A/N: Kendra – the last scene begins the arc of the RPG that is my favorite!

Thanks!
Kajouka

-

I Found You...

Flashback

Light curved gently around the edge of the glass, infusing the whiskey it contained with a soft amber glow. The transparent drink and glass cast a colored shadow on the polish oak of the bar. The lighting was sufficient but not obtrusive, illuminating the smooth wood of the bar itself but leaving both the patrons on one side and the rows of the bottles on the other side in a private, partial darkness.

The world was already spinning, and Spike had every intention of making it spin faster.

Decisively, he downed the whiskey and raised two fingers in the bartender's direction, signaling his desire for a refill. He was the only customer in the bar. The previous denizen had left over half an hour ago, a well-groomed business executive along with the young blonde half his age he was trying to impress.

Even that pair hadn't helped. Something about the sight of a man in a blue suit wooing a blonde girl had seen almost too much for him. And the world made so much more sense when viewed through the bottom of a shot glass, anyway. Certainly it was less painful.

The rain outside had stopped, but Spike's coat was still slightly damp. The bartender silently placed a napkin on the bar in front of him, and a full whiskey glass on top of that. Spike gripped the glass in his left hand and stared into its golden depths.

She hadn't been there. He'd waited and waited in the downpour, but she'd never showed up.

The events of the past few hours had melted into a long, hazy blur after the countless drinks he'd indulged in. Spike could remember visiting Julia's apartment, handing her the note. Going out on the job himself, because he couldn't stand to see that hurt look on Vicious' - his partner's - face again. Getting shot somewhere in that hell of machine gunfire before taking down their last man. Setting up the scene so that it looked like he'd gotten killed in the firefight, so that the Syndicate wouldn't come after him. Stopping for a bloody cigarette before hauling himself up off the floor and out to the cemetery ... because he'd thought she'd be there, waiting for him.

And then they'd both have been able to vanish, leave the Syndicate behind, and live out their lives together in happiness.

But she hadn't come.

Spike started to lift the shot glass to his mouth, but it slipped from his weak, shaking fingers to shatter on the floor. He stared down at it for a moment, uncomprehending, before looking back up at the bartender.

"I think you've had enough, buddy," the man said gently. "Your girl leave you or something?"

"Or something," Spike echoed. "Just one more, and I'll be out of here."

The bartender reluctantly replaced the whiskey glass. "Your choice."

Spike ran a finger around the rim of the glass, then hesitated. His gaze swept the bar, stopping to settle on the small vid screen in the corner that was the norm for most cheap bars. After a few seconds, his eyes focused on the screen. Two people were talking about ... something ...

Spike downed the whiskey just as the bartender placed his tab on the counter. For a moment, he stared at the sum written on the paper. Had he really drunk that much? His swimming vision confirmed that yes, he had. He opened his mouth, about to tell the bartender to bill the Red Dragons for his binge -

- then remembered that he wasn't a Red Dragon, anymore. And suddenly, he hadn't had nearly enough to drink.

Spike fished around in his pocket and finally pulled out what little cash he had. After paying the bill, he'd have ... thirty woolongs left.

Something on the vid screen caught his eye. "Hey. Turn the volume up a bit, will you?" he asked. The bartender complied, and Spike stared fascinated at the screen as a woman and a man, dressed as cowboys on a cheap, tacky set, cheerfully announced that there was a criminal in the area by the name of Ricktor Julliane, wanted for grand theft. And, more importantly, that the police would pay half a million woolongs to whoever could capture him alive.

"That's Big Shot," the bartender explained, noting both his customer's interest as well as his lack of funds. "It's a show for bounty hunters."

"Bounty hunters," Spike repeated. He placed his money on the bar and slowly stood up. He swayed a moment before regaining his balance.

"You be careful out there, okay?" the bartender called. His only response was the quiet sound of a closing door.

Spike staggered down the street for nearly ten meters before finally collapsing against the brick wall of a run-down apartment building. A seeping wetness notified him that he'd landed in a puddle. Somehow, he didn't care. He rolled over and vomited, emptying his stomach of all that costly liquor and little else.

The purging didn't help. He felt worse than ever. In less than week, he'd gone from having a secure job, a loyal friend, and a beautiful woman to having nothing - nothing at all. He was wet, filthy, cold, unemployed, and more alone than he'd ever been in his entire life.

Spike didn't know how long he lay there in the gutter, soaking in water and his own mess, but he was presently aware of the sound of an approaching vehicle. Headlights played across his face. They were bright, too bright - bright enough to be painful even to his closed eyes.

A car door opened, then slammed. Footsteps approached him, then stopped. They were followed a second later by a toetip nudging Spike's side. He didn't move.

Voices. They seemed so far away, indistinct. All Spike cared about was the darkness as the release of unconsciousness that was nearly within his grasp.

"Looks like we got another drunk, Hal."

"Yup. Guess we'll have to take him back to the station to dry out overnight. Can't just leave him here."

The cop that wasn't Hal knelt over the drunk's inert form. Gingerly, he reached out to grab his coat to turn him over.

When his fingertips were less than an inch from the coat, a pale hand shot out and encircled his wrist in an iron grip. "Go away," the man said. Mismatched brown eyes opened. Through a haze of alcohol, it was clear that the man wanted to be left alone.

Hal drew his gun and aimed it at the man's forehead. "Let go, pal," he said. He hated getting violent with drunks. "We're just going to take you somewhere. We're arresting you on charges of public intoxication. Jake, cuff him."

Jake, however, was in no mood to comply. His body blocked Hal's view of the drunk's hands. All Hal knew was that one moment, Jake's eyes bulged. A second later, a foot swung out of nowhere to connect with his face, and Jake lay unconscious on the ground.

Spike glared down at the pair of cops, swaying slightly on his feet. "I told you to leave me alone," he slurred. He turned and exited the alleyway, stumbling over the bumper of the police car before vanishing into the rain.

Cold, wet, broke, and lonely. Add to that bruised knuckles from where they'd connect with the cop's forehead, and he was all set. Spike trudged down the sidewalk, weaving in a roughly straight line. He'd leave this place. He'd go back to Julia's apartment and tell her that it wasn't too late, she could still come ...

But she hadn't come. And if she hadn't come then, then she'd never come. Spike had issued his ultimatum, and this was her response. When forced to choose between him and the Syndicate, she'd chosen the Syndicate.

And Vicious.

Somehow, knowing that only made it hurt worse.

The sound of more footsteps snapped Spike out of his reverie. A man hurried down the sidewalk, jostling him as he ran past. Something about that face seemed almost familiar ... Acting on an impulse, Spike stuck out a foot and slipped his toe in front of the man's ankle, pulling hard to the left at just the right moment.

The man tripped and fell, rolling in the gutter before quickly scrambling back to his feet. As he did so, Spike got a better look at his face. Even his inebriated brain was able to process that this man was, indeed, the Ricktor Julliane mentioned on the show. All he meant to Spike was half a million woolongs.

"The day I start cooperating with the cops," he muttered to himself. But he'd have to in the future, wouldn't he. He'd never had any respect for authority, and he'd lost his even street-punk fear of them when he'd joined the Red Dragons. And now he didn't have his immunity as a Syndicate member, so he'd have to beware of the police once again.

"Hey!" the man protested angrily. "Watch where you're going!" He started to head down the street once again.

Spike took a step towards him, then another. Although drunk, somehow the world came back into focus when there was a prospect of a fight. Maybe if booze couldn't cheer him up, an adrenaline high would. "I know where you're going," he replied, unable to come up with a better comeback. "The police station."

He swung a fist towards the man's face, but his alcohol-slowed limbs were no match for Julliane's sharpened reflexes. His opponent ducked under the swing, then planted a fist of his own in Spike's stomach, coincidentally hitting the exact spot where he'd been shot.

Spike curled around the blow, and held the position. For a few long seconds, it looked like he was beat. Julliane approached cautiously, ready to finish him off with another, final punch.

Spike exploded upwards, kicking Julliane once, twice in the face and a third time in the solar plexus. As Julliane started to collapse, Spike caught him with a smooth uppercut that sent a spray of blood across the rainy alleyway. He folded into the gutter, Spike standing over him.

Hal was sitting by the coffee machine nursing his newly-acquired set of bruises when a tall, green-haired, rain soaked man walked in the door. His uncertain footsteps belied the fact that he was still drunk, but he dragged before him the bounty Ricktor Julliane.

"That's the man who -" Hal exclaimed. He was cut off when he saw the look in the man's eyes. Silently, he swallowed and sat back down. Somehow, he did not want to mess with this stranger.

The green-haired man turned to face him, and said in a gravelly voice, "Here he is. I want my money."

Spike walked down the steps of the police station, half a million woolongs richer. The dense gray clouds had parted, allowing in patches the starry night sky to show through. Pale moonlight from Phobos and Demos caressed his face.

Standing in the open courtyard, Spike slowly turned his head to look up at the sky.

"I think I found a new job."

-

They had just finished the docking sequence, and were now just sitting in the waters of Ganymede. They were following a bounty they had learned about on Big Shot. Jin tossed the man's profile back on to the table. "Leon Rowr," Jin said accenting the last name like the growl of a jungle cat. "Your time is up."

Kade glanced at Jin. They had all been on edge lately. Perhaps hunting for a bounty like old times would be good for them. "Let's get going then," Kade said, pulling out his faithful gun, and checking the clip. It was full, but he didn't hesitate to stash an extra in his pocket. "I, for one, could use the exercise."

"I just need the fresh air," Jin said bounding off the couch and leading the way towards the hanger. "The air in here is thick enough to choke a cow."

Kade nodded, feeling the heaviness of his own heart. "Let's go then." The comment was more to himself. Jin was already halfway to the hanger, and Kade followed him with less than a jovial step. Walking to the hanger, meant walking past the locked door to the room that held Mei.

It wasn't long before they were in their zips and flying low over the water and through the city. "Any ideas where to go first?" Jin asked over the comm system between their zips.

Kade shrugged, "Not sure. What did that show say again?" Kade tried to remember, before realizing that the show never said anything useful. "Where do crooks hang out here?"

"Red light sections, bars...it's all the same on every planet," Jin said peering down at the city below him. "So follow the trail of beer soaked bums and cheap perfume."

The words made Kade smile, probably for the first time in days, "Leave it to Jin to have a sense a humor." He turned his zip, banking left, as he followed the trail of city lights in the direction that looked to be the most disgusting. "I'm guessing this way."

"After you, Commodore," Jin said banking his zip to follow Kade's. "Any idea what this guy did to deserve a 1.5 million woolong bounty?"

"Not a clue. But then, I don't really care what they did as long as they come nice and easy." Kade eased his zip low, scanning the horizon for a place to park. "Hopefully, we can catch a few clues about the guy."

"Yah, Big Shot wasn't exactly filled with details on the guy," Jin said landing his zip in a wide open area. "So what should we have Cloria fix first for dinner when we bring home the bounty?"

"Meat," Kade replied, "I just want some meat. Maybe some potatoes too." He set his ship down next to Jin. "But first, bounty. Then food."

"Steak," Jin said as they made there way towards the first bar along the street. "A big, juicy, tender steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. A good old heart clogging meal."

"Die young from a bad diet and cigarettes right?" Kade replied, pushing open the bar doors. He glanced around the room. It was filled with sleazy people, but sleazy people usually knew a lot of information about sleazy bounties.

"And booze, don't forget the alcohol," Jin said looking around the dark interior. Stepping up to the bar he took a seat and signaled the bartender over. "Two whiskeys."

Kade slid into the seat next to Jin, watching the bartender out of the corner of his eyes. "So who in here looks like they'd have dirt on this guy?"

Jin gave a quick glance around the room quickly taking measure of every person in the room. There were the three old men in the back gossiping about the old days. The drunken cowboys, a couple of loose women, no different then any of the bar in any other part of the universe. The bartender returned with the whiskeys and Jin found his source. "Excuse me friend, I'm looking for a guy named Leon. He's a really pretty boy, wouldn't have happened to see him around here?"

Bartender shrugged, "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. What's in it for me?"

"You've got a nice establishment here," Jin said smiling mischievously at the man. "Some happy looking customers. It would be a shame if they all left and those pretty little bottles behind you all broke."

"Don't think you can threaten me, boy," The bartender replied, his eyes shifting to the left as though he had some imaginary weapon there. "You think you know this place but you don't. There is more to that man then you want to know. It's not wise to be chasing him. And that's what I'm going to tell you." The bartender picked up his rag and moved down to serve another customer.

"What the hell did that mean?" Kade asked, knocking back his drink.

"Dunno," Jin said downing his own shot. "But I think we just found out why are man is worth so much."

Kade nodded and pulled out a cigarette before passing the pack to Jin. "At least this one will be interesting," he said, placing the cig between his lips. "Interesting indeed."

"Interesting?" Jin said as they paid the bill and made their way out of the bar. "I don't want interesting; I want money in my pocket and steak in my belly."

Kade shrugged and stretched. "We'll get him, Jin. We just need better information than 'stay away'." His eyes rolled to the side as some shady characters in trenchcoats passed them by.

"Interesting," Jin said watching two men walk by. Pulling a cigarette from his pocket and stuffing it into his mouth he tapped the shoulder of the taller of the two characters. "Got a light?"

The man turned around. "No, I don't. And if you were smart, you wouldn't be asking about Leon." He pulled a gun from his coat. "There are things you're better off not knowing."

Kade took a step back, his own hand resting on his colt. At least they'd have a little fun in the process right?

Jin smiled; the gun hadn't fazed him in the slightest. "Tsk, tsk," Jin clicked disapprovingly. "You shouldn't point that thing at people. Now, why shouldn't we be asking about little Leon?"

"Because little Leon is in very deep shit." With that, the man moved to fire at Jin, but not before Kade's own gun went off, the bullet hitting slicing though the man's hand.

Kade quickly pointed the gun at the other guy, before he could react. "Tell us what we want to know or die," Kade called out.

Jin had pulled out his own gun with lightening speed and had it pointed at ready to take down anything that moved. "You will be in an even deeper pile of shit if you don't tell us what little Leon did to piss you off so much," Jin said wiping at a piece of sweat running down his forehead.

The second man shrugged. "He stole a lot of money." He cared little about the gun pointed in his face. He was a syndicate goon. They lived to die and they died to live. It was the way of life. "There are worse people after him than you." He turned, and simply walked away, unafraid of the two men with guns. His partner, more shaken up, ran after him.

Kade lowered his gun a bit. "Well, that was certainly weird."

"We have a little competition to find this Leon," Jin said watching the two men carefully before putting his gun back in its holster. "Its going to be a bit of a challenge to bringing this guy in alive."

Kade smiled, "I like a challenge, Jin," Kade replied, turned and heading back to where they parked the zips. "We should try and dig up some dirt on this guy. See just how wrapped up he is in these... debts." Good thing Clory knew how to use a computer.

"A challenge is good," Jin said as they began to make their way back to the zips. "I could definitely use a chance to blow off some steam."

"Agreed," Kade said, pulling himself up into his zip. So no meat tonight, but with a little research and some luck, they should be able to bring in this one.

"Hi ho silver," Jin shouted as he got back into his zip and shot off into the air. "Back to the good ole' rust bucket and some ramen noodles."

-

Kael had had a spy follow the SeaDog from its launch from Mars till it docked in Ganymede. He himself was only half a day behind them, having left the moment Nathair gave him the okay. He had traveled here on a small, modified zip that was built for speed but was a bit to large to travel comfortably through the alleyways of cities.

He flew over the ship he knew to be the SeaDog, within its rusting metal hulk Cloria hid from him and her past. Passing by he parked his ship on the other end reserved for vehicles like his own. He had sent an invitation to Cloria; one that even he had to admit held a threat in its tone. It was half an hour until noon, when he would meet her. If she didn't show up he would simply walk across the dock and make his way onto the SeaDog and kill whoever got in his way until he got to Cloria. Nothing would stop him now that he had gotten this far.

At exactly noon Kael stepped into the bar and took a seat against the far wall where his back would be protected and he could see everyone and everything in the room.

Cloria had watched silently as Jin and Kade's zip took off in the direction of the city. Would she be here when they returned? Would she have the chance to see them again? She closed her eyes, forcing back a few tears.

She didn't want to leave the Seadog, and she didn't want to leave Jin. But somehow Kael had already managed to find her, and if it was that easy, Jin and the rest of her friends' lives were in danger. The Blue Snake would care nothing of them and if they were disposed off it would be all the more reason for Cloria to return. The last thing she wanted to do was be the cause of suffering or death for her friends.

When Jin was no longer in sight, Cloria climbed down the side of the Seadog, and walked towards the bar that Kael had specified. Her steps were heavy, and she trudged forward as though her heart was weighing her down. She fought with herself not to turn and run - run away from all of it - but if she didn't go, he would go to Seadog looking for her and find them.

She stopped, just in front of the bar, and took a deep breath. She had to make him realize that this was the life she wanted. That if he truly loved her, he'd want her to be happy, and that she knew her happiness better than he did. Her hand found its way into her pocket, where she softly fingered her gun. She hoped she wouldn't need it.

Slowly, she pushed open the door, and stepped into the bar.

Kael smiled when he saw her. Standing from the table like a true gentleman he waited for her to approach the table. She was even more beautiful than the last time he had scene her. If he had ever thought of letting her go, those thoughts now vanished completely from his mind.

"Your beautiful Cloria," he said his voice just barely above a whisper. "It has been such a long time; I was worried the life of a bounty hunter would have taken its toll on you."

"Life in the syndicate is far more dangerous," Cloria replied, her voice strong and firm. Her eyes traced the outline of his face before meeting his eyes. She felt a small sense of relief at seeing him - both because she realized a part of her had missed him, and because she wanted more than anything to close this chapter of her life. She had to make that clear. She had to finish what she had started. Running away once had made it worse, and now was time to fix that.

She took a seat in the chair across from his, glad that the table separated the two of them. "Kael, please. Say what you need to say. I don't want to be here long." 'Make it clear from the beginning; you are only here to listen...'

Kael watched every emotion that flickered across her face and every motion of her long fingers. "I am here because your father wants me to bring you back," Kael said always one for going straight to the point. "Whether you wish to believe it or not, the man misses you. You are his only child and the only thing left he has of his beloved wife. He wants to see you happily married, and safe."

Cloria laughed, "So here you are, ready to carry out whatever he wishes. He - not me. Are you sure that you don't love him more?" Deep inside though, the words shook her. Her father wanted her back? She had left after they had fought over his new position in the syndicate. "Kael," Cloria said looking away, "Going back is not an option. I don't want to be part of the syndicate."

"I came because I could trust no one else with your safety," Kael said reaching across the table to hold her hand in his. "You are my fiancée and Nathair's daughter you belong with the syndicate. No one will ask you to make assassinations or smuggle drugs. You don't even have to be very active in the syndicate, there are plenty of things you can do, perhaps some that are even a few legal things to do if that is what your wish. We want you back Cloria, I can't take no as an answer."

"Why are you doing this to me Kael?" Cloria asked, her cheeks flushing red as her confliction emotions raced through her. Anger, love, fear, hate - all seemed be battling their way across her heart. The past was best left in the past. Forever. "What if no is the only answer I'll give you?"

"Then I'll take you with me by force," Kael said never blinking an eye. "But I would prefer to bring you back to the syndicate at my side rather than dragging you back in chains behind me. It is all up to you Cloria. When it was just between the two of us, perhaps I could have let it slide, but your father wants you back, so I will bring you back. Besides, you can't hate all of us so much that you wouldn't come back for one last visit."

"Visit? Chains? Force?" Anger was definitely the overpowering emotion. "You'll drag me back in chains so that I can at least visit? Kael, you've got to be kidding me." Cloria cried out, standing. "I don't think you ever intended for me to just visit." Her eyes flashed with a hidden anger, one that most people never saw.

Kael closed his eyes, he had angered her horribly. He had never been good at the delicate matters of the heart, but it was not often that Cloria could become this mad. In fact, Kael had only seen her like this one other time. "I told you that you had a choice," Kael said in a soothing voice. "To come back voluntarily or if you refused to be taken back by force. I am only being honest with you Cloria. I want to see you happy and if you are miserable at the syndicate, than yes I will let you go, but not until you have gone back and tried to see what life would be like as my bride. I promise I will not chain you to anything if you only come with me to see your father."

"But I still only have one choice, Kael. You have told me that I have to go back. That I have to give you a chance. That I have to see my father. These aren't choices. They are orders. Just like you always ordered me around. You and him and everyone else." Cloria turned away. He was using that voice on her. The one that had always worked in the past. And she knew now, what it did to her. She couldn't just stand here and let him take over her again.

Kael stood from the table and snaking a cautious arm around her shoulder pressed himself against her. He had missed the smell of her and the touch of her soft skin. Being this close to the girl he had loved for years was intoxicating his senses. "You're right I'm not giving you choices," Kael said softly his lips only inches away from her ear. "But I love you so much Cloria. I lost you once; I don't want to loose you again. Just give all of us a second chance. I have changed, so has your father, perhaps now you will be able to live with us happily."

Why did he have to do that? Change his voice into that soothing, sweet tone that simply rang in her ears. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't. "On one condition, Kael." Cloria said softly. "That you and the rest of the syndicate leave the Seadog alone forever - no matter what I end up choosing." Oh god, had she said that? She bit her lip. She had to protect Kade and Jin though. Kael was not lying to her when he told her he would kill them to get to her. "And, I'm not ready to go just now."

Her words had made him happy. Holding her even tighter he placed a quick kiss just behind her ear. "You won't regret it, Cloria," Kael said turning her around to face him. "As long as you come with me I will have no fight with any one on your ship. I will meet you here again tomorrow, the same time."

Cloria nodded, but although she could see that he lit up at her words, she felt herself growing cold. She was going to leave Jin. That was what she had decided to do. Whether it for him or for her, it was her choice - one that left her heart shattering. "I'll see you tomorrow then," Cloria said softly, disentangling Kael's arms from around her.

"Till tomorrow," Kael said watching her leave with a content smile on his face. There meeting had gone better than he had expected. He would keep a close watch on the SeaDog tonight, in case she decided to bolt. She would come with him and soon they would be married. Kael would not let her slip through his grasp again.

-

Faye grabbed her sweater and pulled it around her shoulders. It was early evening and there was a slight chill in the Mars air. But she didn't care. She needed to get out. She needed off that ship. She needed time to think, before Spike and Julia got there.

Faye could feel her body groaning with each step, but she pushed on. The streets were relatively free of people, and she was able to move along slowly with little trouble.

A moment later, she felt dizzy, and she paused to lean against a wall for support.

Vincent watched from the shadows of an alley behind her. She didn't see him, she never did. But he had been watching. He quietly stepped out of the alley and walked up behind her. He looked at her for a long minute, dedicating her every detail to memory. The look of the sweater around her arms, the smell of her hair in the Mars breeze, the way she seemed in pain but still maintain her feminine Posture.

She was perfect. She was his angel. She will be his. She must be his. He took the first step, now. "Excuse me Mrs. Are you alright?" He said with a soft tone to his voice.

Faye whirled around and nearly collapsed to the floor in the process. Her eyes looked to meet those of the man who had startled her, and inside she shuddered. He seemed... different. Crazy maybe, or possibly possessed. Yet, his tone had been soft, and she wondered if she was imagining it. "Yeah, I'm fine," came her reply.

The way she turned was the way one would turn in a dream. Her eyes so were brilliant, but he knew he must not get lost. "You seem like you're in pain. Are you sure you don't need some help?"

Faye shook her head, but she could already feel her chest burning. "Really. I never need help." And even if she did, she'd never ask for it. "I wouldn't want to inconvience you anyway," she replied, flipping him an offhanded smile as she forced herself off the wall.

She was so brave, but too stubborn to know what was for her own good, "You really should rest especially after being knifed Faye." He tilted his head to one side, "You could hurt yourself more if you strain yourself."

Faye's eyes widened and she took a step back. "How did you know my name?" And further, how did he know she was healing from a knife injury? First things first. The name. Fuck. What had she gotten herself into?

"How I came across it... is unimportant Faye. What is important is well being." He took one step closer, and looked right into her eyes, "You should really... really sit down before you hurt yourself." He smiled kindly at her, the kind of smile that says it's for your own good.

Faye took another step back, tripped over something and landed on her ass. She winced, as her chest wound sent flames through her body. "I think it's important," she muttered, trying to catch her breath. "I've never seen you before."

He smiled, satisfied that she was sitting, "Of course Faye dear. You were asleep the last time we met." She wanted to know his name, why not? "I am called Vincent."

Faye reached to her side and pulled out her trusty Glock. "Look Vincent. I've had a shitty week, and despite what you say, we've never met. Ever." She stood up slowly, keeping her gun leveled. "And, although I'm flattered that you seem to care so much about me, I'm just not in the mood." Keep your composure, Faye. That's a girl.

He smiled again and let out a small chuckle, "I know you're having a shitty week. That's exactly why I'm here." He shook his head and scrubbed his hand through his hair. "You are so much better him. You really should have shot him when you had the chance."

Faye was shaking now. Vincent had obviously been following her. "You were there then? That night?" She asked, feeling the urge to step back, but too afraid her body would betray her again. The last thing she needed was to fall down again.

"That night is exactly why I am here, Faye Valentine," his smile melted away into a sneer that could freeze the devil's own heart. He lowered his head and glared hard at her, "He doesn't appreciate you Faye. You're not what he wants. But instead of being a man and just simply telling you it won't happen, he is stripping you away from yourself. Tearing away your soul, changing you into... less then perfect."

"Spike," Faye whispered. He was talking about Spike. "He's not my problem anymore." She shouted. "He's her problem." The gun quivered in her hand. "And it's none of your business." Shoot him, Faye. Just fucking end this. And yet, again, her hands failed to do what her mind told her she should, because the words he spoke were so true.

"Even now, you're incapable of doing what you could before you met him. I should be dead. It would have been so easy that night." He reached out his hand and pointed at her with his thumb up. "Bang." He flipped his thumb down, "And it's over. No he is not her problem. He stole your smile Faye... And I know what he is. A thief. A whore. A liar."

"And what will you do then, Vincent," Faye sneered, irritated that he had seen through her so easily. The gun steadied again in her hands. "You are still alive, because I want answers." It was a lie, but Faye was so good at telling those that they became part of her natural vocabulary.

Vincent strode up to her in blink of an eye and put his palm flush against the barrel of her Glock, "You never use to be so impatient." he smiled warmly at her, "Spike will unmake you. He doesn't care about you, never did, never will. He's using you. Why?" His voice dropped to a whisper, "Why do you let him?"

Faye's eyes widened. "I. Don't." Another lie. She shook her head. "Why do you even care?" This was getting to be too much. Emotions for Spike - betrayal, hate, love, fear, lust - all rushed through her in a blink of an eye.

Suddenly, she snapped. She pulled the trigger, firing off the Glock at Vincent's palm. He anticipated the move, turning his hand so that the bullet only grazed the space between his finger and his thumb.

Faye took three steps back. "Go away. Or I'll kill you now."

Vincent chuckled, "I guess this isn't a lost cause after all." He slid his overcoat off and dropped it on the ground in front her. "It's much too cold for you to be wearing just that." He walked backwards until he was at the mouth of the alley. "I'll be seeing you; will you see me?" He stepped into the alley and quickly retreated into the darkness.

Faye watched him leave and looked down at the coat on the ground. A shiver ran through her body, and yet she reached down and picked it up anyway. It was dark now, and the wind was blowing fiercely. She pulled the coat over her shoulders, looked around as though she knew she was being watched, and hurried back to the Bebop. Whatever had just happened, she never wanted it to happen again.

Arriving at the ship, she tossed the coat into her zip and hurried into the living room.

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