Disclaimer: I do not own Biker Mice From Mars or any of its characters etc. Story written not for profit etc.
2 : Explanations
Henry pulled the door shut behind him and walked down to the gate, he paused for a moment and looked back at the door, too chocolate brown eyes peered out at him through the letter slot. He waved casually at the house and began walking down town towards the clothes shop. He tugged a piece of paper from his pocket as he walked into the store, Natasha had given him a shopping list, he planned to just hand it to the store clerk and ask if they could help him find the right stuff.
"Can I help you?" a kindly woman asked stepping out from behind a rack of clothes, the red shirt she wore declared her to be the assistant manager, she looked about thirty five and had started filling out in places she shouldn't be.
"Hi, I've got some stuff I have to get off you guys, was wondering if you could help me out."
"Certainly." the woman replied holding out her hand for the list.
Henry handed it over before realising he hadn't read it to see what Natasha had written.
"Can I ask why you want holes cut in the back of the jeans?"
"Its for a play, they're doing Cats." Henry said trying to think of an excuse, "And the hole are so they can thread the tails through them."
"I see, wouldn't it be easier to tie them to the belt?"
"Yes but I think they're going for realism, all I know is I got asked to go shopping for costumes."
The lady nodded, "Are they male jeans or female jeans?"
"Female."
"Yes, the measurements would make for a funny looking boy." she paused, "Any particular colour jeans?"
"Black, they're doing black cats."
"And black shirts as well I take it?"
Henry nodded, Natasha probably didn't want just black clothes but it was the only thing that fitted his excuse.
"They also want Socks and..." She paused, "Bras and Panties?" The woman stared at Henry in disbelief.
Henry shrugged, "Don't ask me, its not my list."
"All the same size Bras and Panties?"
Henry shrugged again, "If that's what the list says." This was good, if he acted like he didn't know anything maybe she'd stop asking questions.
"Okay, the alterations to the jeans will be done on Thursday. So if you come back Thursday afternoon..."
"Can I jump the backlog a bit with the alterations, they just want the costumes ASAP because they've only got a week left for practice and they want to do dress rehersals."
"For A hundred and fifty dollars extra I can have them ready by tomorrow morning."
"That's fine." Henry said nodding, "I'll be back at opening time tomorrow."
And with that he turned on his heel and strode out of the shop and back down the street.
Natasha patted the tiny mouse in her hands, the trap it had been caught it lay discarded on the floor a metre away, it's tail had been caught.
"Shh little thing." she whispered, "It's okay." The mouse scratched its head and turned around in a circle.
Then the door burst open and the mouse disappeared running along Natasha's arm and disappearing in her modest cleavage. She giggled as it moved and then stopped, she could feel its tiny heat thumping excessively fast. She looked at the door and watched as Henry took off his shoes. Then the mouse moved again and she began giggling again.
"What's so funny?" Henry asked raising an eyebrow, the mouse moved in response to his voice and Natasha began to giggle again.
Henry stood for a moment wondering what to do when she suddenly reached down her shirt and produced a mouse.
"He was trapped, the poor little thing." Natasha said holding the mouse tightly.
"And?" Henry asked picking up the discarded mousetrap.
"I couldn't just leave him there to starve to death." Natasha said quietly.
"He's a pest, pests die."
Natasha looked at him horrified, "That's terrible, you'd kill a poor innocent creature just because its a pest?"
"No, we kill them because they're infested with germs, are disgusting and have a tendency to become destructive towards crops when in large numbers."
"But this guy hasn't hurt you." Natasha said, "Can we keep him?"
Henry frowned, "I guess we could-"
"Thank you thank you thank you!" Natasha said quickly.
"But he has to be CLEAN." he finished.
Natasha froze, "What do you mean clean?"
"Shower regularly, use kitty litter or something, you know, clean."
"Yeah I'll give him a bath." Natasha nodded eagerly, she took her hand off the mouse and it leapt from her hands.
Henry watched it scurry across the floor and disappear out under the front door.
Natasha raced over to the window and opened the blinds just in time to see a bird swoop down and catch the mouse.
Henry frowned, "Well...."
Natasha sighed, "That's such a horrible way to die." she said quietly.
Henry walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, that's how life works, I'm sorry."
Natasha shrugged his hand off, "It's okay, I didn't really want a mouse anyway."
"You seemed very cheerful earlier, why is that?"
Natasha shrugged and walked into the bedroom, Henry followed quietly, "I think its because I'm actually living somewhere, I know its not permanent but for the first time I have shelter and food and clean water and.." She stopped, sentence triling off as Henry nodded.
"I guess that would lift your spirits a bit." he patted her shoulder, "Your clothes will be ready tomorrow morning and you won't have to wear my clothes anymore."
"How much will I owe you?" she asked.
"Call it a birthday present." Henry shrugged.
"But it's not my birthday." Natasha replied biting her lip.
"When is?"
"December 31st on your calendar."
"Mine is December 30th." He smiled.
"How old will you be?" Natasha asked running a hand through her hair to get it our of her eyes.
"19. And you?"
"18 in earth years."
"That's pretty cool." He smirked, "Want to watch a movie?"
"What movie?"
"I'll let you pick."
Natasha smiled and half skipped towards the television room, "Okay."
They watched Romeo and Juliet, Natasha regretted her choice a little, but enjoyed it regardless, finally as the end credits began rolling up the screen Henry spoke.
"My turn to pick a movie?"
Natasha shrugged, "As long as Shakespeare didn't write it."
"No problem." He smirked as he scrolled through the movies on his computer. He selected Mad Max and jumped back onto the sofa, Natasha was curled into a ball at one end, head resting on the armrests, one leg dangling over the edge.
Henry spoke halfway through the movie, "I remember why I hate this movie now."
"Why?" Natasha asked, she was curled up into a ball now, tail wrapped around her.
"Because they kill the mother and child, its disgusting how anybody could kill a baby."
Natasha stared at him, "They're only fictional characters."
"Yeah but its just the thought that someone in the world would actually do that. It makes me sick."
He flicked a button on the remote and the screen went black. Natasha stared at him for a moment, he had compassion for people he barely met, he cared about people he didn't know.
Then she began thinking, she should be out on the streets right now fighting for her life. But she wasn't and it was because he cared about her, and she didn't know why he cared about her. A tear ran down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away lest he saw it.
Henry slid out of the shower and toweled himself off, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt both of which were faded black and well worn-in, he stepped out of the bathroom, hair hanging around his face still dripping slightly. He wandered down the hallway and peered into his bedroom, Natasha was nowhere to be seen, the book she'd been reading lay open upside down so she wouldn't lose the page. He glanced at the title and shook his head, whatever had possessed him to add Twilight to his book collection he didn't know, maybe it was just the allure of vampires. He shrugged and went into the spare room, she wasn't there either, a quick check of the toilet and kitchen confirmed she was nowhere in the house. He glanced out the back door as he passed it heading towards the hallway and he froze. She was sitting on the back lawn staring up at the stars. She wasn't wearing anything to cover her face or tail and was in plain sight of the neighbours, or would be if he had any neighbours. He stepped outside quietly and knelt beside her.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked quietly placing a hand on her shoulder.
She turned her face to look at him, her cheeks were sodden from tears and her eyes shimmered as she stared at him, "I'm never going to get to say goodbye to them." she said shakily.
"Who?" Henry asked softly.
"My parents, I never got to say goodbye to them." then the tears overflowed again and began pouring down her cheeks, she closed her eyes and began sobbing. Henry sat down beside her facing the other way and pulled her head towards him, he wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. Eventually she stopped sobbing and her breathing became slow and regular, Henry stroked her cheek absentmindedly and peered up at the stars, it was impossible to imagine up there there was a war being fought. He glanced at his watch, midnight, he picked her up gently and carried her inside, she was a heavy sleeper. He took her to his bed and laid her down gently on the fresh sheets, he pulled the blankets over her and, feeling like a protective father, kissed her on the forehead before turning the light out and closing the door.
Henry sat up, screams echoing around the house, he leapt off the couch and crashed through the door into his bedroom, he flicked the light on, Natasha was thrashing around, the blankets had been thrown across the room and the sheets were torn.
He shook her awake, "Natasha, Natasha, what's wrong?"
She stopped struggling and began crying, she wrapped her arms around him and began crying into his shoulder for the second time that night.
"It was s-so horr-rrible!" She sobbed.
"What was?" he asked gently rubbing her back in a slow figure-eight.
"I went back to M-Mars and my parents were both d-d-" she sobbed unable to say the last word.
"Its ok that hasn't happened, they're not dead." He whispered in her ear, "It's okay." He prayed mentally to whatever god controlled the universe that he was telling the truth.
Eventually, after a at least ten minutes of back-rubbing and reassuring whispers she stopped crying and just held the human tightly.
"Henry?" she asked quietly, voice still shaky.
"Yes?"
"Will you sleep with me tonight? I need someone to hold, I need someone to keep the nightmares away."
Henry kissed her cheek, "Of course I will."
The pair laid down slowly, facing each other, Natasha curled up in his arms and absentmindedly nibbled at his shirt, Henry continued rubbing her back in a gentle figure eight. Silently he vowed to find her parents somehow, he didn't want her to hurt inside.
