Chapter 4
3 years later....
"Daddy! Daddy! You're back! Did you have fun? Did you catch the bad guy?"
Spike caught his daughter as she came flying at him. "Whoa, Polly. Chill. I sure did catch the bad guy. He was a mean bas-, er, guy, too. What about you? Did Mommy take you to that theme park?" Spike barely supressed a grimace. He hated theme parks.
"Yup. I rode ALL the Junior Coasters. It was fun. Mommy bought me ice cream," the little girl said proudly.
"I can see that" Polly had dry chocolate smeared over her face and brand new pink jumper. She even had it in her hair. "Where is your Mommy?"
"I was running bath water for this little ball of energy." Faye had crept up and deftly snatched the child out of his grasp. "C'mon Polly, let's get you cleaned up"
"Okay" Polly chirped. "I'll be right back, Daddy"
"Sure, Princess." To Faye he asked, "Where's Jet?"
"Uncle Jet's in the living room yelling at Edward for hacking into the climate control, and about someone named-"
"Shh, Polly. Let Uncle Jet tell Daddy" But Spike saw the pain in Faye's eyes and wondered.
Spike and Faye passed each other to get to their respective destinations.
"Yo, Spike" Jet called when he saw him. "Was Armbuster any problem?"
"Nah" Spike tossed him a money chip. "Ten thousand woolong"
"Chump change." Jet said contemptuously. "Man, Spike, we gotta get a big bounty head, and soon or-"
They heard a shriek and a giggle, and Polly streaked by the doorway. "Get back here you little rugrat!" Faye called chasing after their daughter.
Spike smiled at his family. Ed was muttering at her consol, acting properly chastised. Faye marched by the door again, Polly in tow. Ahh, things couldn't get much better than this. Then he remembered the troubled expression in Faye's eyes.
"So, Jet, who were you yelling at Ed about?" he asked casually. Jet looked up sharply. "Polly" Spike said by way of explanation.
"Oh"
"Well?"
"Spike..."
"Just tell me Jet!" Spike spoke impatiently.
"Daddy, look at me!" Polly shouted gleefully. Spike looked up and was winded. It still amazed him how his child could take his breath away and make tears stick somewhere in the region of his heart.
Her curly violet hair was shoulder length, the eyes, so like his own, sparkled with vitality. She had on a too big tee shirt to sleep in, but she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
"Wow, sweetheart, your the prettiest thing this side of the alpha sector" Jet said smiling at his surrogate niece.
"Yeah" Spike agreed.
"Polly, give Daddy, Uncle Jet, Edward, and Ein a hug and kiss good night then get to bed."
"Okay, Mommy" When the nightly ritual was completed, Polly scampered off to bed.
When his daughter was out of sight, he turned to Jet and Faye. "Now. Who is this mystery person that has you two so worked up?"
Faye bit her lip, and looked to Jet.
Jet sighed and looked Spike squarely in the eye. "While you were gone we recieved a computer message asking for your help."
"So?"
Faye blurted out suddenly, "So, the message was signed 'Julia'!" and froze.
Spike froze too.
3 years later....
"Daddy! Daddy! You're back! Did you have fun? Did you catch the bad guy?"
Spike caught his daughter as she came flying at him. "Whoa, Polly. Chill. I sure did catch the bad guy. He was a mean bas-, er, guy, too. What about you? Did Mommy take you to that theme park?" Spike barely supressed a grimace. He hated theme parks.
"Yup. I rode ALL the Junior Coasters. It was fun. Mommy bought me ice cream," the little girl said proudly.
"I can see that" Polly had dry chocolate smeared over her face and brand new pink jumper. She even had it in her hair. "Where is your Mommy?"
"I was running bath water for this little ball of energy." Faye had crept up and deftly snatched the child out of his grasp. "C'mon Polly, let's get you cleaned up"
"Okay" Polly chirped. "I'll be right back, Daddy"
"Sure, Princess." To Faye he asked, "Where's Jet?"
"Uncle Jet's in the living room yelling at Edward for hacking into the climate control, and about someone named-"
"Shh, Polly. Let Uncle Jet tell Daddy" But Spike saw the pain in Faye's eyes and wondered.
Spike and Faye passed each other to get to their respective destinations.
"Yo, Spike" Jet called when he saw him. "Was Armbuster any problem?"
"Nah" Spike tossed him a money chip. "Ten thousand woolong"
"Chump change." Jet said contemptuously. "Man, Spike, we gotta get a big bounty head, and soon or-"
They heard a shriek and a giggle, and Polly streaked by the doorway. "Get back here you little rugrat!" Faye called chasing after their daughter.
Spike smiled at his family. Ed was muttering at her consol, acting properly chastised. Faye marched by the door again, Polly in tow. Ahh, things couldn't get much better than this. Then he remembered the troubled expression in Faye's eyes.
"So, Jet, who were you yelling at Ed about?" he asked casually. Jet looked up sharply. "Polly" Spike said by way of explanation.
"Oh"
"Well?"
"Spike..."
"Just tell me Jet!" Spike spoke impatiently.
"Daddy, look at me!" Polly shouted gleefully. Spike looked up and was winded. It still amazed him how his child could take his breath away and make tears stick somewhere in the region of his heart.
Her curly violet hair was shoulder length, the eyes, so like his own, sparkled with vitality. She had on a too big tee shirt to sleep in, but she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
"Wow, sweetheart, your the prettiest thing this side of the alpha sector" Jet said smiling at his surrogate niece.
"Yeah" Spike agreed.
"Polly, give Daddy, Uncle Jet, Edward, and Ein a hug and kiss good night then get to bed."
"Okay, Mommy" When the nightly ritual was completed, Polly scampered off to bed.
When his daughter was out of sight, he turned to Jet and Faye. "Now. Who is this mystery person that has you two so worked up?"
Faye bit her lip, and looked to Jet.
Jet sighed and looked Spike squarely in the eye. "While you were gone we recieved a computer message asking for your help."
"So?"
Faye blurted out suddenly, "So, the message was signed 'Julia'!" and froze.
Spike froze too.