Happy, Happy Birthday Baby -- chapter 1
Happy, happy birthday, baby
No I can't call you my baby
Seems like years ago we met
On a day I can't forget
'Cause that's when we fell in love -- Tune Weavers
For once, all was well on the Bebop. Bounties were good, everything was in proper repair, no one was screaming at some one else, and the accounts were actually in the black.
At the moment, Faye and Spike were playing Texas No-Hold poker for toothpicks. Neither one of them trusted the other enough to play for even cigarettes, much less money. Faye had just folded, and Spike was shuffling the cards. Ed was surfing on her Tomato. Jet looked over the scene, which was almost downright domestic in its tranquility. He smiled as he looked over his little dysfunctional family, thinking that all they needed was a white picket fence and a dog. Jet's smile faded, as Ein was still recently gone, and it was probably too soon to bring another one on to the ship. Time would tell.
Jet took another look over at Ed, who seemed to have grown up overnight, on her way to being almost a proper young woman. A thought occurred to him.
"Ed? When is your birthday?"
Ed looked up. "Birthday?"
"Yes. When is it?"
Ed looked completely confused. Faye and Spike looked at each other, and then back to Ed. Faye, puzzled, asked, "Ed? Do you even know what your birthday is?"
Ed shrugged. "Ed has no birth-day. Ed thought Ed was always around! Or Ed was dropped down a chimney by a big, hairy, pterodactyl!" At this point, Ed jumped up and ran about with her arms extended like a bird. After a few moments, she sobered and plopped back down on the floor.
Jet frowned. "Well, you said you were 13 at one time, and you have been around us for a year or so. I guess we'll have to pick you out a birthday, if you're going to stay with us."
This caused a huge discussion. Faye suggested to put her birthday on January 1 as an easy date to remember. Spike countered that that was a terrible idea as most people spent that day in hung-over agony. Jet finally came up with the idea that Summer Solstice would be an apt birthday for their resident hacker maniac, and furthermore, it was soon.
Ed was pleased with this idea, and she jumped up again to place hugs and wet kisses on the others, thanking them for the lovely birthday.
Jet grinned. "Well, you're welcome, but you have to think about what you want for your birthday."
"What Ed wants?"
"Yes. Birthdays usually mean presents."
"Presents?"
Spike lit a cigarette. "He means souvenirs, kiddo." And then he had to duck as Ed went on another crazed running spree.
"Souvenirs and a birth-day for Ed? This is Ed's lucky day! Birthing-day, Lucky Day, Birthing-day, Lucky Day . . . "
Spike sighed. "You created a monster, Jet."
"Ed has to think about presents! Ed will let Faye-faye and Spi-person and Papa-Jet know!" Ed grabbed her Tomato and scampered off into the bowels of the ship. Faye called after her, "Nothing too expensive, now! Don't break us!"
Spike snorted. "You mean don't break you."
Faye gave him a look. "Fine. Then you can get her pearls and diamonds."
Spike chuckled. "That's what you would pick out, not Ed. She'll probably ask for a coaxial cable. Are you sure you want to start this, Jet?"
Jet smiled. "She's a good kid. Why shouldn't she have a birthday?"
Faye pouted. "I haven't had a birthday. Not from you guys."
"That's because you already take so much from us," Jet replied. "We have nothing left to give." Faye threw down her cards on the table and stomped out of the room, leaving the men laughing behind her.
Later, after a long shower that used all the ship's hot water (Take that, thought Faye), Faye was giving herself a manicure when she sensed a presence in her doorway.
"Faye-faye?"
"What is it, Ed?"
"Can I talk to you?"
Faye was startled to hear Ed speak about herself in the first person. Ed had always spoken of herself in the third person, and the others had grown used to that anomaly. Faye looked at Ed, and Ed was returning her gaze with a look that spoke of teenage angst. "Sure thing, Ed. Come in. What's on your mind?"
Ed sat on the corner of Faye's bed and drew up her knees to her chin, as if she were trying to make herself very small. "I need to ask you something."
"What is it, Ed?"
"Will Faye-faye promise not to laugh at Ed?"
Faye almost did laugh at Ed's slip back into her normal speech pattern, but Ed looked so perfectly anxious that Faye sobered quickly. "I'll do my very best not to, Ed."
"It's about – my birthday present."
"Aha."
"And, there's – really only one thing I'd really like."
This must be good, thought Faye. "What is it?"
"I'd – like to go . . . on a date."
"A date?" Ed nodded. "With whom?"
Ed wouldn't meet Faye's eyes. She bit her bottom lip, and then whispered, "Spike."
Faye's eyes grew wide, and she thought her bottom jaw would fall off completely. In a hushed whisper, she replied, "With Spike?" Ed nodded. "M . . . our Spike?" Damnit, she thought, catching herself just in time. My Spike? What was I thinking? Spike's mine as much as this ship is, thought Faye glumly. But now Ed was looking at her expectantly. "You really want to go on a date . . . with Spike?"
"I knew you'd think it was stupid," Ed muttered, and she rose to leave, but Faye grabbed her arm.
"Ed, c'mon. Spike's practically twice your age."
"So?" Anger flashed on Ed's face. "You asked me what I wanted for my birthday."
"You're serious."
"I know I'm just a kid, but . . ." Ed looked down at her hands. "I just thought it would be fun. Just a date, out like a real teenager."
Faye bit her tongue. It wasn't like Ed wanted to marry the guy, she just wanted to be normal for once. Faye didn't see the harm, but what would Spike think? "Have you asked Spike or Jet about this?" Ed shook her head vehemently. It looked like there were tears in her eyes. "Do you . . . want me to talk about this to them?"
"No! This was a stupid idea. Forget Ed said anything." And Ed dashed out of the room.
Poor kid, thought Faye. It really was just a simple request. Well, maybe not for Spike. She'd talk to the guys, and see what they thought.