Black Widow Session 6

Careless..

/thoughts/

"speech"

~^~ time passed

Last time…

"What!? All I want to know is if they're in there or not! Just don't wreck my stuff!" Jet exclaimed. "I'll send security up right away." Jet ran a hand over his head. "Ok, I'll hold." He answered, and turned to Daisy. "Security's gonna go to the room and see if they're in there. I'm still on the line, so we'll know right away." He reported. Daisy nodded and looked fretful. "Hey, make sure they don't leave the hotel if they're there." Jet said into the phone. A short while later, the secretary returned.

"Mister Black, security has apprehended two female minors and are holding them in the security office. Will you be picking them up now?" Jet sighed a deep sigh of relief. "Thank God, Daisy, they found 'em. Yes, we'll be right over." Hanging up the phone, Jet sighed again. Daisy clasped her arms around him tightly. "Thank you for all your help Jet. Let's go."

And now…

The two rode to the hotel in silence, Jet silently cursing Ed for disappearing with Lola, and Daisy silently thanking Ed for being with Lola. They arrived at the hotel and ran inside. Lola and Ed were seated in the lobby with a security guard keeping a close eye on them. "Lola, thank goodness!" Daisy exclaimed, running over and hugging her daughter. Jet glared at Ed, who smiled back at him. "Oh sweetie, are you hurt?" Daisy asked, taking Lola's head in her hands, examining her all over.

"No, I'm fine Mom." Lola said, pushing Daisy off of her weakly. Jet grabbed Ed's collar and dragged her to the side. "Ed! What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?! Do you have any idea how scared Daisy was!?" Jet exclaimed. Ed grinned. "Ed and Looola had fun! You ruined our fun, Jet Jet!" Ed pouted. "Listen—you're nothing but a nuisance to me! I have half a mind to kick you off the Bebop…" Jet threated. Ed's eyes widened and watered. "Oh no!! Ed's home is Bebop! Bebop is home!"

Jet sighed and cursed himself. "…Alright..you can stay. But if you piss me off again, you're gone! Understand?" he said finally. Ed screamed and latched onto Jet's legs. "Yaaaay! Ed is home again!"

Back on Venus…

Faye sighed impatiently as her table full of food got cold. /I can't believe that jerk isn't back yet! Where the hell did he go!?/ She wondered, pushing her chair backwards. At that moment, Spike entered the Bebop to the smell of food. "Faye? Who's cooking?" Spike called out, walking towards the kitchen. Faye crossed her arms and stood beside the table. Spike's eyes widened at the assorted aray of food which decorated the table. "Wow." He said. Faye sighed deeply. "Yes, wow indeed. None of it is warm anymore. Enjoy." She said, obviously disappointed at the fact that the only time she cooked something good, no one was around to enjoy it.

Spike followed Faye as she stalked to her room. "Hey Faye, what's up?" Spike asked, genuinly concerned. Faye spun around and glared at him. "What do you think!? You never said you'd be gone all freaking day! I slaved in that damn kitchen so we could finally enjoy a good meal, and what do you do!? Waltz in like everythings fucking peachy! Well it's not!" Spike stared at the door that was just slammed in his face. "Must be that time." He muttered, heading back to the kitchen. Faye opened her door and chucked a book at Spike's head. "I heard that!"

Groaning slightly, Spike went back into the kitchen and sat down. He really didn't feel up to eating, but knew he had to. So, in no time at all Spike had finished every last thing on the table. "Mm..I guess I should have saved some for Faye…but the hell with her! She should have eaten what she wanted when she had the chance." Spike said to himself, pushing himself up from the table. Unbeknownst to him, Faye was watching him from behind the wall. /Heh heh, silly, gullible Spike. I knew I could get him to take that laxative!/ Faye thought with an evil grin. /All we do now…is wait/.

Faye exited her room and went to watch t.v. Spike snorted as he walked into the living area, and saw Faye stretching across the entire length of the couch. "Move over, Poker Alice."  Spike said, swinging Faye's legs off the couch. "Don't call me that. I'm glad I finally got you to take that pill." Faye retorted, swinging her legs back onto the couch..er, Spike's lap. Spike looked down and was tempted to swing them off again, but decided against it. "When are we going to get more money?" Faye asked suddenly, not paying much attention to the t.v. Spike shrugged. "I don't know. How about after I crap my ass off." He suggested, glaring at her.

Chuckling slightly, Faye turned to face him. "Hey, it was the only way you were going to feel any better! Would you have liked it better if I just let you suffer?" Faye asked defensivly. Spike sighed deeply. "Yes, yes I would. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to work out a bit." He said, standing up and waltzing off. "Have fun, I'm going out!" Faye replied, hopping off the couch, and turning off the t.v. Spike merely waved and disappeared around a corner.

Faye walked out to the streets of Venus as the sun began to set. Looking around for something to do, Faye spotted the lounge singer from a night earlier. He stared at her, drinking a cup of tea. /Excellent. Now I'm going to find out what his problem is./ Faye thought, heading over to the coffee shop."Hey you, we need to talk." She announced, stopping in front of his two-person table. "That we do, Miss Valentine." Branston replied, gesturing at the seat across from him. "How…how do you know my name?" Faye asked, wearily sitting down. "It's actually quite interesting, if you care to hear my story." Branston said, mysterious as always.

"Go ahead, I've got plenty of time." Faye replied, crossing her legs and sitting back in her chair. Branston nodded. "Alright…it all began with my grandfather. He would tell my father, and me for that matter, stories about a beautiful woman he once knew. They went to the same school, had the same classes, but never knew about each other. He became enfatuated with this woman, following her around, day and night, just hoping to receive just one of her smiles. Unfortunatly for my grandfather, the woman got into a very bad accident and had to be put in a cryogenic sleep until medical advancements could save her life."

"Grandfather used to say how he felt life he wasted all the chances he had to talk with this woman, to be friendly with her. Once she was asleep, he became very depressed and detached from his family. Soon thereafter he met a woman, slept with her and eventually fell in love with her. That woman was my grandmother. She never said a word about my Grandfather's obsession, or the woman who was his real object of desire. They're both dead now, and soon after their deaths, my father passed on a mission that was given to him by his father. He told me to find the woman who Grandfather so desperatly wanted to meet, just once before he died."

Faye trembled slightly at Branston's intense gaze. "He told me to find Faye Valentine." He concluded, leaning back in his chair. Faye swallowed deeply. "That can't possibly be true! It's…it's too outrageous to be true. No one could fall in love with me without even knowing me!" she said in denial. Branston shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Miss Valentine. That's why I constantly had my eyes on you last night. I had to be sure that I found my grandfather's lost jewel." He replied.

Sighing, Faye stood up from the table. "Well, I hope you've accomplished your mission. I'm just a little bit freaked out, so I'm going back to my ship now." She said, stepping back from the table. Branston handed her a slip of paper. "That's where my Grandfather is buried. I hope you'll meet him there one day." Faye felt guilty now, and sat back down. "I can't believe this! Why couldn't he just talk to me?!" she asked, placing her head on the table. "Well, it's very difficult to talk to a beautiful woman such as yourself, especially when you're in love with her." Branston replied, pulling out his wallet.

"He would have saved us all a lot of grief if he just talked to me." Faye continued. "Here's a picture of him when he was in college. I hope, for his sake, that you remember him." Branston said, handing Faye a faded photograph. She took the picture and stared at it, hoping to retrieve a lost memory of this man. "I…I can't remember…There's so many clouded memories, but I think he's in a few of them. My friends…they used to joke about how he had a crush on me. But I never took them seriously..I just thought he was a loner who liked to stare at people." Faye said, making up a few memories here and there.

Branston smiled. "Then Grandfather must be resting peacefully now. I'm sorry to have frightened you Miss Valentine. Might I walk you back to your ship?" Faye nodded and handed the photo back. Spike peered out the windows of the Bebop, scanning the area, looking for Faye. /There she is. Hey! Who's that guy she's with? And why the hell is he kissing her!?/ he thought angrily, going back to his routine, pretending the punching bag he was now attacking was the man Faye was with.

"I hope you'll forgive me, Miss Valentine, but I'm the only one in my family to have met you. That kiss was for Grandfather." Branston said, turning to walk back to the streets of Venus. "I'll visit him someday." Faye called, wiping off her lips before returning to the Bebop. "Spike?" She called out, searching the ship. She found him, still practicing his Jeet Kun Do. Hiding behind a wall, Faye stared at his lithe form as he punched and kicked at a sandbag in front of him. She couldn't help but stare at him. /I can't believe this…why do I find Spike attractive!? He's just a big, insensitive jerk…yet I still have feelings for him. /

Faye knocked on the wall, getting Spike's attention. "What do you want?" he questioned, stopping the sandbag from knocking him over. "I was just wondering how you were feeling." Faye replied, totally not like herself. "Just dandy." Spike replied, wiping his face with a towel. "Who was that guy you were with?" He asked, stopping in front of Faye. /Ah shit! He saw that?!/ She thought worriedly. "It was that lounge singer, you know, the one who kept staring at me? Turns out his grandfather was in love with me seventy years ago, and he made his children, and grandchildren make it their mission to find me. It freaked me out, really." She explained, trying to hide her nervousness.

Spike grunted slightly. "So why'd he kiss you?" He asked, trying not to sound jealous. Faye frowned slightly. "He said it was for his grandfather." She replied, crossing her arms. Spike chuckled. "Yeah, right. I'm going to take a shower now. Let's hope no more of your fan boys show up." He said with a sarcastic grin. Faye shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Don't start, Spike!" she called at his retreating figure. /Well..he didn't seem too mad. That's good…I just wish he didn't see that kiss./ Faye thought to herself while returning to the living area.

She flicked the television on to Big Shot and flopped down onto the couch. "Howdy there Cowboys! We've got a great new bounty for you!" Punch exclaimed, hopping off his fake horse. "That's right," Judy began, "Her name is unknown, but this big time crook is wanted all over space! The police have dubbed her Momma Warbucks! She sneaks into the houses of the rich and famous, robs them, then leaves a tiny white pearl ontop of the victim's wallets…scary!" She said, shivering slightly. "The only picture we have is a faded printed photograph from the security camera of a—"

Yawning, Faye flicked the t.v off before she had a chance to see the bounty. "Boring! Who wants to go through that ordeal all over again?" She said outloud. The com rang, so Faye hopped up and went to answer it. "Hey Faye, long time no see." It was Jet, looking quite frustrated. "Hey Jet, what's up?" Faye replied, sitting at the chair in front of the com. "Quite a lot, in fact. Well, ya see, I met this woman, right, and long story short, her daughter and Ed went missing. We found them, but…how soon can you pick us up?" Jet asked, as Ed danced in the background. Faye shrugged. /Dammit! They want to come back to the Bebop! How can I spend more time alone with Spike if everyone comes back!?/

"Ah…we're on Venus now…and there was some business we had to take care of…how about in a day or two?" Faye asked, praying that Jet would accept. Sighing deeply, Jet replied, "Just get here ASAP. Ed's driving me crazy, and Earth cigarettes aren't helping." Faye sighed and switched off the com. /Crap. Now I gotta take desperate measures…/

~^~

Finally, Spike was feeling better. He was even in a good mood. "Hey Spike..?" Faye called upon hearing him exit the shower. "Hm? Yeah, Faye?" Spike replied, tightening the towel around his waist. "Jet called, he wants us to pick him up as soon as possible." Faye reported, desperately trying to keep her eyes on Spike's face.  "Hm…I guess he wasn't enjoying his 'vacation' after all." Spike mused. "So ah..seeing how this is really our last chance…you want to go…out somewhere?" Faye asked shyly, looking down at the floor. Spike raised his eyebrows. /Is she asking me out?/ He wondered. "Sure…just as long as we don't eat at a lounge again." He replied, before heading off to his room.

Faye clicked her heels and squealed once Spike was out of hearing distance. /I can't believe I just did that! I'm going on a date with Spike…/ She thought, before running to her room to get changed.

Spike sat on his bed, pondering. /Me…and Faye…on a date. It sounds weird even thinking it. But this was the whole point to being alone, wasn't it? To hopefully get closer to her…well, I guess I'd better get ready./ He stood up and started to dress, in his usual attire. He didn't really have anything dressier to wear. In no time at all, Spike was sitting on the couch, awaiting Faye's glamorous entrance. "So, you ready to go?" Faye asked, suprising Spike. He tried not to oogle at Faye's low-cut evening gown, but it was quite hard.

Instead, he nodded and offered her his arm. "Shall we?" he asked royally. Faye chuckled and took his arm in her own and they walked out into the streets of Venus once again. The two felt sort of awkward being so close to each other, having people glance at them and think of them as a couple. "So where are we going, exactly?" Spike asked, after they wandered around the streets for awhile. Faye shrugged. "We can try to find a nice restaurant or something…oh wait, you don't want to eat…" She began, before deciding against it. "Hey, isn't this that same Branston guy?" Spike asked, picking a flyer up from the floor.

Faye nodded. "Yeah, Branston Eyrie..he's singing tonight at a restaurant called the Deep River Blues." She said, reading from the paper. "You want to go there?" Spike asked, mentally kicking himself in the head. Faye shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. Do you?" She asked. Spike shrugged as well. "What ever. I can always kick his ass if he tries to bother us." He said. Faye blushed slightly. "Thanks, but I can defend myself." She said, tilting her head upwards. "Let's try to find this place then. I need a drink." Spike said, feeling nervous. After all, he was finally going out with the new woman of his dreams.

They arrived at Deep River Blues a little later and found a table. Spike was having trouble deciding what to order to drink. "What kind of drinks do you have here?" he asked the waiter, who was obviously very impatient. "Well sir, if you would look at the drink section in your menu, you'll see all of the beverages we offer." The waiter replied, acting as if Spike was an idiot. He was only trying to piss the waiter off. "Oooh, so that's why is says 'Drinks' there. Okie dokie…I'll have a…Blue Hawaii Shooter." Spike said finally. The waiter turned to Faye. "And for the lovely lady?" The waiter asked.

"I'll have a salad and a Horny Devil, please." Faye replied. When the waiter left, the two burst into low laughter. "Jesus, Faye, that guy was practically offering himself to you." Spike said. Faye shook her head vehemently. "No way! Just cause he continually girated his hips doesn't mean a thing!" Faye replied, before laughing again. At that moment, Branston walked on the stage to the microphone. "Good evening." He said, before strumming his quitar. "I bet he'll sing about you." Spike whispered.

Faye shot him a look before turning back to the stage. "All day long, all night long, you cause me to weep and mourn." Branston began. "Tears I've shed, My heart's bled, 'Cause of mean things you've done and said.." Faye turned and watched Spike, the same way she had a day before. Their drinks arrived, and Faye's was free, courtesy of the flirty waiter. "Thanks.." She had said, hoping he'd go away. Spike stared into his drink and sighed softly. "This guy just makes me depressed. You wanna get out here?" he asked. Faye seemed slightly surprised. "Sure..but where else is there to go?" She asked, taking some of her drink before she had to leave it behind.

Spike shrugged. "Anywhere." He replied, standing up from the table. Faye finished off her drink and gave a meager tip before following Spike outside. They walked down street after street, not finding anywhere good to go, although they weren't really looking too hard. "Spike…I'm sorry to have dragged you out tonight." Faye apologized, stopping at a dock on the water. Spike, who was a few feet in front of her stopped and turned around. "It's not your fault, Faye. I guess a planet'll do that to ya…" He replied, sitting down and swinging his feet over the dock, so they were a few feet above the water.

Faye joined him and asked, "What do you mean?" She took one of Spike's hands and looked into his eyes. Spike glanced at Faye before replying. "Seeing Roco get killed here, then visiting his sister…just bad memories I guess. I felt bad for her, you know?" Faye nodded. "I felt guilty visiting his grave, I feel guilty just being here…I know it's not my fault but why do I keep feeling so guilty?" He asked, flopping onto his back. "Guilt's a bitch like that, Spike. We as humans are always going to feel guilty whether or not it's our fault." She replied, resting back on her arms.

They were silent for awhile before Faye rested her head on Spike's chest. His heart almost stopped beating. He stroked her hair for awhile, enjoying the unique feeling of being so close to her. "I enjoyed our vacation Faye." Spike said, staring into the sky. "I did too. I only wish we could have gotten some more money. Jet'll probably make us pay him back for all the repairs he's done in the past." She replied, chuckling slightly. Spike sat up, wrapping an arm around Faye as he did so. They stared at each other briefly, before Spike leaned down and touched Faye's lips with his own. Faye's eyes widened slightly, then closed, wrapping an arm around Spike's neck, pulling his body tighter against her own.

KEEP YOUR MIND ON ME…