Shout outs:

Tyger-chan

wyndsong

Jahayme

Randall Flagg2 (Bagpipes have no effect on me- my grandfather is Scottish…try again! ;) )

Again, thanks to all for reviewing. If you didn't, I wouldn't have the interest to continue writing.

CHERRY TOMATO

Session Five

"Mmm … this has to be my most favourite time of the day." Faye poured a large amount of rose geranium scented bubble bath into the running water. Screwing the cap of the glass bottle back on, she placed it on the floor, and began kicking off her high-heeled boots.

The lighter of Spike's two-toned eyes was pressed against the keyhole in the door. What he was doing wasn't wrong, was it? A little bit? Sort of? Oh alright! It was disgustingly, disturbingly, utterly, and totally wrong. But did he care? No. Was he slightly turned on by the sight of his arch nemesis undressing? Maybe…ask again in a few minutes.

"Grrr…"

"Ssshhh! Dammit, Ein! Get away from my foot!"

Faye paused in scrubbing a leg.

"Huh?"

The master plan, the 'evil cookie' analogy, if you will- was crumbling quickly.

"OUCH! Rrrr! I'm going to kill you, Mutt!" There was a sliding noise, and a wave of warm, steamy air hit Spike's face. The jig was up.

"Heh…eh…crap."

With one eye twitching, Faye Valentine tightened the cord of her bathrobe.

"Looking for something?"

"Uhh…" Think! Think fast or you're a dead man! "The keys to my ship… I…think I left them in the bathroom."

"Spike Spiegel," Mist curled around Faye's ankles, where Spike was fearfully groveling, "You…you are… A SICK PEVERTED FREAK! DIEEE!" Poor Faye never again took a bubble bath. The sweet smelling glass bottle shattered on impact with Spike's head. As the bathroom door slammed shut, and Spike slid painfully down the corridor wall, he made an observation.

"That woman… is Satan in bunny slippers."

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"Uh, sir? Are you alright? You've been standing there for almost half the day." Jet slowly opened one eye, then the other.

"Hnn? Cadogen Doran? Is that you?" The young traffic cop blinked.

"Jet?" He sounded unsure, "Jet Black? From the Second Detective Unit?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Whoa. Long time, no see buddy." Cadogen tilted his cap upwards and clapped a friendly hand on Jet's back. "What brings you out to these neck of the woods?"

"…I don't know how to explain it in a way that would make sense, Cad." There was an awkward silence between them.

"Well, I get off my shift in a couple of minutes. Why don't we talk about it over a cup of coffee? I know a place."

Jet buried his hands in his trouser pockets and scuffed the ground with his boot.

"Thanks, that would be real nice."

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A well-fed and bathed Edward held her hands up above her head, and allowed Snap to pull a volumous blue tee shirt over her skinny body. They were in the apartment directly about the diner, which Snap rented pretty cheap from the owner.

"YAY! Tee shirt! Tee shirt!" Ed jumped all over the sofa bed in her delight. Snap threw a pillow, which knocked her flat.

"Enough of that, Ed-chan. You'll wake the entire neighborhood with that racket." Edward's sunny face looked as though it could melt a polar ice cap.

"Ok, Ed will…will…go to…" With a sloppily thrown salute, she fell like a cut tree onto the mattress. Snap came over and pulled the covers over her fondly.

"Sleep…" Ed snuggled, safe and warm into the pillow.

"Yeah, kiddo, you do that. Maybe tomorrow, we'll find out where you came from." And why your clothes were covered in blood.

Morning light filtered through the vinyl blinds of the apartment window. Somehow, Ed had ended up as a blanket covered lump on the floor. The lump shed its blanket cocoon and blinked sleepily.

"Snap-Snap-person?" Ed stood up. "Where are you?" She wandered over to the breakfast counter and discovered a white piece of paper, with funny looking words scrawled across it.

Good morning, Edward!

Sorry I'm not here, but I had to open the shop early. After you get dressed, come downstairs, and we'll get you some breakfast. Bacon and eggs sound good?

~Snap.

Ed threw her clothes off and changed in lightning speed. Following her abnormally sensitive nose, she crashed down the stairs three at a time and skidded to a halt in front of Snap.

"BREAKFAST!"

Laughing, Snap sat her down in a booth and handed her a plate.

"Yes, yes. Breakfast. Don't eat it too fast though, it's hot." Ed didn't seem to hear her as she began wolfing down the food, making small, chirping noises of enjoyment now and then. When she finished, she took her plate over to the counter and hugged Snap tightly around her stocking clad legs.

"THANK-YOU!" The older woman smiled.

"Would you like to stay around a while longer? I could use your help today- you're a great waitress!" Ed absorbed the complements like a sponge, and was eager for more.

"OKAY!" On went the apron. Notebook and pencil went in the apron pocket. Face was scrubbed clean…kinda. The happiest waitress in the known world fell about her work.

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Jet Black breathed deeply of the warm, friendly aromas drifting around his head. Cadogen slid into the seat opposite him and rustled a newspaper he'd picked up from a corner store. Jet watched him with an amused interest. The youngster always was one to keep up to date with things.

"What'll you guys take, so early in the morning?" A waitress bore down upon them with a pair of menus.

"Ah Snap, apple of my eye, and darling of my heart- two black coffees if you would be so kind?" Snap blushed and clipped Cadogen over the head good naturedly with her notepad.

"You, Master Doran, are getting too cocky for your own good."

"Don't be gone long, or I'll pine and waste away!" Cadogen's handsome features were crinkled in a grin.

Snap called over her shoulder,

"In that case, I'll take my time!" Jet laughed.

"I see you're still a heartbreaker?"

The other man placed his cap beside him and let his long dark fringe fall into his eyes.

"What can I say? They can't keep away from me."

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"Ed, honey?" Snap carefully poured hot water over two mugs containing ground coffee beans. "When you're done wiping down that counter, do you think you could take this tray over to booth number three?"

"Okey dokey, Snap-Snap!" Snap ruffled her hair.

"Thanks. But please be careful, okay? I'd hate for you to be burnt."

"Yes sir! Will be careful, sir!" Ed took the tray from the older woman and walked away, balancing it carefully.

"Booth number one! Number two…ah! Here we are, booth number three!" With an elegant leg, Ed presented the two steaming mugs to the booth's occupants.

Cadogen accepted his coffee gratefully.

"Jet? What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost!" It was true. Jet's face had turned a nasty grey colour. His mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. Ed looked up, a surprised smile on her face.

"Oh! Hi, Jet-person!" She was never given the chance to say anything else. Jet had passed out with a considerable crash on the floor.

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a/n 2: Please note that this is not the end of CT. There will be more sessions- I still have a lot of ground to cover regarding other aspects of this story. ^_^ So please, put away your torches and pitchforks and start reviewing!