Too Many Secrets

The control deck was dark as Jet and Faye looked out over the desert surface of Mars. The ship was still nonfunctional after the syndicate attack, and Jet had yet to start the repairs. Faye suspected that he was delaying, waiting for Spike to return, although they both knew better.

She could feel Jet's eyes upon her as he spoke, and she hated that he was feeling sorry for her, but she could not bring herself to snap at him. It wouldn't change anything, Spike would still be gone. As the thought ran through her mind, she could feel the tears welling up as her throat threatened to close even more than it already was.

Damnit Spike!

She wondered absently where Ed was. She really hoped that she had found her father; then at least one of them would be happy.

You should find where you belong, Edward. Belonging is the very best thing.

Why did she tell her that? She wanted Edward here with them, not somewhere on earth looking for her father. Hell, she even missed the damned dog.

The rustling of paper brought her back to the present and she glanced up to see Jet trying to read the small print on the spec sheet for the parts. He needs to get some glasses to read that, she thought. She knew that there were specs for old people on the market, maybe those could work for Jet, even though he wasn't really that old. Jet would never admit that he couldn't see the words; he would get Spike to read the stuff, pretending to be laying the parts out and that two heads were better than one …

Spike had said that one day someone would come after him. He probably wouldn't have remembered saying anything – it was after his nearly fatal fall from the cathedral window. He had been thrashing in his sleep and was mumbling nonsense, but that part she had heard as clear as day. At the time she had dismissed it, but later, months later, when she recalled the look on his face when he had walked into the cathedral - absolutely calm and cold - she knew that there was more to him than the happy-go-lucky idiot that she loved to hate.

"What was that?" Jet asked her.

Faye paused. She hadn't realized that she had spoken aloud. "He said something strange when he left."

"What?" Jet looked at her in surprise.

"He told me that somebody was after him. He said . . ." She swallowed. She wasn't used to talking so candidly to Jet, but this time … "He said someone had to die and that they'd come for him if he didn't go. That's what he said."

"That idiot," Jet grumbled. "Sounds just like that self-righteous lunkhead."

"Why didn't he ask for our help?" Faye asked softly. "He didn't have to go it alone."

Jet sighed. "Faye, I guess we'll never know for sure." He gazed at her intently. "Would you really have gone if he had asked?"

Yes.

But this time Faye could only look at him, not able to speak aloud. She couldn't - it hurt too much. She silently turned away from him to continue staring out at the stars.