The characters Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward Wong, Ein, Antonio, Carlos, & Jobin are creations from the Cowboy Bebop TV series and movie. They do not belong to me.

The characters Dr. Billie Vaughn, Margaret Jones, Seymour (a.k.a. Ferret- face), Alexander 'Randy' Vanderhorn, Biko, Dan (a.k.a. Maggie's boyfriend) & Police Detective Booker are my creations.


Billie stretched as she made her way to the Pit. She had forgotten what a good sleep felt like thanks to the destruction of the Van's headquarters. Some of the wounded that were brought in that night had miraculously survived, which left the young doctor with mixed feelings. She wondered if doing her job of healing them would come back to haunt her. It was thoughts like those that made Billie hate this life she was forced into.

"Maggie, any changes in Mr. E?"

"Sleep well? It's noon, Billie."

The doctor smiled unrepentantly. "It's 11:30, not noon, and I feel great. So any changes?"

"No, except …" The head nurse looked a little anxious.

"What?"

"Seymour is waiting for you in Mr. E's room."

Billie looked at Maggie. "This is what I get for hugging the guy." The two women laughed.

Maggie regained her composure first. "I told you not to spoil him."

"Your warning came too late." Billie smiled as she pulled her stethoscope out of her pocket. "Time to see what Ferret-face wants." Maggie tried to hit Billie for using the name "Ferret-face," but the young doctor had moved out of the head nurse's reach. She draped the stethoscope around her neck as she walked to the ICU unit where Mr. E resided.

She took a deep breath then entered Mr. E's room.

A short, sharp-nosed man with eager-looking, beady eyes turned towards the door. "Doctor Vaughn," Seymour yelped, "it's good to see you."

"Morning, Seymour." She walked to the foot of her patient's bed and checked his chart. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Just wanted to know if you had breakfast, I brought some donuts. They're in the Pit."

Billie smiled at the orderly. "I'm sorry, but I had breakfast this morning. Thank you for the offer, though."

Seymour's beady eyes looked dejected.

"If I need a snack, I'll check the Pit to see if any donuts are left." She regretted those words the moment they were said because she knew Ferret-face would rush to the Pit to save the donuts for her.

With his spirit lifted, Seymour walked to the door. "Don't forget you have other patients to look after, Dr. Vaughn." He walked out the door and headed to the Pit.

The doctor went to the side of Mr. E's bed. "Other patients." She shook her head. "The other patients have been released. You're the only one left under my care." She took a small flashlight out of her coat's breast pocket and clicked it on. She opened his right eye then his left to see if he would react to light. Billie thought his eyes reacted a little, which meant he was on his way to recovery.

"It looks like someone is jealous of you because he thinks we spend too much time together." Billie chuckled. "So what do you think the odds are that Ferret-face, the guy who was here a few moments ago, is going to keep entering your room to wait for me until you leave? Pretty high, I'd say, so if you can help discourage him from doing that, I'd appreciate it." She winked at him.

Billie inspected his bandages. "Looks like you could use a change. I'll be right back. Don't be surprised if Maggie returns with me; there's something about you she really likes." She leaned close to his ear and whispered. "I think you're turning her into a dirty old woman because she loves giving you a sponge bath."

Jet left the Bebop in a foul mood. He wondered if getting Faye back for ruining his shower would be worth the effort. He concluded she wasn't worth the effort. His feet led him to the Camouflage Bar. The sign on the door said the place opened at noon; it was 11:30. Jet started to walk away, when the door opened.

"Come in."

Jet turned around to see Biko waving him in. "I didn't realize anyone was home," he said as he entered.

Randy smiled from behind the bar. "That's the beauty of using mirrored glass for your windows: you can look out, but no one can look in. Have a seat." Biko returned to restocking glasses behind the bar. Randy poured Jet a glass of El Presidente. "It's on the house."

"Thanks."

Biko took a seat next to Jet.

"Biko, I'd like you to Jet, the guy that saved Billie from Argo yesterday. Jet, I'd like you to meet Biko, our bouncer."

Jet & Biko shook hands.

"Biko's usually around for the dinner crowd. He's only here during lunch when we're shorthanded." Randy noted Jet looked a little worn. "That lady still causing trouble about your missing friend?" Randy asked.

Jet sipped his drink. "You can say that."

"Didn't know you had a little lady waiting at home for you," commented Biko.

"I don't," Jet replied a little gruffer than he meant. "She's just some woman who decided to move in … permanently."

Biko shook his head. "One of those."

"What do you mean one of those?"

A devilish grin grew on Randy's face. "I can't wait to hear your explanation, Biko."

Biko threw the blonde bartender a dirty look. "What I mean is that the woman is a mooch. She knows she can walk all over you without you complaining because no matter how loud your bark is you got no bite to back it up."

"That was eloquent," said Randy as he poured himself a gin and tonic.

Jet admitted, "That sounds like her." He took a gulp of his drink.

"Care to tell us what that minx did now?" the bartender asked as he topped off Jet's drink.

Strange words and a woman's voice swam around Spike's mind: jealous, ferret-face, Maggie, sponge bath, dirty old woman. The woman sounded nice, but he had no idea who she was, except that she was taking care of him. Whether that was a good thing only time would tell. A moan slipped from his lips as he tried to lift his head. The cowboy decided to listen to his body and fell asleep because he didn't want to wake up.

Maggie entered the room first, laughing at Billie who was carrying a blueberry donut in her hand.

"Maggie, if you say one thing about this, so help me, I'll tell the head of Maintenance you've cancelled your next date." Billie dropped the bandages she was carrying in her other hand on the empty bed.

Blushing profusely, the head nurse squeaked, "How did you know about Dan and me?"

It was Billie's turn to laugh. "Didn't you ever wonder how Dan learned your favorite flowers are tulips and your favorite food is Italian?" From the look on Maggie's face Billie knew those questions never entered Maggie's mind. "Dan desperately wanted to make a good impression with you, so he screwed up his courage to ask the one person he thought had the answers he wanted."

Maggie took a seat on the chair besides Spike's bed, still clutching the bandages she brought in.

"Dan followed me for ten minutes before he found me alone to ask." The doctor chuckled at the memory of her meeting Dan. "He really was cute about the whole thing. He didn't know what to say at first, but slowly he found the courage to ask." Billie watched Maggie's face for a bit. Maggie was struggling with whether she should be angry with Billie for helping Dan or angry with Dan for getting Billie involved in their relationship in the first place.

Maggie shook her head. "I should have known you had a hand in this."

"Maggie," Billie said with feigned indignation, "are you suggesting that I make it a point to meddle in other people's love lives?"

Both women laughed. "You're hopeless, Billie."

"Maybe." Billie gave Maggie an impish smile. "Now it's time to change the bandages or do you want to give Mr. E a sponge bath first?" Billie winked as she said, "I won't tell Dan if you want to."

A role of bandages whizzed by Billie's head as her answer. "I'll take that as a no." Billie sat down on the empty bed and ate the blueberry donut.

"You better wash your hands before you even think of touching those clean bandages, " Maggie commanded as she got up from the chair to walk to the other side of Spike's bed.

Billie licked her fingers clean, saluted Maggie and said, "Yes, ma'am! " She hopped off the bed and walked into the room's bathroom.

Maggie just shook her head and chuckled to her. "That girl is going to be trouble for the man she decides to settle down with."

"Which won't be any time soon, Maggie. You of all people should know that."

The head nurse was about to ask why she should know this, when she saw the doctor's haunted eyes. Maggie turned away from Billie. There was still so much shame and grief mixed in those storm grey eyes thanks to Vicious.

"Maggie, is there something wrong?" Billie asked because Maggie always fussed with a patient's sheets when something bothered her.

"I'm fine, dear." The head nurse surreptitiously wiped a tear from her eye. "Where should we start?"

"Start from the head and work our way down, and I do mean the head above his waist."

That line changed Maggie's mood. "Honestly, Billie, will you ever let that rest?"

An impish smile returned to Billie's lips. "Nope."

The young doctor carefully unwrapped Spike's head, then gently blew on his hair to help remove the bandage lint. "It never ceases to amaze me how much fuzz the bandages leave in people's hair." Billie's delicate fingers carefully extracted the fuzz from her patient's green curls. She held back his hair to inspect the wound on the side of his face. "That's healing nicely. I believe we can keep the bandages off for now. Maggie, what do you think?"

The head nurse joined the doctor on the left side of the bed to inspect the wound, then moved the doctor out of the way so she could get a good look. The cut was on the side of his face just beyond the left eye. Maggie marveled at how well the liquid "stitches" work. She wondered why Billie chose to wrap his head with bandages; the liquid "stitches" made this unnecessary.

"I agree with your assessment, doctor." Maggie announced. "Also it's a good thing he won't' be left with a scar. A handsome young man like this shouldn't be scarred for life like that." She returned to the other side of the bed.

Billie chuckled; Maggie called her "doctor." The formality of the statement stuck her funny, especially since it was followed by such a motherly comment about his face. She started to carefully unwrapped Spike's torso, stopping every so often when she thought he twinged slightly. Slowly the bandages revealed the healing slice that ran diagonally across his torso.

Maggie let out a small gasp at the sight. "The poor thing. How did it happen?"

"A single sword stroke from a katana."

Maggie paled and stared at Billie. "How can you tell?"

"I've experienced that blade," Billie replied in a dead tone, giving Maggie the willies. "He's lucky to be alive. Many a man has died from that blade; a few women have as well." A moment later she came to herself and gently ran her finger down Spike's scar. She inspected a few minor cuts elsewhere as Maggie started to unwrap his right leg.

The sound of the door opening made the two women stop what they were doing to look. A tall, lean Chinese man dressed in a trench coat and military influenced suit walked in. His long black hair was neatly kept in a ponytail.

"What the hell do you want, Wu Fei?" snarled Billie.

Ignoring her reaction to him, Wu Fei replied, "I came to see if the Van spared you when they were cleaning house."

The doctor crossed her arms and stared mercilessly at the visitor. "Now that you've seen me and learned I was spared, you can leave," She began inspecting a healed minor cut on Spike's left arm.

"Billie, what's wrong with you?" Maggie pleaded. Billie ignored the question.

Wu Fei smiled, completely unphased by the doctor's belligerent tone and attitude towards him. He walked closer to the women to see who they were working on.

"Get out, Wu Fei," Billie growled, "What I do doesn't concern you."

As soon as he saw the green hair and face, he stopped in his tracks. "So, you are taking care of him."

"Him who?" piped Maggie.

"The man Mao thought would be his successor." Wu Fei sat down in the chair next to the bed and Maggie.

As Billie started to unwrap the bandages on her patient's hand, she demanded "Now that you've made yourself at home, tell me the real reason you're here."

A smile curled on Wu Fei's pale thin lips. "I'm here to warn and protect you."

"Protect me?" A hollow laugh rose out of Billie. "What makes you think I want or need your protection? You wouldn't even protect your brother when he needed you the most. Instead you just stood there and watched Vicious kill him."

Wu Fei stiffened at her last remark.

Maggie grew pale. "How do you know this?"

"I was there," replied Billie with a sad smile. "Besides being one of Mao's body guards and my martial arts instructor, Wu Fei's older brother Xian, was my lover. Vicious, Wu Fei, and a few other thugs walked in on one of our recreational practice sessions. Vicious wasn't too happy with what he saw, saying that Xian had to pay for not to listening to him. The thugs grabbed Xian and held him; Wu Fei did the same to me. Next thing I knew Xian's head was at my feet."

"A moment later, Billie broke free of my hold," Wu Fei continued. "She grabbed one of the swords from one of the practice rooms' walls and charged Vicious. They fought and within minutes he had knocked the blade out of her hand and had his blade at her throat. He smiled at her then left."

Maggie had no idea that Billie had been through that and started to wonder what else Billie held back from her.

"Like I asked before, what makes you think I want or need your protection?"

The retelling of his past disgrace made Wu Fei uncomfortable, but he was willing to bear that shame in order to redeem himself by protecting Billie. Mao, Vicious, and the Van all decreed that no one should touch the doctor under any circumstances. They said she was special but did not explain why. Being a good loyal servant of the Van and the Red Dragons, Wu Fei never thought of defying their word. Yet he knew how much his older brother loved her, and he was amazed that Xian was willing to go against the word of the Van for some woman. However, he realized how special Billie was the moment she went to avenge Xian's execution because no one dared to challenge Vicious for any reason. Maybe that was why Vicious smiled at her and let her live.

Regardless of her feelings towards him, Wu Fei was going to protect her. "Because if you're found with that man, you and he will be killed."

The doctor looked skeptical. "Who gave the order? I thought the minor Dragons were still fighting amongst themselves to see who will lead."

"Another survivor of the Mao-Vicious cleansing."

Maggie was on the verge of tears. "B... but why Billie? Hasn't she been through enough?"

"Just the luck of the draw, Maggie." Billie went to comfort her surrogate mother. "Some people are born under a very lucky star, while others like me are born under very unlucky stars."

"A group of exterminators are supposed to show up here in an hour," Wu Fei stated as he stood up. "Make sure he's in a safe place before then."

"How do you know so much about this?" inquired Billie.

A resigned look appeared on his face. "I'm one of the exterminators." With those words, Wu Fei left.

Billie released Maggie and began to pace. "An hour doesn't give me a whole lot of time. Maggie, finish changing and redressing his wounds; I've got some things to take care of." She exited the room and walked straight to the Pit.

"Sounds like a hell cat set up camp in your place," Randy said as he filled a drink order.

Jet replied, "Tell me about it."

"I can't; you're the one that lives with her."

Jet laughed. He hadn't expected the smartass retort. As he took a sip of his drink, the former ISSP detective realized he was glad he came. The company of good people was good for his soul. The past week was rough, and he needed a place where he could unwind away from the Bebop. Jet felt his muscles ease as he looked through the lunch menu Randy gave him.

"Don't forget, lunch is on the house," Randy reminded Jet. Jet smiled.

Frances walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray with Buffalo wings and a burger. The phone rang and Biko answered.

"Hi, Billie. What's up?" The look of worry that grew on Biko's face caught both Jet and Randy's attention.

"Are you serious? Both of us can't go; the lunch rush just started."

There was a long pause before Biko spoke again. "Well, Jet's here." He looked over at Jet and sized him up. "Yeah, I think he'll do."

That tidbit made Jet wonder what in the world Billie was asking Biko. From the growing concern on Randy's face, Jet knew something big was happening.

The brawny bouncer sighed into the phone. "Are you sure about this, baby girl? You're taking a big risk with this decision." Biko winced at her reply. "Okay, okay. I'll bring him with me." He hung up the phone and took a gulp of his club soda with freshly squeezed limejuice.

The blonde bartender inquired in a low tone, "What's up with, Billie? Is she all right?"

"She's in a bit of a jam, but she thinks Jet and I can help."

Jet looked dumbfounded.

"Why can't I help?" asked a hurt Randy as he passed another drink order to a waiter.

Biko slapped Randy on the shoulder and replied, "Because someone has to watch the bar." Into the Camouflage Bar walked a pair of young beautiful men wearing biker jackets, strategically torn jeans, and matching sunglasses.

Randy shook his head. "She's taking a big risk by -" Biko cut Randy off with a look of fear that the whole bar was learning part of their secret.

The bouncer clapped his hands together and began rubbing them. "Okay, Jet, time to help me move something for Billie." Biko walked through the kitchen doors; Jet followed.

Jet saw Biko open the door to a closet then walk into it; he did the same. He found a set of stairs leading up and a set of stairs leading down, but no sign of Biko. The stairway was poorly lit, but was clean. The banisters looked well maintained. Jet had a feeling the people who used it could climb these steps blindfolded without a worry. His stomach started to tighten like it had in his ISSP days before a raid.

"Hurry up, Jet; Billie doesn't have all day," Biko called from below. The former Black Dog of the ISSP bounded down the stairs to catch up with Biko.

After descending three flights, they reached the bottom of the staircase and stood in front of a heavy looking metal door. The bouncer took a deep breath then said, "I know this is cliché sounding, but it's true. What your about to see is something no one outside of the organization has seen and lived to talk about. Billie wouldn't have asked you to help if she didn't trust her instincts, and her instincts are usually right about people." He turned the knob and pulled open the door.

What greeted Jet left him speechless as his stomach clenched harder than before: the smell of antiseptics, almost blinding fluorescent lights, pristine-looking walls, and a somewhat anxious Billie in surgical scrubs.

"Follow me," was all she said as she sped down the corridor.

The men followed her into a room in the ICU unit. All the lights were out, except for the one at the head of bed that had a patient.

"Spike?" was all that Jet could say as he drew near the occupied bed.

Biko and Billie were stunned by Jet's question. "That explains a lot," the doctor remarked.

The men looked at her. When Biko realized Billie wouldn't elaborate, he asked Jet, "You know this guy?"

"Yeah, he's my partner."

Looking at Spike, Biko whispered to Billie, "This guy doesn't look the type."

"Neither do you," she whispered back. "Guys, I need you to carry Spike on a stretcher to my apartment. We need to do this quickly and quietly."

Billie left the room to get a gurney to help transfer Spike to the stretcher.

Jet moved closer to Spike for a better look. This was the worst condition he had seen Spike in. That diagonal scar across the abdomen would be an ugly reminder for Spike. Somehow Jet knew Spike could live with it. What he didn't know is how Spike would react when he came to.

His other shipmate entered his mind. A satisfied smile slipped onto the former ISSP detective's face. Jet couldn't wait to see Faye's face when Spike returned to the Bebop.

Biko interpreted Jet's smile as a sign of relief. "He really means a lot to you, doesn't he?" the question was the bouncer's way of confirming his interpretation of the smile.

The question took Jet by surprised. He considered Spike his partner in the bounty hunter business, but until that question, he never had to verbalize his thoughts about Spike before. "Who, Spike? He's an arrogant son of a bitch that's too reckless for his own good, but I'd trust him to have my back if I needed the help." Jet paused as if struggling with himself. "Yeah, he does."

Biko smiled at Jet's candid admission. As a bouncer, Biko learned how to size up people from the moment he saw them. When he first noticed Jet Black, the bouncer knew Jet wasn't the type to cause trouble unless provoked and he wasn't the sort of man that trusted anyone easily. Biko surmised that Jet was a man who suffered more than his fair share of low blows and disappointments. Jet's reply said more about him than his saving Billie from Argo the previous day.

The door opened with a clatter from the gurney. "Excuse me, Jet," Billie said as she positioned the gurney on the far side of Spike's hospital bed. "Now, let's put the stretcher up here, then we'll move Spike."

Jet helped Billie move the stretcher into position on the gurney, making sure the security straps were ready for use. She then lowered the guardrail on the side of Spike's bed.

"Biko, your turn. Jet, please move."

Biko threw off the remaining blankets that covered Spike as the doctor carefully removed the EKG wires and shut off the machine. Spike's IV bag was placed on his chest, and the pillows were removed from under his head. With firm grips on the sheets and a count of three, they lifted Spike onto the waiting stretcher. Billie fastened the security straps as Biko took his position at Spike's head.

As he watched them work flawlessly together, the former ISSP detective realized Spike wasn't the first person Billie and Biko had transported.

"Jet, grab the other handles, please," asked Billie. "You two follow me."

Jet struggled with the weight of the stretcher for a moment while Biko maneuvered to take the lead. The former ISSP detective's mind raced with questions: what the hell was going on, why did Billie have Spike, why was she moving him, and why was he suddenly involved in this secret world of Billie's and possibly Spike's? He needed answers. If it weren't for the look of worry and beads of sweat starting to run down Billie's face, he would ask her.

Billie cracked the door open and peeked out. Seeing that the coast was clear, she held open the door and signaled for them to walk into the hallway. As Jet emerged from the room, he saw a plump, pepper-pot shaped woman with a concerned, almost terrified, look on her face.

"I'll take care of the gurney; you just go," Maggie said as she scooted past Billie. The doctor nodded her thanks to the head nurse then sped in front of Biko.

Unable to be kept in the dark about where they were going, Jet blurted, "Where are we taking Spike?"

"Home," Billie and Biko replied.

Once the satisfaction of getting Jet in the shower had long wore off and the frustration of the clacking of her footsteps was too much for her, Faye went to the one place where she could forget things: the race track.

"Come on, Seven," Faye exclaimed at the vid screen. "You can do it, Queen of Spades. I know you can."

A sweaty, little, twig of a man elbowed her in the ribs.

"Hey! Watch it, jerk."

The man turned to Faye and said in a whispery voice, "You should talk; you're standing on my foot."

She looked down and he was right. The cowgirl moved her foot. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I did, but you didn't hear me."

The horses began their final lap.

"Speak up next time," griped Faye. The vid screen caught her eye; Queen of Spades broke into the lead. "That's it, baby, keep running."

The twig man seemed pissed. He stared at the screen as intently as Faye, clutching his ticket.

Queen of Spades had a healthy lead on the pack, when Number Three got a second wind and burst ahead.

"Come on, Double Eagle. You can do it," urged the twig man in a less whispery voice.

Faye didn't like what was happening and what he was saying. "Queen of Spades, make those losers eat your dust."

Double Eagle was catching up to Queen of Spades.

"That's it, Double Eagle, show that tramp who the winner is." The twig man jockeyed for a better view of the screen by pushing Faye to the side.

"Go, Queen of Spades! Show them the right winner for the race is a woman," the cowgirl countered as she shoved him.

As they got closer to the finish, Double Eagle caught up with Queen of Spades. The animosity intensified. Each better was trying to out shout the other. Their hands clenched their ticket just a little tighter.

Both horses crossed the finish line; it was a photo finish.

Faye and the twig man expectantly held their breaths. Both horses were long shots, and the payoffs would be phenomenal. Their answer flashed across the vid screen: Queen of Spades wins by a nose.

Thrilled by the outcome, the cowgirl hugged the twig man, screaming, "I won!" Realizing what she was doing, she released him then bee-lined it to the payoff window.

He filled the drink orders in between staring at the kitchen doors. The bartender pushed a strand of his blonde hair out of his eyes as he checked the time on his watch. Time moved slowly for Randy.

The lunchtime crowd was bigger than usual; he was a prisoner behind the bar. That only made Randy angry. He wanted to help Billie and Biko. He didn't like how easily Jet became his substitute in this emergency of hers. Randy knew Billie would not have used someone they just met to go to the Hospital unless most of the crowd was beer drinkers, so Jet could have worked the bar while Biko and he helped Billie.

"Where the hell could they be?" the wiry bartender muttered to himself.

"Where are who?" asked Francis.

Randy snarled, "It's none of your concern, kid." The moon-faced waiter was shocked and became a little slack jawed. "Take these drinks to the old coots at Table Three." He unceremoniously put the drinks on Francis' tray.

The kid did as he was told.

A moment later Randy realized what he did. He felt like an ass for snapping at the poor kid, especially when he knew that he, Billie, and Biko were Francis' adopted family now. He told himself that he'd make it up to the kid, then looked at the kitchen doors.

"I wish I knew what was going on."