Come Down in Time

Chapter 8. Here We Are

In the darkness of space on Mars, three ships descended in turns onto the hangar of the Bebop, Jet the first to emerge from his ship, stepping onto the magnetized floor. There weren't too many things that you could count on Ed to do when all she really wanted to do was to surf on Tomato, but Jet knew that she'd have no trouble toggling on the magnetic field switch so that he could walk out of the hangar into the body of the ship.

"OK Ed, flip the switch," he commanded the girl.

"Okey dokey mon capitan!" Edward punned as she toggled the control button.

The hatch of the Hammerhead hissed open and Jet stepped down, gathering up the provisions he bought. He made his way into the ship's galley to put away the supplies, stashing a few items into the Dire Emergency hold area. Neither Faye nor Spike knew of this particular hold behind the cleaning supplies, and since neither of them was very fond of the word "cleaning," he was comfortably sure that they would not think to look behind cleaning materials for food.

"Did you bring any souvenirs?" Ed's head popped around the corner just as he was finishing up.

"Of course Ed," he answered her, smiling and holding out something in his head.

"Oooh chocolate, Edward loves chocolate!" she exclaimed, snatching up the candy bar. "Yummmm," she said as she clutched the candy, zooming away like a buzzing bee.

Jet laughed to himself as he watched her, Ein following closely behind her. He heard the click of the entrance hatch, and poked his head out from the kitchen in time to see Faye scoot inside the door. She glanced up to meet Jet's eyes.

"So Faye, have fun at the market?" Jet quipped, noting the soft pink that tinged her cheeks.

"Hmmmph," she muttered, flicking him the finger as she walked down the stairs and stalked away to her room.

The hatch door clicked again and Jet looked out as Spike hunched his frame through the door.

"Yo," Spike greeted him, slouching down the stairs. "What's for dinner?"

"The usual," Jet answered.

Spike groaned, lighting up as he headed to his yellow couch.

"The bounty wasn't that much, Spike," Jet grumbled. "And you know that we need to-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Spike interrupted, exhaling some cigarette smoke. "Keep food on hand for dire emergencies and blah blah blah." He glared back at Jet as he flopped down on the couch. "But just this once, how about just a little beef with the noodles?"

Jet laughed, ignoring Spike's sarcasm. "By the way, Faye went that-a-way," he said, pointing towards Faye's room.

Spike rolled his eyes as sudden warmth crept up his face. "Can it, Jet, wouldja?" he mumbled, sinking deeper into the sofa, cigarette dangling from his lips.

Jet looked at him, amused that Mr. Cool and Collected actually blushed. Will wonders never cease, he thought as he flipped the noodles in the pan.And him with Faye. It's about damn time. He shook his head, pleased. Maybe he would add a bit of beef to the peppers.

Spike took one last drag from his cigarette. He reached over to stub the butt into the ashtray, mildly surprised that he had been embarrassed from Jet's ribbing him about Faye. He leaned back, stretched out his legs on the table and closed his eyes. He was trying real hard not to think of her, stealing a glance towards her room. He wondered what she could be doing in there.

Jet popped his head out from the kitchen suddenly, calling out to him.

"Spike, get Faye, would ya? Dinner's on."

"She'll come on out when she smells the food, Jet." Spike ignored his impulse to get up to go to Faye's room and instead kept himself rooted to the couch.

"Well, go find Ed then," Jet ordered him impatiently. "I'll get Faye myself."

Spike groaned and dragged himself up from the couch. There was no telling where Ed was at this moment, and he didn't feel like searching all over the ship for her while his stomach protested the possible delay in food relief. And anyway, Faye's room was closer.

"On second thought, Jet, you go find Ed," he said lazily, wandering towards Faye's room. "We'll keep a plate warm for you."

Jet scowled at him and stalked off in the direction that Ed was last seen heading. Once out of Spike's view, he slowed down to a leisurely pace.

Gotcha, he thought with a smile.