Dislciamer: Same as first chapter. Don't own anything except the plot and my few fan characters.
Also I forgot to mention that Bingo is also one of Stoke's characters. So now I've mentioned it. Hope you're enjoying the fruits of my extremely long labor!
Chapter 2: All The World's A Stage
Laughter poured out from the McCloud household as Vincent, Throttle, Modo, and Bingo began their sleep-over festivities. It was late, a little too late for these kids to be up. Oh, Jewel and Axle knew this, but despite their constant badgering to the kids that it was far too late, they rebelled and continued their all-night laugh-a-thon.
Jewel heard them laughing in the next room, and grinned, moving a bit closer to Axle, putting her head on his furry chest.
"They really need some sleep." Axle said.
"Oh, you know as well as I do they won't get it. We can go in there and yell at the them a thousand times and you know for a fact that they won't listen."
He grunted. "Kids."
"Yeah. Speaking of which, what's up with Throttle lately?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I've had other things on my mind..."
She moved her head up, resting her chin on his chest. "Oh, and what's that?"
"The bombing yesterday. I heard that Sentry City was rocked pretty hard when those four buildings exploded for no reason. I can't help but think our intergalactic guest have something to do with it."
She perked an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I know the Plutarkians are saying 'peace,' but when things like this happen...I just don't know. I'm staring to sound like Stoker, but I mean–"
"Axle..."
"Hmm?"
"Calm down, sweetie. Whatever is going on, it's thousands of miles away from us."
He sighed. "I hope you're right."
"You need to relax." she sighed, running one small hand across his chest.
"I can't seem to." Axle grunted.
"Then let me see what I can do..." she said, nuzzling her lips against his neck.
Axle sighed happily.
Somewhere between the third horror movie "It Came from the Dark Side of Phobos" and when Vinnie got popcorn stuck up nose, the guys finally began to get a little worn out.
Bingo was already dozing off, huddling into her oversized pink and blue pillow covered with tiny hearts.
"Aw, widdle girly need her beauty sleep?" Vinnie teased crawling over to her, drawing his blanket along with him, wrapping it around his shoulders like a cape.
"Shut up you macho meat-head." Bingo grumbled, tossing her pillow at him. Unfortunately, Vinnie was quick to duck and the pillow went sailing over his head and straight into a very unsuspecting Modo.
The grey mouse was thrown backwards onto his sleeping bag and laid there flat for a moment. Vinnie was giggling madly and pointing while Bingo had her mouth covered. Modo sat up, feathers stuck to his fur and grinned evilly, "Oohhh, it's a fight you want is it?" he asked, picking up his own pillow and heaving it a Vinnie in a flying tackle.
But once again, Vinnie managed to save himself by ducking under the coffee table, and Modo crashed straight into Throttle, who was engrossed in one of his hand-held video games.
"AHH!" Throttle cried as he was sent face-first into the carpet as Modo landed on top of him. "Modo!"
"Sorry bro!" Modo gasped, looking quiet embarrassed. "It's Vinnie's fault!"
The two mice grinned at each other and then turned slowly towards Vinnie. "Oh Vincent..."
Vinnie gulped and screamed like a girl as both his bros pounced on him with every pillow available, faithfully supplied by Bingo.
By the end of the battle the room was covered in feathers.
"Traitor." Vinnie grumbled as Bingo curled up in her bag to go to sleep. She stuck her tongue out at him and giggled playfully.
"I wuv you Vinnie." she teased.
"Ick!" Vinnie cried, recoiling in fear as though she were a flesh-eating virus.
Two heckling snickers came from the other side of the room as Throttle and Modo struggled to contain their laughter. "Vinnie and Bingo sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
"Shut up!" Vinnie hissed.
Bing then went in for the kill. She jumped up, threw her arms around Vinnie's neck and planted a big wet kiss right on his cheek.
Vinnie abruptly fell over, face beat-red.
Throttle and Modo were inconsolable for the next five minutes with laughter.
By the time Stoker had reached Jimmy's bar, the weather had taken a turn for the worst. Dark storm clouds had formed overhead and the rain was coming down in torrents and the wind was threatening to throw him off his bike.
"Now where in the hell did this come from?" he grumbled as he wiped the rain off his visor once more.
Finally, he pulled up to the bar and parked his bike around the back where the wind wouldn't bother it so badly. The wind beat against him viciously and he was forced to hold onto the sides of the building to keep from being blown over. When finally Stoker reached the door he practically fell inside, soaked and chilled to the bone.
Jimmy, who had been cleaning off the counter, looked up to see the hunched and soaked figure in the doorway.
"Stoker!" he called. He leaped over the bar, rather than walk around it, and stepped towards his friend. "Whoa, Stoke you're like an ice cube! And you're soaked!" he gasped.
"Thanks for noticing." Stoker said through chattering teeth. "It's like a hurricane out there!" he added.
"Nah, hurricanes are much warmer than this. Here, let me help you out," Jimmy said, helping Stoker pull off his jacket. It was dripping wet.
The brown-furred mouse looked around the room, not surprised to see that the place was nearly empty, considering the storm outside.
"Hey Jimmy!" a cranky customer who was huddled at a back table shouted.
"What?" Jimmy asked, hand on his hip.
"Where's my beer?" Jimmy sighed, smiling and shook his head.
"Keep your pants on. I'm coming." he called. He turned back to Stoker. "Make yourself at home, bro. You know where everything is."
Indeed Stoker knew where everything was. He had helped Jimmy get this place, way back in the day. Helped him build it, helped him run it a few times. This is where he had spent all his good times...and his bad ones.
Stoker was still feeling very somber and sober after the conversation earlier with Chaos, and was looking to remedy both problems quickly.
He sunk down on a bar stool and leaned on the bar, feeling the full warmth of the place wash over him. "Ahh..." he sighed happily.
Soon, Jimmy appeared in front of him again, all smiles as usual. "So, what will it be?" he asked.
"Got anything to warm up these old bones?"
Jimmy poured him a tall glass of whiskey and winked at him, "Some of Jimmy's famous soup to go with that? Or you just want the fire-water?" he asked.
Stoker took a quick shot of his drink. "You know how much I love your cookin, Jim." he said with a smile.
He chuckled as he watched Jimmy slip into the kitchen before letting his head slip down onto the bar for a short rest. He didn't realize how tired he was until he began to doze off. A moment before sleep could get a firm grasp on him, he felt Jimmy's hand slide under his head and force him to look up at him.
"Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up will ya?" he said.
"Hmmm...?" Stoker mumbled sleepily. Jimmy dashed a bit of cold water in his face.
"Ahh!" Stoker cried, sputtering.
"There. Better now?" Jimmy asked.
"JAMES!" Stoker shouted. "If you don't want me sleeping on your bar, Jimmy, then just say so for God's sake." he snapped.
"Now what fun would that be?" Jimmy asked, batting his eyes at him. He pushed a bowl of steaming hot soup in front of him. "This oughta warm you up."
"Thanks." Stoker mumbled, digging in. "Hey, were's that girl you showed me this morning? Chaos wasn't it?"
"Oh, so that's why you came back."the blonde-mouse said, winking at him.
"No," Stoker replied without looking up for his food. "That's just one reason."
"So you think she's cute huh?" the other mouse asked.
"Beautiful." Stoker answered.
The bartender grinned. "Sounds like puppy-love to me. She seemed pretty interested in you, all the same. You and all that Prince Charming crap." he said.
"Well it seems to work better than your 'hey baby, wanna bang?' approach." Stoker said glancing up at him with a smirk.
"Hey, the men love it. And the girls, well...they love it secretly. That's the problem with girls, they're too polite to admit that they have sexual urges in public."
Stoker rolled his eyes. Jimmy's open sexuality could be quiet...strange at times.
A moment of silence passed between the two of them as Jimmy grabbed drinks for a few more thirsty customers. "So, how long has it been?" he asked quietly, the strange serious tone entering his voice again.
Stoker looked up at him from his bowl. "What?"
"How long since you had a girl?" Jimmy asked again.
Stoker took a moment to answer, taking another shot of whiskey. "She'll be the first."
Jimmy chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "You like her that much?" he asked slowly.
Stoker didn't answer, and drank more.
Jimmy leaned towards him, so that they were face to face. "Stoker, don't do this. Don't go getting drunk and stupid and thinking this is gonna be a guilt-free one night stand. She's a good girl."
Stoker swatted him away, "I'm not, I'm not..." he muttered. But Jimmy had read his mind. And now he was feeling a bit guilty.
Jimmy put a hand on Stoker's. "I apologize for early Stoker. I did not expect that to come up..." he said sincerely.
"Not your fault, Jim." the brown-furred mouse answered.
"But, I'm glad you feel ready to move on." he added then.
"I'll never be ready to move on, James. But Silverdawn would hate to see me go like this for the rest of my life, so..." he finished his glass in one deep pull. "I don't intend to take advantage of Chaos, don't worry."
Jimmy patted his hand. "Good." He paused a moment and then grinned. "I on the other hand am perfectly willing to be taken advantage of!" he said suggestively.
Stoker looked at him mildly. "There isn't enough booze in this whole bar, James." he answered.
"Care to wager?" Jimmy joked.
Stoker smacked him along side his head playfully.
It was at that moment Chaos chose to appear, this time fully dressed.
"Well, fancy meeting you here." Stoker said, smiling warmly at her.
"I almost thought you weren't going to make it." She gasped, motioning to weather out the nearest window.
"Yeah. Almost thought I wasn't going to make it." Stoker answered.
"Well, I'm certainly glad you did. I was hoping to get to know you better." she said shyly.
"Same here." Stoker replied.
Just then, before either of the mice could get another word in, the door flew open and another mouse stepped in, hulking and angry looking. He stomped up to the bar, his boots sloshing with rain as he did.
"Hey, runt," he growled, nearly knocking Stoker over as he stepped up to the bar. "Give me a beer. Now."
Jimmy looked unamused. "I told you before, pal, a punch in the gut isn't considered payment. If you ain't go any money, then get out." he snapped.
It was more than apparent that these two had met before. The big mouse was obviously already very drunk. He reeked of beer, and seemed in rather bad spirits in spite of it. But Jimmy was looking a little feisty himself.
Stoker smelled a fight brewing and he smiled to himself.
"I said give me my beer!" the other mouse shouted, grabbing Jimmy by his collar and half-lifting him of the ground.
"And I said give me my money!" Jimmy retorted firmly.
The big mouse grunted and glanced around quickly, finally settling his eyes on Chaos, who was just standing there in shock. He smiled and dropped Jimmy as he reached for her, grabbing her around the waist.
"Hey!" Chaos gasped. The big mouse slammed her up against the side of the wall, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and apron, digging for money.
"Hey!" Stoker hissed. The big mouse looked up at him. "That's no way to treat a lady."
The other man glanced back at Chaos for a moment, then pushed her back against the wall. "Stay." he growled at her, turning to face Stoker.
Stoker grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Hello misplaced aggression." he said. The other mouse let out an angry roar and charged him head on. Stoker stood there calmly for a second, before leaping into the air and out of the way. But his plan didn't work for long, when the hulking brute shot out a large hand, grabbing Stoker firmly around the leg and slamming him down on the table.
"ARGH!" Stoker cried out as the table, and what felt like his back, broke with the impact, sending him sprawled on the floor.
"Stoke!" Jimmy gasped. "Oh, shit-head you done it now..." he growled looking at the drunk bastard who had just body-slammed his best friend. He reached under the bar and pulled out his trusty bazooka, which he kept for protection.
Stoker looked up dizzily as the drunken man broke off one the shattered table's legs and held it over him, ready to bring it smashing down onto his skull.
Suddenly however the brute froze as Jimmy made his own weapon know. "Drop it, boy!" the bartender ordered loudly.
The drunk froze, more then a little surprised at Jimmy's fire-power. Taking advantage of his distraction, Stoker took a sucker shot, and slammed his foot into his crotch.
The other mouse's eyes crossed as he cried out painfully and doubled over, just as Chaos brought a near-by chair down across his back, sending him sprawled on the floor, unable to move.
"Damn, girl..." Stoker blinked, still lying on the floor, blinking at the incapacitated man next to him.
Chaos pulled him to his feet as he dusted himself off. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine, are you alright?" Stoker asked looking her over carefully.
Jimmy appeared between the two of them. "Son of a bitch broke my table! You're paying for that!" he cried, kicking the guy in the butt.
Stoker glanced at Jimmy's weapon. "Isn't that a bit of over-kill, bro?" he asked.
"Hey, bigger is better my friend. Bigger is always better." Jimmy said with a grin. Chaos and Stoker grinned.
They glanced down once more at their guest.
"Well, what do we do with him now?" Chaos asked.
Stoker and Jimmy grinned at each other.
"Same thing I do with all my ungrateful customers." Jimmy replied. He and Stoker each picked up and end of the brute and dragged him towards the door and threw him out onto the curb with a loud cry of "Heave-ho!"
"Well," Stoker said wiping his hands. "Nothing out of the ordinary, eh, Jim?"
"Nope, pretty boring actually." Jimmy said with a yawn. "How about calling it a night then, hmm?"
Stoker rubbed the back of his neck. "Sounds like the best idea I've heard all night."
"Stoker?" Chaos asked suddenly as they walked back inside. "Thank you for standing up for me like that, it was really brave." she said.
"Hey, it's what I do." Stoker shrugged.
"Are you staying?" she asked then, a faint tinge of pink in her cheeks.
Stoker chuckled, "Yeah, Jim will put me up for the night. I sorta got my own room here I used to stay so much." he replied. He had an idea then. "Hey, Chaos, the kids and I were heading to the amusement park tomorrow, care to tag along?" he asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." she nodded.
"Great! It's a date then." Stoker said. A moment later his brain was stumbling over the word "date."
Chaos smiled shyly at him. "Well, if you need some company tonight, I'm right down the hall." she said, reaching up and kissing his cheek before slinking off to clean up.
Stoker stood blinking in her wake, a stupid smile spreading across his face as his brain tried to comprehend what he was getting himself into.
Jimmy appeared at his shoulder. "Did she just invite you to bed with her?" he asked, leaning against Stoker's shoulder as he took a drink from a beer bottle.
"I believe she did." Stoker answered.
"Huh." Jimmy said thoughtfully. "You promised you wouldn't." he reminded his friend.
"Does it count if she asked me?" Stoker asked.
"Yep."
"Fuck you." The brown mouse sighed.
"Oh I wish you would." Jimmy giggled, smacking Stoker's butt.