Karn was attempting to comfort, the now almost hysterically crying, Tatara, when Charley came out of her bedroom in time to see the little girl dashing back into the guest room.
Karn was beside herself with anger growling
loudly, "the little one only wanted to show her affection. How could he be so
unfeeling and cruel? This child has one of the purest souls I have ever known.
She harbors no one even a mean thought."
Charley walked over to sit on the bed next to Tatara, still at a lost to what
could have happen so fast to hurt her new little friend so deeply, "Vinnie? What
did he do, what's going on?"
"He rejected her, pushed her away like she was a piece of trash. I would expect
that from others but not one who supposedly cares so much for, Smoke. What kind
of misguided creature is that Martian?"
Charley wasn't about to try and explain anything until she found out all the
details, but she reach over and turn the crying child's face toward her and
signed, "Things aren't always the way they look at first. It might not be
as bad as you think. I know Vinnie, he wouldn't hurt you on purpose."
Karn couldn't understand what the two were saying so she touched the child's
head and left the room. As she went down the stairs, she did not try to hide
her anger, "Smoke, you'd better go to her this is more than I know how to
handle. She is beyond any comfort I could give."
Smoke went up to her daughter and saw Charley speaking to her in the new
language. "I'll talk to her now Charley, thanks. The still baffled Earth woman
kissed Tatara's cheek and left her to the comfort of her mother.
Smoke pulled her daughter onto her lap and tenderly picked up the small
trembling hand and held it to her face. In her minds voice she offers what
comfort she could, "I'm sorry he acted like that baby, that you were hurt
so. But I will find out why, I promise."
"He hates me, the part of me that is Plutarkian. I have seen that look
before. Others have look at me like that, turn from me like that. Why do they
hate me, Momma? I don't understand. I try so hard but they still…."
Tatara's anguished voice rang in her Mother's ears and head.
"Why didn't I just die with the others, it would have made everything so
much easier for you"
Smoke looking her directly into Tatara's teary eyes told her, "Don't you
ever say that again? You are one of the few joys I have in my life. Vincent
doesn't hate you; I don't think any of them do. It's the years of pain and
sorrow they've had to endure that they hate. But they aren't important now, you
are. No one has a right to hurt you because of his or her pain. Not Vincent,
not anyone."
Tatara with searching eyes asks, "But you love him so much. What if he
doesn't come back?"
"If he loves me, really loves me than we will work it out.
And if he doesn't than he's not what I want or need. Remember what I told you,
why you are my, Imza. Besides we have to stick together, we're a team you and
me."
"Karn too?" Tatara smiled as she looked lovingly into her mother's
eyes remembering the name and the special reason she was given it.
"Yeah, Karn too." Smoke answered hugging her daughter tightly.
Tatara now all smiles, showed the book Charley had given, and some of the signs.
Smoke proudly looked at her daughter, "How beautiful, I must thank Charley
for this wonderful gift."
Charley briefly watched Karn but could see she who was still fuming as she
growled in a low ominous tone, so she decided to talk with Throttle and Modo
and try to find out what was the horrible thing had Vinnie done. They attempted
to explain what they thought had happened and Charley was shock. She knew
Vinnie was no bastion of control or restraint but to treat some one, especially
a child, in such a harsh fashion puzzled her as much as everyone else.
After a short time, surprisingly, Tatara came
bouncing down the stairs with a face full of smiles holding her new treasure in
her hands. She was going to show Karn and her new friends how to use the new
language. All the things her mother said made her feel much better and she was
going to change the sad mood that had filled the room.
Relieved at her changed of spirit, Throttle knelt down and took her hand
holding it to his face, "You feel better, now? Those eyes are much too
pretty to be filled with tears."
Tatara liked watching him talk and how his low mellow voice made her feels all
warm safe and appreciative at what his actions told her. "Thank you,"
the small voice replied and she released his face and hugged his neck.
Seeing Tatara's smile back in place Karn immediately calmed her spirit and
follow the little girl's leadings when she guided her to sit so that she could
show her how to form some of the signs. Then with a spark of mischief in her eyes
Tatara motioned for Throttle to join them and as he sat down, Tatara popped up
leaving the two to get better aquatinted.
Tatara giggles were heard only in her mind but she was delighted and hope filled.
Modo was her next target, she stared at him for a second then with out a bit of
shyness she took a place right next to him. Taking his hands she showed him the
sign for friend, then pointed toward her. As he looked at her face he couldn't
help but smile and touch it ever so gently. Then to her surprise he signed
family and point to him. She understood and kneeling up she gave him a small
peck on the cheek and hugged his enormous neck. With her tiny hand again to his
cheek she tells him, "Rimfire told me about your little girls and I know
it still makes you very sad, but our being friends will help it not hurt so
much, okay?" Modo almost lost in the child's beautiful blue eyes smiled
and nodded, yes.
Smoke seeing that her daughter was in good hands realized that she could go and
get things straightened out with Mr. Van Wham.
"Charley, can I use your bike?"
"Sure, but do you think you should go after him and how would you find him
any how?"
Smoke pulled out a portable tracking device. "Modo what is the frequency
of Vinnie's bike radio."
Once getting the need information she told Charley. "If we are going to go
any further this has got to be settled now. Karn, I haven't forgotten our
mission but I can't take care of that until I take care of this."
Modo noticing Tatara's sudden change in mood, realizing what her mother was
going to do, swept her up onto his shoulders, still holding her hand to his
face, "Let's go lil darlin', you come on with your Uncle Modo and we can
whip up some eats. I am not too bad with the pots and pans. I can always use a
good helper."
Charley watching the two realized for the first time why Modo had such a fierce
protective love of children. At some time in the past there was another smiling
little girl who occupied those enormous shoulders. She thought, "Daddy's
little girl." Then decided to follow them, she'd just remembered the last
time Modo did any cooking and she was going to protect her poor kitchen.
Beside, after Smoke left she wasn't about to be a third wheel.
As Smoke turned and before leaving she looked at Throttle and then at Karn.
"Hey, make sure you remember this a male not a meal and a pretty cute on
at that."
Smoke hopped on Charley's bike left to find Vinnie. She checked the tracking
device and it was leading her straight to him. She rode out of the city and
before long she was at the deserted area. Finally she saw Vinnie's bike, then
him standing a short distance from it. He had heard the bike coming a ways off
knowing Smoke was the rider, but made no attempt to move from where he was
standing, only watch her approach.
"You know we have to talk about what happen, Vincent."
Vinnie looked away from her; "I told you, I just need some air."
"You have never been a good liar," Smoke said not letting him evade
what had to be said.
Vinnie wheeled around and grabbed her by the shoulders staring coldly into her
eyes, "Okay you want to talk, you want to hear me say it, I can't stand
the sight of her. That so called daughter of yours, makes me sick even to be
near her. She's a bottom dwelling, murderous, PLUTARKIAN!!
Before Smoke could think she slapped Vinnie across the unshielded part of his
face, "HOW DARE YOU JUDGE HER, SHE HAD NO CONTROL OVER WHAT WAS DONE TO
HER, I THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT? YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CONDEMN HER?"
Vinnie grabbed her wrist, "THE DEATH OF MY FAMILY, GAVE ME THE
RIGHT!!!"
Smoke now saw the hatred Tatara did and pulled away.
"You saw how they butchered my parents, experimented on my brother until I
was glad when he finally died. I don't even know how they killed my sister, she
was only a baby." Vinnie's voice was filled with an almost indescribable
grief.
"Do you think I lost any less when my family died?" Smoke now calmer,
tried to remind him. "But Vincent, she is part of our people too. She has
suffered as much as any of us, maybe more. You can't hate her for things she
had no part in, because of how she looks."
"Sorry Sweetheart, that's the way it is. I feel, like I feel." Vinnie
said turning away not able to look at her a moment longer.
Smoke loved him deeply, but if she had to make a choice, she knew what that had
to be, "Vincent, we will be leaving for New York in a few days, you have
to deal with your own demons your own way. But Tatara is my daughter in every
sense of the word and I won't give her up for you or anyone. I love you,"
Smoke walked away, got on the bike and left.
****
Getting back to the garage Smoke fell on the couch exhausted in mind and body.
She hadn't even notice anyone else was there. Charley got up from the table and
asked if she'd like something to eat.
"No thanks, Charley, just some rest."
Tatara feeling her mother's hurt got up and sat next to her snuggling close to
offer her comfort. Smoke put her arms around her daughter and they drew comfort
from each other. Charley signaled Modo to head for the kitchen to let them get
some rest. She got a blanket and put it over them. Smoke held Charley's hand
and with a sad smile gave it a squeeze of thanks. In a short time both mother
and daughter drifted off to sleep.
****
Before too long Vinnie found his way back to the garage and by the time he did,
Modo was doing the clean up in the kitchen and Charley had decided to catch up
on some work out in the garage.
Charley stopped what she was doing and faced him, "So you want to talk,
tell me what's going on?"
Vinnie glared at her. "NO, I DON'T WANNA TALK!"
Charley flared back at him, "EXCUSE ME FOR CARING! Look, don't jump
down my throat, I was only trying to help!"
Charley slammed her tools down and got ready to walk out on him when he gently
held her arm to stop her, "I 'm sorry, Charley girl, don't go,
please."
Before saying anything else she noticed the condition of his hand. "What
happen to your hands it looks like you use them to break down a brick
wall?" Vinnie just shrugged.
"Come here and let me at least clean them up before you get some kind of
infection."
Charley got the first aid kit and gently as she could took his gloves off. She
knew they had to be pretty painful but Vinnie didn't even flinch.
Vinnie's voice was tired and unsure, "You know I love her more than my
life. But I can't change how I feel about those murders. When I see the kid I
see them. I don't want to, but it's in my head and I can't shake it."
Charley finished and while putting things away she thought carefully before
speaking,
"I can't say that I know how you feel. I can't begin to imagine any one
even surviving that kind of horror. But nothing can justify you hating that
child in there. She is a victim herself filled with as much pain. You have to
straighten this out or it's going to cost the most precious thing you'll ever
have."
Just then Modo walked in and attacked Vinnie as soon as he saw him; "So
Slick, come back to cause that baby more heartache."
"Why don't you keep your big stupid face outta my business?" Vinnie fired
back.
Modo's eye flashed bright red, "When you hurt that little girl, I made it my
business, BRO!"
Charley in a vain attempt to stop the warring Martians stepped in between the two,
"Hey you guys are supposed to be bros, family remember? This won't solve
anything."
They glared at each other and Charley just prayed that a brawl wouldn't start.
She had just recovered from the last time these two had a difference of opinion
and this was much worse. Vinnie surprisingly backed down not out of fear but
because he knew Modo had every right to be mad, they all did.
"Your wrong Charley I don't have any family," Vinnie
said as he picked up his gloves, got on his bike and tore out of the garage.
Modo started after him but Charley said, " No! Let him go. He has to work
this out."
Vinnie rode crazier than usual. Trying to out ride all the bad feeling that
filled him.
He finally got to the scoreboard pulled his bike up and fell down on his hammock.
He lay there staring at the ceiling not wanting to think any more.
He put his arms across his tear filled eyes lamenting, "Am I ever going to find any kind of peace in this crazy thing I call my life." It was all he could think before he fell into the sweet blackness of sleep. Sleep, which would release his heart and mind from all the pain, the pain of his past and now his uncertain future.
*****
After Smoke had left to search for Vinnie, Karn turned to Throttle, "Modo
has a deep love of children. I can see it when he looks at Tatara, but you're
other brother, why does he act like that?"
Throttle attempted to explain, "Modo has always had a soft spot for kids,
and he came from a big family, three sisters, and a bunch of nieces and
nephews. He was the first to fix that broken toy or clean a dirty face. He even
had kids of his own, once. Vinnie was a pretty normal kid. He had a brother, a
sister and his parents. Our families were all close; we all grew up together.
Then the Plutarkians came and all sanity left. Vinnie's family was the first to
be taken by the Plutarkian. Then I didn't see him for a few years. I guess
that's when he was in the camp with Smoke.
When we did meet up again he had changed, kind
of a loose canon. We had all lost most of our families one way or the other so
we stayed together. Vinnie has always been a righteous bro; they're when you
need him. But emotional things set him spinning off sometimes. What's going
through his head now is anybody's guess."
Karn sat silently for a moment then barely whispered, "We have all lost
much because of the Plutarkians, if not our homes then ourselves," her
thoughts reflecting sadly on the genocide that all but destroyed her home world.
Throttle knowing that look only too well, cautiously took her hand. She was
surprised, but didn't pull it away, she merely looked at the strangely
appealing Martian male and gave him a small grateful smile.
"I know we just met, but would you like to ride with me to watch the sun
rise? I know a place where we can really enjoy it."
Her natural leeriness made her hesitate for a moment, but after a thought she
agreed to go with him,
"I would love to. I have heard there are many beautiful things to see on this
planet."
Throttle walked over to pick up Karn's coat and put it around her shoulders.
The sweet strange fragrance that surrounded her filled his head sending his
senses reeling. He let his cheek brush against the incredible softness of her
hair, the feeling clouding his head even more. As his strong arms secured the
coat around her shoulders she leaned into them just a bit, it felt good. Before
Throttle could take his hands away she put hers atop them holding them in
place. She turned her head to try and look past the shades and into his eyes.
"I have been told that you hide a lot behind those things."
Tipping the shades just enough for her to see past the glass he smiled as he
told her, "I show what I have to, when I need to."
Throttle called into the kitchen telling Charley and Modo they were going to be
gone for a while. Both came out with Tatara close behind them. Tatara was
snickering as she watched Karn actually letting a male attend to her. She
signed looking at Modo, "family." He nodded yes as the two walked
out.
Karn held him around the waist not really comfortable with letting someone else
have control over her movements. Nor did she like the helmet that fit just a
bit too snug around her head. But the feeling of being so close to Throttle
soon made her forget it and she began to enjoy the ride. Many things were going
through her mind as she could feel the strong toned body in her embrace. She
could also sense sadness and searching in him, feelings they seem to share.
Throttle's mind was also filled with thought. He and Carbine hadn't been
exactly on the best of terms for the past months, to say the least. In fact the
last argument they had, some pretty rotten things were said. The same things
they always argued about or was it just one thing that had gotten way out of
control. They weren't together and instead of the heart growing fonder, her
heart was turning toward someone else. It wasn't anything she said directly, it
was more what she didn't say or said and he refused to hear, that it was over.
He hadn't heard from her since. Now there was this splendid creature holding
him, making him feel like his life was worth something, that he was worth
something. There goes that road again making another twist but this time he was
more then ready for it.
They stopped at beautiful hillside, one that Limburger had failed to destroy
and not many knew about. This place, Throttle kept just for himself. Taking
Karn by the hand he guided her toward a special place where the view was more
beautiful then anything he'd ever seen. She stood breathless looking at the
majestic landscape. The crisp spring day had begun to paint it's magic, the sun
bathing it in colors of red and gold.
"Do these earthlings know what a jewel they have in this world of theirs?"
She said in a little more than a whisper afraid that speaking louder might some
how break the spell the day was weaving.
"They probably don't. I know we didn't until the Plutarkians had taken it
from us."
Karn studied the tall Martian seeing the death of a planet in his face. Sorrow
and pain beyond the brink of sanity, no male's face had ever affected her so
deeply.
They stood for a breath realizing that something was happening, maybe too fast
or not fast enough. He turned to look at the strange beauty standing next to
him. That strange fragrance continued to intoxicate him. Karn remembered what
Smoke had said about Carbine and she knew for herself of the other Martian male
Carbine was spending a lot of time with.
"Some women don't know how good they have it," she chuckled to
herself sadly. But she wasn't going to think about it now. She would just enjoy
the sunrise, the company, and the moment as she slips her hand back into his
and he squeezed it gentle.
****
It was later that evening when Throttle brought Karn back to the garage. Modo
had long since left, Charley and Smoke had been talking about the situation
with Vinnie. They heard Throttle's bike pull up and Charley couldn't help but
wonder how the two had gotten along.
"I hope they hit it off, Karn hasn't had a lot of good in her life and she
needs to have someone to really care about her. With what's happening on Mars
with Ms. Carbine Throttle deserves better too."
Charley only looked at Smoke hoping she wasn't saying what she knew she was.
"That guy has the worst things happen to him. It's a shame too, he is so
sweet and caring and.."
"FINE!" Both squealed then fell into a wild laughter.
Karn walked in with that; he is the man of my life look (mouse in this case). When
she realized that her friends had waited up, she tried to down play what she
was feeling.
"You ladies still up? Well I... umm, I
think I will get right to bed and see you both in the morning."
"Over my dead body!" You don't think you are going anywhere with out
letting us know what happened. Oh I don't think so." Smoke said with both
her hands on her hips.
Karn stopped and looked at her friends for a moment, and then with a big smile
she fell between the two of them on the couch. The three women talked and
shared parts of their lives, late into the night. By the time they had
finished, three friendships had been forged, a sisterhood beyond their
difference races, lives and worlds.
To be continued….