Lessons ~ by Maru-chan

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Disclaimer ~ roses are red, violets are blue; i no own, so you no sue.

This fic is set in my own personal Cowboy Bebop-verse. That means no relation what-so-ever to the show's time line or plot. It centers mainly around Spike and Ed's relationship, but Jet and Faye are important too.
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~ In the Bebop's living room ~

"Spike, what exactly is this ?" The burly former cop poked dubiously at his bowl of . . . something, as he questioned his partner. "I brought in good food, what the hell did you do to it ?"

Spike leaned back on the couch, proping his feet up on the table. He chose to ignore his partner for the moment, slurping down his own bowl of food instead. It's not that bad . . .

"Ed likes Spike-Spike's food - yum-yum-yum-YUM !!!"

The two bounty hunters glanced up, thier eyes widening more than normally at thier insane shipmate's antics. Currently, Ed was hanging upside-down from the network of pipes above thier heads, eating her own share - and actually managing to get all of it inside her mouth and down (or up) her throat.

"Huh - if Ed can stomach it, I think I can . . . " Jet warily took a small slurp of food. "Hey - this stuff's pretty good Spike !!!" He promptly finished half his bowl in one long slurp.

"Don't sound so surprised . . . " Spike drawled, serving himself some more from the main bowl. He glanced up at the still upside-down Edward. "Ed, eat up-right - I'm not cleaning up if you puke."

Jet pased with his bowl half-way to his mouth and glared across the table at the fuzzy haired bounty hunter. "Eeww - did you have to say 'puke' - I'm eating here." Spike shrugged and continued eating.

*sigh*

Jet looked at his partner in exasperated disgust. I live with pigs . . .

"Jet-person . . . " Ed's sing-song voice called. "Ed wants more food." She held out her bowl, still upside-down.

"Huh - come and get it yourself, Ed." Jet pointed at the food on the table.

*THUMP*

Ed scuttled over to the table, grabbed the still-half-full main bowl of food, and ran out into the corridor.

Jet blinked, than jumped up with a growl. "Hey Ed - get back here with the food !!!" He chased the deranged hacker out into the corridor.

Ed's disembodied shout echoed back into the room. "But Jet-person, Ed is still HUNGRY !!!"

Spike sat back and continued eating, mentally counting down till the inevitable crash. Three . . . two . . . one . . .

*CRASH*

Ed wobbled back in, crazed grin on her face. She curled up next to Spike on the couch, immediately falling alseep from all appearances. Spike knew better.

"Ed, where's Jet ?"

One amber eye opened. "Jet-person is washing food off outside Bebop-Bebop." Ed then closed her eye and fell asleep for real.

Surprise, surprise . . . Spike smiled, just a little, setting his now-empty bowl on the table. He took out his cigaettes, lighting one and taking a few slow puffs, letting his mind wander as he watched the pale smoke drift towards the ceiling.

~ In the Lady's Luck bar ~

" . . . and Roses wins by a nose !!!"

As the dank bar resonded with graons and cheers, one purple haired knock-out just chuckled bitterly. Guess, I'm a loser all around today . . . Faye Valentine took a long drag on her cigarette, exhaling dejectedly as she tossed her ticket stubs to the floor.

She checked her pockets for any stray woolongs to place on the next race, already knowing what she would find. Well, time to go home . . . ha - what home . . . With a rueful smile, Faye got up and left the run down hole-in-the-wall, heading for her 'baby'.

Two minutes later, the Redtail was on auto pilot, smoothly veering through the deep night sky. Inside, Faye absently lit another cigarette, thinking on nothing and how much of it was in her life.