A/N: I KNOW, I KNOW I took forever, but please forgive cause it isn't
easy...I'm writing this in between laundry loads. So I hope you like it.
Chapter 2-Heat and Moonlight
She felt her blood boiling, her skin getting moist and her heart racing. The scent was driving her insane, the perfume...no...the cologne...his cologne. 'Why would he wear cologne during a heat wave?' her thoughts were jumbled as she felt his hand on her skin, almost cooling to her flesh. He was bending down towards her...and she found herself... like his opposite...attracting...so close she could feel his breathe on her lips... "Josie I..."
She jumped up and looked around. She realized it was dark, and everyone around her was sleeping. She huffed and threw herself back on the ground. "Ouch!" she yelped as she slammed onto her backpack/pillow. She covered her mouth as she saw Corrine begin to stir. She knew she wasn't going to get anymore sleep now.
What time was it? Who knew...she really could not tell, it had been dark for many, many hours and they all had figured that no light, a wacked out compass, and the fact that every time they tried to move they ended up back in the same place...well, they figured they should take a rest before they tried again, and again and again and again.
As Josie walked towards the boys' side she stared at them. Marshall was a front sleeper and had his head tucked in between his folded arms; Lucas had moved and fidgeted so many times that Josie couldn't tell if he were ever comfortable; then there was Vaughn, he was on his back, silent, 'must he be so...him...even in his sleep?' she thought they looked so sweet like this, 'why can't I just keep them this way all the time?' She felt her heart almost warming at the sight of a sleeping Vaughn, he looked so peaceful...so innocent...so...she snapped herself out of her reverie and walked away as fast she could.
When she made it down to the ravine the only light she had was the moonlight, but she oddly enough liked it. The moon had gone from one side of the sky to the other, as if to tease them, and their North Star that they were going to try and follow never appeared. It was as if nature itself wanted them lost and to stay lost.
She stepped into the water, as high as much as her shorts allowed, she didn't want to get to wet if she got sleepy, but it was so hot and the water was at least a bit cooler.
She looked out towards where the moon shone, and found her self entranced. She could feel it, feel how close she was to the original lab, the one she never got to investigate. The boys refused to go down that path, but part of her felt like that if they did maybe...All those secrets, all those answers just waiting to be revealed...all she had to do was follow the moon. She felt her legs begin to move.
"Don't even think about it." The serious voice startled her, and the deepness of it sent chills down her spine as she turned back. It was the same voice in her dream, the same scent, she turned, though she really didn't need to see to know who it was.
She put on her best straight face and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry, is that you Vaughn? I completely forgot what you sounded like. It's been so long." She gave him the most sarcastic smirk she could muster as she began to walk out the ravine.
"You're not going Josie." He emphasized each word, whether to make a point or intimidate her, she didn't know, she thought a little bit of both. She knew what he was talking about. But who was he to tell her anything. After ignoring her for God only knows how long, considering what he did to her, what right did he have?
"I don't know what you're talking about, but really keep talking. I've haven't had too much comedy in the last 24 hours and watching you act like a Neanderthal really is entertainment." She started to walk past him, but was flung back by his grip on her forearm.
"Josie, I mean it." She pulled out of his grip, almost falling to the floor from the force of it.
"You don't get to tell me anything, and you especially can't dictate what I do. You lost all rights to having any influence in my life a while ago, and if I recall that was YOUR decision. Now as much as you want to protect 'Daddy's little investment' I really could care less what you think." She stomped off towards her bed area.
His 'pull her by the hair and drag her off to the cave' ways made her mad, but the way she felt...like if she were still in her dream...made her unbelievably frustrated...and made him terrifyingly more attractive.
******
He was surprised he was still breathing. If he wasn't completely pissed off he would be pacing around trying to calm down his rapid heartbeats. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn, so damn irritating, so damn cute?!
He had tried to stay away from her. She betrayed him, she stole from his father, and she had been using him. But every time...especially lately...he found himself wanting to forget it all...and just grab her...and...see this is why he woke up.
He felt her near him...his body had warmed when she came near him. He thought it was the dream, cause he will admit it was a VERY heated dream, but when he woke he found that the warmth had faded with her retreating figure. He had watched her walked to the ravine, and remembered the day of their 'hike'. He remembered flying down a hill, hitting the rocks at the bottom of the now full ravine.
She had left him, he huffed...that should have been his first sign. She went after the lab, with no consideration of consequences or her friends. He knew the look in her eyes...the one she gets whenever she's on to something or made a discovery...he found it quite endearing actually...but he knew whenever that look came around it meant trouble. Why didn't he just let her go? He could say that it was to support his dad, and not let her snoop around. But that wasn't the real reason.
He wanted to protect her...to keep her safe...even if that meant from her self. She didn't think correctly when she started like that. And alone in the middle of the night (or day, but who knew at that point) he knew Josie Trent would only be leading to trouble. But he realized in his anger, he did something he hadn't done in a while, and even under the circumstance it felt good. He spoke to her.
They weren't exactly words of endearment, but all the same he felt that missing space being filled. He knew he shouldn't trust her, but his head, his heart and his fathers words were all battling within him. 'As long as she's safe and near.' That wasn't safe thinking, and he knew it.
But as he said, he was indicated by a warmth, a heat. It cooled when he actually touched her arm, but when he just got close it flamed, like his body was commanding that he touched her. He really couldn't deal with it...he was tired, and figuring out what the hell was going on now was just too much for one night.
Vaughn walked backed to his make shift bed and closed his eyes...and shock of all shocks...he dreamed of a redhead that goes by the name of shortcake.
Chapter 2-Heat and Moonlight
She felt her blood boiling, her skin getting moist and her heart racing. The scent was driving her insane, the perfume...no...the cologne...his cologne. 'Why would he wear cologne during a heat wave?' her thoughts were jumbled as she felt his hand on her skin, almost cooling to her flesh. He was bending down towards her...and she found herself... like his opposite...attracting...so close she could feel his breathe on her lips... "Josie I..."
She jumped up and looked around. She realized it was dark, and everyone around her was sleeping. She huffed and threw herself back on the ground. "Ouch!" she yelped as she slammed onto her backpack/pillow. She covered her mouth as she saw Corrine begin to stir. She knew she wasn't going to get anymore sleep now.
What time was it? Who knew...she really could not tell, it had been dark for many, many hours and they all had figured that no light, a wacked out compass, and the fact that every time they tried to move they ended up back in the same place...well, they figured they should take a rest before they tried again, and again and again and again.
As Josie walked towards the boys' side she stared at them. Marshall was a front sleeper and had his head tucked in between his folded arms; Lucas had moved and fidgeted so many times that Josie couldn't tell if he were ever comfortable; then there was Vaughn, he was on his back, silent, 'must he be so...him...even in his sleep?' she thought they looked so sweet like this, 'why can't I just keep them this way all the time?' She felt her heart almost warming at the sight of a sleeping Vaughn, he looked so peaceful...so innocent...so...she snapped herself out of her reverie and walked away as fast she could.
When she made it down to the ravine the only light she had was the moonlight, but she oddly enough liked it. The moon had gone from one side of the sky to the other, as if to tease them, and their North Star that they were going to try and follow never appeared. It was as if nature itself wanted them lost and to stay lost.
She stepped into the water, as high as much as her shorts allowed, she didn't want to get to wet if she got sleepy, but it was so hot and the water was at least a bit cooler.
She looked out towards where the moon shone, and found her self entranced. She could feel it, feel how close she was to the original lab, the one she never got to investigate. The boys refused to go down that path, but part of her felt like that if they did maybe...All those secrets, all those answers just waiting to be revealed...all she had to do was follow the moon. She felt her legs begin to move.
"Don't even think about it." The serious voice startled her, and the deepness of it sent chills down her spine as she turned back. It was the same voice in her dream, the same scent, she turned, though she really didn't need to see to know who it was.
She put on her best straight face and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry, is that you Vaughn? I completely forgot what you sounded like. It's been so long." She gave him the most sarcastic smirk she could muster as she began to walk out the ravine.
"You're not going Josie." He emphasized each word, whether to make a point or intimidate her, she didn't know, she thought a little bit of both. She knew what he was talking about. But who was he to tell her anything. After ignoring her for God only knows how long, considering what he did to her, what right did he have?
"I don't know what you're talking about, but really keep talking. I've haven't had too much comedy in the last 24 hours and watching you act like a Neanderthal really is entertainment." She started to walk past him, but was flung back by his grip on her forearm.
"Josie, I mean it." She pulled out of his grip, almost falling to the floor from the force of it.
"You don't get to tell me anything, and you especially can't dictate what I do. You lost all rights to having any influence in my life a while ago, and if I recall that was YOUR decision. Now as much as you want to protect 'Daddy's little investment' I really could care less what you think." She stomped off towards her bed area.
His 'pull her by the hair and drag her off to the cave' ways made her mad, but the way she felt...like if she were still in her dream...made her unbelievably frustrated...and made him terrifyingly more attractive.
******
He was surprised he was still breathing. If he wasn't completely pissed off he would be pacing around trying to calm down his rapid heartbeats. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn, so damn irritating, so damn cute?!
He had tried to stay away from her. She betrayed him, she stole from his father, and she had been using him. But every time...especially lately...he found himself wanting to forget it all...and just grab her...and...see this is why he woke up.
He felt her near him...his body had warmed when she came near him. He thought it was the dream, cause he will admit it was a VERY heated dream, but when he woke he found that the warmth had faded with her retreating figure. He had watched her walked to the ravine, and remembered the day of their 'hike'. He remembered flying down a hill, hitting the rocks at the bottom of the now full ravine.
She had left him, he huffed...that should have been his first sign. She went after the lab, with no consideration of consequences or her friends. He knew the look in her eyes...the one she gets whenever she's on to something or made a discovery...he found it quite endearing actually...but he knew whenever that look came around it meant trouble. Why didn't he just let her go? He could say that it was to support his dad, and not let her snoop around. But that wasn't the real reason.
He wanted to protect her...to keep her safe...even if that meant from her self. She didn't think correctly when she started like that. And alone in the middle of the night (or day, but who knew at that point) he knew Josie Trent would only be leading to trouble. But he realized in his anger, he did something he hadn't done in a while, and even under the circumstance it felt good. He spoke to her.
They weren't exactly words of endearment, but all the same he felt that missing space being filled. He knew he shouldn't trust her, but his head, his heart and his fathers words were all battling within him. 'As long as she's safe and near.' That wasn't safe thinking, and he knew it.
But as he said, he was indicated by a warmth, a heat. It cooled when he actually touched her arm, but when he just got close it flamed, like his body was commanding that he touched her. He really couldn't deal with it...he was tired, and figuring out what the hell was going on now was just too much for one night.
Vaughn walked backed to his make shift bed and closed his eyes...and shock of all shocks...he dreamed of a redhead that goes by the name of shortcake.