Session Three : Escape

The odor of sour alcohol and drunken laughter greeted her. Faye gave a small pause at the bar door, jade eyes scanning the smoke filled room. The laughter soon reduced as she made her way across towards the bar stool. All male eyes were on her, watching her every curve as she walked towards her destination, a natural and sexy aroma within her stride. Faye ignored the eyes that were undressing her and sat. The bartender was quick to give her, her order.

Faye looked at her hand and was surprised to find a cigarette neatly nestled between her index and middle finger. Bringing it up to midair to examine it closer, she found out it was not an illusion. A faint grin wove on her lips.

I don't even remember lighting this...

The cigarette bud brushed her lips as Faye inhaled the addictive substance. Throwing her head back, she allowed the toxic smoke to curl out and blend with the milky atmosphere above. Her gaze remained towards the ceiling.

"I see the past with one eye and the present with the other."

Spike's word circled around Faye like the swirling smoke. She brought her head down and glared at the lipstick stained glass before her. Suddenly, staring at the golden liquid in front of her, Faye felt the delayed impact she had tried to suppress for so long.

Faye placed and iron grip on the rim of her glass, teeth clamped together.

The only way to cope with pain is the enjoy it.

Well she had "coped" with it with it long enough. You'd think a person who has a blank past would be carefree, almost emotionless but no. She felt it. The pain of practically being nonexistent. Then she joined up with him. Spike Spiegel.

For a while, her void was filled. The attention he would give her, though not always positive, was enough to distract her from her emptiness. Even being in the same room with him when treating his wounds...that was when she found out. It probably took her so long to realize it because it had been lost within her past as well.

But even so, she knew it to be true. She felt it.

Then, only hours ago it was shattered, stepped, and spat on by the very same person she felt it for. It was unintentional of course but never the less...

Faye was glad Spike shared his past with her but it only confirmed her growing suspicion that what she felt for him was not mutual. Faye began to trace the rim of her glass with her finger. The burning flame that licked her chest was fueled by the despair that had began to consume her emotions.

Why does it have to be like this? Am I going to lose this past as well?

The figure that sat next to her settled on the seat so gracefully Faye was slightly surprised not to see a pair of wings growing under the dark trench coat the figure wore. What did stand out was the soft glow of the blonde threads that seeped out of the figure's skull. Faye soon locked eyes with a pair of blue orbs. What she saw in them rang a bell of familiarity...They soon melted as a smile crawled on the figure's lips.

"Well, it's surprising to see another woman in here. I don't feel so lonely anymore," the blue eyes spoke.

"Uh..." Faye stuttered at the stranger's words. Several seconds passed by before her brain registered the sentences as a conversation that was aimed at her. "Wha-What do you mean?"

The stranger tipped her head. "Look around. How many other women do yo see here?"

Faye did as she was told and saw truth in the stranger's words. They were the only women in the bar. No wonder she received more stares than usual.

"My name is Julia," the stranger said.

Faye's breath froze in her throat, her eyes wide. Julia...!

Slightly recovering from her shock, Faye turned towards her. Could she really be the same Julia that Spike speaks so highly of? The one he... No. Maybe not. Julia is a common name just like Faye. All this was, was a horrible and knife-twisting coincidence. That was all.

I hope.

Faye offered a cloaked smile. "I'm Faye." Somehow she knew Julia saw right through it, extending a dark smile of her own.

"Faye...that's such a pretty name." Surprisingly, contrasting her smile, her words rang with a hint of truth.

"Thank you," said a taken back Faye. "No one's ever said that."

"Then I guess no one's ever seen the beauty in that name."

Faye gazed in awe at the heavenly figure before her, slowly piecing together the puzzle that was her realization. The realization of understanding why Spike loved this woman. Then it all came together when she smiled. That sad, beautiful smile that she was famous for. The smile that everybody falls in love with. Julia's smile.

"Do you think that our names decide who we are?" Julia indirectly spoke to Faye.

Another startling statement.

"That because we are named something, we must follow it?"

Faye looked away. "I would not know. Our names are just that...names."

Another heart touching smile. "Of course. A pointless conversation."

"No," Faye quickly said. Julia looked at her. Faye could feel her cheeks burn. "It was an interesting topic."

Julia gave a small laugh. "I'm glad you thought so."

The night escaped through their glasses as they began to pile up in front of them. They decided to quit when they made a replica of a scaled down mountain. Surprisingly so, both of the women remained sober as if each other's presence gave them some sort of invulnerability.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Julia said as she and Faye lifted themselves from their stool seats.

"Same here," Faye agreed. "I just hope my "comrades" don't get too worried."

"Oh are you traveling with friends?"

Faye snorted. "Not really. More like a bunch of dumbass men who don't know how to keep a woman like myself comfortable."

Julia giggled. "Really?"

"Yeah, especially that bastard Spike-" Faye cut herself of. She knew. She knew all along that she was the Julia that Spike had talked about. It slowly hit her through out their conversation from the first word until now. No, even beyond this night, Faye would know it was her and that would not change.

"Spike Spiegel?"

The words seemed so far away, like a whisper in the wind. It tried to make itself be heard and unfortunately Faye heard them.

"Can you please deliver him a message from me? He knows me just say it's from Julia and he'll understand. Please?"

Faye nodded, an action she did not command her nerve system to do. Maybe this Julia person was actually a witch...?

Before Faye could comprehend what was going on, her system decided to let her brain know she was in her vehicle, halfway to the Bebop.

What just happened? Faye asked herself as she walked out into the hanger. Although she had no memory of Julia's message, she knew if asked, they would come pouring out as if earlier recorded in her thoughts. Word for word they would release themselves.

Faye absentmindly walked into their "livingroom" where, unknown to her, Spike had decided to take a nap. His snoring brought her back to reality. Staring at him for several seconds, Faye decided to get to her room as quickly as possible.

"You need something, Faye?" Spike caught her halfway between her spin back towards the way she came in.

"Uh..." Faye hesitated, unable to face him.

"Please tell him this...Day of the full moon by the grave. He'll understand."

Julia's words rang in Faye's head as she knew they would. Damn it.

"Nothing, Spike. Go back to sleep," Faye balled her hands into fists and without lifting her head to face him walked towards her room. If only she had turned to face him just once, Faye would have seen the slight concern that crossed Spike Spiegel's usually carefree face.

bows over and over again I am soooooooo soooooooorrrrrrryyyy! I couldn't update sooner becauseI got a virus! And then it took me awhile to get internet connection and thenI had to recover some lost files and back up and cut and paste and...and...and...o.Oslap! Thanks I needed that whoever it was that did it...¬¬ Well anyway...thank you guys for reading and stuff. I know it's kinda slow-paced right now but...hehehe...it won't be for long! Buahahahahahahaha! x.X Later!