Hope For The Future-Chapter 15
It was so true. Carbine sometimes still couldn't believe she and Throttle had finally made it official between them.
She remembered how happy she was the day of her wedding. How she had planned everything out.
Flashback...
She was singing to herself as she walked down the hall leading into the chapel where the wedding was to take place:
My heart will fly to Heaven on the day he'll be mine.
We'll be standing on the threshold of the Great, Great Divine.
And from this time forever we'll be there hand in hand.
It's the day that I've been dreaming and the day that I've planned.
But the hardened, tough as nails general soon learned things don't always go as planned. She was totally unprepared for news she got when she went for her yearly checkup from the Martian doctor.
"Are you sure?" She asked the lady doctor in a complete daze.
"Very." She told her.
She knew she had to tell Throttle.
Finally, one day they were alone in her quarters.
"You okay, babe?" He asked her.
He knew something was up because he knew her moods as well as her whole personality. He understood her better than most people.
"Fine."
"It's just...you seem nervous about something. Out with it, babe."
"Let's just say in nine months we're no longer going to be a duo." She replied, smiling, eyes twinkling.
"What? Carbine, what do you mean?"
"I'm pregnant." She replied, smiling at his shocked reaction.
"You mean...I...We... We're gonna be...parents?" He asked, incredulously.
"We sure are!" She grinned.
"Carbine...Well...How about that..." He grinned, a slow grin, as what she just said sunk in, "I'm gonna be a dad!"
End Flashback.
They had their wedding and kept the pregnancy a secret. Except from close friends.
Little Pistol was born soon after that. The child immediately stole her father's heart. The child was a daddy's girl and her father's favorite. Throttle took to the father role like a fish to water. The only thing he wasn't the best at was changing diapers. That usually fell to Mommy.
"I can beat up on one of Limburger's goons like it's nothing, but dealing with drippy diapers? That subject wasn't covered in cool school, babe." He said, a little frustrated.
"It's easy, muscle mouse." She said, easily cleaning their little daughter and placing a clean, dry diaper on her, "Maybe someday you'll learn to change diapers and prefably before our new son arrives."
Carbine had gotten pregnant again but this time in ended in a miscarriage.
"Don't sweat it, babe. We still got our Pistol." Throttle consoled his saddened wife.
End Flashback...
Seven years past. Then Carbine conceived again. She was determined to carry this baby to full term.
Today was a very important day. Little Pistol was celebrating her seventh birthday. The proud parents had a big party planned at their cave home.
"Still can't believe our little Pistol has turned seven. Wow!" Throttle told his wife.
"Our little girl is growing up so fast." Carbine said, happily watching the child looking at a table with gifts on it.
"I wonder what it is." She said, picking up a gift-wrapped package that was tied with a blue bow and then shaking it.
"Pistol. Wait till the others arrive. Then you can open your gifts." Her mother said.
A sound of motorcycles was heard outside.
"They're here!" The child happily squealed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.
Vinnie had arrived on his red Sports bike with Charley. A smaller minicycle rode next to him. Behind them came Modo and Arielle.
"You guys made it!" Throttle said.
"Would miss it for anything." Modo replied.
"Yeah. Bros forever." Vinnie said.
The three friends closer than blood brothers gripped their hands in an air arm wrestle like urban Earth guys do when they meet each other on the street then they half hugged each other.
They still couldn't believe they had finally saved Mars as well as Earth. Nearly all of the planet has come back to its natural state before the Plutarkians came. It surprised them how far they have come and how the events that shaped their lives made them into the people they were.
The three mice now began playfully shoving each other which erupted into a wrestling match.
"Seriously? Can't you macho meatheads be together for once without fighting?" Charley asked, shaking her head.
"Come on, sweetheart. Where's the fun in that?" Vinnie teased.
"Yeah, it keeps us focus, Charley-girl." Throttle replied.
"And super alert, Miss Charley Ma'am." Modo said.
"Or should we say, Mrs. Van Wham." A voice chuckled.
Everyone looked to see Arielle approach.
The three mice then got off the floor.
"Uncle Vinnie! Aunt Charley! Uncle Modo! Aunt Arielle!" Little Pistol cried out, running out to them.
The child was then smothered with hugs and kisses by all her relatives.
"Hey, Dalton." She said, turning to the small figure on the minicycle who now walked up to them.
He had removed his helmet to reveal a small white mouse with short light blonde hair. He was a tall boy of ten.
"Hey " was all he said.
"Son, put this on the table" Charley told the mouse child, handing him a small wrapped package.
"Yes, Mom." The child said, dashing into the house.
"I'll show you where the other presents are displayed." Carbine said, leading him into the house.
"Where's Starr?" Pistol asked.
"Up there." Modo replied, pointing up.
Everyone looked up to see a little grayish, pale purple mouse girl with bat wings fly into the air then make circles in the sky. She was then about to land in front of everyone till she lost her balance.
"Starr!" Arielle cried.
Starr couldnt quite land on her feet. She was about to fall when Modo rode his bike underneath her catching her.
"Still gotta work on your landings, hon." Modo said.
"Aw, Dad. I had it under control.." She replied, as he set her on the ground.
"Honestly, Starr. You're gonna turn my hair gray before my time if you keep scaring me like that." Arielle sighed, shaking her head.
"Mom, it's okay. I'm fine."She said, hugging her.
"How come you didn't just ride with your folks, Starr?" Pistol asked.
"Riding and sitting is boring. Flying is more fun." Starr replied, waving her hand away at the thought.
Dalton had just come back out of the house.
"And speaking of fun." She said, suddenly smiling and opening up a small pouch hung around her neck. She dumped what looked like white flour all over Dalton.
"What's is that stuff, Starr?" Her mother asked.
"Love Dust. Grandma made it for me." She said.
"Are you nuts or something? My mom just washed that shirt!" Dalton frowned.
"It didn't work!" She pouted.
"What didn't work?"
Stoker had just shown up with Charla. The two love birds just tied the knot a month ago and things were great.
"Dalton, You go into the bathroom to get cleaned up." Carbine said.
The tall boy walked inside the house followed by the two girls. .
" Your defunct love powder is the last straw. I really wish you would stop putting these crazy love notions in Starr's head, Mom." Arielle said.
"Just making sure when she gets older, she'll know what's expected of her as our race continues to grow." Charla said.
With Torris Rainer's technology, Charla was able to clone two more succubi. They were trained in their ways.
"Starr is nine years old! That's way too young to start thinking about boys. " Arielle said.
"I had my first beau at nine." Charla replied, "You had yours at ten. We're not so different."
"I want her to grow up normally without any pressure to find a boyfriend."
"Fine."
...
"Spitfire is growing up into a fine lady and a soldier. Plus, she takes after me when it comes to science and technology. Already got a lab of her own. Couldn't be more proud. But then you three rookies are my pride and joy." Stoker said.
"I just want to say thanks for being there for me and Carbine since we were teens, Stoke." Throttle told Stoker.
The older soldier and his protege sat in the back yard of his cave home.
"Hey. You mudpuppies are like my sons even the punk. Don't tell him I said that." He said.
Suddenly, Charley came running out. A worried look was on her face.
"Throttle! Come quickly! It's Carbine!"
The dark haired mouse woman was going into labor. She was lying on a bed in the guest room. Arielle and Charla were over her helping her. Arielle placed cold compresses on her hot forehead. While Charla was giving instructions. Her doctor was also there.
"C'mon, honey, you gotta push." She was telling Carbine.
Carbine's face was sweaty and she looked around.
"I'm here, babe. I ain't going anywhere." Throttle smiled, taking her hand in his.
That gave her the incentive. Her screams vibrated off the walls. After a number of hours, the cries of a newborn baby could be heard in the room. The doctor proudly held the child up. A tiny red hairless thing with shut eyes and crying.
"Congratulations, you have a beautiful, healthy young son." She smiled, after cleaning the baby and wrapping him in swaddling clothes. He was then placed in his mother's arm. Everyone stared happily at the baby.
The child then calmed down. Almost immediately.
"He's perfect." Throttle said, awestruck gazing at the infant.
"He certainly is. " She said, "And his name will be Espe Futuro. It's a mixture of Earth Spanish. It means hope and the future."
"Hope. Future. I like it. Mars has got its hope and its future back." Throttle said.
The End.