Chapter 5

"Throttle." Came voice from behind him.

He stiffened and kept his eyes on Charlie. "What? I thought that you had finished with your lecture."

"I didn't came here to lecture you." Stoker sighed. " I came to see how is she doing. Besides, I do understand why you did it. I have loved once too. A long time ago."

"Harley?"

"No. I thought so, but it wasn't real thing." Stoker said sadly when he examined Charlie's condition.

"Then who?" Throttle was curious. "You never told us."

"Her name was Cassie. She was one little firecracker. She bowed no-one and she loved from all of her heart. And hated. She said that life is too short to waste with bullshit." Stoker chuckled as he checked Charlie's pulse.

"Atta girl." Throttle smiled. " What happened to her?"

"She died." Stoker said shortly. "She got sick and there was no cure."

"I'm sorry Stokes..."

"Don't be. Like I said. It was long time a- Well hello beautiful!" Stoker smiled. "We've been missing you, darling!"

"What? Charlie!" Throttle pushed Stoker aside but stopped like to a wall and his jaw hit the ground.

That was the first time she opened her eyes. They were so bright green that they were like an emerald in sunlight. And they were like glowing from inside.

"Hey... What happened?" Charlie whispered.

"You..." Throttle started. "You have been unconscious for few hours."

"Why I feel so different?" She asked and lifted her hand to touch her face when she saw it. "What the hell?!"

"Don't panic deary! Everything will be alright!" Stoker calmed.

"Oh shut up and take me to the mirror!" Charlie snapped.

After they helped her to the mirror and she saw what had happened she just looked at herself in shock. She touched her face and her ears. And her eyes were scaring the hell out of her. And the tail which was living it's own life behind her.

"I don't even recognize myself anymore!" She whispered."What I'm going to do now?!"

Lex knew that she couldn't hide forever so when she saw Stoker to go to his ship she headed to the downstairs.

"Morning guys!" She smiled happily.

"Technically it's'good day' sweetheart!" Vinnie teased. "Did your wet dreams of me keep you awake?"

"Keep dreaming Vin-man... Keep dreaming. Nothing else you're not going to get." She chuckled. Even though she was getting bored to listen Vinnie's constant flirting, he still sometimes amused her.

"Is everything okay ma'am? What happened?" Modo asked worryingly when he saw her red eyes.

"I'm fine Modo. Nothing what a large cup of coffee couldn't fix." She smiled. "Please don't say that there isn't any!"

"Lucky you, I just put some. It should be ready now." Modo watched at her closely. "Want some breakfast?"

"Nah. I'm not hungry." Lex grabbed a largest mug from the cupboard and filled it with a hot black coffee. "I just take this with me and I'll go start my day's works."

"Guess who's awake!" Throttle stormed inside the kitchen, Charlie and Stoker right after him, and almost knocked down Lex who was just leaving there.

"Hey!" She shouted when she got half of her coffee to her shirt and it burned her skin to sores.

"Oh, sorry Lexie!" He yelped and watched when Stoker snatched a kitchen towel from Modo and started to dry her shirt's front. "Hope you didn't burn yourself badly, you should take that shirt off and press something cool on your skin."

"I'll help you!" Vinnie offered drooling.

"I can do it myself!" She took the towel from Stoker and hitted them with it and winced doing so.

"Ouch! Why did you do that for?!" Vinnie yelped.

"Because you're getting on my nerves!" Lex hissed from the pain.

"Seriously deary, you should let me look at your burns." Stoker said worriedly.

"Hell no! I can take care of myself! Just show me where I can find the emergency box!"

"Lex. Let him do it." Charlie encourages her. "He's great with nursing people. And you can't even move your upper body properly for the pain."

"Oh thanks gorgeous! Nurse-Stoker at your service!"

Before Lex could say anything Stoker had guided her out from the kitchen and to his ship's infirmary.

"I'm sorry but Charlie is right you know. You can't do that yourself." Stoker said quietly. "Please let me help you."

"I... Fine." Lex didn't look at him.

"Can you take your shirt off?" Stoker asked and watched when she fought to lift her shirt. "I can he-"

"If you want to keep your hands attached to your body, you keep them there!" Lex snapped and bite her teeth together and swinged her shirt off. And underneath of it were...

"Oh man! Girl..."

"Shut up and patch the burns. As big war hero as you are and you're amazed because of few little scars." Lex grimaced. "Hurry up. I have work to do."

"Few little scars..." Stoker muttered and started rigidly caring her burns. It itself were pretty bad, but luckily she had her shirt on so it was only second degree burns. Few smaller and one bigger on her chest. But the rest of her... "This is pretty bad. But luckily I have just the thing with me."

Lex watched stiffly everywhere but not to Stoker. She listened when he rummaged his drawers.

"Relax, honey. I'm not going to eat you, gorgeous." Stoker tried to joke.

Vinnie watched after Lex and Stoker. Why do I become such a dork around her? I just can't do anything right!

He could see that she was in pain. And still he had to joke. And it didn't help that he felt so clumsy when she were near him.

He was desperate to get close to her. She was so beautiful that she took his breath away. She's perfect.

He watched full of envy how Throttle could show openly his feelings to Charlie. Although he had to admit that they were little clumsy around each other, but it was still obvious that they were in love.

He wanted that same with Lex. He really wanted that.

"Hey. Vinnie." Modo noticed that his white furred ADHD bro were quiet for once. "Are ya okay?"

"Hmm?" Vinnie snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah. I guess I'm still sleeping!"

Charlie got a thoughtful look in her eyes as she watched at him.

"Well well. Honey ain't you an eye candy." Vinnie hided behind of his mask again and winked his eye to her with a huge grinn. "If you're getting bored with the royal control freak, you know where I am!"

"Cheez, Vinnie. Thanks." She rolled her eyes. "I almost believed you."

"No no, Sweetheart. Being mice suits you." Vinnie laughed. "You look almost as delicious as me!"

"Haha. I think not." Modo laughed at Vinnie. "I think she wins you ten to zero!"

"I'll say!" Throttle agreed and looked lovingly at Charlie and made her blush.

"Har har..." Vinnie laughed.

"What is that?" She asked when Stoker put something paste on her chest.

"It's something we use to this kind of burns.. I think that there isn't a word for it in your language."

"How does it work?"

"It'll cool that burn and helps your skin to crow back." Stoker said after he had put a thick layer over the burns and covered them with a bandage. "It shouldn't even leave a mark."

A heavy silent greeted his words.

"Like it would matter. No one could see the difference." Lex folded her hands to cover herself and turned her back to him.

Stoker were shocked to see her. When he had patched her burns he saw that there were a lot small scars here and there on her front. But when she turned her back to him...

He haven't seen scars like that even on a his soldiers. It seemed that she had been whipped many times and there were old horrible burn marks on her back. And she were cut many times with something dull weapon. And her scars were spreading under her jeans. It seemed that none of her wounds had change to heal properly. No wonder she wears covering clothes all the time.

"Lex... I-" Stoker started.

"Don't." Lex was stiff as a iron bar. "Just go."

Stoker sighed and unbuttoned his shirt, took it off and put it on her shoulders. "Here. And take these painkillers honey. Don't work too hard."

He kissed back of her head and left.

"Oh damn. I'm starving!" Charlie sighed and headed to the fridge but stopped when Modo stepped to her way.

"Na-ah, ma'am. You're going to sit down and I'm going to serve your breakfast to you. You're not going to do anything until we're sure that you are okay." Modo said firmly. "Now. What do you want to eat?"

"Fine. But for you to know, I have never been better." Charlie rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Coffee and veggie omelet would be nice."

"Coming up, ma'am." Modo saluted with his spatula.

"Thanks hun!" She smiled and sipped her coffee which was given her by Throttle. "Oh damn Stoker! Well ain't you in good shape at your age!"

Everybodys eyes nailed at Stoker who just had stepped to the kitchen. He went a little baffled by her sudden words. He had been so buried to his thoughts of Lex that he didn't even notice where he were. And his lack of sleep didn't help at all.

"Believe me honey, I'm not that old you know!" He laughed.

"Where did you leave your shirt? Not that I would mind a little eye candy." Charlie flirted a little making Throttle to look at her confused look on his face. "How old are you actually?"

"I gave it to Lex so she could cover herself after I patched her up." He grinned. "I'm only eight years older than Modo, who's the oldest of the guys."

"Really? I'm sorry but I thought that you're older than that! Now I feel ridiculous." Charlie blushed.

"Haha, don't. I get that a lot." Stoker winked eye at her. "Besides. Chicks like older guys. I think 'couse we're lot more experienced than younger one's, like Vinnie.

Everybody exploded to laughter. Rimfire was even in tears and holding his stomach.

Vinnie scrunched his teeth's. Not because of his words, Stoker was just teasing him, but because of jealousy.

He was jelous that Stoker was the one who had helped her, Stoker was the one who's shirt she was wearing. And that Stoker was good-looking and not that old.

And Stoker had got way too close to her.

Lex cursed at herself. This has to stop! But how? Should I leave?

She slided her arms in the shirt's sleeves and twined it around her and hugged herself breathing his sent. Oh damn he smelles so good! So sexy, warm and... Safe. What am I going to do?

She took the painkillers before she laid down to the bed where Charlie had slept.

She felt so tired for hiding. So tired.

I guess I'll rest for a while.

And then she drifted to sleep.

"I have been for hours in this old rusty ship! Why is this taking so long?!" Carbine was getting anxious. "But what are you going to do when you get there?"

"What am I going to do?" She yelled. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do! I'm going to make him crawl in front of me and his pathetic bros will become a example what happens when someone gets on my way! Hahahaa!"

"What about that girl of them?"

"That grease stained slut shall get what she deserves. I know what she's trying to do! She's trying to steal my man from me and that ain't going to happen!"

"And then what?"

"Then I shall go back home and he is coming with me! I shall make him be my slave and he is going to respect me and worship the ground under my feet's!

"Good plan. And now we wait. Only 29 hours left until we get there!"

"I've been waiting for this long and few hours more won't make the difference! Beware my love. Your mistress is coming to get you!"