Title: Remembering Memories

Author: Lovely Lady

Genre: Romance / Drama / Angst

Rating: T

Pairing: Spike / Faye

Disclaimer: Thanks to all for the feedback! Enjoy!

Chapter 4 – A Long-Awaited Reunion

Brringgg! Brriinnng! The noise resonated in Faye's ears as she drowsily awoke from her deep slumber. Who could be calling at this hour? It was only…three in the afternoon? "Shit," Faye mumbled under her breath, "I overslept."

Faye tiredly picked up the cordless phone that had been left on her coffee table and lazily put it up to her ears. Her voice cracked as she answered. "Hello?"

"Faye? Where are you? We were supposed to meet for lunch an hour ago and you didn't pick up your cell. Are you okay?" It was Tanya.

"Tanya?" She answered as if she didn't recognize the name.

Frustration was evident in her voice. "Yes! Christ, who else would it be?"

Faye shook her head and focused her full attention towards Tanya rather than her splitting headache. She suppressed a yawn. "Sorry, I'm suffering from a massive hangover."

"Are you serious? You had a hangover? But you never drink." Tanya was more than a little concerned. "Is this Faye I'm talking to? You know, Faye Valentine: the intelligent conservative woman who refuses to smoke a cigarette or have a drink with me?"

Yeah, well, the Faye last night wasn't the Faye you know. "Yeah, I know I told you I don't drink, but last night was definitely an exception."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Faye loved Tanya to death and she knew Tanya was a great listener, but she did not want her to know the old Faye. She didn't want anyone to know about the old Faye. Ever. "No, I'm fine, really. Look, I'm really sorry for ditching you today, but I'll promise to make it up to you."

There was a brief pause before Tanya responded. "Alright, I'll talk to you later?"

Smiling faintly, Faye nodded in agreement. "Okay. Bye."

She carelessly dropped the phone onto the floor and sank back on the couch she had fallen asleep on. Placing her hand on her forehead, Faye was experiencing the familiar feelings of dizziness and nausea.

Realizing she had to get up, Faye slowly climbed off of the couch and walked to her kitchen to make some coffee. She began to reflect on the previous afternoon with her encounter with Spike. What had he been thinking?

While she had been drinking at the bar, Faye had decided that there was only one place to go to find answers. A place she had swore never to return to. The one area she had considered her home. The Bebop.

---

Jet had been lounging on the ugly, orange, worn-down furniture listening to his stomach grumble for the millionth time. Business had slowed down since Spike had died and Faye had left the group. In fact, it had slowed down to the point that Jet could barely keep food on the table for him, Ed and Ein. When he thought he couldn't possibly hear another sound from his food-deprived stomach, it grumbled again. "Damn body of mine."

Moments later, Ed appeared around the corner wearing her everlasting grin and walking like her body was pieces of spaghetti. Spaghetti. His stomach grumbled again. "Damn it!"

Jet quickly stood from his lying position and straightened his clothes. "Ed, I'm going out to get some food. I'll be back, okay?"

"Okie-dokie!"

He could only roll his eyes at Ed. But man, was he glad to have at least some company. Life on the Bebop had been pretty much quiet without Faye and Spike's constant bickering. What he would give to hear such noises again…

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Ed was waving her arms to get Jet's attention. "Yoo-hoo! Telephone call!"

A telephone call? Who could be calling? Jet called over to Ed. "Ed, would you get it?" But before he could get a response, Ed had already vanished into the depths of the ship. Lazy child.

It had better not be those damn annoying people calling for charity. Jet stalked over to the phone and clicked on the video screen. "Hello?" He practically barked into the phone.

"Hello? Jet?"

Faye?

Jet could not believe his eyes. Yet there was Faye in her…ship? He blinked his eyes twice to make sure his old eyes weren't deceiving him. "Faye?"

Faye was obviously less than patient. "Would you please give me a hand and let me on the ship? There's some important business we need to discuss."

He stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it around as if he hadn't heard her correctly. Huh? Since when did Faye ever use the word 'please'? Something was definitely up.

"If you're here for me to pay off one of your stupid gambling debts, forget it, Faye! I'm not going to help!"

The expression that Faye held on her face made it look like she had no idea of what he was talking about. "What are you talking about?"

Yeah, right. Jet knew better than to fall for one of her tricks. He simply rolled his eyes. "Fine, you can come on and we can 'discuss' whatever shit you're in this time." He hesitated for a second and pointed his finger at the screen. "But if you think you're going to sucker woolongs out of me, you're even crazier than you look!"

Her face held the same confused expression as before. "Are you serious? I'm not here for that. I haven't gambled in a long time, Jet." She sounded as if she were telling the truth.

Damn, Jet was getting too old for this shit. "Well, are you just going to stay out there or what?"

---

"So, what are you doing here, Faye?" When he had let Faye on the Bebop and she appeared in front of him, Jet's breath almost left his lungs. Faye had carried herself in with an almost graceful walk; Faye had never used to walk gracefully. She always used to try and lure men with the obvious sway of her hips. Just by looking at her, Jet knew something had drastically changed in Faye. Besides her clothing. She wasn't wearing that infamous small and clingy yellow ensemble of hers anymore. No, Faye was actually wearing a white knee-length skirt and a green sleeveless…turtleneck? Just what kind of crowd has Faye been hanging around these days? "And what are you wearing?"

Faye's brows wrenched together to complete her confused look. "What?" She dropped her chin as her eyes roamed her body. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Now Jet was the one confused. "Faye, what's happened to you?"

Ignoring his question with disdain, Faye decided to change the subject to more important matters. "Never mind that, Jet. There's something really important we need to discuss."

"What could be so important after three years of not seeing or hearing from you?"

"It's about Spike."

Jet huffed out a breath in frustration. Hadn't they been over this many years ago? Must they repeat the past? Having to convince her that Spike was gone and was never coming back? He had thought that after three years, Faye would have moved on with her life. Hell, just by looking at how great she looked now made him wonder why she was bringing up Spike. "Faye, we have already gone through—"

"He's alive."

---

"Wait, so explain this to me again. You saw Spike yesterday?" Jet could not believe what he was hearing. Had Faye gone crazy after all of these years?

Faye rapidly tried to explain things as if time was running out. "Yes, Jet, I saw him yesterday." She stopped suddenly as if the next words she was about to say were hurting her. "But he didn't recognize me."

Was it possible that Jet had gone insane instead? "What do you mean, he didn't recognize you? That's impossible."

"I know! Something is horribly wrong and I want to get to the bottom of things. That's why I need your help! I can't do this alone. Not without you."

Should Jet really believe Faye right now? Was she really speaking the truth? To hell with it if she was lying because he had absolutely nothing to do these days and he could use a little excitement in his life right now. And Ed wouldn't mind jumping along too. Whatever was going on, the three of them would work together like old times to find out more of Spike's coming back from the dead. "Great. When do we leave?"

Author's Note: Ah, I've finally completed the chapter! I'm so sorry that I left you guys hanging for so long! But I hope you enjoyed the chapter because I enjoyed writing it. For future notice, this story is becoming more difficult to write because of the complex storyline. I write as I go, so it's a lot of times hard to think of the best choices to make out of what seems like a million. Well, I hope I didn't disappoint any of you so far; I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter. Thank you to all of the readers who have not given up hope for this story and have patiently waited! You are all amazing!