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ShatteredFreedom4 by Whipblade


Authors
Note: I want to thank Shisaiga for beta-ing this chapter
(hopefully more.) Also for her great help getting around a plot hole. ^_^

Biker Mice From Mars

In

Shattered Freedom

By: Whipblade

Part 4


The warm glow from the fireplace
warmed them as they sat in the living room. Together they watched the way
the fake flames dance before them on the simulated logs.

It was unusually warm despite it being
winter. Yet Charley watched the tawny mouse wrap the big flannel blanket
tighter around himself. The black blanket seemed to have swallowed him
whole as he rested beside her. He seemed more relaxed in the past few days
than he had been since arriving. With his legs tucked up on the couch somewhere
and under the blankets,
Throttle took up most of the couch.
She sat snuggled against the warm blanket, decked out in her PJ's and blue
housecoat. His head rested behind hers. She could feel his warm breath
beating on her neck. It wasn't unpleasant. Even with false teeth, Throttle
kept up a few true habits; Brushing his teeth, three times a day, was one.
Bathing once a day was
another. She felt him fidget beside
her. "Want to talk about it?" she asked trying to find out what he wanted
to say. Like most male mice, talking about emotions and problems seemed
taboo.

"Everyone wants me to talk, Charley,
I don't want to. "His quiet yet steely tone told her he was irritated with
the reoccurring question.

"Then can I talk about it?" she asked
tilting her head up to see his growing bangs.

"Yeah, I'll listen." Throttle titled
his head to see her better.

"Hearing you and Vinnie fight like
that, it breaks my heart, Throttle. I know the two of you are no longer
the same mice you were when you left. I understand something so horrible
happened that you don't want to talk about it. It makes you cry and angry
and depressed. Four years was long enough for all of us to give up on your
two return. It must hurt that we did give up."

"Yeah, but I would have too. It's only
logical, we figured Harley gone too." Throttle shrugged a little.

She was no fool. Same mice or not,
she knew them better than they knew themselves. "There's a but lingering
somewhere in there."

"Yeah, there is." Turning slightly,
he rested his head on her shoulder. "I don't want to be me anymore."

Wrapping her arms around him and the
bulky blanket she held onto the tawny mouse. "Why not, Throttle?"

"I've fucked up all my life. If it
wasn't for me Vinnie would have never been tortured. Hell, Modo wouldn't
have lost his arm, Karbunkle wouldn't have harmed Stoker. Damnit! I was
the one who brought Mace into the Freedom Fighters to start with!"

"Throttle, it wasn't your fault, it
never could have been." Charley soothed as she cuddled closer to him.

"You couldn't have known anything."
Her small fingers ran tenderly over his choppy hair.
With a sigh, Throttle leaned into
her touch. He didn't say a word trying to fight the tears threatening to
form.


Modo stood silently in the door way.
He was only looking for his wife, and he found her, cuddled to his bro.
He didn't say a word as he quietly made his way upstairs.


********


Rounding a Ford that had yet
to be worked on, Charley spotted Throttle.

Cross legged on the floor of the garage,
Throttle's lap full of nuts and bolts. Scattered around him was what was
left over from his forth attempt at putting together a cheap chop shop
dirt bike.

"Doesn't a bike need a blinker?" Charley
asked walking up to the flustered tawny mouse.

"Usually. But only a right blinker?
Defeats the purpose." Throttle replied.

"Put on a left one." She smiled.

"Thought of that, this bike is so botched
that there wasn't anything I could find to fit a left blinker to." Leaning
back he looked up at her standing behind him.

"You improvise," she suggested looking
at the nuts and bolts all around.

"How do you fit a Honda, a Yamaha and
some unknown parts together without duct tape?" he sighed looking back
to the bike in front of him.

"Nuts, bolts and the occasional curse."
Charley replied as she picked up the work order for the dirt bike. "Did
you manage to fix the gears?"

"Yeah, the shift, the points and plugs
had to be replaced and the engine cleaned. Refitted the breaks and replaced
the swing arm." Throttle said, standing up, the spare parts dropping from
his lap clanged and rattled hitting the floor. "It's all written down there."

"I see that." Charley smiled as the
dirty mouse stopped in front of her. "I'll clean up here if you want to
get cleaned up."

"Thanks babe." He gave her one of those
charming boyish smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes. He left thinking
about how much soap he'd have to use to get his black paws clean again.

Charley looked over the dirt bike and
wondered where all the spare parts came from.


**

Throttle knelt down beside the black
ford. On hands and knees, he peered down at Charley, covered in grease
and dirt. "Charley?"

Her green eyes swung quickly to see
the tan mouse looking back at her. "Throttle? I didn't hear the door slam."

Wincing slightly, Throttle flashed
a shy smile. "Didn't want you to bang your head."

"Thank you." Charley smiled back before
looking back up into the engine.

"Uh, Charley...... that small thing
in the bathroom.... It was sitting on the edge of the bathtub.... it's
blue. What does that mean? Are you sick?" Throttle asked completely innocent.

With a sigh the female brought her
arms down from the engine, pushing out from under the SUV. Throttle stood
as she did. "Throttle, it means I'm pregnant," she sighed.

Throttle's eyes tripled in size.

Charley was startled at the wide grin
on the sickly thin mouses face, that wasn't what she expected. "When are
you going to tell Modo?" he asked quickly.

"Not yet. I need to make a doctor's
appointment first." As she wiped off her hands on a rag from her pocket,
she headed to the phone. Pausing before the
receiver she turned to see Throttle's
excited pose. "What ever you do don't tell Modo," she snapped.
Dialed.

Throttle paused, listening to the human
make an appointment. Once she hung up, Throttle followed her into the office.
"Why not? He'd be thrilled, wouldn't he?"

Charley sat down. Rubbing her forehead,
she left a smear of grim on her face. "Throttle, he would be....will be....
but." She sighed. "Sit down, please."

Throttle sat down, leaning forward,
elbows on the desk.

'He looks.... alive.' Charley
thought seeing the spark of interest behind the shadows in his eyes. "I
had a miscarriage several months back," she admitted.

Throttle's ears lowered. "It's rough,
loosing a child."

"It was roughest on Modo. We bought
everything, all in soft yellows, blues and pinks. We were happy. It took
our minds off of...." She stopped. Her green eyes looking in his.

"Vincent and I?"

Nodding she continued. "I lost the
baby in the third month. It was heart breaking. Modo was crushed. He wouldn't
touch me, hardly talked to me. He packed everything up and put it in the
small storage room at the end of the hall. We just finally started making
love again when you two showed up," she admitted. It felt like a weight
was lifted off her chest.

Tilting his head, rubbing the back
of his neck he hummed. "It's not surprising... I mean... Modo feeling crushed
and all. He's the only one I know who still has family, held on to beliefs
long lost with war." He
studied her. She wasn't glowing with
the knowledge of her pregnancy, nor did she seem upset with it either.
"Did Modo explain what happens when mice are born?"

"They are naked, blind and helpless."
Charley shrugged.

Throttle gave a short nod. "Yeah, but
there's more to it."

"More?"

"Kits, baby mice., are normally five
pounds when born. Pink and only partially developed. Eyes aren't fully
formed. No fur nor ear drums. It's easier to carry more than one that way."
He shrugged casually, ignoring her curious look. "Humans, I saw on the
health channel, they're born all squirmy and screaming, sometimes with
hair, sometimes teeth, they open their
eyes with in a few days. They're fully
formed, they don't need to be nursed and watched. Humans don't cull infants
who have defects, or are injured during those first days."

"Mice cull?"

"Yeah, very much like your earth mice.
Less in a litter though." He smirked. "Humans, are healthy what? six, seven
pounds depending on parents?"

"Something like that yes."

"Mice are normal at five. Modo was
a whopping seven pounds. If he had been the first born, his momma probably
wouldn't have survived the delivery, or
would've been cut open to save the
kitten. At three pounds its looked at as weak, unlikely to survive. Most
cull at three pounds.., before the war that is."

Charley nodded. "I know about the breeding
program. Carbine invited Modo to join."

"Did he?"

"I can't say one way or the other."
Looking at the dirt under her finger nails she frowned. "I have to get
back to work."

"I promise not to tell Modo."
"Thank you."

Throttle watched her get up and leave
the office.


***

Rummaging around in the storage room,
Throttle found the unassembled crib, the boxed toys and cans of yellow
paint.
Peering out the door, he quietly moved
some of the boxes and the unassembled crib to his room. Placing plastic
down on the floor, Throttle started to
paint the storage room a soft yellow.

Vinnie noted the crap filling
Throttles bed and the little trail that was clear to Vinnie's own
bed and dresser. "Throttle?" Vinnie called out softly. Peering back out
into the dark hall, Vinnie finally saw the soft yellow glow coming from
under the store rooms closed door. "Bro?" Nudging the door open slowly,
Vinnie smiled.

Laying in the middle of the mostly
painted room, splattered in yellow paint, snoozed Throttle. In one hand
he held a paint roller covered in yellow paint. Snoring softly, the exhausted
tawny mouse snoozed faced down a mist the drop sheets and puddles of paint.
The breeze from the open window ruffled the painted clumped fur of the
tan mouse.
Vinnie slipped out, only to return
with a camera. Snapping a picture, he flicked off the light and shut the
door again.

***

Throttle looked around the finished
room. Wiping sweat off his brow, he left a wide yellow streak of paint
along his forehead.
"Thought that damn crib would never
fit together." He smirked, closing the door he headed to the bathroom to
wash up.


"THROTTLE!!" Charley giggled as the
thin mouse who had strangely vanished for the last two days led her down
the hallway.
"No peeking." his husky and excited
voice whispered as he firmly tugged a blind fold over her eyes. "Come on,
babe. You'll love this."
She swore she could almost hear him
giggle with delight. "What is this about?" she laughed.

"Well, since Vincent and I have the
intended room, and there's no place to move out to. I thought you'd might
like a little more help with this, since Modo is still in the dark,....."
Throttle hurried his speech as he stopped her in front of the storage room
door.

"Whoa! Slow down Throttle." Charley
giggled. "Intended room what?"
Throttle pulled off her blind fold.
"What do you think?"
Charley laughed. "I think its a door."
Blushing Throttle grabbed the knob
and flung the storage room door open. "Now?"
Gasping, "OH!" hands over her smiling
mouth, her green eyes widened at the shocking view. "Throttle?" The bright
yellow walls glowed with love as green waves of silo wet animals danced
along the walls. Soft blue ceiling with fluffy looking clouds painted on.
The white dresser and crib was host to pink hearts and blue bubbles. The
floor, a plush carpet, in cream.
"I thought the chair would draw your
attention." Throttle smiled pushing her into the room further.
"Oh Throttle!" The rocking chair,
beside a change table and a diaper hamper. "You did all this?" spinning
around she grasped his furry tan cheeks. "All alone?"

"Yeah." He blushed looking into her
green eyes. "Tired, but I thought you'd like this. I used the money you've
been paying me to buy the paint and carpet." he admitted sheepishly.
"Oh Throttle. Thank you. I love you."
Charley gushed hugging her friend. She smiled. "You have paint in your
fur."

***

Modo stretched as he headed up stairs.
"Hurry up!" Vinnie snapped pushing
at the big gray mouse from behind.

"Ah, ain't running up the stairs, bro.
Charley or Throttle might be sleeping." Modo rumbled back as he stood on
the landing. All the bedrooms doors were shut, the place smelled heavily
of cleaning products and soap.

Vinnie squeezed past his procrastinating
bro. "Damnit Modo. I thought sex made you lose weight. Not gain it."

"Hey!" Modo shoved Vinnie, the white
mouse stumbled before thumping against his bedroom door.
"sorry." Modo apologized. "Didn't
mean ta push ya so hard."

Rubbing his head Vinnie straightened
up. "Yeah, its okay." He shrugged opening the door. "We lucked out, he
isn't in there."

With a nod Modo opened his bedroom
door and froze.

Charley looked over her shoulder. She
sat straddled on a tan body, the tawny mouse rested his head on his arms,
a pillow under his neck and a small smirk on his face.

"Char...Throttle......" Modo stammered.
He couldn't tell if Throttle was on his back or belly. But Charley was
defiantly in her blue robe.

"Hey." Charley smiled and she shrugged
the blankets over Throttle's still form. "He's asleep." Careful not to
disturb him, she climbed out of bed. Quickly crossing the room she wrapped
her arms around her mouse.
"Bash some goons?"

Modo hugged back . "Yeah." His
eye stayed on the tan form sleeping, in his bed, on his side.

Vinnie peeked into the room. "Hey Charley!
You missed a great fight!" he smirked.

"That's great." She smiled. "Shhhh,
Throttle's sleeping."

Cocking his head, Vinnie studied her.
"Yeah?" He asked more quiet then before. "Where?"

"In my bed." Modo's deep voice rumbled.

A tawny ear flicked.

Vinnie finally noticed Modo's fist
clenched. Looking to the bed, to Throttle looking peaceful, face down,
a thin blanket covering from his knees to his
neck. The blankets bunched on Charley's
side. The strong scent of soap and shampoo filled the room. A pile of damp
towels filled the laundry hamper.
"What did you do to him Charley-girl?
Tranq him?" he whispered.

"I gave him a back rub." She replied
looking worriedly to Modo. "That was it."

Grunting Modo slowly shut the bedroom
door on the two.


"Uh... bro?" Vinnie called to the wooden
door not an inch from his snout.

Charley tried the knob only to find
it locked. "Modo?" her voice raised in tempo, scared for the tawny mouse.
She glanced to Vinnie who put his
hand on her shoulder.

"Modo's jealous now?" he asked.

"I don't' know. He never had been before.
Throttle had taken a long shower trying to get the grease from a dirt bike
and two tire changes off him. I came up to clean up after closing the shop.
Throttle was sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing his shoulders."

Vinnie turned to the wooden door he
wasn't sure about breaking down just yet.



Modo heard Charley and Vinnie talking
from the other side of the door. Walking to the in suite bathroom, Modo
looked at the dirty bathtub. The amount of towels in the hamper and the
strong smell of Orange Grease
Remover, that Charley used for under
her nails.
The big gray mouse then walked to
the bed.

Throttle nearly jumped out of his skin,
eyes wide he rolled, fists up and knees automatically bending.

"Easy bro. Just me." Modo said as he
sat beside the tan mouse.

Taking a deep breath Throttle looked
around the quiet room. Blinking back sleep he yawned. "Must'a fallen asleep,"
apologetically Throttle muttered attempting to stand up.

Modo's hand shot out pushing Throttle
back down. "Don't get up." he ignored the scars crisis crossing his bros
torso, scars he'd already seen.

Confused, Throttle pushed his fear
back down from his throat, but it tumbled around in his chest. "Bro?" he
almost whimpered.

Modo held his bro down, his hand firmly
pressed on the tawny chest. "Throttle, I don't want to hurt you." Modo's
deep voice was oddly quiet and calm.

"Let me up." Throttle squeaked, his
eyes widened.

"No." Modo could feel his bro start
to tremble. "You've been here, spending more time with my wife than I ever
have," he started.

Throttle bit his bottom lip, trying
to control his trembling.

"I haven't seen you ever attempt to
repair a bike beyond tuning up your own ride. You've never been handy at
mechanics or machines and suddenly you've
become a mechanic in training. You've
been spending nights talking with my wife, while I slept after a battle."

"Bro, she's...." Throttle stopped trembling
seeing where the conversation was going.

"I ain't done." Modo snapped.
Throttle sank down further into the
bed.

"I know you and Vinnie have been through
some hard stuff. Vin-man finally backed off from trying to squeeze himself
into my marriage. But you." Modo's cold hard glare bore into Throttle's
covered eyes. "You seem to be doing just that. Entering my marriage, my
bed...."

"But.. " Throttle tried to protest.

"If you haven't yet," Modo growled
cutting Throttle off. "How long before you enter my wife?"

Throttle paled, his voice caught in
his throat. Modo's hand started to clutch at his chest fur, pulling it
into his strong fist.

"Never." Came out like a scared whisper
rather than the strong reply Throttle wanted.

"Bro. I don't care what happened to
you. If you ever touch my wife, I'll make you regret leaving Mace." Modo's
deathly calm voice terrified Throttle to the bone. "Get out of my bed."

Charley didn't hear anything from her
own bed room, other than someone falling, running for the door and shooting
past her and Vinnie. Throttle's door slammed shut.

"I don't think I've ever seen him run
so fast." Charley mused with worry.

"I have." Vinnie said pushing open
the ajar bedroom door. "When Stoker was about to pound his tail."

Modo turned his head to glare at Vinnie.

"I'll see you in the morning." Vinnie
said patting Charley on the shoulder. "Night."

"Night Vinnie," she said, entering
her room. The air seemed chilled.


Vinnie flopped onto Throttle's bed.
"Mmmfph!" Throttle huffed from under
the blankets. "Get off me Vincent. You're heavy."

Digging at the blankets edge, Vinnie
pulled back the many layers of cotton.
"Hey, what did Modo say to scare you?"
Vinnie asked.

Throttle looked up. Vinnie rolled off
his tawny bro ,laying beside him with only blankets separating them.

"He threatened to ..... to make me
regret leaving Mace....... if I ever touch Charley-girl."

Vinnie laid his head down on the same
pillow and Throttle rested his head on. "Touch her? Like tap on the shoulder?"

"No." Throttle smirked. "Like fornicating."

Vinnie bit his tongue trying not to
laugh. "You and Charley?" Burying his face into the pillow the white mouse
let out a giggle. "That's like Stoker agreeing to Jimmy. It ain't compatible."

Throttle used his tail to flip the
top most blanket onto his white bro. "Yeah, I know." He sighed. "I don't
think I can ever do anything like that again, any ways."

Sobering, Vinnie turned his head, snouts
almost touching. "What do you mean?"

"Mace butchered me good, bro." Throttle
sighed, he leaned his forehead against Vinnie's'. "Gets some sleep bro."

Vinnie tucked the lone blanket around
him. "You too," he muttered snuggling closer to the tawny mouse.

*****

TBC

in

Shattered Freedom

part 5

Whipblade

2005 December

whipblade@yahoo.com