Emma yawned as the car moved steadily on the highway, Henry's DS light casting a glow onto all of them. Ariel was in the very back of the van, snoring softly, and Peter had called shotgun next to Leroy, who was grumpily driving them back to Florida, to the cruise ship, all the way from Pasadena, California.
Back from the Rose Parade.
Emma had a chill run up her back when she thought about what had happened there, and every time she looked at Killian, who had acted like nothing had happened. That was really annoying and relieving at the same time for Emma, because of what everyone might do if they, bonded.
So there they were, driving back all bunched together. They had rock paper scissor to see who could get the back three seats and sleep, and the "mermaid" had won.
Henry, on Emma's left, was furiously typing on his DS, and Killian, who was on her right, was resting his head against the window, peering outside the dark window. Normally, she actually didn't mind long road trips, but the pirate lass was pooped.
Suddenly, the car started making a series of random noises, like spluttering and popping.
Henry jerked his head up, and asked, "What was that? Is the car dying?" Killian lifted his head off of the window, studying the confused look on the manager's face.
Leroy pulled over on the side of the highway and turned off the car for a moment, and Emma held her breath anxiously. Then he turned the keys again, and the car didn't make a sound or blink a light. The manager let out a string of curses, and Killian snapped, "Not in front of the boy!"
Leroy whipped around, and with his eyes weary and angry, he snarled at the dark-haired Irish, "Well, unless a tow truck comes soon, we're gonna be spending the night here." Emma's mouth dropped open, and Peter face palmed himself.
Ariel's soft breathing still was asleep as the angry manager got out of the car and into the warm air of New Mexico and opened up the back of the van.
Not caring if he woke Ariel, Boss got about two or three soft blankets and threw it at the tired crew. Emma threw one back to the sleeping red head, and gave one to Peter. Taking the biggest of all, she noticed that there were only three. "You guys mind sharing one big one?" She asked the kid and pirate, and turned a shade of pink when Killian grinned.
Henry nodded, and shut his DS, curling up next to Emma. She spread it on all of them, aware of Killian's eyes on her. If Leroy wasn't such a person for napping, they would have had to sleep in the car with each other anyway, but, the mean short adult was.
"I'll keep watch for a tow truck, you guys catch some winks." And he settled down angrily in the driver's seat as Peter's snores rang threw the van. Leaning her head back, Henry's soft breathing lulled the blond haired lass to sleep.
Blinking her eyes slowly, Emma woke up to the sound of a running car engine, and the gentle feeling of moving in a car. She let her brain doze a little and stare at the seat back in front of her. Seat back? Emma whipped her head up from Killian's lap, pushing slightly against a snoring Henry as she sat up.
The pirate smirked at her, his blue eyes amused at her sudden reaction. She eyed him hastily and glanced back at Henry, who was leaning against her with all of the huge blanket. But Killian wasn't finished with the sudden movement, and he asked lowly with a laugh, "Embarrassed Swan?"
She blinked a couple of times, feeling her face grow red and hot, and didn't respond. Leroy gave a big yawn and sighed heavily, "Well, we're in Texas. I'm gonna stop at a McDonald's. And if you're wondering how the car got fixed, I repaired it with my bare hands. A little mechanic problem, nothing I couldn't handle."
Emma rolled her eyes and felt her stomach rumble hungrily at the McDonald's part, looking out at the desert area before them. An hour or two later, Ariel, Peter, and Henry finally woke up, and Ariel yawned, "How long was I out?" Emma snorted with laughter, "Long enough that you could've been under a sleeping curse."
Henry added on with enthusiasm, "And then you would need true love's kiss to wake up." The eleven year old had a book of fairy tales on the ship, and he loved the book more than anything. "Yep." Emma replied, and leaned her head back on the headrest, not aware of sea blue eyes on her.
Mr. Grumpy stopped at the McDonald's and he ordered each of them an egg mc muffin and hot cocoa. Swan gulped hers down hungrily, and started drinking her cocoa. Then she snapped her head back up, "Almost forgot!"
everyone glanced at her as she fumbled through her duffel bag until she found a metal tin. Opening it up, she got a pinch of cinnamon and sprinkled her cocoa with it. Peter half rolled his eyes, and said, "You carry a tin of cinnamon with you wherever you go?" The blond narrowed her eyes at him good-naturedly. "Hey, you gotta make it feel like home, don't yah?" Henry held his cup out excitedly to her. "Me next please!"
Emma asked, sleepy, "So, are we going to stay in an inn, Boss?" He nodded, weariness clouding in his eyes. They pulled over at an Americinn, and they all shuffled out of the van, holding their duffle bags and started walking towards the inn.
"One room please," he ordered the front desk lady, and she eyed all of the travelers with him, especially the ladies and kid. Killian spoke up to the woman with a charming grin, "We're all family. This is my wife, sons, and uh, father and mother." Emma literally had to pinch herself from letting out a bang of laughter, because Leroy was at least 10 years older than Ariel.
"Right!" said the woman, and her black pixie cut swung as she pulled up some room cards and handed them to the big "family".
They went up in the elevator, and once they were inside, Henry, Ariel, Emma, and Peter started laughing like crazy, and Killian joined in as Leroy just gruffly stood there, glaring at the dashing lanky young adult who was still wearing his costume, but just took off the coat.
When they found their room, everyone claimed their spot quickly. "I call a bed!" Henry cried, leaping onto one of the soft white beds with his duffle bag thrown on the floor. Him, Peter, and Leroy started arguing about who slept where, and the young adults just dropped their stuff on the floor and crashed down on the two armchairs and one desk chair.
"Finally, rest!" Killian groaned, tilting his head up toward the ceiling.
"Fine, fine! But you guys are going to call the desk to get us a cot!" The two boys cheered, and Peter dialed up the pixie cut lady quickly in his British accent, "Hey may we please have a roll bed or something like that? Thanks."
And him and Henry plopped down on the right bed, taking out their electronics and charging them, and then having a crazy pillow fight. Even Emma, Killian and Ariel joined in, and they jumped between the three beds, and Leroy just snored on a chair.
"Take that pirate!" henry cried and flung a pillow at Killian. The leather clad pirate dodged, and threw a good fluffy one at the boy's face, and his laugh was muffled with the pillow as Ariel got him from behind.
Peter and Emma were in a rapid war, and one of Henry's pillows knocked her down, and she hit the bed on her back. Suddenly, Ariel shoved Captain Hook out of her way as she went after Peter Pan, and he ended up right above Emma, with both of his hands on either side of her. Swan's face turned the red of her leather jacket, and he scrambled up quickly, letting her up.
After a good ten more minutes, everyone was out of breath, and Henry was already asleep on the bed next to Peter, who was resting, sweat beading on his forehead. Ariel said breathlessly, "okay, I'm going to change first." And she changed into a nightgown and fell asleep in the cot.
Emma peeled off her jacket, and suddenly realized something. Peter was dozing next to Henry, Ariel was asleep, and Leroy was pretty much knocked out on the chair. Only Killian was awake, and he eyed her discomfort of, well, him. "I-I promise Swan." He stammered unexpectedly, and she bit her lip and finally laid down beside him on the bed.
She stared forward, letting the darkness shroud her as Killian turned off the lamp. His gentle breathing lulled her to sleep, and Emma could feel his hand close around hers in the darkness before she drifted off.
