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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
- 31
- 32
- 33
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.

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

�Sands? What are you
thinking about, my love?� Sitting in a
worn La-Z-Boy with an IV in her arm and the TV droning in the background, she
reached over and brushed his face with the tips of her fingers. �Sands?�
Sands started when
she touched him and turned to her quickly with wide eyes before visibly calming
down. �Sorry. What did you say? I didn�t hear.�
�What are you
thinking about?� Her voice was as soft
and soothing as she could make it.
�You don�t want to
know,� he murmured under his breath, cursing his overactive imagination and his
. . . phobia of hospitals and doctors. He
didn�t like calling that, but it was more than just plain fear.
�Yes I do. Sometimes talking about things � especially
fears � robs them of their power.� He
wasn�t convinced, so she tried another tack.
�Besides, there�s nothing good on.�
He cast a ce tce toward
the television and then back at her. �I
was dreaming up worst-case scenarios about being in this fucking hospital. I�m good at those,� he muttered.
�Like what?� she
asked softly, leaning over so she could rest her head against his shoulder.
A brief image of
himself screaming, strapped to a gurney being wheeled fast down a blinding
white corridor by faceless doctors in white coats with syri of of mind numbing
drugs passed before his eyes and he shook his head. �I don�t . . . I don�t want to talk about it.�
�You know I�d never
let anything happen to you,� she soothed.
�As your wife I have some
power in these things. Nothing can
happen to you here without my consent.�
Sands just looked
at her as if he didn�t believe a word.
�It�s true. And I would never let them do anything to you
that you didn�t want.�
Sands wanted to
feel relief at what she was telling him, but he couldn�t. He had no doubt in his mind that if the
doctors here knew what he was and what he had done they�d lock him up in a
heartbeat no matter what Aida said. Maybe
it was an irrational fear � Sands personally didn�t think so � but it was real
enough to him and it wasn�t letting him go.
�Don�t you know I�d
do anything for you?� She wanted so
badly to calm his fears.
�Yes.� That much he did know. But no one could control everything. She couldn�t help the fact that he was . . . insane,
any more than he could.
�Do you want to go
for a walk around the block? I�ll be
done in another twenty minutes. You can
go and I�ll meet you out front.�
�I�m alright,� he
said, almost believing it. �Don�t want
to leave you.�
�And I don�t like
watching you brood. I�ll be alright.� She rubbed his arm.
The objection
sprang to his lips, he was not
brooding, but he held it back. �No. I�m ok. I�ll stop.�
�Then that�s okay
too.� Sighing, she lifted her head a
bit. �I take it you�re at least somewhat
recovered from the big news? I didn�t
see you at all yesterday.�
�Recovered? No, not really. Resigned is more like it,� he muttered.
�And why is
that? Resigned to what?�
�Resigned to the
fact that, for all accounts and purposes, I�m going to be a father without
every having slept with the woman having the child. And there�s nothing I can do about it. It�s not up to me. It never was,� he muttered, bitterness
creeping into his voice.
�To what accounts
and purposes?� she asked. �Something
tells me that Salida and Jeffrey won�t be begging you babysit and they won�t be
pinning this on you. They�re not going
to ask you to change diapers, be up all night with a colicky baby, or warm up
bottles.� Swallowing her own feelings on
the matter, she asked, �How is it different than if you�d donated sperm to a
couple who wanted a baby?�
Sands frowned at
that. �It�s not the same,� he insisted. �And I wouldn�t do that, anyway. If I was going to set out to have a kid, I�d
want it to be mine.�
�But you don�t want
a kid,� she pointed out wryly.
�No, not really. I never have.� I wouldn�t
want it turning out like me.
�Well, just look at
things this way � you don�t have to carry the baby for nine months.�
�Thank God. I wouldn�t be able to do it. My moods shift enough as it is. I can�t imagine being fucking pregnant. I�d kill a lot
of people,� he said absently.
Aida ignored that
last comment. �Oh look, here comes the
nurse. We can go soon.�
�Halle-fucking-lujah,�
he muttered under his breath, rising to his feet to greet the nurse.
The attendant was
pleasant enough, but obviously eager to go on her lunch break. She disconnected Aida from the IV line and
several beeping machines, competently taping a cotton ball over the puncture
wound, and then discharging them.
Walking out of the
medical building and into the strong sunlight, Aida stuck close to her husband�s
side. �I don�t want to go back yet. Do we have to?�
�That�s fine by me.
Where do you want to go?�
�Let�s just
walk. I won�t have the energy to do so
for too much longer.�
Sands made a face. �I hate walking,� he muttered, then shrugged. �But it�s better than being in that fucking
hospital, so fine. You want to walk, we�ll
walk.�
�We won�t wander
too far. After all, we�d have to walk
back to the car eventually.� The private
medical practice that Aida�s doctor had suggested was in one of the older parts
of New Orleans. Not the tourist district, but the part that
people had lived and done business in for a hundred years or more. There were all sorts of intriguing shops and
stores tucked away in this part of town, and Salida had always enjoyed window
shopping.
�Eventually,� Sands
repeated, not liking the sound of that. �Fine. Lead
the way, spitfire.�
They�d been
wandering for about forty-five minutes when they came across a small used-book
store. Aida stopped in front of it,
practically trembling with eagerness to go in.
�I take it you want
to go in?� Sands drawled with a smirk, noticing her eagerness.
�Can we?� She looked at him, her brown eyes wide open
in her pale face, a smile beaming at him.
�What would you do
to me if I said no?� he asked with a grin. The grin faltered. �Wait, never mind. I know what you�d do. Go ahead. Go look at books to your heart�s content.�
�Can I get some?�
�Get as many as you
want. Go crazy,� he said with a smile.
Twenty minutes
later, Sands was handing over several twenties as the bookstore employee loaded
paperbacks and hardbacks into three or for plastic bags. Aida had taken him at his word and had gotten
as many books as she wanted . . . or at least as many as could be carried
between the two of them. There were
fantasies, science fiction, historical fiction, romance novels, poetry, plays,
even children�s books. Anything that had
caught her eye, Aida had tried to get.
�You even remember
half the stuff you got in here?� Sands asked wryly, looking over the bags laden
with stacks of books.
�No. But it�s not like I don�t have time on my
hands to find out. And when I�m done
with them, I�ll donate the nicer ones to the library, and the rest can go to Goodwill
or something.� She took three of the
bags, and left one for Sands to carry. �We
can go now if you want. I won�t even
make you cook dinner.�
�Really? You�re not just saying that?� he put as much
incredulity into his voice as he could manage. �The world must be coming to an end.�
�I was thinking
that Chinese might be nice, but if you want to cook that badly . . . .�
�Chinese it is,�
Sands said without hesitation.

****************************** ***
**************************Well I have, but he had stopped himself at the last instant. He wasn�t blind. He saw how she dutifully put out of her mind
all knowledge that he had killed. He
didn�t think throwing that knowledge in her face would be such a good idea.
�Villains can be interesting, but can�t the
struggle of the protagonist not to become like his enemy be just as intriguing?�
she asked while Sands paid for their tickets.
At the time of day, there weren't too many people around � families with
young kids, some teenagers roaming in groups, a few singles. Nothing too interesting.
Sands shrugged. �I suppose. But I still think the villains seem to have
more fun,� he muttered, handing her one of the tickets. He could have fought Jeffrey, maybe . . . fuck,
no he couldn�t have. He would be lying
to himself if he believed that. At
heart, he was a villain. There were
nothing of a hero in his character, only a love of the kill. There would be no white shining armor or
damsels to save in his future. Only more
people to kill, more bodies to bury. And
he was good at it. He was good at
killing. Perhaps it was the only thing
he truly did well.
�Popcorn?� Aida
asked, switching the topic for the moment.
He was getting that brooding look on his face again, and she didn�t like
it.
�If you want some,
go ahead. I don�t want any,� he said
with a wave of his hand.
�Do you want
something to drink? Or any candy? I�ve never really seen you eat candy.�
�Too sweet. I don�t ry liy like candy all that much. Wasn�t allowed to have a lot of it as a kid,
so I just got used to not eating or wanting it,� he said with a shrug. �And I�m not thirsty, thanks. But if you want some, I�m not stopping you.�
�If you don�t eat
any popcorn, then how are we supposed to �accidentally� touch hands?� she asked
in mock exasperation, hands on hips.
�What do you mean?�
he asked with a frown. Who? The
pussy FBI agent? I�d never be in the
FBI. Bunch of boring fug bug bureaucrats
if you ask me. He doesn�t look a thing
like me. I think you might need to get
your eyes checked, spitfire,� he drawled.
An old man behind
them rudely interrupted and asked if they were going to be talking the entire
time.
Aida turned to deal
with him before her husband could. �Possibly. We�re newlyweds.� She flashed her brightest smile. �But we�ll try to keep it down.�
�That�s what I
fucking hate about going to the movies,� Sands muttered under his breath. �You didn�t have to be so polite. I would have dealt with him.�
And I like cities. Always have.�
�Then we�ll have to ono on a trip sometime,� she said, waiting for him to unlock her door so she
could get into the car. �Why the sudden
curiosity?�
�Why sometime? Why not now?� he asked, unlocking the car door
for her and moving around to the driver�s side, but get getting in. �What would you say if I wanted to go somewhere
with you, right now? I don�t care where.
Pick someplace. If you want Hawaii,
so be it,� he said with a shrug, speaking over the roof of the car.
�We . . . we can�t
just go,� she protested, more because it was what was expected of her than
really having any confidence in her own words.
�What about ��
�Forget them. We don�t have to be gone for long. A weekend. And yeah, Jeffrey�ll be pissed. But when is he fucking not? And sunrise will be fine. The way things are going, she might even
appreciate some time to herself.� Sands
didn�t really believe this, but he didn�t really care either. �We never had a proper honeymoon, and I want
one. It�s only right,� he said with a
smirk.
�But I have another
treatment on Friday,� she breathed, highly tempted by his offer.
�Will you die in
the next few days if you don�t get it?�
The words sounded flippant, but cou could see he was deadly serious.
�No . . .� Her doctor would be furious, but she wanted
this.
�Then what�s
stopping you?�
What was stopping her? �Nothing I suppose ��
�Then let�s go. You want to go to Hawaii,
I�m willing, I�ve got the money. We can
buy whatever we need when we get there. Let�s
just go. Come on, let�s get the fuck off this plane.� He began to walk to the exit, not
acknowledging the nod from the head flight attendant as he passed. He didn�t walk so fast that Aida couldn�t keep
up, but he didn�t look back either. He
needed air. He needed to be somewhere .
. . else. He didn�t necessarily need to
be away from her, but his mind had begun to associate the plane with the
memories of his past and he just knew he needed to get away from it. And quickly.
�Sands, wait up!�
she called, hurrying to keep up with his longer legs. He was restless. He�d been restless all day. She�d thought that perhaps their little
scheme might work some of that off, but it obviously hadn�t.
Sands closed his
eyes in a grimace, but stopped just before the entrance to the terminal, not
looking back at her. �Sorry,� he
muttered when she had caught up, opening his eyes and casting her aewayeways
glance. �I just needed to get . . . away.�
�We�ll get
away. We�ll get away for a long
weekend. Away from everything. We won�t even have to seen another person if
you don�t want to.� She stopped then,
worried that perhaps she�d misunderstood.
�Or did you want to be alone for a little bit?� She�d give him the space if he needed it.
�No, it�s ok. I just needed to get off that fucking plane
for a bit, that�s all.� That wasn�t all,
but he didn�t feel like explaining the rest. �You hungry?� he asked slowly in a vain
attempt to at least sound like
everything was back to normal and fine even if it wasn�t.
�No. I�m fine.�
Silence. She drew a little
pattern on the floor with the toe of her shoe.
�Are you sure you don�t want
to wander by yourself for a bit? You
wouldn�t hurt my feelings if you said yes.�
�Fine. I�ll . . . get some air. Clear my head. I�ll meet you back here in fifteen minutes. That way . . . we can still have time together
before our flight.�
�Alright. I�ll wait.�
She took the few necessary steps and pressed a soft kiss into his
cheek. �I�ll always wait.�
Sands nodded. �I�ll be back.� With that, he tuned on a heel and left, making
his way toward the front of the terminal and out through the front doors. Once outside, he let out a breath that he hadn�t
known he�d been holding and tilted his head up to embrace the hot California
sunlight. Being in that plane, memories
beating down on him from all sides, had filled him with a sense of
claustrophobia. He needed the space now
to clear the cobwebs away in his mind.
�Oh my . . . Sheldon!
Is that you?� Sands� head shot up in horror. Who could have found him here? �Oh it is you! I can�t believe it! I haven't seen you since your parent�s
funeral! Goodness, that must have been
what, ten years ago?�
�Great Aunt
Prudence?� Sands asked, his eyes wide and horrified. The fur coat in the middle of summer, the
completely overdone makeup, the small yappy fucking rat dog on her arm . . . dear
God, it wasn�t possible.
The overbearing
woman came bounding over to him, her pearl necklaces rattling around her fat
neck as a small squad of people carrying her luggage strived to keep up with
her. The moment she reached him, she
grabbed his face in her hands and had been about to give him a kiss on the
cheek when she noticed the cut along his jaw and pulled away in horror. �Good God, Sheldon, what happened to you?�
Sands couldn�t say
a word. He was no convinced he had to be
hallucinating. There was absolutely no
way his great aunt Prudence and her rat dog could be here. �I . . . fell,� he murmured slowly.
�You need to be
more careful! You look positively
wretched! Doesn't he, Clarence?� she
addressed the dog, rubbing her face in its fur and cooing to it in baby talk.
�What are you doing
here, Prudence?� Sands asked slowly.
�Oh you know me,
Sheldon. Always flitting about in the
world. I just recently got back from
month's stay in Paris, you know. Beautiful city. Oh my, you should see all the things I�ve
bought!�
Sands was just
nodding at this point as she prattled on about the places she had visited in
France, the important people she had met, the fancy parties she had attended. It wasn�t until she paused and looked at him
intently that he realized she had asked him a question. �I�m sorry, what?�
�Are you quite
alright, Sheldon darling? You�re not
looking well at all. I asked how you
were managing your father�s company. You
did take over after he and your mother died, didn�t you?�
Sands felt himself
go very still. �No, I fucking didn�t. And you know what? I should have fucking burnt that place to the
ground as well,� he murmured under his breath too quietly for her to hear.
�I�m sorry,
Sheldon. You�ll have to speak up. My hearing isn�t what it used to be.� Prudence then looked around and took stock of
their surroundings. �Dear me, this is no
place to chat! Let�s go inside and sit
down for awhile.�
�I know just the
place,� Sands muttered. �You can leave
your baggage here. I�m afraid our talk
will have to be a short one. My flight
leaves soon.� He was practically moving
and speaking on autopilot now, but he wasn�t without purpose.
�Oh alright, lead
the way, dear child,� Prudence said with a nod, waving a hand to have him go in
front of her while she followed behind, her little dog still in her arms.
As soon as the two
of them were well out of sight, each and every person carrying her luggage
dropped it to the ground and groaned in relief.

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

�Are you sure you know where you�re going, Sheldon? This doesn�t look like any outdoor caf� I�ve
ever heard of,� Prudence said slowly, looking around her as their surroundings
grew dark as they moved in the shadow of the airport terminals.
�Trust me, Aunt
Prudence,� Sands said slowly glancing around to make sure they were alone. He had led her to what seemed to be an
abandoned small airplane hanger. It may
have still been in use, but for now it was empty and suited his needs just
fine. Now if he could only get her to
come closer. �May I pet your dog, Aunt
Prudence?� he asked, as innocently as he could manage while thoughts of murder
were spiraling through his head.
�Of course you may!
You needn't have asked, dear boy!�
Prudence said with a smile, holding out her small dog in fur clad arms.
Sands took the dog
in his arms and broke its neck easily. Before
Prudence could scream, he clamped his left hand over her mouth and nose while
moving his other hand to grab the sting of pearls around her neck tightly. Once he had a firm grip, he pulled them back
behind her, strangling her with her own jewelry. He could feel her struggling against him, but
he was determined. �Perhaps I never
mentioned, but I killed my fucking parents, Prudence. Just like I�m killing you. And never,� he hissed, �call me by that name
again.� With a violent jerk the line of
pearls broke and scattered everywhere, bouncing on the cement pavement. But that didn�t matter. The damage had been done. Prudence slumped to the ground next to her
dead dog, her tongue hanging out of her mouth and her eyes staring up at him
with a glassy glaze. Sands kicked her
hard in the ribs over and over again, his rage unabated. When she was a bloody mess in addition to
being dead, only then did he leave her to return to Aida.

****************************** *** But he wasn�t angry. He wasn�t feeling much of anything at the moment.
�I�m sorry,� Aida
apologized softly. �I�m your wife but
sometimes it feels as if she understands you better than I do. Better than I ever will. And that hurts.�
�Yes, it does,� he
murmured. �But with that understanding,
comes a price. A price you don�t want to
have to pay. Believe me.�
�I do . . . but it
doesn�t help at times like this. When I
can see you�re hurting and I can�t even so much as empathize. Because I don�t
know what it's like.�
�I can�t show you
what it�s like, and I wouldn�t want to. I
don�t want that for you, Aida. I never
have. I�d rather have you ne und understand me than understand me like sunrise does.� A firmness had taken residence in his voice,
but it still sounded somewhat distant.
She let her mind work
over that. Aida knew she should simply
be content that Sands loved her enough that he didn�t want for her life to be
like his. But that�s where some of her
need to be the perfect wife came from. �Alright. But you�d tell me if I . . . displeased you. Right?�
Sands nodded
slowly. �You don�t, though. Not really.�
�That�s reassuring,�
she tried to tease. �Not really.�
�I won�t lie and
say that I sometimes don�t mind the questions you ask . . . the things you make
me remember. . . And yes, I sometimes
wish you understood me better, that you understood that I�ve killed and will
still kill, but you still listen. And
you still love. That�s enough.�
She wished he hadn�t
reminded her of that. But she was
determined to move past it. �Then I say
we leave behind the rest of this emotional crap behind us and enjoy our
honeymoon. Com�on, we�ve got just enough
time to hit that store over there and buy a few things to keep us occupied on
the rest of the flight.�

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

It�s fucking hotter
here than in New
Orleans. I need to get some short-sleeved shirts. That was the first thing that occurred to
him after stepping outside of the air-conditioned airport. He could already feel the back of his neck
begin to sweat under his long hair. �What
do you want to do first, spitfire?� he asked with a frown as he looked down at
the white lei that had been placed around his neck.
�Find somewhere to
stay, get some food, and then jump into bed?�
�Sounds like a plan
to me,� he said with a smirk before stepping up to the curb to hail a cab. He opened the door for Aida when the taxi
arrived and moved to sit next to her once she was inside. �Take us to the best hotel on the island,� he
addressed the driver. The driver merely
nodded, no doubt used to such requests and they were on their way.

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

�Welcome to the Hawaii Prince Hotel. May I help you?�
�Yes, we�d like a
suite for three days please,� Sands said with a nod.
�I�m sorry sir, all
of our regular suites are booked. We
have a few premium suites available or many fine rooms.�
�I�ll take whatever�s
the best. We�re on our honeymoon.�
�Oh well congratulations.
We do have a honeymoon suite if you�d
prefer that? It�s very nice, I assure
you.�
�Perfect. We�ll take it,� Sands said with a smirk,
handing her one of his credit cards.
�Very good, Mr. and
Mrs. Sands,� the woman said a few minutes later handing him back his credit
card and a couple of room keys in a labeled envelope. �Enjoy your stay.�
Sands nodded and
made his way to the elevators with Aida following close behind.
The elevator ride
to the top of the hotel was a long one. The
honeymoon suite seemed to be located under only the presidential suite. The ride was a silent one, Aida holding Sands�
hand as she closed her eyes and took a moment to rest. She really hadn�t gotten more than a short
nap on the plane and she was beginning to wonder if some afternoon/early
evening play wouldn't have to wait until after she�d taken a nap or
something. Not that she had anything to
nap in. Or even a toothbrush for that
matter.
�Sands?� she said
quietly. �We don�t have any clothes.�
�If it were up to
me, we wouldn�t need any,� he said with a smirk. �But you�re right. We�ll have to go shopping soon. Let�s just check out the hotel room first, ok?�
�Ok.� The door slid open and the couple stepped
out. Their suite was conveniently the
only one on the entire floor, so the door was easy to find.
Sands unlocked and
opened it, waiting for her to step in, but she didn�t. When he asked what was wrong, she grinned
wryly and murmured, �You never carried me across the threshold.�
Sands rolled his
eyes a little at that and laughed. �A grievous error on my part. Do forgive me,� he drawled with a smirk before
sticking the keys in his right pocket and scooping her up into his arms and
moving into the suite, using his foot to kick thor sor shut behind them. He then walked further in and stopped,
somewhat stunned at what he saw. �Uh,
wow,� he muttered, still holding her in his arms.
The room was
enormous, and while it was simply furnished, everything was obviously
expensive. But the room�s most
attractive feature more than made up for the scant artwork and pain walls:
three whole walls of the suite were made up of floor-to-ceiling windows. They offered a panoramic view of the ocean
below, leaving both Sands and Aida speechless.
There were no rooms
to speak of � everything was open, to make the most of the view. The living area was raised while the bedroom
was sunken, a food seven or eight feet below the floor of the living area. A small flight of stairs led down to the bed,
and a small rail ran along the edge of the room.
There were no
curtains, but the bed had a gauzy full canopy to give the illusion of
them. The walls were a soft ivory, the
moldings and crownings a muted gold that shone in the sun. The carpet under their feet had a palm leaf
motif, a pattern that was copied on the bedspread and sheets. The bed was turned down, and there was a
fruit basket on the table, accompanied by a plate of cheese and crackers and a
bottle of wine. And another bottle, this
one of champagne thoughtfully set to chill.
Some employee had obviously been busy while Sands had been filling out
the necessary paperwork.
�That view is
amazing,� Aida breathed, most of her mind still occupied by the pounding surf
far down below.
�I�ve never stayed
in a honeymoon suite before. We need to
get married more often,� he murmured with a smirk, finally setting her down on
the ground. They both walked up to the
windows and stared out. �This is quite
possibly the best room I�ve ever stayed in. And that�s saying a lot.� He tore his eyes away from the view to descend
into the bedroom area. He was actually
rather hungry, and decided to take advantage of the food offered. He grabbed a few pit-less cherries and some
raspberries and wandered back up to Aida.
�I love the beach .
. .� she murmured, her eyes never straying from the scene before them.
They stayed at the
window and stared out for another five or ten minutes, before Aida shook
herself out of her trance. She was tired
of standing upright. It took no more
than a few seconds to kick off her shoes after she took the time to shake her
head and rub at her eyes.
�Take a nap. You look like you could use one,� Sands said
with a small sigh, popping a few of the raspberries into his mouth and chewing
slowly.
She grinned and
nodded. �I don�t want to, but I think
you�re right.� Moving slowly and
carefully � her joints were already starting to ache from the radiation � she
walked to the bed and brushed the canopy out of her way. �Are you going to stay with me?� she asked,
picking the chocolate macadamia nut candy up off her pillow.
Sands shrugged. �Why not?� he asked after finishing off the
rest of the fruit he had picked up. �It�s
probably best we�re both . . . well rested for later,� he said with a wicked
smirk, moving down the stairs to join her. As soon as he reached the bed, however, he
hesitated with a frown. �I don�t know
when Jeffrey will show up, though, so maybe I shouldn�t.�
�You don�t have to
sleep. I just don�t want you to
leave. You can sit and watch TV if you
want. It won�t keep me up.�
�No, a nap sounds
good. Jeffrey�s been keeping me up � well
physically anyway � a lot lately and I could use the rest while he�s not here. And I didn�t sleep very well on the plane. It wasn�t very comfortable.� He didn�t say that he was also plagued by bad
dreams, the real reason he probably didn�t sleep as well as he could have. �When Jeffrey shows up, I�ll deal with him,�
he murmured, kicking off his shoes and climbing into bed next to her.
�Alright.� She had no intention of letting him face his
alter ego alone � this was as much her fault as his. Turning to her side so she�d be facing her
husband, Aida let her eyes close.
�I love you, Aida,�
he whispered after leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. �Have a good rest.� He reached out and pulled her a little closer
to him before closing his own eyes, resting his chin on the top of her head.
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More Than Darkness