AN: First I would like to apologize for the errors in my first chapter. I was so excited and in such a hurry to post it that I only went over it once. If there are any errors in this chapter I'm sorry. I went over it three times but they always manage to sneak in. This chapter is long. I was going to make it longer but I deiced against it. I think that this is going to be a long story! I hope you can bear through it though because I think it will turn out nice. I used the song Strawberry by Everclear. The song describes October and Spikes' relationship at this point pretty well. Its another one of those songs you have to look at in a different light but in my mind it works. I'm kinda making up Spike's past as I see fit and I think (hope) its working. Well don't let me keep you any longer! Read on and enjoy!

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Strawberry

Never been here, never coming back

Never want to think about the things

That happened today

Want to lay down on

the warm ground

I think I'm going to need

A little time to myself

Spike and October stumbled out of the bar. It was a little past four a.m. and the road was completely empty. They looked an odd pair walking down the street; a short sweet-looking young girl and a tall drunk man with a green afro. "I am parked at the deck down the street. This is my motorcycle over here. Are you going to be able to hold on to me???" Spike could barely stand up, she doubted that he would be able to hang on to her while they were going 90 miles an hour. "When I ride my cousin on my bike I usually have her sit in front of me since she is to little to hold on. If you sat in the front I could hold you on."

Spike stared at her in disbelief. He wasn't so weak that he would sink as low to ride in front of a little on a motorcycle. He was quite surprised to see she even had a motorcycle. She really didn't seem like the type. That was when he noticed the old, scuffed up Harley boots she was wearing.

"Harley. Old one too. What year?"

"2003. You like? It was my great-great-granddads." She looked proudly at her baby. It was the 100th anniversary bike. There weren't many nice motorcycles around anymore and she took pride in having a nice, old Harley.

"They're nice bikes, especially the older ones. I think I can hold on to you." It really was a nice bike, of course there had been many, more beautiful ones in 2003. It was a nice year for custom bikes and Spike had seen a few pictures of some really nice ones. He was never really a biker dude but some guys in the syndicate were and the old custom bikes were legend to them. He used to flip through their magazines and try and decide which ones he would like to ride.

October gave Spike a lopsided smile. She saw the look he gave her when she suggested he ride in front. "Well, I guess even dead people have pride, and I would not want to hurt it would I?" She laughed a little. Spike wasn't sure if he should laugh or yell at her. In the end he decided on smirking, it was funny how well she saw him. October grabbed her helmet out of the side bag and put it on her head, it was the kind that covered your entire face like a mask. She sure was a sight, Harley boots, hippie dress, and a motorcycle helmet. She dug in her bag a little then pulled out another helmet. It wasn't nearly as cool as hers but it would do the job. Most people considered her a reckless rider but she had never once gotten in an accident. Still, she always wore a helmet and demanded her riders did.

"Here. Put it on. You can never be too safe." Spike really didn't want to but he had no idea if she was dangerous or not so he grabbed it and shoved it on his head, or attempted to shove it on his head. His hair wasn't cooperating with the idea of safety.

October laughed. "I was going to drive slow anyways. So I am sure you will be fine. How do you get your hair to stick up like that?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "If I could get it to stay down I would but it has a mind of its own. I could get it cut but I'm starting to like the fact that I am one of the few proud owners of a green afro." He ran his fingers though his hair with a silly smile.

October sat on the bike. "Hop on." For a minute Spike though about running away from this weirdo, but he decided against it. She was intriguing. Plus, he had always wanted to ride a motorcycle. Very reluctantly he, unstably, jumped onto the back seat of the Harley. At first he held on to October very lightly and awkwardly but once she started the motorcycle he held her so tightly she couldn't breathe. She was going about 100 miles an hour and zooming from once side of the street to another. She drove like Julia did when they were fleeing the scene of a crime.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO GO SLOW!" Spike yelled over the roaring engine. October screeched to a stop and flipped the visor on her helmet open.

"That was slow." She looked confused.

"Well my stomach is about a mile behind us and I think I might have shit my pants." Spike breathed heavily. "I think about 50 miles per hour would be better."

"Are you crazy?!? I have never gone that slow. But you are the weak one, so I guess I could." She flipped her helmet closed and started down the street.

"OH YEAH," Spike screamed over the sound, "THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO ASK OF YOU BUT COULD YOU STAY ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD." She nodded and Spike relaxed. It's not that he was scared but he was already feeling pretty sick and 100 miles per hour on your first time is never a good idea. The ride became quite pleasant after October had calmed down. It gave Spike some time to think. He relaxed his grip on October and leaned back a bit. He wanted to forget everything that had happed that night. he wanted to run off into the dark and pretend nothing happened. He wanted to forget about Julia, he wanted to forget about the bar and October, he wanted to forget he was Spike. He could never forget about Julia, it just wasn't possible, October sure as hell wouldn't be letting him forget her or that damned bar anytime soon, and forgetting who he was just wasn't an option, not at this point. They rode past the grave yard. Spike felt a tear coming on so he started to scream.

"WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!"

"Spike, you have no right to scream, we are going 50 miles an hour. And you are going to wake everyone up." He gave her an evil glare. Then laughed a bit.

He pulled himself closer to her and whispered into the little holes in her helmet "I think you are insane."

"What makes you think that." she snapped.

"Well, you are a pretty young girl and you were in a bar full of guys. You dress like a hippie and drive a motorcycle. You live in space. You picked up a total stranger, a dangerous one at that. You took care of him for a few hours and now you're taking him home. You talk weird and about weird stuff. You are just over all insane. Trust me, insane people can always spot their kind." October laughed. She elbowed him a little bit. He leaned back in his seat again and stared up at the sky trying not to think. He always though of it as a really big connect the dots sheet. He and Julia would point out shapes they saw in the stars. 'Stop thinking about Julia,' Spike warned himself.

They were at her ship in no time. She paid the parking fee and drove her motorcycle up the vehicle ramp. Her ship was old too. Probably form 2040. Spike walked around her ship as she closed the hatch up and started to program it. It was big and roomy, and well decorated. The living room looked like a sixties pad. The kitchen looked very modern and hip. The bedrooms had a homey mothers touch and the gym was full of work out equipment and was happy and colorful. She had a study/library that reminded him of a school he once attended before his parents died.

"Where did you get the money for all this?" Spike asked her as she programmed her ship's orbit. "I noticed you had some old cars too. A van and a little car."

"I act and write." she said, plopping down on the couch. Spike sat at the other end and propped his feet up on her table. "I do a lot of independent films. I have had to do at least one on every planet. I also have a couple of best selling books. I donate a lot to worthy causes but I still have plenty left to live a life I love."

"You're a best selling writer and an actress but you don't have many friends?" Spike found that hard to believe. Most famous people were, well, popular.

"Well, I have fans. I use a penname for both, Mila Vantearea, so none of them know who I am really. I have met a lot of people through the business but most of them do not like me or do not get me. They think I am out land-ish and weird. I agree but at least I am a talented out land-ish weird person."

"Mila Vantearea? I've seen one of your movies. Julia made me watch it. You played this mob member trying to escape with the one you loved. She said it described our situation perfectly. In the end you and your lover died. It gave us a bad feeling."

"Oh, you saw Runaway With Me? That was one of my favorites. The story line is so great, not to mushy, not to manly and all around depressing and brilliant. The stuff love stories are made of. I actually helped write that one. Main reason I got the lead." She looked quizzically at him then, with a new tone of voice, softly asked "So….. who is this Julia and what exactly is going on?"

Spike wanted to start laughing. That movie was his life story and he was sitting on the couch with one of the writers and actresses. Two syndicate members fall in love ,try to get away and die. Could it be more of a coincidence? "Well watch your movie and you'll have a pretty good idea what's going on in my life."

She laughed. "Really?!?"

"Yeah, except my story has a twist. See, my best friend since I was a child, Vicious, met Julia at a bar and asked her for some help. She did help us and eventually she joined the syndicate. She and Vicious started having sex. Vicious may have been in love with her, I'm not sure. But in the end she was in love with me and I was in love with her. We were going to escape but Vicious found out about it all. He tried to kill me. Then he sent Julia to kill me. I was standing in the graveyard, where she was to meet me, so that we could finally escape. I saw her from awhile off, I don't think she knew I saw her. She was holding a gun at me. Then she turned and ran. She didn't want to kill me but she knew that if we ran off together Vicious would know where we would be. So she ran her way and I ran mine. In the end we'll die. Just like in the movies." As he said this, tears escaped from his eyes but at the same time he laughed a bit. He was laughing and crying.

October grabbed his hand. "Oh my! I am so sorry. I… I wish there was something I could do. That movie is not my favorite anymore. Oh… oh… I'm… I just…" She sighed. "Why don't you take a shower and go to sleep. You are going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow and it is about time you let this horrible day of yours end." She pulled him up, still holding his hand and squeezing it to emphasize certain words. They walked a bit down the hall and arrived at his room.

"You can sleep in the room next to mine, then I can hear you if you start to scream out in a nightmare or something. There is a shower in there and I will bring you some pajamas. Can you sleep in boxers? Do not worry, I have never worn them without underwear and they are clean. If there are not supplies in your shower let me know. There should be but just in case there is not… I can bring you some clothes to wear while yours get clean. I have a lot of guy clothes."

"Boxers are fine. I wear a 28."

"Ok, I think I have some in that size. Just hop in the shower and I will leave them and some clothes for tomorrow on your bed." She walked away and Spike entered his room. It was quite nice. The walls were blue and sponge painted white. There was a big comfy, colorful bed next to one of the walls. There was a little door at the edge of the room. Guessing it was the bathroom he tried to open it but it wouldn't budge.

He groaned, trying to push it open, figuring it was stuck or something.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" October screamed. She sounded scared. It freaked Spike out to hear her yell in an eerie high pitch voice, a sound he never imagined to come out of her. Her eyes shone with fear and pain.

"Errrr… sorry."

"No, I am. I should not have freaked out. That door is the bathroom. Will these boxers do?" She held up a pair of boxers covered with bunnies. Spike started to laugh.

"Yeah! I couldn't have asked for a cooler pair. Is there a chance you have them in pink?" October started to giggle.

"You sure are a weird one Spike." She threw the boxers and clothes on his bed and walked out of his room shaking her head. "Try and get some sleep." she called from the hall. "Come get me if you need anything. I will be trying to get to sleep in the room to your left. Good night, sleep tight, and do not let the bed bugs bite!" He stared at the door where she had just been and shook his head.

'She's a nutcase, but I don't mind.' He stared at the door he was trying to open. 'Hmmm, I wonder…. Naaaa, I'll check it out later. I'm pretty tired.' He opened the door to the bathroom and stood there, stunned. There was a beautiful marble tub and a nice shower stall.

"'he must be making millions, or she just doesn't donate much. No, she probably donates a lot. It just seems like something she would do.' He headed toward the shower and walked into the stall. He turned the water on hot and turned the water pressure all the way up. It felt so good. The hot water pounding on his back. He thought about Julia.

"Julia…" he sighed. They had once taken a shower together. It had been only a little while after they realized they were in love. He smiled remembering how embarrassed she had been to walk in the bathroom while he was showering. He ripped the towel she was wearing off and gently pulled her in. She blushed a little but she didn't try to get away. It was one of his best memories. He cried a little more then vowed it would be his last time. Crying wouldn't change anything. He smiled again, remembering the shower so long ago, when things were good.

The water turned cold and he stepped out of the shower. Water dripped off of his body all over the floor. He dried off and put on his bunny boxers. He spotted the outfit she brought for him. A pair of worn jeans and a t-shirt that said "I'm the person my parents warned me about." He tossed the outfit on the dresser and crawled in between the soft covers. He looked up at the clock, it was 6:00 a.m.

"I won't be up till about 3:00 p.m." He sighed and closed his eyes preparing for a night of nightmares.