Title: Are We Lost Yet?
Author: Listener15 (Listy)
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sam/Brooke (kinda, at some point they will get together in this series)
Disclaimers: I don't own them (who does?), I wish I did, so please
don't sue me. College Student + Living in the SF Bay Area + Current Unemployment No Money.
Series: Number 2 in the "Reality Has Taken A U-Turn" Series
Author's Note: This isn't as light hearted as I wanted it to be, but oh well. This is in response to Aeryan's Road Trip Challenge. Anyway, this fic is basically a homage to one of my all time favourite fics "Untitled: The Store Of Me."
Day One -- Home
"Cooler with sodas?"
"Check."
"Suitcases?"
"Multiple checks."
"Music?"
"Check."
"Map?"
"Check."
"Snacks?"
"Brooke, these aren't snacks." Sam grimaced as she looked into the bag. "Snacks are chips, cookies, candy, Cheez-It's, hell even Wheat Thins, not pretzels, fruit, and..." A gagging noise. "Celery."
"Just because we're going to be on the road doesn't mean we can't eat healthy." Came the haughty reply.
"But that's the whole point of traveling in a car." The brunette was aware of her whining tone. This is vacation damn it! "Eating at greasy spoons, music to sing to, avoiding getting arrested, sleeping in the car--"
"I'm not going off a cliff for you Louise" interrupted Brooke, her small smile now a full fledged smirk. A small blue duffle bag containing Brooke's personal things, there is nothing wrong with bringing my teddy bear and blanket, was on the ground so she picked it up and leaned into the trunk to find a spot for it.
"I may jump off one" Sam mumbled gaze fixed on shapely legs. I love shorts.
"Hmm?" Brooke turned to look at behind her.
"Er...I said let's get going Thema."
Day Three -- On The Road
"We stay on the I-40, that should take us to Williams, Arizona, then from there Rout 64 to the Grand Canyon." Sam folded the printed directions and put them back in the Thomas Guide Mike bought them for the trip.
A nod and Brooke pulled onto the highway humming.
"What?" She glanced at her passenger who was smirking.
"Are you humming 'On The Road Again'?"
"Yeeeessss."
"That is just wrong." With a shake of her head Sam pulled out a CD and inserted it.
"Why is that?" Came the indignant question.
"Because," the brunette rolled down the automatic windows from the center console. "You have to sing it out loud" she turned up the volume, "with Willie."
Smiling, Brooke joined in singing with Sam and Willie.
"On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again, the life I love is making music with my friends, and I just can't wait to get on the road again..."
Day Seven -- Grand Canyon
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"It is much more..." Sam paused looking for the right words to describe the awe-inspiring sight. "Overwhelming than the pictures."
A memory of visiting the place with her mom before she left flashed across Brooke's mind. She remembered that her mom hadn't been that impressed with it and had only stayed there a few minutes before driving Brooke back to the hotel room.
"Look!" Pulling Brooke along, Sam drug her over to the side. "They have telescopes!" She plopped in two quarters into two of them.
The blonde laughed at her friend's contagious excitement.
"I guess we should head back to the hotel now." The brunette smiled at the sleepy grunt at her side. They were sitting on a blanket their backs against the car watching the last rays of the sunset slip under the horizon. Brooke had leaned against her with her head on Sam's shoulder. Going with the moment, Sam wrapped an arm around Brooke's waist. They had stayed like that, enjoying the comfort and natural light show.
"You know," came the amused comment, "this isn't heading back to the hotel."
Brooke gently backhanded Sam's stomach and stood up. A yawn. "The wind is picking up. You drive." She tossed the keys over then picked up the blanket.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The sleepy blonde ignored the elaborate bow and placed the spiral bound Thomas Guide on the roof of the car, moved the front seat and placed the blanket on the back seat. Just then, a strong wind blew, opening the guide and sending the lose white papers into the air. A stunned silence as the two teens watched their driving directions dive over the edge of the Canyon.
"Well," the inspiring journalist observed, "we still have the map." A vague gesture to the spiral bound book.
Day Fourteen -- On The Road
"Sam, we are no where near San Francisco. The last sign I saw said we were ten miles from Arcadia."
Rubbing her temples, the young woman complained. "But the map says we should be fourteen miles out of Cadillac."
Brooke banged her head on the steering wheel. They had pulled into a road side rest stop five minutes ago when it became obvious to the driver that her navigator was lost. She leaned over to look at the Thomas Guide open on Sam's lap then groaned.
"Sam, we aren't in Michigan." She turned the pages until she found the right one. "We're about three hundred miles away from San Francisco."
A growl met her words. "I'm gonna go use the restroom." Sam got out of the car mumbling to herself.
Taking out her cell phone, Brooke called Jane to tell her what happened and to please call her cousin in San Francisco to tell him that they wouldn't be there today. She was just starting to explain what happened when Sam sat in the passenger seat visibly blushing.
"Are you sure Mom? It is beautiful here. Okay then, call you tonight. Give Mac a kiss for Sam and I. Bye." She hung up the phone. "That was quick."
"It was...umm...occupied."
Silence.
Her blush deepened.
"Oh." A blush covered her own cheeks, but it was at the image that flashed in her mind of her and Sam 'enjoying' the rest area themselves. "Umm...Mom" she cleared her throat. "Mom said for us to just head up to Arcadia and stay a night or two."
"Let's get something to eat after we get a room. No Taco Bell." She swallowed as the image of a reoccurring dream of Brooke eating tacos filled her mind. The dream kept on coming back exactly the same except instead of a naked Mary Cherry she had been dressed in a pirate, then a chicken costume. And every time she'd wake up needing a cold shower.
Brooke rolled her eyes. "What is with you and tacos?"
Day Sixteen -- Arcadia
"Sam I said I was sorry."
A grunt was her reply.
"I didn't mean for this to happen."
She sighed and scooted down the bench closer to Brooke. "I know. But I can take care of myself."
The blonde nodded. "It's just, when I saw him grope you I just reacted."
Sam laughed. "My knight in Calvin Klein jeans. I don't think he'll be doing that again anytime soon. You have a mean right hook."
With a superior nod Brooke agreed. "Did you use your one call to call Mom and Dad?"
"Yeah. They didn't seem too mad."
Earlier that day they were only five minutes out of Arcadia when a loud pop, a rumble, then a whining noise from their car caused them to pull over to the side of the road. When the Triple A man arrived Sam talked to him since she had been driving. As she was explaining what happened he sidled up closer suggesting that he could fix their car for a price, that was when he placed a hand on Sam's chest.
It didn't stay there long before he was sprawled out on the ground cold, an angry blonde staring down at him. As luck would have it a young Arcadia cop had stopped by to see what the problem was when the Triple A man went down. Not knowing what to do, the young man arrested all three of them and took them to jail.
A few hours later they were released with apologies from both the Police Chief and Triple A. Their car was fixed for free on the condition that they sign a contract saying they wouldn't sue the company.
Day Seventeen -- On The Road
"Sam?"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind if...umm..."
"Mind what Brooke?"
"Would you mind if we just drove on through to home?"
"I thought you wanted to stop in San Francisco."
"I do..."
"But you're homesick?"
"I miss Mac."
"Me too." An evil grin graced the driver's features. "Teddy homesick too?"
A glare was sent her way.
"What? It's cute you can't sleep without your teddy bear." She laughed as she remembered their first two nights traveling. Sam had teased Brooke about the teddy bear causing the embaressed teen to say that she could sleep without it if she wanted to, then was proply dared to do so the next night. Around midnight Sam was still awake listening to Brooke's tossing and turning, taking pity on the frustrated groans eminating from the bed next to hers, and wanting to sleep, she got dressed quickly and went to the car. Arriving back at the room, Sam tossed the teddy bear to Brooke, and went to bed with a smirk.
That same smirk was on Sam's face when she pulled to the side of the road. Her passenger gave her a confused look when Sam exited the car and popped the trunk open and rummaged around. She got back behind the driver's seat, handing Brooke her teddy bear.
"Get some sleep now, you're driving tonight."
Brooke laughed then leaned over and gave Sam a kiss on the cheek. She leaned the back of her seat down, eyes closed.
Her smirk changed to a soft smile when she touched her cheek where Brooke kissed her.
"Don't foreget I owe you a home cooked dinner."
Sam chuckled, pulling back onto the road she grinned the rest of the day.