petrichor [rosalie hale] ✔

lv. finding love (just not in chicago)

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink as Emmett's jeep cruised along the seemingly endless highway. Rosalie glanced out the window, her golden eyes reflecting the vibrant colors of the sunset. She sighed softly, feeling a warmth she hadn't experienced in decades. Beside her, Kiara shuffled in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position for her mostly human-ish body.

The three vampires had no problems with the 34 hour drive to Chicago. Usually, they'd need to stop for gas around 5-6 times for the entire journey but since they didn't need to eat or sleep or even stretch their legs, it wasn't a concern. However, with Kiara having decided to join them on their drive, it had now been extended into an almost 2 day operation so that Kiara had time to eat, stretch and use the toilet.

Did that mean it would be any more comfortable for her? Unlikely.

"Seriously, you guys couldn't just fly there?" Kiara grumbled, her impatience getting the better of her. "I mean, we wouldn't have to stop every few hours if it wasn't for me."

They were only four hours into their planned 48 hour drive, and Beverly knew that if the shapeshifter didn't mean so much to her beloved sister, she'd have kicked her out of Emmett's jeep after the first hour.

"Kiara, we've been over this," Rosalie said gently, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend. "We're in this together, remember?"

"Besides, Garrett isn't exactly on our diet," Emmett chimed in with a grin from the driver's seat. "He isn't exactly a... frequent flier. It's safer this way, trust me."

"Speaking of which," Beverly turned around from the front passenger seat, her piercing blue eyes meeting Kiara's brown ones, "you really don't need to come if you don't want to, Kiara. We can handle this without you. We can drop you off here, and you'll be back in Forks in like 2 hours if you shift and run..."

"Thanks, but I'm sticking with you guys," Kiara replied, her voice laced with determination. "Rosalie has my back, so I'm going to have hers."

"Stubborn as always," Beverly muttered under her breath, turning back around in her seat and holding back her sigh. If Kiara just calmed down with her random road trip games, they'd both find this much less painful. 

"Hey, are you nervous about the pack being apart for the first time in a while?" Rosalie asked, her gaze filled with concern. She knew how much the pack meant to Kiara, and the responsibility she felt as their alpha. Truthfully, she'd been a little surprised when Kiara chose Rosalie over her pack - although she knew that she'd do the same in a heartbeat for Kiara.

"Feels weird, not gonna lie," Kiara admitted, resting her head on Rosalie's shoulder. "Especially now that I'm like... they're alpha. I hope they'll be okay without me. I don't really think Sam has ever left the pack for this period of time before, so I think it's kind of uncharted waters for Jake, Seth and Leah too."

"Your pack is strong," Emmett reassured her from the driver's seat. "They'll manage just fine. Besides, the only thing you need to worry about is your brother and Leah not killing each other before they make it to the Denalis."

"True," Kiara agreed, but inside, doubt gnawed at her.

"Focus on what's happening now," Rosalie whispered, sensing Kiara's internal turmoil. "We're in this together, and we'll face whatever comes our way."

The hum of the jeep's engine mixed with the sound of tires rolling over the highway created a soothing background noise. The rhythmic vibrations from the road were making it almost impossible for Kiara to stay awake, even though she was surrounded by vampires who didn't need sleep. She glanced at Emmett, who had his attention focused on the road ahead.