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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
- 69
- 70
- 71
They were in the car when Salida started to wonder why
Jeffrey hadn't said anything to her since telling her it was time to go.
"I thought you wanted me to come home," she said innocently, not at
all aware that he might still be upset with her.
Jeffrey gritted his teeth but answered her all the same.
�It�s better than being at that fucking hospital.�
"But it's not really what you want." She sighed and turned her gaze to the passing
buildings.
�It doesn�t really matter what I want now does it?� he
muttered under his breath.
"You could have left me at the hospital. You could have
moved me to a hospice. You could have hired someone to look after me if you're
too disgusted to be around me yourself."
�I�m not disgusted with you, Salida,� he said evenly. �I�m
disgusted with what you made me do to you.�
"You didn't do anything to me."
�I told you I fucking hated you, Salida. That�s far from
nothing.�
"But that would be natural. Part of me hates me. It
keeps telling me I'm a stupid, fat, ugly, careless,
murderous -"
�Well don�t fucking listen to it!� he growled, stopping the
car with all the grace of slamming a door in anger and getting turning to her.
�We�re fucking here.�
Salida was too busy gasping in pain to answer.
He closed his eyes at his own stupidity and got out of the
car and moved around the front to help her. �I�m�sorry alright? Are you ok?� he
asked once he had opened her door.
She nodded, but didn't say anything.
�Do you want to sit here and rest for awhile or do you want
me to get you inside where you can lie down?� He was still angry with her, but
that didn�t mean he wasn�t worried and that he didn�t care for her as well.
"I want to get out," she whispered.
�Alright.� He moved to get the
wheelchair that had been foisted upon him by the over helpful hospital staff
from the back of the car and pushed it up to her side. He moved silently
towards her, ready to offer any help that she might need in getting into the
fucking thing.
Salida wrapped her good arm around his neck as she awkwardly
stood up. After so long lying down, her legs were starting to grow weak. She
grimaced at the thought of what they'd look like once the casts were off.
He didn�t bother asking if she was alright, because the way
her face was drawn and pale with pain made it clear she definitely was not.
Once she was seated in the chair he closed the car door behind him and wheeled
her into the hotel.
The thought of having to appear in public in her pajamas and
her casts, and her greasy hair made Salida cringe and wonder if perhaps they
couldn't wait - perhaps until she was better - before having to press their way
through the crowded lobby, but some helpful, gawking person had already opened
the door for them, and then Jeffrey was pushing her through the lobby towards
the elevators... She was so embarrassed that she wished she could melt into her
wheelchair and disappear entirely.
Jeffrey sensed her discomfort but took some petty pleasure
in knowing that he could do nothing for her. There were no back way arounds up to their room. This was the only way. It was
either be wheeled through the lobby or sit idly by in the car until they both
rotted. Either way he wasn�t going back to that fucking hospital.
Salida didn't lift her head until they had gotten into a -
thankfully empty - elevator. But even then her face was red and she didn't say
anything.
�It�s not far,� he murmured as they rode up to their floor
in relative silence.
"They knew. They all knew."
�There were no they, Salida. There was maybe one person in
that lobby besides the one who held open the door for us. And I think he was
the desk clerk.�
"No, there were lots. And they were looking at me and
whispering. I could hear them."
�There was no whispering, Salida. I promise you.�
"Then what did I hear?"
�Your own misgivings trying to get the better of you, I
believe.�
"But I saw them. They all had blue eyes."
�It was your imagination, Salida.�
"No, I saw them. Really."
�That doesn�t mean they were really there, Salida.�
"Then where were they?"
�In your imagination.�
"Where's that?"
�In your head,� he murmured as he wheeled her through the
open elevator doors down the hall towards their suite.
"It didn't fall out?"
�Definitely not. It�s all still
there.�
"Not all. Some things fell out. Too bad I don't
bounce."
�Too bad,� he murmured as he knocked on the door to the
suite for Aida to let them in. He had a key himself he knew, but he figured he
wouldn�t be able to open the door and push Salida through it at the same time.
Aida came to the door after a few seconds. She opened it as
wide as it would go and stood back to allow them in.
"Hello, Salida."
Salida nodded absentmindedly. "Hello, Aida."
Jeffrey just rolled his eyes a little as he pushed Salida in
and stopped in the middle of the room as he surveyed the�damage. �What the fuck
happened here?�
"You didn't notice when you left?" Aida asked
tiredly.
�Well I wouldn�t fucking be asking if I had, now would I?�
"You didn't notice your hands?"
�What?� Jeffrey asked with a frown, immediately holding his
hands up in front of his face. �What the fuck?� he muttered as he saw his
knuckles were bruised and scabbed. Now that his hands decided to capture his
notice, they unfortunately began to throb and his frown only deepened. �Ok
fine. So Sands had a bit of a fucking tiff. Whatever.�
Aida shrugged. "The bathroom is clean if you want to
use it. And um...do you mind if we switch bedrooms?"
�Why?�
"Because Sands can't sleep in the
other one."
�Why not? What�s wrong?� Jeffrey
asked, beginning to worry just a little.
"Nothing. We just had
some...difficulties."
�Some difficulties. Right. And can I expect these difficulties to bite me in the
ass later on?�
Aida ground her teeth, then muttered very quickly,
"Someone new popped up and tricked me into thinking he was Sands. And
Sands found out. He wasn't happy. Plus I confronted him about what was in the
newspaper."
�Wait, fuck, someone new?
Perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect,� he muttered to himself.
"Don't worry.
He's in love with me so I doubt you'll have a problem."
�He�s what? Oh. Well�alright�I guess I should be happy he�s
a he this time�� he murmured, his face drawn in confusion.
Salida sat and listened to this quietly, not really
interested but it was better than silence.
Or people accusing her of being a murderer.
�Whatever. It doesn�t fucking matter,� Jeffrey said with a
firm shake of his head. �Just tell me what bedroom is ours and I�ll deal with
the rest later.�
"The one on the right. I
cleaned up and housekeeping changed the sheets and stuff."
�Uh�thanks. I guess,� he murmured, pushing Salida towards
the room indicated without another word.
"Jeffrey?"
�Yes, vixen?� he asked wearily.
"I'm sorry."
�About what, vixen?� he asked as he wheeled her up to the
side of the bed, turned down the covers and stood at her side while he helped
her up.
"I'm not sure. But I must have done something."
He sighed as she settled herself onto the bed. �Apology
accepted then.�
"Are you going to talk to me?"
�If that�s what you want.�
"No. I want your willingness. You're not willing. I
don't want you."
�Fine,� he muttered. �Get some rest. I�ll talk to you when
you wake up. Do you want me to hunt down your cat?�
"My cat?" She looked puzzled.
�That little demon of yours.
Desdemona?� he asked hesitantly.
"When did I get a cat?"
�You�ve�had her for awhile now, vixen,� he said, clear worry
in his voice at her confusion. �Would you like me to show you? Maybe�you�ll
remember?�
She nodded. "I think I would like a cat."
�Alright. I�ll be back with your
cat then,� he murmured, sending her a worried glance before beginning to search
for the wayward beast. He found her a few minutes later curled up under the
couch in the living room. Fortunately, they had somewhat come to terms over the
past few weeks and he only ended up with minor scratches on his hands and arms
rather than the bloodied gouges he used to get. He walked back to the bedroom,
cat in hand, and presented her to her master. �This is your cat, Salida.�
"He has funny eyes."
�She, Salida. She�s a she. Her name
is Desdemona.�
"Oh. Why did I name her that?" Salida started
petting Des, smiling as the cat started to try to lick her hand.
�I don�t know, vixen.�
"She's nice," Salida decided, stroking the cat's
silky fur.
�Only to you,� he muttered.
"She's not nice?" Salida asked, raising her eyes
to his.
�She�s a little demon to the rest of us. She�s an angel only
to you.�
Salida looked sad and started to push Des away. "Then I
can't keep her."
�What? Don�t be silly. Of course you can. Why wouldn�t you?�
"Because she might hurt the
babies." Salida was still trying to push Des away. The cat
apparently had other plans thought because she wasn't moving.
�She�s not going to hurt the babies, vixen. She doesn�t
attack on command, and I think she�d probably be more afraid of them than
anything.�
"But you said she's only good for me."
�You�re the only one who really pets her or even cares for
her, vixen. It�s no surprise that she likes you.�
"We can't risk it."
�You�re not listening to me, Salida. There�s nothing to
risk. She�s just a cat.�
"No. She could be dangerous."
�She�s not dangerous, vixen. She never has been. She�s a
housecat, not a fucking mountain lion.�
"But I can't -"
�Can�t what, vixen? She�s not going to hurt them. She�s just
a cat. Your cat.�
"And she's dangerous." True to form, Des curled up
on Salida's chest and went to sleep, purring softly.
Jeffrey rolled his eyes. �Does she look dangerous to you, vixen?�
"No." Salida's voice was quivering. She remembered that she loved her cat. But she also remembered that she had sworn
not to endanger any of her remaining children.
�Then stop worrying about it. She�s not going to hurt them,
Salida. She�s not.� He refrained from saying, �You�re not,� because he didn�t think she would believe him. �Get
some rest, vixen.�
"Okay." She
obediently closed her eyes.
He leaned over and kissed her briefly on the forehead,
trying to put any anger that might have remained for what she had made him do
aside. �I love you, vixen,� he whispered.
"Thank you."
�You�re welcome, vixen. Now get some sleep. Call me if you
need anything.�
"Will you stay?"
He hesitated at the door and turned back to her. �Alright.�
"Thank you."
�You don�t have to thank me, Salida,� he said as he climbed
in bed next to her after he had removed his shoes and personal arsenal.
"I feel like I should."
�Why? You haven�t done anything,� he murmured with a sigh as
he let his head fall back to the pillow.
"But you're not happy. I thought bringing me home would
make you happy."
�I�m just worried about you, vixen. I�ll be happy enough when
you�re feeling better.�
"Oh. Okay."
�Just get some rest, vixen. We can talk more about this
later.�
"When's later?"
�After now.�
"Is now later?"
�No, now is time to rest.�
"After that is later?"
�Yes.�
"Okay."
�Sleep vixen,� he said softly, taking her good hand in his
and bringing it up to his lips in a gentle kiss. �And have only good dreams.�
"That would be nice. No dreams of falling. Die if you
don't wake up before you hit the ground."
�No dreams of falling,� he agreed in a whisper. �Dream of
what makes you happy.�
"I don't remember what makes me happy. You make me
happy, but I don't make you happy. Don't want to dream of unhappy you."
�You do make me happy, Salida.�
"I make you worried. Gonna
break out in warts."
He turned and gave her a small smile at that. �Hopefully not.�
"Worry warts," she muttered.
He made a show of looking himself over for these so-called
worry warts. �What? Do you see some?�
She shook her head.
�Well then maybe I�ve stopped worrying.�
"But you said you wouldn't stop worrying until I'm
better."
�Well I was wrong.�
"Oh. Are you often wrong?"
�Sometimes, certainly.�
"Me too."
�We�re all wrong sometimes. Now, does this mean that you�ll
get some rest or not?�
"Yes. Resting." Salida
closed her eyes again.
�Good,� Jeffrey murmured, letting his own eyes fall shut as
he gently held her hand in his own upon his stomach as they both strove to find
a little peace before the storm.
***
Jeffrey was woken up by a bloodcurdling scream and a moan of
"Nooo."
His eyes flew open to reveal his wife - still in bed next to him - with
a bloody knife in her hand. Her face was
quickly draining of blood, leaving her skin whiter than it had any right to be.
�Oh�oh god,� he managed to gasp out, his sleep-muddled brain
promptly screamed to him that something was very, very, wrong and that if he
didn�t get out of bed right fucking
now and do something about it, it was only going to get worse. �Sa-Salida. Are you hurt? What the fuck
happened?!�
"I didn't mean to do it...I wasn't thinking...what did I...?" She
dropped the knife in horror. "What
did I do?"
�Who�s blood is this? Is it yours?
Are you hurt?� he asked her directly, dimly going through a mental check to
make sure it wasn�t his blood that
she was currently covered in.
"No...Des...what was I thinking? Jeffrey, why did I do it?"
�Oh�god. Des�where�� Jeffrey cut
himself off as he heard a pitiful mewling coming from a corner of the room
where the cat had dragged itself; bloodied and clearly shaking. �Oh vixen��
"I didn't mean to do it," she whispered. "I wasn't...my mind..."
�I know, vixen. She�ll be ok. She�ll be ok,� he repeated,
moving off of the bed and toward the pitifully hissing cat with slow gestures,
trying to keep from frightening it further.
"No, I've killed...buy why? Why did I do it? I didn't want to. I was thinking that, but my
hand wouldn't stop, and I...I..."
Salida broke off, her breath ragged.
�She�s not dead, Salida. Can�t you hear her hissing?� he
murmured, moving closer to take the cat into his hands gently. Although he was
only trying to help, the abused cat didn�t seem to get that, and Jeffrey�s arms
and right cheek paid the price for trying to help a cornered, injured animal.
From what he could see though, if the cat was still feisty enough to cause him
injury, it couldn�t be knocking on death�s door like Salida assumed. �See?
She�ll be alright, vixen.�
"Look at the blood," she whispered. "How can she be? How could I do that?"
�Shallow wounds can bleed freely, vixen. Surely you know
this. Look at her. She�s going to be fine.� The cat seemed to get it in her
that she wasn�t getting out of Jeffrey�s hands despite her clawed and fanged
protestations, and therefore had calmed minutely.
"But why? Why did I do it?"
�I don�t know, vixen. I can�t answer that for you. I�m going
to take her to the bathroom and try to clean this up,� he murmured.
"Yes...yes, take her away."
He frowned but nodded and took the wounded cat into the
bathroom to do what he could for her.
Just
a pet. My
pet. Tried to kill her. Why? Don't know. Must know. No excuse...no good reason...my pet. Why?
Salida balled up the bloody blankets and threw them off the
bed, quickly following that up by vomiting over the edge of the mattress. What
she'd just done sickened her. Her head pounded. Her vision was grey.
�Hush, cat. I�m not trying to
fucking hurt you,� Jeffrey murmured to the yowling feline he had set on the
sink. �It�s not even that bad, really. Just a slice.
You�ll be fine,� he murmured, wishing he could say the same thing about his
wife. After he had cleaned and dried the wound and smeared a little antiseptic
ointment on it, he set the cat free, determined to keep an eye on it from now
on. Not now though. He had other things to worry about. Namely,
his wife. �Salida?� he called out, walking back into the bedroom. He saw
the mess of bloodied sheets and vomit on the floor and immediately moved to her
side. Salida? Talk to me, vixen.
Please.�
She shook her head, descending further and further into
shock.
�Aw fuck,� he murmured as he moved to stand in front of her,
tilting her chin up so that her eyes met his. �Talk to me,
vixen.�
"I...Des...how...? Why?"
�You lost control, Salida. You haven�t been yourself for
days now with fucking drugs and everything else. You didn�t mean to do it. And
Des is fine. You saw her as a threat
and you decided to do something about it. It�s not all that irrational when you
think about it.�
"But...and you said...I didn't want to...I did
it..."
�Did you want to do it?�
"No...but I did...I watched.
My hand, but I couldn't feel it, and the knife went down...don't even know how
I got it...just there...and Des sleeping..." Salida gulped for
breath. "Sleeping. Unaware
of danger. Can't keep her. What if it happens
again? Doesn't deserve it."
�It was my knife,� he muttered. �Didn�t
think�� he trailed off with a frown, not finishing the thought. �It�s
not going to happen again, Salida.�
"You can't know."
�Nothing in this life is really certain, vixen,� he muttered
with a depressed sigh.
Salida sank into silence, staring up at the ceiling. When
she finally spoke some minutes later, it was three simple words. "I'm not
well."
�I know, vixen. I know,� he whispered, moving a hand across
her face in a hopefully comforting gesture. �You�ll get better. I know you
will.� You have to.
"I don't want to hurt anybody else."
�Shh, vixen.
Shh,� he said, taking her into his arms and holding
her. �You�re not.�
"We don't know that."
�I do, vixen. I trust you.�
"I don't."
�Well I do. I trust you, vixen even if you don�t trust
yourself. Do you trust me?�
"Y-yes..." She wasn't sure she liked where this
was going.
�Then trust me to know what I�m talking about. Trust me to
keep you from hurting anyone else. I will, vixen.
Trust me.�
"What? You'll never sleep?"
�I�ll manage.�
"I won't."
Salida was shaking now.
�Yes, you will
vixen,� he asserted calmly, holding her closer.
Salida looked supremely unconvinced though, and continued to
shiver.
Jeffrey just kept her in his arms and began to rub his hand
through her hair in an attempt to calm her. �It will be alright, vixen. You�ll
see. We�ll get through this together. I promise you.�
"What if I hurt you?"
�I can take care of myself, vixen.�
"Not if you're asleep." She shook her head. "You're not safe.
You have to keep me away from you."
�No, I don�t, vixen. Would you like to know why? Because you aren�t going to do anything to me. You�re not
going to hurt me, you�ve not going to hurt kitty, you�re not going to hurt
yourself, you�re not going to hurt anyone.�
"That's probably what you thought when we went to
sleep."
�You haven�t hurt me now, vixen.�
"I haven't hurt you yet."
�You�re not going to hurt me, vixen. And�even if you did�it
would even up the scores a little, now wouldn�t it?�
"How can you say that?" She shoved him away with her good hand,
trembling even more. "What makes you think I can live with myself if I
hurt you? What makes you think I can live with myself now?"
�Salida, look at me. You�re not going to hurt me. Do you understand? But if you keep driving
yourself crazy with your own doubts then you�re going to hurt yourself and then where would I be?�
"Not crazy. Being sensible."
�You consider being sensible being so scared of what you
just, might, maybe, possibly do reason enough to keep you away from me?�
"Yes." She nodded. "Until I'm sure I'm not
going to hurt anyone else."
His voice caught in his throat. �What---where
would you go?�
"No, you have to go."
�Oh. And�where do I go, Salida?�
"Just away from me."
�But�this is crazy, Salida! You just what, send me away
until you�ve got yourself convinced that you�re not going to hurt me? What kind
of fucking sense does that make?!�
"Jeffrey, please..." She looked up, facing him
with her pleading eyes. "Please understand me. I'm so scared that next
time the person I'll try to hurt is you, not Des. That I'll...I'll kill
you."
�This is nonsense! You�re not going to fucking kill me,
vixen! You�re not!�
"How do you know?"
�I just do, vixen.�
"I
don't."
�Why not?�
"Does it matter? Will you listen?" Salida closed her eyes and turned her face
away from him.
Jeffrey remained silent for a long while, looking at her
turned cheek and her closed eyes. �Do I have a fucking choice?� he muttered at
last.
"Of course you do. More than I do. It's not like I can
walk out of here."
�Who�s going to fucking take care of you
if you won�t let me, vixen?�
"So that's it, isn't it? It doesn't really matter what
I want. You'll do what you think is best for me anyway."
�Don�t fucking do that, vixen,� he
said with a disgusted frown. �I�m listening, alright? It was a straight fucking
question.�
"You're listening for what you want to hear."
�I don�t want to hear any of this vixen.�
"Then far be it from me to force you to."
Jeffrey grunted. �Do you want me to leave? Do you honestly
think you won�t be able to keep yourself from trying to murder me in my sleep
if I stay?�
"I don't know. And that's why I'm scared."
�And you�ll stop being scared if I�m not around?�
"It's not as if I can come after you."
He frowned. �Then�I�ll leave,� he murmured.
"You do understand that I'm just meaning I don't want
you to sleep in the same room as me, right?" The desolation in his voice
alarmed her, made her look back up. "I'm no danger to you if you're
awake."
No, he hadn�t actually known that. �Oh. Al-Alright.�
"You thought I meant I wanted you to leave leave?
No...not now. Not when I'm scared."
�I�I didn�t know what I thought, vixen. But it doesn�t
matter. I�ll just�let Sands sleep in the other room with kitty or something I
guess. If that�s what you think you need to feel sure of yourself again.�
"Just don't want to hurt you," she whispered.
"Didn't want to hurt Des, but that didn't stop me."
�She really is fine, vixen,� he said as he moved off of the
bed to pick of the bloodied, vomit stained sheets from the floor with a
disgusted frown. �I�ll get you some new sheets, vixen,� he murmured with a
slight sigh.
She nodded. "I'm cold."
�Then I�ll be right back,� he said as he moved to where he
hoped clean sheets and blankets were. He didn�t really feel like having to
track down a fucking maid at�whenever o�clock in the morning it was. His bad
luck was seeming to ease a little though as he found
fresh sheets without too much trouble and brought them back to her after depositing
the dirty ones by the front door to be dealt with in the morning. He instructed
her to grab his neck as he lifted her off of the bed and set her down in her
wheelchair so he could replace the bottom sheet under her. Once he had done
that, he slowly stripped her of her bloodied clothing and helped her into a new
set before carrying her back to bed and pulling the clean sheets and blankets
overtop of her. All this was done without a word.
"Thank you," she whispered. Whether it was a good
idea or not was beyond her. His jaw was set in a way that seemed to warn her
not to talk too much.
�Get some sleep, vixen. I�ll see you in the morning,� he
said quietly after he had made sure she was suitably tucked in and settled.
"Sleep?"
�Yes, vixen. Sleep.�
"Oh."
Salida didn't think she'd be sleeping any time soon, but Jeffrey was
looking a bit tired and she didn't want to keep him up... "Right," she murmured as her eyes
closed.
�If you need anything�� he let the sentence trail off as he
walked towards the door. �Goodnight, Salida.�
"Goodnight." The moment she heard the door shut,
Salida's eyes popped open. After looking around for a moment, she found the TV
remote. Sleep well, she thought as
she turned on the television and started flipping mindlessly though the
channels.
Jeffrey stumbled through the main room of the suite telling
Sands to wake up so he could just fucking go to sleep and not have to deal with
all of the shit that seemed to have suddenly rained down his head in the
morning. He didn�t want to do this. He didn�t want to leave her alone. But how
could he not when she couldn�t even trust herself not to try and kill him in
the night? This was all so fucked up he didn�t even know where to begin, and he
was far too tired to even be dealing with it right now.
He had collapsed in bed next to Aida even before Sands was
fully awake, not caring. He just wanted oblivion.
"Sands?" Aida asked
blurrily, turning over in bed.
�Not yet,� Jeffrey muttered, his
face mashed into a pillow.
"Jeffrey?"
�Leave me alone,� he muttered. �Just let me sleep.�
"Okay, I guess I won't ask -"
�Ask what?� Sands interrupted. �Aida? What�am I doing here?�
"Jeffrey just came -"
�He what?!�
�Oh for fuck�s sake. Vixen kicked
me out, I needed a place to sleep, and you were slow in waking up. Stop
freaking out,� Jeffrey muttered, letting his head fall back down to the pillow
only to have Sands lift it up again. �Oh come on. I�m fucking tired, Sands. You
want to fight? Fine. But in the morning.�
"Trust me, Sands," Aida said softly. "Would I
turn on you like that?"
Sands hesitated for a long while but eventually shook his
head. He didn�t look entirely convinced though.
�Well whatever. I�m
going to go to fucking bed,� Jeffrey muttered, for all intents and purposes
falling asleep where they lay.
"What he said was true, Sands. He came in, I asked if
it was you, he said, "Not yet."
Then he told me to leave him alone and let him sleep, and that's when
you came in. We weren't doing anything wrong. We weren't doing anything."
�I�know. I�m sorry,� he murmured.
She nodded in the dark and rolled over towards him.
"Just trust me, Sands."
�I do, Aida,� he said, trying very hard not to hesitate this
time. �I do,� he repeated, sounding firmer this time, as if he were saying it
again to himself to solidify the fact within his mind.
Aida smiled sadly. "Well...I suppose we have time to
work on that."
�I�m sorry,� he said again. �I do trust you, Aida. I
just�tend to act before I think sometimes.�
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Sands. I
know that things are going to be a bit rough. For
awhile."
�I don�t want them to be,� he muttered.
"I don't think that can be helped."
He sighed, not liking that answer at all, but not arguing
with it either.
Aida scooted over and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I love you, Sands."
�I love you too, Aida. Very much,� he said softly, tilting
his chin towards her in acceptance of her gesture.
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Jeffrey brought Salida
home."
He nodded gently. �I guessed,� he murmured. �And the fun
begins.�
"She called me by my first name. She's never done that
before."
�Perfect,� he muttered.
"Why do you make it sound as if that's a bad
thing?"
�I don�t know, I guess I just expect it to be.�
"Hmm." Aida shifted a bit
so she wasn't lying so uncomfortably on her ribs.
�She apparently jumped off a balcony, spitfire. I very much
doubt everything will be all smiles and daffodils. The fact that Jeffrey ended
up here instead of in there with her is just the first sign.�
"I didn't expect things to be 'smiles and daffodils.' I
was just making an innocent comment."
�Alright then. Because it won�t
be,� he murmured as he let his eyes slip shut. �She�s going to be trouble.�
"I bet you've been saying that for awhile."
�Mm�as long as I�ve known her. Doesn�t make it untrue.�
"I bet Jeffrey's been saying that about me for
awhile."
�Wouldn�t know.�
"And you don't care."
�What?� Sands asked, having not been fully aware of the
conversation he had been holding.
"Never mind. Go back to sleep."
�No, what? What did you say?� he
asked, opening his eyes to look down at her again.
"I was teasing you."
�Oh�.why?�
"Because it's easy."
�Oh,� he said with a frown. �I�m�glad you�re having fun
then,� he murmured.
"I'm teasing you again," she reassured him, after
pressing a kiss into his shoulder.
His frown only deepened. �Alright,� he said softly.
Aida sighed. "I'm sorry," she murmured, rolling
away from him. "I forgot."
�Forgot what, Aida? Where are you going?�
"I forgot you don't like to be teased and I'm not going
anywhere." She reached out to pull a spare pillow towards her.
�Yes you are. You�re moving away from me. Aida, it�s
alright. So I don�t like to be teased. It�s true, but I�m not going to go into
some kind of fit if you do.�
No, you pout and frown
and make me feel like a monster. "This is just more comfortable for
me, Sands. My head doesn't have to be up so high."
�Oh. Ok. That�s fine then,� he said with a hint of a smile. �Goodnight, spitfire.�
Aida closed her eyes
in pain but kept her voice as normal as possible as she said, "Goodnight,
Sands."
�I love you, Aida,� he whispered a few minutes later, not
knowing if she was still awake or not, just saying it to the room at large.
"I know," she whispered back.
�Good,� he said softly, turning a little to look at her. He
was very tired, but he couldn�t go to sleep yet. He needed to satisfy himself
that she was alright first. That they were alright.
Aida heard him moving around, but she didn't bother to look.
If it involved her, she'd know soon enough.
�Are�are you alright, Aida?�
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
�I don�t know,� he said honestly. �I was just asking. Nevermind. I�ll let you sleep.�
"No, I'm sorry. That was rude. Did you want to
talk?" There was a strange note in her voice, one that Aida was aware of
but couldn't banish. There was just too much hope suddenly filling her. Did he
want to talk about what was happening between them? Did he want to make things
better? She wasn't going to make him change, but was he going to volunteer to?
And mean it?
He frowned. �I�don�t want to go to sleep�so yeah. I guess I
do,� he mused.
"What would you like to talk about?�
�Us,� he said after a long silence. �I don�t know if I want
to, necessarily�but maybe I need to.�
"What about us?"
�I don�t�� he frowned, searching for the right words to use.
�I don�t want to not trust you, Aida.�
"How do we fix that?"
�I wish I knew,� he said sadly. He sighed. �I wish I
hadn�t�reacted the way I did when I found out what that bastard did to you. I
won�t ever forgive myself for hurting you, Aida,� he said softly. �I shouldn�t
have done that.�
"No. You shouldn't have." Aida couldn't excuse
what he'd done to her. "I understand why
you did it, but that doesn't make it alright."
�I don�t understand why I did it,� he murmured. �I�ve never
hit you before.�
"No. You haven't. But you were
already in distress, and then that happened, and then I wasn't exactly acting
as apologetic as I could have been."
He shook his head. �Don�t rationalize it. There�s no excuse.
You didn�t deserve that.�
"I'm not rationalizing it. I'm telling you why I
understand why you did it."
�There�s nothing to understand, Aida. I hit you. You, my wife whom I love more than anyone. I hurt you like
you were nothing to me. What is there to understand in that?�
"Then there's nothing to understand."
�I�m sorry I did it, Aida. I truly am,� he said softly.
And�I�m sorry about earlier. About lying to you.�
"My mom used to say that saying sorry meant nothing
unless it was also a promise to never do it again."
He fell silent and still at that for a long while. �I
promise,� he said finally.
"Do you?"
�Yes, Aida. I do. I promise I won�t lie to you again.�
"Thank you."
�You�re welcome, Aida,� he murmured. �I should have promised
that a long time ago.�
"Perhaps." She sighed and
then rolled over, still clutching the pillow.
�If I had, all of this might have been prevented,� he said
dully. �I don�t know what I was thinking. I don�t know why I didn�t think that
you�d find out,� he muttered. �It was stupid.�
"Perhaps."
�No, it was. It was also selfish.�
"Perhaps." Aida settled
for this bland agreement simply because she didn't have the energy for anything
else. She agreed with him, but didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted him to
be hurt... The conflicting emotions alone were enough to exhaust her.
�Is that all you�re going to say? Perhaps?�
He hesitated, and shook his head. �No, it doesn�t matter. Forget it. I�ll let
you sleep. Goodnight, Aida. I love you.�
"What do you want me to say, Sands? Do you want me to
rant and rave at you? What would that accomplish except to make you feel even
more miserable? Do you want me to physically attack you? I don't have the
energy. Do you want me to agree whole-heartedly? I do, but why say that when
you already know it?"
I do want you to yell
at me. I deserve it. �I don�t want anything, Aida. I�ll stop keeping you
up. We�re both tired and we can talk about this later.�
"No, if you want to talk about it now, so do I."
�I don�t. It�s alright, Aida. I�m tired too.�
"Are you just saying that because you think I'm
tired?"
�Aren�t you?�
"I can sleep anytime.
If you want to talk, then let's talk."
�I don�t know what to talk about,� he murmured.
"Yes you do."
He didn�t want to answer that.
"You'll feel better once we've discussed it."
�You don�t know that.�
"But I highly suspect it."
�Do�� he faltered. �Do you still want me to go on
medication?� It wasn�t the only thing that had been troubling him, but it
seemed to be the loudest.
"No."
He hadn�t been expecting that at all. �Why
not? I thought�I thought you wanted me to?�
"No. It's not my place to change you."
�How do you figure?�
"What do you mean?"
�If you�re the one affected, then who says you don�t have
the place to try and do something about it?�
"Would you try to change me?"
�Maybe a little,� he admitted.
Aida was silent for a moment, unsure if she should be
offended or not. Of course, that depended on... "What would you change
about me?"
He grew hesitant. �Nothing. Nevermind. I wouldn�t change a thing.�
"No, tell me. Please."
�But then you�ll just get upset with me again,� he said in a
small voice. �I don�t want you mad at me, Aida.�
"I won't get mad. Or at least I'll try my best not to
get mad."
He frowned. �Not very reassuring,� he muttered. �I
sometimes, vaguely, almost wish that you knew me better. Knew
all of me better. I wish you
didn�t get scared when I�m like�that. That you understood.�
Aida waited for a moment then said, "Nope, not
angry. However, every time I say that
same thing, you say you don't want me to be able to understand you that
completely."
�I know. But�sometimes I do anyway. I don�t want you to be
like me, I want you to know what it�s like to be me.
Does that�make any sense?�
"I suppose."
She was silent for a moment. "I wish I knew you better too, but
sometimes I also wish there wasn't a need for me to."
�I know, Aida. I sometimes wish that too which is�why I was
willing to go along with the drugs in the first place. I do want to change for
you, Aida. I think I have to.�
"No, you don't have to," she said quietly. "I
don't want you to ever think you have to do anything or risk loosing me."
�But I do, Aida. Every time I give in to my so-called
�nature� I risk losing you.�
"I'm not leaving, Sands. We both know I've had ample
time and opportunity, but I'm still here. I'd think that spoke for my
intensions more than anything else."
�That�s not exactly what I meant, Aida,� he murmured.
"I'm not going to leave. I promise." There was no
point in leaving. None.
�And if I�m taken? What then?�
"I'll wait."
�Aida, if I get do caught, you�ll
be waiting for a very, very long
time.�
"I know that."
�And what? You�ll still wait?�
"Yes."
�Oh.�
"Just 'oh?' That's all I get?"
�I-I�m sorry. I just� I�m surprised. I know I probably
shouldn�t be�but I am.�
Aida almost smiled. "Well, since I thought you were
disappointed that all I would do was wait, I suppose I
should be thankful for surprise."
�Oh. You mean you thought I thought you should send me a
cake with a file baked into it or something?�
"Or something."
�No, I didn�t expect you to stay at all.�
"Why wouldn't I?"
�Because I would be doomed to spend the
rest of my life in prison or some institution if I was really unlucky.
Or I suppose they could just execute me�� He blinked. �I guess I didn�t expect
you to chain yourself to me like that.�
"How did you expect me to 'chain myself' to you?"
she asked, anger starting to creep into her voice. "If nothing has driven
me off yet, do you really think I wouldn't see things through?"
�I-I don�t know what I expected, Aida. Not when it comes to
that.�
"I see..."
�Don�t be upset with me, Aida. Please. I didn�t mean to make
you mad.�
"I'm not."
�Oh. Well that�s�good,� he said hesitantly.
"I'm hurt."
�You�re hurt? But�but why? What did
I do? I didn�t�I didn�t mean it.�
"Yes you did. You thought that if we were to be
separated for some reason, that I wouldn't look back.
That I would continue on blithely with my life and not give you a second
thought."
He turned on his side and managed to both bow his head and
to look up at her at the same time. �I�m sorry, Aida. I should trust you.�
"I don't think this is really a matter of trust. I
think this is you thinking that just because other people have left you, have
let you down, that I would too."
His eyes slid away from her face and down to the bed at that
comment. �Perhaps.�
"Well I'm not."
�I know.�
She nodded.
�Aida?�
"Yes?"
�Would you�come over here? Just for a little while? Please?�
Why do I have to come
to you? Why can't you come to me? Aida rolled over until her back was
resting against his chest.
After a brief moment of insecurity, he wrapped his arm
loosely around her waist and pulled her as close as he could. �Thank you,� he
whispered reverently, as if she had just offered him the world.
Aida forced her muscles to relax, forced her tension to
leave her. There was no need for it, no reason for her to be so upset. For now
it was enough to lie silently in her husband's arms. Nothing was being demanded
of her, there were no battles for her to wage, no arguments to be won. Just peace. She yearned for peace - true peace - but she
supposed that would take time. This was a good start.
***
�Did you get any sleep at all, vixen?� Jeffrey asked with a
sigh as he walked into the bedroom and saw her propped up against the bed with
the remote for the television still near her hand although the TV itself was
off.
She shook her head. "Couldn't.
Mind racing, couldn't shut down. Brake's broken."
�Well I know how that goes,� he muttered. �Would you like to
go get some breakfast? Or lunch, depending on how you define breakfast.�
"Food? I'm allowed to eat
food?"
�You�re not allowed to gorge yourself, but yes. Your doctors
want you eating real food again, vixen.�
"Oh...well, that's nice. Can I eat real real food, or mushy real
food?"
�I say it�s ok for you to eat real real food, but we�ll see.�
"But I could have eggs?"
�I don�t see why not. Would you like me to order some up or
would you like to go out?�
"Go out? In front of people?"
A hint of panic had edged into Salida's voice.
Jeffrey frowned at her panic, but was quick to reassure her.
Such things could be dealt with later. �We don�t have to go out, Salida. We can
stay here if that�s what you want.�
"Yes. No people
whispering here."
�There are no people whispering out there either, Salida,�
he said with a
slight downturn of his lips. �What would you like me to order you? What kind of
eggs?�
Instead of arguing that there were too voices out there just
waiting to attack her, Salida meekly said, "Scrambled please."
�Anything else?�
"Umm...weak tea and some toast?"
�Alright,� Jeffrey said as he walked over to the phone and
called in the order. He wasn�t very hungry himself-he only ordered a bowl of
cereal-but he was determined to get her whatever she wanted.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked awkwardly, never
letting her eyes stray from his face.
She'd missed him.
�I slept. I�m not sure if it was well,� he murmured with a
shrug as he hung up the phone and moved back to her side.
"Oh...that's too bad."
He shrugged. �I�m used to it by now. I�ve never been a good
sleeper.�
"Are you...going to stay with me?"
�When? Now?
I�m not going anywhere, vixen,� he said as he took a seat on the bed next to
her. �I don�t have anywhere else I�d rather be.�
"No...later. Are you going to
stay all day?"
�Oh. I�ll try, vixen.�
It wasn't the "Yes, absolutely," that Salida
wanted, but she tried not to let it show. After all, she knew how boring it was
to be her these days...Jeffrey undoubtedly didn't want to put up with that.
�I mean, it�s not always my choice whether or not I can stay
with you, vixen. But I�ll fight to stay with you.�
"That would be nice," she whispered. "I get
lonely."
�I know. I�m sorry, vixen. If I could spend all of my time
with you, I would. You know that. But it�s not always up to me.�
"I wish it were."
�I do too, vixen,� he murmured, feeling utterly depressed
now. �Sorry,� he muttered.
"No, no don't be sorry," she hastened to reassure
him. "I'm being selfish, trying to keep you here. I don't want to be here. Why would you? Of course I understand if
you have to go. I do. Really."
�If you don�t want to be here then where do you want to be,
vixen?� he asked softly.
"Anywhere. I don't want to be
broken."
He sighed and his eyes fell shut briefly before he opened
them again to look at her. �If there was something I could do about that
Salida, I would.�
"Not your fault."
He just shrugged.
"No, please, Jeffrey. Not your fault. Please."
�Alright. It�s not.�
"Do you mean it?
Really mean it?"
�I don�t know,� he answered honestly. He could have lied and
said yes, but he really didn�t feel like deceiving her now.
"I don't blame you."
�You don�t blame me for what, vixen?�
"For anything."
He gave her a sad smile at that, but nodded. �Alright.�
"I-I love you."
�I love you too, Salida. Very much.�
"How much?"
�I love you more than I love anyone or anything else.�
"No...not more. The same."
�The same? You don�t think I love
you more than�say, Obsidian?�
"No, not more than our
children." A look of panic swamped her face. "Nicholas...where
is he? Not at the hospital still? Jeffrey -"
�Shh, Salida.
He�s been taken care of. I promise you. Only the best for our
son.�
"He's taken care of? He's not cold anymore? Not in the cold...but he'll always be
cold." She closed her eyes and
rubbed her forehead. "No, it was an accident. Shut up."
�It was an
accident, Salida. And he is taken care of. I�ll take you to see him any time
you like.�
"Tomorrow. I need to clean up
today. Can't see him while dirty. Wouldn't
want him to get the wrong idea."
�Tomorrow then. When
he can only see you as the beautiful creature that you are.�
"Yes," she muttered. "Tomorrow."
�I think our breakfast is here, vixen,� he said as his
thoughts were shattered by a loud pounding on the front door and a call out for
room service. �I�ll be right back.�
"Okay..."
Salida was still more than lost in her thoughts.
Jeffrey moved through the living room to the front door, tightening
the belt on his robe just enough so that he wouldn�t flash whoever answered the
door. He was tempted to do so anyway, just for fun, but he had already opened
the door before the urge could fully present itself within his mind. He
accepted the cart, gave the young man who brought it up a meagre tip because he
considered it late, and closed and locked the door behind him as he took Salida
her breakfast.
She looked up at him as if surprised to see him. "What do you have?" she asked.
�Scrambled eggs, weak tea, and toast.
Just what you asked for, vixen,� he said as he moved the tray to the side of
the bed so she could better take a look at what he had uncovered.
"I did? When did I ask for that?"
Jeffrey frowned. �Minutes ago, Salida.�
She grinned. "Gotcha."
�What?� Jeffrey asked, not understanding. His voice still
had a large dose of worry and fear in it.
"Teasing," she said, her
voice playful.
�Not funny, Salida,� he said seriously.
"It wasn't?" Salida was the one sounding worried
now.
�No. Please don�t tease. Not now. You worry me when you say
things like that.�
"Oh...I'm sorry. Didn't mean to.
Wanted to make you smile."
�Yes, I know that now, vixen,� he said softly, and he did
give her a small smile. �I just need to stop taking things so seriously.�
"No, I was bad. Misbehaving
again." Salida sighed and slumped in bed. Reaching for a piece of
toast, she started to shred it instead of consuming it.
He immediately reached over and grabbed the toast from her,
causing her to look up at him. �No you weren�t vixen. You were trying to make
me smile. What could be bad about that?�
"Bad execution," she muttered, looking away and
reaching for the other piece of toast. "Haha,
execution, Salida made a joke."
�Yes, you did. Very amusing bit of gallows
humour, vixen. That doesn�t mean you were misbehaving though.�
"You scolded, must be in trouble."
�I did not scold. I asked. And if I did scold, I take it
back. You did nothing wrong, vixen. You�re not in trouble.�
She shrugged.
�You�re not in trouble,� he repeated. �You never were. I�m
not upset with you. I love you.�
"Tough love," she muttered. "Crack down on
misdemeanor jumpers."
Jeffrey just sighed and looked at his bowl of cereal in
disgust. He was no longer hungry if indeed he ever had been. He knew, as a
concept, why she was doing this, but it didn�t make it any easier to deal with.
"Jeffrey?"
�Yes, Salida?� he asked after a brief hesitant silence.
"Why can't I control myself?"
�I don�t know, vixen. You�ve had shock, you�ve been drugged
to the gills for the last few days, you�re recovering from a concussion, choose
all or none of the above.�
"I keep upsetting you."
�I�m alright.�
"No, you're upsetted."
�I didn�t get much sleep last night. I�m probably just being
irritable. Don�t worry about me.�
"Prickly...pins and needles...paper cuts..."
�What?�
"Irritating things."
�Oh. Yes, I suppose they are. As is not
being able to sleep.� Especially when you�re forced to lie next to a fucking woman who is not
your wife.
"Do...do you want to sleep?"
He frowned a little and shook his head. He didn�t feel like
being sent off to Sands� fucking room just to catch a few hours rest. He knew
he needed it, but he didn�t want to leave her. He didn�t actually think that
he�d be able to sleep anyway. He had lain awake for hours last night, utterly
exhausted and yet not able to fall asleep. It had been torture and it wasn�t
something he wanted to go through again.
"Do you think I'm dangerous?"
�Not any more than I am,� he murmured. �No, I don�t think
you�re dangerous.� But when did what I
thought make any fucking difference?
"Well...I was thinking...that perhaps...I was wrong?"
�Perhaps,� he agreed hesitantly, waiting for the other shoe
to drop.
"You don't think I was wrong?"
�I do think you were wrong, vixen. I don�t think you�re
dangerous.�
"Then...then perhaps you could take a nap here. Just a short one. To test. Because I missed you."
�I don�t think I�ll be able to sleep, but I�ll stay if you
want me to, Salida. I would like that.�
"Yes. Stay."
�I missed you too,� he said as he moved into bed next to
her, a hint of a smile covering his face as he was embraced by her warmth on
the bed. He didn�t bother taking off his robe for the additional warmth it
offered. It wasn�t the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but he was cold in
the air conditioning and didn�t want to take it off.
"We can watch TV. If you want.
I don't know. Do you like TV?"
�I�m not really in the mood, but you can if you like. TV�s
ok, but I like movies more.�
"We can get movies. Can't we?"
�Yeah, we can. It�s one of the nice things about living in
hotels. You get to see the newest movies without having to leave your room.� Something which appealed to him because he suddenly had a desire to
do nothing but stay inside all day with her.
"You can choose," she murmured, the somewhat
worried expression she'd been wearing disappearing from her face.
�Can we�watch one later? I don�t really feel like watching
one right now, vixen.�
"O-okay. Then what would you
like to do right now?"
�Nothing really,� he said with a slight shrug. He really
didn�t feel like doing anything at all. The world at large had lost its
interest for him.
"Nothing?"
�Well I guess laying here talking to you counts as
something.�
"I'm glad I'm something."
�You are.�
"A big something or an important
something?"
�Important. And the best.�
"Best?"
�Yes.�
"I win?"
�You always have.�
"Where's my blue ribbon?"
�On back-order.�
"Will I get it soon?"
�Yes. It�s on its way.�
"Is it pretty?"
�Not as pretty as you.�
"What color is it?"
�Cerulean. Like your eyes.�
"My eyes?"
�Yes. You�re beautiful, blue eyes.�
"Oh...I forgot."
�Well I imagine you haven�t had a chance to look a mirror
recently, so that�s alright. They�re blue. I assure you.�
"I like blue."
�I like blue on you, vixen. I�ve never much cared for it
otherwise.�
"No, you like red."
�I do. My favourite colour. I like
red on you as well.�
"What color are my toes?"
�The same colour as the rest of your skin, I�d imagine.
They�re a bit difficult to see right now.�
"No, my toenails. You could
paint them red. I wouldn't see it, but you might."
�That could be fun. Could I paint your fingernails too?�
"I suppose."
�You would be able to see those.�
"Yes. I would."
�Well maybe I�ll do that later then.�
"No, you can do them if you want."
�I probably will. Just not now. I
don�t think we have any of the right shade of red fingernail polish anyway.�
"Oh. Okay. I just wanted to help you find something to
do." She yawed.
�It�s not that I�m bored, it�s just that I don�t really feel
like doing anything. And maybe you should be the one who takes a nap, vixen.�
"I could nap," she agreed
�Then take a nap, vixen.�
"Will you sing me a lullaby?"
�I don�t know any. And I can�t really sing, vixen.�
She pouted.
�I�ll rub your shoulders or something if you like though.�
"And sing?"
�I don�t sing, vixen. And I wouldn�t know what to sing even
if I could.�
"Not even for me?"
�I would if I could, vixen. But I can�t.�
She just stared up at him with her big blue - and quickly
turning watery - eyes.
�Salida, please. Don�t cry. I can�t
sing. I�m not trying to lie to you or upset you, I just can�t. And I don�t know
any lullabies.�
"You won't even try."
�How am I supposed to try if I don�t even know what to sing?�
Salida just sniffed.
�I�m sorry, vixen.�
She sniffed again and shifted just enough to imply that she
would turn her back on him if she could.
�What, so I tell you that I can�t sing so you turn your back
on me? Thanks, Salida,� he muttered, sitting up a little in bed and looking
away from her himself.
"You won't even try," she muttered.
�I already told you I don�t know any. I already told you
that I can�t sing. What else can I do?�
"You won't even try," she repeated, this time
sadly.
�Why do you want me to so badly?�
"You've never done it before."
�And I should do everything that I�ve never done before?�
"You're not going to sing to the babies?"
Oh. �Is that what this is about?�
"No, this is about me wanting you to take care of me,
and hold me, and sing to me."
�I will take care of you. I will hold you.�
"But you draw the line at singing."
�I can�t sing, vixen.�
"So?"
�Why do you want me to sing?�
"I just do."
�But why, vixen?�
"Why do you resist?"
�Why do you insist?�
"Answer my question first."
�Because I can�t sing, vixen. And I
don�t know what too sing even if I could.�
"But that doesn't matter to me."
He sighed. �Fine. You want me to
sing? I�ll sing. What do you want me to sing, vixen?�
"I don't care. You could make something up. You could
sing the theme song to 'I Love Lucy.' I just want to hear you."
�Don�t know that one. Never really watched
television when I was younger. But fine. You want singing? You�ll get
singing.� He remained silent for a long minute before clearing his throat. The
song he chose wasn�t a lullaby-he honestly didn�t know any save rockabye baby-rather it was the first song that popped into
his head. �Love is Made for Me and You.� He sang
softly, but not so soft that she couldn�t hear him.
Almost the moment he began to sing, Salida shifted towards
him. Her eyes drifted shut, but there was a soft smile on her face - no more
than a slight upturn of the lips - that managed to convey more emotion than a
toothy grin would have.
He finished the song minutes later, hoping that she would be
satisfied with it. He felt like a fool.
"Thank you," she whispered,
her voice no more than a slight whisper.
�You�re welcome. Get some sleep,� he whispered back.
"Yes, sir."
He very nearly smiled.
"You'll stay?"
�I�ll stay.�
"I'm glad."
She yawned.
�I have no where else to go,� he murmured. �No where else
I�d want to go.�
"But I'm...boring..." Her voice was growing heavy.
Lazy. Deep with sleep.
�You�re not boring, vixen. You�re sleepy.�
"Oh. My mistake."
Sleepily, she opened one eye and groped for his hand.
He let her have it. �And you�re cute when you�re sleepy.�
"Cute as a button?"
�Cuter.�
"Cute as a bug in a rug?"
�Even cuter.�
"That's good..." Salida didn't say anything else
as her breathing evened out.
�Yes, it is,� he murmured, holding her hand loosely as he
tilted his head to watch her sleep. He knew he wouldn�t be getting any of his
own, so this was the next best option. He only hoped she would feel better once
she had awoken.
***
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More Than Darkness