Cowboy Bebop
Session #28: A New Moon and an Old Serenade

Faye sat idly in the BeBop, waiting impatiently for Jet to try to contact her again. She regretted not answering the first time, which made waiting now even harder. Just as she was standing to walk away a signal came in. It wasn't all that clear but it was definitely him.

"Jet?! Jet I'm here, what's going on?"

She had trouble hearing him for a moment, then the connection seemed to clear up a bit and she could make out a fuzzy image of the older man. "Faye? What happened before? Why didn't you answer?"

"Oh that. I… just wasn't ready for it and missed you." She smiled a little, then scrunched her brow in confusion. "But what's going on with you? I can barely make you out."

"Oh." He laughed a bit, though it came to her as harsh static, his image jumping a bit. "I didn't feel like walking back to my ship so I called from the hospital."

"The hospital?" She stared blankly and cleared her head of the hope she had immediately felt. She didn't need any disappointment right now. "You okay?"

"Heh. Yeah I'm fine, just- hey- hang on a second Faye."

His face disappeared from the screen and she could only hear small bits of the conversation he was now having. "…come on….. go to sleep or som….. just a… hey!"

She could hear clattering and the screen went dead. A rush of static hit her ears and she could make out a mangled voice. "Jet? Jet, I can't hear you. Jet!"

He was speaking again, his voice still clouded in static but she could make two words out clearly; "not Jet."

As if on cue the video feed came back through and she could see who she was speaking to. A weaker woman might have fainted as her eyes caught that sarcastic smile pasted over a worn face. She grit her teeth and huffed, ready to yell at him for leaving like he had, but she found herself smiling again as he greeted her with a simple "hi" as if nothing had happened. She shook her head and leaned forward. "Hey Spike."

=

My love for you burns deep
Inside me, so strong
Embers of times we had
And now here I stand lost in a memory
I see your face and smile.

=

After a short conversation Spike was involuntarily put back into his bed. He glared at Jet who had cuffed him to the side rail to keep him from getting back up. His partner leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.

"I don't care how you look at me Spike, Doc wants you to stay in bed so stay put."

"Ah, but that doctor doesn't know me Jet. I could walk out of here in an hour if I wanted to."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Look, rest now and maybe I can get you out tomorrow, throw out some b.s. about havin' state-of-the-art supplies or something, I don't know. No guarantees but I'll try. You've been through hell and back and I don't need you going insane over a little hospital stay… Anyway, I'm gonna go grab something to eat and come back later. You need anything?"

"You could uncuff me."

Spike smiled and watched Jet leave with a slight laugh. Once alone he leaned back, his eyes focusing on the ceiling. Reaching behind him with his free hand he pulled a cord and shut off the light and let his thoughts slip back into the past that he had finally accepted he would never lose.

He realized on some subconscious level that his thoughts were more focused now. The memories came as he called them to his mind, no longer involuntary flashes and crippling emotions.

He could see Vicious, as his comrade, and then his enemy, and finally an added memory of a fallen foe. There was a slight regret at having lost someone he had once trusted but that was part of the price of freedom. Sighing, he closed his eyes and after a small while, smiled. It felt strange on his face, unlike the forced, exaggerated smile he often wore. He couldn't remember the last time his happiness hadn't been forced on some level.

Jet.Faye.Ed.Ein. His smile widened. Even there he had forced a look of happiness, but not so much as he had before they'd all found their place on that ship. He thought back to when it had been just he and Jet there, and wondered how they'd managed to stay together as long as they did. His memories couldn't tell him how they had managed to partner up; two men trapped in their pasts, stubborn and selfish, a most unlikely duo.

Now that he thought about it, those words didn't really apply anymore, well, stubborn still did, but the camaraderie they'd built had changed them in just about every other aspect. Jet had become like a father, he realized, taking care of the small family they'd formed. It suited him better than the hard, self-protective person he'd been.

Opening his eyes, Spike thought about himself seriously, something he rarely did. Had he changed that much as well? For one thing he didn't hate kids and pets as much, kind of missed having them around. He wondered briefly if he'd have gone after Vicious if Ed and Ein hadn't have left. The thought left as quickly as it came with an obvious answer. What had happened was fated and nothing could have kept it from happening.

Faye had tried to stop it. He remembered the shots being fired into the air, the fear in her eyes as he had stared into them. She'd finally gotten her past back and it did her no good… He could have told her himself that that would happen. All her history could do was bring up the things taken from her and force her to mourn for them. She probably saw it differently though. He'd have to ask her about it one day.

=

Dark and hazy
Prices we pay
I sit here on my shelf
Just talking to myself

=

Through some collective bargaining and reassurances, Spike was released from the hospital a few days after being admitted. A broken rib and some stitched up wounds aside, he was no worse for the wear than when he'd left. With some help from Jet he made his way through the BeBop to the main hall.

Faye sat relaxed on one of the couches and only smiled when they entered. A master of her emotions, in most cases at least, she refused to give Spike the satisfaction of knowing she'd been worried. She hadn't even left the ship to see him and hadn't spoken to him since their first conversation either. He frowned and walked over to the opposite couch, sitting down.

"Hey Lady." He greeted with a smile. She barely looked up.

Spike frowned at her. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" He asked, smiling. She glanced at him and bit the inside of her lip before answering. "It's how I greet people who run off to get killed."

Mentally she smacked herself. Her voice was giving her away, that pain and abandonment she'd felt caused a sharpness in her words. He watched her silently so she figured the best thing to do was go with her feelings for a change and tell him off. Standing up she looked down on him.

"What do you think it was like for me and Jet when you left, huh?! Knowing you were probably gonna die down there and that no one would ever know to tell us. Standing around for hours not knowing what to do! While you were off not giving a damn about how we felt!"

She watched his face turn serious, and then solemn. Not wanting things to get worse she let her fear take hold of her and slid back down onto the couch. "When… When I met… Julia, I knew somehow, that she was important. I didn't have to meet her Spike, could've let her drive right past me but I didn't. And then, when she told me her name, gave me a message for you, I had no idea what I was supposed to do…I didn't want to tell you Spike, because I knew you'd run off like you always do… but I told you anyway, even though I didn't want you to know, didn't want you to leave."

A sob caught in her throat and she swallowed, not wanting to cry. Jet stood still at the side of the couch while Spike stayed still. Realizing she couldn't say everything she wanted to, she stood back up. "I told you because you deserved to know, and you could have stayed because we deserve that."

Both men watched as she walked past them, then listened to her footsteps fade down the hall.

"Think I should talk to her?" Spike asked, leaning back. Jet smiled. "Nah, let her be. You know how it is. She'll act all huffy for a day or two then things'll be back to normal."

"Guess so…"


SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY

Coming Session:

Ed: Spike-person, Jet-person and Faye-Faye all miss Edward, so Ed is coming back!

Spike: What? You've gotta be kidding me.

Faye: I thought she was staying with her father...

Jet: Some things never change.

Ed: Next Session: Edward On My Mind!