By: Lucey

Email: littlelucey@web.de

Disclaimer: don´t own them. Joss does.

Rating: this part is PG I guess

Pairing: B/A but nothing specific for this part

Distribution: Want Take Have. Tell me where it´s going.

AN: Lyrics are from Bryan Adams

Feedback: pleeeeeeeeeeeeez :o)

Dedication: To Netti: Happy New Year!! *hug* To Hannah Bee and the rest of the girls *g* and to all those nice people sending me feedback :o))

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Part 2

//hey honey – I'm packin´you in//

Angel winced as he tried his leg, stumbled and knocked Buffy down in the process. But she recovered quickly and supported him as he tried a second time. Both tried to ignore their closeness as best as they could.

"Angel, your leg?!"

"It's nothing, the bullet went right through, doesn't hurt much.", he whispered back through clenched teeth, betraying his statement.

"Can you walk?"

He leaned on her and hobbled to the cell door.

"Guess we'll have to try the back door, I kinda started some trouble earlier...", she half-whispered, dragging him away from the direction Kate hopefully was still lying.

They reached a small emergency exit which Buffy quickly opened with a straight kick. Angel couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her. His Buffy, always determined and straight forward. Wait, his?

They quickly left the building before one of the officers could notice their escape.

"Quick, the car's over there..."

Car? What car? Buffy didn't even have a driver's license! She was a horrible driver, in no way her Mom would give the car to her. But the second Angel approached the black car he knew to whom it belonged. Spike.

He had no time to wonder how Buffy came to drive Spike's car, because Buffy pulled the door open placed him on the passenger's seat and sat down behind the steering wheel herself.

With an awful, screaming sound she started the engine just as the emergency door behind them flew open again and two officers came running after them.

//can't stop this thing we started//

Angel hadn't been wrong. Buffy was a horrible driver. He watched her carefully before he asked:"Where are we going?"

"Since I just helped you break out of prison and I can't bring you to a hospital either, I suppose that we'd better leave town before they hunt us down."

Ok, in some, probably weird, way she was right, but where the hell did she intend to go? Sure, they'd better not go to Cordelia´s since this was where Kate would be coming to in search for him in the first place. But why not Sunnydale?

"Buffy, you can drop me off now, I´ll sure find some place to hide for a while."

"Do you really think I´d leave you wounded at the road?"

"Well, no, but I can really handle myself..."

"Angel, you were arrested for murder. The sun will rise in about 2 hours. You're wounded. You sure can't handle yourself right now. I won't let you. Besides, I knocked out a police officer, so they'll be searching for me, too, from now on. I drive a stolen car and I just broke you out. If you want it or not, I'm going out of town now. If you wanna burn in the sun, stay. Say one word and...".

"Buffy....Buffy! It's ok. I´ll get it. We'll leave town and then we'll figure something out to get out of this. Just tell me where we're going."

"Well....I haven't really planned this well....so, how about San Bernardino? It's about an hour from here."

"I know. Ok, it's far enough from here and we can spend the day there..."

"San Bernardino then...."

Angel slept through most of the drive. Since he got accustomed to Buffy´s driving he trusted her. He woke up as he felt her warm hand on his cool arm.

"Angel, wake up. We're there."

He blinked his eyes open and saw a rather simple-looking motel in front of them. It wasn't far from the highway, since he could still here the sound of rushing cars. Ok, the motel wasn't the Plaza, but it would do for the night, or day. Even his leg felt much better, as if his short nap had speeded up the healing process. Or had it been her presence? He hadn't felt that safe for a long, long time.

Opening the door, he climbed out himself. Buffy rooted in the trunk of the car and finally presented two stuffed duffel bags to the surprised vampire. One of them looked rather familiar.

"What?"

"Oh, I just took a few things from Cordelia´s which sm...uhm...seemed to be yours. I dunno, I just thought you might want to change...."

Well, obviously she hadn't planned all this too bad.

"Thanks", was all he managed to say, as he followed her to the motel's entrance.

"Hello?"

"Good morning..."

"Do you have free rooms left, the sign at the road..."

"`Course, we have plenty of rooms left. People don't come here too often. You want one?"

"Yes."

"Ok, I´ll give you No°3 then."

Buffy blushed visibly.

"Uhm...actually we'd need two rooms..."

"Oh, I'm sorry.", the host replied. "I thought you were...sorry. Let me see, ok, I´ll give you 7 and 8 then. They're linked with a door. That's ok, right?"

"Yeah, sure.", Buffy sighed, visibly relieved. She didn't dare to watch at Angel, who avoided her eyes as well.

"Ok, fine. Which name?"

"Uhm...Sss...mith. Betty Smith."

"Well Miss Smith, here are the keys, do you want breakfast?"

"No thanks. Please no. We just need to sleep."

"Ok...", Buffy muttered, as they reached their rooms.

"Buffy, I..."

"It's ok Angel, no big deal. You're ok?"

"Yeah, I guess I just need some rest."

"Ok, good night then.", she barely looked at him, keeping her eyes nailed to the floor.

"Sleep well, Buffy."

With that she walked into her room and closed the door.

Well, that was awkward. She couldn't even look at him after the incident at the reception. Did they really look like a couple? Not that this was bad at all, but still....it only opened old wounds inside her. Sitting down on the bed, suddenly all the hidden emotions from earlier came crashing down on her. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized what she had done. She had just committed crime. Serious crime. Compared to what had happened with Faith.... Now she was in *big* trouble. How could she return to her old life? How would she explain things to her Mom? Giles? Oh god, Riley!

But she had saved him, she realized, while she sank down on the comforter. And then she couldn't hold back anymore, crying like a baby as relief flooded her consciousness. She'd almost lost him. Again. Her soul had been in terror, with the possibility of losing it's mate. He was safe now. Alive. What would have happened if....

Angel entered his room and sat down on the bed. He was exhausted. But then he heard a sound he knew only too well. Buffy. Approaching the door that separated them, he heard it more clearly. She was crying her heart out. And it was all his fault. Only because she had to save him, he had probably destroyed her life. She had committed crime for him. And now she must have realized what she had done. And she regretted it. As her sobs became more desperate, he fought the urge to break the door and pull her into his arms. Tell her how brave she was. She had saved his life tonight. Again. And had destroyed her life in the process. Guilt washed over him as he listened to her sobs. This wasn't fair. He had to help her. Tomorrow he'd figure something out.

TBC...