Emma tried to focus her time until spring break planning the trip. She discovered she would drive 9 hours to Sacramento on the first day, stop for the night (preferably at a family owned motel) then drive 7 more hours to San Marcos. Hopefully those times would work, anyways. Her car was coming to the end of its days but she was sure it would take her all the way… maybe. She would stop for food before going on the road, once while driving, and once she stops both days.

Her fixation on the trip was a great sublimating tool to forget about Norman. The fact that Gunner knew she (still) liked him wasn't comforting. It was obvious Gunner didn't like it but what could she do? She was trying to stop, but it's hard to change how your heart feels. All she knew was that she definitely liked Gunner a lot more than Norman.

Norman didn't even try talking to her again after that one day in the hallway. Whenever their eyes crossed, he would be the first to look away. While they were both in the motel office, they never talked, even when they needed to convey information. Their friendship was long gone and they were merely people who worked and went to school together.

Emma huffed out a breath as she tried to close her suitcase. It was filled to the max with things she thought she would need. She was wondering whether or not she would really need the 10 pairs of shoes crammed in there when she heard a knock on her door.

"Are you about to go?" her father asked from the doorway.

"Once I close my bag," she sighed. Her dad chuckled a bit before walking into the room and pressing down on her bag.

"What are you bringing, your whole closet?" he grunted, trying to keep everything inside as Emma pulled the zipper around.

"Almost," she huffed as she sat down on her bed. She was exhausted from gathering her clothes and trying to stuff them into her bag. "I think I'll be leaving soon, it's a long drive."

Her dad's face became melancholy. "Make sure you're safe, okay? Don't go to any seedy places, don't give rides to strangers-"

"I know, Dad," she interrupted with a groan. "You've been telling me these things all week. I already showed you the route I'm going to take, where I'm going to spend the night, and my friend's number in case I don't answer my phone. I'm all set and you also have a plane to catch." He nodded his head; he was going to visit his sister in Manchester, England. "I will call you when I get the hotel later tonight. You'll probably still be on the plane anyway so I'll leave a message, okay?"

"Alright," he answered with a small smile. This was the first time Emma would ever go on a long trip without him. He knew his daughter didn't want him to coddle her for the rest of her life, however long that may be, so he knew he had to let her go. Giving his daughter another hug, he left to catch his flight out of the country.

Butterflies fluttered in Emma's stomach as she lifted her bag and her oxygen tank. By tomorrow night, she would be in Gunner's arms again. She held her breath when she turned the key in the ignition. The car stuttered for a second before starting. She slowly let out her breath as she peeled down her driveway and towards the interstate.

It was still early in the morning, so around noon she stopped for a bite to eat. She decided to call Gunner since she still didn't have his full address, just the town. He picked up after three rings.

"Hey, Beautiful," he greeted.

A smile broke out on her face that she couldn't stop. "A new nickname?"

"I have a few for you. Cupcake is the main one. Beautiful because you're stunning-" Emma was thankful he couldn't see her blush, "and anything else I decide to call you in the moment. That's okay, right?"

"It's more than okay," she admitted while trying to calm down the heat in her cheeks. He never failed to make her blush every day when they talked. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course! Anyone with eyes could see it. It's even more than that. You have that kind of beauty that's within, you know? You're so… good and kind and just amazing."

"Did you have a cupcake today?" she laughed as she shook her head.

"No, actually, I was going to make some later today though," he laughed back. "I'm being serious. You're the kind of person who's beautiful inside and out."

"Well thank you then," she smiled. "I think you're pretty great yourself."

"Really?" he snorted.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, I do think that. What do you think?"

He sighed before speaking again. "I'm not good like you, Emma. You're smart, you're still in school, you have a real job. I just travel around to process weed. What kind of a living is that? I know what everyone thinks about me, what Norma was telling you that day in the motel before we, you know, hooked up in the closet." Her waning blush worsened at those words and she could hear his grin, as if he knew that she was blushing right now. "I know she was telling you how much of a nobody I am, and it's true. I don't expect this relationship to last forever. It could, but then I think about what kind of a life I can give you and what kind of a life you deserve. They don't intersect at all, and that really means something."

"What does that mean?" she asked, more confused than she had ever been. "Are you trying to break up with me?"

"No, of course not. I really like you and all, but I can't help but think of the day that you'll break up with me," he sighed.

"What? Why are you saying this?"

"Emma, I don't know how else I can tell you this." She noticed he stopped using her nickname. "In the long term, I'm not the right guy for you-"

"Why can't I decide who the right guy for me is?" she snapped, cutting him off. "You keep spouting off this bullshit of not being good enough for me, but what if I feel like I'm not good enough for you?"

"Why would you think that?" he asked incredulously.

"I have CF, Gunner. My life expectancy is limited to 10 more years, if that. I can't provide a life for someone. By the time I'm ready to marry, I'd only be able to stay around for a few more years. Do you think I want to burden someone with loving me and having to watch me die? They could be out loving someone else who can stay with them for 60 more years." She was crying now, her tears running off her face and staining her shirt.

"Emma…" he said quietly.

"And then there's you. You're so handsome; you could get any girl you want. You're going to find someone, someone much prettier than me, and live until you're old and grey. You're going to forget about me because that's all anyone can do."

"Emma, please stop," he softly begged. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for all of this to come out. I honestly don't see you that way and I didn't know you had so many insecurities."

"They're not insecurities, they're the truth," she choked out a laugh while trying to dry her face with her sleeve.

"You're going to find someone to love you for the rest of your life, whether it's me or some other lucky guy," he insisted. "Even if it's not me, I'm not going to forget about you. I could never forget about you, Cupcake, okay?" She nodded even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Even if you die long before I do, our time together wouldn't have been a waste. It means something; you mean something to me and everyone you touch, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured, her tears slowly coming to a stop. They were both silent for a minute before she remembered why she called. "That went so off topic but I actually called to get your address."

"Yeah?" he questioned, his voice still a bit scratchy from the previous conversation.

"My plane is about to leave for England and it costs a fortune to call overseas so I need you to text me it right after we hang up, okay?" Emma tried to forget about their previous conversation. It opened up her weakest spot and was painful to talk about.

"Yeah, I'll do that. I'll talk to you whenever you come back to the States then, I guess?"

"You should wait for me to call you, but I'll call the second I'm back. Bye, Red, don't forget to text!"

"Bye, Cupcake," he chuckled before hanging up.

Emma had to take a second to let out a breath. The conversation got really heavy really fast and she still wasn't over it. She was surprised someone like Gunner was insecure; she thought trimmers were chill all the time. She then realized that she couldn't judge a person for what they appeared to be. If she didn't want Gunner judging her for the oxygen tank she carried everywhere, she shouldn't judge him for the pot he uses almost every day.

By the time she made it inside the restaurant and was looking at the menu, her phone dinged, signaling an incoming text. She sighed, relieved Gunner had pulled through in texting his address and excited in surprising him tomorrow. Especially after this fight today, they needed to see each other to talk it through more. They can't just sweep it under the rug.

The rest of the trip went smoothly. Emma drove for five more hours before stopping at a small motel just out of Sacramento. She was tempted to talk to Gunner again but she'd already told him she wouldn't be able to talk for the week. She read over their previous texts instead, but there weren't many since they preferred to hear each other speak. Before calling it a night, she called her dad. She was surprised that he actually answered.

"Emma? Are you okay?" he asked slightly frantic.

"Yes, Dad, of course," she chuckled. "I'm just calling to tell you I'm safe and I'm about to go to sleep."

"I probably should too," he sighed. "It's almost morning but I slept on the plane so I wouldn't be jetlagged."

"Alright, I'll call you again tomorrow, Dad. Goodnight." Emma got into bed, both excited and nervous to see her boyfriend again.

Bright and early the next day, Emma was out of the motel and on the road again. She followed the highway straight towards San Marcos. Everything was going fine until she decided to stop for food in Los Angeles.

The traffic had been so bad and her stomach growled so much that she finally turned off the road to an In-N-Out Burger. She parked the car and went inside to indulge in the greasiest food she'd had in a while.

Satisfied with her meal, she tried to start the car again but it made a horrible sound before going silent again. Panic rising, she tried again but the car refused to start. Finally, the car sputtered its last breath before completely dying.

"No, no, no, no, no!" she muttered desperately while trying to think of what to do. She was almost a thousand miles away from home with no way to return. Unless…

She quickly dug through her bag for her cellphone, relieved once in was in her hands. She dialed a well-memorized number and held her breath as the phone rang.

"Emma? I thought you couldn't call me in Europe?" Gunner answered on the first ring.

"Yeah, about that… I'm actually in LA right now," she bit her lip.

"What?"

"I was going to go to your house and surprise you later tonight," she admitted, disappointed that she couldn't surprise him now.

"Wow really? You wanted to spend your spring break with me?"

"Of course. I really miss you and this is the only time I can come see you other than summer," she sadly smiled. After this, they would have to go another few months without seeing each other.

"That's awesome. But why are you calling me now? Isn't this ruining the surprise?" he chuckled.

"My car… it won't start anymore so I'm stuck in LA right now," she confessed. "I didn't know who else to call."

"Wait, where exactly are you?" She could hear rumbling as he got up and moved things around.

"I'm at In-N-Out on Sunset Boulevard. Why?"

"I'm coming to get you. I don't want you stranded alone in a city like LA. I'll be there in like an hour and a half, okay? Hang tight, Cupcake," he said before hanging up.

Emma decided to stay in her car while waiting for Gunner. She'd already eaten so she didn't want to go back into the store. Since she didn't know LA at all, she didn't want to go roaming in case she got lost and Gunner couldn't find her.

Just over an hour later, Gunner's green Jeep pulled up into the spot next to hers. They got out of their cars at the same time and met behind his. She immediately leaned into his arms.

"Hey Cupcake," he murmured as he kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks for coming, Red." She turned her head to face his. They smiled at each other for a second before he leaned down to capture her lips. Emma slowly lost herself in the kiss until she heard a noise behind her. She turned to see an angry mother pulling her young child away from them. Emma realized that public displays of affection, while great for those participating, are less than welcomed by the general public.

"Come on, let's go," Gunner said lowly with a jerk of his head toward his car.

"What about my car?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I called a mechanic; he'll take the car down to my place and we can sell it." Emma's face dropped. She didn't want to lose her baby. "It's okay, you can get a new car back in Oregon. This one is definitely dead now."

"Okay…" she said lightly, letting Gunner pull her into the passenger seat of his car. She took one last look at her orange car before they pulled away from the parking lot. "I'm just gonna miss it, you know? It was my first car and all," she mumbled, staring at the palm trees on the strip. That was a sight not normally seen in White Pine Bay.

"I know. I'm sorry. But if it wasn't for your car not starting the first time, we might not have gotten together," he grinned at her. She had to smile back and took his right hand in hers.

"That's true. Even though you cost me my car, I'm glad I got you." At a red light, Gunner quickly leaned over and kissed Emma. "Pay attention to the road," she laughed when the light turned green.

"How can I when I have my beautiful girlfriend next to me again?" Emma bit her lip when his words brought back their fight yesterday. He felt her tense so he rubbed her hand with his fingers. "About yesterday, I'm seriously so sorry," he said in a solemn voice.

"Let's not talk about it right now," she whispered, looking at their connected hands. They were sitting on his lap, so she unclasped her hand from his and began to caress his thigh. His breathing began to pick up and he quickly looked down at her hand before focusing on driving again. Her hand began moving higher, her touch feather light.

"I thought you didn't want me distracted," he snickered but gave no resistance to her actions. They both bit their lips when she finally reached the growing bulge in his pants. "Just let me pull over first," he muttered seriously. He speedily found an empty parking lot that wasn't near any busy streets. He turned to face her just as her hand reached his button.

Gunner leaned over the center console to bring their lips together. Flinging their seatbelts off, they leaned in closer to each other. She fumbled as she tried to unbutton his pants with one hand before he quickly did it himself. His hands then reached across to her, one cupping her face while the other cupped her breast. She let out a gasp as her hand snaked down the front of his pants, feeling how hard he was.

"Let's go into the back," he mumbled against her lips and she instantly agreed. Instead of having to leave the vehicle, they both tumbled awkwardly into the back seat, laughing along the way. As soon as they were situated, their laughter ended and the passion came back. Their lips connected while their hands searched each other's bodies. Both their shirts were flung into the front seat before long and Gunner's pants were down to his ankles. Still passionately kissing him, Emma pulled his underwear down to set him free. His dick was captured in her hand seconds later and she began a slow tug. He let out a long moan and rested back on the headrest. "It's been too long," he panted, suddenly wondering why he didn't crack the windows before starting this.

"It's only been a few weeks," she teased before leaning back and taking a good look at him. He was completely naked from the thighs up, his pants and underwear discarded on the lower part of his legs. His length was so swollen and pointed straight up at her. She suddenly had an urge that she never had before, her mouth watering at the thought. "Can I…?" she started as she began to lean down. Eyes widening, Gunner quickly nodded and put a hand on her back. She eyed his cock for a second before leaning down and taking the tip in her mouth. His hand went to her head, fingers entangling with her hair, but he didn't put any pressure on her. She swirled her tongue around the head, trying to get used to the feeling. Her hand moved lower as she took more into her mouth. She realized it wouldn't all fit so she moved her hand and head in sync, starting to build up a rhythm. All that was heard in the car were Gunner's moans and soft sucking sounds. He ran his hand along her jaw, feeling it stretch to accommodate him.

"Oh, Cupcake. You should stop," he let out a heavy breath as he tried to lift her head up.

She looked up at him concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he laughed between breaths. "Not at all. It was too good and I don't want this to be over too soon."

Emma nodded her head and sat back. His chest heaved as his eyes trailed down to her breasts before connecting with her eyes. He leaned forward again to start another kiss, lightly pushing her down until she was lying on the seat with her head near the door. Their tongues explored each other's mouths as his hands kneaded her breasts. She took it upon herself to unbutton her pants first and shove them off her legs along with her panties. Her legs parted and accepted Gunner's body between them. Before they could go any further, he pulled back.

"I should've done this before but I didn't have them with me," he explained as he finally fully took off his pants and took his wallet out. Comprehension crossed her face when he pulled out a condom. He quickly slipped it on before leaning back down to Emma. Her legs crossed behind his back as he positioned himself. "Ready?" he asked faintly.

She nodded and pulled in down to another kiss. He took that moment to finally enter her, causing them both to gasp. He joined them together before pulling out to repeat the process again. Emma made mewing sounds as he began to thrust harder against her but still rather slow. Her eyes closed in bliss before she realized what an uncomfortable position they were in. Every time he pushed forward, her head would bang into the door.

"Red, let's switch," she suggested. He looked into her eyes with slight confusion before pulling out and sitting back. "That position was uncomfortable," she explained as she straddled his lap.

"Alright then," he smiled before taking her lips again. She carefully sat on him, loving the way it felt when he slid inside her again. In this position, he was much deeper than he was before and it made her feel extra full. His hands went to her hips to help her, and soon she was bouncing fiercely in his lap. His hips lifted up to meet hers as she went down, and both pulled away at the same time to create the most delicious friction. Sweat trickled down their bodies from the stuffy car, which only provided more lubrication. Emma moved closer so that their chests were rubbing against each other, stimulating both their nipples. Moans wouldn't stop coming out of their mouths and it got to the point where they couldn't stop even if they wanted to. She tightened up as she reached her orgasm, letting out a silent scream. Gunner gripped her hips tighter and furiously bounced her on him to reach his own end. His mouth opened into an O as all his muscles tightened. Emma lightly rocked on top of him after, trying to catch her breath. "You have to get off," he gasped, making her lean back to look at his face.

"What?"

"The condom, I have to take it off." Emma wordlessly climbed off his lap and collapsed into the seat beside him. He took off the condom and stuffed it back in the wrapper. He put it in the front cup holder when he couldn't find anywhere else to put it. "That was insane," he panted, looking back at Emma.

She smiled at him before letting it drop. "It's so hot in here, I literally feel like I'm gonna die."

He laughed at her as he cracked the windows a bit. "So what, you don't like having sex with our clothes on or in a car. Would you rather do it in a freezer?"

She giggled, shaking her head as they tried to locate their clothes. Once they were dressed again, they crawled back into the front and Gunner started the car. "I'm glad we got that out of the way because if we waited until we were at my house, everyone in my neighborhood would hear us."

Emma blushed. "Were we really that loud?"

"Oh yeah. But I think we can keep it down for the rest of the week, right?" he raised his eyebrows.

She snorted. "We can try."

Author's Note: This is the biggest chapter yet. You deserve it because last week's was so short and I had a lot to put in here. I'm actually really excited about this story :)

So last week's episode... I was fangirling so hard at every scene with Gunner and Emma. Speaking about them, what should their couple name be? I've seen Gemma and Gunna, and I kinda like Gemma so I might be referring to them as that. Tell me what you think!

I'm also trying to get Gunner listed as a character here so this can properly be listed as a Gunner/Emma story. Let's hope it works!

Don't get too used to me updating so soon before the new episode airs. I was really excited for this chapter so I spent two days writing it haha. Reviews would be appreciated :)