Hey you guys...

Thank you so much for the reviews.
We've reached the hundred, yay!
So cool :D

So, here's the next chapter and damn, it's a long one.
I didn't even notice while writing it, hehe.
Ah well.
Hope you guys enjoy it.
If not, my apologies in advance ;)

Feel free to leave a review once you're done, always very much appreciated.
And till next time, my loyal readers.

Bye, or as we say it in Dutch; Doei!

Chapter 28

The girl tilted her head with confusion written upon her face.
"Talk? I just tried to kill you and you wanna… talk?", she asked with a frown.
Throttle smiled, somehow amused by her response.
The way she put it made it sound a bit silly, actually.
Perhaps it was.
But he didn't care.
He did what felt right, like he always did.
"Yeah. Talk. I need to figure out what to do with you", he explained his intentions.
"Why don't you save yourself the trouble and just kill me right away, huh? I'm not that much of a talker anyway", she sighed as she rested her head against the pole, but again, Throttle saw a glance of fear in her odd-looking eyes, telling him that this so-called nonchalant attitude was nothing but a show.

"No worries, little miss. We ain't gonna kill ya", Modo reassured the girl, sitting on his bike with his arms resting on the handlebars.
His face was friendly and soft, which was quite admiring given this was the very same girl that had damaged his bike, not to mention that she had kicked him in the balls just minutes ago.
But that's the thing about Modo.
He was just too kind.
Throttle truly admired his ability to be so forgiving.
Forgiveness was rare in times of war, a thing the girl knew all too well, judged by the look on her face.
She obviously didn't trust it, for her confusion got now replaced by suspicion.
Suspicion triggered by his kindness.
"You're not?"

"No", Throttle answered that question and she now turned her attention back on him, still frowning.
"Why not? I mean, you said it yourself; I gave you a whole lotta trouble."
"You did. But not all aliens are like the Plutarkians", the tan-furred leader contradicted calmly.
"Besides, if we really wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, trust me."
But she didn't.
Trust him.
She clearly wasn't convinced, which in turn told Throttle that she probably had some serious trust issues.
Not really strange in times like these.
But then there was her mighty big mouth.
"You're full of shit, that's what you are", she snapped at him, which was a bad move.
Because someone in their company wasn't as calm as Throttle and he most certainly wasn't as forgiving as Modo.

"Hey, a little respect, you little shit!", Vinnie spat out as he pushed himself off his bike before he did a few steps in her direction, his white fur bristled like an angry Memphant.
"He's the only reason why you're still breathing and if ya wanna keep it that way, you better find yourself a different tone!"
Throttle was about to jump up from his chair to stop his white-furred bro from doing something stupid when he saw that Charley was already rushing towards the agitated young mouse.
She ducked to avoid the lashing white tail and grabbed Vinnie by the arm to stop him.

"Let's not do something you're gonna regret later on, huh, macho mouse?", she intervened calmly but resolutely.
When Vinnie felt her touch, he turned his burning eyes away from the girl and looked down at Charley a bit surprised, as if she was the last one he'd expected to stop him, being the fragile human she was.
Well, fragile or not, she had enough courage for an entire army, that's for sure.
"Who says I'm gonna regret it later on?", he then asked with a frown on his face and twitching ears.
"I do. Because I know you will. Now sit down and let Throttle handle this, okay?"

The young mouse grinded his teeth, but still did what he was told and after one glare at the girl, he slowly sat down on his bike again with folded arms.
Throttle couldn't stop himself from being impressed, despite the nagging feeling of jealousy that was still gnawing on his insides.
But the people who Vinnie listened to could be counted on one hand and seeing that one was just added to the list was not only a rare thing but gave him some room to breathe as well.
Although the fact that it was Charley who now had joined the selective group made him even more jealous, strangely enough.
Well, perhaps not that strange, given the current circumstances.
Either way, it was a welcome development.
If only the girl would stop provoking the white-furred hothead.
That would make things a whole lot easier.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Temper, temper. So you're not only arrogant but explosive as well. Quite the combination. Gotta admit though, it's nice to know there's something inside that head of yours beside ego", she snarled with a challenging look on her face and Vinnie already got back on his feet again with clenched fists and eyes spitting fire.
"Why you…"
But this time, it was Modo who stopped this madness before it even began and he jumped off his bike before he lined himself up between his young bro and the girl.
"Stop it. Both of you. We don't have time for this. We need to wrap this up and be on our way, rather sooner than later", he told the two rebelling rascals with a slightly threatening tone in his already heavy voice.
The girl opened her mouth, but Charley was quicker.
"He's right. It's still a long way to California, so…"
"California?", the girl cut her off as she looked up with her two-colored eyes wide open, clearly interested in this fact.
"You're going to California?"

Throttle leaned to his right as he slumped back in the chair again, his gaze fixated on her young face.
"You heard the lady."
The girl looked back at him somewhat expectantly, as if she was waiting for him to continue.
But Throttle deliberately kept his mouth shut, knowing that silence was more at its place here.
He needed her to start talking, after all.
And, strangely enough, silence made people talk.
On Mars, that is.
But it soon became clear that humans were no different.
"Why do you wanna go to California? There's nothing there. It's a wasteland."
"How do you know?"
"Because I used to live there, once…", she slowly trailed off and her armor now began to show some cracks.
Good.

Throttle got back upright again and rested his elbows on his knees as he gave her a warm and friendly look.
"You're not after us because of the money, are you?"
The question made her uncomfortable, he could tell and he wondered why that was.
In fact, he was beyond curious about her story.
What was the motivation of this young girl, who was obviously affected by the invasion that destroyed her home, to go after three aliens all by herself?
It couldn't be about the money.
No, there was more to it.
But was she going to tell them what it was?
That was the question.

Well, he could just push her a little bit further, of course.
He could force her to reveal her motives the hard way.
But looking at her, he knew it wasn't that simple, for the signs she gave him were all too familiar.
The way she avoided his gaze.
How her heartbeat rose.
How her breathing increased.
The faint blush on her cheeks.
The tan-furred leader glanced over his shoulder at Vinnie, who now stared angrily at the ground.
Oh, it was familiar, alright.
And a direct approach wasn't the solution to this problem, let alone forcing her.
That was something he had learned the hard way.

So it turned out that her comment about her not being that much of a talker wasn't part of the show but based on reality.
Her body language confirmed that theory.
But it wasn't something he couldn't handle.
After living with Vinnie for years now, he had enough practice in how to deal with this quite inconvenient phenomenon.
It was somehow good to know that all the frustration that came along with it hadn't been in vain after all.

Still waiting for an answer, he kept a close eye on her and as soon as her eyes darted over to him, he gave her an encouraging smile.
His way of telling her that it was okay.
It seemed to work, because she opened her mouth again to answer his question.
"No. I'm not. Why are you going to California?", she quickly asked again before Throttle could say something and he decided that it was only fair to answer her question honestly since she had done the same thing just now.
"Our friends are there. They're in trouble and need our help. Next to that, there's a big, smelly and ugly problem there that needs to be uh… handled."

The girl looked up with a jerk, her eyes now almost burning a hole in his skull.
"You mean Limburger?", she demanded as she leaned forward, almost dangling in her bounds.
Bingo.
He finally had her undivided attention.
"That appears to be his name, yeah. You don't seem fond of him."
"Would you be fond of the one who kidnapped your brother?", she spat out, clearly not liking his choice of words.
It was a fair point.
'Not fond of him' was an understatement that didn't even come close to the hatred he now read in her two-colored eyes, but it encouraged her to talk and that's all he ever wanted.
"I guess not…", he said softly.
"I figured as much."

This wasn't exactly a pleasant and smooth conversation.
But at least he now knew why she was after them.
Her brother.
He couldn't say that it surprised him, for he knew from experience that Plutarkians didn't play fair and using other people's love to get what they wanted was one of their many foul tactics.
So, no…
He wasn't surprised.
It was worry with a hint of despair that prevailed after hearing her motive, for it complicated matters even further.

Yes, people would do anything for money.
But there was one thing that made them willing to take it even a step further.
Love.
Which meant in turn that he couldn't just let her go, no matter how badly he wanted to.
But he had his own family to protect.
To take care of.
A family that was her target.
She was never going to stop hunting them and the weirdest thing was that he couldn't even blame her.
He even understood her devotion now.
They were her leverage.
The key to her brother's release.
Of course, she would never give up.
He wouldn't have either, if he was standing in her shoes.

But what she seemed to forget was that the Plutarkians were foul and untrustworthy creatures.
Well, that she was aware of, obviously.
But there was one thing she hadn't thought about, as far as he could tell.
And that was that Plutarkians never kept their word, no matter what they promised.
Their word meant nothing.
No exceptions.

Therefore, Throttle knew that even if she would succeed in catching and delivering them to the big cheese, he would either kill her or take her as a prisoner as well.
Or perhaps even both, in different order, of course.
But whatever the fish would decide to do, it wouldn't include releasing her brother, that he dared to bet his life on.
Hm…
"Give us a moment, will ya?", he asked and when she nodded, he got off the chair and gestured the rest to follow him to the corner of the barn for consultation.

When they all stood in a little circle around him, he looked them in the eye, one by one.
"This obviously complicates things. The way I see it, there's only one way to solve this problem, but it's a decision I don't wanna make on my own", he whispered to avoid the girl would hear him.
Modo rubbed his chin, but he soon caught on, for he glanced at Vinnie before he looked at Throttle with doubt written upon his face.
The tan-furred mouse shrugged back almost invisible, his way of telling his grey-furred bro that he knew what he was trying to say, but that his hands were tied.
Their options were rather limited, after all.

Charley seemed to catch on as well, for she heaved a sigh as her green eyes darted from the girl back to Throttle.
"You want to give her a place in the team and help her free her brother", she dropped the bomb, for someone had to do it.
Vinnie froze and slowly turned his head to look at his tan-furred bro with narrowed eyes, clearly expecting him to contradict this theory.
But he didn't.
Because Charley had hit it right on the head.

"I'm sorry, Vinnie, but it's the only way. We can't just let her walk, she'll never stop hunting us", he told his young bro with an apologetic look on his face, but the white-furred mouse didn't buy it.
"Are you even listening to yourself right now? You make it sound like there's no other way, but there is and you know it…"
"That's not an option, not even close. Letting her join the team is. In fact, it's our only option."
"Bullshit! How do ya know that she won't try to kill us, again, the moment we cut her loose, huh? Or maybe she's smart enough to wait till tonight, so she can slit our throats in our sleep…"

"Not if we give her a reason not to", Throttle cut him off before he could really get going.
"I don't think she's the enemy here. She just wants her brother back. And we're going to help her with that. Because that's what we do, remember? We help those in need. Next to that, she's has proven to be a skilled fighter which makes her a good gain for the team. We can use all the fire-power we can find to take down the big cheese. It's a win-win."
"He's right, Vin. Something good can come out of this", Modo agreed with their tan-furred bro, which earned him a baffled look from the white-furred youngster.
"Say what? Modo, come on! She damaged your bike! She kicked you in the nuts! For that alone she deserves what's coming to her. How on Mars can you agree with this?"
"Because I trust Throttle. And he wouldn't be suggesting this if he wasn't supporting it", the grey-furred mouse answered calmly.

They all three looked at Charley, who heaved a sigh as she laid a hand on Vinnie's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, but I'm with them on this one. Don't get me wrong, I share your concerns, but murdering her because she's a major pain in the ass is a bridge too far. Besides… I kind of feel sorry for her. Throttle is right. I think we should help her."
Vinnie's left ear twitched a couple of times as he looked at them with fuming eyes, clearly about to explode out of his fur.

His gaze eventually landed on Throttle and their eyes locked.
"Fine. But don't come to me when she proves you wrong!", he growled between clenched teeth and he swirled around, but before he could walk away, Throttle grabbed him by the arm and forced him to turn back around, determined to get some answers about this unexplainable behavior.
"Why are you so hellbent on killing her? That just isn't like you, Vincent. What is wrong with you? You're acting strange ever since you pulled off her helmet."
"As if you would understand!", Vinnie snapped at him and he yanked himself free before he stormed away.
"What's that supposed to mean?!", Throttle called after him, but Vinnie was already gone.

The door closed behind him with a loud bang, making the wooden walls tremble and some of the tools fell down with loud clattering, making everyone who was still inside flinch.
When the last sounds slowly faded, Throttle squeezed the bridge of his nose as a pounding headache made its way up to his temples.
He was so not in the mood for this.
Not with everything that was already going on.
Charley seemed to feel his frustration, because he suddenly felt a warm hand on his arm and he looked up, both surprised and relieved that she, apparently, was okay with touching him again.
"I'll go talk to him. You do whatever you need to do, okay? We trust your judgment, right, big fella?", she added as she looked at Modo, who wildly nodded his head.
"Always."

But Throttle hesitated, and it wasn't because of the girl.
Truth be told, he didn't like the idea of Charley talking to Vinnie.
The thought alone of giving them some alone time was enough for his stomach to make about ten backflips.
Which was, again, the jealousy talking and it made him sick.
Sick of himself.
Luckily, he still had the presence of mind to know that he couldn't let it stand in the way.
Besides, maybe she was able to talk some sense into that loudmouth, for he obviously wasn't the right mouse for the job.
Not this time.

And there it was again.
The bigger picture.
Sometimes, and with sometimes he meant very occasionally, he hated to play the leadership role.
To always look at the bigger picture.
To resign his own for the greater good.
Today was one of those days.
Definitely.

"Come on, bro. I've got your back", Modo smiled kindly as he patted the tan-furred mouse on the back to strengthen his words, as if he somehow sensed his distress.
He probably did.
He was the most sensitive out of the three of them, after all.
Knowing that time wasn't on their side, Throttle took a deep breath and rubbed his face as he pulled himself back together, for that's what leaders did.
They looked at the bigger picture and acted on it.
And so he did.
Like he always did.
Like he always would do.
To the last breath.
Because he was a leader where people could rely on.
"Okay. Let's get this over with."
And after one, almost longing glance in Charley's direction, he walked back to the girl, followed by Modo.
His bro.
His family.
Who always had his back.
Always.

…

Once outside, Vinnie took a few deep breaths to calm this storm that was whirling inside of him -or perhaps hurricane was a better description- but it was no use.
His entire body was on high alert and the restlessness, the one that was already there every second of the day was now even ten times worse, making it almost unbearable.
A growl vibrated deep in his chest as he started to pace up and down, not able to stand still.
He had no idea what was happening to him.
All he knew was that he wanted her gone.
This girl with her strange-looking eyes.
There was this unexplainable urge to keep her away from him as far as possible, an urge so strong that even killing her sounded somehow attractive, which was weird and beyond worrying, even for him.

Despite his… enthusiasm, he wasn't really the bloodthirsty kind of guy.
He didn't kill for sports.
Only if it was absolutely necessary.
When there were lives on the line, for instance, which now wasn't the case.
Not anymore.
Well, if he had to believe Throttle, that is.
But even though he hated to admit it, Modo was right.
If their tan-furred leader supported this idea, it was probably a good idea.
The mouse was smart, after all, and history had shown that his judgment was trustworthy.
Then why was he so against it?
Gosh, this was more than confusing.
What the fuck was wrong with him?

He had no idea, sadly enough.
Well, not about the part with the girl.
There was this other part that was gnawing on his insides ever since he opened his eyes this morning.
A part that pressed a heavy weight on his conscience.
A part that he perfectly understood, unlike the part about the girl.
Throttle.

His tan-furred bro and leader, who was worried about him, he could tell.
It was practically written upon his face.
He cared.
Like he always did.
It was nothing but a fact.
A fact that made him feel even worse.
Worse about himself.
If only his friend knew what he had done.
If he knew, he wouldn't be worried.
He wouldn't care.
Not anymore.
With good reason.

'If you don't wanna end up alone, I suggest you change course immediately.'

Maybe he already knew.
Nah.
That was impossible.
He would've said something if he did.
He was right, though.
He needed to change course.
And fast, too.
If only it was that simple...

Shit, everything was just so fucked up ever since they set foot on this crazy planet.
He just wanted to go home.
Where life had been rough, but simple.
Here… not so much.
The guilt was killing him.
Slowly.
Painfully.
It was already eating him from the inside, even though it was only last night that it had happened.
Dammit.
What a mess.
How on Mars was he supposed to live with himself?

The sound of the door broke him out of his thoughts and made him look up, but he actually didn't have to.
From the moment the door opened, that maddening scent of hers already caressed his nostrils again and a shiver ran down his spine.
It made an even bigger impact now his body was already as hyped up as it was now and the moment their eyes locked, he just snapped.
Like he always did.
Ugh.
Before Charley could say or do anything, he already marched over to her, grabbed her head with both hands and kissed her heatedly, perhaps even desperately.

Without slowing down, he roughly pushed her against the wall of the barn, his heart almost exploding out of his chest when he felt her body rubbing against his, but he then suddenly realized what he was doing and he broke off the kiss just as quickly as he had started it.
"I can't do this… I thought I could, but I… I can't", he panted, leaning against the wall with his right hand resting next to her head and avoiding her burning gaze at all costs.
He couldn't look at her.
He wasn't sure if he was able to control himself.
But he had to.
For Throttle.

"This is wrong on so many levels, you don't even know…"
His despair was clearly hearable in his voice and he hated it.
Hated it for being this weak.
Yes, weak.
He was weak.
Suddenly, his anger fired like a missile again and he slammed his fist against the red-painted wall.
"Fuck!"

The wood split under his knuckles and if it wasn't for his fingerless gloves, the splinters would've penetrated his skin.
Not that he cared right now.
All he cared about was his bro.
His friend.
His only family, next to Modo and Stoker.
They were all he had left.
And he just… he just...
Dammit!
Even in his mind he was speechless about what he had done.
Seriously, could he sink any lower?

Charley, who was still standing with her back against the wall, flinched when his fist made contact with the wooden structure and Vinnie blinked a few times in confusion before it dawned upon him.
Max.
Gosh.
He could be so blunt sometimes.
Act first, think later.
His life motto.
Ugh.
It was more like a curse.

He quickly pushed himself off the wall and did a few steps backward to give her some space.
That seemed to do her some good, and she rested her head against the wall as she let out her breath, her green eyes closed.
"Why?", she simply asked.
"Why what?", he asked in return, already forgotten what he had said to her.
"Why is this wrong?"
Oh.
Right.
That.
"It just is. This has to stop. Today. Now."

She opened her eyes and looked him straight in the eye.
"Why?", she just repeated her question, much to his annoyance.
Seriously, was she blind?
Or deaf, maybe?
Wasn't it obvious?
"Because it's wrong, that's why", he snapped at her, he just couldn't stop himself.
Ha.
He never could.
Story of his life.

But this time, she didn't flinch.
In fact, she folded her arms and narrowed her green eyes as she gave him this intense look, the one that brought him on high alert again, for he knew that look.
It was the exact same look she had given him that night in the garage.
That awful look that was able to see right through him.
A look that could only mean trouble.
"You like her, don't you?", she eventually asked.
Trouble indeed.

"What?! No way! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!", he called out as he already started to pace again, not able to just stand there and feel that burning gaze of hers fixated on him.
Why was he reacting this way?
Why couldn't he just tell her that she was wrong in a normal and civilized way?
He was supposed to be the smooth talker of the group, right?
Well, he wasn't exactly living up to the expectation right now.
Another failure.
The air on Earth seemed to be infused with it.
Failure.
It had to be.
Why else would everything be such a mess?

Her question, regardless of whether it was based on the truth or not, did tell him the reason why she was here, though.
It also told him that she was neither blind nor deaf.
No...
She was here to 'talk' to him.
To find out what was wrong with him.
What was eating his tail.
Even worse, she was here to push his buttons.
To back him into a corner and make him crack, so he would unburden himself.
Which was dangerous.
Because he knew she was one of the few who knew how to find his buttons.
Oh boy, oh boy.
Trouble.
Big time.

Charley wasn't really impressed with his disproportionate response though.
That didn't exactly surprise him.
He had already noticed before that it took a lot to throw her off her game.
It was such a contrast with the woman that recently came out of an abusive relationship.
The one who had shown her face only seconds ago, when he hit that wall.
But he would never judge.
Not this time.

He knew what it did to someone's soul.
Being abused.
His mother had shown that to him.
How the soul slowly crumbled into dust.
How each blow broke them a bit further, until there was nothing left.
It was crazy.
But it had nothing to do with strength, that he knew.
They weren't weak.
His mom most certainly wasn't.
Quite the opposite, actually.

If someone would ask him, he would say that abused women were the strongest persons one could ever meet.
After all, surviving a life filled with humiliation and hatred wasn't reserved for those who were weak.
Loving someone who was broken and beyond saving even less.
So, no… they weren't weak.
They were women with two faces.
But there were only a few who would agree with him.
Who would understand.

'A message spelled out in a language that only those who have been there can read…'

He could only admire Charley for breaking free, because that's what she did.
Maybe it had been Throttle who had pulled the trigger, but she had broken herself free right before he did.
Which was good.
That meant that there was still enough left of her.

Unfortunately for him, she wasn't only strong but persistent as well.
Because despite his not so subtle response, she just continued her search for his buttons.
Well, perhaps it was because of his not so subtle response.
Perhaps she had already found the right button.
Nevertheless, with her next attempt she came dangerously close.
Too close.
"I don't think it's that ridiculous. She's obviously doing something to you. But it scares you. Because you're convinced that your heart belongs to…"
Harley.
Without thinking, his hand reached for the medallion that was thoroughly hidden under his shirt.

No.

He wasn't doing this.
Not now.
Not ever.
Not even with her.
Charley.
Charley, who he trusted with his entire heart and soul, even though they hardly knew each other.
Oh no.
Not even with her.
And so, he swirled around to stop her before she could finish that sentence, even though he now realized that he never told her Harley's name.
But it didn't matter.
All that mattered was that he wasn't ready.
He would never be ready.
"This ain't about her! It's about Throttle…"

The moment he dropped that name, she fell silent as she still looked at him with those piercing green eyes that made him want to run away and never look back.
He managed to stay put though.
Just like Stoker taught him.
Atta boy.
But then, she shook her head with her mouth in a tight line and he narrowed his eyes when he realized what was going on here.
What the actual fuck?

She didn't believe him.
That just became painfully obvious.
Wow.
She obviously had her own perspective of what was happening here.
As if he would use Throttle to escape from her a little bit too eager 'on button-pushing' fingers.
Well, maybe he would, but it wasn't like that.
Not this time.
This was real.

Still, she continued her search, clearly determined not to skip any detail, no matter how dark they were.
Not respecting the fact that some things needed to be left alone.
"You're in denial, I get it, but let me tell you something..."
Oh, no, no, no, no.
He wouldn't let her tell him something.
It was time that he told her something.
Enough was just enough.
She needed to know the truth.
"He loves you, Charley."

Well, that did make a huge impact, even he could tell, her jaw dropping on her knees being the biggest clue.
Which was good, because it took her attention away from him.
It forced her to look at the other problem here.
And it wasn't the girl with her peculiar eyes that was the problem.
Well, she was obviously a problem, but not the main problem.
No, these credits went to their little agreement.

But again, she didn't believe him, because after staring at him for a while, her face darkened and she folded her arms as she put her chin the air.
"He doesn't. He made that very clear when he told me that we couldn't be together."
Was this woman stubborn, or what?
And here she was, accusing him of being in denial.
How typical.

Still, even he with his limited capacity to empathize couldn't miss the pain that was audible in her voice.
That was visible in her eyes.
Looking at her, he realized something.
Throttle had hurt her.
As in; really hurt her.
That night, when they were forced to leave Camp Hope.
And it all made sense now.
It was a bit painful, maybe, but it at least made sense.
Finally, something made sense.

He wasn't sure if he was right, though.
He could just ask, of course.
But what if he was wrong?
She would skin him alive, at the very least.
But what if he was right?
Well, in that case…
In that case he wasn't sure if she was ready to be true to herself.
Only one way to find out.
The time had come to push some of her buttons.
And so he did.

"Did he tell you why?", he asked straight to the point as he did a few steps into her direction.
Her lower lip started to tremble, but she took a deep breath to control her emotions and succeeded, strong as she was.
"Because apparently, he has a girlfriend", she answered flatly as she ran a trembling hand through her auburn-colored hair.
And just like that, the tables were turned.
Oh, they were turned, alright.
It was now her who was avoiding his gaze.
It was now her who was being all uncomfortable and all and it felt like a breath of fresh air.
To be in control again.

Without stopping, he closed the gap between them, driven by the strong urge to tell her what he knew.
To ease her pain.
To ease his guilt.
That maddening guilt.
Gosh, what had he done?

When he was standing in front of her, he gently took her chin between his fingers, thereby forcing her to look at him.
"Listen to me very carefully, because you're about to witness something that probably won't happen again and that is me telling you like it is, which I usually don't in situations such as this one simply because I either don't care or believe it ain't my business…-"
He took a moment to breathe after squeezing out a sentence that long before he continued.
"But lemme tell ya this. I'm not sure what's going on between Throttle and Carbine, for their bond is beyond incomprehensible, but I do know my bro inside and out. And I know for a fact that he's absolutely crazy about ya. Even beyond that. He's hopelessly in love with ya, babe. Trust me, I know. I've never seen him like this before. Not even with Carbine."

She studied his face as he was talking, probably searching for a sign that he was lying -again!-, but the thing was; he wasn't.
Not this time.
He was finally doing the right thing.
Something he should've done earlier.
It felt weird, though.
To be this honest and sincere.
To talk about feelings and stuff.
It cost him a lot, for it meant he needed to be… vulnerable.
Ugh, another dirty word.
Another thing he hated to the core, because being vulnerable meant lowering his walls.
But with Charley, it somehow seemed easier.
A friend…

Next to that, it was the least he could do for Throttle.
For his bro.
His bro, who he had betrayed like never before by allowing himself to give in to these damned hormones.
And he now knew that Throttle was right.
He was right all along, as usual.
It wasn't worth it.
It would never be worth it.
Not even the amazing sex he had with this insanely hot creature.
No.
Not even that.
He needed to fix this.
If it wasn't too late, that is.

In the meantime, Charley had managed to find back her voice again and she looked up at him, her eyes wide open.
"But… but you told me that she was his girlfriend…"
Oh shit.
He did, huh?
Busted.
"I lied", he simply answered, determined to stay on this path of honesty, even though it scared him to death.

That made impact, too.
Well, he couldn't really blame her, now could he?
It was a stupid move to make.
Telling her that Carbine was Throttle's girlfriend, even though he had no idea what was going on between these two.
Well, in his defense, he was convinced that he was telling her the truth at that moment.
But he hadn't only lied to Charley.
He had lied to himself as well.
It all had to do with him getting what he wanted.
Which was lower than low.
He was officially the worst bro ever.
Yep.
He totally was.

"You… you lied? But he said… Why? Why did you lie? Why would you do that?", the human female stuttered, clearly, this made no sense to her at all.
Well, it did to him.
And now it was time to drop the bomb.
Oh boy.
No going back now.
"It was a competition. I wanted you first. I knew it would decrease his chances with you. That's why."

She had turned away her gaze while he confessed his sins to her and now, she just stared at a point on the ground.
It made him more than nervous and he swallowed with difficulty as he pulled his bandana, his heart already racing another round of a motocross again.
Or perhaps it had never reached the finish in the first place.
He had no idea.
All he knew was that he wanted her to say something.
Anything.
But she didn't.
She clearly needed some time to process all this.

If only he could stand the silence.
But he couldn't.
He hated silence.
It gave room to things he didn't want to hear.
Things he didn't want to feel.
"Look, sweetheart, for what it's worth, I definitely ain't proud of what I did and I would tell ya that I'm sorry if I knew how. But you need to know that this whole… uh... competition thingy was my idea and mine alone. Not his. I dragged him into it without his knowledge and…"
"But he said that you were telling the truth", she whispered straight through his pathetic explanation and Vinnie fell silent for a moment, biting his lower lip to force himself not to continue talking.

She looked up, her eyes already wide open again.
The poor girl had to process some brutal shocks in a short matter of time, that's for sure.
"When I asked him if you were telling the truth, he told me you that did… That we couldn't be together. That it would always be her…"
Ouch.
That must have hurt.
The glance in her green eyes confirmed that.
"I guess he lied too", he eventually said softly, because it was now very clear to him that he did.
It had to be.

What he didn't know was why the tan-furred mouse would do that.
Lie to her.
Why he would give up his chance to be with this fantastic human being, who obviously had feelings for him as well.
He hadn't only denied himself a great shot at happiness by turning her down, no, even worse.
He had deliberately chosen to spend the rest of his life with the queen of all bitches.
Man.
His older bro clearly had to learn a thing or two about the definition of good taste.

Either way, he suddenly had another realization.
Damn, he had more realizations on this day than he had in his entire life.
This was crazy.
This whole conversation was crazy.
Even beyond that.
But that wasn't the point now.
The point was that Charley wasn't angry with him.
At least, that's what he concluded because she didn't start yelling at him.
She didn't hit him either, something he was kind of grateful for.
After all, he had seen her moves.
Not something he wanted to experience from up close.
Even he had some self-preservation left inside of him.

Still, she had every right to do both.
But she didn't and that while he just admitted to her that he had played a competition in the foulest way to get into her pants.
Okay, okay, it wasn't only about the competition.
She obviously did something to him, even though it wasn't love.
Still man...
There was no excuse.
No.
There wasn't.

But instead of getting mad at him like she probably should've done, she let out her breath and looked him in the eye.
"I owe you an apology."
What the...
Okay, he was officially lost now.
This whole thing just didn't make any sense.
Women.
They were just so weird, honestly...
To share his confusion with her, he blinked a few times with a frown on his pretty face, but before he could say anything, she already continued.
"I uh… I too did something I'm not proud of, I guess… no… definitely not proud of…", she mumbled, fiddling with her blouse with her eyes already down again.
What the fuck was she talking about?

But again, it suddenly hit him like a meteor.
Shit, this was starting to get ridiculous.
But he remembered now.
Right…
Gosh, he was just so easily distracted, it was downright annoying sometimes.
Either way, it turned out that he was right after all.
Now all she needed to do was say it out loud.
But that didn't come easy on her, he could tell.
Well, it wasn't really that hard to miss, with her stutter and cheeks as red as the sand on Mars and all.
"I uh… Well, I…"
He decided to put her out of her misery.
Really, it was almost painful to watch.
"You used me. I know."

She closed her mouth with a clap and her cheeks turned even redder.
"God, it sounds terrible if you put it like that but… yeah... I kind of did…I guess...I'm so sor…"
"Don't…", he cut her off again as he held up his hand, simply because he wasn't able to just stand here and listen to her apologizing while he was just as bad as her.
But he didn't want to snap at her either, she didn't deserve that, so he took a deep breath before he tried again.
"Don't tell me you're sorry. We both did something we ain't proud of. And it's not like you broke my heart, so don't worry about it."

But of course, she saw right through him.
Well, not about the whole broken heart thingy.
He was telling the truth about that part, after all.
She knew.
But there was still that other part...
"You feel guilty", she concluded tonelessly.
And the winner is… Charley 'I love to push buttons in my free time' Davidson.
Whoopdidoo...

He suddenly had enough of this.
Enough of talking.
Enough of being honest.
Enough of being vulnerable.
But the words just kept coming.
She was truly gifted, that he knew for sure now.
"Of course I feel guilty! He's my bro. My family. And I betrayed him in the worst possible way. I knew he liked you. I knew and yet, I didn't stop. I didn't let go. No, I just wanted to win and claim the prize for myself, as usual…", he babbled as he started his pacing again.
Seriously, stop talking.
He was making a fool out of himself.
This was his problem, not hers.

But she seemed to believe otherwise, because she stopped him by grabbing his arm.
When he turned around to face her again, she laid a hand on his cheek and when their eyes met, he saw tears shimmering in hers.
Oh shit.
Please, don't cry.
He was so not good with crying women.
No, he wasn't.
Although her tears told him that she was sincerely upset.
That meant something, right?
Right...
Welcome aboard the boat of guilt, Charley-girl.

"It wasn't your fault, Vin. I practically jumped on you, remember? I even asked you to keep it a secret. God… I never should've asked that from you. It's no excuse but I was just so angry. Hurt by his rejection and there you were, all willing and all... I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry that I put you through this. It was never my intention to come between you and your best friend but I did it anyway. I… I wasn't thinking straight. I never would've asked you that if I was. I know how close you guys are… I know how important he is to you. God, I feel terrible..."

It was almost admiring how she was able to put this all on herself every time she opened her mouth.
But this wasn't just her fault.
They both had been there, that night on the roof.
And they both had made a gruesome mistake, that night on the roof.
After all, it takes two to… tango… hehe.
"Well, you weren't the only one who wasn't thinking straight, sweetheart. But what's done is done. We can't change the past. And I need to live with the consequences of my actions, which is nothing new, by the way. But not you, sweetheart. You don't owe him anything. I do. So, please... Stop apologizing", he told her as he gently took her hand to get it off his cheek.

It was strange, how easy it was to talk to her.
He even said 'please'.
And he didn't even feel that uncool.
Which was shocking, to say the least, for he couldn't remember when it was the last time that he had a conversation as open such as this one.
It was something he usually avoided at all costs.
But not with her.
A friend...
A friend sounded good.

"I still don't regret it, though. It was an amazing experience", she whispered after a long silence.
Honestly…
Was she still surprised?
"You expected less? Ugh, come on. You with your 'just sex'. I told ya, babe, sex with me ain't 'just sex'", he teased her, giving her one of his trademark smiles as he wiggled his eyebrows, happy to diffuse the tension a bit before his heart would give out or something like that.
Man, he was way too cool to die.
Charley rolled her eyes, but with a small smile around her lips as well.
"Yeah, yeah, you made your point… you're amazing."
"I am. The best! Always have been and always will be", he agreed proudly and she shook her head, chuckling softly.

But then her face grew serious again and she gave a little squeeze in his hand that was still holding hers.
"It's important to me that you know how I feel. I mean, maybe I uh… sort of used you, but you need to know it wasn't just that. I do like you. But as a friend."
Ahw.
How cute.
Vinnie smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You don't have to explain, sweetheart. I know. Because the same goes for me. It wasn't just about the competition, ya know. Mostly about you being this brutally attractive, because you are… Anyway, we both just needed something, so we gave it to each other and had a great time doing so. But, and I can't believe that I of all mice is saying this, it can't happen again. You can't jump on me like that, ever again, for I simply can't resist you…"

"I won't, I promise. There's too much at stake here…", she added softly and he caught himself wondering what was going to happen between her and Throttle now she knew the truth.
But he didn't ask.
That was up to her.
He had done his part.
Oh, yeah.
Without a doubt.
He came, he saw, he conquered.
Like he always did.
Man.
"Are you gonna tell him?", she asked a bit hesitant, as if she could read his mind.
Maybe she could, though.
Somehow, they seemed to be on the same page every time they were close to each other.

"Honestly? I dunno. I'm not sure what will happen if I do…", he answered with a sigh as he let go of her hand and rubbed his arms.
Well, he did have a hunch and it wasn't a pretty one.
But he wasn't going to share that particular hunch with her.
That was between him and Throttle.
"He deserves to know, don't you agree?", the human female pointed out the obvious.
Oh, yeah.
He totally agreed.
But was this the right moment to tell him?
While they were on this mission?

Then again, would there ever be a right moment to tell your best friend that you betrayed him?
He wasn't sure.
Probably not.
But it was just a guess.
Being open and vulnerable wasn't exactly his expertise.
Ha.
Not even close.

Either way, given Throttle's previous behavior when it came to Charley, this would definitely distract him.
And distraction meant death in times of war.
He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that would happen.
And so, he made a decision.
"When the time is there, I'll tell him."
That was a promise.
And he always kept his promises.
Bikers Honor.
Okay, maybe there were a few exceptions, but hey, nobody knew and he intended to keep it that way.

After staring at her feet for a while, she opened her mouth again.
"We really messed up, huh?"
Uh, yes.
"We did. Big time…"
Vinnie then glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"So… about us… how does friends without benefits sound?", he asked a bit sheepishly with a tilted head.
Charley smiled and punched him softly on the arm.
"BFF's."
He arched a brow in confusion.
"What does that even mean?"
"Best friends forever."

Blinking a few times, he rubbed his chin with wrinkled nose, not sure what to think about this.
Somehow, it sounded so… uncool.
Charley smiled.
"Never mind. It's a girl thing anyway."
But then, her smile faded again and he already knew what was coming.
He didn't stop her, though.
He wasn't sure why not.
But he just didn't.

"Vin?"
"Hm?"
"I meant what I said. You're my friend. That means I'm here if you wanna talk. Always. But only when you're ready."
After staring at the sky for a little while, Vinnie heaved a sigh and shifted his weight to his heels as he put his hands in his pockets, suddenly not knowing what to do with them.
"I know. Maybe I will. One day…"
Only when you're ready...
Would he ever be ready?

"Anyway… Are you at least ready to go back inside again? Or are you gonna bite her head off the moment she only looks at you?", Charley asked nonchalantly as she pushed herself off the wall.
The white-furred mouse took a deep breath and let the air whoosh out via his mouth again, ignoring her scent that made his heart beat faster because that's what he owed to Throttle.
"I guess I am. Ready. I still don't agree with this whole plan, though. It sucks. Big time", he quickly added, taking this moment as an opportunity to make his point because that's just who he was.
He liked to make his point.
Next to that, he just loved to hear himself talk.
Charley patted him on the back before she set course to the door.
"I know. You don't have to, either. As long as you won't shred her to pieces, we're all good."

When she reached the door, she laid a hand on the handle, but then she stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"I'm curious about one thing though. Why do you want her dead?"
Yeah, why did he want her dead?
Good question.
He had no idea.
Then again, did he really want her dead?
No.
Not really.
He just didn't want her near him.
That was different, ya know.

But what to say to Charley?
Well, how about the truth?
It was the only thing she would accept anyway.
If he lied, she would probably take him in one of her insane martial arty-farty headlocks and hold him until he would spill the truth.
Gosh, the thought alone.
That would be so embarrassing.
A major blow to his ego.
His poor, poor ego, that had already suffered enough this day.
More than enough.
For at least an entire year if he had something to say about it.

So, he gently pushed her aside and grabbed the handle as he turned his head towards her.
"I don't want her dead, I want her gone and apparently, you already know why", he whispered in her ear and without giving her a chance to react, he pulled the door open and flashed her one of his most charming smiles as he build back his walls with the speed of light.
Or maybe even better said; as he put his mask back on.
Hide your face so the world will never find you.
"After you, milady."
And with that, the conversation was closed.