Hey there!

As always, thank you so much for the reviews!
Words cannot express how much joy they give me.

Sorry it took me this long to update, I was unable to write for a couple of weeks for whatever reason.
But I'm finally back on track again!

Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 17

"You have a lot of explaining to do."

As Pux's words, spoken with fierce indignation, lingered in the air, Charley gazed into the girl's blazing blue eyes, knowing all too well that the girl was right.
After all, this was Pux they were talking about, not some random stranger.
She was important, and thus she definitely owed her an explanation.
But would Throttle agree with that?
Almost cautiously, her green eyes darted over to the tan-furred mouse, who looked back at her with a little frown decorating his usual quite handsome face.
A frown she knew like no other, for it was the same one she had seen when she met him and goosebumps spread across her body.
No, he was definitely not amused that another human knew about their existence now, and it immediately transformed him back into that cold and authoritative mouse like he was that day.
Charley swallowed with difficulty as she fought the urge to flinch under his strict look, but, against all odds, his face softened when he saw her somewhat pleading facial expression, and he gave her an almost invisible nod, which was his way of telling her that it was okay.
The damage had been done.
Now all there was left to do was pick up the pieces and move on.

Charley let out her breath as her sore muscles relaxed, and she turned her head back to Pux, who was still dangling in Modo's grip, waiting for the explanation she just demanded.
"Wanna stay for dinner?", Charley asked a bit sheepishly with a crooked smile and one shoulder pulled up, hoping to diffuse the tension a bit.
The blonde-headed girl pursed her lips, but eventually nodded in agreement, though her eyes were still scorching with all the emotions that came with encountering extraterrestrial life.
Knowing this was his cue, Modo gently put the young girl back on her feet and Pux immediately stepped away from him, glaring at him as she adjusted her hoodie.
The grey Martian flashed her a somewhat apologetic smile, one she didn't answer, and Charley could feel that the tension was already rising again.
And then there was Vinnie.
"Well, this ain't awkward at all."

Charley's lips twitched as her gaze landed on her knight in shining fur, who was still standing safely behind his older brother.
His nose was still mildly bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice as he was keeping a close eye on Pux now she was free again.
The image of him being chased by the eighteen-year-old girl flashed before her eyes again, and before the almost hysterical laughter that bubbled up because of it left her mouth, Charley quickly looped her arm through Pux' and gently pulled her toward the kitchen.
"Come on, let's get that dinner on the table and then we'll tell you everything you wanna know."
With the first panic slowly fading, Pux was now too dazed to protest and let the older woman guide her back to the kitchen without saying a word.
Throttle shared a quick look with his bros before he followed them, and when Modo and Vinnie did the same, the white-furred mouse swung an arm around Modo's neck.
"Question. Why do Earthers always think we're gerbils when they see us for the first time?", he asked quietly so that only Martian ears could hear it.
Modo thought about it for a second, but then shrugged.
"I dunno, but it beats being called a rat, that's for sure."
Vinnie narrowed his eyes, not sure why his grey-furred friend wasn't seeing the obvious here, which was that being called a gerbil was exactly the same as being called a rat if not worse, but before he could tell him that, Modo leaned a bit closer to him.
"Is it just me, or has Charley's scent changed?"

The question had about the same impact as a punch in his stomach, and Vinnie stopped dead in his tracks, his arm sliding off Modo's shoulders in the process.
Hm.
So he wasn't the only one noticing this little detail, and he almost told Modo that.
But then, completely involuntary yet as expected, his masculinity kicked in, or maybe even better said - his need to protect what was his.
Asking a question about his girl's scent felt way too intimate all of a sudden, and it triggered this certain primal instinct, one that had all to do with marking his territory, although he deep down knew that Modo wasn't a threat but merely concerned.
Still.
"Did you really just ask me about Charley's scent?"
Modo halted as well and glanced over his shoulder with a little frown furrowing his brow at hearing the menacing tone of voice of his little brother.
"No need to get all worked up, mister Alpha Male. It's just something I noticed when she was standing next to me, is all."

Although Vinnie was deadly curious about Modo's perception of changing scents, it felt too delicate to talk about at the same time.
And thus, he shrugged, pushing Modo aside to continue his way to the kitchen.
"I don't know what you're talking about, man."
"So you haven't noticed?", the grey-furred giant asked calmly when he stepped aside to let him through.
"Nope", was all the white-furred mouse said when he passed him, keeping his eyes lowered.
Knowing Vinnie as well as he did, Modo could easily tell that his young bro was lying, but for now, he let it slip.
It didn't seem that important anyway, at least, not more important than the eighteen-year-old girl sitting in the kitchen, confused and scared, and so, Modo followed his young bro without saying another word about it.

…

"So, that's the story", Throttle concluded as he leaned back in his chair, running a hand through the brown-colored quiff between his big ears.
Pux stared at her plate, her blue eyes almost popping out of their sockets as she clearly needed some time to process everything the tan-furred mouse just told her.
Glancing at her, Charley couldn't help but feel a pang of worry after seeing how quiet the usually loud and restless girl was.
It just wasn't like her, then again, alien encounters had the tendency to bring out the worst in someone.
Or maybe not the worst, but hidden sides at the very least.

"You really should eat something, sweetheart."

A low voice whispered in her ear, breaking her out of her thoughts.
His warm breath caressed her skin, and a delicious shiver ran down her spine as she turned her head, only to look straight into Vinnie's enchanting eyes.
Those eyes…
"I'm not hungry", she mumbled, already drowning in the ruby-red flames that were his irises, and therefore she didn't miss the glance of worry that now joined the mix of vice and love.
His hand slid into her neck, gently massaging the tense muscles.
"Are you getting sick or something?", he asked worriedly, and Charley closed her eyes for a brief moment, enjoying his touch.
"I'm just tired."
And slightly nauseous…

Vinnie eyed her with concern holding his heart in a tight grip.
There was something different about her, and not only her scent.
But speaking of scents, there was another one that infused the air with dread, and it wasn't coming from his beloved Charley-girl.
His red eyes darted over to Pux, who was still staring at the hotdogs on her plate and Vinnie could practically hear the wheels turning inside her head.
Not just that, his keen eye didn't miss her slightly quivering muscles, nor did his well-developed hearing miss her somewhat ragged breathing.
The girl was obviously scared to death, unsure how to handle all this.
Maybe she had it coming after hitting him with a frying pan, but even Vinnie knew it wasn't that simple.
And thus, he squeezed Charley's neck to get her attention, and when she looked up at him with those marvelous eyes of hers, he nodded at Pux.
"Maybe you need to take her outside for a moment. Ya know, before she faints or something like that."

Charley followed his gaze, her heart fluttering against her ribcage due to the young Martian's overwhelmingly sexy presence.
The pale skin, the teeny-tiny drops of sweat decorating her forehead and the bridge of her nose, and her clenched jaws made Charley come to the conclusion that Vinnie was right.
Pux was about to check out, and it was time to get her out of the situation.
After standing up, she rested a hand on Pux's shoulder, and the blonde girl flinched under her sudden touch before she gazed up with her blue eyes wide open.
Charley flashed her a reassuring smile and took her arm in a gentle grip.
"Come on, let's get you outside. Some air will do you good."
Again, Pux followed her without protesting, and her being so willingly only confirmed that she was way out of her league here, for it was just so out of character.

Charley heaved an inward sigh, slightly shaking her head as guilt made her heart heavy.
She never wanted all of this, then again, her showing up had been as much of a surprise for her as it was for Pux to find three aliens in Charley's kitchen.
She was supposed to be on a holiday…
Well, either way, she was here now, and despite the guilt, Charley felt a hint of relief as well.
She didn't like lying to her beloved friend and coworker, and by the looks of things, these times were over.
If Pux was able to recover from this, that is.
Otherwise, perhaps it would be for the best if Throttle would erase her memory.
You're getting way ahead of yourself now, Charlene.

Knowing that she was, the auburn-headed mechanic stepped outside and closed the door behind them before facing Pux, whose face was even a few shades paler than before.
Even more so, her breathing had changed from rapid and irregular to shallow.
That alarmed Charley, and she gently helped the girl sitting down on the small bench that stood next to the entrance of the garage.
Crouching in front of her, she rested her hands on Pux's knees.
"I know this sounds utterly stupid, but you have to breathe, Pux. I know, for I've been where you are now. It's a lot to take in, but if you don't start breathing right away, you will pass out."
A soft whimper slipped past Pux's lips, and Charley gently tucked a strand of her blonde curly hair behind her ear, recognizing the look on her face effortlessly.
She was obviously trying very hard to understand all this, to make sense out of it, but the thing was, nothing made sense about aliens.
At least, not so soon after finding out about them.
"Breathe, sweety. Just breathe. The rest will come as it goes."

At first, it looked like Pux didn't hear her.
It was as though she was in some sort of trance, and Charley contemplated if perhaps she should call 911.
But then what?
They would throw the sassy teenager in the looney bin without questioning the moment she would tell the doctors what had spooked her like this, next to that, she highly doubted if Throttle would agree with her calling an ambulance.
Still.
Pux's health was her number one priority right now, but before she could even make a decision, Pux made it for her by taking a shaky yet deep breath.
And another one.
And another one.
"That's it", Charley smiled lovingly and also relieved, gently rubbing the girl's knee to help her get back to reality.
With every breath she took, color slowly returned to her round cheeks and after blinking a few times, Pux looked Charley straight in the eye.
"What the fuck, Charley? What the actual fuck?"
Her voice was even smokier than it usually was, but all Charley cared about was that the girl was back in the land of the living, and she let out a shaky laugh.
"I know. It's completely and utterly insane."
After all, that's what it was.

Pux ran a trembling hand through her hair, shaking her head.
"Talk about an understatement. Aliens. Fucking aliens, holy shit, I can't believe this."
"Just take your time. You'll get used to them before you even know it", Charley reassured her as she took place next to Pux with one hand still resting on her knee.
"Like you did, you mean?"
That came kind of unexpectedly, and Charley glanced at the young girl from the corner of her eye with a furrowed brow.
"Sorry, what?"
Pux shifted to the edge of the bench and turned her upper body so she could look Charley in the eye.
"I saw the way you look at him. Next to that, you've been absent minded ever since that night you got attacked. Ever since that night you met one of those notorious vigilantes, to be exact. It really wasn't so hard to figure it out. You're in love with him. The white one."
The girl had always been smart.
Sometimes a bit too smart, for Charley's taste.
Then again, this was exactly why she was such a great asset to the garage.

Silence dawned upon the two women as Charley tried to figure out where Pux was standing with all this, but it was hard as her face was completely blank.
"It uh… it just kind of happened, I guess", she eventually said a bit hesitant, if only to break the almost suffocating silence.
Pux nodded, and she arched a brow as a somewhat cheeky smile appeared on her face.
"Well, I've gotta admit, I kind of get that. I mean, aliens or not, they look like fucking Greek Gods with fur and a tail, right?"
Okay, that escalated quickly.
She was definitely back to her old self, something Charley could only admire, even though she was already getting under her skin at the same time.
But that was the whole thing with Pux.
She was as annoying as she was fun to be around.
Pux sensed her growing irritation, and after eying her lady boss for a brief moment, she suddenly realized what was going on here.
"You're scared that I judge you. Ya know, for dating an alien", she concluded flatly, and Charley shifted her weight a bit uncomfortable.
Pathetic as it might be, Pux's opinion mattered to her and she was, indeed, scared of being judged by her.

But as always, Pux managed to surprise her, and the blond-headed girl took Charley's hand before her blue eyes locked with green ones.
"I would never judge you. You're like my hero, but please forget that I said that. Next to that, you seem… different. Happier. There's this spark in your eyes that I haven't seen before. Who am I to begrudge you happiness, 'ey? That would make me a bad employee and an even lousier friend. I'd be lying if this, all this, ain't no major shock, but all that matters to me is that you're happy."
Charley could feel her eyes getting a bit watery, and she swallowed with difficulty in an attempt to get rid of the lump in her throat.
"I know I've asked you this before, but are you sure you're only eighteen years old?", she chuckled a bit sniffy, shaking her head as she wasn't quite sure why she was getting all misty all of a sudden, and Pux gently squeezed her hand.
"Old soul, remember? But really, Charley. I'm happy for you. I'm happy he's able to fill the void inside of you. You deserve that. You know, to not feel so alone anymore."
Fighting back her tears, Charley patted Pux's hand a little unhandy, having no idea how to handle all this.
"Why are you even here, Pux?", she sighed, and she raised her eyes to catch Pux's gaze.
"I thought you'd be gone for two weeks."

Pux's face darkened, but not in a worrying kind of way.
No, more like in the teenage-temper-tantrum kind of way, which made her look her age more than ever before.
"I thought so too, but my mother, apparently, doesn't like sunshine and beaches, or heat for that matter. That woman, honestly, she's the worst. I mean, who doesn't love lying on their ass all day doing nothing, huh? And what kind of person books a two-week holiday in Florida, which is literally called the Sunshine State for fuck sake, when you can't deal with temperatures higher than twenty degrees? Everybody knows it's even hot there in the winter, but nooo, not her…"
As Charley listened to Pux's rant with a little smile on her face, the strangest thing happened.
It was as though her brain suddenly connected a few dots that hadn't even been dots until now, and without warning, Vinnie's voice echoed through her head, forcing her to shut out the outside world, and that included Pux.

"You smell different."

A shock went through her body, kind of like she imagined it would feel to get struck by lightning, and a soft gasp escaped her lips as her stomach cramped in a painful way.

"I'm not hungry."

Her own voice soon followed Vinnie's, even before the last sounds of his lovely voice had died.
"And slightly nauseous", she whispered to herself, staring at the ground without really seeing something.
Pux fell silent the moment Charley said these words, and when she looked at the woman sitting next to her, her eyes grew big.
"Whoa, Charley, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
In all fairness, seeing her boss like this only reminded her of that day when she got back from the hospital, you know, after that vicious attack.
She had been just like this, absent-minded, confused, and perhaps even scared.
But just like that day, Charley didn't hear her.
Or well, she did, but then in her head.

"You look different… I'm happy he's able to fill the void inside of you. You deserve that. You know, to not feel so alone anymore."

Oh.
My.
God.

"No… It can't be… or can it?", Charley breathed, her heart racing in her chest now as she tried to remember what day it was.
But her brain was just too shocked to cooperate, and without warning, she leaped to her feet.
"I'm sorry, Pux, I have to go, there's something I gotta do."
And before Pux could even blink, the auburn-headed mechanic already ran back inside.
The blonde girl just sat there for a brief moment, following her boss with her blue eyes as she tried to wrap her mind around this sudden change in Charley's behavior.
"Good talk!", she yelled after her, but the door closed behind Charley even before the last word had left her mouth, and Pux shook her head.
"I love her to bits, but damn, she's weird."

…

The guys were just finishing dinner when a blueish blur flew past the kitchen, and Vinnie glanced over his shoulder, only to see the tips of Charley's hair disappearing behind the door frame before he heard her stomping up the stairs with great noise.
"Charley, are you okay?", he asked confused as he leaned back in his chair in the hope he would catch a glimpse of her, but all that happened was him leaning too far back, making the chair topple over before he landed on the floor with a loud bang.
"Ugh. This just isn't my day…", he sighed tiredly as he rested his head on the cold floor, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
The silence, however, got soon replaced by the bathroom door closing with a loud bang, followed by what sounded a lot like Charley going through the bathroom like a goddamn tornado, and Vinnie lifted his head to peek at his bros.
"Should I go check on her or is this one of those super feminine moments where she will rip my head off because she wants to be left alone?"

Throttle rubbed his chin, but before he could answer this rather difficult question about the female species, Pux appeared on the doorstep of the kitchen and Vinnie's red eyes darted over to her.
Although she was currently upside down since he was still lying on the floor and she was standing behind him, he could still see that she was looking a lot better than before, and despite his annoyance towards her due to the whole frying pan incident, he felt a pang of respect.
One could say a lot about this little human, but she was resilient, that's for sure.
"Is she okay?", he asked, referring to his beloved girl who was, by the sound of it, still renovating the bathroom in a not very subtle way, or whatever she was doing.
Pux gaze landed on the white-furred mouse lying on the floor, and she arched a brow.
"Is this an alien thing or…?"
Vinnie rolled his eyes, and before Pux could even blink, he was already back to his feet and standing right in front of her, casting a menacing shadow over her.
"I asked you something, sweetheart. Is she okay?"
His voice was now dangerously low, and Pux shivered as she took a few steps backward.
Clearly, Charley wasn't the only one madly in love here.
"I dunno, we were just talking and suddenly she just zoomed out, ya know?"

Oh, he knew alright.
He was all too familiar with Charley's overthinking habits, and it only confirmed what he already thought.
Something was wrong with her.
And the time had come to find out what.
But just when he wanted to go upstairs, Pux stopped him by grabbing his hoodie as she shot him a guilt-ridden look.
"I uhm… I'm sorry about your nose… I'm not sure what happened. I just panicked, I guess."
Vinnie snorted but flashed her one of his most charming smiles nevertheless.
"It's okay. I know my breathtaking presence can be quite overwhelming sometimes. Most girls just faint, though."
And after giving the baffled young girl a playful wink, he walked up the stairs.

…

In the meantime, Charley wasn't really rebuilding but merely searching for something, something she knew had to be here somewhere.
While she was turning the bathroom upside down, she kept muttering to herself in some feeble attempt to stop the panic that was gnawing on her insides from entirely taking over, which turned out to be quite the challenge.
Eventually, she found what she was looking for stashed away in the medicine cabinet above the sink, but instead of feeling relief, her heartbeat only increased as she looked at the object she was holding with her hands shaking almost uncontrollably.
Was she really going to do this?
I mean, what would happen if her hunch was right?
Her entire world would collapse.
Life as she knew it would be over.
Was she really ready for that?
Well, the answer to that was actually rather simple - she wasn't.
Not even close.

But she couldn't just ignore this, now could she?
That would be stupid, immature even.
It was common knowledge that no good things came to those who used the so-called ostrich policy to deal with complicated things, no matter how tempting it was just to pretend all this didn't exist.
Still…
Gnashing her teeth, Charley shook her head, severely annoyed by herself for being such a wuss.
"Ugh, come on, Charlene, grab yourself together. It's just a simple test, that's all. You can do this", she grunted to herself, and in one firm movement, she ripped the package open, trying very hard to ignore her cramped stomach.
"Just a simple test…"

A few minutes later, Charley found herself on the bathroom floor, staring at the test in her hand with her heart pounding in her head in the most painful way.
No way.
No fucking way.
How was this even possible?
They were two entirely different species, for fuck sake.
They weren't supposed to be able to… mix.
Clenching her teeth, she snatched the package out of the small garbage bin to check the manual again, even though she knew perfectly well that there was no mistake.
Her green eyes scanned the paper as her breathing became heavier and heavier, panic now squeezing her throat quite mercilessly.
Two stripes equals positive.
Shit…
Shit, shit, shit…
…shit.

Just when she was about to freak out in the worst way possible, her gaze landed on the expiration date and suddenly, she could breathe again.
Two years was a long time.
Next to that, the sentence 'Do not use after the expiry date stated on the pack' was the most beautiful thing she had ever read.
That must be it, right?
It had to be a false positive…
A sudden knock on the door made her almost hit the ceiling, and she quickly covered her mouth to stop the shriek from leaving her mouth.
Holy shit, she was on edge.

"Charley, you in there?"

Vinnie's voice.
Fuck.
"Yeah, I'm here", she called back, trying to sound as calm as possible as she quickly gathered everything from the floor and dumped it in the trash bin.
For a moment there, she actually considered setting the whole damn thing on fire to destroy the evidence, but that would be a bit too much, maybe.
Above all, her becoming an arsonist would most definitely alarm her beloved knight in shining fur, and she wasn't ready to tell him this.
No, not ready, at all.

"Charley…"

His voice became more compelling, and she quickly grabbed a towel to cover the little bin, knowing time was about to be in a real short supply.
"I'm coming, just give me a minute!", she yelled at the closed door, or more like shrieked, and she closed her eyes for a moment when she heard the panicked tone in her voice.
So much for sounding calm, Jesus.
After splashing some water on her heated face, Charley leaned on the sink and looked at herself in the mirror while giving herself a firm mental shake.

Okay, there's no need to panic, Charlene.
The test is expired, so it's not reliable anymore.
All you have to do is get a new one, and then you'll see that this, all this, isn't real.
It can't be real.
You're just tired because you work hard, and when you're tired, you feel nauseous and a little emotionally unstable, that's all.

Such a memorable speech.
There was only one problem - she didn't buy it.
Not even the slightest.
Shit, what had she gotten herself into this time?
With her heart still fluttering in her chest, she glanced at her watch.
The store was still open.
If she would leave now, she would be able to make it…

"Charley, open this door or I will."

He had never been patient, and after taking a deep breath, Charley quickly unlocked the door before he would demolish it because she knew he would.
Next to impatient, he was a mouse of his word, after all.
The moment she turned the handle, Vinnie laid a hand on the door to push it further open, his red eyes burning with concern.
"Tell me what's going on", he demanded as he took a step toward her, thereby forcing her back inside the bathroom.
Charley watched him take a quick look around, and her green eyes flashed toward the bin before she rested a hand on his chest to stop him.
She didn't want him to come in.
God only knew what would happen if he found what was in that trash bin.
"Nothing, I just…"
His eyes darkened, and he grabbed her chin with a firm grip, thereby forcing her to look at him.
"Stop lying, Charley. I know something is up and I wanna know what it is."

And just like that, that dark and menacing part of him was back, taking over control, which wasn't really strange considering she was, indeed, lying to him, something he didn't deserve.
But shit, she didn't want to tell him this.
Not until she was a hundred percent sure, although that felt like an excuse to keep him in the dark because even though she had no idea how he was going to take this, she had this nagging feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.
However, it was now painfully clear that he wasn't going to let her get off the hook that easily.
She had to come up with something, something better than 'I'm fine' because she clearly wasn't and he knew it.
Of course he did.
He knew her through and through as the open book she was, unlike him.
"I ah… I don't know how to tell you this", she stuttered, almost crumpling under his intense gaze as her brain worked overtime to come up with an excuse that would actually make sense, but it was hard due to his overwhelming presence.

His scarlet eyes almost burned a hole in her skull, and the grip around her chin tightened, which in turn made her abs contract in both desire and panic.
"Just spit it out", he said quietly with slightly trembling lips, his voice so low it sounded more like a growl, and Charley felt she was getting closer to losing control.
This had to stop, right now.
"I'm on my period", she blurted out with burning cheeks.
"But I'm out of tampons. I need to go to the store."
Vinnie's eyes slightly widened before he let her go as if she just caught fire, all so he could use his hands to cover his big ears as a blush colored the skin under his snow-white fur deep red.
"Okay, gosh, stop talking, I so don't wanna hear this!", he squeaked, clearly highly uncomfortable now and his earlier bravado nowhere to be found.
Charley rolled her eyes and folded her arms while shaking her head.
Men.
They were the same everywhere.
Lucky her.
This would definitely buy her some time, although she did feel guilty for lying to him, but what choice did she have?
She had to know for sure before she would tell him.
She just had to.

"Well, hey, you asked for it, mister", she muttered, slightly shrugging her shoulders.
"Lalala, I can't hear you", Vinnie chanted with his fingers now plugged into his ears, and Charley punched him on the arm, though with a faint smile on her face.
"Very mature. Anyhoo, I really have to go. The store closes in thirty minutes."
That he did seem to hear, and he lowered his hands while flashing her that infuriatingly charming smile of his, the very one that had made her fall in love with him.
"Lemme give you a ride, sweetheart."
Charley's heartbeat already skyrocketed again, and she quickly shook her head.
"No, I'm…"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I give you the impression that this is negotiable?", Vinnie interrupted her sweetly with fluttering lashes, but despite his playful attitude, there was a slightly warning glance visible in his red eyes.
"Well, it's not. I don't want you to go out on your own at this time. It's too dangerous, especially now you uh… now you're not feeling well."
Knowing she wasn't going to win this, Charley raised her hands in defeat.
"Ugh, fine. But you wait outside, okay? This whole thing is already embarrassing enough as it is."
The young Martian snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, no shit."
Then, the left corner of his mouth curled up and he gracefully offered her his hand with his eyes twinkling like the celestial sky.
"You've got yourself a deal, pretty lady. Let's go."

...

With her head as red as a tomato, Charley dumped about all the pregnancy tests she had managed to find on the conveyor belt, keeping her eyes down to avoid the burning gaze of the cashier sitting behind the checkout counter.
Holy shit, she felt like a teenager all over again.
Kind of like buying condoms when you're sixteen.
Next to her embarrassment, Charley couldn't help herself from feeling guilty for leaving Pux behind in the rather impressive presence of two big Martians.
Not that Modo and Throttle would do anything to hurt her, but she knew like no other how overwhelming this all could be, you know, finding out the whole 'we're not alone in this universe' thingy.
She should be there for her, to help her deal with it, but instead here she was, wishing she could vanish into thin air when she caught the gaze of the cashier, who gave her an investigating look while scanning the tests one by one.
Jesus.
And they say that God acts in mysterious ways.
Try to live a life with aliens in it, goddammit.
Never a dull moment.

With every beep coming from the scanner, Charley's unease grew and she shifted her weight as she ran a trembling hand through her hair, fighting the urge to take a quick look around her.
It felt as if the whole store was watching her every move, judging her while they were at it and she so didn't want to know if it was all just in her head or real.
Even before the guy behind the checkout could tell her what she owed him, she already threw a fifty-dollar bill on the counter.
"Keep the change", she mumbled, her cheeks burning as she quickly stuffed all the tests in a non-transparent bag, and without giving him the chance to say something, she rushed towards the exit, hiding her flushed face behind a curtain of her auburn-colored hair.
However, in her rush to get outside, she didn't see the man coming inside just when she was about to walk out, and she practically crashed into him.
A soft gasp escaped her lips as she stumbled backward, and the bag slipped out of her hand.
With a dull thud, it fell on the floor, and a few packages flew out and slid over the tiles.
Great.
As if this day wasn't bad enough already.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry", she breathed while giving the man a quick glance before she went down on her knees to put the tests back where they belonged.
The last thing she needed right now was Vinnie looking for her and finding these babies lying scattered all over the floor instead.
It wasn't until she was done that she realized the man was still standing there.
Even more so, he hadn't said a word.
For some reason, she suddenly got highly aware of her surroundings and after wiping her hair out of her heated face, she glanced up.
Cold blue eyes looked back, and the air around her seemed to get sluggish, making it hard for her to breathe.
She wasn't entirely sure why, but there was something about this man that gave her the creeps, which was strange, because she wasn't easily fazed, nor did this man look like the sort of guy that went out in the night to hurt someone.
If anything, he looked wealthy and prosperous, with his long woolen coat, his flawless three-piece suit, his perfectly styled black hair with a few grey strands at the side, and then there was the expensive-looking suitcase in his hand.
But his eyes…
There was something off about them.
In fact, there was something off about this entire man.

"I ah… Again, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention", Charley muttered, if only to break the silence as she lowered her gaze, not able to look into those eerie eyes for a second longer.
When the man still didn't say a word, she decided to just cut her losses and get the hell out of here.
But just when she was about to walk away, a cold hand took her arm in an iron grip, and she gasped when a dreadful pang of sheer terror made her insides twist and turn.
"What…"
"You forgot one."
His voice sounded a bit drawling, which matched his appearance, but there was also this slightly threatening undertone audible, and a shiver ran down Charley's spine as she peered at the man again with bated breath.
He pointed at something close to her feet, and she followed his finger, only to see one of the tests lying at her feet.
"Uh… Thanks", she mumbled, but when she wanted to bend over to pick it up, she noticed the man was still holding her.
Her breathing accelerated, and she slowly got back upright as her eyes darted back to the man, who was looking back with a blank face.
But again, his eyes…
She couldn't explain what it was, but his burning gaze terrified her, and she tried to pull back her arm.
"You can let me go now…"

He, however, didn't.
It was then that she was starting to feel slightly panicked, and she took a step away from him in the hope that was enough for him to let her go, which it wasn't.
"Who's the father?", he asked instead while he tightened his grip, and Charley was so baffled by this rude question that she stopped her attempts to free herself.
"That's none of your business", she snapped at him, highly impressed by this sudden spark of courage, but the moment her eyes locked with his, the fear was back in full force.
She didn't back down, though.
"Let me go, or I swear to God, I will scream."
It wasn't even an empty threat.
His whole appearance gave her the urge to scream her head off, after all.

Suddenly, the sliding door of the store opened, and a black and white blur flew inside.
Before Charley could even blink, the hand holding her arm was gone, and she stared at Vinnie, who had the guy by the throat as he forced him to step away from Charley.
"You've got a problem, pal?", he asked with a dangerously low voice, one that Charley recognized effortlessly.
Shit was about to get real, and although him protecting her like a fearless lion protected her cub warmed up her heart, the last thing they needed right now was him beating a random stranger into pulp in the middle of a store.
They couldn't afford that kind of attention, and she quickly laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling his tensed muscles vibrate under her fingers.
"Vinnie, it's okay. He didn't hurt me. Even more so, he's not worth the trouble."
In other words - please don't kill him like you killed the last guy who had his hands on me.
The white-furred Martian glanced over his shoulder at Charley, the bluish visor of his helmet making his eyes look purple instead of red.
But despite that, the glance of pure rage wasn't really that hard to miss, and Charley's hand now slid from his shoulder to his muscular upper arm.
"Come on, let's just go home, okay?", she smiled soothingly, and she took his hoodie between her fingers before giving it a gentle thug.

Vinnie's gaze landed back on the man, who looked back at him with a face devoid of any form of expression.
Clearly, he wasn't even the slightest impressed by this textbook machismo.
But something was burning in his cold eyes, something that looked a lot like hatred, and Charley wondered why that was.
Of course, she understood why the man wasn't really amused since Vinnie was practically squeezing the life out of him, but still…
Who was this man?
Suddenly, she couldn't wait for a second longer to get out of here, and she squeezed Vinnie's arm.
"Please, Vin… I really wanna go home."
Her pleading tone of voice didn't elude Vinnie, and after one last warning glare, he let go of the man, who only adjusted his jacket before turning around and walking away with his back as straight as an arrow.
Vinnie bit his lower lip as he followed the man with his eyes, his instincts almost screaming 'code red', although he wasn't sure why.

Shrugging one shoulder, he turned around and looked at his beloved Charley-girl.
"You okay?"
Charley nodded, tightening her grip around the plastic bag to make sure he couldn't see what was inside.
"Yeah, he just scared me, that's all."
"I get that. There was something really strange about him", Vinnie mused out loud, looking over his shoulder with his eyes narrowed, only to find out that the man was gone.
So it wasn't just her.
Even her dearest macho mouse had caught the peculiar vibe that surrounded this man.
After one last glance behind him, the white-furred youngster swung an arm around her shoulders.
"Come on, let's get you home."
"Yes, please", Charley smiled and when he didn't look, she quickly used her foot to push the wandering test under one of the shelves.
Nailed it.

…

Later that night, Charley was back in the bathroom again.
Pux had gone back home after doing some overdue administration -which happened to be the reason why she had come to the garage in the first place-, and the mice were on a patrol before they would go back to the scoreboard.
The moment she was alone again, she had rushed to the bathroom, peed in a cup, and now here she was, sitting on the cold floor while being surrounded by pregnancy tests.
Surrounded by positive pregnancy tests, to be exact.
With a slightly trembling hand, she took one of them between her fingers and stared at the two pink stripes.
It was strange, how something as simple as two stripes on a piece of plastic had such a difficult and deeper meaning…
But instead of feeling something by looking at it, all she heard was Vinnie's voice echoing through her head, speaking the comforting words he said to her that night at the treehouse.

"You'll never be alone again. I will make sure of that."

Charley highly doubted that this was what he had in mind.

So, that happened, hehe.
Poor Charley.
No rest for the wicked, 'ey? ;)
Well, not in my stories, that is.

So, how will things go from here?
I think we're all dying to find out how Vinnie is going to respond to this, or how about Throttle?
I mean, this complicates things to the greatest extent possible, for this isn't just a baby.
And who was that man?

Anyhoo, I already started writing the next chapter.
Let's hope I'm able to update a bit quicker this time, but no promises.
My flow comes and goes as it pleases, so...

Thank you so much for reading my story!
Feel free to leave a review, always makes my day.
Stay safe out there and till next time, my dearest readers!

Later!