Author's (Alec) Notes: We are behind. Funeral, family, meeting friends, illness, and now we are on our way to Mount Rushmore. Thank you to everyone reading. Please read the notes at the end. Thank you.
Disclaimer: Us? Overwatch? Nah.
Chapter 3: A Night's Gamble
Lena parted her eyes the next morning, taking only moments to adjust her vision to the thick stream of golden sunlight parting through the curtains next to her. As she glanced around the room, the reality of the situation came to her once again. Where she was, what she was doing, who she was with; it all came to her in an instant just as the woman wanted to push it all away, wondering exactly what she had roped herself into.
As she pulled the covers off of her, Lena stretched, part of her wondering when the last time was that she had felt that well rested. Her toes touched the floor as step after step lead her past the bedroom door and into the connecting hallway. She poked her head around the corner, looking into the combined sitting and dining room. Much to her avail, the only sight that met her was a vastly empty suite.
Continuing on, the driver made her way down the opposite hallway, connecting the shared living space to the other woman's space. Pressing her ear to the heavy wood material of the door, Lena held herself there for a few moments, trying to pick up any sign of activity. When this test returned negative, she grasped for the metal knob, pulling it open. As she opened the door slowly, all that the brunette was met with took form of a disappointedly empty room, tousled sheets and all.
After quickly slipping on her clothes and gathering all of her belongings, she parted through the suite's door, taking little time to head down stairs as she began searching, attempting to scope out the other woman's location in such a large and foreign environment.
Lena found herself traveling down hall after hall in search for Amélie, starting from the base of the stairs and throughout the lobby, soon finding herself traveling down into the casino level.
Eventually she found the dark haired woman, hands leaning on the wood finish of the table in front of her. Since last night, she had somehow gotten a new pair of clothes; a form fitting blouse matched with a pair of dress pants. It took Lena a moment to realize who she was looking at, given the sudden change of appearance. The only giveaway was the insinuation of unkemptness that hung on her. Thick hair remain about her, partially brushed and hanging incorrectly as the strands cascaded down her back in an organized mess. With her sights fixed on the table, it was clear how tired she was. Given her face devoid almost entirely of makeup, save for her lipstick, the slight discoloration of sleepless nights and built up stress everpresent about her eyes.
Lena approached her just as the dark haired woman began rolling, sending the two red dice tumbling across the table top. Just as the dealer announced the good role, he pushed the stack of chips over in front of Amélie with his rattan stick.
The crowd's attention was shifted elsewhere just as it became someone else's turn.
The driver took a few steps closer to her passenger. "Heya love, you alright?" She asked, worry thick in her words.
Amélie's eyes did not part from the table, gaze firmly locked on the other players rather than meeting Lena's presence. "Of course." She said simply.
"You've changed your mind about New York?" Lena asked with an air of curiosity and bated breath, trying her hardest to show any alternate intent in questioning.
"No." She quickly cut off any further questioning by taking another sip of the drink in her hand, the rim of the glass peppered with the coloring of her lipstick.
Seeing this Lena grew concerned about her gambling and drinking "Then maybe we should get going, we have a long road ahead." Amélie said nothing. She reached for the dice; it was her turn again. Lena spoke up again "Maybe you should stop, you're upset, maybe now is not the time."
Amélie set the dice down on the green felt tabletop, her gaze turning into a glare as she fully acknowledged Lena, scaring the young taxi driver momentarily. The silence was cut after a few seconds. "Fine," she said, "I need to get out of here anyway." She turned from the table, taking a few steps away from her original position, partially stumbling along the way.
Taken aback by the other's change in heart, Lena spun around on her heels, following in the other woman's footsteps as she approached the door.
As her strides began reaching the door, Amélie stopped for a moment, eyes scanning a row of brochures placed neatly in hanging wood cubbyholes. Her fingers wrapped around the folded paper of the one closest to her. "I've never seen the Grand Canyon." She commented after reading the title and slipping it back into its spot. "Do you know the way?"
Lena gave a slight shrug, her phone's map being the only thing to come to mind. "Technically."
"Good," she commented simply, "take me there." Without another word, the dark haired woman parted through the sliding doors, soon stepping into the into the stone walkway. Pulled into the circular driveway was the ever present taxi, its back door being held open by a valet attendant. She slid into the backseat as the rest of the world disappeared from her yet again.
Once again, the road stretched indefinitely in front of them, sandy and rocky wastelands presenting themselves as time passed. Between the stretch of land and crisscross of rock formations turned mountains, more and more flora began developing. Starting with smatterings of short, green shrubs, and eventually ending in a makeshift forest of trees more reminiscent of succulents more than anything else. With Amélie slumped against the window asleep in the back, Lena was stuck in the front with her thoughts once again, the only thing keeping her company proved to be the soft tunes pouring from the radio.
As the cab made its way past small oases of towns, signs for the Grand Canyon began appearing, hinting to the overtired driver that this stretch of the journey was almost over.
Soon enough, she pulled into the ranger station blocking the flow of traffic into the park before payment was collected. With a slight sigh, Lena reached into her pants pocket, pulling out the necessary bills before being given a taped receipt in exchange.
Simple streets circled around the national park, leading guests to explore every end they hoped to even catch a glimpse of. Thick trees and brush coated the way, giving an air of environment that the taxi driver had not caught in a while. Save for the yellow, diamond-shaped signs depicting warnings for their guests about the native wildlife, painted metalic signs depicted and directed guests to several different areas. This, however, did not prove to be the most effective of ways as routes twisted and dropped off, only being picked up once again if a driver was too stubborn to attempt an alternate route.
Despite this large mismatch and messed up directions given by the plethora of posted signs, the duo eventually found themselves a spot in the cramped parking lot of the Grand Canyon Village only after over an hour of driving. Situating herself next to a small adobe house, Lena pulled into the compact spot, soon twisting the keys from the ignition as the engine died in its place.
A movement was seen from the back seat as the mass of long, black, tousled hair rose up, a hand running through its length as the locks were pushed away from the woman's face. Despite the half-lidding of her eyes and slight darkening around her eyes, Amélie had sobered up despite all odds.
"Good morning, sleepy head." Lena said, meeting her with a small, polite smile."We made it."
The taller woman let herself out, stepping onto the gravel beneath them as she took a few steps closer to the low stone wall. As she looked over the ravine, through out the dips and plateaus of the colorful mesa around her, her expression never changed as she glanced around, unimpressed. She took a few steps close, closing in to the base of diving wall, looking down to the impossible depths and contorting and etched rock, part of her wondering what the appeal had been in the first place.
The driver parted from the cab, slipping her phone and keys into her pocket before shutting the door and taking the few strides it took to get to the wall. In a moment, she was overtaken by the sheer size and depths of such a canyon. She whipped out her mobile once again, swiping to the camera feature before snapping a few well-placed pictures. In an instant, they were sent to her few friends littered throughout her contacts.
Halfway through, her thumb paused, hovering over the send button as her thoughts escaped her, temporarily going elsewhere as a growing worry for the other woman developed.
Looking over, she noticed just how close Amélie was to the ledge. Her fear heightened as she began questioning what the woman was doing, ultimately afraid of what stupid thing she could do. It took only a few strides over to her as Lena followed the other's gaze. "Whatcha looking at?"
Amélie simply stood there, unblinking as her gaze never left the canyon floor where little helicopters whizzed around near the foliage-surrounded ranger station. "The only thing that's here." She said simply.
"And what do you think?" Lena asked, the hints of a smile tugging at her words.
This question was brushed off for the most part as Amélie began walking away. "It's just a hole. What is there to think?"
"How cool is it?" She asked, further prodding, attempting to get any positive words from her passenger.
"Whatever." The woman said simply, slipping back into the taxi's back seat. "When you're done with the hole, we should get going." Without allowing a word from the other part, the door was swiftly shut behind her.
A sigh escaped Lena's lips as she looked exasperated from the cab and back to the stretch of banded and eroded rocks in front of her.
The driver gave herself some time to relax, allowing herself the well-deserved break she needed from simply going through with the agreement. Taking a breath in, she turned around, making the short trek back to the car before situating herself into the front seat once again."
Her gaze raised to the rear-view mirror, catching the sight of the other woman with her head propped up on her hand, view fixed outside the window. "We should be able to make it to Texas tonight." Lena offered, trying to stir any emotion from the passenger.
A simple nod of acknowledgement met Lena's eyes before she twisted the key in the ignition, bringing the cab back to life before continuing.
Author's (Kate) Notes: Apologies that this took so long. It's almost funny. Life becomes busiest when you least expect it or want it to.
P.S. (Alec) We are sorry for the slow start. Road trips and stories have a few things in common. 1 They start off slow and at takes a while to get in the groove of things. 2 when it finally starts and you're in your groove, it gets good. 3 always hope it has a satisfying ending. The people you rooted for win, the lovers are still together and you all come out of it better. Next chapter is almost done and starts to kicks up. And the chapter after that is rated M, So be aware.