"So who's this bounty?" Spike asked, peering over Jet's shoulder at the computer screen.
"A group." the older man replied. "They're usually really careful, but they screwed up and left evidence at the scene that the police identified them with. They stole some really valuable antiques."
"Antiques?" Spike queried flatly, rapidly losing interest.
"You'd be surprised at how much some of that stuff is worth," Jet told him, "especially if it survived the Gate accident." He recovered his businesslike tone. "They have five paper documents, two paintings, and eighteen books. Every single item is worth more than this ship and everything in it."
"And how much would that be, Jet?" Faye inquired, sardonically quirking an eyebrow.
"Listen, if you don't want to eat-"
She laughed; Jet threw her a disgusted glance and went back to the information.
Spike's own eyebrows went up at the reward. "That much?"
"I told you, the stuff they stole was incredibly valuable." Jet explained patiently.
Spike was reluctantly interested. "Where can we find these guys?"
"Got it!" Edward crowed, beaming at the Tomato. "They're on Mars!"
In an interesting phenomenon, the faces of each adult tightened and one eyebrow spasmed irritably.
Edward looked from one to another. "What?"
"Nothing."
*
"Yeah, I heard some stuff was goin' down." the hood choked out, struggling in vain against Jet's robotic arm.
"I'd appreciate it if you could tell me more." Jet smoothly suggested, tightening his grip the smallest bit.
"Listen, man, I'll get fragged if I-"
"I'd be more worried about the here and now than what just might be." the Black Dog advised, appreciably tightening his hold.
"All right, man, all right! I heard Ainsley and her gang had somethin' to do with this. I heard they offloaded a buncha shit- paintings, books, papers, that kinda thing."
"Do you know what they had?"
He did.
"Do you know where they 'offloaded' it?"
He didn't want to say, but Jet could be very persuasive.
*
"Hi. I heard you got some very- interesting- merchandise in recently." Spike grinned at the man behind the counter.
"What do you want?"
"I want to know where you got it from."
"I'm afraid we can't give out information about our suppliers-"
"I had a feeling you'd say that." Spike commented conversationally, pulling a gun.
"You have no idea what you're getting into." the clerk warned.
"Your guards? I'm not worried about them." Spike told him dismissively.
The other man smiled. Oh, you'll see soon enough…
Faye walked in, shaking a gloved hand, with Jet stalking behind her. "I swear, that guy's head was as hard as Spike's!"
"I doubt it." Jet disagreed sourly.
"You were saying?" Spike politely inquired of the clerk.
"Nothing." the other man resolutely replied.
Spike's shot grazed the side of his head.
"Okay, okay! We got this stuff from Ainsley and her crew!"
*
"Ainsley Ainsley!" Edward ran around the room, flapping her arms. "Edward knows Ainsley!"
"How?" Faye asked, puzzled.
"She gave Edward a ride to the Bebop!"
Jet shot a look at Spike. "Remind me to thank her." His tone left no doubt as to what kind of thanks it would be.
"Their ship is the Ignis." Edward added, perching on the table in front of Jet and peering at him with an intensity that made his weathered cheeks flush. "Edward can find it, if you want."
"Yes." Jet nodded authoritively.
"Ignis, Ignis, show me where the Ignis is!" Edward commanded of the Tomato, wiggling her hands in time- honored mystic fashion. Faye and Jet watched the master hacker at work, and Spike took a quick nap.
"HERE!" Edward shrieked five minutes later, startling Spike and Ein into upward movements so fast that man and dog were blurred. On his descent, Spike's knee met the table rather forcibly, prompting him to curse vociferously.
"What's that, Ed? I couldn't hear you!" Jet said loudly, giving Spike a sidelong glare.
"Edward said, the Ignis is on Venus."
Spike finally quieted, and Jet left the room.
"Impressive, Spike. Where'd you learn all those?" Faye archly questioned.
Spike treated her to a few more.
Faye merely raised her eyebrows, and Jet reentered with the medical box.
"I owe you one, bud." he reminded Spike, holding up a particularly noxious- looking specimen.
"That's okay." the green- headed man replied, wrinkling his nose.
Edward leapt over the table and devoured it in one gulp.
The adults' jaws dropped; then, abruptly, they leaned in to peer at Edward in much the same way she'd peered at Jet minutes before.
"Mmm." Edward critiqued, rubbing her tummy. "That was good."
"Then I suppose you won't want dinner." Jet commented hopefully.
"Dinner dinner! Where, Jet person?"
Jet blinked.
"Well, Spike," Faye began, chortling, "at least there's one person who can stomach your cooking."
"I didn't cook that!" he protested indignantly.
"Doesn't matter, it's still yours." she retorted, and the bickering began in earnest.
"Urgh." Jet succinctly opined, leaving for the kitchen. Edward and Ein trailed him hopefully.
A/N: Not very good, I know, but I wanted to get something out; y'all've been so good about reviewing! I have the warm fuzzies every time I get through checking my email. ^_^ Cookies to: PimpinSatan, SpecterQueen, Jim Hawking Jr., Meheeners, and ShinyFairyLights. Oh, and sorry if I used any slang out of context… I'm not really good with stuff like that. =(