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Something To Live For Chapter 1 - Working Girl by Fair Drea Heaving a great sigh, Charlie Davidson, owner of the Last Chance garage, threw an oil stained rag at the motorcycle she had been working on, silently declaring it a lost cause for the evening. �I quit,� she muttered as she stood from her crouched position, wiping away the beads of sweat that clung to her forehead with the back of her hand. It was a warm June evening, one that carried with it a humid breeze that spoke of a long, hot summer. In the garage that day sat ten bikes, each needing work, each having been brought in earlier that morning and it was only Tuesday. Turning to the open garage door that faced a vacant street, Charlie stared with unseeing jade green eyes at the building opposite hers. God, it was going to be busy. She was already swamped with repairs, orders were piling up and she was way behind on the paperwork. �I need some help,� she said with another weary sigh. As she spoke the words a far off noise caught her attention, the low, subdued purr of a street bike. It was a sound she knew all too well, having a close friend that drove one. Don�t come this way, please don�t come this way, she pleaded silently. No such luck. A deep purple street bike came tooling around the corner and drove towards her. The driver lifted a hand in greeting and Charlie did the same, waving them into the garage. �Cuttin� it kinda close,� she said good-naturedly after the driver had cut the engine and lowered the kickstand. �We close in ten minutes.� The driver got off their bike and pulled off their helmet, revealing the deeply tanned face of a young woman with wide violet eyes, generous lips and a mass of straight chestnut colored hair. Her ears were adorned with hoops, each pierced three times and she wore a pair of low riding boot cut jeans and a tight black t-shirt that had the words �Hell�s Original Angel� printed across it in dark red cursive letters. �I�m sorry. I know it�s late but I had to try. Been meaning to get her in for a while now,� the woman said in a smooth, husky voice that revealed a hardly noticeable southern twang. She wanted up to Charlie and extended a hand. �I�m-� �Jaiden Sterling,� Charlie said, cutting her off and taking the offered hand with a warm smile. �I know who you are. Your father was a good friend of mine�and my best customer. I�m so sorry about what happened.� Jaiden�s smile faltered and a deep sadness filled her eyes. �So am I,� she murmured, attempting to push away the memories of the terror filled night her friends and family had been killed. She wasn�t here to reminisce about a past she couldn�t change. �I thought he could stop all of this.� Charlie placed a hand on the younger woman�s shoulder, not all to certain about how she was supposed to console someone she hardly knew. �He tried Jaiden,� she settled for saying, �that�s more then most people do.� The brown-haired woman nodded, forcing a smile back to her lips. �Well�I came by because you came highly recommended by my dad. Said you were the best in town. �Ain�t nobody prettier that can fix a bike like my Charlie,� he used to say.� �Sounds like him,� Charlie said with a short laugh. �So what do you need done?� �It needs an oil change and I needed a second opinion on this sound it�s been makin� before I go tearing her apart. I think it�s the carburetor but I wanted to be sure.� She followed Charlie to the back of the shop where a tall counter ran the length of the wall. Upon it sat a computer, printer, several binders and a mug full of pens. Watching the older woman fill out a work order for her bike, she leaned on the desk. �There�s no rush so don�t worry about gettin� it done. Oh�and I had a question.� �Shoot,� Charlie prompted as she wrote. Jaiden, never known for being shy, got straight to the point. �I need a job. Can I work for you?� The older woman�s hand stilled and she looked up at Jaiden. After appearing to consider the question for a moment, she smiled tiredly. �I�ve been getting my butt kicked for the past two weeks. What do you think?� Grinning, Jaiden tossed her hair back and pushed away from the counter. �I think I�ll be here when you open tomorrow,� she said, a note of excitement evident in her tone. �Eight o�clock. You can be here earlier if you want so we can get a start on those.� She nodded to the ten bikes and went back to writing, finishing up the work order. Suddenly she realized that she had left out one very important thing. �Jaiden,� she called out just before the other woman disappeared out the door. �Umm�I have these friends-.� �Those guys from Mars?� the young brunette said, taking Charlie by surprise. �My dad told me about �em. They sound pretty cool. I�ll see you tomorrow Charlie. And thanks!� �Yeah�see you tomorrow,� the older woman replied, still a little stunned. Well, at least she wouldn�t have to worry about Jaiden�s response to the guys. Good help that didn�t faze easily�the girl was just like her father. *~*~* After only two days at The Last Chance, Jaiden had proven herself to be a valuable asset to the establishment. She worked hard, brought coffee in the morning, stayed late and even brought in extra cash by taking on detailing work, doing paint jobs for guys who had seen her work before. What the girl could do with an airbrush and a bike amazed Charlie to no end. She was in the middle of one of those jobs, painting a feral looking panther with yellow eyes on a sleek black racing bike when Charlie walked up to her, handing her a can of ice cold soda. �I�m going to run to the bank and drop off the records from yesterday. Want to finish off Red�s bike for me when you�re done with that?� �Sure thing. I�m pretty much done here anyway,� Jaiden said, putting down her airbrush and pushing her bangs out of her eyes. �I�ll have it done by the time you get back.� �Great. See you later.� Standing, Jaiden surveyed her work with a critical eye. A few details were still needed as well as a protective finish, but those could wait until the paint dried. Walking over to Red�s bike she grabbed the work order lying on the seat and looked it over. �Looks like all need is spark plugs buddy. Should be easy enough,� she murmured. Taking the work order with her, she went to a back room off to the left of the garage where Charlie kept a stash of extra parts. She was reaching for the spark plugs she needed on the top shelf of a steel-shelving unit when she heard someone drive in. Plugs in hand, she walked out the door, ready to ask whoever it was what she could do for them but as she watched an impossibly tall man climbed off a red racing bike unlike any she had ever seen before, and pull his helmet off the words died on her tongue. Standing in the middle of the garage was a man with the face of a mouse and the body of a God. He was tall, much taller then anyone she knew. She�d be lucky if she even reached his shoulder. On the right side of his face a plate that went over his eye had replaced the skin and one of his large mouse ears was pierced. Long, powerful legs were covered by a pair of jeans that fit just right, he wore black, fingerless gloves on his hands and his white furred chest was bare save for the simple bands of green that formed an �x� over his chest and back. He must have been one of Charlie�s friends from Mars. Martian or not, Jaiden thought, staring at him openly as an interested smile played at her lips, that guy is gorgeous. �Charlie!� he called out, �Hey! Charlie-girl! Where the hell are ya?� Snapping out of her daze, Jaiden walked towards him. �She�s not here,� she said, laughing softly when he jumped and whipped around to face her. �She had to run to the bank.� Rendered speechless for maybe the first time in his adult life, Vincent Van Wham, better known as Vinnie, stared at the woman walking towards him. She wore loose fitting tan cargo pants and a dark green, sinfully tight top that complimented her violet eyes and dark brown hair perfectly. Hello beautiful, he thought, giving her an appreciative once over. �Ah�I don�t suppose you know when she�ll be back do you?� he asked. �Not long,� she said, walking past him to Red�s bike. �She left about five minutes ago.� She glanced up at him, giving him a suggestive smile. �Nice tail, by the way.� Vinnie grinned. Now this was his kind of woman! �So, what�s your name babe?� he asked, crossing his arms arrogantly over his chest. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, Jaiden bit back a sigh and steeled herself for his sympathy. It was always like this when meeting people who knew her father. They would figure out the relation, the empathy would be layered on so thick it would almost suffocate her and the sadness, the deep, overwhelming sadness would wash over her whether she wanted it to or not. Taking a deep breath she turned to face him with her best false smile firmly in place. �I�m Jaiden Sterling. And you are?� she said, extending a hand. He was mercifully oblivious long enough to take her hand, place a kiss on it and say, �Vinnie Van Wham. It�s a pleasure Ms. Sterling.� And it was after the words passed his lips that recognition flickered in his red eyes and the charming smile vanished. �Wait�you�re�Will Sterling�s kid?� Jaiden pulled her hand free from his loose grip, feeling her stomach clench uneasily. �Yeah. I�m his daughter.� She took a step back, retreating from the pity clearly written on his face. �Jeez�for what it�s worth�I�m sorry. I knew your dad. He was a good man,� Vinnie said, meaning every word. �I know he was,� she murmured, �and thanks.� She turned away from him quickly, hot tears gathering in her eyes. She would not cry in front of this man. �So you�re just here for Charlie then?� she asked as she worked on replacing the old spark plugs in Red�s bike. It was obvious to Vinnie that she didn�t want to talk about her family and he couldn�t blame her for that. She�d lost them what, only three months ago? Yeah, it was understandable that she didn�t want to bring it up. Time to charm a smile out of her. �I was here for Charlie�but that was before I saw you gorgeous.� Jaiden laughed and shook her head. �My dad warned me about you.� �Yeah? What�d he say?� Finishing up with the bike, she wiped her hands on a rag draped over the handle bar and stood, turning around to face him. �He said if I ever saw you coming I should take off running in the other direction,� she said, laughing when he frowned. �I thought your old man liked me,� he grumbled. Jaiden patted his arm as she walked past him, taking the opportunity to feel the thick, corded muscles of his bicep and finding herself pleasantly surprised by how soft his short fur was. �He did like you Vinnie,� she said, enjoying the way his name sounded on her tongue, �but he also knew you pretty well.� �Guess that�s fair enough.� Following her to the counter, he leaned against it and watched her as she turned on the small computer Charlie was constantly cursing and scrawled her initials at the bottom of a piece of paper. �So when did you start here?� he asked, curious to know more about her. �Two days ago,� she replied, giving him nothing more then that. He waited, expecting her to elaborate at least a little bit, but she just went about her work, acting as if she had forgotten he was there. Only when she turned to the computer did she once again acknowledge his presence. She laid a hand on the mouse, looked at it, looked up at him�and laughed. Vinnie rolled his eyes, trying to suppress a smile. �Now how the hell is that funny?� �I don�t know,� she said, still laughing. She quickly sobered though and regarded him with wide, apologetic eyes, the kind no man could turn away from. �That was rude. I�m sorry. I�ve just�I�ve been finding humor in really strange things lately.� �Don�t worry about it,� he said dismissively, �you�re just doin� what you gotta do to move on. I get it.� Jaiden stared at him, her deep violet eyes unreadable. Then, just as he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable under her scrutiny, a warm smile lit up her face. �I never thought of that,� she murmured softly, the small note of awe in her voice not lost on him. �Hey there my little beauty queen!� A gruff male voice called out, bouncing off garage walls. The boisterous voice belonged to Red Thorson, a huge man in his mid-forties, build like a brick wall and about as formidable as one, aptly name because of his red hair and short beard. He strode in wearing black jeans, black leather chaps, and a matching vest over black Harley Davidson t-shirt. �You all finished with my gal?� �You bet Red. I�m just printing up the receipt now,� Jaiden said, bringing the printer to life with the click of a button while pointedly ignoring the look Vinnie had given her, arching an interested brow when Red had called her his little beauty queen. Walking up to the counter, his booted heels clomping against the concrete floor; Red caught sight of Vinnie and grinned. �Hey, now there�s a face I haven�t seen in a while. How the hell are ya, Vin?� �Can�t complain.� Vinnie took the hand offered and shook it. �Good to see you again, Red.� �You wouldn�t be tryin� to take my best girl from me, now would ya?� Red questioned, his grip on Vinnie�s hand suddenly tightening. The look the old man gave him he had seen once before, and never forgot. He�d seen it on the face of his ex-girlfriend�s father one night when he had come to pick her up for a date. It was a look that very clearly said, �I know what you�re up to buddy and if you want to keep those hands, I suggest you keep �em where I can see �em.� So Jaiden�s dad is still watching out for her through old friends? Undaunted, Vinnie squeezed Red�s hand in return, knowing the humans strength was nothing compared to his own. �Wouldn�t dream of it Red. I was just introducing myself.� Red nodded, releasing his hand and slapping him hard on the back. �Good to hear, good to hear. Well, if you kids don�t mind, this old man�s takin� his woman home where she belongs.� He handed Jaiden what she needed for the bill and jumped on his bike, taking off with a wave. The two waved back and were once again left alone. �For a second there I thought he was going to take you home, beauty queen,� Vinnie quipped, earning himself a light elbow in the side. �What?� �You always talk like this to girls you�ve just met?� Jaiden asked as she turned around and returned to the bike she�d been painting earlier. Vinnie grinned and, like a puppy, followed her. �Nope. Just you princess.� She opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by the sound of several motors. Three bikers, one being Charlie, drove into the garage, parking their bikes beside Vinnie�s. The two she didn�t know she could easily tell here Vinnie�s friends. They were both slightly taller then him and looked older, though not by much. The first one, she noticed, was nothing but muscles. A layer of slate gray fur covered his body and he wore jeans, some kind of metallic plate over his chest secured by thick red straps over his shoulders, and an eye patch. A dangerous looking bionic arm mad him look more intimidating then he already was. The odd thing about him though was that Jaiden sensed no hostility radiating from him. If anything there was a deep calm in the one eye she could see. Now the other one�this one looked like he�d just stepped off the cover of a romance novel. He cut a dashing figure wearing blue jeans and a simple leather vest that exposed a trim waist and broad chest. His fur was tan in color, as was his hair, which he�d pulled back into a ponytail, leaving only a few bangs hanging over the deep red and green field shades that covered his eyes. There was also a red bandana around his neck, something Jaiden realized, the other two had as well. Must be a fashion trend on Mars, shethought, as she stood unmoving beside Vinnie. �Hey Vin,� the one in the shades said, his voice low and smooth, �who�s your friend?� Charlie pulled her helmet off, smiling at Jaiden and Vinnie as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing the auburn mass out of her face. �This is my new assistant I was telling you about,� she said, �Hopefully Vinnie didn�t do anything to scare her off.� �Oh no, he�s been nothing but overly charming, Charlie,� Jaiden said, grinning. Deciding now was a good a time as any to defend his image; Vinnie slid an arm around Jaiden�s shoulders and drew her close to him. �Hey, now I�ve been good. Saved her from Red, didn�t I princess?� She rolled her eyes, emitting a disgusted sound. �Would you quit calling me that?� �You�ll have to excuse him, ma�am. He lacks moral decency,� Mr. Shades said, walking up to her and offering her a hand. �Name�s Throttle, nice to meet you�?� �Jaiden,� she said, feeling Vinnie�s hand tighten on her shoulder. The thinly masked gesture of silent support was unexpected and it instantly calmed the anxiety that had started to rise up within her. Still smiling, her sorrow at bay for the moment, she took Throttle�s hand and confidently said, �Jaiden Sterling.� �Sterling?� �Yeah�Will Sterling�s kid,� she elaborated, taking Vinnie�s phrase from earlier. �And please�don�t say anything, okay?� The confused look he gave her caused a lump of emotion to rise in her throat. I can�t even get through a damn explanation without getting worked up, she thought, attempting to calm herself. �I know you guys were friends with him�and I know your sorry�but any more sympathy and I�m going to crack. I just don�t want to do that right now.� Throttle�s smile was understanding as he held her hand a moment longer and then let go. �I see where you�re coming from ma�am, but I would like to say your dad did a hell of a job raising you. Hard to believe someone so beautiful could be the kid of a guy like him.� He left her blushing, stepping aside so that the remaining Martian could introduce himself. Extending the hand attached to his bionic arm, the gray one smiled down at her warmly, his large frame dwarfing hers considerably. �My name�s Modo, pleasure to meet you ma�am,� he said in a deep, gentle voice. �Same goes,� Jaiden murmured with a smile, surprised to find that his grip was just as gentle as his voice. There was no doubt in her mind though that he could be fierce and unforgiving if the situation called for it. �Alright,� Charlie spoke up, clapping her hands together, �now that everyone�s been introduced, we�ve got to get some work done before closing time. Guys, you know where the food is. Make yourselves comfortable. And Vinnie-� The rest of what she had to say she managed to miraculously do by simply pointing a finger at him and giving him a slightly threatening look. His hand fell away from Jaiden�s shoulder almost immediately. �Jeez,� he grumbled, following his brothers towards the stairs that led up to Charlie�s apartment. �I was just bein� nice. Give a guy a break, will ya?� �Interesting group of guys,� Jaiden said, chuckling as she watched the three unique men disappear upstairs. Charlie gave her a cheerfully exasperated look. �Oh you don�t know the half of it honey. Stick around. You�re guaranteed not only a million surprises but at least that many bike repairs with these guys. And speaking of bike repairs�� Jaiden couldn�t suppress the groan that escaped her lips even if she wanted to. She�d been on her knees all day repairing bikes, doing detail work, and yes�she loved it, but only in moderation. �How many more tonight?� she asked, almost dreading the answer. Laughing at the unmasked exhaustion on the young woman�s face, Charlie looked over the bike Jaiden had been working on between repair jobs and then turned around to look over the four bikes waiting in a line against the far wall. �Well�how about you finish up with the painting, that should only take, what, a few minutes, right? Then�we�ll tackle that one together.� She pointed to a beat up Harley, the last one in line that needed the most work. The engine was burnt out, it leaked more than an overly emotional woman watching The Titanic, and the wiring needed some serious looking over. �I have a feeling it�s going to be a two person job.� Another groan from Jaiden. �Alright�let�s get this over with.� Two and a half grueling hours later the guys came down just in time to see Charlie and Jaiden finish up with the hellish project they were determined to finish and wash their hands of. Charlie was making a few last minute adjustments and Jaiden sat on the bike, one hand loosely gripping the handle bar. Both women�s faces as well as their clothes were smudged with grease. They looked completely worn out, foreheads covered in a fine layer of perspiration. �Alright Jai, try her now,� Charlie instructed, stepping away from the bike. The younger woman turned the key in the ignition, stepped down hard on the gas and the bike roared to life. �Thank the freakin� gods!� she screamed, her voice hardly audible over the engine. �I�m takin� it this one didn�t exactly treat you great?� Throttle asked, walking up to Charlie. �Oh, lord no. Gave us more problems then �ol Cheese head usually does.� �Now that�s saying something. Hey, you�re comin� over to watch movies with us tonight, right?� The question brought a romantic image to her tired mind, which was unable to block out unrealistic fantasy at the moment. A quiet night, a couch occupied by only her and Throttle, wrapped in each other�s arms as they whispered words she would never dare speak to him. Not when he�s with someone else, she thought, sadly forcing the image to fade. �Um�sure,� she said, hoping he didn�t notice the slight tremor in her voice. �Do you think we should ask Jaiden if she wants to come?� �I�m all for that idea Charlie-girl,� Vinnie said, pushing his way between them. Quickly masking her annoyance, the mechanic smiled and placed a hand between Vinnie�s shoulder blades, giving him a light push forward. �Why don�t you go ask her then?� The light shove only succeeded in moving Vinnie an inch and earning herself an amused glance that he threw over his shoulder as he crossed the garage to where Jaiden was, turning the bike off and kicking down the kickstand. She looked tired but triumphant, sitting astride the massive Harley and he had to admit that not even a few streaks of grease could take away from her natural beauty. �Hey beautiful,� he said, catching her attention. She lifted her head, tucking her mahogany strands behind a pierced ear. �Hey yourself.� Getting off the bike, she brushed her hands off on her now stained cargo pants and then straightened, looking up at him. �What�s up?� �We�re watchin� movies at our place tonight,� he said, reaching over to rub away a tiny smudge of grease from the tip of her nose, �you should come.� Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, Jaiden frowned. �Tonight? How about a rain check? I was going to go home and soak in the tub for the rest of the night.� �Well, then I�ll just go with you,� Vinnie teased, fully aware that he was going to get hit for what he said, and he did. Jaiden laughed and slapped his arm. �You�re horrible,� she muttered, too tired to get very upset over something that seemed so insignificant at the moment. Besides, she�d heard worse. She did however realize that she hadn�t turned him down. �And no,� she quickly added. �Damn,� Vinnie muttered. �Well hey, it was worth a shot.� Shaking her head, Jaiden leaned to the side so she could see Charlie. �Hey boss. I�ll see you tomorrow.� �Oh, you�re not coming with us?� the older woman asked, looking truly disappointed. �Nah. I�ve got a date with my bathtub. With any luck I won't fall asleep in it.� Patting Vinnie�s arm as she passed him she made her way to her bike and slid onto it, taking her helmet from where it hung over the handle bar. �Have fun guys!� The four watched her pull her helmet on and drive out of the garage and then Vinnie turned to his brother, grinning. �Don�t even think about it Vin,� Throttle said, already knowing what he was going to say. �The girl�s been through a lot. The last thing she needs is you constantly hitting on her.� �But it makes her laugh, bro,� Vinnie protested. �Yeah, well she�s not going to be laughing when she figures out you treat every good looking woman you meet like that.� At the time the young Martian took what his bro said with a grain of salt, ignoring the words for the most part until later that evening after everyone else was asleep and Charlie had gone home. As he sat on the couch watching reruns of The Dukes Of Hazard, legs stretched out in front of him and feet propped on a coffee table he thought back to what Throttle had said and found himself bothered by it. Was he really that way with every woman? And if he was, who was to say that it wouldn�t be different with this woman? �Jaiden is different,� he muttered aloud. She wasn�t like Charlie, she wasn�t like any of the girls he knew back on Mars. There was something distinctly different about her. Maybe it was the fact that she laughed at him when he joked around instead of getting all worked up�or maybe it was because she�d suffered such a great loss and could still smile. She was strong. He liked strength in a woman. Maybe he�d make it different with this one. A few blocks away Jaiden slipped on a thick terry cloth robe and, with her hair wrapped in a towel, walked from the bathroom into her parent�s old room. She hadn�t changed a thing about the house since they�d been ripped away from her and she didn�t plan to. This house was all she had left to remember them by. Their room alone spoke of what they were and how proud they were of it. Pictures lined the walls, alternating between family portraits, fun pictures taken when they�d go on the road, and framed posters of vintage Harley Davidson�s. The massive king sized bed was simple yet elegant, boasting a rich deep purple down comforter and navy cotton sheets. All of the furniture, the armoire, the long dresser that ran against the far wall across from the bed and the two bedside tables were stained a deep cherry color. But the one piece of furniture that stood out, Jaiden�s favorite, was an old rocking chair, built by her father when her older brother was born. It sat in the far corner of the room, facing a bay window that looked over the vacant street below. Crossing the room, Jaiden untwisted the towel holding her hair up and gave it a quick rub, throwing the towel on the bed before sinking into the old rocking chair. She rocked slowly back and forth, the gliding motion relaxing her. Dropping her head back with a sigh, she looked out the window, her gaze wandering over the star studded sky. Thus began her nightly prayer. �Hey daddy,� she whispered towards the heavens, �bet you�re drivin� the big guy crazy up there Mr. Hell on Wheels. I hope you�re all doing okay and that they�re taking good care of you. Well, not as good as I could�but still�� her voice drifted away, becoming slightly unsteady. Focus on something happy, she firmly told herself. Her eyes fell on a tiny red star, Mars, and she smiled. �I met Vinnie today daddy. He�s exactly what I expected�and I know this wouldn�t make you very happy, but he made me laugh. A few times actually. Can�t remember the last time I laughed like that. He�s a nice guy�so are his friends. They make me feel tiny, that�s for sure. I still have hope that they�ll be able to take care of the guy who took you from me.� The tears came fast, faster then she could stop them. �Damnit,� she muttered, �maybe I should have watched movies with them tonight�then I�d be to tired to be crying right now.� A shaky laugh passed her lips. �Alright Daddy, I�m calling it quits before I have a full melt down right here. Goodnight, give my love to mom and Dylan for me. Tell the guys to behave themselves.� Pushing herself out of the chair, Jaiden went to the bed and sprawled across it, exhaustion settling into each limb, weighing her down. When she slept that night she had no nightmares, no reoccurring dream of the terrifying day her world had shattered. Instead she dreamt of a brave Martian on a sleek red racing bike that had come to save her, and across town�that very Martian dreamt of her. [ Previous | Next Chapter ] |