Disclaimer: Never will own a shiny bike or a studly mouse, curse my damn luck....

Chapter 7

She gratefully dove into the warmth his arms offered, nuzzling her face against his soft fur. "I--I'm sorry to be acting like such a wuss," she said, her voice still trembling. "God, that nightmare was terrible. It felt so real." She glanced around and startled a bit at seeing the other two mice. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Y-you're fine, we were all up anyway," Modo said, dazed disbelief making him almost dizzy. He could smell her unique scent, could feel her, warm and alive in his arms, but this couldn't be real. Could it? He couldn't keep the quaver from his voice as he said the name they were all thinking of. "Charley-girl?"

Charley pulled back from her friend's arms. "Yeah? What is it, big guy?" She cupped his cheek, a worried look on her face. "Are you alright, Modo? You look like you haven't slept in days."

"Its been a little crazy around here, Charley-girl," he said, a smile spreading across his face as he pulled her in for a tight hug. I don't care how this happened, I don't care if I'm dreaming! She's here! "We missed you."

She let out a squeak of surprise at the embrace, "M-Modo, honey, I need to breathe."

He immediately let go, fussing over her. "Sorry, Charley-girl."

"H-how is this possible?" Throttle said in shock, never taking his eyes off her. He almost stumbled as he came next to the couch, "Charley?" He touched her shoulder, not believing she was really here. She smiled at him, a familiar warmth reaching her eyes as she spoke, "I didn't expect this kind of reaction from sleeping on the couch. " She gasped in surprise as she was almost swallowed by tan-furred arms, his trembling voice saying over and over, "Oh goddess, this isn't possible. I can't believe you're really here. Oh, goddess."

"Easy big guy, it can't be that big a surprise. Remember, I have a key to get in," she said, worry in her voice as he pulled back to look at her.

"I know, its just I"--he suddenly burst out laughing, almost hysterically. "Oh goddess. Holy Mars, I forgot you had a key. I thought I was loosing my mind when the door was unlocked." He sat back beside his grey bro, unable to stop his voice's shaking. "I can't believe you're really here."

She glanced over at Vinnie, smiling bright at the sight of him, "Are you gonna ambush me next, handsome?" She paused as the sight of him registered. He looked shockingly pale, his skin gone white under his fur, his entire body seeming to be rocked by fine tremors, his red eyes far too wide open in surprise. She gasped softly at how completely exhausted he looked, like a strong wind would knock him over and maybe even shatter him in the fall.

The hyper mouse found his feet frozen to the ground, unable to move from sheer disbelief. His sweetest dreams always started like this. She would be right in front of him, alive and well and smiling at him and as soon as he dared to move, speak, breathe---the dream would shatter, forcing him awake into a nightmare world where she didn't exist anymore. But his bros had never been in the dreams before. They'd never seemed so shocked to see her before. Could it be? Was he still dreaming? His voice was soft and shaking as he gathered up every bit of his courage to speak, "Ch-Charley-girl? Baby?"

"Vinnie," she said softly in reply. She untangled herself from the tan and grey mice and stood up, slowly walking forward until she was in front of him. Warm hands stroked the sides of his face, wiping away tears that he hadn't even noticed falling. "V, what's wrong?"

His eyes went impossibly wider. 'V', oh goddess of blessings, nobody else called him that, not even Harley. Not even in his dreams. "Charley-girl!" he cried, "Oh god, Charley!" He pulled her into his shaking arms, holding her as close as he could, afraid beyond words to let her go. His tail spasmed and twitched as it wrapped tightly around her waist. He had to be dreaming. He'd fallen asleep somehow and was missing her so badly he was dreaming she was really there.

The white mouse pushed his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her unique scent of vanilla and slight traces of gasoline and motor oil. He curled his arms around her, lifting her up into his embrace, the weight of her slender body more familiar to him than his own name. He dared to pull back just enough to stare into her eyes, the brilliant colors swirling. Ocean, azure, aqua, cerulean, electric, sapphire, crystal, sky. Blue. Beautiful, dazzling blue.

It was her.

It really was her.

It all made sense to him now. She had taken the clothes and bike and boots because she wanted her things. She'd taken the ring back, her father's ring, and the chain was something Modo had given her as a present. She's always liked Throttle's shades, and the duster was a gift from her to her mouse. It made sense now why she'd taken them: she'd wanted the proof of their love for her kept close to her. That was so Charley.

"Oh, baby, you were gone, we couldn't save you, (gasp) oh goddess," he cried, his breath hitching in his chest as the terrible memories of that day tore through his mind. Vinnie finally did something he hadn't done since the day he'd lost her. The white mouse broke down and wept outright. "I'm sorry, oh Charley, I'm so sorry, we should have been there, we should have come, should have known. Oh goddess, we never should have left you alone!" He couldn't' help the sobs that tore from him as he fell to his knees, pulling her down to his lap. His entire body curled around her, refusing to let her go.

She wrapped her arms tight around him, trying to soothe him as best she could. "Shh, V, I'm here, its okay." She nuzzled her cheek against his, raining kisses along his jaw and mouth to try and rouse him from the awful grief that wouldn't let go of him. "Please, babe, you're scaring me, what's wrong?" She looked back to the other two mice in bewilderment. "What is going on? Why are you guys acting like this"-

The crow cawed, a sharp bark of sound, once, twice, three times. Throttle, Modo, and even Vinnie jerked at the sound to watch the strange bird as it locked its blue eyes on Charley's own.

Her eyes widened, and the mice could almost see the memories come back to her. She went still in Vinnie's arms, a single tear sliding down her face as she turned to look at him. The girl rubbed her cheek against his and gave a soft kiss to his mouth. "I'm sorry," she said quietly as she dissolved into dust.

"No!" Vinnie screamed, whirling to try and find her.

"Charley!" The others called out, searching for her. The faintest rustle of feathers was the only warning they got as the crow hopped up to the window where she was crouched to jump, the duster and helmet clutched in her arms. She looked back to them, tears falling in earnest down her face. "I'm sorry," she wept, "I shouldn't have come."

"No!" Vinnie cried, reaching for her, "You can't leave me again, Charley, you can't!"

"I can't stay," she said, her voice thick with pain and greif. "Bros, I can't stay with you. The dead have no place among the living." She leaped backwards out into space, nothing there to catch her fall. The mice lunged forward, anything to stop her jump, but when they looked nothing was there. Only the sight of a large black crow winging across the late night sky.

"Tell me I was dreaming," Vinnie said bleakly as he sank to his knees once more, burying his face in his hands. "Tell me, please, bros."

"If it's a dream, wake me up too," Modo said, tears falling from his eye. He turned to his tan bro. "Throttle? Bro, what is goin' on? How is any of this possible?"

"I don't know, but I know how to find out," the tan mouse said, wiping the tears out of his eyes. He walked over to where the old book lay, bringing it back over to the couch and setting it down on the coffee table. The book showed dozens of stories from cultures around the world, all bearing the symbol of a black bird, its wings spread wide. "The Legend of the Crow. The bird pointed this out to me," he said. "Normally, I would say that sounds crazy, but today has left everything else in the dust on the insanity meter."

"No joke, bro," Modo said as he sat beside him. "So what does it say?"

The tan mouse began to read aloud:

"In the beginning, when man first walked the earth, there lived a clever man named Crow. He saw how all those that died before him walked the Spirit Road, a long, dangerous journey to the next world that few souls survived to the end without being eaten by the monsters that lived in the mists. When Crow lay dying, he called to the Black Bird and made this bargain: "Give me your wings so that I may fly to the next world, and I will give you my flesh to eat." The bird agreed. Soon, this deal was made with all mankind, and it is honored to this day. The Black Birds took the name of the human who created their contract, and are forever known as the Crows.

"But one day came the soul of a human that had died in terrible sadness; despair so great that the wings crumpled and the soul fell to the Spirit Road. The monsters, starved from so long without souls to eat, hunted it mercilessly throughout the mists. The crow had been dragged down as well, and guided the human to the end of the Road, where they reached the Judge of Souls' Fate. The human begged for the chance to return to the human world, to make things right. The Judge left it to the crow to decide, and the bird, moved by the human's story, chose to grant the human its own mortal life.

"The human returned to its original form, tearing from the earth and assuming life once more. No weapon could harm it, nor fire or water. No holy magic could hold it back, for it came with the Judge's blessing, and the right of Judgment upon evil. The human was as the immortals, unable to die, or rest, or know peace, until the evil that had banished it from life was no more. When it saw the pain and sorrow of its loved ones caused by the evil beings, it pleaded for the magic of the Crows and was granted incredible powers, and undid much of the pain of its loved ones.

"The evil found the one weakness of the immortal, and were quick to hunt it down. The crow that had granted its life and powers to the human, if killed, could render the human powerless, and able to die as a mortal once more. But though their efforts were great, the bird escaped their nets and snares, being the eyes of the human to help swiftly find their prey. They could even see into the eyes of the evil ones, and know their past evil deeds, the better to punish their wickedness.

"When the evil was defeated, and all the souls sent to receive their judgment, the human returned to the earth, its soul no longer weighed down. Thus was the legend born of avenging angels, one that returns to the world to make right what has been made wrong with the powers of the Crow. Be they blessed or cursed, saved or damned, is a fate that is taken to the grave with them."