"So what do you think? Should we schedule another appointment? I'd like to find out what was in that report, how 'bout you?"

"It's your call." Jet said, taking a sip of his coffee as the four of them, Faye, Corbin, Ed, and himself sat around the table. Five, he supposed, if you counted Ein, who was curled up at Ed's feet.

Corbin just shook his head. "No good, she stopped us once, what's to keep her from doing it again. No, all that would accomplish is to put someone else in danger."

Ed nodded in agreement, and Faye shrugged her shoulders.

"So what, then? Are we just supposed to ask Eve for them back?"

Corbin laughed nervously, he didn't even want to think about talking to Eve again. That woman creeped him out. She hardly seemed human, and she reminded him of the lab, his place of birth. He shivered involuntarily. He didn't remember much before his escape, just blurred clips and impressions that sort of blended in with the downloaded memories he'd inherited from Spike. It was difficult to muster up anything solid. He knew, though, that he hadn't been fond of that place, and wouldn't like to go back at all.

"We may not need to," Ed said, "She's obviously within striking distance, and probably actively keeping tabs on us. She's waiting for the right time to strike." She gave Corbin a funny look that might have been sympathy, "If I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere alone."

Corbin smiled back, his familiar crooked grin looking reckless, and braver than he felt. "And give up my social life? Never." show no fear.

"Ed, I want to know who this woman is, and where she comes from. Find her, and keep her off our backs"

Ed leaned her chair back on two legs, smiling deviously "piece of cake, right Ein?" the dog looked up, and barked in response.

"Good," Faye turned to Corbin, and gave him a smile that was just a little too pleased. "You might want to give Cindy a call, and let her know you wont be making that date tonight."

"That's 'Candice,' and we never made a date... you know, the whole finding her boss dead thing..." he gave her a cool glare, "she just wasn't in the mood."

"Really?" Faye said in exaggerated innocence, "the way she was all over you today, I would have thought there wasn't much that would put her out of 'the mood.'"

"What the hell is your problem?" Corbin pushed his chair back and got to his feet, bracing his hands on the table to keep them from flying to Faye's neck.

Jet coughed uncomfortably, and caught Ed's eye from across the table. He jerked his head in the direction of the sitting room, and the girl nodded emphatically. The two of them stood up from the table backing off slowly, like someone had just pulled a bomb out of their pocket and set it on the table. The slightest vibration might set it off. They worked their way back to a safe distance, then the pair bolted for the door with Ein yapping at their heels. They made it just before the explosion.

Faye slid her chair back, and propped her feet up on the table, her eye's narrowing dangerously "What do you mean, what's my problem?" Faye's voice dropped to a hiss.

"I mean you've been in a shitty mood ever since we got back from the doctors office... hell, you were practically trying to kill me in that practice room."

"Hey, if you can't take the heat..."

"Get out of the kitchen, right?" He raised an eybrow, then turned away in frustration. "Forget it, I'll handle Eve on my own, I'm outta here." He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and headed for the door. He stalked past Ed and Jet who were still watching TV in the sitting room, and making it a point not to look up from the screen, and nodded to them.

"See you guys around," he called over his shoulder.

There was a crash behind him like splintering wood, and he knew that Faye must have tipped her chair back beyond the point of no return in her haste to be after him. He smiled as he pictured her cursing on the kitchen floor, her short hair disheveled, her cheeks flushed with rage and embarrassment, her eyes sparkling with indignation. He almost turned around to see it, but he kept going. He didn't want to see her face ever again.



"What did you do now?" Jet asked, pulling his partner to her feet.

Faye dusted herself free of wood chips, and aimed a glare at him.

"That wont work on me," he told her.

Faye growled, and rubbed a sore spot on her hip.

"So?"

"Nothing..." Faye grumbled.

"Sure didn't look like nothing," Ed called from the sitting room, without ever looking up from the TV.

"That child has the ears of a bat..." Faye mumbled.

Jet just shook his head. "Whatever it is between you two, give it a rest, will ya? He shouldn't be out there, not with Eve stalking him... go find him and bring him back."

Faye crossed her arms over her chest, and shifted her weight to one leg, "why me?"

"Well, I'm certainly not doing it," Jet said, and illustrated this by moving to the cupboard, and reaching into the top shelf for the microwave popcorn.

"Shit."





She found him easily enough. He was sitting at the bar in the nearest night club, letting sounds of a blues guitar and melancholy vocals wash over him like a breaking wave. He looked like a drowning man, at least to Faye. She took a moment to watch him smoking his cigarette, and tapping his foot to the music, before she approached.

"This seat taken?" she asked, hopping up onto the seat next to his.

Corbin sighed, "I suppose it is now."

She spun her seat around to face the dance floor, and propped her elbows up on the counter. "What's the matter, stranger?"

He gave her a sidelong glance, then smiled, he'd play along, fine, they were two strangers, meeting up in a bar. Lord knows he knew the part.

"Can I by you a drink, Miss..." he gave her an expectant look.

She continued to watch the dance floor. Couples swaying in time to the music. "Smith." she said after a while. "Viola Smith, and you are?"

"Just call me 'Tom.'"

She laughed, silently, then leaned over to him, making eye contact for the first time. "Care to dance, 'Tom?'"

He sighed, and drained his drink before taking her by the hand an pulling her onto the floor. He didn't talk, didn't ask her why she'd come after him, though he wanted to. She wanted to be strangers, and he had to admit it was nice, holding her against him while they were both immersed in the music, feeling the muscles in her back as she swayed in time, smelling the scent of her shampoo... no past between them, no memories. It was nice... he wondered how long it would last.

Not long.

He heard the even foot steps from across the floor, pacing toward him, and he knew in an instant who they belonged to. His body tensed in anticipation, fight or flight, he was prepared.

"Corbin?"

"Hnn?" he answered, still straining to hear the pat... pat... pat over the music and the other shuffling feet.

"What is it?" Faye asked.

But he lost the sound in the crowd, and wasn't even sure he'd heard it to begin with. "I'm not sure..." He held his breath for a second, listening even harder... nothing. He shivered, then broke away from his partner, feeling a little shaky, and, strangely, disoriented. "I think those shots I took have finally hit me," he said in a whisper, as he stumbled and nearly fell. "Let's get out of here."

He shrugged her had off, when she tried to help support him. He was going to do this on his own... but his vision was blurring, and he was finding it difficult to string together a thought longer than 'get to door.' The cold night air hit him like a blast, as he stumbled through the door and slumped against the wall. He heard the footsteps again, slow and measured, he heard Eve's dusty voice, but couldn't make out the words, he heard Faye's reply, then she joined him against the wall, and he wasn't seeing too clearly, but he thought that there was blood at the back of her head. Then it all went black.





Eve tilted her head examining the two people against the wall. The money she'd given the bartender to slip the tranquilizers into Corbin's drink had been well spent. Faye wasn't stirring, but her chest still rose and fell... just unconscious then. "Sweet, too bad the woman's got to go." Something told Eve that there'd be trouble if she left this one alive, and if there was one thing she'd learned, it was to trust her instincts. She pulled her gun from her hip, and aimed it at Faye's head.

"So long sister."