Ties Together
Session 5~I'll Always Be Right There
Lucky Star
Her leg swiftly kicked the punching bag and a trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face. Her short violet hair was long enough for a ponytail but a few strands escaped and framed her heart face.
Each kick hurt her sore legs and her ankle began to throb but she knew she had to build up her strength, who knew when he would be back.
When she worked out her mind and body would be at ease but lately nothing let her rest. Something was always there for her to think about. She had had another encounter with Spike, this time they had come close to kissing before she pulled away. She couldn't read his expression, whether he was disappointed or thankful. Even if he did kiss her he was always thinking of her, wasn't he? She would never even compare to Julia's shadow, right? She had never been so confused in her life. Everything had been black or white nothing in-between. Spike was gray, the middle area she didn't know what to do with.
Her life had been turned upside down, everything was gray now. Everyone walked around her like they were walking on eggshells. Ed had disappeared into the shadows of the ship, coming out for meals. She didn't call her Faye-Faye either. But then again she rarely said anything to her anymore. When she came back she spent her time lying on the couch watching mindless dribble from the TV. Ed sat there, never saying a thing just glancing from the TV to her and back. Ed asked her once what had happened, late at night when everyone was asleep, she couldn't help the tears and that scared Ed. She had never seen Faye-Faye cry. She tried to talk to her later but she was always busy with tomato. Jet was the same but she understood that Jet just wanted to give her room. He never handled tears well. He asked her to come on a bounty with him and Spike, and instead of just saying no she yelled. She didn't even remember what she said just that she yelled and then ran off to her room. That probably drove him away more than anything did. He reached out to her and she totally shut down on him putting up a shield.
She sighed and kicked the bag hard, this workout wasn't clearing her mind, it was only making things more complicated.
"Why don't you spar with me? That's a real workout."
She looked to the door and found Spike standing in the frame-wearing nothing but his sweat pants. His bare chest moved up and down rhymically and enticed Faye. She closed her eyes trying to catch her breath before replying to his proposition. It was almost as though he was purposely tempting her, being every where she was. What normal person was awake at 2:30 in the morning? But then again Spike was anything but normal. She looked up and smirked pushing the thoughts aside, this would take all her strength and concentration.
"If you think you can handle me," she smiled as he fumbled with her response. It obviously wasn't what he had expected but he quickly composed himself and took his position.
"First one on the mat loses."
She threw a few kicks, all of which he blocked. He swung his fists, all of which she blocked. She threw a right and nailed him, she had the first hit of the night. He quickly recovered taking a few more jabs at her, all of which missed. He smiled and his long legs tripped her so she fell onto the mat. His grin became wider as he watched Faye lie on the mat when all of a sudden her foot swept up and knocked him down too. He tumbled gently and he landed on Faye.
Both of them were breathing hard and Spike dipped his head to look into her eyes.
"That was below the belt Spike, I win," she broke the stare and tried to escape his arms that wrapped around her.
"We never set up any rules. So, I win." He looked at her for a few minutes and then slowly went to kiss her.
She felt his lips come close to hers, a sort of anxiousness and fear filled her. His lips landed on hers and her mind began to race, why was he kissing her? He had never shown any attraction to her before, why now? She wish she could have read his mind at that moment, she would have died to know if it was her he was kissing or if it was some long gone memory. She ignored the thought and concentrated on the feeling and tried to shut down her mind, as the kiss grew more passionate.
She wanted to forget about what had happened to her but it was all that came to mind. This is what exactly what he wanted. She tried to concentrate on Spike but his words came back, 'Give Spike my regards. I know you see a lot of him.' That man thought they were sleeping together. It made sense now why he was so upset. She had spent a whole year running from him but now he thought he was losing his possession, a piece of property or something. She broke the kiss and quickly got on her feet leaving Spike stunned.
"This isn't right, Spike. You've never done anything like this before. And I don't want something like this, something fast and easy. I can't handle this right now," she wiped her brow and left the room.
He looked up to see her leave the frame of the door, and he quickly called to her but she kept walking.
~
He opened the door without knocking to find Faye standing in the middle of the room with her back to the door, his suspicions had been correct, the cut on her back was bleeding.
"Spike, just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to anyone right…." He silenced her and slipped her shirt off. Her clear green eyes hazed as she searched in his mismatched ones for answers.
"Your bleeding," was all he said as he broke her gaze.
They stood there for a minute, Spike cleaning her wound. The silence felt like an eternity and then Spike spoke.
"You should have had Jet look at this when you came back. It's gotten pretty bad."
"Jet has done enough for me, I didn't want to trouble him anymore. I feel bad enough just sitting around the ship not doing anything. Especially after what I did that night. I'm just trying to fade into the wallpaper, Spike. And you keep stopping me from doing that."
"Fade into the wall paper? Faye, Jet wants you here. He understands that you just need time, he's not mad at you. Anyways, you've become part of the ship; it's hard to imagine the ship without you now. You're not some kind of burden on us."
"It's not nice to lie Spike. Since the day I got on this ship you've wanted me gone. Don't tell me all of a sudden you've fallen in love with me and you don't want me to go, I can't buy that crap."
They stood there again, the silencing filling the small room and choking Faye.
'What the hell was going on?' She thought. She had never imagined Spike would be one to tell her that her life meant something. She hated the way he felt about her. He didn't lover her. How could she have even thought Spike cared about her? Spike would never lover her. This was just pity. He felt sorry for her. 'Poor pathetic Faye.' She hated being pathetic yet she continually found herself in that fucking position. Spike broke the silence again, saving her from drowning her deranged thoughts.
"Why did he do this to you Faye," his voice was desperate, searching for something he could help her with. He felt useless; his words gave her no comfort just pushed her further away.
"I don't know," her answer short. Her reply to his question was simple but the truth was complex, Spike would never understand why. It was easier to pretend like she didn't know.
He turned her around and looked into her eyes, trying to find some answer other than what she had given.
A tear balanced on the corner of her eye but before it could go anywhere Spike wiped it away.
"I know your lying Faye. Why can't you just tell me who this son of a bitch is," there was anger in his voice but it didn't scare her. Spike wouldn't hurt her. No matter how bad she was hurt she would never fear Spike. She loved him.
"I can't Spike, so just let it go. Don't think about it. Just forget about it and me. Just try…" her voice trailed off and the tears she tried so hard to hold back finally came to the surface.
"I can't do that Faye. I care too much about you. I'm not the kind of person who can just let things like this go," he pulled her close and then continued, "I don't want you to cry because of him, Faye. Anyone who could do something like that doesn't deserve tears. You don't have to be scared Faye. I'm here," he pulled her away a little and looked into her eyes, "Faye, I care about you. When you were gone, I wondered where you were, who you were with. And then when you came back you were different. Not the same old Faye," he paused finding it hard to find words to what he was feeling, "I miss you. I mean I miss the way you were. It took me a while but I realized that I need you here. I don't know what's going on between us. I didn't plan it, it just happened. I think I'm falling for you. It's been so long I don't even remember…the only problem is that I still love Julia. I don't know what to do," she put her fingers up to his mouth to stop him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Just stay tonight, Spike. Have her tomorrow, just stay with me tonight," her voice was dry and scratchy and the tears she fought to hold back finally came out. She had been alone so long she needed someone tonight. Just someone to hold who cared for her because it felt like in the whole galaxy there was no one who did.
They lay down together, in each other's embrace. She listened to his heartbeat steady and then drifted off into sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~When you're all alone,
and you need a light,
someone to guide you through the night,
just remember that I am here,
to hold you close and dry your tears.
~Oh-ooh
~And just when you thought you were falling,
but you know I'll always be right there.
~When you're all alone,
and you need a friend,
someone to help you to the end,
when you need someone to catch you when you fall,
I'll be there through it all.
~oh-oh
~Cause just when you thought you were losing,
but you know I'll always be right there.
~And I'll be there through the good times,
and the bad,
and we'll be there for each other,
cause you're the best friend I've ever had.
~And just when you thought you were falling,
but you know I'll always be right there.
oh-oooh whenever you need me,
I'll always be right there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
"Wake up!" her head began to pound again and the cold hard floor was beneath her again. She didn't know what to do as she opened her groggy eyes. How long had it been? She didn't know, it felt like forever. It took her a minute to remember where she was and who was screaming at her.
She looked up into his cold eyes and they met for minute before he kicked her. His eyes were empty, no emotion, nothing. It scared her, when did he become so cold? Was it because of her?
"You tried to run again, didn't you? I thought I told you, you leave when I say. Do you understand?"
He lifted his heal and put it on her ankle, "No one leaves until I say. NO ONE!"
She had stopped feeling pain, there was only so much you could handle before their body shut down. All she felt now was his laughter. He laughed at her naked body and at her agony. Her clothes taken in a cruel joke and put away neatly.
"Let me go," the words barely came out of her dry throat. She couldn't remember the last time she had anything to eat or drink.
"Not until I have my fun," he laughed again and then continued, "You thought you could leave me. No one leaves me, I thought you were smart enough to figure that out. I guess I was wrong. I was wrong about you, wasn't I Faye? I thought you would stay with me, not leave like her. You should have been here!"
He bent down and touched her face, "I cared about you. And you left. Left!" he screamed and hit her.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you," she choked out the words but he wasn't listening. He continued to ramble on about how she had left him when he needed her most. About how she had betrayed him and hurt him.
He pulled out his katana and dug it into her back, dragging it slowly. She screamed and remembered what pain felt like. She begged for him to stop but he didn't listen and all she could hear was his laughter. She prayed for death but she knew he wasn't merciful enough to end her suffering. He hurt her just enough to keep her alive.
"Now you'll never forget me."
He left her there crying on the cold hard floor. She had loved him once, but now she hated the monster he had turned into. Would she ever leave this place?
~
She sat up covered in sweat, her breathing erratic. She looked around her surroundings and realized she was safe, for the time being at least. She pulled her knees up and rested her face on them, forgetting Spike was still with her.
He felt her shift and leave his embrace. He didn't remember much of what had happened but he knew it felt good having Faye in his arms. In the shadows of the room he could see her sitting up with her knees pulled into her chest. Her chest moved up and down with out pattern and he could see that she was trying to calm herself.
"Are you alright Faye?"
The voice scared her but then she quickly realized it was only Spike. It gave her some comfort to know Spike was with her. She closed her eyes and wiped her tears.
"Just a nightmare," her voice was tried to sound confident but the façade didn't work as Spike sat up and put his arms around her.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there Faye. I'm the reason you left that night. If I had just kept my mouth shut you would have been safe."
"You couldn't stop him Spike. He wanted me to hurt, to suffer. I don't want to think about it, I just want to forget," her voice was soothing and Spike pulled her in closer. She had never even dreamed of this. He was sorry, he cared about her. But that didn't mean that he loved her, did it? This was the last thing she needed. There was already so much confusion in her life she didn't need more. It's just for tonight, she thought, tomorrow will be normal and that thought put her to ease.
She and Spike lied down again and slowly her breathing evened out and she was asleep.
He lay there, his mind not allowing for a moment of rest. Why didn't Faye trust him enough to tell him who it was. She cringed in her sleep as Spike traced the cut along her back. Who could be so cold to do something like this.
He sat up, his mind was going insane and lying in that bed only made it worse. He pulled the blanket up and tucked Faye in, gently kissing her forehead and telling her she would be all right. She frowned for a moment, almost as though she could tell he was leaving her.
He went to the yellow couch and sat down. He reached for the remote and turned on the TV, something good had to be coming at four in the morning. He flipped through the channels and stopped at Big Shots.
"Now be careful about our next bounty, he's very valuable. Ahh, here he is…Willard Enemas. This guy is involved with the syndicates so be careful plus he killed one of the ISSP so they are really desperate for this guy," Punch's thick Mexican accent.
Spike looked at the picture on the screen, it was that guy who had come to the Bebop looking for Faye. The one Faye said came after her on mars.
"Oh my God, he's so ugly. Now I want all you big bad bounty hunters to watch out. I wouldn't want one of you to get hurt chasing after that big ol' piece of lard. Reports say that he's somewhere on Mars so be careful They think the syndicate he was associated with dumped him but they aren't sure. And remember this bounty's worth 6,000,000 woolongs, he'd be worth more if the ISSP officer killed wasn't old drunk Pete but that's another story. I hope all y'all strong and handsome bounty hunters are careful!" Judy's sugary tongue voiced.
Before the next bounty was even on the screen Spike was outside in his Swordfish on his way to Mars…
~
He had been sitting at that bar for hours now, his contact had told him the guy came by everyday at nine o'clock, and now it was well past 2 and no sign of that son of a bitch. He looked around the empty bar as the last drunk left the seedy bar with some two-bit hooker. He saw the bar tender asleep on the counter, his drool forming a pool on the counter. 'Good, when the guy comes in no one will be here to witness when I beat the shit out of him,' he thought.
The door open and Spike glanced up, it was he drunk coming back for his hat. Another false alarm. He was beginning to think that this guy was never going to show up.
He took a long sip of the alcohol and leaned his head back. He didn't know why he left in such a rush, he didn't even tell Jet where he went. Faye would probably think that he couldn't even stand the thought of waking up with her and decided to leave so he wouldn't have to face her. He didn't know if he could face her in the morning. He didn't know what he felt for Faye, whether it was love or just concern. It didn't matter right now, he was on a mission to catch one of the lowliest life forms in the universe.
The door swung open as another half-drunk man entered. He was short, pudgy, and ugly, exactly how Judy had described him. This was the guy. He came up and sat two barstools away from Spike, reaching over the counter and pouring himself a glass of whisky.
Spike swiftly knocked the barstool down and caused the large man to land on his back on the floor. Spike pulled out his glock ready to fire but stopped and just pointed it at his head.
"Who do you work for?" Spike's voice trembled but his hands remained steady.
The fat man seemed in shock. Moments ago he had been sitting on the bar drinking whiskey on now he had a gun pointed to his face.
"I asked who do you work for!" Spike screamed at him, pushing the gun closer to his face.
The man looked up and finally responded, "I don't work for anyone…I'm a loner"
"Hired work for syndicates? Is that what you are? Do they just pay you for jobs and then let you go?
"Basically, now please just let me go. I know you want that bounty on my head, but it's fake, I didn't kill anyone. I swear. They set me up so I couldn't talk."
"Why didn't they just kill you? I mean it is a syndicate. They don't give two shits for dumb asses like you."
"If I die they go down, but if I go to prison then their safe. They made up the bounty. I swear."
Spike continued to hold the gun firmly and then continued, "I don't care if you did or didn't kill that ISSP officer. Just tell me the name of the syndicate you worked for last!"
"I don't know, I've don't a lot of work. I can't keep them straight," his voice shaking and fear visible in his eyes.
"Your fucking life is dangling by an inch and you are telling me you don't remember being fucking hired to kidnap a girl from the street by using all the force you wanted. You don't remember that. Don't tell me you don't remember you fucking piece of shit because this is a really bad day to forget. You've just about used up all my patience, wait there it goes…" Spike's finger moved to the trigger as he aimed for the man's head..
"Ok, ok I think I remember. It was for a syndicate in the heart of Mars. Real bad guys. I don't know what they did to the girl, I swear. I was just hired grab her and take her to him."
"Who the hell is 'him'?" Spike asked becoming more and more frustrated.
"It was the leader of the Red Dragon Syndicate. I think his name was Vicious."
Spike closed his eyes as all the pieces of the puzzle finally came together…
~wow, the suspense is over…did u guess right? Probably…Well, I hope all of you liked my latest installment, it'll be a while before the next chapter is up b/c of school and all. Oh yeah, now that the mystery of who it was is over I can tell you that the story takes place on the Cowboy Bebop timeline (like the tv show) except the one where Vicious and Faye meet, "Ballad of Fallen Angels" didn't happen and it is before "Hard Luck Woman."
~Thanks to everyone who reviewed, seriously when I'm down I just go to the review page and read them and they make feel sooo much better~ thanks again!
~please be kind, and rewind, no I mean review~
