CB: Solitude, -I-

    She was quiet when she got back this time. I told Jette that it was better to leave the two of them alone, both Ed and Faye, very different women, obviously needed their space for some reason.

    I had no idea, at the time, that the two of them would be going and not coming back. The message from Ed on the launch dock of the Bebop made me realize how much I’d come to like our little family. Somewhere along the line I’d gone from hating the rodent-dog, the vamp-woman, and the freak-child to caring about them all.

    We ate all the food Jette prepared for the five of us, and then the two of us went our separate ways. Jette went in to tend to his bonsai, I spent a long time on the deck staring out at the dusk light.

    Dusk has turned to night, now, and I’m still out here.

    I can hear her mocking voice now.

    “Did Mr. Macho catch a cold? Unbelieveable, I thought you were indestructible.” But something tells me there would be a smile hidden somewhere in her voice. There has been for a while.

    At first I spent a lot of time comparing her with Julia… but I’ve since gotten over that. Faye won’t ever be Julia, and Julia… won’t ever be Faye. I manage to appreciate both women for their special qualities, though I’d never openly admit it to Faye that I appreciate her.

A/N: Endgame, in four parts. A short story inspired by the ending of the series "Cowboy Bebop". The timeline, for once, is linear, and straightforward, and the actions are unremarkable.