Kites Without Strings - Part Two: Days Are Just Like...

[Gundam Girl]

Thanks to any and all who reviewed the first installment of this fic. I really love Spike/Julia, and I?m glad you all do too! Please enjoy part two.

Warnings: For this chapter, language, sexual innuendo, and upcoming violence. And I was wrong. . .this will have MORE than two parts. So much for trying to keep it short. There?s just so much to be written for Spike and Julia, isn?t there?

Note: Chapter title is from ?Rain? by Yoko Kanno.

Dedication: To the ML girls and the LJ buddies who showed interest in this fic. In fact, this is for all you Spike/Julia fans! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Disclaimer: Don?t own Spike, Julia, Vicious, Lin, Annie or any other charas from the show I might use.

-- Kites Without Strings -- Part Two: Days Are Just Like Moments Turned To Hours

By Gundam Girl

It rained in Tharsis City the next morning. Spike could only think the artificial weather program was cooperating with his current mood; dreary, gray, and sullen. Hell, with a nearby factory pouring smog out from various pipes, Mars must?ve needed a smoke as much as he did.

There was always something he didn?t like about waking up to a rainy morning. Maybe it was that everyone seemed pissed off, or that the women covered more skin to resist the cold. For whatever reason, he felt lethargic and disagreeable.

He hoped no one would come by and ask to borrow a spatula or something along those lines. He didn?t really wanna go off on them.

As he pulled on khakis and a green sweater to wear beneath his syndicate trench coat, he wondered absently at why everybody on Mars carried black umbrellas. It was like attending a funeral, the kind where everyone wore black to show grievance but didn?t really give a damn about the person keeled over. It was just another attribute of the uncaring, unfeeling Red Planet.

?Spike, it?s late,? Anastasia called when he first walked into her shop. ?Past eleven.?

?All the more reason for you to sell me a beer,? Spike replied with a grin, pulling one from a freezer on the back wall. ?Annie, my beauty, how are you this morning??

?Besides the usual punks comin? in here trying to steal donuts and my magazines?? Annie queried with a raised eyebrow. ?I?m fine. You look like hell, Spike. Why??

?It?s a Monday, Annie.?

?It?s a Wednesday, my boy, and you look totally wrecked. Hung over?? She held the bottle of beer instead of running it over a scanner. ??Cause you might wanna get some aspirin instead of this.?

Spike shrugged and tossed a packet of cheap cigarettes onto the counter as well. ?I drank last night, but I?m not hung over. That doesn?t stop me from feeling like shit.?

?A flu,? Annie suggested, ringing up the items. ?Take some orange juice, on my tab. Mao would hate it ? and me ? if you came down with somethin?.?

Spike grinned and leaned over the counter to kiss her cheek. ?You?re an angel, Annie, and I love you. But I?m not sick. And I don?t need your orange juice.?

?How was Vicious?s girl?s birthday party?? she asked. ?Good cake? He never asks me to bake for him anymore.?

?Didn?t try it. I won?t eat any desserts that you don?t make, Annie. And I?ll look into Spike?s bakery choice. I?ll try to change his mind.? Spike lifted a hand, poking a cigarette into his mouth and searching his coat for a lighter. ?If you need help with the kids coming in, give me a call. I?m good with little shoplifters.?

?Take it easy, Spike, or I?ll never sell you another cigarette as long as I live!?

?And may you live long and prosperously!? Spike exclaimed as he walked out, the bell on the door dinging in his wake.

Annie sighed. She?d raised the boy herself, with Mao. And exactly like his father, Nate Spiegel, Spike was a stick of dynamite waiting to explode. The boy could never stay in the same place for long.

She turned to the rosary hanging on the cash register and said a quick prayer for Spike. She had barely uttered an Amen when she turned to a group of teenage boys no more than fourteen and started to shout.

?Hey, you kids! Get outta here now, or I?ll turn you over and hang you from my roof by your toenails!?

***

It would be a long day at work. Or the place he liked to call work. He wasn?t the only guy there that sat around, trying to look busy, and wishing they were somewhere else. He?d rather be out flying the Swordfish any day. Or kissing a woman. Or doing more than just kissing.

Spike smirked as Lin walked back, catching his eye and pulling at the tie beneath his trench coat, impressively mimicking a hanging. Lin grinned back and continued walking toward a large office that everyone knew Vicious was in.

It was when Lin shut the office door that Spike noticed the briefcase he held. Lin and the other people around here usually did not carry briefcases. There were so many hidden pockets in the uniform trench coats that no one required one.

Interested, Spike considered tapping into the conversation behind the door; he did carry a stethoscope that would easily allow him access to what was said. And the secretary stationed nearby was a woman that could be easily charmed, by either money or a date.

Money, he decided, scanning her rather meaty figure, would be a less painful sacrifice. He reserved nights on the town for women a little ? er ? less large. ?Winnie!? he called out, rising from the chair and pulling a slightly wrinkled fifty-woolong note from his pocket.

?Mr. Speigel,? Winnifred Anderson, alert eyes snapping to his.

?Ah, there begins the loyal employee,? Spike started; flattery would be beneficial as well. ?They really should pay you more, Winnie. Such an upright business manner is hard to come across these days. Who heads the Red Dragon finances anyway? Oh, nevermind,? he said carelessly, letting a shrug shift his shoulders.

Winnie blushed. Spike was eight years her junior, but that still entitled her to a certain appreciativeness for the attractive younger man. ?Was there something you needed, Mr. Spiegel??

?Spike, please, Winnie. And yes, actually.? With much ceremony, Spike held up the note and waved it lightly about. ?I need you to avert your eyes from Vicious?s office for just a moment. Can you be a dear and do that for me??

Winnie?s eyes left Spike and moved to the note; woolongs were always more alluring than any man, even Spike Speigel. Her gaze darted about the room, as though searching for possible witnesses who would rat her out; yet Spike knew for a fact that there was no one on the entire floor but himself, Winnie, Vicious, and Lin.

Her fingers moved quickly and snatched up the tiny slip of paper.

?I?m sure there?s something else that requires my attention,? she informed him with a shrug.

Spike didn?t resist one of the grins he was famous for, the one that always seemed to say ?I win.? ?You are a busy woman.?

?And you are a nosy man. Go on and leave me alone, Mr. Spiegel.? Before he changed his mind, Winnie thought greedily.

??Afternoon, Ms. Anderson.? Spike smiled and sidled over to Vicious?s securely shut door. His hand had just dipped into his trench coat for his stethoscope, when the door opened wide and Vicious and Lin stepped out.

Vicious hard black eyes saw the gleam of metal just barely uncovered between Spike?s fingers. ?Spike,? he warned, more exasperated than irritated. A small glint of amusement hung in his eye.

Spike, realizing he was in no real danger, laughed lightly and replaced the stethoscope. ?A few seconds too late,? he muttered. ?Caught me.?

Vicious shook his head. ?What?d you hear??

?Nothing, unfortunately.? Spike kicked at the impeccable white tile beneath him.

Lin shrugged. ?Better for you.?

Spike raised an eyebrow. ?Is it??

Before either of Spike?s fellow Dragons could reply, Julia, sinfully immaculate in black leggings and a black leather jacket, came out of the office. ?I?ll be running off?? she began, but stopped when she saw Spike. ?Oh.?

Spike smirked at her. ?Hey.?

Julia blinked at him for a moment, then turned to Vicious. Spike pretending that nothing in his chest had twisted.

?I?ll be heading out,? she continued to Vicious, who turned his head to give her a single nod. ?I?ll be home after five, just in case you??

?I?ll stop by,? Vicious assured her. ?I?ll bring dinner.?

Julia gave him a small, barely-perceptible smile. ?I?ll see you then.? She started to walk away.

?Hang on,? Vicious called to her, and instantly Julia halted in mid-stride. ?Spike will go with you.?

?I will?? Spike asked.

?He will?? Julia echoed.

Vicious let loose a little grin himself. ?It?s a dim Mars day. You?ll need an escort. Spike, you haven?t talked to Mao today, have you??

Spike tilted his head a bit, pondering the situation he seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper into. His stomach felt like a block of ice. ?No, but I??

?Nevermind then. I?ll take care of it for you.? Vicious set a hand on his long-time friend?s shoulder. ?We?ll exchange favors today. I watch your back, and you watch Julia?s.?

?I watch your back,? Spike countered. ?Not anyone else?s.? He didn?t see Julia?s insulted expression behind him.

?Looking out for her is the same as looking out for me,? Vicious assured her.

?Really, Vicious. I grew up on Ganymede behind a casino,? Julia began. ?There?s no need??

?Ganymede and Mars are different,? Vicious cut in. ?Very different. Now enough arguing. I think a little shopping will be good for you, Spike.?

?Thanks,? Spike muttered.

?Send any bills to me,? Vicious told them. ?No charge at all, got it??

Julia sighed slightly, nodded, and headed for the elevator.

Spike, on the other hand, stepped in closer to Vicious?s ear. ?What happens if I wanna get her drunk?? he joked in an undertone. ?Will you pay for the wine, too??

?Get outta here.? Vicious gave him a small shove. ?If that happens, the only thing I?ll pay for is the bullet that I?ll send through your head!?

Spike laughed out loud as he joined Julia in the elevator.

***

Actually, the ?shopping? Julia did was not in the clothes arenas most women looked at items in. Spike and the woman spent most of the afternoon in back-alley stores with shady lighting and even shadier dealers.

?Why the hell would he send you to a place like that?? Spike asked once they came outside and Julia possessed a gun with the power to destroy half a skyscraper.

?Vicious didn?t send me here; he merely recommended it,? Julia told him, reaching into a long compartment in her coat. ?I needed a weapon.?

?Semi-mass destruction??

?Whatever works,? she nodded. She put up a small umbrella.

Red, Spike noticed with a smirk. Hadn?t he just thought this morning that everyone on Mars carried black? Well. That just made Julia a little different then, didn?t it?

?So you?re from Ganymede,? he commented once they had sat down at a small coffee shop on the way to Julia?s apartment. ?Behind a casino.?

At his words, Julia?s eyes narrowed to slits. The expression wasn?t quite a glare, but not quite a wince either. ?I?ll have to be more careful. I didn?t intend to give away so much information about myself.?

?You are among friends,? Spike assured her, leaning back in the booth that sat in, long arms spread on the top of the rubber seat. ?What was it like growing up there? I?ve been there, but??

?If you?ve been there,? Julia interrupted, ?then you should be able to guess.? There was a slight chill to her voice.

?I was there on business,? Spike replied smoothly, taking out a cigarette and lighting up. ?And I went in the casinos, not behind them.?

Julia?s chin rose, almost defensively. ?You have no right to pry into the subject.?

?I don?t pry, I caress.? Spike winked pointedly at her. ?I like to caress.?

Julia looked away from them to half-smile at the waiter who brought her caf? au Lait and Spike shot of bourbon. She spoke briefly to him about sending the bill to Vicious?s tab, and then she turned back to the Spiegel.

?You and Vicious are good friends?? she asked bluntly.

Spike shrugged, shooting his bourbon. ?I like to think we are most of the time.?

?And the rest of the time??

He shot her his lopsided grin. ?It?s never pretty the rest of the time. But when we?re not trying to kill each other, and we?re. . .? He lowered his voice. ?When we?re killing who we?re supposed to kill, we help each other.?

?You can?t always consider an accomplice in murder a friend,? Julia pointed out, the lowness in her tone giving it a husky purr. She leaned over the table toward him.

Spike leaned in too. ?He helped me hide the first guy I made into a corpse, Julia. If that?s not a friend, I don?t really know what is.?

Julia smiled. ?Maybe you?re right.?

Their noses were almost touching. Spike?s eyes, amber from the artificial sunset, glowed with a touch of desire. ?Maybe I am,? he whispered. He nearly, too nearly, moved in.

Julia abruptly drew back. Draining her beverage, she stood up. ?We should go. It?s nearly four.?

Spike nodded, holding in a sigh, and stood as well. ?Yep. Gotta have you home when Vicious comes by with dinner.?

Julia?s smile, which had wavered, now most certainly disappeared.

?Dinner,? she murmured. ?Right.?

Spike followed her from the coffee shop, an eyebrow raised in question. Julia?s smile returned, but this time it looked forced.

She looked forced.

***

The apartment Julia lived in was mediocre for Mars. It wasn?t the best, but it wasn?t the worst. And Spike had known both.

It was brick, with a partly-crumbled stoop leading to the inside stairway. It was only a couple blocks away from the red-light district, and he had no doubt that there were awful moments when insecurity threatened to engulf her. He could see it in her eyes. This location was not the best when dealing with the endless stress the Red Dragon could put on a person.

The sun was going down as she climbed the stoop. Spike followed. She paused to turn and give him a raised eyebrow. He shrugged.

?I should stay until I see you safely in,? he told her, a smile that said ?I?m trying to be helpful? on his face. ?Vicious would kill me if I walked away and someone shot you on your way in.?

?Vicious might be upstairs,? Julia told him, as though they could get caught doing something they weren?t.

Spike grinned. ?Is that supposed to complicate matters? Surely, my walking you home can?t be too strenuous for our mental selves.? He offered her an arm and a wink. ?I?m a syndicate gentleman. I won?t try anything.?

Julia shook her head. ?You don?t get it, do you??

Spike blinked; didn?t get what, exactly? ?The only thing I don?t get is how walking up a set of stairs is going to set us up for a possibly dangerous situation.?

Julia gave him a baleful expression. ?Two sets of stairs.?

?My mistake,? he replied with a secret smile. ?Next time, I?ll remember you live on the third floor. Just in case I need to get in there. To save you from a fire or something.?

Julia looked like she just might smile again, but she only rolled her eyes and more or less took his arm ? if grabbing his elbow and tugging him inside counted. ?You?re definitely trouble, Spike Speigel.?

Because the stairwell was dimly lit, Spike didn?t bother to hide a more serious smile, one that was nearly wistful. ?I?m sure I could say the same about you.?

?I?m sure you could,? she answered without looking at him. And so she missed his frown.

?Damn shame you live here,? Spike said conversationally once they reached her door ? 302, he thought with a quick dart of his eyes, and stored the number away. ?I know the Dragons can hook you up with one of the suites for the privileged members. And as Vicious?s close friend, you?re certainly privileged.? He wasn?t smiling at all now, and his garnet eyes were dark.

Julia didn?t smile either as she unlocked the door and stepped inside, flipping on the lights as she slipped out of her black leather jacket, revealing the black tank top she wore underneath it and her long, well-toned arms.

There was a white bandage wrapped around the space just below her right shoulder.

?What happened?? Spike asked quickly, leaning on the doorframe. He didn?t imagine she?d been in any early-member scuffle for the syndicate ? he?d have heard about it off the bat. Hell, he probably would?ve been there.

Julia met his eyes, then glanced at the bandage and hurriedly pressed her hand to the wrap. ?Oh ? nothing. A small injury.?

?Cut??

?Yeah. A little bruised. Things got, um. . .? She turned her back to him and made a show of arranging the flowers in a vase by the window. He noticed the rose he had given her the night before was in it with some carnations. ?A little aggressive. But it will heal quickly.?

?I see,? Spike murmured. He checked his watch. Five-ten on the dot; and there was a sound of boots hitting the steel stairs.

Vicious appeared in his black-encased glory moments later. A thin smile, as though it was painted on, spread his lips. True to his earlier promise, he carried bags filled with some kind of take-out. ?Spike,? he nodded to his friend, and Spike nodded back. ?I thank you for going with Julia. Remind me to buy you a drink sometime.?

?I hear that,? Spike replied with a grin. He turned his head, and his eyes met Julia?s again. ?With a pay like that, I could take her out anytime.?

Julia didn?t smile at him. But she wanted to, she realized with some surprise. She really wanted to smile. At him. For him.

Vicious looked pleased, if one knew him well enough to be able to tell. ?Excellent,? he muttered, clapping his partner?s shoulders. ?I?ll remember that. There?s an upcoming event that I?ll probably need your help with.?

?Oh?? Spike asked without voicing the question while Julia?s head twisted over to look at her boyfriend.

?We?ll see,? was Vicious?s only answer. ?Well,? he said, less cryptically, ?we?re going to eat. Care to join us, Spike??

?No thanks,? Spike replied, instantly turning down the invitation and pushing his hands into his pocket. He suddenly wanted another cigarette. ?I might grab a bite with Annie. Mao left for Jupiter today, so she?ll be alone for dinner tonight, so. . .?

Vicious nodded. ?You?re good to her, Spike.?

?She?s been good to me.? Spike caught Julia?s eye, and she seemed relieved about something. Probably because he was leaving. He *really* wanted a cigarette. ?Well. G?night all.?

??Night, Spike,? Julia called softly and watched him walk out. When he was gone, Vicious shut the door ? and locked it.

?What do you say to some pre-dinner entertainment?? he suggested with cold eyes.

***

Spike kicked a small clump of red dirt on his way home. Mao had gone to Jupiter today, but Annie had made plans to eat dinner with Shin and Lin at a restaurant their uncle owned. There was really nothing more he wanted to do than crawl into bed with a beer and a remote control. There had to be some action movie with a lot of blood on tonight.

Because he suddenly wanted to take part in a sting ? a night sting.

If it was night, there would be no sun to shine on Julia?s hair and make it seem like molten gold.

*********************************************************************

GG: Whoo-hoo! Sexual tension! Merry Christmas. Please review!

[Rose of Betrayal]

This is definitely getting good... Can't wait for the nxt one!!

[Gundam Girl]

Thanks, RoB! I was a little concerned when no one responded to this fic for a long time. I was afraid no one liked it. I'm so happy you did! Thanks bunches!