On Board the Bebop

Night of the Return

Blowing shit up wasn't often Spike's intent. Oh, sure, there had been times when he'd gone through buildings throwing grenades left and right, striving to reduce the place to rubble. But when on bounty hunts or, say, fleeing from authority while trying to save the planet from a virus, sometimes destruction was just inevitable. He'd always felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement from it - some boyish emotions shining through that were never fully squashed no matter how old and mature a person grew to be. Even a lifetime ago when he'd been plummeting from the cathedral and nearly unconscious from the pains of his wounds, he remembered the cloud of debris that had billowed out of the shattered stained glass remnants, and how satisfied he had been by the boom.

Nothing compared to the sheer gratification he felt when he and Andy pounded the asteroid with their ship's weaponry until the entire place was collapsing in on itself or crumbling into more detritus to eternally float in the asteroid field. He had never exploded anything of this size before. And while substantial sections were merely shattered away, the interior portions - the facility itself - was soon rendered completely ruined.

Rebuilding in the remains would be impossible. Or at least extremely financially unviable. Which was about the best he could hope for, really.

He beat Andy back to the Bebop, docking and disembarking from his ship before the other man had even finished shooting up the space rock. If the cowboy-turned-samurai-turned-knight-turned-pirate wanted to keep blasting stuff, that was his prerogative - Spike had other concerns to address.

Stumbling across Ed on horseback was not one of them, thankfully. No, he'd leave that nonsense to Jet or Andy - it was his damn horse, after all. Though he was momentarily pleased that she'd been able to finagle the pony ride she'd been requesting since Andy and Onyx had arrived with him and Faye earlier that evening. How Ed managed to smuggle the horse onto the Bebop without either him or Andy noticing when they'd been rushing to their ships was a mystery but not a difficult one to solve. They'd been practically wrestling with each other as they'd hastened to the hangar, pushing and shoving and tripping one another to be the first to launch and start blasting.

It wasn't for the glory - no one knew what they were doing way out here. Andy's family was pushing for charges against their rival ranch for the stolen cattle and having their good name and reputation tarnished by the association with all the debauchery that had taken place. The families named by the employees on the asteroid had their hands full with paying off officials and bribing judges to keep from any potential consequences. No doubt they would try to pin everything on the renegade computer program that had been in use.

And what of the players? What of the doctors and cow butchers and guards? Spike didn't care about the fates of anyone working there, though presumably some were there under duress, but he was keenly interested in the fallout for all the participants. Technically their debts should be erased, but he didn't trust that happening immediately if at all. More likely, they would get an offer for their financial freedom at the cost of giving up any rights to sue or speak out about their experience. That was typically the way these types of dirty schemes ran when dragged out into the open.

He wasn't sure what sort of consequences might emerge from this whole debacle. At best, Faye would finally be debt free. But that seemed too good to be true. He'd have to make sure Ed stayed on top of the proceedings so they could at least have a warning if anything dire was to trickle down to the unwilling participants. He had destroyed the computer and any evidence that may have been left on the asteroid - which, in retrospect, may have been a bad idea. But he still felt like the universe was a safer place with only wreckage to show what had once been there.

Stepping through the portal into the living room, he didn't see anyone and couldn't hear the shower running anymore. Perhaps Faye had left the sanctuary there in search of food that wasn't fucking beef. Now there was another reason to be pissed off - he did not enjoy having his palate fucked with and he wasn't sure when he'd ever get back to craving beef after eating it for every meal for a week straight. Had it been a week? He had no idea. They'd done a good job of fucking everyone up in terms of knowing how long they'd all been there. The lights were never off, the meals were always the same, and they were randomly selected for games or chores whenever either was in demand. If there had been a schedule, it had been erratic and unpredictable, not that Spike had really tried to divine any reason from it all.

Voices in the kitchen led him to his goal. He almost tripped over Ein as he strode into the small space currently occupied by an alarmed looking Jet and a troubled looking Faye. There was something heartbroken in her gaze that took him aback. She'd been peculiarly quiet on their return to the Bebop, though he too had been trying to avoid conversation with Andy. She had also made herself very small on his vessel, tucking into a seat in the corner of the wheelhouse and staring vacantly out the window as the Bebop had loomed larger and larger before them. She'd pretty much run from Andy's ship to the security of the Bebop's deck once they'd docked and then she'd disappeared into the washroom without a word to anyone else.

Even Ed had been confused when her attempt at a hug was gently fobbed off by Faye in her rush. But of course Ed's ill ease had evaporated an instant later when he and Andy had come through the door. She'd latched herself onto his leg as he made his way over to the railing, but when Andy began pulling cans of stew out of a bag he'd brought aboard, Ed had immediately attached herself to the other man instead.

Now, in the kitchen, Jet - very obviously relieved by Spike's arrival - snuck out with the fresh pot of stew and Ein trailing eventually behind. Spike could hear the sound of the single stall toilet being flushed, then Andy's voice talking to Jet. He tuned all of that out and narrowed his focus to the woman with sad eyes and slumped shoulders and a very fragile air about her. Spike didn't always do well with delicate things - it wasn't exactly in his nature.

Faye took a shuddering breath and then determinedly took a bite of apple. She hadn't turned to face him, though she had to know he'd come into the room.

Spike was wary.

Faye was an explosive person herself. She didn't often bother to keep her emotions bottled up inside, except for sadness. The fact that she wasn't screaming about the injustice of it all and demanding to know who to shake down for the truth was disconcerting. He wanted her angry. Wanted her spitting nails. Wanted her in a righteous fury resolved to take down those responsible for their recent trials. A furious Faye could be calmed down or else let loose to wreak havoc on her foes. A distraught Faye was something much more difficult to deal with.

"Faye?" He called out quietly.

She continued taking small bites of the apple.

He frowned and moved to step around her so he could face her properly. The apple looked and smelled delicious but he didn't want to get distracted from his mission. Her face was pale, her eyes sorrowful and a million miles away. She seemed almost confused when she reached the core of the apple so he plucked it out of her hand to throw away.

Now left with nothing to occupy her, Faye blinked up at him as if just realizing he was there. Her mouth opened and then closed without her saying a word.

"Faye… are you okay?" Obviously she wasn't, but the conversation had to start somewhere.

She closed her eyes. "No."

Oh. Well. It was a start?

Tentatively, he reached out to gather her into his arms. She made no move to fight him off but also did not put her own arms around him. They stayed hanging at her side as he pressed her to his front, using one hand to cradle the back of her head which she let fall against his left shoulder, and using the other to reassuringly stroke her back. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his as she took in shaking breaths. He was still in the jumpsuit from the games, so he couldn't tell if she was crying into the fabric or not.

"What do you need?" He tried asking.

She moaned piteously.

Well that was no help. What the fuck was he supposed to do? He wasn't a mind reader.

Her behavior was starting to freak him out. She hadn't seemed so distressed by everything when they were on the asteroid. Maybe her emotions had been clamped down so she could get through it all. Had he really not noticed though? No, he was fairly sure that she had been okay even at the meal they'd shared before being separated for the last time on that miserable rock. Jittery from a lack of cigarettes, much like himself, and irritable about everything overall yet uncertain how to proceed which was frustrating and made a person feel powerless. So, well, there'd been plenty of galling feelings to deal with, but she'd been handling it really well.

They'd been trying to force themselves to eat the beef and gruel, but with their eyes closed and describing other meals to each other to try and trick their mouths and minds into believing it was anything other than the crap they'd grown so accustomed to. It hadn't worked but it had brought them both some momentary amusement.

Something must have happened in the interim. How had she gotten that rocket launcher? Had she been assaulted by another player or a guard in a different game? Or had she not been in a game at all? He could wonder for ages without ever stumbling upon the answer. Getting her to open up was going to be the only way he'd learn.

She was shivering in his arms. Well, she *was* only in a bathrobe and towel, and it wasn't exactly hot on the Bebop. Jet liked to keep the internal temperature of the ship around 20 degrees, which was normally pleasant enough but not if you had wet hair and damp skin.

All right, this had gone on long enough. And anyway he was tired of being in the jumpsuit and still reeking of sweat and blood from their adventures. He moved too quickly for her to protest or to even realize what was happening. Not that he was sure she was even here with him mentally - she seemed lost in her own head, not entirely dissimilar to when memories accosted her.

Scooping her up bridal style, with his left arm wrapped around her ribcage and hooked under her left armpit and his right arm under her knees, he left the kitchen. She curled in on herself in his arms, her own arms wrapped around herself and her hands clutching her upper arms so tight it looked painful. She twisted her head to press her face against his chest, her eyes clenched shut. Tears leaked down her face regardless and she was rapidly advancing from a tremble to a full out shake.

He reached the living room and could see Ed talking to the horse Onyx and Ein - who was now atop the horse? - through the open round door. Jet and Andy were discussing something but the conversation got derailed when they saw Spike with Faye in his arms. She was breathing very fast now, nearly hyperventilating, still trying desperately to control herself.

"Yo Jet, got any joints around?" Spike asked as he made his way through the living room towards the short staircase leading down to the large washroom.

Nodding, Jet pulled a repurposed pack of cigarettes from his pocket and started to pull a couple out.

"Spike?" Faye's tremulous voice spoke up.

"Yeah babe?" He answered her absently as he reached awkwardly with his right hand for the joints Jet proffered.

"They killed that baby." Faye's voice was a whisper when she spoke again but her words landed impossibly loud in all the ears in the room.

Spike stopped moving. Jet and Andy seemed just as frozen. They could still all hear Ed chattering to Ein and Onyx in the rotating hallway, oblivious to the turmoil of the adults in the living room. Faye was crying openly now, shaking violently in his arms.

Wordlessly, Jet put the whole pack of joints into Spike's right hand, keeping only the two he'd been offering at first. He reached behind Spike to tug at the zipper at the back of his jumpsuit and pulled it partway down Spike's back. Spike hadn't even considered how he'd get out of the suit while Faye was unlikely to be able to help - trust Jet to be a step ahead already.

He left Jet with Andy in the living room and continued on his way to the washroom.

xxx

She couldn't stop shaking.

Spike had undressed her again, not like she'd been wearing much after her shower anyway. He'd managed to strip down himself and had gotten the shower turned on and both of them in it under the warm spray.

It was freeing to be there. The tears mixed with the water pouring down and she felt less vulnerable that way. She could almost pretend she wasn't sobbing at all. The shaking needed to stop though.

Spike was carefully lathering up and then rinsing out her hair, using his fingers to massage her scalp. His tender treatment was both welcome and overwhelming.

He'd been changing for a while now, less concerned with looking cool and being aloof, more interested in and involved in the lives of his shipmates. He'd fully stepped into being alive now that his life had continued on past the point he'd expected it to end. Faye still wasn't entirely used to the evolved Spike Spiegel and certainly wasn't yet used to being the center of his attention.

He was a very intense individual, fierce in fighting and flying and fucking too. He could pour his all into something if he decided to and apparently he had decided to with her. It kind of freaked her out, to be honest, but it was better to focus on these thoughts than the memories of their most recent experience.

But... she was terrified of not addressing it now and being haunted by it later. She had to purge it somehow.

"They took us… uhh, back to the medical bay. To help. Umm, to help harvest organs from the players. The ones who lost bad games." She was facing Spike in the shower and tilted her face up so she could stare at him - his hair flattened to his head by the shower water, his two-tone eyes regarding her calmly. He'd finished with her hair and just stood now in front of her, waiting for her next move. At some point she'd stopped shaking from sobs but the temperature of the water was cooling and she was about to start shivering from that.

"We can… umm … we can be done in here," She said then. "I wanna be dry. I wanna be dry and high."

Spike gave her a crooked little grin. They stepped out of the shower, Faye shutting it off while Spike went into the laundry area to grab the towels that Jet had thoughtfully put into the dryer to warm for them. He'd told them about it through the door but that had been quite a while ago. Faye was genuinely impressed with how long the hot water had lasted between both her lengthy showers since getting back to the ship.

Since he seemed to be in a touchy feely mood, Faye let Spike towel her off. She didn't feel capable of lifting her arms anyway - she was surprised she was still on her feet actually. Ever since getting back to the Bebop it was like everything was crashing into her all at once.

They were home. They were safe. No one was watching their every move. She didn't have to be tough anymore. She could finally take a real breath.

"Whoa, whoa, hey, I got you," Spike had been tousling her hair dry after having helped her back into her bathrobe. He let the towel drop to the ground to hold her shoulders and steady her as she wavered on her feet.

"Ugh, I'm a wreck," She muttered, embarrassed for her weakness. She let him steer her to sit on top of the toilet seat lid and leaned her head against the wall wearily as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

"Everyone has a breaking point," He told her. She watched as he rummaged under the sink for a moment, eventually coming up with a lighter and a pint of Dr Rumpleschnapps. She realized at some point that he'd also recovered the crumpled pack of cigarettes that he had dropped on the floor of the laundry room on their way to the shower.

He pulled out something that was definitely not a cigarette but was perhaps even more welcome at the moment. It had been days since she'd had nicotine and tobacco but right now having cannabis cloud her head seemed ideal. They smoked the entire joint and had each taken a few drinks of the menthol booze before he spoke again.

"One of my memories… one of the few I've got from being a kid…" He sighed tiredly. "I found a baby in a dumpster once. It was too late by then, it had been cold that day and who knows when it was abandoned anyway. I'd just been looking for food." He was staring at the bathtub across the room, sitting on a towel on the ground - the one he'd been using on her hair until he dropped it - and there was another wrapped around his waist. "That's the kind of shit that stays with you. The stuff you wish you could forget."

"Fuck," She uttered. All she'd ever learned about his past was tragic or brutal. She thought maybe he was lucky to have so many of his own memories lost. If it was all stuff like this... well, he sure didn't need more depressing shit to carry. But it made her sad to think that perhaps he'd only forgotten the good parts of his youth and adolescence.

She spoke up after taking another sip of the booze. "I couldn't see them well. But they were in the room, in the far back corner, and then someone pulled a curtain to close that corner off from anyone seeing… and then… those players you encouraged to revolt showed up. I don't know what happened after that." She hadn't seen the baby or mother up close and personal, but there had been no mistaking that tiny form next to the adult form of its mother.

"The mother was there too?" Spike asked.

She nodded. She'd recognized the hair from the glimpse she'd caught of the pair during one of the meals after the baby was born.

"It's... good that they were together. She, uh, seemed happy about it. Having it, I mean." Spike faltered.

Faye, still sitting on the toilet seat lid, smiled sadly. "I get what you're saying. Neither had to die alone at least. I just… it shouldn't have happened. Why did they take her in the first place? How cruel…"

Spike shrugged and got to his feet. "Some people are monsters beyond redemption." He stashed the remaining liquor and the lighter back under the sink. Picking up the pack of joints, he offered her his other hand to pull her to her feet. "C'mon, let's find a better room to hang out in."

She let him lead her to the living room and plopped down onto the couch lethargically. She was feeling pretty proud of herself for making it that far under her own power. He didn't join her there but instead bent over to turn on the monitor and skip through the channels until he found an old Earth Western to give her something to look at.

He disappeared for a minute and Faye finally let herself fully relax. Breathing in the recycled air of the ship, hearing all those familiar noises of parts working as they should, hearing the clacking of puppy nails as Ein approached from somewhere else… It made her feel good.

Ein pressed his wet nose against her exposed calf. He gave her leg a little lick and she pulled away automatically from his tongue.

"That tickles! No licking!" But she reached down to pick him up and deposit him at her side on the couch. He sat staring at her with his tongue poking out of his mouth. She stared back. "Watch the show, not me. You want pets or not?"

Ein cocked his head to the side, but then rearranged himself so he was lying at her side with his face towards the monitor screen. Faye smiled and started stroking his fur with her left hand. His little body practically vibrated with life even just laying there doing nothing. Small dogs sure were high energy. He gave a happy little whine when she reached the scruff of his neck fur and stayed there, gripping and releasing methodically, giving Ein a doggy massage.

Spike came back into the living room. He was wearing sweatpants and the tee shirt he usually wore when cleaning his ship. He was carrying the joints and a lighter in one hand and a clump of what looked suspiciously like her clothing in the other.

"Figured you might want some actual clothes at some point," He tossed the clothes onto the couch next to her and then left the room again, to the kitchen this time.

Faye glanced down at Ein.

"No peeking!" She ordered. He put his front paws over his face and she laughed. "Good boy." She'd changed into the shorts and tank top by the time Spike emerged from the kitchen. He carried two bowls that he set down on the table in front of them both. He must have seen her expression because he chuckled as he sat down on her other side.

"Don't worry, it's not stew."

Curious, Faye picked one of the bowls up. "What is it?" She peered down at the contents. Ein sniffed at her bowl but then dismissed it from his attention to lay back down on the couch beside her.

Spike was already several mouthfuls into his. "Veg'table gnocchi," He spoke around another spoonful. "S'nice 'avin veggies,"

"Don' 'alk w'yo mouf full," Faye admonished, her own mouth full as she spoke.

He glanced over at her with a goofy grin that she gave right back.

It was nice having someone as silly and immature as yourself. It was also nice having vegetables on a regular basis. It was even nicer having Jet as a partner. The older man was remarkably observant and considerate. He'd clearly gone out of his way to make them something to eat that wasn't a stark reminder of their time on the asteroid.

Her eyes stung with fresh tears. She put down her empty bowl with trembling hands and when she leaned back Spike had a joint lit and held out to her. She shook her head.

"Shotgun me?" She requested instead.

He took a deep hit from the joint as he set his own empty bowl down on the table and then left the joint burning in there too. Turning to her, he wrapped his arms around her as he brought his lips to her own for an intoxicating open mouth kiss, breathing the smoke right into her. She kissed him back with a ferocity that unnerved her but which she couldn't contain.

She pushed him against the couch, feeling his hands hot on her back through the fabric of her top. Her own hands were tangling in his still damp hair, her teeth clacking against his gracelessly as they eagerly battled for dominance over one another. Kissing him was electric. It gave her that tickle-belly feeling when gravity drops unexpectedly away and always left her delirious with desire.

Endless minutes later, Faye pulled away, panting, to stare down into his dark eyes. They burned with a riot of emotion, as convoluted as her own heart and thoughts right now.

She wanted him desperately. Having him lay next to her for the past few days had been the one thing that had gotten her through every day, but it had been torture as well. Being in the same small space - not just the cell, but the cot itself which was barely wide enough to share - had been an itch that couldn't be scratched. She'd had plenty of desire for him but absolutely no desire to be on film in a compromising position.

She was also still unbearably sad. She wanted to sob and scream and cry and *hurt* someone. Ideally the someones responsible for that mindfuck. Those people so obscenely wealthy and bored with life that they had no concept of how vile their use of other humans as playthings was. Their complete disassociation from humanity was horrendous. If they wanted to feel something… if they wanted to place bets on human lives… they should have the fucking courage to do it themselves - to play the games personally.

"I am *so* mad. I want to hurt them so much." Faye spoke quietly. She'd pulled away but was still partially on his lap and she could feel how glad he was to have her there. His gaze was half lidded now, still full of passion.

"So let's do it."

"What?"

Spike grinned at her lazily. He slung his arms lower around her, wrapping them around her hips. "Hold your horses, cowgirl. We can't go slaying folks without making sure it's the right folks. But I happen to know Ed's got a doomsday list going."

Faye blinked. "A… doomsday… list?"

Spike nodded. "She's been keeping track of folks who deserve some karmic retribution. Getting all sorts of dirt on all sorts of companies and bad guys. The stuff that will bring them down. Or help us figure out who to bring doomsday to."

"The heart of that girl," Faye whispered affectionately. "Wait, how'd you find out about this?"

Spike's gaze slid to the side, past the sprawl of Faye's legs, to Ein who was dozing on the end of the couch.

"Oh shit, I forgot he was there," She murmured. She shifted on Spike's lap, leaning against his chest and resting her head on his right shoulder. His right hand stayed wrapped around her back, resting at the top of her right hip. He used his left hand to push her hair back out of her face and turned his head so he could capture her lips again.

It was slow and it was sweet and it made her come undone again. Ed's admirable pursuit of justice, Jet's quiet caretaking of so much that made their lives run smooth, Spike's recent tenderness and his reckless leap into the consequences of her debt in the first place…

She was still fuming mad. But she didn't feel helpless anymore, the way she had on the asteroid. She felt driven with purpose. And Spike's talented mouth and wandering hands were making her come back to life, come back to herself. She didn't know when Ein made his escape from the room - though probably it was about when she nearly kicked him as Spike nibbled at her bottom lip.

The data dog was long gone by the time Spike had rearranged them to be lying on the couch. And after that, Faye lost track of everything except the pleasure Spike aroused within her.

xxx

On Board the Bebop

The Next Day

Jet was frying up pancakes when Faye wandered, yawning, into the kitchen. He nodded his head towards the coffee pot that had just finished filling with precious liquid and watched as Faye's eyes lit up.

"Ohh coffee! You absolute treasure of a man," She quickly filled a mug and then hung her face over it, breathing in the aroma with glee.

"There should be some chocolate milk in the fridge for Ed if you want to bring her a glass." He told her. Ed loved to pretend to be drinking coffee with them but was most decidedly not yet a fan of the caffeinated bean drink. "She's up on the bridge doing research for me."

"Oh? What kind of research?"

Jet flipped the cakes before giving her his attention again. "Well, I was thinking we could all probably use a change of pace for a bit. So, uh, we're on our way to Io to pick up a load of mushrooms that a fancy restaurant chain on Mars - uhh, Crème de la Crème Magnifique - wants for their upcoming daily specials. Then, while we're there, Bob has a protection gig lined up for us."

"Why would Ed need to research a mushroom delivery?" Faye asked as she dutifully poured a glass of chocolate milk. "And a protection gig? What does that entail exactly?"

Jet grunted and moved to take some of the cakes off the frying pan. "Do you not remember what happened the last time we were on Io? I'm not about to get busted for trafficking the wrong mushrooms. And we'll know more about the bodyguard situation later once I get in touch with Bob for the details. I'll fill you in once I'm fully in the know - I don't want to have to repeat myself just because you lot can't be bothered to listen up the first time. Anyway, where's Spike? Breakfast is just about ready."

Faye shrugged. "He smoked me into a stupor last night and I was alone when I woke up. He's probably working out somewhere. No doubt his nose will lead him here in time for food. Did Andy finally leave or is he admiring himself in a mirror somewhere?"

"No, he bailed shortly after you, er… Spike… uh brought you to the shower."

Faye winced.

Jet finished moving the pancakes to a plate. He glanced over at Faye again. "You, uh, good?"

"I'm fucking pissed, Jet." She inhaled sharply and let her breath out slowly. "But I'm not gonna go rush off and get myself killed on some mission of vengeance. I'm not gonna hide away in my room and bawl for days. I'm a fucking adult and I can just stoke the fires of my rage until I can unleash it on the appropriate targets."

Jet stared at her with wide eyes. "Uhhh… well, that's… all right, that's a plan then."

She snorted. "You need a hand with the plates or anything there?"

He shook his head. "Nah, you just handle those glasses and tell Ed to come down for breakfast. I put plates, butter, and syrup out earlier."

True to Faye's prediction, Spike was already sitting in the living room when Jet brought out the plate of bacon and the tremendous stack of flapjacks.

Jet set down the loaded plates and frowned at the butter. "Did you poke it?" There was a finger print impression on the bar.

Spike shrugged. "Had to make sure it's a spreadable temp. Breakfast condiment quality makes or breaks a cake."

"No. Adding a dash of cinnamon makes or breaks a pancake." Jet replied gruffly. He looked upwards thoughtfully. "Maybe some almond extract too." A glance back down showed Spike with puffed up cheeks and an immediate check on the pancake plate showed a significant decrease in its height. "Hey! Save some for the girls! Sheesh. Eating dry cakes like a damn animal."

Spike's face contorted like he was trying to grin shamefully but his mouth was still too full to really make any expression at all. He swallowed with obvious difficulty.

"The cinnamon is a good touch," Spike said when he could speak. "What about nutmeg though?"

"BREAKFAST of chaaaaaampions!" Ed's roar announced her arrival from the bridge as she dove from the platform above. Her hands planted briefly on Jet's broad shoulders and then she was landing easily on her feet in a crouch, staring ravenously at the spread.

Faye materialized on the platform next, heading sensibly for the stairs. "Sure, Ed, I'll bring your glass downstairs," She muttered sarcastically.

"Why thank you, Faye-Faye!" Ed responded brightly.

Grumbling, Faye made her way to the couch and plopped down next to Spike only for Edward to weasel her way between them and closest to everything on the table. Jet was privately glad he was often left the chair for his seat - the cushion on it was much nicer than the worn out cushions of the couch and the back offered just the right support without being so comfortable that a person fell asleep. He'd always considered it the best seat on the ship and could still remember, before they gained so many other crewmates, quietly warring with Spike over who got to sit there anytime the other cowboy wasn't trying to lazily hog up the whole couch.

Breakfast was a mad ordeal of everyone grabbing at everything all at once and fighting over the butter knife, the syrup, and the bacon. Somehow Ein had managed to score the last few slices of that. The data dog snuck them off Spike's plate after the lanky cowboy had become distracted trying to swipe Faye's coffee - though it was basically just the dregs by that point so she hadn't fought him much over it.

Jet felt joy bubbling up inside of him at the nonsense going on in front of his face.

Somehow no one had ever seemed to put together how little he consumed during the meals. If anyone had figured out that he snacked throughout the process of making the meal, helping himself to a little of everything while it was still safe in the kitchen under his purview, well… maybe they'd realize he always opted to cook because it gave him first dibs on grub. It wasn't the only reason he handled the majority of their food - the fact that the rest of his crew was all but useless in the kitchen certainly played a strong role - but it was one of the main ones.

Faye surprised them all by starting to collect the dishes once Spike and Ed had both pushed back from the table with nearly identical sighs of contentment and expressions of utter bliss.

"What're you doing?" Jet asked as she worked.

She gave him a confused look. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It's just… you've never bothered helping with the dishes before."

Faye flushed. "You trying to talk me out of it? Don't twist my arm or anything," She snapped. "Here I thought you'd appreciate some assistance with everything, especially considering you're always the one actually making all our food."

Jet raised both his hands defensively, which let Faye snatch his plate off his lap. "Oh I won't stop you. Putting a dish glove on this arm is a bitch. Just... not used to you pitching in on chores."

She sighed. "Well, let's just say I got used to it recently." Her gaze darted briefly to Spike, who had his eyes closed and his head leaned back on the couch. "Anyway, it's obvious that I need to be the one cleaning all these… that lunkhead would do such a shitty job someone else would have to repeat after him anyway."

Spike's eyes opened into a glare at her. "You saying I can't wash dishes well?"

"I'm saying no one wants to taste soap on their plate because shit wasn't rinsed properly!" She shot back.

Spike jumped to his feet and played a brief but fierce game of tug of war with her momentarily for the pile of plates she was holding. "I do a damn good job of cleaning!" He grumbled, succeeding in the contest of strength and storming off with the pile towards the kitchen.

Faye had a very smug and sly grin on her face as she gathered up the various drinking glasses still on the table. Ed was already drooling, knocked asleep by the rich foodstuffs and the pleasure of a full belly. Ein was snuffling around the floor for any scraps that had been launched into the room at large during the battle for breakfast.

Jet shook his head at Faye's clever method of tricking Spike into doing the dishes. The man was incredibly competitive whenever he thought his abilities were being questioned. It was often the way Jet himself had convinced Spike to go after bounties he felt were beneath him.

"When you kids are done in there," Jet called to her as she began heading for the kitchen, "we should be to Io and I can go get the delivery. We should stock up on some other groceries while we're here since everything is twice as expensive on Mars. Maybe you could do that and bring Ed along? No rush, since she's probably down for a bit." Ed's snore was audible throughout probably the entire ship. "And hey! Make sure those dishes actually get clean!"

"Geez, Jet, you act like we've never done dishes before!" She whined as she entered the kitchen. Spike, standing over the sink which was filling with water and suds, flicked some of the suds at her as she approached and she stuck her tongue out at him in response.

Jet's shout followed her into the small room, ringing with mirth at their expense. "You haven't!"

xxx

On the Surface of Io

Later That Day

Ed was delighted to be wandering around in the sunshine and heat. Io might be her favorite moon - it was the most reminiscent of the Earth for her, what with all the desert landscape, the hot days and cold nights, the laid-back oddball inhabitants… though these folk all lived on the terraformed surface of the moon unlike Earth's survivors who mainly dwelt underground. Well, save for Ed herself and the other truly adventure souls like her.

Spike-person had been walking with her and Faye-Faye at first, but before long the lanky cowboy had wandered off on his own personal quest of who knew what nature. He hadn't bothered to tell them his plans, he just sort of ambled off down a side street while they continued on to the open air stalls of the local market. They'd left the Bebop in orbit with Ein in charge and had taken all the zip craft to get their various missions accomplished. Jet was using his Hammerhead to pick up the crates of shiitake mushrooms for the Martian restaurant delivery, and Faye was in charge of Ed's welfare and getting all the foodstuffs they'd need that they couldn't grow themselves. Spike was ostensibly along to help haul the grocery bags.

The violet-haired bounty hunter had given Ed permission to pick out all the fruits she wanted. The bread and meat meanwhile was Faye's responsibility, though Jet had told them of his intention to swing by Ganymede - after loading up the mushrooms - to get a haul of fish so they could have a variety of protein options. He'd finally managed to get the freezer fixed so it would be easy to keep most of the fish on ice without having to worry it would go bad before they could eat it.

Skipping along the dusty road, Ed offered bows and curtsies to anyone who gave her any attention at all, and nearly all the folks who did had amused smiles on their faces as they turned back to their own errands. Making people smile was one of Ed's absolute favorite pastimes. It was incredibly easy to do, except for some truly sour folks who seemed determined to be dour. She'd still managed success with most of those types too when given enough time. Her own crew tried real hard to be that type of person - stern and gruff and cranky - but they weren't especially good at it. Depression was something they were better at, though that too was no obstacle for Ed's ability to cheer them up.

Faye-Faye was bartering with a lady in a kerchief for some heavenly looking loaves of fresh baked bread when Spike-person turned up by them again. Ed herself was nearly falling into the pile of gluten, drool gathering at the corner of her mouth. She felt Spike put a hand on her shoulder to ease her back from the golden brown loaves.

Grinning up at him, she discovered he'd found himself a straw hat and was holding a few other items in his free hand. A bright blue bonnet, another straw hat, and a wispy looking red scarf. Spike grinned back down at her and shook the head gear in his hand.

"You're baking up in this heat, Ed," He told her. "Getting pink as my winter coat in fact. Wanna rock one of these?"

Gleefully, she tried all three at once. Straw hat on her head, bonnet on top of that, scarf wrapped around it all. Spike-person chuckled at her, Faye-Faye glanced from her haggling to heave a world-weary sigh, and the lady she was haggling with turned aside to hide a smile. Eventually, Ed decided on simply wearing the bonnet. It had a sun guard and she could fashion the strings under the chin into a fun bow! She'd considered the straw hat to match Spike-person, but then she thought about how fun it would be to put on Ein so she held onto it for future purposes. The scarf, which was a pretty shade of scarlet, ended up on Faye's head even though it didn't do much to shield her fair complexion from the pummeling heat of the sun.

Spike-person also slipped Ed a hard candy he'd found at some other booth. Ed had been paying a lot of attention in her wanderings for any stall that was selling candies but she hadn't had any luck herself. Fortunately, Spike-person seemed to have an entire bag of treats stuffed into his pants pocket, so Ed knew she'd be able to coax more from him later.

She'd picked out several native Io fruits and some of the old Earth fruits that had managed to take to the climate here. Faye-Faye was beaming with the success of her own shopping efforts, clearly having perceived herself as the winner of her various transactions, though Ed had seen the vendors also looking pleased, which made her wonder if Faye had really had much success at haggling. On the bright side, it was nice to see both sides of a transaction walking away from the business feeling like a winner.

It was getting stifling as the day wore on though so Ed was just as happy to leave as she had been to arrive. Spike-person was carrying a bag of cuts of pork, Faye-Faye had the bags of fruit and bread, and Ed was free to spin around and around and around with the straw hat as the only thing she had to worry about bringing back.

And she knew there were more good things awaiting on their return! Spike had suggested that they all meet up on the bridge to do some sparring together. He was obviously antsy to get back into the routine of self-defense exercises they'd previously had established. It made a lot of sense to Ed. Life was uncertain and it was wise to take advantage of any and every opportunity to improve oneself and one's own self-preservation skills. Spike hadn't been there when Faye-Faye was abducted - and her attempts to save herself had been thwarted by the toxin she'd been injected with at the time. But Ed knew that Spike-person would be happier overall if he was confident in their fighting abilities. In his absence, it would be their best hope of surviving or escaping from a potentially dangerous situation.

Ed's own papa had been extremely adamant about that whenever she'd caught up to him on his adventures. She had extremely hazy recollections of being taught from a very young age about balance and the value of stretching and being able to contort oneself if need be. It helped having the pliable muscles of youth, but Ed still tried to push herself just beyond her own comfort level. That was where progress was made, after all!

Later, on the bridge where the gravity was gentler on their movements - which was how Spike liked to warm them up, before insisting they move to the living room or sometimes the hangar for a stronger pull of gravity - Ed found herself panting from exertion as she went through the basic moves for the umpteenth time. Practice made perfect - except perfect was that forever unreachable ideal. Practice made for a worn out computer hacker though, that was for sure!

But it felt so good. Even right now, unable to see because of the blindfold she was wearing, she felt awake and alive and safe and challenged - a whole wash of wonderful and exciting emotions. Spike-person had introduced the blindfold aspect recently because he claimed it would help with listening to the flow of a fight. He explained how hearing could be more crucial than sight because you might be in a dark room for some combat and it would be important to be able to gauge how far away your opponent was or how many enemies were there in the first place.

There was a whole lot to know about hand to hand combat. But Ed never felt overwhelmed by it all. She drank it up like a sponge, eager for the next move… the next style of battle… the next chance to prove she could hold her own against her older and stronger crewmates. One day she might be the only thing between them and getting hurt… and Ed wanted to be the best she could be in preparation for that eventuality. Teamwork would keep them all safer and she wanted to be able to pitch in just as fully as each of them.

"Good form, Ed!" Spike praised from somewhere in front of her and to the right. She hadn't heard Faye's bare feet on the bridge in a minute, which likely meant the older woman was hovering just off the ground to avoid notice. But Ed was pretty sure that she could ascertain where Faye was just from the other woman's breathing - she was just as winded as Ed at the moment. Which meant, if Ed stepped forward like this… and then twisted to flip and lash out with her leg at hip level like that… Faye squawked as Ed's foot smacked into her thigh. Success! And considering she was the only one blindfolded currently, Ed felt pretty damn proud to have scored a hit on Faye, whose only job at present was to stay out of Ed's range of attacks.

Yeah, Ed was very happy to have the rest of her family back. Papa Jet kept her safe and tried to keep her occupied and let her sleep in his room when she had nightmares. He kept everyone well fed - or… well, *fed* at any rate - and he was always encouraging her to learn wherever she could. Between him and Ein, they'd done their utmost to keep her distracted from her worries when Spike and Faye were gone, but there was nothing that compared to the contentment she felt when everyone was gathered safely back together.

xxx

On Board the Bebop

En route from Io to Mars

(designated night hours…)

They hadn't been sleeping together for long, only a handful of nights before the games and then the time spent sleeping fitfully in the cell. Maybe a month now altogether... But they'd spent the better part of two years on the same ship - living through the same cycle of wakefulness and unconsciousness - for long enough to pick up on a few details. It was hard to keep anything a secret from anyone else on this vessel anyway, at least in terms of habits and behavior.

Surprisingly, considering the late - er, early? - hour, Jet was already awake in the living room when Faye passed through on her way to the kitchen. She was startled when she saw his form sitting on the chair and smoking in the dark.

"Shit, Jet! What the fuck are you doing sitting in the dark?"

"Thought I heard a commotion. Guess it was just you."

She paused in her quest. Her eyes flickered back down the hallway towards where her and Spike's sleeping quarters were.

"Ah, no. You probably heard the lunkhead."

"Nightmares?"

Faye stared at the metal plate of the floor for a bit before abandoning her kitchen quest and taking a seat on the couch across from Jet. She couldn't see him well but she knew he'd be able to guess at her intentions and sure enough in moments he'd sparked and offered her a smoke. A spliff, judging from the dueling notes she detected in the flavor.

"I like to think these are the good dreams," She offered eventually. "You've caught him fighting in his sleep before, yeah? Yeah, you must've, I know I saw it happen myself before and after Vicious." She sighed. "I usually try to wake him from those. Used to be just so he couldn't fall off the stupid couch and hurt himself further since those dreams seem to happen more when he's all banged up."

"Yeah. Pain and drugs can mix a guy up. Memories become reality when you sleep. Fears become real, too." Jet said thoughtfully, thinking of his own personal experiences perhaps.

She hesitated before going on, although she knew for a fact that Jet was well aware of how emotional Spike could be, despite how hard he tried to hide his breakdowns when they happened. Eventually, she decided to continue. "When he cries…" She toked on the smoke for a bit, letting it fill her lungs and soothe her raw emotions. "Maybe he's with her. Maybe they're happy. Maybe I shouldn't but… I let him sleep those nights."

Jet grunted in commiseration. "You can be real thoughtful when you wanna be, Faye."

She waved this off dismissively, though Jet probably couldn't see her gesture well in the dim light they were sitting in. "He's not the only one who struggles with sleep sometimes."

"Stress gives me bad dreams," Jet admitted. "Hell, even Ed seems to have nightmares these days. I don't remember that from when she was on the ship the first time. She had a couple while you were both gone though. I ended up rigging a hammock in my room so she could sleep in there with me since she does better when she's not alone."

"Aw, Jet. You're just a big softie, aren't you?" Faye teased. She was basking in the effects of the spliff. Exhaustion was weighing down on her once more.

"Kid deserves to feel safe," Jet defended. "She worries about us."

"Oh settle down, old dog," Faye rebuffed. "I think it's sweet what you do." She paused in thought. "There anything I could do to help?"

The ex-cop was quiet for a minute or two as he thought about it. "Shit, I dunno. Maybe have a sleepover with her? Reassure her that you're back and you're fine."

Faye let her head fall back against the back of the couch. "Am I fine? Are any of us?"

"Don't go all existential on me here. It's too damn early in the morning for that." Jet huffed.

Rising to her feet, returning to her initial mission of retrieving a glass of water, Faye finished off the spliff and left the butt in the ashtray in the kitchen. She stopped behind Jet on her way back through and reached out semi-blindly for his good shoulder. Finding it, she gave a squeeze.

"We're all here, aren't we? I think that means we're okay." She told him before leaving him to his own thoughts again, sitting silent in the dark.

xxx