Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything except this story, the plot and Izzy, Trish, Emma, Aidan and Leon. This is fiction, look it up in the dictionary people, it means something made up. Thanks to my ever growing number of reviewers, I LOVE YOU! and everybody needs a little more love, so why don't you review and then I'll love you too.

Chapter 7: Hold You In My arms

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound of furious banging on our door woke me with a start. Confused, I looked around to the room, my eyes met Trish's and then I looked at the clock. FOUR THIRTY IN THE FUCKING MORNING?! WHAT GIVES?!

Before the person on the other side of the door broke it down, I ventured carefully to the peephole and was startled to see Pete on the other side.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I asked, swinging the door open.

"Roadtrip." he simply stated all smiles.

"What?" Trish asked from behind me.

"Roadtrip. Come on, dress for a hike and meet me in the lobby in ten." and he walked away!

"I don't get paid enough for this…" Trish grumbled and I closed the door.

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"So will you tell us already where we're going?" I asked Peter for the billionth time.

"No, not until we get there; that's what surprises are." he smiled at me through the rear-view mirror.

I huffed and crossed my arms. I was sitting between Lucas and Garrett in the van. Trish was up front with Peter and Jay and Emma were lock-lipped in the backseat. Yeah, you read right; five minutes in the trip they had realized just how attracted to one another they were and started making out!

"Hey you guys still alive back there?" Peter asked loudly to Jay and Emma.

Muffled sounds were the only answer he got and I rolled my eyes. Lucas and Garrett were both asleep but being cursed with the inability to sleep in a moving vehicle, I was wide awake and grumpy from the lack of sleep.

"What's this all about Pete?" I asked, trying once again to know why our director had seen fit to pull us out of bed at four in the morning.

"I told you, it's a surprise."

"Can you at least tell me how long this drive will take?" I asked moodily.

"Uh…" he really looked apprehensive. "About… twelve and a half more hours?" he smiled.

"WHAT?!" I screamed waking up both guys and making Jay and Emma stop kissing.

"What? What's happened? What's wrong?" Lucas asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"No need to shout like that Izzy!" Trish laughed at me. "This is a confined space. Please be considerate of others." she pulled out her tongue out at me.

"Peter." I said rigidly. "I have patients and people depending on me. I can't be gone all day!"

"See, this is exactly why we needed to take this roadtrip. You're all too tense." he explained, eyes on the road. "We're all too stressed out. And actually, we'll be gone two days." he added quickly.

"And what about you? Aren't you needed on set?" I ploughed on.

"That's why there's an assistant director Izzy." he replied mischievously.

And try as I might, I wasn't able to get him to turn around. We kept on going only stopping to fill the tank and eat. Eventually, sleep got the best of me and I was able to rest uncomfortably, switching from Garrett's to Lucas' shoulder every so often.

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"Ta-dam!" Peter exclaimed as he stepped outside the van.

"The Grand Canyon?" Jay asked incredulously.

We were indeed in the parking lot of the Grand Canyon National Park. Everyone stumbled out of the van, stretching sore bodies and looking around. It was now somewhere close to five thirty and the sun was starting to go down.

"Ok, everybody back in the van." Peter shouted shortly after.

"Why?" Garrett asked, looking at the van like it was a death trap.

"We're driving to the North Rim. There's a lodge up there. We'll spend the night and go back to Odessa tomorrow afternoon."

"Only if you promise not to wake us up at the crack of dawn." Trish intervened.

"Yeah, I don't think I could take another day of Izzy McGrumpy." Lucas laughed.

"Ha-ha, very funny."

It was still a very long drive to the North Rim and when we finally pulled up to the lodge, even Pete was a little irritated. We all went to the reception desk with Peter and a few minutes later were walking to the little log-cottage we'd be spending the night in. There were only three rooms; two with double-beds and one with a single. In the living room there were two couches and we pulled straws to see who would sleep on the couches.

"Aaw," pouted Emma when she pulled the shortest straw- Garrett had pulled the second shortest, "I wanted to share with Jay."

"You know what, take my place." I offered. She beamed at me and thanked me. "I guess we'll be living room buddies." I added to Garrett.

After everyone had settled in, we followed Pete out to the balcony overlooking the North Rim. We sat around the fire pit and talked for hours, until most of us were dozing off and Peter suggested we all get some rest.

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It was the startled gasp that woke him. Then there was a soft strange sound that he eventually realized was sobbing. Garrett sat up on the couch he'd been sleeping on and listened closely. He could now definitely hear sniffling and as his eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness, he made out Izzy's shape and thought he saw her wipe tears away.

"Izzy, are you ok?" he asked softly, getting up and walking to her sofa.

"Yeah, I'm fine." her voice sounded thick with tears.

He turned on a side table lamp and looked back at Izzy as she wiped away the last remains of tears. His chest tightened and he got up to take a seat beside her.

When you came to me with your bad dreams and your fears
It was easy to see you'd been crying

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I just had a nightmare." she finally confessed, gently resting her head on his shoulder.

His other arm snaked around her waist and he held her close. She nestled closer to him and sniffled some more.

I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

"Sometimes it's hard being friends with you." he softly stated, stroking her arm gently. "You never say what's wrong and keep everything bottled up."

"I'm really just that way with guys, actually." she answered almost apologetically.

"What happened to make you that way Izzy?" he asked softly, pulling away from her slightly so he could search her face.

"I got hurt." she whispered.

"Who would hurt you? What did he do? It was a guy, wasn't it that-"

He was cut short when her lips softly landed on his and she clutched at his shirt desperately.

When you kissed my lips with my mouth so full of questions

The kiss was short-lived and Garrett was worried for a moment that she might freak out like she had when Lucas had kissed her. Even though she had been the one to initiate the kiss. But then she pulled back and looked up to him and when their eyes met, she smiled almost apologetically at him.

My worried mind that you quiet

She reached out and caressed his cheek. The warmth he felt emanating from her hand was overwhelming.

Place your hands on my face
Close my eyes and say

"I'm fine Garrett." she whispered then nestled back against his chest and he tightened his grip around her.

I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

They stayed like that for a long time and Garrett didn't dare to move until her breathing came in at slow and regular intervals. When he was sure she was asleep, he loosened her grip on his shirt and laid her back against her pillow and walked back to his couch. Even after he turned off the light, he still kept staring at her until sleep weighed down his eyelids and he slipped into an undisturbed peaceful slumber.

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A/N: I know this was a short chapter and I personally think I suck at fluff but that's just me. Tell me if you agree or not. Also, the italics are excerpts of the lyrics to Hold You In My Arms by Ray LaMontagne, I really like that song for some reason. So now make me happy and go review. Shoo!

A/N 2: This has nothing to do with the story but I really want you all to know 2 things: A) Inigo Montoya rocks and if you don't know who he is, you're missing out and B) Brand New is the beast damned band out there, check them out, they're genious and I'd die to have their music's babies. Now I'm out!