Disclaimer - Do I really have to say it? I don't own Cowboy Bebop. And if I did, things would have gone a bit differently. See, first off, Gren wouldn't have died. *sniff*

AN - Thanks to my *checks her review box* 2 reviews! YAY! I was actually thinking I would get none.... THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY REVIEWERS: AMELIE and kiReiUGLY!

~*~*~*~
Deceptions
By PimpMasta Popo
~*~*~*~

Faye heard the gunshot and ran to the room. She swung the door open to find Vicious clutching his right arm, about ten guards pointing their guns at Julia's head, Spike helping Vicious up, and Julia looking quite content.

"Damn you," Vicious muttered.

"Didn't know I could do that, didja?" Julia mocked, smiling. "I just want to take a moment to relive what just happened," Julia smiled "Let me paint you a mental picture. You were going to shoot me, I kicked you in the knee, the gun went sideways, and shot your arm. So in the end, you shot yourself." Julia started laughing. "Oh that's good, I can just see it now in the newspapers: 'Syndicate member kills accidentally commits suicide." Julia stared laughing again.

Vicious growled in pain and anger.

Spike helped Vicious sit down then walked up to Julia. "You do know that at any moment, I could order these men to shoot you." Spike motioned to ten men surrounding her, ready to fire

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't get the code," Julia pointed out. "Although killing me would give you great pleasure, the code is much more important."

"Spike, fuck the code. Just kill her." Vicious snarled.

"No," Spike looked at Vicious. "We need that code."

Faye looked at Spike, and Spike met her gaze. "Faye, how long have you been there?"

Faye gave spike a look. "Spike, I think I'm old enough to handle this," she stood up straight.

Spike's features softened. 'I'm sorry I couldn't make it for dinner tonight,"

"It's all right, Spike. We'll do it tomorrow night," Faye smiled wryly at him. "We can do something else tonight,"

"I'd like that," Spike put his arms around her waist and breathed in her perfume.

"Oh God, spare me the groping," Julia muttered.

"Jealous?" Faye inquired, her eyebrows raised.

"That's right," Julia said sarcastically. She turned and looked at Spike. "When I look at you Spike, I get hot all over." Julia said melodramatically.

Faye glared at her. "You're not really in the position to make fun of me. You're the one getting the hell beaten out of you."

Julia shook her head. "And I so wish you could share this moment with me."

Faye glared again. Spike took her hand. "Vicious needs some help, will you take him to the infirmary?"

"Of course," Faye said. She gave him a kiss. "You promise you'll come tonight?"

"I promise,"

Faye went over to Vicious who was seething in pain.

"Here, let me help you," Faye said, offering a hand to help him up.

You know, I'm feeling like an abused wife," Julia said, watching Vicious and Faye.

"Why's that?" Spike asked, amused.

"Well, first I'm beaten, and I'm cursed at, then I get to see the new girlfriend who replaces me."

"You," Vicious scowled. "Better shut the hell up,"

Vicious took her hand after glowering at Julia once more, stood and walked out of the room, clutching his arm, and Faye standing next to him.

Spike watched them leave, and started at the door, once they had shut it.

"Is that jealously in your multicolored eyes, I see?" Julia taunted.

"Jealous? Of Vicious?" Spike scoffed.

"Ah," Julia nodded. "He's not getting any."

"Not lately."

"Wait," Julie looked at Spike strangely. "We're not having a conversation...are we?"

They looked at each other for a minute, then looked away.

"No, of course not," they said in unison.

Spike looked to the guards. "Take her to her cell."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Spike taunted. Julia glared at him, while being pushed out of the room.

Julia was thrown into her dark cell again. Since she was completely alone again, she let her facade drop, and gave in the pain. She started to sob uncontrollably. "Oh God," she murmured through her sobs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faye helped Vicious get to a bed in the infirmary.

"So, what she said was true?" Faye asked.

"About what?"

"About her kicking you, and shooting yourself."

"Yes, the bitch wasn't lying, on that one."

Faye sat next to him. "How long have you known her?" she asked softly.

"Five years."

"How many of those five years did you date her?"

"Two."

"Wow," Faye sighed. "How many years did Spike date her?"

"One."

"Oh," Faye smiled. "So they didn't love each other."

"It was a different kind of love." Vicious murmured, staring at the wall.

"What do you mean?"

"It wasn't just sex. It was beyond sex. It was..." Vicious searched for the word. "...more..."

Faye looked at the floor in dismay. "He loves you," Vicious said quickly.

Faye glanced at Vicious. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure." Vicious nodded.

"Would you tell me how you two met Julia? Julia *is* her name, right?"

"Right."

"So how did you two meet?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faye looked at the clock in the hallway. It was midnight. Spike was probably still down with Julia, she figured. Faye thought of her talk with Vicious. "Julia," she murmured the name herself. She couldn't get the mental picture of her out of her mind. It was haunting.

Faye sighed, and put her card key in her door, and opened it. She set her purse down on the loveseat and flipped the light switch.

She looked up and found Spike standing in the middle of the room, staring out the window.

"It's raining." Spike stated. He looked at her.

"Spike," she smiled at him, but he didn't smile back. His face stayed placid.

"Faye, where've you been?"

"What...what do you mean?"

"I came here at eleven. Like I usually do. Where were you?"

"I was helping Vicious."

Spike studied her. "A gunshot wound doesn't take two hours."

"We were talking." Faye told him.

"About what?"

Faye stared Spike. "Why the sudden interest Spike?"

"It's not normal to talk to Vicious for two hours."

"Well, I did."

Spike glanced at her then looked out the window, again. "What did you talk about?"

"Julia."

"What about her?"

"Who she was, and why you're trying to kill her."

Spike tore his gaze from the crowded streets of Tharsis City and stared at Faye. "I'm not trying to kill her. We just want information."

"Is this how you treat all your ex-girlfriends?"

Spike looked at her as if she said something offending. "No."

Faye saw she upset him. "Spike," she coaxed. "I'm sorry," she rubbed his back quickly then put her arms around his neck.

Spike stared for a second then put his arms around her waist. "Apology accepted."

"Good, now let's go," she lead him towards the bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


After a rather brutal beating, Julia was thrown back into her cell again. "That would make this day 29," she murmured through her pain.

It seemed like Julia closed he eyes for two seconds, when the door opened again.

"Fuck, you're not telling me, I get a second beating today,"

"No, it's your lucky day," the guard scoffed. "You have a visitor."

Julia looked at the guard in amazement. "No way,"

"It's the truth,"

Julia looked up to see Faye standing at the entrance to her cell.

"Well! It's Spike's *lover*. If I would've known you were coming I would baked you a cake."

"You talk pretty sassy for a prisoner." Faye retorted. Julia shrugged.

"I try,"

"I'd like to talk to you." Faye said abruptly. "I want you to tell me about you and Spike and Vicious. About your relationship with them is. How they were before I met them."

Julia stared at Faye for a moment. "Sure. But not in here." Julia motioned to her cell.

Faye looked at the nearest guard. "How far can I take her?"

"You could take her to the interrogation room," the guard suggested.

Faye looked to Julia for her approval. Julia shrugged.

"I'm taking her to the interrogation room. I'll bring her back soon."

"Yes, ma'am."

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


Faye laughed. "Spike was a *what*?"

Julia smiled. "You heard me."

"Spike was a trekkie????"

"He was when he was younger. I have in on good authority."

"What authority is that?"

"Pictures. He had pictures of his trekkie days,"

"But Star Trek was on in the 1970s."

"Ah, the power of repeats, and old TV." Julia murmured.

Faye laughed again. "We've been talking all this time about Spike and Vicious," Faye said once she finished laughing.(oh come on, Spike as a trekkie....that has to make you laugh.)
"But what about you?"

"Me?" Julia asked.

"Yeah. What was it like living on Mars?"

"Shit."

"Why's that?"

"My parents fought all the time. So I was never in the house. Most of Mars is great, if your 21."

"So did you start drinking at an early age?"

"17."

"It's not that early of an age." Faye mused.

"What age did you start drinking?"

"15."

Julia stared at Faye. "15?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"I've had a troubled past. I'd rather not talk about."

Julia shrugged and closed her eyes. "Fair enough."

"There's one thing I've got to ask you," Faye said, looking at the floor.

"Did you love Spike?"

"I did."

"Did?"

"Yeah, past tense."

"Did you love Vicious?"

Julia paused for a minute. "it was different with Vicious. It wasn't love. I needed an escape. Vicious was my escape from a life I wasn't to fond of. It wasn't really love for a long time."

"So you didn't love him?"

"I guess in a sense, I didn't."

Faye stared at Julia. "Do you still love either of them?"

"That's a trick question." Julia smirked. "If I answer yes, you'll think I love Spike, If I answer no, it seems like I've forgotten all that's happened."

Faye continued to stare at Julia. "No, I can't say I still love either of them. Not after what they do to me everyday."

"Is that what you needed to hear? If I still loved Spike?" Julia asked.

Faye nodded. "I talked with Vicious last night. He said you and Spike were different. That you two were special."

"And you became doubtful."

"Yeah."

Julia looked at Faye. "I'm not threat to you," she glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm probably going to have to go back now."

Faye looked at the clock too. "Yeah,"

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


Whew! That was a long one!
R&R! HYxRP fics