The moment he saw a shadow lean over him, Lucas was up on his feet and spinning toward the attacker, gun in hand.<br/><br/>'Lucas?'<br/><br/>He froze. Even if he had known, deep in some cynical part of him that she would be the one to find him, he couldn't pull the trigger, couldn't kill her. There was a reason, even when the demons first revealed themselves, that Lucas and Aideen both lived to fight another day. They had fought, bitterly, friends of several years becoming opposing agents in mere hours, but neither had been willing to kill the other when they had the chance. That was years ago, maybe she felt differently now. Lucas didn't.<br/><br/>Not that he had more than a second for these thoughts to run through his head. With a dull crack, the demon fell forward, landing heavily on the floor. Behind her, Lucas recognized the driver from his now decimated team. "We have to go," the man said, stepping forward. He pressed a foot down on the demon's neck, intending to crush her throat.<br/><br/>"Stop." Lucas' gun was still up, if not pointed directly at the driver. "She's coming with us."<br/><br/>The driver looked curiously between Lucas and the demon. "You crazy?" He stepped back, and before Lucas knew it he was reaching for his gun. "She's bewitched you. Sorry."<br/><br/>The gunshot rang out in the town, alerting the rest of the demons to their presence in the bar. The driver stumbled, and fell against a chair, bleeding out on the floor. Shocked at his own actions, Lucas rushed over to Aideen and picked up her arms, trying to drag her away from the bar. He felt terrible guilt, but he had no other option. The driver was going to shoot him! There had been no other option to keep himself alive, let alone protect Aideen.<br/><br/>Protecting her wasn't something he would do - he had to tell himself that not to feel like he was betraying his now lost team. "I'm taking you back to base," he lied to the unconscious demon, and to himself for that matter. Lucas knew, he *knew*, there was no way he could get back to headquarters. He had to make it through the desert without being overtaken by the enemy, while carrying one of them with him, while not succumbing to the cold in the night. Fantastic.<br/><br/>One demon reached the bar before Lucas was completely outside of it, still towing Aideen. He dropped one of her arms and shot the enemy, then strained and managed to lift the unconscious woman onto his shoulder. "Time to run," he urged himself, and took off at a decent pace, wishing to himself that he was stronger. She might not have been heavy, but she was heavy enough when you were running for your life.<br/><br/>Over a dune, the gunner stopped, letting the demon slip off his shoulder and onto the ground, on her back. Lucas frantically searched for his canteen of water to splash Aideen and try to wake her, when he couldn't find it in time he hesitantly chose to strike her across the face once, not especially hard, in an attempt to snap her awake. It seemed to work.<br/><br/>"Sorry about that." Lucas leaned up over the dune for a moment. He'd bought some time, but not enough. "I don't know what you're about to do, but just so you know I saved your life a minute ago." He looked upward again. This reunion would have to wait. "Your guys are on the way, I have to go. It was good to see you, sorry again about hitting you just there. Please don't stab me in the back." Lucas turned to leave. It was... Harder to do than he thought it would be.<br/><br/>Lucas had dreamed about seeing Aideen again, several times over the years. It always went differently. They would end up in another duel, or one would simply, efficiently kill the other. Once they got closer together, and he kissed her. The next time when he got that close he caught fire. None of these dreams ever left him feeling particularly good.<br/><br/>Neither did this. He wanted an actual conversation, actual resolution, but that desire was going to get him killed if he didn't run NOW and if she didn't help him or cover for him. Which he had no guarantee was coming. Anything could happen now.