CH 6

Faye awoke to find herself entangled within Spike's strong arms, his head resting upon her bosom and his warm breath tickling her sensitive flesh like a light feather.

"Mmm....so it WASN'T a dream," Faye realized, letting out a peaceful sigh as she allowed her well-manicured fingers to gently explore the unruly green locks of Spike's incredibly soft mass of hair.

He stirred groggily in her arms, his eyes slowly opening as his gaze met with hers. The corners of his lips turned upward into a warm smile, his one hand straying gently up Faye's side until it rested upon her slightly flushed cheek. "Morning," he whispered, his smile only spreading.

"Morning," she returned softly, not able to keep herself from smiling, as well… "I-I must admit that I was afraid that I had dreamed the entire occurrence of last night."

Spike's smile vanished. "Life is a dream, Faye........it's all just a dream."

Faye gaped at him in astonishment, his beautiful two-toned eyes reflecting warmth alongside a bitter medley of somberness and despair.

"What did they do to you?," she asked aloud, tears stinging along her lashes as she allowed her fingers to trace over a jagged scar across his shoulder. "Why did the syndicate allow you to undergo so much pain and suffering?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Spike assured her softly, his eyes continuing to entrance her like a hypnotizing force. "I swear to you that it doesn't......I'm over Julia and the Red Dragons. They no longer hold a place in my life."

"But what about Vicious?," Faye demanded, her gaze intensifying as she reached out and grasped his hand in hers. "He was a Red Dragon, too. Last time I checked, he had a major role in both of our lives."

"Dammit," Spike cursed softly, shooting up out of bed as if he had been burned.

"Spike......are-are you alright?," Faye asked worriedly, sitting up and pulling the covers up over her bosom with unease. "I'm sorry, it's just that-"

"Stop it," he cut in, grumbling to himself as he slipped his boxers on and then pulled his pants over top of them in disgust. "There's no need to blame yourself, so knock it off."

"Alright," Faye agreed feebly, lifting her robe up off of the floor and slipping it on with reluctance. "Um.....I know that this is a bit off-topic, but.....well....why DID you take me here last night?"

Spike shot her an irritated look. "If you're trying to suggest that I dragged you all the way here just for sex instead of protection, you've got it ALL wrong! Vicious made a proposition for me to bring you to him in exchange for Aurora, but....I...I couldn't do it."

Faye bit her lip, asking in a choked whisper, "Why, Spike? WHY did you do that?! My life is worthless compared to Aurora's!"

"DON'T SAY THAT!!!," Spike bellowed, turning on her in an instant. "You are NOT worthless and it's about time that you come to realize that! And as for why I didn't turn you in....well....you know....I ended up realizing that even though I had lost Aurora, I didn't wanna lose you, too."

"Oh, Spike," Faye murmured, tears forming along her lashes as she gazed into his sad, lost eyes. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged, immediately casting his gaze down towards his feet in despair. "It doesn't matter, Faye. Besides all that....I owe you an apology. I-I'm sorry for falling in love with you."

"What?! WHY?!," Faye demanded, panic seizing her by the throat as she slid off of the bed and uneasily approached her mournful lover.

Spike miserably shook his head, returning softly, "Because everyone and everything that I've ever loved always gets hurt and.......well.........I don't wanna lose you, Faye. You're my heart and soul............without you I'd be incomplete."

By this point Faye could no longer suppress the tears. They came cascading down her cheeks in a gentle flow, her heart going out to him as she cradled him in her arms and sobbed breathlessly into his ear, "I love you, Spike and I promise that I will NEVER let you go!"

"Nor I," he agreed, burying his face into her soft violet hair as he wrapped his strong arms about her waist. "I wish that I had discovered your inner beauty much sooner......I am SO sorry, Faye. I must have been blinded by my infatuation over Kelly and my never-ending moping over Julia, who has long left this solar system into the unknown. I need for you to be here with me so that I can be here for you."

"I'll go wherever you go," Faye agreed breathlessly, tracing her fingers along yet another scar as she allowed her other hand to slide down over his smooth, muscular torso. "Can we please go look for Aurora today?"

"I promise you that we will," Spike agreed, pressing his lips gently to her forehead as he touched her soft cheek. "I'll make sure that we go and-"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Spike and Faye separated immediately due to the shock of receiving a visitor at the door, the aggravating knocks intensifying with impatience.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Alright, ALRIGHT! Keep your shirt on!," Spike hissed, grabbing his yellow-collared shirt and slipping it over his well-built frame as he grumpily approached the door.

Without another moment's hesitation, he thrust it open, then gasped in shock, his eyes widening as his flesh grew deathly pale. Only slightly regaining his composure, he managed to acknowledged feebly, "V-V-Veronica........you-"

"Yes," she cut in, smiling sweetly. "I'm alive."

Spike shook his head in utter disbelief, demanding, "How in the hell did you manage to survive that fatal shot?!"

"It was a blank......Vicious merely used me as a decoy," Veronica explained, her features remaining somber and grim as she pushed back a strand of her straight, jet-black hair. "Did you happen to hear from Neko Olivarez, by chance?"

"The ho at the Lunar Eclipse restaurant?," Faye asked, just deciding to engage within the conversation.

Veronica nodded. "Yes....I am the anonymous tipster that she spoke of. I managed to track you both down here due to the transmitting devices that I had managed to sneak into the soles of your shoes in the beginning of the spirit hunt. I merely did so because if danger was to occur and we'd need to separate, I'd be able to find you two. Now, on to business......I need to bring you both back to the Bebop, if you don't mind."

"Why?," Spike demanded, suddenly suspicious. "Is something wrong?"

"We need to arrest Ayame and Tracey as soon as possible," Veronica replied, sending him an urgent, desperate look. "I've come to realize that, instead of just one, they are both against you!"

"But..........why?," Faye wanted to know, still slightly confused about the whole situation at hand.

"Oh, don't you see?! Vicious knew that you both would go looking for Aurora, so he set you guys up by placing Ayame at a bar so that we could "help" you!," Veronica explained, a sudden remorseful look spreading across her face. "Yes, I do admit that I was with Vicious 100% at first, but then I was able to see past his horrible ways and have now found my true calling. I would like to be a bounty huntress."

Spike frowned, lighting a cigarette as he asked coolly, "So what do you suggest that we do?"

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Veronica assured him as she gave him a nod of acknowledgement. "Come......let us go."

**************************************************************************************************

(Linkin Park's "Session" plays)"The power's been cut," Veronica observed, lifting a couple of frayed wires up from within the inside of the Bebop's fuse box as she flashed her flashlight within its interior for closer inspection. "It seems to me that Ayame and Tracey most likely anticipated our arrival."

"Well what do you suggest that we do, then?," Faye demanded, placing her hands on her hips with impatience. "Do you think that we should split up?"

Veronica nodded. "Yes, Faye, it'll be a much more efficient way opposed to working together. I'll take the family room-like area, you can check out the bedrooms, and Spike can go look in the weapon room and wherever else he deems worthy of inspection."

A brief nod of acknowledgement was exchanged between the trio, then they all went off in their own separate ways, the blinding darkness making their task all the more difficult.

Spike, meanwhile, cautiously swept his flashlight's pale, yellow beam of light about him in hopes of spotting one of their alleged assailants; his footsteps echoing throughout the corridor like an empty tin can as he continued on his way towards the weapon room.

He had barely made it to his destination when he suddenly overheard a muffled moan and an awkward scratching sound coming from behind the door beside him.

Taking a tentative step forward, Spike reached out towards the doorknob, then seized it, twisting it open as a cry of surprise escaped his throat due to what he saw. "Tracey! Ayame! E-Ed!"

The three young women whimpered, struggling about within their roped bindings as they desperately tried to talk through the duct tape that firmly secured their mouths.

Spike immediately removed Ayame's tape, demanding, "What the hell's going on, here?! Who did this to you?!!"

"V-Veronica........did," Ayame wheezed, trying her best to catch her breath as her brow continued to perspire profusely. "It was so hot and stuffy in here while you and Miss Valentine were gone......it was.......rather hard to....breathe."

"We'll you'll be alright, now," Spike assured her as he then removed Edward's tape, as well. "Tell me.....how did this happen?"

"I-I saw an unidentified zip craft that wanted to board, and once I realized that it was Veronica I just had to let her in," Ayame explained, averting her gaze sheepishly to the floor in shame. "When she came on....well....I guess you could say that she got the drop on us, then tied us up and shut us in in this room for hours. She didn't even feed us!"

Spike nodded somberly, then glanced over at Tracey, who was shaking about wildly within her ropes as she desperately struggled to say something.

"What is it, Tracey?," Ayame asked worriedly, glancing over towards her friend with slight unease. "Is something wrong?"

"I'll find out," Spike assured her, bending down and immediately removing the tape from Tracey's lips so that she could speak.

To their great and utter shock, as soon as the sticky suppressant was removed from her mouth she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "BEHIND YOU!!!"

Spike whirled around, only to see Veronica Stiles, herself, a stun dart gun in hand.

"All hail to the great Vicious!," she exclaimed, pulling back on the trigger without even the slightest hint of mercy.

Spike gasped as soon as the tiny, sharp needle of the stun dart entered his flesh, his vision hazing over as he began to see double.

"Damn," he cursed softly, crumpling down to his knees in pain as his blood began to pulsate with the hazardous serum.

"SPIKE!," slurred voices that seemed from off in the distance began to chorus, chanting over and over again within his mind as

his world began to spin, his body dropping completely down to the floor as the serum in the dart began to take its toll, his vision going from a blurry fog to a heavy, velvety-black mist.

**************************************************************************************************

Spike groaned, his vision gradually going into focus as he slowly raised his head, only to see Veronica stooping over seductively before him.

"So...you're awake," she observed, giggling scornfully as she casually straightened her stance and gave him a conceited smirk.

"You manipulating bitch! I'll see to it that you live behind bars for the rest of your unworthy, miserable days!!!," Spike spat, his voice acting like venom as he roughly struggled about within his bound rope ties.

Veronica let out a surprisingly pleasant, lilting laugh, her voice reflecting a derisive aura as she hissed cattily, "Oh, that's rich! You can't possibly strike revenge upon me since you'll be dead soon!"

Spike snorted. "I don't go down without a fight."

"Well, good!," Veronica acknowledged scathingly, sneering as she retrieved her facial foundation powder from her pocket and began to gently apply it to her slightly flushed cheeks. "You see, hun, Vicious wants to fight. Um.....to the death, that is."

"Well then tell him that I'm ready," Spike replied audaciously, a confident smile spreading across his thin lips. "I'm completely willing to get my daughter and the woman that I love back from his merciless clutches."

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "You know, hun, there is a strong chance that you will perish due to your foolishness."

Spike smirked, replying composedly, "Whatever happens, happens."

**************************************************************************************************

"Weird girly-girl-persons....Ed is scared!," the young adolescent wailed, covering her face with her hands in fear. "Ed doesn't like this cold holding room.....let's leave! Pleeeeeease?!"

"I'm workin' on it, kid," Ayame grumbled as she continued to mess with the screws that secured the vent in the ceiling overhead. "I'll just need a few more minutes....."

"I think someone's coming!," Tracey announced, rushing over to the heavy iron door to peer out of the small, built-in window.

Ayame immediately stopped messing with the vent, asking with unease, "Ya see anyone?"

Tracey nodded. "Yeah, two guards......they've got some keys."

"Oooh, keys! Ed LIKES keeeys!," the young adolescent praised, humming as she danced about on her tippy-toes. "Do you weird girly-girl-persons like keys, too? Ed does, cuz if Ed licks them, they make Ed's tongue taste funny!"

"Not NOW, Ed!," Ayame barked, immediately jumping down from the chair that she had been standing on and placing a hand securely over the girl's big mouth. "We could get into a lot of trouble because of you!"

"Mmph....okey-doke!," Edward agreed cheerfully, her voice slightly muffled by Ayame's hand.

Suddenly, a loud click erupted from the depths of the lock on the door, the knob slowly rotating as the three young women began to back up warily towards the wall, the bowels of terror constricting their souls like a nefarious serpent.

"Hey, ladies," one of the two guards greeted huskily as he entered the room, thus leaving his partner outside to wait. "What's shakin'?"

Ayame snorted. "We do not tolerate rude, fowl, disgusting men, sir. Please leave our presence at once."

"Oh, of course," the guard acknowledged, giving her a bow full of mockery and derision. "Please forgive me, your highness."

"I'm warning you," Ayame hissed, her hand slowly straying towards her gun holster.

"And what could YOU do? Kick me with those bigass high-heeled boots?," he demanded, sneering as he let out a large, booming hearty laugh.

"Just leave us alone," Ayame pleaded weakly, taking a step back. "Go do your job....go off and...uh....guard someone."

"But I'd rather just stay here and guard YOU," the perverse guard insisted, reaching out and wrapping his arms about her slender waist as he nibbled on her ear. "C'mon, baby, just loosen up and-"

BANG!

The guard choked, blood pouring forth from his chapped lips as he slumped down to the ground, a copper bullet deeply embedded within his torso like a serrated splinter.

"Hey! What's goin' on in here?!," the guard's partner from outside demanded, immediately rushing into the room.

Edward let out a cry of bewilderment as the guard suddenly fired his gun on impulse, the bullet just grazing her wild, flaming hair.

Tracey immediately seized her by the wrist and yanked her over into a corner of the room with the hope of them being more protected, the both of them instantly huddling together in fear as the guard slowly approached them, thus completely ignoring Ayame, who was currently in the other corner.

"I hope you sonsabitches learn from this," the guard announced, smirking deviously as he pushed back the hammer of his gun with his thumb. "The bad guys may never be rooted for, but they sure as hell can do away with their foes. You have killed a guard, so therefore you'll both burn in Hell for the indelible sins that you have committed!"

"LEAVE THEM ALONE, YOU BASTARD!!!," Ayame shrieked, diving through the air and onto his back, thus causing him to misfire and hit a nearby lightbulb; the room now blanketed within a cool veil of darkness.

Tracey and Edward cried out in surprise due to the sudden change, whimpering as they overheard Ayame and the guard grappling amongst the shadows.

Then, without warning, a piercing scream erupted, followed by a gun shot, then a body dropping down like a stone to the concrete floor.

Trembling, Tracey retrieved her miniature flashlight from her pocket and shined it over in the direction of the noise, only to discover a fallen body cloaked within torrents of crimson blood, a shaking figure leaning over its form.

"A-Ayame?," she squeaked with uncertainty, her brow prickling with perspiration as she awaited a reply of some sort.

"Yeah.....it's me," the figure returned breathlessly, beginning to crawl over towards them in a state of mild pain. "I-I shot him, but.....he.....he got the drop on me and stabbed me in the gut."

"Hold still and lemme see," Tracey ordered, gently lowering her comrade down onto her back as Ayame unwillingly pulled down the front zipper to her cat suit.

"EW, BLOOD!!!," Edward exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "SPOOOOKY!!!
"Hush, Ed! Ayame doesn't need that nonsense right now!," Tracey snapped as she carefully inspected her comrade's abdominal wound.

"Will I be alright?," Ayame demanded, fear reflecting off of her deep brown irises like haunting mirrors. "Am I gonna die?"

Tracey let out a sigh of relief, replying, "No....you're in the clear. The wound's superficial, so your blood has almost completely finished clotting."

"So.....you mean I won't bleed to death?"

"Yes."

"YIPPEE!!! Weird girly-girl-person number one is SAVED!!!," Edward exclaimed, performing three enthusiastic cartwheels across the room.

"BE QUIET!!!," Tracey hissed, pressing a finger to her lips. "If we're gonna make it out of that door without being caught we need to be absolutely silent and-"

"Use the guards' uniforms," Ayame suggested, cutting her off abruptly. "We won't be as susceptible to being questioned if we appear to be one of their own."

"Good idea," Tracey agreed, nodding. "Ed.......c'mere and give me a hand with Ayame."

**************************************************************************************************

"Some one's coming," Ayame announced breathlessly, trying her best not to clutch her abdomen in pain as she, Tracey and Edward continued to amble along down the narrow corridor. "Act serious and dignified."

Tracey obeyed, but Edward, on the other hand, grinned from ear-to-ear, then gave the approaching guard a vigorous wave as she exclaimed blithely, "Hiya, guard-person!"

"Shit," Ayame cursed softly under her breath, trying her best to remain extremely placid as the guard gave them a funny look.

"Who's this?," he demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Are you three authorized to be around these parts?"

"Yes, sir, we are......this young woman is a prisoner of Vicious' that we are taking to the interrogation room," Tracey spoke up, much to Ayame's relief. "Don't worry, sir, we've got everything under control."

"ED IS A MENTAL PATIENT!!!," the young adolescent added, giggling as she held her arms out to the side like an airplane and began to crazily run in circles around her two fairly disgruntled companions.

Suddenly, to their absolute horror, the guard demanded, "Why are you both bleeding?"

"Damn....we forgot that the guards had bled through their clothing!," Ayame realized, terror seizing her by the throat like a taut vice. "Oh, God, what are we going to do?!"

"The weird girly-girl-persons were caught in an ambush of some sort by Vicious-person's foes," Edward spoke up, saving their hides. "After a vigorous and bloody battle, they conquered all!"

The guard grinned, clearly impressed. "Really? Wow, ladies, I guess that they mean it when they say that size doesn't matter! Here you are, a coupla shrimps, and then I find out from a mental patient that you kick ass? WOW! Maybe you'll get promoted!"

Ayame forced a small smile, replying, "Uh, yes.....hopefully."

"Well carry on, then," the guard acknowledged after a brief moment, checking his watch with slight annoyance. "I've got to get to a meeting in five minutes, so just go ahead and deliver that mental patient to the interrogation room......and FAST!"

"Yes, sir," Ayame and Tracey agreed in unison, exchanging a brief salute with him before he hurriedly continued on his way.

Once the guard was well out of sight, Tracey breathed, "Man, that was TOO close! I thought we were goners for sure!"

"Yeah.....thanks a bunch, Ed," Ayame agreed, wiping her sticky brow with the back of her hand. "We really owe ya one this time."

Edward beamed. "YIPPEE! Ed wants a souvenir!"

Ayame and Tracey exchanged puzzled glances.

"Uh, maybe next time, Ed," Ayame grumbled, seizing her by the wrist and yanking her onward with impatience. "As of right now we've got to find the whereabouts of Spike, Faye, and Aurora."

**************************************************************************************************

"Leave them alone, Vicious!," Spike growled, tugging on his chains like a wild, ravaging beast. "It's ME you want, so let Faye and Aurora go!!!"

Vicious smirked, replying coldly, "Yes, I suppose that you are, in a sense, correct, but I enjoy doing things like this. I AM a sadist, after all."

Spike grunted as he watched the nefarious spirit turn towards his daughter, then run a pale, translucent-blue finger down over the tip of her nose. Without warning, his fingers slipped about her throat and he began to squeeze, a pained gasp arising forth from Aurora's lips as her eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

"Mama....," she choked, tears streaming down her cheeks as she let out a strangled, miserable wail. "Ma....ma......"

"AURORA!!!," Faye shrieked, struggling about within her chains like a frightened animal. "Oh, Vicious, please let her go! Please......I BEG OF YOU!!!"

Suddenly, it all stopped. Vicious released his strong hold about the child's throat, thus allowing her to slump down to the concrete floor and cough violently.

"Fine," he acknowledged, turning and giving Faye a cold smile. "I've let her go, but in order to keep her alive, you must promise to be my bride."

Faye defiantly shook her head. "Never, you pompous scumbag! My heart can only belong to SPIKE SPIEGEL!!!"

"Very well......you leave me with no choice," Vicious agreed, smirking with a hint of rancor amongst his pale, thin lips as he turned towards Aurora and withdrew his katana from its sheath.

"Oh, no......please don't!," Faye implored frantically, practically down on her knees. "Spare my one and only child.......PLEASE! She's just a girl!!!"

Vicious, however, ignored her frantic plea, chuckling sadistically as he raised his gleaming katana up into the air, striking fear into little Aurora's rapidly beating heart as she squeezed her eyes shut and rolled up into a ball on the floor.

Just as he was about to bring the weapon of great destruction down upon her daughter, Faye shrieked frantically, "FINE! I'LL DO IT! Just....just let my baby go!!!"

Vicious smirked, realizing that he had won as he acknowledged insouciantly, "Very well.....I'll let the girl go."

"What about Spike?," Faye demanded fearfully, the mites of anxiety eating away at the weak strands of her frail and delicate heart. "Will you let him go, too?"

Vicious' smirk only widened, his voice containing slight amusement as he replied, "No......he will not. Spike must fight me to the death with the weapon of our choice, so therefore there will be no win-win situation."

Faye felt her heart plummet like a rock into the bowels of despair, her eyes misting up like a fog spreading over an emerald forest as she replied heavily, "Oh......I see........one of you must die."

Vicious nodded. "Yes, that is the ultimate objective."

"Then let it be so," she agreed stiffly, her gaze locking with Spike's as he gave her a bittersweet smile, knowing that she had made the right decision.

"If she had disagreed with Vicious, Aurora would've been killed," Spike told himself silently, his gaze continuing to explore the depths of Faye's intense, brilliant jade eyes. "This is for the best, so I can never be mad at the one woman who has made me feel strength and love beyond all words."

"I'm sorry," Faye mouthed, taking him abruptly out of his bittersweet reverie as a single tear escaped from the corner of her eye. "Oh, Spike, I am SO sorry."

He smiled, returning in a delicate whisper, "Don't be...........I love you."

Faye choked on her warm, salty tears, shaking her head bitterly as she realized that finally, at long last, Spike really, truly DID love her, and nothing could ever possibly change his endless love and devotion for her being.

"Kostian......release Mr. Spiegel," Vicious bellowed, taking Faye out of her turbulent train of thought.

"Yes, sir," he acknowledged, immediately rushing over to their captive and unlocking his chains with caution.

Spike grunted as he broke free of his suppressants, his lips curling up into a derisive smirk as he announced gruffly, "It's been a while, Vicious."

"Yes......this should be just like old times," he acknowledged, returning his adversary's scornful smirk. "The only difference will be, however, is that this time I will kill YOU instead of vise-versa."

Spike let out a terrible laugh. "HA! Not likely."

"Less yappin', more splattin'!," Vicious hissed, whirling his katana over his head and around his shoulders until it had sliced a clean incision across Spike's shins.

"Dammit," Spike cursed softly under his breath, dazedly stumbling out of the way as his fresh wounds began to throb profusely.

Vicious smirked due to his adversary's pain, asking smugly, "Ready to call it quits?"

"You wish," Spike hissed, seizing his gun and immediately withdrawing it from its holster as he clenched his teeth in pain, trying his best to ignore the blood seeping forth copiously from his fairly deep shin wounds.

In the blink of an eye, he had fired his weapon, the shot ringing throughout the room like a light explosion as the bullet tore through the air towards its target at top speed.

SWOOSH!

Spike gasped, watching on with frustration as the bullet passed directly through Vicious' torso without the slightest hint of blood or indication of ever being shot.

"You're SUCH a FOOL!," Vicious spat, a low, scornful chuckle escaping his lips as his dark eyes continued to cloud over with a misty, ebony tone. "Have you already forgotten that I am a spirit?! You have accepted my duel to the death, so therefore you must allow for me to continue carrying out your sentence!!!"

Spike grunted, dropping his gun to the floor with a subtle clatter; beads of sweat clinging to his form like a cool, moist sheet as he retorted coolly, "Then gimme whatcha got, Vicious.......I'm ready."

Vicious smirked, replying in a low, hushed monotone, "As you wish............old friend."

Within a moment, the two men were at each other's throats like ravaging beasts, their figures grappling amongst the dimly lit room like mysterious shadows partaking in some sort of bizarre dance.

Without warning, Vicious stuck his leg out behind Spike's feet, thus tripping him down to the floor and leaving him lying there with a stunned paralysis as he watched his adversary lift his glimmering katana up into the air above his head like a merciless executioner.

"Good-bye Faye...........good-bye, Aurora," Spike whispered aloud breathlessly as he closed his eyes in defeat. "I love you both and I promise that I will wait for you two behind the pearly-white gates."

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a frantic voice exclaimed, "Here, Spike....CATCH!!!"

He immediately looked to his left, only to see Ayame tossing some sort of weapon towards him with a frantic desperation.

"It destroys spiritual matter!," Tracey added, noticing the puzzled look upon his face as he seized the gun from off of the ground and cautiously lifted it up.

Spike smirked as he pointed the deadly weapon at his nemesis, then squeezed back on the trigger, uttering breathlessly, "Bang..."

BACHOO!

The electrical blue volts from the gun crackled throughout the air at lightning speed, Vicious immediately using his spiritual powers to switch places with the being nearest to him.

It didn't take very long, however, for Spike to realize who that being was.

"AURORA!!!," he exclaimed, dropping the gun in bewilderment as his frail daughter was swallowed up by the pulsating volts, a wail of pure innocence erupting forth from her throat.

"NOOOO!!!," Faye screeched, a low, pained moan of despair escaping her lips as a trail of tears began to rain down her cheeks like a light storm. "Aurora....oh, GOD, NO!!!"

"What have I done?!," Spike asked himself aloud, shaking his head in utter disbelief as he watched his child sink down to her knees, her eyes reflecting a hurt, betrayed sheen that seemed to lament, "Why, daddy? WHY?!"

Aurora immediately collapsed into a small heap, her rosy, angelic face now covered with whisps of green and violet-streaked hair.

"Aurora," Spike choked, shaking his head in denial as his body began to tremble. "No....."

"I've WON, Spike!," Vicious announced, cackling sadistically as he threw back his head and raised his arms in triumph. "Your fair daughter is, at long last, NO MORE!!!"

Spike turned on him in an instant, bellowing, "Alright, you bastard....I've had ENOUGH! We're gonna settle this battle right here, RIGHT NOW!!!"

Vicious smirked, replying coldly, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

In a flash, their heated battle began, Spike lunging towards his nemesis like a ferocious beast that was driven forth by all of the deep ire within his heart.

Vicious swung his katana in a 180, completely missing his target due to the fact that Spike had managed to tumble out of the way and perform a perfect roundhouse kick to his shins.

Vicious cursed softly as he roughly came in contact with the hard, concrete floor, his katana clattering away from him just as his firm hold had loosened.

Spike, noticing this, tried to intercept the weapon, but Vicious was far too expeditious. In the blink of an eye he had retrieved his katana, and then had swung the deadly weapon towards his nemesis at top speed.

SLISH!

Spike let out a cry of agony as the blade sliced across his cheek beneath his fake eye, blood pulsating forth from the deep incision like a scarlet waterfall as he staggered back in pain and bewilderment.

Vicious chuckled as he slowly approached him, hissing, "You can NEVER win, you foolish bastard! I am far too strong for you.....GIVE UP!!!"

"No," Spike retorted, defiantly shaking his head. "I will not."

In a flash, he dove to the ground and seized the spiritual gun, taking Vicious completely by surprise as he aimed it at his head and fired.

BACHOO!

The icy-blue volts crackled throughout the air as they began to incinerate their target, Vicious' vile curses and moans of agony echoing throughout the room as his spiritual matter began to evaporate.

Piece by piece, he was terminated into a cloud of mist, Spike breathing heavily as he chucked the gun down to the floor in triumph.

"At last," he breathed. "The nightmare is FINALLY over."

Spike's heart began to crush, however, when he turned his attention over to Ayame, Tracey and Ed, who had just freed his crestfallen lover with her trusty acidic blush that had saved herself and others in the past.

Faye immediately rushed over to Aurora, her fallen angel, turning her body over in her arms as she asked in a weak whisper, "Aurora....sweetheart....can you hear me?"

The child responded by laggardly parting her chapped lips and wheezing out a pained sigh, two diamond-like tears forming along the corners of her brilliant two-toned eyes.

"You need to take her to a hospital!," Tracey urged, tugging on Faye's shoulder with a frantic desperation. "If you don't, she'll die for sure!!!"

Faye nodded weakly, replying, "Alright.....considering that most of her spirit has been destroyed, I suppose that you're correct. C'mon....let's hotwire a zip craft and get out of here."

"And I'll go after Kostian and Veronica," Spike added, miserably lighting a well-deserved cigarette. "They escaped during my little battle with Vicious, and there's no way in Hell that I'm gonna let those weasels slip from my grasp!"

Faye gave him a tearful smile, urging breathlessly, "Go get 'em, cowboy."

**************************************************************************************************

"Are you sure that he won't find us?"

"Positive."

Kostian sighed, leaning back in his seat as he replied uneasily, "Yes, but I hear zat Mr. Spiegel is an excellent bounty hunter.....vhat if he finds us?"

"He won't," Veronica insisted in agitation, snorting as she lit a cigarette and brought it to her lips. "We're going somewhere that he'll never find us.....completely away from all prying eyes."

Kostian grunted, wiping the copious perspiration from his brow as the ticket man approached them in a cheerful, courteous manner.

"Tickets, please," he uttered in a low, familiar monotone.

      "Here you are," Veronica acknowledged, retrieving two train tickets from her purse and holding them out towards his open palm.

 "Thank you, madam," he returned, taking them from her extended hand. "Enjoy your trip."
 

"We most definitely will," Veronica assured him, a pleasant smile forming upon her crimson lips. "We are about to embark upon a new beginning away from it all."

"Starting a new life together?," the ticket man pried, cocking his head at an angle in expectance.

Veronica sent Kostian a seductive smile, replying slyly. "Yes......hopefully."

Before Kostian could utter a response, the ticket man pulled a gun out on them, hollering, "HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEADS!!!"

"Wha?! Who are you?!," Veronica demanded, shaking like a leaf as she raised her hands up into the air with reluctance.

The ticket man smirked, removing his sunglasses from his face as he replied smugly, "Spike Spiegel.....at your service, ma'am."

"How in zee world....?!," Kostian choked, extremely baffled. "Vhat happened to zee great Vicious?!"

"Dead," Spike replied simply, not able to keep himself from smiling. "The long, never-ending nightmare is finally over, and it so happens that I found out just a few hours before that you are both wanted by Big Shot. 17 million woolongs a piece, to be exact."

Kostian snorted. "Zhat still does not explain how you vere able to find us!"

"Tracking devices," Spike replied, smirking as he removed his ticket man cap from his head. "I learned that technique from the dear Veronica Stiles. By using mine and Faye's which were implanted in the soles of our shoes, I was able to perform the same exact style of trickery upon you two as Veronica had done earlier. Not too shabby for a bounty hunter, huh?"

"Very good, Mr. Spiegel.....I commend you," Veronica acknowledged hostilely as she bestowed upon him very unenthusiastic applause. "There is only one wish that I desire to come true as of this moment, and that is for your daughter to perish! I would just love to see you suffer for what you are about to do to us!"

       Spike stiffened, his finger trembling over the trigger to his gun as he tried his best not to fire. "I've ALREADY suffered ENOUGH!," he bellowed, seizing her by the wrist and cuffing her with a pair of handcuffs before turning and doing the same to Kostian. "My first love was stolen from me, my second left since she found out that I slept with Faye while we were dating, my family is long dead, my life is a living Hell, and MY DAUGHTER IS DYING IN THE HOSPITAL!!! You CANNOT tell me that I haven't suffered, you ignorant witch!!!"

Veronica merely sneered, replying coldly, "No one ever suffers too much, Mr. Spiegel. There's ALWAYS room for more."

Spike grunted, moving away from her in order to prevent himself from striking her as he announced to the frightened passengers, "It's going to be alright, people.....Mr. Van Chlokavich and Miss Stiles have been arrested. Please try to enjoy your trip to the best of your ability."

The passengers warily applauded, exchanging uneasy glances and furtive whispers as Spike asked an approaching security guard, "Does this thing go through Kellsburg?"

He nodded. "Yes, but you have violated-"

"Please," Spike interrupted, his eyes swimming with misery. "Please let me see my daughter.....she's in failing health and she and my girlfriend are all I have."

The security guard faltered, clearly torn between the emotions of a guard and a fellow father.

After a deep and vigorous inner debate, he acknowledged softly, "I'll make the engineer stop the train once we hit Kellsburg. Have a seat, sir, while I watch these two. I'll let you off the hook, but just this once."

"Thank you," Spike murmured, smiling as his features reflected his utmost gratitude. "Thank you."

**************************************************************************************************

"Are you alright?"

Faye lifted her tear-stained face up from her hands, mumbling feebly, "Spike......you came back."

"Of course I did," he replied, slowly sitting down beside her on her bed. "I wouldn't just leave you....I made a promise to never part from your side again, and I don't go back on my word."

"The doctor sent me back here since he said that Aurora should be alright for the night," Faye murmured weakly, shaking her head in shame. "I shouldn't have left her side."

"You did as you were told," Spike insisted, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're a very good mother....don't ever let someone convince you of otherwise."

Faye let out a shaky sigh as Spike gently interlocked his fingers in hers, his lips lightly tracing along the nape of her neck as he breathed into her flesh, "I'm here for you, Faye, and I always will be.....nothing can ever break me away from your side."

Faye let out a soft whimper as she tearfully closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, returning softly, "Stop speaking foolishness, Spike....Dr. Nagasaki says that Aurora is slowly dying. You'll leave me like she will......I can feel it. She's the only reason that you even came to Kellsburg in the first place."

"That is not true," Spike insisted, titling her head back so that she was forced to look into his eyes. "I admit that at the very beginning of this horrible escapade I despised you and the very air that you breathed, but then, something clicked and my destiny just seemed to fall into place. My destiny is you, Faye....you are my destiny."

Faye sighed as Spike pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss, his hands lightly tracing down along her shoulders as he pulled her body closer to his own, their hearts swelling like fiery embers of adoration.

Spike drank up the tears that came cascading down Faye's soft, flushed cheeks, his body feeling as if he were swallowing her pain as he whispered breathlessly into her ear, "Don't be afraid, Faye......I'll be here by your side, no matter what the future may bring."

"And I by yours," she returned softly, clasping his hands over her heart as she gazed into his beautiful two-toned eyes. "Till death becomes the barrier between us."

"I am yours," Spike agreed breathlessly, pressing his warm lips ardently against her own as he wrapped his strong arms about her middle and allowed her to entwine her fingers within his unruly mass of hair.

Their passionate love-making may have seemed lustful to the untrained eye, but it was actually the practice of two very devoted lovers who were performing their love through means of comfort opposed to desire.

As the couple held one another within their sweat-drenched sheets, they both realized that they truly needed the other and could not possibly function in the galaxy on their own.

Faye closed her eyes and gently pressed her lips against the smoothness of Spike's face, sighing as he turned his cheek away from her open mouth and captured her lips with his own, her heart racing as he continued to sweetly numb away her pain like a breath-taking miracle drug.

Spike gently brushed back the sweat-pasted violet hair from her eyes, a small smile forming upon his lips as he fondly looked over the woman before him that he had fallen so madly in love with just like any other young, lovelorn fool.

With gentle hands, Spike carefully removed Faye's yellow top from her delicate, slender frame, feeling captivated as her eyes burned into his own with a deep passion that lured his lips towards her own like a compelling force.

The heated kiss that they shared only deepened, their tight, heartfelt embrace keeping their figures entwined like a taut vice.

Spike closed his eyes as he felt Faye's small, beautifully-manicured fingers trace along his collar bone as she gave his jaw a warm, delicate butterfly kiss, his heart swelling with so much joyous emotion that he feared that it might burst.

"I have all that I'll ever need," Spike realized inwardly as he held Faye close and absolutely refused to let go. "My life has finally turned around......all thanks to the one woman who was always ready to risk everything for me. So it turns out, she was the only one who truly gave a damn about me above anyone else in my life.....including Julia and Kelly. Thanks to her I have finally found my inner light and have learned to keep it aglow."

Spike was brought back from his reverie by one of Faye's breath-taking kisses, his body immediately swelling with the undeniable sensation of longing that he knew would soon consume his being to that point that he would lose control.

Faye did this to him. She made him go crazy to the point that he couldn't help but love her more than he wanted to.

Before Spike could move further into their love-making as his body clearly desired, he felt Faye gently relax in his arms and let out a peaceful sigh, her heart beating a soothing rhythm against his own as the stars from the bedside view port swallowed them up within their luminescent glow.

Spike couldn't help but smile as he gazed upon her enchanting face, leaning down and gently pressing his lips against her soft cheek as he whispered breathlessly, "Goodnight, my sweet."