At Odds [R]

[Syd]

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Temporary Title: At Odds
Author: Trousers
Rating: definate 'R' for language and suggestive themes

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUATIM.

THIS STORY IS ON HOLD

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I walked down the dusty empty sidewalk of Mexico, looking for him. He'd called for back up and was denied, but they sent me just to find out what was going on.
Behind my sunglasses I peered around a corner, leaning against a wall there he was.

The man who was never out-smarted, who answered to nobody, the man who would kill you without thinking twice, the man who had no feelings what so ever. He was a machine, he didn't live by anyone’s rules but his own, and he didn't care about anybody but himself.
I walked to him and took off my glasses.
"Hello there Stella..." He had recognized my footsteps. His talking sounded painful and there was blood dripping onto the cement.
"Sands. You look like shit."
"You mind helping me out?"
"Well, you see... I would help you, but I'd rather let you bleed to death."
"And how would you explain that to headquarters?"
"They probably wouldn't care..."
"Oh come on now, I knew they didn't like me."
"You wonder why I'm the only person they sent? I actually was just supposed to look around for you and leave."
He tried straightening up and sighed in pain, "Okay, I deserve that, but are you really going to let a fellow officer die right in front of you?"
I sighed, "No."
He was about to say something but then his head nodded off, and he went pale in a matter of seconds.

I put my glasses on quickly and put his arm around my shoulder and dragged him to my car back around the corner. "Damnit Sands, you really had to go and loose a ton of blood didn't you?"
I put him in the backseat and drove to the nearest hospital. He was rushed to the emergency room immediately. I had seen the gunshot wounds; one in his upper right arm and one in each of his legs. I also saw the blood coming from behind his sunglasses, how could I miss it, but I wasn’t sure of what had happened. I sat in the waiting room for about an hour and a half when a doctor finally came out.
"He's lost a lot of blood Mrs. but we have stabilized him for know..." His Spanish accent was heavy.
I nodded.
"As for his eyes... well Mrs. he will never see again..."
I sighed, this is what I was afraid of, "No chance at all?"
"Mrs. his eyes are completely gone... we can get him replacements, but they are only good for appearance."
I gasped, I thought they were still there, not that they had been ripped from his face. "Okay..."
"It should take a few hours for him to wake up but you're welcome to wait in his room."
"Thank you..." I said as he led me to Sands' room.
The doctor smiled sympathetically and left. I walked in to see Sands lying in his hospital bed, sleeping, and IV's running to machines. He had his arm wrapped in white cloth, and his eyes covered by gauze. His legs would be wrapped too but I couldn't see them since he was under the covers.
I walked over to a chair and sat down. An hour later all the movement he had made was with his not wounded arm. It twitched. Then 2 hours later he started to mumble and about 10 minutes after that he was talking to me.

"Where am I?"
"A hospital."
"Why can’t I see?" He asked very calmly.
"You lost your eyes."
He was quiet, he grimaced and sighed, "Stella?"
"Yes, I'm here."
"Okay..."
"Sands?" He was quiet again. I couldn't tell if he'd passed out or what. "Sands, are you sleeping?"
Still quiet.
I poked his leg.
"Don't."
I blushed, he caught me, "Sorry, I thou--"
"I wasn't."
"Why didn't you answer me then?"
"I thought maybe you'd go away."
"Hey if you don't want my help I'll just leave and you can stay here in this hospital forever!" I was raising my voice yet it was still quiet.
He gave me a smirk, "You know you wouldn't leave, you have to stay with me, otherwise the agency will get on your case."
Boy, I would smack you one right here. I turned around and walked to the door, opened it and then a few seconds later I closed it. I wanted to see his face when he realizes I would leave him here.
He sighed, "You're standing right there."
I didn't answer.
"Stella, I know you're here, I didn't hear any footsteps after you opened the door, which means you are still in the room."
I still stood there.
"Fine see if I care, I'd rather sleep anyhow." He turned his head just enough to make it look like he was staring at me.
I shifted my position and he heard my foot move just barely.
He smiled, "Uncomfortable?"
Like you wouldn't believe... how would you like to have some blind guy staring at you? "You're a jerk you know that?"
"Yes, yes I do..."
"I should leave you here."
He was quiet.
"Ha! I win!"
"No, because if you had won you wouldn't still be here telling me you're going to leave... which you haven't yet, and even your attempt at making it seem like you left the room didn't fool a blind guy... so what does that say about you?"
Now that pissed me off. I opened the door and stormed out. See I can leave! You can't predict everything I do!

Two hours later I opened the door to his room, I looked at him unsure if he was asleep or awake I focused on his breathing. His chest was rising and falling fairly slowly, apparently he was in a relaxed state, I decided to move to the chair furthest away from the bed.
"Hey girly" He said turning his head in my direction.
I sighed, "What?"
"Quiet.." He motioned me over.
I stood and walked to him, "Hm?"
"We need to leave... Barillo's cartel are probably looking for me, we need to leave..." He sounded very calm.
I glanced out the window momentarily, "Alright, but how do I get you out of here?"
"Tell them you need me transferred to another hospital, I think I'm stable enough to be okayed for that, then just drive off..."
"You think that will work?" I looked at him, "Seriously it's pretty cheesy."
"Just do it."
"Fine wait here..."
"Don't forget to tell them to send along extra medication... maybe some vicodin," He called after me as I walked out he door.

[Syd]

Chapter 2

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I walked up to the front desk and asked the woman to speak with Mr. Sand’s doctor. She seemed confused at some of the words I used but she got the just of what I meant. She picked up her phone and pressed a few numbers then 30 seconds later I was walking down a corridor with the doctor who had told me Sands condition. He was telling me about how the surgery had gone. I finally cut him off.
"Sir we need a transfer for Mr. Sands to go to a hospital closer to the U.S. He needs to see his doctor there. You understand?"
"Yes Miss, but I'm not so sure we should be moving him somewhere. Maybe if it is air transportation it could work."
"No, no. This is a private matter..." Shit I thought, cover this! "He has a problem with planes anyhow." Well... that was bad.
"Miss he should not leave."
"He needs to see this doctor. It is very important. Sir I promise you as soon as we get there we'll fax his medical files over that will say he was checked in."
The doctor sighed, "How far away is this hospital?"
"Only about an hour..."
He nodded, "Okay."

Half-hour later I walked back in Sands' room with a wheel chair. Sands was sitting up on his bed, his feet hanging over the side.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"What's it look like I'm doing?"
"I have a wheelchair."
"Get crutches."
"The wheelchair is easier to get you out to the car. Just be cooperative!"
"No."
"You're an ass." I walked back out pushing the wheelchair in front of me. I dropped it off near the front desk and then asked for some crutches. The woman led me to a storage closet and pulled out some brand new black aluminum crutches, they were still in a plastic sleeve.
She turned and handed them to me, "These will be put on bill."
I nodded and took them.

When I returned to the room Sands was now standing. You could tell he was gritting his teeth, and his brows were furrowed, he was even slouching a little. I started laughing immediately. The hospital gown he was wearing was just too funny. The design wasn't funny or anything, it was just the gown itself.
"Shut up, and help me find my clothes." He growled, "And my guns..."
"I got your crutches, they're going to make you pay for them."
"Peachy."
"I looked over at the small table in the room with a pile of black clothing, I got them and walked over to him, "Here."
"You can leave while I change."
"Leave where?"
"Go get some coffee or something."
"No." I walked to the window.
"You just want to see me naked." He smirked and took the gown off. He was standing there in some generic white boxers the hospital must have given him.
I was looking to see if there were any cars outside. Of course there were cars, but I didn't see any that were very obtuse.
Sands took in a sharp breath and cursed quietly.
I looked over at him and he was trying to put his pants on. They were going to be too tight to wear with a gunshot wound in each leg. "Okay no, I'm going to get you some baggy pants."
"I'm wearing these." He replied pulling them up some more.
"I'll be right back."

I walked out and went to the little hospital gift shop hoping they had pajamas or something. They didn't have pajamas, but they did have scrub pants. I bought a pair of black ones, just because I felt a little like being nice, and went back to his room once again.
I threw the pants at him and he almost fell over, "You're wearing those."
He had given up on the tight jeans and unfolded the pants I had thrown, "Scrubs?"
"Yeah, and they're black."
He started putting them on, "You remembered.."
I grabbed his shirts; a black long sleeved button-up shirt and a vest. I took the vest and folded it then handed him the other shirt. He didn't need the vest anyway. I gave him the shirt and he put it on and buttoned it up, leaving the top three open. I took the plastic off of the crutches and handed them to him.
"Where are my guns?" He asked, "And my vest?"
"I left the guns in my car, and you're not wearing the vest."
"You can't tell me what I can and can't wear!"
"I can do anything I want to you."
He smirked, "I like the sound of that."
I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head.
He adjusted the crutches himself to where they were comfortable and I led him out of the room. I had already checked him out earlier when I was finished talking to the doctor. We walked out the front doors, almost no trouble at all. Except I forgot to mention the curb to him and he almost killed himself right outside the hospital. He caught himself though and managed to say, "Fuck you" in my direction.
"Oh, I'm sorry..." I said not really caring if I sounded serious or not.

We got to the car and I helped him in, he grumbled and cussed until I closed the door. I walked to the other side of the car putting the bag with his medication, gauze, wallet, and the vest in the back with the crutches.
"Where are my sunglasses?" He asked feeling for the seatbelt.
"You probably lost them on the way in, or the nurses confiscated them."
"Well, that’s just great!" His seatbelt clicked and I started the car.

I drove about 15 miles out, driving on mostly back roads making odd turns to make sure we weren't being followed. Sands had a paranoid expression on his face the whole time. The gauze on his face were getting increasingly creepy every time I looked over at him. I couldn't help but to imagine the holes in his head.
"We need to go to my motel."
"What?" I asked not hearing what he said.
"We need to go to the motel I was staying at."
"What for?"
"My stuff."
"You don't need your stuff, you need to get back to the headquarters hospital."
"I need my stuff."
"God damnit! Fine, where do I need to go?"
"It's in Culican. The Motel Bienesta Instante on Cuchara Calle"
Spoon Street I laughed at the name.
He smirked and nodded.

[Syd]

Chapter 3

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We pulled into the parking lot about 7 minutes later and I helped him out once again, then handed him his crutches. He went in and walked straight to where he thought his room was. I handed him his wallet since he had forgotten it and he slid the key in the door. It didn't open.
"What was your room number?" I asked.
"16."
"This is 18."
He went down two doors and put the key in. It opened and he went to the bed. There was a duffel bag sitting on the floor and a couple tourist shirts lying on the bed. He grabbed the duffel bag and put the shirts inside then went in the bathroom. He came back out with another bag, but it was a backpack.
"Okay the third tile to the left on the ceiling... stand on the bed to reach it. There's a few guns up there, get them and put them in the duffel bag and we can leave."
I did what he told me. There were five guns up there, two pistols, a magnum, a .385, and even a sniper rifle. I put them in the bag and to my surprise the sniper fit. We left the place and I stuffed the duffel bag and backpack back in the trunk then we drove away.

"Now what?" I asked driving on the back roads once again.
"We drive."
"Where? I mean, we can't drive straight to Virginia, you'll need to stop at another hospital."
"At least get into the states."
"We're stopping at hotel for the night."
"No."
"Yes, you know I'm working on something too! I need to call my people make sure things are running smoothly... everything doesn't revolve around you."
"What's your case about?"
"You know that's confidential. At least until it's done with or I need back-up it is."
He smirked, "It's the Santos cult murders."
I looked over at him, "You're not supposed to know anything about that!"
"I have connections."

That night we checked into a high-end hotel. I got a suite with two queen beds, a living room and a mini kitchen. I figured we might be there for at least two days or so, because of my case. It would be easy to work from there and there was a hospital near-by, but I could always just lock Sands in his room and ignore him.
"Sands, you need anything?" I asked as I took a little bottle of rum out of the mini bar.
"Alcohol and my pills."
"You can have water and your pills." I poured the little bottle into a glass of ice and went to the bag with his meds in. I got a glass of water and went over to him handing him the pills first and then the water. He was a good boy and did what I wanted and then I sat on the couch next to him.
"Well now that we're in a hotel room together..."
I looked over at him, "I don't think so."
"I think so." He smirked leaning his head back and sighing.
"We'll just see about that then." I took a drink from my glass and set it on the table.

"We need room service." He said after a while.
"Okay."
"I want... puerco pibil."
"What the hell is that?"
"It's good. Its pork, slow roasted for four hours and then served with rice."
"Okay. I'm just getting a quesadilla or something though."

I called room service and ordered the food and when the man on the other end asked what for drinks I turned to Sands.
"What do you want to drink?" I put my hand over the phone.
"Tequila with lime." He replied.
I repeated what he said into the phone and added a sierra mist.
Sands was smiling when I hung up thinking he had fooled me.
I took another drink and looked over at him. He had this smirk on his face, like he was 'the all-knowing-master.'
"Stella?" He turned in my direction the smirk still on his face.
"Hm?"
"I need a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"Would you go into the bathroom and get me a washcloth... I think my arm is bleeding."
My brows furrowed, I looked at his arm and it looked wet. I stood up, "Sure."

I walked to the bathroom and Sands got up following me, slouching because he wasn't using his crutches. I went inside the room and grabbed a washcloth off the rack, turning the sink on and soaking it with warm water. I glanced over to Sands who wasn't in the doorway anymore. Suddenly I saw the door swing shut, followed by the noise from something being placed under the handle. I dropped the washcloth in the sink immediately and took two quick steps to the door.
"SANDS! You let me out RIGHT now!" I yelled giving the door a kick.
"What will you do for me?"
"Kill you!"
"Oh c'mon! I was thinking something more along the lines of... well you know."
I laughed, "You wish! How about, if you don't let me out in 3 seconds I'll just use my gun and blast a few rounds through this door. And I hope they hit you!"
"Your gun?"
I brushed my hand across the gun holster attached to my belt, finding it empty, "You bastard! Let me out!"
"I don't feel like it." He smirked to himself and stumbled finding his way to a chair.

And hour later our food had arrived, and Sands had my tequila. I had actually ordered it for myself, since I knew he couldn't have alcohol, but then this whole predicament went down and he got it anyway.
"Hey..." I could hear him though the door, "I could probably slide this thing you ordered under the door. It's like a Mexican pancake!"
"Don't, you'll make it dirty." I replied sitting on the only place of seating in the bathroom.
"It doesn't matter I dropped it on floor investigating it's pancake-ness."
I laughed, he knew what a quesadilla was, but he was acting like a little kid now. "C'mon Sands let me out!" I stood up and walked to the door.
"Once again... what's in it for me?"
"Maybe a hint of respect from yours truly."
"RESPECT?! For me?! Oh my gosh!" He imitated an exited voice that was a bit girly.
"Yes you see it's a one time deal... do it now, or never."
Sands paused and went to the door, "Will you be nice?" he asked standing right next to the frame now.
I sighed, "You mean not killing you?" I paused, "I guess I could."
I heard him removing whatever he had under the handle, "Okey dokey, but I expect you to keep your word." He opened the door and stepped aside.
I walked out and turned to him, raising my hand about to slap him. Suddenly he grabbed my arm.
"No, no." He tilted his head and dropped my arm.

[Syd]

Chapter 4

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I gave up and went to my room, slamming the door behind me and locking him out. He could find his own way around the room.
About 15 minutes later though, I heard something break. It shattered like glass, and then I heard crunching. To investigate I walked out of my room and turned in the direction I found movement. "What happened?" I asked walking towards him slowly.
"I'm not entirely sure." He bent down and touched the shards of glass carefully. "I didn't bump into anything."
"You must have.." I looked at the vase, the flowers strewn about.
"No, I didn't."
There wasn't a sound, except for the one of me falling down to the ground, hitting the floor hard. I hit my head, and there was terrible pain in my shoulder. I looked over at it, blood, gushing out. "Sands! I've been hit!" I looked up to find him, but he was now on the floor.
"Snipers. Just stay here, I need my guns." He crawled to where he thought he set his guns.
I was loosing blood fast, and my head was feeling light, "Sands I'm going t--"



"Stella?" He asked reaching her body his hands soaked in blood from the pool that surrounded the area of her shoulder, "Shit!" He tried finding the wound, but with no luck. Where ever he felt on her was wet with blood. He couldn't find the source. The door then busted open, and a guy holding a machine gun walked in looked around the room. Sands heard his steps and turned firing one shot, then he heard the dead weight hit the floor. "Stella?" He felt for her face and could feel that she was cold; he moved his hand to her neck where he found a very weak pulse.
Two more men rushed in the room, one didn't have a weapon but Sands could not see that. He listened to them intently and heard one stop over the man who was already shot. Sands fired twice and heard the man fall, a clang of metal accompanied him. If Sands could have seen he would have known the next guy wouldn't be much of a problem. He could hear footsteps going back toward the door, the man was going to flee. Sands let three bullets go in the direction and the man yelped. Sands then knew the exact angle he was at and fired once more killing the guy.
Sands remained on the floor and went back Stella's body, he found her pulse again, but it seemed even more faint, if that was even possible. He cursed and reached down her body to her waist and found what he was looking for. A cell phone. He dialed 911; conveniently being answered quickly he told them that he needed immediate medical help.

An hour later Sands was sitting in her hospital room. The staff hadn't taken much of a liking to him, he guessed word of three dead guys at the scene and him being the only real survivor had gotten around. There was a knock at the door and Sands said, "Come in."
"Mr. Sands?"
"Yes?"
"I am a police officer.. We need to ask some questions."
"Shoot." Sands smirked.
"Who killed the three men in your room?"
Sands still had his wallet and grabbed it out of his pocket. "Can you keep a secret?" Sands flashed his CIA badge to the officer.
"Ah." The officer nodded. "Well then, we shall call your headquarters and speak to them. You may get a call soon senor."
"Very well." Sands nodded and heard the officer leave.

[Syd]

Chapter 5

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Sands turned his head in my direction and sighed. I had lost a lot of blood the doctors told him, but that wasn't news, Sands wasn't an idiot. They had started a transfusion and were trying to get my temperature up now. My head was fine, just a little bruising on the back. Sands walked over to me and put his hand on mine, he moved it upward and found my pulse; it was almost at a rate it should have been at. He moved back and brought the chair closer to the bed.
"Stella.." He paused wishing he could see how I looked. "They said you were unconscious. I bet you're just acting all 'oh! I hit my head' so you don’t have to talk to me." Sands laughed.
I groaned a little and my eyes opened. The light burned and I was forced to close them again.
"Stella?" He sounded concerned.
"Uh." I looked at him, a smirk on my face. "What are you doing?" My voice only came out in a whisper.
"Sitting here." He replied.
My smirk was a grin now. It was a treat to find him sitting so close to the bed, but almost awkward. It was something of the past.
"How do you feel?"
"Shitty." I replied. "I've got a headache and my shoulder hurts like hell."
"Oh, good."
"No. Not good. It sucks."
"Now you know almost how I feel."
"I was enjoying being in no pain and you being in a ton though.." I pouted.
"Looks like we'll have to take care of each other sugar."
"Don't." I said looking away from him.
"Don't what?"
"Just stop talking." I said through my teeth not wanting to remember the past between us.
Sands stopped talking, to my surprise and I realized that he probably didn't care to remember it either.
I fell asleep soon after and woke when it was dark. I didn't see Sands anywhere in the room and sighed.
"Stella?" I heard his voice from near the window.
"Yes?"
"We should go."
"I know." I replied.
"I've checked with the staff. You're well enough to go."
"Great..." My eyes went to a digital clock radio and saw that it was 1 a.m.
"Could you get up then?"
"Have you slept at all? Fuck!" I cussed through clenched teeth as I moved into a sitting position.
"Yeah... a little." He walked to the bed and held out a hand for me.
I grabbed his arm instead of his hand and he helped me up. I was breathing heavily from the pain.
"I like that." Sands whispered moving his face close to my ear.
"Fuck you." I replied.
Sands laughed and I realized I was the one in the hospital gown now. I looked better in it, no doubt, but I was glad Sands couldn't see it.
"You know where my clothes are?"
"There." He pointed in what he thought was the general direction of the table.
I walked to it and started to pull my jeans on. Sands turned, making it look like he was watching me once again. "Stop that." I said and unfolded my red tank top I had worn. I looked at it, the hospital had gotten the blood out, but it barely mattered to me the thing was red to begin with. I pulled the gown up and over my head, after setting the tank back down. I turned away from Sands and put my bra on. He was getting annoying to say the least. I then turned back around and put the top on it hurt to move my shoulder at all, but I pushed through the pain. "It's gotta kill you to know I was topless seconds ago and you couldn't see it."
"I've seen it all before." He smirked.
"You miss it." I said and walked to the door. "Coming?"
Sands followed cautiously in my direction, he was careful not to hit anything as we emerged into the hall.
I walked swiftly to the front desk, which was viewable from my room. "I'm checking out." I said.
"Si." She looked for her files, "Nombre?"
I replied, "Stella ."
"Si. Bueno... Yo necisito tu... escribe en la papel."
I took the papers she handed to me and signed them. "Adios." I handed them back and looked about for Sands. He'd disappeared. "Sands?" I called looking around the waiting room.
He sauntered moments later out of the bathroom and I was slightly amazed he'd found it on his own, let alone went in the Men's side.
"Lets go." I walked to the doors and got in the car.

We returned to the hotel and were told that they changed our room. Sands and I both knew we were going to have to find another place to stay, but we were going to stay there the rest of the night. We were going to take the chance, not only because it was something the cartel wouldn't expect, but because we were both exhausted.
I walked Sands to his room, "If I'm not up before you, wake me."
"Any specific way you'd like?" He walked to his bed.
"Just wake me up." I turned and went to my own room. I found where they put my bags and rummaged around to find my shorts I wore to bed. I changed, not bothering with my tank top, but I did take off the bra with a bit of maneuvering painfully. I got in bed and fell asleep without a hitch.

[Syd]

Chapter 6

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Two hours later I woke with a start, not sure if the yelp I heard was in my dream, or for real. Either way I was the one who had made the sound. The dream was not all too pleasant, and I was slightly shaken that it had gotten me so scared. I never actually screamed when I had a nightmare, not anymore.
There was a knock on my door and I tensed up. It was Sands. I told myself. Just Sands.
"What do you want?" I called to him.
"Are you alright."
"Ye-" My voice cracked, "Yes..."
The door opened and Sands took a step inside. "Are you sure? I heard a scream. And before that it sounded like you were crying or something."
I wiped my face but it was dry. "What?"
"Yeah." He made his way slowly to the bed. "I tried ignoring you at first, but then the scream made me get up."
"Well you can go away." I said, now sitting up in the bed.
"Do you really want me to?" He sat down on the bed.
"Yes." I glared at him.
"Okay. Goodnight sugar." He stood and went to the door, "No more nightmares." He whispered and closed the door behind him.
"Freak." I settled back in bed and fell asleep once again, thankful to sleep peacefully.

Until morning.
"Hey girly." Sands whispered in my ear but I didn't wake. I turned my head towards him. "Wakie wakie." He still talked quietly. I was still sleeping, apparently like a rock as well. Sands moved closer, "Stella!" He shouted in my ear and I bolted up right.
"Jesus FUCKING Christ!" I yelled looking at him.
"Eggs and bacie." He smiled and turned walking away.
I got up, dressing in a t-shirt and some pants, then walked into the main living room part of the room.
"I was kidding about breakfast." He talked as he heard my foot fall on the tile.
"I hoped so."
"Are we gonna go?" He asked.
"No fuckmook." I was sarcastic.
Sands gasped, "That's my word!"
"Yeah well, I stole it." I replied and went to the little kitchen area. There were two muffins sitting on top of the mini fridge and I took one.
"What are you doing?" He could hear me unwrapping the muffin.
"Muffins. Want one?"
"What kind are they?"
"Poppy seed." I replied and grabbed the second one to look at it.
"Okay." He still stood there.
"Think fast!" I tossed it to him and it hit his chest and plopped on the floor.
He bent down and picked it up. "I knew you'd do that." He started unwrapping it.
"Do you have your stuff packed?"
He nodded and I walked into my room. I shoved what items that were mine but not in my bag where they belonged.

Once on the road, with new wound dressings for the both of us, Sands decided to feel nauseous and be annoying. Of course he wasn't going to admit that he felt like throwing up, but I could tell even with his tan he was pale.
"I need new sunglasses." He said, his hand gripping the seat.
"You look fine. I mean... you look... wounded, but not suspicious."
"I want sunglasses." He was breathing very shallowly.
"Why?"
"Are we near a gas station?" He turned his head in my direction.
"About 3 miles ahead."
"We need to stop." I pushed his head back to rest it on the seat.
"Fine." I drove, picking up speed gradually deciding I didn't want him to Ralph in the car. We made it to the station and once inside Sands asked for the bathroom. The clerk just pointed and said izquierda. It wasn't going to be much help to Sands, so I walked with him till he shooed me away.
I went to look at the sunglasses that they had on a rack. Half of them were reminiscent of the 80's, but I found a pair that Sands might take to. They were very dark, and reminded me of an old pair he had when... I put them back on the shelf. I decided to let him forget the glasses.
Sands found his way back to where I was. "They've gotta have sunglasses here."
I sighed.
"Sunglasses?" He asked the clerk again.
"Cerca de tu derecha."
Sands turned to his right and took a couple steps. He was right in front of the rack now. I watched as he moved his hand up and brushed them across a few pairs. He moved down and came to a halt on the pair I had put back. He didn't try them on, he didn't even open them. Sands took the pair to the desk and then paid the clerk.
"What do you think?" Sands asked after we got in the car.
"I think... you oughtta try something new once in a while." I pulled out onto the street.
"I like them." He said putting the glasses on and turned to me with a smile.
The past kept shoving it's ugly head into the present and I really wanted to start playing whack-a-mole with it.

We arrived at another higher end hotel about three cities east of the one we left. I was hoping the cartel wouldn't think we'd go east instead of the plausible north, to the states. I called my superior on the case and told him my location. He was displeased to know that I had been shot, but still wanted me to pay attention to anything concerning the cult murders.
Sands was wandering about the room and I found him in the mini bar when I hung up the phone.
"Hey. You can't have anything from there." I said about the close the door on his face.
"What's this?" He asked holding a bottle of water.
I looked inside the mini fridge and got myself another bottle of water. I closed the door and walked to the living room.
"What's wrong with you?" He asked.
"You."
"Oh, really? I'm getting to you?" He was still wearing the glasses. The ones he wore before he got to the hospital were pretty much an exact replica. He smirked to himself. Stella was the one who had given the glasses to him, and he was almost a little mad that she hadn't realized he'd kept them all that time.
"No. You're just being annoying."
He laughed, still standing next to the mini bar.
"Why don't you go do something."
"I know what I would like to do. But you might not be so into it." He smirked.
"You're a pervert. Go explore the room." I narrowed my eyes at him.
He put a hand out and touched the counter then followed it around to the other side. He turned in my direction and took a few steps into the living room.
"You've entered la sala." I looked up at him as I leaned against the back of the couch.
"Verdad." He got closer to the couch were I was and stood in front of me.
"You're too close." I said not moving.
"To what?" He asked.
"Me." I was about to move away from him.
Sands put his hand on my arm and took a step closer. "How close?"
"Too close is close enough." I warned ready to knee him in a very vulnerable area.
"You remember this?" He whispered.
"Sands..." I glared at him.
He let go of my arm and I stormed away into my room like before. I slammed the door and locked him out.
He didn't have any right to be bringing up the past. That was supposed to be left alone, where it was. I didn't want to remember the nights we had, the embraces, or the whispers. No. I sat on the bed and felt cold. I went to my bag and pulled out a sweatshirt and pulled it on. Sands wasn't going to get to me. The past was meant to be left alone, and he knew from the day we went our separate ways that I never wanted to be reminded of it. Sands wasn't the man he was today when we first met. He was Sheldon then. He cared. He saved me when I was in a dark place. Then he got the job with the Agency. We both did. Only it changed him into a machine.
There was a knock on my door that cut me away from my thoughts.
"Go away Sands." I said and threw the closest thing to me at the door, which happened to be the remote.
"Stella. I need food."
"Figure your own way of getting it then." I said loudly.
He tried opening the door but found it was locked. "C'mon. You have to be hungry too!"
"Nope." I got up and rummaged through my bag to find my laptop. I opened media player and pressed play on my play list.
"Stella?" He called hearing my music.
I walked around the room looking for something interesting.

[Syd]

Chapter 7

---

---

An hour later I opened the door, being thoroughly annoyed by a little tapping noise on my door the whole time. I took one step out and saw about three bags worth of peanuts covering the carpet. "What the hell?" I looked at the peanuts still.
Sands threw another nut and it hit my leg.
"Sands! What the hell?!"
"I found peanuts." He smirked. "One for me one for you." He popped one in his mouth and prepared to send another flying in my direction.
I looked over to a table against the wall with a phone book on it. Sands was across the room sitting on a chair, perfectly vulnerable. I grabbed the book and threw it; the pages flapping until it hit him square in the upper chest area.
He made an 'ooof!' sound and almost fell off the chair. "Stella, that's not very nice." He said feeling for the book that fell to the floor.
"You deserved it." I walked to the living room passing him.
"Hungry?" He asked eating some more peanuts.
I was. But I didn't want to admit it.
"You are." He nodded to himself.
"I'm going to call room service."
"Get me puerco pibil."
"No."
"What?"
"I'm ordering for myself." I walked to the room phone and picked it up.
"Stella, if you don't get me food I'll just get more obnoxious." He stood and walked in my direction but tripped over the phone book he hadn't been able to find earlier. He kicked it away in haste and continued to my direction.
"Fine." I dialed room service and ordered the same thing I had the night before.
"Another Mexican pancake?" Sands asked standing about five feet away from me.
"Yep." I replied and put the phone down. I looked up at him. He wore the scrubs from the day before still and a shirt that said, 'cereal killer' on it with a bloody spoon and a broken bowl of cereal, only the milk was red. His hair was really greasy and I guessed it had been a while since he had taken a good shower. I myself had taken one the day before, but was starting to feel a bit uncleanly. The Mexican heat was getting to me. I continued looking at Sands; his hair was the only thing that really set him apart from the old Sands I remembered. Before it was shorter, and to say the least, cleaner. He wore the glasses that looked the same as back then, and the same silly clothes with gruesomely funny sayings. I sighed. "I'm going to go take a shower."
He turned away from me.
"Tell me if the food comes and I'm not out."
"Verdad." He smiled to himself but I didn't know he was.

I walked to the bathroom and got in after taking some plastic wrapping that the hospital had given me and put it over my shoulder. The water felt good, and I decided to make it a little cooler, as it would be more refreshing. I got out after about 20 minutes and began drying off.
"Stella?"
"What?" I asked wrapping the towel around me.
"Food is here." The shadow I saw under the door disappeared and I unlocked it and stepped out.
"Don't hurt yourself. I'll be right back."
Sands was making his way to the couch.

I put on some red cotton pajama pants and a white tank top then walked back out. Sands was still sitting on the couch, the food cart was still by the door.
"Why didn't you grab your food?" I asked.
"I didn't feel like fussing with it trying to figure out what was mine."
I walked to the cart and grabbed his plate, I brought it to him and then went to get my own.
"Gracias Girly." He smiled and dove into his meal.
I walked away from the living room and sat at the table in the kitchenette to eat. I couldn't look at him. Not in his state. His arm was all wrapped up, his eyes were gone. As much as I hated him for the past, I felt bad to see him like this. It burned within me to see him acting as if it never happened, he seemed to unphased it disgusted me. Loosing your sight wasn't something you should be able to get over that quickly.
"Could you turn something on?" He asked after shoving his nearly empty plate onto the table.
"You mean music?"
"No.. The fan." He turned his head in my direction.
"Be nice Sands. Or I won't help you at all."
"Okay." He turned his head away.
I walked into my room and got the laptop, then set it to 'Taking Back Sunday.' I sat back down at the table and watched Sands.
"Stella?" He asked, "What's this song called?"
"Make Damn Sure."
He paused, and nodded to himself. I listened intently to the words of the song; they hit me like never before.

[Syd]

Chapter 8

---

---

You are everything I want
Cause you are everything I'm not

We live we live together some how
Too close too close
Too close is close enough

I just want to bring you down so badly
Everything you said
I just want to bring you down so badly
In the worst way

I thought about the chorus, thinking about the words, and the man sitting across the room.

You are red violent red
you hollow out my hungry eyes
Hollow out my hungry eyes.

We live we live together some how
Too close too close
Too close is close enough

I just want to bring you down so badly
Everything you said
I just want to bring you down so badly
In the worst way

I reached over to the finger pad on the laptop and was about to change it.

I just want to bring you down so badly
Everything you said
I just want to bring you down so badly
In the worst way

I'm gonna make Damn sure
That you can't ever leave
No you wont ever get to far from me
Wont ever get to far from me
I'll make damn sure
That you cant ever leave
You wont ever get too far from me
You wont ever get too far from me
You wont ever get too far from me
You wont ever get too far

I just want to bring you down so badly
Everything you said
I just want to bring you down so badly
In the worst way
Worst way

I'm gonna make Damn sure
I just want to bring you down so badly
Just want to bring you down so badly
Damn sure
In the worst way

The song was over and I was already out of the room. I left Sands there with the laptop and shut myself up in my room once again.
He had heard me leave and traced my steps to my room after the next song was over.
"Hey?" He tapped the door.
"Go away. I don't want you to be here."
"Stella.. Open the door."
"No. Leave."
"Stella." He leaned against the door.
"Sands, you can't see!"
His mood changed from almost caring to anger, "You don't think I know that?"
"You act like it didn't happen."
"I can't fucking see Stella! What am I supposed to do about it?" He yelled.
"What's happened to you Sheldon?" I asked feeling myself wanting to cry.
He hit the door with an open hand. "Me? What happened to me?" He said, not yelling, but still seething.
"You're not you anymore. I don't know you."
Sands sighed, "I've changed." He admitted, "For my job. This is me now Stella."
"Your job!" I yelled.
"Fucking A!"
"I HAVE THE SAME FUCKING JOB SANDS! THE SAME JOB!"
"Stella! Stop. Just stop." He sounded like he was pleading.
"I didn't change did I?"
"Yes you did." He said, barely audible to me.
"How Sands?"
He didn't answer.
"HOW?" I yelled again.
"You stopped loving me." He spat and turned away from the door.
His words brought me to tears. I didn't understand why this all was getting to me. He was Sands, a machine, he didn't care, and neither did I. Or I thought I didn’t. I wiped my face and sniffled. I didn't want him to hate me; I didn't want to hate him. But I just didn't understand. He was blind, and he didn't care.. He wasn't the person I knew from the past anymore. I nodded to myself. He wasn't Sheldon. He wasn't the man I used to love. Used to love. 'You stopped loving me.' Somewhere. I gathered my senses up and came out of the room. Sands was sitting on the couch, the music was still playing.

"I'm sorry." I said, walking to the couch and I stood in front of him.
He didn't acknowledge me.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." I pleaded quietly.
"I don't want apologies. Not for the past." He stood up, making the space between us seem smaller.
"I'm sorry for everything Shel-"
"No." He cut me off.
"Please?"
"I've changed." He straightened his posture. "Better get used to it."

I hung my head and looked at the floor. We had wronged each other. We both were to blame.

"No apologies, to either of us." He put a hand out and touched my arm; he trailed down it and found my hand.

At his touch I could barely contain myself with all the feelings swelling inside me. I moved to him and he sensed it. He rested his hands on my waist and dipped down to my lips. The kiss was hard and passionate. I leaned into him wreathing my arms around his neck and kissing him again. I then realized what I was doing and took a step away from him. I shook my head and touched my lips with my hand.

"This can't happen." I told him taking another step back.
He sighed, "You're right."
My eyes shot to him. I wasn't expecting him to agree. In that same moment I realized I wanted him to disagree.
"I'll call for extraction." He walked into his room.

I didn't want him to go now. I wanted him to stay... but he wasn't Sheldon, so did I truly want him to stay? I sat on the couch and rested my head in my hands.

"Sands?" I went to his door and opened it, finding him in the same position I was in on the couch. He dropped his hands down and sat up straight when he heard me enter the room.
"Sorry."
"Did you call?"
"No."
"I was wrong Sands."
"No, you were right. This, nothing like before, can happen again."
"Why?" My thoughts pleaded with him.
He smirked, "I can't see Stella. You don't need a blind guy in your life."
"Sands... I don't care. Really."
"Stella, you wouldn't understand until it actually happened, but you wouldn't like it."
"You can't know that.. Please?"
He shook his head, "Don't."
"You're the one who kissed me!" I said.
"So? You stepped to me. You were apologizing, pleading."
"Sands." I said thinking, but I gave up and left the room.