Chapter Ten: Our Secret Sonata
"Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties." - Jules Renard
Flashback - (Faye First Person POV)
"I'm tiring of your stubborness, Romani," he growled, grabbing me by the scuff of my robe. "Tell me where he is!" When I didn't answer immediately, he threw me off the bed, and across the tiled floor. I slid up against the wall. All of my normal fighting instincts were gone. I felt like a small child, who had no recollection of how to take care of herself. So as he approached, a murderous look in his eye, all I could do was cower.
That's when he arrived.
The door crashed open, and in a flash of blue, he kicked the gun out of the cop's hand. It spiraled through the air, before clattering onto the floor in front of me. Surprised, my attacker stumbled backwards, staring at Spike, who greeted him with a bullet to the leg. He jumped, trying to miss it, but the metal pellet lodged itself into his knee joint, where I assumed, it was more painful then if he had stayed still to take it in the thigh. From the expression on Spike's face, it appeared that he had known his opponent was going to jump.
It a final desperate act, he turned around, and hauled me to a standing position, as if pleased to have a hostage. Spike cocked an eyebrow, his best form of intimidation. I stood as still as stone, hoping I wasn't about to die. All I heard were three shots, then I was sitting on the bed, staring at the dead body on the floor, blood the only pillow for what remained of the cop's head.
Present - (Faye First Person POV)
I woke up to someone bouncing on my abdomen. Pressing my palms against my ears, I gazed up at Ed, who was presently dancing across my stomach. If that wasn't enough of a rude awakening, I heard what she was singing. "The Faye-Faye is back, is back, is back! Ed can't wait to catch a big bounty!" She was using the tune from the old Earth song "London Bridge is Falling Down," which for some reason I could remember, though I didn't recall anything completely important about my past. "Jet and Spike will be so happy, my dear Faye-Faye!"
"Ed," I growled, sitting up and throwing her off of my. She did an expert flip off of the bed, giggling at me.
"Faye-Faye's hair is messed up."
"That's not all that's going to be messed up if you don't get out of this room pronto!" I shouted. Ed's eyes went wide, but she never got sad. Instead, she gave me a friendly wave, and bounded out of my room. Sighing, I gathered a set of fresh clothes. Since I was already up, I might as well take a shower. I was sure that I needed it after the time I had been tossed around from near death experience to hospital, to the next near death experience.
Stretching with the pile of sewn fabrics in my hands, I draped a towel around my neck, and strolled out into the corridor. I heard Jet's voice, and went to see what was up. I was still sore from the events of yesterday, but I wasn't going to sit back and let the guys have all the fun. If they were going out in search of a bounty, I was going to go with them. I didn't care what Jet said, or Spike for that matter. It didn't bother me anymore. I had nearly died. The experiences had shown me something. I loved life and I loved what I was doing. I wanted to continue doing it. I wasn't going to sit back in a corner, scared of everything around me. That wasn't the kind of life I wanted. I paused above them when I got to the living room.
"His name was Stravinski," Jet was saying. "Yerkof Stravinski."
"Never heard of him," Spike shrugged, sitting further back in his seat, while opening a can of beer. "Why does it matter?"
"He nearly killed Faye! I think that means something, don't you?" Jet nearly yelled.
"What about him?" Spike relented.
Jet was silent, rubbing his temples. "He was Vicious' brother."
"WHAT!"
I stepped back, pressing my back against the nearest wall. My breathing didn't come out as I wanted it to. I dropped my clothes and went back to my chamber. As if in a trance, I sat down on my bed, plugging in the contraption called the VCR. I turned on the TV and popped in the video I had sent myself long ago. Tears brimmed my eyes as I watched my younger self, talking about the things I was suppose to remember, but had to recollection of. What did any of this have to do with Vicious or his brother...nothing, but for some reason I was drawn to watch it again.
When rapid static crossed the screen I grabbed the entire set and threw it against the wall with a scream of frustraton. It wasn't until after I had almost hit him that I saw Spike enter. He looked at the rubble on the floor, the bits and pieces of the mechanical device, now utterly destroyed before his feet. Then he glanced up at me, stepping over the debris. "Nice arm."
I wasn't in the mood. "Get the hell out, Spike."
He sighed, nudging the pile of parts that was all that was left of the VCR with the tip of his shoe. "I want to talk to you."
"So talk." I hadn't meant to snap, but it came out.
Either he didn't hear the nasty bite in my tone, or he just chose to ignore the evident anger. "Why did that guy want you dead?"
"What does it matter?" I questioned, staring at where the equipment had sat just a moment before. The spot was empty now, just like my inside...empty.
Spike stalked over to me, grabbing my shoulders roughly. He shook me. "Stop being so goddamn stubborn and give me the straight answer!" I stared at him, unsure whether to speak or not, then I told him, all I knew, without telling him what I had overheard Jet say. I owed him, but he didn't need to have the knowledge that I had been eavesdropping.
"He wasn't after me. He wanted you."
Flashback - (Spike First Person POV)
I stood above them all, watching. Not one of them moved. More would be coming, so I couldn't linger here forever. I just wanted to know that answer. I wanted to understand what was meant for me in this life, why I hadn't died alongside my commrade. He had betrayed me, but I had also stabbed him in the back. We were even, right? So why had he passed on, while I was left to remain here?
Shouting from the hallway, signaled me to get moving. I triggered the Swordfish to fly up to the nearest window, kicking the glass out of my way, before diving on top of my metal aircraft. Guns blazed behind me as I climbed inside and took off, but I could hardly hear them. I was too busy listening to something else, something I had put on Faye's bracelet.
"...I am looking for someone. I believe you know him. His name is Mr. Spike Spiegel. Would I be correct in that assumption?" There was a long pause, and then the same voice asked, "Well, Ms. Valentine?"
I didn't know why, but at that moment I was afraid. It was as if I had gotten the wind knocked out of me. I sped off to the hospital, not sure how much time I had. I had no idea who was talking to her, but from his tone, I assumed he wasn't there to hold a chat over tea. Faye had almost died for me once, she wasn't going to lose her life, not while I was still around.
Back to Present
"Why did you protect me, Faye?" Spike asked.
Staring at the floor, I responded, "I don't know."
"Yes you do."
I looked him right in the eyes, those two mismatched eyes, since the one was fake. "This place is all I have left, Spike. I went after my past, like you told me. All I found was a broken dream. That's why I didn't want you to go." I paused, remember that day he had left us. So much had happened since then...since he had returned. "Jet and Ed may not be perfect, but they're my family. This," gestured to the ship, "may not be where I planned on living, and bounty hunting is definatly not what I precieved myself as doing for a living, but I like it here. This is my home now and you're a part of that, whether you want to be or not."
Spike stood up, lighting a cigarette, and taking a deep drag. His eyes were closed as if in thought. "Is that the only reason?"
I glared at him, from where I sat. "What are you getting at?" I snapped defiantly.
He didn't answer me with words, just showed me a rare grin. Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he bent down and kissed me on the cheek, right by the edge of my mouth. Then he stood up straight, stuck the cigarette back into his mouth and strolled out of the room, just as quietly as he had entered.
Obviously, it was safe to say that I was stunned.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, everyne. I was working hard on my HP fic "Shattered." Now my writer's block has shifted from this story to that one. Please read and review! Neveada Sierriana
