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More Than Darkness	By : SaMe Category: M through R > Once Upon A Time In Mexico Views: 4591 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the movie that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-1
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-33
- 34-34
- 35-35
- 36-36
- 37-37
- 38-38
- 39-39
- 40-40
- 41-41
- 42-42
- 43-43
- 44-44
- 45-45
- 46-46
- 47-47
- 48-48
- 49-49
- 50-50
- 51-51
- 52-52
- 53-53
- 54-54
- 55-55
- 56-56
- 57-57
- 58-58
- 59-59
- 60-60
- 61-61
- 62-62
- 63-63
- 64-64
- 65-65
- 66-66
- 67-67
- 68-68
- 69-69
- 70-70
- 71-71
- 72-72
- 73-73
- 74-74
- 75-75
- 76-76
- 77-77
- 78-78
- 79-79
- 80-80
- 81-81
- 82-82
- 83-83
- 84-84
- 85-85
- 86-86
- 87-87
- 88-88
- 89-89
- 29
- 30
- 31
This is a crossover smutty story featuring the character of
Tess/Salida ie Tess' Voice in Neon Dasies' OUATIM fics on ff.net,
More Than Eyes Alone Can See, and More Than Life, and Sands/Jeffrey from
Merrie's OUATIM fic on ff.net, Darkness Rising. This story will make some
sense, probably, if you read it without having read either of our stories, but
it'll make a hell of a lot more if you just read them. They're all worth
reading, we promise. Anyway, on with the show.
Rated for what has happened, and what might happen. We�re really not quite sure
ourselves. On with the story.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

�Well . . .� Salida drawled after she�d closed the door,
bunt cake in one hand. �That was . . .
interesting.�
�That�s one way of
looking at it,� Sands said, looking down at the bunt cake after picking
Obsidian up in one arm. �I may have to
kill them later,� Sands said with a smirk to let her know that he was joking. Well, almost joking anyway.
There was an
awkward silence. �I guess I�ll go put
this in the kitchen,� she said, supremely uncomfortable. �Have umm . . . fun.�
�You don�t want to
talk to Jeffrey?� Sands asked, shifting the cat to his other arm with a
confused frown.
�You�re offering?� She was just as confused. This was outside the norm for their so called
relationship, and she wasn�t totally sure how to
react. Not to mention she wasn�t sure
what she�d say to her husband.
Sands didn�t
entirely know how to answer that. Was
he? He thought about it for a long
minute and came to the conclusion that he was. He didn�t know why, but he was. �I guess. . .� Sands said finally. �Just don�t let him do anything to the cats,�
he said with a stern frown.
�I won�t.�
Sands gave her a
long look to judge her seriousness, then nodded. �Alright,� he said, putting Obsidian to the
floor. The cat looked up at him and
began to rub around his ankles, purring loudly, wanting to be picked back up
again.
Jeffrey blinked and
saw Salida standing in front of him in what looked like their new place. �Hi vixen,� he said slowly before coming aware
of Obsidian entwining himself around Jeffrey�s legs. �What the fuck is that
thing?�
�A kitten,� Salida
observed dryly, immediately forcing any discomfort from her mind. Jeffrey wouldn�t be pleased with her if he
knew she was still preoccupied with thoughts of that morning. �Apparently Sands and Grant made a run to a
pet store at some point today. They both
got one.�
�A kitten,� Jeffrey
repeated incredulously. �What the fuck
is it doing?� he asked, frowning down at Obsidian who was butting his head
against Jeffrey�s ankle. Apparently the
cat didn�t differentiate between Jeffrey and Sands.
�Well, it looks
like he either likes you, or thinks you�re Sands.� She looked down at the cat bemusedly. �What�s wrong? Don�t you like cats?�
�I don�t know. I�ve never fucking had one before,� Jeffrey
muttered, trying to walk away from the cat. Obsidian simply bounded along behind him,
certain that Jeffrey had started some kind of new game. �How do I make it stop?� Jeffrey asked with a
frown. He truly didn�t know what to make
of this bundle of black fur and bright golden eyes
that seemed to be following his every move.
�Well, I suppose
you could either pick it up and pet it, or ignore it. But it does appear to be determined, doesn�t
it?�
�Yes it does,�
Jeffrey said with a frown. �Pick it up
and pet it, or ignore it . . . right,� he muttered, watching the kitten watch
him. �Well ignoring it doesn�t seem to
be working, so. . .� he reached out and picked up the kitten, holding it both
hands at arm�s length. �Now what?�
�Hold it closer to
you, and then pet it.� Salida had moved
past �bemused� to �utterly amused.�
Jeffrey furrowed
his brow but did as she instructed. He
brought the cat close to his chest and gave him a quick pat on the head. Obsidian gave him a puzzled look as if to ask
him what the hell he was doing, so Jeffrey petted him a second time, rubbing
Obsidian�s ears. �He�s . . . fucking
purring. That�s good, right? Why does this cat like me anyway? I thought you said it was Sands�. By fucking definition, he should hate me,
right?� he asked with a half smirk, shifting the cat in his arms as Sands had
earlier. �And you said there were two of
them?�
�The other one is
asleep. And I think it�s best to let it
stay asleep. And now, you can either
stay in here and play with your new toy or come outside and help me plant some
flowers. Although I warn you that it�s
hot outside and that Sands and I just received a visit from some overly
friendly neighbors.�
Jeffrey both
smirked at her referring to the cat as his �new toy,� and frowned at what she
had told him. �Fuck, new neighbors? What were they like?� he asked warily.
�Nosy in a polite,
nice-to-meet-you, join-us-for-dinner way.
But they brought us cake.� Salida
brought the Saran-wrapped creation to his attention.
�Well I suppose
that�s reason enough not to kill them. For
now,� he said with a smirk. �Where�s
kitty by the way?� he looked down at the cat on his arm. �Fuck, that�s not fair. I don�t fucking like changing nicknames, but
that might get confusing. . .�
�Grant�s out buying
a rug for her and Sands� room and various other sundries.� Going into the kitchen to put the cake down,
she also said, �So I suppose that gives you plenty of time to think of a new
nickname.�
�Fuck,� he
muttered, following her into the kitchen, trying to keep Obsidian from kneading
his claws into his chest. �You�re
planting flowers? In this fucking heat? Why?�
�Because the
weather is going to get any cooler as the summer goes on, that�s why,� she said
reasonably. �If you�re concerned, I�ll
come in the minute I start to feel the least bit sick. But I think you forget that for most of my
life � or Tessa�s life � I lived in central Mexico. I�m used to the heat.�
Jeffrey made a face
at that. �Well . . . Sands and I lived
in DC as you well know. I think I�ll
fucking stay here in the air-conditioning. If you need any help. . .�
�I�ll let you
know. But you don�t know anything about
planting flowers,� she pointed out with a smile.
�You�re definitely
right about that,� he said wryly. �The
colorful parts go up,� he said with a smirk.
�Well, I suppose
you know more than I thought you did.�
Being careful not to get too close to the kitten, Salida got up on her
tiptoes and gave Jeffrey a kiss on the cheek.
�I suppose so,� he
said wryly. �Just keep that in mind and
I�m sure you'll be fucking fine. I�ll be
in here.�

****************************** ***
******************************

When the door opened some time after the movers had come,
Jeffrey assumed that it was his wife coming in, so he didn�t move from his
position on the floor.
Aida on the other
hand, when she came in the door, assumed that the man on the floor playing with
the cats was Sands. �Having fun?� she
asked, smiling at the sight.
Jeffrey froze. Oh fuck.
That�s not vixen. �I�m not hurting him or anything, kitty,� he
said sternly. Or as sternly as he could
while Obsidian was currently eating the tips of his hair.
�I didn�t think you
were,� she replied, chagrined that she hadn�t anticipated the possibility that
Jeffrey would be around. Her eyes darted
around the room to find that her own cat was sitting just out of reach of
Jeffrey, her tail twitching as she watched him.
Moving quietly, she edged around the couch and picked up her pet,
gratified at the instant affection she received.
Jeffrey for his
part did his best to ignore Aida and continue to let Obsidian fascinate him. It was an awkward situation, but he wasn�t
willing to let her intimidate him from having fun with the cat.
Her cat in hand,
Aida went back to the front door and picked up the several bags of groceries
she�d left there along with the suitcase it�d taken so long to pack
earlier. Going into the kitchen with her
load, she set down the bags and set Agatha on the counter. The kitten immediately started trying to
climb into the plastic bag, mewling softly.
�What�s wrong,
baby? Did Sands forget to feed you?� She looked around and saw the empty food
bowls and the empty water dish. �Was he
having too much fun to feed the cats?� she asked sympathetically. �Well � no, you can�t eat that.� Aida pulled her kitten away from a package of
pepperoni � fragrant even through the seal.
�Come over here, kitkat.� She ripped open the package of kitten chow,
not surprised when there was an exclamation of surprise in the living room and
that there was soon a small black shadow slinking across the linoleum. �You�re hungry too, hmm?� In the absence of a scoop, Aida used her hand
to fill the food bowl. �Next we�ll get
water, and then the litter box.� When
the store owner had informed them that the kittens were already house-broken,
Aida had been relieved beyond words.
Something had told her that none of her new roommates � not even Sands �
had the patience to boxtrain a cat, much less two of
them.
Jeffrey laid back on the floor after Obsidian bounded off, letting
him go. �You might as well come out and talk
to your wife now, Sands,� he muttered.
Sands just nodded
and got up off the floor-not questioning why Jeffrey was down there in the
first place � walking to the kitchen where he heard Aida speaking to the cats. He leaned against the doorway and commented
wryly, �I have a feeling that you just stole Obsidian some how. Want to explain that?� The question was directed both
to Jeffrey and Aida. Jeffrey didn�t
give an answer.
�I noticed they
hadn�t been fed yet,� Aida explained. �I
opened the food bag and he came running.�
�Oh.� Aida couldn�t be sure who had spoken. �I guess I got distracted. Sorry about that,� Sands continued, not
entirely knowing why. Sometimes the
lines between him and Jeffrey blurred. This
seemed to be one of those times. �I�m
covered in cat hair,� he muttered, both changing the subject and mildly
annoyed.
�Most of it is from
your cat, so I don�t even know how you notice.�
Aida stepped closer and brushed lightly at his shirt. Her fingers tickled a little as they plucked
at some of the worst clumps. �Summer. They�re shedding.�
�I notice,� he
muttered. �Fuck it. It doesn�t matter. It�ll happen again later,� he said with a
shrug.
�You could wear
something other than black,� she suggested, knowing how that would go over.
Jeffrey snorted,
but otherwise didn't comment on that one.
Sands ignored him. �What would be the fun in that?� he asked
wryly.
Aida just shook her
head and changed the subject. �What do
you want for dinner tonight?�
�I don�t know . . .
What did you get?�
he asked cautiously.
�Oh, a bit of
everything. There�s a bunch of bags on
the porch still, along with the rug, and the curtains, and the sheets . . . did
the movers ever come?�
�Not as far as I
know,� he said with a shrug. �You�re
going to have to be more specific than that about the food, spitfire.�
�No, I really think
you should choose.� There was a
mischievous smile on her face.
�Why?� Sands asked
warily, not liking the look on her face at all.
�Because you�re
going to help make it. Why did you
think?�
He groaned. �And if I say no?�
She waved her
fingers at him.
Sands stiffened. �You play dirty,� he said with a scowl. �Fine. I�ll
cook. But don�t expect me to like it. I don�t. You need any help with the rest of the
groceries?� he asked evenly.
�Yeah.� So saying, she led Sands back to the
entryway, where they met Salida coming in.
Salida wasn�t in
the best mood, being hot, sweaty, and more affected by the heat than she had
expected. She merely glared at the
couple on principle then headed upstairs.
She�d hauled the rest of their belongings over from the hotel earlier in
the day, and was now going to take a shower.
Alone.
Jeffrey must have
left for the moment because he didn�t respond to Salida�s cool reaction to
seeing Sands and Aida. Sands merely
frowned a little and then shrugged it off and helped Aida carry in the rest of
the groceries.
Back in the
kitchen, Aida easily moved around as she put things away. �You never said what you wanted for dinner,
my love,� she reminded him. She wanted
to call him by his first name, but she didn�t know if Jeffrey was around or
not, and if he was, then Sands would get upset.
�What did you get?�
he asked again, looking through the bags they had brought in, trying not to
step on the cats circling his ankles.
�You�re avoiding
the question,� she pointed out, a bit exasperated. �I got enough food to feed four people for a
week, even though there�s only three of us.
Whatever you want, I bet I have most of what we�d need to make it.�
Sands found himself somewhat stuck on the fact that there really was
only three people living in this house, but managed to shake it off with an
effort. �Alright. How about . . . spaghetti? That should be simple enough, right?� he
muttered.
�Yes. Simple enough.� Aida smiled encouragingly, and set aside a
package of hamburger. �Now, I�m pretty
sure there�s a jar of sauce and a bag of spaghetti around here somewhere.�
Sands was not liking this. At
all. It was one thing to cook with Aida
when it was just them . . . but this was different. �Alright,� he said shortly.
Nudging a cat aside
with her foot, Aida stepped close and wrapped her arms around Sands�
waist. �Don�t worry. This won�t take long at all. I promise.�
Jeffrey pulled away
from Aida�s embrace. Not quickly, but he
didn�t want to be touched by her either. �You�re making Sands cook?� he asked
incredulously, not believing it.
�Shut the fuck up,
Jeffrey,� Sands muttered. This was what
he hadn�t been looking forward to.
�Oh this is fucking
perfect,� Jeffrey said with a snort of laughter. �She�s really gotten you domesticated, hasn�t
she Sands?�
�I don�t think you�re
one to talk,� Sands retorted, his face tightened with irritation.
�I don't think I�m
the one cooking right now,� Jeffrey responded.
�Yes, but if you
ever get hungry and Salida�s not around to fed you, you�ll have a hard time
scraping together a meal,� Aida pointed out.
�At least this way Sands can feed himself decent food if he doesn�t want
to go out.�
Jeffrey pursed his
lips in thought at that. �Fine, fuck it.
Whatever. Enjoy your fucking cooking class. Just don�t expect me to join in,� he said and
left.
�I should cook more
often. It gets rid of him for awhile,�
Sands said with a sco
�See? I knew what I was doing,� Aida teased, moving
back in for a hug. The ingredients they
needed were sitting on the counter beside them.
�Now, what do you suppose we need to do first?�
�Heat up the
spaghetti somehow?an san style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I imagine the way to
do that has something to do with a large pot filled with water you put on the
stove,� he said wryly.
�Close,� she
said. �First we actually get the sauce
started because we have to brown the meat.� Aida pulled out the pan she wanted, and set it
on the stove. Reaching into a nearby
cabinet, she pulled out a bottle of olive oil.
�A little bit of oil to make sure the meat doesn�t stick to the pan,
dump the meat in,� she ripped open the package and plopped the mass into the
skillet, �and turn on the heat.� Handing
Sands a spoon, she said, �Just make sure it doesn�t burn while I wash my hands.�
Sands sighed, but
did as she asked, stirring the meat without saying a word. There was something almost calming about the
stirring though, not that he�d mention that to her. That would only lead to more cooking lessons.
As Aida was drying
her hands, the were several thumps as if someone was
coming downstairs and wanted everyone to know it. Salida appeared shortly after and paused as
she took in Sands cooking. �Well . . .� That was all she
said as she got something to drink from the fridge.
Sands scowled
again, but didn�t say anything in response. His temper though, was beginning to slip a
little, and Jeffrey and Salida�s comments were beginning to wear at him.
Salida saw his
profile, and saw that he�d interpreted her comment incorrectly. �Don�t misunderstand me,� she said over the
snick of a can opening. �I simply
thought you were too spoiled to actually stoop to cooking.� Spoiled
or stuck up.
pan>pan>Sands paused and
thought about that for a second. �Normally,
you�d be right,� he said after a moment�s hesitation. �I�m being forced.� There was a wry note to the confession.
She kept all mention
of apron strings to herself, although from the look that Aida shot her, the
other woman might guess what she was thinking.
Salida ignored this and reached for a knife intent on cutting herself a
slice of cake.
�You�re going to
ruin your appetite,� Aida said mildly.
�That�s the point,
Grant. When one is hungry, one tends to
eat.� She cut herself a large chunk of
cake, trying not to dump crumbs everywhere.
�You�re not going
to join us?�
Salida was started
by that question. Why would they ask her
to join them?
�This is dinner . .
. for all of us,� Sands said somewhat awkwardly. �You and Jeffrey too,� he cast a glance toward
Aida. �I don�t think we�d be cooking
here if it wasn�t,� he said slowly. He
wasn�t entirely comfortable with the idea of the four of them sharing dinner,
but he supposed he couldn�t avoid such an occurrence forever.
When she noticed
the grey cat coming towards her, Salida brought her feet up to rest on the edge
of the chair she was sitting on. �Umm .
. . okay.� What was there to say that
wouldn�t make her � or Sands � more uncomfortable than they already felt? It was obvious that Aida hadn�t thought twice
before including Salida in her dinner plans, which was more than Salida could
say for herself. If things had been left
up to her, she probably would have avoided this for as long as possible.
She felt a sudden
burst of hate towards the other woman.
Why must she be so . . . inclusive?
So obviously nonplussed by a situation that should make any sane person
think twice? As she tried to contain her
feelings, Salida took a bite of cake anyway.
She was starving and despite her words, the treat wouldn�t make much of
an impact on her hunger.
After several long
moments of silence, Salida cleared her throat.
�This doesn�t mean I like you, Grant.�
Aida knew it didn�t. She knew that Salida was simply accepting out
of a stubbornness that wouldn�t let her show her true feelings of discomfort in
front of a potential enemy. But she was
pleased nonetheless.
�Are you two
fucking done yet? I�m fucking bored,�
Jeffrey muttered. And hungry.
�You could cook
dinner, Jeffrey,� Salida suggested idly.
�It�d give you something to do.�
�No fucking thanks.
I�d be tempted to set the kitchen on
fire. And since this is a new house, it�s best that I don�t,� he said with a wicked smirk.
Sands just rolled
his eyes at Jeffrey�s comment.
Aida set a pot full
of water on the stove. �Pay attention
for a minute,� she said to Sands calmly.
�Before throwing spaghetti in the water to cook, you have to wait for it
to boil, and you should add a dash or two of salt, but the world won�t end if
you forg��
�Grant, your cat is
annoying me,� Salida interrupted, looking down at the small ball of fluff. Said ball of fluff was looking up at her with
big blue eyes and making pious mewling noises.
I�m not your owner, she told
it silently. Leave me alone.
Jeffrey turned to
look at Salida with a frown. �What�s
wrong, vixen? Just . . . pet it or
something. That seems to work,� he said
with a shrug before Sands turned back to cooking.
�I don�t want to,�
Salida said simply. However, Aggie didn�t
understand this simple fact. With a
wriggle of her hindquarters, she jumped . . .
. . . and missed Salida�s lap entirely. The woman cried out as the cat�s front claws
caught the denim of her shorts, and its back claws caught in skin. She quickly caught the kitten by the scruff
of the neck and set it back on the floor.
Jeffrey quickly
turned back around and shot Salida a worried look, having heard her yell. �Vixen? What�s wrong? Are you fucking alright?�
�I�m fine,� she
seethed. �That little fuzzball just mistook me for a tree, that�s all.� She glared at the kitten which was once again
sitting at her feet.
�What�s
it want?� Jeffrey asked with a frown, confused as to why the kitten was
bugging her when she obviously didn�t want to touch it. Why that was, Jeffrey also didn�t understand.
�I think I heard
somewhere that the more you try to get a cat to stop doing something, the more
its going to try and do just that,� Sands said absently, putting the spaghetti
noodles into the boiling water slowly as to not splash any hot water out.
�Well, this one isn�t
getting what it wants.� Having said
that, Salida moved to sit on the counter, well out of reach of small
claws.
She continued to
watch as Sands and Aida fixed their meal, and the feeling of hate
returned. They were so comfortable
around each other. She just didn�t
understand. Aida couldn�t possibly understand
Sands as well as another schizophrenic might, but she . . . they . . . .
Why can�t Jeffrey and I do things like that?
she asked herself as she watched Aida open the jar of
spaghetti sauce for Sands to add to the meat.
Why are they so . . . at ease in
each other�s presence? So relaxed? It�s not fair. It wasn�t fair that these two fit together so
well when she and Jeffrey practically had to fight just to keep from biting
each other�s heads off at times.
�Is this all?�
Sands asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice. He was tired of cooking. Now all he wanted to do was eat.
Aida stirred the
spaghetti. �No, it�s going to be two or
three minutes still.� She set down her
spoon. �Go ahead and test it in a minute
or two. Salida?� she turned to the other
woman. �Will you help me carry the rug
in the foyer up to mine and Sands� room?�
Salida looked
suspicious, but she climbed down from her counter-top refuge. With a wink for her husband, Aida left the
kitchen, Salida following after.
She did that on purpose, Sands thought
to himself, staring around the now empty kitchen and landing on the steaming
food on the stove. �Well great. Now what?� he asked himself.
�Don�t fucking ask me. You�re the one
who�s cooking,� Jeffrey supplied sardonically.
�Shut up. Ok, test it. I can do that. . .� He waited a few minutes before pulling out a
single noodle using the oddly shaped spoon Aida had been using to stir it with. He carried the
noodle over to the sink and ran cold water on it to cool it down before picking
it up and sticking it in his mouth. �Well,
it tastes done. . .� he said slowly. Deciding that it was done, he turned off the
burners under the spaghetti and the sauce and looked at the spaghetti. He knew he was supposed to drain the pasta in
that bowl with the holes in it in the sink, what was it called?
�A colander,�
Jeffrey supplied.
�I thought you
weren�t paying attention? That you didn�t
need to learn how to fucking cook?� Sands asked wryly.
Jeffrey was caught.
�Fuck you,� he muttered in lieu of
another response.
Sands just laughed.
�Don�t think I�m going to be able to
carry it though. I�d better wait for
spitfire,� he muttered to himself.
The women returned
shortly after that, Aida as serene as she normally was, and Salida still
frowning in irritation.
�It�s done?� Aida
asked, peering into the pot.
Sands shrugged. �You tell me. I tested one of the noodles and it tasted alright, but I can�t fucking hold on to the pot to drain it.
In the colander,� he added with a smirk
that Jeffrey turned into an irritated scowl.
�I�ll trust you,�
she said, hefting the pot up and carrying it over to the sink. Slowly, she poured the water out, letting the
noodles fall into the strainer. Once all
the water had been disposed of, she dumped the spaghetti back into the
pot. �I think everyone can serve
themselves.�
Jeffrey nodded for
Salida to go first, since she obviously seemed to be the hungriest. And fuck all if he wasn�t grateful for that
renewed hunger.
�That�s alright,�
she demurred, eyeing the spaghetti sauce.
It looked uncomfortably like Jeffrey�s hand after he�d slammed it into
the elevator wall. Just that thought was
enough to make her want to wait before trying it.
Jeffrey frowned at
her hesitation, his worry returning when she didn�t seem ready to eat. Before he could ask about it, Sands moved in
and dished himself a large plate of spaghetti with a generous helping of sauce.
�What�d you get to drink, spitfire? I forgot to ask.�
�There�s milk, iced
tea, and diet coke. If anyone wants
something different, they�re going to have to starshopshopping list.� Aida picked up a plate and fixed herself a
smaller portion of food. �Oh, and of
course we�ve got water.�
�A shopping list,�
Jeffrey repeated slowly, as if the notion was completely alien to him, which in
fact it practically was. He set his
plate down on the dining room table and returned to the kitchen to get a glass of water, making sure
to keep an eye on the two cats following the movements of all of them so that
they didn�t decide to take a bite of his dinner.
Salida moved
forward to fix her own plate, although she used a minimum of sauce on her
spaghetti. Getting a glass from the same
cupboard that Jeffrey had, she went to the fridge and poured herself a glass of
milk. Carrying her meal to the table,
she sat down at an unclaimed side and pulled her feet up into the seat
again. Jeffrey/Sands sat down across
from her, and Aida to her left. �Well, isn�t this cozy,� she said
sarcastically.
�This is fucking
awkward, is what it is,� Jeffrey said dryly. �Whose bright idea was this, anyway?� he
asked, using Sands� hand to twist a roll of spaghetti on his fork against the
plate before bringing it to his mouth. It
wasn�t too bad, actually.
�It�s not as if we
don�t have time to get used to it,� Aida drawled, not sure why she�d expected
this meal to go more pleasantly.
Whatever comment
Jeffrey had been about to make was stifled by Sands taking another bite of spaghetti.
�Just shut up and eat,� he muttered to
Jeffrey, feeling as awkward about the whole thing as Jeffrey was. He then frowned to feel something vibrating
against his leg. He lifted up a corner
of the tablecloth and looked underneath. Obsidian was rubbing against him, obviously
begging for food even though he had just had his own dinner. Sands was tempted
to give him a piece of hamburger, but there would be plenty of time for that
later.

****************************** ***
******************************

Salida had decided to go to bed early. She�d just come out of the bathroom after
having cleaned her face, and found Jeffrey waiting on their bed for her.
�How are you?� he
asked simply, wanting to know. They hadn�t
had much of a chance to talk all day except for their fight, and he felt the
need to now. �Are you still fucking
upset with me about this morning? Because
it seems like you�ve been avoiding talking to me. Maybe I�m fucking paranoid. It�s likely.�
�I�m fine,� she said,
more out of a desire to placate him than any deep conviction on her part. �And you are paranoid. I�m not avoiding you � it�s just that we
haven't been around each other much today.�
Going over to her dresser, she picked up her brush and started to run it
through her hair. �Did you notice that
Grant lopped off most of her hair?�
�Fine, I�m
paranoid. And yeah, I did notice. Why do you think she did it?� he asked
curiously. He didn�t really care, but
when someone did something as dramatic as that there was usually a reason for
it.
Salida shrugged. �Perhaps she got sick of that unruly mass of
hair always hanging down her back. But
then again, I don�t care either.�
Jeffrey shrugged to
himself, laying back on the bed, still fully dressed. He wasn�t the least bit tired. He heard someone padding toward him and looked
up just in time to see Obsidian sitting in front of the bed, seemingly daunted
by its height. �It seems I�ve got a
shadow,� he muttered, sitting up to pick up the small cat.
Salida glanced at
the cat but didn�t say anything.
Jeffrey took in her
reaction and remembered how she had reacted around the cats before. �Do you not like cats?� he asked with a raised
eyebrow, petting the now purring Obsidian in his lap. He decided he didn�t care that it was
technically Sands� cat. Obsidian didn�t
seem to.
Salida wasn't sure
how to answer that. �It�s not that I don�t
like them . . . it�s just . . .� Her words died off and she shrugged.
�It�s just what,
vixen? I don�t understand,� Jeffrey
pressed. �It�s just a cat. And this one�s not all that bad even,� he
said, gesturing to the bundle of purring black fur in his lap.
�Perhaps I�m just
not good at dealing with living things,� she murmured. �I�ve seen the deaths of enough innocent
plants, and fish, and . . .�
Once again she trailed off, but this time she was too lost in
thought to even notice.
�You think I haven�t?�
he asked wryly. �I can�t even remember seeing a cat before this let alone
petting one.�
�Yes, but you never
killed anyone with negligence,� she pointed out softly.
�No, I suppose not,�
he agreed with a shrug. �Is that what
you�re fucking worried about? Don�t be. There are three other people in this fucking
house to look after two fucking cats. They�ll
be fine.�
Salida jerked her
mind back from wherever it�d been wandering.
�Perhaps I simply don�t want
to pet it. Have you ever considered
that?�
�Why wouldn�t you
want to pet him?� Jeffrey asked, cocking his head slightly to the side in confusion.
He liked petting Obsidian. Rubbing his hand across the cat�s soft fur was
calming somehow. He didn�t know why she
wouldn�t want to as well.
�Do I need a
reason?� she asked, trying to keep irritation out of her voice. �I�m a schizophrenic. I dislike things irrationally sometimes. And at the moment, this appears to be one of
those things.�
Jeffrey shrugged. He wasn�t about to argue that point. �Alright. No you don�t. If you don�t want anything to do with the cats
I�m certainly not going to fucking stop you.�
I want
something to do with the cats. I just
can�t bare to touch them at the moment, she
thought, setting down her brush. �I�m
going to bed,� she sighed. �I�med.�ed.�
�Alright. I�ll join you in a little while. I think I�m going to take a walk or something.
I�m not tired yet,� he said, scratching
Obsidian�s ears.
�Just . . . take
the cat with you, please. And shut the
door.� There was no way that Salida was
going to be interrupted in the middle of the night by cats seeking
affection. Jeffrey was probably going to
be more than she could handle in the first place.

****************************** ***
******************************

Aida woke early on Monday morning to find Sands sitting at
the foot of the bed. Stretching, she
yawned, �What time is it?�
�About eight. Sunrise
got up early so I decided to come in here. I didn�t mean to wake you up. Are you going to get up now or are you going
to go back to sleep?� he asked, eying his side of the bed thoughtfully. There was a cat on it. Two
of them in fact.
�No, I was going to
get up. I�ve got my first . . . I�ve got
an appointment at ten.� Thinking about
it, Aida had the sudden urge to ask Sands to come with her � if he could stand
to come with her � but didn�t want to pressure him into something he�d be
uncomfortable with.
�I see,� he said
slowly, horrid images of what that appointment would contain flashing through
his head before he could stop them. He�d
always been rather too good at envisioning the worst-case scenario. �I want to come with you. I don�t want you to go into that horrible
fucking place alone. If Jeffrey can
manage to get my fucking hand and arm stitched up, then I can at least wait for
you.�
�I think your
imagination may be running away with you, my love,� she said, moving across the
bed so she could drape herself across his lap.
�The radiation isn�t so bad � it�s like getting a CAT scan. And the chemo is basically me sitting in a
recliner, an IV in my arm while I watch TV.�
And while this was all true, she still sighed. �But I won�t deny that I want you to come
with me. I just . . . in another week or
two, I won�t be able to give you reassurance if it gets to be too much.� I�ll be
too sick to.
�I�ve never gotten
a CAT scan. I�m almost afraid of what
they�d find,� he muttered to himself quietly. �I�ll go with you. And I understand. Hopefully in that time I�ll be . . . used to
it.�
�Promise me you�ll
leave, go outside, if you need to.� Her
eyes were deadly serious. �I�m not
asking you to stay by my side until you lose it. If you need to go for a short walk to collect
yourself, I�ll be fine.�
�I promise,� Sands
said, moving to pet the two cats on the bed.
�I see how it is,�
Aida mourned as her head slipped to the bed.
�Not even a good-morning kiss before you start spoiling the cats. I suppose
the honeymoon is over.�
Sands rolled his
eyes. �You know I love you, spitfire,�
he said, rolling over on his back next to the cats who decided that he�d be warmer
than the bed and moved to lay next to and on top of him. �Although, spoiling them might not be such a
good idea in retrospect,� he commented, lifting his head up to look at the cats
on top of him.
�Told you so.� This comment came as Aida tried to pinch the
back of his knee through his pants.
�Hey, what do you
think you�re doing?� he asked wryly, the cats looking at him with matching
annoyed glances at the yell.
�Begging for
attention. I still haven�t gotten a
kiss. If you�re trying to spoil me, you�re
failing miserably.�
�Get these cats off
of me and I�ll let you know without a doubt that our honeymoon doesn�t have to
be over if you don�t want it to be,� he said with a smirk.
�No, actions speak
louder than words,� she said loftily. �I
know when I�m not wanted. I�ll just
leave you to your new romance.� She
pretended to get up.
Sands sat up on the
bed, ignoring the stinging of small but sharp claws as the cats attempted to
hang on to him as he moved. He moved
over to his wife and took her face in his hands and pulled her in for a long,
deep, passionate kiss. �Good morning,
wife,� he said a minute later when they had finally separated.
�There�s the kind
of greeting I was expecting, husband.�
She leaned forward to rub noses with him. �Now, hold me for awhile before we need to
get ready.�
Sands nodded and
leaned back against the headboard of the bed with Aida in his arms, her back
against his chest. He kissed the top of
her head an whispered, �I love you, Aida.�
�I love you . . .
Sheldon.� She immediately turned her
head and smothered his groan with a kiss.

****************************** ***
******************************

Salida spent most of her morning puttering around the house �
cleaning windows, sweeping floors, re-organizing the kitchen. When the phone rang a little past noon, she was taken by surprise.
She approached the
appliance warily, and picked it up. �Hello?�
�Salida Sands?�
�This is she.�
�This is Dr. LaCroix with your test results. And I think I have some good news for you.�
Salida sat down,
relief she wasn�t expecting rushing through her. �I�m not sick.�
�No. But we did find something. Well two somethings.�
She tensed again,
and cursed silently. She hated doctors. They always had to dangle their superior
knowledge over everyone�s heads. �What�s
wrong?�
�Nothing. Nothing�s wrong. Is your husband there?�
Oh god, oh god, oh god. �No, I�m afraid he�s . . . out.�
�Well, then you
have time to consider how you�ll break the news to him.� The doctor cleared her throat.
Shit.
�What news?� Salida�s hand was
white-knuckled on the receiver, her entire body shaking with the strain.
�Well, firstly,
your dizziness and blackouts are a result of some low level anemia. It�s common enough for women in your
condition and can be fixed by ��
�What condition?� she interrupted harshly.
�You�re pregnant.�
Time froze, and all
Salida heard was the rushing of blood in her ears. �What?� she asked weakly.
�You�re
pregnant. Several months along if . . .� The doctor�s voice
died off as shock settled more firmly over Salida.
No.
They�re wrong. They have to be wrong. The phone slipped from her numb fingers,
falling to the floor in a loud crash that she barely heard. She couldn�t be pregnant. Couldn�t. It was impossible. She�d been there when Tess had decided to get
her tubes tied. And that was something
that was permanent. So logically, she
couldn�t be pregnant.
But all her
symptoms defied logic. They flew
together to form an outcome that was more than logical. The constant nausea. The tiredness. The anemia.
Everything.
No. I�m
not pregnant. I can�t be.
With single-minded
purpose, she made her way to the bathroom.
The small box that Aida had gotten for her was still there. When Aida had made her help carry up the
carpet on Saturday, she�d been expecting an ulterior motive, although this one
had just pissed her off. What business
did the other woman have making accusations?
Wasn�t it enough that Salida knew she couldn�t have children? Did she need
that thrown in her face. All the same, she�d laughed it off. . .
. . . but why hadn�t she thrown it away?
She picked it up,
turning it over and over in her hands, but not really seeing it. What could it hurt? She couldn�t be pregnant, so this wouldn�t
show anything. Right? The doctors were wrong,
they�d mixed her test results with someone else�s. And she could prove it. Couldn�t she?
Five minutes later,
her hands were still trembling.
Violently. A plus sign, how could
it be a plus sign? Salida checked the
back of the box frantically, her eyes skimming over the directions. A plus sign meant she was pregnant.
She dropped test
and box as if they were a smoking gun, backed away from them as if they were a
cobra. No, she didn�t want this. She didn�t want a child. She didn�t want to condemn another person to
what she had endured. What Jeffrey endured. Jeffrey.
Husband. Father. The thought shot through her mind like a bolt
of lightening.
Her breath was
coming short in her lungs. Her stomach
had risen in her throat and her heart had dropped to her feet. Impossible. Impossible.
Impossible. The single word
rang in her mind and her ears, over and over as she tried to deny what she knew
was true.
Out of the corner
of her eye, Salida caught her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back
of the bathroom door. She turned her
head slowly to look at herself; there was a definite roundness to her
abdomen. How had she missed it before? Didn�t. No, she�d simply thought that she�d been
eating too much. She�d tried to walk it
off. It wasn�t extra weight, it was . .
.
The front door
slammed, breaking her out of her paralysis.
Sudden and blindingly overwhelmingly hot anger crashed down on her. With a scream of pure rage, she slammed her
fist into the mirror, shattering it.
Another scream; her hairbrush crashed into the mirror over the sink,
breaking it. Without thought or reason,
totally lost to her anger, she destroyed the bathroom, unaware of the footsteps
running up the stairs.

****************************** ***
******************************

Sands closed the front door with a bit more violence than he
needed, glad to be home and glad that Aida hadn�t immediately turned into an
invalid. As it slammed shut, a loud
noise filtered down to them from the upstairs.
�Did you hear that?� he asked with a frown, placing a hand on the hilt
of his knife. �It sounded like a crash.�
Whatever Aida was
about to say was interrupted by a shrill, despairing scream. One that sounded as if the screamer was on
the edge of sanity, and teetering dangerously.
�Oh fuck. Sunrise.
Jeffrey, you�d better �� Whatever Sands had been about to say was cut
off as Jeffrey violently took over and raced up the stairs to his and Salida�s
bedroom.
�Vixen, holy fuck,
talk to me! What�s wrong?� he shouted,
coming to a halt at the doorway of their bedroom, his knife drawn. He moved silently now through the bedroom and
towards the bathroom, and just stopped at the doorway. �Fuck me,� he whispered, his eyes taking in
the scene in front of him. �Vixen, talk
to me,� he pleaded with her, moving slowly towards her.
She turned on him,
her eyed full of confusion, anger, and betrayal. �Don�t touch
me,� she hissed. She moved into a
defensive crouch, her hands held out in front of her as if she were prepared to
defend herself. �Don�t you fucking touch
me!� Her voice
rose so that by the end of the phrase, she was screeching.
Jeffrey put the knife away and held up his
hands. �I�m not going to fucking touch
you. But you�re hurt, vixen. Just, come with me and I�ll help you. I�m not going to hurt you,� he said, keeping
his voice as even and calm as he could under the circumstances. Her hands were bloodied and he could see shiny
bits of broken mirror reflecting through the blood. The irony of the situation didn�t fail to
occur to him.
Her mind was a
whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and urges.
She was being torn in too many directions to count, and she could feel
herself coming apart under the stress.
The only thought that was clear to her, was that this was Jeffrey�s
fault.
His fault, his fault, his � She
launched herself at him with another scream, knocking them both to the
floor. Unaware of the cuts on her hands,
she started raining down blows around his face and shoulders, fury overtaking
her.
Jeffrey just let
her hit him. He didn�t know what he had
done; it most likely didn�t matter. He
would let her empty her rage onto him if that�s what she wanted. He let out a short gasp of pain as one of her
fists caught his wounded jaw, but didn�t stop her. If she
doesn�t fucking stop soon I�ll have a pair of nice fucking black eyes to go
with the fucking cut on my jaw. But
still he didn�t stop her.
Her fury only
increased as he didn�t try to stop her. He knew.
He knew all along. He doesn�t
want to hurt it, that�s why he won�t stop you. The voice telling her this was compelling,
making her listen even though she knew � in some part of her mind � that she
shouldn�t.
Her rage turned
murderous. Faster than Jeffrey could
track, she reached for his knife; it was in her hand before he could even
attempt to stop her. �You knew,� she
hissed, raising it above her head. �You
knew all along, you bastard.� The knife
plunged.
�What the fuck is wrong with you?� he yelled,
pushing her back with sheer force. The
knife went clattering across the floor. �What did I fucking know,
vixen? What the fuck are you talking about?�
He was breathing hard now, unbelieving
the very strength of her rage. She would
have killed him if given the chance. Not
that he hadn�t done the same to her, but the realization was sobering.
Salida got her feet
under her, steadying herself with her hands.
She was practically hissing and spitting in her fury, her entire body
shaking with it.
A tremor ran
through her as she stared at her husband, realizing what she�d just
attempted. Why had she tried that? The . . . the . . . it wasn�t in him. It was in her. Have to
get rid of it.
The knife was just
out of reach, closer to her than it was to Jeffrey. She grabbed it and pushed herself across the
floor, crossing into the bedroom. Before
Jeffrey could get to her, she turned the blade on herself, stopping only when
she felt the tip of it break the skin of her abdomen through her jeans. �Have to get rid of it,� she whispered. �It�s a parasite. It�ll kill me.� She didn�t understand that her chosen method
of removal would kill her as well.
Jeffrey didn�t have
time to think. He only reacted, throwing
himself at her, grabbing her arm hard
with his right hand and twisting a foot in-between her legs to send them both
to the ground again, hard. A part of him
worried about hurting her as he landed on top of her and sat up to straddle her
waist, pinning her to the ground in-between his legs. He wrenched the knife out of her hand and
threw it across the room. He was vaguely
aware that it had stuck into the far wall, but that didn�t matter. �You�re going to calm the fuck down right now and tell me what the fuck set
you off like this or so help me, I�ll tie you up until I can get some straight
fucking answers.�
Aida, having heard
some alarming things coming from the second floor, slowly climbed the
stairs. She stopped the moment she could
see into the other couple�s room from the hallway, listening to both screams
and words spoken so softly she could only barely hear that they were being
spoken. When Salida had appeared in the
doorway with a knife at her stomach, she�d gasped. But Jeffrey had tackled her before she could
manage to kill herself.
What happened? she
wondered somewhat desperately as she watched Salida writhe and buck, furiously
trying to dislodge Jeffrey. The woman
had no regard for her own safety as she tried to free herself, and the whimpers
that had started to escape from her were alarming.
Curiosity and a
desire to help drew Aida into the room.
She went unnoticed as she skirted the fringes of the room and went into
the bathroom. The floor was a sheet of
broken glass and scattered hygiene supplies.
Amid the mess, Aida found the empty box of the pregnancy test she�d
slipped Salida a few days before. The
woman had been so scornful of the test that Aida was surprised it hadn�t been
thrown away long before. But now it was
open and empty.
Aida searched the
bathroom as Jeffrey and Salida continued to struggle. She found the test amid shattered glass,
toothbrushes, and an open box of Band-Aids.
Her eyes widened, and a small gasp escaped her.
Jeffrey didn�t know
what to do. He had never seen Salida
like this before. All he could do was
hold on, keep her from hurting herself or him, and hope to fucking understand
all of this later. �Fucking talk to me,
vixen. Tell me what happened,� he
pleaded with her again.
�Get it out,� she
begged him. �I don�t want it.
I don�t. I don�t.� She fell silent, panting as her struggles
increased again.
Before Jeffrey
could ask what �it� was, Aida interrupted.
�She�s pregnant.�
Jeffrey�s world
stopped, and seemed to start spinning backwards. �She�s what? I�m sorry, I don�t think I heard that fucking
clearly, kitty. Say again.�
�Pregnant. She�s pregnant.� Aida held up the test as if that would help
her convince him. But why would that upset her so badly?
Jeffrey�s eyes went
wide, his face pale. �But . . . but . .
. fuck me, you said you couldn�t. Vixen,
you can�t be pregnant,� he murmured, shaking his head. It�s not
fucking possible.
�I�m not,� she hissed,
her back trying to bow under his weight.
�They�re wrong, they�re all wrong.
I�m not. I can�t.� Her strength was wearing thin though, and her
struggles were turning into tears. �I�m not!� she howled. �Make it go away. I don�t want it. I don�t.�
Jeffrey was more
than a little shocked at the moment, but there was no time for that now. There would be plenty of time to freak out or
celebrate later. �Vixen, shh. It�s alright. You�re fucking alright.
If you really are. . . .� Knocked
up. With child. Expecting. �Pregnant . . . then we�ll deal with it.�
�Kill it,� she
begged him. How could she responsible
for ruining someone else�s life? And no
matter how she tried to deny it, her life was ruined, even before this
news. How could she condemn someone else
to this existence, or one of living in a facility? She couldn�t.
�Please, Jeffrey. Please.� Her struggle had finally ceased, and all that
was left was desperation and tears.
A wave of
protectiveness passed through him at the thought of anyone killing his unborn child. �No,� he said between clenched teeth. �And I won�t let you kill it either.�
�Don�t make me,�
she begged. �Please. I can�t . . .� The tears took over, making her words
incomprehensible. She went limp with defeat,
her eyes closing and her chest heaving as air was thrown in and out of her
lungs with the violence of strong emotion.
�You can. And you will. You�re the strongest fucking person I know,
vixen. But I will not fucking let you give up on this child. Our
child. Know that,� he said sternly
before softening and letting her spread her legs so he could sit between them
and pulling her up against his chest and holding her tightly. �You�re not going to go through this alone,
vixen. I�ll be right fucking here the
entire time. Whenever you need me. And even when you don�t.�
Her hands feebly
tried to push him away. He�d known, it was his fault. He�d known, it was his fault. He�d known. �Don�t touch me,� she pleaded, his proximity �
anyone�s proximity � making her sick to her stomach. �Stop.�
Jeffrey let her go
but didn�t move away from her, prepared to pin her down again if necessary. �Look at me, vixen. You�re alright. We�ll
fucking deal with this.�
Fuck, I don�t know how to be a father. But I want to be one . . . I think. He wanted someone . . . a legacy. He didn�t know why,
he couldn�t explain it if asked, but a part of him was thrilled that he had
gotten Salida pregnant. And proud as
hell. He had done what supposedly couldn�t
be done, and he felt like he could fucking do anything right now. His pride however was cut short by questions. What the
fuck does vixen being pregnant mean? Is
that why she�s been almost fucking taking my head off in arguments lately? He supposed it explained the sickness. Morning sickness, his brain supplied, but what
else would there be? Could he still fuck
her? What if it hurt . . . the baby? Oh god,
the baby. I�m going to be a father. This is fucking twisted.
He rose to his feet
and wandered out of the room like a man stumbling off a battlefield, a blank
stare on his face.an san style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I fucking need a drink. The
thought slipped across his mind as he walked, not noticing Aida following
behind him.

****************************** ***
******************************

Salida had the impression that she�d been sleeping for
awhile. While her mind was by no means
settled or rational, was at least clearer than it had been. Than it�d been when she�d tried to kill her
husband, when she�d placed all the blame for her condition on him. She�d
always been a very willpartparty in their couplings, so the blame rested just
as surely on her shoulders as it did on his.
But Tess. Most of the blame for all this laid on Tess. What
the fuck had happened? Women who�d
gotten their tubes tied usually didn�t get pregnant, and Salida had sat on the
consult. Tess didn�t want to pass along
her family blood any more than Salida wanted to pass on their insanity. So what had happened? What . . . ?
No. It didn�t matter what had happened. This mess was Tessa�s fault, so Tess could take responsibility. If she�d even hinted that there was a risk of
getting pregnant, Salida would have run out to get protection so fast that she
would have been only a blur. But the
woman hadn�t passed along that crucial
bit of information, and now they were stuck.
Stuck with a brat neither of them wanted and that
neither felt capable of caring for.
Salida stalked
through their shared mind � a strange experience to be sure � until she got to
the corner where Tess had chosen to live.
She didn�t bother with the psychic equivalent of knocking � she simply
burst in and blasted Tess with all
the anger she was currently feeling. It
was enough to make a headache take up residence in their temples, but Salida didn�t
care. What was a headache compared to
the parasite feeding off her?
You bitch, she seethed. Why the
fuck didn�t you ever mention that we
could get pregnant?
With some
satisfaction, she felt Tess reel back from this news so crudely broken. What?
We�re pregnant, Teresa Adame. The thought was a bitter one. Or
perhaps I should say you�re
pregnant.
Tess couldn�t believe it.
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