They were chuckling on the way back to the car, deciding where they were going next when the car exploded. Simon was knocked back by the blast, scraping his face on the tarmac but he caught Delia. He quickly dragged her up and pulled her behind a car just as the shooting started. Kable pulled out his own weapon, the gun he'd hidden in the back of his jeans and fired back giving him time as he followed the teen.
Simon seemed to know where he was going and they were soon opening a car that had seemingly been left unlocked. He, himself was keeping the people who wanted to kill them from getting closer, so he didn't have time to hotwire a car. He was surprised when he heard the engine rev to life. Simon had gotten Delia and the luggage in the back and scrambled over the driver's seat to the passenger's seat and tugged Kable best he could.
"Down." He shouted as bullets flew after them. This was so much more terrifying than inside the game because if one of them hit, it could be Delia who got killed and not just him. None of them hit and Kable wondered if they'd even been aiming at them. It was almost as if they were trying to keep them alive to be captured he thought, as he screeched to the exit of the parking lot.
Simon's head slowly popped up as they drove further down the road. Kable looked at him, then checked his daughter in the back. She smiled shakily, but he saw the incredulous look she gave him when he told her to put on her seatbelt
Simon had hotwired the car himself.
"How'd you learn..." He started to ask.
"I watched you do it in the game remember. It was just a matter of repeating the actions. There are some things you can't learn by sight though." Simon said bitterly, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was following them.
"Like what?" He asked.
Simon shot him a look that pleaded and warned him to shut up. He smiled brightly at Delia who was unnaturally quiet behind them. "Hey, Di, want to go see some friends of mine? You might know them, they're in a band called Hanrahan."
"You know them?" His daughter asked, awe in her voice as she allowed herself to be distracted.
"Yeah and they can protect us. Once we get to them, no one will be able to hurt you, okay?" He took off his jacket and passed it back. "You, get some rest."
He saw Delia think about Simon's words for awhile after Simon had turned away then relax.
"The plan okay with you...?" Simon asked.
"I don't think we should get other people involved." Kable said quietly.
"Trust me, they can take care of themselves better than you can, right now. We need to find somewhere safe and I can't think of anywhere better, can you?"
Kable sighed. He had no one left and Simon knew it. "Alright, where do I go?"
***
Simon didn't know where the band was but he knew where they'd be at a two day drive from here. They would have to stop in between anyway because Simon couldn't drive. It was something the teen admitted shamefully as though it was one of the biggest down falls a person could have and Kable had to fight off a smile since Simon's pout was rather funny.
He parked after 11. Both Simon and Delia had fallen asleep. He was amazed by that kind of innocence and even though he wished for it back he would dare try it. It had been decades he'd been able to fall asleep anywhere in any position. Delia had the whole back seat and was small enough she didn't even have to curl up, the luggage now in the back.
Simon had curled himself up though. Knees close to his chest, he was leaning against the side of his seat instead of the window, probably because it was so rocky on this road he'd probably end up hurting himself. Kable had realised soon after Simon had fallen asleep that he didn't like it. He wanted to see those silver blue eyes on him, pink lips in a cocky smirk and he had to laugh at himself when he started considering waking Simon up to make it happen.
He usually liked watching people sleep. He loved watching Delia, who had felt more nightmares as a child in real life that sleep was a good escape for her. She would wake up and share her dreams with him and Angie and as far as he knew she'd never felt scared in her dreams. Angie when she was sleeping peacefully lost all the fear and betrayal that scorched her during the day and she smiled. Kable always remembered why he fell in love with her then.
Simon on the other hand was an addiction, pure and simple. It terrified him that no matter how many times he memorised how Simon looked he had to check again seconds later. He was going slightly insane. It was the only explanation. People weren't supposed to get under your skin like this. That was cigarettes or drinks.
He booked a room at the motel and when he came back, Simon was up, standing next to his side of the car. He wondered if he'd scared Simon by disappearing. He smiled and held up the keys as an apology when Simon looked at him in annoyance.
He ignored Simon's huff of annoyance though when he saw blood on Simon's face. He was immediately by his side, hand millimetres from the scrape above his left eyebrow.
"What happened?" He demanded, quietly because Delia was seemingly still asleep.
"I hit the floor a bit hard when the car exploded. It's just a scratch." Simon mumbled even quieter. Kable's hand drifted to his cheek so he could see the injury better. It still had dirt and even a tiny stone in it.
"It could be infected. You should have told me. We would have stopped sooner." He said and looked down from the cut when he got no answer. Simon was watching him, giving him his chance to see those blue eyes just like he wanted. He was blushing under Kable's finger tips and after a few moments where nothing happened he forced himself to step back, wishing his heart would stop thundering in his chest.
"You'll have to keep watch while I sleep." He told Simon. He watched as he pulled a face but nodded. He managed to pick Delia up out of the car; she was still so tiny even though she was about 9 years old now. In the room he lay Delia down on one of the single beds, took her shoes off before he tucked her.
He hadn't forgotten Simon's injury and pulled him into the bathroom. He could switch the lights on in there without waking his daughter up. He got out the first aid kit.
"You don't have to." Simon whined. "It stopped hurting already." One look from Kable and Simon rolled his eyes with a huff. He moved the seat down on the toilet so he could get more comfortable.
Kable knelt down between Simon's knees as he cleaned the scrape with warm water and a flannel. He had to do it gently, as not to push any stones in deeper. Simon flinched when he put antiseptic on it and Kable chuckled.
"Hold still. This is your first real injury, isn't it?" Kable smiled.
"Depends what you define as a real injury. If you're excluding the times I accidently cut myself making food or the pain I get from stepping out my building, this is the first time since I was seven." Simon told him.
"How many times have you cut yourself preparing food? If it's more than ten times in a year it can be counted as an injury. It's also extremely clumsy." Kable teased.
"Do you think it'll scar?" Simon asked.
"I hope not." Kable answered automatically. Then he realised what he meant by that and told himself off for being possessive. As he placed a plaster on Simon as gently as he could, he stood up and packed everything away. He couldn't help the yawn though.
"Time for you to get some sleep..."
***
That night he dreamed he was being controlled by Simon again. Only this time the knife wasn't being held on his daughter. He stared into a silver blue, the knife shaking in his hand against the teen's neck as Simon pressured him in that part of his mind he couldn't refuse to move forward.
He couldn't, he refused to let Simon die no matter who was manipulating him or controlling him.
As flesh broke and a thin line of red appeared he woke up with a start.
***
"Daddy," Delia cried. Kable turned to her, looking from her worried face then around the room. He couldn't see Simon. "Simon's gone, I don't know where he went."
