Hey guys! Thanks for your reviews. I really do appreciate it. Well this next chapter is gonna answer some questions you folks might have. Like who is Vallian? (If ya haven't taken a wild guess yet…) Or how did Vallian and Faye get involved? So prepare to drown yourselves in a world of flashbacks. Sorry if you think flashbacks are boring. Read this chapter and I promise the next chapter will be rewarding. Well happy reading! Oh and this chapter is mostly if not all, VxF. Sorry guys.

Oh! Disclaimer: I don't own cowboy bebop, nor do I own any of the characters in the show. If I did you'all know Julia of course will still be dead,(Sorry to all Julia lovers . ;) Spike and Faye would get married, Ed would have curves, and Jet would have hair!

Chapter 4

Flashback

Two months ago…

Faye sat on her bed in a crisscross applesauce fashion. The room was dark and the only thing providing light was the twentieth century TV on Faye's bed along with a beta player underneath it. She had sneakily abducted it from Jet a while ago, and was surprised when he didn't bother her to pay for it. Her pale face glowed from the white light, which reflected on her. Her lips were slightly parted and her lips held a really sad smile. Her eyes glassy from the light, though the warm water, which almost poured from them, had helped. Almost. Faye refused to shed tears, even though she was alone and there was no one there to watch her. She watched the giddy young teen with her cute little spirit outfit and the pompoms in both hands closely, and she found it hard to believe it was really her. The woman Faye was now was far different from the person she used to be. None of it registered and despite the fact that Faye had been receiving patches of her memory, she was still lost.

She listened quietly, as the girl she supposedly used to be created a cheer.

"Go! Go! Me, me, me! Do your best, do your best! Me, me, me! Don't lose, don't lose! Me, me, me!"

And Faye could not help but smirk as the words registered in her mind. "I'm afraid…that I already have." pause "A long time ago." She stopped the video and stood from the bed, suddenly feeling nauseous. And it wasn't Jet's cooking that was responsible for it.

She pulled her red jacket as well as her shoes from the closet. Her jacket went over her usual revealing yellow attire, and her white boots were pulled on afterwards. Faye left her room quietly and she scanned the area. No sign of Jet, meaning no interruptions. Perfect! She began the long walk down the corridor. Her shoes created synchronized 'clunks' as they met with the cold metal floor. A few more steps and Faye would have passed Jet's room, successfully avoiding his ranting. But sadly luck wasn't on her side today…like it ever was. She heard his shoes clinking to the metal behind her and she froze.

"Where're you going? The bald man spoke. His low masculine voice echoed in the corridor. Faye shrugged

"Out." Was her short and simple reply.

"Where would 'out' be exactly?"

"Does it matter?" she asked coldly. Her voice remained surprisingly low

"Its 3am in the Morning, Faye." He was loosing it. "You can't just decide to up and leave when ever you please." Faye shrugged again and her face remained emotionless.

"Spike did it. You never said anything to him…" She was right, and now Jet had to find a good comeback, which was almost impossible. He rubbed the back of his head. "He had a reason…"he hesitated "a damn good one."

"And what makes you think I don't have a good reason?" Faye hissed with a grimace building on her face. Jet had hit a tender spot. She knew she shouldn't have brought Spike into the situation, but she could not help herself from doing it. She he found herself frequently bringing Spike into the few conversations she and Jet shared, lately. And she didn't realize it until it was all said and done. "Glad to know you think him going out there to find Vicious was a good reason for him to leave us." Jet paused as she spoke and he could see the anger building in her, even though her back was turned to him.

"It's practically suicide, Jet!" She hollered and then proceeded for the exit.

"You still haven't told me where you're going." Jet insisted still trying his luck to get what little information he could pry out of her. He was worried about her well-being and Faye had noticed; yet she still gave him the same cold and pointless answer, with a little added, that didn't really help the situation. "Out" she thought for a minute and decided the poor man need a bit more. "I need some fresh air."

Jet sighed unwillingly "Well don't call me when you get your ass into trouble!" He yelled as he watched her leave. There was nothing he could do to stop her.

"No worries there, Jet!" She mused, and Jet growled. "Dammit!"

Women are nothing but trouble…

Two days had exceeded since her little argument with Jet (which was completely pointless when she thought about it) and Faye found herself on the steps of the Red Dragon Syndicate staring at it with an emotionless façade. It was raining…hard, had been for two consecutive days. It was quiet…too quiet, and Faye felt her stomach grumble with anxiety, yet she proceeded into the building. The floor was littered with bodies of young men who probably had family members searching for them, without the slightest clue of where they might have been. The thought made her nauseous, and the blood, which soiled the cold marble floor didn't help either. Faye found herself asking the same question over and over. "What the hell I'm I doing here?" And she had no answer to it. But there was a possibility she did consider. Perhaps she was there to see if the green-haired man, she dare not say his name now, had made it through. It almost seemed impossible though.

It was impossible…

Yet she still searched. She climbed several steps, and found nothing but blood and corpses. The smell of copper filled the air and Faye thought she was going to hurl that very moment. She slowly placed a hand over her stomach as she entered an elevator, realizing that she had entered the 'dead man' storage a little too late. The elevator had already begun to ascend and Faye was surrounded by men, but they weren't exactly her type, considering that they were either missing an arm or a leg. She never did have a thing for the disabled. She would have to spend the money she never had to watch over them, and caring for others wasn't exactly her style. She pushed a man's arm from her path with her shoe while she jumped over another and advanced for the wall containing all the buttons. She violently and continuously pressed buttons.

"Cmon! Get me the hell out of here!" It didn't matter which button her finger landed on, she just wanted to leave that area.

Her prayers were answered when the mechanical 'ding' sounded in the air and the doors opened. She hopped out with no time to spare. The elevator had taken her to the very top of the building, where surprisingly no corpses were found, but there was blood in the distance. A puddle of blood, just on that specific area, where it seemed a body once lay. And Faye furrowed a brow. Perhaps the body might have belonged to a certain green-haired man. And if the body was nowhere to be found, then there was a possibility that he was still in this world, and not the other. Faye approached the puddle of blood with a bit of a gloomy smile. And she stood there, endlessly staring at it as well as her reflection…and that of a silver-haired man? Faye shook her head and blinked a few times. Perhaps she was just seeing things. She closed her eyes and opened them…the reflection was till there…more visible than ever. She even acknowledged the twisted smirk on the man's lips and her eyes widened in shock. It can't be…

"Oh, bet it can, Miss Valentine..." He replied coldly. He had read her thoughts with ease. Like it was a storybook, open for all to see. Faye could feel her body weaken as the stranger sealed the tiny gap between them. She felt his chest press against her back, and he chuckled coldly. It echoed in her ear.

"We look lovely together, don't you think?" he mused as his eyes traveled to land on the reflection of him and Faye standing together. Faye suddenly felt the need to gasp for air, and she said one single word, capable of stopping time itself. "Vicious…" It was almost a whisper and she almost chocked while saying it. He chuckled in acknowledgment, she shivered.

"You're trembling." He whispered in her ear and Faye's eyes widened.

Faye began to ponder. If Vicious was here, then that must have meant…

She closed her eyes, preventing the hot liquid from flowing. The past was repeating itself. And this time Spike wasn't there to rescue her, even though he had his reasons for going the first time. He did rescue her in the process. Faye was unexpectedly trapped in the same circumstances Spike once found himself in. How was she to forget about the past when it was catching up to her?

"You monster." Faye spat in a trembling voice. And Vicious smirked. He was enjoying this.

He furrowed a brow "There is a monster in every one of us. It's only a matter of time." He chuckled, but Faye didn't see a reason to laugh. But then again, when she thought about it, Vicious had a twisted mind, so it all made sense. "I know you are burning with anger, this very moment. You yearn to spill my blood. And by all means, fell free to try. But remember…" he paused to wet his lips before continuing. "You will become a monster. Just like me." A twisted smirk tucked at his lips and Faye turned to face him for the first time. Jade eyes met silver and she stood her ground. Spike was dead and she would go down with him if the circumstances called for it.

"Bastard! Why don't you just burn in hell!" Faye yelled violently and Vicious chuckled wildly.

"We're already in hell, My Dear… burning in its everlasting flames." Faye grimaced while the thought that Vicious would've made an excellent poet crossed her mind.

She stood wearily. Her muscles felt like rubber, even though she had done nothing, save the walk to the top of the Syndicate building. She could think of nothing other than Spike, and saw nothing other than Spike…in her mind of course. He was killing her, and yet he wasn't there to realize it. And he never would be again. So Faye would continue to wither away…slowly, until there was nothing left. Vicious observed everything and knew exactly what she had in mind. But he would never tell her the green-haired man was still alive…never. He enjoyed watching her drown in self-pity.

Faye was too weak to attack, to weak to speak, laugh, or frown. She was completely powerless. She fell to her feet. Vicious's blood oozed from her jacket. It would've almost gone unnoticed because her jacket was also red. Faye had refused to cry before, but now denial wasn't an option. She didn't have an option. Vicious stood before her looking down at her with a crooked and venomous grin. He knew she was helpless, and could feel a malicious plan building in his mind.

"He never loved you." He began "He betrays everyone he meets, even those he once called friends. He's better off six feet under." His smile was gone and there was a sudden change in his features. He looked deadly …lethal, and he was without question. Vicious did care for his ex-partner once. But all he had for him now was abhorrence…hatred, and could not understand why the son of a bitch couldn't die. It angered him…drove him to the tip of his nerve. He crouched to Faye's level and his arm wrapped about her shaking form.

"Listen carefully…if you value you're life, as well as your comrades, you'll do exactly as I say." Faye said nothing. She was in shock, quivering within his grasp. "From this day forth, you belong to me." He grinned while in the process of slipping an 18 karat gold ring, with a rather large diamond in her finger. Perfect fit! Silver hues studied her perfectly groomed hands. They were soft against his, but he quickly dropped them after that thought. "We'll wed in three months, and you'll stay with me before that time arrives." His face fixed into a grimace after receiving nothing from Faye. He wanted to see her grief-stricken façade, yet he saw nothing and was rewarded by silence.

"Pull yourself together, Faye. There is no room for weaklings in this world… Have a pleasant day." With that said a twisted smirk tucked at his lips and he left her side. Vicious's plan was simple. Use Faye as bait to get to Spike. He had a score to settle.

Faye hadn't moved an inch. It was morning and the rain had seized, yet she was still on the ground with her head bowed. None of what Vicious had said registered. It would soon, but not now. The vixen couldn't stop herself from thinking about him…About Spike.

"You're such an Idiot, Spike." She spat out, on the verge of tears, her hands balled into fists and her knuckles became white and numb.

An Idiot indeed.

Light from the window fell on Faye's face and she winced, opening her eyes to take in a new environment. She was on a king sized bed, covered with white silk spreading. Faye would be lying if she were to say the bed wasn't comfortable. She stretched while within the spreading, before sitting up to have a better look around. It was a large room indeed, larger than any Faye had ever been in. There were two wooden dressers on either side of the bed, and upon the dressers were mirrors, large enough for Faye to view her entire body. The large window was to the right of the room, and white silk curtains draped from them, though they were tied to the side permitting the sunrays to enter. Large elegant portraits were hung on the high walls of the room.

Faye's eyes traveled to pause on the alarm clock on the dresser. It read 11:00am. She grunted, before swinging her legs to the ground, and pushing upward.

"Another day in paradise…" she mumbled sarcastically while entering the bathroom. Faye stood before the immerse mirror. Her reflection wasn't as pleasant as she had hoped. Black bags outlined her eyes, and her hair shot from every direction. Her make up had smeared, making her resemble a whore who had just finished with business. She had been too tired to change that night and had slept in her clothes. Her same yellow revealing attire. An exhausted sigh escaped her lips before she began stripping. Everything she had on her dropped to her legs, and she crossed over the pile of clothing to enter the shower.

The vixen allowed the warm water to poor over her, and she stood there motionless. The only place she really felt at peace was in the shower and she definitely took advantage of it. On some days, she would stay under the warm liquid for more than an hour. Why shouldn't she? There was no Spike to stop her from doing so, nor was he there to interrupt.

Faye exited the shower, with a white bathrobe draped over her body. When she opened the door, there he was. The tall man stood over her, watching her with the coldest of eyes, and that twisted smirk on his lips. That same smirk that made her body die. His hair, as black as night, and his attire also black. Despite the minor alterations he had done to his hair, she still knew who he was. As long as he had that cold aura around him, she would always know him. A grimace fixed on her face and she looked away.

"Vicious…" a whisper escaped her lips.

"No, Vallian." His hand left the side of the door to rest on her chin, adjusting her face so she would look at him. "You can't keep forgetting my name. You'll make our relationship seem…false." He chuckled and she pulled her face away, ducking under his other arm, which still rested on the doorframe, to enter the room.

"Fuck you." She hissed and he only chuckled more, finding pleasure in her hatred for him. He caught her wrist and pulled her into a firm and suffocating embrace.

"Remember where you stand, my love." chuckle "Breakfast in 30. Don't be late." With that said, he released her and left the room, closing the door gently behind him. Faye collapsed on the bed, and she felt a warm liquid roll from the corner of her eye to stain the bed sheet and for a minute, she was surprised she still had tears left to spare.

What had she done to deserve this miserable life?

End flashback

There were gunshots from the left and from the right, from the east as well as the went, and he ran…faster than he had ever ran before, because he had someone to protect. She was by his side with a gun in hand. She shot two men in front of him, and he shot one form the back and one from the side.

They continued to run. He saw one man with an arrogant smirk and a grenade in his grasp and he grunted while leaping in the air, only to land on her, sheltering her with his body. Her golden locks fluttered to the ground slowly, and what came next was a loud 'bang'.

She left his side after, finding no enemies before her, but missing to see those behind her. She had gone a long ways before he stood, swaying a bit and trying to regain his balance. His eyes darted from side to side, trying to search for her. His heart was beating faster than ever.

Then mismatched eyes landed on his Blonde angel, along with a man holding a gun behind her fleeing body.

His eyes widened…there was nothing he could do from such a distance. Then he heard it. The loudest of gunshots, overpowering the rest, even though they were exactly the same. For a second or two, his heart stopped. He raised the gun within his grasp and shot the man who dared to fire at his angel

Her fragile frame dropped to the ground with a loud 'thud' and his eyes widened even more.

"Julia!" He cried while rushing to aid her. He rapidly grabbed her back and rotated her, but what he saw threw him completely of guard. Her heart shaped façade was paler than ever. Her crimson lips were slightly parted. Deep violet hair dangled from her head and his hand. Eyes slight open to see the jade emeralds hidden within.

And she whispered, so soft it could barely be understood. "Adieu…Spike Spiegel" then her eyes slowly closed.

In his mind he called her name…

Faye…

Spike's eyes fluttered open…though he did not rise from his position on the bed. His forehead was soiled with beads of salty water, and the sheets beneath him clung to his body. He was dreaming about her…Faye Valentine. But why? Normally, his mind recapped the episode of Julia's death, so that was normal. But this time, it was Faye in Julia's place. The thought made him shiver, though he could not quite understand why. It was odd…too odd. It was almost as though he was worried about her. But that was just ridiculous because he would never worry about that Shrew woman…never. But how was he to explain this feeling then? What he was about to do next surprised him even more.

He rose from the bed and swung his legs over the edge, enabling his feet to land on the ground. He pushed up from the bed and grabbed his yellow shirt, slipping it on and buttoning it before approaching the door. His usual blue trousers already dangled from his thin long legs. With his hands buried within his pockets, he started the long walk down the corridor and into the living room where he found Ed typing away on her tomato and giggling wildly. Ein laid by her side.

Spike crept up behind the kid and signed miserably with a why-I'm-I-doing-this- look on his face.

"Ed." He called her the first time, but the teenager did not seem to notice. "Ed…" He called again, no reply. "Ed!" The third time, the redhead screamed and Ein hopped from his spot.

"Oh, Spike Person!" she called cheerfully as she turned to stare at Spike with a broad grin, and her ridiculous goggles. Spike blinked a few times before continuing

"Where's Jet?" he asked

"Oh, he went out. Said he was going to buy some stuuuuuuf." She giggled happily

"Ok, Ed I need you to do me a favor." He sighed again, his voice sounding the more apathetic after every word.

"OK!" She yelled, causing Ein to jump from his spot again. The poor dog would probably have a heart attack with another yell from the teenager. "What does Spike Person want Edward to do?"

A puff of air escaped his lips and he scratched the back of his head. "..." Ed blinked a few times and furrowed a thin brow

"Whaaaaaaat! Spike Person has to speak louder so Ed can hear!" and Spike grimaced a bit though the frown left as quickly as it came for Ed to notice any change in emotion.

He couldn't believe he was going threw with the whole ordeal. Spike just wanted the redhead to comply, work rapidly, and get it over with so Jet wouldn't find out about his curiosity...worry actually bit he refused to admit to it so the word 'curiosity' would have to do.

He sighed again, this time it was longer. Then he began"I want you to... look up that Vallian guy then try to find..." his eye brow twitched" Faye..."

And that ends Chapter 4. I tried to get it up as soon as possible. This chapter as you can see, is mostly a FXV chapter, because I wanted to let you guys in on how Faye and Vallian or Vicous became engaged so yah. Hope you liked it and look out for chapter 5! Don't forget to tell me what you think!