Runner

Disclaimer: This was inspired by the USA show 'Queen Of The South' and as always, I own nothing but what you see here! Also, Cora never left.

Summary: Cora's got a skill or two she's been hiding from everyone that she picked up while in South America.


"Alright, Scott, Tina, you two got your seat belts on?" Asked one Cora Hale as she got ready to drive like a Bat out of Hell.

"Yep!" Chirped little Tina.

"I still think we should just go to the Sheriff about this." Added in Scott, who definitely is buckled up.

Cora fixed him a look before speaking. "Not happening, as that would give the man who has no right to call himself a dad a chance to get her back. And that would ruin the efforts of those who got Tina to me and I'm not about to do that. She needs to be with her mother."

"Whoa! I understand that. But I'm just worried is all."

"And I can understand that. But relax, okay? I've got this." Cora told him firmly.

She then loudly burned rubber before hauling ass from the convenience store she and Tina had ended up running into Scott at when getting snacks and the like for the road ahead to Half Moon Bay. During her time in South America, Cora had done quite a few things in order to survive while working for one of the Cartels. Some of which she wasn't necessarily proud of either. Though the fact she earned the nickname 'Road Queen' was something she liked given the fact that she practically owned the roads anytime she was on them while doing jobs as a Runner of various things in her dark blue Firebird. Naturally, Derek and the others had yet to find out any of this and she preferred it that way. As she didn't want to deal with potential judgment from them. Granted, she could have cared less what Peter thought so there was that. And while she had liked living in the area of South America that she did for the most part, she had no desire to return.

Having fought Derek tooth and nail about going back since she thought it was pointless when she had plenty of safety with Scott and the others while he and Peter were off doing whatever. Even if she was a little wary of the Argents. That, and it allowed for Cora to do her work for the Cartel in the Beacon Hills area and outside of it. Oddly enough, she did miss one particular cop from South America since they were like mortal enemies or something to the that effect. Having been chased by him a few times and often being the reason he had to get a new vehicle. Her current job was to get little Tina Grittlin back to her mother in Half Moon Bay where the woman served as one of the town's city council members. Her 'loving' husband having been a man who kept a lot of secrets from her where his activities were concerned and once she had found out, done all she could to get him out of her's and Tina's lives. Something he hadn't appreciated one bit and retaliated by keeping Tina with him as an attempt to force Tina's mother to come back to him.

It had been known in certain circles that Cora could now be found in Beacon Hills and had been approached by the council woman about getting her daughter back. Even offering a nice payment, but Cora would have done the job regardless after being told about the woman's soon to be ex husband. Shortly after getting to the store and coming across Scott, a fight had broken out thanks to few of Tina's dad's friends who were trying to take back the girl. A fight Scott had gotten involved with and then demanded to know what was going on as the two girls quickly got their snacks, paid, and left. What he ended up learning had shocked the young Alpha considerably and had chosen to get involved despite her protests until he threatened to either use the Alpha card on her or call up Derek about the whole thing. Even though she knew he was less likely to use the Alpha card given his hesitancy about his new role in life, but knew he would make good on his threat about Derek at the least and that was the last thing she needed. Silence was heavy between the three as they rode on in the highway as the skies began to darken.

Scott would be the one to break it thanks to the fact he'd been looking at the side door mirror and frowned at what he saw. "Uhh, I don't know if this is a bad thing or not, but there's a car comin' up behind us pretty fast." He announced as he looked towards Cora.

Who frowned as she looked in the rearview mirror. "Damnit!" Cursed the girl as she recognized the vehicle since Tina's father had for whatever reason, chose to have his people's vehicles marked a certain way so you knew who they were.

"I take it that's not good then."

"Nope."

"You're not gonna let them get me, right?" Tina asked fearfully.

Looking at the little girl from the rearview mirror, Cora smiled encouragingly at her. "Of course not. The Queen and I don't fail at this kind of thing."

Were the situation not so serious, Scott would have poked fun of the name she had given her car. Shrieks came from the little girl as shots were fired. "THEIR SHOOTING AT US!" Screamed out the little girl in tears.

"I know, sweetie, but its okay, I promise. Those bullets can't hurt us as I've made sure of that." Even if it had costed her a pretty penny!

But the young Hale knew they would try and at least attempt to run them off the road and she couldn't have that. Not when this little girl and Scott's lives depended on it. Plus, she just recently got her baby back and didn't want her getting damaged so soon! Reaching between the seats, Cora opened up the compartment there and pulled out a custom made hand gun that could put some fairly big holes in people or items. Something a friend of her's had nicknamed as 'Queen's Wrath', a name everybody who knew her back in South America thought to be fitting. And only Cora could really handle it pretty well without getting hurt in some way thanks to her Wolf side. Scott's eyes widened at the huge gun and gulped. "Scott, take the wheel." Ordered the young Hale calmly.

"Wait, what!?"

"You heard me! As something tells me you probably aren't a good shot and this needs that."

He gulped. "Uhh… You'd be right about that. Getting shot at hasn't really given me a high opinion on guns." Replied Scott somewhat darkly.

Cora snorted. "Or archery for that matter." As Derek had told her about Scott's first Full Moon experience!

"Kind of."

Reluctantly, Scott took the wheel of the car as she leaned somewhat out the window and he had to force himself not to look at her ass as he had no desire to wreck or get slapped by her! "What's, what's she doing!?"

"She's gonna make the bad men go away, okay? I Promise."

Tina hesitantly believed him and then screamed when a loud gunshot was heard. Along with screeching from the tires of the other car. Another loud gunshot was heard that saw the other vehicle flipping over and remaining that way. Nodding in approval, Cora lowered herself back into the car and re-claimed the wheel while placing her gun back in the compartment. "Is it over?" Little Tina asked nervously.

Cora looked back at her with a smile. "For those guys? It definitely is."

"Okay..." God, how she wanted her mommy!

Cora then looked over at Scott and her smile turned into a smirk. "Really?" She asked in amusement.

But kinda liking the reaction since he is pretty cute and wasn't a slimeball or in the life as most of the boys and men she knew back in South America were. She watched as he blushed some and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I don't know what you're talking about." Scott finally said after a few moments of silence.

Damned heightened sense of smell! Of course she would pick up on him feeling turned on by what she had done! I think I really do have a type when it comes to strong, badass girls…

Turning her attention back to the road, Cora continued to smirk as she drove on. I could have fun with this. But after Tina's with her mom. Business before pleasure after all.

Putting her foot down on the pedal, she increased her speed to get to their destination even faster before more unfriendlies came their way as Tina began to drift off and Scott chose to keep an eye out for more unfriendlies in an attempt to keep his mind off Cora and strong, badass girls in general. Which would prove harder then he would have liked at one point when Cora teasingly squeezed his leg!


Author's Notes: Heh, that was fun! Definitely potential for a full on story too for this. And if anyone wants to take a crack at it, more then welcome but let me know!