A/N: Wow, this has been so long coming, I don't even know what to say to apologize. I hope this chapter meets everyone's approval. If it doesn't, let me know why. I'll be curious, not upset. Happy reading and hopefully the next chapter will be updated less than 6 years down the road! (sorry all) Thanks to all who read and even more to those who enjoy it enough to review!

Chapter 3: Kids

Spike woke up early the next morning. Kids can do that to you. He lay next to Faye for several moments, enjoying the last few minutes of peace they would have. Finally, he got up and dressed. Faye awoke also and watched him.

"You don't have to be up yet, do you?" she playfully whined.

He smirked and leaned down to her. "Why, do you have something in mind?"

She grinned. "That depends. How much time you have?"

He laughed and kissed her. "All the time you could want."

"Excellent," she purred with a devilish smile.

/

Breakfast was short and easy. Mostly just coffee and toast. Everyone was too nervous to eat much. After cleaning up, they heard a helicopter land. They went outside and ten of the shabbiest kids they ever saw exited the craft. An ISSP officer gave the crew one last release for them to sign and after a "good luck", he climbed back in the helicopter and it took off.

They all just stood there for several minutes, just looking at each other, sizing each other up. Then Jet took charge. "Alright," he grumbled. "Everyone inside and in the living room for a talk."

So they filed inside and into the room. The kids were instructed to sit, while the crew stood. Jet stepped forward again. "You are here for learning how to become bounty hunters."

A boy laughed. "Nah, we're here because we had to be."

Jet frowned. "You know, you can leave if you want. Go back to the jail for all I care. I don't give a fuck about what happens to you. But you should ask yourself: 'Would I rather be here in a warm, dry place with food, or in a dirty cell having a broom handle being shoved up my ass?'" He paused. "Take your time," he told them.

Faye and Spike were a little shocked at his little speech, but then they looked into the kids faces and saw that each one now was paying full attention and they had a glint of admiration in their eyes. Jet had just set down one of the rules: don't mess with him or else and they had listened.

Jet continued. "Classes will be everyday and almost all day with many breaks in between. Girls and boys will be taught mostly separately in the many skills needed to be a bounty hunter. We have schedules that we will be passing out to you later, but first let me introduce you to the crew."

He first pointed to Faye. "This is Faye Spiegel. You girls will become more familiar to her; boys you will not." This was to destroy the hope in their eyes at really noticing her and how she looked. Now he pointed to Ed. "This is Ed. You may know her better as Radical Edward, her hacker name. She will be instructing you all in hacking."

Lastly he pointed to Spike. "This is Spike Spiegel." At the name, several of the kids sat up and stared more or less in disbelief at him. Jet nodded. "I see some of you have heard of him, but I'll tell you now, Spike doesn't take anymore bullshit than me."

Spike gave a half-smirk to the kids and lightly pulled back his coat slightly so they could see his gun.

"I'm Jet Black and before showing you to your rooms, I should tell you that there are several more people living on this ship that are not going to be involved in your training. Stella is my wife, and Troy and Starr are their children." He gestured to Spike and Faye.

"Also we have a dog running around named Ein. If any of them are annoyed or disturbed in any way believe me, all Hell will break loose. Also, this isn't like normal school: we make the rules and you must follow them or else we will eject you right into space." He smiled. "Or perhaps we might be able to locate an ISSP agent to take you in. Oh, and I should mention, I used to be with the ISSP myself. Don't bother crying to them about your petty grievances."

/

"So whatta you think? Dirtiest kids I ever saw." Spike said to Faye in the kitchen.

About to pop a dumpling into her mouth, she froze, food in hand and gave him a slight smile. "Now Spike, let's not judge, I'm sure you were a dirty child as well. In fact, you should fit right in with them. Go ahead, I see your plan: run off and play with your little friends."

He scoffed. "As if. They wish they could be the dirty kid I was."

"But you just said…" and laughed in his face.

He grinned, "Ok you got me on that one. But c'mon, you saw them. At least say…you know, they're scruffy right?"

She frowned for a moment. "I get it, mister tough guy. But for a matter of fact they're not scruffy. You're scruffy. Not that I mind that," she added quickly to appease the slightly hurt look in his eyes.

"You think I'm scruffy?" he asked with an honest to God pout.

She kissed him. "Of course I do. It's adorable."

He kissed her back as well as wrapping an arm around her to draw her closer. "But seriously," he whispered into the top of her head. "You know what I mean, right?

/

"Cots? Seriously, what the fuck? In Juvie, we at least had real beds." These words came spitting from a blond haired boy Jet guessed couldn't be older than 14.

He raised his eyebrows at the boy. "Gee really?" He scratched his head and frowned. "Real beds huh? Well let me tell you: this ain't Juvie and we aren't your mothers so quit complaining, unless you've changed your mind and you want the ISSP to come back for you? Is this too hard for you…?"

"Jake, Jake Gibbs," the kid supplied with a scowl.

"Ok Jake. Did you want me to make that call? I certainly don't need you here; there are far more other kids out there who would leap at this chance."

Jake tightened his mouth and glared at Jet. "No," he muttered.

"No, What?"

Jake closed his eyes and sighed angrily. "No Mr. Black. Sir."

Jet nodded his head slightly. "That's better. Now go get settled while I show the girls to their room."

He turned on his heel and stepped back into the hall, closing the door with a loud click behind him.

Jake clenched his fists and stared at the closed door. "Fuck you," he said to the door with the laughs of the other boys filling the room.

/

Jet had the same trouble from the girls, all of them.

Finally to stop their complaining he barked "Tough! Deal with it or you're gone. This isn't some fancy hotel or boarding school. This is my ship and if you don't like it you can leave!"

A girl with short brown hair stomped her foot. "But, but…"

"No buts," Jet cut her off. "Take it or leave it girls. Do I need to make a phone call?"

No one opened their mouth but each had a look of stubbornness about them.

"Good," he clipped and left.

The shorthaired girl threw her bag down on a cot and glared at the door. "This sucks," she spat to the others.

"Tell me about it," another girl, this one with long black hair said and lit a cigarette. "This place is a dump."

The first girl smiled. "Yeah it is. I'm Liz by the way."

"Brin," the other girl offered with an exhale.

The others kept quiet until Brin turned to them. "Yo, you guys got names or what?"

They narrowed their eyes suspiciously at her but answered. A girl with cropped black hair called herself Mura, another with shoulder length blond hair was Vivien or Viv for short, and the last girl with bright red hair stated she be called Cala.

"Cala?" asked Brin, mumbling around her cigarette. "What language is that from?"

Cala lifted her head up proudly. "It's Arabic."

"Arabic?" Brin laughed slightly. "Sorry, but you don't look Arabic to me."

Cala frowned and tossed her hair a bit. "I don't have to be Arabic to have a name."

"True," Brin nodded. "Sorry, it's just unusual."

Mura grinned. "Not as unusual as 'Spike.'"

The girls laughed a bit. Viv stood up. "He's really good looking though. Who cares what his name is?"

"I agree, Viv," Cala nodded. "Totally a hottie. It's too bad we're not learning from him." She pouted then grinned. "I'd love to learn something from him, though I'd like to think I could teach him something as well." She licked her lips as the other girls groaned.

"Oh please!" Liz said, rolling her eyes. "If you didn't notice he has a wife and kids. I highly doubt he would be interested in any of us."

"I know," Cala sighed. "But I can dream can't I?" She closed her eyes and the other girls laughed.

"Just don't drool," Mura giggled. "That might be a bit of a giveaway."

Cala mock frowned and threw a pillow at her. This caused a short-lived pillow fight between them.

Gasping for breath, Viv kneeled on her cot and faced the other girls. "Seriously, do you think the boys are bonding like us?"

They reflected for a moment thinking about the boys they had ridden in with, and then a burst of laughter erupted from each. "They're probably killing each other," Brin remarked with a grin.

/

She wasn't completely right, but they certainly weren't having a pillow fight. After Jet had left, Jake had turned on the other laughing boys and flicked open a knife.

"Something funny?" he hissed.

They laughed harder at the serious look on his face. He narrowed his eyes and leapt into the group, knife swinging. He surprised them all by grabbing hold of the biggest of them and pinning him against the wall. Jake may have looked like a skinny kid, but he was strong. Pressing the other boy into the wall, who possibly had a good six inches and 50 pounds on him, Jake pushed the knife into the bigger boy's throat. "You fucking have a problem?" he growled.

"The fuck's your problem?" the older kid gasped out, trying to keep a tough demeanor. That was the necessity; you give an inch and you would be taken for a hundred.

Jake grinned at these words and pushed the tip of the knife into the Adam's apple enough to draw blood. "Ever killed anyone?" he asked and laughed at the fear that erupted in the other boy's eyes.

"You're crazy," the boy sputtered and managed to puck Jake away, pulling a hand up to push to his slightly bleeding throat.

Jake was still laughing as he closed the knife and pocketed it. "You're right," he willingly agreed, his grey eyes showing nothing.