Chapter 6:
After Hours

If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the wineglass out
And drink a toast to never

Dear Veronica,
I know it's been awhile since we spoke. I've been on the run. I don't know what to do or where to go. But I hardly expect you to feel sorry for me. Since I'll probably never see you again in this lifetime, I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry. I'm sorry for everything that has ever happened. You are a good person and you deserve so much better. You deserve Alex knocking on your door right now. The thing I'm most sorry for is the fact that he isn't coming back. Always remember that I loved him too, Ronnie. I was always looking out for what he wanted, for what he thought was the thing to do. He was my best friend. And it's my fault that he's gone. I completely acknowledge that. If only I had...never mind. It doesn't matter. It's all done with. I ruined everything. Please, Ronnie, work through this. Live every day of the rest of your life for him. No, for yourself. Be happy, somehow. I know that's always what he wanted the most.
Adieu.

I remember my Uncle Dave. He was always a weird sort of guy, but one thing he used to rant on about managed to stick with me. He used to swear to God above that he was being haunted. A ghost was haunting him wherever he went. He said it had something to do with a cat he ran over in his Honda Civic, or a snail he stepped on when he was a kid, or whatever else popped into his head. He moved around to apartment after apartment and never stayed at one for more than a month. He was a stressed out vagabond of a man, and all because he said he was being haunted.

Well, I guess I am sort of haunted too. No. Not exactly. What I was doing was like digging up a grave in order for someone to start to haunt me. I was initiating it, and I knew quite well that my ghost did not want to be bothered. Especially by me. Veronica was a ghost from my past, even from a rather recent 6 months ago. So much had happened since then it felt like years had gone by. Life times. I was not the same person I was when I last saw the Lost Star, and I had no way of determining if Veronica was still the same as she had been. And for her sake, I hoped she was not.

All I could do was knock. Behind me stood four incredible oddities of space and time and their lovable pooch. I looked up and observed the sign, a single, dimly illuminated star on a black backround. It was a wooden sign. The block was completely abandoned except for the this diner. One could sense the bulldozers approaching. Time was about to knock this whole city to the ground, and in the thick of it stood the Lost Star.

And us. I knocked again. "Knock, knock, tick, tock...splick, splock!" Ed exclaimed. She was smiling throughout all of this. During our long walk from the nearby docks where the Bebop was parked, while the group followed me from a distance of about 10 feet, with Faye quite obviously keeping her hand on her Glock. I was kind of glad they didn't trust me, because trusting me was not a good idea.

Veronica trusted me. And look what happened with that, I thought to myself. Spike, sort of nodding off behind me, kind of mumbled, "Let's go, boyo." Jet and Faye both grunted in agreement. I could feel their gaze on my back. Please Veronica, please answer the...

"Hi." Veronica stood in front of me with the door swung open. I couldn't respond. I froze up. Despite all of my prior thought into this situation, I had never actually composed an opening line for this conversation. Then again, I never even fathomed the idea of her greeting me.

"So who've you brought here at 4:30 AM, huh Simon?" She was speaking gently like she always had, but with a slight middle of the night slur and the distinct vitriol of someone who had just been woken from a deep sleep. "Um..."

"We're friends of his," Faye joyfully laughed. "And he said this is the place to come for some damn good grub."

"Well, I open up for lunch at about 2, so you might wanna stop by then."

"Um, Veronica, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"...Not really. But it's sort of cold out here, isn't it. Why don't you guys just come in. You can bring the dog, too. I gave up on the whole common decency of a dining atmosphere thing pretty long ago."

And with that, she turned her back to me and entered her restaurant. It was only then that I realized that she was already dressed, likely from the past day. Her brown hair was still up, with only a few strands falling in front of her emerald eyes. Maybe she hadn't been sleeping, after all. She probably never does. The crew of the Bebop followed her. I contemplated taking off down the street, but instead swallowed my pride and shut the door, with me inside. I'm such an asshole.

The Bebops had taken their places at a large table in the middle of the dining area. Veronica stood over them like a veteran prepared to take their orders. She pointed her gaze towards Faye. "So you guys are hungry, right? Ok. I'll see what was left over from earlier. Since I'm guessing that you guys aren't gonna be paying, I might as well give y'all something I was planning on throwing out anyway."

Spike smiled. "As long as it hasn't been in that fridge for a year. Oh, and if it ain't seafood." At once, Faye and Jet recalled this earlier occurrence and simultaneously kicked Spike under the table. 'Not only did you hide food from us, but you nearly got us killed." Said Jet. Faye added, "And I haven't been able to close my eyes in the tub since then. And believe me, that's something Faye Valentine should always be able to do." Spike continued to smile. Veronica, slightly amused by the implications of such facts, turned her back and headed towards the kitchen. I took my cue and followed.

"Listen, Ronnie, these guys were hungry. And they're going to help me. See, they're bounty hunters..."

"Bounty hunters, huh? Well, it's nice to see that you're keeping yourself out of trouble these days, Simon. Just like old times."

"They're bounty hunters and they're gonna help me go after Vance." Her face tightened up and her expression changed dramatically. She was attempting to tame some roaring lion that lived deep inside her.

"God damnit, Simon. You've learned nothing. You thought you could fuck with Vance before, remember? You thought you and your "crew" was invincible. You thought that Alex was invincible. And now, Vance owns the most successful casino resort dealie in the fucking galaxy. I'm really glad you're about to go get yourself killed."

"...And I'm still bringing others down with me, right? Please Veronica, listen to me. These guys are the crew of the Bebop. They are big players in the bounty world. If anyone can take down Vance, it's them."

She paused before she began. "I've seen Big Shot Simon, I know about these guys. Don't try to kid me. And they of all people have to know that there is no bounty on Vance anyway. So why are they going to help you?"

"C'mon Ronnie, you know me well enough. I always have something up my sleeve." She sort of smiled at distant memories of me saying things like that, until her brain arrived at the last time I had 'something up my sleeve.' "There's no need to remind me of that. Simon, you're an idiot. I sort of want to kick you all out of here right now. They'd probably turn you in or put a few bullets in you."

"Yeah, they would."

"But I don't want to do that, Simon. I don't want you to die too. Everything I knew is dead now. Long gone. Just tears on a pillow somewhere."

"And it's all my fault." I whimpered. It really was.

"No, it's not. You never controlled Alex or me. We made our own decisions. That's what I've come to realize. I'd always told myself that it was you all along, tantalizing us with your little wordplay and scheming. Always scheming, Simon. But it was never your fault. Are you still scheming, Simon?"

"I don't know. For me, I guess it's like breathing. I'll scheme my way outta my own funeral."

"Well, I'm glad at least something hasn't changed. Despite what you may think, your mind is what made you the best, Simon. That's why you survived."

"Veronica, I...I..."

"It's alright Sime. You said you were sorry in that letter and I forgave you. If you hadn't have come here tonight, err, this morning, I guess you never would have known that. Anyway, I'm glad you came. You are one ghost that I don't mind being haunted by." She smiled at me and turned towards the microwave to her right. "Now, to feed these minions of yours. And I bet you could use some, too."

"Holy shit, Ronnie. You can read my mind."

With that, I left her to run the kitchen while I tended to my newfound friends waiting outside. "Friends." Yeah right.

"I guess you can put these beers on your tab," said Faye, clearly fighting to form speech through an alcoholic drawl. Jet interjected, "She's downed four since you went back there. Everything alright with the Misses?"

"She ain't my girl, but yeah. Everything is OK." I never thought I'd say those words again. Jet and Spike were also nursing brews they had taken from the beverage cooler near the bar area. Ed hopped around the room, chanting "Dr. Pepper!" to herself while nearing the cooler. As she approached, she noticed a small picture frame carefully located on a windowsill.

"Lookie lookie, it's Simey Simon." She flipped the picture onto the table and Spike took a hold of it. "It's you and the girl and some kid holding drumsticks. He's hugging her. Damn, the drummers always get the girl, don't they." He handed the picture to me.

It was exactly what he said. The three of us, all happy and giddy and adrenaline riddled, back in the glory days. The grand opening of the Lost Star. I was holding my same aged acoustic, Veronica Svetlaya was proudly brandishing a spatula and sporting an apron, and with his arms wrapped tightly around her, grasping a pair of drumsticks in his fist, was Alexander Gilman, my best friend.