Title: Remembering Memories

Author: Lovely Lady

Genre: Romance / Drama / Angst

Rating: T

Pairing: Spike / Faye

Disclaimer: Thank you for the reviews; I have decided to finish this story, and my guess is that this is going to be a long story. So please be patient with my updates. Please review, and enjoy the story!

Chapter 3 – Meeting Again for the First Time

Faye's feet were still rooted to the floor. Her feet refused to move. Damn it, why now? She had to be dreaming. This was all just a crazy little dream she would wake up from. Any moment now…

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and at the same time it felt like someone was tearing it out. "My memory…finally came back, but nothing good came of it. There was no place for me to return to. This was the only place I could go. And now you're leaving just like that? Why do you have to go? Where are you going? What are you going to do? Just throw away your life like it was nothing!"

"Have we met before?" Spike Spiegel's voice was filled with uncertainty. The woman in front of him had whispered his name, but he had still heard her. How did she know his name? He had never met her before.

Her sad eyes met with his again. They were a beautiful brown, but were hidden away with unshed tears. Her voice was quieter than a whisper, yet Spike heard it as clear as day. "You bastard."

That was the last thing he'd expected from her. "Excuse me? Bastard? Look lady-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the stranger had slapped him across the face. And what a slap it was; it felt like his whole left cheek was on fire.

"How dare you," she said in an awful voice, "We thought you were dead. But now that it's perfectly clear that you're not, you've been gone for three years and not one word from you? Not even to tell me or Jet that you've decided to leave and go live with her?" She pointed to Julia with venom in her eyes. "I can't believe this shit! Do you know how long I've-"

"That is enough!" This time it was Julia who spoke. She pushed Spike out of her way and pointed her gun at the woman. "I don't know who you are, or what you're doing here at our apartment, but let me assure you, miss, that if you don't leave in the next five seconds, I will call the cops."

The woman's eyes went wide, but she spoke directly to Spike instead. "Look, Spike, I don't what kind of sick game you're playing here, but it's going to stop right now!" Her tone changed from anger to misery. "How can you even think about doing this to me after all that we've suffered?" Her voice was quiet again. "After all I've suffered." The woman was relentlessly trying to hold back her tears, but failed, and the tears flowed freely down her face. She slumped to the floor and drew her knees up to her chin while closing her eyes.

Julia turned to Spike and whispered, "Spike, this woman is obviously crazy. Either I'll shoot her here or I'm going to call the cops right now. They'll know what to do with her."

"No, I don't want any cops here. It wouldn't be such a good idea." And then he lowered his voice further. "They might suspect us as part of the Syndicate. We can't take those risks."

"Then why don't I just shoot her?"

"No." Why was he stopping her? The two of them never held back on shooting anyone before, so why the change of heart? The woman in front of him was a stranger to the both of them. Yet, it just didn't feel right. He quickly made an excuse. "Uh, there would be a bloody mess on our doorstep, and I don't feel like disposing of a dead body."

Julia sighed with exhaustion and defeat. "You're right. That was stupid of me." With a nod, Spike quietly shut the door on the weeping woman, shutting her out of his life again, but this time he didn't know that he had done it before.

By the time Faye had picked herself up and half dragged herself towards a bar, it was already two in the morning. She wouldn't let herself think about the scene at Spike's apartment until she had ordered a drink and had sat herself down at the bar.

What had happened? Why was Spike trying to push her out of his life again? Didn't he understand how much pain she and the rest had gone through, thinking he was dead? Of course he did, Faye, he just doesn't care. He had never cared. Not one bit.

As Faye was drowning herself into oblivion, crazy thoughts filled her mind. Spike's body was never found that night, and when she had reunited with him, it had seemed all too weird. Weirder than what Spike usually was. He didn't seem like himself, but that could have all just been an act. But why would he do this to me? Spike was never a jokester.

Faye sluggishly lifted herself from the barstool after salvaging the money from her pocket. She left the bar with confusion written all over her face. Walking towards her apartment, Faye contemplated the earlier events.

I know Spike better than this. He never did this; this isn't like him. The Spike I met today wasn't the same one I've known for a long time. Finally reaching her apartment door, Faye retrieved her keys and unlocked the door. After walking through her door and dropping her keys on the wooden floor, Faye collapsed onto her couch and thought one final thought before falling into a deep sleep. Something's definitely wrong. I'm going to get to the bottom of this…later.

Meanwhile, Julia sat alone on her couch in her and Spike's apartment during the dark of the night. The only visible light was from a lamppost from across the street, and there was dead silence; not even the crickets were chirping. After making sure Spike was soundly asleep in the bedroom,Julia quickly dialed onher cell phone, and pressed it up against her ear. She didn't wait for more than a ring before someone picked up the phone at the other end. Without even a greeting, Julia spoke into her phone, "This is Julia. We've got a problem."

Author's Note: Hey, sorry for the extremely short chapter and longer-than-I-expected update, but it's been really tough with school. Well anyways, I hope you liked this chapter; don't worry, the storyline will make more sense later. Although, I hope I'm not confusing too many of you (I guess from your perspective, I could understand why). Anyways, I wanted to point out from a review that yes, I know that Spike's last name is Spiegel. It all revolves around the mystery; which you don't know yet…or do you? Duh-duh-duh. Please review and I will try and update ASAP! Thank you to all of the readers and/or reviewers. I really appreciate the time and effort!