make him try ta beat my record at how many times I've kissed ya," he replied mischievously, and to prove his point, he leaned in to kiss her.

Then the power went out.

"Aw, fer gosh sakes that's the third time this week!" Mickey groaned in annoyance. It actually took Minnie a second or two to realize he didn't mean being interrupted from kissing, but just to make sure…

"Of blackouts?" She was still able to make out his form in the darkness as her natural night vision was kicking in.

"Yep, had one the other day and the day before that." He explained. Then he turned his head to the side, put two fingers to his mouth and gave a whistle. "Pluto! C'mere, boy!"

Pluto barked a couple of times and the sound of heavy paws on hardwood floors heading toward them were heard. Then a glowing green collar appeared, and since the mice had complete night vision by now, could see the pooch the collar was attached to.

"Ooh, a glow-in-the-dark collar! You look very stylish in it, Pluto!" Minnie complemented sweetly. Pluto made a proud sounding bark and puffed up his chest. "That's very clever, Mickey."

"Ha-huh! I thought ya might like that. Had ta get it fer 'im so's I don't accidentally trip on 'im as I'm stumbling about in the dark." He actually had during one of the two earlier times, but he wasn't going to tell her that. "Alright, might as well go an' make dinner. Looks like it's gonna be a mac and cheese night, since I'm lucky enough ta have a gas stove." He said as they got up and off the couch together. "Ya don't mind mac and cheese for dinner tonight do ya?"

"Nope, that's perfectly fine. It's better than what I imagine Alfonzo would have served me." She replied with a lighthearted chuckle. Mickey couldn't help but chuckle knowing what she was thinking, coming from a cat up in high society.

"Caviar?" He had to ask.

"That's what I was thinking." She admitted sheepishly. "With little tiny chips to scoop it up in."

"Yucka!" Mickey made a gagging sound, and then they both chuckled at the thought. Then he held Minnie's hand he held onto Pluto's glowing collar with his free one. "Alright, Pluto. To the kitchen!" Pluto led the two mice safely into the kitchen without bumping into anything. Mickey then fished around the kitchen drawers for a flashlight, and when he found it, he used it to find some candles to light the room and the dining table with.

Once he managed all that, Mickey and Minnie talked for a little while as Mickey made dinner, they had a lot to catch up on after all. Once dinner was ready, something Minnie had said earlier had popped into Mickey's head, and he couldn't help but voice it since it was a flattering thought.

"D'ya still think spending the evening with me was a better decision than goin' ta that meeting fer the sake of the Bowtique?"

"Of course." She didn't hesitate on answering. "And if I were to make that decision again, I would."

"But ya still have ta go ta that meeting sometime. Ya can't come runnin' ta me ta hide forever."

"I know, that's why I want you to come with me for that rescheduled meeting. Please?" She looked pleadingly into his eyes. Mickey reached his hand across the table to hold one of hers.

"For you, anything. So of course I'll come with. Already said so didn't I?" He replied sincerely with a mischievous wink. Minnie chuckled.

"Yes, you did, and I thank you anyway." She said sweetly.

"See? Nothin' ta worry about." Mickey said cheerfully.

After dinner, both mice were equally tired, and decided to turn in for the night and thankfully the power came back on, much to Mickey's annoyance of its timing. That's when Minnie remembered her own personal situation.

"Oh my goodness! I forgot to go get an extra set of clothes for tomorrow." She did decide to do this last minute, and that's her own darn fault. Luckily for her Mickey tends to plan ahead on certain things when he's bored.

"No need, Min. I gotchya covered. As I said, yer the only one who uses the guest bedroom anymore. So I decided to just go ahead and deck it all out especially fer you. I got ya new dresses, pajamas, shoes, the whole shabang." Mickey explained as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Mickey, you didn't have to do that." She said, flattered and shocked all at the same time.

"Wanted to, plus I was bored. I also kinda had a feeling you'd get stressed from everything going on lately, so I planned ahead." Mickey replied simply. To him it wasn't all that big of a deal, but he was happy that it surprised her.

"Oh, Mickey~!" She squealed excitedly. "You're so sweet and thoughtful!" Then she kissed him on the lips. Both mice hummed in satisfaction, as it had been an awfully long time since they had fully kissed each other. It felt…well, magical, to feel ecstasy, passion, and pleasure pulse throughout their whole bodies. A wonderful warmth spreading all over them, making their bodies shiver happily from the taste and power of their passionate kiss. After SEVERAL seconds, they broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Ya missed me that much?" Mickey asked teasingly. Minnie just gave him a playful glare.

"What do you think?"

"I missed ya too, Min." He leaned in to kiss her again.

And it was a wonder that they got any sleep that night.

The end..for now.