*Drumroll* Shout out time!

Tyger and Darkie-chan (Plot? This has a plot? Really? *looks amazed* I kind of thought this was just meandering slowly towards some vague point on the horizon…But, if you say so. )

Senshichan14 (Thank you for being such a loyal reviewer. I do appreciate it muchly…

Spike:"I feel…dizzy.." *Collapses on the floor*

Phe-chan: *Pokes his body with a stick* "Uh oh…" )

insert catchy name here (*Phe-chan cringes* Please don't squash me too flat!)

Mael-kun! (For reviews to sessions 7 & 8- Cad hasn't noticed Spike's…ermm..'roundness' yet, don't worry…he will…hehehehehe..*Phe-chan waves a hose creepily*)

Jahayme (Thanks! ^-^)

CHERRY TOMATO

Session Nine

"IT BIT ME!" Everyone on board the Bebop was plunged into rude morning wakefulness as Spike tipped a squealing Edward onto the floor.

"That's because you wouldn't wake up. Did you know you pick your nose in your sleep?"

"I do not, you irritating little midget."

"Do so! Ed saw you! So did Ein! Looklook! There's still some plastered to the side of your face!" She pointed in a fit of giggles.

"Charming." Cadogen had woken and was sitting cross legged on the couch, highly amused. "And it suits your complexion famously, Spike."

"I'll get you, little brat and big brat, just you wait." The embarrassed man flew from the room in the direction of the showers.

Faye and Snap stood in the doorway- they had slept in their clothes from the looks of things, and had dark rings around their eyes. Cadogen pulled Snap into his arms.

"I thought you were going to get a decent nights sleep!" He said suspiciously. "What have you been up to?"

Snap laughed quietly, "Nothing for you to be afraid of, dear one." Faye snickered from the kitchen as she pulled out boxes of cereal from various inset cupboards in the walls. All cupboards in the Bebop had specially designed magnetic latches, to prevent them from spewing forth their contents when the ancient old hulk launched itself into the air. Spike presently strolled in, rubbing his wet, matted hair with a nice fluffy towel.

"Do we have real food to eat today?" Flinging the towel across the room, it hit the wall with a satisfying thwack.

"You had better pick that up." Jet warned him, emerging from the side passage. "I'm not your nursemaid."

"No, you're Ed's, aren't you?" Spike grinned and deftly side stepped to avoid one of Jet's hefty boots from connecting with his head.

"You'll eat what you are given." Faye handed him a bowl of slightly warm, grey coloured goo.

"Wha..?"

"Porridge." She said firmly, and gave the rest of the company bowls of chocolate balls that exploded violently when they were spooned into the mouth.

"But that's not fair!"

Cadogen smiled wickedly, "Life's not fair, but in the real world, you have to learn how to deal with it. Eat up now, there's a good boy."

Spike muttered bitterly into his goo, "Bloody useless…dammit…" Ed had finished her breakfast in a new record time. Everyone well fed, and hap-hazardly groomed, talk of their impending venture was broached.

" Miss Dragon *blush*, Faye and Edward must stay behind. "

Faye leapt from the couch. "WHAT? Who the HELL are you to tell me-"

"Settle down." Spike kicked the angry woman's feet from beneath her, sending her sprawling backwards into Snap. "I'd rather not have to see Vicious slit your pretty little throat- if indeed, would I be able to see it at all- my own most likely being cut from trying to rescue you. A loud, violent woman like you would give us away completely. Edward, well that's obvious. She's still a child with her whole life ahead of her."

"What about me?" Snap looked at him prettily.

"Uhh..well..umm.."

Jet was blunt. "Have you ever picked up a gun in your life?"

"…No."

"Killed someone?"

"…No."

"Been shot yourself?"

"….and no."

"There you go. Case closed." Spike felt very pleased and full of himself at that moment.

"And dear old Crud Bucket.."

"Cadogen.."

"…You come with ME! Won't that be exciting? He he he. Don't worry Snap, I'll take a packet of band-aids in case the baby gets a boo boo."

Loading his gun and glaring, Cad rose and faced his tormentor. "Hardly necessary. But maybe I should bring along a glad zip bag to bring home your gizzards in?" Edward was sitting on the floor with Ein when she tugged Cad's pant leg. The look in her eyes was enough to make him regret what he had said instantly.

"Don't worry squirt, everyone's coming back in one piece, alive and whole, hopefully, we'll bring a visitor with us as well!" After a few sniffled good-byes (Faye slapped Spike when he attempted to hug her) the trio slumped out into the streets, dragging heavy feet and heavy hearts.

Many hours later, the three men (including one half-woman…hehehe) were still walking resignedly in the blazing heat. All around them, buildings seemed to be melting in the shimmering heat, rising in waves from the black tarred surface of the roads. Spike held his jacket up over his head like an umbrella, and Cad still had his police cap, which he'd stuffed into his pants pocket. Poor Jet, neglecting his hat in his haste to leave, was unwillingly changing his scalp colour from white, to pink, then to a violent shade of tomato red.

"My, my, all we have to do is set you up at an intersection, and traffic will never move again." Spike smirked from beneath his mini shade tent.

"Shut up Spiegel." Jet's temper was short. He also had a disgusting headache. Rubbing his eyes, he said unpleasant things in the presence of small children and their mothers who were passing by. Horrified, women shooed their offspring away, clucking indignantly amongst themselves.

"You shouldn't have said that to Ed, Doran." Jet remarked.

"Huh? Why not?"

"What if we can't bring home her father alive? You'll have built up her hopes for nothing. I am going to be the one who has to watch her tiny spirit break. "

"It's called hope, egg-head." Spike unexpectedly came to Cad's defense. The Traffic Control officer was alarmed- he suspected foul play afoot. "A little can stretch a long way, try it some time." With that, he lengthened his stride and easily ambled ahead of his companions. Cad and Jet looked at each other, then at Spike's dwindling figure. Neither of them knew what to say. Spike was acting grown-up…and that could only mean one thing. Putting on a sudden burst of speed, the pair sprinted, dodging other pedestrians. They were drawing closer to the crow's nest, and feathers would fly.

~:+:~ ~:+:~ ~:+:~ ~:+:~ ~:+:~ ~:+:~

There is no pain anymore. The part of brain that tells me it hurts has shut down. I can feel other things flicking off inside my body as well: like someone who switches off all of the lights one by one in a house before they curl up and go to sleep in a nice warm bed. Bed, huh? I can't even remember what one looks like anymore, let alone how it feels to be warm and safe. Sometimes I can hear things moving in the dark beside me. Things that don't want to wait until I am dead to start moving in on my carcass. Had I been able to sob, or cry out- I would. The truth was, it took too much energy to even screw my face up. I can't take this much longer. I'm sorry. I…just..can't.

a/n: Ooohh..creepy chapter ending. 0_0 It's been quite a while since I've posted, isn't it? Hmmmm……well, as always, I'm working till my eyeballs very nearly fall out and roll across the desk. That, and I start back at school tomorrow…-_______-()()()

Lalalala….might as well spend my last few hours of freedom doing something mind-deadening….*Eyes off the DVD player* Hehehe…

Bye!

PS. Know this session is short- but I'm not in the mood to care right now. HAHAHA! *Pokes tongue out at Tyger*