A. Note! Damn i know i like- promised you guys this like- threee months agao but its finally here! Last Chapter! who hoo... I think you might like this one... or not... might be a tad over rated but either way tell me what you think!


Faye landed at the port and hopped out, pulling a black poncho over her head. It was after noon, around three 'o' clock Faye guessed. She pulled her case out and latched her weapons to her wrists, gun on her belt and a bounce in her step. She flicked her shoulder length hair back over her shoulder. Stepping lively towards the warehouses, Faye listened for any indication that there was trouble. Her ears were so keen to things that it twitched at the sound of the slightest vibration.

Upon reaching block 13, Faye paused between the two warehouses. There was someone else there… in fact several. Faye strode down the alley just enough way to hide in the shadows and leaned against the wall. She checked her silver watch and sighed. 3:15… the men were supposed to be here by now. Faye's ear twitched realizing she was not alone in the shadows. A faint breathing she could hear and the clicking of a gun cocking.

"You plan on shooting that gun?" Faye asked casually, with out glancing at the figure in the opposite direction.

There was no answer from the culprit. "Where are the rest of you? Do you have the package?" Faye continued calmly. She heard the edam's apple of the figure shift. This person was awfully nervous for a transporter. Faye faced them this time. "A newbie, huh?" If she wasn't careful in his nervousness his aim just might be too damn good for her liking.

"Please come this way. My superior found the docks a little too open for such a transaction."

"And what if I said for him to come this way into the alley?"

"Then I am requested to do it by force…"

"You..? Force? And a gun is your force! You have much to learn on how to treat a lady?" Faye shifted as her breast bounced under the poncho, she heard him swallow hard. "I tell you what…" she slowly advanced on him. Tracing the outline of his smooth face she leans in getting a better look. "If you persuade the transporter to come into the alley, you and I could…possibly get to know each other afterward…. So that way we won't end up killing ourselves over this. Run along…"

The young man turned, straightened up and strode into the opposite warehouse. Faye leaned back thinking how such an amateur would never touch her gracious body. None so worthy as Spike is out there enough to touch her no matter how desperate she was. Being her current condition, no one was going to touch her for a very…very long time…

Faye slide her eyes across to the end of the alley as a tall male appeared. He took off his hat at the sight of Faye and gave a half assed bow. His crescent glasses shown in mischief as he slowly came towards her with a medium sized gift box decorated in dark green wrapping paper tied with a gold string bow. Faye smirked at the irony of the color. How deceitful and poisonous… Her mother always told her green was the color of poison, envy and treachery.

She stood overbearing before the man. She noted there was three men behind him, the young one she spoke to beside him, and if her instincts were correct there was probably another few in hiding… but where? The warehouse? No- too far to get from point A to point B. Behind her… no- too easily detected. A bird flies and Faye smiles… how clever of them. With an aerial view she would be an easy target for a gunman.

"My comrade has told me of your… persuasive arguments. I suppose we cannot argue with a business woman now can we. Mr. Ritchie has already been contacted and the money has been wired to the account upon your arrival. All that is left to do is hand over the package."

"Then why do you hesitate..?" Faye drawled casually. She hooked one hand onto her pocket. The man's glasses shone greedily at the design on her bracelet. Faye was sure to think he would filch from a dead body. What he didn't know was that there was a blade attached to that bracelet…

-8-

Spike could see Julia's figure standing on the docks waving at him. He smiled. No matter how wearied Julia looked he was quite glad to see her. It was rather a relief to see her alive and smiling. Spike's face was plastered with a grin as he jumped out of the Swordfish and to receive Julia into his arms. The two laughed and kissed like a giddy couple. It would have sickened even an old married couple of twenty years. As soon as he stepped back to give Julia a once over, Spike suddenly got a stab- sickening feeling in his abdomen. However, he made sure not to let his smile falter. Julia was not Faye. Julia could not replace what Faye and Spike built nor could she rebuild what fate knocked down. Julia was just too weak for that… Give her the chance- a clean slate! Spike tried to convince himself.

"So?" Julia started.

"'So' what?" Spike asked.

"What does it feel like to be a freed man just like old times?" Julia kissed him on the cheek. Spike felt that if anything, he was allowing himself to be bound by the chains of his past once again. The birds flutter overhead as a casual breeze blows. He looks up just as the crow flies over cawing something sickly sweet. The reflection passes through Spike's eyes and he remembers that crow being his sign.

My left eye sees the past…Just before he had closed his eyes to kiss death upon his arrival three years ago, that crow flew overhead. However, it wasn't ready to pick at his dead body just yet. The head held high cocked to the side surveying Spike, just daring him to give up before his time. And it was then… just then… had Spike seen the most beautiful shade of green he could have welcomed in his stupor. Faye's eyes…

Spike tilted his head back down to Julia's awaiting chocolate brown eyes. She was questioning him.

"It's nothing, babe… It's nothing at all. Nothing, just the past that came back to haunt me." He responded. "How about we get a bite to eat before we move out and onto this job? Hopefully your sources are as reliable as you say."

Julia nodded her eyes cutting quickly across the plain towards the warehouses. She knew from which direction the birds flew, she was watching it. It was where she didn't want Spike to look. Swiping her hair back over her shoulder she allowed Spike to encircle her waist and guide her towards the small café. Julia had it in her mind that her sources were going to be pretty damn reliable and very fast too.

The two sauntered into the café and took a seat overlooking the busy port. Spike cracked a window and lit a cigarette. He stared out into the calm sky lazily as Julia ordered for the two of them. Spike could have given a rat's rectum at the moment what there was for him to drink. He wondered abut his parting day. So far so good. No incidents between him and Julia, and there were no words spoken for apologies in the past… except for the recent past. Spike dragged his eyes down to the already parked Zip crafts. His eyes narrowed… isn't that..? Spike rubbed his eyes.

"Are you tired?" Julia interrupted his thoughts. "Should we go and get a place to sleep before anything else?"

"What? No...no…" he stared back out the window. That is Faye's zip craft.

"What's the matter Spike?" Julia glanced out the window but could not catch what he was staring at. "You seem distant..." She waited for him to respond but he didn't. "Is this about your decisions to leave with me?" She reached across the table and took his hand. "Spike…?" Her eyes were earnest.

Spike looked across the table at her. He stared down at her fingers laced between his and smiled faintly.

"I said I'm fine didn't I?"

A crack rings out in the air and Spike's body automatically jolts up. A man falls off a warehouse roof while the second is still shooting. Spike bolts out the window just in time to hear Julia swear, bouncing off the awning and onto his feet. Faye…

-8-

"My dear… now that we have our money… there is no need… or no one for that matter to ensure the safety of the package." The transporter turned away. "I believe my client and I have greater need for such a thing. Kindly dispose of her, will you boys…hmm?" The transporter slinks out of the alley way and then doubles back. "Be sure to get that beautiful bracelet, there is no need for a dead body to have it. We could fetch a good price for it at Morocco St." He disappears.

Faye realized she had to move quickly if she wanted to live to catch the treacherous transporter. Faye switched up and pulled out her gun. She shot the first man on the roof point blank in the head and then dodged the second bullet. The alley way was enough space for her to maneuver out of the way of the bullets flying at her. Shooting the young man from earlier in the arm and then the leg she counts… Three more bullets to go…Four men left excluding the transporter.

Faye manages to reach up close to a third man enabling her to shoot him in the heart. Within seconds she pauses… taking aim and firing at the last man on the roof. Her bullet hits his gun barrel causing the gun to backfire and explode. Pieces of a hand litters onto the alley floor. A bullet grazes Faye's ear, and she turns to see two men are left. She shoots him in the shoulder, tosses the gun aside, darts up to him extending her blade and slices him diagonally. Blood sprays from his half open neck and his arm lops off.

Faye turns dangerously on the last man. She watches as he fumbles, body shaking in fear. He had never seen anybody move so quickly. Faye taunts by walking slowly towards him, apparently he had never seen Vicious in action… Faye thinks smiling. It was never her thing to enjoy cold murder but they did start it first. He trembles, fumbling while he tries to reload his gun, all the while trying to keep a steady eye on Faye to see if she is going to speed up. Upon realizing he couldn't get his gun in gear he turns and runs out of the alley, Faye close on his heals.

She leaps forward sending a clean slice down the middle of the culprits back just severing the nerves in his spine. Faye breathes as she watches him helplessly on the ground twitch before his final moments. A car comes careening her way, she looks, and it's the transporter behind the wheel. A shot shatters the windshield and the car goes careening off course nearly missing Faye who bravely stood her ground.

-8-

Spike darted across the docks towards the commotion. Hopping over barrels and guarder rails, he keeps going. Behind him, he could hear heals falling against the concrete. Julia was calling his name but he didn't stop. Spike ran, wind whistling in his ears, across the runway landing. Wait… that wasn't just the wind. Spike dives and rolls across the rest of the runway as a zip craft came within inches of taking his head off. Julia's voice was drowned out by the roar of the engine. No matter, Spike wasn't really listening to begin with. If only he had done that from the very beginning. He knew she wouldn't follow because of the danger of the last zip craft.

Spike found himself at the ready for action as he stood back up gun in hand. He'd deal with the owner of the zip craft later. He ran along the rows of warehouses counting down to see of he could find two and the alleyway between. Spike cursed because the shots kept rebounding off the walls of the warehouse. By a stroke of luck a man falls off the roof, 30 feet from where Spike stood, missing a hand and a busted head upon impact with the ground. Spike leaped over the body and turned right into the alleyway to see Faye running out the opposite direction.

"Damn it!" he yells, "Faye! FAYE!"

He had to find a way to get her attention. Half way down the alleyway he hears the screeching of tires on asphalt, he doubles back. Spike's turns to see a car revving up and out of the opposite parking lot. It cut into the alley two ways down from where Spike stood.

"Damn!" Spike had the oddest gut feeling where that car was heading. He runs to the other end of the alley to see Faye looking down at the twitching body on the ground. Her head snaps up in time to see the car careening towards her. Knowing the little time Faye had to dodge the car, Spike dug his heals in, aimed, and fired. The bullet shatters the windshield and the car crashes.

Finally Julia catches up to Spike breathing hard.

"What happened? What happened!" Though the female already knew.

-8-

The transporter stumbles out of the car gun in hand, clutching his breastbone. He stumbles forward trying to take aim at Faye. His eyes turn widely around looking for something familiar, something meaningful not at the end of his miserable life. He gun falls from his hand as he collapses forward struggling to get back up.

Faye cross the little distance between the two of them and drags him to his feet.

"Who the hell is your other client?" Faye growls. The man coughs spraying blood on Faye's cheek. She drops him in disgust. Her skin tingles upon her anger and with the flick of her left arm the blade extends to full extent.

"Faye, wait!" Spike calls trudging up to her. Faye pulls away putting a five foot distance between him and her but close enough to get at the still breathing man before her. She speaks no words upon his arrival. The gap allowed the failed transporter to see Julia. In all his feeble glory he tries to crawl her way.

"Ms. Julia…" he hocks out blood. "Ms. Julia… I… I…tried… I…I…" Faye had had enough. She drags him up to his feet and pushes him back. With a swing of her left hand she cuts him across the abdomen. He doubles forward extending his neck and she brings her arm down. Gishk! The head lops off and rolls. Faye moves to pick up the head and stalks over to Julia…

"Stay out of my way bitch." Faye throws the head down, "Next time this just might be you!"

"Faye, it was fair game!" Julia started.

"DON'T fucking call me by my first name! Nor you Spike!" Faye yells before he could start. She turned away from them and over to the car. The female takes the package out the back seat and began walking back to her zip craft.

Every other time Faye would have been disgusted by the entire bloody fight. She understood why she had killed like that. Her anger was being taken out on those who caught her in the wrong mood. In reality she really wanted to damage Spike but she knew her heart wouldn't let her do it. He meant too much to her now.

"Fa-!" Faye's shot Spike a dirty look. "Valentine, please listen to me." She kept walking.

"FAYE!" Spike yelled again, "DAMN IT, WOMAN!" Faye stops.

She had always remembered him always calling her woman when she went to dive head first into something idiotic. Faye sucks in air. Was she doing something idiotic by letting her apathy take over like this…? Walking away from Spike like this…?

The cock of a gun sounds and both parties freeze. Faye tilts her head to the side and turns to see Julia with her gun at ready.

"Julia, put the gun down…" Spike starts.

"I can't let you take that box…"Julia states, quite serious in her gaze.

"Or what? You gonna shoot me?" Faye's voice held amusement. Faye rests the package down onto the ground. "Huh? Not that it makes a difference. What's this, kill two for the price of one? Hmm…?"

"I don't want to have to shoot you, Spike cares too much about you to see you dead."

"Oh shut up bitch you know you want to!"

"Faye, No!" Spike shouts as he lunges forward. These two females were out to get one another for sure. And it was all his fault…

Faye darts forward and in a blur, her elbow is to Julia's neck the blade pressing sleekly against it. Julia's revolver to Faye's abdomen and Spikes gun to Faye's head…

The three stood squaring off at each other. There was a shift of a gun barrel and Julia's eyes narrowed. There was a gun pointed at her head.

"Put the gun down, hoe, I don't have time for this shit. I got a virus to perfect and a universal internet to surf." Julia's gun get knocked out of her hand.

"Ed…?" Spike started not taking his eyes off Faye. A trickle of blood runs down Faye's blade. "Faye's loosen up on that blade…"

"Not a chance in the world." Faye, smiles. With a thud of the sound of rubber hitting asphalt, Spike pulls out a second gun to the culprit's face, only to find Freya's katana to his neck.

"Well isn't this the extended version of a family reunion."

"I knew it had to be your damn zip craft nearly ready to take my head off."

"You shouldn't be running across the runway. I 'ad to get 'ere as soon as I 'eard Julia was trying to intercept the package."

"Where'd you hear that?" Julia retorted calmly.

"Where else..?" a deep voice chimes in.

"Oh, hello Vicious…" Julia drawls. "Come to join the club."

"No, I came to knock off the transporter." Bracing his katana against Julia's back.

Spike starts… "You mean the transporter was working for the Red Dragon Syndicate…"

"You got it…" Ed says. "Now I think everyone should lower their weapons at the same time. I'm really not opted for shooting anyone today." Ed lowers her gun, then Freya… Faye hesitates then growls, lowering her weapon reluctantly. She would have given almost anything to split Julia in two?

"What's the matter Vicious, your katana is still in my woman's back…"

"Not while you still have your gun in Freya's face…"

Spike lowers the gun and tucks it in the folds of the jacket.

"And furthermore you should be trying to past… not the present and the future." Vicious finished, sheathing his sword. Spike takes his gun from Faye's head. He stares at her once again. Faye walks over and scoops up the package.

"I guess I win… this one…" Faye begins to walk away from the group. Freya and Ed following not too far behind, while Vicious studies the transporter's body. Julia takes Spike's hand into her own and tugs gently.

"This wasn't the job I needed you to help me with…. This was only the beginning." She whispers. Spike shakes her off and runs after Faye. He grasps her shoulder causing her to face him.

"What did Vicious mean?"

"You choose to chase the past instead of looking towards the present and the future… congratulations Spike. You have just officially deserted any relationship with us. Hopefully your son won't be so disappointed in knowing his father decided grief over chance… Goodbye, Spike." Faye slid into her zip craft seat.

Spike stepped back as the wind whipped around as she flew away... My right eye sees tomorrow... Spike had finally made up his mind… It wasn't the last they'd be seeing of each other. See You Space Cowboy…