The Heart of the Bounty
A fanfiction
Chapter 15: Investigations
Now that I'm fully recovered, I insisted that I start looking into the next possible bounty head. Before I even get a chance to research, I find Faye hovering over the computer screen. I'm glad; I can jump at the chance to be with her again.
"Who's our next victim?" I inquire, in my trademark slick tone of voice.
Without straying her stare from the computer, she replies, "Lenny Carver. Weapons manufacturer. Every hit he does, he tests his latest developments. Thus, every hit produces worse and worse casualties and environmental damage."
"Alright. Have we figured out any pattern of attack?" I ask, leaning in closer to her. I position my head by the nape of her neck, and I instantly breathe in her aroma. She smells so sweet, and I can't help the longing to taste her…
"He's specifically choosing bigger and bigger buildings, and each of these buildings are owned by companies affiliated with the production of his weapons. He started with the assembly line factory that just merely constructed the parts. Then he started moving up to ammunition production, marketing, and I have a feeling he wants to move up into governmental buildings. He has a political history, and he probably wants to legalize his material. The ultimatum for the lawmakers? Legalize, or die." Faye's voice sounds so unnatural, as if she's trying to hide. Or trying to suppress.
I now turn my body to face her, lean my elbow against the table, and move my head in front of the screen. I flash her a dashing smile and say, "Excellent work." I wink, but maintain a kind, genuine smile. I shut off the screen, never wavering in my stare. "You deserve a break for your hard work," I tell her. I place my free hand on top of her hands, bunched on top of the keyboard. I see her skin shiver a little, as I breathe softly upon her and touch her.
We gaze at each other for what feels like forever. Her eyes reveal a sense of longing, but there are hints of questioning. What is she trying to see within me? She consumes me, in ways I never imagined. Slowly, I see fear rising in her eyes as her eyebrows arch slowly and slightly. What does she need to be afraid of?
Instead of asking her what's wrong, I take the careless, impulsive move of leaning in for a kiss. Before I even get to shut my eyes, she says nervously, "I'm gonna see if there's anything to eat. Do you want something?"
I shake my head. I'm longing to know what's holding her back now. I continue to look on her as she slowly removes her hands from underneath my hand, and I feel the air of emptiness and incompleteness fill me. She turns and walks away, quivering.
I sit there, paralyzed by confusion. Faye is so prominent in my mind that my usual logic fails me. When she leaves the room, I get up to look for Jet. I need some insight, and if Faye cannot provide it, Jet must.
I find Jet repairing something on my ship. He's whistling, the jolly ol' guy. I'm sure he must be feeling way more optimistic now that I'm back on my feet again. I startle him with my voice, asking, "What do you think is up with Faye? She's been acting strange lately."
After dropping a wrench, Jet chuckles and turns to me. He neglects his wrench, which is odd. His time to repair is important to him. It completes him, like his bonsai trees. "Don't you see past it? I'm surprised you can't," Jet replies, almost too loudly.
"What?"
"She's falling for you. Maybe she's already fallen," Jet says, beaming with a smile. As much as Faye gets on his nerves, it's clear that he cares deeply about her, and her welfare.
"Of course I can see that, but she's been very timid. At least for the past day and a half or so. What's stopping her from just jumping on the opportunity? She's usually a little bolder than this," I respond.
"Women are delicate, Spike. When they become attached to something, or someone, they don't want to imagine ever letting it go. She's still attached to her past, in the fact that she longs to know what it was at all. Do you know she cries some nights in agony because she doesn't know? I've even seen her with a picture from that guy who faked her out after she was unfrozen. She was hurt by that. As much as she wants to be attached to someone, you know how she can act irrationally with people. She's afraid of depending on anyone a lot," Jet answers, his voice booming with wisdom.
"She seems willing to depend on me, or even just all of us now. There's got to be something else," I say, in utter confusion.
"C'mon, Spike. Think about it. Think about you. With an attraction as deeply cut as hers, she has to consider the possibilities of how you feel. No matter how much you're returning the attraction, she knows enough about you to instill that fear of your attachment to the past. She's not afraid of you, she's afraid of Julia. And she's afraid of Julia because she's afraid of losing you," Jet tells me, now placing his hand on my shoulder. The look on his face expressed the encompassing nature of his observant wisdom. He has seen through this, possibly even from the start.
"Julia… her memory feels more and more distant the more I spend time with her. What's the threat there?" I ask, innocently.
"Just keep that in mind. Faye is so sensitive that any indication about her can set her off. In what direction, ha, who knows? She can be destructive, as you know, but hopefully not self-destructive."
Ending on that note, Jet whistles again and turns back to his work. I turn and start to walk away, lingering in the doorway. I need to find a way to let her know that Julia is my past, and she is my future.
