Hey you guys!

First off, thanks for the reviews, follows, and favs!
Really appreciate it that you guys are still with me.
This story is already a work in progress for over three years!
It's crazy.

BEX: Welcome to my stories, where drama rules with an iron fist and my characters suffer endlessly... :P
No, just kidding. I don't feel like I'm torturing Vinnie, I'm merely helping him grow.
Unfortunately, growing is a painful process, and sometimes things have to get a lot worse before they can get better, especially when you're forced to face your worst fears.
There is no easy way through it, only the hard one.
Let's just hope it will be worth it. ;)

Anyhoo.
This is a very short chapter, I know.
I'm struggling with the second part, and I don't know how long it's gonna take me to finish it, so I decided to give you at least something.
Hope you like it despite the low amount of words.
Feel free to leave a review once you're done, it really is the biggest motivation you can give me.
And trust me when I say I need motivation for the next part, hehe.

Stay safe out there, it's a mad world.
And, as always...
RIDE FREE, CITIZENS!

Later!

It was cold.
Very cold, actually.
That had probably something to do with him finding himself on the roof of a thirty-story building.
A thirty-story building standing in the middle of the Windy City, to be exact.
Everyone knew the wind could be merciless around here, let alone this high above the ground.
Usually, it didn't bother him that much.
But his fur was still damp from the shower, and not even his beloved black sweater was enough to protect him from the biting cold.
Not this time.
Of course, he could just go inside instead of sitting here on his softly purring bike, staring at the stars and the red dot that represented his former home…

Vinnie frowned.
Former home?
One would say that little red dot was still his home.
After all, it was where he was born and raised among his own kind, so one would say that should make it enough to call it home.
And yet, it didn't feel that way.
Despite being literally an alien on this planet, Earth felt more like home than Mars ever did.
Which was strange, actually, but the fact remained that it was exactly like that.
What could he say?
He was the picture-perfect example of a guy who never felt like he fit in.
Like he didn't belong.
He had his father -may he rot in hell- to thank for that.
But now…
Now, things were different.

Another strong gust of wind went straight through his clothes, and he shivered in response.
Yeah, he really should go inside before he froze his tail off or worse, his pretty face.
But the thing was, he wasn't feeling particularly overjoyed to go inside.
It all had to do with that very same reason why Earth felt like the home he never had.
She was just a human, honestly, and yet, she was everything.
Charley.
The only person who had managed to fully capture his entire heart and soul, bravely and fiercely.
Just like she was.
She was… everything.
Just everything.
And he…
He had been stupid enough to put it all at risk.
He had her.
He had her with everything that came with her, and now…

Now it was all in jeopardy.
All because he left her.
He left her when she needed him, weak and frightened as he was, and that while he had promised her she would never be alone again.
That he would always be there to protect her.
To love her and to guide her.
To make her feel whole again, just like she made him feel.
They belonged together.
Kind of like light and darkness.
Without one of them, the other wouldn't exist.
And for what?
Ghosts of the past.
Ugh.
It was pathetic, really.

Releasing an excessively loud sigh to vent his frustration, Vinnie leaned on the windshield with his elbows and rested his head in his fingerless-gloved hands, his scarlet eyes still fixed on the small red twinkle high in the sky.
Maybe he was being too hard on himself.
He was here, wasn't he?
To set things straight again.
To explain to her why he had done the one thing he promised her to never do.
If only it didn't scare the shit out of him, but it did.
And so here he was, stalling.
One of his many talents, if he might say so.
Or maybe it was more like a curse than a talent.
Honestly, since when did good things come out of procrastination?
Like, never.
He knew.
And shit, he just did it again.

Not able to stand listening to his own very tiring thoughts any longer, Vinnie straightened his back and turned off the engine.
The time had come to redeem himself.
To do the right thing.
To face reality.
No more running.
No more procrastinating.
And no, not even his major hangover would be an excuse.
Nothing would.
He simply wouldn't allow himself.
Not anymore.
The universe had granted him a second chance, or more to the point - a place to belong.
He couldn't just throw that away.
He had to make this work.
He just had to.

Filled with renewed though still fragile determination, Vinnie pushed a button on his handlebar, and a rope shot out of the back of his bike.
After pulling off his helmet, he dismounted his precious ride and patted her on the side.
"You stay here, sweetheart. I'll be right back."
His bike beeped back, sounding almost supportive and Vinnie grinned.
"Handlebars crossed, I get it. Thanks."
A flashing headlight came in response and slightly shaking his sore head in a short-lived moment of amusement, Vinnie used the rope to slide down to the window on the twenty-fifth floor.
Lucky for him, it was still ajar, which was good for multiple reasons but the one standing out was that apparently, Charley wasn't so done with him that she locked him out.
She had every right to though, but she didn't, and it was this realization that took away the last remaining doubts and fears.
Maybe that was the reason why he, after opening the window far enough for him to get through, climbed over the windowsill a little too… well, let's just say enthusiastic.
Or maybe it was because stealth just wasn't his thing.
Or maybe it was due to his giant hangover that his movements, or rather his reflexes, weren't what they were supposed to be.

Either way, soon after he set his left foot on the floor, his right foot got stuck behind the window frame and before he knew it, he was lying face down on the linoleum floor of Charley's hospital room.
"Typical. Just typical", he murmured with his cheek glued onto the somewhat sticky surface and practically praying he didn't wake up the entire hospital just now.
Then again, he wasn't as heavy as Modo.
That guy could make a building tremble by only walking up the stairs.
For a moment, he just lay there with pricked ears and listening carefully, but all he heard was Charley's soft and regular breathing and a few uhm… hospital-y sounds in the distance, or something like that.

At least nothing out of the ordinary, like approaching footsteps or screaming people, and while squinting his eyes, Vinnie placed his hands under his chest and pushed himself up.
"This is why I don't do stealth. It's so uncool", he muttered under his breath, and when he was on his knees, he took a little moment to get rid of the teeny-tiny stars dancing before his eyes, all thanks to his hangover.
Perhaps he should have taken Throttle's advice and waited till tomorrow night, but like always, once he knew what had to be done, he couldn't wait.
He never could.
Waiting was just so boring.
So incredibly mind-numbing.
And no.
Waiting wasn't the same as stalling, okay?!
Geez.

While the flickering lights before his eyes slowly faded, his gaze wandered across the room to eventually land on the hospital bed standing against the green-painted wall.
He sort of expected to see Charley looking back at him with those insanely green eyes of hers, but by some miracle, she was still fast asleep.
Apparently, him coming inside like some fervent reader of Ninja for Dummies hadn't woken her, which was astonishing as much as it wasn't really that big of a surprise.
She always had been a deep sleeper, at least, once she had taken the trip to Dreamland, that is.
She was what one liked to call a brooder, so it usually took her a while before she was able to fall asleep, but once she was, he supposed a bomb could go off and she wouldn't notice.

His eyes roamed over her face, and his heart swelled up, filling his chest with a comforting warmth.
Gosh, she was cute when she was sleeping.
He could watch her sleep for hours and still wouldn't get enough of it.
She just looked so… peaceful.
Carefree.
The frown that was usually between her brows due to her overthinking habit now nowhere to be found, making her look ten years younger.
Her auburn-colored hair fanned out over the pillow, shining in the moonlight that peeked through the curtains.
Her full lips slightly parted, revealing a small part of her set of perfect white teeth.
Her chin resting on the pillow she was hugging tightly…
No wait.

Vinnie, still sitting with his knees on the floor, frowned as he leaned a little closer.
That wasn't a pillow.
It was one of his hoodies, he now saw, and just like that, his heart shrunk, taking the warmth with it.
He had no idea how she got a hold of one of his sweaters, but the way she was holding it didn't lie.
She must have felt so lonely.
So… abandoned.
Betrayed, even.
He did that.
It should have been him, there in her arms, not some stupid piece of fabric carrying his scent.
It just wasn't the same.
It would never be the same.
Goddammit, Vincent.
You and your stupid coping mechanisms.

He usually never called himself by his full name.
It wasn't really a secret that he absolutely loathed his full name.
But right now, he loathed his entire self, so it seemed only right to use the appropriate name for the occasion.
While he was giving himself another inner scolding, something suddenly changed in the atmosphere.
The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees, but Vinnie knew that wasn't really the case.
It was more like him noticing a change in Charley's peaceful mood, which must have something to do with the mental connection they shared.
As though he had a sixth sense when it came to her.
And indeed, soon after he felt this strange sensation, Charley's face darkened.
Her brow furrowed, and a shuddering breath slipped past her lips.

As she tightened her grip around the hoodie, she buried her face into the soft fabric.
He assumed she did that to sniff up his scent in the hope it would comfort her, as it was very clear to him that she was troubled, all of a sudden.
A nightmare.
She was having a nightmare, and here he was, watching her like some perv.
Feeling sorry for himself that it was his sweater in her arms instead of him and that while she was probably reliving some pretty terrifying moments from her time with the so-called Angel of Death.
The very one he killed for…
Shaking his head, for he didn't want to go there, not now, Vinnie scrambled back to his feet and made his way over to Charley's bed.

When he reached her, he halted.
The smell of sheer terror mixed with cold sweat filled his nostrils, forcing his stomach to turn.
His blood seemed to run cold now he was so close to her, and something was gnawing on his insides which he knew was fear.
But it wasn't his.
It was hers.
It really was remarkable.
You know, this whole connection thingy.
The closer he was to her, the more he sensed her emotions and feelings as though they were his own.

Not able to watch her suffer for a second longer, he carefully lifted the blanket and after kicking off his shoes, he slid into the bed next to her as quietly as possible.
Strange as it might seem, he didn't want to actually wake her.
All he wanted was to comfort her.
He wasn't ready to face her, at least, not really.
Not in real life.
While he slowly rested his head on the pillow, his left hand made contact with her side, and a tiny shock went through her body.
She didn't wake up, though.
What she did was crawl closer to him, pressing her back against his stomach, and in some sort of reflex, his hand slid toward her belly as the first step of taking her in a warm and comforting hug.

But then, he suddenly stopped, and no, it wasn't because of the wound.
He had no idea what would happen if he would lay his hand on her stomach.
You know, the very same stomach that contained a living being.
A part of him.
He wasn't ready.
Not yet.
He wasn't sure if he would ever be.
He hoped he would.
It would make things a whole less complicated.
But for now, he settled with wrapping his arm around her torso instead of her waist.
You know, just to be safe.
He had to focus, after all.

Which was a bit harder than he initially thought.
Not only because being with her, holding her, and smelling her made him feel slightly light-headed.
It all had to do with that stupid hangover.
Kind of like there was a fog clouding his brain.
Perhaps this wasn't the best idea.
Throttle was right, he should have waited until the alcohol was fully out of his system.
Due to his rapid metabolism, that should only take an hour or two.
But even two hours felt like an eternity when it came to her.
He was just so desperate to set things straight.
Talking to Modo had done that.
Strange, yes, but true.
He wasn't really one who talked to deal with whatever was eating him.
Usually, he just blew things up.
A lot.

But right now, he didn't even feel the urge to blow up half of Chicago, at least, not more than usual.
He felt peculiarly calm.
Perhaps letting it all out had helped him to see things the way they were.
Maybe, just maybe, Modo had been right all along.
Having a conversation, along with giving your emotions free rein, did help after all…
Nah.
Next time, he would just stick to missiles.
Less complicated.
More booms.
Just the way he liked it.

Heaving a sigh, he pulled Charley a little closer to him and buried his nose into her hair.
She just smelled so good.
Her new scent was definitely growing on him, and he couldn't help himself but wonder if that was because he was, though very slowly, starting to get used to the whole pregnancy thingy.
At least to the idea that something was growing inside of his dearest girl, something that was a part of him as well.
If only he was ready to fully commit…
But he wasn't.
Not even close.
There was still this strange sensation making his heart bounce through his chest whenever he thought of becoming a father, a sensation he knew had something to do with panic.
It was a little less intense, though.
Probably also because of 'the talk'.
Ugh.
He was screwed for life, that's for sure.

After pressing a kiss on the back of Charley's head, he snuggled a little closer to her.
His tail snaked down and coiled around her ankle, knowing this brought her comfort.
Her heart was still racing in her chest, though.
He could feel it.
Time to save her, once again.
And after closing his eyes, he activated his antenna.

…

She was back in that room.
That awful room.
Her back sore from lying on that cold table.
Her wrists and ankles bruised after pulling the leather bounds with all she had.
Her heart racing in her chest.
Her breathing rapid and irregular.
Her stomach tied in a knot so tight it hurt worse than heartburn.
The door opened, and there he was.
Cold blue eyes peering at her over the edge of his face mask.
Eyes of a killer.
His body wrapped in surgical clothes.
A scalpel in his gloved hand…

"No…"

She squirmed and fussed, trying to get loose, even though she knew it was futile.
But she had to at least try.
She didn't want to wait helplessly until he would reach her.
Until he would hurt her because she knew he would.
She had been back in this room a thousand times already, and it always ended the same.
Death.
Her green eyes followed him every moment.
How he carefully closed the door behind him.
How he turned back around.
It didn't matter that he was wearing the mask.
She knew he was having that chilling smirk on his face.
She could see it in his eyes.
His cruel eyes…
"Please… Not again…", she whispered pleadingly, still pulling her strings, albeit a little less fanatical.

He always had that effect on her.
Paralyzing.
And she hated it.
She hated him.
For breaking her, because that's what he had done.
He broke her.
And he was about to do it again.
But just when he was getting closer to her, something happened.
Something that hadn't happened before.
There was a loud click, and soon, it felt like someone poured a cup of ice-cold water over her head.
Except there was no water.

She froze, and so did he.
In fact, the entire scene around her halted.
Even the clock on the wall stopped ticking.
It didn't take her long to realize what was going on here.
She knew this feeling, after all.
Especially the slightly nagging headache that followed the water that wasn't there.
Someone was knocking on her door.
Someone wanted to get it in, and judging by her muscles that now relaxed one by one, it could only be him.
Vinnie.
He was here.
Not just that, he was inviting her for another Mind Walk.

She should tell him no.
After all, her first Mind Walk experience wasn't really a success.
If anything, it had been terrifying.
So yeah, it was probably for the best if she woke up.
To face him in real life.
To ask him if he was ready.
But she didn't, simply because she knew he wasn't.
And she, in turn, wasn't ready to hear that.
And so, she had no other choice but to play along.
To go along with his plan, because it was obvious to her that he had one.
He wouldn't be here, knocking on her door if he hadn't.
Even more so, despite it all, she still trusted him with her entire heart and soul.
He would never hurt her, not on purpose.
And if he did hurt her, he would fix it.
He always did.

And thus, after taking a deep breath, she let him in.
Scared, yes.
But everything was better than being trapped inside this room.
The moment she opened the door for him, the scene around her faded away.
And there it was again.
That peaceful darkness.
The only good thing she remembered from her previous Mind Walk.
It was just so quiet…
Her heart calmed down, and so did her breathing.
Her sore body relaxed, and the soothing darkness covered her like a blanket, taking away every bit of physical pain, which was equivalent to a breath of fresh air.
Or maybe a breath of freshly-washed laundry, or the first breath of spring lingering in the winter air…
Either way, it was comforting.
Relieving.
Safe.

Finally, she was able to relax her aching body.
To rest her troubled mind.
All she had to do was watch.
Watch and learn about another piece of Vinnie's complex history.
It frightened her as much as it piqued her curiosity, which was a strange cocktail, to say the least.
Not that she felt it, though.
After all, she felt nothing.
Nothing but that reassuring nothingness.
But, as always, nothing lasts forever, especially not good things.
And soon, the first flashes of light appeared at the end of the tunnel, drawing her closer.
Sucking her into Vinnie's mind once again.
Making her existence vanish at the same time as she now became one with him on a level that shouldn't even be possible but here they were.
Melted into one.

The lights became brighter, and Charley felt the urge to close her eyes, which she couldn't, of course.
That part she remembered, too.
The part where she had no control whatsoever.
It would frighten her if she was able to feel that but, as mentioned before, she wasn't.
Above all, she trusted him.
And thus, she surrendered completely.
It was all she could do at this point anyway.
Surrender…
…and hope for the best.