Someday

Disclaimer: El and Sands aren't mine and I don't own the song Someday. Those privileges belong to Robert Rodreguez and Nickelback.

Author's notes: This bunny has been nibbling at my leg for some time now and I couldn't ignore it any longer. I hope this doesn't get too confusing but the POV's start changing about half way down. I've tried to make it clear and I'm sorry if it causes any confusion. Also this is my first real OUATIM fic so please go easy on me…I'm still toying with Sands and his insanity. Hope you enjoy!

"So this is it then El ol' buddy. This is where it all ends, right here right now."

"We don't have to do this."

Sands grinned as he raised his aim slightly so the gun he was holding was now aimed directly at the Mariachi's head across the room. He flicked the safety off. "Yes, I'm afraid we do."

He could hear El do the same across the room, which made him grin even more. That's right El, be a good little mariachi and shoot me in the head…please…make them shut up.

How the hell did we wind up like this?
Why weren't we able, to see the signs that we missed
And try turn the tables

"Why are you doing this Sands?"

Why was he doing this? He didn't know. You don't need a reason when you're a psychopath. Maybe it was because El wanted to leave. Maybe this was a long time coming. He didn't know. He couldn't think strait, if only he could get a moments silence inside his head to think.

They had teamed up three years after the attempted Coup at Culiacan, El had finally tracked him down after hearing stories of a blind gunman picking off Cartel around Mexico. Sands would have given anything to see the look on the mariachi's face when he discovered he was the blind gunman taking on the cartel. He'd bet his left nut it was priceless.

It wasn't so bad really and the mariachi had his uses. He had turned out to be a good recon man able to walk into any shit tip of a bar, not say a word and come out with information on the local cartel, which they would take out, then move on to the next town and the next shit tip bar where the whole bloody affair would start again.

"I'm psychotic El, do I need a reason to do this?"

"I think you are doing this because you don't want me to leave. I think you want me to stay. With you"

Shut up shut up shut up! "Now who's the crazy one El?"

I wish you'd unclench your fists, and unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
But don't think it's too late

He heard the faint sound of a footstep as El tried to sneak closer. He had stopped wearing those stupid mariachi trousers long ago in a pathetic attempt at stealth when he was around Sands but the ex CIA agent was always alert, the slightest sound out of place would send a hand to a gun holster, ready for anything.

Sands fired.

He heard El hit the floor and roll to the left. He fired again. And again. And again. And again. With each shot El somehow managed to duck out the way and move closer until he was close enough to reach out and touch. Not that Sands would want to touch the mariachi, nope not him, no sir.

He pulled the trigger but instead of the satisfying sound of the bullet ripping into El along with a cry of pure agony he was greeted with the dry click of an empty gun.

Shit.

El reached out and took the gun from his hand. He didn't resist. What was the point now? He heard to hit the floor across the room. If he'd still had his eyes, now would be the time he closed them and awaited the feel of cold metal as El put the gun to his head and then the black oblivion that would follow when El blew him away. Not that dark oblivion would be much of a change from his life now. If he believed in an afterlife he'd be wondering if his eyes would be there on the other side for him. He knew better though. When the good Dr. Guevara had removed his eyes the drill had destroyed his eyeballs, tearing them apart while the pincers ripped out the surrounding tissue. He would never forget the feeling of his eye sockets filling with blood and ocular fluid for the rest of his life. It didn't look like he'd have to worry for about that much longer though.

He pushed his chest out and stood up straighter in an attempt to show El he wasn't scared and to prepare himself for the shot he had no doubt was coming.

A kiss was the last thing he expected.

Nothing's wrong, just as long as
You know that someday I will

Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when

Sands could do nothing but stand there with his hands at his sides while El slowly and gently kissed him. For the first time in almost a year all the voices inside his head were silent.

After a few moments El started to pull away and Sands found himself wanting more. Before El could break away Sands took hold of the back of his head and pulled him back in pouring himself into the kiss, he didn't care how needy it made him look, anything to stop the voices in his head, although he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying this and from the moan he just coaxed out of El when he slipped his tongue into the mariachis mouth, so was he. He put all his concentration into making the mariachi make that noise again.

El had watched Sands slip further and further into insanity over their months together and he had wanted to help the man he now considered to be one of his few friends. Using the cartels as a distraction no longer seemed to work. More and more El had heard Sands talking back to the voices in his head during the night when he thought El was sleeping so he knew of the battle Sands was waging in his head for whatever sanity he had left. He would never ask for help though. Asking for help would be showing weakness and Sands would die before showing his weakness willingly.

He needed to help Sands and the only way he could think of doing so was to help him forget, to distract him form the voices in his head and their cruel comments and to give him something good to focus on.

A mariachi's love.

By saying he was leaving he had found out for certain by Sands' reaction that Sands felt something for him too only Sands would be more reluctant to admit it without a confrontation.

El could throw shapes too.

Reluctantly he broke the kiss and took a step back to look at the agent. More than anything right now he wished he could see his eyes, instead he saw only his reflection in the dark sunglasses Sands always wore. The agents face was blank, no emotion showing and it was hard to see what he was thinking.

"Sands?"

Well I'd hope that since we're here anyway
That we could end up saying
Things we've always needed to say
So we could end up staying
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Let's rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror

The sound of El's voice broke the spell. All at once the voices returned, only this time they had a whole new arsenal of things to call him and taunt him with. Queer! Oh how far you've come Sheldon to become the bitch of a mariachi! If only your father were still alive he would have beaten the life out of you, you little faggot!

Sands pushed away from El as he cried out against the onslaught of taunts and jibes. The motion caused him to fall over and still at the mercy of the voices, curl up into a ball with his head in his hands.

"Leave me alone! Shut the fuck up! Just shut up!"

El rushed to the fallen agent and despite his thrashings, swearing and cursing, held him until they had subsided and Sands was left shaking in his arms and sobbing quietly.

"It's ok Sands. I'm here for you. Its ok." He whispered soothingly in sands' ear. He doubted the agent could hear him but he continued non-the less humming a tune his father taught him when he was a boy in hopes of comforting the other man. He was so wrapped up in this that he didn't notice when Sands reached for the gun in his holster until it was too late. A part of him was amazed Sands was able to locate where his gun was and get it so quickly from him. He soon stopped being so amazed when the gun barrel was pushed up under his chin.

"I said shut the fuck up and leave me alone you fuckers!" Screamed Sands. The desperation in his voice almost broke El's heart but he had other things to focus on at the moment, like how he was going to get out of this situation without getting shot and without hurting Sands.

Nothing's wrong, just as long as
You know that someday I will

Before he could form a plan Sands had stood up as quick as lightning and put the gun to his own head.

"Shit." He stood up not sure what to do. When he had thought of this plan this was the last reaction he expected to get out of Sands. Leave it to him to do the exact opposite to what the mariachi expected. If he went for the gun now Sands would definitely pull the trigger.

Sands paid him no attention, instead he began pacing the room still with the gun barrel against his temple. "Oh yeah you'd like that wouldn't you? That bullshit isn't gonna work on me anymore! I'm not a scared twelve year old! I don't need any of you bastards anymore!" He stopped in the middle of the room breathing heavily and mumbling either to himself or to the voices, El wasn't sure.

El had taken the opportunity to get close to Sands while he had been distracted he was within reaching distance of the gun. The tension in the room was thick as he slowly crept closer.

Sands pulled the trigger.

Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
I know you're wondering when

El grabbed the gun tilting it away from Sands' head and causing the bullet to fly harmlessly into the opposite wall after first grazing the temple of the agent.

Sands let out a chilling cry that El knew would haunt him for the rest of his days as he tried to fight the mariachi. "Let me do it El you bastard! I have to do this! They'll come back and I cant live with it anymore!"

El wrestled the gun out of Sand's hands and for the second time that night threw it to the other side of the room. "No you don't! I'm going to help you through this."

Sands stopped struggling "Your not leaving?" He couldn't disguise the hope in his voice. He realised he had found a lifeline in El and he wasn't going to let it go now he had found it. If there was one thing that could be said about Sheldon Jeffery Sands it was that he was a stubborn bastard.

"No I'm not leaving and I'm going to help you weather you want me to or not." Slowly he put his arms around Sands again, soothingly running his hands through the agents hair as he kissed his forehead, again calming the rising voices inside the troubled mans head.

"They're not going to go away without a fight you know."

"I know, and I'm ready"

End.

Authors notes: Hmm I had no idea the story was going there. It just happened! I guess my Sands bunny wanted to show a more vulnerable side to his madness…interesting