His skin looked only slightly inflamed now. All of his pale body had been flushed to a dark pink due to his self-destructing act the day before yesterday, but he was recovering well. He woke up to a slightly cold room, lying in sweat-soaked sheets. As he watched the fan's arms make their circular revolutions, he asked himself why he did something so stupid.

Sometimes you just lose control, like something is taking you over and you can't even think. I guess that's what happened to me. And here I am, lying in my bed, being waited on by her like a vegetable. Embarrassing, but it's good in a way, I suppose. At least I get to see her every five minutes.

Wait a minute...where's that little boyfriend of hers?

Just then, Faye came in and placed a cool, soft hand on his forehead. He moaned.

He's still got a temperature...but I don't understand it. He's been in bed for almost two days now, and he's eaten everything in sight, not to mention I've given him so much water, his eyes should be swimming in their sockets.

She got up and got his medicine, a syrupy, bitter solution that was supposed to help him recover. He made a face as she came near with a thimble full of the green liquid held out.

"Oh, come on," she said with authority, "you have to take it. Do you want to be stuck in bed all day?"

Spike sighed and eyed her suspiciously.

"You know, I've been through worse than a fever. I'll be fine."

"Spike, TAKE it!"

"No!"

Faye tried to force his mouth open with one hand and pour in the medicine with the other, but he pressed his lips together hard. She let out an irritated "URGH!" before putting the thimble down and taking out her gun.

"Open it. NOW." She applied more pressure at his lips, and finally, he relaxed reluctantly. Her finger tips slipped in and briefly touched his tongue. It all happened in a split second, before she could stop, but she shrugged it off, turning red, and gave him the medicine before hurriedly exiting the room.

Spike looked after her as she walked out, noting that she was extremely tense. Her fingers had been salty...the aftertaste had overpowered the horrible-tasting medicine.

Or maybe that part of his brain wasn't focusing on that.

He turned over in bed, wincing at his sore muscles, and stared at his sheets. The corner of something was sticking out from between the edge of the mattress and the wall. Curious, he pulled at it.

Why does this thing seem to be evil?

She was beautiful. More beautiful than anything his dead eyes had ever grazed. She far surpassed a snowy night, or autumn leaves, or tropical flowers, or gems. They all bowed to her, the queen of beauty.

But she's beautiful in more ways than one. She's beautiful on different levels. You have to look for it sometimes, or be on the alert because it shows it's face, then disappears all in a second, as if she's afraid to show it.

I wonder...did she ever really hear me? I mean, I know she heard me...but....did she really know me, see me, hear the words I said? I told her. I told her what I could never bring myself to say to Julia.

I told her that I loved her.

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

We couldn't say them

So now we just pray them

Words that we couldn't say

Funny, ain't it? Games people play

Scratch it, paint it, one in the same

We couldn't find them

So we tried to hide them

Words that we couldn't say...

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

Spike shoved the picture under his mattress as he got up to stretch.

But she...couldn't say them back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I can't believe that I let that happen. Geez, it was....almost like that time when he got injured...and he licked my finger. That's when that whole things started.

She sat cross-legged on her chair, playing solitaire. For several minutes, she played the game, looking at each card. She had just picked up the ace of spades when Spike came in.

"Can I play?"

"Sorry, it's solitaire."

He shrugged, then walked forward, out of the shadow, and sat on the edge of her bed. She continued playing, tryiing to concentrate, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire time.

"What do you want?"

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

It hurts, don't it? Fools on parade

Taint it, own it, chase it away

We couldn't make them

So we had to break them

Words that we couldn't say

Sometimes baby we make mistakes

Dark and hazy prices we pay

I sit here on my shelf just talking to myself

Words that we couldn't say....

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

"I just wanted to play."

"Bull."

He grinned. Still the same woman.

"Really, what do you want?" she asked, this time staring right at him.

"I...I just wanted to know if you heard me when I told you."

Her forehead creased in confusion, but then relaxed when she figured out what he was talking about.

"I did. I heard you."

She smiled at him, then got up off the bed and headed for the doorway.

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

Someday maybe we'll make it right

Until that day, long endless nights

We couldn't say them

So now we just pray them

Words that we couldn't say

We couldn't say them

So now we just pray them

Words that we couldn't say....

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

"Spike?"

"Hm?"

"I know what it's like. I went through it too. All you have to do is wait a little, and it will come."

She winked at him, then disappeared.
He rasied an eyebrow and stood up in a hurry.

"Faye? Faye! What do you mean? Can you explain that? Hey, wait up!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~two weeks later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Okay, last chance. You have nothing but your boxers left. And, if by some miracle you manage to beat me-"

"Shut up."

"-then I'll tell you exactly what I meant. Okay, here we go..."

She dealt the cards.

"What do you have?"

Spike turned over his cards.

"A five and a seven. Hit me."

Faye reached over and grabbed the first card off the deck, then handed it to him. He snatched it away, then looked at it, and a huge grin spread across his face.

She gave him a suspicious look. He's probably just bluffing.

"What'd you get?"

He laid his card face-up on the table. "Ha! An eight! Beat that."

Faye smiled as she turned her cards over.

"A ten and an ace. Blackjack's a great game, don't you think?"

Spike grumbled and stood up, looking hesitantingly down at his boxers.

"Do I have to?"

Faye just laughed.

"No, I think I'll go easy on you. Plus, I'm sure I'll see you naked sooner or later..."

She pranced out of the room with her arms full of Spike's possessions, giving him a sly wink as she left. He just stood there, shocked. After a few more seconds of stunned silence, he chuckled to himself and picked up a cigarette she'd dropped.

She has all my stuff. Maybe I'll just go to her room tonight and surprise her. I don't have any bed covers anymore, so....maybe I'll check to see if her prophecy proves correct.

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

Someday maybe we'll make it right

Until that day, long endless nights

We couldn't say them

So now we just pray them

Words that we couldn't say....

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

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

A/N: Okay, sucky last chapter, but I tried. ^_^ Plus, I was sorta working on the sequel and was a little distracted at the time. Thanks for all your reviews, I'm incredibly glad (and relieved) to say that this story is now FINISHED! ^___^ Please review one last time!