Disclaimer: Cowboy Bebop is the rightful property of Sunrise, Inc. No profit is intended from this fanfic.

Timeline: Set after Speak like a Child.

The Invitation

* Click * Click * Click *

A thousand channels, and not a damn thing worth watching. The hour was past midnight and Spike had been lazing in front of the vid-screen for most of the night. His last cigarette had been smoked four hours ago, the last cigarette of Jet's secret stash had been smoked an hour ago, and he'd given up searching for Faye's secret stash half an hour ago. There wasn't even a few measly wulongs in his wallet to drink his boredom away at some bar. All in all, it was a mind-numbingly boring night.

Propping his legs up on the coffee table, he picked up the remote again hoping to find some entertainment, but what he was really trying to do was ignore the letter that was lying on the coffee table. It was cream colored and slightly heavy, and addressed to Faye. Jet nearly threw a fit when it arrived, ranting about the trouble and expense they went through the last time Faye received something in the mail. He was slightly mollified when the messenger told him no payment was necessary, but once his mood was soured nothing but some quality time with his bonsai trees could soothe his frazzled nerves. He'd gone straight to his room muttering under his breath and had yet to come out.

Ed and Ein had also made themselves scarce since that afternoon, holed up somewhere on the ship. Faye wasn't around either, having taken off three days ago. Probably blowing their hard earned bounty money at the local casinos at that very second.

So there it was that Spike had been left alone to spent the rest of the advancing evening trying to find something good to watch. He would glance at the envelope from time to time, wondering who it was that kept sending Faye this stuff. First that tape and now a letter. It's not as if he cared what Faye got in the mail, but… there was that letter, sitting there, waiting for him to rip it open.

He shouldn't….but why not? It's not like Faye could do anything to stop him anyway, if he did open it. Besides she could be up to something so it was in his --everybody's!-- best interests see what kind of trouble they were in for. Of course, it annoyed him to no end that he'd been sitting there debating on whether to open up a stupid letter or not. Leave it to the wench to drive him to exasperation, even when she wasn't there to do the job herself.

Just as he started to reach over to pick it up, the door above the stairs opened up with it's characteristic swoosh and clang, revealing a tired but slightly giddy looking Faye. She must have won big at the casinos. Amazingly she didn't trip over the threshold like she normally did, as she made her way over to the stairs. He continued to watch her as she descended and headed straight to the kitchen, never once acknowledging his presence. After a couple of minutes, she came back out and sat down next to him on the couch with a heavy thud. Finally Faye looked his way.

"Oh, it's you. Didn't see you sitting there. Long time no see."

Not waiting for a response from him, she took the remote and started flipping through the channels.

"Ugh, why is there never anything good on?"

"So how much money did you win?"

"What do you mean?" She cast him a sideways glance.

"You know what I mean. How much money did you win at the casinos?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering, as if debating whether or not to tell him.

"For your information, I was working the tables. I didn't get a chance to play myself so I obviously wouldn't have won anything."

"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow. "Dressed like that? Where's your uniform then? Or do the casinos put all their employees in evening gowns now?" He finished sarcastically, feeling pleased with himself for having caught her in a lie.

"What's with the third degree? If you really have to know, I'm dressed this way because I was working in the private area reserved for the casino's rich patrons. Not that it's any of your business." She was getting annoyed with all the questions.

"Yeah, no doubt putting your considerable cheating skills to use in lightening their bank accounts."

At that statement she slightly waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal, as if the notion of cheating was beneath her.

"It's not my fault most people aren't any good at gambling. If they don't want to lose their money, then they shouldn't come to my table."

"Whatever you say Faye…." Spike leaned back against the couch, his gaze coming to rest by chance on the envelope.

"Something came for you," he said, inclining his head towards the table.

There was a look of surprise on her face as soon as she glanced over at the coffee table, but was masked almost as quickly as it had appeared. Picking it up in a swift motion she held the envelope on her lap, covering it with both hands. Silence descended upon them as they both sat staring off into space, wrapped in their individual thoughts.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, as she sat there without the slightest movement. So she wasn't going to open it in front of him. Whatever, it's not like it was anything to him. Let her have her secrets. What he was interested in at the moment was finding out how much money she had gotten and if she was going to buy any smokes and groceries. They hadn't been able to bring in any bounties for the past two weeks. Another night of having to eat Jet's special carrot and lima beans concoction, that he'd been serving for the past eight nights, was going to drive Spike crazy.

"How much did you get paid then?" Spike persisted. Faye had looked much too pleased when she walked in. He was sure she had come back with a lot of wulongs. At the sound of his voice, she roused herself from whatever thoughts she'd been having and turned to face him.

"Oh, merely a trifle."

"Just a trifle, huh?" He wasn't buying her innocent act one bit.

"That's what I said, lunkhead!" Now she was really getting annoyed with him.

"Don't be so modest Faye, surely you can tell your comrade how much money you got."

"It's a piddling amount Spike, nothing that would interest you."

She was still going to play it coy, was she? He knew one sure way to get her talking--bruise her enormous ego.

"Really Faye, to think that the casinos would only pay the great Poker Alice a piddling amount of money for three days' work. Your skills with the cards must not be that great then. No wonder you have all those gadgets to help you cheat….

"I'll have you know that the first time I was ever in a casino people said I was gifted. I don't need to cheat to win!"

At this he started laughing. "Gifted…. you mean like a gambling idiot savant?

"You lousy bastard…!" She'd gotten up, balling her hands into fists.

He could see two angry red spots forming on her cheeks and spreading in fury to the rest of her face. At this he laughed some more, but Faye suddenly lunged and swung at him. In a slight motion he dodged her fist, unintentionally causing Faye to hit the arm of the couch face first. Seeing her in that position only made him laugh more. She was sprawled on him, but Faye twisted so that she could land a back-handed punch. Still, he was too quick for her and stood up just as she started to twist towards him, causing her to fall to the floor.

"Faye… you'd better quit while you're ahead… before you seriously hurt yourself," he said between gasps of laughter, smirking down at her.

As suddenly as her anger started, she forced herself to regain her composure. Picking herself up she headed straight for her room in a huff, but Spike called to her as she walked away.

"Wait Faye. Come back and entertain me some more. There isn't anything good on TV."

He had to dodge again as she threw one of her high heeled shoes at him.

Damn… maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to tease her… he should've waited 'til after he'd found out if she had any smokes on her…