The First Drink

What the hell, you guys have waited very patiently, so here's two for you!

I do not condone drinking to excess. A few drinks, when the legal age and with a designated driver, are alright in my book as long as you're responsible. But I figured Charley was allowed a tiny bit of leeway, since it’s a very, very bad day.

Disclaimer: I own no Martians, no mechanics, and sadly enough I ran out of tequila.

The First Drink

To say they were surprised to see her come through the scoreboard's door at one o'clock in the morning was an understatement. She carried a bag of large glass bottles filled with an amber colored liquid and shot glasses. Charley had an oddly blank look on her face as she pulled out the glass bottles and set up the glasses on their table, four in all. She poured a hefty amount in each one and handed them out to her bros, keeping a bottle in one hand and her glass in the other. "Hiya, cute and furries, did I wake you?"

"Charley-girl? What's the matter?" Throttle asked as he stretched out from his spot on the couch. He was careful to balance the glass to not spill anything before sitting up.

"Yeah, what brings you to our pad at-(yawn)-this gods-forsaken hour?" Vinnie asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes with one hand and looking curiously at his drink with the other.

"You boys ever had tequila?"

"Tequila? What's that?" Modo asked as he rolled out of bed, putting his glass on the nightstand.

"Wonderful stuff," she said. "Might not taste that great, but it gets the job done."

"What job?" Throttle asked warily.

She gave a small, regretful smile. "Doesn't take away pain, it makes you forget you ever had any. Overdue mortgage, busted up truck, dealin' with real shitty people, even broken hearts; you don't remember any of it. Of course, that doesn't fix anything, but it’s nice to let go for a while." She raised her glass in a toast. "Here's to you, boys!" She downed the entire glass in one swallow.

The Martians exchanged looks. Throttle went over to her, taking her arm and steering her over to the couch as Modo took their glasses over to the sink and dumped them out. Vinnie gathered up the bottles and put them out in the hallway. "There a reason you think you need this, Charley-girl?" Throttle asked softly.

"Oh, I don't need it," she said, her words just beginning to slur. "It’s not even for me, really."

"Then who's it for?" Modo asked as he sat by her side, his hand inching towards the bottle to get it away from her.

"I ever tell you guys how me and Jack broke up?" she asked.

All three startled a bit at the change in topic. "Uh, no, you didn't," Vinnie answered.

"Aw, no? M'sorry, it’s a good story. Well you see, I was at the church, all dolled up, you should have seen me. White dress, veil, make-up, the whole nine yards. The church looked great, everyone on both sides of the family was there, and his family too. Even that dragon of a mother of his, nothing like your Momma, Modo-honey, this lady was a real dragon. I kept checking for fire-breathing.

"Anyway, we're all there, music's playin', all my bridesmaids are rarin' to go, but there's just one tiny problem." She poured herself another shot before Modo could get it away from her and downed it in one gulp. "No Jack."

"No Jack? Where was he?" Vinnie asked.

"That's jus' it," she said. "Nobody knew. His best man was freakin' out, the mom was loosin' her mind, and I heard his dad say that he was gonna kill 'im. I was startin' to worry 'bout his physical safety when another one of his friends comes in. Says he found him out at a hotel in Butchertown, so I hopped on my bike and went to go get him. I was a wee bit ticked, you see."

They could only imagine how angry their fiery mechanic had been, shuddering at the thought of her so mad. The last person that had stood her up was Roddie Van Hamm on prom night in her senior year of high school, and she'd shot at him with a bazooka. "What'd you do to him?" Modo asked.

"Oh nothin'."

"Nothing?!"

"Nope. Couldn't. I was cryin' too much." She gave a very tiny hiccup and poured herself another shot.

All three went still. "Why?" Throttle asked.

"He was in bed with some other girl," she said blithely. "You know, I always thought if I ever found him cheatin' on me, I'd beat the shit out of him. Turns out, no, I jus' busted out cryin' and headed out for a bar. Gettin' drunk sounded reeeeeaally good right about then."

"Can't imagine why," Modo muttered, his eye glowing red with anger. The next time McCyber came to visit, he'd be having a long talk with the human. He saw the same look on his bros' faces.

"So I went to go drown my pathetic sorrows at this real interestin' place called the Holly and Vine. Bouncer almost threw me out, 'cuz I was too young, but I think he had pity on me with the dress 'n the tears 'n all. He walked me up to the bar and told the guy to get me somethin' real nice, black tequila, this stuff right here," she held up the bottle for them to see, slamming back the shot in her hand. "That's where I met the nicest guy. And why I'm drinkin' now, you see."

"Huh?" Vinnie asked in confusion.

"I met this guy and he jus' kept the tequila comin'. Talked with me all night, jus' the nicest guy. I got to drown my sorrows in a smokin' hot biker named Raw Dog, it was great! He even walked me home that night, real chivalrous like."

"That was good of him," Throttle said, his tail snaking out and snatching the bottle out of her hand. Vinnie and Modo exchanged relieved looks. It didn't look like their girl needed any more alcohol tonight.

She didn't even notice them. "He was a volunteer firefighter, did ya know that? I really liked him. If he wasn't married, I think I mighta fallen for him. Damn gorgeous wife of his, too nice to not like, know what I mean? I felt horrible for her when he died."

"Died?" Vinnie asked, startled.

"Yeah," she said softly. "Building collapsed on him in the line of duty. Two years ago today. So I go out to his grave every year today 'n bring the tequila 'n we catch up on everything. Well, I talk, he's kind of quiet, you know. I go 'n remember a real nice guy, on the day I almost married a real jerk, so it don't hurt as much." She frowned in thought. "'M beginnin' to think today might be cursed, all this bad stuff happenin' all at once. Might just be my luck though.

"I already been out to the grave and talked with him, only had the one drink. Can't drive when I drink this stuff, so I came to see my favorite fur-balls." She blinked at her empty glass and frowned at her empty hand. "I coulda sworn I had a bottle with me. I wanted to share with you guys too. Keep the tradition."

Throttle glanced at his bros and saw the same expression on their faces that he knew was on his own. He pulled the bottle out from behind the couch as Modo went and got the shot glasses back out. "Hey, I found the bottle, Charley."

"Oh good! To Raw Dog, the nicest guy I ever met!" she said cheerfully as she raised her glass in a toast.

Throttle poured some into each glass, and the Mice raised up their glasses with hers.