Author's Note: This chapter is also unbeta'd. Looks around nervously I haven't spoken with Scarlett for a while, and I'm quiet worried. She hasn't updated Sands Through The Hourglass in awhile... If this continues, I may have to put together a rescue opperation, anyone with me?!
Lynx Rider: Thank you for the congrates. ;) If my fiance's anything like Sands, the marriage will be...interesting. ;)
I couldn't stand to leave you guys hanging, so here's chapter 25. I have finished this story, 36 chapters. And started it's sequal, but don't worry, one way or the other, you'll get to read it all. :)
Sammy and Cerise settled down at the table of the cafe. Sarah would be meeting up with them shortly. Cerise pushed the sunglasses up her nose. "I know he's up to something, I just hope what ever it is, he's being careful." She muttered. Sammy turned towards her.
"What do you think he's up to?"
"Probably has to do with the kid..." Quickly, Cerise told Sammy about Charlie. "Franky has a nephew?" Sammy asked. "You'll excuse me if that was my thought too..." Cerise muttered. Sammy shook his head.
Cerise sighed and stood, "I'm going to run to the rest room real quick, be right back." Sammy nodded, "alright." He watched her head back towards the bathroom, before he turned his eyes towards the street. Cerise entered the bathroom and locked the door. She'd come in here for a quiet moment to think, more then anything else. Her reflection in the mirror still looked pale to her. Her eyes still red. She looked tired, a mother who was near her end. And she was. All she wanted at this moment, was to have Lily in her arms.
The figure strided across the street towards the cafe, with a clear view of Sammy sitting at an outside table. A hand drawn into the overcoat, they held the MP-40. Sammy was stirring his coffee and didn't see the figure, until they called his name. "Iokie." Sammy looked up, but even then it was to late, the round of bullets fired, all hitting Sammy directly. His hand fell away from his beratta as he began sliding from the chair.
Cerise heard the gunfire and was already pulling the door open. She ran from the bathroom in time to see the figure in black sprinting for the street and Sammy on the ground. Torn, she pulled her desert eagle from her holster and ran over to Sammy, dropping to her knees. He looked up at her, breathing hard. "Oh god..." Cerise muttered, seeing the wounds. "Hold on Sammy, please." Her voice was broken. Sammy gave a weak smile and nodded a bit. "SAMMY!" Cerise turned to see Sarah running towards them. She dropped to the ground with them, pulling Sammy's head into her lap. "Stay with him!" Cerise ordered. Sarah looked at her. Cerise got to her feet and scanned the street, before she saw the figure slip around the corner. She jumped the small fencing that separated the cafe from the street and ran after the figure.
Turning the corner, she paused only briefly to look for the figure, who was in the crowd ahead of her. Fingers wrapped tightly around her gun in a two hand hold as she'd learned in training, she ran forward, weaving her way through. "Out the of the way," She ordered, until she got a clear shot at the figure.
But the figure spun, raising the machine gun and Cerise threw herself and a kid near her into the wall, when the person opened fire. She swallowed numbly when the bullets missed her and the kid. Letting go of the boy, she scrambled to her feet, pushing herself forward. The figure was slipping around another corner, but Cerise had seen what she wanted. The sunglasses, the outfit, the face. She was furious. The bloody bastard was really demented to go this far! She holstered her gun and ran around the corner.
But he was no where to be seen. She slowed down, looking in every direction. As she passed an alley way, a pair of arms shot out and grabbed her, dragging her into the dark area. She lashed out, kicking. Before she was pinned to the wall. "Tsk tsk, Cerise, don't kick so much." He came into view, taking the sunglasses off and Cerise lunged, attempting to claw at his face. He grabbed her wrists, and squeezed. "That's no way to behave, Cerise." He growled. "No, but putting a bullet in your brain would feel really good right now!" She snapped back.
"Aww. Cee, don't like what you see?!" He grinned at her. Cerise was only glad he hadn't mastered the grin.
"Fuck you, Rick!"
"Yes please." He replied. She kicked him in the knees.
"Go to hell and die!"
"Not me, sweetheart, Jeff." Cerise yanked out of his grasp and moved away from. "Where's my daughter, Rick?!"
"Safe. And sound. Do you really think I'd harm Lily?" He replied, checking his nails in an egotistic way. Cerise glared at him.
He was an exact copy of Sands, down to the golden brown eyes and Cerise felt the urge to claw them out again. But she held herself back, for now. "What's the point of all this Rick?! You took the pages on the Paris Operation and planted them in Sheldon's apartment, you kidnap our daughter, you shoot Sammy, you chose to look JUST like Sands?! What's the point?!" Rick winked. "Ah, that's the surprise of it all. Now listen, to me, Cerise." He suddenly took on a very serious business manor.
"If you leave Mexico now, I promise no harm will come to the rest of the team. Sarah can walk out of here scott free." Cerise spit at him.
"Sammy is probably dead as we speak and you're talking like this?!"
"It's a shame Sammy had to die, but it had to happen. He made his choice. He paid the consequences."
"You cold hearted bastard!" Cerise screamed. "Leave Mexico, Cerise. Walk away and let it finish between Sands and I!" Rick growled. "When Hell freezes over!" Cerise snapped back shoving past him. Rick let her. But she stopped at the front of the alley and glared at him. "You never fixed the broken nose." She pointed. "I wish Sheldon had done a lot more damage that night, and I know he will when he finally gets ahold of you." With that, she turned and walked away, heading back towards the cafe.
When she reached it, she saw the Mexican authorities and the ambulance. She also saw the stretcher with Sammy's body and the sheet drawn over it. She pushed through the crowd, coming up beside Sarah, who was being questions. "Please step back, ma'am." The officer told her. Cerise flashed her id. "CIA." She said simply.
"That man was a partner."
"Yes, we've gathered that much..." The officer muttered. "Someone will have to come to the station and get ahold of your superiors." The officer said. Sarah looked at Cerise. "I want to..." She whispered. Cerise nodded. "All right. You know the hotel address?" Sarah nodded. "Call me, if you need anything, I've got to go tell Sheldon..." Cerise muttered. Sarah nodded and flashed Cerise her cellphone with the guarantee that she'd call. Cerise watched her leave with officer behind the ambulance.
When they were gone, Cerise turned and walked back to the hotel, never seeing the female figure across the street watching her. Mackenzie Harly waited till Cerise was out of sight, before turning and walking in the direction the ambulance had gone. God, she'd had to pay those officers a lot to play along, but it would be worth it. Now she was off to retrieve Sammy and plot the next step in saving Sands.
When Cerise was out of the sun, everything felt so alien to her. She felt disorientated. And now, she had to be the one to tell Sands that Sammy was dead. That it was Rick who'd done it. She climbed the stairs but didn't remember reaching the top. She didn't remember heading down to her hotel room or taking the key card out. She pushed the door to the room and found that Sands was gone. She frowned and stepped back into the hall, pulling the door shut. Glancing up and down it, she headed down the hall towards El's room.
El answered, a gun in his hand. Cerise glanced at the room and saw Sands sprawled out on his stomach on the bed, a hotel towel wet and on the back of his neck. El lowered the gun and stepped back. "What happened?!" Cerise asked, looking back and forth. Sands raised his head slightly off the bed. "Charlie..." He grumbled. "What?!" Cerise walked over to the bed and Sands rolled over very slowly, breathing heavily. He was trying not to lose the contents of his stomach. He told her the whole thing.
"Then they knew..." She muttered, and couldn't stop herself from starting to cry. Sands sit up slowly. "Baby...who knew what?" He leaned forward slightly, holding the towel with his other hand. "Sammy's dead... Rick came...I couldn't... He told me to leave Mexico..." She slipped off the bed, crying. El grimaced and went quietly into the bathroom, closing the door behind him to give them some peace.
Sands slipped off the bed next too, dropping the towl on his knees and pulling her into his arms. "It's alright...shh..." He muttered, but his own heart was twisting. "Where's Sarah?"
"She's gone with them to get ahold of the Agency... She'll probably go back to the states with the body... Oh God, Sheldon, what about Richie?!" Sands stroked her hair. "Shh...everything'll be alright." Oh yes, everything would be all right, Sands was going ot murder Rick, tear him up into little peices and leave them all over Mexico. The man was going to die slow and painful!
The hours began to take forever now. Sarah had checked into the hotel where they were and told them flat out, she wasn't going back to the states. She couldn't do it alone if she wanted to. She'd never make it back alive. That was the only way, Sands agreed to let her stay in Mexico, she threatened to shoot herself with Sammy's Beretta if they even tried to get her on that plane. So Cerise had begged him on Sarah's behalf and Sands gave in.
Now Sarah was at the bar. And she couldn't exactly remember how many drinks she'd had. All she knew was she was really liking Tequila right now. She waved the bar tender over and he started to fill her glass again when a hand stopped him. 'That's enough for her." A deep voice said and Sarah looked up. It was the man that had been in Sands' company when she'd come back to the hotel.
El she thought was his name. She frowned and wrinkled her nose. What kind of name was El? The bartender moved off and El pulled out a chair, sitting down and pushing the dark hair out of his face. "Tequila isn't exactly the drink to drown your sorrows in." Sarah looked up at him. "Ss workin' isn't it?" She slurred. "No, it's not." El said patiently. "What would you know?"
"A lot. I've lost friends, and i've lost lovers." El said softly. "Sammy was....he was...."She couldn't find the words. "A friend and a lover." El answered for her. She nodded, looking back at him. He was quiet handsome now that she really got to look at him.
"Bloody hell! Why him?! Why Sammy!?"
"It was an unfair blow." El said nodding. "And you KNOW, that Jeff is feeling guilty for it!" Sarah snapped. "Can't they just leave Jeff alone?! Rick's done enough already, he didn't need to go and shoot Sammy!" She held her head in her hands. "Sands and... Sammy were friends?" El asked softly. Sarah ran her fingers through her hair and looked at him with a slight grin. "Sammy was probably the closest thing Jeff ever had to a best friend. Until Sammy transferred to Security, they were inseparable. If he wasn't with Cerise, he was off getting high with Sammy." Sarah stated.
"Oh god..." Sarah muttered, she looked at El. El had been patient with her as she told him the whole story. "We'll never do anything like that again..." "I wouldn't say Never." El said with a slight smile. Sarah sighed, shoving her glass away. "Can we go somewhere else, I don't want any more to drink." El stood with out a word and offered her his hand. She took it and stumbled into him. He caught her and helped her towards the door. But the moment they got out side, her stomach turned and everything came up, right on to El. "Oh, I'm so sorry..." She muttered, looking up at him, before she passed out. El sighed, hoisting her over his shoulder.
At first, he'd been surprised he got her to agree so quickly, but then he did rationalize it out when he explained it to her. Things were getting serious and he damn well wanted to refer to her as his wife before something happened.
"Sheldon, you're not going to find a priest at this time of night." Cerise muttered. Sands squeezed her hand as they walked.
"I already know one, thank you, Cherry."
"Father Juan?"
"Well, not Father Juan in particular." Sands answered as they turned into an allyway, next to a church. "Now, there should be a door..." He held out his other hand and ran it along the wall, until he found the wood door. "Ah!" He knocked on the door, pulling her close and kissing her quickly.
"Sheldon, do you think this is a good idea?" Cerise whispered. "Cold feet?" Sands asked, running a hand through her hair.
"No, but it... Is the middle of the night."
"How late?"
"Two am." Cerise answered.
Sands grinned. "At least we wont be interrupted."
"You know, that later on, we'll have to have a proper wedding..." Cerise muttered.
"Later, and you can even have Sarah as maid of honor."
"Well at least we can make Lily flower girl..." Cerise said with a grin, but Sands felt her shoulders sag. He leaned forward and kissed her temple. "She'll be beautiful, like her mother." He whispered.
The door opened before she could reply. An old man stood on the doorstep, in a dressing gown and peering at them. "Officer Sands...what can I do for you?" He asked in a deep voice. "A wedding." Sands answered, grinning brazenly. "A wedding? At two in the morning?" "Yes, we're kind of in a hurry and want to be married before attending to business in the morning." Sands answered. The old man peered at Cerise and shook his head. "Come in." He motioned them inside and shut the door.
Then he lead them down a hall towards his office. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Oh yeah!" Sands grinned. The father turned the light in his office on and moved behind the desk.
"Why?"
"Well..." Sands drawled. "Other then being hoplessly, utterly and endlessly in love, we have a two year old daughter."
"Out of wedlock?!" The old man had raised an eyebrow.
"Uh...yeah." Sands grinned sheepishly.
The old man shook his head, muttering about young people and sex before marriage in Spanish. "Your full names." The priest said, sitting down and taking a certificate out of his desk. "Sheldon Jeffrey Sands." Sands answered. The priest looked at Cerise. "Cerise Evelyn Stone." She muttered.
The man wrote the names out. "This is an international Marriage certificate, meaning it'll be legal any where." He placed the certificate on the desk infront of them and held out the pen. Sands had heard the motion and took the pen, but he hesitated.
With out a word, Cerise reached over and pushed his hand down on to the paper where he had to sign and Sands scratched his name out, letting Cerise pull the pen from his hand when he was done. Quickly she signed her name.
"Over here." The priest led them over to a small alter and began chanting in Latin, as he prepared for a simple ceremony. "Kneel please." Sands and Cerise knelt infront of the alter, the priest placed a ribbon joined wreath on both their heads and continued chanting. Sands took Cerise's hand and held it. Cerise glanced at him, she'd been surprised when he made the suggestion, but here they were and there was no turning back.
Finally the priest spoke to them. "Do you, Sheldon Jeffrey Sands take Cerise Evelyn Stone as you're lawfully wedded wife, to have and hold in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad, till death do you part?" Cerise glanced at him, Sands didn't raise his head.
"I do." He answered in a soft, voice. He was surprised by how broken it sounded. He couldn't fight the flutter in his stomach and the only thing he could do was tighten his hold on her hand.
"Do you, Cerise Evelyn Stone, take Sheldon Jeffrey Sands as your lawfully wedded husband to have and hold in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad, till death do you part?" Cerise swallowed. "I do." She whispered.
The priest wrapped their joined hands in a white ribbon and blessed them in Latin. "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. Those who've god have joined, let no man put asunder. You may now kiss the bride." With out even getting to their feet, Sands pulled Cerise too him and kissed her hard and passionate. The priest grinned despite himself and let them stand, taking the ribbon from their hands. "You are now legally married." The priest said. Sands grinned darkly.
The father did some short paper work and handed those papers and the certificate to Sands. "I certianly hope you don't plan on annulling it by morning." "Where's the fun in that?" Sands asked back folding the papers and tucking them in a pocket.
"Now, will you leave me alone, officer Sands, I'd like to go back to bed." But Sands heard the humor in the old man's voice and the father winked at Cerise. He followed them back to the back door and clapped Sands on the back. "Congratulations." Sands nodded and he and Cerise left.
"It's actually done..." Cerise was still in awe. Sands stopped in the deserted doorway of a shop and leaned against it, pulling Cerise to him. "Baby, did you think I was gonna back out of it?" She leaned against him. "If I was anyone else, I would have expected you to." She muttered. He clicked his tongue. "See, you were expecting me to back out." "Sheldon! You have to admit, that the idea of getting married like that," She snapped her fingers, "Is a bit odd."
"Not when I love you as much as I do." Sands whispered in her ear. Cerise snapped her mouth shut. Sands lifted her chin and kissed her slow and deep.
They got back to the hotel, still walking hand in hand. Sands couldn't stop grinning. He felt like a school boy in love. "You know, if you don't stop smiling like that, someone's going to think you're up to something." Cerise said softly as they got on to the elevator. Sands grinned more, pulling her close as he leaned up against the back wall. "Let them think something." She leaned against him, tracing his jaw with her finger tip. "So Mrs. Sands..." Sands muttered in her ear.
Cerise laughed softly. "That's going to take some getting used to, I think." She whispered. "Oh don't I know it. There weren't supposed to be any more Sands after me, you know, end of the line and all." "Well, that plan sorta backfired on ya, didn't it?" She asked, humor in her voice. "I'm not exactly complaining." He replied. She kissed him lightly.
"I want to check on Sarah." They were leaving the elevator and walking slowly, hand in hand down the hall. "Alright." Sands nodded. Cerise let go of his hand and knocked on her hotel room door. But she stepped back in the hall when El answered. "What's going on?" She asked quickly. El gave her a half smile. "Sarah's... sick at the moment, she drank far to much tequila." "Lil ikkle Sarah drank to much TEQUILA!?" Sands couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Sheldon." Cerise said in simple warning, before turning back to El. "Is she alright?" "She's passed out at the moment, do you want to stay with her?" "No." Sands answered for Cerise. "She's got other plans." El raised an eye brow. Cerise sighed. "Would it be to much trouble to ask if you could stay with her?" Cerise asked him. El shook his head. "No trouble." Cerise nodded, but Sands began pulling her down the hall before she could say anything else. Cerise had just noted that El was wearing different clothes.
"Aren't you the least bit worried about that?" Cerise asked Sands after their door closed. "Only a bit." He held up his fingers. "But Sarah's still a trained agent. Knowing her if he tried anything, she shove the gun up his ass and pull the trigger." Cerise laughed softly. Sands took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "So Mrs. Sands..." He whispered. Cerise blushed, "It's going to take a long time to get used to that."
"Ah, but I like it." Sands breathed, drawing her closer. Cerise smiled slightly, then reached up, and took his sunglasses. "If you're going to make love to me, Sheldon, take the sunglasses off." She said softly. Sands drew back slightly, mouth open to say something.
Finally he found his voice. "Cerise, I'd rather..." She put a finger on his lips. "I love you Sheldon, I don't care about the lack of eyes. I married you for you, and the fact that you're my baby girl's father." She took the sunglasses off his face and put them on the bedside table.
Sands hesitated, but Cerise wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer, kissing him tenderly. Slowly, Sands kissed her back deeply, holding her by the waist. His kisses moved from her lips to her neck, Cerise clung to him. "I need you tonight..." He whispered, holding her close. "You have me." She breathed.
Sands sat on the bed and pulled her to him, holding her by the waist in front of him. Cerise rested her fingers in his hair. He tilted his head upward, as if to look at her. "Why do you love me so much?" He asked softly. "I could ask you the same question." She whispered. "That's simple." He replied. "Yeah, why's that?" "You're my angel." She laughed softly, he continued to hold her by the waist. "And you've always told me, you're not a romantic type."
He leaned back on the bed, pulling her down with him and rolled over on his side, proping his head up on his elbow and resting his hand on her stomach. "I'm not." She lay on her back looking at the ceiling. He leaned over and kissed her neck. "But you're still my reason for living." She turned her head, looking at him. "Then what were you doing for three years?"
"Dying, slowly." He answered, leaning over and kissing her. He rolled over on his back and pulled her with him. She layed her head on his shoulder as he held. "Where do we go from here, Sheldon?" "What do you mean? I mean, no offense, Cerise, but you and I, were husband and wife now, I don't think separate apartments would work that well." He stroked her hair. "That's not EXACTLY what I'm asking." She replied. He sighed. "We save our daughter and we go from there." She was content for now, to lay there in his arms.
To break the silence, Sands began humming.
"She's a sweet as Tupelo honey.
She's an angel of the first degree.
She's as sweet, she's as sweet as Tupelo honey,
just like honey baby, from the bee."
He sang the words softly, running his fingers up and down her shoulder. She sighed deeply. "Damn it Shelly, you've ALWAYS know how to get me to melt." Sands chuckled softly. "Good." She yawned, Sands pulled her closer. "If it wasn't for you, Cerise, I'd be a lot worse then I am now..." He said softly, but seriously. "You'd have probably over dosed on speed, unless you'd started on something harder." She muttered into his shoulder.
Sands smiled grimly. "Probably would have. You never answered my question..." She sighed. "I love you, Sheldon, because your the one man who's cared for me, even after knowing everything that's happened to me." He could tell by her voice she was falling a sleep, so he left it at that, just laying there listening to her breathing, before he himself drifted off to a dreamless sleep.