Spike returns from his battle with Vicious alive but badly injured. A surprised Jet welcomes him, but informs him that Faye is missing. Join Spike as he encounters a new friend in his search for an old comrade. Will Spike shatter through painful memories to follow the path that is truly his? And what will he do after finding his comrade with a new but DANGEROUS hubby? SxF

Alrighty…this is my first cowboy bebop fanfic so R&R please I'll give you a lollipop if you do!

If you are looking for a SxJ story then you might want to turn back now because the SxF police will definitely catch you!

So sadly to say, I do not own Cowboy bebop because if I did, then Spike (the coolest anime character of them all) would still be alive. And of course Julia would still be dead…Mwahahahaha…couch couch. Anyway, hope you like it and don't forget to R&R!

Chapter 1

The Bebop was empty, emptier than it had ever been, despite the presence of a bald man with a mechanical arm, who still resided within its walls. It was quiet. No adults arguing as though they were back in their youthful years. No dog lazily roaming about, following a carefree redhead who pranced around, singing songs that made little to no sense at all. Jet remained in the confinements of room, tending to his Bonsai trees. If ever he were to leave his room, it was merely for the daily shower and food. Bell peppers and beef? Hardly ever. His comrades were gone so there was no need to prepare his specialty…there was no one to impress, because he thought his cooking skills were just astounding.

Faye had left the Bebop two months after Spike went to seek Vicious, saying that the aroma and aura of the bebop were intoxicating, and she needed some fresh air. Jet allowed her passage, knowing she was too stubborn to comply, and all in all knew that leaving was her method of moving on; forgetting about a tall lanky man with fuzzy green hair and brown mismatched hues. Ed and Ein had left a few days before 'the Spike and Vicious' ordeal, and thus leaving the old man to return to who he once was before he encountered Faye and Ed, or even Spike for that matter. Yet it wasn't as effortless as it seemed. Jet had grown to care for his comrades, despite the annoyance he received from them from time to time. They were his partners, his companions, and his family. And so it was difficult to return to who he once was without thinking of them.

Too difficult…

Sometimes he told himself he needed no one, but of course it was a lie. Even Jet hid the truth from others as well as himself, because at times like these, being weak will only mean his demise. And if lying to himself was the only way to get through it, then it was to be done, despite the circumstances.

A sigh escaped the bald old man's lips as he tried to concentrate, while trimming the stray stems from his precious bonsai, knowing that with any minor slip, his trees were finished. The tip of his tongue parted his lips, to reside at the corner of his mouth and his eyes narrowed just a tat. His body continuously leaned forward from the chair and his right hand hovered above the plant, shaking slightly as he prepared to commence in trimming. His left hand rested upon his left thigh, with the elbow pointing upward. Moments had past and yet Jet had not trimmed even a millimeter of what he had intended to do. His hand still hovered tiredly and when he finally reached the plant, the hand residing on his lap lost its balance, therefore sending Jet to fall forward and… Snip! His body quivered ferociously and his left eyebrow twitched.

"DAMN!", he growled as the scissors once within his grasp went soaring across the room and into the wall. "This place is cursed!", he hissed with a hint of annoyance embracing every word.

Jet placed both hands on the surface of the table and pushed backward boosting himself from the chair. His hand left his side to rub at the back of his head as he observed the damage he had bestowed upon his precious bonsai trees. And to think he was responsible for it and not that crazy redhead. There must be something he could do to rid himself of this sort of depression, he thought.

For the first time in a long while, Jet made his way into the room he once called a living room. Everything was still well intact. The yellow couch, which was hardly a fascinating sight, the coffee table, which rested in front of the couch, and a TV, which was positioned in front of the table. The ever-spinning fan was still overhead and of course it still continued to rotate. He thought that perhaps he would occupy Spike's resting area upon the couch, and watch Big Shot, just to remind himself of old memories. And he did just that.

Flash Back

Spike stood over Vicious's cold and soiled form. His demeanor was slightly hunched forward and crimson liquid oozed from a deep wound on his shoulder, and slowly crept down his left arm to continuously drip from his fingertips. In his side was another wound implanted by Vicious's Katana. Blood seeped through his usual yellow shirt, which was now torn on several areas. In one hand, he held the gun, which took away the life of his ex-comrade. In the other, he held his blue jacket, which was also ripped, in several areas. Mismatched brown eyes, which held little emotion, were fixed towards the corps on the floor, and Spike's famous smirk tugged at his lips. A few moments passed before Spike stepped back. The gun in his hand was tossed upward into the air and his free hand lifted. His index finger pointed at the gliding gun and his thumb was up and pointed to the diagonal. The rest of the fingers were tucked in, enabling his hand to resemble non other than a gun.

"Bang…", was all he said before turning from the corps to exit the building.

End Flash Back

Two months had passed since Spike's battle with Vicious. His injuries had healed but for some odd reason, the pain was still There. Not physically, but mentally eating at his heart. Despite the fact that he had accomplished what he sought to do, there was still a feeling of emptiness that he could not quite decipher. Was he still alive, or had the everlasting darkness fallen upon him, blackening his soul…his every being? He sat on a stool inside a bar. His eyes buried in the glass of liquor before him. The bartender could not help but wonder, what it is the bushy-haired man could possibly be pondering on, knowing that he had been this way ever since he entered. With a half smirk plastered upon his lip, the bartender grasped the bottle of the brown intoxicating liquid, and began pouring it inside the glass Spike had before him, his eyes remained fixed on him, trying to see if Spike would return from his trance. Nevertheless, he did not so much as blink, at the bartender's weak attempt.

"Something troubling you?", the bartender asked in the calmest of voices as he placed the bottle he once held beside the green-haired man.

Spike slightly lifted his head at the sound of the mans voice, yet he was too deeply in thought to clearly here the mans question. "Hmm?", a deep and odd sound echoed from his throat

The bartender smiled knowing that he needn't ask that question again, for it had already been answered by Spike's lack of interest.

"This world is a bitter place to live in", he spoke in the same tone as before, his own brown hues searching for Spike's mismatched ones. And despite the fact that he was looking right in them, he knew there was something missing. "Someone sees you dyin, and they wouldn't even care to help yah…won't even give yah a second glance. Yah have to fend for yourself. Yet…there are times when it's ok to release those feelings inside yah, because you're only helpin yourself."

After he spoke, the bartender grasped what remained of the liquid inside the bottle and left in a swift but quiet motion. Spike watched him leave as he took his words into consideration. He gulped down the remaining of the brown liquid, and boosted from his chair. He dove into his pocket, removed a coin, and placed it upon the surface of the bar table before exiting without a word. Spikes hands were still buried within his pocket as he strolled down the street, looking forward and never away. He was mute to all the noises created by racing vehicles and people that passed him by. For the memories inside his mind controlled him like a puppet tied to a string.

"Where're you going? Why are you going?"

Faye's sorrowful voice rang in his head continuously, and he thought he knew the answer to her question then…

"I'm not going there to die... I'm going there to find out if I'm really alive."

And even after the fight, he was still questioning himself. Was he really alive? Next came Vicious's annoyed tone

"I told you before Spike, only I can kill you and set you free."

And he thought to himself…perhaps Vicious was right. Maybe he should have died that day. Perhaps he would have been free…no! He would be free! He would finally rest in the arms of an angel. The only angel he had ever set eyes on, to know there really was a heaven. The angel he called…Julia.

Unknowingly, Spike had been walking for over an hour. The Swordfish II was only a few feet away, and with a couple more steps, Spike was standing before one of his most priced possessions. It had taken a few hits, but it was still manageable…at least to Spike. He hopped into the ship, and took off seconds later, leaving with such speed that left debris to swirl about, creating a dust devil. His destination…the Bebop. Only an old bald man with a mechanical arm can assist in restoring his ship to a perfect condition, after complaining about the cost and what not that is. Spike smirked at that thought as he flew through space.

Jet had fallen asleep on the yellow couch, finally realizing why Spike chose to rest on that particular spot on several occasions. He was completely oblivious to the tall lanky man who had entered with his hands in the pocket of his blue trousers and a sweet cancerous stick between his lips. The lanky man stood over Jet's sleeping form and as his eyes slowly peered open to look upon a familiar face, he hoped to his feet , seeming as though he had seen a ghost…and he might just be right. For a minute or two, the bald man stared at the other. His body structure, his features, his fluffy green hair and his smirk all seemed well too familiar. Could it be?

"Spike…", the name rolled off his tongue in a calm but alarmed fashion.

"In the flesh", was the only reply the green-haired man could give. His voice, calm as usual, and that sangfroid smirk was well intact.

"I guess the tiger striped cat never died after all", jet said, recalling the story Spike had told him before leaving the Bebop.

"I guess so"

"So…how'd it go?" Jet asked as one of his hands left his side to rub the back of his hairless head.

"I'm alive aren't I?", he answered.

"Vicious is dead huh?…What now?"

Spike shrugged as he allowed his form to collapse on the yellow couch before him, once again renaming it his resting area. "I dunno." His face was focused upward and brown hues gazed at the spinning fan above, as the smoke from his cigarette slowly elevated only to be diminished by the wind from the fan.

Spike had only been in the Bebop for 30 minutes and yet, he noticed the silence that filled the ship. Something was missing…well more like someone, but whom? That bad attitude, that skimpy yellow outfit, and the annoying complaints for money…of course! The Shrew Woman!

"Where's the girl?", he asked, the calmness in his tone never altering.

"You mean Faye…she's gone. Said she needed fresh air…haven't seen her since." Jet replied…his pitch of voice lowering a few octaves.

"I see…"

"Well, glad to have you back Spiko", the old man said before retreating into the kitchen.

"Oh? And I suppose you'll also be glad to pay off the expenses for my ship." The famous smirk was beginning to build on his lips after he removed the cancerous stick, to smash it on a tray upon the coffee table, and his eyelids slowly began to close.

Authors note- Ok so this is it for this chapter. Sorry there wasn't much going on. Since it's the first chapter, I had to fit in all the descriptions and background info and what has been going on and such. Yah I know. I wanted to get through this chapter too. But anyway, this is my first fanfic as well as my first cowboy bebop fanfic so please be nice and R&R. If you have any suggestions for the up coming chapters, I'll be glad to here them! Thanks again for reading and chapter two will be up very soon! Hope you liked it!