I'll Be Dog-Gone (13)

Jila knew that it was going to take saying or doing something comPLETELY outrageous for the old ghost to show himself. But how to do it without insulting Mrs. Muir, she hadn't had to let the visitors in.

"If it wouldn't impose on you too much, could we see the Captain's room? I've heard so much about this house and your book describes his room so vividly."

After a moments reflection the request was granted. They stood in the middle of his room and Mrs. Muir told them more about the Captain, when the portrait was painted, when the famous Monkey Puzzle Tree was planted, and why he had chosen this particular room. Jila picked things up and half carelessly (she really didn't want to break anything)put them back down like a child bored with a lecture. She twirled the telescope around on its tripod and wrinkled her nose up at the portrait.

"Older than I thought he'd be." She told Vi. The air fairly buzzed with the Captain's anger. She knew she almost had him. "I heard he killed himself in this very room. Froze to death or something."

"BLAST THEM ALL!" The very air roared. "I'LL SHOW THEM KILLED MESELF!" Mrs. Muir sighed. She knew he had always hated that story.

"I'm sorry Captain." Jila said to the room itself. "I didn't mean to upset you. I really only wanted to meet you. Where I come from rumor had it that you were still here."

"Ask next time girl," he said gruffly, taking form before her eyes "I almost pushed you right out of the house." He accepted her apology the way he always took things, with a sea Captain's attitude.

Jila spent the rest of the day in happy conversation with the wonderful pair. Before dark she and her friends grab a taxi and head back to more populated areas promising to come back and visit again.

The man leaned back in his chair. It creaked under his weight and all the attitude it must take to gain a smirk like that.

"Thems the rates mate. You're in a hurry and I'm busy. Take it or leave it." He made motions of shuffling thru other papers.

"Look Ragnar, we go way back you and me. I know the problems you've been having and though there be some risk involved I'm willing to help. I just happen to have a free slip and you just happen to need one, but its gonna cost. Inspectors have gotten greedy of late....sides I saw that wreck you sailed in. You'll not be getting much further without the work."

Ragnar sighed. Mac had stated that plain enough. The reality Channel was starting to make it hard on everyone. He was also right there was noone else left he knew he could trust. Most of his old contact had been swept away in one calamity or another. There wasn't much he could do about it.

"Done." Ragnar replied as they shook hands."My people will be coming and going while she's here. The usuall works."

sometimes taking turns, and at others, they both played. 6th and Drum were esctatic. They'd made more money here in an hour than they had back at the boat already!

Drum sat at the table, drinking a straight scotch on the rocks, 6th curled up under his arm, smoking and looking vapid. They watched the action going on around them, while they talked in thought, trying to decide what to do next.

*Nah, too risky. Looks like the only games open are with the big boys, and if we got fingered knocking these guys over, they'll ice us for sure* 6th thought back, and Drum couldn't help but grin. He wondered if 6th already knew this mobster slang, or if it was the atmosphere of Classic Land rubbing off on them.

*We've made more than enough here. I was hoping for some action, but it's looks like there's nothin' but weak sisters here.* she stopped, hearing a commotion at the door to the casino.

Drum elbowed his way through the crowd to the door, where the bouncer was leaning on the door frame, in front of Mouse. She looked a combination of angry and upset. She looked over as Drum barked out "What's goin' on over here? Me and the dame can't hardly do nothin widdout.. Hey, Mousie, baby!" he flung his arms around her in a hug, startling both her and the bouncer.

"Close your head, ya palooka! Dis here's a good friend of mine, and I don't take kindly to no goon giving none of my skirts a hard time!" Drum barked, poking his finger into the bouncer's massive chest. The man stepped back, his hands up.

"But I thought youse already HAD a dame with..." Drum eyed the goon, who quailed, "Ok, ok, Mr. Diamondback, sir. I wasn't doing nothin'!"

*6th is pulling a racket on the mugs* Drum thought to her. He could barely read her, not like he could read 6th, but enough so he didn't have to talk to her out loud.

Mouse opened her mouth to reply, then shut it, thinking instead to him *How did you DO that? How am I doing that?*

6th went to the bar, ordering Drum another drink, and ranked the joes for a good rube she could possibly unlighten some dough from. A voice in her ear startled her as she picked up the drink and started for the table. It wasn't coming from any of the people around her, but directly in her ear. The earrings he'd given her! *the sneaky devil!* she smiled to herself.

"Artist?" 6th whispered, hurrying back to the table, scooting back in on the other side of Drum and waving at Mouse, while holding one hand to her ear.

*It's Artist, and he sounds like he's in trouble!* 6th said, trying to listen to both him and Artist at the same time. Drum rolled his eyes and relayed what was going to Mouse, who couldn't talk to 6th in thought. He added a few choice words about Artist's tendency to always get into trouble, making Mouse giggle.

"What with?" 6th whispered. She listened as Artist explained about the kidnapping of Kara. 6th relayed all of this to Drum in an instant.

*Drum can you send a couple of the dogs to where Artist is? He needs some backup, and I know you can't send people through spells yet.*

6th thought for a minute then thought, *Romil and Hulk--you know, the Dobie and the Dane? They're two of the toughtest I have.*

*No problem.* Drum said, then closed his eyes and chanted softly, Mouse and 6th covering for him by acting girlish and vacuous.

*Should be done.* Drum said opening his eyes, as 6th heard in her ear <Got them, thanks! Now hurry up and get over here!>

"Let's take a powder, ladies." Drum said, and started to get up when he noticed the crowd of goons surrounding the table.

"Where do you tink youse guys is goin'?" one of the bigger goons rumbled. 6th and Drum shared a worried glance.

"What we're gonna do, is not your business, goof, now scram!" Drum eyed the goon with a steely glare, but for some reason, it didn't work. The goons edged closer to the three Scoobs at the table.

"You grifter and your pro skirts are stayin' put, see? Da boss don't know what kinda scam you're pullin', but..." Drum lept to his feet, trying to look outraged.

"Actually..." another man almost slithered up to stand in front of the goons, Big Al joining him. They both looked extremely angry, but the slithery man looked by far the deadlier of the two. "I don't know who I'm talkin' to. See, I'M "Diamondback" Drum, and if I'm him," He hauled Drum up by his collar, pulling him across the table, as 6th and Mouse jumped to their feet, "Who are you, little man?" the real Diamondback whispered, and Drum swallowed hard.

"Take 'em inna back, boys!" Big Al called out as 6th, Mouse and Drum were grabbed by the thugs. "Let's put the screws on em, and see what they know!"

between his legs, a perplexed look on his face *I thought I saw a…* but the little yellow fellow was already gone from sight.

*I guess I didn't*Thor thought as he burst into Artic's room, teeth showing and ready to chomp. His queen had said he must look after the others. Grrrrr!

Thor noticed two things almost immeadiately. One:*What a mess! At least I didn't do it this time!* and two: Strange time for kitten to be playing with yarn. The room was completely void of any monsters or invading parties.*What the....?

Looking about himself at the damage Thor noticed Louie eating something . He sniffed the air. Strange odor.*What are you eating?*

*I don't know...but it tastes REALLY good!* Louie replies as he pops another golden nugget into his mouth.*Try some!

By this time Kitten had untangled herself from Tweetie's yarn trap and was rushing all over trying to stuff the golden nuggets back into the box that they

*STOP!* Kitten held up a paw and Louie stopped in mid munch <GULP> he swallowed hard *You can't eat the Crunch! Artic will be really mad!*

Louie just looked at her. Drum had told him to behave. Would making Artickat mad count? The Crunch stuff was really really good...*How mad?*

Suddenly Kitten gets an idea *Ummm…I won't tell Artic that you ate her Crunch IF you help me by protecting her stash while I find my 'Duckie'*

Louie has sudden thoughts of mouthful after mouthful of the tasty balls *Suuurrreeee...*wait. Frowning *Your 'Duckie'?! He's mine!*

Kitten raises her eyebrow and taps her back paw *Are you quite finished?...Good…he's mine..I kidnapped him and that makes him mine!*

Louie snuck a few more of the yummy morsels into his mouth. *You two talk it out. I'll just clean up...I mean pick up the the little golden balls.*

Kitten eyed the door. Thor did not budge. She began filling her backpack. *I'm coming Mr. Duckie, I'm coming!

Artist says in 6th's ear. "Don't lose that earring - but Kara's in much more trouble than you are - and you have Drum and Mouse. Hope she brought her field chemestry set."

Romil and Hulk join the illusionist outside the meat packing plant. They both whine at him. "Yes boys, I know it's going to be tough to track Kara in here - but I'm going to need your speed and muscle as much as your noses." Artist fades into the shawdows as he and the dogs slink into the huge warehouse.

The front room is guarded by a pit bull on a chain. Artist conceals his scent and the scents of the dogs and observes the pit bull. It's body is scarred - the dog looks viscious - it also looks as though it had been recently beaten. Those bruises were not made by another dog - they were made by someone hitting the creature with a stick or a whip.

Artist croons softly, slowly getting the dog's attention. "Killer," he whispers, reading the dog's name from it's collar. Killer is amazed to hear a human speaking to him - a human he can't see or smell. The dog lets out a small whine of abject terror.

"Don't be afraid, Killer. I'm going to set you free. Did your master beat you like this?" Killer is even more amazed to so clearly understand a human. Artist is also amazed at his ability to communicate with dogs - but having been one (two actually) gave him an entirely new appreciation for the creatures.

"Hulk, Romil, guard" Artist commands. The Great Dane and Doberman Pincher take up guard positions as the illusionist sets about picking the lock that connects the chain to Killer's collar. "You're with me now, Killer. No one is going to whip you or beat you again." Killer barks and growls quietly - and Artist knows the pit bull's loyalty has been won.

Artist thinks about how to find Kara. Shoeface has a reputation for cruelty - Killer was probably his dog. Whatever solution would have to be found here, it probably went through Shoeface.

"Lead me to the man who did this too you." Artist follows Killer into the hall, Hulk and Romil in his wake.

"Yech, what a mess." he said. "Who spilled all the cereal? And tangled all this yarn? And knocked over the furniture?"

*You are not.* Thor telepathed. *You will stay on the boat and not get lost. You will not get into trouble.*

Kitten dashed between Thor's legs and out onto the deck of the boat. Thor roared and spun around to go after her but the leaning tower of crunch boxes collapsed on top of him when he hit it with his tail. Crunch went bouncing all over the room and Louie dived into it, munching gleefully.

Sweetiepie winged his way out the door to look for kitten, but she had dashed down the gangplank and vanished.

"Yeah? Well she also said to stay out of trouble and kitten could get in trouble in the middle of a bare room. Let's go get her before a bunch of peasants with pitchforks and torches chase her back to the boat."

It was a packed house in the Grand Theatre tonight. Play time for the elite and affluent and all those who posed to be. A new show had come to town and it promised to be a good one. Billards had been posted across all of Classic land and no expense had been spared. Yes it was going to be a night to remember.

Kitten ran for all she was worth, scurrying, ducking, scampering, and laying a trail all over the warf. It would take that stuffy dinosaur some time to figure out where she'd gone. With all the crates and packages she'd tramped over her trail was sure to be broken in a dozen places for certain. Now it is was just a question of where Mr. Duckie had gone.

She paused to catch her little breath as well as her bearings. Things really looked different out here. So big and interesting! If only she had time to explore them all!

She pulled a little snapshot out of her pack and admired it as she chewed a morsel of crunch. Had to keep up her energy you know.

Tweety bird stared back at her from the picture. It was kind of lopsided but then again Ragnar's camera had been almost as big as she was! And _heavy!_ Ugg!

Kitten snatched up the picture and bounded for cover. Scooting her little butt between parcels she barely snurched out of sight in time. Rae and Ragnar walked by chatting, on their way back to the boat.

*Can you see anything?* Thor asked a bit gruffly and perturbed. He wasn't all that sure about this little excursion. It was a toss up. Would 6th be madder because he'd let the kitten off the boat or because he was off the boat himself. Pleasing his Queen was sometimes a complicated thing.

Not sure he had wanted to find out he had clamped a tight hold on his thoughts. He would listen is she called but he wouldn't let anything slip. A quick trip off to find the kitten and then back aboard. That was the ticket!

Louie was licking his choppers. He seemed inordinately happy and pleased. Perky even. (even see a lizard on a sugar high?)

*Yeah, yeah, yeah,* Sweetie replied. *If your brain was half the thing you make it out to be you'd have found her yourself by now.*

Thor swished his tail. That was a bit of a sticker there. He hadn't found the kittens thoughts, hadn't even been able to sense them. *She's young and chaotic. Hard to grasp!* He replied defensively.

Thor was a little troubled by that too. Hadn't they seen a Lizard before? What were they living in the 30's or something. Someone had even thrown a board at them! The nerve!

Thor dashed for a pile with a loose tarp lying about it. Louie just kept smacking his jaws. Happy, tasting the crunch still. *Louie!* Thor hissed.

*It's only Ragnar. Drum says he's not really that bad. He only eats Children and snakes and spiders and such.* He rambled on.

Stupid lizard! Thor lurched out of hiding, grabbed Louie by the tail and drug him under the tarp. And not a moment to soon.

Under the tarp Thor was tightly holding Louie's jaws closed. The silly lizard just couldn't stop licking his lips. Disgusting!

No doubt about it. The trail lead here. She had played with Mr. Duckie quite a lot. She'd know his scent anywhere. Not to mention the odors of all the other scoobies. She wasn't the best of trackers you know but hey she WAS an artickat!

She looked around, not at all certain what to do next., a little nervous. She had barely scooted in the building as it was. They had put up baracades and warning signs to keep people out. Something about a show but that was people stuff not kitten matters.

Tenetively she stepped foreward. She kind of liked this adventuring stuff. She had so many things to see and smell. Curiocity was alive and well.

The young mans eyes widened. He had just had another birthday and his parents had finally relented into letting him come to the theatre. It was time to start him on another type of proper education his father has said. And the Rocketts were just the thing!

Kitten suddenly found herself in the middle of a chorus line with quite a few feet bounding down around her.

were led back into a storeroom off the back of the club. Mouse's beautiful sapphire-blue evening dress was in real danger of getting ripped by the thugs that were man-handling her, and that just got her mad. 6th was looking equally as mad when she was roughly shoved against Drum, who caught her gently and pulled both ladies close.

*Try to look really scared* he whispered into both their minds at once. Mouse just looked like she could kill the nearest thug.

*SCARED, not violent. You're supposed to be fragile and vapid* Drum's voiced resonated in her head. Mouse tried for a more non-threatening look. *How's this for vapid* she thought, sarcasm completely evident, as she tried to tremble in Drum's arm.

Meanwhile, Spyral stopped arguing with the cab driver and got to the door, which was just about shut. He stuck his foot between the doors and sweet-talked his way in, mentally berating Mouse for taking off without him. His wing was gently folded up behind him in the special tuxedo Artist had illusioned him into. He looked around the club for her sapphire dress, and saw just a glimpse of it as she was roughly shoved through the back door by a guy the size of a linebacker.

*Why is she always getting in trouble?* he wearily thought to himself as he stealthily made his way back to the exit door.

"Your folks are gonna pay big for you girl." Shoeface sneered. "Or you ain't gonna like what happens to you."

Kara can only stare at him in shock. Things looked grim. As far as the others knew, she and Artist had gone off to explore Classic Land by themselves. If they didn't show up before morning no one would be particurlarly surprised. And the last she had seen of Artist, he had been profoundly unconcious. Who knew what kind of shape he was in? He might need rescuing himself!

Shoeface laughed. "I'm going to set up the ransom. You can wait for me right here. Buggsy, get those two new boys to guard this dame. I got stuff for you to do."

Meanwhile, Artist and his three dogs prowled around the packing plant. There was so much smell of meat that the dogs couldn't isolate Kara's scent. Artist heard someone coming and hid. The blow to the head he had taken earlier had given him a wicked headache and it was getting harder to concentrate. He searched in his pockets for asprin but his stash of it was gone. With his head throbbing like a kettle drum casting even the simplest spell was going to be difficult. Anything difficult would be beyond him.

"Buggsy, find out who that dame's folks are and send them a ransom note." Shoeface said as he walked past Artist's hiding place.

"Hey Boss!" a voice called from back toward the front of the slaughterhouse. "Killer slipped his leash again. He's gone!"

Artist grabbed Killer and tried to hold his muzzle closed. But never do that to a dog, particurlarly one who's been abused. Killer yelped and bit Artist's hand. Artist yelled and Killer, surprisingly for a pit bull, let go. But all this noise had allerted Shoeface and Buggsy.

Buggsy and several friends jumped on poor ArtistStudio and quickly subdued him. Another blow to the head and he slumped, unconcious again.

"I know somebody who will." Shoeface grinned. "Buggsy, get Piere on the horn. Tell him I've got a recruit for him."

So the dogs stowed away in the truck that took the unconcious Artist away. When he woke up, several hours later, he was in North Africa at the third outpost of the French Foreign Legion...

"Yes." KaraS lied. "I'm with the... Disruptors. We topple foreign governments and stuff like that. You'd better let me go."

He finished the spell just in time as the goon pushed the ladies to the side, and grabbed Drum by the lapel.

The thug dropped Drum to the floor, and turned to make his way to the backdoor. The cops rushed in before he could make it. "Reach for the sky!"

The mobsters raised their hands as the cops moved in to slap on the cuffs. One of the cops cuffed the real Diamond back, and stopped in front of Drum on his way out.

"Hey! What are you doing!" Spyral shouted, struggling against a cop that was trying to cuff him. "I didn't do anything!"

The foursome followed the cops into the alley, and watched as they loaded the prisoners into the paddywagon.

The paddy wagon pulled out of the alley, and the gang watched as it, not slowing down one bit, drove straight of the end of the pier. Just as the vehicle hit the water,

it disappeared, leaving Diamondback, Big Al and his goons to swim for shore with confused looks on their faces.

The four of them climbed into the car that was still waiting for them, and rode off in the opposite direction.

"You really think we'd backstab Shoeface?" says Jeff. "This is his yacht. Kara struggles as Jeff and Pedro take her onto the posh yacht. "Last time someone did that, they ended up being served at all the hotdog stands in town..."

"What are you doing bringing her here?" Scarface roars as Jeff and Pedro escort Kara onto the yacht's bridge.

"She pushed us out of a helicopter," Jeff continues. "She's got some serious resources and they're all mixed up with Ragnar. I bet that bloke we sent to Piere is with them too. They might pay to know where he is."

"Ragnar!!!" Shoeface roars! "I saw his ship in the yard. It's a wreck." The mobster turns to his skipper. "Cast off! We want to get as far from here as possible. I'll have that viking chasing my boys all over town. Gimme that phone!"

Killer, Romil and Hulk slink off the plane and follow the line of men to the hospital. Artist awakens shortly after the press gang leaves and alters his appearance, now seeming to wear the uniform of a Legionairre. He takes the uniform of a Lieutenant and lies convincingly to the Captain of the on-site company that he was recently transferred to the hospital from the desert to recover from a head wound.

Within an hour he gets into the supplies and replaces his illusury side-arm and uniform with a real one, then collapses with a splitting headache.

Killer finds him and licks his wounded hand. When a doctor finds him, Hulk, Romil and Killer are standing guard.

Shoeface's hardened goon takes two steps back and looks a lot less tough. "Look Mac, I'm just the messenger...."

"Then you take this message back to Shoeface. He returns my friends TODAY!!! Or they'll be serving HIM for lunch all over town!" The enraged Viking wads up the ransom note and thrusts it into the goon's chest, shoving him off the pier into the water.

To reach out and nab another of Rae's excellent doughnuts. "I don't know how you do it Rae but these things ALWAYS come out delicious!"

The sun had set over the warf and activity had slowed to a trickle. Around the longboat it was downright quiet. Quiet enough to hear the waves against the hull. Overhead the sky was clear, filled with stars, the moon not yet risen.Over Classic land a menagerie of weather reigned. There it looked like rain in quite a few spots.

He decided to add a couple more doughnuts to his napkin before leaning back in his chair. Both he and Rae had their feet propped up. They were angled slightly towards one another, giving them a fair view of the entire dock area. Habbit I suppose.

Ragnar had drug over a braisier earlier, when she had been in the kitchen working her magic, and a small fire burned within it. It was just cool enough to be comfortable. She stired it with a long iron.

Her eyes twinkled a bit but she said nothing. Yes, she did indeed understand. She had been here a long time. Sometimes silence was one of her favorite things.

"There is a lot of sound in silence if you learn to listen." Ragnar added almost as an afterthought. Another doughnut lost a respectable chunk.

"You suppose one of the others has gotten into trouble and it's found it's way back here? Or are they another part of your past?"

Ragnar rolled that one in his mind and he started work on the second doughnut.. "Naw, probably one of the gang in trouble. I really didn't do much here over the years. A few contacts and the occasional enemy or two but noting I think I would have stirred up already."

Ragnar smiled again, his eyes slightly mischievious. "I think I'll have another doughnut and some more of that coffee please."

Kitten hunkered down under the ledge of the small porch and looked over her tail intently. She was soaked from her pointy ears to its tip...and it hurt! Stepped on no less!

It had been close. Her little heart had nearly jumped out of her chest when she fell out the other side of the shimmering wall. She didn't know why but they'd been waiting to attack her for sure. And she hadn't even done anything!

Her little formed shuttered. All those women in those dreadful shoes stomping down all around her. It had been kitten instinct alone that had saved her! Zip, jump, dodge....it had cost her a blow to her little tail just to clear the stage.

Now she was worried. Had they greeted Mr. Ducky the same way? Was he a smashed ducky? A flat duckie? She sniffled a little.

Mr. Duckie was quick. She knew that from pouncing on him. Artickat said toons got flattened all the time and survived. He had to be alright. Shame her tail wasn't a toon. Least for tonight. Then it wouldn't hurt. Artickat could fix it....but artickat wasn't here.

In the Theatre things had settled down. No one knew for certain how that kitten had gotrten in but heads would roll....tomorrow. For now the show must go on!

He leaned back, putting his arm around 6th, as the driver sped away. Mouse and Spyral sat opposite them, laughing.

*Actually...* Drum thought, then caught himself before completing that thought. 6th could still see what he was thinking.

"Actually what? No, never mind. We need to go help him, though. He could be in real trouble." 6th tried raising him on the earring radio, as Drum gave the driver instructions to Artist's location. He tried not to let his reluctance show. If Artist saw 6th in that dress...but she promised! Drum quelled the turmoil he felt, not wanting to let 6th know.

"Nothing." 6th sighed. "It's offline. Do you think..." she looked worriedly at Drum, which irked him a little.

Mouse and 6th filled him in on Kara's kidnapping, while Drum just looked out the window, watching the scenery go by.

"Well..." 6th shrugged, "Actually, yeah. I wouldn't have said 'wimp' myself, but...he's just no good in a fight!"

"He gets into enough scrapes, I'm sure he knows lots of ways to get out of them by now!" Drum said. Spryal chuckled.

"Yeah, like, how many different ways of running can you think of?" Spyral grinned. Drum couldn't help but laugh.

Mouse and 6th looked at them both. "Don't be cruel!" Mouse said. "It's not his fault he doesn't like violence!"

"Well, I think it's nice to meet a guy who doesn't think beating the crap out of someone is always a good idea." 6th said quietly.

6th grinned and slid close to him, "Which is one reason I like YOU so much, Drum. You use your head." she kissed him gently. He reeled a bit as they got out of the car. Her kisses always had that effect on him. He'd have to be careful though. He didn't want to make 6th mad at him, but Artist just...well, sometimes he got a bit jealous at how easy the guy could get women to follow him around...well, except for Rae...and Mouse...and...Drum had to bite his lip to keep from laughing again... he just REALLY didn't want 6th to...well...

"Hmmmm..." he muttered, then chanted a scanning spell, giving him a view of the inside of the building. It was empty, save for a few henchmen.

"That's probably why you can't get him on the radio, 6th." Drum said, sliding an arm around her shoulders. "If he got Kara out, then he probably shut off the radio, so they could...uh...celebrate their escape without being disturbed."

6th frowned for a second, then sighed, nodding. "You're probably right, Drum. That exactly what he'd do." She shrugged, then grinned. "OK, well, then what should we do instead?"

"Great, I'm starving!" Spyral was already back in the car. "I'm SICK to Death of Calimari!" Mouse got in after him, laughing.

6th turned to get in the car, and Drum caught her by the arm. "Hey wait a second." he said, she looked at him, puzzled.

"Close your eyes." he grinned, "I've got a surprise for you." She did. He looked at her a moment, standing there with her hands out, her eyes closed. *God, she's so beautiful!* he sighed to himslef.

"Hang on here just a sec..." he reached into his wizard's bag slung over his shoulder. No one could see it, he kept it invisible when he was wearing stuff other than his robes, but he never went anywhere with out it. He never knew when he'd need a good potion...or in this case...

He pulled out one of the many amulets he had collected. He had several necklaces of protection, but this was the prettiest one he had. The thing was gold, with a delicate web of strands leading out from the enormous blue stone set in the middle. Blue light glowed softly around the stone.

"Here." he said holding it out in front of her. She opened her eyes, and gasped, her eyes growing wide, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

"It's nothing compared to your beauty." he smiled, "I only hope you like it..." he couldn't finish, as 6th had practically tackled him, kissing his face all over. She was speechless.

"OOoo, please?" She said, pulling her hair up on top of her head and holding it up for him. He stepped in close to her, gently fastening the clasp. Her perfume wafted up as he leaned in.

"It's delicious." he whispered back, then kissed her behind her ear. He kissed her lingeringly down her neck to her shoulder, pulling her hands away from her head and placing them around his neck, letting her hair fall around his face. She shivered against him.

They got back in the car, where Mouse ooohed and ahhhhhed over 6th's new necklace. 6th kept her fingers laced through Drum's own, as the driver pulled away from the packing plant.

"As long as they have food there, I don't care where we go!" Spryal growled, "A man could starve waiting for you two to quit being all mushy!" Mouse punched him playfully.

"You know, 6th," Drum said, idily toying with one of her earrings, "those earrings Artist gave you really clash with the necklace..."

"How about if I put them right here in my coat. We'll hear him if he starts to yell." Drum said. "And you don't need those earrings for looks anyway. You're stunning enough without them." that did it.

"Good. I'd hate for anything to happen to him." she sighed, leaning back against Drum. He smiled to himself, as the car drove on, feeling extremely happy.