TUiB:3- Goin' to California

The characters and story of Twilight lived in Stephenie Meyer's head long before I came along and read it. They belong to her. This story however, has lived in my head long before you read it and it belongs to me. I don't intend any copyright infringement and you better not either.

Merci beaucoup to KatieTV and SugarTits for pre-reading and just the right amount of riding my ass to get another chapter out. Y'all do me a favor and go check out Katie's fic My Indentured Love, it is sooooo addictive.

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Made up my mind to make a new start
Goin' to California with an achin'
In my heart

~~Goin' to California, Led Zeppelin

~~~~~~~

~~BPOV~~

Somehow the disaster zone in front of me was worse than it had been this morning when I had started cleaning the house. I spent hours shuffling from room to room, arms laden with crap that belonged elsewhere. It took half the day just to put everything away so that I could start the actual cleaning process and it took my children less than five minutes to undo it all.

There was a trail of puzzle pieces leading to the kitchen where a tower of blocks had been demolished and an overturned cup seeped milk down the front of the cabinets. There were no less than fifty unmatched tiny socks strewn across the living room and the couch was covered with a pile of satin dress-up gowns. Sarah's dolls were staging a sit-in in the bathtub and her stuffed animals watched from the sink. My made bed was now demolished, pillows thrown on the floor and blankets rumpled, and two little girls sat in the middle, one covered with stickers and the other wielding a play stethoscope.

"Oh hello Mommy," Dr. Sarah said, "Charlotte's got the chicken pops and I'm gonna give her a big old shot."

I looked at Charlotte laying flat on the bed head-to-toe in sparkling heart stickers and took a deep breath. I replayed my mantra in my head, they're only little for so long, they're only little for so long.

"Sarah we have to leave to pick up Grandma at the airport in an hour. Didn't Mommy ask you to be my helper today?"

"But I am helping Mommy. I'm helping so Grandma doesn't get the chicken pops. Sissy's getting her saxinations and then I'll give Grandma some too." She leaned over her sister and pushed a purple marker into her thigh. It wasn't until then that I noticed Charlotte's purple mouth.

"Sarah, why is her mouth purple?" I asked, knowing the answer. I hoped "non-toxic" meant "your kid won't die if they suck on this."

Sarah clasped her hands at her chest as if in prayer and said with the utmost reverence, "It's the pops. She's got it bad."

I knew if I laughed I'd hurt her feelings so I pressed my lips together while my eyes watered. "Okay then. Well, Charlotte is expected to make a full recovery so I need to you go pick up all your toys and take them back to your room. We have to clean up again before we leave for Port Angeles."

It took the next hour to clean up the wake of Hurricane Sarah, wrestle Charlotte into clothes and find the mates of the only shoes they had that fit. By the time I had both girls in the car with enough toys and snacks to keep them occupied for the two hour round trip, we were late.

Renee didn't seem to notice when we pulled up ten minutes behind. She sat on top of a large duffel bag beneath a wide overhang bobbing her head to the music from her earphones. I waved at her and she popped the last bite of the candy bar she was consuming in her mouth before jumping up and running to the car. The passenger door flung open and she crawled across the seats to me wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Bella! Hey baby!" She cooed.

"Hey. Mom. Sorry we're late."

"Grandma, Grandma!" Sarah cried from the back seat.

"My baby's babies! Hello my darling girls!" She knelt in the seat facing backwards to talk to Sarah. I saw a porter glancing at her abandoned bag and got out of the car to get it. I threw it in the trunk and maneuvered into my seat and back out on the road.

"Mom, turn around and put on your seat belt, okay?"

"Oh stop, I will. I'm just talking to my girls, it's been so long! And like you'd get pulled over anyways."

She was right, no cop around here was going to pull over the chief's daughter but that didn't mean I broke the law. "I'm not worried about a ticket I don't want to scrape you off the blacktop."

Renee flopped in her seat and rolled her eyes. "Please, you don't even speed." She dug in the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out a large piece of bubble gum. "Can I give her some?"

"Um, no. She doesn't know how to chew gum."

"Well you have to teach her, silly." Renee poked my ribs and turned back to Sarah, "Grandma's going to give you some gum. It tastes good. You chew it like this," her mouth moved in exaggeration, "but you don't swallow it, okay? Don't eat it, just chew." Sarah nodded in the rear view mirror and Renee broke off a chunk and handed it to her.

"She's going to swallow it." I said.

"Give her the benefit of the doubt. Now why is Charlotte stuck staring out the back window? She's old enough to turn around. I want to see her gorgeous face."

I gritted me teeth and glanced over my shoulder to merge. "It's safer that way, Mom. She's so tiny for her age and she it's not like it bothers her. It's what they recommend nowadays."

"Ha! When I was a baby I laid on the floor between my mother's feet. I turned out fine."

That was definitely up for debate. "Didn't you get in a bad car accident when you were little?"

"Yeah, but I just got windshield glass in my face. Wouldn't have mattered if I was in a car seat." She reached out to flip the radio from my favorite classic rock station to one playing current pop hits. "Oooh I love this song! Come on girls, car dance with Grandma!" Her arms waved above her head.

"Grandma, can I haves some mores gum. That was yummy."

"Told you," I said to Renee.

She stuck her tongue out me and closed her eyes to dance.

~~~~~~~

I stood staring at the open suitcase on my bed at a total loss to figure out what should go inside it. It was Sunday night and I was leaving first thing in the morning. I picked up the registration packet again and leafed through the information. Besides the workshops, classes, seminars and speakers there were optional cocktail hours, dinners, and social events. It was like summer camp for adults.

"I can not believe you haven't packed yet. So unlike you. And your wine choices were shit by the way." Renee sauntered in the room sipping from a wine glass and handing me another. "Is that the info, can I see?"

"Yeah here," I said handing her the folder. "And the lack of selection is due to the fact that I don't drink wine, you know that. I keep a few bottles on hand to offer guests."

She took a sip and grimaced. "Good God get something else next time or you're going to offend them. I'm almost wishing I'd gone for the piss-in-a-can in the fridge or the tequila on top."

"Whatever. Help me pack. I don't know what to take." I flopped on the bed and covered my face with a pillow.

She dove into my closet and returned with an armful of items. "This is cute, is this new?" she said holding up a top.

I moved the pillow and looked at her, "Yeah Jake gave me some money a couple weeks ago. Said he'd been saving up for me so I could get some clothes for the trip. All that is the new stuff."

"That was sweet of him. So he's cool with this?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean he hasn't said much. Didn't say no when I asked which is what I thought he'd do. The money was a nice surprise."

"Can't help loving that son-in-law of mine. Okay, so let's see. It looks like you're in classes all day until Friday. And then you have some free time on Saturday because you're not signed up for as many weekend workshops. And Sunday afternoon you leave." she said and flipped through the pages.

"Yeah, those were filled up. A lot of people come just for the weekend stuff. And I'm not going to do those mixer things." I shuddered and folded a pair of jeans she'd brought from the closet.

"You have to socialize, Bella. They're networking opportunities."

"Networking? Seriously? Nice corporate speak there."

"It's the point. Don't miss the opportunity to meet people in the industry. You never know what might happen."

"I get it but some of that doesn't even apply to me. I'm just getting started in all this. Like that one," I leaned over to her her and pointed, "with the literary agents. I am not there yet. You look for agents after you've written a book not when you randomly decide you're going to attend a conference and think about writing."

"Alright. Well at least go to a few of the socials or something. Let's pull out a handful of sundresses to have just in case. The rest of it seems casual so I think you can get away with nice jeans and tops."

"Sundresses? Mom, it's not much warmer there than it is here."

"Ah, Northern California is so fickle. It could be gorgeous or freezing. We'll pack cardigans and layers. No Bella, not those sneakers, too casual. You're not seventeen anymore." She pushed away my favorite pair of faded blue Converse.

"Hey I've got free time, you said it yourself. These sneakers go where I go. In fact, I'm wearing them on the plane." I set them on top of my dresser with jeans and a matching henley.

"So defiant. Maybe you are seventeen."

"You're one to talk. And hey, I wanted to say thanks by the way."

"For what?"

"Coming here and the plane ticket. You didn't have to do that."

"Well I sure as hell wasn't going to let you drive your old Chevy truck a thousand miles like you planned. And we've got tons of extra miles you know that."

"I still appreciate it and I know Phil didn't want to give you up during spring training."

"Oh please, he is so busy I barely see him. And I could not do another MLB wives brunch. I am so thankful he's retiring this year."

"Come one, you love it. This is what you dreamed of when he was in the minors." My mom's marriage to Phil is how I wound up in Forks during my junior year of high school. They were always on the road and it only got more hectic when he moved up the "The Show" after I graduated and he became a Florida Marlin.

"Baby girl, I learned a long time ago, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it." She tilted her head back and downed the rest of the wine.

~~~~~~~

"Bella, come on, we're going to be late." Jake came in the front door from warming the car.

"I know, I know, I'm just...one minute, okay?" I turned from him back to Renee. "I wrote out a bunch of stuff and left it on the kitchen table. Their typical schedule, stuff they like, stuff they don't. Above all else Mom, do not give them a ton of sugar. You'll be doing yourself a favor. And-"

"Bella! I've done this before! Case in point," she said touching my nose, "and I did a damn good job if I say so myself. Go, I'll figure it out. And Jake is here. We're fine." She turned me around and pushed me out the front door.

"Please kiss them for me?" I swallowed my tears and climbed into Jake's truck. The girls had slept past seven a.m. for the first time in ages. I didn't know if my not being there to say goodbye would be harder or easier for them. Or for me.

We were out on the highway before we spoke. I stared into the trees and Jake had his favorite morning show on the the radio. I waited until they went to commercial to talk.

"Thanks for driving me. You didn't have to. I could have taken the Chevy."

He nodded and squinted into the darkness. "Yeah I know. Sam's having me pick up some paperwork while I'm in town anyways. And I figured we'd save on airport parking for a week. I'm not even sure how we're going to afford this as it is."

I felt the oxygen slip from the cab. He hadn't said anything about the cost of the trip. I saw the credit card statement come in so I know he knew. Still, mentioning it now made me uneasy. What the hell could I do about it?

"I'm sorry. You know you didn't have to to give me the money for clothes, we could have have just put that to the card. And it's all inclusive. There's no extra costs from here out."

"Yeah. Well, we'll figure it out." He changed lanes and pressed into the gas. He didn't look at me once.

The anxiety dropped in my stomach like I was swallowing rolls of quarters. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to do this. I wanted to turn around and hold my babies and not worry about spending money and hurting my family.

It was quiet the rest of the way. Neither of us had anything else to say.

~~~~~~~

"Seat backs and tray tables up and to their locked positions please. All portable hand held devices must be turned off at this time. We will be turning on the fasten seat belt sign."

My eyes fluttered open and I pressed my hand in the metal button on the arm rest. The seat sprang up and I put my head back against the wall and closed my eyes again. I wanted to sleep for the entire flight but I couldn't. It wasn't until the captain said those magical words, "we're beginning our initial descent" did my eyes shut. I don't know what is was about the descent; if there is a change in cabin pressure or if it's the feeling of controlled falling but it will knock me out faster than an Ambien any day and without the side effect of hallucinations or sleep eating.

Problem was, I never understood those who raved about the benefits of a "power nap." Twenty minutes of sleep left me feeling groggy and bitchy not rejuvenated and fresh faced. I pushed my way off the plane to baggage claim and bitch faced anyone who looked like they might touch my bag. I mean really, how do so many people forget what their luggage looks like? They only parted with it two hours ago. And I'm assuming they didn't stop and buy the bag on the way to the airport. They had to be previously acquainted. Are people that clueless or is short term memory loss a bigger epidemic than one would think?

I glanced down at my watch. The place holding the conference was running shuttles down to Monterey for cheapskates like me who needed transportation and I had ten minutes to get outside and find it or wait three hours for another one. I saw it just as the doors closed and broke into a full sprint down the sidewalk. A passenger noticed me and called to the driver to wait.

"Thank you," I exhaled as I flopped in the seat across from him. The driver lifted my suitcase above my head and closed the doors again to push out into traffic. "I didn't want to wait here for hours."

"No prob," said the pony-tailed stranger, "how could I not empathize with that look of panic? You gave quite the valiant effort booking it like that. I'm Garrett Poetry." His hand stuck out across the aisle.

"Uh, Bella," I said taking his hand and shaking. "Is that your real name?"

His head fell back as he laughed. "My name is Garrett, poetry is what I write. What about you?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Duh. Um, I want to write fiction. A novel. I'd love to write a novel."

"So you're Bella Novelist. This your first time?"

"To the conference? Yeah."

"Virgin," he said winking and causing a fast blush to spread across my face, "fresh meat on the farm."

"Stop G, you're scaring the poor girl. She's just a baby." A voice called to us from behind. I turned my head around to see a small guy with a shaved head and bushy dark eyebrows leaning forward on the seats. "Benito Children's Lit," he said raising the caterpillars above his eyes, "ignore Garrett he's a douche."

I gave a tight smile and nodded. Guys were so annoying. Put a girl in front of them and you're forced to listen to juvenile insults and futile attempts to one up each other.

"Does everyone do that?" I asked.

"What?" they answered in unison.

"Say their, genre or whatever, like a last name."

"Ay Dios mio. Mija, you're funny." Benito said running a hand across the top of his non existent hair. "Do we do that Garrett?"

"I guess we do. We need to accentuate the pause, huh? Say our comma? Garrett," he took a long pause, "poetry."

"Much better." I laughed. Maybe they weren't too bad after all.

"My turn, my turn. Benito. Children's Literature." He stared us down with crazed intent.

"Little less James Bond buddy. I thought you were about to pistol whip me." Garrett pulled a cigarette out from a pack tapped it on the seat back in front of him and then tucked it behind his ear. "Jesus, when are we going to get there already. I need a smoke."

"Chill. We got an hour at least."

"Is is that long? I think I want to nap." I said yawning and stretching my arms out in front of me.

"No! No napping! Don't you want to smell that first breeze of ocean?" Garrett gaped at me aghast.

I smiled and pushed my back pack across the seat to make a pillow. "I'm good. I come from the same ocean."

"Lucky. Me and Benny and are landlocked. We crave this shit like nothing else."

"Enjoy your first hit," I said as I laid across the seat and closed my eyes. The descent must have still been in my system because it only felt like seconds passed before Garrett and Benito were rousing me awake and pulling a very drowsy Bella into a large craftsman building.

"Go check in with the center first, little sister, and we'll show you where to check in with the organizers and get all your stuff." Garret pointed me toward a tall counter.

I rubbed my swollen eyes and raked my fingers through very tousled hair. Nap was a bad idea. I was hungover on sleep and totally out of it. I turned looking for my suitcase before realizing Garrett had wheeled it to the counter for me. Pay attention Bella. I turned again and collided with an intoxicating scent of clean and man.

"Hey watch out, you okay?" The scent chuckled and said softly, "pay attention," squeezed my arm, and was gone.

~~~~~~~

Translations:
Ay Dios mio- Oh my God
Mija- slang literally meaning my daughter (mi hija) but commonly used like "girl" or "sweetie" and the like