Disclaimer: I don't own anybody who was ever on the show.
Author's note: Remember this? *Holds out author's note from first chapter, then promptly rips it to shreds* I screwed up. Instead of it being a week from the end of the series, it'll be however long it would take for Jet's leg to get better and for him to fix the Bebop.
* * * *
When the girl woke up again, she couldn't remember what had happened the night before. It felt like she was lying on a couch of some sort. A heavy blanket was keeping her warm, warm enough that she almost wanted to go back to sleep. But something was wrong. This place didn't smell like her house. She wasn't at home.
Then where was she?
She opened her eyes to see a ceiling fan rotating lazily above her head. Flinging the blanket off, she sat up quickly. Sitting on the bottom step of a flight of stairs across the room was a man. He had no hair except for a black beard. He had what appeared to be a cybertronic implant under his right eye, and a metal left arm. The sound of her sitting up made him look at her with blue eyes. A small, reassuring smile appeared.
"Hey, you're awake."
Panic settled in. She was sleeping on a complete stranger's couch, in his house, while he was watching her. Completely forgetting that her leg was currently housing a bullet, she quickly stood up, preparing to flee. The second she got onto her feet, an incredibly sharp pain ripped up her leg. She cried out and fell back onto the couch.
The man walked over to her and draped the blanket back over her shoulders. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. My partner and I saved you from the Calatsky brothers last night, remember?"
Calming down a little, she concentrated on what happened last night. Bits and pieces flashed in her mind's eye. Jaccob Calatsky holding her wrist, shooting her father in the back, her biting his hand, John killing her mother, being carried by a man with blue eyes..
"I remember," she said quietly.
~
Faye had just returned from buying groceries and had put them down in the kitchen when she heard Jet talking to the girl. She quietly stood by the doorway, listening carefully.
There was a little bit of silence, then the girl spoke.
"I remember. My parents were shot and killed. I was shot too, and you saved me. But there's nothing waiting for me now."
"There's always the orphanage," Jet said.
This time the girl sounded desperate and scared. "No! Not the orphanage! I'll just die if I go there!"
"Don't worry. I won't take you to the orphanage if you don't want to go there. You're lucky that bullet wasn't made of lead. You still need to get as much rest as possible. Just try to get some more sleep for now."
There was a long pause, and then Faye heard the sound of Jet's heavy boots approaching. She retreated into the kitchen and put on the act that she was putting away groceries.
"You're back," he said. "Did you get everything on the list?"
"Yeah," she said, putting five loaves of bread on the counter. "So, what are we going to do with her?"
"What?"
"You said you wouldn't take her to the orphanage if she didn't want to, and it's pretty clear she doesn't want to." She sounded bitter, but she didn't turn to face Jet. "So what are you going to do with her? Go dump her into some crime Syndicate?"
"What? Of course not."
"We can't keep her here, Jet. If the police find out, we could both be busted in jail. Then she would go straight to the orphanage."
Jet became defensive. "I'd like to see you try it, Faye. Walk out there and tell her that we have to take her to the orphanage."
Faye looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He had both arms folded across his chest like he was expecting her to move.
When she didn't move after a few moments, Jet turned towards the living room. "Alright then. Since you can't do it, I will." He got about two steps before Faye shouted.
"She won't replace him, Jet!"
Jet stopped and tuned to look at her, confused. Faye had completely turned to face him, her eyes blazing and her fists balled at her sides.
"She'll never replace Spike and you know it!" She turned away from Jet again; her fists still at her sides.
Now Jet understood. He stepped back fully into the kitchen. "Look Faye, I know you loved him. But what do you think I did all those times you cried yourself to sleep? Do you think I just sat and watched television all night? Spike was like a brother, or a son to me. When a family looses a child, having another one doesn't make things all better. Right now we're all that girl has. Are you just going to throw it away, just because you're afraid she might replace Spike?"
There was a short silence. This time her voice was softer. "It's just like you said Jet. Your leg was mangled, your ship was busted; hell yes, he was nothing but trouble-"
"-but I don't give a damn," Jet finished softly.
"You're fond of her, aren't you Jet? You've grown attached to her in this short time. I should've seen it coming. You've always had a soft spot for kids and animals. Especially ones that need help."
"Eh, I'm just a big softy," said Jet with a faint smile.
"So," said Faye as she faced Jet with a smile a little bigger than his. "How are you planning to keep her here safely?"
Jet's smile grew, for he knew exactly how his plan would go.
~
It was a few hours later before the girl woke up. Faye was sitting on the floor, watching the television. The sound of the girl sitting up and stretching bought Faye's attention.
Faye turned to the girl. "Get a good sleep?"
She just shook her head.
"So what's your name?"
"Alesha. Alesha Yana."
Faye smiled. "I'm Faye. Faye Valentine." She heard the sound of heavy boots approaching. "And this is Jet Black." Jet sat down next to Faye.
Alesha took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say. "I'd like to thank you both for saving my life last night, but I wish I could say it in a better predicament."
"We're not done yet," said Jet. "You may be out of immediate danger, but we still have to decide on what to do with you. Faye and I talked last night, and we decided on two choices; everything else we thought up you would have ended up in the orphanage."
Alesha just waited.
"One: we get you a new name, cut your hair, and you'd live here with us as a different person. The old you would be dead to the rest of the world, killed by the Calatsky brothers who hid your body somewhere or destroyed it. Two: We take you back and show you to the Police. You'd be taken directly to the orphanage."
Alesha looked down at the plain yellow couch, fingering a tear in the fabric as she thought.
"You don't have to answer right away-"
"I want to stay here," she injected. Her voice held a tone of sureness and determinedness that signified she made up her mind, and no one could change it.
"Are you sure?" asked Faye. "You realize you'll never be able to go back-"
"Back to what? No family, no friends, starvation, diseases? No one to look out after you or no one that really cares what happens to you? I have no life back there. All I can do is try to start a new one or give up. But it's your lives that I'm intruding into. If you don't want me around, I have no choice."
There was a short silence, then she continued to look at the tear in the couch.
Faye smiled. "Well kid, you'd better start thinking up a name."
"Yea," said Jet, also smiling. "Because you'll be stuck with it for a while."
The happiest smile appeared on Alesha's face, then she bent down and wrapped one arm around both of their necks, the closest she could get to a hug. "Oh thank you! Thank you!"
Jet laughed for the first time ever since Spike died. "Come on, I'll show you your new room."
Faye watched as Jet helped Alesha off the couch and supported her like a crutch as he led her down the hallway, Alesha using the toe of her sneaker on her bad leg to take some of the weight. "Pretty soon those two will be inseparable," she said quietly to herself. "I think she might end up filling in the hole Spike left in Jet's heart." Her smile faded. "But if that's the case, then what would he have to go through if something happened to her?"
~
One week later, in Alesha's diary:
Dear Diary,
Today, the old me, Alesha Cara Yana, dies. Starting from the day after my arrival, the television has been broadcasting the news of my parent's deaths. Although their killers were caught, I am still presumed alive. Jet says they'll get tired and give up soon enough, then they'll just presume me dead.
I thought up a new name for myself, a name I've had in mind for quite some time. No particular reason, I just thought it sounded nice. I can only hope this new life I've chosen will be better than being in the orphanage. At least I more or less have a family, or, if everything goes as I hope, a father again.
Alesha slipped her diary back under her pillow then slid herself over to the edge of the bed. It wasn't a fancy bed, just a mattress in a frame, sheets, pillow, and a large, thick blanket. The sheets, blanket and pillow were a plain beige color. She didn't really mind, a bed is better than no bed. Besides, she's been sleeping in it for a week now, and she had gotten used to it.
Taking the cane Jet was letting her use until her leg got better, she slowly stood up and walked out of her room. She made her way out of the living room, where Faye was watching TV.
Faye looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Hey kid. Where you going?"
"I'm looking for Jet. I picked out a name."
Faye turned her head to look at her completely. "Really? What did you pick out?"
"Ara." Alesha paused. "But I want my full name to be Ara Black."
Faye froze temporarily, the look on her face a mix between confused and surprised. "Why Black?"
"Well," Alesha put all her weight on the cane as she rubbed the toe of her sneaker lightly into the floor, a little embarrassed. "I guess I was kinda hoping that he would," she paused to shrug one shoulder. "be my dad."
For a moment Faye still had the look on her face, then was replaced by an amused smirk. "He's in the kitchen."
Alesha hobbled away towards the kitchen, gathering her wits. She paused at the doorway and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Faye smirked again and gave her the thumbs up. Alesha gave her a nervous smile while her eyes said something among the lines of "Lord help me".
Jet was in the kitchen, as Faye had said. He was busily frying up potatoes, then mixing in three beaten eggs before putting on the lid to let them cook. Alesha hobbled up beside him.
"Need any help?" she asked him.
"Yea, you can toast that bread over there for me," he said as he pointed to six slices of bread.
She hobbled over to the toaster and put two pieces in, then pressed down the lever. She watched the wire inside turn red. "I picked out a name last night," she said.
"So what's your new name?" Jet asked as he took the lid off the pan. Steam drifted away into the air, then disappeared. He took a spatula and stirred the pan's contents, turning it into scrambled eggs and potatoes.
"Well, I wanted to okay it with you first."
"I'm listening," said Jet as he continued to stir.
"I want my name to be Ara Black."
Jet almost dropped the spatula.
* * * *
Author's note: Well, this chapter was a lot longer than the last one. I hope you liked it. The next one should be coming shortly.
Author's note: Remember this? *Holds out author's note from first chapter, then promptly rips it to shreds* I screwed up. Instead of it being a week from the end of the series, it'll be however long it would take for Jet's leg to get better and for him to fix the Bebop.
* * * *
When the girl woke up again, she couldn't remember what had happened the night before. It felt like she was lying on a couch of some sort. A heavy blanket was keeping her warm, warm enough that she almost wanted to go back to sleep. But something was wrong. This place didn't smell like her house. She wasn't at home.
Then where was she?
She opened her eyes to see a ceiling fan rotating lazily above her head. Flinging the blanket off, she sat up quickly. Sitting on the bottom step of a flight of stairs across the room was a man. He had no hair except for a black beard. He had what appeared to be a cybertronic implant under his right eye, and a metal left arm. The sound of her sitting up made him look at her with blue eyes. A small, reassuring smile appeared.
"Hey, you're awake."
Panic settled in. She was sleeping on a complete stranger's couch, in his house, while he was watching her. Completely forgetting that her leg was currently housing a bullet, she quickly stood up, preparing to flee. The second she got onto her feet, an incredibly sharp pain ripped up her leg. She cried out and fell back onto the couch.
The man walked over to her and draped the blanket back over her shoulders. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. My partner and I saved you from the Calatsky brothers last night, remember?"
Calming down a little, she concentrated on what happened last night. Bits and pieces flashed in her mind's eye. Jaccob Calatsky holding her wrist, shooting her father in the back, her biting his hand, John killing her mother, being carried by a man with blue eyes..
"I remember," she said quietly.
~
Faye had just returned from buying groceries and had put them down in the kitchen when she heard Jet talking to the girl. She quietly stood by the doorway, listening carefully.
There was a little bit of silence, then the girl spoke.
"I remember. My parents were shot and killed. I was shot too, and you saved me. But there's nothing waiting for me now."
"There's always the orphanage," Jet said.
This time the girl sounded desperate and scared. "No! Not the orphanage! I'll just die if I go there!"
"Don't worry. I won't take you to the orphanage if you don't want to go there. You're lucky that bullet wasn't made of lead. You still need to get as much rest as possible. Just try to get some more sleep for now."
There was a long pause, and then Faye heard the sound of Jet's heavy boots approaching. She retreated into the kitchen and put on the act that she was putting away groceries.
"You're back," he said. "Did you get everything on the list?"
"Yeah," she said, putting five loaves of bread on the counter. "So, what are we going to do with her?"
"What?"
"You said you wouldn't take her to the orphanage if she didn't want to, and it's pretty clear she doesn't want to." She sounded bitter, but she didn't turn to face Jet. "So what are you going to do with her? Go dump her into some crime Syndicate?"
"What? Of course not."
"We can't keep her here, Jet. If the police find out, we could both be busted in jail. Then she would go straight to the orphanage."
Jet became defensive. "I'd like to see you try it, Faye. Walk out there and tell her that we have to take her to the orphanage."
Faye looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He had both arms folded across his chest like he was expecting her to move.
When she didn't move after a few moments, Jet turned towards the living room. "Alright then. Since you can't do it, I will." He got about two steps before Faye shouted.
"She won't replace him, Jet!"
Jet stopped and tuned to look at her, confused. Faye had completely turned to face him, her eyes blazing and her fists balled at her sides.
"She'll never replace Spike and you know it!" She turned away from Jet again; her fists still at her sides.
Now Jet understood. He stepped back fully into the kitchen. "Look Faye, I know you loved him. But what do you think I did all those times you cried yourself to sleep? Do you think I just sat and watched television all night? Spike was like a brother, or a son to me. When a family looses a child, having another one doesn't make things all better. Right now we're all that girl has. Are you just going to throw it away, just because you're afraid she might replace Spike?"
There was a short silence. This time her voice was softer. "It's just like you said Jet. Your leg was mangled, your ship was busted; hell yes, he was nothing but trouble-"
"-but I don't give a damn," Jet finished softly.
"You're fond of her, aren't you Jet? You've grown attached to her in this short time. I should've seen it coming. You've always had a soft spot for kids and animals. Especially ones that need help."
"Eh, I'm just a big softy," said Jet with a faint smile.
"So," said Faye as she faced Jet with a smile a little bigger than his. "How are you planning to keep her here safely?"
Jet's smile grew, for he knew exactly how his plan would go.
~
It was a few hours later before the girl woke up. Faye was sitting on the floor, watching the television. The sound of the girl sitting up and stretching bought Faye's attention.
Faye turned to the girl. "Get a good sleep?"
She just shook her head.
"So what's your name?"
"Alesha. Alesha Yana."
Faye smiled. "I'm Faye. Faye Valentine." She heard the sound of heavy boots approaching. "And this is Jet Black." Jet sat down next to Faye.
Alesha took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say. "I'd like to thank you both for saving my life last night, but I wish I could say it in a better predicament."
"We're not done yet," said Jet. "You may be out of immediate danger, but we still have to decide on what to do with you. Faye and I talked last night, and we decided on two choices; everything else we thought up you would have ended up in the orphanage."
Alesha just waited.
"One: we get you a new name, cut your hair, and you'd live here with us as a different person. The old you would be dead to the rest of the world, killed by the Calatsky brothers who hid your body somewhere or destroyed it. Two: We take you back and show you to the Police. You'd be taken directly to the orphanage."
Alesha looked down at the plain yellow couch, fingering a tear in the fabric as she thought.
"You don't have to answer right away-"
"I want to stay here," she injected. Her voice held a tone of sureness and determinedness that signified she made up her mind, and no one could change it.
"Are you sure?" asked Faye. "You realize you'll never be able to go back-"
"Back to what? No family, no friends, starvation, diseases? No one to look out after you or no one that really cares what happens to you? I have no life back there. All I can do is try to start a new one or give up. But it's your lives that I'm intruding into. If you don't want me around, I have no choice."
There was a short silence, then she continued to look at the tear in the couch.
Faye smiled. "Well kid, you'd better start thinking up a name."
"Yea," said Jet, also smiling. "Because you'll be stuck with it for a while."
The happiest smile appeared on Alesha's face, then she bent down and wrapped one arm around both of their necks, the closest she could get to a hug. "Oh thank you! Thank you!"
Jet laughed for the first time ever since Spike died. "Come on, I'll show you your new room."
Faye watched as Jet helped Alesha off the couch and supported her like a crutch as he led her down the hallway, Alesha using the toe of her sneaker on her bad leg to take some of the weight. "Pretty soon those two will be inseparable," she said quietly to herself. "I think she might end up filling in the hole Spike left in Jet's heart." Her smile faded. "But if that's the case, then what would he have to go through if something happened to her?"
~
One week later, in Alesha's diary:
Dear Diary,
Today, the old me, Alesha Cara Yana, dies. Starting from the day after my arrival, the television has been broadcasting the news of my parent's deaths. Although their killers were caught, I am still presumed alive. Jet says they'll get tired and give up soon enough, then they'll just presume me dead.
I thought up a new name for myself, a name I've had in mind for quite some time. No particular reason, I just thought it sounded nice. I can only hope this new life I've chosen will be better than being in the orphanage. At least I more or less have a family, or, if everything goes as I hope, a father again.
Alesha slipped her diary back under her pillow then slid herself over to the edge of the bed. It wasn't a fancy bed, just a mattress in a frame, sheets, pillow, and a large, thick blanket. The sheets, blanket and pillow were a plain beige color. She didn't really mind, a bed is better than no bed. Besides, she's been sleeping in it for a week now, and she had gotten used to it.
Taking the cane Jet was letting her use until her leg got better, she slowly stood up and walked out of her room. She made her way out of the living room, where Faye was watching TV.
Faye looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Hey kid. Where you going?"
"I'm looking for Jet. I picked out a name."
Faye turned her head to look at her completely. "Really? What did you pick out?"
"Ara." Alesha paused. "But I want my full name to be Ara Black."
Faye froze temporarily, the look on her face a mix between confused and surprised. "Why Black?"
"Well," Alesha put all her weight on the cane as she rubbed the toe of her sneaker lightly into the floor, a little embarrassed. "I guess I was kinda hoping that he would," she paused to shrug one shoulder. "be my dad."
For a moment Faye still had the look on her face, then was replaced by an amused smirk. "He's in the kitchen."
Alesha hobbled away towards the kitchen, gathering her wits. She paused at the doorway and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Faye smirked again and gave her the thumbs up. Alesha gave her a nervous smile while her eyes said something among the lines of "Lord help me".
Jet was in the kitchen, as Faye had said. He was busily frying up potatoes, then mixing in three beaten eggs before putting on the lid to let them cook. Alesha hobbled up beside him.
"Need any help?" she asked him.
"Yea, you can toast that bread over there for me," he said as he pointed to six slices of bread.
She hobbled over to the toaster and put two pieces in, then pressed down the lever. She watched the wire inside turn red. "I picked out a name last night," she said.
"So what's your new name?" Jet asked as he took the lid off the pan. Steam drifted away into the air, then disappeared. He took a spatula and stirred the pan's contents, turning it into scrambled eggs and potatoes.
"Well, I wanted to okay it with you first."
"I'm listening," said Jet as he continued to stir.
"I want my name to be Ara Black."
Jet almost dropped the spatula.
* * * *
Author's note: Well, this chapter was a lot longer than the last one. I hope you liked it. The next one should be coming shortly.