Jade, there is a quote in this chapter that I'm sure you'll recognize. It's not funny, though…it was from a sad thing.
*****
Don't Leave Me Now
Part 12
*****
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Faye finally dropped her fork, sitting up straight in her chair to face the green-haired man across from her. "Is there something on my face?" she brushed at her cheeks in a self-conscious manner, frowning slightly.
"No, it's nothing." Spike answered, picking at the remains of his food, dropping his eyes from the gaze he'd been holding on her face. "I was just thinking about things."
"Oh." Faye recalled that terrible moment two weeks ago that had left them both to face the rules of life and love. It was still fresh on his mind, it seemed. Not surprising, as he'd been trying to find a doctor who would be able to fix the problem ever since she told him about it. Of course, he was doing it in secret, but Spike wasn't half as sneaky as he liked to think he was. It didn't matter anyway; no one could cure old age. And if they could have, it would cost more money than what was left of her already massive debt. She didn't want that hanging over her head for the rest of her life. "I'm not going to…like, die now, you know." She spoke softly, glancing at him as his eyes rose to look at her yet again. "We have time, is all I'm saying."
"I know." He answered, not sounding very encouraged by her words. "It's just…I don't know. This is all such a bunch of bullshit, if you ask me."
"Spike," Faye sighed, standing and moving across the table, draping her arms around his neck and leaning her face forward over his shoulder so she could kiss his cheek. "Just think of it like this. You can say I grew old and died loving you, and I never had to get all wrinkly and gray." She smiled slightly, nuzzling the crook of his neck as he leaned back and tilted his head toward hers, his hand coming up to caress her dark head, fingers trailing through the silky locks there.
"I'd stay with you if you did." He affirmed, as though she doubted the strength of his feelings. "I just…don't think it's fair that all this happened. I mean, all because you were on some unlucky shuttle flight, you had to be frozen by a bunch of scientists who didn't know shit about what they were doing and didn't give a damn about what would happen to you. And now look what's happening…its bullshit. They didn't save your life. Not really."
"Maybe not." Faye moved around, letting Spike pull her into his lap, their half-finished dinners forgotten. "But if I wasn't in that accident, I would have never met you. And if I did, I would've been way too old for you." She teased, kissing his jaw lightly, her fingers going to his mop of hair. "Then where would we be? I doubt I would've pulled you in if I was some old lady in a wheelchair or something."
"I'd still want you." He smiled slightly, his arms tightening around her waist. "Age doesn't matter. Not to a beautiful woman."
"In a wheelchair?" she made a face, wondering how far she could push this teasing.
"Yep." He kissed the top of her head.
"What if I didn't have any teeth left? That'd be pretty strange." Faye told him.
"Hmm…" Spike leaned forward, kissing her slowly. After they broke he looked thoughtful for a few moments. "You don't really need them."
"Really?" Faye giggled. "What if my skin was all wrinkly and splotchy?" she asked.
"I'd go like this." Spike pulled the skin of her stomach tight by pushing it back with both hands. "And I'd close my eyes."
"I don't know if that would work…" Faye told him. "What about my hair? It'd get all gray and dull."
"As long as it still smells like you, I'd love it still." He told her. "I mean, look at my hair. It can't get much more obnoxious than that."
"No, not really." Faye teased. "It matches your personality. That's why I like it so much." She continued rubbing circles on his head through his hair. "Plus, it's just so soft and fluffy. It's cute."
"Cute?" Spike looked as though he was going to vomit.
"Uh oh, did I just cross the line?" Faye asked, not waiting for an answer as she leaned forward for a deep kiss. This was where she was at her best. Moments like this made her feel that maybe she was ready to die happy.
----------
"Where are we going anyway?" Faye wanted to know, leaning forward to where Spike was sitting in the seat of the Swordfish, having only told her that they were going somewhere important. She had tagged along mostly out of curiosity, but now she wanted to know what he planned. "Come on, tell me." She tugged lightly at his collar, hoping to get the secret out of him.
"You'll see." He told her, refusing to give in. He did bat her hand away from his collar though. "Stop it. You're acting like Ed."
"Would you rather I do this…" Faye lowered her hand along his chest, going toward his stomach. Spike hissed and wriggled away from her.
"Would you knock it off? I'm trying to fly this thing, okay?" Spike seemed to be getting a little irate, so Faye leaned back, content simply to pout until she found out where he was taking her.
"You're no fun." She sighed loudly, sticking her lip out and crossing her arms.
"Are you getting all…like you do?" Spike sounded irritated by this development.
"You won't tell me where we're going!" Faye protested. "I'm now making you feel guilty for that."
"Gods, Faye." Spike took one hand off the controls to pull something out of his pocket. "You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" he tossed the object back at her and it almost escaped her grasp as she tried to catch it.
"Whatever, you know you love it." Faye stuck her tongue out at him before turning her concentration to the small object in her hands. It was a little black box. "What's this?"
"Open it and find out." Spike's voice answered, glancing back momentarily before he continued paying attention to where he was going.
"Thanks for the hint." Faye rolled her eyes. He was such an ass sometimes! Here she was, a sick and dying woman and he was tossing random little… "Oh…gods…um…oh…"
"What the hell? Did I make you speechless or something?" Spike snorted. "There's a first for everything, I guess."
"This…oh gods…did you buy this?" she asked, looking up momentarily from the bright diamond ring shining up at her.
"No, I took it off some dead chick I dug up." Spike joked, but nervousness was obviously thick in his voice. "You gonna try it on?"
"Try it on?" Faye was still in some state of advanced shock. Spike Spiegel purchased an obviously expensive diamond ring for her? Was she dreaming?
"Well, if we're getting married, you're gonna need it." He told her, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he pulled the Swordfish down in front of a small building. Faye looked at it for a few moments before realizing it was a church.
"We're…getting married?" Faye's voice cracked in shock. "Right now?"
"Um…if you want to." Spike opened the cockpit, hopping out before he cast her a nervous glance. "I mean, I thought that maybe…"
"Oh Spike!" Faye nearly leapt out of the cockpit after him, lunging into his arms and peppering his face with kisses. "I can't believe it! I mean, I didn't want to ask you to anything like this…but with all this happening…thank you!"
"Is that a yes?" Spike tried to hide the extremely pleased look on his face and failed miserably. "Cause I'd hate to keep the people inside waiting. Oh, and I gotta get something else." Spike climbed up into the ship, pulling out a large dress box from under his seat and handing it to her, looking very unsure of himself. "I didn't know what you'd wanna wear, but Jet said you'd kick my ass if I didn't let you wear a dress. But I don't know…I wasn't sure if you'd like it…" he trailed off, rubbing the back of his head again. Faye opened the box to look at the simple yet elegant white gown inside. Her eyes teared up, but she didn't want to look foolish crying at her own wedding, so she blinked them back.
"I can't believe…all this…it must've cost a fortune." Faye shook her head. "Spike, I don't know what to say."
"Let's just do this, okay?" he smiled warmly at her. "I had Jet steal a pair of your shoes that went with the dress, so he's inside with Ed. I wanted to keep this small, but I couldn't see those two not being here. We better hurry up. I don't wanna keep the priest waiting or anything."
"Yeah." Faye moved forward with him, clutching the dress box to her chest. "Let's do it."
*****
The End (Of Part 12, That Is)
