WOW! First FanFict! Hope you enjoy it! And go ahead and flame me if you want, criticism is always a good way to learn of your faults. Anyways, enjoy and tell me what you think!

Summary: Nearly a year after Spike's unfortunate death, life onboard the Bebop has become stable. That is until Ed receives a note on her Tomato from who? (FxS) -

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop, although many of us wish that we did!

---Wish You Weren't Here---

'Where is he?' Faye said as she searched around a smoky bar, squinting her eyes to prevent the stinging that was threatening her already burning eyes.

Giving up on searching the room, she sat down on a stool at the bar. Ordered herself a drink and sipped it slowly, feeling it burn on its way down. Faye sighed deeply, and placed a cigarette to her lips.

She glanced around and saw someone's lighter lying on bar top next to her. She grabbed it and used the dancing flame to light her cigarette with and quickly placed it back. After breathing in the delicious smoke she glanced to the person next to her, seeing if they had noticed.

The man that sat beside her apparently had, his face stared at her with keen eyes. Faye looked at him curiously. He continued to stare and getting impatient Faye blurted out, "Hey bud, I just used your lighter for a second, it's not a reason to get all bent up about. I'll buy you a new one if you really want, alright?" Still the man stared, his grey eyes boring within her soul.

"Hey! What is your problem?" Faye asked while waving her hand in front of his face to see if he'd blink. Deciding that this town was far too odd for her she grabbed her glass, slugged it down and slammed it on the table, all in one smooth motion. She shot up from her stool, and sent it tipping. Giving the man one last vengeful glance she left the bar, upset. She did not find what she was looking for.

Faye called for her Redtail by her bracelet and jumped inside and sealed the pod. Once inside she took off the grungy planet and headed in the direction of where she had left the Bebop.

Frustrated with the last events, she thought back to the past months. It had almost been a year since that man left them all to fend for themselves. He was selfish, rude and too cocky for any of them to understand. She had finally just come to the realization that Spike was in fact dead and was never coming back.

Faye had originally believed of his death as fake, that he was somewhere alive and he would return eventually, but Jet's reassuring attitude had finally become real, he was dead, and was never coming home.

Through these hard times Jet had become the father figure of the Bebop. Ed and Ein came back two months after Spike's disappearance and Jet was the one that broke to her the news of his death. Ed had ran around the Bebop for a whole day searching it for "Spike-Person" and she kept coming up empty. She was determined that he had been playing hide-and-seek. Faye would have thought that more than anyone Ed would have been able to find Spike had he been alive, but even the master hacker came up empty.

Faye on the other hand had seemingly gone through a depression, only to become more and more depressed with each passing day. Coming to the realization of Spike's death was hard, and Jet was there to pick up her broken pieces. Bit by bit he helped her stand tall, and eventually the Bebop became something of what it had been before Spike's leaving, minus Spike of course.

Faye had taken over the bounty hunting which Jet would occasionally assist with, while Ed did all the detective work at the Bebop. Things had become organized once again, and life was becoming some what routine.

Faye hadn't forgotten about Spike entirely though. The fact that she let him leave her that day in the hanger, she has beaten herself about that moment countless of times. Never will she forgive herself for not telling him her real feelings, and then letting him walk off to his grave. Never again. Never again will Faye let up an opportunity to do or say something go.

Still, Spike was on her mind endlessly. In fact, he never left her mind. While walking through a crowd, with one glance of green hair and with a snap her neck and her mind screamed, 'Spike!' but it never was him, standing with his cocky smile. Instead it was just endless people, paying no attention to the frantic Faye. The more it seemed to happen the more it would disappoint her.

And yet life moved on, the Bebop became more and more like a family. Jet was the father, he would help everyone with their problems, and he even did the chores and made them all food. He was a good father, he was wise and kind. Faye realized that had it not been for Jet she would have lost it that day.

Ed of course was the little kid, even though she is a talented hacker that can crack any computer code within a matter of seconds. Despite her intelligence she did manage to get herself in a lot of trouble, but Faye still loved the girl. She had grown on her, and even that damned dog Ein had too. She hated that mutt, but she's found herself more attached it to, even if it did know how to tick her off at times.

Faye was something more along the lines of the teenager, sister and man of the house. She did all the work that brought home the money, and she never stole and lazed off like she had done when Spike was around. Faye took the responsibilities of the Bebop and placed them on her shoulders.

Maybe out getting bounties and bringing home the rewards helped her in some way to relieve the pain she felt when she was in the Bebop. Everything reminded her of him.

Spike...

Faye neared the Bebop hanger, and she lowered her Redtail to the floor. After landing she opened her pod, but instead of climbing out she sighed.

Leaning her head backwards and staring at the ceiling she thought of his face. His green messy hair, and that cocky smile. His hands in his pockets and the way he'd walk as if he owned the place. Wow, that man could make her so mad she'd want to kill him, but something deep down inside of her told her different. There was something about that man. Something she just couldn't place...

"Faye-Faye! You're back! Did you find him!?" Ed exclaimed jumping up and down trying to see Faye from her point of view on the ground. "Fayyyyye Fayyyye?" Ed pouted, "Why do you ignore Edward?"

"I'm sorry Ed, I didn't get the bounty. I need more information," Faye stated as she hopped down from her Redtail.

"Okay! Edward will get alllll the information Faye Faye needs!" Ed said while moving her arms like wet noodles.

Faye rolled her eyes, "All right, you do that." Ed was doing cartwheels as the walked back into the Bebop.

"Ed has a surprise for Faye-Faye!" Ed said while laughing mischievously. "Oh? And what's that Ed?" Faye said with a sarcastic tone.

"Come! Edward will show you!" Ed said excitedly as she grabbed hold of Faye's arm and practically flew into the Bebop.

Once inside Ed was pointing at her Tomato. The screen had many floating boxes of information all around the screen. Confused of what she was to look at Faye asked, "What is the surprise, Ed?"

Getting annoyed Ed frowned, "You don't see? Look!" Ed pointed to a small box to the corner of the screen; next to it was one of Ed's copyrighted smiley faces. The font was small and it read,

Ed,

I'm coming to the Bebop. See you soon.

-Spike

"What? Does someone really expect us to believe that that is supposed to be Spike?" Ed shrugged. "I mean really, first of all, Spike wouldn't ever been so kind as to drop us a line, he wouldn't care if he had any notice of his arrival. He comes and goes as he pleases. And last and most importantly, he's....dead." Faye at times would struggle with that word. It was so final.

"Oh, nooo Faye-Faye!" Ed began typing, "Look, I have found Spike-Person! He IS alive!" Ed sang happily!

"No, he can't be. Why now? Things have finally been getting to normal..." Faye felt faint and dizzy. Fatigue was beginning to take over her body. She felt numb and the world around her was spinning.

She heard Jet call out to her, something about dinner. She ignored him and staggered off into her room. Once there she slammed the door and flopped onto her bed.

Faye was unaware if she was happy, angry or upset of the news of Spike being alive. Of course she was happy to know that he was somewhere, healthy, living, breathing. But on the other hand, things were finally getting somewhere, and she had finally felt as if she had belonged someplace. This was her home now; she didn't want anything to jeopardize that.

Faye heard a small tapping on her door. Ignoring it she kept thinking. 'What if he just comes waltzing back in here and ruins things?' she wanted to cry. Tears were threatening to be shed.

Jet walked in and sat on the edge of Faye's bed. "I heard of the news, Ed told me. Are you all right?" he asked in his most sincere tone.

"Of course I am, I'm just a little surprised that's all," she said while sitting up to look Jet in the eye, trying to fight back the tears.

"Things will work out. If and when he comes, we'll take care of the matter then. For now let's just live how we have been. Ok?"

Faye nodded; she loved how Jet could be so loving. It was surprising sometimes. He looked so rough and mean, and his robotic arm didn't help to make him look all that much more kinder. He was such a sweet man, and Faye trusted him with her life.

"Come on, dinner is ready. Let's go eat." Jet said while standing up ready to leave the room.

As Faye dangled her feet over her bed she asked, "What are we having?"

"Bell peppers and beef. Umm...without the beef." Jet exclaimed with a wave of his hand while exiting Faye's bedroom.

Faye rolled her eyes but smiled to herself. "Of course..." she replied sarcastically, "Never any beef, even when we have bounties."

With that Faye left her room to go enjoy a good meal with her family.

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Author's Note: Ehh!? So, what do ya think!? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it ok? I'm not sure! This is my very first Fanfict! What can I say? I got inspired by all of those wonderful author's out there! :D woot! Anywho, if you like it please review!! I'm very curious as to what you all have to say!! I look forward to it! And if you want to flame me, that's ok too, I really want to know what you all have to say. Oh, and don't worry. I have intended to make this fanfict into a Spike and Faye fanfict. So, all that good stuff will come! And I'm going to keep all the characters in their character, and if I seem to wander away from that, don't hesitate to tell me so. Thanks for reading! Until next time...

Later Space Cowboys....