Serenity Somewhere

Part Three

Barbara's entire body seemed to be screaming in protest as the car came to a stop in a parking space in front of the motel building. As soon as she had begun mentally preparing to force herself out of the car again, every muscle in her body seemed to go limp in response. She regretted having to sit back down, even for the few seconds it took to drive from the office to their room. Every movement she made reminded her of how exhausted she was. It wasn't until she saw Haley struggling just as much to lift herself from her seat to step outside that Barbara finally forced her body into action.

"Hey, Babs...are you okay?"

Barbara looked up to see Haley watching her carefully as she stumbled toward the trunk of the car. Her weary mind immediately began to race in spite of its fatigue, searching desperately for a way of keeping Haley from worrying about her again.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm just stiff. Sitting still too long, I guess."

Haley's expression became playfully smug. "Which means...?"

Barbara smiled as she gave her best impression of an exasperated sigh. "You were right." When Haley remained silent and looked at her expectantly, Barbara began laughing as she continued. "Again. You were right again. Happy?"

Haley laughed as best she could in the middle of stretching. "Not as happy as I'll be to sit down again." She glanced at the trunk and, now that it was open, she began frowning. "That's...a lot of shit."

Again, Haley's expression caused Barbara to unconsciously spring into action. "Don't worry, we only need what's on top for one night. I'll get it."

"Here, let me help—"

"It's okay, I've got it." Barbara wasted no time in trying to talk Haley down, reaching into her pocket and producing the room key before she could respond. "Can you go up and unlock the door for me?"

Haley took the key from Barbara's hand, but she studied Barbara carefully for a moment before walking away without saying anything. Barbara, who had been attempting to look busy as she pulled bags from the trunk, sighed when Haley finally made her way toward the stairs. Though she only wanted to keep Haley from worrying, she knew she had unintentionally brushed her off in the process.

Though Barbara's worries had been relatively easy to ignore before leaving Ventura, they were always antagonizing her from the recesses of her mind. The closest that she had been able to come to addressing them without consciously acknowledging them was trying to make their new life together as easy for Haley as possible. Haley, on the other hand, took offense at the mere suggestion that she wouldn't be expected to pull her own weight. In spite of this, growing fear led Barbara to form a habit that she couldn't quite summon the will to break.

Barbara was in the middle of thinking that she was being justly punished by having to carry three heavy bags alone when she reached the top of the stairs. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Haley standing outside of what she assumed was the door to their room. Fearing her punishment wasn't quite over, Barbara did her best to look untroubled by the straps of the heavy bags digging into her shoulders as she warily approached.

"What's wrong? Did the key not work?"

Haley shook her head. "No, the door's unlocked. I just...wanted us to walk in together."

It wasn't at all unusual for Haley to be sentimental above all else, but doing so right after feeling that she'd been snubbed stabbed Barbara's heart with guilt. Lost for words, Barbara merely smiled and nodded as Haley pushed the door open.

Though she had been doing her best to not look strained, Barbara let her shoulders and hands go limp as soon as she followed Haley through the door. When the straps slid off of her shoulders and the bags crashed to the floor, the best she could do to maintain her facade was hold in a sigh of relief. When the pain across her shoulders and back finally began to recede, her mind quickly switched tracks. She looked around the room, habit once again taking over and leading her to attempt to predict Haley's reaction to it.