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When it’s all said and done, Faye doesn't stay on the Bebop for very long.
She can’t bring herself to. It’s so….empty.
So quiet.
She and Jet don’t talk, not much. They stay out of each other’s way, and the only words they say to each other are about Red Tail .
In truth, there’s not much to say. They both know what’s happened, and there’s no point in talking about it anymore. Faye’s cried as much as she’s willing, and Jet’s done….whatever it is men like him do. Certainly not talk about it, that’s for sure.
Man probably hasn’t even shed a tear. Typical.
She busies herself by not doing much of anything. The Bebop is out of commission, and Faye doesn’t want to be away from Red Tail for too long. All those times she left the Bebop - thought about never going back - she always had it in her back pocket. Waiting for her if she decided to come back and reward them with her presence.
This time though, this time she doesn’t plan on coming back.
It’s a week after….everything, that Jet walks into the main room, arms crossed over his chest. “You can leave now.”
Charming
“Go easy on her,” Jet continues. “Spend some Woolongs on more repairs if you haven’t wasted them already.”
“Not even gonna give me a parting gift?” Faye pouts, prompting…..absolutely no reaction. Of course. “I’d say it was nice knowing you, but….it really hasn’t been.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” Jet mutters before he turns to leave. He stops in the doorway though, gaze firmly planted on his feet. “Listen, Faye….”
She doesn’t care. She needs to get out of here, before….she needs to get out of here.
“I don’t wanna hear it, Jet,” she cuts him off. “We had a good run, but it is what it is. Spike went and got himself killed. Ed and Ein are off god knows where. No reason to stick around.”
“No one to mooch off, you mean.”
Faye just sighs, stretching her legs out before she gets to feet. “Whatever,” she grumbles. “I know my way out.”
She can tell that he wants to say something, based on the way he stares at her. Jet’s not like other men - neither of them were - and he’s not staring at her for his own personal gratification. He has something on his mind.
She walks just a little bit slower, gives Jet time to say what he wants to say. She might even take it seriously.
But he doesn’t say anything. Not in the time it takes Faye to walk to the doorway, down the hall, to the Red Tail , and off the Bebop.
The months after are a blur.
She has no clue what to do with her life. Now that she knows where she came from, knows what happened to her (which she’d very much rather not think about) she just feels lost. Aimless. Nothing to go back to, nothing to run towards.
She still collects bounty heads, but there’s no real fun in it. It’s a living, and she makes more bounties than she ever did on the Bebop, but there’s no joy.
Faye sighs. “They were just holding me back.”
She’s just delivered a bounty head to ISSP for a cool ￦750,000. A nobody that got a little too into the smash and grab game, and started smashing and grabbing from the wrong people. It’s a higher bounty than someone like that would usually have, but that’s their loss and Faye’s gain.
She’ll set aside the reward to pay off her debt. Probably.
Although….
“You can’t have bad luck forever,” she reasons as she rests her forehead against the cool concrete of the ISSP building, thinking it over (even though there’s really nothing to consider). “Horses or dogs….”
As she contemplates how exactly to spend her hard earned Woolongs, she lets her mind wander. Thinks about what to do next.
She’s not sure if she wants to keep catching bounty heads. But….what else is there?
Not for the first time, she considers looking into the bounty on Radical Edward. Not to cash in on it but just to….you know. See how it’s going. If Ed and Ein could use some company.
Ed’s bounty has only gotten higher over the past few months. Up to ￦5,000,000. She must has all sorts of other bounty hunters after her. Could probably use some help.
Yeah, that would be a good idea. Ed probably needs some guidance, and Faye can offer that.
But….if Ed wanted her there, Faye would know where Ed is. But she doesn’t. So Ed doesn’t want her there.
Faye doesn’t have anywhere to go.
Horses it is.
The horses don’t go well.
By the end of the day, Faye finds herself down ￦725,000 and alone at a bar. “I should have bet on the dogs,” she sighs as she rests her forehead on her forearms, the cool marble of the bartop raising goosebumps on her bare skin.
She can feel eyes on her, rich men who would have no problem dropping a dime and a half if it meant a night with her. She’s not that kind of girl though, regardless of what they might think. That doesn’t mean she doesn't encourage it, because a dumb horny man with money to burn is an easy target.
Or maybe they have a bounty on their head, who can say? They’re starting to pay more attention to these white collar types.
But she doesn’t have it in her right now.
“Give me another,” she twirls her finger in the air. A second later there’s a fresh cocktail in front of her, and Faye just sighs as she raises her head up.
She can’t keep going like this.
She isn’t a fool. She’s either gonna piss off the wrong people, bet on the wrong horse, have the insurance people catch up with her, or get herself killed.
None of those sound all that fun.
Not for the first time, she considers calling Jet. She still has his number, assuming he hasn’t changed it. The Bebop is a big place for one person, so she supposes it’s possible he has a new ship.
Or a new crew.
She’s not sure which possibility pisses her off more.
“Enough of that.”
She’s racking up quite the tab, and before long she’s going to be dead broke again. Best to find another bounty head before she leaves Ganymede. Or maybe…..
Maybe she’ll have better luck with the dogs.
It’s just her luck that she’s not the only person after this particular bounty head.
It’s a cool ￦500,000 for some fraudster. Another that probably isn’t worth the Woolongs, but he pissed off the wrong people. Again, not Faye’s problem.
Still, she’s not the only person who had that thought.
She has him on the run, racing after him down one of the long dark alleyways of Ganymede’s back streets. He’s not that fast (he had a head start) so Faye should be able to catch him before too long. And then it’s just a quick trip to the ISSP, and off to the dog track.
Easy.
As she turns the corner, however, she comes face to face with a gun, pointed right between her eyes. Eyes that go crossed as she stares at the barrel, not even realizing who has their finger on the trigger.
“What are you doing here?”
Oh
“Get that outta my face, would you!” Faye bats away the pistol before she glares up at Jet. “You’re letting him get away!”
“He’s already dead,” Jet shrugs as he takes out his cigarettes, quickly lighting one up. “Ran into traffic.”
“Ugh. I would have stopped him if you hadn’t gotten in my way!”
“Same old Faye,” Jet comments, and she just barely resists the urge to smack him.
“Same old Jet. The least you can do is offer me a smoke.”
Jet just stares at her, even as he hands over his carton and Faye swipes one, along with a match. “I don’t owe you anything. Heard you were still after bounty heads.”
“Oh yeah? Doing better now that I’ve dropped you and Spike.”
She doesn’t mean anything by it, but Faye regrets the words as soon as she says them. The pang deep in her chest isn’t a surprise, not after she’s actively focused on not thinking about him these past months. It still takes her aback, just how sad it makes her feel.
Jet doesn’t show any sign of being affected by it.
Ugh, men
Still….she misses him. Even if they had a tenuous relationship at best, he was still someone to talk to. She hasn’t had a lot of that recently.
“C’mon. Drinks are on you.”
Faye doesn’t spare him a second look as she turns and walks down the alley, planning to enter the nearest bar. She wants him to join her - more than she’ll ever let on - but no way in hell is she letting him know that. If he doesn’t join her, she’ll just keep on walking into that bar, and drop all remaining ￦15,000 on a combination of drinks and dog racing.
As soon as she hears footsteps following after her….she knows she doesn’t have to.
“Still flying that old hunk of junk?”
They’re seated in a booth at some bar Faye doesn’t even know the name of. It’s dingy, and she’s by far the best looking thing here. The patrons seem to agree, judging by the way everyone’s watching her, even with Jet sitting on the other side of the booth.
They must make quite a sight. Old grizzled guy like him, pretty young thing like her. Any other life, it would be a storybook romance. Or a storybook night.
There’s too much between them though. Too many feelings (not for each other) and too much history. Too many other people. Too many memories.
“She still flies,” Jet shrugs between drinks. “How’s the Red Tail?”
“Still in one piece.”
This is awkward.
Jet must be feeling that too, judging by how quickly he’s downing his drink. Still, at least he has the courage to say something. “You, uh, seen Ed?”
“Nope,” Faye shakes her head. “But she’s racking up quite the bounty.”
Jet almost looks proud as she says it, and Faye supposes she is too. “Yeah,” he agrees. “Looks like she’s doing okay for herself. Ein too.”
“Just wait for the little bastard to have his own bounty.”
“Ha! I’d like to see that,” Jet chuckles, even if his face doesn’t quite look like it’s in it. “Listen, Faye, I….”
“Whatever you’re about to say, I don’t wanna hear…..”
“Just shut up for a minute, would ya?” Jet cuts her off, and Faye can’t help the aghast expression that plasters itself across her features. Eyes wide (one twitching), mouth hung open, face lax.
“Just let me say what I wanna say, okay?”
“Fine….” Faye grumbles, not all too pleased with Jet but willing to hear him out.
“I was saying that if you wanted to come back to the Bebop - for a night - that you can. Your room hasn’t been touched.”
…..
“For a night?” Faye questions, choosing to ignore the rapid beating of her heart in her chest. She….she doesn’t know what she’s feeling, truth be told. Her place - her old room - is still there on the Bebop, waiting for her. Sure, it’s empty, and no one else is there, but her ho….her room is still there.
A place that’s hers.
“For a night,” Jet agrees, even if they both know that if she wants longer than that, it’s there. “Save you from sleeping on a park bench.”
“Hey, watch it!” She slams her hand on the table, indignation rising. “I’ll have you know that I’m doing just fine without you! I actually rented a swanky little hotel room for the night.”
(that’s a lie)
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah! Better than anywhere you could ever afford.”
Jet just laughs, which is not the response she was hoping for. Not in the least. “Well, alright. I don’t expect to see you in the morning then,” he comments before he finishes off his drink. He’s standing beside the table before she even realizes it, giving her one last nod. “Take it easy, Faye.”
And with that, Faye’s alone.
Again.
She can’t help but sigh. “Men….”
She takes a breath as she stands on the dock, staring at the Bebop. She has her bag - a small bag - of clothes over her shoulder, purple strands of hair blowing across her forehead in the light breeze.
It’s a nice night tonight. She should be out, maybe flirting with an easy target or two, spending big at the races with her hard earned bounty head reward money. But instead….she’s here.
“Damn you, Jet.”
And with that, she steps forward.
The Bebop is quiet as she enters it, no one in sight. She supposes Jet must be fast asleep already - old man - meaning she’s the only awake soul on board.
It’s eerie.
“Okay,” she mutters to herself, not bothering to be silent as she takes the familiar trek back to her old room.
It’s waiting for her.
She can feel her hand’s shaking as she keeps walking, doing her best to keep her eyes forward. To ignore everything that hasn’t changed, that’s in the exact same place she left it.
Ein’s dog bowl.
Spike’s room.
One of Ed’s gadgets.
Her bedroom door.
Her bed, sheets as messy as the day she left them.
Her betamax player, her TV. Not touched.
“You miss me that much, Jet?” Faye says to herself, choosing to ignore the fact that maybe, she missed this too.
Ignores the fact that it’s not a ‘maybe’.
She sits on the edge of her bed, closing her eyes. Works on getting her heart beat to calm down. Tries to ignore the memories playing through her brain.
Thinking of Spike laying down on the couch in the main room. Thinking of Ein staring up at her as she eats his food (not for the first time) before they chase Faye around the Bebop, all while she does her best to make sure her towel doesn’t fall to the floor.
She hears Ed saying ‘FayeFaye’ before she runs up and shoves a tablet in Faye’s face . She smells Jet’s bell peppers and beef before the lot of them, all sitting around the table (Ein on the floor), wolf it down.
It makes her sad, thinking about it. But also, happy.
She thinks she’s where she’s meant to be.
---------------------
“Faye!”
“What?”
“Quit hogging the shower!”
“Quit acting like you actually shower! A lady needs to take care of herself!
Jet says something else that Faye doesn’t quite catch (she thinks it’s something about her not being much of a lady) before he stomps off. It doesn't make her mad though. She just feels….it feels right.
She doesn’t spend much longer after that. She dries herself off, wraps herself in her towel and makes her way down to the main room to grab some food, coming face to face with Jet yet again.
“You came.”
“You seemed like you needed the company,” she mutters, bending forward to rifle through the fridge. “Your fridge is empty.”
She can practically hear Jet's eye roll behind her. “I’m sure that fancy hotel of yours serves a nice breakfast.”
“It’s only for refined palettes,” she haughtily shrugs before she slams the fridge door shut, whirling around to face him again. “So, what bounty head are we after today?”
“We?”
It’s a decision that Faye came to late last night.
She thinks she’s going to stick around. Jet seems like he’s lonely.
(maybe she is too)
Faye just waves her hand around in the air, gesturing at the Bebop of it all. “This place needs a woman’s touch,” she shrugs. “You’re going to drown in dirt and grime without me.”
“And you’re all about cleaning,” Jet comments, but there’s a small smile on his face. Like maybe her presence won’t be too unwelcome. “There’s a bounty head on Io. One Million Woolongs.”
“What’d he do?”
“ She runs an illegal network of hackers. They’ve been disrupting the banking system across the entire moon.”
Imagine if I bet big and doubled one million Woolongs…..
“What are we sitting around for then?” Faye questions, turning and making her way back to her room. “Be a dear and grab the Red Tail for me, would you? I’ll get the keys.”
Jet says something after that that she doesn’t quite catch. Probably about her getting it her own damn self, or about how he’s not her damn butler.
They both know that it’s only half-hearted.
That they both need this, each other. Not in the biblical sense, but just….they need each other. Faye needs this place, needs this sense of belonging that she’s felt ever since she stepped foot back inside the Bebop last night. Jet needs company, a piece of the family that he gained and lost so quickly and so suddenly.
Faye’s smiling as she gets dressed, puts her headband on her head. She’s smiling as she puts on her boots and ties her jacket. She’s smiling as she steps back out to the couches and tosses Jet her keys.
She’s smiling as they argue (banter) about how they’re going to split the reward. She’s laughing as he turns to leave, but not before he flips her off. She swears that she sees a smile on his face too.
And then Faye’s back in the Bebop, alone. She lets out a breath as she falls back onto the couch, kicks her feet up on the table. Not for the first time, she rests her arms over the back of the couch, lays her head back, and closes her eyes.
She thinks of seeing Ed and Ein again, of them coming back aboard the Bebop, just for a little while.
She thinks of Spike. That, hopefully, he’s at peace. Wherever he is. That he doesn’t have one eye on the past anymore. That he’s resting.
Not for the first time, she thinks that maybe, none of this is real. That when she opens her eyes, she’ll be back home, in Singapore. That her parents will be alive, she’ll be okay, and that all she has to do is get up, go outside, and play with her friends.
“Life is but a dream….”
She opens her eyes.
All she sees is the Bebop. She’s not sad about it.
She’s home.