By the time Ali had emerged from the shower and scrubbed his body until his skin had turned raw, Nora had already packed and encouraged Billy to return to his carrier cage. It was a task he had always struggled with, even when the cat was in the best of moods, and yet Billy only meowed when he picked up the cage, following the redhead towards the reception.

"Did you want some breakfast?" Claire, the hotelier, asked as he pressed his debit card against the card machine. They should have checked out twenty minutes ago, but Ali did not doubt that the couple had seen his wobble from the reception desk. In fact, it was likely most of the guests had seen him, but it was Nora's quick response that prevented his thoughts from catalysing another sheen of sweat against his skin.

"Yes, please!" She grinned, throwing her rucksack onto the floor, with little consideration to the belongings she held inside. "Any chance you have some hot chocolate?" Claire nodded with a smile and opened the counter so that they could follow her through to the dining area.

Thankfully, it was quiet, and Ali chose a table closest to the window that gained him a view of the large room. Round tables were peppered across the floor, and for the most part, it was clean. He wasn't sure what to expect for breakfast, but after three days of just eating vegetarian dishes or eggs, he wouldn't have minded some chicken. Still, the menu held no label to indicate that the menu was halal, and as much as his stomach slumped in disappointment, he requested the 'English Breakfast', minus the bacon and sausages.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Nora stated, lowering the hot chocolate that Claire had brought to her after claiming their orders- Ali had asked for a glass of orange juice, but he could see the pulp swirling at the top. He wasn't drinking that! "Why do Muslims only eat halal meat? I know what it means, but...are you never tempted?"

He could see the sparkle of intrigue in her eyes, mixed with a sense of mischief that though once invigorated fear, all Ali felt was humour. She had raised a decent question after all, and to his surprise, he found himself revealing the truth.

"Halal meat just means that the meat was prepared in accordance to our beliefs and rituals, kind of how Jews only eat kosher," He explained, receiving a firm nod in return. Naturally, that would have been knowledge Nora would have known since she was a chef...and frequented the halal takeaway, probably more than he or any of his friends had, their entire lives. "But to answer your real question...no,"

Once more, those brown eyes flared to life, and he chuckled, shaking in disbelief at the crime he had committed back when he was in primary school. "I should say that once I truly understood 'halal', I've never looked at meat the same way," He confessed, "but back in year three, when my entire class were eating the Haribo's, Arabella Thompson had bought in to celebrate her eighth birthday...I guess I chose not to acknowledge we're not supposed to eat gelatine and ate the packet before I returned home,"

"Aren't you a rebel!" Nora jeered as his shoulders shook in amusement, "Who would have known! Ali the Saint, only Saint no more when it comes to Haribo's."

"Ali the saint?" He questioned, his brows raised as she chuckled.

"It's just the way you can be," she revealed as he shook his head in disbelief. Ali knew he was no saint, and when he saw Nora stuff her mouth with a forkful of pancake, evidently avoiding his gaze, he realised that she hadn't used the adjective to be kind. "You can come across as righteous at times-"

She explained further as he nodded, not sensing any malice which affirmed that Nora had no ill intent. So instead, Ali sipped from his water and forced himself to eat the bread that was toasted just less than what he would determine perfect. Properly toasted bread shouldn't taste sweet unless, of course, it has been chewed more than enough, which caused the disaccharides to become the polysaccharide maltose, and that was bad for his teeth.

He doubted Nora had any interest in the thoughts that were running through his mind, however. She loved her sweet foods, and though maybe in ten years she'll feel the consequences via high cholesterol or diabetes, that was her price to pay. For now, he would ignore the risks and allow her to dine, just as she had not highlighted his quirks or allowed him to feel embarrassed as a result.

"Shall we get a move on?" She finally asked, scraping the last of the maple syrup from her plate with her spoon. There were no pancakes left, it was just pure syrup, and he blinked away his disgust before nodding in agreement. It was almost 11 am and had he been permitted to write an itinerary, the pair would have left hours ago. Still, he was working on Nora's terms, and as much as it pained him, he bit his lips and collected his belongings, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Barbie took several attempts to come to life, but after three turns of the key in the ignition and some strange encouragement from her owner, the pink car grumbled to life.

"So, where are we going?" He finally asked, now that they were on the main road. It had been the most pressing question since he had awoken, and Ali had prayed longer than he did most days, during his dawn prayer, wishing to God that the pair had safe passage. Nora hadn't provided any hints, but now that they were travelling, indeed, it was safe territory to be in the know.

"You probably didn't sleep all night, did you?" She responded with a question, raising a brow as he caved into his seat. She had guessed correctly. Ali had struggled to sleep, and all sorts of possible scenarios had come to mind. Upon reflection, that was likely why he had been so on edge in the first place, and along with the wet bathroom and Billy incident- the cat now safely playing in his cage, strapped to the back seat; no wonder he had panicked.

"It wasn't my best night," He confessed, "so what's the plan?"

"The plan," Nora sang, shimmying her unrestrained shoulders, "is that there is no plan! We're heading to Edinburgh today, and we'll spend the night at a hotel, and then we'll just head south."

"So then, when do you approximate we'll be home?" he asked, feeling the sweat build on his palms that he hastily rubbed against his trousers before squirting on some hand sanitiser, the scent stinging his nose. The act did not go unnoticed by the driver, but thankfully, she didn't press further.

"We'll be home by Tuesday...Wednesday at the latest," Well, at least that's something, he considered mentally. He supposed Nora did have her responsibilities after all, including her brother, who he hadn't heard much about, since they had left Milton Keynes. They made an odd pairing when he thought about it, especially how Leo appeared to live a much normal era life but they seemed extremely close. And Leo was...normal looking. He had an awful mane of hair that if Ali had a say, he would ensure it was cut off, but he had a good job, and it was evident that he cared about Nora.

And Ali could say the same for her; they were odd but in a rightfully-together kind of way. It may have been foreign to express, but Ali had meant it when he had told his companion that one day he hoped to have a family of his own one day. That perhaps his mistakes with Lena would one day be forgotten.  Seeing someone so unbothered and reckless like Nora being loved could only give him expect that perhaps God would prepare such a future for him also.

They stopped at a service station when Nora's stomach rumbling became an unbearable sound, and she gave him a few moments to pray whilst she smoked before they were back on the road. Edinburgh was only a three-hour drive, and Nora's music kept the pair occupied for the most part. It wasn't the sort of thing he was drawn to, but when the Spanish songs came on, and she surprised him with her fluency, it felt natural to twiddle his thumbs to the beat.

"So I've heard that the best things to do here are ghost walks and visiting the castle," She relayed as she slowed to a crawl as they approached a roundabout. Traffic had begun to intensify the moment the clock struck 12, but he didn't complain; this was Nora's plan-but-not-a-plan after all.

"Ghost walk?" He asked, and when he met her eyes, his fear manifested into something tangible. "I'm not sure that's-"

"Nonsense! It will be a laugh," From her tone, rejecting the idea was not an option, "There are no such things as ghosts; this will just be a way to see the key sights. Plus, they're free!"

"Don't you have to sign up for those things?" He asked, and when he glanced her way, he realised that Nora had deceived him. She'd certainly planned this after all. "When?"

"Whilst you were in the shower," She shrugged, "Consider it payback for Billy's litter cage, which was disgusting, by the way!" Ali could only imagine. It was the one task he refused to do at home. It was Leena's cat after all, and she should tend to his needs, and that responsibility was quickly passed over to the hotel when they looked after Billy when Leena had to work. Ali had never had to do it before, and he wasn't about to start right now.

"Fine," He answered through gritted teeth, "but we have to find a hotel first, I don't want-"

"Hey, it's my plan remember," She interrupted with a raised hand. It was a warning he could say no more.
The majestic castle came into view on the hill, just as they entered central Edinburgh, and both travellers released a gasp. It was incredibly stunning, and after a life of living in Milton Keynes, this was a joyous shock to his system.
The aged bricks stood firm on the grassy banks, and a strange feeling caused Ali's stomach to turn as they entered more profound into the city; it was a delight.

Nora didn't need long to find parking. She found a spot between large Jeeps, and Ali was sure she hit the one behind her, but either she didn't notice or care, and he was not about to be caught by the owner, dawdling, should there be any damage. Instead, he watched as she removed Billy from his carrier cage and strapped a leash to his collar, allowing the cat to walk ahead.

"Where did you get that?" He asked as they walked along the cobbled streets and into the buzzing central square.

"I think I nabbed it from work, I offered Barbie for deliveries once and forgot Jerry had left it behind, but it'll come in use," Ali could only nod as the feline weaved through the crowds of people that had collected in the area. Being so busy, Nora was lucky to have found a parking space at all, even if the alley she had located was sketchy. "Shall we get some ice cream?" She asked as Billy directed them to a stand.

Though it was still only spring, and the wildflowers were just making their appearance, the sun was warming against his skin. One scoop of mango wouldn't harm him, and so they ordered and tracked their way through the city where the pungent smells and loud noises were not considered mad chaos but an electrifying new way of life.
Ali did not need to check his watch to determine how long it had taken him to fall in love with the city.

They walked for hours and stopped at a local restaurant for an early dinner. The owners were kind enough to allow Ali a space in the kitchen to pray, and by the time he had returned, Nora had drunk the soup she'd ordered for starters and started on her mains. She sure ate quickly, and they decided to soak the remaining ember of the sun by finding a bench on the hill that overlooked the Water of Leith. According to Nora, it was the perfect location to rest and Billy had probably never walked as much as he had done today in his entire life. The fat cat had finally sought rest by slumping over Nora's shoulder, apparently not offended at all by the acrid smell of salt, from the crisp packaged in her hands.

It was a strange way to sleep, but Billy was a peculiar cat, and somehow, under the golden rays of the disappearing sun, Ali finally felt as if he could relax. That was until Nora started talking again.

"So, I had something to ask you," She instigated, talking with her mouth half-full before turning her head in his direction.  "And I don't mean to ask in a way to worry you; it's just pure curiosity," The reassurance did nothing to ease his concern, but thankfully, Nora did not wait a moment longer to relay what was pressing on her mind. "What did you mean by 'Billy isn't your cat?"

Ali's lips parted as he recalled what he had confessed earlier this morning, and like a fool, he had completely forgotten that this was vital information he hadn't wanted to expose.  Still, after all that had occurred over the last few days, he could only hope that what he now confessed wouldn't affect the peculiar understanding that was blossoming between the two.

"I meant what I said," He sighed, "Billy belongs to my daughter, and she's only living with me temporarily. The moment she moves to London, he'll be gone,"

"But," Nora interrupted, "If he's still living with you now...why was it so?" Her question remained unspoken, but unfortunately for Ali, his answer wouldn't be able to stay the same way.

"I've never had to tend to Billy..."He began, "The moment Lena leaves for work, I coax him with food into his cage and leave him at the hotel for however long she's gone..." The confession sounded even worse when spoken around, and from the way Nora's eyes had widened, he was likely to hear several remarks before gaining her understanding.

Only, she remained silent, combing the hair of the cat with her fingers, whose legs dangled by her torso, and arms over her back, as if he'd indeed found the most comfortable position to sit in, despite the dry grass beneath their feet.

"So all of those things that you said, about needing to find him...that wasn't because you were 100% worried-"

"No, I was worried; I was just even more concerned that my daughter would lose it and never speak to me again," The truth gained a bewildered expression. Before he recognised her snort or hilarity, Nora laughed so hard that even Billy could no longer withhold her shakes.

"Oh Ali," She giggled, wiping her eyes, with the pad of her thumbs, "the more you expose, the more I realise I like you as a friend," Nora beamed, inhaling one last ashy breath before stubbing out the cigarette against the bench. Meanwhile, Ali watched the sun as it began to sink behind the hill, fearing that anything more he confessed would hit her limit, and then Nora would be mad.

"Come on," Nora jeered, pulling at his arm. "We're going to be late for our ghost walk!" And just like that, things felt completely normal between the pair, and the concern Ali had regarding the truth behind Billy no longer weighed heavy on his shoulders. It didn't seem to matter. However, the panic for this ghost walk had already settled, and Billy seemed eager to lead the way.