Earth Orbit
August 14th
The three bounty hunters considered the large wooden crate in front of them on the flight deck of the Bebop.
They had just arrived at the orbiting space station that resided in rotation opposite the shattered moon of Earth and before they could even disembark there was a commotion from outside when the Interplanetary Express delivery service arrived with the crate. At least paying the fee was easy enough because they were still relatively flush from the bounties they'd been collecting.
"Well. What do you think it is?" Faye asked, sparking up a cigarette.
"Beats me. I've been ordering parts from all over so it could be anything," Jet admitted.
"It's addressed to all of us," Spike noted. He'd leaned in towards the box to read the small print on the label. He smirked and kicked the crate, immediately rewarded with the sound of a squeal. "Let me clarify, it's addressed to my lady Faye-Faye, Jet Black Doggy Dog, Spike-person of the year and Einstein the Incredible." He chuckled. "Better get the crowbar so we can pry Ed outta here."
"Oh for fuck's sake," Faye cried. "Weren't we supposed to pick her up later today? Did we get the days wrong?"
"No, this is definitely when Doohan said she'd be done with her races." Jet said, although a note of doubt had crept into his voice. What the fuck day was it anyway?
In short order they'd managed to bust into the crate, though it had been more like a ground-level explosion of a pinata's contents. From the rubble of candy, noise makers, crepe paper streamers, balloons, a cylinder shaped silver tank, and more detritus emerged Edward, wearing a floor length dark pink satin evening gown definitely not her size and opera gloves.
"SURPRISE!" Ed cried out as she threw her arms wide and wrapped Faye in a hug. "You play your cards so close to the chest but the internet knows all! Spike-person was still Mr Mummy for his - how boring! So Ed waited until today for Faye!"
"What about today?" Faye asked disinterestedly, continuing to let Ed clutch her tightly while blowing her cig smoke away from the young hacker.
"What about today?!" Ed screeched, releasing the other woman. "Well what day is it?" She demanded, hands on hips as she looked from one adult to the next. "Well?"
Jet and Spike and Faye traded bewildered looks. None ventured any attempt at a response. What day was it indeed? They all had a shared recollection of just the other day debating what day of the week it had been and there had been no agreed upon correct answer. What did any day matter for any of them? Days and nights all blended together when your life was spent traveling in the stars and every planet had a different cycle to adjust for.
Ed was not about to be distracted from her crusade. She huffed and began gathering various items to her person, clearly intent on loading all her stuff into the Bebop. Spike and Jet moved to grab some of the debris, sharing another confused glance as they wondered what all she was bringing aboard when the Ed they knew usually traveled much lighter. Had she even had any possessions beyond her computer when she was with them last?
"It is a very special day!" Ed enthused as they made their way into the ship. From somewhere in the bowels of the ship, Ein came trotting excitedly up to Ed as the humans entered the living area. "Don't you know what today is, Faye-Faye?"
Linking her hands together behind her head, Faye glanced at her male crewmates and received blank looks in reply. She gave a semblance of a shrug. "Ed I don't have any idea where we are in the calendar if I'm being honest with you."
Ed began jumping around in increased delight. "Then this will be the best surprise party ever! Faye-Faye, it is your birthday today!"
Well. That hadn't been something Faye herself was even aware of. She hadn't known her own birthdate when she awoke and if it had been a detail discovered later, well, she hadn't bothered committing it to memory apparently because this came as quite a surprise to the gambler.
Spike and Jet shared a surprised look of their own but neither knew what to say to this revelation.
As always, their reactions mattered not to Edward who had come in hot on her mission to celebrate Faye's birthday with the crew and was not about to be dissuaded just because none of them could be bothered to care. Birthdays obviously didn't matter to any of the others but they were something that mattered to Ed. Sharing milestones was a big deal!
"Ed brought special limes! To make pie! Sweet and tart, like you Faye-Faye! Smart and tart and looooooovely as a work of art!" She tilted her head to look at Jet. "Can you help Ed make special dessert?"
"Oh, sure, Ed. Lemme go see what's in the kitchen in case we need to go to the store. Why don't you bring in all that other crap you brought? Don't want anyone stealing shit off the deck." The ex-cop then turned his attention to the other two. "Well… I guess since it's your birthday I can't ask you to do much, Faye. Spike-o, wanna handle fueling up? Since we don't have to go down to Earth to pick Ed up we may as well stay docked here for a bit. But let's take care of business before we go throwing any parties!"
It was a welcome shock to have Ed show up out of the blue. Since taking up racing on Earth she'd been off the ship more than on it lately. Granted, they'd been on their way to retrieve her so she hadn't *needed* to hitchhike to them but Ed was nothing if not committed to her cause of showering Faye in as many birthday surprises as possible.
One such surprise was the crew's discovery that Ed had somehow managed to procure nitrous to fill the balloons rather than the traditional helium. Jet, Spike, and Faye had taken advantage of that fortuitous screw up and spent several hours that night giggling as they all rolled about on the floor of the communal living space. Ed, who hadn't inhaled any of the balloon gas, was delighted at the happy - if goofy - mood of her companions and kept entertaining them with her peculiar dances and songs until she finally fell asleep on the couch.
Dazed and amused, Faye found her feet after hours of laughter and lolling about. Jet had stumbled off to his room not long ago, shortly after Ed passed out in fact. And Spike had disappeared somewhere as well. Lost in the delirium of the nitrous, Faye hadn't noticed his departure, but Spike's location was not really her concern.
Moving to the kitchen to help herself to the last of the key lime pie that Jet and Ed had made for her, Faye let her mind roam through what she could remember about birthdays and her own in particular. Naturally she hadn't celebrated in years and sadly she had very few recollections of birthday celebrations prior to her accident and the cryo freezing. But, even those vague memories seemed to pale in comparison to the surprise party Ed threw for her. Without doubt, her first post-freeze birthday celebration was the best she'd ever had.
xxx
Days Later
Mars - en route from Alva City to Alba City
"This is your captain speaking, with just a little flight information...uhhh...coming up on the left we're going to be catching a glimpse of the Grand Martian Canyon. On the right you can be able to see the Mars Rover Dam in just a ...a few minutes. We're flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet and our air speed is four hundred miles an hour… Couple a little facts here, I'm packing a Colt King Cobra. That's a .357 caliber firearm with a black rubber-grip and a six inch barrel. Also, the co-pilot is carrying a Kimber Custom defense pistol with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a custom gun of that kind with an alloy frame and bevel treatment on the entire gun and our Chief Flight Attendant Roger has a uh Ruger Bearcat, that .22 with a hand-fluted cylinder. All three are capable of piercing body armor at a distance of up to twenty-seven feet and you can put a hole in human bone and flesh the size of the Grand Martian Canyon, which by the way is coming up on the left hand side of the plane, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of your flight…"
"Yeesh and I thought in flight announcements during my time were overly informative." Faye muttered, pushing her tray table up to lock into the seat back in front of her.
"Gotta dissuade any would-be terrorists from the get-go, no one wants to be stuck traveling longer than possible. Or being subverted to some weird destination instead of their goal." Spike had the complimentary inflight eye mask over his eyes. The image on the outside was of distinctly feminine eyes sporting heavily dolled up makeup. The orange color of the eye shadow clashed strongly with Spike's mossy hair.
Faye eyed her partner with disapproval. He wasn't taking this bounty seriously at all.
Then again it was another easy one. A young pair of siblings - Maurice and Mouse Meinfraum - who had been dabbling in space piracy and were starting to attract a lot of attention for the items they pilfered. Or, to be more precise, it wasn't so much the items being important but rather the people they had swindled were the cantankerous type of wealthy that didn't take kindly to thieves robbing them of the goods they'd so painstakingly hoarded away.
To be fair, Faye considered the thieves to be the lesser evil in this situation. She didn't have much respect for rich bitches who tried to possess everything fancy and fine while treating their subordinates like crap. And really, was there any other type of rich person? The trio that had reached out to the Bebop crew to wrangle up the thieves had been hell to deal with. She and Spike had instantly recoiled from dealing with them and left Jet to handle the prim and proper and pissy people. They'd hopped in their zip craft and headed to Alva City to board the flight that Maurice and Mouse were rumored to be on.
Unlike Spike, Faye had been keeping a sharp eye out for anyone matching their description. Mouse, a woman with electric orange hair and red eyes wearing a white tank top and black leggings. Maurice, a man dressed like an old time Earth gangster who carried a guitar case with him everywhere. Whether or not he was an accomplished musician, hell, whether or not there was a guitar in the case itself… these details were unknown and immaterial. But Faye did wonder.
So far she hadn't seen any sign of them in the commercial section of the flight, but there were additional portions of the airplane that she hadn't explored yet. First Class, which would be a bit tough to sneak into, and then the Economy Section which was in the rear of the plane. Most likely they would be in the back portion but if it had been Faye herself she would have certainly smuggled herself into the front to be pampered.
"All right, lunkhead, I'm gonna see if I can get to the front. You staying here or gonna scope the back end?" Faye asked as she stood and adjusted her sweater. It was always a good thing to check that your weapon hadn't been jostled out of position before going into a potentially dangerous situation. A snore was Spike's only response and Faye made a disgusted noise as she left her partner behind to make her way up the aisle.
At least the flight attendants she'd seen so far were all male. She stood a much better chance of finangling her way to the front when she could use her feminine wiles against the weak minds and surging libidos of the common man. Let Spike sleep, she decided, she was gonna bring this bounty in solo and reap all the rewards herself!
xxx
"I don't wanna hurt no one!" Maurice exclaimed, ducking away behind another passenger. "I'm a lover! Not a fighter! A grinner! Okay, maybe a sinner too…"
"Ugh, shut up!" Faye shouted. She was in no mood to deal with this chatterbox.
She'd been pleasantly surprised to find one half of her bounty target enjoying the luxury of first class. Apparently Mouse had good taste and treated herself well whenever she could! A girl after Faye's own heart.
The hacker space pirate had been passed out in a cushy chair with an empty bottle of champagne and a plate of strawberry stems and chocolate crumbs from a decadent dessert. Passed out was all well and good but Faye wasn't about to make her own job harder so she casually used the handheld tranq to ensure the woman remained unconscious until she could be turned in for cash. After the ease of that, she hadn't known what to expect from the woman's partner.
Spike had still been asleep - or feigning it at any rate - when she strode by on her way to the rear of the plane. She'd smacked his fro as she moved past and told him that she had Mouse handcuffed in the front if he wanted to get off his lazy ass and keep an eye on that bounty head while Faye continued to track down the other.
It meant he'd have room to argue for a cut of the bounty, but Faye was more interested in maintaining possession of these bounty heads than in claiming all the cash herself. She'd finally come around to the perhaps obvious realization that it was better to share a win than to all suffer a loss together due to their competitive nature. Granted, this line of logic didn't always keep her on the right track but it was helping her improve herself bit by bit.
Growling, she advanced on Maurice.
He'd been in the economy section trying to blend into a bachelorette party of all things but his peculiar attire only gave him the air of a pimp and none of those ladies were having any part of it. It had only been a matter of time before the flight attendants would be required to step in and that's about when Faye arrived on the scene. Maurice, in a show of intellect, cottoned on almost instantly to Faye's intention but that could have been because she pulled her gun on him as soon as she saw him.
He'd ditched his guitar case to scramble away from the drunk women and began playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Faye as he clambered over sitting passengers, kicking people in the shoulders or face, and trying to keep the seats or other people between himself and Faye with her weapon.
Swearing at the indignity of having to crawl and climb and jump after this fool, Faye holstered her gun and took a page out of Ed's book by gauging where he'd be and leaping to that location just as he arrived. Landing on Maurice's back, Faye's momentum carried them both crashing into the narrow aisle. He squirmed beneath her aggressively, managing at last to roll himself over onto his back, but Faye promptly drew her arm back and slugged him in the face with all the force she could muster.
It fucking hurt.
She howled in startled pain and tried to shake out her hand but that only added agony.
Suddenly Spike's hand was there, catching her wrist gently in his firm grip and keeping her wounded knuckles stationary. He was chuckling at her as he bent over from his standing position to take her hand in both of his and carefully uncurl her throbbing fist. He straightened out each of her fingers individually and pressed softly at various points. His eyes stayed on her face to read her reactions to the pressure he exerted and eventually he reached the pinky and then released her hand entirely.
"Nothing broken at least, well, maybe his nose," Spike straightened up and nudged the knocked-out Maurice with his shoe. "Next time use some brass knuckles if you wanna bust up someone's face. Much easier on your own hand that way."
Faye sniffed. "Whatever. Where's Mouse? You didn't let her get away, did you?"
Spike snorted and took her by her good hand to pull her to her feet. "We lucked out. There's an air marshal on board so I just turned her over to him. We can do the same with this lug," He added. "Nice work, cowgirl."
Against her will, Faye felt herself flushing slightly at the compliment. "Well, you just looked so peaceful sleeping ...how could I expect you to exert yourself by helping out?"
"Ah Faye, I knew you had it in the bag. I just came along for the complimentary snacks."
She frowned and eyed him sharply, only just now noticing how his pockets were all bulging with small plastic booze bottles and baggies of some sort of salty chip or pretzel.
"I can't take you anywhere!" She exclaimed. Leaning closer, she added in a whisper, "did you leave anything for me?"
Shaking his head, Spike put a foot on Maurice's chest - who was starting to stir - and pushed her towards the back of the plane. "There's a whole cart I couldn't even get to with you causing such a ruckus in my way," He mentioned. "The flight attendant should be sending the marshal to collect this guy in a bit. Make your moves fast, Romani!"
xxx
Any Old Day 2072
Chilling on the Bebop
"So I've noticed you expanding your wardrobe," Spike said, apropos of nothing.
Faye wandered into the living room from the kitchen to lean against the wall with a mug of coffee in her hands. She gave her lanky partner a thoughtful look. "Oh is that so?"
He waved absently at her current attire - a dark pair of Capri length athletic leggings, an oversized sweatshirt with the faded words "compost the rich" on it that hung to her thighs and had sleeves so long they threatened to overtake her hands, and, though he had no way of knowing it, she had a workout top underneath that. It was comfortable as hell.
She preened under his attention. "Mmm, yeah. Well I figured I bought all this stuff over the years might as well actually put it on once in a while."
"It's very telling, you know," He gave her a wink.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Faye demanded, straightening up and nearly spilling her coffee with the abrupt motion.
"Well," Spike dragged out the word thoughtfully. "Even when you change into those scraps you sleep in, you change back into your two piece immediately after waking up or getting clean or whatever. Like you always have to be in your armor. Ready to roll. You've had one foot out the door for as long as I've known you."
She narrowed her eyes at him but gave his words some thought. It wasn't quite accurate but it was pretty damn close. She did use her yellow ensemble to distract or encourage others to disregard her as unimportant and unintelligent like most busty bimbos. It was the easiest outfit to achieve all the necessary effects on the standard male mind and libido.
And truthfully she hadn't been ready to commit to this ship. She sipped her coffee as she pondered further.
She had been constantly waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under her. When Ed left and Spike faced off against Vicious it had nearly happened but looking back now it seemed more like a magic trick. Oh, the rug had still been yanked. Her world had rocked. But in the end she had been left standing and the world around her hadn't changed much. Except, maybe… instead of having a slippery rug under her feet, maybe now she was on firm ground.
So... maybe... she felt like she didn't need to be ready to run anymore.
That wasn't the only reason she'd branched out to other attire. She'd also come to the realization that she could be seductive in anything. She'd always suspected, after all, she knew she cleaned up well but lately she had been feeling even more confident in herself.
She didn't want to accredit the acid trip that Ed had set her on, but it would be silly to think that hadn't played into it just a little. Meeting so many people, who were all dressed in varying degrees of bizarre clothing or a notable lack thereof, had been eye-opening.
People were so comfortable in their own skin, whether they had on a costume of dragon scales or pieces of fur in strategic places or literally nothing but glitter. There had been a decided absence of modesty or shame. Pure self assurance radiated from those people regardless of what they wore and it gave them all a beauty that was undeniable.
It had given her new appreciation for all the clothes she'd been splurging on and hadn't yet felt right wearing. So now she'd been donning dresses and skirts and outfits like her present one. She was embracing her femininity in ways that still left her ready to kick ass. And no matter what she wore she knew she could dominate the attention of the room.
So Spike had noticed, huh? Well, he was a rather clever guy. Still, it tickled something in her to know he'd paid enough attention not just to be aware of her costume changes but to have considered it enough to have drawn his own conclusions about it.
Hah, so this is how things were going to go? She couldn't deny that she'd wondered. She'd found him attractive from the first time he slipped into her life and took a seat at her table. There was simply no point in pretending he wasn't good looking. As long as you liked lanky, lean, poofy-haired assholes.
But she'd never really let herself imagine anything developing between them. Despite some lighthearted banter that could be construed as flirting, they hadn't ever sought that sort of connection out prior to his rebirth. Though to be fair they'd both had plenty of other things on their minds.
He had been running from his past while chasing rumors. She had been running from her debts while chasing rumors of her past.
With Jet as a mediator and their decision maker, neither of them ever had to motivate on their own. They could let life happen to them and react to the portions they felt like. With Ed as a distraction, they never needed to free themselves from their dark thoughts because she'd happen along and effortlessly pull them into her nonsense. They could hide in plain sight from the things that haunted them.
Sleep through as many hours as you can. Drug yourself with nicotine, tobacco, liquor, cannabis, adrenaline...sex? Hmm well that line of thinking brought her right back to Spike and her suspicions about his mindset lately.
Her coffee was long gone, drunk steadily as she'd given herself over to her thoughts. Spike was still gazing at her, a softness to his expression that suggested she didn't need to answer his question because he knew the truth and was just finding pleasure in looking at her.
Apparently he had more than just bedroom thoughts on his mind though because he broke the quiet and her train of thought by saying "Don't get me wrong, you look good, but can you use that sweatshirt in a fight or is it just going to trap you?"
"It's loose enough to shrug it off with no trouble," She said. "What exactly do you mean by using it? Get changed and show me!" She turned around to put her empty mug in the kitchen and grinned to herself. Sparring with Spike would give her the chance to really put his intentions towards her in perspective. He'd always taken it easy on her but she wanted to push it today and see how far he'd let her go.
"Wait, you lunkheads!" Jet's voice called as he came out from the bridge to look down at them. "We've got work to do."
Spike, who hadn't moved from his spot on the couch, looked up. Faye retreated from her position partway down the kitchen hallway to give Jet her full attention as well.
"What's up?" She asked, taking a slim case out of the hip pocket on her pants and removing from it a spliff and a lighter. She sparked up somewhat awkwardly as she was still holding the empty coffee mug too.
"Got a couple bounties for you to round up," Jet grinned at them. "Go find Ed after you air this room out and I'll tell you all about 'em." He moved back into the bridge.
Faye shared a glance and a shrug with Spike, who finally hopped up but only to come snag the spliff from her mouth as she moved to pocket her little smoking case.
Rolling her eyes, Faye let him have it and went into the kitchen to rinse out her mug.
Spike trailed after her, puffing heartily on her spliff until she stole it back while distracting him with pulling a pair of travel shooters from the confines of the sports bra she was wearing beneath the threadbare sweater.
"Give you a shooter if you go fetch Ed," Faye offered, waggling the bottles in front of him.
Spike raised a sardonic brow. "Is this just because she's in the hydro room and you don't wanna get stuck watering the plants? You're so fucking lazy, Faye,"
She harrumphed. "Whatever, so are you. When is Jet going to set up the self watering system anyway?"
"Obviously when we can afford it." He replied. "Okay whatever gimme the wasabi flavored one."
"What? I didn't say you got to choose! I don't want the sriracha one!"
"Fuck Faye, why'd you swipe such shitty flavors anyway?"
"They've got like four hundred, Spike, the odds are never in your favor."
He shook his head, grabbed a bottle from her at random and took back the spliff for a huge pull that left him coughing when she unceremoniously smacked his back and snatched it from him again. "Go get the damn girl so we can get to work!"
Spike flipped her the bird on his way out.
xxx
A Day Later
Venus Orbit
"Do you really think this is going to work?" Spike asked. He gave himself a once over.
Edward, typing away on her computer, tilted her head up and away to regard the cowboy. She pulled up an image on the screen and jumped up with her computer to hold it beside Spike for a side by side comparison.
"Look, look!" She called out to the other two, bouncing on her heels. "What do you say? Ed thinks it's a preeeeetty close match, especially for someone who hasn't been seen much in years!"
Faye, with her hair wrapped up in a towel and wearing only her bathrobe, gave Spike a hard look. She walked over to him and put a hand on Ed's head to keep the girl in one place so she could take a closer peek at the picture on the screen of the movie director Spike was to resemble.
"I mean… " She reached up with her free hand to fluff Spike's hair even more. "I can't believe there's anyone out there in this universe with a more unruly mop than you," She muttered.
Jet looked up from his own computer screen to peer at his partner and the image Ed had next to him. He grinned. "Yeah, Spike-o, close enough to these old eyes anyway! Kinda impressed you can pull the suit off though,"
Spike glared around at everyone in the room. "And we are POSITIVE that this is the type of clothes Stanley Godard would wear?" His outfit was absurd, in fact. It would do well in a costume party and that's what he was hoping the Bollywoo Awards Ceremony would in fact be. Having never attended or watched one of these elitist events, Spike had no idea. It seemed just the sort of over-the-top nonsense Venusians would be all about.
Ed frowned. "Your clothes are vintage! It's exactly like the King on the playing cards," She insisted. "You ought to be more grateful to the Lords & Ladies troupe for being so willing to loan out such an elaborate getup! Vintage!"
"Yeesh, calm down. It's just… dammit, Faye, get your stupid outfit on so I feel less of a fool!" Spike snapped. He crossed his arms huffily. "I'll keep the damn suit clean and intact, Ed, don't worry. I'm not about to piss off your weird acting friends."
The teenager eyed him suspiciously but moved to sprawl on the floor with her computer.
Faye gave a long suffering sigh. "You can't rush beauty, you know,"
Jet looked up from his computer to frown at her. "You can dilly dally too long and lose your shot at a damn good bounty though!"
Ignoring Jet, Faye sashayed away towards her room to change into her matching costume. They still had plenty of time before the ceremony started and Faye knew it was always best to be fashionably late. Especially if you're the armcandy of the famous reclusive film noir director making his first reappearance in society in over a decade! Really, if she wasn't around to keep the guys on the right path she didn't know what tragedy would befall them.
xxx
Later that same night...
Venus - on the floating city of Persepolis
As was often the case, luck was with them as they made their way up the white carpet from the rented limousine. If the crowd had been aware they'd only been able to afford it for seven blocks perhaps their ruse would have fallen flat. But as it was they made a rather flamboyant entrance to the whole classy affair.
Cameras were snapping pictures of them from both sides of the walkway but velvet ropes kept the paparazzi from getting any closer to the train of famous folk strolling up to the massive marble building.
Faye was positively giddy.
She felt self-conscious in the outfit she was wearing, which was a match to Spike's own ridiculous clothing. The leggings, the tunic, the comically thick accordion collar, the replica crowns… it was just too much. But the gala tonight had a theme of royalty and reclusive director Stanley Godard had a well known affinity for gambling and playing cards. It stood to reason that he might dress as such for a hoity toity event like this.
Goofy garb aside, Faye was absolutely in her element whenever she got to role play as a member of the fine crust of society. It felt like stepping into an old pair of boots - familiar and almost welcoming but at the same time there was something uncomfortable about it all.
She mentally shrugged off her thoughts and focused on the character she'd created to be Stanley's arm candy. Mademoiselle Felicity de la Corzon. A fashionista who had handled the costumes of the last film Godard had made. Overcome by her beauty and her exquisite taste, which naturally helped the film reach otherwise unattainable heights, Godard would have fallen for her hard and fast. And now? Well his young paramour had facilitated his resurgence into the scene which was to begin this very night with his arrival at this ceremony!
Faye was actually rather proud of the cover story she'd come up with. The guys hadn't seemed to even think they'd need a backstory - likely true enough - but Faye adored playing a role and liked to flesh 'em out with details.
They made their way through the crowded lobby, past bubbling fountains and elaborate food spreads and ice sculptures that towered impressively over everyone. They sampled all of the finger foods and then, giving each other a probing look, shared a grin and made their way back through the line again.
It was on their third leisurely lap around the food tables - though at this point only Spike was filling his plate, Faye was merely accompanying him like a good date and getting tipsy from her fourth champagne flute - when they ran into Sir Edmund Holt. He was an acclaimed actor with a reputation as a bad boy which struck Faye as odd given his knighthood.
He was also the easiest target for the next phase of their mission: to get invited to the backstage party that would take place after the awards were distributed. Faye made sure to encourage the idea that she could be tempted away from Stanley, which would ensure Holt invited them as a couple with the self assured confidence of her eventually sneaking off with him.
It was at the backstage after hours private party that they were hoping to come across their bounty head D. Ay Shamalamba. The up-and-coming director had been stealing ideas from other people and had done it enough to be a real threat to other directors. Apparently the film industry was as full of backstabbing, betrayal, and debauchery as any other industry.
She couldn't believe their luck when Holt began leading them over to Shamalamba himself as the man entered the small banquet hall everyone who was anyone had retired to after the ceremony ended.
Several female waitstaff in short black skirts and white button up long sleeve shirts started moving through the people with trays again.
"D! So good to see you out tonight!" Holt was calling out as they approached the mustachioed man.
Shamalamba was a tall, thin, balding man with a truly impressive handlebar mustache. His dark eyes passed over Faye with only a modicum of interest but latched firmly onto Spike.
"Sir," Shamalamba gave Holt a polite nod. "And do my eyes deceive me or is this the great and grand Godard?"
Naturally he would be keen to suction himself onto another director, especially one he hadn't had a chance to rip off yet. He tapped the side of his nose, looking past Spike briefly to one of the serving girls.
"Care for a toot? It's an old Earth delicacy! Colombian cocaine - the rarest of the rare!" He gestured with pride at the serving girl who'd just joined them and beamed at the platter she held.
Faye's eyes fell onto the silver serving plate and the little rows of fine white powder. There was a cup that held glass straws for guests to utilize. It was somehow entirely unexpected.
The contents of the platter...the name of the drug itself...and the significance it seemed to have… all of this resonated very strangely with Faye, who felt suddenly as though she were falling into a hole, the world shrinking into a pinprick and then vanishing entirely.
xxx
The ceiling fan making slow circles was the first thing she saw when she came to on the couch. This was getting too fucking commonplace. It was Spike's job to be brought back unconscious, not hers dammit!
Speaking of that lunkhead, Spike was sitting on the chair across from her, elbows on his knees and leaning in to support his chin on his interlaced hands as he watched her. She blinked at him in confusion. It didn't help that he was still wearing the king's garb from Ed's acting troupe friends.
"All good there, Romani?" He queried casually.
Embarrassed, she turned towards the back of the couch to escape his stare. "I - it was a memory. Well. A lot actually." Who knew that precocious little cheerleader would find solace in drugs later in life? Well, what rich kids didn't. Hell, all kids did.
Spike cleared his throat and she looked over automatically at the sound.
"That's never happened on a bounty before," He noted calmly. A smirk settled briefly on his face. "Gotta admit I hadn't expected you to swoon like that but it got Shamalamba's attention so we actually managed to bag the bounty still." He shook his head at memories she didn't have - it was all black after seeing the plate of meticulously prepared lines.
"I'm not a liability, Spike." Faye's voice was quiet and hard. She was staring daggers at the ceiling above the couch now. If her eyes were slightly wet neither of them acknowledged it.
"Didn't say you were." A pause. "You can talk about it, you know. To ...Ein ...or to any of us. Shit like that is supposed to be cathartic. Might help."
She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes, escaping the conversation.
xxx
She found him later on the bridge. They'd both changed back into normal clothes so Ed could return the costumes. Spike was going through some of his Jeet Kune Do routine. Nothing too strenuous, seemingly more to have something to do than achieving any workout goal today.
She waggled the half empty bottle of vodka she held and he gave her a half grin.
"If I'm gonna spit a bunch of adolescent nonsense at you I should at least be on the same wavelength I was back then," She told him, shaking the vodka bottle for emphasis.
They took up seats near each other to make passing the bottle easier but silence stretched for a while afterwards. Inevitably, it was Faye who huffed a growl and broke it first.
"Well, Dr Freud? What did you wanna know?"
Spike took a pull of the vodka, made a face, and gave it back to her. "Any of it. All of it. I figure if we stumble on shit that has meaning to you now… well maybe you won't lose your shit when we can't afford for that to happen."
She winced at the implications. He wasn't wrong though and it was kind of nice having someone genuinely interested in her life - even if he just wanted to help her bulldoze through the fragile bits so she didn't get them killed on a bounty hunt one day down the line.
"Hm. Guess it couldn't hurt any." Not that she expected it to help either. Breezing through flashcards seemed more likely to produce a result like at the film awards ceremony. Now actually that wasn't a bad idea… she should see if Ed wanted to make her some flashcards of old Earth... places, famous people, animals, events that occurred in her lifetime before the accident.
"Why do you think you're such a crack shot?" Spike asked after she'd been quiet too long. He raised his hands defensively at the heated look she shot him. "I'm not saying you aren't! You're a deadeye sharpshooter, Faye, that's the plain truth. What I'm asking is...why? Did you hide out on target ranges before you started frequenting the casinos? Or...is it something from before?"
Her mouth dropped open as the question sank in. It was a good one - she'd never even considered how she'd come about her skills. Faintly, as though from a distance, she registered his hands on hers, taking the bottle from her weakened grip. It all faded away.
She remembered...training for a big event. Actually, countless competitions as a young woman. Putting together and taking apart weapons. Painstakingly cleaning each out after use - but it was all so routine. Rifles, pistols, shotguns. Targets and bullseyes and quieting her breathing and steadying her heart and tuning into the world deeper than she ever had before. Knowing precisely where the bullet would go when she released the trigger. Knowing exactly what kind of kickback each type of gun had. Being blindfolded and made to identify each gun, then dismantle and rebuild.
Her parents had been so excited. She was good. Good enough to try out for… what was it for? Some global competition. She couldn't remember the name and wondered if that was because she hadn't made it. If she'd been better, would that memory have been stronger?
"Singapore Gunslingers...fancy sports for rich brats but daddy had to protect his little princess. Had to know she could protect herself."
She blinked and Spike's face swam into focus in front of her. From this close it was impossible to ignore the subtle variation in color between his left and right eye. She wondered if his false eye gave him better vision than his real eye - if it helped with his own incredible marksmanship.
"It does, a bit, but I also spent a lot of time being trained in weaponry before I was trusted to work jobs for the Syndicate." He answered her as though she'd spoken aloud. Had she spoken out loud? Shit, how much had she said while she was adrift on a sea of memories?
Seeing that she was fully back in the present with him, he offered her the vodka again. Faye took it and took a gulp and then laughed feebly. "This one time. The only time I tried pot in my previous life. I was with some private school friends, we were maybe thirteen - it was before I started training to be a sharpshooter. Anyway, I had taken one of my daddy's cars and we rode off to the shore and smoked a joint I'd gotten from the maid - god, she was the sweetest person. And I remember trying to leave. We had to get back for something. But we couldn't go. Because I was waiting at the stop sign. We sat there for so long until finally someone in the backseat asked me if I was waiting for it to change to green."
She looked sheepishly at Spike, who was listening to her tale with a growing smile. "So...yeah… I was waiting for the stop sign to change like it was a stop light." She laughed at her younger self. "Anyway that was the only time I ever smoked because it made me feel so dumb. But then later, I think maybe because of the shooting competitions, I discovered cocaine and that… that was something I enjoyed too much."
Spike nodded at her confession. "Never been interested personally. Too much of a rich person's drug and those tend to ruin folks who haven't got shit to begin with."
"It ruins folks regardless of their financial status," She admitted. "I think… I think maybe my parents were trying to get me to clean up when they put me on the shuttle that day. There were so many new rehab facilities opening up in the galaxy. Maybe a change of environment would be good for me, you know?"
"Well, they were certainly able to give you a change of environment." Spike reclaimed the bottle for another swig. "Fuck I hate vodka," He complained. "You, uh, wanna keep going or…"
Faye took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The booze was starting to sink in, the memories fleshing out with more color and detail, and she felt exhausted. Did it count as sleeping if all you did was black out for a bit?
She reached into her bra and retrieved a slightly crooked joint. "Nah, cowboy - that's enough for now. I just...wanna unwind and get rid of any thoughts for a while."
He fished his lighter out of a pocket and offered her the flame before straightening up. They stayed like that for a while longer - him standing just before her while she sat in the chair - and between drags on the joint they finished off the remnants of the vodka.
xxx
Days Later
Back on Earth
It was late and he was tired but it was going to be impossible to sleep. Rain pounded on the metal of the Bebop, producing a cacophony that Spike was astounded anyone could sleep through. Of course, some folks probably used the sound of rain on a tin roof as the white noise to put them to bed in the first place. Spike was not currently a fan. There was more to his sleepless dilemma however.
Jet's room was furthest away so he was probably unaware of the problem Spike was facing. And the quiet of the ship indicated a lack of Ed's presence which in turn indicated her lack of awareness as well, though it was anyone's guess where the young girl might be sleeping. Wherever she was, it was without the comfort of the data dog because Spike's current biggest issue preventing him from sleep was the low whining outside his door.
Unmistakably Ein.
Heaving a sigh, Spike sat up on his bed. He was still mostly dressed, though he'd tossed his suit jacket down on the bed before flopping onto it himself earlier. A quick pat down of his pockets revealed what he'd been hoping for - a partial package of cigarettes and a lighter. His comm and gun he left on the bedside table since he wasn't going far.
He opened the door to see Ein sitting outside, waiting with perked ears for Spike to emerge from his room. Man and dog regarded each other quietly for a long moment until Ein caved in first and barked sharply.
"Ah hush!" Spike whisper-shouted immediately. "Let's not wake the whole damn ship." He muttered, turning to slouch off towards the living area. He paused after a few steps and turned his head slightly to peer over his shoulder at the corgi. "Coming or what?"
With a much softer "yip!" Ein trotted along behind the lanky bounty hunter.
Moving through the ship making as little noise as possible, Spike frowned at the scene in front of him as he went through the communal living area on his mission to bring Ein for a walk outside.
Faye was laying on the couch, her jade green eyes fixed on the viewscreen monitor on the coffee table, but he could tell from a glance that she wasn't actually watching a show or even altogether aware of her surroundings. There was an emptiness to her eyes that shook him a little.
Deciding to ignore her for now, Spike continued through the ship with Ein at his heels until they exited the vessel and found themselves in the pouring rain. Man and dog wandered along the dock towards the harbor. They eventually came to a stretch of narrow sand - currently almost converted to a mud state - that sat between the water and the concrete sidewalk of the city proper. Spike stared off through the sheets of rain at the city lights for a time so Ein could have a semblance of privacy during his business. As much as it sucked getting cold and damp, there was a certain beauty to cities lit up at night and in the rain.
They were docked at a port on the island of what once was Singapore on old Earth, currently in the midst of what was apparently a standard monsoon season.
Even before the Gate Incident fucked shit up, the planet had been subject to some serious changes geographically thanks to global warming. Not that Spike was super familiar with how it had been in the 19th century or at any other point in its existence, but he had picked up some knowledge about the planet here and there throughout his life and pretty much knew its whole sad story.
At the very least, he was uncomfortably familiar with Faye's whole sad story. This particular portion of the planet was supposedly where she had been born and raised a lifetime ago.
He had been handing off a bounty to the local ISSP branch earlier in the day so he wasn't sure if she had gone out or if she had remained on the Bebop for the entirety of their time here so far.
He knew they'd be loading up some foodstuffs and various other packages the next day because that's what Jet had informed him after they nabbed their guy lurking in the shattered field of moon debris outside of earth.
Man what a fucking annoyance that chase had been. Faye's ship had gotten damaged and Spike had to tow her back after they'd destroyed the engines on their bounty's ship so they could reel him in later for the reward.
Faye herself had been irate at the man, the moon rocks, and both Spike and Jet for no reason either cowboy could discern. She had been loud-mouthed in her anger until Spike had left to collect their cash while Jet brought them in for a landing planet-side to load up.
While it wasn't exactly a lucrative career, they'd discovered it was relatively simple to fill the days between bounties with courier service for folks willing to pay as they moved between the planets chasing criminals.
It was mind-numbingly boring and Spike refused to have anything to do with it aside from literally going along for the ride. He understood the necessity but he wanted no responsibility over any of it and had told Jet to use whatever profit he could make as a delivery boy to fix up the ship or get groceries.
So far it had all gone smoothly but they'd only handled four or five deliveries and it was likely only a matter of time before a bounty would somehow destroy a package and no doubt the property owner would bug out and it'd be a whole big thing where they'd be right back owing someone for something instead of raking in extra woolongs for doing next to nothing.
The only real trouble he could foresee at the moment revolved around Faye. Which meant there was actually a good probability of shit going wrong. Faye was a wildcard, although even Spike could admit she'd begun to mellow out and pull her weight instead of fobbing off every responsibility that fell near her lap.
Still - Faye, dealing with the aftermath of recovering a couple memories, stuck for a day or so in a place no doubt full of ghosts and glaringly obvious changes to anything she might recall…
Well, Spike was no stranger to going off on emotional rampages when the past was dredged up unexpectedly. In a way he thought he might be expecting her to make a scene. It was healthier, supposedly, to talk about or release emotions rather than bottling everything up.
Healthier for who, Spike wondered. And what did it help anyway? Though...well, bottling everything up was never the answer for long. Nothing did well under pressure forever.
Ein barked to get his attention and Spike nodded companionably at the dog as they began their return trek to the ship. "You waiting for the fallout too, boy?" Spike inquired, hands that had been tucked into his pants pockets now emerging to bring a cigarette and lighter to his mouth. The cigarette was instantly soaked, which put a further damper on Spike's mood.
Ein barked as though replying to Spike's question and then quickened his short-legged pace towards the Bebop, leaving Spike behind in his fruitless struggle to light his cig.
xxx
She was still there when he and Ein got back to the ship. Spike stood in the doorway, dripping, and watched as Ein shook vigorously then hopped down the stairs, approached the couch to lick at the knuckles of the hand Faye had hanging off the couch, and finally meandered off into the darkness of the corridor - possibly in search of Ed, probably just seeking a spot to lay down in dry peace.
Faye hadn't reacted to Ein's tongue - a fact which disturbed Spike on several levels. Between that Scratch business and this, he'd had his fill of seeing her, mindless, in front of some screen.
He made his way to the laundry room where he'd left his other clothes earlier and changed into his red pants and pale blue shirt, giving his head a brisk shake to get rid of some of the moisture trapped in his hair. He felt a bit like Ein and chuckled to himself at the thought that at least he smelled better when wet.
He climbed the short stairs up into the living room. Faye had not moved on the couch. He peered at her reclined form for a moment and then said sharply, "Faye, budge up."
She blinked at him owlishly as she automatically started to sit up from her sprawl across the cushions. Spike slid swiftly into the space opened up with her movements. He kept her from rising further by wrapping his right arm loosely around her shoulders to draw her back down again so she could continue to lay on the couch with her head pillowed on his lap this time. Though she remained silent he could feel tension radiating through her.
The monitor was playing an infomercial. Fucking awful. He reached down with his left hand to scrabble at the floor where he'd noticed the remote earlier. Finding success when his hand closed around the device, Spike started to run his other hand through Faye's sleek hair to soothe her as he skimmed through his options.
Ed had hacked the monitor and set it up to receive channels from all across the solar system and yet there was still hardly ever anything good on to watch.
He eventually settled on a black-and-white film from old Earth. It seemed fitting.
Faye's hair was silky as it threaded through his fingers. It never snagged or tangled. Her hair was so much easier to manage than any other aspect of her feisty personality. The repetitive motion through her hair seemed to be working as she relaxed fully against him at last.
She closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them she focused her gaze on the monitor. Taking a shuddering breath, she spoke.
"I met a woman here once. She knew me when I was young. She knew a different me but… she was still someone I shared a tie to. Her granddaughter let me know today that she's dead. So. That's that. The last person I had a connection to in this world and she's gone."
Spike snorted, though not unkindly. "You're not alone, Faye. You bluster and boast and bluff about a lot, but when you call us all comrades it means something."
"Oh?" She sounded small. Lost. Disinterested.
It made him unhappy.
Fuck, he could not stand sad women.
"You're all tied up with us here, Faye. So some lady from your old life croaked? Well, that's the way she goes, as they say. What could she have told you about yourself? She can't fill in your blanks. And I mean sure, the past had some importance when it was the present. It brought us through all our yesterdays to now. But now? You've got a place you belong, Faye. And people you belong with. And maybe we'll get more of your past sorted someday but fuck it you know? It's *now* and what's next that matters."
"Fuck, Spike, I don't know if I've ever heard you say so much at once," Faye joked weakly.
Spike felt a speck of wetness on his pant leg beneath Faye's cheek and realized she was crying. He tactfully ignored this so she could pretend it wasn't happening.
It wasn't long anyway before the rhythmic motion of his hand through her hair and the low volume dialogue of the movie in the background lulled Faye to sleep. When he tired of playing with her hair he rested his arm along her side and found himself drawing comfort from the regularity of her breathing.
This was something so mundane. Or at least it would be if this was something they'd ever done before. Coaxing her to relax on his lap had been an impulse but not one he regretted. He had wanted to connect with her. To ground her to something real. To show her she wasn't alone in this great big universe.
They had one thing in common - absolutely each and every one of them. They were all intimately familiar with loneliness. Jet, Faye, Ed, hell even Ein and obviously himself. They'd been abandoned at some point. They'd been cast free from whatever had tethered them to society before. It was liberating, whether one acknowledged it initially or not.
Lately though he'd been wondering about more. Wondering if he was still alive for a reason. He had another chance at life and whether due to his own laziness or some gravitational pull of the Bebop and its crew here he remained when there was an entire universe he could escape to.
He'd been to plenty of places though. Hell, he'd been to just about every inhabited sector of the galaxy. Life tends to play out the same no matter where you put down your roots. He had seen families, he had seen lovers, he had seen bachelors and bums. People needed people. Or a pet sometimes could do. Bums with dogs sure seemed happier with their canine companion whereas the town drunk asleep alone and forgotten in the corner booth of a bar was one of the saddest sights he knew.
It was easier to make your way through the world when you had someone at your side. It was more fulfilling to experience things when you could share that experience with someone else. When you've got friends, you ain't lonely. How many times had he heard variations of that theme in music?
Faye shifted in her sleep, pressing her face into Spike's leg with a murmur. He traced his fingers lightly against her side where his hand rested. Her shirt had ridden up enough for a sliver of her flesh to be exposed to the chilly air of the ship and his fingertips danced along it.
Her skin there was cool to the touch. Soft. He couldn't stop sliding his fingers against it. It had been so long since he'd had someone in his lap like this. Actually, he couldn't recall a time when he'd experienced anything like this. His cherished memories of Julia did not include quiet homey moments like this. They had not gotten to enjoy any relaxing downtime merely relishing each other's company.
Julia's hair had been soft too, he knew that at least. It had pooled through his hands whenever he cradled her head as he kissed her. It had puddled on the pillows when he laid her down to worship her curves, committing her body to reverent memory. Their time together had been so brief. Hidden touches, secret rendezvous, the adrenaline rush of clandestine meetups and makeouts. They'd poured so much into the stolen hours they managed - it had seemed imperative to try and burn it all into his mind so he could call up that happiness - that love - anytime he needed the reassurance.
Faye shifted against him again, curling in on herself and mumbling incomprehensibly. He felt her shiver and realized she was getting cold.
Time spent with Faye never felt rushed. Not because he was savoring it - although, now… in the full embrace of what was unmistakably an intimate moment with her… he couldn't deny a desire to stretch it out.
It should be unsettling. But he felt a certain rightness about being here with her. Faye pushed him to be fully present. She challenged him pretty much daily and it was revitalizing.
She shivered again and he sat up a bit straighter, giving her a gentle jostle with the hand still draped along her lithe form.
"Yo, c'mon sleeping beauty," He called to her. "You'll freeze sleeping out here. Up and at'em, let's go!" He got to his feet, pulling her partially up as he rose.
"Brrr," Was her intelligent response as she clambored to her feet and leaned heavily onto Spike. She snuggled closer to his body warmth and obligingly shuffled along beside him as he started to walk towards the hall to their rooms.
xxx
Faye woke with a start to find Spike hovering over her, mismatched eyes peering at her with concern. Her thoughts were muddled. She was fully ensconced in her blankets in her room but he was definitely there looking at her.
"Wha?" She grumbled.
"Oh good you're awake. I'd stay in the blankets if I were you, dunno if you've noticed but the heat broke. Jet sent me to make sure you hadn't frozen."
She blinked at him blearily, realizing how chilly her nose was now that she was semi conscious. He was right, she absolutely did not want to leave the meager warmth of her blankets. Frowning up at him, she noticed Spike was wearing his puffy pink jacket and carrying something bundled up in his arms.
"Make room eh? Your job is to keep these two warm and alive," He unceremoniously dropped his armload of unconscious Edward and shivering Welsh corgi onto her and the bed.
There was a brief commotion as Ed - entirely asleep and apparently made of ice - thrashed and called out nonsensically. Ein took refuge by Faye's pillow immediately while the girls struggled in a mess of limbs and fabric.
Faye could hear Spike laughing. She felt the weight of more blankets added to the pile. It was bitterly cold in the air and she was still exhausted, so once she'd managed to get Ed's cold limbs tucked in beside her and had acclimated to the younger girl's notably cooler body temperature, she wrangled the small dog under the covers as well.
"Bed, Ein. Back to bed, let's let the guys fix this." Faye ordered drowsily, cuddling closer to her companions.
xxx
There was light flickering in the room when Faye woke up again. She was pleasantly toasty underneath the blankets, with Ein snoozing down by her feet and Ed drooling an absurd amount onto Faye's arm. The younger girl was using Faye's right shoulder as a pillow and had a river of drool dripping down nearly to Faye's elbow.
It was disgusting but she still wasn't ready to leave the comfort of the blankets.
The light was coming from the sterno that was burning beneath one of Jet's ceramic planters which had been placed upside down above the sterno. She almost thought she remembered a science class where she'd been taught about using those items to heat a small space.
She could hear the sound of footsteps clanking down the hallway and wasn't surprised when her door opened to reveal Jet in the hall with his jacket and hat and gloves on. He gave her a grin when he saw she was awake.
"Ah so at least one of you is up!" He enthused.
"Mm, technically speaking, sure I'm awake. What's up? Heat still fucked?"
He leaned against her door frame, crossed his arms, and looked down at the floor. "Yeah I've gotta get some help while we're planetside. Ditching Singapore though, after we load up the delivery goods we're gonna have to dock over by Doohan's for a bit to get this taken care of. Work'll go quicker with his help. This'll be good though you'll see, I've been tracking some bounties we can grab while we're here and Ed can see her dad if he's around."
"It's fucking freezing and now you're telling me we're gonna be stuck on earth for days *and* I have to work?! What the fuck, Jet! Terrible way to wake a girl up! Where's the coffee, where's the breakfast in bed?"
"Hey!" He stood to his full height. "What the fuck do you think this is - a bed and breakfast? I've been up for hours trying to get the heat going again and I'm in no mood for your shit!"
"I'm in no mood for your shit either! I didn't break the fucking heat!" Faye shouted back, sitting up. Ed rolled away to face the wall, taking Faye's pillow and putting it over her own head. She mumbled something but neither of the adults could understand.
"I didn't say you broke the heat! I'm saying I need you to bag some bounties because we need money!" Jet's voice was exasperated.
Footsteps sounded down the hall as Spike approached the conversation.
"Getting all worked up hey?" He queried, peeking into the room over Jet's shoulder. "Good call, gets the blood moving - you'll be warm in no time." He was still in his jacket, his nose nearly the same pink color.
"Ugh you lunkhead," Faye mumbled. It was true though, her screaming match with Jet had actually made her feel somewhat warmer.
"Get some clothes on - no, wait, pack a suitcase. We got some work lined up so fuck it might as well take it on the road. Make a tour of it." Spike suggested. He turned to leave.
"What? Why?"
Spike's voice carried down the hall even as he continued walking away. "You wanna stay here on the Bebop while this shit gets fixed or you wanna live it up in a cheap hotel?"
"Throwing around words like 'cheap' doesn't exactly entice me to come along, you know!" She shouted uselessly towards the door.
Jet chuckled and Faye transferred her glare from Spike's retreating back to Jet's annoying face.
"Ya got something you wanna say?!"
Ed did. She stretched her feet to push Faye out of the blankets and off the bed, immediately burrowing down with Ein as soon as she was alone in the bed. Her voice was muffled but testy as she called out from within the bundle. "Ed doesn't care what's going on but do it ELSEWHERE, thank you!"
Faye stood with a huff, pushing Jet out of the doorway and shutting the door in his smirking face. She glared at the heap on her mattress and then threw her arms up in defeat.
xxx
Take it on the run, Space Cowboy!