A Different Kind of Fight

By Kimra Lelanst

Part Two

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If there was one thing that could be said about Faye Valentine it was that she was a survivor. So the next day she stumbled out of bed like she always did, pulled on some of the clothes from her floor like she always did, and had a cold shower like she always seemed to.

A cigarette followed in quick succession and she didn't even bother caring who's cigarettes she was stealing just so long as she had the nicotine. Besides her emotions needed the stabilization smoking gave them, and she had better things to do then cry over jerks. So she slide the half empty packed into her pocket so she would have some later as well.

Then in a rather hopeful mood she sauntered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Her belly grumbled as she stared into the empty space and she felt her tempter rising.

"Jet!" She shouted slamming the fridge shut and turning on her heel ready to seek the old man out and kill him.

Out of nowhere she was intercepted by an orange blur screaming: "Faye Faye!"

She had time to brace for impact before Edward had rammed into her chest and they where both sprawled on the plastic kitchen floor.

"Ed." She returned.

"Jet person's away, Faye Faye! Edward has saved you from not finding him!" The girl was proud, a goofy smile on her face and Faye couldn't really bring herself to be angry with the child's exuberance. Instead she lay her head back against the floor wondering what the hell she was going to do about her demanding stomach now. Edward lent closer to her face a curious look in her expression. "Is Faye Faye okay?"

"Sure thing kid." She replied as kindly as she could.

"Faye Faye is upset that Jet person is not here?" Edward tried to probe but Faye only frowned at that, still calculating her chances of getting any food that day. Footsteps echoed through the linoleum and Faye's eyes jumped to the man walking into the room.

Spike stopped in the doorway, raised his eyebrows at the scene, smirked and continued towards the fridge.

Rather comfortable now she had a moment of retribution no matter how small Faye settled back to watch Spikes expression as he found out there was no food. She was entitled to no such exciting interlude because Jet interrupted the whole scene.

"There's no food." Was all he snapped in his stern voice before turning around and leaving.

Ed, ready to give chace paused in shock and a comically sad expression crossed her features. Then slumped she plodded out of the kitchen.

Faye allowed herself to wonder what the hell he had been doing if not getting food because she was sure that's what Edward had said he was doing then realised she didn't care, without food she didn't really care about anything.

Sitting up, rubbing the back of her head where it had collided with the floor Faye forgot she wasn't alone. A huff left her as she pulled her legs into an Indian style perch, her mind trying to plot the best way to score a meal for the day. She was inventive, she could just fly to the nearest planet and see what she could steal, or con, but then she'd have to dress, another grumble left her mouth, no real words. She hated having to do these sort of things but then again she hated being hungry more.

With triumph she jumped to her feet, determined to get a meal no matter how, but more determined to make sure none of the others got a bite of it.

"Faye! Spike! Get your ass's in here. We've got bounty's to catch."

Mid move Faye stopped, her enthusiasm lost at the sound of Jet's voice. Her plans vanishing as she realised she was going to be sent out. Folding her arms she glared daggers the door way, demanding it retract it's last statement, maybe tell her she had won millions of woolongs instead, she'd much prefer to hear that.

"Now!" Jet's voice boomed anger and impatient sounding in it's depths.

"Coming!" Faye called out sing song. "You bald fogy." She grunted to herself.

"Spike!" Jet's voice boomed again.

"Right behind her." Spike called his voice so close behind her that Faye shrieked and spun. She aimed a self defensive hit at whoever was behind her. She had time to register it all and process it before the fist had really flown but there was little stopping the momentum once it began. It wasn't a problem though, because Spike dodged the blow easily, gave her a derisive look and pushed passed her prone figure.

She breathed hard as she overcame the surprise, annoyed at herself that he could have scared her so well. She'd seen him walk into the room for god's sake! Her fingers cut into her palms as she tried to overcome shock and anger her breathing slowly falling back into regulation her muscles relaxing.

All at once feeling the pain in her palms Faye snapped her hands open. There where marks on her palms from where her nails had bit in, crescents of blood on her palms and under her nails. Disgusted she stormed over to the sink.

"Faye! Get in here or we're doing this without you." Jet threatened but Faye ignored it as she washed the blood of her hands, soothing out the wounds she had created. Then deliberately in control she walked into the lounge room, only Edward turning to look at her and Faye smiled at that, a bitter smile, a dark smile. She would show him. She was going to kill him if she didn't.

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Faye struck hard, her fist connecting with jaw where she had expected air. She regretted instantly not putting all her power behind the blow but when you didn't actually hit your target it had a tendency to overbalance you. She blinked in her shock of success and the next moment she was sprawled on the ground looking up into the russet eyes of a very angry cowboy.

She smirked. A very angry cowboy with a lightly bruised jaw.

"Gottcha." She half laughed until she realised it was her stomach that had sent her to the ground. It cramped in pain at the movement and she cringed in sympathy for herself. She considered getting up, but the dirty alley floor seemed as much a place to bask in her glory as anywhere else she was likely to go.

Another laugh came through her, ignoring the tug of her belly as it protested movement she let this one ripple through the air.

Her companion looked down his nose at her for a moment, probably contemplating her sanity before he was distracted by what was obviously more important. Like where their bounty had gotten to.

Of course it was her fault. Wasn't it always?

She had started her long list of errors by point blank refusing to pretend to be seduced by the ball of lard that was parading as a man. Spike had been huffy about that, muttering questions to himself that she could easily hear. Questions about her purpose for being there if she wasn't going to pretend to be a whore because that was all she was good for. And she being the saint she was had whole heartedly left it alone for a better situation where she could enact her revenge.

When the bounty had left the bar Spike had wanted her to wait. She hadn't liked that plan and she had followed. Long and short of it was, though Spike wasn't ready to admit it, the man was gone and their fight was over.

"Shit Faye!" Spike snapped suddenly and she grinned roughly up at him, amused by the optimism that had just crumbled into annoyance. "Why'd you have to fuck it up? He would have been easy if you hadn't interrupted!"

"Sue me." She shrugged vaguely and deemed it time to stand up. She really wasn't finding the concrete all that comfortable and a fight with Spike had to be faced head on, like most of life's battles.

"What'd be the point? Your crazy and your broke."

"Your loss." She shrugged it off again, dusting the dirt of her arse in a semi distracted move. "Back to the BeBop?" She enquired as friendly as possible and all she got in return was a glare.

" 'Don't come back without the bounty.' " Spike mimicked Jet's voice poorly but the point was made. Faye gave another shrug and went to walk away wondering if there was another pub around here, she hadn't much liked the one they had just been in. Not enough guys trying to buy her drinks, and since she was broke, she really needed the assistance. "Where are you going?"

She took a deep breath and started to count to three, hoping he would have faded by the time she was done, but he hadn't and although she hadn't turned around she knew he was staring into the back of her head with annoyance.

"To see if there's anywhere decent to drink in this shit hole part of town." She replied sharply as she spun to meet his glare. She never could walk away from a fight with him.

"What and just leave me to find the bounty?"

She smirked at him, he was pissed of with her and she was all too proud, not many people got under his skin. She stepped closer to him, shifted her body just right so that if he where a normal man he would be very aware of exactly how much of her skin was exposed, then patted him lightly on the check. Her grin broke. "I knew you'd see it my way." She chirped then a second later she was gone.

At least that was what she planned to be, what actually happed was quite different.

Usually in a situation like this Spike would be too pissed off to think rationally or he would consider it a bonus to have her out of the way. So usually he let her hope off into her own little world of whatever and he went off and did his thing, whatever that was. So when she bounced away expecting a quick retreat she was entirely unprepared for the hand that grabbed at her and spun her back around to face her green haired friend. Of course once off balance it's only natural to stay that way, so she stumbled, tried to get a hand hold and must of grabbed onto him in her tumble to the ground.

At the end of all the curses and grunts of pain they where in a twisted pile of limbs which she found very familiar to her memory. Spike seemed as surprised as she was, and he also didn't realise he was pinning her to the ground with his lean body.

"Now isn't this cliché?" She mussed, knowing how to get a rise out of him, though not the rise this kind of situation usually warranted. "Are you going to ravish me now?" She asked rather lightly.

His reaction was priceless. The body that had been on hers was gone in a flash and she was once more lying on the ground by herself, eyes on the sky as she kept her amusement internal.

"You're a twisted bitch sometimes Faye." He grunted, obviously ruffled.

"What's twisted?" She demanded a little annoyed even though she had known how he would react. "Any other man would got for it!"

"Well obviously any other man is desperate!" He retorted fixing his suit up as if that would sort out anything she had disturbed inside that head of his.

She was offended for a second but let the humour get to her. She knew as she let a chuckle out that she was certainly in an odd mood that day. "Your right those freak's of nature. I mean what kind of man actually has and enjoys sex? Not you that's for sure!" She was up off the floor quirking a brow at him. My she was feeling good today and this was doing nothing to deflate that feeling of brilliance from her system.

"What's wrong Faye? Did I hurt your feelings?"

Okay, that pissed her off. She launched her second attack on him for the day… or maybe it was the fifth, she didn't really bother keeping track of all their spats on the BeBop.

Her fist struck air, but unfortunately this time she was putting her full weight into it and she tumbled to the ground catching herself just before her nose smashed into the concrete. Now if she had broken her nose… well she didn't want to think about how pissed of she would be then. She pushed herself into a sitting position and glared up at him.

"Guess so." He chuckled at her reaction and then the insufferable man had the audacity to walk away from their confrontation, as if he had bloody well won just because she had tried to smack that stupid self righteous, proud, smug grin off his face.

"Maybe your gay! Maybe that's it, stuff this bullshit about being picky about women, you just don't like any of us!"

"Yeah Faye that's it." He mocked unconcerned still walking away.

She pouted in annoyance, watching his retreating back as she wracked her brain for a way to win this battle, she really didn't like loosing.

"Or maybe," she said with all innocence and thoughtfulness, "maybe your not as unaffected as want to appear, and that's why your walking away." Her tone or words, she wasn't sure which, stopped him and he glanced over his shoulder at her for a second obviously considering his next move before he turned to face her once more.

He walked up to her, crouched down before her and met her eyes with those interestingly shaded russet ones of his. "You think you affect me?" He asked a mocking brow raised.

She considered the response carefully, the tone had changed, which was fine she was able to improvise and that's what she would do. She grinned and lent a little closer, knowing she was facing a difficult battle, this man wasn't likely to crumble at the slightest suggestion, but all she needed was a flicker of doubt to show in those stunning eyes of his and she would feel gratified and heroic in her efforts.

"I think I do more then that." She whispered, every bit the seductress.

He snorted at her, and she frowned the pout returning. "You where doing better when you where shouting at me." He chided and went to stand.

Fuck it. She decided and threw herself against his crouched form. Okay the middle of a dirty alley probably wasn't the place to try and prove her prowess and sexual appeal but she didn't give a fucken shit at that moment, she was not going to let him win today, she had too much pride to hang onto for once.

He gave a surprised yelp and tumbled back, proving his trained reflexes could be near useless at times. She landed on his body comfortably and put no time in worrying about much else instead she attacked his neck with her lips and tongue, making an effort to get some sort of noise out of him.

He gave a surprised grunt and gripped her waist trying to push her off.

Determined she kept up her assault, moving up from his throat to his ear. "Cope with it cowboy." She growled low. If he wasn't interested in the seductress maybe he would be in this. She didn't mind, this would be more fun, and she might even go through with it, though she really wasn't concerned about that part of it yet all she needed for now was a reaction. She twisted one of her legs around his to tighten herself against him jamming their pelvis's together in a vicious attack against his defences. Then with a nimble hand moved his defending grip from her waist down her to arse. "Just enjoy it." She commanded and took a bit into his ear lobe which wasn't hard enough to hurt and didn't seem to have him reacting.

Fine she decided after a few minutes of that sort of attack she was getting nowhere, his hands weren't moving, he wasn't moving and most of all she wasn't really enjoying herself, but she was determined. So she took it a bit further, maybe that's what the man below her needed to actually break out of that damnable self restraint he had going.

Without warning she had her left hand up and under his shirt and on the side of his ribcage and her right was questing across his clothed groin.

He pushed her off then, roughly removing her from his body with a hard shove. He was standing, she knew though she didn't look, he was standing and glaring at her like she had just broken every law of civilised society. She wondered bitterly when he had become a part of civilised society but didn't bother with it out loud, something's where not worth the effort.

Slowly, knowing he was waiting for it she met his eyes. After all, she could never turn away from a fight with him.

"Where do you get off?" He demanded a look of death in his eyes that she ignored.

"Obviously not here." She replied bitterly before pushing herself off the ground for the third time. It was kind of depressing that he wasn't even a little interested, not too embarrassing because he already thought she was a whore so she hadn't lowered herself in his opinion at all.

"Faye." He warned in a growl but she didn't look at him this time, she was sick of it. He had won, he was better then her and she just didn't have the energy to care.

He wouldn't let her go though, catching her arm in a firm grip before she could leave their little alley.

"Look I'm tired, and I'm bored." She told the air in front of her refusing to face him again. "I'm going to go back to the BeBop, you catch the bounty if your up for it. I can't be bothered." And somehow she was free of his grip, if she pulled out of it or he let her go she wasn't sure, mostly because neither reaction seemed to fit either's character in her mind.