Bebop Blues

Chapter 7

The Egg and I: Call Me, Call Me

He bolted upright.

His body was covered in sweat, and his sheets were tangled around his ankles. The pillow had been knocked to the floor in his slumber.

He brought a hand to his face and was beside himself. He was crying in his sleep.

He picked up the pillow and flopped backwards; he felt completely overwhelmed.

And he didn't know why.

He looked over at the digital clock on the nightstand.

4:32AM.

Spike contemplated a phone call to Jet, having concluded that he missed them, even the damned kid and dog, and the shrew.

Yeah. He missed her, too.

He didn't leave her on the best of terms, but with a friendship as sexually tense as that...

Did he just consider her a friend?

He gripped his head and tousled his hair, straining to recall whatever nightmare just caused this irrational train of thought and his random flow of tears.

Yeah. He would call Jet. Set the premise for his return; maybe the newfound balance between Jet and Faye would ease things over.

He reached for his vidcom, and with uncanny muscle memory, dialed out to Jet.

Ring after ring.

"Hello?" The word was wary, and Jet's face looked frozen, as if from shock.

He suspected the multiple rings to be Jet's disbelief in seeing his number flash across his screen.

"Yo."

Silence.

"I don't believe it."

Spike rubbed the back of his head. "Well, that's better a reaction than I could have hoped for."

"You're alive? After all this time? Where the hell are you?"

Spike lit a cig, Mai's brand. "More alive than I thought I'd be." He puffed. "I met a woman."

Jet looked torn between a laugh and a scowl. "Hahaha. A woman you say? And she revived the great Spike Spiegel?"

He puffed again. "Something like that." He put a hand to his chin. "I'm on Venus, headed out to Earth tomorrow; I'm looking for something."

"We're headed that way, too. We should pick you up. We just left-" It hit Jet like a dose of Red-Eye. "So that was you in the bank. Faye isn't crazy."

He puffed. "Now, don't go saying things like that. I'd like to think that some things haven't changed since I've been dead."

Jet got defensive. "Don't spout proclamations like that; she's had a long way to come to get to this point."

"How is she?" He mentally slapped himself. Damn. He did miss the annoying broad.

Jet furrowed his brow. "She's... Well, I don't really know how to answer that."

"Oh?" That intrigued him. When did she stop wearing her heart on her sleeve? She was always so loud about that.

"She's still got that attitude, just not the attitude problem. More modest these days, too. She really pulled through after you, well, you know. Even paid off her debts."

"Poker Alice? Debt-free?"

"She stopped gambling a long time ago, too. Only plays when I play. It's our "unwinding" hobby."

"You two close?" Spike raised an eyebrow.

Jet gave a chuckle. "Jealous, Spike? That's not like you."

Might as well give honesty a shot. "Well, I miss you guys, and I don't want things to change, you know?"

Jet blinked. "You feeling alright, buddy? That doesn't sound like the Spike I know."

Spike shrugged. "Things change, I guess."

Jet gave another chuckle, a heartfelt one. "This woman's got some hold on you."

Jet lit himself his own cigarette. "Speaking of women, you know a Mai Spiegel?"

Spike faltered a bit, but shook it off. Something about that last name on her. "Never heard of her." That wasn't a lie. He knew a Mai Yenrai.

"Hm. We got a new crewmember. She's a lot like you, actually. Something about her doesn't sit right with me..."

"What does your gut tell you?"

Jet closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "To confront her. She and Faye have an... Interesting friendship, though. It makes the situation delicate.

Spike raised both eyebrows this time. "Interesting how?"

"Well, they sleep in the same bed. I don't know whether or not they realize I'm aware of it, but they haven't come right out and said it."

That interested Spike a great deal, but this was a sensitive situation on his end. "Well, try a different approach. Use something she's brought up in the past."

"She left the Swordfish on Mars, said Doohan wanted it."

"Go with that, then. Ask about Doohan. I doubt she'll run from you if you ask directly."

"Oh? And why do you think that?"

Spike gave a half-grin. "A little songbird told me."

Jet shook his head. "This woman of yours..."

"Not mine. She's shot me down. Married, anyways."

Jet opened his eyes in surprise. "Spike Spiegel? Fawning over a married woman? You really have changed Spike."

"You've got no clue." He took a final puff. "Well, Black Dog, go sink in those fangs. I'll see you on Earth in the next few days."

Jet smiled. "Will do." A second of silence. "And for your sake, I won't mention this to Faye."

"Better that you don't. Don't want her slipping into old habits."

"She's stronger than you 're giving her credit for."

"Hm."

"Oh, and Spike?"

"Huh?"

"Lay off the marijuana cigarettes. I feel alone enough on this damned ship as it is with Faye and Mai smoking them."

Spike laughed as the video faded out.

Mai would make hippies out of all of them: jazzy bluesy hippies.

He could dig it.

Rejuvenated by the conversation with Jet and too awake to return to slumber, he practiced his kata, took a shower, and decided to set off for Earth. He'd have to do some digging to do in order to catch up, as easy as it would be just to ask. He rather enjoyed the hunt.

Grabbing eggs and bacon from the conveniently free breakfast provided by the hotel, he bounded out the door and to the Swordfish.

He took off without a hitch and set a course for autopilot after breaking the atmosphere. He wanted to do some investigative work before he touched ground.

As he began tapping at his ship's computer, faces and emoticons began placing themselves where he would type. He frowned a bit, but before he knew it, a dark-skinned, redhead had overtaken his screen.

"Spike-person is alive! Edward is so happy! Edward knew not to believe the stories on the TV!"

Spike grinned widely, and he grinned even wider when he heard a familiar bark in the background.

"Ein is happy to see Spike, too!"

He chuckled. "You found me, Ed."

"Ah! But I couldn't have without Jet-person! Edward traced you from his com signal!"

"So you're still keeping tabs on them?"

She frowned. It was a cross between awkward and cute. Spike could tell she had grown a bit, and her figure had started to fill out. Her childlike expressions made him assume that she hadn't learned much in ways of mannerisms following after her father.

The girl really needed some maternal guidance.

"Edward was until a few weeks ago! Bebop went poof! Off the network. A ghost in the system!"

Spike chuckled again. "They've got a new ship they use these days, track the Red Tail and Hammerhead, and you'll be able to find them."

She frowned again. "Edward has tried, but Edward cannot stay connected or crack the new firewall! And Ein can find them, but not them."

"Huh?"

"Find in system! Not in space!" She threw her arms apart like an airplane.

"I see."

"Has Spike talked to Faye-Faye?" Her eyes were wide.

"Not yet. I'm keeping it a secret until I see her a person."

"Oh! Because Spike likes Faye-Faye, right?"

He blinked at her. "Uh..."

"Edward remembers! Spike and Faye-Faye would start fighting, but after Jet would go to sleep, Spike and Faye-Faye would sneak into Faye-Faye's room and..." she then made a smooched face, her lips puckered and her eyes heavy-lidded, "...ooh-la-la!"

"Enough of that, Ed."

Ein barked.

"And you, too, mutt."

He whimpered.

"Be nice! Ein and Ed are only trying to help!"

He sighed. "I know, Ed."

"Spike-person is looking for the mysterious desert flower!" she proclaimed, throwing her arms to the air in excitement.

He always did appreciate her knack for dismissing an awkward situation. "I am."

"Desert flower is dangerous stuff!"

"What is it?"

"Ed is still searching, but everyone who has searched has poofed like Bebop!"

"Oh?"

"There is a 100 Million Woolong bounty for its capture!"

"100 Million Woolong for something no one knows a thing about?"

Ed nodded vigorously. "Rumor has it that the desert flower can bring eternal fortune upon its finder! Fortunes and fames!" She waved her arms in her typical cat fashion.

Ein barked.

"Sounds like quite the flower."

Ed and Ein nodded in unison. "There's little for Ed to find! All leads go cold!" She shivered. "Closest person to finding it is Mai Yenrai!"

That intrigued him. "Does she know what it is?"

"Ed is not sure. Mai-lady might, but Ed cannot crack through Mai-lady's firewall, either, and Ein tried, but Ein hurt himself."

"Interesting. Well, Ed, how's about we team up and see if we can beat Jet and Faye to this flower?"

"Like a race! Edward likes races!"

"Yeah. A race."

"Edward is sending you coordinates! Can Ein come, too?"

He lit a cig. "Yeah. And Ed?"

"Yes?" Her eyes were big and hopeful.

"Don't tell Jet and Faye. It's a race, remember?"

She saluted. "Aye aye, Captain Spike. Ed will keep them off the trail!"

Ein barked.

As soon as the screen blacked, Ed's coordinates flashed on the screen.

Spike reset his course, and he was earthbound.

He was off to meet with the kid and dog.

Oh yeah, he could dig it.