This little vignette takes place immediately after the end of the series.
A single tear.
Faye was standing at one of the windows that overlooked the landing pad of the Bebop, where Ed had drawn her farewell. Her left arm was folded across her stomach, her hand supporting the elbow of the arm holding her cigarette. She had been standing this way for some time now, a far away look on her face, a thin curl of smoke wafting lazily up into the air above her head.
Jet, with a bucket of cleaning solution in one hand, was lethargically walking by the open doorway to the room, when he noticed Faye by the window. He paused for a moment, staring at her slump shouldered form, before he set down the bucket and walked over to stand beside her. Jet gazed out the window for a moment, not wanting to look at Ed's message, but feeling compelled to do so anyway. After a moment, he turned toward Faye, who hadn't moved or in anyway acknowledged his presence, and saw the vacant look in her eyes, and the dried tracks her tears had made down her face.
"Faye...." Jet began, hoping to bring her out of her trance, but didn't receive a response. "Faye... are you OK?" Still no response. Giving up, he turned back toward the window, and gazed at the Martian horizon. Several moments passed with neither moving. It was so quiet that Jet could hear the comforting hum of the ships engines.
"Do you think they'll come back?" Faye finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"Huh?" Jet grunted, startled out of his reverie. "What'd you say, Faye?" He turned his head to look at her questioningly.
"Do you think they'll come back?" She replied listlessly.
Jet knew she was asking more about Spike than she was asking after Ed and Ein. Jet missed Ed and Ein's presence, but knew Ed could take care of herself, and wasn't going to allow himself to worry. Surely Ein was with her, and he would watch out for her. He let several moments pass before solemnly answering her. "No, Faye, I don't think they will be coming back."
Jet was still observing her when he gave her his answer. She still hadn't moved from her current pose. Suddenly, Faye became animated again, and brought her cigarette to her mouth for a drag, only to find it had burned down to the filter some time ago. "Shit." she muttered under her breath while flicking the useless butt to the floor. She turned to face Jet, "You gotta smoke?"
Caught off guard, Jet fumbled about, searching his pockets for his pack of cigarettes, when he notice fresh tears streaming down Faye's otherwise emotionless face. He stopped his search and reached out his flesh and blood arm to lay a comforting hand on Faye's shoulder.
The contact with warm human flesh broke the dam of Faye's composure, and she hiccoughed violently as sobs began to rack her body. Jet, mutely witnessing her renewed anguish, pulled her against his chest, and held her as her body shuddered with the onslaught of her grief. Jet held Faye while she assuaged her pain, his eyes drawn to the brilliant reddish hue of the Martian horizon. A single tear carved a path down his face.
See you space cowboy...
Sorry it's so short and depressing, but I wanted to capture the essence of what Faye and Jet are feeling with the departure and death of Spike. If you liked it, please review.