"that car from earlier, its driver just pulled up into the rest stop parking lot in a different car." Doc explained. Lightning tensed. "so just stay down, please Monty." Doc said, ruffling the younger hair. Lightning nodded.

"okay." he mumbled. Lightning shifted, his head pillowed on Docs thigh. Doc tangled his hand into Lightnings hair gently, playing with it carefully, he barely noticed the younger falling asleep, only realizing he was asleep when the younger man snored. he looked down and smiled slightly after a bir. he kept driving, looking down at the clock on the dash. was it already nearly 9pm? where'd the time gone? he was so worried about Lightning he wasn't paying attention to the clock.

"I love you kid so much, I gotta keep you safe some how." Doc murmured, rubbing his cheek gently. Lightning sighed quietly curling up and mumbled. "shhh." Doc murmured. he watched the road carefully, making sure no one stayed behind him for too long. he pulled his hand from the youngers hair gently, careful not to pull his hair or wake him, then picked up his phone.

"Doc?" Red ask

"hey are you driving instead of Mack?" Doc ask.

"yeah. according to your directions, we got about 15 minutes until the exit and the truck stop." Red said.

"alright we're about 5 minutes away from it. we'll pull in and wait for you guys." Doc murmured.

"be safe, keep your doors locked." Red murmured.

"see you there." Doc said, hanging up. Lightning shifted and curled up, mumbling something Doc swore was his name, and whined quietly. he gently ruffled the mans hair. "shh." Doc soothed gently. he pulled into the rest stop and looked at the younger man. the only way he was going to be able to move around to get comfortable enough to sleep, was to wake the kid up. he sighed slightly and locked the car doors, before shifted. "Monty hey, kiddo get up real quick." Doc murmured.

"H-Hud." he mumbled. Docs heart skipped a beat as the younger man slowly sat up. "Doc?" Lightning ask.

"hey kiddo, hate to wake you, but I need you to move enough I can put my bad leg up in the seat." Doc murmured. Lightning nodded and pulled himself up out of the seat and let Doc put his legs in the seat. once he was done, Lightning laid in the seat, head in Docs lap, and hugging his waist. Doc didn't mind leaning against the door with the younger in his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger gently.

"you comfy now?" Lightning ask.

"yeah, good enough to get enough rest to drive us the rest of the way tomorrow." Doc murmured. "we've been on the road about 17 hours, m'tired kid." Doc added. Lightning nodded against him. Doc rubbed his back gently. "sleep kid." Doc murmured.

"m'gonna." he yawns. "are we gonna be safe here?" Lightning ask curling up some.

"we're perfectly safe with me baby." Doc mumbled quietly, yawning. Lightning cuddled closer and nuzzled him happily, closing his eyes. Doc double checked that the doors were locked, tangling his fingers back into the youngers hair gently. he heard a car pull up beside them and turned his head. Red got out and walked over to the window he was leaning on. "you guys good Red?" Doc mumbled, just loud enough Red could hear. he nodded at him.

"just making sure you're both alive." he said. he turned and went back into the car. Doc shifted a little, closing his eyes. one hand rubbing his young lovers back, the other playing gently with his hair, content to get all the sleep he could, until his cellphone went off. startling him and making Lightning jerk, jumping up in fear.

"shh kid." Doc murmured gently, pulling the hand from his back gently. he grabbed is cell phone and answered it. "hello?" he murmured. "Smokey? no we stopped for the night. driving for hours, since 7 AM we been on the road, with the kid whining beside me the whole time. it's nearly 11 PM Smokey, I need some sleep." Doc mumbled. "yeah. alright see you tomorrow." Doc mumbled, hanging up. he dropped his phone back into the cup holder and wrapped his arm back around Lightning, shutting his eyes.

5 AM they headed back out. Mack and Doc driving the same route, Lightning still curled up sleeping with his head on Docs lap. he played with the younger mans hair gently. he and Mack had grabbed breakfast while Red sat with Lightning. he had a coffee in the cup holder with an energy drink rolling around in the floor beside a bag that held the youngers breakfast. Lightning shifted and slowly sat up around 7AM.

"hey, morning kid." Doc murmured. Lightning mumbled and rubbed his eyes.

"I need coffee." he mumbled.

"well you can either have some of mine, or there is one of those energy drinks you like in the floorboard." Doc said. Lightning looked over at him, suspicious.

"you hate me drinking those things." he mumbled.

"yeah but I figured one wouldn't hurt, you might need it." Doc said, looking over at him briefly. Lightning smiled a little and reached down for it as Docs phone went off. "damn it Smokey, can you get that?" Doc ask. Lightning nodded and answered, putting it on speaker. "Smokey whats up?" Doc ask.

"I got two hotel rooms all set up for you at Rusty's inn. I'll meet you guys over there. about what time will you get here?" Smokey ask.

"I dunno we got like 20 hours left to this trip, we're speeding. I might be able to cut a few hours off." Doc said.

"about what time?" Smokey ask.

"at this point in time we're looking at maybe 1 AM. <i>if</i> I can get Mack to speed up, maybe we can cut it back to 10 PM." Doc said.

"don't do that. people would be suspicious. it would draw attention to you, which is what we're trying to avoid right?" Smokey ask.

"yeah." Doc agreed.

"hows the kid doing?" Smokey ask.

"sleepy." Lightning muttered. Doc smiled at him.

"he just woke up. he's little grumpy." Doc chuckled.

"howdy kid." Smokey greeted.

"hi." Lightning mumbled, leaning against Doc as he cracked open his energy drink.

"well be there ASAP Smokey." Doc promised.

"alright Hud, the gangs ready for you to come to the Pin. we'll drop your shit at the hotel and bring you back to Cotter Pin for a bit." Smokey said. "got some catchin' up to do." he added.

"depends what time we get there. we may just all go to the hotel and pass out Smokey." Doc said.

"whatever you say kid. we can wait until tomorrow, that works. just get here safely." Smokey said.

"working on it. I'll see you tomorrow." Doc said, motioning for Lightning to hang up.

"now wait." Smokey said. Lightning paused, looking over at Doc.

"whats up Smokey?" Doc ask.

"I have questions for the kid." Smokey said. Doc rolled his eyes.

"keep it civil." Doc warned. Lightning looked confused.

"so I hear he's still grumpy." Smokey said.

"yeah. he's always grumpy." Lightning chuckled, leaning against Doc. the older growled at him and Lightning smiled.

"he's always been that way kid." Smokey smirked. "whats he like now kid? last time I heard from him he was a pompous asshole." Smokey said. Doc glared at the phone.

"hang up." he muttered. Smokey laughed.

"he's still an asshole, but it suits him." Lightning said.

"fuck off kid." Doc snapped. Lightning laughed. "you're a piece of shit." Doc huffed.

"you're the one who..." Lightning cut himself off. Doc looked over curiously. "you're the one who puts up with it." Lightning huffed, sticking his tongue out at the man. Doc rolled his eyes.

"put your tongue in your mouth or I'm gonna cut it off." Doc warned.

"do you hear this shit?" Lightning huffed. Smokey laughed a little. "you're so mean to me you asshole." Lightning huffed.

"I'm going to shove you out of the car while doing 60 in the interstate." Doc warned.

"yean and Mack would beat the fuck out of you before Red curbstomped your head." Lightning muttered. Doc reached over and ruffled his hair.

"don't be so sensitive." he chuckled, kissing the younger mans head. Lightning glared at him.

"I am not sensitive." Lightning huffs, pouting. he paused. "hey where's Mack and Red?" Lightning ask.

"they were behind that minivan about 10 cars back." Doc said.

"I'll let you guys go. later rookie." Smokey said, hanging up. Lightning shifted in his seat.

"I don't see them." LIghtning said.

"don't panic, if something was wrong they'd call us. okay?" Doc assured. Lightning picked up his and called Mack.

"boss?" Mack ask answering.

"where'd you guys go?" Lightning ask.

"our tail found us again, I stopped to deal with it. we're about 20 minutes behind you." Mack said.

"you two okay?" Doc ask.

"we're fine. I gave them the go around and lost them two exists ago." Mack assured.

"kids right, we need to trade in the rental cars. they know these and being followed to Thomas isn't going to help." Doc said.

"pull over and let us catch up. cars are under Reds name so you need us to trade in." Mack said.

"sounds good." Doc said, pulling over to the side of the road.

"I'll find the closest place to trade in." Red said.

"alright." Doc said. Lightning grabbed his drink.

"this is stupid. I put you all in danger." he mumbles, taking a sip.

"alright closest trade in is about 45 minutes from us just on the other side of Oklahoma City." Red said.

"you guys catch up and get in front of us, we'll follow you." Doc said.

"you got it." Mack said.

"I gotta call Smokey back." Doc said.

"I see you guys." Mack said. Lightning hung up and called Smokey on Docs phone as they pulled out behind Mack.

"Hud?" Smokey ask.

"hey we gotta stop and get new rentals in Oklahoma. we gotta tail on us have had one since we got on the road. we've lost him three times but he knows the cars." Doc said.

"you need us to pick you up? throw you lot in the bed of my truck." Smokey said.