Besides that, I wanted to actually share an idea that I got a while ago, which is part of the reason why I didn't update the story sooner. I'm probably going to write another CB fic, but I wanted it to be a joint fic with at least one, but no more than three other writers. If anyone is interested, e-mail me at Fai7hl3ss@yahoo.com and I'll tell you more about my idea, what I'm thinking about having the story on, and a little bit more. That's about it. Enjoy.
Chapter 7: Fallen So Deeply
She didn't know how she eventually found herself here, but the soft sounds of the rain lightly slapping against the window were going to slowly lull her back to sleep. They were so comforting right now, and she needed that, especialy since her head was hurting so much. Maybe she was out here for a bounty, or maybe it was something else. At the moment, her concept of time was so obscure. She didn't know how long she had been lying there, but her arms and legs felt heavy. Her whole body was just a little bit too sluggish for her personal taste.
There was a light on, probably from the only one in the room, or was it a light from outside? Either way, she was barely able to see everything that was around her. There were shapes, shadows, not really colors because everything seemed to be a pale yellow. There was a voice in the background and maybe the sound of something clicking…? It seemed so far away, like she was standing on one side of a valley trying to hear the whispers of the people across from her. It didn't really matter, though. Everything entered her head and left it at almost the same exact moment.
Her empty eyes were still facing straight up…
"We need to talk, Faye."
"Mmm… About what?"
"This."
Smoke was steadily floating around his body as he slightly bobbed his head to the loud music that came from his headphones. It was some type of contemporary jazz that was currently flowing through his ears. Right now, he was resting on the couch trying to block out the rest of the world. Everyone else on the ship was being just so damn noisy that he thought the only escape that he had was through his music. He would have tried leaving on the Swordfish II, but some part of it was broken. That was what Jet was working on at the moment.
Some where in the background, he could hear that Faye was busy trying to dodge Ed so that she wouldn't get dragged into another day of long shopping hours, or so he assumed. He chuckled to himself when he recalled the familiar look of dread on her face whenever Ed attempted to drag her out to do something like that. Faye thought it was all completely pointless, Ed saw it as fun, Jet had no opinion, and he just didn't care. His eyes were closed, and that officially shut all other realities of the world out. It was just him and the music. Music that was pumping in his ears like the blood in his veins.
This was the life…
"What do you mean?"
"What happens next?"
"Well… What do you want to happen?"
She was sitting in the living room, playing solitaire again. It was a slow paced game, but at least it cleared her mind with the assistance of the cigarettes and the half empty bottle of beer that were resting on the table. No one was on the BeBop but her at the moment. She didn't mind the silence; it just made the game that much easier. She had won twelve straight games in a row by now, but there was just something addictive about this game that just convinced her to keep on playing.
Black Seven of Clubs goes on the Red Eight of Hearts. Red Three of Diamonds goes over the Two of Diamonds in the top pile. The Spades group just kept going higher and higher. Move after move, it was a step closer to victory. Card piled upon card in numerical and suit order. Twenty cards were gone, then thirty, then forty, then-
"Shit… Where the Hell is that ten…?"
"I really don't know."
"You haven't thought about it?"
"No… I mean I have thought about it. I just haven't come up with any answers yet."
Jet could have been doing this. Jet was the one that was supposed to be doing this, but because of a stupid bet, he was left here to clean and repair all the ships. He never did often before because he was too lazy and didn't really care how busted up his ship got, let alone his comrades' ships. If it could fly, then it was ready to go. Now he was going to be stuck in the hangar all week, polishing and tuning everyone's zip craft. Damn it all to Hell.
He sighed to himself as he grabbed the washcloth from the bucket. Wringing it out, he went straight back to scrubbing the side of the Hammerhead. He was already done with his baby completely, and he was finished mostly with the Red Tail, but this huge piece of shit was making his life a complete Hell. If he had known that he would end up having to do all this pointless shit, then he wouldn't have bothered trying to go flying through that public building.
It was stupid. This was pointless. He even has to do the damned paintjobs…
"Do you even have any ideas?"
"Do you?"
"I don't come up with the ideas. I live them."
This was the dumbest fucking plan he'd ever come up with. Here she was, standing in the middle of a crowded building, while he and Jet were off trying to corner the bounty. She didn't have a damned idea why she was here, but he said that it would benefit them. 'Just go in there and cause a distraction.' A distraction that would do what? Shows how in depth he was when he created operations like this. Cause a distraction? What the Hell was the point? What the fuck was she even doing here?
They wouldn't even have to do this shit if they actually listened to her idea. Her plan was the first really detailed one that she had come up with. After all, it was a fairly hefty bounty, and they didn't want to make any slip ups. Her plan was damn near perfect though. It was simple; it was straight forward. Most importantly, it would fucking work. Instead, here she was, standing here with just a distraction to make. She'd kill him for this if they messed it up.
Raising her gun in the air, she fired a whole clip to get everyone's attention. A bomb went off somewhere else in the building. This really was a stupid plan…
"… I need a cigarette right now. Get me my pack."
"What the Hell do I look like to you? Do I look like I just would- Unhhh… Oh God… Cheating… Bastard… Mmmm…"
"We never set up any rules, so I can't be cheating. Now be a good girl and get me my pack."
He'd been in here practicing for about two, maybe three hours already. His whole body ached in a way that brought a smile to his face. If there were ever a way to make him feel complete and at peace with himself, this would have to be it. Beads of sweat were rolling down his back, chest, arms, forehead, Hell, anywhere that he had pores. Even so, he wasn't winded or out of breath at all. He was in control, and the feeling of it was amazing. It was a sign of power that he enjoyed but, for the most part, ignored.
A sound from the shadows caught his attention. Before, he would have been shocked or alarmed by it, but he had a feeling that he knew what it was. Also, he could sense that someone was in the room long before the sound had even gone off. He finally could do that again. No more small episodes of paranoia. He slowly brought down his foot and looked over at where the noise came from.
The tapping sound of boots lightly echoed throughout the room as she stepped into the light. A cigarette was between her lips and a sparkle danced in her eyes. She had been watching him again. It was like a new habit that she desperately loved, but now it wasn't met with anger or repulsion. He didn't mind the feeling anymore now that he knew what it was. A wide grin spread across his face.
"Come here…"
"Doesn't matter if we didn't set up rules. You cheated."
"Does it really matter now? I have my smokes, and you already lost."
"So this is all just a game to you…"
Jet and Ed were out again, and they still didn't know about what was going on. All the same, he threw her down on the bed and pulled her waist towards him. He looked down onto her form to see her skirt hitched up her legs higher than it already was. It revealed almost all of her milky thighs. Her hands were thrown above her head as her chest moved up and down quickly with every sharp breath.
She was surprised. This was the third night in a row, but it wasn't like she minded it at all. Every time it was something new, something different. It was amazing how he could still surprise her, and how even though this had happened a countless number of times, he was still able to make her feel like he was lighting her skin on fire. He was enchanting in some odd way. She didn't care which way it was; she was already enthralled.
His hands ran up her legs before he bent over to kiss her. She still tasted the same, but every day he noticed that she had more of a trace of his scent on her. He probably smelled a little bit like her now, too. Didn't matter. She thought it suited both of them well.
It most likely did…
"Why the Hell do you always have to twist my words like that?"
"Who said I was twisting your words? You don't like a challenge?"
"I like surprises…"
Today was just another tiring day. Just another long bounty, but at least they now had money to buy food once again. Jet was off turning in the bounty before he went to get groceries. He hadn't been sleeping well, so he told Jet that he was going to head back to the BeBop, and now here he was. All he wanted at the moment was to sleep. Sleep sounded so nice since he could get it without having to worry about any injured parts of his body this time. He had actually had taken care of himself. Faye would have been proud, but he didn't think of that then. He just wanted to get in his bed and dream the rest of the day away.
It would have been so nice, too. Today was a pretty shitty day since it was his birthday as well, and no one had said anything. It wasn't like he had expected them to drop everything and make him a great, big cake, but you know… it would have been nice. Instead, he got a great, big, 'Happy birthday, Spike! Here's a knife across your arm.' The cut didn't really go that deep, nor did it hurt. It was just a damn pain in the ass.
When he walked into his room, he carelessly flipped on the light switch. Looking over at his bed with half lidded eyes, he saw something on it and then stopped dead in his tracks. Faye was lying in his bed with only the sheets covering her exposed body, but the way that the linen was placed left very little to the imagination. She smiled at him coyly when she saw him stop breathing for just a fraction of a second.
Holding the sheets to her chest, she got up on her keens with her legs bare to the open air. "Happy Birthday, Cowboy…"
"I know you do. But still… We're getting off topic."
"Yea… I know."
"I don't really care what happens after today… I mean… If you want to stick around and stay like this, you can. If you want to leave, I completely understand… I don't really expect anything specific from you, Spike…"
She sat in her room on her bed with her hands in her lap. Her body was lightly trembling, but she was too busy trying to keep her eyes open to notice. She could hear Jet yelling at him in the living room from where she was, but she didn't know whether or not to feel bad for him. This fight was just worse than normal. They always hit below the belt; it only stung more with every strike. In a way, she was too scared to move. He was always one that could truly make her afraid that he might lash out at her one day. She didn't want today to be that day. She didn't want that day to ever come.
Silence was heard for a short while until there was a loud banging on her door. God, she knew it was him, but she didn't want to answer the door. She remembered the look in his eyes right before she had run here. They were so dark, so terrifying… Tucking her legs up to her chin, she wrapped her arms around them and buried her head between her knees. She didn't need this. Not now, not from him. Every time they got into fights now, it hurt more. Everything suddenly became so personal. She didn't want to fight anymore.
The pain just hurt too much…
"I know… No strings, right?"
"It's just that… Things are different now. It can't just be like that anymore. I… Hell, I don't know what I'm talking about…"
"… I can't give you any promises, Faye. None that I can assure you that I'll keep."
The ash from the end of the cigarette fell off and sizzled against the wet ground. He had been standing out there waiting for the last two hours. It had rained that day; in fact, it was still in the process of raining while he was standing out there. His green hair was practically clinging to his face, but it wasn't as bad as the feeling of his drenched suit. It clung to his body, but all of those things were unnoticed by his mind. He was just out there waiting for her to come back.
She was supposed to be back a long time ago; they had sent her out on a bounty that they knew she would be able to handle by herself. Still, hours had passed, and she wasn't home. Jet said that they weren't leaving without her. The bounty wasn't even that big, so she shouldn't have been out for even half of this time that had passed. Still, it didn't mean that he wasn't worried because he was. She normally never took this long for a small fry. The fact that she took Ed with her, too, also made him wonder when they were getting back. Stupid women and kids. Jet was right though; they really do grow on you.
He looked over at Ein who had been sitting by his heels for the past hour. The Welsh corgi was there in silence, probably wondering when Ed was getting back. It was pretty weird and creepy how close that dog was attached to her. The sun had already set a short while ago, and the very last traces of light in the sky were slowly starting to disappear. In another thirty minutes, if their asses weren't back, he'd have to go out and get them. Throwing the used up butt onto the ground, he pulled out another cigarette out of his pocket. He almost was done with the pack, and he just started it when he began waiting for her return.
Damn woman was making him sign his death warrant by giving him lung cancer…
"I know you can't."
"Alright…"
"… Can I just ask you to do me one more favor?"
"Hmm?"
In the back of her mind, she knew that it was the sound of the door opening that was softly echoing though her ears. Voices were talking somewhere across the room. She couldn't really pick up who was saying what, but she could tell that there were at least two people. There was a distant feeling about everything in the room. How did she end up here exactly? She tried her hardest to remember something, anything, but her mind was so dark, so clouded. Finally, she started to remember bits and pieces.
She was… after a bounty, but they had gotten it. She and Ed had gotten it. That was right. She did bring that kid along. Then there was the casino… She had taken Ed to a casino to spend their money. She should have remembered to call Jet, but she had forgotten… Then they were playing and winning money, but the Black Jack table… and… The last chip was in her hand… Ace and a queen… and then…
"Oh God," she whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek. That last chip. Fucking Christ, that stupid last chip, and her last hand. It was too much for her to handle right now. She didn't need that. She didn't need what he'd never… Shit. The voices were closer now. She wanted to wipe away her tears, but her hands wouldn't move. A small whimper passed her lips. She wanted to get up, she wanted to hear, but only parts of sentences were heard.
"How…has… this?"
"…hours… calling… cried… You… Faye."
"God… was… thinking?"
"… need… soon… explain…"
Somewhat heavy footsteps made their way over to the side of her bed. The deeper voice had walked over to her and blocked out the light with his or her, she didn't really know which at the moment, figure. Her eyes were welled up with tears, and the room was getting so dark. It was so cold, but she felt as if she were burning up. The chip was still tightly held in her hand. She felt like it was scalding her, but she didn't want to let it go. It meant a lot to her now. Meant so much, but she didn't want it to mean anything to her at all. The figure placed its hand on her forehead before speaking to her.
"Are you ready to go home, Faye?"
"Home…" she murmured. Home… Yes, she did want to go back home. There, she would be able to sleep. That's where she would be able to finally get some rest and then pretend like this was all some horrible nightmare. She wished that it had never happened. Home with this person was starting to seem like a great idea.
"Yes, home." Such warmth was in its voice. So comforting… Like the rain. Warm arms wrapped around her body holding her in a cradling position. She snuggled closer to the figure because it generated heat. So warm… She was so very cold.
"Home," she whispered a little bit stronger. Her hand clutched the chip in her palm. In her room, she wouldn't have to worry about what that stupid chip really meant. In her room, she could forget everything about what had happened that night… Everything… She could just blissfully spend another day…
"… staring… at the ceiling…"
"I don't want to remember what it feels like to be alone…"
"There you go, Ms. Valentine," the ISSP worker said as he handed her back her money card with the money she earned from the bounty on it. Faye's face was serious, but there was a certain light or smile in her eyes. She couldn't resist the lure of money. The bounty had been fairly easy to get, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't appreciate the cash that came from it. Faye held a certain love for money in her heart, and earning this cash only made it better since she was having a relatively good day.
Edward was waiting in her Red Tail for her. Jet and Spike didn't expect Faye to take Ed with her on the bounty, but it was about time that Ed should start going out for them just like everyone else. Faye was surprised by Ed's performance though. She did a whole lot better than expected. Since the bounty had gone so well and Ed did such a great job, she promised the kid that she'd take her out to a casino for the first time. Jet might not approve of the way she awarded the kid, but Hell, it was her methods, not his.
"Have a good day, gentlemen," she sighed with a partially bored tone in her voice as she left the office. She never really liked being in there that much. Every time that she did a joint bounty with Jet or Spike, she would let them turn in the bounty. The guys at the ISSP tended to stare at her too much for far too long. It made her feel highly uncomfortable. She wasn't one to feel uneasy under most men's stares, but recently it just felt different to her. It was that and also the fact that the people at the ISSP were somewhat of the desperate kind.
Walking out into the parking lot, she noticed Ed was hanging on her ship. She was changed into the different outfit that Faye insisted that Ed brought along with her. It was apparent that Ed didn't really like it that much. "Did Faye-Faye get the money?" Ed asked as she got down from the ship's wing. Faye only nodded as she opened up the hood to the Red Tail. Ed bounced in before she even got the chance to sit down. Normally, she would have scolded the kid for taking her seat like that, but today Ed did a half decent job. She deserved some slack.
The kid was starting to grow up more and more everyday. It wasn't even really fair for her to call her a kid that much anymore, but then again, it never was really fair for Ed to call her Faye-Faye in the first place. Still, she had thought that Ed needed to learn a few things since she was already approaching adulthood so quickly. She started training Ed how to fire a gun a short while back. She called it Ed's eighteenth birthday present. Since then, she started bringing Ed on more bounty hunts with her to get a real feel of what was going on. Ed had got tired of just sitting around the ship all day. Amazingly enough, she was a pretty good shot. She said it was because she played so many shooter games. Faye didn't question anything the kid did it after that.
Faye slipped into her seat before starting up the Red Tail's engine. Ed had to sit in her lap since there really wasn't anywhere else to go. She would have to remember to ask Jet to finally get Ed a ship of her own when they got back to the BeBop. "Ready to fly, Ed?" Ed let out a shout and swung a cowboy hat that she previously had on her head in the air. Smirking to herself, Faye lifted off and started heading toward the nearest casino. "You're gonna first learn how to bluff Ed. Certain games like… Poker will need that type of lying. You think that you can do that?"
"I just want a shot at the slot machines," she replied as she placed the hat back onto her head. Faye thought about this for a moment and realized that the kid had a very good point. Naturally, she would be better at cheating something that was man made than lying to someone's face. The kid was much too honest for something like that.
"Fine, but still, cheating is one of the ways we're gonna end up getting some cash, so I want to see if you can try hacking into the slot machine, okay? Don't make it too obvious, though. We don't want you to get caught right away." Ed nodded as they finally had the casino in their sights. It wasn't anything big or fancy like Faye was normally used to, but it got the job done, and that was all that was needed. Faye had come to this place a lot when she didn't have enough money to go to a more expensive one. She was actually pretty well known there.
With quick movements, she pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. Opening the hatch, she hopped out with her purse in hand. Ed followed close behind her with a smaller version of Tomato in her grasp. Carrying her whole computer in there would have drawn too much attention, but over the years she managed to upgrade it so that it was smaller and more effective. It became very handy and efficient; it was one of the reasons why she was able to start coming on more of the bounties.
"Now remember Ed," Faye began as she slipped her purse onto her shoulder, "you want to make it just look like you have the extreme case of beginner's luck. Also, try to keep your communicator on at all times just in case if anything goes wrong. I'll probably be around the Black Jack table all night, so at least you'll know where to find me." She looked down at the now young woman with a smile on her face. "Good luck, kid."
Ed smiled up at Faye. She had an air of excitement around her. This had been one of the few fieldtrips that Faye had brought her on, and every one of them was amazing. She simply hoped that this one would be, too. As soon as they entered the building, Ed's eyes grew wide with amazement. This place was nothing like she had originally imagined. She was going to have such a fun time. She'd have to thank Faye for it later. Before Faye could say anything more to the teen, she ran off to the slot machines, leaving Faye standing alone at the entrance. Sighing to herself, Faye shrugged and headed over to the Black Jack table.
Ed was walking around the large casino, trying not to trip over her feet. Everything was so big and so bright. She had never been in a place like this before. She tried not to get too distracted by everything around her because she didn't want to trip over something and fall on her face. Before they even left the BeBop, Faye had forced her to wear some tight and restricting outfit that she wasn't really comfortable with. 'It's for the casino,' she had said, but why did that mean that she had to wear these highly uncomfortable shoes? She wanted to walk here on just her bare feet, but Faye had said something about that not being allowed.
That didn't really matter at the moment. Right now, she was trying to ignore the people that were gawking at her from a distance. She didn't know what was wrong. Faye-Faye had said that she looked fine, even though there was one problem that she had complained about. Ed chuckled to herself when she remembered the small argument she had with Faye right before they had left. Faye didn't want her to wear her goggles to the casino, but after a lot of shouting and eventual reasoning, Ed pointed out that she couldn't hack into any gambling machines without them. It only took Faye a couple seconds before she completely quieted down.
They must have been looking at her funny because of the goggles that she still had on her head. Maybe she should have hid them somewhere in her long yellow coat, but there was no time for that now. She found herself staring up at the neon sign hanging right above all the slot machines. Faye never told her that this place would be so big. Oh well, it didn't matter because now was the time for her to do what she did best. She was going to hack machines no one has ever tried to hack before.
Faye on the other hand was already on the other side of the casino. She had been in here several times before, but now she was just walking around, trying to get a feel for the place all over again. Small things had changed, but nothing that really stood out. It was the same old Black Diamond that she had always known and loved. She stayed relatively close to the Black Jack table the whole time, but it was just nice to take a look around. Nothing about the table specifically had changed, but by the look in the dealer's eyes, she knew that the Black Jack dealer knew she would eventually come over there and try to clean him out. Faye had quite the reputation here.
It had been so long since she had come to a place like this. Over the past two years, she was busy trying to pay off her debts and help Jet repair the ship some. It didn't always work because with Spike back, it was more likely than not that something would go wrong. Most of the time, something had. Still, now half of her debts had been paid, and the ship was as good as it was going to get without actually changing anything about it. They had food, fuel, and most importantly, they had money.
Jet and Spike would probably be on the ship right now doing whatever it was that they did best. Jet would be in his bonsai room, taking care of his little trees, and Spike would either be working out or sleeping again. She should have called Jet to tell him where they were; she could call him now, but she wanted the amount of cash they were going to bring back to be a surprise. The bounty was only a couple hundred thousand wulong. What was wrong with bringing home a couple million?
She had no idea what Spike was doing at the moment, but he was probably still sleeping on that ratty old couch that they had. Well, depending on how much Lady Luck was on her side today would determine how good of a mood she would be in when they got back, and when she's in a good mood, let's just say that Spike almost always got to experience the benefits from it. Faye wasn't sure if Ed or Jet knew what had been going on between Spike and herself for the past two years, but even if they did know something about it, they surely didn't say anything. All for the best, she supposed.
Faye brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and subtly swayed her hips as she finally started heading over the Black Jack table. "How's it going, Ed?" she lightly whispered into the communicator that was hidden within her earring. The sound of a slot machine declaring a win rang through her ears. She took a seat in front of the dealer and flashed him a seductive smile. He merely smiled back as he finished collecting from all the players he had just beaten.
"Everything is going fine Faye-Faye. I upped the winning percentage to forty percent so that no one would find it strange. If I set it to a hundred, someone would think something is up." Faye glanced at the other players that were sitting around her. She was the only female, and there were two other players besides the dealer, one to her right and one to her left. Both of them looked like they were having a rough night. Their piles of chips were almost all gone. This would be easier than she thought.
"Good work, kid. Now, I have to go work my magic. I'll meet you in front in an hour or so. Tell me if you're leaving earlier, though." Ed whispered an affirmation before letting Faye and herself head back to their respective jobs. Faye looked up at the dealer once again, only to notice that someone else had taken his place. This new dealer was a young man, and handsome at that. He didn't look familiar here, but then again, it had been such a long time since she was last present at this casino. He could have been working here for over a year, and she wouldn't have known the different.
Leaning forward slightly so that she could distract the new dealer, she sent a coy smile towards him. Briefly, she glanced at his name tag before looking back up at his face. His ocean blue eyes stared back at her jade ones as he idly shuffled the deck in his hands. "Been working here long, Jax?" she asked with a slightly husky tone in her voice. He smirked back her as he dealt out the new round. Everyone put in his or her opening bid before looking down at his or her hand. Faye had queen and a king nestled closely together. This night would be more than easy.
"You could say I've been here for a while, Faye Valentine," the man replied before giving out all the hits every player wanted. Looking up at him, she let the smile slip from her face. She was taken back for a moment. Normally, she would have been very surprised that someone like him knew her name, but then again, she did have a very memorable face. The soft smile was put right back into position as she declined a hit. The second round of bidding went by as she tossed in a few thousand wulong.
"I'm guessing news travels fast in here." She paused, looking down at her hand again. Already, she could feel Lady Luck taking her seat beside her. "How long after they hired you did it take before they warned you about me?" The bids gradually got a little bit higher before everyone was finally ready to show his or her last card. The dealer and she were the only two people who hadn't changed the whole time. His face seemed passive, but there was a certain light in his eyes. There was a sort of self assurance and mischief that attracted her. She was beginning to like him already.
"You see, Miss Valentine," he began as he slowly ran his eyes over her before he once again lifted up his gaze to meet hers, "they didn't need to warn me about you." Everyone flipped over his or her respective hand revealing what he or she had. The man to Faye's left had eighteen, and the man to her right had seventeen. She smiled as she revealed her twenty, but the smile slowly slid off her face when the dealer revealed his Ace of Clubs and his Jack of Hearts. "They hired me because of you."
She placed the smile back onto her face as she watched her money get collected by the house out of the bottom of her eyes. "You might have very good luck, Jax, but I think you'll eventually see why I used to be known as Poker Alice." She placed the opening bid back onto the table as she silently waited for him to deal again. It wasn't long before the cards were shuffled, and the next round began.
After those words were spoken, the challenge had officially begun. Jax and Faye played game after game of Black Jack, and each one appeared to have a fair share of Lady Luck's blessings. She had several drinks in between games, but they did nothing to slow her down. Slowly, the amount that she originally had began to climb until she cleared a million wulong. She transferred all her money onto one chip, and was going to call it quits. A small crowd had been forming around them since the very beginning of their games, watching the two luckiest people play one of the best gambling games of all time. Faye had lost her fair share of the rounds, but it was the way that she bet money that led her to her riches.
Jax looked up at her when she received her single chip. Leaning over the table, he noticed how it was only the two of them playing now. A devilish smirk appeared on his face as he thought up a proposition for her. If she was really worthy of the title Poker Alice, there would only be one way to prove it. Inside, he hoped that he was right. He had fun playing with this woman. She really was everything they had told him and much more. It was rare for a woman that beautiful to be as good as she was and come here alone.
"Well, Miss Valentine, you certainly have exceeded my expectations." She smirked at his remark as she lightly twirled the chip in her fingers. This was all she needed. This amount that was in her hand was all that she had come here for. Now she was just sitting here making conversation with the dealer. Even though she sort of did have a man at home waiting for her, she couldn't help but give into a small flirting session with this man. Picking up the deck, he shuffled the cards thoroughly, yet his eyes never left hers. "How lucky do you really think you are?" Faye stopped playing with the chip and rested it in her upturned palm.
"You've seen what I can do, and you know I can do better." He laid the deck onto the table before bracing both of his hands on the sides of the table. A cryptic smile spread across his face as his eyes stayed locked with hers. If she really was as good, then she wouldn't dream of backing down from this irresistible challenge.
"How about one final game, Miss?" Faye reached over to cash in her chips into something smaller, but he reached over and grasped her hand. Looking up at him, a puzzled expression came over her face. "All or nothing, Miss Valentine. All or nothing." Pulling his hand away since he was sure she got his meaning, he placed the deck before her and backed off. His arms were carelessly crossed over his chest as he silently waited for her decision.
Putting her chip down in front of her, she pulled a cigarette from her purse and placed it between her lips. Before she could reach back into her purse for a lighter, Jax leaned over the table and lit it for her. Faye took a long drag before pulling the cigarette away from her mouth and letting out a sigh. "Thank you." She eyed the deck in front of her before looking back up at the dealer again.
The way he was standing and the look on his face made her completely stop for a moment. It reminded her of something. She picked the chip back up in her hand and started to move it through her fingers once more. "Sure. All or nothing. How could it hurt?" She reached out and took the top half of the deck and placed it on the table before taking the bottom half and putting it on top of the other one. Leaning back, she took another drag on her cigarette, waiting for him to deal.
Before he dealt out the first card, she held up her hand to catch his attention. "I want both of my cards face down, if you don't mind." He smiled, liking her style. In the back of her mind, she knew that this was foolish. She could easily lose all the money that she had just spent all that time on winning. Ed's voice rang through the communicator, telling her that it was time to go. "I'll be there in a minute, Ed. Just wait for me. I have one more game to finish."
Something about this did feel really strange, though. It sparked a memory within her, one that she hadn't thought about in a very long time. Jax dealt out the four cards, his one up one down, hers both down. This wasn't a game for her to win more money. This was just a demonstration of how good she really was. The look on his face was distracting her though. It reminded her of something like this. It reminded her of the first time she had met Spike.
He had ended up with a single chip like this in the end when he was playing against her. His luck was horrible, and she had cheated him clean of all his money. Still, she had never had so much fun playing with someone before. He was attractive, as opposed to most of the men that hanged around her table. She didn't really mind playing against him, but that didn't mean that she had felt bad about cleaning him out. She had money that she needed to earn that night. It was just a job she had to do.
As she spun the chip in her fingers, she found herself thinking more about him. She didn't know why, but suddenly so many memories of them being together flew through her mind. Some of them were bad, most of them were good, and others were just memories that had no feelings attached to them.
She had been with the man for basically six years, and over time, they only got closer. The last two years of the six were the two that stood out the most in her mind. They had both changed so much in that time. It was hard to describe everything that had happened to them because in a way, they were still exactly the same. There was just something different about it now. They were overall just closer to each other. She couldn't explain how many times she or he would stay up late at night, waiting for the other to come back from a bounty or someplace else. It was strange what they had, yet it was special.
She had grown close to the reckless cowboy, and now she couldn't deny that she couldn't wait to get home to him. She missed him, missed his touch, missed being with him in general… Every time she was with him, she just felt more important. She felt like her life actually mattered to someone. Not just because they had grown used to her being around them and that they didn't mind watching over her, but because they actually wanted her to be with them. He gave her that feeling, the feeling of belonging, and it only increased every time she would fall asleep in his arms only to wake up in the same position the next day.
She felt loved…
Her eyes snapped open and into focus when that thought hit her mind. Quickly, she grabbed her drink and downed it. All the other ones had gone down slower, but this was the drink that officially gave her the buzz that she could recognize so easily. Her mind was shutting down and going into a small stage of panic that she had never really become used to. She looked up at Jax as he finished giving himself all the cards that he could afford without going over. Now all she needed to do was reveal her hand. "Are you even going to look at it?" he asked in a softer voice. He had noticed the change in her face. Maybe she was actually worried now that she realized that she could lose all her money like this.
Faye's face was turning slightly pale. She wanted to ask for another drink, but her hand was shaking. This really was some kind of weird panic attack, but why was it even happening? Wasn't finding out that you might love someone supposed to be a feeling that filled you with joy instead of fear? No... No damnit; this wasn't the way that it was supposed to be. This wasn't supposed to happen at all, and now she just knew that she had to kill the feeling before anything bad came from it. 'The liquor will help,' she assured herself in her mind, but she wasn't even close to feeling sure.
"No…" she faintly whispered. Whether it was to herself or to his question, she didn't really know. A small frown spread across her face as she closed her eyes. Placing the glass down, she put her hand in her lap, trying to keep it from trembling. This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not now…
After a few slow breaths, she lifted her hand out of her lap and placed her wrist on the edge of the table. She half heartedly reached out and picked up her cards. Without looking at them, she flipped them over on the table, and then slowly opened her eyes. She wasn't looking down at her hand; instead she was looking straight at the dealer's face. It changed in a way that it was easy to read every emotion that was going across her face. He looked astonished and in awe. Too bad that she didn't really care.
She glanced down at her hand. Lying there on the table were the Ace of Spades and the Queen of Hearts. Too many times had she gotten cards like that when important things were happening. It was too much. Closing her eyes, she let a tear slip down her face before closing her fist around her chip. Grabbing her purse, she stood up and didn't look at the dealer.
"I have to go now." With that, she turned around and left, not even bothering to cash in the chip into wulong for her money card. The buzz was still within her, but at least it made most of her mind stay quiet. She started walking slowly at first, but gradually she broke out into a run. She didn't know why she was moving so fast, but she just needed to get away from this place. She needed to get away from the very thing that she still held clutched in her hand.
Pushing the door to the casino open, she tripped over the rug on the outside and landed on her hands and knees. She was already out of breath, but it was only for a short while. Her energy felt used up, and there was just a complete sensation of nothingness starting to wash over her. Ed was standing there, waiting for her when Faye had burst through the door. Bending down, she placed Faye's arm around her shoulders before anyone could ask any questions and started walking her back to the Red Tail. Ed had heard what had happened in the game through the communicator even though she didn't know the results. She would have asked for that if it weren't for the way that Faye looked at the moment. She seemed so scared.
Ed thought about flying her back to the BeBop, but she then remembered that the Red Tail was running low on fuel. There wasn't any place that they could pick up some fuel that was close by. She would have to call Spike or Jet-person to come and get them. Still, she couldn't just leave Faye sitting in the Red Tail. It would be too crowded for the both of them.
When they finally made it to the ship, it went from a light rain to a sudden down pour. Ed opened up the hatch and placed Faye into the zip craft before climbing in herself. She didn't really know where to put Faye, so she settled on sitting on the woman while Faye just reclined in the seat. Her eyes were glazed and she seemed to space out for no reason. Whatever was happening to Faye was really starting to worry her.
Ed hacked into the system in the Red Tail so that she would be able to pilot it with Tomato. Using the computer, she managed to find a close by motel and fly the ship there. She needed a place that they could stay while she tried to contact someone from the BeBop. That place just seemed like a good spot where they could rest and buy some time.
She parked the ship right outside of the motel and dragged her now passed out friend into the lobby. "I need a room for two, but only for a couple of hours." The clerk looked at her strangely with the soaked Faye still hanging in her arms. Without asking any questions, the man handed her a key to a room and told her where it was.
"You know, I'll still have to charge you for a full night's rent," he said before Ed had the chance to start walking away. Ed quickly dug into her pockets and pulled out her money card. She handed it over to the man as he took out the appropriate amount for just one night. With a soft, 'Thanks,' she pulled Faye up to the room as fast as possible.
The room was nothing impressive, but it had a bed, and that was all that mattered at the moment. Ed plopped Faye onto the bed before sitting down on the floor with her legs folded beneath her. She still had no idea what had happened with Faye. This was all so puzzling to Ed, and she still needed to get either Spike or Jet down here. She was sure that she couldn't fly off to get some extra fuel, and Faye needed her to be there when she woke up.
Sighing to herself, she rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn. She didn't know how late it was, but when she looked outside, she saw that it was just starting to get dark. Ed didn't know that it was still this early in the day, but she felt so worn out and tired. She wanted to rest just a little bit, but she didn't know when Faye would wake up again.
Suddenly, the sound of soft crying came from the bed as Ed looked up. Faye was now curled on her side with her back facing towards Ed. This was all just a little bit too strange, yet Ed was extremely worried. What was Faye so upset about? Why did it happen so suddenly?
Standing up, Ed walked over to Faye and leaned over her. The woman's face was buried in her arms as her body didn't move. She could still hear the very soft cries, though. Maybe it would be better if Ed waited it out a bit, plus she desperately needed a nap. Walking over to the chair, she sat down on it and curled into a ball. Just a short rest…
She would wake up in a couple hours…
He quickly dashed up the stairs before getting onto the floor that he wanted. He had tried getting there are fast as humanly possible. Ed called him about an hour ago, telling him what the situation was with her and Faye, but she didn't tell him anything more about Faye besides the fact that something was wrong with her. Racing down the hall, he came to the door that he was looking for, and opened it without even knocking. The door opened easily, but no sound came from the room when he entered. It was slightly eerie to him when he found it this way, but he was too busy looking for the girls to really notice.
When he turned his head to the side, he saw that Ed was sitting in a chair by the door. Ed looked somehow different to him. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen her that somber before. It looked like something was on her mind because when he entered the room, she was still looking at the far corner of the room. She looked up at him after a long moment of silence before she slowly rose to her feet. The room was bathed in a soft yellow light that was very dim. Looking around, he saw the bed that Faye was lying on.
He let out a soft sigh, completely disregarding the left over rain drops as they slid down his face and over his eyes. Things had been going pretty well for a while, and it was strange that something like this would happen so suddenly without warning. Looking down at Ed, he asked, "How long has she been lying like this?" Ed looked back at Faye for a moment, noticing the subtle movement that she made. A frown spread across her face before she looked back up at Spike.
"She's been like this for hours. She was just calling out some random things. One time I thought that she had cried out your name, but I wasn't sure. Since then, she's just been basically zoning in and out. Now she's just staring at the ceiling." Spike was no longer looking at the woman that was standing beside him. His eyes were glued to Faye as he tried to keep his face as passive as possible. Suddenly, he felt a light hand rest upon his arm. "I know what happened, Spike. I know what happened between you and Faye."
He looked down at her for a moment; his eyes were still holding that unreadable expression in them. If she knew, that probably meant that Jet knew, but that really didn't matter at the moment. He was sure that topic would eventually come up later, but that was in the future. Right now he needed to get a couple of answers before he would lead both of them home. Looking back up at Faye, he completely ignored her last comment and asked, "God, what was she thinking?" Ed pulled away from him and took the goggles off her head. She twisted them in her grasp as she thought over his question.
In all honesty, she didn't know. She didn't know what had gone through Faye's mind to make act like this. When this had first happened, all she knew was that Faye was playing one last game of Black Jack, and then suddenly, she heard the tone in Faye's voice change. She had sounded so dead, so unsure of herself. At first, Ed thought that she might have lost all the money. When she had looked over the woman earlier after she had placed Faye in the bed, she did notice the chip that she held in her hands. It was worth a million wulong, but when she tried removing it from Faye's grasp, she only held onto it tighter and rolled away from her. After that, Ed didn't try touching her again.
Now Faye was just lying in her bed, not moving. She had called Spike a while ago, and she was surprised how fast he had gotten there. It was as if he were just standing around waiting for her to call. She could tell by the sound of his voice when she talked to him that he was worried about what had happened. Ed personally thought that Spike and Jet knew where they were, but apparently she hadn't told them. She had quickly explained the situation, and the overall briefness of the conversation still surprised her. Luckily, he did what she asked and brought some fuel with him, but she had a feeling that she would have to fly the Red Tail back to the BeBop once more.
"I think that we need to move her and get her out of here soon. When she's rested up, she'll probably be able to explain what had happened. I really wish I knew for sure." She looked up at Spike with the obvious sign that she was worried written in her eyes. He might have known what she had told him, but he really didn't know. He should have seen her, seen the look that Faye had given her… "You should have seen how she was when I first picked her up. She looked terrified. I couldn't understand it. Hopefully, she'll tell you. She has to tell you something about it."
Spike silently nodded before walking over to where Faye was resting. As his eyes lightly swept over her body, he noticed that she was lightly trembling. She looked pale and feverish, but her eyes were fine. A little bit glazed, but over all, they were all right. Ed was right; there was definitely something wrong with her. Slowly, he reached down and gently placed his hand on her forehead. She felt a little bit warm to the touch, but that was probably because of the liquor that was still lingering in her system. She wasn't dead drunk, so she would be fine by tomorrow.
When he looked into her eyes, she seemed to squint to get a better view of him. The strange part about it was it didn't seem like she was looking at him but rather through him. She did look so lost. Seeing her like this was just something that he wasn't really used to, and to think that Ed had to watch her for God knows how long before she finally called him. When he forced a small smile on his face, he softly asked, "Are you ready to go home, Faye?"
He then saw the light reflect off of the tears that were collecting in her eyes. That was when his smile fell from his face. It was surprising and painful to see her like this. Is this how Jet had to see her ever time that she had gotten drunk? Probably, but this was a slightly different case. She wasn't really drunk, but she was definitely out of it. Still, the look in her eyes was slightly disturbing.
After a long moment of silence, she finally murmured, "Home…" Spike's face remained plain and passive, but his eyes were showing the worry that he felt for her. He needed to find out what had happened to her and as soon as possible. Seeing her like this was just horrible.
"Yes, home…" he softly whispered to her as he lightly ran the tips of his fingers down the side of her face. Her face turned toward his hand, letting his palm cup the side of her face. A faint sigh escaped from her lips as her eyes slowly slid shut again. Bending down, he picked her up, gently cradled her in his arms, and held her close to his chest. She pressed her face against the crook of his neck. Her light breaths fluttered against his neck, but it only brought a smile to his face.
"Home." He lightly rubbed her back as he turned around and headed toward the door. Ed was waiting there with everything that she and Faye had brought. Her eyes weren't looking at Spike, but instead at the woman that he held in his arms. They both wanted to get her home as soon as possible. Before Spike could say anything, Faye softly mumbled, "… staring… at the ceiling…" He looked up at Ed to see if she knew what Faye was talking about. She shook her head in a sign saying that she didn't know.
Spike looked down at Faye again with a smile on his face yet a sad look in his eyes. She had looked so disturbed before, but now she could only be described as peaceful. Normally, he wouldn't stay with her throughout the night uninvited, but he had a feeling that she would want him to be there when she woke up. He hoped that maybe then, he would know what was going on with her.
Finally, he looked down at Ed with a serious expression on his face once again. Even though Ed knew about what had been going on, that didn't mean that he wouldn't try putting up a façade in front of her. Looking away, he pushed open the door with his knee and began to walk out.
"Let's go…"