Whee, chapter 2! All of your great reviews were what made me keep this going, so thankyou so much for that.

Disclaimer: Cowboy Bebop belongs to the owners… of it. The whole thing, man. And the tale "The Snow Queen" is by Hans Christian Anderson. I think. I altered it a little bit anyways.

Rating: PG-ish. Swearing abounds. Well, a little bit of swearing abounds.

Okay, I'm just gonna shut up now.

Fairytale - The Ice Queen

If you should go skating
On the thin ice of modern life
Dragging behind you the silent reproach
Of a million tear-stained eyes
Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice
Appears under your feet.
You slip out of your depth and out of your mind
With your fear flowing out behind you
As you claw the thin ice

Pink Floyd – The Thin Ice


The guy had been easy to take down. Faye had left Spike to the heroics; the shoot out and the fist-fight; which Spike would win anyway with his super-power kung fu abilities. She was getting too old for that sort of stuff. And besides, she thought, feeling her way around the carousel, I don't feel like getting bitched at for getting in his way. She gave an unladylike snort, unheard over the sound of Spike's fist hitting the bounty's cheekbone.

The sudden bright display of revolving coloured lights revealed that Faye had found the power switch. The place really was ugly, she noticed, leaping up on to the turntable where the plastic horses and assorted animals had begun to move, accompanied by high-pitched festive music.

"Faye! Shut that damn thing off!" Spike exclaimed, and as she turned around she saw that he had the semi-conscious bounty draped over one shoulder. "Do you want to wake the whole city?"

"How else can I see where his stash is, idiot!" she retorted angrily. Why did he keep treating her like she was incapable of everything! With a hard kick, the door to the carousels control room burst open. Purposefully leaving the music running just to spite him, she gave the round room a quick one-over. It was small, way too small to hide a large stockpile of drugs. However, there was a little stairway in the corner, running down to another doorway. Without hesitation she ran over there, only to nearly lose a heel in the mouldy wood. Cursing furiously, she inched down the flight of stairs, careful for more rot. The place was old, and years of rain seeping through the roof had disintegrated the wood. She bit back a grin, knowing that Spike wouldn't have realised that either, picturing the tall man tumbling the entire way down.

The door opened easily, a single bulb lighting the long space. Faye crept in cautiously, gun in hand, only to find the room empty. Other than hundreds of clear plastic bags filled with a yellow-ish powder.

Jackpot.

Her smirk grew at the sound of a massive thud, and the groan of the top stair splintering in two.

"Shit!" Spike swore furiously, and then in a calmer voice, "Faye, what did you do to the stairs?" As he wrenched his foot back out and leapt the rest of the way.

"Did you just leave the guy outside?" Faye ducked her head out of the room to look at him incredulously. "What, you think he's just gonna hang around and wait for us?"

Spike shot her a crooked smile, bending over to brush fragments of wood off his ankle. "He won't be going anywhere." He looked past her into the dimly lit room. "So that's it?"

"Looks like it." Faye responded, stepping away from him. "We're gonna need a crane to get all this out." She grumbled, picking up a bag and shaking it. "You've got friends in strange places, don't you? Go and call one to haul this shit out."

Spike frowned. Instead of giving her a smooth rejoinder, he turned and headed back up the stairs, carefully avoiding the broken one.

"Well?" Faye's angry voice echoed up the stairs as she hurried to catch up with him. "Are we just going to leave it all here for some kid to wander in and go 'that looks interesting, I'll give it a try.' Spike!" She growled in frustration, resisting the urge to stamp her foot.

"Don't be so dramatic, Faye," Spike said without turning around. "I'll think of something." And he unhooked the limp, dark clothed man from the clothes peg above the control panel.

Faye rolled her eyes, now realising what he had meant earlier. "Now who's being dramatic?" she commented silkily, crouching over to take a closer look at their capture.

He was surprisingly young, perhaps a few years older than her - or at least, her physical age. And he was quite a fine specimen with short black hair and tanned skin. She propped his face up with her hand, saw he had fine, autocratic features; ones that pulled at her memory and left her feeling bothered.

He was pulled out of her grasp by Spike, who hoisted him over his shoulder with an unreadable expression.

"He's cute," Faye smirked, shutting down the power and landing the carousel in darkness. "You should take notes."

"I'm touched." Was Spike's unruffled reply.

Faye snickered. "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Spike." She sang with a wide smile, loving even more the annoyed scowl she got in return. She took out her radio and called the Bebop, so Jet could come and pick them up. She watched the peculiar shape of Spike and the bounty pitch and sway in the dark shadows ahead of her, marvelling how he could carry the tall prisoner with such ease.

The radio crackled in response, and Faye squinted into the bright screen. "Jet?" she demanded.

"Faye-Faye!"

Faye sighed under her breath. "Hey Ed. Where's Jet?" she asked, hoping that he wouldn't be too far away and they could finally get the hell out of there.

She saw Ed's distorted little face beam at her. "Did you get the bounty?" she chirped, before the radio was snatched from her hands and Jet's face appeared.

"How'd it go?" he inquired over Ed's complaining in the background.

"Fine. Can you get us out of here now?" she demanded. She was sick of the theme park, sick of bounties, and sick of hanging out with Spike all night.

Jet waved his hands in supplication. "Hold your horses, will ya? Did you even get the guy?"

"Yes! Spike's holding the guy right now and we're exchanging phone numbers! Come on, Jet!"

"Geez Faye, take it easy." Spike commented in a quiet voice. "What's wrong with you?"

She shot him a look which indicated she'd had a long night and he'd better shut the hell up.

"Ten minutes. Okay?" Jet grumbled. "Don't be so prickly all the time." He muttered something under his breath and terminated the connection.

The bounty stirred, lifted his head with a groan. Realising his situation, his face drooped, but his eyes found Faye's and narrowed in surprise.

Faye gave him a devious smile. " You should've kept your day job," she purred, watching the Bebop's landing lights grow ever closer.


Things became more complicated back on the Bebop. The massive stockpile of drugs under the carousel had to be removed somehow, Jet having to ask some of his ISSP contacts to help them out. Which left Faye and Spike to hand the bounty in.

"What do you mean, the wrong station?" Spike demanded angrily. This time he out-furied even Faye, who was sulking outside with her arms folded. Spike leaned his hands on the officer's desk and glared directly into the man's eyes. "I want my reward." He grated, watching the officer shrink back in alarm.

"I'm sorry," the quivering officer began nervously. "but as Liam Standish is wanted for drug trafficking on Ganymede, not Jupiter…"

"We have to go to Ganymede to get the reward." Spike finished, the anger draining away and leaving a feeling of resignation instead. He stood back, thrusting his hands in his pockets. "Sorry about all that, then," he nodded at the mess, and shrugged, leaving the upset officer to put all the strewn files back in their place.

Faye was waiting impatiently when Spike came back, and her eyes darkened at the sight of the bounty with him. "What, we get the reward and we get to keep him too?" she asked, her calm voice belying how annoyed she was. What the hell is going on?

"We've gotta go to Ganymede. He's not wanted here." Spike muttered, tugging the prisoner along with him. Ever since he'd regained consciousness, he'd been surprisingly silent. Not that Spike or Faye had any problem with that in the least.

"Oh, that's just terrific." Faye retorted, getting back on the radio to inform Jet that they did not, in fact, have the two million woolongs. Jet wasn't impressed that they were suddenly skipping planet, but on his side, the drugs were being given to the ISSP, and they might even get some money out of it.

Spike had noticed the bounty giving Faye long, inquisitive stares ever since he had regained consciousness. He supposed it was because she was attractive and such a shrew. He grinned. He didn't think they knew each other; Faye hadn't shown the least bit of recognition, and the bounty sure hadn't said anything.

Faye tucked the radio away, turning to Spike. "We're taking the Bebop." She explained briefly, already turning and walking down the stone steps.

Spike cast a look at the bounty. "Come on, you're going to your new home," he remarked dryly, giving the newly named Standish a jolt to get him moving.


It was only a short journey to Ganymede; Spike hoped to get there and back before the end of the day. He quickly set the co-ordinates and returned to the living room, where Faye had taken residence with her cigarettes. The bounty was handcuffed to the stairs, where he quietly sat, his dark eyes emotionless.

Uninvited, Spike scooped up the box of cigarettes off the table and took one for himself.

"Hey!" Faye protested, reaching up and snatching the box back. "Get your own."

Spike shrugged, lighting up and sitting on the long yellow couch. Faye cast him a long glare, before getting over it and looking over to their bounty. He really was attractive, she noticed, but the sight of him still tugged at her memory and it made her uncomfortable.

"So what's his name then?" She asked, feigning complete uninterest. She leaned against the back of the couch, watching the prisoner watch her in return.

Spike rolled his head back to look at her. "Liam Standish." He replied in the same bored tone. "Age 26, born Mars, worth 2 million woolongs." He grinned. "No repair bills this time either." He'd been a good catch; but drug smugglers usually were. They worked alone, and were usually easy to trace.

"Standish…" Faye muttered. There was definitely something familiar about this one. She looked the guy in the face; her serious expression meaning that she meant business. "Do I know you or something?" she demanded, watching as his eyes rose and met hers. There was anger there; repressed, long term resentment. Shit. Who was this guy?

"I know you, Valentine." Standish spoke, his voice low and angry. "You screwed me over big-time, you malicious bitch."

Spike raised his head in surprised irritation, but Faye merely shrugged. "Yeah," she remarked. "I get that a lot."

I bet you do, Faye.Spike rolled his eyes. Why was she always going out and getting into trouble? This guy had enough pent-up rage in him to tear her apart, and he was thankful he was firmly handcuffed.

Standish's dark eyes bored into hers. "You don't even remember, do you? All the guys you've screwed over and left behind."

Faye waved her cigarette at him obnoxiously. "Don't take it personally, but I don't remember," she retorted coldly. "All I can see is I'm free and clear, and you're heading for years in jail. Right?"

He suddenly jerked at his constraints, making Faye take a surprised step back. His face was filled with rage. "You stupid slut!" he swore.

Spike decided that that was enough. "Hey, keep your fucking mouth shut." He ordered evenly, before looking at Faye. She didn't look in the least bit fazed.

"Faye. What's this all about?" he walked over to where she was standing, looked her in the eye.

Faye gave him an easy shrug. "Just another guy I left behind, apparently."

"Fuck you." Standish retorted. "15 million woolongs, bitch."

Spike blinked and tilted his head in appreciation. "I hope you put that towards your medical bill," he remarked in a slightly joking tone.

She snorted, turning away and shaking her head.

Spike looked at her. She said she'd been through this before; that there were more guys out there like Standish; angry, out for blood and revenge. "How many people have you screwed over, Faye?" he asked evenly.

Faye gave him a cool stare in return. "I lost count."

And with that, she stalked off in the other direction.


Spike found her in the observation room, staring out of the round portal into endless space. A cigarette lay in her hand, smouldering quietly, unsmoked. Her other hand was curled around her waist; the typical Faye-in-thought pose.

He walked over and stood beside her, plucking the cigarette from her hand and smoking it himself. "Waste not," he chided, and frowning at her lack of response. He turned her around to look at him, tilted her chin to look him in the eye. "Faye, what was that all about?"

Her eyes narrowed and she shrugged.

He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Why did you let him insult you like that? You just stood there." He paused. "You're not usually like that." Not with us, anyway, he silently added.

"I like stories," she finally said, resting her hands on the glass window, turning away from him. "When I was little I used to pretend that I was in them. It helped. I don't care about being insulted by morons like him."

Spike looked confused. "Why? He called you a slut, Faye." He reminded, almost gently. "You shouldn't have to take stuff like that."

"So?" she whirled around to face him. "He doesn't know me. He doesn't know what I'm really like, does he? It doesn't matter what he called me, it's just a way to get leverage. And even if it was true, I wouldn't be ashamed of it." She finished, her head high as she dared him to agree with her.

"Don't get so down on yourself. It's not like that." Spike insisted, throwing his cigarette butt against the glass. "You've probably done a lot of things to be ashamed of, but," he paused as her eyes darkened in warning. "But not that. I don't think you're a slut, Faye." He finished in a strangely sincere voice. It made him uncomfortable.

He looked at her again, and saw she had an ironic twist to her lips as she replied, "I'm not ashamed of anything I've done."

She knew he looked uncomprehending. "I don't regret cheating that money off him." She shrugged. "Why should I? He took a risk trying to beat me, and he lost, didn't he?"

You really do have a cold heart, Faye, Spike thought, and he knew the thought betrayed him because she nodded.

"I still relate to stories, you know," Faye replied. "I am the Ice Queen. I slept in the ice, and now I live it day after day." He noticed how she just accepted her fate, no resenting the way her chips have fallen.

"The Ice Queen was the most beautiful woman; her face was perfect as a snowflake." She said, resting her hands agains the cool glass. "But she had a heart of ice, and lived on the highest mountain where no one could reach her. People who came to find her fell to their death on the rocks. And the Queen watched from her tower without the slightest flicker of emotion, just watched them come, and fail. All she knew was to be frozen."

Faye smiled to herself. Exaggerated of course, but she loved it because she knew she was beautiful and completely unattainable.

Spike was not impressed. Folding his arms, he said, "You're not frozen, Faye. Your heart may be cold, but your nerve isn't. And I know how this story ends." He frowned at her. "The handsome prince comes in and breaks the spell, falling in love with the Queen. Melting her frozen heart."

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't think so highly of yourself, Faye."

Faye rolled her eyes. That was entirely not how she felt about Spike, and if he didn't know that… then he was as bad as the others. "But the handsome prince died in the end Spike." She reminded him. "Maybe that was the good part," her lips twisted maliciously.

He held a hand to his heart. "Aww, Faye. I'm hurt."

It was in jest, and she should have known that. To his surprise, she stood back, her eyes blazing.

"I'm always hurt by you, Spike!" she retorted fervently. "All those times you wanted me gone, when you complained about my presence on the ship," her fists clenched as she tried to conceal the hurt wavering across her face. "When you say I sing off key and I'm useless and I can't catch bounties, and especially when you don't give a damn. You hurt me more than Standish ever could." And she walked past him, not giving him a second glance as she hurried out.

Spike heaved a sigh, lighting a cigarette and hearing the loud slam of Faye's door as she barricaded herself inside. He really didn't understand his crewmate as much as he thought he did. He had thought she knew he hadn't intended to hurt her; but instead he'd unleashed a torrent of nameless anger that she'd probably been hiding for months. He had no idea, but he supposed that it had been inevitable. They circled each other like wildcats, speaking in riddles and never telling the straight truth. It was no wonder they didn't understand each other.

But really, when it came down to it, he wouldn't have it any other way. It wouldn't have been the same; he wouldn't be talking to the same woman.


Faye was sitting cross-legged on her bed, filing her nails and trying not to feel like an idiot about her outburst. She'd meant every single word, but it was just so weird to actually say them in person. If Spike wasn't any of those things; if he wasn't obnoxious and mysterious and blunt, she wouldn't be talking to the same man. It wouldn't be the same.

A knock at her door made her chip a nail in surprise. "Faye?"

"What?" she growled, more angry at her own response than at him.

There was a pause. Then, Spike said, "You know, you shouldn't keep bottling up your feelings like that. It's not good for you."

And that was it. He added, almost as an afterthought, "We're almost on Ganymede." Before Faye listened to his footsteps head out towards the couch, and the tinny tune of Big Shot breaking the silence.

Faye pursed her lips. That was all she was going to get, and she knew it. It was the closest thing to an apology Spike was ever going to give. But that was okay.

Obnoxious men never apologised, and Spike was the biggest obnoxious ass Faye had ever met. And he was never going to be sorry about being an ass. If that day ever came, Faye would know it was time to change her vocation.

Snickering at the image of a contrite and repenting Spike, Faye opened her door and padded into the living area. Spike was in the process of propelling Standish towards the hanger, using a lot more force than necessary.

Hiding a smile, she leant her arms on the railing, watching as Spike "accidentally" pushed the prisoner into the doorway.

"You're meant to open the door first, Spike." She couldn't help but mention, watching Spike turn around with a slightly guilty expression.

"My mistake." He replied with a smile and a knowing look in his eyes. He nodded towards the hanger. "You coming?"

Faye shook her head. "Not this time. I've got better things to do." She said in her favourite condescending tone, before heading back into the hallway without giving him or Standish another look.

Spike just watched the empty space for a moment, before redirecting his gaze back on the expressionless bounty. "Come on," he growled, noticing that Standish's eyes were fixed on that spot he'd been watching too. "She was out of your league, Standish. You should've known that."

As the man's eyes came to rest on him, Spike knew he felt no pity. You play the game with Faye, with high stakes and high risk of failure. Most men were out of her league; she tore them down without mercy.

"We worked the same casino." Standish muttered as Spike walked him up the stairs to the Ganymede ISSP headquarters. "We were both doing a job for the boss, transporting that 15 million woolongs from one of our smaller associations. She disappeared with the case, leaving me to pay out of my own pocket."

Spike didn't find that too surprising. "So you got into drug trafficking." He remarked dryly. "Not exactly a step up in life."

"How do you do it?" Standish stopped abruptly. "How can you live on the same ship, if you know she'd stab you in the back without a second thought?"

Spike let loose a chuckle. "I'm not most men, I guess," he replied with a vague shrug. Holding the door open and ushered the confused bounty head inside, he added, "welcome home." And took out his money card. If this place wouldn't take Standish, Spike was seriously going to cause some trouble.


Hnn. Review me something positive, and I'll update. Or something.

Oh yeah! Stay tuned for later this week – I'll putting up an angst/drama/romance-never-to-be fic, where Faye's criminal past revisits for some payback, but it's Spike who suffers…. cue evil music Cold Sunrise – where Faye will be kicking serious ass!