Chapter 18

Threads of Memories

Mrs. Brisby and Chris had to explain to a perplexed Jeremy that the 'crazy lady' he was referring to was none other than Auntie Shrew and that she often came over to the Brisby home to check on the family and such. After they did, Jeremy began recalling the events to them. As it turned out when he went over to keep watch of the children, he gave the shrew quite a fright, thinking that he was some kind of pilferer working for the rats, and that's how it ended with him getting bound by his own string before miraculously escaping. He also mentioned that the children took part in it when he accidentally let it slip about Mrs. Brisby and Chris's whereabouts, and while the two weren't happy that the crow couldn't keep it a secret, they realized that it would've gotten out sooner or later.

And now they had to clear some air once they saw the children and Auntie Shrew.

Jeremy gave them a lift back to the house—with Mrs. Brisby a little reluctant due to her acrophobia, but with Chris and Jeremy's encouragement, she soon gave in and mounted the crow—and even though he was nervous to venture back near it after what happened, Mrs. Brisby and Chris assured him that they'd take care of most of the talking and promised him that no one was going to tie him up again. The crow took their word for it and had no arguments, feeling a bit better about the situation.

In a matter of moments, Jeremy came to rest near the Brisby home, and he crouched so Mrs. Brisby and Chris could disembark easily. Chris slid off first before helping Mrs. Brisby to the ground, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, they heard footsteps quickly approaching them. They looked up to see Martin, Teresa, and Cynthia rushing toward them, calling out to Mrs. Brisby and Chris and then embracing them, clearly having been worried for them.

"Are you okay?" Teresa inquired. "We were starting to get worried."

"Yeah, we were told by that black buzzard you went to the rosebush to see the rats," Martin added, glaring at Jeremy.

Jeremy anxiously laughed. A: Because of the way the kid was staring at him. And B: Because he had inadvertently divulged what the children weren't supposed to know, thus breaking his promise to Mrs. Brisby and Chris.

"Martin, we do not name-call anyone like that," Mrs. Brisby scolded her second oldest.

"Why not?" Martin argued. "Auntie Shrew has, and besides"—he pointed at Jeremy, making the crow flinch as if that point alone sent a static shock to him—"he wouldn't tell us anything, so we had to get it out of him a different way."

That did not please Mrs. Brisby as she gazed down at Martin sternly. "He has a name—Jeremy, if you forgot—and we asked him not to tell you children because I knew you likely would've wanted to come with us. But I thought I raised you better than this; Jeremy told us what happened. I can't believe you thought it was a good idea to tie up Jeremy when you likely knew he was a friend of ours. Did it ever occur to you that he only wanted to help?"

It was the children's turn to flinch as their mother got her point across.

"Well… Auntie Shrew technically started–"

"I don't care who started it," Mrs. Brisby cut off Martin's sentence. "You should know better than to do something like that to someone with an act of kindness. If someone had posed a threat, you could've done that, but never to a friend like Jeremy."

The children could see the disappointment on their mother's face, guilt and shame seeming to now nip at them.

"Now, I expect you to apologize to him this instant."

Teresa rubbed her arm, Martin softly kicked at the dirt with his arms folded behind his back, while it looked like tears were threatening to leak from the corners of Cynthia's eyes. They then turned their heads toward Jeremy and apologized, meaning their words.

"Oh, that's okay," Jeremy said in a friendly tone. "You were only concerned for them, after all."

Chris crossed his arms as he gazed at the crow. "Out of curiosity, how did you even get tied up in the first place when you got the skies as a means of escape?"

Jeremy rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Heh, umm… funny story–"

"He brought over strings!" Cynthia enthusiastically said.

Chris arched an eyebrow. "You brought over strings?" He stated more rather than questioned.

Jeremy raised his wings. "Hey, in my defense, I thought they'd like to play with them."

Martin folded his arms across his chest and stared at the crow with a look, asking if he was serious now. "Why would we ever want to play with strings?" He queried.

There was a pause before Jeremy spoke once again. "I thought that's what kids played with?"

"You don't know much about kids, do you?" Teresa guessed.

At Jeremy's silence, it was apparent what the answer was.

Mrs. Brisby could see Chris trying to bite back a smile and laugh at the children's astuteness, amusement glinting in his green eyes. The field mouse could vouch that whenever her eldest children weren't acting their age, they tended to be mature and could act acutely.

"Well, the important thing is that no one got hurt," Chris said after his expression had sobered, "and now that we got that out of the way–"

"Aha! There you are, you black buzzard!" Everyone pivoted to see Auntie Shrew just now emerging from some tall grass, waving her cane in the air like a mad woman, wearing a sour look as she marched toward Jeremy.

The crow yelped and got behind the others as if they were a shield, his feathers standing on end.

"When I get my hands on you–"

Mrs. Brisby and Chris immediately blocked Auntie Shrew's path before she even attempted anything on Jeremy. "Auntie Shrew!" Mrs. Brisby interjected, earning the shrew's attention.

What looked like a bit of relief reached the shrew's eyes, but it didn't prevail her current expression. "Brisby, there you are! Stand aside! I'll deal with him!"

Once more, the duo had to stop her as Mrs. Brisby tried to get through to her. "It's okay, he's a friend!"

Auntie Shrew froze. She blinked and stared at the field mouse like she'd sprouted a purple horn. "Him?" She responded as she trained her cane on Jeremy.

"Yes," Chris calmly said. "His name's Jeremy, and he's been helping us."

The shrew screwed up her face at Chris. "I was not talking to you."

The tiny human furrowed his brow a little. "Well, you wanted an answer, and you got it."

"Humph!" Auntie Shrew then aimed her glare at Jeremy. "And you're sure he won't be stealing?"

Jeremy sputtered. "Lady, I've never stolen a thing in my life!" He tried to reason with her. "I only take things when no one uses them anymore!"

Auntie Shrew didn't look convinced.

"It's the truth! I just wanted to be of assistance and watch the kids! I'm not a bad crow, I swear!"

"And you're not in league with those rats?" The shrew tested his innocence.

"I've never even met those rats in my life!" Jeremy truthfully said. "I've heard of them but never came into contact with them!"

Auntie Shrew hummed in suspicion as Jeremy tried to put on his best friendly smile. After a few beats of silence passed, she glanced at Mrs. Brisby. "You have been making some very odd friends lately, Brisby."

Jeremy blinked dumbly while Chris merely rolled his eyes.

A sigh spilled from Mrs. Brisby's lips. Auntie Shrew didn't even know the half of it, but she wished that the shrew would've been nicer to Chris and Jeremy. But knowing her, Auntie Shrew was quite stubborn and, quite frankly, didn't trust strangers that easily. Mrs. Brisby could only imagine how she'd react when she found out about her and Chris seeking out the rats for help moving the Brisby home.

"Well, seems as though my work is done here for today then," Auntie Shrew said in a bitter tone.

"Won't you stay a while?" Mrs. Brisby offered.

"I need to clear my head, Brisby; I can only take so much in one day."

Even though Mrs. Brisby wanted to be hospitable to Auntie Shrew and have her be here while she and Chris told the others what happened, she knew that the shrew would only decline. "Yes, I understand."

"Then, I shall see you soon. Good day." With that, Auntie Shrew departed.

Jeremy breathed in relief once she was gone. "Am I the only one that thinks she's kind of scary?"

"You are the only one that thinks that," Martin didn't hesitate to say.

"Martin, Jeremy, please," Mrs. Brisby reprimanded them. "Not a good time."

The two deflated, knowing she was right.

"Mom, Chris, can you explain to us what happened?" Teresa piped up. "You know…"

Mrs. Brisby and Chris shared a look, seeing that it was now time to fill in on the children and Jeremy about the events that took place. Gathering themselves, they drew their eyes back on the others, with Chris then saying, "You might want to sit down for this."

Chris and Mrs. Brisby did not hold back from imparting what was to come and what they'd learned to the children and Jeremy. They began with when they entered the rosebush (leaving out the part where Brutus tried 'kicking them out'), to where they came across Mr. Ages, then met the rats, and so forth. All the while they did, they ate some lunch, or at least tried to, but the children and Jeremy were more invested in what Chris and Mrs. Brisby had to say. Not so surprisingly, they were taken by surprise, often asking questions, even as the duo concluded what had happened.

Mrs. Brisby then took her children off to the side so she could have a heart-to-heart talk with them, which Chris thought was a good idea since they needed to get some things off their chest and have some mother-children bonding time. While they were doing that, Chris and Jeremy stood off to the side, out of earshot from them, while they observed. The two didn't say much to each other, but the quiet was comfortable enough.

Chris had his eyes on Mrs. Brisby for longer than necessary, and warmth slowly unspooled in his stomach. A weak smile twisted his mouth. She was such a kind, caring–

"You like her, don't you?" Jeremy said out of the blue.

"Huh?" Chris uttered, shaking his head before looking up at Jeremy. "I'm sorry?"

"You know… Mrs. Briz. I think you like her."

Telltale redness started around the tiny human's cheeks. "I… don't know what you're talking about."

A knowing smile pulled at Jeremy's beak. "I think you do. You just don't want to admit it to ol' Jeremy."

Chris didn't say a word, only gazing back at Mrs. Brisby. Was Jeremy right, though? Did he like Mrs. Brisby? From how he'd been feeling lately, though, it seemed accurate as a mirror reflection.

"You should tell her how you feel, Chris."

Chris's eyebrow climbed. "And I'm getting advice from someone that doesn't even have a girl?"

Jeremy cringed a little at the well-known fact. "Ouch… But, I'm sure you had never been with someone before, either."

Chris snorted. "Believe it or not, I actually have, but it didn't last long."

Jeremy's eyes went wide as teacups. "Really? Wow, I… never knew and never would've guessed, especially with what you said a few days ago when I asked for some pointers for winning over a girl. Really sorry to hear."

The tiny human only shrugged. "I can understand why you would've thought that, but it's fine. Let's just say things didn't work out between us, but I wasn't sad about that outcome."

Was Chris heartbroken when his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Tiffany ended? Far from it. It was like a breath of fresh air for him when he exited that relationship, especially given how much he and his ex used to quarrel and have disagreements. Since then, Chris really hadn't thought of dating for a while.

"Well, even though things didn't work out with who you were with back then, maybe things could work out between you and Mrs. Briz," Jeremy said, looking on the bright side.

A weary sigh left Chris's lips, and then said, "Jeremy, I think the last thing that concerns her is finding love. She has her children to think about, even poor Timmy, and I certainly don't want to feel like I'd want to replace her late husband or even the children's late father." He then massaged his temples. "Why am I even telling you this? It's not like you'd understand."

A pause came, but then Jeremy replied, "Maybe it's because you need a friend to confide in, and while it's true I may not understand, I'm always open to hearing someone out." When Chris didn't say anything, the crow forged on. "If I have any advice to give, don't let Mrs. Briz be the one that got away because you never know if she could be the one or not. You wouldn't be replacing her late husband, not even the children's late father. Rather, you could be the one to fill in the hole that was made in Mrs. Briz's heart and even the children's."

Chris had no idea what to say. That was actually the most mature and logical thing Jeremy could've said. He pressed his lips in thought. Surely it wouldn't make him the bad guy if he confessed his feelings to Mrs. Brisby.

But what if she didn't reciprocate those feelings? Chris wondered but then realized something. If she doesn't, then it was worth a try. Not everyone gets to have a special someone anyway…

A slight smirk tugged at Chris's mouth. "Thanks, Jeremy. I appreciate it."

"Always happy to lend a friend a helping wing," Jeremy said with a smile.

After those words were said, Chris felt terrible because he didn't feel like he'd been much of a good friend to Jeremy, and wondered if he even deserved those words. But the tiny human appreciated them nonetheless and hoped to one day repay him.

"I'll talk to Mrs. Brisby about it under one condition," Chris stated as he raised his pointer finger.

Jeremy cocked his head.

"You keep searching for a Miss. Right before mating season is over." Jeremy was about to speak, but then Chris added: "And no, I'm still not letting you have the necklace so you can win a girl over."

At that, Jeremy let out a laugh. "Deal."

Chris's eyes landed back on Mrs. Brisby and her children, and they were in a group hug. He had to admit that he had grown fond of them within the days that wore on, but he questioned whether or not being with them was in his cards. He had a life in New York City, and his family was, without a doubt, still worried for him. Chris had a time crunch, and it was only a matter of time before he needed to deduce what was the best course of action.

Night cloaked the sky spattered with stars, cradling the moon like a baby, and by that time, sleep found the children as they were snug and warm in their beds. And that left Chris and Mrs. Brisby still awake after occupying the children with some things—Timmy still had to stay in bed, so he could not participate—like playing a mouse's version of a board game with them—which was quite interesting for Chris as he learned the rules and joined in on the game, but also made him wonder if Jonathan introduced board games to Mrs. Brisby and the children.

Jeremy left a while ago, not wanting to get caught up in the dark and find his way home blindly like a mole, so Chris and Mrs. Brisby decided to do some stargazing as they did a couple of nights ago since it was now just the two of them at the same stone they'd been on. A comforting hush fell between them as they swept their gazes over the stars, making out a few constellations drawn in their mind's eyes. The little things in life truly could bring out the nostalgia.

Chris slid his gaze toward Mrs. Brisby, whose eyes were still leveled on the stars. The sky reflected in her sapphire blue eyes, making it look like they were glittering, and the tiny human just couldn't help but admire them as his heart caught on a few beats. She truly was a sight to behold.

He then slowly exhaled through his nose. How would he begin to confess his feelings? His tongue felt thick like the words were weighing on it. Chris mentally cursed himself for making this more complicated than it needed to be.

It was then that Mrs. Brisby caught him staring at him, and she tilted her head. "Chris?" She got out.

Feeling awkward, Chris cleared his throat and rubbed his neck. "Sorry, I was just thinking. I usually zone out when I do."

Mrs. Brisby nodded for her response before her gaze went back to the stars.

Damn it, Chris, what were you thinking? The tiny human chastised himself. That's the first thing you could've said? Stupid–stupid–stupid…

Chris had no idea he had his eyes scrunched when he dove into his thoughts, but when he felt Mrs. Brisby's eyes on him, his cheeks began to heat up. The tiny human wanted to palm himself in the face at that moment. He was probably already making things weird. Gods, even for him, he'd never been that way toward anyone…

He decided to try and come up with a topic to get things rolling, but he just couldn't think of anything. However—to his relief—Mrs. Brisby spoke and said, "Thank you for being so nice to my children and having fun with them; they really like you, you know."

A small smile hovered over Chris's mouth. "You have great kids. I've enjoyed getting to know them as much as I have with you."

Mrs. Brisby managed to smile softly at that, but as soon as it came, it slowly receded. "Ever since I lost Jonathan, I often questioned if I could be able to raise my children as a widowed mother." A sigh escaped her. "It hasn't been easy, and with them no longer having a male role model, I know they sometimes miss their father. I also know that I can't replace him, but… I just want my children to be happy and safe. Including Timmy…"

Chris looked at her with sympathy, knowing that feeling all too well. He hated to see her like this, as she had been going through so much, and he suddenly forgot about the nervousness brewing inside him, his thoughts of confessing his feelings to her tucked away for now.

He cupped Mrs. Brisby's hand gingerly with his own and began by saying, "It's never easy losing someone. No child should have to be subjected to being deprived of a parent figure, but I think you're doing an amazing job raising your children. The kids obviously love you and are lucky to have a mother like you, and I have a good feeling they'll be reflecting on how good a parent you've been to them as they get older." Chris smiled a little. "You're strong for having to endure this after what happened to Jonathan, but I also think you deserve as much happiness and safety as the kids."

At that moment, Mrs. Brisby's eyes were clouded with tears, the type that was both grief and gratitude.

Acting on instinct, Chris thumbed a tear off Mrs. Brisby's furry cheek.

"Thank you…" Mrs. Brisby whispered.

Chris almost felt the urge to lean in and close the distance between them until their mouths… No… Chris thought, pushing that thought away. Not a good time…

The tiny human suddenly thought of something and gently asked the field mouse, "If you don't mind me asking… how did you meet Jonathan?"

There was a beat of silence. However, after a few seconds, Mrs. Brisby emitted a sigh, flicking her gaze downwards.

Seeing that, Chris felt like he shouldn't have mentioned Jonathan, aware of how sensitive this was to her, as rue wound tight in his chest like a wind-up key. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have–"

"No, no, it's okay," Mrs. Brisby assured him. "I don't mind telling you." Her ears were pinned against her head, memories floating behind her eyelids before reopening them. "It was around the beginning of spring. At the time, it was just me fending for myself, and I was minding my own business, gathering some materials… and that was when I perceived him: Jonathan."

At the mention of him, a little smile lit her face as she plowed on. "I saw him working on something, and when I had a better look, I saw that he had a hidden garden, kind of like what your family has. Curious, I couldn't help but have a better look without trying to disturb him, but it didn't take him long to notice. I remember profusely apologizing and saying that I didn't mean to disturb him and that I had just never seen anyone attempting a garden like the Fitzgibbons'. To my surprise, he was actually very nice and reassured me that it was okay, and he understood why I'd be curious. We talked for a while, and it was pleasantly nice. I remember he then asked me if I'd like to share eating the crops with him when they were ripe and fresh and that he didn't think he'd be able to eat all of it on his own. It was the beginning of our relationship journey, and soon, we were Mr. and Mrs. Brisby with four children. Life just seemed to be perfect… until the inevitable happened."

Mrs. Brisby did not need to say anymore, and Chris nodded with understanding reaching his face. She had a good life, but the one she loved was taken by a cat that shall not be named. And now her family was voided of a husband/father. All Chris wanted to do was hug her at that moment.

"I never told you how I lost my parents," Chris then said, and that grabbed Mrs. Brisby's full attention. "When I was younger, I remember my dad mowing the lawn… and that's when it happened. My mom and I saw him clutching at his heart in immense pain after he turned off the mower, and we knew that something was wrong. The next thing we knew, he collapsed to the ground, and he had to get rushed to the hospital… but by then, it was too late… he died of a heart attack."

Chris slowly breathed before releasing some air slowly. "It was a rough time for me and my mom, but we slowly were able to heal… But as time passed, my mom was suddenly feeling weak, having chest pains, wheezing, et cetera. She was diagnosed with lung cancer… time grew short, and then… she was gone…"

It felt like a stone was lodged in his throat after that conclusion. He had never been this vulnerable to anyone, let alone barely shared what happened to his parents. But with Mrs. Brisby… it felt right like he could say anything he wished, and she always seemed so kind and understanding without any judgment whatsoever. Chris felt like he could be himself in front of her, and it only seemed fair he shared something personal with her since she had herself.

When his gaze finally collided with Mrs. Brisby's, tears streamed down her face as her hand covered her mouth. While it looked like she didn't understand a few of the words he used, the death of a loved one was a well-known factor to her. "Oh, Chris…" Was all she could say, and her arms encircled him.

Chris raised his arms, a little surprised, his heart sprouting wings and fluttering like a butterfly. He did not fight this, though, and returned the gesture. A hush fell over them as they mourned and comforted each other in the night. Just two friends with the same pain, finally unbottling it to whom they could fully trust.

Mrs. Brisby tossed and turned all night in her bed. She had been in her thoughts, replaying what happened between her and Chris earlier over and over… and she never failed to realize how much her heart had swollen just thinking about him. It was scary but, at the same time, soul-stirring. She had no idea what to do with these emotions as they were all over the place, but one thing was perfectly clear: Mrs. Brisby seemed to be falling for Chris.

He was an amazing man, no doubt about it. Chris was accommodating, kind, understanding, and great with the kids. It seemed too good to be true, but her mind was at war with her heart. There were many things to consider, many things. Was this right? She just didn't know.

Not only that, but Mrs. Brisby had her thoughts on what Justin told her and Chris as far as Dragon and the sleeping powder went. An idea had crept into her mind earlier, but she had hesitated to say it to Justin because it was dangerous and likely foolish. But the more she pondered on it, the more she slowly started to feel valiant and more sure of herself.

She knew what had to be done once she and Chris returned to the rosebush the next day.

A/N- Wow, I did not think that I'd be able to complete another chapter in January, but here we are with the next chapter! It's been such a long time since I wrote a third POV of Mrs. Brisby, but it felt so nice to do that! I suppose the reason why I haven't for a while was because I didn't want to reveal more of her thoughts and such just yet, but now here we are with that, and oh boy, we got a moment with her and Chris!

Also, the book and movie never mentioned how Mrs. Brisby and Jonathan met, so I took the creative liberty of writing down how I believe they possibly could've met. It wasn't easy to come up with, but I think I made it work. Lol, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I shall see you all soon in chapter 19!

Reviews:

Fan Boy 101: Thank you! I'm happy to know you enjoyed that chapter! And as far as that thought goes, you will just have to wait and see as the chapters progress ;)

godzillafan1: Soon, but not yet. We're getting there, though ^^

Lelouch-Strife: I've actually never played Sea of Thieves before, but it looks interesting!

ric castle: That will certainly not be happening for sure. Like my other fanfics, this is not a musical, but sometimes, if I want to, I'll add a song if I feel it'll fit the scene, like in chapter 17. Hope I explained that well.

STG96: Possibly, and thank you very much :D