a/n: Thanks to all for waiting for this session, whether willingly, or no (the latter being the most likely case). Unfortunately, I can't spend all of my holidays sitting at the computer, typing away, dammit. Did most people have a nice holiday season? I GOT ZELDA-WINDWAKER ON GAMECUBE!!! *Phe hugs her gamecube game* ^_______________^

Spike: "…You need to get out more…" *Takes the game away*

Phe-chan: "NOOO!!" *Lunges on Spike with a vengeance *

Spike: "JET! HELP ME! IT'S TRYING TO…KILL ME!"

Jet: "That's nice." *Turns the page of a book *

The ugliness of that small scene aside, it's now time for some shout outs.

Urazz (I'm working, working working on sessions as much as I can. ^_^)

Senshichan14 ( ^_^() Thank-you very much)

Tyger and Darkdracofire ( *Cries * These two are on holidays, and I can't contact them!)

Night Skye Tears ( *Phe hands her a tissue* There…there. It won't all be sad)

Maelgwyn (Yes, being awake is overrated.)

Randall Flagg2 (No, they don't. I'll probably have some more S/F fluff later on…or maybe Faye will just drop her hairdryer in the tub when Spike's taking a bath. She seems capable of that…)

neo-merlin (Thanks for putting me on your favs list!)

Ancient Zoidian. (Never mind, at least you got around to reviewing at some point- I've been extremely slow in getting this session out…)

CHERRY TOMATO

Session Eight

"I don't believe this!" Jet snatched the ship impoundment notice from Faye and tore it into tiny pieces, letting them scatter all over the floor. "I have the right papers! Here, look at them!" Faye pushed the documents away from under her nose so she could read them.

"That's what I thought too. Then how come…?" The lower hull hatch shuddered. Someone was on the outside, pummeling it relentlessly.

Jet groaned. "Don't tell me!"

Spike looked up from a meal-sized snack of cup ramen. "What? What's going on?"

Ed rolled onto her back and waved her hands and feet in the air, squealing loudly, "YAY! Cad and Snap-Snap! Looky looky!" Punching numerous keys on her laptop computer's keyboard, she accessed the security camera. Snap and Cadogen were on the hatch step, hastily dressed in casual clothes. Cadogen kicked the steel hatch in frustration, then made a rude gesture at the camera as it zoomed in on him. Ed was ecstatic. She mimicked his movements to everyone in the room.

"DAMN HIM!" Jet clutched his head and roared, stomping through the living room and down towards the hull hatch. Now there was something else to add to the list of things that he had to un-teach Edward.

Spike looked at Faye. "Do you know what's going on?"

Faye shrugged.

"Okay then." The only man left in the room, sadly turned back to eating his meat devoid noodles. No one paid any attention to him anymore. Stupid morons. He sniffed loudly and wiped his nose on his suit sleeve.

"Now what's wrong?" Faye stopped re-reading the parking license papers for the fifth time.

Spike's voice was wobbly, "No one loves me!"

"….Uhhh…." Faye did not know how to deal with this situation- so she reverted to the best problem solving method she knew. She ran away- or rather, limped.

"Where are you going?" Spike was distraught.

"Just seeing if Jet needs…uhh…any help with…uhh…that thing!" The young woman's feet pattered away into the distance.

Spike was left alone to mutter darkly into his cup ramen. "Insensitive clod…"

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"What the HELL is your problem?" Jet was standing on the threshold of the hatch door, glaring angrily like a cat who has had his fur rubbed up the wrong way.

"'My problem', as you so elegantly put it, is you! You're just so pig headed that you can't open your eyes and see-"

"Ahhh, shaddup you addlebrained idiot."

"If I'm an idiot, than you're a moron."

"Twerp."

"Twit."

"Dolt."

Snap placed a hand over Cad's mouth before he could hurl back another insult. She looked pleadingly at Jet. "Please, won't you at least talk to us? If you still had blood relatives alive- and you knew that they were being held captive by a monster, wouldn't you want to try and help them?" Jet rolled his eyes. "I thought so. Now, if you two men will quit acting like toddlers for three minutes, I would like to go and find Edward." The man who had Snap's arm hooked around his own poked his tongue out as they passed the deflated bounty hunter. Snap dealt the troublemaker a light slap. "I saw that, Doran."

Cadogen woefully rubbed his shoulder. "Whoever said that love hurts was right."

The young woman pulled him forward a pace and smiled brightly, much happier at the prospect of seeing Ed again.

"The boys at the station will think that I've been mugged, covered in bruises as I am. 'Cad!' They'll all cry,'What fiend has done this do you?' 'No fiend lads, but my charming lady companion." Snap tweaked his ear. "Give that mouth of yours a rest, or I'll raise such welts on your hide that you'll wish you really had been mugged." Cadogen shut up. Their conversation had just come to a close when a small ball of tan, white, black and orange rocketed off the walls of the passage and barreled straight into the couple, knocking them, and Jet flat who was tailing close behind.

"SNAAAAP!" Edward sat on her elder's middle, and rubbed noses with her, purring loudly. Snap managed to sit up without toppling her young friend to the floor. When she had done so, she hugged her tightly.

"I had a feeling that I'd be seeing you again soon, little one."

Cad groaned and tenderly touched his head. "What was that? A hurricane? A missile?"

"No, only ME!" Ed beamed proudly and leaped onto him, knocking the wind out of his chest. Jet reprimanded her. "Is that any way to treat our…" He said the last word grudgingly," guests?"

"Guests? Since when did the Bebop have guests? Ever?" Faye Valentine had emerged from the darkened passage and into the light. Her eyes widened at the sight of Ed cutting of Cad's air supply, by joyfully clinging to his face. Snap peeled her off successfully, leaving her friend gasping and blue in the face.

"Hello, my name is Snap Dragon, and this is Cad Doran. We're friends of Edward and Jet."

"Well now, this is interesting, isn't it. Come in, Snap. Don't mind the mess. Living with two bachelors, the place is bound to be a little sloppy. What can a girl do?"

Snap looked pointedly at Cad, "Tell me about it." The pair of women snickered behind their hands and began walking into the living room.

"Oh, by the way, my name's Faye."

"Faye! What a pretty name!"

"Huh? You think so?"

Their voices became muffled as they plonked down together on the comfy sofa. Cad and Jet still stood motionless in the passage; Jet holding a limp Edward- dismayed because of her telling off- by the arms. Cad ran a hand through his dark hair resignedly. "I smell a conspiracy coming on."

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Spike sucked up and swallowed the last, solitary noodle of his cup ramen when Faye strolled in, chatting animatedly to a pretty young woman. He was surprised, though not in a bad way. Placing both of his bare feet on the coffee table, he linked his fingers together and dropped them against his stomach. Luckily the shirt he was wearing was loose, with many folds, so that it hid his midsection from his wide shoulders down.

"You starting a book club, or something Faye?" Faye screwed her nose up at him and sat down on the couch. "Don't take any notice of him, Snap- he's just a bum with more time on his hands than he knows what to do with."

The pretty woman raised an eyebrow, amused. "I see." Spike grinned wolfishly, and picked up a nearby magazine. "Excuse me?"

Spike stopped flicking the glossy pages. "Yes?"

"Did you know that you're reading that upside down?" Spike could feel the skin beneath his suit flushing red, but he refused for his face to take on any trace of the offensive colour.

"But of course." He replied coolly. Snap laughed.

"If he's always like this, then I don't see why you would have a need to turn on the TV."

"Ugh. Don't encourage him." A trio of shadows grew on the carpet.

"Yes. Don't, Snap." Cadogen looked highly unimpressed as he sat down next to Snap. Spike looked equally unamused. Obviously he had some sort of tie to the strange woman. "And you are…?"

Jet answered quickly for him. "Cadogen Doran. Part time friend, full time pestilence."

Cad smiled sweetly. "Thanks, darling. You flatter me with your kind words."

"Zip it or I'll flatten you." The traffic cop shrugged and looked about the room. His eyes met Spike's. Tension crackled through the air like static electricity. Cad leaned forward and placed a hand on Snap's leg. That's clinched it, thought Spike sadly. She's taken by that witless fool. Sighing, Spike flicked a lint ball from the cushion beside him.

"I assume you brought these people here for a reason, Jet? It's so unlike you to hold slumber parties unannounced." Jet's body stiffened.

"I didn't ask them to come. They've imprisoned me in my own ship against my will."

"For your own good." Cad chimed in.

"So you keep telling me." Jet muttered. Snap could take no more of the ceaseless bickering. Rising her voice sharply, she spoke until the others fell quiet. "The truth is, we are here for a reason. Edward's father has been taken captive by the Syndicate….and we need to find a way to get him back."

Spike sat up straight in a flash. "The Syndicate? He may already be-" Jet raised a hand to stop him from speaking further. "We know that already. No one is forcing you, Spike, but we could really use your help in this…situation. You did, after all- spend a period of time with Vicious in the Syndicate, did you not?"

Cad's voice was harsh,"What? You mean to say that you are associated with that..murdering thing?"

"No more than you are." Spike snapped angrily.

"Enough." Jet glared at both of them in turn. "So? Will you help us?" Spike looked down at Ed, who was playing games with her computer on the floor. So blissfully unaware…Spike's mind swirled back to distant memories of his own father, then back again. He had only been vaguely aware of his sire's anguished cries, as he had been dragged out of his bed and shot, his baby son and wife cowering in a cupboard in the next room. Edward had a chance to grow up with a father. Strangely, he felt compelled by the urge to give her that chance, with his wholehearted blessing.

"Fine, but I ain't sharing my ship with nobody."

"We wouldn't dream of asking it." Snap smiled and Spike could feel his insides go gooey. Or maybe that was just the cup ramen being digested?

Faye stood practically, and marched into the kitchen to rummage up some biscuits. "Are you lot just going to sit there all night like a bunch of stuffed animals, or are you going to make a plan?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right." Spike scratched an ear lazily with his finger.

"Where do we start?" Snap said, puzzled.

Businesslike, Cad addressed the lanky man. "What can you tell me of the Syndicate?"

"What do you need to know?"

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Vicious delicately fingered the stem of a crystal wineglass, filled with a dark red liquid. It was late evening inside his room, and again- his friend had come back to visit him. Vicious lay quietly on the soft feather mattress of his bed and stared at the high, white washed ceiling. It was during these periods of restfulness that dead memories decided to resurrect themselves. Women, men and children, pleading for their lives, covered in their own filth with the reek of fear stifling the fresh breathing air. All met their end at the barrel of a gun or the tip of his sword. Vicious felt no regrets. He gave himself a justification for each life he took, and felt perfectly validated by them. They were traitors, two faced, cowardly or simply unfit to live and walk in the same space as he. A cool breeze ruffled the heavy cloth curtains. Vicious gave himself no excuses that he was an agent of God, or even God himself. He did what he did because he felt like it. Simple as that. One memory, stronger and brighter than the rest fought to free itself from the tangle of evil thoughts inside the man's head. It was a young woman, sitting in a chair by an open window and softly singing a sweet verse about love and the stars in the sky. Vicious was surprised at himself. Draining the contents of the glass, he safely locked the memory deep down inside his being, to be forgotten until another lonely night. Sleep overcame him, and his thin white hair fell across his lined face, worn from the weariness of life: past, present and future.

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"Drink. It will help to clear your head." The adults looked skeptically into chipped ceramic mugs Jet had passed around. "What? You don't like herbal tea?"

Spike took a sip and spat it back into his mug, looking sick. "I'm not a regular tea person at the best of times, Jet."

"Me either." Cadogen sniffed the rising vapors and sneezed violently.

Faye's eyes darted from side to side. "I think I'll save mine for later."

The ex detective said nothing, but he drank his tea frostily, in large gulps.

"Let's review what information we have, shall we?" Snap smoothed her skirt. "Spike, you know the whereabouts of Vicious' most favored haunt?" The reclined man nodded to confirm. "Good. In total, we have two small ships, four pistols-"

"And a data dog!" Edward held up Ein.

"Well, yes dear. We have him too. But even with all of this equipment, we have a short amount of time in which to work in." She tried to cover a tiny yawn with her hand, but to no avail. Cad gave her a one armed hug. "No hunting criminals for you tonight, sweet. You need sleep." Snap tried to wriggle out of his grip, protesting. "No I don't! Let me go, you big lump!" Faye smiled.

"He's right. I think we could all use a bit of shuteye after this recent turn of events. C'mon Snap. You can share my room with me." The young woman guest allowed herself to be steered away.

"You too, Edward. Bedtime." Jet picked the small girl up in his arms.

"Awwww! But I wanna stay up! Just ten more…minutes." She fell asleep, draped across Jet's shoulders. The big man's eyes twinkled, "So much for that. You two, there's spare pillows and blankets in the cupboard by the door. Don't make any mess, and no raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night."

"Goodnight, to you too, Jet." Spike stretched out his long frame as the lights were flicked off. "Goodnight, Crud Bucket."

"That's Cadogen." An irritated voice growled in the darkness.

"Whatever."