The bright sun outside my eyelids brings me back to the land of the living. I must have fallen asleep.

I keep my eyes closed and listen, Riley has the local radio station playing and he's singing softly to Yellow by Coldplay. It brings a smile to my lips that the big-bad police man knew all the lyrics to a Coldplay song.

"We will stop in at the next town if you're hungry." Riley stopped singing and glanced toward me. He knew I was awake.

"Okay... how did you know I was awake?" I was still kind if sleepy and I didn't think before asking that question. Whoops.

"Your breathing quickened and your eyelids started to flicker. I could see as soon as you woke up." Apparently he wasn't thinking either. I smiled.

"You were listening to me breathe?" I glanced toward him, now sitting rigidly in the driver's seat. All I wanted to do was scream out 'Busted!' but I refrained, instead sitting up straighter.

He groaned, causing me to smile. Let's see how he answers this one.

"It's my job to protect you and keep you alive. I have to make sure you didn't die on my watch within the first 24-hours."

"Oh, of course, it was your 'job'," I let the sarcasm roll, assuring him I believed him as much as I believed that fairies existed.

The quiet settled between us, bringing attention back to the radio that was still playing in the background. A news reporter's voice came on as she started going through the announcements. None of what she was saying interested me and I tuned out through the economy bulletins and weather. But when she began on the current affairs, a name came up that caused my body to stiffen and my fist to clench.

"...William Chase was convicted guilty of the murder of Adrian Greyson and his wife, Emily Greyson earlier in the week. Chase pleaded guilty to the crime, declaring the Greyson's "deserved what he handed them"..."

Riley growled loudly and leant to turn the radio off but I reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't," I said simply, returning my attention to the pitchy voice of the news reporter.

Riley stared at me questioningly but obliqued, placing his hands back on the wheel with a scowl.

"...Chase is awaiting the length of his sentencing and will be stationed at Wells Side Correctional Centre. Details on the deaths of both Adrian and Emily Greyson are yet to be released but it is understood that their daughter, Sabine Greyson, witnessed the deaths and testified against Chase, confirming his sentencing. Sabine Greyson has, however, gone off the grid and cannot be found by any media services..."

"Sabine-" Riley, again, reached for the dial and I grabbed his hand, halting it. I needed to hear this.

"...Detective Ben Hudson had this to say: "Sabine Greyson is believed to currently be in danger due to her testimony at the trial of William Chase, she has been put under constant protection and will return home as soon as possible..."

The reporter went on with the other news and I struggled to breathe. I didn't know whether to cry or sit in silence, absorbing the numbness. My chest tightened and I clenched my fists even tighter. It wasn't until then that I realised I was still holding Riley's hand and was now crushing it beneath my fingers. He didn't complain, though, and I didn't let go.

He drove for another five minutes before finally breaking the silence. But I didn't want to acknowledge it had happened.

"Sabine-,"he began, before I cut him off.

"Didn't you say we were going to stop? I'm craving a cheeseburger," I looked toward him and tried to smile but I couldn't bring it to my lips.

He nodded and returned his eyes to the road, looking for a place to eat.

And never once pulled his hand from mine.

-

"Ohmygod, this is so good," I said, despite the large sum of burger in my mouth.

Riley shook his head at me and bit into one of his fries. He could think I was being ridiculous all he liked, it was freaking delicious.

After the little episode with the radio, Officer Martin had used his great detective skills to source out a world-class diner that sold cheeseburgers... in other words, he had looked from side-to-side until he saw the sign.

I had ordered the largest one they had; the 'big-and-juicy works' with a side of fries and a massive cup of Red Lemonade.

Riley, of course, had ordered the most simple and boring one on the menu and so I had teased him about it, to which his response was "You can't get to being a highly skilled and physically fit police officer by eating big-and-juicy works burgers."

"Good thing I don't want to be a highly skilled and physically fit police officer," I replied before biting into the burger for extra effect.

The eye roll I gained was so worth it.

The diner was as classic American as you could get, and you could clearly see they had decorated it in the movie-style that you've seen everywhere. Big red booths, waitresses in a pink dotted apron uniform, an open window to the kitchen.

It reminded me of when Mum and Dad had taken me out of school one Friday to go on another random road-trip. I'd probably been about twelve and we traveled for ages before coming across place very similar to this one. I'd had a burger there too; a much milder one and had moaned over how good it tasted. Mum and dad laughed and laughed at me before hoping back in the car and driving home.

I didn't even realise I was shaking until Riley steadied my arm.

He pried the last chip from my fingers and forced me to look up at him. I tried to concentrate on his green eyes to bring me back to the now.

"Sabine, you're okay. It's okay. I'm going to go pay for the bill and then we will have to find a hotel for the night. We've still got a fair way to go before we get there, okay?"

I nodded, and took the final sip of my drink. Riley stood and pulled his wallet out from his back pocket, walking toward the counter to pay for our burgers.

I really had to get a handle on this. I wasn't weak. I didn't blank out in the middle of eating a burger. I was better than this. And I needed to start proving it.

-

"This is the hotel we have to stay in? Aren't you, like, super rich? Surely we can afford something better than this?" I complained for the tenth time since Riley had driven into the crappy run-down place that shouldn't even classify as a safe place to sleep.

"I'm not super rich, and we have to stay under-the-radar, unless you've forgotten, princess."

"And under-the-radar means choking on the stench of over-used beds and under-washed sheets?"I groaned again as we walked toward room 17. Riley put our bags down as he opened the door to the tiny room that would be home for the night.

One single bed was stationed off to the right side of the room, a small dresser next to it and the doorway to the minuscule bathroom beside that. No TV, no second bed, no extra linen. This was ridiculous.

Riley placed my bags on the bed and set his beside the small and very uncomfortable looking chair in the corner bedside the door.

"You're going to sleep on that?" I knew he was tough, but no one could handle sleeping in such a stiff, ugly chair. Ew.

"No. I'm not going to sleep." He busied himself with searching the small room thoroughly. I don't know what he was expecting to find, other than some used condoms.

"Why? Don't you need sleep to be so big and manly? Or is this a ploy to make yourself sound more tough?" I raised my eyebrows at him, legitimately wondering if that was the reason.

He groaned at me and I smiled. Annoying him was beginning to make my day.

"No. This isn't exactly a safe area, I cant leave us unprotected while I sleep," he said in a tone that was so judgmental he might as well added 'duh!' to the end of it.

I raised my hands in fake surrender and plonked down on the bed.

"So its only now you're figuring out this isn't a safe area? 'Cause I thought the surplus of Black pedo vans would have been the first tip off." The worst part was, I wasn't kidding.

"I saw them, but I think I can stop any creeps from attacking a kid under my security."

"A kid? Really, Riley? We're back to this again? I'm only five years younger than you," he was going to start getting on my nerves again if he kept this up.

He didn't seem phased by the fact that I'd suddenly gone on the defensive, not even bothering to turn around from where he was busying himself by looking through drawers.

"A lot can happen in five years. You're not even old enough to drink, vote or drive yet. You're still a kid." He did so not just go there.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm not old enough to drink, vote or drive but I'm old enough to watch my parents get a bullet through their heads, fight the killer off until I could run, testify against him in court and be dragged away from my home with an arrogant asshole to the middle of nowhere.. I'm old enough for that, right?" I don't know whether he notices the sudden shaking in my voice or just turns because of my words, but he slowly circles to face me, his eyes wide.

"Sabine-" he begins.

"Don't even bother. I'll be in the bathroom if you have any need for me, but at the moment, I recommend you don't."

I stomped past his slumped shoulders and sad eyes to the little room that contained a shower, toilet and sink and was supposed to classify as a bathroom.

I reached in and turned the shower on to make him stay away. I pulled the lid of the toilet down and sat, needing to cool off.

I'm being so stupid. I don't even understand why I was so upset. He called me a kid, so what? My age had never been a problem before and I never got this offended when anyone called me young, but coming from him, it hurt.

It was like I needed his approval and he wasn't letting me get it. He was a stupid, self-obsessed male and I hated him. No, that's not true. I don't hate him, just dislike him.

I missed my mum. She always knew exactly what to say when I was upset or confused. She would always make me laugh and fix everything.

I missed my daddy's hugs, he never even needed to ask, he would just open his arms and envelope me in his big body.

I missed their smiles. I missed everything. So much.

Why did they have to go? They promised to always be there but they left me alone.

I felt the tears running down my face before I even realised I was crying. The sobs came out of me all at once and I began crying harder than I had since the night of their deaths, they were gone, and I hadn't stopped it.

I saw the shadow under the door and heard his deep breathing. He didn't knock, he didn't try to come in, but he heard me crying. He stood there, silently for a few minutes, before turning and walking away. That made me cry harder.

I felt around in my back pocket for the picture of mum, dad and I that id pulled off the mantle barely night ago. I stared hard at the faces, terrified that if I didn't they'd disappear and then I would really have nothing left. When tears began dropping from my nose on the photo, I put it away, scared it would stain.

I undressed and climb into the steaming shower, tears still running down my face.

-

When I stepped out of the bathroom after standing under the steaming water for half an hour, Riley wasn't there. I saw a small note on the dresser, though, where he had written:

"I will be back soon. I wanted to scout the area and get some dinner for you. I won't be too long. R."

He left because he didn't want to face me, to be honest, that was fine with me. I was exhausted and surprisingly not hungry at all. I found my pyjamas and slipped into them, pulling back the covers of the STI ridden bed, not even caring how disgusting it was. I wanted sleep. I wanted a full night without any dramas, any tears, any stupid cops.

Of course, I wasn't so lucky.

Just as my eyes slipped close, mum's mouth opened in a scream.