Life's Second Chance

Heart to Heart with The Broken

Carbine's tone had shifted into a more humble regretful one. Her shoulders slouched as she felt a pang of guilt. Her mind had drifted back to the conversation she had with Throttle the day after they returned with the news of Ray's supposed demise. Never had she seen her lover's shoulders droop so low.

"She's just like us."

That's what he had said.

"Ray!"

May's voice made the she-mouse look up at the vision in front of her. The doppelgänger had engulfed the agent in a fearful hug. That scared look in her eyes, Carbine had seen that look so many times before- in all of the eyes of the children who suffered the Plutarkian Invasion.

Narrowing her gaze, Carbine stood back to back to the human agent who was looking down her twin.
The commander's thoughts drifted to that one argument she had- the one that happened a week after Ray had joined forces with the Freedom Fighters.

"She's just like you-so take it easy on her. Ray had seen some tough spots too.. And lived through the ugly. She may look like a human, but her heart is in the same place. She's one of us now.." Throttle had held Carbine's shoulders affectionately and reassuringly. "Trust me- she won't let us down."

Carbine's eyes had dropped at that moment,as it felt like Throttle had taken Agent Ray's side yet again. She couldn't understand why him and the guys stood up for her so much-the human was a complete stranger after all. How could they take the side of someone they barely even knew? She was determined to find out what happened in the caves not so long ago.. she was sure that... something must have happened. She looked up when his voice spoke again.

"Just give her a chance. You will see," Throttle had cupped the femme's right cheek in his warm palm and caressed it gently as he kissed her forehead and pulled her into a comforting hug.

Carbine's thoughts soon faded into the only conversation she had ever had with Ray- it was the night before she was scheduled to leave. Ray seemed to have found an inner peace- an inner resolve as she had decided to blindly go into enemy territory with the faith that the MIB would be waiting for her on the other side with back up. Cabrine, had known beforehand that nobody would be waiting however.. and guilt began to well in her gut. She couldn't say anything about it though.. as it was all part of the deal she made to grant them more time of peace.

"What if they aren't there- what if for some reason they don't show?" Carbine's voice carried a tint of both sincere curiosity and distrust.

All Ray did was just smile warmly as she placed a reassuring hand atop the she-mouse's shoulders and simply said. "They will come." With a light chuckle the girl added, "You're not worried about be now are you Lieutenant? Don't tell me you've gone soft." The girl's voice played out in a playful, friendly, affectionate sort of way.

That charming glint glistening from the agent's eyes caught the Martian femme off guard, and like an embarrassed child Carbine had blushed and turned to face the other way.

"How can you just put your faith in someone so blindly?" Carbine had asked in the end, her voice full of regret.

Ray's eyes looked on thoughtfully as she adjusted her sleeves, "I just have to believe that something or someone's waiting for me on the other side.. I really don't have a choice." The girl's eyes softened as her lyrics were coated with velvet. "They're all I've got.. If I don't trust them.." Ray looked into Carbine's eyes warmly, "Then I've got no one.." And after a sad pause, the agent concluded.

"I've got nothing.."

Ray's voice seemed to echo in the back of Carbine's mind as the scraping of a metal chair brought her attention back to the present. "Ray... There's something I have to say.."

The agent looked up at the she-mouse thoughtfully.

Seeing the girl look at her intently, Carbine dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry..."

Ray's eyebrows rose for but a moment in surprise, before leveling out in a gentle accent. "Past is past." Her voice was warm and sincere.

Carbine walked up to the duo, her eyes turning to May who had taken a seat. She really didn't know what to say. How could this human forgive her so easily after everything she had put her through? Ray didn't even know why she was apologizing.

"Just do me one thing.."

Carbine turned to Ray, the girl's features carried that same resolve she witnessed about four years ago. "Don't-" the she-mouse was cut short.

"Just take care of May, okay?"

Carbine's eyebrows drew into a slight frown. There could only be one reason why this agent would request something like this of her. "Throttle.. He's May's dad isn't he.."

Ray turned to the youth beside her. "May may not look it, but she is just five years old.."

"I see.." Carbine had heard of an experiment that had been successful. Her mole Kaito had mentioned something like his before- but never did she suspect that her Throttle ended up a big part of it.

"How ironic.."

Looking back to that moment about a month ago, back to when her guys and Ray were going to stand trial.. Carbine had over heard Throttle's confession about falling for a human girl. Though it broke her heart to hear, she trusted him with all her heart.

But at the same time, she too felt that she drifted far from him as well. There was many a moment where she gave up hope of ever seeing him again and even considered moving on. When he came back she honestly was very happy... But then there was that tug in her heart and gut. She was too afraid to even consider that her own feelings had changed over the course of time. Throttle had been gone for quite a few years by then. This was also why she couldn't understand Ray's concept of blind faith.

How lonely it must be..to do so much for people who don't even know you exist. How lonely it must be... To be but a shadow.. The only faces you would come to know through out your life would be only the agents you worked with. Then at any given moment, one could have their memories all wiped away in a blink of an eye. Fake families, fake friends, all written like a script for you to wake up to on the other side..

Throttle was right.. Ray did have it rough.

"What if no one's waiting for you on the other side..?" Carbine's insecure tones came out doubtfully,as she reiterated the same question she asked all those many years ago.

There was that smile once again, full of peace and resolve.. That determination and confidence in the unknown.

"There will always be someone waiting on the other side. Whether it be in this life, or the next.

I'm never alone.."