The Cavern
The Morning After…
"Don't get used to this. I don't do PDA shit. I just… can't stop touching you yet." Spike said as he trailed his fingers along her hip and up her ribcage.
Faye smirked against the sheets. "Wouldn't dream of it, cowboy. I don't particularly like airing my business to the whole wide world."
Spike stopped his fingers from dancing and flattened his palm against her skin. He locked eyes with her when she looked over to him. "You sure about this?"
"What's to be sure of?" Her reply was offhand but he wanted her to understand the danger of what she was getting into. No guarantees of happily ever after. No assurance of love. Just a physical relationship with a perpetually penniless, scarred, brokenhearted man haunted by his past. What did he even have to offer her except more risk to her life?
There was always the chance some remnant of the syndicate would someday try to gun him down. He simply hadn't been able to kill everyone and aside from that he'd made his fair share of other enemies, to say nothing of the various incarcerated bounties no doubt holding a grudge. Faye getting involved with him was like putting herself between a bullet and a target.
"Every woman I've ever cared for has died. Not a very lucky thing." He held her gaze as he spoke.
Faye scoffed. "I make my own luck."
"I destroyed a syndicate and murdered dozens of people in the process." He persisted.
"Not just for love," Faye pointed out. "And anyway don't tell me that! I'm the type of girl who would appreciate a compliment like that." She glanced away with a blush.
Spike gave her a skeptical look.
She raised her eyebrows right back. "Are you kidding? To be the face that launched a war… " She sighed enviously and smirked at him. "At any rate, rest easy. I don't plan to send you on any rampages in my name." She rolled onto her back with a thoughtful expression. "Anyway, I'm trouble too, you know. I've still got debt collectors up my ass and who knows when that'll bite me. You sure you wanna get caught up in *my* mess, cowboy?"
He laughed. "I'm not about to pay your debt for you, but I've got your back, Faye. What's the worst they could do anyway? Raise your bounty?" He moved to straddle her again. "Seems like we're on the same page here. And… you know, I think we got a bit of time before checkout…"
xxx
Great Lakes Basin
Toronto Heights Dock
Mid-Morning
The pickup went smoothly. Well, once his negligent crewmates bothered to turn their comms back on the next morning to realize Jet had been trying to contact them for hours. He and Doohan had managed to get the heat fixed a few hours after Ed had originally talked to Spike and Faye the previous day.
After getting no response later that day but judging by the last known location they had for the missing pair, Jet docked the Bebop on the Toronto Heights end of the Great Lakes Basin to lazily await the return of the rest of the crew.
Ed, who had always been intrigued by Spike fishing off the vessel, had been positively thrilled when Jet had led her and a dozen or so other kids through the basics of fishing while they were on Ganymede. Quite a few of the children had shown an aptitude for the pursuit, which had left Jet feeling better when they had taken off from the planet. Hopefully this way some of them would have full bellies and not need to be tempted into syndicate work.
He'd also approached an old buddy - Horatio McKinney - the very man who had sold Jet the Bebop in the first place. The old fisherman had wanted to retire to a more stable living fishing off the docks when he'd put his trawler up for grabs. Jet had kept up with the older man since then and had been able to plant a kernel of an idea in the other man's head.
There was always a need for able-bodied youths on the docks and on the ships. Making a home on a fishing vessel wasn't the easiest way to live, but it offered some purpose and a place to belong where you were fed. It could be an answer for some of the street kids anyway.
Ed had shown an immediate knack and appreciation for fishing. Like most things, she approached it as an experiment - a series of trial and error and evaluation. Naturally, as soon as they'd docked the previous evening she'd asked about staying up late and night fishing off the ship. She wanted to know what fish were active under the stars here on Earth.
Jet had absolutely nothing better to do. And for once nothing worse to do either - the Bebop was fixed up and the zip craft were all currently intact, fueled up, and fully armed. They didn't have any deliveries to attend to and he had been too distracted by her request the previous night to even watch Big Shot when it aired so there was no immediate work on the horizon. Although, he was planning on holding off on picking up jobs for a little while anyway - Doohan had giddily informed him that the conditions were finally right for the big competition Edward wanted to participate in so they had to be on or near Earth for that.
At any rate, if Spike and Faye got to take a vacation, which is exactly what Jet considered their little bounty hunting road trip, then certainly he and Ed deserved to kick back and relax as well. And if Ed wanted to fish, then fish is what they'd do!
They'd caught a decent amount between the night fishing expedition - until Ed had fallen asleep and nearly lost a pole in the dark water - and the dawn fishing adventure she'd also enthusiastically woken him up for. Impressively, the fish even tested as safe to eat.
Maybe it was wrong of Jet to assume the worst of everything associated with Earth, but as a proud Ganymede native he'd been raised to look down on humanity's origin planet for all the ways humans had irreversibly screwed it up. Radiation was certainly an issue but to be fair that was the case everywhere and Earth wasn't *too* contaminated in all honesty.
"I see you've truly gone fishing," Faye's amused voice drifted to them across the deck of the ship as she and Spike ambled up just before mid-day. Jet watched as Spike stepped over the gap between ship and dock before offering a hand to Faye as she followed. Jet ducked his head to his chest to conceal his grin.
If that didn't give the game away… he didn't think he'd ever seen Spike act so gentlemanly towards Faye. Or towards any woman, in fact.
Ed whirled around at the sound of Faye's voice, jumping to her feet to rocket towards the newly arrived adults. Ein hopped onto the handle of the fishing pole Ed had let go of, preventing it from falling into the drink. Jet shook his head and patted Ein's head in thanks before grabbing the pole from the pooch.
"Ed, you've got to take more care with your things! I can't handle having another lunkhead on board destroying things through negligence or anger," He eyed Spike significantly and the other cowboy held up his hands in quiet protest, though his grin was one of a guilty child caught red handed.
"Shit, Jet, you could use a day at the spa - what's with the attitude?" Faye jeered, trying to pry Ed off. The young hacker was undeterred and continued clinging to Faye, although the welcome back hug was mostly a ruse so she could search the gambler's pockets for any souvenirs.
"Ooh a spaaaaaaaaaa day?" Ed inquired in a sing-song voice. "Is that where you got bit by the bug?"
"Maybe after your big race," Jet said to her. He stood up with the fishing poles and, catching Spike's eye, nodded his head towards the bucket.
"Sure, Jet, I'll take care of dinner," Spike drawled, rolling his eyes.
Faye frowned suspiciously at Ed. "What bug?"
Sensing Spike's reluctance, Jet grumbled at his original partner. "Hey, we caught it and I'm gonna cook it, one of you has got to clean it and we both know it ain't gonna be the woman,"
"The love bug that bit your shoulder!" Ed laughed, pointing at the bite mark. Spike's ears turned pink and Faye's face turned bright red. Faye slapped a hand over the incriminating evidence and then clearly thought twice and veered verbally for the nearest distraction.
"Wait! You're finally gonna let us watch a race?!" She sounded ecstatic which Jet could understand. Ed had been training for weeks now with Doohan and she'd participated in a handful of minor league races here and there - with no witnesses from the Bebop crew - in order to qualify for the Adventure Racing Pentathlon (sponsored by GLOBEX CORP! Think Beyond the Globe!) which was actually a pretty huge deal.
GLOBEX was one of the bigger names in Adventure Sports and Adventure Racing and Adventure Anything. The company built stations around the galaxy to offer the most extreme skydiving, sailing, surfing, racing, and whatever else adrenaline junkies could think of pushing to the limit.
There had been a division on Ganymede that offered scuba diving packages to the ISSP back when Jet had been an officer, but he'd never taken advantage of the deal. Being adrift in airless space was somehow easier to handle than the idea of being underwater for any duration.
In a curious move, Edward had forbidden them from watching any of her competitions leading up to the big event. What Jet had learned so far about the pentathlon had made him a bit uneasy but it's not like he could forbid Ed from doing something she had her heart set on.
He suspected he might feel somewhat better about the whole thing if he'd had a chance to watch her practice and had been able to gauge her skills - though he did trust Doohan's evaluation. The old mechanic was keen on seeing Ed succeed and that meant staying alive and if he thought she was ready to play in these big leagues then… Well, it was time to see what she could do!
"Everything else was boring!" Ed wailed as she led the way inside, Jet and Faye following along while Spike hung outside to handle the fish. Ein stayed outside with the other cowboy, most likely awaiting a chance to roll in or rub against the dead fish. Like most dogs Ein was irresistibly drawn to the odor as Jet had the misfortune to discover on Ganymede. Spike would learn soon enough, he thought with a grin. Ed kept talking, explaining her rationale behind keeping them in the dark. "All the other races - blip! - over and done and lame. This is the real deal, the big mamou, the best of the best of the best! If you're not first - you're last!"
"And it's happening soon?" Faye inquired, glancing over at Jet in case he had the answer.
He shrugged as Ed cartwheeled away from them into the depths of the ship. "The way Doohan tells me it depends on the moon rocks falling down. A meteor shower is supposed to be one of the obstacles on the race path. They're expecting one this weekend finally."
Faye stopped in her tracks. "I'm sorry, what did you say? This race waits until the sky is falling just so there's more danger to the contestants?"
"I didn't make this up myself, Faye. It's been going on for decades now. This is just one branch of it actually - there's a separate one, a triathlon I think, that takes place out in Saturn for skydivers, surfers, and scuba divers. There might be more than that even, I only really looked into the one Ed wanted to do."
Taking a deep breath, Faye turned back around to head outside. "C'mon, Black Dog, I want you to tell me more about this crazy thing we're letting Ed do. But I'm gonna need to be pretty high to hear it so let's go chief on the deck."
xxx
Later That Day
On Board the Bebop
They were finishing up their lunch of fried fish when the question came up of what to do between then and the pentathlon in a couple days. Chasing bounties was out of the question because it could take them too far away or keep them occupied for too much time. There was no way they wanted to mess this opportunity up for Ed.
"We could go to that spa again," Faye suggested dreamily, melting into the couch in a stupor from the tasty meal.
Jet shook his head. "No, we already established that as a reward for the race. Besides, after getting the heat fixed and everything else ship shape we're pretty much out of cash again until we find some work."
"We could just sit here," Spike pointed out.
"Boooooring! Edward has already caught all the fish here. Let's go camping instead!" The hacker cried. She set her plate onto the table on top of Jet's empty plate and started doing a drum roll on the edge of the table itself.
"Camping?" Jet repeated hesitantly.
Faye was more receptive. "Wait no, let's listen to Ed here, that actually sounds not too bad. I need some time to recuperate from that road trip and Jet you seriously need to unwind."
Jet crossed his arms and glared at her, though to Faye it resembled more of a pout. Men were such babies sometimes.
"Really? You wanna go sleep on the ground again?" Spike asked her, his tone one of disbelief.
She shrugged. "If we're better prepared it'll be fun!"
Across the table from them, Jet uncrossed his arms. "I thought you two were bunking in hotels - or jail - this whole time. You went camping?!" Jet exclaimed.
"I wouldn't exactly call it that," Spike argued.
"Gods no," Faye agreed. "We were in full survival mode. That wasn't camping. Camping is… tents and campfires and marshmallows and sleeping under the stars on the ground or, well, actually a lot of people use hammocks, did you know?"
"Memories tell ya that?" Spike inquired.
"Sort of," She replied.
"Ed made a flashcard for this!" Ed cried, grinning. "We went over it before your road trip adventure time! Ed remembers, Faye-Faye! So… Bebop is going camping?!"
"Aww, can we, Jet? Can we?" Faye added.
Spike snickered. "Yeah Papa Jet, can we?"
"You people are ridiculous! Fine! Surprised you didn't get the damn dog in on this too," Jet threw his hands up as he capitulated.
There came the sound of nails on the floor. Someone was going to have to do something about trimming Ein's claws eventually but Faye was not about to volunteer herself for that task. Her attention was caught by the familiar looking item the data dog carried. She nudged Spike and gestured to Ein as he scampered up to Ed with something in his jaws.
Ed chortled as she reached down to take it from him but she gave it to Jet straight faced. Meanwhile Spike and Faye fell over themselves laughing at Jet holding the camping flashcard and looking betrayed at Ein.
"All right! At least it's cheap," Jet huffed. He looked to Faye. "What do you remember about camping then? I've never gone myself. Doubt Spike has either,"
The lanky bounty hunter gave half a shrug to indicate he had nothing to contribute.
Faye looked down at her plate on the table. "A whole lot of nothing really. Mostly stuff I saw in tv shows I think."
"Mm," Jet grunted. He stood from the chair and gathered up their plates to bring into the kitchen. Ed rose up to help, singing a song about fishes and dishes and wishes, leaving Ein and Spike and Faye in the living room.
Spike turned from his spot on the couch to sprawl along the length of it, putting his head squarely in Faye's lap. He closed his eyes. "So, nothing showed up in the memories about camping, eh?"
"I wouldn't say that…" She trailed her right hand through his hair absently and let her left hand rest on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall as he breathed. "I remember… great expanses. A sandy desert, a snowy field, the vastness of the entire ocean… I think… maybe we didn't camp, but I feel like my parents brought me places. Giant, open, empty places." She frowned. "Probably rich person resorts. Nothing fucking useful that's for sure."
Eyes still closed, Spike waved his right hand dismissively. "Ehh, fuck it, we can wing this shit on our own." His eyes came partially open when the sound of bare feet slapping the metal floor foretold Ed's return to the living room. "Ed? What's your computer say we need for a night out in the northern wilderness?"
It was clear he was trying to distract Faye from her thoughts, but only Ed registered his words as she immediately began scouring Tomato for camping instructions and recommendations.
Faye herself was in a daze. The memories came back so strangely. Only fragments were in crisp focus - most felt like a movie she'd watched once or twice. Images that should have significance but barely seemed familiar. She was aware of Spike and Ed conversing, though she wasn't actually picking up on their conversation. She noticed when Jet came back in and sat down, adding his own thoughts to the mix. She saw Ein padding over to Jet and nudging at his leg until the ex-cop bent over to scratch behind his ears.
She wasn't truly in the present moment though.
She could hear voices from the past - friendly shouts, girlish squealing, her father's voice speaking and lilt of her mother's voice in song. It was a soundtrack connected to nothing, however. No visual accompaniment to aid her recollection.
Faye blinked and became aware of Spike's right hand cupped against her left cheek and his half lidded gaze on her from his place in her lap. The familiar sounds of the Bebop filtered back in - Ed typing away, Ein's tag wagging against the chair Jet was seated on, and Spike drawing her back to the present and into the conversation.
"You up for this, Romani?" He asked quietly.
She tried to smile reassuringly. "For a night in the woods? What could go wro-mph!" She was startled when Spike stretched up and stopped her mid-word with a kiss. He settled back down a moment later as if nothing had happened at all, though Jet was gaping at them and Ed was crowing about kisses and sitting in trees.
Faye knew she was blushing but she was also rendered speechless.
Spike, the picture of ease with his head once more pillowed on her lap, was unperturbed by any of their reactions. "Don't say shit like that," He advised. "I'm not much for superstition but even I know saying something like that is just asking for shit to go wrong."
Jet clapped his hands onto his thighs. "That's the fucking truth," He agreed. "All right, let's grab some gear from that Camp World place you found, Ed. Daylight's burning!" He stood to leave and Ed vaulted to her feet as well.
"Daylight's burning? What the fuck does that even mean?" Faye asked rhetorically as the others departed.
Spike rolled off her lap and the couch, springing to his feet.
"You're in charge of grabbing some grub we can cook on a fire," He told her.
Faye stood as well and put a hand on her hip. "What? Why can't they fish for dinner again?"
Spike shrugged. "Whose to say we'd have enough success to feed us all? Anyway we just had fish for lunch, I'm game for something else myself."
"Eh. Fair point. Wait - what's your job during all this prep?"
Spike grinned at her. "I get to do some reconnaissance and find us a spot to set up."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd get an easy job. Well... I guess I wouldn't trust you to get the right stuff from the store, after all. Ugh! Fine, but take Ein with you." The data dog looked over at her when she said his name. Faye raised an eyebrow challengingly at the dog. "I feel like he'll have a better eye for where to go." She watched dog and man give each other a considering look and hid a smile behind her hand.
Stepping next to Spike, she tentatively moved to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth in farewell but Spike had a different idea as he turned to catch her in a real kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and dipped her towards the ground before ending it, then brought her back up and spun her away to face towards the hangar in one fluid motion.
"Don't forget the most important things!" He called out as she got her bearings and started to sashay away. "Meat, liquor, and smokes!"
xxx
That Evening
The Campsite
Spike refused to admit whether it had been his keen eye or Ein's that had discovered the ideal campsite, but all the crew agreed that it fit the bill for the perfect spot according to all the basic research they'd done.
It was a grassy field that sloped gradually down towards a steady flowing river with a pale patch of soft sand that separated the land from the water. A good distance from the water's edge but still on the beach itself was a fire pit ringed by several enormous weather worn logs and a few good sized stones with relatively flat tops that could serve as tables. Already one rock surface had been loaded with liquor bottles, limes, a salt shaker, and three shot glasses. Faye had found a cooler during her grocery expedition and that was tucked between a rock and a log, loaded with ice and all their meats for dinner along with some cheeses, berries, a couple water bottles, juice boxes for Ed, and other goodies as well.
The grassy field could have easily fit all three zipcraft with plenty of room to spare but currently only housed the Hammerhead and the Redtail. It hadn't been a comfortable flight from where the Bebop remained docked, but they'd managed to fit everyone and all the supplies into the two zipcraft. The vessels were both parked as near to the tree line as possible so a considerable flat space was left wide open between them for the sleeping tent. It had been Ed who found the multi room tent in the clearance section of Camp World. Turns out a world often raining moon rocks onto its surface didn't have much demand for flimsy fabric constructions to be used on the perilous surface. It had cost more for the sleeping bags, the lanterns, and the cooking utensils he'd found - but Jet reasoned that all those items could be reused on the ship time and time again.
He'd also purchased a hatchet which he was using now with great satisfaction. There was something incredibly rewarding about chopping up wood. It put a good burn in his muscles and it provided them with plenty of dry material to literally burn in the fire pit. He was feeling top notch. Even the air itself seemed to smell and taste cleaner than much of the air he was used to. On the Bebop their air was refreshed anytime they were in an atmospheric environment, otherwise it was just recycled and it tended to have a stale odor if they'd been in the stars too long.
This now… this was fresh. Brisk. Revitalizing.
Camping… So far, camping had been a good call. If fortune favored them, Faye's careless words would go unanswered. Jet was fervently hoping this would stay a quiet little vacation and not turn into some monstrosity of an adventure. They had enough of those - they deserved downtime too!
Faye had been talking shit about him needing to chill out but she wasn't wrong. Dealing with all their wild antics and trying to keep the ship - fuck, all the ships - in one piece was stressful. All the bonsai, booze, cannabis and nicotine in the world couldn't change that and it had been weeks now since their day off at the music festival. Making time to decompress was proving to be essential to keeping Jet at the top of his game.
With all that in mind, he was more than ready to relax and have some lowkey fun. And he wasn't the only one. Ed was building a sandcastle down near the water's edge, which was also where Ein was hanging out. The data dog snuffled along the shoreline and was wading into the reeds further downstream, following whatever scent caught his attention at the moment. Jet fervently hoped it wasn't anything dead. Wet dog smelled bad enough, wet dog covered in rot was… another thing entirely.
Much to Jet's private amusement, his other two crewmembers weren't quite as happily occupied at the moment.
Jet had called dibs on getting enough firewood for the night precisely because he wanted to avoid having to erect the complicated tent they'd bought. In retrospect though it might not have been the best idea having Spike - so prone to destroying what he couldn't make work - in charge of the tent set up. On the other hand, overhearing the sounds of Spike's argument with Faye as they fought each other as well as the fabric and the poles, was rather soothing. The kiss Jet had witnessed earlier had been somehow jarring, perhaps because he hadn't expected it.
Even suspecting that his friends might be getting involved was different than having it confirmed in no uncertain terms right in front of your face.
The look on Faye's face had been priceless. It was obvious that she wasn't used to the idea of kissing or being kissed - at least in full view of others. Jet was equally floored that Spike would be so… forthright, particularly considering how close to the chest he normally played things. Then again, it's not like Jet had ever the opportunity to witness Spike in any sort of relationship before. Perhaps it wasn't out of character at all, simply out of character for the version of Spike that Jet himself was familiar with. And Faye for that matter, judging by her surprise earlier.
Jet let their argument wash over him as gently as the cool breeze that was blowing. He paused in chopping and turned his thoughts from his bickering crewmates. He considered the pile of old dead dry wood he'd managed to salvage from the sparse forest that began where the grass field ended. Eventually the woods grew thicker and became a forest proper, no doubt filled with all sorts of potentially dangerous wildlife.
That's where Ein came in. Jet was trusting the dog to warn them if any other creatures came close to investigate. Between the data dog, the imposing presence of their parked zipcraft, the fire that would eventually be blazing, and Faye's strident voice, Jet was relatively sure that they would be able to go the night without dealing with any harassment from nature.
"Give me that thing," Faye snapped from beside him. "We're trading places."
Jet was thankful he'd been taking a break. Having Faye startle him while he was swinging an axe would have led to devastation for sure. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Spike standing next to a pile of fabric stretched across the ground. The lanky cowboy was smoking a cigarette looking bored. Faye, next to Jet and holding her hand out impatiently for the axe, was looking irate. The tent was looking absolutely nothing like the picture on the box.
With a sigh, Jet handed off the hatchet to Faye so she could vent some frustration in a productive way. Shaking his head, he pulled out his own smokes to join Spike in that before applying their much more effective teamwork to the issue of setting the tent up. In what was no doubt a demonstration designed to further irritate Faye, Spike refused to use any words when working with Jet on the tent. It filled Jet with a quiet sense of pride that they managed to get it done before the sun could set. Faye and Spike made a capable pair as bounty hunters - though the verdict was still out on how they'd do together romantically - but Jet and Spike had been a team for years before she arrived on the scene and it was reassuring to Jet that they could still work well when it was just the two of them.
xxx
"There's a technique to this, you know," Faye was saying to the others. Ed was only partially listening to her. She was paying most of her attention to the stick set up she'd erected over the remains of the campfire. The embers were glowing and kept trying to steal the entirety of her attention. There was a dark beauty to the remnants that drew her like a moth to a flame.
It was fairly late by now, the sun had set long ago. They'd gotten the fire going around dusk and had made some interesting meals with the gear Jet had acquired when he and Ed were at the store earlier. The little cast iron boxes opened up so a person could build a sandwich inside or a breakfast or a dessert. Ed hadn't been able to try the last two options because Jet insisted they save the breakfast ingredients for having something to eat the next morning and because Faye had managed to find all the stuff they needed for making the old Earth dessert treat called a s'more.
Spike had taken a stick and kept turning his marshmallows into inedible hunks of char. He was refusing to take Faye's advice about slow rotation and had instead begun eating the marshmallows raw out of the bag just because he could. Jet kept purposefully burning the outside of his marshmallows, eating that crust, putting the melty middle back into the heat to glaze up, and then devouring that last bite before starting over with a fresh marshmallow. Ed had tried that method but burnt her own fingertips trying to pull off the initial shell. No thanks.
Her method now was more complicated but the payout was going to be sweet. Literally. Faye had made several successful s'mores in the time since they'd finished dinner but Ed was about to put her efforts to shame with the spread she was nearly done with.
She'd taken two relatively sturdy sticks that split into two spears on one end and she jabbed the single point end into the ground. She'd taken a third, much skinnier stick, loaded it up with half a dozen marshmallows, and then rested it in the cradle of the two dirt-moored sticks. The result was a lineup of marshmallows she was able to patiently turn over the embers to achieve the golden results Faye had with hers.
Before she began roasting the marshmallows she had even thought to put out enough graham crackers and chocolate pieces to handle all the stickiness she was working on now. The idea hadn't been entirely her own - she'd watched Spike's first attempt fail because he hadn't been ready for the marshmallow once toasted. Leaving it over the coals to set up the rest had ruined that one and apparently set the standard for the rest of his attempts.
Ed felt it had a lot to do with forethought and patience. Spike-person did not often exemplify either quality and as a result his life was a constant game of recovering from his own haste or lack of adequate planning. In some ways he served better as an example of what not to do than as a role model for doing the right thing. But as with all things it mostly amounted to knowing him well enough to glean the right lessons and avoid emulating the dumb stuff.
It was the same with Faye-Faye. Ed could learn a lot from the other woman, but half of it was "learn from my mistakes" or "do as I say but not as I do." She had to take advice from Faye with a grain of salt and a good deal of understanding where Faye was coming from.
Jet was usually the best person to imitate but often his methods were tedious or dull. Like with his bonsai. Ed just could *not* understand the bonsai thing. She'd been helping with the hydroponics equipment and that all made sense and resulted in yum yums. But the bonsai? They didn't produce fruit or vegetables and far as she knew the leaves and roots weren't edible. They existed and were pretty enough but the concept of cutting portions off seemed cruel and unnecessary. Yet it brought peace to Jet so there must be some merit.
With a hoot of delight she lifted her twig off the other two sticks and carefully spread the rack of puffed up sugar pillows along the waiting lineup of chocolate stacked on graham crackers on the rock table next to her. She gave a long low laugh that made the others look at her nervously. It was great to watch their jaws drop as they saw her monstrous creation.
"You cooked them perfectly!" Faye exclaimed happily.
"I don't know if you should eat quite that many…" Jet noted nervously.
Spike grinned at her wolfishly. "Here Ed, I'll help you with all that," He reached towards her dessert and she snapped at him fiercely, nearly catching his hand in her teeth. Spike yelped as he snatched his hand back to safety. Really he should know better - she never hesitated to use her teeth to defend her food.
Faye was laughing at him, but Ed noticed as she feasted that Faye-Faye still took the time to make another golden s'more herself that she passed off wordlessly to Spike-person. They were so silly. Marshmallow and chocolate smeared all over her face, she glanced over at Jet to see if he'd seen the subtle interaction, but he was turned to the adult drinking rock and setting up shots.
Ed looked down to see Ein watching Spike and Faye across the fire and she giggled, reaching down with sticky fingers to pet his scruff. She got tangled in his fur immediately. Ein turned his head towards her and began to lick the sugary mess off her face once she was near enough.
"Ed's all sticky icky stuck stuck stuck!" She announced, scooping Ein up since she was too attached to break free. "We're going in the drink!"
She took off towards the dark water before anyone could respond and splashed in noisily. Ein barked in her arms and thrashed his short legs to paddle once she got out deep enough. He stayed right at her side, shaking from the cold water, and kicking away with his feet. She laughed and felt the marshmallow on her hands getting less sticky. Soon she was able to take her hand off Ein although plenty of his fur stayed stuck on her fingers.
He licked at her chin and cuddled closer to her body heat and she wrapped her arms around him again to carry him back out of the water.
Dripping wet, she put him down next to the fire pit and they both shook vigorously, getting droplets of river water on all three adults and a few drops hissing onto the coals in the fire pit. It made a sound that instantly intrigued Ed so she stepped closer and swept her left hand down her right arm to knock more water onto the embers. Hiss! Hiss!
"Ed, please no night swimming! Not without one of us!" Jet moaned.
Faye reached over to pick up the shot glasses he'd filled. She handed one to Spike and one to Jet while keeping the third for herself. Ed watched as she put some salt on her hand and picked up a lime wedge that had been cut earlier. Faye-Faye then passed the salt around and gave both cowboys a lime wedge also.
"What about Ed?" She asked. Normally their drinking was nothing special, just people sipping on bottles or mugs of gross tasting liquid. She already knew this stuff didn't taste any better than the rest she'd tried - mostly just a lick or a sip here or there when no one was paying attention - but there was the whole procedure that went along with it. It was the ritual that made Ed interested. Traditions, rituals, milestones - these were curiosities she loved to take apart to the very foundation. What inspired this or that holiday? What led to this being the way that was done? Here, for example - why a lime instead of an orange or a pear? Why salt and not sugar or pepper? She assumed it had been a process of trial and error like most creations in life.
She watched Faye look to the others before turning back to Ed.
"How old are you now, Ed? Fourteen yeah?" Faye asked.
"Faye…" Jet's voice trailed off but the warning in his tone was clear. Ed felt her hopes dashed.
"C'mon, Jet… how old were you when you had your first drink?" Spike-person's query gave Ed's hopes a new life!
"She's gonna get sick!" The older man protested.
Faye-Faye shrugged. "So she won't wanna drink again." Reaching a decision on her own, Faye handed her shot glass to Ed along with the lime wedge she'd held. "C'mere, kid," She said, grabbing the salt shaker off the rock table where it had wound back up.
Ed watched intently as Faye-Faye shook some salt onto the back of Ed's still damp hand. Most of it dissolved away but Faye had dumped quite a bit there so plenty remained.
Faye put some fresh salt on her own hand, took a new lime wedge off the rock, and grabbed the liquor bottle as well. She looked to Jet and then Spike and then back to Ed.
"Only one, okay?"
Ed nodded enthusiastically. This was amazing! She was going to participate in the ritual!
Jet was grumbling. Spike was grinning. Faye smiled at her as well. Ein hid his face in his paws.
"Okay, so here's what we do after we say the toast… we'll lick the salt from our hands, take a drink - the idea is to drink it all at once really quickly! - and then you bite the lime wedge but don't eat it! Just suck on the juice. Got it?" Faye held her gaze as she went through the ritual instructions. Ed nodded vigorously throughout Faye's speech.
"What should we toast?" Spike-person asked.
"To… firsts?" Faye-Faye suggested.
"To… vacations!" Jet shouted. Everyone looked at him askance and he flushed. "Aw hell so I got into the tequila earlier when we got the fire going. I'm not drunk!"
Ed was amused. This was the Jet that she wasn't supposed to emulate. It wasn't often that the ex-cop got seriously intoxicated or messed up to any significant degree. This was what she'd been trying to encourage with the doses at the festival though Jet had proven somehow immune to that. Seeing the adults all goofy like when they'd eaten those mushrooms - that was always good for a laugh and some life lessons. Her family tended to be so morose sometimes, it was up to Ed to make them smile!
"To family!" Ed cheered exuberantly. She was over the moon with joy at sharing this experience with these people she cared so much for. They were so protective of her, so considerate of her - how could she help but love them back?
The others all grinned. Ed had chosen the right words! This night just kept getting better and better!
Clinking her little glass against the bottle when Faye-Faye indicated to tap the glasses together, she saw Spike and Jet tapping their shot glasses against each other too and then all of them cried out together.
"To family!"
xxx
"Do you see?" They were all lying on their backs on a giant beach blanket that had been spread on the grass. Ein, still damp, was curled up next to Ed who was wearing one of Faye's oversized sweatshirts over a dry pair of bike shorts and tank top. Impressively she'd thought to bring extra clothes which none of the adults had managed aside from Faye herself who was likewise in a huge sweatshirt and some comfortable fleece lined leggings. Ed was pointing to the sky to indicate the stars that made the Star Mother constellation she'd found. Waves of aurora danced overhead as well, shimmers of greenish blue that vaguely resembled hair tumbling down around some of the stars Ed was trying to show them.
"I don't know if it's the booze or what but… yeah. I do see her, Ed." Faye said softly. She was lying on Ed's right side with Spike stretched out next to her, Jet on his other side and Ein between the ex-cop and young hacker. They were in a sort of plus sign shape, or maybe a lower case 't' so that it was easy for Jet, Spike, and Faye to pass the bottle back and forth between the three of them. Ed's presence had kept them from sparking up any joints, but occasionally one of the guys would light a cigarette to share with the other adults.
"Have you remembered your mother more?" Ed asked her. They'd been going over flashcards whenever they had some downtime on the ship, but it hadn't paid off as well as Faye had hoped.
She was quiet now, thinking about the singing voice she'd heard during her reverie on the Bebop.
"It's not a big deal, Faye." Spike put in, perhaps trying to take the pressure off her. "I mean - Jet, what about you? Do you remember your folks?"
The older man puffed on his cigarette as he gave the question thought. The ember glowed red against the backdrop of inky blue-black sky smattered with countless sparkling stars and dancing northern lights. Faye felt herself mesmerized by that tiny red point. Humanity, infinitely small against everything else in existence.
"Well… let's see… I guess," He trailed off. "You know, I remember what they look like but more from pictures than memory. Papa was strict. Mama was kind. It's more that the years are all sort of blurred. School years are a handful of memories. Academy years a few more. Most of that time the days were more or less the same, you know? Nothing to stand out. The majority of my memories are just the last two decades. It's the impressions that stay best."
"You got pictures?" Spike asked. He leaned up on one elbow and took a pull from the tequila bottle then fished a lime wedge out of his jacket pocket to pop in his mouth.
Ed gagged at Spike's activity. Faye came out of her daze at that, laughing softly herself now. Ed's reaction to the tequila shot earlier had been predictable but still hilarious. She'd made a face at the salt, gone to swallow the liquor and immediately spit it back up over herself instead, tried to shove the lime in her mouth and nearly choked. All three adults had tried to pat her on the back, but it had been to Faye that she turned with a pained wail and tears in her eyes. Faye had held her and whispered apologies between her giggles until eventually Edward herself had begun to laugh and Faye knew the young hacker had recovered from her ordeal.
Jet chuckled too, but his was tinged with nostalgia over the more distant past. "Yeah, got a photo album back on the ship. Couple actually. I was never one for taking pictures but Mama took plenty when I was a kid and Alisa took quite a few during our time together. I'll show you when we get back on board, Ed." The ex-cop promised.
Faye stretched her right arm out to pluck at Spike's sleeve. She reached blindly once she had his attention and fumbled the bottle from him. They were constantly amongst the stars on the ship and they had the opportunity to see the cosmos from every habitable spot out there, but no matter where they went Faye could never seem to get enough of the sky. So many different horizons, so many different constellations… She could stare at the sky forever it seemed.
"Where's your favorite sunset?" She asked the others. "I think… maybe Ganymede for me." She waved up at the sky overhead. "These auroras? Gorgeous, but they don't appear during sunset the way they do on Ganymede. That really pushes it into first place for me."
"Ed's favorite was tonight!" Ed answered readily. It had been a lovely display of purples, blues, pinks, and more. The clouds had added to the majestic beauty of the setting sun but had thankfully meandered further on so the sky could be clear for their gazing now.
Spike was quiet next to her but Jet shifted around, passing off the cigarette to the lanky cowboy, and took a breath to answer.
"Actually… Venus for me. Something about that pollen drift really makes it seem magic. The way I remember it being as a kid." Jet nodded to himself.
Faye made a thoughtful sound. "How could you lose the magic? It's always tugging at me…"
"Sunsets are fine, but for a sunrise you can't beat Mars," Spike sighed. "Although truthfully I think the sunrises and sunsets on Earth here have more color variation."
"Oooh Spike-person sunrise surprise!" Ed rolled over to the side, spooning Ein now.
"Yeah, well, sometimes I'm an early riser." Spike defended.
Faye opened her mouth to say something entirely inappropriate and found herself cut off before she could speak when Spike stuck the cigarette between her lips. She rolled her eyes but grinned around the smoke.
"Where's that tequila at?" Jet asked. Faye handed it off to Spike to pass to the ex-cop. It was very nearly gone but shared between the three of them it hadn't completely wrecked them. Faye was actually a bit impressed at how sober she felt. Well, okay, that wasn't quite right but it was the kind of drunk where she felt extremely perceptive and… loquacious… she laughed out loud at the smartly worded thoughts in her head.
Next to her, Ed giggled as well, though it sounded like she was falling asleep.
Spike sat upright again, all the way this time, and tugged off his suit jacket. Faye watched curiously as he twisted to the side to gauge distance and then neatly tossed his jacket to flutter past Faye's form to land on Ed's curled up little body. Leaning over herself, Faye snugged the jacket around the young hacker and the data dog in her arms.
"Faye-Faye! Puff puff, Faye-Faye!" Edward enthused, her words much quieter and slower in coming than usual. She was definitely losing the battle against sleep, but fortunately it was still relatively warm for October in the Northern hemisphere of Earth. The breeze was cool but between Spike's jacket blanketing her and the sweatshirt she was dwarfed in, Ed would be plenty warm enough until they all moved into the tent for the night.
Faye rolled back to her other side and then moved to sit up next to Spike. She retrieved a joint from the case she'd stashed in her boot and then started to pat down her pockets in search of her lighter. Sure, Ed was probably mocking her cigarette smoking again but Faye preferred to believe that the other girl was giving her instructions to blaze the night away. Spike sat up, which meant he was facing her and away from Ed and the river. He nudged her with a booted foot and tilted his head towards her tits when she looked at him. Blushing, she retrieved her lighter from within her top.
"Sometimes I use my pants pockets," She tried.
Jet was snorting trying not to laugh next to them. He sat up as well and moved to sit like Faye so he could keep an eye on Ed's sleepy figure. They all exchanged a glance and then moved further from the young hacker so she wasn't caught in the smoke cloud they were soon enjoying.
An hour or so later, after they'd carried Ed and Ein into the tent and arranged the sleeping pair on the pile of bedding in the main room, they were all sitting around the remnants of the fire again. Spike had added a few logs so it was starting to kick back up into something that provided light to see by. They could have used lanterns but it was nice just relying on natural light like this. They'd finished off the original bottle of tequila but were slow in making progress in the next one. Mostly it was just something to do while they talked shit and reminisced.
"What's your favorite bar?" Faye was asking now. "For me it's the Cantina. Dancing with the band is one of my best memories."
Spike leered at her. "Yeah that night was pretty special." He took the joint she was offering him. "I like Club Sugar Ray on Venus for their band myself." He admitted.
"Hey!" Jet realized. "That's why Bottom of the Well is my favorite! The blues there could make my ancestors wake up in their graves just to weep!"
"Booze doesn't make a place, it's the music that's the heart and soul." Spike noted, passing the joint back to her.
Faye laughed. "Yeah, yeah, but don't forget the *ahem* company one can find at a place like that. Actually, now that I think about it…" She took a deep hit and then passed the joint to Jet. "Ellen, Alisa… I'm detecting a theme here, Jet."
He took a drag and spoke without exhaling. "What's that?"
"You're a goddamn lush! And you keep falling for bartenders!"
"What! Ellen and I never -"
"Sure, old dog, whatever you say…" Faye waved a hand dismissively.
"And that's Black Dog, dammit!"
xxx
Camp Trip Day 2
"Mm, no use pretending you're still asleep," Spike's voice was a husky growl in her ear. "I literally felt your stomach grumble, Faye."
She snickered. "Yeah I am kinda… hungry…"
His hand on her stomach slid slower, easing under the hem of her underwear. "How quiet can you be?"
His question made her take note of their surroundings. There were sounds of nature but not sounds of their shipmates. Jet and Ed might still be asleep in the main room of the tent - or they might be elsewhere entirely. What a wonderful opportunity to have a little fun...
Faye twisted and squirmed in Spike's arms, pushing back into his body with her own as he masterfully utilized his hands out of sight. Impressively, Faye managed to keep all of her noises relatively choked off and quiet at first… but before long Spike's ministration had her gasping softly.
He moaned instructions in her ear for her to roll over in his arms and as she did she felt him tug her underwear aside so he could slip into her himself. They both gasped at the contact as Spike shifted onto his back and Faye claimed a position on top of him.
Spike had one hand gripping her right hip and he used his other to wrap lightly around the back of Faye's neck so he could draw her lower and lower until he was able to capture her lips in a kiss. What better way to catch any sounds?
Faye was sinking onto him bonelessly shortly afterward, panting from exertion and clearly ready to fall back asleep, when a racket outside drew their attention. Confused and concerned, they broke apart to hastily don clothing. Ed's panicked scream sounded from a distance. Faye hurriedly threw a dress on but was still beaten out the door as Spike, wearing just his pants which were still undone, tore by barefoot.
She emerged from the tent herself in time to see him hasten by Jet - who was apparently in the process of disrobing to jump in the river - and watched as Spike launched himself into the river with no hesitation.
Faye reached Jet's side a moment later. "What the fuck happened?!"
Jet was glaring at his metal arm. "She went out too far and got sucked into a current. This fucking thing is goddamn useless!"
"Yeah I can see how that would get you kicked off the swim team," Faye murmured. She glanced towards the river. Spike and Ed were out of view and judging from the receding sound of their yells, getting carried further away every moment. Ein was whining at her feet and Jet was looking distraught. She couldn't do much for the two in the river but she could at least help out here.
Faye clapped her hands together sharply making Ein and Jet both flinch. "She'll be fine. Spike will save her." She said with certainty. "Anyway I bet this is all a big fun adventure to her."
"Faye-!" Jet cut himself off.
She gave him a look. "Jet. He's not gonna let anything happen to her. It'll be fine, you'll see."
He glared at her. "I'm not betting on this."
Faye shrugged. "Whatever, you just know I'm right." She looked around at the campsite. "I figure we've got two choices here… You can take the Hammerhead and try to follow the river to see where they wash up… or we can get started on breakfast because you know those lunkheads will be starving by the time they get back here."
They both turned to look down at Ein for his opinion. The data dog looked at the river and cocked his head briefly, listening. He looked over at the fire pit, currently just a bed of ash. Seeming to reach a decision, Ein trotted over to the cooler and barked.
"See? Even Ein thinks it'll be fine. You know he'd be in that river himself if she was in any real trouble. Now come on, let's see what we've got to work with here, hey?" She darted back into the tent and grabbed out her joint tin and her lighter. "Wake and bake, Jet, let's get this day started off on the right foot how about?"
xxx
The water was cool but not cold which Spike was thankful for. Cold water would have made his muscles tense up and could have led to Ed losing consciousness if it was too chilly. This water was… well, almost pleasant in temperature really, especially considering how warm the air was and the lack of a cooling breeze in any direction. While it hadn't been the way he would have chosen to start his day… getting swept down the river actually wasn't so bad.
Up ahead he could see Ed's wild mass of hair, soaked and plastered to her head, as she bobbed and dipped and continued being carried downstream. The river had widened and deepened as well. When Spike had first barged into the water up by their campsite he hadn't expected the drop off once away from land and he especially hadn't counted on the way the current at the bottom of the river had dragged him under and away from the shore. Fortunately, both he and Ed had gone with the flow of things rather than trying to fight their way against the power of the water. It hadn't been a conscious decision on his part - he was just trying to reach Ed as swiftly as possible.
He found himself being grateful that she could swim - something he genuinely had never thought about before which he had regretted momentarily before realizing that she was keeping her head above water quite well. There was no art to her style of swimming, but her floundering was working for her so Spike didn't bother trying to shout any advice. Anyway water kept rushing into his mouth whenever he tried to open it so he gave up on that real quick.
Gradually the river grew even wider and the pace of the water seemed to slow… slow… slow… until they came to a small lake. Ed, laughing, was trying to drag herself towards the reedy shore but kept getting stuck in the thick mud at the bottom of the river. Spike made his way to her side and grabbed her around the middle, tugging her loose from the muck and carrying her like a suitcase until they were able to reach the actual shore and pull themselves from the water using some nearby tree branches for leverage.
Spike coughed and hacked. Ed was still laughing, which was a relief. He managed to finally button up his pants, which had become so waterlogged he was lucky they hadn't fallen off. He was both glad his pockets had been empty and frustrated by that fact, although if he'd had his smokes or a lighter on him those items would be beyond useless at this point anyway.
"You okay, Ed?" He asked once he'd caught his breath.
"Water park adventure!" She enthused. "Ed wasn't expecting the water to want to play. Sirens pull people under in the sea - who pulls people under here?"
Spike shook his head forcefully to clear the water from his hair and ears. "Nobody pulled you under, Ed. It's the way the water itself flows. There's all these currents that we can't see." He coughed again. "We'll have to do some research on that shit before any future swimming trips."
Ed nodded sagely. "Gotta know hidden dangers!"
"You betcha, kiddo." Spike glanced around. The foliage was fairly dense where they'd managed to beach themselves, so he wasn't sure if they'd be able to find a path through the brush that would lead back up river. He considered the river itself next. It was much shallower along the edges in most spots, which meant it had some potential as a slippery path if they were able to cling to the edges and not get knocked back into the underwater current that brought the river to the lake. They were both without shoes or socks, which was how Ed normally lived anyway so he wasn't too worried about her feet, but he was quite used to wearing shoes and wasn't eager to cut or bruise his feet up on sharp stones underfoot. Not like there was much choice though.
"All right, Ed. Here's what I'm thinking,"
xxx
It was not quite mid-day when Ed reached the edge of the tree line with Spike-person. They were bedraggled but in remarkably good spirits. Ed was swinging along the lowest branches of the trees and following in Spike's wake as they approached the others.
Faye-Faye retreated briefly to the tent and emerged with a pair of towels for the duo, throwing one over Spike-person's head and wrapping the other around Ed herself. Ein came rushing up to the pair as well, barking with delight, and weaving between Spike's legs to the point where he nearly fell over the dog. Jet Papa was busy over the fire with his cast iron food toys but he gave them both a nod.
Ed escaped from Faye's clutches - she was trying to aggressively towel dry Ed's hair - and made her way to the fire pit with Ein at her heels.
"Yum yums!" She cried. "Oh thank you, Papa Jet!" There was a plate on one of the rocks that was loaded with a few sandwich looking items. The outside was a pale gold with a bit of char along the edges where the bread had poked out of the cast iron, and the insides… well, who knew? Ed was excited to find out though! Her stomach gave a loud growl as she plopped down onto the sand next to the cooler.
"Be careful, Ed - remember last night? The insides are going to be extremely hot for a while." Jet advised. Ed weighed the pros and cons. She'd scalded her tongue on food plenty before - was it worth the pain to have the deliciousness in her stomach RIGHT NOW?
No. She was going to be patient.
"Fucking hot!" Spike shouted. He'd made his way to the fire and the food rock also but had not given Jet's cautionary words any attention. He was hopping around now, flapping his hands towards his mouth which was open even as he tried to chew the bite he'd taken from one of the crusty little pies.
Ed rummaged through the cooler until she found a water bottle and threw it at the lanky cowboy. He was preoccupied by the burn and didn't catch it so the bottle bounced painfully off one of his still bare feet. Howling at that pain now too, Spike-person flopped onto the ground and grabbed at his foot with one hand, scrabbling for the water bottle with the other, and poured water into his mouth as soon as he was able to get the cap off.
Faye and Jet were falling over themselves laughing at his plight, but his death glares only made them laugh even harder. Ed was amused as well but she only grinned at him.
They made it through breakfast without further incident and then Jet and Spike helped Ed with her fishing while Faye laid out in the sun and read one of her steamy romance novels. Ed had tried reading one herself but the language was so over the top and the scenarios were even more absurd than the situations the Bebop crew got themselves into, which was really saying something if you asked Ed.
They caught enough fish to have dinner taken care of, which was good because they were pretty much out of food otherwise. Two nights in the great outdoors was just long enough to be good for the soul and just short enough to keep anyone from getting too cranky about sleeping on the hard ground. That's what Jet had told Ed anyway - she'd never been bothered by discomfort no matter what surface she sprawled out on so she just had to take his word for it.
The auroras were absent this evening, but the stars were glowing to make up for it and Ed was just as enthralled as she had been the evening before. This time she didn't try to do any rituals with the others as they drank - no, instead she made up a game of fetch with Ein and the few remaining marshmallows after yet another decadent dessert. Ein wasn't playing the game very well, he kept eating the marshmallows instead of bringing them back to Ed.
Jet made her give up the game when Ein puked marshmallow fluff over in the bushes. But it was okay because the adults were settling into their drinks, puffing leisurely on their smokes, and telling Ed to get ready for the ghost stories they had to share.
That was one of the things Ed had read about when she was researching camping. Most of it was physical stuff - hiking, biking, swimming, boating, fishing, etc. Camping seemed to be a lot of work from first glance. But then there were the traditions… things like the s'mores and the stargazing and the telling of tall tales or ghost stories. Ed had fallen asleep too early the previous night though she didn't think the others had been sharing scary stories after she passed out. It had been tough enough to convince them to have something ready for tonight!
"Wanna start us off, Spike-o?" Jet encouraged. He was sitting on one of the logs, Ein at his feet looking sickly still. Spike and Faye were sharing a log across the fire from Jet and Ed was on her own log in between two of the rock tables. Faye and Spike's log was on her left and Jet's log was off on her right side. The river was at her back so she could keep an eye on the intimidating darkness of the tree line. Already this night felt much spookier than the previous one.
Spike-person cleared his throat. "There once was a man from Venus whose one claim to fame was his-"
Spike's voice cut off abruptly when Faye-Faye slammed her left elbow into his side. Jet let his head drop back and blew out a sigh towards the sky. Spike started to laugh once he got his wind back and Faye crossed her arms irritably.
"You don't even know where that story was going," He insisted.
"And we don't need to either." Jet said with finality. "Come on, you lunkhead, you've got to have some kind of scary story."
"There once was a man driven mad, whose feelings could only be bad." Spike tried again. He got serious then. "He was tormented and tortured and traumatized. But one day he broke free from his shackles. He laid waste to his abusers. He brought death to all who saw his face. Until one day he met a man who could not be destroyed. They fought back and forth until the sad man got distracted by a ghost. He couldn't see beyond the horror. He couldn't flee. He died that day in agony."
"Fuck, Spike, that's a terrible scary story." Faye said when he stopped talking.
He shrugged self-consciously. "It's a true story at least - let's hear you do any better, Romani."
Ed remembered the man from Spike-person's story. She hadn't met him but she had seen pictures and overheard when Jet told the tale. Her heart hurt for the man who had been so ruthlessly misused. She hadn't said a thing to the others yet, but she was keeping a list of Baddies who would one day be held accountable for the terrible things they did.
The majority of her list so far consisted of various government agencies or shady businesses, though there were a few actual individuals on there… like the guy who had cut Faye-Faye the day Ed returned to the Bebop.
Now that was a man who gave Ed nightmares and she hadn't even seen him for very long, nor had Spike or the paramedics let her see Faye while she'd been in rough shape. The novelty of seeing the world from the front seat of an ambulance had been lost in the sheer terror she'd felt over everything that had happened and her desperate worry over Faye.
It suddenly wasn't enough to be on a log near the others. She scrambled up and scooted over to the log Spike and Faye were on. She clambered up next to Faye-Faye and latched onto her right arm in a tight hold. Spike leaned out to see past Faye and to catch Ed's eye.
"You good, Ed?" He asked kindly.
She nodded several times and watched as the three adults exchanged looks. "More stories, please!" If she didn't prove that she was courageous they'd never continue.
Jet Papa looked across the fire to Faye-Faye. "I got something if you need more time," He offered.
Biting at her lower lip as she looked down at Edward, Faye-Faye finally gave an absent nod. She yanked her arm free of Ed's grip to wrap it around Ed's shoulders instead and then tugged Ed towards her so she could lean against Faye-Faye and relax.
All was quiet for a few minutes as everyone listened to the pop and crackle of the firewood in the pit in front of them and watched the flames dancing in the night air.
"Okay, all right, here we go…" Across the fire, Jet started his tale. "On Ganymede there used to be an apartment complex on my beat that was haunted. People would get home and lock their doors and consider themselves safe. But despite the locks, people were being killed violently right there in their homes. It seemed as though only a ghost could be responsible for these murders. But I had suspicions. I posted up in one of the apartments one night. I saw when the medicine cabinet began to swing open on its own. I saw as a spectre begin to spill into the bathroom in front of me…"
Ed was sitting stiffly under the reassuring weight of Faye's arm around her. She couldn't help from leaning forward on the log towards Jet across the fire.
"Papa Jet saw a spectre!" She exclaimed.
"Well," Jet rubbed at the back of his head. "It turned out to be a tenant who had been evicted. He was irate and refused to leave, moving into the walls of the building instead. See, he'd been one of the original construction workers who built the damn place years ago. He had access others didn't even know existed and he had the motive. And because I thought he might be a spirit at first, he kind of got the drop on me. That's, uh, how my eye got the scar there. Good thing I cottoned on and stepped back or I'd have something fancy like you, Spike-o."
"Jet, your story needs work." Spike-person told him with a chuckle. "Romani, c'mon, have you got anything good and spooky?"
"Well… I'm not entirely sure but… okay, here goes…" Faye straightened up a little and cleared her throat. "It was a long time ago in a very small town in a quiet part of the world where nothing ever seemed to happen. It was a very good place to grow up and live, but that wasn't something the children ever understood in their youth. Being a child in such a dull place was a challenge. And one little girl couldn't ever keep from trouble. She climbed trees and collected rocks and always liked to stay out late into the night, far later than any of the other children, far later than even the adults of the town. Her parents were always tired because they had to work very hard. Everyone in the town had to work all day long and the children were all terribly bored. So they started to follow the girl. They climbed trees with her, they collected rocks, and they all stayed out dangerously late in the night." She paused and took a drink of the water bottle that had been sitting near her feet.
Faye glanced down at Ed, gave her a smile, and continued. "What no one knew in this tiny little town was that there were terrible things lurking in the woods. No one was sure what was out there, but everyone could feel the… darkness. It was that scary feeling that made the adults try to keep busy with work and then sleep through the night when wild things might creep. That same scary feeling settling in their bones was also what made the kids so determined to distract themselves by causing trouble."
Ed let her gaze fixate on the fire. She saw images in the flames and the shadows. The flames were like the children in Faye's tale and the shadows were the darkness.
"One night, when clouds covered the sky and no starlight could shine through, the girl and her friends found themselves very deep in the woods, very far from their homes. They all began to feel afraid, except for the bravest girl who had led them this far."
Jet added another log to the fire making it snap and flare up brightly. Ed shaded her eyes at first until her vision acclimated again. It was nice being able to see across the fire again - she could keep an eye on Jet and Ein this way.
"The brave little girl had a lantern and she used it to light their way through the brambly woods, over a trickling stream, all the way to a deep dank cave waaaay down in the valley outside of their town. She never hesitated. Even as the fear loomed stronger, even as the darkness grew deeper. She held the torch in one hand and in her other hand she held the hand of another child who trailed behind her, who in turn held the hand of the child behind him."
"Faye, is this gonna be a ghost story or what?" Spike interjected.
"Hush, lunkhead!" Ed exclaimed.
Faye ignored them both. "They moved swiftly and surely with the brave girl in the lead, their hands linking them all together safely. It wasn't long before the children reached the back of the cave. There was nowhere else to go. The cavern was very big. All the edges were lost in shadow. And the shadows were getting thicker and closer and pressing in on the children. They huddled together in terror and shrieked when the lantern went out."
Ed yelped herself because a log in the fire made a crack as it fell apart. Faye-Faye looked down at her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
"But the brave little girl cried out 'you are safe!' 'all is well!' And her voice was sure. The children stopped crying. It was still too dark to see but they were not as scared. The brave little girl called out to the darkness next. 'We have come to keep you company, so you will not be scared.' Because, you see, the darkness had actually been afraid of itself all along. It had been so lonely and when you're alone it's hard to not be frightened. But one brave little girl felt the fear and welcomed it into herself so she could face it fully. It was only her thoughtfulness that soothed the darkness and drove terror away from her town."
Edward smiled. "That's something Ed would do!"
Faye laughed. "Well, you did inspire my tale."
"All right," Jet announced. "That's plenty unless you've got a story for us, Ed."
She grinned at them. "Yup yup! It's a twist on a familiar tale! The icky wicky, ucky yucky, pudding monster! A what-if kind of story…" She gave one of her evil sounding laughs and then dove right in. "A man wakes up in his bed. He realizes he is not alone. There are hideous bug creatures all around! They have him surrounded! But… despite his fear they do nothing. In fact, days pass and they bring him foodstuffs and keep him safe and warm. One night there is a commotion! The man's house is under attack! But the bugs kill the threat. They are protecting him? He finds himself even more at ease. Until days later, he wakes in a sweat. His body is burning and itchy and hurting bad! His guts are churning. The bug creatures are there and they will not let him leave the bed. Under his skin, something writhes. In a moment of horror, he understands. The bugs were not caring for him. They were not defending his house. They were ensuring the host of their offspring survived long enough to be devoured as the babies tear free!"
She leapt up at the very end, turning towards Faye to run her hands all up Faye's side making her squeal in startlement. Ed bolted from Faye-Faye's side to hide behind Papa Jet when Faye made to launch herself after Edward. Laughter rose up from both cowboys and even Ein - taking shelter now between Jet's booted feet - seemed entertained.
"Ed that story was awful!" Faye shuddered.
"Don't worry, Faye-Faye! If the pudding monster laid eggs in your brain, they'd have hatched by now! That was well over a year ago now!" Ed replied cheekily. Faye growled and continued her pursuit of the young hacker. Ed darted from behind Jet to race around the logs and crouch behind Spike, but the other cowboy twisted on his log seat and reached around to tickle Edward, making her shriek and twist to evade. Jet was laughing even harder. Faye-Faye was very nearly on her heels again. This was one of the best nights Ed could remember having!
xxx
Take 'er easy, Space Cowboy!