The sun was beating down on Alise's face when she woke up that morning. Not even bothering to open her eyes, she stayed exactly where she was in her comfortable position. She didn't want to move. The bed was warm and comfy, and she was in a state of contentment. She didn't remember going to bed last night, and with her eyes still closed, her brain started to go over the previous night's events. She and Camila went to Tono's party, they went on a walk through the desert, they found the meteor Tono had said landed in his yard, she saw the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen before...

Her eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. She took a look at her surroundings. She wasn't at home in her bed. She was in her car.

And it was driving itself.

There was a chuckle from the stereo.

"'Goooooooood morning, Vietnam!'" came through the speakers.

Oh, that's right, she thought to herself. It wasn't her car.

"Morning, Bee," she said timidly. She looked at the clock on dashboard. It was 12:23. Her head started to spin. "So last night wasn't all just a dream?"

"'I'm afraid not.'" She recognized the voice as Alan Rickman, but she didn't remember what movie it had come from. She didn't put much more thought into it.

"Oh, alright then." They stayed in silence for the moment. Alise looked out the window to see they were driving along a deserted paved road in the middle of nowhere. She realized that he probably chose this path because of that reason. People would start to get a little nervous at the sight of a car driving by itself with a person sleeping in the downed driver's seat. Coincidentally, just as she was thinking this, the seat came up to its normal position and the seatbelt was placed around her once more.

She wondered last night if the police would put a BOLO out on her car, but then she remembered (for the thousandth time) that her real car was still parked in the front of her house, so they had no reason to. It was hard not to forget, though. Bee was an exact replica of her '77. Even the paint was faded in all the right places. She also remembered her turning off her cell phone, just in case.

The silence was broken by her stomach, which started to growl.

"'Hungry?'" Bee voiced.

"Only a little," Alise said. She didn't want him going off course to wherever they were going for her sake. "I can wait."

"There's a store (static) a few (static) miles (static) ahead. We'll stop (static) there."

She brushed her fingers along the side of the door gratefully. "Thanks," she said, and there was a gently purr from the engine at her touch.

After about five miles, there was a lonely gas station that had one car in the parking lot. Bee pulled in and let Alise out with her purse, leaving his engine running.

"I'll be right back," she whispered to him, and he chirped in approval. She walked into the minimart and she picked up a few bags of popcorn and chips for the road and a sandwich for her breakfast. She also took the opportunity to use the restroom. She walked up to the cash register and was checking out when something caught her eye. It was an air freshener with a bee on it, the bottom read BEE-OTCH. Next to it was a cute little disco ball. She laughed at the prospect of what she was thinking, but couldn't resist. She picked up the two objects and purchased them with her food. Walking out the door with her food and gifts in a bag, she climbed back into Bee and smiled.

"I got you something."

Bee made a noise that sounded like he was confused. "'What?'"

She pulled the air freshener and the disco ball out of the bag. "Ta-da!"

At first she didn't know if he could see them, but when she heard laughing come out of the speakers, she assumed he did.

"'Thanks!'" he voiced over through the speakers and she proceeded to put the two trinkets on his rearview mirror. She got out her sandwich and ate it quickly, careful not to get any crumbs anywhere. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she ate, so she opened the bag of popcorn as well and started to eat it also. When she felt fuller, she put the bag in the back seat with her duffel.

"Bee?"

"'Yes?'"

"Where exactly are we going?"

A song came through the speakers. "'California! Here we come!'" She knew the song. It was California by Phantom Planet.

"California?" she questioned. "What's in California?"

"'A boy who can (static) help us.'"

"A boy? Does he know he can?"

Bee was silent.

"Bee-"

"No, he (static) doesn't.'"

Alise was quiet for a moment. "Not to be a downer, Bee, but what makes you think he's going to help?"

"'I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse,'" Bee said humorously.

Alise was silent. Bee sighed.

"'If he doesn't (static) all hope will be lost.'"

"Wow. No pressure or anything. Poor kid."

"'I know.'"

They drove for a little while longer. Bee was playing music for Alise to lighten the mood and she was tracing circles in the fabric of the seat, which he seemed to like. Every time she touched the car gently, he seemed to contently purr through the engine. It made her smile. Around 2 o'clock, they passed the state border line, passing over the threshold from Arizona to California. Bee had told her earlier that they were heading to South Gate and that it would be a few more hours until they reached it. After good three or so more hours of alternating between being stuck in traffic and driving, they stopped at another rest stop so Alise could stretch her legs and use the restroom.

Before she came out, Alise stopped and picked herself up a bottle of water to buy for the road. Heading to the cashier, she accidently ran into a man who turned the corner of an isle when she did. She would admit she was rushing to get out to Bee.

"Oh!" she squeaked. "I'm sorry!"

He chuckled. "No worries, doll. Sorry if I scared you." After he said this, he looked as if he was examining her, and it made her feel small and uncomfortable. There wasn't anything striking about the man, except for the fact that the way he looked at Alise gave her chills. And not in a good way. She quickly decided that being near him was bad for her health and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Umm, yeah. Sorry again. Have a nice day," she said, and she tried to head to the cashier. He wasn't having that.

"You know," he said, stepping in front of her once more, "I really do feel bad."

She looked confused and automatically clenched her fists. "Umm, we bumped into each other. I hardly think that you should feel-"

"What do you say I buy you dinner?"

Alise was silent for a moment. She had never really been a type to flirt and she wasn't going to start now, especially not with this creep. She suddenly felt the urge to run out to Bee. "That's really sweet, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline."

He faked a pout and stepped closer to her. "Aww, why's that? Boyfriend? Husband?"

She took a step back. "Human decency?"

His face dropped. "Well when you say that-"

"Again, I thank you for the offer, but I must be going now." She put her bottle of water on the nearest shelf and started to walk away.

"Wait!" he called after her, but she was already out the door.

Alise all but ran to Bee. She looked back behind her and nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Bee noticed this.

"'You okay?'" he asked. She was still walking up to him when he asked this.

"I'm fine," she said to him, and she opened the door to get in.

"'Then who's (static) that?'"

She turned around and groaned. The man was running back up to her.

"A creep who can't take a hint!" she whispered to him. Bee's engine revved up as the man came up to her. She took an involuntary step behind Bee's driver door.

"So about that dinner-"

"I told you inside, sir. I will not be going to dinner with you," she said, trying to stay calm. She placed a hand on Bee for some sense of help and encouragement.

"And I asked why, but you never explained yourself," he said with a smirk.

Now Alise was angry. "I don't have to explain myself to you! For the last time, dammit! I'm never going to dinner with you! So if you could be so kind as to just leave me alone, that would be fantastic."

The man paused. Suddenly his face turned a bright red with anger. Now he looked seriously frightening, and Alise took another step back. He raised his finger close to her and as simple as the action was, it scared her. "Look missy, I'm just trying to-AAA!"

The man didn't finish because Bee's driver seat had come and wacked him in the legs. Not gently either. The man fell to the ground in pain, as he gripped his shins.

"SON OF A BITCH!" he yelled loudly and another cry of pain came from him. "DAMMIT!"

Alise was staring in shock at the man, but after a moment, she put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. She absentmindedly wondered which hurt worse at the moment; his legs or his ego. She shot Bee an amused look.

"Oh my goodness, sir!" she said in fake sympathy, trying to keep herself from laughing once more. "I'm so sorry! You know these old cars! The doors are always just flying off the hinges!" She knew everything she was saying was a load of crap, but she was having fun at the moment and didn't care. The man got shakily to his feet, and placed his hand on Bee's hood for support. He pointed once more at her.

"You," he said menacingly. "You just stay away from me you crazy bit-AAA!" This time, Bee's hood came up, and smacked the man in the face. The man stumbled and he gripped his nose, again yelling in pain.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

This time Alise couldn't keep from laughing at him. He glared at her and opened his mouth to respond, but then he looked at the car she was standing aside of and thought better of it. He simply sent her another glare and ran to his car.

Alise was still laughing as she entered the open door and stepped in.

"Oh my god, Bee!" she said, as she traced the fabric of the seat affectionately. "I can't believe you did that!"

Bee didn't sound as amused. "'I should've (static) ran him over," he voiced.

Alise paused and after a moment, smiled. She couldn't explain it, but she felt so safe with him. She had only met him the night before, and yet he did more for her in that short time period than anyone else in her lifetime. After her parents died, she had a hard time trusting people who weren't Camila and Sal. It was a rare occasion that she stayed over at someone else's home, much less sleep all night in a moving vehicle where she didn't previously know they were driving to. But with him it was different. She knew he would never hurt her. Her heart soared when this came to her head.

She gently stroked the dashboard and she felt the car shake slightly. "Thanks, Bee," she whispered to him, and she placed a light kiss on the strange symbol in the middle of the steering wheel. She had asked him about what it was earlier, and all he could explain was, "It's... us."

There was a sudden pause. At first Alise thought she had gone too far, but then the seat warmed beneath her, and the engine revved confidently.

"'No problem (static), bell.'"

Belle, she mused. She could get used to that.

Hello everyone! Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, alerting, and favoriting! I love you all! Tell me what to think!

As always, I own nothing!

~Mel