Disclaimers are the same. I have not yet figured out a way to own the
characters, but my plotting will continue.
Author's Note. So Hi, I got one new review that asked me to continue, and I can't disappoint my fan. Wish I had fans…and maybe some day I will. If you guys would just review. Ok, on with the story.
Chapter 3
Stupidity and Death
Spike and Jet were sitting across from each other on the couches. Each man was armed waiting for the other's move. They had been staring at one another for five minutes. Each man testing the other mentally, this move might be the one to end it all. Jet went first and fired a large ball of stale bread at Spike. Spike easily caught the horribly hard wad of bread in his mouth and fired off one of his own. They had been doing this for two hours now.
"Why are we doing this again?" Spike asked as he tried to swallow the bread.
"What else would we be doing?" Jet replied as he watched a golf ball sized piece fly over his head.
"Good point." Spike threw two balls at once. One pegged Jet in the nose, and the other hit his knee. He watched as Jet readied three missiles of bread, but his attention was taken from his attacker as he heard a ship dock in the bay, loudly. "Faye's back." He said as he got hit in the head with three very large and hard objects.
"So. She's probably drunk or angry. Or both. I don't want to deal with that." Jet said getting up from his couch. "I'm gonna get more ammo. Need some?" Spike looked into his bowl and nodded.
"You know, this is really sad, Jet."
"I know. Do you care?"
Spike didn't answer he just took out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up. He inhaled deeply as he watched Jet disappear into the kitchen. He put his head back on the couch his arms stretched across the top. Ever since he had been back he tried to put things back to the way they were. Jet made it easy, Jet would be Jet no matter what he did. Faye, well she had tried. They had both decided to forget the little scene that played out before he left. Although she would never let him forget that she orchestrated his rescue.
The door opened to the side of him, he didn't turn his head or open his eyes. He knew it was Faye, who else would it have been.
"Did you have fun?" He took a long drag from his cigarette waiting for an answer.
"A blast." Faye's voice came out in a harsh whisper followed by a deep gasp.
Spike's eyes opened and his one brow raised, he turned his head slowly to see what the gasp was all about. He sat upright when he saw her. She was standing in the doorway one hand across her stomach, blood running down the other arm. Her face was one large blood stain and bruise. She began to walk forward and caught herself from falling on the railing right in front of her. Spike quickly jumped off of the couch and was by her side before her legs gave out completely. He was holding her up, her good hand pinned to its spot across her stomach. She couldn't swat him away.
"Let me go, Spike. I can walk. I'm fine." Faye struggled to get away a little. Her body raked with the pain from the movement so she stopped.
"Uh huh. That's why you're falling all the time." Spike said as he helped her down the stairs. "Jet get in here now!"
"Do you have to yell?" Faye said in a slight whisper. He looked down at the top of her head. Her face was in his shoulder.
"Does it bother you?" He felt her nod a little into his shoulder. "Jet!" He yelled louder than before. He couldn't make out exactly what she said but he knew it wasn't anything good. He smiled, torturing her always made him feel better.
"What the hell are you yelling about Spike!" Jet yelled as he came out of the kitchen with a bowl full of bread balls. "Are you really that bored." Jet stopped in his tracks when he saw Faye. He dropped the bowl and bread scattered across the floor. "What the hell?!" He ran over to help Spike get Faye to the couch.
"I don't know, yet. Go get some bandages or something." Spike said again taking the full weight of Faye's almost limp body.
"Right." Jet ran off to get the first aid kit, hoping he refilled it after the last time.
Spike laid Faye on the couch he had been sitting on. He pulled the table closer so he could sit by the side of the couch. Before sitting down he ran into the kitchen and got a bowl of water and a towel. He sat down on the table. Faye was laying with her unhurt arm draped over her stomach, eyes closed. She opened them again as she heard Spike return.
"What are you doing?" She asked in a small yet annoyed voice.
"Cleaning the wounds." He brought the wet cloth to her face. She winced and he took it away. He looked down at her for a second, a frown coming to his face, and then put the cloth back. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She wasn't going to give him any other reason to think she was inept. She was alive wasn't she, that was something. She looked at him as he rinsed out the towel, his frown had taken over his usually carefree face. He probably wouldn't think being alive was such a big accomplishment. I'll bring it up later, when he looks happier. Or when I feel better. Which ever comes first.
"Doesn't look like nothing." He wiped away the blood around her eye, and found a large bruise forming.
"You should see the other guys." She smiled a little, and looked up at him. He returned her smile with a small smirk of his own. He then took the cloth to her mouth, and wiped away the dried blood around and on her lips. Her lips regained some of their normal color after he wiped some of the blood away. He put a little water in his hand and put it over her mouth. She drank some of it and coughed a little. He put his hand down.
"Other guys, huh?" He smirked as he rinsed off the towel. "Bet they don't have a scratch right?"
"Go to hell, Spike." She said coughing a little, tightening her grip on her stomach. "Actually half of them are dead, and the others are wounded."
"You sound proud." He said putting the towel down and leaning down to check her shoulder. The bruise was bad and she had small cuts on it. "JET!!" He yelled looking up to the door he went out. "Where the hell is he?"
"Didn't think you would care this much." Faye said in a sharp gasp of pain as Spike attempted to lift her arm. "DON'T DO THAT!"
"DON'T YELL AT ME!" He replied putting his hands over his ears. "I'm just trying to help."
"Well don't you're only making it worse." She moved her good arm a little to try and sit up. "I just need some sleep. I'll go to my room and sleep this off."
"You're not going anywhere until we clean you up." Jet's voice rang out over them as he entered the room, carrying loads of bandages. He set the stuff on the ground beside the table Spike was on. He turned his head to Spike. "Don't you two ever stop?"
"Hey," Spike said lifting his hands in defeat. "Don't look at me. She's the one being testy." Spike got off the table and went to the kitchen.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jet said as he started to fill a small syringe with some clear liquid. Faye watched through one open eye. She really hadn't expected either of them to give a damn about her, let alone sit here and fix her up. Her eyes caught Spike in the doorway of the kitchen holding a bowl and a glass filled with water. He caught her eye and quickly frowned, and looked down at the ground. Just then she felt a sharp pain in the side of her leg.
"What the hell was that!?" Faye screamed as her body tensed up a little. She then gasped at the pain of her sudden movement and stopped moving for a while.
"A PAIN KILLER! Stop yelling at us." Jet said as he put the syringe down and lifted up some bandages.
"Sorry." Faye said in a voice so small both men barely caught it. Spike and Jet looked at one another with raised eyebrows. They shrugged and went back to the task at hand.
"It should be taking effect soon. Are you feeling any better?" Jet said as he moved to inspect her busted up shoulder.
"Not really. But I think I'm at the best you're gonna get." Faye said closing her eyes. She knew what was coming.
Spike was sitting on the table again, he moved his hand until it was hovering over the one she had draped on her stomach. He looked at her hand, and then to her face, and back again. Finally he took a deep breath, Damnit Spike, just do it, he chided himself. He then put his hand down on hers taking hold of it. He squeezed a little, and Faye opened her eyes. Neither of them said a word, they just kept eye contact for a minute. Faye then slid her hand away from his a little. Spike let go, and at that moment Jet lifted her arm a little. Faye screamed and grabbed up with her good hand and brought Spike's hand back to her stomach. She squeezed it, and Spike screamed out with her.
"OW! FAYE!" Jet stopped moving Faye's arm, and looked at Spike. Faye let go of Spike's hand and he sat cradling his now wounded hand.
Faye didn't even give him a reply she was too busy gasping for breath. The pain going through her arm was throbbing through her entire body. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her body was raking with the pain.
"Calm down, Faye." Jet said in the least gruff voice he could manage. He put his hand to her forehead, and turned to Spike. "Its dislocated. We're gonna have to put it back." Spike let his hand fall and nodded at Jet. Jet turned back to Faye, who had calmed and was now working on wiping the tears off of her cheeks. "This is going to hurt."
"Like that didn't." Faye said putting her hand back to her stomach. She rolled her eyes. "Ok. I'm ready. Do it now."
"Want another shot?" Jet said.
"Got anything stronger than what you gave me before?" Jet smiled and shook his head. "Didn't think so. Do it."
"Spike. You need to hold her down." Jet said getting a grip on her elbow, and placing his hand lightly at her neck and shoulder. Spike got up and went to the end of the couch, he was looking at the top of her head. Faye tilted her head a little and looked up at him.
"Hi." Spike said. She gave him a small smile, blood was again under her eye.
"Hi." Faye said. She then put her hand over the one Jet had on her shoulder. "Do it." Jet pulled. Faye's screams echoed through out the Bebop. Spike closed his eyes, a scream had never bothered him so much. He felt like he was taking part in someone's torture.
Five minutes later Faye had stopped sobbing and gasping, finally catching her breath. The pain was still there but it had faded considerably. Spike sat on the table again, smoking another cigarette, waiting for her to settle so they could finish. Jet sat on the floor facing the medical kit he brought, the smoke coming from his head, told Faye he was smoking too.
"Can I get one of those?" Faye said looking to Jet. Her arm was now in a sling, the bullet wound across her shoulder had been dressed while she was screaming.
"No." Jet said. "You made a mess in the hangar. Blood everywhere. You get nothing." Jet said getting off the ground.
"Spike always got cigarettes when he would come back all beat up." Faye said pouting a little.
"That's because you gave them to him." Jet said.
"He stole them!" Faye said moving to get up. She gasped and slammed back to the couch. "DAMN!"
"Let me see your ribs." Spike said moving her good arm. "And I did not. They were mine to begin with."
Faye just rolled her eyes. Spike lifted her arm and moved her shirt a little, though not much considering it didn't really cover that much of her. The bruises on her stomach were large and some had cuts in them. He moved his fingers lightly over her skin, it tensed a little under his touch. He smiled, he didn't know why.
"What did this?" He asked. Jet came over and looked, his face contorted a little.
"Probably the big guys foot as it hit me repeatedly." Faye said trying to see her stomach with out lifting her pounding head too much. She gave up after a while, and just laid back on the couch.
"Who did this?" Spike said getting a little ticked. No one beat up one of his friends like this. When did I start caring what happened to her? Shit. You always cared.
"Johnny Nikos." Faye said, putting her good hand over her eyes. "If that damn bartender hadn't got the drop on me I would have got him."
"Jesus Faye." Jet said lightly touching her bruised skin. "Spike clean the cuts, we're gonna have to sit her up to set the ribs." Jet then left the room again.
Spike began to clean the small cuts in Faye's stomach. They sat in silence for a little while. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to come back here all broke and beat up." Spike said finishing with the cuts.
"I would gladly trade places with you if I could, cowboy." Faye said closing her eyes under her arm.
Spike got off the table and started to walk off. "I would if I could." He said lighting up another cigarette.
Faye just peeked out over her arm and watched him walk out. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, or if she wanted to know.
Jet came back in, and he set her ribs. He yelled a little about Spike bailing out on him. He gave her another shot of the pain killer and set a glass of water on the table for her. He then left the room mumbling something about having to clean the entire ship now. Faye closed her eyes and shortly after Jet left she fell asleep. She dreamt of strangling Johnny Nikos, it was a good dream.
Faye's eyes began to flutter open at the sound of shuffling cards. She blinked a few times, and tried to move a little, and then remembered why she shouldn't. She took a deep breath in and opened her eyes completely. She was still in the common room. She had a blanket on, and sitting in a chair on the other side of the table shuffling a deck of cards, hunched over the table was Spike Spiegel. She smiled a little.
"You always wake up when you hear cards shuffling?" Spike said with a bit of a smirk.
"Guess so." Faye said swallowing a little hard. "Kind of like you and humming."
Spike stopped shuffling and set the cards down. He didn't smile back at her, he just looked up at her. She smiled and her lips cracked a little, she brought her good hand up to them.
"Here." Spike said bringing her a glass of water. He held it to her lips and she drank it slowly. "More?" He asked still holding the cup near her mouth.
She shook her head slowly. "No." She narrowed her eyes a little. "What are you doing here?"
"Where else would I be?" Spike said, he gave her a smile that faded in to his trademark smirk. "You are on my couch."
"Lunkhead." Faye said. She closed her eyes again.
"Why did you go out there alone?" Spike said, sitting down on the table again. He leaned over a little so he was closer to her. "Why go after Nikos alone?"
"Money." Faye said swallowing again. "Mainly money."
"Money, its all about money with you isn't it?" Spike asked taking out a cigarette. Faye looked up at him, and watched him put the pack down beside him.
"Well, that's what you were expecting wasn't it?" Faye said slowly reaching her good hand over towards the pack of cancer sticks.
Spike watched her struggle to get the cigarettes. "Why else, Faye? You said 'mainly' not totally." He took the cigarette from his mouth and held it to hers. "Here." She slowly opened her mouth and took the cigarette from his hand. "What other reason would you have to go after him alone?"
Faye took a deep inhale of the cigarette, letting it out slowly. She looked away from Spike's inquiring eyes. "Prove I could."
"Prove you could what?!" Spike said taking a drag off of his fresh cigarette. "Get yourself killed! Well congratulations."
Faye just closed her eyes, and turned her head away from him. Spike got up from the table.
"You know, Faye, there is a fine line between stupidity and death. And you are dancing on it." Spike looked down at her beaten body on the yellow couch. Faye's head had turned and she was now looking him in the eyes.
"There is a fine line between everything, cowboy. We all dance on it at one time." Faye kept her eyes locked with Spike's. The two of them just stared at each other for a couple minutes. To each of them the minutes seemed like forever. Both of their faces were hard, no smiles, no smirks. Spike broke off first, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave.
"Yeah, whatever." He began to walk away. "I'm going to bed."
Faye watched him as far as she could before her couch bed hindered her vision. She then closed her eyes. She opened them again and spotted Spike's abandoned pack of cigs. She reached ever so slowly and painfully to the pack. She grabbed it quickly and put it in her front pocket. Your loss, Spike.
Author's Note. So Hi, I got one new review that asked me to continue, and I can't disappoint my fan. Wish I had fans…and maybe some day I will. If you guys would just review. Ok, on with the story.
Chapter 3
Stupidity and Death
Spike and Jet were sitting across from each other on the couches. Each man was armed waiting for the other's move. They had been staring at one another for five minutes. Each man testing the other mentally, this move might be the one to end it all. Jet went first and fired a large ball of stale bread at Spike. Spike easily caught the horribly hard wad of bread in his mouth and fired off one of his own. They had been doing this for two hours now.
"Why are we doing this again?" Spike asked as he tried to swallow the bread.
"What else would we be doing?" Jet replied as he watched a golf ball sized piece fly over his head.
"Good point." Spike threw two balls at once. One pegged Jet in the nose, and the other hit his knee. He watched as Jet readied three missiles of bread, but his attention was taken from his attacker as he heard a ship dock in the bay, loudly. "Faye's back." He said as he got hit in the head with three very large and hard objects.
"So. She's probably drunk or angry. Or both. I don't want to deal with that." Jet said getting up from his couch. "I'm gonna get more ammo. Need some?" Spike looked into his bowl and nodded.
"You know, this is really sad, Jet."
"I know. Do you care?"
Spike didn't answer he just took out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up. He inhaled deeply as he watched Jet disappear into the kitchen. He put his head back on the couch his arms stretched across the top. Ever since he had been back he tried to put things back to the way they were. Jet made it easy, Jet would be Jet no matter what he did. Faye, well she had tried. They had both decided to forget the little scene that played out before he left. Although she would never let him forget that she orchestrated his rescue.
The door opened to the side of him, he didn't turn his head or open his eyes. He knew it was Faye, who else would it have been.
"Did you have fun?" He took a long drag from his cigarette waiting for an answer.
"A blast." Faye's voice came out in a harsh whisper followed by a deep gasp.
Spike's eyes opened and his one brow raised, he turned his head slowly to see what the gasp was all about. He sat upright when he saw her. She was standing in the doorway one hand across her stomach, blood running down the other arm. Her face was one large blood stain and bruise. She began to walk forward and caught herself from falling on the railing right in front of her. Spike quickly jumped off of the couch and was by her side before her legs gave out completely. He was holding her up, her good hand pinned to its spot across her stomach. She couldn't swat him away.
"Let me go, Spike. I can walk. I'm fine." Faye struggled to get away a little. Her body raked with the pain from the movement so she stopped.
"Uh huh. That's why you're falling all the time." Spike said as he helped her down the stairs. "Jet get in here now!"
"Do you have to yell?" Faye said in a slight whisper. He looked down at the top of her head. Her face was in his shoulder.
"Does it bother you?" He felt her nod a little into his shoulder. "Jet!" He yelled louder than before. He couldn't make out exactly what she said but he knew it wasn't anything good. He smiled, torturing her always made him feel better.
"What the hell are you yelling about Spike!" Jet yelled as he came out of the kitchen with a bowl full of bread balls. "Are you really that bored." Jet stopped in his tracks when he saw Faye. He dropped the bowl and bread scattered across the floor. "What the hell?!" He ran over to help Spike get Faye to the couch.
"I don't know, yet. Go get some bandages or something." Spike said again taking the full weight of Faye's almost limp body.
"Right." Jet ran off to get the first aid kit, hoping he refilled it after the last time.
Spike laid Faye on the couch he had been sitting on. He pulled the table closer so he could sit by the side of the couch. Before sitting down he ran into the kitchen and got a bowl of water and a towel. He sat down on the table. Faye was laying with her unhurt arm draped over her stomach, eyes closed. She opened them again as she heard Spike return.
"What are you doing?" She asked in a small yet annoyed voice.
"Cleaning the wounds." He brought the wet cloth to her face. She winced and he took it away. He looked down at her for a second, a frown coming to his face, and then put the cloth back. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She wasn't going to give him any other reason to think she was inept. She was alive wasn't she, that was something. She looked at him as he rinsed out the towel, his frown had taken over his usually carefree face. He probably wouldn't think being alive was such a big accomplishment. I'll bring it up later, when he looks happier. Or when I feel better. Which ever comes first.
"Doesn't look like nothing." He wiped away the blood around her eye, and found a large bruise forming.
"You should see the other guys." She smiled a little, and looked up at him. He returned her smile with a small smirk of his own. He then took the cloth to her mouth, and wiped away the dried blood around and on her lips. Her lips regained some of their normal color after he wiped some of the blood away. He put a little water in his hand and put it over her mouth. She drank some of it and coughed a little. He put his hand down.
"Other guys, huh?" He smirked as he rinsed off the towel. "Bet they don't have a scratch right?"
"Go to hell, Spike." She said coughing a little, tightening her grip on her stomach. "Actually half of them are dead, and the others are wounded."
"You sound proud." He said putting the towel down and leaning down to check her shoulder. The bruise was bad and she had small cuts on it. "JET!!" He yelled looking up to the door he went out. "Where the hell is he?"
"Didn't think you would care this much." Faye said in a sharp gasp of pain as Spike attempted to lift her arm. "DON'T DO THAT!"
"DON'T YELL AT ME!" He replied putting his hands over his ears. "I'm just trying to help."
"Well don't you're only making it worse." She moved her good arm a little to try and sit up. "I just need some sleep. I'll go to my room and sleep this off."
"You're not going anywhere until we clean you up." Jet's voice rang out over them as he entered the room, carrying loads of bandages. He set the stuff on the ground beside the table Spike was on. He turned his head to Spike. "Don't you two ever stop?"
"Hey," Spike said lifting his hands in defeat. "Don't look at me. She's the one being testy." Spike got off the table and went to the kitchen.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jet said as he started to fill a small syringe with some clear liquid. Faye watched through one open eye. She really hadn't expected either of them to give a damn about her, let alone sit here and fix her up. Her eyes caught Spike in the doorway of the kitchen holding a bowl and a glass filled with water. He caught her eye and quickly frowned, and looked down at the ground. Just then she felt a sharp pain in the side of her leg.
"What the hell was that!?" Faye screamed as her body tensed up a little. She then gasped at the pain of her sudden movement and stopped moving for a while.
"A PAIN KILLER! Stop yelling at us." Jet said as he put the syringe down and lifted up some bandages.
"Sorry." Faye said in a voice so small both men barely caught it. Spike and Jet looked at one another with raised eyebrows. They shrugged and went back to the task at hand.
"It should be taking effect soon. Are you feeling any better?" Jet said as he moved to inspect her busted up shoulder.
"Not really. But I think I'm at the best you're gonna get." Faye said closing her eyes. She knew what was coming.
Spike was sitting on the table again, he moved his hand until it was hovering over the one she had draped on her stomach. He looked at her hand, and then to her face, and back again. Finally he took a deep breath, Damnit Spike, just do it, he chided himself. He then put his hand down on hers taking hold of it. He squeezed a little, and Faye opened her eyes. Neither of them said a word, they just kept eye contact for a minute. Faye then slid her hand away from his a little. Spike let go, and at that moment Jet lifted her arm a little. Faye screamed and grabbed up with her good hand and brought Spike's hand back to her stomach. She squeezed it, and Spike screamed out with her.
"OW! FAYE!" Jet stopped moving Faye's arm, and looked at Spike. Faye let go of Spike's hand and he sat cradling his now wounded hand.
Faye didn't even give him a reply she was too busy gasping for breath. The pain going through her arm was throbbing through her entire body. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her body was raking with the pain.
"Calm down, Faye." Jet said in the least gruff voice he could manage. He put his hand to her forehead, and turned to Spike. "Its dislocated. We're gonna have to put it back." Spike let his hand fall and nodded at Jet. Jet turned back to Faye, who had calmed and was now working on wiping the tears off of her cheeks. "This is going to hurt."
"Like that didn't." Faye said putting her hand back to her stomach. She rolled her eyes. "Ok. I'm ready. Do it now."
"Want another shot?" Jet said.
"Got anything stronger than what you gave me before?" Jet smiled and shook his head. "Didn't think so. Do it."
"Spike. You need to hold her down." Jet said getting a grip on her elbow, and placing his hand lightly at her neck and shoulder. Spike got up and went to the end of the couch, he was looking at the top of her head. Faye tilted her head a little and looked up at him.
"Hi." Spike said. She gave him a small smile, blood was again under her eye.
"Hi." Faye said. She then put her hand over the one Jet had on her shoulder. "Do it." Jet pulled. Faye's screams echoed through out the Bebop. Spike closed his eyes, a scream had never bothered him so much. He felt like he was taking part in someone's torture.
Five minutes later Faye had stopped sobbing and gasping, finally catching her breath. The pain was still there but it had faded considerably. Spike sat on the table again, smoking another cigarette, waiting for her to settle so they could finish. Jet sat on the floor facing the medical kit he brought, the smoke coming from his head, told Faye he was smoking too.
"Can I get one of those?" Faye said looking to Jet. Her arm was now in a sling, the bullet wound across her shoulder had been dressed while she was screaming.
"No." Jet said. "You made a mess in the hangar. Blood everywhere. You get nothing." Jet said getting off the ground.
"Spike always got cigarettes when he would come back all beat up." Faye said pouting a little.
"That's because you gave them to him." Jet said.
"He stole them!" Faye said moving to get up. She gasped and slammed back to the couch. "DAMN!"
"Let me see your ribs." Spike said moving her good arm. "And I did not. They were mine to begin with."
Faye just rolled her eyes. Spike lifted her arm and moved her shirt a little, though not much considering it didn't really cover that much of her. The bruises on her stomach were large and some had cuts in them. He moved his fingers lightly over her skin, it tensed a little under his touch. He smiled, he didn't know why.
"What did this?" He asked. Jet came over and looked, his face contorted a little.
"Probably the big guys foot as it hit me repeatedly." Faye said trying to see her stomach with out lifting her pounding head too much. She gave up after a while, and just laid back on the couch.
"Who did this?" Spike said getting a little ticked. No one beat up one of his friends like this. When did I start caring what happened to her? Shit. You always cared.
"Johnny Nikos." Faye said, putting her good hand over her eyes. "If that damn bartender hadn't got the drop on me I would have got him."
"Jesus Faye." Jet said lightly touching her bruised skin. "Spike clean the cuts, we're gonna have to sit her up to set the ribs." Jet then left the room again.
Spike began to clean the small cuts in Faye's stomach. They sat in silence for a little while. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to come back here all broke and beat up." Spike said finishing with the cuts.
"I would gladly trade places with you if I could, cowboy." Faye said closing her eyes under her arm.
Spike got off the table and started to walk off. "I would if I could." He said lighting up another cigarette.
Faye just peeked out over her arm and watched him walk out. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, or if she wanted to know.
Jet came back in, and he set her ribs. He yelled a little about Spike bailing out on him. He gave her another shot of the pain killer and set a glass of water on the table for her. He then left the room mumbling something about having to clean the entire ship now. Faye closed her eyes and shortly after Jet left she fell asleep. She dreamt of strangling Johnny Nikos, it was a good dream.
Faye's eyes began to flutter open at the sound of shuffling cards. She blinked a few times, and tried to move a little, and then remembered why she shouldn't. She took a deep breath in and opened her eyes completely. She was still in the common room. She had a blanket on, and sitting in a chair on the other side of the table shuffling a deck of cards, hunched over the table was Spike Spiegel. She smiled a little.
"You always wake up when you hear cards shuffling?" Spike said with a bit of a smirk.
"Guess so." Faye said swallowing a little hard. "Kind of like you and humming."
Spike stopped shuffling and set the cards down. He didn't smile back at her, he just looked up at her. She smiled and her lips cracked a little, she brought her good hand up to them.
"Here." Spike said bringing her a glass of water. He held it to her lips and she drank it slowly. "More?" He asked still holding the cup near her mouth.
She shook her head slowly. "No." She narrowed her eyes a little. "What are you doing here?"
"Where else would I be?" Spike said, he gave her a smile that faded in to his trademark smirk. "You are on my couch."
"Lunkhead." Faye said. She closed her eyes again.
"Why did you go out there alone?" Spike said, sitting down on the table again. He leaned over a little so he was closer to her. "Why go after Nikos alone?"
"Money." Faye said swallowing again. "Mainly money."
"Money, its all about money with you isn't it?" Spike asked taking out a cigarette. Faye looked up at him, and watched him put the pack down beside him.
"Well, that's what you were expecting wasn't it?" Faye said slowly reaching her good hand over towards the pack of cancer sticks.
Spike watched her struggle to get the cigarettes. "Why else, Faye? You said 'mainly' not totally." He took the cigarette from his mouth and held it to hers. "Here." She slowly opened her mouth and took the cigarette from his hand. "What other reason would you have to go after him alone?"
Faye took a deep inhale of the cigarette, letting it out slowly. She looked away from Spike's inquiring eyes. "Prove I could."
"Prove you could what?!" Spike said taking a drag off of his fresh cigarette. "Get yourself killed! Well congratulations."
Faye just closed her eyes, and turned her head away from him. Spike got up from the table.
"You know, Faye, there is a fine line between stupidity and death. And you are dancing on it." Spike looked down at her beaten body on the yellow couch. Faye's head had turned and she was now looking him in the eyes.
"There is a fine line between everything, cowboy. We all dance on it at one time." Faye kept her eyes locked with Spike's. The two of them just stared at each other for a couple minutes. To each of them the minutes seemed like forever. Both of their faces were hard, no smiles, no smirks. Spike broke off first, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave.
"Yeah, whatever." He began to walk away. "I'm going to bed."
Faye watched him as far as she could before her couch bed hindered her vision. She then closed her eyes. She opened them again and spotted Spike's abandoned pack of cigs. She reached ever so slowly and painfully to the pack. She grabbed it quickly and put it in her front pocket. Your loss, Spike.