Mystery

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The journey to Venus was uneventful. Spike spent the time dozing on the couch. Ed did a bit of hacking and located Faye's suite number, and then took a nap herself.

Jet was too antsy to sleep. He replayed over and over in his mind the conversation he'd like to have with Faye, but everytime, it came off as bad movie dialogue. Or something from a cheap romance novel found in drugstores. What he essentially wanted to say was that he cared very much for her, and he missed her, and could they consider . . .

"Gah," Jet said with distaste. Nothing I say will sound good anyway. The only hope is that I can say what I want to without her laughing at me.

Jet began to mutter under his breath, and from behind him, he heard Spike say, "Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

"No, that would be talking to you."

"Christ, Jet, that was lame back in kindergarten. You never were good at the zingers, were you?" Spike sat next to Jet and lit a cigarette.

"Hasn't Ed gotten you to stop smoking yet?"

Spike exhaled a plume at the ceiling. "Ed tells me that kissing me is like licking the bottom of an ashtray." Ignoring Jet's look, Spike continued, "But since I've been known to lick ashtrays in dire straits, I can't see what the problem is."

"Can you not talk about kissing Ed?"

"She likes the taste of a man's tonsils," said Spike in reply, and Jet punched him in the bicep. "Yes, that Ed is one sprightly little filly."

Jet punched him again. "Will you stop?"

"Will you stop pissing your pants about seeing Faye?"

Jet snorted. "I just wish I knew what to say to her."

Spike chuckled, and replied, "I think you two will have a lot to talk about."

Once they had landed on Venus and had gotten their docking squared away, Ed and Spike began to make excuses about not seeing Faye right away. On one hand, Jet was a bit miffed about this, because he a) could have used backup while seeing Faye for the first time in months, and b) they hadn't see Faye and months, and this was a sort of family outing, so they should all visit together. On the other hand, Jet was relieved that he wouldn't be possibly making a fool of himself in front of others. Jet found the suite that Faye was lodged in, according to Ed, and he stood outside the door, reading the number over and over, trying to build up the courage to knock.

Christ, I haven't been this antsy since asking Maria Vasquez to the freaking seventh-grade spring dance, thought Jet nervously, and he kept rubbing his hand over the top of his bald head. Finally, he knocked, a series of sharp raps that sounded more like an unfriendly visit from the police.

Meanwhile, Ed and Spike were making their way through the hotel lobby, where it seemed that every conventioneer on the planet was checking out. "So what are we going to do in the meantime?" asked Ed.

"I need to do some shopping," replied Spike. "Where is the concierge in this place?"

"Shopping? Concierge? What are you looking for?" Spike told Ed what he had in mind, and her nose wrinkled. "You have to be kidding. I can't wait to see this."

"Help me find the concierge, then, so I can find what I'm looking for."

Faye heard Jet's knock and frowned in the direction of the door. What the? It's too early for Wolfgang to bring up dinner, she thought, as she struggled out of the chair. I'm not going to make it another 10 weeks at this rate. I feel like a bloated hippo already. Faye took a quick look in the mirror, and decided that blue cotton pyjamas imprinted with little flying pigs were okay enough to answer to door for hotel staff. She scuffed her way to the door in her pink fuzzy slippers, and opened the door enough for her to peer around it.

"Faye."

Faye's eye grew wide, and her mouth opened. "Jet?"

"Hi."

"Hello."

They stood there, staring at each other. Faye hadn't moved, and all Jet could see of her was her head poking around the door. "Faye, I . . . I was hoping that we could talk."

Faye had yet to blink. "Okay."

"May I come in?"

Faye gave herself a little shake, and said, "Of course. I'm sorry." And she stepped back to open the door wider.

Jet dropped his gaze and walked into the room without looking at Faye. "I . . .Faye, when you left, I think that we left certain things unsaid." He began rubbing his head again, like he normally did when he was out of his element.

Jet remained with his back to her. Faye remained by the door.

Jet spoke again. "I just . . . I don't want to barge in on your life, and I'm not asking you to . . . you see, I just wanted to say . . ." As he was saying this, Jet finally turned around, and his eyes focused directly on Faye's swollen belly. ". . . Holy Mother of God."

Faye gave a shrug and a nervous smile. "Surprise."

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This is a work of fiction, and the CB characters are copywrited by someone other than me. Please leave a review!