Ohai. So for those of you who don't know me, my name is Mad-Eyed Owl and I have commitment issues. I started writing this story in 2007 and when I say that I'm aiming to have it done by 2014 (seven years seems a nice round number), I want you to know that what I aim for is often a complete lie. So hi to all my old readers, hello to the new ones, and big love to the ones who have stuck by me for two years and FORCED me to get into Karma's brain again. I'd forgotten how it feels to write.

Bright blessings,

MEO.

I Don't Panic. I Just Get Alarmed.

Karma unlocked the door and they rushed to get inside away from the noise of the street. Karma clacked on the security chain behind them as though following some sublime instinct to keep out bad energy.

The magnitude of the night hit Throttle so hard and so suddenly that he had to kind of slump onto one of the chairs. "Karma, why was I your boyfriend?"

Vinnie's and Modo's ears perked up so high that they quivered but Karma appeared as though she could have cared less. "I told them you were my pimp, though pimps are usually called 'boyfriends' anyway."

"It would have been much more useful if I'd known that." Throttle felt huffy. "Can we start right from the beginning? Why were you a stripper?"

"Str-? Whoa." Vinnie suddenly looked at Karma properly. "You don't have any pants on. How did I not notice this?"

"Oh, fuck you Vincent." Karma threw her blue bag at his face but it didn't shut up him.
"You're a stripper! You were a stripper in there!" He pointed at her as though his fingers were exclamation marks. Karma looked at Modo for support, but his face was so shocked that she couldn't bear to meet eyes with him.

She rolled her eyes upward and let out a long, numbing sigh. "Yes, children. Tonight, I played the part of a stripper. I did not tell you because a), you were arguing about whose clothes you were going to borrow, and b), if I had told you, you wouldn't have let me go."

"Oh my God." Vinnie's eyes were bulging. "Did you give people lap-dances?" He looked at Throttle. "Did you give him a lap-dance?"

Karma spluttered and Throttle's mind was filled with visions of The Kiss. Vinnie whooped and Modo had to sit down.

"Is this why you never leave him alone? Does he always need parental supervision?" Karma was at a total loss regarding Vinnie's behaviour.

Throttle just had to laugh. "Um, hi Karma. You dressed like a stripper tonight, and then you danced like a stripper tonight, and tonight, you were pretty much a stripper."

She didn't think it was funny. He knew this because she tried to smack him and he had to move out of his chair. "OK, fine, so it's not funny. We were just surprised because we thought you'd be scoping things out incognito. But how do you even know a guy who owns a place like that?"

She composed herself. "I know Schrade from a few years back. I've worked with him before - oh fuck you, Vinnie," she snapped as Vinnie's laughter snorted out his nose. "He's small-time criminal scum but he's been useful as an info source in the past, I just said I needed a favour and he said it was fine, go ahead."

"Did he know you's goin' t' dress... la'ak that?"

"Yes, Modo."

"N'... he was OK wit that?"

"I guess." Karma ran her fingers through her new light blonde hair. "He introduced me to some of the girls. They were pretty nice."

Throttle looked at her in a weird way. "They were pretty high when I was in there. And young."

"I know -"

A sudden celebratory rat-a-tat of outside gunfire frightened the Hell out of everyone - blasters, arm cannon and Derringer were immediately cocked. They listened together, but there was nobody screaming and nobody panicking - it was just some dickhead with a loaded gun.

Karma sighed. "This place gives me shakes. We'll leave in the morning."

"Thank th' Lordy." Modo buzzed down his arm cannon and Karma suddenly jumped.

"Oh my God Modo, how fast can you load that thing?"

"Same ta'am's you kin load yer gun."

"You know you're the only person in Mars who is responsible enough to use it properly."

"Thankyou, Miss Karma."

"Welcome." She put her Derringer in the waistband of her tiny little shorts. "I'll need to return these clothes in the morning."

"Can I come?"

"Go die, Snow-Balls."

"Fine, fuck you." He didn't seem to take it too personally. "Well, I am going to go and get drunk. I will see you in the morning. Excuse me, mentlegen." He headed for the front door and stomped down the stairs to the pub below.

Karma stared after him with a strange look on her face. "He seems weirdly OK with all this fucked-uppery around here."

Throttle glanced at the closed front door. "He's OK. He just needs to be alone, I think."

"Mm-hmm." She picked up her blue bag from the floor. "Y'know, I know he's a good kid."

"Really?" Modo and Throttle were equally surprised.

"Yeah, I know. He's annoying as fuck but he's OK." She didn't want to say that she understood Vinnie more than she understood the other two - she and he were both pretty good at acting like nothing mattered and that nothing affected them when they were actually at their most vulnerable.

She sat down on the floor, took her boots off and put them to one side, opening her blue bag. Her feet ached like anything. She pulled her pyjamas and shower kit out of her bag and sat there for a few seconds, musing.

Modo had gotten up and was picking through Ducati's food absently, looking for something to nibble on. Throttle was sitting on one of the couches, his shoes off, polishing his blaster. Vinnie was probably out somewhere, raising Hell. There was friendly movement and light in this place, while people screwed and drank and swore and abused each other outside. She actually felt safe.

If she had been doing this alone, she would have needed to leave that club at the end of the night after all of those horrible men had been forced out. She would have had to dance until the wee hours, exhausted and hot and humiliated, playing a woman that she loathed while keeping an eye out for some Rats that she knew would probably never come. The idea of trying to leave that place by herself just terrified her. Just walking across the room towards Throttle when she'd wanted to leave had been terrifying. Being able to take the hand of this big scary guy and make it obvious to every other scumbag in there that she was under his protection just made her feel good. She didn't like needing it, but knowing that it was there was actually... actually OK.

"Can I say something?"

"Sure."

"I'm... I'm kind of glad you came out after me tonight. I should have been more patient with you. It was cool to have someone suffering there with me."

"Welcome."

"Cool." She got up, pyjamas in hand. "I'm going to have a shower, and then I am going to pack up, and then I am going to go to bed. We'll leave in the morning." She padded to the bathroom and shut the door.

"That was na'ace of her."

"Yeah." Throttle smiled. "It was."

"So who's bunking with who?"

It was a perfectly reasonable question but the fact that Karma had asked it directly after stepping out of the bathroom in a towel made it a bit harder to concentrate. Modo immediately looked the other way and gazed attentively at the wall. She noticed, and couldn't contain a snigger.

"For God's sake, woman, this is the second time we've seen you in a towel," Throttle quipped, referring to when she had charged down the hallway of Mrs. Madde's house when her mobile rang in the middle of her shower. "Put some freaking clothes on."

"You should talk, man-skank, you wear less than I do."

"Your tone drips jealousy."

She poked her tongue out at him – a strange and childish motion that made the scar on her chin twist into an S-shape – and wandered into the bedroom that Throttle had slept in earlier that day. Guess we're bunking. He sighed - it wasn't an unhappy sigh, just... complicated.

He finished polishing his blaster - he hadn't really been doing it for any particular reason anyway - and wondered where they would go tomorrow. So far as he could see, they'd hit a dead end. There were no Rats here to talk to and there was a pretty strong chance that nobody here would remember a Rat and a she-Mouse coming and leaving together - or if they did, they probably wouldn't think it was too weird. Worst, they would know and they wouldn't tell.

Karma didn't seem too stressed about anything right now, though. Maybe it was because she'd just relaxed in the shower. Maybe she had something up her sleeve. He could hear her coming out of the bedroom, he'd turn around and ask her -

He turned his head and stared. She was wearing a set of blue pyjamas, a matching singlet top and flanelette slacks. Her bandage shone white against her shot shoulder. He hadn't seen her in pyjamas before and they'd been on this trip for... eight nights? Only eight nights?

She had her hair over her shoulder and was sinking a thick comb into it, tearing out knots. She'd washed her makeup off and she smelt nice.

She caught his eye and saw he was staring. So he opened his mouth, and out of all of the things he could have said, he said this:

"Why are you wearing pyjamas?"

She frowned. "...Because they're comfy?" She seemed to think that it was a trick question.

"It just seems... They make you look different." They made her look innocent.

"...That's because they're different clothes." She was clearly still suspicious that he was going to say something to hurt her feelings and was treading carefully.

"No, I just... you look nice."

"Thankyou...?"

A sudden roar downstairs in the bar ended Mars's most awkward conversation. There was the sound of breaking glass and people screaming at each other - clearly a barfight had erupted.

"Fuck this place," Karma sighed.

"I know -"

They could suddenly hear someone thumping up the stairs. "Uh oh." The thumping and the screaming got louder and louder and Karma swore, ran into her room and came out with her gun. "Noooooo way am I having Beaconsfield psychos in here!"

"Oh my God, calm down -"

Karma pointed it at the door unflinchingly. Someone banged on the door and then yelled out.

"HARLEYYYYYYY!"

Karma dropped the gun. "What the Hell, Vinnie." She opened the door and Vinnie fell in on top of her, knocking them both to the ground.

"Fuck's sake, Vincent!" Karma tried to push him off but he was like a mousebabe, he couldn't even get himself on his hands and knees. Throttle had no idea how he'd managed to get up the stairs until he noticed a tiny coffee-coloured she-Mouse standing a little way behind the door.

"Hi."

"Hello." Her voice was soft. "Is he yours?"

"Yeah, he's ours."

"He's drunk up everything downstairs," she murmured, her eyes wide. "He paid, but I don't think he's very well..."

Karma had managed to push Vinnie off of her and was trying to make him get up. He opened his eyes and stared at her. "Harley?"

"No, Snow-Balls, it's Karma."

"Y'rr n't Harley."

"Nope. Help me, Modo."

Modo picked him up and carried him to the couch. Karma turned to the she-Mouse. "Are you Thriller's wife?"

"Yes. I run the bar during the night."

"Thanks for sending him up."

She shrugged. "I had to. He was picking fights."

Throttle was surprised. "Vinnie? He never picks fights."

Thriller's Wife shrugged again. "Hey, if he'd kept quiet I wouldn't've cared, but I can't have no fights in my bar."

Karma scowled. "You let him drink himself stupid and then blame him for starting a fight?"

"Hey, this is Beaconsfield. We deal in sluts and drunks. Deal with it." Thriller's Wife turned around and flounced back down the stairs. Karma slammed the door.

Vinnie was rolling around on the couch, something red glistening on his upper lip. "Is he bleeding?"

"Onny a little." Modo was peering at Vinnie's face closely. "Not too bad."

"Vinnie, did you get punched?"

Vinnie's eyes flickered open. "N' some dick wanned a piece, wanned a piece a' me. Said "whurr's ya girlfriend", I said "Buddy, m'girlfriend's way hotter than yours"..."

Throttle had only seen Vinnie drunk a couple of times before, but he'd always been a happy sleepy sort of drunk, interested in curling up with soft things and singing loud songs and passing out in women's beds. This Vinnie had red eyes and was drooling and angry. He reeked of spirits and his nose was starting to bleed.

"Let me see your nose, Vinnie."

"Haaaaa! Allllllll the ladies want some Vincent van Wham." Vinnie rolled and tried to grab her - not even any specific part of her anatomy, his hands just lobstered in her general direction - but Karma swatted him away and wrinkled her nose. "He needs a cold pack. Do we have a cold pack?"

"I ma'at do, n' ma bag."

"Can you go get it, Modo? His snout might be broken, it looks crooked." It was true - whoever had hit him had done a Hell of a job.

"No prollem, see you in a bit." Modo headed out the door.

Karma scratched behind her ear and thought. "Should we let him sleep on the couch?"

"Mm' not sleepin'!"

Throttle shrugged. "I guess so."

"OK. C'mon Vinnie, let's get your boots off, it's time for bed -"

Vinnie suddenly sat up. "Nooooo. I wan' Charley put me d' bed." His temper flared. "No-one else moves 'til she get here."

"Charley?"

"M' Earth girlfriend." Vinnie stared at Karma. "She's so gorgeous. She's like, like a dream in engine grease." He started to laugh.

"What the Hell?" Karma was totally incredulous. "Is he in love with everyone?"

Throttle frowned. "Hey."

Karma backed off. "Whatever. Vinnie, Charley can't come."

"She has t' come."

"She's all the way on Earth, she couldn't come even if she wanted." Throttle wasn't sure if he was making it better or worse.

"Why?" Vinnie's eyes were watering. "Why?"

There was a second of silence, and then in a horrible moment, Vinnie started to cry.

"No-one wants me. No-one wants me. All these girls, I like 'em so much n' then I can't be with 'em." He lay back down on the couch, sobbing.

"Oh, Vinnie." Karma had the strangest expression on her face. Modo came back with a cold pack and stared at everyone wordlessly.

"Here." Karma took the cold pack and held it up to Vinnie's face. "Hey Vin."

"What?"

"I think your snout is broken."

"M' face hurts."

"It's OK, honey." Her voice was soft and hypnotic. "We just got a cold pack for your face, I think you need it. Want me to put it on for you?"

Vinnie snuffled something and Karma took it as a yes, so she layed it out gently on the top of his snout. "Better?"

"No. M' not loved."

"Well, that's why we're all on this trip. So we can all see Harley again, OK?"

"Ba's not workin'."

"It will work. We just need a bit more time. We're not going to go home until she's safe. OK?"

"...M'k."

"You go to sleep, and tomorrow we'll go see a doctor for your face."

"D'n needa doctor."

"OK, just go to sleep then. You want a blanket?"

"...Yeah."

Karma got up to get a blanket from the other room, but Vinnie suddenly seized her hand. "Y'r real nice right now, Karma. D'you love me?"

Karma's eyes grew as wide as the moons and she stared at Throttle in total panic. What do I do?

Throttle couldn't help it, he started laughing. She hissed at him. "You're so fucking unhelpful." And then, to Vinnie: "Yes. I think you're pretty loveable. Now go to sleep."

"Allove you, Karma. I'think y'r rad." Vinnie closed his eyes and conked out straight away, his arm falling to the floor.

Karma reached over and pulled Throttle's forelock. "Screw you. What was I going to say to him after all that?"

Modo was sniggering softly. "Tha'was funny."

"I'm sorry, it was." He got up with her to get Vinnie a blanket. "Don't worry, I don't think he'll remember asking."

Karma pulled one of the covers off of her bed and walked back to lay it over Vinnie. "He better not, or I'll spew." She pulled his boots off and tucked him in. "Look at his face!" she whispered. "Who did this?" His face was starting to swell painfully.

"You were pretty nice to him earlier."

"I felt sorry for him. He's vulnerable." She got up and stretched. Throttle heard her injured shoulder audibly crack and didn't miss her wincing. Neither did Modo.

"Miss Karma? Kin ah look at yer shoulder?"

"Oh, this? It's fine. Ducati gave me some antibiotics to take, it should be OK."

"Well, OK..."

"Hey. I'm not the one who needs looking-after right now." She went back to the room that she and Throttle were going to share and paused for a second. "Hey Modo?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you do a girl a huge favour and ask if they have any more blankets downstairs?"

"No prollem."

"Thanks, darling one. Be careful, blow people up if they punch you."

"Yes ma'am." He opened the door and noise from the bar downstairs roared into the room, softening when he closed it again.

Karma got her toothbrush and stood in the doorway to the bedroom. "I'm going to brush my teeth and then I might hit it."

"Hit what?"

"Your face." She went to the bathroom and closed the door.

She needs to close the bathroom door just to brush her TEETH? It seemed ridiculous to Throttle, and kind of offensive - it was like she was holding him at arm's length, even though they'd been up to all kinds of shenanigans tonight. He could hear the tap running through the bathroom door and was suddenly overcome with this enormous urge to annoy her. Even if it was just to get her attention.

He knocked on the door. She didn't answer. He waited maybe thirty seconds and knocked again.

"What?"

"I need to pee."

"Then wait."

Maybe another thirty seconds. He knocked again. "Could you wait?" she snapped. "Lordy…"

The lock clicked off and she pulled the bathroom door open, a toothbrush hanging out the side of her mouth. "Jus' wait," she said thickly. She went back to the mirror and began brushing her teeth again.

Throttle watched her with a strange sort of feeling in his gut as she brushed, spat and washed her mouth out. He could tell she knew he was staring – her ears were cocked in his direction. He didn't actually fully understand why he found it so fascinating when she was doing something as menial as brushing her goddamn teeth.

She checked herself in the mirror, flicked her hair a few times and walked towards the door. "Night."

He extended an arm and blocked her path out of the bathroom. "Quite a night we've had," he murmured. She turned around and blinked up at him, letting out a breath that was just as sweet as the rest of her.

"You think so?"

He was leaning in closer before he realised it. It had been way too long since he'd been this close to a woman before, since he'd been able to trap one there and breathe down her neck. "Either you're a damn good actress, doll…"

"You think I meant it?"

"Meant what?"

"The kiss." She was admirably frank.

"That was what I was going to ask."

She leaned up on tiptoe and breathed into his mouth. "I'll let you think what you want." Then she slid fluidly under his arm and padded across the hall, throwing a wily smirk over her shoulder that glowed in the dark for a long time after she closed her bedroom door.

He leaned his back against the doorframe and closed his eyes. Interesting.

Interesting?

He hadn't had a woman so close to him for years. If Karma had stood there for just a second longer, he would have lost it. And she knew that.

So Karma liked games.

He smiled to himself.

He liked her game a lot as well.

SEX. BOWCHICKAWOWOW I'll leave.

FOR SERIOUS THOUGH, SO MUCH FUN. Big shout-out to Arcangel'sWerewolf for pointing out that Karma is awesome and doesn't deserve to be forgotten.
Big love, chickens? Reviews, sil vous plait?