Okay, so it turns out there will be more than four parts! Less angst in this one, yea! Again, it's not my show, but my story. -Neg

Part Four: After Again

"So this is where you've been hiding out!" Faye declared triumphantly. Jet's reaction to Faye's reappearance was all she could have hoped for. He growled under his breath while trying to wipe up the drink he'd spilled all over the tabletop. Faye smiled coyly while helping herself to a chair. Jet's scowl deepened. Faye glanced around the bar which was the sort staffed by overly buxom waitresses in overly revealing uniforms. Of course, no one could beat Faye in the revealing department and she knew it. One waitress was headed for their table, smiling at Jet. Faye's eyes narrowed and the girl quickly changed direction.

"So," she addressed the other man at the table, "You two enjoying yourselves here? I didn't think Jet was the type to need a break from his otherwise monk-like existence." She turned to exchange glares with Jet, but was interrupted by the other man's guffaw of laughter.

"Jet? Monk-like?" He slapped Jet on the back and laughed even harder declaring, "You must be losing your touch if a woman like this thinks you're a...a..." He was laughing so hard now he couldn't even finish his sentence. Several other patrons turned to see what was so funny. The look Jet was giving his shotglass was positively frightening and Faye suddenly wondered if bearding the lion in his den had been such a good idea.

"This isn't a woman, Bob. She's a succubus," Jet said. He turned to Faye, "What are you doing here? You run out of all that food already? I'd hoped you took enough to keep you away a month at least!"

Faye managed to not flinch and snapped, "You've got all my stuff, remember? I'd of just taken it while you were out and spared you my presence, but you changed the keycode!"

"Yeah, I'd like to keep what little of my stuff I've got left!" Jet shot back.

They sat for a moment, the tension between them crackling in the air. Bob was smirking at the two of them. Looking away finally, Faye noticed the waitress from earlier whispering with another who then began to advance toward their table. Jet had just started to stand when the waitress arrived and draped herself over Jet's shoulders, pushing him back down in his seat.

"Jet!" she purred in his ear, "You bad boy! Where were you last week? You promised you'd be here! And I had a present for you too, but now I don't think I'll give it to you!" Bob sniggered and Faye rolled her eyes and snorted inelegantly. The waitress looked Faye up and down, then smiled and sat in Jet's lap. "I think you owe me an apology," she was pouting when Jet stood suddenly, nearly dumping her on the floor, then walked away.

Pointedly ignoring Faye, the waitress turned to Bob and asked, "So what's the deal? What happened last week? And where's that friend he was supposed to bring?"

Bob's expression immediately sobered. "He won't be coming," he answered, glancing quickly at Faye. The waitress left and the two sat in silence.

After a minute Bob said, "So, you're the woman that lives with Jet. I didn't expect you to be so, ah..." Faye gave him a look. "Beautiful," he concluded. "I'm glad to finally meet you. I'm Bob," he said, extending his hand. Faye briefly grasped it, immediately wishing she hadn't as she wiped her hand off under the table. "You know, until tonight, Jet had quite a reputation for charm around here," Bob was continuing.

Faye had dug out a cigarette and was fishing for a lighter when his remark surprised her into saying, "Charm? Jet?"

"Why yes! He was very popular with the girls. They even had a birthday party planned for him. That's why Celia's mad at him; he never showed up." Bob held out his lighter for Faye. "I can be charming too, you know," he drawled, winking.

'You'll have to be a lot more than charming with a nose like that,' Faye thought, leaning back, but she smiled and said, "It's always charming to buy a girl a drink." Bob grinned at her and went to the bar.

Faye sighed, glancing around again. She was surprised to see that Jet hadn't left yet, he was standing by the door talking to the two waitresses. The pouty one was clinging to his arm and the other was giggling inanely at something he had said. Faye's glower was interrupted by Bob placing a drink in front of her and pulling his chair closer. Seeing the direction of her gaze, he said, "Celia and Marcia. They're sisters, very competitive sisters."

Faye just muttered, "Whatever," and downed her drink.

Undaunted by Faye's mood, Bob plunged on, "So what's the deal with you and Jet? You having a spat?"

Faye grimaced and said, "No! It's not like that, we're partners, that's all. Or at least we were."

"Really now? You two fight like an old married couple!" Bob teased. "I'd wondered what was keeping Jet away from his old haunts these days! I suppose you're the reason he didn't come for his birthday?"

"Birthday? I don't even know when it is!" Faye said, and wondered 'What the hell has Jet been telling this guy?'

"It was last week, on the third. Maybe you had a better celebration for him back on the Bebop?" he drawled suggestively. Faye stared at him blankly, not even registering his innuendo at first. She was putting a puzzle together in her head, finally understanding what had made Jet so unusually upset that night he got drunk. The night he tore into the Swordfish. The night they...

She turned toward the door, but Jet was gone now. That waitress, Celia maybe, had said something about Jet's friend coming. He and Spike must have planned to come together that night to celebrate. But Spike was gone by then. She looked at Bob again and said, "I've got to go. Thanks for the drink, buddy."

Bob looked at Faye, smirking again, and said, "Yeah, you need to go and get your stuff, right?"

Faye thought for a moment and decided that maybe she could put this guy to some use. She put on her smile again, leaned close and whispered in his ear, "Say, maybe you'd like to do me a favor and get my things for me? It'd be the perfect excuse for us to meet up again, hmmm?" she suggested, rubbing his arm softly.

"Now why would I do a thing like that when Jet worked so hard to change that damn keycode just so you'd be forced to come find him?" Bob laughed. Standing, he looked at Faye seriously for a moment, then said, "Hey, I'm sorry about your other partner dying. I wish I had gotten to meet him." He squeezed her shoulder briefly, then left the table saying, "You go console Jet. I think I'll go console the sisters about their loss now!"