Well, here we are on another happy monday..ee; I'm sooo glad everybodylikes this story so much! ; Really, you have NO idea how much your flattery just cheers me on:D Anyway...to all you EXTREMELY CRAZYOVERZEALOUS BEBOP FANATICS...like me...this chapter's name derives itself from a song that we all know.:P

Chapter 7:

Words that We Couldn't Say

Curled up in a sea of blankets, Emp, almost willingly, opened her eyes. The late morning sun danced on her front door as the sounds of the street drifted in through her open window. In her room, all was quiet, but before she let her heart begin to ache, she sat up and looked to her kitchen. Spike was sitting there at her table smoking; looking at her. She was relieved for, even after the night before, she still had doubts; he was a bounty hunter after all.

He watched her solemnly, but with much interest. He was confused at why she had a semi-surprised look on her face. Didn't she think that after kissing her, he would stay? She cleared her throat and said with a voice trying to hide her relief, "What are you doing?"

"Watching you." He said, taking a long breath out of his cigarette. She gave a fake giggle. Then he continued, "Why do you look so surprised? You don't think that after last night that I would leave, do you?"

"Well….it's like a gut reaction, I guess."

"You don't trust me still?"

"No…it's not that…"

"Then a reaction to what?" his voice was stern and vexed. What did he have to do to prove to her that he loved her? What more did he have to do? He stared at Emp, whose eyes drifted down to her sheets, as if she were thinking about something. She was; she was getting prepared for what she was about to say and with a large sigh, she lifted her eyes and began.

"In the last couple of weeks, I have found that I have a large bounty on my head, posted for a murder I didn't commit. I have gotten drunk many more than a few times and have gotten the same number of hangovers. I have been stalked and talked to by bounty hunters, locked up, and my heart's been tossed around like a plaything by a bounty hunter whom I'm crazy for. I have been trapped in handcuffs, tied up to my bed stand for a day, chased around a construction site, and at gunpoint because of the price placed on my head. But the worst part was that I had both nightmares and dreams about a man I barely know and that I am almost sure I cannot live without. Day and night I have wondered if he would come to save me or to banish me to a hell, leaving with my heart in his hands and money in his pocket. You have left me twice, Spike Spiegel, so now, you tell me why I shouldn't react; why I shouldn't be paranoid." Her voice was just about frantic, but somehow, the tears stayed back this time. She felt stronger than she did before, but she was still worried. Spike continued to stare at her, the emotion that was in his eyes told her that he had heard and understood every word she had said. He had always known that she'd been through a lot of dismay recently, but he had never put together all of the things that had happened. But now, he understood; every time that she got a chance to finally adapt, someone threw a wrench in the spokes and she had to start all over again. The kiss they had shared the previous night created a new joy for her, but she had been prepared for death and a rejection from him, so now, she had to start planning her mind for life with him; for life in general.

"I'm sorry." He said, the coolness and softness of his voice ensuring her that he truly was, however, Emp wasn't quite sure why he was sorry.

"Why are you sorry?" she sniffed looking modestly down back at her sheets.

"I didn't mean to burden you with any of this anxiety." He snuffed out his cigarette in a glass ashtray she had on her table. "It took me awhile to figure out how I really felt; maybe it took too long. I know that I'm a bounty hunter, but you just have to trust me."

"I trust you." She whispered and she buried the side of her face in her pillow, staring into nothingness. Spike picked up the chair he was sitting on and placed it in front of her so he could sit near her. He affectionately brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen across her face as he looked into her eyes. She took Spike's hand and held it to her cheek.

"I love you." He said, his quiet voice lingering in her mind. Emp pale lips curved into a small smile and she slowly blinked her golden eyes.

"I know, Spike…I know."

They sat in silence, finding comfort in each other's company. Soon, Emp got washed up and dressed, all the while she was thinking about her horrid predicament. She had come to the realization that even though she now had Spike, that didn't mean that all of her troubles were over; she still had that devil of a bounty following her wherever she went. As far as she could tell, she was falling down a bottomless pit.

She walked out of her bathroom, clean and looking like new with a grim look on her face. She knew exactly what she came out here to do; drink away her troubles, again. Of course, she had one less trouble on her mind, but that didn't matter; trouble was trouble, and she didn't like any kind of it.

"My life's a Hell." She stated and Spike turned around in surprise for he didn't know that she had walked into the kitchen. She wasn't walking towards him, however, and he knew where she was going. He jumped up and as she opened the liquor cupboards he slammed his arm across them, pinning them shut. Abruptly, she turned to look at him, her face showing her helplessness. She choked, "Wha...what's this?"

"I don't want you drinking anymore. You have to drop the habit." He said and snapped handcuffs on the cupboard's handles. Emp gaped at him, bewildered at his actions; since when did he know that she had an alcohol problem?

"What…habit? What are you talking about, Spike?" she laughed, pretending that she had no idea of what he was talking about.

"Ha ha! Nice try, my dear." He grinned and then strode back to his chair. Emp pried at the cupboard and scratched at it, she even tried sticking her hand in between the gap the doors made in hope to pull something out, but it was no use; nothing could fit through. Her precious alcohols were locked up for good. She stomped over to the table Spike sat at and thumped down on a chair across from him.

"I've been thinking…" Spike began.

"Yeah?" Spat Emp, pouting.

"And I kind of figured out a way to find out how to get rid of your bounty."

"Great…"

"I figure we could...stop pouting." He told her. She just stared at him, almost leeringly. "I locked them up for your own good."

"I'll go crazy without them!" she cried, giving him her helpless look again.

"But you'll be even worse with them…trust me." He looked her in the eyes calmly and he could tell that she was calming down also. "You want to get that bounty off your head, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then you'll have to give up drinking." Emp sat in silence and listened to Spike as he continued with his idea to free her. "Like I said, I figure that we should start by finding out who put the bounty on your head. See, he didn't release his name to the public, so maybe you actually know who put up the money."

"Maybe, but if they didn't release their name, then how can we find out?"

"Big Shot always has a name on record, just sometimes they don't release the names if they are told not to. It's all stored on their database."

"That's great…just great. And how do you suppose we get that information off their database?"

"Well, the only way is to hack into their computers."

"Hmm…I know I can't hack. What about you, can you hack?"

"No." a sly grin spread across Spike's face, "but I know someone who can."

Omg...you all have absolutely no idea how much I'm dying to post up the next chapter. >D It's gotta be one of my favorites...or at least how it starts out...as for THIS chapter...wow...I didnt know Spike was so good with coming up with plans. XDD But he's SOOO convincing..ee; If I was a bounty head with a drinking problem, he'd sure make ME quit. >D Okay...till next week happy BeBop peoples. ;