Aria's POV

He wasn't horrified as I thought he may be. Stunned into silence, yes. Perhaps I should just leave it at that. Slowly, I pulled back and sat down in my seat again, fastening the seatbelt.

Still a bit stunned, Richard flipped out his pocket-sized knife and jammed it into the ignition, turning it. The car squealed loudly, as he suddenly realized that the engine was already on. Red-faced he drove us out onto the highway.

We sat in silence, for what seemed like hours. I observed him as he drove the SUV. Watching the mirrors, changing lanes, working the pedals... It was then that I felt compassion toward the human race, that they couldn't fly as I could. Which in turn, led me back to thinking about the kiss. There was a tenderness there, from him, that surprised me. I could feel how tensed up he was... Had he held back for my sake? I knew that right where my molecules had touched his, it was electric. I felt it throughout my entire being. I now understood why humans liked to kiss so much. I had wanted more, only I wasn't sure what all it was that I wanted. Annie has fooled around a bit but had always remained a good Catholic Schoolgirl. Even through college. So I only had Tina's memories to go by and those were extremely steamy. I just didn't want their memories anymore. I wanted to experience it myself. Selfish as that may seem. Pink cheeked, I sank down in my seat a bit and Richard saw. I think he knew. He turned and looked at me briefly with a smile.

"Alright, but only a little at a time." He finally answered.

"WooooHoooo!" I exclaimed, clapping both hands over my mouth.

Richard pulled over the SUV with wide eyes. "Aria," he chuckled, "So am I to understand that you are excited about the prospect? I mean, where did that sound come from?" Curiosity swam in his brown eyes as he turned toward me fully.

"I've never made a sound like that before..." I looked at him in confusion, "To be honest with you, the idea of it makes me very happy inside." He laughed quietly as he turned back toward the steering wheel.

"I've never gotten that kind of reaction before, but it works!" He chuckled to himself as he got us back on the road again.

For some strange reason, whatever was making him so happy made me happy too. Turning away, I looked out the windows and watched to colors of the fields change from green to pale yellow, to green again, my eyes began to droop. Soon enough I fell asleep leaning against the door.
___________________________

Richard Weston's POV
(Little Rock, Arkansas.
459 miles from NASA, Texas)

I couldn't stop myself from laughing at her outburst earlier. She looked more shocked over making it than I was to hear it. She is still in some ways so innocent. As I got us back on the road, my mind went in half a billion directions. Lost in thought, I just kept on driving.

Before I knew it, we were in Little Rock, Arkansas. As good a place as any to hole up for a while before making it to Missouri. My friends there can help us get re-established if necessary. But first things first. I gotta get us both working cell phones for 'just in case'. One's that couldn't be traced.

Slowly I pulled the huge black SUV into the parking lot to the side of a small 'mom and pop' style of market and clothes. Glancing over at Aria, I saw she was fast asleep. Which I found strange since her kind wasn't supposed to need sleep at all. She was slumped down in her seat with her neck to the side. It would probably be very sore when she got up. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I turned my chair a bit and slid into the backseat. Looking over the backseat, there were two side benches of seats, and a thick foam rubber mat. Perfect.

Pulling out my wallet, I checked for the credit cards that Annie still hadn't canceled, and put them back in my pocket. Opening the side door, I closed it quietly so I wouldn't accidentally wake Aria up.

As I went through the shop, I picked up a few sundresses and two pairs of sweat pants, plus several t-shirts. Socks were easy to find, but finding the right size running shoes for her was hard, so I grabbed up several pairs in different sizes. There were a few nightgowns there, silky, with spaghetti straps. I didn't know if she'd like them or not, I knew I would. I can't deny that now. So I picked up a few of them absently. The rest was all sleeping bags and torch lights, plus pocket knives and various survival gear. The woman and her husband at the counter were kind enough to let me get all this stuff in the back of the SUV before I even picked up some groceries.

Sitting in the back of the SUV sorting through everything, I kept catching through the corner of my eye, a blue van with darkened windows pulled up against the curb about two blocks down. I had seen a vehicle like it when we first drove away from NASA. Naww, it couldn't be NASA. Not in a blue van...but who?

Getting back into the driver's seat, I used my knife to restart the engine and I pulled out into the street. Turning the first corner, I dodged them with left and right turns until they were gone. How Aria stayed asleep during all of that, was anybody's guess. Coming into the main part of the city, I got us checked into one of the Marriot Hotels with large suites. When I pulled the SUV in, I was happy to see there was a pool and double exits for the cars.

Ours' was a corner room on the lower portion of the building. After getting the clothes and a bit of food for the fridge inside, I unlocked the door, and the breath just went out of me. The suite was huge with a small kitchen in white, a living-room made of huge padded black, soft leather couches, an 80" TV plasma screen with smoked glass, and brass legged tables. But the walls, we're made of blue-veined, white marble. Prints of classic painters such as Goya and Picasso were placed on the walls, at good distances to give the room a classy style, and not brassy.

After putting everything away in the room, I walked past the green grass beside the pool to get to the sidewalk beside the SUV. As I passed the front of it, I was surprised at how little dirt there was on the hood. I could still see my reflection. The reflection of a madman. I thought to myself. Opening the door, I called out her name several times, but there was still no answer. I have to get her inside somehow... Aww...shit! Reaching across her red-robed body, I unfastened her seatbelt. Stepping as close as I could, I set her arm around my neck and leaned her body against mine, as I hooked my arm under the backs of her knees. Holding her bridal style, I backed away and kicked the door closed, pushing the key lock button from the keys that were still in my right hand. As I turned, she made a sound in her sleep and cuddled closer to my chest. Though when she had moved, her robe split open a lot more, showing cleavage and skin down to her navel. Feeling myself grow hard at the sight, I held her tightly up against my chest as I rushed back to the room. When I did, I saw that same blue van park further down the line of cars in the hotel parking lot. With no time to worry about it further, I quickly carded the lock to the room and closed the solid door behind us.

Rushing to the bed, I laid her beautiful body down carefully. Her arms slid from around my neck to her sides. Taking one last look at her curvaceous body, I gently closed up her robe. When I looked up at her sweet sleeping face, her lashes fluttered open. A smile spread across her face as she looked at me and then around, "Where are we?" She asked softly.

Slowly standing up, I gave her a better view of the bedroom with the black lacquered dresser with gold accents, the mirror with the lacquered frame that stood at least seven feet tall behind me. "Welcome to the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock Arkansas. But I have to warn you, we may have guests outside."

Pulling her robe together, she stood up and looked at the sliding glass doors that were curtains in a deep blood red. She took a step toward them then stopped and turned to me. "I forgot you can't sense them beyond those curtains, very well. You'd have to see for yourself." Confused over her words, I pulled the cord and opened up the curtains fast. Jumping back in shock as a group of over 20 fully transformed Lycans and werewolves stood on the other side of the glass.