Thanks for the review. Haha yeah, I understand you see Vinnie like that right now. But there is more to it. :)
twenty five
Throttle walked back into the scoreboard after his call with Coelum. Modo was sitting on the couch, Vinnie was still knock out in his hammock.
"And?", Modo asked at his bro. Throttle grabbed a rootbeer and joined Modo on the couch.
"Violet and Carbine are coming back to Earth. Violet is willing to help Vinnie. Really, that girl is something special, I have to say that."
"Yeah, she sure is. I would totally understand if she didn't want him anymore…"
There was a silence. Modo took a deep breath.
"Maybe it's not your story to tell, but I'm still gonna ask it. What happened to Vinnie? When he was young?"
Throttle stared at his rootbeer.
"You have the right to know, after everything that happened. Vinnie's mom was not a loving person. She abused him. She hit him, he ended in the hospital like a hundred times or so. She was telling everybody that he was clumsy. One day I asked him how in the world he could be that clumsy. He told me the truth. His mom beat the living shit out of him, and his dad let it all happen. Well, I must say, his dad tried, you know. When he was with Vinnie, he always tried to make sure that Vinnie had a good time. But they never talked about their worries, about what Vinnie's mom was doing to him… Anyway, my father tried to talk some sense in Vinnie's mom, but she didn't listen. Well, the good thing was; she stopped hitting him. Instead, she ignored him completely. Like he didn't even existed… Can you imagine? Your own son… After that, Vinnie completely changed. Fighting, always getting into trouble… When he was kicked out of school, it became even worse. He was drunk every night, used girls for sex…"
"Oh momma... ", Modo sighed. He felt sorry for his little bro. Of course, he was mad at him. The things he did to Violet, Dani, to that poor guy… But still…
"Yeah, you can say that alright. One night, I found him at his parents house. The Plutarkians bombed it, his parents were dead. He was lying on the ground, laughing and crying hysterically. To be honest with you, he scared the shit out of me. The look in his eyes… Man… I took him with me. My parents talked with him, gave him a place in the family. On one condition: he needed to get his life back on track. So, no more partying, no more alcohol, no more sex and no more fighting. He did what him was asked. Slowly, he turned into the mouse we all know; happy, cheerful, an ego bigger than Mars, a hothead and eager to get himself in the most dangerous situations. He had found Sweetheart in the barn next to their house, apparently his dad had build it from scratch, specially designed for Vinnie and Vinnie alone. He practised his bike skills everyday. Well, soon after that the war got worse and we met each other at the Freedom Fighters."
"Yeah, I remember alright. I remember when I saw him for the first time. Oh momma, how he could annoy me. But I soon found out he actually was a very sweet, loyal guy under all the bravado. But the way he is now… I don't know him like this…"
Throttle didn't knew what to say. He was shocked by Vinnie's behaviour today. But he had recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look he had seen that night Vinnie lost his parents.
"Why is he acting like this?", Modo suddenly asked.
"He is pain. He never learned how to handle emotions. And, he has a lot of similarities with his mom. She was just as explosive. But there is one difference. Vinnie is a good guy. Even now, I know he is a good guy. His mom was bad news."
"But why now? Why didn't this happen before?"
"I'm not sure. I thought that after he talked to Violet about his past, he was gonna be okay. He looked okay. He said he felt better. But I think he did what he always does; pushing his pain away. And then the whole Liam thing, Violet who was far gone… He felt betrayed by us because we didn't believed him about Liam, he felt betrayed because Violet gave up… He just broke. There is only so much a mouse can take. I thought he was broken after Charley died, but now… Man… I feel guilty, you know?"
Modo shook his head.
"This isn't your fault. Vinnie needs to find out who he really is. If you are always there to protect him, to stop him from doing something stupid, to try to tame him… This is a journey, don't you see? He is trying to find out who he really is. And that is no easy journey. But I think that in time, he will be okay. Okay with who he is. And we can only hope we are gonna be okay with it too. But if we're not… If he choose to live like this, we need to let him go, Throttle. We can't always running after him, to clean up his mess… That's no life."
"I can't just let him go, Modo. I…"
"You need to focus on your wife, your baby… That's what's making you happy. You can't just throw all of that away because you made a promise to your mother. I never met her, but I'm sure that she never wanted that you would throw away your own happiness for Vinnie. And I'm not saying we need to let him go now… No way. I'm also way too attached to that loudmouth. Don't tell him I've said that. For now, we are gonna be there for him."
Throttle sighed. "You're right. Let's just hope he is gonna come around. Let's hope Violet can help him."
Suddenly, Vinnie moaned. Both Modo and Throttle turned their heads to look at their younger bro. His eyes were open and he was rubbing his jaw.
"Man, what hit me?", he asked confused.
"I did", Modo said dryly.
Vinnie glared at him. "Well, thanks bro. That's where family is for, right?", he said sarcastic.
"You left me no choice, BRO", Modo snarled back.
"Right. Why don't you two just leave me alone?" Vinnie jerked upright and jumped out of his hammock. His head was pounding and he saw stars before his eyes. Okay, macho mouse. Take it easy. He wanted to walk to his bike, but Throttle grabbed him.
"And where do you think you are going?", he demanded.
"Out. I need to be alone."
"No dice."
"And who is gonna stop me?", Vinnie asked, his voice low.
"We are", Modo said, standing right before his bro. "Don't make me hit you again, Vinnie."
Vinnie glared at Modo, who glared back with his eye glowing red. Vinnie decided he was not gonna win this. He yanked himself free and dropped on the couch.
"FINE", he said, crossing his arms before his chest, looking like a child who didn't get his way.
Throttle and Modo took place next to him. Vinnie stared angrily ahead, avoiding to look at his bro's.
"Well, I really have one burning question…", Throttle started, his voice low. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Vinnie ignored him, still staring at a some point in front of him.\
"Oh, come on, Vincent. Don't act like a small child. You almost killed a guy, and for what? What is gotten into you?"
Vinnie snorted and clenched his jaws. The tip of his tail was twitching. Throttle noticed the signs, but decided to ignore them.
"Well? You can't ignore me forever. And you are not going anywhere. So, here we are, stuck at the board. We got all the time of the world. We might as well use it. I think we deserve an explanation since we are the ones who dragged you away from that guy."
"Yeah, well… you're choice, not mine. So, no. I don't owe you an explanation."
Modo smacked him against the back of his head.
"Stop acting like this, Vinnie. This isn't who you are. Come on! Where is the happy, cheerful guy we all know so well? He still must be in there, right?"
Vinnie slowly shook his head.
"That guy is dead."
That answer shocked both Throttle and Modo. Their bro was far more gone than they had thought. They both knew that their only chance to get their bro back on track, was Violet. Hopefully, she was gonna be here soon…
Violet stared out of the window of the spaceship and sighed when she saw Quigley Field. Here goes nothing… Jake landed the ship safely and turned around to face Carbine and Violet.
"Here we are, ladies. Ready?"
They both nodded and Jake opened the loading dock. Throttle walked over to them to greet them. Carbine jumped in his arms.
"Hey handsome..", she whispered in his ear, holding him tightly. Throttle wrapped his arms around her.
"Hey babe… Welcome back."
Violet walked out of the ship, followed by Jake. Throttle let Carbine go and pulled Violet in his arms.
"Hey, girl. You okay?", he asked worried, rubbing her back. She held him tightly.
"No… No, I'm not. But I will be, one day." Throttle let her go. Violet looked at him.
"How bad is it?", she asked hesitant.
"Bad. We managed to keep him here, but he is… well, I guess you need to see it by yourself."
Violet nodded and walked slowly to the stairs. She climbed up and grabbed the doorknob. Before she opened it, she took a deep breath and opened the door.
Modo looked up and his face lit up when he saw her.
"Hey, Violet ma'am. Welcome back!"
"Thanks, Modo. Where is Vinnie?"
"Up on the roof…"
"Thanks."
Vinnie saw the ship landing from his place on the roof. His heart was fluttering in his chest. Throttle hadn't told him that Violet was coming back. Ah well… Why should he care? She was probably here to say they were done. He heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't turned around. He felt it was her. He could smell her. His heart pounded. Dammit. She still had the same effect on him as before. He could feel his hands turning sweaty.
She took place next to him. He tried not to look at her, but he couldn't resist. He glanced at her from the corners of his eyes. She looked great. The weeks on Coelum had done her good. She was back to her normal weight and the despair that was chiseled on her face before she left, was now gone. But she did looked worried. He wondered why. Did she still care? He hardly could believe that. After everything he had done to her…
Violet stared at her feet, trying to find the right words and hiding her shock. Her beloved husband looked like shit. Well, if someone who didn't knew him would look at him, they wouldn't see it. But she did. She felt it. He was far gone. She suddenly started doubting. Was she really able to get through to him? Did she even wanted to? Ugh. Of course she was. Otherwise, she would have stayed on Coelum. The truth was, she had missed him. Even after everything that had happened, she had missed him. And sitting next to him, to smell in scent… It felt like coming home. How was she gonna do this…
"Wanna go for a ride, cutie?", she asked suddenly. Vinnie stayed silent for a while, but then shrugged.
"Yeah, why not?", he said, trying to sound nonchalant. They stood up and climbed down.
"Wait here", Violet said and she quickly walked outside to Throttle.
"I am going to take him for a ride to the lake. My guess is that he will open up sooner since we are completely alone over there."
Throttle rubbed his chin. "You sure? He is kinda… explosive at the moment…"
"I'm sure. If something goes wrong, I will call you. But I think we will be fine."
"Okay. Good luck."
Violet walked back inside. Vinnie was already sitting on his bike. Violet climbed behind him.
"Let's go the our place at the beach, okay?", she said, pulling on her helmet. Vinnie nodded and revved his bike. Violet sighed. She sure hoped this was gonna work.
They settled down in the grass. Violet took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
"Vinnie? I think we need to talk…"
Vinnie was playing with the grass and shrugged.
"Whatever…", he said toneless.
"You can pretend like you don't care, but I know you. So stop fooling me and yourself. You do care. Otherwise you wouldn't be here", Violet said sharply.
Vinnie sighed and looked at her for the first time. She gasped when she saw the look in his eyes. She didn't recognize it. It was a whirlwind of regret, anger, frustration… but the worst was his cry for help. She could see in his eyes that from the inside, he was screaming for help. But of course, he was too proud to say it out loud. Of course, he didn't knew how to ask for help. Her eyes filled with tears. Her poor macho mouse. Even he did hurt her, even he did betray her, she felt so much sadness when she saw the look in his eyes. He was completely lost. He was struggling to keep his head above the water. But he was so close to drowning. She felt she made the right decision to come back.
"Please… don't cry, sweetheart. Don't cry for me…", he whispered. "I don't deserve it…"
He raised his hand to wipe away a tear from her cheek, but then lowered it. He didn't know what to do. He never, ever felt this guilty. And that was weird. He thought he had found out who he was. The guy he was before his parents died. But back then, there was no guild. So why there was now? It drove him crazy. All these thoughts in his head, the doubt, the insecurity… The spiders in his head were there every day, every hour, every minute.
"I don't deserve you…", he said softly.
Violet shook her head. "I love you, Vincent van Wham. I love you so much. You have no idea how much I care about you. You simply can't feel what I'm feeling. And it breaks my heart to see you like this… To see you so lost… What happened, Vin? What happened, that we are sitting here, in this situation? When was the beginning of the end?"
Vinnie was overwhelmed by his thoughts, his emotions, he couldn't speak. He tried, but his voice failed on him. He looked at Violet, despair in his eyes. His girl. His beautiful girl. Why was she being so kind to him? He had betrayed her. He had gave up on her. He should have known she was strong enough to climb back on her feet. But he had chose the easy way out. The way he was familiar with. Because he was scared. Scared for love. Scared for the pain he would feel if he would lose her. It didn't make any sense.
"I… Gosh, sweetheart… I'm so sorry… for everything…", he said with difficulty. The pain in her eyes… He was responsible for that. He and him alone.
"Please, Vin. Talk to me. Tell me what is going on inside that stubborn head of yours…"
"I… I don't know… It's like I don't even know who I am anymore… There are spiders in my head, you know? They are tickling by brain the whole day, every hour. I can't stop them… I… they are driving me crazy…", he babbled, waving his hands. Violet grabbed them and held his hands tightly.
"Look at me, Vinnie", she demanded. She was surprised by the strength of her voice. She was close to losing it too. But right now, she needed to be strong. For herself. For Vinnie. For them.
Vinnie slowly lifted his head and looked her in the eye.
"Listen to me. I am going to tell you something. You are confused. But I'm not. I can see everything crystal clear now. I know who you are. And this guy, who is using girls, beating up innocent people and drinks way too much, he is a part of you. But there is also that other guy. The guy I see when we have sex, when we are together, when I'm in trouble and you will do everything to make sure I'm okay… Don't you see? It's not that simple as making a choice between these two guys. They are both part of you. You just don't have a balance between them…"
It hit him like a hammer. Hard. She was right. Of course she was. She always was. She knew him better than himself. This girl… His girl… she was so special. And he was stupid enough to break their bond. But then he thought of it. Was their bond really broken? Maybe not… Cracked, yes… But broken? It didn't felt that way. It was time to open up. To be vulnerable. To show her he was willing to do everything to get her back. He took a deep breath and tried to control his shaky voice.
"Sweetheart… I… You asked me when was the beginning of the end. As the way I see it, the day my mother decided to beat the shit out of me. That was the beginning. Because later, when she ignored me, I met my other side. My dark side. I would never had met him if my mother didn't do all these things to me. The things I've done when I was young, god.. You don't know the half of it. After Throttle's parents took me in, I fought to get back control. I did everything to get back on track. And after that, I fought to stay there. But he was always there, whispering in my ear. When Charley died, he came back. But then I met you. And you helped me to fight back again. But then the whole thing with my bike, with Liam… you… The way you reacted at Liam's dead, scared the shit out of me. To see you lying in that hammock, your soul miles away… I couldn't handle it. I panicked. And because I didn't know how to handle it at the right way, I chose the other way. The way I'm familiar with. But the weirdest thing is, the familiar way always causes more pain in the end. Especially this time… I'm tired, Violet. Tired of fighting. I just… I don't know…", his voice broke.
Violet made a decision. She pulled him in her arms and he cried, his face in her neck. She stroked his back.
"It's okay, Vin. It's okay. Things will be okay. It's gonna take time. It's gonna take hard work to rebuild the trust. But things will be okay. I promise you. And you need to stop fighting. Accept that that guy is a part of you. Embrace him. And take over control. Don't let that guy control you. No, control him. I know you can. And I will be on your side. To guide you. To help you wherever I can."
Vinnie held her tightly, his face still buried in her neck. He sniffed up her scent. And he also made a decision. He was gonna fight for her. He slowly untangled himself, but held her hands. He looked in her eyes. She looked back.
"I don't deserve you. But I am gonna do everything to show you I do. I hope, I really hope, we can overcome this. I really hope, you are willing to forgive me. I'm not asking to forgive me now, the things I did… But in time…"
"I forgive you. Really, I do", she added with a small smile when she saw how surprised he looked at her.
"Really? But… sweetheart… I…", but Violet pressed her lips on his to shut him up.
Some would say she was naive. Some would say she was stupid, to give him another chance. Some would say she needed to tell him that he could rot in hell. But she couldn't. She simply loved him too much. And no matter how bad the things were he had done, she somewhere understood. And one thing she never had know so sure; they did belong together. And she had never, ever loved anyone as much as she loved him.
She broke off the kiss and Vinnie touched her face.
"One thing Liam was right about, you know… You truly are an angel in disguise…"
Violet gently took his hand and kissed it.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart? After everything that happened? The whole Liam thing?", Vinnie asked curious.
"I'm fine. I took me some time to process everything. I'm sorry I gave you the feeling I gave up. Maybe I did… But I'm back now. And I'm fine. Well, you did kinda broke my heart. But now, I know we will be fine."
Vinnie nodded. He felt so much better. Violet always achieved to let him see things the way they were. The spiders were gone. He knew what to do now. And the first step was talking with his bro's and Dani.
"I need to talk with my bro's, apologize… and Dani too…", he hesitantly added. Violet nodded.
"Yeah.. What are we going to do about Dani?", she asked, a little bit sharper than she had intended.
"It wasn't her fault, Violet. I used her. I played her. I know exactly which buttons to push to make her do what I want. She can't help the fact she loves me, you know. Feelings are feelings, you can't just turn them off…" He smiled. Look who was talking. Violet smiled too.
"You're right. But can I trust you both? How do I know this is not gonna happen again?", she asked. She had to ask. Even if she forgave him, rebuilding trust cost time.
"I can only give you my word. It will never happen again. And she would never make a move, you know. She respects you too much for that. No, the only one to blame is me. If I hadn't made a move, this was never happened..."
Violet believed him. "Let's go back to the board. Let set things straight. And after that, we are going back to Coelum. There is nothing left for us here. I will talk to Throttle about it. He needs to see there are more important things than war. His wife, for example."
"Yeah, I guess you're right... ", Vinnie said.
"I always am, and don't you just hate me for it?" Violet said with a smugly smile. Vinnie laughed and shook his head.
Throttle, Modo and Vinnie were sitting on the tribune.
"Bro's, I owe you a huge apology. There is no excuse for my behaviour…", Vinnie said, shuffling his feet.
Throttle and Modo said nothing, waiting for Vinnie to continue. Vinnie was searching for words.
"I eh… I was lost, I guess… I was losing my mind, literally. But Violet helped me to put some things in perspective… Well, I think I'm gonna be fine… I hope… But Violet forgave me. And she will help me… So… Yeah… ahum… hehe…"
"Damn, Vin, you still suck at this", Modo smiled, clapping him on the back. Vinnie smiled sheepishly.
"I know, I know…"
Throttle was awfully quiet. Vinnie looked at him and lowered his eyes again.
"Throttle, I…" But Throttle stopped him.
"It's okay. Well, the things you've done, are so not okay. But we are. Okay."
Vinnie's mouth curled into a smile.
"You suck at this too! Who would have thought?"
Throttle punched him on the arm.
"I'm not perfect, you know."
Modo also punched Vinnie. "Welcome back, Vinnie my man. Hope you are gonna stay this time…"
Vinnie punched him back and soon, they were rolling down at the stairs, wrestling like nothing ever happened.
Meanwhile, Violet knocked at Dani's hotel door. The human girl opened the door and her eyes grew big.
"Violet! You're back!"
"Yeah, there were some… complications…"
Dani lowered her eyes, but Violet gave her a little smile.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure!"
They took place in the chairs next to Dani's bed. Violet couldn't help it, but looked at the bed. The thought that Dani and Vinnie… She gave herself a mental shake. Stop it, Violet. Don't torture yourself.
"Listen, Dani? I came here to tell you I've talked to Vinnie. He told me everything. He also told me, it was all his fault. That he made the move, two times. And that you would never had done it, if he hadn't made a move."
Dani stared at her. She was surprised to hear that Vinnie took all the blame on him.
"I eh… Well, he is right. I would never… But still… I was wrong. I should have pushed him away…"
"Yeah, you should. But he also told me you have feelings for him. And not just lust, no, you love him."
"I eh… Yeah… I do love him. I told you before, after you woke up."
"I remember. Look, the way I see it is that he used you. He played you. He used your feelings, because he knew you couldn't resist him. That kinda makes you a victim, you know?", Violet said slowly.
Dani couldn't believe her ears. By the looks of things, Vinnie had stood up for her. And by the looks of things, Violet was gonna forgive her.
"Eh, I guess?"
"I forgive you, Dani. I know how bad you are feeling about this, how you have the feeling that you betrayed me… Look, I don't want to say it's okay what you did, because it isn't. But I know it wasn't completely your fault. And I forgave Vinnie. So I forgive you too. And I truly miss you. As a friend. It just isn't the same without you…"
Dani started crying.
"Thanks, Violet. Thank you. I am really sorry, about everything. It will never happen again. I'm over it. I'm too good to be used for sex. That's no love. Sure, he will always have a special place in my heart. But as a friend."
Violet smiled. "You coming back to the board?"
Dani hesitated. "I don't know…", but Violet interrupted her.
"Vinnie wants to talk to you, and you are part of the family now, you know that right?"
Dani felt a huge relief. She was so scared she had lost it all. Lost them all. But she didn't. She smiled at Violet.
"Okay."
When Violet parked her bike at the board, she turned around to look at Dani.
"Ready?", she asked at her human friend.
"Eh, yeah… I guess…"
"You want me to stay with you?"
"No. Thanks, but no. This is something I need to do by myself", Dani said, suddenly very determined. Violet smiled. That was her girl.
When they walked inside, Dani threw her bags in the corner. Throttle and Modo walked over to her to give her a hug.
"Welcome back, Dani girl", Throttle said warmly.
"Glad you came back, Dani ma'am", Modo added with a smile.
"Ahhh, you guys. Thanks. It feels good to be back. I missed you, you crazy mice."
Carbine suddenly stood next to her and pulled her in her arms.
"Dani, I'm so glad to see you. You okay?", she asked worried.
"Yeah, I am. And you? I see your belly is starting to grow a little", Dani said, touching Carbine's belly. It was indeed a small bump. Carbine smiled.
"Yeah, I'm getting fat. Ah well…"
Dani laughed. Suddenly, she saw Vinnie standing at the back door. She froze and stared at him. He looked back. The first thing she noticed, was his calm expression. The mischievous spark was back in his eyes, but she could still see a small hint of pain. But he looked normal again. And he was ashamed, she could see it. Good.
She marched straight at him and dragged him outside. She closed the door and turned around to face him. She could still feel that tingle in her belly, but she had found back her strength. She raised her hand and slapped him right in the face. Vinnie rubbed his cheek and smiled sheepishly.
"I kinda deserve that, I guess.."
"You did deserve that. You used me. You made me cross limits I didn't want to cross. You treated me like a whore."
Vinnie's cheeks turned red, but he said nothing. Dani sat down. She patted on the spot next to her.
"Sit down. We need to talk."
Vinnie slowly sat down next to her. He took a deep breath.
"Dani, I'm sorry. I really am. There is no excuse for what I did."
"I know. That you are sorry. I can see it in your eyes. There is indeed no excuse. And I really appreciate the fact that you took all the blame on you. But it was also my fault. It takes two to… tango…", she smiled. "Look, I've been doing a lot of thinking in my hotel. And I decided that I need to move on. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing else I want in this world and that is you. But you belong to Violet. And I want you to be happy. She is the only one who can make and keep you happy. And that is the most important thing. And I know Charley would want the same for you… So, you will always have a special place in my heart. I will always be there for you, always. But as a friend. Don't make a move on me, ever again. This is your last chance. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am. I eh… I'm really sorry I don't feel the same way, Dani. But you need to know I do care about you. Maybe not in the way you want, but… I never saw you as a whore, Dani. Yes, what I did was wrong, very wrong. But please, believe me. It did meant something for me. And I would love to stay friends with you."
Dani felt a warm feeling inside. "Well, then I guess we have a deal, macho mouse."
She offered her fist. Vinnie slammed his against hers.
"Deal."
In the meantime, Violet took Throttle apart.
"Listen, Throttle? I think we need to go back to Coelum. All of us… We can stay here, wait till Mozz comes back, IF he even comes back.. But it feels like we are throwing away our lives. Your wife is pregnant. There are more important things then war… I don't judge you, you need to know that. But…"
"You're right, Violet. I was thinking the same thing. We can check on Earth every now and then, but for now… I just want to go home, be there for my wife, be there when my kid is gonna be born…"
Violet was surprised. She had thought she had a lot of convincing to do, but nothing turned out to be less true. She smiled. Throttle smiled back.
"Vi? Thanks for saving our bro. For really saving him this time. It feels different now, you know? I think he finally has peace inside."
"No problem. I'm glad I came. He does look calmer than ever. Let's just hope this kind of things never happen again…"
"You really are something, Violet. You are one special girl. Really. I think I never met someone like you before. I'm glad you gave him another chance. Otherwise… Well, let's not think about that. Let's just say; I'm glad you are with us."
Violet felt deeply touched. "Thanks, Throttle. I'm also glad I'm with you guys."
Throttle smiled. "Let's go home, Vi."
Violet smiled back. "Great idea, Throttle."
One year later…
"Autsj!", Vinnie yelped, turning around. He saw Tread, the son of Throttle and Carbine, pulling on his tail.
"Hey, you little wild man, easy on the merchandise", he smiled, grabbing the little mouse. He threw him in the air and catched him again. Tread laughed out loud, loving this game. Throttle and Carbine were watching with a smile on their face. Who would have thought that Vinnie did like kids. Well, at the beginning he wanted nothing to do with it (Yeah, it… his words..). But Carbine thought that was because he just didn't knew how to handle the tiny, breakable mouse. But after a few months, a strong bond formed between them. Tread loved the white furred mouse and Vinnie did everything to make the little kid happy.
They were sitting at the beach on Coelum. Violet was sitting next to Carbine and giggled.
"I must say, they make a pretty good team", she said smiling. Carbine nodded.
"Yeah they do. Imagine all the trouble we can expect when Tread is older and understand what Vinnie is telling him… Ah well…"
"Well, you don't have to worry. Vinnie is gonna have his hands full with his own kid by then."\
Carbine nodded, but then the words dawned at her. She put a hand in front of her mouth to avoid she would scream in surprise. She recovered herself.
"What?", she whispered, grabbing Violet's arm. Violet smiled.
"You heard me…"
"You're pregnant?", Carbine hissed, still holding Violet's arm. Violet nodded with a big smile on her face.
"Does Vinnie know? No, of course he don't. We would have noticed…"
"I am going to tell him tonight."
"Vi! Congrats", Carbine said softly, rubbing Violet's arm.
"Thanks girl."
Violet sighed happily and watched Vinnie and Tread. At first, when she found out she was pregnant, she was scared. She would never forget Vinnie's reaction when she asked him about kids, that night at the beach of Lake Michigan. But he was so different now. He was still arrogant, he was still wild, he was still crazy as fuck… But he also was calmer, there was a lot less anger, he could be more serious now and then. And he was crazy about Tread. So, Violet knew he was gonna be happy with the news. But she was still a little bit nervous. He had promised to take her out tonight, to the place they always go when they wanted privacy. It was the same spot where they found out about the dragons back then. It was the perfect place to tell him.
Things were going well for the mice. Modo and Gaya were married now, and Gaya was also pregnant. She had told Modo and the rest last week. Modo couldn't be happier. He always wanted to be a dad. And the coolest thing ever was, she got pregnant about the same time as Violet did. So their kids were gonna grow up together, along with Tread, on a safe place.
Every month or so, the bro's paid Earth a visit, to grab fuel and other supplies and to check if Mozz was already back. But the fish was still gone. They were fine with it. They now had experienced a year of peace and even Vinnie liked it. Of course, he was getting anxious sometimes, but then he took a long drive on his bike in one of the woods that was destroyed by the dragons and blew up everything in sight. It was satisfying enough for him.
Dani had also found love. From the moment she had laid her eyes on Swee, the doctor, she was head over heels. So, after a few months of flirting, dating and a lot of screaming and giggling from the girls, they started their journey together as a couple. Violet was glad for her friend. She didn't deserve it to live next to her unreachable lover, see him happy and feeling lonely herself. No, Swee was good for her.
Jake and Rimfire were still single, but were fine with it. They were young and wild, always together and getting in all sort of trouble. Carbine, Throttle and Modo had their hands full with them. But it was okay. It was healthy for boys at their age to behave like this. Healthier than being a soldier.
So, life was good. Life was peaceful. And life was scary. Violet had never felt so nervous when she was sitting next to Vinnie in the grass on their favorite spot. She had thought she could do this without blinking, but now she was sitting here next to him, she blacked out.
Vinnie lay down and folded his hands under his head, staring at the stars. He suddenly saw how tensed his girl was. He slowly got upright and took place in front of her.
"Sweetheart, you okay?", he asked, studying her face. Violet stared at him, completely loss at words. What if he was gonna freak out? What if he wasn't gonna be happy? What if he didn't want to be a dad?
"Violet, what is wrong? Do you want to go back?"
"I eh… I'm fine. Actually, things are great", she smiled, suddenly relaxed again.
Vinnie narrowed his eyes. She was acting weird, alright…
"Oh really? How so?", he asked suspiciously.
"Well, I was watching you and Tread today, and I thought at myself; Why was I worried when I found out? Why am I scared he don't want to be a father? He is gonna be a great daddy", she said with a smile and sparkling eyes.
Vinnie stared at her. She could see his brains making overtime. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Violet waited patiently till he made the connection. And she could see it click. His eyes grew big, his breathing became heavier, she could see his heart pounding in his chest.
"You.. Are you.. You are saying… You... ", he stuttered. She laughed.
"Look who is all speechless… What are you trying to say, cutie?", she asked innocently, loving it to see him struggle.
Vinnie narrowed his eyes at her and took a few deep breaths.
"You are pregnant?", he asked eventually, his voice shaky. Violet nodded.
"Yeah, I am. We are going to be parents, mister van Wham."
Vinnie processed it and slowly, a big smile appeared. He grabbed Violet and whirled her around.
"Aaaooww, sweetheart! I can't believe this!", he cheered when he set her on her feet again. Violet laughed out loud, never feeling so happy before in her life.
"It's true, cutie. You are going to be a father. And let me tell you something, you are gonna be a good father. And we are gonna live our life on this beautiful planet, in peace with our family. We are going to lead the live we all deserve. And we are going to be happy. You always said you never believed in fairytales. In happy endings. Well, you better start believing in it. Because you're living in one."
Vinnie kissed her. She was right. They all deserved this life. After all the pain, the struggles, the darkness… After living close to death for so long, they deserved this. And he suddenly wasn't so sure anymore about the fairytales. By the looks of things, they did exist. And he vowed to himself, he was gonna enjoy it every minute. Yeah. Life was good.
'All I want is freedom..
..A world with no more night..
..And you, always beside me..
..To hold me and to guide me..
Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..
..Let me lead you from your solitude..
..Say you need me with you here, beside you..
..Anywhere you go, let me go too..
..That's all I ask of you..
Share each day with me, each night, each morning..
Say you love me..
..You know I do..
Love me, that's all I ask of you…'
To be continued...
So, this is the end of this story. The follow up is called "From The Inside" and will continue this storyline.
But it will also be a closer look into Vinnie's past. And I'm already warning you guys, it's gonna be a heavy one.
Well, please review! :)