Authors note: Hey there Road Trip so this new chapter is a little longer than the last one but I hope you like it. I want to thank everyone for their kind words in regards to Bump. Road Trip is the sequel to Bump and will focus on Paige and Mike as a couple as they get to know each other will as they cruise up the California coastline. There will be comedy, action, suspense and of course romance. So I hope you all enjoy. I'm sorry for the typos and bad grammar I will work on and Paige as they continue their road trip up north. Now they have a new friend in Roadie. What adventures are in store for Graceland's best couple let's find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Graceland or the characters therein

As they ventured north Mike and Paige both remained quiet as they though back on their recent experience. Mike was gripping the steering wheel hard until finally he couldn't keep in his excitement. "Holy shit that was fucking amazing!" Mike yelled awakening Roadie from his nap. "That had to be one of the coolest things I have ever done."

"Yeah it was amazing I've never been that close to them before." Paige added with added excitement

"What do you mean you've never been that close to them before? You knew about them?

"Yeah my family and I would take trips down the coast when we were younger. I have seen them a dozen times. The first time was when I was four. I used to throw carrots over the fence for them because Allie said that's what they ate. I haven't seen them in years since they usually graze behind the hills so the chances were 50/50. I didn't want to get your hopes up but when I saw them just now I felt like I was four years old all over again."

"Wow I guess I brought us good luck. We should take this route more." Mike was stopped mid sentence by a passionate kiss from Paige. She held his face in her hands, "Thank you".

"For what?"

"Ever since the first time I saw them I have always wanted to see them up-close but either my parents or something kept me from doing it. Because of you and your eager excitement you helped me fulfill a dream so thank you."

"You're welcome" Paige gave him a brief kiss before they headed off. "So do know any other cool animals that live around here?" Paige just pointed, "Drive about two miles and pull over in the parking lot." Mike looked over with curiosity, "What am I going to find down the road." Shrugging her shoulder Paige answered, "You're just going to have to wait and see." Mike flew up the highway eager for his lied ahead. Mike saw the parking lot on the ocean side and pulled into it. Like an eager child he hoped out and headed to the edge what he saw was something he had only read in books and magazines. Lined up throughout the beach were hundreds of Elephant Seals. Paige walked up next to him nudging him on the shoulder.

"Except for the Zebras and Roadie of course these are my favorite animals and don't they kind of remind you of someone we know?" Mike looked at one giant one as he threw sand on himself and then had the biggest belch he had ever heard.

"Johnnie?"

"Yep though loveable they can be pretty disgusting at times. Just like Johnnie." Mike then took out his phone and took a picture. "I can't wait to show him that we found some of his long lost relatives." Paige laughed as they watched the giant beast belch some more.

"Come on let's get down there and get a closer look." Mike said as he was ready to hope over the fence and climb down to the beach. Paige grabbed his arm, "Mike there is a reason a fence is here"

"Since when does that stop us? Just a few minutes ago we were hoping a fence to check out the Zebras."

"Yeah but the Zebras don't weigh close to 1,000 pounds and won't crush you if they feel threatened."

"Paige you're over reacting. I mean look at them there is no way their…" Mike was again cut off mid sentence as he watched one of the seals chase down another and fight one another.

"Holy shit! Yeah maybe we should stay up here."

"You think?" They watched as the bigger seal won the battle over the smaller one. "Despite being big, fat, disgusting and dangerous animals they're pretty amazing." The two watched the seals in their habitat before Paige nudged Mike, "Come on we're losing day light and there is somewhere I want to take you. Oh and I'm driving" Mike smiles and hands her the keys, "About time you do a little driving on this trip I'm not Hoke Colburn you know" he adds as he climbs in.

"Who?"

"Driving Miss Daisy?"

"Never heard of it?"

Before he can respond Paige floors it as they venture up the coast. As they venture further up the coast Mike is able to take in the views from the passenger side. "I should have let you drive the entire trip." Paige smiles as she enjoys Mike's expression as they heads towards Big Sur.

"Hey I should warn you it's a little windy on these roads. So I hope you don't get car sick"

"No I'm fine but thanks for the heads up. So how far is it to this place you want to show me?"

"Not that far we park along the side of the road and then we hike from there hope you're ready to have your mind blown." Mike was like a kid on Christmas waiting to open his presents. They finally parked the car and as Mike got Roadie ready Paige packed a backpack with supplies.

"Welcome to the Buckeye trail its only three miles but the first ½ mile is all steep but after that is a windy trial that has amazing views of the coast."

"Sounds nice let's get going." Mike and Paige huffed up the hill but not Roadie he dashed up the step trail leaving them in the dust. They both had to call him back so he wouldn't go too far. "You weren't kidding about this being steep." Mike said in between breaths.

"Yeah but its way worth it." Paige responded and boy was she right as they reached the top the trail leveled out. Like she said before the trailed winded along the mountain high above highway 1. Mike was lost in his own thoughts as he took in the view that he didn't feel Paige tug at his arm, "Come on you haven't seen anything yet." With Roadie leading they ventured on and the views got better and better. Halfway on the trail was a large tree tucked on the mountain side with dangling branches the reached over the edge of the trail. Mike jumped up and swung back and forth. Paige quickly pulled out her phone trying to capture this moment.

"Remember to get my good side" Mike said as he stopped swinging and began to pose for a picture.

"I'm not taking a picture I'm recording my boyfriend acting like a goofball."

"You want to see a goofball well watch this." Mike then proceeded to swing higher and higher. Roadie's head moved back and forth. Paige kept recording and laughed as Mike tapped into his inner youth. Both were having such a good time that they didn't hear the branch start to crack. As Mike made a giant push forward the branch snapped and Mike fell right on his ass. Paige dropped her phone as her laughing was uncontrollable. Roadie went over to Mike and licked his face. Paige grabbed her phone which was still recording and went up to Mike.

"So agent Warren what did we learn today?" holding the phone right at him

Wincing as he held his tailbone he said, "That being a kid hurts." Paige continued to giggle as she helped him up. After dusting himself off they continued on. The trail soon led inwards with the giant oaks and redwoods providing much needed shade and a small little babbling brook right beside it. Paige then stopped turned around and asked mike to close his eyes.

"You're not going to lead me into a bush of poison oak are you?"

"As tempting as that is…no I'm not. We're here but I want you to close your eyes and not open them till I say so."

Mike closed his eyes as Paige led him down the trail. "Just so you know if you led me into poison oak I'm taking you down with me." Paige smirked, "Don't push it Mike." Mike could feel the sun on his face again as Paige told him to stop.

"Wait here and keep your eyes closed. Promise."

"Yeah I promise." Oh yeah I'm going to get pushed in poison oak he said to himself.

"Okay now open" Paige yelled. Mike's eye bulged out as he couldn't believe where he was. Nestled between the mountains was a large green meadow with a large cascading waterfall on a mountain in the distance. In front of him was the babbling brook from earlier in the trail but now much bigger. As he looked to his left beyond the tress was Pacific Ocean even more blue than he could imagine. Roadie was running around the meadow chasing a butterfly and finally there was Paige smiling, changed out of her jeans and long sleeve shirt she now wore a beautiful baby blue summer dress. "You just going to stand there all day?"

Mike jumped over the water and ran towards her. He grabbed her by the waist twirled her around then kissed her as he brought her down. "So you like?"

"Oh yeah I like" he answered as he brushed hair out of her face.

Paige sat down patting the seat next to her. Mike kicked off his shoes, pulled off his shirt and joined Paige on the blanket. Mike placed their bags under him as he stretched out on the blanket his arm wrapped around Paige as she layed next to him her head on his shoulder . The two lovers watched as Roadie chased butterfly after butterfly throughout the meadow.

"Thank you Paige this is amazing. I can't believe we have this all to ourselves."

"That's why I love coming here. Not many people know about it. It's the perfect spot to just get away from it all." Mike closed his eyes and listened to all the various sounds that surrounded him. He was in heaven. "So how did you find this place? Did your parents take you here?"

"No I didn't come here till I was in college. The first time I came here was with…" Mike looked down and saw Paige turn her head away once again rubbing the ring on her right thumb. He noticed a tear roll down her face before she quickly wiped it away.

Paige stood up looking off towards the ocean, "I'm sorry Mike". He sprang up placing his arms around her, "You don't have to be sorry Paige." He said before kissing her shoulder. She turned towards him another tear in her eye. She quickly wiped away the tears and sat back down. "His name was Aaron" she said now looking at the grass

Mike sat next to her holding her hand she squeezed it tight, "ok" was all he said.

"We met in the dorms my first year at UCSD. He was the RA on my floor all the girls in the dorm thought he was hot. I was so into him but I couldn't get two words out whenever I saw him all I could say was hi. It was so embarrassing."

"So how did you get him to notice you?"

"One day I was in the library studying. I know me in library but I was a different person back then. Anyway all the seats were taken except for the one across from me and as luck would have it Aaron sat in that seat. He said hello, once again I froze and all I could do was blush deep red. He didn't say anything else he just dove into his books and me into mine. We sat there for hours studying not saying a word until we were both exhausted so he offered to walk me back to the dorm and I said yes. We walked in silence until I finally got the nerve to say something and he responded with full on answers. We had a nice conversation the rest of the way. From then on whenever I saw him I said hello and we chatted for a bit. Soon he was coming by my room asking me if I wanted to hangout. We did everything together studying even though we didn't have the same classes, going hiking, road trips, concerts, movies he taught me how to surf. Soon our friendship turned into something deeper and by the end of my freshman year we were dating."

"Sounds like you two were serious"

"We challenged and pushed each other, we argued, laughed, and cried together. He was everything to me and I to him. Before my senior year he asked me to marry him and I said yes. He gave me this ring. I wasn't into diamonds I liked simple rings so he got me this." She held up her right hand pointing at the ring around her thumb. He was a goof he got it way too big so I wore it on my thumb." He and Paige shared a laugh.

"Wow you really loved him"

"I did" she nodded as she wiped the tears away

"If you want to stop we can" he said while rubbing her back

"No it's ok I'm fine."

"So what happened to you two?"

"Tommy happened" Paige said with a hint of anger

"Who's Tommy?"

"Tommy was Aaron's best friend since grade school. Both were very smart but while Aaron used it for good use Tommy there it away. He got in trouble a lot growing up and no matter what he did Aaron was there to help him out. I met Tommy a few times and I didn't like him from the second I met him. He had nothing in common with Aaron. I asked him why he was still friends with Tommy and he always made excuses for him saying the typical he's not so bad once you get to know him and he is just lost he will find his way. Aaron was smart but when it came to Tommy he was an idiot. One night Tommy came banging on our door and was beat to shit. We helped clean him up when Aaron asked what happened Tommy made some excuse that he got jumped by some punks but I knew the truth."

"What was that?"

"Tommy was a drug addict. Heroin was his drug of choice I could see the track marks on his arms. After screaming at him he finally fessed up that he tried to steal some drugs from a powerful drug dealer and got his ass kicked for it. I had enough and wanted him out but Aaron being who he was wasn't going to kick him out. He stayed with him all night then got him into a drug rehab center. As we dropped him off Timmy swore he was going to get clean. For the first month things were looking up but then he dropped out and we didn't see him for months until….."

Paige started breathing hard as she fought back the tears. "It was a warm June afternoon and I had just finished my last final. I was in such a good mood I stopped by the store and picked up some food to cook for dinner. We didn't live that far from campus so I walked home. The first cop car I saw rush by I paid no attention. Then the second one rushed by I noticed then after the third zoomed by I knew something big was going on. As I turned on to our street I saw all the cop cars parked by our house. I rushed over to see what was going on. I saw my neighbor talking to the cops he was a mess then he looked at me and I knew. I ran towards the house past the cops and as I got to the front door I saw them zipping up Aarons. I dropped to my knees my mouth opened I wanted to scream but nothing came out. As a cop pulled me up as they took his body away I tied to lung forward and hold him but the cop held me tight as screamed Aaron's name over and over and over….."

Mike held her tight as Paige continued. "Our neighbor said he saw a man matching Tommy's description running away from the house. They found Tommy a few hours later hidden in an abandon warehouse dead they ruled a suicide. They said it was a robbery gone wrong. Aaron came home early from work to find Tommy robbing our place. They got into an argument and when Aaron reached for the gun there was a fight and he gun went off. Tommy fled as Aaron bled to death on from a gunshot to the chest." As the last words came out Paige couldn't hold back anymore and began to cry uncontrollably. Mike could only hold her close, "I'm so sorry Paige." Paige rested her head on his chest as tears continued to fall. Mike's steady breathing finally calmed her down; they just held each other.

"Instead of dealing with it and trying to move forward instead I bottled it up. I don't ever think about Aaron it seems like a another life. The girl who I used to be died that day Mike and for the past few years I've been ok with who I was. I was friendly but kept my distance and never got to close and it worked until that night at the bar…."

"When I came in" Mike said. Paige nodded with a smile. "Mike when I am with you I am the happiest I have been since Aaron. I realized that the girl I used to be wasn't dead she was dormant. Now I feel that I am both her and the one I have been and I like the new me."

"I like the new you to. You ballsy, brash and rude but your also sensitive, sweet and kind."

"Thanks Mike. Hey I'm sorry I ruined the hike. This was supposed to be a fun day but I guess I screwed that up huh."

"Paige you opened up and shared with me a part of your life. I feel closer to you now than ever before plus you brought to what I consider paradise. So to me you didn't screw up this day." She raised her head to kiss him. "You know being here with you I feel that I can move on and not let Aaron's death hold me from being happy."

"I didn't know him but I think he would have wanted you to move on and be happy. The question is you happy? " Paige looked at Mike their eyes lock as she kissed him passionately. "Does that answer your question?" Mike nodded and kissed her back. As they broke the kiss Paige called out to Roadie. "We better get back before the sunsets." Mike quickly packed up while Paige changed into her other clothes. Paige walked down to the edge of the meadow looking down at her right hand she rubbed her ring one last time before taking it off and placing it on a rock. Mike had just finished packing up when Paige returned. "You ready?" Mike asked. "Lead the way." As they reached the trees Paige looked one last time the reflection from the ring caught her eye. She smiled and mouthed goodbye.