AN: Alright, we made it to the second to last chapter. I am already halfway done with the last one and hope to have it up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks again for all the patience guys!

Chapter Fifteen

Californication

We had managed to make it to my last year of college. I hadn't murdered anyone. I still had pretty decent grades. No one had died in an awful vampire attack. Honestly it was pretty fun. But I wasn't admitting that to anyone. Seth had promised for summer break of my last year we could get out of Washington if all these requirements were met. And they had been. But I didn't get to know anything other than that. I knew he was fixing up a Cherokee Jeep for some kind of roadtrip and he didn't even let me pack. He had Claire do it.

I didn't get to know anything until the day we got to leave. It was a week after finals. Everything was graded and I had my final classes already signed up and ready to go six weeks from the day. I was rattled awake by Seth and pulled into the shower to try and wake me up. Which was the only way to do it if he liked keeping his life. But when we got out Claire was up in the loft packing.

"What are you doing here?!" I screamed as I tightened my towel around me. Seth laughed and walked off to the laundry room for clothes.

"It's a surprise! Eat the breakfast I so lovingly made!" She yelled back. I knew Quil had to be around somewhere because she was four months pregnant. I almost didn't want to leave for so long because I didn't want to be away from my sister if anything happened. But our mother wasn't so awful now and was there for her if anything.

Breakfast was not a silent affair. I tried to get Seth to tell me where we were going but he wouldn't budge. And it didn't even hurt him to lie. He liked it the sick fuck. I was getting ready to lose it when Claire dropped clothes on my head from the loft.

"Put some clothes on, its almost time to leave." Claire ordered.

"Why does she get to know so much?" I asked angrily as I put on my bra.

"Because I needed help from the only other person who can annoy you so much." Seth said easily with a broad smile.

"That's really hurtful." I said offended.

Seth leaned down to kiss my forehead. "Wear sensible shoes." He whispered. He left me in the kitchen to get dressed as Claire threw my duffle bag down to Seth and he carried that and the three other bags at the front door to the Cherokee.

I was so confused as I finished putting on the clothes I was thrown.

Claire helped lock up the house and promised to look after it while we were gone and make sure there were no fires. Seth turned the power off at the box and Claire took what was left in the fridge. When she put everything in her car she stopped and pulled me into a hug I couldn't get out of.

"Have fun and be safe." She said as she held me in her death grip of affection.

When she finally let go I took a deep breath. "Honestly, there are no safer conditions that going with this one." I said pointing to Seth.

"I meant for the both of you." She said seriously.

"We will." I promised. She was prone to getting emotional all the time I didn't want to set her off before I left.

We got in the car and Claire stood by my door as we rolled the windows down. "Call me when you get there!" She yelled at us over the sound of the engine.

We swore we would to the crazy pregnant lady and left on our journey. "Bye!" Seth yelled, sticking his hand out the sunroof.

When Claire disappeared from sight I could relax a little and looked down at the radio to turn on music and I saw the time. "Seth it is four in the morning. This place better be magical." I said not entirely convinced.

"Oh it is." He swore with a bright smile.

Little did I know there was a nineteen hour roadtrip involved. I didn't know how far south he was taking me, but I was glad we were at least heading that way. The AC didn't really work in the Cherokee so we spent most of the trip with the windows down, singing along with whatever radio station we get tuned into. We only stopped for food once because Seth made sure the Cherokee was stocked with snacks, and when we did stop it was to resupply.

Whenever we stopped for gas I always tried to look through the bags for some kind of hint of where we were going but all I was able to find was camping gear and some bathing suits. I was able to figure that much out already. Seth was a stone and wouldn't say anything about where we were going. He was so dedicated that he would turn the music up anytime I asked.

I stopped asking around hour ten and did my best to enjoy the time I had with him alone. Most of the time we were interrupted by something or someone. I had class. He had to work. The pack needed him. My dad was calling. It wasn't something that bothered either of us but now that we were truly alone, it was glaring how little time we got to spend together.

Being alone with him wasn't awkward or anything, I enjoyed it greatly because he was the only person I knew who didn't have to speak for hours at a time. We could be silent and still be happy. Its one of the reasons he is perfect for me.

The next nine hours were spent watching tows go by, enjoying the scenary since I only got it for the next few weeks. The sun wasn't just some foggy flashlight in the distance here. It was a bright burning bulb that seemed to light everything on fire as soon as we passed Napa. The air was dry and warm instead of wet and cold constantly. It was already the best vacation I had been on and we hadn't even arrived at our destination.

Around hour eighteen we got off the highway and soon were on winding, dangerous roads looking over the Pacific Ocean in all its glory. I watched the water as long as I could since the sun was starting to set. The road at some point had turned from asphalt to dirt and soon it was just grass. When Seth finally stopped, we were all alone and the sun was almost touching the horizon.

"Come on!" He rushed as he parked the Cherokee with its nose pointing toward the ocean and sat on the hood.

He picked me up and sat me on his lap with his arms around me tight. We had parked on the edge of a perilous cliff with nothing in front of us but the ocean and sky. I wrapped my arms around his neck and watched the sun touch the water and start to sink in. The light from the sun rippled across the water and was almost blinding. But not long later it was gone completely. The sky was swath of oranges and purples as the light disappeared further. I looked up and saw the stars had already started glittering without the sun to shield them. It was pretty enough to make me cry.

I looked down at Seth and he was smiling. He knew it was amazing what he had managed to accomplish. I always wanted to see the sunset in California. And he gave it to me. It seemed like an easy enough task to complete but with how wild our lives where it was never a guarantee it could be done. But now it was checked off the bucket list and I could move on to the next item. I kissed Seth before he could ruin it with being cocky.

When I went to look back to the stars I realized there was something in his hand. A tiny black box. He was still smiling.

"Seth-" I tried to ask but he stopped me.

"Shut up, don't ruin it." He whispered and kissed me again. "You make me want to pull my hair out. All the time. Sometimes I think I'm having a heart attack with how much you stress me out. You don't like pineapples and its weird. But I wouldn't trade any of it." He declared and I wanted to counter but I didn't. "Would you enter the so called barbaric intuition of marriage with me?" He asked as he opened the little box to show me.

Inside the box was a ring with onyx and pearl instead of diamonds on a silver band and I did cry for real. "You stupid wolf." I said between sobs.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "See, this is what I mean-" I grabbed him and kissed him.

Honestly, marriage sounded stupid. You sign a paper with the government showing you have to share all your things with another human. It didn't make sense to me. But if this stupid oaf would drive nineteen hours to propose to me at sunset in California. I'd consider it.

"I'll marry you but only if you promise not to leave your socks on my pillow in the morning." I said with a serious look.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm gonna have to dig deep but I might be able to manage that." He said playfully as he took the ring out and put it on my finger. I tried not to roll my eyes as I made out with my fiancée on the hood of the Cherokee under the Californian stars.

AN: Review!