Hello everyone! I know I haven't updated this story in like, FOREVER, but I've been busy. Just wanted to say thank you SO much for all the reviews! I truly wasn't expecting that many! Anyway, hope you like this chapter!

Basil sat in his chair starring into the lit fireplace, his black eye glowing in the fire's light. It had been three days since he had encountered that little… street mouse. It had been a most peculiar encounter, and Basil was still slightly puzzled by it.

Why would she punch me, and then feel remorse about it? He asked himself. He then stood up, and began to pace across the room, thinking the mater over carefully.

"Oh what am I doing?" He questioned himself. "Come now old boy. You can't let yourself get all heated over an impudent, insolent, little…"

"Basil!" Basil immediately stopped talking to himself as he heard his pungent friend slam the door close.

"Dawson? What's all the…"

"Basil look!" His friend panted as he ran towards his friend with the "London Daily" in his hand. Basil snatched the paper from his hand, and inspected it carefully. Suddenly a shiver ran down his spine as he read one of the articles on the front page of the paper.

""Has Ratigan Returned?" Basil read a loud. "But, but… I don't understand."

"Basil, the paper said there was a mouse found near the docks the other night, and he spoke of the return of Ratingan! He told people Ratigan was still alive, and that he was going to have his revenge and…"

"Oh is this what all the fuss is really about? Honestly Dawson, I can't believe you'd even give this article a second glance." He said handing the paper back to his confused friend.

"Wha… what do you mean Basil?"

"My dear Dawson… the docks have some of the most drunken sailors in all of London at night. It was obviously some drunken reprobate down by those docks who simply had a few too many. Ratigan is dead, I'm quite sure of it." He said as he began to climb up the stairs. Then, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the picture that still sat a top his fireplace, the picture of Ratign. Despite Bail's assured success in defeating Ratigan, he couldn't help but feel a wave of anger wash over him as he looked at the picture. That rat had done so much to hurt everyone around him, something Basil would never let happened again…

"Still… I suppose there would be no harm in going to ask around." Basil said snatching his coat from the inside of the grandfather clock.

"I'll come with you Basil."

"No, no Dawson. Quite unnecessary I assure you. I'm merely going down there to see if this fellow by the name of," He quickly glanced at the article on the paper, "Charlie Brewton had any association with Ratigan. I'll be home in a few hours. Have a pleasant evening Dawson." And with that Basil was gone.

The streets of London were particularly cold that night for some reason. Basil had almost wished he'd brought a second coat with him, yet he still walked through the puddles of sewage water in the streets, and the eerie fog that seemed to completely surround him.

"My goodness it's cold out here. Oh… I should have brought Toby a long. Well, at least I'm close to the docks." He mumbled to himself. Suddenly, Basil could feel the uneven stone ground shake beneath him.

"What on Earth…" He stood on the street unmoving, until he saw a shadow cast over him. He slowly raised his headed to see a rather large mouse standing before him; at least it appeared to be a mouse. He was caught so off guard that he didn't have time to react to the large mouse fists grabbing him by his coat.

"'Ello there mousy boy." The rather large mouse said. Before Basil could reply to the thuggish mouse he felt his body being slammed against the cold wall.

"You look like a po-lice officer! And do you know wha' we do to po-lice officer's 'round here?" Basil would have made a witty comment at this point, but he was too shocked to see the large mouse's' fist being raised right above his head. He shut his eyes expecting the worse.

"Hold on there Mitch!" A voice shouted. That voice! I know that voice… Basil thought to himself. He slowly opened his eyes, and to his great surprise found another mouse standing right in front of him. It was the mouse from three nights ago who had given him the black eye!

"You!" He blurted, but was immediately shut up by the young mouse's small paw over his mouth.

"If you want to live, shut your trap!" She whispered to him.

" 'Ello Serena. Do you know this po-lice officer?"

"Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, Mitch… this isn't a po-lice officer! This is uh… this is… my cousin!"

"Your cousin?" Basil suddenly shouted.

"Yes!" She said shooting Basil an icy glare. "My cousin. I'm teaching 'im how to blend in with the police and such, in case he's ever caught, or something like that. He's a real trouble maker aren't ya?" She said elbowing Basil's side. Despite Basil's confusion and slight anger he replied,

"Oh yes... I cause more mayhem then Jack the ripper." He said trying not to sound cynical.

"Oh… well my bad mate!" The large mouse said gently putting Basil down.

"Well thank you for putting my cousin down Mitch! And I'm sure he'll forgive you… right?" She said while, again, starring coldly at Basil.

"Of coarse old chap. Happens all the time…" The last sentence was oozing with sarcasm but was quickly stopped by the Serena elbowing him in his side one last time.

"Well we best be off Mitch. I'll see you back at the docks, alright?"

"Yeah, okay Serena. I'll tell the boys you'll be bit late."

"Okay, and Mitch… try not to have any more rum. I think you've had enough for tonight."

"Okay Serena. Okay." The large mouse mumbled as he stumbled away from the two.

"Now, Serena, if that is your real name… Before any other large mice attempt to pummel me, might I ask… what is going on?"

"Just relax." She said using her normal American accent.

"I will certainly not relax! Now, I demand to know who you are, this instant!" He said thumping his foot to the ground.

"Is this your way of thanking people, because if it is, I'm guessing you're not exactly the socialite of you neighborhood?"

"Now!" He reiterated. Serena rolled her eyes, and replied only a few moments later.

"I'm no one okay…I just…"

"Then why did you punch me, only to apologize a moment later!"

"First of all, I hit you because you disrespected me! I only apologized because…I… I just felt bad, okay?"

"Only when you learned of my fame did you apologize miss."

"Yeah… yeah it was your fame." Basil could tell she was obviously lying, but Basil decided not to push her.

"So, what is a young mouse like yourself doing near the docks where some of the seediest of people go?" Serena didn't look at him as she replied icily,

"I don't think that's any of your concern, sir, and if you're insinuating that I am some kind of prostitute, you're horribly mistaken." Basil was shocked by her outburst, and decided that perhaps speaking to this girl was not the wisest idea. So the two walked together through the cold dark streets of London, not uttering a word to each other, until they finally reached the famous Baker Street.

"So, this is your flat, right?" She said, as he turned around to look at his flat.

"Yes it is. Now look here miss, I don't know who are but all I want to say is…" But the moment Basil turned around she was gone. Utterly baffled, he turned in circles for a few moments hoping to see the young mouse, but to his dismay saw only the foggy streets lit by the dim lanterns that hung form the stone buildings.

"Who is this girl?" He asked himself as he walked back to his flat, thoroughly confused, and truthfully… quite curious. Still he tried to push his scrambled thoughts aside as he walked back to his flat, but little did he know a pair of glowing red eyes followed him in the dark.

"Hmmm…" A voice chuckled. "Yes Basil, soon we shall see each other… again."

Well I hoped you guys liked it, and thanks again for all the reviews! I'm going to do my best to get this story updated more often! R & R!