Life is but a Dream (Spike Spiegel x Reader)

Always Something There to Remind Me

Jo sat out in the dead bar, twirling her last drink for the night.

This wasn't for courage or to soften the blow of the news. Yeah, she did loved the kid at one point. But sometimes you have to learn the consequences of your actions. Not only was it for the syndicate, but for herself. Leaving the system still alive was most frowned upon. The correct way to go out was death, honorable or not.

She still didn't understand why she had to go.

She had everything here. She thought of (Y/n) as her own daughter. Teaching her the things she wished she was taught. Jo had never seen any patience or care in herself until she met the girl. Living her life in the fast lane, expanding her branches out to where she needed to plant herself. She built herself up, nurtured her business. One by one, her crew grew bigger.

Her cover as a bounty hunter came to a head, with a sought after criminal that was prowling in Yun. She needed something to eat before she did anything else. Someone told her a restaurant called "Lou's Diner" had a good breakfast. Looking inside through the windows, she hissed. Never mind about having a break when this amount of bozos were in town.

Then she saw that little kid outside the diner, her eyes closed. She could see that ache on the girl's face, the gaunt cheeks and tired eyes. Jo saw much of herself in the kid. It was almost like looking into the past. So she repeated a little tactic she tried on herself those many years before, when she looked the same.

Just observe. Take it all in. The possibilities of life were endless.

She swallowed, taking another sip to drink the memory down. That little girl was gone, and so was all care and love for (Y/n). Her abandonment was not forgivable in any means. It served as a lesson to all, to her own syndicate and others alike. Crossing their path had its consequences. Those may test their assumptions, but at a cost. Even if it was to pay with their life.

She heard the front door that was under constant watch swing open. Her second in command walked in, with their head down.

"Doll, is it done?" Jo raised her eyebrow. Her worries were so close to being gone, a thorn out of her side.

She looked up at Jo, and backed down. "Something happened."

Jo immediately stood up, her body temperature rising in degrees. She shook her head, disappointed and furious, all waving together in a storm of emotions. Despite how she was feeling, Jo just smiled, her eyes blank. The poor girl just watched and shut her eyes, only imagining what was going to happen next.

"What did she do?"

-

The last few days, you have been giving it some thought. Laying awake next to Spike, you began to ponder the possible outcomes after the most recent events. No matter what you did, you kept telling Spike you were sorry. He would kiss you or squeeze your hand lovingly.

Although you knew that you were forgiven, you still felt off. The guilt still eventually took you over, and you started to let your mind wander, which wasn't all too good.

"Can I ask what all led up to you...storming the Red Dragon syndicate?" You asked one day as you and Spike sat on the deck. You both had been talking about it on and off at that point, and it just culminated in this question.

"I lost people who were very important to me. From what I understand, they put out an order that anyone that left or attempted to leave the syndicate was to be put to death. It was new management, of course." He gave out a soft scoff. "Overall, my friends lost their lives. Someone that I lived for died in my arms. I honestly thought that was going to be it."