Life Will Be What It Was
By Ryoko Kashino & Kitana blade studios
Hey all! Anyhooo, I hope you guys dig on this new chapter! I loved it! Okay read and be so kind as to review! Thanks to all the readers! Hahan sorry no real witty closing for this paragraph, ohhhh I got one; The winds of Karma are sweet and kind but they can also turn bitter and cold in an instant!
Chp 13 The truth shall set you free.
Spike sat in the dark kitchen sipping some luke warm coffee. He'd been here two weeks helping Duhan. Getting greasy was part of the everyday routine. However, today he was lucky, Duhan gave him the day off. It was noon and Spike was happy to have slept so late. He set down his coffee cup and stretched out. He needed a shower. He lazily gathered his towels and clothes and headed to the bath room.
As the warm water washed away the sleep his mind filled with images of the past three years. Memories are all he had now, he didn't know why but living in the past was something he did well. As great as some were, there were some he wished he could forget. Like the look his former best friend had on his face as he fell cold and lifeless to the ground. Spike had killed so many people in his line of work. This really shouldn't have bothered him, but it did. Dammit, he thought.
He exited the shower, dried off briefly and threw on his clothes. He returned to the small kitchen in the house he was currently sharing with Duhan. He looked at the food choices and rolled his eyes, he really didn't feel like cooking. Hunger winning, he grabbed an instant ramen from the cupboard and pulled off the top. He sighed as he filled the cup with water and waited the few minutes it took to heat up. He looked around the kitchen and saw a small picture on the counter. HE walked over and glanced at it. It brought a smile to his face. Someone was behind him, he felt it, he turned his head and glanced Duhan be hind him, "Hey, old man."
Duhan grunted in response and then asked, "What you got there boy?"
"On old picture of me in my work overalls, jeez, I can't believe some of the stuff you have."
"Yeah, I guess." Duhan smiled to himself and rummaged in the fridge for a drink. Pulling open a can of soda, the man sat at a small table. Spike sat down and then began to munch on the ramen cup. Duhan watched the sight and said, "Goodness, kid, you did that ten years ago, too."
Spike raised is eyebrows and continued to eat. Duhan looked at him again and Spike said, "Take a picture, to add to the collection."
"You never told me what happened, how'd you survive?"
"It's a long story."
"Well, I got the time."
"You, sure about that?" Spike joked.
Duhan glared at the smartass across from him and shook his head, "God dammit, kid, why do always gotta be a smart mouth? Just answer the damn question."
Spike told his sad bittersweet tale. Duhan sat there amazed as Spike finished.
Sitting there with solemn eyes, Spike looked at Duhan.
"Damn, kid. I guess even God don't want you up in heaven?"
That comment made Spike nod, "I guess not, I'm not innocent enough for the heavens. I never did do anything self sacrificing enough to let Him forget my past sins. And I'm not evil enough to be damned. I guess I'm stuck in this purgatory called life."
Duhan sat there replaying the last line spoken to him. The kid has had it rough, no if and or buts about it. Duhan got up from his chair; Spike watched as the man came over placing a hand on his shoulder. "Kid you got people out there missing you; maybe you should let them know you're alive.
"Yeah," Spike nodded his head, "maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure they'd want to hear from me."
"Keeping up the lies will only hold you back, tell the truth, kid."
"What and the truth shall set me free?" Came spitting out sarcastically from Spike's mouth.
"I didn't say that, you did."
Duhan walked out of the house slowly and back out to the giant hanger that housed the ships.
****
Ed lay asleep on His bed. Ein wimpered at the large metal door, the light scratches he made at the base of the door woke Ed, from her slumber. She looked around the room and wondered, why? A light bark came from the other side of the door. Slowly she opened it and looked down at Ein. She didn't no, couldn't believe he was gone. Ein had done his best to keep her from crying but he too was saddened at the sudden realization one of the bebop crew longer lived.
Ed walked over to the dresser. She grabbed a shirt and put it on. Then she grabbed his old sweats and put those on too. She looked at Ein as the dog rubbed at her shins. She bent down and cried again for what seemed for the millionth time. He couldn't be gone. For the past few weeks she tried to accept it but couldn't.
Ed remembered how Jet came aboard the bebop with Faye in toe. Ed had sprung threw the door and jumped on Faye the moment the woman had exited her pod.
"Faye-Faye!!!!" She had squealed.
Faye hugged her, which almost shocked Ed, but she didn't think twice about it. Ein barked at her and Faye patted the mutt on the head. Ed continued to celebrate the homecoming of her Faye-Faye. Jet had smiled at the scene, but his smile faded as her saw the look on Faye's face. He knew that they had to tell her now. It was the only way, it would be cruel, but Jet would have to do it this way.
Taking a breath before he spoke Jet paused for a second then began, "Ed, there is something I've been hiding from you. I need you to understand this. I don't want a big scene either. What I have to tell you isn't good."
"What? Did Ed do something bad?" the girl began to search her mind but came back blank and looked at both Jet and Faye.
"No, it's nothing you did honey. It just something that happened." Said Faye as calm as she could.
"What? What happened? Tell me."
Jet scratched at his temple then spoke, "It's about Spike…"
"OHHHHH! Did you find Spike? Was he there? Did he beat you to the bounty, that isn't bad, so is he coming back?"
"No, if he had been there you'd have seen his pod." Said Jet in a knowing tone.
"Ohh, yeah Ed should've known that!" The girl giggled and slapped her knee.
"God, tell her Jet." Faye ordered.
"Tell Ed what?!?"
"He's not coming back to the bebop. Ed, Spike is…He's dead, kiddo."
Ed made a face of disbelief then snickered and said, "No, he isn't."
"Yes, he is. After you left, he had some personal things to take care of. He died when the red dragon tower on Tharsis, was destroyed. No one survived the explosion. A lot of bodies couldn't be identified. He's gone. There is no more Spike."
Ed stood there shaking her head. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She looked over to Faye and saw the tears streaming down. Ed began to back away from the two adults, shaking her head and saying "No, no, he can't be dead, he's too smart, and he would never have walked into his death."
"Ed, he's gone." Jet tried to step closer to her but Ed turned and ran into the living quarters of the bebop. Jet looked over at Faye and both ran after Ed.
Ed sat there and tried to get a hold of herself. She didn't want to believe that Spike was gone. There was no possible way. She wanted to find a death certificate. Ed ran out of his room and searched for her tomato in the living room. Jet heard the quick slapping sounds of feet and he poked his head out of from behind the paper. Faye watched as she saw Ed sniffing and crawling over the table in overly baggy clothes.
"Ed what the hell are you wearing?"
"Ed's busy; talk later. Need my tomato." Ed ran past both of them again spotting her computer under the stair case. She snatched it and ran back the way she'd come from. The two adults looked at each other for a moment then returned to their activities.
Hours of searching produced not much. The only thing Ed found were old articles claiming Spike was gone. There was no death certificate. Just assumptions made by lazy ass people. She wanted hard evidence. She wanted to see proof. She'd already lost her real family due to their lack of responsibility; she didn't want to lose her crew that way too.
"Dammit! Ed find something!" she screamed at the cold metal walls that housed her. Ed sat pouting and exhausted. She was hungry. She looked around the room; she hated to leave even to just go to the bathroom. Ed sighed and got to her feet again. The metal halls were dimly lit as she made her way to the kitchen. She made enough noise to stir the dead. Jet rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen and saw Ed searching the cupboard.
"What are you doing, knocking down the walls?"
"No, just hungry," Ed said in a low voice, "I was just looking for something quick to eat, Jet. Ed didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay; just try to do it quieter, okay?"
Ed nodded her head. This was the first time she'd really spoken to Jet in the last few weeks. Ed looked up to see Jet looking at the floor. Jet began to turn to leave when Ed spoke, "Jet, why didn't you tell Ed sooner?"
Jet froze mid step then turned to face the girl's sad face. Jet shook his head while he walked back into the kitchen and took a seat at the table, "I don't know kiddo. I guess I didn't want to believe it, either."
"Do you believe it now?"
"Part of me doesn't but, mostly I have to accept it. It's been to long. He'd have come back by now."
"What if he's just laying somewhere in a coma; what if he's still out there and we only need to find him? What if he's alive and can't remember us? What if…"
"Ed, those are a lot of what ifs…"
"I don't want to give up yet! Let's go to Tharsis! Please? Just to look at the hospitals. What can it hurt?" Ed was begging Jet. The desperation in her voice surprised him.
"Ed, it'll take three days to get there." Jet whined back at her.
Ed stomped her foot down and threw a chair out of her way as she leaned on the table getting in Jet's face, "Please! Jet what can we lose?"
Jet was shocked by the sudden outburst; he stood and pushed in his chair, "You need to stop hanging put with Faye. I can barely handle her antics. Besides, there is a better way to ask someone for something."
"Are we gonna go?" Ed shot out with surprise. Jet nodded slowly. He watched astonished as the girl jumped on the table and gave him the hardest bear hug. She nuzzled her head into his chest then gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
Jet hugged her back lightly and said, "Now, put that chair back or you won't get any breakfast."
Ed giggled while placing the chair back. Jet shook his head as he opened the small fridge and pulled out some eggs.