Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Stew ❯ Second Chances...In Different Directions ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I do not own the two songs I used in this chapter, they belong to Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey. BTW, I suggest that my readers download some of the songs I use in order to get a better feel for the story, as well as actually hearing the characters' voices and seeing what's happening rather than just reading (I forget to do that sometimes....-.-)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Fa ye frowned slightly, looking at the little device in her hand suspiciously.

If I call, that means....I've given up. It's been a month, but CAN I? Can I leave him behind?

She shook her head sadly, then stood up and went to her room, shutting the door behind her.

She sat on the bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror on the wall.

It would be good for me....

She sighed, then, with resolution, looked down into her shirt and dialed the number.

"Hello? Jordan?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~

He scrambled to over to the radio.

"....J-Julia....I'm here. It's me."

Silence.

"It's been a while."

"Yes, it has."

"A lot has happened."
"I don't doubt it."

More silence. He was careful to breathe quietly so he wouldn't miss a word. Finally, she spoke.

"I...I know you're probably busy with something, but...I mean, I was just coming to Mars and I saw your ship....do you....maybe.....want to you know, get some coffee or something?"

"Coffee? Sure....that...that sounds good. Where?"

"Meet me at the graveyard."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~

He came within a few hours, all the way from Uranus.

Thank God for portals, Faye thought with relief when she saw him.

Jordan stopped short when he saw her. She had been pale before, but now her skin was almost blindingly white. She'd lost weight....a lot of it, and looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Faye? What HAPPENED?"

He rushed forward to hug her gently, noting how she struggled to move.

"I....I haven't been feeling well. What's been up with you?" she smiled weakly, trying hard to dig deep into her reserve of feminine charms. Jordan would have none of it, though.

"Faye....you have to tell me." His blue eyes held so much emotion, so much worry, so much...care.

She had no idea how to react.

We don't even know each other's favorite colors. And he....CARES? Highly unlikely...

As if reading her mind, he said softly, "It's called compassion."

"Oh, is that it?" she laughed. She met his eyes and stopped, dropping her act, and for once let someone see the true vulnerable side of her. Now, more than ever, she needed someone. Anyone.

"It's Spike."

Jordan frowned. I knew it....what the hell did he do to her?

He carefully led her back to her room and sat down with her on her bed.

"Faye, I'm sorry....but if he was stupid enough to hurt someone like you, he isn't worth it anyway."

She just sat there, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. Her turned her head to face him as he wiped them away.

She's so beautiful, even now, when her heart is broken. Why are all the truly breath-taking treasures so unreachable? I can't believe....I was so lucky....many people never get to see one, but I have. Here she is, in front of me, a precious gem whose worth is unfathomable.....right here under my nose. But she'll never be mine.

He leaned his forehead against hers and rocked her back and forth gently, rubbing her back as she poured desperate tears from saline wells that had been drained long ago.

@]----'----,----

She was like nothing I'd ever known

Her eyes shined like diamonds in a field of snow

The man that destiny led her to meet

Made her feel that life was now complete

Now some days have passed, and nights gone by

You can see the glow slowly fading from her eyes

Though she denies her pain and her dismay

Know I said this to her anyway

Don't have to stay with someone that makes you cry

You'll end up killing all the love you have inside

Can't hope to see the sun if you don't open your eyes

Girl, don't let real love pass you by....

@]----'----,----

"It's going to be alright....you'll be okay....I know it doesn't mean much to you, but....I care. I'll be there for you whenever you need me, okay? Just call me."

Faye cried even harder.

Great, now I have a second chance at finding love, but the first hurt so much....and it's so soon. It's there, though, who knows what will happen if I don't take this chance now? Maybe I'll never be in love again....

Jordan kissed her forehead and hugged her close. She was crying silently now, but he could almost feel her pain - she emitted it so powerfully to every corner of the room.

@]----'----,----

I know you're nervous but take it from me

'Cause you deserve so much more than you receive

Listen to your heart and let it show

Don't hold on to your pain, just let it go....

Let it go

Don't have to stay with someone that makes you cry

You'll end up killing all the love you have inside

Can't hope to see the sun if you don't open your eyes

Girl, don't let real love pass you by

You can find a love you need

If you set your heart free

Don't stay with no one who's gonna make you cry

Don't be discouraged, baby

Don't let real love pass you by....

@]----'----,----

Faye looked up weakly, her eyes rimmed with red. "Thank you," she whispered, before kissing him gently, then falling asleep in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike waited patiently at the cemetery. It was a gloomy day, a little warm, very humid. Rainy. Foggy.

How ironic. The only difference is that this time, I don't have a rose.

Within ten minutes, her black car pulled up and she stepped out. He took a deep breath when he saw her.

Gorgeous, as usual.

Her suit had been tossed out for a leather one that was even tighter. Her hair had grown a little longer, and was a little more wavy. It billowed softly in the breeze. She put her sunglasses on top of her head and shot him a small smile.

"Let's go."

He hopped in without hesitating. When they got to the little coffee shop she had picked out, Spike coolly opened the door for her. After they had sat down and ordered, she finally initiated the conversation.

"You've changed."

He stopped in the middle of lighting a cigarette.

"It's the haircut, isn't it?"

"No, I mean YOU. You've changed."

"Three years is a long time, you know."

"I know. But it's in your eyes. The way you walk. Something's changed."

The man behind the counter slid them their lattes along with some complementary chocolate biscuits.

Spike took a sip of his drink. He weighed the consequences of what he was about to say, and decided it had to be said. He looked over at the woman he had loved for so long, and wondered how she managed to remain so untouchably gorgeous.

ANYWAY....

"Julia."

She looked at him with those dark blue eyes that bore into him so deeply.

"I....for a while not too long ago, I started....I had found another woman."

Those sapphire pools widened and very slowly started to fill.

"I think I was starting to fall for her, but I....left before I could. I had had a dream about you one night and it had shaken me. I didn't know what to do - so I left."

He stirred his coffee with one of the biscuits, then ate the soggy brown mass in one gulp.

"I realized....that I still had feelings for you, as much as I didn't want to. But I have to say that....that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for promising all those things I promised that I wasn't able to deliver. It was....stupid of me. I assumed everything would work out, and of course, it didn't."

Julia composed herself as she stared at him. He had always been so wonderful to her, so protective - he didn't have to apologize for anything. She could feel any chance she had of getting him back strengthening now that he was here with her. She planned on taking anything she could get.

@]----'----,----

You look in my eyes, and I get emotional inside

I know it's crazy, but you still can touch my heart

And after all this time, you'd think that I wouldn't feel the same

But time melts into nothing, and nothing's changed

I still believe someday you and me

Will find ourselves in love again

I had a dream someday you and me

Will find ourselves in love again

Each day of my life, I'm filled with all the joy I can find

You know that I, I'm not the desperate type

If there's one spark of hope left in my grasp, I hold it with both hands

It's worth the risk of burning to have a second chance

@]----'----,----

"Spike....you know that I still love you. I'm sure you can feel it. We've always had that connection, haven't we? Maybe....we can make things right. I need it, and I know you need it too. We're soul mates, Spike. We can hear each other's thoughts, see each other's dreams -"

"We USED to."

".....we used to."

@]----'----,----

No

No, no, no, no, no...

I need you baby

I still believe that we can be together

No, no

No....

@]----'----,----

A little boy stopped as his dog marked a bush and looked into the long glass window at a couple sitting together at a table, having coffee.

The woman said something and put her hand on the man's shoulder as she stood up. He hesitated, then nodded his head and followed her out of the coffee shop.

@]----'----,----

If we believe that true love

Never has to end

Then we must know that we will love again...

@]----'----,----

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Uh-oh. O.O;;; *gets ready to be attacked by the readers* AHHHH! I know, I'm driving some of you crazy, but trust me, it's for the better! ^_^ I am trying to write more frequently now, hopefully I can successfully finish this story without making most of you become uninterested. O.o That happens alot, you know. Anyway, please review, that's what keeps me going! ^_~