I started thinking that maybe I should put all my thanks in a line like everyone else so its easier to read…

Thanks to: Thanks Kyra, I'm glad people like the way I ended that chapter. I thought that it would be a good way to end it.

NessacusGirl, I still don't think that she's an evil skank. Olo! Yea, The Puppy Song would do him some good! ^__~ .

Cowgirl13, Hehe, there is! Anyways mucho romance is in the plan. ^__^

Strife21, Hiya! No, it was just the last of the really short chapters not the last chapter. There was the short chapter all about Faye and then one about Spike. Hehe, I didn't think anyone would really notice it, but I'm glad you did! Thank you!  

RySenkari, Its ok Ry! *glomp* I'm glad you're back!

Sushigirl07, Olo! Thanks Homie H! :)

Fallenangel. You know it took me a couple of days before it clicked who ya were! Lol. I'm so glad you like it! ^__^Hehe, those are some of my favorite chapters too. Is there any way to get in touch with you like email or aol or something?

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop.

Thoughts are in italics

Sockies!

The hiss of the hot skillet and sizzling peppers and real, yes real, beef leaked through the ship calling all inhabitants to the living room. They sat,   laid, or hung somewhere in the room just down the steps from the kitchen waiting for dinner. Well, Ed actually was quite unaware. She had found a new security system which looked like it might contain some interesting things. She was having a contest against herself to see how fast she could break it. Spike was all over the couch, presumably sleeping. Faye was staring at a spread of solitaire. She hadn't made any moves for the last ten minutes, just staring at the cards. She blinked and moved her hand from under her chin and shifted some cards. They heard the click of Jet shutting off the burner and Faye stood up and leaned on the railing looking up expectantly, Spike sat up looking more alert, and Ein wagged his tail; which when you came down to it was like wagging his whole body. It was kinda cute. Jet walked out with the apron on and was about to yell for them when he saw the whole gang, minus Ed, watching him. With them gathered and waiting he set the pan on the trunk and went back for plates.

            "Hey!" He shouted as he tossed them at Spike. Three battered, plastic plates sailed through the air towards him. He reached up lazily and caught them. He in turn tossed one at Faye, put one in his lap and looked to Ed.

"Ed, ya want some dinner?" He asked around the cigarette he had just lit. "Hey, kid." He tapped her on the head with the plastic plate.

She pulled off her goggles and hopped over to sit on the floor at the end of the trunk making happy dinnertime noises. "Jet! We need utensils!"               Spike hollered up the stairs.

"Coming, coming!" he called form the kitchen. Bangs and clinks could be heard as he looked through the sink and dishwasher for some silverware or chopsticks. A few moments later he came down with two forks, one pair of chopsticks and a spoon. He handed a fork to Ed and Faye, gave Spike the spoon and kept the chopsticks for himself and began to dole out the food evenly. When it was divvied up between he put the rest in Ein's bowl. Ein sniffed disapprovingly and ate around the strips of pepper.

Spike held the spoon up and stared at it. "The spoon?" he deadpanned. He narrowed his eyes across the way at Faye, but she had already slobbered all over hers so that one was out of the question. He turned to Ed. She was spacing out at her food. "Hey, Ed." He began wheedlingly. "I'll trade you my spoon for your fork." Jet watched him try to convince Ed into giving him her fork and smiled to himself as he ate.   

 "Nope!" she declared happily and was about to plunge into her food with the fork when Spike caught her wrist.

"Whoa, there, Ed. Why not?"

"Because Edward likes forks." She smiled at him.

"But you know what?"

"Whaaaat?"

"You can see yourself in a spoon." He said matter of factly. He held the spoon to her face to show.

This sudden admission of a known, but hardly recognized fact surprised her and she decided to examine it further.  She tossed the fork at Spike who wasn't ready and barely caught it, as she snatched the spoon from him. 

When all of the food was gone Faye continued her game of solitaire and Spike went out on the deck to smoke and think. The phone line began to ring and Jet yelled from the bonsai room, "Hey! Someone pick that up!" He was in the middle of watering his bonsai and Faye and Ed and Spike were still in living room. When it continued to ring He stalked out of his room and angrily pressed the pickup button, "Yea?"

"Hello?" a soft womanly voice asked as a tan face framed with bright red hair appeared on screen.

            Jet blinked, surprised. This woman has to have the wrong number. "Hello?" she asked again.

            "Er, sorry, Hello."

            She looked a little nervous but stared hard at him and asked, "May I speak to f-Edward?"

            He blinked again. Since when does Ed get calls? And calls from pretty ladies at that!  I only get calls from ugly old guys. "I'll go find her." He answered

            The woman looked like that wasn't the answer she had been expecting, but she said, "Alright." Jet went to look in the rotating tunnel and in some of the halls around behind the kitchen and hangar. Faye who had quietly slipped off as soon as the phone rang peeked around the corner followed by Spike above her.

            "I wonder who it is." Spike said quietly.

            "Maybe it's a collector." She breathed her eyes glued to the back of the phone.

            "Don't flatter yourself." He scoffed and leaned against the sloped wall and pulled out a cigarette. He tossed one across the hall at Faye as she leaned against the other side.

They stood there smoking until they heard Jet yell from in the tunnel, "Ed! There's someone on the phone for you!"

And then Ed's response, "Who, whooo, Jet person?"

"It's a woman and she's asking for you."

"Ooo, Gloria. Glorious!"

"Jet scratched his head and climbed back through the door. "Gloria?"

Faye and Spike looked at each other, "Gloria?"

"Gloria!" Ed yelled pouncing on the screen. She hugged it as if the screen would transfer the hug as well as sight and sound. "How are you Gloria? Did you meet Jet-person? What color are your socks today?

A huge smile broke across Gloria's face. Her daughter. Her daughter was wonderful; always cheerful. It made her very happy to know that Francie was happy too. "Just fine, who? And white with blue stripes at the tops. How are you? Are you even wearing socks?" she asked smiling knowing very well that she wasn't.

"Edward is good and so is Ein! Right Ein?" Ein barked. Ed pulled up on foot and wiggled her toes at Gloria smiling immensely.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hello Ein!" Ein barked again. "Francie, who is 'Jet-person'?" Gloria asked concerned.

Ed turned around and yelled, "Jet-Jet! Come heerrrree!

"Ed I'm water my bonsai! Can it wait?"

"Nooooo. You must come nooow!"

"Ok..."

Gloria watched extremely amused by the whole exchange as the balding man who answered the phone emerged from a hallway.

Ed jumped from her seat, made a straight face and stiffly gestured for him to sit. He looked curiously at her before turning to the screen. Ed hopped up on the back of the chair and leaned her head on Jet's flesh shoulder. "Gloria, this is Jet Black! He was a cop!" She stood up on the back of the chair and made a gun with her hands and pretended to shoot at people. She made siren noises as she ran around the corner surprising Spike and Faye when she grabbed their hands and towed them over to the phone. They were half highly satisfied to know who this Gloria was and half not sure they actually wanted to meet her if she was a friend of Ed's.

"This is Spikeford-"

"Spikeford?" he said incredulously looking from the woman on the screen to Ed. They looked very much alike.

"and Faye-faye! She is oool-" Ed couldn't complete the word she had begun to say because Faye's hand was clamped over her mouth. Faye smiled woman on the screen.

Gloria wanted to laugh so hard, but she figured that it wouldn't have been very polite so she restrained herself. What a picture they all made. So these were the people that Francie had told her all about.

Ed extricated herself from Faye's grip and continued grandly, "Bebop, this is Ed's Mother-person, Gloria!"  Every jaw dropped. It made sense. The resemblance was very close. And that would explain why she calling Ed. Did she want to take Ed back? Would she ask? Would Ed go?

The conversation continued and they all talked amiably until everyone except for Ed and Jet had excused themselves.

Gloria looked at her watch and the apologetically at Jet and Ed, "I'm sorry I really must go, I have to be at the gallery early tomorrow. It was nice to meet you Mr. Black."

"Likewise." He responded smiling.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Gloria!" Ed hugged the screen in farewell before she hung up. 

Gloria was of a mind that Ed seemed just fine right where she was for now. Those that she lived with seemed like responsible people, for the

most part, that would take care of her. Se had a feeling thought that even if she persuaded her to come back or took her away she wouldn't be happy. That if she were invited to stay with her that she might come, but it would only be temporary.

NFA: Ok! That's chapter 26. I hope you liked it. I was really stressing over Gloria, though. Tell me what you think. PLEASE REVIEW!