* I do not own Cowboy Bebop*****
"It's been ten years, hasn't it?" The girl sat tapping her fingers on the oak table in front of her. It was the third time that week she had been to the labs.
"Ten years is a long time and it changes people look at yourself."
"Yeah, I have changed a bit over the years." She turned towards the doctor and smiled. "Can we see him now?"
"Yes. It will take a few hours before he will be awake but you can see him now if you'd like."
The girl and the man walked down the hall to the medical sleep chambers. The tall cylinders lined the room and in the middle was subject #14W75Y: Spike Spiegel. He slept peacefully at least he looked that way. He was going to be woke up in six hours, brought back to the world he was almost ripped out of.
"Jet.. Do you think he will remember us?" The girl looked at the man in the reflection off the cylinder.
"I'm sure he will. You have to remember that you were 13 when this happened, he's only seen you as a child." Jet smiled and ruffled the girl's hair.
"I remember those days, Ed the hacker.. Not Elisabeth Dean, the college student."
"Excuse me, we need the cylinder now." The doctor spoke over the loud speaker. The pair moved back as Spike was moved backwards and into the lab.
"Six hours, right?" Ed asked the doctor.
"You ask me that every time I see you Elisabeth, yes six hours." He smiled and pointed to the door. "Go do something. I don't need you here for six hours."
"Anything you say Dr. Corry." She smiled and walked towards the door. "Are you coming Jet?"
"I'm coming. We better make sure the Swordfish II is clean and ready."
"So I get to touch her?"
"No." He said gruffly.
"I'm 23 years old! Don't you think I'm old enough to handle a ship?"
"You're still a child."
"If you don't let me help.. I'll start talking in the third person again."
"Oi! Fine, you can help. Just don't break anything." Said Jet as they walked into the hanger of the Bebop.
"I can almost picture Spike in the cockpit. Six hours is just too long to wait!" She grabbed a sponge and wiped the dust off the old ship, restoring it it's brilliant red.
"Yeah, sad to say I miss that lunk head."
"Lunk head, wow. I remember that."
Jet smiled and kept to his cleaning. Be it there were two of them the job was done in half the time. The Swordfish II sparkled under the hanger lights unlike the pale crimson it was 45 minutes ago. After Ed had put down her sponge she picked up the vid-phone that was buzzing from the worktable.
"Elisabeth?" Dr. Corry said from the other end.
"That's who you got.. Start talking." She smiled.
"Well I think you two should be here when Spike gets awake. It's going to be hard on him learning he's not really dead but alive."
"Good idea. Hey Jet, you want to take a trip to the lab?"
"Sure, let me feed Ein." He bent down feeding the small Welsh Corgi, who looked the same as he did ten years ago.
Five and a half hours, three card games and two packs of cigarettes later it was time for sleeping Spike to awake.
"What do you think will be his first words?"
"Something to the point of 'Why the Hell didn't you let me die'. But that's just the way Spike has always been." Jet sighed as he put a hand to his head to rub his temples.
"I'm sure in the long run he'll be happy to be alive."
"How I wish I had your outlook on life."
Dr. Corry peaked his balding head into the waiting room. He and Jet looked fairly alike only Dr. Corry looked like a younger Jet.
"I think you guys should come into the main lab. It will be good for him to see someone he knows when he wakes up."
"Good idea. C'mon Jet. Let's see Spike." Ed jumped up and walked towards the door.
"I suggest you calm down a bit. He's going to be in no mood to have a hyper girl around him."
"Yeah but I'm so happy to see him, aren't you?"
"Yes I am but you don't see me being half as hyper as you." It was the truth. Jet was very happy to see Spike up and alive after all those years. He loved Ed to death, she was like the daughter he never had but still that girl was too much some times.
In the main lab room Spike's body was on a table, hooked up to life support systems. He looked dead but he was breathing. Elisabeth watched him and a smile grew on her lips. He was alive and finally she could have someone her own age to talk to. Everyone in the room stopped as Spike turned slightly.
"Um..am, am I dead?" Spike kept his eyes closed the lights too bright for the moment.
"No, Spike you're not dead. You're very much alive."
"Jet, you sound older. How long have I been out, where am I?"
"You've been out for ten years and you're in a medical lab on Mars."
"Ten years?" Spike coughed then sighed. "I've thought I was dead."
"We all thought you were dead too. Faye was so crushed she ran off and we haven't heard from her from that day. So for the last ten years it has been Ed, Ein and myself."
"Faye ran away, gesh. I though Ed left and was gone for good."
"No. I came back because I missed everyone so much."
"So that's the mysterious voice. You're what, 18..19 years old now?"
"I'm 23."
Spike opened his eyes and looked up at the two. Sure as Hell Jet looked the same. He was missing more hair and what hair he had left had a silver tint to it. Now Ed was a different story. She was tall and thin with short red hair. The hair was the only thing that had stayed the same.
"When can I leave?"
"We still have some tests but you should be able to leave tonight." One of the doctors looked at Spike's charts as he spoke.
"Then you'll be back on the Bebop."
"You guys are still staying on the Bebop?"
"She's my baby you have to remember that. Speaking of people's babies, there is one still in the hanger just waiting to be let free." Jet smiled.
"And she's looking as good as ever."
"The Swordfish II, I miss her."
Later that night Spike was able to go home. In his hospital room he looked over at his clothing that Ed had so happily brought him and then into the mirror over the sink.
"Ten years do change people. I should have died, I should be with Julia." He sighed and put his head in his hands. Slowly he dressed himself still feeling a little weak from the whole wake up process.
"Spike, are you up yet? Jet was going to come to pick you up but something came up." She spoke through the closed door.
"I'm up Ed. You can come in."
The door slowly opened and the red head walked into the room. She wore tore jeans and a white tank top and the most surprising, she wore shoes.
"How did you sleep?"
"Fine, lets get out of here. I hate hospitals."
"Sounds good to me. I have a cab waiting."
They walked out of the hospital together and then got into the cab. The ride home nether said a thing. Spike looked out his window and Ed looked out her own.
"So you made it safely. I thought Elisabeth.. I mean Ed would have taken you and hid you somewhere."
"Elisabeth huh? Is that what you call yourself now? What happened to being Ed?" Spike sat down on the couch.
"Ed left when I started college. I'm now Elisabeth Dean. Jet still calls me Ed, habit I think." The girl looked at Jet who was talking to someone on the vid-phone.
"You don't mind if I still call you Ed, do you?"
"Not at all. Ed, Elisabeth.. Same thing."
"Hey Ed, how would you like to do a little hacking?" Jet called from the other room.
"Sure. What needs to be hacked?"
"Personal files that we need if we want to catch this bounty head."
"No problem." The girl grabbed a new computer from besides the couch. She kicked off her shoes and put her goggles on.
"Still a hacker.. And Jet's still a bounty hunter. Things haven't changed all too much I see."
"Oh things have changed Spike. You need a license to be a bounty hunter now and there are no more gates. The whole system was replaced. We still bounty hunt, Ed has become pretty good at it."
"Ed.. The bounty hunter. Now I really need a beer." Both Spike and Elisabeth smiled at the comment.
"Speaking of beer, Ed weren't you supposed to go to the store to pick up supplies?"
"Fine I get the hint." The girl stood up and stretched letting her goggles rest around her neck.
"Bring Spike with you. He needs some fresh air after being in the tube all those years plus he'll make sure you'll come home with stuff we need unlike the computer stuff you bring home. Just be safe you two."
"Don't you think it would be better if I stayed home?"
"Spike you'll get to see the inside of the Bebop soon enough. You two be back soon."
"Yes Dad." Ed giggled and walked towards the exit. "Are you coming Spike?"
"Might as well. Nothing to do but stay around here and get bored."
"Wait missy, aren't you forgetting something?"
"And what would that be, Jet?" Ed stopped at the air hatch.
"Shoes."
"Oh yeah.. Almost forgot about those." She blushed and walked back to the couch, sitting down and pulling her tan shoes on to her slender feet.
"And don't forget the list. We need everything on the list."
"We can handle if Jet. I mean we are both adults. How weird is that, Ed an adult?"
Again the two hopped a cab and made their way to the local market. The market was packed with people looking over good from the many vendors. Ed smiled as she removed herself from the cab. There were many things on the list that meant more time out of the Bebop and more time with Spike.
"Where do we start?" Spike patted his pockets looking for his cigarettes.
"You shouldn't smoke. I'm surprise that being out for so long didn't kill the cravings."
"Did I say anything about smoking?"
Elisabeth smiled and looked towards the crowd of people, "No, no you didn't."
"Ok then."
They stood quietly until Ed grabbed Spike's hand and led him into the swarm of people. She weaved in and out of the mass knowing where to go to get the things the Bebop needed.
"Do you know where you're going Ed?" Spike smirked and watched the red patch bob around in front of him.
"Do you have to question me?"
"Young lady, you shouldn't answer a question with a question. It's rude."
Elisabeth stopped and looked at one of the venders, who was also a lady friend of Jet's. The woman was tall with silver-blonde hair. Her eyes were a dark blue, almost so dark that they looked black.
"Hello Alice. How are things today?"
"Things are good. Business is hot but there have been more and more hunters around here. How rude of me, who is your gentleman friend?"
"This is Spike Spiegel, Spike this is Alice Miller. We've become good friends over the five years we've known each other."
"Spike huh? Oh, you're the man Jet has been talking about."
"We're out shopping while Jet stays and takes care of the work. I rather be helping with the work then shopping."
"What do you need?"
Ed handed the women the list, which was hastily written on a sheet of loose-leaf paper. She looked it over trying to read the writing, which was almost impossible to read.
"Let me look at it, I'm sure I can read Jet's writing." Spike held out his hand waiting for Alice to hand over the paper.
When he had received the paper he looked over it carefully. He narrowed his different tinted eyes at the list then smiled.
"I can read it."
"Good, so I guess I'll see you later Alice. Aren't you coming over tonight for dinner?"
"Like always. Tell Jet I said Hello."
Ed nodded and walked away from Alice's fruit stand. A half an hour later, while inside a market the two finished the shopping.
"So Alice knows Jet?"
"Yeah. We all met at a bar a few years ago." She smiled and watched Spike heave up two bags into his arms then she looked down at the bags in her hands.
"Are Jet and her… you know?"
"I think they are but who knows with him. He so hard to read."
"Tell me about it. I think we should get back home, I don't want to lug these bags anymore then I have to."
"Spike the baby. Awww, does baby need his diapers changed?" Ed laughed as she went to get another cab.
"I'm not a baby. You have to remember I just woken up after ten years, I'm out of smokes, I'm looking at a 23 year old Ed and Jet has a girlfriend. Tell me that wouldn't freak you out."
"Doesn't freak me out one bit. You're just a baby Spike, it's that easy."
"Wait until we get back to the Bebop and I get my hands free."
"What are you gonna do? Grope me to death." She laughed even harder.
Spike's face turned red from both embarrassment and slight anger. "I'm not talking about that. I'd put you to work.. Doing…Um something. Just thinking makes my head hurt."
"Thinking, something new for you Spike?"
He rolled his eyes and got into the cab that had just pulled up. Setting the bags between each other they sat looking out their windows like they had after coming out of the hospital.
"So, Ed have you had any boyfriends.. Girlfriends.. Both?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Just wondering. I want to catch up with you guys the best I can."
Elisabeth sighed and watched the town go by.
"Yeah, I've had a few boyfriends. All jerks. Can't find any good men. Jet says it's because I'm too hyper and act like a child. What does he want from me? I mean does he want for me to be married by now and out of the Bebop?"
"I don't know what he wants but I doubt he want you just to marry some ass and be unhappy. I think he needs you on the Bebop. We are a team right?"
"A team.. I like the sound of that. It's good to have you back Spike."
"Thanks, it's good to be back."
When the two returned to the Bebop Ed went off to the main room and Spike went to the kitchen.
"I met you're girlfriend today."
"Spike I don't know what the Hell you're talking about."
"So you don't know a women by the name of Alice Miller?"
"Oh. Alice is a lady friend of mine, not a girlfriend."
Ed smiled as she went back to her hacking job while listening to Spike and Jet talk. "I think she's you're girlfriend. There's nothing to be ashamed about having a girlfriend. I'm never ashamed at having boyfriends."
"That's different. You're young Ed, you're allowed go have boyfriends and what not. I should be married by now."
"So, what's for dinner?" Spike smirked as he changed the subject.
"I'm not sure right now. I'm thinking about beef something or other."
"Impress her with your fine culinary skills. Wine and dine her." Elisabeth brought her hand up pretending to ballroom dance. She waltzed into the kitchen with her eyes closed, twirling around a bit.
"Get out of here Ed. If you break anything you'll pay for it."
"What was the last thing I broke?"
"That damned computer of yours."
"May I be as bold as to correct you dear Jet? The item that was broken was my own therefore it shouldn't be counted."
"She's got you there."
"You two are driving me nuts. I have a million things to do go do something. Go help Ed move her stuff out of your room Spike."
"WHAT?" His eye twitches slightly. "You let her have MY room?"
"Ten years is a long time and I got sick of her sleeping on the couch so I let her have your bed. Why, you don't like having women in your bed?"
"But this is Ed we're talking about. For all you know she could have had sex in MY bed."
"It's the only action that bed has ever seen so, hush." Ed smiled.
"So you did have sex in MY bed?"
"Nope."
"Second warning, I want you two to get lost."
"C'mon Spike, help me why don't ya?"
"Fine, nothing to do but help you."
Spike's old room was fairly the same. His Bruce Lee posters still graced the walls but it didn't have the manly feel to it be it a woman had lived in it for ten years.
"All my stuff is in boxes. All the boxes are marked." Elisabeth pointed to the cluster of boxes in the corner.
"Ok. Where are you going to be staying from now on?"
"In one of the small cargo bays. It isn't very large but it is big enough for me."
"I understand. Why did you choose to take my room? I mean there are the cargo bays and what not."
Ed paused and looked at the boxes, her back to Spike. "Just look at it as my way of getting over you not being here. When I learned you were going to be in cold sleep for ten years I wasn't sure how to handle it. Be it I was still a child when this all happened I did the only thing I knew to do, I slept in the bed you slept in. " She smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "Your bed smelt like you for a week then I had to change the sheets. Then when I started to miss you I went to your closet and your clothing, even though they are clean they still smelt like you."
"You really missed me that much? I don't understand why, I never spent that much time with you."
"Who knows? Now that we're done having a heart to heart lets get me moved out so you can have your room back. I need a shower before dinner."
"Damn you're bossy."
Each of them grabbed a box and lugged it to the small room, which looked less like a room and more like a big closet. When it was down to the last two boxes Elisabeth grabbed a box up but it was too heavy, she almost dropped it but Spike grabbed it. They looked at each other for a second. Ed's arms were wrapped around the box holding it tightly to her stomach and Spike's arm was under the box, the back of his hand resting against her stomach.
"This is a small problem." Ed smiled nervously.
"No problem, just let go of the box and I'll catch it."
"Spike you already have a box in your other arm."
"I can work this out. Don't worry so much. Anything in these boxes breakable?"
"No, not that I know of."
"Ok, easy way to handle this." He dropped the box in his other arm and quickly took the box from Ed, "See?"
"Reckless." She picked up the box that was dropped and walked behind Spike on their last trip from his room to hers.
"I maybe reckless but it works for me. Time to go and bug Jet so you can take your shower."
"Don't worry I don't take long in the bathroom."
He just shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. Slowly Spike made his way to the kitchen when Jet was cooking and muttering a few things to himself.
"How goes the cooking?"
"Don't you ever knock Spike? You're going to give me a heart attack one day."
"Why should I knock? Not like your cooking in the nude or anything."
"If he was let's hope he isn't using grease." Alice commented from the doorway of the kitchen.
"Alice, hello." Jet turned several shades of red.
"I know I'm early but business slowed down and I had nothing to do."
"No, it's fine. I'm just finishing up dinner."
"Mystery meat, fun."
"Shut up Spike. Where's Ed? Go bug her."
"She's in the shower."
"Then don't go and bug her. Maybe try being nice by putting the boxes in her room in a neat pile in the corner of her room."
"I understand if you want to be alone."
Jet narrowed his eyes at Spike as he watched him leave then smiled at Alice.
"He's such a dumb ass."
"Leave him alone Jet. He's just a kid."
"But he's old enough to know better."
In Elisabeth's room Spike began to move boxes. One was opened and sitting on the small bed at the back of the room.
"Hmm… what do we have here?" He looked down at the box marked "clothes".
Looking around he moved his hands to the opening of the box. Just as the light reached into the box the door opened. Spike turned around quickly and looked up at Ed. She stood in the doorway and smiled.
"Felt like helping me unpack?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"That box, never mind." She sat on the bed and finished towel drying her hair. Her black sweater and tan pants clinging to her tiny body.
"Alice is here and Jet made me leave. I would think he would miss me or something."
"Well let's think about this. If I were Jet who would I rather spend my time with? Hmmm.. Spike who bugs the shit out of me or Alice who might screw me. That's a hard one."
"Don't talk about Jet and sex, that's like thinking about your parents or something."
"It's no different then talking about you and sex. You two both have the same body parts so I don't see the problem."
"Even talking about me and sex is odd because I'm talking about this with YOU. It feels so unreal to be talking to a grown up Ed. It's freakin' creepy."
"How do you think I feel? You have been gone for ten years and now you're back. At least now I can go to bars and stuff with someone my age."
The two were silent for a few minutes then Ed went to unpacking. The first box she unpacked held her holster and her gun. They were neatly wrapped in silk then covered in foam peanuts.
"You carry a gun?"
"Bounty hunters have to now a days. Bounty heads have become more violent. Just this year I've been shot four times."
"Damn. I wasn't ever shot that many times in a year, maybe I was."
"It's nothing to be proud of. The last time I was shot I ran into a building without making sure what was going on. I was so stupid; I was caught without my gun. Lucky for me they only got me in the shoulder."
"At least they didn't get you in the chest or something."
"If they did I wouldn't be here. Most likely I would be in cold sleep like you. What was cold sleep like?"
"It was like a dream I couldn't wake from. You know how you fall asleep then you wake up and the dream felt like it lasted for hours when it only lasted for minutes? Mine was the same thing over and over again."
"What did you dream about?"
Spike sat there with Ed next to him, his eyes fixed on the floor as scenes of Julia, Vicious, blood and gore flashed in front of his eyes.
"I dreamt of things no one should ever dream about. Things that are behind me now." He turned and looked at Ed then smiled "You think we should go and bug Jet?"
"Hell yes."
Together the two walked towards the main room. Alice and Jet were sitting on the couch having coffee and chatting.
"Hello Elisabeth, Spike. We were wondering when you two would be back."
"I just couldn't keep my hands off Spike so we had a little quickie in my room." Ed leaned herself up against one of the walls.
All three just looked at Ed with wide eyes. Then Jet and Alice looked to Spike.
"She's lying. We didn't have sex, no way!"
"I hope she's lying." Jet barked.
"C'mon guys, why would I sleep with Spike? He's not my type."
Alice spoke up. "I believe dinner should be done."
"Yeah, dinner."
"What are we eating Jet?"
"Lasagna."
Ed smiled and sat down on the small hammock chair in the corner of the room. It was just like a hammock but it could be changed into a chair or bed. She watched everyone and yawned.
"Sleepy Elisabeth?"
"Kinda. I stayed up late last night packing my room, I mean Spike's room."
"Go to bed kiddo."
She nodded at Jet's words then stretched.
"Don't go and eat everything. Night everyone." Ed walked off to her new bedroom.
When she reached her new room she looked at the boxes. The box on her bed that Spike was going to go through held her pj's and other underwear. She slipped on silk pajamas then crawled into her bed. It felt big, empty, and cold unlike the bed she had slept in for those ten short years. It missed the feeling of Spike. Even if he wasn't really in the bed with her she always felt safe in his bed like he was watching over her. Slowly she fell asleep.
At one in the morning everyone went to sleep, well Spike and Ed went to sleep. As for Jet and Alice, that's a different story for a different time. Spike went to his room and smiled at the fact he was in his own room.
"Finally I can sleep in my own bed. Life is good." He undressed himself and got into his bed wear.
Happily he got into bed and closed his eyes. Yet he couldn't fall asleep, something was wrong. He sat up in the darkness of the night and looked around. Sniffing the air a few times Spike sighed and layback down pressing his nose lightly against the bed.
"My bed smells like Ed. Great can't escape her even in my own damn bed."
What Spike smelled was a mix between watermelon body wash and strawberry shampoo. Ed smelt like a fruit salad. After a few minutes Spike smiled at the sweet scent. He let his heavy eyelids close, letting the air of Elisabeth fill his lungs then fell asleep.
"It's been ten years, hasn't it?" The girl sat tapping her fingers on the oak table in front of her. It was the third time that week she had been to the labs.
"Ten years is a long time and it changes people look at yourself."
"Yeah, I have changed a bit over the years." She turned towards the doctor and smiled. "Can we see him now?"
"Yes. It will take a few hours before he will be awake but you can see him now if you'd like."
The girl and the man walked down the hall to the medical sleep chambers. The tall cylinders lined the room and in the middle was subject #14W75Y: Spike Spiegel. He slept peacefully at least he looked that way. He was going to be woke up in six hours, brought back to the world he was almost ripped out of.
"Jet.. Do you think he will remember us?" The girl looked at the man in the reflection off the cylinder.
"I'm sure he will. You have to remember that you were 13 when this happened, he's only seen you as a child." Jet smiled and ruffled the girl's hair.
"I remember those days, Ed the hacker.. Not Elisabeth Dean, the college student."
"Excuse me, we need the cylinder now." The doctor spoke over the loud speaker. The pair moved back as Spike was moved backwards and into the lab.
"Six hours, right?" Ed asked the doctor.
"You ask me that every time I see you Elisabeth, yes six hours." He smiled and pointed to the door. "Go do something. I don't need you here for six hours."
"Anything you say Dr. Corry." She smiled and walked towards the door. "Are you coming Jet?"
"I'm coming. We better make sure the Swordfish II is clean and ready."
"So I get to touch her?"
"No." He said gruffly.
"I'm 23 years old! Don't you think I'm old enough to handle a ship?"
"You're still a child."
"If you don't let me help.. I'll start talking in the third person again."
"Oi! Fine, you can help. Just don't break anything." Said Jet as they walked into the hanger of the Bebop.
"I can almost picture Spike in the cockpit. Six hours is just too long to wait!" She grabbed a sponge and wiped the dust off the old ship, restoring it it's brilliant red.
"Yeah, sad to say I miss that lunk head."
"Lunk head, wow. I remember that."
Jet smiled and kept to his cleaning. Be it there were two of them the job was done in half the time. The Swordfish II sparkled under the hanger lights unlike the pale crimson it was 45 minutes ago. After Ed had put down her sponge she picked up the vid-phone that was buzzing from the worktable.
"Elisabeth?" Dr. Corry said from the other end.
"That's who you got.. Start talking." She smiled.
"Well I think you two should be here when Spike gets awake. It's going to be hard on him learning he's not really dead but alive."
"Good idea. Hey Jet, you want to take a trip to the lab?"
"Sure, let me feed Ein." He bent down feeding the small Welsh Corgi, who looked the same as he did ten years ago.
Five and a half hours, three card games and two packs of cigarettes later it was time for sleeping Spike to awake.
"What do you think will be his first words?"
"Something to the point of 'Why the Hell didn't you let me die'. But that's just the way Spike has always been." Jet sighed as he put a hand to his head to rub his temples.
"I'm sure in the long run he'll be happy to be alive."
"How I wish I had your outlook on life."
Dr. Corry peaked his balding head into the waiting room. He and Jet looked fairly alike only Dr. Corry looked like a younger Jet.
"I think you guys should come into the main lab. It will be good for him to see someone he knows when he wakes up."
"Good idea. C'mon Jet. Let's see Spike." Ed jumped up and walked towards the door.
"I suggest you calm down a bit. He's going to be in no mood to have a hyper girl around him."
"Yeah but I'm so happy to see him, aren't you?"
"Yes I am but you don't see me being half as hyper as you." It was the truth. Jet was very happy to see Spike up and alive after all those years. He loved Ed to death, she was like the daughter he never had but still that girl was too much some times.
In the main lab room Spike's body was on a table, hooked up to life support systems. He looked dead but he was breathing. Elisabeth watched him and a smile grew on her lips. He was alive and finally she could have someone her own age to talk to. Everyone in the room stopped as Spike turned slightly.
"Um..am, am I dead?" Spike kept his eyes closed the lights too bright for the moment.
"No, Spike you're not dead. You're very much alive."
"Jet, you sound older. How long have I been out, where am I?"
"You've been out for ten years and you're in a medical lab on Mars."
"Ten years?" Spike coughed then sighed. "I've thought I was dead."
"We all thought you were dead too. Faye was so crushed she ran off and we haven't heard from her from that day. So for the last ten years it has been Ed, Ein and myself."
"Faye ran away, gesh. I though Ed left and was gone for good."
"No. I came back because I missed everyone so much."
"So that's the mysterious voice. You're what, 18..19 years old now?"
"I'm 23."
Spike opened his eyes and looked up at the two. Sure as Hell Jet looked the same. He was missing more hair and what hair he had left had a silver tint to it. Now Ed was a different story. She was tall and thin with short red hair. The hair was the only thing that had stayed the same.
"When can I leave?"
"We still have some tests but you should be able to leave tonight." One of the doctors looked at Spike's charts as he spoke.
"Then you'll be back on the Bebop."
"You guys are still staying on the Bebop?"
"She's my baby you have to remember that. Speaking of people's babies, there is one still in the hanger just waiting to be let free." Jet smiled.
"And she's looking as good as ever."
"The Swordfish II, I miss her."
Later that night Spike was able to go home. In his hospital room he looked over at his clothing that Ed had so happily brought him and then into the mirror over the sink.
"Ten years do change people. I should have died, I should be with Julia." He sighed and put his head in his hands. Slowly he dressed himself still feeling a little weak from the whole wake up process.
"Spike, are you up yet? Jet was going to come to pick you up but something came up." She spoke through the closed door.
"I'm up Ed. You can come in."
The door slowly opened and the red head walked into the room. She wore tore jeans and a white tank top and the most surprising, she wore shoes.
"How did you sleep?"
"Fine, lets get out of here. I hate hospitals."
"Sounds good to me. I have a cab waiting."
They walked out of the hospital together and then got into the cab. The ride home nether said a thing. Spike looked out his window and Ed looked out her own.
"So you made it safely. I thought Elisabeth.. I mean Ed would have taken you and hid you somewhere."
"Elisabeth huh? Is that what you call yourself now? What happened to being Ed?" Spike sat down on the couch.
"Ed left when I started college. I'm now Elisabeth Dean. Jet still calls me Ed, habit I think." The girl looked at Jet who was talking to someone on the vid-phone.
"You don't mind if I still call you Ed, do you?"
"Not at all. Ed, Elisabeth.. Same thing."
"Hey Ed, how would you like to do a little hacking?" Jet called from the other room.
"Sure. What needs to be hacked?"
"Personal files that we need if we want to catch this bounty head."
"No problem." The girl grabbed a new computer from besides the couch. She kicked off her shoes and put her goggles on.
"Still a hacker.. And Jet's still a bounty hunter. Things haven't changed all too much I see."
"Oh things have changed Spike. You need a license to be a bounty hunter now and there are no more gates. The whole system was replaced. We still bounty hunt, Ed has become pretty good at it."
"Ed.. The bounty hunter. Now I really need a beer." Both Spike and Elisabeth smiled at the comment.
"Speaking of beer, Ed weren't you supposed to go to the store to pick up supplies?"
"Fine I get the hint." The girl stood up and stretched letting her goggles rest around her neck.
"Bring Spike with you. He needs some fresh air after being in the tube all those years plus he'll make sure you'll come home with stuff we need unlike the computer stuff you bring home. Just be safe you two."
"Don't you think it would be better if I stayed home?"
"Spike you'll get to see the inside of the Bebop soon enough. You two be back soon."
"Yes Dad." Ed giggled and walked towards the exit. "Are you coming Spike?"
"Might as well. Nothing to do but stay around here and get bored."
"Wait missy, aren't you forgetting something?"
"And what would that be, Jet?" Ed stopped at the air hatch.
"Shoes."
"Oh yeah.. Almost forgot about those." She blushed and walked back to the couch, sitting down and pulling her tan shoes on to her slender feet.
"And don't forget the list. We need everything on the list."
"We can handle if Jet. I mean we are both adults. How weird is that, Ed an adult?"
Again the two hopped a cab and made their way to the local market. The market was packed with people looking over good from the many vendors. Ed smiled as she removed herself from the cab. There were many things on the list that meant more time out of the Bebop and more time with Spike.
"Where do we start?" Spike patted his pockets looking for his cigarettes.
"You shouldn't smoke. I'm surprise that being out for so long didn't kill the cravings."
"Did I say anything about smoking?"
Elisabeth smiled and looked towards the crowd of people, "No, no you didn't."
"Ok then."
They stood quietly until Ed grabbed Spike's hand and led him into the swarm of people. She weaved in and out of the mass knowing where to go to get the things the Bebop needed.
"Do you know where you're going Ed?" Spike smirked and watched the red patch bob around in front of him.
"Do you have to question me?"
"Young lady, you shouldn't answer a question with a question. It's rude."
Elisabeth stopped and looked at one of the venders, who was also a lady friend of Jet's. The woman was tall with silver-blonde hair. Her eyes were a dark blue, almost so dark that they looked black.
"Hello Alice. How are things today?"
"Things are good. Business is hot but there have been more and more hunters around here. How rude of me, who is your gentleman friend?"
"This is Spike Spiegel, Spike this is Alice Miller. We've become good friends over the five years we've known each other."
"Spike huh? Oh, you're the man Jet has been talking about."
"We're out shopping while Jet stays and takes care of the work. I rather be helping with the work then shopping."
"What do you need?"
Ed handed the women the list, which was hastily written on a sheet of loose-leaf paper. She looked it over trying to read the writing, which was almost impossible to read.
"Let me look at it, I'm sure I can read Jet's writing." Spike held out his hand waiting for Alice to hand over the paper.
When he had received the paper he looked over it carefully. He narrowed his different tinted eyes at the list then smiled.
"I can read it."
"Good, so I guess I'll see you later Alice. Aren't you coming over tonight for dinner?"
"Like always. Tell Jet I said Hello."
Ed nodded and walked away from Alice's fruit stand. A half an hour later, while inside a market the two finished the shopping.
"So Alice knows Jet?"
"Yeah. We all met at a bar a few years ago." She smiled and watched Spike heave up two bags into his arms then she looked down at the bags in her hands.
"Are Jet and her… you know?"
"I think they are but who knows with him. He so hard to read."
"Tell me about it. I think we should get back home, I don't want to lug these bags anymore then I have to."
"Spike the baby. Awww, does baby need his diapers changed?" Ed laughed as she went to get another cab.
"I'm not a baby. You have to remember I just woken up after ten years, I'm out of smokes, I'm looking at a 23 year old Ed and Jet has a girlfriend. Tell me that wouldn't freak you out."
"Doesn't freak me out one bit. You're just a baby Spike, it's that easy."
"Wait until we get back to the Bebop and I get my hands free."
"What are you gonna do? Grope me to death." She laughed even harder.
Spike's face turned red from both embarrassment and slight anger. "I'm not talking about that. I'd put you to work.. Doing…Um something. Just thinking makes my head hurt."
"Thinking, something new for you Spike?"
He rolled his eyes and got into the cab that had just pulled up. Setting the bags between each other they sat looking out their windows like they had after coming out of the hospital.
"So, Ed have you had any boyfriends.. Girlfriends.. Both?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Just wondering. I want to catch up with you guys the best I can."
Elisabeth sighed and watched the town go by.
"Yeah, I've had a few boyfriends. All jerks. Can't find any good men. Jet says it's because I'm too hyper and act like a child. What does he want from me? I mean does he want for me to be married by now and out of the Bebop?"
"I don't know what he wants but I doubt he want you just to marry some ass and be unhappy. I think he needs you on the Bebop. We are a team right?"
"A team.. I like the sound of that. It's good to have you back Spike."
"Thanks, it's good to be back."
When the two returned to the Bebop Ed went off to the main room and Spike went to the kitchen.
"I met you're girlfriend today."
"Spike I don't know what the Hell you're talking about."
"So you don't know a women by the name of Alice Miller?"
"Oh. Alice is a lady friend of mine, not a girlfriend."
Ed smiled as she went back to her hacking job while listening to Spike and Jet talk. "I think she's you're girlfriend. There's nothing to be ashamed about having a girlfriend. I'm never ashamed at having boyfriends."
"That's different. You're young Ed, you're allowed go have boyfriends and what not. I should be married by now."
"So, what's for dinner?" Spike smirked as he changed the subject.
"I'm not sure right now. I'm thinking about beef something or other."
"Impress her with your fine culinary skills. Wine and dine her." Elisabeth brought her hand up pretending to ballroom dance. She waltzed into the kitchen with her eyes closed, twirling around a bit.
"Get out of here Ed. If you break anything you'll pay for it."
"What was the last thing I broke?"
"That damned computer of yours."
"May I be as bold as to correct you dear Jet? The item that was broken was my own therefore it shouldn't be counted."
"She's got you there."
"You two are driving me nuts. I have a million things to do go do something. Go help Ed move her stuff out of your room Spike."
"WHAT?" His eye twitches slightly. "You let her have MY room?"
"Ten years is a long time and I got sick of her sleeping on the couch so I let her have your bed. Why, you don't like having women in your bed?"
"But this is Ed we're talking about. For all you know she could have had sex in MY bed."
"It's the only action that bed has ever seen so, hush." Ed smiled.
"So you did have sex in MY bed?"
"Nope."
"Second warning, I want you two to get lost."
"C'mon Spike, help me why don't ya?"
"Fine, nothing to do but help you."
Spike's old room was fairly the same. His Bruce Lee posters still graced the walls but it didn't have the manly feel to it be it a woman had lived in it for ten years.
"All my stuff is in boxes. All the boxes are marked." Elisabeth pointed to the cluster of boxes in the corner.
"Ok. Where are you going to be staying from now on?"
"In one of the small cargo bays. It isn't very large but it is big enough for me."
"I understand. Why did you choose to take my room? I mean there are the cargo bays and what not."
Ed paused and looked at the boxes, her back to Spike. "Just look at it as my way of getting over you not being here. When I learned you were going to be in cold sleep for ten years I wasn't sure how to handle it. Be it I was still a child when this all happened I did the only thing I knew to do, I slept in the bed you slept in. " She smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "Your bed smelt like you for a week then I had to change the sheets. Then when I started to miss you I went to your closet and your clothing, even though they are clean they still smelt like you."
"You really missed me that much? I don't understand why, I never spent that much time with you."
"Who knows? Now that we're done having a heart to heart lets get me moved out so you can have your room back. I need a shower before dinner."
"Damn you're bossy."
Each of them grabbed a box and lugged it to the small room, which looked less like a room and more like a big closet. When it was down to the last two boxes Elisabeth grabbed a box up but it was too heavy, she almost dropped it but Spike grabbed it. They looked at each other for a second. Ed's arms were wrapped around the box holding it tightly to her stomach and Spike's arm was under the box, the back of his hand resting against her stomach.
"This is a small problem." Ed smiled nervously.
"No problem, just let go of the box and I'll catch it."
"Spike you already have a box in your other arm."
"I can work this out. Don't worry so much. Anything in these boxes breakable?"
"No, not that I know of."
"Ok, easy way to handle this." He dropped the box in his other arm and quickly took the box from Ed, "See?"
"Reckless." She picked up the box that was dropped and walked behind Spike on their last trip from his room to hers.
"I maybe reckless but it works for me. Time to go and bug Jet so you can take your shower."
"Don't worry I don't take long in the bathroom."
He just shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. Slowly Spike made his way to the kitchen when Jet was cooking and muttering a few things to himself.
"How goes the cooking?"
"Don't you ever knock Spike? You're going to give me a heart attack one day."
"Why should I knock? Not like your cooking in the nude or anything."
"If he was let's hope he isn't using grease." Alice commented from the doorway of the kitchen.
"Alice, hello." Jet turned several shades of red.
"I know I'm early but business slowed down and I had nothing to do."
"No, it's fine. I'm just finishing up dinner."
"Mystery meat, fun."
"Shut up Spike. Where's Ed? Go bug her."
"She's in the shower."
"Then don't go and bug her. Maybe try being nice by putting the boxes in her room in a neat pile in the corner of her room."
"I understand if you want to be alone."
Jet narrowed his eyes at Spike as he watched him leave then smiled at Alice.
"He's such a dumb ass."
"Leave him alone Jet. He's just a kid."
"But he's old enough to know better."
In Elisabeth's room Spike began to move boxes. One was opened and sitting on the small bed at the back of the room.
"Hmm… what do we have here?" He looked down at the box marked "clothes".
Looking around he moved his hands to the opening of the box. Just as the light reached into the box the door opened. Spike turned around quickly and looked up at Ed. She stood in the doorway and smiled.
"Felt like helping me unpack?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"That box, never mind." She sat on the bed and finished towel drying her hair. Her black sweater and tan pants clinging to her tiny body.
"Alice is here and Jet made me leave. I would think he would miss me or something."
"Well let's think about this. If I were Jet who would I rather spend my time with? Hmmm.. Spike who bugs the shit out of me or Alice who might screw me. That's a hard one."
"Don't talk about Jet and sex, that's like thinking about your parents or something."
"It's no different then talking about you and sex. You two both have the same body parts so I don't see the problem."
"Even talking about me and sex is odd because I'm talking about this with YOU. It feels so unreal to be talking to a grown up Ed. It's freakin' creepy."
"How do you think I feel? You have been gone for ten years and now you're back. At least now I can go to bars and stuff with someone my age."
The two were silent for a few minutes then Ed went to unpacking. The first box she unpacked held her holster and her gun. They were neatly wrapped in silk then covered in foam peanuts.
"You carry a gun?"
"Bounty hunters have to now a days. Bounty heads have become more violent. Just this year I've been shot four times."
"Damn. I wasn't ever shot that many times in a year, maybe I was."
"It's nothing to be proud of. The last time I was shot I ran into a building without making sure what was going on. I was so stupid; I was caught without my gun. Lucky for me they only got me in the shoulder."
"At least they didn't get you in the chest or something."
"If they did I wouldn't be here. Most likely I would be in cold sleep like you. What was cold sleep like?"
"It was like a dream I couldn't wake from. You know how you fall asleep then you wake up and the dream felt like it lasted for hours when it only lasted for minutes? Mine was the same thing over and over again."
"What did you dream about?"
Spike sat there with Ed next to him, his eyes fixed on the floor as scenes of Julia, Vicious, blood and gore flashed in front of his eyes.
"I dreamt of things no one should ever dream about. Things that are behind me now." He turned and looked at Ed then smiled "You think we should go and bug Jet?"
"Hell yes."
Together the two walked towards the main room. Alice and Jet were sitting on the couch having coffee and chatting.
"Hello Elisabeth, Spike. We were wondering when you two would be back."
"I just couldn't keep my hands off Spike so we had a little quickie in my room." Ed leaned herself up against one of the walls.
All three just looked at Ed with wide eyes. Then Jet and Alice looked to Spike.
"She's lying. We didn't have sex, no way!"
"I hope she's lying." Jet barked.
"C'mon guys, why would I sleep with Spike? He's not my type."
Alice spoke up. "I believe dinner should be done."
"Yeah, dinner."
"What are we eating Jet?"
"Lasagna."
Ed smiled and sat down on the small hammock chair in the corner of the room. It was just like a hammock but it could be changed into a chair or bed. She watched everyone and yawned.
"Sleepy Elisabeth?"
"Kinda. I stayed up late last night packing my room, I mean Spike's room."
"Go to bed kiddo."
She nodded at Jet's words then stretched.
"Don't go and eat everything. Night everyone." Ed walked off to her new bedroom.
When she reached her new room she looked at the boxes. The box on her bed that Spike was going to go through held her pj's and other underwear. She slipped on silk pajamas then crawled into her bed. It felt big, empty, and cold unlike the bed she had slept in for those ten short years. It missed the feeling of Spike. Even if he wasn't really in the bed with her she always felt safe in his bed like he was watching over her. Slowly she fell asleep.
At one in the morning everyone went to sleep, well Spike and Ed went to sleep. As for Jet and Alice, that's a different story for a different time. Spike went to his room and smiled at the fact he was in his own room.
"Finally I can sleep in my own bed. Life is good." He undressed himself and got into his bed wear.
Happily he got into bed and closed his eyes. Yet he couldn't fall asleep, something was wrong. He sat up in the darkness of the night and looked around. Sniffing the air a few times Spike sighed and layback down pressing his nose lightly against the bed.
"My bed smells like Ed. Great can't escape her even in my own damn bed."
What Spike smelled was a mix between watermelon body wash and strawberry shampoo. Ed smelt like a fruit salad. After a few minutes Spike smiled at the sweet scent. He let his heavy eyelids close, letting the air of Elisabeth fill his lungs then fell asleep.