Fuel

"Any chance you're gonna let me drive?" Rome flashed a smile at Georgie as he walked back to the girls who huddled around the Audi. Rome felt old and tired and used, and was frankly sick of it. He slipped an arm around Elenna where she sat on the hood of the car, wrapped in a blanket.

"Ha," she laughed, without any trace of mirth. "You still look like death warmed over, Rome. I think you should sleep."

Rome tried to school his features so he didn't actually look scared at that suggestion, like a deer in headlights, but he was sure he couldn't help a twitch.

"Ha," he replied. "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Not liking where this was going, he focused back on Elenna, who had begun chowing down on ice cream. "How ya doin', kid?" He grinned at her: "You look strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark."

She didn't, though, really. Morrigan had bandaged her head, it looked like, but he wasn't sure if there were any other injuries. "Mind if I check you out, chica? Not like that," he added pointedly, as Georgie snorted, but Elenna knew what he meant.

"M'okay," Elenna mumbled in protest.

"Yeah, and I could win a beauty contest now," Rome said, and gently lowered the blanket off of her shoulders.

He only knew rudimentary basic-combat-triage, but Morrigan didn't look like she was comfortable doing it, so he stepped in. He felt better being the one looking after Elenna anyway. Rome glanced around the parking lot to confirm it was empty--they were flanked by the other two cars, anyway--before lifting her shirt up and over her head to make sure that wasn't her blood.

It wasn't, mostly. She was a little cut up, and badly bruised, but no ribs gave under his hands, and the rest of her limbs appeared whole. Still, that bruising...

"Now tell me the truth here, girlie," he said her, as he produced a t-shirt and shoved it over her head, guiding her arms through. He looked at her sternly, and as he pulled the blanket back around her, he held her firmly by the shoulders. "How bad? Hospital?"

Lenna blushed a bit when Rome took her shirt of in front of everyone in the middle of a parking lot; well just until she saw all the bruises herself. This looked pretty bad. "How bad? Hospital?"

Lenna hated this question. Did Rome really think she would say willingly that she needed a hospital? She tried to feel how bad it was but as soon she thought about feeling she realized that all of this was her fault, Morrigan’s brother got killed, Aly got nearly killed and Rome was again possessed and if all this wasn’t bad enough already for the first time she didn’t had the feeling Nick was around. A shadow fell over her when she slid down from the hood of the Barbie mobile, handed Rome the blanket and walked over to Morrigan. She hugged the other girl which might was a bit caught by surprise and whispered. “I am so sorry about your brother. I know that doesn’t make you feel better me saying this, but I wish I would have seen what Nick is doing. I wish I could have stopped him.”

Morrigan stiffened and nodded. Lenna let her go and was glad when Rome put the blanket back around her. She wished he would never stop seeing her as a fragile little girl, but she knew at some point she would have to be back on track. But not right now. Right now she needed Rome too much.

“I’m fine Rome. No hospital, please.” She didn’t convince herself that she was fine, but she really didn’t want to go to the hospital. “I do whatever you want me to do as long it doesn’t include any hospitals. The ice cream makes me already better.”

Lenna tried to smile convincing at Rome.

“When you start spitting blood I will make sure you get into a hospital and if I have to knock you out I’ll do it.” Rome pulled her closer.

“Okay as soon I spit blood I go in a hospital. But right now can you give me another ice cream from the bag, please.”

“Will you eat all the ice cream?”

“Yes that’s my plan. Eat all the ice cream, so I that I feel sick and not anything else.” Lenna was slightly shivering.

Why does it hurt so much, he is since so long gone? But it feels as if he just died. Nick are you really gone?

There was no answer, this time she didn’t hear the soothing voice of her brother. And it scared her a lot.

“Rome? You are not going away, right? You are not leaving me somewhere to calm down right?

Lenna didn’t care if everyone heard her; she needed to hear him say that he wouldn’t leave her. If she would dare she would ask each of them. She didn’t want one of them to go away.

Family doesn’t end with blood. I have to keep this in mind. I have to.

Lenna was like one of those little chickens that was desperate to be close to the heat lamps. Just her heat source was not a lamp it was Rome.

Rome cocked his head at this, not sure if he'd heard her right. I mean, this was Elenna, who was anything but clingy and didn't willingly surrender her independence.

And okay, not that he didn't understand having abandonment issues related to brothers these days, anyway.

He pulled her in for a hug, as tight as he dared. "No way, chica. I'm always here for ya, kiddo. Always." He pulled her away from him long enough to look her in the eyes. "You believe me, right? I mean, heck, you tried to push me away so many times the last few--"

"Rome, I'm sorry!"

"--That's not what this is about, Lennie, baby. I'm not mad. You were as good as possessed, and believe me, I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that mickey. Let's just say, if I didn't leave you the past few days, I sure as hell ain't leaving you now."

Family doesn't end in blood, Rome said to himself. Sure, they were each a replacement sibling for each other right now: they could deal with how unhealthy that was later, try to shift the idea of "replacement" to that of "additional" or "surrogate," but that could wait until they were both a little stronger. Right now, it was just necessary.

Rome looked around at the group, not caring if everyone saw him in his moment of tenderness and relaxed standards of cool.

"All right, so we heading back to Tex's? If you're a masochist, Morrigan, you're more than welcome to join us, or we'll get you back to your family's place. Meantime, we're headed to a hunter friend of ours, Tex, who's got a place in Kansas we can crash at. Go to ground, rest up, be ready to head out again, we get word of a hunt. Up to you. As of now you could probably make a convincing argument that you didn't know we're all fugitives--"

"Fugitives?" Morrigan's jaw dropped.

Oops. Rome laughed, "Gotcha, just kidding," he grinned and winked and scooped Elenna up in his arms to take her to the Audi's back seat. Yeah, well, maybe we can save that story until after and if she decides to stick with us for the long haul.

Morrigan smiled at Rome, hoping to God he really was kidding. Right now she didn't really care. She just needed someplace to crash and some people to be with. That was all that mattered right now.

"I'd love to come with you, at least for a night before I head back for the funeral. Then, maybe, if you guys wanted...you know you could come with?"

Rome flashed her a warm smile. "Sure. Like I said: if you've got a thing for self-harm." With that and a wink, Rome ducked back into the Audi next to Elenna.

He hissed as she curled up against him. Before he had been perhaps too tired to care, but there was a definite shift in one of those ribs. Joy. He simply grunted, though, and shifted where her body leaned against him.

She closed her eyes wearily as she burrowed into his side, but Rome didn't plan to sleep as he sipped his energy drink and pulled out his phone.

"Aww, hell," he said. The phone was literally fried--like, scorched and oozing black stuff--and there was no way he was getting a replacement for this baby until it was actually out on the market. Getting possessed did a number on one's electronics. Rome was glad he didn't have a pacemaker.

It's not like Rawson was gonna call anyway, he thought, dropping the expensive paperweight to the floorwell of the car.

"Hey, Georgie? If we run through any town with more than one stoplight, pull over, will ya? Rome's happiness is in desperate need of a toy run."

Georgie looked into the rearview mirror and raised one eyebrow by the sight of the burnt cell phone he was holding in his hand. "Good job, Rome", she said with a sarcastic smile. "That looks actually like a meal I once tried to cook. It was totally burnt. Gosh, I hate cooking."

"Common, are you telling me you're not a Stepford housewife with a snowhite apron and fabulous cooking skills?"

"Oh, shut up." She threw her cell phone- pink, of course, with little swarovski crystals- into his lap. "If you need to make a call or something. I'll stop in the next town." She quickly looked at Elenna whose eyes were closed and her head was resting on Rome's shoulder. Georgie couldn't avoid a smile before she focused on the road again.

Lenna looked up in Rome’s bruised faced; she had noticed that he hissed when she leaned against him. He wasn’t in a better shape than she was and he wasn’t in a great shape to start with. She had tear in her eyes. “I’m so sorry Rome.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But I feel like I did this to you.”

“Stop doing this, it wasn’t your fault.”

Lenna looked guilty at Rome; she sighed and nodded when she leaned back against him. This time more careful so she wouldn't hurt him. But no matter how much she wanted to be independent from everyone, right now she needed to remind herself that Rome wasn’t disappearing and neither was she.

I do hope this needy feeling stops. Rome might be okay with it right now but he will get annoy of it.

The panic that had risen in her since the moment she woke up on the Audis hood started to disappear. Her heart slowed down and with that her head felt a bit better. Not much. Sitting with Rome in the Audi meant safety, and right now this was what she needed someone making sure she was safe.

Maybe a hospital isn’t such a bad idea?

“Head hurts.”

It was just a whisper and she felt stupid in admitting it and she did hope Georgie wouldn't hear her. She felt Rome looking at her, and more then that checking again if she needed a hospital. They both knew that she would pick the weakest pain and asks to fix it. Lenna hoped she didn’t start spitting blood, eating nothing then ice cream wasn’t maybe a good idea. Rome handed her some apple juice and some painkiller.

“If it gets worse we will stop at a hospital, chica.”

“Okay.”

Lenna sipped a bit juice just enough to take the painkiller and took another ice cream. She smiled that Rome had remembered that she ice cream calms her down. She didn’t feel like sleeping, each time she closed her eyes she saw Nick and she didn’t want to see him or think of him. She remembered the last couple of days just through a veil, but what she remember she wasn’t proud of and somehow she felt cold when she tried; when suddenly she did remember one thing more clear.

“Oh no.”

Rome was fully alert. “What?”

“I slept with a guy and I already forgot his name. I’m like you.”

Lenna kept eating her ice, and was looking really troubled at Rome. Georgie in the driver seat started laughing. “Oh Lenna, did you really forgot this guy? He was gorgeous.”

“He is a hunter. I think. I can’t believe from all guys in the bar, I slept with a hunter.”

A beat.

Then Rome burst out laughing. Elenna and Georgie both looked at him, shocked, but he kept laughing, holding his aching ribs which--so far--still hurt less than that was hilarious. She looked so....concerned, like it mattered! When he was in fact more or less proud of her for forgetting the bum's name!

"Rome, stop, what's so funny?"

Rome tried to speak a few times, but gave up, shaking his head and waving her off, concentrating on breathing and wiping tears away from his eyes. Now his ribs really started hurting again, so he kept his breaths small and shallow, but now Elenna was looking at him funny:

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. It's just I'm--" a giggle escaped "that was hilarious. You make me laugh, baby-girl, thanks. You sounded so...appalled." He pulled her into a tight hug, careful of her head and his chest, and kissed the top of her head. "You make me proud, chica. Just be smart, use a condom, and if they start to get creepy you stab 'em in the heart."

"That's not what I meant, Rome," Lenna said quietly. "I mean are you...okay? Do we need to go to the hospital for you?"

"What?" Rome left the grin plastered to his face, disarmingly. "Nah. I hurt like hell but nothin' I need a hospital for. Anyway, too dangerous for me. Wanted felon, remember?"

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot. Sorry."

"Keep talking, kiddo, maybe I'll be able to forget about it, too," Rome grinned. "Anyway, it can wait 'til we get to Tex's. Just don't make me laugh that hard again." He winked.

...

Columbus, Ohio was the next biggest town on the radar, so Georgie made a stop there. She wanted to get some shuteye in a real bed for the first time in what seemed like forever, and who could blame her?

But Rome certainly wasn't going to sleep the daylight away, and Elenna wasn't leaving his side, so, as beat to hell as they were, they made themselves as presentable as possible and went out on the town.

"Now you better not look like my girlfriend or something, Lennie. I get an opportunity and you cock-block me, I'm never forgiving you."

"I'll just be your little sister," she remarked snidely, "and if you leave me on my own to get lost Mom and Dad are gonna kill you."

Which was Lenna-speak for don't you dare leave me alone for one second, which he heard loud and clear. Fine. Wasn't like he was at the top of his game, anyway.

He bought her some clothes and candy which improved her mood, and he even bought himself a few funny t-shirts and some new shoes (the hunting life wasn't good to his Chuck Taylor's) before they got to the phone store. They had to go to three stores and Elenna was seriously getting bored before he found what he was looking for.

"Look at these--these are on the market!" Rome whined. "Everyone has this!"

"Rome, this phone is, like, 300 bucks! No one is going to have this phone!" Lenna protested, but Rome frowned.

"Come on, let's try the Apple store down here--"

"Rome, no! I'm sick of going to stupid electronic stores. Just get a phone and let's leave!"

Rome was shocked. "We haven't even been to half of them, yet!" If he could stand to go to umpteen girls' clothes stores, she could certainly sit through six or seven electronics stores.

Elenna snatched her bags from him. "Fine! I'll meet you at the library!"

"What library?"

"The big one, right across the street, moron. When you're done being a spoiled rich brat you can come get me."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Lenna walked across the street and when she just reached the doors of the library she realized what she just did. She was begging him not to leave her alone, and there she was she just walked away from him.

Wow maybe it wasn’t completely Nick who made me acting like a b*tch.

She just took her phone out until she realized that there was no point in texting him. She put her cell back in her bag and went into the library. She was right it wasn’t that bad to be surrounded by book. It wasn’t a bad library. Lenna found a nice comfy chair in a corner on the second floor right at the window. She had to go three times around bringing all the books she wanted to have a look at to her seat. She made sure her cell was silent and on vibrating and hoped Rome wouldn’t take too long to find a phone.
Lenna lost track in time, she looked through all the books and wished she could buy at least half of them. Maybe she should ask Rome to buy her some of them.

Oh I shouldn’t thought of this possibility. Where the hell is Rome?

Lenna looked out of the window and tried to find Rome as one of the faces in the crowd. She felt restless.

Would Rome forget me? He said he won’t leave me. he wouldn’t lie to me, not when it comes to this. Maybe I should have given him my number again, just to make sure he had it.

Lenna jumped up from the chair and went without looking a second time at the books she enjoyed a moment ago so much to wait outside.

I wish he could read my mind right now, so he would know that I want him to come back.

Lenna ripped a leaflet into tiny pieces, she tried not to panic and call everyone not to go away without her.

The irony of it was, Rome found the phone he was looking for a mere 10 minutes after Elenna stormed off in a huff.

But he wasn't about to go collect her immediately if she was going to be like that. I mean, okay, they were all on the ends of their ropes, and really needed to get back to Tex's--Rome himself was wheezing like an asthmatic guppy on land--but, well, they needed cooling off time, too. Rome wondered if he could sneak a cooling off moment with the red-head Starbucks barista who gave him the best triple-shot 2% macchiato mochacino whatever the frack it was he ordered, but he decided against it as he looked out the window:

Thank God for Swiss bank accounts.

...

Rome walked up to the library like he owned the place, his new keys safe in his pocket next to his new phone. He was walking on air--or, you know, limping on air.

Elenna was actually waiting for him out in front, wedged in a small space between two columns, guarded by a pile of shopping bags. He'd recognize those skinny little legs anywhere.

"Lennie," he called. She looked up, and scrabbled to her feet, looking releived to see him. Hm, he thought, Note to self: don't leave her alone for more than five minutes. "Come on, time to go," he said, jerking his head as much as didn't hurt, grabbing a few of her bags. "I got a surprise for you."

Around the corner, in sight of the gorgeous vehicle, which chirped excitedly as Rome remotely unlocked it, Elenna screamed like she was at a Justin Timberlake concert. "Ohmygod, Rome, is that really for me?"

"What? No, are you kidding me?" Rome laughed. "Get in, and text Georgie we'll see her in Kansas. If I have to listen to 'Sk8er Boi' one more time I think I'm gonna eat my .44." Rome opened the door for Elenna, tossed their shopping bags in the trunk next to the bags he'd salvaged from the Audi, shut the door after her, and got in on the driver's side.

It kind of felt like getting a new puppy the day after Old Yeller died, but Elenna seemed more distracted than sad, and immediately began fiddling with the radio, enjoying the new car smell, and marveling at the heated seats and other useless crap. Rome smiled, satisfied, and started the engine, giggling like a schoolgirl as she purred to life.

"I call her 'Vera'," Rome said in a bad impression of Jayne Cobb.

"'Vera'?" Elenna looked skeptical.

Rome shrugged. "Call her whatever. It's what she can do that's most important." Rome flicked on the radio, threw her into gear, and peeled out of Columbus, Ohio, heading south.

Aly wrote:"I'm gonna sleep for a week." She slowly sipped the cold drink letting it reduce the swelling in her throat.

"I think I might just join you," Caleb answered, his exhausted brain not registering what he'd said, all filters between brain and mouth gone.

It was the exhaustion getting to him. He knew it, and did nothing to stop it. Not only was he driving, with no sleep through the full moon, he'd had the combination of hunting a ghost pretending to be a Werewolf, fending off his own need for sleep with a feral supernatural influence, and the possibility that one of their own was a Werewolf too, all leaning on him. He glanced at Aly and let his mouth run without his brain to rein it in.

"Seriously? Rome? The gigolo? The Dungeon Crawl Party Bike?" Caleb laughed, "What were you thinking?"

It had to be the exhaustion, or the near death experience, that opened her mouth. Aly looked up at him from her perch on his shoulder.

"That I'd never been so alone in my life and I needed someone and I couldn't go to you because I'd shot to hell any chance of that after that damn d'jinn."

The truck lurched to a stop.

Caleb sighed and pulled up at another (conveniently-placed) rest stop, flashing his headlights at any cars that looked remotely like those the others were driving as an all-clear to keep going. This felt like it needed to be dealt with when there was zero chance of outside interference - even a concerned friend asking if everything was okay. He was unsure if he'd be able to start driving again afterwards though.

"We had something good going on in that nightmare, didn't we?" Caleb sighed, "Felt like a dream for a while. Just so you know ... I wouldn't have kicked you out. I don't have a lot of friends, so anyone who's willing to give me the time of day is important."

Aly swallowed hard and took his hand, trying not to react to the pain in her throat.

"I'm sorry, Cal."

She sighed and stared out the window for a moment.

"I just keep thinking you know--if there was something starting we didn't know about--or if the d'jinn was just royally screwing with our hearts as well as our heads. We are a pretty badass team--maybe the djinn had good instincts?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear as she watched him nervously.

She took her mobile and wrote quickly a text to Georgie.

Rome dumbed a house on the witch of the East and got the ruby slippers, see you in Kansas L&R

Lenna loved Rome’s new car and she was glad to get rid of all the girlie music. She liked to listen to it but not none stop.

“Rome this car is so cool.”

When she suddenly looked worried at him.

“Is it a really new car? I mean no one owned it before, so it is um… you know ghost free right?”

Rome first was about to start laughing until he saw her face. “Yes it is new and completely ghost free.”

“Good. I’m sorry for freaking out in the store earlier. I shouldn’t have just marched away. I didn’t mean to do that and I wouldn’t have gone anywhere else except the library across the street. Really. I never run away, ever. ”

Lenna looked relieved but guilty when she leaned back in the seat.

“Rome? Is there any chance you let me drive? Not now, and maybe not anytime soon but when I feel better. And we are sure my head is not more messed up than I was before and it is safe.”

"Maybe she did. I mean, there's gotta be some truth to it if we both fell for it," Caleb answered, "It's not like we're easy to catch out or anything."

He gave her hand and gentle squeeze and closed his eyes to think for a second. It took every ounce of his fading strength to open them again and not keel forwards against the dashboard snoring.

"Never considered I'd be a detective though. Only thing came out of my neighbourhood was cops, convicts and clergymen. So I said 'screw you guys' and joined the Army," Caleb rambled.

A slight thrill went through her as he spoke and squeezed her hand. His tired rambling was the most adorable thing in the universe--even if it did divert from the topic at hand. She tested the waters slowly, reaching up and brushing his hair back. He moaned softly at her touch.

"Cal?"

"Huh?"

She reached over and took the keys out of the ignition.

"We should really stop for the night--motel across the street?"

Her fingers were still entwined in his hair while her head leaned on his shoulder. His breath was warm on her face making a blush burn her cheeks.

((Damn you, Calaly!!!! *shakes fist at sky* I've told you already, romance isn't canon to SPN! ))

"Haha," Rome laughed. First I thought you were gonna ask if I stole this thing: to which the answer is no. One, I have no friggen clue how to steal a car, and, two, I don't go in for used crap. And, yeah, you can drive it anytime you want, baby. These long stretches of road make me sleepy--and you know how much I don't want to be sleepy, you know, like, ever again." He winked and settled back into the perfectly crafted seats. "I'm more of a car chase kind of guy. The long haul is so boring."

He chuckled internally at that. What a universal statement.

"Like James Dean?" Elenna asked, picking up on what he hadn't said. He was pretty sure there was some biting sarcasm in her voice, but he ignored it. "Live fast, die young?"

"Oh, you know, maybe not that young. Kinda like to make it to twenty-seven, you know? How long 'til we get to Tex's, anyway? Do I just stay on this road?" He produced his phone with a wicked laugh. "Oh, wait, never mind, let me just ask my new phone." Half an eye on the road, he programmed the navigation system for Protection, Kansas. "I swear, this thing could take over the world if it wanted to."

Lenna smiled and for the first time in well days it was not a careful smile, it was the true Lenna-sunshine-smile. “I bet you can make them to take over the world.”

Lenna tried whatever button she found around, and got to know the Ferrari. “You know I could show you how to steal a car. It is easier with older models, but that is just me because I never know how to turn off modern alarm systems. But I guess you would like finding out how to turn off the alarms.”

Lenna just found the manual of the car and started to read it.

“You are not really reading the car manual?” Rome looked shocked at Lenna.

“Um yeah why not, it is kind of interesting and you will thank me if something is wrong with the car and I can fix it.” It was unbelievable Lenna could read and actually enjoy every written piece.

Lenna put the manual away after some time and closed her eyes; she was exhausted and even though she wasn’t that close to Rome as in the backseat of the Barbie mobile but the whole Ferrari was Rome all the shiny technical new stuff was Rome, in a much healthier way then it was in the Mustang. And even though she didn’t dislike Georgie’s music taste that much as Rome did but she enjoyed the change music.

“Why the new car? Didn’t you like depending on the others? And what if you have a vision while you drive?”

She was actually reading the owner's manual. Who did that? That was worse than reading instructions and asking for directions combined. Not that Rome could change the oil if his life depended on it--that was why people had mechanics--but as far as the gadget aspect, the computer part, well, Rome was insulted that there was an instruction manual.

He couldn't wait for Elenna to ask to drive, actually, because he really wanted to sit and fiddle: he had designs to program his phone to be able to talk to Vera. If he could, he'd totally make it drive around by remote, batmobile style, but unfortunately, the technology hadn't caught up with his high demands yet.

And then Elenna dropped the bombshell.

“Why the new car? Didn’t you like depending on the others? And what if you have a vision while you drive?”

"Um. Because, kinda, and whatever?" Rome grinned widely, hoping that would work.

"Rome, I'm serious!" she snapped, irritably.

"Okay, okay," Rome laughed, trying to stall the serious discussion. "Honestly, I got the car mainly because if I heard another Britney Spears song I was going to stab myself in the ear."

"Rome, most people don't solve a slight annoyance by buying a new Ferrari."

"Yeah, well, I'm not most people. I normally prefer getting chauffered around, so, yeah, but that's why I have you," Rome winked at her, getting a blush for his efforts. Then Rome paused. "Aaaaand..." He sighed. If he had a vision while driving--he couldn't walk when he got one of those, much less operate heavy machinery. "Well, I guess that's what I got you for, too, huh?"

He patted her knee and, before the awkward moment could get any more massively chick-flicky, he turned up the volume on the radio and drove off toward the setting sun.

The car slowly came to a stop in front of Tex's place. The door swung open and a cane made of dark wood touched the ground followed by a pair of loafers and khaki clad legs.

Theo shut the car door and settled his cream color hat on his bald head. He smoothed his dark grey cardigan before walking slowly to the porch.

Tex came out the door just as he reached the steps. She held in her hands a shaker of salt and a small silver glass of holy water.

"It's good to see you, Texas." Theo said with a smile as he climbed the steps. He put a pinch of the salt on his tongue and took a sip from the glass, crossing himself as he swallowed.

In a rare showing of affection, Tex gave his old hand the briefest squeeze. "It's good to see you too Theo." She started back inside. "You gotta be tired. C'mon in and lemme make you some food."


((Maeg, edit Tex's stuff if you like. I don't know her well enough to be accurate ))

After Georgina received Lenna's rather unusual text message, Rome dumped a house on the witch of the East and got the ruby slippers, see you in Kansas L&R, she got back in her car and set her GPS.
"Well, I hope I'm not going to see little Dorothy running around anywhere", Georgie said to herself while thinking about her friend's message. Do I really want to know what on earth Rome did? I'm not sure... Obviously he and Elenna found a way to get to Kansas without her Barbie mobile, so they either found a magic carpet like in Aladdin or...they stole a car?
"No!" Georgie shook her head. "You got to be kidding me."
For a moment she thought about the possibility of Rome and Elenna stealing a car, and yes, she kind of expected that from Rome somehow, but since he had 'Little Miss Responsibility' with him there was no way Lenna would let him get away with that.
It was weird, but after having people around her all the time the last days it felt awfully quiet in her car. She actually felt quite lonely. Georgie shrugged her shoulders and turned on the radio. She changed the channel immediately after the chorus of Celine Dion's All by Myself was booming through her car. "No freaking way!"

((OOC: I promise we'll be good Mae. No ubermush. ))

"Three nights with no sleep makes that Motel sound like Heaven," Caleb answered, kissing her lightly and freezing, "Holy s***. I really just did that, didn't I?"

Everything seemed to grind to a halt. He froze like a deer in the headlights of a Kenworth bearing down on him at a hundred miles per hour.
One tiny brush of his lips felt better than the entire night with Rome. She gasped, her eyes darkening. There was no point in fighting it if he wanted it to happen as much as she did. Three days apart from him had been torture even though she'd never been with him in the first place. She didn't care. It felt so right.

"Yes...you did." He started to pull back. "Do it again?"
"Let's try getting to the motel first," Caleb groaned, climbing awkwardly out his door, "You know, three nights without sleep is having a similar effect on me to half a bottle of scotch."

Extending his hand to her, Caleb helped Aly out of the truck and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her one more time before shuffling towards the pedestrian bridge between the parking lot and the motel, locking the truck almost as an afterthought. He moved like a zombie as he slowly, deliberately took the steps two at a time and shambled across the bridge. He had to lean on the guard rail to avoid doing a header down the steps on the far end, finally hobbling into the motel's office and calling a room.

The young man behind the counter tossed him a key and after some more stumbling, he damn-near fell into the room, kissing Aly a little more intently as he tossed his jacket aside.
So she felt a little like a slut, going into a cheep motel with another man from four days ago, but somehow this was different. God his lips tasted good. She returned his kisses, starting a fire in both of them that could only be quenched by one thing. Despite the exhaustion, and the pain, she managed to open his shirt. She slipped her hands under and paused, noting the heavy bruising around his ribs. He twitched before capturing her lips again with tired fervor. Her jacket was gone now and his hands under the turtleneck.

He backed her against the bed. She closed her eyes as he lightly brushed his lips against the marks on her neck.
Caleb tried to get through her clothes as quickly as possible, tossing her turtleneck aside and repeating the process on her belt as they scrambled onto the bed. This was going well and could only get better. He closed his eyes as he kissed her and tried to stay with it, but the pull of sleep was too strong. He announced his surrender with a loud snore against her neck.
Aly sighed softly. Her body was on fire, but she was glad he'd KOed. Neither of them had slept in days. She wasn't much more than a positionable doll at the moment.

She squirmed against him getting him to move a little, then sat up, reaching for her undershirt. She unclasped her bra--underwires were a b*tch to sleep in. Then she pulled the shirt back on and slipped off her suit pants. He was still wearing his shoes, so she tugged them off for him, along with his pants. At least they could be comfortable while they slept.

Aly curled back into his arms and passed out with his breath on the back of her neck.

Rome nudged Elenna awake as they pulled up to Tex's. It was dawn, and they had driven through the night. Rome's eyeballs felt cracked and weird, but other than this, and his hands shaking faintly from the two cups of coffee he'd just consumed, he was fine.

Glad as all hell to be back, though.

There was blue Cadillac in the front. Rome grinned as he pointed it out. "Old folks convention, maybe?" he asked Elenna sarcastically.

The front door burst open to reveal Tex, aiming a shotgun at them. "Whoa!" Rome shouted, raising his hands but realizing the windows were closed and too tinted to see through. "Hello, it's just us!"

She wasn't satisfied until she got up right near the window and peered in, and then she looked ready to throttle him.

"Land sakes, boy, you got a death wish or something?" she asked as he crawled out of the driver's seat and went to the trunk for his and Lenna's bags.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? That's my retarded brother you're talking about. Fraternal twins, hello." Rome looked up to see a dumpy old man in a gray sweater standing on the porch. "Who's this guy?"

Since Tex wasn't going to get an apology out of this kid--not when he looked and smelled like that, anyway--she turned back to the guest. "Father, this is Romulus Remington, and Elenna Fee. Rome, Lenna, this is Father Theo. He's a good friend of mine, lives in town. You can talk to him," by way of explaining that this man was--like, maybe a hundred years ago by the looks of him--a hunter.

"Padre, huh?" Rome brightened. "Good, because I'm way past due. You taking confessions?" He chuckled. "I usually need, like, a good two hours."

"Rome?" Elenna looked lost and very tired.

"I'm, ah, putting Lennie to bed here, though, first. If you don't mind. Excuse us. The hunt was...well. Are we the first back? I'll tell you about it later, Texie. Actually, no, wait. You may wanna take a look at her, first. Kid got pretty roughed up, poor thing, I mean look at her. We all did. Got--"

Tex stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Rome, sweetie, quit talkin'." Rome snapped his mouth shut.

Tex bundled Elenna up into her arms, like a mother hen. "Lenna, honey, you wanna come with me? I'll look after you, sweetie, let's get you cleaned up and in bed, okay?" The woman exuded comfort and care, so Elenna didn't appear the least bit worried to be pulled off in another direction, as Tex called over her shoulder. "Father, would you mind lookin' after the boy? He's probably hidin' something."

With some alarm which he attempted to school into scornful amusement, Rome grinned at the Father, and shrugged sheepishly. "I'm an open book," he said.

Lenna turned around and smiled at Rome a last time before she went with Tex inside. “I’m not tired at all and I’m fine.” Lenna mumbled. That made Tex smile. “I know you are. But you look like you need a shower.”

“Yeah shower sounds good. Hey Tex can I go after the shower in the library, you know organizing it?”

“Maybe a bit later, honey. I wanna have a look at you, and then you will eat something and sleep in a real bed. How does this sound?”

Lenna leaned against Tex. She felt safe and knew nothing will happen to her here. Even with Rome not at her side.

He is not going away. He promised!

“Great.”

Lenna took a long shower and saw for the first time how bruised she was.

Ohmygod I think it was a week since the last shower.

Tex checked Lenna from head to toe, while Lenna explained what happened just that she left out to say the ghost and werewolf was her brother. “You look worse than you think you are. I think you might have a mild concussion and your left wrist seems to be sprained but everything is just bruises. You are lucky you survived that car crash.”

Lenna pulled her shirt over her head, she looked still tired. She did sleep a lot on the car ride, but she just felt tired and somehow she wished she could sleep and wake up and everything was back to normal.

“They had to burn that Mustang, I think it worked as the ghost’s remains.”

Tex pulled her into a hug. “Everything will be alright. Come on you look really tired, so let’s fix you something to eat.”

Lenna followed her to the kitchen and sat down at the table. “Where is Rome?”

Tex saw the nervous look that appeared for a moment on Lenna’s face. “He is around, don’t worry. Father Theo's looking after him.” Tex started to make pancakes while she passed a huge glass of orange juice to her. “Drink up, honey.”

Lenna smiled and enjoyed the pancakes Tex made for her.