Ok, just to get things completely straight - this is an entirely different story, not related in any way to 'Starbright' and its sequels. The sequel to 'Starbright' will be called 'Nightshade' and I will start posting that up as soon as 'Starbright' is finished!
I got the inspiration for this while watching 'Batman Begins' of all things, but it isn't in my usual style of action/adventure with minor romantic plots. This is much more heavy on the romance side of things so all you hopeless romantics reading this are in luck! There will be a plot of sorts, but it's more about relationships developing between characters than anything else.
Still, that does not mean it will just be a gratuitous snog-fest between certain characters lol.
The T rating is for swearing, though there's not a lot of it, and hopefully never innappropriately used.
Anyhoo... I would love to know what you think, as this is entirely new territory for me, so please leave a review!
Chapter 1 - Ella and Lainey
Yeah, she's a freedom fighter
She's a stand up kind of girl
The rain poured down, relentlessly hammering against the car as it spluttered, struggling to keep going.
"Come on!" Ella said, hitting the steering wheel, as though that would make her tank of fuel last longer.
She wasn't normally one to risk the orange light that indicated your fuel was running low turning on, but on these roads you didn't have much choice. They went on forever and ever it seemed, and without knowledge of how far the next petrol station was you could easily make a wrong decision about filling up.
Elle cursed and the car jumped forwards again, spluttering as it struggled through the last of its fuel. Ahead a motel sign was visible through the downpour. If the car would just make it that far…
"Come on, just a little bit further," she coaxed, "Come on!" she yelled as it began to crawl to a halt.
"Shit!" she said, slamming her hand onto the steering wheel in frustration.
She pulled on the handbrake, turned off the engine and sat for a moment. The Motel was a good walk away – she was going to get wet, and when she arrived there was no guarantee that the place would be savoury enough to actually sleep in.
Still, it was late, and she didn't fancy trying to sleep in her car, so pulling her coat closer round her, she stepped out of the car to brave the rain.
When she finally arrived at the motel entrance ten minutes later she was a sorry sight. Soaked through and half drowned, she made her way to the bar and ordered a warmed whisky before she even thought about anything else. The alcohol would warm her as much as the heat of the liquid. Ignoring the stares of the other inhabitants of the bar, she knocked it back as soon as the glass was handed to her in one gulp.
"Tough trip?" a guy sat next to her asked.
Ella turned to look at him. He was rough looking, smoking a cigar, wearing rugged clothes, unshaven and unkempt, but there was a softness to him that the other louts hanging around the bar didn't possess.
"I ran out of petrol about quarter of a mile away," she said in explanation, "You got any rooms available?" she turned to the barman.
"Plenty," he said as he poured a pint for someone.
"I'll have a single for the night then," Ella said. This place was rough, but a bed was still better than a car seat.
Pushing her hair out of her face, she took a good look around. The motel was essentially a bar with a few rooms outside in separate buildings. The only food they seemed to serve was packets of crisps and chocolate from a vending machine, though there was a petrol station with a shop that would hopefully at least serve sandwiches during opening hours.
The people here were all rough. Ella was aware how out of place she looked among them. The clothes she was wearing were hardly posh, but there was a cleanliness about her that set her apart from them.
The guy next to her exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
"So what's a girl like you doing in a dive like this?" he asked.
"Like I said, my car ran out of petrol," she said, "Which reminds me, I need to go and move it off the road, so if you'll excuse me…"
"Want a hand?"
She did, but she wasn't naïve, and didn't think it was a good idea just to trust this guy.
"I'm a big girl, I'll manage," she said, fumbling with her money to pay the barman for her drink.
"Sure you will," he said, and followed her out anyway.
Lainey had switched off to the sound of her Mother's voice a long time ago. She tuned out as she went on about the wines and food she should have ordered for the guests that were arriving today.
"Yes, I suppose it is enough of an occasion to serve champagne," Mrs. Goldstein answered her own question, "Oh and darling, you should definitely wear that white dress I bought you – you would look so elegant. I know you prefer more… casual attire, but really, for important guests you should make an effort. Perhaps we can get your hair cut? That maid Ellie is a dab hand with a pair of scissors."
"Mother…" Lainey said warningly.
She wasn't looking forwards to this. Her Mother's friends tended to be at best boring. At worst they were pompous, egotistical self-promoters with whom she had no desire to spend her time.
"My dear, one of these days you will have to make an effort. You are a Goldstein, heiress to this estate, and one day you will have guests to entertain in here, just as I do now. It will be no good if you do not know how to handle yourself in such a situation."
"I can handle myself just fine," Lainey said, "It's everyone else who seems to have the problem with it."
"Yes well, most people do take offence when you tell them they are self-centred and their wives have less brains than a goldfish," her Mother said.
"Well as you insist on inviting round people who are so stuck up and/or boring, it's no wonder I end up insulting them."
"You are twenty-two, you should know better by now!"
"Yes, and I should be married by now, should spend Wednesday afternoons drinking tea with suitable lady friends by now, and should be over my whimsical desires to get a job by now…" Lainey said with practiced patience.
"I indulged you as far as University, but it's about time you concentrated your efforts on learning to be a lady," Mrs. Goldstein said firmly, "You should like these guests – they are businessmen, from America."
"Great…" Lainey said, "Businessmen are the worst. Self-promoting, aggressively ambitious and usually full of bullshit."
Mrs. Goldstein affected not hearing her daughter's rude words and language.
"One is an old friend of your Father's. The other, his son, is about your age I believe. They will be arriving shortly so you better start getting ready!"
"Even better…" Lainey muttered darkly.
The guests would arrive and so would begin a couple of days of torment as her Mother desperately tried to set her up with the son. She would hate him, just like she hated all the rest of the shallow people her Mother considered to be 'suitable' and would have to do everything in her power to avoid being forced to make a return visit, which normally involve mortally offending the guests.
Yet, no matter how many times they indulged in this ritual, her Mother still kept inviting people for more. Lainey was running out of original insults.
"I'm guessing your trip to the States didn't go entirely as planned," the man said as they stepped out into the downpour.
"Is it that obvious I'm foreign?" Ella asked.
"You're not familiar with the money, you say 'petrol' not 'gas', then there's your accent…"
"And I suppose a local girl wouldn't be so stupid as to drive past a gas station and think 'Oh, I'll fill up at the next one'."
"That too," he said gruffly, with a hint of amusement in his voice, "What you driving?"
"Oh just a little Ford Fiesta," Ella said, "Not my car of choice, but it is quite small and light, so I can manage by myself."
"It'll be quicker with two, and you look like a drowned rat already."
"Oh thanks," Ella said.
They arrived at the car and Ella unlocked it, opening the driver door, releasing the handbrake and pushing against the car with her shoulder.
"What is your car of choice then?" the man asked as he pushed on the other side.
"Back home I have a Landrover, series two," Ella said.
"Really?" the man sounded surprised, "I figured you for a posh girl."
"Well, I only get the Jag out on Sundays," Ella joked.
They rolled the car into the Motel and pushed it roughly in a parking bay. It was more in-between two spaces, but Ella wasn't particularly fussed. She was too wet and cold to care.
"I never got your name," she said to the man as they walked back to the motel.
"It's Logan," he said, holding the door open for her.
"Ella," Ella said, "Thank you for your help Logan."
"Don't mention it," he replied gruffly, heading straight back to the bar.
"Can I buy you a drink?" Ella offered.
When Lainey had taken as much as she could tolerate of her Mother, she donned her wellies and headed out to the stables. Their house was huge, which was nice, but Lainey had never really appreciated it fully until lately. In a mansion there were plenty of places she could go to escape her Mother.
The stables were her particular favourite. There was something nice about getting back to nature, brushing down her horse, mucking her out and feeding her the sweet smelling fresh hay.
There were, of course, people employed by her Mother to do such menial tasks, but Lainey personally thought there wasn't much point having a horse if you didn't look after it yourself.
Her horse was a chestnut mare, about sixteen hands with the loveliest temperament. Lainey had received her as a birthday gift as a young child, and hence the poor creature had been named Bo. It was hardly a fitting name for such a magnificent animal, but somehow it suited her.
"Hey, Bo," Lainey said as her horse nuzzled her affectionately, looking for treats, "No treats for you, but guess what? Big treat for me, Mother is having guests round…"
Lainey talked to Bo a lot. Sometimes she felt the horse was the only thing that listened to her. Right now her eyes were shining sympathetically.
"That's right, poor Lainey has to go through the whole 'Why don't you and Mr. Rich-obnoxious-idiot junior go and take a walk outside, it's ever so romantic' thing once again."
Bo snorted.
"I knew you'd understand," Lainey said, and began brushing down her coat.
Nearly two hours later she returned, straw in her tousled auburn hair, muck on her boots and smelling of horse. She was just traipsing through the entrance hallway to the stairs when she heard her Mother speak.
"Ah Lainey, there you are, come and meet the Worthingtons."
"I'm on a road trip," Logan said as they drank beer together at the bar, "Needed to get away from things and clear my head."
"Nice way to do it," Ella said, looking over to where two of the louts had started fighting.
"I'm used to it," Logan replied with a shrug.
"Where you heading off to next?"
"Wherever the road takes me," Logan said, "How bout you?"
"Currently I'm only planning as far as the next petrol station, but I'm aiming to end up in New York eventually."
"Where'd you start out?"
"San Fransisco," Ella said, draining the last of her pint.
Logan was impressed. He liked a girl who enjoyed a good beer.
"Long way," he said.
"Yeah, well, I hate flying, and after enduring the flight over I decided I didn't fancy getting in another plane in a hurry, so drive it was. I know it's the safest way to travel, but there's something unnatural about being that high up."
"I'll second that," Logan said, thinking of the X-jet and Storm's missile evading manoeuvres, "You want another?" he asked, nodding towards Ella's empty glass.
"Yes, thanks," Ella said, reaching for her purse, "Let me just find you the money."
"No, this is my round," Logan said, holding out a note to catch the barman's attention.
"So, are you in the habit of picking up helpless girls in bars?" Ella asked, a jokey tone to her voice.
Logan thought of Marie, in the bar in Laughlin City all those years ago. Maybe he was.
"You're not my first," he said, trying to keep his tone matching hers.
In truth, the thought of Marie had wrenched his gut into a rather uncomfortable position. He missed her, he missed the mansion, and he felt guilty for abandoning them all once again. However this was something he needed to do if he was ever going to get over Jean, again.
As if she sensed it was something of a touchy subject, Ella changed the track of conversation.
"You ever been to New York?" she asked.
"Yeah, I live up there, when I'm not wandering," Logan said.
"You must know the good places to drink then."
"I know a few places, don't know whether you would consider them 'good'," Logan said with a smirk.
"Better than this hole is classed as good right now," Ella said with a mischievous grin.
"Well, if we ever bump into each other there I will take you someplace," Logan said.
"That's a very nice idea, shame we seem to be driving in opposite directions," Ella said.
The benevolent smile on her Mother's face faded as she turned to see her daughter in the state she was in. Lainey recognised the twitch on her lips that indicated her anger, horror and disappointment. The two men stood beside her were both crisply dressed and well groomed. The older bore an expression rather like her Mother's, but the younger seemed to be trying to suppress a grin.
"Good afternoon, sirs," Lainey said, walking over. Now her Mother just wanted her to vanish she was going to make a good show of introducing herself and staying in sight as much as possible. Maybe she would get the hint this time.
"I'm sure my Mother has done a thorough job of welcoming you to the house, but welcome once again from me," Lainey said, "I apologise for my attire – I was just mucking out my horse," she made sure to time this statement just as she was shaking the elder's hand, "so, if you'll excuse me I'm going to head on up to the shower and get cleaned up."
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Goldstein," the younger said.
Lainey thought her Mother would probably be impressed he hadn't forgotten his manners, even when presented with the mess that she was. She smiled at him then headed back over to the stairs.
As she climbed she could hear her Mother stammering as she tried to recover from her daughter's inappropriate behaviour, leading her guests through to the dining room where they could have a drink.
Lainey went straight for the shower. As much as she loved getting back to nature, cleaning it off again afterwards was even better. She walked into the double shower and just stood for a long time, enjoying the heat and the feel of the water running over her skin.
Once she was done washing her hair, she got out, dried herself off quickly and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She then headed back downstairs, brushing her hair as she went.
"Lainey, for the love of all I hold dear, put some clothes on!" her Mother said as she walked into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry, am I naked?" Lainey asked, looking down at herself.
"You may as well be," her Mother hissed, "Go and dry your hair and put on a dress. Ellie, see to it that she looks respectable."
Mrs. Goldstein grabbed a nearby maid and thrust her in Lainey's direction. With a meek 'yes, ma'am' the maid walked in front of Lainey, leading her back up to her room.
As soon as they were out of earshot, the formal manner was dropped.
"Sorry El," Lainey said.
"You don't need to apologise for your Mother throwing me around," Ellie said.
"Well, it is kind of my fault."
"Not at all," Ellie said with a shrug, "So what did you do to rattle her cage so bad this time?"
"Nothing much," Lainey said, "Mucked out Bo and then had the temerity to introduce myself to the guests before having a wash."
Ellie laughed.
"Well, we better go and make you look gorgeous or else it's my neck on the line," she said a little more seriously.
"I know El, I may have fun when it's on my own head, but I would never risk you losing your job," Lainey said.
"I know Lainey."
"It's getting late," Ella said, "I better head off to bed."
"Shame, we were just getting started," Logan said.
Ella giggled – she was feeling a bit drunk.
"No, no," she said as Logan went to buy her another, "I have to get going tomorrow, and I hate driving with a hangover. So, as much as you want to get me drunk and take advantage, I'm stopping there."
She meant it as a joke, Logan knew, but her words made him realise how much he wanted, not to 'take advantage', but carry on having a little fun with her.
"Well, you know your limits," he said, then leaned in close, whispering conspiratorially, "Though if you wanna save on a room fair you can always sleep in mine."
He said it as a joke, but the implication was there, if she wanted to take the bait.
"How gentlemanly of you," Ella replied with another tipsy giggle, "But I shall have to decline. I have plenty of money, but if I run out there is always the back-up contingency plan," she put on a businessman like voice.
"And what's that?" Logan asked.
"Sell the Jag," Ella said with a shrug, "I only ever get it out on Sundays anyway."
Logan laughed and helped her to her feet. The barman threw her over a room key and together they walked back out into the rain. Logan walked her right to her door.
"Thank you, Logan, I had fun," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, me too," he said, before leaving her to herself.
He had had fun. Ella was funny, pretty and gutsy, and he wouldn't have said no to taking things further. But he was glad she had turned him down. He just didn't think he was really ready to be close to someone, even in a 'one-night-stand' sort of fashion. Not so soon after Jean.
Ella smiled to herself as she turned on the lights and settled down. She had brought in a few things from her car – a set of pyjamas and some fresh clothes. Soon she would have to find a laundrette as she only really brought enough things with her to last a few days, but she could worry about that in the morning.
Collapsing into the bed, still thinking of drinking with Logan, she fell asleep almost instantly.
The lyrics in the break are from Amy's Song by Switchfoot.
Next Chapter: Car Troubles