Okay, I know I just updated, but I'm leaving for the weekend and I want to give you all extra love before I leave! Not that you're complaining, but you know. Wait...I need some of my blackberry cobbler before I start. I worked damn hard to pick those blackberries and...yeah. Okay, now we're good to go. Mmm...whipped cream makes it better...okay, now to get some good mood music...let's see...Sarah McLachlan? Pssh, what do you think this is? A story about a lovey-dovey stable couple? I think not...Offspring...umm...sure!

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Don't Leave Me Now

Part 7

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Spike was nervous. Spike was very nervous. The problem with that was, he never allowed himself to become nervous about much of anything, and so he didn't really know what to do except for sit on the couch, fidgeting and feeling extremely nervous. Somehow, his cigarette was not calming him down like it was supposed to.

He'd noticed a few things lately. The thing that had started it all had almost seemed innocent enough, but now...Spike was worried. And he began to feel like his life would be a lot less confusing if he knew the difference between pink and blue on pregnancy tests.

That had been the first thing. He'd seen a used pregnancy test in the garbage. Considering his escapades with Faye while catching that high class date-raping bounty, he'd only been a little worried. She was a woman, so maybe she just liked to make sure. No sense wondering if there'd been any little unplanned surprises when she could just shell out a few woolongs and find out for herself. Yeah, made sense. Yet, as Spike had brushed his uncooperative hair, finally abandoning it as a useless effort, his eyes had been magnetically drawn to the little tube in the garbage can. It beckoned to him, calling to him to see what he had done. Had he gotten away with his little frolics, or was he about to get saddled with more responsibility than he'd ever need? And it had refused to tell him the answer in a simple yes or no, because that would be too easy. Damn thing was just like a woman. You ask it is she pregnant or not and it says pink as though you should understand that perfectly well. Pink. What was that supposed to mean?

He might have just forgotten about it, but then he woke up a few days later to the noise of Faye emptying her guts in the bathroom. She then refused to talk to him and stayed in her room the rest of the day. This process repeated for about five days, and by that fifth morning, he was sure that the blurry glare she cast at him on her way to the room was an accusation. Look what you did to me now you idiot, it said. Now I'm pregnant and it's all your fault. I wish you were the one who had to deal with this morning sickness and the mood swings and all that other pregnant woman shit.

Even after that he might have let it go, but Faye had groggily exited her room about five hours later, making her way to the hangar in a somewhat drunken fashion. Spike, unable to resist his stinging curiosity, had stupidly asked where she was going. She replied in a not too happy sounding tone that she was going to see the doctor. She then added that he was an idiot and that his voice hurt her head before flying off in her Redtail and somehow managing to fly it out of sight without crashing.

So he was worried. Pregnant women went to see doctors all the time, didn't they? For tests and x-rays and baby shit like that. And now he was sure. Was Faye pregnant? Apparently, pink meant yes, and he was having to make some tough decisions while he waited for her to come back home.

Was she ever going to tell him or would she just keep it a secret, pretending she wasn't pregnant even when she went into labor? Or was she going to hit him with it, demanding that he take care of the child and take full responsibility in his role in creating it? What did he want her to do? He told her he didn't love her, that he didn't feel for her what he felt for Julia, but would he really abandon her like that, saddling her with some miniature version of himself? Faye...what was she to him?

A friend, at the least. At the very least. He definitely didn't want anything to happen to her. He didn't want her hurt or suffering, especially not on his account. After all, he should protect her from things like that, shouldn't he? She could take care of herself, he knew, but still...he wanted to keep her safe. And he wanted her to be nearby, no matter how she infuriated him at times and antagonized him. Hell, he did the same to her and he sometimes did it on purpose, just trying to get a rise out of her. He loved fighting with her, when her attention was devoted entirely to him, when her eyes flashed and glowed with emotions, all of them aimed at him and only him. She never fought with anyone else that he knew of. He wondered if she wanted to, how that would affect him. What if she only fought with Jet and never fought with him? He'd be jealous, that's what. Damn woman should know that he needed her attention, craved it and wanted her around all the time...wait, what was that all about?

Did he really want her around him all the time? Did he maybe...think of her a lot? Like right when he woke up, most of the day, right before he fell asleep? Did she keep him up nights, worrying where she'd gone, wondering if she'd be okay, hoping she'd return soon? Did he even...think of her more than anyone else? Even more than Julia? It was painful to admit, but Spike knew that as time passed, he thought less and less of the woman he'd loved. And more of other things, and other people. And Faye seemed to be a big part of that. So had he really loved Julia? Maybe when you loved someone and then they died...maybe you were allowed to love other people then? And maybe...just maybe...he reallly did love Faye. Just a little. Maybe more than a little.

What if she was always with him, even when he got old? What if through it all, she stayed beside him? What if she loved him? What if she didn't? All these ideas flashed through Spike's head and he finally stood, crushing out the remains of his cigarette in a nearby ashtray and heading out to the hangar. He could have sworn he'd heard a ship's engines just then...

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"Gods, Spike, what do you want?" Faye clutched at her bottle of medicine as though it were a weapon, heading away from the Redtail, a little less shaky than she'd been when she'd left, and a lot healthier looking. She felt significantly better, but still not good enough for Spike's antics.

"Faye...I need to talk to you." he told her.

"I'm really not in the mood." she answered, but he clutched her wrist, dragging her into the Bebop and taking her to his own room, shutting the door behind him. "What was that all about?"

"This...what I have to say...it's kinda private." he licked his lips and for a moment, Faye almost thought he was nervous. But Spike was never nervous. He was the most aggravatingly self assured asshole in the universe.

"Well, spit it out then. I want a nap." she told him.

"Faye, I know what's going on. You shouldn't have hid it from me, but I know why you did. You don't want to depend on me, and I can see why. I don't like letting other people do things for me either." Spike told her. Faye's face became completely confused.

"Spike..." she began.

"Don't stop me." he told her, holding up a hand. "This type of thing, it really isn't my style, but things have gone far enough, and I need to do something about it. I want you to know that I'll take responsibility here. I may not have wanted this to happen, but maybe it's a good thing. Now I can see how I really feel about you. I want to be with you, Faye. Don't feel like it's just because of the baby, cause that's not it."

"Baby?!" Faye squawked. "What baby? Where?"

"I told you I know, Faye." Spike moved toward her, wrapping his arms around the utterly bewildered woman. "I know you're pregnant. I know it's mine. I know."

"Pregnant? Gods, I hope not!" Faye shook her head. "Why would you think that?"

"You mean...wait a second." Spike was now the one who was confused and shocked. "You...aren't?"

"No! Gods, can you imagine that? Me, a mother?" Faye laughed out loud.

"But...I saw the test." he explained. "And you had morning sickness...and then the doctor."

"Okay, idiot." she rolled her eyes. "One, that test was negative. I didn't think I was anyway, but I like to make sure. No surprises that way. Two, I did not have morning sickness. It's called the flu, genius. Three, I went to the doctor because the flu wouldn't go away. Happy?"

"Oh." Spike fell silent, an incredibly sheepish look on his face. Faye tried to file the look away for future use, as she'd likely never see it again. "Oh. I guess that makes sense. Well then...sorry I bothered you." Spike released her, letting her leave his room. She stopped at the door.

"Spike, just so you know, even though you sounded like an idiot...I'm glad that you wouldn't just run away. It means a lot." and she left the confused man to his silence, intent on taking her nap.

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Faye was nervous. She was extremely nervous and excited all at the same time. She stood before Spike's door, debating whether or not she had the guts to knock. But suddenly the decision wasn't hers as the door opened, and she was face to face with a surprised, half-asleep bounty hunter.

"What...time is it?" he asked her, obviously disoriented.

"Did I wake you up?" she blurted out, immediately feeling like it was an idiotic question.

"How? Standing here? I just...couldn't sleep is all." he admitted. "You wanna come in or something?"

"Sure." she entered, sitting on his bed and looking around the dimly lit room. It was messy, but she couldn't see any pictures of Julia. Somehow, that made her a lot more confident. "So..."

"Did you wanna talk to me?" he asked, sitting down next to her without bothering to put a shirt on. Faye didn't mind, but she was somehow very distracted by the color of his skin. She wondered if it was always warm, or if it was only like that when he was having sex with women when they were supposed to be turning in bounties. The thought made her blush bright red. "Something wrong? Are you still sick?"

"Um...no, I'm better now." she told him, pointedly looking at his face. "I kind of wanted to talk to you about that...the time we talked...you know." she finished lamely.

"Oh yeah." Spike looked like he'd swallowed something bitter, which Faye interpreted as his version of embarrassment.

"Did you mean all that stuff you said?" she asked, feeling nervous again. "About...us?"

"What do you mean?" he wanted to know.

"You said...you said you wanted to be with me...even if...I wasn't...you know." Faye finished, looking down at her hands as though they were extremely fascinating.

"Are you nervous or something?" Spike asked.

"Would you answer the damn question?" she shot out.

"Well...I don't really like talking about that kinda thing. I'm not all touchy feely and shit." Spike answered. "But yeah, I meant it."

"Oh." Faye felt a wave of happy relief. He wanted to be with her! He actually wanted her! One of the only men that captured her interest, and she'd finally managed to catch him for her own!

"So..." Spike looked around awkwardly before Faye cast him a predatory look. Moments later, she had pounced, kissing him hard as they fell back on the bed. She was glad the door was already shut.

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The End (Of Part 7, That Is)