Ever since Spike came back from the hospital from his suicide mission, Faye had always

been the one taking care of the bounties, both big and small to keep her beloved home a float.

She never counted on one of her missions would lead her to a part of her past she never knew about,

who her father really was, and who she was now. Faye leaned up against her Red Tail, her cigarette dangling

from her painted lips, she tried to get the words out of her head, but she knew she had to do something in

order for Spike not to find out about this. Even if it means that she would have to leave the Bebop once and

for all.

She heard the hangers room's door slide open, and the devil himself stood at the door. His

torso was mummified with bandages and his arms where patched here and there with gauge. Every time

she saw him, she either wanted to cry, or laugh. When she did the first one, she always made sure that

he would never see the tears falling from her eyes. Because she never wanted him to think of her as weak,

no she wanted him to think of her as not only as a comrade, but as a close friend.

"What are you doing in here?" Spike asked as he lit a cigarette of his own. Faye wanted to ignore him,

wished for him to leave her alone with her thoughts, but he always seemed to pop up out of nowhere and

irritate her to no end.

"I just needed somewhere to think." she tapped the ash off of her cigarette onto the floor and inhaled it.

She glared at him through the soft tendrils of smoke, hoping he would get the hint. But alas, who ever said Spike

Spiegle was someone who knew what a hint was?

"You know that's why we have a living room." Spike walked over to her and leaned up against her Red Tail.

He knew something was off about her, ever since she came back from the last bounty, she hardly spoke to him,

yelled at him, or even threw a insult his way. And, even though he hated to admit it, he didn't like this Faye.

"You're always sleeping on the couch, Edward is always clicking on her computer, and Jet is always

whining about something. I can't think about anything except here. Nothing to hear but the hum of the Bebop and

the creeks of the flooring when you walk." Faye huffed as she tossed the cigarette onto the ground and snuffed it

out under the heel of her favorite white boots. Lately though, she hardly wore them out on the jobs she went on,

she neither wore her usual attire of her yellow top and yellow shorts, now she taken to tight leather skinny pants,

and a black corset top.

"Seems our little Faye Faye is growing bored of us." Spike mused. Though he knew that wasn't what was wrong,

he knew if he got her worked up enough, she would go off just like a bottle rocket. Just like she always done in the past.

"You seemed to have me all figured out don't you cowboy?" Faye sighed and moved off of her battle ship, Those

cold words were still seeping into her brain, and she wasn't in the mood for games.

"Where are you going Faye?" he asked her, his sudden drop in tone almost made her stop in her tracks. Almost

was the key word, and Faye was going to pat herself on the back when all this was said and done with. She tossed

her hand into the air and waved him off.

"I'm going to get ready to go out. I need a drink or maybe ten." she sulked out of the room and left Spike alone

with his thoughts.

~Later that day~

Faye sat in an old bar, a brave soul wondered up to the stage and started belting out an old jazz tone, though

not to bad, they still had a long way to go before they would make it anywhere big if that was the plan. The bartender

came over to her and smiled knowingly.

"I seem to see those faces alot." he put a glass in front of her and poured her another whiskey.

"And what kind of faces are those?" she perched her chin on her open palm and watched the kid begin to move,

getting into the music and found the rhythm of his soul. His voice got stronger, more sulkier with every word he sang,

and Faye seemed to feel it pluck at the strings of her own heart.

"The ones that seem to be searching for something, yet don't know what it is. Fortune, lost love, fame, family,

past. You though, seemed to be searching for it all, and are at a cross roads." he left to go help another patron at

the end of the bar and left his words hanging thickly into the air. The room clapped as the young kid finished up his

song and stepped off the stage. As she stood up and made her way over to the stage, she noticed Spike seemingly

appear out of nowhere.

He sat in the back of the room and watched her with those molten mis matched eyes, and she sang. What she sang

wasn't the blues, wasn't rock n roll, wasn't a sappy love song, no what she sang was her passion, was her live story, her

confessions of sins and of hate, her confession of selling her soul to save him. Of signing the devil's pact just to make sure

he staid alive and on the Bebop with them, with her.

Take my hand let's go,
Somewhere we can rest our souls.
We'll sit where it's warm,
You say look we're here alone

The moment her voice slipped into the microphone, the room fell silent. All eyes where on her, and her eyes where closed

tightly, her mind taking her to her own little world where she was safe from it all, safe with him.

I was running in circles,
I hurt myself,
Just to find my purpose.

Everything was so worthless,
I didn't deserve this,
But to me you were perfect.

I'm scattered through this life.
If this is life I'll say good bye.

She's gone like an angel,
With wings let me burn tonight

She felt like she was burning inside, like her wings were torn from her and they were set aflame the moment she woke up from

that cold, frozen sleep, and she was alone. Alone for the longest time, going through life like she was never going to find her real purpose.

That was until she found them, Jet, Edward, Spike, hell, even Ein. They were her family now, whether she liked it or not. She was going to

keep them safe at all costs. Even if it ment trading in her wings for flames. She was going to keep the one she loved alive and safe.

I see me writin on this paper.
Prayin for some savior.
Wishin to intake her and save her.

In a world so, so godless so thoughtless,
I don't know how we wrought this,
All the love that you brought us.

It feels like I'm killin myself.
Just willin myself.
Just to pray for some help.

I'd give it all just to have, have your eternity.
Cause it's all that assures me.
It's worth all that hurts me.

I'd give you my heart,
And I'd let you just hold it.
I'd give you my soul,
But I already sold it.

On that day,
That day I walked away in December.
I will always remember.
I'll regret it forever.

I remember brown eyes,
So sad and blue skies.
Turned to darkness and night.
I'm so sick of the fight.

I won't breathe unless you breathe,
Won't bleed unless you bleed.
Won't be unless you be,
'Till I'm gone and I can sleep.

Faye repeated the chorus of her song once more, her voice seemed to echo with the lost pain she never knew she had

never knew that the song she sang fit her feelings towards Spike so well, but she would never bow first. She wouldn't brake

when she needed to be strong. Then and there as she left the stage, grabbed her jacket and left the bar, she knew she wouldn't

go far until he caught up with her. Three blocks away from the Red Tail, and lone behold, Spike was standing right in front of her.

"I never knew you could sing like that. You were always off pitch when you hummed." he said as he inhaled his seventh cigarette

that day.

"I don't have time Spike, I have something to take care of." she brushed passed him, but she was stopped when his hand caught

her wrist.

"Almost like you were saying goodbye back there Romani, are you really that bored with the Bebop?" he tightened his grip on her when

she tried to pull away from him. She bit back her comment and suddenly swung her other hand out, grabbed his free wrist, and tossed him

over her shoulder. Standing above him on the sidewalk, the last of the fading sun simmered behind the building, almost giving Faye an

eerie glow.

"I'm not saying anything Spike-o. The Bebop is more my home than it is yours, when you left, I took over the bounties. When

you were hospitalized, I came and visited you. I paid the admission and room costs." She bent over him and for the first time, Spike

had seen something in her eyes that reminded him of himself when he was with the Red Dragons.

"Seems you've grown up alot Romani, I hardly even know you any more." he sat up and reached for another ciagrette, pulling

out a bent one, he lit it and inhaled deeply.

"You never knew me Spike, just like I never knew you."Straightening up, she turned to walk away for the third time that day,

and something told Spike the next time he saw her again, he wouldn't even recognize her. And some part of him was saddened by that.

Another part just huffed and didn't care, but deep down inside, his heart broke at watching another person he cared for walk away from

him.