Cursed
Chapter 2
"That's right, another bounty done in, guys and gals," the shrill voice of the silly red-haired Tabby Guns stated. The giggly, fake voice raked through the souls of every patron in Velma Jean's on Rio 3. Which was a reaction that did not go unnoticed by the thin, slightly sickly looking bartender. He reached up and clicked off the small old monitor and then turned a smiling face back to the woman nursing her third whiskey.
He'd come to know this woman in the past two months. And even though he knew she hated to talk to anyone in the bar, and that she just wanted to sit and enjoy her booze quietly, that never stopped him from saying at least one thing to her. Tonight was no exception.
"That's another of yours I'm guessing." He said coming to a stop directly in front of her. His hands, spindly little things with broken and beaten nails, were rubbing a dirty towel over a dirty glass, while his mind was pretending that it was actually helping.
Faye sighed and ran her finger tip over the top of the slightly cleaner glass in front of her. She then said a silent prayer and downed the drink, before rolling her eyes to the scrawny bartender.
"What would make you say that?" She said quietly, pushing the glass towards the man signaling she needed a refill.
"'Past two months now," the bartender said, still smiling his silly smile. "You've been coming in here, each night you got a bunch more credits, and each night you look like you been through the ringer." The bartender set his dirty towel and cup aside and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from behind him. "I seen your face on the monitor before. Always on the bounty shows. You're a big time bounty hunter. One of the tops. So I just figured."
He ended his sentence there with a shrug and Faye raised an eyebrow at the young bartender. If his use of the English language was any gauge, that amount of figuring had taken quiet a bit of time. She gave the man a small smile as she watched him fill her glass. Her eyes roamed to the surrounding lot in the small bar called Velma Jean's. Rio 3 had been her "home" for two and a half months. It wasn't a bad little shit hole, but it was still a shit-hole. Her eyes landed on a group of three older men huddled together at a small table, the only other patrons in the soon to be closed bar. She watched the smoke pouring from their mouths as they talked over the day's events.
This was her life now, for a little over a year and a half, ever since she left the Bebop. Why did she leave? Too much drama, too much had happened. She needed to find herself, and find those damn greener pastures that are always promised after hard times.
Some greener pastures. Faye gave a sad smirk to her glass and downed it's contents.
She hadn't really found greener anything. Hell, she hadn't found anything at all. She was still leading her half-assed life, this time instead of doing it on Halo, she was shacked up where ever she felt like it. She was still bounty hunting, and as the skinny little bartender had pointed out, she had made quite a name for herself. She was on the top of the list, right along with her old crew members. She was legit now, that was something to be happy about, right? Ever since the ordeal with the Gate Corporation she no longer had to worry about debtors, or being on the run from anything.
Well, nothing but herself anyway.
She still gambled, that was something that would never leave her system. It was her way to make money and then lose it as soon as possible. And she was still getting in trouble. That was something Jet had once said. He told her over a beer and a smoke while waiting for Spike to return from one thing or another. He said that this crew was bound for nothing but trouble, on a highway straight to hell hitting every tiny little rock in the road on the way down. She was sure now that the old man had been completely right, and freakishly so.
Faye watched as the small bartender filled her cup up, and told herself it would be the last one. She had to move on soon. Where? The hell if she knew, she just had to keep moving right now.
This was her life, roaming from place to place, nabbing a bounty here and there, spending the rest of her day at a bar drinking her bruises away, and then moving on to do it all over again. It was really a pretty good life, definitely not the one she expected when she was growing up. But it was better than the one she was handed six years ago after waking up in that damn hospital. This was definitely not the life of Faye Elizabeth Harper.
Faye gave a snort to that as she closed her eyes tight to try and fight off the headache that was threatening to appear.
A year and a half, little over, and she had only run into the guys twice. She guessed that was more than usual what with the size of the galaxy they were in, but still, she would have liked more. Or at least she always thought she would have. The problem was, every time she did see them it had been awkward. Very awkward, actually. An awkward that she just didn't want to deal with yet. She knew she didn't want to deal with it, especially considering the way Spike had locked gazes with her the last time. Faye growled a bit at that memory. It amazed her that even in nothing more than a passing hello, the lunkhead could make her completely uncomfortable and irritated.
She had decided after the Gate Corporation incident, after finding her past, and discovering a betrayal that hurt more than anything, that she deserved a break. She didn't want to deal with anything, anymore. She didn't want ties to things, and she didn't want to lose anything she cared about again. Her moto remained a constant in her head 'Always be the one to leave, never the one left'. She supposed that's what kept her moving from place to place. She didn't want anyone to be able to contact her. Yet somehow those damn mailmen find a way, don't they? Even when she's locked herself in a motel room, on a shit-hole like Rio 3, they still manage to track her down. Those guys would make damn good bounty hunters.
Faye let her fingers graze the message that had been delivered to her three weeks ago. The piece of paper that still sat in her pants pocket, burning a hole into her thigh. Death was never something that should be mailed. She let her fingers rest on the tattered paper. It had been folded and unfolded so many times since she got it that it now threatened to fall apart at the slightest touch.
Jimmy was gone. Her last living connection to her past had died peacefully in his sleep, a touch of pneumonia that wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't been a chain-smoking fool. Faye removed her hand from the paper and lit a cigarette in memory of him. The message had told her that Jimmy wanted her to have half of the Hotel Romani, he wanted her to feel normal and whole again. He wanted her to embrace her past, something that she had been shying away from. She wrote back and told Jimmy's son Nathan that she would think about it. She knew she would never be able to take the offer. Faye Harper was dead.
In the message from Nathan, he said that she was always welcome there, and always welcome in the Calloway family. She had chuckled at this part. Didn't they realize that Faye Valentine had no place with anyone? That she was a Romani, destined to roam forever. Faye rolled her eyes at herself, and let out a large puff of smoke to the ceiling of the bar. She was so full of shit. She had a place to go- she was just too much of a chicken-shit to go back to it.
Faye glanced at her ragged fingernails, broken and bit to hell. She grimaced and decided before she left tomorrow she was going to get a manicure. This was something she said every time she left a place. She always thought of the pampering that she deserved, and complained in the mirror about how she never got it. She of course never went to get the manicure. And she of course still always complained about it later.
She missed working with partners, she missed working with Spike and Jet. Back then she could sit and do her nails all day long, and then not have to worry about breaking them when things got rough. Spike would always jump in and kill everything before she ever had a chance to help. She also missed complaining to them. Those guys would tell her to suck it up and get off her ass. The mirror never did that. Back up was a wonderful thing sometimes. The sick-twisted little family they had going wasn't really so bad. And she missed it. She missed being normal. Well, as normal as they could get on that damn ship.
Faye began to slide off the barstool, ready to make her break for the freedom of the Romani life, when her ears picked up a part of the table full of old guys' conversation. Her eyes turned to the peer at the table, where the skinny bartender was putting down fresh drinks.
"Yep, some kid ripped off Frankie Tang the other night." An old man with a pipe said as he eyed the young bartender. "Some crazy orange-haired kid with a dog, or something like that. Took out three of his bodyguards. People say she stole his part to the key."
Faye's knees nearly gave out as her eyes opened wider. Orange-haired kid with a dog? She shook her head. Nah. She started to make for the door after throwing some cash on the bar.
"You know what that's said to be a key to?" One of the other old men asked the bartender, who shook his head and laughed. He knew, he just loved hearing the old men talk about it. "Treasure." The man said his eyes growing wider behind his large thick glasses. "Riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams."
Faye stopped mid-step and half turned her head towards the table.
"It's the key to the ship of gold." The man with the pipe said in a hushed voice.
Faye turned on her heel and started an easy excited walk towards the table. All the men watched her come over, a wide grin snaking its way on to her face. She pulled out a chair from another table and sat on the outskirts of the group, crossing her legs and leaning towards the men.
"Excuse me," she said in a voice that Spike and Jet would have recognized in an instant meant trouble of some kind was not far off. "Did one of you gentlemen say 'ship of gold'?" The men all just stared at her as she sat there smiling at them.
Faye may have been a legit bounty hunter now, with a damn good track record for bringing in the bad guys, but that didn't change who she was deep down inside. A money hungry, adventure seeker with not enough common sense to make her stay away from danger. Shoot first, sort it out later.
And if she was right, she knew exactly which crazy orange-haired kid with a dog they were talking about. Looks like fate was telling her where her next resting stop would be. Ah, the life of the Romani.
***** Jet smacked his hands together and smiled widely at the little tree sitting in front of him. He'd been so busy lately, that he hadn't been able to just sit and relax for almost a month. A month of neglect had done horrible things to his little trees, but he was soon to remedy that. Jet picked up his small scissors, and prepared to make a cut.
Ed had been keeping them moving like crazy lately. It was like she was on a bounty-hunting kick. She was finding incredible bounties though, big winners, with a great pay off. Jet had a small tickle on the back of his neck that kept telling him something wasn't right with the kid. A small tickle that had developed into an itch as of late. But he ignored it. They were making cash, and they were doing it pretty easily. If the itch turned into a rash he would do something about it.
He made a small snip on the tree and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Life was good. Simple and good. He moved in to make another snip, his eyes half closed in a daze of euphoria. Just then alarms started going off all around the ship, and he took an entire branch off of the small tree. He watched it fall to the table and stared at it, his mouth agape.
He ran out of the small room and to the bridge where he had left Ed. As he ran he mumbled about killing the kid, and the dog. Because he knew the dog had a part in whatever was going on too.
In the hangar bay, Spike sat with his hands between his knees, staring at his ship from behind the glass of the adjoining room. He lit a cigarette and continued to stare at the Swordfish II, and it's damn engine problems. He'd spent nearly two hours working on it. And by working on it that meant he had kicked pretty much every part of the ship that was worth kicking, and then some. He had finally decided to sit back and just stare at it in hopes that the thing would psychically tell him what exactly was wrong, and then he could have Jet fix it. He had the feeling he was just about to make a psychic breakthrough with the ship when the proximity alert went off.
His head perked up and he moved his hand towards his boot where his back up gun was nestled. No one was due in for a visit. His fingers froze at the hem of his blue pants, when his eyes locked on the ship that was pulling in.
The Redtail landed gracefully beside his Swordfish, and Spike slowly unbent his body. He didn't need his gun, he needed a pinch in the arm, or some other kind of rude wake up call. Then he remembered just who was landing, and decided that was a rude enough wake up call for anyone. He watched as the engines turned off, and he waited for the pilot to make her entrance. He'd been waiting for this for a while, he figured. It had to happen sooner or later.
The cockpit opened and he saw the familiar purple hair, cut short and barely touching her shoulders, minus the headband from previous years. The green eyes were the same, and in them there was a hint of something. Fear? Spike shook his head, he was a bit rusty at reading his old partner.
Faye pushed herself over the edge of her ship and landed on the hangar bay floor. She raised her eyes to the ship and gave it a smile as she ran a hand through her hair. Suddenly, her eyes shot to Spike, as if she were able to feel his stare on her skin. He was leaning casually on the wall of the adjoining room, smoking a cigarette, just as he always would. He wore that same damn suit, the yellow shirt, the tie, the damn blue pants that were now fading. He smirked at her.
She looked good, tired, but good. Not dead, so definitely good. Spike remained leaning against the wall taking in the 'new Faye'. She no longer wore the yellow outfit. In its place where the black pants he'd seen her wear a couple of times during their last adventure, when he picked her up on Halo. Her feet were covered by the black athletic shoes she had acquired after tossing the old heels into space. The top was a bit more like the Faye he was used to. A tight red tank top that showed her mid- drift and accentuated all the other 'aspects' of Faye. In place around her arms and waist was a black sweater, fading out a bit, that looked remarkably like the red one she used to sport. He knew the reason for the sweater, it wasn't there for warmth really, it was there to hide the guns at her hips.
Faye ran her fingers over the fabric of her sweater. Which was in actuality, her red sweater that she had dyed black after it was ruined with blood a year and a half ago during the Gate Corporation incident. The dye was fading out, and if you looked closely you could see a bit of the red peaking through at the seams. She didn't care much that it was fading, she was just glad the blood stains had been covered. Her fingers ran over her guns, a comforting gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Spike. She was definitely nervous, and definitely afraid.
"Well, well." Spike said breaking the silence. "Look who's back."
Faye let a smile come to her face, snake its way there, as she removed the cigarette she had been smoking from her mouth. She held the cigarette between her fingers and continued smiling at her former partner. She had absolutely no idea what to say to him. Her smile faltered for a second at this realization, but soon it was back. She didn't want to talk to him anyway. Keep on target.
"I don't have time for you right now, Lunkhead." She tossed her cigarette in the general direction of the Swordfish II, as per her usual actions towards his ship, and started to walk right past him and out of the hangar bay.
He grabbed her arm as she went, causing her to turn and face him. To make eye contact with him. He was no longer the casual, smiling Spike that he had been when leaning on the wall only moments ago. There was something else in his eyes now, Faye noticed it but couldn't quite place it. Worry? Anger? A bit of both? She shook her head, she was a bit rusty at this.
"That's it? You're gone for a over a year, come back out of the blue, and don't think that I deserve a little bit of an explanation?" Spike's voice was calm as ever, but Faye knew he was a bit angered. She could see it in his eyes. Something else clicked in her mind. The fact that he didn't know why she had come back, didn't realize that she would come back for a treasure hunt like this, caused a big alarm to go off in her mind. Spike and Jet didn't know about Ed's little adventure with Frankie Tang. She smiled.
"Where's Ed?" She said wiggling her arm so that Spike would release. He finally did and just stared at her confused.
"On the bridge with Jet, no doubt. She had been driving. And I'm guessing it was her who let you in." Spike took a drag off of his cigarette, and watched as Faye gave him a quick glee-filled nod. He saw her eyes dart away from his, saw the way her body moved just a bit away from his. He realized then that she didn't really want to be here. "Are you in trouble again?"
"No." She snapped. "Stupid, lunkhead. You think I'd come running back here and bringing more problems on you."
"Absolutely." Spike said crossing his arms in front of his chest, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I don't believe it." She threw her arms in the air. "After everything that happened last time, you still think that way of me." She turned her back on him, her arms continuing to fly in the air. "I don't have time for you. I need to talk to Ed. If you want to know what's going on you can follow me." She was yelling as she walked away, and Spike was chuckling at her retreating form.
He spared one look back at his ship, and gave it a smile. The ship would have to wait. Faye's return had piqued an interest. He turned to exit the hangar bay, and started down the hall.
"Come on, slow-poke." Faye yelled from the entrance way to the common room. He rolled his eyes and butted his cigarette out on the wall. Maybe a bit of release from the normalcy that his life had taken on as of late was in order. And he knew that he would get that release now. If he wanted it or not.
Faye didn't wait long for Spike to catch up, instead she just left him to butt his cigarette out on the wall, and sulkily follow. She took a deep breath as she crossed the threshold of the common room, taking in the musty smell along with a bit of courage that she needed. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Jet dragging Ed away from the ladder up to the bridge. He was mumbling under his breath and kicking at Ein who snapped at his feet.
Jet not looking up from his kick-fest of the dog. (Well, he couldn't really bring himself to actually kick the dog, but he was threateningly moving his large foot in front of the barking dog's face.) "Spike, what the hell did she let into the ship?" Jet grumbled.
"Well, it really wasn't a what." Spike replied from over Faye's shoulder. Faye jumped a bit, then scowled and slapped him hard in the chest. "Actually, strike that. I'm not sure what 'it' is. I don't think I ever will be."
"What the hell are you......" Jet looked up, his eyes narrowed in confusion. As soon as his eyes hit on Faye, they widened with shock. Faye's eyes however where on the newly released Edward, who stood smiling widely at Faye from under her white cowboy hat.
"Edward," Faye said taking a step forward. "What have you been up to, you little monkey?"
"Faye." Jet said still obviously confused by exactly what was going on. This sort of thing always seemed to happen once they were all on the ship together. The three free-loaders would have something going on together, while he was left completely in the dark of the situation. Well, that just wasn't happening this time. "Faye, why are you here? Are you in trouble?"
"Damn it." Faye yelled. "What do you people take me for?" She threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes. "NO. I am not in trouble. For once, no one is after me. I think the better question to ask here is what has our little hacker been up to?" Faye's eyes went back to the still widely smiling teenager. Ed took off the cowboy hat and held it in front of her wide smile, staring at Faye over the rim.
Spike and Jet exchanged confused glances, and watched as Faye strolled into the common room and leaned up against the railing to the stairwell. Faye's eyes remained on Ed, who was now practically dancing with excitement.
"Faye-Faye came back." Ed mumbled into the hat and then looked at Ein. Things were going according to plan.
"What are you talking about?" Spike and Jet asked at almost the same time. Spike stood beside Faye staring at Edward with narrowed eyes.
"Why don't you ask the midget?" Faye snapped at Spike. Ed started shaking her head wildly as if she didn't want to tell. Or wouldn't tell. Spike was now staring at Faye. "Oh come on Edward. Tell them about your little trip to Frankie Tang's. Tell them what you stole."
"Stole?" Spike said snapping his attention back to Edward who was now clutching the precious hat.
"Frankie Tang?" Jet said, snapping his eyes to Edward as well. Jet was just about to grab Ed by the collar of her shirt and shake some answers out of her, when Faye spoke up again.
"You two are pathetic." She said putting her hands behind her head. Her eyes went to Jet as the smile on her face grew. "Weren't you a detective once?" Jet turned the direction of his hands towards Faye. Perhaps he could strangle her from here. Soon he gave it up and returned to Edward. The itch had turned to a rash and he'd ignored it. Spike let out a bit of a snort at Jet's reaction, and Faye turned her smiling eyes to him. "And you. I don't even want to get started on you, Mr. I can see through my eye lids."
Spike narrowed his eyes at Faye. The wench had a good memory.
"Shut up, Faye." Spike said, tearing his hate filled gaze from the smiling woman. He wasn't quite so sure he actually missed her anymore. He was beginning to think it was a fluke.
"Fine." Faye said glaring at Spike. She then turned her eyes to the now dancing Edward. Her eyes roamed for a second off of the slim figure, and darted about the common room. It was exactly the same, as if no time had passed since her departure so long ago. The couches were in the same positions as usual. The large window, showing the passing of stars as they moved through space, was still covered in a thick layer of dirt that distorted the images unless you were right up close to it.
The most amazing thing was that the people were all the same too. Jet still had his bald head and beard, not to mention that seemingly unapproachable air that made him so fun to work with. Spike still had his damn suit, and his damn attitude. And Ed still had her insanity. It was as if no time had passed. As if nothing had happened to change them. Faye's eyes worked back to Edward, taller and older, and she knew that things had happened. Changes had happened, changes that would no doubt have ramifications the longer she stayed. Her eyes darted quickly back over her shoulder to the door. She could still make a break for it, pretend like she had never come back.
Ed's fingers tightened on the cowboy hat, as she watched Faye's eyes dart about the room. Her smile was wider than it had been in months, and that was all due to her plan actually beginning to come together.
"Ed," Jet's voice, calm now, broke Ed and Faye's thoughts. "What the hell is she talking about?"
"Ed's treasure hunt." Ed said lowering the hat, and holding it in front of her chest now. "Faye-Faye came back for the treasure hunt. Ed knew she would. Ed wanted it to be a surprise."
Faye's eyes widened a bit, and then narrowed. "The kid knows you." Spike said from beside her. "What exactly brought you back?" Spike asked. He was curious, seeing as he'd been trying to figure a way out for.......he shook his head and stopped that train of thought.
"I heard about the kid stealing from Frankie Tang and wanted to check and......"Faye stopped upon noticing the unbelieving stares that she was getting from Jet, Spike and Ed. She threw her hands up in the air and let out a gruff breath. "Find. I heard about the exploits of one 'crazy orange-haired kid and her dog', and the words 'ship of gold', and decided that maybe it was time to make a visit. I didn't really have any thing else to do." She shrugged and stared down at her feet.
"You'll never change." Spike chuckled, and Faye looked up at him smiling.
"You missed me. Admit it." She said.
"Not even if you put a gun to my head, my dear." Spike retorted, lighting up a cigarette.
"Don't give me any ideas." Faye said stealing the cigarette.
"Enough, idiots." Jet said. For a second, the three older bounty hunters exchanged glances, small smiles gracing each face. It was strange how easy it was to slip back into a routine. The moment passed quickly. Faye's eyes darting back to the door and then landing on her feet again. Spike's stare rolling up to the ceiling as he lit another cigarette, and then landing on the table. Jet shook his head and ran a hand over his bald head. "Ed? What exactly is going on? And no more of this riddle shit. You tell me now."
Ed stared up at Jet, her fingers clenching a bit on the hat but soon releasing. The hat fell to the table, and Ed smiled and put her hands out wide.
"Ed and the Bebop crew," She looked over at Faye, who had lifted her eyes from the ground now. "The WHOLE Bebop crew. Are going to find the ship of GOOOOOOLD." Ed's voice lingered in the room, as the three older members exchanged glances again. "Ed has two parts to the key to the ECHO. And we're on our way to number threeeeeee!" Ed put three fingers up in the air and began dancing around the common room.
Faye, Jet and Spike exchanged glances once again. Interest was building where apprehension should have stayed.
Chapter 2
"That's right, another bounty done in, guys and gals," the shrill voice of the silly red-haired Tabby Guns stated. The giggly, fake voice raked through the souls of every patron in Velma Jean's on Rio 3. Which was a reaction that did not go unnoticed by the thin, slightly sickly looking bartender. He reached up and clicked off the small old monitor and then turned a smiling face back to the woman nursing her third whiskey.
He'd come to know this woman in the past two months. And even though he knew she hated to talk to anyone in the bar, and that she just wanted to sit and enjoy her booze quietly, that never stopped him from saying at least one thing to her. Tonight was no exception.
"That's another of yours I'm guessing." He said coming to a stop directly in front of her. His hands, spindly little things with broken and beaten nails, were rubbing a dirty towel over a dirty glass, while his mind was pretending that it was actually helping.
Faye sighed and ran her finger tip over the top of the slightly cleaner glass in front of her. She then said a silent prayer and downed the drink, before rolling her eyes to the scrawny bartender.
"What would make you say that?" She said quietly, pushing the glass towards the man signaling she needed a refill.
"'Past two months now," the bartender said, still smiling his silly smile. "You've been coming in here, each night you got a bunch more credits, and each night you look like you been through the ringer." The bartender set his dirty towel and cup aside and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from behind him. "I seen your face on the monitor before. Always on the bounty shows. You're a big time bounty hunter. One of the tops. So I just figured."
He ended his sentence there with a shrug and Faye raised an eyebrow at the young bartender. If his use of the English language was any gauge, that amount of figuring had taken quiet a bit of time. She gave the man a small smile as she watched him fill her glass. Her eyes roamed to the surrounding lot in the small bar called Velma Jean's. Rio 3 had been her "home" for two and a half months. It wasn't a bad little shit hole, but it was still a shit-hole. Her eyes landed on a group of three older men huddled together at a small table, the only other patrons in the soon to be closed bar. She watched the smoke pouring from their mouths as they talked over the day's events.
This was her life now, for a little over a year and a half, ever since she left the Bebop. Why did she leave? Too much drama, too much had happened. She needed to find herself, and find those damn greener pastures that are always promised after hard times.
Some greener pastures. Faye gave a sad smirk to her glass and downed it's contents.
She hadn't really found greener anything. Hell, she hadn't found anything at all. She was still leading her half-assed life, this time instead of doing it on Halo, she was shacked up where ever she felt like it. She was still bounty hunting, and as the skinny little bartender had pointed out, she had made quite a name for herself. She was on the top of the list, right along with her old crew members. She was legit now, that was something to be happy about, right? Ever since the ordeal with the Gate Corporation she no longer had to worry about debtors, or being on the run from anything.
Well, nothing but herself anyway.
She still gambled, that was something that would never leave her system. It was her way to make money and then lose it as soon as possible. And she was still getting in trouble. That was something Jet had once said. He told her over a beer and a smoke while waiting for Spike to return from one thing or another. He said that this crew was bound for nothing but trouble, on a highway straight to hell hitting every tiny little rock in the road on the way down. She was sure now that the old man had been completely right, and freakishly so.
Faye watched as the small bartender filled her cup up, and told herself it would be the last one. She had to move on soon. Where? The hell if she knew, she just had to keep moving right now.
This was her life, roaming from place to place, nabbing a bounty here and there, spending the rest of her day at a bar drinking her bruises away, and then moving on to do it all over again. It was really a pretty good life, definitely not the one she expected when she was growing up. But it was better than the one she was handed six years ago after waking up in that damn hospital. This was definitely not the life of Faye Elizabeth Harper.
Faye gave a snort to that as she closed her eyes tight to try and fight off the headache that was threatening to appear.
A year and a half, little over, and she had only run into the guys twice. She guessed that was more than usual what with the size of the galaxy they were in, but still, she would have liked more. Or at least she always thought she would have. The problem was, every time she did see them it had been awkward. Very awkward, actually. An awkward that she just didn't want to deal with yet. She knew she didn't want to deal with it, especially considering the way Spike had locked gazes with her the last time. Faye growled a bit at that memory. It amazed her that even in nothing more than a passing hello, the lunkhead could make her completely uncomfortable and irritated.
She had decided after the Gate Corporation incident, after finding her past, and discovering a betrayal that hurt more than anything, that she deserved a break. She didn't want to deal with anything, anymore. She didn't want ties to things, and she didn't want to lose anything she cared about again. Her moto remained a constant in her head 'Always be the one to leave, never the one left'. She supposed that's what kept her moving from place to place. She didn't want anyone to be able to contact her. Yet somehow those damn mailmen find a way, don't they? Even when she's locked herself in a motel room, on a shit-hole like Rio 3, they still manage to track her down. Those guys would make damn good bounty hunters.
Faye let her fingers graze the message that had been delivered to her three weeks ago. The piece of paper that still sat in her pants pocket, burning a hole into her thigh. Death was never something that should be mailed. She let her fingers rest on the tattered paper. It had been folded and unfolded so many times since she got it that it now threatened to fall apart at the slightest touch.
Jimmy was gone. Her last living connection to her past had died peacefully in his sleep, a touch of pneumonia that wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't been a chain-smoking fool. Faye removed her hand from the paper and lit a cigarette in memory of him. The message had told her that Jimmy wanted her to have half of the Hotel Romani, he wanted her to feel normal and whole again. He wanted her to embrace her past, something that she had been shying away from. She wrote back and told Jimmy's son Nathan that she would think about it. She knew she would never be able to take the offer. Faye Harper was dead.
In the message from Nathan, he said that she was always welcome there, and always welcome in the Calloway family. She had chuckled at this part. Didn't they realize that Faye Valentine had no place with anyone? That she was a Romani, destined to roam forever. Faye rolled her eyes at herself, and let out a large puff of smoke to the ceiling of the bar. She was so full of shit. She had a place to go- she was just too much of a chicken-shit to go back to it.
Faye glanced at her ragged fingernails, broken and bit to hell. She grimaced and decided before she left tomorrow she was going to get a manicure. This was something she said every time she left a place. She always thought of the pampering that she deserved, and complained in the mirror about how she never got it. She of course never went to get the manicure. And she of course still always complained about it later.
She missed working with partners, she missed working with Spike and Jet. Back then she could sit and do her nails all day long, and then not have to worry about breaking them when things got rough. Spike would always jump in and kill everything before she ever had a chance to help. She also missed complaining to them. Those guys would tell her to suck it up and get off her ass. The mirror never did that. Back up was a wonderful thing sometimes. The sick-twisted little family they had going wasn't really so bad. And she missed it. She missed being normal. Well, as normal as they could get on that damn ship.
Faye began to slide off the barstool, ready to make her break for the freedom of the Romani life, when her ears picked up a part of the table full of old guys' conversation. Her eyes turned to the peer at the table, where the skinny bartender was putting down fresh drinks.
"Yep, some kid ripped off Frankie Tang the other night." An old man with a pipe said as he eyed the young bartender. "Some crazy orange-haired kid with a dog, or something like that. Took out three of his bodyguards. People say she stole his part to the key."
Faye's knees nearly gave out as her eyes opened wider. Orange-haired kid with a dog? She shook her head. Nah. She started to make for the door after throwing some cash on the bar.
"You know what that's said to be a key to?" One of the other old men asked the bartender, who shook his head and laughed. He knew, he just loved hearing the old men talk about it. "Treasure." The man said his eyes growing wider behind his large thick glasses. "Riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams."
Faye stopped mid-step and half turned her head towards the table.
"It's the key to the ship of gold." The man with the pipe said in a hushed voice.
Faye turned on her heel and started an easy excited walk towards the table. All the men watched her come over, a wide grin snaking its way on to her face. She pulled out a chair from another table and sat on the outskirts of the group, crossing her legs and leaning towards the men.
"Excuse me," she said in a voice that Spike and Jet would have recognized in an instant meant trouble of some kind was not far off. "Did one of you gentlemen say 'ship of gold'?" The men all just stared at her as she sat there smiling at them.
Faye may have been a legit bounty hunter now, with a damn good track record for bringing in the bad guys, but that didn't change who she was deep down inside. A money hungry, adventure seeker with not enough common sense to make her stay away from danger. Shoot first, sort it out later.
And if she was right, she knew exactly which crazy orange-haired kid with a dog they were talking about. Looks like fate was telling her where her next resting stop would be. Ah, the life of the Romani.
***** Jet smacked his hands together and smiled widely at the little tree sitting in front of him. He'd been so busy lately, that he hadn't been able to just sit and relax for almost a month. A month of neglect had done horrible things to his little trees, but he was soon to remedy that. Jet picked up his small scissors, and prepared to make a cut.
Ed had been keeping them moving like crazy lately. It was like she was on a bounty-hunting kick. She was finding incredible bounties though, big winners, with a great pay off. Jet had a small tickle on the back of his neck that kept telling him something wasn't right with the kid. A small tickle that had developed into an itch as of late. But he ignored it. They were making cash, and they were doing it pretty easily. If the itch turned into a rash he would do something about it.
He made a small snip on the tree and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Life was good. Simple and good. He moved in to make another snip, his eyes half closed in a daze of euphoria. Just then alarms started going off all around the ship, and he took an entire branch off of the small tree. He watched it fall to the table and stared at it, his mouth agape.
He ran out of the small room and to the bridge where he had left Ed. As he ran he mumbled about killing the kid, and the dog. Because he knew the dog had a part in whatever was going on too.
In the hangar bay, Spike sat with his hands between his knees, staring at his ship from behind the glass of the adjoining room. He lit a cigarette and continued to stare at the Swordfish II, and it's damn engine problems. He'd spent nearly two hours working on it. And by working on it that meant he had kicked pretty much every part of the ship that was worth kicking, and then some. He had finally decided to sit back and just stare at it in hopes that the thing would psychically tell him what exactly was wrong, and then he could have Jet fix it. He had the feeling he was just about to make a psychic breakthrough with the ship when the proximity alert went off.
His head perked up and he moved his hand towards his boot where his back up gun was nestled. No one was due in for a visit. His fingers froze at the hem of his blue pants, when his eyes locked on the ship that was pulling in.
The Redtail landed gracefully beside his Swordfish, and Spike slowly unbent his body. He didn't need his gun, he needed a pinch in the arm, or some other kind of rude wake up call. Then he remembered just who was landing, and decided that was a rude enough wake up call for anyone. He watched as the engines turned off, and he waited for the pilot to make her entrance. He'd been waiting for this for a while, he figured. It had to happen sooner or later.
The cockpit opened and he saw the familiar purple hair, cut short and barely touching her shoulders, minus the headband from previous years. The green eyes were the same, and in them there was a hint of something. Fear? Spike shook his head, he was a bit rusty at reading his old partner.
Faye pushed herself over the edge of her ship and landed on the hangar bay floor. She raised her eyes to the ship and gave it a smile as she ran a hand through her hair. Suddenly, her eyes shot to Spike, as if she were able to feel his stare on her skin. He was leaning casually on the wall of the adjoining room, smoking a cigarette, just as he always would. He wore that same damn suit, the yellow shirt, the tie, the damn blue pants that were now fading. He smirked at her.
She looked good, tired, but good. Not dead, so definitely good. Spike remained leaning against the wall taking in the 'new Faye'. She no longer wore the yellow outfit. In its place where the black pants he'd seen her wear a couple of times during their last adventure, when he picked her up on Halo. Her feet were covered by the black athletic shoes she had acquired after tossing the old heels into space. The top was a bit more like the Faye he was used to. A tight red tank top that showed her mid- drift and accentuated all the other 'aspects' of Faye. In place around her arms and waist was a black sweater, fading out a bit, that looked remarkably like the red one she used to sport. He knew the reason for the sweater, it wasn't there for warmth really, it was there to hide the guns at her hips.
Faye ran her fingers over the fabric of her sweater. Which was in actuality, her red sweater that she had dyed black after it was ruined with blood a year and a half ago during the Gate Corporation incident. The dye was fading out, and if you looked closely you could see a bit of the red peaking through at the seams. She didn't care much that it was fading, she was just glad the blood stains had been covered. Her fingers ran over her guns, a comforting gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Spike. She was definitely nervous, and definitely afraid.
"Well, well." Spike said breaking the silence. "Look who's back."
Faye let a smile come to her face, snake its way there, as she removed the cigarette she had been smoking from her mouth. She held the cigarette between her fingers and continued smiling at her former partner. She had absolutely no idea what to say to him. Her smile faltered for a second at this realization, but soon it was back. She didn't want to talk to him anyway. Keep on target.
"I don't have time for you right now, Lunkhead." She tossed her cigarette in the general direction of the Swordfish II, as per her usual actions towards his ship, and started to walk right past him and out of the hangar bay.
He grabbed her arm as she went, causing her to turn and face him. To make eye contact with him. He was no longer the casual, smiling Spike that he had been when leaning on the wall only moments ago. There was something else in his eyes now, Faye noticed it but couldn't quite place it. Worry? Anger? A bit of both? She shook her head, she was a bit rusty at this.
"That's it? You're gone for a over a year, come back out of the blue, and don't think that I deserve a little bit of an explanation?" Spike's voice was calm as ever, but Faye knew he was a bit angered. She could see it in his eyes. Something else clicked in her mind. The fact that he didn't know why she had come back, didn't realize that she would come back for a treasure hunt like this, caused a big alarm to go off in her mind. Spike and Jet didn't know about Ed's little adventure with Frankie Tang. She smiled.
"Where's Ed?" She said wiggling her arm so that Spike would release. He finally did and just stared at her confused.
"On the bridge with Jet, no doubt. She had been driving. And I'm guessing it was her who let you in." Spike took a drag off of his cigarette, and watched as Faye gave him a quick glee-filled nod. He saw her eyes dart away from his, saw the way her body moved just a bit away from his. He realized then that she didn't really want to be here. "Are you in trouble again?"
"No." She snapped. "Stupid, lunkhead. You think I'd come running back here and bringing more problems on you."
"Absolutely." Spike said crossing his arms in front of his chest, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I don't believe it." She threw her arms in the air. "After everything that happened last time, you still think that way of me." She turned her back on him, her arms continuing to fly in the air. "I don't have time for you. I need to talk to Ed. If you want to know what's going on you can follow me." She was yelling as she walked away, and Spike was chuckling at her retreating form.
He spared one look back at his ship, and gave it a smile. The ship would have to wait. Faye's return had piqued an interest. He turned to exit the hangar bay, and started down the hall.
"Come on, slow-poke." Faye yelled from the entrance way to the common room. He rolled his eyes and butted his cigarette out on the wall. Maybe a bit of release from the normalcy that his life had taken on as of late was in order. And he knew that he would get that release now. If he wanted it or not.
Faye didn't wait long for Spike to catch up, instead she just left him to butt his cigarette out on the wall, and sulkily follow. She took a deep breath as she crossed the threshold of the common room, taking in the musty smell along with a bit of courage that she needed. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Jet dragging Ed away from the ladder up to the bridge. He was mumbling under his breath and kicking at Ein who snapped at his feet.
Jet not looking up from his kick-fest of the dog. (Well, he couldn't really bring himself to actually kick the dog, but he was threateningly moving his large foot in front of the barking dog's face.) "Spike, what the hell did she let into the ship?" Jet grumbled.
"Well, it really wasn't a what." Spike replied from over Faye's shoulder. Faye jumped a bit, then scowled and slapped him hard in the chest. "Actually, strike that. I'm not sure what 'it' is. I don't think I ever will be."
"What the hell are you......" Jet looked up, his eyes narrowed in confusion. As soon as his eyes hit on Faye, they widened with shock. Faye's eyes however where on the newly released Edward, who stood smiling widely at Faye from under her white cowboy hat.
"Edward," Faye said taking a step forward. "What have you been up to, you little monkey?"
"Faye." Jet said still obviously confused by exactly what was going on. This sort of thing always seemed to happen once they were all on the ship together. The three free-loaders would have something going on together, while he was left completely in the dark of the situation. Well, that just wasn't happening this time. "Faye, why are you here? Are you in trouble?"
"Damn it." Faye yelled. "What do you people take me for?" She threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes. "NO. I am not in trouble. For once, no one is after me. I think the better question to ask here is what has our little hacker been up to?" Faye's eyes went back to the still widely smiling teenager. Ed took off the cowboy hat and held it in front of her wide smile, staring at Faye over the rim.
Spike and Jet exchanged confused glances, and watched as Faye strolled into the common room and leaned up against the railing to the stairwell. Faye's eyes remained on Ed, who was now practically dancing with excitement.
"Faye-Faye came back." Ed mumbled into the hat and then looked at Ein. Things were going according to plan.
"What are you talking about?" Spike and Jet asked at almost the same time. Spike stood beside Faye staring at Edward with narrowed eyes.
"Why don't you ask the midget?" Faye snapped at Spike. Ed started shaking her head wildly as if she didn't want to tell. Or wouldn't tell. Spike was now staring at Faye. "Oh come on Edward. Tell them about your little trip to Frankie Tang's. Tell them what you stole."
"Stole?" Spike said snapping his attention back to Edward who was now clutching the precious hat.
"Frankie Tang?" Jet said, snapping his eyes to Edward as well. Jet was just about to grab Ed by the collar of her shirt and shake some answers out of her, when Faye spoke up again.
"You two are pathetic." She said putting her hands behind her head. Her eyes went to Jet as the smile on her face grew. "Weren't you a detective once?" Jet turned the direction of his hands towards Faye. Perhaps he could strangle her from here. Soon he gave it up and returned to Edward. The itch had turned to a rash and he'd ignored it. Spike let out a bit of a snort at Jet's reaction, and Faye turned her smiling eyes to him. "And you. I don't even want to get started on you, Mr. I can see through my eye lids."
Spike narrowed his eyes at Faye. The wench had a good memory.
"Shut up, Faye." Spike said, tearing his hate filled gaze from the smiling woman. He wasn't quite so sure he actually missed her anymore. He was beginning to think it was a fluke.
"Fine." Faye said glaring at Spike. She then turned her eyes to the now dancing Edward. Her eyes roamed for a second off of the slim figure, and darted about the common room. It was exactly the same, as if no time had passed since her departure so long ago. The couches were in the same positions as usual. The large window, showing the passing of stars as they moved through space, was still covered in a thick layer of dirt that distorted the images unless you were right up close to it.
The most amazing thing was that the people were all the same too. Jet still had his bald head and beard, not to mention that seemingly unapproachable air that made him so fun to work with. Spike still had his damn suit, and his damn attitude. And Ed still had her insanity. It was as if no time had passed. As if nothing had happened to change them. Faye's eyes worked back to Edward, taller and older, and she knew that things had happened. Changes had happened, changes that would no doubt have ramifications the longer she stayed. Her eyes darted quickly back over her shoulder to the door. She could still make a break for it, pretend like she had never come back.
Ed's fingers tightened on the cowboy hat, as she watched Faye's eyes dart about the room. Her smile was wider than it had been in months, and that was all due to her plan actually beginning to come together.
"Ed," Jet's voice, calm now, broke Ed and Faye's thoughts. "What the hell is she talking about?"
"Ed's treasure hunt." Ed said lowering the hat, and holding it in front of her chest now. "Faye-Faye came back for the treasure hunt. Ed knew she would. Ed wanted it to be a surprise."
Faye's eyes widened a bit, and then narrowed. "The kid knows you." Spike said from beside her. "What exactly brought you back?" Spike asked. He was curious, seeing as he'd been trying to figure a way out for.......he shook his head and stopped that train of thought.
"I heard about the kid stealing from Frankie Tang and wanted to check and......"Faye stopped upon noticing the unbelieving stares that she was getting from Jet, Spike and Ed. She threw her hands up in the air and let out a gruff breath. "Find. I heard about the exploits of one 'crazy orange-haired kid and her dog', and the words 'ship of gold', and decided that maybe it was time to make a visit. I didn't really have any thing else to do." She shrugged and stared down at her feet.
"You'll never change." Spike chuckled, and Faye looked up at him smiling.
"You missed me. Admit it." She said.
"Not even if you put a gun to my head, my dear." Spike retorted, lighting up a cigarette.
"Don't give me any ideas." Faye said stealing the cigarette.
"Enough, idiots." Jet said. For a second, the three older bounty hunters exchanged glances, small smiles gracing each face. It was strange how easy it was to slip back into a routine. The moment passed quickly. Faye's eyes darting back to the door and then landing on her feet again. Spike's stare rolling up to the ceiling as he lit another cigarette, and then landing on the table. Jet shook his head and ran a hand over his bald head. "Ed? What exactly is going on? And no more of this riddle shit. You tell me now."
Ed stared up at Jet, her fingers clenching a bit on the hat but soon releasing. The hat fell to the table, and Ed smiled and put her hands out wide.
"Ed and the Bebop crew," She looked over at Faye, who had lifted her eyes from the ground now. "The WHOLE Bebop crew. Are going to find the ship of GOOOOOOLD." Ed's voice lingered in the room, as the three older members exchanged glances again. "Ed has two parts to the key to the ECHO. And we're on our way to number threeeeeee!" Ed put three fingers up in the air and began dancing around the common room.
Faye, Jet and Spike exchanged glances once again. Interest was building where apprehension should have stayed.