Man, wasn't all in the mood for updating, but Jade, your review ruled so much, that I just had to. Even though you can read my mind and already know exactly what's going to happen…not cause I told you or anything…cause you're psychic…ooooh, spooky! And now, since it's so great, I will share with you the first part of Jade's review. Study this, learn from the master how it is that you get Teresa to update really fast…
Here is a typical day for Spike and Faye:
Spike: Your a bitch!
Faye: Your an asshole!
*glomp*
An hour later...
Faye: I love you.
Spike: I love you.
(Wild monkey sex)
An hour later...
Spike: I don't care!
Faye: I don't like you!
(Walk out of the room in opposite directions.)
Ten seconds later... (Right back in the room. More wild monkey sex)
The end.
Thank you very much Jade, even though we were chatting on ICQ when I read it so I already told you how much you rule. Yeah, and I'd like everyone to know that Jade's knowledge of Cowboy Bebop is based off of only the first eight episodes and my fic. Cause she loves me so much, she'll read the fic even though she still hasn't seen the whole series. You rule Jade. This chapter's all for you, even if something bad happens in it. Pretend it's something good, with no fifth story connotations whatsoever. Man, wait till I type that thing up. You'll bawl all over again. Hehehehe. Oh, and Jade, we really need to name the ultra top secret story of which I will barely speak here. And who's writing the first chapter?
Also…um…Tigris…you freak me out. Please don't send me scary reviews. It makes me scared. And then I don't want to update. Spooky. I don't know if you meant to freak me out, but that's what you did, so maybe…um…chill out? Plus, besides the fact that it's only a story, I know you haven't been waiting for three weeks since I updated just last week…so yeah. Take a breath.
*****
Don't Leave Me Now
Part 11
*****
"Um…could you repeat that?" Faye's frowned slightly as she talked on the portable audio only phone that Spike kept by his bed. He smiled as he watched the look of concentration on her face, the way her brows knit together and her nose wrinkled up slightly, how her mouth was stuck in a pout, as though the person she was talking to would somehow see how upset they were making her and make matters simpler for her. Spike wondered idly how many men had been duped by one of her cute pouts. He could still remember the time when they didn't work on him. Well, they didn't work very well, at least. "Wait, I want to write this down. Do you mind?" she shifted her position, rolling toward Spike and leaning her body over his, reaching for his end table and scrabbling through the top drawer. "No, I'm not ready yet, just a second." Faye lowered the mouthpiece of the phone and turned her wide eyed look to Spike. "Honey, I need a pen and some paper…do you have any? I can't find anything in here…" she continued looking in the drawer anyway, unaware of the delicious feeling her wriggling was giving to the man beneath her. Despite that, and the distraction of her chest moving right over his face, Spike protested the pet name.
"Ugh, don't call me that." He complained, turning to help her look and quickly producing what she was looking for. He then proceeded to nuzzle the back of her neck after she plopped down on the bed again, her back to him. "Get off the phone, baby." He planted wet kisses on her shoulder blades. "Tell them to call back later…"
"Okay, I've got it. And then the appointment…tomorrow at three? Alright." Faye spoke into the receiver before wriggling a bit away from Spike and his wandering hands. She covered the mouthpiece and cast him a long-suffering look. "If I can't call you honey, you certainly can't call me baby. Now just wait, this is important."
"It's too early for anything important to happen." He protested, pulling the sheet of paper out of her hand and looking at it, his face puzzled. "What's this? Some kinda new species or something? I can't even say it's name, whatever it is."
"You dolt." Faye sighed as she hung up the phone and took the paper back. "That's mine, so give it to me." She took back the piece of paper, quickly folding it and sliding it into the pocket of her discarded jacket. "You know, it's nice that I didn't have to get dressed to answer the phone, but I really wish you would be more polite during other people's phone conversations." She scolded him.
"Whatever. So who was that?" he wanted to know, placing lazy kisses on her cheeks and forehead. Faye looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling with worry and sadness as she considered his question and whether or not she should answer it.
"Spike, I want to say something to you." She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him down for a kiss. She smiled at him, slow and sad. "I love you. I really do, and no matter what, I'm glad that we could have this."
"You…really?" Spike seemed completely shocked by her words, a wide smile overtaking his face. "You love me?"
"Yeah. I should have said it before, but I guess I wanted you to say it first." Faye admitted sheepishly. "You win, though. I love you."
"I love you too." He answered, burying her mouth in a deep kiss immediately afterwards. Finally, he broke it off. "Thanks, Faye. It took a lot to say that, and I couldn't do it first. I just…yeah." Suddenly, his dopey grin dissolved, and he looked at her suspiciously. "Wait…I asked you who called."
"Oh…you did?" Faye tried to look as innocent as possible, but failed.
"You said that…to distract me? Who the hell was it?" Spike was immediately incensed, jumping out of bed. "You gotta new boyfriend or something? You just fucking with me?"
"No, gods Spike!" Faye moved slowly, knowing better than to strain herself with any bursts of energy. "I just…I do love you…but I didn't want to tell you. I thought it'd be better if you didn't know."
"So you are with someone else?" Spike was furious as he yanked on his pants, trying hurriedly to pull on his shirt as Faye remained standing wrapped in his sheets. "Fuck, Faye, how can you say shit like that and expect me to believe it now?"
"No! Spike, you have to listen to me!" Faye begged, too tired to fight with him now. She was too tired to fight with him most of the time any more. "Spike…that's not what it was. The man on the phone was that doctor I went to see. He called to tell me about the blood tests." Her voice cracked slightly and Spike's anger dissolved as he listened to her words and realized she was on the verge of tears.
"Oh…Faye, dammit, I'm sorry." He moved to her, letting her collapse in his arms. "I don't know why I would ever think…I know you better than that. And it was just a joke, but then when I thought about it…you with someone else…gods, I feel fucking stupid."
"Don't worry about it." She sniffled slightly and moved away from him to retrieve the paper she'd folded up from before. "This is what it's called. I had to make him spell it, cause I can't say the damn thing either."
"This…is what what's called?" Spike looked at her unsurely, his eyes swirling with both hope and dread.
"The disease I have." She told him, calming down and sitting on the bed. He sat with her, the blood draining from his face. "It's very rare, he says. Only three other cases known to medical science, but he's sure it's what I have. All the same signs."
"What…what is it?" he wanted to know.
"He says it's a side effect of long term cryogenic freezing. You know, around the time when I was frozen, most of the times the process would fail. Lots of people died like that, but it was okay since they were all dying anyway. There were a few that finally perfected the process, and I was one of the first successful cases. Well, almost successful." She sighed, taking a deep breath and leaning against her unmoving lover before she continued. "See, only now are they starting to see what the side effects of a technically successful case are. This disease is one of them. See, what happens when they freeze you is that it slows your metabolism way down, but some things still age. There's still some very basic processes going on. Even more basic than breathing. Your cells continue to split, a lot slower than before, but they do it. And that's the problem. See, my body is the body of a twenty-some woman on the surface, but way inside, my DNA and lots of other tiny things that run stuff are almost ninety years old. That's pretty fucking old, Spike. So some of it's starting to break down. I'm getting really old really fast."
"So…what can they do?" Spike wanted to know, wrapping his arms around the woman who was now nearly in his lap. "Is there some kind of pill or hormone or something they're gonna give you?"
"Spike, I don't think you get it." Faye turned, smiling up at him sadly. "I'm twenty when you look at me, but that's not the truth. I'm old, Spike. A lot older than you, or Jet, or a lot of people. And I'm going to die. Some parts of me are still fine, but I don't know how long that will last."
"You…well, that's stupid." Spike chuckled slightly. "They can fix anything these days. I'm sure if we just get another doctor…"
"Spike, think about it. Can they fix it so people don't die when they get old? Cause that's what's happening. Honey, I'm dying." Faye pressed her face into his neck, listening to his erratic breathing, and that ever steady pulse that always made her feel relaxed. They sat like that for a long time, before Spike kissed the top of her head and finally spoke.
"How long?" he wanted to know.
"Who knows? It's not like I have a brain tumor. I'm just…too old." Faye chuckled slightly. "It's funny, you know. That's what I get for cheating death like that. I'm glad I did it, though. Otherwise, I would have never met you. And I do love you, Spike. I just wanted you to know that. So even if I have two days or two years or twenty years, you know. Cause I told you. I love you."
"Faye…gods…" Spike's voice cracked and he embraced her tightly, his face pressed in her hair, and though she couldn't be sure, Faye thought she heard Spike Spiegel crying over her as they sat on his bed together, holding onto love and holding onto life.
*****
The End (Of Part 11, That Is)
