The Next Day

Docked at Alba City, Mars

"Mint, Spike-person? You sure could use it!"

"Gee thanks Ed," Spike snarked at the teen. Faye laughed at them both and quickened her pace to catch up to Jet ahead of them. Spike reached out to Ed with his palm open. "Hit me,"

"Here you are good sir!" Edward offered the mint with a flourish and then dashed forward to coil around Faye like a fur wrap. She grabbed Faye's lips and stretched them into a grotesque smile as Faye squawked indignantly. Ed laughed and dismounted, curtsying at Faye. "A mint for you, madam!"

"Jeez, Ed! You almost choked me with that!"

But she'd already run ahead to Jet to offer him a mint as well, leaving Faye in her dust with Spike and Ein bringing up the rear.

It was the first day of the three day Cydonia Music Festival here in Alba City on Mars. They had no plans to come back tomorrow or the next day so they'd have to make the most of the one day they had.

It had surprised her but Jet had relented immediately when Ed asked if they could take an actual vacation. An honest to goodness, leave the guns at home, truly take the day off kind of vacation.

It was interesting how many things the guys had been willing to immediately agree to.

Faye had told Ed that they were aware of her transition to womanhood which had amused and intrigued Ed. Faye had confided all sorts of womanly secrets and advice on their shopping trip. Getting new clothes had been fun but even better had been hanging out one on one with Faye. The only downside had been how disconcertingly much there was to know about being a woman. Faye had ended the day with ice cream for them both and a confession that there was a lot more to know and deal with.

Which meant more girltime with Faye-Faye but yeesh some of the shit she'd learned about womanhood made her dread the rest of the stuff she'd have to eventually learn.

But - this vacation was a time for Ed to forget all about that! Her period was over until the next time and now it was back to her usual zany experiments and observations. And today promised to be an absolute doozy.

xxx

Cydonia Festival - Alba City, Mars

Summer 2072

Faye lay on the grass on her back, knees drawn up and shifting to and fro. Her violet hair fanned out against the green of the grass and the green of Spike's hair as he too lay nearby.

She concentrated on breathing in and out, trying to match her inhalations and exhalations with the way the tree branches above seemed to be breathing in the wind that was blowing.

Sometimes she could feel it but sometimes she could only see it in the way the branches moved overhead. The leaves were kaleidoscoping with the blue sky beyond. Blue skies, sunshine...

"I...feel so…" She tried to talk but couldn't come up with the words. An overpowering euphoria seemed to be holding her firmly to the planet. Everything was pulsating or vibrating or melting together.

She reached out towards the sky with a trembling hand, perplexed by her own shaking, and out of nowhere Spike's hand was there to meet hers, gripping it gently in an odd sort of handshake. Their hands were clasped in the air and it was like looking at a balloon tied by their thin arms to the ground. Would their fist simply float apart from their wrists? It seemed to weigh nothing at all. She realized there was no quaking of Spike's limbs and she felt her own muscles calm down in accordance.

She blinked and the world altered around her.

The sun was so warm and the air itself seemed to radiate the same heat she did. Was everything all the same comfortable temperature? It seemed bizarre. How could the air and grassy ground and Spike all be the same temperature as her when her own temperature seemed to be in such flux? Was the heat from her body flowing out into the universe, converting to energy beyond her ken? Were all the cells of her body dissolving and reforming with everything else all at once?

xxx

Hands on his hips, Jet frowned down at his two supposedly adult shipmates. Both were beyond pie-eyed. There was a quality to their gazes that he only ever saw from drug users in the midst of a damn good high. Definitely not Red Eye or any of the uppers he was familiar with. Not just something mundane like marijuana either. At least it seemed like they were having a good time - even if they were incapable of speech at the moment.

Ed came running up with a kite dragging on the ground behind her. The wind simply wasn't enough to keep it aloft, fitful as it was. She was bummed about that but found her disappointment immediately negated when she took in the near-comatose couple sinking into infinity on the grassy slope.

"Oh ho! What do you know! Owsley's old original was the way to go!" She cheered.

Jet gave her a steady look. "What's that? You know what's going on with them?" He asked with a shrug towards the giggling pair, both of whom had managed to roll over to their stomachs and were clinging now to handfuls of grass and soil, trying to converse with one another but only able to shriek and convulse with laughter.

"Weeeeeeell," Ed rubbed the back of her neck. "Ed wasn't sure if it would still be effective," She offered eventually. "Acid doesn't exactly keep forever after all! And ohhhh what a long strange trip it's been!"

"What? Acid?!"

"Mm, it's okay Jet-person! Psychedelics like lysergic acid are good for the mind - when you don't overdo it anyway. Allllllll thiiiings innnnn moderation! Ed considered studying the effects of dimethyltryptamine but Spike-person and Faye-Faye might not be ready for DMT. Less is more with that one! Ayahuasca also could be too much - much - much too much! Gotta have the right head space and theeeeeeey don't." She shrugged. "Some drugs make it better, some drugs make it worse. Best or worst? How about neither! Acid, the gentle option. Acid wash their genes!" Ed was fully shouting by the end of her speech.

Jet gaped at her explanation. "Ed, this is one of those situations where you should get consent before you dive right in."

The look she gave him was pure teenage exasperation. "There's far worse that adults willing do to themselves allllll the time. These lunkheads especially," She gestured at the pair - who had returned to their backs and were now gazing in awe - or possibly bewilderment - at the assortment of colorful balloons rising to the sky from another section of the park where people had gathered to release them.

Unable to argue against Ed's point, particularly since he was just as guilty of excessive drinking and smoking, he rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Look, just… anytime you want to experiment on others you should get their consent. It's important, kiddo."

She rolled her eyes but gave him a nod. "Ed understands. People like to control what they take in and what they put out. They did agree to play games with Ed though..."

Suddenly she spotted Ein running to catch up to them. Clearly she'd left him behind earlier in her quest to get her kite flying. With a wild cry she dropped to all fours and charged towards the approaching corgi which startled Ein into stopping abruptly.

Jet was still dumbfounded by the recent revelation. Ed was giving doses to the others? What kind of research was she up to?! And even more troubling...was he going to have to babysit these fools as they went through their trip? It sure seemed that way given their completely useless state at present.

So much for a quiet day at the park.

No row boat rides - they'd go overboard and drown. No riding the carousel, but would either of them have even done that in the first place? Really, why had he brought anyone here aside from Ed and Ein? This was far from Spike or Faye's scene, although so far they did seem perfectly content to roll around on the ground.

Ed popped up over Jet's shoulder from out of nowhere. He hadn't noticed her sneaking up to jump on him from behind. She clung to his good arm and pried his left eye further open to peer intently at his eyeball.

"Gah! Ed!"

"The truly puzzling piece, Dr. Ein, is why hasn't this specimen responded in an equivalent fashion? Could it be due to body mass? Age? Mindset? An improper calculation? Or perhaps not all of that blotter was as intact as it should have been." Ed let his eyelids go. "Hmmm."

"Wait… you dosed me too?!"

xxx

Later that same day

Still at the Festival...

"Spike-person and Faye-Faye are in looooooove!"

Jet choked on his ramen. "What?" Cough, cough, hack hack, "What's that, Ed?"

The teen used her cotton candy as a microphone and began singing. "L! Is for the way he looks at her!" Ed declared. She then got very serious and adopted an educational tone. "O is for the obvious sexual tension," She waggled her brows at Jet and then at Ein who was perched on the picnic table bench beside her.

"Ed!"

"V is for the very silly flirting," she resumed singing. "E is for the evolution of language that is love between them."

"Okay what does that even mean?"

"It's all in the words, dear Watson!" Ed exclaimed. "Got your back - I love you! Saved you some - I love you! Be careful, lunkhead - I love you!" She looked fully at Jet then. "They love you too. And Ed and Ein of course of course! You just gotta listen for the words that they didn't say."

"Humph," Jet slurped up more of his lunch. "Eat more of your meal. What'd you order anyway?"

"Pork roll, egg, and cheese on a kaiser bun! Annnnnnd milksteak!" She squealed delightedly. Taking two huge chomps of her cotton candy to finish the sweet treat off, she turned her attention to her meal. "Dessert first! Life is short, who wants to die during the soup course?"

"Hey as long as you eat it all I don't care what order you do it in," The ex-cop assured her.

They'd abandoned Spike and Faye to their own devices after Ed had assured him they would be all right and it wasn't likely they'd get into trouble here in the park. She'd had to remind him of how she'd asked everyone to leave their guns at home, a request Spike only acquiesced to when Ed questioned if he needed the gun because he wasn't confident enough in his own hand to hand fighting skills.

Knowing the two weren't armed and only had their own clothing as far as possessions to worry about, Jet had tucked a woolong card into Spike's jacket pocket in case they needed to eat or drink later. Ed had thoughtfully stuffed Spike's pants pockets with glow sticks she had procured from a vendor stall.

With a wave and a shrug they'd taken their leave of the tripping pair and gone on several fun adventures of their own.

Ein had seemed to particularly enjoy the rowboat ride and being able to see his reflection in the water. Ed's favorite part so far had been when a costumed troupe of people in medieval garb had come running up to her, handed her a plastic sword, and begged her to "slay" the dragon-suited person charging in their direction.

Apparently there were all sorts of acting troupes and friend groups dressed in bizarre fashion and enacting interactive scenarios with random strangers. Jet found it exhausting to even witness but privately applauded the folks for their commitment to their arts.

Folks like these would lead some interesting lives but most likely wouldn't end up on Jet's radar. It was always refreshing to be around genuinely good-hearted swaths of humanity whenever possible. Sometimes he worried that he spent too much time scraping at the rough underbelly of society's criminal fringe. It took a toll on a man after a while.

He'd have to thank Ed later for this. It was so easy to lose track of time and let the world slip by while they kept to their depressing routine. Shaking things up was crucial to living a truly worthwhile life.

Ed had befriended everyone she'd encountered so far in the park. The energetic oddball had met her match in so many other zany souls here. It gave Jet a feeling of pride to be able to share this with her and show her that the Bebop crew weren't the only nuts in the galaxy.

For a moment his thoughts shifted to Ed's absent father. The man dearly loved his daughter but was so distracted by his personal pursuits that he barely had time for her. Curiously it was as much a negative thing as it was a point in the man's favor that he allowed Ed to live her own life as she desired. Well, okay he'd accidentally abandoned her when she was little and that was pretty unforgivable but at least Appledelhi had been truly delighted to be reunited with Ed.

Having so many households where she could go and be welcomed could only be a good thing. Never mind that one of the households was a scrapyard, one was a bounty hunting former fishing vessel, and one wasn't a home at all but a series of camping expeditions.

It was impossible not to love Edward. And Edward was very open about her love for everyone else. Maybe she'd stay that way as she aged. It's not like she's been sheltered from the dark side of humanity during her time with the Bebop crew or prior to joining them.

Ed kept them all goofy. She kept them on a light-hearted keel. And her presence on the ship meant that they all tended to try harder to keep food on hand. Lazy days of no sustenance as they drifted through the cosmos was all well and good for grown ass adults, but it wasn't a state any of them wanted for young Ed who certainly needed good food to grow up properly. Having her aboard meant they pulled together better as a team which in turn meant they all ate better, slept better, and lived a happier life.

Her earnest heart was something to be cherished and protected as much as possible. Ed, so wild and smart, yet somehow so untouched by the bitterness that engulfed the lives and minds and hearts of basically all adults. She was often a step or two ahead of the rest of them, and yet she was still the one they all sought to protect and defend. To keep her smiling and bright-hearted, to keep her optimistic and idealistic…

Which meant he was thinking about the last exchange with Doohan when they'd gone to pick Ed up for a slew of bounties in between her upcoming races.

Doohan had brought up how Edward was old enough to be taught to drive (cars, mono racers, speedboats, basically anything he could put a motor in) and suggested maybe she should get some self defense training started too. The older man had been adamant about Ed's education, in fact. He was trying to teach her all about tools, motorbikes and hovercraft and everything that moved. And he was hinting strongly that it was up to Jet and Spike and Faye to start teaching Ed gun safety.

Spike and Faye had been against it initially but Jet himself was receptive to the idea. He'd even pointed out that Ed already mimicked Spike when he worked out. Really, they lead such dangerous lives that - if Ed herself was interested - they should train her in all their skill sets to give her every edge possible.

"So if the worst happened and she was kidnapped-" Doohan had suggested, only for Spike to cut him off with a shout about not letting that happen. Shaking his head at Spike's automatic defense, the mechanic went on with his argument. "All right, forget that, let's say instead that she makes a friend. Maybe it's a good person. Maybe it's a girl, maybe it's a boy. Maybe whoever it is turns out to have the wrong intentions after all. Wouldn't you want Ed to be able to take care of herself and get out of any tricky situations?"

Grumpy mumbling from Spike. Then, "Ed is already good at getting out of trouble."

Doohan sighed, rolled his eyes. "Sure, kid. Good at getting out of it, probably just as good as you at getting into it. I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to get her trained up some. Beyond just going fast the way I've been teaching."

By that point, Faye had been persuaded. "I mean, she's young for sure but… well, he's not wrong. It's better for her to know how to use one and never need to. Training her in self-defense is fine, Spike, I'm not arguing against that by any means but if she has a broken leg? Knowing how to use a gun is just… I mean it's just common sense at this point. She needs to know."

"Look, no one is saying to run out and get her an uzi," Doohan added, seeing Spike's resolve give way in the face of their valid arguments. "Hell, train her with real guns but then arm her with a tranq for a few years! That way she'll know her way around an actual weapon but she won't kill anyone accidentally."

Spike scowled. "I don't like it one bit." He huffed. "But I guess I learned earlier than her anyway. Fuck it. Fine."

It had been interesting to observe that of all of them it was Spike who most considered Ed to be still a child. Faye had been unwilling to admit that Ed was growing up but she had also come around the quickest when presented with the reminder that the universe was a shitty place full of danger and assholes. Not surprising when you considered what women had to deal with since time immemorial. Jet was unhappy about acknowledging that Ed might someday need these life lessons but he was 100% on board with doing everything possible to keep Ed safe. And that meant giving her the life skills to take care of herself.

People were slaves to love, Jet decided. He himself had been guilty of being overprotective with his love before. Too controlling, though not in the ways anyone who heard that phrase would imagine. He'd never restricted Alisa's lifestyle, never spurned her friends or family, and gave her all the freedom he thought she needed. But in retrospect it had never been what she wanted. You could love someone with your whole heart, but you had to let them live their life their way.

He had provided Alisa with everything except himself. Hooked on the job, addicted to the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction that came with locking up another criminal and making the world just a touch safer. He hadn't realized he was denying Alisa the only thing she truly wanted and needed… someone to be *with* her, not someone to build her a gilded cage that kept her sheltered from the world.

People couldn't live in cages, no matter how much love there might be.

It had taken a return to Ganymede and a confrontation with his ex for him to truly understand the life lessons he'd been taught from their failed relationship. Taking a good hard look at yourself was never easy but Jet had done so. He needed to understand how he had screwed up so he could avoid repeating those mistakes. He needed to accept his own weaknesses and flaws.

He wasn't ready to jump back into the dating game. Despite the fun of hooking up with VT recently, he found he still wasn't ready to pursue anything more substantial. There was personal work he needed to focus on before he would be ready to share his heart with another person.

Curiously, Spike and Faye were both individuals that Jet assumed felt the same as him. They'd had love in some form here or there in the past and it had changed their lives. Neither of them ever tried to bring home a stranger from the bar, nor did either of them spend any nights in hotel rooms to avoid awkwardness back on the Bebop.

While Faye's ensemble often hinted at a sexy interlude, it was never actually on the table. Really, for all Jet knew she could be a virgin still. And Spike, so hung up on his ex… well, okay, so Jet hadn't even known there was an ex for several years. Spike wasn't very talkative about his past or his feelings. There'd always been a peculiar sort of melancholic sorrow that hung around the lanky cowboy, but Jet would have put money down that it hadn't been due to a woman. Heartbreak, who knew?

Julia. Beautiful and ordinary and dangerous. Dead and gone for months now.

And Spike still mourned her. Perhaps he always would. Grief was difficult to predict, and love wasn't much less confusing.

Ed's announcement at lunch had been almost alarming at first. As an ex-cop, Jet prided himself on knowing what was going on at all times, of having a sense of what wasn't said, of understanding the emotional intricacies between two or more people.

It had been the type of awareness that had saved his life during his days on the force and had helped him gauge situations since being a bounty hunter. For Edward to casually blurt out such an announcement had taken him off guard and he was still reeling from the potential ramifications.

Jet thought back to how Spike had taken Faye's hand earlier. He considered how they were often in each other's space even when they didn't need to be. How many times had they all been crowded around the monitor or Ed's computer with Faye leaning on Spike's shoulder or vice versa? How many times had they purposely antagonized each other for no reason? And like a cherry on top… hadn't he even seen Spike dancing with Faye at the cantina one night?

"Well, shit, maybe you're right, Ed. They are awfully touchy feely hey?"

She nodded repeatedly. "Methinks they protest too much," Ed added pompously.

"Yeah...yeah they do fight an awful lot don't they," Jet mused, warming to the subject now that he was giving it more thought.

"Yup yup yup!" Her plate was empty. "Lonely hearts call to one another! Oh, so touching." She scrambled to her feet and pulled Ein into her arms. "Papa Jet, let's go take Ein for a walk back to the ship. It's been a long day for such little legs and we've still got a lot of the night ahead of us!"

xxx

Hours Later

Cydonia Music Festival

Music Stage

They found their friends later because Ed noticed Faye, wearing a light-up crown, riding Spike's shoulders and therefore sitting above the crowd. Spike's face was painted like a tiger and there was an entire cosmic scene spray painted onto Faye's bare neck, breasts, and stomach. Spike's usual blue suit jacket was on Faye, hanging open on her upper body, and Spike himself had somehow procured a red velvet, fur trimmed, floor length robe which he was wearing over the rest of his rumpled suit. There were countless bracelets, bangles, and raver candy wrapped around Faye's wrists.

Clearly they managed to make friends and acquire new accoutrements. Faye was dangling a mostly depleted slap bag of wine from one hand while her other was tangled loosely in Spike's fro. Both of his arms were wrapped around her legs to keep her securely balanced as she swayed to the music.

It was a ridiculous scene.

"Found 'em, Mon Capitan!" Ed called out to Jet. She grabbed his robotic hand and tugged him along to where she had seen Faye above the rest of the audience. "Hehehe, we are stardust, we are golden!" Edward sang out as she came to a stop next to the bedraggled and bemused and still considerably doped up pair.

"Jeez, Spike-o," Jet said, taking in his partner's unusual appearance. He glanced briefly up at Faye, sitting blissed out and utterly unaware on Spike's shoulders. Her starry eyes were fixed on the stage and the band that was tearing it up. Jet was still too polite to let his gaze linger on the half naked woman.

"Yo, Jet," Spike returned, giving the ex-cop a crooked grin. "Today's been a trip." He looked briefly and suspiciously at Ed. "Can't say it was a bad time though."

"We made it for the encore!" Ed enthused, clambering bodily onto Jet's shoulders and standing up there with ease. Jet had frozen solid when he felt her feet by his ears.

"Ed!"

"Reeeeeelax. Take it eeeeeaaaasy!" She shouted. "Flow like the water, find the balance and find your happiness!"

Perturbed but aware that Ed was not about to calm down or climb down apparently, Jet decided to trust in her acrobatics and tried to pretend nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

The band had gone from a rousing song about no rest for the wicked and was rolling seamlessly into their next tune - something about strange times. Jet wasn't familiar with the band or the music, but surprisingly he could hear Faye's voice singing along to some parts. Judging by the motions he could feel from Ed's shifting feet on his broad shoulders, she was playing some air guitar or an air drum set.

He shook his head slowly and felt a smile creeping across his face. These people were some dangerous fucking weirdos but he was sure happy they were his.

xxx

Days Later…

In Space…

Spike wanted to blame the marijuana. Definitely the cannabis contributed to some degree at any rate. Weeks, perhaps even months ago now, watching the drummer outside the bar show Faye how to shotgun hit a joint had done something unexpected to him.

There had been a moment, watching her face and lips get so close to that of the other man, waiting with his own breath held as her eyes fluttered closed and her chest filled as she inhaled.

He hadn't ever gotten very jealous over Faye. Sometimes the attention she garnered made him uncomfortable but for the most part he had never cared much one way or the other. Well, okay, so he had always had some modicum of concern over the potential fallout of any situation Faye's overt sexuality was a part of. He had never much been a fan of using her as bait even if she tended to be perfectly willing.

Maybe it was some old gentlemanly values shining through. Maybe he just knew too well the darkness that lurked in men and didn't want to see her fall prey to that type of evil. Now that it had happened right under his nose he wasn't about to ever let it happen again. But on the other hand, it was her body and her choice.

He was well aware that beautiful women in danger were a particular weakness he had. The urge to be the protector - the savior. It had gotten him into trouble time and time again.

And with Faye it was twisted around all funny.

He'd first approached her at the casino because she was the most attractive woman on that entire floating den of sin. Sitting at her table had been a no-brainer that had turned his world on its side.

But he'd been emotionally unavailable and anyway she hadn't tried to entice him or Jet once. He wondered if it was because she had sensed the futility of it ahead of time. Could she have known that neither was the type of man to be swayed by feminine wiles? She was fairly perceptive after all.

She provoked all sorts of emotions from him, truth be told. Prior to her arrival on the ship he had lived a half-life of apathy and action. He and Jet got along well because neither man cared to talk much and both were easygoing. They argued over bounties and meals but typically their issues were resolved or set aside as unimportant within a few minutes. Most of the time he'd been on the Bebop with just Jet, Spike had spent sleeping, working out, eating, napping, helping with research and stakeouts, undergoing spurts of excitement and adventure, then back to sleep. It had been a fairly rewarding existence really.

Fast forward to Faye's intermittent presence on the ship and suddenly Spike's world had gone from comfortable black-and-white to a jarring explosion of color and emotion that had him riled up in some way all the time.

She was so loud. So present. So nosey.

She teased and taunted. She was all soft edges and sharp words.

She was also a crack shot and a talented flyer and while she got dramatic she never really lost her cool in life or death situations. She could think on her feet and anticipate what his own actions would be. He never had to worry that she'd abandon him in the heat of a firefight and he knew she would be right there to patch him up whenever he got hurt.

It was the softness she exuded that gave him pause. That touch of vulnerability that was just beneath her abrasive and sarcastic veneer. She could fool others but no one else on the Bebop missed the truth of Faye Valentine. Crunchy exterior, gooey marshmallow interior. Just the kind of thing that attracted Spike like a moth to flame.

He had felt the need to protect her before, of course. He often felt the need to protect the others on the Bebop - Jet included. Caring about their welfare was one of the foundations of Spike Spiegel, Bounty Hunter extraordinaire. So maybe Faye wasn't any more of a special consideration than Jet since Spike was equally determined to see the other cowboy through to the other side of every fight they found themselves in. And he knew just what to expect from Jet as well. Jet and Faye were both more than capable of handling themselves and covering Spike's back while they were at it. But he often found himself paying extra attention to Faye's location and whatever she might be up against.

Her competence, though he often gave her shit about it, was never the issue. He just needed to make sure she was all right. To keep an eye on her just in case because the universe is a terrifying place full of uncertainty and you never knew which breath would be your last. Call him a sentimental fool but he wanted his crewmates' to live rich full lives for as long as possible.

Lately though it's been harder and harder to keep on as he had been before his most recent death. Every day he woke up with a need to be alive. To be active. To talk and be heard. To experience the world with his friends.

It was invigorating but also peculiar. He didn't know how to handle his extra energy and enthusiasm. His uncharacteristic exuberance also seemed to baffle Jet and Faye. Reeling still from grief, even he had been at a loss for how to proceed until they found themselves getting stoned at a bar on TJ.

He had felt mellowed out. Chilled back to his normal cool cat mentality. Able to sit back and watch the world go by without needing to be a part of it. He felt like he was able to glean a deeper perspective on everything around him.

Which also triggered another cascade of Faye-related pondering. Because he had been paying her too much attention recently. Distracted by her, really. Whether it was the fragrance that hung in the air after her shower or the way her clothes lay on her body or the promise of a good time that glimmered in her eyes whenever she truly looked at him. It all wound him up in ways he hadn't expected.

Fuck but she turned him on. And he was positive the little minx knew exactly the effect she was having on him.

But two could play at that game and it would be interesting to see how far he could push it. How long could he torment them both in this childish fashion? He'd never been one to back down from a challenge and he'd never had a woman so much his match and equal to pit his wits against.

Anyway, it was the marijuana that had kindled his thoughts on the enigma that was Faye and it was the marijuana that was helping him figure himself out again. And if he could figure out where Jet had stashed the grass, he could spin up a joint to see if Faye wanted to shotgun again. Maybe the marijuana would keep taking them down this fun new path of living.

xxx

Faye walked up the short steps leading from the shower and laundry rooms, tousling her freshly washed hair as she went. Spike and Jet were both on the couch in front of the monitor screen, each had a bowl of cereal in his lap and a goofy expression on his face. The ashtray in front of them held a decent collection of roaches and cig butts.

"What are you guys watching?" She asked as she walked through to get to the kitchen. Their cereal idea had been a good one at least. She surveyed the options - how wild that they had options to choose from! - and immediately decided against the chocolate frosted sugar bombs, no doubt the contents of Spike's bowl, and the oatmeal which was assuredly Jet's breakfast. He'd left the counter a sticky mess from the honey and brown sugar he'd added. Faye had watched him prepare the concoction enough times to know his tastes and that, unlike Spike, eventually Jet would be back to clean up his mess.

Settling on yogurt, Faye moseyed back out to the living area to see the guys still in their stupor. "Well?" She said, standing next to the chair where Ein had apparently posted up.

"C'mere Faye, we can make room for ya," Spike cajoled, shifting to the side to make space on the couch. Jet, grinning and puffing away, did the same after Spike called, "Yo, Jet," to catch his attention.

Rolling her eyes, she moved to sit between them. Finally able to see what was on the screen, she chuckled at them. "Really boys? Saturday morning cartoons? First off, it's Wednesday. Secondly, Ed isn't even here today. What are you guys, twelve?"

"If Ed were here we wouldn't be smoking like this," Jet stated firmly. His serious face dissolved into a smile and he passed the joint to Faye beside him.

"She's only a few years from being able to make the choice to do whatever she wants to her lungs and with her body," Faye noted.

"Ugh, no talk like that - it's time for cartoons. Besides, it isn't Wednesday, it's Friday. Somewhere." Spike grumped. Faye blew her hit in his face before passing him the joint. He stuck out his tongue at her in response.

"You mean it's five o'clock somewhere. Not that it's Friday somewhere. Days of the week, pah." She gave a happy little sigh as the weed began to kick in and her thoughts started to stray. The animated show was starting to seem like the right call.

Spike poked her in the shoulder and she lazily lifted her left hand to accept the joint back again. Being the person in the middle of a rotation was the best because you got to hit the joint everytime it passed you by.

It had nearly burned down to the crutch when Spike nudged her knee with his own. She looked over in confusion when he didn't pass it to her but instead straightened up on the couch.

He gave her a tender little smile. It, much like the appreciative look he was giving her, made butterflies dance in her stomach. It was a recent development and she wasn't entirely sure if she was comfortable with the way things seemed to be heading.

Being shipmates and teammates and even - she could admit it without sounding begrudging - friends were all roles she was growing familiar with. They brought her varying degrees of security and she cherished what she had managed to swindle for a life and a family in this future that was her world now.

The jittery way she was beginning to respond to entreaties from Spike was proof enough that she was far from unaffected by the intensity of his attention. He wasn't the most handsome man but he appealed to her on pretty much every level and had ever since he sat at her table in the casino so long ago.

The attraction had naturally been there from the get-go. A slow simmer, nothing hurried about it at all. For good reason neither of them had been trusting of the other and that lack of trust alone would have forestalled anything deeper than a teasing flirt to say nothing of how his heart had been so thoroughly claimed long before Faye had ever met him.

She didn't want to think about any of that.

She wanted to be higher or maybe somewhat drunk. Spike was still looking at her instead of watching the cartoon. How long had she been daydreaming while he stared?

But the joint was still going in between his thin fingers. It hadn't been hardly any time at all. Cannabis affected the perception of time so strangely.

Spike was nudging her again and she frowned at him in consternation. "What?"

"You gonna take this joint or what?" He asked.

He hadn't passed it to her before. She may be stoned but she was positive that he'd baited her for attention and then never tried to give her the joint. Was he playing with her? Trying to provoke a reaction? She'd give him one, that's for sure!

Faye twisted her upper body and leaned over into his personal space, grasping his right arm with her left to steady herself. She let her eyelids droop just a touch and stared right back into his mismatched eyes with a challenge broadcast from hers.

"Shotgun me, Spike," She requested in a firm voice, low and sultry. She brought her right arm to his chest to fiddle with his loosened tie. Why did he ever bother with it when he never had it tightened properly anyway?

She felt his chest move as he took in a breath, exhaled, and then put the joint backwards between his lips. He tilted his head towards her and waited in place for her to surge up against him to meet his face and take a drag.

Their lips never touched but the intimacy of the shared method of smoking was undeniable. Definitely not as PG as the cartoons still playing on the monitor.

"Oh jeez, get a room, ya filthy animals!" Jet hollered, pushing Faye fully onto Spike with a laugh.

Spike immediately began spluttering as he swallowed the joint, ember first. Even the sudden press of Faye's soft lips against his wasn't much distraction from the burning roach hitting the back of his throat.

He tried to turn from Faye before erupting into a coughing fit but the next thing he knew they were both in a pile on the floor between the table and the couch. Faye was squawking, Spike was hacking up a lung, and Jet was still laughing his ass off at the result of his teasing shove.

Sometime later… still stoned in the living room...

"Okay, so Jet, we all know you can't roll for shit with that tech arm, so you're off the hook here but Spike what the fuck is your excuse for this bullshit joint?" Faye complained, struggling to draw a quality hit from the shabby bit of roach still half lit but faltering the way it had been the entire time they were smoking it.

"I mean it burned didn't it?" Spike countered irritably.

"Seems to me if it had burned properly certain loudmouth ladies might be a tad more docile," Jet noted with a half grin.

Faye and Spike both favored him with a glare.

"All right, all right. Faye, would you kindly spin us up one more? Ed gets back tomorrow and I don't want us smoking up the ship too bad." He nodded decisively. "Hmph! So let's get good and baked now!"

Faye laughed at his speech. "Yeah, yeah - we'll calm down on the grass, man," She teased as she pulled the rolling tray and all its contents onto her lap. Then, thinking better of it, she turned to the side where Spike was again sprawled next to her on the couch and she put the tray on his lap. "C'mon, cowboy. Jet grows it and I roll it so you gotta pitch in and break it up."

Spike stayed in his slouch, despite how awkward it likely was to grind up the weed in front of him, and obliged his crewmates. The joint he'd rolled earlier had indeed canoed like mad but it had done its job in taking the edge off for him at least, making him much more agreeable to deal with.

Besides, he still had the faint impression of Faye's lips touching his own, and that was a distraction he needed to clear away with a haze of smoke.

xxx

To the cloud, Space Cowboy!