KTKG says: Hey everyone I'm here with a new chapter! I'm so glad that you guys liked the last one! Thank you so much for all the reviews! So yeah, just to let you know, this will eventually be a Spike/Faye fic (cuz I think they're so CUTE!) Ahem, yeah anyways....

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop, so don't sue cuz you'll get NOTHING!!! (I'm so broke)

Tough love

Chapter 2 - Just for tonight part II

It was a dimly lit room that he sat in; the air filled with in his opinion the sweet smell of cigarette smoke. Sounds of people chatting and laughing could be heard over the sound of the live jazz band on stage, making the atmosphere seem light and happy.

Spike sat at the bar, swirling his drink around slightly as his head rested in his hand. He inhaled, taking the nicotine-filled air into his lungs as he took a small sip from his glass. He wondered for the millionth, no, BILLIONTH time that night why exactly he was treating Faye, of all people, to drinks. Whether it was sympathy, pity, or heartburn that was motivating him he didn't know. * Hopefully it's the heartburn. *

He looked over at his shipmate that sat on the barstool next to him. She was on her fourth beer, and was currently chugging it down pretty fast. Why she had decided on beer he had no idea. One would think that since he was treating she would order the whole frickin' bar but lady luck was on his side though. Well, it's not like he would have done it anyway.

He studied her profile for a minute. She was staring at the huge glass in her small hands, watching in seemingly great fascination as the reaming liquid that never made it to her mouth slid down the side of it. Her face was slightly flushed and upon noticing this, Spike couldn't help but smirk.

Faye could hold her liquor pretty well, but compared to him she was a lightweight. Whenever they would have drinking contests out of pure boredom, he would beat her with little to no effort. But then again, it took a LOT to get him drunk.

Downing the contents of his glass and stretching he recounted the night's earlier events. They had fought about who was going to drive. Spike argued that he was because she had already said he could but she argued back something about 'recklessness' and 'wanting her ship to be intact'. He couldn't remember, he had blocked out her voice then, but from the bits he had heard he had to bite his tongue from saying something smart about her tendencies to be reckless. She was still going on and on about something but he just blocked it out some more and headed to her ship.

The whole ride to the bar was to say the least a challenge for Spike. Have you ever tried to fit two people in the Redtail? They had spent at least ten minutes arguing about how they were going to both fit into the machine. After all his suggestion were shot down, including him leaving her there and bringing her back a drink later, he was left with no other option but for her to sit on his lap since she was so adamant about driving.

She had looked at him weird for a moment then, but shrugged it off and waited for him to sit down first before she herself climbed in. He had thought nothing of it at first. He thought he could handle having her sitting in his lap, it was just Faye right? Right. Nothing special.

Boy was he wrong.

Any man would have been in heaven, and as we all know Spike isn't just any man. However for that one moment, he became one, and he had to distract himself from actually reveling in the fact the Faye's ass was indeed firmly planted in his lap. By the end of the (thankfully) short trip Spike felt as though he was in dire need of a drink and practically raced Faye inside.

Spike shook his head and quickly ordered another drink as the memories faded. He was NOT attracted to Faye... he was in love with Julia.

Julia...

The bartender handed him another one and Spike soon found himself mimicking Faye by staring at the liquor in the glass. Slowly an image of his dark angel appeared and he forced himself to close his eyes. Why was he thinking about her now? It's been almost three years since... since he 'died'.

"Spike..."

He looked over to his left to find Faye staring at him. If he hadn't heard her slightly slurred speech he would have sworn that she was still sober and that her face was just red because bar was hot. She had a serious look on her face like she ad something important to say.

Turning back to his drink he grunted a response and began to drink, watching her out of the corner of his eye lest she fall over. She was prone to falling down after all when she was like this.

Slowly and carefully she gripped the table and turned her body towards him, the serious look still plastered on her face. "Tell me about your past..." Immediately he stopped drinking and looked at her fully. She seemed a bit more sober but her death grip on the table told him that she was in fact far from it.

He looked back at his drink and in a rush; memories of almost three years ago came flooding back into his mind. He closed his eyes but Julia and Vicious' face remained, as if they were painted on the inside of his eyelids.

Shaking his head, he finished off his drink and turned back to Faye's anticipating face.

"Nah... maybe I'll tell you some other time." He noticed her pout and made a mental note that she was more expressional while liquored up. "Why don't you tell me about yours?"

He knew that she didn't know, he knew as much about her past as she did, and that wasn't really much. Well, then again there was that one time when he was in the bathroom and had over heard her story she was telling Ein. He tried to remember what she had said but he was a little buzzed at the moment and his mind was currently preoccupied with other things.

In the silence the two were currently sharing, his thoughts drifted back to his past and, like he often did whenever his past crept up on him and he was a bit drunk, he groaned and place his head down on the table.

He was still waiting for her to say something about her past, anything really so long as he didn't have to remember his. At the moment she was silent. At any other time he would be overjoyed, but at the moment, he wanted her to start talking, even yelling in that annoying voice of hers.

She still wasn't saying anything. Oh well, he had managed to almost block out the memories before and he was sure he could do it again.

"I don't remember anything..." He knew that already. "Faye, you already--" "But I remember the past three years since I've been awake." He stopped in mid-sentence and looked at her. She'd only been awake for three years? Surely he would have thought longer by the way she always acted like she knew everything.

"I wish... I wish I could go back to my old life... the life I know nothing about. This one in the 'future'... I hate it. Everything that's happened to me so far has been for the worst, I mean with the bounty and everything. Not to mention my debt situation." She laughed bitterly and lowered her head to her arms. "In my old life, on the tape, I seemed so happy ... I wish I could be like that again."

She mumbled something else but it was incoherent as she down the remaining liquid in her glass.

* Okay* He thought as he watched her for a moment. Obviously she had had enough to drink. After all, she was opening up and being sentimental with HIM, of all people! Shaking his head he looked around the bar before settling his eyes back on her. Well, he guessed his decision was final then.

"Come on Faye, we should be going... It's already after midnight and Jet is probably starting to notice that we aren't back yet." He glanced at the clock on the wall to see if his time prediction was indeed correct. *Damn, I really need to get a watch.*

He called her name again, but she didn't move. In fact, she refused to. He growled, irritated by the thought of having to deal with a very dunk and childish Faye. If they were on the Bebop he would leave her there by just simply walking away.

Wait a minute, he could do that now. He looked around once more, taking in the features of all the men sitting in the room. Nah, he wouldn't do that, she's been through enough already and he really wasn't the one to leave drunk women alone in bars full of men. Sighing he attempted it once more.

"Faye... come on it's time to go." He went to reach for her but she snatched her hand away and locked eyes with him. He stopped instantly as their eyes met. There was pain, hurt, and something else in those emerald orbs of hers that he couldn't place.

"Just leave me here, go on without me." She looked down at the counter. "Besides, you always tell Jet that the Bebop would be better if I wasn't there. Plus..." She looked back at him "You hate tomboys right?" He growled at the look she gave him.

Something about the look in her eyes made his supposedly dead heart feel something, and he hated it. *Whatever... it doesn't really matter, I meant what I said, so.... whatever.* He stubbornly reached out again, this time succeeding in snatching up her arm.

"What are you doing? Let me go! Let me GO!" She began to struggle against his grip, but it wasn't much due to the fact that she was intoxicated at the moment. "You don't know what you're saying Faye, you're obviously drunk off your ass." She stopped struggling and set to pouting like a child. * I can't believe this!* his mind screamed, *She's worse than Ed will ever be!*

He glared at her and of course she glared back, daring him to try something on her. She maybe be drunk, but she would be damned if she let Lunkhead here tell her when it was time to leave the bar.

She squeaked as she saw Spike lunge at her suddenly. Grabbing her squirming form he threw her over his shoulder and tossed a couple of woolong on the table. The bartender shook his head as he watched the two walk out. Well, more like one struggled to carry the other...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It seemed like an eternity to Spike as he carried Faye's surprisingly light body across the parking lot. She had stopped squirming and had finally decided to let him carry her. He almost, ALMOST, jumped for joy when she had settled down, but when she decided that she needed to keep her hands busy, he wanted to drop her right then and there.

What could that be you ask? Well, that would be pinching his ass of course.

"Faye..." As much as he hated to admit it, she was actually starting to wear him out. Well, it wouldn't be much longer until they were back on the ship. Ah yes, he could just hear that ratty old yellow couch calling his name.

Faye snorted and shifted a bit, distracting Spike long enough to see her foot coming straight for his face. Out of reflex, he blocked her leg with his other hand and without thinking smacked her lightly on the behind. "Watch it Faye..." Again she snorted and pinched his butt in reply, slurring out a response that he couldn't understand.

Jeez, how drunk was she? She only had like, what, four beers? Hm... Then again, maybe she had been sneaking some sips of his drink when he wasn't looking. Yeah, it made sense. Now that he thought about it, every time he would turn back around there would be less vodka in his cup.

He sighed with relief when the Redtail came into view. He thought he would never be that happy to see that old thing but he was.

With skill he wasn't sure he could muster at that moment, Spike tightened his hold on Faye's waist and hoisted them both up into the pilot's seat. Whatever buzz he had from before was now gone. Dealing with Faye had sobered him up pretty good, well at least enough to be able to operate a zip-craft.

Looking down at the woman seated rather crudely in his lap, Spike started up the engine. Faye sure could be a hand full some time. Wait make that ALL the time. She was always getting herself into situations she couldn't get out of and as her last resort she would call him to come and bail her out.

He would always say he wouldn't do it but then something would come up and he would end up doing it anyways. He couldn't help it sometimes. He'd never get a 'thank-you' out of her, the woman had too much pride for that. But then again, he never asked for one, he'd just treat it like it was nothing in the first place. Besides, now that he thought about it, it would just be weird if she gave him any thanks.

The Bebop suddenly came into view and he couldn't help but smirk. He really needed to go to sleep, or at least take a nap. He looked down at Faye's relaxed face. Long gone was the usual scowl, and instead a slacked expression graced her face, her mouth slightly opened. *Man, she better not drool on me*

Once he parked the Redtail he slipped out first, then pulled her out and placed her on his back. The Bebop was quiet, save for Jet's snores that seemed to echo off the metal walls. Quickly he made his way to Faye's room. There on her bed was Ein, snoozing quietly with no clue that Faye was back, but not quite awake.

"If she was awake you'd be dead right about now", he whispered as he picked up the dog simultaneously dropping Faye onto the bed. She grunted as she hit the mattress, but rolled over, mumbling something he again, couldn't understand.

He stood there, staring at her sleeping form. Unconsciously his thoughts began to fly, and thoughts that wouldn't normally be floating through his head were. Thoughts of how good Faye looked lying there on her bed. Suddenly realization hit him and he took off out of her room, dropping Ein down next to Ed in the hallway. *It's gotta be the alcohol talking.*

He made his way to his room and changed into his training pants, he needed to take his mind off of things and what better way to do that than work out?

As he left his room he stopped when he reached Faye's room. Carefully stepping over Ed who had managed to worm her way in front of the door, he made his way over to her bed. She was still in the same position, and not wanting to hear her voice later on, he rolled her onto her back so she was in a more comfortable position. She protested a bit in her sleep but eventually gave in, stretching a bit before settling down.

He sat there, taking in all her features as she slept on. Who would've known that this sleeping beauty could be quite the beast when she was awake? He shook his head and stood, taking one last look at her.

Something about this woman, this young yet old woman, intrigued him for reasons unknown. He didn't want to be curious about her but he was, and it was starting to get to him. *Man, she sure looks good for a old granny...* He shook his head at the thought.

Man, he really needed to clear his head.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

KTKG says: Okay, how was it? Good? Bad? Should I continue? You guys gotta tell me what you want! If you tell me, I'll (try) to do it!!! Thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!