|
Something To Live For Chapter 4 - Shattered by Fair Drea The Scoreboard had gone through a complete revamp since the day the Biker Mice had crashed into it when they first arrived on Earth. The empty space had quickly been transformed into a suitable �bachelor pad� with three bedrooms, a bathroom, a spacious living room and a small yet workable kitchen. How did they pull all of this off without a single person noticing? Simple, same way they managed to crash land in the middle of a baseball field without starting a riot�they just did. When Jaiden stepped into the living room with its hodgepodge of mismatched furniture that consisted of two worn navy couches, two beige recliners and an overstuffed sage colored chair, she smiled. Who knew you could make such a comfortable home out of a baseball scoreboard, she thought, taking a good look around as she followed Charlie in. Posters of motorcycles lined the walls, blankets lay draped over the couches and chairs and a decent sized TV sat on a long shelving unit that was, at the most, two and a half feet tall. Throttle and Modo sat in the recliners, playing a video game, 007 from the looks of it, and jokingly insulting each other while Vinnie lay on the couch, legs crossed at the ankles, a large throw pillow over his face. They�d all changed out of their usual attire. Throttle was in a pair of black sweatpants and a plain white shirt, Modo in a pair of navy blue sweats and a gray t-shirt that said �Mama�s boy� across the chest and Vinnie wore a pair of gray sweats with a faded �89� printed on the left leg, slightly above the knee. �Hey guys,� Charlie greeted them as she set a bag of movies, soda and popcorn down on the floor beside Modo�s chair. The faint sound of an explosion sounded from the TV and Throttle groaned, dropping his head. �Hey ladies,� Modo said cheerfully, grabbing a bottle of half empty root beer from a weathered coffee table that had seen better days and saluting them with it. �Just in time to see our brave leader being taken down.� �What did you get him with?� Jaiden asked. She knew the game well. She�d spent many a night playing it with her brother and trying to outsmart him. It never happened of course, but then again, she hadn�t devoted twenty hours of her day to the game like her brother had. �He got me with a grenade launcher,� Throttle grumbled as he lifted his head and glared at the TV. Jaiden laughed. �Jeez Modo, you didn�t even give him a chance!� �He never does. He�s ruthless like that,� came Vinnie�s muffled voice from the couch. Pulling the pillow off his face, the young mouse tossed it at Modo and turned a tired grin on Charlie and Jaiden. �Hey Charlie girl�hey there Gorgeous.� Thankfully the whole ordeal with Alexander hadn�t kept Jaiden from enjoying the nickname Vinnie had stuck her with. She smiled back at him, secretly overjoyed by the fact that he was in noting but a pair sweatpants. �Hey. Were you sleeping?� �Nah, not really. Have a seat.� He moved his feet dropping one leg off the couch and bending the other to make room for her. �What about me?� Charlie complained. She propped her hands on her hips and gave Vinnie an annoyed look. He smirked and nodded in Throttle�s direction, biting back a laugh when a vibrant red stained her cheeks. �Oh forget it. I�m going to make popcorn.� After a quick dig through the bag she had set down, she pulled out a box of microwave popcorn and made her way to the kitchen with a saucy swing of her hips. �You ever played this game before?� Vinnie asked Jaiden, sitting up and rolling his shoulder to work free the lingering aches. �Yeah. Me and my brother used to play it all the time.� �Did you want to give it a try? See if you can bring Mr. Ego here down a few notches?� Modo held out his controller to her. The idea was tempting. And although she did just adore the white-furred Martian, she had to agree with Modo that his ego was a bit on the large side. �Sure.� She took the controller. �Sweetheart, you don�t stand a chance,� Vinnie said, easily catching the controller Throttle tossed to him as he moved from the recliner to the unoccupied couch. A devious smirk was all Jaiden offered in response before she selected her character and pressed start. When Charlie came back in carrying with her several bowls of popcorn, the first thing she saw was the look of complete shock on Vinnie�s face. Beside him Jaiden had her knees pulled up to her chest and was giggling, the praise from Throttle and Modo turning her cheeks a rosy pink. �Know thy enemy,� she managed once she had calmed a little. �I thought I did!� Frowning, Vinnie accepted a bowl of popcorn from Charlie. �You could have told me about the secret passage ways, you know?� �Yeah�I could have. But I didn�t.� Setting the bowl he held down on the coffee table along with the controller he looped an arm around Jaiden�s lap and hauled her into his lap. �Get over here ya little minx,� he muttered. Jaiden laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, suddenly very happy that she had accepted his offer to come over. Her night was going to be absolutely perfect if she spent it in the warm circle of his embrace. �Hey�what the�when did this happen?� Modo sputtered as he stared at Vinnie and Jaiden as if they had both grown another head. Sitting down beside Throttle without even thinking about what she was doing, Charlie smiled at the gray-furred mouse. �Ya leave the kids alone for more than five minutes�� �Don�t act so surprised Modo,� Jaiden said dryly, casting a meaningful glance at him. �Charlie told me you thought it would take a lot less time than it did.� Modo grinned and leaned back in his recliner, putting up the footrest. �So Charlie-girl, what�d ya get?� He reached over the side and dug in the bag Charlie had brought with until he found the movie he was looking for. �Hey, Terminator. Nice pick. Here ya go bro, put �er in.� An underhanded lob had the tape flipping over the coffee table and into Throttle�s waiting hands where it was quickly put in the VCR. As the beginning credits played, Jaiden slid out of Vinnie�s lap, settling beside him. She stared at the screen, munching on her popcorn and paying little attention at all to the movie. All she could think about at that moment was how ridiculous it was that she was still so nervous around Vinnie, even after what had happened back at the garage. In truth, she had no reason at all to feel the way she did, not after the kiss�well, kisses actually, not after she had dropped her defenses and let him in. No, there was reason at all why she should feel as if they were on their first date and had exchanged no more than casual pleasantries. And yet there she sat, stomach twisting in knots, palms sweating, heart racing as if she had just run a marathon. She reached for a handful of popcorn, held back a disgruntled sigh and frowned as her fingers touched cool porcelain. She hadn�t even noticed that she had run out. �You want more?� Despite her best efforts not to, Jaiden jumped, unaware that Vinnie had been watching her. �Um no, that�s okay.� Ridiculous Jaiden, get a grip! �Thanks anyway.� He gave her and odd, slightly confused look, then, after taking her bowl and setting it on the table with his, he circled an arm around her waist and in a matter of seconds had them both laying down, her back pressed against his chest, her head pillowed on his muscular bicep. �You�d better get used to this Gorgeous,� he murmured in a low voice meant only for her ears, �because I think I�m gonna want to hold you like this a lot�and touch you,� his hand slid along her arm towards her wrist, �and kiss you,� his lips brushed against her neck, causing her breath to catch, �I�m not making you nervous, am I?� She swallowed hard and shook her head. �No,� she whispered, �having what I�ve wanted from the moment I saw you makes me nervous.� She didn�t see him smile, didn�t see the emotion swimming in his ruby red eyes, but she did feel his arm tighten around her, drawing her as close as possible, keeping her safe. �I want to show you something,� he murmured after a moment of silence. He took her hand and uncurled the fingers so that the flat of her palm was facing the floor. �Hold it there�just like that.� She did as he asked, a suspicious smile curving her lips. On the screen the movie played on and the others remained oblivious to what was happening on the couch. Pausing momentarily to watch Arnold rough up a few civilians, Vinnie turned his arm, facing his wrist up and then moved it under Jaiden�s open hand. It took her a few moments to figure out what he was doing but once she felt his pulse trip and race beneath her fingers she understood all too well. He was nervous�just like her and he was allowing her to feel that. Her vision blurred, became misty and she smiled the smile of a woman who was just beginning to realize how wonderful it felt to be held by someone who really cared about her. Entwining her fingers with his, she pulled his hand to her lips and pressed a long kiss to his knuckles. They stayed like that for the rest of the evening, only taking a break from each other long enough to indulge in a few slices of the pizza Modo had ordered when the movie was over. After that and considering that it was still remotely early, they moved on to Terminator 2 and Vinnie and Jaiden went right back to what they had been doing, wrapping themselves up in each other. Halfway through the movie though, Jaiden allowed her mind to stray from her present, and very close company. Her gaze shifted to where Charlie and Throttle were. The golden furred mouse sat with his feet propped up on the coffee table and one arm resting on the couch behind Charlie who sat beside him, leaning slightly towards him. The picture seemed friendly enough, innocent enough but Jaiden�s wandering eye finally caught the one thing the two were trying to hide from everyone else and from each other. Attraction. She watched a moment longer, reading the body language, seeing the stiff tension that radiated between them. And when Throttle moved his hand as if he was going to rest it on Charlie�s shoulder but quickly pulled back, Jaiden was pushed from assumption to absolute assurance. Charlie and Throttle�why didn�t I see this sooner, she wondered, smiling to herself and deciding to keep quiet. If they didn�t figure it out on their own, then and only then would she step in and offer a little shove in the right direction. After another half hour had passed, weariness set in and Jaiden�s efforts to stop the yawning started to fail. Several sleepless nights spent worrying about her project and if it was looking okay stacked on top of the early mornings she was pulling had sucked the energy right out of her and left her bone tired. It was after what had to have been her twentieth yawn that Vinnie finally commented on it. �You gonna fall asleep on me, Gorgeous?� he asked softly, rubbing her arm. She smiled, turned towards him and opened her eyes. �I think so. I should probably get going, make sure I get my full eight hours of sleep�hopefully more.� Instead of putting up an argument or trying to convince her that she should stay at least until the movie was over, Vinnie shifted and sat up, pulling her with him. �I�ll walk you out.� Jaiden quickly said goodnight to everyone, grabbed her small bag from where it lay beside the couch and took Vinnie�s hand, trying her best not to stumble as she followed him to the door. �You�re going to make it home okay, right?� he asked, stifling a chuckle when she swayed and leaned against him. �Oh yeah�I�ll be fine. I�ll drive fast.� �My kinda woman.� They stopped at the door and turned to face each other, still holding hands. Vinnie squeezed hers and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist in an almost lazy manner. �So�� �So�you gonna kiss me or are we going to stand like this until I pass out?� Jaiden asked with a playful smile. He chuckled, already leaning down. �Tough choice.� And then his lips were on hers, soft at first, a lazy caress that fizzled her senses and made her body feel deliciously liquid. But she wanted more, something that would ensure pleasant dreams so she sighed softly, tilted her head to the side and opened for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him as she did so. It was everything, everything she had ever craved in a kiss, everything she had dreamed a kiss could be. His arms tightened around her as he released a deep groan and ravished her lips. Finally, they managed to drag themselves away from each other. �Mmm�you do that very well Vinnie,� Jaiden whispered. �You�re boosting my ego here, sweetheart.� He grinned and hugged her close, not wanting to let her go. But he had to. He hadn�t been unaware of the exhaustion that had etched itself into her soft features over the week. She needed sleep and she needed it bad. �Alright, Gorgeous,� he lowered her to her feet and took one more kiss before letting her go, �get some sleep.� Jaiden stuck her bottom lip out in an adorable pout that vanished as quickly as it had appeared, only staying long enough to make him laugh. �Okay, I�ll see you tomorrow then.� �I�ll be looking forward to it.� She made it to her bike without incident, slid onto the cool leather seat and pulled her helmet on, hiding the dreamy smile behind the dark protective mask. Then she drove home just like she said she would. Fast. She let the cold wind whip at her skin, a welcome wake up call in the silence of the night that passed her by in a dark navy blur. She didn�t bother using the garage when she got home, finding the task of digging in her purse for the garage opener too much of a task in her current tired state. Instead she just parked it in the driveway and walked tiredly to the front door, her helmet dangling from one hand, her keys from the other. As she neared the door she started searching for the right key when something caught her eye. A piece of paper with the word �NOTICE� printed at the top in bold letters taped to her door. Confused, she pulled it down and her eyes scanned the words, going wide with shock and then narrowing as fury blazed red hot through her veins. It roared in her ears like a waterfall, drowning out reason, drowning out the sound of the black limo pulling up to the curb and car doors shutting. �It�s an eviction notice, if you haven�t figured it out yet. You have two weeks to be out before the house is condemned and torn down.� Jaiden whipped around, dropping her purse and helmet in the process. �You,� she growled, lips curving back in a feral sneer and eyes burning with deep hatred. Limburger�s grin was full of malice as he stared at the young woman on the stoop. He pulled at the pressed fabric of his plum coat and chuckled, a sound that held no humor what so ever. �Yes, me�and imagine my surprise when I found out one of you insipid Sterling�s was still alive and kicking. Here I thought I had killed you all. But no worries darling, I�ll soon remedy that slight mistake.� �You can�t do this!� Jaiden screamed. Dropping the note, she stormed down the steps and across the yard. It never registered in her mind that going up against a man who had a hand full of hired goons just standing around, huge men in black suits that were awaiting their bosses command might be a bad idea. All she cared about was hurting him, making her pain his. �This is my house and I�ll be damned if you�re going to take it from me!� �Then be damned child.� She lunged at him, an enraged scream tearing from her throat and two of his men jumped forward, grabbing her arms and yanking her roughly backwards. They slammed her forcefully into the neat fence that surrounded the perimeter of her yard and the wood cracked in protests. But she didn�t cry out, instead she glared at the Plutarkian. �Why are you doing this? I did nothing to you! NOTHING!!� �Wrong.� He regarded her disdainfully, pulling at the fingers of his right glove and slowly tugging it free. �You may have lived a long life, one I might have never been aware of�if you hadn�t decided to side up with those loathsome Biker Mice.� Jaiden�s eyes narrowed, this time in confusion. �But�how?� The sound of a car door opening drew her attention to the sleek black limo, the very one Alexander Ricardo was stepping out of. His ice blue eyes settled on her and a smug smile curved his thin lips. �Hello Gorgeous.� A guttural moan spilled from her as her head dropped. This couldn�t be happening�she wasn�t losing, she couldn�t! �How could you do this?� she asked, little conviction behind the question. She knew how�and she knew why. �My darling Jaiden, you honestly didn�t believe that I only worked for one man did you?� He moved towards her, crouched down and took her chin in his hands. She tried to fight him, tried to move away, but Limburger�s goons held her fast. �A man needs money Miss Sterling, and when the opportunity presents itself, one must grasp that opportunity before it slips away. Besides, I find a dinner in your company pales in comparison to the amount of money I can make off of you.� He straightened, releasing her face, his own contorting in an ugly look of hatred. �I�ll be waiting in the car Limburger. I suddenly find looking upon a pathetic creature like her distasteful.� �Me distasteful?� Jaiden scoffed, her anger fueling her words. �Look in the mirror you flaccid, insufferable, repulsive jackass!!� She never saw the hand coming down until it struck her, snapping her head back, the large jeweled ring leaving a deep gash in its wake. Two hands jerked her back and once again her body slammed into the unyielding fence. This time she did cry out and tears of pain formed in her eyes as her back burned its dissent. �You will have respect, Miss Sterling�or you�ll find yourself on the receiving end much worse abuse than this,� Limburger growled, glaring down at the girl. He was going to break her, teach her a lesson for siding with his long time enemies. Nodding to two of his men he watched them for a moment as they made their way to the garage and forced it open, then he turned his attention back to the girl. �Two weeks Miss Sterling. And if you�re here at the end of that allotted time, the punishment will be severe. Does your brain understand that much?� Jaiden slowly lifted her tear filled eyes and gave him a spiteful look. �Go to Hell.� �Insolent wench!� Fury now boiling over at the girls refusal to stop fighting, Limburger reached out and grabbed her by the nape, digging his fingers into the tender flesh. His men released her and the Plutarkian yanked her up, taking pleasure in the tortured gasp that shuddered past her lips. �I�ll teach you to talk back to me.� Jaiden fought against him, tried for all she was worth to pull free, but it only made him tighten his grip on her neck. She wouldn�t let him do this to her and she had every intention of fighting until she saw the two men Limburger had sent off earlier come out of the garage, wheeling with them the one item she prized above all else; her father�s bike. �What are they doing?� she asked, furious at the noticeable waver in her voice. Limburger�s grin was slow and malicious. He was going to take immense satisfaction in this. �Watch,� he said, squeezing her neck and chuckling when she whimpered. �Be a good girl and don�t look away�because you�re only going to see this once.� Jaiden watched the two men in complete confusion as they moved around the bike. They appeared to be inspecting it and then she saw them, the circular disks the men had attached to the bike, the little red lights blinking around the edges of them. �No�� One of the men pulled a flat, rectangular object from his coat pocket and then backed up with the other, putting several yards between themselves and the bike. �No! Stop�you cant do this! Stop!� Jaiden screamed, struggling to free herself. Tears raced down her cheeks and she didn�t care. They didn�t matter, nothing mattered except keeping the men from doing what she was almost sure they were going to do. �Please don�t do this�I�m begging you�� she whispered. She hated herself for crumbling the say she did but it was her last hope. Limburger�s cynical chuckle carried to her ears. �Begging will get you almost everything Miss Sterling.� He slackened his grip briefly and let the moment stretch out, reveling in the feel of the trembling woman beneath his palm, then he tightened it again and forced her to look up. �Everything�except this.� A second of silence passed, an aching span of time in which Jaiden felt everything within her shatter, felt the bottom drop out and then the silence of the night was filled by the sound of a deafening explosion. She watched in mindless horror as her father�s bike was torn apart, flaming pieces of it scattered across the yard and when the smoke cleared there was nothing left but pieces, tiny pieces laying everywhere that were unsalvageable. �Maybe this will teach you when to stop fighting,� Limburger sneered as he released her. With a look, he dismissed his men and went back to his limo, leaving Jaiden Sterling on the ground in pain�and broken. Sobs wracked her body as she curled into herself, dragging her hands on the rough cement. She curled one hand into a fist and hit the ground, hit it repeatedly, hoping the physical pain would relieve the deep, numbing ache that had formed inside her. But it didn�t. She wasn�t sure anything ever would. Time passed, the crescent moon with its weak light coasted across the star studded sky and when she could cry no more, when she was as empty as she had ever been before, Jaiden forced herself to her feet, her vacant gaze moving over the yard littered with smoldering pieces of her father�s motorcycle. She couldn�t stay here tonight. She�d go back to the Scoreboard, find Charlie and see if she could take her in for one night because the thought of staying here actually scared her. She made her way into the house on numb legs, went up to her room to pack a small overnight bag, and grabbed her mother's leather jacket from the laundry room. �Bandit�Bandit, come here sweetie,� she called brokenly as she moved through the dark house. She was able to rally a weak smile when the puppy emerged from the kitchen, his big paws thumping on the hardwood floors. She picked him up and tucked him into her jacket, zipping it up around him, and then left as quickly as she could, locking the door behind her out of habit. She drove slowly but still reached the Scoreboard in a short amount of time. It was like she was on autopilot, moving without thinking about what she was doing, each step somewhat mechanical. She was at the door without even knowing how she got there. Pushing it open, she called out a weak hello. Fortunately, the guys were up. �Hey, what are you doing back Gorgeous?� Vinnie asked from his spot on the couch. �Is Charlie still here?� The pain in her voice caused them all to sit up. �No, she left �bout ten minutes after you did,� Throttle answered, �you okay sweetheart?� Jaiden unzipped her jacket and set Bandit down, shrugging out of the cumbersome leather. She didn�t know what to say, she didn�t even know what she was doing any more. �Jaiden?� Vinnie stood up and took a cautious step towards her. She moved out of the shadows then, her haunted gaze fixed straight ahead. �I�he�� she stammered. Her control slid through her fingers like sand and with a shuddering cry she sank to the floor. Fear clamped down on Vinnie�s heart viciously as he stared at his bruised and bloody Jaiden. He rushed to her, knelt down in front of her on the floor and pulled her trembling body into his arms. �Jaiden honey, what happened?� he asked. �He condemned my house.� She jerked back, fury rapidly replacing her sadness. �He condemned my damn house! He couldn�t just settle for ripping my entire family away from me! Oh no! He had to take the damn house too, give me a two weeks notice like he had the freaking right to. And as if that wasn�t enough he had to destroy my father's bike!!� �Jaiden, calm down,� Vinnie tried, although he felt far from calm himself. �Why is he doing this to me? What the hell did I ever do to him? I�I don�t understand�� As quickly as the anger had come it drained from her and she fell against him with a low sob. �I thought I couldn�t cry anymore�it hurt so much Vinnie.� He didn�t know what to say so Vinnie held her tight, running a hand in soothing circles over her back while she cried. He waited out the storm, even as the one within him raged on. He didn�t know the full story yet but he could only assume one person was capable of doing such a hideous thing. Limburger. Finally her body stilled and the cries died away. Pulling back, he looked down at Jaiden�s face and felt his heart twist painfully. Her eyes were full of pain, her cheeks streaked with tears. �Why don�t we get you cleaned up, huh?� She managed a nod and allowed him to pick her up. He carried her to the kitchen where he set her on the counter, flipped on the range light and dug through a cupboard above a small stove for a first aid kit. Once he�d found it, he set it beside her on the counter and pulled a clean rag from the drawer beside the sink opposite the stove, soaking it with water from the tap. As she watched him she felt that same numb feeling from before slowly over take her, exhaustion fast on its heels. �I didn�t even get a hit in,� she muttered, not sure why she had chosen to say such a thing. �Then how�d ya get this?� Vinnie asked, standing in front of her and taking her hand. He gently dabbed at the wound that ran from her knuckle to her wrist. �Hitting the ground.� He understood that. Many walls had suffered the wrath of his anger. �You�re going to stay here tonight,� he said, wrapping her hand in gauze before moving on to her cheek, �you can have my room.� �But I have to work tomorrow,� she weakly protested. �I�ll call Charlie�let her know what happened, okay?� �Yeah�I guess that�s okay.� �Good.� He picked her up again and carried her out to the living room where Modo and Throttle were patiently waiting. The TV was still on, some old western playing, but the sound was turned down. Vinnie placed Jaiden on the couch and sat down beside her, throwing a helpless glance at Throttle. The oldest Martian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He watched the young brunette forcefully pull herself together and couldn�t believe she was still standing after what she�d gone through. But she was strong, strong enough to snag his now reformed bro, make him a one-woman man and swallow the pain of losing the only remaining items she had to remember her family by. The side of her face was swollen from the hit she�d taken, her body was exhausted from lack of sleep and too many hours of work, and her eyes�women�s eyes were not supposed to be filled with pain. Things like this should have never happened to her, someone should have gone home with her. He should have�or Vinnie. Guilt ate at him. This had all happened because of her acquaintance with them, he knew that much without her having to say a word and he could feel his heart twist with that knowledge. What if this were to happen to his Charlie? What if Limburger had come after her and beat her, taken away everything important to her�he would never be able to live with himself. He forced himself to remain calm and took a steadying breath. �Jaiden, what happened out there?� She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. Violet eyes lacking their usual luster stared at the floor. �Alexander works for Limburger,� she murmured, �he told him about my involvement with you guys and Limburger is now punishing me by taking away everything important to me. He condemned my house, gave me two weeks to pack up and get out�and he�blew up my father's bike. Said it was my punishment for not knowing when to stop fighting.� Modo and Vinnie both cursed violently and Throttle released a deep sigh, shaking his head. �I knew Limburger was twisted�but this�I never knew he could be this sadistic.� �Well�he can,� Jaiden said, her voice trembling as another onslaught of tears burned the back of her eyes. �Damn.� Wordlessly, Vinnie pulled Jaiden into his lap. �We�ll get your house back Jaiden,� he promised. He couldn�t stand to see her like this. Couldn�t bear knowing the kind of pain she had gone through. �This happened because of us and-� �No,� she cut him off before he could say another word, sitting up and taking his face in her hands. �You blame yourself for this Van Wham and I�m going to hurt you. You didn�t pick a fight with Limburger, my family did. And they did it for themselves; they did it to show him they weren�t afraid. I�ll finish their fight for them as fearlessly as they started it.� Vinnie had never before felt such complete admiration for anyone. She had been bruised, beaten, and yet she still fought on. God, he was going to fall head over heals for this one. He cupped the back of her neck in his palm and pulled her close, pressing a feather soft kiss to her lips. �And we�ll fight with you.� Throttle and Modo smiled at the two, respect and compassion filling their hearts. So she hadn�t been broken after all�that�s our Jaiden, Modo thought, feeling vastly relieved that the worst, for the most part was over. He leaned back in his chair and picked up the remote to turn the volume up slightly. Sounds of western music and roughly accented voices filled the room, punctuated by the occasional rifle going off or whinny of a horse. �Hey Vin,� Modo spoke up after a while, looking at the younger Martian. Jaiden was still in his lap, her head on his shoulder. �She awake?� Vinnie craned his neck back glanced down, smiling when he saw that her eyes were closed. �She crashed.� �Why don�t you take her to your room, bro,� Throttle suggested as he stretched his arms above his head and yawned. �She�ll probably be more comfortable in a bed.� Yeah, but I�m more comfortable with her here, Vinnie though but he did as Throttle asked, cradling her body in his arms and bringing her to his room. Leaving the light off, he laid her down in the bed, adjusted her body and pulled the thin comforter around her before sitting next to her. The mattress dipped under his weight and Jaiden made a small humming noise, turning onto her side. He watched her sleep, studied her peaceful features, listened to her steady breathing. It was hard to believe that someone who looked so angelic could have suffered through so much loss. He picked up her hand from where it lay on the bed and held it between his, releasing a tired sigh. �Jaiden�I�m sorry about all this,� he murmured, unsure of whether she could hear him or not, �I know you don�t want me to blame myself for this mess but I�ve never been all that great at turnin� my back on the truth�or listening for that matter. Fact is, this did happen because of me. If I wouldn�t have let on how much I liked you in front of that guy�if I would have just laid off and not grabbed him, he might have left well enough alone.� She dropped his head, feeling defeated. �You make one slip�� �That one little slip was a pretty romantic gesture on your part hun.� Vinnie lifted his head and smiled wearily at the woman whose deep violet eyes gazed up at him. �You�re supposed to be sleeping.� �I know.� She rolled onto her back. Her thumb brushed gently against the side of his hand as her fingers threaded through his. �You�re not supposed to be blaming yourself.� �I know.� His smile quickly turned from tired to rueful. �Did ya hear the part about how I�m no good at listening?� She rewarded his efforts with a soft laugh and, although it never reached her eyes, he still considered it an improvement. �Are you staying?� �Here? No. I was going to go out and talk to Throttle and Modo, see what their thoughts were on all of this then just�crash on the couch, I guess.� �You don�t have to sleep out there Vinnie,� she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he forced back a pained groan. As much as he wanted to accept that oh-so-enticing invitation, he knew better. �I know we�re takin� things pretty fast sweetheart, but we�re not gonna take �em that fast.� �I didn�t mean�I wasn�t,� tears of frustration gathered in her eyes and she muttered a fowl curse, yanking her hand from his grasp to hastily wipe away the tears that had started to trickle down her face in tiny rivers. �I hate that he can do this to me.� �Do what?� Vinnie asked as he took her hand in his again after she�d dropped it in her lap. �Make you cry?� She looked up at him, the sadness in her turbulent eyes twisting his heart. �Not just that. I hate that he can make me so scared. I hate feeling like he�s watching me, waiting to kill me. I�I don�t do scared, damn it!� Her misery gave way to anger. �I never have! And now�now I�m terrified and I hate it. I hate him.� �I know ya do Jaiden.� With little effort he pulled her close to him and she laid her head on his shoulder as her body went limp from exhaustion. �I�ll stay with you tonight, okay Gorgeous?� �Thank you,� she whispered. �Let me just got talk to my bros for a few and I�ll be right back.� �Alright.� Regretfully, he let her go and stood, leaving the room before he could change his mind. Modo and Throttle were still awake and somber as ever. The TV had been shut off for the evening and the room was thrown into a bleak, heavy silence. Vinnie went to the couch but didn�t take a seat; instead he stood, resting his hands on the back of it. �So guys�any ideas?� �Kill Limburger,� Modo said almost immediately. �My thoughts exactly, bro.� Throttle sighed and sank back against the couch he sat on. �Come on guys, I know its not your thing but try being a little rational, will ya? We can�t just go bustin� into Fish face�s place without a plan. I�m just as pissed off as you guys about what he did to Jaiden�but if we�re gonna get rid of him, we need to make sure we do it right.� The silence that came as a reply was the only answer he needed. �Look, we�ll all get some sleep and think about this more in the morning. I may not be as exhausted as Jaiden�but I�m pretty damn close.� �Hey, before you guys turn in�I got a favor to ask ya,� Vinnie spoke up as he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. �Jaiden wanted me to stay here with her-� �Vin, maybe you should take it easy on her for a while until she calms down,� Throttle immediately spoke up, playing the protective older brother roll. The younger mouse laughed and shook his head. �Trust me bro, I had every intention of doing that. But she�s scared�she wants me to stay with her and I promise I won't try anything. But�I need you guys to ride over to her place for me. Pick up the pieces.� The two stared at their younger brother, surprised by the compassion in his voice and that he would suggest such a thing. Vinnie was hardly ever serious, but when he was, he did it with conviction. Finally, Throttle stood, crossed the distance separating him and Vinnie and laid a hand on his shoulder. �We�ll get everything we can.� �Thanks.� Vinnie waited until they were both gone and then turned and headed back to his bedroom where he knew Jaiden was still awake, waiting for him. He smiled when he saw the heavy lidded eyes watching him from the bed and closed the door behind him. �I�m all yours, Gorgeous.� She gave him a tired smile and moved over, making room for him on the double bed. With out hesitation, he laid down beside her, pulled the covers up around them and slid an arm around her waist, drawing her slim body back against his. �I feel safer already,� she whispered, snuggling in close as she covered his hand with hers. Vinnie didn�t want to say anything, didn�t want to risk his macho image�but he felt the same way. Holding this woman, feeling her in his arms and knowing she was his made him feel a sense of security he had never felt before. She had changed him, and would keep changing him, making him a better man, or mouse if you wanted to get technical about it. It was a good thing. He was more than happy to let it happen, because it wasn�t just the fact that he felt safe around her or that he felt content and whole�a big part of it was that he, Vincent Van Wham, was falling in love. [ Previous | Next Chapter ] |