Favor

Chapter 8

Once she calmed down she took a step away from North and took a deep breath then slowly let it out, "Th..." She cleared her throat, "thank you for all that."

"Of course," He nodded watching her closely.

She cleared her throat again and ran her fingers through her hair. She was trying to regain control of herself, they noticed. She looked around blinking back tears and once she eyed her laptop bag she gasped and headed over to it. "Shit," She said as she opened her bag and pulled out the computer. She started typing away and she muttering to herself.

The guys looked at one another and Axel approached her, "What are you doing, Doll?"

"Hmmm," She hummed not paying him any ounce of attention.

"What are you doing Doll?" He asked again gently.

"Okay, if I shorten my trip there and take this road it will save me time," She muttered to herself, "I can still make it on time, I'll be fine, I won't be late, I'll be fine."

"Ember?" Axel tried again.

"Hmmm," She was clearly distracted by what she was doing on the laptop. She glanced up and smiled, "Oh how beautiful," She said grabbing her camera and hopped out of the Jeep precariously setting the laptop in the passenger seat. Axel quickly grabbed it and set it back in the bag. They watched as she rushed behind the Jeep and started snapping away at how the headlights shown on some of the land. Something else caught her eye and she turned and took more pictures of the nightlife that she spotted.

"Careful Kitten," Raven said following behind her closely.

"You think she has ADD?" North asked Silas and Axel as they watched her go from one place to another. Raven asked her something about her next step and she rushed back to her computer and started typing away. "She shows signs of hyper fixation but also easily distracted."

"Maybe," Axel nodded, "that is more Doc's thing to determine."

"How's the Jeep?" Silas asked and North sighed.

"The axel is broken," North confirmed, "It's not safe to drive."

"That can't be," Ember said looking over at them from where she was looking at the sky. "I have to get back on the road, I have to."

"Why?" Silas asked. "Why can't it wait a few days so North and Brandon can fix it for you?"

"I have to get back on track," She tried to explain. "I have to go get pictures of the Rockies while the weather is still nice. I need to get back on the road, I need to."

"Let's get back home, let North and Brandon fix the Jeep and then you can hit the road again," Axel tried to help keep her calm since she was starting to get upset again. "After the Jeep is fixed then Raven and North can go with you back on the road and help make up for the time you lost."

"No," She shook her head, "I have to go by myself, I have to be by myself."

"And look what almost happened Babe," Brandon sighed as he got out from under the Jeep. "You almost got bit by a rattlesnake because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings."

"I'll be careful," She shrugged then sighed, "I will be more careful."

"Why no go with you?" Raven asked watching her closely.

"Because I want to go by myself," She glared at him. "I need to do this by myself."

"But you need someone to help make sure you don't get hurt," Axel tried to reason. "Just think about it, please, Doll? One of us can help make sure you don't get bit or hurt."

"Baby," North said reaching out and held her hand. She looked down at their combined hands and up at him confused with a slight hint of fear. "What is going on? Talk to us."

She shook her head, "You can't boss me around," She removed her hand and took a step back.

"We aren't," North shook his head. "We are trying to help. We just want to make sure you are safe that's all. We just want to help you."

"Then let me go arrange for another car and hit the road," She sighed, "I have to get back on the road. I need to stay on track."

"How about a compromise?" Axel asked as he watched her look around and force herself to look back at the five of them. She was trying to not let herself be distracted and focus.

"What?" She asked as she started fidgeting with her bracelets.

"If you are that insistent on getting back on the road," Axel said trying to remain calm. "If you want to stay on track then let North and Raven go with you in North's Jeep and Silas, Brandon, and I will go back so Brandon can work on your Jeep for you. They won't disturb your photography, it's only to help make sure you don't step in anymore snake homes or slip on a wet rock or something."

She looked at all of them in confusion and suspicion, "Um...."