Building A (Strange) Family

Road Trip

The boys had just come home and Lilly greeted them in the living room.
She sat in an arm chair, a backpack sitting beside the chair.

"Going somewhere?" David asked, leaning over the chair to kiss her.

"As soon as you guys get packed," She informed him, smiling expectantly at them all.

"Oh... where to?" Asked Mark.

"Santa Carla."

David's eyes went wide and he surged forward to kiss Lilly again.
She giggled when he finally pulled back and raised a hand to his cheek and brushing hair out of his eyes and behind his ear.

"You were serious, Lilly?"

"Of course I was. I just had to wait to get time off from work.
I didn't realize you wanted to go that badly though!"

"... I really didn't know it till now, either. You know, Robert-"

He turned and they saw all the guys were gone, running upstairs to pack.
He couldn't help chuckling again, one last kiss to Lilly, then he raced downstairs to pack his own bag.

When they had bags packed, they went to the jeep to load up.
Lilly had a trailer attached.

Joel looked over at her.
"You planning on taking more shit?"

"Kinda... how else are you guys gonna get your bikes down?"

David threw his head back, laughing.

"You're really trying to make me relive my youth, hu?"

She cringed a little, putting her face in his shoulder.
"Too much? I know it's silly and I know it's not that same as before but..."

He took her hand and kissed the back of it.
"No, it's not too much. And no, it wont be the same. But it will be good."

So they loaded up the four bikes and started out.

"Mom didn't want to come?"
Joel asked before they were out of the driveway.

"I believe her exact words were,
'Nu-hu! Now that I'm in Oregon, the only way you'll get me in Cali again is Disney Land!' "

The side door opened and Mom squished in next to Joel and Mark.
"Then, I found out you were going to the Boardwalk and that's just as good. Drive, David!"

They all laughed, Robert started the music, and they were off.

They stopped at a diner just over the California boarder and ended the first leg of the trip in a town called Eureka because Mark just thought the name was amazing..
They had enough time to catch a crappy science fiction movie on the ancient tv in one of the motels room they all piled into.
Lilly and Mom went to sleep in the next room soon after.
Then the sun rose and the guys slept.

As soon as sundown hit, they were on the road again.

David stepped out of the car and seemed overwhelmed for a moment.
He looked over the skyline, the lights, the mass of people.
His mouth gaped, a thousand memories flooding in from the sounds, the sights, even the smells of food and fires.

He didn't notice Lilly come up beside him.
"You okay?"
She touched his shoulder gently.

He dragged his eyes away to look at her and a wide, true grin spread across his face.
"I'm great."

Their first mission for that first night was just to run wild on the boardwalk.
David found himself amazed at both what had changed and what hadn't.

"To bad they don't do the Free Friday Band night anymore," he told Lilly.
The guys a little ways ahead, dragging Mom and gawking at everything as if they had never been anywhere in their lives.

"Good shows?" Lilly asked, her hand in Davids, squeezing it.

"Almost never," He laughed.
"Holy shit, the Giant Dipper's still going.
It's over 90 years old... Killed four people. We should ride it..."

She pulled back from him a little.
"Excuse me? Can we go back to the 'killed four people' part?"

He kissed her hand and walked past the huge roller coaster in question.
"When it opened. These idiots actually tried to stand up on it. Thrown from the ride, all died."

Lilly tried not to laugh, but the idea that four people were actually stupid enough to try to stand on a roller coaster...

"Haunted Castle? That looks like it's been updated quite a bit. We're doing that..."

They walked on for a bit and before they knew it they had lost the rest of the guys and Mom.

"They have phones. It's fine," Lilly assured him, actually grateful for the time alone with David.
She was free to study his face as he took in everything around him; Music competing from each new shop, flashing lights, and people pushing past.

She watched his eyes light up and a half grin take up one side of his face.
She followed his line of sight and was a little surprised by what she saw in front of them.

"The Carousal is still here..." He said, dreamily.
She grinned, confused, and waited for him to explain.

"Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Designed by Charles I. D. Looff,
made it in Rhode Island and shipped it to Santa Carla in 1911.
Rebuilt in 1967 ...
Sounds like more organs have been added, not to mention the paint job."

She wasn't sure how he could pick out one kind of music over another.
Whatever memories it held for him, he didn't divulge.
Instead he just dragged her to the huge Carousal.

He didn't seem to pick a special spot, let her pick either a horse or chariot to ride in.
She chose the cart, so they could sit together.
And he just beamed, arm wrapped around her.

At one point he did jump up out of his seat while it moved.
Lilly wanted to stop him, then thought about it.
They were on a carousal going 4 mph, not a roller coaster.
He came back a moment later.

"What was that about?"
She asked as she snuggled back under his arm.

"I'll tell you later..." he whispered in her ear.

The ride ended and they exited.
David kept his arm around Lilly and discreetly pulled a ring out of his coat.

Lilly's mouth dropped.
She had only seen them on cartoons.

"David, did you just steal a ring from the ride?!"
She whispered, looking around.

He snickered and tucked it back away, kissing her temple.
"Everyone does it. Not all do it as well, though."

David shivered.
Lilly noticed it. It was small and it wasn't from cold..
"What?"

"Laffing Sal. Stupid animatronic. Just heard her.
It's creepy, and that's coming from a vampire.
Thought she would have fallen apart by now. More like hoped."

David was thrown forward a little, grunting as Mark practically jumped on his back.

"David! Did you know? We have to do it! We have to find Robert and Nick!"

Joel came up to Lilly, both laughing now and doing nothing to save David from Mark's exuberant puppy display.

"Can I know what it is we must do?"
He asked, not doing much himself to dissuade the young vampire.

"There is a haunted house under the boardwalk!"
David's eye grew wide, turning to Lilly with excitement.

She snorted, "Oh like I'd say no! Lets find Mom."