Outlaws to the End (HotCider & heartofcourage)

With pipe in hand, Ian stepped out of the motel to not only get some fresh air but to cool his engines to put it fancy. It was warm and the air was fresh. It was country air. As Ian slid the pipe within his mouth, he squinted down the yellow, dirt road that disappeared into a horizon of green pasture and blue sky. The clouds that floated like pillowy ships in the sky cast their shadows upon the earth like blimps.



"Howdy," came an elderly voice.



The bank robber glanced to the building adjacent to the dorms to see the owner seated in a rocking chair and smoking his own pipe. He was a man perhaps in his late fifties to early sixties with hair brown, gray, and in disarray beneath a yellow cap. He wore blue suspenders and his round belly sat in his lap from excessive consumption of alcohol. In a creaky, wooden chair, he rocked back and forth, smoking his pipe and every once in awhile popping the cork on his old brown jug of ale and taking a few swigs.



With a friendly smile Ian walked over to join him and sat upon the step, reaching into his pocket to draw out a match stick.



"Fine day," Ian replied.



He scraped the match across the step and got the tobacco burning in the bowl.



"Yesiree, a very fine day indeed, and you must be that new fella' that rented the room for you and yer lady friend."



Cupping the bowl, Ian closed his eyes and savored the peace. "I am."



"Whatta' mess that girl was. Where you find a thing like that?"



Ian's brows knitted a little. He didn't like how this man was calling Elizabeth a thing. "Let's just say I got lucky."



The man sensed Ian's irritation and quickly apologized, "I don't mean to offend friend. I was just worried. She fine now?"



"Better than she was before."



"That's good to hear. Say, you and her stayin' together. You don't seem married."



"We ain't."



"Then what are ya?"



"Let's just say I'm her chauffeur."



"Yeah? Where yer vehicle?"



"Wrecked it."



"Oh! So that's why. Hope everythin' is under control."



"We're thankful your motel happened to be here."



"Your very welcome and you two always welcome!"



Silence fell between the two as the manager continued rocking and took a break to wet his whistle on his jug.



"Say," he started again, dragging his tongue across his ale-soaked lips. "She a pretty gal. You ever think about..." His voice became hushed.



Ian turned around to regard the man with a raised brow. He then laughed a little and went back to gazing off in the fields as his cheeks flushed a little. "'Course not."



The manager chortled at Ian's reaction. "Must be hard not to."



"You have no idea," Ian muttered under his breath. "She's engaged. I'm just a driver."



"How much she payin' you?"



The conversation made Ian suspicious. "What's it matter?"



"You like money, son?"



Ian gave no answer as he silently puffed on his pipe.



"I'll pay you 50 dollars if you let me have her for a night."



Ian slowly stood and muttered gruffly, "I think you've had too much to drink, Pops."



"She's a fine, young thing. Okay, 70 dollars and no more."



Two chutes of smoke left Ian's nostrils on an angry breath. He didn't know what came over him, but every word that left the manager's mouth just got his blood boiling. Releasing two breaths of smoke from the corner of his mouth, Ian closed his eyes as he calmed his nerves, the pipe bobbing in his mouth as he gnawed on it.



Without screaming, yelling, or any intonation of rage in his tone, Ian said calmly and smoothly, "Old man, you come anywhere near her or our room, and I'll kill you."



The manager stopped rocking to stare timidly at Ian's back as the bank robber calmly descended the steps and went over to his room. He dumped the ash from his pipe, knocking it against the wall twice, and then entered his and Elizabeth's room. Without saying a word to the girl, he sat down and ate what was left of the cold breakfast.



That night.



While Elizabeth slept, Ian was up, getting his bath in. He raked the hot water through his oaken layers and rubbed the soap bar against his skin. He couldn't stop thinking about what that manager had said to him. It had disgusted him and he felt disturbed to be staying in a room rented to him by such a man. Pulling the cork, Ian rose from the tub, the water tumbling like clear silk down his lean chest and stomach. He stepped over to counter, the bathroom door was cracked to vent some of the steam. He grasped up one of the remaining towels and ran it over his glistening, tanned skin before he carelessly dropped it on the floor and got dressed.



His mind was back on track. He needed to get them a car, and he felt the manager's vehicle would do, but he didn't feel safe stealing it after the man saw his face. He wanted to see if there was a gas station or another motel up the road, but he didn't like the idea of Elizabeth being left alone.



Let's hope Pops had enough to drink to forget my face, Ian thought.



After getting dressed, he turned off the bathroom light and stepped out to check on Elizabeth and see if she was still sleeping. Quietly, Ian then moved outside to get to work on the manager's vehicle. No later than ten minutes, Ian walked back in to gather their things in his sack. He walked over to Elizabeth and touched her gently on the back.



"We need to go. I got a car waitin' for us outside," Ian informed.



He didn't say where he had gotten the vehicle, but that should have said enough. "Bring the pillows and blankets with you, so you can keep warm on the ride. We got some ways to go."



Ian waste no more time and walked out to the awaiting vehicle.
 
The door clicked behind Ian as he left for a smoke. Moving to where her camel colored coat hung after a good washing, she took it from the hook and brought it back to the bed, trying her best to remove the debris and dirt that clung so stubbornly to it. It had been such a pretty jacket, one of her personal favorites, but now it was crumpled and sad looking. Still, it would keep her warm, she thought as she was dutiful about her work.

Glancing up as the door knob turned, Elizabeth was surprised to see Ian returning so quickly. His face looked as dark as a storm cloud too. He didn’t say a word to her, nor did he even look in her direction as he sat down and started to eat the now cold breakfast that awaited him.

“What’s wrong?” She asked him in a quiet voice. “Ian?”

Something must have happened, she told herself as she turned her attentions back to the coat and tried not to appear too nervous. When Stephen was in a mood, he would yell and scream and rage at anything that was near him. A side long glance cast in Ian’s direction told her everything that she needed to know. His body seemed relaxed but there was a hard line in his shoulders and his jaw was clenched much too tight.

She said nothing, the silence passing between them much too uncomfortable. With a soft sigh, she placed the coat on the bed next to her and curled up on her side. If he wouldn’t speak to her, she could at least get some shut eye. Pulling the thin blanket up over her shoulders, she punched the pillow once and then settled down to allow sleep to take her.



CHICAGO

“That girl’s gonna be the death of me one day!” Junior Darrow glanced up from the paperwork he was entrenched in to watch his father pace the length of his glassed in office. “Why would she run away?”

The elder Darrow looked so much older than his years, his salt and pepper hair yanked out in tufts from pushing his fingers through it. Since Stephen Collingwood had announced that Elizabeth had run away, the entire family had been on edge. His mother had been nearly inconsolable, his father had gone into a rage, and Collingwood had made an empty promise about leaving no stone unturned until she was brought back to Chicago.

Pulling off his wire rimmed spectacles and gently placing them upon the wooden surface of his desk, Junior leaned back in his creaky office chair and let out a deep sigh. He didn’t blame his sister for running away. Hell, he probably would have done the same thing if he’d been saddled with a man like Stephen.

“Pop, she had her reasons. She’s old enough to make her own choices.” He said with a shrug, his blonde hair becoming more tousled than normal and his sky blue eyes watching his father’s every movement.

“It still doesn’t make sense! Collingwood bought her everything. An apartment, nice clothes, jewelry, he treated her nice and took care of her!” Darrow exclaimed, his face reddening at the thought that his daughter had skipped town.

“Pop, Lizzy was living in a flea infested tin can on the bad side of town! And excuse me for saying this, but Stephen Collingwood had never treated a woman nice in his life!” Stephen, in his opinion, was a Grade A horse’s ass. He deserved every bad thing that he had coming his way.

“Yeah, well thank God he’s promised to search for her. We cannot let that girl ruin this family’s good name.” His father growled as their secretary entered the room and handed Junior a piece of paper. “I’m putting her picture on the front page of tomorrow’s paper. And a cash reward. That ought to get people up a moving.”

Once his spectacles were back in place, Junior glanced down at the telegram that had just arrived. His fair eyebrows shot upwards as he saw who it was from. Lizzy. She was alright. Thank God, he thought to himself.

“What’s that?” His father asked, motioning to the paper that was in his hands.

“Mmm…” He crumpled up the paper and threw it in the waste basket beside his desk. “Just a story that’s not worth my time.”




NIGHT

Elizabeth had always been a restless sleeper. Her mother called it messy sleeping. She was always the one that would kick and thrash against someone else in her bed. She would steal the covers and wriggle around a half a dozen times before she found just the right spot.

With a big, wide double bed all to herself, she was in absolute heaven. Distantly, she heard the sound of water splashing, but she simply sighed and turned the other way. A few moments later, a door clicked and she heard footsteps receding outside.

“Ian?” She murmured sleepily, not even bothering to pull her head from the pillow or open her eyes.

She jerked awake moments later when she felt a warm hand against her back. Turning her head, she gazed up at Ian with a slight frown as he told her they needed to go. Pulling a fist from beneath the blanket, she rubbed at her tired eyes and yawned.

“I thought we were taking a train.” She said, her voice clogged with sleep as she sat up and looked around the motel room for a moment before she stood to retrieve her coat and shoes.

Dutifully doing as he asked, she grabbed the pillows and blankets from the bed and stepped out of the room to see a black car waiting for her. Walking to the passenger side, she pulled open the door and slid in, glancing at Ian as he took the wheel and pulled away from the motel.

“Why all the rush?” She asked, glancing towards him as he looked out the windshield. He was silent again and she looked around the interior of the car. “So, you’re going to give me the silent treatment, huh?”
 
Ian reclined back in the driver’s seat as he drove down the moonlit road he had been observing earlier.

“It’s the motel manager’s car. I stole it,” Ian said plainly. There wasn’t any sign of shame in his voice.

“I wasn’t tryin’ to ignore you. I just didn’t like that place anymore.”

Changing the subject, the pint up anger he was holding onto seemed to dissipate as his features softened. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Elizabeth and told her, “We got some hours to drive. We’re going to Indianapolis and we’ll be taking a train from there to Saint Lu. As I said, you ain’t gotta worry Toots, I’ll get you to California.”

Chauffeur…He felt like one at that moment. His attention was back on the road as he sank into meditation. They hadn’t been through much together. Their crazy journey was just starting, and the future disappointed him. He would have to wash his hands of her in California. The state was still a few days away, but he was a criminal, and she seemed to forget that aspect about him.
 
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Elizabeth stared at Ian as he spoke, an ache forming in her chest at the thought of being all alone in California. She felt that she could have done it alone but now that she was with a man that actually seemed to care about her…well, that task suddenly seemed impossible.

“So, it’s Toots again, huh?” She asked as she draped the blanket around her shoulders and settled into the seat as the dark scenery past them by. “What happened to Sunshine?”

The silence that stretched between them was almost deafening. She wanted him to say something. Anything. Something must have happened back at the motel for him to have wanted to run so far and so fast. Of course, he probably didn’t see her as worthy to be trusted with that information.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about California. It’s such a long way away.” She started, peeking at him out of the corner of her eye. “And surely it’s out of your way. So, I was wondering if I might just stay with you for a while…at least until everything dies down. Then we could go back to Chicago. By then my fiancé would have surely moved on.”
 
So, it’s Toots again, huh?...What happened to Sunshine?

She was good at making him ache. He didn’t think she had cherished his little nickname for her. It had been off the top of his head, and it had gone well with her beauty. Ian said nothing as he continued on down the road. The manager would be looking for his car in the morning and he would probably send out a report. Ian was planning to hopefully find a gas station before dawn.

As Ian meditated over his next plan of action, his thoughts were interrupted by Elizabeth’s soft voice:

You know, I’ve been thinking about California. It’s such a long way away…

He glanced at her briefly.

And surely it’s out of your way. So, I was wondering if I might stay with you for awhile…at least until everything dies down. Then we could go back to Chicago. By then my fiancé would have surely moved on.

Ian frowned, disapproval creased clearly on his face. “It ain’t outta my way ‘cuz I have no way. I’m a bank robber. I go where the money is and that’s anywhere. I ain’t gotta apartment; home; or any permanent place. This is my life right here. Sooner I get you to where you need to go, the safer you’ll be. You know I’d do my damndest to protect you, but there may be times where I can’t protect you from me. I am what I am.”

Ian fell back into silence. The conversation had made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t like to confess the ugly truth, but the sheltered woman needed to understand that he was the Ian Darcy she didn’t know.
 
Elizabeth was silent for a long moment, the rattle of the car as it hurried down the road the only sound that passed between them as Ian took them towards another destination. His words made her angry and a bit hurt. He sounded as if he didn’t want to take her along and again, there was another man in her life that had to “protect” her from something.

“I never asked you to protect me from anything.” She said with growing feeling in her voice. “I’m so tired of you men thinking I’m some kind of weak willed, simpering woman!”

She turned her head and looked at Ian in the darkness, a frown marring her features as she sucked in deep breaths to try and calm her rising anger. She shook her head, grabbing one of the stolen pillows and pressed it against the door, punching her fist into the middle of it before she settled her head against it.

“So, what are you going to do when you get me to California? Set me up in some fleabag apartment? Tell me that I’m not pretty enough? Tell me that I’m too thin? You going to be my benefactor and grace me with a visit once a day to make sure everything in tip-top shape?” She could feel tears pricking her eyes and she didn’t know why it mattered so much that daily Ian liked her.

“Throw in a daily scolding and you might as well take me back to Chicago.” She muttered, shutting her eyes and shutting him out.
 
Ian's scowl returned when she got snappy with him. He kept driving in silence, but when she started to compare him to her fiancé, he had to pull over. He parked the black Oldsmobile on the side of the road and cranked back the lever before he turned and faced Elizabeth as she pretended to sleep. He knew very well that she was awake.

"Look, I'm only takin' you to California because you told me that's where you wanted to go. I don't know who or what's there. I just know that when we met, you seemed desperate to get there. What you decide to do in California is your business and not mine. On another note, you ever been to Indiana? How about Detroit? Vegas? New York? If you had left Chicago on your own, do you think you could have made it to California? What were you plannin' to take? A train? You were expectin' it to go straight there weren'cha'? What if the next train was delayed? Where would you go? A hotel? Were you going to blow your money on an expensive one or get one of them cheap ones like that motel back there? I don't know how much money you had saved, but I'm guessin' it wasn't much. But all I'm sayin' is if the wrong man saw a pretty gal like you by yourself, he'll take advantage of you. And all I'm tryin' to do is spare you from those complications, and if we do face any, its best you don't face them alone. But we can't stay together...I'm a bank robber. I rob banks for a living. It's been my job from the start. You're a fresh slate. You can make your life better and stop lookin' back at the past. The last thing you want is to get stuck with a guy like me, and the police go thinkin' we're accomplices."
 
There was silence that surrounded them both as his tirade ended. Elizabeth kept her eyes closed as she pressed her cheek against the pillow, trembling beneath the blanket as she thought about what he’d said.

Absolutely everything was true. She never once thought about what would happen along the way to California. She hadn’t thought about places to stay, people that might take advantage of her, trains that were delayed. She’d simply chosen California because it sounded so sunny and perfect.

“My dad took me to Philadelphia once for business.” She said after a long moment, her eyes slowly opening as she looked at Ian. He looked angry, a scowl on his face as they looked across the interior of the car. “It was a two day trip. The first and only time I’ve ever left Chicago.”

A long, soft sigh escaped her lips as she sat up and looked at him in the gloomy, the silvery moon above them illuminating them both as they watched one another. Did she have the guts to confess to him why she wanted to go to California? Did she have the courage to tell him that he was right?

“I don’t know anyone in California. I read about it in a magazine and thought that it sounded so wonderful.” She averted her eyes from his, looking towards the darkened floorboards. “Listen, I don’t want to be treated like I’m…stupid. I know what you do for a living and I don’t care.”

“You’ve been kinder to me then the man I was suppose to marry. He has more money then you could ever imagine in this life and all it’s done is make him rotten to the core. I could care less what you do in your life.” She shrugged, going silent as she reached from inside the blanket and brushed back a lock of hair that fell into her face.

“And so what if someone thinks I’m your accomplice? There’s far worse things I could be in this life.”
 
Ian had felt that he was right, knew that he was right, and when Elizabeth confessed the truth, he was disturbed. He sank back against the door of the Oldsmobile and rested his hand against his face in disbelief; thought; shock; there were so many dreadful emotions building inside of him. Lowering his hand, he rested it upon his knee and clenched it in anger.

"Crazy Broad..." he said lowly.

He stared at his lap just imagining having left her in California. "I could have left you there all alone. I need some fresh air..."

Ian popped open the car door and stepped outside into the cold. He walked around the front of the car and stood on the edge of the grass, running his fingers back through his hair and then resting a hand against his face. Taking a seat in the grass, he rested his elbows upon his knees and grasped his skull as it began to ache in his frustration. What was he going to do with her now? He had went from being the chauffeur to the kidnapper. He had some assholes's fiancé and he was probably looking for her. If they were seen together, then he would be in deeper shit. If her fiancé was as rich as she said, then he had power.

She needs to change her identity, Ian thought. But what was he talking about? He couldn't take her with him. He also didn't want her going back to her rotten life. But what did he care? She had lied to him and used him to get her away from Chicago. He had been so worried about betraying her trust and here she went betraying his. "Damn it..."

He wasn't trying to make it seem like he wanted to get rid of her. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she got hurt. Unless...

Lowering his hands, Ian raised his head as his eyes gleamed with epiphany. Ian slowly stood as he gathered the idea and walked back around the front of the vehicle to the driver's side. He popped open the door and he pointed a finger at Elizabeth as he said sternly, "If you're goin' travel with me, you're gonna hafta change your identity. We're gonna go to Indianapolis and we're gonna cut and dye your hair. I'm also gonna hafta teach ya how to shoot a gun. You can't be Elizabeth Darrow no more just as I can't be Ian Darcy. You need to think up a new name for yourself. Lastly..."

His stern features softened as a smirk crept along the corner of his mouth. "I lied. I ain't ever been to Vegas. Would you like to go? We'll hit somethin' big on the way so we got somethin' to spend when we get there."
 
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Never in her life had two words made her feel so bad. Crazy broad. Staring at Ian, Elizabeth knew that she had angered him from the look upon his face. Still, it didn’t match the way her heart hurt at his lowly whispered words. She could deal with anger, but she didn’t know if she could bare the thought of him being disappointed with her.

“What…” She asked as the door opened and he declared that he needed some air.

Watching as he passed in front of the car and into the grass on the side of the road, Elizabeth felt an incredible amount of guilt. She hadn’t meant to draw him into the drama that was her life and she most certainly had never meant to lie to anyone.

It seemed that fate had a funny way of throwing into the path of a man that had never wanted a woman in his life before. If she had never been in that bank that morning, she would never had known that Ian Darcy had even existed. She would be rotting away in her apartment, waiting for the day that Stephen decided that she was worthy enough to actually become his wife.

She sighed deeply, her head cradled in her hands as she leaned down towards the headboards as a wave of nausea rolled over her. He had the right to leave her there in the middle of nowhere, freezing until someone came along. He had every right to shoot her like he had probably originally wanted to. It meant something that he hadn’t yet…right?

The sound of the door jerking open had her gasping. She jerked her head from her hands and stared at Ian as he glared at her from the open driver’s door. “What?” She asked as he talked in a stern tone, pointing his finger at her like she was a child.

“Cut my hair?” Her hand instantly reached for her thick, blonde braid, holding it almost protectively as he started to talk about teaching her to shoot and changing her name. “Ian, you don’t…”

Biting back her words, she watched as his face softened, a smirk showing across his lips as he spoke about lying himself. He wanted her to go to Vegas with him and she let out a deeply relieved sigh.

“You mean, you’re not mad at me?” She asked in a soft voice as he continued to stare at her for a long moment. You’re an adult, Elizabeth, you don’t have to act like a scared child, she told herself as she felt a smile creeping along her own lips. “Of course I’ll go with you.”
 
You mean, you're not mad at me?

"I'm very mad, but..." He didn't know what to say. Actually, he knew what he wanted to say, but didn't want to share it with her. He was glad that there was a reason for them to be together longer. If they managed to pull off her new identity, she might have been able to be with him forever.

Ian shook his head and climbed into the car. "Don't worry about it."

He closed the door and started the Oldsmobile back up. "Vegas it is then. Get some sleep; we got another busy day ahead of us."

Gas Station.

The drive was long and silent. Ian sank into his reserved mood as he followed the endless country road through the darkness. He might have been asleep; he might have been awake; or even in between. All he knew was that when he came out of it, the sun was breaching the sky, revealing the small gas station ahead. In the nick of time too.

By the time Elizabeth woke, she would notice the vehicle stationary and the driver's seat where Ian had sat empty. There was a small boy wearing blue, tattered, oil-stained suspenders standing along the cement platform which held the gas pumps. A gas gun was in the gas hole, emptying its contents into the tank and he was keeping an eye on the store behind them.

Ian was seated behind the vehicle in front of them with a screw driver, gradually removing its rusty license plate to replace it with the plate of the Oldsmobile. He had his ridiculous costume back on--that seemed to work so well--the thin moustache and beard along with the black-framed glasses that when without the rest of his getup had actually made him look rather studious.

"What he doin' now boy?" Ian asked.

The boy peered over his shoulder and squinted his blue eyes at the suited gentleman in the store.

"He gotsa' bag in his hand an' he talkin' with muh boss," the boy reported.

"Does he look about ready to leave?"

"Yes Sir."

"Wake up that lady in the car over there and tell her to go inside and get us somethin'."

He removed a dollar from his pocket and pressed it against the kid's belly. The kid took it into his hand and walked over to Elizabeth's window knocked on it. He then held up the dollar and reported on a muffled voice through the window:

"Your husband says you need'ta go inside and get ya'll somethin'."

Ian grinned impishly at the boy's choice of words to describe him.
 
Pure relief made her shoulders slump forward as she expelled the breath she’d been holding. Never would Ian know the power of his words as he slid back into the car. Elizabeth nodded as he suggested that she get some sleep. She stared at him for a long moment, unable to say what she really wanted to say, before she found herself sliding across the seat and pressing her lips against his cheek.

“Thank you.” She said softly as she gathered her pillow back up and took up the same position that she’d been in before the argument took place. Pressing the pillow against the cool glass, she sighed as her cheek hit the fabric, the tension leaving her body as she settled in for a good night’s sleep.

The sound of a rapping against her window had her snapping upright in the seat. She noticed first that they weren’t moving and second that Ian was out of the car. A frown furrowed her brow as she turned towards the figure that had been knocking against her door.

The boy didn’t look old enough to even hold a job and in his dirty clothing, it was very apparent that he probably supported his family with a meager income. It took a few moments for his words to filter through the haze of her sleep filled mind. Husband? She didn’t have a husband…

It was then that she remembered that she was suppose to be playing a part. She nodded and pushed the blanket from her shoulders, opening the door and taking the dollar that the little boy offered. Staring at it for a long moment, she looked back at the boy and gave him a smile.

“What kind of candy do you like? I’ll get you some.” She said as the little boy’s eyes went wide. “Red Hots and a Valomilk alright with you?” She watched as he nodded dumbly and she smiled, ruffling his hair as she stepped from the stolen car and started towards the gas station with a glance over her shoulder to see that Ian was at work doing something to another car.

She pushed open the dusty glass paned door, staring at the two men that turned their attentions towards her. She stood there for a long moment, her breath caught in her lungs before she flashed them a bright smile and stepped into the clapboard building to let the door swing shut behind her.

“Hello. Um…my husband and I are on a trip to Florida and he wants me to pick up a few things for the vacation. Can you tell me where your candy is?” She asked the man behind the counter, feeling the way that the other man stared at her with a glance that she didn’t really appreciate. “He has a big sweet tooth.”
 
The cashier and the gentleman watched Elizabeth quietly, before the gentleman whispered over his shoulder to the older man behind him.

"You see that kisser on her face?" he whispered.

"Ah sure did."

"You think her husband gone did that?"

"Ah sure do."

The two men glanced outside at Ian as he rose into their view from behind the pump. They eyed the Poindexter. His oversized, white shirt and black pants seeming too big for his breeches.

"What she look for in an underdressed dummy like that?" the gentleman asked with an amused smirk.

"Ah don't know, but she gettin' him sweets. He must enjoy the power."

Frowning, the gentleman leaned off the counter and growled, "A man that lays a hand on his wife is no man in my book. He must never tussled with a real man before."

"Ah bet he ain't. Show'im whose boss."

"You aren't goin' to call the cops on me are you if say...I get a little too rough."

"No Sir. Ah'll enjoy watchin' you teach'im a lesson."

The gentleman puffed his chest out and smiled as his ego swelled within him. "I'll go easy on him. I just want to scare him that's all."

As Elizabeth approached the counter with the candy she had desired, the gentleman nodded at her and offered her a charming smile before he stepped outside. The store bell chimed and Ian leaned back from behind the Oldsmobile, peering past the gas pump to see the owner of the other vehicle heading right toward him. Arching a brow, he quickly finished securing the license plate and rose with the screw driver, offering it to the boy as he walked by to relieve him of it.

"Thanks kid," Ian said.

The boy nodded before his attention was caught by the man in the yellow suit. He slowed in his approach as he came closer to Ian. A seemingly-friendly smile was on his face. Ian stared at the man in confusion before he greeted, "Mornin'."

The gentleman chuckled at Ian's greeting and gazed back at the shop as the cashier winked his way. The pudgy man then turned his attention to Elizabeth as he decided to inform her, "Miss, you jus' wait here. That gentleman out there was feelin' sorreh for you and yus' relationship with your husband. He gonna teach him a lesson and hopeleh, he won't be hittin' you no more."

"You think you're something special don't you, boy?" the gentleman asked.

Ian arched a brow at the "boy" remark. He might have been the same age as the man before him if not older. "Pardon?"

The gentleman slapped his hand upon Ian's shoulder and clenched in his fist a chunk of his shirt, "You heard me. I saw your wife in there."

Ian glanced at the hand gripping his shirt and frowned. "You best take your hand from my shoulder."

The pump boy hid behind the hip of the car and peeked timidly at the brawl too fascinated to look away. The gentleman reached with his other hand to grasp Ian by his collar, and it was a wonder why the bank robber hadn't reacted yet. He had always been a pretty calm individual even when faced with conflict. As the taller man--only by an inch--gripped his collar and held him close to his face, he threatened, "Or you'll what? I'm not your wife buddy."

The cashier chuckled at the sight and grinned at Elizabeth. Her husband must have been pissing his pants.

That had been the last straw. Ian suddenly spit right in the gentleman's eyes, causing him to recoil in disgust as he growled and wiped at his face. With one, tightly balled fist, Ian hooked it around to slug the gentleman in his jaw. In a daze, the gentleman staggered back and Ian stepped after him, grasping him by the tie and yanking his head into the gas pump machine. In less than a minute, the fight was over. The gentleman was unconscious and sprawled across the dirt pavement, the pump boy's hands were pressed against his mouth as though he wanted to scream in excitement after witnessing the fight. He had been rooting for the man with the glasses since he had given him a dollar for the screw driver and fuel. At first, he thought the other man had the advantage because of his appearance, but he had just learned something that day. Appearances didn't matter.

Staring down at the gentleman as he straightened his shirt out, Ian said simply, "I ain't your buddy, friend."

The cashier was stunned, staring at the fight that didn't go the way he thought it would.
 
Following along the aisle that she was pointed down, Elizabeth perused the selection that was before her. She picked up a bag of red hots and a valomilk as promised to the little boy. Briefly she wondered what Ian liked, but she settled on a bag of licorice, a smile on her face as she thought about the sweet taste that she had loved since she was a little girl.

With her choices firmly in her hands, she moved back towards the front counter. Placing the bags down, she glanced towards the man that had been smiling at her since she walked in. His interest in her made her feel a bit strange, but she brushed it off as he stepped outside.

“I hope this coves it.” She told the cashier as she offered him her dollar bill.

She came up short as the man informed her that she needed to wait there. They were concerned about her relationship with Ian. She frowned, looking between the two of them for a moment as they talked about him hitting her. It was then that she realized what they were talking about. Her eyes widened as her hand shot towards her eye, touching the sore skin that was bruised from the punch she’d been given.

“Oh…” She said, drawing out the word. “Oh, no. You have it all wrong. We were in a car accident. I hit the dashboard when we wrecked.”

Lying wasn’t something that Elizabeth was use to, but it came easily from her lips as the men looked from her to the scene that was going on outside. She spun around, her heavy blonde braid twirling around her head as she looked out the dingy windows to see the two men locked in battle.

Slapping the dollar onto the counter, she gathered her things and hustled outside, gasping in horror as she watched Ian slug the man. Her eyes were wide, jaw dropped as the moment grew even more violent as Ian jerked the man into the gas pump.

“Henry, stop!” Elizabeth yelled, the horror etched on her face as she used the name that Ian had during the robbery. “Are you crazy?”
 
Henry, stop!

Ian looked up from the unconscious gentleman to Elizabeth running towards him in fright. He stepped forward to meet her and as she asked if he was crazy, he reached into the bag to pull out a stalk of licorice. Biting into it, he answered with that same sly smile he had given her the last time she had asked that question:

"I am crazy."

Putting the licorice in the corner of his mouth, which was normally reserved for his pipe, Ian started for the Oldsmobile and said over his shoulder, "Give the kid his candy. We're headin' out."

The boy removed the gas gun from the tank and sealed it with the gas cap. He then eagerly awaited Elizabeth like a pup expecting a treat for his service. Ian opened the driver's side and climbed in. Normally, he didn't like conflict, but he had given the man a chance to mind his own, and he didn't take it. He adjusted the rearview mirror, his licorice cigar slowly becoming shorter and shorter.

"Henry..." he said the name under his breath and didn't like the flavor. He always hated that name but it was a pseudonym after all.

Once Elizabeth had finished her business, he got them rolling back on the road toward Indianapolis. After finishing the licorice, he raised his fist to his mouth to cover a heavy yawn. He hadn't slept since...well...since that nap he had taken yesterday; and he had been doing pretty well for performing under 24 hours. It was a sacrifice since he doubted the dame could drive.
 
Stunned silence was all she could muster as he reached into her bag and pulled out the candy like nothing had happened. She watched as he retreated towards the car, reminding her that the little boy needed his candy. She turned her eyes to the boy as he removed the gas from the tank and finished his job.

She had never seen someone in her life want something so bad. She managed a smile, pulling her licorice from the sack and handing him the rest. Another ruffle of his hair and Elizabeth hurried to her side of the car, sliding in as Ian gunned the engine and they jerked back into action.

There was silence between them again as he ate up the miles. It was only punctuated by his yawning every couple of minutes. Glancing towards him, she noticed how tired her looked and she nibbled on a piece of candy, thinking through her options as they moved through more farm land.

“There’s a road up there. Why don’t you pull in?” She asked, pointing to the upcoming farm road that led into a wheat field. “Seriously, pull in. You need some sleep and it won’t do us any good if you fall asleep at the wheel and we crash.”
 
Ian listened as Elizabeth suggested that he turn in for the night. He stared at the approaching road she had pointed out and contemplated refusing and seeing how far he could drive before he did fall asleep at the wheel, but his conscience was pleading for sleep. If he slept he would sleep for hours and perhaps until night, leaving Elizabeth alone. The idea of waking up and not finding her anywhere or worse, the cops managing to find them bothered him. Indianapolis was only a few more hours.

Sitting up in his chair, Ian gave Elizabeth a reassuring smile and said, "Just give me some of that candy and talk to me, and we'll be just fine. It's only a few more hours. Once we get to 'napolis, I can get us a room some place cheap and we can safely crash there. Or, we can go on ahead and pick up the sleeping car to St. Lou'. I find that idea better, but we won't be able to go shoppin' for clothes until then."
 
Well, he certainly was stubborn, she thought to herself as they sped past the road she’d suggested they turn off onto. She sighed and settled back against the seat, passing him the bag of candy as he started talking about the next leg of their journey. It would be nice to sleep in something that wasn’t moving, but she supposed he had a point about hitching a train.

“Eh, shopping for clothes is overrated.” She said, looking at him with a sly smile. “Besides, someone with your fashion sense has no business in a clothing store. Maybe a room would be best, since you'll be cutting my hair. I don't know if I trust you with a pair of sharp scissors on a moving train. I might end up bald or with one eye."

She couldn’t help the giggles that burst from her throat as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. She knew that the oversized clothes were part of his disguise, but a part of her was hoping that he would find some clothing better suited to he body that he was hiding away from the world.

“So, tell me about yourself. How does a bank robber become a bank robber?” She asked innocently enough, glancing at him from across the seat as he focused on the road. “Your accent most definitely isn’t from the North. Where were you born?”
 
Ian gave Elizabeth a side-glance as he tore open a bag of red hots and dumped a mouthful in his mouth. Her face glowed when she laughed and her joy only made him smile. The spice from the candies made him cough a bit.

"These will do," he said behind a slobbery mouthful. The heat from the candies were going to keep him wide awake and desperate for water. He returned to their conversation with a proud smirk. "The mullets I cut will have the gents all over ya."

He laughed at his teasing joke and fell back into silence when she began to probe at him. His immediate reaction was a soft frown of discomfort. His walls had went up, and his conscience had to talk him into loosening up. If Elizabeth was going to be with him from now on, he would have to share with her some things about himself so that she could trust him more.

After a moment of silence, Ian finally answered, "Winslow...Arizona..."

He let the confession evaporate on the air. It hadn't been so bad. "To be a bank robber you need to be crazy."

He then smirked in light amusement at his declaration. "A Crazy Broad."

Dumping the rest of the red hots into his mouth, his face flushed a bit from the spiciness and he explained on a serious note, "You got to be willing to place your life on the table. Anythin' can go wrong in a bank robbery. You plan it one way and it winds up going the other because somethin' absurd just decides to happen. Such as a Crazy Broad comin' outta nowhere with a sac of apples and lettin' you have it."

The conversation seemed to derail with his humor. He was back to laughing and it could have been his fatigue making his every joke seem so funny. He gripped the steering wheel and tried to calm his mirth before they crashed for reasons that had nothing to do with his exhaustion.
 
“Arizona.” She murmured as he finally answered her. She could see the emotions across his features, the way that he didn’t want to answer her, but there was a single moment as he decided that she was worthy enough to know at least part of the truth.

Elizabeth returned his smile as he told her she had to be crazy. Well, he already thought she was crazy and his declaration made her smile wider. “I told you I was sorry about the apples.” She said, a pretty little pout on her lips as he started to laugh at his own joke.

“Aren’t you scared, though? I mean, people are always looking for you.” She asked, reaching across the seat and placing her hand on his. “That’s got to be really hard to never have a place to settle down.”

Never would she be able to fathom the kind of life that Ian had led. Her life had been so sheltered, so pampered and perfect that she'd never had to worry about much. Out here on the road she was seeing that there was so much that life had to offer.
 
Ian's copper-coin eyes lowered to the creamy hand that settled on his rough one. It had felt so smooth and soft and its warmth seeped into the back of his fingers and knuckles--the same knuckles that had slugged the gentleman back at the gas station. It had made him feel at ease and the intimacy touched him deeper than she may have thought.

"If there's one thing that I learned best growin' up. It's that there ain't nothin' scarier than people in this world. Animals know it and even the trees know it. When I was robbin' that little bank in Chicago, you may not believe it, but I was terrified of ya. You could have ruined everythin' for me and got me arrested and probably strapped to the chair the following day when they'd realize that it wasn't Harry McDaniels that they had caught but Ian 'The Devil' Darcy. We would have never met, and you'd be the town hero. The only thing you would have known was that medal the Chief of Police would have crowned you with and that you had saved America by stopping an infamous murderer and thief."

His eyes had returned to the road during his hypothetical retelling of how events could have went down that day. He hoped that he had explained exactly how it felt to carry such a burden, and it would only weigh him down and crush him if he's caught.

"I want to believe that nobody knows who I am anymore. When you didn't know who I was, you have no idea how relieved I was to hear that, but then you're a sheltered girl. I couldn't just go by what you said. My name could be still out there, and I've just been hidin' from it ever since. It's my own fault though. I was born a thief, and I'm probably gonna die one. My sins gonna catch up to me and take me to Hell."

He was musing aloud and didn't mean to sound depressing or pathetic. He was simply prying into his inner-self and trying to answer his own questions. Why did he keep stealing? Why was he still running? Was there really anyone to be afraid of?
 
Elizabeth listened quietly as he talked, the mood in the car turning melancholy as he admitted his fears about the world around him. Her heart went out to this man that felt that he had to run to escape the demons that were hot on his heels. Whatever he had done in his life…well, it really couldn’t be all that bad.

“That’s the good thing about sins. They can all be absolved.” She said as she gave his hand a squeeze, a smile on her face as Ian went quiet, obviously focusing on the road ahead of them and lost in his own thoughts.

“I can tell you that things aren’t so hot at the top. It all looks like glitz and glamour, but I’ve spent most of my life living in a pretty little cage. Then to further our chances of busting into the upper crust, I got engaged to an old name with old money.” She let out a long breath, her shoulders slumping as she thought about her life with Stephen.

“We aren’t even married yet and he’s already stepping out on me. A brunette from what the old biddies at the country club say.” She went quiet for a long moment, staring out at that same road that Ian was so focused on. “You know, when you’re little you have this idea of what your life is going to be like. I imagined a nice little house, a few kids, a dog in the yard, and a husband that loved me more than anything. You think that’s foolish?”
 
Ian's eyes settled on her hand again as she gave it a comforting squeeze. He listened as Elizabeth explained her cage-bird life to him and every time she mentioned her fiancé--what was his name again? Stephen?--the magnitude of vexation he felt could have made him grind his teeth into dust. Ian curled his fingers about Elizabeth's own fingers and raised their hands in a firm embrace. He turned his head to give her his full attention and every now and then he spared a few stray glances at the road.

"Look, I don't know what queer your fiancé's gone and picked up to try and fill the void in his ass, but you are the finest canary I ever did see." His eyes flicked to the road before they returned to Elizabeth's crisp-blues. His grip on her hand was firm to emphasize the stern point he was trying to make. "He didn't know what he had, but I'm sure he knows now that you're gone. Don't let any blockhead try to treat you like you ain't worth a damn. You're a kind, caring, and beautiful gal with a nice smile and pure heart. Your dream ain't foolish. You gotta take risks. It's like robbin' a bank. You can make it happen, but you need to make it happen right."

Glancing back at the road, his playful smirk curled on his lips as he said, "You jus' make sure to warn me when you decide to take any risks. I don't need anymore crazy. I'm crazy enough as it is."

Ian lowered his hand and sank back against his chair with a lopsided grin on his face.
 
Why was it that a few kind words made her want to cry? Elizabeth swallowed past the hard lump that formed in her throat as Ian squeezed her hand and told her that she was beautiful and kind. It was much better then being the crazy broad, she decided and she gave him the warm, sunny smile that she was known for.

“I can’t make any promises.” She teased, laughing softly as she gave his shoulder a shove as he sank back against his seat and a cocky grin formed on his features. “Sometimes the crazy just bursts out of me without a warning.”

“Speaking of which, I was thinking that maybe you could teach me how to drive.” She said innocently, her blue eyes batting at him as he looked at her in surprise. “It makes no sense for you to run yourself ragged when I’m perfectly capable of helping out. I mean, it surely can’t be that hard, can it?”
 
Ian’s lip was turned up at her as though she smelled of BO. His expression spoke the words before they left his lips.

You drive? I was hopin’ we’d make it to ‘napolis alive,” Ian teased.

His eyes darted back to the road and just the idea of sleep being inches within his grasp was so tempting that his eyes became half-lidded and eyelids heavy with fatigue.

You let that Crazy Broad drive and you’ll wake up in Hell, the little devil on his shoulder said.

You need rest. When you get to ‘napolis you still gotta buy the train tickets and maybe wait for hours for the train. You don’t fall asleep now, you’d fall asleep then, the angel countered. ’Sides, you can trust that girl. She only trynna’ learn to take care of herself.

I was thinkin’ more like another one to drive durin’ getaways. Now or never buddy.”

“I ain’t your buddy,” Ian muttered under his breath. He hadn’t realized that he had reiterated the declaration he had left behind at the gas station.

Dragging a hand sleepily across his face, the bank robber sighed deeply, dropped his hand, and reluctantly pulled the Oldsmobile over.

“I’ll let you drive, but if you go off road once, I’m drivin’ the whole way,” Ian said.

It didn’t sound fair since she was a new driver, but he didn’t have much time to give her better lessons.

“Switch with me.”

He opened the door and leisurely walked around to the passenger’s side, raising the back of his fist to his mouth to cover a deep yawn. Once he switched with her, he plopped into the seat and closed the door. Turning sideways to face Elizabeth, he began, “All right…”

The bank robber explained the accelerator, brake, clutch and gear shift located behind the wheel as an adjustable lever. The emergency brake was another lever by her chair.

“Go ahead and get her going so you can get a good feel.”

When she’d get the vehicle moving, Ian watched her closely; monitoring her steering and every now and then he would reach over and straighten the wheel. He even put his seat belt on just in case she went too fast and braked too hard.

“Just take it slow until you feel confident to go faster.”
 
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