Here ya go!! chap 5!!! mwaaaaahhh!!! oh and P.S: Mikan's 25 here, natsume's 26 and te rest is 25

-Gabrielle

Chapter 5: Shortcut

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Ruka quickly turned off the bridge and onto the interstate, catching his passengers completely off-guard. This resulting in all of them being thrown into someone or something.

"Ruka!!" Anna shouted, pulling herself away from Koko. "What are you doing!" She didn't appreciate being thrown into her fiance.

"Yeah!" added Mikan. She had been thrown into Natsume's side. She wouldn't have minded being thrown into him under different circumstances, but this one hurt!

"Ah, don't ya think ya could'da hit the brakes, brudda?"

"I'm sorry you guys," Ruka replied, gripping the wheel tightly. "It just kinda came up on me."

Hotaru, who was pulling herself from the window, turned to her comrades. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I wasn't payin attention to where we were."

"But I'm the one driving," Ruka interrupted. "I should have seen the turnoff."

"No, I'm suppose to help you navigate-"

"It was an accident," Natsume spoke up. "It wasn't anyone's fault. But, please, next time warn us before you decide to throw everyone in one direction." He felt Mikan move back to her side of the seat, and realized that sh was lighter than he thought she was. It hadn't hurt at all when she was thrown into him.

"Right. You're right," Ruka said.

"Annie, are you okay?" Koko asked, using the nickname he'd given her when they were about 11.

"I'm fine, Koko." She moved closer to his side. "Are you all right?"

"Ya, I'm all right." Sure, his side hurt a little bit, but nothing earth shattering.

Anna looked at him, eyebrows arched.

"Really. I'm okay," Koko reassured her, taking her hand.

Anna sighed and gave Koko's hand a squeeze. If she'd learned one thing about Wakka in all the years she'd known him it was this: He'd never admit to being hurt.

"You're lucky I wasn't hurt, Ruka," Mikan joked. "Natsu,e broke my fall. If he hadn't, I would have sued."

"Hey, you got in my truck on your own free will. I'm not held responsible for you," the young blond joked back.

Mikan laughed and leaned back into the seat. Being thrown agaist Natsume had been kind of nice. He was warm, and soft, and he smelled really good. And, he had broken her fall. But, that wasn't what was nice. Just being against him was nice. She'd had a thing for him since they left the academy, and that had been a little over a year ago. She sighed, wondering if he would ever return her feelings.

"Are you all right?" asked the object of her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Mikan replied, her peppy self again.

"Well, you know...you just seemed rather...sad," Natsume said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Was he blushing? No, he couldn't be. Her imagination must be playing tricks on her. Natsume didn't blush...did he? "Oh, you know, I was just thinking." She smiled, and to her delight, Natsume returned the gesture.

"Care to share?"

"Maybe someday," mumbled Mikan.

"Hmm?"

The young Brunette regained her composure and responded, "Just about the trip." She lied throuh her teeth, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't let Natsume know that her thoughts had been about him.

"This should be fun," Anna said. Seeing Mikan squirm in her seat, she had decided to come to her friends resucue.

"Yes. Relaxing in the spa, going shoppin.." Hotaru trailed off, sighing happily.

"Is that what were going to do?" Ruka asked.

Mikan laughed. "I'm sure we'll do more."

"We have got to do the spa. I want to look absolutly beautiful for my wedding,"Anna said, admiring the lovely diamond on her left hand. "I've heard that the effect of those treatments last a long time."

"You already look beautiful, Annie," Koko said, earning a kiss from Anna.

"Ahh..." Ruka teased.

"Oh, the next turn-off is about ten miles up," Hotaru told everyone. "Let's all look for it."

"Really. We don't want a repeat of last time," said Mikan. She had grown bored with the laptop since she'd beaten Natsume and was now flipping through the channels of the built in t.v.

"Actually, the next turn-off is right up here."

"What do you mean?" asked Hotaru. "It says here," she pointed to the map, "that the next turn-off isn't for another ten miles."

"Yeah, but this is shortcut," replied Ruka, turning the Navigator off of the interstate and onto the highway.

"Oh no," Koko moaned from the back seat.

"Ruka, the last time we took one of your 'shortcuts' we were lost for hours," stated Hotaru. Why couldn't he just follow the map?

"I know, but, Sweetie, trust me on this. This will get us there a lot quicker," Ruka told her, flashing her one of his trademark smiles. He knew she couldn't resist his smile.

"Let's just try it," Hotaru told the truck full of her friends. "Maybe it really is a shortcut."

Her response was a bunch of moans and groans.

"Fine. But when we get lost, I blame you both," Natsume said.

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Done! i know, i know...this chapter is boooorriinnggg!!!! but!! i'll keep updating!!

-Gabrielle