In the small hours at the Last Chance Garage

Author's pov:

"Is she okay? Should we really take her to the hospital?" Modo asked worriedly while sitting on a seat in the kitchen. Throttle and Vinnie sat around the table too while all three of them were watching clearly to the living room where Charley placed a pillow better under Ava's head. They had taken her carefully to the Garage after she had mystically fainted after throwing up, and now she was still unconscious at the couch where she had been lifted.

"I honestly don't know.. I'm really worried" Charley sighed while looking at Ava sadly. She felt guilty about what had happened even if she knew that it wasn't her fault at all. They didn't know what had caused her so much pain, but meeting Limburger was truly an accident. Or at least they hadn't planned it, but could they say the same from the opposite?

"If she doesn't wake up in an hour, we will take her.. Or at least call some help for her.." Throttle said worriedly while his ears dropped down. He took his specs off to rub his eyes with his fingers. "Does your head still hurt, Throttle?" Charley asked him but then Vinnie talked almost over her. "What should we say? Oh hello, we are three Martian mice brothers and we brought our unconscious friend here. And oh! She has been unconscious already for a few hours!!" He said while lifting his hands into the air, making the others sigh deeply.

"Good point.. We should have taken her there straight away.. And no, my head is fine now, Charley-girl" Throttle said while putting his specs back on but soon they heard some mumbling from the couch, making the trio run straight to the living room. "Ava.. Do you hear me?" Charley said calmly while lifting her hand on her friend's forehead gently. She had prepared the couch for her to sleep on and made sure there was also a bowl ready next to the couch if she needed to throw up again. She had also made sure there weren't too many lights around if she happened to have a migraine going on. The only light source for now came from the kitchen.

"Uh.. Ch-... Charley.." Ava mumbled while slowly opening her eyes. "Ava are you okay?!" Vinnie fussed but got a glare from the mechanic. "Be quiet Vinnie.. If she has a migraine, too loud voices just makes it worse" She hushed and then turned back to Ava. "Yes, I am here.. And you are safe now.. How are you feeling?" She asked and gently petted her head. "S-.. Safe..?" She managed to say weakly while slowly looking at Charley. She saw her and the mice standing behind her, and she also saw a thing she thought would be a roof, so she counted that she was no longer around Limburger and she probably was somewhere indoors. She was safe.

"Yes.. Safe.." Charley repeated but before she or the guys managed to say anything, Ava fell asleep. "At least she isn't unconscious anymore.. But is she okay?" Throttle said while Modo sat on the end of the couch, near her legs. They all were seriously worried about her, even if they had just met her and the meeting definitely didn't go as they had thought or hoped. It had actually been the exact opposite..

"This seems to be a migraine.. But we know more when she wakes up.. For now we can't do anything more than just wait.." Charley said while standing up. She had been on her knees next to the couch while looking after her friend. After she made sure there was everything Ava would probably need at first within reach, she walked to the kitchen. The Males followed right behind her after checking Ava one by one.

"You can go to sleep already if you want, I can keep an eye on her.. I'll have a day off tomorrow.." She sighed while sitting down on her seat after walking to the fridge and taking some juice from it and a glass from a cupboard. "Can't sleep before we are sure she is okay.." Modo said and took root beer bottles for him and his bros. After opening, he handed the bottles to them while they sat on their seats.

"Seems like we all stay up then.." Throttle said while Vinnie yawned. "Yeah.. Sure.." He said while taking a sip from his root beer. "You can go to sleep, Vinnie if you want.. That's okay" Charley said while gently petting his cheek, making him smile even if he really started to be tired already. "No.. I'll stay awake too. It's fine, really" he said and took another sip.

"But guys.. I think you should know that when she wakes up after that.. Like you saw.. She might feel a bit weak and tired, so please be careful and quiet.." Charley sighed while reading the day's, or actually yesterday's, newspaper again. "Sure.. Whatever the reason is that caused her that much pain.. It seemed to be horrible" Throttle said while looking at the living room worriedly. Even if the males were bigger and they had gone through a lot, including a lot of pain, they saw that Ava's pain attack had been no joke, especially because she was tinier than them.

"Yeah.. Wonder how that small body could handle that much pain.." Vinnie said but then saw Charley lifting her other eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? What body size has anything to do with handling pain?" She asked and crossed her arms, but also she was curious to hear what kind of answer would the males offer her.

"Umm.." Vinnie swallowed while turning to look at his brothers the way he needed some help. "I think Vinnie meant that maybe smaller sizes take the pain differently?" Modo asked but wasn't sure what he had even just said. "Guys.." Charley sighed and leaned her forehead against the hands on the table. "Listen.. It's not up to body size how a person handles pain! It's up to a person's pain tolerance and it's not the same for everyone. It even changes during a person's lifetime.." She tried to explain, but saw from Vinnie's expression that he had been the only one who didn't get it.

"And Vincent.. You should also remember that females have higher pain tolerance than males. And I think it goes the same in any species. Just saying.." Throttle said while sipping his root beer. He read from Charley's expression that she wasn't pleased about the white furred male's behavior. "Yeah! Sure.. I'll remember that.." Vinnie gulped but soon received a smile from the brown haired mechanic which made him sigh in relief.

After that the group ended up having some night snacks while talking about what would Limburger want from Ava and how did he even know her. It took a couple hours more before they ended up deciding to go to sleep after all. Ava seemed to sleep peacefully on the couch, so why wouldn't they get some sleep too? Charley even set her alarm for a few hours just to make sure she would be ready to take care of her friend as soon as she wakes up.

"Even if she stays here.. Would she still be safe?" Ava heard Modo asking when she still had her eyes closed. Her head felt sore and something horrible tasted in her mouth when she had woke up. "Where else she would be more safe than here with us?" She heard Vinnie saying which made her open her eyes. The Light felt awful to her eyes which made her close them again. It took her some time to open them slowly again.

"If Big Cheese truly is after her, she needs to stay here.. Would that be okay for you Charley-girl?" Throttle said while Ava slowly looked around. She noticed that she had been sleeping on a couch in some kind of living room. She counted one plus one and this must have been Charley's place. The next she noticed some stuff around her. A glass of water, a glass of juice, some tissues, pain killers.. And a bowl.. Why would she need a bowl?

But soon she got the answer for her thought since she noticed that the taste in her mouth was left from throwing up. "I thought it had been a dream.. Or maybe a nightmare.." She thought to herself while holding her head. It felt sore but maybe she was okay. What on Earth had caused her that much pain? She had never gone through that heavy pain on her head at once.

"Why wouldn't it be? She is my friend after all! Why do you make that sound like she was your friend and some kind of enemy to me?" She heard Charley saying sassily which made her smirk while drinking the glass of water. She could hear from her voice that she had her arms crossed and she was at least a bit annoyed. And she also heard that they were in the kitchen.

Ava slowly got up from the couch while supporting herself with her hand on the couch's back. When she was sure she would stand alright, she let go of her grip. She stretched her arms slowly and carefully since her whole body felt a bit weak and sore after what had happened. And then she turned to look at the living room's window. It looked like it was forenoon already. How long had she slept? When did that whole thing even happen?

"Morning guys.." She said after walking to the kitchen's doorway. Her voice made everyone turn immediately to look at her. "Ava! You are awake. How are you feeling?" Charley said and hurried to help her friend to sit on a seat around the table. She helped her to sit next to Modo who gave her some space. "We have been worried about you, Ava ma'am.." He said while looking at the woman.

"You are? And uh.. I don't know how I am feeling.." She said weakly before sighing. She rested her head against her hands while leaning against the table. "How so?" Throttle asked from the other side of Modo. Meanwhile Charley sat opposite of her and Vinnie was sitting next to her, opposite side of Throttle.

"I feel weak and sore.. Yes.. But.. What happened? I can't remember much, but I can taste something awful.. Have I thrown up?" She asked making the mice look like they didn't want to remember the whole thing. She lifted her head up slowly and turned to look at Charley who nodded. "Oh.. That explains.." She said and got embarrassed.

"It's okay.. We thought you had a quite strong migraine.. Your pain started aching which made you throw up.. After we saw Limburger.." Charley explained slowly, making sure Ava heard and understood everything. "Huh? Limburger? We saw him? And a migraine? I don't have migraines.." She said making the others turn to look at each other confusingly.

"What else would it have been then?" Modo asked but then Vinnie talked. "Well.. Throttle had some headache too yesterday and it wasn't that migraine thing.. What if yours was just something more painful? Even if it looked like your head exploded right after you saw the Cheese face without his mask.." He said making Ava now confused.

"He truly isn't an eye candy but-" He continued but Ava talked over him. "What? How come I don't remember tha-- Aaaa!" She was about to say, while remembering yesterday, but then the headache drove over her again. "Ava.. Should we get you to meet a doctor?" Charley asked but she just shook her head. "No.." She said but turned to look at Throttle then. "You had a headache too?" She asked but got just a nod from him as an answer.

"Would they have something to do with each other?" Modo asked but Vinnie just snorted. "How would that even be possible? You know that long-time Martian couple can have some connections, but.. a Martian and a human?" He said suspiciously. "Yeah.. I don't think that would be possible.. Or if it is.. I don't think we had it since we have just met" Throttle wondered making Modo nod at him.

"Are they always like this?" Ava whispered to Charley while the males continued talking about the possible connections and other odds. "Like what?" Charley asked while listening curiously what they were saying. "So.. indecent?" Ava mumbled making Charley laugh. "'Pervert' would be the right choice of word, Sweetie" Vinnie corrected making her roll her eyes while laughing too. Even though she still felt weaker than normal and a bit sore too, she started to feel better.

"If you need more modest company, you are in the wrong place" Charley said after getting up from her seat. She walked to the fridge to make some breakfast for Ava. They had eaten just before she had woken up, but Charley thought she would like to eat something to get rid of the taste of puke. "Modest? Huh, me? Did you even read those letters I wrote you, Char?" Ava laughed making her laugh too.

"You are right.. These three are innocent little children if compared to you, Kinky!" Charley smirked while preparing some breakfast. "What would you like to eat? Eggs and bread or some oatmeal?" Charley asked making Ava just smirk after getting her head more clear. She had brought the glass of juice with her and drank it during their conversation. "I'd prefer eggs and bread now thanks.. And you know how I like my eggs" She smirked, causing the mechanic to laugh more.

"Hard and sturdy" Charley said, making all three of the males about to choke on their just drank root beers while Ava laughed at that and their reaction. "Umm.. Are you still talking about breakfast?" Modo asked and he was clearly blushing under his fur. This was too much for his gentleman side to handle. "You said kinky, huh?" Vinnie was smirking, leaning his head against his both hands, elbows on the table, tail swinging around as a sign of curiosity when he looked straight to Ava and wiggled his both eyebrows suggestively. Meanwhile Throttle was still clearing his throat by coughing, trying to not to choke on his root beer, and he was blushing too under his fur.

"Likewise" Ava said while clearly couldn't hold her laugh at all. "I'm happy you are feeling better already. And I'm sure you'll fit into this group well!" Charley said but when she saw Vinnie's reaction, she slapped the back of his head with a spatula while glaring at him. "Maybe even too well.." She thought to herself before continuing making some breakfast.

"Ouch! What did I do now?!" Vinnie murmured while rubbing the back of his head. "'What you didn't do' would be more likely the question" Throttle smirked and rolled his eyes behind his specs. "I think I'll be even better after I have eaten something.. But talking about that earlier thing.. I would like to take that offer for staying here if it really is okay for you all. But just for that time I'll find my own place!" Ava said but soon got a plate full of food in front of her.

"It is okay. You are welcome here and don't make any rush about finding another place.. It's also for your safety to stay here" Charley smiled before walking to the fridge to get more juice for Ava. After filling her glass, she sat back on her seat. "Thank you! But I don't want any kind of servant actions, alright?" She said before starting to eat. "Or.. Maybe I'll think that.. This tastes amazing!!" She said after taking a bite from the bread that had fried eggs, cheese, salad, tomatoes and cucumber in it.

"Yuck!! Cheese!!" She heard soon from all of the three males, which made her lift her other eyebrow. "But you are.." She said but soon remembered the show and chuckled. "Oh right.. I still wonder that.." She added and took another bite making the males even more disgusted when they saw that the cheese was melting since the eggs and bread were still warm. "Mmm.. Yummyy!!" She enjoyed the breakfast even more after seeing the males getting up fast and leaving the kitchen, making both of the women laugh at them.

"Even if American bread tastes like a bun, this is still delicious" Ava smiled while Charley started to fill the dishwasher after they had stopped laughing and she had got up again. "A Bun? Our bread tastes like a bun?! Do I even want to know more about food in your country?" Charley chuckled while washing the frying pan. "I'll make sure all of you get to know about it, but.. I should get my stuff from the studio, I really should change my clothes and.. Well you know.. Fresh up" Ava said after finishing eating and lifting her dishes to the opened dishwasher.

"Oh thank God you know how to do that.." Charley said and acted dramatically relieved. "I happen to have manners and I'm taught well" Ava chuckled but then Charley nodded her to look at the living room while rolling her eyes. "Would the European touch be that magical that we would get those three to behave too?" Charley said making Ava laugh while they watched three adult, a couple meters tall male mice wrestling on the floor.

"I thought I told you I'm a tattoo artist, not a magician" Ava laughed making her sigh again. "Oh crap.. Maybe I should get another pen pal then" She said but got a poke to her side from her elbow before they both ended up laughing more while cleaning the breakfast stuff away. After that they walked to the living room, or they tried since it looked already like a battlefield.

"Should we just leave them here or?" Ava wondered while trying to dodge their tails and take some safe distance. "Just leave them to be, we'll be back soon. But just wait for me to change my clothes and we can go" Charley laughed but when she walked upstairs to her bedroom, the wrestling stopped. "Where are you going?" Throttle asked while Ava leaned against the wall.

"Get my stuff from my studio.. We'll be right back" She said making the males get up quickly from the floor. "You really think we would let you go without us?" Vinnie said and was more curious to see what a tattoo studio would look like. "Really? Is that really necessary? I see you guys are pretty busy.. On.. whatever you were doing.." She chuckled but soon Charley came back downstairs with her car keys.

"And you need those for what?" Vinnie said while resting his head on Charley's shoulder. "To drive a car? Did you throw your brains away during that wrestling or what?" She laughed and petted his cheek making him blush a bit. It could be seen more clearly from him than from Throttle or Modo since he had white fur. "Or what was left from it..", Ava smirked making Vinnie's jaw drop down since he wasn't expecting that from her.

"I think that too it would be better if you don't go alone.." Throttle said but Ava shook her head. "My studio ain't far and we wouldn't get all of my stuff just by motorcycles.. It's faster this way, sorry guys" She said while putting her shoes on. "And we are not alone, we got each other's backs" Charley smiled but glared after the mice were trying to say something against it.

"But.. You might get hurt.." Modo finally said when Charley got to her car's driver seat and Ava to the passenger seat next to her. "Modo.. I'll call you guys if something happens.. Alright?" Charley said and gently petted his cheek before closing the car's door. After leaving three worried mice behind, Charley turned to the other city block. "We are just getting a few things for me!" Ava sighed frustrated but got an understanding smile from her friend.

"You'll get used to that.. They are very protective but I'm happy they count you already as a one of them" She said while focusing on driving her light blue pickup truck. "They do? This fast?" Ava wondered while looking around from the window. She didn't know much about the city yet so it was nice to see some places while Charley did the driving part. It didn't take a long time to get to the studio since it wasn't far away from the Garage.

Ava noticed that Charley didn't answer to her latest, but when they were at her studio, she decided to focus more on the packing stuff. "Just hand me everything ready and I'll load them to the car" Charley said while looking around the studio she had been to once already. She liked the atmosphere there and definitely planned booking another tattoo session from her. "Thank you! I'll take everything personal from here, most of them are already packed since I don't want this place to look unprofessional and messy.. And I have been here just one night, not the last but the previous" Ava said while walking around to gather her belongings.

"Nooo.." She sighed before starting to laugh again. "What?" Charley said before noticing she was standing in front of a mirror. "You should have said that I look like garbage! I definitely need a shower.." She said while packing some last stuff to her cloth bag. She also had three big suitcases and one huge backpack, which was already in Charley's arms.

"It's not that bad.." Charley chuckled to her expression she gave her as a response. She looked at her the way 'If the look could kill' which made both of them laugh. "Well.. You can use the shower right when we get back! I'll make some space for your stuff in the bedroom's shelves before I go to clean the room for you. But I need to say that there ain't much in it since no-one uses it.. Just a doable bed and a closet.. And maybe some undone paperwork..... Which um.. Let's not talk about those - But you can decorate the room the way you want! The guys don't know much about decorating" She laughed before taking one of the suitcases with the backpack to take them to the car.

"That sounds just fine to me! And I can believe that.. I think they know more about destroying than decorating" She chuckled making the mechanic nod while she dragged the two other suitcases behind her while carrying the cloth bag. And after checking there was everything okay in the studio to leave, she checked the alarm system before she closed the doubled doors behind her and locked them. Then they lifted her belongings to the back seats and got back to the front ones.

"How did you even get all of that stuff over the border?" Charley asked while heading back to the Garage. "Well.. I literally moved here so I needed to get my stuff here.. But I needed to leave most at home.. Even my dear cat" Ava sighed making Charley's eyes wide up when she made a sudden stop at the traffic lights. "A cat?!" She said making Ava lift her other eyebrow. "Why did that sound like it was some kind of miracle? Especially from a woman who hides three giant mice in her place!" She chuckled but the next thing made her eyes wide up too.

"It wouldn't be unless one of those mice is badly allergic to cats.." Charley said while continuing driving. "I assume you have cleaned your clothes from the cat hair?" Charley said while looking side eyed at her friend who literally looked like she would melt right there. "Umm.." She mumbled while biting her lower lip. "Ava.." Charley said seriously while looking at the road again.

"Well.. There might be a chance that Maya slept in one of my suitcases before I left.." Ava said while trying to find a way to escape. "Maya? And.. Oh dear.. He will go nuts when we get there.." Charley sighed making Ava turn to look at her. "Who? And Maya is my 8-year-old beautiful princess! Which.. I unfortunately had to leave to my brother.." She sighed and clearly missed her pet. "I wouldn't be surprised if I hear some meowing in one of them.." Charley said before they both laughed at that.

"I'd hoped that too but no.. I couldn't take her with me since I have business to run and school to attend to.." She said making Charley smile understandingly to her. "That's okay.. And I understand if you don't talk about her.. But we really need to get rid of the cat hair! Vinnie is the one who is allergic to cats" Charley said making Ava nod at her, even if she would have preferred to have them as a memory of her pet. "What does the allergy do to him?" She asked while thinking about Maya.

Back at the Last Chance

"Achoooo!!!" Vinnie sneezed loudly when the women had got back and the car unloaded straight to the guest bedroom upstairs. "I think I got the answer.." Ava chuckled awkwardly while Throttle walked Vinnie outside to get some fresh air. "Why didn't you tell us earlier you have a cat?" Modo asked gently while helping them to carry Ava's stuff into her new room.

"Well.. Did you already forget that we just met and some of the time I might have been unconscious, remember? How could I even know one of you would be allergic to one since we haven't got to know each other much yet?" Ava said while opening her suitcases. It seemed to be more important now to get rid of the possible cat hair than going to the shower first.. And that possible view made Charley's eyes widen up. "You said just one.." She said while Ava started laughing at the view. "Are you sure there isn't a whole cat in here? Vinnie's reaction would tell that.." Modo said but then Charley spoke up. "What breed Maya is?" She asked making Ava smile awkwardly at her.

"Maine coon.." She said making Charley almost faint. "Of course she is.." She said while sitting on the bed, leaving Ava laughing all alone while opening the window to flutter the clothes that were on top of the suitcase and most covered in cat hair. Modo walked downstairs to see Vinnie's condition, but soon heard it since he had accidentally walked under Ava's window..

"I think this will be at least interesting.." Ava said after apologizing to Vinnie over hundreds of times while he was still sneezing outside and Throttle was patting his back trying to get him to breathe clearly. "Interesting wouldn't be enough words.. But yes.. At least.." Charley sighed deeply before she started laughing too. "That woman is going to kill me!" They heard Vinnie cursing outside which made both of them laugh while cleaning her clothes and stuff from the cat hair. Some of them needed to be carried into the washing machine right away, but for some it was just okay to flutter and vacuum carefully.

Even if Ava felt a bit awkward, not by owning a cat, not at all since she was very proud of her dear princess, but the reason she felt awkward was because she had caused an allergic reaction to Vinnie. But how could have she known that beforehand?

And even if Charley was worried about Vinnie's condition, she knew that best help from her would be that she helped Ava to get rid of the cat hair as soon as possible while the guys focused on helping him to get some fresh air and stay as far as possible from the cat hair. But that definitely wasn't the last time the group faced some hairy problems! What would be expected since the women were living with three giant mice..