Third and final, I don't own Cowboy Bebop...that right goes to someone much more clever and smart than me - So don't sue...also, just so I don't have to repeat myself, this disclaimer applies to the whole fic (however long that ends up being depends on how much response I get.)
The Bebop
Jet Black groaned as he surveyed the crowd that was growing outside the door of his club, The Bebop. If the rest of the band didn't show up soon he was going to have a riot on his hands when he had to turn the people outside away.
Just then the back doors of the club opened and a purple haired woman slipped through.
"That crowd is crazy," she exclaimed, pointing back towards the doors she had just entered. Jet just scowled as he nodded.
"Spike's not here yet," he said simply, his deep voice serious, as if he was ever anything but serious. Jet was a former cop who had a deep love for jazz music. When an injury cost him an arm and his job at the ISSP, he had fallen back on his love for music and opened a small club on Mars. It was right on the waterfront and quickly became very popular with locals looking for a place to relax. In addition to tending bar at the club, Jet also played piano in the house band.
Faye Valentine, Jet's fellow band member, just rolled her eyes. Spike Spiegel, the third member of their trio, was always late. Just as Faye was about to shrug and suggest they give up for the night Spike strolled casually in through the front doors of the club, not sparing a glance for the throngs of people that were milling around the sidewalk behind him.
With a flick of his long fingers he sent his burned out cigarette spinning into the ash tray that sat on the end of the bar.
"Quit showing off and get back here," Faye ordered, waving him toward the back of the stage. His off colored brown eyes flickered up to where she was standing, hands on her hips as she waited impatiently.
A smirk appeared on his face. "Aww, Faye did you miss me?" he asked sarcastically as his long legs carried him slowly across the room to the stage.
She didn't reply, just shoved his trumpet case into his chest as she moved to the side of the stage where her cello was resting on its stand. "Jet's been waiting to open. You know those people outside get crazy if we're not playing when he opens the doors."
Spike just shrugged and opened his trumpet case. Putting it to his lips, he blew a few notes and nodded to Faye who started playing her cello along to his nameless rhythm. Jet adjusted the lights, giving the club a darker atmosphere to suit the swanky jazz music coming from the stage. With a nod to the playing duo, he opened the doors, allowing the bar's nightly flood of patrons in.
Jet remained behind the bar for about half an hour before requests for his playing got too numerous and he announced that the bar was temporarily closed while he played a few songs. As the balding man mounted the stage the music stopped for a moment as Spike switched from playing trumpet to saxophone. Jet took his seat behind the piano and they started playing for the eager crowd.
As they played, Spike noticed a blonde woman working her way through the tables toward the stage. She was wearing a long black trench coat and her blue eyes were staring unwaveringly at him as she almost effortlessly moved through the crowd sitting in front of the stage.
She seated herself at an empty table near the front and nursed her drink as she stared up at Spike. The band played song after song and the woman's gaze didn't waver off of the lanky, green-haired man. The interest didn't escape his notice and he winked at her as he played the ending notes of the last song in the set.
Jet had to quickly move off the stage and resume his bartending but Spike and Faye lingered for a moment, Spike was sealing his trumpet and sax back into their cases and Faye was quickly retuning her cello. As they finished up, she stretched and jumped down off the stage. Spike followed her off the stage, but instead of moving towards the bar as she was, he moved to the table where the blonde woman was still sitting by herself.
"Hey," he greeted her, tipping his head as he shook a cigarette out of a pack. He held it between his lips as he slipped the pack back into his coat pocket. He patted his other coat pocket, looking for his lighter but desisted as the blonde slid one across the table to him.
"Thanks," he said, lighting the cigarette and sliding it back to her. She nodded in acknowledgement and smiled a tiny little smile at him. Loosening his tie with one hand he extended the other across the table to shake.
"I'm Spike," he introduced himself. She took his hand for a moment before releasing it.
"I'm Julia," she said quietly.
"Ever been here before Julia?" he asked, taking a drag of his cigarette.
Faye Valentine scowled to herself as she sat on her barstool watching Spike chat up the blonde woman that had been staring at him all through the show. Taking a deep breath she spun the stool around to face the bar and Jet knowingly smiled as he put a beer in front of her.
"He making new friends?" he asked, tilting his chin towards Spike. Faye just glared at him and took a swig of her drink.
Jet knew perfectly well how the purple-haired beauty felt about the oblivious Spike; even if Faye was too stubborn to admit it out loud. It was obvious in the way she looked at him whenever she thought no one was watching. Her green eyes lost some of their attitude and Jet could just catch a glimpse of her feelings. The two spent a majority of their time arguing and fighting like cats and dogs but Jet could see that their main reason for doing it was because they both found it entertaining.
"It's not my problem if he wants to waste his time flirting with some…blonde," she spat, standing up from her stool and pointing to the back room of the bar. "I'm gonna go feed Ein," she said, using the dog as a handy excuse to get away from the crowded main room.
Jet nodded, hiding a smile as she turned away.
'Someday,' he thought, 'Spike's gonna figure her out and it's going to be hilarious.'
Spike was surprised when he noticed the time on Julia's watch. They had been talking for over three hours. Glancing around, he noticed that a large majority of the crowd had gone. If fact, the only people still remaining were three old men that came to the bar every night, and Jet, who was turning chairs upside down on tables in preparation to close.
"Is it really four o'clock already?" Spike asked. Julia looked surprised but nodded as she checked her watch herself. "Wow," he said, standing up and stretching his long arms up over his head. She stood up as well and yawned, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
"Will I ever see you again?" he asked, feeling drawn to her in a way that had never happened to him before.
She smiled her tiny little smile again and nodded before walking to the door without a word.
"Wait!" he called after her. She paused for a moment and looked back at him, her hand on the door. "When?" he asked. She didn't answer, just smiled and walked out into the night.
AN2: Yeah, theres another note - Sorry. I just had an urge to write this - unfortunately it came right when I was sitting down to write the next chapter of SC and working on wrapping up the next chapter of Ballroom...I ended up writing this instead but I'm gonna try and get the next chapter of Ballroom wrapped up tonight before I go to sleep...so look for that tomorrow...and the next chapter of SC might not be ready until next week unless I can find more time to write - I have to go out of town this weekend so there will be no writing time...It'll be soon though...I hope.
How much/if ever this thing gets updated will depend on how much response I get - This was just a plot bunny attack but I do have most of a tentative plot planned out so if you want me to continue, say so...if I should just stop now - tell me - I have no problem with that either.