Title: All's Fair Ch. 3 -- "Dreaming My Dreams"
Summary: In this installment, Vicious' cryptic speech from the first chapter is answered, Ed and Ein make an appearance, and Spike comes up with a plan. Archive: ff.net Disclaimer: I don't own anything worth mentioning, especially not Cowboy BeBop or "Dreaming My Dreams," written by the Cranberries. Comments: pining_away@mail.com
Recap: Faye escaped Vicious' clutches, leaving the shadowed man alone with him. She came back to the ship and made Jet dinner, which was interrupted by a very much alive Spike Spiegel! Faye told him everything about their recent situation, including the fact that Jet has cancer, and may die without the expensive treatments he gets at a medical facility. Spike resolved to find a way to get the money.
Faye slowly opened her eyes and climbed slowly out of her bed. She stared at herself in the mirror for a long moment. "So it was all a dream," she muttered, stretching.
She walked down the hall to the bathroom door, which was closed. Faye tried it tentatively. It was locked. Immediately, an angry voice snapped, "Hey, it's occupied!" Faye couldn't help but laugh.
The door opened, and Spike emerged in a puff of steam. "What's so funny?" he asked, rubbing a towel over his blob of hair.
Faye shook her head. "What's the big idea?" Jet demanded gruffly, trying to look angry.
Spike grinned at the two of them. "So, which of you is making breakfast?" Jet walked slowly to the couch.
"Faye?" Jet asked expectantly.
She huffed, putting her hands on he hips. "I think you two take me for granted." Spike raised an eyebrow, tapping his finger on his wrist where a watch should be.
"Well woman, are you going to stand around all day doing nothing, or are you going to rustle us up something to eat?" his laughter was infectious as she let out a yelp and chased him around the ship.
**
After breakfast Jet took a nap on the couch and Faye and Spike sat down to talk. "So when is the next payment due?" Faye sighed, picking up her bowl and placing it in the sink full of sudsy water.
"They're due at the end of every month." Spike followed suit.
"That's in a week, Faye. What do you have?" she bit her lower lip, thinking of finances, adding and subtracting in her head.
"Maybe about 250 woolongs." she paused. "Wait, that was before I messed up the RedTail after the gigolo bounty, so. 50 woolongs."
Spike groaned. "That gives us exactly one week to come up with, what did you say they want per month?" Faye didn't look at him as she responded.
"5,000 woolongs." her voice raised abnormally at the last syllable.
"Hey, don't worry about it." Spike's tone softened somewhat. "We'll find a way somehow, right? I mean, you've managed alone this far, and with me here- "
"It will be even more of a challenge." she said playfully, turning around, eyes shining with tears that nearly had fallen over the seriousness of the conversation.
Spike shook his head. "Hey, isn't Bigshot coming on soon?" she nodded, and they turned on the small kitchen set Faye had gotten.
"Looks like there are three right here in this system that we can grab, and that will leave us only 100 woolongs short of the 5,000." Faye frowned as she threw a dishtowel onto the counter.
"But what are we gonna do for the last 100?" Spike shrugged.
"I'm sure we can worry about that when it happens. Is the RedTail ready for action?"
"Yes." she answered suspiciously.
"Good. That's what we're taking." Faye's eyebrows knit together.
"Is there something wrong with the Swordfish?" her question was met with one of Spike's looks.
"I know, I know." she sighed. "You don't want to talk about it, right? She can get us there and back."
Faye stood, stretching. "I don't know, Spike, I guess I can understand that you don't really feel like talking about everything all the time, but I know I am interested in what the hell really happened out there. I want to know what the fuck Vicious meant by all that "you and I are bound" garbage, so if you feel like talking, you know where I am." she stalked off. Spike crushed the smoldering end of his cigarette into the ashtray nearby and leaned back, laying his booted feet on the counter. "And keep your feet off the counter!" her voice grated to him from the distant hall.
Spike grinned. And did what he was told.
**
A small beep woke Spike up. Slowly he lifted his head from the counter, turning bleary eyes on the flashing monitor. He sat up and gave it his full attention. A small yellow dot in one corner moved across the screen, growing larger and larger. Finally, it was obvious the dot was a big grinning face. "One new message!" a perky voice chirped.
The yellow face opened as though it were a piece of paper and Ed's beaming face greeted Spike. "Hey hey!" she cried happily, barks obvious in the background near her.
"Hi Ed. What have you been up to lately?" he drawled, smiling.
He'd never admit it, but he was glad to see the girl's face beaming at him from the screen. "Spike-person has returned! Yay! Yippee! Hooray! Ed has news. Ed is going to come back, help BeBop. Faye-faye needs Ed! Spike- person and Jet-person need Ed! Ed has already hacked BeBop. See you sooooooon!" she cried, and before Spike could rattle off one word, the yellow dot crumpled up and the connection was broken.
"Great. A reunion." Spike sighed, letting himself fall back onto the couch. "Now I remember why I hate kids. And pets. And-"
"Women with attitudes. How many times do you harp on that same old tune?" Faye asked him, dropping down onto a chair and resting her feet on the coffee table.
She picked up the pack of cigarettes sitting on the coffee table and tapped it, sliding one out of the box. Spike watched her warily, wondering if he was up for another round of arguing about his attempt at rescue earlier. "Stop looking at me like that." Spike laughed.
"What are you talking about?" Faye leaned forward for a light.
Spike acquiesced, and waited as she took the first drag before explaining. "Like a hungry bear looking for trout." she looked over at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." he broke their eye contact as he started innocently at the floor.
"Alright, but unless you wanna take your hunk of junk and fend for yourself on Earth, I would start talking." she put out her cigarette and flicked it at him, a winning grin lighting up her face.
"Hey, watch what you're calling a hunk of junk. Your RedTail couldn't even hope to take my Swordfish." Faye laughed.
"Oh yeah it could. In fact, it's gonna haul your Fishie right out into Earth's oceans!" Faye dashed out of the room, no doubt headed for the landing bay.
"Faye! Don't you dare!" he cried, leaping up and chasing after her.
A/N: I know, I know, so far every other paragraph has ended with a chase scene. But look at it this way, I am keeping up the promise of S/F and action at the same time! Hooray! I also realize I didn't touch down on the whole Vicious thing, but I made it pretty damn obvious anyway, so you can just wait another chapter or two.
Look for the next chapter in the "All's Fair" series, number four! It will (hopefully) feature a heartfelt discussion between Faye and Spike about Vicious, a real bounty chase, and Ed and Ein's return to the BeBop!
Summary: In this installment, Vicious' cryptic speech from the first chapter is answered, Ed and Ein make an appearance, and Spike comes up with a plan. Archive: ff.net Disclaimer: I don't own anything worth mentioning, especially not Cowboy BeBop or "Dreaming My Dreams," written by the Cranberries. Comments: pining_away@mail.com
Recap: Faye escaped Vicious' clutches, leaving the shadowed man alone with him. She came back to the ship and made Jet dinner, which was interrupted by a very much alive Spike Spiegel! Faye told him everything about their recent situation, including the fact that Jet has cancer, and may die without the expensive treatments he gets at a medical facility. Spike resolved to find a way to get the money.
Faye slowly opened her eyes and climbed slowly out of her bed. She stared at herself in the mirror for a long moment. "So it was all a dream," she muttered, stretching.
She walked down the hall to the bathroom door, which was closed. Faye tried it tentatively. It was locked. Immediately, an angry voice snapped, "Hey, it's occupied!" Faye couldn't help but laugh.
The door opened, and Spike emerged in a puff of steam. "What's so funny?" he asked, rubbing a towel over his blob of hair.
Faye shook her head. "What's the big idea?" Jet demanded gruffly, trying to look angry.
Spike grinned at the two of them. "So, which of you is making breakfast?" Jet walked slowly to the couch.
"Faye?" Jet asked expectantly.
She huffed, putting her hands on he hips. "I think you two take me for granted." Spike raised an eyebrow, tapping his finger on his wrist where a watch should be.
"Well woman, are you going to stand around all day doing nothing, or are you going to rustle us up something to eat?" his laughter was infectious as she let out a yelp and chased him around the ship.
**
After breakfast Jet took a nap on the couch and Faye and Spike sat down to talk. "So when is the next payment due?" Faye sighed, picking up her bowl and placing it in the sink full of sudsy water.
"They're due at the end of every month." Spike followed suit.
"That's in a week, Faye. What do you have?" she bit her lower lip, thinking of finances, adding and subtracting in her head.
"Maybe about 250 woolongs." she paused. "Wait, that was before I messed up the RedTail after the gigolo bounty, so. 50 woolongs."
Spike groaned. "That gives us exactly one week to come up with, what did you say they want per month?" Faye didn't look at him as she responded.
"5,000 woolongs." her voice raised abnormally at the last syllable.
"Hey, don't worry about it." Spike's tone softened somewhat. "We'll find a way somehow, right? I mean, you've managed alone this far, and with me here- "
"It will be even more of a challenge." she said playfully, turning around, eyes shining with tears that nearly had fallen over the seriousness of the conversation.
Spike shook his head. "Hey, isn't Bigshot coming on soon?" she nodded, and they turned on the small kitchen set Faye had gotten.
"Looks like there are three right here in this system that we can grab, and that will leave us only 100 woolongs short of the 5,000." Faye frowned as she threw a dishtowel onto the counter.
"But what are we gonna do for the last 100?" Spike shrugged.
"I'm sure we can worry about that when it happens. Is the RedTail ready for action?"
"Yes." she answered suspiciously.
"Good. That's what we're taking." Faye's eyebrows knit together.
"Is there something wrong with the Swordfish?" her question was met with one of Spike's looks.
"I know, I know." she sighed. "You don't want to talk about it, right? She can get us there and back."
Faye stood, stretching. "I don't know, Spike, I guess I can understand that you don't really feel like talking about everything all the time, but I know I am interested in what the hell really happened out there. I want to know what the fuck Vicious meant by all that "you and I are bound" garbage, so if you feel like talking, you know where I am." she stalked off. Spike crushed the smoldering end of his cigarette into the ashtray nearby and leaned back, laying his booted feet on the counter. "And keep your feet off the counter!" her voice grated to him from the distant hall.
Spike grinned. And did what he was told.
**
A small beep woke Spike up. Slowly he lifted his head from the counter, turning bleary eyes on the flashing monitor. He sat up and gave it his full attention. A small yellow dot in one corner moved across the screen, growing larger and larger. Finally, it was obvious the dot was a big grinning face. "One new message!" a perky voice chirped.
The yellow face opened as though it were a piece of paper and Ed's beaming face greeted Spike. "Hey hey!" she cried happily, barks obvious in the background near her.
"Hi Ed. What have you been up to lately?" he drawled, smiling.
He'd never admit it, but he was glad to see the girl's face beaming at him from the screen. "Spike-person has returned! Yay! Yippee! Hooray! Ed has news. Ed is going to come back, help BeBop. Faye-faye needs Ed! Spike- person and Jet-person need Ed! Ed has already hacked BeBop. See you sooooooon!" she cried, and before Spike could rattle off one word, the yellow dot crumpled up and the connection was broken.
"Great. A reunion." Spike sighed, letting himself fall back onto the couch. "Now I remember why I hate kids. And pets. And-"
"Women with attitudes. How many times do you harp on that same old tune?" Faye asked him, dropping down onto a chair and resting her feet on the coffee table.
She picked up the pack of cigarettes sitting on the coffee table and tapped it, sliding one out of the box. Spike watched her warily, wondering if he was up for another round of arguing about his attempt at rescue earlier. "Stop looking at me like that." Spike laughed.
"What are you talking about?" Faye leaned forward for a light.
Spike acquiesced, and waited as she took the first drag before explaining. "Like a hungry bear looking for trout." she looked over at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." he broke their eye contact as he started innocently at the floor.
"Alright, but unless you wanna take your hunk of junk and fend for yourself on Earth, I would start talking." she put out her cigarette and flicked it at him, a winning grin lighting up her face.
"Hey, watch what you're calling a hunk of junk. Your RedTail couldn't even hope to take my Swordfish." Faye laughed.
"Oh yeah it could. In fact, it's gonna haul your Fishie right out into Earth's oceans!" Faye dashed out of the room, no doubt headed for the landing bay.
"Faye! Don't you dare!" he cried, leaping up and chasing after her.
A/N: I know, I know, so far every other paragraph has ended with a chase scene. But look at it this way, I am keeping up the promise of S/F and action at the same time! Hooray! I also realize I didn't touch down on the whole Vicious thing, but I made it pretty damn obvious anyway, so you can just wait another chapter or two.
Look for the next chapter in the "All's Fair" series, number four! It will (hopefully) feature a heartfelt discussion between Faye and Spike about Vicious, a real bounty chase, and Ed and Ein's return to the BeBop!
