Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop.

Chapter 3 - A Change in Spike

Spike turned and grabbed her hand as it came down to slap him, "You were always better than this Faye. You wanted quick cash, but you still treated yourself as a human!"

Faye was quiet and looked at the ground, "I'm going to pay off my debts and once I do I'm OUT of here!" She shoved him off her bed, "Now get out Spike Spiegel, and don't tell me what to do!"

Spike landed on the floor with a thud, looking up at her with his eyes, one eye that saw nothing but the past, and the other that was lost between years, "Faye..."

Faye looked away from him, her whole body shivering. Damn him, damn him for saying I'm not human when I spent the last year worrying about him. "Get out Spike. Get the fuck out."

Spike got up off the ground and looked at her. He couldn't stand seeing Faye this way. This isn't like her. The only time she was ever this upset was the day I left, the day her memories came back. Shit why did I make her this way. He leaned down and stroked the back of her hair, "I'm sorry Faye..."

Faye turned around and stared at him, eyes still filled with water and confusion written all over her face, "What did you just say?"

Spike looked out her window at the stars, "I said I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that when you're the only one looking out for my sorry ass. You saved us all from starving and I'm the one lecturing you."

"Yeah you jackass, I bring home food and money and you just mope around thinking about that stupid Julia!" Faye shouted, suddenly feeling her rage returning, "I know you loved her and I know she is the only one you'll ever love but you're going to waste your life away even after she's dead. That's why I'm getting the hell out of here, I can't stand watching you wither away."

Spike blinked and looked down at her, she was shaking again, there were tears in her eyes. Why did he feel this horrible churning in his stomach? Why did he feel like he had to make her stop. He knew what she said was true, and he knew he was denying it. Her leaving, it felt like a low blow to him, like a slap across the face. He slid his hands into his pockets and sighed, "Fine. If you want to leave there's nothing stopping you. You always come and go as you please anyway. You just hid out here to hide from those debts."

Saying nothing more Spike left her room and sat down on his trusty yellow couch. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, usually never dreaming. Today he dreamed, he dreamed about Julia, about the Syndicate, and about Faye. Through all the chaos, the blood, the betrayal, Faye was the one at the end who was still standing waiting for him. The minute he reached out to touch her, she'd vanish, and gunshots echoed through his mind. When he opened up his eyes again it was morning and he could smell something delicious. He rolled over and found on the small make-shift coffee table next to his bed was a plate of eggs and bacon.

Spike didn't know he could eat so fast, savoring every juicy bite of real food. He went to Jet's bonsai room to ask if he had cooked it and Jet shook his head, "No Faye cooked it," he explained clipping a branch on a tree. "She woke up really early this morning complaining she couldn't sleep. I wanted to give her some boos to ya know lighten the pain but she said she wouldn't drink anymore," Jet shrugged, "I think she's going through a faze or something. She took some cash and her ship and said she'd be back late."

"I guess she's working," Spike decided.

"No I don't think so. She had this sad expression on her face," Jet waved his tree clippers around, "Besides, she works at night remember?"

Spike nodded slowly, "Where do you think she went then?" He asked quietly.

Jet rolled his eyes, "How the hell should I know? If you want to talk to her just use the stupid communicator, that's what the damn thing is for."

Spike walked out of the room just in time to hear Jet curse for accidentally clipping his bonsai too short. Spike piled into the Swordfish and flipped on the communicator, "Faye, Faye are you there? Answer me Faye!" He screamed. The screen remained blank for a long time until it finally clicked on. Faye's mascara had run all the way down to her cheeks and there was a bruise on the side of her cheek. "Faye what the hell happened to you?"

Faye shook her head and rubbed her chin, "Nothing happened so just lay off!" She screamed reaching to turn off the communicator.

"Faye wait," he begged her calmly. Faye stopped and looked at the screen, "What happened?"

"I went back to earth, ya know, to look back on my past. There were some poor guys and they jumped me, I didn't have the heart to shoot the old geezers. So I just gave them some money after getting hit by some stupid punk."

"Come back to the ship and let Jet take a look at your face," Spike told her quietly.

Faye rolled her eyes, "Oh look who's all caring now!" she screamed at him, "Where were you a year ago when I nearly died?"

Spike gaped, "Nearly died? When, why?"

Faye scowled, "Just shut up, I'm out of gas anyway so I'm staying right here. I had the money to fill the tanks back up but like I just said I got jumped!"

"I'll come get you, just stay where you are and I'll have Ed track down your coordinates. Stay in the ship Faye," He told her in his usual blank tone.

Faye rolled her eyes, "Whatever," and with that she flicked off the communicator.

Faye crossed her legs and her arms and huffed, waiting in her ship. She couldn't believe she'd let herself cry, but damn that money was going towards here getting out of Bebop. If she got out of Bebop she could forget about Spike and make something of her life. She wiped away the tears with her thumbs and sighed. A few minutes later there was a knock against her cockpit door, she thought it was Spike.

"Do you go by the name Faye Valentine?" The stranger asked. The stranger had blonde hair that came down to his eyes, wearing a black suit, and had a New York accent like someone shoved a radish up his nose.

Faye felt her hand slip towards her gun as she hopped out, hiding it behind her so he couldn't see. She rested her arms on her hips and scowled, "What's it to ya?"

The man reached out and grabbed her arm, "My name is Cyrus and I have orders to take you to my master."

Faye grabbed Cyrus's wrist and flipped him over her shoulder, "Let's get something straight asshole I'm not going anywhere with you and I'm sure as hell not going to your master! If I owe your boss money screw him."

Faye suddenly felt an more awful pain in her side, listening to the sound of a gun shell bounce against the floor and her body being ripped apart. She grabbed her side, feeling the blood pour all over her hands. "Damn you..." she hissed. Cyrus raised his gun again at her, but Faye dodged this bullet by lunging to the ground. Mid-air she pulled her gun from behind her back and shot Cyrus in the hand, his gun going flying. "Who the hell are you!" She screamed, pushing the gun to Cyrus's head, 'And what does your boss want with me? Debts?"

Cyrus cringed, "I'm not sure what my boss wants with you, debts or just to screw but you're something important. There are pictures of you everywhere in the hideout. You're called Fox there."

Faye froze, Fox. Lin called her Fox, oh no. Faye held the gun to the back of his head, "Get on the ground now!"

Cyrus obeyed and Faye pulled away the rest of his guns and knives with her free hand. She tied him up, his legs, his hands, and his shoulders. She called up a cop and then limped until she leaned up against her ship. She could see the trails of blood she had left behind all over the dock she was on. She closed her eyes and sighed, "Well Faye, you sure have gotten yourself into a fucking jam again. Come on Spike, where are you?"

Spike floored his engines and flipped on the communicator, "Jet? Hey Jet"

Jet flashed up on the screen, sitting on the yellow couch back on Bebop, "What is it Spike?"

"I can't get a hold of Faye anymore. I'm only at Mars right now," Spike shouted over the heat of his engine.

Jet rolled his eyes, "Spike you know how Faye is, she just takes off sometimes. Go down to Earth anyway and look for her. Oh and tell her we're out of vegetables and dog food."

"Great, now I'm an errand boy." Spike flipped off the communicator and sped up again. It wouldn't be that much longer to Earth.

A while later Spike found Faye's ship on a dock and a man tied up on the floor. He landed, thinking Faye caught a bounty. When he got a closer look he saw blood everywhere and felt the knot in his stomach double. He jumped out and ran around Faye's ship, she wasn't inside and when he ran around the ship he found her on the ground.

He scooped Faye up and wiped a strand of her hair out of her eyes, "Faye, Faye wake up."

Her eyes opened slowly and she smirked, "About time you stupid cowboy," She laughed and then winced in pain, holding her side, "God damnit, that stupid asshole." Spike looked at the man on the floor who was asleep now. He walked over to him and was about to stop the living daylights out of the man when Faye winced again, "Spike..."

Spike decided he could always hunt this guy down and kick his ass later. He jumped into the swordfish, bringing Faye close to him, sitting in his lap wrapping her arms around his neck to hang on. He flipped on the communicator and Jet popped up. Jet say Faye through the communicator and gasped, "What the hell happened to her?"

"I don't know but I'm taking her to Mars, I've got a doctor there that can fix her. I'll call later," he shouted flipping the switch with his foot.

A few hours later Spike was in the waiting room, already smoking through a pack of cigarettes. The doctor informed Spike that she had lost a lot of blood, a critical amount and right now they were putting in blood transfusions. They'd stitched up the hole in her side, but there was still a chance she wouldn't survive. He rested his hands in his bushy hair and sighed, Please don't take Faye like Julia...I can't do this all over again.

Around one in the morning someone was shaking Spike. Upon reaction to his training he grabbed the doctor's wrist, bur released it as he woke up, "Yeah?"

"Miss Valentine is in stable condition now. Her vitals are all back to normal, we're not sure when she'll wake up though. I thought I should inform you so maybe you'd finally get some better rest than sleeping in a chair."

Spike let out a sigh of relief, "Can I see her?"

"Normally I'm not supposed to let you, but if you did spend the whole night. Go on inside," the doctor told him and then walked off.

Spike got up and walked into her room. He stared at her, she looked so frail, her cheek still red and blue, her eyes red. There was still blood stained on her hands. He picked up her hand and squeezed it gently, this tormented feeling in him making him shiver with pain. He sat down on her bed and continued to stare at her face. She looked so much more peaceful, not like the angry bottled up Faye who screamed at him all the time. He brushed away more of her hair and ran his hand along her face, "Faye..."

A sigh escaped her lips, a struggle sigh with pain undercoating it. She opened her eyes slowly, like sleeping beauty awakening from the old curse. Her eyes were blurry for a long time, her head was pounding at her whole body felt like it was on fire. When her eyes did finally focus, she was surprised yet again to find Spike next to her. She smiled lightly, not bothering to be angry with him, "Hey Spike..."

"You stupid bitch, this is what happens when you run off," He told her gently stroking the side of her face.

Faye laughed lightly and closed her eyes again, "Same old jackass Spike. Nothing ever changes. I missed work...shit Lin will have my head."

"You don't need to worry about that bull," Spike reassured her, "You almost died stupid, it's called blood loss. I'm taking you home later today, and you're staying at Bebop to rest."

Faye laughed again, "The careless Spike is playing doctor, I must've hit my head."

"I may not give a rat's ass about my life, that doesn't mean I don't care about other people," he told her calmly, "If you died there'd be no cash."

"Bastard."

"It wasn't two old men that jumped you was it?" He asked calmly as his fingers grazed her bruise.

Faye opened her eyes again and looked at Spike, "No. It was some guy looking to get with me. The second guy you saw tied up did the same."

Spike believed the first part, but he didn't believe the whole story. A guy who wanted to get with Faye wouldn't have shot her, threatened her, but not shot her. He could tell by the look in her eyes she was holding something back, but for right now he wouldn't pressure her with it. "Any chance those guys didn't steal all your cash, I'm hungry.:"

Faye rolled her eyes and stuck her hand down her shirt, returning with a few bills and threw them at Spike. "You're a stupid leech, you should've been the one shot not me," she scowled. "Bring me back something."

Spike walked out into the hall and slumped against the wall. She was in rough shape even if she did have the energy to tease him. He sighed, it would take her a while to heal right, and he knew she wouldn't bother waiting that long. He wandered to a vending machine and bought two cups of coffee and some candy called Skittles for Faye. Spike pushed open the door with his leg and hopped back down on her bed.

He handed her the cup of coffee and she drank it quietly. He threw the Skittles onto her lap and she looked at him, "What am I five?"

"Stop complaining and eat them, we've got better food at home," He argued finishing off coffee that tasted three years past the expiration date.

Most of the day was wasted with the two of them playing cards. Faye won nearly all the games, since she used to be 'Lady Luck' and stuff. At one point Faye did fall back asleep, the strain on her body making her tired. Spike tucked her in then wandered out into the hall, flipping on his communicator, "Hey Jet ya there?"

The communicator flashed on and Jet showed up, "How is she Spike?"

"Out of the woods for now, but she's got a bit of a recovery to go."

"Any clues on who did that to her?"

"She said some guys tried to mess with her, but if they were punks they wouldn't have shot her like that. Threats maybe, but not the bullet."

Jet rubbed his chin, "I know what ya mean. Oh yeah, do you know a guy named," Jet disappeared and came back with a armful of roses and a small card, "A guy named Lin?"

"What the hell are all those roses for!" Spike screamed.

"Apparently they're for Faye. A guy name Lin sent them over yesterday."

"What does the card say?"

" 'I'm watching you, my lovely Fox.'" Jet shivered, "Kind of creepy if you ask me."

"Yeah well, that guy's an ass anyway."

"We're heading over to Mars right now. So we'll meet up with you in a few hours."

"Right. Cook some decent grub for us, this hospital food is poison," Spike complained.

Jet nodded and saluted, with that the image went black.

Spike walked back into her room and Faye was up again, snacking on the stale Skittles he had given her earlier. There was a strange feeling overcoming him, relief and guilt. He had yelled at her the night before, that was why she had left, or that's what he believed. She looked up at Spike and just stared, this blank curious expression. His boots clicked against the floor and screamed as the material stretched with each rise and fall of his feet until he stood right beside her.

"When are we leaving?" She asked him, already irritated, blowing on a piece of her hair that had fallen on her face. The hair raised up and simply fell back onto her face.

Spike smirked and sat down on the bed beside her. Faye considered shoving him off, but found she was still far too exhausted to make the effort. She tossed to him the last of her candies and he ate them in a solid swoop. Faye reminded herself what a pig she was, but afterwards just closed her eyes again. "You're still tired..."

"Damn straight I am, I did just get shot ya know," she told him half-heartedly.

"You tried to kill yourself...a year ago...didn't you?" Spike asked quietly, staring at the white hospital door with her vitals chart on it.

Faye didn't say anything, turning away from him to stare at the birds in the trees beyond the window. "It wasn't because of you," she answered finally.

"Then why? Why did you of all people try to die?" He asked in a whisper.

"I never belonged anywhere. No matter where I went, to finding Ed, Jet bringing me on journeys, working, anything at all, nothing worked out right," she sighed, "I had memories of a past I longed for, and I knew there was no chance for it back. I had no future to look for, with everyone off on their own journeys. What did I have? I didn't even have an identity, my name isn't really Faye." Spike sat on the bed listening quietly, his feet touching the floor from his height. He was still sitting up, his back to hers as they stared at opposite wall, "Then you never came back."

Spike opened his mouth to say something but Faye kept going.

"I...didn't know where the others were, where you were, but I made some friends. Two guys and three girls; Allen, Haru, Lynn, Tomoe, and Kagome. They were normal people, normal people living on Mars, and they had dreams. They taught me how to live, and just go out and earn some normal money. I wasn't a bounty hunter anymore, I was just Faye. Then one day...they left too."

Spike turned around and looked at her, listening to her start to choke up.

"They were killed...walking down the street...killed by a bunch of thugs making a run for it. Allen and Haru tried to stop them. The men just shot all four of them, I was walking out the front door of my apartment, they had been waiting for me. I just watched them all fall to the ground and die instantly, those thieves ran by without ever noticing me."

"Faye..." his hand found a resting place on her shoulder.

"It was my fault...I told them to wait outside. It's my fault...I should've protected them. All that fighting crime and bounty shit did nothing for me. The only people who really ever cared about me were gone, every last one of them. I was at a bridge one night, above a highway, I was going to when Jet found me," She laughed, "It was damn luck above everything else."

Spike wrapped his arms around Faye, in the process falling into the bed like he was lying down beside her. He buried his forehead against her shoulder and arc of her neck, "Don't ever try doing that again." Faye was silent, wishing she could stop crying or say something to Spike. His body was warm against her cold and almost dead body. He took in a breath of her hair, smelling like leftover shower, blood, medicines, and a faint scent of Sakura flowers.

"Do you know what brought me back?" There was silence as Faye moved slightly under her sheets. He smirked lightly and took in another sniff of her intoxicating scent, "...You brought me back."