FicWad

Author's Notes: End bit. Phew. A little longer than the other chapters, mainly because there was no neat break-off point. In response to what has already been said about this story - YES, there will be confirmation of Blue's ultimate fate. That's all I will say, although I'm surprised and gratified at how well this character has been recieved. So yes - last bit. Enjoy, and please review - you know I love it!

CHAPTER FOUR

Eventually, the cast came off and Blue was pronounced in perfect health again. She started classes immediately, almost killing herself in her efforts to gain the lost ground, but after a while she settled down again. With Silver's advice ringing in her ears, she now had other fish to fry, and that involved getting Modo alone. It proved harder than she thought, but eventually she managed to get to Modo's house while Flare was out. Silver was there but she took one look at Blue, gave her a box of sodas and directed her to the roof.
Sure enough, Modo was there, a darker shadow in the darkness. She sat down beside him and put the box down. 'Hey, Modo. You come up here a lot?'
'Oh, hey, Blue,' said Modo. 'No, just when Ah need to think 'bout stuff.'
'Want to talk about it?'
'Not really. It ain't important.'
'Oh. OK.' Blue kicked her heels on the edge of the roof. 'So,' she said eventually, 'What's the gap between you and your sister?'
'Fifteen years,' said Modo. 'Why?'
'Wow. Seems a lot.'
'Yeah.' Modo passed her a soda and cracked one open for himself. 'There was another three in between but Ah guess that's war.'
'Oh...' Blue filled the awkwardness by concentrating on the soda for a minute. 'So... you trust her? You think she gives good advice?'
'Sure. Ah mean, sometimes she makes mistakes but gen'rally she knows what she's talkin' 'bout. Why, she been givin' you advice?'
'Yeah. Probably good stuff. You think I should take it?'
Modo shrugged. 'Ah dunno. Yeah, OK. Whatever you think.'
'Good,' said Blue, put down her soda and kissed him. He almost fell off the roof in surprise but was smiling strangely by the time she broke away.
'Mah sister tole you to do that?' he said.
'Um, yeah,' said Blue. 'She said you'd been brought up not to take advantage so I'd have to tell you hard to get it through your thick head. Crap, I shouldn't have done that... I gotta go...'
She stood up and Modo caught her wrist, not hard enough to stop her leaving if she wanted to go, but enough to make her pause. 'Blue,' he said. 'Wait up.'
'I...'
'C'mon, Blue, please - sit down, fill me in.'
'I thought I just did.'
'Ah got a thick head, remember? An' also Ah wanna know what mah sister said 'bout me...'
Blue sat down facing him, their legs stretched parallel. 'OK, then. First of all, it was your sister said you had a thick head, not me. And I was bitching about how you never do anything and I never know what to think and she said you liked me and I'd have to move first. But I did and nothing's changed, what do you have to do to get something done around here?' She finished with a snap, glaring despondently at her knees. A huge grey hand brushed her hair out of her eyes.
'Ah thought Ah wasn't your type,' said Modo.
'Yeah? Who did you think was my type? Throttle?'
'Well... yeah. Kinda.'
Blue sniffed. 'Well, you're wrong. You remember that fight with Whiteass when you had to drag me off? If it'd been Throttle or Stoke they'd've got a punch in the teeth but it was you and I sort of went wibbly.'
Modo shifted up so he was closer to her, and cupped her face in his hands. 'Ah'm not good enough fer you. Not in a million years.' He kissed her, gently, and she slipped her arms around him as he drew her into his lap. 'Ah guess someone up there must like me.'
'Hey, if they like you as much as I do I'll fight 'em for you,' replied Blue firmly.

Modo would have been perfectly happy to let the others go ignorant of what had happened between Blue and himself, at least for a while, but Blue didn't like to beat about the bush. The next day, she turned up at the training yard, greeted Stoker, Throttle and Vinnie as usual and then walked up to Modo and kissed him.
'Blue...' he muttered when they parted, 'You sure that was-'
'Shh,' whispered Blue. 'Wait.' She turned around. The others were looking at them, but not with any sort of surprise.
'/Finally/!' said Vinnie.
'Wait, how long-' began Modo.
'Oh, a few months,' replied Throttle. 'Face it, bro, you're not all that subtle.'
'So it finally happened,' said Stoker. 'Brilliant, maybe now you two ain't stalking each other you can concentrate on your classes a little more, though it's probably more likely that hell'll freeze over and the devil'll ski to work. So if you're done smooching, can we get started? I got a message last night I thought would make your day, Modo, but it looks like you got it made already.'
'Ah'm listenin',' said Modo.
'Throttle, you too. Flash called. He says he's got full-scale battle bikes for the both of you if I think you're ready.'
'Oh, man!' whined Vinnie.
'No/ way/!' said Throttle, delighted.
'YES!' Modo turned and hugged Blue impulsively, lifting her off the ground.
'Ease up, loverboy,' said Stoker. 'You heard me say "if I think you're ready", right? And neither of you is eighteen yet.' The sentence washed over the exuberant young mice like a wave of ice-cold water.
'So... why tell us if you don't think we're ready, Coach?' said Throttle.
'Did I say I didn't? We got a full day today. We're gonna find out.'

The day was long, active, in some parts tedious, and by the end of it all five mice were exhausted. Stoker parked his bike, aware of being the focus of four pairs of expectant eyes. He pulled an electronic pad from his pocket and waved it in the air. 'OK, today you've done well. Worked hard. This is the record of your work from the past four years - strengths, weaknesses, the works. This, plus the results of today's tests, get to say whether you two get your bikes.' He scanned the pad intently for what seemed like forever. 'Strengths and weaknesses... Modo, combat's your best point, but I sure hope you never have to work alone cause your tactics ability is shot to hell. Stick with Throttle, it's his greatest strength. Throttle - you have got to pick up on bike maitenance. You think Flash's gonna be around forever? You both got impressive bike control and communication, especially on such screwed up machines as Flash normally gives to the trainees... Gentlemen, it's close. But I think you're both through. Well done.'
'YES! She rides!' Throttle punched the air in triumph. There was no sound from Modo because Blue had tackled him and his mouth was occupied. Stoke looked over at Vinnie.
'You OK, Punk?'
'Yeah,' said Vinnie. 'Two more years, right? It ain't long.'
'That's the spirit.'

Flash inspected the training bikes for signs of damage. Modo's had come back almost in a better state than it had been to begin with, Throttle's appeared fine too. Then Flash's inspection turned up something that made him frown.
'Throttle, what's this?' he said. 'Partial neural inhibitors? Where on Mars did you get /these/?'
'Val put them on,' replied Throttle. 'She said it'd be OK.'
'Val's got no idea, then. Have you any idea how dangerous this could be in a battle situation?'
'Yeah, but it's a training bike, Flash, it's not gonna be in a battle situation. It was trying to stop me doing anything dangerous - you know how low my stunt run scores went? And do you know how dangerous it is trying to do a jump when your bike doesn't think you can make it?'
'Yes, but-'
Throttle sighed. 'The alternative was making it hate me. At least you can take the inhibitors off.' There was a reproachful silence. 'OK, I'm /sorry/. I really am. Do I still get the battle bike?' Flash glanced over Throttle's shoulder at Stoker.
'I gotta admit, that bike was givin' us some serious grief till we got Val to fix it,' said Stoker. 'I think he should get his bike. I already promised he would.'
Flash shot both Throttle and Stoker a hurt look; his bikes were his babies. 'This way,' he said. There were six bikes lined up against the back wall, gleaming new and beautiful. 'OK, boys - we've got three Meritos, a Deimos, a Brightstar and an Excelsior. Problem is, which one of these is your bike? Modo first.'
Modo had already chosen, and the purple and white Merito Peacekeeper #6 had apparently chosen him, too. He stepped forwards, eyes fixed on the large, low-riding machine, and it started up as he approached. There was an impression that if it had had arms it would have been reaching out towards him. The headlight turned on as he got into the seat and settled back.
'This one,' he said, smiling happily, and rode the bike out of the ranks to stop behind Throttle.
'That's what I like to see,' said Flash. 'Looks like the start of a beautiful friendship.'
'Yeah,' said Stoker. 'Kind of makes you think there oughta be music. Takes 'em all a different way, don't it, Flash? Remember Rocky?'
Flash snorted. 'Yeah.'
'What happened with Rocky?' said Modo.
'Oh, him and his bike spent six hours starin' each other down,' said Stoker. 'We knew it was a match after the first ten minutes but they just had to have their little contest. OK, Rookie, you're up.'
Throttle took a little longer to choose his bike, stopping in front of a green Brightstar Classic 1180, which cocked its handlebars inquiringly at him - but he shook his head and moved on. After inspecting each bike in turn he got to the end of the line and the Merito Classic Harleytype 3, all gleaming black and glittering chrome, and he stopped. The bike turned its handlebars to look at him, in the silence there was a tense moment of mutual inspection, and Throttle sank to one knee beside it, lost in a world containing himself and a bike.
'Well, you're a lovely little lady, aren't you,' he murmured. Flash opened his mouth to say something but Stoker waved him into silence. Throttle didn't seem aware that there was anyone else there at all. 'Want to come with me? We could be quite a team. I heard a lot of good stuff about bikes like you.' He reached out and stroked the petrol tank. The bike revved gently, like a purring cat. 'Man, I think you stole my heart already, you gorgeous creature. You be my girl, we could race Phobos across the sky...' The purring intensified. Throttle stood up and got into the seat, sliding his hands over the handlebars. 'Oh, /yes/... you and me, let's break some hearts...' He rode the bike out of the ranks and stopped beside Modo.
'Woah,' said Flash. 'That was intense.'
The spell broke. Throttle looked at Flash as though he wasn't sure how he'd got here. 'What?'
'Well done, Throttle - I am now no longer worried about giving you one of my bikes. You too, Modo - both of you look like you did pretty well today.'
'Yeah,' said Modo, patting his bike on the handlebars. 'It's been a real good day.'

A few days later, Vinnie was supposed to be helping Flash change the oil on one of the training bikes, but really they were talking as much as they were working.
'Of course I'm not surprised,' said Flash. 'Been waiting for those two to get their act together since Modo turned seventeen.'
'Yeah, that's what we all said,' said Vinnie.
'And she's not jealous of the bike? The big guy's got a ride that'll follow him to hell if he treats it right and I know he will, but sometimes when you got a girlfriend too...'
'Naw, he came in with the biggest smirk you ever did see, next I saw, Blue was on the back of the bike ridin' out towards Diskord and they didn't come back till after midnight. Stoke was about to send a search for 'em.'
Flash laughed. 'Young love, eh? Speaking of which - what about Throttle?'
Vinnie rolled his eyes. 'Don't ask. He'd sleep with that bike if he could. He's getting stupid.'
'I bet you anything you take that back when you get your own battle bike.'
Vinnie wasn't listening. The door opened and Harley walked briskly in. She was in a good mood, smiling and swinging her hips, her bouncing curls gleaming in the light.
'Morning!' she sang. 'Oh, Vinnie - I thought you were doing classes today, good to see you!' She skipped up to him and hugged him, then turned and hugged Flash as well for good measure.
'Morning, Sunshine, having a good day?' said Flash.
'You bet!' She paused. 'Hey, Flash, have I got something on my nose?'
'No, you're fine. Vin, didn't Stoke ever tell you it's rude to stare?' Vinnie coughed and dropped his gaze. It wasn't just the smile. It wasn't just the fact that Harley kept her overalls at the bike shed and usually turned up in lighter clothes. For the past few years this wouldn't have meant a thing, but Harley had been growing a lot of late, and starting to fill out the combats and vest top she habitually wore. And Vinnie had been growing too - he was fifteen now and puberty and raging hormones had smacked him in the face with all the subtlety of a nail bomb.
Harley didn't appear to have noticed. She took her overalls from the hook by the door and slipped them on. 'OK, then, what're we doing today?'
'Just gotta finish this oil change,' said Flash, winking at Vinnie. He found the whole thing vastly amusing. 'And then we gotta work on those blueprints Stoke was talking about the other day.'
'The tanglesprings? Right.' She came up and stood beside Vinnie. 'So how far have we got with this thing?'
'Not far. We were just yakkin'. Home stories, you know.'
'OK.' Harley looked up at Vinnie. 'You're very quiet, Vin - something wrong?'
'Nope,' Vinnie smiled. 'Now you're here everything's alright.'
Harley burst out laughing. 'Oh, Vinnie, you're so /funny/... Let's get working, then.' The pat on the back Flash gave him as he passed did nothing to make Vinnie feel any better at all.

Seven months later:
'So, how's it going?' asked Silver. She and Blue were crossing the ground between the bike shed and Stoker's house arm in arm at a leisurely pace, talking nineteen to the dozen as they normally did when someone else was looking after the twins.
'Oh, fine,' replied Blue. 'Me and Modo're having a great time. He never tries anything, but hey, we're young, there's time.'
'"Tries anything?"' Silver crooked an eyebrow. 'You mean... oh, honey, you want that kinda thing y' might have to marry him first.'
Blue looked startled. 'Really? Oh.'
'Sorry an' all that, we're an old-fashioned Dire Valley family.'
'Yeah, I knew that. Hey, hang on, didn't you-'
Silver waved a hand dismissively. 'Ah was stupid as all hell. Y'all shoulda heard what Momma said when she heard Ah'd gotten in trouble. Didn't get back in her good books till Tommy actually left.'
'Oh.' Blue shrugged. 'Well, like I said, we're young, there's time.'
'Yeah. But you're growing up, though.'
'Um. Modo was so excited last night. His first battle. Should I be worried about this, Silver?'
'Sure. Ain't you?'
'No. My boyfriend and two mice I think of as family are going to kill and maybe be killed, and I'm not worried. I wonder why?' They reached Stoker's house and opened the door. 'I mean, it's not as if Modo or Throttle have ever done this before.'
'First time for everything, Little Sis!' said Throttle, whirling past her in tremendous excitement with an empty holster in his hand. 'Vinnie! Where did you hide my gun?'
'Ah gotta go,' said Silver. 'Momma'll tan mah hide if Ah don't come get the twins when Ah said Ah would.'
'OK - bye, Silver.'
'Bye, y'all! Mars keep yah, boys!' The door slammed and Silver was gone.
'Blue!' Modo appeared in the doorway in fatigue pants and a t-shirt with a gunbelt in his hands. 'Darlin'! Just let me put this down...' Blue swallowed. Normally she would have taken a running jump into his arms but now... he actually looked like a /soldier/. She let him draw her close and buried her face in his chest. 'Darlin'? What's wrong?'
'Modo, you're gonna come home, right?'
'Hey, Bluebird,' said Stoker, coming in at that moment. 'Take her through to my room, Modo, you can talk to her in peace there.'
'Thanks, Stoke,' said Modo. The door closed behind them and he sat down on the floor, Blue curled up between his knees. 'Darlin', you worryin' 'bout me now? You were crowin' that Ah was gonna give 'em hell yesterday.'
'I know, I know. But now you're ready to go and it's all so... so /real/. I don't want to lose anyone else.'
Modo chuckled softly. 'You ain't gonna lose me, baby. Stoke don't take us rookies out on big missions. We're cleanin' up fer the Army again, there's gonna be so many mice there Ah prob'ly won't even get to fire. Ah'm gonna come home safe an' sound, so's Throttle, so's Stoke. Ah promise.'
'Don't promise, Fuzzie. That's stupid.'
'Ah never did say Ah was a genius.'
'Huh.' But Blue smiled back at Modo, and leaned up to recieve his kiss, and just for a while, everything was alright. They stood up, and she stood on tiptoe, kissed him on the nose and whispered, 'Go get 'em, tiger.'

Over the next few hours, the reassurance evaporated like frost on a desert morning. Blue paced the kitchen, waiting for their return and driving Vinnie insane.
'Alright/!' he said at last. 'If you can't stop worrying at least sit down! Phobos, you're gonna have /me pacing next!'
Blue glared at him, then sat. 'I thought I'd be alright, I didn't think I'd worry this much - every ounce of common sense I have tells me it's all OK and they're not late-'
'Late? What's late for a battle?' said Vinnie.
'I don't /know/! But I keep thinking they should have been back hours ago!'
'Sweetheart, if you can put me on edge with all this fussing, you're seriously off your road. Calm down or I'm gonna get Flare to bring something to do the calming for you.'
'That's funny, you telling me to calm down.'
'Yeah, and it means you're going too far. Really, I mean it. No, chill or I'll call Beretta.'
Blue stopped dead. 'You wouldn't.'
'Wouldn't I, though? What's it gonna be, sister? Flare, Beretta or me?'
'I'll try my luck with you.' She sank her head in her hands. 'Aren't you worried about them at all?'
'Nope. Not yet,' said Vinnie. 'I saw the latest weapon blueprints.'
'What, they've got a new weapon? Can they use it right?' Blue's eyes widened in panic.
'Chill, Blue, nothing to it. They're tanglesprings, they just gotta be dropped. Even your man can't get that wrong, right?'
'I guess.' Blue laid her head on the table and wrapped her arms around her ears. After a while Vinnie sat down beside her and put a hesitant hand on her back.
'It's gonna be fine,' he said quietly. 'They're all gonna be just fine. OK?' There was a movement as Blue nodded, but didn't raise her head. Suddenly there was the sound of engines and she sat bolt upright, almost knocking Vinnie over, and listened for the voices. At first, just the roar of the bikes, then an intelligible chatter - Blue stood, tense, trying to distinguish one voice.
'Blue - they won't be in for at least ten minutes yet, they've got to debrief,' said Vinnie, rubbing the spot on his forehead where she'd hit him. 'They're fine, will you listen to me for once?'
The answer was apparently no, because she stood there until the door opened. Modo hardly had time to step through before Blue dived at him and kissed him, making him step back a pace or two in surprise.
'You're alive! Are you OK? No blood - no, no blood - thank Mars...'
'Cool it, Bluebird, you think I'd put him in front ranks on his first mission?' said Stoker, rolling his eyes. 'He ain't even scratched. Hey, Punk, you wanna tell Harley those tanglesprings work a treat, or shall I?' Throttle smirked at them but took Modo's helmet from his hand on his way through, leaving Modo and Blue alone in the porch. Now he had both hands free, Modo picked Blue up; she wrapped her legs around his waist and sighed happily.
'Why'd you worry so much 'bout me?' he asked. 'You knew Ah'd be OK.'
'I don't know. Just being silly, I guess. Maybe I've got unaddressed abandonment issues.' She laughed lightly. 'Next time I'll be fine. Now I've seen you go and come back again, everything'll be OK.'
'Right,' said Modo, walking so Blue's back rested on the wall of the house. 'Cuz you got somethin' Ah'd fight a whole army to get back to.'
'Glad to hear it,' said Blue. 'Now shut up and kiss me, Fuzzie.'

Blue threw herself into her work with almost as much gusto as she had after breaking her leg. She rearranged her timetable, cutting out some of her firearms classes so she could take extra medical classes, a move which startled everyone. All her friends knew how much she loved her gun lessons, and she'd never shown a particular love of medicine, but she seemed to be trying to aquire one.
'Ah don't know what's got inta her,' said Flare. 'Ah think she thinks effort an' concentration c'n make up fer total lack of patience an' the most appalling bedside manner Ah ever saw.'
'It's bad?' said Stoke. The two of them and Flash were sitting in Flare's kitchen, discussing the progress of their collective trainees.
'Beretta's is better, an' Ah had people askin' me to keep the psycho with the funny smile away from 'em. But if'n they need her she c'n be sweet as sugar. Blue just ain't got the people skills.'
'But she's been goin' hell for leather in bike tech as well,' said Flash. 'It's drivin' me and Harley crazy. What's she doing it for?'
'Tryin' to do her bit?' said Flare. 'Ah dunno. Stoke, honey, you're gonna have to ask her. She might tell you somethin' she wouldn't tell us.'
Stoker shrugged. 'I doubt it, but I'll give it a shot.'
Blue's busy schedule meant that Stoker had to ask her to stay behind after classes the following day before he could talk to her. She sighed irritably, but stayed.
'What's up?' she asked.
'Wanted to ask you the same question,' said Stoker. 'All these extra med lessons - you ain't no angel of mercy, Bluebird. What's on your mind?'
Blue turned to go. 'Nothing.'
'Hold it right there, my girl. Flare said to say you're running yourself ragged again. Don't make me put a curfew on your working hours.'
Another heavy sigh. 'OK, I'll revise my timetable.'
'Attagirl. We worry about you, you know.'
Blue looked back and smiled, but she said nothing and then ran off. Stoker shook his head. Definitely something on her mind. Lying was up there with nursing and tactics on the list of things Blue wasn't good at.

They found out what it was a couple of battles later. Blue had been obviously feigning coolness all through both of them, but then Modo came home with his left leg soaked in blood from the knee down. Blue took one look and let out a screech that made even Stoker, who had been among sirens and bomb blasts for much of his life, grimace and cover his ears.
'Phobos, Blue, what the hell's that all about?' he said. Blue didn't answer, just dragged Modo off to the nearest chair and took a first aid kit out of a cupboard. Understanding dawned on Stoker's face. 'Ah. Uh, guys - they shouldn't be too long. Let's leave 'em to it.'
'Hey, guys?' said Modo, slightly desperately.
'Sorry, big man, you're on your own,' said Throttle. Within seconds there was nobody there but Modo and Blue.
'What happened?' choked Blue, taking a pair of scissors and slitting the already-ragged trouser leg to the hip.
'Darlin', it's nothin' - Ah got knocked off'f mah bike. Ah was hardly even movin'. Blue? Really, Ah'm fine...' Nothing he said would make her believe him, though, so he sat back and let her clean and bind the cut. It didn't even need sutures. When she was done she sat back on her heels and rested her forehead in her palm in silence. Modo leaned forward, laid a hand on her hair. 'Blue? Babe? What's wrong?' Blue looked up, her eyes like blue glass globes of unshed tears. He pulled her into his arms and held her in silence.
Eventually she spoke. 'Every time you go to war... I think I'm gonna lose you. Like I lost my dad and my mum. I've been trying so hard... so if you come back in pieces I can put you back...' There was a sound like a choke or a sob. '...It doesn't help at all - What am I gonna do if you really get hurt?'
'Ah ain't gonna say it won't happen, Babe.'
'When I can go too - that'll be OK. I can fight for me and mine then. But now... everybody I ever really loved got killed. I don't want you to go too - I'll have lost my last one then.' Modo pulled back a little and looked at her in surprise. She looked a little uncertain. 'What?'
'Nuthin',' he said. He smiled, then he kissed her, a gentle, lingering kiss that made everything alright for as long as it lasted. 'Just... Ah love you too. So you ain't gotta worry 'bout me no more.'
Blue sniffed. 'Why not?'
'Cuz Ah'm comin' back every time if Ah gotta crawl from Deimos. Ah promise.'
Blue smiled, a wobbly smile like sunlight through water, and curled up on Modo's lap, tucking her head into the soft place just under his shoulder where she fitted so well. She was still worried about him - but the worry could wait, for a while.

Blue was woken on her eighteenth birthday by a knock on her door - one that said that the person knocking was simultaneously trying to wake her and not disturb her. She grinned sleepily into her pillow. 'Whoozit?'
'Blue? Darlin'? You up, babe?'
She sat up, pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes and smoothed down the T-shirt she slept in. 'I'm decent, Modo, you can come in.' The door opened and he looked into the room, smiling nervously. Blue held out her arms. 'Heyyy - it's my big fuzzie. What time is it?'
''Bout half eight,' said Modo, crossing the room to hug her. 'Ah just wanted to come say happy birthday afore the others got here.'
'Yeah, well, you did it - you even beat Beretta.'
Modo looked embarrassed. 'Beretta's... with Stoke.'
'Oh, OK. That explains why she didn't wake me up last night. But there's something wrong here...'
Modo looked panicky. 'What?'
'You're talking too much.'
She caught his face between her hands and drew him down for a kiss. She felt the rumble of laughter rather than heard it, and the warmth of his arms around her and the gentle pressure of his mouth on hers - then he kissed her on the edge of her ear and murmured, 'Happy birthday, darlin'. Ah love you.'
'Mmm...' Blue curled up in his arms. 'Love you too - my best big fuzzie. I'm liking this birthday already...'
'You gonna like it even more later. Ah got a message for you - once you're up, you go straight to th' bike shed. Flash's got one helluva birthday present for you.'

So first port of call when she was up, dressed and breakfasted was the bike shed. Vinnie was waiting outside for them, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, trying to look grouchy and failing miserably.
'Morning, Whiteass,' said Blue cheerfully.
'Hey, Blue,' said Vinnie, sauntering up and giving her a quick hug. 'Leaving me behind again, huh?'
Blue frowned. 'You really feel that bad about it?'
Vinnie shrugged. 'I got a year and a half to wait. Hell, I got my training bike early, I might get my battle bike early. So I ain't gonna deny a beautiful woman a beautiful bike.'
'Hey bro, this ain't your beautiful woman,' said Modo, mock threateningly.
'As far as I recall, I'm my beautiful woman,' said Blue innocently. 'We going in?'
It seemed like everyone was waiting with Flash and Stoker - in reality it was just Flare, Beretta and Throttle, but the shed seemed to be filled with people.
'Blue Skies!' crowed Flash. 'Looking forward to having a bike you don't have to threaten?'
'You bet,' said Blue.
'Do I detect a little resentfulness in that comment, Flash?' said Stoker.
Flash shrugged and waved towards the back of the room. 'Through there, kid. Got some nice shinies for you. Off you go.'
Blue glanced nervously at Modo in the sudden silence. He smiled and nodded and she went up to the row of bikes. There were four there and she wasn't entirely surprised to see that two of them were blue. One of them, an Excelsior 'Fallen Angel' in a rich, velvety midnight, cocked its headlight at her - if it were a mouse it would be raising an inquiring eyebrow. Blue considered it, then moved on. The one on the far end of the row caught her eye - a silver-grey Deimos Rune 790K, all smooth lines and sleekness that made it look like a ghost motorcycle. Blue walked up to it and watched it for a bit. She could tell the bike was trying not to look as though it was watching her. After a while she said, 'You're not fooling anyone, you know.' Someone behind her muttered, but she ignored them and the bike turned its headlamp on her. It was trying to look innocent. Blue grinned. 'Oh, come on. The cool act is really pathetic. Drop it, it's not doing you any favours.' The headlamp turned away. Blue laughed. 'Give it a rest, sweetie. C'mon, I think we'd get on like a house on fire - you know, screams, flames, people running for safety...' The headlamp turned back and the bike revved in short bursts. 'Is that settled then? Great, let's you and me go set Mars alight.' Blue got on the bike and rode it out of the ranks. Then she caught the look on Stoker's face. 'What?'
'Uh, nothing,' he said. 'It's just - I never heard a bike laugh before...'
Flash slapped her on the back. 'Well done, Blue Skies. My faith in you is restored.'
'As if you ever really doubted me,' said Blue sweetly.

Blue introduced her bike to Modo's a little later - she didn't think they had any concept of companionship but thought it was worth a try.
'It's a nice bike,' said Modo. He was sitting on the floor in the garage with his back to the wall and his arm around Blue, and the war seemed an eternity away.
'Yeah,' she said. 'A bike I can have a laugh with.' She sighed happily. 'This has been a really great birthday. I wish I could stay this way forever.'
Modo didn't say anything for a few minutes. When he spoke, it was as though he'd been rehearsing the words in his head for some time. 'Blue - Ah can't make it be your birthday ferever an' Ah can't promise Ah c'n make you happy all the time...'
Blue sat up and looked him searchingly in the face. 'Modo - honey, is something wrong?'
'No - no - Blue, just hear me out, yeah?' Blue nodded. 'We ain't got much here - we ain't rich or anything, an' there's always the war. But Ah just want it to be so's whatever happens, you always got me.'
'Yeah, but - I knew that.'
'No, Ah mean - properly.' Modo took a deep breath and Blue waited, a little concerned, while he sorted his thoughts. He took both her hands in both of his. 'Ah been waitin' fer a while t' say this, till we were both of us old enough - but we got our lives ahead of us. We don't know what's gonna happen but if bad stuff happens maybe we c'n deal with it together; Ah mean, Ah ain't got a lot to offer but Ah- Ah'm just sayin'...' He took a deep breath. 'Marry me, Blue?'
Blue gaped at him. He took her silence for rejection and started to defend himself. 'Ah mean, Ah know Ah'm not clever or handsome or anything and Ah-'
She kissed him hard, cutting off the sentence. 'You're /perfect/,' she growled. 'Of course I'll marry you. You big /silly/.'

Five years ago:
'Well, who'da thunk it?' said Vinnie while they waited in the mess hall with the rest of the guests.
'I'd have thunk it,' replied Throttle. 'Could be the saving of them both. She needs someone to take care of her but he needs someone who won't let him wrap her in cotton wool.'
'Yeah, I guess. Could also be a match made in hell, though.'
Throttle thought about it. Modo and Blue had been inseperable for nearly a year now and then he had proposed just after Blue's eighteenth birthday and had gone around with a silly grin for a month when she accepted.
'Nah,' he said. 'Not this one.'
'If you say so, bro. Hey, here they come.'
Blue and Modo entered the hall from opposite doors, both looking happy, nervous and very clean. The water shortage had meant that the washing away of the former life had had to be done with dry cleansers, but the meaning was the same. They met in the middle of a ring of people, as many witnesses as could be found - there were even a few people from the Army here. Stoker patted them both on the shoulder and said, 'Right, then, we're here, we can start. Ahem. Ladies and gentlemice, all of us here have come to witness the marriage of Modo and Blue. We are here so that everyone can say that we saw, and we heard, and we know what they said to each other here. Because while we are at war, the safest place for the records of family and friends are in our hearts and minds. One day maybe we will be able to write their names together for eternity, but for now we will watch, so we can tell our children that we were here and it was so. Modo and Blue.'
There was silence for a moment, then Modo spoke. 'Blue. The universe is a big, lonely place an' it don't care how much you get hurt. You been livin' most of your life by that but now you don't gotta cuz Ah care an' Ah love you an' Ah'll protect you till Ah ain't got breath to raise mah head. Ah remember when you tole me you couldn't rely on anyone but yourself. When the day comes when you can't rely on me no more that should be the same day Ah die. Ah don't know what the future'll bring an' Ah'm not perfect. All Ah can offer you is the best that Ah can be fer the rest of both our lives.'
In the crowd of watchers, Flare started to sob gently. Blue bit her lip and, after a couple of false starts, replied. 'Oh, Modo/... If my daddy could see me today - who knows, maybe he can - he would be so proud that I've found a mouse like you. As far as I'm concerned you /are perfect. But this universe is a terrible place and I will protect you to the hilt and beyond, and if anyone tries to hurt you in any way they'll have to cut me down to get to you. Yeah, I can rely on myself. You can rely on me too. Till the bitter end, I swear. I'm not perfect either, but I'll do my best and if your faith in me turns out to be misplaced then I may as well be dead. The future's uncertain, but I'm pretty sure I'll always love you.'
'Love means a lot of things,' said Stoker. 'It means taking the good with the bad. Do you understand?'
'Yes,' said Modo and Blue together.
'It means that you must protect them but you must also let them fight for themselves. Do you understand?'
'Yes.'
'It means being there when they need you, a family even without blood ties, a home for eternity. Do you understand?'
'Yes.'
'Then we have all seen and heard, all here know that Blue and Modo were two, now they're one, and may their road always be easy. Ride free!'
And as the crowd erupted in a deafening cheer of 'Ride free!', Modo swept Blue into his arms and kissed her.


YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES

Well the sun is surely sinking down
And the moon is slowly rising
So this old world must still be spinning round
And I still love you

So close your eyes
You can close your eyes, it's alright
I don't know no love songs
And I can't sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song when I'm gone

Well it won't be long before another day
We're gonna have a good time
And no-one's gonna take that time away
You can stay as long as you like

So close your eyes
You can close your eyes, it's alright
I don't know no love songs
And I can't sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song when I'm gone

I can sing this song
And you can sing this song
When I'm gone

(You Can Close Your Eyes, copyright James Taylor)