Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ In a Sentimental Mood ❯ Chapter 3

Jet's knuckles were white from gripping his book. Spike knew Jet felt him watching and was trying hard to ignore him. He didn't blame Jet for being angry. Spike just hoped their friendship wasn't completely lost.

 

"You're back," Jet said without looking up from his reading. When Spike didn't answer, he continued talking just to fill the silence. "So I'm guessing you either had nowhere else to go, or you need the Bebop to go somewhere else."

 

"Yeah."

 

The gruffness in that one syllable forced Jet to turn around. He squinted his eyes to make out Spike's form leaning against the wall in the shadows. "Yeah? To which?"

 

"Both."

 

Spike stepped into the light, but didn't drop down onto the couch as usual. After their earlier confrontation, he almost felt like an intruder in the ship he had called 'home' for so long. He stood, hands stuffed in his pockets, waiting for Jet's reply.

 

"I had this case once," Jet began, "where one guy got a little too friendly with another guy's wife. The husband tied the guy to the back of his car and dragged him from one end of town to the other. He was a mess, but wasn't hurt that bad. He ended up beating the husband to a pulp. I'm not sure which of you three looks worse."

 

Spike gave a weak smile and stared down at his shoes. No matter how bad Jet thought he looked, it didn't even compare to how he felt. The few hours of sleep he finally managed to get was only achieved at the bottom of a very large bottle. He was suffering through the worst hangover he could remember, ached all over from sleeping on a barstool, and felt an icy cold sense of dread for having made the deal with Vicious.

 

And, on top of all that, he had to face Jet after cocking a gun in his face.

 

"I'd offer you something to eat, but you don't look like you'd be able to stomach it anyway," Jet said, closing his book. Spike recognized the invitation and carefully set his abused body on the edge of the couch.

 

"You're right," Spike said. He started to run a hand through his unruly hair, but the pain was too great. He propped his elbows on his knees and rested his forehead in his palms. Taking the weight off his neck seemed to help a little.

 

"Not that I've got much to offer," Jet continued, lighting a cigarette. "Faye, somehow, came back empty handed. You don't happen to know why, do you?"

 

Spike realized Jet knew about the bounty he'd snatched away from her. It wasn't that he wanted the money more than Faye. She just had a nasty habit of losing it on the way to the store. Mainly at the race tracks. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cashcard he earned from the bounty.

 

"It's all yours," Spike said, tossing it over to Jet. "Go crazy."

 

Jet looked at the amount and chuckled. "Rack up a few bills, Spike? There's barely enough here to gas up the Bebop enough to get to the next planet."

 

"Taken care of," Spike said. He slowly eased himself back on the couch and dug in his jacket pocket for his cigarettes.

 

"What do you mean by that?" Jet asked. "That little bounty couldn't have paid for all that with this much left over."

 

Spike gave up his search after he remembered finishing off his pack before leaving the hotel that morning. He groaned and laid his arm over his eyes to block the light from his sensitive eyes.

 

"Spike…"

 

"Later, Jet," Spike warned. "Just go get the food while I make my way back to the land of the living."

 

Jet sighed. He wasn't surprised Spike wanted to avoid talking. He'd known him for years and still didn't really know him. Theirs was an odd relationship. Living in close quarters like family, yet without any kind of family bond.

 

"Don't forget the meat," Spike added just before the door closed behind Jet.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Spike!"

 

"Go away, Faye."

 

"You steal my bounty, then spend the night drinking it away," Faye accused. "That was my bounty! I am not going away until I get at least some of that money."

 

"Gave it to Jet to buy food," Spike said and rolled toward the back of the couch in an attempt to block her out and get back to sleep.

 

"What about the bounty Vicious posted? Are you going to tell me that's gone, too?" Faye asked, leaning over the couch.

 

"Go…away!" Spike ordered and gave her a deadly glare. Faye gasped and retreated back to the safety of her room, leaving Spike to sleep in peace.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"So, we're all gassed up, they delivered the parts we needed, and we're fully stocked with food. Are you going to tell me where we're headed? Or is that a big secret, too?"

 

Spike didn't turn to acknowledge Jet's question. He continued to watch the sunset across the water from his seat on the edge of the Bebop's hull. Jet sat down, but left a good five feet between them.

 

"I don't mind secrets, as a rule," Jet commented. "But it always helps to know where we're going before we lift off."

 

Spike didn't take his eyes off the smear of red and orange on the horizon as he reached into his pocket. Again, he remembered they were empty.

 

"Here." Jet slid a freshly opened pack and lighter over to him.

 

Spike gave him a sad smile. "Thanks."

 

They sat and smoked in silence until the last of the sun slipped underwater. Overhead, the stars echoed the twinkling lights of the city beside them.

 

"We're going to Earth," Spike announced, breaking the silence.

 

"Earth? What for? A bounty?"

 

Spike nodded and lit another cigarette. After sleeping all day, his hangover was finally gone, but his feeling of dread was intensifying. Once they left Mars, he would be working for Vicious, something he thought he'd never do. It was like his days in the Syndicate all over again.

 

"Sorry about earlier," Spike said, breaking the silence. "About the gun, I mean."

 

"If I knew what I did wrong, I'd apologize for it, too," Jet answered, flicking his cigarette butt into the water.

 

Spike thought back to their argument. He couldn't quite remember what it was that had set him off. Jet had done and said the same things he always did. But for some reason, this time Spike felt like he was being lectured. Maybe just being back on Mars had put him more on edge than usual.

 

"Did I ever tell you about my father, Jet?"

 

"Nope."

 

"It's because I didn't really have one," Spike said, getting to his feet. "And I didn't need you acting like one, either."

 

Jet's eyebrow rose as he watched Spike go back in the ship. He shook his head and gave one last look across the water before going inside himself. He was right, there were no family-like bonds in this relationship at all.