Shadowing Ivy
By A Shot of Amber
* ~ * Session 13: Bebop Dance Party * ~ *
She walked out alone onto the hanger. The day had been and uneventful one and now and everyone else was asleep but she found she couldn't sit still. The walls of her room had seemed to close down on her as she lay in bed till she couldn't take it anymore.
Ivy slipped out of bed quietly and tip toed barefoot out of her room to the hanger. Jet lay on the couch in the main room sleeping with a faded yellow blanket covering him but he never woke as she passed by. Outside a million stars shone down on the city while neon lights glowed from restaurants and clubs still open. The metal was cold under her feet shocking up her spine and covering her arms in gooseflesh. A look behind her showed a dark ship, all lights turned off and everyone asleep. Ivy walked over to the edge of the hanger near the opening, sat down resting her back against the wall, and brought her knees up to her chest.
It had been two weeks since they had lost the bounty on Hanoi Wai. After Alex had left, everything seemed to calm down. No other big bounties came up and money slowly dwindled away to nothing. Jet had confronted Faye about the money she stole, all 356,000 woulongs but it was already gone spent on gambling. She couldn't remember how she was kidnapped or how long she was gone. All she could remember was a recurring dream she kept having, but Faye was tightlipped about the dream. She refused to tell anyone what it was about. For the first few days back she was very quiet and pale walking around like she was in a dream, but that soon changed and she went back to her old self.
Ivy personally wondered if she was back to normal. She remembered waking up alone in the alley but after that everything was a blur all the way until she woke up on the Bebop to see Ed sitting on the couch above her. The dreams were still clear in her mind though, the sound of rain falling on the pavement, the scratchy feel of a wool sweater on her arms and the sound of a man's voice.
"Julia?" My lips formed the name he had said. Who was she? Why did her name make me feel so odd?
One cold hand ran over my arms clad only in the thin sleeves of my shirt. I was a thin figure in white like a ghost watching over the ship. The thought made me smile since I felt like a ghost. I felt so odd and different like I really wasn't myself. Whatever had happened on Callisto had changed me.
Above the city, a million stars glowed, some were dimmer then others and few glowed with such brightness that they stole all of the beauty from the sky. Ivy leaned her head back and stared up at the stars. Her knees were drawn in closer and she wrapped both arms around her them while she looked up at the sky.
* * * * * * *
The day turned beautiful and hot. By mid-afternoon no one really felt much like doing anything. I had tried to do laundry but the thought of hanging it all up in the boiling hot sun bored me so I left it to dry in the laundry room.
Outside Faye had set up her lawn chair and umbrella and was now sun bathing dressed only in her skimpy bikini. Near by Ed and Ein sat fishing while Spike washed his ship clad only in his dirty work outfit. I decided to change into my bathing suit and join Faye for an afternoon of sun bathing. After all there wasn't much else to do and people already did tell me I was too pale for my own good. That was where we were or what we were doing when Jet came back from his trip. Earlier that morning Jet had left to go meet up with an old friend of his from the ISSP. No one really cared what he was up to. We all had better things to do, like sun bathing, fishing, and washing our ships. But Jet did come back and with him, he brought good news.
Faye lye back in her lawn chair sunglasses pulled on and a heavy dose of sunscreen covering her skin. Near by Ivy lay on her stomach resting her head in her arms feeling the rough woven material of the lawn chair cut into her skin. Ed was singing some random song about fish even though Faye had already told her to shut up for the fiftieth time. She still hadn't caught any fish which was kind of bad since the fish Ed caught would be our dinner tonight. The crew of the Bebop was broke and without food. Basically we had been living off fish and dog food for the last two weeks now.
Near by Spike was covering Swordfish with a heavy layer of foam as he washed his ship. Once in awhile his eyes would wonder over to the girls lying in lawn chairs but mostly he kept his eye on the ship. It was the sound of another ship approaching that brought everyone out of their reverie. Jet landed near the edge of the hanger and carefully drove his ship into the carrier before walking out grumbling something about people taking up all the room on the deck.
"You know this isn't a beach here. If you want to sun bath, do it somewhere else." Jet grumbled pointing to the two womyn lying around.
"There isn't anywhere else to go," Ivy replied without lifting her head from her arms.
"Find anything interesting Jet?" Spike continued to wash his ship but he listened to see if there was a bounty they could catch.
"Yea, I talked to Bob from ISSP and he had some inside info for me. It seems there is a new club drug going around called Shattered. It's real popular with teenagers because it's cheap and gives you a quick high."
"And we are supposed to care why?" Spike dunked the brush back into the bucket of soap then lifted it again and continued to wash his ship.
"The drug is illegal and very dangerous. A person takes it in powdered form that they mix with their drink to supposedly dilute it. Problem is that even when it's diluted the drug is powerful. After one use it goes straight to the brain and so called for its name it shatters the brain cells."
"So your saying it destroys brain cells?" Faye asked sitting up and turning around in her chair to face Jet.
"Yea, that's what I'm saying. It destroys a person's brain cells and makes them think wild things. They go delusional and believe they can do anything like fly or get hit by a train and live. Bob told me there's a ransom out on the guy who makes and sells this stuff. The drug is still really new and only one guy knows how to make it."
"What's his bounty?" Spike dunked the brush back into the bucket and left it there.
"2.8 million woulongs."
"Doesn't sound like much when you think about it." Spike reached for the hose to start rinsing off Swordfish.
"It's better then nothing. We need the money Spike and I already told Bob were going to look into it."
"We?" Faye asked turning around again.
"Yea, we. As much has I hate to say it we all need to help on this one. Bob says there is no way only one of us," Jet shot a look at Spike, "can go out there and find this guy. I have some info on him including a few pictures but he might have changed his face so we're going to check into that one too. And anyway the guy targets young people so you, Spike, and Ivy are perfect. He won't go for an older man like me."
"But he will go for a bunch of youngsters like us?" Ivy asked looking up at Jet.
"Do you know where he is supposed to strike next?" Spike ran the hose over the top of his ship spraying away excess soap while Jet stepped back a bit to avoid getting wet.
"Yea some club called Zero G. it's one of those dance clubs young people are always going to."
"And we're going tonight?" Spike asked dryly.
"Yea, so your going need to put together a club look. Something hip and in, at least that's how Bob put it."
"I'm not hip and in. I'll wear what I always wear. I don't feel like being in with it." Spike made a bored face at the thought of clothes.
Jet shrugged and turned to the girls. "Your both going to need something flashy and sexy. The point is for us to fit into the place and not look suspicious."
"Done," Ivy replied without raising her head.
"I don't think you have to worry about Faye. She can just wear what she always does and she'll fit in fine." Spike joked turning off the hose and facing the girls.
"Very funny Spike." Faye replied sarcastically.
"Whatever is just try and dress like everyone else. We need the money unless everyone enjoys eating dog food." A smile spread on Jet's face has he saw the disgusted looks on everyone's face at the thought of the dog food they had eaten the night before.
"Then be ready by seven." Jet turned and walked back into the carrier leaving everyone else to go back to what they were doing.
* * * * * * *
The music pounded in my head filling my every thought with sound. Over the thumping bass, I could see masses of people dancing. Their bodies moving in a rhythm of movement while colored lights shone down on them. Sweating faces, eyes wide open, arms flying in the air, a twisting movement of sex, heat, and passion.
I turned away and fought my way off the dance floor pushing people out of my way, the need for a cigarette high on my mind at that moment. Jet, Faye, and Ivy had all disappeared the minute we got there. I already had a feeling Jet was scoping out the people there asking questions and trying to fit in. Only problem was that he didn't. He was the oldest person there and the crème colored suit didn't help much either. These facts had made themselves clear the minute we walked in. Jet had only shrugged it off and went to work, he wanted to get the bounty fast and get of there. The place was nothing but a mass hysteria of music, lights, and heat. I could agree with him, you would have to get me dead drunk before I came back here again.
Outside of the dance floor I took a deep breath and lit up a cigarette inhaling the burning fumes before blowing out a stream of gray smoke. I had no idea where Faye was. The only glimpse I had gotten of her was when I stopped at the bar to get a drink. She was surrounded by at least five men clamoring to buy her drinks. From the smile on her face, I knew she was enjoying herself. Of course, this also meant she would be no help in catching the bounty.
Spike took another drag of his cigarette and leaned against the wall. There were a few people around him doing the same thing, but they stood in groups of two or three chatting and laughing. He was the only one standing alone. A few womyn walking by would try to get his attention but he ignored them all, looking right through them into the crowd of dancing people. Maybe he could find Faye, or Jet, or Ivy. See if they had found anything so they could get out of there.
I hadn't seen Ivy ever since we had gotten in there. She had disappeared into the crowd saying she was going to see if she could find out if anyone knew about the drug dealer, we were looking for. That had been the last I saw of her. Maybe Jet had found her but I highly doubted it, the minute we walked in men were giving her looks. She was probably acting like Faye right now surrounded by a dozen men clamoring to buy her drinks. Spike blew out another stream of smoke and dropped the cigarette on the floor, stamping it out with his boot before standing up and walking off.
A new song was playing now, it sounded the same had the old one almost. Thumping bass, loud sound and someone singing something he couldn't even understand. The crowd was dancing faster now, their bodies intertwining in a dance of sex and deceit. I looked over into the crowd seeing if I could spot any faces I recognized. Nothing much just the same bunch of people dancing and grinding with each other. I turned away when something caught my eye and forced me to look again. A flash of red but it disappeared in the colors of other people before reappearing again and getting clearer.
Spike leaned against the back of the couch smoking a cigarette and waiting for everyone to get out of their rooms so they could go. He hadn't even bothered to change but instead kept on his old blue suit complete with his gun tucked into the jacket and a couple packs of cigarettes in the pockets. Personally he didn't want to go on this bounty hunt but Jet persuaded him to go persuading him with the thought of real meat.
So now, Spike stood leaning against the back of the couch waiting for everyone to get out when he heard first steps behind him. The sound of high heels clicking on the metal floor. His first thought was that is was Faye but when he turned around, he saw it wasn't her.
Ivy stood next to the chair, one hand resting on its top while the other hung limp at her side. She was dressed in a simple red dress; the spaghetti straps rising from the bodice to disappear over her shoulders down to the low back almost at her waist. She stepped into the room, the short red skirt moving with her movements revealing a small slit on each side of her body. "Do you like it? I got it in a small shop here on Mars a few months ago but I never had a need to wear it till now."
Spike didn't immediately answer but instead continued to stare. The dress looked so familiar to him, it felt like he had seen it on someone else before. Someone taller with fair hair but why would she be wearing the same dress as her?
"Spike?" Ivy asked taking a step forward.
"It's a nice dress Ivy. Real nice." Spike took another drag of his cigarette while Ivy smiled happily.
After that, Faye and Jet were soon ready and they left. Headed for the club where he found himself now staring at sight that somewhat shocked him.
"I'm 20 years old, I'll be 21 in two weeks."
"Ah, so were having a birthday in a few weeks I see." I replied grinning down at her.
"If being 21 means I have to be an adult then I would rather be a child at 20 forever."
* * * * * * *
Ivy threw back her head and let the music take control of her. As if controlled by some unknown force her body moved in rhythm with music. All around her people danced, some alone and some with each other. Swirling colors of blue, green, red, and yellow lights shone down on their sweat soaked faces.
How long had she been here?
How long has she been dancing like this?
A cramp in her side said forever but Ivy continued to dance never wanting to stop. Although her throat was dry and begging for a drink, although she was overheating and sweating she never wanted to stop. With a cry Ivy threw up her arms and let herself be lost completely in the music. All around her people danced loosing themselves into the music like she did. One man saw this in the thin girl with the wild black hair. Seeing his chance, he sauntered up to her begging for a dance with his eyes, which she graciously excepted.
This was how Spike found her; arms clasped around his neck, her head thrown back, eyes closed while she danced moving against the man in her arms. He pushed his way through the crowd to where she was. Fire showing in his dark eyes has he pushed her partner away from her and took a hold of her arm. Ivy opened her eyes at the feel of someone taking a hold of her and pulling her off the floor. In a blur of faces and color, she found herself standing outside the club in the cool night air. Out here, everything was a little quieter. A few stray people stood around them smoking cigarettes and talking quietly. Her chest moved up and down taking in the cool night while she glared up at Spike standing above her.
"What was that for?!" Her voice came out in a yell but she didn't really care. She was mad.
"You were behaving like a wild womyn! Haven't you ever learned that womyn have a little more decency!" Spike yelled back.
"Decency? You dragged me out here because I wasn't decent enough? I was dancing Spike! There is nothing wrong with it!"
"I would hardly call that dancing! It was more like you were having sex with him right there on the dance floor."
A few people standing near by laughed quietly to themselves at the way he put it.
"I was not doing anything wrong. I was just dancing with the guy. You had no right to drag me off the floor and out here just to make me look like a fool!" Ivy brushed past him to head back into the club but he grabbed her hand to stop her.
"You're a little girl Ivy. You should have more morals then that to know better."
Her eyes grew cold, the green turning an icy shade of blue. "I'm not a little girl Spike so mind you don't treat me like one." With that she threw off his hand and walked back into the club.
A few people laughed and whispered pointing to the tall lanky man standing in the middle of the sidewalk while the short thin girl walked back into the club. With a growl he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off down the street away from the club and towards the Bebop.
* * * * * * *
It wasn't until 4 in the morning did Jet and the others return along with a 2.8 million woulong reward. Spike walked out of his room to greet them absentmindedly looking for Ivy but she wasn't with them. Jet hadn't been able to find her so he figured she had gone back to the ship. A quick check of her room proved otherwise but there wasn't much worry. She was grown girl she could take care of herself. Spike just nodded and went back to his room where he lit up a cigarette and inhaled deep.
* * * * * * *
Later that morning found him standing alone on the carrier looking up into the sunrise. A cup of water in one hand and his tooth brush in the other. He absentmindedly brushed his teeth while the sky turned from pink to gold to blue. The others were still asleep now, it was only 5:30 in the morning so he figured they would probably be sleeping at least till noon. He hadn't been able to sleep all night after they got back from the club so at the first signs of daylight Spike slipped out of his bed and walked out to the hanger.
After a vigorous work out of doing his Jeet-Kun-Do exercises, he went through his normal morning routine of brushing his teeth and waiting for breakfast, except there was no breakfast. Ivy still hadn't come back from where she had gone to last night. The last time he had saw her she was walking back into the club, mad at him. Who knows what she could have done or where she could have gone. Spike spit out the last of his toothpaste and walked back into the ship. Ed and Ein lay in a corner oblivious to anything. A little bit of droll ran from the corner of Ed's mouth has she mummered something about bacon. Spike walked past them into the bathroom to put his toothbrush away then walked into the kitchen to find something to eat. There wasn't anything in the fridge except a can of dog food and box of baking soda. With a disgusted look, he slammed the door closed and walked back into the main room.
The couch felt lumpier then usual but he sat on it anyway and turned in the TV. A quick flip of the channels showed nothing but kiddies' cartoons and talk shows. Spike clicked off the TV and lay back on the couch so he was looking up at the ceiling. He was just about to nod off when a door opened and some one walked into the room. One eye opened then the other and Spike sat up to see Ivy standing at the foot of the stairs. Her hair was hanging loose, all the pins that was holding it up last night were gone leaving behind a messy tangled mess. Her dress was wrinkled and dirty and there was a smudge of dirt on one cheek. Wordlessly they stared at each other before she turned and walked out of the room towards her own. Spike lay back on the couch and slipped both arms underneath his head. Already he could see there was something between the two of them.
See you later space cowboy....
Andy: Howdy space amigos. It is I, Mushai the space ninja here to introduce you to the next episode.
Spike: What are you doing here? Your a cowboy not a ninja.
Andy: Wrong you are there partner. I gave up my days of living on the range to bring in the samurai's traditions of trust, honor and beauty.
Faye: Well go find some other beauty and get out of here.
Andy: The next episode is "Twists in Time and Space."
Spike: I'll be happy has long as your not in it.
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!
* ~ * Session 13: Bebop Dance Party * ~ *
She walked out alone onto the hanger. The day had been and uneventful one and now and everyone else was asleep but she found she couldn't sit still. The walls of her room had seemed to close down on her as she lay in bed till she couldn't take it anymore.
Ivy slipped out of bed quietly and tip toed barefoot out of her room to the hanger. Jet lay on the couch in the main room sleeping with a faded yellow blanket covering him but he never woke as she passed by. Outside a million stars shone down on the city while neon lights glowed from restaurants and clubs still open. The metal was cold under her feet shocking up her spine and covering her arms in gooseflesh. A look behind her showed a dark ship, all lights turned off and everyone asleep. Ivy walked over to the edge of the hanger near the opening, sat down resting her back against the wall, and brought her knees up to her chest.
It had been two weeks since they had lost the bounty on Hanoi Wai. After Alex had left, everything seemed to calm down. No other big bounties came up and money slowly dwindled away to nothing. Jet had confronted Faye about the money she stole, all 356,000 woulongs but it was already gone spent on gambling. She couldn't remember how she was kidnapped or how long she was gone. All she could remember was a recurring dream she kept having, but Faye was tightlipped about the dream. She refused to tell anyone what it was about. For the first few days back she was very quiet and pale walking around like she was in a dream, but that soon changed and she went back to her old self.
Ivy personally wondered if she was back to normal. She remembered waking up alone in the alley but after that everything was a blur all the way until she woke up on the Bebop to see Ed sitting on the couch above her. The dreams were still clear in her mind though, the sound of rain falling on the pavement, the scratchy feel of a wool sweater on her arms and the sound of a man's voice.
"Julia?" My lips formed the name he had said. Who was she? Why did her name make me feel so odd?
One cold hand ran over my arms clad only in the thin sleeves of my shirt. I was a thin figure in white like a ghost watching over the ship. The thought made me smile since I felt like a ghost. I felt so odd and different like I really wasn't myself. Whatever had happened on Callisto had changed me.
Above the city, a million stars glowed, some were dimmer then others and few glowed with such brightness that they stole all of the beauty from the sky. Ivy leaned her head back and stared up at the stars. Her knees were drawn in closer and she wrapped both arms around her them while she looked up at the sky.
* * * * * * *
The day turned beautiful and hot. By mid-afternoon no one really felt much like doing anything. I had tried to do laundry but the thought of hanging it all up in the boiling hot sun bored me so I left it to dry in the laundry room.
Outside Faye had set up her lawn chair and umbrella and was now sun bathing dressed only in her skimpy bikini. Near by Ed and Ein sat fishing while Spike washed his ship clad only in his dirty work outfit. I decided to change into my bathing suit and join Faye for an afternoon of sun bathing. After all there wasn't much else to do and people already did tell me I was too pale for my own good. That was where we were or what we were doing when Jet came back from his trip. Earlier that morning Jet had left to go meet up with an old friend of his from the ISSP. No one really cared what he was up to. We all had better things to do, like sun bathing, fishing, and washing our ships. But Jet did come back and with him, he brought good news.
Faye lye back in her lawn chair sunglasses pulled on and a heavy dose of sunscreen covering her skin. Near by Ivy lay on her stomach resting her head in her arms feeling the rough woven material of the lawn chair cut into her skin. Ed was singing some random song about fish even though Faye had already told her to shut up for the fiftieth time. She still hadn't caught any fish which was kind of bad since the fish Ed caught would be our dinner tonight. The crew of the Bebop was broke and without food. Basically we had been living off fish and dog food for the last two weeks now.
Near by Spike was covering Swordfish with a heavy layer of foam as he washed his ship. Once in awhile his eyes would wonder over to the girls lying in lawn chairs but mostly he kept his eye on the ship. It was the sound of another ship approaching that brought everyone out of their reverie. Jet landed near the edge of the hanger and carefully drove his ship into the carrier before walking out grumbling something about people taking up all the room on the deck.
"You know this isn't a beach here. If you want to sun bath, do it somewhere else." Jet grumbled pointing to the two womyn lying around.
"There isn't anywhere else to go," Ivy replied without lifting her head from her arms.
"Find anything interesting Jet?" Spike continued to wash his ship but he listened to see if there was a bounty they could catch.
"Yea, I talked to Bob from ISSP and he had some inside info for me. It seems there is a new club drug going around called Shattered. It's real popular with teenagers because it's cheap and gives you a quick high."
"And we are supposed to care why?" Spike dunked the brush back into the bucket of soap then lifted it again and continued to wash his ship.
"The drug is illegal and very dangerous. A person takes it in powdered form that they mix with their drink to supposedly dilute it. Problem is that even when it's diluted the drug is powerful. After one use it goes straight to the brain and so called for its name it shatters the brain cells."
"So your saying it destroys brain cells?" Faye asked sitting up and turning around in her chair to face Jet.
"Yea, that's what I'm saying. It destroys a person's brain cells and makes them think wild things. They go delusional and believe they can do anything like fly or get hit by a train and live. Bob told me there's a ransom out on the guy who makes and sells this stuff. The drug is still really new and only one guy knows how to make it."
"What's his bounty?" Spike dunked the brush back into the bucket and left it there.
"2.8 million woulongs."
"Doesn't sound like much when you think about it." Spike reached for the hose to start rinsing off Swordfish.
"It's better then nothing. We need the money Spike and I already told Bob were going to look into it."
"We?" Faye asked turning around again.
"Yea, we. As much has I hate to say it we all need to help on this one. Bob says there is no way only one of us," Jet shot a look at Spike, "can go out there and find this guy. I have some info on him including a few pictures but he might have changed his face so we're going to check into that one too. And anyway the guy targets young people so you, Spike, and Ivy are perfect. He won't go for an older man like me."
"But he will go for a bunch of youngsters like us?" Ivy asked looking up at Jet.
"Do you know where he is supposed to strike next?" Spike ran the hose over the top of his ship spraying away excess soap while Jet stepped back a bit to avoid getting wet.
"Yea some club called Zero G. it's one of those dance clubs young people are always going to."
"And we're going tonight?" Spike asked dryly.
"Yea, so your going need to put together a club look. Something hip and in, at least that's how Bob put it."
"I'm not hip and in. I'll wear what I always wear. I don't feel like being in with it." Spike made a bored face at the thought of clothes.
Jet shrugged and turned to the girls. "Your both going to need something flashy and sexy. The point is for us to fit into the place and not look suspicious."
"Done," Ivy replied without raising her head.
"I don't think you have to worry about Faye. She can just wear what she always does and she'll fit in fine." Spike joked turning off the hose and facing the girls.
"Very funny Spike." Faye replied sarcastically.
"Whatever is just try and dress like everyone else. We need the money unless everyone enjoys eating dog food." A smile spread on Jet's face has he saw the disgusted looks on everyone's face at the thought of the dog food they had eaten the night before.
"Then be ready by seven." Jet turned and walked back into the carrier leaving everyone else to go back to what they were doing.
* * * * * * *
The music pounded in my head filling my every thought with sound. Over the thumping bass, I could see masses of people dancing. Their bodies moving in a rhythm of movement while colored lights shone down on them. Sweating faces, eyes wide open, arms flying in the air, a twisting movement of sex, heat, and passion.
I turned away and fought my way off the dance floor pushing people out of my way, the need for a cigarette high on my mind at that moment. Jet, Faye, and Ivy had all disappeared the minute we got there. I already had a feeling Jet was scoping out the people there asking questions and trying to fit in. Only problem was that he didn't. He was the oldest person there and the crème colored suit didn't help much either. These facts had made themselves clear the minute we walked in. Jet had only shrugged it off and went to work, he wanted to get the bounty fast and get of there. The place was nothing but a mass hysteria of music, lights, and heat. I could agree with him, you would have to get me dead drunk before I came back here again.
Outside of the dance floor I took a deep breath and lit up a cigarette inhaling the burning fumes before blowing out a stream of gray smoke. I had no idea where Faye was. The only glimpse I had gotten of her was when I stopped at the bar to get a drink. She was surrounded by at least five men clamoring to buy her drinks. From the smile on her face, I knew she was enjoying herself. Of course, this also meant she would be no help in catching the bounty.
Spike took another drag of his cigarette and leaned against the wall. There were a few people around him doing the same thing, but they stood in groups of two or three chatting and laughing. He was the only one standing alone. A few womyn walking by would try to get his attention but he ignored them all, looking right through them into the crowd of dancing people. Maybe he could find Faye, or Jet, or Ivy. See if they had found anything so they could get out of there.
I hadn't seen Ivy ever since we had gotten in there. She had disappeared into the crowd saying she was going to see if she could find out if anyone knew about the drug dealer, we were looking for. That had been the last I saw of her. Maybe Jet had found her but I highly doubted it, the minute we walked in men were giving her looks. She was probably acting like Faye right now surrounded by a dozen men clamoring to buy her drinks. Spike blew out another stream of smoke and dropped the cigarette on the floor, stamping it out with his boot before standing up and walking off.
A new song was playing now, it sounded the same had the old one almost. Thumping bass, loud sound and someone singing something he couldn't even understand. The crowd was dancing faster now, their bodies intertwining in a dance of sex and deceit. I looked over into the crowd seeing if I could spot any faces I recognized. Nothing much just the same bunch of people dancing and grinding with each other. I turned away when something caught my eye and forced me to look again. A flash of red but it disappeared in the colors of other people before reappearing again and getting clearer.
Spike leaned against the back of the couch smoking a cigarette and waiting for everyone to get out of their rooms so they could go. He hadn't even bothered to change but instead kept on his old blue suit complete with his gun tucked into the jacket and a couple packs of cigarettes in the pockets. Personally he didn't want to go on this bounty hunt but Jet persuaded him to go persuading him with the thought of real meat.
So now, Spike stood leaning against the back of the couch waiting for everyone to get out when he heard first steps behind him. The sound of high heels clicking on the metal floor. His first thought was that is was Faye but when he turned around, he saw it wasn't her.
Ivy stood next to the chair, one hand resting on its top while the other hung limp at her side. She was dressed in a simple red dress; the spaghetti straps rising from the bodice to disappear over her shoulders down to the low back almost at her waist. She stepped into the room, the short red skirt moving with her movements revealing a small slit on each side of her body. "Do you like it? I got it in a small shop here on Mars a few months ago but I never had a need to wear it till now."
Spike didn't immediately answer but instead continued to stare. The dress looked so familiar to him, it felt like he had seen it on someone else before. Someone taller with fair hair but why would she be wearing the same dress as her?
"Spike?" Ivy asked taking a step forward.
"It's a nice dress Ivy. Real nice." Spike took another drag of his cigarette while Ivy smiled happily.
After that, Faye and Jet were soon ready and they left. Headed for the club where he found himself now staring at sight that somewhat shocked him.
"I'm 20 years old, I'll be 21 in two weeks."
"Ah, so were having a birthday in a few weeks I see." I replied grinning down at her.
"If being 21 means I have to be an adult then I would rather be a child at 20 forever."
* * * * * * *
Ivy threw back her head and let the music take control of her. As if controlled by some unknown force her body moved in rhythm with music. All around her people danced, some alone and some with each other. Swirling colors of blue, green, red, and yellow lights shone down on their sweat soaked faces.
How long had she been here?
How long has she been dancing like this?
A cramp in her side said forever but Ivy continued to dance never wanting to stop. Although her throat was dry and begging for a drink, although she was overheating and sweating she never wanted to stop. With a cry Ivy threw up her arms and let herself be lost completely in the music. All around her people danced loosing themselves into the music like she did. One man saw this in the thin girl with the wild black hair. Seeing his chance, he sauntered up to her begging for a dance with his eyes, which she graciously excepted.
This was how Spike found her; arms clasped around his neck, her head thrown back, eyes closed while she danced moving against the man in her arms. He pushed his way through the crowd to where she was. Fire showing in his dark eyes has he pushed her partner away from her and took a hold of her arm. Ivy opened her eyes at the feel of someone taking a hold of her and pulling her off the floor. In a blur of faces and color, she found herself standing outside the club in the cool night air. Out here, everything was a little quieter. A few stray people stood around them smoking cigarettes and talking quietly. Her chest moved up and down taking in the cool night while she glared up at Spike standing above her.
"What was that for?!" Her voice came out in a yell but she didn't really care. She was mad.
"You were behaving like a wild womyn! Haven't you ever learned that womyn have a little more decency!" Spike yelled back.
"Decency? You dragged me out here because I wasn't decent enough? I was dancing Spike! There is nothing wrong with it!"
"I would hardly call that dancing! It was more like you were having sex with him right there on the dance floor."
A few people standing near by laughed quietly to themselves at the way he put it.
"I was not doing anything wrong. I was just dancing with the guy. You had no right to drag me off the floor and out here just to make me look like a fool!" Ivy brushed past him to head back into the club but he grabbed her hand to stop her.
"You're a little girl Ivy. You should have more morals then that to know better."
Her eyes grew cold, the green turning an icy shade of blue. "I'm not a little girl Spike so mind you don't treat me like one." With that she threw off his hand and walked back into the club.
A few people laughed and whispered pointing to the tall lanky man standing in the middle of the sidewalk while the short thin girl walked back into the club. With a growl he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off down the street away from the club and towards the Bebop.
* * * * * * *
It wasn't until 4 in the morning did Jet and the others return along with a 2.8 million woulong reward. Spike walked out of his room to greet them absentmindedly looking for Ivy but she wasn't with them. Jet hadn't been able to find her so he figured she had gone back to the ship. A quick check of her room proved otherwise but there wasn't much worry. She was grown girl she could take care of herself. Spike just nodded and went back to his room where he lit up a cigarette and inhaled deep.
* * * * * * *
Later that morning found him standing alone on the carrier looking up into the sunrise. A cup of water in one hand and his tooth brush in the other. He absentmindedly brushed his teeth while the sky turned from pink to gold to blue. The others were still asleep now, it was only 5:30 in the morning so he figured they would probably be sleeping at least till noon. He hadn't been able to sleep all night after they got back from the club so at the first signs of daylight Spike slipped out of his bed and walked out to the hanger.
After a vigorous work out of doing his Jeet-Kun-Do exercises, he went through his normal morning routine of brushing his teeth and waiting for breakfast, except there was no breakfast. Ivy still hadn't come back from where she had gone to last night. The last time he had saw her she was walking back into the club, mad at him. Who knows what she could have done or where she could have gone. Spike spit out the last of his toothpaste and walked back into the ship. Ed and Ein lay in a corner oblivious to anything. A little bit of droll ran from the corner of Ed's mouth has she mummered something about bacon. Spike walked past them into the bathroom to put his toothbrush away then walked into the kitchen to find something to eat. There wasn't anything in the fridge except a can of dog food and box of baking soda. With a disgusted look, he slammed the door closed and walked back into the main room.
The couch felt lumpier then usual but he sat on it anyway and turned in the TV. A quick flip of the channels showed nothing but kiddies' cartoons and talk shows. Spike clicked off the TV and lay back on the couch so he was looking up at the ceiling. He was just about to nod off when a door opened and some one walked into the room. One eye opened then the other and Spike sat up to see Ivy standing at the foot of the stairs. Her hair was hanging loose, all the pins that was holding it up last night were gone leaving behind a messy tangled mess. Her dress was wrinkled and dirty and there was a smudge of dirt on one cheek. Wordlessly they stared at each other before she turned and walked out of the room towards her own. Spike lay back on the couch and slipped both arms underneath his head. Already he could see there was something between the two of them.
See you later space cowboy....
Andy: Howdy space amigos. It is I, Mushai the space ninja here to introduce you to the next episode.
Spike: What are you doing here? Your a cowboy not a ninja.
Andy: Wrong you are there partner. I gave up my days of living on the range to bring in the samurai's traditions of trust, honor and beauty.
Faye: Well go find some other beauty and get out of here.
Andy: The next episode is "Twists in Time and Space."
Spike: I'll be happy has long as your not in it.
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