Life Will Be What It Was

By Ryoko Kashino & Kitana blade studios

Hey all! Damn a whole two new chapters!! Sorry it took so long for me to update but I had no muse and my PC had to be rebooted! URG!!!!! Okay well I hope you guys like these two. I woke up today and pushed out this chapter in 2 hours!  Whoa! Lol, I hope I can get some encouraging words from y'all!  Anyway please read and review! And please be warned: Flame and soon know that you'll soon feel the burn from the flames of Karma coming around to get ya!  Much luv & L8rs, Ryoko.

Chp. 17.  The Games We Play

Spike checked his watch.  They were late.  As always, it was probably that woman's fault.  Spike look at his reflection, he smirked as he saw in the background a sashaying Faye come up behind him.  Spike turned and said, "So, baby did you miss me?"

            A small sound escaped her, what it was Spike wasn't sure but seconds later his rips felt a sharp pain. Clearly she missed his use as a punching bag.  Spike exhaled with pain and his eyes narrowed as he looked Faye directly in the eye and said, "Yeah, I missed you about that much too."

            "Faye, what the hell are you doing," called out Jet from a few feet away.

            Jet had finally reached the two adults.  Ed was sitting atop his shoulders with Ein in tow.  Spike was still feeling the loving touch of Faye's punch as he raised his hand and said, "Yo."

            "Jesus, Spike are you alright?" asked Jet, as he spied Faye out of the corner of his eye.

            Spike nodded and then he felt his ribs getting squeezed tightly.  He looked to see Ed clutching to him.  He furrowed his brows and then patted the girl lightly on the top of her fluffy orange mane.  The odd looking bunch walked into the restaurant and got seated.  Faye hadn't said hello or anything to that giant lunk head.  She wanted to hug him like Ed but instead her anger came out.  She was partly angry with herself for not keeping her cool, but damn it she had every reason to be pissed off.  They were comrades, no? Yes, they were.  Were, funny word, but they had been comerades, right?  Faye's eyes dipped down away from the menu before her.

            Spike sat there listening to Jet tell the tale of their search. Ed sat practically on Spike's lap.  She hadn't left his side since the parking lot.  It was sweet but kind of annoying. Spike wasn't going to shove the child away.  He would just shift to let her know she was too close.  Ed caught the hint and finally took a calm seat next to Spike. Spike winked at her and a smile spread across her face.  Spike's view then shifted to look at Faye.  He saw her mouth move.  He read her lips.  Her last word hit him.  Comerades.  It was word she had always used when she needed money or her ass to be saved.  He and Jet had always used it with her jokingly. However, Spike could see she wasn't the same old Faye.  She was Faye physically but she'd got back her past.  She had finally obtained what she had searched for; for so long.  He could however see a change in her; a little of the hardness that haunted her face seemed gone.  Her anger was still there he felt it when she connected but it didn't show so much anymore.  He still watched her as her fingers began to tap the table lightly waiting for the waiter or waitress to come by. 

            Faye could feel his eyes taking her in.  It was making her totally uncomfortable.  Soon her foot began to tap too.  She saw a small smile pull at the corner of his lips.  Asshole, she thought.  Faye turned her head to search for the damn waiter, where the hell are these people, she thought.  A small grunt came from her and it caused Jet to stop his story to look at her with concern.  His eyes then shot a look at Spike who shrugged and then he nudged Ed, whose reply was "Hnya?" 

            Jet shook his head and then finished up the story and looked at Spike.  Spike nodded his head and leaned forward placing his arms on the table and said, "Wow, I didn't think you cared so much."

            "Spike…" Jet drawled out his name and his tone held that 'of course you know that we do; you ass' tone.

            Spike chuckled and again he felt Ed hug him.  He looked at her and in her eyes saw a hint of tears.  Part of him felt warm and fuzzy, but he tired his hardest to squash it. Lightly, he tapped her arm and she released him.  Spike could feel Ein resting at their feet. Even the mongrel missed him.  Damn who knew that he was so; loved.  He shook his head and raised his hand.  In seconds they had a waiter and ordered their food. 

As they waited they each told their story of how they came home.  Faye let Jet tell hers.  Faye sat watching as Jet and Ed seemed to forgive Spike with every passing second.  She however couldn't.  Why did he get a free pass?  When every time she did the same kind of vanishing act she'd get read the riot act?  This wasn't fair.  He got love and praises while she got the dungeon and a scrap of bread.  As every minute passed Faye become more agitated, finally she got up to go to the bathroom. 

For a moment time stopped.  Faye was leaving the table.  All of them watched as she walked away.  An awkward silence loomed and finally Jet broke it, "She really missed you the most."

"That battle axe missed me?"

"Damn you, Spike, of course she did.  She was hit hardest.  She was with me when I got the notice.  The Bebop became so quiet when we thought we lost you."

Spike looked at Jet.  Jet held his gaze for a second then turned his head to get away from that probing glare of his. That had always threw him off.  Spike couldn't just see your soul with his stare, it was like he was reading everything you had ever done and felt.  It was menacing.  Jet looked at his hands and then reached up to scratch his head, "Maybe I should go talk to her."

"No, I'll go." Spike got up before Jet could protest but the look he gave Jet said enough.

Faye stood there looking at her face.  She wanted to scream and cry and just rip this room to shreds.  She again looked at her reflection.  Her reflection clicked her tongue and said, "Really Faye, could you just draw more attention to yourself?"

"Shut up."

"No, that jack ass is probably just waiting for you to return to the table and spill out your heart."

"No, I saw it in him, he's not coming home."

"It was never his home, or yours. Wake up! There is nothing at all there for you!"

Faye was watching as her reflection was mocking her. She looked away and for a moment she felt tears well up in her eyes.  Faye then turned on the tap and splashed some cold water on her face.  As she reached over to grab a paper towel to wipe her face and hands dry, she saw her reflection again and it spoke to her again, "You know I'm right Faye!."

"Shut up damn you!"

Spike stood by the bathroom door and heard a few mumbles but nothing he could make out.  So he looked over to see a payphone, as like anyone else he reached in his finger to feel for loose change.  Finding none he stepped back by the door and heard a shriek.  He shoved the door opened and saw Faye standing there with her fist bleeding. 

"What the hell happened here Faye?"

Faye was hunched over holding her wrist and looking at her bloodied hand.  Spike walked over and turned on the faucet.  Slowly he put her hand under the running water.  He looked up at the mirror and saw the meeting point.  He shook his head as he watched the blood get washed down the drain.  Luckily there weren't any shards in her hand.  He grabbed some paper towels and was about to begin drying her hand when Faye batted his hand away with a hard smack.  She reached over to grab her own wad of paper towels.  Spike scrunched the paper towels in his hand and tossed the ball into the trash can.  He then began to look at Faye and shook his head, "You know for a moment I honestly thought you might be a little relieved to see me. I was just kidding myself; you're still the same old Faye or maybe even worse."

Spike turned on his heal and walked out of the bathroom; on his way out he bumped into a woman on her way in.  The woman stopped and looked at him over her sunglasses.  Spike for a second thought he knew her but ignored it and continued back on his way to the table. 

Faye stood there drying her hand and let his words sink into her head.  She was even angrier than before, because for a second he was right, she was herself but worse.  God, how could she be such a bitch?  She wanted to see him just as much as the others but part of her wasn't going to be all sobby and loving, well at least not in front of everyone. She'd had her chance to tell him how she felt but instead she continued to pull her scared animal tactics.  Damn it, she thought.

Faye saw the other woman walk in and then decided to leave.  She needed a cigarette.  She walked out of the bathroom and out the front doors of the restaurant.

Spike watched from the table, Jet was throwing questions at him but Spike just raised his hand and continued to watch Faye.  She was now smoking, it brought a sick smile to his face.  How come they always had to do things the hard way? Never could the two of them handle things like rational adults, they each had to resort to games played buy adolescents.  Spike then let his eyes flow around the dinning area and saw another person he thought he knew.  Where had he seen this man, but something was different; from the far right came the woman he'd bumped into leaving the restroom.  She was joining the man he was recognizing. The light went on; Spike quickly looked at Jet and said, "So, did you see Big shots the other day?"

"What?"

"Yeah, big shots, I was surprised too.  There was a 200 million woolong bounty."

"Oh?"

Spike nodded his head and his face became serious. Jet took the hint.  Spike leaned over and whispered the targets location.  Jet raised his eye brows then got up out of the booth.  He walked out of the restaurant and stopped to talk to Faye. Faye spun around and looked at where Spike and Ed were sitting.  It was her way of surveying the mark.  She got a wicked grin on her face and both she and Jet returned to their seats. Faye crossed her legs and said, "So, does that mean your back? Or just giving a helpful hint?"

Spike plastered on an evil smirk, "Depends, are you gonna play nice?"

"Kiddies, behave." warned Jet nicely. 

Jet drank from his glass while he did a stupid smirk came to his face. Spike laughed and as their food was delivered Spike kept watch on the bounty. 

Ayame was feeling nervous and kept tapping her fingers.  They were on earth; it was a million miles from their last sighting on Mars.  She was still so nervous.  Earth was a refugee hide out.  That and a haven for the rejected that refused to move on with modern times.  It was so primitive.  She wanted off this wasteland of orbited rock.  Marius however, felt fine.  He was calm.  She watched him and saw that he was acting as if nothing had gone horribly wrong. She took off her sunglasses in anger and in her eyes burned fire.  Marius looked at he then said in a calm voice, "I'm glad you took off the glasses, we didn't look to inconspicuous."

Spike gulped down his food and then said, "They're on the move."

Jet nodded and scooted Faye out of the way.  Jet threw down fifty woolongs and said, "Get back to the bebop ASAP and no messing around.  Spike, get your shit back on the old girl and I'll send you guys info and my 20 when I get theirs."

All three nodded as soon as Jet stepped out of the diner Spike called over a waiter.