Gunshot Serenade
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/N: New chapter! I know it took forever, but I just started school and got back from Arizona. It's been crazy. So here is chapter six! Next one should be up shortly. A lot happens here, so enjoy! And another thing: Yes, Spike was a little ooc in the last chapter, but you also have to remember that he's not really the same person. The dude did die. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!!!! :)
Chapter Six:
Black and Blues
Been circling round the sun
Hoping for a chance to see
You who above everyone
Can rescue me from this place
-Sinead O'Conner
Faye woke up alone. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, moving her leg around the bed, trying desperately to locate Spike. But he wasn't there. Faye winced as her freshly healed heart snapped in two. It hardly seemed fair that she had to loose the same man twice.
Groaning, more out of habit then anything else, she sat up in bed. If it weren't for the searing hole in the pit of her stomach, Faye would have felt better then she had in years. After all, she had slept well and deeply, dreaming warm, colorful dreams that she could remember with perfect clarity. For a moment, she entertained the possibility that Spike had been a dream. But a quick glance at her alarm clock told her otherwise.
The red numbers read 11:30 am. Someone had turned off her alarm, and it sure as hell wasn't Ed.
Faye rolled out of bed and onto the floor. She grunted at impact and stood, a little dazed. Her jaw dropped when she saw what was written with permanent marker on her mirror.
Faye
Stay out of trouble.
-S
That asshole. That fucking asshole. She would kill him. Not only had written with permanent marker, he wrote a message that didn't answer Faye's one big question: If he was going to come back.
The woman clenched her hands into fists and let out a frustrated scream. Ten seconds later, the door popped open.
"Faye-Faye? Is everything okay-kay?" Ed asked, eyes wide. Ein yipped and struggled in between Ed's legs to enter the room. Faye took a deep breath and turned to Ed.
"Yes, Edward. Everything is just fucking peachy."
Ed blinked. "Edward doesn't think Faye-Faye is fine." For the first time, the girl noticed the writing on the mirror. "Faye, who is 'S'?"
"No one." Faye grumbled, turning towards the door and pushing out into the hallway.
"Where are you going?" Ed asked, eyes wide.
Faye closed her eyes, pausing.
Where are you going?
Why are you going?
...I'm going to see if I'm really alive...
She opened them and looked down at her feet. "I'm taking a shower. See if you can get that writing off the mirror while I'm in there." She turned back to see Ed saluting.
"Yes, sir, El Capitan!"
Faye sighed and began her march towards the bathroom. The feel of the soft carpet comforted Faye slightly, but not enough. As she reached for the handle on the bathroom door, she paused again. "Ed!?" She called back.
"Yes, Faye-Faye?"
"Why don't you leave that writing where it is? For now, at least."
"Okay, Faye-Faye."
Faye smiled to herself as she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, turning the lock with a click.
She wouldn't erase Spike Spiegel from her life just yet. Even if he was a lunkhead.
$$
"You look good, Spike-o."
"Thanks."
"Finally get those sleeping pills?"
"Nope. I met up with an old friend. A girl."
"Hmm... I usually get less sleep when I meet up with an old girl-"
"Don't even say it, Alex."
"I just mean that usually-"
Spike glared. The man seated across from him shut his mouth. The pair sat in their usual booth at their usual Denny's in downtown Tharsis. They met every Sunday morning with two more individuals who, as usual, were running late. Neither man seemed to mind, however, as they sipped their black coffee and discussed the usual things. Cigarettes, women, guns, and work.
Spike drummed on the bright red tabletop, inspecting his old friend. His name was Alexander King, but Spike was the only one who knew that. At work, he was Lucifer, and Spike made sure he remembered that. Even though the ex-cowboy was just as high up in the ranks as Alex, he didn't want to mess with him.
The man who had given himself the name of a fallen angel could very well have been one. From what he had heard from his female co-workers, Alexander qualified as 'beautiful', which may or may not have been true. To be honest, Spike tried not to notice. Alex had violet eyes and long black hair, always perfectly groomed and tied at the nape of his neck with a black silk ribbon. He was polished, mostly because he could afford to be. A trust fund baby with an easy billion in the bank and a very lucrative job, he could live the life he wanted. And he did. Spike had always thought, a little bit begrudgingly, that Alex was the kind of man Faye Valentine would fall for in a red hot minute. Suave, smooth, and filthy rich.
A bubbly laugh, accompanied by the chime of the door, tore Spike from his thoughts. He looked up in time to see two of his colleges, a man and a woman, saunter in, gripping hands. They reached the table and parted almost reluctantly to take seats across from each other.
The man sat next to Spike. He turned to face the man.
"Hey Spike, Lucifer. How are you two?" The man's voice was low.
Alex replied, "We're fine. Spike especially."
The newcomer grinned. "Really?"
"Don't start, Luke." Spike retorted.
"Once again, you two are late." Alex told them, taking a sip from his coffee cup.The woman, Amber Beaumont, shrugged. "We always are." She grinned and winked at Luke.
Spike sighed quietly and studied the pair. They really were perfect for each other, a fact that annoyed Spike to no ends. Amber was lighthearted and a little naïve, with big blue eyes and brown hair that fell in loose ringlets to her mid back. Luke, however, was a little quieter, brought to life by his girlfriend. His hair was blonde, and he had recently chopped most of it off, so it no longer masked his calculating brown eyes.
"Well, now that you're finally here, we can get down to business." Alex said, his good natured smile disappearing. The table silenced. "I've received some very bad news. And if you three can't fix it, there'll be hell to pay."
Spike's stomach sank. He already knew what this was about. And he didn't like it at all.
$$
The first thing Faye Valentine heard when she opened the bathroom door was a scream. She quickly tied the belt on her pink robe tight, and ran down the hall. She followed the sounds of shattering glass and yelps to the kitchen. She didn't like what she found.
A strange woman, around twenty, was holding a gun, pointing it at the top of the refrigerator. Faye followed the woman's gaze. Ed was perched next to the box of cereal on top of the freezer, a stack of dishes in her hand. Shattered glass littered the entire kitchen floor. A Faye watched, Ed lobbed another plate at the woman, who dodged, allowing the shards of broken glass to scatter like drops of water.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Faye screamed, drawing the attention of both Ed and the woman.
"Faye-Faye! The bad woman tried to hurt Edward and Einstein!"
Faye furrowed her brow. She could see that. She also got a better look at the woman. She had dark hair that hung straight to her shoulders. Bangs covered one brown eye, the other peering at Faye. A sneer appeared on her pale lips.
"Faye-Faye!" The woman said in a grating, high pitched voice, obviously imitating Ed, "The bad woman is throwing dishes at me!" Faye didn't like this woman. The fact that she swung her gun around to point and Faye's forehead didn't help much.
"Who the fuck are you?" Faye asked, surprisingly calm.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" The woman sneered sarcastically. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Christina, and I'm going to be killing you today."
Faye wasn't surprised. She quickly noted the red stripe on the woman's black trench coat. Christina fired a shot. The bullet lodged harmlessly in the floor. Faye got the sense it was a warning shot. Ed didn't seem to understand. She threw another plate, which crashed to the floor next to the assassin.
Christina laughed and turned to look at Ed. "You throw like a girl!"
Faye saw an opening. She lunged, trying to sweep Christina's feet out from under her. It didn't work like she thought it would. The woman just jumped over Faye's feet, bringing her gun down and cracking Faye in the head. Another plate flew. It shattered a good three feet away from the pair.
Faye stood and stumbled back, half of her vision in black. She could feel the warmth of her own blood trickling down her face as her back hit the wall.
"Shit!" She cried through clenched teeth, gripping her head.
Click.
Bang.
A bullet flew into the wall above Faye, who happened to lean over just in time. She jerked her head up to face a cursing Christina.
Faye smirked. "They call me Poker Alice for a reason." She said, grinning. Christina sneered and fired again, missing as Faye dove towards her, this time connecting with her target. All she really ended up doing was sending the gun flying and knocking both Christina and herself to the floor. She ended up with a hard punch to the stomach as she struggled to stand and separate herself from the other woman.
Ed threw another plate, which, of course, missed. Faye almost wanted to tell Ed to cut it out, but realized that at some point, Ed might actually hit her target, which would be pretty damn cool. Then again... Faye winced as she stepped on a shard of glass.
Christina, who was wearing shoes, didn't seem to notice the broken plates as she ran at Faye, obviously seeing no reason to retrieve her gun. She took a swing at Faye, who dodged and fired back, hitting the other woman in the chin. It seemed to have little effect on her.
Another shard of glass dug into Faye's other foot as she dodged a punch. The woman was surprised at how much skill she still had after three years without a fight. While she was stroking her own ego, Christina managed to land a punch on Faye's jaw. Licking away the blood, she stumbled back, ignoring the pain in her feet from the glass digging into her heels. Faintly, she registered her bloody footsteps on the tile floor.
Another plate came crashing down from Ed, shattering on the wall behind Faye. She dove and covered her head, porcelain and glass slicing into her forearms and calves. Faye winced as glass rained down on her in large chunks, doing no damage.
Another plate followed directly after it, landing at Christina's feet. The woman winced against the shards as Faye struggled to her feet. The assassin, obviously not very fond of the little girl, turned to towards her and began stalking to the refrigerator. Faye saw her opportunity and launched into action.
Faye quickly untied the belt of her robe and wound it around her hands, running to Christina's back and throwing the rope over her head, pulling it tight against her neck with such force it sent the pair stumbling back into the wall.
Quickly, Faye pulled the robe belt tight and jerked it up, cutting off the assassin's supply of oxygen. She ignored the gagging and thrashing of the woman and kept the pressure on. After a few moments, all movement stopped. Faye released the body and let it slide to the floor.
"Faye-Faye?" Ed's voice was weak from the top of the refrigerator.
Faye looked up, weary. "Yeah, Ed?"
"Is the bad woman dead?"
Faye sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow, closing her eyes. "Yeah. The bad woman is dead." "Now what?""I have no idea. No fucking idea" She looked up, staring Ed in the eyes. The girl looked a little scared. Faye didn't blame her.
The door slamming open startled both of the women. Faye scrambled the retrieve the belt to her robe and tie it before anyone came in.
"Faye!" Spike's voice shouted from the living room as the door slammed closed again.
"Kitchen!" Faye called back, trying to keep her voice light and mask her relief at the same time.
Spike's heavy footsteps stopped abruptly when he reached the kitchen. His facial expression was passive as he took in the scene before him.
"Christ, Faye†What did you do?" His voice was soft, low. Faye sighed, feeling suddenly hopeless. Her feet hurt like crap and she was trapped in a corner with a dead body in a bloody bathrobe.
"I don't know, Spike. You tell me."
"You're bleeding, aren't you?"
"No shit, Spike."
He sighed and shook his head, crunching his way over to her.
She furrowed her brow. "What are you going to do?" Faye asked.
Spike didn't answer. Instead, he swept Faye's legs out from under her, lifting her into his arms like a bride. Faye's heart skipped a beat as he clutched her to his chest, and she relished in the breathless feeling, cursing and loving the sensation in the same instant. Smiling to herself, she draped an arm around his neck, snuggling against him. When she didn't get any reaction, she stayed in that position.
Spike carried her past Ed and out of the kitchen to her bedroom, setting her gently on the sheets. He drew away and got a good look at her.
"You look like shit, Faye. Don't move. I'll be right back."
Faye, ever mature, stuck her tongue out to his retreating back. Of course, he didn't see her. She could hear Ed's happy squeals as he lifted her down and set her outside the kitchen door, his warnings about going in without shoes. Faye smiled involuntarily.
A few moments passed. Spike made an entrance with a first aid kit, Ed trailing happily behind him with Ein gripped in her arms. Where the dog had been, Faye didn't know and didn't care. But she was glad, for Ed's sake, he was okay.
"Did you go dancing across the glass or something?" Spike's voice dragged Faye from her happy place.
"No, Spike. I fought for my like across the glass."
He shrugged in response and knelt down at the foot of the bed, tweezers and a knife in his hand.
"What the crap are you going to do me?" Faye asked, eyeing him warily. She slowly began moving her feet away from him. He smirked and cocked an eyebrow, grasping her gently by the ankles and pulling her feet towards him.
"I'm going to get the glass out of your feet. Hold still and it won't hurt."
Faye's eyes grew big. "Do you promise?" She didn't mean it to be funny, but he chuckled anyway. Faye's stomach fluttered at the sound. It was rare and she cherished it.
"I promise."
Not knowing quite why, Faye relaxed and let him do as he pleased. Spike kept his promise. The entire time he was working, Faye didn't feel any pain. She didn't know how it was possible, but the only feeling her brain registered was the faint tingling sensation of Spike's touch. They talked during that time, about nothing in particular. Ed sat close by, jumping up every once in a while to 'fly' around the room, lightening the mood drastically. It was just like old times.
Two or so hours later, Spike had finished. Faye watched passively as he tied off the last strip of gauze on her forearm. Ed had long since gone off to watch TV in the living room, leaving the two adults in partial silence. Spike sighed and stepped away from Faye, admiring his own handiwork. She looked up at him, smiling.
"All done?" She asked.
He smirked and nodded, leaning down and placing a hand beside either shoulder, pinning Faye down. Faye's breath caught as he came closer. He stopped suddenly, his nose inches from hers. His eyes were smiling as he studied Faye's face.
"You're a very good patient, Faye." He said, grinning and pulling back. "Don't worry about the girl in the kitchen. I'll take care of it." Faye exhaled and nodded, thankful. Spike turned to go.
"Hey." Faye stopped him. "Thanks." He shrugged without turning around and left the room, leaving Faye grinning like a lunatic. She didn't know why the hell he had such an effect on her, but she loved it, reveled in it. Enjoyed it, even. It was with these thoughts she fell asleep.
$$
When she woke up, it was four o'clock in the evening. She realized she had been sleeping a hell of a lot lately. Shrugging, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"Have you been watching me this whole time?" She asked. She glanced over her shoulder to Spike, who stood in the shadow of the corner.
"What difference does it make?"
"I don't know." She turned back and stood. Pinpricks of pain followed. Nothing unbearable.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?"
"Yes."
"Whatever rings your bell, Faye."
She shot him a grin over her shoulder and hobbled to the living room to find Ed sitting watching television.
"Hello, Faye-Faye!" Ed said, not looking at Faye. Faye settled on the couch, content to watch whatever bullshit cartoon Ed was tuned into. She groaned when a knock sounded on the door. Sighing deeply, Faye pushed off the couch and ambled over to her front door.
It swung open slowly, revealing an aging man standing in the hallway. A smile broke on Faye's face.
"Hey there, Jet."
"What happened to you? Where's Spike? Is that Ed?"
Faye laughed. "Good to see you, too. Come in. I've missed you."
And she had.
Weak ending, I know. But what can I say!? I'm tired. Thank you all so much for reading!! Please please please review! Until next time, rock on!