This took longer than I thought, but its done!

Poor Modo is going to have to face some of his fears in this installment.

I don't own The BMFM, only the OCs and this story. Don't sue, you will only get my debt!

It was now the afternoon of the ball. The four mice, plus Charley were given the Knight's Formal uniform. Which consisted of a white dress shirt, black waist length jacket, black knee high boots, and very form-fitting cream pants.

Throttle, Modo, Carbine, and Charley had no issues with the uniform, but when Vinnie held the pants up to his body, and realized how revealing they were going to be, he threw the garment to the floor, as he said, "No way am I wearing tights!"

"Vinnie, they are NOT tights!" Carbine said. "They are Hose. All of the other knights wear them, why can't you?"

"Yeah Vin, why won't you wear them? Afraid they will show off, what you don't have?" Modo asked.

Vinnie scrunched his face up, then said as he reached for the zipper on his pants, "Oh, I've got plenty, Modo!" He started lowering his zipper, then Charley grabbed his right arm and pulled him out of the room, grabbing the pants on the way.

The other three laughed, knowing, Charley was going to get Vinnie to wear those pants, whether he wanted to, or not.

After Throttle stopped laughing, he turned to Modo, and asked, "So, Big Fella. What's up with you and the princess?"

At the mention of the princess, Modo stood a little straighter and smiled a little wider. He had to admit, the princess did feel real good in his arms. And when she stroked his cheek, her touch sent shivers down his spine to his tail. Plus, she looked and acted like an angel, with a wild streak in her, a mile long.

Carbine went over to her husband, wrapped her arms around his neck, then said, "Leave him alone, Throttle. He can't help it, if he's attracted to a beautiful woman."

"Carbine, I'm going to be her knight, nothing more. I'm there to protect her, that's all," Modo responded.

"That's laughable, Modo," she said. "I see it written all over your face, you like her, and you know it! Don't try lying to your ex-general, I can sense a lie, quite easily. Just ask Stoker, when you see him next."

"I.. I do like her, only as her protector," Modo stammered.

That set off Carbine's very short fuse. She let go of her husband, strutted over to Modo, and grabbed both of his ears, bringing the large mouse down to her level. "Modo, you don't have a dishonest bone in your, very large, hunky body! Why is it so hard for you to admit, you like the princess, more than her protector?!" she spat.

"You don't know what you are talking about, General," Modo said, bringing his hands up to remove hers from his ears.

"Modo, I love you as a brother, but if you so much as lay a finger on Carbine, I'm going to wipe the floor with you, understand?" Throttle said.

Modo lowered his hands to his sides, then gently asked, "Please let go of my ears, Carbine?"

Carbine did let him go, then rested her weight on her right hip and crossed her arms under her chest, waiting for an answer.

"Thank you," Modo said, then sighed. "I do like her. I like her a lot. But I'm her knight, or I will be in a few hours. I can't think of being with her, she's a princess and I'm.. I'm half the mouse I used to be." He flexed his mechanical arm, after he spoke. "She could have any man, eating out of the palm of her hand, why would she want to be, with this?"

"Modo, you've got to be kidding me! You are one of the most gentle and sweetest souls out there! Any woman would be a fool, not to fall for you! Let her tell you, she's not interested, which she won't. I saw the same look in her eyes, you have. She likes you, and you like her. So, stop selling yourself short, that's an order!" Carbine said.

Throttle noticed Modo's eye turn red as his wife, more or less ordered him to ask the princess out on a date. His body tensed up like a spring, waiting to react, if Modo tried to do something to Carbine. But, that never occurred. Instead, Modo went and sat down on a chair, looked up to Carbine, then asked, "Carbine, can you teach me how to dance? I've got two large left feet. If I'm going to woo someone as classy as the princess off of her feet, I'd better know how to do it properly."

Carbine smiled at Modo, then responded, "Of course I will Modo. By the time we are done, you will be almost as good as my husband." She turned to Throttle, and asked, "Would you mind if I danced with another man, dear?"

"If it was anyone but Modo, I would say no. She's real good, big fella. Learn quick, you only have a few hours before the ball starts," he answered and left the room, leaving Modo and Carbine alone.

After he left, Carbine turned back to face Modo, then said, "He's right, we only have a few hours to get your feet and tail in order. Get your butt out of that chair, now Modo Maverick!"

A few hours later, All of them were dressed in the Formal uniforms, even Vinnie. Each one of the guys looked very handsome, while the women looked radiant. They all were sitting at a table, waiting for the Royal Family to arrive.

Vinnie kept fidgeting with his pants, since they were riding up, making him slightly uncomfortable. However, Charley liked seeing her husband in the form-fitting pants, especially the way they showed off his lower half. "Stop pulling on them, Vinnie. You'll rip them," she said.

"Charley, babe. These things are too tight. I feel, very constricted, and not in a good way," Vinnie said, pulling the material away from his groin.

"Bro, you are wearing a Knight's Formal Uniform. There aren't many who get to wear this, you should feel honored, the princess wants us to be her Personal Knights," Throttle mentioned.

"You don't see any of the other Knights complaining, how tight their pants are, do you Vinnie?" Carbine asked, looking around at the rest of the Knights, and how they stood tall and proud.

Vinnie also looked at the other Knights, and noticed their lower halves looked in their pants. "Carbine, those guys aren't as Packed as I am. They can wear these pants, without having to worry about, being restricted?" He said.

"Are you saying, Modo and I are Smaller, Vin?" Throttle asked, rubbing his right fist.

"Yeah, Vin. What, exactly are you implying?" Modo asked, standing next to Throttle.

But before, Vinnie could dig himself any deeper, a set of Trumpets blared, followed by a Crier, announcing, "May I present, King Gerald and Queen Rosemary!"

Everyone stood, faced the staircase, and bowed to the King and Queen.

The Royal couple were dressed in matching attire. The King wore a long, deep red coat with matching pants, and a white shirt. He also wore a golden crown on his head. While the Queen wore a deep-red floor length gown with tight sleeves. The gown had a modest neck line, which showed off just enough of her collar bone. Both had large smiles on their faces, as they descended down the staircase.

All of the Knights and guards bowed in respect to the new king and queen as they passed. Then, once they were situated at their table, the Crier announced, "May I present, Princess Althea"

Now all eyes were on the princess as she smiled down at everyone.

Modo definitely was liking what he was seeing. Althea had her long blonde hair done in a braid that fell down her back. She had a very light coating of makeup on, which only accentuated her very good looks, and a white floor length gown with light blue accents, wrapping around her shapely waist.

She descended down the stairs, waving to everyone as she passed. Then her eyes fell on Modo. She looked him over from his antenna, down to his handsome face, large shoulders, chest and arms, and as much of his toned legs as she could see through the crowd. 'My, my. He looks very good in his uniform. I wonder if I can get him to wear it, all the time?' She asked herself as she stepped off the last step and made her way over to Modo.

Vinnie noticed the Princess making her way over to his brother, and said, "Your girlfriend is coming for you, Modo."

Modo was frozen like a deer in headlights, from her beauty alone. He didn't even hear Vinnie speak.

Vinnie wasn't going to let Modo act like a mouse with his first crush, he jabbed his right elbow into Modo's ribs, as he said, "Snap out of it! She'll think you don't want her, if you just stand there!"

Modo rubbed his left side where Vinnie's elbow connected and that was when the princess stopped right in front of him. He and the rest, bowed to her.

"You don't have to bow to me," she sweetly said.

The group of four mice, plus Charley rose back to full height and waited for Althea to make the next move.

Althea's eyes focused on Modo, then she asked, "My soon-to-be, gallant knight. Care to accompany me, to the Royal Table?"

Modo pulled on the color of his coat. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Althea. No, that thought was farthest from his mind. It was the fact he was going to be having dinner with the king and queen, her parents, that was making him nervous. "Are you sure that would be a good idea, your majesty?" He asked on shaky breath. He pulled on the collar of his coat again as he said, "I'm just a soldier, I shouldn't be sitting at the Royal Table."

Althea smiled at his nervousness, then said as she latched her left arm through his, "Don't be silly, Modo. I want to introduce you to my parents, since you and I are going to be close, very close, in the near future." She pulled him away from his friends and over to the table, where her parents were sitting.

Charley leaned over to Carbine, and asked, "Double or nothing?"

Carbine was watching the way Modo was trying to stop the princess in her attempt to get him to meet the king and the queen. True, he was much stronger than her and could very easily slip out of her grasp. But instead, he barely protested, letting Althea drag him with her. "I was thinking of bowing out of the bet, Charley. Since there is no way I'm going to win. By the end of tonight, our dear friend is going to be hooked on her line, and have no intention of wanting to be set free."

Princess Althea stopped in front of the Royal Table, with Modo in tow, then said, "Father, mother, I want you both to meet, the man I want to lead my personal knights." She turned to her left, grasped Modo's right hand, then said, "Modo, please meet my parents, the king and queen.

Even though, queen Rosemary met Modo earlier, seeing him in his uniform made him even more handsome. She smiled back at Modo and extended her right hand to him.

Modo looked down at the appendage, not knowing what to do.

Althea sensed this, then stood on her toes to whisper into his ear, "You're supposed to kiss her hand, Modo."

He took the advice from Althea and gently lifted her mother's hand as he simultaneously bent forward to kiss the dorsal side of the queen's hand.

The queen took her hand back, then said, "Such polite manners. Daughter, you had better bag this guy before some other girl snatches him up."

"Mother!" Althea spat.

The king just had to laugh at his his wife's actions towards their daughter. After a minute, his face turned serious, then asked, "Modo Maverick, I need to know, if you and your friends, will protect, as your white friend stated, my smokin'-hot-daughter's life with your own, officially this time?"

Modo un-latched his arm from Althea's, looked dead-panned into the king's eyes, then answered, "Your majesty, your daughter, the princess will have to fear for nothing, while she is in my presence. I will gladly give up my life for hers, in a second."

"That's what I wanted to hear," the king said before he stepped around the table to stand in front of Modo and his daughter. "Mr. Maverick, please kneel."

Modo did as he was asked and knelt in front of the king.

Another knight brought over a sword and handed it to the king. Who turned back to Modo, withdrew the sword, and said, "I dub thee, Sir Maverick." He gently tapped the sharp edge of the sword to Modo's left shoulder, lifting the blade over Modo's head, and repeated the same action to his right shoulder. "Rise, Sir Maverick, and face your charge."

Modo rose back to his feet and turned to the right to face the princess. Who was smiling from ear-to-ear and her tail swayed back and forth, drawing Modo's eyes to it.

The king coughed into his right hand, then said, "Its customary, that you get to dance with one of the ladies of the court after being knighted, Sir Maverick. Which one of these beauties will have the honor of your first dance as a knight?" He motioned to several women, all dressed in formal gowns, none of them were too bad on the eyes either.

Modo looked over the ladies in question, before turning his focus back to Althea. "If it would please the king and the queen, I would prefer to have my first dance, with the princess."

"It pleases the queen, just fine, Sir Maverick," the queen answered.

"Dear, this is highly irregular," the king said.

The queen went over to her husband, then said, "Look at your daughter, Gerald. She likes Sir Maverick, and he likes her. Give them a little time, and I'm positive, they are going to fall for each other, hard. Just like we did."

"You're not serious, Rosemary? Are you?"

"Deadly, my husband. I wouldn't be surprised, that by three moths time, Sir Maverick will be before us again. Only this time, to ask for our daughter's hand," the queen said, not removing her eyes from the princess.

"Very well, you may dance with the princess, Sir Maverick," The king said.

Modo bowed to Althea, lifted her right hand with his left, then asked, "Will the princess do me the honor of giving me; my first dance as a knight?"

Althea's heart was jumping for joy in her chest. Not only did she now have Modo as her knight, she was going to get to dance with him. "It will be my pleasure, Sir Maverick," she answered.

Modo righted himself, but did not let go of her hand and led her out onto the floor.

The band started to play, then several couples started dancing and swaying to the music.

Modo remembered what Carbine taught him. He placed the palm of his right hand on her lower back and his left on her mid-back. While Althea laid her left arm around Modo's neck and her right hand between his shoulders. Then, they started dancing.

Vinnie latched his arm around Charley, then asked, "Care to show the two, new-lovers how its really done, doll?"

Charley couldn't deny Modo and Althea looked perfect together. She quickly imagined, Modo wearing his formal uniform again, and Althea in a Wedding Dress. They both were wearing each other's earrings, symbolizing their eternal love and devotion to the other. "Sure, Vinnie," she answered, snapping herself back to reality.

Throttle and Carbine joined them on the dance floor, and danced.

One dance turned into two. Two into four. Four into eight. Before either of them knew it, it was dinner time. Modo escorted Althea back to her parent's table, pulled out her seat, and once she was comfortable, he gently lifted her chair, only a few inches with his right arm, pushing her in. He then sat to her right, and took her hand in his again.

As everyone ate, one of the Higher-Ranking soldiers, who had his eyes on the princess, before she became Royalty, became consumed with jealousy, since this Freedom Fighter seemed to be in favor of the princess, instead of him. While he ate his own dinner, he watched the princess and her new knight, like a hawk, letting his jealousy overtake him, to the point, he started over-doing it with the wine, becoming quite drunk.

After the princess finished her dinner, and listened to Modo tell a very funny story of how Vinnie almost blew up the Freedom Fighter's camp with a Rocket Launcher, she leaned against him, resting her head on his left shoulder, just like a married couple would.

Modo wasn't expecting her to rest her head on him. However, when she wrapped her arms around his left arm, holding it tight, he felt real good, and didn't want her to ever let him go. To return her affections, he gently laid his right hand on top of hers.

That was the straw that broke his resolve. After he stood, he threw his chair back, letting it slam to the floor, and stormed over to the Royal Table.

The king and the queen noticed the soldier, walking over to the table with a purposeful stride in his step, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The king motioned to one of his knights, then to the soldier. The knight stepped around the table and stood between the Royal family and this soldier. And when the soldier was close enough to hear the knight, he said, "I suggest you stop now, or spend a night in the brig."

His words attracted Modo and the Princess' attention. Modo lifted his body from his seat, turned to face the soldier, and crossed his arms just under his chest.

The soldier, fueled by alcohol, shoved the knight out of the way, leaving Modo to stand between him and his goal. "Out of my way, oaf!" He said to Modo.

"Not happening. You've had way too much to drink, might I suggest, you leave now and go sleep it off, before you do something stupid?" Modo responded.

"And what are you going to do? You, couldn't make it in the Army, so you joined the Freedom Fighters! Those mice couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. All you Freedom Fighters cared about was blowing things up, then partying the rest of the night away, sleeping with any female that crossed your path! Is that what the Princess is to you? Another notch in your belt?"

Modo grabbed the soldier by his coat and easily lifted him to his face. His eye glowed red, his mouth in a hard snarl, as he said, "One, the Freedom Fighters showed more guts out there than the Army did! We took more risks than they ever did and we paid for it! Two, my mother would kill me, faster than a grenade would, if I ever treated a woman like that! Princess Althea means more to me, than my own life! If the situation was different, I would have asked her out on a proper date, as a complete gentleman!"

"A complete gentleman!? That's laughable! Your white friend over there has a reputation that precedes him! He's slept with more women than he could even count! His conquests are legendary! Vincent VanWham, the most womanizing man on Mars, that's what he's known for, and from what I've heard, the rest of the lot weren't that far behind him! So, how many women have you turned the Charm on for, just to get into their pants?" The solider asked.

Modo balled up his left fist and let it fly, connecting with the Soldier's face, sending him across the room. To lay in a broken heap.

Both Throttle and Vinnie were quick on their feet. They held Modo in place, before he went on the attack again.

"Modo! Bro!, Calm down, that's an order, soldier!" Throttle said, doing his best to restrain the large mouse.

"Yeah, bro! The jerk ain't worth it! You already proved you're more of a man than he is! He lost, you won! Stop acting like a jealous lover already, before you hurt someone you do care about! Like me!" Vinnie said, restraining Modo's left arm.

"He insulted the Freedom Fighters! He insulted my family! Worst of all, he insinuated I don't care for Althea! I need to pound into his thick skull, I want to court Althea properly! This woman, makes me feel whole again, bros! No other woman I've been with makes me feel like this! And I love this feeling, a lot!" Modo stated.

Althea, the king, and queen, as well as most of those in attendance heard Modo state, he wanted to court the princess. There were several gasps from around the room, including one coming from the Princess herself.

"Sir Maverick! Stop this instant! Your Princess commands you!" Althea ordered.

Modo stopped struggling against his brothers, turned his head to the right to face Althea, and waited for her to continue berating him.

"Soon-to-be, Sir Thornboy, Sir VanWham, please release, Sir Maverick," the princess ordered.

Throttle and Vinnie let Modo's arms go, but stood at his side, waiting to hold him again, if needed.

Althea rested her weight on her haunches, then reached out with her arms, latching them around Modo's left arm, and ordered, "Sir Maverick, we need to talk, now!" And pulled him towards the balcony.

"You think, Modo screwed up with Althea, Throttle?" Vinnie asked.

"Don't know, bro. But she's madder than hell."

"Sir Thornboy, I think you are wrong," the queen said.

Both men faced the queen, then looked at each other and back at the queen, who now had a smile on her face. "I believe my daughter is about to make her claim on your friend, quite spectacularly, in fact."

Outside on the balcony, Althea shoved Modo towards the railing, before she closed the doors, to give them some privacy. She turned her body to face Modo, then asked, "What was that back there, Modo?"

"I was defending your honor, your majesty," Modo answered.

"Not that! The, "I want to court her properly" stuff! That's what I'm talking about, Modo!"

Modo was completely out of his element. He had never had a woman question him in such a manner before. Then again, he never liked another woman, as much as Althea before. He took in a deep breath, face the stone floor, then said, "Althea, if I met you before you became a princess, I would have asked you out on a proper date, right after I caught you this afternoon. I do, like you, more than a knight should. It took Carbine, more or less threatening me with bodily harm, to break the shell, I put myself in. I meant every word I said back there. You, Althea make me feel whole and I haven't felt complete in years." He listed his heated to face, Althea, then asked, "Althea, my princess, will you allow me, your knight, to court you, with the full intention of someday, asking for your hand?"

Althea let his words sink in and dwell on them, letting Modo stir in anticipation, while she pondered her response. Seeing him defend her in such a manner, without being asked or ordered, proved to her, he had what it took to be her knight. But he also asked to court her. Except in tales she heard as a child, no knight she'd heard of, dated a princess. However, she couldn't deny her own feelings either. Modo was one of the sweetest, kindest, and gentlest man she had ever the pleasure of knowing. And when they touched, he set her heart a flutter. No man has made her feel like that before, and she doubted no man will ever make her feel like that again. "Modo, I need to know before I give you my answer, do you love me?" she bluntly asked.

Hearing the word, love leave her mouth, threw him completely off kilter. No woman had ever use the term love, when describing what they felt towards him. It was always, 'I like you as a friend,' or, 'You're a great companion,' but never I love you. "Althea, I.." he stammered and looked away from her.

Althea took the few steps towards him, gently placed her left hand on his cheek and forced him to face her.

He looked down into her eyes of blue and saw she really did have feelings for him. He brought up his hands to cup her cheeks, feeling the fine, soft fur against his rough fingers, then, lowered his mouth to hers. Right before he kissed her, he whispered, "I'm falling in love with you, Althea."

As soon as his lips touched hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

End of Chapter