Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Leave Me Now ❯ Cold Showers and Dangerous Bounties ( Chapter 1 )

Ooh, look how I'm going all multi-anime! I should've known this would happen as soon as I started drifting from my first few fics and decided to move to a different show…and then another different one…yeah, I bet I'm really interesting right now. NOT! Okay, so here's the deal: This story is intended to have happened a while after session 26. Now, for those of you who thought that Spike died: Shame on you! How could you doubt the ever-immortal hero? Okay…yeah, so I kinda thought he kicked it too. But we're going to say that as he has done so many times before, Spike lived up to his role as lead in the anime and proved impossible to kill. So let's get this show on the road!

Disclaimer: Don't own them, but if I did, I probably wouldn't let Spike wear a shirt. Ever.

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Don't Leave Me Now

Part 1

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Some day I will find, a love that flows
Through me like this
This will fall away, this will fall away

You're getting closer, to pushing me
Off of life's little edge
Cause I'm a loser and sooner or later
You know I'll be dead
You're getting closer, you're holding the
Rope and I'm taking the fall
Cause I'm a loser, I'm a loser.

-3 Doors Down Loser

What am I doing here? Faye Valentine heaved a sigh as she looked inside the refrigerator for something that looked edible. At least it wasn't empty. That was something. But it was debatable as to whether having no food or a fridge full of Jet's failed culinary attempts was preferable. "What the hell is this?" Faye spoke to no one in particular as she lifted a container full of something green and slushy looking.

"Let Ed look! Ed will find out!" from seemingly nowhere, the over exuberant redhead popped up next to Faye, hopping up and down before easily taking the container from Faye and running off with Ein hot on her heels, excitedly blabbering about some new device.

"I guess I wasn't that hungry anyway." Faye sighed, wondering again why she stayed here on this ship with this group of…well, freaks. I'm such a loser. She concluded before heading to the bathroom, deciding to try her luck with the oft-broken shower. Opening the door, Faye yelped in shock as a flood of steam didn't quite manage to blind her to the sight of a man toweling dry.

"Dammit, Faye!" he turned, covering himself almost casually. "Are you gonna leave the door open all day or were you planning on joining me?"

"Fuck you, Spike!" she shouted back, slamming the door shut, glad that he couldn't see how red her face was through the closed door.

"Wasn't that your plan?" he mocked her.

"You know, you could learn to lock the door!" she yelled.

"I could, but then we'd never have these precious moments, would we?" Spike shot back sarcastically.

"I hate you." She growled.

"Yeah, well next time, try knocking." Spike pushed the door open, shoving her aside. "You're not the only person on this ship, you know."

"I think I can do just fine without your lectures today, oh supreme master of proper bathroom etiquette." Faye replied in a snide tone, glaring at him before going into the bathroom.

"Whatever." He snorted incredulously as she shut the door, rolling her eyes. Spike Speigel. What the hell did I ever do to you? She wondered, looking around at the mess he'd left for her. Discarded clothing, a few dripping wet towels, and of course some nice puddles covered the floor. "Disgusting man." Faye wrinkled her nose. Nothing would ever get done without me on this damn hunk of junk. She sighed, distastefully shoving all the towels and clothing in a corner with her shoe. There, all clean. She nodded before stripping down and setting her clothes carefully on the counter so that they wouldn't get soiled. Smiling softly in anticipation of a hot shower, Faye stepped into tub, turning the water on full blast.

"Agh! What the! Holy mother of! Cold cold cold! Dammit!" Faye squealed as the icy water pelted her unsuspecting body. Just what I needed. Great. Faye shivered, knowing she really had no choice but to stand in the water until her body was so numb that the freezing jets started to feel warm. Shivering violently, Faye pursed her lips in determination and reached for the soap. She rolled her eyes as her search was rewarded with a tiny, overused cake of white. Sighing wearily, she used the last of the bar, wondering which gods she must have angered to deserve this. So angry that she didn't really feel the cold water anymore, Faye snatched up the bottle of shampoo and discovered that it was empty. Shouting several choice words, Faye threw the bottle so hard that it bounced back and almost hit her. Typical. This is my life, and it's just not going to get any better, is it?

Faye slammed off the water, growling curses under her breath as she shook from the cold, pulling on her robe and stomping out into the main room, where Spike was lounging on the couch, looking very unconcerned with the rest of the world. Storming over to him, Faye stood over the seemingly oblivious man, shaking with rage and with the cold from her shower. After a few moments, Spike blinked at her as though she had suddenly appeared. "Look a little cold there, Faye. Maybe you should think about getting dressed." He smirked at her.

"Maybe you should think of leaving hot water for the other people on the ship!" she yelled at him. "And maybe some shampoo! And some soap!"

"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention all that." Spike didn't look concerned about this in the least. "Hey, do me a favor and tell Jet after you get dressed?"

"You…you…argh!" Faye threw up her hands. "You know, I've come to expect that you leave a ridiculous mess when you use the bathroom, but I guess I was wrong to assume that you had the least bit of concern for your shipmates!"

"I show plenty of concern." Spike grinned at her. "But it's just so much fun to get you all pissed off."

"Dammit, Spike! Did I wrong you in some past life or something? What the hell gives you the right to be such an unbelievable prick to me?" Faye stomped at him, enraged with his unruffled demeanor. He was enjoying this.

"Hey, I don't need justification here. Look at all the shit you put me through!" Spike shot back. "You've got to be the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met."

"All the shit I put you through? Like you don't cause me any amount of irritation?" Faye snarled. "Spike, you are such a child!"

"I am not!" he stood up, using his height in an attempt to make her back off. It had never worked before, and it wouldn't work now. "If one of us is a child, it's you! You'd be fucked if you didn't have us to take care of you!"

"You know what, I've been alive a hell of a lot longer than you, and I did just fine without you and your bullshit before!" Faye jutted her chin out at him angrily. "I don't need you!"

"Prove it!" he challenged.

"Fine! I will!" Faye whirled around and stomped off to her room to get dressed. She would go get a bounty all by herself. That would shut that insufferable man up.

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"Where's Faye-Faye?" Ed asked when they were all sitting down to dinner. Ironically enough, the main course was the same mysterious green substance that the girl had spent all afternoon analyzing.

"Huh? Well, she was here earlier today. I'm sure she'll be back soon enough." Jet shrugged.

"Probably off getting herself in trouble." Spike shoveled the slop into his mouth, ignoring the bitter taste of it. "That's all she knows how to do."

"What's your problem?" Jet asked casually. "Worried?"

"Feh! Yeah right!" Spike snorted, continuing to eat quickly.

"Spike-person and Faye-Faye had a fight." Ed explained solemnly. "So it's his fault if she gets hurt."

"I doubt that." Jet shook his head. "They fight about five times a day. Worse than little kids, those two."

"Hey! I'm still here you know!" Spike protested. "You shouldn't talk about someone like they aren't there like that."

"I don't think I'll take advice from someone who still flirts like a teenager." Jet answered calmly, finishing off his dinner.

"Teenager!" Ed squealed energetically, not really paying attention, but playing with the dog.

"Wait a second! What are you going on about now? I don't flirt with anyone like a teenager!" Spike stood up, pounding the table.

"Sure, whatever you say." Jet rolled his eyes and stood, stretching. "I'm going to go take care of my bonsai, so you two be good."

"Be good!" Ed repeated, saluting Jet before dumping the rest of her dinner in Ein's dish.

"What? Wait! You didn't tell me what you meant yet!" Spike started after the older man, who turned and shook his head, giving Spike a long-suffering look.

"I mean you and Faye. The way you two bicker for no reason other than to get a rise out of each other. It's ridiculous." Jet explained, then turned and left.

"Ridiculous!" Ed repeated helpfully.

"Ed! You aren't helping!" Spike threw up his hands. "You're full of it, Jet! I wouldn't flirt with that damn woman if I wanted to!" he called after the man who was no longer paying attention to him. Turning, he looked at Ed, who was standing on her head and sticking out her tongue at him. Typical Ed. Throwing up his hands again, Spike went to mope in his bedroom.

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Three days. Faye had disappeared three days ago, and they hadn't seen her since then. "Who cares?" Spike mumbled as he rolled over in bed, for some reason unable to sleep. "I don't care if she went and got herself killed." Spike grumbled, almost as though he was trying to convince himself of the truth behind his words. That damn woman was nothing but trouble anyway.

Getting up out of bed, Spike trudged aimlessly through the ship, still wearing only his training pants. Soon enough, he found himself in the ship hold, and realized that he was wondering if Faye was back yet. "It's not like I care or anything." He spoke aloud. "I was just bored." He justified quietly, deciding to look the Swordfish over. He knew that there was nothing wrong with it, but it was a distraction.

Just then, there was a loud whoosh of air followed by the clanging of a clumsy landing. Spike looked up to see the Redtail pulling in. Nothing looked wrong with the ship, but even in the dim moonlight, he could see when the hatch opened that something was wrong with it's pilot. "Faye!" the exclamation left his lips unbidden as she stumbled out of her ship, falling in a heap. "Damn woman, nothing but trouble." He cursed, hurrying over to the heap and lowering himself, trying to get an idea of the damage she'd done to herself this time. "Going off alone. What an idiot…"

"I'm back." Faye mumbled, blinking at him slowly as he scooped her up, careful of her wounds. "I got 'im."

"Looks like." Spike shook his head and headed back inside the Bebop. What the hell would she do if I wasn't here? Damn. Spike sighed in exasperation as he took her to her room, laying her on her bed before going for the medical supplies. "You still awake?" he asked roughly, sitting down in a chair and opening the medical kit.

"Sure." She replied, sounding a bit giddy. "What's that for?"

"You're hurt, idiot." Spike rolled his eyes, glancing over her blood spotted clothing. Moving forward, he pulled off her jacket, eliciting a small noise of protest from Faye, who was obviously a bit delirious from blood loss. "Nothing but trouble." He repeated under his breath as he examined the rough dressing she had placed over what was obviously a stab wound in her side. "What the hell is this? A damn dish towel? Don't you even know how to dress a wound?"

"Didn't have much else, ya know." She giggled suddenly. "Shouldn't of let 'im stab me."

"Got that right." Spike rolled his eyes, pulling away the dressing gingerly and noting the sluggish blood flow before pressing the towel back against the hole in her side and making an irritated noise. He grabbed her hands and pressed them to the towel. "Hold onto that, got it?"

"Right-o Captain Jack!" Faye giggled again as Spike left the room. He went to the bathroom and got a wet rag and a large dish from the kitchen to clean the wound, but when he returned, she'd dropped the towel and was bleeding all over her bedspread. Her eyes were closed and her face was very pale.

"Dammit, Faye." He growled, reaching over to her throat to feel for the pulse. It was still there, and she was still breathing, so it couldn't be that bad. Shaking his head in disgust, he began to wipe around the wound carefully cleaning the skin. "Oh well, good thing you're asleep, this is gonna hurt like hell." Spike spoke to the unconscious woman as he pulled a needle and fishing wire out of the kit. With practiced ease, he began to stitch the wound shut, knotting and cutting each stitch before moving to the next.

"Stop it." She mumbled faintly in her sleep, "Hurts."

"Told ya so." He shook his head, continuing his work all the while until the wound was held closed with the wire. Reaching back into the kit, Spike pulled out a thick pad and a roll of gauze, binding her waist firmly to hold the pad in place and help stop the bleeding. Looking her over, Spike noticed that the stab wound seemed to be her only problem, so he shrugged his shoulders and closed up the kit, getting ready to go.

"Thanks." Faye's voice met him as he was shutting off the light. Who knew if she was aware of what was going on?

"Whatever." Spike shrugged again and left, closing the door behind him. "Damn woman."

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The End (Of Part 1, That Is)