When Duke and Freya arrived at the police station, they were greeted with a scene that was both hilarious and chaotic. Captain Brennant and Chief Wheeler were standing awkwardly with their hands cuffed behind their backs, trying to maintain their composure. Several other officers were in similar positions, all wearing amused but exasperated expressions.

In the middle of the room was Mia, a determined look on her face as she clicked another pair of handcuffs onto a bewildered officer. "This is nice, right? I saved lots of time!" she proclaimed proudly.

Allen, Clemmons, and Buster were doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down their faces. The officers, though amused, were at a loss on how to deal with the situation.

Freya sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh dear..."

Duke approached Mia cautiously. "Mia, sweetheart, what are you doing?"

Mia turned to her father, beaming. "Hi, Daddy! I'm helping! I put all the bad guys in jail!"

Duke knelt down to her level, trying to suppress a smile. "I see that, but these aren't bad guys. These are police officers, like how you want to be one day."

Mia looked around, her brow furrowing in confusion. "But they let me put the cuffs on them..."

Chief Wheeler, still handcuffed, chuckled. "That's because we all know how important it is to support young officers-in-training."

Captain Brennant added, "But I think it's time for a little break from training, don't you?"

Mia nodded slowly, starting to understand. "Okay. Can I have the keys, please?"

Duke gently took the keys from her. "I'll take care of it, honey."

Freya picked up Mia and gave her a big hug. "Why don't we go outside and let Daddy finish up here?"

Mia smiled, happy with her day's work, as Freya carried her towards the door.

Allen, Clemmons, and Buster, still giggling, followed them out. "That was epic," Allen whispered to his brothers.

Duke, now holding the keys, started freeing the officers. "I'm really sorry about this, everyone."

Chief Wheeler laughed as Duke unlocked his cuffs. "Don't worry about it. It's a story we'll be telling for years. Besides, it's not every day you get handcuffed by a future star officer."

Once all the officers were free, Duke thanked them again and promised to bring Mia back under more controlled circumstances next time. As he walked out of the station, he found his family waiting by the car. Mia was now dressed fully.

She looked up at him with big eyes. "Did I do good, Daddy?"

Duke smiled and kissed her forehead. "You did great, sweetheart. Just remember, even when we're saving time, we need to make sure we're doing things the right way."

Mia nodded, absorbing the lesson. "Okay, Daddy."

__________________________________________

It was night, and Duke was sleeping peacefully. Just then, he heard whispers in from outside his door.

" Should we tell him?" A voice whispered.

" He told us we should." A second voice replied.

"But he's sleeping so peacefully." The first one pointed out. Then he sighed. " What do you think, Buster?" 

There was a silence, and the second one said, " He's right. Dad asked for it."

The first one sighed, and said " Okay, let's do this." 

Suddenly, Duke's bedroom door creaked open, and he felt a weight land on his chest. "Dad, wake up!" Allen shouted, bouncing on top of him.

"Not like that!" Clemmons yelled from the doorway, his hands on his hips. "We were supposed to tell him, not jump on him!"

Duke groaned and rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "What's going on, boys?"

Allen, still perched on Duke's chest, looked sheepish. "Sorry, Dad. We need to tell you something."

Clemmons stepped forward, looking serious. "There's something happening downstairs."

Duke, now fully awake, gently pushed Allen off and sat up. "Okay, what is it? What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until morning?"

Buster, who had been hiding behind Clemmons, stepped into the room and added ( rather, signed), "It's Mia. She's up to something again."

" What did she do now?" Duke sighed.

Allen, who was sheepish, looked more sheepish. 

" It's the saying mishap. She miiiiight have decided that sleeping on a bed was too easy."

" So, what did she do?" 

Clemmons sighed. " She's walking around the town, carrying a gun."

Duke's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly swung his legs out of bed. "She's what?!" he exclaimed, grabbing his robe and slipping it on in one swift motion.

Allen slid off the bed, looking guilty. "We tried to stop her, Dad, but she said that protecting the town was the harder, and therefore, the better way."

Clemmons nodded, worry etched on his face. "She's got your old toy gun, the one that looks real. She thinks she's on a mission."

Duke took a deep breath, trying to stay calm despite the panic rising in his chest. "Alright, let's go find her. We need to get her back before anything happens."

Freya, now awake and alarmed, joined them at the door. "What's going on?"

"Mia's out in town with my old toy gun," Duke explained quickly. "We need to find her."

Freya's eyes widened, and she immediately grabbed her phone. "I'll call the station and let them know what's happening. They can help us look."

As Freya made the call, Duke and the boys rushed downstairs and out the door, the cool night air hitting them as they stepped into the street.

"Alright, boys, spread out but stay within sight of each other," Duke instructed. "We need to cover as much ground as possible but stay safe. If you see her, shout."

They fanned out, scanning the dimly lit streets and alleys. Duke's mind raced, trying to think of where Mia might go. She often talked about the places she considered "important" for a police officer to patrol.

"Check the park first!" Duke called out, remembering how Mia loved the playground there.

As they approached the park, Duke's heart pounded in his chest. He saw a small figure moving near the swings. "Mia!" he shouted, running towards her.

Mia turned around, startled but smiling. "Daddy! I'm protecting the town, just like you!"

Duke reached her and knelt down, pulling her into a tight hug. "Mia, you can't do this alone, especially not at night. You scared us all."

"But I wanted to be brave," Mia said, her lower lip trembling.

"You are brave," Duke reassured her. "But being brave also means knowing when to ask for help and staying safe. Let's go home, okay?"

Mia nodded, finally understanding. "Okay, Daddy."

As they walked back home, Freya and the boys caught up with them, relief evident on their faces. Freya picked up Mia, holding her close. "Don't ever do that again, sweetheart."

Allen, Clemmons, and Buster gathered around, relieved to have their sister back safe. "We'll make sure she doesn't, Mom," Clemmons promised.

Back at home, Duke tucked Mia into bed, giving her an extra kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Mia. Remember, the best way is to stay safe and ask for help when you need it."

Mia smiled sleepily. "Goodnight, Daddy."

As Duke and Freya finally settled back into bed, Freya whispered, "We need to find a way to channel her bravery into something safer."

Duke chuckled softly. "Definitely. We'll figure it out together."

With that, they drifted back to sleep, grateful that their family was safe and together once more.