Song lyrics written at the end of this chapter is a song called Truely, Madly, Deeply and belongs to the band Savage Garden.
Chapter 7: Gabriel
"You're father's not here. He's…"She purred.
The familiar velvety soft voice greeted her as she and Vicous entered the mansion.
Sitting in the big plush armchair that Faye loved to curl up in as a child, she sat facing her but not looking directly at her. The angelic-devil, or the devillish-angel, was here. She who seemed normal, but to men was alive and the kind of thing that you just can't leave alone. One long leg was draped over the other, her delicately dainty chin proped up comfortably by an elegant hand.
Cross-examining her wine red nails, her lacquered talons were long enough to be used as a weapon on their own. She wore a black leather cat suit complete with black stilettos. Faye would have worn her usual gold attire, but today her mood chose long grey denim jeans, her favourite boots, a powder blue top and a black jacket. Slyly, Julia looked up to Faye, as if suggesting the worst had happened. Vicious was wary of this woman and was about to strike when Faye pressed a hand on his chest to stop him. Julia wanted to play? Fine, then let's play she thought.
"Dead? C'mon bitch, that's the oldest trick in the book. Can't come up with something more original? Oops! Silly me, of course you can't – you're blond. What was I thinking?"
That, was it; Julia flew at her like a cat, dangerous talons outstretched ready to disfigure this pretty face. Faye did not seem fazed in the slightest, even staying as she was – right until the last possible moment. Faye suddenly lifted her leg high up and spin-kicked at Julia's fair head, sending her flying across the room. It took a few seconds for her to gather her senses, struggling to her feet.
"Let's…hurgh…see how you do… without you're precious bodyguard. Unless you're not up for a challenge?" Julia half purred, half wheezed.
Vicious cupped his gigantic hands around Faye's soft skin. He looked deep into those peridot pools, concern and love scribbled all over his handsome features. Faye assured him she will be alright, that she will be ok. He held onto her like his life depended on it. She kissed him ever so gently, and he looked like he wanted more when it was time to break away. With a lingering glance and a razor sharp glare at the enemy, Vicious walked out followed by the soldiers.
"Sweet, looks like you've got yourself a puppy dog." Julia said sarcastically.
"Well I have to admit, I'd rather have him than just my shadow for company."
Julia was lost for words; even though Faye no longer cared about Spike, at least not in that way, it was clear as day to all thatJulia has only 'gotten him' through sex and, that she is into him more than he is into her. Valentine takes no pleasure in being this cruel to people, however bad they are, but sometimes you need to be in order to survive. Especially in the kind of world she inhabits, Papa always said. The fair one desperately wanted to have a smarter, more hurtful comeback. As always, and she hated this fact, Faye had the last word.
Julia ran at her with speed, ready to pierce the heart of her enemy with her stiletto. Jumping, she outstretched her leg preparing for impact – and she was left being dragged along the floor as Faye got a strong hold on her ankle. The next thing she knew everything was spinning into a blur….then THUMP! Coming into contact with the wall, denting it and breaking her nose in the process. It is the golden rule ofSyndicate life to finish what you started; perhaps that is why Julia's hate of her runs so deep, becauseFaye never put a complete stop to it. Holding a gun, she slowly walked up toher nemesis. Bleeding, aching, disorientated, it is the perfect opportunity.
Those cold blue eyes met with her vibrant green ones, confused and lost. Lifting the barrel to her forehead, the gun was clicked ready to fire. In a single moment Julia will leave this world. Her breathing was quickening in fear, though she tried to hide it.
Faye turned and left the room. Her Nokia rang just as she was outside.
"Faye? How about another adventure?"
No 'hey, how are you?'s, or 'what you been up to?'s, or I've missed you's. Just a quick call to brief her on their next mission, make her want for more detail, expecting her to be willing and ready to help whenever he needed her. Still listening as she was approaching Vicious, the plan would have flowed into her ear like lyrical music – if only she cared.
"I'm sorry Spike, but you'll just have to play by yourself from now on."
Without waiting for a response she cut him off. Slipping the cell phone into her pocket, she embraced her baby and relished the feeling of having his arms around her body.
"Who was that?"
"No one."
Taking his hand, she lead him to their parked Cherokee. Getting into the driver's seat, something nagged at her conscience but was pushed to the back of her mind.
Spike stared at the cell phone lying in his palm, as though waiting for a miracle. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes changing into hours. What was he waiting for? For Faye to call back? He did not know, and it was beginning to frustrate him. Then he thought of the broken jade medallion. It gleamed in the artificial light in the Bebop, like a true beauty shining amongst the ordinary. Why did he keep it? It may well be worth selling for a few thousand Wulongs; he knows a treasure collector who would kill for something like this, even though it is broken. Sitting on the yellow sofa, time just seemed to pass him by. He only ever thought of Faye as a friend, a best friend even nothing more, but she clearly thought more of him than he did of her.
Or at least she used to.
Why is that bothering him so much? It never did in the past. Because in the past you had Julia's services keeping you occupied… Sneered his conscience. But I don't feel the same, it's not my fault she has unrequited love. Spike's heart pleaded innocently. So how come you've spent the last thirty minutes just thinking about it, if it doesn't bother you?
Consciences; who said we needed them anyway?
Maybe he was beginning to miss all the attention he used to get from Faye; pestering him to do 'couply' things they used to do when they were together; like walking through one of Earth's lush green parks, going shopping on Pluto's Blazing Strip, or spending a long romantic weekend in Floreilcia on Venus, The City of Love. Strange, her constant whining for his love used to annoy him no end, and he even considered going somewhere with Julia just to escape from Faye. Glancing at the digital clock on the unfinished grey wall, he saw an hour has passed.
"Make up you're mind kid, or this life time will slip through you're hands like quick sand." Jet said quietly.
Jet was the oldest on the Bebop, and he is a father figure of sorts. To Spike he was like the father he never had, a brother-in-arms. Ed was the loopy little sister turned computer genius.
"You seem to say that with experience Jet." Spike drawled the words like a child who was drawing lazily.
"There was once a girl I admired. She was called Alisa, with flowing mahogany hair and the mosthazel eyes in this world. She had this cute little nose which wrinkled up when she laughed, and the most, amazing rosebud mouth. She was also so tiny, that all I wanted to do was to love her and protect her from the world."
Spike listened so intently he forgot to smoke his cigarette, allowing the ash to creep the length of it, before breaking and falling off under its own weight.
"Anyway, each day the urge to hold her and call her my girl grew and grew, but it also began crushing my confidence; what if she said no? What if I wasn't what she was looking for? The fear of rejection was beginning to overwhelm me. I was only nineteen."
Flop – Spike's entire cigarette had turned into pure ash, leaving a soft grey spot on the shiny metal flooring on the Bebop. Jet pulled another from his packet and handed it to him. Several seconds past before he even realised what was in front of him.
"So did you talk to her in the end?"
Silence dragged the length of the ship, stretching from one end to the other. Jet suddenly found there were lots of new scratches in his boots, and wondered how they got there. Spike was confused; why did Jet change this quickly? If he remembered, he might have known not to ask about his friend's past, for too many reasons.
Ed bounced into the room unannounced, jumping and singing loudly to what is Faye's favourite song. Then she put down Tomato, her computer, and played the rest of the song from that.
"I wanna stand with you on a mountain
I wanna bathe with you in the sea
I wanna lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down over me
And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish, SEND IT to heaven and make you want to cry
The tears of joy for all the pleasure in the certainty...
…..
Something stirred in Spike, like it was awakening from a deep slumber. Jet noticed it as the song played on, and so did Ed.
"I waaaaaaaaaaas HO-ping this might do something to YOU!" She chirped.
Facially, Spike's handsome, chiselled features did not twitch a single millimetre. He just smoked his cigarette, the one Jet gave him moments before. As usual, he stood up, the black suit elongating his already lean and tall frame, turning to leave and quickly so they can't question him. As usual, he paused momentarily before actually moving. Then he sat back down, opening a secret compartment in the side of the yellow sofa, and placing the huge head-phones on his head to listen to some music. Laying down, he stretched his body taking all the available space. Hands behind his head, he closed his eyes, losing himself to the beat of the music. Suddenly his eyes burst open, a sudden thought charged through his mind like a bolt of lighning.
"Is this what I used to do?" Spike asked no one.
"What you mean get up, pause, and claim the whole sofa to yourself to listen to your music? Yes, pretty much, it is." Jet answered in a sombre tone.
"Whyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyYYYYYyyyyyy do you askit –skit Spikey? Ah! Ooooooooooooooh……."
Ed's mouth formed such a big hole, that every floating dust particle in space would fit in it nicely. Her amber eyes were so dialated, all you saw was the black pupils and the white eyeballs but nothing else. Ed, had mysteriously managed to make herself resemble a little red frog…
She began but was afraid to finish, her voice falling to below a whisper. Even Jet stopped watching the television screen to see what was going on. Crawling on all fours, Ed crept to Spike's side, who was still lying on his back, eyeing her suspiciously like a predator.
"Do …"