A/N: FINALLY! new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 2: Soup and a Song

Jasmine leaned over Spike as he still slept on the couch the next morning. She chewed on her lower lip before glancing around the quiet room. No Jet so far. Good. She turned her attention back to Spike and couldn't help but feel a bit wrong about what she was doing. No, not a bit…a lot wrong. Staring at the man she loved while he was asleep and unaware of it had to be wrong on so many levels. At least, when the man she loved didn't think of her as nothing more than a friend, if that.

Get a grip, Jazz, she told herself, sitting up next to his legs. You'll freak him out. They already think you're crazy.

Spike stirred and groaned, making her jump and stare wide eyes at him. He frowned before opening his eyes and looking around as she only stared at him, frozen until his gaze fell on her.

"Hey," he muttered.

"H-Hey," she stuttered back, making him frown a little deeper.

"What're you doin' up so early?" he wondered.

"It's not that early," she replied. "But since you're awake…you hungry?"

"Starving," he confirmed, and Jasmine burst into a smile before standing and heading toward the galley.

"I'll whip something up for you, then!" she smiled, nearly skipping around the room. "You want soup or…I think I saw something else—"

"Soup's fine," he called.

He soon heard her bustling around the kitchen, unable to help dwelling on what Jet had said the night before. He had to admit, besides Faye and Ed, Jasmine was the steadiest woman in his life. He couldn't imagine any woman wanting to be around him, though, not after Julia.

The singing sea

Spike frowned at the sound of the voice from the kitchen, but didn't move.

The talking trees
Are silent in a noisy way
The stars are bright
But give no light
The world spins backwards everyday

Curious, he slowly, painfully pulled himself to sit up and look to Jasmine, her back facing him as she worked on the meal.

Hey, look at that!
A rainbow rat
A checkered cat
Go tail and tail along the road
The mouse is pleased
The moon is cheese
The sun is shining hot and cold

"Where'd you hear that song?" Spike asked, making her jump and turn toward him, her eyes huge as she hurried toward him.

"What are you doing sitting up?" Jasmine gasped, running around the couch to help him back, but he shook his head.

"I'm sick of lying down," he grumbled, shifting to move his legs off the couch and making him growl in pain.

"Good grief, you're a mess," she sighed, sitting next to him and trying to help him get into the position he wanted.

His leg moved in an odd way, causing him pain and without thinking, he gripped Jasmine's knee as he cringed in pain. She gave a small squeak and instantly blushed, looking away as he settled back against the couch, his fingers loosening around her knee, but he didn't move his hand.

"Thanks," he sighed, patting her knee before pulling his hand away. "Boy, I could use a cigarette."

"Me too," she muttered, feeling her heart thud in her chest.

She reached into her pants pocket to pull out a box of cigarettes and a lighter. She pulled a cigarette out for herself, holding it between her lips as she lit it before taking a drag then removing it to place it between Spike's lips.

"Thanks," he muttered again, taking a drag from the cigarette as well, not moving as he blew the smoke from the corner of his mouth, around the cigarette. Jasmine pulled out another cigarette for herself, lit it and stood to head back toward the kitchen, remembering they were both hungry.

"Anyway, my mom used to sing me to sleep with that song when I was little," she explained, busting around the kitchen. "It's called The Singing Sea."

"The words are weird," Spike said, taking another drag of the cigarette in his mouth.

"Yeah, they don't make sense, really," Jasmine agreed. "But in our lives, what does make sense, lately, huh?"

"Hey, Jasmine," Spike called, unmoving, making the blonde frown in wonder before turning to him, a big spoon in her hand she'd been stirring the soup with as she stared wide eyes at the back of his head. Smoke shot from his mouth and cigarette after he took a drag then replied, "After you help patch me up, I'm gonna take you out on a date."

Jasmine blinked a few times in surprise before a blush settled on her cheeks then turned back to stirring the soup.

"Those cigs aren't laced with anything, so what've you been smoking on the side?" she chuckled, nervously. "What would you wanna take me out on a date for, anyway?"

"Figured it's better than actually payin' you for takin' care of me," Spike retorted. "We don't have the money to pay for a live-in maid."

"Spike Spiegel! I am not your live-in maid!" she shot back, spinning around with the spoon in her fist. "I'm not cleanin' this bachelor pad! That's your problem! Not mine!"

"I was just kiddin', Jazz," Spike chuckled before coughing then groaning in pain, making Jasmine hurriedly pull the pan of finished soup off the stove and rush toward him to plop next to him and attempt to help.

"Are you ok?" she asked as he coughed again before sighing and lulling toward her. Her eyes widened and she was about to stand, but he landed onto her, pinning her between the couch's arm and himself, his head resting on her shoulder, a blush spreading over her face as she blinked wide eyes at him. "S-Spike…?"

"Well, glad to see you two getting along, for once."

Jasmine shot her wide-eyed gaze of embarrassment at the doorway leading from the hall into the sitting room as Jet entered, strolling down the steps.

"Didn't think you two could stand each other long enough to sit next to each other," he smirked, stepping up to them and standing more to Jasmine's side.

"I was making soup!" Jasmine defended, her blush deepening. "He started coughing and I came to help him!"

"This cigarette isn't helping," Jet noticed, pulling it from Spike's lips.

"Hey," Spike groaned. "I wasn't finished with that."

"You are now," Jet retorted, taking a drag from it himself before looking to Jasmine. "What were you cookin'? Smells good."

"J-Just some soup," she sputtered, still wondering why Spike was leaning on her. "It's done, I was just gonna serve it."

"Hang back," Jet shrugged heading toward the kitchen. "I'll do it."

"Th-Thanks," she replied.

"Hey, Jazz?" Spike suddenly called, drawing her gaze to him again, but he didn't move. "Sing that song again."

She gave a frown and swallowed, asking, "Why? I thought you said it was weird."

"It is, but I like hearin' it," he muttered. "Just sing it, will ya?"

Jasmine looked to Jet as he served the soup but cleared her throat as she turned back to Spike and began the rest of the song from where she'd left off.

A golden bird
Today I heard
Sitting upon a silver branch
His little song
Was very long
Which made me sad and start to laugh

Jet gave a frown as he carried the three bowls of soup to the table, but said nothing as he set them down. The two on the couch didn't notice him watch as Spike gave a sigh of contentment, a smirk over his lips as Jasmine couldn't help smirking and starting to twirl pieces of his hair sticking out of the bandages around his head as she continued her song.

Hm, let me see
My sisters he
My brothers she
But there is only me in the family
When I grow up
Oh, I'll go down
The river to that Singing Sea

"You've got a good voice on you, there, Jazzy Girl," Jet complimented, starting at his soup and shooting Jasmine's wide-eyed gaze at him. "I guess we can keep you around."

"Very funny," she smirked, and leaned over enough to look at Spike's face, catching his gaze. "You gotta sit up if you wanna eat."

"Help me out with that, will ya?" he asked and she smirked before nodding and helping him to sit up the way he had been earlier then leaned over to take a bowl from the table to hold it, but he slowly reached for it, groaning, "I can feed myself. I just gotta push through the pain."

"But-"

"Jasmine," Jet called, drawing her attention to him again and he only shook his head. She nodded in understanding, knowing Spike wasn't really one to be waited on. As Spike pushed to feed himself, Jet changed the conversation, saying, "Let's see what sort of bounty's are out today, hm?"

"I thought Big Shots wasn't on anymore," Jasmine recalled as she picked up her own bowl and Jet turned on the screen sitting on the table.

"That's not the only bounty hunting show on these days," Jet replied as Jasmine remained next to Spike, glancing at him as he tried to eat his soup. "There's another show I've been lookin' at called Happy Hunting. This one's a little better."

An unfamiliar tune filled the room, followed by voices, but Jasmine didn't pay attention to it as she looked to Spike slurping soup from his spoon and wincing when he lowered it for more soup. She'd never seen him like this, and it was tearing her up inside to see him so hurt and vulnerable. He sighed in exasperation before looking at Jasmine and she couldn't help but giggle at seeing a drop of soup running down his chin. She leaned a hand toward his face and wiped it away, her amber eyes locking with his, and it was then that she realized his eyes were different colors, subtly.

"Holy smokes! That's a lot of money!"

Jasmine jumped and looked to Jet as Spike only frowned and looked at his friend as well.

"How much?" was all Spike asked.

"30 million!" Jet replied, making Jasmine's eyes pop as she set her bowl on the table again and scrambled to the other side to catch the face on the screen. Spike moved to do that same, forgetting about his injuries and he growled in pain, loudly, but he was ignored. He didn't blame them, of course.

"Ayaki Sato," Jet read out for Spike as Jasmine kept her eyes on the screen. "Wanted for the murder of a senator from Mars. They'll pay 30 million for him dead or alive. Last spotted on Mars…yesterday?"

"When did he kill that senator, then?" Jasmine frowned at the screen. "Two months ago? And they still haven't caught him? He's been under their noses this whole time and they still can't catch 'im?"

"Sounds like fun," Spike piped up, drawing their attention to him. "Guess we're headed for Mars, huh?"

"Now, hold on a minute, Spike," Jet called, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat back. "If the authorities on Mars couldn't catch him, what makes you think we can?"

"Never mind that," Jasmine chimed in, standing and setting her hands on her hips as she scowled at him when he looked up at her. "You are in no condition to go out bounty hunting! You look like a god damn mummy!"

"I heal quick, you know that, Jazz," he smirked, stirring at his soup, but she could see that he was still in pain in his eyes. "Besides, I'm done sittin' around. I'm up for a little action."

"Almost get yourself killed and you wanna get back out there again," Jet chuckled. "You must be feeling better."

"You know it," Spike smirked as Jasmine glanced between them in disbelief.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" she snapped, drawing their attention to her as she turned to Jet. "You can't let him go out like this!"

"It's his decision, not mine," Jet replied, standing and heading out of the room and into the hall. "You two do what you want, I'm gonna set a course for Mars."

Jasmine turned to Spike just as Jet disappeared and he looked up at her as he slurped at his soup and she was still scowling at him.

"Something wrong?" he muttered against the lip of his bowl.

"You know damn well what's wrong, Spike," she snapped, marching toward him.

She pulled the bowl from his face, making him frown in wonder before he reached over and snatched her bowl from the table, the food rejuvenating him faster than the sleep had. Jasmine's eyes widened in surprise before she growled in anger and placed the empty bowl onto the table to try and take the other bowl he was now eating out of from him. He lifted a leg effortlessly and it pressed against her stomach as she nearly reached him.

"Spike! How the hell are you moving so well?" she shouted before a light bulb went off and she ground her teeth as she glared at him, saying, "You were fine this whole time, weren't you? How long ago were you really bandaged up like this? Probably a week or so ago, right? You were milking this for all it was worth! You lazy ass, son of a-!"

"I really mean it, ya know?"

"Mean what?" she snarled as he lowered his leg and stood to turn to her and hand her the now empty bowl, leaning his face closer to hers.

"After we get this guy, I'll take you out on a date," he smirked, coolly before pressing a kiss to her forehead, freezing her again as she stared wide eyes ahead.

He walked around her, missing the blush that stained her cheeks. She slowly turned her head to watch him head up the steps to the hall, but when he only moved up one step he let out a groan of pain, stopping in his tracks and she gasped, setting the bowl on the table and hurrying toward him in time to catch him when he leaned to the side, almost falling. She stepped next to him and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders to let him lean on her.

"You're not as good as you let on, Spike," she murmured. "As unreadable as ever, I see. I won't tell Jet, but let me help you on this one, will ya? I won't ask for much. You don't even have to give me a share of the bounty. Just let me repair my ship and I'll take care of you until you're all patched up."

"You're goin' through an awful lot of trouble just because I said I'd take you out on a date," Spike smirked as they headed down the hall and Jasmine glanced at him, her blush returning.

"You don't have to take me out on a date," she muttered. "I dunno what brought on that idea anyway. It's not you're really my type. Jet's more my type than you are."

Spike burst into laughter, making her stop and look up at him with wide eyes.

"Jet's not your type at all, Jazz, I know that much about you," he laughed before looking to her with a charming smirk. "Don't think you can fool me, Blondie."

Jasmine blinked a few times before looking away in defeat as they continued walking, muttering, "Yeah, well, don't get cocky. And don't call me Blondie, you know I hate that."

"Never really paid attention," he smirked. "Guess everything I do bugs you, huh?"

"Not everything," she murmured, making him frown down at her. "I like it when you call me Jazz."

"That so?" he replied. "Well, I'll have to remember that, then."

Jasmine looked up at him with wide eyes, but he didn't look at her as they continued toward his room, but she looked away with a smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all?

A/N: the song i used is The Singing Sea from the anime! i love that song, so i had to use it. anyway, reviews?