Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop at all! Just this story and that psycho Reic!

Blues in the Night

By roxyravette

Chapter 4 Dead Men Don't Need Money

                Faye tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable spot on the couch. The apartment was quiet and it was so dark that she could barely see her hand in front of her face. It was the perfect atmosphere for sleep, yet she couldn't find it within herself to close her tired eyes and rest her weary body. She rolled over, draping her feet over the arm of the couch. Looking over at a clock nearby, she noticed it was a quarter past two a.m. She'd been tossing and turning for over four hours. Faye tried another position and finally deserted the notion of trying to get any sleep. Throwing the blanket off of her, she sat up. Too many thoughts and concerns swam around in her head. To at least try to take a nap was impossible. She would never get any shuteye, and it was all because of him.

After she had gotten out of the shower, Spike refused to talk about what had happened earlier. Instead, he had asked her what had happened last night. At first, Faye didn't know whether or not to tell him the truth. So she did what came naturally. She lied. She told him that she had been mugged and had managed to get away. Somehow she got slashed with the knife and passed out from shock and blood loss. It was mostly true.

"Besides," she scoffed. "It wasn't really his business anyway." She guessed he was still mad at her because he had retaken the bed and forced her to sleep on the couch. She was fine with it but what had really gotten her angry was that he had told her frankly not to go to her hotel room. His reasoning was that she might get mugged again. He did promise to take her in the morning though, but she didn't want to wait. No one tells Faye Valentine what to do.

Dressing quickly in her usual clothes, Faye decided to just go ahead and do it. She knew she was being impulsive but it wasn't like she was disappearing. She'd be back in a couple of hours. It might actually do her some good to get out of the apartment and take a stroll for a little while. She didn't have a real reason for going now though, but she might as well. Sleep wasn't coming anytime soon. Maybe she could get in touch with Jet. He would want to know that Spike was alive. Feeling at least a sense of purpose, Faye slipped on her bright red jacket and checked the pockets. Good, she still had an extra knife and the key to her room. Hopefully, Spike still slept like the dead. She crept to his bedroom and put her ear against the door. She could hear soft snoring on the other side. Satisfied that he was fast asleep, she made her way through the living room. She was almost at the door when she heard a noise. Faye let out the breath she had been holding when she realized it had come from outside.

"God Faye," she chided herself. "You are way too paranoid." Faye opened closed the door and closed it softly behind her.

***

Faye breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken awhile but she had made it in one piece back to the hotel room. Walking all the way across the city at three a clock in the fucking morning was not the best of her ideas. At least her room was on the first floor. Hopefully the cleaning ladies hadn't removed her belongings out of the room while she had been away. She stuck the key in the door and entered. The room was dark and when she flicked the light switch, it was the same way she had left it.

"That's weird." Faye thought. She shrugged it off and grabbed her bags that still sat in the corner. Somewhere inside, lay a communicator she stole-borrowed- from Jet. Putting both bags on the bed, she rummaged through them, carelessly tossing the contents all over the floor. She finally finished empting both bags and surveyed at the mess she created. Finding nothing but her two guns, clothes, and some food, she gave up.

"Where did I put it?" Faye asked her aloud.

"Put what?" a deep voice asked sarcastically. Faye stiffened as she felt cold steel on the small of her back.

"Shit," she thought to herself. "I knew it was too good to be true."

"How'd you find me?" Reic gave a short bark of laughter.

"Too easily," he sneered. "I thought you were better than that." She shrugged as she discreetly reached for the gun in front of her.

"Hands up Faye!" he shouted as he cocked the gun loudly. "You'd be surprised what won't kill you." Faye inched her hands back up.

"Reic, why are you still after me?" she asked nonchalant.

"There's still a private contract out for you." He answered.

"A private contract?" Faye stretched, arms skyward. "From who?" Reic laughed.

"The Boss of course." Faye stopped stretching.

"Boss? There is no Boss. Gordon died." She stated bluntly. "I saw the ship blow up with my own eyes."

"True, but there's a new Boss."

"Oh really. Now who might that be?" she asked innocently. Reic shoved the gun callously in her back.

"My, my, my," Reic snarled. " Aren't we being a bit too nosy?"

"Why don't we just talk about this like civilized people?" Reic laughed at her and abruptly stop.

"I don't think so." He said coldly. Grabbing her hands, he handcuffed them rudely behind her.

"Hey, you don't have to be so rough!" she said indignantly.  Reic said nothing and turned her around to face him. The gun was a few inches from her heart and when her face met Reic, his eyes had a strange glazed over look in them.

"You know, this room looks a little familiar." Reic's voice grew deeper and huskier with each word. "Kinda reminds me of the last time we were together like this." He set down the gun down and his hands went to her waist. He leaned in to kiss her. Faye felt her heart begin to race. No, she would not let him see her fear. Forcing herself to remain calm, she turned her head. Reic went for her neck.

"Stop it, Reic." She said hotly." Isn't it enough that you found me?" Reic ignored her and let his weight push her towards the bed. Faye panicked.

"Get off of me, you fucking prick!" she yelled. Reic stopped what he was doing and smiled at her.

"You got to do something to get the edge off." Faye's jaw dropped in horror.

"No!" her thoughts raced. "It's happening again." Memories of an almost identical night flooded back to her. Hands places they shouldn't have been. Bruising lips mocking her. Violent eyes teasing her and enjoying her suffering. It was all happening again. And again she was helpless to stop it. Again it was her fault that it was occurring.

Reic kissed her vehemently. Faye fought an urge to bite his probing tongue and worked at getting her hands free. His hands had already unbuttoned her shirt. She didn't have time to worry about that. She slipped her hand out of the cuffs. She kept her hands behind her as Reic started to strip her clothes off. Faye squirmed underneath him and he grabbed her roughly, nearly shaking her to pieces. Pinned under the entirety of this weight, she could barely move. Now the only problem was to get him distracted enough to hit him where it hurt. The door to hotel room burst open. Reic and Faye looked up.

"Whoa," Spike said embarrassed. " I guess I came in at the wrong time." Reic stared at him. Faye took that moment to knee him with a powerful blow to the crotch. Reic gasped and held on to himself. Faye snatched up her guns and ran to Spike.

"Out now!" she yelled.

"What did you do?" he asked. Faye pulled him out of the doorway just in time for a bullet to whiz past his ear. "Ok, tell me later."

Spike and Faye raced down the hallway. Reic appeared behind them. Faye looked over her shoulder to see a very pissed off looking Reic running their way. Reic went after them shooting a spray of bullets. The sound was deafening. It was a good thing that Faye turned the corner with Spike following close behind. She could hear the bullets lodge themselves in the wall where she and Spike just were. Faye peeked out of her spot and shot a couple of shots into the hallway. Reic dodged them easily and went into the adjacent hallway.

"Fuck!" she muttered under her breath. Without looking, she passed Spike the extra gun. "I hope you still remember how to shoot." Spike gave her a look she couldn't see.

"Do I look like I have "Dumbass" stamped to my forehead?" He replied smartly. Spike took the gun and without warning, fired a single shot into the hallway. Soon after a cry of pain came to their ears. Faye stared at Spike.

"How could he have made that shot?" she wondered. Spike smirked at her puzzled look.

"Come on." He said, grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

To be continued…