Fluff With A Sprinkle Of Martian Drama

Past The Point Of No Return

"Just my luck", Charley sighed, shaking her head as she softly kicked her flat tire.
Pulling her coat closer around her slender body before zipping it up in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the cold wind, she walked to the back of her truck and opened the tailboard.
But when she reached for the spare wheel, she soon noticed it was just as flat as the left front wheel, and she closed the booth lid with a loud bang to vent some of her frustration.
"Goddammit. Some mechanic you are", she muttered under her breath, and as she leaned against her truck that was parked at the side of the road, she took a good look around her.
Unfortunately, all she saw was a storm coming in from Lake Michigan, which explained why the road she was currently finding herself on was completely deserted.
This left her with only one option.
She had to call the guys.

Usually, she wouldn't think twice about calling them, but of course, that was before she had shared that strange night with Vinnie, now three days ago.
She felt reluctant to face him ever since and had managed to avoid contact.
Until now.
Great.
Just great.
This day just kept getting better and better.
Softly cursing under her breath, Charley climbed into the cabin of her truck and took the radio transmitter between her cold fingers.
After doing a little prayer that it wouldn't be Vinnie on the other side of the line, she pushed the small button on the side.
"Black Raven to E.T., over."

It had been Throttle's idea to use secret names while calling in, at least until they were sure nobody was eavesdropping.
Charley thought it was a good idea, except for the whole E.T. part as it wasn't really what she considered fitting as a secret name for aliens.
The guys evidently didn't agree with that theory, calling it hiding in the open, or something like that.
Whatever.
Maybe they were right, but till this day Charley still felt a little uncomfortable using the names and with slightly flushed cheeks, she waited for someone to respond, still hoping with every fiber in her body that that person wouldn't be white-furred and way too smart for his own good.
Luckily, she didn't have to wait very long.
The radio clicked, and a voice filled the cabin.

"E.T. phoning home, over."

A sigh of relief left Charley's mouth, simply because the voice talking to her wasn't high-pitched but rather husky instead.
Still, she couldn't help but roll her eyes due to the silliness of his response as it sounded so out of character, and she brought the transmitter to her mouth again.
"Line is secure on this side, over."

"Same here. What's up, Charley-girl?"

"I'm stuck down at twenty with a flat."

"And you need us to change your tire? Why Charley... and you dare calling yourself the best mechanic in Chi-Town"

Throttle finished his sentence with a husky chuckle, telling Charley he was only teasing her and nothing more but she couldn't stop herself from feeling a little embarrassed nonetheless.
The fact that she needed to explain why she was calling them instead of changing the tire herself, which was indeed child's play for her, didn't exactly help with the matter either.
"My spare is also flat", she muttered into the radio, her gaze fixed on her finger brushing away a spot on her steering wheel, but she then decided she didn't want to wait for another smart-ass response.
She just wasn't in the mood today, and she straightened her back.
"Can you please just come and get me? I'm tired."

"Sure thing, babe. I'll ask Vinnie..."

A shock went through her body, and without thinking, Charley already pushed the small button to overrule the signal.
"No, I want you to pick me up. Or Modo. That's okay, too."

There was a short silence, and she stared at the radio with burning cheeks, already regretting her response as she knew it would confuse Throttle.
And when Throttle was confused, he started asking questions.
Questions she didn't want to answer right now, if not ever.
God damn you, you stupid tire.