Chapter Five: Gypsy Rhapsody

I went to bed then. There was really nothing left for me to do. I had wanted one thing from Spike Spiegel, and I had ended up with nothing. It seemed that was how it always was with men. I climbed under my covers, after making sure my hotel room was securely locked. I'm not stupid. I know what desperate men are like. I felt safe, even it was behind a small wooden door, that they could easily break down if need be.

When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was gather my things, and leave. I wasn't sure how long Jet could survive without me to handle the kid and I did not want to stick around to find out. So I packed up, strolling out the back exit of the hotel. My Redtail was looking more appealing than ever. I loaded everything inside, giving the hotel one last brief glance before taking off.

My screen displayed a message Jet had sent me earlier that morning about a bounty head, but I discarded it, not even reviewing the information. I wasn't going back and no amount of bargaining could make me. I had promised myself to start doing things my way. By returning to the Bebop, I wouldn't be able to grow anymore as a person. I knew what that path of life held for me. There were so many more choices out there. How could I limit myself to just one this early in the game?

I decided to venture to Saturn. They were rumored to have some really awesome casino opening soon. If I was lucky, I would catch the right day and get in.

My fuel pod was getting awfully low as I came within sight of the planet, but I wasn't worried. I had devised a plan to get me some serious money. As I broke through the outer perimeter of the planet, I spotted a city. There was a great deal of traffic, something that annoyed me, so I avoided it by heading in the other direction. Only after I had turned around did I realize the casino I wanted was in the direction I had previously been traveling.

Cursing, I headed back the way I had originally planned on going. I had to wait for a while, but eventually, I got a spot off to the side where hopefully no one would bother me. Adjusting my outfit, I applied just a tad of lipstick and brushed through my hair. I locked up my ship, heading inside. It was time to put "Buy Faye a fuel pod, plan A" into action.

I located the poker tables near the back and watched all the attendants individually for several games. Once I had found a girl around my size in the waist, I waited until her break. As she headed toward the bathroom, I followed her. When I opened the door, coming in right behind her, she turned and smiled. I smiled right back, right before I punched her out. There was just one problem with me stealing her uniform. My chest didn't fit in her top portion. Again, I cursed.

I searched the bathroom for something I could tie and gag my latest victim with. Luckily, I found a hairdryer under one of the counters. Pleased, I smiled and used the cord to bind her wrists and ankles together. Now, for the gag. Once again I looked around, but there wasn't anything, so I used her shirt. Then I shoved the skinny wench into the farthest back stall, hoping no one would discover her for awhile.

Out amongst the public again, I tried to look as professional as I could. However, fate, as it were, decided to give me a helping hand and a young man strolled past me in casino uniform. Grinning devilishly, I intercepted him near the bathroom and suggested a little playtime. Poor kid, had he only of known what was truly coming, he never would have attempted to play with me. I knocked him out as well, stealing the top section of his outfit to fit myself into. Finally having a complete outfit, I went out to one of the empty poker tables, ready to make a quick woolong.

The men seemed highly interested, but of course, prior to me dealing them all in, I had triggered the good cards with my bracelet. My first few hands went by awfully well. I gained a great deal of chips, but then, something happened. I saw the guy I had knocked out to get his shirt. Stuffing my pockets with the chips, I ducked away, heading to the bathroom where I was sure the girl would still be, as well as my normal clothes.

Quickly, I changed back, not worried about the girl. I had bigger problems than a anorexic bitch to worry about. I made a makeshift bag out of the shirt I had stolen and snaked away to turn in my chips for cash. The machine was fast, but not as fast as I wanted it to be. When I had collected the woolongs, I had accidentally out of habit ran my card through the slot, collecting the woolongs on my bounty head card. Now Ed could track me down. Hissing, I slid the card down into the foot of my boot, only to meet the head of the casino along with one very angry young man that had thought I was trying to seduce him.

"This is the woman?" he asked. The boy nodded. I smirked, taking a step back.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm a very busy woman," I said, running to the front door.

Of course it was blocked, but I didn't think they expected me to fight. What was Faye Valentine if she didn't put up some sort of fight to keep the hard-earned money she had stolen?

There were five men, all built. The first one lunged at me as I tried to get past him to the middle door. I slammed my palm up the front of his face, breaking his nose. His huge paw hands wrapped around the bleeding area, which had quickly become extremely sore as his co-workers darted at me.

"Come on guys," I teased, kicking one in between the legs as I punched another on the left cheek. "I'm not even breaking a sweat." Behind the small battle I could hear gasps, the angry yell of the hotel manager, and the moans of the men I had already gotten to. "Going to have to do better than that," I told them, sliding my foot along the floor in front of the fourth guy too fast for him to anticipate. He tripped over his own feet, running into the fifth guy and giving me a gap, which I used to my advantage.

Racing out of the building, I climbed into my ship and sped off. I had more than enough for fuel now, but if I got one I would have to use my card again. Ed would track me down easily and Jet would be dragging me back to Bebop. Something I had wanted so many times before I suddenly wished more than anything not to have.

Just as I had gotten out of the city, a beep alerted me of something new on my ship. I put my craft into autopilot and opened the e-mail my screen had informed me of. It was from my "pen pal," MeMoRyPhAsEd29. Somewhat excieted, I leaned back, propping my feet up on the front panel, and read it.

HoTyElLoWsHoRtS28,

Did you ever wonder about life after death? Do you think the actions we complete each day determine what will happen to us after we die? I have not been the greatest of guys to a certain woman and now she's leaving. It isn't anything serious. I don't love her. I couldn't possibly. She is just someone who I worked with for years and out of familiarity will miss. Just wondering if you were still up for a conversation with someone such as myself.

See you, MeMoRyPhAsEd29

I grinned, and quickly typed up my reply. I had an opinion on the subject that I was sure my friend would love to hear. Either that, or he would never speak to me again.

MeMoRyPhAsEd29,

There has to be something after death. If there was nothing than what would be the point of going this far? I have no idea what makes you a good person. I've never believed in God or a higher power. I think fate determines everything. If something is suppose to happen, then it will. So I wouldn't worry about you actions and how they affect this woman. Just go about doing things your way. If you cross paths with her again, then something is meant to occur. If not then its just that. I myself enjoy my solitude for the most part. I don't know what else to tell you beyond that. I myself enjoy my solitude.

HoTyElLoWsHoRtS28

It kind of felt good to speak to someone who had no idea about anything I was going through, who didn't know I was a bounty hunter, and who had no clue about who I really was. I was almost more comfortable with telling a complete stranger about me than telling someone who actually knew me.

I could never talk to anyone on Bebop. Jet wouldn't be bothered. Ed was too young to understand. And Spike, the only one who might have been worth something didn't want anything to do with me. It made me so mad. Why did he have to go and die, only to come back and break my heart all over again? Damn him!

I spotted a bar sign. An hour or so had passed. My fuel pod was all but gone. Taking my Redtail down for a landing, I resolved that I would have to buy a new fuel pod whether I wanted to or not. I would just have to deal with Jet tracking me down with Ed later. As of right now though, I wanted a hard drink to wash away my sorrows and the failures of the day.

The bell chimed on the door as I walked into the large smoke filled room. Only a few glanced up over the rim of their glass to see me as I waltzed in. There was only one seat opened, so I took it between the two large burly men near the middle. The bartender, who had been cleaning a glass lazily, came over and took my order. A moment later, I had liquor in my hand.

Third Person Pov

"Zip-zip machine that brings woolongs from far away show me where to find the Faye-Faye!"

Ed chuckled at her latest rhyme, as she hacked around, trying to locate Faye. Jet had asked her to do it this morning after he hadn't heard a reply on the bounty from their comrade. Behind her, the captain of the Bebop was smoking on the couch, in deep thought. Spike was siting opposite of him, not looking too thrilled himself.

"I'm telling you," he began. "She wants to be left alone this time, Jet. Just let her be."

"You think you know her, Spike, but you don't, at least not anymore," the older man pointed out. "She's changed a lot since you left. I should have seen something like this happening before. I didn't know, "he shook his head as he drifted off to thinking again, leaving Spike to sigh and Ed to sing her rhyme over and over again.

There was a long silence that settled over the ship. Only Ed humming her tune and the delicate roar of the engines as the craft shifted through space could be heard. Spike got up to get a drink, while Jet continued to smoke, watching the curls of gray appear from the end of his cigarette. When the cowboy got back, he immediately returned to the position he had been seated in before, taking a sip of the liquid from in his glass.

Ein was sleeping to the side of Ed, without a care in the world. The data dog had learned from experience not to sleep behind his favored member of the crew, due to her nature, she tended to think of him as a pillow, more than an actual dog. Sleeping on the couches was forbidden and he wasn't keen on sleeping by the feet of Jet, or the larger feet of Spike, so he stationed himself here instead.

The ship was on autopilot to Saturn, where the latest bounty head was located. While they were on their way, Jet had asked Ed to look for Faye, in hopes of finding her before she got tracked down by something much worse. Spike hadn't been the least bit helpful since the last time they had seen her. After he had come out of the hotel, he had been a tad different, but after he woke up that morning, he had completely changed his mind on the topic, and refused to lift a finger.

Jet smutted the end of his cigarette into the glass tray on the table in front of him. He stood up with a deep sigh, turning toward his bonsai room. Spike didn't raise his eyes, just continued to stare at the contents of his glass, which were getting lower and lower by every minute that ticked by.

"Faye-Faye!" Ed screamed, making both men avert their eyes to the young redhead.

"Did you find her?" Jet asked, hurrying over. Spike barely glanced in her direction.

"The Faye-Faye wasn't so bright. Faye-Faye used her zip card in a casino on Saturn earlier this morning, about an hour ago," Ed informed him.

"She what!" Jet hollered, thinking Faye had taken money from them.

"Yep!" The bohemian style girl cheered loudly. "She added 500,000 woolongs to her account. That's more than either of you have together!" she giggled.

"She's on Saturn," Jet shook his head, realizing a new problem. "What if she went after the bounty on her own? She'll never get him by herself. Spike?"

"What?"

"We have to help her. She's gonna get herself hurt, maybe even killed."

"Not my problem," the cowboy stated, patting Jet on the shoulder as he walked by to his room.

"Then I'll go alone," he sighed, heading toward the hanger.

"Jet-person, can Ed come to? Ed misses the Faye-Faye."

"Well alright," he nodded. "But you're gonna have to listen to me."

"WAHOO!" Ed cried, picking up Ein and running toward Jet's ship.

"You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" Spike asked, leaning over the rail by the step. Jet looked over his shoulder at the girl with the howling dog as they disappeared and groaned. "Have fun and bring me a souvenir."

Faye Pov

I had just officially downed my fifth glass. Still, there were no affects. I've always been a big drinker. After so many years, there seems to be no limit to the amount I can take down without feeling the slightest bit woozy. Most of the men who had been in the bar when I had first entered where now gone, but one burly man in the back was still sitting in his dark corner, smoking a thick cigar.

The dangerously playful side of me was getting anxious. I knew better than to tango with someone stronger than me, but a challenge was always another thing I was drawn to, like a moth to light. However, something wasn't right about this guy. Although in the bar, he had no drink in front of him and hadn't had one glass since I had come in. Now in my book, that was wrong.

Knowing I had no form of payment besides my bounty card, I realized I was in trouble. From the crowd that was in here, I was sure that a bounty hunter wouldn't be too popular, even if the bounty hunter was me. Of course, I couldn't just waltz out of the front door either, so I decided to try and get out the back way while I still wasn't too suspicious.

I strolled toward the bathroom, feeling eyes scan up and down my long legs, as well as other areas of my anatomy. The only one who didn't seem effected by my obvious grace was the guy in the corner. Again, this struck me as off. What man in a bar such as this didn't at least check out a well put together woman? I shrugged it off as I walked past him and into the ladies room.

There was one window, but I knew I'd never be able to fit through. I could barely fit my leg through, much less two at the same time. I gazed into the mirror. Maybe if I…no, that wouldn't work either. Too many questions would be asked. Still…I pulled the mirror off the wall, but when I saw what was behind it, I dropped the sheet of glass. Shards clattered all over the floor by my feet, but I was only paying attention to the ten million woolongs that sat neatly packaged in front of me.

I pulled off my red sweater, wrapping the cash inside. While I worked on securing all the money, I lifted my right ankle and hit the button on my bracelet, calling my Redtail over. Once the craft was hovering right outside the window, I tossed the money into the side storage area. I had known a mechanic on Neptune who had added it on my ship. Normal models didn't feature that, so I had less of a chance of getting robbed. I had just finished tossing the last of the loot into my ship, when I heard a gunshot fired.

It wasn't until I turned that I knew who had been shooting and who they had hit. It had been the guy from the back who held the gun and the blood seeping through the wound near my stomach was testament to who had been hit.

As I slid to the ground, one hand reaching behind me for my own gun, I flipped the bracelet on my ankle again, sending my craft back to the Bebop. Hopefully it had enough gas to get there, because suddenly I found myself missing their help, and needing someone to rescue me.

A/N: Uh-oh! Poor Faye! I woke up this morning, the second day of my vacation at 8:45. What an ungodly hour! Either way, I immediately started working on this chapter. I'm so glad it is now done. My fingers hurt from typing so hard. It's now 9:40, so I'll call this a good hour's work. Read and REVIEW! Nev