Thanks for the reviews!
I'm sorry for the spelling errors, I had a rough week and that immediately backfires on my concentration. I do the best I can.
And thanks for saying my English is getting better. Writing in English almost every day helps a lot :) But I still have enough to learn.

You guys are asking me if there'll be more Martians coming to Earth soon, but if I'll stick at the original story line, that isn't gonna happen till I get to "Seeds of Victory."
But I can also skip a few episodes, if that's what you guys want? Or I can change the order, and use episodes randomly. I already can tell I skip the "clip show" episodes. They're nice, but that's not gonna work for my story. Anyway, just let me know, alright? Maybe I can work something out for you guys.

Okay, like Vinnie would say; enough with the talking. Next chapter! Enjoy ^^

Chapter twenty nine

There was a deadly silence. Vinnie shared a worried look with Throttle. Kiwi was staring at Ruby with her mouth open and Modo also shared a look with his bro's.
"What… What the hell are you talking about?", Kiwi whispered when she finally found her voice again. "My parents died because of a accident…"
She just hoped Ruby was gonna laugh outta embarrassment now. That she would stutter she was wrong. But she didn't. She had this look in her eyes, full with… pity? Kiwi suddenly jumped at her feet.
"Tell me what you now, NOW!", she demanded.
Vinnie quickly grabbed her and pulled her back on the couch. Kiwi let him, but her eyes were fixed on Ruby.
"It wasn't an accident. Well, they made it look like one, but it wasn't. I'm so sorry, Kiwi…"
"How do you know this?"
"Because I used to work with your father…"
Kiwi fell silent again. This wasn't making any sense.
Throttle intervened.
"Tell us everything you know. If there is another story to her parents death, Kiwi deserves to know…"
Ruby looked at him and nodded.
"I know. It's a long story, I…", but Throttle interrupted her.
"I think we can keep up. And for now, Limburger is licking his wounds, so we have time."
"I told you guys I work in a hospital. That was a lie. I am a doctor, but I work for the government…"
As soon as the words came outta her mouth, Throttle jumped at his feet.
"Out. Now."
Modo and Vinnie also jumped at their feet. Vinnie because he was with Throttle, but Modo to protect Ruby.
"Throttle, please, listen. If she wanted to sell us out, she already had done it, right? Come on, bro, think about it", the gray furred giant pleaded.
Throttle shook his head.
"I'm done with taking any risk. I want her gone."
Ruby shook her head, her hands before her body.
"Please, you don't understand. Your secret is safe with me, I promise you!"
"I don't believe you. Now, please, get out…"
"Or we'll do it for you. And not very gentle…", Vinnie warned her.
Modo opened his mouth, but it was Kiwi who jumped in the middle.
"Everybody SHUT UP! This is my house. And I decide who's welcome or not. You guys seem to forget about something and that is she knows something about my parents! Something I don't and I really wanna hear it. So, everybody SIT DOWN, shut up and let HER TALK!"
She looked around her, breathing heavily. It has been a long time since she got this mad. But this was ridiculous. The only woman she trusted, she'd considered as her friend, was all of a sudden a person she didn't know. And she wasn't gonna leave this house till the whole truth was revealed.
The mice shared a look, but then Throttle nodded. They sat down again.
Ruby let out her breath.
"It's not what you think, Throttle. I work for a secret department that's called the Shadow Hunters, a.k. SH. And please, do know we're the good guys. I'm the doctor there, because everything that happens there, every mission, is classified. So, a normal hospital is out of the question…"
"What has this to do with my father?", Kiwi snapped at her.
"He was one of the best agents the SH had…"
"Wait a minute, are you telling me my father was a secret agent?"

Kiwi felt her stomach turn. Jesus, what the fuck? She always thought he was the owner of a big business in town. But he lied. Of course he did. But… what? This was a lot to take in.
"Well, sorta. I can imagine you now think he was some kinda James Bond, but it wasn't like that. He worked behind the scenes. He collected information by using his immense talent with computers. Guess the apple didn't land that far away from the tree in that case..."
"Did my mother know all this?", Kiwi demanded, ignoring the last comment.
"No. Nobody is allowed to tell anyone, not even their loved ones. The Shadow Hunters are after the most dangerous criminals, the ones who lives in the shadows. Some of them are publicly known, but not for who they really are. They use it as a cover. So, nothing can jeopardize SH's missions. It's too dangerous…"
Kiwi didn't know what to say. She was just staring at Ruby, while a thousand emotions were whirling inside of her.
"Listen, I know this is a lot to take in. But your father told me, right before he died, he was onto something. Something very big."
"So you think he was after Limburger?", Throttle asked. Kiwi was still in shock.
"Yeah. But back then, I had no idea. He let me listen to this tape where somebody was talking about some weird stuff. I can't even remember it, back then it didn't sounded that important to me.. I was busy, I just… Well, I thought; we can talk about this later. But later never came and I forgot. But then, I heard his voice today and my heart just stopped. I immediately recognized it as the the voice on the tape."
"But what about the rest of the SH? Aren't they after him now?", Modo asked.
"No, because till today I didn't had a clue it could be him who was behind the accident... Like I said, I wasn't really listening back then, and well… The SH dismissed the case, there wasn't enough proof that the accident in reality was murder… Well, they did know it wasn't a accident. But all the trails had a dead end. They never found out who's behind it."

While Throttle and Ruby were talking, Vinnie was studying Kiwi. He wasn't sure what was going on in her head and the fact that she was just staring at Ruby, her eyes wide open and her breathing heavily, made him somehow nervous. Like she was gonna explode, but he didn't knew when and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
He slowly raised his hand and touched her shoulder. She didn't react and Vinnie could feel her muscles vibrate under his hand. She was on edge, alright.
"Sweetheart…", he started, but oh, there it was. The explosion.
Kiwi jumped at her feet and quickly grabbed Vinnie's gun outta his leg holster.
"I'm gonna kill him", she said, her voice toneless.
Everybody jumped at their feet. When Throttle wanted to stop her, she yanked herself free.
"Stay away from me!", she yelled. Tears filled her eyes, but she roughly wiped them away.
Everybody backed down, except Vinnie. When she wanted to walk to the door, he suddenly was standing in front of her.
He had to admit, it was tempting to go with her. To just plant a bullet between that stinkfish's eyes. But someone very important had learned him that wasn't the solution. Killing someone cold blooded didn't make you any better than the enemy. Of course, people had died because of him. On the battlefield. Collateral damage. But that was different. And he could know that. He'd killed someone once, a long time ago. He'd thought it was gonna make him feel better. But revenge doesn't do that. It only makes you feel worse. Worse about yourself. And Stoker learned him there were different ways.
"Sweetheart, give me the gun", he said softly, holding up his hand.
But Kiwi shook her head.
"No. Now, get outta my way."
But now Vinnie shook his head.
"No dice, doll."
Kiwi switched the safety pin and aimed the gun at Vinnie. Everybody breathed in sharply. But Vinnie didn't even flinch.
"Are you really gonna shoot me? Because that's what's it gonna take if you wanna leave this house…", he warned her with a dangerously low voice.
He knew she wasn't herself right now. She just snapped. He could understand her anger. Hell, he sometimes felt the same anger when he saw Limburger, or any other Plutarkian. But he also knew anger is poison. It consumes you. It turns you into a person you always vowed you'd never be.
"Vinnie, please, get outta my way… He killed my parents! HE NEEDS TO DIE! Pay for what he did!", Kiwi yelled hysteric.
She waved with the gun to bring strength to her words. Not that that was necessary. The look on her face said it all. She aimed the gun again, this time with her finger on the trigger. Tears were streaming over her face. Her hands were shaking and she looked like she was gonna faint. But she remained on her feet, be it wobbling.
Vinnie took a deep breath. Time to be honest. To be vulnerable. Ugh. But she needed him.
"Listen to me, sweetheart. I know how you're feeling. And I know how tempting it is to let the anger take over. I know you think that will be the only way to deal with this immense pain… To let it be pushed away by anger. But it's not gonna make you feel any better. Killing Limburger is not gonna bring back your parents. It's not gonna take away this pain… War can turn you into a murderer easily. It's as easy as snapping your fingers, trust me, I know.. But I don't want that for you… Please… It'll destroy you, sweetheart."

Throttle and Modo shared a quick look. They knew exactly what their younger bro meant. But hearing him speak up like this, well… it still was a rare thing. And he was obviously talking about something he never told them. But now wasn't the time.
Kiwi stared at him, her lower lip trembling. Vinnie did a few steps forward, but she didn't move.
"Put down the gun, Kiwi."
He said her name.
The gun clattered on the floor and Kiwi collapsed. Vinnie caught her and pulled her against him.
"Shhh, it's okay, sweetheart. I'm here. I'll always be here…"
Kiwi held him tightly and cried so hard, she almost choked. She opened her mouth and let out a scream in pain.
Vinnie flattened his ears and just held her tightly. But Kiwi was hysterical. The pain was too much. Losing her parents was devastating. And she somehow had find a way to live with it. But clearly, she had pushed away her pain. And knowing they got killed, just ripped open everything she so carefully had buried and the pain was immense. Unbearable.
Ruby looked at Modo and Throttle.
"Do you guys still trust me?", she asked.
Both of the mice nodded. Ruby quickly grabbed her bag. She filled a syringe with sedatives and slowly approached the couple that was sitting on the floor.
When Vinnie saw her, his fur bristled. And when he saw the needle…
But Throttle quicky kneeled down next to him and lay a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Vin. But Kiwi needs to calm down. And Ruby is gonna help her with that. There's only that much a person can handle, right? This is too much for her now. You understand?"
Vinnie took a deep breath and nodded. Ruby quickly pushed the needle in Kiwi's neck.
The poor girl didn't even notice. Ruby backed away, just like Throttle.

Slowly, Kiwi's crying became less heavy. Her shaking muscles slowly relaxed. And soon, she was out like a light. Vinnie let out his breath.
Dammit.
He gently wiped away the tears of Kiwi's face and stared at her for a moment. She was just so beautiful. Her face, now fully relaxed. Her skin, soft as a peach. Her lashes glued together because of her tears. Her full and soft lips, standing a little open. He slowly lifted her and lay her on the couch.
"So, now what?", he asked, looking around the group.
Throttle looked at Ruby, who was still sitting on the floor.
"Do you have any evidence it was indeed Limburger who killed Kiwi's parents?"
Ruby stared at the floor and slowly shook her head.
"No, but he fits the profile, right? He was onto Limburger and a few days later, he's dead. Research pointed out there was more to it, but they couldn't find enough evidence, so they closed the case. If I only had thought about it back then…"
Modo slowly walked over to her and kneeled down next to her.
"This isn't your fault, Ruby. You did what you had to do, and that was taking care of Kiwi."
Ruby looked up and his friendly face touched her deeply. She bit her lower lip and gave a small nod. She tried to stop it, but a big yawn escaped her mouth.
Modo smiled.
"Why don't you go grab some rest in my room? I'll sleep on the couch."
Ruby sighed. She was obviously not at ease, but too tired to argue.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan."
Modo gently helped her up and looked at Throttle, who was still standing a little lost next to Vinnie, who was sitting on the floor next to the couch where Kiwi was lying.
"I guess it's for the best if we all get some rest", Modo said meaningful.
Throttle nodded.
"You're right, big fella. Nothing we can do right now…"
The tan furred mouse looked at Vinnie, who had hard expression on his face.
"Nothing we can do? Right. I say; let's pay Limburger a visit and ask him, polity of course, what's the story…"
Throttle shook his head.
"No dice. We will ask, but not tonight, Vincent. And you need to get your shit together before we'll go. You're obviously way too upset right now and we all know what happens when you're upset. Things blow up. Get Kiwi upstairs and sleep. Tomorrow is a new day. But no worries, you'll get your action."
Vinnie wanted to protest, but Throttle gave him such a warning look, he backed down. He lifted Kiwi off the couch and without saying a word, he left the living room.
Ruby stared at Vinnie till he was outta sight. Modo saw it.
"Don't worry, Ruby ma… EH, Ruby. He'll come around. He's just very protective when it comes to Kiwi…"
"Yeah, but that's exactly what she needs. He's good for her", Ruby said softly. Even if the mice brought a lot of baggage with them, they were good for Kiwi. And Kiwi was good for them, she could tell.
"I never thought I'd say this out loud, but you're right. He's good for her. And she is good for him…", Throttle said with a thoughtful frown on his face. "Alright, let's catch some z's, bro and ma'am."
They walked to the guesthouse and Throttle waved absently at Modo and Ruby when he walked into his bedroom.
Modo sighed and Ruby looked up at him.
"What's wrong?"
"He's just got too many things to think about. But guess that's part of being a leader. Come on, I'll show you my room."

A few minutes later, Modo was standing in the doorway, a little lost. Ruby was standing close by the bed and also looked a little uncomfortable.
Modo took a deep breath.
"Well, eh… good night, Ruby ma… Ruby. If you need anything, you can find me on the couch…" and he gave her one last friendly smile before he turned around. He somehow felt sad, he just didn't know how to handle being in love. It was too long ago. He had mourned for Cami for so long…
"Modo, wait…"
His heart skipped a beat and he slowly turned around. Ruby was standing in front of him.
"I'm… I just wanna say; thank you. For being so kind to me. Especially after that horrible dinner."
Modo blushed and shuffled with his feet.
"No problem. I eh… yeah, well... ", he stuttered.
Ruby smiled and gave him a hug. "Good night", she whispered in his ear and she gave him a kiss on his cheek. She slowly made herself loose and closed the door with a soft click.
Modo was staring at the door, and slowly, a smile curled his lips. He raised his hand and touched his cheek. Oh momma… What a woman.

Meanwhile, Vinnie was lying next to Kiwi in bed, holding her tightly. His hand rubbed the soft skin on her arm, his tail was loosely wrapped around her ankle. His nose was buried in her hair and he was almost asleep, when he suddenly felt her muscles tensing. He gave her some space and leaned on his elbow to look at her.
She moaned and opened her eyes.
"Hey sweetheart. Welcome back in the land of the living", he said with a smile.
Kiwi looked up at him, at his crooked and also arrogant smile. But the smile didn't reach his eyes. Oh god. What had she done?
"Vinnie… I'm so sorry I aimed a gun at you, I would never…", she whispered, but Vinnie softly lay a finger on her lips.
"No sweat, sweetheart. You ain't the first and definitely not the last. I just somehow seem to annoy people sometimes…", he chuckled lightly.
"Geez, I wonder why…", Kiwi said with a small smile around her lips. But it soon faded.
"Thank you. For stopping me. You're right. Killing him isn't gonna bring them back. But… God, the anger I felt… I never felt anything like that before. If it wasn't for you, I would've killed him."
Vinnie's finger slowly followed the contours of her face.
"Not to bring you down, doll, but you probably would've been dead before you even could enter the building. Security is high and you're no soldier. But I must say, you do look good with a gun in your hands…" and he softly bit in her ear.
Kiwi breathed in sharply. The pain was still there. But the anger was gone. Well, sorta… It was summering under the surface. But she had back control. And now, desire was slowly filling her veins. She suddenly remembered Ruby.
"I need to talk to Ruby, I…", and she tried to get upright, but Vinnie gently stopped her.
"Everybody's asleep, pretty lady. Tomorrow, you can talk to her. And I promise you this; we'll get the answers you need. But just not tonight…"
His low voice gave her goosebumps. She looked up at him and the look in his eyes took her off guard. He was upset too. But as always, he put on his mask and played the happy note. She couldn't blame him. Sometimes pushing your pain away was better than to let it all in. It happened to her this night, and it was too much for a person to handle. And she knew if she was gonna ask right now, he wasn't gonna tell her. He was obviously not in the mood. Well, not that kinda mood...
"Why do I have the feeling you're up to something?", she asked casually.
Vinnie smirked.
"Because I am, sweetheart…"
His voice.
Oh god.
But before she could react, he already was on top of her and his mouth claimed hers. She kissed him back eagerly. This was exactly what she needed right now. And he knew that. So, she completely surrendered to him.

The next day, the mice were on their way to Limburger. They had left Kiwi behind and Ruby had left for work after breakfast. She'd promised she was gonna try to find some information about Limburger. Maybe she could find some answers.
They drove around a corner and suddenly saw something weird.
"Since this ain't Italy…", Modo started, pointing at the building in the distance.
"Then that can't be the leaning tower of Pisa…", Vinnie added.
Throttle looked at the building that was leaning forward.
"Guess asking questions have to wait for now. Time for a little sightseeing, bro's."
They hit the accelerator and when they came closer, they saw a big machine standing in front of the building. It was anchored to the ground and four ropes came out. The ends were attached at the building and it was slowly pulling it down. Goons were standing around the machine and when they spotted the mice, they opened fire.
Cannons popped out of their bikes and the mice returned fire, shooting all the guns outta the hands of the goons.
"Check the chains, Vincent", Throttle ordered.
Vinnie grabbed his gun outta his leg holster, whirled it around his finger and shot the ropes that were holding the building. The whole construction landed back on the floor again with a loud bang.
They drove further, but trucks that were parked next to the building, suddenly opened and big guns came out.
"Okay, bro's, time for a booster shot!", Throttle ordered.
"Yeah, before we're blown outta proportion", Vinnie smiled and after popping a wheelie, they fired their jets and jumped into the air. The guns fired, but only hit each other and they all exploded. The explosion was huge and the flames followed the mice up. Modo suddenly felt the heat and stood on his footrest, leaning forward to avoid the flames.
"WOW! This really burns my behind!"
Vinnie chuckled and when they were out of the flames it's path, he pushed a button on his bike. So did his bro's and big wings came outta both sides of their bikes. They whirled around each other, slowly going back down.
"It's tail whippin' time", Vinnie cheered, lashing his tail like a whip and the clapping sound echoed through the air.
"We've gotta save the encore for later, Vincent. I'm afraid there's a more pressing matter to deal with", and Throttle pointed down.
The goons had attached new ropes at the building and were continuing the job they were doing before the mice had joined the scene.
Vinnie sighed, but nodded. He and Throttle flew down and when they were close to the ground, they approached the building from the side that was pulled down. They shot the windows and flew through the building. When they came out the other side, they fired ropes outta the back of their bikes. The hooks slammed into the stone and they quickly landed, pulling back.

In the meantime, Modo landed on the ground at the other side and shot the new ropes. He quickly joined his bro's and with the three of them, they managed to get the building back up. They hit the brakes and high fived. But victory was short and goons came driving towards them in buggies. But before they could react, the goons suddenly crashed into each other. Another buggy flew over the mice and they followed it with their eyes till it crashed against a building.
"What the…", Vinnie started confused, but he needed to duck when another goon was flying over them. It was chaos.
Throttle rubbed his chin.
"Hmmm… I think it's time we need to learn more about this new game of Limburger…"
"Yeah, this is weird, alright…", Modo agreed, looking at the mess in front of them.
"Cut loose, bro's. Let's ROCK…"
"... and RIDE!"

When they were at LP, they found a empty window cleaners cart. You know, that small cart that is hanging on only four ropes. And it looked like the owners were having a break. They were nowhere to be seen. A perfect way to spy on Limburger. The mice jumped aboard and Throttle pushed the button. The cart slowly made his way up and stopped right before the window of Limburger's office.
"Look busy, fella's", Throttle warned his bro's.
Vinnie was making the mop he had in his hands wet in a bucket of water.
"Just what I always wanted… a window seat into stench central!"
They started to clean the window, looking inside at the same time. Weird things were happening there. They saw Greasepit wearing a Limburger suit and… what the...
"Greasepit in a suit? And Limburger in a maids uniform? Aaooww, those dirty devils", Vinnie snickered.
They saw Greasepit ordering Limburger around and shook their heads in confusion.
"Greasepit is calling the shots…", Vinnie said in disbelief, looking at his bro's.
"Oh momma, no wonder nothing's making sense", Modo chuckled.
"Well, let's drop in and pay our disrespects!", Throttle smiled, but before they could do that, Greasepit was playing with something and suddenly, laser flew out. It was just a stupid coincidence. But dammit, talk about bad timing. The laser broke the window and two of the ropes that was holding the cart. The cart was now loose at one side and the mice slid down.
"Waaoooww!"
"Woow, mommaaa!"
They fell down and quickly whistled on their fingers. Their bikes revved their engines and drove under them. The mice landed smoothly in the seats and put on their helmets.
"Come on, let's go remove that missing link of the chain of command", Modo said.
"Yeah! That greasy gorilla nearly left me with a broken head!", Vinnie agreed.
"I hear ya, bro's. Let's ride!"

They fired their jets and drove up. They broke through another window (of course, they are the Biker Mice From Mars and where's the fun in using the window that was already broken, right?) and stopped with shrieking brakes.
"Alright, Greasepit, end of the line", Throttle warned the oil dripping guy.
"AAAOOWW, mighty Martian Mice to save the day!", Vinnie sung happily.
Greasepit quickly held up his hands and Limburger looked smugly at the mice.
"Ahh, so kind of you to drop in, vermin", and he pushed a button on a remote. A big cage came outta the floor and trapped the mice.
"Hey!"
"Dammit. And that after such a great entrance…", Vinnie pouted.
"Good work, Limburger!", a voice suddenly echoed through the building.
Throttle followed the sound and saw the big, ugly face of the High Chairman on a screen that was hanging on the wall.
"Since it is you who captured the Biker Mice, I hereby put you back in your position. And you, Greasepit… you are hereby permanently promoted back to your old position."
"Promoted? Geez, thanks! I should call my mom…", Greasepit smiled.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you!", Limburger gasped and the High Chairman broke the connection.
The mice looked at each other. Throttle nodded at Vinnie, who grabbed a flair. He lit it and quickly cut through the bars. Since Limburger wasn't the leader when he made this plan, he probably hadn't the time nor the money to use a cage of Plutarkian steel. The mice broke outta the cage and Limburger screamed in rage. But Throttle grabbed him by the uniform.
"Talk fast, blubber but. What did you do to Kiwi's parents?"
Limburger stared at him, a blank expression on his face.
"If you don't mind me asking, my dear boy… But who is Kiwi?"
Throttle shook him roughly.
"You know damn well who she is. You killed her parents and made it look like a accident. Does that ring any bells?"
But the face of Limburger remained blank. And Throttle already knew that the fish did a lot of things, but this one not. He was always way too proud about the things that did succeed.
"I'm so sorry to inform you that I really have no idea what you're talking about, you repulsive rodent. Now, let me go! And I do insist..."
Throttle looked at his bro's, not impressed by Limburgers weak threat.
"He's telling the truth, bro's…"
Modo and Vinnie shared a quick look and nodded. They jumped on their bikes and Modo quickly grabbed Greasepit.
He and Throttle drove to one of the broken windows and let Greasepit and Limburger hanging outside. They both screamed in fear.
"Don't you just love living on the edge?", Vinnie chuckled.
"Let me go, NOW!", Limburger yelled, looking down.
"Put me down, you lunatic furballs!", Greasepit cried.
"Well, since you ask so nicely…", Modo smiled and he and Throttle let the villains loose. They fell down and landed in the fountain.
"Hahahaaa, nice landing", Modo laughed.
"Yeah! Now, let's trash this dump! I can use a big bang as happy end, bro's", Vinnie said, looking with big puppy eyes at Throttle, who shook his head with a smile..
"Alright, alright, I hear ya. Let's do this!"
"AAAOOOWWW! You just know what I love!", the white furred mouse cheered in pure joy, finally able to blow something up.
"Yeah, well, it ain't that hard", Throttle chuckled.
They revved their bikes and cannons popped out. They drove towards the open window and shot rockets outta the back of their bikes, Vinnie the biggest, of course. They made a hasty retreat and when they flew over Limburger, they waved at him. Limburger waved back dazed, still lying in the fountain, but then, the explosion took his attention.
"Oh no… not again…", he sighed, tears streaming over his face. But of course, the whole building came down.
The mice cheered and started their journey home. After the first excitement ebbed away, Vinnie suddenly could use his brains again, since it wasn't overwhelmed with adrenaline anymore.
"But if it wasn't Limburger who killed Kiwi's parents, who did?", he asked at Throttle, who was rubbing his chin.
"I dunno, but I have the feeling we won't like the answer…"
They drove for a while, but suddenly, Throttle hit the brakes. His bro's did the same, a confused look on their faces. Throttle looked at them, and the worry in his eyes hit them.
"We need to call Ruby. NOW!"
"Throttle, what…", Modo started, but Throttle grabbed him by the arm.
"Think about it, big fella. Maybe it wasn't Limburger himself, but it has his stench all over it. Someone didn't want that Kiwi's father was gonna find out about him. And that can only mean…"
Modo breathed in sharply.
"The government."
"Bingo. And that means if they find out that Ruby's digging for the big cheese…"
"Oh momma… We need to reach her. But I don't have her number…"
"Kiwi does", Vinnie said, revving his bike. "Let's ride!"
They sped away. There was only one thought that was repeating in Modo's head over and over again.
What if they're too late?

Earlier that day, after breakfast…

Kiwi looked at Ruby, who was getting ready to go to work. They hadn't spoke about what had happened yesterday. Ruby only had told the mice she was gonna do some digging at work. But Kiwi still had so many questions. And she felt really bad about her reaction. She'd lost control and that fact scared her.
"Ruby? I eh… I'm sorry I lost it, yesterday… It wasn't fair to project my anger on you…"
Ruby stopped with what she was doing and sighed. She sat down at the dinner table again and looked at Kiwi.
"You don't have to apologize. It was my fault. I never should've said it that bluntly. But I was upset and shocked, same as you. When I heard that voice, my mind just made the puzzle complete…"
"Why did you never told me you knew my father? You knew him, you knew… you knew all along it wasn't a accident, but you never told me…"
"I couldn't. I signed for total confidentiality."
"But why telling me now?"
"I just… I suddenly thought you had the right to know. I just couldn't lie to you anymore. You invited me for dinner, you're being a real friend to me and I was lying to your face. I couldn't take it anymore. You deserve better…"
"Is that why you were so... different at dinner?"
"One of the reasons, yes. My whole life I live in secret. When people ask me what I do, or ask me about my life, I always lie. And usually, I have no problem with that. I mean, I knew the consequences when I signed for the job. But lying to you, your friends… It made me feel sick to the stomach. I just wanted to be honest, just for one time, you know?"
"Yeah… I think I understand. So ehm… you weren't my doctor, back then? When we met that horrible day?"
Ruby suddenly grabbed her hand. It was such a weird move for the normally distant woman. But Kiwi now knew why she always kept her distance. It was safer. So nobody could find out about her secret.
"When I heard that your father… god, my heart broke. The thought alone that you were gonna end up alone, of in a foster home, or whatever… There was nothing I could've done to save your father, but the least I could do was take care of his only child. His daughter, who he loved so much. His little princess. So, I rushed to the hospital, just ignored the doctor that was on duty that night and that's how it all started."
Kiwi's eyes filled with tears and she looked at the red headed woman.
"I'm so glad you did. Thanks to you, I'm still alive. Thanks to you, I had the time to meet the mice. To meet Vinnie…"
"You really love him, do you?" She noticed Kiwi's eyes began to shine and she smiled.
"Yeah, I do. Is that weird? You know, since he's not human?", Kiwi suddenly asked worried.
But Ruby waved her worries away.
"No. Love is about connection. Trust. Respect. It goes deeper than just the outside. It doesn't matter how someone looks like. Love always finds a way."
Kiwi stared at her.
"Wauw, that's deep…", she giggled.
Ruby looked at her and also started laughing.
"Yeah, shit. Don't know where that came from. But it's true, though."
"Yeah, it is…"
"He's good for you. I'm glad you met him. You're stronger now. You handle things way better than you used to. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks… Are you okay, Ruby?"
Ruby looked up a little surprised when she heard that question. But she didn't have to lie anymore. The fact the truth was out now, meant their relationship could deepen now.
"Yeah, I am now. Look, it's all a mess, but I… I'm glad I can be honest with you now. And that you forgave me."
"I never said I forgave you", Kiwi said with a teasing smile.
"You don't need to. I just know. I really need to go to work now. I know you still have so many questions, and I will tell you everything you want to know, but I really can't be late at work. Thanks for everything. Thank the mice for me too. They really are something special."
"I know right. I still have one question, though… Why did you attacked Vinnie about his PTSS? You know, during dinner? That awful dinner."
"It wasn't my intention. I just was so on edge and he was a easy target, I guess… But it wasn't fair. He said he thought I would understand. And I do. I never meant to judge him. But I did. And that was wrong…"
"Are you sure there isn't more to it?", Kiwi asked, studying her friends face.
But Ruby shook her head.
"Not now. I really need to go now. We'll talk later, okay? If I find something, I'll call ya."
"Sure thing. Stay safe, Ruby. You're also on Limburgers radar now. So, well… Just be careful."
"I will."
And she left the house, leaving Kiwi behind with her thoughts. God. Losing her parents was so hard. But she always had thought it was an accident. That helped sometimes, you know. Just to think that these things do happen, no matter how shitty it is. But knowing there might be someone responsible for her pain, well… It was indeed very tempting to let the anger take over. But she heard Vinnie's words in her head. And she trusted him. Of course he knew. He already had so many losses in his life. She could only learn from him how to deal with this.

Present

"Kiwi? Kiwi, where are you?"
Modo's voice. Filled with panic. Kiwi ran towards the garage, but the mice already walked towards her.
"Jesus, what's wrong?", Kiwi asked when she saw the looks on their faces. Especially Modo's.
"We'll explain later, sweetheart, but right now, we need to call Ruby", Vinnie said to her and she just stared at him.
"What? I don't…", but Modo interrupted her.
"Kiwi, there's no time right now. Give me your phone."
Wow. Someone was on edge, alright. He'd never spoken to her like that before. But she did what he asked and handed over her phone. Vinnie gave her a reassuring smile before he focussed on Modo. The gray furred giant tried to find Ruby's number, but his hands were shaking.
"God dammit, give me that", Kiwi snapped at him and she snatched the phone back. Their tensed attitude made her nervous as hell. She quickly searched Ruby's number and pressed on 'call', while putting it on speaker. But after waiting for a while, it switched on to voicemail.

'This is the voicemail of Ruby. I'm obviously not picking up my phone, so leave a message after the beep. Maybe I'll call you back. Maybe I don't.'
*BEEP*

Kiwi looked at the mice. Modo cleared his throat.
"Ruby, it's Modo. Please call me back. It's urgent. It's about Limburger."
He nodded at Kiwi and she broke the connection.
"What is going on, guys?"
"We found out it wasn't Limburger who killed your parents."
"Okay… How is that?"
"We just asked him, very polity of course", Vinnie winked at her.
Kiwi looked at him with disbelief.
"And you believed him?"
"Yeah, he's never gonna lie about something like that. He's too proud for that. He fails so many times, he wants to have credit for the things that succeed", Throttle explained to her.
"Okay… This still doesn't make any sense guys…"
"We have reasons to believe the government was behind the accident. Someone obviously wanted to stop him from going after Limburger. And it isn't the first time that Plutarkians use money to get what they want."
Kiwi breathed in sharply.
"You mean my own government killed my parents? Because they are bribed by some Plutarkian?!"
"Eh, yeah. Guess that's a good and short summary", Throttle nodded.
"Oh my god. I can't believe this. And if Ruby's gonna dig around, she's in danger too!"
Throttle nodded.
"My own government? What the fuck? Jesus, I… This is some fucked up shit, I can't even… FUCK!", Kiwi suddenly screamed.
She paced around, stuttering to herself. The mice followed her with worried eyes. But when Vinnie opened his mouth, she suddenly turned to face them. Her eyes were fuming and she pointed her finger at them.
"Let me tell you this. If you guys are going back to Mars, I'm going with ya and that's final. You said Earth is my home. But it isn't. Not anymore. You hear me? I'm not gonna live in a country, no, on a fucking planet where the government sells out their own people, ONE OF THEIR OWN, FOR FUCK SAKE, to save a fucking alien who is obviously insane."
She was breathing heavily and Vinnie, who still had his mouth open, closed it. He looked at Throttle. It was him after all who was having problems with her going with them. He wasn't. Not at all. If that was what she wanted, he wasn't gonna complain.
The tan furred mouse was speechless for a moment and they all knew that didn't happen fast. Finally, he opened his mouth.
"Okay."
That's all he said. But that's all she needed to hear. She lowered her hand.
"Good. Now I got that outta my system, we need to find a way to contact Ruby, before it's too late…"

Oh my dear holy mother of Mars, looks like the Plutarkians are having their hands dugged deep into Earth already. Deeper than the mice had thought in the first place. Their influence is now already reaching the government. Let's just hope they're gonna be on time to stop Ruby.

Anywayzzz, thanks for reading and puhlease review! :)

Later!