A/N: Hey, hey, hey! ^^ WOWZAZ!!! lol, I think that this iz even MORE reviews that I got on my 1st chappie than Wild Hearts, so thanx a bunch! Wow! =^-^= I swear, u guyz are GR8!!! U make my day! =P Thanx 2 Rachel2, "Me", Jaded-Shrew, Wertzy, birdychick, Bloody Love, Linus, spike'spunkygirl, Moonwhisper, & Cowgirl13! Without YOU guyz, this 2nd chapter wouldn't be possible, so w00t & here's sum free feeling of well-being 4 ALL!!! YAY!!!! ::coughs:: Heh. -_-' N-e-whoz, please R&R, and of course...ENJOY! ^,~



THUD!

"OW! What kind of a graceful landing is that for a friggin' angel?!," Spike demanded hotly through clenched teeth, tenderly rubbing his sore bottom as he staggered up from the floor of the common room onboard the Bebop and gracelessly tripped over into the next room, only to find a severely agitated Jet Black ambulating back and forth in front of him.

"Dammit," the hulky man cursed softly under his breath, his eyebrows knitting closely together as he stopped pacing and leaned back against the wall, still obviously deep in thought. "There's no more food or money.....how the hell am I gonna break it to Faye that she has to stop mourning over that foolish ass and start raking in the dough, again?!"

"Jet....I'm here! I'll get the money!," Spike offered, taking a slight step forward, only to instantly realize that something was amiss. "Hey! Do you hear me?!"

Jet didn't answer.

Frustrated, Spike waved his arms frantically about in front of his old comrade's stoic facade, only to have him, to his utter surprise, walk directly right through him and into the common room.

"What the hell?!," Spike exclaimed, whipping around in order to observe Jet continue on with his daily routine, clearly quite unaware of the fact that his deceased comrade was currently within roughly about the same vicinity as he was, himself. "I can't believe this! I thought that I was damned, so therefore I could touch, communicate, and protect my loved ones!"

"Correction," a sweet feminine voice rang within his head, "you can only come in contact with your loved ones that need you the most."

"B-but Celeste....I thought that-"

"It matters not what you thought, Spike, fore I am telling you how things are meant to be," she cut in abruptly, the firmness within her lilting voice silencing him in an instant. "The loved one that I speak of is your comrade, Faye Valentine....she needs you more than anyone in this galaxy at this very moment. She's nearing the point of no return."

Spike's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! There's no way in Hell that she could possibly be considered one of my loved ones! I mean, sure, I feel sorry for her, and all, but that doesn't mean that I'm all gaga over her!"

Celeste snorted, clearly aggravated by his sudden outburst as she chaffed indignantly, "Oh, just do it, Spike! You don't want to join Julia in Hell, now, do you?!"

Spike grimaced, bowing his head in dejection as he returned sorrowfully, "Please don't remind me about that......I mean, it was hard enough for me to stomach the real reason for why she claimed to love me, so please.......never mention that name to me again."

"Very well, but only if you visit Faye right this minute!," Celeste agreed, suddenly in high spirits now that she had realized that she had won. "Remember, her very survival could depend on you, so don't blow it!"

"Yeah, yeah..........spare me of the spiritual life and death crap, ok? Sheesh," Spike muttered, disdainfully stuffing his hands into his pockets as he suddenly found himself desperately craving one of his sweet paper lifesavers. "What should I say to her, anyway? Hey, there, shrew! Ya miss me?"

Celeste snorted. "No, stupid.....you don't want to insult her! My Lord, you're only one day damned and already you're acting like a bubbling buffoon! Jeez! Just come off gently about your reuniting with soft, gentle, reassuring words, just like any other true angel would do."

"But I-"

"Your heart will guide you," she continued, her voice slowly drifting away into nothingness, "let it be the compass that will lead you towards what is pure and good. Then, and only then, will you learn what you must do."

Spike drooped. "Yippee....I can hardly wait."
**************************************************************************************************************************
Click.

Faye trembled, her breath hitching in her throat the moment that she de-activated the safety on her Glock, her lips pinching tightly together into a thin, grim line as she prepared herself for the better life that would surely come if she pulled the trigger.

"I'm coming, Spike," she breathed, warm, gentle tears pooling amidst her kohl lashes like liquid diamonds as she took a deep breath and gradually began to squeeze back on the trigger. "I'm coming."

"Faye, NO!"

She screamed, firing blindly into the air as a young man garbed in mostly navy blue wrestled her to the ground and pinned her wrists down by her sides, her breathing instantly becoming ragged once she fixed her terrified gaze upon the two-toned garnet eyes that were staring back at her with a deep intensity that set her heart afire.

"Spike........no........."

"Yes...it's me," he affirmed, cracking a grin for the sake of comic relief as he gently pried her Glock out of her tenacious clutch and set it off to the side with a subtle clatter. "How ya been?"

"NO! It can't be you......you're DEAD!!!," Faye wailed, immediately struggling to become free of his tight hold on her body with the fear that she would actually begin to believe that it was, indeed, Spike before her; not some mere figment of her imagination that was causing him to taunt her even through death.

Instantly noticing the bewildered look scrawled out across her face, Spike sighed, then, with severe reluctance, pulled her into his arms and held her close, insisting gently, "It really is me, Faye, but only you, and you alone can hear, touch, or see me. It's really important that you don't breathe a word to anybody about this, ok?"

"Ok," she returned weakly, burying her face against his chest and sobbing bitterly into his suit jacket like a frightened child. "Oh, Spike.....I just can't believe that it's really you! I'm so afraid that any minute now I'll wake up and you'll be gone again, so please.....please don't leave me like you did before.....please!!!"

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her, trying his best to conceal the utter shock that he was currently dealing with over seeing his comrade so bent out of shape about his death. "I will stay with you for as long as you need me."

Faye suddenly stopped crying, her jade irises scintallating with hope as she gazed up into his brilliant two-toned eyes and bit her lip, questioning with severe apprehension, "You promise?"

Spike nodded, despite the fact that he was slightly unsure of himself. "I promise."

"Thank you," Faye breathed, tearfully lifting a beautifully manicured hand up and touching the smooth flesh of his cheek as if she had never seen or felt anything so beautiful before, his heart pounding wildly within his chest as she suddenly tangled her fingers within his unruly mop of moss-green hair and sighed against his shoulder with contentment, acknowledging fervently, "It really IS you.......thank God."

Absolutely refusing to move due to the fact that she felt like a fragile bundle of porcelain within his strong arms, Spike quirked up an eyebrow, realizing in amazement, "My heart......it's beating again. Is this the sign that Celeste was telling me about? Am I actually traveling the path that I am supposed to be taking........the path where I live side-by-side with Faye?"


A/N: Heh...ok, that wuz short, but NOT az short az the 1st chappie, heehee. ^^ They WILL get longer, though, az the stuff between the characters get more intense, lol. I actually think that this will be the soonest that SxF EVER get 2gether in ANY of my fics, lol. Yay! No long waits! =P But, if u seriously ARE tired of waiting, u could read "The Art Of Seduction" 4 me since no1 seemz 2 read that 1 ::sobs bitterly:: or "Wild Hearts" since lotsa ppl seem 2 like that 1 for sum reazon. ::shrugs:: Welp, I'll let YOU be the judge on THAT one, lol. O, no no no nooooo, don't go! Please R&R by clicking on that button thingy down there....trust me, it goez 2 the needy authors fund....a VEEEEEEEEEERY good cause! ^^ Luv ya bunches! ^,~
3 Kendra Luehr =^-^=