Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 5: Love and Suicide

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            Faye awoke during what she assumed to be the morning. She slugged out of bed with her thoughts fixated on two things; coffee and cigarettes. She had had a fitful night's rest, so she wasn't in the mood for anyone's interference on her way to her goal. When she arrived at the kitchen she was greeted by a fresh pot of coffee and Spike leaning against a counter.

            Truth be told, she was delighted more by the fact she didn't have to brew the coffee this time than she was by the fact the lazy fluff head had done it for her. She fixed herself a cup then sat down on a low metal shelf to nurse it. Seconds later, a cigarette was shoved in her face. She gave Spike a wary glance before taking it and placing it in her mouth.

            "Do you want something?" she mumbled past the cigarette, horribly suspicious of his actions.

            "No," he answered further surprising her by flicking a lighter near her face.

            Faye lit her cigarette and inhaled, blowing out smoke in his general direction. "Is this revenge or something? Are you purposely trying to confuse me?" she asked still doubtful and baffled by his kind behavior.

            "No. This is just my way of saying thanks," answered Spike heading for the door.

            "Thanks? For what?"

            "For being honest with me," he said simply before disappearing from the room.

            What a frustratingly odd man, Faye thought to herself as she pondered his comment while sipping her coffee.

***   

            Jet awoke slowly as he absently caressed soft skin. As he came to full consciousness confusion sunk into his mind. Soft skin? Under his fingertips? In his bed? His eyes flew open. Much to his bewilderment, Eden lay next to him pressed lightly against his body. In his slumber, he had put his right arm around her and had been rubbing the skin at the nape of her neck. She was still fast asleep and looked like a peaceful angel at his side.

            He decided not to wake her just yet. It had been years since a woman had graced his bed and he was quite frankly enjoying the experience. He noticed one of her ashen arms had wound itself around his side and felt the hand resting limply on his back. He closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet scent as his hand instinctively moved down to stroke her back.

            Oh god, I've missed this, he thought not realizing Eden was stirring. She didn't say anything, just shifted slightly and moved her hand. When he opened his eyes to look at her one last time before waking her, he saw her heavy lidded eyes peering back.

            Jet Black panicked.

            With unexpected tenacity, he pushed her away from him and acted flabbergasted as if he had just awoken and discovered her next to him. She nearly fell off the side of the bed but steadied herself masterfully. Jet had already sat up and pressed himself to the wall his bed was set against. He threw on his best false expression of disconcertment.

            "Eden! What are you doing in here?" he asked trying not to shout too loudly lest he draw unwanted attention.

            "I was cold," she offered as if that statement explained everything. "Are…you angry with me?" she asked suddenly looking distressed at her own question.

            Jet sighed briefly and looked away from her. She was worried she had angered him and all he really wanted to do was tell her she looked strikingly beautiful in the morning. Especially lying next to him. He gazed at her with a lighter expression.

            "No…I'm not angry," he confessed as a small smile crept its way across his face. "Come on, I have to cook breakfast. Spike and Faye are probably starving by now. I'm surprised they haven't come kicking down my door yet," he joked.

            Eden chuckled and followed the good-hearted man as he crawled out of bed and headed for the kitchen. There was a place for him in her heart that was growing steadily warmer with each passing minute they spent together.

***  

            "It's like pulling teeth," growled Jet as he talked to Bob, his old buddy from the ISSP, on his comm. unit.

            "I know," came Bob's scratchy voice. "Bounty hunting isn't supposed to be easy. You know that."

            "All too well," responded Jet rolling his eyes.

            "Sorry I don't have more information for ya," apologized Bob with his usual listless expression.

            "Don't sweat it. I'll talk to you later," said Jet cutting the comm. link. He had his eyes on a bounty head and a hefty one at that. He knew the bounty was on one of Jupiter's moons, but which one exactly was anyone's guess. He sat down in front of his computer and began to investigate.

            He could possibly be on his home satellite, Ganymede. Or Europa, the oddly cracked satellite with the one massive ocean that drew plenty of tourism. He shuddered to think the bounty maybe hiding on frozen Callisto or lifeless, industrialized Amalthea. In the end, it turned out his bounty had been last sighted on Io, the highly volcanic moon with a volatile surface. Nobody really lived there, but hundreds frequented its raised hotels to witness the continuously changing terrain. Molten lava was a beautiful thing as long as you weren't in it, he supposed. One of the hotel security guards had spotted him but decided not to risk apprehending him. He was, after all, a fairly dangerous man.

            "Got anything interesting?" came Spike's question halting Jet's tactical train of thought.

            "Hmph. Does that mean you're actually going to start bounty hunting again?" shot back Jet while crossing his arms for effect.

            Spike looked as though he had just finished a Jeet Kune Do session. He wore only his dark blue training pants and a towel around his neck. He parked his sweat-drenched body next to Jet on the arm of the couch and gazed at the computer screen.

            "Why not," he stated rather than asked. "I've been working out lately and the wounds aren't bothering me that much anymore."

            Jet nodded and nearly sighed in relief. Bounty hunting had always been a hell of a lot easier with a partner for back up. "Where's Eden?" he asked casually. He hadn't seen her since breakfast and wondered what she had gotten herself into that had kept her hidden so long.

            "With Faye," answered Spike standing up and stretching. "From what I caught of their sneaking around, Faye's trying to teach her to be more feminine."

            Jet burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. "That's rich," he said after calming down. "I feel sorry for Eden."

            "Yeah," said Spike simply with a smirk. "I'm gonna go take a shower. We can leave after that."

            "Sure thing," said Jet returning to his computer to devise a plan of action.

***  

            "Ahhh! What the hell?! Stop!" screamed Faye as she glanced up to check on Eden. She was currently trying to teach her how to paint her nails. Sadly enough, Edward had been an easier pupil to teach this art than Eden. Her toenails currently resembled a botched operation.

            "What am I doing wrong this time?" asked Eden looking exasperated. Faye had been drilling her relentlessly all day about proper makeup application, good hygiene, dressing fashionably, fixing her hair, flaunting her assets, not trusting men…the list went on and on.

            "You have to paint neatly and smoothly on the nail…not the skin," sighed Faye once again busting out the polish remover. She took the nail polish from Eden and promptly began to fix her sloppy mistakes.

            Eden sighed and gazed out one of the windows of the bridge, where they were currently "hiding". She soon heard movement nearby and snapped her head towards it. She saw Jet walk to the control panel and sit down. Her face lit up almost instantly.

            "Hello, ladies," he said with an amused smirk at what he observed before him. Eden was leaning against a glass pane smiling brightly at him with Faye awkwardly hunched over her feet dabbing at them with a cotton ball. So, is this what being feminine is supposed to look like? he mused silently.

            "Hello, Jet!" beamed Eden happily. "I haven't seen you for a while."

            "I know. I've been busy tracking down a bounty head."

            This statement caught Faye's attention. "A bounty? Is Spike going this time?" she asked while finishing her current task.

            "Yes," answered Jet. "The bounty is on Io and we're close to Jupiter now. I'm going to land and dock on Ganymede so when we catch him we can just turn him in there."

            "Can I go too?" asked Faye standing up.

            Jet flinched at her question as if he'd been expecting it. "I'd rather you stay on the Bebop and make sure Eden's okay," he said trying to sound determined.

            "Jet, she's a grown woman. She can take care of herself. Besides, you used to leave Ed alone on the ship all the time," argued Faye.

            "That was different. Edward had been on her own for most of her life. Eden's unfamiliar with everything on the Bebop. I want you to stay here in case she needs help," reasoned Jet.

            "Oh, come on…"

            "It's not open for discussion, Faye," he said cutting her off and making the best stern face he could muster.

            Much to his surprise, she didn't yell or scream. Instead, she scrunched up her face as if preparing for a fit of anger then stormed off the bridge without a crossword. Eden wandered over to the control panel and sat on a ledge beside him.

            "So…what's this 'bounty' stuff you guys keep talking about?" she asked innocently.

            Jet couldn't help but smile. Eden was so good-natured. It was hard to believe she was ever a trained killer. He cleared his throat and began to explain the glorious history of bounty hunting.        

***  

            "Don't you think that was a little too easy, Jet?" asked Spike through his comm. unit in the Swordfish. The rather unintelligent bounty head had still been checked into the same hotel he had been last sighted at. They had caught him with ease and were already on their way to cash him in.

            "I don't question the fates when they hand me something this easily," came Jet's voice from the Hammerhead. "Maybe it's a reward for putting up with you and Faye for so long," the older bounty hunter joked,

            "Oh please. We're not that bad…are we?" asked Spike sounding doubtful of himself.

            "No, you're not, I guess. But sometimes, you two are nothing but trouble," Jet replied remembering his recent hassles with them. "Whatever the case…I'm just glad to have my partner back," he finished with a small smile.

            Spike never responded. He only secretly grinned as they rapidly approached Ganymede.

***    

            The Bebop was dark and devoid of commotion when the Hammerhead and Swordfish pulled into the hangar. Being fairly exhausted, both bounty hunters headed for their rooms not giving thought to where the girls were.

            When Jet stepped into his room he immediately noticed Eden's dark figure lying on his bed. He should have expected it, but he didn't. There was a pleasant mixture of surprise and appeal for him to arrive home and find her awaiting him in his most intimate of dwellings. As he walked to the edge of his bed and stared down at her sleeping form, he considered turning around and trying to pass out on the couch. Ultimately, he decided to resist temptation and leave the room. After turning around he felt a tug at his pants halting his movement.

            "You're finally home," came Eden's soft voice. "I haven't been able to sleep very well without you here."

            Jet gulped before turning to face her. "Well, I'm here now, so you're fine. I'll be in the common room if you need anything," he said quickly trying to make a break for the door.

            With superb agility Eden lunged at him throwing her arms around his neck. "No! Stay here with me!" she demanded sounding desperate. This time Jet returned the embrace more out of instinct than thought. "I…can't fall asleep unless I'm close to a warm body," she confessed.

            Jet sighed and began to stroke her hair. If she really wanted him there, who was he to refuse a lady?

            "Alright…I'll stay."

*** 

            Spike could not fall asleep. He had been tossing and turning for what seemed like hours now and to no avail. With a frustrated groan he rolled out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. Perhaps the bottle of scotch he had hid behind the fridge would knock him out. Much to his dismay he found the bottle of alcohol missing as his hand groped around the gap between the fridge and wall. Agitated as he was, the sudden sound of the hangar door creaking to life peaked his attention.

            Thunder boomed from above as he inquisitively roamed to the hangar. Ganymede was known for its fickle weather. He strolled past all three ships and through the open hangar door. It was dark outside and wind was kicking up to announce the coming storm. Spike looked up at the sky to the momentary flashes of lightning before curiously peering around the deck.

            What he saw nearly stopped his heart.

            Faye was standing at the edge of the deck in her simple night attire with her back to him. He saw his empty bottle of scotch in one of her hands and her glock pressed to her temple with the other. The increasing wind tousled her hair over the sleek, black barrel as Spike stared at her. He found this sight strangely beautiful and strikingly horrifying all at once. After the shock subsided, he broke into a run and found his voice.

            "Faye! What the hell are you doing?!" he cried startling her in her drunken state.

            The empty bottle slipped from her hand and shattered on the deck spraying her feet with glass. She clumsily swung her gun in his direction and shot at the floorboards before him. He stopped a short distance from her and gave thanks that she wasn't too drunk to aim. Or had she been trying to shoot him and missed?

            "Come any closer and I'll shoot," she said in a shaky yet resolute voice, the gun now back to her temple.

            "But…why?" Spike stammered unable to verbally express all the thoughts racing though his mind.

            "I'm doing you and Jet a favor," she slurred obviously drunk but eerily collected in thought. "I can't even bounty hunt anymore…I'm completely worthless…dead weight. I don't want to burden anyone anymore."

            Lightning cut across the sky like veins as another loud thunderclap sounded. Spike furiously wracked his brain for something…anything that would bring her back to her senses. He came up blank and stared at her back with a hopeless expression.

            "It's okay, Spike. Let it go," she spoke as if she had read his mind. "My life is pointless…utterly pointless. Everyone I loved is dead…there's no point in going on…" As Faye's voice trailed off the impending storm began to pour rain down on them.

            Spike closed his eyes and tilted his head up towards the heavens. If there was a goddess up there somewhere she must be crying for them, he thought. He felt a true sympathy with Faye begin to seep into his dormant heart. It felt as though she had brought it back to life with merely simple phrases. He knew her pain. He knew it all too well. But he also knew she deserved to live and be happy. Before he had a chance to speak his mind to deter her, a gunshot fired.

            The sound made him flinch involuntarily. He didn't dare open his eyes. The memory of Julia being shot flashed through his mind unsettling every shred of sanity he possessed. He fell to his knees and grabbed his head, eyes still tightly shut. Why was this happening again?! How many more women would he have to bury before finding peace?! Why did she…why…

            Something deep within him suddenly snapped. Pulling at his hair and opening his mouth he let out a primal cry that the storm swallowed. The dam had broken. His emotions poured from him like rushing water. It was an overwhelming, crippling feeling. His hands hit the deck as he hunched over and started to weep like a child.

            As if he were dreaming, warm arms slid around his body. Eyes still shut as rain and tears mingled on his face he gave into the comforting embrace. He rested his head against soft breasts and began to gradually relax. He felt a hand timidly caressing his wet hair.

            "Spike, are you okay?" came a very troubled voice.

            "Faye," he choked out hoarsely. "Am I dreaming?"

            "No. You're awake," she paused, "and you were…crying."

            "I was?" he asked sounding doubtful of his own actions. He stirred slightly and opened his blurry eyes to gaze up at her in wonder. "You're…not dead," he said softly.

            Her heavy lidded and weary eyes stared back at him. She offered him not explanation as she felt her own tears coming on. She had never seen him look so…vulnerable. He didn't know it, but he had been the only reason she didn't really shoot herself right then. He had been acting weird lately. He'd been acting like he actually cared…about her. It was baffling, but she vowed to herself to stay alive a while longer to see where it went, if it went anywhere at all. She was highly skeptical of his actions but they seemed so genuine. If only she could pick his brain…even for just fifteen minutes, she wouldn't be so confused.

            "Let's go inside before you catch a cold," was all she managed to say despite all the thoughts swimming in her head.

            He nodded vaguely as she helped him stumble to his feet. They were both emotionally and physically exhausted as they trudged back into the hangar and out of the rain. Sometime during the walk to their rooms, Spike idly noticed Faye was leaving a trail of blood in her wake. He panned down to her feet and his eyes widened.

            "Faye…your feet…" he said weakly.

            She looked down at them and cussed. "Shit…I must have cut them on that glass. I was starting to wonder why they hurt so much." She leaned an arm against the wall and picked up one of her feet. Spike stooped down to inspect it as he began to gather his senses. As Faye looked on, he found a piece of glass imbedded in her flesh and deftly yanked it out. Unfortunately, the wound started to spurt blood and Faye paled sheet white. Not soon after this, she fainted. Spike caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He awkwardly shifted her soaked body around blushing fiercely when he noticed wet clothing wasn't much of a barrier between their touching skin.

            "Damn," he muttered desperately trying to keep his thoughts off of her alluring body lying recumbent in his very arms. It wasn't working very well. He could see through her drenched white clothes and couldn't seem to pry his eyes from her for several minutes. He looked to her face again. There was the same peaceful expression on her face that he had witnessed the night before. For a reason beyond his understanding he absently traced the curve of her jaw line with his fingers. Her skin was so soft. He wondered what it would feel like to run his hands all over her body. He suddenly wanted so very badly to touch her in a much more intimate manner than he was currently. She started to stir.

            "Ohhh…" she moaned opening her dark forest-green eyes. They met Spike's two-toned eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She knew the look in his eyes all too well. Drowsy and lustful. She sneaked a quick glance at her attire and noticed it was practically transparent.

            "Are you okay?" he asked with a low and almost forced voice.

            "Yeah…" she answered automatically still a bit disorientated. She felt her body being swiftly lifted from the floor. "Uhm…where are we going?"

            "To fix up your feet," answered Spike as he carried her into his room and carefully tossed her on his bed.

            "Uh…this isn't where the first aid kit is…" she stopped in mid-sentence when she saw him pull a medical kit out of a pile of junk in the corner of his small, cluttered room. As he wordlessly worked on patching up her feet she gazed around his room curiously. She'd never been in it before. She hadn't even had a chance to peek into it. Most of the junk was unidentifiable, well, at least to her it was. She saw a large, fairly old poster of Bruce Lee falling off of one of the walls. There were some empty bottles of hard liquor he had never thrown out, ashtrays blossoming with spent cigarette butts, a couple guns lying around in pieces, dirty clothes in a single pile, what looked like spare engine parts…

            "Wow, this room looks just like a dump," she mumbled under her breath.

            "Huh?" asked Spike now done with his task. He looked up at her and couldn't help his eyes from wandering briefly to her partially visible breasts. What could he say? He was a man after all.

            "Oh, nothing. Thanks for fixing me up…I think I should get going now…" she sputtered hastily jumping up. Almost immediately, she cursed and faltered as pain shot up her legs from her recently injured feet. She fell roughly and conveniently into Spike's arms once again. This time he shifted her around more confidently so that she was facing him. Her eyes were wide with shock and embarrassment until she noticed the lustful look that had returned to Spike's eyes. He leaned his face towards hers at an agonizingly slow pace. When his lips were mere centimeters away from hers, he stopped.

            "Do you remember our dream?" he whispered.

            How could she possibly forget? It was one of his first acts of true kindness towards her. "Yes," she whispered in response as she studied his features, so close to her.

            "A goddess had spoken to me when we were on the balcony. She said I had wronged the people closest to me…in selfishness," he paused as he caught the strong scent of his scotch on her breath. "I don't know why she spared us. At first I was really upset. But right now…I'm glad that she did."

            Before Faye could respond, his lips were on hers. He kissed her slowly and gently with skill. She didn't realize she had put her arms around him until he pulled away slightly.

            "Your life is not pointless," he said staring intently into her eyes. "Don't ever try that again, okay? I don't know if I have the strength to bury another woman." His voice wavered as he spoke his last sentence.

            "Okay…" she stated dumbly still awe-struck by his open behavior. He pulled her into a tight hug and stayed that way for a considerable length of time.

            "Stay with me the night?" he asked into her shoulder. It sounded more like a demand than a question.

            "Okay," she said repeating herself. She couldn't seem to get her brain to work properly. Maybe she had really killed herself on the deck and this was another death dream. It all seemed too good to be true. She was forced out of her thoughts and back to reality when she felt her body being lifted once again, then placed softly on the bed.

*** 

To be continued in Session 6, which is yet unnamed.

Authors Note:

Sorry this update took a lot longer than the rest and I can't promise the other ones will be very close. I started college and my life was thrown into chaos once again. I end up typing little sections whenever I can find the time. But I will give it my best shot to be consistent! I realize that Spike is being a little out of character…but, hell! Near death experiences do that to some people. It happened to someone close to me, so I got to see the subtle changes first hand. There's definitely a difference before and after. Okay, enough of my babbling. Hope you enjoyed the Session. ^_^

Red Tenko: So, how was Jet's reaction? Not as comical as I would have liked to write, but *shrugs* that's what I wrote. My stories always seem to write themselves. Oh, and if Spike surprised you last chapter, he probably flabbergasted you in this one!

Pimpin Satan: Hope I haven't lost my Faye/Spike accuracy with this session. They are a little out of character but I think that's the fun of writing fanfics. The characters aren't portrayed so rigidly. I think Spikes character is easy because he's usually so aloof. And Faye's because she's hot tempered. I believe I could write Ed well seeing that I'm also a bit off in the head, heh. Jet's philosophical and wise…hell, I could go on and on…but I think I'll shut up now.

Kendra Luehr: Thank you for the comments! I'm glad my Faye/Spike interactions seemed heartfelt. I enjoy working with them so much. I'm flattered that you think my story is so good and that the characters have depth (which I strive for, honestly). Thanks again. ^_^