A/N: Hello, beautiful reviewers! I have returned—long time no write, huh? I do apologize for taking so long, but I got hung up with other matters that now seem trivial. Nonetheless, I have posted the second chapter, so please enjoy and review!

CH 2: The Discovery

It had now been two long, miserable months of recovery, yet Julia was finally able to return to a life of normalcy onboard the Bebop with Jet and Tinkerbell, the ex-cop's new pet kitten.

Although bits and pieces of frightening images still plagued her mind, the angelic blonde was nearly convinced that it was for the best that she could not place any names with the seemingly mocking sea of faces that constantly surrounded her being.

First there was a middle-aged, rotund woman with kind eyes and a short, pug-faced man with crinkly skin; they both seemed perfectly harmless, yet it was the other two faces that haunted her to no end.

In her dreams a shadowy figure with flowing silver locks would beckon to her, continuously cursing her for betraying him...and for what? Oh, how she wished she knew...

The second face, however, was very pleasant and terribly handsome. A shaggy mop of moss-green locks crowned his warm features and, most peculiar of all, two garnet-colored orbs burned straight through her heart and directly into her soul. These eyes were somehow mismatched...different. This was the one whom she wished she could remember most of all, yet as soon as she felt as if she were about to discover the secret, his presence would drift away like that of the sun disappearing over the horizon.

So now, as she gazed into her own reflection in the mirror, Julia felt within her soul a sorrow unlike any that she had ever imagined possible, her cerulean irises twinkling with unshed tears as she immediately opened the mirror in order to reveal the medicine cabinet opposed to her own abhorrent face. At this moment, the very sight of herself made her sick to the pit of her stomach, so her best bet was to take a few aspirins and go straight to bed.

Shaking, the blonde reached out for the white bottle of pills, only to suddenly unfasten the top and spill its contents down into the toilet; she no longer trusted her own judgement. Two pills to her could be, in reality, four or even six, so she decided that she could no longer take any chances.

"Julia?"

She froze.

Jet...

"Yes," she inquired, feebly closing the medicine cabinet before hastily opening the bathroom door in order to receive her caller.

Upon spotting her pallid face, Jet couldn't help but gawk, his intentions of reprimanding her for hogging the bathroom now dying upon his tongue as he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth in utter astonishment. "A-are you alright," he finally managed to stammer, quickly regaining his bearings. "I thought I heard you call me...I..."

The somber look upon her face brought his incessant yammering to an immediate halt. "Never mind," he muttered, sweeping his mechanical hand through what little hair he had left in slight discouragement. "Dinner will be ready in a few, ok?"

"Thank you," Julia murmured, the color now slightly returning to her cheeks. "If you need any help, please let me know, won't you?"

Once again, Jet couldn't help but gawk. This woman actually wanted to help? Assistance onboard the Bebop was such an oddity that it was long since extinct, so of course it was only natural for the man to harbor such intense astonishment over the situation at hand.

Finally coming to, Jet smiled warmly, then nodded. "Yeah, sure...thanks."

Before Julia could even dignify him with a response, he was already out and back in the kitchen, a small smile now upon her rouge lips as she realized that Mr. Black was a terribly bashful man. Ever since she met him he was constantly blushing and had a humorous lack of eloquence, yet he was also quite stony and harsh when need be. This side, she conceded, he only showed to strangers and those who opposed him. To those that knew him, however, it was quite evident that he was a tremendous softy that couldn't hurt even a fly. Living life with this jaded ex-cop and his ornery kitten, she decided, would be most promising.

Taking dainty steps toward the commons area, Julia couldn't help but be nosy once she came to realize that there was an unopened message upon the multi-colored screen of Jet's laptop. Deciding that it might be urgent and that she'd be doing her partner a favor, Julia then seated herself down in front of the coffee table and opened the message with the touch of her finger.

"Return address unknown," Julia mouthed, her face suddenly losing the color that she had so recently retained. "Sender...Vicious Oniwara? That name...oh, God!"

Pushing the laptop away within a moment of sheer terror, the quivering blonde raced off toward her bedroom once she realized that, one way or another, she had to get off that ship; her very survival depended on it.

AN: Welp, there's CH 2! Hopefully this story's meeting up to everyone's expectations so far—don't expect Julia/Jet's relationship to be rushed, either, fore this romance must be delicate and refined. Please review if you still would like me to continue! Thanks!