Three days had passed in the car. Elle was asleep in the passenger seat, curled up against the window in Noah's sweat shirt. He was glad to see her at least comfortable in his clothes. He'd been afraid it would've reminded her of her escape from that disgusting rapist's house, but there she was, comfortably asleep. It was around eight-o-clock and the sun was almost fully set, only a glimmer of its light floated on the horizon now. They were in Nebraska, nearing California's border. Noah looked out over the dimly lit desert as the sun set. It was like a calm before the storm. He knew Richard probably had his family and that he and Elle might be too late, but he still held out hope. He hoped that he and Elle would get past this awful time and grow closer, and he hoped that they would never be separated again. He heard Elle shift and sit up.

"Hey sleepy head, we still have a couple of hours if you want to sleep a little longer." He smiled. She gave him a sleepy smile back.

"Nah I think I'll stay up with you for awhile." She smiled. God how he missed her smile. Images of her in the hospital room flooded his brain as he looked at her. Her sitting on the bed, her dad and brother's bodies, her scared and heart broken face. He pulled himself back into reality.

"Elle we're heading into deep shit, it's gonna be bad. Elle I can't-"

"Noah, look I get it, your family is in danger and you want to protect them and I. But if it comes down to a choice, between me or your family, promise you'll choose your family!" Noah looked over at here with hurt in his eyes.

"Elle no, you're my family too, I-I love you for fucks sake, I'm not gonna choose I'm not God!"

"Noah, promise me! I've lost my family! I've lost everything! I've lost you twice now, and my brother was only eight when he died! And I'm the reason he's dead! IF I AM THE CAUSE OF ONE MORE DEATH I WILL KILL MYSELF! So promise me, you will choose them over me?" Noah looked at Elle's tear streaked face.

"Elle, you could ask the world of me and I'd give it to you, but you can't make me promise you this, it's not fair of you. I can't make you that promise because I don't know if I could keep it. And yes, I love my family and I will do anything and everything to save them, but I can't choose between someone and someone else's lives. I can't and I won't." Elle searched his face for any sign that he was bluffing, or a silent nod of agreement, but there was none.

"Well then I'll make the choice." She said in a low voice. Noah's expression darkened and his grip on the wheel started to make dents in the steal underneath the leather cover of the wheel. Elle knew what he wanted, he wanted her to say it would be okay, but she knew it wouldn't be. The car sped on until the lights of the next toll booth shown in the distance.