Life's Second Chance

Filling In The Blanks

Once in the office, Agent Kay took a deep breath. "It's been a while Charlene, how have you been?"

Hearing the informal notes relaxed herself, "I've seen better days." Hearing the girl's shift in tones and glance, knew what was going to be asked and continued.

"I know you have many questions, and there will be a time and place to answer all of them, but here and now isn't the time."

Just as Charlie opened her mouth to speak the door burst open-the boys in tow. Modo had to balance pulling Throttle away from J and Vinnie away from the older Agent Jay while trying to avoid crushing the petite secretary who chimed in , "I'm sorry Doctor, they wouldn't listen!"

Kay just frowned and straightened up, "It's all right."

-"OOOOUUFFFF!"- came the harmonious play.

Agent Kay's frustration flew up a notch as the four males fell face forward, sprawled across the gray-blue carpeting. "Ugh.."

Charlie on the other hand just stood, arms folded, and left foot tapping on the ground with obvious irritation. "I told you guys to wait outside!" she hissed.

"But Charlie-Girl," Vinnie began to protest, "He started it!"

"What did you do to her!" came the violent words of Throttle who shook J by the collar in the sideline.

"I didn't do anything to her!" spat J before he looked up to the dagger like stare of his father and straightened up; and at around the same moment Throttle's clutches were released under the foreboding presence of Doctor Kay.

Hearing Kay clear his throat authoritatively, everyone seemed to straighten up. "So much for keeping things discrete," the elder told himself. "Guess there's no avoiding it." Turning to the mess in front of him, offered them all a seat while waiting for things to settle down. Turning to address Charlene Davidson first, Kay asked, "You are wondering why the age on her I.D is different." His matter-of-fact tone paused as he turned to view the biker mice from mars, "And you're wondering what happened on Mars, correct?"

Silence befell the room as the elder began to talk, and explain the current situation concluding with, "Miss Davidson, under the current situation," the man allowed his voice to fade. The three Martians had taken off their helmets by then, "you will be spared neuralization, under the condition that you are still fighting against the Plutarkians." Stern optics drifted towards the three aliens, "That goes for the three of you as well."

"That's what you did to her, isn't it, you neuralized her..didn't you." Modo's angry words broke the calmness, and his anger was reflected in his glowing cybernetic eye which flashed red.

Surprised that the grey mouse knew about the ' White Flash' Agent Jay turned to the gray Martian, and opened his mouth to comment, only to have Throttle answer his unasked question.

 "It's protocol, to erase the memories of those who'd seen people like us to avoid worldwide panic; isn't it. " Taking a pause, Throttle fixed Jay with a very serious glare, " Yes we know all about it, " a threat seemed to creep into the mouse's words.

"That explains everything.." came Charlie's sorrowful lyrics as the memory of that night Rei had arrived at her garage replayed like an old black and white movie. The guys' reaction, and her best friend's strange behavior. It was all their fault.. 

" You did this! You did this to her!" Charlie lost it, with the years of history behind the friendship she had with Rei, the younger girl never had been known to be a heart patient.

"Easy Miss Davidson, " came Agent Jay's attempt to calm the younger lady who started waving her angry fist in his face, "You wouldn't want to do that."

"Oh yea why not? Maybe someone should knock some sense into your empty head!" she threatened. "She survived, and you took her memories away! How could you!" The girl's tantrum couldn't be tamed- even when Throttle and Vinnie took hold of her arms as she still attempted send her fist flying towards Agent Jay's nose. "You took everything she had left!" she cursed, "And you call yourselves human? How can you live with yourself," she spat venomously.

"Tell me which is worst..living with memories that drive you insane..or living with new..cleaner..better ones?" came J's quiet tones. His question seemed to cause a halt in the mechanic's rant; thus allowing the two Martians to loosen their grip on her arms. 

Taking this opportunity J continued, "Do you know what it's like..being trapped under ground for six months, and then being in a coma for one right afterwards? Oh wait- how about being put in rehab for an extra run because your mind wasn't set straight due to all the trauma you had to go through in that damned lab?" Hearing no response from Charlene added confidently, "Thought so," with a declarative voice.

Charlie's raised brows soon met in a frown as she had gritted her teeth, and this reaction forced a harsh conclusion from J " No, being human meant taking the memories of suffering away.."

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart beat, Charlie broke in quietly with her eyes pointing at the carpeted floor, "A wise friend once told me.." After taking another deep breath she looked squarely into J's eyes, "The hardships we go through make us who we are..they make us a stronger better person."

"Charlie-Girl.." Vinnie uttered quietly as he caught the light tears in the girl's eyes. "You call yourself her Uncle," turning to Jay, "And you..her own flesh and blood..her grandfather..how could you take away the things that made her who she was..? Don't you trust her to make it through? How can you live with yourself knowing you turned her into a totally different person?"

The girl's words seemed to open an old wound forcing the aged senior Agent Kay to respond in a very quiet voice. "We don't.."