They there!

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Not much to tell, so without further ado, the next chapter.
I hope you like it :)

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Stay safe out there and till next time, my dear readers!

Later!

As all color drained from her face, Pux slapped a hand across her mouth, though it might be said it was a little too late for that.
The damage had already been done, and the already very loaded tension now peaked to an astonishing level, sucking all the oxygen out of the room.
Whilst O'Neill buried his face in his hands, softly muttering something about teenagers and their non-existent ability to restrain themselves, Throttle and Modo stared at the blonde girl with their lower jaws practically resting on the greasy floor.
But they weren't the ones Pux was looking at with her blue eyes wide open and her hand still covering her mouth.
No, she had only eyes for Vinnie.
The white-furred Martian was standing with his back toward her, as he had been planning on putting his helmet on the seat of his bike after removing it from his head, but then there was Pux all of a sudden, dropping this news on him like a goddamn missile and thereby rocking his foundation with devastating power.

The shock that went through his imposing body was big enough to see with the naked eye, and his tail flicked with such speed that it became nothing but a white blur as his helmet slipped through his furry fingers.
The red and silver object fell on the floor with a dull thud, although it sounded more like a gunshot, and Pux flinched while her breathing accelerated almost to the point of hyperventilation due to this peculiar mix of regret and sheer dread that was suddenly squeezing her throat quite ruthlessly.
Fuck, how could she have been so stupid?
So goddamn foolish.
If only she could take it back, preferably before Vinnie would turn around.
She didn't want him to turn around.
She didn't want to look him in the eye and see what her words did to him, simply because it wasn't her place to witness that moment, just like it hadn't been her place to tell him Charley's secret.
At least, not like this.
Sure, her so-called rational inner voice kept telling her that the whole kidnap situation didn't leave her much of a choice, and maybe that stupid voice was right, but still.
A little subtlety never hurt anyone.

For a brief moment, there was just silence.
Just plain silence, and yet it was so significant.
Eerie, too.
Never had she known that silence could be so goddamn scary, but she knew now.
What she didn't know was how to deal with this smothering tension, and before she even knew it, her blue eyes flashed toward Throttle, if only for a few seconds.
She wasn't sure why, maybe she was searching for some backup, or maybe she just wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be okay.
That this, all this, wasn't her fault, although she had no idea why she was seeking refuge in the tan-furred Martian all of a sudden, for he had been anything but kind to her.
But she had seen the way he was with Charley, and she knew that under that cold and authoritative mask of his, there was a whole other side of him.
Kind, reassuring, comforting… lovingly, even.
In all fairness, all she needed right now was that smile he always gave Charley.
The one that literally screamed 'it's okay and if it's not, it will be'.

But, much to her disappointment, that particular smile wasn't there.
Not even so much as a curled-up corner of his mouth.
No, there was only shock along with something that seemed to be a hint of anger written upon the tan-furred mouse' face while he softly gnashed his teeth, as though he was trying very hard to keep himself under control.
The silver lining was that his eyes were no longer focused on her but on Vinnie, making breathing a little less difficult now she knew that his inner turmoil wasn't directed at her.
As her eyes darted back to Vinnie, Pux caught a glimpse of Modo's face, only to see him looking at his young bro as well, but unlike Throttle, he didn't look angry.
Shocked, yes, though to a lesser extent and then there was a certain… sympathy?
Or maybe even concern, as if he wasn't entirely sure how Vinnie was going to take this.
Yeah, well, welcome to the club.
By the looks of things, everyone was dying to find out what his response was going to be, though the signs he gave away were anything but promising.
As he kept clenching and unclenching his fists, Vinnie slowly turned around with his back as straight as an arrow, and the moment the blonde girl caught sight of his face, a soft squeak tried to make it out of her mouth but got stuck in her throat instead as she fought the rather convincing urge to just run away and never look back.
In response, Vinnie's left ear twitched, and so did a teeny-tiny muscle close to his nose as his flaming eyes locked with blue ones.

"What did you just say?"

His voice was low and clipped, vibrating with suppressed emotions, and Pux's already racing heart now almost popped out of her chest by hearing the menace that covered his voice like a smoky layer.
But it wasn't just that.
It was his entire appearance that made it feel like the earth just split open under her feet, all ready to swallow her.
If anything, the young Martian looked like he had seen a ghost, or more like an entire army of them.
The skin under his beautifully snow-white fur was paler than pale, perhaps even greyish, and his jaws were clenched with so much strength, Pux supposed it was quite the miracle that his teeth didn't crumble into dust.
And then there were his eyes…
Jesus, his eyes.
They were scorching with something that could only be described as sheer terror, and not even the glassy layer of shock could make the way he looked at her less intense.
Holy shit on a stick.
She had never seen someone this scared, this… appalled.

"He's gonna freak out, I just know he will."

Charley was right.
Judging by the way he was standing there, with his breathing shallow and his fur bristled like a pufferfish, Vinnie was about to lose his shit.
Big time.
Haunted by guilt and therefore not realizing that it probably wasn't safe to approach him, Pux took a step in his direction, determined to make things right.
To soften the blow.
"Vinnie, I…"
"No", he breathed, shaking his head, and before Pux could even comprehend what was happening, he was already standing right in front of her.
His scent practically hit her in the face, and despite that the situation was getting rather pressing, she couldn't stop herself from noticing how good he actually smelled.
You know, for an alien.

Biting his lower lip, Vinnie reached out a shaking hand and after resting it on the base of her throat, he forced her to step back until her lower back made contact with one of the counters.
"You need to tell me what you just said…", he said quietly yet compellingly, or maybe even slightly panicked as his red eyes roamed over her face, his right eyebrow slightly twitching.
Her rapid breathing, racing heart, and eyes as big as those of a deer caught in the headlights of a car staring back at him seemed to make him realize that he was scaring her, and as a result, he pulled back his hand.
His fingertips mildly grazed the sensitive skin on her throat before he clenched his hand into a fist again, and Pux quietly watched him with bated breath as he blinked almost in slow motion before he raised his eyes to catch her gaze.
"…please."

The last word was nothing but an imploring whisper, one that shouldn't be coming out of his mouth as it was just so out of character.
Truth be told, it broke Pux's heart, or maybe it was just the way he was looking at her right now.
He just seemed so… lost.
Like a child in the dark.
It made her fear melt away like snow under the sun.
It also stopped Modo from pulling Vinnie away from Pux, protective of her as he was, or maybe it was Throttle who stopped him, Pux had no idea.
She didn't really care, either.
All she cared for right now was Vinnie, who was still looking at her with both anticipation and apprehension, as if he was dying to hear her say it again yet at the same time, he really wished she wouldn't.
In all fairness, she didn't feel particularly overjoyed to repeat herself either, but she also knew there wasn't a choice.
Not anymore.
And thus, she took a deep breath as she mustered all the courage she could find in her tiny yet powerful body to eventually open that blasted mouth of hers again.

"Charley is pregnant and I…"
She fell silent for a brief moment, and her eyes darted to O'Neill, who gave her an encouraging nod, which was both unusually friendly of him and all she needed right now to go on.
"I think that serial killer took her. You know, the one who… well, you know…", she stuttered a little helplessly after catching Vinnie's gaze again.
It was strange, though.
Strange that even though she looked away for maybe three seconds, his eyes seemed so different all of sudden.
More like they were staring right through her than at her, and she shifted her weight a little uncomfortable, not sure if this sudden change was a good sign or not.
If only she knew, but she didn't, mainly because she didn't know Vinnie that well and then there was the complicated fact that he wasn't even human, which made it merely impossible for her to read his body language.

The white Martian swallowed with difficulty, and his nose twitched again, something that seemed to happen whenever he was upset and Pux would have called it cute if the situation wasn't what it was.
"She's… she's pregnant?", he eventually managed to squeeze out with a stifled voice, and his lower lip started to shake the moment he said the most loaded word of all times.
Feeling this sudden need to comfort him, Pux raised her hand and after a short hesitation, she rested it on his strong shoulder, making her able to feel how tense he actually was.
As if his muscles had turned into stone-hard steel, and it almost made her lose her courage.
Almost.
"Yes. She wanted to tell you, but she just didn't know how and now… God, I'm sorry, Vinnie. I'm so sorry. This is not how it's supposed to go…"
Much to her utter annoyance, her voice broke, and tears rose to her eyes at seeing how small the usual very self-assured Martian looked right now.
With his bravado vanished into thin air, with his walls broken down by this shocking news, all he constantly reminded her of was a child.
A very lost and frightened child.

She wasn't entirely sure what news hit him harder, the one about the pregnancy or the one about the serial killer, but there was no doubt about one thing - he was completely thrown off his game.
Which was bad, actually.
Completely understandable, but bad nevertheless.
She needed him, no, Charley needed him, and as a tear trickled down her cheek, Pux softly squeezed the strained muscles in his shoulder.
"She's in danger, Vinnie, I just know she is. You… You have to save her", she breathed, trying very hard not to let the fear in.
Fear for her dearest friend.
God, she had no idea what she was going to do if Charley wouldn't come back.
She had to come back.
She just had to.

A short breath came over Vinnie's lips, and Pux braced herself, instinctively knowing that this was it.
This was the moment she had feared with everything she had in her, but it was then that he, once again, surprised her.
Because instead of losing his shit as they all expected him to do, he just stopped moving.
As in - literally.
Even his tail, which had been swaying back and forth only seconds ago, now dropped to the floor as he stood there, solid like a statue and with such a shallow respiration, it was hardly audible.
Gradually, his eyes became empty, all the previous emotions fading away until there was nothing left.
Nothing but big red eyes staring at her without really seeing her and a quiet sigh left Pux's mouth at seeing him shutting down right in front of her because that's what he did.
He just checked out, and she shook her head.

"No. You can't shut down now, Vinnie, Charley needs you", she told him with a shaky voice, and while she fought to keep her breathing under control, she rested her hands on Vinnie's cheeks in the hope that would help her to get through to him.
To get him back.
He had to come back.
Truth be told, if she wasn't so upset, she would have been pleasantly surprised by how delicately soft the fur on his cheek was, or how smooth his mask felt under her fingers.
But she was.
You know.
Upset, and thus she hardly noticed the strange sensations.
"Please, Vinnie. You have to save her. You have to come back… You're her only chance…"
He didn't respond to her plea, though.
Not even so much as a quivering muscle.
Just when Pux contemplated if perhaps she should slap him in the face to help him snap out of it, a tan-furred hand grabbed Vinnie by the arm.

"Okay, I think it's time for a little time-out."

As her arms fell limp next to her body, Pux watched Throttle guiding the deeply-shocked white-furred youngster to the desk.
His movements were relaxed and in control, however, Pux could tell that the tan-furred leader wasn't as calm as it might seem at first glance.
If anything, he again gave her the impression that he was angry, his twitching tail and slightly wrinkled nose being the biggest clues this time.
That didn't stop him from taking care of his beloved baby bro, though, which was both heartwarming and admirable as it wasn't really hard to guess that his anger was directed at that very same mouse.
After putting Vinnie in the chair next to Charley's desk, Throttle positioned himself behind him and while he rested his hands on Vinnie's shoulders, he let out his breath and focussed his rather intense gaze on Pux.
"Tell us everything you know."

Pux opened her mouth, but for some reason, she couldn't stop looking at Throttle's hands gently massaging Vinnie's shoulders, as though he was hoping that a little TLC would help bring his friend back to the world of the living.
It was such a simple gesture, yet at the same time, it represented the close bond the three mice shared, and it gave Pux goosebumps all over her body in an oddly longing kind of way.
All she ever wanted was to belong.
She never really did, you know.
She was one of those people who were different, and it was common knowledge that when one was different, one didn't really belong anywhere.
Seeing two aliens, who were further away from home than anyone here on this planet, being right where they were supposed to be, namely together, made her feel profoundly sad.
Or maybe she was just jealous.
After all, she was home and yet, it felt like she was the alien here.
Isolated.
Lonely.
Charley was the only one who accepted her the way she was.
She couldn't lose her.
She just couldn't.

"Will he be okay?", she asked, knowing she really should comply with Throttle's wish to tell them everything, but she just had to know.
The fact that the white-furred mouse was currently out of order was all her fault, after all, and guilt was already pressing its heavy weight on her entire being.
Throttle glanced down at his little bro, who was still staring into nothingness, and for the first time that she knew them, the tan-furred Martian seemed to be at a loss for words.
It only made her feel even worse about herself, a thing she never thought possible.
However, right before she got entirely overwhelmed by the tears that had been threatening to take over from the moment she blurted out the words that weren't hers to tell, a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.
But despite its weight due to the material it was made of, its touch felt surprisingly gentle, comforting her at the same time.
When she glanced to her left, she looked straight into Modo's warm and friendly face.
"He just needs some time. I guess we all do. So why don't you use that time to tell us what you know?"
There was literally no judgment in his voice whatsoever, and a warm feeling spread through her cold and tensed body when Pux once again realized how kind this particular grey-furred specimen was.
Ever since she met him, he hadn't said one mean word to her, and she now suddenly wondered why she hadn't sought refuge in him instead of Throttle.
But that was just the story of her life, right?
Always trying so hard for everyone to like her that she forgot about the ones who already did.

Since there wasn't anything she could do to undo what she had done, Pux knew the time had come to share her findings, and after giving Modo a grateful look, she slowly sat down in the chair standing closest to her.
"Charley had a mental breakdown", she started, knowing that the best she could do was start at the beginning.
After all, every story had a beginning, and so did this one.
"She went completely loco after a customer was being rude to her, and she almost demolished the entire garage. I eventually managed to calm her down, at least enough for her to talk to me. She told me about the pregnancy, and that she didn't know how to handle it. She wanted to tell you guys, especially you, Vinnie…-", she added with an insecure look on her face, and her blue eyes darted over to the white-furred youngster in the hope to see some change in his current state, but when she noticed that there wasn't, she merely continued.
"-…but she just didn't know how. We talked a little, and then I suggested some chocolate would do her some good. I know how stupid that sounds, but I figured she had enough for one day, you know? Anyway, she insisted on getting it herself. She needed the ride to clear her head, which made sense to me, so I let her go. The next part you know. I got worried and I called you."
She deliberately left out the part that contained her idea of involving her mother in this, knowing now really wasn't the time to bring that up as it was a sensitive subject to the mice.
Even more so, their first priority was to make sure there was even a baby left to take care of after this, which was a horrible thought and yet it was the reality.

Modo rubbed his chin as he shared a quick glance with Throttle, who gave him an almost invisible nod to tell him that he should lead this conversation.
The blonde girl obviously felt more comfortable around him, and it was of utmost importance that she was able to tell them everything she knew, including details that might seem insignificant at first sight.
Someone who was nervous and on edge usually had trouble remembering said details, and the last thing they needed right now was an incomplete story.
The grey-furred mouse gave his leader a nod back to let him know that the message was received, and he sat down in the chair next to Pux.
After a short hesitation, he gently took her hand, for she gave him the impression that she needed some reassurance.
"What happened after we left to go after Limburger?"
Pux stared at his bionic hand holding hers, but instead of feeling scared or uneasy, she only noticed how fragile her hand looked in his.
"I found the newspaper. The one with the article about the serial killer", she answered flatly whilst her eyes were still fixated on the extraterrestrial hand holding hers.
And she suddenly felt so small.
Like a child.
One that needed comforting.
This was all starting to get a little too much.

"I read about the gutted women, how this so-called Angel Of Death cuts babies out of their mothers womb…"
Her voice broke, and tears blurred her vision as she looked up at Modo almost pleadingly.
Pleading for guidance.
"Who does that? How can someone be capable of such cruelty?"
Modo's visible eye roamed over her face before it locked with her watery ones, and he gently squeezed her hand to comfort her.
"Some people are just broken beyond repair", he merely said, and a tear left Pux's eye when she heard the fragile tone in his usual heavy and steady voice.
He knew evil.
He had looked in the eye, and yet, he had chosen not to let himself be guided by anger and hatred.
No…
There was only sadness.
Strangely enough, it was all she needed to go on, and she quickly wiped off her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater.
"The moment I read the article, my brain just started to connect the dots. I suddenly remembered Charley telling me about meeting some weird guy in the store when she went to get the pregnancy tests… How he had creeped her out…"
Her eyes flashed toward Vinnie, who was still in his vegetative state before she looked back at the friendly grey-furred giant sitting next to her.
"He asked her about the father. That's weird, right? She didn't even know him and he wanted to know who the father was. And when Vinnie almost ripped his head off, he didn't even blink. He just stood there…"

That took Throttle's attention.
"Wait, Vinnie was there too?", he asked surprised with twitching ears, and Pux nodded.
"Yeah, he had given Charley a ride. She somehow managed to make him wait outside, but when the guy kept harassing her, he came to the rescue. I'm not sure why that's relevant, though…", she added the last part with a furrowed brow, but Throttle didn't respond as he was currently deep in thought, which made him the second alien that zoomed out tonight, and Pux had to admit that it was starting to bug her.
However, it was at this moment that O'Neill decided to finally open his mouth after being quiet for a while, thereby bringing the conversation back to its main topic.
"Pux here saw my name in the article as the leading detective of the investigation, and so she called me. I immediately came over, and after she told me what she just told you, I decided it made sense enough to call you guys."
Although with reluctance, Modo could only agree.
It did make sense, which was bad news.
This man was a whole other level than Limburger, and by the looks of things, he had Charley in his claws.

An ominous feeling washed over him, tying his stomach in a knot, and he looked at O'Neill with a worried frown decorating his face.
"What do you know about this guy?"
O'Neill shrugged one shoulder, looking severely frustrated.
"Only that he's thorough. There's no evidence found on any of the victims, not even so much as a skin flake. He's like a ghost."
"So you have no suspects whatsoever? Not even a person of interest?", Modo asked a little baffled, and O'Neill's face became even darker as he wrinkled his nose.
"You sound just like my boss. Me and my team have been working our asses off for weeks already, but who cares about the details, huh?", he muttered angrily before he caught Modo's gaze again.
"But to answer your question: no, we don't have any suspects. We're completely standing in the dark. That's why I called you. Not only because it's about Charley. Also because I hope you can help me catch this guy. I have a pregnant wife at home. I want her to be safe. I want them all to be safe. We need to get this beast off the street, and fast. This has gone on long enough. We need alien power."
It obviously cost him a lot to admit, out loud even, that he needed help with this case, but he did it anyway for the sake of Chicago's citizens, thereby earning himself a few more points from Club Alien.

Silence dawned upon them after his plea, one with a hint of dismay charging the air.
With the police standing in the dark, and the bad-ass alien soldiers down to two, things appeared to be hopeless, and Pux already got restless again.
Her friend was in great danger, and all she could do was sit in this chair hoping that the so-called experts would come up with a plan.
Which they didn't.
They were all caught up in their own thoughts as they needed some time to process all this, Vinnie in particular, but the thing was, time was something they didn't have.
"Why are we still sitting here? Shouldn't we do something?", she asked, despite knowing it was a stupid question.
She too was clueless about how to solve this rather difficult matter, as they had no idea where Charley was.
Hell, she could be anywhere right now, which basically meant that they had no starting point whatsoever.
So the question was - How did one start something without having an actual start?
Well, there was only one lousy answer to that.

"Fuck", Pux breathed while shaking her head in frustration, and she stood up to start her pacing again, not able to sit still for a second longer.
"Oh no, not this again", O'Neill grumbled, and he reached out to grab her by arm, but the blonde-curled girl quickly dodged his hand.
While she was doing that, her blue eyes darted over to Vinnie, and suddenly, she got stricken with this wonderful thing called an epiphany.
Suddenly, she knew exactly what to do.
After pulling up her pants, she marched towards the white-furred Martian with her mouth in a tight line, cracking her knuckles while she was at it.
When she passed Modo, the grey mouse looked up a little confused, but when he saw the look on her face, he rose to his feet.
"Pux? What are you doing?", he asked with urgency audible in his voice, and he took a few steps after her, knowing that the look that was currently written upon her young face wasn't a very good sign.
He knew that look by heart, after all.
He had seen it on Vinnie's face about a thousand times, and it always meant the same.
She was about to do something stupid.
What she also did was ignore him, which wasn't really surprising, perhaps, and he quickened his pace to catch up with her.
However, right before he could, she reached his young bro, and to make it even worse, she already raised her right hand.
"Pux, you really shouldn't do that", he warned her, but it was too late.
Or well, it seemed like it was, but right before her hand made contact with Vinnie's cheek, a tan-furred tail coiled around her wrist.

"Don't."

Pux frowned, and she tried to get her hand free, which turned out to be quite the challenge.
The tail of a Martian Cave Mouse was made of very strong muscles and could lift twice the body weight of an average Mouse.
But Pux didn't know that.
Also, she wasn't a quitter, and so she doubled her attempts to get free.
"Let me go. He needs to wake up. Charley needs him, goddammit", she grumbled between clenched teeth, her breathing a tad bit heavier due to her intense physical effort.
Throttle merely grabbed her by the neck and pulled her further away from his baby bro.
The fact that he did that without either breaking a sweat or batting an eye made Pux furious, all of a sudden.
Furious to be the weakest link in the chain, and she tried to push him away.
"Let me go!"

The tan-furred leader heaved a sigh, sometimes hating the fact that he seemed to be the only one around here who knew how to use this thing that was called a brain.
But instead of giving in to the rather tempting urge to slap her in the face, he said the one thing which he knew would earn him her full attention.
"You asked me why it was relevant."
And indeed, it was enough for Pux to stop her struggling before she gazed up at him with those insanely blue eyes of hers.
"What?"
She clearly wasn't following him, and Throttle pointed at Vinnie, although he rather would have rolled his eyes.
It didn't happen so fast, but this was one of those rare moments when he was about to lose his patience.
Too many things were happening, and to make it even worse, he wasn't in control.
He needed to have control.
And then there was the whole pregnancy matter…

But he also knew that Pux couldn't help herself.
She was new to the game, after all, and if all this was already overwhelming for him, he couldn't even imagine how this must be for her, and thus, he tried to stay as friendly as he could muster right now.
"He was there. He has seen the guy. That means he has an image of him inside his head."
Pux blinked a few times, and the already present frown on her face got deeper.
"So? That doesn't explain why I can't hit him. I really wanna hit him", she added while glaring at Vinnie from under her brows almost longingly.
Throttle gnashed his teeth as inconspicuous as possible while flashing her a smile that was supposed to look friendly but probably looked a bit sour instead, blessing the Gods that she wasn't able to see his twitching left eye.
"If you hit him, he might wake up."
He spoke excessively friendly, but even he couldn't deny that it sounded more like he was talking to someone who wasn't entirely right in the head.
Well, in Pux's humble opinion, it was him who wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the shed right now, and she let out a smoky laugh.
"Yeah well, that's the whole point, smartass."

Throttle's grip around her neck tightened, but that was to be all as he was determined not to lose his cool because of this infuriatingly stubborn teenager.
"He'll be upset when he wakes up. I can't get the image out of his head when he's upset, now can I?"
Pux's earlier smile vanished like smoke in the wind, and she gave the tan-furred Martian a surprised look.
"You can do that?"
Throttle merely pointed at his antennas.
"Yes, I can. Now, am I able to let you go, or do we need to tie you up?"
It was almost impressive how quickly Pux's face transformed from pleasantly surprised to highly unamused, and she crossed her arms with a scowl from one ear to another.
"You're the second one who wants to tie me up today."
"Geez, I wonder why that is?", Throttle muttered under his breath, and after giving her a final warning look, he let her go.

"What are you going to do with that image once you have it?", Pux asked as she watched him crouching in front of Vinnie, her irritation already replaced by curiosity again.
"I'll show it to O'Neill. Maybe he'll recognize him", Throttle simply said while activating his antennas.
O'Neill looked up with a jerk, his eyes wide open.
"You will do what now?"
But Throttle ignored him as he closed his eyes, and soon after that, his light-up antennas made contact with Vinnie's.

…

The first thing she noticed was a major headache.
Kind of like someone was drilling a hole in her skull, making her brains vibrate in the most painful way.
The second thing that hit her was the smell.
It was the scent of disinfectants, like the one that defined hospitals, and where it usually scared her as she wasn't really fond of hospitals, it now triggered a feeling of relief, for it could only mean one thing.
She was saved.
Vinnie must have found her before whoever drugged her in that alley could take her, and with a small smile curling her lips, Charley opened her eyes.
But instead of neon tubes like the ones that decorated the ceiling of a hospital, all she saw was dusky darkness.
All she felt was this peculiar ominous atmosphere, causing goosebumps to spread across her body.
It was this particular feeling that made her aware of the fact that she wasn't covered under one of those itchy hospital blankets.
In fact, it felt like she wasn't covered with something at all.

She did find herself in a bed, though.
But it wasn't a warm, comforting one like the one she expected to find in a hospital.
It was too uncomfortable.
Too cold.
"No", she whispered, and she blinked her eyes a few times in the hope that this simple movement would bring her back to reality.
But it soon became clear that this was reality.
It just wasn't the one she hoped for, and just like that, her head became clear.
Like a fog that lifted and vanished into nothingness.
This wasn't the hospital.
Not even close.
With that realization came the panic, and she tried to get upright, only to find out that she wasn't able to.
Something was holding her back, and while her heartbeat accelerated from relatively fast to insanely rapid, she turned her head to look at her hands.

Her eyes slightly widened before they filled themselves with tears as she stared at leather belts that were tied around her wrists, thereby securing her to the bed she was lying in.
Perhaps she should try to free her hands, but only by looking at the belts she already knew it would be futile.
The only thing she would accomplish was wasting precious energy.
Energy from which she knew she needed for something else, although she had no idea what that would be exactly.
Well, judging her current situation, it could only be bad.
Her breathing quickened, and her eyes darted down to her feet.
A muffled sob slipped out of her mouth when she saw the same belts wrapped around her ankles, but that wasn't what upset her.
No, that was because she was naked.
Or well, except for her bra and panties, that is.
But that didn't make her feel any less vulnerable.
Not even a little.

It was beyond tempting to give in to the panic that was now squeezing her throat like an invisible hand, thereby making breathing increasingly difficult, but in some strange way, she knew she had to stay calm.
Of course, that was easier said than done, but she still managed not to break down.
Instead, she noticed that her eyes had gotten used to her dimly lit environment, and while biting her lower lip to keep herself sharp, her eyes tried to take in as many details as possible.
The walls and the ceiling seemed to be made out of wood, which was good news, actually, for it meant she wasn't in a basement.
Basements were bad.
Rooms made out of wood weren't…
…right?
She wasn't entirely sure who she was trying to convince here, after all, she was still tied to a bed and stripped naked.
But a little positivity never hurt anyone.
Sure.
But what about naivety?

Ignoring this little voice in her head, Charley soon concluded that her bed was standing in the left corner of the room.
The wall closest to her even had a window, but the bad news was that it was boarded up.
Still, the fact that there was a window made her feel a little bit better.
In fact, focussing on her environment eased her nerves, she noticed.
It made her feel less helpless, even though she still was.
She was even able to breathe again, and it suddenly didn't feel like her heart was falling out of her chest anymore.
That all changed when she turned her head to look to her right, though.
And the moment her gaze landed on the shelves filled with large glass jars, her breath got stuck in her throat, for even with the little light she had, it wasn't that hard to miss what was inside.

While letting out a soft high-pitched wail, Charley jerked her head back and squeezed her eyes shut tight.
"Oh God, no… No, no, no, this can't be happening", she panted, shaking her head.
"This can't be real. This is all just a bad dream…"
As she kept muttering to herself in some feeble attempt to stop the panic from taking over, she clenched her hands into a fist and pulled on the leather bands.
And again.
And again.
But as it was no surprise, they didn't budge.
Not even so much as an inch.
They only cut into her flesh, but she hardly felt the pain.
All she felt right now was pure mortal fear and this odd yet rock-solid primal urge to get out of here.

She did, however, have the presence of mind that she wasn't able to do that by herself.
She needed a certain knight in shining white fur for that, and thus, she focused on him with every fiber in her body.
She forced her nose to smell his maddening scent.
She forced her ears to hear his voice saying her name.
She forced her skin to feel his warm and gentle touch.
She forced her eyes, though still closed, to see his ruby-red eyes filled with vice.
She forced her heart to sense his love.
Her nails buried themselves deep into the palms of her hands as she tried tremendously hard to connect with him, even though she had no idea if that was even possible.
But it was all she had.
All she could do.
"Vinnie, please…", she breathed with a shaky voice, and a tear trickled down her cheek as she pressed the back of her head deeper into the pillow.
"...help me."

…

"Stand still, O'Neill. This won't hurt", Throttle said annoyed, but the detective was still moving away from him while shaking his head.
"Ah ah, no way. No way I'll let you do some alien mind trick on me. Although some people might call me narrow-minded, I do like my brain just the way it is, thank you very much."
"And it will stay that way, I promise you. Nothing's gonna happen. All I'm gonna do is show you the face of the man in the store and all you have to do is to tell us if you recognize him."
"The answer is no. You do know what no means, right? Or didn't they teach you to respect someone's limits back on Mars?", O'Neill grumbled just as annoyed, and he pointed a warning finger at Throttle, who was still coming closer to him.
"Stop right there, or it'll be my gun pointing at you instead of this finger."

Pux was watching the scene with mixed feelings, but in the end, it was agitation that prevailed.
"Jesus, will you get over yourself? This is the only lead we have, dude", she snapped at the detective, not understanding why he was being so… O'Neill-ish, which was just another word for childish.
O'Neill now aimed his blazing brown eyes at her.
"There are other ways to follow this lead, you know. Like the CCTV footage from the store, for example…"
"We don't have time for that, goddammit! Charley might be in great danger and here you are, wasting precious time because of… because of what, exactly? Fear for that, indeed, narrow-minded brain of yours? If Throttle tells you that nothing is gonna happen, NOTHING IS GONNA HAPPEN!"
Seething with anger now, the blonde girl picked up a chair and put it down with a bang right in front of O'Neill before she looked at him with her blue eyes almost glowing.
"You are gonna sit down and let Throttle do whatever he needs to do. NOW!"

O'Neill stared at her with his mouth slightly open, and after a brief moment of awkward silence, he did what she said.
Not sure what just happened here but grateful that it did, Throttle rested his hands on the armrests of the chair and looked the obviously nervous detective straight in the eye.
"I won't hurt you. I promise. Think of it like dreaming while being awake."
Without waiting for a response, the leader of the Biker Mice tilted his head, and his glowing antennas mildly grazed O'Neill's forehead.
A few seconds passed in total silence, but then, O'Neill gasped and his brown eyes grew big.
Without warning, he grabbed Throttle by his arms.
"Are you sure?", he asked compellingly, and the tan-furred mouse nodded, not entirely sure why the man reacted the way he did.
Well, there was actually only one reason why he did.
"You recognize him?"

The sullen detective pushed the impressive Martian away before he stood up, and without saying a word, he marched to the fridge standing in the corner.
After yanking the door open, he searched every shelf while Pux, Modo, and Throttle silently watched him.
"It's in the freezer", Pux eventually pointed out, and O'Neill now opened the small compartment below, only to pull out a bottle of vodka.
Without saying a word, he opened it and put the bottle to his mouth.
Modo glanced at Throttle from the corner of his eye, who shrugged in return.
He had no idea what was going on here, but it couldn't be good, and so he figured he should give O'Neill a few seconds to get himself back together.
After wiping off his mouth, O'Neill put the bottle on the table with a loud bang and then turned around to face the two Martians and Pux.
"We have a serious problem."

…

"Charley is pregnant… Charley is pregnant… Charley is pregnant…"

These three words kept repeating in his head, over and over again.
Like an emergency broadcast on a loop.
There was a strangely sad melody audible in it, one that was hypnotizing.
One that brought him to a place he didn't know, but reminded him of space.
It was dark, but instead of white, the stars around him were green.
Green, like her eyes.

"Charley is pregnant… Charley is pregnant… Charley is pregnant…"

If only it stopped.
So he could wake up.
He needed to wake up, although he wasn't sure why.
But every cell in his body kept screaming that he needed to snap out of it.
Something was wrong.
But the melody of the words dulled his mind, keeping him in some sort of trance.
He didn't feel his body.
He didn't feel anything, actually.
All he heard were the words.
They were very clear, and yet, all he could think of was that it had to be some kind of misunderstanding.

"Charley is pregnant… Charley is pregnant… Charley is pregnant…"

Suddenly, something changed.
There was this strange pressure on his head.
Kind of like someone was knocking on his door.
Mentally, that is.
It reminded him of the beginning of a Mind Walk.
Was that what this was?
A Mind Walk?
No.
This was different.
A sharp pain shot through his head, but it was still all he felt.
He didn't notice that his ear twitched in response.
The words changed.
Or no, not the words.
The frequency.
Static.
Like changing radio stations.

"Charley is pregnant… Charley is… Char… is… pr…"

This was odd, to say the least.
The pain in his head became even worse, and suddenly, his vision sharpened.
It was only for a split second before it became dark again, but he knew now.
He remembered.
He was in the garage.
Charley…
There was something seriously wrong.
But what?
If only he could remember that, too…

"Char…s…pr…nt… Vin… Vinnie…"

A shock went through his body, and whilst the headache increased, he felt a tingling sensation in his fingers.
He could feel his fingers again.
Why was his body so hellbent on waking up?
What was going on?
Why did it feel like Charley needed him now more than ever?
Why was her scent all he could smell, all of a sudden?
Why did the voice speaking in his head change into hers?
Why did it say his name?
Why was he longing for her like he hadn't longed for her before?
And why, for fuck sake why, was he feeling so scared?

"Vinnie… Vinnie, please…"

His head now felt like it was about to explode.
The sound of static got worse and worse, and if he was able to, he would have put his hands over his ears.
All to make it stop.
It had to stop.
As if on cue, there was a loud click.
But it wasn't silence that followed.
It was Charley's voice again, but it was crystal clear now.
Loud, too.

"...help me."

As it turned out, these two simple words were all he needed, and with her captivating voice echoing through his head, Vinnie snapped back to reality.