Hey you guys...

Thanks for the reviews, really, your continued support helps me to keep going.
And thanks for your patience and understanding, ya know, about that it takes more time to upload because I'm writing two stories.
Truly grateful.

Palacegirl: I looked up the song and indeed, it really fits the bill. :)

Anyway, not much to say.
I hope you guys are all okay and safe.
Enjoy this chapter and feel free to leave a review once you're done, but as usual, no pressure. ^^

Ride free, citizens!

Chapter 22

Throttle rested his arms on the edge of the balcony of Carbine's room and closed his eyes when he felt the warm and dry wind going through the long hair between his big ears.
It was only yesterday that they had talked to Vinnie, or well, perhaps 'talked' was too strong a word, given the fact that his white-furred bro had said like eight words in total.
But that wasn't important.
Important was that he now knew for sure that he would never see his young bro, ever again.
And dammit, it pained him more than he liked to admit.
Even though it wasn't exactly a surprise to hear him say that he couldn't come home, for he deep down already had suspected that he wouldn't, there was always that glimmer of hope.
Until yesterday.
Yesterday, that glimmer of hope was overshadowed by the harsh and grim reality.
The Biker Mice From Mars were history.

Suddenly, he felt two warm arms wrapping around his neck and despite his grief, a smile appeared on his face when he smelled the most lovely scent in the universe.
"Hey, you…", Carbine whispered in his ear.
"Hey, yourself... ", he greeted her back as he laid his hand on one of her arms, softly rubbing the light-grey fur with his thumb.
Carbine pressed a kiss on his cheek before she let him go and sat down on the edge of the balcony with her back towards the outstretched desert, looking at the love of her life with a worried frown on her face.
"Are you okay, Throttle?"
The tan-furred mouse immediately stood upright, already nodding.
"I'm fine, babe."
"No, you're not", the light-grey-furred female contradicted without hesitation and she pinched his nose with a small smile.
"Maybe you can fool anybody outside of these walls, but not me. You have that look on your face again. You know, that look that tells me that you're carrying all the misery of the world on your shoulders."
Ah.
That look.

Throttle heaved a sigh as he leaned back on the stone balustrade, knowing she had won this round.
Not that this was a competition, but he didn't like to talk about the things that kept him busy and she knew that.
It wasn't because he felt ashamed for the fact that he had feelings or something like that, unlike a certain white-furred mouse.
No, it was because it was his job to make sure that everyone around him was doing okay.
Therefore, he didn't want to burden them with his worries and misery.
Next to that, he needed to be strong.
For them.
So they had someone to lean on, especially now Stoker was gone.
But he knew Carbine.
And he knew she wasn't going to let this go, not until he had talked to her about what was going on inside his head.
Perhaps that was a good thing.
It just wasn't healthy to keep everything inside, he knew that all too well.
Vinnie was a good example of what happened to those who did.

"It's about Kiwi, right?", Carbine asked him softly, thereby breaking him out of his thoughts.
"I mean, it always is…"
Throttle closed his eyes for a moment before he tilted his head and gave her a look to tell her that now wasn't the time to vent her frustration about the human girl.
But Carbine immediately raised her hands and shook her head.
"Don't give me that look. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just telling it like it is", she explained herself calmly but resolutely.
The tan-furred mouse gave her one last glance before he stared back into the distance again.
Even though her comment made him a bit edgy, he knew she was right.
He simply couldn't deny that Kiwi was one of his biggest concerns ever since that day.

Well, if he had to be honest, it was actually since the first day they met her, back on Earth, for she was a deeply troubled person after losing her parents in the gruesome way that she did.
He knew she was and therefore, he felt responsible for her in a way that perhaps wasn't healthy, but that didn't change the fact that he just did.
Carbine hated her for it, that he knew too.
Even though she knew that Kiwi was like a sister to him, that their bond wasn't anything romantical whatsoever, she still somehow saw the human girl as a threat.
That was the main reason why he never shared his worries about her with Carbine because it always ended the same.
And he didn't want to fight with her.
Not today.
He simply didn't have the energy for it.

But then, he felt her fingers gently grabbing his chin and she forced him to look at her.
"I really didn't mean it like that, Throttle. Talk to me. Please. It kills me to see you this way…"
Her brown eyes were big, shining with severity and sincerity and again, he amazed himself about the way peace was able to slowly turn her back into the mouse he once fell in love with.
She cared again.
Really cared.
It was all he needed.
It meant he could lean on her.
Everyone needed someone to lean on.
Even a leader.

"Yes, I'm worried about her", he started and she let go of his chin, but took his hand instead.
Their fingers entwined and Throttle looked at their hands for a little while before he continued.
"I'm worried that she's using her anger to push her pain away. I'm worried that she thinks she's over him while it's so obvious to me that she isn't. I'm worried that she's using Zevvi to take in his place, to fill the void he has left behind. And I'm absolutely terrified for the day that her pain comes back twice as hard because it will and I know she won't be able to handle it. She's been through too much and only Vinnie was able to help her deal with the darkness she carries around with her. But he's gone now, he just left her behind like a wounded little bird and it's slowly destroying her. And even though she seems to have found the way back to her strength, I just know it won't last forever and let me tell you this; the day she remembers her pain is the day that Zevvi will become an orphan again."

He closed his mouth with a clap, breathing heavily after this stream of words that just came over his lips before he could censure them and he took off his glasses to rub his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm just tired, I don't know where all of that came from…", he mumbled a bit embarrassed, but strangely enough, the words just kept coming.
As if he had opened up a whole can of worms and where he at first had been reluctant to share his worries, he now somehow couldn't stop.
"I can't sleep. Ever since that day, I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see Stoker. But I can't hear him. I only see him. He talks to me, at least, that's what I think, but I just can't hear a word he's saying. As if he's trying to tell me something, something important… something I need to hear to get Mars through this difficult and unsure time of rebuilding, but I have no idea what it is… And then there's Vinnie. I should hate him for leaving, hate him for what he did to Kiwi, to all of us, actually, but I can't. All I know is that I miss him and that I want him to come back so I can take care of him like I'm supposed to do, so he can heal Kiwi, but I can't force him to be here if he doesn't wanna be here and it frustrates me… But make no mistake, I may not be able to hate him, but I don't think I'm ever going to forgive him for leaving Kiwi, for leaving us all in a time when we needed each other the most..."

Carbine gently laid her other hand on their already entwined ones to stop him and he trailed off, tears burning behind his bionic eyes, much to his shock.
He was far more upset than he thought he was.
And it all had one reason.
After putting his glasses back on, he looked at Carbine, into her beautiful brown eyes.
"Why is everyone abandoning me? What did I do wrong?"

"Oh, Throttle, come here…", the light-grey-furred female sighed with a voice thick of emotion and pulled her beloved tan-furred mouse in her arms.
"You did nothing wrong. You always blame yourself for things you simply can't control. It's cruel, yes, but death is part of life. Everyone has their own path and own destination. You can't change fate, Throttle…"
She pulled him even closer as she spoke, tears in her eyes, for she felt his pain as her own.
"That being said, I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I will never abandon you. Neither is Kiwi nor Modo. I do share your concern about Kiwi, just as much as I know that this whole thing is far from over, but who can blame her for being angry, huh? Perhaps it's not healthy, but it's all she has right now. It helps her to keep going. Although I don't think that she's using Zevvi to replace him. She just needed something to fight for and she found it. It's her path, her destiny. I truly believe that this was meant to be and that Zevvi will help her heal…"

Carbine fell silent for a moment, but then she let out a humorless chuckle.
"Listen to me rambling about fate... What on Mars happened to me?"
"You're healing", Throttle simply answered as he buried his nose in her raven black hair, holding her tightly.
The light-grey-furred female heaved a sigh, knowing he was right.
But this wasn't about her.
This was about him.
"Listen, Throttle… I know that Kiwi and I don't always get along, but she is part of our family now. And you said it yourself, we never let family down. So if the day comes, the one that frightens you, we will be there for her."

Throttle listened to the sound of her voice with his eyes closed, letting the slightly hoarse tones calm him down in a way only she could achieve.
He was beyond grateful to have her in his arms and to hear her soothe his troubles which he had magnified in his head.
That tended to happen, sometimes.
When you didn't talk about it.
It only got bigger and bigger and if you waited long enough, it would explode and with a little bad luck, it would even become reality.
But there was Carbine.
His Carbine, who always knew what to say to make him feel better.
To help him put things in perspective.

"And I know you miss Stoker and Vinnie. It's beyond cruel that you lost them both in one year. But listen to this. I don't think that Stoker is trying to tell you something. I think it's you who is searching for guidance. I mean, he used to guide you. He was like a father to you. And now he's gone and you need to do it by yourself…"
She gently untangled herself so she could look him in the eye.
"But you know what? You're ready to walk alone, Throttle. You really are. You don't need Stoker to tell you what to do. He has taught you well. You can do this, handsome. You can lead our people through this difficult time and one day, Mars will be rebuild. One day, Mars will be whole again. For Stoker…"
"For Stoker", Throttle mumbled as he leaned forward, gently taking her face in his hands and he kissed her with all the love he had in him.

Yeah.
She was really back.
His Carbine.
His rock.
His reason and his life.
His world.
His home.

...

"Abigail, Modo here. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time?"
"Oh, Modo, chivalrous as ever. The children are taking their afternoon nap, so I'm all ears. Oh, but before you start, I have one question; How's Kiwi doing? She seemed really upset when she left yesterday."
The grey-furred giant smiled, touched by her genuine interest as he leaned back in his chair in his small office on the base.
But the smile vanished as quickly as it came and he adjusted his headset before he continued.
"Well, she's the reason why I call you. She wants to adopt Zevvi. I told her that I would talk to you. That I only start the procedure with your blessing."

A long silence followed and Modo waited patiently, giving Abigail some time to process these words as he played with a pen to kill the time.
Eventually, the radio came back to life again.
"You have no idea how much depends on this."
Modo's fingers stopped playing with the pen for a few seconds as he frowned in confusion, but before he could ask what Abigail meant, she already continued.
"That's what Kiwi said right after I told you to come back another time."
"I remember."
"She's right. I have no idea. What I do know is that their short meeting triggered something in Zevvi."

Modo heart skipped a beat at the same time that his bionic fingers snapped the pen in half and ink splattered all over the place, but he hardly noticed.
"Oh momma, we shouldn't have come, we…", he started, already feeling guilty for the entire planet but Abigail cut him off.
"Oh, stop it, boy. I never said it triggered something bad. Quite the opposite, actually. She's different. More… open. I've never seen her like this. Even her eyes are sparkling. Either way, there is something extraordinary going on here and I'm not sure what it is. But it has something to do with Kiwi. So tell me, Modo. What is it exactly that depends on it?"

Slowly, Modo leaned back in his chair, rubbing the inkblots on his desk absent-mindedly, but he only made it worse instead of better.
He tended to do that, sometimes.
Make things worse.
By saying stupid things, like telling Kiwi that Vinnie needed time.
Or like repeating the sentence 'You never told us' whenever Vinnie opened up about something.
And the list goes on and on.
It made him wonder...
Could he make things worse by telling Abigail Kiwi's story?
But he then already decided that this time, it didn't matter.
This wasn't about him.
Or anyone else, for that matter.
This was about Zevvi.
And Zevvi could only benefit the truth and the truth alone.

"Kiwi is married to Zevvi's uncle, who happened to be one of my best friends. Or perhaps I should say was married. He's gone. He fled the base a few months after Stoker's death."
"Why?"
"He's blaming himself. Stoker gave up his life to save his. He couldn't handle it. Just as he couldn't handle the fact that the Plutarkians are gone. It drove him crazy, actually. Literally. His life had lost purpose. The war was all he knew, sadly enough. So he joined the Special Ops Team. His departure devastated Kiwi. They were connected, ya know. He's her world and visa versa."
"But he still left."
There was no judgment whatsoever.
It was more like a statement.
A true statement.

"Yeah. You should know that he's a troubled mouse. The war took a lot from him. Including his twin sister."
"Zevvi's mother."
"Affirmative. Kiwi hoped that if she told him about Zevvi, he would come back. But he refused."
Another silence.
Modo couldn't blame her, though.
This was quite something, alright.
But then, Abigail's voice came over the speakers again.
"Come over, Modo. And bring Kiwi with you. I think it's time that we talk about Zevvi's future."

…

When Modo and Kiwi stepped on the porch of the big house, Kiwi grabbed Modo's hand in a tight grip.
The grey-furred giant looked down at her, to see her stare at the big front door with her blue eyes wide open.
She was nervous, he realized when he looked back at the door.
Well, truth to be told, so was he.
These kids were his life, he only wanted the very best for them and if he had to be honest, he had his doubts about this plan.
Not because he didn't trust Kiwi, because he did.
But what he didn't trust were her motives.

The transformation that happened right before of his eye yesterday, after Vinnie told them he wasn't coming back, was scary, to say the least.
And something just didn't feel right.
She couldn't be over him like that, now could she?
No one could pick up the pieces that easily.
Not after being broken in the way she had been.
In the way she still was, actually, in his opinion.
She wasn't healed.
Far from it.

But that wasn't even his main concern.
Zevvi was.
And he wasn't sure why Kiwi was this hellbent on adopting this young and traumatized kid.
Was it because she was Vinnie's cousin?
Or would it be the same if Zevvi wasn't related to the white-furred rascal?
Probably not.
So, it could be meant to be, like she told him.
That it was written in the stars that their paths would come together.
Or maybe it was because Zevvi made her feel closer to Vinnie.
That she was so desperately searching for something that could fill the gigantic void he had left behind.
And he wasn't sure if he liked that idea.

"Your hand is sweaty, Modo", Kiwi broke him out of his thoughts and he looked down again, straight into her bright blue eyes.
And that's when he saw it.
Something was changed.
Her eyes.
They weren't dull anymore like they had been this entire year.
There was a certain light visible, a light that wasn't there before.
Hm.
Maybe, just maybe… he was wrong.
"I'm ready, Modo. Please… trust me that I am…", the human girl whispered when he didn't respond, thereby guessing his thoughts.

He always admired her ability to feel what was going on inside someone else's head.
It truly was a gift.
Perhaps that was the reason why she and Vinnie fitted so well together.
She always knew what was happening inside that complicated head of his and since he wasn't that much of a talker, it was this particular gift that made it work.
But not even she had been able to save him from his demons.
Not this time.

He quickly shook off these unpleasant thoughts and gave her a warm and reassuring smile.
"I know you are, Kiwi ma'am."
It wasn't even that much of a lie.
The look on her face told him that she was telling the truth as well.
She was genuinely convinced that she was ready for this.
But was she really?
That was the question.
And there was only one way to find out.

So, with the words of Abigail still in the back of his mind, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for now and after giving her one last smile, he raised his hand and used the door knocker to announce their presence.
No turning back now.
No backward glances.
It was time to look at the future.

…

"I'm glad you both could make it. Please, sit", Abigail told them with that warm smile of hers and she gestured to the couch close to the fireplace while she made herself comfortable on the big armchair across them.
When they were all settled, Kiwi glanced at Modo before looking at the older female Martian.
She had like a million butterflies in her stomach, mostly because she had no idea what to expect.
This whole plan depended on Abigail's opinion and she wasn't sure where she was standing with the sweet old woman.

"Thanks for having us, ma'am", she eventually said to break the silence, which wasn't particularly awkward, but still too much for her to bear.
Abigail adjusted her apron after crossing her legs.
She somehow seemed small in the big chair, the way she was sitting there on the edge of her seat with her back as straight as an arrow.
"It's the least I could do, child. So, Zevvi…", the older Martian immediately came to business, a thing Kiwi was grateful for.
"Yeah… Zevvi", she smiled a bit uncertain, still nervous as hell.
"After Modo called me, I figured you want to know more about her past, so I dug up her file…", Abigail told her as she leaned forward and grabbed a file that was similar to the one Modo had shown her yesterday, but thicker.

After licking her finger, she opened it and put on her glasses.
Silence dawned upon them as she read the first lines before she looked up again, her green eyes peering over the edge of her glasses.
"Unfortunately, there's little known about her past, which is not really surprising given the circumstances. What we do know is that she's born in a Plutarkian prison camp. Strangely enough, the fish kept a register, which made us able to find out that Zevvi's mother was brought in when she was sixteen years old. Eight months later, Zevvi is born."
Kiwi's eyes grew big and she shot Modo a shocked look before looking back at Abigail, now sitting on the edge of her seat as well.
"That means she was already pregnant when she got missing… Wait, did they know who the father was? Was he with her?"

"Not that I know of…", Abigail mumbled as she flipped a few pages with pursed lips and then shook her head.
"No. There's no word about the father."
Kiwi slumped back in the couch, realizing it was a stupid question anyway.
If they knew who the father was and he happened to be alive by some miracle, they wouldn't be talking right now.
Then Zevvi wouldn't be alone right now.
"Sorry for the interruption. Please, go on."

"We only say sorry in this house when necessary, which is now hardly the case, young lady", the blond-furred Martian told her friendly before she looked back at the file.
"Either way, as far as we know, Zevvi has spent most of her life in the same camp where she was born, along with her mother. We don't know much details, mainly because she doesn't wanna talk about it, which is her good right, of course…", Abigail trailed off as she flipped another page with a frown.
"Ah, here it is. When she's about nine years old, her mother disappears. We have no idea where to, all we know is that someone paid a large sum of money for her. In Plutarkian gold, to be exact."

Modo and Kiwi shared a look.
"Limburger", they said unison and Kiwi clenched her fists when she, again, realized how many lives were ruined by that awful sewer breath.
Chances were that Mireya would still be alive if he hadn't found her.
Zevvi would've had a rough start, yes, but at least she would still have her mother around to help her deal with everything that happened to her.
But no...
Limburger had to destroy yet another life.
As he always did.
If he wasn't dead already, she would've hunted him down and killed him herself without mercy or regret.

Abigail studied both of them before taking off her glasses and she pointed her piercing green eyes at Kiwi, who felt a bit uneased under her strict look.
"Modo told me about Zevvi's uncle. How close you both were with him…"
Kiwi swallowed with difficulty, but nodded to confirm that they, indeed, had been close.
Once.
In happier times.
"Look, I, and others with me, have always assumed that Mireya is dead. Modo's story confirmed that thought, sadly enough. But we have no idea what really happened. It take it you do?"
The human girl bit her lower lip as a shiver ran down her spine when the image of Vinnie holding his dead sister in his arms flashed before her eyes.
That look on his face.
His empty eyes.
Her mutilated body.
The blood.
So much blood…

"Limburger bought her as leverage. Her brother was one of the best soldiers the Freedom Fighters had. Somehow, he must have found out about the connection and so he used her to force the Fighters to bend the knee. It failed, though. Things went horribly wrong and eventually ended with him pushing her off his building right in front of…"
Her mouth closed with a clap, making her teeth chatter.
Despite her anger, despite… everything, she still couldn't say his name out loud.
Somehow, it just stuck in her throat.
"...right in front of her brother", she eventually finished her sentence, fiddling with her fingers.

Abigail's face softened and she gave Kiwi a warm and soothing smile before she closed the file and put it on the table.
That made the human girl frown because this couldn't be it, right?
There had to be more.
But it soon became clear why the older Martian didn't need the file anymore.
"When we found Zevvi, or well, when I found her…"
"You found her?", Kiwi asked surprised, for this was the last thing she had expected.
"Yes. It was pure coincidence that I did. I was just on my way home for a short break when I found her in the desert…"
She trailed off as she stared at the fire with a frown on her face that made her look even older than she already was.
The pain in her eyes told Kiwi that this moment had made a huge impact on the usually strong and imperturbable woman.
That could only mean that it hadn't been a pleasant scene.
And indeed, it wasn't.

"She was just lying there, close to the road, clinging onto the dead body of a young female Cave Mouse who, as I found out later, was her guardian ever since her mother was taken away from her. Tracks in the sand told us later that Zevvi had dragged the body with her for miles, in the sizzling heat, searching for help… It was heartbreaking."
"Jesus… When did this happen?", Kiwi asked shocked.
"Four months ago."
That answer made the human girl frown in confusion.
"But the Plutarkians are already gone for over more than a year… Why did no one find them earlier?"

"We're not entirely sure, but from what I understand, Zevvi and Luna, that's the guardian's name, managed to escape the camp right before the war was over. They fled into the mountains and stayed there, scared to get caught again and not knowing that peace had returned on Mars. Eventually, and I guess it's because food became scarce, they left their hideout and crossed the desert to find help. But Luna died from dehydration before they could."
"But Zevvi didn't…"
"No. Luna had given her all the water they had brought with them."
Kiwi swallowed with difficulty when she heard that Luna had given her life for a child that wasn't her own.
It was the ultimate sacrifice, one that made the already tragic story even more heartbreaking.

But Abigail wasn't done yet.
"Shortly after I found them, I called Rose, who immediately came over to help me. But when we wanted to take her with us, she went ballistic. At first, we thought it was because she didn't want to leave Luna, which was partially true, but later on, we learned that she didn't want to be touched."
"How did you manage to take her with you?", Kiwi asked, hanging on her every word.
"She passed out. Her body was exhausted and even though Luna had given her water, she was still severely dehydrated. We brought her here and she slept for three days on a row. One of our doctors examined her in her sleep and put her on an IV to refuel her body. We had no idea what to expect when she would wake up, but when she did, nothing happened. She was just… apathetic. A ghost. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling. She didn't eat. She didn't drink. She didn't sleep. She didn't talk… Slowly, we made some progress with her, enough to make her trust me. I was able to make her do everything her body needs to survive, but that's all. She was impossible to connect with. But then you came by…", she said slowly as she gave Kiwi an investigating look.

"You're doing something to her, something good, although I don't know what it is. All it does is telling me that you're the right person to help her heal. But make no mistake, young lady. Some wounds are simply too deep. Some wounds will never heal. She will never be a normal girl. But I have the feeling that you already know that…"
Kiwi slowly nodded.
Oh, she knew alright.
She knew all about incurable wounds, taunting demons and aching hole's in hearts.
Unfortunately.

She then turned her head and looked at Modo, who looked back sadder than she had ever seen him.
He obviously already knew Zevvi's story, but hearing it again affected him, she could tell.
Not really strange.
It was a horrible story.
But there was still one thing that didn't make sense.
"You told Throttle that you knew about Zevvi for only two weeks. How?"

Modo heaved a sigh as he slumped back in the couch.
"Because it was only two weeks ago when Rose found out about the connection. That she's Vinnie's niece. It takes time, to investigate their backgrounds and most of the time, there's nothing to find. No traces. These children are ghosts. But two weeks ago, the Special Ops Team found the remains of the prison camp closeby the mountains. They send all the paperwork to Carbine, who gave it to Rose to look into it and here we are."

Kiwi stared at him, hardly able to breathe when she heard his explanation.
"So you're telling me that it was… him who found the camp?"
"His team did, yeah. I have no idea if he was with them when they did. He obviously didn't know about this. I mean, it's Vinnie we're talking about. It's not that he has the patience much less the attention span to go through some files, right?", the grey-furred giant chuckled the last part, for a moment sucked back in time and Kiwi smiled too, for he was right.
There was just no way that he knew.
Still.
It felt as if the circle was complete.
And she knew now.
This was truly meant to be.

Abigail leaned forward and laid a hand on her knee.
"My sweet child. Modo told me about your connection with Zevvi's uncle. How his departure devastated you. How you saw Zevvi as an opportunity to get him back…"
Kiwi stared at the hand on her knee, already knowing what was next.
But she said nothing.
She just let it happen.
"I don't want to interfere with matters that doesn't concern me, but right now, Zevvi is my concern. I'm responsible for her and I care about her. I owe it to her to ask you this: Are you sure that adopting Zevvi isn't an attempt to fill the void he has left behind?"

She was actually the first one who dared to ask her this question.
She most certainly wasn't the first one to think it.
Kiwi knew Throttle and Modo did.
But she just didn't understand why they would think that.
Did they not know?
Apparently, they didn't.

After staring at Abigail's hand for a little while, Kiwi looked up again, straight into the green eyes of the older female that was sitting across her.
She didn't blame her for asking this burning question, she knew she had to for Zevvi.
All she could do now was tell her the truth.
To eliminate this notion once and for all.
And so she did.

"Yes, I'm sure. You wanna know why? Because nothing, absolutely nothing can replace him. There's nothing that is able to fill the aching hole in my heart. Only he can. But he made his choice. And so did I."
The human girl leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees without breaking eye contact.
"I felt something when I saw her. Something happened. We had this click… And I just knew… this girl needs me. It is my job to take care of her, to protect her, to give her a place to call home. It isn't about me. It's about her. It's all about her. All she did was giving me a reason to fight again. Is it because she's his niece? Maybe, but only because I was connected with him. I really think that has something to do with what is happening between us… Why she trusts me. It has to be."

Abigail studied her face, probably looking for a sign that she wasn't being honest, but Kiwi knew she wouldn't find anything.
Because she was completely honest.
There were no lies hidden in her words.
No underlying thoughts.
No.
It was the truth and nothing but the truth.
All Abigail needed to do was believe her.
After a long silence, the older Martian opened her mouth to respond, but someone beat her to it.
"You came back."

Everyone froze when they heard the fragile child's voice and they all looked at the stairs.
Zevvi was sitting on one of the steps, holding the railing with both hands as she peeked through the small bars.
A shock went through Kiwi's body again when she looked into her deep-red eyes, but it wasn't as heavy as when she saw her for the first time.
Still, the resemblance was striking, which became even more clear now the room they were in wasn't as poorly lit as Zevvi's room had been when they met.
God.
She was beautiful.
Beyond that.

Kiwi then realized that she was still staring at the child with her eyes wide open and she quickly recovered herself as she gave Zevvi a warm and soothing smile.
"Of course I came back. We did a full-on pinky swear. No one ever breaks a pinky swear."
Zevvi stared at her for a little while, as if she was weighing her options, just like the first time they met.
But then, she slowly climbed off the stairs.
Kiwi followed her every movement, forcing herself to sit still.
She looked so small and young, even though it turned out that she was already about ten years old.

Then again, she did grow up in a prison camp.
As a prisoner.
Kiwi had never been to such a camp, but it wasn't really hard to imagine how it was like.
No school.
No friends.
No proper food.
No peers…
Nothing.
Nothing that a child needed so badly while growing up.
As a result, there had to be deficits, both cognitive and physical.
No child would be normal after such a bad start.
It didn't make it less heartbreaking though.
Because it was.
Poor Zevvi…
She deserved so much more than this.

When the young white-furred child eventually reached Kiwi, she -again- managed to surprise everyone in the room.
Well, perhaps not Kiwi, for this wasn't the first time that it happened.
Because again, Zevvi climbed on her lap and wrapped her little arms around her before resting her head on Kiwi's chest.
"I'm so glad you came back…", she whispered as she closed her beautiful red eyes.
After a small hesitation, the human girl wrapped her arms around her as well, already having tears in her eyes again.
But this time it wasn't because of him.

No, this were tears for Zevvi and Zevvi alone.
For this little girl, who's life was nothing more than a tragic story.
No joy.
No happiness.
No light.
No, only pain.
Misery.
Darkness.
God.
What a world they lived in.

Wandering child, so lost, so helpless…
Yearning for my guidance...

Kiwi rested her chin on Zevvi's head as she closed her eyes for a moment, sniffing up her scent that was so familiar.
She opened them just in time to see Abigail sharing a look with Modo, a look that spoke volumes and the human girl smiled as she closed her eyes again, finally able to breathe again.
They had Abigail's blessing.
And just like that, there was a future ahead of them.
And in that future, forever awaits.