Faye was floating. She was surrounded in warmth and felt like she was in heaven. The breeze caressing her neck was a gentle lovers kiss. The only thing missing was Spike. Faye sighed, not wanting to break her dream. She felt the brush of silk on her cheek. It tickled so she raised her hand to rub the spot.
Her hand touched something warm and solid.
Emerald eyes snapped open.
"What the hell! Why...what...SPIKE!" Sputtering in shock Faye leapt from his lap. She stood over him glaring into his chocolaty eyes.
Spike smirked at her. He had one arm balanced on his knee and the other crammed in his pocket.
"Yo."
"What the hell do you think you were just doing?" Faye was indignant, enraged, and unsettled. Had Spike really just been kissing her? She felt herself blush.
"I was waking you up. I tried normal ways, but you were dead to the world." His lips yearned to taste her again. Spike cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Funny how that's the one that did it." Spike rose from the floor with catlike grace.
"C'mon, I'll take you to breakfast. It's the least I can do for the last two years."
"Fine, but I'm driving. Oh, Spike? Loose the red shirt, you look like a damn Christmas tree." Faye sauntered to her ship leaving a smiling Spike behind her.
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"I'll have the three-egg omelet with ham, cheese, onions and tomato. Hold the bell peppers and shitake mushrooms. Give me two English muffins, extra butter and jelly for those, a side of hash browns, a large orange juice and a huge coffee, lots of cream and sugar." Faye finished giving her order with a firm nod of her head as if to say so there to Spike. He smirked, not missing her aversion to bell peppers and shitake mushrooms.
The waitress was scribbling furiously to get the order before she missed something. With a sigh she looked to Spike for his order.
"I'll have the same with a side of pancakes. Make that a double side with extra syrup." The waitress sweat-dropped thinking of all this food for the two slender people in front of her. Spike gave Faye a look as if to say beat that.
They cautiously regarded each other over the salt and pepper. Each was trying to read the others mind.
Nervously Spike lit a cigarette. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply he felt his nerves calm. That is, until Faye reached over and plucked the cigarette from his lips and placed it to her own.
"So...where've you been, Cowboy?" She exhaled slowly. This had better be good. It had better be more than a lame excuse.
"Sleeping." He extracted another cancer stick and began to puff away unconcerned.
"Excuse me? Sleeping?" Faye's eyes narrowed. Her eyebrow began to twitch. "Spike, that's ridiculous. I know you turned sleeping in to a sport, but even you can't sleep for two years! How stupid do you think I am?" She began to rise from the booth prepared to walk out on Spike and the astronomical bill. Taking one last glance she turned her back.
"They do call it sleeping when you're in a coma." His quiet voice made Faye stop and turn around. He had left the red shirt at Faye's leaving him clad in a black tank top. He sat in the booth, arms along the back of the seat with his head bowed. He looked like a doomed angel. A limp cigarette dangled from his lips. He looked asleep in the rays of sun sneaking through the Venetian blinds. Slowly his eyes opened and raised to meet hers through the silver cloud of cigarette smoke. Faye saw pain and loneliness in those eyes.
She returned to her seat to hear his tale.
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"That's about it. I bummed around for a while and the dragons were the first to find me. I didn't look for them; they looked for me. It's not like I was roaming for very long either. They even took care of my bills." Spike sat back and lit another cigarette. Their food lay in ruins before them. Very little was left except the dishes.
"I guess if that's the best you're gonna give me it'll have to do. Must be nice having someone pay your bills for you." Faye took a long sip of coffee. It was sweet and light. Just the way she liked it.
"What ever happened with your debt? Still have it? Or did you get a rich guy to pay it off for you?" Spike was curious. There was so much he didn't know about Faye's life. He still enjoyed picking on her though.
"Go to hell Lunkhead. I'm on a payment plan. Toss them a little every month. I'll be dead before it's paid off, but at least it keeps creditors off my back." She shrugged indifferently and ashed her cigarette into the tiny tin ashtray provided.
Spike reached across the table and threaded his long fingers with Faye's slender ones. She had never noticed how strong his hands were before.
"Faye you have to believe me. I have never lied to you before. I'm not lying now." His eyes delved into hers, willing her to see his soul.
"I...I believe you Spike." Faye felt as though she were falling into vast pools of melted milk chocolate. Everywhere their hands touched burned Faye. Her cheeks heated in a flush.
Spike noticed the flush. He stared at Faye. She looked just like a schoolgirl on her first date. Date? Where did that thought come from?
The window on Spike's right spider-webbed and crashed to the ground, spraying anyone nearby with glass shards. Instantly Spike and Faye dove for cover weapons ready. They met up under the same table, back to back, cigarettes forgotten.
"I thought you said you had your debts taken care of Faye!" Spike winced as bullets thunked into the wall above them.
"My debts? They are. Who did you piss off in this life Lunkhead!" The words were loaded with sarcasm. Faye was checking the safety and ammo in her gun. Never go into battle unprepared. One of the first things she learned after mugging the Barbarian.
"If you haven't noticed, I've only been in 'this life' as you put it for three days. Haven't had time to piss anyone off yet. Except you." Spike peeked out from under the table. The greasy spoon diner was deserted. Only a handful of men could be seen. They were all dressed for major battle with Kevlar clothing, submachine guns and face shields. This much gear, maybe they really are after me.
"Spike Spiegel, we have orders to bring you in. Dead or alive doesn't matter. Come out with your hands clear or we'll come get you." The leader had spoken.
"Guess we know who he's after now. Faye, when I yell, head to the kitchen. There's a back door we can sneak out there." Spike stuck his head out and fired a few rounds. Reloading his clip he looked at Faye. She was in full battle mode. Already she had picked off two men.
"Anything you say, Cowboy." Faye slammed another magazine home.
"Huh, I'll remember you said that later. Go!" Spike dove from cover and landed on his shoulder skidding across the floor guns a blazing the whole time. Bullets sprayed around him blowing tables and chairs to smithereens yet not so surprisingly none hit him. Faye bolted for the kitchen. She had just taken cover behind a freezer when Spike dodged into the room.
"In here! There's two of 'em!" Men filed into the room fanning out upon entry. One of them saw a bit of Faye and fired. Spike watched in slow motion as the bullet journeyed through the air to Faye. It broke the chain of her diamond necklace before embedding its self in her shoulder with a squirt of blood. With a gasp Faye hit the ground.
"Faye!" He yelled her name hoarsely, voice filled with anguish. He had seen this before. He was responsible for another woman getting hurt.
Faye rose to her feet shakily.
"I'm ok, just get us the hell outta here!" She was holding her shoulder. Blood oozed from between her fingers as she struggled to maintain consciousness.
"That door, use it!" Faye ran out the door in a crouched position. Spike took careful aim at the gas tanks behind the stoves. He hit with one bullet and ran like a bat out of hell after Faye. Behind them the diner was engulfed in a fiery inferno.
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"Ow, dammit, can't you at least let me get drunk before you go digging in there?" Faye was scowling at the top of Spike's head. They were back at her apartment and Afro-Boy was trying to dress her wound.
"Oh, I think this is yours." Spike handed Faye a familiar looking necklace. It was her diamond solitaire the bullet had broken the chain of.
"How did you get a chance to grab this? I thought it was lost for good." Faye looked at the diamond and back at Spike. How similar they were. She had thought Spike was lost to her once too.
Spike dabbed at her shoulder with rubbing alcohol. The hole didn't look that bad, only a flesh wound. Still, Faye had lost a lot of blood. Not everyone was made of steel like him.
"Faye, I have to dig again. This is gonna hurt." Spike was sweating bullets. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Faye. Insult her, yeah, not hurt. He had always been on the receiving end of this treatment, never the administering.
"Whatever. Wake me when it's over." Faye gasped once more and promptly passed out. Spike heaved a sigh of relief. He knew what this felt like. Let her sleep.
Please let her sleep through it.
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Wow, I so don't have much to say here. *_* I hope everyone is enjoying this little fic. If you are reading, please review! Even if you just click the little button and write HEY! I LIKE THIS. KEEP GOING. that's fine for me! lol, Yes, I love reviews!
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Also read my other story, Bebop in the West. Spike and Faye have just met and are fighting!