I would like to thank miceaholic for being my beta for this story. She's amazing! As both a writer and an artist, I encourage you to go check out her stuff.
This is in response to The Third Biker Scholar's Great Romance Challenge.
(A/N) Beware: you WILL need tissues by the end of this! I did and I had already planned on writing it. I'm weird like that, I guess.
He had been hers since they were barely teenagers; she had made that real clear from the very start. Chuckling at the memory of her insisting that she should be included in whatever he and his bros were doing; Vinnie protesting and Modo trying to hide his smirk. He was terribly shy and hated to be the center of attention. Not to mention that girls scared him, especially the silver-furred Army brat who decided that they would be perfect together. She terrified him the most. All girls were scary, but she was the worst.
The elderly mouse continued his shuffling walk along the pathway towards his one and only love. Throttle smiled, as he traveled down his memories. Once he was finally able to get past his shyness and be able to look at the girl without his tongue twisting itself in knots, he began to develop the same feelings for her. As they grew, he knew that without a doubt that he would be sharing his eternity with her. Every time that she spoke, his heart skipped and when she looked at him, he just wanted to hold her and never let go. They had their hard times and, yes, some fights too, but their love survived and grew stronger because of it.
Throttle's mind skimmed through his memories, both joyful and painful. He remembered their first date and kiss; chuckling at how awkward and nervous he was and how he had missed her mouth and got a mouthful of hair for his efforts. He remembered their first fight that ended with harsh words and hurt feelings on both sides; but with some assistance from Stoker, and a few smacks across their heads, they both apologized. He remembered when the first Plutarkian attack happened and how terrified he was that she might have been one of the casualties. He had felt such a relief when he saw her standing there, a little dirty and scuffed up but alive, that he had nearly crushed her in a tight embrace; and sobbed with joy, not caring that he was in full view of the Martian army and his bros. He remembered his pride as his girl quickly climbed the ranks of the Army and was pinned a General.
He remembered when he and his bros were set up to make it look like they were on Limburger's payroll and how his beloved had him thrown in the brig because it looked like he had turned traitor. He remembered the joy he felt as the Plutarkians were finally defeated, on Mars as well as Earth. He remembered the love swell within him as he gazed at her on their Bonding Day. He remembered when he wept with joy as he held his tiny newborn son in his arms, and the brothers and sisters that arrived for the little guy throughout the next several years. He remembered the pride that he felt as his children grew and succeeded at life. He was there when their attempts at life lessons failed and he was there to help them back up. He laughed and cried with them at life's little moments. He remembered how Modo and Vinnie both found their girls and settled down and started their own families.
Throttle shook some of the cobwebs from his mind as he reached the top of the hill and looked around. Freedom City, the place he had called home for many decades, was thriving; in fact, very few were left that had fought in the Plutarkian invasion, and all the Martians that lived here now knew nothing but of peaceful times. He gazed in wonder as he watched children and young couples play in the nearby park. So many had sacrificed the greatest price so that these future generations could be safe and happy with no fear. The Garden of Hope had grown beyond that little plot it was first founded on, it stretched further than the eye could see. Mars was looking more and more like its glory days.
"Oh, Carbine, you should see how it has grown." Throttle sighed as he continued down the hill to his destination; his mind began wandering as he trudged along the path once more. Looking back through the years now, they just seem to have happened in a blink of an eye. His children's children's children were grown and starting families and he could've sworn that it was just a few short years ago that he and his bros were on Earth giving Limburger and Charley headaches with their antics. Charley-girl. The fiery Earth girl genius who had called them her friends. She was the one who helped the Martian scientists to find a way to bring Mars somewhat back to its former glory. She helped pave the way for Martian colonies on Earth and was one of the first humans to take up resident on Mars. Snorting in amusement, Throttle remembered how that spunky woman refused to be left behind; how neither he, Vinnie or Modo were surprised when she showed up at their doorstep.
Once more, the years passed quickly, too quickly. Then it happened, he got the call. Their beloved Charley-girl had passed on in her sleep. They shouldn't have been too shocked by that, they knew that Martian Mice lived longer than Earth's humans, but none of them could believe it. Their brilliant, feisty Charley was gone. They were devastated. More years passed and another dear friend went to his final resting place. Stoker, the passion-filled leader of the Freedom Fighters was finally at peace. Not too long after that, it was Modo's turn. He died trying to save some young mice from a cave in. Everyone made it out safely…except for him. Several years passed and Throttle's small group of friends got much smaller. Vinnie was having pains from an old racing injury. The Martian doctors tried to fix it; they said that his body was just too worn out from the war for them to fix it. The youngest Biker Mouse, the free-spirited, danger and thrill seeker was not dying from misfired explosives or a crash but from being worn out and ready to greet death. Throttle stayed with Vinnie in his last minutes, holding his hand and retelling some of their exploits.
A few tears slipped past Throttle's grizzled muzzle unnoticed as he remembered the days that came after that. The only thing that kept him going was his silver-furred angel. His one and only was now his one and only. They spent as much time as they could together knowing that it was only a matter of time before one if not both of them was going to be knocking on Death's door. Waking up from his thoughts with a start, Throttle realized he almost walked right past his destination. Slowly he lowered himself to the ground next to the gravestone.
"Well, Carbine. Things are still the same. It's been years since you passed on, leaving me as the only one of our group left on Mars. You always were a bit impatient, and had to be in charge. I guess that's just the general in you." Throttle whispered as he stroked the stone. "I'm beyond old now, things are just not what they used to be, and sometimes that's a good thing," he lightly chuckled. "But one of the things that hasn't changed, and will never change, is my love for you. You kept me going when I felt like I couldn't go any farther; and there were plenty of times when that happened. It was because of you I kept fighting Limburger and the rest of those lousy Stinkfish. If I didn't have you to come home to, I would've given up a long time ago." A rattling cough shook the aged mouse's body as he tried to continue confessing his love for his departed love.
"Carbine, without you I wouldn't be the mouse I was back in my prime. You kept me fighting and hanging on when I had no one else. Even now, when I'm at the end of the line; just getting here to your gravesite is all the willpower that I need to keep moving," Throttle rasped as another cough made his frail body tremble. "We had some rough times," the elderly mouse said with a tremor in his voice as his bony, aged hand softly caressed the engraved letters of his beloved's name. "But we always returned to each other's arms. You gave me so much. You loved me so much" The elderly war hero tried to stifle his tears as he remembered his and Carbine's last minutes together. "You stayed as long as you could but you were ready to go. I almost hated you when you got sick and didn't seem to get better. I was torn, Carbine!" Throttle wheezed. "I was torn between loving you like I have done for ages and hating you for leaving me. It wasn't fair then and it isn't fair now, but my love for you is still strong. You've been gone twenty years today. Twenty long and painful years," he sobbed as he rested his, now aching and heavy head on the stone. "Every night I think it will be my last and every morning I wake up. I'm just so tired, Carb. So very tired." Throttle sighed as he closed his eyes and began to dream.
The grizzled and very aged mouse, who once lead the Freedom Fighters to victory, now dreamed of his glory days. He dreamed of the victories that he, Vinnie and Modo shared during the war and of the loses they shared. He dreamed of crash landing on earth and meeting theremarkable Charlene Davidson. He dreamed of the final battle against Limburger and the Plutarkian forces and how they came out victorious. Throttle dreamed that once more, he could see Vinnie, Modo, Stoker, Charley and even his lovely Carbine, all in their young and robust bodies, riding out of the sky and stopping right before him. What a vivid dream, he thought; I can actually smell the exhaust and burnt rubber from the bikes. What a silly, old Mouse I am, he chuckled.
"Hey, bro! What are you doing? Don't just sit there, let's ride!" Vinnie called out as he pulled a spinning wheelie on his bike.
"I'm too old for a bike ride now, Vincent." Throttle chuckled at his younger bro's antics.
"Too old? Mud puppy, you're younger than me so what are you talking about?" Stoker questioned with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.
Throttle looked down at his body in confusion and was surprised to find out that his body that was once severely aged and scrawny was now back to its younger self. He was once more in his jeans and leather vest and was once again, filled out with muscles that he had long since lost due to his advanced age.
"C'mon, Hotshot, let's do our thing," Carbine teased as she patted the seat of his bike, love shining in her eyes.
Throttle smirked as he stood up and walked over, not once glancing back. He swung his leg over and waited a second for Carbine to scoot forward to wrap her arms around him so they could ride off. "Let's rock and ride!" He shouted and fist-pumped the air. Whoops and battle cries echoing as they rode off into the sky; not once glancing back to see the frail, aged body of a tan-grizzled mouse using a gravestone as his final resting place. If they had looked closely, they would've seen a smile gracing the mouse's features, showing the evidence of the hero that had walked the surface of Mars for many, many years. A smile that proved that the aged, worn-out mouse was finally at peace and was happy once more in the arms of his beloved.
A/N: To those wondering, yes I'm still going to finish Monday's Child, I'm just having a serious writer's block and a stubborn muse. I have other reasons too but nothing too serious, well not anymore. Life got...busy, let's just leave it at that.
Write Free, Citizens!