A/N: This is my first story, any constructive criticism would be helpful.

Disclaimer: Anything recognized is not mine, I am merely playing with characters people more imaginative than me created. Now on to the story.

One Wild Ride

Cahira sighed as she walked up the house she lived in. She refused to call it home. It wasn't, not hers at any rate. It was merely the place she lived with the man most would say was her father, she called him sperm donor. He was never around for her and when he was there, the pain was incredible. She had been neglected and emotionally scarred for as long as she could remember. Cahira thought that was the norm until she entered school. After, she knew something was wrong. It wasn't until she was 11 that she became aware of just how wrong her home life was. The day her so called father began beating her, she stopped calling this place home.

She needed to get out. This place was suffocating her with memories better left forgotten. Cahira Whelan snuck out of her room being careful not to wake the slumbering man in the living room. The stench of alcohol reached her nose. She checked her surroundings, marking the best route to the door without making any noise. She hoisted the duffel bag higher on her shoulder, and began to make her way across the room. She held her breath as she opened the door, praying to anyone listening that the door would not squeak. She almost let out a sigh of relief when it didn't, but continued to hold her breath; she wasn't out of the woods yet.

She shut the door with a soft click, wincing at the noise. She made her way to her truck. For the first time in her life she was glad she had to park out in the back way away from the house. She reached her truck, opened the door and threw her bag in the passenger seat. She started up her truck and put it in gear. She pulled onto the dirt road that served as the driveway, crossing her fingers; if she could make it to the road she would be home free. She was paranoid glancing in the review every couple seconds to see if anyone exited the house. Sighing in relief as she felt the front tires hit pavement; she shifted into a higher gear and left her personal hell behind. Now she needed someplace to crash until she could figure out what to do.

The first place that came to mind was to go to the city and hide in the masses, but it would be too easy to find the truck, even though it was in her name, she did not want to risk the truck being filed as stolen. Racking her brain she was coming up blank. She had no friends she could turn to, no family…wait that was not true. There was an old friend who told her to ask if she ever needed anything, who lived a couple states over and lived in the middle of nowhere. She decided she would go to Sarah's.

As she drove through the Nevada deserts, she wondered how she would explain showing up on Sarah's doorstep. She knew Will, Sarah's husband, was in the military and figured just showing up might not be taken too well. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts until she came upon Sarah's number. She turned the radio down, and hesitated as her thumb hovered over the call button. What if Sarah said no? What if she was jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire? No she could not let her insecurities rule her. With that thought she pressed her thumb to the green button before she could change her mind.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

"Hello," a woman's voice came through the speaker on the cell phone. Cahira paused. "Hello?"

"Sarah?" Cahira said tentatively. "It's Cay."

"Cay? Oh my God, it's been far too long since I last talked to you. What's going on?"

"Sarah, I need some help…"Cay trailed off, unsure phrase her request.

"Cahira, what sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?" Sarah demanded, with an undertone of concern in her voice. Cahira smiled. It was nice to know Sarah cared.

"I…I left Sarah. I can't go back there; I don't think I'd survive it."

"Cay, where are you now? I mean where are you going to stay? John was your father and I know he took your money for booze. For that matter aren't you still in school?" Sarah said in a rush.

"I'm…in Nevada, I don't know where I am going to stay. I graduated last year and I was able to save some money."

"What are you doing in Nevada? You live in Wyoming."

Cay cut Sarah off. "Lived. I lived in Wyoming. I plan on moving to California. Hang on." Cay put the put her directional on and got off at the next exit. She needed some food. "Okay. Sorry, I just pulled off the freeway."

"You're driving? Cay!" Cay rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me." Cay laughed; Sarah knew her too well. "Let me talk to Will. You can stay with us for a while. At least until you get on your feet."

"Sarah, I'm just looking for a place to crash for a couple nights so I can find an apartment and possibly a job. I can pay you…"

"You will not. You're like my little sister. You're family. You know the address, when do you think you'll be here?" Sarah said.

"I'm nearing Vegas. I have probably another seven plus hours until I reach you. Depends on traffic."

"Cay, you should stop for the night, you'll reach here sometime about three am. How long has it been since you stopped anyway?"

"I haven't. I left about three this morning, really only stopping for gas and food. I've been wired on adrenaline. I won't stop until I feel I'm somewhere relatively safe. Away from him."

"That's not healthy, Cay. Anyway, I will talk to Will. I'll call you later to let you know what's going on. And Cay, please, please, be careful."

"I always am Sarah, you know that."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Sarah replied, and hung up.

Cahira sighed in relief, and let her head fall back against the headrest. Sarah did not need to know that she was running almost 72 hours with almost no sleep. Her truck seemed to rev in annoyance, maybe she was more tired than she thought. She would survive just as she had always done.

The hours passed, her iPod blaring through the speakers. It was approaching one am when her phone rang again. It was Sarah telling her she would leave the back door unlocked and to crash on the couch and they would figure something more permanent when Cay woke up. By this time Cahira was already on the 99 freeway somewhere between Fresno and Bakersfield. Her truck was apparently fed up with her not sleeping and wanted to get there in record time because when she glanced down at the speedometer she was doing over 100. She lifted her foot off the gas, but the truck never slowed. Maybe the guy she bought the truck from was right; maybe this thing was possessed. But then again it may be the fact that she was way overdue for some sleep. She shrugged and lightly placed her foot on the brake to slow down, and she was relieved to feel the truck begin to decelerate. She removed her foot from the brake and shoot her head, hoping the next couple hours to Sarah's passed quickly.

Cahira pulled onto the dirt drive leading to Sarah's house. She noted the black GMC Topkick in the drive; it seemed to be watching her. She pulled up next to it and got out. The feeling of being watched did not go away. Grabbing her bag she made her way around the house, senses on high alert. She walked across the yard without a sound and slowly turned the doorknob. She stopped and turned her head to see if she could catch what was watching her. Nothing seemed out of place, just the two trucks in her line of vision. Shrugging it off as lack of sleep and being so high strung, she quietly made her way into the house.

Entering to a kitchen, Cahira made her way through the doorway. She noticed an archway, and walked over to it, hoping it led to a living room. It did. Sarah had left a pillow and a blanket on the couch. Cahira smiled tiredly, and made her way to the couch. She silently set her bag down and removed her shoes. She made herself a bed and marveled at how comfy the couch was. She reached down and opened her bag a little. For the first time since her mom died, Cahira felt relatively safe.