Lulu Oswald had always wanted to live a comfortable life in Washington. She had never gone through a rebellious stage, she had never hated her parents. In fact she loved them very much and helped them whenever she could. Her parents loved her unconditionally, even if she wasn't planned. They never pressured her to get outstanding grades, they never compared her to her brother, Cory, and they always believed to have rules enforced, but never overly strict.
Lulu wanted to make a good enough living to be independent. She wanted to pay her own expenses without help from anyone. She wanted to adopt a baby from a third world country, she wanted to drive a van, she wanted a Siberian Husky, she wanted to run through wheat fields, she wanted to spent late summer nights with someone special, she wanted to find true love, she wanted, she wanted, she wanted . . .
She wanted Gabriel to explain to her why he needed to burn her car, the only thing she had any claim to.
They had been driving for a few minutes before Gabriel wondered out loud how Noah Benett kept finding them. He couldn't wrap his mind around it until finally it came to him.
There's a tracking device in this car, he said.
Lulu snapped her head towards Gabriel. He slammed a fist to the steering wheel in anger.
How could I have been so stupid!, he shouted.
Lulu recoiled in her seat. She had never heard Gabriel yell with so much emotion. She instantly thought they would have to abandon the car. Her car, that was a few payments away from being completely paid off. But at that moment she had more fear than anger.
Gabriel drove off the road into a surrounding field. He drove deep into it, the headlights illuminating the dead reeds that seemed to be coming at them. Gabriel knew he had to act fast before Noah Benett could find them. He put the car in park and flung open the door while Lulu stayed in her seat. He opened the trunk and took out the two trash bags, flinging them behind him.
Get out of the car, he told Lulu.
She did.
"What are you going to do?" she asked him.
Step back, he told her.
She stepped back a good ten feet to where the trash bags had landed. A breeze made the tall reeds sway to the side.
"Gabriel?"
He turned to her. Her hair didn't sway the way it use to, so naturally. It only seemed to jump away from her head. Lulu had her jeans rolled up just below her knees and her yellow Keds looked dirtier than ever. She was looking at Gabriel with pleading eyes. He remembered how he had promised not to shut her out anymore. It was going to take some getting use to.
It would take too long to search for the tracking device, he began, it could be anywhere in the car, it could be tiny. I don't hear his voice, but he's probably on our trail. I don't know why he haven't tried to take me yet, but it could happen anytime. I . . I--I have to burn your car so they don't find us, he explained.
Lulu's mouth opened and let out a quick sigh.
"What do you mean burn it, like make it catch fire? Is that one of your powers?"
Gabriel nodded, Electric manipulation, it's going to cause a scene out here, that's why we need to run fast once it begins.
"Why can't we just abandon it?," she asked.
He told her that the tracking device was likely very sophisticated and it would be engaged if they abandoned it, giving Noah Benett and his team the exact coordinates of where they left the car and how far they could have gotten.
"Just do what you have to," she told him in a dull voice and turned around.
Gabriel nodded although she couldn't see. He instantly felt guilty for being the cause of the only link left of Lulu's previous life, but he pushed that aside for the time being and tried to focus. He listened for Noah Benett, but heard nothing. Instead he heard a train, less than a mile away. He couldn't believe their luck, it was perfect.
He closed his eyes and tried to refocus. He knew how to begin the sparks, he knew the feeling he needed. But it had been so long since he had done it. The last time he had used electric manipulation was to kill Elle. He heard Lulu's heartbeat, the rustle her feet made on the reeds. He had to protect her, he couldn't waste anymore time.
He felt a surge that traveled down both arms and heard crackles. He opened his eyes and saw the familiar blue coloring the palms of his hands possessed. The feeling of power came rushing back to him, it was so overwhelming that he didn't notice that Lulu had turned around.
She saw the orbs of electricity in Gabriel's hands and only then did she see that he did in fact have an ability. She had always believed in his powers, but seeing it with her own eyes was something entirely different. She watched as Gabriel brought his hands together then slowly brought them apart, a string of pale blue attached to each palm. The electricity made a reflection in his eyes. Lulu saw through that. What she saw scared her. Gabriel told her of all the terrible things he had done, but she could overlook that because she only knew who he was now. The sudden rebirth of his old self brought a wave of understanding to Lulu, it was as if her Gabriel had transformed right before her eyes into everything he promised he had changed from.
Gabriel released his hands directly in front of himself, an electric current shooting deep into Lulu's car. The leather seats immediately caught fire. The small sparks inside the car danced along the carpeted floor making small flames. Lulu saw the passenger seat she had spent so much time in go up in flames. The car she was paying off was ruined. Now she had nothing but clothes in a garbage bag. She couldn't help but cry at the destruction before her.
Gabriel's ears heard a muffled gasp. He looked at Lulu. She could be seen through the engulfing flames. A hand was over her mouth and he could see her eyes were full of tears. His sense of power poured out of his skin and he ran to Lulu, pulling her into his arms. She put her face into his chest.
I'm so sorry, he whispered into her ear, apologizing for more than just her molten car.
She wanted to believe him, but under the circumstances she couldn't. She was looking down at their feet, both of them dirty from the dust and dirt. She sniffed.
"What now?" she asked him after she pulled her face away from his soaked shirt.
He still had his arms around her waist when he told her that they needed the catch a nearby train.
"Where's it going?"
He told her he didn't know.
"How are we going to board it?"
He told her they would have to jump on. Before Lulu could say anything Gabriel told her that they had to start running. He grabbed his trash bag and told her to follow him. She had no choice but to do just that. She tried to remain as close to him because as they got further from the car the darker it became. The moon above them did little to light the way. Lulu saw Gabriel's white shirt in the midst of the midnight darkness and his sound alone helped light her way. She soon heard the train Gabriel mentioned. She pushed the tall reeds with her hands before they ran out and she made it to the dirt trail. Sweaty and out of breath she stopped to see the train. She saw Gabriel running to the side of it and she began to run after him again.
Follow me, Gabriel shouted over the loud commotion of the train rolling against the steel tracks.
Lulu ran faster, her trash bag swung over her back being gripped by her hand. Gabriel threw his bag into one of the empty shipping containers. He threw himself into the container and Lulu lost sight of him. She worried that he was hurt, but soon he poked his head out.
Lulu you have to get on, he shouted and outstretched his hand to her.
Gabriel was becoming worried that Lulu wouldn't be able to keep up with the train after all the running they had already done. She already seemed so far behind to him.
Lulu was tired, every muscle in her legs aching, her lungs on fire. But still, she kept running. She tried and failed to latch onto Gabriel's hand, she slipped from his grasp too easily. He thought quickly and put out both hands, screaming that he wouldn't leave her behind.
Lulu saw Gabriel's hair flying, his shirt making waves on his upper body. The hem would rise and expose the skin of his side. His hands outstretched and waiting to reel her in. He looked so masculine and strong. The soft light from the moon glided off his arms, showing the contours of definition. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but admire how beautiful Gabriel looked.
Lulu felt as though her legs were about to give out and on her last attempt she finally grabbed onto his arms. She ran beside the train until Gabriel had pulled her from the ground. Lulu landed on her back next to him, her white bag still being clutched in her right hand. She felt the vibrations below her as the train continued on its way. Her throat was dry, all energy was drained from her. She inhaled rapidly, trying to fill her abused lungs with oxygen.
Her left hand felt around for Gabriel. She felt the cool fabric of his shirt and then his warm hand on top of hers. Their hands fell to the ground, the sound being sucked out of the open container. They were both looking up to the darkness, Gabriel transfixed in his own thoughts, Lulu thanking God they had escaped for one more night.