Yay another update! I'm still embarrassed that I wrote the last one. Oh well, it is slightly necessary. Sorry if I made Spike to much of an ass but it was fun in a cruel sadistic way. Oh well Now for the forth Chapter. YAY!
Chapter 4: Meeting your past, hiding the future.
The man glanced up as Spike walked past him and into the little café. He went around to the back and waited hoping that his guess was correct. Spike stepped out onto the balcony and the man smiled, pleased with himself. He watched the tall man stop at a table where a purple haired woman was sitting and after a moment take his own seat. Moving a bit to make sure he had a good angle he slinked deeper into the bushes and waited and listened.
"Faye?" Spike asked looking around at the face of the purple haired woman sitting at the table he had been directed to.
The woman responded by looking over her sunglasses at him.
Well at least her eyes didn't change. Spike thought, but Jet had been right; everything else was different. Her hair was longer and pulled back into a high ponytail. She was in Jeans and a nice green top, which matched the emerald of her eyes. She wasn't deliberately reveling anything and even in the moderate warmth she was completely covered. How, how could this be Faye? Her face looked older like it had been twelve years not eight. No, not actually older, just more mature. She still had her staggering beauty. Whoa. Had he just thought that?
The woman continued to stare at him; maybe this wasn't Faye maybe he had made a mistake.
"Are you gonna sit down or just stand there like a lunkhead all day?"
He sat. "So Faye how are you?"
She pushed her glasses back up. No he had been wrong there was something different about her eyes too. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, so why did she feel like she needed to keep them hidden?
"I already told you that I was fine."
Ok, if she wants to hide something right away then she is just asking for the inquisition, isn't she? "What you been doing these last eight years?"
"I work at the history museum. I specialize in late 20th early 21st centuries.
Spike nodded; what a boring job.
"I've still been bounty hunting but I guess you knew that. All but the three years I was in the coma."
"And your six months of rehab," Faye added.
"Yeah, how… how did you know?"
Eep. She had slipped up. Ok calm, truth works. She had been telling partial truths ever since he had shown up.
"I talk to Jet, he told me." She said with an aura of confidence that she didn't have.
"Oh yeah, I remember. I knew that. How often do you guys talk?"
"Every few months."
How come we have never spoken, Spike wondered. She must have talked to Jet at least a dozen times since he had been back. They had even stopped by Earth and Jet had gone down and gotten supplies and no one felt like telling him. Why were they being so sneaky? Or maybe he was just making things up in his mind. Nah.
They ordered and their food came. They made small talk; Faye being careful not to talk about her personal life and slip up; Spike trying to figure out why she was acting so vague and trying to hide from him. They spoke for nearly an hour and a half before Faye realized that her lunch break was almost over.
"I'm sorry, but I gotta go. I took an extended lunch hour and it is almost over."
"Oh, ok." Had Faye just apologized to him? She had been being way to nice this entire meal; what was she hiding? "Let's keep in touch, what's your number?"
"Jet has it." She said quickly and left.
* * *
As Spike walked out of the café the sound of hurrying feet came towards him with hasty shouts of "Sir, Sir!" Spike turned around to see the waiter they'd had running towards him.
"Yes?" Spike asked some what annoyed; couldn't the guy see that he was thinking.
"Sir the lady you were with she left this at the table." The man handed him a small rectangular box.
"Ummm, thanks." He said as the man walked away.
Curiosity getting the better of him Spike took of the lid to find old 20th century baseball cards.
Finding a pay phone he looked up the number for the history museum. He hated these stupid old style ear phones that had no picture.
"Museum of Technological history, how may I direct your call?"
"Faye Valentine, please."
"One moment please."
"Modern history department, how may I help you?"
"May I Speak to Faye Valentine, please." If he had to say please one more time.
"I'm sorry Ms. Valentine has taken an extended lunch at her home today, would you like to leave a message?"
" No, no. You say she's at home?"
"Yes, if you feel that its urgent I can get you her home number."
"No, that's ok. I… I already have it."
"Ok sir, have a lovely day then goodbye."
"Bye."
Spike flipped through the phone book and found it. Valentine, F. How many people could have that name.
He went to his ship; she wouldn't be home yet, cause despite what she may have told her secretary she hadn't gone home for lunch.
The computer monitor flashed.
"Yes Jet?" Spike asked flipping on the screen.
"Spike finally, you took forever. Anyway we need some stuff pick it up while you are down there. I'm sending it to you now."
A scrolling list appeared next to Jet's head on the screen.
"Damnit Jet there has to be over 5o things here how the hell am I supposed to fit all that stuff in here?"
"Make two trips. Oh and rent a car so you don't have to carry it all around. I got a friend who will give us one cheep."
* * *
Three and a half hours later Spike was still grumbling as he finished putting the last of the bags in the trunk of the car. Checking his position on the map he noticed that he wasn't very far from Faye's house. Maybe he should stop by and drop off the cards. It was perfectly innocent.
* * *
As the water began to boil over the pot Faye quickly moved the pot off the heated burner and turned it off. Placing the pot back on she went to the phone. Thinking about how much she likes these older style ones where she didn't have to worry about people seeing her.
"Hi Marydeth, its Faye. Can you tell Landis he has ten minuets and then dinner."
" –"
"Thanks."
"—"
"Ok. Bye then."
She went back to the stove and proceeded to turn everything off, and took the garlic bread out of the oven.
The doorbell rang.
"Who? Must be Ed picking up Ein. Just a sec!" She called to the door. She wiped off her hands and walked the few steps down the hall to the door.
Pulling it open she started, "I'm sorry, I didn't…" Her eyes went wide; fear shocking threw her system as she stared up at Spike.
"Wha… What are you doing here?"
He leaned against the side of the house cigarette dangling out of his mouth.
"You left this at the café." He held out a small box she recognized as the old trading cards she had gotten for Landis.
"Oh, thank you." She reached out for the box but Spike pulled it back.
"You gonna invite me in?"
"I'm kinda…" Why was she wasting time arguing with him? She had to get him out of here before Landis came home so it would be best if she played along. "I'm afraid that I'm kind of busy so only for a moment." She tried to be as polite as possible when she wanted to rip out his throat for the threat that he was causing on the life she had been working on for the past eight years.
He went to walk past her but she put her hand against his chest to stop him. The action surprised both Faye and Spike. Her hand lingered there; feeling the warmth of his body under his clothes; longer then she would have liked.
Her eyes fell to the ground as she slid her hand off him. "I don't allow smoking in the house."
Spike raised an eyebrow and mumbled. "You smoke."
"Not for a long time." She replied.
Spike shrugged and threw his cigarette to the ground.
He followed her down the hall past the kitchen, the stairs up, and the dinning room; into the living room. She sat in the arm chair and he in the couch across from her.
He put the box on the coffee table in front of him. The room grew heavy with silence. Spike wondered why Faye was so nervous and Faye hoped Spike would hurry up and leave.
"Are you gonna offer me a drink?"
Damn it, leave already. No must remain calm.
"Yes, what would you like?"
"You got scotch?"
"No."
"Whiskey?"
"No."
"Beer?"
"No, I don't allow alcohol either. Now, if you don't have something that you need to talk about I'm very busy and I'm going to have to ask you…"
"You were hiding something at lunch today."
Faye shut up. That same fear creeping up again. "What do you mean?"
"I know you were hiding something. I know that something is bothering you. And I know it has something to do with me. I mean you're polite, you make small talk, you change the subject back to work constantly. And I know…"
Faye squeezed the arm of her chair.
"It has to do with what happened that night."
Faye gave an inward sigh of relief, so close yet so far.
"Spike its…"
"No let me finish. I never got to apologize for what happened or my behavior afterwards."
Faye's eyes stung. "It's, It's ok it was a long time ago." She couldn't believe she was telling him that the defining moment of her life was nothing. She just had to keep it together.
"Faye, are you crying?"
"No, of course not," she said wiping her face. "I'm sorry but you really have to go. I have work."
"Oh umm, ok"
He was about to get up when the glass door opened and slammed shut. Looking back at Faye he saw all the color drain from her face.
A small call came from the front door. "Mommy!"
Spike looked back at the hall and back at Faye. Surely he wasn't Faye's…
Done for now. Feel the air tingle with suspense. Not so I lie again. Tiffo ^_^
Curiosity Killed the hobbit.