Meh. And about Viscous? I'm trying to get him worked in here. I really am. But it doesn't seem to be working. I might have to change the summary. *sigh* Why, why, why??? I guess I'll make a story just for Viscous. ^__^ called 'Bloody Roses' 0__0 sounds cool, no?

I gave em a little in this chappie, but the next chappie'll rock your sox! Should I block out the graphic stuff, or should I leave all that in? Please tell me.

I hope for lotz o reviews!

~*~*~

Redtail took off from the Bebop, leaving a silence in its wake. It left the eerie feeling of no return. As if she was going to take off and never come back. And as he stared up at her ship as if took off, he finally realized what they must have felt. His heart wrenched, but he stilled it. Where was she going now? Was she really going to a casino? Or was that just an excuse to get away?

What was wrong with that woman anyway? She was acting like his return was just like living in hell, and from what he heard from Jet, she had been no better when she still thought he was dead.

"It's the shock of it all," Jet had told her. "She's had a hard time. She had tried to get a real job after you died- er- left. Never found it, though. It'll take her a few months to get used to the idea of you being alive."

He had snorted. "Faye? With a job? Don't make me laugh. And a few months? What the hell is wrong with her? It's just me." And the look he had received from Jet was enough to make even his skin crawl. Hell, it was enough to melt ice.

He grunted again. If he was in her position, he wouldn't be being such an emotional mess. Why couldn't women control themselves? They were so complex. Being stinky one moment, being an emotional housewife the next. Why couldn't they just pick one, like men? Men were simple. Well, simpler.

~*~*~

She had told herself that she shouldn't have gone. She saw them outside the door, men garbed in expensive black pen-striped suits with matching hats. She saw the reaching in their pockets, she saw more of them drive up in fancy cars, and more when she entered the casino. She had told herself something big was going to happen, but only half of her believed it, and none of her was alive enough to be afraid. Hell, she wanted to die anyway, if they were going to blow the place up, fine with her, as long as she died quick.

She had entered, seating herself at the closest and most crowded table. A round of poker it was. Her hands had moved like water, her cheats and lies slid without detection, soon she had a mound collecting. A man at the table began to look at her funny and her cheats died out a bit. A good stash of chips had accumulated in her pile.

Time to call it quits.

She should have known the man followed her…

Her chips were in a bag as she placed the on the counter and exchange half of them for money and the other half for gambling. She set off to find another poker table. The money was in a safe place, no one would ever get to it where she stashed it. A crooked smile formed. What would Spike have to say about it? That she was a twisted chick? Yeah, most likely. Her heart lightened and sunk at the same time. How could she feel so vice versa about him? It made no sense. She sighed. All this gambling was doing a thing on her bladder…

I knew I should have peed before I left.

And she stubbornly headed toward the bathroom, chelling to see if her gun was loaded. There were all sorts of people just waiting around the bathroom, and sometimes the guard wasn't there.

She should have felt the breath on the back of her neck…

Stepping in she knew that there was no possible way that she could use the bathroom. The sink was rimmed with dirt, mold growing in dark corners, dust and grime in the cracks in the floor, smelly tampons and pads overflowing in the most likely never-been-emptied trashcans. The smell was horrendous. The casino itself was a nice place, the best machines, crisp clean carpets and dollar bills… yet it all seemed to mean nothing in these bathrooms. The smell of smoke floated from a bathroom stall, and it didn't smell like cigarette smoke.

I'll cash these chips and go home.

She stepped out of the bathroom and ran into a man. His arms went around her, but she already had her gun out. She pulled the trigger before she even thought about it. The man in the suit crumpled at her feet, a bullet between his eyes.

The casino erupted with gunshots. And she fled for her life…

Ramming more bullets into her gun, she pressed herself into the corner. Her heart was racing and blood dribbled down her leg. With moves as fast as lightning, she swung around the corner, firing once, twice, three times, hitting two men, and went back into hiding. Her should bumped into the white wall, leaving a trail of blood and pain. She went to fire again, shooting three more men, but she was also spotted. She swerved out of the way as a bullet speed toward her, piercing the air with a silent scream, and stilling the room and noise as she moved at impossible speeds, her body reacting on its own accord. Like water, like fluid motion…

She ran down the hall, every now and then turning to fire off a shot and knock down a man or two. She wondered to where she was running. The casino halls could lead anywhere, and she didn't know the way out. If only she could get out… Her gun fired as her high heel snapped, the weigh of her body running in full speed breaking its threads, and she thudded to the floor, landing on her hurt shoulder. She suppressed a cry of pain and instead a smile formed on her lips. There was that pain, that warmth. But it lasted only for a short while as she shook off the feeling and pushed herself up.

A shadow cast itself over her body.

She instantly lashed out with her still-heeled boot, connecting with flesh and bone. She felt something pop. The man crumpled, groaning as he tumbled forward, his ankle popped. His heavy body fell near her. He soon shook off the shock and reached out, his fingers gripping her arm. She aimed her gun and blew a hole between his eyes. His blood splattered across her clothes and face. Soon she was out of her heels, and running barefoot down the hall, still hearing the shots of gunfire behind. They were still after her.

She licked the dribble of blood off her lip.

And she rounded another corner, smiling in delight when she saw the glaring neon sign with 'Exit" scrawled across it. Her hand reached for the handle, the door was being pushed open, when she felt them strike her. Her body jerked forward.

The pain coursed through her body, one coming out of her side the other coming out through her thigh, and two more grazing her. And while she thrived for pain, this was different, this was the pain one felt from being alive. She had finally woken up, she had finally come back to life.

Too bad I'm gonna die.

Her body fell through the doorway, half in half out, being squeezed between the doorframe and the heavy iron door. But she found that she couldn't move, her will was pushing her, her mind was screaming.

You're alive again! Don't die, don't die!

And her hand lifted and she tried to drag herself. She heard the sound of a gun cocking and then the sound of a man talking.

"She killed a lot of our men, let her die slow."

And then she felt the sharp twitch of pain as a boot connected with her side, and the toe ground in the exact spot where the bullet exited. She cried out in pain, a first in a long time.

She blacked out from pain and blood loss… right before gunshots ran out in the night.

I tried to erase the pain, but pain is a part of living, so I was only killing myself. But now that the pain is on the outside and its not my soul, my soul can come to life again, so I'm not dead anymore.

It made such perfect sense.

~*~*~

He had gotten to the casino late, thanks to Jets rambling. He had spotted Faye and watched her go to the bathroom, and come out soon with a look of disgust on her face. He saw her run into the man and kill him without a second thought. He tried to get to her but the casino erupted with gun fire, and he was forced to retreat. He saw her run to the hallway with a few men trying to avenge their comrade on her tail, and he saw more come after her as she dropped the first few with a few shots, and how she was shot in the shoulder as well. He had struggled to get to her, dodging bullets and throwing them back, worming his way after her.

And then he heard her scream…

He saw her, and the two men tormenting her. Rage. It burned in him and he shot the men numerous times, through the neck, heart, stomach. And even when he knew they were dead, he continued to waste his bullets on their bleeding carcasses. Then he rushed to her side, wings beneath his feet. She was shot in the shoulder, in the side, in the leg, and she had bullet grazes on her arms and her legs. Her blood was puddling beneath her, painting her pale skin rosy. She had to wake up, if she stayed asleep like this, she would surely die. She had to regain consciousness.

He tried shaking her, tapping her, and even took her outside, into the rain. The rain merely poured down her face and soaked her clothing and flesh. She had to wake up. Damn it she had to.

He stroked her pale face, closing his eyes in frustration. He couldn't let another woman die. He couldn't.

Her eyes fluttered, and in his remorse he saw it not.

If she's not awake…

And his lips enclosed hers, as he tried to revive her, by breathing in his soul. His soul and his heart. But the exchange was returned, and he looked and saw her emerald eyes piercing his soul, and so shaken was he that he pulled away in a hurry and he saw her smile at him.

I'll be dead soon anyway.

"Finally awake huh? Took you long enough damn it. I expect you can't walk, so let me guess, you expect me to carry you?"

She only stared at him, her smile erased, and he saw the old Faye, he saw the anger. And with a smile hidden behind his turned back, he continued.

"So you got nothin to say. Guess that means I'll just leave you here. Oh well, I'll just tell Jet you killed yourself, seeing as you were so shaken up when I came back. You know you can't have me right?"

"Get over yourself Spike Spiegel! Like I would ever want you, you green headed lunkhead!"

And he turned and peered deep into her eyes, his face gone serious.

"So you're back? I was starting to worry."

And she couldn't help but feel sorry for calling his a lunkhead. Her eyes softened as she stared into his eyes. Was he… going to kiss her again?

A flick in the forehead answered her question as he smiled at her.

"You know you want me."

She growled in rage and attempted to pummel him but her actions quickly ceased as a sharp jolt of pain shot through her body. Her teeth gritted and her eyes squeezed shut, Spike was quickly pushed out of her mind. Her damp and cold body, sneezed and with it came another round of pain.

"Why am I in the rain damn it…" she attempted to criticize but her voice went lacking on her, and she found it now hurt to talk.

Spike swiftly lifted her and began the treck to the Swordfish, the only noises heard being the raindrops and Faye's heavy breathing on his neck. He was beside himself in want. Faye's dress had been short to start with, the black dress stopping a little above her knees, and it was now plagued with a numerous amount of holes, and the fact that the dress was sticking to her body now that she was wet. Her scent was in his nostrils, even though she was covered in blood and mud she still managed to smell good, her wet body draped across his equally wet one with her arms draped around his neck, her husky breathing in his ear…

He tightened his grip on the inside of her leg as he carried her bridal style, telling himself that it was because it was wet and his grip was slipping, while his inner devil was loving the feel of her flesh and knew how great it would feel to…

And he winced as his toe connected with a large rock. But it knocked him out of his stupor. The Swordfish was just up ahead. He loaded Faye in and started up his ship. While he told himself he was going to the Bebop, it was so strange when he wound up at her apartment.

This was gonna be a long night.

~*~*~

Meh.. that wasn't too short was it? I hope not. Sorry about the long wait for a chappie as short as this. ~__~ I've been working on my other stories. I plan to get an IY fic up soon and a new CB parody too. And its going to be based on really long words I find in the dictionary! And words that reviewers send in too! It'll be tons of stupid fun! J