Disclaimer: The Biker Mice belong to their respective owners and the song Breathing is by Life House

Disclaimer: The Biker Mice belong to their respective owners and the song Breathing is by Life House.

Setting: Three weeks after the last one. (No I'm incapable of writing two chapters that take place in the same week.)

Author's Notes: For awhile now I've been toying with the idea of writing a song fic, when I heard this song I was hooked, it seemed perfect for what I wanted to say.

Dedications: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Morning and Virago, these two have been very supportive of this story and being a sappy sentimentalist I thought that it was only fitting to dedicate this chapter and the ones after to them. It's just my way of saying thanx guys.

The Blade and Angel Saga: Chapter 6

By Jcdracon

Copyright Jcdracon 2001 All Rights Reserved

Blade sat on the edge of her bed staring at the saringe in her hand. There really was no point in putting it off, she mused, not if she wanted the side affects to wair off before Throttle got there. And the drugs really did seem to be helping, she hadn't had an attack in weeks, she still chilled easily but at least now she could walk around in shorts and a T-shirt without having to crank the heat up so high it made everyone else uncomfortable. But that was understandable, Robin probably knew more about her physiology than anyone else and she was incredibly good at her work.

Sighing she gave in to the inevitable and finding a vein injected the clear liquid into her arm and braced herself against the nausea and dizziness that followed. Gods she hated needles. She shut her eyes against the visions of her mother pumping the only stiff that would stop the cravings into herself, coming home and finding her laying on the ground dead, the needle still in her arm. And later one of Limburger's goons keeping them week and helpless, Karbuncle laughing as he tested drug after drug, disposing of the dead like so much garbage.

I'm finding my way back to sanity again

Though I don't really know what

I'm gonna do when I get there

Take a breath and hold on tight

Spin around one more time

And gracefully fall back in the arms of grace

Finally, finally, she felt the affects subsiding and slowly stood up, resigned she looked at the mess Vinnie had made of usually neat room and snagging the garbage bag she'd had the foresight to bring up earlier set about picking up the discarded rootbeer cans and hotdog wrappings. Next time she and Vin had lunch together they'd eat in the kitchen she thought as she bent to reach under the bed. Not that she didn't love him like a brother but the man couldn't pick up after himself to save his life.

She froze as her hand brushed against cool cardboard, straightening she stared at the plain notebook in her hands noting absently that the thin coating of dust was coming of on her fingers.

She wasn't sure how long she knelt there frozen to the spot before she realized that someone was calling her name. Coming back to reality with a jerk she became aware that Throttle was calling her and from the sounds of it had been for a long time.

Coming fully to attention she stood abruptly and with a quick decision stuffed the book unceremoniously into the bag. Great, just great, because of her day dreaming he was here before she'd had a chance to shield her emotions. Oh well, they were watching that new James Bomb movie tonight hopefully he'd be to caught up in the story to notice how his presence affected her.

Yeah, and maybe the moon would fall out of the sky.

I am hanging on every word you say

And even if you don't want to speak tonight

That's alright with me

'Cause I want nothing more than to sit

Outside heaven's door and listen to you breathing

Is where I want to be

Throttle looked up as Blade jogged down the stairs, dragging a huge garbage bag behind her. "Spring cleaning?" He asked mildly.

"Try Vin cleaning." She said with a laugh "I swear sometimes I think it's a miracle Limburger hasn't found you guys by now, all he'd have to do is follow the trail of empty rootbeer cans and hotdog containers."

"Oh. Vinnie was over here?" He said lightly, ignoring the sudden stab of jealousy the thought caused. It wasn't as if he had any reason to be he told himself, he knew there was nothing going on between Vin and her and even if there was what was it to him? It wasn't as if he had any kind of a claim on her affections.

"Yeah, we had lunch. Do ya think we could order in tonight? Something besides hotdogs?"

"Sure, Pizza okay with you?"

"So long as we skip the anchovies." They both shuddered at the thought.

I am looking past the shadows

Of my mind into the truth and

I'm trying to identify

The voices in my head

God, which one's you

Let me feel one more time

What it feels like to feel

And break these calluses off me

One more time

Later as they sat watching the movie on opposite ends of the couch the near empty pizza box between them Throttle took the opportunity to study his companion, noting how cute she looked in the baggy over sized T-shirt and sweat pants she was wearing. A thought he was sure would have earned him a taste of Blade's killer right hook if she'd heard it. But still with her hair down around her shoulders and the soft cotton cloaking her body he could almost believe her to be much younger than the twenty one year old woman he knew she was. Almost.

On the other end of the coach the subject of his thoughts was concentrating on avoiding looking at him. Damn it! Damn it to the nine bloody hells! She'd been looking forward to this. She'd wanted to see this movie ever since she'd heard it was coming out. Angel and Charley hadn't wanted to rent it, having been forced to sit through all five of the other James Bomb movies at least twice. So on movie night she'd been trapped watching Titanic and various other non violent movies while trying hard not to fall asleep. And now because she wasn't able to control her reaction to Throttle's presence she was missing it anyway!

Sighing softly to herself she reached for the last piece of pizza just as Throttle did. Their fingers brushed and caused their gazes to jerk towards each other. Meet. Hold.

I am hanging on every word you say

And even if you don't want to speak tonight

That's alright with me

'Cause I want nothing more than to sit

Outside heaven's door and listen to you breathing

Is where I want to be

There was no telling who moved first but the next thing either of them knew they were wrapped around each other. The pizza box forgotten in their attempt to get closer, kissing desperately as emotions long held in check rushed to the surface. One of Throttle's hands sliding up and under her shirt brought Blade back to earth with a harsh thump. She immediately stiffened and pushed him away abruptly.

"What? What is it?" Throttle asked harshly though regretted it almost immediately when he noticed how shaken the usually unrufflable Blade was.

"I'm sorry, I can't, I just can't!" She was horrified to realize how close to tears she sounded.

"It's okay, it's okay." Throttle spoke soothingly, as though approaching a frightened and possibly dangerous animal. "I won't try anything like that again until you tell me its okay. But I'm not sorry this happened, I like you Blade and I find you attractive as hells. But I won't push you, if you want us to see if we can have something between us that's great, if you just want us to stop this right here that's okay too. It's your choice."

She looked at him, her eyes large and shiny with unshed tears and said nothing for a long moment that seemed to stretch on for an eternity before saying quietly in a voice Throttle could barely recognize and had to strain to hear.

"I… I think I'd like to try… but I'm not ready to be touched that way Throttle, I'm not sure if I ever will be. But I'd like to try."

He smiled at her and placing a hesitant arm around her shoulders watched for her reaction. When she leaned slightly into him and rested her head lightly against his chest he let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in and kissing her chastely on the top of her head sat back to watch what was left of the movie.

I don't want a thing from you

Bet you're tired of me waiting

For the scraps to fall

Off of your table to the ground

La dada dada dada dada

I just want to be here now

A month and a half later:

Throttle lay in the darkness listening to the sound of Blade's soft even breathing, she shivered slightly and he pulled the blankets up more securely around her shoulders. She settled back down with a murmur of contentment and rubbed her cheek against his chest before sinking back into deeper sleep.

Smiling he reached over to the nightstand, moving slowly so as not to jostle her. He slid them on and took the moment to admire the woman who'd become such a large part of his life. Her beautiful, ebony hair fanned out over the blankets like spilled ink and obscured the lines of scar tissue he knew marred her shoulders and thought distantly that he hadn't felt this content in a long time.

His good mood faded slightly when he came to the tattoo that wrapped around the upper part of her right arm. He hadn't noticed it for awhile because of her tendency to wair long sleeves and the dark color of her fur but now that he'd gotten a good look at it he knew it's meaning.

It was a simple design; simply a connecting jagged line with a dot in each indentation. It would only hold any significance to a Martian. A jagged line with dots in the indentations, the Martian symbol for pain, a never-ending circle of pain.

So much pain for one as young as her. She'd told him everything tonight, along with her telling him she was ready. He'd never before suspected that he could feel so angry and so happy at the same time. For though he wanted nothing so much as to hunt the son of a rat who'd hurt her down and make him pay, he also wanted to cheer because she hadn't just agreed to give him her body, no she'd also given him her trust. He only hoped he was worthy of it.

Because he'd finally realized that he loved her. It hadn't come in one big blinding flash of insight, no there was no big epiphany, and he'd fought the realization every step of the way. But in the end it all came down to this, she'd slowly become more and more important to him and while he'd been busy trying to come up with as many different, logical reasons why he couldn't love her she'd wormed her way into his heart.

He hadn't told her yet, he was pretty sure that would spook her, no he was sure of it. And she still had a lot of healing to do. There were still days when she tried to close them all out or started snapping for no reason. It wouldn't be easy and they had a long way to go but Throttle was going to make it work, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming to do it.

Blade mumbled something and he looked down at her tenderly. After all it would be worth it.

I am hanging on every word you say

And even if you don't want to speak tonight

That's alright with me

'Cause I want nothing more than to sit

Outside your door and listen to you breathing

Is where I want to be

I am hanging on every word you say

And even if you don't want to speak tonight

That's alright with me

'Cause I want nothing more than to sit

Outside your door and listen to you breathing

Is where I want to be