Sal's Reality, Port aux Basques: The Official Road Trip Thread

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

"So." Sal leaned on the hood of the van, sneaking in one more cigarette before they left for Florida. It was quite the sight: the massive maroon vehicle was stuffed to the rafters with luggage, snack food, and had a full tank of gas.

"So?" Ven was staring at her from the other side of it, completely amused at his mentor's stressed outlook. In all the years he'd known the woman, he'd never seen her really lose her cool - but she was coming close.

"So we've got ourselves reservations for the eight o'clock boat. And it's ten after six and we needs to get goin else we misses our spot. An' Mu launches in exactly forty-eight hours and..."

Ven stooped down to pick up Shae, who had barrelled down the stairs with her still-yawning mother in tow. "And we'll get there just fine. Didn't you say she had a portal waiting for you in North Sydney, anyway?"

Sal extinguished her cigarette and blew the smoke away from Shae, watching Jav, Kurt, and Vic come down the stairs hauling the rest of the luggage. "Yes, yes, and yes, but still, b'y, I hates bein' late." She held out her arms in response to Shae's attempt to get closer to her grandmother. "Give her here, look..."

She was interrupted by a loud bang that sounded like it was coming from her kitchen. She looked at Shae, who was grinning.

"D'you know what all that noise is?" she asked the toddler.

"Nope," the little girl shook her head, brown curls bouncing around.

"Want t' go find out with me?"

"Yeah!"

They went up the stairs together, Sal maneuvering Shae into a piggy-back position. "I betcha it's Leeroy. It always is."

"Uncle 'Roy is funny," Shae declared. "He's always doin' somethin'." The girl had a slight Newfie twang and it amused Sal to no end.

"Yes, b'y."

They opened the front door and peered into the kitchen where Sam had Leeroy in a headlock.

"Do I want t' know?" Sal asked resignedly. "Or should I just yell at the load of ye to get yer butts downstairs 'fore I loses it?"

Comments

[random_xtras]

Mykayla looked upset. "I never said you were a jerk." Then she blinked and watched as Sam walked rapidly over and wrapped her arms around Leeroy, burying her face in his shirt before starting to cry silently but stormily. "Oh dear."

"What's wrong?" Vic went to one knee in concern, then wrinkled his forehead as Jabez, never a demonstrative girl, calmly wedged herself between Kurt and Sal.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

Leeroy put his arms around Sam, his eyes wide with confusion. "What's gone on?" he asked her quietly. "D'you want to go somewhere else t' talk about it?"

[i_salted_dean]

She shook her head, then nodded. He could feel her shaking as she clung to him.

[random_xtras]

"Since when did this become the M.V. Emo?" wondered Jav, frowning.

"Y'know what they were sayin' bout jerks, runt?" Vic glowered at him.

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

"Alright, let's not be beating each other up. Remember we still gotta be able to stand each other once we make it to North Sydney."

Sal leaned forward and put her hand on Sam's back. "Are ye okay, dear?" she asked. "Anythin' any of us can do, let us know, alright?"

[i_salted_dean]

She flinched at the touch, then broke down completely, her knees sagging.

"She saw her mom." Jabez spoke up unexpectedly. "And a girl version of her Jessie, and a scary version of her brother."

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"C'mon," Leeroy said, standing up, but not letting go of Sam. "Let's go take a walk, eh?"

"We'll be back later," he said to everyone else.