Chapter 5-Accidental Calm Before the Storm

"Where's my cheese sauce?" She shouted over the music, the beginnings of Rhythms. She was currently wedged into the passenger seat of Oliver's Jeep Cherokee, wading through a Wendy's bag they'd gotten an hour ago when she was too busy playing the license plate game to care about eating. He, however, had no qualms and had shoveled down his quarter-pounder with cheese and half of her Frosty before she'd even looked back from the road to yell at him.

"I dunno, probably back near Vegas," He laughed.

"Shut up!" She kicked him. She probably wasn't sitting in the safest position, her back against the door with no seatbelt, but they were living on the edge. So she didn't really care. "You're the idiot who thought we had to go through Nevada to get to new Mexico."

"You were the one reading the map," He laughed, stealing a French fry from her. Darn, she'd forgotten about that. Oh well, she could still blame this on him.

"Well, Marco Polo, did you ever think that it's still your fault because you were the one driving?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, no, mostly because it wasn't and partly because it was definitely yours," He shot back, glaring at her instead of looking in front of him.

"It was not!" She yelled, kicking him again. He was fun to kick. Always had been. Except that time they'd done peewee hockey and she'd kicked him in the shin with her skates on and gotten grounded for a month even though she'd hardly broken his skin. "It's not my fault that all your maps highlight the quickest way to The Palace Hotel and Casino.

"Well, sorry, if my parent's went there last year for their second Honeymoon," He shuddered, "I'd really rather not think about it."

"Why? At least your parents still have sex, let alone speak!" She mumbled.

"Yeah, no, my dad lost half my college fund at Craps but thank for the mental image," He looked pretty green all the sudden. And she giggled, green was a great color for him. Especially that green t-shirt with the vest over it he'd worn the other day…that was hot. NO! She did not just think that, she had officially scrubbed her brain clean of all thoughts of Oliver except for the ones that included him being a big, clumsy jelly-filled doughnut. Yeah…right.

"Well," Suddenly she heard a familiar song fill the car's radio. "TURN IT UP!" She shouted, causing him to jump in his seat. Moron, he didn't even realize what it was, and he didn't listen to her either. She had to turn it up herself.

Yeah…

I like it when the girls stop by…

In the summer.

He grinned at her and she smirked back as he started nodding his head like a pigeon.

"Do you remember?" She laughed as he did his best boy band face. "Do you remember? When we met that summer?" She struck her pose at the same time as him now.

"New kids on the block had a bunch of hits,

Chinese food makes me sick,

And I think it's fly when the girls stop by for the summer…

For the summer…"

They both belted loud and proud, breaking out the horrible dance moves from when they were eight.

I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch,

I'd take her if I had one wish,

But she's been gone since that summer…

Since that summer…

- - -

"Did they just say lightening?" Lilly asked frantically, turning up the radio. It was too late though, the forecast was over.

"No," Oliver said too fast to have thought about it. Which confirmed her suspicions. She had to get out of the car now, she dove for the handle but he locked it. "They said lighting, Lilly. Lighting, you know, as in an ad for an electrician."

She kicked the door. "Unlock it, unlock it now or I will kill you, Oken. I mean it this time. I will end your life if you don't pull over."

"We're in the middle of Utah!" He whined, even though it wasn't true. They were practically at the southern most tip of Utah, in some place called St. George. And did he not understand the concept of thunder storm plus Lilly equaling his life ending?

"There!" She pointed to the side of the road. What appeared to be a kitschy little inn was there, usually cuteness of it would have made her drive until they found another one, but this was different. She needed shelter…needed. "Let's stay there!"

"But Lilly, we already lost three hours because of Vegas…" He mumbled, slowing down none-the-less.

"You can order anything you want from room service and I'll pay," She bribed, not mentioning that she wouldn't be paying for the room in general. Oliver would eat her broke as it was.

He looked pensive for a moment, "Does that include lobster?" He asked, flipping his hair adorably. Not adorably. His hair flipping was vain, and stupid…and he really needed to cut it. You could hardly see his beautiful chocolate colored eyes…Snap out of it, Lilly!

"Seriously?" He nodded. "Alright," She sighed. She'd have to do it. Otherwise she'd be stuck in the stupid car all through the storm and that was unacceptable, so she'd have to hope lobster wasn't on the menu.

He pulled the car in and she thrust the door open, grabbing her backpack. He could go get her suitcase later. She needed a hotel room.

- - -

"Lils, can you please stop hyperventilating and talk to me?" Oliver's voice came from behind her. She was curled up in the corner, where it was safe. And she was breathing in and out, what else did he want? She shook her head. "Come on," He put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped a little in her spot on the floor. "How about a game of cards?"

"N-no," She stuttered out, just that word made her feel like she was going to be sick. How could she play their usual game of Go Fish?

"Lilly," His whole arm was around her now and she felt herself look up into his eyes. They were so warm looking, she couldn't look away right now. Warm was good. "You're okay. I know you're scared, but we're inside. This isn't my backyard."

"No," She said again weakly. She did not want to think of that day. Or the tree falling into their club. Or breaking her arm because of it. She didn't want to think. She just wanted him to leave her alone, so she looked away. "No, no, no, no, no."

Then he did a funny thing though, he took her chin and led her back to his face. "It's alright. You're safe." And she believed him, because really, when had he ever lied to her? After all, that day hadn't been his fault. She was the one who had convinced him that meetings occurred rain or shine and that if you could stay in a house during a storm, you could stay in a clubhouse too. So she got up and went and sat over on the bed as he dealt out cards. Really, you could hardly see the lightening in the unlit room when you had your back to the window. And if when you did, it just highlighted the lines of the other person's face, that was alright wasn't it.

"Alright," Oliver put the seventh card in front of her. He quickly sorted his, he had two pairs and she only had one. "Do you have any fours?" She didn't answer, she was too busy looking at him. Had he always been like this with her? So sweet and patient? He glanced up from his hand, "What?" He asked, as if he thought he had something on his face.

"Nothing," She shook her head, smiling to herself. "Go fish yourself."

AN: This was going to be longer but I need to end it here. The next chapter will continue their night in the hotel. Depending on what ends up happening they might make it to Albuquerque or not next chapter. But you'll see some surprise characters in there when they do who will be filming there.

P.S. Oliver totally stole Lilly's cheese sauce when she was too busy concentrating on the license plate game.