The ghost walk was exactly what Nora had hoped it would be and more. The group had huddled outside of an old pub, just off the corner of the castle, and then they were off, exploring all the spooky hot spots Edinburgh had to offer and more. The walking tour also had actors, some who were hidden in the group and others, swallowed by the shadows that the cobbled streets created.

Billy had snoozed the whole way through, migrating from her shoulder to Ali's arms, and she learned very quickly that his level of fright tolerance was scaled at zero. Ali had screamed so many times, and he must have squeezed the cat in fear- it was a natural reaction and yet at most, Billy would open his eyes to glare, or loll his head, seeking warmth from the owner's body.

Being only an hour, they were on their way back to Barbie by 11pm, and that was when they realised they were yet to find a pet friendly hotel in the area. Fortunately, Nora had enough battery left on her phone to make a few phone calls, and they were soon equipped with rooms, next door to one another.
It wasn't the...friendliest of hotels, and the beat of the music was keeping her wide awake. It had been a fantastic aid as she had rang Leo, and sent a few messages regarding her wellbeing to her mother; but by 3 am, Nora's eyes were screaming for sleep.

With a small sigh, she used the bathroom to wash her face, and located some slippers before moving to the hallway. The kitchen would be closed, but she was sure she would be able to rustle up some hot chocolate from somewhere. Worst came to worse, she would step out. There was bound to be a McDonald's outside, and Nora wasn't afraid of a late night walk. In fact, it may even do her some good, as tomorrow the pair would be heading to The Lake District.

There was a beautiful town called Ambleside, that had been on her list for months, and securing an Air BnB, was as quick as pressing a button. From there, she supposed they would just stop by on the smaller towns that they didn't recognise, and by Tuesday, she would be in her own bed, and likely curled up against her own pillows, as she reminisced.

The haunting side was that Nora was in desperate need of a job, and she was just lucky to have some savings that would allow this trip to happen, before she found herself homeless, and without a means to earn. It was the smallest consolidation that Ali had paid for most of the trip, including their hotel stays, but what remained in her account was not enough to carry her by. The thought also reminded her of the rent she was due to pay...yesterday and she cursed silently, as she remembered that she had put Mr Bilal on mute. He was going to be absolutely livid, but she'd rather not know the consequences of her trip until the end. There was no need to spoil it. And yet despite her affirmations, Nora couldn't quite escape the thoughts of her brother's proposal from before they had left.

Living with Leo was a big ask, but being away from him for this long, was beginning to put things into perspective. Ali had outright asked her if she considered her personal relations was serious, and of course she did. They could survive anything, but perhaps he had a point, living with Leo and his growing family could potentially be a serious....and real decision. But perhaps it would be good for her?

"Everything alright dearie?" A voice called out from the counter and she turned to see the elder man who had been present when they had entered the hotel, sitting by the fireplace. Though the accommodation wasn't so welcoming and there was definitely a party booming, the burning mantle certainly changed that thought, as she moved to warm herself with the ember. She'd think about paying the rent tomorrow, or at least begging Mr Bilal for another extension.

"I'm okay," She smiled, rubbing her bare arms as she acknowledged the change in temperature that her thoughts had distracted her from, "You wouldn't know where I could get some hot chocolate from, would you?"

"Ah, a late night snacker," He identified, returning her smile to expose his bare gums. It was a little creepy, if she put things into perspective, but she happily followed him with a wave of his hand, as they entered where she assumed the kitchen was. "How do you take it?" He asked, pulling down the hot chocolate from the cupboard, and she claimed the tub, requesting he took a seat.

She found a mug, and after a second, pulled two more out for her companions, before heaping the chocolate into a pan, and adding exactly three cups of milk. "So what are you doing awake?" She asked, hopping onto the counter as the man sat down at the table.

"Just enjoying the warmth," He shrugged, "My name is Carlisle, my wife is fast asleep but I couldn't sleep with all that ruckus."

"Me too," she chuckled, stirring the simmering chocolate milk with a spoon, "So, do you own this place or...?"

"Oh no," He shook his head, and she froze, maintaining her eyes on the hob as the stranger expressed further, "We live near Manchester but it's nice to take a break once in a while, this place belongs to a friend," The additional information allowed her to relax. The thought that Carlisle was a guest, that just happened to know where the kitchens were, was slightly jarring, and on second thought, she decided that she wouldn't be sharing any more conversation, in case it got her into trouble.

She poured the glasses, and placed them on a tray before washing up the dishes she had used. "Thank you for directing me here," She added gratefully, and the elder man waved, holding the door open so that she could pass through the door and head into the foyer. She placed the glass down by the mantle, for the stranger to enjoy, which was seemingly unexpected to him but she swallowed the strange sensation that pulled at her stomach as she made her way to her room.

There were no lifts, but thankfully, she and Ali were placed on the first floor, which meant that there was little chance of dropping their drinks.

She had considered this all too soon however, and by the time she knocked on Ali's door, there was a lovely pool of chocolate milk and cream circling the cups, but at least she had some to drink. As expected, Ali hadn't been able to sleep either as a result of the noise, and he allowed her to enter, with a small sigh.

His hair appeared as if he had ran his hands through it multiple times, and he said nothing when Nora placed the tray on the small coffee table, and moved Billy so that he now rested on her lap, so she could claim the seat.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, perching on his bed, as she cupped a hot mug with both hands.

"I made it," She grinned, "the old gent who was in the entrance when we came showed me to the kitchens-"

"I didn't see any one in the entrance," Ali interrupted and she frowned, but quickly dismissed the thought as she drank the contents that could only be described as heaven, from her cup.

"That one's yours, if you want it," She hinted, and for a moment she could see the doubt that crossed his expression, but to her surprise, Ali picked up the cup, before sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed. It was likely to ensure none of the hot chocolate dripped onto his bedding, but some how, Ali seemed relaxed, and though there was only a soft quiet to fill the silence, it was comforting.

"I think we deserve a lie in tomorrow," She decided, after half an hour of resting. The music had finally stopped, and the yawn that stretched her cheeks, was not the first in the last twenty minutes. Even Billy had stirred; and though he hadn't been affected at all by Ali's screams from the ghost walk, he clearly needed longer to rest.
Ali was also dead on his feet, and she offered the cat on final tickle before wishing the pair a good night, and collapsing through her own door, grateful that it was only a step away.

Sleep found her easily, and just as she had decided, Ali's wake up knock did not occur until 10am, which was there allocated check out out time. Only, his announcement was that he had extended their stay, so that they had an extra hour to sleep, before packing and moving to their next destination.

***
As planned, to his surprise, Nora met Ali at the foyer with her bags. She had spent the night looking after Billy, and astonishing him once more, the Ragdoll was pleased to see him.
Ali had taken almost thirty pictures of the feline during their day in Edinburgh, and his sister had been most pleased that he had been found- he just hoped that Leena would never find out. Somehow, losing Billy had softened his heart towards the cat and though Ali wasn't 100% comfortable looking after him, independently, he was happy to take the leash as they walked to the alley where Nora had parked the car.

Only the car was no longer there and it was hard to miss. Barbie was hot pink after all.

"Where the hell is my car?" Nora cried out as she registered the empty space, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "It was right there!"

"You don't think it was stolen, do you?" He asked and she shook her head, her brown eyes swimming with concern.

"As much as I love Barbie, it's not a car people would steal," she sighed, "I had my snack bag in there!" She added, and it was only then he realised that was her deeper worry. It was difficult not to laugh as a result, and when she met his eyes, hilarity echoed in full force.

"It's not funny!" Nora scolded, "come on, we need to find it! I've had Barbie since I was 17," He nodded, scouring the street as she moved towards the mouth of the alley, likely to ask if anyone had seen anyone. It was only then did Ali notice the 'no parking' sign, and the number that they would need to contact, if they wished for her car.

"Well, I suppose that's better than it being stolen!" She sighed, lifting a fresh cigarette to her lips as she sat on the pavement, dialling the number that Ali had taken a picture of.

"Hello...hi, yes, I believe my car's been towed...no I didn't see the sign," she met Ali's eyes, and he was surprised to see that humour had also begun to pull her lips, only he could have been wrong as she soon held the cigarette, and took another puff. "Alright, thank you,"
She ended the call, and gestured for him to follow as she Googled the address that would take them an hour to walk.

The determination Nora had shed, was quickly withering as she adjusted the rucksack on her back. Out of the pair, Ali knew he was fitter but her heavy breathing was a cause of concern.
"Are you sure you want to walk this?" He asked and she paused, removing her bag from her shoulders and chucking it on the floor. She hadn't noticed Billy, and the cat hissed when she almost hit his tail, and it was clear the even the lazy cat was feeling it's toll.

"The car's not going anywhere," he added, "let's stop for lunch," he didn't give her a moment to ponder, and instead led the way to a Greggs that was located on the street. Nora didn't join him inside, and for once the queue was small enough that he was soon at the front. Picking up a couple of pasties, a hot chocolate and a coffee for himself-he was still reeling from the limited sleep he'd had the night before, he joined her outside, with the food in hand.

"Thank you," she smiled, but it appeared as if the last twenty minutes had wiped away all the amusement she had sourced from the situation and had been replaced by a very un-Nora like attitude. She'd selected a table outside and thankfully the dry weather had permitted a warm breeze to maintain a temperate climate. It was comfortable and a small hint that they would be in for a beautiful summer, unless a freak mini-winter arrived. It had happened before, and it could very well happen again.

"What's wrong?" Ali asked and she sighed, shaking her head, before taking a bite from the pastry. "Seriously..."

It appeared she hadn't expected him to press, and after raising her eyebrows and failing to appear teasingly, she sipped at her drink, and finally confessed her inner thoughts. "I just didn't want my car to go missing," she highlighted the obvious, "everything just seems to find a way to go wrong and though usually it doesn't bother me, annoyingly this does,"

"You are allowed to be bothered you know?" He highlighted and she gave him a pointed look.

"I know that!" She corrected, tucking her red hair behind her ear, that appeared so much more brighter in the spring sun, "it's just I should have expected it, and I'm just a little tired that this is the pattern my life has fallen into. Why can't I just park my car without it going missing? Or keep a job, even if I hate it, for six months? It just proves..." she stopped her sentence midway, and it was a hint that what was really irritating Nora's mind, was a conversation she hadn't shed light upon before.

And Ali wasn't going to make her anymore uncomfortable, and so he offered a small smile and raised his own cheese-and-onion pasty to lips, satisfying his hunger, as they continued to dine in silence.

They decided to take an Uber for the remaining part of the journey, and the familiar sight of a standard car garage greeted them at mid-day.

Billy led the way, but the no-animal sign only permitted Nora to enter the building whilst Ali remained outside. He wasn't going to risk Billy being left to get lost or worse. So instead, Ali lingered and watched through the window as Nora spoke to the woman at the reception desk.

Her volume increased as she argued her rights but the glass muffled most of the argument, though he doubted he'd be spared the details once Barbie was released. Upon that thought, Ali realised he hadn't seen the car yet, but it quickly met his vision, and he breathed his relief. The colour truly was awful, and he knew that was a thought that would continue to come to mind, whenever he thought about the car but in this particular situation, it did pay to the car's strengths.

Nora appeared almost twenty minutes later; keys and forms in hand and based on her new grin, she had clearly won whatever argument she'd duelled. She chose not to say anything more until Billy was locked in his carrier cage, and munching on the snacks she had given him and they were belted in their own seats.

"You alright?" He asked as she opened a packet of crisps, her third today, and she nodded, her mouth already filled with the oily snack.

"Never better," she sprayed, tapping their next location onto her phone and lowering the volume for her music as they exited the lot. "They gave me a discount," she explained and this time he nodded, grateful when she turned up her music as they set off onto their next adventure.