Olivia goes West

Chapter 30

"Alright ya tarantula, yer next," said Miss Kitty after Wylie Burp had finished tying up Cat R. Waul with a rope, brandishing her shotgun at the arachnid.

"Ya know what boss, maybe we shoulda figured that they'd ambush us when we got out of the mine," Chula said irritably.

"Shut up, Chula," Waul snapped.

Tanya sat Vartan down on a rock gingerly, as Tony looked him over, and cautiously approached Waul.

"Why did you save me?" she asked.

Waul looked down at the mouse, "Oh that idiotic control-freak Ratigan had pushed me to my last nerve. I specifically told him that you were off limits."

"Because?"

Waul turned away a bit, "Because dear girl, you've a voice like an angel. I only wish that it didn't have to belong to a mouse."

Tanya frowned, "Well, thank you for saving my life. I mean that. But just know I'm never falling for your lies again. It doesn't excuse what you've done, or what you were planning to do."

Waul sighed and sulked. Tanya turned around, and walked back toward Vartan.

Olivia hadn't stopped hugging Fievel after they escaped. She continued to hug him and kiss his cheeks over and over, making the boy blush as Tanya looked on and smirked.

"I'm so glad yer alive Fievel," she said.

"I'm glad too," he giggled, hugging her as Hiram patted Olivia's head.

She then turned around and hugged her father tight, "Oh, we're all together again, we can start livin' like normal again."

"But what about Basil and Nellie?" Fievel asked, looking back into the cave.

Olivia's ears went down. They didn't know what would happen.

"Basil's always found his way outta trouble before, dearie," Hiram assured her, "We probably haven't seen the last of him."

Meanwhile, Tanya wrapped Vartan's wounded arm with a strip of her dress as he sat down on a rock.

"You think you'll be okay?" she asked.

Vartan, dazed and pained, looked up at Tanya, "I think so..."

"You know...I really liked your sketches of me..."

Vartan blinked, "You...you saw them?"

Tanya nodded and giggled a little, "I'm sorry for snooping but um, yes I did see them...they were really good, you put so much care and detail into them..."

Vartan blushed a bit, "I draw everyone, you know."

Tanya smiled, "Well I wouldn't mind letting you draw me again, this time while I'm paying attention. That is...if you're staying here in Green River. I um...I hope you are."

Vartan looked down a bit, "I haven't anywhere else to go...unless with Nellie but...we do not even know if she and Basil are alive..."

It was then that a deafening explosion shook the entire mesa. They saw smoke rise into the air above the rocky outcropping.

"What was that?" Miss Kitty asked.

"Must have been the mine cart dat had Nellie and Basil..." said Tony.

"Reckon we ought to see what happened?" Wylie asked.

"We...we have to see if anyone lived!" said Olivia.

The group agreed, and, taking their prisoners with them, walked around the mesa for a few minutes until coming across the large chasm, and looking up to see where the tracks on the mine ended. Smoke was still billowing from the pit.