"Purple Rain"

A Not-Quite-Bedtime-Story by the Scary Godmother

**Disclaimers and Anti-Flames:**

-Dont own it. Not that clever.

-My friend Michael told me Purple Rain would be a good fic title. I'm not that clever about that either.

-Dont nitpick techincal errors please. Just try and enjoy the story.

-Elka's back! If you want to know more about her; read my other story "Stormy Weather."



Cpt. One- WILD HORSES (in which someone finally mistakes Faye for a hooker and Session 25 is mocked).

On Venus; the rain is purple. A kind of hazy lavender. Even for all the markings of humanity on the planet; that rain reminded everyone how alien the world was. This was a planet that would never be exactly hospitable, never be anyone's idea of home no matter how long they lived there, never be tamed or over-run by the masses. No, Venus was like a wild horse that was too old and too set in it's ways to ever be broken, or even ever to be owned.

Of course, the nature of humanity is to try and tame or own everything it finds. How else would we feel so bloody superior as a race at large? Even my wild Venus was no exception to this destroy-or-commercialize creed. The air on the planet wasn't even breathable but people had moved in, building glass domes rising out of the earth like blind eyes across the face of the planet and letting that beautiful purple rain beat against them while inside, people gambled. That's right; gambled. Someone had the brilliant idea to take this fierce and passionate planet and turn it into a big purple orbiting casino. That's people for you.

Not that anyone was complaining at the moment; least of all Faye. She was gambling with a wad of cash and more than that, Jet and Spike had asked her to do it. She shifted uncomfortably in her spikey fuck-me heels and remembered the conversation that had taken place less than 5 hours ago on the Bebop.

..

She and Jet had been watching Big Shots. Spike and Ed had been engaged in a staring contest. Actually; Spike had been staring daggers at Ed and Ed had been making silly faces and sticking her head through her legs. Either way. They had been about to give up on finding any good leads when a story had run about a high-roller people called Double Seven. Currently priced at 7,500,000 woolong; Double Seven was wanted for a trail of bad debts and owed money, a trail that led straight to the Fortunate Son Casino on Venus.

No one had been able to find him since he was last spotted on Venus, but no one could confirm he ever left either. More likely, he still had a powerful friend or two on the planet and was hiding out until he could pay off the even more powerful enemy or two. But Spike was a little too well known to just waltz in and ask to see Mr. Seven and Jet perferred to stay on the Bebop and wait until everyone needed their lives saved. So, They decided the best way to catch Double Seven and make sure no one bounty skimmed them would be a trap. A nice quiet irresistable trap by the name of Alice; a beautiful gambler with money to spare for the right guy. Playing the part of Alice was Faye. Playing the part of her money was everything left over from their last bounty.

"That's our money for food!" someone had yelled.

"It's the only way." Jet had told them all. "Besides think of all the beef we can buy once we catch this guy."

Spike snorted. More likely, think of all the substitution meat and noodley-something or other they could buy. The thought of real beef was too good to ever be true. But there was nothing else really to do, and if Faye lost all the money he could just shoot her.

So Spike had gone along. And Faye had gone along. It was kind of Jet's plan in the first place and Ed was too preoccupied learning how to lick herself like Ein did to really care what was going on.That was pretty much how she wound up here, ordering her third J&B with a pile of casino chips in front of her and not a bounty in sight. She sighed and tried to look more bait-y.

About twenty minutes later; a svelte figure took the seat next to her. Looking over she saw a short woman with a pile of chestnut curls twisted on top of her head and chipped black nail polish. Maybe she was a working girl... in any case, Faye didn't need the competition.

"This seat's taken." Faye said; sipping her fresh drink.

"It doesnt look taken."

"Well, it is."

"For a hooker; you're not too friendly."

Faye sprayed the bar with her drink as she spit out her latest sip. Hooker? Coming from a woman dressed like that? Being called a hooker by a hooker, that wasn't just insulting...it was very insulting! "Excuse me?" she said, remembering she was supposed to be a lonely casino girl and they didn't usually violently assault people in bars.

"I said" the woman told her; toying with Faye's chips. "That for a hooker; you're not too friendly."

Faye slapped the woman's hands off her money. She should just get up and walk out. That was what 'Alice' would do after all. But not Faye Valentine and dammit where did this chick get off? "If you're that desperate for a date try the men's room." she said coldly, turning her head to face away from the new arrival. "But get lost; you're killing my action."

"I didn't mean to offend you." the stranger said huffily.

"You've got a funny way of showing it; telling me I look like a whore."

"I didn't say you looked like a whore; I just figured you were one."

Faye spun back around in her seat. "And why the hell is that?" she demanded.

The woman shrugged. "The only type of girls Spike bothers with is hookers and Julia....and you don't look like Julia."

She played it cool. "I dont know anyone named Spike. You must have me confused with someone else."

The woman stood up. "Fine. Have it your way. But when you see this Spike you dont know; tell him thanks for the loan."

The stranger was gone as quickly as she had come and Faye couldn't be happier. But she was confused. How did she know about Spike? And had he ever said anything about someone named Julia?...wait, of course not, Spike never said anything about anything. It looked like it was back to the Bebop for her. She needed some answers and a new cover. Double Seven wouldnt exactly go for Alice if it was common knowledge she hung around with bounty hunters.

Faye grabbed her mini-purse and got up; planning to leave some of her winnings to cover the drinks. She reached for the chips and.........wait a minute... Where were her chips???

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