Thank you to my dear reviewers! I value all your comments, you keep this story going.

I have another recommendation for you...Miss Becky's trilogy of OUTIM fanfics. They are complete and they are marvellous. The first is 'After the dust has cleared', followed by 'When all is said and done' and ending with 'Que Quieres En La Vida'.

Happy reading!

Chapter 6: Wounds and confessions

Evelyn decided she wasn't going to mention what she had witnessed the night before. She was sure that Sands hadn't known she was there; it was quite possible he hadn't even been aware of Nino being present. Evelyn just hoped Nino didn't mention it; she did not want Sands knowing she had been watching him.

Nino and Sands were on the porch, Sands on a chair and Nino on the porch steps humming to himself while he polished something.

"Good morning," said Evelyn. She couldn't help eyeing Sands warily.

"Morning," said Sands. He was as he always was; pale and unsmiling, but now Evelyn saw him in a different light. The memories of him shaking last night seemed to be pasted in front of her so much so that she had to look away from him to clear her head.

"How are you feeling?" Evelyn asked suddenly remembering why she had come round to Sands' house in the first place.

"Better," said Sands obviously not feeling in an elaborate mood, "I appreciate your help." Evelyn was touched by this; she had not expected such a confession.

"I'm glad I helped," she said. Sands did not look like he was going to talk further unless pushed to so Evelyn looked around at Nino.

"What're you doing there?" she asked. Nino jumped and tried to hide the object in his hands under the polishing cloth he was using but Evelyn was too quick for him. Her mouth fell open and she rounded on Sands accusingly.

"Is that yours?" she demanded pointing to what lay on Nino's lap.

"Is what mine?" asked Sands quite calmly.

"The gun that Nino is cleaning Sands," said Evelyn, "Is it yours?"

"Well, of course it's mine," Sands said giving her a quizzical look, "I wouldn't let Nino have one now, would I?" Evelyn felt cold. She had expected Sands to look ashamed or at least apologetic but he wasn't even making the pretence of either.

"Evelyn?" Sands asked when she hadn't spoken for a short while.

"Are you totally irresponsible?!" Evelyn cried shrilly well aware that her voice was shaking, "Nino is just a child!"

"I am aware of that," said Sands coolly, "But children can be killed too. Irresponsible would be letting those guns become unworkable. If there are people around who want to kill you it is best to arm yourself, don't you think so?" He asked this question lightly but it struck Evelyn like a blow. She stared at Sands unable to think of a single thing to say that he would not be able to shoot down, so instead of speaking she snatched the gun from Nino and placed it out of reach before hurrying into the house.

Evelyn sat on her bed her hands clenched tightly around the bedcovers. Why was it necessary for people to kill each other? Her reaction to seeing the gun in Nino's hands had little to do with Nino, even less to do with Sands; instead the key to it lay in her past. She closed her eyes but she could still see what had happened that dreadful night in the pouring rain. She began to cry, her face in her hands.

Sands hesitated at the doorway; it had been a long time since he had heard someone crying. He wasn't entirely sure he knew what to do. He would never have considered attempting to comfort someone six months ago, the thought would have positively revolted him but since that dreadful day everything in his world seemed to have changed apparently even as far as his willingness to be nice for a change.

"Er...are you ok?" he asked uncertainly. Evelyn looked up and hurriedly wiped her tears away.

"Yes," she replied attempting and failing to hide her distress, "I'm fine."

"I may be blind but I'm not stupid," said Sands. That made Evelyn smile; she supposed she couldn't sound very fine at all.

"Can I come in?" Sands asked. He was hovering in the doorway as if ready to either come in or leave at a moment's notice. Evelyn had never seen him so uncertain before, it made him seem more human somehow.

"Of course you can," Evelyn answered not seeing how she could justify keeping Sands out of a room in his own house. Sands walked forwards and sat down with impressive accuracy right next to her.

"It's a bit dusty in here, isn't it?" he asked with a look of distaste. Evelyn felt the mood lighten at once.

"It's not too bad," said Evelyn with a small laugh, "There doesn't seem much point in dusting a room which never gets used."

"It's being used now," said Sands.

"I don't mind a bit of dust though," said Evelyn. Sands shrugged. Evelyn felt tight in the chest and her eyes felt heavy with unshed tears.

"Is something wrong?" Sands asked deciding he might as well get to the point now he was here. Evelyn swallowed and brushed away a few stray tears.

"Yes," she replied in a small voice.

"Oh," said Sands hoping she would go on without further encouragement. Evelyn twisted her hands in her lap as she spoke, "I really need someone to talk to."

"Will I do?" Sands asked touchily, "Or do you need someone will fully functional eyeballs?"

"I don't see how seeing can help a person listen," said Evelyn smartly. Sands looked almost impressed.

"Go on then," he said in a tone which implied he hadn't got all day. Evelyn wondered if she would live to regret telling him.

"I'm scared," she said knowing the whole story was about to spill out and there was not much that could stop it. Sands was relieved, he understood fear, he had lived with it for a long time now.

"I wasn't entirely truthful with you before," Evelyn continued, "When I told you why I came to Mexico." Sands stiffened slightly but remained silent.

"You know I told you about my boss, and the reason I quit my job?"

"Mm," said Sands.

"Well, I didn't quite tell you the whole story," Evelyn confessed her eyes on the ground. She paused, took a deep breath and then the story began.

"At first I thought I was no different from all the other woman in my boss's eyes, he was well known for his womanising and I had been forewarned by a friend who worked in a neighbouring office. I thought I knew what to do, I thought if I was cold towards him, if I never showed any interest he would eventually give up and leave me alone but it seemed he liked a challenge. It took a year of harassment before I finally quit, I hadn't wanted to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had made me leave a job that was so convenient for me but in the end I had no choice. I thought that would be the end of it, he wouldn't see me and I wouldn't see him, he could find someone else to terrorise but that's not what happened. He didn't leave me alone, he began to stalk me."

"He followed me everywhere I went and when I continued to show no interest he began to get violent. It turns out his wife had found about his conduct and run away with the doorman in their building, I guess this was his way of coping with the pain. Everywhere I went he was there, I couldn't escape."

"One night he cornered me down a deserted side street after I'd been to the cinema with some friends. He was drunk; I could smell the alcohol on him before he even got close. I tried to run but he blocked my way. He tried several times to grab me but I fought him off. He got angry, really angry. He hit me and threw me against the wall. He started shouting and swearing, telling me what he was going to do with me now he finally had me. I knew he would never leave me alone, never, that's why I bought the gun in the first place. I'd never even used it before but I shot him right in the chest. I remember the look of shock on his face as he fell to the ground but he wasn't dead so I shot him again and again until he didn't move. It was horrible, there was blood everywhere. The rain was washing it down the drain already; I could see it covering his chest. I heard the police sirens in the distance so I ran and I've kept running ever since."

Evelyn paused again; the whole thing was playing in her mind as if it was on video. She felt the rain on her face, the fear, the horror. She saw his dead unstaring eyes looking up at her; she remembered the nausea and panic that had swept over her. She remembered wanting to throw the gun down on the ground but stopping herself. She remembered getting into her car, still soaking wet from the weather outside, with only what she really needed with her and driving away never to return.

Sands was slowly absorbing the information, it had only taken about a minute but in that time Evelyn had lost her innocence.

"I'm safe in Mexico," Evelyn said, "My father was a Mexican so I have a Mexican passport. I don't even know if the US authorities know it was me but I'm not going back to find out." She stopped, her story told. Even though he wasn't touching her Sands knew she was trembling.

"It was seeing the gun in Nino's hands that brought it all back," Evelyn explained wanting to fill in the silence Sands was leaving every time she paused, "I..." She stopped again and this time Sands spoke.

"You did the right thing." Evelyn looked appalled.

"But I killed a man!" she said.

"Sometimes that is the right thing," said Sands matter of factly, he would know.

"I'd do it again if I had to," Evelyn found herself saying and she knew it was true. 'That might prove useful,' thought Sands to himself but he didn't say it out loud.

"Are you disappointed in me?" Evelyn asked. Sands actually laughed.

"Disappointed?" he repeated, "Not in the least bit, perhaps a little surprised but not unpleasantly so." He thought for a moment.

"So that's what you want, time for your wounds to heal," he said conclusively.

"Yes," said Evelyn, "I guess so."

"Some wounds never heal," said Sands and he got up and walked from the room.

Evelyn felt something changed after that between her and Sands, there seemed to be a greater level of understanding between them. Maybe Sands felt he could relate to her better now or perhaps he was simply flattered that she had confided in him. Whatever the reason Sands became considerably warmer towards her and his temper was slower to show itself though it was always there under the surface. That week Evelyn and Sands, accompanied by the ever good natured Nino, spent almost every day together. In the evening Evelyn read Sands his book while Nino dozed in a chair. As Evelyn read she would look up and she would smile to see the peaceful expression on Sands' face. Occasionally Sands would smile too.

"You should smile more often," Evelyn told him one evening, "It's a beautiful smile." How could he not smile at that?

When Evelyn wasn't with Sands she was immersed in her art work. Her moonlit picture was almost finished and she had already started a new project. Sometimes she would be up late into the night working on it. She had not felt this inspired for months and her heart felt light as a feather. It was almost as if telling Sands what had happened that night had helped to ease the burden that had weighed on her so heavily since she had left that godforsaken alleyway in the rain. She didn't even think of it as often any more, and it hadn't featured in a dream for weeks.

"It's time for your medicine senor," said Nino. Sands took the pills and swallowed them, two tablets which had gone down from the initial four twice a day so he guessed that was progress. But he was still on medication, still in pain. He sighed. Some wounds never heal.

"Is something wrong senor?" Nino asked. Sands adjusted his sunglasses.

"Nothing more than usual," he answered in a bored voice.

"Is senorita coming over today?" asked Nino knowing this would probably cheer Sands up.

"We're having dinner with her in town," replied Sands in a tone which did not convey much enthusiasm for the idea but Nino knew better than to let that fool him.

"Senor?"

"Mm," said Sands.

"Would it be alright if I take you to town and then go and see my family senor?" Nino asked all in a rush. He sounded nervous and Sands found himself feeling immensely guilty, a feeling he seemed to have rediscovered since last November. The boy was always with him and he never once said a word about leaving, why shouldn't the kid get to see his family?

"Sure kid," said Sands, "Evelyn can take me home."

Evelyn held Sands' hand, it was still cold but this time Evelyn could hold it in her own without fear of having her head bitten off. He was still reluctant to be dependent on her but to his credit he hid it well. They stopped outside Sands' house, the moonlight once again shining down on them.

"Thanks," said Sands shortly. Evelyn was silent; she was looking up at Sands almost transfixed as he stood waiting for her to say something back to him. She couldn't stop herself; it was like someone else had taken control of her arms, someone who listened to her heart. She reached up and touched Sands' pale face. Sands flinched at her touch and pulled away. Hurt, Evelyn took a step backwards too, colour flooding her cheeks. Sands swallowed, a million memories and feelings were threatening to overwhelm him but there was one memory that stood out clearly over all the rest. He staggered backwards as if to get away from it. Evelyn watched, she had only touched him.

"Sorry baby...you've seen too much..." Evelyn saw him swat at something she couldn't see in front of him, he seemed to have forgotten her completely. The voices in Sands' head momentarily paralysed him as they replayed memories Sands would rather have forgotten and then, as suddenly as they had come, they faded away into the corners of his mind to wait for when he fell asleep.

"Evelyn?" Sands said not entirely sure how long he had been listening to his past.

"I'm still here," said Evelyn warily. Sands rubbed his temple as if struck by a sudden headache. Evelyn's voice, the way she had touched him, it was all too familiar...

"Sands?" she said and he heard her take a step forwards. He retreated.

"I...," he began hand still at his head, near me..."

"Sands, please I..."

"Evelyn," Sands said in a dangerously calm voice, "Go away." He seemed to be fighting to resist the temptation to shout at her, Evelyn was completely in the dark, what had she done wrong this time? Sands turned away from her and walked into the house without another word. Evelyn thought about following but decided not to, she didn't know how to help Sands fight these demons, she didn't even know what they were.