A/N: 03.09.2020

Because there always must be... a morning after.


Session XXI: Cowboy's Cadence

"I want to believe in more than you and me, But all that I know is I'm breathing," ~ Ingrid Michaelson, "Keep Breathing", Be OK, 2008

Jet woke up first, groaning quietly as he did so. He looked over and saw Elektra still fast asleep, her hand resting on his chest. This was a development he didn't see coming.

At least, that was the lie he was trying to make himself believe. And he was failing miserably.

Jet refused to use the word 'love' ever again after his experience with Alisa. But, this was as close as he had come in a very long time. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but something stopped him. He wasn't sure what stopped him but he, regretfully, pulled his hand back.

Elektra woke up, moaning as she did so. She looked at Jet and smiled. "Morning."

"Morning," Jet replied.

They stared at each other quietly for a while. The gravity of the situation slowly coming over both of them.

"So," Elektra broke the silence. "That happened."

"Yeah," Jet replied.

"Did you see it coming?"

He gave a small shrug.

She shifted in the bed. "Jet. We don't…" She searched for the right words. "…this doesn't have to mean anything."

He looked down.

"I mean… not right now."

Jet got up and got out of bed. "We'll see."

Elektra silently gasped.

While Jet went to the bathroom, Elektra couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face.

His "We'll see" may not be much but it was something.


Later that morning, Spike was sitting on the bridge of the Bebop, reading some of the information that Ed sent back, when Jet walked onto the bridge. Jet had two beer bottles in his hand and placed one in front of Spike.

Spiked observed the beer, curiously, then looked at Jet, "What's this for?"

Jet sat down and, calmly, stated, "I'm gonna kick your ass."

Spike's eyes widened. "Whoa! What the hell for?!"

Staring blankly out of the window, Jet opened his beer and took a drink.

"Jet?"

"Me and Elektra slept together."

Spike sat completely still. Not even blinking. "What?"

"We slept together," Jet repeated, taking another drink.

Spike fought back a smile with all he had. "What, uh…" He cleared his throat. "…what brought this on?"

Jet sighed. "What didn't."

Spike couldn't stop the smile anymore. "So. What's gonna happen there?"

Jet leaned back in the chair, "I don't know. That's why I'm kicking your ass."

"Huh?"

"I don't need this, Spike," Jet stated. "We're dealing with enough."

"I didn't make you sleep with her, Jet," Spike retorted. "Clearly, you wanted to."

Jet gave a small shrug.

"Besides, you two were the ones who've been doing everything together lately."

"You're with Faye now. And you've been injured and it's nearly impossible to pry Faye away from you. Kinda hard to get work done with all that going on. So, it's been up to me and Elektra. Which lead to this."

Spike narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. That's why it happened."

Jet rubbed his eyes, followed by pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, Jet, look, we're not good at this kind of crap. That's pretty clear."

Jet lowered his hand, "Abundantly."

"And," Spike continued, "if we're gonna actually talk about this… this will be one of the heaviest talks we've ever had. So… are you sure you wanna do this?"

Jet stared at him and gave a slow nod.

"Okay." Spike took a deep breath. "Well… like I said, we're no good at this kind of thing. But…" Spike sighed. "…we've clearly done… something to get these women interested in us. Yeah, I can't figure it out either."

"You and Faye are clearly working," Jet pointed out.

Spike considered that. "Ehhhhh. I don't know about 'clearly'. We're waiting until the Vega problem is done before we… really get into this. But…" Spike shrugged, slightly, "yeah, something about us does work, I can't lie."

Jet stared at Spike. "Do you love her?"

Spike leaned back, staring at Jet, then looked out of the window. He looked back at Jet, "Do you love Elektra?"

"I asked you first."

Spike scoffed and small smile crept across his face. "Honestly? I'm afraid to say. I can't say for sure yet, anyway. That's a long road to go down. And it didn't end well at all the last time. But I'll admit… a lot of things don't hurt anymore since we started this. And the things that still hurt… don't hurt as bad. And… it's… the best I've felt. I… I think ever."

Jet took a deep breath.

"You're going through the same thing, aren't you?"

Jet sat motionless for a while.

Until he slowly inclined his head.

Spike sat back. "We're really screwed up, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Jet answered.

"Why would they wanna put up with us?"

"Hell, if I know."


Later, that afternoon, Elektra invited Faye to go into town with her. They found a small café and sat outside.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Faye asked, followed by taking a sip of her coffee.

"I figured he's never gonna tell you but you should know," Elektra said. "Me and Jet slept together."

Faye stared at Elektra silently, slowly setting her cup on the table.

"Yeah, I'm serious."

Faye held her gaze.

"Last night," Elektra continued. "As for why… a lot of reasons."

Faye finally blinked then exhaled. "Well, I can't lie. I kinda saw that coming."

Elektra sat, quietly and motionlessly.

At Elektra's silence, Faye realized there was something else on her mind. Faye, nervously and lightly, tapped her hands on the table, "Sssssoooooo! What's, uhhh… happening… there… with… you… two… with you two?"

"I don't know." Elektra sighed and rubbed her arm. "But… I'm a little…" She sighed, "I… think I pushed this too fast."

"Come again?"

Elektra gave a small smile. "I like Jet. He's… a good guy. One of a kind, someone you can… actually count on, has morals." She shrugged a bit, "Not bad lookin'."

"Alright, you're talking Jet up and it's freaking me out!" Faye said, quickly.

Elektra giggled, "I can't help it. I haven't come across a genuine man like him… in a very long time."

Faye moved her head back a bit. "So, if I'm hearing you right… then… on your end, at least, this wasn't just about sex."

"It really wasn't. And… I hope it doesn't stop there."

Faye stopped, her entire body frozen. Her eyes slowly getting wider. "You… want more with Jet?"

Elektra considered her answer. "Yeah. I do. And it terrifies the absolute living hell out of me."

"It confuses me. But don't listen to me, right now. I'm just still in shock at the idea that Jet actually had sex."

Elektra laughed.

Faye winced. "And my sick… disturbed… twisted curiosity won't let me not ask this…" She paused for a few seconds. "…how was he?"

Elektra stared at Faye. And a huge smile slowly came across her face.

Faye threw her hand up, "Okay, okay, okay!" She shook her head, "I got it! I got it." He rubbed her eyes, "Oh, God! I can never unlearn that."

"You asked!"

"And I hate myself for it!" Faye looked over at Elektra and could see that she was still conflicted. "Look, Elektra, this isn't my thing: girl talk. Even less my thing is giving solid advice. On anything, to be honest."

"Ditto," Elektra agreed.

"But, if you're looking for advice… well, hell, why you came to me, I have no idea."

Elektra smiled.

"But, if it's what you want, I'll give this a shot."

"If you don't mind."

Faye shrugged, "Okay." She took a second to form her thoughts. "Jet is… not the most horrible person ever. Maybe he's even… a decent guy."

"You know he actually thinks highly of you, right?"

"Awww, why'd ya tell me that?! I knew you were gonna say something like that. Why'd ya say it?! Crap! Now, I have to be nice to him!" Faye groaned. "Fine! Jet's a good guy!" She grumbled, "That hurt to say!"

Elektra laughed.

Faye shook her head, "Look, me and Jet argue too much for me to be totally nice to him. But…" She thought for a second then stared at Elektra, "…but… he, actually, is pretty dependable, I can give him that. He's had my back when I didn't deserve it, which was often. And he does look like he's… calmer around you. More relaxed. But, I'll warn you, him and Spike are… scarily alike, no matter how badly they deny it. Really getting to him won't be easy." Faye looked off for a second then focused back on Elektra, "That probably would've made more sense if you hadn't already slept with him."

Elektra scoffed, a small smile on her lips.

"Just… don't get too hurt if he's stubborn as hell for a while."

"I was in love with Vincent. 'Stubborn' was a good day."

Faye placed her arms on the table. She could see plenty of her own uncertainties in Elektra. "It's crazy. Isn't it? How you can't help it. Who you end up falling for."

"Like you with Spike," Elektra pointed out.

"Like me with Spike," Faye agreed, nodding her head. "That's how I know… this is gonna be rough road, if this is what you want."

Elektra shrugged, "It is."

Faye stared at her and nodded. "Well!" She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Good luck to you!"

"I know this is a lot to ask but… can you have my back on this? No matter the outcome."

"You more than earned my trust, Elektra. I may not be the most reliable person alive. But, for you? You've got a friend."

"Thanks, Faye," Elektra smiled.

"You got it," Faye replied.


Tharsis, Mars.

In the Red Dragon headquarters, Vega was sitting at his desk while Kaito was giving him a report.

"Did Hanan find out who was behind the attack?" Vega asked.

"She found one of the confirmed conspirators," Kaito answered. "Some guy named Madhava. He was pretty high up in their order when her father ran things. He was on Callisto. He's already been dealt with."

Vega narrowed his eyes. "Callisto. Why does that sound familiar?"

"Vicious had some kind of Red Eye deal there that fell through. It set the order back a bit, financially. Lin died there. Spike and his buddies were involved. It was also one of the places Julia was last seen before she showed back up on Mars."

"Right, right. So, what's Hanan's next plan?"

"Weed out the rest of the traitors," Kaito replied.

"And what about on our end?"

"If anyone is working against us, they're being really smart about it."

"Liam?" Vega asked.

"I have him monitored," Kaito answered. "Justin and Cross, too. Nothing so far."

"I still don't trust them."

"Neither do I, but we don't have any proof yet."

"If everything keeps going well with the Europeans, we might not need it," Vega declared.

"Good point."

Vega sat back. "What about the search for Spike?"

"Hagen traced them to Ganymede," Kaito started to pace. "That's where the captain of the Bebop is from. Apparently, they had been there but left. No one's seen them since."

"They're hiding."

Kaito nodded.

"They must've figured we'd start looking for them," Vega said. "Hmm. Spike, that coward. Running again."

"Last time he ran and disappeared, when he showed back up, that… 'coward' killed everyone sent after him, murdered Vicious, survived more injuries than anyone, in all probability, should, and nearly destroyed the Red Dragons entirely."

"You think leaving him out there alone is a bad idea?"

"Absolutely," Kaito declared. "But, above all else, we shouldn't underestimate him. The problem with Spike is… he's a survivor. First and foremost. When he shows back up, and I think he will… we might have a problem on our hands."

Vega took a deep breath. "So. We're fighting on three fronts. The Red Eye, traitors, and Spike."

Kaito nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"We can't put a bounty on Spike," Vega answered. "Not only will that be hard to explain, that's cowardly. We need to handle this in house. Just keep looking. Search the entire system, if you need to. Every planet."

"Got it."

"As far as Liam and the others… maybe we don't need them anymore."

Kaito leaned his head to the side.

"We're about to enter a powerful alliance," Vega pointed out. "Solidify it, once and for all. Maybe it's time to… clear ranks."

Kaito let a small smile on his face. "Alright. I like how you phrase it."


Io.

Ed got a message got back to the Bebop and informed them that she would be contacting them that night. The crew met on the bridge, awkward and silent glances being exchanged between due to the events of the day and the previous night.

A signal came through from Ed, to the relief everyone.

"HEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOOOO!" Ed sang as she appeared on screen.

"Whacha got, Ed?" Faye asked.

A screen popped up. It was full of names, locations, financial numbers, and an abundance of other information.

"Disc had lots and lots of info," Ed explained. "Bad! All bad!"

Jet read it all and saw a lot of information on corporations and ISSP officers, high-ranking members in particular. "Madhava must've been gathering evidence over the years," he surmised.

Spike looked at Jet, indignantly. "For what? He was in the syndicate."

"Insurance policy."

"Didn't help him at all," Elektra pointed out.

"He could've used it against the old man, Hanan's father. Her, not so much."

"Do you think any of this will help us out?" Faye asked.

Jet sat back and folded his arms. "Maybe."

Spike looked back at the screen, "Ed, did you find out anything else?"

"Yup-yup!" Ed replied. Another screen popped up. "Big meeting!"

Spike read the information, "They're making their partnership official."

"That's a scary thought," Faye said. "Red Dragons and Europa. They'll be nearly unstoppable with that kind of power."

"Vega and Hanan will almost be untouchable," Elektra said.

"IIIIIII don't know about thaaaaaaat," Ed declared.

"What else do you know, Ed?" Jet asked.

Ed caused another screen to pop up, "Bad guys versus bad guys!"

Spike's eyes widened. "There's gonna be a hit at the meeting."

"Yup-yup!" Ed replied. "Chatter of fire-fire going on with a mercenary group."

"Might be guys still loyal to Madhava," Jet said.

"Or that guy whose finger Vega sliced off," Elektra said.

"Or someone who just wants to take over their action," Faye added.

"Let's go," Spike said.

"What?" Jet asked.

"Let's go," Spike repeated. "Vega's there, there's gonna be a hit, anyway. We could take advantage of the confusion."

"Killing him would just put us directly in the crosshairs of whoever's left."

"Or leave them fighting for control. This might be our best and last and only chance."

Jet, Faye, and Elektra looked at each other, nervously.

"I don't like it any more than you, guys," Spike admitted. "But… I want this over with as badly as all of you do."

Everyone considered that. And they came to a very unhappy conclusion.

Spike was right.

"Then maybe we can stack the deck," Jet added.

"How?" Elektra asked.

"We leak the Madhava's info. We get those same corrupt cops to think Europa's turning on them. And, maybe… just maybe, we could make Europa think the Red Dragons are selling them out."

"You think that'll work?"

Jet shrugged. "Ed," he said, "it would take you falsifying a few documents and transmissions. Can you make it happen?"

"Aye-aye!" Ed saluted.

"And we're gonna go in there," Elektra said. "Just… jump into the fight."

"We should," Spike answered. "Like I said… I don't like it any more than you, guys."

The weight of this came over them again. While he was right, this was a dangerous proposition.

Faye looked at Spike, "So, you callin' Dice and Juarez or what?"

In The End, Will There Be A Weight To Carry?


A/N: Oh, boy.

We are coming to the end, everyone. Not too many sessions left until we reach the conclusion. But we're not there yet and get ready for the ride to get there.

Next Session:

The Red Dragons and Europa look to make their alliance official. But, that kind of power meeting leads to unwanted guests and unforeseen consequences.

Next Session ~ Survival of the Fittest