Authors Notes: With the exception of the few stories I've had all written up before posting, I think this is the fastest update I've ever done. The next one, I warn you, will be a while. I've taken on two jobs to pay for the bills and wedding, and right now is just a bad time. My fiancés grandfather is in the hospital has been diagnosed with Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.(TTP.) I'm not sure what it is…but I'm sure it's not good and right now its just something really hard to deal with, even if I'm not part of the family yet. I still love the man. And I'm hoping the fiancé will pull through this okay. He's one of those "shut down and show no emotions" guys. It's frustrating, and I don't understand it…but…you do what you can, right? So anyway, next update will be a while and I hope you can all understand that. Thank you so much for being patient with me!
Thanks to:
Echo: I wish I knew where you were woman! Get a phone or get online or something! Drea's going crazy without you here! And I'm glad you didn't see the twist. I'm hoping no one else did either! Love ya honey.
Foenixfyre: Congratulations!!! You are now a happily married woman…and signing lots of Thank You cards I bet. That or out enjoying your honeymoon. I hope the latter. I hope this update eases your mind and is as enjoyable as the last one was!
Tara: Love your reviews honey! Your honesty is refreshing. As to the Vinnie singing country thing I was debating it but was in such a romantic mood that I just couldn't help myself. Something about a man who hates country singing it just seems special to me. And I'm glad you loved the Modo/Rachel interaction. I'm really liking that girl. She works for me and never puts up a fuss! Lol.
Curious Fan: Oh my curious, curious fan. I've never thought about doing a Leo centered fic before but after reading your review…I started to. And have actually come up with something. Damn me for having so many unfinished fics and getting more ideas! Lol. I guess we'll just see how that goes. Oh, btw…my friends don't get it either. After the fiancé found out about my little somewhat unhealthy Raph obsession, he never stops. He caught me watching TMNT one morning and asked me if it put me in the "mood." The boy has no freakin tact I tell you! But I love him anyway! Lol.
Lashana: You have stories unfinished that I've been hanging on, waiting patiently for updates! I'm thrilled that you found this fic and liked it. And a quick correction, it wasn't Mickey Mouse…it was that damn annoying mouse from Chucky Cheese. Which I just now realized probably doesn't exist in other states…he's annoying, I'll say that much! Have fun with this chappy!
SamuraiPrincess: Thanks for the review. Glad you like what you see! It always helps to have people backing me up on my ability to write!
Intrepidwarriors: So what if I told you that I have three very serious novels in the works? Writing is something I've wanted to do professionally since I got suckered into romance novels at the age of 14. Its what I live for, its what I want to do more than anything…well, aside from getting married. Lol. So no worries, I am trying! And I do have something original published, a poem I wrote for my cousin when he was sent to Iraq. Let me know if you want to see it and I'll email it to you. And thanks for being a fan! Glad you're liking the story!!
Arrna: What are the guys going to do? Read and find out…and for the love of God honey, don't go crazy. I only have one straight jacket and I can't afford to borrow it out! Lol.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Biker Mice. The Original Characters used in this story do belong to me so please ask if you should ever feel some insane urge to use them.
Chapter Nine
Emotional Wreckage
Sitting on the concrete floor in the storage room of the Last Chance, Jaiden hugged her knees to her chest, attempting to curl into herself as she wept softly. Shelves of packaged parts loomed up in the darkness, their shadows long and threatening, but she was unable to feel anything but the depths of her own sadness. Three long days had passes since their last communication with Mars, since that horrible night when the hope she'd clung so desperately to had been ripped from her hands, since Modo, Vinnie and Throttle had been left wondering if their friends and family were still alive, if their home was still there. They only thing more heartbreaking than knowing she had lost any chance of ever getting her home back was watching the three men she admired most slowly start to shut down.
Modo constantly worked on is his bike now, making unnecessary repairs. The expression of despair never left his face, at least not in her presence. She had no idea how Rachel was fairing with him and hadn't seen much of her lately due to a nasty divorce case she'd taken on. But she knew Modo went to see her often and hoped Rachel was helping him find a way to cope.
Throttle, who'd never been all that talkative in the first place, now barley uttered a word. Charley came over as much as she could and the two would disappear for hours, not telling a soul where they were going or when they would be back, but somehow Jaiden knew that Charley was getting through to him. That realization had come when he'd returned one night, faced Jaiden and said very calmly, "We're still going to help you get your place back." She had smiled sadly and nodded, although she never believed for a moment that she would step foot in her house ever again.
And Vinnie-.
Jaiden released a low, desperate wail, hugging her knees tighter. Since that horrible night, he'd started pushing her away, closing his heart to her. The pain that came from this was unbearable. She tried to ignore it at first, forcing herself to understand what he was going through, but when he didn't come to bed until she was fast asleep, when he wouldn't say more than two words to her, when he wouldn't touch or even kiss her, her heart had given up its valiant effort to be strong for both of them and had shattered brutally, leaving her grief stricken and once again very alone.
Thankfully Charley had been across town stocking up on spare parts from a local warehouse when it had happened. Now, sitting in the dark with nothing but the smell of grease and the looming shadows to keep her company, Jaiden let her sorrow overcome her. She whispered brokenly to her family, begging for their help, telling them how much she missed them and wished that they could be there with her. She cried and cried, unable to stop.
When the engine of a truck rumbled gently in the alley and quit with a guttural burp, Jaiden was far too submersed in her grief to hear it. The car door slamming, the back door opening and closing, the sound of keys clanging noisily against the counter top-these too all went unnoticed.
In the end, it was Charley who found the young woman. With her back pressed to the wall, her head resting on her up drawn knees and her arms wrapped around them, holding on for dear life as her shoulders trembled, Jaiden looked tiny and very much helpless.
"Oh sweetie," Charley crooned softly, her heart aching for her. She knelt next to the younger woman and pulled her into her arms. "Come here."
Jaiden unfolded her arms from around her legs and fell into Charley's welcoming embrace. She hugged the older woman's waist tightly, pressed her face against her shoulder, and cried harder.
"Shh…it's okay honey…it's okay," Charley murmured, stroking Jaiden's mane of sleek, mahogany hair as she rocked her gently.
"Vinnie's pu-pulling away…from me," she choked out through her sobs. "I l-love him…so much. I…I tried to be strong."
"I know sweetie," Charley whispered. "I know."
She hushed the distraught woman, rocked her until Jaiden's cries finally exhausted her. Spent, her eyes and heart aching, she leaned heavily against Charley. She stared unseeing into the darkness, her body seized every so often by slight tremors.
"We're closing," Charley finally said. "You go on upstairs and I'll finish cleaning up down here. Then I'll come up and make some tea for you. Sound good?"
Jaiden nodded slowly. She allowed the older woman to help her up and then walked on unsteady legs to the stairs. Up in her friend's apartment, she sank onto the couch, grabbing a plush throw pillow and hugging it to her chest. Everything hurt at the moment-her face, her eyes, her throat and chest. But all of that together couldn't equal the amount of pain that had taken over her heart.
The knowledge that her time was seriously starting to run out surfaced and only added to that pain. What did she have left? A week? A week and a half? That didn't seem like enough time.
Pulling her legs up, Jaiden rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. She willed the pain to stop but knew only one person who could make that happen. "Vinnie," she said in an anguished whisper.
Oh, how she wished he were here, holding her in his strong arms. She missed those arms. She missed him. She needed him, but it didn't seem as if he needed her. Jaiden wrapped her arms tightly around her middle, stared bleakly ahead and with a heavy heart, bid farewell to the bright future she had often dreamt about.
She was still sitting that way, staring at the hardwood floor with blank, lifeless eyes, when Charley came up. She sparred the younger woman a worried glace before turning towards the kitchen to boil water. When finished, she returned to the living room, set the tea aside to steep and sat down on the coffee table in front of Jaiden. "You want to talk about it?" she asked softly.
The young brunette lifted her listless gaze to meet Charley's. "Vinnie's pulling away from me," she repeated her words from earlier in a hollow voice. "I've tried getting him to talk but he just says there's nothing to talk about. I don't know what to do or how to help him. I just know…that it really, really hurts."
Her face started to crumble and Charley once again pulled Jaiden into her arms. She didn't cry though. She couldn't. She swallowed several times and gulped in mouthfuls of air, forcing it into lungs that had gone tight with panic. "I love him so much Charley," she whispered raggedly. "Why is he doing this?"
"I don't know honey. I wish I did." She stroked Jaiden's back in large, soothing circles, stopping only after the tension had left Jaiden's body. Releasing her hold, she gently pushed the young woman back against the couch. "Here, drink this," she ordered lightly, handing Jaiden the steaming mug of tea.
Taking it between two hands, Jaiden raised the mug to her lips and sipped carefully. The steaming liquid slid down her throat, instantly warming her body and leaving behind a pleasant minty aftertaste.
After watching her assistant for a moment, relieved to see some color start to infuse her pale face, Charley went to the kitchen to get herself a cup of tea and returned, sitting beside Jaiden on the couch. Half of her herbal drink was gone before she spoke again. "The last time something like this happened to Vinnie, aside from losing Harley, was when he was a kid. They don't talk about it much, but I guess after his family was killed he grew distant. He pushed everyone away…but not Throttle and Modo. They refused to be pushed. Maybe that's what you need to do."
Jaiden looked at her friend skeptically. "What? Refuse to be pushed?"
"Well, yeah. The harder he tries to distance himself from you, the harder you push to stay close to him."
"I wish it was that easy."
Charley smiled sadly. She wished that too. She wished a lot of things for Jaiden, including wishing this could be easier for her. "It will work out," she murmured, taking the hand of the violet-eyed woman who'd become such a good friend to her. She squeezed gently. "Just have faith and keep being strong…for both of you."
Jaiden drew a shuddering breath. "Okay. I'll try."
They stayed on the couch, talking very little as the hours passed and the sun sank into the west. The TV remained off, the room quite. When the shadows grew long, stretching over the golden hued hardwood floor, Charley sighed and arched back to check the time on the kitchen clock. "Well hun, you'd better head home before the guys start worrying," she said regretfully. "Unless you wanted to stay here?"
"All of my things are over there, but thanks anyway. Besides," she stood up, forcing a smile to her lips, "he might be acting like a complete ass right now, but I still want to see him."
Charley understood all to well how that felt. Too many times she had listened to Throttle and Carbine having it out and stood idly by, wishing she could leave but knowing that she couldn't. Of course, Throttle had never been an ass as Jaiden so eloquently put it, but he'd loved another woman and that never once stopped Charley from wanting to see him. "Okay. If you need anything though, call me?"
"I will. Thanks boss."
"Any time." Charley stood and lead Jaiden to the door only to come to a sudden stop halfway there as her ears picked up on a sound-a low purr. Several low purrs actually, like panthers prowling the streets just outside the garage. Panthers…or Limburger's goons.
"Hold it!" she hissed, grabbing Jaiden's arm and pulling her up short.
"Charley, what-."
"Can you hear that?"
Both women fell silent, watching the door apprehensively as they strained to hear what was going on outside. Voices, distinctively male, barely carried through the steel garage doors. One by one the motors cut out.
Jaiden took a step away from the door. "You don't think-."
She swallowed the rest of the words and gasped when the sound of the window on the front door shattering ripped through the silence. Charley and Jaiden quickly flattened themselves against the wall beside the door.
"Search the room men. Take anything that you think will be of use," Alexander Ricardo's voice called out, drifting up the stairs.
"That bastard!" Jaiden seethed. Her heart was pounding hard and her skin tingled, tight with alarm, but she still managed to find the tiniest bit of anger within her and latch onto it.
"Just stay quiet. There's nothing down there that they can use against us or the guys," Charley whispered, her heart also racing. "Lets just hope they don't decide to come up here."
Downstairs the men banged around with not a care for any of Charley's belongings. The spilled drawers and left the contents scattered over the floor, leafed through stacks of papers and cast those too to the ground when they found nothing of interest. Charley winced as she heard the shelves in the storage room clatter noisily to the ground with a dull metallic clang, their contents spilling over the concrete.
"We should call the guys," Jaiden whispered.
The older woman shook her head frantically. Every single floorboard in this damn apartment creaked. One sound and they would be in a whole world of trouble. They were better off waiting until the place had been searched and the danger gone.
Several minutes later, Alexander gave out the order for the men to head out. Jaiden and Charley released a collective sigh of relief only to draw it back in sharply when the phone in the apartment rang, it shrill toll carrying to the garage. Charley swore under her breath as Jaiden closed her eyes tightly, listening to the deafening silence below. Please let them be gone, let them be long gone, she prayed feverishly.
A floorboard groaned, again…and again and the phone continued to ring. Creak, ring, creak, ring. Jaiden's breathing came out in harsh, quick gasps that she stifled with a hand and Charley rested her head against the wall, eyes closed, mouthing words Jaiden could not make out.
The phone stopped its incessant ringing and once again silence fell, thick and heavy. Neither woman moved. They stood as still as possible, waiting for that next creak. When it never came, Charley turned to look at Jaiden, her eyes questioning and the younger woman, still half terrified, gave a slow nod. Together they leaned towards the opening of the door and a hand shot out of the darkness, closing around Charley's neck. She screamed and the hand tightened, choking the cry into non-existence.
Filled with sudden terror, Charley struggled against the man, blindly striking out for any available body part she could hit. Her foot caught the edge of a rug and she toppled backwards, taking her captor with her. He was a big man, not lacking in muscles and his body on hers made her feel sick, as did the suggestive words he snarled into her ear, his breath hot and foul against her cheek. She tried to cry out again and the hand covering her throat moved to cover her mouth and nose, blocking any airflow.
"Charley!" Jaiden screamed, running to the two struggling on the floor. She lashed out at the man, tried for all she was worth to pull him off of her friend but the man only spun around and cracked her with the back of his hand, sending her sprawling to the floor. Her mind reeled, everything around her became blurred, then slowly started to focus. She could hear the other men coming, hear their voices nearing the stairs and knew she had to act quickly or they would both be in serious trouble.
Jerking to her feet, the world still spinning around her, Jaiden lunged towards the kitchen, Charley's muffled screams giving her the adrenaline rush she needed to move quickly. She swung around the corner, gripping the edge of the archway and reaching out with her other hand. It hit the base of the wooden knife holder on the counter and she ran her hand up until it curled around a thick handle. With a victorious cry, she yanked it free and ran back to Charley.
The man had her pinned to the ground, his hand was up her shirt and her back was arched away from the floor, her shoulder jerking as she tried desperately to free herself. Forcing every thought about what she was going to do from her mind, Jaiden lifted the lethal blade above her head and plunged it into the man's side. He reared back, screaming in pain. Moving quickly, Jaiden positioned herself in front of the man and planted her foot in his chest, kicking as hard as she possibly could. His large bulk teetered, then toppled over, plunging down the stairs and into the several men that had started mounting them.
"Come on," Jaiden said breathlessly, pulling Charley to her feet. "We need to get the hell out of here."
"Bedroom window. Fire escape."
The two women ran for the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind them and locking it to gain themselves time. They knew the simple plank of wood wouldn't hold up well under the weight of several men but they only needed a few seconds. Hands shaking, Jaiden threw the window up, motioning for Charley to go. The first vicious slam came once they were both standing out on the narrow fire escape. "Go!" Jaiden cried.
Charley hastily made her way over the side of the railing, her foot gaining purchase on the first rung of an iron ladder suspended several feet above the ground. She was thinking about nothing else but freedom as she moved, pushing herself to go faster and when the door to her bedroom crashed open, she let go, falling the last few feet to the alleyway below. Sharp pain shot up her shins but she ignored it, looking up and searching frantically for Jaiden.
She was at the top of the ladder, desperately trying to yank her arm free from Alexander Ricardo's grip. The man flung her backwards, his lips curving in a malicious smile as her body slammed against the unyielding brick wall. Crying out, Jaiden released her grip on the ladder, falling to the ground beside Charley.
The older woman wasted no time in pulling Jaiden to her feet, forcing her to move. The only protest she received was a wounded moan, but soon the two women were running quickly through the alley, their feet slapping against the uneven ground. Charley was well aware of the blood splattered against her right leg and took morbid satisfaction in knowing the man had paid dearly for placing his hands on her, thanks to Jaiden. She was going to thank her a million times once they were safe but right now they were far from being out of the woods. It was a good four miles to the scoreboard, four miles they couldn't run without being spotted or cornered by Alexander and his men. Charley could think of only one thing to do.
She ducked into the backdoor of the last building on the block, a diner that belonged to a very good friend and customers of hers, Pete Spalding.
"Where are we?" Jaiden muttered, resting heavily against the door and nursing an arm that was already starting to bruise where Alexander had gripped her so tightly.
"My friend Pete owns this place. I'm going to ask him if I can use his phone and hopefully I can get a hold of Rachel and have her pick us up. Just sit tight okay?"
Jaiden only nodded, sliding down until she was in a sitting position.
Charley kept an eye on her as she walked the length of the deserted kitchen. The aromatic smell of tomatoes, chili peppers and food sizzling in the deep fry filled the tiny space that held one solitary table a large oven range. She thought briefly that she hadn't had supper yet, but the lingering image of the sweat stained man looming above her quickly squelched any urge to eat. She needed Throttle desperately right now, to erase her pain, to make her forget, and that thought alone caused her to quicken her step.
"Pete? Hey Pete, you here?" she called out.
A second later a balding man with a slightly wide girth and a warm, friendly smile came through the swinging doors. He wore jeans, a blue t-shirt, a food-splattered apron and his blue eyes sparkled. "Hey! My favorite biker babe! What brings you here?" He took in her ragged appearance, the blood on her jeans, the fear in her eyes and his smile quickly vanished. "God Charley, what happened?"
"We were attacked in my apartment and the guys who did it are probably still out there looking for us. Limburger scum," she explained quickly, keeping her voice low. "I need to use your phone and call a friend so we can get somewhere safe, is that okay?"
"Of course Charley. Is there anything I can do?"
"Keep your eye out for a slick looking jerk being accompanied by a lot of muscle," she said, heading towards the phone mounted on the wall off to the right. "If you see them, let us know."
"You got it hun." And he quickly disappeared, leaving Charley to her business.
She dialed Rachel's number, waiting impatiently through the ringing until Rachel picked up on the other end, murmuring a kind, "hello?"
"Rachel? This is Charley. Are you busy?"
"No, not at the moment. Is everything okay? You don't sound so good."
Charley sagged against the wall and looked back to where Jaiden sat, hugging her knees and resting her head on her arms. "I'm not good. Jaiden and I were attacked by Limburger's goons. We're okay…we just need your help. Can you pick us up at Pete's Grill and Tavern on the end of the block?"
"Of course. I'll be there as quickly as I can. Just hang tight, okay?"
"Thanks Rachel. We're in the kitchen. Just tell Pete you're here for us and he'll lead you back."
Saying goodbye and hanging up the phone, Charley returned to Jaiden's side, kneeling down next to her. "Hey kid, you holding up okay?"
Jaiden lifted her head, displaying a cut lip that was bleeding and already starting to swell. "That jerk packs quite a punch," she muttered, straightening and leaning against the door. "How about you?"
"Nothing I wont get over," Charley said with a careless shrug. "Rachel's on her way. Want me to get you something for that lip?"
"Yeah. Ice would be good, thanks."
When Rachel showed up ten minutes later, Charley was sitting beside Jaiden on the floor, trying to eat some of the hors d'oeuvres Pete had whipped up for them and Jaiden was holding an ice pack to her lip. "Good lord, what did those guys do to you?" she cried in dismay, rushing to her friend's sides.
"Oh they roughed us up gloriously!" Jaiden exclaimed, her voice heavy with bitter sarcasm.
Rachel smiled warily at her, then turned her attention to Charley, quirking a brow in question.
"Limburger sent his little henchmen to my place. They were looking for anything they could get their hands on…probably looking for the guys. They didn't find anything useful and started to take off when the phone rang." Charley told the rest of the horrid story in hushed tones. She didn't want Pete or anyone else for that matter overhearing them. For all she knew the group of men could be sitting right outside the kitchen and Pete didn't need to hear all of the gory details.
"Oh god," Rachel murmured after Charley had finished. "And you think they're still out there?"
"I know they are. People like them are no good at giving up. We need to get to the scoreboard. They know where I live, the definitely know where Jaiden lives but they've never once gotten close to where the guys are hiding out. Could you take us there?"
Rachel nodded. "Sure. Give me a few minutes and I'll meet you out back in the alley."
True to her word, the blond lawyer was waiting out back in her blazer, the doors already opened. Charley and Jaiden peered through the darkness on either side, then, deciding it was safe, made a dash for the blazer.
Rachel broke every traffic law trying to get to the scoreboard in record time, spooked by what had happened to Charley and Jaiden. She was truly scared for them. They were the only friends she had and she didn't want to loose them any time soon. But they were brave, far braver than she. They could take something like this and become stronger for it. She shuddered to think about what would happen to her if she were in their place.
Careening around a corner and completely disregarding a stop sign, she approached the scoreboard and pulled into the garage when Charley instructed her to do so. They crept through the darkness, staying close to one another, then one by one made their way up the ladder. Charley was just reaching for the doorknob when it was jerked open. Outlined by the lights from inside, Throttle stood before them, looking truly panic stricken.
"Charley-girl, where the hell have you been? You didn't answer you're phone. We were just on our way over to your place-."
Charley lifted her hand, resting it against his lips to stop the flow of words. "I'll explain but you have to let us in first."
He moved aside, allowing the three women to move past him and closed the door. At the end of the hallway, Vinnie and Modo stood, eyeing the woman with surprise as if they hadn't expected all three of them to show up. Modo wasted no time in going to Rachel but Vinnie hung back. Jaiden had expected this and did the same. Her mood from earlier, the sorrow that had seemed to take her over, had turned into anger. She was tired, she was bruised…again…and she didn't feel like dealing with Vinnie and his sullen attitude any longer than she had to.
"So?" Throttle prompted.
Charley sighed and walked toward the kitchen. It was then that he noticed the scarlet staining her jeans. "Charlene, stop," he demanded in an even voice.
She did as he said, turned slowly, and all three mice saw the blood. It ran down her thigh, stopped in a large, dark splotch over her knee and looked anything but comforting. "It's not mine," she quickly reassured them. "Jaiden and I were attacked by Alexander and a few of Limburger's goons."
"What?!" All three mice exclaimed at once.
"We were attacked." She kept her voice calm but it was obvious that her passiveness wasn't at all convincing. The mice were starting to show signs of anger and she could tell they were already thinking about exacting vengeance. "They showed up at the garage looking for stuff to help them find you guys and found us instead."
At that moment, as Charley was once again getting into the story that had been "their night" Jaiden pushed past Vinnie and Modo, heading for the bathroom. She had a splitting headache. And it wasn't just from what Alexander or his little crony had done to her. Her emotions, the sadness from earlier and her current fury, were warring with one another. She felt like a walking time bomb, ready to explode at the slightest comment thrown her way.
She left the bathroom door wide open, turned on the light, then leaned over the counter, examining her lip in the mirror. It looked ugly all right. Dried blood caked her chin, a small but nasty bruise had taken on a yellowish purple tinge. She touched it and winced immediately, swearing under her breath. "Last time I pick a fight with someone twice my size," she muttered wryly.
"Sounds like you managed pretty well, what with stabbing the guy and all."
Jaiden jerked around at the sound of Vinnie's voice. He stood in the doorway, assessing her with cool eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. Her heart skipped, lurched then settled into a frantic tattoo. Damn the man for still being able to cause her to feel things like this when he wasn't, at that moment, her favorite person.
"Did Alex touch you?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft.
She pushed her shoulders back, biting the inside of her lip to keep herself from making any pained noises, and stared back, hoping her eyes were every bit as frosty as his. "What does it matter?"
Vinnie's hand snaked out, gripping her upper arm. "Did he?"
"Hm, interesting. I get hurt and all of a sudden I'm good enough to talk to. What if I was thrown off a cliff onto a million pointy rocks Vincent, would that be enough to get you to treat me like your girlfriend again?" she spat out.
She could tell the others were not far, watching on fearfully but knowing better than to interject.
"Answer the damn question Jaiden!" Vinnie demanded. His grip went from hard to punishing.
Ripping it free, Jaiden pushed past him. "Yes! The jerk grabbed my wrist and threw me into a freakin' wall!"
"What the hell is your problem?"
"My problem?" she yelped incredulously, turning on him. "You haven't spoken a word to me…haven't touched me or even acknowledged my presence in the past three days. I know what you're going through is hard but that's no excuse to start ignoring the woman who loves you!"
"I wasn't-."
"Yes you were!" she shouted. She was far past caring about the kind of scene she was making. Right now she was hurting, hurting so badly that it was turning her bitter, making her feel like something horrible had taken over her body and mind. "You've been trying to push me away. I'm not stupid Vinnie. I can see what you're doing. Do you want me gone? Do you want me out of here so you can sulk on your own and not have to worry about me trying to make it better?"
Vinnie's hands clenched into fists at his sides. His red eyes blazed with, not anger, but immense pain. Before he could even think about what he was saying, he spat out the first words that came to his mind. "You don't know how the hell it feels, alright? You don't have a damn clue how it feels!"
Jaiden flinched as if she had been slapped. She stared at him, unmoving. "You're right," she finally whispered, her voice wavering. "How could I possibly know how it feels?"
As she turned and stormed into his room, Vinnie dropped his head, calling himself a million different kinds of fools for what he had just done. This was the woman he loved, the woman he knew he couldn't live without and here he'd been pushing her away, just like she said, forcing her to keep her distance. And now this…he couldn't believe he had said that to her. "Damn it," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his eyes.
"Vin."
He looked up, his gaze meeting Throttle's. Older, wiser, the leader of the three stared at him, his expression compassionate when it should have been judging. "You wanted it to be different with Jaiden, didn't you?"
Vinnie nodded, swallowing the lump of emotion that had formed in his throat. "Yeah."
"So make it different."
The younger mouse nodded slowly, then turned, heading for his room.
"I really hope they can get through this," Charley murmured, wrapping an arm around Throttle's waist and leaning against him. "She's been miserable all day."
"Same with Vinnie. I'm sure they'll get it sorted out though. They love each other too much not to."
"Hey guys, we're gonna turn in," Modo spoke up, tiredly stroking Rachel's arm.
Charley turned to face them, surprised at how suggestive that comment sounded, especially coming from someone like Modo. "Oh, you're staying?"
"Yeah." Rachel stifled a yawn with her hand and smiled. "I don't have to work tomorrow and I'm a little spooked to be on my own right now, even if those guys don't know I'm involved with all of you." She looked up at Modo, smiling. "Plus, this guy can be pretty convincing."
Modo blushed, tightening his arm around the young blond at his side. "I just want her here where I know she's safe."
"I know how you feel big guy," Throttle replied, clapping a hand on his bro's shoulder. "You guys sleep well then. We'll see you in the morning."
Goodnights were said and the couple ambled off towards Modo's room. When the door was shut, Throttle turned to Charley, wrapping both arms low around her waist. He was so relieved to see her unharmed, although the knowledge that some muscle bound idiot had had his hands on her enraged him more than he could say. "If I ever find the guy that…" his voice tapered off and he rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I'll kill him Charlene, I swear I will."
Charley calmed him with a simple caress from the tip of his ear to the base of his throat. "No. You aren't violent like that, which is one of the reasons I love you so much. Just make me forget. Please Throttle."
The strength of her voice didn't cover the fear behind her words and he held her closer. Make her forget…he could give her that. Covering her mouth with his in a patient, undemanding kiss, he scooped his brave mechanic, his fiancé, into his arms and walked to his room where he intended to make her forget not only the scum that had touched her tonight, but every man that had come before him as well.
Now there was only one mouse left to make peace with his woman, and he wasn't off to a good start. When Vinnie walked into his room Jaiden was already throwing her clothing into her duffle bag with hurried, angry movements. Tears that she had thought she wouldn't be able to cry for days after exhausting herself earlier this morning, coursed down her cheeks, sparkling in the dim light.
Vinnie closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. "Jai, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she muttered angrily, never pausing in her movements. "I'm getting out of here."
"Where did you plan on going?"
She yanked the zipper closed and rested her hands on the top. She wouldn't turn around. She wouldn't look at him. "I don't know," she murmured, her heart breaking. Jerking the strap over her shoulder, she lifted the bag and turned, keeping her head down. "But I'm obviously not needed here."
Vinnie moved out of her way. He had every intention of letting her go. The girl deserved someone who could treat him much better than he'd been lately. He walked to the bed and sat down, watching her as she rested her hand on the door and started to turn the handle. The sight of her leaving, the thought that he might lose her caused something to rebel in him though, and just in time. "Jaiden, wait," he called out softly.
She froze but didn't turn around. Her hand remained on the knob.
Make it different, Throttle's words echoed in his head. "You're wrong sweetheart."
Finally she turned and looked at him. The grief swimming in those beautiful violet eyes made his heart clench painfully. He'd done that to her. He'd hurt her. He had to make it right. "You're needed here." He searched her gaze, hoping against hope that she could forgive him. Tears stung his eyes and he swallowed hard. "I need you Jai."
Her bag hit the floor and she slowly crossed the room. "Then why do you keep pushing me away Vinnie?" she asked softly. All of the anger was gone from her voice but the hurt was still there, tugging at his emotions, making him feel what he'd been denying himself for so long. Sadness.
"I don't know." His voice shook. "I guess it's the only thing I know how to do."
She was standing in front of him now. Her hand reached out and he placed his in its warm grasp, his resolve to remain strong crumbling around him. "Don't do it again, okay?"
He nodded, unable to find his voice. One tug on her hand had her in his lap and he wrapped his arms around her, clinging to her supple figure as wave upon wave of deep sorrow washed over him. The tears came suddenly, tears he'd refused to cry since the day he'd lost his family. He buried his face against her chest and allowed them to come, helpless to stop them.
Jaiden, his angel, the woman who so tenderly held his heart and kept it safe, hugged him, soothing him with her musical voice, running her fingers down his neck as she cried tears of her own.
"God Gorgeous, I'm so sorry," he whispered against her shoulder. "I didn't want to hurt you. I just…"
"Its okay Vinnie, I know," she reassured him as much with her voice as her touch.
"I love you."
She kissed his head and hugged him tighter. "I love you too Vinnie."
It was a while before they spoke again, a while before they were able to find their voices. Time went on around them and they sat through it silently, holding one another, finding great relief in sharing their sadness.
Finally Vinnie spoke up. "I wish I could deal with this better," he muttered softly. "Stoker used to annoy the hell out of me…and sure, sometimes I act like I could care less about the guy, but…he was like a father to me."
Leaning back, Jaiden placed a hand on the side of his face, guiding his gaze to hers. "You don't know what happened up there Vin. There's a good chance they might still be alive."
"Yeah. But Jai, you heard-."
"Yes, I heard the explosion. That isn't much to base fact on though, is it?" she smiled patiently, rubbing her thumb down the faint line of his jaw and up again. "Don't be so quick to loose faith."
Vinnie pressed his cheek into the simple caress. He felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders and he could once again think clearly. He also remembered why he hated crying so much-it left him with one hell of a headache. But it had been worth it. Man, had it ever been worth it. "Why was I avoiding you?" he asked, giving Jaiden a tired smile.
She returned it, brushing her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss and shrugging. "Beats me hun."
He hugged her, long and hard. He couldn't believe how long he'd gone without touching her like this, without feeling her warm body with all of its sweet curves pressed against his. "Thank you," he murmured against her neck.
"Whey don't you thank me properly Vincent? I haven't been decently kissed in quite some time."
He chuckled and pulled away, fully prepared to do just that when he caught sight of the blood. "Think we'd better clean that up before we get to the makin' out," he said, making a jokingly disgusted face.
Jaiden giggled as he picked her up and dumped her abruptly onto the bed, leaving the room only to return a few minutes later with an ice pack, wash cloth, a small glass of water and, praise the Lord, a bottle of aspirin.
Setting the goods on the nightstand, he knelt before her, grabbing her legs and pulling her to the edge of the bed. "How many times am I gonna have to fix you up Gorgeous?"
She shrugged, reaching for the aspirin and water. "I sure appreciate it honey. You do such a good job."
Waiting for her to pop two of the small white pills, Vinnie frowned at the faint bruises that marred her wrists. "Did he do this?" he asked, not bothering to speak the foul man's name.
Jaiden finished off the water, then set it and the bottle back on the nightstand. "The guy's got bony fingers and a strong grip," she said indifferently.
"Remind me to break those fingers the next time I see him." He looked her over slowly. "Anything else I should know about?"
She thought about it for a minute. Face, wrist…what else had been banged up tonight? "Oh yeah." Spinning around, she pulled her shirt off and presented her back to him. "You'll have to tell me how bad it looks."
Vinnie was momentarily distracted by the deep yellow lace of her bra but managed to drag his gaze up to the large, red scrape just below her shoulder. It wouldn't bruise, but it would more than likely sting for a few days. "How'd you get this?"
"That would have been the wall. Is it bad?"
He brushed his fingers over the outermost part of the wound and Jaiden sucked in a pained breath. "I think it probably feels a lot worse than it looks," he said. "Turn around so I can take care of that lip."
She did, leaving the shirt off and Vinnie grinned, raking an appreciative gaze over her body. The gentle curves of her waist and hips, the jewel that twinkled at her navel, her full breasts scantily clad by thin golden yellow lace, her hair cascading over her over her naturally tan shoulders-he drank it all in, content to savor the mere sight of her…at least for now anyway.
"You're a distraction," he muttered as he wrapped an arm around her and hauled her close, forcing her legs to straddle his waist.
"A distraction?" she repeated, cocking her head to the side and trying her best to look innocent. "How so?"
Vinnie reached for the washcloth. "You just are sweetheart," he replied, pressing it to her lip. She jumped, wincing and he murmured an apology. Using a little less pressure, he cleaned the blood from her chin and then began dabbing gently at her lip where the cut had caused a small amount of swelling.
It stung quite a bit, but Jaiden hardly noticed and when Vinnie moved closer, his hip brushing the inside of her thigh, she forgot about the pain all together. The only thing she felt was the primal surge of lust, her body straining towards his, silently begging for his touch.
He shifted again and her breath caught. "Vinnie," she whispered.
His hand stilled and those brilliant ruby red eyes met hers, tender at first, then filling with an answering need as he began to realize what she was thinking. The rag was dropped, replaced by a hand that gently cradled her face. "This probably isn't going to feel too good, Gorgeous," he said.
"I don't care," she whispered, already leaning toward him, driven by an intense need that had been denied for three days. She wrapped arms and legs around him, shivered in delight as his strong arms circled her waist and pulled her so close.
Vinnie bent to claim her lips and, despite how careful he was, it still hurt. Jaiden stubbornly ignored it. She had been waiting far too long for this and wasn't about to let a cut lip stop her from getting the one thing she craved. She parted her lips for a deeper kiss, moaning as his tongue sensuously caressed hers. Pain was irrelevant, it was nothing. All she cared about was having Vinnie back in her arms, kissing her senseless, making her feel safe and loved.
He lifted her in one graceful movement, moved them to the center of the bed and came down on top of her. His weight was wholly welcomed and Jaiden reveled in the feeling of having his larger body presses so intimately against hers.
Their movements became frenzied, their need overpowering any desire for slow, romantic seduction. Vinnie moved from her mouth to her neck, caressed every inch of her body with those large, skilled hands, deftly removed her jeans and casting them aside.
Jaiden reached for the button of his jeans, pulled at the zipper impatiently. Her hands were riding his hips, working at removing his jeans, when the first knock sounded at the front door. They ignored it until it became louder and much more adamant.
Vinnie swore and jerked up, shooting a vicious glare towards the direction of the pounding. He couldn't imagine who would be at the door this late. There was only a hand full of Earther's who knew about their temporary home and most of them were already here. Unless-. Vinnie groaned inwardly. If that was Jack McCyber he'd better have a damn good reason for showing up here!
The pounding continued and Vinnie dropped a kiss on Jaiden's forehead. "Be right back Sweetheart."
"M'kay," she murmured sluggishly, looking every bit as disappointed as he felt. "Hurry."
It almost killed him to leave her there like that, spread across his bed in her gauzy lingerie, looking far beyond tempting. He bit back another oath and got out of bed.
Whoever's at that door better start prayin' for their life now, he thought as he jerked the door open.
Charley, Throttle and Modo had already come out of their rooms and now stood looking uncertainly at the door. Vinnie quickly zipped and buttoned his jeans, but not before they all had a chance to see and make their own assumptions on what he and Jaiden had been up to. "You guys gonna answer that or just stand there all night?" he asked somewhat irritably.
Throttle shot him an amused look that lasted a mere second before turning deadly serious. "Grab your blaster Vin. I want you and Modo to cover me in case whoever it is isn't friendly."
The reacted immediately, Modo disappearing into his room and Vinnie going to the coffee table where he'd left his gun earlier that night. When the gray furred mouse reappeared, Rachel was behind him, looking disheveled, yet alert.
"Stand ready at the end of the hallway. You see anything suspicious fire away."
Vinnie and Modo took their positions on either side of the entrance to the hallway, guns trained on the front door that still resounded with incessant pounding, and Throttle slowly approached, ready to jump out of the way and let his bros take care of the problem if need be.
Jaiden came out of Vinnie's room, once again dressed, leaned against the doorframe and shot Rachel and Charley a questioning look. But the other women were just as clueless as she was and could offer her nothing.
"Ready guys?" Throttle asked quietly, reaching for the doorknob.
The two younger mice nodded silently and Throttle pulled the door open.
The large figure on the other side laughed and held his hands up in surrender. "Whoa! I come in peace," Stoker joked the second before he was tackled by three very relieved Martians.
"Man coach, we thought you were a goner!" Vinnie exclaimed after they had each gotten a turn at giving their friend and mentor a brief, affectionate hug.
The older Freedom Fighter, still dashingly handsome at his age with a mane of graying tan hair and well cut build, smirked arrogantly. "Me? A goner? Come on, you know I'm no quitter Vin."
"How's Rimfire? Did he make it out okay?" Modo asked anxiously.
"Ask him yourself."
Stoker moved aside, revealing a smaller mouse who had stood silently behind him, watching on and patiently waiting his turn. "Hey there Uncle Throttle," he said quietly, running a gray furred hand through his skunk-stripped hair.
Modo went to his nephew and pulled him into a tight hug, not afraid to show how shaken he'd been by not knowing if this young mouse had been alive or not. "You had me worried kid," he murmured, emotion clogging his throat. "Mama alright?"
"She's fine. Angry, but fine," Rimfire replied, patting his Uncle on the back a few times before pulling away. "The others are okay too. Just shaken up for the most part. The blast you heard destroyed part of the wall to the communication tower and repairs on that have already started."
"It was a piss poor attack," Stoker took over. Contempt and disgust blazed to life in his dark eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "They had the fire power and the element of surprise, but not enough men to back it up. They had the speed at first but we've always known that us mice have the brains and the guts so they only had the upper hand for a while. Long enough for you kids to hear the worst of it though."
"No kidding," Vinnie remarked dryly.
"Worried about us Vin?"
Remembering what had happened earlier with Jaiden, the way he had broke down and confided in her, the white furred mouse gave his mentor a grin that lacked its usual arrogance and shrugged. "Maybe."
"So how'd you two get out of clean up duty?" Throttle asked.
Stoker grinned slowly. "Oh, me and the good General had words. Took a while but I finally got her to see things my way. That woman can be down right impossible when she wants to be. But in the end I won out, convinced her that she owed it to you and she ended up asking for the clearance herself."
Throttle was stunned. Carbine had…helped them? "How did you manage to get her to do that?" he asked in disbelief.
"Wasn't too hard. You just have to know how to talk to the woman."
Vinnie was the only one who noticed the catch in the older mouse's voice, the way his gaze suddenly became hooded. Something was up here. After the last conversation they'd all had with Carbine, there was no way the woman would have even thought about lifting a finger to help them. He stared at Stoker intently, then said quietly, with a great deal of conviction, "you slept with her."
Quickly masking his surprise, Stoker glared at Vinnie. "You're outta line kid."
"Yeah…but I'm also right. You slept with her."
That's enough Vinnie," Throttle warned, stepping between the two. He turned to Stoker and calmly asked, "Is it true?"
Stoker glared at Vinnie a moment longer, then shifted uncomfortably. Unwilling to be ashamed and hide the truth from the one person who deserved to hear it, he faced Throttle, directly meeting his gaze. "Yeah. It's true," he said, sighing. "But not when you two were together. The night you two broke up, her and I got into it pretty bad. Guess I got tired of her shriekin' and started yelling back. So one minute we were screamin' at each other…the next-." He sighed again, shaking his head. "Sorry Throttle, it just kinda…happened."
Throttle rubbed his chin thoughtfully, fighting to keep the grin off his face. He could see Vinnie and Modo doing the same out of the corner of his eye. "Well…was it just a one time deal or did you two plan on goin' long term?" he asked casually.
"We haven't really talked about that yet. We were a little more concerned about what you'd have to say."
Throttle heaved a great sigh, over dramatized, but well acted. "Well Stoke…I'd have to say…that I'm happy for ya Coach."
"Happy?!" Stoker's head shot up and he stared at the smiling, tan furred mouse as if he'd just grown another head. "You're…happy?"
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because she was your woman and not even an hour after you two split-."
Throttle chuckled softly and gave stoker a hearty slap on the back. "If I said anything on that it would make me a hypocrite."
"A hypocrite? How's that?"
"Well of course Coach here wouldn't have a clue about what's been goin' on down here," Vinnie said, slinging an arm over Stokers shoulders and grinning sneakily. "Throttle's engaged."
Stokers jaw dropped and he looked over at Throttle. The tan mouse smiled sheepishly, said nothing and waited for him to get over his shock…which of course, being Stoker, didn't take long at all. Not even two seconds later the older mouse was smiling broadly and looking quite relieved. "Engaged, huh? Can honestly say I wasn't expecting that. Supposed it's that beautiful mechanic of yours?"
"The very one."
"Well…ain't that somethin'. Congratulations buddy. You're quite a lucky man."
"Same goes Coach."
The aged Freedom Fighter shook his head, chuckling. "Don't know about that. I'll tell ya somethin'…it's damn unsettling fallin' for a woman you thought you hated."
"Oh, I'm sure you two will work out just fine," Throttle said. And he meant it. He had always known that Carbine needed a man that would boss her around every now and then and give her a good fight when she needed one. He just never had the heart to be that kind of man. Stoker definitely did though.
"Hey, what's going on?" Charley's voice carried over theirs from the end of the hallway, reminding them that they'd left their women waiting.
Modo and Vinnie moved aside, revealing the two travel worn biker mice to the mechanic. A gasp escaped her lips and with tears quickly collecting in her jade green eyes and spilling over, she rushed to Stoker and threw herself into his waiting arms. "Thank God you're alive," she whispered as his arms closed around her.
"Aw, now don't go cryin' beautiful. Takes more than a couple ugly Plutarkian's to bring down this biker." Stoker pulled away and brushed a tear from her cheek, winking as he did so and making her smile. "That's better. Hey, look who I brought with me."
Standing beside him, looking somewhat out of place, Rimfire smiled shyly. "Hey there Miss Charley."
"Rimfire." She kept one arm around Stoker, then with the other, pulled the shorter mouse into a half hug. She'd only met them a few times, but these men…well, these mice, had left quite an imprint on her, making them as much family as Vinnie, Modo and Throttle were.
"I'm so happy to see you two. Was everyone else able to get out of harms way?"
"Few scrapes and bruises. Nothing we couldn't handle," Stoker answered arrogantly.
Charley chuckled and released them, taking a step back. "Well, that's good news. We were all worried sick about you guys. Oh! That reminds me," she whipped around to face the other two women standing uncertainly behind Vinnie and Modo, "girls, come here."
Jaiden came forward first, her gaze guarded, revealing nothing of what she was feeling. She stopped beside Charley and craned her neck, her eyes meeting Stokers.
"This is Stoker, the one we were talking to about getting clearance to borrow weapons from Mars. Looks like we'll be getting your house back after all," Charley murmured.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Stoker added, kindly smiling at the young woman. "Got enough blasters for an entire army. Even snuck in a few of the big guns. Some of your favorites Vin."
As Vinnie expressed his gratitude with a loud whoop, Jaiden's heart grew considerably light. Here, standing in front of her, looking so blessedly sure of himself, was her salvation, the man who was going to play a large part in getting her home back. She owed him so much for this.
Emotion pulled at her heart strings-gratitude, joy, love, and relief. They twined themselves together, constricting her throat and chest so fiercely that she finally had to give in. It was with a tiny cry of sheer elation that she catapulted herself into Stokers arms and clung to him, whispering "thank you" repeatedly against his furry neck.
Stoker hugged the young woman back, but shot a quizzical look at Charley as if asking for some kind of enlightenment.
Charley simply smiled and whispered, "You've given her her hope back."
Understanding lit his eyes and he rubbed Jaiden's back, ignoring Vinnie's sudden look of hostility. If he hadn't known who this little pixie belonged to, he certainly knew now! "Two cryin', beautiful women in one night. Better watch out boys, I'm tempted to take em all back to Mars with me," he quipped with a light chuckle. "Alright now darlin', quit with the waterworks and let me have a look at ya."
Jaiden moved back, quickly scrubbed away the tears and gave him a brilliant smile that, truth be told, made him feel like the greatest man alive. "Jaiden Sterling," she said softly. "I'm so happy to meet you Stoker."
"Likewise," he said with a flirtations wiggle of his brows. "I don't know what that maniac did to land himself a looker like you, but I could do it ten times better."
As she giggled, her violet eyes sparkling with warmth, Stoker reached forward and gently took her chin between his thumb and fingers. "What happened here?"
She shrugged, still smiling. "Got hit."
"Looks like one hell of a cut."
"Yeah, well…you should see the other guy," she replied impishly.
Happy to know that the mouse he idolized was alive and well, but not at all happy to see him flirting with his woman even if Stoker was with Carbine, Vinnie stepped in and wrapped a possessive arm around Jaiden's waist, giving Stoker a look that clearly said, "Love ya like a father but keep your hands off my woman."
Stoker grinned back. "Alright Vin, she's yours, I get it. Now there's one more here I have yet to meet. Modo! Where's the one you snagged?"
Rachel came forward and as Stoker worked his charm on her, making her laugh with a comment about how he'd been staying on the wrong planet, Jaiden was introduced to a very shy Rimfire whom it took a while to entice a smile out of, but eventually she managed it.
When he was introduced to Rachel, he was much more confident, but still cautious. He was surprised not only by the fact that his uncle Modo was dating (something he'd never even heard of him doing before) but also by the fact that he was dating a cool, sophisticated beauty of a woman that looked like she belonged on the front cover of a risqué motorcycle calendar. But she was as sweet as sugar and by the end of five minutes, Rimfire was just as smitten with her as Modo was.
With the introductions made, Charley suggested that they move to the living room where they could all be a little more comfortable. Sleep was now out of the question and everyone was wide-awake. Even Stoker and Rimfire, after countless hours of space travel, seemed to catch a second wind.
As they moved toward the living room, Vinnie pulled Jaiden close, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and holding her back. "Bet someone would sleep a whole lot better if she knew she had that army of bikers backin' her up," he murmured close to her hear.
Jaiden smiled and relaxed against him. "That's exactly what I was thinking. Do you think it's too late to call?"
"Nah. Go for it."
Turning to give him a quick kiss, Jaiden then told him she loved him and went into the kitchen where the phone sat on the counter waiting. It was only after the phone was in her hand that she lost her certainty and became nervous. Would Mr. Foxworthy's offer still stand? Was she asking too much of him and his friends? Were they all so willing to risk death for the justice she sought to obtain? Of course they were. They lived by the same rules she did…by the same rules her family had. But she still felt like it was asking a lot.
She rubbed her thumb over the talk button, listening to the lull of voices from the other room. One second ticked by, followed by another, then a minute. Finally, she gathered her courage, took a steadying breath, pressed the talk button and dialed the number she'd memorized as a precaution.
"Here goes," she murmured, lifting the phone to her ear.
Rich Foxworthy answered on the third ring with a boisterous "Yeeeello?"
""Rich? This is Jaiden. Jaiden Sterling."
"Well, hey there little lady! To what do I owe this pleasure?"
She heard the smile in his voice and immediately felt her anxiety slip away, bit by bit. "I hope I'm not calling too late," she said, resting a hip against the counter.
"Heck now. Me and some of the guys were just sittin' down for a night of poker. How you doing kiddo? Callin' just for a friendly chat or did ya need somethin'?"
"Oh, I'm okay. Actually…I had a favor to ask of you Mr. Foxworthy…a big favor."