CH 2
"Ed....is Aurora up yet?," Faye asked hopefully, just entering the living room. "It's about time for her to take her medicine, so please tell me that I won't have to have another mother-daughter game of tug-of-war to get her out of bed!"
Edward shook her head, completely disregarding Faye's last comment as she continued to type away furiously on her laptop with her toes. "Nopey-dopey! Ed hasn't seen Aurora-person yet this morning."
"Great," Faye grumbled, knowing that all Hell was going to freeze over before she could wrestle her daughter out of her bedroom to get her to take her daily dose of medicine.
"She's got way too much 'me' in her," she decided as she approached her daughter's bedroom door. "We both need our beauty sleep, and if we're disturbed...well...you're as good as dead."
Once she had stepped inside Aurora's bedroom, however, she gasped, shrieking, "Aurora? AURORA....WHERE ARE YOU?!!!"
"Faye-Faye....what's wrong?!," Edward demanded, stumbling over to her with concern. "Ed is scared, Faye-Faye! What's the matter?!"
Faye completely ignored her flustered comrade, rushing all about the small bedroom and tearing things apart in hopes of finding her beloved daughter. Once she realized that it was useless to continue searching for someone who wasn't even physically there, she ordered frantically, "Ed, quick....contact the police and report a kidnapping.....NOW!!!"
"Yes, ma'am, Captain Faye-Faye!," Edward agreed, immediately scrambling off towards the Bebop communication system.
"Oh, dear God....PLEASE let this all be a bad dream!," Faye prayed silently as she tearfully pressed her hands to her lips. "PLEASE don't tell me that my precious little Aurora is out there and completely vulnerable to all of the cruel galaxy.....PLEASE!!!"
**************************************************************************************************
Faye, much to her relief, began to immediately feel her nerves relax as soon as she had inhaled the cancerous smoke of one of her precious paper "life savers", trying her best to keep up a facade of nonchalance due to the police chief's fiery, penetrating gaze of suspicion.
"Well?"
"Well what?," Faye demanded, abruptly removing the cigarette from her lips. "I've already told you all that I know about my daughter's disappearance......my God, what ELSE do you want from me?!"
"How about some cold hard evidence," the chief suggested sharply. "You don't even have a goddamn lead to believe that she was kidnapped, yet you come bawling to us like the boy who cried wolf! I mean, my God, woman, she probably just ran away!"
"That doesn't make a fucking difference and you know it!," Faye spat, shooting up from her chair with menace. "It's still YOUR job to find her!!!"
The chief sighed. "Look, that very well may be, Mrs. Spiegel, but-"
"That is NOT my name!!!," she interrupted, about to go hysterical. "He's not my husband....he left me and our daughter to fend for ourselves!!! My name is FAYE VALENTINE, GODDAMMIT!!!"
The police chief, without Faye's awareness, immediately reached down beneath his desk and repeatedly tapped the security button, fearing for his safety due to her insane outburst.
Within moments, two police officers rushed into the interrogation room and raised their guns, preparing to fire on command.
Faye's eyes began to water, her frame trembling as she asked in a choked whisper, "Why are you here pointing guns at me when you can be out there looking for my daughter? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!!"
"Miss Valentine, we will have to place you under arrest if you refuse to cooperate," the chief threatened, standing up from behind his broad desk. "Just calm down and go home....we'll let you know if we get any leads."
Faye looked at him weakly, then mumbled, "So I'm dismissed?"
He nodded. "Yes....go home."
**************************************************************************************************
"Come on, you can do this....it's just a stupid little phone call," Faye assured herself uneasily, her hand hovering above her cell phone on her bed table. "Just call him and and tell him about Aurora.....he has the right to know since he's her-her.........father."
Before contemplating the idea a moment longer, Faye forced herself to flip open the cell phone and dial his number, runnels of blood rushing about within her head to her temples as her head began to pound with anxiety.
Briiiiing.
"That's one ring," she thought aloud, biting her lip.
Briiiiing.
"That's two," she continued to count, curling her toes in anguish.
Briiiiing.
"Oh, come on, goddammit, ANSWER THE PHONE!!!," she shrieked, about to hang up.
Just as her finger began to press down on the 'cancel call' button, a familiar, rich monotone announced, "This is Spike Spiegel.....what can I do for ya?"
Faye closed her eyes, her heart jumping into her throat. That voice.........oh, how she had dreamt of it during many a never-ending restless night. It was the only source of solace that she had left of him besides their daughter, fore it somehow brought her comfort since his voice was always so calm.....so convincing.
"Hello? Anybody there?"
Faye bit her lip, suddenly too frightened to speak. "I......I....."
"Who the hell is this?," Spike demanded gruffly, taking a slug of whiskey as he continued to sit on a rickety old bar stool in the Sad Loser Bar.
"Um....it's me, Spike.......it's Faye," she finally managed to mumble, squeezing her eyes shut as she awaited his most likely cynical response.
Spike frowned. "I promised myself that I'd never speak to you again, so I guess I failed, huh? Heheh...well, this is your lucky day, cuz since I'm in a fairly good mood, I'll give ya two minutes to state your reason for calling. Start talking."
"It's-it's Aurora....."
"What about her?"
Faye bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks as she continued in a choked whisper, "She's gone, Spike.....I-I think someone kidnapped her."
Spike choked on his whiskey, sputtering, "W-what?! Aurora?! Dammit, Faye....can't you do ANYTHING right?!!!"
"Yeah?! Well you left her, you bastard, so at least I did the right thing and stayed with her!!!," she retorted, her chest heaving along with her pained sobs as she haughtily awaited his reply.
Silence.
"Spike?"
"Time's almost up," he announced gruffly, drumming his fingers on the bar table with impatience. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"
"ALL I WANTED TO TELL YOU?!! Spike, aren't you the LEAST BIT CONCERNED?!!!," Faye demanded, incredulous. "I-I just don't BELIEVE you!!!"
"Well is that everything or what?"
Faye stamped her foot in frustration, hollering, "Yes, but if you want to help find her we're in Mercury in the city of Kellsburg!"
Without giving Spike a chance to respond, she hung up, tossing the cell phone across the room with contempt.
"What a sick bastard!," she thought, a pained sigh escaping her throat as she dropped to her knees and sobbed bitterly. "How can he feel nothing for our precious daughter?! She's a living being....OUR living being!!! Why must he always act as if nothing affects him?! Surely if he's the least bit human, deep-down he cares for her!!!"
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"Another one?"
Spike snorted. "Who are you to be questioning me?! Yes, I DO want another drink, goddammit!!!"
The bartender held his hands up in surrender, muttering, "Alright, alright! It's just that this'll be your 5th whiskey.....that's not very good for you."
"Gee, thanks, mom," Spike replied sarcastically, watching on with disinterest as the bartender began to pour his drink.
"He's right, you know."
Spike rolled his eyes, laggardly glancing over at the woman to his left in disgust. "And who are you? Doctor Mom?"
She snorted. "No, but I used to be a physician, thank you very much! Nicotine's not very good for you, either," she added, pointing towards his smoldering cigarette between his fingers.
"Listen, lady, I-"
"Ayame....Ayame Bryant," she cut in, smiling.
"Yeah, whatever, Ayame....just back off, ok? My little girl could be dead right now since it's believed that she's been kidnapped, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm goin' straight down to the grave with her," Spike grumbled, miserably placing his cigarette between his lips.
"And if she's not dead?"
Spike shrugged. "Even better....I'd escape all of life's hells and my little girl would be alright. Rejoice."
"You're very bitter," Ayame observed, gazing into his lost, sad eyes with wonder. "I was bitter, too....ever since my youngest sister was abducted by a spirit, that is. Soon after her disappearance, she was found dead in a reservoir. She had drowned, and a little note was attatched to her back, and I swear to God that it was a letter from Hell, itself. I-I then got dirty....and I decided to form a league known as the Spirit Squad. We fight off evil spirits and things of spiritual natures."
Spike gave her a funny look. "And WHY are you telling me all of this?"
"Because I believe that your daughter may have been adbucted by a spirit," Ayame replied firmly, her gaze now hard-set and penetrating.
"You can't be serious!"
"Sir, I am perfectly serious," she replied, taking a sip of her tequila. "I can honestly say that I have never been more serious about anything in my entire life."
Spike let out a low chuckle, replying, "Look, Ayame, it's great that you're interested in my daugher's disappearance, but let's just stop and think about this for a moment, here.....GIRLS DON'T USUALLY GET ABDUCTED BY SPIRITS!!!"
"I know that it may seem hard to believe, sir, but stranger things have happened," Ayame insisted, reaching out to touch his hand. Once he had abruptly pulled away, she shrugged it off, then continued, "Please, sir...let me take my squad up to your living quarters so that we can inspect it from top to bottom in search of a spiritual presence. Then, if you are still not satisfied, you may fire us if you wish."
Spike, currently down on all hope, acknowledged, "Sure, why not? I've got nothin' else to lose from this proposition. I'm Spike Spiegel, by the way."
Ayame smirked. "Charmed."
**************************************************************************************************
"Ayame's back....thank God!!!"
"We need your zip craft to go to the mall! Can we borrow it, Ayame?"
Spike raised an eyebrow as Ayame smiled at her team, wondering why on earth he had agreed to come home with her and meet the rest of the Spirit Squad.
"Sorry, guys, but Mr. Spiegel, here, needs our help. Can we postpone our manicures for a little while?," Ayame asked hopefully, lifting up the hatch to her zip craft so that she and Spike could get out of it.
"Yes," the girls agreed numbly, not too thrilled in the least.
"What in the hell kinda crew needs manicures?!," Spike wondered hotly as he observed the two young women before him. "If you ask me, I'm a fool to have allowed Ayame to convince me that Aurora actually COULD have been abducted by a spirit of some sort!"
"Spike," Ayame continued, abruptly taking him out of his train of thought, "this peppy girl to my left is Veronica Stiles. She's our little computer whiz."
"Nice to meetcha, hun," the colored young woman announced, giving him a flirtatious smile.
"Uh....same," Spike grumbled to the floor, still not too pleased about the whole situation at hand.
"And to my right is Tracey Baldwin," Ayame continued, motioning towards a cheerful blonde with her arm. "She's our shy, tough-assed fighter."
"Hey," she replied simply, tossing back a whisp of her straight, shoulder-length blonde hair as she slipped the strap of a heavy-duty firearm over her shoulder.
"Hey," Spike returned nonchalantly, clearly not too impressed with the trio.
"Would you like for us to do an inspection of your living quarters right now?," Ayame asked hopefully, turning to him with expectance. "I promise you that we're cheap...I-"
"Only if you can guarantee that you're not just a buncha quacks trying to sucker a pathetic fool of a bounty hunter into paying for a group of slack-jawed nobodies that do absolutely nothing," Spike agreed, calmly drawing in from his now almost completely used cigarette.
Ayame raised an eyebrow. "Well yes, of course, sir, we-"
"Then let's go," he cut in, immediately heading towards her zip craft. "My daughter's life is at stake, here, so let's not waste any more time than needed."
The Spirit Squad exchanged glances, now completely unsure of the man whom had hired them at the last minute; immediately getting their gear together and hurrying after him, the low hum of Ayame's zip craft cutting through the cool night air as it prepared for take-off.
**************************************************************************************************
"Faye-Faye, look.....it's an unidentified zip craft and the Swordfish II!," Edward exclaimed, dancing about enthusiastically as the hangar door slowly opened to let them in. "Spike-person actually came!!!"
Faye immediately joined Edward in the docking bay, swallowing hard as her tearful gaze locked upon his zip craft and watched it climb in to a halt, the unfamiliar zip craft coming in for a landing close behind.
"I can't believe it....he's really here," Faye realized, blinking in disbelief as the familiar red zip craft's top hatch opened up to allow a tall, lanky man to step out onto the pavement of the docking bay. "He came to help save Aurora....maybe he DOES care."
"Who are the weird-persons?," Edward asked Spike, completely taking Faye out of her reverie. "Does Spike-person have three girly-girlfriends? Naughty, naughty!"
Spike shot the adolescent an indignant look, grumbling, "No, they are not my girlfriends...these are...um...spiritual fighters of some sort."
"We're the Spirit Squad," Ayame filled in, nodding in Faye's direction, who had been slowly retreating towards the door upon seeing Spike.
"Oh, um....pleased to meet you," Faye mumbled to the floor feebly, not making eye contact with the young spirit huntress as she locked her hands firmly before her and gazed down shamefully at her boots. It was Spike who made her feel this way....it was Spike who always made her feel so vulnerable and helpless. She hated him for his aura of sheer aplomb, but there was absolutely nothing that she could do about it.
Ayame, who then realized that the young violet-haired woman before her wasn't the garrulous type, immediately turned her attention to the flaming redhead, cooing, "Oooh, you are just the CUTEST little boy!!!"
Edward frowned. "Ed is a girl!"
"Oh...and a....a very pretty one at that," Ayame agreed uneasily, sending her a meek smile. "Sorry for my assumption, sweetheart."
Edward beamed, doing an enthusiastic handstand as she insisted cheerfully, "It's alright! EVERYONE thinks that Ed is a boy at first sight!"
"Some still do," Spike teased, smirking at the adolescent as she stuck her tongue out at him with displeasure.
"Anyway," Ayame cut in, "I am Ayame Bryant, and my two trusty assistants are Veronica Stiles and Tracey Baldwin. Who might you be, ma'am?"
Faye sighed, grumbling to the floor, "Faye Valentine."
"Well, Miss Valentine, may we please begin our inspection?," Ayame asked hopefully, eagerly folding her hands before her as she awaited her new employer's response.
Faye raised an eyebrow, demanding, "What will you be inspecting, exactly?"
"Why, the scene of the abduction, of course!," Veronica informed her, waving her hand about at her in a "no dip, stupid" type of way.
After a moment of registering this, Faye nodded bitterly, replying, "Yes.....very well. Come, let me take you there."
"Like, duh! We sure as hell don't know our way around this place!," Veronica replied rudely, snapping her bubble gum in annoyance as she placed her hands on her slender hips.
"Uh.....right.....sorry," Faye apologized to the floor, leading the now somewhat disgruntled group towards her daughter's room as she tried her best to ignore the fact that Spike was staring at her out of the corner of his eye. It made her uneasy, nervous; absolutely incapable of concentrating on their daughter.
"Well, this is it," she announced softly after a moment, sweeping her hand listlessly towards the interior of Aurora's bedroom. "You may go inside now, if you wish."
"Thank you, Miss Valentine," Ayame acknowledged, immediately taking out a small, mechanical device that was generated by electric impulses. "We will only be a few moments....this Benzel 3000 will tell us the exact concentration of spiritual matter in this room."
"Oh....ok," Faye mumbled, watching on with amazement as the trio began to clip-clop about the room in their humongous high-heeled boots, pausing every once in a while to inspect a drawer or a lamp shade.
Suddenly, Veronica let out an excited shriek, exclaiming, "Everyone, come quick! Look what I'VE found!!!"
The group immediately rushed over to the young woman's side, peering over her shoulder with curiosity.
"What the hell is THAT?," Spike demanded, raising an eyebrow as he laid his eyes upon the rather eccentric-looking object.
"It's a Mexican good luck charm," Ayame concluded, staring at the little figurine long and hard. "I-I don't understand why a spirit would need this."
"That's because there were NO spirits here in the first place!," Spike insisted hotly, folding his arms as he stared on at the Spirit Squad in contempt. "You've officially worn out your welcome.....hit the road!!!"
"But-but Mr. Spiegel.....I know who the owner is!," Veronica insisted, giving him the "puppy dog" look.
"Yeah? What?"
"A Mexican from Mexico," she replied proudly, folding her hands behind her back as she gave him a cheesy grin. "Don't you think that that sounds pretty probable?"
Spike grimaced, his thin lips curling into a deep frown. "Just go, alright?! I don't have time for this bull shit!"
"Uh....no, Spike.....let them stay," Faye pleaded, just deciding to enter the conversation. "Perhaps they could come in handy for saving Aurora. Didn't they claim to help the innocent in some way or another?"
"Well....no, actually, but we're totally willing to do so," Ayame assured her, nodding vigorously. "I don't want to lose this case....please let us keep it. I can guarantee you two that we will undoubtedly return your daughter back to you safe and sound."
Spike's somber irises began to gently mellow out, his chest heaving along with a deep sigh as he grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, ok.....I guess that you guys can stay. But if you fail to carry out your job, may God rest your souls."
Tracey gulped. "So....you mean....."
"I'll kill you," Spike lied, not able to prevent himself from smirking. "Sorry, but I don't bestow mercy upon my enemies."
The Spirit Squad blinked, clearly troubled by the new proposition that had been so unexpectedly tossed upon them.
After another uncomfortable moment of silence, Spike spoke up, "I suggest that you three ladies get yourselves situated in the guest bedrooms. If you hear any unusual sounds in the night, it's probably just Ed, so don't freak out on us."
The Spirit Squad exchanged uneasy glances, reluctantly clip-clopping off towards the guest bedroom corridor, clearly very eager to escape from the clutches of the very irascible Spike Spiegel.
Faye, meanwhile, found herself tarrying in the docking bay, her soul relaxing as she gazed out the viewport at the diamond stars in wonder.
"You're out there, somewhere, sweetheart," she realized, her eyes misting over with a veil of embittered tears. "I promise you this, Aurora....I WILL find you, no matter what the cost!"
**************************************************************************************************
Creeeak.
Faye gasped, shooting up in bed as she strained her ears in hopes of overhearing where the unsettling noise was coming from.
Creeak.
"It's coming from the kitchen," she realized, slowly retrieving her gun from her bedside table before stealthily tip-toeing across her room, pushing her door open, and then peering out into the hallway.
Nothing. Nothing but sheer blackness.
Taking a deep breath, Faye took a cautious step out into the hallway and continued to slink along towards the kitchen, her heart pounding in her ears like a giant boxing glove as she made each advancing step.
When she had finally reached her destination she froze, gasping in astonishment as she laid her eyes upon a dark figure standing by the refrigerator and downing some sort of drink.
Her courage fumbling, she shakily pushed back the hammer to her gun as she stuttered, "Wh-wh-who the hell are you? What do you want?!"
A low, familiar chuckle caressed her ears like a song from Heaven, causing her to close her eyes as she realized, "That voice.........Spike."
"You'd like to do that, wouldn't you?"
"W-what?," Faye stammered, completely caught off guard.
"Shoot me," he clarified, taking another slug of his drink. "C'mon, I'll make it easier for ya....just fire away."
"What are you trying to pull?!," Faye demanded hotly, firmly raising her gun up so that it was now aiming directly between his eyes. "I don't just shoot people cuz I can shoot them if THAT'S what you think! Stop being such an ill-mannered brute!"
Spike smirked, casually leaning back against the counter behind him as he shot her a look of pure innocence that agitated her even further.
"STOP IT!!!," she shrieked, tossing her gun off to the side in a mad rush of rage, the small firearm skittering across the floor like a skate on ice. "You have absolutely NO right to be such an ass towards me when you're on MY ship!!!"
"Well maybe I want it back," Spike retorted, pausing to slightly adjust his white training pants before reaching into his pocket for a cigarette.
Faye gasped, blinking in shock. "You what?!"
He smirked, calmly lighting his cigarette as he replied, "I want it back....plain and simple."
"But you CAN'T! I live here!!!," Faye insisted shrilly, taking an advancing step towards him. "You can't just come waltzing back in planning to ruin my life all over again!!!"
Spike smirked. "I did, huh?"
"BASTARD!!!," Faye shrieked, rearing back and smacking him clear across the face, a deep shade of scarlet immediately spreading across his cheek from where she had struck him.
Both were absolutely still, the subtle purring of the Bebop's engine being the only sound that was heard.
After another perplexing moment, Faye began softly, "Spike, I-"
He held up a hand, indicating silence; the somberness of his eyes enhancing his inner coldness as his heart seemed to turn to ice.
Faye immediately closed her mouth and nodded, obediently moving out of Spike's way as he haughtily stormed off in the direction of his bedroom.
Faye gazed after his retreating figure in dismay, realizing that he was more unreachable than ever.
"Why do I even care anymore?," she wondered stubbornly, turning her nose up in disgust. "After all, the saying goes 'don't waste your time on someone who's not willing to waste there time on you'....yet....I find that deep-down, I can't pull myself away."
"Ed....is Aurora up yet?," Faye asked hopefully, just entering the living room. "It's about time for her to take her medicine, so please tell me that I won't have to have another mother-daughter game of tug-of-war to get her out of bed!"
Edward shook her head, completely disregarding Faye's last comment as she continued to type away furiously on her laptop with her toes. "Nopey-dopey! Ed hasn't seen Aurora-person yet this morning."
"Great," Faye grumbled, knowing that all Hell was going to freeze over before she could wrestle her daughter out of her bedroom to get her to take her daily dose of medicine.
"She's got way too much 'me' in her," she decided as she approached her daughter's bedroom door. "We both need our beauty sleep, and if we're disturbed...well...you're as good as dead."
Once she had stepped inside Aurora's bedroom, however, she gasped, shrieking, "Aurora? AURORA....WHERE ARE YOU?!!!"
"Faye-Faye....what's wrong?!," Edward demanded, stumbling over to her with concern. "Ed is scared, Faye-Faye! What's the matter?!"
Faye completely ignored her flustered comrade, rushing all about the small bedroom and tearing things apart in hopes of finding her beloved daughter. Once she realized that it was useless to continue searching for someone who wasn't even physically there, she ordered frantically, "Ed, quick....contact the police and report a kidnapping.....NOW!!!"
"Yes, ma'am, Captain Faye-Faye!," Edward agreed, immediately scrambling off towards the Bebop communication system.
"Oh, dear God....PLEASE let this all be a bad dream!," Faye prayed silently as she tearfully pressed her hands to her lips. "PLEASE don't tell me that my precious little Aurora is out there and completely vulnerable to all of the cruel galaxy.....PLEASE!!!"
**************************************************************************************************
Faye, much to her relief, began to immediately feel her nerves relax as soon as she had inhaled the cancerous smoke of one of her precious paper "life savers", trying her best to keep up a facade of nonchalance due to the police chief's fiery, penetrating gaze of suspicion.
"Well?"
"Well what?," Faye demanded, abruptly removing the cigarette from her lips. "I've already told you all that I know about my daughter's disappearance......my God, what ELSE do you want from me?!"
"How about some cold hard evidence," the chief suggested sharply. "You don't even have a goddamn lead to believe that she was kidnapped, yet you come bawling to us like the boy who cried wolf! I mean, my God, woman, she probably just ran away!"
"That doesn't make a fucking difference and you know it!," Faye spat, shooting up from her chair with menace. "It's still YOUR job to find her!!!"
The chief sighed. "Look, that very well may be, Mrs. Spiegel, but-"
"That is NOT my name!!!," she interrupted, about to go hysterical. "He's not my husband....he left me and our daughter to fend for ourselves!!! My name is FAYE VALENTINE, GODDAMMIT!!!"
The police chief, without Faye's awareness, immediately reached down beneath his desk and repeatedly tapped the security button, fearing for his safety due to her insane outburst.
Within moments, two police officers rushed into the interrogation room and raised their guns, preparing to fire on command.
Faye's eyes began to water, her frame trembling as she asked in a choked whisper, "Why are you here pointing guns at me when you can be out there looking for my daughter? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!!"
"Miss Valentine, we will have to place you under arrest if you refuse to cooperate," the chief threatened, standing up from behind his broad desk. "Just calm down and go home....we'll let you know if we get any leads."
Faye looked at him weakly, then mumbled, "So I'm dismissed?"
He nodded. "Yes....go home."
**************************************************************************************************
"Come on, you can do this....it's just a stupid little phone call," Faye assured herself uneasily, her hand hovering above her cell phone on her bed table. "Just call him and and tell him about Aurora.....he has the right to know since he's her-her.........father."
Before contemplating the idea a moment longer, Faye forced herself to flip open the cell phone and dial his number, runnels of blood rushing about within her head to her temples as her head began to pound with anxiety.
Briiiiing.
"That's one ring," she thought aloud, biting her lip.
Briiiiing.
"That's two," she continued to count, curling her toes in anguish.
Briiiiing.
"Oh, come on, goddammit, ANSWER THE PHONE!!!," she shrieked, about to hang up.
Just as her finger began to press down on the 'cancel call' button, a familiar, rich monotone announced, "This is Spike Spiegel.....what can I do for ya?"
Faye closed her eyes, her heart jumping into her throat. That voice.........oh, how she had dreamt of it during many a never-ending restless night. It was the only source of solace that she had left of him besides their daughter, fore it somehow brought her comfort since his voice was always so calm.....so convincing.
"Hello? Anybody there?"
Faye bit her lip, suddenly too frightened to speak. "I......I....."
"Who the hell is this?," Spike demanded gruffly, taking a slug of whiskey as he continued to sit on a rickety old bar stool in the Sad Loser Bar.
"Um....it's me, Spike.......it's Faye," she finally managed to mumble, squeezing her eyes shut as she awaited his most likely cynical response.
Spike frowned. "I promised myself that I'd never speak to you again, so I guess I failed, huh? Heheh...well, this is your lucky day, cuz since I'm in a fairly good mood, I'll give ya two minutes to state your reason for calling. Start talking."
"It's-it's Aurora....."
"What about her?"
Faye bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks as she continued in a choked whisper, "She's gone, Spike.....I-I think someone kidnapped her."
Spike choked on his whiskey, sputtering, "W-what?! Aurora?! Dammit, Faye....can't you do ANYTHING right?!!!"
"Yeah?! Well you left her, you bastard, so at least I did the right thing and stayed with her!!!," she retorted, her chest heaving along with her pained sobs as she haughtily awaited his reply.
Silence.
"Spike?"
"Time's almost up," he announced gruffly, drumming his fingers on the bar table with impatience. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"
"ALL I WANTED TO TELL YOU?!! Spike, aren't you the LEAST BIT CONCERNED?!!!," Faye demanded, incredulous. "I-I just don't BELIEVE you!!!"
"Well is that everything or what?"
Faye stamped her foot in frustration, hollering, "Yes, but if you want to help find her we're in Mercury in the city of Kellsburg!"
Without giving Spike a chance to respond, she hung up, tossing the cell phone across the room with contempt.
"What a sick bastard!," she thought, a pained sigh escaping her throat as she dropped to her knees and sobbed bitterly. "How can he feel nothing for our precious daughter?! She's a living being....OUR living being!!! Why must he always act as if nothing affects him?! Surely if he's the least bit human, deep-down he cares for her!!!"
**************************************************************************************************
"Another one?"
Spike snorted. "Who are you to be questioning me?! Yes, I DO want another drink, goddammit!!!"
The bartender held his hands up in surrender, muttering, "Alright, alright! It's just that this'll be your 5th whiskey.....that's not very good for you."
"Gee, thanks, mom," Spike replied sarcastically, watching on with disinterest as the bartender began to pour his drink.
"He's right, you know."
Spike rolled his eyes, laggardly glancing over at the woman to his left in disgust. "And who are you? Doctor Mom?"
She snorted. "No, but I used to be a physician, thank you very much! Nicotine's not very good for you, either," she added, pointing towards his smoldering cigarette between his fingers.
"Listen, lady, I-"
"Ayame....Ayame Bryant," she cut in, smiling.
"Yeah, whatever, Ayame....just back off, ok? My little girl could be dead right now since it's believed that she's been kidnapped, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm goin' straight down to the grave with her," Spike grumbled, miserably placing his cigarette between his lips.
"And if she's not dead?"
Spike shrugged. "Even better....I'd escape all of life's hells and my little girl would be alright. Rejoice."
"You're very bitter," Ayame observed, gazing into his lost, sad eyes with wonder. "I was bitter, too....ever since my youngest sister was abducted by a spirit, that is. Soon after her disappearance, she was found dead in a reservoir. She had drowned, and a little note was attatched to her back, and I swear to God that it was a letter from Hell, itself. I-I then got dirty....and I decided to form a league known as the Spirit Squad. We fight off evil spirits and things of spiritual natures."
Spike gave her a funny look. "And WHY are you telling me all of this?"
"Because I believe that your daughter may have been adbucted by a spirit," Ayame replied firmly, her gaze now hard-set and penetrating.
"You can't be serious!"
"Sir, I am perfectly serious," she replied, taking a sip of her tequila. "I can honestly say that I have never been more serious about anything in my entire life."
Spike let out a low chuckle, replying, "Look, Ayame, it's great that you're interested in my daugher's disappearance, but let's just stop and think about this for a moment, here.....GIRLS DON'T USUALLY GET ABDUCTED BY SPIRITS!!!"
"I know that it may seem hard to believe, sir, but stranger things have happened," Ayame insisted, reaching out to touch his hand. Once he had abruptly pulled away, she shrugged it off, then continued, "Please, sir...let me take my squad up to your living quarters so that we can inspect it from top to bottom in search of a spiritual presence. Then, if you are still not satisfied, you may fire us if you wish."
Spike, currently down on all hope, acknowledged, "Sure, why not? I've got nothin' else to lose from this proposition. I'm Spike Spiegel, by the way."
Ayame smirked. "Charmed."
**************************************************************************************************
"Ayame's back....thank God!!!"
"We need your zip craft to go to the mall! Can we borrow it, Ayame?"
Spike raised an eyebrow as Ayame smiled at her team, wondering why on earth he had agreed to come home with her and meet the rest of the Spirit Squad.
"Sorry, guys, but Mr. Spiegel, here, needs our help. Can we postpone our manicures for a little while?," Ayame asked hopefully, lifting up the hatch to her zip craft so that she and Spike could get out of it.
"Yes," the girls agreed numbly, not too thrilled in the least.
"What in the hell kinda crew needs manicures?!," Spike wondered hotly as he observed the two young women before him. "If you ask me, I'm a fool to have allowed Ayame to convince me that Aurora actually COULD have been abducted by a spirit of some sort!"
"Spike," Ayame continued, abruptly taking him out of his train of thought, "this peppy girl to my left is Veronica Stiles. She's our little computer whiz."
"Nice to meetcha, hun," the colored young woman announced, giving him a flirtatious smile.
"Uh....same," Spike grumbled to the floor, still not too pleased about the whole situation at hand.
"And to my right is Tracey Baldwin," Ayame continued, motioning towards a cheerful blonde with her arm. "She's our shy, tough-assed fighter."
"Hey," she replied simply, tossing back a whisp of her straight, shoulder-length blonde hair as she slipped the strap of a heavy-duty firearm over her shoulder.
"Hey," Spike returned nonchalantly, clearly not too impressed with the trio.
"Would you like for us to do an inspection of your living quarters right now?," Ayame asked hopefully, turning to him with expectance. "I promise you that we're cheap...I-"
"Only if you can guarantee that you're not just a buncha quacks trying to sucker a pathetic fool of a bounty hunter into paying for a group of slack-jawed nobodies that do absolutely nothing," Spike agreed, calmly drawing in from his now almost completely used cigarette.
Ayame raised an eyebrow. "Well yes, of course, sir, we-"
"Then let's go," he cut in, immediately heading towards her zip craft. "My daughter's life is at stake, here, so let's not waste any more time than needed."
The Spirit Squad exchanged glances, now completely unsure of the man whom had hired them at the last minute; immediately getting their gear together and hurrying after him, the low hum of Ayame's zip craft cutting through the cool night air as it prepared for take-off.
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"Faye-Faye, look.....it's an unidentified zip craft and the Swordfish II!," Edward exclaimed, dancing about enthusiastically as the hangar door slowly opened to let them in. "Spike-person actually came!!!"
Faye immediately joined Edward in the docking bay, swallowing hard as her tearful gaze locked upon his zip craft and watched it climb in to a halt, the unfamiliar zip craft coming in for a landing close behind.
"I can't believe it....he's really here," Faye realized, blinking in disbelief as the familiar red zip craft's top hatch opened up to allow a tall, lanky man to step out onto the pavement of the docking bay. "He came to help save Aurora....maybe he DOES care."
"Who are the weird-persons?," Edward asked Spike, completely taking Faye out of her reverie. "Does Spike-person have three girly-girlfriends? Naughty, naughty!"
Spike shot the adolescent an indignant look, grumbling, "No, they are not my girlfriends...these are...um...spiritual fighters of some sort."
"We're the Spirit Squad," Ayame filled in, nodding in Faye's direction, who had been slowly retreating towards the door upon seeing Spike.
"Oh, um....pleased to meet you," Faye mumbled to the floor feebly, not making eye contact with the young spirit huntress as she locked her hands firmly before her and gazed down shamefully at her boots. It was Spike who made her feel this way....it was Spike who always made her feel so vulnerable and helpless. She hated him for his aura of sheer aplomb, but there was absolutely nothing that she could do about it.
Ayame, who then realized that the young violet-haired woman before her wasn't the garrulous type, immediately turned her attention to the flaming redhead, cooing, "Oooh, you are just the CUTEST little boy!!!"
Edward frowned. "Ed is a girl!"
"Oh...and a....a very pretty one at that," Ayame agreed uneasily, sending her a meek smile. "Sorry for my assumption, sweetheart."
Edward beamed, doing an enthusiastic handstand as she insisted cheerfully, "It's alright! EVERYONE thinks that Ed is a boy at first sight!"
"Some still do," Spike teased, smirking at the adolescent as she stuck her tongue out at him with displeasure.
"Anyway," Ayame cut in, "I am Ayame Bryant, and my two trusty assistants are Veronica Stiles and Tracey Baldwin. Who might you be, ma'am?"
Faye sighed, grumbling to the floor, "Faye Valentine."
"Well, Miss Valentine, may we please begin our inspection?," Ayame asked hopefully, eagerly folding her hands before her as she awaited her new employer's response.
Faye raised an eyebrow, demanding, "What will you be inspecting, exactly?"
"Why, the scene of the abduction, of course!," Veronica informed her, waving her hand about at her in a "no dip, stupid" type of way.
After a moment of registering this, Faye nodded bitterly, replying, "Yes.....very well. Come, let me take you there."
"Like, duh! We sure as hell don't know our way around this place!," Veronica replied rudely, snapping her bubble gum in annoyance as she placed her hands on her slender hips.
"Uh.....right.....sorry," Faye apologized to the floor, leading the now somewhat disgruntled group towards her daughter's room as she tried her best to ignore the fact that Spike was staring at her out of the corner of his eye. It made her uneasy, nervous; absolutely incapable of concentrating on their daughter.
"Well, this is it," she announced softly after a moment, sweeping her hand listlessly towards the interior of Aurora's bedroom. "You may go inside now, if you wish."
"Thank you, Miss Valentine," Ayame acknowledged, immediately taking out a small, mechanical device that was generated by electric impulses. "We will only be a few moments....this Benzel 3000 will tell us the exact concentration of spiritual matter in this room."
"Oh....ok," Faye mumbled, watching on with amazement as the trio began to clip-clop about the room in their humongous high-heeled boots, pausing every once in a while to inspect a drawer or a lamp shade.
Suddenly, Veronica let out an excited shriek, exclaiming, "Everyone, come quick! Look what I'VE found!!!"
The group immediately rushed over to the young woman's side, peering over her shoulder with curiosity.
"What the hell is THAT?," Spike demanded, raising an eyebrow as he laid his eyes upon the rather eccentric-looking object.
"It's a Mexican good luck charm," Ayame concluded, staring at the little figurine long and hard. "I-I don't understand why a spirit would need this."
"That's because there were NO spirits here in the first place!," Spike insisted hotly, folding his arms as he stared on at the Spirit Squad in contempt. "You've officially worn out your welcome.....hit the road!!!"
"But-but Mr. Spiegel.....I know who the owner is!," Veronica insisted, giving him the "puppy dog" look.
"Yeah? What?"
"A Mexican from Mexico," she replied proudly, folding her hands behind her back as she gave him a cheesy grin. "Don't you think that that sounds pretty probable?"
Spike grimaced, his thin lips curling into a deep frown. "Just go, alright?! I don't have time for this bull shit!"
"Uh....no, Spike.....let them stay," Faye pleaded, just deciding to enter the conversation. "Perhaps they could come in handy for saving Aurora. Didn't they claim to help the innocent in some way or another?"
"Well....no, actually, but we're totally willing to do so," Ayame assured her, nodding vigorously. "I don't want to lose this case....please let us keep it. I can guarantee you two that we will undoubtedly return your daughter back to you safe and sound."
Spike's somber irises began to gently mellow out, his chest heaving along with a deep sigh as he grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, ok.....I guess that you guys can stay. But if you fail to carry out your job, may God rest your souls."
Tracey gulped. "So....you mean....."
"I'll kill you," Spike lied, not able to prevent himself from smirking. "Sorry, but I don't bestow mercy upon my enemies."
The Spirit Squad blinked, clearly troubled by the new proposition that had been so unexpectedly tossed upon them.
After another uncomfortable moment of silence, Spike spoke up, "I suggest that you three ladies get yourselves situated in the guest bedrooms. If you hear any unusual sounds in the night, it's probably just Ed, so don't freak out on us."
The Spirit Squad exchanged uneasy glances, reluctantly clip-clopping off towards the guest bedroom corridor, clearly very eager to escape from the clutches of the very irascible Spike Spiegel.
Faye, meanwhile, found herself tarrying in the docking bay, her soul relaxing as she gazed out the viewport at the diamond stars in wonder.
"You're out there, somewhere, sweetheart," she realized, her eyes misting over with a veil of embittered tears. "I promise you this, Aurora....I WILL find you, no matter what the cost!"
**************************************************************************************************
Creeeak.
Faye gasped, shooting up in bed as she strained her ears in hopes of overhearing where the unsettling noise was coming from.
Creeak.
"It's coming from the kitchen," she realized, slowly retrieving her gun from her bedside table before stealthily tip-toeing across her room, pushing her door open, and then peering out into the hallway.
Nothing. Nothing but sheer blackness.
Taking a deep breath, Faye took a cautious step out into the hallway and continued to slink along towards the kitchen, her heart pounding in her ears like a giant boxing glove as she made each advancing step.
When she had finally reached her destination she froze, gasping in astonishment as she laid her eyes upon a dark figure standing by the refrigerator and downing some sort of drink.
Her courage fumbling, she shakily pushed back the hammer to her gun as she stuttered, "Wh-wh-who the hell are you? What do you want?!"
A low, familiar chuckle caressed her ears like a song from Heaven, causing her to close her eyes as she realized, "That voice.........Spike."
"You'd like to do that, wouldn't you?"
"W-what?," Faye stammered, completely caught off guard.
"Shoot me," he clarified, taking another slug of his drink. "C'mon, I'll make it easier for ya....just fire away."
"What are you trying to pull?!," Faye demanded hotly, firmly raising her gun up so that it was now aiming directly between his eyes. "I don't just shoot people cuz I can shoot them if THAT'S what you think! Stop being such an ill-mannered brute!"
Spike smirked, casually leaning back against the counter behind him as he shot her a look of pure innocence that agitated her even further.
"STOP IT!!!," she shrieked, tossing her gun off to the side in a mad rush of rage, the small firearm skittering across the floor like a skate on ice. "You have absolutely NO right to be such an ass towards me when you're on MY ship!!!"
"Well maybe I want it back," Spike retorted, pausing to slightly adjust his white training pants before reaching into his pocket for a cigarette.
Faye gasped, blinking in shock. "You what?!"
He smirked, calmly lighting his cigarette as he replied, "I want it back....plain and simple."
"But you CAN'T! I live here!!!," Faye insisted shrilly, taking an advancing step towards him. "You can't just come waltzing back in planning to ruin my life all over again!!!"
Spike smirked. "I did, huh?"
"BASTARD!!!," Faye shrieked, rearing back and smacking him clear across the face, a deep shade of scarlet immediately spreading across his cheek from where she had struck him.
Both were absolutely still, the subtle purring of the Bebop's engine being the only sound that was heard.
After another perplexing moment, Faye began softly, "Spike, I-"
He held up a hand, indicating silence; the somberness of his eyes enhancing his inner coldness as his heart seemed to turn to ice.
Faye immediately closed her mouth and nodded, obediently moving out of Spike's way as he haughtily stormed off in the direction of his bedroom.
Faye gazed after his retreating figure in dismay, realizing that he was more unreachable than ever.
"Why do I even care anymore?," she wondered stubbornly, turning her nose up in disgust. "After all, the saying goes 'don't waste your time on someone who's not willing to waste there time on you'....yet....I find that deep-down, I can't pull myself away."