Biker Mice From Mars Fan Fiction ❯ Of (Biker) Mice and (Wo)men ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Quickening 
Non Anime: Biker Mice From Mars Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.02.2015 | Updated On: 09.02.2015 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 947 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Biker Mice From Mars Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.02.2015 | Updated On: 09.02.2015 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 947 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter One
When the trio rumbled up to the Last Chance Garage, they were greeted with the sight of Charley setting a box on the curb, just beside a pile of other boxes. “Hey, Sweetheart! Didja miss me?” Vinnie called with a cheeky grin. Charley snorted. “Oh, sure. It’s been a whole twelve hours since I saw you. I’ve been pining away for your obnoxious self ever since,” she retorted, brushing off her hands. “Ouch, babe. That cuts deep.” Vinnie dramatically pressed a hand to his heart, shaking his head sadly. Charley’s lips twitched as she rolled her eyes and turned to stalk back into the garage. “Doin’ a little housekeeping, Charley-girl?” Throttled dubiously eyed the teetering stack of boxes over his field specs. “As a matter of fact, I’m cleaning out all the junk stored in the spare room. You guys are just in time to help,” she replied sweetly. Vinnie didn’t even try to hide his dismayed groan, and was rewarded with a smack across the back of his head, courtesy of Modo’s metal hand. He yelped and glared, rubbing his skull as he followed the big gray mouse into the garage and up to the Charley's apartment. “We’ll be glad to help, Charley Ma’am,” Modo rumbled. “But why the sudden clear-out?” “I’m expecting company.” Charley riffled through a shoebox, wrote something on the lid with a black Sharpie, and stacked it in a corner with a few other boxes. “She'll need a place to crash, and this is the only spare room I've got.” The mice glanced at each other. “This the part where you tell us to get lost for awhile until the coast is clear?” Throttle asked. Charley glanced at him, surprised. “Of course not! This place is practically your home, too. I wouldn’t kick you out just like that,” she scolded. “Besides, she’ll be staying for awhile.” “So … you’ll be telling your friend about us?” The trio glanced at each other. They weren’t entirely keen on the idea of yet another human knowing of their existence. Too many knew of them already in that particular area of Chicago, no thanks to Limburger. The people they’d saved kept their mouths shut about hairy alien riders protecting the slum streets of the city, and they’d managed to remain fairly inconspicuous so far, but their luck wouldn’t hold out forever. “Relax, fellas.” Charley rested her crossed arms on the pile of larger boxes stacked on the floor, regarding them with a whimsical smile. “No need to get your tails in a knot. Alley’s my cousin. She’s moving out here from Florida to attend college. I offered her a place to stay to help save on living costs. Why pay even more money for boarding when I've got a perfectly good room going to waste?” The trio relaxed. Any family member of Charley’s automatically made her an extended member of their own. “You think she’ll like us?” Vinnie asked, always anxious to make a good impression. Or any impression, really, good or otherwise. Charley pursed her lips in thought. “Well, I’ll definitely have to warn her about you three before you actually meet each other,” she replied slowly. “Honestly, I have no idea how she’ll react. I haven’t actually seen her face-to-face for almost ten years.” “Why so long?” Modo looked troubled; probably thinking of his own family, whom he hadn't seen in a long while, either. “Don’t seem right, not seein’ your family for so long.” Especially since you’re all on the same planet was left unspoken, but Charley understood, and she offered him a sympathetic smile. “Can’t be helped. I moved out here to Chi-town, and not too long after that, her parents relocated to Florida so her dad could start his own garage. Our dads are brothers, and they shared the family business, but…“ She trailed off, looking uncomfortable. “Something happened?” Throttle asked gently. Charley didn’t often talk about her family, and they never pressed the issue, although they were curious about what her life had been like before Chicago. They knew bits and pieces, minor things she’d shared over the years, but they understood all too well that some things just couldn’t be spoken of. They all had skeletons in their closets, as the human saying went. Charley ran a hand through her mussed hair. “They had … differences of opinion on how the place should be run,” she replied slowly. “Ah. A family falling-out?” She sighed. “Something like that. My dad and uncle … they’re both pretty strong-willed. And they both had their own ideas on how to make the garage successful. It … got pretty nasty toward the end, before they decided it was best to just sort of go their own ways. Alley’s mom got sick, not too long after that. A pretty strong infection in the lungs, I think. The doctors recommended she be moved to warmer climates, so in order to save the family, and Aunt Viv, they decided it was best to move south. Uncle Chuck found a garage that was in danger of going under, bought it out, and completely turned it around. It’s a pretty successful bodywork and detailing shop now. I think some of the cars he repainted even appeared in magazines. He specializes in the antiques and classics.” “What about your aunt?” Vinnie asked. “She get any better?” Charley smiled. “Yeah, the infection cleared up within a few months. Last I heard, she’s co-manager of a popular cafe. Let me tell you, the woman can bake. Her cakes and pastries are to die for.” She sighed wistfully. “I haven’t had one of her homemade whoopie pies in … forever.” “And the brothers?” Modo asked quietly. “They still on the outs?” “No.” She flashed him a small grin. “Since they don’t actually have to work together or see each other every day, they get along pretty well. They take turns visiting over holidays, but they’re all so busy, it doesn’t happen a lot. Oh, my mom said they were kinda stubborn, giving each other the silent treatment and all that. Neither one of ‘em wanted to apologize first, but Mom and Viv can be pretty persuasive when their men are bein’ stupid.” She chuckled. “The family is fine now. Don’t worry, fellas.” “So how come you don’t go see ‘em?” Vinnie asked. “You haven’t left this city since we’ve known you!” “Oh, I haven’t left it way before that,” she snorted. “In case you lunkheads haven’t noticed, I’ve pretty much got my hands full, runnin’ the Last Chance. Throw in everything that’s been happening with Limburger, and, well…” She shrugged. “It ain’t like I never talk to them or anything! There’s email, and we call each other on occasion. Alley writes me actual letters, too. Says traditional letter writing is becoming a lost art form. Sometimes I even write back, though I’m not quite as eloquent about it.” She chuckled. “Anyway, when she told me she’d decided to attend college in Chicago, and asked if she could stop to visit, I offered her the guest room to live in, and here we are.” “So when’s she arrivin’?” Modo asked. “She’s on her way as we speak, actually. But she’s driving cross-country, so it’ll take her a few days to get to Illinois. She thinks she’ll be here by Saturday. So do me a favor and hide out at the scoreboard over the weekend, ‘til I get her settled in and have a chance to talk to her.” “Will do, Charley-girl.” “Thanks, guys.” Charley hefted a box and plopped it into Vinnie’s arms. “In the meantime, there’s plenty of stuff to shift around. How about you three work on clearing out this room? I’ve already marked where everything needs to go, either the hall closet or the curb for trash pickup.” “And what will you be doing while we’re up here doing the manual labor?” Vinnie grumbled as Charley descended the staircase into the garage. “What else? Earning a living by fixing busted engines! This place doesn’t run itself, ya know!” ~*~*~*~*~ Saturday rolled around, and Charley spent most of it working on a sleek black Mustang that had met the wrong end of a truck, due to the careless driving of the Mustang’s owner, who had miraculously walked away mostly unscathed. The car hadn’t been so lucky. She’d already managed to put the mangled insides of the Mustang back together, which had felt more like assembling a jigsaw puzzle than a car. It had taken her nearly two weeks to finish, but finally she was done. When she turned the ignition key, she couldn’t hold back the triumphant whoop when the engine turned over and started purring like a contented cat. She might complain about her job, but nothing beat the heady rush of pride and satisfaction she always felt over a job spectacularly done. Well, for the most part. The engine was finished, but now she needed to put the mangled body back together and then have it towed to a detail shop across town for a new paint job. She’d have to enlist the guys’ help for the heavy lifting, but at least all the parts she’d ordered had come in. Their boxes were currently piled carefully against the wall, waiting to be unpacked. She’d start on that tomorrow. The purr of an approaching engine caught her attention. Well, it wasn’t a purr so much as a sick-sounding rumble. Somebody seemed to be having car trouble. She glanced at the clock on the wall over the service desk. It was nine forty-five, long past closing-time. And long past due for her cousin to show up. She frowned and rose from her seat, stretching the kinks out of her back as she walked to the door. Then she stood and stared with her mouth slightly agape as a huge green, pink, and yellow flowered … monstrosity of a classic Volkswagen Bus pulled up, coughing and grinding to a halt. There was a sputter, as of the beast giving up its last, wheezing breath; a hiss of smoke and steam rose from its backside, and then the front door opened and a young woman climbed awkwardly out of the driver’s seat, hopping to the ground with a triumphant “Made it!" Charley blinked in astonishment at the blond-haired woman, who was nearly as colorful as her ride with her mid-length hair liberally streaked in rainbow hues, and a flowing white peasant top and stonewashed jeans embroidered with flowers and butterflies. “A-Alley Cat?” she stammered. The girl grinned. “Well, look at you! Aren’t you the regular grease monkey,” she teased, eyeballing Charley’s filthy coveralls. Charley relaxed and grinned back. “I almost didn’t recognize you for a moment. Boy, you sure grew up, huh?” Alley stood almost as tall as she did, and in no way resembled the little grass-stained tomboy who had followed her everywhere and constantly tackled her into wrestling matches when they were growing up. “You sure you didn’t just shrink?” Alley shot back, and Charley snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes. “I see your smart mouth didn’t change, though.” “Never! It’s my most attractive feature.” “C'mere, you.” Before Alley could protest, Charley pulled her into a brief hug, careful not to get grease on the younger woman’s clothes. “It’s so good to see you! How’re things in Florida? How’re Chuck and Viv doing?” “Florida is … Florida. Hot. Sticky. Lots of old people driving around who really shouldn't be allowed to. My parents are great, though. Dad’s shop is as popular as ever. You know, he refinished a Rolls Royce for some celebrity or something, and got invited to this swanky party as a thank you. He took Mom with him. They were rubbing elbows with all these movies stars and such. Mom loved it. She can’t stop bragging about how she got to meet Johnny Depp,” Alley laughed. “Dad’s pretty pleased with himself. Mom hasn’t nagged him for anything for the past two weeks!” She poked Charley in the arm. “Anyway, what about you? Ya never call, ya never write. Glad I didn’t show up to find your decomposing body being eaten by wild dogs or something.” “Yeah, yeah. I told you, it’s been sorta crazy around here for the last few years.” Charley chuckled nervously, scratching her arm and wondering when would actually be a good time to tell her cousin about the consistent alien invasions happening right under the government’s nose, not to mention her alien house guests. She decided to change the topic for the moment, turning to the smoking bus. “So. From what hellhole did you manage to dig this thing up? You didn't pay actual money for it, did you?” “Shhhh! She'll hear you!” Alley lovingly stroked a stylized flower on the bus’s door. “Priscilla is very sensitive, you know.” “Priscilla?” Charley couldn’t keep the bark of laughter down. “What? It’s not like you’ve never named any of your cars.” “Well, yeah … but Priscilla?” “It’s a classic name for a classic lady,” Alley sniffed. “Just how classic are we talkin’ here?” Charley eyed the bus. “Early seventies model?” “Late sixties, actually. Sixty-seven, I think? I found it and Dad repainted it for me as my sixteenth birthday present.” “Uh-huh. And how old are you now?” “Just turned twenty!” Alley announced proudly. Charley circled the bus, shaking her head. “What happened? When did the trouble start?” “It was doing great the first three days, but today I was driving only a few hours and it started acting up. Had to stop a few times to let it cool down. I didn’t think I was actually gonna make it today, but we managed to push through. Priscilla is very good like that.” “You probably should’ve taken it to an auto shop instead of going on. You might’ve just killed Priscilla,” Charley scolded. “That smoke there? Generally not a good thing to see coming from any engine, especially an antique like this.” “Uh, hello. I did take it to an auto shop.” Alley raised an eyebrow pointedly, and Charley rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean!” “Look, classes start soon. I just wanted to get here and get settled so I can prepare for them. Besides, I know you won’t try and rip me off and tell me there’s more work that needs done on the bus than actually does." “I’m not so sure they’d actually be ripping you off,” Charley sighed. “Well, I’ll take a look at it, but it’ll have to wait awhile. I’ve got my hands full at the moment. In the meantime, grab a couple of suitcases and I’ll help carry ’em up. I’ve got a room ready for you. It’s pretty basic, but you can fill it out with what you need. We can unpack the rest of the van tomorrow.” “Will it be safe, sitting here overnight? This doesn’t exactly look like the classier side of town.” “It isn’t, but Priscilla will be safe enough. She’s not going anywhere in her condition. Unless you want to help me push her into the garage…?” “Right. Tomorrow it is. Can you grab Mercedes from the front seat for me?” “And who’s Mercedes?” Charley teased as she opened the passenger door. “Your comput-Jiminy Christmas, Ally! What the hell is that?” Alley blinked at her cousin, who had jumped back from the bus as if she’d been yanked. “That’s Mercedes. I did tell you I’m bringing a pet with me, didn’t I?” Charley pressed a hand to her heart, releasing a deep breath. “I do seem to recall something about that,” she muttered. “But I thought you were talkin’ about a goldfish or hamster or something. I wasn’t expecting a rat!” “Sorry, I didn’t realize she’d bother you.” Alley opened the door of the carry cage and scooped the cream-and-brown rodent into her hand. “I used to have pet mice and gerbils when I was a kid, and you never minded those. A rat isn’t that much different.” “There are some people who would disagree with that assessment,” Charley replied around a dry chuckle. “Just … keep her in your room, okay?” “Sure, I wasn’t planning on letting her run loose in the building or anything. Want to hold her? She doesn’t bite,” Alley offered, and added a teasing, “You’re not squeamish, are you?” when her cousin hesitated. “Don’t be silly,” Charley snorted as she accepted the squirming bundle of fur, who proceeded to scramble up her arm and crawl across her shoulders. She squeaked and hunched when she felt cold little paws and twitching whiskers tickle the back of her neck, before Alley reached out to pluck Mercedes from her opposite shoulder. “It’s just I know some guys who … really don’t like rats. Guess I grew a bit biased without even realizing it.” “Awww, who could not like this adorable little face?” Alley cooed as she leaned in and nuzzled her nose against Mercedes’s muzzle. She got a lick in response, and Charley chuckled. “Okay, I admit she’s cute. Now come on in and let me show you the place. Hope you don't mind crashing on the couch for a day or two. Still haven't gotten a bed into the spare room yet." “Hey, after three nights of cheap roadside motel rooms, I’d be willing to sleep on the floor at this point. It's probably cleaner than any of those beds were.”
When the trio rumbled up to the Last Chance Garage, they were greeted with the sight of Charley setting a box on the curb, just beside a pile of other boxes. “Hey, Sweetheart! Didja miss me?” Vinnie called with a cheeky grin. Charley snorted. “Oh, sure. It’s been a whole twelve hours since I saw you. I’ve been pining away for your obnoxious self ever since,” she retorted, brushing off her hands. “Ouch, babe. That cuts deep.” Vinnie dramatically pressed a hand to his heart, shaking his head sadly. Charley’s lips twitched as she rolled her eyes and turned to stalk back into the garage. “Doin’ a little housekeeping, Charley-girl?” Throttled dubiously eyed the teetering stack of boxes over his field specs. “As a matter of fact, I’m cleaning out all the junk stored in the spare room. You guys are just in time to help,” she replied sweetly. Vinnie didn’t even try to hide his dismayed groan, and was rewarded with a smack across the back of his head, courtesy of Modo’s metal hand. He yelped and glared, rubbing his skull as he followed the big gray mouse into the garage and up to the Charley's apartment. “We’ll be glad to help, Charley Ma’am,” Modo rumbled. “But why the sudden clear-out?” “I’m expecting company.” Charley riffled through a shoebox, wrote something on the lid with a black Sharpie, and stacked it in a corner with a few other boxes. “She'll need a place to crash, and this is the only spare room I've got.” The mice glanced at each other. “This the part where you tell us to get lost for awhile until the coast is clear?” Throttle asked. Charley glanced at him, surprised. “Of course not! This place is practically your home, too. I wouldn’t kick you out just like that,” she scolded. “Besides, she’ll be staying for awhile.” “So … you’ll be telling your friend about us?” The trio glanced at each other. They weren’t entirely keen on the idea of yet another human knowing of their existence. Too many knew of them already in that particular area of Chicago, no thanks to Limburger. The people they’d saved kept their mouths shut about hairy alien riders protecting the slum streets of the city, and they’d managed to remain fairly inconspicuous so far, but their luck wouldn’t hold out forever. “Relax, fellas.” Charley rested her crossed arms on the pile of larger boxes stacked on the floor, regarding them with a whimsical smile. “No need to get your tails in a knot. Alley’s my cousin. She’s moving out here from Florida to attend college. I offered her a place to stay to help save on living costs. Why pay even more money for boarding when I've got a perfectly good room going to waste?” The trio relaxed. Any family member of Charley’s automatically made her an extended member of their own. “You think she’ll like us?” Vinnie asked, always anxious to make a good impression. Or any impression, really, good or otherwise. Charley pursed her lips in thought. “Well, I’ll definitely have to warn her about you three before you actually meet each other,” she replied slowly. “Honestly, I have no idea how she’ll react. I haven’t actually seen her face-to-face for almost ten years.” “Why so long?” Modo looked troubled; probably thinking of his own family, whom he hadn't seen in a long while, either. “Don’t seem right, not seein’ your family for so long.” Especially since you’re all on the same planet was left unspoken, but Charley understood, and she offered him a sympathetic smile. “Can’t be helped. I moved out here to Chi-town, and not too long after that, her parents relocated to Florida so her dad could start his own garage. Our dads are brothers, and they shared the family business, but…“ She trailed off, looking uncomfortable. “Something happened?” Throttle asked gently. Charley didn’t often talk about her family, and they never pressed the issue, although they were curious about what her life had been like before Chicago. They knew bits and pieces, minor things she’d shared over the years, but they understood all too well that some things just couldn’t be spoken of. They all had skeletons in their closets, as the human saying went. Charley ran a hand through her mussed hair. “They had … differences of opinion on how the place should be run,” she replied slowly. “Ah. A family falling-out?” She sighed. “Something like that. My dad and uncle … they’re both pretty strong-willed. And they both had their own ideas on how to make the garage successful. It … got pretty nasty toward the end, before they decided it was best to just sort of go their own ways. Alley’s mom got sick, not too long after that. A pretty strong infection in the lungs, I think. The doctors recommended she be moved to warmer climates, so in order to save the family, and Aunt Viv, they decided it was best to move south. Uncle Chuck found a garage that was in danger of going under, bought it out, and completely turned it around. It’s a pretty successful bodywork and detailing shop now. I think some of the cars he repainted even appeared in magazines. He specializes in the antiques and classics.” “What about your aunt?” Vinnie asked. “She get any better?” Charley smiled. “Yeah, the infection cleared up within a few months. Last I heard, she’s co-manager of a popular cafe. Let me tell you, the woman can bake. Her cakes and pastries are to die for.” She sighed wistfully. “I haven’t had one of her homemade whoopie pies in … forever.” “And the brothers?” Modo asked quietly. “They still on the outs?” “No.” She flashed him a small grin. “Since they don’t actually have to work together or see each other every day, they get along pretty well. They take turns visiting over holidays, but they’re all so busy, it doesn’t happen a lot. Oh, my mom said they were kinda stubborn, giving each other the silent treatment and all that. Neither one of ‘em wanted to apologize first, but Mom and Viv can be pretty persuasive when their men are bein’ stupid.” She chuckled. “The family is fine now. Don’t worry, fellas.” “So how come you don’t go see ‘em?” Vinnie asked. “You haven’t left this city since we’ve known you!” “Oh, I haven’t left it way before that,” she snorted. “In case you lunkheads haven’t noticed, I’ve pretty much got my hands full, runnin’ the Last Chance. Throw in everything that’s been happening with Limburger, and, well…” She shrugged. “It ain’t like I never talk to them or anything! There’s email, and we call each other on occasion. Alley writes me actual letters, too. Says traditional letter writing is becoming a lost art form. Sometimes I even write back, though I’m not quite as eloquent about it.” She chuckled. “Anyway, when she told me she’d decided to attend college in Chicago, and asked if she could stop to visit, I offered her the guest room to live in, and here we are.” “So when’s she arrivin’?” Modo asked. “She’s on her way as we speak, actually. But she’s driving cross-country, so it’ll take her a few days to get to Illinois. She thinks she’ll be here by Saturday. So do me a favor and hide out at the scoreboard over the weekend, ‘til I get her settled in and have a chance to talk to her.” “Will do, Charley-girl.” “Thanks, guys.” Charley hefted a box and plopped it into Vinnie’s arms. “In the meantime, there’s plenty of stuff to shift around. How about you three work on clearing out this room? I’ve already marked where everything needs to go, either the hall closet or the curb for trash pickup.” “And what will you be doing while we’re up here doing the manual labor?” Vinnie grumbled as Charley descended the staircase into the garage. “What else? Earning a living by fixing busted engines! This place doesn’t run itself, ya know!” ~*~*~*~*~ Saturday rolled around, and Charley spent most of it working on a sleek black Mustang that had met the wrong end of a truck, due to the careless driving of the Mustang’s owner, who had miraculously walked away mostly unscathed. The car hadn’t been so lucky. She’d already managed to put the mangled insides of the Mustang back together, which had felt more like assembling a jigsaw puzzle than a car. It had taken her nearly two weeks to finish, but finally she was done. When she turned the ignition key, she couldn’t hold back the triumphant whoop when the engine turned over and started purring like a contented cat. She might complain about her job, but nothing beat the heady rush of pride and satisfaction she always felt over a job spectacularly done. Well, for the most part. The engine was finished, but now she needed to put the mangled body back together and then have it towed to a detail shop across town for a new paint job. She’d have to enlist the guys’ help for the heavy lifting, but at least all the parts she’d ordered had come in. Their boxes were currently piled carefully against the wall, waiting to be unpacked. She’d start on that tomorrow. The purr of an approaching engine caught her attention. Well, it wasn’t a purr so much as a sick-sounding rumble. Somebody seemed to be having car trouble. She glanced at the clock on the wall over the service desk. It was nine forty-five, long past closing-time. And long past due for her cousin to show up. She frowned and rose from her seat, stretching the kinks out of her back as she walked to the door. Then she stood and stared with her mouth slightly agape as a huge green, pink, and yellow flowered … monstrosity of a classic Volkswagen Bus pulled up, coughing and grinding to a halt. There was a sputter, as of the beast giving up its last, wheezing breath; a hiss of smoke and steam rose from its backside, and then the front door opened and a young woman climbed awkwardly out of the driver’s seat, hopping to the ground with a triumphant “Made it!" Charley blinked in astonishment at the blond-haired woman, who was nearly as colorful as her ride with her mid-length hair liberally streaked in rainbow hues, and a flowing white peasant top and stonewashed jeans embroidered with flowers and butterflies. “A-Alley Cat?” she stammered. The girl grinned. “Well, look at you! Aren’t you the regular grease monkey,” she teased, eyeballing Charley’s filthy coveralls. Charley relaxed and grinned back. “I almost didn’t recognize you for a moment. Boy, you sure grew up, huh?” Alley stood almost as tall as she did, and in no way resembled the little grass-stained tomboy who had followed her everywhere and constantly tackled her into wrestling matches when they were growing up. “You sure you didn’t just shrink?” Alley shot back, and Charley snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes. “I see your smart mouth didn’t change, though.” “Never! It’s my most attractive feature.” “C'mere, you.” Before Alley could protest, Charley pulled her into a brief hug, careful not to get grease on the younger woman’s clothes. “It’s so good to see you! How’re things in Florida? How’re Chuck and Viv doing?” “Florida is … Florida. Hot. Sticky. Lots of old people driving around who really shouldn't be allowed to. My parents are great, though. Dad’s shop is as popular as ever. You know, he refinished a Rolls Royce for some celebrity or something, and got invited to this swanky party as a thank you. He took Mom with him. They were rubbing elbows with all these movies stars and such. Mom loved it. She can’t stop bragging about how she got to meet Johnny Depp,” Alley laughed. “Dad’s pretty pleased with himself. Mom hasn’t nagged him for anything for the past two weeks!” She poked Charley in the arm. “Anyway, what about you? Ya never call, ya never write. Glad I didn’t show up to find your decomposing body being eaten by wild dogs or something.” “Yeah, yeah. I told you, it’s been sorta crazy around here for the last few years.” Charley chuckled nervously, scratching her arm and wondering when would actually be a good time to tell her cousin about the consistent alien invasions happening right under the government’s nose, not to mention her alien house guests. She decided to change the topic for the moment, turning to the smoking bus. “So. From what hellhole did you manage to dig this thing up? You didn't pay actual money for it, did you?” “Shhhh! She'll hear you!” Alley lovingly stroked a stylized flower on the bus’s door. “Priscilla is very sensitive, you know.” “Priscilla?” Charley couldn’t keep the bark of laughter down. “What? It’s not like you’ve never named any of your cars.” “Well, yeah … but Priscilla?” “It’s a classic name for a classic lady,” Alley sniffed. “Just how classic are we talkin’ here?” Charley eyed the bus. “Early seventies model?” “Late sixties, actually. Sixty-seven, I think? I found it and Dad repainted it for me as my sixteenth birthday present.” “Uh-huh. And how old are you now?” “Just turned twenty!” Alley announced proudly. Charley circled the bus, shaking her head. “What happened? When did the trouble start?” “It was doing great the first three days, but today I was driving only a few hours and it started acting up. Had to stop a few times to let it cool down. I didn’t think I was actually gonna make it today, but we managed to push through. Priscilla is very good like that.” “You probably should’ve taken it to an auto shop instead of going on. You might’ve just killed Priscilla,” Charley scolded. “That smoke there? Generally not a good thing to see coming from any engine, especially an antique like this.” “Uh, hello. I did take it to an auto shop.” Alley raised an eyebrow pointedly, and Charley rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean!” “Look, classes start soon. I just wanted to get here and get settled so I can prepare for them. Besides, I know you won’t try and rip me off and tell me there’s more work that needs done on the bus than actually does." “I’m not so sure they’d actually be ripping you off,” Charley sighed. “Well, I’ll take a look at it, but it’ll have to wait awhile. I’ve got my hands full at the moment. In the meantime, grab a couple of suitcases and I’ll help carry ’em up. I’ve got a room ready for you. It’s pretty basic, but you can fill it out with what you need. We can unpack the rest of the van tomorrow.” “Will it be safe, sitting here overnight? This doesn’t exactly look like the classier side of town.” “It isn’t, but Priscilla will be safe enough. She’s not going anywhere in her condition. Unless you want to help me push her into the garage…?” “Right. Tomorrow it is. Can you grab Mercedes from the front seat for me?” “And who’s Mercedes?” Charley teased as she opened the passenger door. “Your comput-Jiminy Christmas, Ally! What the hell is that?” Alley blinked at her cousin, who had jumped back from the bus as if she’d been yanked. “That’s Mercedes. I did tell you I’m bringing a pet with me, didn’t I?” Charley pressed a hand to her heart, releasing a deep breath. “I do seem to recall something about that,” she muttered. “But I thought you were talkin’ about a goldfish or hamster or something. I wasn’t expecting a rat!” “Sorry, I didn’t realize she’d bother you.” Alley opened the door of the carry cage and scooped the cream-and-brown rodent into her hand. “I used to have pet mice and gerbils when I was a kid, and you never minded those. A rat isn’t that much different.” “There are some people who would disagree with that assessment,” Charley replied around a dry chuckle. “Just … keep her in your room, okay?” “Sure, I wasn’t planning on letting her run loose in the building or anything. Want to hold her? She doesn’t bite,” Alley offered, and added a teasing, “You’re not squeamish, are you?” when her cousin hesitated. “Don’t be silly,” Charley snorted as she accepted the squirming bundle of fur, who proceeded to scramble up her arm and crawl across her shoulders. She squeaked and hunched when she felt cold little paws and twitching whiskers tickle the back of her neck, before Alley reached out to pluck Mercedes from her opposite shoulder. “It’s just I know some guys who … really don’t like rats. Guess I grew a bit biased without even realizing it.” “Awww, who could not like this adorable little face?” Alley cooed as she leaned in and nuzzled her nose against Mercedes’s muzzle. She got a lick in response, and Charley chuckled. “Okay, I admit she’s cute. Now come on in and let me show you the place. Hope you don't mind crashing on the couch for a day or two. Still haven't gotten a bed into the spare room yet." “Hey, after three nights of cheap roadside motel rooms, I’d be willing to sleep on the floor at this point. It's probably cleaner than any of those beds were.”