Chapter 2: The past before the past
Spike walked into the living quarters on the Bebop. Jet looked up and half waved, busy on some trinket. Spike flopped on the old couch lazily. Faye stepped in, leaning against the doorframe, "Did you get it?" Spike blinked, as if he had forgotten the bounty, which he had. "Oh hell." Jet looked up, "You're kidding right? I'd expect it out of the woman, but you?" "Hey, Jet, what's that supposed to mean!" "I'm so sorry. He's was taken out." Suddenly Faye was right up in his face. She studied him closely. "What the hell are you lookin at?" "You got nailed." "What?" Jet was focused on him now too. Spike shifted nervously. "You get some action, Spike?" He shrugged, "I met up with an old friend." Faye's eyes narrowed, "Look Spike, the only old friends you got are the bad ones."
Spike growled and stood, putting his hands in his pockets. A look of utter confusion crossed his face. "What?" Spike pulled out a series of bills. He looked at them, estranged. Faye grabbed the money and counted it out. Jet gave a questioning look, but said nothing. Faye looked up, blinking, "What, did you whore yourself? This is more than the bounty is worth!" Spike blinked again, not knowing where he got the cash. The look of epiphany crossed his face and his jaw dropped. "Oh god, she must have reimbursed me. No way." Spike laughed at himself and ran his hand through his wild hair. His partners shared a look of confusion. "Look, I know the woman who killed Cyrus, she's an assassin. She is the one I met up with." "You met up with an assassin who paid you for the damages due to her killing him?" Spike smiled, "That's Rip. She's one of the best people you'll ever meet." Faye snorted, "Yeah, real great, a hired killer."
Spike had to physically stop himself from striking the shrew. "Shut the hell up. Don't ever say anything like that about her again, or so help me Faye, I'll put a bullet through your brain." Spike stormed from the room and his partners gaped. "Looks like you hit a rough spot Faye." "He hasn't acted that way about anyone but." "Julia," Jet finished.
Faye looked at the balding man in his late 30's and sighed. "She must mean something awful big to him." "Yeah." Faye leaned back on the couch. Her voice took on a whimsical quality, "You know, we really don't know about Spike before Julia. She could be from before." Jet shrugged, returning to his trinket, "A man's business is his own." Faye rolled her eyes and grunted, "Men."
* * *
Spike looked down at the old picture. It was worn and faded, but he could still see her clearly. "Rip Tide." Her hair was a short cap here. It tumbled in curls about her face. Her eyes were wider, more innocent. Time hadn't taken its toll, on any of them. Her eyes held that glow and shine, she gazed at the camera lovingly, which he was behind. She stood on a beach. The day was a bit cloudy, but warm. He remembered it well. She wore a white sundress that touched her knees. Sandals in hand she had raced about. They had preoccupied themselves in a splash fight and a dunk session. Rip wasn't weak, she had gotten the best of him quite a few times. She had kept his depression at bay.
They were both in the Syndicate. Vicious had affections for Rip, but never touched. That was his girl, he would never betray his best friend. Not like his best friend would betray him. Spike sighed. He had met Julia through Rip. They were cousins. That was when he abandoned Rip Tide for Julia. He made love to her one last time, and left her. He remembered the pain, forced himself to ignore it. He wanted Julia. But god he missed Rip. ~~~ "Spike, don't do this! She belongs to Vicious, don't you see that!" "I love her Rip." "Oh Spike." "I'm sorry, for what it's worth." "Oh, no you aren't. Go on, then. Its over, like you said." "Rip I." "Don't Spike. I don't want to hear it, don't need your sympathy for breaking my heart. Go on, I hope you can be happy with her." ~~~ He had shut the door and left her forever. Vicious, because he was angry, took control of Rip's life. She was sent on suicide missions, abused, and tortured. Spike hadn't even paid attention. He was so focused on his forbidden affections. Rip had suffered for it all. Now there was no light in her eyes. Now she was bitter, tired, and still tangled in the web. Rip had helped Julia and Spike with the runaway plan. She had set it all up for them. Angel had assisted, keeping Vicious distracted. Rip had wished them well. She had done it all for Julia and him. "Julia."
Spike felt his heart tearing itself inside out. He walked out to the Swordfish II, his fingers dropping the picture as he went. He needed to get away, to get drunk. Spike smiled wryly. He was gonna get drunk off his ass and wallow in self pity, that always made him feel better.
* * *
Faye looked down. She was just outside the hanger. Spike had flow out a few moments before. Faye knelt and lifted the picture. It was a lovely young woman. She was in a white sundress and on a beach. The sky was partly clouded but she wore a loving smile. "Are you his ghost?" Faye took the picture to his room and set it on Spike's bed. She walked out of the dumpy accommodations and headed to her own room. He would be back soon, and drunk as hell.
* * *
Spike walked into the living quarters on the Bebop. Jet looked up and half waved, busy on some trinket. Spike flopped on the old couch lazily. Faye stepped in, leaning against the doorframe, "Did you get it?" Spike blinked, as if he had forgotten the bounty, which he had. "Oh hell." Jet looked up, "You're kidding right? I'd expect it out of the woman, but you?" "Hey, Jet, what's that supposed to mean!" "I'm so sorry. He's was taken out." Suddenly Faye was right up in his face. She studied him closely. "What the hell are you lookin at?" "You got nailed." "What?" Jet was focused on him now too. Spike shifted nervously. "You get some action, Spike?" He shrugged, "I met up with an old friend." Faye's eyes narrowed, "Look Spike, the only old friends you got are the bad ones."
Spike growled and stood, putting his hands in his pockets. A look of utter confusion crossed his face. "What?" Spike pulled out a series of bills. He looked at them, estranged. Faye grabbed the money and counted it out. Jet gave a questioning look, but said nothing. Faye looked up, blinking, "What, did you whore yourself? This is more than the bounty is worth!" Spike blinked again, not knowing where he got the cash. The look of epiphany crossed his face and his jaw dropped. "Oh god, she must have reimbursed me. No way." Spike laughed at himself and ran his hand through his wild hair. His partners shared a look of confusion. "Look, I know the woman who killed Cyrus, she's an assassin. She is the one I met up with." "You met up with an assassin who paid you for the damages due to her killing him?" Spike smiled, "That's Rip. She's one of the best people you'll ever meet." Faye snorted, "Yeah, real great, a hired killer."
Spike had to physically stop himself from striking the shrew. "Shut the hell up. Don't ever say anything like that about her again, or so help me Faye, I'll put a bullet through your brain." Spike stormed from the room and his partners gaped. "Looks like you hit a rough spot Faye." "He hasn't acted that way about anyone but." "Julia," Jet finished.
Faye looked at the balding man in his late 30's and sighed. "She must mean something awful big to him." "Yeah." Faye leaned back on the couch. Her voice took on a whimsical quality, "You know, we really don't know about Spike before Julia. She could be from before." Jet shrugged, returning to his trinket, "A man's business is his own." Faye rolled her eyes and grunted, "Men."
* * *
Spike looked down at the old picture. It was worn and faded, but he could still see her clearly. "Rip Tide." Her hair was a short cap here. It tumbled in curls about her face. Her eyes were wider, more innocent. Time hadn't taken its toll, on any of them. Her eyes held that glow and shine, she gazed at the camera lovingly, which he was behind. She stood on a beach. The day was a bit cloudy, but warm. He remembered it well. She wore a white sundress that touched her knees. Sandals in hand she had raced about. They had preoccupied themselves in a splash fight and a dunk session. Rip wasn't weak, she had gotten the best of him quite a few times. She had kept his depression at bay.
They were both in the Syndicate. Vicious had affections for Rip, but never touched. That was his girl, he would never betray his best friend. Not like his best friend would betray him. Spike sighed. He had met Julia through Rip. They were cousins. That was when he abandoned Rip Tide for Julia. He made love to her one last time, and left her. He remembered the pain, forced himself to ignore it. He wanted Julia. But god he missed Rip. ~~~ "Spike, don't do this! She belongs to Vicious, don't you see that!" "I love her Rip." "Oh Spike." "I'm sorry, for what it's worth." "Oh, no you aren't. Go on, then. Its over, like you said." "Rip I." "Don't Spike. I don't want to hear it, don't need your sympathy for breaking my heart. Go on, I hope you can be happy with her." ~~~ He had shut the door and left her forever. Vicious, because he was angry, took control of Rip's life. She was sent on suicide missions, abused, and tortured. Spike hadn't even paid attention. He was so focused on his forbidden affections. Rip had suffered for it all. Now there was no light in her eyes. Now she was bitter, tired, and still tangled in the web. Rip had helped Julia and Spike with the runaway plan. She had set it all up for them. Angel had assisted, keeping Vicious distracted. Rip had wished them well. She had done it all for Julia and him. "Julia."
Spike felt his heart tearing itself inside out. He walked out to the Swordfish II, his fingers dropping the picture as he went. He needed to get away, to get drunk. Spike smiled wryly. He was gonna get drunk off his ass and wallow in self pity, that always made him feel better.
* * *
Faye looked down. She was just outside the hanger. Spike had flow out a few moments before. Faye knelt and lifted the picture. It was a lovely young woman. She was in a white sundress and on a beach. The sky was partly clouded but she wore a loving smile. "Are you his ghost?" Faye took the picture to his room and set it on Spike's bed. She walked out of the dumpy accommodations and headed to her own room. He would be back soon, and drunk as hell.
* * *
