Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Dears ❯ Sweet Dears ( One-Shot )

Sweet Dears

December 26th, 2071. Christmas was over. A silent night had come to the Bebop once again. Everyone was out at the moment. Spike and Sakura had disappeared for their “holiday.” (It's really eloping, but okay.) Faye went off to gamble yet again. Kurotio and Foxy went off to look for more ass. Francesca, Cherry, Ed, and Ein were elsewhere at the moment. The Bebop would have been empty except for two warm bodies occupying the whole ship.

Jet had invited Ume to spend Christmas with him. He wanted to give her a nice gift for her newfound freedom. She played coy about it at first.

“But Jet,” the sensei said, flirtatiously. “You sure that's a good idea. I mean, someone could walk in on us!”

“It's okay,” her boyfriend insisted. “They're all gone for the night.”

“All of them?” Ume questioned with her game.

“All of them,” Jet repeated. “We're all alone tonight.” The sensei smiled at that suggestion.

“Hm…” she said. “Let me look at my planner.” The sensei pretended to be doing so to heighten the suspense. Jet waited on the other line. Ume smiled to herself in mischief.

“Okay then,” she replied. “I will be right over.”

“Alright, see you them,” Jet replied.

“Bye,” she said.

“Bye,” he said back. They both hung up together. Jet silently cheered in victory in his head. That prompted a little cleaning up to do. That means getting right to work right about… now!

In less than ten minutes, most of the ship was clean. Jet just cleaned the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and his room for his girlfriend. Because, that's where they are going to be for most of the night anyway. Let's be real here. Jet had just sat down on the couch when Ed's computer flashed on. She had rigged it to show them who was at the door just by body heat alone. Jet smiled when he saw his girlfriend waiting for him outside. Just in time too. He got up off the couch and walked over to the front door.

Ume looked in from the freezing cold. Warm relief sank into her bones. Jet gave her a polite smile.

“Welcome,” he said. Ume leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the cheek.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Good,” he replied. “And you?” His girlfriend trembled all over.

“Cold,” she said as she snuggled up close to him. “But, I will feel better as soon as you let me in.”

“Well excuse me then,” Jet replied. “Where are my manners?” His girlfriend giggled as he kindly walked her into the ship. He sat her down on the living room couch.

“Can I get you anything?” Jet asked from the kitchen.

“Some green tea would be nice,” Ume replied.

“Okay,” Jet said. Ume looked around the whole living room.

“So how has freedom from your in-laws?” her boyfriend asked. The sensei nodded at the question.

“Good actually,” she said. “I don't have to look over my shoulder anymore.”

“Nice to hear,” Jet said as he put the tea on the kettle. “How is the packing coming along?”

“Jet!” Ume said in a joking tone. “I told you I would move in with you during spring break!” Since her wrongful death suit, the man had been persuading the calligraphy sensei to move in with him. Ume had been putting it off until this Halloween when she finally decided to take the next step with her boyfriend.

“Time doesn't wait for anybody,” Jet spoke up.

“I know,” Ume said back. “I just want to get through my grades for the term.”

“Are you getting cold feet on me?” he asked as he looked up at her from the kitchen.

“No,” the sensei replied. “It's just… give me some time to get used to it all first, okay?” Jet gave her an understanding smile.

“I see,” he replied. “It's okay.” Ume smiled at his approval.

“Thanks Jet,” she said. Then, he came out to her with the teapot and cups. He set them down on the coffee table in front of them. Jet poured her a cup and handed it to her.

“Here,” he said. His girlfriend slowly took her cup.

“Thank you,” she said as she bowed her head at him. Jet sat down and joined her. Halfway into their night, Ed's computer screen flashed on again. The couple looked up right away.

“What was that?” Ume asked. Jet looked along with her.

“That's what I'm trying to figure out,” he said as he was looking at screen before them. Three children were standing outside the ship looking in.

“Ume, have you seen these kids before?” Jet asked. His girlfriend shook his head at him.

“No,” she replied. “Maybe they're lost…”

“No, they look like they are homeless,” he boyfriend countered as he shook his head at the screen. They both got up from the couch and went over to the door. Jet opened it wide and the three kids looked up at him in desperation.

“Yeah?” he asked. The oldest one, a boy, kept his eyes on him.

“Could we have a please to stay for the night?” he asked. “It's so cold and we are hungry.” Jet was about to say no when Ume cut in.

“Of course you can!” she said kindly. Her boyfriend looked at her, oddly. He turned back to the children.

“Could you excuse us for a moment?” the man asked as he pulled his girlfriend further into the ship. She looked at him in a strange manner.

“What's wrong, baby?” she asked. Jet gave her a serious face.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” he asked.

“I'm just helping three kids out for the night, why?” she answered.

“You don't know anything about them,” he pointed out. “They could be thieves or worse.” Ume looked at him with a serious look in her eyes as well.

“Well, we can't slam the door in their faces,” she told him. Jet frowned as he looked into her caring nun-like eyes. He sighed aloud at her.

“Fine,” the man mumbled at her. “But they are leaving by morning and I'm holding you responsible if anything going missing on the ship!” Ume gave him a little smile.

“Thank you, Jet,” she said with a small bow. Jet only sighed again.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. The couple turned back to the waiting children. Ume opened up her arms to them.

“Come on in,” she said. The kids looked at the sensei, excited.

“Thank you, ma'am!” they all said with a bow. The kids all walked inside quietly. Jet shook his head as he closed the door behind them all.

“Do we have anything to cook for them?” Ume whispered as they came back into the living room.

“Not much,” Jet whispered back. His girlfriend thought that for a moment.

“Well then,” she said. “I'll see what I can do in the kitchen.” Jet looked at her slightly odd. “How is she going to do all of that?” he thought skeptically.

So, Ume went to work to produce a miracle in the kitchen while Jet “entertained” the kids in the living room. The furniture looked livelier than the people themselves did. The old man looked at each of the “guests.” They all looked under the age of thirteen. The boy looked about twelve years old. The second child was a girl of eight years old. The last one was another girl who looked five. They all were skinny and needed a bath. Jet had a few questions to ask them.

“What exactly are you kids doing out so late in the cold?” he asked. “Are the shelters open at this time?” The three children stared at him, quietly.

“I hate it there,” the eight-year-old said. “They only pretend to be nice to you. They really hate you because you are homeless.”

“Yeah,” the five-year-old-said. “They say things like these people are a waste of our tax-payer dollars and things like that. It's really mean.”

“So, we ran away from the shelter to find a better place to spend Christmas,” the boy concluded. Jet kept quiet as if pondering their statement.

“Seems believable,” he said. “How did you find this ship?”

“We practically wandered around for most of the day,” the boy explained. “We were about to quit when we found this place by accident.”

“I see…” he mumbled. Then, Ume came out with a steaming pot with five little bowls on a tray. Jet and the kids looked up when they smelled dinner. The sensei gave them a little smile.

“It's not much,” she admitted. “I just used water, mushrooms, left over vegetables, and tofu.” Jet only shrugged at his girlfriend.

“Fine with me,” he said. “I'm practically used to not eating much anyway.” The sensei looked over at the kids. They just wanted the food. Ume breathed out some.

“Okay…” she said at last. “Well, dig in!” So, she served everyone and they ate. To Jet and Ume, the soup tasted rather bland. But to the kids, this was a five course meal from Heaven.

“More please!” the five-year-old said.

“Us too!” her friends cheered. Ume giggled at them.

“Okay then, one at a time,” she kindly said. Then, the calligraphy sensei gave them all more soup. The homeless children all ate up happily. After dinner, Jet and Ume slept in his room. The children slept in the living room for the night.

By morning, the couple was woken up with footsteps walking down the hall. Ume turned to her boyfriend.

“Someone else is here,” she said softly. “I think the others might be back.”

“Huh?” Jet asked as that took a brief moment to register in his brain. His eyes shot wide open.

“Oh shit, the kids!” he said. The man leapt out of bed and ran down to the living room. Ume followed close behind him. By the time they got there, the living room empty and cleaned like it normally was before anyone came over last night. The kids had cleaned up everything and were now walking down the narrow way of the dock.

Nothing's Ever Promised Tomorrow Today