All Smiles in the Darkness
By RedSwift
Chapter 6
“YOU!” both Tammy and Darice exclaimed at the same time. They stared icily at each other, Dale swore he felt the room get colder.
Darice finally broke the ice, “So Tammy, get into anymore trouble for making mean comments about the teachers?”
“That was only that one time, and I seem to remember someone turning on the PA system for everyone to hear a “private” conversation.”
“Everyone thought it was funny.”
“Yeah, everyone except me and all the teachers I ridiculed.”
“Heheh, I remember the one for our science teacher, ‘ol Mr. Smeltings *ahem* ‘Old man Smeltings has been with the school system so long, I wonder if he’ll look down at his arm and begin studying it as a fossil.’ That one was a classic you know Tammy.”
Grumbling, “I know, I still hear about it from my classmates. So, you still not doing anything serious, still pranking and causing general trouble.”
“Nope, as you can see, I’ve discovered music, and have Dale as a protégé.”
*I don’t even wanna know what those two could cook up together,* Tammy thought to herself.
Dale watched all this in silence, somewhat understanding what was going on, but deciding to stay out of it. He could just imagine the two of them taking up fighting stances, circling each other. He shuddered at the thought.
Tammy finally relented, “Well, I just wanted to watch and hear Dale play, so I’ll do just that,” she said, setting herself on the bed.
“OK Dale, let’s pick it up where we left off,” Darice instructed, and Dale began playing.
Tammy watched for awhile, but left after a little bit since it wasn’t really her style of music. As she opened the door, she came face to face with Chip, who was reaching down for the knob she’d just moved out of his reach.
“Oh, hiya Chip,” she said sheepishly, looking down at her feet.
Chip also found himself looking at his feet, “So, did you see Dale play?”
“Yeah I did, oh and watch that girl he’s with, she’s trouble,” and with that Tammy walked off.
Chip mused over what she had said before she left, then thought to bring it up later, and walked into Headquarters. He sat trying to read, and finally Dale stopped. He walked out with Darice to the main room and announced, “Chip, Darice’s is stayin’ for dinner, if that’s OK with you of course.”
“I have no problems with it, just go in and tell Monty so he knows there’s one more person.”
“OK,” and with that Dale walked back to the kitchen, leaving Chip alone with Darice.
He decided to work into the conversation smoothly, “So, how’s Dale doing?”
“He’s doing great,” she answered, walking towards the couch.
“That’s good. Hey, I hear Tammy came over to hear him.”
At the mention of that name, Darice froze, she slowly responded, “Yeah, she came over for a little bit.”
“Well, she said on her way out that you were trouble. Do you know what she meant.”
Darice appraised what she knew about this ‘munk. She knew he was a good detective and would probably smell a lie, plus he could just check into her. She sighed, *May as well let him find it out from me rather than somewhere else.*
“Tammy and I had quite a bad run-in during high school,” she began, pausing to think of what best to say to this ‘munk.
“Go on,” he interrupted her thoughts.
“Well, during high school, I always was a trouble maker. When I was senior and Tammy a wide-eyed freshmen, I decided to have some fun with her. I became her friend, and being friends with a senior was always a plus to a freshman. One day I convinced her to come up with mean insensitive jokes about each of the teachers. As we snuck into an empty room in the office, she read me what she’d written. Unknown to her, I had planted the PA system microphone in that room, and the whole school heard her little jokes. Needless to say, the faculty and principal weren’t very happy with her, or me for that matter. We spent the next two weeks in detention, and she never said a word to me ‘til today.”
“Well I don’t blame her, you thoroughly emabarassed her.”
“I know, I was young, naïve, and stupid. I’ve changed since.”
“We’ll see. I just don’t want you getting Dale into trouble. You can do whatever you want to, just don’t bring Dale into it.”
“OK, but I’m not like that anymore, so you can lay off.”
“I will when I feel I can trust you.”
“Fair enough.”
At this moment, Dale came in the room with chocolate all over his muzzle.
“So that’s what kept you so long,” Chip said dryly, “I thought we told you not to eat snacks before dinner.”
“That’s what Monty tried tellin’ me.”
“And of course you didn’t listen.”
“Yup.”
Chip just shakes his head, and resumes reading. Dale and Darice sit down on the opposite end of the couch and begin watching TV. After a few minutes, Monty comes out and sets the empty plates on the table, and goes back into the kitchen. He emerges a few minutes later with his arms full of food and lays it all out on the table.
He yells, “Dinner’s ready everyone!” He then went down to get Gadget from her workshop. As they sat down, everyone was already seated waiting for them so they could start. Foxglove was absent of course, getting her own dinner.
Gadget looked quizzically at Darice, and seeing this, Dale spoke up, “Gadget, this is my friend Darice, Darice, this is Gadget.”
Darice nodded in greeting and Gadget said, “ Hello Darice, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
The dinner went nicely, with questions from the Rangers to Darice about music and whatnot while she asked them about their jobs and certain cases. About halfway through the meal, Foxglove returned. She pulled up a chair next to Dale and leaned her head on his shoulder while everyone talked. Eventually, everyone finished, and as Chip and Dale cleared the table and washed the dishes, Foxy, Darice, Monty, Gadget, and Zipper continued talking.
Darice looked up at the wall and exclaimed, “Is it that late?!?! I’m sorry, I really enjoyed meeting you all, but I have to go, I have to be up for work tomorrow.”
“That’s no problem love, it was nice meeting you,” Monty said. Gadget, Foxglove and Zipper shook their heads in agreement.
With that, Darice left. Chip and Dale returned from the kitchen all covered in soap suds, chattering in their own fast paced way.
“WHY’DYOUGODOTHATYOUDUMMY!LOOKYOU’VECOVEREDUSIN SOAPANDWE’RESOAKED.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
Monty got up and between them before it got physical, “Now you mates go and get yourselves washed up, and forget whose fault it is,” he said, glaring down at them.
“OK Monty,” they replied in unison, rushing off towards the bathroom.
“I get it first,” Dale exclaimed.
“No, this is all your fault, I get it first.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
Monty just shook his head and returned to the table. “At least they’re acting back to normal,” he said out loud.
“Huh, I haven’t noticed.” Gadget replied.
“You’ve been cooped up in your shop for awhile now luv, maybe you should take a break.”
“Maybe I should, I think tomorrow I’ll take an easy day.”
“I think we all should.”
Foxglove got up from the table and went over to the television, with Zipper following her. Monty and Gadget stayed and talked for a little bit, but eventually came over to the television also.
As they all watched the news, Dale came in all wet from his shower. He flopped down next to Foxy and cuddled. This kind of surprised Foxy since Dale usually rarely showed affection, let alone in front of people. Of course, she wasn’t one to complain, and she cuddled back with him, quickly losing her interest in the television. Chip came in and watched for a little while, and seeing nothing of interest on the television, went off to bed. Monty, Zipper, and Gadget soon followed, leaving the two lovers alone. Dale immediately got up and started channel surfing.
“Boy I’m glad they finally left, the news is so boring!”
“I kinda enjoyed it cutie,” she answered, batting her eyes at him.
“Welllll, it was kind of better than usual,” he said, looking at her longingly.
He found a comedy movie on and went back to the movie. He cuddled up next to Foxy, watching the movie.
Disclaimer: The Rangers, Foxglove, and Tammy are Copyright Disney. Used without permission but with the utmost respect. Darice and Mr. Smeltings are figments of my imagination trying to get out. You may post this story in any way, so long as you don’t modify my words or gain profit from it. (Boy, isn’t all this legal mumbo jumbo fun?)