Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ In a Sentimental Mood ❯ Chapter 7

"Say what?" Jet yelled at the communications speaker of his Hammerhead. Both his mechanical and flesh hands gripped the controls tighter, willing the momentary shock to release the hold it had on his heart. There was no way he could have heard that right.

 

"Bounty guy is Spike person's father person," Ed's voice repeated.

 

"Are you sure you looked up the right name, Ed?" Jet asked. "This Lenny guy the bartender said Spike was asking about?"

 

"Edward looked up Lenny name, but that's not who he is," she sang. "Spike person went to see man in meteor zone. Man is science-type person named Galen Spiegel."

 

"And you're sure this scientist is Spike's father?"

 

"Yup. Edward is positive."

 

Jet cursed as he rubbed the back of his head. The metal felt cool against his skin, but didn't help to ease the headache that continued to build below the surface. He didn't think anything short of a bottle of hard liquor could do that. But even that wouldn't be able to erase the feeling of betrayal that sat like a lead slug in his gut.

 

"Damn you, Spike," he said to the empty cockpit. "You don't let anyone close enough to catch even a glimpse of who you really are. What kind of partner…what kind of 'friend' is that?"

 

The Hammerhead's course banked away from the meteor zone and back toward the Bebop. His earlier plan - to help Spike whether he wanted it or not - was replaced by an uncommon hardening of the heart. If Spike wanted to act like strangers, he'd be more than willing to oblige. He'd keep the Bebop on Earth a couple days, then head to the nearest bounty away from this desolate planet. If Spike needed help, he'd just have to call and beg for it.

 

Jet just hoped he wouldn't need to call.

 

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"So how'd you find me?"

 

Spike couldn't help hearing regret in the voice of the man known as 'Lenny' here on Earth. Heard it, but didn't believe it.

 

"The Syndicate found you," Spike said, standing to put distance between them; as his father had done so long ago. To keep his hands busy, he pulled out his cigarettes, walking a few paces away before lighting one. He took a deep drag and exhaled the smoke toward the ceiling. "I never really wanted to look for Galen Spiegel."

 

"The Syndicate? Don't tell me you're working for those blood-thirsty old crones!" Galen spat. "Once they get their hooks into you, you're as good as dead!"

 

"You're right," Spike answered, surprised at how calm he sounded. He studied the glowing red ember of the cigarette, watching how the shades of red danced through it with each subtle change in the unseen air currents. "But there aren't too many other jobs for an orphan on Mars, is there?"

 

"Orph…" The intended question was cut off abruptly as understanding dawned on the old man's face. "You're mother…Lily is…dead?"

 

Spike nodded as he swallowed back an unexpected feeling of pity. He took another dose of nicotine before he opened the locked and dusty memories of those dark, dreadful days.

 

"Shortly after you disappeared, our apartment was robbed while we were at the market. No…not robbed. Ransacked. Anything of value was gone and the rest was either broken, cut, or torn apart. Mom took me to Mao and Annie's while she went to the police to file a report." He paused to look pointedly at his father's face, which had gone a ghostly white. "She didn't even make it across town."

 

"My God. Lily." Galen closed his eyes and pressed his fist tight to his lips, but couldn't hold back the choked sob behind it. His other hand slammed hard on the arm of the chair before gripping it hard as if to keep it from striking again.

 

"You act like you might've actually cared for her." Spike regretted the spiteful tone, but reliving the painful loss of his childhood had made his nerves too raw for even the cigarette to soothe. Without an ashtray in sight, he simply dropped it to the steel floor and ground it under the sole of his shoe.

 

"I loved Lily," Galen said, angrily wiping the tears from his eyes. "More than she even knew. I did everything I could to make a good life for her…and you."

 

"And how was your disappearing act supposed to make our lives better?" Spike asked, folding his arms across his chest.

 

Galen breathed the sigh of a man resigned to displaying his life before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, knowing full well he'd be getting a one way ticket south no matter how hard he pleaded his case.

 

“I left to save the two of you,” he said. “To save you from the Syndicate. I thought if I was gone, they wouldn't bother you. I thought if they were too busy trying to find me, you'd be safe. That's how it was supposed to work.” He beat his fist against the arm of his chair for emphasis.

 

Spike let his arms drop to his sides. The old man's reaction to the sudden appearance of his son and news his wife's death wasn't anything like Spike had imagined. And just what did his father have to do with the Syndicate? Obviously, there was more to this story than he suspected.

 

“Listen,” Spike said, sitting back down in the chair across from Galen. “Instead of playing twenty questions for the next hour, why don't you just start from the beginning?”

 

“Are you still going to hand me over to the Syndicate?”

 

“I can't answer that yet.”

 

“Fair enough.” Galen uncovered a pack of cigarettes from the disorganized mess on the table while Spike settled back in the chair, pulling out his own. Instead of putting the rest of the pack back in his pocket, he left it sitting out on his leg. If the story was going to be as bad as he expected, he'd probably need more than one. Both Spiegels flicked their lighters, inhaled, and exhaled at the same time.