la belle dame sans merci | carlisle cullen

50

Minerva slept like a rock for a solid twelve hours, waking with ten agonizing hours left to the trip. She was beyond thirsty and in dire need of a coffee to stabilize her mood but didn't speak up. A peek at the gas gauge told her they'd be stopping soon enough.

Eager for an opportunity to stretch her legs, she reached for the door handle but it locked just as she tugged on it. "That's not funny." She warned. Minerva wasn't a morning person, even if it was noon.

"We can't risk leaving your scent anywhere." Alice chimed, sounding in far too good of a mood for Minerva's liking. The girl pushed a hat on over her spiky hair, pulling her sleeves down over her hands, "What do you want?"

"Water, coffee." She grumbled, reaching into her pocket for her wallet, "An energy bar, I dunno."

Alice ignored the cash Minerva handed out, turning to Bella instead. "You?"

"Water." Bella responded, "Funyuns."

"Got it." With that the driver's side door slammed.

Minerva sighed, tucking the cash Alice refused into the pouch on the back of the passenger seat, "You think you know a person and then you find out their go-to gas station snack is Funyun's."

Bella let out a shaky laugh, turning in her seat to look at the older woman. "There's fun. There's onions. What more could a girl want?" Minerva's laugh put her at ease. "I'm sorry for.. everything."

Minerva's eyebrows knit slightly, "You didn't do anything, Bella." She said earnestly.

Bella pursed her lips, her dark eyes downcast, "I mean.. I knew. Kind of guilty by association."

"The fact that you know is their misstep, not yours. You're a kid, Bella." Minerva said steadily, "You're a brilliant young woman but you're a kid. You shouldn't be in this situation." Her eyes flickered up as the station doors opened and Alice came out, "I don't know if I'll ever forgive them for dragging you into this."

Bella's mouth fell open, she stumbled over her words for a second before the driver's side door opened and a grocery bag dropped in before the door shut again. "Don't worry about it, Bella. Really." Minerva said earnestly, reaching forward to rifle through the bag. She offered Bella the bag of Funyuns with her nose scrunched up. Left in the bag was two bottles of water, a bag of unsalted peanuts and a Coffee Crisp, which had to be the disappointing stand in for a real coffee. She should have figured.

Sliding the bottle into a front cup holder for Bella, she retreated into the backseat with the rest of the bag. It was like the world's worst flight snacks. She settled in, muttering a quiet thank you to Alice when she reentered the car and bracing herself for another nine hours of silent driving.

By the end of it, her water was gone and the unsalted peanuts had gotten the better of her. She was thirsty, irritable and really, really had to pee. "Let me check in first."

"I'm gonna die in this car." Minerva grumbled, letting her head thump against the seat. Luckily, it didn't take too long for Alice to return, leaning out the hotel doors to wave them in.

Bella and Minerva ambled ungracefully out of the car, with a chorus of soft groans and cracking bones. "That sucks." Bella grumbled.

Alice shook her head as they crossed the parking lot, "Put a little spring in those steps, ladies!" She teased.

"You can shove the spring up your ass, Alice." Minerva responded with a crack of her back. When they got into the elevator, Minerva bent to reach for her toes which only emitted more cracks. "So.. what exactly do we do now?"

"We wait." Alice responded, leaning in the corner of the elevator. "They'll call us when it's safe.. or not safe. I guess we'll see."

"Great." Minerva grumbled.