I do not own the BMFM and I receive not payment for writing this, other

than the hopes that it is enjoyed by someone.

Zoey is from the "Bloodties" story the creation of a very talented young lady who has graciously allowed me the honor of using her here.

Thank you Hayden your are a gem.

By Morning

January 19, 1999

Charley was at her wits end. It had snowed them in for the sixth days in a row. She adored her daughter but as any parent can testify having a 4-year-old cooped up for that long was rough on mom’s nerves.

You can only watch so much Disney before you want to personally do Simba in, fry Ariel in a pan, and call the pound on Oliver and his company.

You have colored every coloring book, played every game you could think of, made cookies and a few other things just to not hear,

"Mommy, I wanna go outside, Pweaseeeee!" For the umpteenth time.

Charley was about to go through some serious mommy burnout.

Vinnie hadn’t been much help; he was as bad as Zoey, worse.

Charley would almost be grateful if Limburger would blow something up, steal some land, but he was as snow bound as every one else in Chicago.

She just looked upward and said, "If you don’t get me out of here real soon I am going to commit a double murder and there won’t be a judge on Earth or Mars that would convict me."

At that moment her saviors came to her rescue. She heard the sound of the guy’s bikes. Throttle and Modo had faced the bad weather to check on their extended family.

As they came into the house Modo was the first to notice.

He knew that look when mom was just about to go ballistic and he immediately took the situation in hand.

"Charley girl you need to get out of here, we have to go check and see if old

Fete Fannie is still snowed in why don’t you come along?"

Vinnie would normally have said something in protest, not wanting Charley getting involved with Limburger, but the look on Charlie’s face made him decide to let it go, that is if he valued keeping his tail attached to the rest of his body. But Throttle knowing it would kill Vinnie if she went without him volunteered to stay with Zoey.

"Throttle she shouldn’t be any trouble. I just put her down for her nap and she will sleep for at least an hour or more." Charley said as she came from settling Zoey down. She hugged him then grabbed the back of his hair.

"You’re letting this get kind of long huh, handsome?" Charley teased as she playfully tugged at the considerably longer ponytail Throttle was now sporting.

"Yeah Carbine had always wanted me to grow it longer so I thought I’d give it a shot."

Throttle wasn’t normally a vain person until it came to his hair. It was his pride and joy next to his girl and his bike.

"Carbine my foot, you would think he had gold flowing from his head the way he acts sometimes." Vinnie said chuckling

"Vincent you don’t want me to start, do you? Throttle said giving Vinnie a wicked grin, making Vinnie immediately change the subject.

"Uh… well sweetheart we’d better get going"

Charley didn’t ask but she would find out what Throttle had on him. They got properly bundled up for the winter ride. Vinnie and Charley snuggled close on his bike and began to remember just how nice it was riding together. Modo smiled and they left.

Throttle sat for a minute then decided to check on Zoey.

He quietly peeked into her room and thought he saw a little tail moving under the covers. Smiling he said, " Hey Pumpkin, not sleepy yet?"

"No Unca Trottle", said a little sad voice from under the covers. Zoey popped her head from her hiding place.

"Would a story help close those pretty eyes" Throttle said as he sat on the edge of Zoey’s bed.

"Yes pwease!" Zoey hopped out of bed and ran to get her favorite storybook.

It was a big yellow book with large red letter’s on the top. Throttle sat holding the book while Zoey got herself comfortable snuggling in her uncle’s arm.

"Read dis one, my bestest favorite one." Zoey cuddled closer.

Throttle read the story of a man of ancient time who had incredible strength because he never let his hair be cut.

Zoey listen carefully adding her giggles of delight. But soon Throttle finished and he saw that the little bundle in his arms was fast asleep.

He kissed her on the top of the head and thought, " One day I hope I will have such a beautiful little one."

He walked out of her room closing her door quietly. Throttle thought about he and Carbine, if they would ever have a life together, get married, have kids. He sat down on the couch, flipped on the TV and sat half-staring, half-day dreaming.

Now not being a parent Throttle was about to break a few cardinal rule of babysitting, which was going to cost him dearly One, never tell a child a story about cutting anything with out properly making sure all cutting materials are far out of reach. Two, sleeping children don’t always stay that way. Breaking both these vital rules Throttle let himself drift off to sleep.

Then it happened.

Zoey woke not long after he had left the room. She looked at the storybook once more and began to think.

"Now Unca Modo is so strong because he is so big. Daddy is so strong because mommy says he is missing a few screws. (Why not having enough screws would make you strong, she never could figure out). But what made Unca Trottle so strong. He has long hair like the man in the story. That must be it!"

If she could get a little she would be strong, she could protect her mama and daddy if that bad fish man ever came back.

"Unca Trottle has so much he won’t miss just a little." She reasoned to herself.

Zoey got out of bed very quietly and peeked out of her bedroom door to see where Throttle was.

"I will just ask for a little bit." She thought to herself but then she could see he'd gone to sleep on the couch. That was even better she would just take a tiny little bit and he would never know it. Yes, her mother had told her not to touch sharp things like scissors and knives but this was such a good reason she wouldn’t mind really.

Zoey tip toed into the kitchen and tried opening the drawer that held all the sharp things she was warned not to touch. It was too high, so she pulled a chair from the table to reach.

Throttle mumbled and stirred just a bit, she stopped squeezing her eyes and hoping he hadn’t wakened up. But he just turned over. She got up on the chair and got the big scissors. She softly walked over to where he was sleeping and then she stared at him. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea but she needed to be able to keep her parent’s safe so she was going to do it.

She would be very careful and just take a teeny tiny bit he wouldn’t even miss it but big scissors and small unsteady hands were the formula for disaster. Because just as she was to take her tiny little bit He moved and SNIP!

She stood there not believing what she had just done. In one hand was the big scissors and in the other was Throttles ponytail, All of it. Zoey stood with her little mouth opened knowing she was in major trouble. She flew to her bedroom and covered her head. Fortunately she dropped the scissors.

She sat on her bed and thought it was worth whatever punishment she would get if it would help her protect her parents. But she didn’t feel any stronger, not one single bit. Maybe it only worked on human’s not little disobedient mice children, well half mouse anyway. She just sat in her bed waiting for her parents to come home or worse for Throttle to wake up.

The ride was glorious they need this time together. Parent hood had taken more out of them then they had realized. Limburger was still down and they were glad to just enjoy the ride back with no incidents.

Getting back to the Garage they pulled the bikes up and walked into the living room. As they looked at the sleeping Throttle Modo said, " Oh My gray haired Momma!"

Vinnie and Charley just stared at what they knew had happened.

Throttle hearing their exclamations sat up and was wondering what was going

on.

"What’s up bros., Charley?"

"Uh.. Throttle how much do you love your niece?" Charley asked sheepishly.

"You know she is my heart Charley girl, why?"

"Vinnie I think you have something to tell him." With that Charley went to deal with the phantom barber. She could see the tiny bump under the covers.

"Zoey Van wham! How could you do something so mean to your uncle Throttle? You are in big trouble, BIG BIG TROUBLE! Get your self out of that bed and you are going to sit in Time out until you are 21!"

With that Charley escorted Zoey out of her bed and into her time out chair

"But momma I just…."

Not a word from you young lady. I am so angry with you I don’t even want to hear your voice, NOW SIT!

While back in the living room Vinnie was trying to find the words to tell Throttle what his daughter had done.

"Uh….Bro you know kids are strange little critters. And uh.. They do some of the darnest things." Vinnie stammered

Modo was just about in hysterics trying hard not to break up watching the whole scene.

.

Vinnie just couldn’t find a way to tell him. He went to the bathroom, came out with a large hand mirror and gave it to Throttle.

"Yo, Vinnie what is this fo.."

Before he could get the rest of the sentence out he saw his new look.

Then there was that pregnant silence. Modo just rubbed his hand on his head and Vinnie stood watching waiting for Throttle’s reaction.

"I’m sorry bro. I have no Idea what would make her do something like that."

Charley coming out of Zoey’s room added. "I have punished her Throttle, I just don’t know what to say."

Throttle stared at the mirror for a bit, got up put on his things and walked out of the door. As the door shut they could all hear him yelling at the top of his lungs. It sounded like the kid in the "Home Alone" movie, only deeper and sexier, then the sound of his bike leaving.

"That went well, don’t you think? Vinnie said half smiling.

Charley just rolled her eyes and sat down.

Modo on the other hand knew it was more to the situation then met the eye.

"Charley I am not trying to tell you how to raise your kid but, did you ask her why she cut his hair?"

"No I was just so mad I didn’t want to say anything or hear anything"

"Yeah, it doesn’t matter any way she knows better." Vinnie added.

"Well do you mind if I give it a shot."

Both Vinnie and Charley agreed to let Modo talk to her.

As he walked into her room, Modo could see Zoey sitting with her arms folded. Fred her faithful teddy was perch in front of her and to his surprise, she had a serious attitude. Her little face was all scrunched up and he could hear her mumbling.

"Can we talk Little Bit? (His pet name for her) Your Momma said it was okay"

"Don’t care," she puffed through tight little lips.

Modo picked her up out of her chair and sat her on his lap.

" I gotta stay in time out chair till I’m 2 hundred and 1. Momma said so."

Modo trying not to laugh told her it was okay for her to get out so they could talk.

"So little darlin’ you gave your uncle Throttle a little snip on top, huh?

Don’t you love your uncle Throttle any more?"

"Yesth, I love him lots and lots. He read me a story so I could go to sleep.

"Then why did you cut his hair off?" Modo carfully asked

"In the story the man was strong because he had long hair like Unca Trottle.

I thinked that Unca Throttle was strong because he had long hair too.

So I just needed a little bit. I gotta to be strong. But he moveded and it all camed off, see." She showed Modo the ponytail in her hand.

By this time Modo’s eyes were burning trying to keep the tears of laughter back. With every bit of self control he could muster, trying hard to be as serious as he could asked Zoey, "Why sweetness? Why do you have to be strong?" Vinnie and Charley were now standing by the door listening.

"Cause," Zoey’s eyes were big green saucers filled with tears and her little voice was shaking.

"Cause, I don’t want the ugly fish man to hurt them like he hurt me.

If I was strong I could stop him."

Throttle had ridden off his anger and was now, also standing listening to Zoey’s explanation.

"Oh baby." Charley now went over to her daughter. She picked her up out of Modo arms.

"You don’t have to worry. Daddy and I won’t let that old ugly fish man hurt us or you ever again."

Vinnie hugs them both kissing his daughter on the head. "Yeah Baby Doll your daddy isn’t called the Baddest Mamma Jamma for nothing. You and mommy are the most important things in the world to me and I will do what I have to do, to keep you safe."

Modo now standing placed a hand under Zoey’s chin. "You know Little Bit we are all going to make sure he never hurts anyone again." Modo said in making a silent vow.

Throttle still standing by the door felt a little ashamed letting his vanity get the best of him.

Zoey seeing him standing there dropped her little head on her Mother’s chest. Still a little afraid that she had made her Uncle mad at her.

"Come here Pumpkin" Throttle held his arms out to her.

Zoey wiggled down from her mom’s arms and ran to his.

"I am sorry Unca Trottle," she said hugging his neck.

It’s okay, but let’s not let it happen again, deal?"

"Yesth I pwomise. Didn’t work anyway," Zoey whispers under her breath.

"I will read you the story again and help you understand it, but little lady you will still be punished for touching those scissors." Charley sternly added.

"Now Throttle let me see if I can do something with that hair. I am pretty good with the scissors." Modo said as he smiled and walked Throttle toward the kitchen.

The End