Author's note: Just a quick reminder, this is not a romance. And I apologize for the long delay; now that summer is here hopefully updates won't take as long.

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Chapter 4: To Kiss a Dream

Man has will, but woman has her way.

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"You won't get away that easy!" Faye yelled as she saw the man turn down a side street.

She still couldn't believe her luck. He had found her instead of the other way around. Talk about your easy money! The woman followed the man around the corner and saw him duck into a building. Faye came to halt outside the entrance to what looked like an old factory of some kind and smirked as she drew her gun. They always assumed hiding would work. Too bad for him he had the wrong bounty hunter after him.

Before Faye could step into the doorway a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned her head ready to face anything, only to find it was Spike who was beside her.

"Just what are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Look at yourself, you've already tired yourself out! You're just going to get in my way and I don't need help with a wanna-be hacker barely old enough to shave."

Spike held up his hands to show he wasn't going to argue with her over it.

"Fine, this is your show. I'm just here as back-up and besides, Jet's going to have both our heads if this guy gets away."

Spike didn't say anything, but he had followed Faye because he had not missed the smirk on the guy's face as he ran into her. Call it coincidence; gut feeling, whatever, but Spike didn't have a good feeling about this.

Faye narrowed her eyes at Spike. The man, when he actually did something, didn't do anything without a reason. So why was Spike here now willing to help her with someone he probably wouldn't have wasted his time on to begin with? She knew she wasn't going to get anything more from him and sighed.

"Alright, but just don't mess this up!" Faye said grudgingly and pushed the door open.

The pair stepped into the dark interior and it took a moment for their eyes to adjust. Whatever factory used to be in this building it was long gone and the inside was now littered with boxes and old machinery. Spike and Faye made their way further into the maze of boxes that towered over their heads. Spike tapped Faye on the shoulder and motioned his head to the right. Faye nodded and went to the left.

Spike, finally pulling out his gun, moved silently in a half circle behind where he guessed their bounty head to be hiding. The lanky man moved farther into the building. There was a little light shining in through the painted up windows up ahead and in that dim beam, Spike thought he saw movement. Assuming it was the bounty head Spike hurried up to follow him.

Faye crept around a tall stack, gun at the ready. The dark-haired woman peeked her head around the corner and her eyes widened. She jerked her head back as the man she was after opened fire at her. Well, that was easy enough finding him, she thought. After the short barrage of bullets stopped, Faye risked another glance. The short, blonde man was about to dart and she wasn't about to let that happen. The man rose quickly and this time Faye opened fire causing him to scramble away from the narrow aisle.

Faye's next moved caught the man off guard. He never expected to get tackled, especially by a woman, but the next thing he knew the woman bounty hunter took him to the ground with her gun pointed at his temple.

"Clayton Mill," Faye began sweetly, "you're wanted for hacking and you just might pay for what I lost this morning."

Spike made it to the faint shaft of light to find no one there.

"That's funny, I could have swore…"

His words died off as he caught sight of a door nearby. Without thinking, the lanky man opened it and stepped through. It brought him to the outside of the building and he blinked in the sunlight. Just as his eyes were focusing Spike heard gunshots from inside. Faye must have caught up with the bounty head. He started to go back inside, but a familiar, throaty voice stopped him.

"We meet again cowboy."

Spike froze in place and slowly turned to face where the voice was coming from. There she stood, directly in front of him. Her long brown hair shone red in the sun and she was wearing an elegant blue skirt. He looked into those stormy gray eyes and there was no mistaken it, it was the woman from the alley. She definitely looked real enough. Again Spike turned his head when he heard more gunfire.

"Mill is a klutz, your friend can handle him. And he was meant to get caught today."

"Isabella Larson," Spike said matter of fact, bringing his gun to aim at her head.

She had already shot him once, after all. And against most people's assumptions, Spike wasn't that careless with his life.

Isabella seemed to take no notice of the gun and gave a slight nod in response.

"Very good cowboy. That was quicker than I excepted."

Spike smirked.

"So the question is, what is it you want from me?" Spike asked.

"You wanted to see me didn't you? From your look earlier today I would have thought you were looking for me. Mill was paid well to deliver your invitation here today and to distract your friend."

So it had been her that he had seen in the crowd after all, and that's why he had a bad feeling earlier, it was a set up.

"I take it you didn't die at 17."

"Isabella Larson did die a long time ago, Mr. Spiegel," at the surprised look in the man's eyes she went on, "oh yes, I know who you are, Spike Spiegel."

Who, what, was this woman? Spike mentally asked himself. The surprise had caused him to lower his gun a bit and the woman stepped closer to him. In reaction Spike brought his arm back up, but it didn't seem to faze Isabella.

"There are no bounties for a dead woman, cowboy," she chuckled.

"No, but you're a lead to Bernard Larson," he stated, not moving the gun.

"You're friend should be about done with Mill. Our time is almost up, Mr. Spiegel," she said taking another step closer to Spike.

"I can't let you go," he said with a smirk, "if nothing else to prove that I'm not crazy."

"How do you know you aren't?" she asked stepping closer.

"There's a lot of people that wouldn't argue that," Spike said not backing away as she moved in closer.

"Or how do you know this isn't all a dream?" she asked, finally right in front of the bounty hunter.

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

Isabella smiled warmly up at Spike even though her chest was practically pressed up against his raised gun. Maybe he should be the one asking her if she was the crazy one, he thought. Time seemed to slow as he looked into her steel gray eyes and he found himself staring. They were too familiar for comfort and yet he couldn't look away. She slowly leaned in towards the bounty hunter and Spike felt his breath catch. Soft lips gently gave a quick kiss to the corner of Spike's mouth.

"We'll meet again soon," she whispered in his ear.

With that Isabella turned and started to walk away.

"Stop" he ordered, but the word came out slurred, as if he were drunk.

Spike brought his gun back up, which he didn't realize he had lowered, but suddenly he felt his strength ebbing away. The image of the woman's back tilted and swayed crazily, and sound seemed to be distorted. Spike found he no longer had the strength to even hold his gun up, it felt like it weighed a ton. His muscles also felt weak and sluggish. The bounty hunter dropped his arm and he felt the gun fall from his weak grasp right before he dropped to his knees.

"What… did she do... to me?" he barely mumbled out loud.

Spike's eyelids became heavy and he forced his eyes open to see that the woman was already gone. All that remained of her was the ever present memory of stormy gray eyes. The act of staying awake became to difficult and with a soft groan the bounty hunter lost consciousness and collapsed sideways to hit the ground with a thud.

"Now he knows who you are!" Bernard Larson complained.

"And what if he does?" Isabella asked calmly.

"Well…" Bernard began, but was cut off.

"Well nothing. What does he have? Three memories of a woman that I'm sure by now even he's questioning are real. Memories of a dead woman mind you, that he has no proof what's so ever exists. So tell me Bernard, what does the cowboy have?"

"You're right Isabella, of course. But must you play with him so much?"

"Dear brother. Where would the fun be if I didn't? I suggest you focus on staying out of trouble. You're ex-boss is not going to be very happy when he finds out what you really stole from him."

Bernard Larson opened his mouth to say more, but decided against it. She was right after all. That bounty hunter had no proof that his sister was alive and he had more important business to attend to.

Spike woke up to the feeling of something slimy on his hand. He shot his eyes open only to find that his hand was dangling off the couch and Ein was licking it. The bounty hunter grimaced and jerked his hand away. Why is they had to have a kid, a tomboy, and a dog on the ship?

"It's your own fault ya know?"

Spike looked up to see Jet standing above him with his hands on his hips.

"Running off like that. Chasing people around in a crowd. You were shot less than four days ago, if you remember and you only woke up yesterday. You're lucky Faye found you or you'd still be lying outside that warehouse. Just what exactly were you doing off the ship anyway?"

"Following a hunch." Spike answered as he stiffly rose into a sitting position.

"A hunch, uh? One you couldn't wait for me for? Damn it Spike. We are partners in this after all. Why is that you always have to go off on your own?"

Spike could tell Jet wasn't about to drop this issue any time soon. For someone who claimed to not care about anyone he sure was protective at times. Jet huffed and sat down in one of the chairs. For lack of anything else to watch, Spike watched as Jet huffed and sat down. The movements made him feel light head and he brought a hand up to his head. The moment passed quickly. Not quick enough to elude Jet's gaze though.

"You don't look so hot Spike. Do yourself a favor and take it easy a while," Jet suggested.

Spike didn't seem to pay attention to the larger man.

"What did she do to me?" Spike whispered.

"She?" Jet asked sitting up and leaning towards Spike from the chair.

"You aren't still going on about that woman are you? Faye told me that the woman you thought shot you was Larson's sister. Ed looked her up and she's dead, Spike. It couldn't have been her."

"I know she's dead, Jet. I saw the file too," Spike said picking up the pack of cigarettes on the table.

"Then it must have been someone that looked like her," the larger man suggested.

"No," Spike answered firmly, "I know it sounds crazy, but it was her. I'm sure of it."

"Are you sure you didn't knock your head as well? Spike, the woman's dead, dead, has been for a long time."

"I know what I saw," Spike answered matter of fact.

After lighting a cigarette and before Jet could protest, the lanky man stood slowly and headed out of the common area.

"Where are you going?" Jet asked as Spike passed him.

"To lay down."

"Now that's the first sensible thing I've heard come out of your mouth in a while," Jet said smiling.

Spike simply smirked and walked out. There wasn't any point in telling Jet about his meeting with Isabella earlier, he wouldn't have believed it. Hell, Spike almost didn't believe it. After all, it did sounds unbelievable. But Spike was certain, well fairly sure anyway, that she was real and he planned to prove it. How he didn't have a clue, but the last thing she had said to him was that they would meet again. He had a feeling that she would see to that.

All he had to do was wait.

TBC…

Sycoger64 – I'm glad you liked it and welcome to the story! I can't tell ya what the woman wants with Spike.

Merlyn1382 – Thanks! Glad you liked and here you go!

Microfiber shoelaces – Thanks for the complement! Yeah, I'm known for suspense, hehe. And thanks for the word comm.! That does sound familiar. I will definitely keep writing, so I hope you keep reading.

Red Tigress – Yay I got glomped! Glad you liked the line, hehe. And just for you guys I'll switch to the Jet/ Spike. Haha, and I guess you did get me an alchemist name. Speaking of which, I got FMA 33 and 34!!!!!!!!!!

NeptuneHelena – Thanks Hikari! Yeah, the in-character ness is hard. Oh and definitely the Spike angst is far from over! Haha, yes, yes I do like cliffs.