A/N: Hey, guys! I FINALLY updated, so yay! I got lazy, but then didn't, so yay again! =P lol W/e, haha...please R&R, and of course...ENJOY! ^,~


"And so I've ruined yet another part of my life," Faye concluded aloud in a voice barely above a whisper, her vision blurred over by the warm, prismatic tears that gathered along her lashes as she gazed down upon Spike's sleeping form in utter dismay. "Oh, Spike....I guess I was right when I said that I had nowhere to go and nowhere to belong to. I can never own your heart....I know that, now. It rightfully belongs to Julia, even through death, so I'll let the selfish bitch have it. I truly hope that you'll find happiness now that I've decided to walk out of your life and stay out of it....forever."

Spike greeted this with a soft snore, thus causing Faye to smile despite the intense pain searing throughout her aching heart.

Giving his cheek a gentle kiss as her unspoken good-bye, she immediately seized her jacket off of the dresser and gradually approached the door, making sure not to make a sound as she opened it up and stepped out into the bleak surroundings of the hotel hallway.

Taking one last look at her beloved, Faye let out a heavy sigh and bowed her head, breathing despondently, "Good-bye, my love.....we will never meet again."
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"What do you say, now, Electra? I'm giving you one last chance."

Electra frowned, the deep hatred that she clearly felt for the man before her reflecting off of her olive green irises as she struggled about within her rope bindings, returning cattily, "My reponse remains the same, Derek....kill me if you wish, but I will in no way, shape or form be involved with your sick plans for Spike Spiegel. For all you know, he could very easily end up kicking your ass five times before you even know what hit you."

Letting out a cry full of sheer outrage, Derek lunged forward and seized the startled young woman by the throat, growling with menace, "I gave you a chance, Miss Ovilo, but now you've left me with no choice other than to eliminate you!"

"Coward!," Electra spat, her fiery gaze slightly masked by a few stray bangs of her puce-colored hair as she stared him down in utter contempt. "You're only threatening my life in order to make me weak and surrender, but it won't work, Derek! It may be very hard to believe, but I'm much smarter than that! After all, working several years by your side in Cherios Medical should give me a slight clue as to what your typical response will preside along, don't you think?"

By this point, Derek was beyond pissed. Rearing back, he struck her clear across the face with his large hand, barking, "Shut your damn mouth, you motherfuckin' wench! Mark my words, Electra, if you say one more word, I'll-"

"Do nothing!," a determined voice bellowed from behind, thus causing the mystified couple to glance over in the direction of the intruder with severe apprehension.

"Who the fuck are you?," Derek demanded, finding himself gazing down the barrel of a gun as a gooney boy pranced around behind the young man before him.

Smirking due to his own self-assurance, the assailant returned, "My name is Davis Holland....not that it's any of your business. I'm here for the girl, so I'd say that it'd be a pretty wise decision to let her go, unless, of course, you'd prefer to have a bullet lodged in your thick skull."

Derek let out a deep, booming laugh. "Fuck off, small fry! The business between me and Miss Ovilo does not concern you!"

"Listen buddy, if you don't-"

"Elec-lec-lectra!," Edward suddenly cut in, leaping over into the bemused young woman's lap before giving her a tight hug. "Do you recognize Ed? Ed knew that she recognized you, but Ed couldn't figure out who you were!"

Before Electra could reply, Derek took this distraction to his advantage and headbutted Davis in the forehead, thus causing him to crash down to the ground, his revolver clattering across the slick cement surface so that it was now well out of his reach as his opponent ever-so-slowly approached him.

"What do you want, boy?," Derek demanded, briefly swirling his saliva about within his mouth before spitting it out at his adversary's feet in utter disgust. "If it's cuzza the girl like you claim, I find that I don't believe you."

Davis frowned. "But it's the truth!"

"Ha! Sure it is," Derek returned, shaking his head as he gave the poor young man a swift kick in the ribs. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're here to find out my plans for that Spike Spiegel fellow!"

Davis blanched. "S-Spike? A-are you a Black Scorpion?"

"A-ha! You are here to warn him, aren't you?!," Derek demanded, bending down and seizing him by the collar before roughly yanking him up to eye level. "Now listen to me, kid, if you ever wanna see the light of day again, you'd better-"

"Super dee duper karate pooper!"

In a flash, Edward's long, gangly leg lunged out and connected with the back of Derek's skull, the fiendish young man plummeting down face-first to the ground, all of his signs of consciousness now completely diminished.

Davis smirked. "Thanks, kid, but couldn't you have done that a little sooner?"

Edward just merely giggled and wrapped her spindly arms about herself in a tight hug as her rather nonsensical response, chirping blissfully, "We got Electra-lectra-lectrolyte-person, now, so we can go home and eat, right?"

"Well-"

"No!," Electra immediately cut in, thus causing Davis to instantly close his mouth and bite his tongue in order to silence himself. "I've got to speak with Jet Black....NOW!"

Davis raised an eyebrow in utter astonishment as Edward undid the emotional young woman's bindings, reiterating curiously, "Jet? Now wait a minute, lady...that old-timer's out there in space somewhere onboard that hunka junk.....you'll never find him by yourself."

"Then help me find him! It's terribly important that I see him!," Electra insisted, her large, beautiful eyes filling up with an emotion that he couldn't quite yet decipher. "I met Jet through Spike, so perhaps he knows where he is!"

Davis drooped, returning in utter exasperation, "Listen, Miss Ovilo.....I normally do things for gorgeous, attractive women such as yourself, but this is cuttin' the line! I came here to rescue you, not to play hide-and-seek with a guy whom I've only heard about through my master!"

"Take me to your master, then!," Electra growled, immediately flicking a small switch blade out of her pocket before placing it threateningly beneath his chin as her last resort. "Once I see Jet, I'll leave you guys alone. Deal?"

Davis signed in resignation. "Fine....but I'll take you there, myself, since Spike's currently on earth and won't be able to show you the way."

Electra nodded. "Good."
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It was the grief. Yes, that had to be it. Why else would Faye be so "in love" with a death warrant on legs? That man had caused her nothing but heartache and pain, yet she always came right back for a second helping of Hell, itself.

Yes, it definitely had to be the grief. Strongs emotions always make one cling to feelings that wouldn't normally exist, so why should it be any different with love? Well...if that's what the damned emotion was called.

"This yer stop, ma'am?"

Faye jumped, glancing up abruptly at the Taxi driver whom had addressed her before nodding weakly and handing him a nice little handful of woolongs, muttering bitterly, "Keep the change....I sure as hell won't be needing it where I'm going."

Gazing after her retreating figure in his rearview mirrow, the Taxi driver shook his head, grumbling something about foolish women as he stepped on the gas and drove off into the intense dark of the night.
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"Mmph...my head," Spike groaned, absolutely refusing to open his eyes as he massaged his temples and let out a heavy sigh full of aggravation. "Faye, are you awake? I need some Advil really bad."

No answer.

"Faye?"

Headache or no headache, Spike immediately shot up in bed only to find himself within a world of darkness, Faye obviously missing and the room appearing to be as barren as a desert.

"Faye....where are you? I-FUCK!"

Tenderly grabbing the toe that he had just stubbed, Spike limped across the room and over to his coat, which he put on while grumbling numerous profanities over why he was so cursed in life.

Hurriedly slipping into his pants, Spike muttered several more choice words under his breath before seizing his Jericho off of the dresser and making a mad dash for the door.
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"That's funny....he left the door to the docking bay open," Electra observed as she, Davis and Edward continued to hover about within Davis' zipcraft beside the Bebop. "Anyone could just come on in any time that they pleased....that's not like him! I'm worried!"

Davis rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, were you two like romantically involved, or something? I mean, my God, everything that's come outta your mouth has been Jet this, Jet that! Give it a rest!"

Electra chose to ignore him as he skillfully maneuvered the zipcraft into the docking bay, her hands beginning to tremble within her lap due to the dread that was rapidly building up within the pit of her stomach.

"Please be alright, my love," she prayed silently, a veil of tears beginning to form along her long, kohl lashes as she bowed her head and continued to shake like a leaf. "Please.....I need you, Jet. Be there waiting for me.....wanting me."

"Alrighty, hop on out!," Davis suddenly urged, thus cutting into her reverie like a knife through butter. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get out."

Electra glared daggers at him as she leapt out of the zipcraft with the grace of a cat, Edward bouncing along not too far behind.

"We get to see Jet-Jet again!," the young woman chorused happily, suddenly grabbing onto both of her comrades' hands so that she was swinging back and forth between them. "It's been a looong time since Ed saw him...do you think that he'll recognize us, Electra-lyte?"

Electra smiled. "Of course he will...Jet never forgets those that he loves, and you, as I recall, Ed, were very special to him."

The young woman beamed as they entered the ship, cheering blissfully, "Hooray! All is fair in love and war!"

Electra opened her mouth to reply, only to immediately close it, a tremendous sob wrenching its way forth from her lips as she tore away from Davis and Edward and ran over to her fallen lover's side.

"Jet!," she wailed, flipping his large body over so that he was now facing her. "JET! Oh, please wake up....PLEASE!!!"

"Holy shit," Davis swore brusquely under his breath, his eyes widening in utter shock as he rushed over to his sobbing comrade as fast as he could, Edward absolutely refusing to move from the hangar entrance as she continued to stand there trembling in fear. "Electra.....get off of him, you need to-"

"NO!," she interjected harshly, taking an aimless swing at his head with her fist. "Leave me alone! I.....I need to be by myself for a while."

Davis sighed, running his fingers throughout his spiky brown hair before shaking his head, acknowledging softly, "Alright, Electra....have it your way. Ed and I will be waiting for you on the zipcraft. Take your time."

"Thank you," she mumbled, cradling Jet's head within her lap as she listened to the solemn hollowness of her comrades' footfalls echoing throughout the Bebop, the sound soon disappearing completely into the solitude that was rapidly beginning to eat away at the weakened strands of her heart.

Turning her attention back towards her fallen lover, she wondered aloud, "Oh, Jet.....what's happened to you? You were a man of great caution, so I just thought that maybe-wait....what the hell is that?!"

Pulling Jet's arm away from his broad chest she gasped, instantly noticing the large scarlet stain that had bled through a small parchment upon the wound.

Immediately removing the piece of paper from his mortal injury, Electra opened it up and read aloud, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall, when you read this, I hope you'll return my call. I warned you once, I warned you twice, so now your lover has been dubbed your sacrifice. Listen to me now and listen to me well, if you don't do as I ask, you will soon join him in Hell. Sincerely.....Derek?! Oh! Damn that man!"
"Electra?"

She gasped, immediately dropping the note as she spun around in order to intercept the intruder. Once she had recognized her comrade, however, she let out a sigh of relief, acknowledging wearily, "Davis.....I didn't hear you come back in. I was just about to leave, but I have one more favor to ask of you."

"Anything," he agreed, feeling as if it were the least that he could do.

"Please," she began softly, "please pilot the Bebop back to earth so that we can give Jet a proper burial near my home. If I weren't able to visit him ever again, I don't know what I'd do!"

Davis suddenly felt obligated to take the sobbing young woman within his arms, so he did, his voice soft and full of a profound empathy as he crooned softly into her ear, "Hey, c'mon.....sssh. Everything's gonna be ok, Electra. I'll take the Bebop back to earth and I'll even make sure that he gets a proper burial service. It's the least that I could do for you, so please.....don't feel the need to thank me."

"Oh, but I must!," she insisted, placing a heartfelt kiss upon his cheek within a sudden rush of gratitude, her voice lowering slightly as she breathed into the crook of his neck, "you're an amazing man, Mr. Holland, and I thank you."

Davis swallowed. It had been a while since he had had a beautiful young woman in his arms, and just the mere sensation of her warm breath against his flesh was causing him to rapidly lose all sense of control.

Sure, he felt something for Katy, but it wasn't like he was committed to her, or anything. They had only made out once or twice, and that was it.

But Electra.....he felt an almost immediate attraction to. He was trying his damndest not to touch her intimately and he couldn't help but wonder if she were currently feeling the exact same way.

Gazing deep into her eyes, Davis felt a huge lump begining to develop within his throat, her lips gradually quirking upward into a wry smile as she asked with a sudden twinge of amusement, "What?"

"Nothing," he returned softly, gradually leaning in towards her. "Nothing at all."

In a flash, Davis' lips devoured her own, Electra whimpering softly as he rolled his strong hands across her breasts and delved his tongue deep within her mouth before molding her body closely against his own.

Before he could deepen their kiss, however, Electra immediately pulled away, denying harshly, "No...w-we can't."

"But-"

"NO!," she hissed, giving him a menacing look with her olive green eyes. "I should at least respect Jet's memory by waiting a month before I get involved with another man! If not, I might as well be a fucking whore!"

Davis bowed his head, apologizing meekly, "I'm sorry, Electra....I really am. Please forgive me for coming off so forceful, but I.....I honestly couldn't help myself. I promise you that I'll never do that to you without you permission again."

Electra nodded stiffly. "Good."
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"Excuse me....have you seen this woman?"

Taking the small photograph within his hand, the middle-aged man nodded, running his fingers throughout his thinning hair before acknowledging softly, "Ay, sir...she was a passenger in my Taxi only a few hours ago. There's just no way in hell that I'd ever forget a gorgeous face like that."

"Do you think you can take me to her?," Spike demanded, trying his best to mask his anxiety as he stuffed his hands within his pants' pockets and kicked at the tiled floor in an extremely impassive manner. "It's pretty important, so please......tell me everything that you know."

Giving him a curious glance, the man downed one of the many shots that he had set up before him on the bar table, agreeing gruffly, "Ay, I can bring ya to her....I know the place well. She told me that she was gunna leave earth by tomorrow, so we may wanna get a move on in case she's already decided to leave."

Spike nodded gratefully. "Thanks....lead the way."


AN: Alrighty, guys, now you've gotta VOTE, ok??? I can't decide whether I wanna keep Davis and Katy together, or have them break it off and have him hook up with Electra. Tell me who you want me to pair up, ok??? lol They're only a secondary couple, though, so it's not a primary focus. I am SO sorry for not focusing more on SxF in this chappie, but I needed to get some other things outta the way, first. There will be PLENTY of that in the next chappie, so there ya go! ^^ lol PLEASE r&r! I haven't been getting very many reviews, lately. =*( lol So please donate to the needy authors fund! ^^ Thank ya! Luv ya bunches! ^,~
3 Kendra Luehr