**Hey everyone!!! I'm back! Unfortunately not for long, but still I managed to whip up something for you guys. I'm so sorry that I have to take such long breaks between updates, I hate it when authors do that, but we're working on getting me a computer, so we'll see how that goes. The chapters are going to start to get stranger now, so be warned. Hope you're as excited to read it as I am to post it!**
Chapter 2 part 2
I'll be your chauffeur on a midnight drive
It takes a miracle just to survive
Buried animals call your name
You keep on sleeping
Through the poignant rain
I think we're going crazy
Her left eye is lazy
She looks so Israeli
Nicotine and gravy
I'll feed you fruit that don't exist
I'll leave graffiti
Where you've never been kissed
I'll do your laundry
Massage your soul
I'll turn you over
To the highway patrol
I think we're going crazy
Things don't even faze me
Her left eye is lazy
Nicotine and gravy
Miracles amaze me
She looks so Israeli
Love the way she plays me
I think I'm going crazy
I don't want to die tonight
I don't want to die tonight…..
--Beck
"Nicotine and Gravy"
Chapter 3
Faye struggled with her bags as they exited the final store, Edward zipping before her, dancing around random people who passed by on the crowded street.
All in all, the day hadn't turned out so bad. She and Ed had bought a bra (which was why Jet was so adamant that Faye take Ed, and not himself). After that, they got ice cream and followed it up with some additional shopping, which brightens up any day. If only this blasted town had a casino, the day would have been perfect.
She watched the red mop of hair before her pop up and down through the people, many of which cast strange glances down at the girl dancing around them. Faye smiled, adjusting the bags in her arms. Sure, Ed could be a little annoying sometimes, but she was a good kid. Faye stopped suddenly, her eyebrow quivering. Had she really just thought that? Shaking her head, she sighed. She was getting mushy in her old age.
The shop window to her left caught her eye. A big neon sign of an eyeball and the word 'psychic' flashed repeatedly, drawing her to plaster her face against the window. Inside the dimly lit room, she could barely see lit candles and fabric draped luxuriously from the ceiling.
"Hey Ed!" She called towards the crowd, hardly taking her eyes from the shop. "We're going in here for a bit."
Pushing open the door, she was hit by a wave of sweet smelling smoke and strange old music. The bells above her jingled lightly, acknowledging her presence, as Edwards slammed into her back.
"Faye-Faye, what are we doing?"
"You're going to wait over there," Faye told her, pointing to some floor pillows that were gathered in the corner of the room. "And I'm going to--"
"Welcome child." Said an old, sand papery voice beside her. Faye jumped, and faced the old withered woman. She was dressed in beautiful robes, the color of rich brandy, and she could hardly see through the wrinkles that surrounded her eyes. Her sagging skin turned up around her lipless mouth to resemble a smile.
"Sorry to frighten you." She folded her knarled hands together across her beautiful robe. "I tend to walk softly. Is there something you've come to ask me?"
Faye leaned back slightly as the old woman circled her, the light tinkle of her anklet of bells drifting through the air.
"A question about my future." Fay managed to choke out.
The old crone smiled again. "Don't you mean the future of another?" A blush came over Faye, as she nodded slightly. Suddenly the old woman's head snapped towards Ed.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" She hollered.
Edward, paralyzed by fear, fell backwards, dropping the gold incense burner onto the ground.
The woman turned back to Faye and gently took her hand. They felt like old, wrinkled leather to her touch. "What the heart seeks, the mind destroys. Follow your soul, and the two will compromise. 300 wulong please."
"300 wulong?! You didn't even tell me anything! You could have gotten that out of a fortune cookie for all I know!" Reaching over, she grabbed the back of Ed's shirt and the rest of her bags. "C'mon Ed, we have to get back to the ship." Edward waved at the old woman, still a little dazed, as Faye stormed out the door, dragging her behind.
The woman sighed and pushed open the curtain leading to the back room. She sat at a low table and picked up her chopsticks. Sighing again, she held up a small strip of paper and reread it.
"I really thought it would work this time."
* * *
After putting everything away (mainly hiding all the stuff she bought and didn't want Jet to find out about) and leaving Edward to figure out the bra (with some help from Julia, of course), Faye leaned against the Hammerhead as Jet continued to work. He remained shoulder deep in the machine until Faye knocked on the side. A loud 'thump' then a 'damn it', came before Jet emerged, rubbing the back of his head.
"What is it Faye?" He asked irritably, dropping a wrench in his toolbox and picking up a smaller one.
"Just wanted you to know we were home."
He grunted and nodded. "How did… IT go?"
A smile came to Faye's mouth despite how she tried to hide it. "We found her a bra."
The same bright red shade returned to Jet's face, as he coughed and practically dove into the ship again. "Good."
Silence fell over them for a while. The only sounds that echoed the room were the metal tinkering noises made by Jet working. It was funny, for the first time, Faye felt completely at ease with the man who she thought hated her. Deep down, she knew he didn't. There were too many times he'd saved her, too many times he'd fixed her ship without payment. Too many unspoken words of comfort after Spike left.
Slowly, she slid down the side of the ship to the bench Jet had set up for himself to stand on, wrapping her arms around her legs. How absurd was it that after all this time, she was realizing what a value he was to her?
"Hey Jet." She said softly.
He must have still known she was there, because this time there was no thump and no curse. He simply backed out of the ship, just enough to see her.
Faye continued to look ahead, recapping in her mind, all the times Jet had proven himself a partner, a companion, and a friend to her. The words struggled to form on her tongue, but they evaporated as soon as they reached her lips.
A warm, callused hand covered her shoulder. She looked up at the tall, burly man, and for the first time in ages, he gave her a soft smile. No words needed to be said; expression portrayed emotion better anyway. But as usual, all touching moments were interrupted on the Bebop.
Ed tore through the hanger; her bra tied to her head like a pilot's cap as she zoomed by the two, making gun noises. Julia chased after her, breathlessly.
"Ed, that's not how you wear it!" She attempted to catch up with the hyper 'pilot', but fell behind as they ran back into the living quarters of the ship again.
Faye blinked as Jet turned another shade of red.
"I'm gonna take a nap."
"I gotta finish this."
They stated at the same time, Faye standing and Jet leaning back into his ship.
* * *
Julia trailed her fingers around the brim of her sweating martini glass. This was one of the worst bounties she and Faye had ever gotten stuck with. The pulsating music was so loud she could almost feel her organs vibrating in her chest. She glanced over at her dark haired partner, who seemed lost in her own thoughts at the moment. It had been six months since she had joined the Bebop crew, and somehow she and Faye had become best friends. Granted, they weren't like the best friends she had in junior high. She and Faye didn't sit around listening to the new cutest boy group, painting each other's nails and giggling about their latest crushes.
Her lip tucked up into her cheek in a small smile. After all, it'd be hard to talk about the same guy with out getting jealous. After the night she had made a fool of herself by asking Faye things that were none of her business, she decided to never mention it again. Faye couldn't have minded, she never said anything either. And so they decided to live in ignorant bliss. It was the one subject that could possibly ruin this teaming that fate had decided to bring together, and neither of them wanted to test that.
She was brought out of her thoughts as Faye stood from her stool at the bar. "I'll be right back." She told her, and headed through the crowd.
Julia watched her blandly before she looked back at the annoying neon sign that hung above the bar, boredom consuming her again. She glanced in the mirror, just in time to see a scrawny, short guy step up beside her and push up his glasses with his index finger. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She groaned. This guy was going to ask her to dance. Making an attempt to scramble away, she grabbed her glass and started to lean in the other direction, hoping to dodge his finger before it tapped her on the shoulder. But she felt a cold poke anyway.
"Miss," The little drunken man slurred, leaning against the bar beside her. Slowly she turned to him, and managed to plaster a smile on her face. Her grinned back at her, his little eyes squinting up behind his thick glasses. At that one second she had the mental image of a mole, peeking through a hole in the ground, grinning up at her. "I've been watching you." He stated, swaying a little, sloshing the liquid in his glass around.
A chill raced up her spine at his creepy sentence. And then she managed to calm herself, she was being ridiculous, all this drunken guy wanted was someone to talk to.
She felt someone grip her arm. Faye nearly yanked her off of the stool as she began dragging her through the dance floor. "She just left! I ran into her in the bathroom." Julia noticed that the out fit Faye had picked out for their night on the town had a big gash out of the left shoulder.
Glancing back, she saw the little man wave and call something to her, just as the crowd filled in, blocking him from sight.
"I'll be seeing you!"
Julia shivered and caught up with Faye, feeling fortunate she had to hunt down a bounty instead of talking to him for another second.
They burst through the doors into the cold, blistering air of night. Faye ran after the bounty immediately, while Julia found herself slacking behind a little, still disturbed by the weird little man at the bar. Shaking her head, she cleared herself of those thoughts and caught up with Faye. A bullet buzzed past her head and she dove for cover behind a wall, Faye bend down next to her, gasping of air. Julia cocked her gun, tense and ready to shoot. She jumped out form the wall to fire a few shots, before she took cover again as the bullets were returned.
Quickly she glanced at Faye. "What happened to your lip?"
Fiercely, Faye wiped the blood from her mouth and straightened up. "The bitch hit me with a plunger."
Julia stared at her, not really believing what she had just heard and biting down on her lower lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. "A plunger?"
Faye gave her a nasty glance. "What, you think that's funny?"
Julia coughed in her fist and attempted to keep a strait face. "No, of course not." She raised her gun again, ready to shoot again. But this time, when she shot, nothing was fired back.
She glanced at Faye, who returned her look. Carefully they both peered around the corner.
"Shit." Faye said softly, standing up and walking out form the cover of the wall. Before her lay their bounty, nearly shredded into thousands of strips, in a heap on the ground.
Julia, in complete awe, holstered her gun, staring at the grotesque scene before her.
"How…"
Faye looked around, suddenly aware that they might be being watched. "Maybe we should get out of here." She looked to Julia, who was now standing over the body.
"How could this have happened? We were right there. Only a few seconds had passed since she fired back at me…" Her stomached lurched slightly, but she managed to keep her lunch down. She placed her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. "This is so gross."
"She looks like beef jerky." Faye said idly, mainly to herself. Of course that was enough to send Julia, tripping forward, to empty the contents of her stomach behind the wall.
Faye groaned, turning away from the entire scene. Why was it that whenever they saw something even remotely gross, Julia always had to go barf in the distance somewhere?
A terrified scream came from behind the wall, and Faye found herself leaping over the pile of mulched body, ready to shoot whoever was attacking Julia. Instead, she found Julia there alone, her hand covered in blood, a horrified look on her face. Faye looked up to the wall, and, if she were a screamer, she would have belted out a screech that would have deafened Julia's. There was a message smeared in blood on the wall, just like at the hotel.
" 'Sinners pay for their evil deeds.' " It came out of her as a breathless, hollow whisper. She could feel the blood draining from her face as she took a step back, ready to run. Never before had she felt like so scared and disturbed by a series of events. "Julia, let's go."
Julia, a little calmer now, but still not capable of words, nodded and kneeled, quickly trying to clean her hands in the snow.
"Now." Faye said weakly, in an almost begging breath. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. It was disgusting, the way she was acting, like a child. A cry baby. But as soon as Julia stood, they both ran the fastest either had ever run before, jumping into their ships and taking off without hesitation.
* * *
Julia sat alone on the couch later that night, sipping on some hot tea, and staring into the darkness of the ship. She was too shaken with the memories of the day to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw that poor woman's body, shredded into a pile on the concrete. She shivered and gulped down a warm mouthful of tea to warm herself.
She felt something warm and furry brush against her legs and she smiled, leaning down to pat Morris on the head. He purred in response and jumped up to curl himself in her lap. She pet him in a daze, her mind too distracted to concentrate on him right now.
How was it possible that she could have been murdered in such a horrific way, in such a short time? And why had she and Faye seen both of these grotesque crimes, even when they were committed on different planets?
'I've been watching you.'
The words of the scary little man at the bar made her entire body freeze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she drank down the rest of her tea, desperate for the warmth.
She was just being mean now, she scolded herself. So the guy was creepy, and so he was short. That didn't mean he was a sick psycho killer, did it?
She was brought out of her thoughts by footsteps in the hallway. Jet plodded into the room, rubbing her eyes, and heading strait for the fridge. He opened it and reached inside, pulling out the milk carton and finishing it off. Then he closed it up and stuck it back inside.
Julia chuckled. "Now we know who's guilty of doing that."
Jet nearly had to pull himself off the ceiling. "Jesus Christ, Julia." He placed his hand over his racing heart and then took up the spot on the couch next to her.
"Do you have any idea how annoying it is to reach for the milk and have to carton empty?"
"Do you have any idea how annoying it is to nearly shit your pants in the middle of the night?"
Julia chuckled and leaned back into the cushions of the couch. "Sorry." She continued to pet Morris, who purred happily with her doing so.
"Why are you up this late?" Jet asked her softly, he himself reclining into the worn down fabric of the couch. "Still thinking about today, or do you have other things on your mind?"
Her hand paused in the air for a second. "Jet, did Spike ever talk about me?"
"Sure. I mean, not a lot, but…" He looked at Julia's hurt expression. "Ah, I mean, you know Spike… He was real secretive about stuff."
"When he did talk, what did he say?"
Shifting a little uncomfortably, Jet cleared his throat. "Well… there was that whole thing about you being a liar and crushing him, and well, you know how Spike over exaggerated sometimes and uh, are you sure you want to know, I mean we could talk about something else for a bit." She smiled at him gently, gesturing for him to continue. He sighed. "He was still completely in love with you, well…"
"Until Faye." She finished softly for him. He nodded softly in agreement. "What were they like together?"
He gave her another look of hesitance, and she smiled. "I promise not to go into a fit of rage."
"Well," He began. "It was a secret at first. I didn't know for weeks. But when I suspected something, I confronted them, and they both denied it. Damn liars, both of 'em, I knew it was the truth. After a while, they stopped sneaking around like a couple of kids, and acted like a real couple. They made a great pair. Racked up bounties like you wouldn't believe. There would be times when he would just sit and stare at her, like he was studying her, permanently trying to capture her in his mind. He looked like a lovesick goon, if you ask me. I'd tease him about it sometimes, and he'd tell me there was nothing more beautiful than a woman you knew could bust your balls." He shrugged. "Call me crazy, but I don't really find that attractive."
Julia smiled again, though this time it was more of a sad smile. "He really loved her, didn't he?"
"Yeah… but not enough to stay." He looked at Julia. "I've never seen Faye more broken than the day he left. She tried to hide it behind her cool, uncaring persona, but deep down it was killing her. Knowing he was walking into his death, especially after he had left to find you."
"But when he came for me, I asked him to run away with me. He never gave me an answer. I think he would have come back for her, if I hadn't, well, 'died' ".
Jet shrugged. "Who knows." He reached over and gently patted her on her bare knee. "But you should move on, stop living in the past, start living for the future." He glanced down at his hand and blushed fiercely, pulling it back quickly. "Sorry."
Julia chuckled, and reached forward, taking his cool metal hand in her own. It looked so monstrous and cold under her small, soft fingers. "It's okay." She told him softly, allowing her fingers to drift up his arm with fascination. She had never seen it this close up before, it was an older model, but still a fascinating piece of machinery. Tentatively, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and leaned in to rest her head on it. Soft strands of gold drifted down over her face as she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
Jet looked down on her quietly, and with his other hand, gently brushed the hair from her face.
"Good night Julia."
Chapter 2 part 2
I'll be your chauffeur on a midnight drive
It takes a miracle just to survive
Buried animals call your name
You keep on sleeping
Through the poignant rain
I think we're going crazy
Her left eye is lazy
She looks so Israeli
Nicotine and gravy
I'll feed you fruit that don't exist
I'll leave graffiti
Where you've never been kissed
I'll do your laundry
Massage your soul
I'll turn you over
To the highway patrol
I think we're going crazy
Things don't even faze me
Her left eye is lazy
Nicotine and gravy
Miracles amaze me
She looks so Israeli
Love the way she plays me
I think I'm going crazy
I don't want to die tonight
I don't want to die tonight…..
--Beck
"Nicotine and Gravy"
Chapter 3
Faye struggled with her bags as they exited the final store, Edward zipping before her, dancing around random people who passed by on the crowded street.
All in all, the day hadn't turned out so bad. She and Ed had bought a bra (which was why Jet was so adamant that Faye take Ed, and not himself). After that, they got ice cream and followed it up with some additional shopping, which brightens up any day. If only this blasted town had a casino, the day would have been perfect.
She watched the red mop of hair before her pop up and down through the people, many of which cast strange glances down at the girl dancing around them. Faye smiled, adjusting the bags in her arms. Sure, Ed could be a little annoying sometimes, but she was a good kid. Faye stopped suddenly, her eyebrow quivering. Had she really just thought that? Shaking her head, she sighed. She was getting mushy in her old age.
The shop window to her left caught her eye. A big neon sign of an eyeball and the word 'psychic' flashed repeatedly, drawing her to plaster her face against the window. Inside the dimly lit room, she could barely see lit candles and fabric draped luxuriously from the ceiling.
"Hey Ed!" She called towards the crowd, hardly taking her eyes from the shop. "We're going in here for a bit."
Pushing open the door, she was hit by a wave of sweet smelling smoke and strange old music. The bells above her jingled lightly, acknowledging her presence, as Edwards slammed into her back.
"Faye-Faye, what are we doing?"
"You're going to wait over there," Faye told her, pointing to some floor pillows that were gathered in the corner of the room. "And I'm going to--"
"Welcome child." Said an old, sand papery voice beside her. Faye jumped, and faced the old withered woman. She was dressed in beautiful robes, the color of rich brandy, and she could hardly see through the wrinkles that surrounded her eyes. Her sagging skin turned up around her lipless mouth to resemble a smile.
"Sorry to frighten you." She folded her knarled hands together across her beautiful robe. "I tend to walk softly. Is there something you've come to ask me?"
Faye leaned back slightly as the old woman circled her, the light tinkle of her anklet of bells drifting through the air.
"A question about my future." Fay managed to choke out.
The old crone smiled again. "Don't you mean the future of another?" A blush came over Faye, as she nodded slightly. Suddenly the old woman's head snapped towards Ed.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" She hollered.
Edward, paralyzed by fear, fell backwards, dropping the gold incense burner onto the ground.
The woman turned back to Faye and gently took her hand. They felt like old, wrinkled leather to her touch. "What the heart seeks, the mind destroys. Follow your soul, and the two will compromise. 300 wulong please."
"300 wulong?! You didn't even tell me anything! You could have gotten that out of a fortune cookie for all I know!" Reaching over, she grabbed the back of Ed's shirt and the rest of her bags. "C'mon Ed, we have to get back to the ship." Edward waved at the old woman, still a little dazed, as Faye stormed out the door, dragging her behind.
The woman sighed and pushed open the curtain leading to the back room. She sat at a low table and picked up her chopsticks. Sighing again, she held up a small strip of paper and reread it.
"I really thought it would work this time."
* * *
After putting everything away (mainly hiding all the stuff she bought and didn't want Jet to find out about) and leaving Edward to figure out the bra (with some help from Julia, of course), Faye leaned against the Hammerhead as Jet continued to work. He remained shoulder deep in the machine until Faye knocked on the side. A loud 'thump' then a 'damn it', came before Jet emerged, rubbing the back of his head.
"What is it Faye?" He asked irritably, dropping a wrench in his toolbox and picking up a smaller one.
"Just wanted you to know we were home."
He grunted and nodded. "How did… IT go?"
A smile came to Faye's mouth despite how she tried to hide it. "We found her a bra."
The same bright red shade returned to Jet's face, as he coughed and practically dove into the ship again. "Good."
Silence fell over them for a while. The only sounds that echoed the room were the metal tinkering noises made by Jet working. It was funny, for the first time, Faye felt completely at ease with the man who she thought hated her. Deep down, she knew he didn't. There were too many times he'd saved her, too many times he'd fixed her ship without payment. Too many unspoken words of comfort after Spike left.
Slowly, she slid down the side of the ship to the bench Jet had set up for himself to stand on, wrapping her arms around her legs. How absurd was it that after all this time, she was realizing what a value he was to her?
"Hey Jet." She said softly.
He must have still known she was there, because this time there was no thump and no curse. He simply backed out of the ship, just enough to see her.
Faye continued to look ahead, recapping in her mind, all the times Jet had proven himself a partner, a companion, and a friend to her. The words struggled to form on her tongue, but they evaporated as soon as they reached her lips.
A warm, callused hand covered her shoulder. She looked up at the tall, burly man, and for the first time in ages, he gave her a soft smile. No words needed to be said; expression portrayed emotion better anyway. But as usual, all touching moments were interrupted on the Bebop.
Ed tore through the hanger; her bra tied to her head like a pilot's cap as she zoomed by the two, making gun noises. Julia chased after her, breathlessly.
"Ed, that's not how you wear it!" She attempted to catch up with the hyper 'pilot', but fell behind as they ran back into the living quarters of the ship again.
Faye blinked as Jet turned another shade of red.
"I'm gonna take a nap."
"I gotta finish this."
They stated at the same time, Faye standing and Jet leaning back into his ship.
* * *
Julia trailed her fingers around the brim of her sweating martini glass. This was one of the worst bounties she and Faye had ever gotten stuck with. The pulsating music was so loud she could almost feel her organs vibrating in her chest. She glanced over at her dark haired partner, who seemed lost in her own thoughts at the moment. It had been six months since she had joined the Bebop crew, and somehow she and Faye had become best friends. Granted, they weren't like the best friends she had in junior high. She and Faye didn't sit around listening to the new cutest boy group, painting each other's nails and giggling about their latest crushes.
Her lip tucked up into her cheek in a small smile. After all, it'd be hard to talk about the same guy with out getting jealous. After the night she had made a fool of herself by asking Faye things that were none of her business, she decided to never mention it again. Faye couldn't have minded, she never said anything either. And so they decided to live in ignorant bliss. It was the one subject that could possibly ruin this teaming that fate had decided to bring together, and neither of them wanted to test that.
She was brought out of her thoughts as Faye stood from her stool at the bar. "I'll be right back." She told her, and headed through the crowd.
Julia watched her blandly before she looked back at the annoying neon sign that hung above the bar, boredom consuming her again. She glanced in the mirror, just in time to see a scrawny, short guy step up beside her and push up his glasses with his index finger. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She groaned. This guy was going to ask her to dance. Making an attempt to scramble away, she grabbed her glass and started to lean in the other direction, hoping to dodge his finger before it tapped her on the shoulder. But she felt a cold poke anyway.
"Miss," The little drunken man slurred, leaning against the bar beside her. Slowly she turned to him, and managed to plaster a smile on her face. Her grinned back at her, his little eyes squinting up behind his thick glasses. At that one second she had the mental image of a mole, peeking through a hole in the ground, grinning up at her. "I've been watching you." He stated, swaying a little, sloshing the liquid in his glass around.
A chill raced up her spine at his creepy sentence. And then she managed to calm herself, she was being ridiculous, all this drunken guy wanted was someone to talk to.
She felt someone grip her arm. Faye nearly yanked her off of the stool as she began dragging her through the dance floor. "She just left! I ran into her in the bathroom." Julia noticed that the out fit Faye had picked out for their night on the town had a big gash out of the left shoulder.
Glancing back, she saw the little man wave and call something to her, just as the crowd filled in, blocking him from sight.
"I'll be seeing you!"
Julia shivered and caught up with Faye, feeling fortunate she had to hunt down a bounty instead of talking to him for another second.
They burst through the doors into the cold, blistering air of night. Faye ran after the bounty immediately, while Julia found herself slacking behind a little, still disturbed by the weird little man at the bar. Shaking her head, she cleared herself of those thoughts and caught up with Faye. A bullet buzzed past her head and she dove for cover behind a wall, Faye bend down next to her, gasping of air. Julia cocked her gun, tense and ready to shoot. She jumped out form the wall to fire a few shots, before she took cover again as the bullets were returned.
Quickly she glanced at Faye. "What happened to your lip?"
Fiercely, Faye wiped the blood from her mouth and straightened up. "The bitch hit me with a plunger."
Julia stared at her, not really believing what she had just heard and biting down on her lower lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. "A plunger?"
Faye gave her a nasty glance. "What, you think that's funny?"
Julia coughed in her fist and attempted to keep a strait face. "No, of course not." She raised her gun again, ready to shoot again. But this time, when she shot, nothing was fired back.
She glanced at Faye, who returned her look. Carefully they both peered around the corner.
"Shit." Faye said softly, standing up and walking out form the cover of the wall. Before her lay their bounty, nearly shredded into thousands of strips, in a heap on the ground.
Julia, in complete awe, holstered her gun, staring at the grotesque scene before her.
"How…"
Faye looked around, suddenly aware that they might be being watched. "Maybe we should get out of here." She looked to Julia, who was now standing over the body.
"How could this have happened? We were right there. Only a few seconds had passed since she fired back at me…" Her stomached lurched slightly, but she managed to keep her lunch down. She placed her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. "This is so gross."
"She looks like beef jerky." Faye said idly, mainly to herself. Of course that was enough to send Julia, tripping forward, to empty the contents of her stomach behind the wall.
Faye groaned, turning away from the entire scene. Why was it that whenever they saw something even remotely gross, Julia always had to go barf in the distance somewhere?
A terrified scream came from behind the wall, and Faye found herself leaping over the pile of mulched body, ready to shoot whoever was attacking Julia. Instead, she found Julia there alone, her hand covered in blood, a horrified look on her face. Faye looked up to the wall, and, if she were a screamer, she would have belted out a screech that would have deafened Julia's. There was a message smeared in blood on the wall, just like at the hotel.
" 'Sinners pay for their evil deeds.' " It came out of her as a breathless, hollow whisper. She could feel the blood draining from her face as she took a step back, ready to run. Never before had she felt like so scared and disturbed by a series of events. "Julia, let's go."
Julia, a little calmer now, but still not capable of words, nodded and kneeled, quickly trying to clean her hands in the snow.
"Now." Faye said weakly, in an almost begging breath. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. It was disgusting, the way she was acting, like a child. A cry baby. But as soon as Julia stood, they both ran the fastest either had ever run before, jumping into their ships and taking off without hesitation.
* * *
Julia sat alone on the couch later that night, sipping on some hot tea, and staring into the darkness of the ship. She was too shaken with the memories of the day to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw that poor woman's body, shredded into a pile on the concrete. She shivered and gulped down a warm mouthful of tea to warm herself.
She felt something warm and furry brush against her legs and she smiled, leaning down to pat Morris on the head. He purred in response and jumped up to curl himself in her lap. She pet him in a daze, her mind too distracted to concentrate on him right now.
How was it possible that she could have been murdered in such a horrific way, in such a short time? And why had she and Faye seen both of these grotesque crimes, even when they were committed on different planets?
'I've been watching you.'
The words of the scary little man at the bar made her entire body freeze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she drank down the rest of her tea, desperate for the warmth.
She was just being mean now, she scolded herself. So the guy was creepy, and so he was short. That didn't mean he was a sick psycho killer, did it?
She was brought out of her thoughts by footsteps in the hallway. Jet plodded into the room, rubbing her eyes, and heading strait for the fridge. He opened it and reached inside, pulling out the milk carton and finishing it off. Then he closed it up and stuck it back inside.
Julia chuckled. "Now we know who's guilty of doing that."
Jet nearly had to pull himself off the ceiling. "Jesus Christ, Julia." He placed his hand over his racing heart and then took up the spot on the couch next to her.
"Do you have any idea how annoying it is to reach for the milk and have to carton empty?"
"Do you have any idea how annoying it is to nearly shit your pants in the middle of the night?"
Julia chuckled and leaned back into the cushions of the couch. "Sorry." She continued to pet Morris, who purred happily with her doing so.
"Why are you up this late?" Jet asked her softly, he himself reclining into the worn down fabric of the couch. "Still thinking about today, or do you have other things on your mind?"
Her hand paused in the air for a second. "Jet, did Spike ever talk about me?"
"Sure. I mean, not a lot, but…" He looked at Julia's hurt expression. "Ah, I mean, you know Spike… He was real secretive about stuff."
"When he did talk, what did he say?"
Shifting a little uncomfortably, Jet cleared his throat. "Well… there was that whole thing about you being a liar and crushing him, and well, you know how Spike over exaggerated sometimes and uh, are you sure you want to know, I mean we could talk about something else for a bit." She smiled at him gently, gesturing for him to continue. He sighed. "He was still completely in love with you, well…"
"Until Faye." She finished softly for him. He nodded softly in agreement. "What were they like together?"
He gave her another look of hesitance, and she smiled. "I promise not to go into a fit of rage."
"Well," He began. "It was a secret at first. I didn't know for weeks. But when I suspected something, I confronted them, and they both denied it. Damn liars, both of 'em, I knew it was the truth. After a while, they stopped sneaking around like a couple of kids, and acted like a real couple. They made a great pair. Racked up bounties like you wouldn't believe. There would be times when he would just sit and stare at her, like he was studying her, permanently trying to capture her in his mind. He looked like a lovesick goon, if you ask me. I'd tease him about it sometimes, and he'd tell me there was nothing more beautiful than a woman you knew could bust your balls." He shrugged. "Call me crazy, but I don't really find that attractive."
Julia smiled again, though this time it was more of a sad smile. "He really loved her, didn't he?"
"Yeah… but not enough to stay." He looked at Julia. "I've never seen Faye more broken than the day he left. She tried to hide it behind her cool, uncaring persona, but deep down it was killing her. Knowing he was walking into his death, especially after he had left to find you."
"But when he came for me, I asked him to run away with me. He never gave me an answer. I think he would have come back for her, if I hadn't, well, 'died' ".
Jet shrugged. "Who knows." He reached over and gently patted her on her bare knee. "But you should move on, stop living in the past, start living for the future." He glanced down at his hand and blushed fiercely, pulling it back quickly. "Sorry."
Julia chuckled, and reached forward, taking his cool metal hand in her own. It looked so monstrous and cold under her small, soft fingers. "It's okay." She told him softly, allowing her fingers to drift up his arm with fascination. She had never seen it this close up before, it was an older model, but still a fascinating piece of machinery. Tentatively, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and leaned in to rest her head on it. Soft strands of gold drifted down over her face as she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
Jet looked down on her quietly, and with his other hand, gently brushed the hair from her face.
"Good night Julia."