Note: I do not own the Bikermice From Mars universe nor any of the characters featuring in the original show. The characters you do not recognise from the original show were created by me. This story contains some swears and the unsettling story makes it unsuitable for persons under 16 years of age.
We are going to be together forever A short introduction:
The location for this story is Mars, a little planet in the Milky Way all earthlings should know about. It's populated by martian mice and other not-too-kind creatures.
Probably were the mice alone about beeing nice creatures even if some of them were evil-hearted.
It's not very usual because of the wars; the mice feel like they were a big family, brothers and sisters of the war. They all fought for the same thing and helped each other through the same hell.
Mars also has a few humans living on its surface, who by some reason has ended up there, mostly thanks to Plutarkians.
Amanda Shannon was one of those humans who had not ended up there due to the Plutarkian wars.
She had been forced to work for a psychopath on Earth and stole informations from the vulnerable Martian Computer System. The martians traced her though, and the famous martian fighter Stoker went down to Earth with a computer-expert; a mouse called Kickstart.
On Earth contacted Stoker the Bikermice From Mars to help him and Kickstart to trace and capture the intruder. Amanda who was scared of the psychopath dared to join them and escaped from his hideout. Kickstart and Amanda found out that they had feelings for each other from the beginning and it quckly changed to love, both the martian and the earthling were alike and fit very well together.
In the end, she followed Kickstart and Stoker back to Mars. Partly because she had no relatives or persons she would miss on Earth, but the most important reason was that she was pregnant.
The story begins about eight months after they left.
We Are Going To Be Together Forever
Written by kklo 1998-1999
The little house was located in a town close to one of the freedomfighter bases. A green garden with flowers and a few trees surrounded it. Water was still unusual on many places at that time, there was more on other ones where the Plutarkians hadn't got any chance to steal it.
The town blossomed even if there were no martian kids around, only single freedomfighters or couples.
Amanda was the first person there to have children.
She sighed and patted her enlarged stomache while she was making a breakfast.
"Little one, little one. You are about to come out soon, aren't you?" she asked the baby inside her.
For a while Amanda stood there not moving, then she felt how it moved inside her and a smile appeared on her face.
There were not only a wonderful experience, there were negative sides about pregnancy. She was not able to move around as she was used to do.
It was a big effort to only open the cupboard beneath the plate rack.
She put up some bread and raised herself when she felt how two strong arms wrapped around her.
Two hands slipped down over her big stomache and caressed it tenderly.
An involuntary shiver went through Amanda's body and she turned around to face the martian behind her.
He was dressed in his usual freedomfighter uniform, smiling.
Kickstart was a tall martian, 6'6 and his girlfriend was only 5'7, so she had to lean her head backwards to meet his jade-green gaze.
"Amanda..." His voice was loving. "How I love you honey. Love you so horrible much."
He kissed her. Amanda felt like she was in heaven, with her boyfriend's arms gently holding her. Feeling him so close.
They stopped kissing and continue to look at each other until Kickstart suddenly let his hand run down over her stomache again and asked: "How are you?"
She laughed softly and stroke his cheek.
"Just fine, there shouldn't be much time left. Feels like the little one could come out anyday now."
He looked down at her smiling and let his hands continue to move slowly over her body while he drifted into some daydream.
Soon he woke up and said: "Work is calling, but you'd better stay at home today too, if something would happend."
Amanda wasn't a housewife. She used to follow her husband to the base where she had a work as computer programmer. Now, the young female accepted the fact to stay at home until the baby was born, but very reluctantly.
He kissed her one last time before he left and took off on his bike. She heard the sound fade out and realized that she was not hungry anymore so she begun to put back the food. Suddenly a powerful pain hit her in the stomache and she fold herself double.
"Ouuuuh..."
Ten seconds later the pain disappeared as fast as it had come.
'Shit! Not now... I should call him, but... No use, he's probably not even reached the base yet... And there is no use to make him worried since the aches can start one day before the redomption...' she told herself and breathed deeply.
Also, the thoughts about laying in a martian hospital as the only human were not exactly pleasant.
In that situation was the longing for Earth, for humans and Earth's hosptial very very strong.
A new worry hit her with the same power as the pain: maybe the baby would be a monstrosity...a crossbreeded "something".
She felt panickstoke that this pregnancy maybe would be a curse, not a blessing as everyone as they'd thought.
Why hadn't she thought about it earlier?
Sweat were gathering on her forehead.
Then was she hit by another pain in the stomache, powerfull enough to make her fall to the ground.
It was so intensive that all thoughts just disappeared.
This time lasted the ache only about half a minute.
"They told me everything was okay..." she gasped to no one. "The martian nurse said that everything was okay, but maybe it was only okay in THEIR eyes..."
Amanda got up to her feet again, shaking and tears started to flow out of her eyes.
With tottering steps walked she up to the phone, and dialed a number.
"Hello?"
It was not Kickstart's voice, it sounded like Harley but she was not sure.
"Can I talk to Kick..it's very important..."
"Hi Amanda. He hasn't come yet. Are you alright?" asked Harley.
"The aches have started..." said Amanda when a new pain exploded inside her and she fell to the floor unconscious.
Outside the freedomfighter building got Kickstart off his bike and walked inside. The first one he met was Harley who came running through the corridor like there was a fire somewhere.
"Kickstart! Kick...!" she shouted.
"But.…Harley...What in the whole world has happend?"
"It is Amanda... She called just one minute ago...but I lost the contact! You must hurry home Kick...I think it is time."
Without a word had he turned around and ran outside, threw himself over his bike and gave full throttle.
She saw him disappear at the bike's max speed without putting his helmet on, and Harley mumbled a prayer about that he would reach the home alive and in time.
"Amanda! AMANDA!"
She didn't reply when he called her name so Kickstart hurried inside.
He didn't have to search the house for long. She was laying out-knocked on the floor in the living room.
"Amanda! Honey! Wake up! Are you awake? Are..are you okay?"
"Kickstart..." she mumbled while her gace roamed around. "I...It hurts...horrible much...I...am...sca-red..."
He picked her up gently and said lowly: "Don't be, I am here now. I am gonna take you to the hospital."
"The baby...Kick..."
"Don't worry Amanda. The nurses said it was okay latest time you were there..."
"You...don't...understand me...Kick...please...please...the pain...can't take it..."
She cried out again, her head fell back and all muscled tensed, then relaxed and she lost the consciousness.
Luckily wasn't the hospital too far away.
Taking her on the bike was out of the picture so Kickstart carried her outside the house, then ran as fast as he could.
It was an exhausted and gasping Kickstart who entered the hospital with his unconscious girlfriend.
"Oh my. She is about to give birth?" the nurse asked and got up from her chair.
"Yes..." panted Kickstart.
"Follow me, quickly." Said the nurse and hurried into a room not far away from the entrance to the hospital.
"Lay her down here." Kickstart did as she told. "Now wait here for a while when I am getting the midwife. And remember to just take it easy, we can handle this. Don't worry. It's not unusual that women who are going to give birth for the first time are knocked out by the aches. Talk comforting with her if she wakes up."
"I will."
She left and he was alone with his girlfriend.
She woke slowly up again and looked around in the room.
"This is going to go fine love. We are in the hospital and the doctor will be here soon."
The fear in her eyes surprised him so he leaned over her and said as softly as he could: "Don't be scared honeylove. I am gonna be here with you the whole time."
"No...no..." she interrupted him. "I have to get it out...it hurts...too much...I can't take it...anymore… get...it...out...of me..."
She cried out in pain again.
Kickstart was shocked. "It?" Suddenly, everything was so clear and visible She had feared it all the time: that the baby would be a deformed 'something'.
A chill went through him. Why didn't he think more about how the baby would look like when she told him that she was pregnant? But it was too late now, way too late.
She continued to gasp and wail by pain when suddenly the door opened and the nurse came in followed by Rayve and another female doctor.
"This is nurse Physiciany." Said the midwife Rayve to Kickstart, and Physiciany smiled.
"Hi Kickstart, this will be going well. We have to move her to another room though."
"Yes...of course..."
They rolled out the bed Amanda was laying on outside the room and down through the corridor to the maternity ward.
"You'd better stay outside..." Rayve started.
"No! Amanda needs me!"
"Mr. Kickstart, you should not..." Rayve said carefully. "I am gonna be honest to you. There is a risk that this redomption can be very hard and bloody."
"THAT'S WHY SHE NEEDS ME THERE!" Kickstart exploded.
Rayve jerked back, shocked and surprised over that the always so calm Kickstart lost his patience so completely.
He changed his face expression and looked guilty.
"I am...sorry. I am just so worried about her."
"I understand that. Okay. Come with me."
She walked into the room and Kickstart followed.
Amanda was laying in the bed, breathing hard and supressed painfully sounds still came out of her.
Kickstart got a chair and sat down beside her, wiped away the sweat in her forehead and caressed her cheeks.
"You are doing great Amanda. It will soon be over honey."
"I am gonna give you an injection Amanda. It will mitigate the pain." Said Rayve calmly.
While she gave the injection continued Amanda her own struggle.
Tears streamed out of her eyes and she screamed over and over again.
Two hours later was Amanda laying in the room, still completely darken after all the pain from the labour.
Kickstart leaned over her smiling a smile which showed pure love and happiness.
"They came out after all, as stubborn as their mother."
She could not answer him, she just looked at the two little infants in her arms. A boy and a girl.
It was so amazing, so unbelievable, that they were two living things, they were hers.
Her fear that they would be some strange breeding mix was also gone with the wind. Those two looked exactly like humans, and both had their father's jade-green eyes.
When she had breast feeded them both came a horrible tired feeling over her.
"Do you want to hold them for a while?"
He nodded and took them both up in his arms, smiling again. He just couldn't stop. They were so small, his little kids.
"Are you daddy's little loved ones? " he said while he cradled them.
Neither of the babies gave any sounds since they had fell asleep and so had Amanda.
He suddenly stopped smiling and scowled, gettomg a feeling that something was not alright.
Still with the infants in his arms went he towards Amanda. Something was dripping from the bed.
Holding the babies with his left arm pulled Kickstart off the sheets.
All white sheets were painted with blood
Someone had discovered it at the same time as he did. Rayve stood there stunned for one second, then pushed the alarm button and a few doctors were inside the room in a few seconds.
Then was everything only chaotic.
"Bad bleeding... prepare for acute operation immediately... hurry up before she looses too much blood..."
"We don't have...matching blood group...earthlings bloodgroups are not...HURRY!"
Kickstart was standing alone in the room when he woke up from the shock, still with his kids in his arms, pale in the face.
"Wake up Kickstart. Wake up." Said Rayve and shook the tall martian carefully.
He opened his eyes, heavy with sleep. After the two babies had been taken care by a nurse who had to do some tests had he fell asleep on the couch.
Rayve waited while he woke up and had collected the thoughts again.
"How is Amanda? Please tell me that she made it. Don't tell me she didn't..."
"I have both good and bad news." Rayve interrupted. "The good ones first: Amanda is alright. We could stop the bleeding before she had lost too much blood. She will go through this very well, I am sure. She has also asked for you and the babies, but is asleep now."
In his whole life hadn't he felt a such relief. All worries just disappeared from his heart.
"The bad ones, are... Since her womb didn't conctract as it should, caused it a bad bleeding we couldn't stop. We were forced to operate the womb and Amanda won't be able to have children again. I am sorry, but there were no other choices if we would have a chance to save here."
"Does she know about it?" he asked after beeing silent for a while
"Yes. She collected herself rather quickly after she woke up and I told her. I promise you, she took it very well and said that she already have the two most wonderful children she could wish. And I have to say that she is very right." She ended with a little smile.
Kickstart was overwhelmed by relief.
"May I see her?"
"Well, not right now when she is asleep. You should lay down here and sleep a little bit too. I am going to get you a felt."
After she had left removed Kickstart his biker boots, laid down on the couch thinking. Soon was the nurse back with a felt she put over him.
"There. And if there is something you need, just go to the reception."
"Thanks."
She left and he was laying there, waiting for the sleep while all thoughts were flying around inside his head.
So I am a father, finally, with one son and one daughter. Andrea and Alexander. Not really martian names, but like I care about it.
I wonder what mom and dad would have said if they saw me now? They always told me what a wonderful daddy I would be, and I always claimed that kids were not my thing.
He chuckled at the memory.
My little kids won't have any relatives at all. Amanda don't have any, and neither have I. Damn those plutarkians... Maybe it was stupid to have kids in these days of wars, even if these areas of Mars are saved from the terror.
What if they get hurted? I won't let anyone hurt them, but I couldn't save mom or dad either.. Could I possible defend my own family? No, I can't think like that!
They look like humans and have my eyes but I don't care. No matter what they look like, humans are as beautiful as martians anyway. And they're still my kids.
I hope they won't turn out strange because of my genetics. Maybe they do, thanks to me. It was so irresponsible to keep them. Why did I fell for it?
Damnit Kickstart, stop thinking like that! Try to sleep instead!
His eyes were shut, his muscular body relaxed and the world started to fade out.
Everything is gonna be okay... They are gonna be lucky, I will love them with my whole heart and Amanda will too. I have them all, my family. This is going to be great after all I think, I hope. What could go wrong? After all incidents, it should be peaceful now. Don't worry loved ones, I will not let anything hurt you. I promise with my whole heart.
Sleep took him away from the land of reality and he followed its waves together with his girlfriend and kids, together forever in the dream.
"Andrea and Alexander. Two beautiful names you've choosed."
"You really think so?"
"Yes. I do. Oh Amanda, they are so cute!"
Harley held Alexander who looked up at her curiously.
"They have their father's eyes, both of them. It's exactly the same colour."
Amanda smiled tiredly and turned her head when the door opened and Stoker went inside. He had always been close to her and Kickstart, even if he was a very busy leader who usually were far away from the base they worked for.
"Hi, how are you sweets?"
"I am just fine. A little bit dizzy, but that's all. I made it."
"You did it great sweets. Where do you have your husband by the way?"
"He is away having breakfast somewhere. He hasn't got anything to eat for over one day."
The male sat down on the chair behind her bed and watched the two newborn she held with clear fascination.
"Never seen any Earthling-babies before Stoke?" Harley snickered.
"No. Never."
"You can hold them if you want to." Amanda insisted.
Stoker picked the two up a little bit doubtfully. Two pair of eyes looked up at him interested and then couldn't he do anything else than smile.
Man, they are not acting so much different from martian infants. He thought and asked: "Have you feeded them yet?"
"Yes, and maybe I shold take them in case if one of them..."
Amanda hadn't finished what she was going to say before the little girl puked right over Stoker's clothes.
"Hey!"
Harley exploded in a laughing-attack. It was just too much to see that someone puked at the always respected and feared Stoker.
"Oh! Sorry Stoke, I shouldn't have." Amanda took the babies back and looked repentantly at him.
Stoker looked down at his freedom fighter uniform and couldn't keep himself from laugh at the whole thing.
"What a bad habit. I really hope they will outgrown from it."
Amanda fell into their laughing while she wiped away the rest of the puke from the little girl's mouth, while Harley helped Stoker to clean up his uniform a little with some paper. Someone opened the door and Kickstart entered the room. His gaze fell at Stoker and the puke at him.
"Yo Kick, pal! You have a wonderful time to look forward to!" said Stoker with a teasing grin and wiped away the last rest of the puke from the uniform.
"Daddy, please, read one more book? Pleeeaase?"
"Yea dad, can't you read another one?"
Kickstart took a deep breath and watched the two kids who were sitting in his lap.
They looked up at him expectantly.
It was in the end of may, year 1998. Andrea and Alexander had just turned five.
The twins loved bookreading more than anything and seemed to not get enough even if he read for them at least one hour every day.
Maybe because they are so lonely when there're no other kids to play with. They are not allowed to go too far away, and there is not much to do. he thought with a melancholic and guilty feeling. But when they have turned seven are we going to brake up from this place and move to Tharos. They'll love that city.
"Com'on daddy. Are we forced to learn reading all by ourself to hear something, hmm?" asked Alexander impatiently.
The martian laughed and ruffled his son's brown hair.
"Not a bad idea, but okay... One more book, but then is it finished with reading for today."
They practically beamed by happiness when their father put up another book and started to read.
Suddenly broke explosions and load noises the peace.
"What the..." Kickstart got up real quick and hurried towards the door. It slammed open and a pale martian hurried inside.
"What in the whole Earth is going on Harley?"
"The Plutarkians! They are here!"
A group of fifty freedomfighters came riding on their bike to the base.
Smoke and dust drifted around in the air and some parts of the building was set on fire.
"We won this battle, but many of them managed to escape with newly taken prisoners!" Said Charger, a tall and muscular martian who was the command.
The others were grave serious and Kickstart felt how that knot in the stomache refused to disappear.
"Be careful now while we look for harmed and maybe even dead mice!"
They nodded and started to search in the ruins.
Only Kickstart stayed there without moving.
"What's your problem? Go and help your bros!" Charger said.
The other male looked at him and said: "My girlfriend was in there. She has not showed up."
Charger didn't say anything.
"She was not working in the bombed parts so I don't believe she is in there somewhere. We need to take up the chase of those plutarkians who escaped."
"Impossible!"
"Why do you say..."
Sharp sounds cut Kickstart right off. Sound of weapons and screaming martians.
"Oh my god! This was just a plot!" shouted Charger. "They attacked the city while we were busy here!"
Other mice from the military had arrived by that time. Together with FFs were they rushing down to the city.
It was like beeing ripped apart and Kickstart felt the panic grab him around the neck. His children were there and in danger with high possibility, Amanda was somewhere else, probably in danger too.
"Harley, I am scared." Said the little girl who had looked after when her father rode off.
Then broke the hell lose. Fire seemed to be everywhere.
Windows exploded, people screamed and the sound of running feet echoed.
The door suddenly slammed open and two disgusting putarkian warriors stormed inside.
Never before had the two kids seen any of these aliens before, only heared about them. Seeing them alive was like jumping into a horror movie.
"Look what we got here! Brats!" said one of them.
"What are those things?" the other one asked.
"Seems to be mini-earthlings to me. Let's catch em. Lord S. will be content with such unique prisoners."
"Don't even think about it!" Harley said and pointed at them with a gun she luckily had taken with her.
The Plutarkians sighed, put their weapons down and raised their hand-looking fins.
A laserbeam came suddenly without forewarning flying in through a broken window and hit her. She fell to the floor with a thud.
The two plutarkians looked at each other, grinned and put up their weapons agains.
"Now where were we?"
"We were going to catch the earthlings."
"Oh yes, so we were."
Alexander and Andrea were so stunned by horror that they didn't offer any resistance when the plutarkians grabbed them in the neck and carried them outside.
They are gonna kill us! Alexander thought panic-struck. I will never see mom and dad again.
The paralysis stopped and he started to cry. His sister was still too horrorfied to think straight.
"Quiet, you little rat!"
Something very unpleasant was about to happend if he didn't do as they said. He knew it, but he couldn't stop the tears.
The plutarkians stopped and the one who held him in the neck barked: "Shut up you little creep, or I will give you something to cry about!"
They were cut off by a roar and Andrea woke up from the horror's trance. He came running over the hill, completely blinded by fury.
The two plutarkians dropped their weapon in shock when the martian came flying against them.
A fight which didn't last very long occured. It was a mircacle that he hadn't beaten the two Plutarkians to death.
Andrea looked at her fathers enraged face and finally burst out in tears while Alexander sat on the ground, quiet and trembling. The tears had dried on his face, and his curly hair was a mess.
That woke him up and Kickstart got down to his knees and dragged them both close and hugged them hard.
"Sorry. Sorry... I am...I am so glad that you are okay after all." He mumbled with a broken voice.
"Harley..." sobbed Andrea. "They killed her. And where is mom?"
At the same time as the sorrow stung him heared he how someone coughed.
They all looked up and saw Harley comming out of the house, staggering.
He come up to his feet.
"Harley! Are you okay?"
"Ye...yeah..." she got out. "I am just...shocked. Was hit by...a laser beam. Not a deadly one...though."
More freedomfighters had started to gathering on the streets. Kickstart carried his kids and walked towards a group with Harley behind.
"How is it going?" he asked one of the group.
"No big harm done. Well, five dead and fifteen harmed martians."
"Have you seen my girlfriend?"
"No. We haven't seen a trace of any Earthling. She is probably one of the captured. I am sorry."
"Have...Have they sent any force to follow up the chase?"
"Yes, they will be back in about twelve hours from now, I think."
"Thanks for the information."
"No. Absolutely no trace. We're sorry Kick, but she is gone."
Stoker and another general from the army were alone in a room with Kickstart in the nondamaged part of the base.
"And you are still searching the deserts?" He said between his theeth.
"Yes, and no traces so far. I think we have to give up. I am sorry, but we can't continue looking forever." replied the general.
The freedomfighter leader gave the general a gaze. He got the point and left the room.
It was completely silent until Stoker said: "Old friend, you must understand that there's not much more we can do. We have been looking for them for over two weeks without results. We can't continue to waste the time at searching when there're lots of other important missions we need to do."
Kickstart lifted his head and looked into Stoker's eyes.
"My boy, hasn't spoken one word since that day. Not a word. He hardly eats. My daughter cries everyday. I don't know what to do. They don't want to be comforted. I can't be with them as much as I should... I don't know what to do anymore. I just don't know."
"I can try to talk to them, maybe it is useless, but it's always worth to try. You were going to ask Harley to see after them tomorrow, right?"
"Right."
"Okay, I will do it for you if you want to."
"Thanks for the help Stoke."
"No problems. Now go home and try to take it easy, I know it is heard but try to live with it."
Without a word Kickstart left the room.
Next morning met the two martians outside the little house in the edge of the town.
"Morning Kick. Are they awake yet?"
"They are eating their breakfast right now."
"I will look after them friend, don't worry. See you later."
Stoker went inside the house and found the two children in the kitchen.
"Yo kiddos." Stoker said while he went inside.
"Hi..." Andrea said quitly.
Alexander looked up at him and made a gesture which probably was some kind of greeting.
With an inner sigh sat Stoker down on another chair and said: "Are you two kiddos alright?"
"I guess we are." Replied Andrea in a flat voice.
"But I can see that you are not okay. Kids, I know you are having a hard time, but don't lose the hope."
"Have you ever thought about how it feels to lose your parents?"
"Your father is not gone sweets."
"He is. He will never have time for us anymore. He doesn't understand us and ask you to try to."
"You are not fair now. I asked him myself to go here."
"So why did you go here? What are you trying to win?"
"Andrea. I don't recnognize you anymore. Where is the happy little girl I saw only a few weeks ago? Don't come and tell me she is gone." Stoker said after a while of silence.
"I tell you that! I do! Right here, and right now!"
She got up and rushed out and her brother also raised himself and looked down while he left the room.
Stoker sighed and wondered what was going to happend next, since it really WAS impossible to try to talk to those two.
Andrea climbed out through the window in her room, hit the ground and hurried away before Stoker had noticed her escape. She knew very well that she was not allowed to go out alone.
So? What did she care about her dad's rules? She was completely clear about what to do.
Harley could be involved in their mother's disappearance since she sure had a crush on their father.
Now when Amanda was out of the game could she easily win their father's love, but it was not going to happend. At least not as long as Andrea could do something about it.
"Andrea?" Harley exclaimed when the five years old girl walked into her workroom. "What are you doing here? You know that you are not allowed to go out without any adult as company!"
"You don't have to play my mother! You haven't catched daddy yet!"
"Catched? What, what do you mean?" Harley was totally confused.
The girl went up to her and looked Harley straight into the eyes. Her green eyes were cold.
"I know what you are looking for. You want dad to forget mom and choose you instead! But I will never let you do it! Never!"
Harley's eyes widened.
"What did you say?" She hissed and grabbed the girl firmly.
Andrea didn't move a muscle and stayed there as a rock, completely sure that she was right.
The female martian let the girl go and left her workroom to go and find Kickstart.
A little shadow followed her and she was full aware of it, but didn't care frankly if Andrea heard what she was going to say next.
"Hey, what's going on? Why so upset?" asked Kickstart when Harley marched into his office and slammed the door behind her.
Andrea was eavesdropping outside the office and could hear them speak, quiet and intensive.
After a short amount of time the door opened so quickly that she fell into the office and would have hit the floor if her father hadn't catched her.
He grabbed her and his grip was unusual hard.
Slowly raised Andrea her head, met her father's gaze, then looked away. Never before, ever in her whole life had she seen him so angry.
"What have you said? And you have went outside alone, though I have told you that you're not allowed to!" his voice was harsh.
"I don't...I don't know...dad..." Andrea was so shocked that she didn't come up with a good answer.
"Why did you disobey me? What did you say to Harley?!"
Andrea who had been completely tensed until now started to shake, and he let her go when he recognised it.
She slipped out from his grip and sank down to the floor and fought back the tears.
"My god, what have I done to her?" whispered her father who seemed to be terrified over his own anger.
Harley and he exchanged gazes for a short while then she left them. He shut the door, went over to the chair behind his desk, sat down and waited while he looked at her.
"Aren't you going to come to dad after all?" He asked softly after a while.
She shook her head.
"Andrea... I am not angry anymore. And I am not going to stop looking for mom. Harley is a close female friend. Do you understand me? I am so sorry honey, what I did to you...was not right at all. I was too angry, because I fear what you could have went into when you were outside the house alone. I would never be able to live with myself if you were injured. Do you understand?"
Still no reply.
Five minutes later Kickstart raised from the chair and walked over to her and sat down.
Andrea didn't try to stop him when he pulled his arms around her and hugged her softly.
"Dad? Will mom ever come back?"
"I don't know... I really don't know."
Andrea looked up at him with tears glittering in her eyes.
Kickstart hugged her for a long time, then wiped away her tears with a handkerchief before they left the office.
While Kickstart walked out from the building, holding Andrea in the left hand came Stoker riding out from the west desert.
A little figure sat before, him wearing a little helmet.
Andrea bursted out in a chirping laugh when she saw him.
The little figure got off Stoke's bike, went up to his sister and slapped her on the shoulder.
She put of his helmet and snickered while she said: "Alexander, having fun out in the desert with Stoke, huh?"
He didn't say anything, he just grinned at her and pulled her hair.
"Ouch! Lay off!"
Stoker went up to Kickstart and said smiling: "Seems like I managed to get a smile on the little one's lips by riding with him in the desert."
"Thanks Stoke. If you only knew what a great help you have been."
"I know. I know." Smirked Stoker.
"There were some problems with Harley today, but I think they are all gone now."
"Probably. The kids need some action, they laugh too little. Honestly, Kick. I think you should move to Tharos or another bigger town. They are not feeling well because of the isolation here."
"I know, but it is not that easy."
"No, but it's a big problem. Can you promise me one thing?"
"Depends on what it is."
"Leave this town when they turn seven, not longer. Their needs for contact with other children will grow much stronger soon. You know how I mean, right?"
"Yes, and you are right. Okay, I promise."
"Good. Maybe it's time for you to bring those two little brutes back home." Stoker grinned.
"No!" exclaimed Andrea.
"Huh?" Both Stoker and Kickstart looked at her surprised.
"It is not fair!" she shouted. "I want to race in the desert too!"
Kickstart and Stoker looked at each other and Stoker's face splitted up by a grin.
"Okay, young lady!" he said and lifted her up in the air. "Get your helmet ready, it's racing time."
Her face practically beamed when Stoker gave her a helmet and put her down before himself on the bike.
"We will be back later." He said and waved to Kickstart before they raced out in the desert.
Alexander went up to his father and made a gesture which meant that he wanted to know if they were going to go home.
"Yes son. We're gonna leave now."
He got on his motorcycle and Alexander sat down before him.
While they drove away through desert sand Kickstart thought about Amanda as he used to do.
How I miss you darling. I wish you could hear me, I wonder if I am going to see you alive again. But I won't give up, Amanda. One day, maybe, will we be together again. I am longing for that day so much that my heart hurts.
They disappeared at the horizon.
-= End =-