Chapter 16: "Songs of Farewell and Departure"

-

Spike flicked open his lighter, touching the flame to the end of his cigarette. As he exhaled the smoke, he tucked his lighter inside his jacket, his gaze going back to the night sky. He'd stood in the chilly air of the evening, waiting for Vash to return, for almost an hour so far tonight. The two days had passed and neither the man nor his "solution" had materialized.

He held the cigarette between his index and middle fingers as he withdrew it from his mouth and his eyes narrowed at the mysterious lights in the sky. A similar spectacle was viewable on Earth - or so he'd heard. The Aurora Borealis. Caused by particles hurled away from the sun and interacting with the Earth's upper atmosphere. He'd never been one for astronomy, so he'd never looked into the workings of the mystical occurrence.

As he studied it, he thought it was rather odd. Why exactly, he couldn't say. It felt abnormal, like there was more to it than particles interacting with Gunsmoke's upper atmosphere. He imagined that with twin suns the effect would've been more glorious than this.

Taking another drag off the cigarette, his eyes wandered away from the lights and to the rest of the stars above him. They seemed plain next to the celestial art display. He gazed upon each star with an appraising eye as he tried to figure out which one led to their own solar system. Or to that Never Never Land from the childrens story that originated on old Earth.

Where are you? he wondered as his eyes settled on one brightly shimmering star. More than likely, it was a nearby planet. You're not there. You're not even alive anymore. He no longer dreamed of home, he was preoccupied with someone he hadn't thought of for weeks. Julia ...

Over a thousand years lay between them instead of a mere three. What had happened to her? Did she even notice that he'd vanished from their own piece of space? Did she even care? The more he thought of her, the clearer the woman's face became in his mind's eye. He concentrated on the image of her. When you died ... did you think of me?

The sound of footsteps approaching from behind snapped him out of his reverie. The cigarette went back to his lips, he took one more drag then he exhaled. In his peripheral view, he watched Faye, her jacket wrapped tightly around her upper body, join him. She said nothing, only took in the illustrious display of colors in the skies. This was the first time she'd truly looked at it. As with Spike, it reminded her of the Northern Lights. She'd never seen them, either. Or maybe she had when she was little and the memory of it was stolen along with all the rest.

She shivered at the cool breeze blowing across the open wasteland. Her hands rubbed her upper arms, yet she couldn't take her eyes off of the lights. They were quite amazing. Why none of them had noticed it before, she couldn't guess. Vash picked up on everything, though. For being a dense fool, he was rather sharp. Sometimes. Her eyes left the sky and shifted over to Spike's profile. He continued to focus his attention above them.

For reasons beyond her comprehension, Faye felt compelled to tell him how she felt. Even more than when than when they were helplessly floating in space, unsure of whether or not they would live or die. Fingers nervously toying with the cross around her neck, she sighed softly. The conversation she had with Wolfwood came rushing back to her. If they were to be trapped on Gunsmoke, could she really continue on this way? Could she grin and bear it, like she'd told him?

Her lips parted slightly, the words that she'd meant to say caught in her throat and a short, barely audible squeak came out instead. She quickly pressed her lips together, swallowing hard, embarrassed, even though she'd said nothing. He hadn't seemed to notice any of it. Rather typical of Spike, wrapped up in whatever was going on in his head.

Spike blew out the smoke as he removed the cigarette from his mouth, his eyes on the sky. "You've been looking at me like that for a while now, Faye," he said in a low, even tone.

"No, I haven't," she replied, rather defensive. She pointed to the sky. "I was looking at that. I just now looked at you."

"I didn't mean right at this moment. You've been doing it for weeks."

She sighed as she turned her own gaze to the sky. "In case you haven't noticed, there's not a lot of interesting scenery on this planet," she stiffly replied.

"You did it before we came here, too." He finished off the cigarette and dropped the smoldering butt to the ground. After he snuffed it out with his shoe, he finally looked at her. "Why?"

She felt him staring at her. Her finger continued to wind and unwind itself around the chain. "I need a reason to look at you?" she nonchalantly asked.

"No, you don't need one, but you have one."

She felt her face flush. Bathed in the bright light of Gunsmoke's five moons, she hoped that he didn't notice it. She found the ground terribly interesting for a minute, then she dared to look him in the eyes. If she couldn't say it, maybe she should show him? She pictured it in her mind, showing him why she'd looked at him like that for so long. The end result was a disaster. He didn't care about her, he never would. Not even half a universe worth of distance and a thousand years away from that damn Julia could change it.

"You're stuck on yourself, Spike," she muttered. Bowing her head, she wrapped her arms around herself and walked away, brushing roughly by him as she did so. The whole situation was a form of sadistic torture. Karmic revenge for all of her hustling and double-dealing. What else could it be called, to be stuck with someone who would never love her in return?

"What's her problem?" Spike wondered as Faye headed for the Bebop. He shoved his hands into his pockets and went back to gazing at the stars.

"You've finally seen the light?"

Vash's voice made Spike turn around. The blonde stood not far behind him, a less intense expression on his face than when he'd last seen the man.

"Yeah, I guess I have," he quietly replied then looked up to the sky. As Vash stepped beside him, he added, "This is what's getting us home?"

"If this works, it will." Vash locked his hands together behind his back then side-glanced at Spike. "What did Faye want?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. She's been acting stranger than usual lately."

"Oh." Vash paused, becoming thoughtful. "Wonder why that is?"

"I gave up on figuring out women a long time ago, Vash." He paused himself, when he realized he carried on a half-way intelligent conversation with the man for once. Shrugging again, he added, "I guess it's over how Wolfwood just left last week."

"Ah." Another side-glance at the bounty hunter. "Are you certain?"

"I don't know what the hell else it could be," Spike replied, rather annoyed Vash pressed the issue. He looked to Vash, noting the expression on his face. "What?"

Vash remained silent. It wasn't his place to reveal Faye's secrets, especially one so delicate and personal. He couldn't understand why Spike himself was blind to it. Perhaps he denied it, so he wouldn't have to address the woman and her feelings. Still, Vash knew love when he saw it. And he saw it whenever Faye was in Spike's presence.

"Do you know something, Vash?" he finally asked.

Mood changing entirely, Vash grabbed Spike by the shoulders and exclaimed, "Let's send you home!" Not waiting around for a reply, Vash headed back to the ship with a bounce in his step.

Spike slowly shook his head. "How does that idiot manage to stay alive on this planet?" Casting one last glance up at the sky, he followed.

-

"You want me to go where?" Jet turned in the pilot's seat. Vash and Spike stood behind him on the bridge; Vash wore that big grin on his face and Spike just rolled his eyes while he lit up a new cigarette.

"Take the ship to New Haven's Point!" Vash repeated. He came closer, scanning the consoles and panels around Jet's chair. "It's not far away, not if you're flying."

"What's in this town?" He made no move to bring the engines back up. He wanted an explanation. "The ship doesn't move unless you tell me exactly what I'm taking her to. I put too much blood and sweat into repairing her and I want to know what's at the end of the Yellow Brick Road."

Vash leaned on one of the consoles. "The way home!"

Jet sighed. That wasn't a real answer. However, it was obvious Vash wasn't giving up any more information. He met the blonde's gaze. "Hold on. I don't know how well she's going to fly after a month in ... dry dock."

-

Down in the main living area of the Bebop, Meryl and Milly froze as the engines of the ship roared to life once again. The room shook, the metal of the craft creaked and yawned as Jet applied more thrust to the engines.

"Bebop is alive!" Ed declared. She threw her hands over her head, dancing for joy.

Meryl laughed nervously but the sudden jerk of the ship made her grab onto Milly. Her eyes squeezed shut. Please, don't let us die! Please ... please ... please ... she begged. The sounds the ship made as it moved terrified her, she'd never heard noises like this before. Not even in a sand steamer.

"Ma'am?" Milly placed a hand on one of Meryl's and smiled when her supervisor opened her eyes. "We're all right. We're ... flying!" A look of wonder in her eyes, Milly laughed. "We're actually flying in a ship from space!"

Meryl's grip on Milly loosened and her shoulders relaxed. Ed continued to dance and sing with no fear of the strange noises the ship made. Then it dawned on Meryl what an experience this was. No one had flown in a ship like this for over a century. She, Meryl Stryfe, of Bernardelli Insurance Company was one of the first to do so again.

"Yes, we are, aren't we?" A smile found its way to her face. "We're flying."

"Flying!" Ed ran by, her arms out at her sides like airplane wings. "Fly, fly, fly! Into the sky!"

-

"Right there." Vash pointed to the main bulb generator in New Haven's Point. "That's where you need to land."

Spike peered through the glass of the forward window as the Bebop descended. "I thought the generators in this town were sabotaged?" he said, looking over to Vash. "That one seems to be working just fine."

"I managed to fix it." Vash avoided eye contact with Spike as he joined the other man by the window. Soon, the ship landed and he smiled a bit. "This is perfect."

"You fixed it?" Spike stared at him, visibly surprised. "How? I wasn't aware you possessed any engineering skills."

"Some things that need repair ... it's not always mechanical in nature, Mr. Spiegel." Vash's smile brightened then he went back to Jet. "This is where you need to stay for a while. You can shut down your engines, if you need to conserve your fuel."

"All right, but - "Jet didn't get to finish his question because Vash was already gone. He looked to Spike. "How the hell does he do that?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing."

-

"We've stopped." Meryl fell silent as the engines did. "Milly ... what happened?" The stillness was broken as Vash bounded into the room.

"This is where we get off, ladies!" he declared, smiling at the two insurance girls.

"Where did we go?" Milly asked as she helped Meryl gather up all of her things. "Is the ship still working? The engines aren't running now."

Vash picked up a few things and stacked them in Meryl's already overloaded arms. "We're fine. We're in New Haven's Point."

"Already?" Meryl tried to peer over the top of her papers at him.

"Yep! Time to go." He ushered the women out of the room. He leaned into the corridor, waving at them. "I'll be right with you!" he called out. "I have to give Mr. Black a few more instructions!"

"Vashy?"

He looked down when he felt someone grab onto his wrist. Ed gaze up at him, the hint of tears in her eyes. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked as he lowered himself to her level.

Ed wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you sure Ed can't stay with you?" she asked in a hopeful whisper.

He returned her hug, his heart sinking once more at the thought of her leaving. Forever. "Yes, Ed. I'm sure. You'll remember me, won't you?"

She nodded yet kept her arms tight around him. "Yes. Ed will remember."

Ein barked, wagging his tail when both humans looked down to him. Smiling, Vash scratched the dog behind his ears. "I'll miss you, too, Ein," he assured the Corgi.

Clinging to Vash one final time, Ed begged, "Please ... come with us?" Her fingers gripped his coat. "Vashy would like Mars. Please?"

"He's already told you that he can't," Faye said as she entered the room. Her arms were folded across her chest as she gazed at the two of them. "Let go of him."

Ed backed away from Vash as she looked to Faye. Vash was on his feet once more, his own eyes on Faye as she approached.

"The longer you stay, the harder it is on her," Faye flatly informed him. "Just go. She'll be all right. She has to learn to live with disappointment some time in her life."

"No, she doesn't. There's always hope."

"Not this time, Vash. We leave, we never return. It's over."

Vash reached out to Faye's neck, startling her as his fingers caressed the glittering cross she wore around it. She gasped lightly, ready to tell him to get the hell away from her, but she didn't. Instead, she simply looked at him. "I really don't think you believe that anymore, Faye," he quietly replied. As he withdrew his hand, he smiled and leaned forward. "Don't I get a good-bye kiss?"

Two seconds later, Meryl and Milly saw Vash stumble out of the room backwards and into the corridor, both of his hands clutched over his nose.

He laughed a little. "I guess that's a 'no'?"

Faye stepped into the corridor, her eyes narrowed on him. "I can keep hitting you until you're finally off of the ship."

Meryl shook her head. "He'll never learn when to quit," she sadly murmured.

He held up both of his hands, laughing again. "Oh, no. No need for that!" Before she knew it, Faye found herself trapped in Vash's embrace. "I shall miss you, my fair Faye!" he declared, a hand resting against one of her cheeks. "Please ... try not to shed too many tears over our tragic separation?"

She stared at him as he grasped one of her hands into both of his as he bowed deeply before her. She felt him kiss the tops of her fingers, gingerly. There really is something wrong with this man's brain. There has to be.

"It wouldn't have worked out between us, anyway," he added as he looked at her from his bowed position. "Seeing as how you're in love with someone else." He raised his eyebrows as he grinned knowingly.

She yanked her hand back. "Get the hell out of here, you moron!" The ferocity of her tone made him stand up straight. "Send us home, if that's what you plan to do!"

Vash backpedaled away from Faye as she shouted. He eventually stopped by Meryl and Milly. "She's not taking this very well," he told them under his breath. "The poor woman. She's heartbroken."

Meryl rolled her eyes. "We'll be waiting outside." She waved her last goodbyes to Faye and Ed.

"Good-bye!" Milly called out, waving. She grinned as Ed charged towards her then leaped into her open arms for one last hug. "Good-bye, Ed! I'll miss you!"

"Ed'll miss you, too, Milly!" She let go and dropped out of Milly's arms, landing on her feet. "Bye!" She waved as Milly followed Meryl down the corridor. "Bye-bye, Merry-Meryl!"

Vash leaned over, picked Ed up into his arms then whispered one last message in her ear. As he pulled back, he met her gaze, lifting an eyebrow as he waited to make sure she understood. When she nodded, he put her down and gave one last look down the corridor to Faye. That smile of his appeared again and he vanished around the corner.

Hands on her hips, Faye came up behind Ed. "What was all that about?"

Ed tipped her head back, grinning up at her. "I've got a secret! I've got a secret!" she sing-songed in reply.

Angered, Faye seized Ed by her shirt and lifted her off of the floor. "What did he tell you?"

Grinning even wider, she put up two fingers in Faye's face. "Love and peace!"

Groaning, Faye dropped Ed hard onto the floor. "That's all I need - her acting like him!" She headed for the bridge, shaking her head. She wanted to be there when this so-called 'solution' presented itself.

-

Jet stared at Vash when the man finished explaining what he wanted him to do with the ship. Is he serious? he thought, shaking his head. "Vash ... I've told you ... "he started.

"You'll know when it happens," Vash assured him. He pointed out the forward window, directing Jet's attention to the flickering lights in the northern sky. "Go in that direction."

Jet looked to Spike; he was as skeptical of the plan as Jet was. Faye, who stood just behind Spike, seemed more curious than skeptical.

"This will work," Vash insisted as he approached Jet. He held the other man's gaze for a moment before adding, "Believe me."

Jet bowed his head, unsure if he should risk the ship and possibly their lives on this wild scheme. If they were killed, it was on him. If they were stranded in space again, he was to blame. If -

"Just do it, Jet," Faye spoke up. She stepped past Spike as Jet turned to her. "What do we have to lose?"

After a tense silence, Jet looked to Vash. "I guess this is where we say good-bye."

Smiling, Vash surprised Jet by giving him a big hug. "Yes, it is!" He paid no mind to Jet's attempts to push him away. "You've been such a wonderful friend, Mr. Black!" His eyes glistened with tears, yet the smile remained. "I'll never forget you!"

"Yeah, yeah." Jet managed to free himself from Vash's vise-like grip. Damn, this guy's stronger than he looks. "I won't forget you, either. How could I?"

Vash patted Jet's shoulder. "I'm just that kind of a guy!" He moved by Faye, giving her one more gracious bow then stopped in front of Spike.

"If you touch me, I'll blow a hole straight through you," he flatly warned.

"Aw! Is that any way to say good-bye to a friend?" He grabbed Spike into a hug, pinning the other man's arms to his sides at the same time. "I'll miss you all!" he sobbed into Spike's shoulder as he gave him a crushing hug.

Faye smirked as Spike tried to get Vash to let go. When he looked to her for help, she only folded her arms and shook her head. Payback was a bitch. That's what you get for not helping me, you bastard.

Finally, Vash released Spike, not noticing the death glare Spike gave him as he straightened out his jacket. Backing away, he went on. "I hope you take away more than just the memory of me from this adventure, my friends!" Panic registered on his face when his feet tripped over something behind him. He landed flat on his back and stared up at the ceiling.

Ein's face appeared above him. The dog barked.

"You ruined my grand exit."

Ein merely licked his face.

Faye's hand went to her forehead as she sighed, "What an idiot."

-

More To Come ...

Song Title Used: "Songs of Farewell and Departure" by Hum