It only took an hour and a half. Leaning against the wall of her sleeping quarters, Faye watched her mobile phone light up and vibrate, inching across the floor with every ring. She flashed it to her ear.

'Need me already?' she inquired dryly, the taunt in her voice hiding the real anticipation behind her words.

'I found them,' came Spike's static voice. 'Same place they were last time, the idiots.'

Faye smirked.

'Docks of Shuto City…' she mused, trying to recall in her memory when she had been there last. 'Give me fifteen.'

The phone snapped shut with a ring of finality and Faye got to her feet, feeling her heart rate increase with every step.

'You leaving already?' Jet asked from the cockpit.

He had flown them to hover above the atmosphere of Callisto – just out of reach of possible domestic enemy fire, the way Jet preferred his precious ship to be.

'Yep,' she said smartly, climbing the steps. 'Swing us around facing due south, I want a direct take-off.'

Faye strapped herself into the Red Tail; her most faithful companion, the Glock 30, was ready by the side of the seat. She pushed the accelerator lever down hard, feeling the thrill of the whole ship rev louder and louder until it seemed close to breaking point, before she released the brake and shot out of the hold into open space.

The Red Tail zoomed through the atmosphere into Callisto airspace, flying closer and closer, lower and lower to the sprawled lights of the capital. Her eyes scanned the web of orange streets for the edge of black water – there, pin-pricked with the glow of ships, was the bay.

'Easy enough,' she muttered, slowing the jet and spiralling down to land smoothly on the surface of the water by the dimly lit boardwalk.

Little waves slapped the side of the bay wall as the ship door opened upwards and Faye stepped out, leaping down onto dry land, her heels clicking on the concrete. She paused, listening for any sound of movement or gunfire that would divulge Spike's location, but it was unnecessary as she heard footsteps approaching from the shadows.

She pointed her gun at the source of the noise but Spike's voice issued from under the eaves of the warehouse backdrop.

'Don't point that at me, come on,' he said hurriedly, and Faye strode after him along the boardwalk.

'Well, this is romantic, an evening bayside stroll,' she murmured.

'I just want this to be over with,' muttered Spike darkly. 'They're not making Red-Eye, just pushing locally.'

'Still in the same warehouse?'

'Mhm.'

'Idiots…'

'They know I'm here,' Spike admitted. 'I went in and downed maybe four, but I needed backup.'

'So what's the plan, storm in again and just shoot them all down?'

'Basically,' shrugged Spike. 'But they're in the alley – or will be in a couple of minutes.'

'A back-alley shoot-out,' nodded Faye appreciatively. 'Just like the old days.'

'Here.'

They turned down a side street, walking in time with one another, quietly down the deserted road; then left behind the warehouses, apartment complexes looming behind them.

Spike held out his arm to stop Faye walking, and she couldn't help but blush at his touch on her waist. Come on, Faye, focus, don't be distracted.

There was a narrow laneway that ran between two warehouses. It was completely empty save for a dumpster and a skinny grey cat that slinked around a concealed doorway and out of sight.

'The entrance to the warehouse is on the other side,' Spike said lowly.

'How many?' Faye loaded her Glock.

'Three at front, more inside. Stay here.'

Spike strode forward with such purpose, so much determination and control that Faye felt almost dazed with awe and also some hint of resentment. Why can't he have that air in relation to me? she thought sulkily; but she cocked her weapon all the same and stepped back into the shadow of the warehouse wall. Time to take out some of her frustration on a bunch of petty men. What fun.

Spike's tall figure dissolved into shadow as he mirrored her move at the other end of the laneway, but she saw his form flick around the corner and heard the resounding gunfire. Shots rang out through the alley and she ran forward as Spike retreated around the corner again. She was close enough now to see his brow furrowed with fortitude, his gun raised at his chest, but then two backup men appeared at the other end of the lane and she spun around to shoot at them. They both fell, one after the other, and she dived behind the dumpster as the sound of more gunfire came from the front of the lane.

From around the bin she could see Spike on the other side, hidden in the concealed doorway. He had his back to the wall, his Jericho at the ready.

The scuffing of footsteps told them that at least three men were still at the mouth of the laneway. Faye ducked around the dumpster at shot at them, but was forced back to no avail.

'Have the fucking drugs, man! We don't even want 'em!' croaked a voice from the alley.

'Shut up!' snarled another. 'Yes we want the fucking drugs, let's just kill these dogs and be done with it.'

From the corner of her eye she saw Spike beckon. She nodded minutely and sprang to her feet, poised to sprint, and she fired her gun repeatedly as she stepped out into the middle of the laneway.

BANG! Faye clenched her eyes shut as she felt the Glock whipped from her hands, leaving her empty grip stinging beside her. Shit, weaponless. She spun around frantically, narrowing her eyes at a stocky man who lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. In one succinct movement, Faye kicked up hard, swung her foot around until it collided with the side of the man's face, and he was floored with a grunt before he could even blink.

More bullets screamed close to her and she darted aside just in time to see an approaching dark-skinned man fall back into a heap, blood blossoming over his chest. Her eyes flicked over Spike's half-hidden figure, flat against the wall opposite, his smoking gun still pointed at the dead man.

Then, a cold, hard metal pressed into the base of her skull which told her not to move. She froze, goosebumps blooming up her back.

'Move an inch and I'll paint the concrete with your brains,' growled a menacing voice in her ear – the second man who had spoken before.

'Okay,' she hissed coldly, raising her hands in defence. 'You got me.'

'Come out of hiding or the girl gets it!' the man shouted to the empty alleyway. 'I know you're there. Backup's on the way so it's die now or later, buddy; let's get this over with quickly.'

Spike's cloaked figure slipped out of the doorway and into the alley, his gun pointed directly at the pair of them. His face was hidden by darkness but the weapon glinted in the lamplight overhead, and Faye's whole being was filled with certainty that there was no danger to fear. This small time mobster wouldn't kill her, Spike wouldn't allow it.

'Let her go, Kilian,' Spike commanded lowly, his stance carved into one of dominating power.

'Likely!' spat the man, and Faye cringed in disgust at the saliva that sprayed onto the side of her neck. 'She's dead if you don't lower your weapon.'

Then, Spike's stance seemed to waver. He appeared to lose face and his hold on the gun shook a little. The point dropped an inch and, simultaneously, the man, Kilian's, grip loosened. The side of Faye's mouth turned up. She understood.

Several things happened at once: Faye dived down towards the ground, ducking her head in a rapid motion, as Spike fired his gun three times. Kilian's hold slackened and disappeared as he fell back onto the concrete. The gunshots rang through the alley for a moment before dissolving into silence.

'Yeuch,' grimaced Faye, wiping the side of her neck clean.

'Here.' Spike picked up her gun from where it had landed next to the dumpster, strode over and handed it to her.

'Thanks, you know I –'

Faye cut her sentence short as the sound of a speeding car approached their ears from a distance away. It was getting louder.

'What was Kilian saying about backup?' said Spike pointedly, standing up straight and narrowing his eyes, listening hard.

The car was coming down the road alongside the docks. Spike took Faye by the forearm and led her around into the doorway he had been concealed behind before. Her back was pushed against the cool concrete wall by his hands that were pressed on the wall either side of her neck. Her heart-rate increased at their sudden impossible closeness and, nervously, she chanced a peek up at his face. Spike's lips were only a foot away, parted slightly as he breathed, and his eyes were hardened with concentration as he listened to the car growing louder and louder. His figure was one of full protection over her; he bent close to her, hiding her, yet he held his gun tightly and was completely ready should the car come speeding around the corner. She could smell the familiar scent of stale tobacco and whiskey emanating from the collar of his coat and she longed to indulge herself in it further. It was difficult to focus on the oncoming danger when her imagination was overpowering her consciousness. Spike's complete control of the situation, his faith in his abilities were so attractive to her that she physically wasn't able to feel threatened by the approaching thugs. In fact, she resented their approach for when they arrived, the pair of them would have to leave this shadowy, close-built doorway…

'These will be the last ones,' Spike murmured under his breath. 'We get these and we leave. I fire, you stay here until the others realise I'm on the offensive.'

'I know,' Faye hissed indignantly. 'You should know by now that I'm not a novice –'

Car tires screeched at the mouth of the alley and the engine cut. Doors clicked and slammed, agitated voices.

'They fuckin' killed him!'

'Shit, look at his head. Feral's there too, look.'

'They can't've gone far –'

'Where're the others? They should've come by now.'

'Maybe they got them, too…'

'We shouldn't've come. You idiot, we should've stayed back at the station!'

Three men, debating like monkeys with one another. Spike smirked and shifted his weight, ready to lean around the corner and shoot. But a second before he did, he looked down at Faye, looked right into her eyes with a silent promise of safety and then she did it. She didn't know why she did it because she didn't even think about it; it was as though it was a reaction, like pain to a burn or squinting to a bright light. But Faye closed her eyes and kissed him, pressed her lips against his inhumanly warm, supple ones and the present dissolved for a fraction of a second – or was it five minutes, or all of eternity?

But then he was gone. Gunshots rang through the alley once more and silence followed and still Faye hadn't moved. Her mind felt completely numb; what the hell had just happened?

But Spike was back in less than an instant, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into him and kissing her full on the mouth with all the burning passion of a man who has been waiting for too long. She kissed him back, locking her arms around his neck, and, together, they floated. All presumptions and even all of the past dissolved into pointless memory in that moment. Everything that was of any importance became now; it blossomed around them, the beauty of this instant of quiet confession, and the pair of them gave in to what had been confusion and repression only an hour ago.

When they parted, after what felt like a forever that passed too quickly, Spike's lips lingered an inch from hers and he spoke softly.

'Want to fly back with me?'

'No,' Faye replied. 'I want to stay here with you.'

He smirked slightly, with that perfect crooked smile that was so shatteringly familiar and now belonged to her.

'What are you implying?' he inquired.

'Give Jet a call, tell him we're occupied. I'll find a hotel.'

Spike smirked wider before ducking his head and kissing her just below her ear, and when he spoke his lips moved softly against her skin.

'Yes, ma'am.'