Spike damn near broke the throttle on the Swordfish getting to the address that Jet had given him. What he found when he got there was a gorgeous white house with a sprawling manicured lawn. Whoever this guy had for a gardener was obviously very well paid. Spike walked to the door hoping that this Michael Winters guy would be home, it was only nine o'clock after all.

After knocking on the door, Spike lit a cigarette and waited. Not more than five minutes went by before a young brunette woman in her mid-twenties opened the door. Spike smiled, pouring on the charm in a natural way that he didn't seem able to control.

"Hi, I'm looking for Michael Winters." He said with that boy-next-door tone he used on pretty girls. "Is he in?"

The woman grinned shyly at him before opening the door fully to let him in. "Michael, you have a guest."

The man that walked around the corner seemed to be in his late-thirties, blonde hair trimmed, his eyes were hazel and dulled with the cocktail he was holding. Spike smiled easily since he was trying not to laugh. The man looked like the poster child for yuppie life in his khaki slacks and white polo shirt. Michael assessed Spike, confused since he did not know the younger man.

"Can I help you?" Michael asked.

"Ah, yes." Spike replied, "I'm here about your daughter."

"You must be mistaken," the man smiled coldly. "I do not have any children."

"I'm referring to Huyen Winters, she was born during your marriage to Trisha Winters." Spike replied easily.

The man laughed in Spike's face at that statement. "Perhaps you should join me in my study for a moment." Michael shook his head still laughing as he walked down the hallway and into a room on the right. Spike followed him, unsure where this was leading.

Michael went to the mini-bar that was set against the wall. "Care for a drink?" At Spike's slight nod, Michael pored him a liberal drink of scotch. "You are right, Trisha had a baby just before I divorced her. The stupid whore thought I'd care or just not notice." He shrugged absently. "Anyway, I don't give a damn about the kid. It's not mine."

Spike was shocked at the man's blatant statement, "Could you elaborate?"

Michael nodded still amused at the other man's shock. "Trisha used to like to go slumming in less than acceptable bars. She got knocked up on one of her little trips. I had a feeling that was the case, so when she finally had it, I ordered a paternity test." He smiled brightly, "No surprise, I'm not the father. It was a welcome excuse to get rid of her. She was beginning to bore me."

Spike was a bit disgusted by the behavior of the man in front of him, but kept his easy smile. "So who was the father?"

"That was Trisha's grand joke on me. In the divorce, it got pretty messy, she knew it would help my case if I could pin a name to the DNA of the little bastard so she dropped enough hints to be a pain in the ass. She said that the father was a cop, and she named the little brat after him."

"So the father's name was Huyen?" Spike asked, prompting him.

"That's the damned thing, she was too smug to be lying, so I hired a private investigator to check around. The guy turned the records upside down, but the only Huyen, first name or last, that had ever been on the force had died in a shoot-out six years before the bitch got knocked up." Michael sighed, becoming bored with the conversation.

"So you have no idea who this guy might be."

"No, but if you find him, come back and let me know. I'd like to shake his hand. He kept me from having to pay full alimony. You have no idea how relieved I was to find that she strung herself up. No more alimony." He smiled again at that thought, and Spike's skin crawled.

"Well, thanks for the information. I'll keep that in mind." Spike, never having touched the drink, got up and let himself out.

***

Ed couldn't sleep. Spike had come home around ten, but at three, when Obsidian hadn't come back yet, he had gone back out to look for her. He was so worried, he left his jacket and wandered the warm night looking for the missing girl. Ein curled up on the couch and nuzzled into Ed, urging her to rest. Ed absently petted her four-legged friend the way she had seen Obsidian do, and as she did, it seemed to relax her. It didn't take long before she was sound asleep and dreaming of happy reunions with the whole crazy family back.

***

Faye let herself in and marveled at the quiet on the ship. It was 4:30 in the morning, and it was rare for her to be awake at this time or sober enough to appreciate it. She smiled and walked into her room, Faye figured she'd talk to Jet in the morning about staying. Better yet, she'd just act like she never left. Faye stopped smiling when she looked at the state of her room. All of her belongings had been stacked in the corner and clothes that were about Ed's size were scattered all over the floor. Faye picked up the discarded clothes and in one large armful, dumped everything in the hall. Let Ed clean up her own mess, Faye was pissed. She turned and locked her door before settling down to sleep.

***

The first traces of dawn were on the horizon as Obsidian stirred awake in her lofty shelter. She sat up, took stock to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, and decided to set out again in search of the ship. She climbed onto the roof of the little tree house and looked around. She smiled in relief when she saw the sign for the fueling station about six blocks down and four over. Carefully climbing down, she began to head to the fueling station. They would know where the docks were.

***

Spike was exhausted, but he was unwilling to give up. She was out here somewhere. He had spent the first two hours canvassing the docks and surrounding warehouse district. From there, he headed East to the main part of town. He wasn't going to give up, he had to find her.

***

Using the directions that the attendant at the station had given her, Sid easily found the docks and made her way to the pier. She happily climbed aboard the ship and slipped in the now familiar door. She walked down the hallway and sighed in relief. She saw Ed, an unusual look of worry written plainly on her young features, curled on the couch with Ein. Sid shrugged and decided to let the girl sleep until she finished taking a shower. When she got to her door, her eyes narrowed angrily to find all her clothes on the floor in the hall. She tried the door, but it was locked.

"So, they're getting rid of me." She muttered darkly. "That's why Ed's worried. She's probably afraid she's gonna be next." Obsidian picked up a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, trying not to get them full of soot as she did, and walked to the bathroom. "They want me gone, fine, I'm taking a shower first." She was hurt, but there was no way Obsidian would admit that, even under pain of death.

After a good long shower, she felt much better. She'd decided to make the best of things and go before anyone woke up. That way, she wouldn't have to deal with the nasty comments that would undoubtedly be said. She nodded absently to herself as if in agreement with her own thoughts. Sid made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a grocery bag to pack her things in. She walked slowly back to the hallway like she was stalling for time, like she didn't really want to go, not really. Obsidian bit her lip to hold back the tears that she refused to cry. So what if they didn't want her around. She didn't need them. Did she?

A few moments later she walked back into the lounge grocery bag in hand, ready to go. She paused for a moment staring down at Edward in her fitful sleep. Ein stirred and Sid hushed him silently, but he nuzzled Ed awake as Sid made her way to the stairs. Ed's squeal of joy told Sid that she woken up. Obsidian spun around and put her finger to her lips in a futile attempt to get Ed to be quiet.

"Sid-girl! You came home!" Ed shrieked happily as she launched herself off the couch effectively tackling Obsidian and pinning her to the deck. "Spikey-Spike has been so worried! He went out to look for you."

"What?" Obsidian was a little disoriented from her sudden trip to the floor. "Why would he do that?"

Ed giggled like Sid was telling a joke, "Silly! Spike was worried about you! He left really late when you didn't come back. Now Spike-Spike is out looking for you but Sid-girl came home!" Ed jumped up and did a little dance, howling like a banshee as Ein jumped around barking and howling. Obsidian put her hands over her ears in an attempt to drown out the noise.

"What the hell is going on in here? I'm trying to sleep!" Faye shouted from the doorway.

Ed spun around so quick she fell over. "Faye-Faye came home too!" Ed devolved into hysterical laughter and kicked about like some demented animal. Sid couldn't help but laugh.

Faye walked into the lounge, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "Ed, do you mind?" She whined before she caught sight of Obsidian.

Both Sid and Faye stared at each other. "You!" They both shouted in unison.

Obsidian looked at Ed, "What the hell is the hooker doing here?"

"I am not a hooker!" Faye yelled.

"Ok," Sid smiled deceptively. "What is the cheap whore doing here? Is that better?"

Faye dove for Obsidian and she reflexively dodged. "I'm going to kill you, you little brat!" Faye shrieked at the young girl.

Sid ran around the couch and Ed got in between them trying to stop Faye. "NO! Stop Faye-Faye! Jet and Spike will get very, very mad!"

"What the hell is she doing here?" Faye demanded of Ed. The threat of both Spike and Jet being really pissed was enough to draw her up short.

"Sid-girl is a friend of Spike and Jet-person and Edward." Ed looked very serious.

Faye backed off a bit but continued to trade glares with the raven-haired child. Her eyes struck Faye like a blow, they were so blue they almost glowed. Whatever, Faye decided, if Ed wanted to have a sleepover who was she to care. Faye turned on her heel and walked into the kitchen to scrounge up something to eat. She was up now, so she was going to fill her stomach while the boys were still sleeping. The clock in the kitchen read 7:30 and Faye groaned. Only three hours of sleep.

***

Joseph decided he couldn't wait any longer. He had to get that kid back now. He dragged the junkie bitch up the ramp and could only hope that Spike wasn't there. After a series of short knocks on the door, a beautiful woman with violet hair answered the door. She was wearing a pair of jogging shorts, an old long sleeve shirt, and a pair of fuzzy slippers as she stood and assessed the couple at the door. A scowl crossed her face and Joseph smiled at her pleasantly.

"Look buddy, we have three rules on this ship." She said in an annoyed tone as she counted the rules off on her fingers. "No Sales, No Politics, and No Sermons. So, thanks, but no thanks."

The woman started to close the door when Joseph spoke up. "Excuse me, but is our daughter here? We've been looking all over for her, she ran away from home a couple of days ago and we have been so worried. Someone said that she was here."

Faye stopped in her tracks and beamed at the couple. "Sid? Why of course! You must be just devastated. I'll go get the little dear. Won't you come in?"

This was the answer to Faye's prayers, the little brat was going. Now, if she could just find a way to get rid of Spike, Ed, and that damn dog. Faye smiled as she walked back down into the lounge with the couple following her.

"Sid, you're parents are here. Time to go home." Faye grinned.

All the blood left Obsidian's face as she stared at Joseph. Ed looked very worried. She was pretty sure that Jet had told Spike that Sid's mother was dead.

"Yeah," she said as if in a daze. "Edward, can you grab me my coat?"

Obsidian knew that Joseph would kill them if she didn't go along with whatever little game he was playing. She was just glad that she had Spike's gun tucked in the back of her waistband. When Faye had gone to answer the door, Obsidian had been worried it was another bounty hunter, little did she know it was the demon himself. She wondered what gutter he'd dragged 'mommy-dearest' from. Ed looked at Obsidian as if unsure, and Sid nodded at her to do it.

"Edward, is that your little boy-friend's name?" Joseph asked in a deceptively sweet voice.

Faye started to shake her head no and correct him about Ed's sex when Sid interrupted her. "Yes, he's very nice."

Joseph's eyes narrowed slightly and he smiled. Faye wondered what game this kid was playing, but didn't care enough to interfere. She simply shrugged and let them escort the brat out the door. Ed looked like she was going to burst into tears and moved to stop them. Faye put her hands around Ed's shoulders and stopped her.

Sid turned slightly and looked at them, her expression so hollow and hopeless that Faye sucked in her breath. "It's over now. Goodbye Edward."

The couple and Obsidian walked out the door, and Faye let go of Ed. "What the hell was that all about?" Faye asked absently.

Ed turned tears in her eyes and looked at Faye. "That was the bad man. Spike is going to freak! Sid-girl doesn't have a mama, she's died."

"Mother, Step-Mother, what's the difference?" Faye tried to ignore the feeling that she'd just made a terrible mistake. "What did you mean by 'the bad man'?"

"Edward is no longer speaking to Faye-Faye! Be gone!" Tears were rolling down Ed's cheeks as she ran to tomato to call Spike. Both Faye and Ed jumped as Spike's coat rang. Ed lost it then, she curled into a ball and rocked back and forth crying.

Faye was now really worried, "Hey, Ed, it's ok. Just go wake up Jet, and he'll go make sure her parent's say it's ok for here to come back over."

Ed looked up at Faye heartbroken. "Ed can't. Jet-person can't make everything ok!"

"Why?"

"Because Jet's in jail." Spike said from the doorway. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"What the hell is Jet in jail for?" Faye asked incredulously.

Ed launched herself from the floor and ran to Spike clinging to him. "Spike-Spike Sid-girl is gone!" She cried into his side.

Spike looked directly at Faye. "Where the hell is she?" His tone was colder than ice on Calyisto, and Faye shuddered before getting control of herself.

"Her parents came and picked her up. What's the big deal?"

Spike pulled Ed off his side and stalked toward Faye. "The big deal Faye, is the fact that Obsidian doesn't have parents. She's my responsibility. What did the man look like Faye?"

Faye backed up instinctively, and hit the wall. He was almost right on top of her and she'd never seen him this angry before. "Short, balding, kind of slimey. How was I supposed to know! Why didn't she say anything?"

"Because Faye," He said as his face was mere inches from hers, "As far as she was concerned, he would have done what I'm contemplating right now."

"And, and, what's that?" She whispered in a small, terrified voice.

"He would have killed you." With that statement, Spike turned and walked out to try and find where Joseph had gone.