Ch. 12 "Honor, friends, and happiness."
Spike and Julia stopped in front of Spike's apartment building. Julia smiled.
"Thanks, Spike. I enjoyed myself." Julia said to Spike, referring to their excursion to the Cathedral.
"No problem." Spike said. The two stood awkwardly apart, the sky was beginning to darken, and the traffic on the streets beginning to slow.
"I'm going to check on Vicious." Julia announced. Spike nodded.
"Yeah, he seemed strange today. Come to think of it, he always seems strange." Spike said, smiling ever so slightly. Julia didn't smile.
"Distant is the word." She said.
"Yeah." Spike agreed.
"Spike..."
"Yeah?"
"Why do you work for the Syndicate? You don't seem like their type of man." Julia said. Spike shrugged.
"It pays the bills." Spike said. Julia didn't seem satisfied with that answer.
"And?" She asked. Spike closed his eyes and sighed.
"It offers an end to this dream." Spike said, very softly. Apparently Julia heard him.
"You want to die? Why don't you just kill yourself?" She asked.
"Suicide is the cowards way out." Spike explained.
"Men and their damn honor." Julia said, sighing.
"Women and their damn attitude." Spike said angrily. Julia didn't seem to be offended.
"At least it doesn't get us killed." She said softly.
"My honor is all I have left." Spike said. Julia looked at him.
"I don't know about Vicious, but as a friend, I care about you." She said. Her words triggered some emotion in Spike, he nearly felt like crying.
"You have something more precious then your honor Spike, you have friends." She said.
"I guess."
"You should care about your friends more than your honor, Spike." She said.
"I guess so." Spike said, not being able to saying anything else. Julia smiled.
"If you need someone, I am here for you." She said. Spike couldn't find any words to say to her, he only smiled, and then nodded. God, I must look like an idiot, he thought to himself.
"See you later, space cowboy." She said, smiling. Then she signaled a taxi and jumped in, Spike watched the taxi disappear into the distance before entering his apartment. He unlocked his apartment door then walked inside. Spike's stomach growled, and soon Spike found himself searching for what little food he had. He only found a half drunken carton of milk six days expired, and old takeout. Spike sighed.
"Why does food always seem to be a hassle?" Spike asked himself. He shrugged and drunk the milk and ate the old takeout. He sat down on the couch and put his head back, he looked at the ceiling, sighing.
"Friends..." Spike whispered. Images of Julia laughing, and Vicious smiling quietly filled his mind. Spike smiled.
"Maybe I'm not as alone as I thought I was." He muttered to himself. Julia's image lingered while Vicious's faded away. Spike smile widened.
"Julia." Spike whispered. She was so beautiful, so kind, and so friendly.
"Vicious, you are such a lucky man." Spike muttered, feeling an emotion akin to jealousy.
"It's strange, for the first time since mother and father died..." Spike's voice trailed off. He closed his eyes.
"I feel happy."
Spike and Julia stopped in front of Spike's apartment building. Julia smiled.
"Thanks, Spike. I enjoyed myself." Julia said to Spike, referring to their excursion to the Cathedral.
"No problem." Spike said. The two stood awkwardly apart, the sky was beginning to darken, and the traffic on the streets beginning to slow.
"I'm going to check on Vicious." Julia announced. Spike nodded.
"Yeah, he seemed strange today. Come to think of it, he always seems strange." Spike said, smiling ever so slightly. Julia didn't smile.
"Distant is the word." She said.
"Yeah." Spike agreed.
"Spike..."
"Yeah?"
"Why do you work for the Syndicate? You don't seem like their type of man." Julia said. Spike shrugged.
"It pays the bills." Spike said. Julia didn't seem satisfied with that answer.
"And?" She asked. Spike closed his eyes and sighed.
"It offers an end to this dream." Spike said, very softly. Apparently Julia heard him.
"You want to die? Why don't you just kill yourself?" She asked.
"Suicide is the cowards way out." Spike explained.
"Men and their damn honor." Julia said, sighing.
"Women and their damn attitude." Spike said angrily. Julia didn't seem to be offended.
"At least it doesn't get us killed." She said softly.
"My honor is all I have left." Spike said. Julia looked at him.
"I don't know about Vicious, but as a friend, I care about you." She said. Her words triggered some emotion in Spike, he nearly felt like crying.
"You have something more precious then your honor Spike, you have friends." She said.
"I guess."
"You should care about your friends more than your honor, Spike." She said.
"I guess so." Spike said, not being able to saying anything else. Julia smiled.
"If you need someone, I am here for you." She said. Spike couldn't find any words to say to her, he only smiled, and then nodded. God, I must look like an idiot, he thought to himself.
"See you later, space cowboy." She said, smiling. Then she signaled a taxi and jumped in, Spike watched the taxi disappear into the distance before entering his apartment. He unlocked his apartment door then walked inside. Spike's stomach growled, and soon Spike found himself searching for what little food he had. He only found a half drunken carton of milk six days expired, and old takeout. Spike sighed.
"Why does food always seem to be a hassle?" Spike asked himself. He shrugged and drunk the milk and ate the old takeout. He sat down on the couch and put his head back, he looked at the ceiling, sighing.
"Friends..." Spike whispered. Images of Julia laughing, and Vicious smiling quietly filled his mind. Spike smiled.
"Maybe I'm not as alone as I thought I was." He muttered to himself. Julia's image lingered while Vicious's faded away. Spike smile widened.
"Julia." Spike whispered. She was so beautiful, so kind, and so friendly.
"Vicious, you are such a lucky man." Spike muttered, feeling an emotion akin to jealousy.
"It's strange, for the first time since mother and father died..." Spike's voice trailed off. He closed his eyes.
"I feel happy."