New Origin
By Morning
Part II
*****Bonding*****
After an hour of near misses and near head on collisions, they some how made it to Charley's establishment, the Last Chance Garage. All along the way the three aliens surveyed the surrounding landscape and noticed the similarities between their once beautiful home and the devastation that was tearing away at this city. Have these beings been corrupted much as they had been, by the same greed that all but consumed their world, it certainly appeared to be so?
Pulling up into the garage the three gazed with delight and wonder at the many tools of Charley's trade. They parked the bikes and walked around touching the instruments like they'd recognized them.
Modo walked back over to his machine and with the love a father would show a dear child, he spoke to it and he rubbed the chrome handle bars with the utmost care and tenderness, the bike responded with a soft humming and flashing it's head light.
Charley further amazed realized these cycles were actually alive and some how had an emotional attachment to its rider. But when she attempted to approach the machine it roared loudly and pulled away flipping up some very deadly looking lasers, aiming them directly at her.
The gray mouse jumped in front of startled human showing his loyal friend she was not an enemy. After voicing a few more commands the machine put its weapons away and shut down to rest.
"Thanks big guy, I guess it's going to take some time for your lady to trust me. I'll remember that in the future. Okay you guys, I guess you are probably very tired so until we can work out a better situation, you stay with me. Come on I'll show you where you'll sleep." Charley wave her hand indicating she wanted them to come with her.
Cautiously they followed her up the stairs to her spare bedroom. She opened the door and the look of shear relief at the sight of a bed, was so priceless that it made Charley smile all over. "I guess you guys have been traveling a long time. I'm sorry there is only one bed, but I have blankets for two of you and the floor will have to do for now." She walked over to a large cedar trunk and retrieved the needed sheets and blankets.
"Um… this is the bathroom," she said as she opened the bathroom door slightly embarrassed not knowing whether she could explain the use of one particular fixture that was in there. They smiled amused at her predicament, but indicated an explanation wasn't necessary.
She did however go to the shower and turn on the faucet to show them how to get the water started. "You see this one is the cold and this one the…," before she could finish Throttle walked over and put his hand into the cool stream flowing out of the shower. It was as if he found the most precious treasure imaginable, so unbelievable that he had to touch it, to make sure it were real and in a soft shaking voice he whispered, "Ni yaz."
Charley watched him curiously, then put her hand into the water realising that something she took for granted, could be this important to one who has seen his world so horribly devastated. What other atrocities those beings had reeked on his planet and his people, she was sure she would sadly find out in time.
"W-a-t-e-r," she said slowly. Then repeated the word he used, "Ni y-a-z."
"W-a-t-e-r?" he repeated looking back at her to see if he had said it correctly. She nodded yes.
Turning to his companions he again repeated the word, "W-a-t-e-r".
They, equally fascinated, repeated the new word with just as much awe and amazement, "Water," they said in unison.
"Yes, water!" Charley smiled taking a handful and fling some into Throttle's face.
"Water!" Throttle laughed grabbing a handful and returning the splash, getting a squeal and giggle from Charley.
"Water!" Modo shouted as he joined in the now, full-fledged water fight and not to be out done Vinnie jumps directly into the running water shouting the newly learned word at the top of his lungs.
The watery free for all was drenching all of them and every inch of the bathroom, but they continued having more fun than a bunch of children playing in a hydrant on a hot summers day.
Then suddenly the three got silent as they looked at the falling liquid. Their faces all but broke her heart and she knew that there minds where back on there own world. She could only imagine what they must have been through. What those horrid creatures must have taken from their world. She sighed and decides it was time to leave them alone. Getting some towels from the linen cupboard she handed each a towel and touched his face compassionately.
"You guys better get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." As she went to walk out Vinnie called to her, "Viar te amore Ch-ar-ley."
She knew what amore meant here on Earth, but she was going to take what he said as, good night.
"Good night guys," she smiled as she blew them a kiss before closing the door.
*****
When day light came, Charley woke trying to figure out if what happened might have been some strange dream? She got out of bed and peeked down into the garage. Nope, it wasn't a dream, there they were, the alien motorcycles just as they had left them. She tip toed to the guestroom and quietly opened the door. The three-exhausted Martians were still sleeping, Modo on the bed with Throttle and Vinnie on the floor. From the looks of things they had removed every stitch of clothing, leaving a large wet pile on the bathroom floor.
She silently maneuvered through the sleeping bodies to retrieve the clothing to try and clean them up a bit before they had awakened. The bathroom was a watery mess, but they seem to know what to do with the shampoo and soap that use to be in there. Oddly the room didn't have that lockroomie smell she'd expected, but was filled with a very pleasant sort of spicy odor, one she'd never encountered before.
Before leaving she once more looked at each and was pleasantly surprised at the job the shampoo and soap had done. Throttle lay on his stomach closest to her, his long hair almost covering his entire face, his fur was now a gentle gold much like the color of a wheat field just before the fall harvest. Vinnie sleeping with his back to her, his fur was as white and pure as the first snowfall of winter and Modo who was snoring on the bed, his fur reminded her of the soft gray smoke that raises off an evening camp fire.
They had stored their weapons not far from immediate reach and she noticed the strange glasses where tightly held in Throttle's hand. It was so odd how each, in his own way, had a strange alien beauty about him. Charley decided she'd better leave before her pondering woke them up. Once the door closed Vinnie turned his head slightly to look at his friends and smiling whispered one word. They, not opening their eyes, smiled and repeated the some word then confidently went back to sleep.
Leaving the pile of dirty clothes out side her room, she took time to wash and dress before tackling the cleaning job. Once done she carried the pile of clothing down to her laundry room and put what she thought was washable into the machine. She took what was made of leather, got the cleaner she used on her bike seat and went to work on the other articles of clothing. When she was finally finished she took everything back up to the bedroom and laid it all out on the dresser, the guys hadn't even moved.
Now what to feed them, she was sure it had been a while since they had anything substantial to eat, but what do you feed 7foot aliens from another planet. Well, they sort of looked like mice? Thinking for a moment then going to her computer she pulled up the encyclopedia and found the feeding habits of field mice. She made a list and flew off to the store. In no time she was back with what she thought would be a prefect meal for her guest.
She went about preparing everything that was on the list, a large bowl of grain, and an even larger bowl of cut up lettuce and a huge jug of water. She was quite pleased with her self as she set everything out for them.
Before long, the rested aliens found there way down the stairs and into the kitchen all dressed and making a very impressive site.
"Okay guys, here you are, dig in." Charley motioned for them to sit at the table.
They sat and looked at the generous fair that she had prepared before them. They smiled politely but she could tell something was very wrong.
"What's the matter?" The concerned mechanic asked thinking that maybe they didn't trust her, concerned that she might have put something in the food to harm them.
"It's okay, it's safe to eat, see," she picked up some of the lettuce and ate it and then a handful of the grain. The nasty expression she on her face, as she chewed made them chuckle at her.
Modo suddenly spied her coffee maker on the counter with a new batch of coffee Charley had made for herself. He rose took a mug from the shelf pouring a generous amount of the brow liquid. Vinnie follow his example even searching out the sugar bowl pouring some into his cup.
Charley blushed at her very large mistake and had to laugh at herself." I'm sorry guys; I guess like a lot of people, I went by how you looked and not by who you are. What say we start over?" she smiled as she took the bowls off the table and began preparing a real breakfast.
They sighed in relief and helped her remove the articles. She then cooked regular breakfast food, plenty of eggs, sausage, bacon, toast and lots more coffee. After she had prepared everything she looked at the happy faces of her houseguest and joined them at the table.
"I won't make that mistake again, you eat what I eat and I think we will be fine."
Before she could sit down, Modo was up and holding the chair for her giving his friends a condemning glare.
"Thank you, Modo, I guess you are the gentleman of this bunch," she smiled
appreciatively.
To be continued….
