The following is a piece of fan fiction based on Biker Mice From Mars. All characters were created by Rick Ungar, original story by Tom Tataranowicz, and are not my property.

This is an AU retelling of BMFM and explores mature subject matter including death, violence, abuse, sex (con and noncon), torture, and mutilation. Reader's discretion is advised. Some character history has been altered from their original source but like I said, this is an AU.

Chapter 7-

It didn't take long for gossip to spread amongst the cave mice; they were never the species to keep secrets from one another. Charlene's abduction story spread, along with it, theories of how Plutarkians first infiltrated Martian society, how they disguised themselves so well, and whether or not the traitor Mace was wearing a Mouse suit made by Karbunkle. Charlene's story left a painful knot in Vinnie's stomach, as he grappled with his own emotions.

He had let his anger get the best of him during his tantrum what morning. Modo had given him an earful: Rimfire was more mature, it's not fair to take his anger out on Charlene, all I did was make more work for her.

Vinnie told himself he was going to apologise, but the time was never right. She was too focused on her work to look up, and once she did stop, Throttle girlfriend showed up with her boy scouts to interrogate Charlene.

Vinnie watched them as they had left Stoker's office. Stoker escorting Charlene to hear room where she barricaded herself inside. They all knew it; they could hear her bracing the door with a chair. Throttle and Carbine talking to themselves, something about the rat hole Port Cydon. And then just like that everyone was gone, and Vinnie was alone in a hallway.

The afternoon passed, mouse gossip made its way around the caves, and live went on with Charlene alone in her room, and Vinnie sitting on the floor across from her door. Waiting to apologize, keeping vigil, whatever excuse he could give himself. Every now and then his fur would stand on end as pictures of Charlene's flayed body made their way into his mind's eye. He sat with those uncomfortable thoughts as a form of penitence for his tantrum.

Charlene didn't talk about what Slobber did to her, only what he promised her; the same promises the mice gave her. Vinnie didn't need to hear what Slobber had done to her. He had always known the Sand Raiders to be sub-Martian, his imagination didn't have to work hard to picture what Charlene had gone through. He had seen the state she was in firsthand. He saw her bruises, her open wounds, her scars. He saw the way she drank and ate like a starved animal. He saw the way she flinched any time anyone raised a voice or a hand.

Everyone was walking on eggshells around Charlene, trying not to scare her; everyone except him. He had been acting no better than a yearling not getting his own way, and now he was determined to make it up to her.

Carbine had left and most the mice had retired for the evening, including Throttle and Modo, when Vinnie's ears twitched. He heard the sound of Charlene moving her chair and unlocking her door. Still sitting on the floor, he lifted his head to meet her gaze as she gingerly stepped out of her room.

She quickly broke eye contact with him and stepped fully out of her room. "Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," he said back.

"Is it late? I can't tell in these caves."

"Yeah, most of the guys are asleep now."

"You're not."

"I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I."

Vinnie tried to muster up the strength to apologize to Charlene, but the words never sounded right in his head. His own pride got in his way, and he began to overthink what it was he wanted to say; what exactly he was sorry for.

Fortunately, Charlene was the one to break the silence. "I guess it's too late to get something to eat?"

Vinnie stood up and stretched his legs. "Everyone else has ate but there is still some food in the pot. It's the same as last night, probably will be the same tomorrow." He gestured towards the dining hall and the two walked alone.

"I don't think I properly thanked you for the work you did on my bike," Vinnie said as he handed Charlene a bowl of stew.

"It's fine. I'm just doing my job." Charlene took a spoonful of her cold supper. It tasted better warm.

"I was an ass today."

Charlene looked up at him, reading his face. He thought her rather pretty even if she wasn't a mouse. She looked down at her bowl and spoke again, "I'm sorry about Harley."

"You didn't have anything to do with her being taken," Vinnie interjected.

"I am sorry, for lack of a better word." Charlene pursed her lips together. "I know what it's like to lose someone you care for; to not want to give up."

"The Plutarkians took everything from me, everyone I ever cared about." Vinnie slammed his fist on the table a bit harder than he intended to.

Charlene didn't flinch this time. "Do you think they are going after Earth now?"

"More than likely. They took everything they could from Mars and now it's time for them to move on."

"And I'm stuck here where I can't help anyone."

"You're helping us." He took hold of her left hand and gave it a light squeeze, again she did shirk away from his touch. "The Plutarkians, the ones who took Harley from me, the ones who kidnapped you, however many of them are left on Mars, I will hunt them down and kill them."

Charlene gave him a soft smile. "Those fish people really know how to bring out the worst in everyone."

"We're heading out to Port Cydon tomorrow, it's a Rat city in the Marineris province."

"Wait, there's Rats on Mars too?"

"What's that supposed to mean? Are there Rats on Earth?"

"Yeah. And mice. But there's small like this," Charlene spaced out her thumb and index finger to the approximate size of an Earth mouse. "They also don't talk or ride motorbikes."

"I bet they're not as handsome as us Martians," Vinnie smirked.

"I'm sure that's debatable," Charlene smiled back. "So how far away is this city?"

"It will be a full day riding, not sure why we are going, or why we are helping Rats."

"You don't like them?"

"I don't trust them. Never met a Rat that didn't turn traitor."

Vinnie's smile had faded, Charlene's slowly went away as well. "I should replace that shock absorber before you head out, you'll have an unpleasant ride back if it breaks."

"Can it wait until morning? You've done enough today."

Charlene sat up from the table and placed her half-finished bowl in a tray filled with everyone else's bowls from that evening. "I suppose I am beat."

The two didn't talk much as they walked back to Charlene's room. Vinnie wasn't sure why he was even following her around at this point, he just wanted to make sure she was safe. She didn't seem to mind, and she didn't object to his presence. That was enough for now; for her to not be scared of him.

"Thanks for the company, Vinnie," Charlene said as she stood in the threshold of her room.

"Goodnight, Charlene."

Charlene paused for a moment, thinking, then said, "my friends call me Charley. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Because it sounds too much like Harley?"

"I don't want to rub any more salt in that wound."

The sentiment hurt. Hurt more than hearing Harley's name again. Vinnie smiled through the pain. "Goodnight, Charley."

He watched her smile back and slowly close the door. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he heard the door lock but did not hear her move the chair. She was beginning to trust them. She was beginning to trust him.