Awake Saturday, 03:54 am LT, Bakersfield

Audrey woke up in the middle of the night. She found herself lying on a couch, a blanket covered her body, it had been put over her to keep her warm. How in the world had she ended up here, she kept asking herself for a few moments, before she remembered.

She didn't move an inch, but had a look around. The room was dimly lit by a single torch which lay at the near table.

Then she suddenly froze.

A man sat at the floor, right at the door, leant his back against the wall and held a gun in his hands.

She couldn't believe that she was really here with Jack.

His face looked different from what she remembered of him. He had grown older, mature. His blonde hair was disheveled like every time he ran his hands through it. The look in his eyes was different. Pain. Fear. Exhaustion. She couldn't tell which it was exactly.

Slowly she sat up.

Jack realized that she had moved only when she climbed off the couch.

Silently she went over to him.

Jack fought to stand up, but every move was hard to make, he was so tired. He grabbed the handle of the door to pull himself up, but Audrey laid her hands on his shoulders, pushing him softly back down.

"Stay.", she murmured and knelt down in front of him.

For an endless long moment they had a look in each other's eyes.

"How are you?", Jack finally asked her, pointing at the bandage around her stomach, which was now hidden beneath the large sweater she was wearing. "We should really take a look at that, very soon."

"I'm okay.", she whispered. "I'm really okay. How about you?"

"I'm okay if you are.", he answered and tried to smile.

But she remembered more. "Jack, I saw how you got shot before I passed out.", she murmured.

"It's okay, it hit my vest.", he lied. At least one of the bullets must have hit his left shoulder. He had felt that blood had soaked the inside of his bullet proof vest after their fight. But somewhere on the way here the bleeding had stopped.

Audrey didn't let loose. "Liar.", she remarked and moved closer. "Let me see it."

"No. There's nothing to see."

She laid her hand at his left shoulder and gently squeezed it.

Jack tensed as the pain set in.

Audrey had a disapproving look at him. She was disappointed that he wouldn't let her help him.

Jack put the gun aside, which he had held in front of him, almost as a shield. "It wouldn't make any difference, Audrey.", he silently said and took her right hand his, away from his shoulder. "We don't have anything here to dress a wound, anyway."

She didn't miss the golden marriage ring he wore, as it shimmered in the dim light. She didn't ask.

"I can't just let you sit here.", she remarked. But as she reviewed the options which they had, there was really not much which they could do now.

"At least come over to the couch, instead of sitting here on the floor.", she offered him.

Jack wasn't so sure, if this was a good idea. "I don't want to…" lie there, next to you, though I'm not allowed to touch you, he would have continued, but she silenced him by lying one finger at his lips. "Come on", she silently spoke, helped him to stand up, as well as she could do that by herself.

At first he resisted, but then he gladly took her help. He was in no shape to argue with her. All the power he had still left he would need to watch over them for this night and the following day.

Everything seemed to be silent on the outside. The town was a ghost city by now. It seemed to hi like he and Audrey were the only ones left.

Slowly he bent down once more to pick up the gun and also took his bag with him, which he had put at the floor next to him.

He laid the weapons down on the near table, to keep them always in reach.

As he sat down on the couch he had to admit that the view had been better from his previous place. But he appreciated the comfortable place at the couch.

Audrey sat down at the other side of the couch. She sat there, immovably, and watched him in the dark.

The weak light only let her see a silhouette. He still wore that bulletproof vest over his black shirt.

With slow moves he put a pillow aside to lean back.

"Won't you lie down with me?", Audrey asked.

He shook his head. "I've got to keep awake. Just in case."

That's ridiculous, Audrey already wanted to say, but she accepted it.

Instead she took his pillow and laid down next to him, a bit of space separating their bodies. "What's happening, Jack? Do you really think we're going to get out of here?", she silently murmured.

Jack sighed. "Don't worry. We will. But we have to wait until tomorrow afternoon before we go on, okay?", he answered. "It's too dangerous to go out now."

She nodded her head silently.

Then he broke his own rule, which he had defined just hours ago, not to touch her. Softly he laid his hand down at her shoulder. It felt so good to touch her, to stroke over her body… From his view he could tell that she was craving for this. Audrey slid a little bit closer to him. Maybe not out of love or desire but for the simple reason to feel that she was not facing this all alone.

As Jack viewed her, lying so peacefully next to him, he had to swallow hard. It was almost impossible to hide his feelings for her, though he still wasn't sure, if they came out of love or the fear of losing her again once this all would be over.

For hours they stayed like this, Audrey sleeping, and he caressing her shoulder, her neck and her hair in the most affectionate way.