Written by: Ichizawa Tomine

Disclaimer: Cowboy Bebop fortunately does not belong to me else I would have turned Spike into a drag queen.

A/N: Just showin' my lovin'.

Guns and Roses

I always tended to avoid this part of the planet, whenever I came around. He was here. Or rather, what used to be him was here.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath went I stepped into some reddish paste probably caused by the mixture of Martian soil and some person's spit. Around me were numerous rocks shaped like tablets, and there was not a single being in sight.

I knew it was a bad idea to wander into this side of Mars. Aside from having to deal with some depressing feeling of nostalgia, I never encountered good luck with anything related to him. But still I trudged on and before I knew it, there I was, right in front of him.

Immediately, the aforementioned nostalgia began to fill the hollow recesses of what had been once my heart, which had elapsed into some kind of coma lately, and I felt something build up in my throat. On the drab stone before me read his name, Spike Spiegel. Nothing more, nothing less. Just his stupid name, which in turn brought me to remember his stupid, goofy face during those happier times of ours. If you called them happy, that is.

"Stupid," my voice cracked as I kicked his tombstone. "You didn't have to fucking die, asshole."

So why'd you let me? Okay, shit. Now I was imagining things. My eyes started to feel moist.

"I told you not to go, bullhead, but then there you went marching off to your own death… tch, idiot." I closed my eyes, trying to quell my trembling emotions.

"And so you think calling me names will make you feel any better?" someone behind me asked.

At that moment I swore I felt my heart jump out of its dormant state and out of my ribs. I craned my head around slowly, half-wanting to believe that the stupid oaf was standing behind me. But wait… that's kinda impossible. He's been dead far longer than I remember. And besides, my senses are not exactly in their finest hour, considering I was dealing with something related to him.

"What? Now you're going to ignore me? Ha… and to think you came all the way here just to see me. I knew you'd miss me."

"Am not!" I turned around too soon. I felt my brain go haywire.

It was Spike. Spike was standing in front of me. He was alive. Or he looked alive.

"H-how?" I heard my voice waver.

"Okay so now you want me dead? Don't be so fickle, Faye. You cried a barrel when I died."

"So you're dead?" Oh damn no. I did NOT want to be dealing with walking dead men. Especially not Spike.

"Depends on what you want to think. I'm dead and yet at the same time, alive."

Okaaaay… I think it's time for me to drink my medication. I think I'm hallucinating. I dug into my purse, looking for my anti-depressants. Finding none, I opted for my gun instead. I'll just have to send Spike back to his grave, pretend nothing ever happened, and never come back again. I pointed my gun to him.

Spike backed away quickly. "Whoa, easy girl. What are you doing?"

"I think I'm hallucinating, I can't find my anti-depressants, so I think I'll just have to purge my imagination into thinking that I sent you back to the realm of the dead. I'll make it quick, promise it won't hurt."

I fired a shot, which he dodged right before it hit his chest. Then he came at me and twisted my arm so he was facing my back. I felt the pain surge through my twisted limb telling me that I was not dreaming.

"Don't force me to harm you. We haven't seen each other for so long, and this is the best welcome you could muster? Talk about team spirit."

"We never had that, Spike Spiegel. We worked for our own hides," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Can you let go of my arm?"

Spike released his hold and then it hit me. He was really alive. My realization probably registered on my face, because Spike was smirking like crazy.

"You idiot!!" I proceeded to fire three more rounds at him (which he easily avoided) before dropping my gun to give him a bone wrenching hug. It's been too long. Far too long. I hid my face on his shirt when I could no longer stop the tears.

Spike hugged me back. "Still in love with me, eh?"

I punched him on the shoulder, mumbling, "Idiot."

Spike laughed.

It felt good to hear his laugh again.

When I opened my eyes, he was gone. I was still there, in front of his stupid grave. I stared blankly into space, not noticing someone creep up behind me until an awfully familiar voice asked, "Never thought I'd see you around here. Miss me?"

Owari.