Disclaimer - I have no money for a witty disclaimer, which means I
sho'nuff don't have enough money to buy Cowboy Bebop.
"Look Me in the Eye"
a product of Nataku-chan Incorporated ^_^
Chapter 3 - Saving Face
"Still don't see much of me giving in
Much too strong to live outside these sins
Feeling like I'm taken lightly, think you see right through me
Words of those that still despise me, think it's eating me you're dreaming"
- Default, "Live a Lie"
"You sure you can pull this off?" Jet's voice came through
the comm. with hidden concern.
"Yeah, Jet. One punk counterfeiter shouldn't pose much of
a threat for an invalid like me," Spike muttered dryly. "I've
been cooped up on the ship for weeks - cut me a break."
"I think you've been cut up enough," Jet replied. "Try to
come back in one piece."
"Yeah, yeah," Spike ended the transmission turning to his
brooding companion, a little disappointed by her silence. She
had yet to make one disparaging remark since they left the
ship. Spike could only sigh inwardly.
Ever since the scene in her room a week prior, the two had
been on eggshells around each other. Several times Spike had
tried to initiate conversations, arguments, even an occasional
slinging of insults - still no results. No matter how hard he
tried, Faye was slowly becoming a stranger to him; he
didn't like it one bit.
"You ready?" he asked.
With a curt nod, Faye headed towards the bar entrance only
to be stopped by Spike's hand.
"Damnit, Faye," he snarled. "Haven't we had enough of this
game?"
"I'm not playing with you, Spike," Faye replied coolly. "I'm
not that kind of woman."
"Bullshit," he spun her around to face him. "Enough's enough;
we're never gonna catch this bounty if you don't start talking to
me again."
"Let's get one thing straight," Faye's voice was full of venom.
"You and I -never- talked. You and Jet made the plans; I was
just supposed to try not to screw them up."
Spike sighed heavily; she was right. "This is different, I'm
actually asking your help on this one."
Faye paused, looking away. "That's because you're still injured."
"Not really..." A suggestive grin found its way across Spike's
face. "Due to your nursing 'expertise', I managed a
miraculous recovery."
Red made its way across Faye's cheeks as she tried to keep
her gaze away from his. "Jack ass."
Spike smirked. It was her way of saying, 'you're welcome.'
~~~
"5 million, 9 thousand, 9 hundred and ninety nine... 6 million
woolongs." With a final beep, the transfer was completed;
the bounty reward now residing in the Bebop's account.
Spike smirked in satisfaction; it felt good to be back in
business.
"Look at you, you can hardly contain yourself," Faye
regarded him with a cool, but amused gaze. "So happy
to be part of the action again."
Spike gave her a mocking glare. "And I suppose you aren't
thrilled to be 2 million woolongs richer."
"So, I'm actually part of the cut this time?" Faye asked
incredulously.
"Why wouldn't you be?" Spike asked with a puzzled look on
his face. "You earned it."
A myriad of emotions passed across Faye's face before her
usual, cool mask slipped back into place. "So, what do we do
now?"
"Well," Spike drawled. "Rendezvous with the Bebop isn't for
another 4 hours... we could just hang out until then."
"You and me?" Faye asked. "Together?"
"Ain't so bad, is it?"
"I guess not," she replied with a shrug. "What'd you have in
mind?"
Before he could answer, both their stomachs growled in
unison. The two blushed and looked away from each other,
laughing nervously.
"I guess lunch is first on the agenda."
"Smart move."
== Flashback ==
"I'm so tired..." she murmured. "I'm so tired of this life... I'm
tired of being alone... I don't want to hurt anymore, Spike..."
=====End=====
Spike blinked, shaking the memory from his head. He hadn't
thought of that moment for months - not since it had happened.
Never had he seen Faye look so... tired. She had been ready to
give up everything... it was a thought Spike just couldn't fathom.
A spitfire like Faye throwing her life away? Maybe on some
risky gamble, but not like that. The Faye he had known was a
guns blazing, rockets red glaring, never say die type of fighter.
Her type never gave up on life, never laid down and surrendered -
never died - they just faded away...
Even looking straight at her, laughing and and joking in between
bites of her lunch as if she hadn't a single care at all, Spike couldn't
even imagine a galaxy without the famous Poker Alice Faye
Valentine; and that scared him. Somehow, deep down, Spike knew
that behind all the smiles still lay the wretched soul he had seen
that night on the deck of the Bebop.
Despite what passion Faye did possess, that shadow of a woman
Spike had seen was the strongest of all. She, though buried deep
down, was the force behind all that was Faye. She dictated her
thoghts and actions, controlled what she said or felt. This was
the Faye behind the mask, the one who would lead to her downfall.
Spike realized it was she who would have to be stopped.
"Hey in there, Cowboy," Spiked looked up to see Faye watching
him. "What's up with you? Ya barely touched your food?"
In response to that, Spike began shoveling away ramen as quickly
as possible. Faye regarded him with a look of disgust. When he
finished, he regarded her curiously.
Feeling self-conscious, Faye frowned back at him. "What?"
Spike smiled. "Nothing." he replied. "It's just that you don't look
half-bad when you're not yelling or screaming."
Faye blinked a moment before frowning again. "Shut up."
"Why? I'm being serious."
Faye scoffed. "No, you're not."
"Yeah, I am." Spike sat up, crossing himself. "I really mean it.
Scout's Honor."
"Like you were really a boy scout."
Spike smirked. "The Syndicate had a Junior Battalion."
Faye flinched at the mention of the S-word, but shook it off with
a scowl. "Y'know, that's really sick. I suppose you ran around
selling cookies or something."
The lanky bounty hunter chuckled wryly. "I think it's best if I not
tell you what we sold."
Faye chuckled lightly. "I appreciate it."
"I can if you want me to... but I think you'd be a bit grossed out."
"No," Faye paused. "I mean, all this." She gestured to the table
at which they were sitting. "You didn't have to do this."
Spike smirked. "Y'know, I'd be more than happy to split the bill."
"You idiot..." Faye growled, quickly calming herself. "I'm trying to
thank you!"
Spike looked slightly alarmed. "For what?"
"I dunno," Faye answered, suddenly looking sheepish. "For being
nice I guess."
Spike rested his chin on his hand, grinning playfully. "Well, even
a shrew like you deserves nice things every once in a while."
Faye thwacked him over the head with her menu, though his poofy
green hair cushioned the blow. "Lunkhead."
~End of Chapter 3
sho'nuff don't have enough money to buy Cowboy Bebop.
"Look Me in the Eye"
a product of Nataku-chan Incorporated ^_^
Chapter 3 - Saving Face
"Still don't see much of me giving in
Much too strong to live outside these sins
Feeling like I'm taken lightly, think you see right through me
Words of those that still despise me, think it's eating me you're dreaming"
- Default, "Live a Lie"
"You sure you can pull this off?" Jet's voice came through
the comm. with hidden concern.
"Yeah, Jet. One punk counterfeiter shouldn't pose much of
a threat for an invalid like me," Spike muttered dryly. "I've
been cooped up on the ship for weeks - cut me a break."
"I think you've been cut up enough," Jet replied. "Try to
come back in one piece."
"Yeah, yeah," Spike ended the transmission turning to his
brooding companion, a little disappointed by her silence. She
had yet to make one disparaging remark since they left the
ship. Spike could only sigh inwardly.
Ever since the scene in her room a week prior, the two had
been on eggshells around each other. Several times Spike had
tried to initiate conversations, arguments, even an occasional
slinging of insults - still no results. No matter how hard he
tried, Faye was slowly becoming a stranger to him; he
didn't like it one bit.
"You ready?" he asked.
With a curt nod, Faye headed towards the bar entrance only
to be stopped by Spike's hand.
"Damnit, Faye," he snarled. "Haven't we had enough of this
game?"
"I'm not playing with you, Spike," Faye replied coolly. "I'm
not that kind of woman."
"Bullshit," he spun her around to face him. "Enough's enough;
we're never gonna catch this bounty if you don't start talking to
me again."
"Let's get one thing straight," Faye's voice was full of venom.
"You and I -never- talked. You and Jet made the plans; I was
just supposed to try not to screw them up."
Spike sighed heavily; she was right. "This is different, I'm
actually asking your help on this one."
Faye paused, looking away. "That's because you're still injured."
"Not really..." A suggestive grin found its way across Spike's
face. "Due to your nursing 'expertise', I managed a
miraculous recovery."
Red made its way across Faye's cheeks as she tried to keep
her gaze away from his. "Jack ass."
Spike smirked. It was her way of saying, 'you're welcome.'
~~~
"5 million, 9 thousand, 9 hundred and ninety nine... 6 million
woolongs." With a final beep, the transfer was completed;
the bounty reward now residing in the Bebop's account.
Spike smirked in satisfaction; it felt good to be back in
business.
"Look at you, you can hardly contain yourself," Faye
regarded him with a cool, but amused gaze. "So happy
to be part of the action again."
Spike gave her a mocking glare. "And I suppose you aren't
thrilled to be 2 million woolongs richer."
"So, I'm actually part of the cut this time?" Faye asked
incredulously.
"Why wouldn't you be?" Spike asked with a puzzled look on
his face. "You earned it."
A myriad of emotions passed across Faye's face before her
usual, cool mask slipped back into place. "So, what do we do
now?"
"Well," Spike drawled. "Rendezvous with the Bebop isn't for
another 4 hours... we could just hang out until then."
"You and me?" Faye asked. "Together?"
"Ain't so bad, is it?"
"I guess not," she replied with a shrug. "What'd you have in
mind?"
Before he could answer, both their stomachs growled in
unison. The two blushed and looked away from each other,
laughing nervously.
"I guess lunch is first on the agenda."
"Smart move."
== Flashback ==
"I'm so tired..." she murmured. "I'm so tired of this life... I'm
tired of being alone... I don't want to hurt anymore, Spike..."
=====End=====
Spike blinked, shaking the memory from his head. He hadn't
thought of that moment for months - not since it had happened.
Never had he seen Faye look so... tired. She had been ready to
give up everything... it was a thought Spike just couldn't fathom.
A spitfire like Faye throwing her life away? Maybe on some
risky gamble, but not like that. The Faye he had known was a
guns blazing, rockets red glaring, never say die type of fighter.
Her type never gave up on life, never laid down and surrendered -
never died - they just faded away...
Even looking straight at her, laughing and and joking in between
bites of her lunch as if she hadn't a single care at all, Spike couldn't
even imagine a galaxy without the famous Poker Alice Faye
Valentine; and that scared him. Somehow, deep down, Spike knew
that behind all the smiles still lay the wretched soul he had seen
that night on the deck of the Bebop.
Despite what passion Faye did possess, that shadow of a woman
Spike had seen was the strongest of all. She, though buried deep
down, was the force behind all that was Faye. She dictated her
thoghts and actions, controlled what she said or felt. This was
the Faye behind the mask, the one who would lead to her downfall.
Spike realized it was she who would have to be stopped.
"Hey in there, Cowboy," Spiked looked up to see Faye watching
him. "What's up with you? Ya barely touched your food?"
In response to that, Spike began shoveling away ramen as quickly
as possible. Faye regarded him with a look of disgust. When he
finished, he regarded her curiously.
Feeling self-conscious, Faye frowned back at him. "What?"
Spike smiled. "Nothing." he replied. "It's just that you don't look
half-bad when you're not yelling or screaming."
Faye blinked a moment before frowning again. "Shut up."
"Why? I'm being serious."
Faye scoffed. "No, you're not."
"Yeah, I am." Spike sat up, crossing himself. "I really mean it.
Scout's Honor."
"Like you were really a boy scout."
Spike smirked. "The Syndicate had a Junior Battalion."
Faye flinched at the mention of the S-word, but shook it off with
a scowl. "Y'know, that's really sick. I suppose you ran around
selling cookies or something."
The lanky bounty hunter chuckled wryly. "I think it's best if I not
tell you what we sold."
Faye chuckled lightly. "I appreciate it."
"I can if you want me to... but I think you'd be a bit grossed out."
"No," Faye paused. "I mean, all this." She gestured to the table
at which they were sitting. "You didn't have to do this."
Spike smirked. "Y'know, I'd be more than happy to split the bill."
"You idiot..." Faye growled, quickly calming herself. "I'm trying to
thank you!"
Spike looked slightly alarmed. "For what?"
"I dunno," Faye answered, suddenly looking sheepish. "For being
nice I guess."
Spike rested his chin on his hand, grinning playfully. "Well, even
a shrew like you deserves nice things every once in a while."
Faye thwacked him over the head with her menu, though his poofy
green hair cushioned the blow. "Lunkhead."
~End of Chapter 3