Disclaimers: I am just a loyal fan; I do not own anything in the world of Cowboy Bebop. All CB characters belong to their original creators, and Sunrise, etc. All original fanfic characters, however, belong completely to me. "Bittersweet Rhapsody" takes place after the last episode of the series, and contains a number of spoilers, so read at your own risk if you haven't seen the ending!
Bittersweet Rhapsody
Part I
"Mars. Isn't this where you said you were born, Spike? Hmmm. I wonder what it was like here back then. From what I've seen of this planet today, you were probably happy as a boy, if it was the same. It looks like a beautiful planet to grow up on. Just like my home planet, Earth was when I was a little girl. Before the Gate accident and the asteroids wrecked it. I guess there's something we have in common. We both had happy enough childhoods, and our lives just... fell apart when we became adults." Faye Valentine thought sadly, staring at the intense red and gold sunset.
She shook her head, pulled a cigarette out from the pack in her red jacket, lit it and muttered, "Why do sunsets always make people think of pointless memories like this? Earth has been a big disaster area for years and years. Most people probably don't even remember it ever being anything else. There's no point in longing for or even thinking about a place that doesn't really exist anymore. And the Earth I knew doesn't. Besides, just because a person grew up somewhere that's pretty to look at, it doesn't necessarily mean they were happy there. Foolish thoughts. I seem to be having a lot of those lately." The wind picked up a little, blowing Faye's hair back and putting out her cigarette.
She dug out her lighter, re-lit the cigarette, and, before bringing it back to her lips, whispered, "This one's for you, Spike."
Standing by the Bebop a small distance away, Jet was watching Faye and unhappily thinking, "What is that woman doing? She's just been standing there, staring at the sun, for almost ten minutes now. If I want to get off this planet any time soon, I guess I'd better go tell her that I'm not going to wait around for her forever."
"Hey, what the hell is the big idea! It's bad enough you're takin' me to jail. How come I gotta wait around all day first? What kinda crap is this!" complained a gruff voice from inside the ship.
"Hold your horses. Believe me, I can't wait to turn you over to the authorities, get my money and never have to see your ugly face again. Gimme a minute to get my partner, and we'll be on our way." Jet replied.
"Hmmmphh. Never catch me waitin' around for no skirt, much less takin' orders from one. Must be a real pain. Heh heh. Hope she makes it up to ya at night. She sure looks like she must." the man inside the ship snickered.
"Whaatt! You think... Me and Faye! You shut your mouth, you lousy punk!" Jet yelled, taken aback by the crook's suggestion.
Stomping away, he grumbled, "That does it! The sooner we're done with this bounty head, the better! If Faye wants to stay here and stare at the sky, fine. But I'm leaving!"
Unbeknownst to either Jet or Faye, nearby, Edward was running as quickly as she could, shouting, "Come on, Ein! Ed sees it! Ed sees Bebop! Come on! We have to hurry, hurry, before they leave without us!" Ein gave a short bark in response, panting a little as he raced to keep up with Ed.
"Almost there!" Edward gasped happily, seeing the spaceship appear to grow larger and larger as she and Ein got closer to it.
"Yippee! Whoa! Aaahh! Oof! Yay! Ed did it! Whoo!" Ed cheered as she and her canine companion reached their destination. In celebration, Ed jumped on the Bebop, and, after slipping, sliding, and nearly falling off several times, finally managed to climb to the top. Once there, she immediately flopped down on her back. Ein barked excitedly, jumping up and down.
"Ohh, that's right. Ein can't climb up the way Edward did. But don't worry. I'll find a way for us to get in. Hmmm. Ed remembers a door up here somewhere. Ed will find it, then get inside and let you in through the main hatch." Ed said, climbing onto her hands and knees and beginning to feel around for a door. She hummed as she searched.
"Hey! Now what's goin' on? Who's up there!" demanded the crook locked inside.
"Huh? Ed doesn't recognize that voice. It's not Spike or Jet person. Hmmm. Faye-Faye, is that you? Are you sick?" Edward puzzled, knocking on the roof of the ship and pressing her right ear against it.
"Get lost, kid!" came the response. Ein growled at the unfamiliar, unfriendly voice.
"Oh. Not her either, I guess. Do you think they got someone new to replace Edward?" Ed suggested, sitting up and looking a little confused.
Then she gasped and said, "Or maybe it's a terrrible intruder! Don't worry, everyone. Edward is coming to save you!" She felt around a little more, and, upon finding an indentation at last, immediately began struggling to open the door she'd found. Ein kept barking. The man inside the Bebop continued to yell and complain.
Jet Black was now standing behind Faye, telling her, "It's time to go. That creep's getting mouthier by the minute. Let's get out of here so we can turn him over to the authorities and get our reward. Come on, Faye." There was no answer. Faye kept her eyes on the sun as it continued to go down and the sky became darker and darker. She didn't even notice Jet at all.
He placed his hand on her left shoulder, shook her lightly and said, "Come on. You can finish your cigarette and your daydream back on the ship." Still no response. Jet sighed.
"You haven't heard a single word I've said, have you?"
"What? Oh, sorry. I... guess I haven't been listening. What did you say, Jet?" Faye asked, turning to face Jet, but still not seeming very interested in whatever he was going to tell her.
"I said I want to get off this planet so we can turn that bigmouth bounty head of ours in and get our money." Jet explained.
"I don't know what your hurry is, Jet. He's only a small-time robber. The reward is barely over 2,000 woolongs. And I've read the guy's file. He's not particularly violent or smart. Seeing how you've got him tied up, I seriously doubt he'll escape." Faye said, starting to turn back to the sinking sun. She took a few short puffs on her cigarette, then just held it.
"Hmmmphh. You'd know what my hurry is if you'd spent the last hour listening to that jerk mouth off. And I know the reward isn't much, but it's more than we have now. You feel like eating nothing but bean sprouts for another week?"
"Hmm. It's a wonder we still have such a problem keeping food around, even now that it's just the two of us. I guess we've been earning even less money lately than I'd realized." Faye commented absently, still not a bit interested in the discussion.
"Oh, now I get it. You're lonely. What is it? You miss having another girl around?" Jet suggested, placing his right hand on the back of his bald head.
"You think I miss Ed? Please, Jet. I'm a grown woman. Ed's what, thirteen? If that. We weren't exactly best friends, you know? Though I suppose we might have been a little closer, if Ed had any interest in clothes or guys like a normal girl her age, instead of just computers and stuffing her face." Faye scoffed, shaking her head. The wind lifted her hair again.
After staring silently at the back of Faye's head for a moment, Jet lowered his hands to his sides and said, "I suspected as much. Your real problem is that you've been thinking about Spike again, haven't you?"
The lit end of Faye's shrinking cigarette glowed against the increasingly dark sky as she whispered, "Maybe. It's not a big deal. I mean, he did come from Mars originally. And, it's the first time we've been back here without him. So it's only natural that I'd think of him today." Her expression was sad because of her thoughts, but also a little surprised because she hadn't expected Jet to know what was going through her mind.
"I know it's hard to accept, but you have to face it some time, Faye. It's been almost half a year. If he were coming back, he would have by now. Spike is dead." Jet sighed heavily, reaching out to touch Faye's shoulder.
She pulled away, letting her cigarette butt fall to the ground, and answered, "You think I don't know that? Ha. That first night that Spike didn't come back, I knew he never would. He was a fool, going back to the syndicate. He should've known he'd never make it out alive. What did he hope to accomplish, anyway? His old mentor, the Elders, Julia... All of them were already dead, Jet! It's not like there was a thing he could have done for any of them. What was the point of going back there?" By this point, Faye's hands were clenched into tight fists and she was forcing back tears.
"Spike felt that he had to face his past and all that had happened, all that he had lost. Going back there and confronting Vicious one last time was the only way for him to do that. Even knowing the risks, I'm sure that in Spike's mind, there was no other option."
"Hmmphh. I suppose you could be right. But tell me something, Jet. Do you think it's possible that he went back there because... he wanted to die? So he'd be with his Julia again?" Faye suggested, barely able to get the words out. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly.
"I don't know. There must have been something really special between those two, that was obvious. But I'm not sure I buy the idea that Spike would just let himself be killed so he could join Julia in death. Though I can't rule out the possibility." Jet replied, shaking his head. For a moment, neither he or Faye spoke.
Then, crushing the cigarette butt on the ground with her right foot, Faye sighed and said, "The past is the past. Nothing we say or do can change it. The best thing to do is to forget about it and just go on with our own lives. Come on, Jet. Let's go." She brushed away a single tear, then began walking quickly back towards the spaceship.
Jet stared after her briefly, thinking, "Well, I'll be. I never would have believed that Faye actually cared about him. I wonder if she even realized before it was too late." Shaking away these thoughts, he followed Faye.
Meanwhile, Edward, happily shouting, "Hurray! Ed opened Mr. Door!" had just managed to pry open the door on the roof of the Bebop. Immediately, she jumped inside, landing on the crook and knocking him to the floor.
"What the hell! What kinda stupid game is this! First ya tie me up and leave me here, now you drop some weird kid on me! I'm startin' to think prison'd be a swell alternative to you freaks!" the man bellowed, forcing the chair he was tied to back onto its feet. He was about Faye's age, with short, spiky blond hair, big, dark blue sunglasses, and a nose ring in each nostril.
"No one dropped Edward on you. Edward jumped. Why are you tied up? Is this part of the game? Can Ed play, too?" Ed said impatiently, getting onto her knees on the floor and studying the stranger. Outside, Ein's barking grew louder.
"I ain't playin' no game, kid!" the robber growled.
"You're lying. When Ed jumped down, you asked, 'What kind of stupid game is this?' Liar, liar!" Edward argued. When she repeated the man's words, she tried to imitate his deep, rough voice. The rest of her little speech was in a singsong voice. The bounty head groaned.
Outside, Jet and Faye were approaching. Seeing them, Ein became distracted from barking at the strange voice, ran to the two of them, and stood up on Jet, wagging his little tail and giving short, happy barks.
"Huh? Ein! How'd he get here? Wait, maybe it's not Ein, just another dog that looks like him. Whatta you think? I mean, Ein's not exactly a rare breed." Faye said, more than a little startled to see the dog.
"I know. There are plenty of Welsh Corgis you could never tell apart from Ein by appearance alone. But this one's definitely him. Look, here's his name tag and everything." Jet replied, pointing to the little tag with Ein's name on it.
Then, petting the little dog's brown and white head, he said, "Welcome back, Ein. You miss us? It sure is good to have you back, boy. Where have you been all this time, huh?" Ein gave Jet a few more happy barks in response. Watching Jet and Ein, Faye smiled a little in spite of herself. Then, she noticed that the door on the roof of the ship was open.
"Finish your reunion later! Look!" she ordered, pointing with one hand and grabbing Jet with the other.
"Huh? Arrgghh! Don't tell me that loser got free somehow!" Jet yelled.
"Come on! We have to go check it out!" Faye shouted, opening the main hatch and charging inside. Jet and Ein followed closely. What they found was certainly a surprise for Jet and Faye. Their bounty head was still right where he belonged, and still tied to a chair. And, kneeling in front of him and making faces, there was Edward.
"Ed!" the two stunned bounty hunters exclaimed, barely believing their eyes.
"Jet! Faye! Edward is ba-aack!" Ed announced, running over to the other two and hugging them.
"Ouch! Not so tight, Ed! You're stronger than you look, you know. It's nice to see you again, too... I guess, but could you ease up a little?" Faye protested as Ed squeezed her waist tightly.
"Oops. Sorry, Faye-Faye. Ed will try to be more careful." Ed apologized, loosening her grip a little, then backing away from Faye and twirling around. The whole time, she had a huge smile on her face.
"Hello! I'm still here, ya know! This is very touching and all, but I don't wanna hear this crap anymore!" the bounty head complained, thumping his chair around.
"Ick. Who is that? If it's Edward's replacement, Ed thinks you were much better off with her." Edward commented, frowning at the man.
"Relax, Ed. He's no replacement. This punk happens to be our latest catch. In fact, we're just about to drop him off with the cops on Jupiter and collect a 2,100 woolong reward." Jet explained.
"Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, why don't ya?" the man grumbled, sounding bitter and sarcastic. Everyone ignored him.
"Hmmmm. 2,100. That's really not much." Edward said thoughtfully, putting one finger on her chin and looking at the floor.
"Hey, give us a break! With Big Shot off the air and you not here to track leads in cyberspace, it's not easy to find criminals with big bounties on their heads! It's not our fault that small time little nobodies like this are all we've come across lately." Faye snapped, insulted by Ed's remark.
"Sorry. Ed didn't mean to offend you guys." Ed apologized with a shrug.
Faye opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get a word out, Edward, looking up hopefully at Jet, was asking, "Edward was just wondering... Do you think we have enough money to have a party?"
"A, a party? Well, I guess we should do something to celebrate the return of you and Ein. But I don't know if we can..." Jet said, scratching his beard as he considered Ed's idea.
"Pleeaeessee?" Ed begged, still staring up at Jet with that hopeful look in her shiny amber eyes. Jet looked up at the ceiling with a half sigh, half groan.
A few hours later, Ed was busily trying to put a blue party hat on Ein's head. She had two hats on her own: one with purple and fluorescent yellow stripes, the other neon green with pink and blue spots.
"Just how long is she gonna keep trying to get that stupid hat on Ein?" asked Faye, who was half sitting, half laying on the couch, holding an empty glass. Of course, Ed had made her wear a hat, too. Hers had stripes in two shades of pink, and the top and bottom of it were trimmed in silver tinsel. Jet's hat was purple.
"I'd say she'll keep it up until she either gets Ein to wear the hat or gets distracted by something else. Knowing Ed, it could take another few seconds for her to get distracted, or it could take the rest of the night." Jet answered, watching Edward as she continued trying to get Ein to wear the hat.
"Yay! There you go, Ein. Now you're all dressed up for the party, too!" Ed declared happily, giggling and falling on her rearend as she finally succeeded in putting the blue hat on Ein's head. The dog whimpered a bit and began turning his head from side to side, trying to see what was on top of it.
"Ed is hungry! Isn't it time to eat yet?" Edward complained suddenly as she pulled herself off the floor.
"Dinner will be ready soon. If you can't wait until then, go eat some more of that snack stuff you talked me into letting you buy." Jet instructed.
"Mmmm... Ed can't do that." Ed said coyly, looking at the floor and blushing a little.
"And why is that? Don't tell me that after we spent all that money on all those different kinds of junk food, you don't even like any of it." Jet replied impatiently, folding his arms.
"Oh, no. Nothing like that. No, no. Ed can't go eat more snacks because they're all gone. No more snacks to eat." Edward explained, smiling at the others and starting to laugh.
"Whoa! You mean you ate all that food by yourself!" Faye asked, sitting up straight.
"Nah. You guys helped Ed eat some of it." Ed disagreed, shaking her head.
"I don't know how much Ein or Jet took, but I only ate a handful of chips and half a candied apple."
"Well, that still means that Ed didn't eat everything." Edward replied, a big, goofy smile spreading across her face. Ein walked over to Jet, dish in mouth, and stared at him, waiting.
"I guess you're trying to tell me that you're hungry, too. Nobody around here is too subtle about that, are they? Well, it'll be dinnertime soon. In the meantime, I seem to recall buying you some dog biscuits today. Ed, you didn't eat those, too, did you?" Jet said, petting Ein and giving Ed a suspicious look.
"Uh-uh. Ed took a bite of one, just to see why Ein likes them so much. Blah! Ewwww! Yucky!" She shook her head, making terrible faces at the memory of tasting the dog biscuit. She quickly handed the box to Jet, who took out a handful and placed them in front of Ein. The small dog happily began to eat.
"You know, I guess I could understand you still being hungry, even after eating all that junk food. Because you're still growing and all. But honestly, Ed, why would even you try to eat a dog biscuit?" Faye said, tracing the rim of her glass with one finger.
"Hmmm. Don't know." Ed laughed again.
Then, she exclaimed, "Edward almost forgot!", ran behind the couch, and held up a big box triumphantly.
"Oh, right. I forgot, too. Along with all the food, Ed talked me into letting her buy about a million streamers and balloons." Jet explained, rolling his eyes a little.
"Don't forget about the sparkly glittery stuff!" Ed said, sitting on the floor with her box and beginning to dig through it. She grabbed a balloon that needed to be blown up and began trying to inflate it.
"If you ever become a father, Jet, your kids are gonna be spoiled rotten. For weeks, I've been hearing nothing from you except how broke we are, how we have to watch every single woolong we have. But look at all Ed conned you into spending today, just by giving you a few pouty looks. Hmmmm. You act like such a big tough guy, but when push comes to shove, you're really softhearted." Faye commented.
"Well, when it comes to being spoiled rotten, you're certainly an expert on the subject. Lighten up, Faye. I know Ed's party is pretty silly, but since you won't give me a hand with dinner, you could at least help her out with those decorations." Jet responded, glancing towards Ed and her box.
"I guess maybe I haven't drunk enough to be in much of a party mood yet. Think you can help me out with that, Jet?" Faye said with a chuckle, stretching a little and holding out her glass. Jet frowned at Faye, but picked up a half empty bottle of dark liquor and refilled her glass anyway.
"Now that's more like it." Faye sank back against the couch and took a long sip of her drink.
Jet was about to say something, but before he could, Ed started yelling, "Stupid balloon! Why won't you blow up?"
After briefly studying Ed and her struggle with the balloon, Jet walked over to her and explained, "Ed, you're having trouble with this because you're trying to blow up the wrong end."
"But Edward tried the other end first! It didn't work, either!" Ed pouted.
"You must not have blown hard enough. Here. Give me that." Jet said, taking the blue balloon from Edward. After realizing that it was covered in her teeth marks and spit, he dropped it on the floor and pulled a fresh balloon from the box.
"Now, watch carefully. You open this end up a little and blow into it like this." Jet instructed. He took a deep breath, then exhaled into the balloon. Once it was fully inflated, he continued, "And now you have to hurry up and tie the end so all the air doesn't come right back out. There. You see, Ed?" Ed examined the round balloon being held in front of her and nodded. She reached into the box, pulled out a red balloon, took a deep breath, and blew into it. It didn't get as big as the one Jet had blown up, but it certainly came out much better than Ed's first attempt. Determined not to let the balloon get the better of her, she huffed and puffed into it a few more times. Soon, the balloon was round and large, fully inflated.
"Everybody look!" she exclaimed, proudly holding it up.
"Bravo, Ed. Bravo." Faye congratulated her, briefly putting down her glass to clap a little.
"And now, to trap all the air inside!" Edward said, completely unaware of Faye's lack of enthusiasm. She began trying to tie the end of the balloon. This didn't go very well. Part of it slipped through her fingers, and the red balloon flew around the room, losing all its air.
"Hey, no fair! Come back!" Ed cried, chasing after it.
"That's it. I have to get back to the kitchen before everything burns. You two have another crisis, like you having all your decorations run away from you, or you running out of booze again, you'll either have to handle it on your own or help each other." Jet grumbled, going back into the kitchen. Faye scowled at him, but Ed was too caught up in her balloon chase to notice anything else. Finally, completely deflated again, the red balloon landed in front of Ein, who sniffed it curiously.
"Ohhh!" Ed moaned, staring unhappily at what had happened. She recovered from her disappointment quickly, though, proceeding to grab the balloon and begin re-inflating it. It wasn't long before it was filled with air again.
"Careful... Careful..." Ed told herself as she tried to tie the balloon again. This time, she succeeded.
"Aha! Yay!" she cheered, holding up her accomplishment for a moment before letting it float up to the ceiling. She then dived for her box and began working on another one. Ein, who had finished his dog biscuits, watched as Ed blew up balloons. Soon, seven more had joined the first one: two blue, one pink, one purple, a yellow, a green, and another red.
As Ed began to tie a yellow balloon she'd just finished blowing up, she happened to look at Faye and thought, "Huh? It's not like Faye-Faye to be so quiet. She looks kind of sad about something. Maybe she had a fight with Jet? Uh-uh. Faye-Faye wouldn't be sad about that. Whatever it is, Ed will cheer her up." She got up, tiptoed over to the couch, and tapped Faye with the yellow balloon. Actually, she sort of tossed it at her. Faye ignored Ed.
"Faye-Faye? What's wrong?" Edward asked quietly, grabbing onto the balloon before it could float away.
"Huh? What makes you think there's something wrong, Ed?" Faye replied, looking up at Ed and raising one eyebrow.
"You seem too quiet. And you're just sitting and drinking all by yourself. We're supposed to be having a party, remember? Oh, but you don't look like you're having any fun at all." Ed looked at Faye with concern as she flopped down next to her, hugging the balloon.
"Actually, Ed, just sitting and drinking is the way grown-ups usually have fun at parties. You'll understand when you're older." Faye replied, pushing an ice cube around her glass with one finger.
"Sounds kind of boring to Ed." Ed commented, letting her balloon float to just above her head. She then slid down onto her back a little, raised her right leg above her head, and caught the end of the balloon between her toes. Faye laughed, then took another gulp of her drink.
"Ed made you laugh." Ed said in a teasing voice, holding the balloon over Faye's head. She was obviously very pleased with that success.
"Yeah, I guess you did. You gonna leave me alone now?" Faye asked, giving Ed a half smile. Edward shook her head in response.
"Can't say I'm surprised." Faye sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ed asked again, clearly skeptical.
Faye hesitated for a few seconds, then, opening her eyes and facing the ceiling, she finally answered, "Yeah, Ed. I'm fine. Don't worry so much. It's not like you to be so serious. It doesn't suit you at all." Ed nodded, then released the balloon from between her toes and let it float away. Ed, Faye and Ein all watched as it floated up to the ceiling, bounced a few times, the settled with some of the other balloons.
After a few seconds of silence, Ed jumped up, declaring, "Ed's tired of balloons now. Time for other pretty party thingies. You help, too, Faye-Faye!" She grabbed Faye's hand and pulled her up off the couch.
"What? Oh, Ed. Can't you just do this by yourself?" Faye asked wearily, nearly spilling what was left in her glass as she quickly put it down.
Pulling Faye towards the big box of decorations, Ed simply told her, "There's too much. Edward can't do it all alone."
"Ed, I'm really in no mood for this." Faye continued to protest, starting to get more annoyed.
"Here. You can help with these."
Ed tossed some rolled up streamers to Faye, who crossly gave in, saying, "Okay, fine. If it'll get you off my back, I'll help you decorate. Just tell me what you want me to do with these."
"Just this. Whee!" Ed exclaimed, spinning in a circle and tossing some streamers into the air. They all unravelled partially, some more than others, before hitting the floor.
"Uh, Ed? Sorry to spoil your fun, but aren't you supposed to hang streamers from the ceiling or on the wall, not just throw them all over the floor?" Faye said sarcastically.
"Ed's way works just as well. Here, Ein. You help, too." Ed answered with a quick shrug. She placed a bright blue, still tightly rolled streamer in front of Ein, who sniffed it, then picked it up in his mouth and walked away with it. After a moment, the dog put the streamer down and started pushing the now slightly wet decoration around with his nose. Of course, it was beginning to unravel somewhat.
"Yay! Good job, Ein!" Ed cheered. Once she'd finished applauding, she reached into the box for more streamers to throw.
Noticing that Faye was still just holding the decorations she'd been handed, Ed coyly told her, "You're the only one not helping, Faye-Faye!"
"Grrr! Would you stop calling me that! There. I helped. Happy now?" Faye said, tossing one streamer over her shoulder. Ed giggled and nodded.
"Hmmm. Well, I guess they're having a good time in there, judging by the noise." Jet mumbled to himself, hearing Ed's laughter from the other room.
Ed was now pulling little tubs of glitter out of her box, saying, "This will make everything really pretty." She lifted the cover off some red and gold glitter, and proceeded to throw handfuls of it everywhere.
"Jet's gonna blow a fuse when he sees this mess you're making." Faye warned, studying the streamer and glitter covered furniture and floor. Ed, either ignoring Faye or simply not concerned by her words, continued to jump around the room, humming loudly and flinging glitter. By now, she'd finished with the first container, and moved onto blue.
"Now you're the one who's worrying too much." she finally answered, sneaking up behind Faye and dumping an entire container of silver glitter on her head.
"OOH! What did you do that for!" Faye demanded. Ed ran behind the couch, laughing.
"Think it's funny, huh? You won't think so when I catch you!" Faye growled, diving after Ed and starting to chase her around the room. As soon as the two of them were away from the couch, Ein hid behind it.
"Come back here, you little brat!" Faye yelled, nearly slipping in a pile of glitter and grabbing onto the wall to catch herself. Ed grabbed another container of glitter from the box, lifted it high above her head, and dumped the whole thing down on herself, laughing more than ever.
"Boy, she hasn't changed a bit, has she?" Faye thought, watching Ed dance around with another streamer she'd found in the box. As she watched the young girl, Faye's expression changed to something that was almost a smile.
"And now for the grand finale!" Ed announced. With that, she tossed the rest of the glitter up into the air and flung the last yellow streamer. It landed in front of Ein, who was also covered in glitter due to Ed's antics. Ed fell backwards onto the couch, very happy with her decorating.
"Everything is just a big game to you, isn't it?" Faye asked, sounding tired and a little bitter.
"Edward never thought about it that way before." Ed said, looking thoughtful and serious. Well, for her, anyway.
"Well, it's true. You never seem to take anything seriously. I don't think I've ever seen you sad about anything. The only times I've ever even seen you get mad were when the rest of us went somewhere without bringing you anything. And even that you always got over in two minutes. You know, living alone for a long time at such a young age like you did would make most people bitter. Kind of hard-edged, and not very trusting. But not you. You're completely carefree and naive. Ha! Enjoy it while you can, Ed. Someday, even your life will be complicated." Faye explained, sitting cross-legged on the couch and pulling out a cigarette and red lighter.
"Why is that, Faye-Faye?" Ed asked, inching closer to Faye, who had sat down as far from her as she could.
"That's just the way it is, kid. When you grow up, your problems get bigger, and you're bound to be unhappy at least once in a while. It's something that can't be helped." Faye answered with a shrug, lighting her cigarette and putting the lighter away.
"Alright. Whatever you've been up to, you can get back to it after. Dinner's ready, and... What the hell have you been doing in here?" Jet said, sounding calm and casually waving a ladle around at first, then getting mad once he saw Ed's disaster.
"Decorating for the party, of course! But Edward is all done now." Ed explained, shaking some glitter from her hair. Faye snickered, waiting to see if Jet was going to get angrier with Edward or let her off the hook completely. She knew it could go either way.
"Alright. Fine. But you have to clean all this up." Jet finally said, still sounding grumpy, but not quite as mad as he'd been a minute ago.
"Now! Ohhh, but you just said it's time to eat!" Ed whined, sticking out her lower lip.
"It can wait 'til after you eat. But be careful not to spill anything on the floor, or else you'll have an even harder time cleaning up all that glitter." Jet said, frowning and shaking his head at the mess. Ein walked over to him, holding up a streamer between his teeth.
"So, she even got you into the act, huh?" Jet asked, removing the decoration from Ein's mouth.
After shoveling down about half her food, Edward said, "Mmmm! Bell peppers and beef. This is sooo good, Jet person. Edward was getting really tired of eating eggs all the time."
"I take it that means you found your father. He and that assistant of his pretty much live on raw eggs, don't they? Blah." Jet commented, remembering his and Spike's encounter with Ed's strange father.
"Uh-huh. Ein didn't like them, either." Ed replied quickly before returning to stuffing her face.
"So, Ed, how come you decided to come back to us? Don't tell me you ran away from home just because you like Jet's cooking better than your dad's." Faye inquired, refilling her glass again.
"Mmmm... Uh-uh. Ed was kind of bored. Ein, too. Whenever Edward tried to help with the maps, father person would say Ed couldn't help because she didn't know how. There wasn't anything for Ed and Ein to do. You guys need Edward to help you find bad guys who are worth more money. So, one day, Ed wrote a note and left. That's all." Ed explained calmly.
Then, holding up her empty plate, she started whining, "Can Ed have more? Please?" Ein lifted his empty food dish off the floor.
"Alright, you two. I can take a hint. May as well enjoy it while you can. After all the money we spent on the junk food, those decorations, and this meal, we'll be lucky if we can even afford enough bean sprouts to eat for a while. Especially now that there are three of us again, four counting Ein." Jet grumbled, refilling Ed's plate and Ein's bowl.
"Don't worry. Ed will make sure to help you find somebody worth a big reward, so we'll have lots of food!" Ed assured him before beginning to eat again.
"Hmmmphh. You don't need to be so cocky about it. It's true that having you around to track down leads on the 'Net is a big help, but you make it sound like we're totally incompetent. And I know that doesn't apply to me, at least." Jet said gruffly.
"Cheap shot, Jet. Real cheap shot." Faye muttered.
"Sorry. Ed didn't mean it like that." Ed apologized, her words muffled because her mouth was full.
"Whatever. So, Ed, I'm sure you had no problem tracking us down, but how'd you get from Earth back to Mars?" Faye asked.
"Oh, that was easy. Ed just hid in this cargo ship that had to make a quick stop on Earth before going to Mars. It wasn't really supposed to go to Earth first, but Edward fixed that." Ed explained, obviously pleased with herself.
"So I see. Well, I guess in theory that was a clever plan... But you shouldn't stow away on strange ships, Ed. That can be very dangerous, especially for a young girl. I know you had Ein with you and all, but, while he may be loyal, he's really not much protection." Jet warned.
"Okay. Ed won't do it again." Ed promised. For a minute, everyone ate quietly.
Then, Ed broke the silence with, "Ed has a question for you now. You said there were four of us. Edward, Faye-Faye, Jet person, Ein. That makes four. How come Spike isn't here?" Faye and Jet both hesitated, unsure of how to respond to Ed's question.
Finally, Jet cleared his throat and told her, "Spike hasn't been here for a while, Ed. He... went away not long after you left."
"Oh. Well, Edward went away for a while and then came back to Bebop. Spike will come back, too." Edward said, seemingly satisfied with the answer. She smiled and returned her focus to her food.
"Sure. Whatever you say, Ed." Faye whispered, draining her glass and reaching for the bottle of whiskey again.
"Don't you think you've had enough already? You've gone through practically all of it on your own." Jet pointed out, eying Faye and the nearly empty bottle.
"Uh-huh. Like I couldn't see that for myself. Relax, Jet. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, and I'll know when I've had enough, alright? Sorry if I've been hogging all the booze, though. Didn't really mean to. Here. You're welcome to the rest." Faye said nastily, reaching around Ed to pass the bottle to Jet. He grabbed it, filled his own glass with what was left, and gulped down about half of it.
When she'd finished eating, Ed put her plate down and watched Jet and Faye drinking.
"Can Ed try some, too?" she asked, tugging on Faye's shirt to get her attention.
"Sure. Why not? This is your party, after all. Besides, according to a certain old stick in the mud, I've already had too much to drink, anyway. Here. Have a blast, kiddo." Faye agreed with a laugh, handing her slightly more than half empty glass to Ed.
"Ooohh..." Edward cooed, studying the liquid for a moment. Then, she raised the glass to her lips and swallowed what was left of the drink.
"Faye, what do you think you're doing, giving her that stuff! Aah! Ed, you shouldn't drink it all at once like that! Slow down!" Jet yelled. Of course, by the time he'd said all that, Ed was already finished. She put the empty glass down and looked around the room, dazed.
"Ed? You alright?" Faye asked, giving Ed a little poke.
"Oohhh. Maybe Ed is okay, maybe Ed isn't. Tee-hee. Ed isn't sure. Do you know?" replied Ed, whose cheeks were even rosier than usual.
"Errr... Uh-oh." Faye muttered, backing away from Ed.
With a hiccup, Ed unsteadily got to her feet, babbling, "Ooh. Everything is so shiny and spinning around and around and around... Whee!" She attempted to twirl around like she had with the streamers earlier, and instantly fell. As soon as Edward hit the floor, she fell asleep and began snoring loudly.
"Okay, party's over. I'm putting her to bed, and unless you're planning to clean up this mess, Faye, which I doubt, it's staying where it is 'til tomorrow morning." Jet declared. He finished his drink, tossed off the party hat Ed had made him wear, then picked up the young girl and carried her off. Ein followed.
"Well, I guess everything's staying where it is for the night then. It's still kind of early, but I may as well hit the sack, too." Faye said to herself with a yawn, getting up and placing her hat on the table.
Jet came back into the room, saying, "Ed's out like a light. Really, Faye, what were you thinking, giving her that?"
"Lighten up, Jet. Yeah, she's still pretty young, but she's not a little girl. I didn't see the harm in giving her a tiny bit of whiskey. And nobody told her to chug it like that. Was pretty funny, though." Faye replied, sounding a little defensive, but laughing just the same.
Then, all traces of humor left her voice as she asked, "So, how come you didn't tell her the truth?"
"Ed may not be as smart about most things as she is about computer systems, but she's not stupid, either. Sooner or later, she'll figure out that Spike's not going to come back. I didn't see any reason to tell her. Not on her first night back here." Jet explained, sighing a bit and leaning against a wall.
"One of us may as well tell her. But I guess you're right. It didn't have to be right away." Faye agreed, nodding and looking absently at her nails, then the floor.
"You wanna be the one to break it to her that Spike's dead, be my guest."
"Maybe I'll talk to her tomorrow when she wakes up. I'm going to bed now." was Faye's response as she walked away, heading for her room.
A few hours later, in a deep sleep, Faye was tossing and turning, troubled by her dream. In the dream, she was standing alone in complete darkness.
"Who's there? I know I'm not alone here. Come out right now, whoever you are!" she yelled, looking all around her and pulling out her gun. Out of the shadows, a figure was slowly approaching her.
"Who are you! If you don't either tell me who you are or stop right there, I'll shoot. I'm giving you three seconds. One. Two..." Faye warned, raising the gun and starting to pull back the trigger. The dark figure continued moving silently towards her.
"Three!" Faye shouted, firing into the air, just above the stranger, three times.
At last, the mysterious figure spoke, saying," Funny. I seem to recall you shooting over my head the last time I saw you. Guess you're still mad, huh?" It was a deep, male voice. Sort of cocky. And very familiar.
"No. No, it can't be!" Faye cried, recognizing the voice instantly. The man continued to approach her, and Faye could now see him clearly.
"Spike? No. That's impossible. You're dead. You died a long time ago." Faye said, her voice sounding all at once sad, frightened, and still a bit angry.
"I seem dead to you?" Spike asked with a soft laugh, touching the side of Faye's face with the back of his left hand, then placing the hand on her shoulder.
"N-no. But I don't understand. If you've been alive this whole time, why didn't you come back? Were you in a hospital? Did you not know where we were? What happened?" Faye asked, shaking her head. She lifted Spike's hand off her shoulder and held it tightly between both of hers.
"Shhsh. You ask too many questions, Faye. Besides, I thought you liked mysterious guys." Spike answered, smiling at Faye and putting a finger to her lips.
When he pulled it away, Faye told him, "Wherever you've been, it hasn't changed you a bit. Hmm. I'm not sure if I should slap you or kiss you." She did neither. Instead, Faye embraced Spike, resting her head on his shoulder. Slowly, Spike put his arms around her as well.
"I really thought I'd never see you again, but here you are. I can't believe you're back. This seems like it can't be real." Faye whispered in Spike's ear.
"That's because it can't." he whispered back. Faye gasped. She had felt warm and safe in Spike's arms, but now she was chilled.
She looked up at him, and, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, softly uttered, "No."
Spike was still there, but he no longer seemed solid. Faye could see right through him. A ghost.
"Sorry. Looks like this is goodbye again, huh?" he said, holding Faye tightly for a few seconds before releasing her and backing away. Then, he disappeared back into the darkness. Faye sobbed and covered her face with her hands. With that, the dream ended, and she woke up.
"No! I haven't had that awful dream in months." Faye gasped, wrapping her arms around herself as she sat up in bed. She was struggling to catch her breath and not cry, and was sweating heavily.
"Why do I have to have horrible dreams like this, anyway? Maybe I did have kind of a thing for him, but with these stupid dreams, you'd think I was in love with the guy. As if. He always got on my nerves. And now, even though he's gone, he's still a thorn in my side. Hmmphh. Love. Yeah, right. I hate him for being such a moron and making me get this upset over him." Faye continued, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Who are you talking about, Faye-Faye?" asked a sweet, cute little voice.
"Aah! What are you doing in my room!" Faye asked angrily, jumping up and turning to face the owner of the voice. Sure enough, there was Edward, sitting Indian-style on the floor and staring up at Faye. Ein was alongside her, looking half asleep.
"Oh. Edward got up to get some water, and heard you talking. You sounded upset, so Ed came to see what was wrong."
"Well, you can see I'm fine, Ed. I had a bad dream. I was talking in my sleep. It's nothing. You can get lost now." Faye said with a sigh, getting more annoyed now that the shock of finding Ed in her room was wearing off.
"So, who are they?" Ed inquired persistently, putting her elbows on Faye's bed and resting her chin in her hands.
"What are you talking about, Ed?" Faye asked crossly.
"You said you loved someone... and you said you hated someone. Ed just wants to know who. Please?Tell Ed who you love and who you hate." Ed said, leaning closer to Faye.
"If you must know, it's the same person." Faye answered, adjusting her pillow and starting to lay down again.
"What? Don't be silly, Faye-Faye. You can't love someone and hate them all at the same time!" Edward replied, bewildered by the idea.
"Oh, yes you can. I realize it must sound silly to you. When I was your age, I probably would have thought the exact same thing. But it is possible, Ed. Possible to love someone with all your heart and not be able to talk to that person for a whole minute without wanting to throw something at them. It's... another one of those things you'll have to wait until you're older to understand." Faye explained, looking up at the ceiling with half-open eyes. She had one hand under her head, and the other over her heart. Ed sat there, thinking it over, still not sure she believed what Faye was telling her.
Then, she jumped onto the bed, landing partially on top of Faye snd insisting, "Tell Ed who he is! Come on. Tell Ed who it is that you love and hate all at once!"
"What! No way! It's not something I want to talk about. Especially not with you, Ed! Now leave me alone so I can go back to sleep!" Faye rolled onto her side and and gave Ed a good whack with the pillow.
"Hmmmm. Ed will stay here with you. In case you have another nightmare." Ed decided, flopping down next to Faye.
"Uh-uh. Not happening. You snore too much. Plus you talk in your sleep all the time. And, even though I wouldn't have thought it was possible, you make even less sense when you're sleeping than you do when you're awake. Get out of my bed." Faye instructed. Ed didn't answer.
"No way. She can't fall asleep that quickly." Faye thought, turning her head to see if Ed was sleeping or just ignoring her. Edward's eyes were tightly closed, and she was already starting to snore softly. Faye sighed, exasperated. Suddenly, she felt her bed moving a bit. Ein was climbing up.
"Oh, no. Not you, too. Guess six months away from me made you forget that we don't get along, huh? Go on. Get down. Now." Faye said, waving her hand to shoo Ein away. Ein ignored her and began to settle down at the foot of the bed.
"If you're staying in here, you at least have to sleep on the floor. Get down. I barely have any room as it is, the way Ed sleeps. Now off!" Faye continued to complain, pointing to the floor and frowning at Ed, who had her arms and legs spread out. Ein looked at Faye and whimpered.
"Oh, alright, alright! You win. You can both stay where you are for tonight. But this is a one time thing only." Faye finally gave in, laying down again and facing the wall. Ein lowered his head and began to doze off.
"I really should kick both of you out. This is ridiculous. Guess I've just been spending too much time around Jet. I'm getting way too softhearted, giving into you like this." Faye grumbled, sounding annoyed. However, her expression wasn't anywhere near as harsh as her tone of voice.
Closing her eyes again, she whispered, "Good night, you guys."
It was the next morning. Faye was still asleep. By now, Ed and Ein were up, and she had her bed to herself again.
As she turned slightly, Faye was awakened by hearing Ed exclaim, "This is it! Ed has found a big one!"
"Well, at least Jet's already got Ed working on tracking down a big bounty for us. Guess I should go check this out." she said to herself with a yawn. Faye stretched and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then slowly climbed out of bed. She glanced at her reflection and began to pull off her nightgown.
Meanwhile, Jet was asking, "What is it, Ed? What did you find?"
Ed, sitting in front of her computer and wearing her goggles, stuffed a whole muffin in her mouth, chewed it very slightly, then swallowed and finally answered, "Look here! The members of this gang known as the Destroyers. The reward is... Wow! 500,000 woolongs for each one of them." Jet and Ein both came closer to get a better look at what was on the screen. While they were doing that, Faye was taking a shower and humming to herself.
"Wow. It says here that there are five known members of the Destroyers. Five bad guys, 500,000 woolongs each... That adds up to... A two million, five hundred thousand woolong reward!" Edward gasped, seeming to be counting on her fingers as she figured out the reward.
"That's right. And believe me, we'll be happy to hand that over to whoever helps get those lousy bums locked up." a voice boomed from the computer.
"Hello, Mr. Officer Man." Ed said to the image of a dark skinned man in an ISSP uniform.
"Move, Ed. Let me talk." Jet ordered, giving Ed a light push out of the way. Faye, meanwhile, had finished her shower and was now wrapping a towel around her hair and pulling on her white bathrobe.
"These are the five known members of the Destroyers. Saito Akiyama, his two brothers, Aku and Yasue, a brainless thug named Hajime Yukino, and this woman, known simply as Foxy. Don't be fooled by her harmless appearance. According to all the reports, Foxy carries a wide assortment of weapons under her clothes, and isn't a bit shy about being the first to open fire. It isn't confirmed, but she's even suspected of being co-ringleader with Saito. " the officer said. Pictures of all five criminals, as well as various data about them, appeared beside him as he spoke.
"That mousy little thing? Hard to believe she goes by a name like Foxy, much less that she's a femme fatale. Oh, well. Guess it's true what they say about appearances being deceiving." Jet commented, laughing as he saw the picture of the simple and straight-laced looking Foxy.
Then, becoming more serious, he asked, "So, what are they wanted for, anyway?"
"Robbery, vandalism, assault, murder, destruction of public property, blowing up an officer's vehicle, drugs... You name it, these creeps are into it, basically." the officer explained. Then, he said, "Just last week, on Saturn, they got into a big fight with a rival gang, right in the middle of a crowded public area. With all the gunfire and flying knives, it's a wonder no civilians were killed, and that most of the injuries weren't serious. The worst part of the whole damn mess was that, out of all the good for nothings involved, we only managed to arrest one. And he doesn't even seem to have any connections to either the Destroyers or the other gang. Claims to be a bounty hunter, but couldn't give us any proof of his identity."
"Really? So, what'd you arrest the poor chump for, anyway?" Jet asked.
"He wrecked a car and part of a building, and used a few choice words with the officer who confiscated the gun he couldn't produce a license for. The smart-mouth punk's been in a holding cell ever since." the officer explained, then adding, "Here. Take a look for yourself." He pressed a button, and another image popped up on the screen of Ed's computer.
"Morning. So, what's going on around here?" Faye said, still sounding half asleep and stifling a yawn as she entered the room in her bathrobe and picked up a muffin. She dropped it and woke up completely when she saw the picture on the computer screen.
"Whaatt? This has to be some kind of mix-up!" Jet yelled, backing away from the screen, startled.
"It's... impossible." Faye gasped. Ed lifted up her goggles and looked back and forth from Faye to Jet curiously, confused by their reactions.
Then, blinking a few times and leaning closer to her computer to examine the picture, she exclaimed, "Oh! So that's where Spike is! In jail on Saturn."
Sure enough, the mug shot taking up about half the space on the monitor did look like Spike. The same long face and fuzzy brown hair. Dark brown eyes, one slightly lighter than the other.
"What? You know this guy or something?" the ISSP officer inquired.
"Well, we're... not quite sure. Uh, where did you say he's being held again?" Jet said, still shocked by what he'd seen.
"In a small prison on Saturn, waiting to go to court. I haven't had any contact with this prisoner myself, but from what I have on him, he could get out on bail, if he had any friends or relatives to get him out. But if he does, he won't talk about them. In fact, since he was interrogated and it was determined he had no connections to either gang, it seems the only time this hothead will talk at all is to demand his gun back or mouth off about how lousy prison food is. Some nerve, huh?"
"Uh-huh. Some nerve, alright. Well, we'll certainly be on the lookout for the Destroyers. We could really use the cash around here, as usual. So, let me know if you get any new information, alright?" Jet replied.
"Whatever you say. Adios." the officer agreed, signing off. The image on the computer returned to Ed's screensaver, a big goofy smiley face that resembled her.
"I, I guess I should go get dressed if we're going to Saturn, huh?" Faye stammered, looking completely dazed. Jet nodded.
"Yay! Hear that, Ein? Already we get to go on a big adventure again!" Ed exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ein.
A short time later, Faye was standing in the cockpit of the Bebop, saying, "I wonder who this guy really is."
Jet, who was steering the ship, answered, "Can't say for sure. But you have to admit, besides looking like Spike, the personality on the guy seemed to fit perfectly, too."
"So? I'm sure there are plenty of men with messy hair and bad attitudes who are picky eaters." Faye scoffed, putting her hands behind her head.
"Whatever. If you ask me, there's no harm in just going to Saturn to find out, one way or the other."
"Yeah. I guess you're right. But really. If Spike were alive, why wouldn't he have come back?"
"Amnesia, injuries that kept him laid up for a while, his ship could have been destroyed... There are a number of possibilities, actually." Jet replied.
"Oh, really? Funny. Just yesterday, weren't you the one telling me, 'I know it's hard to accept, but you have to face it some time, Faye. Spike is dead.' ? And now all this. My, someone's had a change of heart." Faye commented.
When Jet didn't answer, she continued in a much lower tone, "I know he's cheated death plenty of times before. Had lots of close calls. But do you honestly believe he could have made it out alive after going back to the syndicate?"
"I don't know. I realize you know about some of his close calls. But there's something you don't know anything about, Faye. Something Spike told me a long time ago, before we ever met up with you. He... told me that he had died once." Jet said.
"Uh-huh. And you believe that?" Faye asked skeptically.
"I've never been sure if I did or didn't." Jet confessed.
"This isn't some horror movie from the last century, Jet. People don't come back from the dead." Faye replied, shaking her head and starting to walk away.
"It's practically what you did, courtesy of cryogenic sleep." Jet commented with a bit of a chuckle.
"Ooh! You know, I really think that Spike was a bad influence on you. I don't remember you always being this big a jerk! Men. You're really all the same!" Faye shouted, stomping away.
She eventually walked past Ed, who asked, "What's wrong, Faye-Faye?"
"Nothing. Everything. I don't feel like talking to you, Ed!" Faye replied, continuing to walk away.
"Oh. Alright." Accepting the answer, Ed shrugged and returned to the game she was playing on her computer.
A few seconds later, she pouted, "Ohhhh! Edward lost again!"
"Tough break, kid." Faye sympathized, sounding distracted as she looked over her shoulder at the laughing face on the computer screen. Looking at it, Faye thought of the image she'd seen there earlier.
"No. It can't be. It's impossible." she whispered.
"What's impossible, Faye-Faye?" Ed looked up at her, a curious sparkle in her big eyes.
"It's impossible that the guy on Saturn is really Spike."
"Huh? Why? Ed knows he never got arrested before, but there's always a first time. Especially the way Spike always gets into fights." Ed said, smiling.
"No, Ed. I don't mean it that way." Faye replied, touched by Ed's cute innocence.
"No? Ed is confused." Edward complained, folding her arms and staring intently at Faye, waiting for an explanation.
Faye stared back at her for a moment, thinking, "Why does she have to look at me like that? Well, Jet won't tell her the truth. Somebody has to."
She sighed, turned so she was no longer facing Ed, and explained, "It can't be Spike... because he died, Ed."
"What?" Ed asked, surprised by what she'd just been told.
A short time later, they arrived on Saturn.
"This is it. This is the facility we were supposed to come to." Jet announced, climbing to the ground. Faye, Ed and Ein all followed.
"Uh, sorry, Ein. They probably don't allow animals inside. You'll have to stay here." Jet said, patting the small dog's head and guiding him back inside the spaceship. Ein whimpered a little, but obediently turned around.
"Hmmmm... Edward will stay with Ein." Ed decided, also climbing back inside.
"I've never seen Ed so quiet before. Wonder what's wrong with her." Jet commented, closing the hatch.
"Don't know." Faye lied quickly. Then, running one hand through her hair, she said, "Come on. Let's get this over with." She began walking towards the jail, and Jet followed.
"Hey, you two. Can I help you with something?" a guard asked, sounding suspicious.
Meanwhile, inside a small, dark cell, a man was sitting completely alone. His head was down, and his hands were clasped in front of him. The only light in the cell came from the end of the cigarette in his mouth.
While Jet and Faye were undergoing weapons scans and other security checks, back on the Bebop, Ed was laying on the living room floor, saying to Ein, "Faye-Faye said that Spike was dead. But the officer man said he was in jail. Now Edward doesn't know what to believe. What do you think, Ein?" Ein walked over to Ed and licked her face.
"Alright. Everything checks out. The prisoner you asked to see is right this way." a female officer instructed Jet and Faye, leading them down a narrow corridor. As they walked past the cells, several men stared at Faye lecherously. Some whistled.
"Hey, sugar! I get outta this hellhole in a week. How 'bout you and me celebrate my release together, huh?" one called.
"Why don't you forget whoever you came to see and come in here instead?" another one offered.
"Hey you! Get in here! The only women I've seen in six years are these crabby guards and my ugly wife! Get in here! Get in here right now!" another man ordered, punching the walls of his cell.
"Hmmphh. Stare all you want, boys. 'Cause trust me, that's all you'll get to do." Faye said, smirking a little and stretching with her arms above her head, sticking out her chest. This resulted in more whistles and shouts. One man flung his underwear out of his cell. The pair of shorts landed right in front of Faye.
"Yechhh." she groaned, making a disgusted face and maneuvering around the underwear. This detour caused her to be a little too close to one of the cells. A hand shot out and grabbed her right ankle.
"Aah! Let go!" Faye shouted. She quickly raised her free foot and brought it down hard on the man's hand. He screamed and backed away.
"Perverts." Faye muttered, picking up a bit of speed and smoothing her hair as she walked.
"That's what you get for encouraging 'em." the guard snickered. Faye glared at her, but didn't say anything. Finally, they reached the end of the row of cells.
"Hey, troublemaker. You've got a couple of visitors." the guard told the prisoner, knocking on the bars of his cell.
"Oh, really?" he asked casually. Faye and Jet both gasped. The voice was very familiar.
"Yeah. I'm surprised that anybody came to visit you, too. These two here seem to think that you might be somebody they know." the security guard explained, tilting her hat and taking a few steps back. Faye and Jet came closer to the cell, but, both unsure of what to say or do, neither one spoke.
Finally, Faye found her voice and asked, "Alright. What's the deal, anyway? Who are you?"
The man in the jail cell didn't answer her. Instead, he finished his cigarette and crushed the butt on the floor. Then, he pulled a cord that hung from the ceiling. A small, dim lightbulb clicked on. It didn't give much light, but the man could now be clearly seen.
"Oh, my God!" Faye gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth and taking a step back, bumping into the guard.
Spike Spiegel lifted his head, turned to face the others, and gave them a half smile, half smirk.
"Well, well. So, we meet again." he said, watching Faye and Jet closely.
TO BE CONTINUED...