Family. Edward can't really remember having a family. She kinda sorta remembers her father person. Father person was loud and fun and gone a lot. She can't remember a mother person at all. She can't remember what home, what family, what belonging feels like. Maybe Francoise can.
"Belonging is the very best thing there is." Maybe Edward (or is it Francoise?) really truly belongs with her father person.
So Ed leaves in search of these things she can barely remember. She wants to remember. She wants to belong. She wants her family.
What Edward finds is not what she expected. Her father person is there, but he…he's not what she expected (He doesn't like dogs).
He is nice and all, but most of the time, he doesn't remember that he has a daughter (or a son?). When he remembers, he plays with her for a couple minutes, tossing her into the air, and at these times, Edward thinks that maybe this is family. And then, a meteor strikes, and it's like he doesn't have a child at all. And Edward is left alone. Is this family? Is this belonging?
The father person calls her Francoise, but Edward realizes she doesn't like being called Francoise. Edward isn't Francoise. She tried to be, but she just can't be. Maybe she could have been Francoise if her father person hadn't forgotten her for so many years. But he had, and now Edward is Edward.
When her father person forgets about Ed, his friend McEntire sometimes looks at her with sad eyes. Like he feels sorry for her. Edward hates when this happens. Edward is with her family where she belongs. It's the best thing there is, isn't it? So why does McEntire have to look at Ed like that?
But at these times, McEntire will always give Ed a piyoko or tell a story about how her father person always forgets McEntire's name or sometimes even forgets McEntire himself. And Edward forgives McEntire for looking at her with the sad eyes. Ed likes McEntire; sometimes he reminds her of Jet person (but Jet person has better stories).
And when Ed is sitting all alone, waiting for her father person and McEntire to finish working, Ein will come lick her hand and rest his head on her lap. And then, Ed thinks about how she misses Jet person, and Faye Faye, and Spike person, and Bebop.
She misses Jet person's stories, misses how he gave her piggy back rides, misses his cooking. (She's sick of eating eggs).
She misses talking with Faye Faye, misses painting her nails, misses how Faye Faye fought with Spike person. (Every girl needs a female role model).
She misses annoying Spike person, misses how he sometimes brought her back souvenirs, misses how he cared about people even though he pretended not to. (When she left the Bebop, she made sure to bring Cowboy Andy's hat).
She misses floating around the Bebop, misses exploring its nooks and crannies, misses using it as a jungle gym and playground. (Dried up earth gets boring).
It is one of these times when Ed is thinking and missing that she realizes that maybe, just maybe, she has made a mistake.
Ed thinks that Jet-person is like a father and that Spike person and Faye Faye are like a big brother and sister. And all together, they are a big, happy family that Ed belonged to.
One day, when the father person and McEntire are busy working, Edward opens up Tomato. She connects to a familiar computer.
"ED!" Jet person's face is shocked and surprised. His mouth forms a perfect O. Ed giggles at Jet person's silly face.
"JET PERSON! Come visit Ed! Ed wants to come home!" Ein barks in agreement. She sends him the location and ends the connection.
That night, Edward uses a large stick to scrawl "Bye-Bye" into the ground. Ed signs with a drawing of her signature Ed smiley face. Bye-Bye Francoise Appledelhi.
Ed wakes up to see the Bebop landing. Edward runs towards the ship and towards Jet person, with Ein on her heels.
Edward throws her arms around Jet person's waist tightly when she reaches him. One of his arms instinctively curls around Ed to hug her back. As Edward walks with Jet person into the Bebop, she very clearly remembers having a family. She knows that this is family. This is belonging. This is the very best thing there is.
A/N: I left the ending open to interpretation, which can be warm and fuzzy or bittersweet. Ed could be going back to just Jet, Jet and Faye, or the whole crew because Spike lived. Please review and give me some feedback :) Thanks.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or Cowboy Bebop.