The Hitchhiker
by Lumy
Chapter 4
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Authors Notes: This chapter is proudly brought to you by http://www.ndasky.com
THE HITCHHIKER — CHAPTER FOUR
Sunlight pierced through a rip in the curtains softly illuminating the motel room. Willow was snuggled tightly against Buffy. During the course of the night their towels had slipped somewhat, meaning the top of Willow's breasts pressed against Buffy's side. Buffy didn't mind the semi-intimate entanglement she found herself in when she awoke.
Reaching over and playing with a lock of Willow's hair, Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. Images of her dream the night before flashed across her mind.
"What are you thinking about?" Willow asked unexpectedly.
Buffy opened her eyes to see a very much awake Willow looking up at her. "Last night," she replied, letting the lock of hair fall free. "And how very wrong it could have gone." Buffy regarded Willow silently for a moment. "I bet you have a ton of questions."
"Well, maybe half a ton," Willow admitted with a smile.
"Hit me," Buffy said taking a deep breath.
Willow pulled her arm free of the covers and punched Buffy in the arm eliciting a shocked look from her. "Oh, you meant with a question?" Willow remarked coyly.
Buffy reached for the red head's fist and interlocked their fingers. "You wouldn't joke if you'd seen the things I've seen," she said solemnly.
"Ok." Willow put on her serious face, "I'm asking, what happened?"
"I saw it, everything, before it happened. They were coming for me." Buffy's gaze drifted to Willow's hand she was still holding, "Except, in the dream, I didn't stop at the crossroad, and you died. I couldn't save you."
Willow lifted Buffy's chin to look her in the eye. "That's what made you smash the mirror?"
Buffy nodded weakly. "Bad things happen to anyone close to me."
"You did save me though." Willow pulled Buffy's hand and placed it over her heart, "See?"
Buffy could feel the soft thud of Willow's heart beat getting stronger against her hand as her breathing got deeper.
"What are you thinking about?" Buffy asked, shifting her gaze from her hand on Willow's chest up to Willow's eyes.
"Nothing." Willow squirmed slightly trying to avoid Buffy's eyes.
"Your heart rate says different." Buffy smirked.
"Oh?" Willow looked curious. "You can tell what I'm thinking just from my heart rate?"
"Yes," Buffy said simply.
Willow chuckled softly. "That's impossible."
"You don't believe me?" Buffy asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Nope." Willow shook her head.
Buffy slowly leaned closer to Willow until their lips were mere millimetres apart. Beneath her palm, Buffy could feel Willow's heart pounding.
"Lucky guess," Willow breathed, before their lips met in a sensual kiss.
Willow tangled her fingers in Buffy's hair pulling her closer as Buffy slid her hand over Willow's curves down to her waist before sharply pulling away.
"How do you feel about Mustangs?" Buffy asked out of nowhere.
"If they're the reason for you stopping, I'm going to have to chalk them up as bad," Willow replied, a slight pout forming.
A wide grin crept across Buffy's face as she ran her thumb across Willow's pouting bottom lip. "We should hire one."
Willow didn't respond, finding the front of her towel suddenly fascinating instead.
Buffy kissed her forehead. "You know we can't stay here." The logic stung like a jellyfish. "And if I get that towel off you, we're going to be here for quite a while." Buffy lifted Willow's lips to hers and kissed them again.
"Mmm," Willow murmured. "Mustangs."
Buffy laughed. "Exactly," she said before dragging the red head out of bed.
Once dressed in their dry yet wrinkled clothes, the pair headed out to the rent-a-car place.
They were greeted by a weedy looking sales assistant. "How can I help you ladies?"
"We'd like to hire a car, Chet," Buffy stated the obvious while reading his name tag.
"Ok." The guy started tapping the keys in front of his computer. "What did you have in mind?"
"Got any Mustangs?" Willow chimed in making Buffy grin.
"That's all we got." Chet pointed through a window behind them. "Hope you have insurance."
The pair spun around to take in the sight of a highly shiny gun metal grey Shelby GT500 complete with black GT decals. Buffy nodded with approval to Willow.
"We'll take it." Willow smiled. "May I use your phone? I'll be charging this to my company."
"Dial 1 to get a line," he said pushing the phone towards her.
Buffy watched curiously as Willow called her office.
"Cole? It's Willow," she spoke into the receiver. "I know I haven't returned your calls, I lost my phone." Willow lifted the phone away from her mouth to make faces at Buffy while her assistant rambled on. "Nicole, focus!" she interrupted. "I'm trying to rent a car and I need to charge it to the company. If I pass you to Chet, the sales guy, can you take care of it? Yes, I'm on my way home. Have a new cell on my desk when I get there." Willow passed the phone over so the payment details could be taken.
"So." Buffy tried to process what just happened. "What do you do to have a personal assistant?"
"I have my own business." Willow shrugged.
"I'll have the car brought out front for you," Chet interrupted after finishing the phone call.
"Mustang." Buffy pointed with a huge grin as the car was brought round.
Grabbing her hand, Willow dragged Buffy out to the car.
Once back on the road, with take away breakfast, Willow turned the conversation back to the previous night. "We should find out who they are and what they want." A look of resolve firmly in place.
"What do you suggest?" Buffy was clearly out of ideas.
"Take me home." Willow grabbed the map they took from the van.
"Where's home?" Buffy asked, glancing over at the map.
"Sunnydale," Willow pointed it out.
"Sunnydale..." Buffy whispered.
"You know it?" Willow bounced in her seat.
"We nearly moved there once." Buffy sounded distant. "It was a long time ago."
"We?" Willow inquired.
"Me and my mom," Buffy clarified. "She was killed in a car accident five years ago."
"I'm sorry." Willow reached over and put her hand on Buffy's knee.
Taking one hand off the wheel, Buffy took hold of Willow's hand.
"We're not actually that far out," Willow said, studying the map. "We should be there late tonight."
"Ok. We'll switch up in a few hours," Buffy suggested.
"Ok. Perfect. Then I'll take us to my apartment," Willow said, trying to fold the map back up with one hand.
Buffy laughed. "You can have your hand back you know."
"No, it's fine where it is." Willow smiled as she stuffed the map down by her door.
The open road stretched out before them, and Buffy couldn't resist depressing the accelerator just a little further.
TO BE CONTINUED...