The Way to a Player's Heart

Chapter 10

When the End Nears

By: Rachel*

Rated: R

Genre: Romance/Drama

**beats it into my brain**

E-mail: PeachGirlKiley@aol.com

Web Address: www.Spike-Faye-Shrine.cjb.net

Wow, well if this isn't the end the next chapter will be! ::cries:: Next to Sanity this has turned out to be a close favorite of mine! Hope all enjoy! READ+REVIEW!

Disclaimer: Don't own Bebop, nor the song, Should've Listened.

"Should've Listened"

By: Nickelback

There's clothes all over the floor
I don't remember them being here before
Smell of perfume isn't here, why's lipstick on the mirror?
And still I don't understand

No pictures left in the hall, there's three new holes my wall
Where the hells my credit cars, why's my wallet in the yard
And still I don't understand

Well now I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other, whys love gotta be so tough?

Should see the look on my face, my shits all over the place
Why's this happening to me, why'd you take both sets of keys?
And still I don't understand

Well now I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other, Whys love gotta be so tough?
Well now I guess I should've listened

There's clothes all over my floor
I don't remember them being here before
There are no candles in here, lipstick still on my mirror?
And still I don't understand

Now I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other, why must life be so tough?

Well now I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other, whys love gotta be so tough

          Spike's breath came in quick puffs as he watched his angel fall. Blonde locks flowed behind her body as she fell to the black tar roof. He blinked and looked away before glancing back. It wasn't a dream, she's been shot. "Ju…" he began to shake. "No…" He gritted his teeth and looked over at the man running towards the door. His eyes blazed with a fiery hatred. He razed his shaking hand and fired his gun. The sound pierced through the air. Spike watched as the bullet hit him in the back of the head. The man fell. Spike swallowed and looked back at Julia, expecting her to be sitting up.

         She still lied on the roof, face down. Her right arm was extended past her head and her left, staid down at her side, under her stomach, and covered brown trench coat. The bottom half of her hair was streaked with blood, she still wouldn't move. Spike swayed unsteadily on his feet. His gun fell from his fingertips, landing with a muffled thud. He stumbled to his knees, he felt like he was going to pass out. He began to hyper violate. Tears formed in his brown eyes.

          Spike's left ear twitched as one of the doors from behind him creaked open. He closed his eyes and readied himself to die. Waiting for that single bullet to come flying… nothing came. "Oh Jesus…" It was Jet. His voice was hushed, and wrenching. Spike gritted his teeth and forced himself up to his feet. He teetered from side to side until he fell to onto his right side. He let out a gargled cry. Jet watched, as he was pulled into a trance of horror, and misery. "Kid…I'm so sorry…" Jet closed his eyes and bowed his head.

          "Oh God, Julia…" Spike rolled her, onto her back and checked her pulse. There wasn't anything. He laid her down and bowed his head. His dark green locks of hair shadowed his face as rain began to fall from the heavens above. Wrapping his arms around himself he dug his nails into his skin, any form of pain was better than what he was feeling right now. "No…" He let his arms fall to his sides and looked up at the ray colored sky. Thunder rumbled off in the distance. He blinked as the drops poured onto his face mixing with his salty tears.

          He let out a cry of anger and pressed his fists into Julia's chest, and tried to reviver her. Jet's lips parted and he took a step closer as Spike breathed into her paled lips. "Spike," he took a breath as he saw Spike shaking, tears rolling off his cheeks.

          "You can't die, you can't!" He wouldn't accept the fact that she was gone. "Don't go…" Jet shook his head as he walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

          "Let her rest—"

          "Leave me alone!" Spike shouted. He swallowed back another cry. Jet bit down on his cheek and nodded, leaving him be. He raised his hands and whipped the tears from his face and shuttered back yet another cry. "You can't leave me Julia…" He shook even more resting his head in the crook of her shoulder. She was already growing cold. "Julia!"

++++++

          Spike sat up shouting her name. His eyes were wide and sweat clung to his frame. He sighed, and rolled over covering his face with his hands. He hadn't dreamt about Julia's death in over two months. Faye's face flashed into his mind. Her kisses, everything about her came rushing through his mind. "I didn't mean it." He tore at the sheet left on the bed. The sound or the tearing sheet broke though the air, and startled him from his thoughts.

          Letting out a moan of disgust he got up and staggered into the hall. His hands shook as he swayed and bobbed his way into the kitchen. "What are you doing?" Jet yawned as he poured a cup of coffee and headed into the living room. "Where's Faye?" He arched and eyebrow and shook his head.

          "Gone," Spike's voice was deadly. He clutched his hand on the fridge and opened it looking inside. "Where's the beer?" Spike swallowed and crossed his shaking arms.

          "I drank the last one yesterday." Jet looked at him oddly. "Gone you say…where's she at; out shopping?"

          Spike let out a shout of frustration and pounded his fist into the counter. "She's not coming back!" He stormed into the washroom and looked for his secret stash. "Where are they?!" He threw the clean clothes in all directions, and threw a bottle of detergent into the wall across from him. It cracked open and poured over the floor. "Damn it!"

          Jet walked in and stared at him. "You're pathetic." He drained. Spike stopped, blinked and looked back up at Jet. His brown eyes narrowed, and lips parted.

          "What'd you say?" He stood and dropped a clean towel to the ground.

          "You need help Spike; Faye I thought was the one who'd snap you out of this…" He shook his head. "What'd you say to make this one leave?"

          "Bastard, I thought you were my friend." Spike clenched his fists.

          Jet scuffed. "I am, but not when you're like this. I want to help, and I'm sure Faye does care about you—"

          "I called her Julia!" Spike shoved past him and stormed off to his room slamming the door.

          Jet absorbed the blow he'd sustained. "You can both move on from this Spike, you just have to get over her, and find what's been waiting for you."

++++++

          Spike fell to the ground and rested against his bed. He swallowed and bent down letting his arm search under the bed. He closed his eyes and smiled as his fingers ran against the cold metal.

          Readying the gun, he placed it against his head. Spike closed his eyes. "I can end it all…" He let out a strained chuckled and pulled the trigger…once, and then again, and again. "Damn you." He tossed the empty weapon to the ground. "Faye, why'd you have to go?" He whispered out a small cry and bit down on his lower lip. "I want to be with you…"

++++++

          The sky was an inky black, as night covered Mars in a blanket of black. The city lights danced off in the distance, twirling around to their own roaring tune of booze, and shouting. Spike sat on the wing of his Zip craft watching the lights flash and, reflect onto the clouds.

          Taking a final drag of his cigarette he flicked it onto the ground, and stepped forcefully on it; digging his foot into the red, desert sand of Mars. He hated this planet; it was his old home, and his place of hateful memories.

          It had been four months since his last drink. He'd been scrounging off of caffeine, and sugar ever since. "Damn it to hell." He cursed, and hopped off the wing. Bending down he picked up a rocked and juggled it in his hands. Narrowing his two-toned eyes and chucked it as far as he could throw. It landed making a cloud of dust rise up. "You're in the worst place you could be Faye." He sighed, picturing her violet hair as it wavered back and forth, sported with a yellow hair band that helped her emerald eyes stick out beautifully.

          Biting down on his thumb he strolled over to the two way road as a car approached. Yawning he stuck out his thumb and smiled as they pulled over. The car was filled with three women in it. They all stared at him for a moment. Their windows were up. He watched as they looked at each other, to him, and then back to one another. They looked about his age; the one sitting shotgun might have been a bit younger. The driver rolled down the window. She was pretty, dressed in a red dress, and her blonde locks of hair were pulled back into a neat little bun. She batted her eyelashes and popped her tanned face out the window. "Do you need a ride, where are you going?"

          The girl sitting next to her giggled and waved. She was cute, also tan, her hair was amber brown, and her eyes looked like a deep blue. Spike eyed her trying to see if he was wrong. "That'd be great." He smirked. Looking in the back a girl with long, thin black hair smiled, waving sheepishly at him. Spike arched an eyebrow and winked. Her chocolate brown eyes widened and her pale cheeks flushed.

          The girl in the drivers' seat eyed him. "Where to?" she looked past him at his Zip craft.

          "Center city would be great." Spike sighed and walked towards the back door. She stared a moment before unlocking the doors and letting him in.

          "You're lucky that you're so cute, I wasn't going to let you in otherwise." She looked in the rearview mirror and winked at Spike. The two girls accompanying her laughed.

          "Care if I smoke?" Spike pulled out his final cigarette and his Zippo. They all shrugged and nodded. Spike smiled. "Thanks," he sparked it up and took a quick puff, as he rolled down the back window a crack.

          "So, what's your name mystery man?" The girl next to him brushed a piece of his dark green hair away from his eyes. Spike rippled his lips together, pulling his head back.

          She smiled and ran her fingers through her ebony hair. "Spike," he coughed as he felt the girls hand lay on his knee. His eyes widened and he turned towards her and pulled his knee back.

          "What, Spike, you don't like me?" She frowned. The two girls in front rolled their eyes.

          Spike threw his cigarette out the window and rolled the window up. He couldn't help but admit that she was pretty, but he was only after Faye, and only her. "I'm gay…" His life came to a sudden halt, the words rolled out like water flowing down a stream. All he could remember was Faye when he'd first tried to kiss her.

          The girl blinked, and the other two looked back at him in shock. Spike bowed his head and shrugged his shoulders. He closed his eyes and cursed to himself over and over again. The girl sighed and nodded her head. "It's always the cuties…" She pouted and poked Spike in the cheek.

          He grimaced. "Sorry ladies should have asked first." The driver shrugged her shoulders, and the other one smiled and nodded her head.

          "It's okay; you just didn't seem like that kind of a guy." Spike relaxed and let his head rest against the door.

          He nodded. "I get that a lot." He lied, and smirked over at the girl sitting next to him. "Maybe in another lifetime, okay?" He winked and she blushed, bowing her head in a nod of agreement.

++++++

          Spike jumped out of the car as the girls waved their farewells. "Thanks again!" Spike shouted as they sped down the city street. Shrugging he pulled a picture out of his back pocket, not the most attractive picture of Faye, but it would do. He found one from the old bounty files on the web site. Thankfully it wasn't too old either. Two women standing at the street corner bit down on their lower lips and came up to him.

          "Want to have some fun?" The one cooed, running her hand down his arm. Spike suddenly became aware as to how much he stuck out towards the opposite sex. She smiled. "I don't ask for much…" She stared in wait.

          "Sorry, I've already got a date." He shrugged his shoulders and pushed past the two of them. They pouted and let out little whimpers of disappointment. Spike smirked and without looking back waved. He stopped as he peered up at the glowing sign. "Loser Bar…" He read aloud. Frowning at the thought of a drink he entered and took a seat at the nearest booth.

          "What'll it be?" The bartender came up to Spike and sighed resting against the counter.

          "Nothing, have you seen this woman anywhere recently?" Spike closed his eyes and handed him the picture. "Her name's Faye—"

          "Yeah, she's around her all the time." The man nodded and smirked. Spike's head jerked up and his lips parted.

          "You…you're serious?" Spike couldn't help but smile when the man nodded his head.

          "I should know, I hired her," the man chuckled. Spike bowed his head. "Why, you her boyfriend?" he narrowed his eyes looking over Spike.

          Spike looked back up at him with saddened eyes. "Something like that…" Spike couldn't have had a better stroke of luck. A ride, and now he'd found her. "Is she here now?" Spike looked around cautiously.

          "She should be here in about ten minutes; you can wait in the back room if you want." Spike nodded. "Here, on the house." He handed Spike a scotch.

          Spike grimaced as his right hand began to tremble. "I was an alcoholic…" The bartender's eyes widened and he nodded pulled the glass away from Spike.

          "I'm sorry." Spike nodded.

          "It's fine; you're the first person I've admitted that to." Spike sighed and stuck his hands into the pants pockets and whistled to the beat of the music as he strolled into the back room.

          Pulling back the velvet red curtain he entered the darkened room. The lights were very dim and he stumbled over a small step. Gathering his balance he cursed and took a look around. The furniture was black. A large leather couch, and three matching chairs with a metal table covered with a glass top were placed in the center of everything. A girl with long dyed purple hair stared at him for a moment.

          "You're not allowed back here." She was buttoning up her shirt and Spike looked away.

          "The bartender sent me back here, I'm waiting for Faye." She eyed him a moment longer as he looked back at her. She nodded.

         "Take a seat then, she's getting changed now." Spike's face paled as she pointed over to the left. In the darkness there were three small changing room covered up by red velvet curtains.

          "Faye…" Spike stammered. The curtain pulled back and his eyes locked onto her dulled green ones.