Disclaimer: Not mine, no money, yada yada yada…
Session Two: Men Are From Mars…
Spike couldn't push consciousness away any more. It was time he finally woke up and faced reality. Or what passed for reality in his life. When he opened his eyes this time, the ceiling didn't greet him; the wall did. He rolled his head so he was looking to the ceiling again. Everything seemed…dimmer. He let his head fall to the other side, so he would finally get to see the room where he was.
The darkness of night had blackened the windows. And most of the apartment. He wasn't at Julia's. His eyes closed of their own will. Why would he be at Julia's? She wasn't…here anymore. But apparently someone had taken it on themselves to take him in. Why did people always think that saving someone's life was what that person wanted? He would have been perfectly happy to have bled to death on the red carpeted stairs.
When he opened his eyes again they had adjusted somewhat to the dark. He was able to make out a figure, slumped over in a wooden chair. Just like Julia had done. He couldn't make out details, so he would have to wake the person. He hoped his vocal cords still worked.
"Hey."
He coughed. Apparently they didn't work as well as he needed them to. But the cough had worked. Who ever it was stirred and went right back to sleep.
Sleeps deeper than Jet. "Hey."
They sat up in the chair, fully awake that time. The sparse light from a street lamp outside the window made their eyes glint in the dark room. The effect would have been scary to someone who knew what fear was. Spike waited till the flashes of light were in his direction.
"You'll get a crick in your neck sleeping like that."
"You're sleeping in my bed. Where else am I going to sleep?"
Spike tried to sit up in bed, but the pain in his chest refused to allow him. "Mira?"
The chain to the light on the fan clicked and revealed his savior. The red haired woman stood over his bed with a small smirk on her face.
"Even after three years you still remember me."
Spike relaxed slightly and laid back down. "You never forgot about me obviously. Are still with your Syndicate?"
It appeared she tried to laugh, but the sound got caught in her throat and stayed there. "No. I decided Syndicates really aren't my thing."
"So what do you do know?"
She sat back down in the creaky old chair. "I take care of hot shots that get big heads and try to take on the world. You're a bounty hunter if I remember correctly."
"Was a bounty hunter is more like it. My partner probably thinks I'm dead."
"He'd have a good reason to. You almost were when I found you."
"How did you find me?"
"Long story. You need rest."
Spike tried to reach out a hand to stop her, but Mira quickly and gently lowered it back to bed for him.
"Don't move so much. I highly doubt your broken bones are set enough for you move around the way you are. I'm not exactly set up here to put casts on you."
"So where are the broken bones?"
"Where the bandages are."
Spike shifted slightly. It was just as he thought. He was wrapped up like a mummy. "All my bones are broken?"
"Except for maybe your big toe and pinky finger."
Spike snorted and returned his gaze to the ceiling. "Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."
"There are some things that you can never lose. Especially old friends that need someone to pull them out of the fire."
Spike felt a surge of anger spread through his wounded body. He didn't want to be alive. It was unfair, to him, to Julia, to Mira, to everyone. "Maybe I didn't want to be pulled out the fire this time Mira. You should have just left me alone."
Mira didn't say anything. Spike had expected a smart retort from her, which only would have made him angrier. But when it didn't come, some of his pent up frustration ebbed. The chair creaked again and Mira was on her way to the door. Before she left the room, she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"I've tried to get in touch with Julia for the past week. As soon as I do, she can take over as your nurse maid."
Spike turned to stop her, but the closing door sounded before his call.
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Jet Black hunched his massive frame over the small bonsai tree and carefully clipped away the rogue branches. It was his only past time now. He didn't have to cook large meals for his crew, or do the laundry or clean up after them. His large steady hand quavered slightly before closing the handles on the clippers and taking off another branch of the small tree. He sat back in the chair and gazed thoughtfully down at the plant.
He missed them. All of them. Even Faye, annoying as she may have been. He missed the excitement they brought, the chatter that went on throughout the now quiet halls of the Bebop. Jet leaned on his mechanical arm, the bonsai forgotten. Spike had left just about a week ago. Faye had left shortly after him. Ed, the genius child hacker, had left before the other two and took their dog, Ein with her.
At first Jet had been thankful to have his ship back to himself, but then the inevitable sense of loneliness set in. Time seemed to drag between bounties that he went on. Thinking of bounties, Jet turned on his small viewscreen in the bonsai room to catch the new bounty hunter show.
The producers had cancelled Big Shot and replaced it with some serious news anchor that just read off the list of bounty heads. Jet huffed. At least Punch and Judy had been entertaining to watch. This guy was just boring.
"Today's biggest bounty consists of a entire crime syndicate."
Jet let out a short laugh. "That better be a whopping bounty. Who in their right mind is going after a whole syndicate?"
"They call themselves the Scarlet Nanashi. They are expert computer hackers that have just stolen the codes to bank accounts. With this information, they will be able to download any amount of money found in banks from Venus to Pluto."
"Smart group. Glad I don't keep my money in a bank."
"The reward for bringing in the leader of the syndicate is 3 million woolong."
"What?!" Jet jumped to his feet. "I can't wait to hear what the whole syndicate brings in."
"If you bring in the entire syndicate, the reward is 8 million woolong. Happy hunting."
Jet turned off the viewscreen and ran a hand over his bald head. 3 million woolong. That had to be the biggest bounty he and Spike ever chased after. He wouldn't have to chase down another bounty head, well, ever. And all he had to do was find the hackers and bring them in. How much trouble could a bunch of computer nerds be?
The transmitter next to his clippers beeped. He picked up it and with a small glimmer of hope answered it.
"Heeeelllllloooooo!" A feminine voice squealed into his ear.
"Ed! What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you saw the large, humongous, gigantic bounty heads know as the...du du du dom...Scarlet Nanashi?"
"Yeah, just saw them. Why?"
"I wondered if you wanted Ed's help?"
Jet's annoyance at the slightly crazed teenager was beginning to show. "Why would I need your help Ed?"
"Well, what better way to catch a hacker than with a hacker!"
Jet thought about it for a moment. The kid had a point. "Alright. Where are you?"
"Earth. Where you first found me."
"I'll be there shortly to pick you up." Jet heard a dog yap in the background. "And I'll pick up Ein too."
Jet ended the transmission and headed to the cockpit to change his course to Earth. He carried the transmitter with him, expecting another call. She never was one to pass up an opportunity at bringing in a big bounty and she couldn't bring in a whole syndicate herself. No sooner had Jet settled into the pilot's seat before the transmitter beeped again. Smiling to himself, Jet answered.
"Hello Faye."
A startled feminine voice responded over the crackling line. "How'd you know it was me?"
_______________________________________
The door creaked on it's hinges and shut with a soft thud. It wasn't enough to wake up Spike from a deep sleep, but it was enough to open his eyes from a light slumber. Turning his head from right to left was becoming easier every time he woke up. Only two hundred times more and he would be able to walk.
Mira carefully made her way across the sparse bedroom with a tray of food. Spike almost jumped out of bed and attacked the tray, broken bones or not.
"I see that look in your eye. Just settle down Cowboy." Mira gently chided.
Spike tried to look innocent. "What look?"
"That ravenous look, like you're going to devour this food after you knock me out."
He tried to crane his neck to see what she had brought. He saw a sandwich, chips, a soda and a tall glass with a very nasty colored liquid. "What kind of sandwich is that?"
"Cool your jets. The sandwich isn't for you. That's my dinner."
"Where's mine?"
Mira held up the glass of nasty colored liquid. "Right here."
Spike wrinkled his nose. "What is it, dare I ask?"
"It is all the vegetables that I had in my house liquefied. Not very pretty to look at, but it'll help you heal faster."
Mira stacked pillows behind him, and helped him into a sitting position. Spike hated being this helpless, but there was nothing he could do about it except take it. He glanced up at Mira as she eased him back against the soft wall that held him up. He hadn't seen her for years, but he knew a look of hurt when he saw one.
"I'm sorry."
Mira looked down at him with startled blue eyes. "Sorry? For what?"
Spike shifted uncomfortably. "For saying what I said to you, about leaving me alone."
He was amazed to see her smirk without showing any haughtiness in the grin. It was more sad than anything. That only made him feel worse.
"I'm sure you meant it at the moment. I would react the same way if I was in your position." She shrugged her thin shoulders. "At least you're honest."
"Mira, you haven't gotten in touch with Julia because..."
"I know Spike. I searched for her over the computer. I'm sorry. She was a good friend and a good person. She never deserved to be with the Red Dragons. She was always meant to be something more. Something better. She'll be missed greatly."
Spike gripped the glass in his hand. "She deserved someone better than me."
"No, you were perfect for her. She deserved better circumstances."
Spike raised the glass towards Mira. "Don't we all?"
With that said, he drank the whole glass with as few gulps as he could manage. Mira grinned as she took the empty glass from him.
"That was a lot easier than feeding it to you through a straw like I have been."
"Thank you for taking care of me. I'm not the best patient."
"Wow. An apology and a thank you all in one night. I'm impressed Mr. Spiegel."
Spike finally managed his own lopsided grin. "Just don't tell anyone, okay? I don't want this getting out. Then everyone will want one from me."
Mira winked at him. "We'll keep it as our little secret."
She picked up the tray with her food still on it and headed for the door.
"Mira, stay in here and eat. We have three years to catch up on."
"Not tonight Spike. I'm sure you want to be alone for a little while."
Spike was careful not let his voice get harsh, but kept it quiet and low. "And do what? Grieve for her? I don't have enough tears to cry for her."
"I do."
"Crying isn't going to bring her back, Mira. You know that."
"There's more ways to grieve than by crying. Besides, I'm not grieving for just her."
Once more the door shut softly, ending another conversation that left Spike feeling empty.