Hey there!

Yay, quick update! :D
And FYI, I think it's one of the longest chapters I've ever written, hehe.

So, as always, thank you so much for the reviews!
I'm beyond grateful for your support, and it really warms my heart to hear that you enjoy reading this story.
I hope you guys are okay out there!

And now, without further ado, the next chapter!
Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 18

The next few days passed in a blur.
Having no clue how to handle the fact that something was growing inside of her, Charley just buried herself in work, thereby giving herself no time to think.
No time to feel.
It wasn't healthy, she knew it wasn't, but it was all she could do.
As it turned out, that whole ostrich policy wasn't so bad, after all.
It at least helped her to get through the days without having a serious mental breakdown, and since she exhausted herself during the day, it also helped her through the nights.
Of course, she was highly aware of the fact that she couldn't go on like this forever.
There would come a time that she had to face reality, it was merely inevitable.
But now wasn't that time.
Oh no.
It sure as hell wasn't.

What she also knew was that the guys, but mostly Vinnie, were worried about her.
They seemed to realize something was up with her, something that went beyond a simple period, but they had no idea how to get through to her.
Not even Vinnie with that mouthwatering sexy and overwhelming presence of his was able to break through her walls.
A typical case of 'the lights are on but nobody's home', and it severely annoyed him.
What he didn't know was that she didn't shut him out on purpose.
She just didn't have a choice, in fact, sometimes she hardly noticed that she did.
All she was focused on was her work.
On fixing things, because that was what she was good at.
And so, the days went by without her really noticing.
It wasn't until a week after her shocking discovery that she fell off her not-so-pink cloud.
And oh boy, the landing was anything but soft.

…

"Please, Mister M., trust me when I say that I fixed everything that was there to fix. Your bike is in perfect shape…"

"But it's making this strange noise when I start the engine, and I'm telling you, there's something wrong with the sparkplugs…"

"We replaced the spark plugs weeks ago, so…"

"Then do it again."

"Like I've already explained earlier, the plugs are out of stock due to some serious supply problems at the moment. I won't have them until next week, besides, the plugs are fine. In fact, the entire bike is fi…"

"Let me explain to you how this works, Miss Davidson. You are what society calls a service provider, and I am a customer. You have only one job and that is providing service to the customer. So if I want those spark plugs replaced, you replace them without getting all smart. It really is that simple."

Charley gritted her teeth as she tightened her grip around the phone.
It was almost a gift how this man always managed to get under her skin, and with everything that was going on right now, only listening to the derogatory tone of his voice made her almost ignite on the spot.
She couldn't deal with this right now, not even the slightest, but she had to stay calm.
Deep down she knew that in a way, the guy was right, at least about how things worked with providing service to customers since they were the ones willing to pay for it.
But the thing was, she wasn't just a 'service provider'.
She was way more than that.
People didn't pay for her service, they paid for her expertise.
After all, she was one of the best mechanics in Chi-Town, having tons of experience and so if she said that the bike was fine, it was.
In her humble opinion, that was as simple as that.
Him treating her like she was just a rookie, as if she had no idea what she was talking about infuriated her beyond words.
Like it always did when people didn't take her seriously.
She really hated that feeling.

But, as the man so kindly pointed out to her, thought maybe in other words, the bills had to be paid.
Next to that, she had a reputation to maintain, and thus, she swallowed away her pride, although it cost her greatly.
"Okay, if that's what you want. I'll call you as soon as the spark plugs are back in stock so we can make an appointment", she said as politely as she could muster right now, but her voice was slightly trembling, giving away her annoyance.
And of course, Mister M. picked it up effortlessly, and he scoffed in the most patronizing way possible, which was actually quite impressive.
You know, to make air leaving his mouth sound so nasty, giving her goosebumps all over her body, and no, not in a good way.
It felt more as though her blood just turned into boiling lava, and she clenched her teeth to stop herself from saying something stupid.

"I want those plugs replaced TODAY, Miss Davidson. If you can't deliver, I'm afraid I'll have to look for another garage that can."

Charley blinked a few times because there was this sudden red haze coloring the edges of her vision, which was about the only warning right before she almost exploded out of her skin.
"FINE! GOOD RIDDANCE!", she roared into the phone that she was now holding in front of her face before she slammed it down with a loud bang.
Pux looked up from the Harley she was working on, her blue eyes wide open in shock.
Of course, she was familiar with Charley's little temper, but this was actually the first time that she took it out on one of the customers.
And, apparently, almost wrecking the phone wasn't enough because her lady boss now slammed a fist on the desk to vent her frustration.
"GOD, can you believe this guy?! JESUS, is he DEAF or something?! I DON'T HAVE THE FUCKING SPARK PLUGS IN STOCK! So how am I able to DELIVER if I don't have what he NEEDS!?"
Her shrieking voice made Pux's eardrums vibrate in the most unpleasant way, and she slightly flinched as her gaze wandered over Charley's flushed face, all the way up to the throbbing vein on her forehead.
And then there was her twitching left eye…
If anything, it looked like her friend was about to go boom, literally, and the blonde girl slowly rose to her feet.
"Er, Charley, are you uh… Are you okay?"
This was without a doubt a stupid question, but what else could she say?
'Your face is about to explode' just didn't have the same ring to it, after all.

Charley now pointed her blazing eyes at Pux, and the young girl felt the sudden urge to just hide in the bathroom and stay there until the auburn-headed mechanic had calmed down.
She managed to stay put, though, but it was kind of hard with the way Charley was glaring at her now.
Holy shit, this woman is scary when she's mad.
But then, her friend let out her breath, and her shoulders slumped as her green eyes darted back to the phone.
"Well, it's like I said: good riddance. The guy was a pain in the ass anyway", she mumbled, and Pux relaxed a little, for it looked like her boss was finally cooling down again.
However, just when she was about to tell Charley that she was probably right, the latter let out a raw scream and in one smooth movement, she wiped the desk empty.
Papers flew through the air like rudderless birds while pencils clattered on the greasy floor, but the very upset Charley hardly seemed to notice as she now grabbed the vase with flowers standing behind her and threw it against the wall with all her strength.
Shards of broken glass and a few of the unfortunate petunias flew around Pux's ears, and she quickly stepped back to create some safe distance between herself and the outraged woman in front of her.
"Whoa, Charley, settle down, girl", she breathed, severely shocked by this second outburst, but Charley either ignored her or didn't hear her as she snatched a wrench off the counter, only to use it to smash the small mirror on the wall to smithereens.
Pux quickly ducked, thereby avoiding another shard before it could pierce her eye.
"Jesus, Charley, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

The only response was a soft growl, and after taking a deep breath, the blonde girl straightened her back, rolled up her sleeves, and marched over to her boss with her mouth in a tight line.
When she reached her, she grabbed her arm right before the wrench made contact with one of the cabinets filled with tools.
"Charley, calm down! The man ain't worth it!", she grunted as she had to use all the strength she owned in her fragile body to stop Charley from demolishing the rest of the garage, but it was all in vain.
It was like she was possessed or something, giving her super strength at the same time, and with a face like thunder, Charley merely pushed Pux away as though she was nothing but an annoying child bugging her, causing the young girl to stumble back.
"Charley, you really need to settle down!", Pux yelled once she had found her balance back, but the complete opposite happened because Charley went absolutely ballistic.
The blonde-headed girl pressed herself against one of the walls as she watched in horror how her usual calm boss now went through the garage like a goddamn hurricane, destroying everything she encountered.
Luckily, despite that she was practically foaming at the mouth, she did seem to have the presence of mind to at least skip the motorcycles of the customers, something Pux was grateful for.
But holy shit, what the hell was going on here?
Even more to the point - what could she do to stop this madness?
She had no idea.
Charley wasn't exactly reasonable right now, and that was an understatement.

It seemed like doing nothing was the best course of action right now.
And who knew, maybe it would help Charley to just let her get whatever was bugging her out of her system.
Maybe it would release some of the tension that had been brewing inside of her all week.
On the other hand, there was some seriously expensive equipment in the garage, and Pux just knew Charley would hate herself later on if she would break it because of Mister M.
Then again, was this really about Mister M.?
That was kind of hard to believe.
Sure, the guy was annoying, but not 'going completely loco' annoying.
Add that to the fact that Charley had been off her game the whole week already…
Something was eating her.
Something big.
Something she carried all by herself, a tactic that was now taking its toll, obviously.
Knowing no one should have to deal with their problems all by themselves, Pux took a deep breath to brace herself for whatever was going to happen before she bravely pushed herself away from the wall and approached Charley again, although a bit more careful now.
"Charley, I'm not sure what is going on, but maybe we should talk about it instead of wrecking the entire garage…"
She spoke slowly, almost cautiously as she held her hands in front of her body to show her friend that she wasn't a threat but merely concerned.
But as it seemed to become a habit today, Charley either didn't hear her or ignored her, and Pux now threw her hands in the air in frustration,
Okay.
Time for plan B.
"I'm gonna call the guys. Maybe Vinnie can talk some sense into you."

The moment Pux mentioned Vinnie's name, Charley froze while holding the bucket they used for oil changes above her head, and she slowly turned around with her green eyes wide open.
"No! Don't call him! Please, just don't!"
It was the sheer panic in her voice that stopped Pux, and she folded her arms as she gave the auburn-headed mechanic a confused look.
Perhaps she didn't live in 'alien world' that long, but she did know that Charley never let go of any opportunity to spend some time with her beloved white-furred lover, so this response was highly usual, to say the least.
Not to mention unexpected.
"Why not?"
Tears filled Charley's eyes, and the mask of pure rage got replaced with one made of despair and hopelessness.
"Because he can't know."
Her voice faltered dangerously, and a very ominous feeling washed over Pux before it nestled itself in her stomach.
So not even Vinnie knew anything about what was going on.
That was… unpleasantly disturbing, actually.
At the same time, seeing the way Charley stood there, still holding the bucket above her head with that awful expression on her usual so friendly and calm face made Pux's heart cry.
All things considered, whatever was going on here, it was bad.
Really bad.

After staring at each other for a little while, Pux eventually broke the almost suffocating silence.
"Know what?"
A short breath escaped Charley's mouth, and her stomach turned when she realized she was about to say it out loud for the first time.
She didn't want to, and yet, the words just came over her lips before she could stop them.
"That I'm pregnant."
The moment she spoke the most feared word of all times, all energy seemed to leave her body, taking this peculiarly blinding rage with it.
The bucket fell on the floor with a dull thump, and Charley dropped to her knees and burst into tears.
"Oh my God, Pux, what am I going to do?", she sobbed while holding herself tightly, completely overwhelmed by despair now.
Again, Pux was standing nailed to the ground, staring at Charley as if she just fell out of the sky, but in some strange way, it made sense.
It all made sense now.
Or it at least explained a lot, like her strange behavior, for instance.
But holy shit.
Pregnant?
This was… a lot to take in.
Well, hey there, understatement of the year.

There was, however, no time to process it all.
Not when her friend was sitting on the floor, crying her eyes out and Pux quickly rushed over to her and took Charley in her arms.
"Oh, Charley… What have you gotten yourself into this time?", she mumbled as she rested her chin on Charley's head, holding the quivering mechanic tightly while stroking her back in a comforting way.
"I didn't even know this was possible… Oh God, I just don't know what to do", Charley panted, her entire body shaking from crying.
Too shocked to say anything, Pux just held her as she stared at the ground.
Her hunch had been right.
This was bad.
As in - catastrophically bad.
But there had to be something she could do to help, right?
Because right now, all she wanted was to help her friend.
But how?
This was entirely new territory for her.
She had no knowledge about pregnancy whatsoever, and then there was the whole alien part, which complicated matters to the greatest extent possible.

But then, it suddenly hit her like a meteor, and her face lit up as a small smile curled her lips.
Perhaps she didn't know shit about pregnant women, there was someone close to her who did.
"I have an idea."
Charley slowly untangled herself before she looked at Pux with swollen eyes and a red nose.
"You do?"
Her voice sounded so small, childish even, and Pux flashed her a reassuring smile as she brushed some wandering auburn-colored strands of hair out of Charley's heated face.
"Remember that I told you my mom is a gynecologist?"
There was a spark of hope visible in Charley's eyes, brightening up the green flames, but it soon got obscured by despair again, and she shook her head.
"No. No one can know about them."
Pux let out a laugh, though it was a humorless one.
"Okay, so then what? This isn't just a baby, Charley. You can't just walk into a hospital to get an ultrasound. So I guess we're kind of low on options here."

A tear trickled down Charley's cheek, and she angrily wiped it away with the sleeve of her blouse.
"I know, okay? But I also know Throttle. He will kill me if someone finds out about them."
Pux shrugged.
"Then talk some sense into him."
Charley's gaze wandered down, and she fiddled with her fingers.
"But that means I'll have to tell him. Which, in turn, means that I'll have to tell…"
"Vinnie", Pux filled in for her when Charley fell silent again.
As if she was afraid to say his name out loud.
"Yes. Of course you will have to tell him. He has every right to know."
Charley's breathing accelerated again, and she looked up at Pux with her face twisted in fear and sheer hopelessness.
"Don't you think I don't know that? Shit, of course he has every right to know, but I just don't know how to tell him this! He's gonna freak out, I just know he will…"
Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands as she burst into tears once again.

Although she obviously sympathized, Pux realized that if she wanted to help Charley, a little more stern approach was in order here.
Of course, she could just cry with her, begging whoever ran destiny to fix this mess, but that wouldn't bring them anywhere.
And thus, she pushed Charley's hands away before taking her chin in a firm grip.
"Then freak out together, for you both have a very good reason to. This is bad, Charley. We have no idea if your body is capable of carrying this child, let alone give birth to it. This ain't something you can do by yourself, not this time. You need a doctor."
As she let out a muffled sob, Charley rested a hand on Pux's while her green eyes locked with blue ones.
"Have you ever thought about the fact that your mother has no clue either in this case? It's like you said, Pux - this ain't just a baby. How the hell will she be able to help me?"
One corner of Pux's mouth twitched.
"Because she's my mother. If there's someone out there who is capable of helping with an alien baby, it's her. I just know it."

Knowing she had said what she wanted to say, the blonde girl let go of Charley, and the latter slumped back against the wall, resting her head against the cold stones as she let out a heavy sigh.
"Maybe I should tell Throttle first. To ask him what to do. Maybe they have good doctors on Mars, who knows?", she mumbled, staring ahead at nothing in particular.
Pux's head jerked up.
"What? No way. You can't go to Mars, jesus, Charley, are you even listening to yourself?"
When her auburn-headed friend said nothing, the young girl heaved a sigh and took place next to her before resting a hand on Charley's knee.
"Besides… You can't tell Throttle before Vinnie. He's the father of the baby growing inside of you. He's fully entitled to know first."
"I know", Charley merely said, her voice toneless and her entire appearance literally breathing exhaustion and defeat.

Pursing her lips, Pux eyed her for a brief moment before she softly jabbed her elbow in Charley's ribs.
"You know what you need? Chocolate."
Charley's lips twitched, as if she was trying not to take the bait, but eventually, she gave in and a little smile appeared on her face.
"Sounds like music to my ears."
"I figured as much", Pux snickered, patting her on the leg before standing up.
"Let me go get some for you."
But Charley grabbed her hand to stop her.
"No, I'll go. I can really use a ride to clear my head."
Pux hesitated, for it felt somehow wrong to let Charley go to the store all by herself in this state, but before she could say anything, Charley already shook her head.
"Oh no, I don't wanna hear it. I'm pregnant, not sick. I can ride."
Raising her hands, Pux turned around.
"Okay, okay. Whatever you want, lady. But at least bring me some M&M's, 'kay? The ones with peanut butter."
"Sure thing."

They both knew that the matter was far from solved, even more so, this was something that not even magical chocolate could fix.
But Pux figured Charley had enough for one day.
And let's face it - there's always time for chocolate, especially in times of crisis.

…

With the engine of her beloved bike purring softly under her, Charley halted in front of a red light and after placing her feet on the asphalt, she opened her visor.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to filter the fresh air out of the exhaust fumes of the vehicles around her in the hope that would calm down her nerves.
Which it didn't, of course.
This ride was meant to clear her head, but the only thing becoming painfully clear here was that not even riding her precious motorcycle could make her feel better.
Not this time.
She supposed nothing could.
It was strange, though.
How her pink cloud wasn't pink but blacker than the night.

Aside from the fact that she hadn't decided for herself if she even wanted to have kids in the first place, she always thought that being pregnant was a wonderful moment in one's life, or at least, that's what people always used to tell her.
That from the moment they knew, they felt unconditional love for that little chunk of cells growing inside of them.
Well, not Charley.
All she felt now she had pulled her head out of the sand was this almost uncontrollable rage.
Hatred, even.
This little chunk of cells wasn't going to brighten up her life, no…
It was going to destroy it.
And she hated it for it with every cell in her living body, including the ones growing in her womb.

A honk behind her broke her out of her not-so-pleasant thoughts, and she glanced over her shoulder a bit annoyed before her eyes darted over to the stoplight, which was now the beautiful color green.
Opening the throttle, she drove away, but the car behind her wasn't going to let her get off the hook that easily and honking loudly, he passed her before he almost cut her off.
"Asshole!", Charley yelled as she waved her fist at the car instead of doing what she actually wanted to do right now, and that was 'parking' her beloved bike in the trunk with preferably as much force as possible.
God, she was on edge, alright.
It just wasn't healthy.
She supposed no one could blame her.
After all, who wouldn't be on edge if they were about to lose the love of their life?

Despite that she didn't know Vinnie that long, she knew enough to be sure that he wasn't going to take this news any better than she did.
Although he was obviously maturing, he still hadn't lost that deliciously wild and somewhat boyish side of his.
He wasn't ready for this, she just knew he wasn't.
And that's where the whole hatred part came in.
Because this little chunk of cells was going to chase him away.
It would break down everything they had built, and she was going to end up alone again.
Or well, not physically alone, really.
There would be a little shrimp to take care of, someone that depended on her.
But she knew from experience that being in the company of someone you didn't want to have around could make one feel even lonelier than being actually alone, if that made sense.
She couldn't do this without him.
She needed him in her life, it was as simple as that.
She didn't want him to go where she couldn't follow.

Tears blurred her vision, and she quickly blinked to get rid of them before she closed her visor again.

Come on, Charlene.
Focus, before you drive yourself to death.

And so she tried.
Sure, death suddenly sounded very peaceful and it would solve her problems all at once, but she also knew it wasn't an option.
Because Vinnie wouldn't be there.
He would be here, in this world while she was stuck in heaven or hell or whatever.
No.
Perhaps he would leave her, perhaps he would even go back to Mars, but at least they would live in the same world.
In the same universe.
And if that was the closest to him she could be, then so be it.

…

After gathering enough chocolate to feed an entire pregnant army, Charley quickly paid and walked back to her bike, which was parked in an adjacent alley to make sure no cars would crash into it.
But when she was stashing the bag with food into her backpack, she suddenly felt a soft gust of wind pulling her clothes.
One that alerted her immediately, even more so, it made her neck hair stand on end.
She wasn't sure why that was, after all, it was only a gust of wind.
Entirely meaningless, especially considering she was standing outside in the Windy City of all places.
Then why did she feel so scared all of a sudden?
She was about to turn around when an arm wrapped around her upper body, and she gasped in both surprise and fright.
However, before she could let out the scream that bubbled up, something soft covered her nose and mouth, soon followed by the most horrific scent she had ever smelled.
Which was odd, actually, because it was sweet, almost as if she was smelling a fresh rose, but it was the effect it had on her along with the fact that someone was holding her that made the scent scare her to death.
She tried to fight back, but her arms and legs suddenly felt so heavy.
Not just that, she also noticed her vision became blurry, and soon thereafter, darkness fell over her.

No… Vinnie, please...
Help me.

And with that pleading thought echoing through her head, the entire world became black.

…

When Charley wasn't back after an hour, Pux was starting to feel slightly worried.
Even with Chicago's traffic, it shouldn't take her longer than an hour to go to the store and come back with that much-needed chocolate.
It made her feel peculiarly uneasy, next to that, there was this nagging feeling of guilt.
She shouldn't have let her go by herself, and no, not because she was pregnant.
But she hadn't been exactly mentally stable when she left.
What if something had happened because of it?
More to the point - what if she decided that this, all this, was just too much to handle and went out of town…
…or worse…?
"Stop it, Puxie Pux. You're seeing ghosts here. Charley ain't no runner. She's a fighter", she mumbled to herself as she crouched to pick up the rest of the papers off the ground, one of the last pieces of evidence that Charley's tremendous outburst ever existed.
All there was left to do after that was sweeping up the glass and voila, nothing to see here.
But instead of doing that, she just sat there with the papers in her hand, staring at the floor while her brain kept nagging about Charley.
It really shouldn't take her this long.
No.
It really shouldn't.

Perhaps she should call the mice.
Then again, she didn't want to worry them.
Above all - she didn't want to give them the reason why she was so worried.
After all, it wasn't her story to tell.
Still…
What if her hunch was right?
What if something did happen?
Time would be of the essence if that was the case, and her lingering could waste that precious time, which in turn could decrease Charley's chances.
"Goddammit", she murmured as she got back upright and made her way over to the CB.
Charley had explained to her how the thing worked so she would be able to alert the mice in case something happened in her absence.
This seemed to be one of those moments, and thus, Pux took the transmitter and pushed the red button.

"Guys? Pux here… Are you there?"

Should she say 'over'?
They always did in the movies.
Hm.

"...over."

Her cheeks flushed while she listened to the sound of static, feeling utterly stupid for not knowing how all of this worked.
Then again, this was all entirely new for her, and with every second that ticked by, her unease grew.
How long was she supposed to wait for a response?
Did they even hear her?
Should she repeat herself or would that hinder them from talking back?
She vaguely remembered Charley telling her that pushing the button to speak would overrule the signal coming from the person on the other end.
But what if they hadn't heard her?
Luckily, right before she went into full panic mode, there was a soft click, and soon after that, Throttle's deliciously husky voice came over the speakers.

"We're here. Something wrong?"

He didn't say 'over', making Pux feel even more stupid than before, but she ignored it as well as she could, for there were more pressing matters at hand here.

"I uhm… I'm not sure, actually…"

"So this is a social call then?"

There was a slightly sarcastic undertone audible in the tan-furred leader's voice, and Pux softly gnashed her teeth in annoyance.
Aside from the tremendous respect she had for him, the guy always spoke to her as though she was ten years old or so, and she just couldn't stand it.
She never could, really.
She was so much more than just her age.
If only her aggravation didn't make her so impulsive.
But it did.
It always did.

"No, it's not. Charley's missing."

Okay, that came out wrong.
So much for not worrying them.
But before she could take it back, or at least say something to soften the blow, the speaker came back to life.

"Stay where you are. We're on our way."

…

Load-roaring engines announced the arrival of the mighty mice, and Pux quickly stepped aside when three equally-mighty motorcycles drove inside the garage.
Even before his bike skidded to a complete halt, Vinnie already leaped off with the grace of a tiger while removing his helmet, and he looked at Pux with his red eyes burning with concern and, strangely enough, a hint of panic.
"Tell me everything", he demanded, his tail lashing through the air as he took a few steps in her direction.
His voice was low, devoid of its usual high notes, and the sound of it gave Pux goosebumps all over her body.
Despite that she knew they were the good guys, they still scared the shit out of her every now and then, and this was definitely one of those moments.
Slowly, she took a few steps backward while clearing her throat, and her blue eyes flashed from Throttle and Modo back to Vinnie.
"There's not much to tell. She went to the store about an hour ago. I figured she would be back by now…"
Her voice slightly trembled, and she hated herself for it.
Well, in her defense, it took a little longer than a week to get used to being in the presence of three very bad-ass aliens.
The fact that they were armed to the teeth didn't exactly help the matter.
"Maybe it's nothing. I just… Well, it just doesn't feel right", she added a bit hesitant, mostly because the pressing silence, along with their burning gazes, was getting the best of her already.

However, instead of easing her nerves, or telling her that she was overreacting, Vinnie tensed with every word she spoke, and the moment the last word left her mouth, he turned around and marched to his bike.
With her body on high alert now as well, Pux followed him every move.
How he slightly pulled up his baggy pants before swinging his right leg over his bike.
How he sat down on the seat.
How he pressed a mildly shaking finger on a small button on the dashboard of his bike.
How he took his bottom lip between his sharp-looking teeth as he gazed at the small built-in screen.
How his fur bristled, kind of like them pufferfishes, when the bike let out a soft beep.
How he let his piercing gaze land on Throttle, who was still sitting on his bike, watching his young bro as well.

"Her bike is still at the store", Vinnie said with a voice thick of suppressed emotions, and his left ear twitched.
Pux, almost entirely overwhelmed by his incredibly eerie aura, swallowed with difficulty as she rested a hand on her chest in some feeble attempt to control her racing heart.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I put a tracker on it", the white-furred mouse answered without taking his gaze away from Throttle.
"It's gotta be Limburger, right?"
The way Vinnie spoke, along with his slightly trembling lips and his entire body on edge, told Throttle it was of great importance to stay calm, for even the slightest hint of concern on his part would tick his young bro off, and if that happened, things would spin out of control faster than a speeding bullet.
"Could be. Or maybe she's just waiting in line for checkout. It's Friday afternoon, after all."
Truth be told, despite his laid-back response, he wasn't so sure about all this either.
Something didn't feel right, although he wasn't sure what, and when Vinnie opened his mouth, Throttle merely held up his hand to stop him before he pointed his bionic eyes at Pux.
"When did you say she left?"

The young girl shifted her weight as she ran a hand through her blonde curls, not able to look the tan-furred mouse straight in the eye.
It was almost as if he knew that there was more to the story, and it made her feel highly uncomfortable, for this wasn't her story to tell.
Oh no, it most definitely wasn't.
"Uhm, about an hour ago, I guess…"
"And she only went to the store to get… what exactly?"
Shit, this was starting to feel a lot like a third degree, and as she almost shriveled under his intense gaze, Pux shrugged in an attempt to look nonchalant.
"Chocolate."
"Chocolate", Throttle repeated tonelessly, and although she couldn't see his eyes, she could still feel them almost burn a hole through her skull.
Sweat started to form on her forehead while she fought the urge to just run away to never look back, for she had to stay strong
For Charley.
"Yeah, chocolate. She's uhm… She's on her period."
She could only hope this would be enough for them to back off.
Perhaps she didn't know much about aliens, but she did know that they were very typical male, and males usually didn't want anything to do with feminine stuff like periods and all.
However, instead of backing down, Vinnie narrowed his eyes as genuine confusion was simmering in his quite beautiful eyes.
"She's still on her period? How long does that even take?"

It was as though he punched Pux in the stomach, and she had to do everything within her power not to flinch.
So, as it turned out, Charley had already used this excuse, and Pux silently cursed her for it.
She also cursed herself for not getting their stories straight before she let Charley leave.
Dammit.
Vinnie seemed to sense her growing unease, and it alarmed him, she could tell.
It wasn't really that hard to guess, with the way he was now sliding off his bike with his red eyes fixed on her, his movements small and in control, something that didn't fit him.
No, instead of looking like the out-of-control bouncing ball he usually was, he now more resembled a predator approaching its prey, and it literally took Pux's breath away.
Oh shit.
She really had to come up with something before…

"What happened to the vase?"

Everyone present slowly turned around to look at Modo, who now pointed at the empty shelf behind Charley's desk with a blank face.
"There was a vase with flowers here. What happened to it?"
Vinnie gawked at him for a brief moment, but then, he almost exploded out of his fur.
"Who the fuck cares about the vase?! Charley is missing!", he spat angrily, his eyes practically shooting lightning bolts at his older grey-furred friend, who didn't even bat an eye.
Pux glanced at Modo from the corner of her eye with bated breath, and the quick wink he gave her didn't go unnoticed by her.
It was as though she got struck with one of the lightning bolts coming from Vinnie's eyes when she suddenly realized that he knew.
Or well, maybe he didn't really know, but he at least seemed to know that something was up.
Something that wasn't hers to tell, and thus, as the gentlemouse he was, he provided a way out.
A distraction, so to say.
If only he knew that the vase was part of the story, but he didn't.
Perhaps it didn't matter either.
All she had to do was use this moment to get the attention away from her and back to what mattered, and that was Charley.
And so she did.
"Why don't we call O'Neill? I'm sure he…"

"Fuck O'Neill, we don't need him", Vinnie cut her off, luckily for her not even the slightest interested in the vase, and his burning gaze now landed on his beloved tan-furred brother.
"This has Limburger's stench all over it, so you better say that we're paying him a visit right now, Throttle, or I swear to anything unholy, I'm going alone."
Throttle eyed his young bro for a brief moment as he ran a hand through the sand-colored quiff between his big ears with a thoughtful frown upon his face.
Then, he heaved a sigh and put his helmet back on.
"Okay then. Let's pay him a visit… after we check the store."
"Fine by me", Vinnie mumbled as he mounted his precious ride again, and so did Modo.
Pux, however, wasn't really liking this sudden turn, as it all went way too fast all of a sudden.
"Now just wait a damn minute, we don't even know for sure if Limburger…"
But again, Vinnie didn't let her speak.
"Of course it's Limburger. It always is."
Knowing he was just worried about Charley, Pux decided to forgive his rudeness as she looked at Throttle almost pleadingly.
"Throttle, please, what if you're wrong? You'll be wasting precious time and…"

"I hate to say it, Pux, but Vinnie here is right. We have only one enemy in this city and that's Limburger. And he knows she's our weakness. This happened before, after all", Throttle calmly explained to her, or maybe he wasn't sounding calm but slightly patronizing, and shit, she couldn't even blame him for that.
After all, she was new to the game, so what did she know, huh?
Not much.
All she knew was that this, all this, felt so wrong.
And she needed them here, with her, to make a plan that would help Charley, wherever she might be, instead of going on some wild goose chase based on something as cliche as the whole mortal enemies concept.
What if they're wrong?
But instead of telling him all that, Pux just stood there, feeling utterly helpless and somewhat slightly annoyed by their typical masochism.
Throttle seemed to sense her unease, and he flashed her a somewhat reassuring smile before he closed his visor.
"You stay here in case she comes back, okay?"
"In case you're wrong, you mean", Pux grumbled before she could stop herself, but the mice were already gone, Modo giving her a somewhat apologetic look while he drove out.
The blonde girl kicked against one of the toolboxes to vent some of her frustration.
"Men. They're the same everywhere."

Well, since it seemed she was stuck here for now, she might as well do some overdue cleaning while she was waiting.
Perhaps that would help against this annoying feeling of helplessness, or maybe even better said - uselessness.
But just when she made her way over to the sink to fill a bucket with warm water, her eye landed on the newspaper on the ground.
For some reason, the screaming headline took her attention, which wasn't really strange, for it was anything but comforting.

'Chicago's very own Angel of Death holds the city in its grasp.'

It was at this moment that it felt as if she got struck by lightning for the umpteenth time today, and Pux snatched the newspaper off the floor while her heart made this strange dance, thereby tickling the inside of her ribcage.
As her eyes scanned the article, her breathing accelerated with every word she read and by the time she was done, she was almost hyperventilating.
It wasn't so much about the rather disturbing content of the article that she was about to freak out, no…
It was merely putting one and one together that frightened her so badly, and while softly cursing under her breath, she ran to the phone.

…

"She ain't here, Throttle. So can we please just go?!", Vinnie groaned impatiently as he watched his tan-furred brother, who was currently sitting on his knees next to Charley's very lonely bike, his bionic eyes gazing at the dirty asphalt as if he expected to find a sign there that would tell them where Charley was.
But Vinnie knew there wasn't.
He would've noticed it if there was.
Most of all - the person who grabbed her wouldn't just leave a written message on the floor, and yes, Vinnie was very sure that someone took her.
Someone very ugly and slimy…
When Throttle didn't respond, as he was deep in thought, Vinnie threw his hands in the air before he turned around, not able to just do nothing.
He never really was, but with Charley missing, every second ticking away felt like losing a piece of his soul.
"Fuck this. I'm outta here."
But just when he was about to turn his words into deeds, Throttle finally opened his mouth again.
"Do you smell that?"
Vinnie stopped dead in his tracks, but only because of the urgency that was audible in Throttle's voice, which told him that he might be onto something, and he slowly turned back around with his eyes narrowed.
"Smell what?"
Throttle merely gestured him to come closer, which Vinnie did, even though every cell in his body screamed to get his bike, go to Limburger Tower, and beat the fish until he would release Charley.
Oh, if that scumbag only thought so much of hurting his girl…
He was going to rip his head off and feed it to the sharks in his aquarium.

However, instead of doing all that, he crouched next to Throttle to sniff the air, but the only thing that became painfully clear to him was that her scent was nowhere to be found.
What if he would never smell that maddening scent of hers, ever again?
He didn't like the dark turn his thoughts took, even more so, he suddenly got hit by the realization of how ridiculous this was, not to mention a massive waste of time.
Time they didn't have, and even before his brain had the chance to process the signals his nose was currently sending up, Vinnie was already back on his feet.
"This is bullshit. We…"
But then he froze, for his nostrils caught the hint of one of the last scents he wanted to smell right now, especially in the situation they were currently finding themselves in.
He didn't even need to take another breath to know what the scent meant, and his eyes flashed back to Throttle.
"Chloroform."
"Chloroform", Throttle nodded in confirmation, and he pressed his hands on his upper legs before he rose back to his feet.
"So that pretty much rules Limburger out. This ain't his MO. Next to that, there's no trace of oil, which excludes Greasepit as well."

To say that this news hit Vinnie like a goddamn sledgehammer was an understatement, to say the least.
After all, if Limburger didn't have her, then who did?
Chicago was a big city, and they didn't have a single clue that could tell them where to start.
Which left only one question: How on Mars was he going to be able to save her if he didn't even know her whereabouts?
Well, the answer to that pressing question was actually quite simple.
He wasn't.
He merely couldn't, with the inevitable result that he was going to fail her.
Just like he had failed Harley…
Blood drained from his face as the world started to spin, and a muffled breath escaped his lips when panic, sheer and ugly panic in its full splendor nestled itself in his stomach, turning it into a cramped ball and therefore making it hard to breathe as the ball pressed itself against his diaphragm, leaving no room left for his lungs to fill themselves.
However, right before his legs gave out, two hands landed on his shoulders and took the fabric of his hoodie in a tight grip.
"Stay with me, Vin. You can't check out, not now. Charley needs you."

While listening to Throttle's husky and quite calming voice, Vinnie looked at his tan-furred bro with his red eyes wide open as his breathing became heavier and heavier.
He was way closer to a panic attack than he wanted to admit, even to himself, for it wasn't exactly manly and macho and all.
But shit, this was exactly what he had been so afraid of ever since Charley told them she wanted to join the team.
Heck, maybe even since he laid his eyes on her, that night in the alley.
He couldn't lose her.
He couldn't go through all that again.
He just couldn't.
"This is all my fault. I should've put the tracker on her instead of her bike, but my conscience kept bugging me, telling me I couldn't violate her privacy like that and now she's gone and I have no idea where she is… I can't save her… Fuck, Throttle, I can't save her…", he babbled, like he always did when he was upset.

Knowing this like no other, Throttle gently squeezed his shoulders to silence him, and he gave his baby bro the most reassuring smile he owned.
"We will find her, Vinnie. You're not alone in this one. We will find her, and we will make the person who took her pay. He will bleed for this. You have my word."
With every word he spoke, Throttle's voice became more ominous, and so was the expression on his face.
Strangely enough, this reassured Vinnie to a certain extent, for he knew his older brother was serious.
Deadly serious, even.
And when Throttle was serious about something, well…
Things always seemed to work out when that happened.

Although he was still highly on edge, the worst panic slowly faded to the background, where it remained slumbering in the shadows of his soul.
Waiting for the right moment to take back control, but that moment wasn't now, and Vinnie took a few deep breaths in an attempt to stop his body from quivering.
Throttle was right.
Panicking wasn't going to help him, or Charley for that matter.
He needed to stay focused, and it was common knowledge that one couldn't focus while being blinded by panic.
"Okay. Stay calm. Duly noted", he mumbled to himself, and he rubbed his face to get the blood circulation back on track, all to clear his head.
He needed to clear his head.
Charley needed him.

Throttle patted him on the shoulder before he let him go, and it was at this moment that Modo came back from the store after checking it one last time.
"There's no sign of her, but I asked one of the cashiers and she told me that a woman matching Charley's description came to buy chocolate about half an hour ago", he told his bros when he halted next to them, his face decorated with a concerned frown.
When his gaze landed on Vinnie's very pale face, his one eye slightly widened.
"You okay, bro?"
Of course, that was a stupid question, not to mention unnecessary, for it was obvious that his little brother was anything but okay, something Modo didn't blame him for.
He wouldn't be okay either if someone he deeply loved went missing.
But his white-furred friend looked even worse than before he went inside the store, which was actually quite impressive considering how on edge he already had been.
Something happened.
Something bad.
When Vinnie merely shrugged, Modo's eye darted over to Throttle with a questionable look on his face, and the tan-furred mouse quickly brought him up to speed about the chloroform and missing oil stains.

While he was doing that, Vinnie stared at the ground, his brain making overtime.
He kept having this nagging feeling that he was missing something, something important.
Something obvious.
And it had something to do with a certain blonde-headed girl with bright blue eyes…
"I think Pux knows something", he said, straight through Modo's and Throttle's conversation, and they both fell silent while they shot him a puzzled look.
After staring at the ground for a little while longer, Vinnie raised his eyes.
"Something we don't know but should know nevertheless. I mean, she was acting strange when we asked her about the chocolate…"
He trailed off, for his brain suddenly connected another few dots and holy shit, he didn't like the picture that was now forming in his head.
No, he didn't like it, at all.
As his nose slightly wrinkled, a pang of anger made his heart skip a few beats and he pointed his now blazing eyes at Modo.
"And then you started about that vase to… lemme guess - distract me?"

At least he didn't deny it.
Vinnie wasn't sure what he would've done if he did.
"You were pushing her too hard. Both of you were, actually", Modo added while glancing at Throttle before he looked back at his upset white-furred friend.
"She's Charley's best friend. It felt wrong to force her to betray Charley's trust like that."
Vinnie couldn't believe his oversized ears, and he gawked at Modo with his lips slightly parted.
"So what, now you're suddenly Dr. Phil or something?", he eventually managed to bring out, and his tail lashed through the air as his shock got replaced with indignation.
"What if whatever she knows can lead us to Charley? Have you even thought about that before you decided to play the knight in shining armor?"
Modo's face darkened, and both corners of his mouth went down, not liking what Vinnie implied just now.
"Of course I thought about that. But I figured they were two separate issues. I mean, Charley's been off her game all week. She must have talked about it to Pux. But that doesn't explain why someone would take her, right? If it did, Pux would've told us, I'm sure of it."

The white-furred youngster let out a laugh, though it was a humorless one.
More like one in disbelief.
"You're sure of it. Right. Man, I can't believe this. Why would you even do that? You're in love with her or something?"
As always, the words already left his mouth before he could think them through, and by the time he realized what he was insinuating here, Modo already grabbed him by his hoodie and pushed him up against the wall.
"The girl is eighteen years old. What do you think the answer to that question is?", he growled with his eye glowing redder than red, and he tightened his grip while leaning closer.
"A little word of advice: think long and hard before you open that big mouth of yours again."

Vinnie's nose twitched as he gazed into Modo's fuming eye, knowing like no other that the time had come to not open his mouth at all.
He wasn't easily fazed, but taunting an angry Modo was next-level stupid.
If only he wasn't so upset about Charley.
But he was, and when he was upset, his already vague boundaries completely faded.
And when his boundaries faded, he said things that went even beyond plain stupidity.
Lucky for him, right before he could say the words he really shouldn't say, Throttle pulled the grey-furred giant away from Vinnie and lined himself up between his quarreling bros with a face like thunder.
"Enough. You are both right, okay? Pux was definitely holding something back, but I don't think it'll help us find Charley. And neither is getting at each other's throats. We need to stay focused."

A deadly silence dawned upon them as the two brothers in arms glared at each other, both knowing their leader was right - this wasn't the time to get divided.
Still, emotions were running high due to Charley's disappearance, and although Modo didn't love her in the way Vinnie did, he was still deeply concerned about all this.
In the short time that he knew her, that loving yet slightly crazy little human had managed to conquer a place in his heart, mostly because she was just always there for them, determined to help them with a war that wasn't even hers, which made her more than just special.
She was like a sister to him, and now she was missing and they had no idea where she was.
It was troubling, to say the least.
And as he gazed into Vinnie's eyes, eyes filled with about a thousand emotions plus one, he suddenly realized that he couldn't even imagine how this must be for his baby bro.
His dear hot-headed baby bro, who loved this girl with auburn hair and green eyes like he had loved no one else before in his short yet turbulent life.
And though Vinnie had been way out of line with suggesting him being in love with Pux, Modo figured he could at least cut the guy some slack, for he was obviously struggling with the whole situation but mostly himself.
He really was his own worst enemy, something Modo knew all too well.
With that realization, Modo's rage vanished like smoke in the wind, and the glow that was coloring his vision reddish slowly faded as his eye returned back to its normal color.

Vinnie, on the other hand, was having some serious trouble calming down.
It wasn't so much about Modo, it was this whole situation that was already getting the best of him again.
He really had no idea how to handle this.
You know, to feel so utterly helpless.
Useless, even.
He was supposed to be her hero.
"Fuck", he panted as he pressed the palms of his hands against his forehead, knowing himself well enough to know that he was about to explode out of his fur, even despite Throttle's promise that everything was going to be okay.
But the promise suddenly felt like an empty one, simply because they weren't any closer to her than an hour ago, not even so much as an inch.
And he suddenly couldn't take it anymore.

A growl escaped through his gritted teeth as he clenched his fist and punched the wall with all the strength he owned.
Which was a lot, but strangely enough, he didn't feel the pain.
He didn't hear his knuckles cracking in protest.
There was only this all-consuming anxiety that literally drove him crazy, a feeling he wasn't familiar with.
It was almost as if his body could feel Charley's fear, for he instinctively knew that she was.
You know.
Scared.
Even though he had no idea where she was, he somehow just knew that she was scared to death.
Completely and utterly terrified.
As if her entire being was instilled in every cell of his body, making him feel her emotions as if they were his own.
As if they were fused together…
…as one.

Right before his fist hit the brick wall again, he froze.
Shit, could it be?
Could they be connected?
He had no idea.
He had never loved someone deeply enough to connect, next to that, it was a Martian thing and Charley was very much human.
So how the hell was he supposed to know?
And did it even matter right now?
No, he supposed it didn't, and he pushed himself away from the wall before looking at Throttle with a twitching eye.
"We need to find her. As in - now. So you better have a plan."

Throttle bit his lower lip, not sure how to tell his upset bro that he didn't.
You know, have a plan.
They had hit a dead end here, and right now, Charley could be anywhere.
He wasn't even sure if she was still in the city.
Heck, she could even be in a different state by now, who knew?
He sure as hell didn't, and it infuriated him beyond words.
To be so… powerless.
Next to that, Vinnie was about to crack, and when that happened, well…
Things would get majorly ugly.
So yeah, it was kind of needless to say that a good plan was in order here.
If only he had one…

As if on cue, the speakers of his bike suddenly came to life, and the characteristic sound of the violin belonging to the theme song of Sherlock Holmes filled the alley.
Vinnie wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"What the hell is that?", he breathed as he quickly covered his ears to protect them from the horrific sound.
"That will be O'Neill calling", Throttle smiled sheepishly, somewhat grateful for the distraction as it gave him more time to come up with that much-needed plan, and he quickly took the call before Vinnie would smash his beloved motorcycle to make it stop.

"Howdy, Detective."

"Where are you?"

Throttle frowned at this actually quite rude greeting, although he wasn't sure why it still affected him after working with O'Neill for several weeks now.
However, instead of teaching him the basics of communication, he decided to just answer the question.

"Downtown, why?"

"Forget Limburger. I need you back at the garage ASAP."

Throttle's frown got deeper, and he shared a quick look with his bros.

"How do you even…"

"I think I know who took Charley."

…

"They're on their way", O'Neill said shortly like only he could, and he put his phone back in his pocket before he glanced over his shoulder at the young girl with bouncy blonde curls who was practically pacing a trail in the floor.
"Will you stop that? You're making me nervous."
Pux stopped dead in her tracks, but not because Mister 'my daddy hit me when I was young and now I have the same emphatic skills as a fish stick' told her so but simply because she couldn't believe her ears.
"I am making you nervous?", she asked with a hand resting on her chest, and her blue eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"Me? Hellooo! What about Herr Angel Of Death out there? He's the one who should make you nervous, not me! 'You're making me nervous'", she imitated O'Neill's voice flawlessly with that same frown on her face that defined him before she scoffed in disbelief.
"Jesus Christ, you should be nervous! This is bad! Really, really bad. Charley is in real danger if we're right about this, and then there's the fact that there are three aliens on their way over here, who, by the way, are armed to the teeth and have battle skills American soldiers can only dream of and I have to tell them… what exactly? Shit, this ain't my story to tell, man! I shouldn't even have told you! Fuck, Charley's gonna kill me, or Vinnie, when he finds out that I kept this from him. He'll rip my goddamn head off, and you're telling me that I am making YOU nervous?!"

O'Neill merely rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, not in the mood to deal with this overly dramatic teenager right now, mostly because her shrieking voice made his eardrums chatter in a very painful way.
"You really need to calm down, Pux. Panic never really helped anyone", he sighed somewhat tiredly as he rubbed his ears, but much to his utter annoyance, the beep that was there ever since she started screaming at him didn't go away.
Pux snorted as loud as an outraged horse, and she rested her hands on her hips while giving him the most deadly glare she owned.
"Telling someone to calm down when they obviously have every reason to freak out never really helped anyone either and yet here you are, telling me that exact same thing."
"Teenage drama 101, huh?", the detective huffed while squeezing the bridge of his nose, feeling very sorry for himself right now.
This really wasn't his cup of tea.
You know, being social.
It never had been.
Sure, the girl had a point.
The situation was rather pressing, but he wasn't planning on showing that to her.
She was panicked enough as it is, and he wasn't sure if his eardrums would survive another rant with that infuriatingly squeaky little voice of hers.

A gust of wind and a shadow falling over him made him look up, straight into Pux's blazing eyes as she leaned on the armrests of the chair he was sitting in.
"Stop treating me like a goddamn kid! I know you're just as worried as I am, you just don't show it because you feel the need to protect me, but guess what? I don't need your protection! What I need is for you to take me seriously and explain to me how we're going to handle this!"
Despite that this girl was starting to get under his skin, O'Neill couldn't help himself but feel slightly impressed by seeing her fire.
Since he only knew her for a week, he didn't realize that she wasn't just on fire but that he had hurt her feelings by painting her as a small-minded teenager with a flair for the dramatic, but he did, however, realize that this must be difficult for her.
For him, as a cop, he had to deal with situations like these all the time, and in some strange and perhaps fucked-up way it had become almost normal to him.
But it wasn't for Pux, and he let out his breath.
"Look, I understand how conflicted you must feel right now, and that you're worried about Charley. But you did the right thing by calling me. Above all - you did your part. Just let me take it from here, okay?"

After a short hesitation, he patted her on the shoulder a little unhandily in some feeble attempt to comfort her, but it only had the opposite effect as Pux now sensed his growing unease, and she slapped his hand away before getting back upright.
"Save me the whole 'the adults will handle this' speech. You just said it yourself, you wouldn't even be here without me, so don't you dare to put me on the sideline now."
The sulling detective gnashed his teeth as he tried very hard to stay calm, but it was hard.
This girl was annoying as much as she was smart.
A dangerous combination, especially combined with teenage hormones.
"I'm not sidelining you, I'm merely telling you that you should let me do the talking once the mice are here. Telling people bad news is what I do for a living, after all. It requires a certain… subtlety."
Pux let out a humorless laugh.
"Yeah, 'cause you're the posterboy of subtlety."
Despite that it might have been a bad choice of words on his part, O'Neill had now reached that thing they called a limit, and he jumped up before grabbing the young girl by the arm.
"That's far enough, Pux. You will let me do the talking, or I swear to God, I'll chain you to the heating pipes in Charley's bedroom with a piece of duct tape on your mouth", he warned her with a low voice, meaning every word he said, although it might be said it was a bridge too far.

But right now, he didn't care.
All he cared about was keeping control over the situation, and with that he actually meant Vinnie.
He knew that the guy had his heart in the right place, but he was also very aware that when it came to Charley, all bets were off.
He had killed for her once, and O'Neill knew that he would do it again without blinking.
And the last thing he, or his boss for that matter, needed right now was that white-furred daredevil going on a rampage.
So yeah, this situation needed subtlety.
And despite what people might say about him, he did know how to be subtle when it came to protecting the city and its citizens.
That was his job, after all.

Gazing into his blazing eyes, Pux realized that this wasn't an idle threat, and it made her even more on edge than she already was, a thing she never thought possible.
Then again, she supposed no one would feel very comforted when someone threatened to chain them to a goddamn radiator.
However, despite that she felt cornered, a thing she hated, she knew that O'Neill was probably right.
Crude as he might be, he was still a cop, and she…
Well, she was just a teenager who just found out about extraterrestrial life.
She knew nothing about handling life-threatening situations or all the other dangers that, apparently, came with that same extraterrestrial life.
O'Neill did.
Clearly, he was a fast learner.
She thought she was, too, but this…
This was way above her pay grade.
And thus, although with reluctance, she gave in.
"Fine", and she yanked herself free to show him that despite her agreeing, she still didn't like this a bit.
"Fine", O'Neill repeated as he sat down again whilst Pux continued her pacing, not able to stand or sit still.
Not with this maddening anxiety twisting and turning her insides.

As time ticked by, the tension rose and rose, filling the garage with this eerie and gloomy atmosphere, one that made Pux almost burst out of her skin.
Shit, this was crazy.
She had never felt this riled up in her life, and that was saying something, considering the always-present restlessness inside of her.
The images, one even more gruesome than the other, that kept flashing in front of her eyes didn't really help either, but she somehow couldn't stop her brain from coming up with the thousand possible scenarios about what might be happening to Charley at this very moment.
No, not really helpful, indeed, but it wasn't like she was in control or something.

Charley, please…
Just be okay, wherever you are...

She had to be okay.
Pux had no idea what she would do if she wasn't.

Just when the tension seemed to reach the highest of highest level possible, the sound of motorcycles was heard and soon thereafter, the three Martian males drove inside.
But, unfortunately for Pux, their presence didn't diffuse this suffocating tension.
No, it only made it even worse, and a soft squeaking sound slipped passed Pux's lips when she felt their menacing aura mix with the already pressing atmosphere.
Sometimes, it was just really annoying to be as sensitive as she was.
There was just no way that she was able to block it all out.
O'Neill seemed to feel her distress, and whilst the mice dismounted their respective rides, he gave Pux one last warning glare to remind her of their deal.
To remind her that he would handle this.
If only she wasn't so uptight.
But she was, and seeing Vinnie in his fully intimidating glory along with his red eyes burning with anxiety turned out to be the final straw.
And so, even before anyone could say something, she cracked.
Fiercely and totally against her will.
"Charley is pregnant and now that crazy-ass serial killer has her", she blurted out with a shrieking voice which matched her current state perfectly.

O'Neill closed his eyes for a brief moment as he let out his breath.
So much for subtlety…

My oh my, whatta cliffhanger…
Hehe.
Poor Puxie.
It's all just too much for her to handle, and I think we can't blame her for that.
Sure, she's very wise for her age, but the things that are happening now are quite intense, to say the least.

Sooo…
What will happen next?
More to the point, how is Vinnie going to take this news?
And what about his bros?

And then there's Charley… wherever she is.
Will she be okay?
Will the baby be okay?

So many questions, so few answers, hehe.
Guess you just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, don't hesitate to share your thoughts.
It's the biggest motivation you can give me.

In any case, I think the next update won't be as quick as this one, since I haven't started yet.
But rest assured, I'm doing the best I can.
Feel free to leave a review and stay safe out there.
It's a mad world.

Later guys!