Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Cowboy Bebop.

Well, well, well

Ed was still undisturbed in her bedroom two days after she had brought Spike home. During those two days she had kept herself in the walls of her bedroom. She immersed herself with other things to take her mind off Spike. She was glad that she could hear Jet laugh loudly and Spike's chuckles. Just like the old days she thought and smiled.

On her third day of isolation she bolted from her room weaving her arms through her coat. "Gotta go, see ya guys," she picked up her pace as she left for the dock.

"Good luck Ed," Jet absentmindedly said.

"Huh? Good luck…" Spike trailed off puzzled.

"She's a bounty hunter. She's always in and out trying to catch some poor guy." Faye explained as if Spike should have known this information all along. "She sure has changes since she first came aboard," she added not wanting to be too harsh.

"Tell me 'bout it," Jet exclaimed.

"In what way?" Spike asked. Faye couldn't deal to be more patient now.

"Isn't it obvious?" she said, clearly making her sign of incredulity apparent on her face.

"Well yeah, but she's been in her room for the past two and half days. What else?"

"Well she's grown," Jet supplied unhelpfully. Faye rolled her eyes and damned men at their lack of observation concerning the subtleties of change in a woman…and the obvious for that matter. "and matured." Jet added. Just give it up Faye she thought to herself.

"Thank God for that too. I swore if she called me Faye-Faye one more time I'd've cut her tongue out. The goofing around and stupid shit she always did." Faye relived it for a moment shuddering.

"Yeah, you two are really helpful. 'Ed's grown up,'" Spike quoted Jet, "Really helpful" he repeated with a sigh.

"Y'know this started to happen about a week after we thought you were dead." Jet said a bit stung by Spike.

"Really? Any particular reason why though?" Spike asked. Jet thought him dying was particular enough.

"No," Faye said thoughtfully "Anyhow this is getting boring the novelty of you being alive is wearing off. I'm going to the races." She got up and stretched, "Hopefully Edward will have raked in some bounty encase I blow all of my money off."

Jet let a moment pass before he spoke again.

"We don't know why she suddenly grew up, matured…whatever. I'm worried about her though." He confided.

"And why would that be? She still seems happy, like before." Spike said.

"Yeah that's how she wants to be seen as. Happy, care-free, maybe even a little crazy, but its all just a cover. Before it was a goofy happy it came naturally now…sometimes it seems that she gets lost in what she thinks she is. She reigns herself in…" Jet didn't know how to translate into words what'd he'd seen in Edward, "She's hiding something; slowly eating away at her." He concluded and got up to leave. Spike remained where he was going over thinking about what Jet had said about Edward. What's wrong with you Ed? No longer the hacker you used to be? Father died and you didn't tell anyone? Long, lost secret lover? He speculated. Bingo.

It was just after dinner that Ed sauntered in with a huge smile plastered on her face. Spike committed it to memory. Ed let out an old Edward squeal as she approached the table. You're still in there somewhere Spike thought.

"Look." Ed said simply placing the key card on the table so everyone could see the amount written on it.

"500 MILLION WOOLONGS." Jet yelled as his eyes bulged and his heart raced.

"HOLY SHIT!" Faye screamed excitedly. Just as well she added to herself. She'd had rotten luck on the dogs.

"Oh my God." Spike breathed in shock. Never had he caught a bounty worth that much. Ed grinned pleased with their reactions.

"And I scored this as well," She had 1000 Woolongs in her palm, "They have this betting pool at the ISSP on who will bag the bounty, half of the pool goes to the hunter. Very happy with the results I must say," She beamed with pride, "so that's 150 each." Faye practically snatched her share out of Ed's hands and thanked her hastily. Jet promptly said his thanks. She held out Spike's share to hand to him.

"Spike?" she said when he didn't take it straight away.

"I don't need it. You keep it."

"There's a difference between need and want. I'm pretty sure you'd want this no matter how small." She tried to persuade him. He still wouldn't take it. She dropped it in his lap. "A welcome home gift, that means you have to take it." She grinned triumphant at her small victory.

"Okay if that's what you want." Spike muttered. Ed put her own share in her pocket. "And the rest goes in the jar. And Faye if I catch you hand in there one more time it'll be more than a slap on the wrist." Her voice carried an edge to it.

"Yeah, yeah," Faye grumbled getting up to leave.

"Dinner, Ed?" Jet asked.

"Yes please," She replied following Jet into the galley. She started to hum to herself. Jet noticed it as a quirk of her former self. Odd, but too trivial for him to make something out of it.

"So Ed," Spike tried uncharacteristically to make conversation, "who'd you catch? Who'd chalk up to that much of a reward?"

"Carlos Arinia."

"Arinia?" Jet exclaimed flabbergasted. Then his eyes started to narrow into slits and his brows knitted together. "Edward, what have I said about hunting someone as dangerous as Arinia, huh? We're supposed to bring those guys in together. Safer."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, Jet." She didn't really mean it complete though as she swung backwards on her chair.

"Well she must have done well – she got the money," said Spike.

"Not the point." Jet said firmly.

"Let's change the subject. How long until we land Jet?" Ed asked. She was so elated about her catch she almost called Jet by his old Jet Jet she caught herself her mouth poised to say his name again shut. She got up to wash her plate.

"Early tomorrow morning."

"I better start on the washing then." Ed said.

"I'll help you." Spike said. There was a pause in conversation. Ed and Jet looked at Spike their jaws dropped wide. Jet thought that this would have to be the last surprise his heart could stand as it stopped and stuttered to a start again for the third time in the last few days.

"Did they fiddle around with you brain as well or something?" Faye poked Spike's head overhearing what he'd said.

"Must have for you to say something like that," Jet justified. Spike waved Faye's finger away like a fly annoyingly.

"No, they didn't do anything to my brain. My head is fine." Spike seethed mostly to Faye.

"Uh…that's fine Spike. You should get some more rest." Ed gently declined.

"I've done enough resting. I need to do something." He replied testily.

"I'm sure you'll take that back once you see the amount of laundry." Faye said sitting down on the couch to watch television.

"C'mon Ed," Spike hauled himself off the couch and headed for the laundry room with Ed in tow. Before leaving the room however Ed gave Faye and Jet a strange bewildered look that translated into 'What the fuck?'

"They must of for you to say that." Spike waved her finger away annoyingly. "No they didn't do anything to my brain. My head is fine." Spike almost seethed at Faye.

"Uh…that's fine Spike. You should get some more rest." Ed declined.

"I've done enough resting. I need to do something."

"I'm sure you'll take that back once you see the laundry." Faye said sitting down on the couch to watch some television. Spike got off of the couch and headed for the laundry Ed in tow. Before Edward left the room she gave Faye and Jet a strange look as if to say 'What the fuck?'

"Ah shit," Spike resigned forlornly as he opened the hatch to the laundry, "no wonder Jet hates doing laundry."

"You can still back out y'know. You don't have to help." Instead of answering her question Spike instructed her to separate the whites from the coloured. There were two large laundry trolleys waiting to be sorted.

"So who's this Arinia?" Spike asked, "What was he up for?"

"Long list. Illegal distribution of drugs, enhancers, weapons, terrorism, theft, hijacking, rape, serial homicides, computer hacker and blah blah blah. Found him in a bar. Hit on him, turned out to be not the greatest approach."

"When you say you 'hit on him' you mean like hitting him?" Spike emphasized 'hitting."

"No, I hit on him." Ed corrected unconcerned.

"Hmm," Spike observed. "So what happened after that?"

"He started to get a little frisky so I actually hit him – again and again – until he hit me back," she paused still slightly miffed about it, "then I got really angry and really hit him."

"Sounds like you can handle yourself." Spike filed that piece of information as a warning not to piss Edward off. Ed only nodded in reply. And then silence.

Oh God this is awkward Spike thought. Strangely he felt the need to fill the quiet.

"So Edward," Spike paused wracking his brain for something remotely not stupid, "How are you these days?" he mentally slapped himself.

"I'm pretty good these days," she said mockingly not sure where this conversation was going. "I've been busy with bounties, computers, upgrading the Bebop and just thinking about stuff in general."

"Define stuff." She shrugged in answer. No need for Spike to know that I've been fawning over him ever since I set foot on the 'bop. That I thought I lost all chances of love with you. Insecurity, no sense of belonging – God Edward your wallowing in it knee deep stop being melodramatic.

"I've been upgrading a lot of stuff on the Bebop – tech wise. Computers, developing programs. You have no idea how fast technology gets outdated these days. It's insane. Today's toaster is tomorrows transport."

"Pardon?" he asked in shock.

"Joke, Spike." She looked at him oddly.

"Oh." Spike said dumbfounded. Ed decided not to make a joke of it. "What kind of programs do you make?"

"All kinds; every type of program. However hacking programs are my speciality. Then you've got your communication, interactive cyber-sex, security, GPS, simulations, whatever the buyer wants really. Buyers range from the ISSP, syndicates, people of anonymity or so they think," she chuckled, "Nothing gets past me." She smirked.

Spike pondered what she had said 'Nothing gets past me.' He wasn't sure whether to admire her, feel threatened, intimidated or scared. However, he was strangely aroused and funnily enough he didn't question what he felt. I like a woman who can kick ass he remembered himself saying something like that at one point of time. He just didn't think little, scrawny, scatter-brained Edward would grow into the definition of the perfect woman.