Quick update, cause lord knows you need one after so long:
Spikey-boy finally reconciles with both Julia's and Vicious' death, which is ironic since Faye has just discovered that Vicious is actually still alive (gasp!…did you guys see that one coming? Just curious…). She has a dream/memory of speaking to David right before she boards the space shuttle of doom. He proposes to her, and she reveals that she's pregnant! (Awww, naughty, naughty!) Faye wakes up, realizes she's going to be late for her rendezvous with Vicious, and rushes off to get in the Red Tail. However, apparently Vicious decided to bring the party to the Bebop. He forces Faye, at gunpoint, to accompany him to the living room area, where Spikey-boy is fast asleep. As soon as they step into the room, Vicious fires two shots into Spike's head…Read on to find out what happens!
"No!" Faye screamed, covering her mouth as his head burst, spraying blood everywhere…or was it juice? Vicious growled and dragged Faye back to him, placing the gun just above her ear. The lights flickered on overhead and Spike stepped out from the kitchen, jacketless and holding his own gun steady.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, wearing Vicious' face, but you're going to pay for staining my jacket." Faye felt her knees weaken, and she almost laughed with relief. What she thought was Spike's arm hanging over the couch was really just the sleeve of his jacket, and his 'head,' only a melon.
"You're gonna pay for that cantaloupe too," Jet grumbled from across the room, clutching his gun. "That was for tomorrow's breakfast and it's damn hard finding a ripe one this time of year." Vicious shifted his cold gaze from Spike to Jet, whipped his gun out and shot the older man, then turned it back to Faye's head in one fluid motion. Jet crumpled to the ground.
"Jet!" Spike shouted, turning his head slightly but keeping his eyes on Vicious.
"…I'm okay," he groaned. "Shot in the leg again, and in the same goddamned place!"
"Can you stand?" Spike questioned. Faye strained to see Jet's fallen form, but Vicious held her back. There was a moment of silence, followed by a heavy thump and a string of curses.
"No," Jet replied angrily. "The old wound hadn't had time to heal yet…there's a lot of blood."
"Okay, stay where you are, Jet." Spike moved forward slowly. "I can handle this joker on my own." Vicious' lips curled into a smirk and he chuckled softly.
"Spike!" Faye blurted out, then hesitated, biting her lip. How could she tell him? It would completely shatter his newfound peace… She took a deep breath and continued. "Spike, it really is Vicious." Spike glanced at her, eyes widening slightly.
"I don't know what this guy said to convince you, Faye, but you killed Vicious," he said calmly. "I saw the body myself, touched the cold skin. Vicious is dead."
"How can you say that?" Vicious rasped, a sardonic smile twisting his lips. "We used to be the best of friends, you and I." His icy eyes bored into Spike. Spike snorted.
"Why don't you cut the crap and tell me what you're doing here," he shouted, annoyed.
"She failed," Vicious replied, pressing the muzzle of the gun more firmly to Faye's head. "And so you will both die before I leave here tonight."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Spike growled, lifting his gun slightly in response to Vicious' movement.
"I set it all up. I set up everything with you, and Julia – it was all a test for Faye." Spike's breath quickened but he didn't lower his weapon. "I knew you'd come, Spike. After my men shot down Julia, I knew you would come to end it. The question was, would Faye come?"
"Enough!" Spike shouted, eyes narrowed. "Tell me who you are!"
"You know who I am!" Vicious growled forcefully. "You just won't admit it…you're pathetic, Spike. You deserve to die." Spike's gun arm began to shake slightly.
"You're not," he muttered, his voice faltering, "You're not him…I don't believe it…" Vicious grinned.
"Julia deserved to die, too. She was a worthless fool. But at least she served a purpose in her death, drawing you to me…like the fly to the spider. And Faye - "
"What does Faye have to do with it, Vicious?" He used the name sarcastically, but there was a fear clouding his eyes and he was having difficulty breathing normally.
"Everything!" Vicious shouted furiously, jerking Faye more tightly against him, as if she had asked the question. "Weren't you listening? It was a test! A test of love…" he muttered, a strange madness filling his eyes. He was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and regained some control. "I contacted Faye that same day, did she tell you? Of course not. I merely told her that Julia was dead, and that you were coming to kill me." Vicious smiled slowly. "Oh yes, and I also told her that my men would ambush and kill you as soon as you stepped through the door." Vicious laughed and Faye stared at the floor, a light flush tingeing her cheeks. Spike hesitated, gaze shifting between the two.
"I don't – " he began. Vicious cut him off smoothly.
"You should've seen her, Spike…the bloodlust shining through her eyes, cold fury outlining her face. I'd never seen her so beautiful. Her hunger for death rivaled your own."
"I don't hunger for death anymore," Spike said swiftly, glancing at Faye as he spoke.
"Too bad it was my death she desired," Vicious continued softly, ignoring Spike and studying Faye's face intently. "What kind of woman longs to kill her fiancé of 50 years?" Spike stiffened and growled under his breath. Vicious glanced up and smiled faintly. "Why act upset? I know you are already aware of Faye's and my past…I've been monitoring you very closely, Spike. When my men reported that you'd entered Schlage's house, I ordered that sniveling, cowardly spy killed so that you could not come any closer to the truth. And the bank manager, he was easily persuaded that it was in his best interests to keep you away from Schlage's safety deposit box. However, when you succeeded in making off with the disc despite everything, I decided that it wasn't worth the risk."
"What do you mean?" Spike demanded.
"I did not want to risk you discovering my continued existence. And I thought Faye might make an effort to conceal our past from you, although now I see that she actually wanted you to figure it out. Perhaps she believed you would help her…" Vicious released a short, barking laugh. "As if you could care for the woman who's fiancé killed your Julia."
"Ex-fiancé." The words tumble out of her mouth before she could stop them. Vicious snarled and seemed ready to strike her, then paused and smiled grimly.
"Come now, Faye…don't be like that." He slid his arm back so that his hand splayed out over her abdomen. "Think of the baby." Faye gasped and a sob tore from her throat.
"You know very well that child died in the accident," she said in a low voice, shaking uncontrollably. Spike's jaw dropped open.
"Baby?"
"No! It was you!" Vicious raged. "I told you not to go…you killed our baby!"
"I'm glad!" Faye screamed suddenly, wrenching out of his grip and turning to face him. Vicious still clutched one of her wrists and held the gun level to her head, watching her intently as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "I'm glad it died, glad I didn't raise it with you! You, who all along had the ability to become this monster-"
"Shut-up!" Vicious screamed, turning the gun sideways and slamming it against her head. Faye cried out faintly, her knees buckling. Vicious caught her and pulled her against him roughly, digging the muzzle of the gun into her scalp. "I'm the monster? You, Faye, you…" His voice broke and he trailed off, his head dropping down over Faye's. Spike looked on, bewildered and hardly daring to breath. If not for the gun, Vicious and Faye would look like two lovers embracing. After several moments of deep silence, Vicious lifted his head, his face resuming its normal hard, cold appearance.
"It doesn't matter," he said quietly, his eyes glazed. "Everyone will die tonight." He cocked his gun.
You
shout in your sleep.
Perhaps the price is just too steep.
Is your conscience at rest
If once put to the test?
You awake with a start
To just the beating of your heart.
Just one man beneath the sky,
Just two ears, just two eyes.
You set sail across the sea
Of long past thoughts and memories.
Childhood's end, your fantasies
Merge with harsh realities.
And then as the sail is hoist,
You find your eyes are growing moist.
All the fears never voiced
Say you have to make your final choice.
People, people…when I said I'd post the next chapter soon, naturally I meant in 3 months! It's obvious, really… Okay, you really have every reason to hate me, but couldn't you review anyway? Purty puh-lease?
Lyrics are the first half of pink floyd's "Childhood's End." The second half will be up next chapter.