The Loveless Business

By Ginny ([email protected])

Pre-Bebop, post Spike and Julia's syndicate days. What happens when Faye finds herself caught in the middle of the Red Dragon Syndicate, working side by side with Vicious?

Recommending Music - "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You" from Evita (Preferably the Broadway version, since it's faster then the movie one, but whatever works for you.) A midi of it can be downloaded from this URL…www.eden.rutgers.edu/~ginnys/music/ibsgfy.mid (Yes, this is the song that is danced to towards the end of the chapter)

Notes - There aren't very many fics featuring Vicious and Faye, and many of the ones out there are out of character. In this story I'm trying to capture them both as accurately as possible, yet at the same time show how they would work together, which the TV series (understandably) couldn't capture. I would appreciate ANY feedback, especially on how I am handling the two. Don't be afraid to criticize, just be polite! If interest is shown, I'll be posting the rest.

Warning - This story is currently rated PG-13, for language and mild sexual innuendos. In future chapters, it will probably be up'd to a R (adult) for sexual content


Chapter 1 - A Dance With the Devil

There is no one

No one at all

Never has been

And never will be a lover

Male or female

Who hasn't an eye on

In fact may rely on

Trick they can try on their partners

They're hoping their lover

Will help them, or keep them

Support them, promote them

Don't blame them, you're the same



~ From Evita



Faye Valentine sat on her barstool, uncomfortably twisting from side to side every once in awhile. The bartender brought her the usual drink, a green apple (half vodka, half apple syrup). It was only two in the after noon, and she was already sitting at the bar, staring at her drink, and contemplating her fate. In times like this, people would usually say to count your blessings. And Faye was counting them, alright. She had her health, she had her wits, she had her beauty. But what good did that do her if she had no way to utilize them? No matter what she did, her tremendous debt for a medical procedure she hadn't even asked for wasn't going away. If it had been up to her, she just would have let herself die. It wasn't a matter of her being so miserable that she couldn't bare the thought of living one more second, or anything dramatic like that. It was just more logical, more practical...and who wanted to be alone in a time that isn't your own anyway?



The glass was raised to her lips, and she took a long hard drink. The bounty hunting business was not exactly what she would call fruitful. If things didn't start to look up soon, she would have to go back to escorting men...and that was not something she liked. The few instances she had done it hadn't been so horrible. Beauty did have its advantages, and she had been treated well, in comfortable, luxurious places, and well paid to boot. But the entire situation she found not only degrading and distasteful, but boring as well. While she was a spectacular actress, and her performances never lacked passion, she never actually felt any. None of those men were exciting enough, none of the stakes were high enough. No, she didn't want to do that again.



The door to the bar opened, and a dark haired man in an equally as dark coat stepped inside. Faye hardly noticed, and continued to sip at her drink. However, the man quite obviously noticed her. He sat at a small table near the entrance, going between staring at her, and wiping the sweat off his brow with a handkerchief. After a few minutes of this, he finally approached her.



"Miss...I have a proposition for you." Only now did Faye take any notice of the odd figure. The man was hardly a man at all, a boy perhaps in his early twenties. His hair was slicked back, and he was impeccably dressed in a suit, gold tassel across the chest. The mark of the syndicate. Faye lifted an eyebrow and took another sip of her drink. She would be wary of this one.



"Yes....?" After clearing his throat, he continued, twisting and clutching his handkerchief nervously. His voice held hints of power and prestige, though it was also obvious that he was like a puppy in a pack of wolves, new to it all.



"I have a very important dinner meeting to attend tonight. I am expected to bring a guest, and my prior arrangements went sour. You're very pretty, and I would like you to escort me...You'll be well paid for it, of course-"



"Just what kind of woman do you take me for exactly?" Faye spoke in a very harsh tone, her eyes burning with frustration. It was probably not wise to upset this boy...even if he was a nervous little bastard, he obviously had powerful friends. But this was exactly the kind of thing she had wanted to avoid. No more escorting...no more prostitution.



At the first sign of her anger, the boy's entire persona changed. The slick mafia look melted away, taken completely over by the look of a young, insecure boy. A virgin who had probably never seen a breast up close and personal since his nursing days.



"Look...It's nothing like that, okay? If I don't bring a woman, I'm not going to look good, and in the business I'm in, impressions are important. I'll pay you five grand for the night, plus an extra grand to doll yourself up with. I want you to look dazzling, to stand out. All you'll have to do is stay on my arm, eat dinner, and dance once or twice. That's not so bad, now is it? Some women would pay that much just to attend something like this!"



Yeah right, thought Faye. For anyone who wants to be wined, dined, and shot in the head. Dappling in the affairs of the mafia is a dangerous, life threatening thing. That was why he was so willing to shell out the cash. It may seem innocent to the completely oblivious bimbo, but to anyone who has even a hair of common sense, this would smell foul. For that's what the syndicates of this area reeked of - rotting blood. It would take someone extremely desperate to agree.



Lucky for this boy, he had found just what he needed.



"If there's nothing...funny...expected of me, I'll do it. But if your hands slip anywhere they

don't belong, you'll regret it.



"That's fine!" He stuffed the handkerchief back in his pocket, looking extremely relieved. "My name is Larry Minster, if you'll just come with me, we'll work out the financial and pick up details..."



~*~



At 8 that evening, Faye found herself in a limo, clad in a revealing burgundy dress. The silky seafoam colored jacket, orange shall, and emerald earrings all helped make her stand out like a chip off a diamond, much to Larry's pleasure. They were dropped at the entrance to a huge building, and the two strolled, Faye's arm on his. From the main corridor of the building, they were led into a marvelously decorated ball room. It was obvious to Faye that no expense had been spared on this one. Including on the women. No wonder Larry had been worried about not being accompanied, it seemed that all the men had beautiful women on their arms.

But something wasn't right. Larry looked as if he were about to choke, every few minutes his hand going to his tie in an attempt to loosen it. This situation, which had left a funny taste in Faye's mouth to begin with, was starting to turn sour. It wasn't much of a surprise to Faye, when two men approached her startled companion before they could even sit down. They did not look as if they were there to enjoy the dinner.



"Where'd you find the woman, Larry?"



"I didn't find her, I just-" Before he could reply, the man back handed him across the face. Powerfully, one of the large rings he was wearing digging into the flesh. Blood slowly slid down Larry's face, but before a drop of it could even hit the floor, he was led away by the pair, leaving Faye alone in the crowd.



Fear was starting to set in. Just what were they going to do with her now? She was getting glances from all around the room. If people wanted to stare at her, she may as well play the role. Strolling over to a side table, she picked up a glass of wine, and began to sip at it, as if this were the most normal thing in the world for her. Sure, she spent every night of her life at fancy balls held by mobsters! But at least she wasn't sticking out like a sore thumb. Acting as if she belonged did earn her less stares, however, inside she only grew more anxious by the minute. She nearly jumped when someone touched her shoulder.



"No one took your coat or shall...please, allow me." Two hands carefully pulled back the material of the coat and slid it off her shoulders. Faye spun around to see a man with silver hair and an almost sinister smirk holding the jacket and wrap. Her eyes widened for a moment, one look at him told her that this man was obviously not someone you wanted to piss off.



"Thanks. My date wasn't exactly...considerate."

"No, indeed he was not." the man continued. "Come with me." Still carrying her things, he began to walk back into the corridor where she had come in, and then opened the door to a stairwell. Not having much of a choice, Faye followed him.



"Damn heels!" These shoes were not made for stair climbing, that was for sure. She hurried on after him with one shoe in each hand, walking up the seven flights right behind him. When they finally stopped, she found herself on the roof, looking out across the entire neighborhood. He leaned back against the partial wall that surrounded the roof, keeping people way from the edge.



"Not too winded?"



"....No. Though don't get me wrong, walking up all those stairs in heels and a gown is not exactly what I call fun." The man's expression didn't change. His hands probed through her things until from the foam green material, he pulled a gun.



Fuck… thought Faye. She smiled at him as best she could.



"...You have to understand why I need that. An innocent lady such as myself can't always rely on her man to protect her..."



"Your man? So you are...shall we say intimately associated with that boy?" He gave her a look that made her think twice before weaving any lies. And for once in Faye's life, the truth actually looked more attractive.



"...No. Look...he paid me to come with him. Didn't want anything else, just for me to look good on his arm at this...party." The coat and shall were thrown aside, and with one hand still holding the gun, he stepped towards her, eyes fixed fiercely on her own.



"How much did the child offer you...? Four hundred...five hundred...?" Faye made a face of disgust.



"Are you kidding? Five thousand, plus expenses. You think I'd put myself in this kind of place if I wasn't going to profit?" The man snickered.



"He had always been a fool, that boy. Using the syndicate for his image and nothing else. He brought us nothing but shit." Another step forward, drawing closer to her. "...I run a tight business, Miss...."



"Valentine. Faye Valentine"



"Miss Valentine...Hmph. Five thousand. He must have been desperate. I'm not even sure you'd be worth five thousand if he got to fuck you..."



Anger swept through Faye's veins. Nobody spoke to her like that, not even a mafia boss. She took a step towards him, just a few breaths away from his body.

"...I assure you...I'm worth quite a lot more then that." And the words were spoken with honestly...because they were true. Her price was about as high as her debt. The man seemed amused by her words.



"So you have a high opinion of yourself, now do you? But can you live up to that? ....I must assure you, Miss Valentine, that in this line of work, egos are often what get you killed. Look at your little friend Larry."



"...I only take on a line of work if I'm going to profit from it. Like I said...I'm worth a lot."



"...Exactly how much is that...?" A sum was whispered into his ear, and the man stepped back, crossing his arms with a very serious look on his face. He watched her, considering her...before finally pocketing her gun, and walked back towards the stairs. "Come on." And Faye took off her shoes again, walking back down the seven flights of stairs in silence.



"Take a minute, use the restroom if you want, and when you come out....Be ready to dance." He said when they reached the bottom. And with that, the man walked back towards the main ball room.



It didn't take long for Faye to make herself look presentable in from of the mirror in the restroom lounge. Presentable and ready to face the music were two different things, however. Faye had no idea what that silver haired demon had in mind, but she was sure she wouldn't let it get the best of her. She would show him that she was worth her weight in gold...if not more. Head held high, she elegantly made her way back into the lion's den. The room seemed to have thinned out some, and the dance floor was empty. Soon she felt a cool hand press itself into her own, and the silver haired one lead her onto the dance floor.



"Miss Valentine...depending on how well you dance...I'm willing to strike you a bargain."



"Oh really now? ...What kind of bargain...?"



"In exchange for your loyalty and assistance to furthering my little...enterprise...your debt will disappear. And you'll be able to accumulate wealth, instead of scrounging from job to job, barely getting by." He put his hand on her side, just as the music began to play. The song was fast paced, and between that and what she had just heard, Faye damn nearly staggered.



"You're serious, aren't you?" Her eyes probed into his own, her feet moving hastily, not wanting to miss a beat.



"I'm serious. Of course…I want to know that you're not just another dumb broad, a disposable woman who's only use is….getting in the line of fire." He grinned evilly, his hips pressing to her own, moving on with the music. Faye, not to be underplayed, pressed her body to his, and moved as graceful and elegantly as a lioness on the hunt. But something was not right. One arm snaked around his waist, the other extended in an almost tango style, taking the quick steps forward. As she did, a small, tiny blade wized by her head, slicing one of her purple hairs.

"What the hell?!" She wanted to run, but his grip around her was tight.



"Show me what you can do, Miss Valentine." Just then, one of the blades scraped against her hand. It wasn't going to be a fatal wound, but it was enough to piss her off. Taking some what of a lead in this dance from hell, she spun around to the music, getting a good look at the people surrounding them. She could see at least three men, poised and ready to strike at any note.

Panic was ready to sweep over her, but she wouldn't let it. This was her chance. She could be free of her miserable debt. Taking a deep breath, she let her instincts control her feet, moving to the right…left…right…back…up… The music played on, and the pair danced powerfully, staring at each other passionately, like two hungry animals, waiting for the kill. With each deliberate move, the razor sharp blades just missed their targets. When her partner tried to spin her out, she hastily spun herself back against him, barely missing a sworm of knives. The music finally came to an end, and Faye was trembling, staring at the silver haired man with contempt.



"What the hell was that?!" Her hands dropped from his form to her side almost instantly, clenching her fists tight. Much to her surprise, he reached out and grabbed one of her clenched fists, quite gently, making her hand loosen. He brought it to his lips, kissing it right where the cut from the blade had been. He dropped her hand, lips smeered with her blood, which was soon licked off. Faye shivered and took a step back.



"That was to see if you are worth our time or not, Ms. Valentine." His arms crossed over his chest, watching her as a cat would watch a mouse.



"…And…?"



"You pass…for now." Snapping his fingers, he motioned for two of the guards to come over. "Show Miss Valentine to her new quarters…I'll deal with her later." The guards started walking towards her, and the silver haired man turned his back.



"Wait!" Faye yelled, as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. "…What's your name? …I mean…if I'm going to be working for you, I think I have a right to know!



"Vicious." He said simply, before walking away.