Hey there!

So, of course, for starters, thank you so much for your reviews.
Really happy to hear that you like the story so far.
I really enjoy writing it as well.
It's becoming more than just the short story I had in mind, but hey, who cares, right? XD

So, without further ado, here's the next chapter!
Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 8

'Holy shit with the capital H.'

Holy shit.
It was all she could think of.
Holy shit.
Did that, all that, really just happen?
Did she really face death like that?
Holy shit.

As she was still sitting on Vinnie's bike, Charley buried her face in her trembling hands, taking a moment to at least try to comprehend what she had been through just now, but it was simply too much.
Her brain just didn't want to face the facts, as if it would be too scary to admit that she had never, ever been this close to death.
Perhaps it was.
It most definitely was.
And now, she was about to meet Vinnie's 'bro's'.
It was the so-called icing on the cake, the epitome of utter madness.
Holy.
Shit.

"You sure you're okay, babe?"
Vinnie's voice chased away the high beep that was in her ears ever since that trap exploded right under her and it somehow eased her anxiety a bit, like it did whenever she heard it.
Still.
It was a stupid question, now was it?
A faint feeling of amusement joined the almost deadly mix of fear and disbelief and before she knew it, a laugh escaped her mouth as she shook her head, which was still buried in her hands.

Of course she wasn't okay.
Everything that happened today was far from okay.
But the weirdest thing was — there was no other place she rather wanted to be right now.
She didn't even wish that all of this never would've happened, which would probably be a more sane response to today's events.
No, she was right where she wanted to be, hidden in a dark alley with an alien that had taught her the true meaning of love the moment she had looked him in the eye.
Crazy indeed.
Perhaps she was officially losing her mind.

"So, what is it with you and your thing for dark alleys, huh?", Charley asked instead of answering his question and she raised her head before her eyes locked with his.
His beautiful ruby-red eyes, now not only filled with vice and rebellion, but with concern as well.
Somehow, it gave her the sudden urge to cry, but the thing was, there were no tears left.
She was entirely drained.
Vinnie bit his lower lip as he studied her face, as if he wasn't entirely sure what to do with her, a thing she couldn't blame him for.
She hardly knew for herself.
How did one deal with a near-death experience?
Somehow, she had the nagging feeling he would know.
"You like being close to your fellow rats?"

Oh.
That wasn't supposed to come out and Charley closed her mouth with a clap, her cheeks burning when she saw his facial expression switch from concerned to mildly insulted.
"I ain't no rat, I'm a mouse…", he started with a furrowed brow, his voice a few pitches higher as he slightly straightened his shoulders, but before he could really continue his protest, the sound of approaching vehicles made him trail off again.
Gone was the silence.
That delightful, peaceful silence, which had been a welcome alternation for the horrible sounds that apparently belonged to a battlefield and Charley's heartbeat increased as she too straightened her back, nervousness rushing through her veins all of a sudden.

Vinnie looked over his shoulder before he closed the gap between them and his scent practically hit her in the face, making breathing a bit difficult all of a sudden.
In a good way, that is.
She looked up at him, knowing she had again that stupid hopeful glance on her face, for all she wanted right now was for him to touch her like he touched her only minutes ago.
Or maybe even better — like he touched her last night in that alley.

All to feel that electric field take over again, to be taken away from reality because it was just too insane to comprehend.
She would give anything to be able to pull back into that intoxicating cloud of passion, where things were simple.
Where things made sense.
Where it was just him and her and no death traps, no bro's, no situations she didn't know how to handle…

But much to her disappointment, he only grabbed her by the chin and the warning look in his red eyes took her off guard.
He was just so… erratic.
He went from teasing to dangerous with only the snap of a finger and it was exactly that character trait that made him so… interesting.
Addictive, even.
Sexy.
"Whatever you do, sweetheart, do not, I repeat, do not mention the word rat in my bro's presence. Things will get ugly, trust me. Now just smile and wave, babe, this will be over before you know it and then we can all go home in peace."

His breath on her blazing lips was almost enough to make her snap, to just grab him by the shirt and kiss him, but somehow, the tone in his voice kept her sharp.
He was nervous too, she now realized.
Well, that wasn't really strange.
He had disobeyed his leader, after all, heck, he even lied to him.
That could only mean trouble, right?
And all because of her and her insatiable curiosity.
"You're the good guys, right?", she blurted out with a shaky voice and he narrowed his eyes a bit, clearly confused.
"Why you ask?"
"Well… good guys don't kill innocent people, do they?"

She didn't mean to sound so… stuffy, but she did.
But truth be told, him being all nervous as well didn't exactly help in this whole 'meeting the parents/bro' thingy, or whatever this was.
Her falling down from the sky like a bird that forgot it didn't even know how to fly didn't really work out in her favor either, for her body was far from recovered from that utterly dreadful event.
Holy shit.
What a day.
Her heart was going to need some time to drop back from her throat to the place where it belonged, namely — in her chest.

His peculiar yet handsome face softened when he saw her unease and he pressed a soft kiss on her lips, one full of promises and the already familiar tingles in her body were back without warning.
"You'll be okay, Charley. I'll make sure of it", he said softly before he let her go, but somehow, his words didn't make her feel any better, simply because he himself didn't seem to believe them.
Great.
Just great.

Just when he had taken some distance, much to her somewhat childish disappointment, two bikes came to a halt at the entry of the alley and when Charley let her green eyes land on the two means of transportation, her fear was suddenly forgotten.
If she thought Vinnie's bike was impressive, which it was, of course, how about the fact that there were two more of those simply perfect machines?
But before she could really take in the details, movement caught her attention and the moment her gaze landed on the owners of the bikes, the nervousness was back without warning.

Even though she was starting to get used to being in the presence of an alien, seeing two more of them was still quite shocking, or something like that.
Her eyes darted over to the left one, who just stepped off his shiny bike and she subconsciously held in her breath when she saw how big he was.
Although he wasn't standing next to her, it still was very clear to see that he was about two heads taller than Vinnie was, and that while the latter was far from tiny as well.
Instead of white, his fur seemed to be grey, like… ash grey, but it was his right hand that came out of his dark-purple sweater that took her attention right after her gaze landed on him.
It wasn't a normal hand.
Holy shit, no.
It was a…
Well, yeah, what was it anyway?

It appeared to be made out of some kind of metal, but it looked so different at the same time.
Well duh.
Interplanetary heroes, remember?
Aliens.
Nothing made sense when it came to aliens, that she knew.
The burning pressure on her lungs reminded her that she needed to breathe, but the threat this creature radiated made it hard, until she looked at his face, that is.

He was still wearing his helmet -which had a very odd shape, probably because of the whole big ear thingy-, but his visor was open and the moment she saw his warm smile, she let out her breath.
"Howdy, ma'am", he greeted her, his voice rumbling like a baritone, but it didn't sound as threatening as he looked.
No, it even sounded friendly and a weight fell off Charley's shoulders, although the nerves remained behind, clearly not ready to leave her body just yet.
But seriously…
Did he just call her ma'am?

"Hi", she squealed, not sure what to say to this mouse from outer space that was clearly kind and yet so scary at the same time.
Maybe that was because he only had one eye, for the other was hidden under an eyepatch, she now saw.
It somehow didn't really improve his friendly features and yet, that smile gave away something entirely different.
This was most confusing.
"The name's Modo", he introduced himself as he leaned on the handlebar of his bike with his flesh hand and she nodded, her eyes still wide open and completely at a loss for words.
"I'm really sorry for that awful rescue, but we couldn't take the risk of that trap closing. It would've killed you, without a doubt."

Charley was still nodding, knowing it made her look like one of those stupid wobble heads -God, she hated these things- and she vaguely heard Vinnie making a muffled sound next to her.
Of course, he was laughing at her.
Again.
This was starting to get a habit, one she sure as hell didn't appreciate.
But she still could only stare at Modo, her mind entirely blank.
This was just so much to take in, it was crazy.
All the grey-furred alien did was look back at her, slightly uneasy under her intense look, obviously, but still with that warm smile on his face.

"He's right. It would've crushed you like a bug", a husky voice now broke the awkward silence and slowly, Charley turned her head to the person, or well, alien, standing next to the other… alien.
So many aliens…
But this one… this one was different.
It only took one glance to know that he was.
Where Vinnie and Modo both had this somehow friendly streak softening their threatening appearances, this one was just looking at her with a certain coldness that made a shiver run down her spine.

Which was kind of weird, considering she couldn't even see his eyes, for they were hidden behind glasses, but it might have something to do with the lack of a friendly smile, like Modo's.
Or a teasing one, like Vinnie's.
Or maybe it was because his tan-furred face was completely blank, like a mask, which only reminded her of Detective 'Bucket Full Of Sunshine' O'Neill.
Well, whatever it was that made him so overwhelmingly dreadful, one thing she did know.
This must be the leader.
This must be Throttle.
Unlike Modo -and Vinnie for that matter-, he practically breathed authority, every cell in his body screaming it expected obedience and she swallowed with difficulty while his intense aura mixed with hers.

The tension rose to an astonishing level as the silence became almost suffocating, and this time, it wasn't a nice tension.
Not like the one she had felt when she was alone with Vinnie.
The one that made her feel safe, somehow.
Although he obviously scared the shit out of her, she simply couldn't take away her gaze from Throttle.
He was both intriguing and eerie, a combination she never knew even existed.

"Alright, enough with the stare down, bro, honestly… it's creepy", Vinnie suddenly breathed as if he could guess her current thoughts, thereby breaking Charley out of her trance and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, noticing he seemed to be even more nervous than he was before.
Still, he at least tried to let this go smoothly, which was more than she could say.
All she could do was stare at his friends like she was some kind of first-class idiot.
Way to go, Charlene.
What a way to make a good first impression.

Vinnie just made some vague movements with his hand as he quickly introduced the group to each other, his whole appearance practically screaming that he so didn't want to be here right now.
You and me both, pal.
"Guys, this is Charley. Charley, these are my bro's, Modo and Throttle."

This was, by far, the most awkward introduction she had ever experienced and she suddenly got overwhelmed by the urge to burst into laughter.
She managed to control herself, though, mainly because when she looked back at Throttle with clenched teeth, all to keep her laughter inside, she saw that he hadn't moved yet, which only made her distress bigger than it already was.
Hm.
Maybe she should thank them for saving her life.
That's what they did, after all.
And perhaps that would break the ice, who knew?

"So uhm… thanks for saving my life out there. I can't say it was a happy occasion but still… thanks", she mumbled half-heartedly, not because she didn't mean it, for she did, obviously, but because she was still nervous as hell.
The loaded silence that followed didn't exactly help either and she suddenly had it.
Enough was just enough.
She didn't know about aliens, but humans, and most importantly she had her limits.
And they were reached now.
Obviously.

"You know what? Never mind. It's been fun, guys, or actually, it was everything but fun, more like terrifying and most uncomfortable and all… Anyhoo, I'm gonna go home now. I'm in desperate need of a shower", she babbled, although she still sounded quite determined, actually, much to her surprise and she slid off Vinnie's bike before she gave Modo and Throttle one last look, only to see nothing had changed.
Ugh.
If she thought that meeting Vinnie had been a complete embarrassment, well…
This one definitely took the cake.
"Usually, I would say 'Nice to meet you', but that would be a lie, so, uhm… yeah. Toodles."
She really needed to stop talking.

Without even looking at Vinnie, for she had no idea what to say to him, Charley already took a few steps towards the exit of the alley, but it was a tan-furred hand that stopped her by taking her arm in a tight, yet somehow gentle grip.
Ah.
So he could move, after all.
"Hold it, missy. You ain't going anywhere", Throttle told her sternly and Charley blinked a few times in surprise, accompanied with a hint of anger as she looked at the hand that was holding her.
"Excuse me?", she asked, her voice high and she raised her eyes, straight into Throttle's face, which was still blank, by the way.
He should really consider a career in poker.
"Yeah, excuse me?", Vinnie repeated and before she knew it, a white-furred hand grabbed the tan-furred hand that was holding her arm.
"Let her go, Throttle. She's got nothing to do with this. Your quarrel is with me, not her."

But the tan-furred alien leader shook his head, the corners of his mouth pointing downwards, giving away that he too was everything but happy with this entire situation.
"Thanks to you, she's got everything to do with this", he snapped at Vinnie before he looked back at Charley.
"They know who you are, Charley. We can't just let you go home. It's too dangerous", he shortly explained to her, his voice flat and an ominous feeling washed over Charley.
"Who are they?", she asked, at the same time that Vinnie opened his mouth as well.
"But Throttle…"

Of course, the fearless leader chose to ignore her and now pointed his stone-cold gaze at her white-furred hero.
"No buts, Vincent. Not this time. Just because I agreed to save her life doesn't mean that I'm okay with whatever is going on here because I'm not. You deliberately disobeyed me and trust me, this is by far the final word on the issue. But for now, we focus on cleaning up the mess. Your mess, to be specific."

"Come on, Throttle, lighten up! If Greasepit hadn't…", Vinnie tried again, but Throttle immediately cut him off, the tip of his long tail twitching in agitation.
"You're blaming the wrong guy here, Vincent. I mean, has it ever occured to you that she's not only a danger to our mission, but that we are a danger to her as well? You saw what happened. They used her as bait. They could've killed her. This is exactly why we can't get involved with a human, but you did it anyway... "
The tan-furred mouse now used the hand that wasn't holding Charley to poke a finger in Vinnie's chest.
"...so this one is on you and you alone."

Vinnie let go of Throttle's hand as if it was on fire and Charley glanced at him from under his lashes.
Seeing the way his ears drooped made her heart cry, simply because he just looked so small now his bravado was nowhere to be found.
It was now sadness that made his red eyes burn, the same sadness she had seen the night she had met him and shit, it almost made her soul shatter into a thousand pieces.
"It's not your fault, Vinnie, I know it's not…", she said softly, all in an attempt to soften the blow Throttle just gave him, but her knight in shiny fur shook his head, now avoiding her gaze.
"He's right, babe. I… I wasn't thinking… as always…", he mumbled, but a grey-furred hand on his shoulder, one that was covered in a purple fingerless glove, distracted them both from their misery.

"You're being unnecessarily harsh here, Throttle. Sometimes things aren't so simple as they seem at first sight", Modo told his leader calmly while squeezing his younger bro's shoulder, a gesture so kind, it almost made Charley burst into tears again.
God, she was unstable, even for her.
But that was probably what looking death straight in the face did to a person.
Throttle heaved a sigh and when Charley's green eyes wandered back to him, she saw that his mask was finally starting to show some cracks.
Maybe he wasn't as cruel as he wanted her to think he was.

"Please, just let me go home…", she pleaded softly, her voice a bit shaky, but when he shook his head, she quickly continued, this time a bit more confident.
"Look, if you're afraid that I will rat you out, don't. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell a soul, I promise you. Cross my heart and hope to die. I just wanna go home…"
Never had she thought that going back to that place where loneliness ruled would ever feel so… tempting.
But she was in desperate need of some alone time.
To get her head on straight.
She then suddenly realized she just said the word rat, but when she looked at the mice a bit nervous, nothing really happened.

Nothing but the tan-furred leader shaking his head, this time even more determined.
As if she hadn't just said all that.
"It's not about that. I'm not sure why, especially after that asphalt dive of yours, but you don't seem to understand the gravity of the situation here. You're in great danger. What happened to you today is only the beginning…"
"Throttle, don't. Not like this…", Modo tried to stop his older bro, which made Charley only more nervous, next to curious, which was weird, but hey, she wasn't exactly herself right now.

"No, Modo, she has every right to know…", Throttle contradicted his brother in arms and Charley narrowed her eyes in confusion, her heart pounding irregularly.
"Know what?"
"That you can't go home. Never again", Vinnie breathed after being silent for a little while and Charley's mouth fell open before she slowly turned her head towards him, her heart already racing in her chest again.
"What… what are you talking about?"

When he didn't say anything, heck, he didn't even try to say anything, she yanked herself free out of Throttle's grip and made her way over to Vinnie.
To the mysterious creature that turned out to be a mouse coming from Mars.
The very one that had trapped her heart the moment she laid eyes on him.
She had known that from that moment, her life would never be the same again.
But this...
This was not how she had pictured it.
She wasn't entirely sure what she had thought would happen, but this was most certainly not what she had envisioned.

When she reached him, she laid both hands on his chest and looked up at him, her green eyes wide open.
Pleading.
"Can you please explain to me what the hell is going on here?", she asked him, her voice suddenly thick of emotion by only smelling his scent again.
He looked down at her, his ruby-red eyes glistening with sadness and regret, but just when he opened his mouth, the sound of sirens split the heavens and Charley closed her eyes for a moment, already knowing what was next.
Goddammit.
This day seemed to get worse by the minute, or no, by the second.
And indeed…
"We need to go. Now."

Vinnie nodded by hearing his leader giving the order and a sudden pang of anger made Charley gasp for air, alarming her white-furred hero at the same time.
"Don't, sweetheart. Not now. Save it for later, okay? I'll explain everything, but right now, we need to go", he told her sternly yet lovingly and he weaved his fingers into her hair.
Feeling his delicate fingers rubbing her scalp was enough for her aching body to unwind, which was both infuriating and pleasant.
It really was crazy what he was doing to her.

And it was that realization that made her decide to go with them without a fight.
Not just that.
The veils of shock were slowly lifting -finally- and the first questions already started to raise.
She knew that if she wanted to have those questions answered, she needed to go with them.
And so she did.

"Okay. Fine. But once we're out of the hot zone, you owe me a serious explanation", she told the white-furred mouse as she somewhat lovingly poked a finger in his chest and for a moment, that maddening smile of his was back.
"You're cute when you're bossy", he breathed as his eyes darkened and the raw tone of his voice made her legs weak, but she miraculously managed not to collapse, right here, right now.
"And you, mister, are such a tease", she whispered before she playfully pushed him away before she would give in to this… well, whatever this was.
Shit, it was completely and utterly insane, that's what it was.

He chuckled as he pulled the red bandana that was tied around his neck and gestured to his bike.
"After you, madam."
"Chivalry doesn't suit you, macho mouse", Charley snickered, not sure why she was still playing this game with him while it was clear that all this was everything but a game.
She almost died today, for fuck sake.
What the hell was wrong with her?

Her smile vanished like smoke in the wind, and not only because of the realization that she had gone wacko.
It was the sight of his damaged bike that made her mouth drop in shock.
Since she had been really upset after what Throttle called her 'asphalt dive', she hadn't noticed that the beautiful machine now looked more like a crumpled can of soda.
Until now that is.
"Holy shit, what happened to your bike?"

Vinnie followed her gaze and put his hands in his pockets as he shrugged one shoulder.
"You should see the other guy. Or actually his ride."
Despite his attempt to sound completely nonchalant, she could hear a faint hint of sadness in his voice, one that told her this whole thing didn't leave him untouched.
But before she could say something, that husky voice beat her to it.
"Sorry to break up your tea party, but we need to go. As in — now."
"Yes, sir", Charley muttered under her breath as she walked over to Vinnie's bike.
Despite her fear, she started to get a little bit annoyed by being bossed around like that.
"I heard that."
Oh.

Her heart made a little jump, or maybe not little and she quickly mounted Vinnie's bike, but just when she sat down on the passenger seat, loud beeping made her almost jump out of her skin.
Shit, she was nervous.
In fact, she couldn't remember ever being this jumpy.
Geez, I wonder why?
She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the sound, only to see that Modo's bike was flashing its headlight towards her, still beeping loudly and she narrowed her eyes when, again, a sinister feeling washed over her.
"Whoa, Little Hoss, easy now…", Modo breathed a bit surprised before he looked at Throttle.
"I think she's trying to tell us something."
Uh… okay.

The tan-furred leader placed his foot on the kickstart of his own bike, slightly shaking his head while the sirens came closer and closer.
"Yeah, that we need to get the hell out of here. Let's ride, bro's."
Modo opened his mouth, but his words got overruled by the roaring engine of Throttle's bike and the grey-furred giant's face darkened, clearly, he wasn't amused.
Well, he wasn't the only one, judging the way Throttle sped away with squealing tires and a face like thunder.

Vinnie looked at Modo and shrugged a bit helpless before he quickly took place in front of Charley, who didn't miss him flinching when his bike creaked under his weight.
"I can help you fix it… her. I can help you fix her", she offered him while laying a hand on his shoulder, suddenly remembering him saying 'her' instead of 'it' when he was talking about his beloved ride.
He glanced over his shoulder, a glance of gratitude on his face before he closed his visor.
"Hang tight, doll. Someone once told me I drive like a madman."
"Geez. Why am I not surprised?"

Despite her sarcasm, she still did what she was told, though.
And when she wrapped her arms around his broad and muscular body, she suddenly felt so calm.
So peaceful.
As if she was already home.
Holy shit… indeed.

…

"The scoreboard?", Charley called out surprised when she stepped off Vinnie's bike, looking around her with awe.
"You guys live in the scoreboard?"
As her gaze wandered through the room that was their home, a smile curled her lips.
Despite everything, she was impressed.
"Simply brilliant."
But the mice didn't listen to her.
"Say, bro, what was that all about, huh?", Modo asked, clearly irritated as he pulled off his helmet, looking at his tan-furred leader with his one eye narrowed.
"My bike ain't playing no games. Something ain't right here."

As he was talking, his ride kept beeping somehow agitated and Charley looked at the impressive machine with a frown on her face.
If she didn't know any better, she would've sworn that the motorcycle was angry with her, which was just another confirmation that she had gone bananas.
It was a bike, right?
One from outer space, yes.
Right, hehe.
Some minor detail.
But, as it turned out, she wasn't the only one who was having a hard time believing that a bike actually tried to communicate with them.
Lucky her.

"Look, Modo, I know you and your ride have a special connection, or whatever you like to call it, but this… this is crazy, even for you", Throttle told his grey-furred friend, hanging his helmet on the handlebar of his own ride.
"Besides, we've got bigger problems right now…", and he slowly turned around to look at Charley, who flinched under his intense look.
God, the guy was scary, alright.

It was such a contrast with the voice she had heard over Vinnie's radio last night.
The slightly teasing tone had made her believe he wasn't really that bad, but now she was standing in front of him, she wasn't so sure anymore.
Still.
Although she didn't know Vinnie that well, after all, they met only a few nights ago and were on speaking terms since last night, he didn't strike her as the type that liked to be bossed around by some evil and cold-hearted leader.
So maybe, just maybe, this was all an act.
"I'd appreciate it if you stop referring to me as a problem. I never chose for this, you know. Whatever this is", she eventually said softly, fiddling her fingers and eyes lowered.

Throttle took a deep breath, but Vinnie beat him to it.
"She's right. You need to stop blaming her. You said it yourself, man — this one's on me. So take it out on me instead of her", her knight in shiny fur stood up for her as he lined himself up between her and his tan-furred leader.
The latter heaved a sigh as he looked at his young bro with a shaking head, disappointment written upon his face.
"What were you thinking, Vincent? I mean, come on. This goes beyond being irresponsible, even for you…"
Somehow, it didn't even sound that unfriendly and Charley glanced at the tan-furred mouse from under her lashes, seeing that his cold attitude was replaced by one in… defeat?
Hm.
Perhaps that was even worse.
His words were, that's for sure.
"You ruined her life and for what?"

Ruined her life…
What in the world was going on here?
"I think I want to hear that explanation about now…", she told no one in particular and Vinnie turned around, his eyes still glistening with that heartbreaking sadness.
He was obviously feeling guilty for whatever reason.
Without thinking, she gave him a small smile, desperate to let him know that she wasn't blaming him for anything.
After all, it was her who went back to that alley last night.
It was her who tried to get closer to him.
It was her who let him in.

But then there was that nagging voice in the back of her mind, telling her that she had no idea what she was getting herself into and he did.
He knew and yet, he let her in as well.
So maybe he was to blame.
Or maybe he wasn't.
Well, time to find out.
"You told me last night that the police were the least of your problems. Then who is? Or should I ask 'what' is?", she asked him, her voice trembling, but when he didn't respond quickly enough for her taste, she clenched her fists.
"Tell me, Vinnie. Tell me why you are here, on Earth…"

She took a few steps in his direction, all to put some pressure on him.
All to show him that she wasn't playing anymore.
This was serious.
This was about her life.
And it was time he was going to give her some answers.
"Tell me who your true enemy is."

Vinnie just watched her coming closer, his tail swaying back and forth, but just before she reached him, he finally opened his mouth.
"Plutarkians."
If only that made sense.
Slowly, she stopped right in front of him, her green eyes narrowed.
"Plutarkians?", she repeated flatly before she slightly shook her head and threw her hands in the air in frustration.
"What the hell does that even mean?"

"They're our enemy, Charley ma'am", Modo answered this question, much to her surprise and she now let her burning gaze land on him.
"Lemme guess. More aliens?", she asked somewhat tiredly, but before someone could say anything else, Throttle suddenly snapped his fingers and they all looked at him a bit startled, but all he did was resting a tan-furred finger on his lips before he pointed at his twitching right ear.
"You guys hear that?", he whispered and they all pricked their ears, even Charley, although it felt kind of stupid, since her ears were like ten times tinier than theirs.
This was probably the same reason why she didn't hear anything, but Modo and Vinnie clearly did.

"It seems to be coming from downstairs", Modo said softly as he walked over to one of the small windows and when he looked down, he made a sound so low and threatening, that the hairs on Charley's neck immediately stood on end.
It obviously alarmed the two other mice as well, for they were standing next to him within the blink of an eye.
"No way! Is that O'Neill?!", Vinnie called out, making them all almost jump out of their skin and fur and Throttle smacked him against the back of his head.
"Keep your voice down, man", he hissed in his ear and Vinnie nodded, somehow looking a bit sheepish as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.
"Right. Sorry."

It was such a contrast with the badass mouse she had met last night and if Charley wasn't so surprised about the fact that O'Neill was here, it would've been her who now laughed at him.
But not now.
Now, all she did was walk closer to the other window and when she reached it, she laid her hands on the windowsill, her heart already racing in her chest again.
What in the world was he doing here?
Somehow, his unexpected presence gave her an ominous feeling.

Without thinking, she leaned forward to look down through the window, somehow needing to see it with her own eyes.
That he was really here.
But since she was so caught up in all the things that were happening, it seemed as if her brain had forgotten what a window exactly was.
More to the point — what a closed window was and instead of just gracefully glancing down with fluttering eyelashes, she leaned too far forward and banged her head against the glass with a dull thud, one that echoed almost painfully through her brain.

A moan escaped her lips, mostly because she couldn't believe how stupid she could be sometimes and she closed her eyes before squeezing the bridge of her nose.
"It's just one of those days…", she mumbled, knowing perfectly well that the mice were looking at her a bit baffled.
You know, this might have been funny if it wasn't so embarrassing and she cleared her throat a bit uncomfortable as her eyes darted over to them and back to the window, not able to watch them stare at her as if she was the alien here.
"Let's just pretend that never happened, okay?"

For a moment, it seemed that they would accommodate her wishes, but of course, a certain white-furred someone couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Well, lucky you're thick-headed, sweetheart", Vinnie chuckled and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, clenching her teeth to keep the stream of curse words that were burning on her tongue inside.
For some reason, she wasn't sure if Throttle aka Big Daddy would appreciate a dirty mouth in a woman and she still had the feeling she had to do everything within her power to get on his good side.
All Vinnie did was wink back at her and she heaved a sigh before she looked back out of the window, slightly shaking her head.
This day was beyond saving.
And so was her dignity.

Soon, her green eyes landed on a small figure that was snooping around the parking lot, which happened to be right under the scoreboard.
It was, indeed, without a doubt, their beloved Detective O'Neill.
But it just didn't make any sense.
He was chasing the mice ever since they were here, but if she had to believe Vinnie, he wasn't doing a really good job.
The fact that the mice were still riding free only confirmed that.
Then how had he managed to find their secret hide-out?
"I don't get it. Why is he here?", she whispered to no one in particular, her gaze fixated on what was currently the least favorite person in her life.
"And why is he alone?"

She could see Throttle turn his head back towards her the moment these words left her mouth, which was enough for her heart to start another dance while her adrenals quickly started to produce another shot of adrenaline.
"What do you mean by that?"
Charley shrugged without taking her gaze away from O'Neill, trying very hard to ignore the fear that was now nibbling on her insides again.
"Well, maybe I've watched too much TV, but don't Homicide Detectives always have a partner?"

"Are you seriously asking this question to three aliens?", Vinnie snickered, leaning with his forearm against the window frame, his ruby-red eyes darting over to her and back to O'Neill and again, Charley fought the urge to perform a full-on facepalm.
Ask a stupid question…
"Right. Well, to answer my own question — I think they do. Ya know, have a partner. But our beloved friend here is always alone. That's… suspicious, right?"

"It's a good question. One I don't know how to answer. But what interests me more is — how did he find us?", Throttle mumbled a bit worriedly as he adjusted his glasses, probably thinking of a way to get rid of the detective.
Hopefully without too much blood…
That ominous feeling, the very one that announced itself the moment she heard O'Neill was here, became even worse.
It literally took her breath away.
As if something bad was about to happen.
As in — really bad.

It was as if Modo's bike was guessing her thoughts, because it was then when it started beeping again, like some sort of mad uh… bike, including the flashing headlight and all.
That couldn't be good.
They all turned around to look at the shining motorcycle, which was now even revving its powerful engine as it conducted a feint attack at Charley, who took a few steps backward away from the window without even realizing it.

Modo quickly rushed over to his beloved wheels and laid a hand on the handlebar with a frown on his face.
"What is up with you today, Little Darling? What are you trying to tell us?"
Charley had to admit that she too was curious about that.
She simply didn't understand why the bike seemed to have a problem with her, disregarded the fact that it was even possible for a bike to show its displeasure in the first place.

Throttle rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look on his face as he looked at the bike to Charley and back, but then he suddenly froze for a moment.
Almost painfully slow, he turned his head towards Charley again, both his big ears twitching and she swallowed with difficulty, sweat already forming on her forehead when she saw that his whole intense 'I'm the big bad leader' aura returned after being absent for a little while.
Her entire body screamed to get the hell out of here and without thinking, she already took a few steps in the direction of the so-called front door, not having the presence of mind to realize that this would only feed the suspicion that was written upon his face now.

Before she could even blink, he suddenly popped up right in front of her and after staring at his muscular chest for a few seconds, she slowly raised her head, her green eyes wide open as fear forced every muscle in her body to prepare itself for a fight, or more preferably — a flight.
Her stomach turned when she saw the look on his face, which came close to murderous and she suddenly heard O'Neill's voice echoing through her head.

"Someone killed him. His neck was broken. And then someone dumped him in the dumpster."

Could that be her fate as well?
Was she about to be killed by a humanoid mouse coming from Mars?
What a stupid way to die.
Her father always told her that her curiosity was going to be the death of her one day.
Never had she thought that he had been right all along.
Stupid.
So, so stupid.

Without saying a word, the tan-furred alien reached out his hands and even though her body was now entirely prepared to come into action, all she did was follow them with her eyes as her breathing increased.
She just stood there, watching how they came closer and closer, but right before he could wrap his fingers around her neck like she expected, he lowered them and laid them against her side.
What the…

Slowly, his fingers slid down her waist, causing a soft rustling sound as they rubbed over the leather of her jacket and she held in her breath, not sure what was happening here.
Although it seemed that he wasn't really planning on hurting her, this was still highly inappropriate and she clenched her fists as the flame of anger slowly ignited.
The nerve of this guy…

But she wasn't the only one who wasn't really pleased with whatever was happening here because all of a sudden, a white-furred hand grabbed Throttle by the jacket and pulled him away like it was nothing.
A small gust of wind moved her hair and goosebumps scattered throughout her body when a hint of that maddening scent of his caressed her nostrils.
It made her blink a few times, all to break herself out of this trance that was called mortal fear, just in time to see Vinnie push his leader up against the wall with brute force.

Despite his loose clothing, she was still able to see every muscle roll under the fabric and if she had to be completely honest, that and the way his pants hang loose around his hips, revealing the waistband of his black boxer made her mouth water.
Grade-A mouse material.
That was, without a doubt, true.
But it wasn't the pang of lust that took her off guard, no…
That honor went to the warmth that filled her entire chest quite unexpectedly.
That made her heart swell like a sponge in the water.

She suddenly realized that there was no one, absolutely no one, who ever stood up for her like this particular specimen did, over and over again.
And there were actually no words that could describe what that did to her.
What it meant to her.
Every lone wolf needed a pack…

Her savior now grabbed Throttle by the shirt before he pulled him closer to him, his long white tail swaying back and forth in anger and agitation.
"Hands off, fearless leader. There are certain lines that aren't meant to be crossed and this is definitely one of them. You of all mice should know that…"
Holy shit, his voice.
It immediately brought her back to that alley, to that moment she was held down by that horrible man.
It was this exact same tone he had used when he told that same horrible man to leave her alone.
That man who was now dead.
If goosebumps were able to grow bigger, now would've been the time for that to happen.
Shit.
He really was dangerous.
So… sexy.

"Guys, come on… We don't have time for this", Modo tried to calm his bro's down, although he didn't come into movement, which could only mean that this wasn't the first time it happened.
The fact that he wasn't really worried somehow eased Charley's anxiety, for the last thing she wanted was to witness Vinnie ripping off his leader's head.
Still, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, but much to her surprise, instead of fighting back or ordering him to stand down or whatever leaders did when one of their minions decided to start a rebellion, all Throttle did was hold up a small black device, looking Vinnie straight in the eye.
"I'm sorry, bro. But it appears that your princess here isn't as righteous as you think she is."

Another suffocating silence followed as they all stared at the object in his hand, especially Charley somehow mesmerized by the small flashing blue light in the center.
It didn't take long for Vinnie to come back to his senses though, and he snatched the thing out of his leader's hand before he turned around.
The look on his face took her off guard, for there was a certain coldness she hadn't seen before.
Goddammit.
Every time she thought things couldn't get any worse…
"Did you know about this?", he asked her straight to the point, his voice low.

Perhaps she needed to be grateful that he at least gave her a chance to explain herself.
If only she had something to explain.
Which she hadn't.
She had no idea what was going on here.
"No, I… I don't even know what that is…", she breathed, her knees growing wobbly by seeing his distant attitude, which was the exact reason why she sounded so… incredible.
As if she was lying or something like that.
But she wasn't.
God knew she wasn't.

Vinnie clearly felt otherwise, for whatever reason.
"Don't…", he snapped at her before he fell silent again, the right part of his upper lip slightly trembling and he took a deep breath to control himself before he continued.
"Don't lie to me. Please, just don't… Not after I've risked everything for you…"
She flinched by hearing the raw edge on his voice.
Oh god.
He truly believed that she was lying.
He was clearly misinterpreting her unease.
They all did and she shook her head almost desperately.
"Vinnie, you have to believe me, I've never seen that thing in my life…"

Her knight in shiny fur narrowed his eyes as he studied her face with a certain precision that didn't fit him, at all and tears filled her eyes by the thought alone that she was going to lose him before he could even become hers.
Which was completely mind blown, for she had never, ever felt this depended on a person.
She was Charley.
A lone wolf.
Then why did she care so much?
Because she loved him, that's why.

"Please… I swear to my father's grave, I didn't know…", she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, a fact she despised herself for.
For sounding so pleading.
But shit, she couldn't lose him.
Not like this.
He kept looking at her in that way that made her beyond uncomfortable, heck, she was even beginning to panic, which was nothing like her, but just when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, his face softened and the left corner of his mouth curled up into a fraction of that highly charming smile of his.
"I believe you."

Relief washed over her quite mercilessly, but she was still able to stop herself from bursting into tears and she let out her breath as she nodded at the device, curious as always.
"What is it anyway?"
"A GPS tracker", Modo answered that question for her when he somehow gently took the object out of Vinnie's hand before he threw it on the floor and crushed it under his heel with his teeth clenched.
"Someone must have put it in your pocket without you knowing."
Well, it wasn't really hard to guess who 'someone' was, now was it?

"He must have done it when I was talking to him last night", she sighed tiredly, already cursing herself again for being so… naive.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one putting on a show last night.
Checkmate for mister Ray Of Sunshine.
Perhaps he was smarter than the mice -and she for that matter- had given him credits for.
"Don't beat yourself up for this, sweetheart. None of us saw this one coming, I guess", Vinnie tried to cheer her up, which might have worked if Throttle hadn't intervened.
But he did.
Of course he did.

"Well, I've gotta admit, this is quite the story you've got there. There's only one problem here..."
As he was talking, his right hand pulled a gun out of his leg holster and the click that came with taking off the safety almost sounded like a gunshot itself.
Charley flinched when the sound almost made her eardrums snap and she slowly turned her head in his direction, a thing she immediately regretted, for she looked straight into the barrel of the deadly weapon.
"I don't buy it."

Uh oh.
Throttle obviously still doesn't trust Charley, which is his good right, I guess.
I mean, they don't know her.
We do.
We know she's one of the good guys.

But to Throttle, all she is right now is a threat to their mission, which she kind of is, in a way.
I mean, things started to go downhill from the moment Vinnie met her, although that's not her fault, but then again, Throttle doesn't know all that.
Let's just hope he's gonna give her a chance to prove him wrong...

And then there's that mouthwatering tension lingering in the air between Charley and Vinnie.
Geez, I wonder what will happen if they finally have some alone time, if they even get it in the first place, that is ;)

Or what about O'Neill?
What is he up to?

But maybe the million-dollar question is - will Charley ever be able to go back to the place she calls home?
To her beloved garage?

Hm.
Guess you just have to wait and see, hehe.

Well, that's a wrap for this chapter.
Hope you liked it!
Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated and a great motivator for me to write.
Stay safe out there, you mamma jammers, and till next time!

Later!