CB: Cat and Mouse, -XIII-

"All I'm saying is that right now we've got no food, no money, and a lot more heat than we had a week ago."

It's a while later and the three of us are on the bridge. Jette's seated in the pilot chair and Spike and I are standing looking over the display unit of the navigational computer. Jette's been having a one-sided argument for the last ten minutes as neither of us have said a word.

"You're wrong, Jette, we just know about the heat we've had and not known anything about," Spike speaks up, and though I'm not exactly looking at him, I know he's staring Jette straight in the eye. He turns those mismatched eyes on me, and I look down.

"If it's such a problem for you boys, I'll leave."

"No," the two of them say it at the same time, and for what I'm sure are entirely different reasons. They look at one another with this incredulous look, hands slammed on the display panel in the middle of the cockpit, and I can't help but smile, a little, despite it all.

"You shouldn't go anywhere… alone, not now," Spike's eyes have left me, but I can feel he's still paying rapt attention to me. He's turned and is looking out the windows on the bridge. It's Ganymede.

"I can take care of myself, you know." The protesting voice isn't my own, though it comes from my throat. I don't want to leave. Not alone. I don't know if I'm strong enough to. Not again.

"A damn lot of good that's going to do either of you now. We're coming in to land. I want both of you to get lost on Ganymede for a while. Lay low. Real low."

"With what? Last I checked you just said that we don't have any money."

"We don't," Jette says, turning to look me in the eye, "but last time I checked, you did."

"Hey, that money's mine. I won it fair and square."

"And I'm asking you to use it to keep you and Spike alive, Faye. I'm not asking you to do something charitable."

"Oh great, next thing I know you'll be asking me to donate to the old women's and orphan's homes."

"I can't make you do anything, Faye. But I'd rather not take any chances with your lives. If you won't do it then-"

Spike hasn't said a word through all of this, and my eyes meet his back where he stands, still, looking out the front windows. Doesn't he even care that we're standing here arguing about his life? Doesn't he care… a little?

He stiffens, I know he can feel my eyes on him.

It's enough.

"I'll do it."

For now.

"Just because I said you shouldn't be alone doesn't mean you have to take care of me," Spike replies, turning finally to meet my eyes. "I'd rather you just-"

"Well frankly I don't care what you'd rather, it's my ass on the line here, so just get over it." I fold my arms. He folds his in response, our eyes meet in silence for a long moment.

Jette interrupts our silent war of gazes. "Regardless of all that, we've got to land in the harbor and dock first. After that, it's probably better if I don't even know where you are," Jette heads over to the helm, his voice sounding wearier than I remember it.

We both start talking at the same time, "If you think you're going to force me into this-force you? You'd be forcing me!" And we're saying exactly the same things.

"Get off my bridge if you're going to squabble like little children!"