DISCLAIMER: I don't own Spike, Faye, Ed, Jet (yay Jet) or any of the Bebop universe. I do own Tilly, Eamon and Charlie, though. I also don't own Kaname Chidori (who is making an appearance) or any of the FUMOFFU world (though I wouldn't mind a chance at Sagura or Kurz. mmmm...). Enjoy! Back to the normal angst after this chapter.


Spike watched the last of the old men shuffle out the door. The sounds and smells of the market in the main quad of the spaceport taunted him. The crew was out there right now chasing down a bounty, and he was stuck in here waiting for a little counter on the wall to read 86. Spike looked up at the counter with venom in his eyes.

74, 75. 74, 75.

Spike took a deep breath and stood, mentally preparing himself for battle with the DPSS attendant. He knew better than to try charming her, so Spike kept it all strictly business.

"Your number?"

"Eighty-six."

The attendant looked up to the counter. 75. 75. Her brown eyes moved back to Spike and long slender fingers moved a strand of her almost teal hair off her forehead. Spike glanced down at her nametag, decorated with a Bontakun sticker. 'Kaname Chidori.'

"Listen, pal," she leaned forward on the counter, resting her chin on one hand, the other on her hip. "I get paid squat for this job. I spend all day listening to people rant and rave about this or that while my boyfriend (the brainless jerk) can run around acting as if he's still on Titan, so do me a favor, huh? Take a seat and just wait your turn."

"Look, kid," Spike drawled back, his anger close to the boiling point. "I've been waiting all day. There's nobody here, and I've been more than patient. Can I please just pay this damn ticket and get the hell out of here? I've got things to do!"

Spike's voice had been slowly rising in volume, and the attendant's eyes had narrowed in return.

"I can see you're having a rough day, so I'll let that one slide." Spike's eyes shot open wide and his jaw dropped. This broad is nuts.

"Here's how it's going to go down," Kaname smiled. "You go take a seat. The counter will keep doing its job, and when your number shows up, you can come back."

Spike was too shocked to say anything. His expression quickly changed to a scowl when the girl's smile deepened to a grin and she waved her farewell to him, giggling. He stalked back across the room to his seat and thanked the heavens that Tilly never giggled.

At the thought of Tilly, Spike wondered how she was doing.


Tilly was ready to scream. Her sides were already protesting as her lungs tried desperately to catch enough air. She didn't have long. Ten minutes at best, but she didn't dare look down to check her watch. The last twenty minutes she had forced her body to keep moving, trying to keep O'Mara in sight. Surely the man had to be getting tired by now.

Oh, yes. Eamon was getting tired. He hadn't expected the girl to be so good. Everything he had done to shake her had failed miserably. Running through shops and restaurants hadn't lost her. Ducking through crowds only seemed to let her gain more ground on him. His bounty hunter was a magician. The only thing that kept him going was the lewd images in his mind. The girl had endurance, and that brought to mind a number of possibilities.

A quick look at his watch told Eamon he would be a free man, with this fascinating woman in his arms, in five minutes. Up ahead was the DPSS office, followed by the police station. Eamon grinned and forced his body to pick up more speed. She would lose her bounty in front of the NBSPD.


Charlie didn't mind being short. He never felt the need to hurry, so having short legs was never an issue. His wife was a leggy blonde who loved him, so that was no problem. He lived his life, did his job and got his wife naked as often as possible.

Today had been one hell of a day, though. First that green-haired punk refused to pay the parking fee. That was stupid, but Charlie had dealt with his type enough so he was easily handled. Then the bald guy had come down with the pretty brunette. They had been cool, paid the fee no problem. Too bad she found Charlie scary. He never understood that. Then the bald guy had come back after lunch with another brunette. Personally speaking, Charlie preferred the subtlety of the first to the blatant sexuality of the second, but power to Baldy for getting them both.

His plan for the evening was simple. Dinner and some jazz with his wife. He had just bought the wine and was on his way home after a long day at the landing pad.

"Look out!"

Charlie jumped back as a tall man with red hair ran past, jostling the smaller man. Charlie stared in dismay at the puddle on the ground that had only seconds before been a bottle of his wife's favorite Pinot Noir.


Spike was fed up. The counter blinked slower than before. 83, 84. 83, 84. He stood and went over to the girl. Kaname Chidori was engrossed in a magazine, but her eyes snapped up as Spike cleared his throat.

"Your number?" she asked.

"Eighty-six," Spike growled. She was doing this on purpose, now.

"Well, sir," she said with a false smile. "As you can see, number eighty-six is almost up, so if you'll just take your seat I can help you in just a few minutes."

Smoke steamed from Spike's ears as his face turned beet-red. He clenched his teeth and slammed a hand down on the counter, eyes closed as he tried vainly to get his temper under control.

"I have been waiting for a turn since I landed on this damn spaceport at eight this morning. Now, I'm the only person here, and I need to get to work if I want to eat for the next month or so," Spike leaned forward until his nose was only an inch from the attendant's. "Just take my 400 woolong and let me get the hell out-a here."

Spike wondered why the world was upside down. His head hurt like hell. He shook his head and realized he was upside down. Above him Kaname stood on the desk, an enormous paper fan in one hand.

"Now, sir," she said evenly. "Number eighty-six is almost up, so if you'll just take your seat I can help you in just a few minutes."

Spike rolled over into a sitting position and glared up at the attendant.

"Take my money now."

Spike didn't even have time to register a thought as the fan swung toward his face.


Tilly broke through the crowd and could see O'Mara just ahead.

"Look out!" She heard him shout, followed quickly by the sound of glass breaking. A gypsy woman, no- wait. The gypsy woman poured a bucket of sudsy water onto the ground just as Tilly reached the broken glass.

Her boots lost all traction on the steel floor and her body's momentum carried her forward as she desperately tried to dig her heels in.

"Watch it!"

"No! No! NOOO!" Tilly screamed as she saw the tiny dock master directly in her way. Unable to stop her momentum only picked up in her slide and she crashed into Charlie.

They tumbled together, sliding along the soapy walkway. Tilly pushed him away from her and Charlie rolled over to the side of the wine seller's booth. He stood quickly and watched as Tilly continued to roll.


Spike burst through the door of the DPSS and rolled head over heels to the middle of the road, landing on his back. Above him the endless blanket of stars blinked through the skylight.
Tilly spun on the soap until she hit dry ground, where she began to tumble, banging an elbow against a pole in the process. She came to a stop on her back, barely an inch from Spike's head.

O'Mara looked back and saw his bounty hunter on the ground. A look at the clock confirmed he was a free man. Eamon grinned and stepped over Spike to crouch next to Tilly.

"Bad luck there, darlin'." Eamon laughed at his joke. "I'll meet you tonight at seven." Eamon stood and looked down at her, sparing barely a glance to Spike lying calmly on the ground perpendicular to Tilly. "Remember now, darlin'. I'll have you tonight in a dress," he continued in his brogue. "Blue I think."

O'Mara laughed and turned away. His face dropped, eyes wide in shock, as a fist connected with his face. Tripping over Spike's feet, Eamon fell back onto the ground only to be bodily lifted by Jet.

"Sorry, O'Mara," Faye smiled. "You'll be too busy tonight to make your date."

Jet cuffed a bleeding O'Mara and led him away.

"See you two back at the ship!" He called over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Tilly," Faye said as she stepped over her two shipmates still on the ground. "See you later."

Tilly and Spike lay on the ground and stared at the stars.

"My butt hurts," she mumbled.

Spike reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarettes, lighting up without responding. Tilly reached over to take the cigarette, suddenly feeling the need for a smoke. Spike slapped her hand away and reached up with his other hand to pull the cigarette from his lips, exhaling slowly.

"You shouldn't smoke," he drawled. "It's a filthy habit."

The door to the DPSS opened and Kaname Chidori, Spike's newest nemesis came out the door, locking it behind her. She stepped over the two people on the ground and walked toward the main shopping hub. Spike watched her go and sighed.

"Damn." He stood slowly and helped Tilly to her feet. "Come on. Let's go."


The counter clicked slowly on the wall of the DPSS office in New Bering Spaceport. 85. 85. 85, 86. 86. 86.
See you later, Space Cowboys…