Ugh....How do the Irish do it? How do they hold their liquor so well? Anyways, i've neglected my Cowboy Bebop story way too much.....so here ya go!

Wanted:Dead or Alive : Taking a Ride on the Crazy Train

Edward pleaded with her amber eyes in hopes that Jaxx would notice them and save the damsel in distress like a handsome prince was supposed to, or at least that was how Jet told the stories. Instead, Ed's handsome prince lay paralyzed in front of the door, debating whether to turn the cowgirl in or not. Edward paced behind his shoulder, nervousness consuming her very being.
"Oh to hell with it!! Edward doesn't have time for this!!" An annoyed giggle swept Jaxx's ears just as Ed grabbed for his hand and headed for the bedroom window. She smiled to herself as her childish wildness returned from such a long vacation. The front door was busted in just as Ed and Jaxx leapt out of the window and dropped to a floor of concrete and proceeded to run to the nearest ship; which just happened to be in Spike's possession.

A slow creak of a door's ungreased hinges brought Spike away from a deep sleep. He listened carefully for footsteps and reached for his gun when he caught the light pitter patter of intruders. He inched along the wall of the hallway, his senses on full alert. For all he knew, the murderer her thought he trusted could be in here. And there she was, standing in the middle of the kitchen, awaiting his presence. He cocked the gun and aimed at the defenseless woman. Why did this feel so wrong?
"Spike..."
"Save it." Ed made no effort to reach for the gun. If Spike was going to shoot her, he would have done it the moment her knew it was her.
"Spike. Come on now. You know me. You know I wouldn't do this."
"Maybe. But i've learned to expect the unexpected from you." A dark figure leaned against the wall, the small movement catching Spike's eye. He aimed his gun back and forth between the two, not knowing who to shoot. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I need to borrow your ship."
"Why ask for mine? There are others parked down there. And why ask me permission? I've seen you hotwire a ship before."
"It has sentimental value. Besides, i've never done anything but respect you. Why end that respect now?"
"Forget it. I can only be decieved once. And then you're on the top of my shit list." Edward nodded in agreement and then turned to hunt out another ship, pausing in the doorway.
"You've already been decieved by Miggs, yet you stay by her side. Don't let her decieve you a second time. Goodbye Spike-person. My cowboy..." Spike felt a twinge of guilt as the child he left behind peeked out through the woman she had become. He knew deep down that Ed was not capable of the horror committed earlier. Oh yeah...he felt the guilt now.
Jaxx shut the door behind them and followed Ed to the parking garage where several small ships lay, awaiting their faithful master. Ed slowly lifted the hatch of the purple one marked "The Duke".
"Are you just going to leave him to be tricked, or worse, killed?"
"Spike can handle himself. He's gotten into worse situations."
"This is killing the both of you."
"Spike was dead before I met him...." She kept the hatch open long enough for Jaxx to climb in and get comfortable. Ozzy burst through the speakers as the engine fired up and lifted off.

Edward and Jaxx made it to Jet's place early in the morning. He had just lifted the iron cage door that protected his precious bonsai store as Ed and Jaxx turned the corner. He smiled gently as the red haired woman bounced over to him and hugged him in a tight embrace. Jet had never married, so he had no children; with the exception of Ed. He motioned for them to enter his store and poured each one a cup of relaxing tea.
"So Miggs concocted all this?" Edward nodded.
"Yes. But I don't understand why..." Jet rubbed his roughly whiskered chin.
"So, she's slaughtered her co-workers and seduced Spike. That's believable. But why is she coming after you and the people you care about?"

"I don't know. To get closer to Spike maybe?" Jet continued to rub his chin.
"Possibly, but we just recently found out that he was alive at all." Jaxx remained silent, afraid to answer their suspicions.
"No, she was after Spike all along." Jet and Ed glanced up. Jaxx took a deep breath, then proceeded with his information towards their mystery. "Miggs is Vicious' kid sister. Ten years ago, Vicious and Spike destroyed each other, in hopes that it avenge each others thirst for one another's blood. I was sent to Miggs to tell her of her brother's death, only to be asked if she could join the Syndicate. I refused at first but gave in, only to leave there myself the next day. The way Miggs saw it, if she couldn't have Spike's blood, she would have those close to him instead."
"So, she stumbled upon me on purpose?" Ed's voice was trembling. How could she be fooled so easily into thinking that Miggs thought of her as a comrade. Jaxx nodded.
"Her co-workers were a set up. Or a way to erase her memories. She has also seduced Spike." Ed jumped up from her seat. The realization she had just come to was creating a sickening twist in her stomach.
"She couldn't have Spike....so she would have everyone dear to him. Everyone on the Bebop!! She's already sealed my fate..."Ed's amber eyes darted over to Jet, whom was sitting calmly and sipping at his tea.
"I'll be fine kiddo. Since when could a lil woman like Miggs take on a brute like me?"
"Faye..." Jet nodded and motioned towards "The Duke".
"Go...I can take care of myself..." Tears were beginning to flood her vision as she embraced the man she would've loved to call "Dad."
"Thank you. And please be careful Jet." Jet patted her crimson hair and regretfully nudged her back to the ship.

Faye wiped away a lone tear and sipped at her vodka on the rocks. How could she describe the eventful day she had? Awful? Yes, but not quite. Heartbreaking? Yes, but the loss of her husband was a blessing in disguise. Tragic? Now there was an idea. Tragic. That was the same word she had used to describe her meeting with the handsome Gren. It was also the same word she used to describe Spike's death. Tragic. Yes, today had been tragic. First she learned that the night after her tumble with those henchmen that had followed Ed, caused a night of bleeding for no reason. That is, until she visited her doctor and found out the bleeding wsa a result of a miscarriage. She came home a wreck, only wanting to be held by her dear husband and comforted by her loss....THEIR loss. Instead she came home to find her husband in bed with a waitress from her casino. *Note to self: Only hire married women or lesbians on my waitressing staff.*, Faye thought to herself as she poured herself another drink.
"At least I have my health," she said out loud before gulping down her newly poured drink.
"And even that won't last very long." Faye turned around to find a petite woman aiming a gun at Faye's heart.
"You're not my doctor, so I don't really want to hear your opinion." She groggily circulated bck to the bar, only to hear the click of a ready to fire weapon.
"I'm sorry it had to be like this..." Faye chuckled loudly at the girl's remark. She squinted her emerald eyes and faced the girl, her forhead leaning agaisnt the cool metal of the gun.
"Screw your apologies. Do you know how many times i've heard 'I'm sorry' today?"
"I see you welcome Death with open arms." Faye shrugged, her dark locks fluttering about by her cheeks.
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." Faye ducked as the woman fired, then rolling behind the bar to find her weapon. "You've got another thing coming if you think you can just kill me off!" The woman crouched at the end of the bar and fired, only to find a cloud of smoke where the casino owner once sat.
"Oh yes, that's right! You're a bounty hunter!" Faye growled under her breath.
"FORMER!!!!" She stood up from her hiding spot and fired a complete round. But the girl had vanished. "Dammit."
"Faye!!! Faye?" Faye quirked an eyebrow as Ed stood beside her, surprised to find her yelling at nothing. "Are you okay?" Faye scratched her head with the gun and sighed, trying her best to keep her patience.
"Do I look okay?! I lost a kid, lost my husband, and now I think i'm losing my mind! I SWEAR I just had a friggin blowout with this girl, yet she's not here!!! It was dark, and I have no idea what the damn chick looked like -"
"Miggs."
"What?"
"It was Miggs. But I think you may have scared her off." Faye collapsed against the bar and rolled a an ice cube across her skin.
"I need a vacation..."

"The Duke" landed in front of the bonsai shop with an eerie quietness. It was totaled. The shop, the trees, everything. Ed leapt out of the ship and stumbled over a broken window. Jaxx and Faye followed closely behind. Edward rummaged through the broken tables and shelves hoping that the betrayer had not gotten to Jet.
"Jet!! Please no...JET!!!" Tears were now streaming down her tanned cheeks, furthur reddening the red glow on her cheeks.
"Oh my...." The sound of grocery bags hitting the cement awoke Ed from her distress. She turned to find Jet on his knees and staring at his forsaken shop.
"Jet!! You're alive!!!"
"My shop.....what did that wench do to my shop?" Faye kneeled beside the former cop.
"It looks like....she blew it up...."
"My tree!!!! My babies!!!" Ed walked out of the blown up store and leaned up against her ship.
"She's got Spike wrapped around her finger....she came after Faye but failed. She thinks she's killed Jet. Now what?" She stared up at Jaxx, searching his face for answers yet he gave none away.
"Damn bitch blew up my shop...."

Next chapter: "Like a Prayer" The first part of the climax.