Alright, first off....MAJOR apologies for the delay on this chapter. I could give you guys a hundred excuses for it, because things have been busy...but really there is no excuse. I'm NOT gonna quit on this story, because it's not meant to be a 20+ chapter long term thing. It can easily be concluded if I ever felt as if I couldn't continue

I would like to say thank you to TangerineKidd31 (All I'll say is its very possible!), Kenshinin, Volk Zyta, Chaos/KOS-MOS fan, Elohim, sijie, Sith, and a BIG thank you to Evolutionary Spider, it was great to see so much feedback (I threw Lin in this chapter...They probably will appear again..and don't worry, there will be plenty more adventure and pain, don't let this chapter fool you!) Thank you SO much, I really do appreciate your reviews, and they encourage me to keep writing. Many of you asked if this is going to be Faye x Vicious...Let me put it this way - If you don't like the idea of the two of them together in some way, shape, or form, you shouldn't be reading this ^_~ I know this chapter probably isn't quite worth the wait...however, the next chapter is already in the works...and let's just say it's gonna get pretty fucking hot.

The Loveless Business

Chapter 3 - The Night Off

Yet, if he said he loved me

I'd be lost, I'd be frightened

I couldn't cope, just couldn't cope

I'd turn my head, I'd back away

I wouldn't want him to know

He scares me so...

I want him so...

~ From Jesus Christ Superstar (Note that all my song quotes are from musicals...let's see how long I can keep that up!)

Shooting pool was a great way to spend a Saturday night. At least in Faye's humble opinion. For the last four months, she's barely had a Saturday to herself. There have been some weekends spent wining and dining with the enemy, flirting with them, and pouring them drinks until they spilled some valuable tidbits. There were others spent in the shadows, and stealing information from there. And of course, she's had her fair share of bullet dodging.

Four months. It might as well have been four years in the amount of times she's spent risking her life. However, she had to admit, for the most part, it had been worth it. As much as she might bitch and complain about the work at times, she knew deep down that she had it good. Risking her life was something she had done often before this, but rarely did she profit. And she sure as hell was profiting. She had her own apartment, spending money, and for the most part privacy. It wasn't a bad existence, in the least.

Vicious bent over the pool table, focusing carefully before making his shot. For once he wasn't wearing his jacket and vest, and the top of his shirt was unbuttoned. He was actually looking...comfortable for a change. Relaxed. Usually Vicious looked as if he was wolf prowling around a pack of angry dogs. Tonight he only looked slightly uneasy. It was an improvement, at least in Faye's eyes.

"How about the loser buys the winner a drink, hm?" Faye sat on the edge of the pool table, and leaned over against her cue stick. She ALWAYS looked relaxed in her slinky yellow attire. A little too relaxed, if you asked Vicious. However, he had learned in the last couple months that while Faye could be a smart ass, which occasionally got her in trouble, she was still quite prepared. Prepared to steal the clothes off your back, if you didn't watch yourself.

"...Sure." Vicious spoke slowly, as Faye stood to make her shot. He observed her carefully, watching how her body moved so sleekly, like some kind of nymph. It was intoxicating, watching her. But he knew that the more beautiful the creature, the less one would notice when they attacked.

As Faye began to pull herself up, she felt a figure against her. Vicious slowly lifted his arms, raising them to about her shoulders. She abruptly turned around, feeling her body just barely touching his. She saw his hands, expecting him to touch her breasts, ass, or perhaps just her hips. She knew Vicious lusted after her, just like any man would. Men were so easy to predict, and had ceased being interesting to Faye long ago. But no. The only thing he grabbed was her cue.

"...I think I'll use this one." he said, pulling away from her before leaning over the table once again. He made the last shot, the eight ball rolling nicely into the slot he called. "...You owe me a drink."

Faye stood there, a little surprised though she wouldn't let her face show it. Had he figured out that she had rigged the cue? Why hadn't he touched her? Instead she just groaned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Do I really....? Tch..." Her arms went behind her head, as she strolled over away from the pool tables, and took a seat on a stool at the bar. Vicious followed after her, taking the seat besides her. "Yeah, get me a green apple, and whatever the fuck he wants."

"Whiskey." Vicious didn't look at her, or at the bartender. He just stared foward, not looking at anything in particular. His mind was in another time, another place, when he would sit on this same stool, a leather clad blonde sitting in his lap, arms about his neck, ass nicely pressed into his groin.

"Do you trust me....?" Words she had spoken to him back then. She had been so weak, so defenseless, yet she hurt him worse then all of his syndicate enemies put together. After a blink or two, he pulled himself out of those thoughts, realizing that those words were spoken to him by someone else...The dark haired woman sitting next to him.

"Hn...?" He took a long sip of the whiskey that was now in front of him.

"I mean...do you trust me enough now to make my debt go poof? I think I've definitely done my share around here recently, and I have no intentions of stopping any time soon." And it was true. Faye had finally found herself the perfect occupation. She risked her life a couple times a week, and lived in luxury. With her debt gone, she would feel even more at ease.

"...Your debts are absorbed by the syndicate. If anyone ever tries to collect from you while you are working for us...well, let's just say they know better." He put down his glass and looked at her. "Should you ever fuck up, you'll be back to square one."

"I gotcha..." She was free. At least, for the time being. She wouldn't let herself be fooled, while the syndicate was comfortable now, should things ever get messy, she would need an escape. But she had plenty of time to worry and plan for that later, for she liked the way things were right now. She took a swig of her drink, and glanced over to her boss. "...You look like you need the booze more then I do. Congradz." Another large gulp was taken. "That's pretty damn hard to do."

"...Is it now?" His own glass was little by little becoming more and more shallow.

"Yeah...I try to drink whenever I can. Sometimes I think it helps jog my memory...you know..." Vicious turned to look at her, somewhat curiously.

"Jog your memory...? What do you mean by that?"

"Well..." This was a topic that Faye usually chose to avoid. But shortly, her first glass was finished, and her tongue felt a lot looser... "But you know, the whole reason I have that debt to begin with is because I was actually frozen for over 70 years 'cause of some kind of accident. When I woke up...nothing was wrong with my body, but I had no idea who the fuck I was." She sighed, shoulders slumping as she took a sip of her next round. "You have no idea how fucked up that is...not knowing who I am...not being able to remember anything..."

"I can sympathize with you, but...there are some things that it's best to forget. Don't concentrate on the past, or you'll just...." Another gulp of whiskey. "You'll just wind up like me."

"I see..." There was a pause for a moment, both of them lost in thought, the sounds of the bar and the pool tables filling their ears. "...She meant a lot to you, didn't she?" Vicious turned to look at her, a sharpness in his eyes, telling her that she was treading on thin ice.

"...I'm serious. There's this look a man gets in his eyes when he's thinkin' about that important lady...Though usually on you it's kind of scary, no offense."

"...Yes. She meant a lot to me if that's what you want to hear. And eventually...they're both going to pay..."

"Both?"

"...She fucked my best friend, and ran. As did he." His second glass was drained after speaking those words, a stern look still on his face. Faye sat there in silence, a stunned look on her face. She needed to digest those words with some booze.

"Ouch..." She had never experienced such a betrayal herself, as far as she knew, but the very idea of it seemed beyond disgusting. "'Tender, bring this man another round, he needs it. And bring me one while you're at it." She turned back to Vicious. "That does explain a lot...but you should really loosen up. Live life...You have all this wealth at your finger tips, but I never really see you indulge in it...That's such a waste."

"I'm indulging now, aren't I?"

"Probably because I'm paying...ha! In all serious Vicious...you know what ya need?" And she pointed right at him with her hand that was still holding the glass, damn near spilling it.

"What is it that I need, Faye?" Vicious was holding his liquor better then Faye, though he was well aware that his tongue had become perhaps a bit looser then he would have prefered.

"You need to forget that other chick, go out there, and hell, BUY yourself a new woman, God knows you have the cash for it. Get laid. You need it."

Vicious didn't respond. He just pushed the half empty glass forward and stood up.

"Hey, where ya going?" Faye asked, finished off the second glass.

"Home. To sleep. ....alone." He said very matter of fact-ly, pulling his jacket on.

"Well, doesn't that suck. Go ahead, ignore my advice, but one day you're gonna wake up and realize ya can't run forever...Some woman is gonna-" Faye's drunken ramblings were interrupted by gunfire. Vicious immediately grabbed her, and pulled her to the ground with him. Screams filled the air, as did the sounds of frantic running. He pulled himself and Faye behind the bar counter. Cautiously, and with a gun drawn, he peered over the countertop.

Several men, clad in black, were storming the bar, and a bullet just barely missed his head, breaking one of the empty glasses instead. Vicious fired several rounds, taking out two of them. Another round of fire, from someone other then Vicious, took out a few more. Soon another figure had joined them behind the bar.

"Lin." Vicious spoke, his voice calm as it always was, even in these dire situation. Lin reloaded his weapon, before glancing back to Vicious.

"It's rival syndicate trouble, sir. They heard our members frequent this bar, and wanted to cause some trouble."

"Well then. We'll just have to cause them some trouble back. I trust you've already called for back up?" Several more rounds were fired from Vicious, as he peered carefully over the counter top.

"Yes, I did. But what's most important, sir, is that you get out of here...alive. You would be the main target." Vicious nodded once...that was one of the unfortunate side affects of being a high ranking mob official - People like to kill you. It was then that he noticed the not quite sober Faye reaching for the gun in her pocket.

"Oh no you don't..." Her gun was taken, and placed into his own coat pocket. The last thing he needed was a drunken Faye trying to be heroic and ending up shooting herself - or one of his men. She couldn't stay here either. God damn it, if the girl couldn't hold her liquor why did she drink so much? There was no time to really place the blame, however. He pulled her into his arms.

"Put your arms around my neck, Ms. Valentine." He instructed her, just as he would instruct her to do anything else. After a few ragged attempts, she succeeded.

When Faye was drunk, she didn't feel as if her senses were dulled. Quite the contrary, every little detail, every little touch became stronger, and more sensitive, to the point where it was too much for her system to handle. All that existed was her head pressed against his jacket, corners of skin brushing against her own, the scent of his cologne drifting right under her nose, the loud sounds of the gunshots popping behind them. And from there on in, everything else may as well have melted away. She felt the air rush against her body, as Vicious made a mad dash out the door of the bar, through the streets, barely missing the bullets that were being fired at him on his way out.

Vicious couldn't help but silently curse and silently thank god for creating women, feeling a female tremble in his arms for the first time in years. Of course it would be in a life or death situation, were there any other kinds in his life? He ducked into an alleyway, listening to the sounds of footsteps rush past, leaving them alone in a tentative safety. He slumped to the ground, face pressing into the nape of her neck, body collapsing onto hers. Faye's fingers had made her way into his hair, her liquor tainted breath against his cheek, her body instinctively pressed to his. A pleasant feeling, but there was no time for that now. They had to get home. There was much work to be done, a retaliation would be in order, as well as an assassination or two. Carefully he pulled himself from her grasp, and helped her to a stand.

Spilling blood was less dangerous then sex, anyway.