We had left immediately. It was a grab-your-shit-start-the-house-on-fire-blow-the-extra-car-up-to-get-away type of thing. I didn't enjoy it one bit -maybe I enjoyed watching this life burn away- and we were headed down the highway in a shiny red car.

Lola's windows were down and wind was blowing through my hair. The gifts I had bought were sliding back and forth in the trunk as Coulson took sharp turns. I hadn't been by many nice cars in my lifetime but Lola purred, she purred like a happy cat. The stars were shinning bright in the night sky and I was happy to be heading home to my pack. Somehow Coulson's jerky and horrible driving skills lulled me to sleep. If anybody saw the sleek but old red model speeding down the highway at midnight, they were right to give it a second glance.

I woke up a few hours later with Coulson violently poking my shoulder. His face looked gaunt and worried in the low light of the moon. I rubbed my eyes and looked around. We were parked outside of a twenty-four hour motel with a sign advertising color TV and Wi-Fi. "I was able to get a room with two beds."

I nodded and got out of the car. I followed him, half asleep, to our room. There was a loud click as he flicked the lights on and I sat heavily on the stiff bed and rubbed my eyes tiredly. The ugly flower pattern made my pale hands pop out, even more so the streaks of red on the palm of my hand.

I groaned and laid back into the bed. I probably got blood on my face. "Are you okay?" Coulson's face popped into view and his worry deepened. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head 'no'. "Not anymore."

"What do you mean 'not anymore'." He said mocking my voice and miserably failing with a high pithed voice.

"It's just a scratch now." I said covering the wound with my hand trying to block the blood flow. Maybe I lied a bit. "Don't worry I didn't get any on Lola."

"Let me see." He said reaching for my wound. I quickly swatted his hand away in a pissy manner and he looked at me in shock and disbelief.

I pointed to a ring on his right hand. "Is that silver?" I hissed.

"Yes." He said nodding eyes still wide at my behavior. I was injured and tired, I had a right to be moody. Let a sleeping dog lay.

"Go put it in the car or something, wrap it up, get it far away from me, I don't care what you do with it, just do something, and then I'll let you help me."

"But-"

"Now!" I barked and immediately felt bad. All he did was help me in the last month, and then I yelled at him, I respected the man, yet I still yelled at him. He scurried out the door and as soon as the he, along with the silver, left the room I felt better.

He came back in ring-less and ready to help. I peeled my hand away from the half dried blood on my shoulder. The wound should have healed hours ago, at least I knew why it didn't.

As soon as my hand was clear he began wiping blood away. The wound was quickly closing by the time all the blood was wiped away. Even then, all Coulson did was watch with curiosity as it disappeared. I took the dirty rag, walked to the equally dirty mirror in the bathroom, and checked my face for blood. I rinsed the rag in some lukewarm water and wiped the blood clean from my face and hands.

Leaving the bathroom, I went straight for the bed. I crawled under the scratchy flowered covers. After I was situated -face in the pillow, ass under the blankets- I mumbled to Coulson. "In the morning." I heard him shuffle around in agreement but that didn't stop me from knowing the curiosity that was almost exploding from him.

We left the stiff beds and dirty bathroom at six in the morning. It was the best sleep I had in about a month. The second we were clear of the dusty motel and any people in general he made me explain.

"We are where werewolf myths come from, us shifters." I said looking at him but without eye contact. Coulson seemed to follow all road safety rules, but couldn't drive in a straight line. "Silver hinders, it hurts, it makes us sick, can keep us sick, and can kill us." I answered any other questions he had.

For a while after that he -we- drove in silence. "You never truly explained to me why we did this." I thought out loud.

"Just tying up loose ends." He said "Dangerous group, named after a Greek monster."

"Which one?" He glanced at me for a moment then looked back to the road. "Cut off one head and another takes its place." He laughed bitterly. It took me only a small amount of time to go over the Greek myth books my mother used to read to me when I was young.

"A hydra?" I laughed, genuinely. "Why not choose something more creative?" A fit of giggles left my mouth. "I thought they were criminal masterminds?"

"HYDRA." Coulson laughed along with me, his laughs were a bit more hysterical though.

"Wait, don't tell me it's in all caps!" I laughed harder. The small bought of laughter was enough to let Coulson get rid of any extra insanity and me to get rid of any tension. It was a win-win situation for both of us.

"Then I won't tell you." He said a grin growing on his face. Our laughs wore out and I decided to just be quiet for a while. I watched as the desert atmosphere changed to an agricultural one. No matter how fast Coulson drove I knew it would take almost a week to get back.

As the stars started to peek out once again we stopped at a convenience store. I grabbed a box of hair dye and some shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I threw a toothbrush and toothpaste into the mix.

After we left we drove for another hour and stopped at motel number two. The only difference was that the bathroom was clean, and there was a sense of relief. We were one motel closer to our mismatched family.

I let Coulson have the bathroom first, and then I took over. I opened the toothbrush and paste first. It had been over a day since I last brushed them and I could feel the plaque building. I made sure I got every corner of my mouth. My tongue and teeth successfully clean, I went for the shower. After getting dressed I went straight for the hair dye. Blonde hair was pretty but it didn't suit me.

I didn't walk out of the bathroom until I had my brown hair back and I was smelling clean. Coulson just spared me a look but didn't say anything. Neither of us said anything that night, didn't need to. I decided I was going to sleep through the night with no interruptions. Any thong that went against my resolution would get hell. Nothing was itching for hell and I woke the next morning having a full nights sleep. We left the next morning, with a repeat. Driving for hours, stopping only when necessary, and trying to make Coulson laugh at almost any cost. Getting a smile out of that weathered man was akin to winning the lottery along with learning you got a lifetime supply of Doritos.

The next five days were filled with the same routine, over and over. Drive, stop, laugh, repeat, drive, stop, laugh, and repeat. That was okay with me though, because with every turn of a wheel I was getting one small step closer to my pack. I would get back to my pack at any costs, dragging Coulson behind because he was a part of it too. But for now, I was content sitting in the car and changing the station every time an absolutely horrible song came on. I settled on a station playing some of the eighties classics. I tapped my fingers to a random beat and like many times before, I fell asleep with a tune playing in me head. My fingers slowed to a stop and I happily slept with the promise I would be home soon.

AN

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