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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
- 75
- 76
- 77
Somewhere between the house and the beach Sheldon
blinked a few times and was lost. Sands came gasping back into consciousness,
his face contorting with the now familiar confusion as he looked around and
tried to figure out where he was before frowning at the sudden pain which
hadn�t been there before. �Aida?� he asked upon seeing her standing at his
side, her eyes cast out towards the ocean.
"Mmm?" She slowly turned her head to look up at him,
blinking a few times before murmuring his name.
�Aida? It�s Sands,� he said, his frown deepening for
more than one reason as unexpected pain accompanied the gesture. �What
happened?� He cast a look down at his arm which was wrapped tightly in white
gauze lightly stained in pink as blood seeped through. �Jesus,� he muttered
under his breath. �I leave for two minutes and look what happens.� He tried to
make it a joke, but it fell flat.
"Closer to an hour, actually.
And Sheldon wasn't exactly a happy camper. You really...you really damaged him."
�I know,� he said softly. He could feel that as
clearly as he could hear her speaking to him. He had made a very large mistake
when he had dealt with Sheldon those many weeks ago, and it seemed that he was
only getting worse. �What did he do?�
"He blamed me for not stopping you."
�Did he�did he hurt you, Aida?� he asked, clearly
concerned.
"No. I mean, sure, I cut myself a time or two
trying to get the knife away from him -"
�Fuck,� he interrupted grimly. �Let me see.� He
wasn�t surprised that whatever was causing the pain on his arm and hand was
self-inflicted. �Are you alright?�
"Yes." Physically.
�Why was Sheldon trying to hurt himself? He�s never
done that before,� Sands mused a few moments later, morbidly lifting up the
edge of the gauze to inspect the wounds on his palm and forearm.
"He's insane. That's why." Her words were
so matter of fact that it took Sands a minute to fully absorb what she'd said.
�On a scale of one to ten, one being me on a normal
day and ten being raving at things that aren�t there and speaking nonsense, how
insane was he?�
"Ten."
�Shit,� Sands murmured under his breath. �Do you
think he�s�.salvageable?� he asked as delicately as he could.
"I don't know." And that seems to be my biggest sin.
�Alright. I won�t do
anything for now. I don�t like having fucking seizures any more than you do
watching them so I�m hesitant to do anything with him unless I�m out of
options.�
"Alright."
�Do you�want to talk about it, spitfire?� he asked
slowly. �About what happened, I mean.�
"No. It wasn't really anything important."
He frowned at that, because if she didn�t tell him
what Sheldon said then he might never know. And it was a hard thing to deal
with when you couldn�t remember a lost hour of your life, no matter how hard
you might try. But he wasn�t going to bed. �Alright.
Do you want to go back to the house or do you want to stay out here for a
little while longer?�
"I don't care. Yes I do. I don't want to go back
to the house yet." Sooner or later he'd remember what they'd been talking
about before he'd passed the buck to Sheldon.
Perhaps they could fight outside this time instead of inside their home.
�That�s fine,� Sands said with a nod. He didn�t
really feel like going back inside either. Generally he wasn�t much of an
outdoors type-the sun disagreed with him and he disliked getting sand stuck
between his toes-but today he felt calmed by the crashing of the waves against
the beach and he didn�t want to give that up quite yet. He knew that he should
probably talk with Aida about what she had discovered�but he didn�t want to do
that either. At least, not now. He had the suspicion
that she didn�t want to talk about it yet either so he kept silent.
They walked down the beach in companionable silence;
each clinging to the other's company and hiding away at the same time. But at
least they were doing it together.
After a half hour's walking, they came across a
sun-bleached log that had washed up on the shore. Smoothed by exposure to sand,
wind, and the pounding surf, it was a comfortable enough place to take a seat,
and Aida took advantage of it. Out here they were far enough from any
habitation that a loud argument wouldn't draw any attention.
Sands sat down next to her when she gestured,
cradling his injured hand and arm in his lap. He watched the waves for a few
long moments before turning to her. �Do you really think you�re pregnant?� he
asked softly, not wanting to start on the offensive with this.
"I don't know.
I hope not."
�Oh. Because you don�t think we�re ready to have a
kid?�
Because
I can't take the heartache again.
Because I can't stand knowing that something was created from the love between
us that you want no part of. Because I can't stand thinking that the next few
months will be filled with nothing but the anticipation of yet another
fight.
His reason was as good as any of hers, mainly because
it kept her true feelings out of things. "This still isn't a good time.�
�And when is a good time, Aida?� he asked cautiously.
He wasn�t quite certain what he was feeling. Did he truly want a kid? He
thought that maybe, someday he might and that notion was staggering.
"I'll know it when it comes along."
�Will you?� he asked softly. Or will you let it slip you by because of me?
"I will. I won't be able to mistake it."
�How will you know?� he asked curiously.
"Because you will have asked me for one,"
she whispered softly, her words nearly drowned out by the sound of the waves.
He cast his eyes out across the waves as well,
thinking hard. There wasn�t an easy answer to that and yet she was forcing him
to think. Did he want a child with her? Did he want a son or daughter from
their love for each other? He wasn�t sure and yet a part of him was more than
certain. He did. He always had in some fashion or another since they had been
together, but it had been easier to give in to the fear that he would somehow
twist a child of his into his image. He couldn�t do that. He would not become his father. God damn it. The bastard�s been dead for ten
years and still he fucking haunts me. He turned and looked at her, his eyes
veiled. �So�if I were to ask you for a kid, right here and now, that would make
it the right time to have one?�
She shrugged, not believing that he would, but
answered. "You might have to give me a few months to work on it..."
�I�d need more than a few months to get used to the
idea so that I can handle,� he murmured.
His answer gave her pause. "Wait...are you...?
�Am I asking? Uh, I guess I am,� he mused, surprise
clear on his face.
"You guess?" He guessed? Swallowing tears, Aida stood up and started walking again.
He cursed and got up to chase after her. �Aida, I�m
sorry alright? I didn�t mean it like that. I was just surprised that I meant
it. I want a child with you, Aida. I would love a child with you. Be it a
beautiful little girl with curly red hair or a dark haired little troublemaker
I want them. I want this with you, Aida.�
"If you're just saying that because you think
it's what I want to hear -"
�I�m not, Aida. I swear to you I�m not,� he hastened
to assure her. �I�m scared witless at the prospect of having a kid, I won�t
lie, but I�m also�exited? Does that make any sense at all?� he asked, running a
hand over his hair in agitation.
"Yes." She turned to face him. "That's
how I feel."
�So that�s normal, I take it?� he asked curiously.
�To feel a sense of dread hanging over your head and yet at the same time a
sense of anticipation? Because it�s a little confusing,� he murmured with a
puzzled look.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked nervously.
"I'm terrified. I had great parents, and I'd love to be like them, but
what if I'm a total failure?"
�Don�t be ridiculous. You�ll be an excellent mother,�
Sands said incredulously.
"I hope so," she murmured, wrapping her
arms around her waist. "But then again, maybe this is just another scare.
Maybe I'm not pregnant."
�And maybe you are? Spitfire, you don�t need to be
scared. I�m not going anywhere. If you are pregnant, then we�ll get through
this together.� He reached over and wrapped his good arm around hers; pulling
her close to that she could rest her head on his shoulder.
Nuzzling her face into his chest she murmured,
"What changed your mind?"
�You did,� he responded after a moment�s thought. �I
started thinking about how you wanted a child so much that I started wondering
what it would be like to have one.�
"Is that good enough for you? Is it enough to
have a child simply because I want one?"
�It�s not just that. I�m�curious. But it�s more than
that as well.� He sighed. �Ask me again in a month or so and maybe I�ll have a
better answer for you.�
"And will you...are you... Will your mind change
between today and then? If I'm pregnant?"
�If you mean will I change my mind about wanting the
kid, then no. I do want it. I�m just not entirely sure why yet.�
"Alright." She
wouldn't be able to stand if he took away her hope after she'd accepted it
against her better judgement.
�I mean it, Aida. I wouldn�t give you false hope,� he
said softly.
"You wouldn't
mean to give me false hope."
He sighed. �I guess you�ve got me there,� he
muttered.
"I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice."
�Don�t worry about it,� he murmured with a slight
shrug. �Don�t be sorry for telling the truth.�
"But you're being so nice. I don't want to snap
at you."
�That was hardly a snap, Aida.�
"It wasn't nice though either."
�I�m fine, Aida. I�m not upset so don�t worry about
it. It was just a little hard truth, that�s all.�
"You never intentionally give me false hope. I
know that. If I'm ever disappointed in you, it's because I failed to prepare
myself for all possibilities. Because you always make
promises intending to keep them."
��The path to hell is paved with good intentions,��
he quoted softly.
"Don't. Don't try to...to lessen what my faith
in you means."
He nodded. �I won�t. I�m sorry. I shouldn�t have said
that. I am amazed at the level of faith you have in me. I wouldn�t want to
compromise that for anything.�
"I know that. I do. And I believe it."
He looked at her closely then, judging the
truthfulness of her statement. When he was satisfied, he turned his gaze back
out to sea and rubbed at his wounded palm with the fingers of his right hand
just enough to let him know it still hurt.
Aida noticed the slight movement. "I'm sorry. I
should have tried to stop him earlier. But I was...shocked."
�Don�t worry about it, Aida. It doesn�t really hurt
and it probably looks worse than it is.� He had to say probably because he
hadn�t actually removed the bloodied gauze to check for himself. �I didn�t mean
for him to go off on you, but as soon as he heard that you might be pregnant,
he freaked and took over.�
"Why? Why would that make him freak out. He's the only one who can reasonably claim no
responsibility."
Sands shrugged. �Don�t look at me. He�s just a voice
in my head. Don�t expect me to know what makes him tick.� When she just looked
at him he sighed and continued. �Maybe he�s afraid the kid will turn out like
him.� He didn�t go on, hoping she understood what he was trying to say.
"You mean he doesn't think...he believes that
neither of us would make acceptable parents."
�Hell I don�t know, Aida. He�s damaged, ok? You said
it yourself. He doesn�t want us to hurt the kid like he was hurt and he doesn�t
want the kid to hurt you like he hurt his mother.� Speaking in the third person
about yourself made things a hell of a lot easier to
deal with sometimes.
Aida shook her head. "No. I can understand his
sympathy for an innocent, but he doesn't give a rip about me anymore."
�He�s mad at you for not stopping me. He�ll either
get over it or he won�t, Aida.�
"Do I need to be worried about the latter?"
she asked lightly, although there was nothing lighthearted about the question
of her need to know the answer.
Sands sat in silence as he thought about an answer to
her question. �From what I�ve seen of today, I think I have more to worry about
than you do, Aida. But that doesn�t mean you shouldn�t be careful around him.�
She nodded. "Alright.
I'll keep that in mind."
�Please do, Aida,� he whispered before falling into
silence once more, watching the roll of the waves as if hypnotised
by them.
She carefully wrapped an arm around his waist and
held him, watching the same view he did. Wondering if she was seeing the same
things he was.
A day without a hallucination of some sort was always
a good day, but today had already gone down the toilet and wasn�t getting any
better. I wonder if this is what Jeffrey
saw in Hawaii, Sands muttered to himself as his eyes picked out faces
amongst the waves. Maybe it was just his imagination putting things in his line
of sight that weren�t there, but he doubted it. He could have asked Aida what
she saw to verify, but he didn�t feel like hearing the answer.
"Sands?"
�Hm?� he asked, inclining
his chin slightly towards her but not taking his eyes off the waves.
"You'll tell me if you change your mind?"
�About what?� he asked, turning to look at her. �Oh.
Of course I will, Aida. But I don�t think I�m going to change it.�
"But you might."
�And so might you.�
"No. The only thing I'm resolved to do is
whatever is best for the baby."
�Then stop worrying about what I might do and think
about what I�m doing; think about what I�m saying.
I want this kid, Aida. I don�t know why, but I do. Focus on that and the
rest will work itself out somehow.�
"I hope so." She glanced up at him and gifted him with a
weary smile.
�You ready to go back to the house? All this fresh
air is bad for me,� Sands said wryly after a few long minutes of companionable
silence.
"I guess."
�You guess? Spitfire, if you want to say out here for
awhile longer, just say so.�
"I don't want to keep you out. You weren't
looking so hot earlier. Or at least Sheldon wasn't."
�I tell you what. I�ll stay out here with you for as
long as you like, and if I pass out or something you�ll get a chance to carry
me the threshold,� he said with a smirk.
She snorted. "As if I could pick you up."
�I�d be amusing to watch you try,� Sands said wryly. �A little slip of a woman like you carrying home her strong manly
husband? Come on, it�d be hysterical.�
"Especially since my husband is neither..."
She edged away.
�Har, har. Better watch it woman or you�ll be drug home
behind me by your hair like in the good old days.�
"What hair?" she smirked. "There's not enough for you to get a
grip."
�Hm, you have a point. That
one will have to wait. Alright. I�ll sling you over my
shoulder like a sack of potatoes then. A timeless classic.�
"With my unsettled
stomach?" She tsked. "Probably not the smartest idea."
�Eh, this shirt is already ruined anyway,� he
gestured at bloodstains on the cuffs. Even in the middle of summer he still
wore long sleeved shirts more often than not. �I�ll take my chances.�
Aida wrinkled her nose. "That's just
gross."
�And you�re expecting to stay as fresh as a daisy
when dealing with potentially three infants in the house at the same time?
You�re dreaming, Aida.�
"Yeah...well..." There wasn't much of a
defense she could put up to that comment.
�Yeah, well?� Sands asked wryly. �Come on. Even I
know that much about kids.�
"Fine. Since it
obviously doesn't bother you, I'll let you
burp the baby."
�Fine. But I�m not changing
it.�
"Ha!"
�Try me, spitfire. I�m not doing it.�
Aida just looked
at him.
Sands looked away. He wasn�t going to get caught in
that trap. �I�m not doing it.�
"If I can carry a kid for nine months straight,
then you can change a few diapers. And if it's a boy you�ll be potty training it."
�How many is a few?�
"I think ever other diaper and nights sounds
fair to me."
�Do you now? And why is that?�
"That's what my dad did. If one of us woke in
the middle of the night, he'd get up and make sure that diapers were dry and
clean before bringing us in to Momma to be fed. And then he'd take us
back."
�I had a nanny,� he murmured. �Fine.
I�ll deal with the brat at night. It�s not like I sleep anyway.�
"Brat?" Aida's
eyebrows lifted.
�I mean that in the most lovable way imaginable.�
"I don't want you thinking about our child in
that way. Remember - it was created with love. Love. How could the result of
that be a brat? Or anything else negative?"
�What shall I call it then? Kid?
Child? Sprog? Fruit of your loins?� Sands asked
with a smirk.
"I don't care if you take to calling it Junior.
Just...just respect how the child was conceived."
�I do, Aida,� he said seriously.
"Good."
She reached out to grab his hand. "The first step to loving a child
- in my mind - is to remember how it was conceived. At least
natural children."
�The kid was probably conceived during our session of
passionate abandon.� Jeffrey�s phrase would have been hot monkey lovin�. �You think that�ll make it a bit of a wild child?�
"If it is I think we can handle that." Aida
gently tugged Sands in the direction of the house.
�And if it�s more?� He didn�t really mean to be the
pessimist this time, but some things had a way of sneaking up on you.
"Then we'll handle it. One way
or another."
Sands nodded and sighed a little. He almost didn�t
want their kid to be normal. If Salida�s kids were as he was and Aida�s wasn�t,
what would happen to their child? Would it be driven to insanity just by being
around him? He didn�t want to think about that, and yet he couldn�t help it.
His steps were heavy as he followed her back to the house, but he did follow.
"Everything will work out, Sands," Aida
reassured her husband. "Really. And this is
something that we can talk about. We'll both need to."
�Yeah, I know,� Sands mused in return. �Talking about
things isn�t necessarily one of my strong points, however.�
"I know. But don't worry. I'll pester you into
sharing your thoughts."
�You do that anyway,� Sands murmured with a small
smile as they walked hand-in-hand across the beach.
"I know. It's my job."
�Yeah, I suppose it is,� Sands said thoughtfully.
She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it.
He blinked at her with an odd smile on his face as
she did it. �Isn�t that supposed to be my job?�
"To be charming? I can
be charming too."
�No, you�re endearing. There�s a difference.�
"Ahh... Would you care
to explain the difference?"
�Not at the moment, no.�
"Hm.
That's what I thought."
He stuck his tongue out at her.

"That was mature."
�Really? I wasn�t quite
going for mature. Should I try again?�
"Be my guest."
He stuck out his tongue again.
She blew an extremely noisy raspberry back at him.
Sands laughed. �Now that was mature.�
"Thank you."
�You�re most welcome, dearest. I�ll rely on you to
teach our kid proper manners,� he said with a smirk.
"Absolutely. Along with how to shoot peas out its nose."
�How come you�ve never taught me that particular�skill�before, Aida?�
"It's not very lady-like."
�Oh bah. I won�t tell.�
"I didn't want to gross you out."
�Diaper changing and conversations about feminine�issues aside, I�m very hard to gross
out, Aida.�
"If you have to say 'feminine issues aside' then
you're pretty darn easy to gross out."
Sands just grunted, not otherwise answering her
comment.
"It's not as if it's not perfectly
natural."
�Don�t want to talk about it,� he muttered, seemingly
uncharacteristically prudish and therefore an open invitation to harassment and
teasing.
"What'll happen if we have a daughter, do you
think? It's not as if you can avoid the topic forever."
�Oh really? Watch me,� he
responded.
Aida leaned his head against his shoulder. "Poor man."
�Who? Me? Why?� he asked,
slowing his pace a little so her head wouldn�t bounce quite as hard off of his
shoulder every time he took a step.
"Well. Not you in particular, I suppose. Most
men are uncomfortable around talk of a woman's menses. You'll grow accustomed
in twenty years or so. I think. Papa never made a fuss when he was sent out for
tampons -"
Sands cut her off by walking quickly away from her,
her head dipping as his shoulder suddenly wasn�t supporting it any longer. �I�m
not listening. You keep your charming womanly anecdotes to yourself.�
Aida laughed and trotted to keep up. "All right! I surrender."
Sands halted and looked at her as if he wasn�t quite
sure he believed it. �Promise?�
"Yes. I promise. Unless an
emergency comes up."
�Like what?� he asked cautiously. �No, wait. I don�t
want to know.�
"Then I won't let you know unless it comes
up." She kissed his hand again.
�Fine. I�ll just hope for a
son in the mean time,� he murmured under his breath as they set out for the
house once more.
"That you get to potty train," she reminded
with a smile on her face. "We're going to have fun as parents. I
promise."
�Well at least you�ll probably only have one. You are only having one, right?�
"I don't know."
�Well one�s enough. One�s more than enough,� he
murmured, briefly thinking Jeffrey insane for wanting any more than that.
"I'd like to start with just one," Aida
agreed.
�Alright, I know you came from a huge family, but how
many kids are you thinking, Aida? A little warning would be appreciated.�
"As many as you want."
�How many do you want?�
"I told you. As many as you
want. If you want this to be an only child, then I'll be content. If you
want more, I'll do my best to give you more."
He sighed and shook his head. �I don�t want it to be
an only child, spitfire.�
"Alright. Then a few
years down the road, we'll work on number two. And if a few
years after that you want a third kid, then we'll work on that. But I'd
like to have one kid at a time in diapers. I really do think that's
enough."
�With Salida�s kids around too yeah, I�m thinking
there will be more than enough kids in the house at one time.�
Aida nodded and they walked a bit further. Then because she was curious, she asked,
"Why don't you want it to be an only child?"
He shook his head. �It doesn�t matter.�
"It must if you have an opinion on it. And I
assumed your reason is more than you simply don't want it to be outnumbered
by...the others."
He frowned, knowing that she probably wasn�t going to
like his reasoning. �It�s not�good to have only one child. All the stress to
achieve is put on that one child. It�s not something I want and child of mine
to go through, Aida,� he murmured.
"Alright. But I grew up
in a literal brood of siblings, and there's still stress to achieve. Especially if the older
sibling is an overachiever. But it's...I dunno.
I guess you'd say it's a personal sort of stress. We were never compared to our
siblings, but we all knew that teachers had an older sibling at one point.
Comparisons are inevitable. I rebelled. Some conform. We'll make sure that
neither is needed with our children though."
Sands nodded in acceptance of this but kept silent.
"I promise, Sands. We'll do everything we can to
protect our offspring. Mothers in particular can be a vicious bunch if their
hearts are involved. And mine is."
�I know, Aida,� he said with a small smile. He couldn�t
help but hope that the day would never come when she would have to protect
their children from him. It was probably a foolish hope, but he couldn�t help
having it all the same.
"And we're a naggy
bunch too. If I notice you not coming up to snuff, I'll be sure to let you
know."
His smile was a little wider at that. �Of course you
will.�
"So what is there to worry about? Besides the normal parental worries...but those really can't be
avoided." Aida paused, then asked softly,
"Do you think we should tell my parents?"
�You may if you wish, Aida.�
"Is there a safe way to do it? Or do you think
that the house is still under watch or whatever?"
�I�m not sure, but I would guess so. It�s probably
not as closely watched as it was but no doubt your parents are still being
checked in on occasionally,� Sands said with a shrug.
"Alright...then is there a safe way for me to
call them? I won't if there isn't. I'll wait."
�Write to them for a number of a payphone or
something. That way if the phones in the house are still tapped you�ll be able
to call them at the alternate number and talk as long as you wish.�
"But what about postmarks?
I assume you don't want anyone knowing we're in Ireland... And I'm not sure I trust my mother not to
tell." It was a hard thing to admit, but it was the truth.
Sands sighed. �I am sorry about that, Aida. But you
shouldn�t blame her. It�s a reasonable enough reaction to have when finding out
your prodigal child is married to a wanted murderer,� he murmured. �Call them
briefly then. Lay out what you need them to do and hang up. I don�t think
they�ll be able to get a trace that quickly.�
"Do we have a cell phone anymore?" Aida didn't pay attention to such things so
she wasn't sure.
He nodded. �Several, in fact.
Not quite five, but you haven�t asked me for five yet.�
She smiled slightly. "Then I can use one of
them, right? I mean, the number can be traced, but not to a location. Right?"
�I don�t know for sure, Aida. But that sounds
accurate.�
"Then it'd be safe to call from one of those. Right?"
�In theory. Look, Aida. Just
call them. You wouldn�t bring it up if you didn�t want to. Everything will be
fine.�
She had to laugh softly at that. "Maybe I asked because I want to be
persuaded out of it. I'm scared."
�Why would you be scared? They�re your parents, Aida?
Not to mention the fact that they�re thousands of miles away.�
"I'm scared because they are my parents."
�Why?� Sands asked with a curious frown, briefly
glancing up and seeing that the house was visible in the nearing distance.
"Your parents still haunt you. So do mine."
He frowned at that, but didn�t argue the point. �Then
make them stop haunting you. Either make peace or forget about them.�
"No, not like that.
It's just that..." She huffed, trying to think of a way to explain her
feelings. "No matter how old you get, parents are still parents, and more
importantly, the same parents that scolded you when you misbehaved as a kid.
And those feelings linger even after you're all grown up."
He gave her an incredulous look at that. �You think
your parents are going to yell at you for getting pregnant?�
"Papa won't. I'm not so sure about my mother.
She wasn't happy with the choice I
made to stay with you."
�I gathered as much. But honestly, what can she do,
Aida? We�re married. Legally married. I didn�t�knock
you up before we got married nor did I force you into it.�
"No you didn't. I know that. I just don't think
she's going to understand."
�What is there to understand, Aida?�
"I think she'll charge me with being irresponsible.
She'll see the obvious dangers that we've already accepted and agreed to work
on, and she'll tell me it's not worth it."
Sands grunted. �It�s not up to her, Aida. It never
was.�
"I know. I know."
�So then what�s the real problem?�
"I don't know. Maybe I just don't want to loose
my mother's good opinion of me."
�Then talk to her. Make her understand. If she
refuses to, then at least you can say you tried. Your conscience should be
clear.�
Aida didn�t continue the conversation as they approached
the house. She didn�t know if it was a blessing or a curse that he didn�t
understand that her mother made only too much sense at times. Certainly too much sense for Aida�s mind to rest easily. And
having never had his parents� approval, she wasn�t sure he could understand the
fear that came with the thought of loosing it. Or more of it.
Mother wasn�t happy that I decided to go
with Sands. That I chose him over my flesh and blood.
What is she going to think about me having a child? But Aida couldn�t maintain
a communications blackout for much longer. Having finally gone home � even if
she�d had to flee � she understood what her years of silence had cost. She didn�t want her parents to worry any more
than was unavoidable.
As they entered the house Sands kept the silence she
had initiated, seeming to sense she was lost within her own thoughts. That was
fine. She was entitled. �I think I�m going to take a bath, Aida. You�re welcome
to join me if you like,� he offered with a slight shrug. He�d love to have her
with him, but it wasn�t necessary. He just felt like soaking the day away and
if she wanted to come along for the ride that was more than fine with him. If
not, he�d manage.
"No. I...if I'm going to make the call, I need
to do it. Now. Before I loose my
nerve. But would you mind if I stayed in the room with you?"
�That�s fine, Aida. Whatever you
need.�
"Alright." She
nodded as if trying to steel herself for the upcoming ordeal. "Then let's
track down one of those phones."
He nodded. It didn�t take them long to find one,
although they did get a little sidetracked when Sands asked Aida where his
other knife had gotten to and went outside to look for it once she told him.
Once he had located that and a cell-phone, he put the knife on the bathroom sink
and handed Aida the phone. �Uh, good luck?� he offered with a slight shrug as
he reached past her to turn on the tap to fill the bathtub.
More than luck was required, and Aida knew it. But time was of the essence...mainly because
she was a coward.
"Kiss me," she demanded, needing the
booster.
�Hm, I love it when you go
all demanding on me,� he said with a grin, leaning over to give her a very
thorough and very passionate kiss that left them both breathless.
"Just my version of Irish courage," she whispered,
pressing his forehead against his should as she took a deep breath.
�Feel free to take a draught from me any time,
spitfire,� he murmured, now wishing he had insisted she join him in the bath.
"I can do this."
�Of course you can, my love. You�re my brave little
spitfire,� he murmured with a smile as he got undressed and stepped past her to
get in the tub.
"Right. Brave."
Blowing out a stream of air, Aida quickly dialed the number to her parents'
house, suddenly totally unsure of what time it was in the States. She almost
hung up, but she bit her bottom lip and hoped it wasn't too late.
Sands eased himself into the
almost-too-hot-to-bear water and sighed happily. He be
happier if she was in the water with him rather than sitting on the edge of the
tub looking like she was going to her own execution, but oh well.
Pick up, pick
up, pick up... If someone didn't answer soon, she was going to hang up and
it'd take weeks for her to get up the courage to call again. And she wouldn't
be able to stand the stress of knowing that she should call but she was too
scared -
"Hello?"
"Poppa!" Aida's
knuckles went white on the small phone. "It's me."
"Aida?" Jack Grant frowned at the strong,
unidentifiable emotion in his daughter's voice.
"What's wrong?" From the corner of his eye he saw his wife get
up from the dinner table and run for their bedroom, most likely to pick up the
receiver there.
"Nothing's wrong, Poppa. I'm just glad to hear
your voice."
�Aida?� Mrs. Grant asked softly. �Is it really you?
Where are you?�
"I'm safe, Momma. Please, understand that I
can't tell you." Aida took a deep breath. "I missed you. I wanted to
hear your voices."
"You're always welcome to call us," Jack
began, but his wife cut him off.
�Aida what are you doing to this family?� Mrs. Grant
moaned sorrowfully. �Do realise what you�ve done? Do you realise that hurt
you�ve caused us?�
Realizing the only way she was going to get through
this interview was at Sands' side, Aida started unbuttoning her shirt with one
hand as she replied tiredly, "I'm sorry, Momma. I never wanted to hurt
you. Or anyone else. You must know that."
"Of course we know that, firefly," Jack
soothed. "But as your parents, we can't help but be worried for you."
Sands frowned to see her undressing, figuring the
conversation must not be going well if she suddenly needed to be at his side.
�How am I supposed to know that, Aida? Explain it to
me. Explain how you thought you would bring anything but hurt to this household
the moment you brought him home.�
"You weren't supposed to find out, Momma. That's
how. You liked him well enough before -"
�Before what?� she hissed. �Before I found out he�s a
mass murderer? Do you have any idea how many people he�s killed? The police and
CIA were all too happy to share your husband�s
history with us.�
"I didn't call to argue, Momma." Aida
struggled out of her clothing, glancing at Sands over her shoulder to indicate
she needed help getting her bra unhooked. "Besides, I'm alive and well,
aren't I?"
Sands� hands moved over her bare skin slowly;
intending to soothe and offer comfort before he did what she wanted him to do.
He could feel the tension in the muscles of her back and couldn�t help but hate
her parent�s for that.
�Yes, but for how long, Aida?
I�I can�t lose you. Not to him. God Aida. Please. You
can�t stay with him!� Mrs. Grant pleaded desperately.
"I can and I will." Aida stepped into the
tub, sighing in relief as she came to rest against her husband's chest.
"What about you, Poppa? Aren't you going to voice your own concerns?"
"My only concerns are for your safety and
happiness, firefly," Jack said softly, knowing that Susan would
undoubtedly want to scold him for telling their daughter that. "Can you
assure me that you have both?"
"Yes." Aida relaxed slightly as she
realized her father was on her side. "I'm both safe and happy, and I
anticipate being so for a long time to come."
Susan sighed deeply. She didn�t want to fight either,
but how could she get it through Aida�s head that she was in danger? �Be careful,
Aida. Alright? Can you promise me that?�
"Yes. I am. Always. At Sands' insistence. He doesn't want to hurt me any more
than you want me hurt. He loves me."
Pulling the phone away from her mouth, Aida quietly asked the man in question,
"Do you want to listen to any of this?"
He shook his head, holding her a little tighter
against his bare chest in the still hot water. �Not unless you think I need to,
spitfire,� he murmured.
"Alright." Aida
took a calming breath before speaking into the phone again. "As much as
I've missed you both, I had a bit of a reason for calling. I hope you'll take
it for the good news it is..." Silence on the other end of the line made
her wonder if she was still speaking to anyone, but she forged ahead anyway. "I'm
about to make you two grandparents. Again, I suppose, but the first time for
me.�
Susan Grant took a breath, told herself not to lose
her temper, and half succeeded. �I would have thought you were smarter than
that, Aida,� she said evenly.
Even though that was the reaction she'd been
expecting, Aida felt her eyes sting with tears. She missed her father's murmur
of warning to his wife; all she heard was the question ringing in head as it
made its way out her mouth.
"Are not children a gift from God?"
�And what kind of children do you expect to have,
Aida? Is not murder a sin against God? How could you bring innocent children up
in such a household?�
"I expect to have the children God intends me to
have. And I'll be a good mother."
�And will he be a good father, Aida?� Susan Grant
asked incredulously.
"I'll make sure of it." Aida's voice rang
with determination.
Sands raised an eyebrow at the sternness in her voice
but didn�t stop to ask what she was arguing about. He just held her close and
offered what support he could.
�How, Aida? How could you possibly?� Susan asked,
sounding weary.
"What are you... Why
are we even debating this, Mother? Sands
and I didn't mean to get pregnant, but we are. Don't tell me you'd push me to
get an abortion."
�No-no I wouldn�t do that,� Susan said with a slight
sigh. �And I�wouldn�t tell you to give up your child either because I know you
won�t listen. I just�I wish things were different, Aida.�
"And we don't?" Aida could feel her own
temper rising now. Briefly she wanted to ask her father to step in so she would
have a chance to cool down, but ultimately decided not to. She was a woman
grown and she could take care of herself. That included defending herself.
�You have the choice to make things different, Aida.
You chose to stay with him.�
"I love him!"
�And that�s reason enough to subject a child to him? Your love? Do you realise how selfish that is?�
"How selfish is it for you to demand I give up
love to come back home?"
�It�s not selfish, it�s rational!�
"No. It's not. A rational mind wouldn't be
influenced by emotions. A rational mind would accept that I'm a twenty-seven
year old woman and more than capable of if not looking after myself, then
facing the consequences of my actions. A rational mind would realize that if
Sands had wanted to kill me, all he would have had to do was refuse to pay for
the cancer treatments that saved my life."
�But how can you love him knowing the things he�s
done?� Susan asked after a long silence.
"How can you want me to come home after I've
spent a decade ignoring your existence? Even after I've
willingly taken a murderer to my bed and into my heart?"
�Because you�re still my daughter,� Susan whispered.
"And he's still just a man. One who needs the
same things from me that you and Poppa need from each other." Aida relaxed
and glanced up at her husband.
Sands seemed a little lost in thought, but when he
felt her move against him his attention was drawn back to the present and he
returned her glance with a small smile. �I love you,� he whispered.
�Do you know if it�s a boy or a girl yet? When are
you due?� Susan asked softly, sounding defeated.
"No. We don't know anything yet. Can I call when
we find out?"
There was a long pause, but Jack finally said,
"Of course you can, firefly. We want you to. We want to know about our
grandchild."
Aida's lips quivered in gratitude, but she waited for
her mother's consent.
�Please call, Aida. If only to let me know that
you�re safe,� Susan said softly.
"I will. If you promise not to
yell at me again."
"Aida -"
Her jaw set mutinously. "No, Poppa. We can argue
about this only so many times before I'll give up and it'll be another decade
before I try to make contact again. If I ever need help, I'll ask for it, but
in the meantime, the subject of my husband's past is closed."
�Was that an ultimatum?� Susan asked evenly.
"No. It was the truth. I do a good enough job of
tearing myself up over that subject to relish the thought of anyone repeating
the job."
�You simply expect me to welcome a wanted murder into
the family with open arms?�
"No. I'm not stupid, Mother. I'm just asking me
that a common theme of conversation between us won't be, 'Aida's Husband: the
Murderer.' And it'd be nice if you would at least refer to Sands as 'him'
instead of 'the wanted murderer,' 'the cold-blooded killer,' 'the bastard that
stole you from us,' or any of the other lovely epithets I'm sure you've come up
with. Feel free to pray for my eternal soul, but please don't go on at length
about it."
Sands quirked an eyebrow at some of the titles, but
kept silent. As much as he might want to defend her; this wasn�t his fight.
Susan sighed. �If that�s the only way you�ll keep
talking to me then�fine. I won�t bring it up again.�
"Thank you, Momma," Aida whispered tiredly.
�Don�t thank me, Aida,� Susan whispered.
"Why? For saying you won't keep tearing chunks
out of a heart that can't afford to lose many more?"
�I said I won�t talk about your
husband�s�proclivities. Leave it at that, Aida.�
"That's all I asked for." Couldn't her
mother understand that? Was it really so much to ask for?
�Is there anything else you�d like to share, Aida? Anything?� Susan asked softly.
"Like what? That I've sold my soul to the
devil?" she asked bitterly.
�That was uncalled for, Aida,� Susan murmured. �If
you do not wish to talk anymore, simply say so.�
"I'd love to talk, but I'm hurt that no one
seems to trust my judgement anymore. So I suppose we should all hang up before
someone says something they might regret. I'll call again when I know more
about the baby. Good-bye." Aida hung up the phone, well aware of how rude
and hurtful she'd been, but she was hurt too.
�Are you alright?� Sands asked softly a minute later.
He wouldn�t ask how the call went; he honestly didn�t care. What he did care
about was her.
"I don't know. Things went exactly as I expected
them to."
�Do you want to talk about it?� he asked softly,
running his fingertips down her bare arms and playing with the beaded water
droplets he found there.
"What's to talk about other than the fact that
my mother thinks I gone over to the dark side for wanting both a child and my
husband in my life at the same time?"
�It�s not up to her, Aida,� Sands stated gently,
placing a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.
"I know it's not." That didn't do anything
to abate her anger.
�She doesn�t understand, Aida. And it�s safe to say
that she never will,� Sands murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder as she
leaned back against him.
"I knew
she wasn't going to take the news well," she mumbled. Even her voice
sounded bruised. "I just didn't expect to be treated like a criminal.
Poppa didn't even stand up for me."
�He was probably afraid of saying the wrong thing and
driving a wedge between him and your mother as well as between you and her.�
That Sands was making sense didn't make Aida feel any
better. "You're probably right on the first count," she said
grudgingly. "But not on the second. He was probably just letting me stick
up for myself since I'm so insistent that I can."
�You can, Aida. You have. And for
me and our child as well.�
"Fat lot of good that did me
with my mother." Aida was silent for a moment, but her anger still
wasn't placated. "She accused me of being selfish! Me! When all she can do is beg me to come home!"
�It wasn�t right and it wasn�t fair. She shouldn�t
have done that, Aida.� It was easier to placate her; to let her rant as much as
she wished. He could tell she needed it, and he didn�t necessarily disagree
with her.
"And all she can do whenever she talks to me is warn me that I'm going to die some horrible death at your
hands. She doesn't believe a word that comes out of my mouth when I tell her
that you love me. That
you saved me. She just repeats
the same refrain over, and over, and over."
�I know she does, Aida,� Sands whispered. He didn�t
know what else to say.
"She treats me like a five year old."
�She treats you as the age you were when you left,
Aida.�
"It's not fair," she whispered. She turned
a bit to tuck herself under his chin like the child she'd accused her mother of
treating her.
�I know, Aida,� he whispered in return, holding her
close. The water was beginning to cool but he hardly noticed. He did notice the beautiful naked woman in
his arms, but he told himself that now was probably not the time for such
things.
"But she makes sense too, and that's what I
really hate."
�How does she make sense, Aida?� he asked carefully,
half thinking she was going to say that there was a good chance of him killing
her.
"That perhaps I am being selfish for bringing a child into our situation. We don't
exactly have a stable environment that would benefit raising a kid."
�So what if you�re being selfish? I think you�re
entitled,� he murmured, trying not to sound relieved at her choice of topic.
�We may not have a better chance than this, Aida.�
"That's what scares me. Do you really want to
try to raise a child if we're always on the run?"
�We don�t have a choice, Aida,� he reminded her
gently. �Sunrise is having her kids whether it�s a good time or not.�
"I don't have to be concerned for the wellbeing
of her kids." Gathering her courage, Aida looked up into her husband's
eyes. "If we're going to keep this child, then we're going to do what's
best for it."
�And that entails�?�
"If you can't give up killing for me, can you do
it for our child? And if you can't, are you willing to let me live apart from
you so that one of us can provide a stable home." It wasn't so much a
question as Aida's version of the way things had to be.
He tried not to gape at her, but it was hard. He
should have seen this coming, but somehow he was blown out of the water by her
simple yet unerringly direct questions. �I don�t have an easy answer for that,
Aida,� he said at last, sounding a little distant.
"Well, you have time to think about it. But you
don't have forever." She glanced away. "I'm not saying that visits
from you wouldn't be welcome - if we had to live apart. I'd demand visiting
rights. But we have to think about our child.
It will be more innocent than either of us can claim to be."
How can she ask
me this? He was utterly dumbfounded. How
is this any different from what her mother was asking
her? Sands might have asked these things aloud, but he kept his own counsel
for now.
She glanced up at him; his silence made her a little
nervous. "Please, tell me what you're thinking. Do you have an alternative
to keep our child safe? If you do, tell me."
�How is our child safe without both of us?� he asked
evenly.
"How would it be safe if under the constant
threat of being taken out of our care and sent to a foster home?"
�That won�t happen,� Sands said without hesitation.
"If you can't control your desires to kill, it
might. And I think we both know it."
�It�s not that easy.�
"I know it's not easy. But we're talking about a
child. Our child."
�Do you think I don�t know that?� It wasn�t a snap,
but it might as well have been. He sighed. He didn�t want to fight with her,
but she just didn�t understand. How could she?
"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to think of
what would be best for our child. I thought that was what you wanted me to
do."
�I don�t want to argue about this now,� he murmured,
not answering her question. �We�ve got time to discuss this later.�
"Fine." Aida moved
to climb out of the bath.
Sands frowned and remained where he was, making no
move to stop her. He had meant to relax in the hot water; to soothe Sheldon�s
taint away, but that clearly wasn�t going to happen now. Such a thing might
normally have given him a push to follow her and scrub the whole notion but he
still didn�t move. He had no wish to talk to her right now at all. And it was
clear that she felt the same.
Grabbing a towel, Aida wrapped it around her body and
moved into the bedroom to get dressed. She was starting to get hungry. Time to start dinner.
Sands still didn�t move. He let the water cool around
him, feeling his skin prune. He might have turned on the tap and re-warmed the
water but it wasn�t really worth it. He could hear Aida moving about somewhere
in the house but didn�t bother trying to figure out what she was doing. He�d
either know soon enough of he wouldn�t. Either way it wasn�t worth worrying
about now.
Aida busied herself in the kitchen, doing her best to
make Sands' favorite meal with what she had. Two steaks made their way from the
freezer into the microwave to thaw. A few potatoes got put into the oven to
bake. She started slicing mushrooms to saut� later. A cheesecake that she'd
made the day before would have to do for dessert. Right before everything was
finished, she would toss a salad. That seemed like enough for now.
Sands finally lifted himself
out of the tub, having started to shiver in the cold water. He dried himself in
silence, slipping on a robe as he didn�t really feel like getting dressed. He
had slowly been weaned out of the habit of walking through the house naked but
that didn�t mean he danced around the rules a little from time to time.
Deciding it was unlikely that she'd get Sands to eat
anything that was green, Aida decided to whip up a
pasta salad. It wouldn't take long.
Sands padded silently into the other rooms of the
house, not actively searching for his wife but mildly curious as to where she
was all the same. Once he had found her in the kitchen he moved to lean against
the doorframe and settled to watch her cook.
She glanced at him, then
turned back to what she was doing. Boiling water wasn't that exciting, but she
didn't know what to say to her husband.
Sands sighed at her silence, finding it no easier to
start conversation himself and decided to take action. He walked slowly up to
her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on
her shoulder gently, not saying a word but holding her close.
Aida let him, slowly stirring her pasta as it cooked.
When she thought it was done, she fished a piece out, blew on it to cool it
down, then held it up for Sands to test.
He ate out of her fingers, chewing thoughtfully. �Not
quite, but close. A few more minutes,� he murmured.
"Alright." Aida
returned to her stirring.
�So, what�s for dinner, spitfire?� he asked gently,
making an attempt at normalcy although lack of resolution about what to do when
the munchkin arrived hung heavily in the air around them.
"Steak. Baked potatoes. Pasta salad."
�Steak? Really?� he asked
innocently. �Suitably fresh from the cow I take it?� he asked with a small
attempt at a smile.
"Fresh from the freezer."
�Well, I suppose that�s close. Well alright, it�s not
close. But if it�s steak night I�m sure I won�t complain too much.�
"Especially since you'll worm
your way out of cooking it."
�Naturally.�
"Naturally," she murmured back.
�Was there a reason you decided that tonight was
steak night or are you just trying to spoil me?� he asked a moment later.
"I wanted to make your favorite."
�Why?�
She shrugged.
�I guess it doesn�t really matter why you did it, so
thank you, Aida. I appreciate it,� he murmured.
"You're welcome."
He nodded and moved to sit in the small breakfast
nook off to the side, still watching her but feeling oddly awkward and distant
around her now and therefore unable to keep holding her like he had been. He
propped his head up on his elbow and turned his attentions out the window after
a few minutes of silence.
Aida watched him from the corner of her eye as she
went through the motions of cooking their meal. Whatever thoughts he was
contemplating, he became lost in them. He barely even noticed when she set a
plate of steaming food in front of him.
As much as he hadn�t wanted to dwell on it, his mind
kept coming back around to the ultimatum she had offered him. He would either
change or she would leave. The fact that she said he would be able to visit as
much as he wanted didn�t get taken into account. She�ll realise she�s better off without you. She�ll have had her child.
What more else could she want from you? He did his best to ignore this
sentiment, but it rang disturbingly true within his thoughts. Either he stopped
killing or he would never see her again. Can�t have that. Can�t live without her. Can�t live without
killing either. Dilemmas such as this could go fuck themselves. He
wanted no part of them and yet she clearly wasn�t giving him a choice. She
wasn�t giving him options. It was either her way or the highway. Almost literally. He tried as he always had tried to think
of something that could compare to how he felt when he killed; that rush of
power that made him feel whole and in control, but he simply gave up. It wasn�t
worth the bother. She wouldn�t listen anyway. She didn�t want to hear about
such things. Murder was wrong and evil and that was all there was to it. Murder
wasn�t necessary or natural. Killing was never justified.
He vaguely noticed a plate of food set in front of
him-the smell of steak on an empty stomach made his nose twitch and his mouth
water-but he picked at it, still lost in his thoughts. Death or life. That�s the choice she�s giving to you.
He could either give up killing or loose his child. Suddenly he was furious
with her. How dare she give him such choices? What right did she have to decide
what was best for their child? He said nothing however, only picking at his
food with even less interest than he had before. Such fury as what he felt
towards her right now made him vaguely nauseous. Just forget it. Push it aside. It doesn�t matter right now. It�s not
worth fighting over when she�s attempting to please you. He grudgingly
agreed.
Aida noticed he was doing nothing more than pushing
his food around his plate, occasionally stabbing at something without any
intention of bringing it to his mouth. There was a fierce frown on his face.
He's upset.
Of course he was upset. That was how the day was going.
"Please just tell me, Sands," she murmured,
pushing away her own food.
�It�s nothing. It�s not worth arguing about right
now. Thank you for dinner,� he murmured, resolving himself to eating a few
bites of his steak. He barely tasted it.
"If we don't talk about it now, it's only going
to fester. That or your frown will set the table on fire."
�I don�t want to talk about it now. I don�t want to
start a fight with you,� he muttered, trying to push his sudden fury away.
"Then we'll both try to keep our tempers."
He sighed, not really believing that such a thing was
possible, but going on anyway. His fury couldn�t be denied any longer. �You gave
me an ultimatum. Do you realise that?� he asked because she knew how he hated
them.
"No. I wasn't giving you an ultimatum, Sands. I
was telling you what I thought might be our future if you keep killing people.
I'm a fugitive too, you know. Please tell me you remember that."
�How could I forget?� he muttered. ��Stop killing or
I�m leaving and taking our child with me,�� Sands paraphrased. �It certainly
sounds like an ultimatum to me.�
"How can that be all you got from what I said?
How do you not understand that as fugitives, neither of us has any right to
fight for our child if we're caught? If it were absolutely necessary, wouldn't
you want us someplace safe?"
�Of course I would,� he said without hesitation. �But
we�re not going to be caught.�
"You don't know that."
�You don�t know otherwise.�
"Are you willing to accept that we might be? Especially if you're not very, very
careful?"
�I�m always careful,� he lied. �You�re not going to
be caught. I won�t let that happen.�
"Do you accept that you might not be able to
prevent it?"
He didn�t answer her. If there was anything he hated,
it was admitting that things weren�t always in his control.
"If you can't even admit it to yourself, then
you'll never be prepared to do whatever you have to to
keep us safe. And I know that sending us away would be at the very top of that
list. That would be the hardest."
�I can�t do it, Aida. I won�t do it,� he said softly, sounding as if he were trying to
convince himself.
"Alright. Then I don't think we should keep the
baby."
He shook his head. She couldn�t do that. Not now that
he had finally accepted it.
"Sands," she said, her voice stressing
every letter of his name as she reached across the table to grab his hands.
"Are you prepared to be totally and completely unselfish for the good of
this child?"
He met her piercing gaze as best he could. He didn�t
trust himself to speak, so he just gave her a short nod, hoping he was telling
the truth. It feels like truth. But it
also feels like I�m signing my own death warrant.
"Alright. Then we can
continue this conversation later. Right? Now that you
know I wasn't meaning to give you an ultimatum?"
He shrugged.
"I hate it when you do that," she muttered
as she dug into her potato.
He hated when she did it too but that didn�t seem to
stop either of them. He just returned to his meal. It didn�t look any more
appetizing than it had earlier.
A moment later a large gob of potato hit him on the
cheek.
Sands looked up in utter shock, disbelieving what had
just happened. �Did you just throw your potato at me?�
"You know what, I believe I did." She didn't look particularly amused as she
forked another load and repeated her actions, this time hitting him on the
shoulder.
�What are you, two? Cut it out,� Sands growled.
"Then stop closing me out!" Fed up, Aida
through down her "weapon" and stormed out of the room.
Sands did follow her but he wasn�t angry with her.
Sure, he was mildly annoyed at her method for getting his attention but
whatever. If she wanted to talk, so be it. Dinner was ruined already anyway.
"I can handle the arguments," she shot over
her shoulder. "But not being ignored."
�I wasn�t ignoring you,� he called back, sounding
exasperated.
"You sure as hell weren't confiding in me."
�I�m sorry, alright? I reacted badly. I thought you
were giving me an ultimatum and I didn�t like it. I didn�t mean to snub you.�
"You said you believed me when I told you that
was never my intention!"
�I do! I got stupid, ok? I�m sorry. I know you
wouldn�t do that,� he tried to explain to her. �I do believe you, Aida. I do.
It�s just�it�s going to be hard and I know it. I don�t want to lose you or our
child so that means changing. Change is not easy for me.�
So you say.
Aida came to a stop in the house's small study, staring blankly out the large
bay window.
Sands sighed and took a seat in one of the brown
leather chairs scattered within, cinching his robe shut and simply watching
her.
If I'm really pregnant, this should be one of the
happiest days of my life." She paused. "Wow. My life must suck."
�Aida, please don�t say that,� Sands said softly,
cursing all that he had started. She had made him a nice dinner, obviously
trying to please him, and he had gone and fucked it all up. He stood slowly and
moved to stand at her side, not touching her in fear of her ire, but letting
her know that he was there. �I want this to be a happy day for you. I�m sorry
that I ruined that.�
"You don't have that much power, Sands. I may be
a married woman, but I still have some independence. No one single-handedly
ruins my day. There were plenty of co-conspirators involved."
�I�m still sorry, Aida,� he murmured, casting his own
gaze out across the night. The sun had set while they had been fighting and now
all that was left was darkness.
Aida reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. God, she was stiff. If most women faced this kind of reaction to
pregnancy, no wonder abortions were so popular.
She swallowed hard as that thought made her sick to
her stomach. Sick to
her soul.�
Sands hesitated for half a second at her gesture,
biting at his bottom lip as he decided what to do. Oh well. If she yells at me at least I can say I tried. He moved
his hands to her neck and shoulders and began to rub, ignoring the pain in his
own left hand as he tried his best to alleviate some of hers.
A whimpering moan escaped Aida as she bent her neck
to allow him to do his work. His touch
hurt, but it'd be worth it.
�Should I stop?� he asked, not wanting to hurt her
and further their fight.
"No. Don't stop." As his fingers slowly
worked their way down her spinal column, a warmth came to the muscles he'd
relaxed.
�If that�s what you want,� he murmured, his long
fingers moving over stiff muscles with an air of familiarity that only a lover
can truly achieve, seeking out the knots that were troubling her and deftly
getting rid of them. She was beginning to go limp and content under his hands
and while the sight did arouse him just enough for him to take notice, he
pushed such feelings aside as best he could, hoping she wouldn�t notice the way
he adjusted his robe and took a small step back away from her.
When his fingers started to her caress her rather
than massage, she leaned back against his chest and sighed. "No more being
angry. Not tonight. Please."
He nodded against her shoulder so she could feel it
and took a brief moment to breathe in her scent while his fingers explored her
skin.
Reaching out, Aida pulled on the cord that would
allow the curtains to swing shut.
"Can we start a fire?"
�Sure, if that�s what you want, spitfire,� he said
with a slight shrug. He knew for a fact that the tinderbox was well stocked
because the owners of the house before them had always kept it that way.
"It's a little chilly. And yes, I'd enjoy
sitting in front of a fire with you for a bit."
�Alright. Then you sit there
and I will attempt to get you your fire without burning the house down,� he
murmured with a small smile, moving to throw a couple of logs into the
fireplace. Once that was done he grabbed one of the long matches out of their
nearby container and struck it on the brickwork, setting the dry wood alight.
�I give you fire,� he announced with a bemused expression on his face as he
moved to join her on the couch.
"What a manly man. Going to drag me off by my
hair to have your wicked way with me?" she asked lazily as she moved over
a bit to give him more room.
�I wouldn�t do that, Aida,� Quentin said softly,
moving away from her just because he didn�t want to start fights, not because
he wanted to. He wanted nothing more than to hold her close and watch the fire
burn itself to ash, but she would never let him.
Aida laughed disbelievingly. "Why am I not
surprised?"
�Surprised at what, Aida?� he asked softly.
"That you showed up. Everyone else has today. Why not you?"
�I�m sorry, Aida. I did not mean to upset you,�
Quentin murmured. �I simply wanted to see you but obviously that was a mistake.
Perhaps I should just go.�
"Yes, that's what I prefer, but stalkers so
rarely cooperate."
�Is that what you think I am?� Quentin asked, hurt
clear in his tone. �A stalker?� the word was said with marked distaste.
"What am I supposed to call you? You don't leave me alone!"
�You don�t even give me a chance,� Quentin argued
softly. �I would be your friend if you let me but you deny me even that. What
am I supposed to do, Aida? Simply cease to exist? It doesn�t work that way.�
"Friends don't trick their friends into having
sex with them."
Quentin was silent for a long time. Just when Aida
had begun to think that he had truly left, he spoke again. �Is their no atoning
for what I�ve done? No redemption? No forgiveness?�
"When you keep protesting your
undying love and slandering my husband?"
�That�s a no then,� he said bitterly.
"It's a no," she confirmed.
�You selfish bitch,� Quentin hissed, his eyes going
cold and hard, flames reflected in his gaze as he glared at her. �I would have
given you anything. Anything! But no. You�re too
damaged to appreciate what I�ve offered. That�s right. You�re the one who�s fucked
up, not me. You�re the one in denial in the abusive relationship. I love you
with my entire existence and you treat it like a sick joke. Do you have a good
laugh with Sands about me? Do you? You vicious little cocktease.� He laughed then, and Aida felt herself
fast moving away from him. �No, don�t go. Stay, my goddess. Stick around to
hear poor hapless Quentin profess another line of undying love to you. It�ll be
good for a few laughs later, I assure you.� He reached out suddenly, grabbing
her wrist in a viselike grip when he saw that she was trying to leave. �What
did I just say? You know what? I think you�re going to have to be punished. Perhaps killed even.� It was decidedly scary how rational he
was sounding as he spoke of murder; as if he were ordering take-out. �Why
should he get everything and I get
nothing? What makes him so fucking special?� He laughed again, using his other
hand to cup her cheek. �I am going to miss you, Aida. I truly am.� With that,
his hands moved around her throat and his lips crushed against hers in a
bruising confrontation as his hands tightened around her neck.
For a split-second, Aida didn't bother to struggle,
the events of the day getting the better of her. But then she was reminded of
the life inside her and she started struggling, screaming as she could against
his hateful kiss.
Quentin thrust his tongue into her mouth through her
scream, grinding his body against hers as fast became almost unbearably aroused
as he strangled her. This was a new sensation for him as he himself had never
killed anyone before; but it felt natural and right and oh so fucking good�
He teased her, every so often letting up the pressure
on her throat, allowing her to catch her breath, only to squeeze again when she
resumed her struggles. It was more painful than Aida could have imagined. Her
throat and lungs were on fire, matching the burning in muscles that continued
to try to shove him off of her. Her screams were futile, but she couldn't stop.
Somehow she had to alert Sands to what was happening.
Spots were just beginning to dance before her eyes
when Quentin�s hands loosened once more. Aida gasped for breath, praying that
he would stop and to her utter relief he did. �Oh for fuck�s
sake!� Jeffrey growled, pushing himself back as far as he could from
Aida. �You fucking bastard. No one hurts kitty except me. I thought you fucking
liked her?�
Quentin didn�t answer. As Jeffrey forcibly pushed his
way through Sands� consciousness upon hearing Aida�s screams, Quentin had been
sent into the abyss. �Kitty, Aida, are you fucking
alright?� he asked, and Aida might have been imagining it, but he seemed to
sound worried.
It was the last straw to a long day. Feeling totally
justified in her actions, Aida broke into harsh sobs that tore at her already
sore throat, but she couldn't stop. She'd just been attacked, and she had a
right to express herself, damnit!
�Aw�damn. Kitty don�t cry.
I�ll get Sands ok? Or�or vixen? Just don�t cry,�
Jeffrey said uncomfortably.
That only made her cry harder; her entire body shook
with sobs and the last traces of her fear.
Jeffrey sighed. �Look, alright? You�re safe now. None
of us are going to let that son of a bitch touch you again. I swear it to you.
I know you�re fucking scared and that�s fine, you can be scared. Just know that
it�s not going to happen again.�
His talk didn't help. After all, what did he know
about being constantly unsure of who he was talking to, or having to be always
on guard? No one tried to kill him just because he said the wrong thing.
Jeffrey could see that he wasn�t making things
better. �I�ll just�I�ll go get Salida.� He rose to his feet from his position
on the floor, mindful of her flinch as he did so, and went to find his wife.
What? No!
Aida didn't want Salida. She wanted
her husband. She needed him so badly that she moaned his name into the
cushions of the couch as if her heart were breaking.
Jeffrey barely stopped himself from grunting in
frustration. Why couldn�t she have just said she wanted to talk to Sands in the
first place? �Sands, rise and shine you bastard.
Kitty�s been roughed up by one of your playmates again.�
�What?� Sands asked frantically. �Oh
god. I didn�t�Quentin.� Sands was visibly shaking with rage as he
hurried to his wife�s side, seeing the state she was in. �I�m going to kill
him.�
�I figured as much. Good luck with that,� Jeffrey
murmured. �Come after me and there will be hell to pay.�
Jeffrey�s presence faded from the forefront of Sands�
mind as he reached out to his wife, his face a mask of pain for her and anger
for what Quentin had done. �Why did he do this to you? What happened? Oh god,
Aida. Aida, please be alright.�
"I just wanted him to leave me alone." The words were raspy,
no match at all for the strength in the talon-like fingers that clung to him.
He pulled her close. �He�s not going to touch you
again, Aida. Shh, you�re safe now. Ora siete sicuri
con me, il mio amore,� he whispered. You�re safe with me, my love. �Sono qui
con voi. Non sto
andando da nessuna parte.� I am here with you. I�m not going anywhere.
He just kept whispering soft comforting lines in English and Italian until she
seemed to calm down a little.
"He was going to kill me."
�I can see that,� he said softly, wincing at the
fresh bruising around her pale neck. Not to mention the roughness of her voice.
"He kept teasing me. His hands would..."
she shuddered. "And then he'd let me catch my breath. Over,
and over again."
�He�s not going to touch you again, Aida. I swear to
you. I should have�I should have stopped him earlier. I have no excuse for
that. I let him hurt you,� he whispered.
No recriminations came at him from her vicinity, but
Aida's fingers did dig into his muscles with a little extra "oomph"
at his words.
Sands winced slightly but didn�t try and move out of
her grip. �You�re safe now, Aida. I�m here. You�re safe,� he repeated softly.
Her grip loosened as her trembling eased. As
adrenaline left her system, Aida had to fight yawns to stay awake. The last
thing she wanted to do right now was sleep.
Sands just held her, continuing to whisper the same
soft mantra over and over again in languages occasionally other than English,
gently rubbing her back as he did so.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep
tonight," Aida murmured.
Sands slowly nodded. �That�s fine, Aida. We can sit
up together as long as you like. We can watch the sun rise over the ocean. Whatever you want.�
"I don't want more nightmares."
�I know you don�t, Aida,� Sands whispered. He knew
all too well what that begging desperation for an easy sleep felt like.
"The last time I woke up from a nightmare, he was there."
�He�s not going to be there again, Aida. Ever. He�s gone. You never have to worry about him again.�
"I'm sorry." The words were a murmur and Aida's eyelids
were drooping. "If I hadn't let myself be tricked by him -"
�Shh,
Aida. I�m not upset with you. You have done nothing wrong. This was his doing. Not yours,� he assured
her. Dieser unmutterlich Sohn von einem ficken musterte Dirne. Ich werde seine
ficken Lungen heraus heftig zerrei�en. That motherless son of a fucking one eyed
whore. I am going to tear his
fucking lungs out, Sands thought to himself with a
fierce sneer. Curses in German sounded as if they had more weight to them, but
it wouldn�t have matter if he had spoken it and the most flowery of French.
Quentin was dead.
She shook her head. "I encouraged him from the
first. Shouldn't have kissed him. Should have hit him over
the head with a chair."
�It doesn�t matter, Aida. I should have dealt with
him sooner than this. If I had, none of this would have happened,� he said
sadly, looking at her bruised neck and swollen lips.
"I never wanted to cause
you trouble," she whispered as she lost the fight with her eyelids.
�You could never cause me trouble,� Sands whispered,
kissing her lightly on the cheek. �I love you, Aida.�
"I know..."
�Sleep, my love. Dream of our child. Dream of its happiness,� Sands
whispered, stroking her cheek with gentle fingertips.
"Don't leave me..."
�Never, dearest. Nothing can
separate us. Ever,� he said firmly.
Aida turned her face into his caressing fingers and
sighed.
Sands didn�t dare stop touching her, not even when
her breathing seemed to even out into sleep. He simply watched her with a trace
of sadness in his eyes, knowing what he had to do. Quentin had to die. There
was no arguing that now, no reasoning against it. Aida had practically begged
him to spare the bastard-not for Quentin�s sake but for Sands�-and he had
reluctantly agreed. But that was then. Now he could not afford to keep that
promise. Quentin was going down, and Sands was not going to let him take anyone
else with him.
***
Aida was roused unknown hours later by soft kisses
being pressed against the tender skin of her neck. Her eyes inched open. Over
Sands' shoulder she could just barely make out the cold grey light of dawn
illuminating the curtains. Groggily she assumed they were still in the study;
Sands had kept his promise and not left her at all
through the night.Then the point of his tongue
caressed the delicate skin over the slowly starting to speed pulse in her neck
and she lost track of her thoughts.
Sands let his tongue dance around her pulse point,
noticing that she was awake but making no move to alter his actions. He
breathed in her scent deeply as his tongue danced across her skin, tasting her
as a snake tasted the air. He kept his kisses gentle though, not wanting to
aggravate the nasty looking bruises that encircled her delicate neck. He was
infuriated by the very sight of them, seeing them as marks he needed to remove.
Quentin had marked her, that bastard. He had marked what was not his. �Mine,� Sands hissed, a swell
of lust and protectiveness moving within him. His hands moved to unbutton and
remove her shirt with ease, needing to feel the press of her bare flesh against
his own.
"Sands," she whispered, turning her head so
that her jaw brushed along the top of his head. Her voice had become hoarse
while she'd slept; his name rasped in the air like his tongue was rasping
against her skin. "What...?"
�Shh,� Sands said softly.
�Let me worship you, my angel. My spitfire.� His mouth
moved to one of her breasts while his uninjured hand found the other. He wanted
to lose himself in his lust and passion for her but he couldn�t do it. Not when
he knew that this might be the last time he ever saw her. Dealing with Quentin
meant a fight to death. Of that he was certain; that was
what he had had to face with bastard and Valencia as well. Only this time he
wasn�t so sure he would win.
She wanted to ask more, but talking was so much of an
effort, and it was so easy to simply arch her back into his caress...
His tongue danced over her until she forgot about
what his hand was doing. The fiendishly
light touches to her nipple drove her to distraction. Thus when he closed his
mouth and suckled hard as the fingers of his right hand mildly pinched the
point of her other breast, she moaned loudly. The rest of her body reacted just
as strongly; she could feel her lower body tighten and warm. She grew damp even
as her mouth went dry.
Sands smiled but if she had had the presence of mind
to be looking at him at the time she might have seen that his smile was filled
with sadness. �I love you, Aida,� he said softly. Before she could respond, his
searching mouth moved lower still as his hands moved to gently part her thighs.
He met no resistance. This was the direction they'd
been heading in just that evening...before Quentin had showed up.
Just thinking about that made Aida shudder.
Sands did notice her shudder, but he didn�t look up
at her in worry because he didn�t stop to think that it might have been caused
by anything else than lust. He simply kept up his gentle ministrations; alternatingly rolling her clit around on his tongue and
suckling it hard with a light nip as a chaser. He drank in all she had to offer
him, feeling his passions swell even further with a kind of desperation as he
thought about never seeing her again. He needed this. One
last time before the end. He could march straight into hell itself if he
had her love to guide his thoughts.
Aida struggled a little against him. "Sands...please...not now. Not like this. I need you
inside me." Above me, around me,
holding me... "Please."
Sands let out a strangled moan that was a hair away
from being a sob and did as she asked him to, moving up to her without delay
and wrapping his arms around her tightly while their bodies moved as one. �I
love you so much, Aida,� he gasped as their passions combined and began to burn
brightly.
Her arms went around his neck as her knees came up to
grip his hips tightly. The need to watch him in the pre-dawn light was strong,
but the best she could manage was slitted lids. And
it was the best. Because all she could see was her husband and the love in his
eyes.
Sands for his part just kept whispering his love for
her over and over again in time with his thrusts, his voice nearly breaking
with each one. His only hope was not for himself but for her. But if Quentin
did manage to kill him-and Sands was beginning to believe more and more that
this would be so-then at least they would all die. Sands did not imagine that
any of them would truly survive without him. He was the anchor that kept them
all tethered to this world and once he was severed so too would they be. He
only hoped that Salida and Aida would take care each
other and their combined children. Oh
god. My child. I�ll never get to see my child. His
composure did break then, and he would have let out a moaning sob but for the
fact that he muffled himself upon Aida�s shoulder in what must have looked like
a moment of pure passion.
The tension in his muscles didn't speak of passion,
though. Aida wasn't sure why not but something - her female intuition perhaps -
told her that something was wrong.
"Sands?" she asked, trying to break free of
the spell his body had woven and was even now tightening on her senses. "Sands?"
Sands didn�t say a word in fear that he would give
everything away. He merely kissed at her neck almost reverently, his arms
moving once more to hold her close.
It was hard, but she had to give it one more try. "Is...is something
w-wrong?"
He shook his head. He couldn�t ruin this. Not when it
might be his last moments of happiness with her. He forced his voice not to
waver. �I�m alright, love.�
She frowned as he rocked his hips against her clit,
but she wasn't ready to give up. Not quite yet. "You're...mmm...you're sure?"
�Don�t talk, my love. Just let yourself
feel,� he said softly, avoiding her question as he surreptitiously wiped a few
stray tears from his cheeks and began to kiss her again.
The way he brushed aside her questions was
suspicious, but his mouth was hot and tender on hers, begging her to respond.
The motion of his hips slowed until both tongue and arousal were thrusting into
her at the same time, daring her to match his slow pace. Daring her to hold off the
inevitable.
He was lost within her and it was almost unbearable.
The pain that the knowledge of what his life could be without her was a lance
of pain down his spine that left him near whimpering. Her touch was the only
balm to his wounds and he moved to her knowing that she was his only
sustenance. �I love you, Aida. And I don�t deserve you,� he gasped, feeling his
passions begging to soar despite the weight of fatalistic depression attempting
to hold them down.
"Oh baby, I love you too. I -" His mouth cut off her words.
Whatever else she'd been about to say was irrelevant. Unwanted.
If he was going to die, he wanted the last things he heard to be her words of
love and her sounds of pleasure.
Aida whimpered as Sands hooked
a hand below her left knee and draped it over the back of the couch. It opened
her to him, allowing him move even deeper inside her. She could feel her
arousal licking at her, a fire that flamed nearly out of control each time he
thrust home.
Sands wanted to remain quiet, but passion loosened
his tongue and he was speaking in general terms of loss and love before he
could think to stop himself. �I can�t lose you, Aida,� he gasped. �I love you
too much.� His voice hitched as he found it more and more difficult to speak.
�Oh god I love you so very much,� he moaned; gasping passion filled with a deep
sense of bereft longing.
"Y-you didn't," Aida moaned. His rhythm was
deteriorating, his thrusts coming faster and harder. It was torture to feel him
withdraw; needing him closer, she ran her hands down his body 'til they came to
rest on his hips. Shivering with need, she held him close, her uneven breath
gusting across his collarbone as she fought to hold on a bit longer.
Sands wanted to cry out in rage and sorrow each time
their hips met in a furious collision of passion, knowing without a doubt that
this would be the last time. His sanctuary, his lover, his wife would be lost
to him forever. His child would be lost to him forever. Such thoughts filled
him with such a bleak emptiness that when his climax finally came, it only left
him feeling hollow. He was trembling within her under the strain of it all but
he didn�t care. Maybe I could fight him
just like this. It would be nice to die in her arms.
Aida whimpered as Sands� last thrust knocked her off
the fence she�d been so precariously perched on and into an intense release.
She clung to him, kissing his face and neck as she came floating down from her
high. His surprise �attack� had done the trick � she was finally relaxed.
Sighing with contentment, Aida opened her eyes to her
husband�s remorse-filled face. Alarmed, Aida struggled to sit up.
�Shh,
Aida. Don�t move, please. Just stay here with me like this,� he pleaded
softly. �Let me hold you, please.�
"What's wrong?" she asked urgently even as
she did as he asked. He was...wobegone. Like she'd just stuck a knife between his ribs or something.
He shook his head and held her closer to him.
�Please, I don�t want to talk about it, Aida. Just let me have this moment
together with you.� It�ll probably be the
last one I ever have.
"Why this moment? Why
not another moment? Why not lots of other moments?"
�Please, Aida. I don�t want to talk about it,� he
whispered desperately, clinging to her as if she were about to disappear if he
didn�t keep a hand on her ensuring that she was real.
"But why?" Then her heart plummeted down to her toes.
"Why do you sound as if you're trying to say good-bye?"
He fell into guilty silence, turning his gaze down to
her shoulder so he wouldn�t have to meet her eyes. �He has to be stopped,� he
said distantly.
"I agree. That doesn't explain why you're acting
this way." Aida started to tremble, his despair translating into her fear.
�He�ll fight, Aida. He�ll fight to keep his life.�
"So? Are
you telling me that none of the others did?"
�They did. And they nearly killed me,� he whispered.
"But you came back." She grabbed his face,
forcing him to look her in the eye. "You
came back."
�I�m not so certain that that will be the case this
time,� he said softly, his eyes locked to hers.
"Then you can't go. I forbid it."
�I have to go, Aida. I have no choice. He�ll kill you
if I don�t.�
"No, you can't go. Not like this. Not when
you're so...unconfident."
�I don�t think that�s going to change, Aida. And we
can�t afford to wait. He�ll try again. I know
he will.�
She shook her head in denial. "No.
Not if there's risk to you."
�There�s always risk, my love. And there�s more risk
to you now than to me. This has to be done.�
"No..."
�Yes, it does, Aida. He won�t stop until he�s killed
you and I will not allow that to happen.�
"Then wait, please."
�Wait until when, Aida? Until he
tries again? Until he decides he�d rather use a knife than his hands? I
can�t do that Aida. I can�t loose you like that.�
"I can't loose you like this."
�Then what other choice do we have, Aida? I can�t
reason with him, it won�t work. It�s a matter of survival. Yours
or his. He doesn�t matter. Only you matter.�
"And you. You matter to me."
Sands sighed. �I don�t know what else to do, Aida. We
can�t wait. I don�t know when he�ll try and take over again. It�s not safe. And
Sheldon�� He shook his head. How had everything gotten so fucked up?
"Then be sure that you'll come back to me."
�I�ll�I�ll try my best, Aida.�
"That's not fucking good
enough." She tried to push him away but he didn't budge. "How can you
only try?"
�You want me to promise to come back to you.� It
wasn�t a question. �I don�t make promises I don�t think I can keep, Aida.� It
was a grim truth, but it was truth. �I will do everything in my power to come
back to you. Perhaps I�m blowing this all out of proportion and he�ll welcome
oblivion.� Or maybe he and Sheldon will
team up against me.
"Then take it back," she demanded, tears
stinging her eyes. "Take it back, damn you."
�I cannot,� he whispered, vaguely wondering if this
was what a man going to war had to face with the woman he loved. �I wouldn�t
willingly abandon you, Aida. Or our child. I�ll fight
him.�
"No, take back your worthless good-bye. I don't
need it. You'll come back. I know it even if you don't."
He nodded in silence. �No goodbyes then,� he said
softly.
"Say it; say you're taking it back. Say you'll
see me again."
�I�m taking it back,� he whispered dully. �I�ll see
you again, Aida.� Maybe
in another life.
"Kiss me."
He did, and for all his petty words about taking back
his goodbye, he simply said it over to her again and again as their lips met in
an unbelievably passionate kiss.
Aida could feel him withdrawing from her. Fury filled
her. She turned that anger on him, biting at him through the kiss, grabbing a
hand on pressing it down on her abdomen. This was life, damnit, and she wasn't going to let him turn a blind eye to
it.
He gasped at the fury in her movements and might have
jerked away had he been able. Since that wasn�t possible with her legs locked
around his waist and hr hand forcibly grabbing hers, he did what she wanted him
to do and felt. He spoke around a
sore lip from where she had bitten it. �I�m not going to leave you, Aida. I�m
not going to leave our child.�
"Remember that," she whispered as she let
her head fall back to the couch cushions.
"Remember me."
�How could I ever forget?� he asked softly, looking
at her with longing and love.
"Good answer." She glared at him.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Another shipload of
doubts?"
�Please don�t. I�m sorry I doubted. I�m sorry I
didn�t think that I would fight for you.�
"I'm not mad. I'm trying not to beg you to change
your mind. But I've learned not to ask the impossible." Her bottom lip
trembled. "Go! Before I start bawling."
He moved to get up, but she stopped him. �You won�t
want to watch, Aida,� he said softly. �You know what fighting him means.�
"I won't let you go." She tightened her
arms and legs around him. "You stay here or you don't go."
�Are you-are you sure?� he asked softly. He in truth
didn�t want to leave her arms ever again, but he couldn�t ask her to go through
this again if it could be avoided.
"Either you come back, or I die immediately when
he comes in your place."
It was a reasonable request therefore he nodded. �I
won�t let him touch you again. That is a promise.�
"Good." She kissed him again, full of
desperation and love this time. "I'll be waiting."
�I�ll be back before you know it,� he whispered,
forcing a small smile for the both of them. �I love you, Aida.�
"We
love you."
A smile came easier this time before he let his eyes
slip shut and his breathing grow even as he delved within the contours of his
own mind. The hunt was on.
***
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More Than Darkness