Chapter 8

"Modo! Modo wake up!" Having run out of the bathroom at the sound of of Modo hitting the floor, Charley rubbed the fur on his head, feeling for a bump.

Vinnie and Throttle knelt down beside Charley, trying to suppress their grins, having never seen Modo fall unconscious. There's a first for everything! Throttle laughed to himself. I wonder when he's gonna tell Charley of his plan. This is the perfect time… Throttle grinned to himself, trying to imagine Charley's reaction. We'll know when he finally gets the guts to ask.
Suddenly his eye opened and sat up, quick as lightning, he grabbed her around the waist, stood up and swung her around.
"Easy big guy!" Vinnie tried to hold him back, but had to duck under Charley's swinging legs.

"We're gonna have a baby!" Charley laughed at his excitement, and put her hands on his shoulders trying to steady herself.

"Put me down big fella! I don't want to lose my lunch!" Noticing that she was still a little pale, Modo put her down and hugged her close.

"You're gonna have my baby…" his voice broke as he hugged her close, emotions overwhelming him.
"I'd like Angie to do an ultrasound first to be sure, but I'm assuming that you're happy," Charley smiled up into his handsome face and put a hand to his cheek, bringing him down for a kiss.

"I'm ecstatic!" then looking her over, he put his finger under her chin, so he could have a good look at her face, "Aren't you?"

"Sure I am! But…"

"But what darlin'?"

Charley tried to turn her face away so he wouldn't see the turmoil in her eyes.
"Charlene," his voice a little more stern, and he urged her to look at him.

"What's wrong Charley-girl?" Throttle walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's just… I know that at some point you're all going to have to go back to Mars. I've come to expect that," It'll still be hard… but I'll handle it… "But bringing a baby in this makes it so much more complicated for you guys, and …"

"And you're afraid I'll leave you with a baby to raise on your own,"

Charley nodded, tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. Modo was hurt that she would think he'd do such a thing, but at the same time understood her dilemma and considered how theirs was a relationship quite out of the ordinary being from different planets and all.
"I would never do that you darlin'," he lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes and brushed the tears off her cheeks, taking a leap of faith, Modo sighed, looked up at Throttle who gave him a thumbs up and plowed head on, "I ain't leavin' you here either when it comes time to leave."

Charley's eyes widened in shock at his statement. He laughed softly, deciding the time was now to tell her about the little arrangements he'd made in the past two weeks with her mom and Stoker. But first…
"Will you marry me?"

"Huh?" looking even more flustered, Charley looked from Vinnie to Throttle, who just smiled mischeviously at her. They know something!! Damn them! What the hell is going on?

"Hey bro, that isn't how mom told you to do it," Vinnie reminded him.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot,"

Charley's mind took another blow when she realized her mom was involved. What the hell does mom have to do with this? Her and I need to have a little talk so she can tell me exactly what…
"Oh my god…" Charley breathed out as Modo let go of her and got down on one knee, holding her left hand in his.

"Darlin', would do me the honor of becomin' my wife and movin' with me to Mars," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little suede box that Charley instantly recognized. No way!...

Inside the box was Charley's mother's engagement ring.
"Goin' back to Mars without you would be like tryin' to catch the moon and change the tides… Impossible,"

"But what about mom? My family?" Charley's tears flowed more freely now, feeling torn between her life here on earth and one that she desperately wanted on Mars with the mouse she loved desperatly.

Throttle came up behind her and rubbed her forearms, easing her fears.
"Already thought of babe. Stoker's buildin' a transporter unit that we can leave at your mom's leading to Mars. That way she can visit us, and you can visit her,"

Charley looked from Throttle to Modo, back to Throttle then to Vinnie. All three grinned seeing how bewildered she was. She looked again at Vinnie, then back at Modo who was still down on his knee anxiously waiting for her answer.
Vinnie decided to releave the tension in the room with some good-old Vincent charm.
"You've got no excuses now babe. We've taken care of everything,"

Charley wanted to know how all of this had happened without her knowing. They weren't the kinds to be able to hide things from her. Especially something this big. But first she had to deal with her handsome big teddy bear, looking more and more nervous by every passing second.
"I wouldn't dream of living a life without you Modo," going down on her knees in front of him, she put her fingers to his mouth when he started to protest, urging her to stand up.

"I love you, and I'd be honored to be your wife," she held his face in her hands and brought his mouth to hers in a soft tender kiss that had a tear rolling down his cheek.

Modo slipped the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. Hugging her tightly against his chest, he buried his face in her hair so the guys wouldn't see him cry.
"You've just made me the happiest mouse in the whole universe darlin'… thank you,"

They stayed in each other's tight embrace for another few minutes before Modo scooped her up in his arms and stood up with great ease. God he's so strong… feeling a very familiar tingle stirring up, Charley asked Modo to let her down before she couldn't resist.
"Now you boys have some explainin' to do,"

"No yet babe," Charley turned at the sound of Angie's voice as she pulled in with a big truck of medical supplies, "first, let's have a look at ya. Then at your baby,"

Angie may be one to joke around, but she was very serious when it came to her work, and more so when it involved a friend. Charley's pregnancy was something that she had already taken up herself to take care of as her personal obstetrician.
"Oh and by the way… Congratulations!!" Angie came running and gave her friend a huge hug and oohed and awed at the engagement ring.

"You knew!"
"Of course. There is nothing that I can't pry out of Vinnie… nothing," Modo and Throttle laughed at a now very deeply blushing Vinnie.

"Woman's got pressure tactics like a P.O.W camp commander,"

"You love it. Oh and you know what this means right?..." Charley looked at Angie confused, but then it dawned on her when Angie wiggled her eyebrows. Both screamed enthousiastically, "Bachelorette Party!"

"Sweet!! Does this mean that we get to throw a bachelor party for Modo,"

"Don't think so bro," Modo blushed fiercely at the thought of having women dancing and undressing themselves in front of him… especially Vinnie. Goddess have some mercy for a nymphomaniac mouse…

"Bus-kill…" Doesn't mean I have to tell him about Stoker… I wonder what the old man's got in mind? Vinnie chuckled to himself evilly knowing that whatever it was, Modo would be blushing from here to Mars.

"Easy there hot shot… You'll give us away," Throttle elbowed him in the ribs at the sight of Vinnie's wicked grin.

Throttle tried as hard as he could to keep his grin to himself, damn it's hard! Even more so when Modo turned and eyed the two of them suspiciously. Throttle and Vinnie gave him their most innocent smiles, to which Modo burst out laughing,
"Grinning like idiots doesn't hide the fact that you two have something planned,"

"What… us?!" Vinnie put his hand to his chest and did his best to look scandalized.

"We have nothing planned! I'm appalled that you would think that of us. Especially since you said no bachelor party," Throttle crossed his arms and faked outrage.

"Yeah right, then why -," Modo started only to be cut off by the sound of a ship landing in the backyard of the garage.

All three went out to see, Charley being upstairs with Angie with the portable ultrasound machine, watched from the window as a brown mouse with dark brown hair stepped out with cases of beer, wine, and champagne, as well as other things that made her laugh at Modo's very timid blushing face.
"So… you punks ready for one hell of a bachelor party?" Stoker leaned on his cases of beer grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh for the love of …" Modo put his face in his hands, trying to hide his blush and his mammoth sized grin.