She didn't sleep.  Not that she actually needed to do so often, but she'd gotten into the habit of doing so each night.  The darkness was beautiful... but she could never see the stars in the city.  Without the stars, as far as she was concerned, there was no reason to live for the night.
        She kept watching out the window.  A red car... a red... "Subaru"...  She thought she remembered car commercials.  As for the year, she'd probably seen one at some point in her life.  Whether or not she would know it when she saw it, though...
        And then a cold jolt of energy ran through the back of her neck.  She made a conscious effort not to let the look of surprise and hope come through on her face, just in case one of the usual drive-by spies was late.  Sure enough, she caught the rear of the last car for the hour as it passed.
        She couldn't swallow.  She just couldn't believe...  But there was a slightly less than sturdy-looking Subaru (she read the word on the car itself twice, to be sure) across the street, parked in front of a banking machine.  Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw, without a doubt, the stature of Dr. Ward get out and go through an electronic transaction.  He'd read her note.  He'd come at the soonest possible opportunity.
        Her body stood from the table long before she'd even thought about doing such a thing--she had to hold herself back.  Was it safe?  Of course it should be safe... it should be...  It was the dark middle of the night when everything was dead... save the hookers, save the people getting money, save the McDonald's down the road...  There was traffic, but not a lot of it.
        She stared out the window, wondering.  The "what if" cycle of thought started; but she couldn't let it overtake her.  She knew the odds.  She was still worried... still scared... didn't want to know what might happen if she were caught trying to escape.  And she certainly didn't want to think about what might be done to Robbie...
        This was her chance.  She knew, that this was her chance.  Yes, it was possible that if she remained inside this time, he would be back.  But she couldn't stay still.  She couldn't stay there.
        She threw her shoes on the sofa so that they wouldn't thud on the floor, making her socked feet more silent on the way down the stairs.  There could be no more waiting.  She opened her door, oiled as it usually was when she tried to go out for something more interesting than staying inside and watching television.  Locking it from the inside, she shut it so perfectly, so quietly... and everything else was a blur of soft breathing, forced slowness to her heartbeat, and moving in the shadows.  Only three stories.  Only three.  Six sets of stairs, all empty.  All silent.
        Adrenaline surged--but she kept it barely under her control.  Two sets of stairs remained; or, at least, they had.  Maybe she'd leapt down one, there was really no way to tell.  Little though it mattered.  The lobby being nearly nonexistent and never properly watched (there was one thing in her favor), she darted out the door in a blur.
        Outside, she scanned both sides of the street with quick but careful eyes, then the apartment complex behind her.  No one was against the windows, no one looking out.  She went over how all of the familiar cars had already made their passes for that time of night, making sure, making certain... and then she saw his eyes on her.  Calmly, patiently, he was placing money in his wallet and starting to walk back to his car.
        No time to lose, no traffic... she darted across the street in total silence, not daring to look back.  It was too late now, anyway.  Looking back was wasting time.
        He didn't even bother with a greeting--the moment her door closed, he drove off.
 

        There was no conversation until they were completely out of city, about an hour later.  Even if there had been something to talk about... they were both breathless.  Too much going through their heads... too much riding on the speed and care of his driving, and of her knowledge of who watched her and when.  So much to lose...
        When the tall buildings were finally behind them, Robbie couldn't really stand the silence any longer.  Regardless of the seriousness of the situation... he was just too excited.  Adrenaline rushes like that only existed in haunted houses and roller coaster.  "Want some Chinese?"
        She tilted her head with the question, not entirely understanding.  The connotations were rather racist to say the leas--ah.  Cuisine.  "Is it good?"
        His glance bordered on horrified.  "You've never had it?"
        "No."  It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to... but perhaps that was not quite the tone of conversation he'd wanted.  "Never had much of a chance."
        Well, that was something new.  "Mind if I order for you?"
        "Not at all."  On one hand, the strange situation she found herself in was bordering on uncomfortable merely because of the fact that they were "on the run", as it were.  But in another sense... it was... extremely nice.  Wonderful.  Comforting, even.  "Where are we going?"  Not that she was worried, merely curious.
        "A real fancy hotel not too far away."  He answered with a hint of pride.  "With someone else's credit card and I.D."
        She let a satisfied look cross her features.  The details were not important--though it was nice to know that there was actually something of a plan, of course.  "With Chinese food?"
        "Oh, no."  He corrected, turning off of the highway.  "We have to stop at a real, cheap restaurant to get the good stuff."
        She stared out the window for a long time.  Lights going by... a dark sky... and the very dimmest beginnings of stars.