Author's pov:

Some time later General Carbine was walking along the corridor in the military basement. She had got her job back even if it had been much harder than to do just one call. She hadn't known what to expect but the process had been harder than she had thought at first. She had needed official paperwork to be done about her health condition that she could really come back to work for the military as a two star general, but she had it done and proved that she could do it. This was her first day back at work when she headed to the cells that were under the ground. They were exactly the same cells where Vinnie was kept many years back when he had shot Sergeant Scabbard after joining the Guardians on the Bikes, but this time there was someone else laying on a mattress.

"She should be.. Right here.." Carbine thought while walking to the right door that was locked as a sign there was someone held in. She took a peak from the small hatch to see she was sure about the arrested martian. "Sapphire.." She said, making the chestnut furred female slowly lift her head up from the mattress. She turned to look at the general emotionless before laying her head back down there. "I'll come in" Carbine said before opening the door, but Sapphire didn't say or do anything even when the black haired general walked inside the cell.

"Sapphire?" Carbine asked after closing the door behind her. There was no sign from the platinum haired female that she would react to the general or that someone had just entered the cell. "Are you alright?" She asked while being ready to take her radiophone to call for help if there was something seriously wrong about the arrested female after having her brain searched. "No.. What do you think after going through that shit.." Sapphire growled while slowly sitting up from laying on her other side, her arm and other hand under her head as a pillow. "That's why I'm actually here.." Carbine said calmly even if she felt horrible for her about what she had gone through, but her words made the chestnut furred female's eyes widen up and her to get up fast from the mattress. She backed up to lean against the wall, to be as far as she could from the general.

"No!! NO! You are not going to do that to me again!!" She started growling while she was clearly panicking. Carbine could see her starting to sweat while her breathing got faster. She had nightmares about going through the brain search over and over again, which took her back to the horrible experience that no-one ever wished to go through. "No. I'm not, Sapphire. You can calm down" She said while telling with her hand that it was alright for her to sit back down. "I can calm down? Oh please Carbine.. Even if I have done some bad things to you, you can't be that naive.." She spitted out while crossing her arms. She looked still scared even if she tried to show tougher to the black haired general. It was her way to protect herself, but Carbine didn't care about it for now.

"We can discuss that too if you want, but I'll tell this just once before I leave. I'm here to find out if it is still necessary to keep you here. Otherwise you are free to go.. But if you wan-" Carbine started to say but right after hearing the words about getting finally free from there, it got Sapphire to run to her and grab her arms fast. "No! Please! I'll do anything to get away from this rathole!!" She said before Carbine freed herself. "Don't touch me" She said formally which got the female to stand a bit back. "Thank you.." Carbine said but then soon continued.

"I got Princess Niv's official permission to read the files of your case. There is nothing that proves you innocent, but nothing either that would prove you being the kidnapper of Princess Snow, even if it shows more like it.." The General started to explain, which got Sapphire confused. "What would make you the one to find out the truth then?" Sapphire asked, making her nod. "That's why I am here.. We are going to recreate that situation again" She explained while grabbing a pair of martian handcuffs to put them on to the female. She didn't resist or fight back when Carbine put her hands behind her back to handcuff her. "Alright? How?" Sapphire asked with a confused tone in her voice, but then found herself walking out the cell, to the staircase and to the upper corridor, the general following right behind her. "Don't even try to escape now, or even I can't help you then.." Carbine said while walking her to one of the meeting rooms. Sapphire sighed deeply before looking at her over her shoulder. "Even if I doubt this.. I.. I trust you, Carbine.. This time.. But don't get used to it.." She smiled, making her smile too. "No doubts.." Carbine answered, making her chuckle and nod at her.

When they got to the meeting room, Carbine locked the door and prepared herself to be almost the same as she was back then. Carbine had been a few months pregnant when the kidnapping had happened, which got her to put a weight belt on her stomach that gave her the same weight in addition to being as closely the same as she was back then. "And what exactly are we supposed to do? Or you? Or I?" Sapphire asked while looking at the added security cameras in the room that filmed everything since the general had demanded so. "I am now kinda the same level pregnant as I was back then. I mean by the weight since I am not really pregnant or feeling any other symptoms now like I was that evening, but it's not necessary for this.." Carbine explained even if the chestnut furred female didn't understand what she meant. She felt still weak after the brain search, which made her lean a bit against the closest wall.

"Are you alright?" Carbine asked when she noticed it as she walked to take the handcuffs off. "Maybe I am after this.. If this works, which I hope to.." Sapphire sighed while her head wasn't clearly alright. "What are we going to do here? Keep the explanation simple please.." She said, making Carbine point her to walk to the place she showed with her other hand. She walked a bit further from her, but stayed there in front of the light gray furred female. "I need you to push me over. As roughly as you can. Your current condition will be noticed but I need you to get as angry at me as you can and push me over by using only your hands. Don't use your tail" Carbine explained, making Sapphire narrow her eyes.

"Right? And after this I am free?" Sapphire asked with a doubting tone in her voice, making the general nod. "Only if this proves my thoughts right. We are being observed now and I'll get the command to free you or take you back to the cell" Carbine said while thinking about the situation back then. She had been thinking about it sometimes ever since. There had been a couple of things that had bothered her which got her to recreate the situation again. "Oh and I need you to hold this while pushing me over" She added while handing Sapphire a weight that was the same as Snow weighted back then.

"Okay.. Are you ready?" Sapphire said, making the general chuckle and swing her tail a bit as a sign of being sarcastic. She had to annoy her on purpose to get the effect and the situation as real as possible. "Like you asked that back then either when you took her! Like you would even manage to go through me!" Carbine said, trying to get her angry, which got her to growl and attack the general right away. Sapphire ran to her to push her while holding the weight in her both hands, as the way to try to hide the imagined baby against her. It got the general to take a couple of steps backwards, and after that she asked the female to do it again, but in the situation that she had dropped the weight, the general was hurrying to get it but Sapphire pushed her over to the ground while picking the weight with her tail.

"I don't see how I would get free after pushing you over and over to the ground, but if this really helps, then fine.." Sapphire sighed while holding her head a bit while Carbine placed the weight on the ground and pointed her to go to the right distance when she did the same as she remembered it happening. "Concentrate on this instead of talking. Even if your head isn't alright yet, your physics is good" Carbine said while nodding to the female that she was ready when they were placed right for the situation. Sapphire would fake that she didn't remember anything which got her to struggle with getting to the right place and position, but there was one thing Carbine knew she couldn't fake..

But just before Sapphire was ready to push Carbine over, she stopped and remembered something. That got Sapphire to stop immediately and almost fall on the floor. It made her growl but instead of saying anything, she just got back to the spot. "Wait! We are missing something.. I need to throw something to your head that causes you to drop that weight.." Carbine said, getting the arrested female to laugh. "This is just getting better and better.." She said while Carbine took her other shoe off. She tried to remember the weight of the teddy bear she had thrown the kidnapper with, since it had seemed heavier than a normal teddy even should, and her shoe seemed to weigh closely the same as much as she could remember, right? "This is about the same weight. So, take that weight and run across this room. I'll throw this, you drop the weight, I'll try to catch it and you push me over while taking it with your tail. Alright?" Carbine said, making Sapphire just sigh and obey. The General got herself ready too while her thoughts wandered back to that teddy bear that she hadn't even remembered till now.

"And Stoker chose you instead of me.." She sighed with a displeased tone in her voice, making Carbine lift up her other eyebrow when she snapped back from her thoughts. "What?" She asked, making her swing her hand a bit as a sign that she didn't even say anything. "Nothing" Sapphire said before they did as the general had told them to. "Ouch!!" Sapphire groaned when the boot hit her head, but when it was time for her to push Carbine over to the ground, the general only took a few steps backwards as she swayed roughly.

"Was that alright? Or are you going to get me another headache? Should we even wrestle while I'm still not clearly alright?" Sapphire groaned while rubbing her head where the boot had hit her. "No.. I mean yes, this was alright. No to the second.. You can sit down to rest a bit" Carbine said while putting her shoe back on after taking the weight belt off her stomach. "What about the results? When will I know if I'm free?" Sapphire asked while sitting on the edge of the table instead of a seat. "Now.." Carbine said while taking her radiophone to call to princess Niv who had been watching them the whole time.

"It is not her.. I am sure about it" Carbine said, making Sapphire narrow her eyes. "How do you know about it, General?" Niv said through the lines. "She'd be too weak to push me over even if I was a few months pregnant" Carbine said while turning to look at Sapphire whose jaw dropped down the floor. "Too weak?! I'm not weak!" She shouted as she dropped down from the table. Carbine lifted her hand a bit and nodded. "You mean that proves her innocence? Carbine.." Niv sighed, making Carbine nod towards the security cameras.

"I got pushed over to the floor! I had a hard time getting up because of it. These weights are the same, so if she isn't able to push me that roughly, it means only that it wasn't her back then! The Touch was even different since she had also attacked me years ago in Stoker's house, and I remember how it felt. Those, plus the brain search results where you found nothing but her drinking with some guys at the bar that evening, proves that she wasn't even at the military base back then! Sapphire is innocent. She didn't kidnap Snow" Carbine said formally, making Niv sigh deeply. She rubbed her forehead a bit before ending the radio call for a moment.

"And I'm going to that bar again right after getting free from here.. Once my head is back to normal, if it ever will be.." Sapphire snorted and crossed her arms. "Do what you want. You are free to go, Sapphire the Daughter of Jehah. Your sister, Jessica the Daughter of Jehah will be waiting for you at the main entrance" Niv said formally through the reopened radioline. "What? Really?!" Sapphire gasped, making Carbine nod at her. "You are.. Thank you Princess Niv" Carbine nodded to the cameras, but heard the crown princess sighing as an answer. "This case just became more difficult, but at least we know now it wasn't either of the twins, and there are just two of them.. So.. Someone pretended to be one of them, but failed. Thank you General Carbine" Niv said before ending the call.

"Pretended to be us? Or actually me.. Why?" Sapphire asked, making Carbine shrug. "I don't know.. But since you have done the same to your sister at least a few times.. Would you know anything about it? Anyone who would do that? Anyone who would like to harm you? To get you in trouble?" The Black haired general asked, but only got her to shake her head. It seemed to hurt a little which got Sapphire to hold her head a bit with her other hand. "No.. But.. I'll contact if something comes to my mind.. Or if Jess knows anything about that" Sapphire said, making Carbine nod before officially freeing her from being arrested.

Sapphire left weakly but quickly from the base while Carbine was still confused about what had happened during that evening. She walked to the other office where Niv had been watching them through the security cameras. She was silent at first when Carbine came there, but then she told that Stoker would probably say something like even if her idea had been weird, it helped, even if Niv herself was still doubting it. "At least something good came from that party I had in his place, even if it cost him a couch.." Carbine thought while Niv nodded at her to sit down with her around the table after she had greeted the princess formally.

Niv was sitting at the end of the long meeting table, where there was a monitor, a radio phone, some files and other things on it that the couple needed to solve the case of their kidnapped daughter. There were even some lunch boxes that told they had been there some time even if Stoker wasn't there now. The Newest seemed to be hers since it was almost untouched, which told that she didn't have much of an appetite. The box was right next to the emergency radiophone that Carbine assumed to be there if something happened in the hospital. Niv had informed her that Stoker had got taken there after something had gone wrong in hearing of the mutated rat, but nothing more which made Carbine worried but she knew they would inform her more later. "It wasn't actually helping since we are at a dead end now, but at least the twins are not needed to be heard or brain searched anymore.." Niv sighed while leaning against her hands the way it hid her face. She tried to stay strong while her husband was still in a hospital after what Dan did to him.

"If they know anything about who would have pretended to be Sapphire, they will contact here.. But is there anything else I could do to help you or in the base more? How's Stoker?" Carbine asked, making Niv just sigh more. She doubted the first sentence Carbine had just said, but she didn't say anything or even show it to her. She had her reasons for it.. "Still in the hospital.. To which I'm leaving soon, but there is one thing you can do, Carbine" Niv said before turning to look at her with an almost blank expression on her face. "Go back home. To your just born son.." She said, which got her to gulp and drop down her ears. "Harley is taking care of him. I have permission to work again" Carbine said before seeing the princess getting up from her seat. She looked like she hadn't slept well lately, which wasn't even surprising. She was trying to solve her lost daughters' case alone while her husband was in a hospital, not forgetting the other duties of the crown princess of Mars.

"I'll take that permission down for now. You'll go to your son, Carbine" Niv said, making Carbine's eyes widen, but when she was about to say anything, the princess lifted her hand up a bit. "You have a baby boy that needs his mother. We are here trying to find our two daughters that are taken away from us by force. Or I am since my husband is lying in a hospital bed unconscious.. Do I really need to raise my voice to make you go back home?" Niv said, making Carbine turn to look down at the floor. "I'll go.." She said, her tail laying down on the floor too. Niv sighed but kept her mind since she had more worries to take care of than to fight with her husband's niece.

"I know if Stoker was here, he would say something like 'Carbine.. If there's anything I should know.. You know you can talk to me anytime' but I'm sorry I can't say the same, at least for now.. Surely you can talk to me if you want and I'll help you as much as I can as a princess, but I have more important things to take care of than to argue with you about this now" She said with a miserable tone in her voice, making Carbine force her to smile a bit as she nodded and thanked the crown princess before leaving. During that, Niv started to gather her belongings together to leave for the hospital after getting some work done for today with the general. "She isn't alright, Stoker.." Niv thought while thinking about her husband, Carbine's uncle. She had got to the base since the doctors had told her to go home while they did some operations to Stoker, and since she couldn't go home to be there alone with her thoughts and worries, she saw it better to use that time for working and trying to find their daughters. "Not a surprise after what she has been going through.. She needs you, but so do I. So do our daughters, Stoker.. Please be awake when I come there.." Niv sighed while feeling a tear rolling down to her cheek.

An Hour later at the home of Carbine and Felix, Carbine closed the door behind her after arriving back to that base since she had been at the other base earlier and then took a detour with the military bike she had been using for a while now. She saw Harley yawning at the kitchen before she noticed it was too silent there. "Is Felix alright?" She asked, making Harley jump a bit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" She hurried to say even if her best friend just smiled at her. "It's alright. I didn't hear you coming.. And yes, he is sleeping. I just fed him and everything is fine after a while of fighting with diapers.. You really have a mini Throttle there" Harley chuckled, before her eyes widened as a sign of noticing what she had just said. "Sorry! I didn't mean to.. Carbine.. I'm sorry, I really am" She said, making her sigh and nod. "I know that.. He is just like him.." Carbine said before hugging her tightly.

"I'm glad to have you back.." Carbine said, getting Harley to smile at her while looking into her eyes that told she was clearly hurt. "Me too. And I'm happy to live here with you two after I got out of the hospital. I would never wish to be anywhere else than here now" Harley said when they walked to the small living room with cups of tea Harley had prepared before Carbine had come back. "Even if you could be with Vinnie?" Carbine said before apologizing too. "I know you had to say that.. To say back after what I had just said.." Harley chuckled while wiping a tear away from her cheek. "Like we always have done.. It's our bad habit.." Carbine said, before they both laughed at the memory of them being younger, nearly the age of young adults.

Carbine and Harley had known each other since they were just little kids, somewhere between three to four years old. It had been a little bit over one year before they had made their own promise to keep their secrets or else 'the monster of the Martian mines shall eat their tails' as they always said as part of the promise. But their friendship hadn't always been that nice and good it was nowadays. There were also some dark times too, like every friendship has, but in their friendship, it wasn't only up to themselves..

"You can not meet that girl ever again!" Harley could hear her own father yelling at her when she had told about her new friend at home after Niv had picked her once again from the kindergarten. It had been a couple of years before Harley had met Stoker when Niv had picked her up, but that time had been her last day at that kindergarten. After the Commander in Chief had heard her daughter was about to get a friend from Carbine, he had demanded Harley to change to the private kindergarten where he knew Carbine could never get too since it was too expensive for their family.

"But dad!" Harley remembered her crying while holding her own beige colored soft bunny in her arms. "No! Forget her!!" Her father had shouted before heading to get her kindergarten changed. "But.. My friend.." She had dropped her small ears down while looking at her mother who had sighed deeply but had agreed with her husband about the change. "Harley? Is everything alright? Are you feeling sick or something?" Carbine asked after lifting her hand on her shoulder to wake her up from her memories. The Queen and the Commander in Chief had fought that evening about how her mother was on Harley's side since Carbine would have been her first friend, but her father had said something that Harley couldn't understand until she had heard Niv and Mace telling the truth in that spaceship. But even if she hadn't understood it as a child, it had still been the first thing for her to start to hate her carrying the title of a princess.

"No.. I mean yes. I am alright.. Just remembered something from my childhood.." Harley sighed while dropping her ears down again. "And?" Carbine asked while gently petting her shoulder to her back. "Recently I got to know something that was hidden from me my whole life.. And because of that, I begin to understand why certain things have happened.." She said before she turned to look at her best friend. "Want to open up that a bit?" Carbine said calmly without leaving from her side as they sat next to each other on a couch. She took a sip from her tea while Harley couldn't drink it yet.

"Remember the time when there was that rift between us?" Harley asked, getting her to sigh and nod before putting her cup down to the small table. "Yes.. Not just happy times, really.. What about it?" Carbine said while she was clearly remembering it too. "It wasn't up to me.. I would have liked to be your friend when we first met at the age of three to four years old.. But.. My father didn't accept it.. He changed me to another kindergarten so we couldn't get to know each other" Harley explained, getting Carbine confused. "Your father? Why? He was so nice when I met him a few years ago.. I thought you hated me for some reason.." She wondered, making her shrug. "No, I did not! I had nothing to do with it. I don't know for sure why he did that.. But when I gave up my title as a child.. I.. At the spaceship I heard from Niv and him, that there were someones that wanted me to die because of it.." Harley continued, but the general didn't understand everything. Her eyes widened as a shocked reaction but then got back to normal when she heard Felix crying, so she got up from the couch and went to pick him up from his bed to carry him to the small living room kind of space.

She stayed there standing while gently lulling him, as a way to calm him down. "Your title? Wait.. You mean.. You. You are Niv's sister. Which means you are.. You were a princess? How I didn't realize that earlier.." Carbine said while Harley took a sip from her tea which seemed to have cooled down that got her to make it again from the dried herbs. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why now? What does that have to do with our friendship? It started earlier than you gave your title away? Or I assume that since we were that young then.." Carbine asked when they both sat back down on the couch. She held Felix in her arms while the baby boy just looked at her mother with his dark maroon eyes.

"There was no need to talk about it.. I was ten years old when I gave it up.. But I don't know why my father didn't want me to be friends with you.." Harley said before smiling at Felix and petting his short hair gently. "Hey Felix, good morning. Or afternoon actually. Did you sleep well?" She talked childishly to him, making Carbine smile at her. "If he isn't a motormouth when he grows up, I doubt him being our son.." Carbine chuckled, getting Harley laugh. "I'm happy to see you being better" She smiled at her warmly, and then she took another sip from her tea. "Me too.. But something must have bothered your father about me? What it would have been.. He was alright when I met him multiple times during my career in the military.. He even promoted me personally, even if it was his duty to do that, but if there was something that he didn't like about me, he wouldn't have done that.. He also told me that I reminded him about my parents, especially my mother, so he must have known them too.." Carbine said before she felt Harley's hand on her shoulder this time.

"How do you feel about it? I know you got to know the truth about that climbing accident.. That.." Harley asked carefully, making her sigh deeply. "That my parents were the only ones who died there? It was and still is, horrible.. But maybe we get to know about that more too when the hearings of Dan are over.. But I still can't believe how he and Leader Jeff survived from there.. It sounds impossible.." Carbine said before the discussion turned back to their friendship after Harley agreed to her. They could only guess what came to Dan and that accident but it was all they could do for now while waiting. "I can try to ask my mother about why my father got me to change to another kindergarten, but I'm not sure if she will tell me.. I hope so though.." Harley said after Carbine handed Felix to her arms. The Light brown furred female had petted his hair gently, but when it got him to start to reach towards her hand curiously, both of the females smiled and laughed and Carbine decided to hand him to her arms.

"But may I ask.. Why did you give up your title? Has it something to do with that you got to the private garage to apprentice to be a mechanic?" Carbine asked while smiling at the view. As she waited for her to answer, she mind wandered to something else too. "Well.. I was at expensive private schools to the age every Martian child needed to go to the regular school, meaning the age of 15. So I had to be there still five years after giving up my title. But during the last years I started to think about where to continue from there, so I moved from the outskirts of the Brimstone, where we lived back then, to Moon Village to study to be a mechanic as an apprentice in the garage where you actually found me when we were 17" Harley explained, getting a nod as an answer. "I do remember that. I had to get that bike fixed and accidentally met you at the same local garage! First we fought about those years being apart which now we know was your father's fault, not yours, and then we got to be friends again before we got to the army where you studied to be a nurse too and the rest is history" Carbine sighed while petting her son's hair gently when Harley fixed his position a bit in her arms. Both of them talked childishly to him which got him smiling.

"Very troublesome though, but yea.. I gave up my title to live a normal life. As simple as the explanation can be.. I just couldn't stand the life of Princess anymore.. But even if I gave it up, I still need to be careful about my safety.. Got kidnapped anyway, twice.. The Latest by my friend's father who fooled us all for many years.." Harley said sadly. She had got out of the hospital about a bit later as Carbine had got the permission to get back to work earlier from her maternity leave, but her recovery was still going slowly forward. She needed to meet her doctor and therapist once or twice a week to help her to handle not only the mental side but also the physical effects too, from which her wounds had finally healed to scarring level and her light brown fur had finally grown back. Her hair was still short, but it was growing back too. Those were the most showing but maybe the smallest of her worries since treating the effects of the poison wasn't that easy.

"That's horrible.. But we all will help you to recover from that! Especially this little guy, right Felix?" Carbine smiled at both of them, making Harley smile back to her too. "Right.. Which I'm very thankful for. You have such a big duty at such a young age! I hope you get better manners than your parents" Harley sighed happily before noticing a bit of mischievous smile on the black haired female's face. "What?" She asked while looking confused. "I, or we, would be very thankful if Felix would call you his Godmother, who would help me to teach him those 'better' manners.. What would you say?" Carbine said while smiling, getting Harley's jaw drop down and her eyes water. "A- Are you serious?" She asked and got a nod as answer. "I'd love to!" She hugged the baby boy first before handing him back to his mother to hug Carbine tightly too. "I know Throttle would love that too. We all do" Carbine smiled as she finished her tea.

"This makes my homecoming even more perfect! The only thing missing is.. Actually.. Vinnie.. Where is he? I haven't heard anything from him and I mean literally. It's too quiet around the town" Harley said before hearing Carbine sighing. "I don't know for sure.. He has been on secondment with Modo somewhere but since I have been off work, I don't have the case or got to know anything about it" Carbine said which made Harley a bit sad. "So.. He's still there?" She said but got a shrug as an answer. "Probably.. Or I assume that.. I saw him last time in the beginning of my pregnancy when we lived shortly together since there weren't many apartments ready and I couldn't live on my own, but when the house got burnt because of me forgetting Martian Blue Horn Ox's flowers to direct sunlight.. I haven't heard him ever since he was already at the secondment then. Though when I woke up in the hospital, Modo was there but I have not seen him after that either.." Carbine explained, making Harley look like she was thinking or actually doubting something.

"In between some of that Modo got engaged with Jessica, so I would think he would still be here but.." Carbine continued before Harley turned to look at her. "Don't you think that's weird?" She asked and got her sigh and nod. "They have been away like my uncle.. Only Stoker has seen Felix from them.. And I'd assume that as my late husband's bros they would want to meet his son.." Carbine said with a tone that told she was offended. "It has to be some serious duties then.. Or.. What if meeting Felix is hard for them since Throttle's death?" Harley asked while taking a sip from her tea again. Felix was too interested in what she had in her cup which got them laughing and Carbine to lift him better in her arms to get him a bit further from his new Godmother's drink.

"I haven't thought that before, but that would be it even if they were the macho trio of Mars.." Carbine said sadly, and she wasn't the only one who felt sad about the topic. For some reason Felix started to cry all of sudden like he was sensing their feelings or what they were talking, and the way he cried seemed more sad than the way a baby cried when they were hungry or tired or something else. That got noticed by the females too. "Shhh Felix.. Everything is alright for now. What is it?" Carbine talked calmly to him while Harley tried to pet his back too when Carbine lifted him close to her other shoulder. "He might sense our being sad about his father.. And his uncles.. Are you going to teach him that Vinnie and Modo are his uncles even if they aren't biological brothers?" Harley asked as Carbine stood up to lull his son gently.

"Yes.. Wanted the macho mice it or not" Carbine smiled which made Harley laugh. "You are going to make them suffer, right?" She laughed when the light gray furred female smirked and nodded. "Definitely! First when I see their tails they get to be part of the diaper race.." Carbine said while calming down her son who was still crying a bit but had started to calm down since they had got into a better mood too. "What if they disagree?" Harley smirked while lifting her other arm to lay on the couch's backrest while she drank her tea. She had lifted her feet curled on the couch too as a sign of her being relaxed. Meanwhile Carbine went to change his son's diaper. "Bribery and blackmailing?" She asked when the mother got back with her son in her arms. He seemed happier since he was now making sounds that reminded a bit of giggling.

"They'll find their ears from their tails then.." Carbine laughed which got the light brown furred female laugh too. "As usual.. As usual, Carbine" She started but then continued when she remembered something. "You said that Stoker has been away too? Do you know anything more, like where?" Harley asked as she gave more space for them on the couch. "No.. But if I have to guess, I'd say it has something to do with your nieces.." She said before they both sighed again. "Right.. Stupid question from me I guess.." Harley said but then she saw something was wrong. She lifted one of her eyebrows a bit to get her to talk. "But.. Now he's in the hospital" Carbine said, which got Harley to gasp. "Hospital?! Why?" She asked worriedly before hearing what happened from her since Niv had told it was alright to tell Harley only. She told her everything she knew, which wasn't much either.

"That's.. That's horrible! E-Even if I know the duty of the crown princess' husband is also huge, but still.. He saved my sister's life again.." She sighed before they both agreed that they hoped he would get better soon. After that Harley shook her head when Carbine asked that she hadn't met Snow yet either. "I got to know about her from Mace when Niv came to Ceres.. I didn't even know Niv had woken up from coma, not even mentioning that she had made it pregnant and already even given birth.." She said and Carbine could clearly see that the topic made her feel terrible. "What happened to you was really horrible. All of us tried to find you for years.. Vinnie was most devastated and.. Seeing him like that.. It.. It was.. He was never the same as he had been.." Carbine dropped down her ears when she turned to look at Harley again.

"I missed him there and I still miss him.. The thought of him and other important mice in my life was the only thing that kept me in this world.. Even if I didn't know, would I see any of you or Mars ever again.." Harley started to cry which made her lift her cup back to the table when Carbine opened her other hand to hug her. "We were afraid too that we would not see you ever again.. But I'm so happy you are here now.. And I can't wait either that he crawls from somewhere to be seen and sees you after a long time being apart.." Carbine smiled and tried to cheer her up, but then another thought got to the mechanic's mind. "Do you know.. Has he got.. himself someone else.. during.. this time?" She asked and saw her friend getting a bit weird after that. "Carbine.. Tell me.. I want to know.." She started when she had calmed down from crying, but then she started to sob again.

"It has been so many years and I wasn't sure that if no-one even finds me.. I.. It's understandable that he has proceeded in his life.." She cried against her shoulder when Carbine hugged her as tightly as she could Felix in her arms. "Like I said.. He hasn't been the same, but I have only heard that he had something going on some time ago.. I don't know more than that since he only talked about those things with his bros.." Carbine said, which got her to nod when she wiped her tears away. "He might have gotten himself someone younger.. Even if.. Even if other mice thought us to be the same age in the beginning of our relationship" Harley tried to smile even if she was clearly hurt. "I remember that too.. Everyone thought that. But after you two met, it was rather clear he had fallen in love with you. You two have a strong bond" Carbine smiled which made her smile too. "I hope we still have that.. I seriously hope to meet him, has he met someone else already or not.." Harley said while Carbine lifted Felix to lay on his back in between them on the couch to play with him a bit with one of his soft toys as they were talking.

"I don't think he'd have something that you two had with someone else.. But about that time you were away.. You know you can talk about it with me or anyone else you just feel alright to" Carbine said while gently fixing her son's clothes better on him. He had a light green shirt on him from which the backside had got lifted a bit up that Carbine put back in his pants when she saw that felt bad for him as he was close to start crying again. During that Harley could still hear Vinnie calling him Sweetheart in her head with the handsome voice of his. "Here we go Hot shot.. Flex plate shielding for vehicle repairs and the occasional macho mouse makeover.." She had said to him in the Alternate post 14 where they had ended up sealing their relationship in the storage of the caves. That memory made her cry even more as she was missing Vinnie so much that it hurt her.

"I.. I know.. Thank you Carbine, for everything" Harley tried to smile but couldn't. "I can't even imagine how traumatic an experience that must have been, but I have to ask you if you've got professional help to talk about it already?" She asked while being clearly worried. She was alternately looking at her and her son while entertaining him with one of his soft toys. "I have.. Once or twice a week, depends on how many times the doctors see it necessary to check my physical side too because of the poison" She explained and got a nod as an answer. Carbine didn't know what to say or ask, so she let her talk instead if she felt like that.

"Mace.. Did so many horrible things to me that I think I'll see nightmares of waking up covered in my own blood in that cave for so long.. He stole my fur to keep himself alive there.. Which I can still feel on my skin.. His blade.. peeling my fur and hurting me.. It was so horrible! I.. I'm.. Even the doctors are not sure what the poison has done to me in the long run.. They are not sure if it will cause sudden death some day.." She explained while feeling her body trembling as a traumatic reaction. She was also scared because no-one knew for sure how long she would live after that. Carbine petted her arm gently to make her feel a bit safer, to remind her that she was safe now, even if she was scared too after hearing her telling her all that. "What poison?" She asked quite calmly while listening to her friend opening up to her.

"There.. There were Martian Blue Horn Ox's flowers.. Only because of them I got to breathe oxygen.. But also their poison.. All those years.." Harley said, making her eyes widen up. "How could they even survive outside of Mars?!" She wondered but Harley was as confused as she was too. "Doctors should have some information about the effect of the poison on mice.." Carbine added, but then she talked again. "Yea, but they are not sure what's the effect on another environment.. That's what they are trying to find out more.. But since the asteroid group has already moved far from that location where my sister found us.. They have sent no-one there either.." Harley said before continuing. "First I got kidnapped by Plutarkians.. With other nurses and then by Mace.. If there's a third time, I think it's my last.. I was so close to dying during those both.." She said sadly but then saw her best friend shaking her head. "There won't be a third time. That first was just bad luck and a terrible plan from the enemy, and the second one was something that-" She was about to say but she spoke over her.

"Something that was more horrible.. I was close to dying, Carbine! I was terribly afraid that I'd never see you guys ever again!" She raised her voice while being scared and frustrated. "I don't know what to say.. But I know Modo would probably say something that his gray furred mama used to say.." Carbine tried to cheer her up even a bit even if she knew it would not probably help. "Something like 'at least I didn't die and I got brought back'.. Yea.. Terrific!" Harley crossed her arms before opening them to wipe her tears away. "Well.. About that since you mentioned it.. I never got to ask you about it.." Carbine turned to look at her while picking Felix back to her arms to prepare to feed him. "What about it?" She asked as Carbine walked to her bedroom that was close to the living room so she would breastfeed him in private after Harley had nodded her it was alright to go while she was still calming herself at least a bit.

"How did you get back to work after that so quickly? Shouldn't you have rested more since your heart had stopped beating?" Carbine asked while the door was open so they could still talk even if they didn't see each other. "It did at the spaceship too and Niv had to revive me there.. But back then.. I.." Harley started to say but then heard someone knocking at the door. "Could you?" Carbine asked before she realized what she had just said. Harley had got to be revived twice already?! "Of course.. Oh hey Niv! Were your ears burning or how did you know we were just talking about you?" Harley smiled when she opened the door to see her sister standing there to let her come in.

"Me? Oh I know I'm quite a hot topic to talk about, but may I wonder why you were talking about me, lil' sis?" Niv chuckled as she leant against the doorway with her other arm which made Harley laugh at her. "That would be sexy from a tall male but it's a shame I found the short crown princess from the door instead" Harley laughed which got Niv's jaw to drop down dramatically to act to be hurt till she stuck her tongue out to her sister and laughed too. "H- How dare you?! You know we have bodies like the Goddess as royals!" Niv gasped before laughing as Harley and Carbine joined her laughter too. "I know I know.. How could I forget since you have always babbled about that?" Harley smirked while letting her in. "Babble?! Me?! The most silent mouse on Mars!" Niv laughed as they walked into the apartment while laughing that her words would never be true since there weren't too many times the crown princess could actually stay quiet. On the way to the living room, Niv greeted Carbine on the way while the black haired general was clearly happy to see the sisters finally back together.

"Harley was just about to tell me how she got back to work so quickly after she had gotten revived from the nurses' kidnap made by Plutarkians.. Why did that sound like it had something to do with Niv?" Carbine asked while seeing Niv walking to the kitchen to get herself some tea too. On the way there she told them that Stoker was still unconscious and the doctors were doing more operations on him to try to find out what the mutated rat had done to him, when Carbine asked her about her uncle. They all were worried about him, which was one of the reasons that Niv came to meet her sister so she wouldn't be alone with her mind. "Oh well actually.." Harley continued to Carbine's first question but then Niv spoke to her over when the conversation turned back to them. "I saved her of course!" Niv smiled warmly while preparing her tea from the herbs. "You.. saved her? But.. You were in a coma back then, weren't you?" Carbine asked while being clearly very confused. After she had finished feeding her son and burped him, she also got her to sleep and she placed him in his crib before she joined Harley to the living room.

"Yes.. I were" Niv said like it was everyday basics from her to save her sister from dying while being in a coma herself. "H-How?" Carbine looked at both of them but this time Niv let Harley talk. "I.. I was about to die really, but then I felt Niv's presence.." She started when her older sister nodded at her. "Maybe my brainwork wasn't strong enough to wake myself from a coma, but I couldn't have let you go too early.. I had to do something!" Niv said while they could see from her that she looked very serious during the topic when she walked to the living room with a cup of tea in her hands. On the way she moved her other hand while talking like she had always used to, talking with them too. Her mechanical tail swung calmly behind her feet as she walked. "But you two were in completely different places? How is that possible?" Carbine asked while trying to understand which she clearly didn't. "But you were brought back to life because of the Plutarkians? I still don't get why they saved you before taking you and the other nurses.." Carbine remembered, making the sisters turn to look at each other as Niv sat on one of the two chairs.

"They might have heard about her worth even if they probably didn't know her previous title.. But her getting back to breathing is thanking me, not those fishfaces.." Niv said proudly before taking a sip from her cup. "Not only you, Niv.." Harley said, which got her turn to look at her confused. She coughed a couple of times as she was about to choke on her tea. "What do you mean?" She asked while moving her hair a bit from her eyes. It had grown a bit and she had started to lift it up a bit like Mohawk styled, but not exactly like that since some pieces didn't want to stay up which bothered her if they fell to her sight. "You weren't the only one whose presence I felt then.." Harley said before she felt a tear rolling down her cheek again.

"Presence.. You mean.. Like I came to you back then? Spiritually?" Niv said and placed the cup on the table while she nodded. "Do Lune, Miya, Xam, Nemi, Dex, Terry and.. Lucas.. ring any bells to you still today?" Harley smiled warmly which got Niv to lift her hand to her left chest on her heart as her eyes widened before she felt herself crying too. "Yes.. Yes, they do.." She bowed close to her knees while it looked like she was in pain but hearing those names brought all those memories back to her mind again and got her to cry. "Who were they? Wait.. Ain't Dex and Terry.. Stoker's older brothers?" Carbine said and got Niv to nod before she got back up after a while of bowing down and praying in Martian, which was respectful for the deceased.

"Yes.. They were, your uncles, Carbine. And those five others were my group before I met Stoker. Nine of us formed a group that was strong enough to take down a whole platoon.." Niv smiled warmly while getting up to look up before bowing again. "I'm so thankful to them for saving my little sister.. I.. I had thought till today that you had got back because of me.." Niv said before she headed to hug Harley tightly while calming down from crying. "You didn't feel them there then?" Harley asked while hugging her back before she and Carbine had wiped tears off their cheeks too since the moment was so emotional for all of them.

"No.. They were there for you, and since I had focused everything on me to get to you and to help you, I didn't have any energy left for anything else.. Even if I thought back then I felt you answering me.. Was it you after all?" Niv asked as she sat back down on the chair. "It was Lucas.. I felt it too just before I woke up.. I'm so thankful for them even if I never had a chance to meet all of them, and him only the way to see him on his duty as one of the Three Leaders of Mars" Harley smiled while Niv lifted her both hands on her chest as she cried. "Lucas was my best friend.. I wish I had noticed that earlier it was him.." Niv sighed before Harley talked again. "It's thanks to all of you for bringing me back that day.. It might have shown that the enemy revived me, but it was really done by you and your group, Niv" Harley smiled while being close to cry again.

"I guess you can fix that 'strong enough to take down a whole platoon' to add to it 'and to revive a Martian from the gates of the Paradise'" She added, getting her chuckle and nod. "You are probably right, lil' sis.." Niv smiled while Carbine smiled at the sisters too. "I tried to wake myself up but then I accidentally separated my soul from my body.. But I'm happy that I really got to you.." Niv explained, getting Harley chuckle and cross her arms. "That's why I sensed Lucas tried to tell me that he needed to help you out of trouble once more! He had to take you back to your own body, you silly!" Harley laughed, making Niv start to laugh too while crying. "I guess he got enough of me while being alive that he didn't want to face me too soon in Paradise!" Niv said while looking up like she would see there. She smiled while tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"I see that even Princess' mindwork isn't that powerful either.. But what your deceased friends did was beautiful, Niv" Carbine smiled at her, making her smile back at the black haired female too. "Yea.. Probably the Monks and Nuns' mindwork is the strongest from all of us, or else I have to practice a lot before carrying the title of the Queen. Thank you Carbine for your kind words. And.. I owe you an apology" She said while getting up from the chair. "For what?" Carbine asked when the princess grabbed her both hands before bowing to her. "You took care of our Snow as I hoped. You had nothing to do with the kidnapping. I am sorry. I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that I blamed you for that. I understand if you can't forgive me, but I, Princess Niv, am sorry for what I said" She said which got Harley to sigh while smiling. The Formal act of the princess got Carbine speechless, but then she lifted her head up.

"I, General Carbine, the widow of Throttle, forgive you, Princess Niv" She said formally while getting up and nodding to the princess who lifted her head up slowly when she heard her saying the formal answer for her apology. After that Carbine hugged Niv tightly which got her a bit surprised before smiling and hugging her back. "Are we alright now?" Niv asked and felt her nodding against her. "We are. And I'll help you and Stoker with any kind of way I just can to find your daughters. During that time Snow started to feel like a daughter to me, and I wish all the best for that little girl, who, I had to tell, has a strong grip to pull some hair" Carbine chuckled, making the princess and her sister start laughing.

"I'm happy to hear that.." Niv smiled while having mixed feelings of happiness and sorrow inside of her. Carbine and Harley both smiled at her as they tried to understand her, but truly neither of them knew for sure what she had gone through in her mind. "But about that, why did I get back to work so quickly.. I wanted to see Niv so badly that it helped me to recover faster. I swore to myself that I had to recover fast to see her, to see her to wake up from a coma.." Harley said after a small moment of silence which got Niv snap back from her thought about her younger daughter.

"So you can thank me after all" Niv smirked while holding herself together to not break down there. "You can think that if you want.." Harley laughed before agreeing to her. "The Bond between siblings seems to be pretty powerful," Carbine said, making them turn to look at the black haired female before laughing and nodding. "It can be annoying too! And difficult if you have a 12 years age cap between.." Niv said which got Harley to gasp and act hurt. "At least I'm not the one from us who's closer to retirement.." She smirked which got Carbine to laugh too while Niv was about to choke to her tea again when she finally had a chance to drink it. "How dare you tell me that I'm old!!" Niv threw a pillow to her which got all three of them to laugh before Felix let them know it was too loud for him to sleep in peace, which got Carbine to head to her son again while the sisters solved their playful fight more silently with a giggly pillow fight.

Both of them had still bandages on them even if they had got rid of their stitches, meaning that they should rest more than pillow fight with each other, but Carbine knew she wasn't going to be the one who would dare to get in between the crown princess and her younger sister as they solved their small argument. While trying to lull Felix back to sleep in her arms, she smiled at the view of the sisters which got her to think about her own dream again. She looked at her son while sighing deeply. "I wish I could have given you siblings too, Felix.." She said when a tear rolled down her cheek. At the same time, a thought from earlier that day came back to her mind. If it wasn't Sapphire even if the kidnapper had looked like the chestnut furred female, then who had taken the little princess from her..?