Disclaimer - I don't own any of the characters from Biker Mice from Mars! Any characters and situations herein are purely fictitious, and any similarity between those and persons living or dead is coincidental :)

I do own my own characters - these are all characters that come from my own work, although I have altered names and occupations slightly so they fit into the real world! I also own The Legacy - unfortunately only on paper but I can dream! :D

Relatively short chapter this one, next few will be the same. ;)


Chapter 27 – Carbine

"Carbine! You and I need to talk. Now!" Throttle shouted as he boarded the craft that Carbine had piloted on the journey to earth. He noted the neat repair jobs on board; the guys had been busy during his absence.

"What do you want?!" Carbine snapped from her position on the bridge; her face was streaked with tears.

"Look Carbine, I talked things over with – with someone, and I think it's best if we break up. Maybe things will be better in the future, but right now I need space and I think you do too." Throttle gulped at the murderous stare Carbine had locked onto him.

"I –I don't believe this..." She was shaking. "Its Freda again isn't it? I've seen the way you and the bro's look at her! You want her not me. She told you to break up with me!"

Throttle grimaced as Carbine cried like he had never seen her cry before, her entire body consumed by wracking sobs. She was normally so strong; he couldn't believe he was responsible for breaking her in this way.

"Throttle, do me a favour?" Hugh's voice growled from behind him.

"What's that?" Throttle turned to face the annoyed human.

"Get lost. Right now." Hugh snapped. Throttle's ears drooped as he made his way off the ship leaving Hugh with Carbine.

Hugh waited until Throttle's footsteps had retreated all the way off the ship before turning to Carbine. She'd sunk to the floor and was weeping uncontrollably. Hugh knelt and gathered the Martian woman into his arms. Standing, he carried her to one of the pilot's seats and sat down; rubbing her back as he waited for her to start calming down. After what felt like a suitable time he began to murmur to the distraught female. Carbine gradually calmed, listening to the quiet, but strong voice that crooned comfort. She burrowed into his shoulder; he smelt faintly of sweat, leather, some sort of polish and clean linen. Beneath those scents was the lingering scent of a large animal that she didn't recognise. She hiccuped quietly.

"Okay? You a bit calmer now?" Hugh hooked his fingers under her chin and turned her face outward.

"Yeah..." Carbine nodded; all too aware that this was the closest she'd been to anyone in a very long time.

"I know they left without warning, but I did call Freda that morning and told her it was urgent. The Legacy is really important to all of us in our group, and sometimes we don't always think how our decisions may affect others. From what the guys have said, you needed sleep worse than you needed to know where they were headed. And, you know, Throttle and Freda haven't been making out – they've been around too many people to have even tried it." Hugh spoke firmly. "Even then – I know Freda very well. She's like a sister to me! She wouldn't take Throttle from you – not for all the tea in China!"

"Why – hic – not?" Carbine sniffed and hiccuped.

"Because she is honestly not like that at all." Hugh sighed. "She's pretty hardcore – I mean there's no one in the group who can beat her with a sword. There's not many who could match her in an unarmed fight for that matter... But, she does have a very strong sense of honour, she's actually quite sensitive. She's been teaching Throttle and Charley sword fighting– if that interests you."

"Yeah, kinda... But Throttle can already fight..." Carbine sniffed.

"Well sure, he can fight like a Martian, but I think Freda's taken the notion into her head that he might like to learn some new moves." Hugh chuckled. "She's crazy on Talhoffer."

"Is he her boyfriend?" Carbine asked, her brain turning the strange sounding epithet over slowly.

"Ha! That'd be good! Freda dating a guy that's been dead 500 years! Well, probably if she got the chance, yeah, she would actually date the guy!" Hugh laughed; Carbine smiled, the sound was infectious.

"So what is he?" Carbine ventured

.

"A German sword-master of the fifteenth century." Hugh answered readily.

"Oh..." Carbine sounded surprised by this. Hugh hugged her close.

"You've nothing to fear." He whispered. "I think both you and Throttle do need space, but rest assured Freda won't make any move on Throttle. For her, her grief is too raw, she won't even think about a relationship."

"Sammy?" Carbine queried.

"Yeah – how did you..." Hugh sounded puzzled.

"Stoker told us..." Carbine shifted. "He said we should know."

"Yeah, I guess you should..." Hugh mumbled.

"Hugh?" Carbine looked at the human male; he was handsome in an odd sort of way, but there again he wasn't a mouse so he was bound to look odd to her eyes.

"Yeah?" He gazed back at her; he had no illusions over her coming from a different species. Still she was beautiful; like a Martian tigress. He smiled at the thought.

"Could we be friends?" Carbine asked shyly.

"What?! Are we in kindergarten? Of course we're friends." Hugh chuckled. "But we are friends with Freda and Throttle as well."

"Right..." Carbine sighed heavily. "I just lost it."

"Tell them, and apologise." Hugh poked her gently. Carbine stuck her tongue out, the way she'd seen Freda do.

"Cheeky." Hugh teased in scolding tones.

"I – I really hurt Freda and Throttle." Carbine murmured.

"Er... Yeah, sorry, but yeah, you did." Hugh agreed. "Not that they are entirely guilt free!"

"I can't believe she floored me with one punch!" Carbine felt her still tender jaw.

"She's one heck of a lot stronger than she looks! Also when she hit you – you'd shifted your weight backwards so your body was tilted away from her anyway." Hugh explained quietly.

"Wow – she noticed that?" Carbine frowned, trying to remember her movements.

"Noticed and acted on it." Hugh nodded. "I think both of you were acting on subconscious reactions rather than conscious thought. Freda's been called a lot of things in her time, but whore is one of the few words that will elicit a very violent reaction."

"I don't blame her; I think I'd be mad if someone I'd just met a week ago called me that!" Carbine admitted with an embarrassed grimace.

"Well, there we go." Hugh shook his head. "You two really were something."

"Sorry." Carbine buried her head in his shoulder.

"Heh – Carbine? Apologise to Freda – not me." Hugh said firmly as he tipped her head up so their eyes met.

"Yeah..." Carbine sighed, tears beginning to run down her face again. "Throttle broke up with me."

"I know. I heard. You two weren't exactly having a quiet conversation." Hugh brushed the tears away. He hummed thoughtfully as he hugged her close; her ears twitched at the unfamiliar sound.

"Hugh?" She rubbed her left forearm across her eyes, her jacket absorbing her tears.

"Carbine, I'm going to give you something to take back to Mars with you." Hugh smiled secretively.

"What?" Carbine curious as to what Hugh might give her. Whatever she was expecting it wasn't what came next.

Hugh leant forward and captured her mouth in a long, slow kiss. Carbine's eyes widened at the unexpected close contact, but despite her misgivings she couldn't help leaning into Hugh. He broke the kiss gently; standing up and setting her on her feet.

"You're damn sexy, Carbine. And as a heads up – I'd quite like that kiss back sometime." He grinned down at her and winked rakishly.


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