A/N: I do not own any characters from the Pixar movie Cars. I do own my own characters; Rafael, Fluke, Linda, Agneta, Voltz, Titania, Fahrenheit, Maximo, Sleipner, Galvani, Faraday and Louis.
I do not own Sønnico, I just work for them. Any likeness to real persons or events are just a coincidence, and a product of my imagination; NOT REAL.
Alternating current
By: Little Red Toyota
Chapter 9:
The silence around the breakfast table was uncomfortable. Voltz looked up at Katarina now and then, she hadn't mentioned what happened last night with a word, but he knew that it was hurting her a lot to see him holding another girl in his tires. Still, she had bothered pulling the blanket over them, so they wouldn't be cold. It was amazing how totally un-selfish she was. Even though Titania was her biggest rival, she still took care of her and treated her like a familymember.
Katarina sat with her eyes nailed at the table, chewing on her breakfast. Not looking up even once. He tried to catch her stare, but it was impossible.
After a while, she stood up and made a few breadslices and a glass of juice ready. Driving silently to Titania's room with it. He could her their voices, Titania was awake now. He also knew that he sooner or later would have to choose between them… it wouldn't be easy, but he was intended on choosing Kat. Still Titania had a strong effect on him… Couldn't someone just make the decision for him?
The doorbell rang, and he stood up to open.
"Good morning, Fluke…" he mumbled as he opened and saw the Hilux outside. His boss looked worried. "Come in…"
"How is she?" Fluke asked, his voice uncovered a deep concern for his younger sister.
"She's awake now… Kat is with her." Voltz looked down, thinking back at what he had done last night. "Her wounds were not very deep, but her exhaust needs to be replaced. And her front axle is slightly twisted."
Fluke nodded as he shut the door behind him. He studied the L200 in front of him. "It must be hard for you to… have them both here, right?"
Voltz nodded. "You sister is deadly magnetic… I just can't stay away… and at the same time I know that she is poison to me. I want to stay with Kat, but… Titania is messing with my mind."
"Do what your heart tells you, man." Fluke whispered.
"That's the problem… I love them both." Voltz said and drove into the livingroom, showing that the intimate conversation was over. "Her room is at the end of the corridor."
Fluke drove there and pushed the door open. Titania was in the bed, Kat was sitting beside it, both looking very uncomfortable with each other. Two rivals in the same room… both fighting for the same guy. He just knew that of the roles was switched, and it was Kat who was laying there helpless, Titania would have taken advantage on it… His sister was not as softhearted and kind as her rival…
"Good morning, girls…" Fluke said and drove towards the bed. "Sis… how do you feel?"
"Beaten up.. and…" she shut up and nailed Kat with her stare. "Get out of here, ok?"
Katarina was already on her way to the door. Fluke felt bad for her, she had been treating Titania's wounds, and even brought her breakfast… and this was how his sister was thanking her?!
"Kat…" he said.
She stopped and looked back.
"Thanks for taking care of my sister."
"You're welcome…" she whispered, her voice revealed that she was almost crying. Then she left, closing the door carefully behind her.
Titania sighed. "I know I should be grateful to her for doing this to me… but I just can't! All I can think of is that she has stolen Voltz from me…"
"I don't think stolen is the right word…"
"You know what I mean, bro…"
Fluke looked down at the flower-pattern on her blanket. He knew how she felt. It was almost the same way with him and Agneta. She was not able to let go of her feelings for Rafael, so he had no hope of their friendship to develop any further. He wanted her so badly, to hold her, kiss her… and be with her for the rest of his life. But she just didn't see him… she just saw Rafael. Sometimes he hated the corolla for it, but he realized that it wasn't Rafael's fault. Rafael didn't feel anything for Agneta, and he did not encourage her obsession. He was at least happy that she was near him, living in his house. If that was all he could get, it was better than nothing. Even if it was painful not to be allowed to kiss her, or sleep with her in his tires at night…
"You're thinking of Agneta, right?" Titania asked.
Fluke nodded.
"I don't like her… she's playing with your feelings!" She hissed, filled with the desire to protect her brother from being hurt again. Her love for him was as deep as his love was for her. "What will she do when her vacation is over? Just leave and never look back…"
"I know… but I want to at least have these weeks together with her. It is painful, but better than nothing… I love her, sis…" he looked down.
"Have you told her?"
Fluke nodded again. "She said she needed time… that she don't know what she felt for me…"
Titania clenched her teeth in anger, but didn't say more about her. "I hate to see you ending up hurt, bro…"
"I know… but I can't help it…" he said low. Then he lifted his stare to meet hers. "Nilus will not bother you again…"
Titania gasped and held a tire in front of her mouth. "You didn't…?"
"He lives…" Fluke mumbled. Nothing more was necessary to be said. She knew what that meant. Nilus would live the rest of his life as a cripple.
Titania just nodded. She didn't feel anything by the sound of his name. He was nothing for her anymore. She decided to talk about something else.
"How is the new apprentices?"
"They begin tomorrow. We've only taken in two this year. One of them is foreign."
"It will be fun to meet them." She smiled and leaned back, feeling tired.
"Just take your time and get well first." Fluke said and stroked a tire over her side. "I'll send Maximo or Nina here tomorrow, so they can replace your broken parts."
"Thanks… but Voltz has already offered to do it."
"He did? You don't think it will be hard for him?"
"I guess he wouldn't have offered it of it was something he did not want to do…"
"You do realize that he will not leave Kat, right? Don't destroy anything between them, sis… not if you're not sincere about wanting him."
Titania just squeezed her lips together and refused to say anything.
"You hear me, sis?" Fluke said and frowned. "DO NOT!"
Titania turned her back towards him, not saying anything more.
Fluke sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll come back tomorrow, and see how you are."
Silence…
"Ok… bye,sis…" he said and drove to the door.
Sleipner drove disappointed through town. The key felt like it was burning in his console.
Fluke met him outside the HQ. "You found out anything?"
Sleipner snorted. "I must have gotten the wrong address… there was no church there."
"Lift you hood, man. Let's go inside and search the internet for information." Fluke held his cardkey up towards the electronical lock, and entered the code.
Sleipner drove inside. The building was empty now. It was weekend, and nobody was working.
Fluke had a sly smile on his bumper and shook his hood as the young Hiace stood outside the door leading to the lunch-room, waiting for Fluke to open it.
"Today, we're going to be kings for a day, my friend…" Fluke blinked and motioned towards the elevator.
Sleipner went pale. "No, Fluke… you don't mean…?"
"The third floor, yes…" Fluke pushed the button. The elevator-doors slid open. "Come on."
"But… we're not allowed to go there…" Sleipner protested. "What if anyone catch us?"
"They won't." Fluke pushed him into the elevator, and used his keycard to get access to the third floor. "We'll just sit near the window, and if we see anyone coming, we'll flee."
"But… they will guess it is us, when nobody else is in the building…"
"They don't know I have access to the third floor." Fluke held up his keycard. "Not all cards give you access there, but for some reason… mine does."
Sleipner shut up, but felt very uncomfortable as they drive out of the elevator and on to the soft carpet that was on the floors up there. He has never been here before and looked around curiously. Fluffy, soft carpet… big, green plants… modern furniture. It was so different from the electricians domains…
"How snobby…" he crinkled his hood as he drove on to the fluffy, blue carpet with the Sønnico logo on. "Look at that kitchen! Everything your heart desires! And the only thing they granted us was a old, worn microwave owen…"
"I know… kinda repulsing, huh?" Fluke giggled as he unlocked the biggest office he could find and held the door open for Sleipner. "Welcome to our office for the day."
"Are you totally nuts?! This belongs to…"
"…the director of the company." Fluke finished the sentence and drove in, placing himself behind the huge office-desk. "Hmm… It doesn't feel much different from my own office…" he giggeled. Then he pointed a tire at Sleipner and lifted his hood arrogant. "Hey you there! Whatever your name is! Go get me a cup of coffee!"
Sleipner couldn't hold back a low laughter. "Being a director suits you!"
"How dare you use that tone to me?!" Fluke shouted, looking insulted and deadly serious. It didn't last for long, he leaned over the desk and bursted into laughter. "Oh my… how are they able to be that arrogant and still be able to stay serious?"
Sleipner was still giggling when he sat down beside Fluke and turned on the computer. They both was curious as they started searching the internet for info on the church.
The letters burned towards them as they read them over and over again to realized what they were saying.
"It's gone…" Sleipner whispered sad and slumped low. "Demolished in 1957…"
"The same year as this building was built…" Fluke stated and turned the computer off.
"So… we're back where we started… with no clue at all." Sleipner drove out of the office again.
Fluke locked the door and then drove to the small kitchen, opening the fridge and took out some salad and juice.
"Boss!? You can't just take their food!" Sleipner said shocked.
"Who's gonna stop me?" Fluke said as he sat down on the middle of the fluffy carpet and ate. He held the bowl of salad towards Sleipner. "Want some?"
Sleipner shook his hood, but smiled. "You really are crazy…"
Then he sat down beside him and enjoyed the fresh salad.
To be continued….
