A.N.: Uh, I tend to babble so just read the summary and that should (though prob'ly won't) take care of questions before I go off into a rant about stuff you don't care about.

Disclaimer: No, Bebop is not mine, nor is the story The Monkey's Paw. I have no idea who to credit that to. If you do, then bravo, you're smarter than me. Have some champagne and toast your vast intelligence.

~~Aboard the Bebop~~

Losing a loved one is hard for any human being. The pain is enormous and is about as hard to shake off as a whining child clinging to a parent's leg. Everyday is empty and feels false or off like a dream. To Jet, the worst part about losing Spike was he wasn't even sure Spike had felt the same about him. Would he have cared if it were him or Faye who'd left forever? Well, Faye left all the time.

But Spike's thoughts were never exactly and open book to Jet. Spike had been a predictable, "test the water with both feet", act-now-ask-questions- later, kind of guy, but Jet never really knew what he was thinking.

The ex-cop had scrubbed the windows so much he was surprised he hadn't worn holes in them. The glass could bear his reflection permanently with all the time he spent staring out of it. He'd even found himself standing in Spike's bedroom doorway just gazing about at his things; the small beside lamp collecting dust, the few books on his desk, his ruffled unmade bed sheets getting colder and colder from his absence.

Spike is not coming back.

And as much as Jet hated it, he told himself that everyday.

~~

After a month of mourning; a month of silent tears, melancholy tones, and a dead-on-the-inside woman lying on the couch all day everyday, Jet had to get out and do something. He seemed obligated to have Faye go with him as well. After all, she hadn't said a word since Spike left.

Coasting easily into a harbor on Ganymede and settling the rusty ship into the water, Jet parked the Bebop and cut the engines; their revved up turbines slowed to a low hum. Jet, with a gloom-ridden Faye stepped out onto the ship's deck and slowly made their way across it to the dock's creaking wood planks.

Faye shuffle dragged her boots across the ground barely able to summon the willpower to walk. Her head hung dejectedly all the time and she would have felt how stiff her neck was if she ever cared to notice. Jet meanwhile, was trying to think of something that would cheer her up; something that would take her mind off Spike, even if only for a few hours.

Shopping! That's it! She loves to spend money; especially when it's not hers. And today Jet was willing to let his wallet deflate tremendously if just to see her smile.

Ganymede wasn't exactly a ritzy place but there were interesting shops adorning the street lines. One in particular caught his eye but he wanted to make sure Faye didn't drop right there in the street once he stopped supporting her by the arm. Faye still didn't say anything but she did lift her head to look about and survey her surroundings. Jet noticed a clothing store several yards away so he led her over. She began to stand on her own, as they stepped into the dimly lit shop. The old wood paneling gave off a piney scent, and the warm glow from braziers along the walls offered a warm cozy feeling.

"You can have whatever you want," Jet said, "Today is your day."

Faye stood before one rack though not making any move to inspect the wares. Jet stayed there for a moment suddenly feeling very shallow.

'What was I thinking?,' he said to himself, 'Like a new dress was gonna make her brighten like the sun.'

He shook his headed. But before he could continue to mentally berate himself, Faye spoke. It was so soft and low that he almost missed it.

"Thank you, but I'm fine."

The gruff man was still, thinking rapidly of something to say, then Faye turned and faced him, a flicker of a smile on her lips, "You don't have to do this, but I appreciate the gesture."

Then she slowly stepped past him and exited the shop. Jet stood dumbfounded for a moment before following after.

Faye meandered down the street, bowing her head politely at people as they passed by. Jet stayed a few paces behind her still hesitant to approach, unsure of what to say. He took in a breath and was about to offer her lunch when she suddenly deviated from her path and headed over to a table whose surface was covered with all sorts of trinkets and oddities. Beaded necklaces and certain unidentifiable things hung from the booth's canopy. The vendor, a wrinkled old man with glittering eyes watched Faye with a smiled as she picked up and scrutinized a certain uniquely decorated Faberge egg.

Jet joined her side and also inspected the old man's wares. It seemed like he had everything one would think they'd find hidden under couch cushions or in an attic or forgotten room. He had coins of a mint that Jet couldn't begin to recognize. He had books of languages Jet had never known existed. There were pewter figurines, and jewels, and miniature sculptures of animals from different planets and dwellings set about on the scarlet silk table cloth.

A kind of flute lay near the far edge near Jet. He picked it up to inspect it and found it to be made of some odd substance. Something not normally used to make musical instruments. He was tempted to try a note on it when the vendor, in a surprisingly deep and clear voice said, "That flute is centuries old. It is made from the arm bone of a certain thief who was careless with his last steal. Very powerful notes played with that flute. The thief was beheaded soon after on a whim by the lord whose property the man took."

'Arm bone?' Jet gagged inwardly at the thought of putting his lips on it and quickly returned it to the table.

"You certainly have a lot of odds and ends here." Faye's voice was quiet and slightly strained from lack of use. It still was dreary and her eyes still had little luster, but it seemed her mind had left the memory of Spike momentarily.

The vendor grinned up at her from his seat, "Yes, there is something for everyone at my table."

Jet thought he heard a hidden meaning behind the man's words, but he didn't ask what. Instead, he noticed a paw of an animal slightly to his left laying on the table and picked it up in disgusted curiosity.

"Something for everyone, huh?" Faye repeated. Her hands hovered over the figurines, her fingertips brushing them lightly until a certain object caused her to stop suddenly. A small doll, hand stitched, with brown button eyes lay slumped against a stack of books. It had a blue jacket and pants, but what caused Faye to stare in disbelief at the doll she now held in her palm, was the tuft of green hair on its head.

Jet was holding the animal paw when he noticed the doll Faye had. The words 'what the hell?' formed on his mouth but no sound came out. Faye murmured, "Impossible.."

The vendor's eyes glimmered and he repeated, "There's something for everyone at my table."

Before Jet could say anything to her, Faye slapped some money down on the table and said, "I'll take it." The vendor smiled and nodded as she turned and steadily ambled her way down the street staring transfixed at the doll in her hands.

Jet watched her go, shocked at what he had seen. He was brought out of his stupor when the old man said, "Ah, the monkey's paw. A strange and mysterious object no doubt."

"Huh?," Jet turned back to the man, the paw laying in his palms.

The vendor continued, "That paw you hold grants wishes. Five to be exact. One for each claw. You may wish whatever you please, but remember," he held up a finger in warning, "each wish has its consequences. You must think hard before you make one."

Jet hadn't really thought of buying the weird and quite creepy object, but the vendor's explanation of its power surprised him.

'Grants wishes? Like a genie? Is that possible?' Jet wasn't sure what to think. He wasn't a sucker for scams, but as he looked into the old man's eyes he thought he saw sincerity. Jet found himself placing some money on the table unconsciously and slowly making his way after Faye.

As the old man collected both Jet and Faye's money he called after the ex- cop, "Remember, be careful what you wish for."

~~

Both Jet and Faye ended up back at the ship. Their shopping spree goal fizzled out and deflated by their encounter with that strange man. Faye couldn't get over the doll she now possessed that held a striking resemblance to her fallen comrade, and Jet wasn't sure what to do with his animal foot; it's black fur worn and patched in places.

Jet leaned on the rail across from Faye who sat on the couch. 'Grants wishes'. He just couldn't stop thinking that over and over. 'It's just not possible'. He stared blankly at it until Faye happened to finally notice what Jet had purchased.

"What the hell is that?" She got up gently and went to stand before him.

Jet sighed, "The guy said it grants wishes."

Faye cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah? But what is it?"

He held it up by a claw, "A monkey's paw."

Faye recoiled with an obvious look of disgust; her nose wrinkled, "Don't put that thing in my face. Yeck, you can keep your diseased monkey foot. I'm gonna go to bed."

It took a moment for Jet to realize Faye's old attitude had returned for a minute there as he glanced up at her retreating figure.

He huffed and shoved off the railing. Stuffing the monkey paw in his pocket he headed through the hatch door to the garage to do some maintenance work on the Redtail and Hammerhead.

~~

Evening rolled around quickly as the Bebop rocked gently back and forth in the harbor. Faye had been asleep for all Jet knew who had in fact been working the entire afternoon. Wiping grease off his hands on a rag, Jet felt his stomach grumble. Realizing how long it had been since the last time he ate, he shut his tool box and headed to the kitchen. As he passed through the lounge room, he saw Faye curled up on the couch with the doll tucked under her chin. Jet's brow furrowed in bewilderment at the doll, but continued to the kitchen. Upon opening the cabinets and fridge, he found there was next to nothing edible inside. His persistent stomach growled again. Jet knew he didn't have much money in the first place, which had bothered him earlier that day when trying to find a way to make Faye happy. Now they had no food. Disappointedly, he shut the cabinet and leaned against the counter. The paw in his pocket pressed against his hip reminding him of its presence.

Jet took it out and turned it this way and that observing its wiry, black hairs and wrinkled black skin. Its long fingers curved only slightly and its claws worn to dull points. Jet felt silly when thinking of actually using the paw to make a wish, but with Faye asleep and no one else around, he saw no real harm in humoring his curiosity.

Unsure of how to work it exactly, whether there was a certain way to hold it or an incantation to murmur, Jet hesitantly brought it close to his face and whispered, "I wish we had lots of food."

He yelped and dropped the paw as its wrinkled thumb curled to the palm.

Jet stood there practically huddled on the counter shaking slightly. Had that thing just moved on its own? It took him a long moment before he summoned the courage to pick the thing up again. On edge and expecting it to move again, Jet held it at a distance from himself. Then he gazed warily up at the cabinet behind his head. Setting the paw down on the counter, Jet took hold of the cabinet handles and, after gulping, he jerked them open.

An avalanche of food came tumbling out on top of him. It knocked him down and covered him from head to toe. The rumble jarred Faye from her sleep and she slowly got up from the couch to look in the kitchen. There she found a mountain of food flowing out of all the cabinets; the fridge door had even flung open and milk, eggs, meats, and jugs of drinks spilled out.

"Jet!" she cried as she saw him pushing his way out from under the center of the pile. Removing a loaf of bread and box of pocky off of his face, she began to help dig him out. Once his upper body was uncovered, he took in gasps of air and stared about in as much shock as Faye.

"Jet, what the hell happened?! Where did all this come from?!" Faye eyes were wide thought they still had rings under them from sleep.

Jet coughed, "I dunno..all I did was-" he stopped. Remembering the paw, he shoved the rest of the weight off of his legs and pushed through the clutter on the counter to find where he'd left the object. It was there under a head of lettuce with its one folded finger. Faye pushed through and joined his side to observe the paw as well.

"What did you do?" Her voice wavered in fright under the shock. A paw that granted wishes? Any wish at all? It came to be a scary thought. Imagine the destruction if it fell into the wrong hands...

Jet babbled, "I don't know what happened, I just-it was just a harmless wish. It didn't think it would actually-but the man did warn me... but how is it possible?"

It took quite awhile for the two to accept what had befallen them. Faye snacked on a bag of chips while they both sat on the couch staring at the paw Jet had set on the table. Neither said anything. It was silent in the room except for Faye's munching.

Jet started thinking out loud again, "It just isn't possible. How? It doesn't make sense."

Faye held a blank look in her eyes as she said absently, "I'm gonna go see if we have any dip in the fridge.."

She got up and ambled into the kitchen. Neither of the two had bothered trying to "tidy up"; they knew it would be a wasted effort. All that food could never fit in the cabinets.

Jet just nodded and replied in the same tone, "I think I'll see what's on TV."

He flicked it on and the screen lit up. The news happened to be on and the headline report caught Jet's attention before he could change the channel.

*A local food shop was robbed today of every food item it held. Police are baffled at the crime as there are no witnesses or evidence to aid in who the culprits are. Owner of the Shop & Go food mart, Mr. Toshiro Masaki, tells of the ordeal:

"I had just gone into the back room for a moment and when I return, ev'ry shelf was empty."*

The report continued but Jet didn't hear it. He was staring at the monkey paw next to the screen. When he heard Faye returning, he quickly shut the television off and stood.

"I think we need to get rid of that thing," he said as she sat down.

Faye looked up at him, puzzled. "Hey, c'mon. Just because it actually works doesn't mean we should get rid of it. You don't just throw opportunities like this away!"

She set the bag of chips and jar of dip down and plucked the paw up from the table, "We could live like royalty with this thing!"

Jet shook his head and turned away, "No, it's dangerous. There are consequences-"

But he was cut off by Faye murmuring something. He spun around in time to see her holding the paw and saying, "I wish I had a billion woolongs."

"No!" Jet cried but it was too late. A second finger of the paw curled to the palm; Faye jumped and held it away from herself. Jet snatched it from her grasp. "Do you realize what this thing can do?!" he yelled.

Faye smirked, "Yeah, make me rich."

At that moment a voice came out over a loud speaker:

"WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS. DO IT QUIETLY OR WE'LL BE FORCED TO SHOOT."

Jet and Faye stood stalk still staring wide eyed at each other. Finally, Jet willed himself to move. Stuffing the paw in his pocket he headed out to the deck to see what was going on; Faye followed quickly behind. Upon stepping outside, a spotlight shot down on them from the sky above. An aircraft with ISSP clearly written on the side, hovered over them; and officer with a bullhorn called down, "Put your hands where we can see them!"

There were about thirty other cops surrounding them, all armed with their guns pointed at the two. On reflex they both did as they were told and raised their arms. Two officers stepped forward and cuffed them. As Jet and Faye were led to an ISSP vehicle, they watched as several other cops went into the Bebop and emerging with several bulging bags in their hands. One bag's contents spilled over and the two could see the cash fluttering out and onto the deck.

As the door was shut in Jet's face as he sat next to Faye in the back seat, neither could form words at the scene that had just played out before them.

~~

The jail cell was small and dank. It smelled of mold and concrete along with various rodent and body odors. Faye sat lightly on the edge of the cot while Jet leaned moodily against the wall. Neither had said anything since they had gotten there, and the only sound was a distant dripping of who knows what kind of liquid.

Faye's nose wrinkled at a new stench that reached her nostrils and sighed loudly in frustration. Looking up at Jet she finally said, "Okay, so I should have listened to you."

Jet eyes were closed, his arms were crossed. When she spoke, his jaw clenched, but he didn't respond.

Faye sneered, "I just apologized you do realize."

Jet's already short fuse ended. "Well, I hate to say 'I told you so', but- wait a minute-no I don't!" His tone was harsh as his eyes flung open and he glared at the woman before him, "Thanks to you, they think we robbed a casino! We are probably gonna spend the rest or our lives behind bars!" Faye rolled her eyes and looked away, but Jet continued, "But hey, Faye, at least you got your billion woolongs; you even had it for two whole minutes!" He said the last with extra sarcasm. "I hope it was worth your life, Faye, 'cause that's what we're gonna get when the judge gets through with us!"

Faye was about to mumble something about his grand 'waste of food wish' when her eyes brightened. She sat up straight, "Hey, why don't you just use that monkey appendage to wish us outta here?!"

The idea hadn't even occurred to Jet, but he did, in fact, still have the thing in his pocket. Reaching in and pulling it out, he held it out in front of himself warily.

Faye stood excitedly, "There you go! Wish us outta here!"

Jet drew the paw back out of her reach, "Wait a minute. This might take some thought. If I just wish us back onto the Bebop, they might think we escaped and hunt us down again." He paced slowly toward the opposite wall in deep thought.

Faye, becoming impatient, said, "Then wish that my wish never came true or something!"

Jet turned to her, "We have to be careful. Anything could have a bad outcome. If I wish that this never happened, we would be changing the past. And that's never good."

"It's good when it involves your freedom, Jet." Faye said through clenched teeth.

He ignored her and went back to thinking. Finally, he stopped pacing, took a deep breath and said, "I wish that Faye and I would be found innocent on all the charges."

Another finger curled on the paw and footsteps could be heard coming toward them from down the corridor. A guard and a man in a suit soon stood before their cell. The man in the suit said, "Finger prints and eyewitnesses have proven a man by the name of Marcus Qualar guilty of stealing the money from the casino. He was taken into custody where he confessed to hiding the money on your ship unbeknownst to you, therefore proving your innocence." The guard unlocked the door and held it open for the two. As they stepped out the man continued, "We apologize deeply for the misunderstanding. The guard will escort you out."

And so Jet and Faye followed the guard and man down the cold jail hall lined with cells back out to the lobby. There, Jet and Faye passed by a man handcuffed sitting at a desk. A bewildered look in his eye made it seem like he had no idea what he was doing there. When he saw the pair pass he began to plead to the officers, "Please, I didn't steal all that money. I don't know how it happened! I don't even know why I confessed; I couldn't control my words! Please, you've got to believe me!"

Jet held the door open for Faye as they stepped out into the cold night leaving the poor man behind to the mercy of the justice system.

~~

Upon returning to the Bebop, the two remained at a slight distance from each other. Jet still had the paw in his possession. He held it in his hand observing the two remaining extended claws. Two remaining wishes. He sighed. 'If I have a right mind I would just toss it in the garbage disposal.'

Faye sat on the couch staring at nothing when she turned her gaze down to the doll with the green hair laying there next to her. A spark went off in her mind. She slowly stood. "Jet," she called, her voice was eerily calm and her tone oddly normal, "may I please see that paw for a moment?"

Jet turned back to her, his brow wrinkled in puzzlement then anger, "I think you've done enough damage with this thing. There are only two wishes left, and they shouldn't be wasted."

"Two wishes...," Faye murmured, "That should be enough."

She turned to the man and said, "Jet, give me the paw. I just want to see it. Please?"

She stepped over to him and smiled with a pleading look, "I won't make any wishes; I just want to look at it."

"I'm not giving you the paw, Faye."

Faye suddenly snapped. She lunged at him taking the man completely by surprise, but years of ISSP training aided him in dodging her and flinging her down. The jolt from the fall seemed to bring Faye back to her senses and she calmed herself. She picked herself up along with any dignity she had left and exited the room.

Jet didn't know what came over her, and frankly he didn't care. That paw was causing more trouble than it was worth. As he stood there next to the couch trying to catch his breath, he smelled something foul. The realization hit him as he glanced towards the kitchen that they had left all that food sitting out. The eggs and milk and all other refrigerated items must have gone bad. He sighed, pocketed the appendage and headed for clean up.

It took quite awhile to actually straighten up the kitchen and wipe up the melted ice cream and throw out everything that was no longer edible. Jet became so distracted in the work that he didn't notice Faye come up behind him. Using the butt of her gun Faye knocked Jet in the back of the head. He fell forward and hit the floor with a thud and lay unconscious. Faye searched his pockets till she found the paw.

She stared at it greedily as she walked back out to the lounge where the doll waited on the couch. She picked it up lovingly and hugged it close to her. Then turning her attention to the paw murmured her desire, "I wish Spike would come back."

With that, the fourth finger of the paw curled.

Jet moaned as he rubbed the gradually ebbing pain in his head. He stood shakily and stepped out into the lounge where he saw, to his horror, Faye standing there holding the monkey's paw that now only had one claw left. Panicked he dashed over to her yelling, "What did you do?! What did you wish?!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her causing her to drop both the paw and the doll. Jet stopped and picked up the items. As he looked at the doll, lightening outside flashed and a sudden roar of thunder jolted both of them almost out of their skin. The wind outside of the coming storm howled as Jet realized what Faye wished for.

~~

The shuffle of worn shoes could be heard in the empty streets of the harbor town. His jacket cut and torn, dried mud falling off his clothes like the dirt on the roots of a weed pulled from the earth. His steps were slow and gradually; never slowing or increasing in speed. One leg dragged slightly as the other led. The wind picked up carrying the rain at an almost horizontal slant. His long coat was whipped about his legs. His green hair was blown into his eyes; despite the weather conditions, he made a steady line toward the dock. Toward the Bebop.

He was tired. His head felt light, his eyes and mouth were dry. He had trouble breathing and his abdomen hurt with every step. And he was cold, so very cold. The wind whirled and howled around him, and he felt dizzy. But he knew he had to keep walking. He didn't know where he was, but he knew where he was going. He was going to the Bebop. He was going home.

~~

Jet's mouth hung agape at the fuzzy green-haired doll. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. His voice low and shaky, Jet asked Faye, enunciating each word clearly, "What did you wish for, Faye?"

She stared at him, "You already know."

"No," Jet's voice went even lower, "What did you wish for _exactly_."

Faye crossed her arms and cocked a hip, "I said, 'I wish Spike would come back'."

Jet shut his eyes. His voice so low now it was a whisper, "What have you done?"

~~

Lightening flashed as he continued to the docks. He was soaked to the bone now. The rain ripping at him felt like hundreds of paper cuts, but he barely felt them. All he knew was he was almost home.

Stepping around the corner, the docks came into view, along with the Bebop. His eyes drooped. He was so tired, and so very cold. Soon he would be there. He would be home. But all he wanted was to rest. Why couldn't he just rest? He held one arm around his aching abdomen. 'Why do I hurt all over?' Withdrawing his hand for a moment, he found dried blood on it. Still his legs carried him on, one dragging slightly while the other led.

~~

Jet and Faye stood in the lounge arguing, their voices barely audible over the rumbling of thunder. Jet held both the doll and paw in his fists and was shaking one or the other at Faye with angry words. Neither of them paid attention to the storm; it only made them yell that much the harder. But the noise that seemed to out do it all was the echoing boom of someone knocking on the door hatch.

Both froze in mid sentence, neither making a sound or movement. Even the storm seemed to quiet. They waited, ears sharpened for the knock again. Three more booms of a fist on a metal door resounded throughout the Bebop.

The two stood there; their eyes staring anxiously in the direction of the door. Then Faye whispered, "He's finally come." And before Jet could react, she bolted toward the door, to where she knew he waited. Jet shot after her. He had to stop her before she opened that door.

"FAYE, WAIT! DON'T DO IT!" Jet's boots thudded on the metal floor. The thunder rumbled again and the boom on the door echoed in their ears.

Just as Faye reached the entrance, Jet grabbed her arms and yanked her back. She kicked wildly causing both of them to lose their balance and fall over. The doll and monkey's paw flew from Jet's hands and skittered across the floor.

Faye and Jet were a tangle of limbs, but Faye finally elbowed him in the gut causing him to gasp and let her go. She scrambled up, tripping and stumbling on her boot heels. Jet lay there desperately trying to reclaim his breath; as he rolled onto his side, he saw the paw only a few feet away. He swallowed the pain in his abdomen and crawled, scratching and grasping for it.

Faye's hands closed over the door handle just as Jet grab the paw and said, "I wish Spike were gone!"

The last finger curled in as Faye flung open the door. Both froze with anticipation. Faye was shocked with what she saw.

Only the rain.

Jet let out a huge sigh of relief as he groaned and picked himself up. He stepped over to Faye who sank down to the ground. There on the doorstep were two muddy footprints and neither of the two had any doubt who made them. The rain came down hard and within moments the footprints were washed away. Then Faye cried. She hadn't truly cried at all since Spike had first left. Now she rivaled the rain that came down.

Jet stepped tiredly over to her and knelt down beside her. Putting and arm around her shoulder, he cradled her close and rocked her gently. The two sat there together with the rain pouring down. Faye knew she could never have him back. Spike was never coming back.

~~

The days after were quiet, not really different than before. Faye was back to being melancholy and moping about the Bebop. Only now she had the little green haired hand-stitched doll clutched in her tight embrace.

Jet burned the monkey paw just to be safe. He didn't want it to fall into the hands of any other ever again.

The two had been working through the rest of the food they had left over from the first wish. Jet was back to washing windows as well.

And even though he still would tell himself Spike was never coming back. He didn't tell himself everyday.

~~The End~~

A.N.: Eh, hrmm. Once again, I take no credit for the monkey paw. That story was already existent. And if someone did this idea before me, well, sorry, I didn't know. I also don't take credit for that Spike doll. I've seen it in a lot of fanart, thought it was cute. Anyway, I hope I scared someone (jus' kiddin'. It probably ain't that scary), and, uh, have a nice day. :P