(W.W.T ) here again my dear's with another chapter this has been fun I laughed a lot writing this one. For those of you wondering the reason this fic is rated mature even though the most that's happened has been some minor swearing is because of things I have planned for future chapters. Also for the person who asked Chair's name is not a typo (I'm sure I've made some "cough several" somewhere but that's not one) She really is named Chair just like the piece of furniture you sit on, and yes Chair's full name is awful but I have my reasons for it. That being said…or um written please enjoy the next chapter
Disclaimer: You know I know so let's get on with the rodeo. I do not own Bmfm and I make no money from this story it is for entertainment purposes only .The only thing I do own is My Oc Chair and the idea for the story itself.
[Chapter 4 Cold November Pain]
[Charley]
Charley parked in her usual out of sight spot when she reached the field surprised when she didn't see Modo already waiting for her. (He probably just took the long way) she thought as she turned to lift the small box of parts out of the back of the truck.
She'd send Vinnie and Throttle down for the rest when she got up to the board. (Well maybe just Vinnie) Charley thought with a frown.
Throttle hadn't been looking so good before her and Modo had left to pick up the parts needed to repair the air conditioners and she was worried about him over doing it.
Of course if she let on that that she was deliberately trying to coddle him in any way, the Martian male was liable to take it the wrong way and march out here to try an prove he was perfectly fine or some equally asinine he-man chest beating thing.
Charley honestly didn't want ether of the males to going out in the heat trying to prove how macho they we're only to end up over doing it and making themselves sick or worse.
Charley hoped Modo got back soon as well she knew he was probably just taking Lil Hoss for a brief ride to let the alien bike work out some boredom, but she worried about the large male even if he was tolerating the high temperatures better than the other two.
Charley's thoughts on the grey mouse were interrupted when she finally reached the entrance to the scoreboard and made her way inside.
[Chair/Modo]
Chair breathed a sigh of relief as the faded and crumbling brick of her apartment building came into view.
"This is it." she said leaning forward and slightly to the side as the pointed it out to Modo.
" Here?" Modo asked glancing dubiously up at the building as he pulled Hoss over to the park next to the shabby looking apartment complex.
A frown curling the edges of his mouth Modo stared around at the dilapidated state of the surrounding neighborhood before turning to give Chair a quizzical look as she stepped down from the back of the bike to stand on the cracked and broken cement of sidewalk in front of the rundown apartment.
"This is the place" Modo said skeptically as Chair straightened up tugging bottom of her skirt into place as she stood.
" Yeah." Chair said looking around at the surrounding area.
" I know it looks kind of rough but it had the one thing I needed when I was looking for a place." Chair said looking up at Modo.
" Oh? What was that?" Modo asked glancing over at the building and then back at Chair curiously.
" It was Cheap ."Chair said with a shrug the corners of her mouth curling into the ghost of a smile.
" I'll bet." Modo said looking back up at the pock marked and graffiti covered building again.
Chair shrugged again absently rubbing at her wrinkled skirt with one hand.
"Well thank you for the ride." Chair started biting her lip before continuing.
" I don't suppose I could trouble you or one of your friends to pick me up again sometime tomorrow so that I could have a chance to talk to Charley about my truck do you?" Chair asked bouncing nervously on the heels of her feet.
Chair worried her lip, as she stared up at the building a moment before glancing over at the large male out of the corner of her eye.
" It's just I don't actually have my own phone at the moment I've been using the payphone on the corner and when it comes to things like my truck I prefer to talk in person and…"Chair continued to babble nervously until Modo cut her off with a laugh.
"Whoa! Relax and take a breath. It's fine." Modo said with a chuckle.
"I'll pick you up myself first thing in the morning if it'll make you feel any better. It is more or less my fault you're without your own ride at the moment. "He said with an apologetic expression.
" Well I suppose I could be gracious enough to let you take some of the responsibility for my current predicament" Chair said teasingly a relieved expression passing across her face.
Modo laughed and smiled at Chair ".Alright I'll see you tomorrow morning let's say 8:00-ish see if we can't get out and about before the worst of the days heat hits us." He said revving the bikes engine getting ready to pull out.
"Alright it's a date." Chair said with a grin turning towards the entrance to the apartment building, completely missing the odd expression that briefly flitted across the large bikers' expressive face in response to her choice of phrasing.
"Oh! Modo." Chair said turning back around to face him again. " I should be out here waiting for you. But if for any reason I'm not or you happen to get here early or something I'm in apartment ( 12 B) It's the one at the end of the hall on the second floor."
" Got ya apartment (12B) I'll see you tomorrow morning take care ma'am" Modo said with a wave.
Chair watched him pull out onto the street before turning and walking into the building and up the stairs to her apartment.
The first thing Chair did upon shutting her apartment door (after hanging up her keys) was shimmy out of the awful skirt and chuck it directly into the garbage. Before making her way tiredly over to the bathroom shedding clothes as she went.
Chair paused a moment to pull the handful of bobby pins that had come loose from the (at this point) disheveled knot on top of her head .Running her fingers through her hair in relief as the tension on her scalp released.
Chair took a moment to study her reflection in the dingy bathroom mirror, noting the waxy past like look of her complexion and dark under eye circles the harsh light from the single bare bulb brought out.
"Well I suppose could at the very least, I could make an attractive zombie." Chair said depreciatively as she took in the haphazard fall of her curls as they framed her face in a wild mess of corkscrewed frizz.
Turning Chair fiddled with nobs in the shower until the temp was tolerable stepping under the single stream of water .Letting it cascade through her hair and down her neck for a few minutes. Before laying her head tiredly against the stale wall and closing her eyes.
"Today was a long day." Chair muttered as the warm water helped to rinse the sweat from her skin." But as they say tomorrow is another day." Chair said out loud opening her eyes and reaching for the shampoo.
"And things are bound to get better…right?" Chair said with false brightness as she squirted a quarter sized dollop of the green apple scented goo into the palm of her hands.
" Right?" Chair said again her face taking on a pensive look as she contemplated her own words.
[Modo]
Modo arrived at the scoreboard just as the first dark clouds started rolling across the sky shading the field from the suns rays.
Modo blinked up at the sky." looks like I made it back just in time ." He said tucking his helmet under one arm as he wheeled his bike next to Throttle and Vinnies.
" Hope Charley girl didn't have too much trouble getting those parts and the unit up here" Modo said as he walked into the part of the board the guys used as a sort of living/rec room.
To find Charley talking animatedly to both Throttle and Vinnie her hands gesturing wildly.
Vinnie looked up catching sight of Modo over her shoulder and broke out in a relieved grin. "Don't look now sweetheart but I think our dilemma just walked through the front door and solved itself."Vinnie said giving a nod in Modo's direction.
Charley spun around and let out a relieved sigh as she laid eyes on the grey mouse. "There you are I was starting to think something had happened to you." Charley said making a beeline for the large biker.
" Sorry about that Charley ma'am I didn't mean to cause you to worry." Modo said apologetically placing a gentle hand on the mechanics shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze.
" Worry might be a bit of an understatement there bro" Vinnie said coming up alongside the petite mechanic.
"Charley girl here was just about two steps away from demanding an all-out attack on Limburgers half rebuilt tower just to make sure fish breath hadn't gotten his fins on you." Throttle added.
" I'm sorry about upsetting you Charley I honestly didn't mean to take as long as I did." Modo said looking down forlornly at the small women.
"Oh …"Charley started looking up into Modo's hangdog expression.
" It's alright I'm not actually mad. I know you guys can pretty much take care of yourselves when you have to. But.. I just worry about you big lugs sometimes."
" You know I care about you… about all of you, and I was just afraid you might have had a run in with that plutarkian slimeball and ended up in trouble or something ."Charley ended with a sigh looking almost embarrassed for having gone on so long about her feelings on the matter.
Modo and his bro's shared a quick look as he pulled Charley in for a quick hug. They all understood how hard that must have been for the female mechanic.
Charley could be extremely demonstrative when it came to expressing affection, but openly vocalizing it was a completely different matter.
She was always trying to present such a strong front, She'd had to owning and running her own business at such a young age as one of only a handful of female mechanics in all of Chi-Town on top of being located smack dab in the middle of one of the roughest neighborhoods in the area their Charley girl had, had to be tough just to survive.
Charley pulled out of the hug a little awkwardly giving Modo's chest a quick pat with the palm of her hand. Turning suddenly Charley started across the room at a brisk pace.
Shaking her head and sighing as she passed a smiling Vinnie who opened his arm's for a hug as well while waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.
" Well if you boy's will excuse me I'm going to get back to fixing these air conditioners for you before the heat fry's any more of Vinnies brain cells." Charley said kneeling down next to a scattering of parts and tools spread across the floor beside one of the malfunctioning air units.
"Ouch! That hurts sweetheart it really does." Vinnie said adapting a mock wounded tone and clutching at his chest.
Charley glanced over at the white mouse and cocked one eyebrow, as she waited for the other shoe to drop.
"Of course I'd be willing to forgive that if you offered to kiss me and make it better." Vinnie added flexing one arm and grinning cheekily. Causing the mechanic to roll her eyes as she turned back to the parts she was working on.
" I'd tell you what you were welcome to kiss Vinnie but knowing you, you'd take it as an invitation." Charley said dryly.
"Oohoo denied again, I'm starting to sense a pattern here." Vinnie said with a flinch as he shifted his attention to Modo.
"So what did keep you out there so long big guy?" Vinnie asked.
"Have to admit I was wondering the same thing myself there bro, even the long way round doesn't usually take quite that long?" Throttle added looking over at Modo curiously.
" Yeah well… about that I may not of run into ole stink face per say, but I did find myself in a bit of a predicament." Modo said turning to face the mouse leader.
" Everything alright Bro?" Throttle asked a concerned look passing across his face.
"Well yes and no." Modo said rubbing behind one ear before proceeding to explain about his run in with Chair and the resulting problem with her truck door.
"I hope you don't mind Charley but I sort of volunteered your services." Modo added looking over at were Charley was still working on the fitting the last of the parts into the first air conditioning unit.
Charley snapped the last piece of the disassembled unit into place turned away from the air conditioner with a satisfied grin,
" well that should just about do it." Charley said wiping at her forehead as she looked towards the large martin.
"And in answer to your question Modo by now you know me well enough to know the answer to that." Charley added smiling over at him.
" Just don't make a habit out of offering free tows to everyone you cause property damage to, or I'll never make any money." she said with a laugh turning to place the siding back on the finished unite.
Modo gave a relieved smile in her direction," Thanks Charley I appreciate it." he said. Watching as Vinnie made his way over to help lift the bulky unit and carry it over to the space Charley had rigged up for it.
" It's not a problem besides I actually kind of liked Chair she seemed…interesting." Charley said with a smile as she absent mindedly rubbed at her back watching as Vinnie positioned and plugged in the air conditioner.
"Yes! Its alive! ITS ALIVE! Aahoohooa!" Vinnie crowed as the unit sputtered and then began blowing a steady stream of cool air. Much to the relief of the overheated males in the room,
at that moment by a sharp resounding crack shook the walls . Followed by the lights flickering then going out, plunging the inside of the scoreboard into sudden darkness.
After a moment of stunned silence Throttles voice cut through the inky blackness. "Well…isn't this just peachy." he said his voice a blend of sarcastic exasperation.
The sounds of shuffling and shifting could suddenly be herd as they all slowly began making their way around in the dark.
"You know if you're scared of the dark Charley babe I could always hold your hand for you." Vinnies said his voice floating up to the left of where he had last been standing.
"Uh…Bro? ,That's My hand." Modo said dryly.
" Oh…I thought it felt a little manlier than usual Vinnie said awkwardly. , Hairier to he added. "
"You could let go of it now you know." Modo said exasperated.
"Oh right sorry about that Bro." Vinnie said with a forced laugh.
"Not that there's anything wrong with a little extra hair that is." Vinnie suddenly went on.
" I could totally go for that all-natural European look at least when it comes to you Charley girl." Vinnie said his voice suddenly switching places again.
A loud sigh suddenly cut through the dark followed by Throttles voice. " Wrong hands again Vincent" he said with a dry tone.
The dark around them was suddenly broken by the beam of a flash light.
" You boys finished or do I need to turn the light back off so you can get back to playing seven minutes in heaven" Charley said wryly as she grinned over at the pair.
As Vinnie giving an embarrassed laugh quickly released both of Throttles hands from where they'd been clutched in his own, Grinning awkwardly over at the tan mouse.
Throttle continued to stare at him with one eye ridge raised a moment more, before shaking his head in exasperation at the younger mouse and making his way over to stand beside a still laughing Charley.
"Alright all teasing and jokes aside let's see if I can't get the power back on and barring that figure out where we last stored that old generator, I rigged up for you guy's during that bad bout of ice storms last winter." Charley said gesturing for Throttle to follow her in the direction of the fuse box.
"Think it's just us this time or other parts of the city as well?" Modo asked making his way over towards the gap in the scoreboards face the Males used in place of a window.
" Don't know" Charley grunted as she fiddled with the fuse box while Throttle held the light steady for her.
" But I know I pity anyone whose power may have just been knocked out. I know I wouldn't want to be caught in this heat without some form of air fan based or otherwise." Charley said giving a startled yelp and jumping back as something under her hands suddenly sparked.
"You ok babe?" Throttle asked concernedly as Vinnie suddenly started in their direction.
"Fine" Charley said absently rubbing at her fingers while she stared into the contents of the fuse box and furrowed her brow. "Looks like the generator it is" She said turning.
Only to draw up short in surprise as Vinnie stopped in front of her and gently pulled her fingers towards his face, his expression series as he examined them a moment before giving her hand a mild squeeze and stepping to the side to let her by.
Charley stared up at him curiously a moment as Vinnie with an almost sheepish look on his face, attempted to avoid eye contact with her.
" I think I remember seeing the generator over somewhere by the bikes" Modo said taking pity on Vinnies obvious embarrassment. Between the two of them Modo wondered if they'd ever actually get around to saying anything seriously about their feelings for one another.
Turning away from Vinnie with a small frown Charley made her way carefully across the dark room. The white mouse watching her as she went his expression troubled, the sound of thunder rumbling the walls of the board, as rain began striking against the tin of the roof.
[Chair]
Chair woke up groggily to the sounds of Rain hammering against the glass of her window. The sticky feel of the (now sweat drenched) T-shirt she'd worn to bed adding to her discomfort in the apartments almost stifling air.
" Gad what time is it?" Chair muttered as she rolled to her side to stare bleary at her little battery powered alarm clocks flashing red face.
Unlike the air conditioning it at least she could count on to keep working even during a blackout like last night. Chair squinted just making out the numbers 7:45 through the blur of her sleep clouded vision.
" Crap!" Chair said shooting up. " I over slept!" she half shouted ,as she struggled to her feet and tried to force her still waking body in the direction of the bathroom on sheer will alone.
" Crap! Crap! Crap!" Chair muttered stumbling across the room.
"SHIT!" She finished on a yell as she stubbed her toe against the door frame. Hopping on one foot the rest of the way into the small room.
Chair had just enough light from the window to see by as She made her way over to the sink. Chair paused pulling her tooth brush and toothpaste out of the Mirror/medicine cabinet before stepping into the shower stall and tossing her clothes back out in a heap.
Chair attempted to adjust the water temperature belatedly realizing that no power of course meant no hot water. Bracing herself Chair stepped under the cold spray anyway in the wild hope that it might help to wake her up further along with washing off the layer of sweat that had collected on her skin while she had tossed and turned during the night roasting in the apartment's muggy air.
Chair had just finished yanking her still damp hair up and dressing in a pair of black tights and an old denim tunic top when there was a knock on the door.
"Crap!" Chair muttered again as she hurried across the room trying to put on her shoe's as she went.
" One second!" Chair called as she tried to walk and yank the back of her slipper up at the same time nearly tumbling into the door as a result.
"Ouch!" Chair said pulling her hand back from where she'd braced it against the door frame to stare morbidly down at the inch long splinter protruding from it.
"I was born under a ladder I just know it" Chair muttered darkly as she stared at it.
"Umm…Chair? , You ok?" Modo said hesitantly his voice slightly muffled by the wood of the door.
"Yeah!" Chair called back pulling the door open as she did and gesturing for the large male to come in.
Modo stepped inside blinking as his eyes adjusted to the murky light filtering in through the dingy window. Pausing in place Modo glanced around curiously not saying anything as he examined Chair's apartment.
Chair turned to look at the small living space as well, giving an internal wince as she thought about how it must appear to him.
Mattress on the floor and no furniture outside of a few boxes and one old folding auditorium seat in use as a catchall.( Heck her bathroom didn't even have a door.) Chair thought with a cringe as she turned to look up at the Modo again.
"Sooo…"Chair said as Modo turned back to face her. Suddenly nervous Chair wracked her brain for something to say before the silence stretched too long.
Glancing down at her hand and then back up into Modo's questioning gaze, Chair nodded in the direction of Modo's Mechanical arm.
" I don't suppose that thing comes equipped with tweezers does it?" Chair asked wryly as Modo's eye shifted to focus on Chair's palm and the piece of wood poking out from it.
" I'm starting to get the impression you're a bit accident prone" Modo said as he examined Chairs hand a moment a concerned frown crossing his face.
"That might just be a bit of an understatement" Chair said with a laugh.
"Well how about it got any tweezers?" Chair asked again her tone half serious.
"I'm sorry to say it doesn't" Modo replied looking back up at Chair with a warm smile, " but I'm pretty sure Charley girl does in the first aid kit at the shop."
"If you think you can wait until then?" Modo finished passing the extra helmet he'd been caring under one arm to Chair.
" I don't think I have much choice there since I don't have a pair of my own at the moment." Chair replied as she stared down at the helmet touched he'd thought to bring it for her.
"Well if you're ready to head out I guess I am" Chair said gesturing to the door with a grin.
Modo smiled back at her. "Alright let's get this show on the road" he said motioning for Chair to exit the apartment first.
The ride to Charley's didn't take very long but the steady drizzle of rain had soaked both Modo and Chair fairly good.
Chair shivered as she stepped out of the muggy drizzle into the air conditioned interior of the garage.
"This is what I get for wishing for rain" Chair said as her teeth chattered together passing her helmet over to a contrite looking Modo.
"Yeah sorry about the soggy ride" Modo said as he placed the spare helmet onto a small work bench before removing his own.
"Where is everybody?" Chair asked looking around the empty garage curiously.
"Their probably not back from picking up your truck yet is all, we all left about the same time so it shouldn't be too long before they get here." Modo said walking towards the door leading out of the main part of the garage and towards the cabinet were Charley kept the first aid kit.
"In the meantime let's see what we can do about that hand of yours" Modo said glancing over his shoulder as Chair followed him into the small nook.
" Oh I can do that Chair" said as Modo took her hand in his robotic one and lifted it up to get a better look at the sliver of wood lodged in the meat of her palm.
Modo frowned at the small piece of wood a moment before looking back up at Chair,
"You sound like Charley" Modo said with a chuckle as his gaze meet hers;
"she doesn't really like to have anybody fuss over her ether." Modo said turning to rummage in the kit until he found the tweezers.
Chair felt a blush spread across her cheeks not really used to having a male show this much attention to her. Modo shifted his focus intently to the palm of her hand as he tried to gently extract the small sliver from it.
Needing something else to focus on Chair found herself studying the top of Modo's head, or more precisely the two red protrusions sticking out from it.
Her own curiosity finally getting the better of her Chair reached out and gently touched the tip of one antenna.
Causing Modo to give a startled jerk at the same time he gripped the tip of the splinter with the tweezers.
" Ow! "Chair yelped at the sharp pain that shot through her palm.
"Sorry" Modo said dropping the tweezers and reaching out to snag Chair's hand again as he turned it to see the injured area. Causing Chair to blush again as his breath ghosted across her palm as he bent down to view it better.
" I'm sorry to" Chair said looking at him in embarrassment.
"I shouldn't have just touched you like that; I don't know why I can't seem to keep my hands off you." Chair mumbled.
"It's alright but for future reference, it's not exactly considered polite to just suddenly touch that part of a Martians anatomy without permission. That area is…Sensitive" Modo said looking almost comically flustered as he gripped Chairs hand in his.
A loud cough suddenly cut through the room.
"Sorry to interrupt whatever exactly is going on here, but I thought I'd better let you two know we we're back before whatever's going on here progressed any further." Vinnie said with a grin as he leaned against the wall right outside of the little nook.
Chair stared over at the white mouse Blankley a moment before suddenly blushing scarlet as it dawned on her how the last bit of their conversation had probably sounded to someone just walking in on it.
"That's not." Chair started
Only to be cut off by Modo hastily Blurting out, " I was just trying to pull a piece of wood out of her hand!" Modo said.
"Whoa! whoa! whoa! Hold up on Whatever you're about to say Bro, I honestly don't need or want any details concerning that part of your social life" Vinnie said raising his hands as if to ward off anymore words from the now equally red cheeked Martian .
"WE WERENT DOING THAT!" Chair half shouted causing both Vinnie and Modo to flinch.
"I wouldn't consider kissing a guy I just met let alone…"
"I mean not that he isn't cute but…"
"What I mean is Modo was just… He was just…That is…I had a splinter." Chair finished lamely while rubbing at her palm.
An awkward silence stretched between them as the two males stared at an ever pinkening Chair.
"You three do realize that we can all here you right?" Charley called from further out in the garage.
Followed by the sound of Throttle openly laughing,
"Aw come on Charley don't go ruining the fun. I wanted to see how this played out." He added with a soft chuckle.
Chair suddenly found herself wishing adamantly for the floor to open up beneath her.