beyondtheline | I sure like the feeling of an endless road

Maybe you should try calling him. I bet he's still home.

[She's so, so grateful for Alex. He's always protecting everyone, but especially his family. If he had been here tonight, she's not so sure Ed would be alive right now.]

Let's drive until we get a few towns away and then we can find a gas station and use the payphone.

[They run the risk of potentially ending up in another time completely, but at least for right now they seem to be in 1967. It shouldn't be too hard to get ahold of Alex.

Driving for another fifteen to twenty minutes has her pointing out an approaching gas station, and she waits for him to park before hopping off. There's thankfully pay phones right outside the building, and she reaches into her pockets to find some coins to hand over to him.]

I'm gonna try finding a bathroom while you call your brother. I have to pee so bad after being so afraid and then angry.

Yeah yeah, go on.

[The drive has calmed him down some, thankfully. He tugs her in for a quick kiss, full of appreciation even if it's brief, then lets her go so he can grab the phone and lean back against the wall of the booth.

His timing is good - Alex picks up. Home before dawn.]

Hey man, you got a minute? I got a story for ya.

[Because this definitely requires some context - the storm, Chrissy pulling them through time and space and all that darkness, the cops. It's all important for Alex to understand exactly why Johnnie ended up at their dad's doorstep.

Somehow he can feel through the phone not just Alex's anger, but also a feeling of waiting for the other foot to drop. But it never comes.]

Yeah, so we just fuckin' bailed after the cops left. I couldn't handle hangin' around there another second, I woulda made him lose a few teeth.

[Alex exhales, on the other end - a sound like an angry bull thinking about charging horns-first.]

Fuck. You should've. He deserves it.

[Johnnie nods, as he watches for Chrissy to come back out.]

Yeah. Yeah, he fuckin' does. But he's apparently buddy-buddy with the cops now or some shit. Didn't wanna make a shitty situation even worse.

[Chrissy emerges from the back of the building, looking a lot less tense now that she's peed. Seeing Johnnie on the phone has her jogging over, and she waits for him to finish before taking the phone out of his hand so she can talk to Alex.]

Hey, Alex. Maybe you should tell your mom Ed might reach out. I think us showing up really freaked him out, and I don't know if he'd try to talk to your mom about it.

[Alex sounds really pissed off, but agrees to talk to her in the morning. She thanks him and wishes him well, and he tells her to watch out for Johnnie.]

Yeah, we'll keep an eye on each other. Just like we always do. I love you, Alex, okay? Be safe.

[It's the first time she's verbally said that she loves him, and he really isn't sure how to handle it. He knows she means it in the familial sense though, and the exhale he gives in response is warm and amused. The phone is handed back to Johnnie and she leans over against the nearby brick wall. The sun will be coming up soon enough. She's able to take in the glow on the horizon and notices how crappy this little town they're in looks.]

[Johnnie says his goodbyes and hangs up, and then goes to join her, standing there and watching the horizon. It's not a terrible thing to do for five seconds while his brain calms down and catches up. He lights himself a smoke for lack of anything harder on hand.]

Okay. Where the fuck are we, even? What's -

[He turns to look at the gas station sign. "Marv's Gas 'n' Go". Great, not helpful. Gas stations should all be named after towns for his convenience.]

Okay, well. I know he lives in Oakland, or somethin' close enough to Oakland to call it that, but that don't really help, 'cause we went for a while. Lemme gas up the bike while we're here, an' then maybe we drive around until we figure out where we are an' what we wanna do next. But I gotta offload the sparkly shit before we get stopped by cops again, y'know. Just in case. So... Look for signs, look for a pawn shop.

[Just, in a minute. After he finishes the cigarette. They can't pay for a motel room without cash anyway, but after all that, he's sure not tired.]

[When it seems like he's had his fill of the cigarette, she holds out her hand so he can pass it off to her. She just needs one or two drags to take the edge off her nerves.]

There has to be a pawn shop somewhere in a place like this. We'll find one, don't worry.

[But there is a little concern on her part. If they don't sell any of that stuff, then they'll be out of luck as far as food and hotels go. They don't need to stay indoors, she's fine sleeping outside. Her head turns as she slowly exhales smoke, and she passes the cigarette off to him.]

Hey, I just wanted to say sorry again. For pulling us here in the first place. We probably should've just stuck out the storm and tried to make it through it, huh?

[He takes the cigarette back to finish it off, then flicks the butt to the ground and stuffs his hands in his pockets.]

Oh, I dunno. That coulda been real bad. I don't think a canyon's a place to be caught in one a' those, we woulda been blown up into the sky with all the rest of that shit. Mighta met the stars.

[Which is nowhere near as romantic as it sounds.]

Don't apologize. We're here, not hurt, not extra-dead, so it worked out just fine. Life ain't always fun but we make it through so we can have the good times, right?

Yeah. That's right. Everything will be a lot more fun from here on out.

[His outlook makes her smile, and she grabs hold of his shirt to pull him in close for a slow kiss. It's nice and sweet, and leaves her grinning as she lets him go and they head back to the bike.

She goes to try and get the gas started, but realizes she's never pumped gas before in her entire life and ends up just taking the nozzle off the pump and holding it out for him to take.]

Maybe if we rest enough we can go out dancing before we find some places to steal from.

[They did just go out with Cid and Angel, but it's been a while since they've been out just themselves to go dancing. This time they won't drink so much so they can show everyone up. That would cheer them both up.]

[Something about her standing there waiting with the hose in hand makes him chuckle, and he comes to retrieve it so he can fill up the tank.]

Yeah? Like tomorrow night, you mean? Sounds nice.

[She's doing her best to help cheer him up, and it's working. She's too damn cute for him to stay mad for long. They left his Papa in the dust where he fucking belongs and there's no point dwelling on their meeting when it's just going to make him feel pissed off again. He'd much rather look forward to a night of dancing.]

Y'know, something we oughta try sometime is keepin' some stuff from this time, or even earlier, an' sellin' it in the future to an antiques place. Find the right dealer, I bet they'll pay top dollar for somethin' they think is real old but somehow in perfect condition.

We'd be real time bandits then.

[The idea makes Chrissy grin, and she decides to reward him for being so smart by pressing in close to him. Sometimes it's nice to just exist in the same space.]

Let's pick out the junkier stuff and sell it at the first place we find. But save the expensive looking things for when we land in the future. We'll have to make it there eventually.

[Her fingers tap at his chest as she speaks, and she laughs a little as she imagines them rolling around in piles of money. Maybe they could even make out on top of it. Yeah, that'd be fun.]

Oh, I'm sure we will.

[With a smirk, he catches her hand with his free one and brings her tapping fingers up to his lips to kiss, really just as a teasing sort of gesture. They're right there, anyway, he can't help it.

With the tank full, Johnnie decides he can't and doesn't want to try to pay and they're best off just fucking booking it, so he grins as he hops on the bike and pats the seat for her to join him.]

Better run before anyone notices. I dunno where we're goin', but, I guess the water's prob'ly west of us somewhere. Where's west from here?

[Sun's not up yet so he's not sure, but hell, he'll figure it out. If they get toward the shore they can follow the roads there to a highway somewhere. Or a pawn shop somewhere. Either way, he's getting them on the road.

The direction he heads winds up being more vaguely south than west, but that seems to work just fine. There's a major road here that looks like the main trucking route from the harbor, and that leads to a highway, and that has a sign for a bridge over the bay to the weird little peninsula that San Francisco and its satellites are on. Excited by having managed that much, Johnnie whoops for joy as they get themselves onto the bridge. Across the bay are tall buildings and lights - maybe not quite as much city as LA, but definitely one that will have everything they want and more as their first big stop.]

Hell yeah, rich people, come buy our shit!

Yeah! Buy our stuff or die!

[She cheers right along with him, letting out a whoop as they drive over the bridge. That turns into an all out howl, and she dissolves into giggles that consume her for a good mile or so. It's easy to be in a light and silly mood now that they've got a plan and they're in some kind of city. They can leave his stupid old dad behind in the dust, and hopefully Johnnie will be in a great mood after they stop to sell their stuff.

As it turns out though, finding a pawn shop isn't that easy. There isn't one as they leave the bridge and drive into town, and it's not like they can stop and ask someone where the nearest pawn shop is. That would be really suspicious. But there's bound to be a downtown area nearby they can find what they need.]

Let's see if we can find someplace that has a pawn shop near a motel. That way we can sell then stop for the night.

[She knows he may not want to sleep, but she's exhausted after pulling them out of the storm and to his dad's house.]

Gettin' toward sunrise, but yeah, in a place like this you gotta figure somewhere's open all hours, right?

[Right? Maybe not. The first pawn shop he manages to spot, deep in the city center after wandering from street to street, definitely is closed. Hours 10 am to midnight. Maybe this place sleeps a little more than LA does.

After striking out another couple times, Johnnie pulls over at the curb for a moment just so they can stop and think. The pink light of sunrise is starting to reflect off all those tall, tall buildings with all their windows.]

Shit, man, even the local gangs are gonna be asleep at this rate, that was my other thought, see if someone was still up who'd maybe trade. We can keep looking, I guess. Man, I'm fuckin' hungry, do we still got snacks?

[Starving, actually, now he's had a minute to stop and think and not be pissed off at his Papa when not driving.]

Yeah, we still have stuff. Let's just find a park or somewhere we can sit at a picnic table and eat and then try to rest there for a while. We've got like...what, four hours until these places open?

[They've slept outside plenty of times, and this wouldn't be the first. But if he's not ready to rest, it would drive him crazy to have to keep watch over her.]

I mean, I'm good to stay up until then. It's just that I'm really tired every time I use those weird void powers. I don't think I'm going to pass out or anything, but a snack would be good.

[She glances down at the curb they're parked against. They could even just sit here and eat what they've got in the backpack.]

Do you want to just eat it here?

Here? Nah, let's find somewhere we can camp out for a while. I don't really know the city, but most places put parks by the water, right? Man, I shoulda seen if I could get a San Francisco map at that last gas station. Maybe there'll be one down the road.

[Turns out finding a park here isn't that hard. San Francisco has a lot more green spaces in the middle of things than he expected. Rather than heading back toward the bridge - it's pretty industrial on the side they came in on and probably not the most relaxing place to be as work picks up down there in the morning - he aims toward what looks like a cluster of trees up on a hill.

It's a long, narrow, winding road, very much the same sort of road he's used to driving in the hills outside of town back home, but this is right in the middle of everything. They get one hell of a view as they come up to the crest, and Johnnie pulls up next to a sign.]

"Twin Peaks Park". Are these peaks? Kinda looks like hills. Nice place, though. Kinda windy. Let's see if we can find a spot on the side of the hill that blocks some a' that.

Those are definitely hills.

[Not her idea of a peak, but it clearly is to the people here. So Twin Peaks Park it is. She hops off the bike as he parks and goes to open the saddlebags to get out her backpack that's tucked inside. His guitar is taken off and passed over to him, and she slips on her backpack so she doesn't have to carry it as they walk. Everything else is probably safe on the bike, especially given how early it is.]

It's hard to tell what year we're in here, isn't it? I tried looking at cars and stuff. I think we're past our own time, but not as far as like when we were visiting New York.

[This is the first time she's casually mentioned 1967 as her own time, and she doesn't even really realize that she's done it. To her, she's so settled into her life in LA that it feels like she's always been there.]

This is a really nice park though, you're right. There's some nice trees over there we can sit under.

[Typically she'd ask if they could sit there, but today she sets off straight for them to lead the way. Maybe she's a little hungry and eager to dig into some food.]

Trees sound good to me.

[He's definitely bringing his guitar along, yeah. There's no wood up here for a campfire and it's too windy to get one started anyway, which is a shame, but they can still sit with their backs to the trees and enjoy the view, maybe doze a little while after eating. It's plenty peaceful up here.

Once they have a comfortable spot to sit, he sets the guitar beside him and settles his hands behind his head as he leans against a trunk.]

I was tryin' to work out how far we shifted in time too, I noticed it as we were goin' over the bridge. Somethin' about the skyline changed but it was too dark to see it real well. Maybe 70s? Early 80s? I dunno. I gotta - hey! I was gonna say I need a catalog of cars from different times but maybe we should just take pictures, then I can learn 'em better. We gotta get you more film.

Oh yeah, that's right! We have to get lots of film. We can take pictures of cars, sure. And make what, a book to keep with us to help us figure out what time we're in?

[She thinks that's a pretty good idea, actually. It puts a smile on her face as she pulls out a couple of peanut butter sandwiches and some chips. There's two cokes left, enough for them each to enjoy one of their own.]

Like a time travel guide.

[As soon as she passes him his share, she digs right in. She's starving.]

I think you're right though. The cars look a lot like they did in Hawkins in the 80s. That means we should be able to get lots of film. We just have to make sure we leave room to store it all so we can get it home.

Yeah.

[Talking needs to take a back seat to eating for a moment, hold on. His sandwich is getting devoured promptly, and all it seems to do is wake his stomach up more to the realization he hasn't eaten a whole good meal since they left. The chips are getting slaughtered.]

Mm. Okay. Time travel guide. Yeah, I'm already real glad we didn't bring your car. We wouldn'ta got outta the central valley. It's a real pretty ride but it ain't meant for this kinda travel, even if it's got more space. We just always gotta travel light, but that's fine, so far so good, right?

[And they'll be lighter once they sell the jewelry, though it's not like that stuff takes up that much space.

Time for another smoke, to enjoy that with the coke, until both are finished. Now he's starting to feel sleepy for sure, and begins to sink lower down against the tree.]

Hope this place isn't super busy during the day. Last thing I need's some fuckin' kid throwin' a ball at my head when it's naptime.

[That makes her laugh, and she leans over toward him to steal a quick kiss. She's definitely slower to eat than he is, and is still working on finishing off her coke and some chips. He looks so cute and sweet leaning against the tree like that, it makes her finish up quickly so she can cuddle up against him.

As soon as her head is resting against his chest and she's cozy, her eyes drift closed.]

You know, I'm really happy we're on the road again. I kinda was starting to miss this.

Yeah, I kinda was too. I love bein' home with everyone but there's nothin' quite like takin' off on the road to see what there is to see. It's best when you get both, though. Imagine, a dozen, two dozen of us? All takin' on time an' space together. That'd be something.

[Maybe some day. Maybe when they all have a bigger enemy to chase, a bigger claim to make up the coast. They'd be like an army, riding the roads together. Nobody would dare stop them from doing anything. A river of destruction.

Maybe some day. He's hoping for it. For now, he settles comfortably lower and strokes Chrissy's hair.]

Oh gosh, it would be so neat. Maybe Alex and the Ender would come with us.

[That would be the best trip ever, in her opinion. They could ride together as a big wave of Enders, and find places to stop and either camp out or stay in motels. The thought makes her grin as she nuzzles her cheek against his chest.]

We'd all drive together all day, and then we'd find somewhere to park at night to party! Or I guess we'd drive at night and sleep all day, but it would be fun no matter what. And we'd make everyone all over the country afraid of us when they heard our engines coming!

[That's a pretty good power trip. It's enough to make her settle down in hopes of sleeping so she can have sweet dreams of mayhem and fun.]

Exactly! Yeah, you got it. It'd be the best damn time there was. Some day, baby girl. It'll happen.

[Why or when, he doesn't really know or care right now. It's just such a nice thought.

Nice enough to help him drift off to sleep for a while in the warming early morning sun while below, the city wakes up. He doesn't sleep all day - can't, these long summer days are way too long, and anyway there's too much going on with the breeze and the changing patterns of light and shadow on his face, and the occasional sound of an engine or people muttering as they walk past, engaged in their own private conversations.

But he gets a few hours and that's enough to feel ready to go again. He glances over at the bike parked a short walk off, decides it looks like it hasn't been messed with, then tries to see if he can extract himself from Chrissy without waking her up so he can stretch his limbs and comb his hair, and maybe see if any snacks whatsoever survived that late dinner.]

[The second he moves, her eyes open wide. She stays in place for a second, until she remembers where she is and who she's with. It's definitely sunny now, and she yawns as she stretches her arms and moves to climb up to her feet.]

I guess we didn't sleep too long.

[She says out loud as she looks up at the sky, noting the sun is definitely a lot brighter than she's used to these days. It makes her squint up at all that light as her eyes adjust, but she grins as she stretches out her arms and basks in all that warmth.]

But you know what? It's such a pretty day, we've got tons of time to do what we want, and I bet pawn shops are open now!

[A couple of women jog by and stare at them as they go past. Chrissy takes in their clothes and snorts. Yeah, they're definitely in the 1980s. Those outfits are awful.]

[Well, the good news is if she's up he doesn't have to worry about waking her as he goes about poking around at the bike for his comb. And a toothbrush, come to think of it. He finds that first and stuffs it in his mouth to brush and mumble-talk at the same time.]

Sure! Mmhm. Pawn shops 'n' food.

[Gotta get the money first, then they can treat themselves to a nice filling breakfast before they go on selling or stealing anything else.

While he's here, he checks to make sure nobody fished out the jewelry from the stash at the bottom of the saddlebag, but nobody touched anything as far as he can tell. He holds his toothbrush in his mouth, sets his jacket on the ground, and piles the few handfuls of jewelry onto it to wrap up and bring over to Chrissy by the tree.]

Here, help me sort this shit.

[She really admires how well he can get ready just out in the parking lot with no running water or a big mirror. Tooth brushing will happen for her as soon as they get somewhere with a real bathroom. Her hand covers her mouth and nose and she breathes out to smell and make sure she's not completely gross smelling, and is doing that as he walks up.

Her hand instantly drops down and she acts like she was just yawning, and she nods as she reaches forward to start sorting through his little treasure pile. It's not like she's an expert or anything, but she likes to think the one thing her mother and grandmother taught her was how to notice expensive things. They'll want to keep anything that would sell for more in the future for later on.

A couple of pieces she examines closely before sorting them into one of her piles, and after about five minutes she's got everything ready.]

Hey Johnnie? I think we should sell this pile while we're here. And everything here we should hang onto for when we're really in the future.

[All of that is called out without a care in the world, causing a couple of guys jogging by to glance her way like she's a crazy kid or something.]

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