Murphy and Cassidan returned after a leisurely coffee break to find a still-surly but much chastened Merv back behind the desk. They ignored him as they entered the rear of the police station and knocked cautiously on the cell wall to announce their arrival.
A tousled looking but clothed Charlie greeted them.
"Officer, there's been some mistake! You've got the wrong woman!" she said anxiously.
"Charlie-girl, I just told you why we're in prison!" a tired male voice called out to her.
"Stop lying Vinnie! It's not funny!" she yelled at her husband.
"Ma'am, do you remember anything of the past hour?" Murphy solicitously asked the confused-looking female.
"Vinnie and I were talking, he made up some cock and bull story to do with his painkillers and the next thing I know, I'm naked in a police station cell!" she replied. Rounding on her husband, she shook her finger in his face. "You drugged me didn't you!" she accused him.
"Is this true?" Cassidan asked, glaring disapprovingly at Vinnie.
"Of course not!" Vinnie said, dropping his head into his hands. He wished Charlie could remember what happened, remember anything at all that would convince his wife he wasn't the monster she currently thought him to be.
Surprisingly, rescue came from an unexpected quarter.
"I don't know of any such drug that can cause the type of reactions you were displaying ma'am. And all the known date-rape drugs cause the victim to be unable to resist physically. You were using strength not even steroids could produce in a woman" Murphy said. "And your friend is right, you were in the city park, you literally could not keep your hands off him and certainly didn't like the notion of anyone interfering!"
"You even kicked me in the nuts when we tried to stop you!" Cassidan supplied helpfully.
"Did I?" Charlie asked sadly.
Two male heads nodded in confirmation.
"Sorry!" Charlie said ashamedly, pulling a sympathetic face.
"And then you threw Merv into the wall!" Cassidan said gleefully, remembering the fat officer's face meeting with the brickwork.
"I'd better apologise to him too" Charlie said anxiously.
"No!" Murphy and Cassidan said in unison.
At her distressed expression, Murphy put his arm round the young woman's shoulder and led her to the spare bed.
"Lass, he's had it coming for years. Trust me, this is one apology you don't need to make. He's going to be a lot more respectful from now on, especially if I drop hints that you might be popping in to visit every now and then, and we'll make darn sure he doesn't try for any assault charges!" Murphy said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Murphy, do we have to book 'em? I mean, she did teach Merv how to fly!" Cassidan said to his superior. The youngster didn't harbour a grudge against Charlie since she had expressed genuine remorse over her actions toward him.
Murphy looked at his partner, looked at Vinnie who hadn't raised his head the whole time and at the still distressed Charlie. He struggled with his police training and finally gave in.
"I'll have to issue you with a warning, but I won't book you. You'll stay overnight at the station and the boys will let you out in the morning" he told her gently.
Charlie squealed with delight and threw her arms round the officer's neck. She hugged Cassidan as well who tensed slightly and moved his private regions out of harm's way.
"Thank you!" Vinnie said gratefully, shaking the officers' hands.
"You're bike is in the back. It'll be brought round in the morning" Murphy said.
"Can I make a phone call? I need to let my roommate know where I am before she starts panicking" asked Charlie.
"Sure. We'll get one of the juniors take you through" Murphy promised, standing up. "Now, Cassidan and I have to do up the paperwork and then we're back on patrol for another few hours, so we won't see you in the morning."
"And remember, no more public shenanigans!" Cassidan replied with a jaunty wink as he followed Murphy out of the cell.
Murphy relocked the cell and left with Cassidan to sort out the necessary paperwork at their desks, leaving instructions with one of the junior officers to give Charlie her free phone call.
Vinnie stretched out on his bed and put his arm over his eyes, exhausted from his wife's demands and the excitement of the night's activities. He soon started snoring gently as he drifted off to sleep. Charlie watched him for a while, got bored and started to read some of the graffiti lining the cell walls. She was halfway through reading a rather descriptive piece about a young lady from Venus when a key was turned in the cell's door. Making a mental note to herself to finish the poem after her phone call, she turned to the visitor.
A buxom female police officer of Hispanic descent was standing in the entrance, glancing at the sleeping Vinnie. She turned to Charlie with an appreciative smile.
"Your boyfriend is really hot! I don't blame you for getting jiggy in the park. I'd do exactly the same myself if I had a gorgeous man like that" she said in a friendly manner.
Charlie gave her a half-smile. "Actually, he's my husband" she said, correcting the officer's mistake.
"Smart girl" the officer said approvingly.
"Beg yours?" Charlie asked confused.
"Marrying him. No point in letting some chica snatch him out from under your nose" the officer replied, whose name badge said 'Jensen'. "Murphy said you wanted your phone call. Come with me."
Charlie followed the officer out to the hall where there were several pay phones located on the wall. Jensen handed a quarter to Charlie and retired a discrete distance from her charge.
Charlie selected one of the more hygienic looking phones and put the quarter in, dialling the Last Chance. It rang for several seconds before a sleepy sounding Carbine finally answered it.
When she realised it was Charlie, she came instantly alert.
"How was your talk?" she asked, her voice heavy with innuendo.
"Interesting to say the least. Vinnie finally came clean and told me what's going on, well more to the point he decided to show me since I didn't believe him at first. As a result, we now have to spend the night in prison" Charlie replied.
"I'll grab the boys and we'll have you out in twenty minutes!" Carbine promised, clearly upset her friend was in police custody.
"It's okay Carbine. We're being let off with a warning, but we have to stay overnight to 'learn our lesson'. We'll be back sometime in the morning. Will you be alright by yourself?" Charlie asked.
"I'll be fine. I can always call Fuzzybuns if I get scared of the dark!" Carbine replied, a cheeky grin in her voice.
Charlie bit back her laughter, glancing sidelong at Jensen who was tapping her watch to show Charlie her time was nearly up.
"I gotta go Carbs, let the boys know about Vinnie and I'll see you tomorrow" Charlie said.
Charlie put the receiver back on its hook and followed Jensen back to the cell, thanked her for the phone call, finished reading her poem and moved to lie down on the spare bed. Unfortunately, the mattress was lumpy and oddly shaped from previous tenants and she tossed and turned for several minutes, trying to get comfortable.
The protesting squeaks of the opposite bed as Charlie attempted to pound some comfort back into the mattress, eventually woke Vinnie. After what seemed forever, he called out to her "Charlie-girl, why don't you come and sleep here with me?"
Giving up the mattress war, Charlie grabbed her pillow and joined Vinnie on his bunk. He spooned her from behind, his back resting against the cell wall, one arm tightly wrapped round her waist and the other supporting her head. Thus surrounded by a wall of warm male flesh, Charlie was finally able to sleep. Her husband waited till he was sure she was asleep before continuing with his snoring.
The cell door being opened startled Charlie awake and she lifted her head from Vinnie's shoulder to peer blearily at the intruder.
"Rise and shine kiddies!" a smiling Jensen said. In each hand she carried a mug of steaming coffee and the smell wafted through the small cell.
Waving the cup under Vinnie's nose caused his nostrils to sniff spasmodically. Before his eyes were even open, his brain was already commanding his hand to reach out and accept the black goodness.
"I took a punt on how you might like it" Jensen said as she handed the spare mug to Charlie.
Charlie took a cautious sip and as the liquid flowed down her throat, warming her belly, she exhaled in appreciation. "Perfect!" she said, taking another sip.
Vinnie settled for a thumbs up as he was too busy guzzling his down to express his appreciation verbally.
"I'll let you finish that, just come out to the front when you're done and we'll get the paperwork out of the way and you'll be free to go" Jensen said, leaving the sleepy duo to wake up fully.
After rearranging his clothing and smoothing his fur down, Vinnie passed the time waiting for Charlie to finish by reading the graffiti on the walls.
"There was a young woman from Venus…" he read out loud and then stopped, his eyes growing wide.
Charlie chuckled at his expression, mentally finishing what the poem said. It was a rather clever, albeit lewd piece that didn't leave the mind too easily. She drained the mug, pulled her shoes on and told Vinnie she was ready to go.
Still blushing from the poem's contents, Vinnie followed his wife out and joined her at the front desk where, thankfully, Officer Merv was not on duty. Instead, Jensen showed them where to sign on the warning form, issued them with a copy and then pointed out where Sweetheart stood waiting. Several officers bid them good morning and one cheekily suggested a hotel room next time they were feeling romantic as they made their way out of the station.
The sunlight blinded their eyes temporarily until they could adjust to the extra lighting. Sweetheart purred happily at seeing them and revved her engine, clearly ready to get going. Once they were aboard, the red cycle didn't wait for instructions from her owner, but shot off for the Last Chance at break-neck speed. She rolled into the driveway, honking a salute to the waving Carbine and rolled into the garage repair area.
"The boys will be over for breakfast in a minute, we're getting hotdogs. Do you want any?" Carbine asked Charlie.
"I've got waffle mix if you want to have that instead" Charlie supplied helpfully.
"Waffles? I've never had those before. What are they like?" Carbine asked, interested at trying something new.
"Delicious. We'll need cream, berries, chocolate sauce and…." Charlie stopped talking when she saw the blank look on Carbine's face. Sighing, she ran her hand through her hair. "Tell you what, let the boys know we're having waffles and I'll go to the shops myself."
"Ask Throttle to pick it up. We need to get cleaned up!" Vinnie suggested to Carbine as she led the way inside the living room.
"Will he know what to get?" Carbine asked, unsure her beloved was capable of shopping for anything that didn't incorporate hotdog ingredients.
Charlie wrinkled her brow at the question. "Is that a trick question? I mean, it's Throttle after all, not Vinnie."
"Ha ha ha! You crack me up sweetheart" Vinnie replied sarcastically, slapping his wife's behind.
She growled and swung at him but he ruffled her hair into her eyes so she couldn't see and bolted from the living room to check on his motorbike. Seeing she hadn't suffered any harm from her overnight stay, he next checked the camera installed into Sweetheart's front.
"Did you get it all?" he asked the bike as he turned the camera display on.
Sweetheart beeped in confirmation and somehow managed to look embarrassed at the same time.
"I know Sweetheart, I'm sorry to put you through all that but you're the only one I could trust. Charlie-girl is the type that has to see it to believe it."
"See what to believe it?" Charlie asked from behind him.
Vinnie didn't turn to look at her, too busy skipping through the first few seconds of the footage. "Last night's adventures" he replied.
Charlie's brows shot up and she looked speechless. "I think getting arrested by the police was more than enough proof for me" she managed to finally say.
"I still think you should see it for yourself" Vinnie replied, waving her over to Sweetheart when he reached the point in the film he was looking for.
Hands in pockets, Charlie reluctantly came round Sweetheart's other side as Vinnie started the recording. At first there was only a picture of the park's grass and surroundings but their voices could be heard.
"I don't want to ask Stoker. It's the most ridiculous, albeit highly entertaining, story you've ever come up with. Now, are you going to tell me what really happened?" Charlie said.
"I guess I'm just going to have to prove it to you then" Vinnie's voice replied.
"Fine with me" Charlie chuckled on the film.
More conversation followed before the film Vinnie and Charlie finally put in a physical appearance.
The roar of bike engines signalled the arrival of Stoker, Modo and Throttle and a door slamming closed indicated Carbine had gone out meet the Martian males.
"I'll be back in a minute. I want to make sure the bros get the right chocolate sauce" Vinnie said to Charlie.
She only nodded vaguely, too engrossed in what was happening on the film to pay much notice to anything else around her.
Vinnie ran out to the front to greet his bros and Stoker. He ignored their rapid-fire questions as to what had happened last night, saying it was not something he felt like discussing at the moment and could they get the 'Richies Delicious' brand of chocolate sauce. He pointedly ignored Stoker who was snickering behind his hand the whole time.
Carbine decided to leave her ride at the garage and settled behind Throttle, who's tail wrapped snugly round her waist and pulled her tighter against him.
"Is Charlie-ma'am ok?" Modo asked, noting the mechanic hadn't come out to meet them.
"She's fine. She's watching a…uh…love story" Vinnie finished lamely.
"Must be one hell of a love-story" Stoker remarked and leered at the white mouse.
"You have no idea old-timer!" Vinnie replied, grinning despite himself.
"VINNIE! GET IN HERE!" Charlie bellowed from inside the garage.
All the mice winced as the female holler penetrated to their sensitive ear-drums.
"Better see what she wants before the morgue complains about the noise!" Vinnie said, turning to see what his beloved wanted to drag him over the coals for this time.
The other mice decided to get out of sight as quickly as possible, just in case they were next on the irate mechanic's list.
Vinnie ran inside and stopped short. Charlie was shaking her head at him, a shadow of a grin hovering round her lips.
"Is that even legal!" she asked him, pointing her finger at a paused piece of the film.
Seeing what she was pointing at, Vinnie turned beet red. "To be honest, I don't really know" he replied. "But fair's fair, you egged me on!" he added hastily in his defence.
"I noticed!" Charlie replied dryly, her smile turning into a grin. She soon grew sober though. "Vinnie, you need to destroy this tape and you most definitely need to get rid of those pills. They're dangerous!" she said, as she ejected the disc out of Sweetheart's camera.
To his credit, Vinnie only hesitated slightly, though he did look wistful when he tossed the disc in front of Sweetheart and ordered her to laser it. She complied with gusto, disc dust floating in a cloud in front of her.
"And the pills" Charlie said, holding out her hand.
Sighing, he pulled them out of his pants and tossed them to her. Turning sharply on her heel, Charlie went to the bathroom and tipped the pills down the toilet, watching to make sure every last one of them disappeared out of sight. Satisfied, she dropped the empty bottle into the kitchen garbage.
"Now what?" Vinnie asked from behind her, his hands tucked away in his pockets.
In answer, Charlie walked over and stood on tip-toes, catching his lips with her own. It was sweet and strangely seductive for such a short kiss.
"I don't know about you boy-scout, but I wouldn't mind trying that again, without being under the influence of some kind of drug!" she said, grinning wickedly when she drew back.
Vinnie's eyebrows rose ever so slightly. "You're not under the influence of anything right now" he pointed out hopefully.
"Vinnie!" Charlie exclaimed, chuckling despite herself. "And this from the guy in Vegas who swore not to let me near him again!"
"Oh, didn't I tell you sweetheart? I have a very short memory!" Vinnie said as he scooped her up into his arms.
The thrum of several motorcycle engines outside the garage door made him pause mid flight.
"Just great" he muttered as he put his wife down. Charlie had to laugh at his peeved expression.
Modo walked into the kitchen, his arms full of groceries.
"We're back" he announced unnecessarily and bent down to kiss Charlie on the top of her head.
"Did you get Richies Delicious?" Vinnie asked, trying to rummage through the grocery bags while Modo was still holding them.
Modo elbowed him out of the way and placed the bags on the counter.
"Thanks Modo. If anyone asks, Vinnie and I are going to have a quick shower and then we'll be down to cook. If you wouldn't mind mixing the batter that would be great" Charlie said, grabbing the white mouse by the arm and pushing him out of the kitchen. The smell of last night's escapades was growing stronger by the hour and she was itching to get cleaned up.
"Sure thing Charlie-ma'am" Modo said, picking up the box of waffle mix she had put on the counter for him. He peered intently at the directions, mumbling out loud as he read the instructions.
"Aw Charlie-girl, can't it wait? I'm starving!" Vinnie protested as she led him up the stairs.
"So what's new?" she replied sarcastically as she kicked open the bathroom door, grabbed two towels from the cupboard and locked the door.
"Are you going first?" Vinnie asked as he watched her strip off her tank-top.
"No" she replied, shimming out of her jeans.
"Then, am I going first?" he asked.
"No" Charlie replied as she made him lift his arms.
"Then who's going first?" Vinnie asked in confusion, as Charlie lifted his bandoleers up over his head.
"We are" she replied, unhooking his jeans and pulling them down his hips.
"Sweeetttheaarrrtt!" Vinnie drawled loudly, grinning gleefully as he lifted his feet to allow Charlie to pull his jeans all the way off.
Charlie shushed him reprovingly "Quiet Vinnie! The last thing I need is for the whole damn town to know about this."
She turned the taps on, alternating the hot and cold until the water temperature was to her satisfaction.
"Get in" she said as Vinnie finished pulling his boxers off. He stepped gingerly inside the tub, allowing the shower's warm spray to saturate his fur. Charlie finished undressing and followed him in, the shower-bath large enough to hold both of them comfortably.
"Let me do it!" he demanded, trying to snatch the soap bar out of Charlie's hand.
"I'm not a baby Vinnie, I can wash myself" she replied, keeping the soap bar out of his reach.
He made another grab for it and knocked her hand in the process, sending the soap bar sailing. It hit the shower curtain and slid down, leaving a trail of soap suds in its wake.
"I'll get it" they said in unison, bending down at the same time. Their heads collided, resulting in an equal amount of swearing in English and Martian.
"And mum and dad reckon showering together is romantic" Charlie declared in disgust, rubbing the sore spot on her head.
Vinnie succeeded in trapping the soap bar between his feet and tried to pick it up with one foot, but the soapy water on the shower floor had other ideas. He slipped, tried to stop himself falling by grabbing hold of Charlie but only succeeded in dragging her down on top of him as he crashed to the floor.
It was all too much for Charlie, who burst into hysterics.
"CHARLIE! ARE YOU OK? WE HEARD A LOUD BANG!" Carbine's worried voice could be heard through the bathroom door.
Charlie froze on top of Vinnie, putting her fingers to his lips to keep him quiet.
"I'M FINE HONEY, JUST A LITTLE ACCIDENT WITH THE SOAP" Charlie yelled back.
"OK. WILL YOU BE MUCH LONGER? MODO IS HAVING TO FEND THE BOYS OFF WITH A SPATULA!"
"I'LL BE DOWN IN FIVE MINUTES!" Charlie estimated, looking at Vinnie for confirmation. He nodded and moved his hands round the shower, digging blindly for the soap bar as Carbine's footsteps faded from the bathroom door.
"I guess the old adage, 'watch out when you bend down for the soap' applies on any planet" he remarked as his hand seized on the errant soap bar.
Charlie looked at him and started snickering.
At his confused look, she started laughing harder, burying her head in his chest to muffle the sound.
"Ookkkaayyy!" he remarked in confusion, the whole joke completely over his head.
He used the opportunity to soap any parts of Charlie he could reach, running his hands appreciatively over her body. She stilled as his hands caressed her back, the soothing massage easing out aches she didn't even know she had.
When he finished, she took the soap bar off him and returned the favour, enjoying the feel of his muscles moving under her hands.
"I think I've changed my mind, showering can be very romantic" she whispered before she bent her head to kiss him gently.
Vinnie drew her closer but they were interrupted by a loud, protesting gurgle that lasted several seconds.
"Well, excusssseee me!" Charlie muttered to her stomach, causing Vinnie to grin.
"Hey, I'm with the stomach," he said, letting her go and slowly helping them both to stand. They kept a wary eye on the mischievous soap bar as they turned the water off and hopped out of the shower, shivering in the cool of the bathroom.
Vinnie wrapped Charlie in one of the towels before putting using the remaining one to dry himself off, shaking water out of his fur before slipping on his jeans, opting to go commando instead of putting on the same boxers.
"Watch out when you zip up" Charlie teased as she slipped out the door to finish getting dressed in her room.
Vinnie grimaced at the image she created in his head and was extra careful when he finished buttoning his jeans. He put his bandoleers back on but left his boots off. He checked to make sure the coast was clear and slipped out of the bathroom and down the stairs, carrying his boots in one hand, the soaked towel in the other. He threw the towel in the washing machine and put his boots by the garage entrance before wandering into the kitchen to find Modo and Carbine arguing with Stoker and Throttle.
"You two can wait like everyone else. Charlie will be down soon" Carbine said to the two mice leaders, doing her best to keep them away from the waffle batter which was being held aloft by Modo.
"Hungry, now!" Stoker declared, trying to tickle Modo while Throttle was edging round the other side, trying to keep Carbine occupied.
Vinnie ignored the hunger war and returned to his quest to find out whether his favourite chocolate sauce had made its way to the garage, or if he had to do without.
Charlie entered the kitchen, a towel wrapped turban-style round her forehead. "Ok boys, out of my kitchen!" she ordered, pointing to the door.
Relieved sighs from Carbine and Modo greeted this announcement, along with high fives from Stoker and Throttle.
"Home brand sauce! Who the hell picked this out?" Vinnie demanded, waving the offending bottle in Throttle's face.
"It's all the same Vincent" Throttle replied as Carbine and Charlie herded the men out of the kitchen.
"No its not! This stuff tastes like sh…."
The women didn't hear the rest of the conversation as the kitchen door closed and cut out the men's voices.
"Finally, peace and quiet!" Carbine sighed. "They're worse than a bunch of kids sometimes."
"Hyperactive kids" Charlie remarked as she turned the waffle machine on.
Working as a team, the two women soon had a large pile of waffles made, coffee boiled and the table set for six.
"Come and get it!" Charlie yelled through the door, banging a tin pot with a wooden spoon.
The male Martians piled through the door like a footy scrum and settled in chairs, eyeing the waffle pile expectantly. Vinnie reached out to grab one but Charlie rapped him across the knuckles with the wooden spoon.
"Wait your turn" Charlie said sternly, as she dished out two waffles on to each plate.
The cream, berries and sauce was passed round the table, along with mugs of black coffee until everyone had theirs.
"Buon appetite!" Charlie wished them.
The Martian bros paused, several forks hovering near mouth holes. Clearing their throats in embarrassment, they put their forks down, bowed their heads and muttered 'Amen'.
Stoker and Carbine looked confused before hastily following suit, being unfamiliar with the religious customs of earth.
Charlie's jaw dropped open and closed several times. She was tempted to explain but doubted it would make much difference to the Martians. She stuck a piece of berry coated waffle in her mouth and tried hard not to giggle at the scene she had just witnessed.
Talk resumed only when the pile of waffles had disappeared, thanks mostly to the hearty appetite of all the male mice and one equally determined female general.
"So what's on the cards for today?" Charlie asked the group, leisurely sipping her coffee.
"Going to get that sample you wanted from Limburger's tower" Modo said matter-of-factly.
"Sounds like fun" Charlie said. "When do we leave?"
"Sorry Charlie-girl, but no wife of mine is going anywhere near that tower!" Vinnie declared without thinking.
Charlie and Carbine froze, Stoker's eyebrows shot straight up into the air, Modo dropped his knife with a clang and Throttle spat out the mouthful of coffee he had been about to swallow.
Vinnie suddenly found himself the centre of some very unwanted attention as several pairs of eyes stared at him.
"Vinnie! You weren't supposed to say anything!" Charlie protested.
"You never told me you got hitched!" Stoker said accusingly, not happy that Vinnie had hidden something so juicy from him.
"You got married and didn't tell us? I thought we were bros!" Modo harrumphed, looking very upset.
"Nice one" Carbine snickered, finding his predicament highly enjoyable.
Throttle was the only one at the table who hadn't said a word since his mouthful of coffee had found its way back into his cup. But now, the tan leader stood and loomed over his younger brother.
"Is this true? Did you and Charlie get married, or did you charm your way into her pants?" Throttle asked in a low voice edged with steel.
Vinnie searched desperately through his mind for an explanation but Charlie answered for him.
"No man has ever charmed his way into my pants without my consent Throttle" Charlie said, standing by her husband's side. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner but I panicked. I didn't want you to think that it was all Vinnie's idea. Can you forgive us?" she pleaded quietly, bravely deflecting the blame aimed at Vinnie onto herself.
Throttle kept his stern expression of disapproval for a while longer as he pretended to think about what he had been told, but his insides were doing the Macarena with gusto.
"FINALLY!" his inner voice yelled with glee, happy to see that all his and Modo's planning had finally brought the ignorant duo together. He was heartily sick of them pretending they didn't care for each other as deeply as they did.
"Charlie-girl, I can honestly say that I'm not happy about this…" he said.
Charlie's face was crestfallen at this announcement while Vinnie looked ready to punch his leader in the gut.
"I'M ECSTATIC!" Throttle crowed and seized his new sister-in-law into a bear hug.
He gave her a hearty smack on the lips and then seized his white-furred bro by the ears and repeated the gesture, knuckling him in the forehead when Vinnie tried to wrestle out of his grip.
Grinning widely, Modo swept Charlie up into a gentle hug and congratulated her, passing her over to Stoker while he slapped Vinnie on the back.
"So, are you going to tell us when, where and how this happened?" Throttle asked, his arm round Carbine.
"Sure, while you boys do the dishes" Charlie replied dryly, smiling in relief at their acceptance of the whole situation.
"That's not hero work" Modo said but grinned to show he was only joking. He stood up to help the other men clean up breakfast, while Charlie finally got the chance to tell her adopted brothers what Carbine and Stoker mostly already knew.
"I've still got presents for you guys" Vinnie said once the dishes were finished, suddenly remembering the gifts he had forgotten in all the excitement of the past few days.
"Ooh! Me too!" Charlie announced, slapping her forehead at her forgetfulness. "But they're in Vinnie's bag back at Quigley field. We'll go get them."
Vinnie and Charlie promised to be back soon and left on Sweetheart while the others retired to the living room.
"Dibs on the remote" Carbine announced, grabbing it and settling full-length on the sofa.
"Please, no chick flicks Carbines" Stoker begged, dropping down into the armchair.
Carbine snorted. "Chick flicks? You forget who you're talking to old timer!" she replied, selecting a spaghetti western with English subtitles.
Modo and Throttle settled on either end of the sofa, serving as luxury cushions for the reclining General.
"Bro, they've been gone for an hour. It doesn't take that long to get to Quigley and back" Modo rumbled worriedly from one end of the sofa. He was busy massaging Carbine's feet, having been lured with the promise of a foot massage by Carbine, if she got one first.
Throttle glanced over to him and shrugged. "Give it another fifteen minutes" he said, playing with Carbine's hair. "They've probably stopped off for something on the way back."
Modo wasn't completely convinced, but he trusted his leader and let the matter drop. After fifteen minutes had passed, the niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right got the better of him and he moved Carbine's feet off his lap as he stood up.
"I'm going to check on them" he announced, moving purposely toward the garage.
"Modo, they'll be back soon" Throttle said, surprised by his grey bro's insistence.
A screech of tyres and a loud anxious honking came from outside the garage. Modo bolted from the living room and ran out the front door.
Sweetheart stopped blaring her horn when she saw the Martian and raced toward him, rubbing herself fretfully against him.
"Woah little lassie. What's got into you? Where's Vinnie and Charlie?" he asked, trying to settle the motorcycle down.
In answer, Sweetheart activated her camera and what appeared on the screen chilled Modo's blood.
"THROTTLE!" he bellowed, clenching his fists in barely-contained rage.