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In this chapter Isabel is finally introduced to the guys, but not in the way you might have been expecting...

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The scoreboard

"The nerve of him! I can't believe it!" Charley angrily sat down on the couch as soon as Stoker had stormed out of the room.

The three brothers quietly looked at each other. Which one of them was going to break the silence that currently filled the atmosphere? Who was going to explain to Charley why Stoker was behaving in such a weird manner? They all understood what was currently going through their former chief's mind. Heck, they'd all been there. But how were they going to make their female friend understand?

Neither Vinnie nor Modo were very good at explaining things, especially Martian matters. Therefore both of them kept their eyes on Throttle, a bit embarrassed and pleading at the same time. Throttle tilted his head back and let out a deep sigh followed by an annoyed grunt. Vinnie and Modo quickly made their way out of the room as the leader of their biker group sat down on the coffee table in front of Charley. How did he get pulled into this? It wasn't really up to him or any of them to explain Stoker's behaviour to Charley, yet somehow here he was.

"Look, Charley girl, I,-"

"Don't you dare defend that mouse for his behaviour." She immediately sneered and Throttle raised his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I wasn't. Don't think for a second I condone Stoker's behaviour regarding Isabel." He shifted in his spot, this was going to be more difficult than he thought. Charley was really upset.

"Then what are you planning on telling me?" She asked him crossing her arms.

Throttle ran a hand through his fringe. "I don't know, perhaps trying to explain why he's acting the way he is?"

Charley made a face. "That still sounds like you're planning on defending him."

"I'm not." Throttle sighed. "It's just that, we mice have a different way when it comes to,- to matters of the heart."

"That's not entirely true." Charley leaned back and crossed her legs. "Vinnie seems to act exceptionally like the human male species whenever he encounters a beautiful woman."

Touché. Throttle had to admit she had a point. "Don't think about Vinnie for a second, bad example."

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Thanks, babe." Throttle smiled. "How can I explain this... You know how our senses our more advanced? Our hearing, smell, sense, touch and vision. Not necessarily vision in my case." He cleared his throat. "Anyhow, sometimes we encounter something or someone which is alluring to us. Depending on what it is, it can throw us completely off balance."

"Okay, so,-" Charley interrupted him. "You're saying that Stoker is acting like this because he finds Isabel...alluring?"

Throttle scratched the back of his head. In a sense that was what he was saying, on the other hand it also wasn't completely on point but it seemed easier to explain this way.

"Well, that seems to be the case."

"Seems?" She frowned.

Shit. Somehow he'd managed to talk himself into a corner. But he was a mouse and a mouse always knew how to get out of tricky situations.

"I don't know how I can explain it properly, Charley girl. Each of Stoker's senses have been activated because of her. I can't tell you how it works, I'm not a biologist. But it happens to our species, but you can trust me when I say that Stoker won't make a wrong move."

"He's already done that, Throttle!"

"No, no he didn't. The wrong move would have been, well, different. Stoker has self-control. This has simply thrown him off guard for the moment." The tanned mouse stood up and placed his hands on Charley's shoulders. "He's not a teenage mouse, babe. He's been around, but it's difficult for a Martian when these things happen. I know it and the other guys do too. Don't be too harsh on him, please? He's working on getting it out of his system." At least Throttle hoped that's what Stoker was doing.

Charley looked at her own reflection in Throttle's glasses and eventually gave in. She wasn't entirely sure if she understood what Throttle had just tried to explain to her. Apparently there wasn't much she could do but blame it on Martian hormones and hope that Throttle was right about Stoker being perfectly capable of dealing with this in a mature manner.

::::::…::::::

The Last Chance Garage

"Thanks for the help, youngsters." Stoker said out loud as the three mice reached Charley's home. "Would have been a hassle to get my darling all the way here without proper transport."

"You could have waited for Charley ma'am to bring it here from the stadium. She surely would have if you'd asked her." Modo gently patted Little Hoss once they rode the bikes inside.

"I'll wait until she doesn't feel the need to cook me up for lunch. She really gave me an earful just then." Stoker stepped off of the back of Vinnie's bike. "I get that she's upset, but nothing happened."

"So for Charley's sake you held back, is that what you're saying?" Vinnie parked his ride in the usual spot before coming back to help Modo with Stoker's bike.

"The fact that I was standing in a parking lot was actually more the issue." Stoker scoffed even though that was only half of the truth. The real reason was actually much more serious and more out of character for Stoker than he was used to. He had been genuinely afraid of Isabel's reaction. If she'd seen him for who he truly is and reacted bad to it, he would have felt miserable. Taking his time was the best course of action at the moment and who knew, perhaps this was all just a phase and he'd soon be back to his normal self.

"If you say so." Vinnie replied. "But now that we're here, I want to take a look at that bad ass momma jamma bike!" The white mouse eagerly made his way to Charley's new bike. A Triumph Thunderbird, and even though it was in a bad shape, you could tell that it had once been one glorious machine.

"Would you look at that." He shrieked with joy as he crouched down.

"That's quite the bike. Not compared to Little Hoss, of course." Modo replied and his ride bleeped a thank you.

"The damage is extensive though." Stoker said taking a good look at the motorcycle. "Charley sure has her work cut out for her." That wasn't all he thought of. He could only imagine riding this bike and then getting hit by another vehicle, the way the motorcycle was damaged Isabel had been very lucky indeed and she had the scars to show it.

"So, shall we hang around here until Charley returns? Or do you think it's safe to go back to the scoreboard?" Modo asked but Vinnie shrugged.

"I don't know, man. She was extremely upset. I say we wait here." Vinnie said and he shivered. He hated seeing Charley upset, he even hated it more if he was the cause or the one on the receiving end of it. Luckily, this time he hadn't done anything but he still knew when it was best to lay low and this was one of those moments.

"Okay. In that case check to see if there's anything in the fridge." Modo grinned and Vinnie gave him a thumbs up as he removed his helmet and climb up the steps towards the living room.

Once Vinnie was gone, Modo turned to Stoker who was busy checking his own bike currently for any other broken down parts he'd missed. Modo cleared his throat and Stoker looked up at the tall grey mouse.

"You okay, big guy?"

Modo scratched the back of his head. He wasn't entirely sure if he was. Ever since Stoker had arrived, actually since Isabel showed up, he couldn't help but wonder if what Stoker was feeling, was the same as how he felt about Charley. It was difficult for him to control his own emotions sometimes. If Charley had been one of their own species, he wouldn't have to control himself, it would have been a normal thing to respond and engage in.

"Why did you go after Isabel, when you knew the danger it could cause?" He asked. The question came across rather bluntly, which he didn't mean to. Stoker's face changed.

"Don't start with me, please." The older mouse said and he stood up.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Ugh, know what? Forget it." Modo waved his hand and turned his back on his former leader. It was a dumb matter anyway, Charley had no interest in him when it came to love. The way she looked at Vinnie and approached him was totally different than how she treated Modo. The answer was obvious. He'd have no choice but to keep fighting it and find releases through different means.

"Let's go up and make sure Vinnie doesn't misbehave." Stoker grinned.

However the two of them didn't get the chance to make it upstairs. They heard the engine sound earlier on but hadn't thought twice about it and now it was too late. A grey pick up truck pulled over in front of the open door of the Last Chance garage. The two mice didn't have time to scurry away, the woman inside the vehicle had noticed them the moment she approached Charley's home.

Isabel opened her car door and slowly got out. She seemed a bit unsure and hesitant to enter the garage on her own with two men standing right there in the middle of the workplace. But getting back into the car and turning around would come across as rather peculiar in itself. Therefore she walked into the room and scanned the area quickly. All the while trying not to look at the two rather tall and burly men. Especially the darker one on the left.

Modo and Stoker glanced at each other and quickly closed the visors of their helmets, it was rather lucky for them that they hadn't removed them yet. With effort they pulled their tails up behind their back keeping them out of sight from Isabel. Modo stepped back closer to the ladder which led into Charley's house. He felt extremely uncomfortable. More so because he was worried about Charley's reaction once she'd figured out they were now all standing in the same room.

"I'm looking for Charlene Davidson." Isabel said, finally focusing her gaze on the two mice. "You two gents seen her?"

Modo looked over at Stoker who seemed frozen in his spot. His former chief stood perfectly still, but one of them had to reply to Isabel soon before things would get even more awkward. Modo was also unsure of what to do next. Should he try to scare her off? Or tell her to come back later? Then there was also the matter of Vinnie being upstairs. Which was probably the more urgent matter to deal with, if he came back without his helmet on all would be lost.

He gathered his courage and spoke up. "Sorry, ma'am. She's out currently." Modo had no idea how he managed to get to words out in such a calm matter, but thankfully he did.

"Oh." Isabel replied, a bit disappointed. "In that case I'll go back to my hotel." She turned around and both Modo and Stoker let out a deep breath both of them had been holding. But then Isabel stopped midway and turned her head towards Stoker. There was something about him. Something familiar.

"Do I know you?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes.

Modo could hear Stoker's heartbeat increase with the second and their Martian hearts already beat at an unnatural rapid pace compared to humans. For a moment Modo thought Stoker was too shaken to answer Isabel's question, but as it turned out the older mouse was more than eager to.

"In a matter of speaking. We met yesterday. I was the one who, quite rudely, stared into your car." Stoker took a small step forward. "I'm a friend of Charley. I brought my ride here, it took quite a tumble. She promised to fix it." He pointed to his motorcycle and watched eagerly as Isabel slowly approached it.

He wetted his lips as he watched her bent down in front of the bike and cocked her head sideways. Stoker inhaled deeply and managed to get a whiff through his helmet by that sweet scent of vanilla.

"I thought you looked familiar." She replied, not looking at him. "Were you riding when it happened?"

"No. No, I wasn't. My own fault, really. Hadn't secured it enough. Slipped loose while towing it away and it hit a wall. " Stoker placed his hands in his side and Modo could practically hear him wiggle his eyebrows behind his visor.

Modo felt out of place. Even though it was a normal conversation between two people, normal as could be, it was as if Stoker was in his own little world conversing with Isabel. He even behaved like how he always used to, flirty, playful. There was no trace of the mouse who had shut down a second ago, like a bike without fuel. Modo placed his hand on Stoker's shoulder, shaking him out of his bubble.

"Perhaps we should check upstairs on Vinnie?" He said to him forcefully.

Unexpectedly, mentioning Vinnie caused Isabel to perk her head and stand back up again. "Vinnie?" She repeated.

Modo and Stoker looked at her with a surprised frown. Was she asking who Vinnie was? Or did it sound as if she'd heard that name before?

"Vinnie is here?" Isabel asked more clearly. Both mice couldn't believe what they were hearing. How did Isabel know about Vinnie? Before Modo could reply, Stoker already opened his big mouth.

"He's upstairs. We were planning on waiting for Charley." Suddenly he puffed up his chest and stood tall. "Would you,-"

Modo immediately yanked Stoker behind him and shushed him to the best of his abilities, being unable to clasp his hands over Stoker's mouth because of his helmet. "What are you doing?" He hissed at he former leader.

"Charley told me about Vinnie yesterday. Not much, but she said they'd known each other for a while and that he was a dear friend."

Modo froze as Isabel's voice sounded incredibly close. His tail was curled up behind his back, but if she looked close enough she'd know something's up. But what was more odd was that Charley had mentioned Vinnie to her? Why had Charley been so angry at Stoker this morning about them being Martian if she'd told Isabel about Vinnie?

"I realized I haven't told any of you my name, have I?" Isabel continued and she cleared her throat. "I'm Isabel Davidson. Charley's sister-in-law."

She extended her hand, ready to shake either Modo or Stoker's. It was a rather odd sight. Two tall Martian mice, hiding their true selves behind their helmets, standing in front of a human female who was their best friend's relative. Both strictly ordered not to reveal themselves to her, but as it turned out she knew about one of them? But to what extend? Neither men dared to grab hold of the woman's hand and shake it.

Luckily in a tight situation, you could always count on Vincent van Wham to make an appearance. Which was exactly what he did, unannounced and visible for who and what he truly was.

"Is Charley back?" He said, sticking his head through the door, glancing at the three people down in front of the ladder. There was no denying what had just appeared out of Charley's living room. White fur, a muzzle and buck teeth, with half of his face hidden by a shiny metal plate. Vinnie's eyes widened as did Isabel's.

Everyone's focus was now on the honey blond haired female and none of them dared to move. Isabel couldn't tear her eyes away from Vinnie who seemed even paler than what was physically possible. "Oh shit,-" He mouthed.

That was all the cue Isabel needed to open her mouth and scream from the top of her lungs.

:::::::...:::::::

"Is she waking up?" Stoker asked after Modo had carried Isabel upstairs to Charley's living room and set her down on the sofa chair.

"I hope not. What do we do? Charley should be here!" Modo did not like this one bit. No one was actually really to blame but he felt the need to blame both Stoker and Vinnie for this entire situation.

"We can handle this. We just have to take approach it carefully. If she screams again Modo can give her a gentle tap on her head." Vinnie looked up at Modo who dropped his jaw.

"I'm gonna knock your light out if you suggest any form of physical harm as a solution again." Stoker punched Vinnie on the shoulder.

Isabel could hear their voices but she didn't dare to open her eyes. It's a dream, just a dream. The light gave Charley's friend an odd look. Bigger ears, bigger snout, an actual snout. Good Lord, I'm being abducted by failed laboratory experiments!

"I think she's awake, her eyes moved." Stoker said and Isabel whimpered. She knew something was off with this guy the moment she'd caught him staring into her car. At first she'd thought he was just some random weirdo, but he was actually friends with this Vinnie? Who turned out to be anything but human? Did that mean he was a giant rodent too? He had to be and the other man as well.

"It's okay, ma'am. We won't hurt you." Modo tried to sound as soothing and calm as he possibly could. The two of them hadn't removed their helmets yet in case it would frighten Isabel.

Isabel didn't believe that. She couldn't comprehend any of this. Charley must know about them. She talked about Vinnie before, in quite an endearing matter, didn't that mean something? It was pointless to pretend to be asleep, they'd already figured out she wasn't sleeping.

When she opened her eyes she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The humanoid looking mouse wasn't there. The only people that were there were two guys from the garage, both still wearing their helmets. Slowly Isabel moved to sit up straight.

"You have nothing to worry about. Vinnie left the room." Stoker said to her. He felt really bad, this wasn't how he'd wanted their first encounter to go. Although technically this wasn't their first encounter, but this was the closest he'd been to her as himself even to he hadn't fully revealed himself yet.

Isabel swallowed the lump which had formed in her throat. "Is that why you both are still wearing helmets?"

"We don't want to scare you." Modo sat down on the edge of the couch. The woman in front of him leaned all the way back in the seat. Her arms wrapped around her upper body for protection. Charley's response had been completely different from Isabel's. She was scared but was ready to defend herself. She was interested, intrigued even with whom and what they were. Not Isabel. She'd stared, screamed and then passed out. Even now she seemed ready to faint.

"It wasn't a dream then?" She whispered. "You're,- you both are,-" She paused and averted her gaze.

What else was there to do? Wait for Charley to appear and explain everything to Isabel? The damage had already been done and they'd past the point of no return. Stoker stood up and stepped to a halt in front of Isabel. Before Modo figured out what his former chief was planning on doing, it was already too late.

Stoker grabbed hold of his helmet and pulled it off. His brown hair fell down his back and part of his bangs into his red crimson eyes. There was no mistake. In front of Isabel stood a mouse. Taller than most humans, but built fairly the same. On top of his head were two red antennas, at least that's what they looked like. It was then Isabel noticed the long metal thing behind him, which could only be described as a tail.

Everything inside Isabel told her to either scream or throw something at the creature in front of her. She kept telling herself, these are Charley's friends, Charley knows them. Both mice could tell Isabel was anything but calm, but at least it seemed she wasn't planing on screaming again.

"We're from Mars." Stoker said to her. He put the helmet down and crouched in front of her. His red eyes looked up at her, trying to catch a positive expression but still there was none. "We met Charley by accident a couple of years ago. Well,-" He paused and looked at Modo who still had his helmet on.

"Modo, Throttle and Vinnie did. I met her a few months later." He nodded at Modo to reveal himself, but the tall grey mouse was incredibly reluctant. Sure Vinnie had visible scars as did Stoker, but he was a different story. The eyepatch and his glowing eye whenever his emotions got the better of him, would surely scare Isabel to her core.

"My name is Stoker by the way." And the former rebel leader flashed his best smile accompanied by a wink. But the latter went unnoticed by Isabel.

"There's more than you three?" Was all she could exclaim.

Stoker sighed and dropped his shoulders. "Actually there is an entire planet of us. But the four of us are currently the only ones on Earth."

Isabel lowered her head between her hands and muttered something under her breath. It was hard to distinguish what it was that she was saying, but to Stoker it sounded something along the lines of. "It's okay, you're okay."

He had the urge to reach out and place a hand on her, give her a gentle pat, hold her even. Things he knew would only make matters worse. Suddenly a voice sounded from upstairs. Vinnie.

"Charley and Throttle are here!"

Immediately everyone's head shot up, including Isabel's. Modo didn't wait around, he turned his back on Stoker and Isabel and rushed downstairs to the garage. Stoker looked back at Isabel who appeared to calm down at the sound of Charley's name.

It didn't take long for the mechanic to stumble into the living room. Her auburn hair a tussled mop on top of her head from removing her helmet as she was climbing the steps. Stoker stepped aside as Charley practically crashed in front of the sofa to grab a hold of Isabel.

"I'm sorry, Izzy." She breathed heavily. "I'm so sorry."

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