Thanks for the reviews, once again very happy with them.
Raven Perez: I didn't forget about Upwardly Mobile, but I had this idea in my head and I needed the next episode to work that out. Also, Upwardly Mobile didn't had that much to offer for my story, only a funny scene with big macho mice hiding under a table because of a earthquake. But maybe I will use some parts of it later on.
Well, on to the next chapter. I just couldn't wait any longer to share it with you guys.
I think it's the longest chapter I've ever written, so make sure you got the time when you're gonna read it.
It's a pretty tense one too, this one. Shit is about to get real.
Anyway, enjoy! ^^
Chapter nineteen
Kiwi was sitting inside on the couch working on her computer. Vinnie was lying next to her on his belly, looking at what she was doing.
"Where did you learn all this stuff, sweetheart?", he asked. He tried to understand what she was doing, but he didn't had a clue.
"At school. I never was the kinda girl who liked to do her hair and nails. So when I went to college, it was not to learn about fashion, but about computers. Never finished it, though. Right before graduation, my parents died…" she trailed off.
Vinnie studied her and sat up straight.
"What happened to you after that?", he asked hesitant. He didn't want to make her feel as if he was pushing her to talk about it. Heck, he never talked about what happened to him. So he knew how annoying it was if people asked. But he had to ask. He had this weird feeling to protect her. To get to know her. To be there for her.
Kiwi sighed and sat her laptop on the table. She grabbed a pillow and held it against her.
"I eh… I couldn't handle it. I got in this heavy depression. After a few weeks, I just gave up. I took all the pills I had and just went to sleep to never wake up again… But Ruby found me. Brought me to the hospital, and when turned out I was physically okay, she brought me to a psychiatric clinic. I stayed there for like three months, and after that I was okay enough to go back home. A few weeks later, you guys popped up."
Vinnie looked at her. She was telling this like she was speaking about someone else, with an almost colld distance. But maybe that was the only way to deal with it. He completely understood. But he still sucked at this. He had no idea what to say.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart…", he eventually said softly. And he meant it. She must have felt so lonely, so helpless to do something like that. To end her own life…
Kiwi looked at him.
"I feel much better since you guys are here… Really… You gave me back a family… You gave me back hope..."
She jumped at her feet and grabbed Vinnie's hand. She dragged him to the wall next to the tv and gently took a picture that was hanging there. She gave it to Vinnie.
"This is me and my parents, a few weeks before they died…"
Vinnie studied the picture. Kiwi was standing in the middle, looking more happy than he ever saw her. Her eyes were clear and twinkling, her whole face smiled. Her dad was standing at her right, his arm around her waist. A friendly face, black hair with grey on the side, but green eyes. Vinnie's gaze landed on her mother, standing at her left. He swallowed. Kiwi was clearly the image of her mother, but a little bit younger. Long black waving hair, that olive coloured skin, a body a lot of girls would die for. Her mother looked into the camera, her blue eyes twinkling, but at the same time filled with some kind of seriousness. Vinnie recognized the look. But it was the love that hit Vinnie the most. He could tell, with only looking at this picture, how much they all loved each other.
Slowly, he looked up to Kiwi. He just didn't know what to say.
Kiwi gave him a sad smile, her eyes told him she understood. That it was okay. That sometimes, words couldn't cover the load. Gently, she took the picture and hung it back with a tenderness that gave Vinnie the sudden urge to cry. He shook his head and when she turned around, he gave her her favorite smile and she stared at him. He looked back, his eyes suddenly full with something she hadn't seen before. Desire. His eyes lowered. Kiwi felt her cheeks burning and her heart pounding in her chest. They had been here before. But now, there was nobody to interrupt, since Modo and Throttle were out to get some groceries. Oh shit…
Vinnie lifted his right hand and lay it against her face. He slowly pulled her closer as he leaned forward. Kiwi closed her eyes, her breathing already heavy. This was gonna happen. This has been in the air for months now. And now, there was nothing that was gonna stop them.
When her lips touched his, her heart skipped a beat. He kissed her softly, gently. Carefully. Then he stopped and looked at her, with that arrogant, almost lazy look.
"Is this okay, sweetheart?", he asked, his voice low and husky.
Kiwi nodded, she couldn't say a word.
He kissed her again, more passionate this time. And that moment was when it happened. That burning desire. She couldn't hold herself back anymore and lost control. She kissed him back with eagerness she never had experienced before. He immediately reacted. A growl escaped his mouth and he pulled her against him. He was kissing her roughly, but o so passionate. Kiwi moaned and she pulled off his bandoliers.
He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. Still kissing her with so much passion that Kiwi hardly couldn't breathe, he pushed her against the wall. Her fingers slid through his fur, she slammed her nails in his back. Vinnie growled and pulled off her shirt. His hands flew over her body, the feeling of her soft skin under his fingers almost made him crazy, but when he reached her pants, he suddenly stopped.
He pulled back, breathing heavily. She looked at him, also out of breath. She was leaning against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist. He leaned with one hand against the wall to support himself, the other hand was still holding her.
"Woa, sweetheart. That escalated quickly…", he breathed, still looking at her, a little smile around his lips.
Kiwi nodded, also smiling.
"Yeah… ahum…"
"I don't want it to be like this. I don't wanna give you the feeling I only want you for… this…", Vinnie whispered, but he was still holding her. It had cost him all his self control to stop, and he wasn't known for having a lot of self control. But he had made a promise.
Kiwi nodded.
"You're right. Maybe this is all a little bit too soon", she sighed.
Vinnie gently set her on the ground and smiled at her. She smiled back. Something caught Vinnie's eye.
"You're bleeding, sweetheart", he said softly, pointing at her lower lip.
Kiwi quickly raised her hand and touched her lip. There was a small cut in it.
"Yeah… Guess we need a little practise with the buckteeth and all…', she smiled. "It's just a small cut, no biggie, Vin. Don't worry."
Vinnie nodded, but looked a little bit guilty.
"I don't regret it", she whispered.
"Me neither…"
He gave her back her shirt and she quickly put it on. He did the same with his bandoliers.
Kiwi was staring at her feet, not knowing if she needed to tell him this. What if he was gonna laugh at her? What if…
"I'm still a virgin", she blurted out. Wauw, Kiwi. Smooth. Subtle. Honestly…
Vinnie froze and slowly turned around. He stared at her. Kiwi avoided his look, shuffling with her feet. He suddenly stood before her and gently tucked her hair behind her ear.
"More reason to take it slow, sweetheart…"
His voice. Oh my god, he needed to stop doing this, otherwise she was gonna jump him again. But he didn't laugh. He didn't make fun of her. He gently lifted her head, forcing her to look at him.
"And more reason to make the first time special, instead of… this…" and he smiled that cute, shy smile.
Kiwi blushed, she just couldn't help it.
"Yeah, I guess you're right... "
"I know I'm right, doll. You deserve better than just ordinary sex against a wall", and he winked at her.
She giggled. God, she felt like a teenager in love. Well, she was in love. Maybe not a teenager anymore, but who cares? Age is just a number.
Vinnie leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed happily. Home. She was home.
It was then they suddenly heard a lot of noise outside. Vinnie froze and pricked his ears.
"Hmmm… Sounds like trouble", he said and grabbed Kiwi's hand. "Stay close, doll. Let's scoop it out."
They walked to the garage and Vinnie looked out of the window, making sure to stay out of sight. His eyes grew big. What the…
Greasepit was sitting in a massive machine with a wrecking ball. He was parked on the road right behind Kiwi's fence. Goons were standing next to him, lined up. Vinnie gritted his teeth.
"Wait here, sweetheart. I'm gonna ask me some questions."
Kiwi tried to stop him, but he was already on his bike and drove outside. The fence opened and Vinnie shot his laser at the machine to get Greasepit's attention.
"Heys! Yous got a problem?", Greasepit called out.
Vinnie rolled his eyes and stepped off his bike. He grabbed Greasepit's hand.
"Oh no, no, no, grease dump... But you do!" and he pulled the big guy out of the cabine and grabbed him by his dungarees.
"Talk fast, oil breath. What are you doing here?", Vinnie growled.
He heard weapons clicking behind him and when he looked over his shoulder, he saw goons standing with their guns aimed at him. With his free hand, he grabbed his lasergun and shot the guns out of their hands. He brought his attention back to Greasepit.
"Well?"
"It's all nice and legalised! And yous can do a thing about it!" and Greasepit held up piece of paper.
Vinnie grabbed it. Hmmmm… Bad news. Apparently, Limburger had permission to take down this house, because it was standing in the way for a subway system he wanted to build. Typical. Only Limburger could arrange this on such a short term, not giving Kiwi the chance to grab her stuff and leave. He needed to buy them some time, to talk to Throttle about this. Even he knew he couldn't do what he usually does. Blow up everything in sight. He wanted to, though. But they could call the cops. And oh boy, Throttle would kill him.
Vinnie lifted Greasepit in the air and threw him against the wrecking ball. That made the thing whirl around and Greasepit flew away, landing on the goons. Good. That will teach them a lesson. He quickly jumped at his bike and drove back to Kiwi's house, the fence closing behind him. Not that was gonna stop them. But letting it open could be interpreted as a invitation. And they were obviously NOT welcome here.
Vinnie stopped his bike with shrieking brakes back in the garage and Kiwi run towards them.
"What is going on, Vinnie?", she asked, fear in her voice. He pulled off his helmet.
"Big trouble, that's what's going on. Limburger has found a way to destroy your house, legalised. He must have found out you live here with us…" he trailed off when he saw her tears.
"Jesus, Vin… They can't take away my house! It's all I have left from my parents!", she yelled, grabbing him.
Vinnie gently cupped his hands around her face.
"Listen to me, sweetheart. Like that is gonna happen. But I need to talk to Throttle about this."
He let her go and pushed a button on his bike. After a few seconds, Throttle's voice was heard over the speakers.
"Yeah, Vinnie?"
"Yo, fearless leader. We got us a little situation over here…", but when he heard explosions on the background, Vinnie narrowed his eyes.
"HEY! Are you guys having fun without moi?", he asked, a little agitated.
"Fun isn't the word I'd use. Goons with blazers everywhere, and they keep on coming. Not that we can't handle them", Throttle said drily. "So, what's going on, Vincent? Can't get your swelled head through a door opening?"
"Haha. Very funny", Vinnie responded sarcastic. "Listen to this…" and he quickly told what was going on.
"We need to stop them, Throttle. I can't lose my house!", Kiwi quickly added when Vinnie was done.
"I know, Kiwi. But if they got a legal order, they can call the police if we give them trouble…"
"Let them! I'll kick their asses!", Vinnie growled, very annoyed to be so helpless.
"You know better, Vincent. The law is the law. Listen, it does explain this… sudden act of violence over here. They're obviously are trying to hold us up. We'll try to be there as soon as possible, and then we'll figure something out. Meanwhile, hold the fort, Vincent."
"No problem…", Vinnie smiled, but Throttle heard the tone in his voice.
"And I do not want you pounding on those clowns and getting your stupid tail thrown into the slammer. You hear that?"
Vinnie clenched his fist.
"Aarrgh, FINE!"
"Good. We'll be there as soon as possible."
Vinnie turned off the radio and looked at Kiwi.
"Well, this sure sucks…"
Kiwi nodded. "You can say that alright…"
After waiting for an hour, Greasepit was back in the land of the living and preparing to continue. Vinnie was shaking in anger. He knew better than to disobey Throttle, but this was ridiculous. He couldn't just let them get away with this?
"Any last words, mousie?", he heard Greasepit yelling.
"How about eating Martian Mice knuckles, you septic slimeball!", Vinnie yelled and he wanted to open the door, but Kiwi grabbed him.
"Vinnie, cut it out! Remember what Throttle said!"
Vinnie stopped and sighed heavily.
"Ah man, frustration city…"
He looked out of the window.
"Well, hate to say it, but this looks likes the last stand at your house, sweetheart…"
Kiwi also looked outside and saw Greasepit preparing the machine. Her heart almost exploded out of her chest.
"No, this can't be happening, right?", she whispered.
Vinnie also stared out of the window, thinking about a way to stop this.
"Wait a minute… Maybe I gotta lay off the goons… But nobody said something about the machines…", and he started laughing.
Kiwi looked at him.
"I don't know, Vinnie, I think…", but Vinnie ignored her. Dammit, how was it possible that Throttle had this stubborn mouse under control for so long?
Vinnie opened the window, jumped in the opening and grabbed his gun. He fired his laser at the wreckingball and the whole thing flew away. The chain broke and the ball rolled over all the buggies, crashing it. The goons quickly ran away.
"Alright! Serve 'em up and knock 'em down!", he cheered, making a backflip like it was nothing and landed smoothly on the ground.
Kiwi jumped in his arms and he whirled her around, celebrating this small victory.
"What a guy…", Kiwi sighed and when Vinnie gently set her back on her feet, she pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back, but the sound of shots outside took his attention. He let her go and grabbed his helmet.
"Looks like my fans are calling for me. It would be so rude to let them wait. I mean, I'm allowed to defend what's ours, right?" and he jumped on his bike.
"Don't get carried away now, Vinnie…", Kiwi said pleading.
He winked at her.
"Who? Moi? AAAOOOWW!" and he popped a wheelie and flew outside. "Make room for Vinnie!"
Kiwi crossed her arms before her chest, shaking her head with a smile. Crazy mouse. But honestly, without Throttle to keep him in line, completely out of control.
The CB radio suddenly beeped and she grabbed the microphone.
"Throttle?"
"Yeah Kiwi. Everything okay?"
Kiwi shrunk when she heard a loud explosion and Vinnie's characteristic battle cry.
"Ehm… Not for long, I guess…"
"How's Vincent?"
"Well… I think you better step on it. Honestly, how do you control that mouse?"
She heard Throttle sigh and she smiled again. She just couldn't help it. Poor Throttle.
"We try to be there as fast as we can, but these goons got a party drive that just won't quit. Try to keep a low profile, see you soon!"
Kiwi shook her head when she hung the microphone back.
"Sure!. A low profile… No problem… Tell that to Vinnie…"
Vinnie was having the time of his life. One of the goons, who was driving a big bulldozer, was trying to fled the scene, but Vinnie was on his tail. Goons were following Vinnie, but they couldn't keep up with him.
When Vinnie drove next to the bulldozer, he patted his bike.
"Okay, sweetheart. Stay right with me", and he jumped on the bulldozer. His bike beeped and did what he said. Vinnie climbed into the cabin and threw the goon that was driving it out of the window. He took place behind the wheel and quickly turned the whole thing the other way, a huge smile on his face. He drove straight towards the goons and they all crashed against the front of the bulldozer.
"Don't these yahoo's know when a biker wants to follow his way?", he laughed. Suddenly, the bulldozer stopped abrupt.
"Uh oh… I smell trouble… Or maybe it's just my breath going back in my face", and he laughed out loud.
"So long, fuzz face!", he heard Greasepit yelling.
The ugly guy was sitting in a machine with a big grabbing hook that was holding the bulldozer up in the sky. Vinnie shook his head, still smiling. He slid out of the cabine at the back and jumped on his bike. He quickly drove away and stopped on a safe distance. Greasepit was still yelling and making threats at him, absolutely clueless that Vinnie was already gone. The guy even stepped out of his machine and walked over to the bulldozer, like he wanted to see how scared Vinnie was.
Pfuh. Weirdo.
"Hey, fat face! Over heeeeeeere!", Vinnie cheered and Greasepit turned around.
Vinnie leaned forward on his windshield, laughing at the look on Greasepits face.
"I just wanna to tell ya, I don't think your machine is made for a load that big."
Greasepit stared at him.
"Uhhh… It ain't?"
"Nope…", and Vinnie pointed at the machine.
Greasepit turned around and saw the crane, that was holding the bulldozer, cracking. But before he could run away, the whole bulldozer landed on top of him.
"Well… Just goes to show ya, you should always read the enclosed drives manual!", Vinnie laughed and he drove back to Kiwi's house. But when he looked around him and saw the destruction, he suddenly felt his hands turn sweaty. Maybe he did got kinda carried away… Uh oh… Throttle was gonna kill him. But at least he had his fun today. And released some ehm… girl related stress? He laughed out loud. Man. What a day.
Just when he parked his bike, Throttle and Modo drove inside. Kiwi ran towards them.
"Guys, are you okay?"
Throttle nodded.
"Yeah, and you?"
Kiwi also nodded. Modo stepped off his bike and pulled off his helmet.
"Pfewie, these goons wouldn't give up, man. Sorry it took us so long, Kiwi ma'am."
"No problem, Vinnie had it all eh… under control…", she said slowly, trying not to smile.
The white furred mouse was awfully quiet. Throttle looked at him, clearly not amused.
"I eh… Yeah… I… hehe… About that…", Vinnie chuckled nervously, pulling his bandana.
"You had one job, Vincent. One job. Destroy everything in sight is not what I meant with holding the fort…", Throttle said, his voice low and his tail lashing.
Vinnie did a few steps backwards.
"I know, but…"
Kiwi quickly interrupted him.
"Look, Throttle? If Vinnie hadn't stop them, my house was dust now… He did what needed to be done...", she trailed off when she saw Throttle's look. "Okay, okay, I admit… He maybe did a little bit more than needed, but still… Listen. I got a plan. I already called the police, and..."
The doorbell rang and the mice breathed in sharply.
"Kiwi, you did what?", Throttle asked shocked.
But Kiwi ignored him and quickly glanced out of the window. She saw two police officers standing at the door. She turned around.
"I will handle this, okay? Trust me."
But when she walked to the door, the mice followed her, their helmets on. But no time for arguing now. It was time to play the damsel in distress.
She quickly messed up her hair, took a deep breath and yanked open the door, despair on her face.
"Oh my god, I'm so glad you're here!", she cried, running outside and grabbing one of the police officers. "I thought I was gonna die!"
"Easy ma'am. We came as soon as we got your call. Can we come in?", one of them said. He had a friendly face and wasn't that old yet. The other one was older, but also looked friendly.
"Yeah, of course, come in, come in. These are three friends of mine, they just got here, don't mind them. I called them after I called you, I was so scared…", she babbled, walking to the kitchen, followed by the two officers. They looked a little suspicious at the mice, but then nodded and walked into the kitchen. The mice looked at each other, a smile on their faces. That girl just kept surprising them. They followed the officers into the kitchen, but kept their distance.
"Please, sit down, can I offer you something to drink? Tea, maybe?", Kiwi asked, her voice shaky. Even her hands were shaking.
Vinnie smiled. This girl sure was special.
"No, thank you ma'am. Please sit down. My name is officer Milestone", the younger one said.
Kiwi sat down, still that terrified look on her face, tears in her eyes.
"My name is officer Dendy", the older one said, grabbing a notebook and a pen. When he had all Kiwi's data, he looked at her.
"Miss Lavendor, can you please try to tell us what happened?"
Kiwi took her roll very serious. She took a few, shaky breaths.
"I was just sitting in my living room, doing some work on my computer and suddenly…", she stopped for a moment, pretending that she needed to control her emotions.
"Suddenly I heard all this noise. My house was almost shaking and at first I thought it was an earthquake. But when I ran outside, there was this guy… Oh my god… He was huge. He was standing there with a whole army of men, and he told me he was gonna destroy my house. He showed me a piece of paper, told me that it was all legal. I panicked. I ran back inside and suddenly, all hell broke loose. It sounded like there was a war going on, I… Oh my god", and Kiwi burst out into tears. The officers waited patiently till she got herself back under control.
"I didn't know what was happening, so I called you. I was so scared. I thought I was gonna die!", she sobbed, wiping away her tears with shaking hands.
"Do you have any idea who has caused the destruction outside?", Milestone asked friendly.
Kiwi shook her head.
"I was hiding inside. But it must be that big man. God, the look in his eyes… He was pure evil. Spit out of hell by the devil himself…"
"My colleagues are talking to him now, as we speak. Why don't you just try to calm down a little bit, ma'am? I'll be right back." And Dendy stood up, nodded at the mice and walked outside. Kiwi was still crying. Officer Milestone patted on her hand.
"It's okay now, miss Lavendor. You're safe."
Kiwi nodded, but said nothing.
After about fifteen minutes, Dendy walked back into the kitchen.
"Well, we checked the papers of this operation and it was indeed authorized. However, the execution wasn't. We will arrest these men and you're house is safe, ma'am."
Kiwi slowly lifted her head, her eyes watery.
"Really? Just like that?", she whispered.
"Yeah, it's a shady businesses, alright. These guys all have records and the man you were telling us about, told us the destruction was caused by a mouse on a motorcycle. Honestly, they will tell you anything to stay out of jail. But a mouse on a bike, well, that's new, alright", Dendy told her.
Milestone stood up.
"Maybe we'll need your official statement later on. If we do, we'll ask you to come to the station, if that isn't a problem?"
"No, not at all. I'll do everything to help putting people like that into jail. God doesn't love them."
"Alright. You are gonna be okay now, miss Lavendor?", Dendy asked.
"Yeah, my friends will take care of me… Thank you so much, officers. May God be with you" and she gave them a hand.
The officers nodded and walked to the door. But Milestone suddenly turned around. The mice froze, just like Kiwi.
"Oh, before I forget; City Hall will make sure the mess is gonna get cleaned up within a few days. You'll maybe shall experience some noise disturbance, but after that you can leave this whole incident behind you, okay?"
Kiwi relaxed a little and looked at him with her big blue eyes.
"Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much."
"No problem, ma'am. It's our job. Take care."
And a few moments after that, they heard the door closing.
There was a silence for a moment. The mice stared at Kiwi and Kiwi wiped off her face.
"That was awesome, sweetheart!", Vinnie finally snickered.
Kiwi smiled.
"Told ya I would handle this! I just thought, what if I'll be the one who calls the police? This whole thing just wasn't right. It's not legal to suddenly stand on someone doorway to tell them you're gonna take down their house. That can't be. And I just knew Greaespit is way too stupid to lie to the police. It would be his word against mine. So, I called them when Vinnie was outside and you know… playing a helpless girl that lives alone in a huge house… it always works."
Vinnie pulled off his helmet and within two steps, he was standing next to her and pulled her in his arms.
"You're the best, sweetheart", he smiled. Kiwi held him, also smiling.
Throttle was looking at all this. Something was different between them. He couldn't lay his finger on it, but something had changed. He also had noticed the cut in her lip. Hmmm… But now was not the time.
"Smart thinking, babe. And I must say, your acting is pretty good", he chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. You should get a Oscar for this one", Modo rumbled.
"Oh, you guys… It was the least I could do after everything you did for me... "
She looked up at Vinnie one more time before she slowly made herself loose.
"But I gotta tell ya, this whole thing just made me hungry. Let's go out and eat, guys. I don't feel like cooking right now."
"Allright!", the mice cheered and when they drove outside, they saw how Greasepit and the goons were loaded into a police van, their hands cuffed on their backs.
"Now that's a sight for sore eyes, bro's", Throttle chuckled.
"Yeah, that will keep him and Limburger busy for a while", Kiwi giggled.
"Alright you mamma jammers… Let's ROCK…", Vinnie yelled, his fist in the air.
"... and RIDE!"
Kiwi was looking at the jukebox, trying to figure out what song she wanted to hear. After diner, they'd went to a local bar to finish the evening in a festive way. The mic were sitting at a table in the corner, their helmets on to avoid someone would discover them. But nobody paid attention, though. Everybody was having a good time. Everybody, except…
Kiwi suddenly felt someone behind her. And she immediately felt this person had no good intentions. She slowly turned around and when she saw his face, she scrambled backwards till she was standing with her back against the jukebox.
"Give me your money, and nothing will happen to you", the guy whispered.
Even if the bar was loud, she could perfectly hear him. His low voice, full with hate, gave her goosebumps. She looked at him. He was wearing a black hoodie and a torned pants. His face was half hidden behind the hoodie, but his eyes glittered in the dark. Holy shit. She froze. She just couldn't help it. Her eyes lowered and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the knife in his hands. He slowly did a step forward.
"I said… Give me your money…"
Kiwi tried to control her breathing, but she could feel panic taking over. She had no idea why this guy made her so scared, but he did.
"Say there, citizen. Why don't you just leave the lady alone?"
Vinnie's voice. Also dangerously low. Kiwi blinked a few times and looked up. She saw Throttle, Modo and Vinnie standing behind the guy, ready to rumble. But this time, it was serious. She could tell.
The guy slowly turned around. He looked at the mice from head to toe.
"Oh yeah? And who's gonna make me?", he asked.
There was a deadly silence. The mice stared at the guy, the guy stared back. Kiwi, who was trying to control her breathing, saw the mice tighten their muscles. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, hell broke loose.
The guy suddenly whirled around and Kiwi saw the light reflecting on the knife, that was now high in the air. The guy stepped forward, while lowering the knife in one movement. Kiwi squeezed her eyes in a reflex, expecting to feel a lot of pain. But it didn't come. She suddenly smelled a all so familiar scent and she opened her eyes, just to see the knife ending up in Vinnie's right arm, who had jumped between them right before the knife could stab Kiwi.
"NO!"
But Vinnie was too angry to worry about his arm. He wanted to grab the guy, but his bro's were faster. Modo grabbed the criminal by the shoulder and whirled him around. Throttle was already raising his fist and punched him so hard in the face, he could feel the nose break against his knuckles. The guy went down, already unconscious when his body hit the floor. Vinnie turned around and grabbed Kiwi.
"Sweetheart, are you alright?", he demanded.
Kiwi looked at him with wide eyes, nodding her head. Her gaze landed on the knife in Vinnie's arm, right under his shoulder.
"Jesus, Vin…", she stuttered.
Vinnie's left hand reached for the knife, as if he wanted to pull it out, but suddenly Modo stood next to him and grabbed his hand.
"Vinnie, don't! If you pull it out now, you'll certainly bleed to death, you hear me?"
Vinnie suddenly gritted his teeth, as if he just now realized that there was a knife in his arm. His gaze lowered and he stared at it. At how his precious white fur turned red. He suddenly felt the pain and his legs became weak. He stumbled a few passes and he fell on his knees, dragging Kiwi with him.
"That motherfucking…", he gasped, still staring at the knife.
Kiwi was still looking in shock at the knife.
Throttle quickly looked around him. They were drawing way too much attention. They needed to get outta here, before someone would call an ambulance or something.
"Modo, grab Vinnie. We need to get outta here, now!"
Modo helped Vinnie up by grabbing his left arm and swung it around his neck. His other arm wrapped around Vinnie's waist and he dragged his younger bro out outside. Kiwi and Throttle quickly followed them. Everybody stared at them till the door closed behind them.
When they got home, Vinnie slowly began to realize what this meant. He was wounded. He needed help. Medical help. The image of a filthy lab flashed before his eyes. Needles. A sharp scalpel. His face… He even smelled the chemical scent, combined with that weird scent of old blood... A humming voice filled his head, echoed against his skull...
"NO!", he yelled and he yanked himself loose.
Modo, at first too surprised at this sudden movement, quickly realized what was wrong. He grabbed the white furred mouse again, before he would pull the knife out of his arm. But Vinnie went ballistic. He pushed Modo away and because he was driven by agony and panic, even the big guy wasn't up against his strength. He flew against the wall and slid down, but he immediately jumped back on his feet. Throttle was standing on the other side of the room, trying to make Vinnie calm.
Kiwi was staring at all this, pushing herself against the wall. She had never seen Vinnie like this. Not even the first time he was wounded. Maybe he hadn't that much time to process it all back then. But now he had. And he totally lost it.
"Vincent, calm down, it will be okay, but you need help…", Throttle said carefully and grabbed Vinnie by the arm.
But Vinnie yanked himself free.
"NO! No, I can't do this man, never again. LET ME GO!", he screamed when Modo tackled him and pushed him on the ground on his back, to avoid the knife would be driven further into his flesh. Throttle grabbed the other side and helped his bro holding Vinnie on the ground. Modo's metal hand clamped Vinnie's chin, trying to forcing his bro to look at him.
"Easy, little bro, easy…", but Vinnie didn't listen.
He wrapped his tail around Modo's throat and gave a jerk. Modo lost his balance and landed on his back. Throttle tried to hold Vinnie down, but it was no use. The white furred mouse was so overwhelmed by panic, he probably didn't even knew what he was doing. He scrambled on his knees and pushed his tan furred bro away.
Throttle landed on the table that was standing in the livingroom, and the whole thing collapsed, with Throttle still on top of it.. The tan furred mouse moaned, but got back on his feet. Modo was also standing again and they both were holding their hands in the air.
"Okay, okay. Easy now, Vincent. We won't touch you. But you need help, little bro…", Throttle said with a soothing voice.
Vinnie was breathing heavily, scrambling backwards.
"No, no, no…", he mumbled, shaking his head. He looked at the knife.
"No, everything is fine, don't you see? I'm fine…" and his left hand slowly reached at the knife.
"Vincent, don't!", Throttle yelled, but it was too late.
Vinnie pulled out the knife and blood splattered on his fur, his face and the floor. But Vinnie hardly seemed to notice. The knife clattered on the floor.
"See? I'm fine! Just a little battle tattoo, nothing major, bro's", he said with a toneless voice. Tears were streaming over his face, his eyes were wide open, his breathing came out in rapid breaths.
Throttle tried to come closer, but Vinnie's hand flew to his gun.
"NO! Stay away from me!"
Throttle immediately stopped and raised his hands again.
"Okay, okay. But maybe we need to wash the blood away? You can't look studly with all that blood, now can you?", he asked almost desperate. But even this tactic didn't work right now.
Vinnie shook his head. He looked like he was in some sort of trance. Maybe he was.
"I… I…", he stuttered. "I'm fine… I'M FINE!", he suddenly screamed when he saw Throttle tried to get closer to him again.
Kiwi finally recovered herself from the first shock. She slowly pushed herself off the wall and did a few steps in Vinnie's direction. But when she tried to walk past Modo, he gently took her arm.
"He's not himself right now, Kiwi ma'am. It would kill him if he'd hurt you. Maybe you should…", but Kiwi lay a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay. I know what I'm doing… Listen, go to my room and grab my pills out of the top drawer of my nightstand. Take five of them, pulverize them and put the powder in a glass of water. Okay?"
Modo gave her one more look, but then let her go and nodded. He quickly left the room.
Throttle was still standing at the same place and Kiwi gave him a reassuring smile.
Then, she slowly turned around to look at Vinnie, who was standing in the middle of the room. Blood was streaming down out of the wound in his arm and he had never looked this vulnerable. Tears were still dripping out of his eyes, but he hardly seemed to notice. His whole body was shaking and he was wobbling on his legs. His eyes were wide open and the look in it almost took Kiwi's breath away. But she recognized the look. It was all too familiar. She had seen that look in her own eyes, watching back at her through the mirror. Panic. Fear. Pain.
She suddenly saw the image of his baby picture, that sweet, innocent look on his face, his eyes filled with love… She almost broke down, but she needed to stay strong. For Vinnie. He needed help. But her heart cried. God, Vinnie… what happened to you?
Step by step, she walked closer to the white furred mouse. When he saw what she was trying to do, he immediately grabbed his gun.
"No. No, no, no, please, don't…", he whispered. He aimed the gun at her. "Stay away from me, please. I can't go back there…"
"Kiwi, stop", Throttle ordered, but Kiwi shook her head.
"Vinnie. Easy now. It's me. I'm not gonna hurt you. You're right, you're fine. Never looked better, love. I just wanna thank you for saving my life…", she said softly.
Vinnie stared at her, his gun still aimed at her, but his hands were shaking.
Kiwi took a deep breath. This had worked before. So maybe it would work again. She opened her mouth and started to sing, very soft.
"When you feel you're alone… Cut off from this cruel world…"
Vinnie breathed in sharply.
"Your instinct is telling you to run… Listen to your heart…"
He stared at her, his breathing became calmer.
"Those angel voices… They'll sing to you, they'll be your guide… back home…"
Kiwi slowly lifted her hand and lay it on Vinnie's hands that were still holding the gun.
"When life leaves us blind… Love keeps us kind…"
And she softly pushed his hands down. The gun fell out of his hands. Kiwi did the last few steps, while gently taking his hands.
"It's okay, Vinnie. Nothing's gonna harm you… Not while I'm around…"
The panic slowly faded in his eyes. The tears stopped. His breathing was calm again. But along with the panic, his adrenaline also ebbed away. He suddenly didn't had the strength to stand anymore and he fell on his knees. Kiwi kneeled down next to him.
"Here, drink something. You look like you need it", she said with a smile. Modo gave her the glass of water and Vinnie slowly drank it empty.
"That's it… Thank you, Vinnie. For saving my life. Again", she whispered.
He looked up at her and raised his hand. He touched her cheek with so much tenderness, tears filled her eyes. But suddenly, he pulled it back. He looked at the glass, that was still in his hands. Then he looked back at Kiwi, his eyes fuming.
"What did you gave me?", he demanded. He tried to get up, but he was already too dizzy.
Throttle quickly kneeled down next to him and held his white furred bro.
Kiwi looked at Vinnie with pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry, Vinnie, but we had no choice. It's for your own good. You need help…"
Vinnie shook his head, still fighting against the darkness that threatened to consume him.
"No…No, no, no... I trusted you… How could you do this to me?", he whispered, right before his eyes rolled back in his head. His body completely relaxed and Throttle quickly caught his head before it would hit the ground.
"I'm sorry, Vinnie…", Kiwi said so softly, Throttle almost missed it.
There was a silence for a moment. But then, Kiwi looked up.
"Okay, he's out. Grab some towels, we need to keep pressure on the wound", she ordered and Modo left the room again.
"Very impressive, babe…", Throttle said softly.
"Thanks. I guess…", she answered. She felt guilty. She betrayed him. But it was for his own good. She would do it again, if she had too.
"Stay with him and if Modo returns, keep pressure on the wound. I'm gonna go call Ruby, okay?"
"So, what did he do this time, jumping off a building without a parachute?", Ruby asked when she walked into the livingroom. But when she saw all the blood, she stopped for a moment.
"Okaaay… What the hell happened here? Having a late Halloween Party?"
She marched over to Vinnie. He was still lying on the floor, completely out.
Kiwi was sitting with him, his head on her lap.
"He got stabbed rescuing me. Please, help him…", she sobbed. She couldn't stop crying. After she had done what needed to be done, she broke down.
Ruby kneeled down next to Vinnie, quickly looking at the wound. Then, she lay a hand on Kiwi's arm.
"I will help him, Kiwi. He will be fine. All the blood makes it look way worse than it really is."
But Kiwi shook her head.
"You didn't see him… He totally lost it. Jesus, that look in his eyes."
Ruby nodded, already busy with cleaning the wound. She remembered Vinnie's reaction the first time she helped him. She grabbed a small razor blade and started to shave away the hairs around the wound.
"Do you know anything about PTSS? Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?", she asked at Kiwi, without stopping.
Throttle and Modo looked at each other. They were sitting on the couch, to give the ladies some space.
"I only heard about it a few times…", Kiwi responded.
"I worked with soldiers who suffered from PTSS. They see the most horrible things, going through the most traumatizing stuff... And most of them don't talk about it. They keep it all inside and don't give themselfs time to process it. Which makes complete sense, because it's just too hard to relive it. So they have this unresolved trauma, and some situations can trigger it. It literally brings them back to whatever had happened to them. It's crazy… I guess anysort of medical help is the trigger of your white furred friend over here. He fits the profile. Not that I really know him, but I can take a pretty good guess. Not a big talker, this one."
Kiwi said nothing. It made sense, though.
"And how can we help him?". Modo suddenly asked.
Ruby cleaned the wound one more time and grabbed her suture material.
"You can't. The damage is already been done."
She started to stitch the wound. Everybody was very quiet, deep in thoughts about what Ruby just had told them.
"There", Ruby said and wrapped a bandage around Vinnie's arm. She looked at Kiwi.
"Make sure to change the bandage once a day. Try to keep the wound dry, only clean it when it's necessary. And no heavy lifting for at least 4 weeks. His muscles need time to recover. Luckily, the knife didn't damage any vital parts. So he will be fine."
Kiwi nodded.
"Let's get him on the couch, big fella", Throttle said and they stood up.
Ruby grabbed her stuff and helped Kiwi with cleaning up the mess. When they were done, Ruby looked at Kiwi.
"I need to talk to you, outside. Now."
Kiwi nodded. She was used at Ruby's direct communication. Ruby nodded at Throttle and Modo and marched outside, followed by Kiwi. When they were standing at Ruby's car, the redheaded woman turned around.
"This is some pretty heavy shit to deal with, Kiwi. And I need to know if you're up to it. You are still recovering from a heavy depression, you're still having a lot of shit of your own to deal with. And I will not allow it that this whole thing with these mice is gonna drag you down again…"
Kiwi stared at her.
Ruby smiled and shook her head.
"You think I'm blind? I see the way you look at him. You love him. So tell me, are you up to it? And don't even think about lying."
"Yeah, I am. I've gotta admit, this whole thing tonight scared the shit out of me. But Ruby… They are the best that happened to me since my parents died. We are a family… a fucked up family maybe, but a family. When I was having a hard time, they were there for me. So, I'm gonna be there for them."
Ruby nodded, clearly satisfied with that answer.
"Good."
She gave Kiwi a hug and opened her car.
"Call me if you need me."
"I will. Thanks, Ruby. I owe you."
"You owe me nothing. Take care."
And Ruby drove away. Kiwi smiled, despite the whole situation. That's Ruby for ya.
When she walked back inside, Vinnie was lying on one couch and Throttle and Modo were sitting on the other. She saw that they had grabbed mattresses, pillows and blankets. She sat down on the mattress closest to Vinnie.
"Guess we're having a slumber party?", she asked with a little smile, a weak attempt to lighten up the mood.
"I guess we are…", Throttle answered, giving her a little smile back.
But then, they all fell silent again. Kiwi looked at Vinnie, who was still completely out. His fur on the right side was coloured red of his blood, splashes of blood on his face… She sighed. He was completely calm now, thanks to the drugs. His breathing was calm and steady, his body completely relaxed.
She turned her gaze on Modo and Throttle. Both looked upset. But she couldn't blame them. She was upset too. This whole thing scared the shit out of her. To see Vinnie like that, without his ego, his charmes, his big mouth to hide after... To see him this vulnerable, this broken… Jesus. That would upset anybody. If not, they were made of stone or something.
"Are you guys okay?", she asked, her voice shaky.
They both shrugged, but said nothing.
"What happened to him, guys? I know you don't know the whole story, but you must know something…"
Throttle sighed and lay down on the mattress.
"It's not…", but Kiwi interrupted him.
"Listen, I know it's not your story to tell, but come on. Tonight proves again that it's obvious Vinnie is probably never gonna tell what happened. I just… I think I deserve an explanation after all this... "
"She's right, bro…", Modo opened his mouth for the first time after a long time. His voice was lower than usual. He was obviously disconcerted about this whole thing that had happened.
Throttle sat up straight again and looked at Kiwi.
"Look, now it's not the time to tell our whole history, but I will tell you what I think that happened. "
"Fair enough", Kiwi said, looking at Vinnie before she turned her attention back on the tan furred mouse.
"I already told you we got hurt pretty badly in war. Modo's arm, my eyes, Vinnie's face… Well, it all happened at the same time. We were fighting a battle, but it all went horribly wrong when a huge rocket exploded right before us and we got caught in the explosion. Next thing I know is that we wake up in this lab, with Karbunkle doing tests on us."
Modo took over the word.
"Throttle was blind like a cave rat, I had this new arm and Vinnie was nowhere to be seen. When we escaped, thanks to my new arm, we found him in a room next to ours, a filthy lab, blood everywhere… man… His face was wrapped in a thick bandage, so where parts of his arms and legs, so we couldn't see the damage. But that wasn't first priority, right? We needed to get out of there. He was drugged, so I took him with me. When we were back at the base, he woke up, screaming loud, but when he saw he was safe, he calmed down. We tried to figure out what had happened to him, but he didn't say a word about it… The first days he kept humming this song we never heard before, but after that, he pretended the whole thing never happened."
"My guess is that someone messed with him in that lab. But we don't know what exactly happened."
"But who? It can't be Karbunkle, otherwise we would have noticed", Kiwi said, rubbing her chin.
"No, I think it was someone else. But who? No idea…", Throttle sighed. He looked at Kiwi.
"Look, this is all we know. Ever since that happened, he freaks out when someone even suggests to go see a doctor when he's wounded. Luckily, after this he never got that banged up anymore, till that day he broke his arm and today. He allows Modo to treat the small wounds."
"But who treated his wounds after you guys got hurt so badly?", Kiwi asked.
Throttle shared a quick look with Modo.
"There was eh… there was someone he trusted enough, back then. She knew how to handle it. She's the only one who has seen his face, after… well. She gave him the mask. He never took it off since then."
Kiwi said nothing, biting on her lower lip, but immediately regretted that. The cut in it started to bleed again and she pushed the sleeve of her sweater against it. She remembered her conversation with Throttle a few weeks ago.
"There was someone, a long time ago…"
Kiwi wondered what happened to her, but she didn't ask. She knew Throttle wasn't gonna tell her. That was up to Vinnie.
"Jesus, guys… I don't know what to say…", she whispered.
Tears filled her eyes. God. She felt so sorry for them. They just didn't deserve all this shit that had happened to them. But then again, who did? Well, the Plutarkians. They did deserve this shit. If it wasn't for them, the mice could have a happy life, in peace, on Mars, where they belonged. But then she would never had met them… Argh, shut up. That's the most selfish thing to think.
She suddenly felt so tired. A huge yawn escaped her mouth.
"Try to sleep, babe. We'll keep an eye on him", Throttle said, also lying down again.
Kiwi nodded and crawled under the blanket. She looked one more time at Vinnie. And she couldn't help herself wondering how he was gonna wake up.
"I trusted you…"
She just hoped that this wasn't gonna change anything between them. Because she knew one thing; she needed him.
Oh my dear holy Mothers of Mars. Poor Vinnie.
How is he gonna wake up? What will happen next? And are we gonna find out what really happened to him?
Well, guess you'll have to stay tuned *wink wink*
Please review, I'm dying to know your opinion about this one. Good or bad.
Thanks for reading my story!
Later!