Siblings Unite

Tragic Backstories/Basil's Regret

Chapter 8: Tragic Backstories/Basil's Regret

The toy store was a mess. For sure, the owner was going to be upset and have to clean it up.

"Dawson!" Eve and Clover shouted.

"Girls, you found me!" Dawson called.

"We'll get you off that dart," Eve said and she and Clover started to pull him off the dart. Luckily, Eve was strong, so Dawson wouldn't fall hard.

"Thank you," Dawson said, "That's better."

"Let's see what Basil's up to," Clover said.

"Basil? Basil!" Dawson cried as he, Eve, and Clover tried to find Basil.

Just then, they heard a baby doll repeatedly crying out a mantra, "Mama!" They looked for Basil behind some toys to see where the noise was coming from to see Basil dangling on the toy's string, grunting.

"Basil, Olivia! Andrew!" Dawson cried to get Basil's attention, "Olivia, Andrew they're...they're..."

"Yes! They're gone, Dawson!" Basil interrupted with annoyance as he continued accidentally pulling the string. "Confound it! I told you to watch over the children!"

"Hey, I watched them!" Clover retorted.

"Well, they're gone now, aren't they? I would've had a better chance of finding your father if you wouldn't have gotten in the way."

"I was trying to help you, but you knocked me over."

Just then, he landed with a thud. "Now, they've been spirited away by a maniacal little monster!" Basil snapped with his foul temper and Eve comforted Dawson, who cringed at his partner's harsh attitude. "Soon to be in the clutches of the most depraved mind in all of London! I should've known better than to-"

Clover, fed up with being yelled in her face, slapped him, making him stop and he pressed his palm to his cheek. "To what?" she demanded, "Test your relationship with all of us as well as everyone around you? Break your promises and lie to us that you will save our only living relative from Ratigan, just so you can capture that criminal? Be mean to those who try to help you? Let your pride get the best of you? Say things you'll regret? YES, you should've known better! Some great mouse detective you are when you're a disgrace to that title!"

Basil flinched at her verbal attacks.

"Basil, would you stop yelling at Olivia and Dawson and everyone else?!" Eve snapped at Basil, "It goes no good to do that!"

"I tried to help you rescue Andrew and Olivia, but you knocked me over!" Clover screamed, "If it weren't for you, I would've already done it and have the peg legged bat in my grasp, so that Andrew and Olivia would have a chance! I don't care what happens to you! How about that?"

"That makes two of us," Eve agreed.

"Just who do you think you are?" Basil demanded.

Clover grabbed him by the neck tie, making him face her. "We're the people you work with, but not for long. You can't take back what you said, which will hurt you in return." Then she set him down.

"You know what?" Basil shouted, "Never mind! If you don't want to stick with me on this case, FINE! Just leave me alone! I'll stop Ratigan on my own. Besides, Eve seems loyal to him."

Eve was hurt and angry by the last part.

"Go on! Go the wrong way! We never wanted you with us, anyway! We're not going to be responsible for what happens to you next. None of this would've happened if Andrew, Olivia, and I found our father on our own! What's worse is I TRUSTED YOU!" Clover raged in Basil's face, out of betrayal, which forced him to fall backwards. "Yelling at us isn't going to help Andrew and Olivia, you're just letting Ratigan win! You think you're so perfect and it drives people insane, including me! A selfish, incompetent, and self-absorbed private detective like you wouldn't understand that as well as focusing on the client's situation before your own! If tracking Ratigan down is all you care about, then we'll leave to find my siblings and father, you ungrateful jerk!"