Warning, Sands is getting soft :p and about the ending it's a bit bout Lizz' past, so might be a little hares… You'll see.

Chapter 33) Promise.

It'd been over a week. The three of them had moved from shitty motel to shittier motel. El was almost back to normal and had taken over the car. Something that pissed off Sands, because he wanted her to drive and not dumbasse. After a long (too long if you asked Lizz) fight El'd finally won and drove every day with absolutely no clew where to go. They still had to come up with a plan, but since every information about the money was gone, her laptop and MP3 player, the little hope of getting the money and run to the other end of the world, had died.

Lizz looked through the window moody, supporting her head on her hand. She was counting the cactuses and tried to fight the urge to smack Sands, who was repeating the same line over and over again: 'Are we there yet? I'm fucking bored.'

From the corner of her eyes she glanced at El. He was ticking stressed on the leather wheel and looked about to shoot Sands. She smiled slightly and turned around, just in time to stop Sands, saying 'it' again.

"Sands?" She started.

Sands had already opened his mouth to ask the question again and nag El to dead. A little insulted by her cut off he looked at her. "What the fuck do you want?"

"A McChicken, French fries and a milkshake, but I don't think that's in it for today." She rolled her eyes. "But you acting a little bit nicer would do just fine, thank you."

One eyebrow rose. "Fuck you."

"Sands shut your mouth." El snapped, clearly on the edge of his self-control. Not to strange, the man was driving non-stop since nigh AM. And with Sands in the back of your car it was very hard to not to stop the car and set the thing on fire.

"Why?" Sands said.

"Because you're driving me nuts." El snapped back.

"No, fuckshit, why do you think I would listen!" A smiled appeared on his face as he shifted a little.

Lizz couldn't help but giggle. Sometimes he could be so god damn sarcastic and annoying it was just plain funny. Off course that wasn't the case if you were the one he was nagging to.

Sands smiled proudly at her while El throw daggers at her thought the window. She saw it, bit her lip and turned away.

It was silent in the car for about two minutes.

"El…." Sands started.

"WHAT!"

"I got the feeling you're a little stressed, am I right?"

No answer, Lizz looked up from her cactus counting championship and looked at El. The mans jaws were jammed and his hands were clutched around the wheel.

"Right!" Sands repeated.

A long sight from El, probably counting to ten. "Yes, I am! And you know why!"

"I've got my theories…."

"Because you are trying to get under my skin since the moment you stepped back into this car!" El hit the brakes and the car stopped. "And if you don't knock that off now, you can walk from here!"

Lizz cocked from El back to Sands.

"Like I said, a bit stressed. Wouldn't it be a good idea to get the girly behind the wheel so you can get your nerves back?"

"No." El snapped.

"Why not?"

"Because!."

"That's not half an answer and not close to an excuse."

"Shut up."

"What? I did make a good point!"

"I also did when I said to throw you out of the car. Now shut up before I set my plan into action!"

When Sands was about to say something again, Lizz poked him between the ribs. Sands thankfully didn't make a fuss, but just grinned. He laid back, putting his good arm between his head and the seat. "Lizzy-O what time is it?"

She looked at her watch. "Almost nine PM."

He nodded. "Okay." He seemed a bit relaxed. For the first time since she helped El escape from the hospital. He hadn't like doing that, she knew that. In the morning he had been stressing about everything that could possibly go wrong. And he had been so pissed about the fact he had to guard the car. "I'm form the fucking CIA, I'm not gonna guard a god damn car!". She knew he was grateful that he didn't have to come anywhere near the hospital, but that she was the one getting into the fire line, he hadn't liked at all. Of course he didn't say it, he was to cool to say a thing like that. But when she was about to walk to the hospital he'd given her a concerned look. "If you get the feeling someone is following you, get your ass back to the car, savvy!" He then came op with a lame line she had to say to check if it was safe. "What's for dinner?" He'd ask and she would have to answer, "Nothing you killed the cook." If it was save.And if she got followed or a gun pressed against her head she had to say: " Tequila with lime and puerco pible." Sometimes Sands could be really smart…

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. 'Strange, how tired you can get from only sitting in a hot car all day.' She blinked. "Guys, I'm gonna sleep." She put out her jacket and fold it into a pillow. She placed the pillow on Sands shoulder and laid down. She felt him tense.

"Lizz…"

She rolled her eyes. "What?"

He pushed her off. "What the fuck is this!"

Sulky she sat up and fold the jacket back into a pillow. "Trying to get asleep, duh."

"Yes, I noticed that already." A short pause. "But since when does that have to include me!"

"Sands, please, I've been sitting in the car for days. It's starting to get to me. My feet are falling off, I need room to sleep so the least thing you can do is be my pillow!" She placed the pillow back on his shoulder and put her head on it. "Please, I wanna sleep, kay?"

He growled something. "Fine, if that will shut your fucking mouth."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

The girl had fallen asleep very quickly. He listened to her eased breathing and felt the warmth of her body against his shoulder. Pretty strange, 'when did I go from 'scary fucker with a gun' to 'cuddly pillow'? This is very twisted… And at some point very frightening. Maybe I'm losing my gift to scare off every person alive. Frustrating, very frustrating.'

But still… He turned his head an inch to her direction. He didn't like to think it but he liked the kid. She was half as crazy as he was, didn't complain about, well, about everything. And she didn't make him feel like he was that evil cold-blooded killer. She even made him feel good about himself. Like he was needed. Off course that was a lie, the girly had El, a legend and a very good gunfighter. And the guy wasn't as insane as he was. So in everything , compared to El, he scored low, lower, lowest. Still she was sleeping against his shoulder.

He started to lose track of time. It really nagged him. He wasn't even capable to look at his watch. He had to ask the time or guess. He listened and concentrated very hard. The radio was playing softly. He heard El's fingers thumb on the wheel following the rhythm of the music. He couldn't help but grin. Man, had he pissed off El. He liked that, always had. Not just El, although that was his favourite victim, but everybody that came on his path. It was one of his ways to claim power. To be the one in control.

'And now it's my only way to keep power.' He thought bitter. He moved his shoulder a little, not wanting to wake her up. If it wasn't for El he would have placed his arm around her. Stupid fuckshit, there was no way he would let him see him being nice.

Listening and hoping he was annoying El's ass off, he lighted a cigarette. To his pleaser he heard the man behind the wheel growl. He inhaled deeply before sending the smoke out to El, at least at his direction. The girly started to cough and shook her head a little. He sighted. 'Sure missy 'lung cancer' has to make a show…' He inhaled one more time and pressed out the cigarette on the edge of the door. 'Happy now fucker?' He thought hearing El mutter. 'Good little me is quiet now, good little boy I am…' He shifted a little to the right, leaning against the door and window.

'Damn I wish I could see right now…' He clutched his jaws, not wanting to show the world any emotion. 'It would be so god damn good to see. To see this fucking country, the car, the girly even seeing El would be good.'

Suddenly the car stopped and he cocked up. "What's going on!" He didn't care to sound paranoid.

El turned off the car. "It's late, the closest city is hours from here and I'm tired. We're staying here tonight."

"No fucking way!" He snapped. "We're in the big bright open, every fuckshit can shoot us down! I didn't save your ass to get killed myself!"

"You didn't safe me, that little girl saved my life. You did nothing, except almost shooting my foot off. So shut up and get to sleep."

"No way I'm letting you do this El!" With his right arm he pulled out his gun. "Drive, fuckmook!"

"No." The man moved. "And put your gun down, I don't think Lizz will appreciate it if you shoot my head off."

He cursed. "That's blackmailing, low piece of shit."

"That's life." After that the mariachi switched off the radio and the car went quiet.

'If only I could shoot him,' Sands prayed. Or torture him a little… just a little… A sight. Well sweet-cheeks here would hate me for that. I should have killed El before she got all friendly with him! Again a sight.

El started to snore and he started to have the terrible urge to hit him on the head, with something hard or pointy, or both.

But finally he doze off . He didn't remember what he dreamed about exactly. All he knew it wasn't a dream about a razor sharp drill or a fucked up childhood. Anyway, half way in the dream someone started to poke and kick him. His brain told him to open his eyes, like every god damn time and he quickly realised he couldn't. He frowned and grabbed an arm right before it would hit him.

"Don't fucking touch me!" The arm got pulled free and someone backed away from him very fast. "Never touch me again freak!"

It took lesser than a second to figure out who was next to him. "Lizz? What are you fucking about?"

"You where touching me while I was asleep, you sick bastard! Never do that or I will… I will…"

His mouth dropped. She didn't think he would… Like he would even consider to… "Lizz don't talk shit." He shifted a little closer toward her. This made her only winch back.

"Don't get any closer!" She hissed, sounding more scared than freighting. "Leave me alone!" She sounded stressed and scared. He didn't get it, what was wrong? He didn't do anything to her. Yeah, he placed his arm around her, but so what! He tried to focus and figure our where she sat. He heard her breath very fast and shaky. He reached out his arm to find her.

She gave a soft yelp. Before he knew it he felt cold air sliding along his face and she was gone.

He swallowed and focused on the opened door. Why does she have to make a fuss about this? Jesus fucking Christ, it was just a arm around her. I don't want to know what she did when she got her first kiss… He couldn't help but smirk. She probably nagged the guy to dead. He shook his head and stepped out. "Better get her back before she gets eaten by coyotes."

Standing outside the car he again got that terrifying feeling of being vulnerable. And he didn't like it.

'Better get this over quickly. If El finds out I made her run away, he'll get pissed and I might have to shoot him.' He sighed. 'Okay just find little girly.'

He counted the steps and walked in a straight line, at leased he hoped he was. "Lizz!" He yelled a couple of times, but no answered.

'Where is the kid?' he question himself. She wouldn't be that stupid to run off for real right? Her daddy-o, her real daddy-o, was Mexican so she must know the dangers of the desert. Suddenly he heard her breathing. She couldn't be far away.

"LIZZ!" He yelled. "Get your ass here!"

"NO!" Was the defying answer. "Go away."

He walked up to the place where her voice was. "Don't talk shit, you'll freeze to death."

"I don't care!" Her voice was furious. "Leave me alone!"

He growled. 'Since when did she hit puberty!' He duck forwards and grabbed her wrist. He felt her tense and she let out a scream. She beat her fist against his hand, trying to get loose.

But Sands wasn't in the mood to play games. In one fast movement he grabbed her fist. He then grabbed her both wrists into one hand, so the other was free. "Cut that out before I'm gonna hurt you for real."

She didn't say anything but kicked against his shin and wiggled with her arms.

Sands, not close to impressed, sighted. "Fine, have it your way…" He pushed her down with his free arm, so she couldn't kick him again. Then he kneeled beside her. He heard her curse. "Now tell me what's your fucking problem! You wake me up in the middle of the night, start to kick me and then run off! What the fuck is that about!"

She was quiet, then started to sob. "You touched me. Just like he always did when I was alone." He felt her shiver. "Always when I was asleep. I couldn't even lock the god damn door!" She burst out into tear. "I hated it, I hate him! I whished he was dead, just so he would leave me alone…" She sobbed and his grip eased.

An anger as never before rose into him. That fucking low piece of shit. He was so going to pay for this, even if it was the last thing he did. That fucker was going to pay, pay a very high price.

He heard her cry and he hated that even more. 'Killing him won't make it go away.' He thought about it, he killed his own daddy-o, but the memories still hunted him. But what else could he do, except killing? He was blind. He was build to kill and there was nothing more to it. Everything he had ever learned was about manipulation, torturing and control. And that had always been enough, 'til now.

Slowly he let her loose completely and stroke over her cheek. 'God, I'm so going to suck at this…' He felt her look up to hem. Probable with large frightened eyes, questioning what he was going to do next. "Sssh, girly it's gonna be okay."

"No, it's not." She sobbed. "He will find me, I just know that. You don't know what he's capable of."

"You're right, I don't know that. But I do know were I'm capable of. And Lizzy, believe me if that guy ever comes near you again I'm going to hurt him so fucking much."

"You promise?" She whispered. He nodded.

"One pain of dead." Without a warning she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head against his chest. Normally if people even tried to be so touchy it would mean the dead penalty, but he decided to make an exception this time. He pushed her closer and stroke through her short brown hair. "It'll be al right, I promise."

Don't flame me for making Sands a nice guy okay. Once again, that won't happen to often. Okay it's more of a 'never again' deal but don't kill the moment. I like Sands if he's nice. But I like him even more when he's his own sarcastic, ignorant, annoying, trigger-happy self. So three times guessing what will happen sooner or later…

Luzzz Sue-AnneSparrow.