Hey you guys…

It's been a while.
Thank you so much for the reviews.
I'm more than eternally grateful.
*bows*

Soooo, next chapter.
Took me some time, that's because I'm trying to improve my English.
It's slowing me down, but I think that in the end, we all can benefit.

Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 12

"It looks like we're closer than ever to win this war, rookies", Stoker said as he took a bite from his food.
After he swallowed, he continued.
"Limburger is dead, the Plutarkian army at the old base is seriously depleted, and with the Outsiders standing by our side… Well, I very much like our chances."
"But what about the other rats? The ones who have chosen to turn their back on Mars?", Modo asked with a frown on his face.
"No worries, big fella. From the moment they realize that the Plutarkians are on the losing side, they will be no longer a treat. Even if I despise defectors, there's one good thing about them and that's that their behavior is predictable", Stoker answered sharply.
Modo wasn't convinced. Neither was Throttle.
"I dunno, Stoke. I think there still much left to deal with when the Plutarkians are gone."
"I think so too", Carbine agreed.
Stoker snorted annoyed.
"Trust me when I say this; once the Plutarkians are gone, the peace will be restored. It has to be. It will be the first good thing that happens in years on this goddamn planet. And I don't know about you guys, but I can use some good things in my life right now."
His voice was sharp as a knife.

Modo, Throttle and Carbine shared a worried look.
It was obvious that Stoker was about to reach his limit. And Throttle knew why. It all had something to do with Harley.
"Stoke, I know you're hurt and you have every right to be, but right now, it's clouding your vision…", Throttle said cautiously. "It's too easy to think that…", but he didn't come further.
Stoker jumped, his eyes spitting fire.
"Can't a mouse have little hope around here?! It's all I have right now, goddammit!"
And with that, he marched out of the Main Hall, pushing everybody away who happened to be in his path.
"Oh momma…", Modo sighed as he covered his eye with his flesh hand.
"Guess losing Harley again was the final straw…", Carbine said softly.
"Guess so…", Throttle nodded with a sad look on his face.

It was at this moment that Kiwi suddenly showed up at their table.
"What is up with Stoker? I just came across him in the hallway with a face like thunder…"
"Harley", Modo and Carbine said in unison.
"Ah", Kiwi breathed, immediately understanding the gravity of the situation. "Her being back unleashes much, right?"
Not really expecting a answer, she looked at Throttle.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?"
The tan furred mouse studied her face and noticed something was up. She looked kinda nervous, actually.
"Sure thing, babe."

They sat down at a table in a corner of the Main Hall, a place that reassured them from privacy.
A thing Kiwi, by the looks of things, desperately needed. She was fiddling with her fingers and avoided his gaze.
"Where's Vinnie? Haven't seen him all morning", Throttle asked casually to open the conversation.
"He's setting things straight with Harley", Kiwi answered absent-mindedly.
"Ah. Good."
A silence.
Time to cut to the chase.
"Kiwi, what's up?"
The human girl cleared her throat.
"Well, uhm… You see… I uh… I wanted to ask ya…I uh...", she stuttered.
Throttle leaned forward and reached out over the table. When he took her hand, she finally looked him in the eye.
"There's no need to be nervous, Kiwi. You know you can talk to me about anything. Now, take a deep breath and start over."
Kiwi gave him a small and nervous smile, but when she breathed a couple of times, she relaxed a little.
Enough to continue, that is.
"Look, I don't know anything about Martian weddings, but I do know a little bit about Earthy weddings. And the thing is… Well, when we marry on Earth, it's customary that the father gives away his daughter to the uhm… groom. Ya know, like a 'She's yours to take care of now, but don't fuck it up because I know where you live' thingy. And uhm… well, ya know, with my dad being gone…", but she trailed off.
Her voice got stuck in her throat and much to her annoyance, she felt tears burning behind her eyes.

Weddings meant happiness.
And when Vinnie asked her, she was over the moon.
Well, she was until she realized that her parents couldn't be there when the time came.
Even worse, she had no father who could guide her to the altar.
This was one of these moments that reality slapped her in the face.
Her parents were gone.
Dead.
And they were never coming back.
She was an orphan.
Forever.
And the grief, the pain of their loss, was suddenly too much to bear.

A soft squeeze in her hand brought her back to reality.
She looked at Throttle, at his wise and calm face.
The kindness that he radiated felt like an embracement and gave her the courage that she needed.
The courage to be vulnerable.
"Will you give me away?"
Throttle rose on his feet and walked around the table without letting go off her hand.
When he was standing next to her, he pulled her in his arms and she buried her nose in his fur.
"It will be an honor."
Kiwi smiled against his fur and held him tightly.
And suddenly, the tears came.

And she cried.
Cried over the loss of her parents.
Over leaving Earth behind.
Over everything that happened to Vinnie.
To Throttle.
To Modo.
The loss of her baby.
The loss of the chance to become a mother.
She cried over everything.

Throttle just held her as he stroked her back.
He let her cry, knowing she needed to let it all out.
Knowing that she was trying so hard to just keep moving as if nothing could get to her.
But sometimes, a person needed to fall.
To fall and use that moment on the floor to weep for it.
To feel the pain of the fall.
To feel the sadness that it happened in the first place.
To be kind, compassionate, to yourself.
To not to judge yourself.
To take the time needed to heal.
And then, only then, a person could rise again.
Rise and move on.
Forgiven, but not forgotten.

...

Vinnie wandered through the hallways, deep in thoughts about the conversation he had with Harley just now.
But he couldn't help himself notice that he felt this great weight lifted.
And he knew he'd made the right choice.
A tough one, sure…
But the right one.
Still cogitating, he walked into the Main Hall. But when his gaze landed on Kiwi in Throttle's arms his head became clear.
His girl was crying.
And he suddenly felt her pain.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?", he asked worriedly when he reached the two most important persons in his life.
Kiwi said nothing, she didn't even look at him as she threw herself into his arms.
Vinnie gave Throttle a confused look as he wrapped his arms around her quivering body and his tail around her right ankle.
The tan furred mouse only gave him an encouraging smile and walked away to give them some privacy.
Vinnie rested his chin on Kiwi's head.
It was clear to him that she didn't wanna talk about it right now.
So, the only thing he could do was to try to calm her down.
He closed his eyes.
Focussing on the unconditional love he felt for this girl, he lowered his walls.
His mental walls.
A thing he only did once before in his life, that night when he kissed Harley for the first time.

The talk with Harley had made him realize that he was still holding himself back when he was with Kiwi.
There was still that small and dark place in his mind that he kept to himself and him alone.
Because he was scared that after giving his heart and soul, he would be left behind.
Abandoned.

Alone.

But with that realization came another one.
And that was that if he didn't give himself completely, he would be alone for the rest of his life.
Sometimes, you just gotta take chances.
Risks.
Luckily for him, and Kiwi, Vinnie wasn't afraid of taking risks.
So he did.

Kiwi suddenly calmed down and looked up at him with watery eyes.
"What are you doing?"
Vinnie smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"I've learned something today. And that is that I, Vinnie van Wham, am irrevocably in love with ya… And that we're a match made in heaven. And I give myself to you… all the way. Consider this as uhm… us getting our marriage license? Ain't that how you Earthlings do things?"
Kiwi's mouth fell open, but her eyes were twinkling in amusement and adoration.
"Who are you and what did you do to Vinnie?"
The white furred mouse narrowed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.
"Hardee har har. Very funny."
Kiwi grabbed him by the chin, pulled him down and kissed him with all the love she had in her.
When she broke it off, she was already crying again.
But it wasn't only because of sadness.
Because no matter how fucked up everything could be, no matter how many times the world stopped spinning, she had Vinnie.
And therefore she was strong enough to bounce back.
Over and over again.
"Thanks. For everything. For being mine…", she whispered.
One corner of Vinnie's mouth curled into that arrogant, almost lazy smile which she loved so much.
"I'll always be yours. And now enough with the mushy talk, alright. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole saber squad."
Kiwi laughed while shaking her head.
Yep.
That's her Vinnie.

They joined the rest of the group and they spend the rest of the day with each other.
A group of friends sharing a bond that went deeper than being related by blood.
And for one day, just this one day, everything felt normal.
Except for two mice with hearts shattered into pieces.
For them, everything was by no means normal.
For them, their whole world was turned upside down.
And they suffered alone, in silence.
Completely unaware of each others pain, they suffered.
And only time could heal these wounds.
But did they had the strength to give it the time needed?
Or would they both break before the wounds were healed?
A difficult question, one they both couldn't answer.
Only time will tell.

Time.
A powerful healer.
But sluggish too.
And that could be dangerous.
A death trap.

...

Kiwi looked into the mirror. A nervous face with eyes wide open stared back.
Her heart was racing in her chest and her breathing shallow.
God, she hadn't been this nervous since the day her father caught her smoking.
"I think I'm gonna be sick…", she panted, wiping off her forehead.
Amira popped up behind her and laid her hands on the shoulders of the nervous human girl.
"No, you won't. From what I've heard, every bride feels like this on her wedding day. Definitely explainable nerves. Just… breathe."
Kiwi looked over her shoulder to the honey colored female mouse.
"Breathe? That's your advice?"
"Well, yeah. It's the only thing you can do. I mean, look at you. You look amazing, so that ain't the stumbling block here. He's gonna be blown away, trust me."
"That's not why I'm nervous", Kiwi mumbled, looking into the mirror again.

But no matter how hard to admit, Amira was right. She did look pretty amazing.
Thanks to her new and close friend.
Her wild and usually untamed hair now all done up, a few locks curling around her face.
No makeup, since Martian Mice didn't use that, but Kiwi liked the natural look. Made her look young and innocent.
Amira even managed to find her a dress.
It wasn't white, but Kiwi didn't care. She liked the soft blue of the fabric, it matched her eyes perfectly.
And to cap it all, Amira had loaned her the necklace that used to be her mothers.
It had these red ruby's that reminded Kiwi of Vinnie's eyes.
So yeah, she looked great.
Then what the hell was she being so nervous about?
It wasn't that she was having second thoughts or whatever.
This is what she wanted.
Why so nervous?

Ah.

It suddenly dawned on her and she smiled.
Poor Vinnie.
This was way out of his comfort zone.
He was doing this for her, after all.
And he'd kept his promise.
They were getting married.
They were getting married, today.
A week after they'd found Harley.

That was what it took her.
A week.
A week to plan this wedding, just the way she wanted.
Vinnie had given her a free pass to plan this day completely to her wishes.
It was her day.
So, she'd asked Throttle to guide her to the altar.
She'd asked Amira to help her with her appearance.
She'd talked to Stoker about the ceremony, questioned the hell outta him about Martian weddings.
Turned out that Martian weddings were nothing more but exchanging a vow.
Kiwi still wasn't sure if Stoker was telling the truth or that he chose the easy way out because the last thing he wanted to talk about at this point were weddings.

It was clear that the brown furred mouse was devastated because of Harley.0
She was clearly his last hope, his biggest motivator to keep going.
Kiwi suspected that deep down, he'd never lost hope of finding her again. To have a second chance.
Unfortunately, it was more like a deja vu than a second chance.
It made the older mouse moody, sullen and rude.
But he'd promised her that he would unite her and Vinnie in the bound of holy matrimony.
Kiwi was grateful for that.
Because he was the right one for the job, and no one else.

She'd had invited everybody who lived on the base, to bond a little.
Even if she was now a respected member of the Freedom Fighters, there was still some friction.
She'd given Modo, Amira, Throttle, Carbine, Jax, Neo, Flash, Harley and Shaylon a front row seat.
And after the official part, there would be a 'party'.
Kiwi had no idea how Martian Mice partied, but Amira had told her about Duende.
It was the juice from a plant, very rare, but mostly used on special occasions like this one.
From what Kiwi understood, this Duende had a similar effect as alcohol, but ten times worse.
But it was customary to drink this on parties.

On Mars.

And luckily for the ones who liked to drink it (read: Vinnie), Amira had managed to grow a few Duende plants.
There would be no ring. Next to the fact it wasn't a Martian tradition but an Earthy one, rings were nowhere to be found on this planet.
The switched earrings were enough.
So, it was a mix between a Martian and Earthy wedding.
Plain and simple.
But very meaningful at the same time.
Unlike on Earth, a marriage on Mars was a lifelong connection.
Only able to break with a joint death.
That sounded overly dramatic, but it was nothing more but a fact.
And no way it was gonna stop Kiwi.
She knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with that macho mouse.
And only death was gonna be able to stop her.

"You're ready, Kiwi?"
Throttle's calm voice broke her out of her thoughts and she looked over her shoulder.
The tan furred mouse was standing in the doorway and when Kiwi saw what he was wearing, her lower jaw dropped.
It was a uniform.
Well, sort of.
He was wearing his biker jeans she'd bought for them on Earth, a thing that felt like a lifetime ago, and the soft yellow T-shirt she had seen before.
It was the green jacket that was new to her. It looked a lot like the uniforms she had seen on TV, when the US Army had an official meeting, ya know, like a funeral or wedding.
Complete with the pinned medals and rank on the shoulder pads.
"Wow, you look… amazing!", Kiwi managed to bring out. "But I thought you guys ain't army?"
Throttle chuckled a little embarrassed while adjusting the jacket, a faint blush visible under his fur.
"We ain't no army, but we're more than just rebels. We do have a code of honor. And that means Stoker wants us to wear this monkey suit to official meetings…"
Kiwi's lips curled into a smile.
"Oh, what am I doing to that poor mouse. We all know how much he hates suits", she giggled, realizing that if Throttle was wearing this, Vinnie was forced to wear it too.

Hehe.
She was starting to understand why he wasn't the marriage type of guy.

…

Vinnie was staring into the mirror, a frown between his eyes.
How was it possible that someone like him, who always looked good, felt so uncomfortable in a suit?
I mean, look at him.
There wasn't anything he couldn't wear.
He was always sexy and incredibly handsome, no matter what.
But wearing a uniform made him feel insecure.
He wasn't sure why.
Maybe it had something to do with the occasion.
He hated funerals, for obvious reasons.
He didn't like weddings, for many less obvious reasons.
Those were the only two meetings Stoker forced them to wear the official Freedom Fighter uniform.

Forced.

He also didn't like it when someone was telling him what to do.
Especially when it came to his clothing and stuff.
And yet, here he was…

Ugh.

Gosh, he was nervous.
Actual nervous.
More than nervous.
Why, for fuck sake why did he ask her to marry him?
Okay, okay, he knew why.
But that all seemed so far away all of a sudden.
He wasn't regretting his decision to make her his.
She was everything to him.
But the whole fuss around it, that was the problem.
Big time.

"It's time, Vin."
Modo popped up next to him and laid his metal hand on the white furred mouse his shoulder, an attempt to calm down the walking bundle of nerves.
Vinnie gave himself one last look in the mirror and his lips curled into an arrogant smile.
Yeah.
He looked good.
Let's do this.
And after taking a deep breath, he turned his back to the mirror and followed Modo into the Main Hall.

...

Kiwi clung to Throttle's arm as if it was a life preserver that stopped her from drowning.
It was a beautiful thing, this connection.
But highly inconvenient in times like these.
She had the feeling that Vinnie was more than capable of shutting her out when her emotions became too much for him.
She wished she could say the same.
Maybe it was time for her to learn to shut him out too.
Because his nerves next to hers were almost too much to bear.

"Try to breathe, Kiwi", Throttle whispered as he guided her towards the Main Hall.
"I'm trying, but this dress… You try breathing in this corset", she hissed back.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think it's my style", he answered drily.
Kiwi burst into laughter, her body yearning for a way to release some of the stress and grabbing this opportunity with both hands.
Throttle smiled too and before she knew it, they were standing at the back entrance of the Main Hall.

Kiwi's smile vanished like a puff of smoke when she saw how many people there were.
By the looks of things, everybody had accepted the invitation, a thing she hadn't expected.
Even Lola was there, she saw when her gaze wandered over the audience.
"My god, please remind me why I wanted this?", she whispered and Throttle pulled her a little closer.
"You know why. There's no need to be this nervous, Kiwi. Marriage is a beautiful thing, especially in desperate times like these", he whispered in her ear.
Kiwi swallowed, still looking around the Main Hall, and her gaze landed on Vinnie.
He was standing next to Stoker, his hands in his pockets and clearly nervous as hell.
But he'd never looked this sexy.
Gosh, she liked guys in uniform.
He was wearing the same outfit as Throttle, but with his black biker jeans and his white fur shined like never before.
His tail and ears were twitching, a sign Kiwi recognized as a token of nervosity and discomfort.
Oh, her poor macho mouse.
But how glad she was to see him.

...

Vinnie was fighting the urge to run away to never return until he saw Kiwi standing at the beginning of the aisle.
His heart skipped a few beats as his eyes grew big.
She looked beautiful.
More than beautiful, actually.
She was perfect.
The soft blue dress accentuated her curves and matched her blue eyes perfectly.
Blue eyes who were looking back at him with a whirlwind of emotions.
She was just as nervous as he was.
And that was just the thing he needed.
Because he was always looking out for her, he forced himself to suppress his own emotions.
To help her calm down.
A thing he was only capable of when it was for her.

He took a deep breath, so did she.
His heartbeat slowed down, so did hers.
And he gave her his most charming smile, knowing that that always did the trick.
Today was no different.
She smiled back, suddenly looking so happy and elated, he could cry.
Weird, but true.
And he now remembered why he'd asked her.
Because he was willing to do everything to express his love for her.
Because she was his.
Forever.

...

Soft music started, a thing Kiwi could thank Jax for.
He'd managed to find some audio files from Earth and now the violin filled the Main Hall with its characteristic and charismatic tones.
Throttle looked down on her, a smile on his face.
She smiled back and they both set their first step in the direction of the altar.
More than a thousand emotions were racing through her mind and body as she walked down the aisle.
But Vinnie's calmness kept them on a distance. And for the first time today, she felt a spark of excitement.
She was getting married.
To the most awesome, sweet and sexy creature in this universe.
It was a miracle.
Them meeting each other.
They both came for another planet, they were an entirely different species.
So it was even a greater miracle that he saw something in her.
And now, they were gonna bond forever.

Before she knew it, they were already standing in front of the altar.
Kiwi looked into his ruby red eyes, almost drowned in them.
He looked back into her blue eyes and one corner of his mouth curled into the crooked little smile she loved so much.
Throttle pressed a kiss on her temple and Vinnie reached out.
The tan furred mouse laid her hand in his younger bro's hand and Kiwi could breathe again.
She was home.

Throttle patted Vinnie on the back and sat down next to Carbine on the front row.
They were all here.
Even Harley, Kiwi saw now.
The female mouse looked more broken than ever, holding her little son's hand tightly.
Modo was sitting next to Shaylon and the little boy looked up at him from time to time.
Kiwi smiled.
Modo always did have a way with kids. And this week he and Shaylon already became good friends.
It was cute and heartbreaking at the same time.
It was clear that the little boy was yearning for a father.
And he found one in Modo.

Stoker cleared his throat.
"Dearly beloved, we're gathered here in the presence of Eguzkia and in the face of this company to join together Vincent van Wham and Kiwi Lavendor in holy matrimony. The bond between these two proves that it doesn't matter how you look like, from whatever species you are… love will always find its way. Always and forever. Now, before they'll read their wedding vows to make this official, I need to ask this: If there is anyone here that would oppose this holy union, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Kiwi shot a look in Harley's direction, somehow scared that the light brown furred mouse was gonna say something.
But Harley just stared at her feet.
Vinnie gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.
"It's okay, sweetheart. Let it go for now. Today, it's just you and me, okay?", he whispered.
Kiwi nodded, knowing he was right.
She was always worried about everything and everybody, always wanting to make them happy, but not today.
Certainly not today.
"Very well", Stoker continued solemnly. "Then the time has come to read the vows."

This was why Kiwi was nervous.
Writing her vow was the weirdest experience ever.
She had no idea what to write when all of a sudden the words just came.
When she told Throttle, he'd explained to her that because of the connection, her subconscious told her both what to write.
So did Vinnie's.
Kiwi had given him a confused look, but he'd only smiled.

"It will make sense when the time is there, trust me."

Vinnie took a deep breath and gently took both of her hands.
His tail twitched and Kiwi just knew that he was nervous about this too.
That it probably was because of this part of the ceremony that he hated weddings so much.
Because reading your vow meant you needed to open yourself up, to be vulnerable for a moment.
That had been always hard for the white furred mouse.
And the fact that the whole base was there to witness it didn't help much either.
Kiwi squeezed his hands and gave him a reassuring smile.
To tell him he needed to forget everybody around them, just for now.
For now, it was just him and her.
Her and him.

The panic in his eyes faded and after taking another deep breath, he opened his mouth..
"My sweetest Kiwi…
Let me be your freedom...
Let daylight dry your tears.
I'm here, with you beside you...
To guard you and to guide you."

Kiwi's eyes filled with tears when she took over.
"My dearest Vincent…
Say you love me every waking moment...
Say you need me with you now and always...
Promise me that all you say is true...
That's all I ask of you."

Vinnie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear at her as he continued.
"Let me be your shelter...
Let me be your light.
You're safe, no one will find you...
Your fears are far behind you."

Kiwi now understood.
Their vows fit together like a puzzle and blend seamlessly.
This whole connection thing really was amazing.
She smiled at him as she opened her mouth again.
"All I want is freedom...
A world with no more night.
And you, always beside me...
To hold me and to hide me."

Vinnie lay a hand against her cheek, a shy smile on his face.
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...
Say you want me with you here, beside you...
Anywhere you go, let me go too.
That's all I ask of you.."

Kiwi laid her hand over his.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...
Say the word and I will follow you."

Vinnie wrapped his tail around her right ankle.
"Share each day with me, each night, each morning.."

Kiwi leaned forward and stopped when her nose almost touched his.
His eyes were a whirlwind of emotions.
She felt his love and jesus, it felt so good.
Love never felt so good.
"Say you love me…", she whispered.

Vinnie cupped his hands around her head and leaned with his forehead against hers.
"You know I do…"

"Love me… that's all I ask of you", they finished in unison.

This was probably the moment that Stoker was gonna tell them they now may kiss each other, but they didn't need the oldtimer for that.
Vinnie weaved his fingers into her hair and pressed his lips on hers.
She kissed him back eagerly.
Long and passionate.
And for a moment, it really was only him and her.
Her and him.
Everything around them was gone.
It was just them.
Together.
Forever…

"Ahum."

The sound of Stoker clearing his throat brought them back to reality and Kiwi broke off the kiss with a grin so wide.
Vinnie was smiling too and after giving her one last kiss, they both turned towards the crowd, their fingers entwined.
"May I present to you all; Vincent and Kiwi van Wham."
The last word had just left his mouth when a tremendous round of applause filled the Main Hall and everybody got up from their seats.
Vinnie and Kiwi were just standing there, feeling a little uncomfortable.
The human girl looked at Throttle, and his smile was bigger than the ones she had seen before.
Then her gaze landed on Modo, who was getting a little misty, she could tell.
It touched her.
Vinnie saw it too and it was then that the white furred mouse decided it was enough.
Enough with the mushy stuff.
He'd done his part.
Just like he promised.
But enough was enough, alright.
He whistled between his teeth and pumped his fist in the air.
"Yo! Who's ready to party?!"
And the crowd went wild.

Kiwi shook her head with a smile as Vinnie dragged her with him, straight into the crowd to collect their congratulations
Yep.
That was her Vinnie.
Hers forever.
She kinda liked the sound of that.
Forever…

...

Harley was sitting outside on one of the benches in the courtyard. After the ceremony was done, she'd asked Modo to watch Shaylon and rushed outside the moment the grey furred giant had said yes.
Her breathing came out in rapid breaths, she was trying to calm herself down, but that was hard.
Jesus, to witness the love of her life marrying some other girl was excruciating.
The pain was too much to bear.
And from the moment she was alone, she'd started crying to never stop again.
That's how it felt, that is.
She had no idea how to handle this.
She was completely lost.

The only reason she'd attended the ceremony was her wanting Vinnie to be happy.
Maybe it also had to do something with pride.
To show the world that nothing could get to her.
That nothing could force her to bend the knee.
Who was she kidding anyway?
She was broken.
And even if she'd told Vinnie that day when she gave him the mask that no one was broken beyond repairs, she knew she was unfixable.

"Harley…"
She looked up and saw Stoker taking place next to her.
The pain in his eyes said it all.
"Stoker", she sobbed, attempting to smile between her tears. "I'm no fun to be around right now…"
The brown furred mouse shrugged.
"Me neither, so guess that's settled then."
Harley let out her breath, knowing she needed to be honest to him.
She wasn't stupid. She knew what the older mouse felt for her.
"Stoker, I… I'm sorry, but I can't give you what you want. I love you, but just not like that…"
"I know. I'm just here because knowing you're suffering alone is unbearable for me. I'm only here to keep ya company. To tell ya you ain't alone."
"That's unusual sweet of you…"
"I loved you from the moment I laid my eyes on ya, that day I found you in the desert. And even if ya can't give it back, that doesn't mean I've stopped caring. I will always take care of ya. I will always be there for ya. As a friend. Nothing more."

Harley laid her hand on his for a moment.
"Thanks… Really, it means a lot…"
Stoker looked at their hands for a moment.
"If only we'd met in another life…", he mumbled sadly.
"But we didn't… There must be a reason we've met in this life. There must be a reason it was you of all mice who found me that day. There must be a reason I came back. I just don't know what it is yet."
"Well, whatever the reason is, I'm here for ya. Always."
"So am I…"

She pulled back her hand and looked up at the sky.
"My god, am I ever gonna be the same again? After everything that happened?"
Stoker folded his hands behind his head as he crossed his legs by the ankle.
"I don't know. I don't think so, actually. Your experiences have shaped you into the person you are today. Guess the only thing that's left to do, is you accepting this new you…"
"But what if I don't like this new me?"
"Then you kick her ass. You and you alone are the puppet master. You're the one who's in control over your own life. No one else is."

Harley let his words sink in.
Of course, he was right.
But it wasn't that easy as he claimed it to be. But still…
She could choose to stop fighting. To go down in defeat.
Or…
She could choose to fight.
Fight to get back control over her own life.
Because even if Stoker was telling her that she was in control, she didn't feel that way.
Was there an actual choice?
No.

Shaylon.

He was her reason and her life.
She couldn't stop fighting.
She couldn't leave him alone.
He needed her.
He needed her as much as she needed him.
The pain would probably never go away.
But she needed to find a way to make it liveable.
For Shaylon.
For her son.

She looked at Stoker with a sad smile on her face.
"Thanks. I needed that."
"I know. That's why I'm here."
"Gosh, the arrogance."
"You know me."
"I do."

Another silence.

"Thanks, Stoke."
"Anytime, pretty lady. Anytime. So uhm… you wanna dance?"
"With you?"
"No, with my father… Of course with me."
"Sure. But I'm warning you, you probably can't keep up with me."
"Watch me. I can assure ya that this old man hasn't lost his touch."
"I find that hard to believe…"
"Wait and see."
Teasing each other, they walked back inside.

...

The party was in full swing, so nobody noticed the skinny and dirty female mouse who sneaked inside the Main Hall.
She blended in perfectly as she made her way towards the love birds who were now dancing in the middle of the Hall on the self-made dancefloor.
Nobody noticed the skinny and dirty female mouse that came closer and closer to her goal.
Nobody noticed that she reached for a gun.
Nobody noticed that she aimed the gun at Kiwi.
There was one who noticed the skinny and dirty female mouse when she laid her finger on the trigger.
Everybody noticed the loud sound of the gun that was fired.
But it was too late.
For one, it was too late…

To be continued...

Uh oh…
Another cliffhanger.
Sorry…
...not sorry, muahahaha!
It's been a while that I used a cliffhanger.

So...
Who's the intruder?
And for who is it too late?
Oh, the drama.

Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated.
Thanks for reading my story.

Till next time, dudes!

Later!

PS: Right, disclaimers…
I used the lyrics from 'All I ask of you' from the Phantom of the Opera.
Gosh, I love that musical/movie.