The Way to a Player's Heart
+Chapter 1+
Thorn in My Side
By: Rachel*
Rated: R (Language/Sex/Violent content)
Gender: Comedy/Romance/Drama
E-mail: PeachGirlKiley@aol.com
Web Address: www.Spike-Faye-Shrine.cjb.net
+ A new AU for all you Spike/Faye fans! Faye turns up towards the last half of the chapter, I wanted you to get a sense of Spike being a player in this story before jumping into the romance. I think you'll like it, and be able to find a lot of comedy in this fanfic. As some of you may already know, I like the drama aspect of a story, however I thought I'd go for more of a verity this time, no worries drama fans, plenty more to come in this new story of mine! ENJOY! +
+ I do not own Cowboy Bebop +
He sighed into the girl's, long and brown hair. He didn't even remember her name. She lay on her side, holding his arm at her stomach. "Are you going to stay awhile?" He whispered, cutting into the silence.
She shook her head. "You know this wasn't going to last Spike." She turned and smiled at him. Spike's nose wrinkled together as she turned back. Another lost hope… He pulled his arm away from her and rolled onto his other side, pulling the sheets over his shoulders. His eyes were dark and distant.
++++++
Spike walked out of his room and down the long murky hallway to the small dank kitchen. She was already gone. He kicked his foot, why couldn't he remember her name, or half of their names for that matter? "She's gone already, Spike?" He peered over at a tall, middle-aged man with black, balding hair and a beard.
Spike groaned a yes and fell into a wooden chair. "The sad thing is I don't even remember her name." He grimaced, as the man handed him a plate of mush. "Jet, you consider this food that can be consumed by the human digestive system?" Spike poked at it with the fork on his plate.
"Its oatmeal, you've eaten it before." Jet growled, handing him a glass of water and some Advil. "This should help kill off the hangover." He mumbled.
Spike nodded, trying to avoid eye contact with the disgusting mass known as oatmeal. "Thanks a lot." He sighed. He'd just end up at the bar later anyway, it didn't really matter.
Jet smirked. "We're going after a new bounty today, I got some nice leads. Who knows you might actually get to eat some beef…" Jet chuckled as Spike sat straight up, his eyes wide in delight. "We'll leave in a few hours, so get ready."
Spike pushed his plate away and got up leaving for the bathroom. "By all means, let's go as soon as possible." Spike joked.
++++++
The day turned out to be nothing but, walking, screaming, chasing, and a waist. Spike fell into his favorite bar stool and let his head fall onto the table. "Spike, what'll it be?"
Spike looked up at the older man, stocky, with short blonde hair. "A shot of your best…" Spike growled, handing the man his money card.
"Shouldn't you say shots?" The man laughed. Spike was clearly not amused.
"Just one for now, I need to make my rounds, remember Jack?" Spike looked back at him with a smug grin on his tanned face.
"Yes, yes, how could I forget about Spike's famous rounds? Honestly, you get a girl every time you come here, how do you do it?" Jack shook his head in amazement.
Spike laughed. "No woman is immune." He took the shot glass from Jack's hand and drank it down. Squinting, he shook his head and placed the glass on the table. "Good." He smiled in acknowledgment. "I'll be back in a little while…" Spike took his card back and placed it in his suit pocket. His blue coat and pants went along with his yellow shirt and black tie. His took off his coat placed it on his stool and rolled up his yellow sleeves, just above his elbows. He walked around heading towards the dance floor. People swayed from side to side, bumping against one another the adrenaline pulsating through their bodies. The band was loud, keeping a steady beat. Spike leaned against a poll and glanced around. His eyes fell across the room on a girl with long red hair. He smiled and bowed his head for a moment before walking across the dance floor in her direction.
"Well, if it isn't the scumbag himself!" Spike was jerked backwards as someone ripped at his hair. "You bastard!" A sharp slap crossed his face.
Spike yelped and held his hand to his face. He peered out of his left eye to look at a girl with short blue hair and dark colored eyes. "Karen, is that you?" He was in luck; at least he knew her name.
"You left me alone in my room, you said we'd go out, and then I haven't heard from you since!" She pulled at his tie and chocked him.
"I couldn't I had to go, the cops were after me—" She slapped him again.
"Don't give me that shit, now why did you do that?!" She screeched. She had dropped hold of his tie, and Spike took it in his best interest to run away.
"I can't talk right now; I'm on a blind date…" Spike hated lying to her, but he didn't need her cramping his style.
"Blind date my ass!" She hissed, as her date pulled her away. He bowed his head and waved a farewell.
Spike reached the edge of the dance floor and flopped down in a chair, bending forward. He peered over at the girl. "You wouldn't be Stacy, would you?" He arched an eyebrow up at her.
The girl was a little startled by looked down at Spike. "No, sorry, I'm Kasadey." She smiled at him. 'He's cute…' She thought.
Spike leaned back in his chair. He rocked back on the two back legs. "Are you sure your name's not Stacy, I'd be really happy if it was you, because you're beautiful." He smiled, biting down on his lower lip.
Kasadey's face turned bright red and she shook her head. "If you want, I could be your blind date." She whispered, just low enough for Spike to hear. He smiled and nodded, satisfied with his success.
"Come on, I'll buy you a drink." He stood and took hold of her hand. She glanced down at it and nodded.
"You bastard, you're as bad as they come!" Karen came storming out of the crowed of people. Spike shut his eyes and shook his head.
"Karen, please, just—"
"Just what, you and I both know you weren't on a blind date!" She screamed. Kasadey looked over at Karen and back at Spike who had a pleading look on his face.
Kasadey let go. "Um, I'm waiting for someone, so I shouldn't really go." She frowned. "I'll find you if he doesn't show up…" She trailed off and waited for him to reply.
"What, just wait at the front of the place at the bar with me—" Spike tried to talk her into it, while pushing Karen away with his left arm.
"I've never seen anyone play so many women in my life Spike Spiegel!" Karen shouted again. Kasadey pulled away shaking her head. Spike nodded, and turned back to Karen.
"You," His eyes burned, and he got deathly close to her pointing a finger into her shoulder.
She snickered. "Going to sleep early tonight…" She cackled waving him a farewell. Spike clenched his fists and bit his tongue.
"Spike, all women are immune?" Jack smirked holding a drink in his hand. "Here, this one's on me."
Spike growled nodding his head. "Damn Karen, that girl Kasadey was pretty too." He chugged down the shot. "I'll see you again Jack…"
"You're actually leaving alone, do my eyes deceive me?" Spike growled in defeat, and nodded his head. "Well, well…have a nice night then," Jack paused. "If you really want a girl, why don't you just go to another bar?"
Spike smirked. "Does a drug addict get his drugs from different dealers every time? No, he keeps going back for the good stuff." Jack shook his head in a daze.
"Bad analogy," Jack muttered as Spike walked out the door.
++++++
Spike sparked up a cigarette and trudged down the dark, empty streets of Mars. He peered up at the sky as a few raindrops began to fall. "Damn it, what did I do to deserve this?" Spike picked up his pace.
"Stop it!" Spike heard a cry of a girl from the alley to his left.
"Come on sweetheart, you know what we want, just let us have our—"
Spike walked over to them and kicked a tin can startling the two shady looking men who cornered a woman behind a dumpster. "Everything okay here?" Spike took one last puff of his cigarette and threw it at the ringleader's feet.
"Who the hell are you?" He growled, pulling out a switchblade and aiming it towards the woman on the ground. Spike peered over at her.
She was thin, with short violet locks of hair that matched her emerald green eyes. Tears rolled over her cheeks and she trembled in fear. She shuddered from her silent cries. Her red dress was torn and dirty; there was clearly some kind of struggle. "This woman's…" He trailed off, winking at her. "…hero." He laughed as the two daft fools stared at him blankly.
"Shut up, we'll kill you!" The other man spoke up. Spike laughed even more, digging his foot into the filthy ground. The rain began to pour down.
"Let's see you try." Spike looked straight into the man's eyes a wide grin crossed from ear to ear on his face, his dark green hair shadowing his face.
"You…" They spoke in unison and came at Spike. He dodged their attacks, and kicked the one guy in the back of the head sending him to the ground. He shouted in pain as he passed out. The other, more lethargic one backed off before running away. Spike watched until he was out of sight. Taking a deep breath he turned back to the girl.
He smiled and walked over to her. "Hey," he squatted down to meet her gaze. His hair was soaked; it was really raining hard now. He cocked his head to one side and stared at her with a lopsided grin. "Are you okay, do you want to report this guy?" He gave up squatting and joined her on the ground crossing his legs. It didn't matter, his clothes were already drenched.
She backed as far as she could into the corner. She didn't say a word. She stared right through him, she was in shock.
Spike reached his hand out to move some stray whips of hair from her eyes. "Has anyone told you that you have the most gorgeous green eyes?" He shook his head in awe. This wasn't just another ploy either; she really did have gorgeous green eyes…
She was stirred from her state of shock at the comment. "What," her eyes narrowed a bit, and she looked into his eyes with an intense gaze.
"You're eyes are beautiful." Spike swallowed, inhaling and then exhaling. His hot breath brushed against her face. She saw his hand and slapped his away quickly. Faye shuddered, and moved back even further.
"Who are you, get away, stay back!" She kicked her left foot into Spike's shin.
Spike's brown eyes widened and he shouted out falling onto his side and holding his leg. "What is wrong with you, I just saved you and now you kick me in the leg?!" Spike cried out, gritting his teeth.
She shivered; rain soaked her body, her hair dripped onto the wet ground mixing with the small puddle next to her. Should she trust her savior, or make a run for it? "Who are you?" She stated again.
"My name's," he paused sitting up and rubbing his leg. "Spike," he coughed looking over his shoulder at the man who still lay on the ground. "Spike Spiegel, and what's yours?"
Faye curled her shoulders forward and tilted her head down, shadowing her features. "Faye," she looked back up at him. "Just call me Faye."
Spike smiled nodding his head. "At least we're getting somewhere now." He smirked, and stood up. "Here, have my coat." He pulled off the navy suit coat and offered it to her. She was shaking like a leaf. "If you trust me enough, you can come back to my place, we've got a spare room, and you can sleep there if you wish."
Spike helped Faye to her feet and gingerly assisted her pulling his coat on. "Oh, are you married?" She looked up hopeful, at least then she knew he wasn't that much of a pig.
Spike smirked, and shook his head. "No," He looked over at her. "I almost was once, though." He grimaced looking away. He could sense Faye's sudden hesitation. He forced a smile on his face. "But that's all in the past; anyway do you want to press charges on this guy?" Spike kicked him in the shoulder as they slowly staggered around the corner to stand under the bar's overhang.
Faye stared down at his dirtied face. She shuttered at the thought of what might have happened. Normally she was smarter than to let something happen to her, but they had pulled a gun on her, what was she going to do, try and dodge it? "No," she found her voice low, and frightful. "Can we just go?" Her hesitation was gone and she tugged at his arm.
Spike smirked in content. His night was turning out to be a good one after all. "You're sure, I mean…" He trailed off as she nodded.
"You can't be all that bad, you were engaged right?" She gave him a weary smile. Spike's smiled diminished and he looked away.
"I'd rather not talk too much about that, if you don't mind." Spike walked along with her. She frowned, and he picked up pace, as the rain continued to pour down on the two of them. This Faye, whoever she was, Spike had a feeling she was going to be a thorn in his side.
+ Till Next Chapter Cowboy… +
+ Hope you like it so far! ^_^ I don't think that'll be the last of Karen either +_+' Heh. READ + REVIEW! I live for the reviews, and to know what you guys think! +
PS – any tips on how to get rid of a head cold 10 days before you leave for Otakon? Heh-Heh… Damn driver's ed class got me sick! The teacher no less. A 30 hour book course, 3 hours a session, from 8:30 – 11:30 in the morning! It's a waist of my summer I tell you!…Even if it lowers my car insurance rates -_-' Heh.