:AN: Here we are at chapter two, a quite fabulous location if you ask me. Now I have a couple of things to get out of the way;
#1. Answer's to reviewer questions!
kaimi yu ki: When Faye said "We'll play it by ear." She said something akin to "We'll see what happens and go from there." As you can see, the latter is a mouthful, so I opted for the shorter expression. Hope that cleared things up!
microfiber shoelaces: Well, I could go straight out and tell you, but where's the fun in that? LoL, I'm rather transparent when it comes to coupling, it is a SF.
I love all reviews! So thanks a large amount! If you have any further questions about this fic, feel free to ask and I will try to answer them the best I can (supposing they don't give away my plot)!
#2. My Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop; I'm but a simple girl whose world extends from her computer to a torture chamber known as high school. As you can see, my job title does not include "Genius".
Title: In Wake of the Petals
Chapter 2: A Day of Enlightenment
Spike decided that he was rather indecisive. One moment he would be slightly anxious about Faye, the next he'd brush it off and focus on his cigarette. These fluctuating moods made him kind of fidgety… extremely fidgety, actually. He ached for something to keep himself busy. So far, his only refuge was standing up, pacing, and sitting down every five seconds.
Ed watched Spike with bright eyes. 'At least someone's entertained,' he thought bitterly.
He sat down again, making a point to stay there. Soon his leg was bobbing up and down and his fingers were drumming the armrest of the sofa. His hand ran through his messy hair. This wasn't working out.
Then Spike had an epiphany; this was all Faye's fault. Her and her feminist power struggle crap. He was stuck on the Bebop with nothing to do because he said he'd let her "research" James, or Sekart, or whoever alone. If Faye had been there then he definitely would have insulted her, probably her eating habits… or something.
Then Spike had another epiphany; he didn't take orders from stupid shrews. He didn't have to sit around and wait for her phone call like a love-sick school girl, he was Spike Spiegel- he was a man of action!
He crouched down where Ed was lying on her back and asked, "Ed, where'd Faye go?"
"I dunno," Ed replied in a daze, "Ask Ein."
So much for being a 'man of action'. He plopped down on his butt. "Come on, Ed," he coaxed. "You know where Faye went. Why don't you want to tell me?"
Ed rolled over onto her stomach. "I dunno."
Enter epiphany number three; Ed wanted something. "What do you want?"
Suddenly Ed was sitting up straight as a board. Spike learned a long time ago not to question how that girl moved. "Ed is very, very glad Spike-Person asked."
After a couple minutes of deliberation, both parties were satisfied, one being more on the frustrated side- that one, of course, being Spike. Hey, you try deliberating with a mad child genius.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Ed said as she forced Spike to shake her hand and "seal the deal".
"Geez," Jet laughed, "The way you're carrying on it's like she wanted a cruiser instead of a chocolate cake."
"Have you ever tried to negotiate with her?" he asked, jabbing a thumb for emphasis.
"Yeah, yeah," Jet said getting comfortable on the couch and popping open a can of soda. "You going now or what?"
"Don't miss me too much." Spike sarcastically replied.
"Are you kidding?" he asked, "Do you know how long it's been since I've been able to escape you and Faye? I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
"If you haven't noticed, Faye left a while ago."
Jet raised an eyebrow.
"What! I can't be that bad!"
"Normally I'd have to agree," Jet explained. "But your recent fidgeting episode didn't make you the best company in the world."
"Love you too."
"So, where're you off to?"
"Industrial City, Venus."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Jet waved his hands. "That huge industrial park?"
"No, city."
"Why would James be in a place like that?"
Spike shrugged. "I have no idea, but that's where Ed said he was."
"Well good luck trying to find Faye there, I hear the place is like a maze."
"No sweat," Spike replied. "Oh, and before I forget, do you happen to know of any bakeries down there? I have no clue where to find a chocolate cake."
"Sorry man," Jet chuckled, "You're on your own there."
"Great," Spike muttered on his way out.
It was not hard for him to find Industrial City at all. The same could not be said for Faye. Jet had not been joking when he said the place was like a maze, all those buildings and alley ways and roads… it was a total labyrinth.
Oh well, he'd just start looking for a bakery. Faye always showed up when you weren't looking for her. Soon he began to wonder if there were any people at all in the city, the streets were desolate, the buildings were a monotonous grey, and there wasn't a sign of human life anywhere, no bars, to cars, no nothing.
Then he rounded a corner. Oh. Suddenly he found himself submerged in a busy lane, people, stores, cars, and animals were everywhere. There was bound to be something like a bakery here.
He decided to go the rest of the journey on foot, and just down the way he found his bakery. Wouldn't Ed be happy that he actually kept his promise? He came out with the string bound parcel in hand and ran smack into Faye.
"What are you doing here, Spike?" she asked. Obviously she wasn't pleased to see him. Spike was all too happy to cause her minor discomforts.
"I was picking up a cake," he held up his proof.
"You were coming here to spy on me!" She pointed at him accusingly.
"No, I was picking up a cake." He smirked. "Like I'd come all this way to spy on you. Really you think too highly of yourself."
"You wouldn't come out all this way for me," Faye summarized, "But for a cake you would?"
Spike nodded. "Exactly. And now that we've gotten that out of the way, have you made any progress?"
"I smell an ulterior motive."
"Really? I smell chocolate." Spike glanced out of the corner of his eye and grabbed Faye's hand and forced her to walk with him. "So tell me, have you found a place to stay yet?"
Faye pulled away her hand, but continued walking beside Spike. "No, not yet."
They walked along in silence, taking three immediate right turns.
"I can't believe we're being followed so soon," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
"What's really got me going is that they found us so quick," Spike whispered back.
"How should we lose them?"
"We'll disappear," he pulled her through a door. "I don't think we can be heard in here. I bet they bugged the Swordfish."
Faye nodded, "Mine's probably bugged too, but I have something that can jam the signal." She tapped one of her bracelets.
"Aren't you the ever prepared one?"
She smiled. "I try. So where exactly are we?" She looked around the room.
"Looks like a lobby."
It was true, the room was a lobby of sorts, and luckily for them, the shabby looking place was vacant.
Suddenly a man appeared behind the counter. "Can I offer you folks a room?"
"No thanks," Spike replied, "We were just leaving."
"Why is that?" the man asked.
"We were just stopping in for a minute, but we're going to go now," Faye said, ignoring the question.
"That's not a good idea," the man said absently. "Everyone's looking for you. He knows where you are."
:AN: Sorry this took so long to get out… I was a bit distracted… among other things. Anyway, I'm going to try and keep up with it. We'll see how things go.