A/N: Hello my fellow Space Cadets! I am still obsessing over Cowboy Bebop and so I have been writing nonstop for the past few days. I'm all out of tears, seeing as I have read enough sad Bebop fics to last me a lifetime lol. I want this one to be more lighthearted. It is set post RFB II and I wanted to make each chapter have the same feel as a Bebop Session, so each installment will be 2-3 chapters long, depending on how bad our criminals are and how prepared the Bebopers are for them lol. I hope you all enjoy!
"Remember… this guy is old money and doesn't think any new money is worth respect. If you want to get his attention, you have to act the part. That means you have to behave and work together. I don't want to hear you arguing and betraying the fact that we are far from any kind of money" Jet said seriously over the comm.
"I'll behave if she does" Spike said with a wry smile, placing a cigarette in his mouth.
"I always behave" Faye said sweetly. Spike snorted.
"I mean it, you two! This is the biggest bounty we have had in months and we need the dough. Don't mess it up" Jet grumbled, getting annoyed already.
"Relax. You worry too much, it's not good for old age" Faye said, knowing this would irritate the man.
"I'll take your advice… after all, you're the granny here" Jet shot back. Faye pursed her lips as Spike guffawed through the comm.
"I'll get you for that one, baldy!" she fumed.
"Don't anger the old biddy, Jet. I need her in a good mood" Spike snickered, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"Ha-ha. You guys are so funny" Faye said sarcastically.
"Well, you two better get going. The dinner party will start in about three hours and you better make it on time. Get those papers signed" Jet said.
"Don't worry, boss. We got this" Spike said calmly.
But Jet knew better than to keep his hopes too high. It was always a land mine when Spike and Faye worked together. With a deep sigh, he lit a smoke and waited.
"Just so you know, I call dibs on the shower first" Spike said over the comm.
"What?! No way! I need at least two hours to get ready!" Faye said, her voice broken up by static.
"Exactly. That's why I'm showering first. I'll take all of fifteen minutes" Spike replied.
"Not a chance! Whoever gets to the hotel room first will get first dibs!" Faye said.
"Are you challenging me to a race, Faye?" Spike asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Last one there is a rotten egg!" she said gleefully as the Red Tail zoomed past the Swordfish II, leaving it behind in seconds.
"Bad move" Spike said, a grin spreading across his face.
"The Swordfish was built for speed, baby" Spike said smugly as he waited for Faye to climb out of her zip craft's cockpit.
"Yeah, yeah. You just got lucky this time, Spike-O" she said, dragging a small suitcase behind her. "Next time, I won't go easy on you. Hurry up and take your shower… and don't finish the hot water!"
"I'm not like you, Faye. I have not a single selfish bone in my body" Spike teased as he opened the door to the hotel room. It smelled of old cigarettes and stale beer.
"Eh…" Faye said, wrinkling her nose and looking around the seedy room. "You'd think Jet would have gotten us a better room considering we're supposed to be this big-shot new money couple. I mean, what if El Dandy wants to come over for a visit?"
Spike undid his tie and unbuttoned his yellow dress shirt. "I doubt he'll want to come over for a nice cup of coffee, Faye, so don't worry. Besides, it's your fault we're in this dump" He tossed his yellow shirt on the bed.
"What? My fault? How do you figure?" she asked as she threw the suitcase on the bed too.
"Well, if you hadn't been so careless in our last hunt and smashed into the Hammerhead… Jet wouldn't have had to spend our reward ordering that special—"
"Alright, alright" Faye interrupted him, not wanting to be reminded of that fiasco.
Spike tossed his white under shirt on the bed as well and began undoing his pants.
"Whoa, there, cowboy, you better not get naked here" Faye said.
"Why not?" Spike asked, walking to the small bathroom, his pants unbuttoned.
"I don't want to see… your swordfish" she said, biting her tongue to keep from laughing.
Spike snorted.
"That was lame, even for you" he called from behind the closed bathroom door.
Faye smiled as she took her white boots off. She began to rummage through the suit case as she heard the shower start. She would never, ever admit it out loud, but damn it, she was happy that Spike Spiegel—the biggest dunderhead she knew— had made it back alive from his final encounter with his past.
It had been almost a year ago that she and Jet had found him on the brink of death. If she was honest with herself, she had feared Spike was never going to come back to the Bebop. She was familiar with Vicious, and the man was true to his name. It was clear that he wanted Spike dead… and what with Julia gone… Faye sighed. She was sure Spike had gone on a suicidal mission, fully intending to die that day. Maybe he had, but Spike Spiegel was strong and had pulled through. She never mentioned it, but he seemed different as well. Different in a good way. Gone was the haunted look from his eyes; the storm behind the mismatched irises had finally cleared. Sure, he was still the arrogant, insufferable, reckless, infuriating, lazy Spike Spiegel they all knew, but he seemed… happy now; at peace with himself. It was obvious by his very demeanor that a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Not that she thought about Spiegel often. And she didn't analyze him either, thank you very much. She just noticed these things, that's all.
Two and half hours later, they were making their way to the birthday party. With no money to pay for even a taxi, they were getting there on foot.
"Wait… my microphone is falling" Faye said, grabbing a hold of Spike's arm. She inserted her free hand into her cleavage and fixed the tiny device, securing it onto her blue, velvet dress. "Alright, I'm ready" she said, fixing the dress over her boobs.
"Classy" Spike said, lighting a cigarette.
"Hey, I can't walk around with my boobs hanging out!" she said.
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked skeptically.
Faye rolled her eyes. She knew he was thinking of her usual yellow attire, but that was different. It was, damnit. "Anyway, what's our story again?" she asked him for the fifth time that night.
Spike sighed.
"Pay attention, Faye. We are husband and wife" he said after taking a drag of his cig. "We want to make business with him so we can build an oceanfront hotel. He's a loan-shark, leader of an illegal loans ring"
"Oh, right. My favorite kind" Faye said with a heavy sigh, thinking about all of her debts.
"Anyway, these guys are just as ruthless as any drug cartel when it comes right down to it. They prey on the poor, taking things like personal information and passports to ensure payment. And if you don't pay, you're dead" Spike continued.
Faye pursed her lips. She was all too familiar with debt collectors, but thankfully she had never borrowed money from any criminal. She wasn't that desperate… yet. She hoped she never was.
"So our job is to just nab him or what?" she asked.
"Basically yeah. Just get him to talk to us for a little, lull him into a false sense of security and then send him on his merry way to the ISSP" Spike said.
"Why do we need to be all dolled up then? Sounds like a job we've done millions of times" Faye said with exasperation.
"Because we need him to sign the papers. We need proof that he's doing something illegal, the ISSP doesn't have concrete evidence, just complaints about the man" Spike said, tossing the cigarette butt aside.
"Alright, whatever, let's just get it done, my feet are killing me already" Faye said with a pout.
As soon as they arrived to the designated place, they were greeted by a butler. The inside of the mansion was unlike anything Faye had ever set eyes on. The glossy marble floors only served to accentuate the fancy furniture that decorated the place.
"Mr. and Mrs.?" the man in the impeccable black suit asked.
"Weiss" Spike said smoothly, his hands in his pockets. The man in black ran his finger down the list he was holding and then nodded.
"Right, do come in, Mr. and Mrs. Weiss, enjoy" he said.
"Weiss, huh" Faye whispered with a smirk. "Even the name sounds posh."
They finally made it to where other guests were already gathered, mingling and talking with each other. Spike placed his hand on the small of Faye's back.
"Hey! And just what do you think you're doing?" Faye hissed in dismay.
"What, darling? We are a loving couple, aren't we?" Spike said casually, giving her a slow smile. Faye narrowed her eyes at him but remained silent as he guided her towards the table laden with food.
"Don't go getting drunk" she said.
"Or you" he shot back.
Just then, a large man entered the room. He wore an expensive black suit with white pinstripes and a matching fedora. His white shoes were so polished Faye was sure she could have used them as mirrors. On his hand was a thick, gold watch and to her, he looked more like a pimp than a loan shark.
"That's our man" Spike said quietly.
Yes, this man was definitely El Dandy.
A/N: So there it is, the opening to this fic! Please let me know what you think in a review. All comments welcome, but just don't be rude lol.