Love of Mars

Chapter 6

2 WEEKS LATER

BANG!!!

"Damn bloody pile of trash! Why won't you just WORK!!!!" Stella screamed in frustration as she threw yet another test tube at the door of her lab.

"Woah! Girl, you got quite an arm on ya!" She glared the group in the doorway. Vinnie begrudgingly still on crutches since he refused to rest and recover, Charley hovering near his side and the two other biker bros behind.

Stella snatched the tube back; placing it down on the rack and sitting on a stool next to the desk. 

"Hey, Stell, come on! You'll get there. You're the smartest girl I know." Charley came and stood behind her, rubbing her arms trying to bring some comfort.

"I'm so close to getting it right but at the last minute it just," Stella made a crazy hand gesture to show an explosion.

"Maybe it's like baking. My mama always said you need to follow the recipe exactly making sure you're combining everything at the right time and order." Stella's shoulders dropped, her mouth gaping at the very obvious solution.

"God! I'm so dumb! Of course I can't add them in this order! Modo you are amazing! Brains, brawn and beauty!" The gentle giant seemed to have a moment of shyness before accepting the compliment. The others laughing at his embarrassment. 

Charley shook her head stating that she was going to the kitchen to make some food, Vinnie of course hobbling after her nattering away asking if she also thought he was a triple threat. 

Stella quickly grabbed all clean test tubes and added the ingredients in a completely different order until finally, it was perfect.

"CHARLEY!! I'VE DONE IT!!" She swirled round manically to see Charley standing there  with hotdogs and root beer and the Biker Mice, all of which were grinning like idiots. "Just wait til you see this!" She ran to Charley and plucked a hair from her head, she couldn't stop her since Charley had her hands currently full of food but she made sure to voice her displeasure with a colourful word.

"Language, Charlene." Stella scolded her. She gently dropped the hair into the now gooey substance in the tube.

"No reaction, full acceptance!" She grinned, pouring the slimey gel carefully out into her hand and stretching it across her face. She waited... A few small tingles spread across her sking and she opened her eyes to see three shocked mice and an impressed but creeped out looking Charley. Stella went to the small mirror on the back of the lab door and took in her reflection. 

But it wasn't her reflection staring back, It was Charley's! It worked.

"It worked...!"

"It worked!" Charley whispered.

"It worked?!" The boys confusedly asked. Stella jumped and skipped around the lab grinning ear to ear and chanting those two magic words! IT WORKED!

"Hey, Stella ma'am? Could you take off the Charley mask? It's a little... Ya know.."

"Creepy."

"Oh sure!" She pealed off the mask and rolled it up into a little ball before throwing it into the sink. The rest of the night was spent watching the game in the main house with celebratory beer and dogs.

1 WEEK LATER

"The old man's coming for a visit, Charley-girl!" The guys and Charley had taken to hanging out at Stella's home - it had more space so it made sense given the growing group. Stella had even added multiple couches in the corner of the lab since her work space had become as much a hot spot as the Last Chance.

Today though they were all lounging in the garden, soaking up the blazing sun. Modo and Vinnie throwing a football back and forth.

"Oh I haven't seen the General in ages! Make sure he drops by the garage. He promised to bring me some things in his next visit."

"Oh yeah? What type of things?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, Vincent."

Stella heard the white mouse grumble under his breath and then let out a yelp as Charley hit him. The other two sniggered, not bothering to hide their amusement. Stella closed her book and moved to join Throttle sitting in the shade of one of the larger trees in the garden. He chuckled lowly as she moved to rest her head on his legs and reopened her book. Throttle's hands carefully moved to thread his fingers through her hair.

The guys had come to terms that Stella enjoyed physical contact with those she was comfortable with. Charley had explained it to them and although they were shy to begin with, it was now apart of the routine for her to usually be near or touching one of them - usually Throttle - in some way.

"So, who's coming to visit?" She asked, looking up at the mouse's eyes just visible through his glasses at this distance.

"Our old General, Stoker." She hummed and nodded lightly.

"You'll like Stoker, Stell, He's into wacky inventions like you!" Charley laughed.

"Great! We can swap ideas. Make a play date out of it!" The gang chuckled.

"Knowing old Stoke he'd play more on the date part of that sentence." Throttle's whiskey and smoke voice washed over her. She briefly heard Modo's deep laughter as he agreed but she was still focused on how the groups leader seemed to have an unusual effect on her.

"The General is a womaniser, Stell, got one hell of a rep."

"Then we will definitely get along. Have you forgotten my own reputation in your old age, Char?"

"Please, I will never forget your reputation." Charley deadpans releasing yet another round of laughter from everyone.