A/N: Not a very long chapter, but it works better for splitting up the work days. Rather than having each chapter be a work day, I thought I'd combine some of them.

Read and review! Enjoy!


Chapter Two: Expectations Exceeded

Monday after class, Sky waited outside the school for Sparky and Chug to pick her up. She mostly rode in silence, not exactly looking forward to her first day of work.

Skipper was already outside, waiting for her and Sparky to arrive. When his forklift medic and his friend arrived, Skipper greeted the little girl with a hard, authoritative stare. "Good afternoon, Skylar Amelia Doe."

"Don't call me Doe." Skylar snapped.

Skipper felt the corners of his mouth twitch in a brief smirk. "Fine, Skylar Amelia." He shoved a bucket forward, a large bottle of soap and a sponge resting inside. "Your first job for two questions answered: you're gonna wash down the entire outside of the hanger. I want it scrubbed, top to bottom, perfectly clean by the time you're done."

"You're kidding." Sky droned.

"Give up when you decide you want to be held back." Skipper called, disappearing inside the hanger.

Sky was fuming again. But she gave an exasperated sigh. "Sparkplug, hold my bag, would ya?"

"Sure thing, Sky buddy." Sparky nodded taking the backpack from the ten-year-old. "The hose is there alongside the hanger and there's a ladder on the ground next to it."

"Thanks." Sky said curtly, rolling up her sleeves. She found the hose and pulled it out as far as it would go. Turning it on, she aimed the nozzle at the hanger and began spraying water all over the hanger. Once she felt she thoroughly wet it down, she filled the bucket with soapy water and began scrubbing down the walls.

Skipper smirked a bit, glancing at the clock. He gave it about an hour before the kid dragged him outside to show off her half-done job, only to start complaining when he tells her to start over. In the meantime, he had begun a rather good novel just yesterday and that one hour could be killed off finishing a chapter or two.

However, half an hour passed and Skipper heard the sound of the hose being sprayed on the walls of the hanger. You've gotta be kidding me. The Jolly Wrench rolled his eyes, continuing to read as he waited for Skylar to come running in declaring she was done. But he was surprised when the spray of hose water stopped only halfway down the hanger wall, and there was a soft thud of the sponge hitting the wall again. Confused, Skipper rolled out and peered around the corner. Sky was only halfway done with the first wall of the hanger, beginning to scrub down the second half. She caught him staring and sent a dirty look before continuing her work. Skipper raised an eye frame and returned to the hanger. After another half hour, Sky sprayed the soap off the second half of the wall she worked on before moving on to the back wall of the hanger.

It was five o'clock before Sparky went out to find the girl. "Hey Sky! We ought to be getting you home soon, don't you think?" He blinked in surprise to find a lack of raven-haired girl. "Sky?"

"Hang on! I'm not done yet!"

Sparky jumped and looked up to find Sky was on the roof of the hanger, still scrubbing away. Her hair was frizzy and sweated drenched her face, but she continued soaping up the sponge and swiping it this way and that across the surface of the roof. Sparky stared in shock before zooming into the hanger and practically dragging Skipper out. Even the Corsair was surprised as he watched Sky continue her washing. It took her another half hour to finish scrubbing down the roof before she climbed down the ladder, dropped off her bucket, and climbed back up again with the hose. She began spraying the soap off, even shooting water onto the sides of the hanger to make sure all the soap fell into the grass. Sky stopped the water and looked around, slowly scanning the entirety of the roof and then climbing down to take a slow lap around the hanger. Nodding in satisfaction, she looked to Skipper for the all clear. The Corsair narrowed his eyes, taxiing around the hanger and scrutinizing every square inch of the building. He searched for any dried soap spots or patches of dirt Sky might've missed, but even the very bottom of the hanger walls were clean and the windows shined. In fact, the entire outside of the hanger seemed to sparkle in the evening light.

Skipper looked to Sky, who stared back wordlessly. The Corsair analyzed the girl for a moment, taking into account the wet patches spotting her overalls, frizzy hair almost falling out of its braids, and flushed face. "You got every inch of it."

"You do a job right the first time, you don't have to waste time doing it over." Sky replied simply.

Skipper stared, hiding his surprise with a hard glare. He had expected that to be something he would tell her after seeing what a terrible job she did. But this….this was even more thorough than Sparky. Skipper turned from the girl, heading back to the hanger. "You survived today. Let's see if you last tomorrow."

"Aye-aye, crankshaft." Sky growled. Sparky led her towards the Fill N' Fly. Luckily, Chug was still up for taking her back home, and they drove off down the road. Rosa was a little concerned, seeing how it was quarter to seven by the time they got back. But she was thankful to see Sky still all right and invited Sparky and Chug inside for dinner. The two vehicles kindly refused, bidding Sky goodbye before returning to Propwash Junction.

Sky ate her dinner alone and then took a long, hot shower. Once she could pull on her pajamas, she practically collapsed onto her bed. Rosa always checked each child before they went to bed, wishing them sweet dreams and making sure they were all comfortable. But by the time she reached Sky's room, the fourth grader had long since fallen asleep.

Rosa smiled warmly, pulling a blanket over the child. "I think things are going to get much better for you, chica."


Tuesday. Normal day of class. Sparky and Chug picked Sky up. Skipper was waiting for her once more.

"Today, Skylar Amelia, you get to dust and sweep the inside of the main room in the hanger." Skipper said, gesturing to the broom, feather duster, and several cloths in the middle of the floor. "Sparky already moved everything you're not allowed to touch, so just get to work. I want to see my reflection in the floor."

"You can't see your reflection in concrete." Sky sassed, grabbing the feather duster.

"Don't you know a figure of speech when you hear one?" Skipper snapped as he disappeared into the back room of the hanger.

Sparky rolled his eyes a bit. "I could help ya, if you want."

"No." Sky said firmly. "I'm doing this by myself."

Sparky didn't dare argue with her as he drove outside to find Chug. Sky promptly went to work. Curiosity getting the better of him, Skipper found himself watching the girl cleaning. She tied one of the larger cloths around her mouth and nose before taking the feather duster and swishing it across every surface in the hanger, kicking dust and dirt loose and to the floor. She sneezed once or twice, but kept working. If she noticed Skipper watching her, she didn't show.

"You missed a spot." Skipper said.

Okay, now she showed.

Sky shot a glare to the Corsair, but he glared right back as though to dare her to say something. Sky kept glaring for another moment before roughly sweeping the feather duster across the windowsill again.

After knocking most of the dust loose, she used a few of the cloths to wipe down every surface she just dusted. Tossing the dirty cloths outside the door, she took up the broom and began sweeping. Skipper left after that, settling down for a nap.

When he woke up, it was four-thirty. I'll bet Sparky took the kid home already. Skipper guessed, moving out to check the hanger. But he blinked in surprise to find Sky still there, on her hands and knees and running the last of the cloths across the ground.

"What are you doing?" Skipper demanded. "I didn't tell you to wipe down the floor."

"You wanted to see your reflection. This is the best you're gonna get." Sky snapped. She finally finished wiping up the dust off the floor and stepped outside, gathering the dirty cloths and running them under the hose to clean them off.

"Hey Skipper! Hey Sky!" Sparky greeted as he rolled up. "What's up?"

"Just finished." Sky replied simply. "Do you have anywhere I can hang these?" She held up the cloths, wringing them out as hard as she could.

"I'll put 'em in the sink." Sparky offered, taking the cloths and driving into the hanger. He gave a whistle. "Wow! I've never seen the hanger so clean!"

Sky brushed off her overalls and looked to Skipper, dust still settled in her hair and some dirt smeared across her cheeks. Skipper looked inside the hanger, scanning the area for any spots missed. But even the very corners of the hanger and every surface was free of dust. The only dirt on the floor was that his tires left behind as he moved around.

"You survived today." Skipper told Sky, not even turning to look at her. "Let's see if you last tomorrow."

"Aye-aye, crankshaft." Sky muttered bitterly.

Sparky and Chug took the girl home, and this time they accepted Rosa's gracious invitation to stay for dinner. Chug found great delight in talking with some of the orphan children, much to Sparky and Rosa's amusement. Sky finished her dinner quickly and then excused herself to shower and finish her homework.

Rosa stared in surprise as Sky jogged upstairs, and she smiled warmly. "I knew it."

"What?" Sparky asked the human woman.

Rosa's smile grew as she looked to Sparky. "That's the first time I've ever heard Skylar excuse herself because she had to do her homework. She's never taken an interest in her schoolwork."

"Yeah." Sparky nodded. "I guess the fear of getting held back is too much for her."

Rosa shook her head. "No. It's more than that." Sparky stared at her, confused, and the Hispanic woman laughed. "It's because of you and your friend. You're quite the positive influence on her."

Sparky didn't think so at first. But then he realized just how hard Sky was working. Even Skipper admitted to him how surprised he was. I wonder….