beyondtheline | Tornadoes and skeletons and nacho dogs, oh my

Yeah! [She sounds like a silly cheerleader as she almost shouts that, so excited about the idea of a birthday trip. That somehow feels both so far in the future it's hard to imagine it happening soon, but also so close that it's worth anticipating and being excited for.

Grinning, she leans up against him and wraps an arm around him as best as she can. Her head turns so she can kiss him, eager and a little distracted. There's so much on her mind that she's happy about, she can't just stand around and focus on kissing.]

Would you mind if we stopped at a store before we left though? I just want to get enough that I don't have to wash clothes every couple of days.

[A "shopping" spree sounds nice, but she can do that once they're back in LA. She's sure he'll take her out for an entire night of all she can grab antics once they're settled in and his revenge fight is over.]

I'll be really fast. I promise!

Sure, an' let's grab food too so when we wind up in a spot where we can't stop for a diner we can still have something in the bags.

[There's a little bit of jerky left and whatever else she had, sure, but it wouldn't hurt to have a lot more than that on hand. They can hurry home but that's different from rushing, unprepared, poorly-equipped to be of much use when they get there.

She gets a kiss back as a promise that yes, it's fine, but then pulls away with a swat to the butt so he can grab one of the bags and take one last glance around the room for anything missing.]

[The swat to her butt makes her laugh as she bounds forward to crouch down and peek beneath the bed. Nothing there. She hurries through the bathroom and gathers up her strawberry shampoo, and gets it in the other bag before scooping it up.

One more kiss later and they're heading out, and she slips her hand into his]

It's too bad we're not sticking around. It would've been really funny to see their faces when they realized we scammed them.

[She chuckles as they make their way out of the building and toward the bike. It's a good thing they're hurrying out of town but doing a little preparing beforehand. The road ahead is only one highway, it looks like. But it's still long, and anything could happen.]

Yeah, well, we could always swing by the front desk and say bye if you're real determined.

[He glances back toward the lobby as they leave, but despite his joking around, has no real desire to do that. It'd be fun, like she says, but his mind is fully on moving forward now. He gets the bag he's carrying loaded up onto the bike, then gives her a hand once hers is loaded up as well so they can both get seated and comfortable.]

All right! Back on the road. Well, for a minute. You see a clothes shop you like, lemme know.

[A kiss to the back of his neck is the signal that she'll do just that. As he drives, she keeps her eyes peeled. The city looks nice and a part of her wishes they could stay and explore it, but that's what a future trip is for.

They don't drive for too long before she spots a storefront with a few cute dresses on mannequins in the window. That makes her gasp and tug on his sleeve before pointing off toward the store.]

Over there! Please, Johnnie?

[He has to turn around and head back and park, and as soon as he does she's scoping things out to try and figure out the best way to do this. The lights don't look on and there isn't a single sign of life in that store.]

It's afternoon, but it looks like they're closed.

[Sighing, she hops off the bike so she can go over to look at the store hours. What she sees makes her face light up with a smile.]

They're closed an hour for lunch every day. They just left about ten minutes ago, so we have fifty minutes all to ourselves to browse. If we can get in around the back.

Perfect timing!

[Funny, actually. There's some irony in that, maybe, that they of anyone at all could have perfect timing for anything. But maybe all it has been is perfect timing, in one way or another.

He hops off the bike and dusts off his hands like he's about to do some hard job, then inspects the door at the back. Pretty standard lock, something he still doesn't really have a set of picks to deal with, but what he does have is the hammer he nabbed from Cruz. At a glance, nobody is really around to notice, so, fuck it, he just brings the hammer down hard on the knob a few times until the wood and metal splinter and separate, and the door swings free of the deadbolt.]

Fifty minutes, let's go!

[He announces with a wide grin.]

[Her grin is toothy and delighted as he gets the door open, and before she steps foot inside she has to thank him. Both of her hands cup his cheeks, and she pulls him down and in for a kiss. As much as she tries to behave herself, she can't resist adding a little tongue action. She's just that grateful, there's no funny business here.

But she does pull away, because they don't have time to waste fooling around in the doorway.]

Wait here, and I'll be right back.

[Someone has to stand watch, after all.

She hurries into the little store and starts quickly looking around. Anything she finds is just draped over her arm, and she pockets any little odds and ends she may grab. It takes her about ten minutes, but she makes her way out with a satisfied smile on her face. And as bold as she's become, she just walks her way to the bike with all of her stolen goods right out in the open.

What are people here going to do, stop her? Not with Johnnie there. He'd kill them for trying to touch her. So of course she walks like she owns the place, and doesn't hesitate to pile in all her finds into one of the bags so they can get back on the road.]

[Fine with him. He hangs out by the broken door, tossing his hammer idly in the air and catching it again as he keeps an eye on things. But the few people who walk by either don't take notice, or when one does, they can't quite seem to understand what they're looking at exactly and just carry on.

Works for him.

Chrissy is back quickly, and he grins at her haul and hops back onto the bike.]

You better do a little fashion show for me later so I can see everything you got. All right, food next. Shit, an' I should get gas again just in case. You good if we just stop at a gas station? Grab some chips an' whatever?

[He asks as he revvs the engine, all cheer at everything she got and everything that lies ahead of them, then takes off down the street.]

Sounds good to me. We can stock up on things that will keep okay in the bags.

[Her arms wrap around him and he drives, and she enjoys watching the city and taking in everything as they go. It isn't too long before they're able to pull into a gas station, and she lets him pump the gas while she goes in to use the bathroom. She's able to scout out what the inside of the gas station is like, and it looks like he's making his way up toward her as she heads outside.]

There's only one guy in there. Want me to talk to him so you can grab some things?

Sounds good to me.

[He gives her a quick kiss as he puts the hose back, then gestures for her to go on ahead and do the distracting.

He can fit plenty in his pockets and under his jacket, but while chips sound good, they're bulky and loud, so he leaves that for the time being. Candy, chocolate, jerky, nuts, those all get stuffed into pockets. High-energy stuff that's easy to carry and eat. Fuck it, he grabs a few more packs of his smokes too when he sees them, because the stuff he's been subsisting on since New Orleans is fine but it's not his brand.

He tucks a whole box of M&Ms under his jacket, and then quickly settles an internal debate and grabs a bag of Fritos for under the other arm before he sees himself out, all in just a few short minutes. He'd like to think he's efficient. And if someone sees him unloading pockets into the bags, especially that lone attendant, well, fuck it. They're free and have everything they need to just get the fuck on out of here - so long as Chrissy didn't have any trouble with that guy, anyway. He glances over his shoulder toward the shop in the station building, then opens a packet of M&Ms and dumps a whole lot of them into his mouth. Breakfast.]

[Chrissy comes out a couple of minutes later, a smile on her face.]

I was telling him about getting home to California.

[Like it's her home too, and not just his. Not just a place that she's put so much hope and faith into. Things have to be good once they get there. And she's excited about that.

She sees that he's eating some candy, and her eyebrows arch.]

Candy for breakfast? [Rather than scolding him, she holds out her hand. She'll be hungry for something else eventually. But right now, it's just fine.]

[He grins around his mouthful of chocolate and pours her a handful into her palm, then swallows and shrugs.]

Sure, why not? We ate great last night. They always say have a balanced breakfast, I figure this evens things out.

[That is and has never been the intent of that at all, but it makes him laugh. The rest of the M&Ms go quickly down the hatch and he chews as he helps her up with a hand onto the bike and then hops on himself.]

You want more? 'Cause there's a lot more, help yourself.

[He'll wait as long as he needs if she wants to eat something, because something about eating while at speed sounds hard. But once she's ready, he gets them on out before anyone can notice what happened, and soon he's weaving his way through city streets and up the interstate ramp at speeds well beyond what anyone else is doing.]

Must suck to be in a car, stuck behind all the other fuckin' cars! California, here we come!

[Both of her arms raise up in the air, and she gives out a holler of pure excitement. They're so close to California, and it's hard not to give in to that eagerness they're both feeling. The radio is what she focuses on as they drive, and she sings along as she's able as they move in and out of time and towns. All they have to do is stay on 10, but it turns out that's a pretty long road.

It feels like they drive for hours and hours, stopping once for more gas and a refill on snacks. Her stomach gets to growling and wanting real food after what feels like hours more, and it's only then that she runs the risk of distracting Johnnie by giving him a squeeze. He's so determined to make progress that she almost feels bad speaking up.]

I know you're really focused on driving through, but you think we can stop and get something to eat and stretch our legs for a while?

[She's starting to get crampy sitting down for this long.]

[Texas is a big damn state, but they're making good time, he thinks. The road mostly has held up, and that's the important part. With few stops and little to slow them down, it hasn't quite even hit eight pm when Chrissy asks to stop.]

Yeah, that's fine. I wouldn't mind a pit stop anyway. Get some real food in. Let's see, where the hell are we, anyway? Feels like it's been desert for years.

[Their path turned hypnotic and monotonous at some point in the last few hours, that's for sure, and now they're in some really desolate stretch of Texas where there's little more living here than cows and all kinds of strange, spiky desert plants that aren't cool like cacti are. As he slows down, he tries to take stock of the town that lies just ahead now that they're approaching something vaguely like civilization. There's some dinky airport or factory or something with big lights, and a whole lot of shuttered buildings and dated hotels as they roll through on in to town. Even the border patrol building up ahead looks like it's closed down for the night, as if that's the kind of thing that should operate on regular business hours.]

Slow night for la migra, I guess. Hey, there's a light on over there, though.

[Some tiny little restaurant that has a closed sign hung in the window - but a light in the back. Someone probably lives there and cooks out of it during the day. Fuck it, they've gotta have food they can raid if nothing else.]

Miss Toni's. Guess we could knock on the door, see if Miss Toni here is the type to take pity on travelers. Otherwise I'm breakin' in to the McDonald's up there an' we can take over their kitchen.

[There's something so charming about the idea of breaking into a McDonald's to cook food for themselves that she almost insists they do that. But there's a smell hanging heavy in the air of food. Good food, and it has to be coming from Miss Toni's up ahead.]

Let's go visit Miss Toni. It smells too good to pass up.

[Once they find somewhere on the street to stash the bike, she lets him help her off and takes hold of his hand as they head up to the door. While he knocks, she puts her hands on either side of her eyes and leans in close to look inside. She can see that light, and can see movement happening. But there's no sign of actual life for a minute or so, until the tiniest old woman she's ever seen comes hobbling toward the door.]

You better put on your best charming act, baby. Because here she -

[The door unlocks and opens then, and Chrissy hurries over to stand at Johnnie's side, smiling as sweetly as ever.]

Hi! We're on the road and were hoping you were still open?

[The woman, most likely Miss Toni herself, looks up at the two of them, a large spoon in one hand, and frowns.]

No. Come back tomorrow.

[Which Johnnie disregards completely as he pokes his head in over hers and just about cries at that smell. Good, home cooked food, full of garlic and chilies and oh, shit he's probably drooling.

Well, he takes stock of his current small and elderly audience and makes one quick decision.]

Si pero mañana la migra estará abierto y necesito ponerme en movimiento, me entiendes? Podemos pagar bien, y el olor de la comida esta bíen como el de mi mamá.

[He puts on his best puppy dog eyes, and he can see the mental calculus going on, meanwhile. His plea, her grandmotherly eyes, soft despite her insistence that they're closed, and meanwhile she's probably wondering why he is traveling with a white girl who clearly is from this side of the border judging by how she talks.

But enough of it seems to click where she shakes her head and gives a huff of a sigh as she waves them inside, then shuts the door again and goes back to stirring the large pot of simmering sauce in the back of the kitchen. Probably prepping for tomorrow's service, he can only figure.

But the kitchen is fully visible from the dining room here, separated only by a long tile-covered counter, so he goes to lean on that rather than sit at a table, and rests his elbows on the surface as he watches.]

Esperarán allí y obtendrán lo que obtengan. No tengo tiempo para hacer nada especial para ustedes. Uno de ustedes, venga remover esto.

[She looks over at the both of them and Johnnie laughs, then gives Chrissy a nudge.]

You wanna go help stir that so she can get somethin' together for us?

Why, because I'm a girl?

[She teases, laughing as she sticks out her tongue. But she gives him a quick kiss to show she's not actually bothered, and pulls away so she can head over to help stir. It's while she's in motion that something makes the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

She's filled with a sense of apprehension that she doesn't understand, and pauses as she glances back in the direction that they came from. It's hard to make out anything outside while they're in here, but it feels like someone's eyes are on her. And she isn't sure why, because it doesn't look like anyone's peeking in. Chrissy has to force herself to ignore that sense of unease and makes her way into the kitchen to take over stirring.

Miss Toni gives her a long look, like she's trying to determine if she can be trusted for such an important task. She must pass inspection, because the wooden spoon is passed to her and she guides Chrissy in close to work.]

I'm Chrissy. Thanks for feeding us. It's really kind of you to help us out!

[But Miss Toni has eyes for Johnnie, and approaches him like a grandmother might a rambunctious grandson they adore but have to be stern with. She seems much more inclined to want to talk to him, which Chrissy shrugs off. It's better for her to focus on having the willpower to resist tasting from the spoon she's stirring with.]

Are you going to make him help too?

[She does speak up, smirking back at Johnnie in amusement. It's hard to completely ignore that unsettled feeling, but she's trying her best to block it out.]

I should.

[Comes Miss Toni's reply, which makes Johnnie grin. He seeks out his lighter and cigarettes in his pockets, only to have his pack smacked out of his hand the moment he pulls it out.]

Not in here, chico. Tu mamá no te enseñó nada?

[He gives a hey of protest as he grabs those back up, and stuffs them back in his pockets. Fine, later, then.]

Don't bring my mama into this.

[But he's amused, not actually offended. Miss Toni turns to one of the big industrial refrigerators in the back of the kitchen and pulls the door open, but then points inside.]

Saque estos arroz y frijoles, boy, heat them up in the microwave.

[Well, he can see why he's being ordered around, the rice and beans are in big metal trays that she probably can't carry around easily. She must have help during the day. He shrugs and goes to help, getting food out and portioning it into smaller glass bowls for the microwave. Miss Toni, satisfied he can at least do that one simple thing, turns on the range next to Chrissy and gets a big iron griddle heating, then pulls a lump of rested dough from the fridge and retrieves a rolling pin and more flour, and Johnnie has to stop and watch as she masterfully starts turning that lump of dough into huge round buttered tortillas that puff up like magic on her griddle.

He's retrieving a bowl of garlicky black beans from the microwave to stir up when Johnnie notices Chrissy looking around again.]

You okay, babe?

I don't know.

[It's an honest answer, even if it probably isn't very helpful. There's a thoughtful frown set on her face as she tries to sort out what she's feeling.]

Do you ever feel like someone's watching you? Like stalking you? Like you're prey?

[Oh gosh, that sounds so weak and stupid. Her eyes avert downward to watch what she's stirring, and she tries to ignore the way Miss Toni looks over at her so curiously.]

You think you know that feeling?

[Chrissy can pick up that this sweet old woman is feeling her out, to see what kind of trouble she'll be in for helping them. When she glances toward her, she's shocked to see a look of sympathy on Miss Toni's face.]

He's helping you run from that.

[That makes Chrissy smile, even as that feeling of being watched grows in magnitude and she wants to shrink away and hide.]

I've only felt that feeling once before, when someone was trying to hurt me. But the thing is, I'm feeling that again. Right now. And I don't know why.

[Well, all this has him on high alert now. Chrissy seems almost embarrassed to admit what she's feeling, but rather than poke fun at her, Johnnie grows serious as he keeps an eye on the windows. He knows better than to take something like this lightly. Might be nothing, might be something far worse. Might be all that darkness outside is more than just the typical dark.

And Miss Toni is awfully perceptive, he's underestimated her. But he can only imagine the things she's seen and experienced, at her age and running a restaurant right near the border, here. She probably saw right through his story, then, didn't she? But she's helping them anyway. Maybe she thought they had another reason. Maybe she's just kind, down inside.

He steps away from the kitchen, toward the front door, and withdraws his pistol, more to comfort himself than out of an expectation it'll do much good.]

I'll go have a look outside. Anything happens in here, you better fuckin' yell an' throw shit at windows or whatever.

[Because as far as he knows some fucking death portal could just open up inside the restaurant, but barring that, if there's a real threat it's more likely to be one watching them from somewhere out there. After checking that his gun is loaded and ready, Johnnie pushes his way outside.]

[She's on edge enough that she wants to beg him to stay right there with her. But it would do them both some good to make sure no one is out there. It would do Miss Toni some good too, because Chrissy doesn't want anything happening to her either. She's too kind and good to let something bad happen to.

As Johnnie makes his way outside, Chrissy bites at her lip and stays acutely focused on stirring. It's right as he lets the door close behind him that a heavy wind sweeps through the area, rattling the windows. That makes her gasp, and she abandons the spoon on the side of the stove so she can run over to the front windows and peek outside. She can't see anything there, but she's so deeply focused on keeping an eye on Johnnie that Miss Toni calling out to her makes her flinch and jump.]

Get back here, now. Come stir and focus on this.

[Chrissy sighs and pushes her way out of the booth she's crouched in, and makes her way back to the kitchen to keep working. It's probably better that she's paying attention to the food.

Outside, there's absolutely nothing to be seen. There's a strong, hot breeze every few seconds. But no sign of a storm. Carried on the wind is the sound close to a snarl or a growl, but it's easy to assume it's just one of those tricks that nature can play on the ear. Whenever Johnnie turns to head back in, the breeze sounds remarkably close to heavy breathing. And it definitely will feel like there's hot breath on the back of his neck. But if he turns around, nothing's there at all.

Chrissy is quick to once again abandon her spoon when she hears him come inside. The feeling of being watched and stalked is only getting stronger, and she just wants him in close to her. But she doesn't get to walk over toward him, as her arm is grabbed by Miss Toni, and she's given the spoon and the pot she's stirring is pointed to once again.]

Stir.

[Good at being obedient, Chrissy does what she's told but still glances back so she can see Johnnie.]

Did you find anything?

[Fucking unnerving, all this, but there's nothing he can do about that. He really does his best to look around, but it's his other senses that seem better at detecting the problem - but not identifying it, and sure as hell they're not doing much when it comes to fixing it, either.

So he heads back inside, then, glancing over his shoulder as he goes, and squeezes through the gap in the door like he might let something in with him if he's not careful. He shuts it tight behind him, but stays there like him leaning against the door will keep whatever's out there away from them.]

Nothin' I could see, but there's something out there.

[Miss Toni takes over where he was, and assembles rice and beans onto plates, then deftly slices an avocado. She finally nudges Chrissy aside as she brings their makeshift dinners over, and spoons some of that richly-spiced red chile sauce over the food, then tops both plates off with lime and crema and sliced avocado. They get silverware, napkins, and a plate between them stacked with those big soft tortillas, still steaming, and once that's all set out for them to take to their table of choice, she finally switches the heat off on the big pot of sauce and covers it.]

There. Now eat. Whatever you two are on the run from, you'll need your energy. You, put that away.

[She says to Johnnie sternly, pointing at the gun. And reluctantly, he obliges. Maybe her intense abuelita energy will keep the fucking monsters at bay. Honestly, he'd believe it possible with how she completely takes command of her little space.

He takes a plate as well as the platter of tortillas to a table right near that counter, from where they can watch the windows and also bolt to that door if they have to. It's painful, really - even this quick meal mostly out of the things she has either prepped or leftover smells and looks outstanding, and he wants to be able to enjoy it without worrying about the things that lurk in the dark. But once he's satisfied that it's safe to look away from the windows for a moment, he tears off a chunk of tortilla and uses it as a spoon to shovel beans and sauce into his mouth.]

Mmmmph.

[That's heaven, right there.]

[It all smells so good that she really wants to enjoy it. She smiles a little as Johnnie digs in, and decides she might as well start eating too. The sound of delight that she makes at first bite puts a smile on Miss Toni's face, and rather than stand around any longer she returns to the kitchen to do her own thing. In some way, Chrissy's grateful for that. It means they can talk freely for the most part.]

We can't stay here for long. I know it sounds stupid, but I know something is out there watching us.

[Her first thought is maybe it's the woman from New Orleans, back for revenge for the fire they set as they headed out of town. But there's no way she'd be here. How would she even know what time they're in, much less manage to find them all the way here in this small town all the way across Texas? That doesn't make any sense.

But the more she thinks about it, the more unnerved she becomes. It's a couple of bites later, and Chrissy is leaving her side of the booth to go sit next to him in his.]

I wish we could drive all the way back to California tonight.

[He nods his agreement at that statement, then tries to picture their route. The bike's outside with all their stuff, and man, whatever's out there better not touch any of it. It's a shame he can't get to the map but he can imagine enough of it, since it's just one long stretch of road from here.]

Still a long way to go. Let's eat an' bail, though, maybe we can outpace this thing, whatever it is. We just gotta get far enough away to lose it, an' then we can plan from there. I'm good to drive a long time.

[Especially if they hit up a gas station for coffee. Or even better, if he can score something harder, but that would either take time or luck and he's not sure how much of either they have.

He wipes off his hands on his napkin, then settles a palm on Chrissy's leg next to his and gives her a light little squeeze.]

We'll get there in one piece, okay? You an' me. Nobody can stop us.

[One of her hands has hold of a tortilla that's drenched in beans and sauce, but she's able to use the other to press against his hand.]

If anyone tries, we'll make them sorry.

[There's a grandmotherly clearing of the throat from the kitchen, which Chrissy clearly reads as code for "you better not have out that gun again in my space". That makes her laugh a little, even if it's not exactly genuine. It's definitely nervous laughter, and she's glad to cover it up by stuffing her face full of avocado and rice and the most delicious meal she's had in a long, long time.

She's enjoying the meal enough that she marginally relaxes, and waits until she's eaten some more before leaning over to kiss him. Her head rests against his shoulder while he continues to eat, and she decides to rest her stomach before devouring more. It's while her hand is idly rubbing at his leg that she hears something that makes her blood run cold.]

Chrissy...

[A growling, raspy voice chimes out over the wind. She freezes and goes rigidly still, before slowly turning to look out the closest window. Nothing's there, but she still moves to crouch in the bench and turn so she's facing the window.]

Did you hear that? Something said my name.

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