Artificial Smile

By, Opium's Rose

AN: Sappy/Humor.. Your average fic? Ya.. Cowboy Bebop.. first fic! In a million years *rolls eyes* I haven't written in ages.. SO I'M A BIT RUSTY!!!!! *cough* My wrist is hurting already! ;_; JK! I got self esteem.. I think? I WILL SURVIVE!!

!! CHARACTER BASHING!

This story has no plot..

Prologue.

Spike laid down on his hammock enjoying the breezy warm weather off of the Bahamas. "Earth... I guess I was wrong.. it's pretty peaceful " and sniffed in the tropical scent. He hid from the Bebop crew after the final battle with Vicious, which was at least five years ago. He didn't want a grumpy whore-like lady around. A computer geek, or maybe she didn't return from her father? And Jet .. the father of all of them. Surrounding his breathing room, he was a self centered bastard. All over again..

But on the contrast he lost his lover, Julia, she went away. He found himself another girl. Marilyn. The beautiful Marilyn Delocaud. The actress of the year.. fell for Spike's seductive figure, while Spike fell for her money.

He groaned and fell into deep slumber.

-

"I'm so hungry.."

Faye stared at the ceiling of the Bebop. The enamel was starting to peel in tiny shreds. 5 years seemed so long ago..

Her stomach's growls getting fiercer at the moment.

"A bounty is nearby.." Jet said from the Bonsai room. As hunger pains went through his own body.

Ed then bounced in with a box of chocolate candy bars. Her body was maturing, and her speech was a bit better, but her mind was the same.

"I've got candy for everyone!!" she said chirping, but deep inside guilt and stolen was written all over it.

Faye quickly ran and ate five at a time.

"WAIT!!"

Faye stopped and looked up at Jet with chocolate all over her mouth.

Jet grabbed at least six bars and walked out.
"Bon Appetite!" he hollered back as he went to the Bonsai room again.

Faye went back and ate the rest. Leaving Ed to eat only one.

"!!! NOO!!" Ed wailed.

"You snooze you lose. Well in this case, You be nice to others, you lose." Faye said all snotty.

Ed then got a comeback, "Well chocolate ruins your complexion with PIMPLES."

Gasp was the following remark. Faye raced to the nearest mirror.

"Hey guys we got a bounty on some fool on Earth." Jet yelled.

"YAYYY!!" Ed chirped. Faye shrugged and smirked, her home planet.

…Spike's secret hideout.

-

"Spike sir, would you like some more tea?" a thick Jamaican accented man answered.

Spike nodded. Marilyn wrapped herself around Spike, he welcomed it warmly and kissed her nose.

"Sweetie, do you like our new home? Is it big enough? For our coming children?" a playful twinkle came into her eye. Spike laughed softly. Yet deep inside he hated it. Like he said way back then, he hated three things, dogs, kids, and women. And kids and women came in the same thought.

But, Ein came into Spike's mind. The poor dog probably listening to what he, himself, had gone through. The bickering, the computer typing, fierce hunger for money and food. Oh and you can't forget the battles, blood shed, the fucked up past.

Now it doesn't matter anymore. It's the past, remember? Pasts are supposedly to be forgotten, right? Though, I wonder how they're doing. Spike thought, heh I'm getting soft again.

"Spike? Spike..? SPIKE?" Marilyn was getting impatient.

Marilyn Delocaud, could be the doll in the movies and media. Sweet, naïve, cute. Helping all the charities available. Deep inside she despised them all. Pouring out the agony on Spike. "I hate those stupid kid charities, stupid single mom, idiotic homeless!"

Spike actually felt pity for those people. He actually fit into the stupid kid, and homeless label. In his goddamn past. It was a sick cycle carousel. The past was haunting him in words.

"I'm sorry Marilyn I didn't sleep well last night." Spike lied. He fucking slept like a rock. It was the stupid brain drilling thoughts.

-

Faye walked into the alleys to find quick paying work on Earth.

"Excuse me, sir? 1000 woolongs an hour?"

The man grunted, "No money, I don't need no prostitute right now."

"Fine, asshole! We don't need people like you in this universe!" Faye spat and walked away.

Faye then found a well dressed man, "Hm.. Easy play.."

"Excuse me sir?" Faye put on her seductive face.

He turned around. "Yes?" a deep cold voice answered.

"1000 woolongs an hour?" Faye asked.

He nodded and pointed to the mansion, and walked.

Faye silently did a cheer and followed.

When the mystery man closed the door, he took off his hat.

"Oh my god.. Vicious." Faye mumbled and backed away.

"Why are you so afraid Faye?" He didn't look mean. He seemed upset and surprised.

"You're Vicious. How wouldn't I be afraid? Didn't Spike kill you?"

"My vicious side died long ago. My name is William Con Degrade. I'm not that bad anymore. All my bounty heads have been deleted. I've been reborn as a good man." Vicious, William spoke.

"And you still wanna fuck me Vicious?" Faye asked. Vicious snorted, "Grow up Faye. Just wanted you to come inside and have some coffee, or tea."

"…Well ok. Isn't this place a bit.. dull? Nobody lives here." Faye looked at the 12 stories, all empty.

"Yes, I wanna find some people to live in here…"

-

flashback.

"Why are we all still alive?" Spike asked.

The 13 year old sickly looking girl, Hope, gave him his answer.

"Because I don't want to see people die young."

Julia, Vicious, Gren, and Spike all stood there, curious.

Hope continued, "I saw your story in the news. It made stardom. I felt a need to bring you back. I, myself, will die in 2 years. I have a rare disease. Which will only last me till I am 15. So I thought I could change a couple of lives, before I died in vain. And I really wanted to meet you…" she trailed off with thick coughs. She quickly covered them with her handkerchief and to capture the blood.

Vicious stood icily, leaning against the wall. He stood quiet.

"Plotting evil can leave holes in your brain." Gren said jokingly. He silently grunted. Julia lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled.

"Hey Hope, you think you could drop me off at Venus?"

"Sure, Julia."

Spike opened his mouth to speak but Julia stopped him. "No Spike, I want to live by myself. Find my own hubby. Away from war. Be in peace. Same goes to you Vicious."

".. Why?" Spike seemed upset. After so long ago. She rejected him.

"Because I need time to recuperate from this. Forget the past.."

Gren spoke to the crowd, "Me, I'm returning to my old lifestyle. As sax player at the bar in Jupiter, hopefully they haven't replaced me."

"I'd prefer to be dead." Vicious said eerily.

"Well it's not to late."

Spike fumbled for a gun in his coat pocket. Hope sighed, " I took all weapons.. away."

"Damnit why?" Spike whined. "I don't wanna clean up after you." She replied angry.

"Geez, I revived you. Can't you two live in peace. Like Julia?! For shit's sake I'm like your goddamn savior. You all had a need to live." Hope muttered angrily. As she began feeling light headed.

-

And so forth..

Hope Eloise Crawford with a doctor's degree at the age of 13, died on a winter morning of 7:40. Of being the age of 15.

All four attended. That was the last time they saw each other.

Grencia left for Jupiter which he returned to his saxophone playing. Living a normal life, not addicted to his hermaphroditic drug. He eventually became a real man. Many women falling for him, but he waited for the right one.

Julia left for Venus. Opened a fashion design store, selling beautiful clothing. She became rich, ending up in a skyscraper building, business owner of Fallen Rose clothing.

Vicious, well, he stuck around, nomadic lifestyle. Until he was fed up with himself and resided in Earth. He, then got a good job as a computer FBI agent. Hacking skills were Vicious' now main strong point.

As for Spike. Well you know what happened to him.

Maybe Hope was right, she possibly was the savior. But there are mysteries to unveil. What? Why? Who?

How? How did she find the bodies? Artificial matter? They seemed real. Or are they?

What's the real story? That's what we're going figure out.