Authors Notes: Hi there! Upset that I'm not updating my other fic? No worries guys, I'm working on it. But I had to do this as a bit of a change. That, and the idea's been haunting my mind for a while now. Its sort of a spin off from my fic "Something to Live For." A Rimfire centered bit of fluff because when you're hooking up everyone on the show with a loving woman, you just cant find it in your heart to leave someone out. Hope you enjoy this! I'm playing with the idea of tying it into the epilogue for "Something To Live For." We'll just have to see. Also forgive any typos. I looked over it carefully but I often miss stuff when correcting my own work.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Biker Mice From Mars or its characters. Names mentioned in here, such as planets and plant life are not real, just a twist of the imagination. Completely fictional. Keighly is mine however.
In My EyesIt was agreed by all that Mars, a now war free planet, was a place of ultimate serenity now that the Plutarkian threat had been eliminated. The battle, as long and has difficult as it had been, had brought out the ugly side of the mice dwelling on the small red planet. It wasn't a fact that they were proud of, but it also wasn't something they were able to avoid. War required guts, it required strength, it required a form of anger born from pain that kept those involved fighting, that kept them in constant awareness of what and who they were fighting for. And when it was finally over, the payoff had been wonderful. They finally had peace once more. They had a chance to rebuild, to relax and to feel the security that they hadn't felt for years.
The latter two came easily enough, but it was the first that they were having difficulties with. Mars' lack of natural resources left much to be desired. The war had turned their once beautiful planet into a harsh desert of swirling sands. The only form of vegetation, if it could even be called that, were the scraggly arigol trees that fought determinedly to stay alive. Though now they were little more than weeds.
Plans had been made though. In the beginning stages of war, those who were worried for their planet natural resources had gathered samples of its flowers, its trees, even the shrubs none of the inhabitants really cared for, and had made a home for them far within the walls of their base.
The room chosen had been a cavernous old garage with a domed skylight and it looked pitiful at first with the potted plant life just sitting in the middle of the floor bathed in moonlight. But over the years, as the battle waged on and more things had been gathered, it had been turned into a lush green house. It was as if they had taken a small square of their beloved planet and managed to save it in this old garage. During a lull in the fighting, the mice had undergone construction, adding a good-sized pond to their little slice of home.
Trees now reached towards the ceiling, flowers of vibrant violets, deep pinks and stunning gold carpeted the ground and hung from vines that crept up the walls. Water spilled from a waterfall over the pond, its rhythm soothing and strategically placed lights that could be dimmed when needed, spilled light over the foliage. More wavered in the depths of the pond and shone from underneath the rocks of the waterfall. It was beautiful. Their own little slice of heaven. It would be used to bring Mars back to its full glory in time.
Right now, in the middle of the night as the occupants of the base enjoyed the luxury of a long sleep, the lights were off save for those in the pond and one of Mars' moons spilled its slivery glow through the domed skylight. The only sounds were that of the waterfall, and the soft humming of the one mouse that had been unable to sleep.
She sat at the ponds edge, her legs dangling in the water, her pale green eyes staring at the ripples that moved away from her legs as she kicked them slowly back and forth. The tune she hummed was a sad one, straight from a heart that was slowly deteriorating within her.
Keighly had been one of the many that had been recovered from the Plutarkian prisons. She had also been the only one who'd been there before the war started. Her enslavement with the horrible Martians had begun when she was ten, still only a child. But even that fact didn't stop the morbid fascinations of the fish like creatures because Keighly wasn't like the other mice. Oh no, she was much different. She was a half-breed.
Her father, Gyver, had been a fierce general of the Martian Army on Mars and her mother had been the woman who saved him. He'd been cruising through space for thrills and gotten caught in a meteor storm. His ship had landed on a tiny planet, one that remained overlooked for the most part and was home to a humanoid type species. Their existence was unknown until the fateful day her father crash-landed on the planet.
It was by the hand of Keighly's mother, Serafina, that the Martian general had been brought back to full health and it was her beautiful face with those haunting green eyes framed by spun gold hair that he'd fallen in love with. For ten years of her life, Keighly had known nothing but the intense love of her parents. But then came the war.
The fact that remained unknown to the populace of Mars was that Excelsius, her mothers home, had been the first planet conquered by the Plutarkian threat. Gyver had fought by their sides but even with his help, their existence was wiped out. They simply didn't understand fighting. They had known no such thing in their lives.
Serafina had been amongst the last to die and seeing his wife murdered so brutally right before him had caused Gyver to beg for them to take him as well. Though he loved his daughter, the love he had for his wife was all consuming and made him blind to the fact that there was still a young child that depended upon him. In the end, they killed him as well. They killed everyone. Everyone…but Keighly.
They'd taken her, taken her by the request of a frightening man with a large head and a voice that still haunted her dreams to this very day. Karbunkle, they had called him. Oh, had he ever loved the sight of her. She was an enigma, he claimed. "Such an extraordinary creature. I simply must have her."
And so the years of endless torture had begun. At first it had been far worse than any nightmare, but as the years progressed Keighly became numb. She simply couldn't find it within her to care about what the crazed scientist or the Plutarkian's did to her. Her parents were dead and all she could do was hope to join them. They could throw experiment after experiment at her, fill her body with chemicals, slake their horrible lusts and she could only hope that one day it would destroy her.
But fate wouldn't allow that.
When she was thirteen, there were others. Mice…like her, but not like her. And they knew it. They stared at her with wary eyes, kept as far away from her as possible. She couldn't blame them. She didn't care enough to do that. She knew what she looked like. She knew the extent of the damage done to her by numerous and pointless experiments.
She heard their torment though, heard their pitiful screams and sobs, and maybe somewhere within her she mourned them. But she knew there would be no end and saw no point in hoping for a better life. She didn't see why they should. Freedom would never come.
And then it had. So unexpectedly…it had.
When she was nearing twenty, war on Mars had come to an end, the Plutarkian's were only a few now and even those knew their time was limited. The mice had come. They saved their own and she was certain they would have left her had it not been for one man. Stoker…he'd pushed his way past those leaving, he'd seen her cowering in the corners and when their eyes met they knew. They knew they had a connection, one that lie in his brother, Gyver.
As he reached for her, radiating comfort and understanding, Keighly's heart, a heart she had thought was incapable of feeling anything, had filled with hope and the gut wrenching sorrow that would take a lifetime to abate had rose to the surface with the force of a sandstorm. He'd gathered her starved body in his arms and he'd cried for her, even as she cried for herself. And he'd promised a better life.
Now, staring at her reflection, she couldn't help but feel a pang of anger because that better life had yet to appear.
She was a woman, and she knew by the guarded, yet appreciative looks she received from some of the males, that she wasn't exactly hard on the eyes. She was tall, having gained that gene from her father and she also had a tail, two ears and antenna, though hers were an opaque green instead of red. The rest of her however, was all her mother-the pale green eyes, the spun gold hair that hung in waves past her shoulders and the human features. The fur that covered her body was very fine and looked more like deeply tanned skin. One had to be extremely close to tell the difference, and none were willing to get within a few feet of her. They were afraid of her…her, the half-breed.
And she had no doubt it was that fact that kept them all at a distance. She'd seen others who'd undergone Karbunkle's surgeries. She'd seen what he'd left of them. Stoker was an example, with his bionic tail. She was another, though what the scientist had done to her was necessary. She'd been poked and prodded with so many needles that it had weakened her skin. The only way to save her from bleeding to death was to replace the damaged cells with a thin metal. It started at he back of her hands, curled around her wrists and ran from the back of her wrists all the way up past the crook of her elbow. After that Karbunkle had taken pains to never poke a needle in the same place twice. No, that couldn't possibly be the reason people kept their distance.
Tears stung Keighly's eyes and she ducked her head, closing them tightly. It all seemed so unfair…leaving behind one horrible life and exchanging it for another. At least when she'd been a prisoner she had been alone…she'd been numb to everything.
Here, she cared what they thought, she needed to be talked to, to be welcomed but the only one who'd done that was her uncle Stoker. The others watched her with untrusting eyes, the women whispered to each other and snickered behind their hands, the children made nasty rhymes and like the women, they too whispered.
She was a freak, alone in this world with nothing but her pain to keep her company. She hunched over, wrapping her arms around herself in a desperate need for some form of comfort, and sobbed quietly as the moon spilled its silver light over her.
Rimfire swallowed a lump of emotion that had lodged itself in his throat as he watched the young woman sitting at the ponds edge. She was crying, again. He'd seen her do that many times and she always thought she was alone. Every time she'd been here, and every time he'd come to see her, standing in the shadows to admire her in secret. Like a moth to the flame he was drawn to her and it wasn't something he had any desire to put an end to.
Keighly was an amazing woman, one who'd known a life filled with torment and yet, had lived through it. And she was beautiful, lord was she ever beautiful. She was the kind of woman Vinnie would have taken an instant interest in but he had a life back on earth with Jaiden, something Rimfire was incredibly grateful for. It would be a low blow to his self-esteem to see Keighly swept off her feet by Mr. Charisma. Especially when he wanted to be with her so badly.
He knew what the others said about her. She was different, she didn't belong, she was tainted. They were all wrong. She did belong. She belonged as much as he did and he pitied them for not being able to see beyond the breeding. She was a product of love, or so he'd heard from Stoker, and he'd been raised to believe that anything that came from love was good. Why couldn't the others see that? Keighly was hurting so much and all they cared about was how she'd come to exist. His fellow Martians may have been peaceful, but they sure as hell had issues when it came to being understanding.
Pushing away from doorjamb he was leaning against, Rimfire sighed and brushed his hand through a mass of unruly dark brown hair with light tan stripe down the center. He'd been arguing with himself for over a month now on how best to get over his shyness and approach Keighly and it never seemed like there was a right time. He was beginning to see though, that there probably never would be. There was, however, going to be less time to do it in if he didn't hurry. The more time he wasted, the more walls she would build around herself until there was a sturdy fortress keeping him from the heart of the woman he wanted to protect.
It was now…or quite possibly never.
He took one more minute to study her, sitting there in a pair of tiny white shorts and a forest green tank top. She was still a little on the skinny side and voluptuous would possibly never be a word used to describe her, but she was perfect to him.
Drawing a shaky breath, he straightened his black sleeveless shirt and started forward. The gentle swish of his cargo pants rubbing as he moved alerted her immediately and she spun around with a startled gasp. He froze.
It took several long seconds for him to finally find his voice and when he spoke he barley managed to keep himself from flinching at how weak it sounded. "Keighly?"
She nodded once, very slowly, as if she were afraid that giving any form of confirmation would have him leaping for her throat. One slender hand raised and curled into a ball, resting just above the valley of her pert breasts.
"I…I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm Rimfire."
"I know who you are," she said, her whisper soft voice hardly reaching his sensitive ears. "My…uncle's told me about you."
It was his turn to nod then, which he did because he really couldn't think of what else to do. This is going to get really uncomfortable if you don't say something quick, his mind quipped dryly. Clearing his throat, he inclined his head to the spot of grass next to her. "Mind if I sit down?"
She looked truly shocked and did nothing to hide it. Her eyes showed a range of emotions-fear, anxiety, suspicion, curiosity. He thought immediately that she was going to tell him to leave, to accuse him of coming to stare at her. He'd heard some of his friends (whom he was starting to regret even befriending) daring each other to get a closer look at the "hottie freak" and it never failed to disgust him. Had it not been for his uncle Modo instilling such high morals in him, he would have personally beaten the hell out of every single one of them instead of walking away. She surprised him though saying, albeit timidly, "okay."
Hoping that she wasn't able to sense how nervous he was, he joined her next to the pond, offering her a friendly smile. "So you come here a lot, huh?"
"Yes."
Okay, off to a bit of a rocky start. He'd expected that. He pulled up a leg and rolled his olive green pants up to the knee. "Can't blame ya. I used to come her a lot too. It's the only place I could actually think. When they started this whole thing, they didn't expect it to get as far as it got, but I guess it's a good thing it did." He put his leg in the water and pulled up the other, rolling up that cuff as well. "It'll be a big help in getting the ecosystem back up and running. It'll take a long time but I've been doing some research on methods that might help out a bit. We'll need some resources from earth but a couple buddies of our will probably help out with that."
"What are you doing?" Keighly suddenly asked. Her voice had a raw edge to it and her pale green eyes had hardened considerably.
Rimfire slowly placed the other leg in the tepid waters and swallowed hard as he met that icy gaze. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…what are you doing? Did your friends put you up to this?" Her body tensed with every word. "Did you just come her to get a nice long look at the walking sideshow? Is that it?"
"No…I just…"
"You just what? Wanted to take a few shots at me personally? Talking about me behind my back wasn't enough?" Tears started to stream down her face as her body visibly trembled. "How very brave of you. Well, go for it then. Give me your best damn shot but it wont be anything compared to what those…those things did to me."
Rimfire wasn't sure if it was the sting in her words, the anger with his fellow mice or the mention of the Plutarkian's that set him off, but he snapped. "No! I didn't come here because of some stupid bet and I definitely didn't come here to take a shot at you! I came here because I want to get to know you okay? I know that may seem hard to believe because of the way you've been treated here, but it's the truth. I happen to like you. Hell, I've liked you from the minute I laid eyes on you and to hell with what the others think! I've spent the last month trying to get up the courage to talk to you, you know that? The last month! Is it that hard to believe that there's one person here who thinks you're something special?"
Out of breath and shocked by what had just spilled out of his mouth, Rimfire stared at Keighly as she weighed his words. The tears kept coming, but he saw the tension quickly drain out of her.
"Yes."
The word was a whispered, anguished sob that tore at his heart and made him feel like a rat for lashing out at her the way he had. Without thinking he took her hand in his and lifted the other to cradle her face. Then, he let his heart do the talking.
"Well believe it, because I do. Seeing you cry tears me apart. I see your pain and I want to do anything in my power to make it go away. I wish I could make you forget what happened…I've never wished so hard for something." He felt choked with emotion and he didn't care. Let this girl see what she did to him. Let her see how he felt. "I want to protect you."
Her pale green eyes stared up at him and they were so sad. "How is that possible? How could you care for someone like me…a half-breed? A…a freak?"
Rimfire shook his head. Dropping his hand, he hesitantly wrapped it around her waist and pulled her close. She tensed, but he knew she needed to be held. She needed to know that he wasn't like the other mice. "In my eyes Keighly, you're beautiful," he whispered.
Her shoulders jerked spasmodically as she fought with her own roiling emotions and then she gave in, falling into his arms. Rimfire turned to the side and pulled her into his lap, holding her as close as he could, burying his face in the curve of her neck and sharing her sorrow. He imagined he could take it all away like that, just by holding her. But he knew he couldn't. That would take time, time he was all too willing to give her.
When she pressed closer to him and her arms circled his waist as her tail found and wrapped around his, he was certain that he was going to love this woman. Maybe he already did. It wouldn't surprise him. He'd admired her from afar for so long.
It was a long time before Keighly regained her composure and even then she was still shaking. That couldn't be helped. After spending such a huge part of her life in a deadened state of shock and coming out of it only to find a handsome mouse waiting to pick her up and keep her safe, she was bound to be a little unsteady. She lifted her head from his shoulder, pulled back a ways and stared up into dark solemn eyes that spoke nothing but the truth. "Thank you Rimfire…for saving me," she whispered.
"Thank you for letting me."
Unable to stop himself, Rimfire lowered his head and kissed her once, gently brushing his lips over hers. He pulled away to search her eyes for any trace of uncertainly and she was quick to pull him back, making a tiny sound, a plea, as she pressed soft, full lips against his. She buried her fingers in his hair, he tightened his arms around her and they surrendered to a need that was far deeper than they had first realized.
"I don't think I can let you go. Not after this," Keighly whispered raggedly when they broke apart for air. "I'll wake up tomorrow only to find out I was just dreaming."
Rimfire trembled as he moved his hands restlessly up and down her back. "Then wake up next to me and you'll know it wasn't."
"I can't do that. We hardly know each other." Her breathing was labored, her lips hovered mere centimeters from his.
"Stay with me. We'll talk. That's all. We'll talk and figure out everything there is to know." He gave her a charming smile that she couldn't possibly resist. "I'll even warn you of all my little quirks."
"Yes." She nodded, a quick up and down jerk of her head and then she was kissing him again, pressing her body against his with an urgency born from years of being untouched.
Rimfire groaned softly, a sound that was lost between lips that moved sensuously over each other. Somehow, though he really didn't know how he managed it, Rimfire pulled away and put some space between them. "Okay. You stay with me. But this…this has to stop or we wont be doing any of that talking."
Keighly's eyes sparkled mischievously and she laughed. "Agreed."
Rimfire stood, cradling Keighly in his arms, then left the conservatory and headed quietly for his room only a few doors away. Thankfully, it was late and there was no one around to see them or watch as the young Freedom Fighter carried his lady into his private quarters. He easily found his bed and settled Keighly on top of it, coming down beside her. She wasted no time getting close and as his body reacted to the sudden intimacy of being alone in a bed with a female, his heart broke. She was starved for friendly contact.
Keighly propped one arm under her head, he did the same, taking her hand in his, brushing his thumb over the downy soft fur that covered her knuckles. Legs entwined, tails entwined, the two smiled shyly at each other.
"So?" Keighly prompted.
And in a matter of hours they felt like they had known each other their entire lives. It took some tears, and several breaks but they didn't stop until everything had been laid out and contemplated. When light started spilling through the blinds, Rimfire propped himself up on his elbow and closed them, sealing out the light. He released a yawn as he resettled himself and choked on a startled laugh. Keighly was out. Without a second though, he joined her. Sleep seemed to come much easier with her there.
It was late afternoon by the time Rimfire finally managed to pull out of his deep slumber and judging by the tempting smells drifting into his room, it was lunchtime. His stomach growled in anticipation. First things first though.
He nuzzled the soft curve of Keighly's neck, tightening his arm around her slim waist. "Hey Keighly honey, time to wake up."
She stirred a little, then turned her head. A smile was curving her lips even before she opened those stunning green eyes. "Not a dream," she whispered.
"Nope. Not a dream." He pulled her more firmly against him. This was a feeling that would be all too easy to grow accustomed to. "You hungry?"
"Mm-hmm." Rolling onto her back, she stared sleepily up at him. "You really think we should do this?"
"I think we have to. You would have had to do it sooner or later. At least now you've got someone to face them with."
Keighly covered her face with her hand, rubbing her forehead. It was a clear sign of apprehension and for a brief second, Rimfire thought about not making her go through with it. But it had to be done. She had to face her fear of others scrutiny, of their possible rejection and keep her head high. He knew she had it in her to do so, especially with him at her side.
"Alright." She sighed and dropped her hand to her side. "Okay. Let's get this over with."
They went about getting ready slowly, giving Keighly time to prepare herself for facing a mess hall full of mice who had regarded her with nothing but suspicion and distrust. Checking the hall for people (Rimfire had no desire to go ruining Keighly's reputation) they made their way to Keighly's room which was up a flight of stairs and a few doors down. Rimfire waited in the hallway for her, greeting friends when they came by but starting no conversations.
When she came out of her room, his breath lodged in his throat. Never had he seen her look quite so appealing. She'd pulled her hair back from her face and two pairs of silver hoops dangled from her dainty ears. The shorts and tank top had been exchanged for a gauzy spaghetti strapped, lavender dress that was too short but worn over a pair of blue jeans that hugged her hips and legs and flared out over a pair of small feet adorned with uncomplicated sandals.
Rimfire pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, not caring who saw.
"That good, huh?" she asked shakily. She was smiling, the question had a joking tone to it, but he could tell she was terrified.
He gave her a reassuring smile, taking her hand and slipping his fingers through hers. "Lets get some food. I'm starving."
Keighly was too but that didn't stop her from wanting to turn tail and run. The closer they got to the mess hall, the more anxious she felt. She had to fight the urge to scream no and retreat to the safety of her room. Rimfire had been right though. She would have had to do it sooner or later. She couldn't spend a lifetime waiting for the mess hall to clear out so she could sneak in and get food when needed and she couldn't keep being afraid.
She did, however, pull to a stop when the double doors were right in front of them. She could hear the multitude of voices inside, she could picture how many people were sitting there, unaware that the half-breed was about to make a stand. The unbearable thought of people refusing to finish their meals with her in the room crossed her mind and she flinched. No, can't think like that. She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly.
Rimfire's arm was suddenly around her waist and with it came a great sense of security. She looked up at him, looked into those dark eyes that hid nothing. He would protect her. This amazing man who'd come so unexpectedly into her life and shown her that someone did care, would keep her safe. She knew it. She loved him for it.
"You're okay," he said softly.
She nodded quickly, licking her lips. "Yeah."
The brief pressure at her waist propelled her forward and she steeled herself. Through the doors, the short hallway, and into the open. It took a while for their presence to be noticed but as soon as it was, the room went silent. Heads turned, some eyes narrowed dangerously.
Breath Keighly, breath, she reminded herself as she went cold with dread. Had it not been for Rimfire steering her towards the line where the food waited, she would have stood there, unmoving.
"You're doing great Keighly," he murmured close to her ear.
She heard a shocked gasp, followed by the buzz of a whisper and mortification stained her cheeks red. "They don't want me here."
"Well that's just too damn bad, because I do."
She let him fill a plate for her and took both his and hers, afraid that she would loose all composure if his arm left her waist for more than a second. When they turned to face the room, to face the crowd watching them, Keighly felt as if she had just walked into that popular nightmare. How did it go? Something about walking into a room buck-naked and having everyone laugh at you. Yes, that was definitely how it felt.
Beside her, Rimfire could barley keep his anger in check. They weren't even giving her a chance. Some of them were actually glaring at him! He could tell what they were thinking without having to hear it. "How dare you bring that freak in here." So he glared back. He was furious with all of them. Bunch of narrow minded, filthy sons of-.
"Rimfire, Keighly!"
The young Freedom Fighter's head jerked towards the sound of the bubbly voice. A young woman with his coloring and similar features came towards them, smiling brightly. Primer…good lord he could kiss that girl!
"Hey there big brother. I didn't see you at breakfast and was getting all worried until I remembered what a slacker you are," she joked, delivering a soft blow to his arm. She then turned to Keighly, the friendly smile still in place. "Hi there. I know you're name but we've never really met. I'm Primer, Rimfire's sister."
"I…um…" At a loss for words and a loss of hands, Keighly smiled helplessly and shrugged.
"Hey, not a problem. We saved you two a seat so come on over and take a load off. I don't see you here this morning either so I can imagine how hungry you are. I'm a bottomless pit myself." The younger woman laughed and patted a flat stomach. "But anyway, come on." She took Keighly's other arm and helped her brother escort her to a table of younger mice who looked at Keighly curiously, but also wore the same welcoming smiles Primer had.
As they sat, the talking resumed and things returned to normal. Keighly could scarcely believe it, yet there it was. With the help of Rimfire and Primer, she'd been accepted by a group of mice her age who were all eager to get to know her. Seeing their acceptance of her had apparently caused a majority of the other mice to see her in a different light as well.
She wanted to cry. The relief was just too great. Sensing this, Rimfire put his arm around her and offered her a silent form of support that did wonders. She leaned against him and with a confidence she never knew she possessed, she set about making friends.
On the far side of the room, at a table of mice that all remained relatively quiet about the whole event that had just taken place, Stoker watched his niece with Rimfire and smiled. He'd seen this coming. Rimfire had been way too inquisitive for him not to. But he couldn't be happier. He would have given his life to see a light in Keighly's eyes. As it turned out though, there'd been no need for such drastic measures. All he'd really have to do was give cupid a push in the right direction.
He chuckled, shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth. Wonder what his boys on earth would say if they could see their little Rookie now. His wife, Carbine, was going to be thrilled. She'd loved Keighly like a daughter from the get go. Oh mama…this was probably going to start up the mention of wedding plans. Lord, it was going to be one of those years.