Part 2
Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Disney (except where noted, in which case they were created and copyrighted by us or by another and we have permission to use them). The authors hereby give permission for this story to be downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no changes to the story are made without our express written(not e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be considered a violation of copyright law.
Author's Note: First things first. I want to apologize to any of our fans who did not receive an e-mail from me after writing to us. As many of you know, Francis and I live in New York City, so the effects of September 11th hit very close to home. Fact is, I was supposed to be there that morning, but I slept in really late. That experience can change a person's life fairly quickly. But in addition, my sister has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and my father has just had a minor heart attack. Both are OK, but as one might guess the last few months have been very draining on me.
Another change taking place in my life is the fact that I am returning to college this February to get my degree. It's been a long time since I've been in a classroom, but if I get through these last 2 classes I will graduate in June 2002. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.
As far as Francis is concerned, he's doing well. There's still no trouble with his transplanted kidney, and it's now been almost three and a half years. He wants to thank everyone for the support they've given over the years, and we promise to keep you better updated through faster stories. Take care everyone, and till next time, Happy Reading!
Cast of Characters(in order of appearance) Gadget Chip Fat Cat Mepps Mole Wart Snout Dale Foxglove Monterey Jack Zipper
Gadget walked through her workshop frantically, tossing inventions and other items into a large bag. "Anything else?" she wondered silently, looking around. She briefly considered bringing some things that had been nailed down in preparation for an experiment, but she knew they would take too long to get free and ripping them up was simply not an option. "I hope it's enough."
She was about to make one last pass through her lab when she heard shuffling footsteps behind her. She whirled immediately, bringing her plunger gun to bear on whoever was behind her. "Take it easy," Chip gasped out, his voice raspy and low.
"Chip!" Gadget exclaimed in a mix of surprise and relief. "You should be laying down," she said, putting the plunger gun back into the bag.
"You know me," he said, managing a small smile. "I hate laying down for too long. Besides, that's Dale's job."
Gadget couldn't help the smile that touched her lips at his remark, but she quickly schooled her features into a mask of annoyance. "You have to conserve your strength," she told him in her best maternal voice.
Chip held up his hands in surrender only to be doubled over by a fit of coughing. Gadget was at his side in an instant, steering him back to the couch. "Cold..." he muttered, shivering as she laid him down.
Gadget hurried into his bedroom and grabbed a blanket from his bed. "Now you rest," she told him softly, tucking the blanket around him warmly. "It won't be much longer now."
Chip nodded and closed his eyes, soon falling into a deep slumber. Gadget watched him for a moment, making sure he was only sleeping, before laying a soft kiss on his forehead. She drew back and blushed at her unusual forwardness, then realized how hot his forehead was getting. "It won't matter if Fat Cat gets him," she realized, walking back into her workshop and grabbing the bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She saw herself in a nearby mirror and couldn't help but think she looked a little like Santa Claus with that sack. "Hope Fat Cat likes my 'presents'," she thought, her expression hardening in determination.
At the base of the Headquarters, Fat Cat and his gang had just emerged from the long grass surrounding the tree. "This one _has_ to be it," he muttered in frustration.
"Where have we heard that before?" Mepps muttered to the others.
"What was that?" Fat Cat demanded, unsheathing his claws.
"Umm...I was just saying how sure I was that this was the right one, Boss," Mepps said, cowering back.
"That's what I thought. Mole, get up and see what's there."
"Aww, but Mr. Fat Cat," Mole whined, "I'm a digger, not a climber. I'm afraid of heights."
"I told you to get up there!" Fat Cat yelled, sending Mole scurrying up the trunk. A few moments and a loud yell later, Mole fell back down, a plunger stuck on his face.
"Somebody get this thing off me!" Mole cried, running around in circles until he ran into the tree. "Yeouch!" he said as he slid down to the ground.
"Hey Fat Cat!" a voice yelled from one of the thicker branches. When Fat Cat and his gang looked up, they saw Gadget standing there with her plunger gun reloaded and ready to fire. "If you want Chip, you'll have to get by me first."
"How did she find out?" Fat Cat growled, grabbing his nearest henchman, which just happened to be Wart, and shaking him like a rag doll. After Wart's head stopped, all he could do is shrug. "Mepps!" Fat Cat said, dropping Wart and turning to him, "get up there and take care of her."
"Right away, Boss," Mepps said, climbing up the tree. He looked up in time to avoid the plunger aimed for his face, but not the harpoon rope. He cried out as the rope wrapped around his arms and body, causing him to lose his grip. No longer able to hold onto the tree, he falls down, crashing through some branches and landing headfirst on Mole, who had just started to stir again.
"She's only one mouse!" Fat Cat said angrily. "Wart, get up there and don't come down unless you bring her with you!"
"Yes, sir," Wart said, climbing the tree quickly.
"You go up the other side," Fat Cat whispered to Snout. "While she's busy with him, you get the leader, understood?"
"Whatever you say, Boss," Snout said, edging around the tree and climbing up the other side.
Gadget was just able to ready another harpoon rope as Wart came into range. She fired right at his head, but her aim was a little high. Before she could release the rope, Wart grabbed it and yanked on it, hard. Gadget tried to keep her grip, but had to let go or risk being pulled off the branch.
She turned around to grab another weapon, but then she saw Snout already on the branch and heading toward the doorway into the headquarters. "No!" she screamed, running toward him. But before she got more than a few steps, a green hand grabbed her foot and tripped her up.
Snout looked over at Gadget and saw her fall. "She must be caught on something," he thought. "If I get rid of her I can take out that chipmunk easy." He rushed at her, shoulder first, intending to knock her off the branch.
Gadget saw him coming, but couldn't move because Wart was still holding her ankle. At the last possible moment, she threw herself flat. Snout, not expecting that, flew over her and crashed into Wart. Gadget held onto a nearby twig as Wart lost his hold on her and he and Snout fell to the ground, right on top of the other two. Now, all four were unconscious.
"I can't believe this!" Fat Cat growled. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!" Baring his claws, he sunk them into the tree and climbed up one hold at a time.
Gadget saw him coming and looked around for something to use. "Great," she thought, "no more ranged weapons. How am I going to hold him off now?" She looked in the direction Dale and Foxglove had flown off in what seemed like years ago. "Hurry back you two," she silently urged.
As the assault on Ranger Headquarters was heating up, Dale was still trapped in the whirlwind, trying to find something to grab onto. "Foxy!" he yelled again. "Do something! I'm gonna be sick!"
Foxglove looked around, looking for anything she could use. "There's gotta be something," she thought. She flinched back as the ruined experiment spat a few sparks in her direction. "Wait a minute, that's it!" She hurried to the outlet and pulled the plug. "No power, no tornado," she thought triumphantly.
Dale let out a sigh of relief as the tornado dissipated. That is, until he realized he was still in mid-air. A look of fear crossed his face as he looked at the table below him, gulped, and then fell with a startled yelp. Foxglove hurried to him, pulling him out of a pile of dirt he had ended up upside-down in. "You okay?" she asked, brushing him off.
"Yeah, I landed on my head," Dale said with a smile. "Come on, we gotta find...." Dale's voice trailed off when he saw the destruction the tornado had caused. All exhibits within a one table radius had been destroyed, including the one with the herb they needed. "It's gone," he whispered. "Chip...."
Foxglove looked down, shuffling her feet. "I'm sorry Dale," she said. "If I'd been able to stop the tornado sooner, maybe--"
"It's not your fault Foxy," Dale said with a heavy sigh. "Come on, we'd better be getting back. I wanna be there when...."
"Oh Dale," Foxglove murmured, her eyes bright with unshed tears as she looked up at Dale. She did a double take and tilted her head to the side. "Dale, turn around." When he started to protest, she held up a wing and said, "Please Dale, just trust me on this one."
Dale turned around as requested, and Foxglove reached down the back of his shirt. "Whoa!" he yelped, squirming. "That's cold!"
"Hold still, I almost.....got it!" she exclaimed, pulling her wing out.
"Got what?"
"This!" Foxglove said with a smile. She opened her wing and Dale saw a distinctive red-orange leaf.
"The herb! But...?!"
"Like I said, cutie," Foxglove said with a smile, "dumb luck."
Dale smiled and wrapped Foxglove up in a close hug. Foxglove just stood there a moment, stunned at Dale's show of affection, before slowly wrapping her wings around him and hugging him back. They stayed like that until Dale realized just what he was doing and pulled away quickly, blushing as red as his nose. "Umm, I...." he stammered.
"Yeah," Foxglove agreed, a blush darkening her maroon cheeks. "We should be going."
"Umm, can you fly?" Dale asked, putting the herb in his pocket as he tried to calm his blush.
Foxglove stretched her wings with a soft sigh. "I'll be able to get us back, but don't ask me to do any flying for a few days after this."
"Don't worry, I won't." Dale smiled and jumped off the table, letting Foxglove get her diving start.
Back at Ranger Headquarters, Fat Cat was still trying to climb the tree. His purple suit was rumpled and ripped, and he was sporting a few lumps on his head. He was moving up the tree slowly this time, keeping both eyes on Gadget to see what she had planned.
Gadget tossed a few acorns down from the branch, but they did nothing to faze her opponent. "This isn't working," she thought, looking around for something heavier to throw. Seeing nothing, she wracked her brains for an alternate plan of action. "Of course!" she exclaimed, running back into the headquarters.
Fat Cat saw Gadget head back inside and sped up accordingly. "Finally, victory will be mine," he muttered, reaching up to grab the next branch.
"Hey Fat Cat!" Gadget yelled, causing Fat Cat to look up. He saw a metal nozzle in her hand just a split second before she turned it on. Lubricating oil spewed out, covering him and that side of the tree in an instant.
Fat Cat scrambled like mad to keep his grip on the tree, but it was impossible because of the oil and he started the inevitable slide back to the ground. "No matter," he thought, merely walking around to the other side of the tree and climbing up there. "I'm so close now, nothing can stop me."
Gadget turned to use the nozzle on that side of the tree, but nothing came out. "Out already?" she asked disbelievingly. "I...I have nothing else to stop him." Her face hardened into a mask of anger. "But he won't get Chip without a fight!"
Meanwhile, at the still evacuated science fair building, Foxglove was gliding around to the best of her ability, looking for the window they had fallen in through. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," she said.
"It's gotta be around here somewhere Foxy," Dale said, looking from side to side. "Hey! Look out!"
Foxglove's eyes snapped forward just in time to see herself fly into a clump of ribbons. "Not again," she moaned, squirming around to get free but only succeeding in getting more tangled. She sighed, wondering what else could go wrong. Her question was soon answered as the ribbons holding her and Dale up broke, sending them both crashing to the table below.
Dale shook his head as he sat up. The worst he suffered in the fall was a bump on the head, which he hardly even felt. He stood up, a little unsteady on his feet, and took a step forward. That was when he felt the table under his foot sink a bit. The sound of a conveyor belt starting up reached his ears and made him look down. Under his foot was a button labeled "START".
"Dale!" Foxglove yelled and Dale looked at her. She was laying on the conveyor belt he had heard start and it was moving her toward a large blade that looked like a key copier. "Pull the plug!" she urged.
Dale scampered around to the back of the machine, but there was no plug. "It runs on batteries!" he yelled back, getting frantic. "And the back's screwed in. I can't get to them in time!"
"Get me off of here! I don't want to be anymore keyed up than I am!"
Dale looked around for something to jam the machine with, but nothing useful was in reach. Out of options, Dale felt something inside him snap. Without thinking about what he was doing, he ran over and tackled Foxglove off the belt just before the blade came down on her.
"That was too close, sweetie," Foxglove said as Dale helped untangle her.
"Aww, didn't even touch me," Dale said confidently.
Foxglove tilted her head to the side, studying him. She started to say something sarcastic when an odd smell reached her nose. It smelled metallic, like copper, and had a thick, pungent odor. With a start, she realized what she was smelling. She turned him around roughly, to his protests. Then she saw it: a medium gash on his right arm. "Dale, you're bleeding!" she cried.
"I am?" Dale looked at his arm and saw the blood. "Aww, it's just a scratch Foxy."
"A scratch my foot!" Foxglove grabbed one of the ribbons she had been tangled in and wrapped Dale's arm up in it. "Of all the stupid, idiotic things to do," she muttered, tying the bandage perhaps a bit too tight. "I just have one question for you."
"What's that?"
"Why did you risk your life for me like that? And don't give me that you're a Rescue Ranger. You wouldn't have protected me with your body like you did; you would've just grabbed the ribbon and pulled me off."
Dale's tried to shrug it off or laugh it off, but Foxglove just kept staring at him. Finally, Dale sighed and turned away, muttering something. Foxglove grabbed hold of him and brought him face-to-face. Dale tried to look away, but her gaze held his captive and the words tumbled from his lips before he knew what he was saying. "I guess when it comes to love, you don't count the cost."
Foxglove backed up a step involuntarily as what Dale said set in. "Did you just...?"
Dale took her hands in his, look into her eyes that were filling with tears of joy. "I love you, Foxy," he said softly, with a seriousness rarely if ever heard in his voice. "And that means I'd do anything for you, no matter the cost."
Foxglove smiled and pulled Dale into a hug, crying softly into his shoulder. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that," she whispered.
Dale smiled and hugged her back. "I know Foxy, and we have a lot to talk about. But we gotta go save Chip first."
"You're right," she said, stepping back and wiping her eyes. She spread her wings and stretched them. Looking around, she noticed a nearby window was open and pointed. "And there's our way out."
"Give it everything you got!" Dale yelled, lifting his arms so Foxglove could pick him up and take off.
Some time after Dale and Foxglove had finally made it out, Fat Cat had nearly reached the branches where Ranger Headquarters was. The lumps on his head had grown larger, and he was panting heavily. The claw marks on the tree showed that he had been knocked off many times, but also that he had gotten up just as many. The grass around the tree was littered with the remains of most of Gadget's experiments, all of which had become projectiles.
But now, Gadget had run out. She looked around desperately for something else to throw, anything else. But the only thing nearby was the Ranger Wing, and she needed that as a possible escape route. Out of options and out of time, she ran back inside the headquarters and to the couch where Chip lay. "Chip!" she yelled, shaking him. "You've got to get up! Fat Cat's coming, and we have to get out, now!"
Chip roused slowly from his fever-induced haze. His whole body was burning up and his eyes had a glassy, far-off look to them. "Fat Cat?" he asked quietly, as if it hurt to talk. "How...when...?"
"No time for questions, we have to go." Gadget pulled him up to a sitting position and slipped an arm around his waist. But when she tried to haul him to a standing position, he had absolutely no strength left in his body and slipped back down to the couch. "Chip!"
"It's no use, Gadget," Chip murmured. "Go on, you have to get out of here. Leave me."
"No way, never!" she protested. "We leave together, or we stay together."
"Gadget, you have to. No," he said, mustering up enough strength to hold up his hand to stop her from talking, "I'm making this a direct order. This may not be the best time to tell you, but I love you. I mean really love you. Knowing something happened to you would hurt me more than anything Fat Cat could ever do to me. Now go!"
Gadget stood up like she was about to leave, accustomed as she was to following Chip's orders. But she immediately sat back down and took his hand in hers. "I swore I wouldn't let Fat Cat get you," she whispered, pressing her cheek into his palm. "I swore by all the love I have for you, and I'm not about to break my word. I cross my heart, Chip."
Chip chuckled a bit but it quickly turned into a hacking cough. "Both our timing needs work," he said weakly. "But if that's the last thing I hear, I'll die a happy chipmunk."
"How very touching," a voice sneered from the doorway. They didn't even have to look to know that it was Fat Cat standing there. "I'll be sure to remember this moment forever...as the moment I destroyed you miserable rodents once and for all!" he ended with a scream, unsheathing his claws.
"No!" Gadget cried, throwing her own body over Chip's, determined to protect her love as long as she could.
Fat Cat stood over them, claws poised to strike. But before he could land a fatal blow, he heard the one thing he hoped he would never hear again.
"RESCUE RANGERS AWAY!"
Fat Cat's head snapped around just in time to see Foxglove flying at him at full speed. Before he could react, she let Dale go, and he landed feet- first into Fat Cat's nose. Fat Cat cried out in pain and surprise, grabbing his nose and staggering back. He was blinded so much by the pain he didn't realize he had stumbled outside until he lost his footing and fell off the tree, right next to his gang.
Those four, who had just recently managed to rouse themselves, saw their boss lying unconscious next to them. Looking up, they saw Dale and a bat they weren't familiar with standing on the branch. "If we got beat by one, we don't have a chance against two more," Snout pointed out.
"Let's get out of here," Wart agreed. They all picked Fat Cat up and hightailed it out of the park.
"And don't come back!" Dale yelled after them. "You know, I've always wanted to say that."
Gadget came rushing out, almost knocking over Foxglove in her haste. "Did you get the herb?" she asked, wringing her hands together.
"Of course," Dale said, searching his pockets. "Hmm, I know I put it in here somewhere."
Gadget, growing impatient, picked Dale up by his feet and held him upside-down, shaking him until the herb fell out, along with a few other unusual possessions of Dale's. She tossed him over to Foxglove and scooped up the herb as she ran inside.
Foxglove set Dale carefully on his feet and they turned to follow her. "Did we make it in time?" she asked, grabbing hold of Dale's hand.
"We'll know in a minute," Gadget said, ripping the leaf in half. She propped Chip's head up against her shoulder and let the sap from the leaf drip into his mouth. She placed her hand on his forehead and held it there, hoping and waiting. After what seemed like an eternity, a smile crossed her face. "His fever's breaking," she said, a tear falling from her eyes. "He's going to be all right."
The tension in that tree evaporated like fog before the morning sun. Dale was so happy he grabbed Foxglove in a close hug and spun her around, laughing. Foxglove laughed with him and wrapped her wings around his neck.
"What's so...funny?" Chip asked weakly, licking his dry lips.
Gadget smiled again and pulled him into a hug. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered. "I'm so sorry...."
"It was a mistake," Chip said, his voice getting stronger. "It can happen to anyone. Besides, you just got me; you're not getting rid of me that easily."
They all stayed like that for a time, until Foxglove pulled gently away from Dale. "I should be going," she said. "I'm sure you guys want to be alone, and I don't exactly belong here."
"Hold that thought a second, Foxy," Dale said, walking over to Chip and Gadget. They talk in hushed voices for about a minute, Dale seeming to describe something very animatedly. When they were done, Dale scampered back to Foxglove and cleared his throat. "I talked it over with them," he said somewhat nervously, "and they agree. With what you've done for us today, we'd love to have you as a member of the Rescue Rangers. Interested?"
Foxglove's eyes widened in surprise. She looked over to Chip and Gadget and both gave her a thumbs-up. "Am I!" she said, almost hopping up and down. "Just let me go home and get my stuff and I'll be right back."
"Before you go," Dale said, putting his hand on her wing, "there's some unfinished business I have to take care of." Without another word, he wrapped his arms around her, tilted her back, and kissed her deeply on the lips. It took a couple moments for Foxglove to realize what was going on, but when she did she returned the kiss eagerly.
Chip and Gadget sat there, watching them for a moment. "You know," Chip said thoughtfully, "I never thought I'd be taking a cue from Dale."
Gadget raised an eyebrow and looked down at Chip. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.
"Just this," he said with a smile. He cupped her cheek with his hand and brought her lips to his in a gentle but passionate kiss, which was quickly returned.
"That was a bonza party, Zipper me lad," Monterey Jack said as he burst through the front door. "Who'd have thought that cheese ship would attract so many of me old friends?"
Zipper chattered in agreement, then gestured to the mess that was littered around headquarters. "Too right," Monty said, rubbing his chin. "Looks like our pals had a party of their own while we were gone." Then his eyes fell on the two couples kissing and he stared in amazement. He saw Zipper staring much the same way, and they could only stand there and watch.
Finally, Monty managed to clear his throat, getting the others' attention. "Umm, did we miss anything important here?" he asked.
Chip, Gadget, Dale, and Foxglove exchanged glances with each other and then said in perfect unison. "No, not really."
Monty and Zipper exchanged a glance of their own and sighed. "Something tells me this is gonna be a long spring," Monty said, and Zipper shrugged in agreement.
THE END