Cowboy Bebop -
Our Kind Of Christmas
Disclaimer: Cowboy Bebop and its characters belong to Sunrise Inc. I have borrowed them for my own entertainment and I'm making no profits from this whatsoever (like if anyone would pay to read my fanfiction .)
AN: I know it's been a while since I updated this story – two years and two months to be exact – but if anyone that managed to read and review my first chapter is reading this one now I want to thank you for your incredible support. I've been a very naughty writer and I give you my deepest apology. Here's your holiday gift (is a Christmas fanfiction, after all!).
Merry Christmas (little late but still .) and a Happy New Year! Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Fate's Encounter
Spike Spiegel threw the small cigarette he held in the burning chimney, as he softly exhaled the last puff of smoke. His mismatched pair of cinnamon eyes looked forward restlessly, his body rigid, as if his mind and soul wandered in the open abyss of time. He almost looked like a statue, had it not being from the few times that he took to inhale from the already discarded cigarette.
Spike cursed himself for allowing Faye back into his life. After an entire year of running and hiding from his old friends, fate had to manipulate his life once again. He noticed Faye walking the cold streets of Mars long before she took notice of him. He was grateful, and was about to disappear before she took notice of him but something prevented him from doing so. Perhaps it was the way that she looked so distraught, or the fact that he hasn't seen her in a year – though he preferred to go with the latter. In the time that he and Faye had spent working and living together in the Bebop, Faye never struck as the type that would let emotions show so plainly, mostly emotions such as the one Spike knew she was feeling – except when she either remembered something from her past, or tried to convince him not to leave – and since he has left a year ago, he had a hunch that she had or was currently remembering something from before she was put in a cold sleep.
Deciding then that a bit of following wouldn't hurt – and that it might ease his mind, though he denied admitting it – Spike kept a watchful eye on her, all the time trying to maintain his existence anonymous to her. He noticed the way she stopped before a toy store and was stunned when he could of swore he saw a tear escape her eyes. In the blink of an eye, Faye made a mad dash through the crowed and cursing madly, he hastened after her. When he saw her cross the street without paying attention to the speeding car that was coming towards her, he jumped to her rescue.
It's been more than four hours since the incident, and as he sat at the edge of his seat looking blankly at the unconscious person before him, he couldn't think of the reason why he risked his life without thinking of the consequences to save hers. For all he knew, he could of die trying to take her out of death's arms. In fact, he was quite close. It's a miracle that both she and he are still breathing and unharmed. He wished that he hadn't rescued her, for now all the efforts that it took to remain hidden from them were thrown to the dump, but yet he knew he wouldn't be able to live with his conscious if something were to happen to Faye and he, having a chance to rescue her, didn't lift a finger for fear of being recognized.
Damn it!
He shouldn't have followed her at all. Maybe like that he wouldn't have come across the decision to save her or not, for he wouldn't have known that she was in danger in the first place.
But she would of had died.
Double damn it!
Thinking about this wasn't helping his throbbing headache alleviate at all. On the contrary, it was making matters a whole lot worst. Perhaps he should take a bit of a walk, plan what the heck he's going to tell Faye once she awoke. He knew she was going to bombard him with questions about his disappearance for the past year, and he felt in no mood to explain anything to her or Jet. It was his life, his memories, his nightmares, and he cared not to share them with his past friends. He kept his distance for a reason, and so it shall remain.
A low growl broke the chain of thoughts that have kept Spike glued to his seat and face as stiff as a doll. All chances for a glimpse of fresh air to recompose his thoughts and weave his lies were now gone as he noticed Faye stirring awake to consciousness.
Fate is definitely against me, today.
"Spike?" came the muffled words of Faye. She yawned lightly, lifting her hand to stretch her constrained body, "is this a…dream?"
He should lie to her. He should tell her that she was only imagining him, that he was not real. He should…
"No."
"You…you are really alive. Kami!" Spike's eyes opened as wide as sausages at the unexpected hug he received from Faye. He remained still, knowing not what to do with the way things were turning out to be. He expected her to be mad at him. He expected her to go into a fist and beat the crap out of him. But he never, ever, expected her to hug him. In less than four hours, Faye had surprised the crap out of him twice. Can people really change that much in so little time?
"Faye…"
"Why?" was all she asked, expecting him to know what she meant with that simple word.
He did, but chose to ignore it.
"Why, what?"
"Spike, don't play stupid, you know what I'm referring to," she spoke a bit louder now, and though a hint of anger was laced with her voice, he was glad that she was returning back to her normal self.
"Does it really matter?" he really didn't want to go into details, but he knew dammed well that Faye was just as stubborn as he and that she was not letting go of this one so easily.
The stern look in her eyes told Spike exactly what he was expecting.
He sighed.
"I had a lot of things to take care of," he simply stated.
Faye growled urging him to continue, knowing that there was so much more to the story that he led on, but at seeing him remaining silent she asked, "Why didn't you come to us? We were worried. We are your friends Spike and we could of helped."
"No, Faye. You are wrong. This is something that I needed to do for myself and I knew that if you knew, you will try to help."
"And that's why you went to the extreme of making us believe that you were dead?" she was mad, he knew, but he could tell her no more. This was his phantom, his to fight alone.
"Yes."
"You have a cigarette?" wordlessly, he took out his pack from his pocket, handed her one and lighted it. She inhaled the toxic smoke and let out. She had quit smoking almost nine month ago, but stress and disappointment made her efforts go to waste. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all that time of crying herself to sleep, of wandering endless days looking for him, of coming across Shin and find out that Spike, her Spike, the man she had so deeply fallen in love with, died at the hand of Vicious for another woman, after all that suffering her comrades and her had faced for him, and all this time he had been alive? Never thinking how they might of felt? How she above all, might of felt? What kind of salvage, heartless animal have Julia and Vicious turned him into?
"I'm sorry, Faye. This is for both, Jet's and your safety. I cannot and will not tell you more. Is the Bebop far from here?"
"No" she responded flatly. He nodded, and took his cell phone out.
"I'll call the cab for you. Please, don't look for me anymore."
"No need for the cab. I'll walk."
She definitely was a stubborn one.
"It's freezing outside and it's dark. You'll need protection."
"Don't care for it and you as well as I know perfectly well that I'm capable of taking care of myself."
"Yes, but I'll still feel better if you go on a cab. After today's event I'm a bit worry…"
"Don't!" she stopped him, placing her hands of her violet hair in frustration, "Don't you dare to say that you worry when you never even had the decency to tell us that you were alive all along. You weren't there to see how much Jet mourned for you. How solitary he felt," she let out a small, cruel laugh, "His poor bonsai had to pay the price, but I doubt the fool noticed. You…you weren't even there when Edwards came back. You don't know how much childhood you have taken out of her life and I…" she stopped, unable to go on.
"And you?" he pressed.
She hesitated a bit but then said, "It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that I'm not taking your Kami forsaken pity. Give it to someone else for I don't need it. Thank you for rescuing me, and good-bye Spike."
She was about to open the door to leave, when Spike shut it close forcefully.
"Damn it Faye! What the hell do you expect from me? I told you that I couldn't tell you anything else, why are you persisting so bloody much? Why can't you just take what I told you and let it rest?"
She turned around vigorously, facing Spike straight on the eye – her chin lifting defiantly. She didn't noticed when he had taken a hold of her arms, but he was holding to her way to tightly, and it hurt.
"Let go, you are hurting me."
"Are you going to take the cab and leave me alone then?"
"No."
A sudden migraine made Faye close her eyes tightly and yelp in pain. Spike loosened his tight on her, but did not release her. He tried asking what was wrong, but she didn't answer. She couldn't, she was far to gone in pain to even hear Spike's calls. After a few minutes of horrendous ache, Faye fainted in Spike's arm. Spike tried shaking her awake, but at seeing no response, he lifted her and sighting lightly, carried her bridal-style back to the sofa where she had rested minutes prier to her wake.
"Now what?"
AN: This was long and a bit worry. Sorry L. Now what's wrong with Faye? Gotta wait for next chapter to find that out! .
Bye!
Fire Mistress