Author Notes: This is chapter 9! This is the next to last chapter, so you won't have to read much longer. These chapters will be a little bit longer then the other 8, since more stuff happens in these chapters then the others, so make sure you take a potty break before you start reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop, or any of the characters. Therefore, I remain poor and unemployed.

Lost and Found

Chapter 9: The Death of a Child

The plan was simple, but it was also risky. Faye was suppose to meet Theodore for a 'stroll in the park' at 8pm. During this stroll, Faye was to eventually lead Theodore to a overview near the end of the park. At this point, Faye would distract him by making him look out over the ocean. When his back was turned, and when Faye set off the signal (a fake sneeze into the communicator Jet planted on her bracelet), Jet would fly his jet 'The Hammerhead', over top the pair. He would then drop a net, trapping Theodore while Faye jumped aside, and Faye would call over her own jet from the Bebop, lifting up Theodore with the pincers and carrying him to the police station.

"Please! Please!" begged Jacob, tugging on the end of Jet's shirt, "Please! Please! Can't I go?"

Jet looked down at Jacob with pity, feeling bad for having to leave him behind, but taking a 5 year old on a mission like this was not only dangerous, but foolish. If something during the plan went wrong, there could be gunfire and fighting between the rivals. Jet still wanted Jacob to feel wanted, though, so he came up with a brilliant idea to keep him occupied.

"Jacob," said Jet, fixing up his extra gun, "you have a very important job to do while Faye and I are gone."

Jacob looked up with excitement, and Faye poked her head out of the kitchen to see what the hell Jet was talking about. Jet handed Jacob a gun (a lot safer then bringing him along, Jet figured) and picked him up to put him on the sofa, moving his bear so he could sit down next to him.

"Your job, Jacob, is to guard the Bebop." said Jet, patting him on the head, "That gun you're holding is to be left on the table and remain untouched… That is, unless someone bad tries to break into the ship. In that case, Jacob, shoot them in the gut, alright?"

Jacob put the gun down on the table, and saluted Jet like a military solider. Jet heard Faye snicker near by, and turned around to give her a dirty look. Faye, however, was already half way out the door. Jet sighed heavily, walking towards the docking area, then entered the cockpit of his ship, turning on his communicator and flying towards the park.

"Faye, you there?" asked Jet, landing behind the trees next to the overview.

"Yeah, I'm here." said Faye, who was at another part of the park.

"Ok, then." said Jet, rubbing his hands together greedily, "This is the moment we've both been waiting for. It's 8pm in 5 minutes, so stick to the plan and we'll have this in the bag."

Jet hummed to himself happily, the reward money seeming closer after every minute that passed, and when 8pm finally arrived, Jet waited patiently for Faye to meet up with Theodore.

Theodore, however, never showed up.

"That ass-hole stood me up!" bellowed Faye, making Jet's speakers rattle and shake, "It's already 9:30pm, and that bastard is nowhere to be found!"

Jet could have laughed, seeing as Faye was down right offended, but the thought of his reward money slipping away… well, that kept the grin off Jet's face, that was for sure.

"We'll just have to go to his house and get him there, then…" said Jet, trying to sound optimistic, "It's not like we don't know where he is, you know… Stay there a minute, Faye, and I'll come and pick you up."

Faye mumbled swear words the entire ride back to the Bebop, and hopped out of the Hammerhead angrily when they finally returned. She took the ribbon out of her bun and let her hair hang freely, and she stalked off ahead of Jet, voicing her opinion on how all men should be castrated.

"Faye, chill out…" said Jet, finally being able to laugh about it, "You don't even like him, you idiot, so what's the big deal?"

Faye didn't answer, so Jet merely shrugged.

"Women…" he mumbled, heading back towards the living area, "They get pissed off about the stupidest shit…"

Jet approached the opening in the wall that lead to the living area, but stopped when he saw Faye blocking the entrance. Jet cocked an eyebrow, walking forward to see what was wrong, but stopped when he saw what it was Faye was looking at.

Theodore Viper was standing by the yellow sofa. He was holding Jacob's arms behind his back, prohibiting him from moving in any way, and had his free hand holding a gun, pointing it at the back of Jacob's head.

"I was wondering where you were!" laughed Theodore, shooting them a smile, "I've been waiting here since 8pm, but you two were off strolling in the park, or something."

Jet felt Faye grab onto his arm. Jet wanted to lunge forward, freeing Jacob from the danger, but Theodore was no stranger to killing. In particular, little kids.

"Please, let him go…" said Jet, taking a single step forward. "He's a kid, man… just let him go. He hasn't got anything to do with this…"

Theodore laughed loudly at this, hardening his grip on Jacob's arms, and turned his head towards Faye, who looked as though she were about to vomit.

"My dear, sweet, Faye…" said Theodore, giving her a wink, "I figured you were a bounty hunter, considering the way you questioned me last night…"

Faye's grip on Jet's arm grew harder. Jet would have cried out in pain, seeing as her nails were digging into his skin, but he decided on remaining completely still. Any wrong move could get Jacob killed.

"I wasn't as drunk as you thought I was," Theodore continued, winking at her again, "I followed you three from the bar, and I saw you come to this piece of shit you call a ship…"

Jacob starting crying, and Theodore laughed loudly into the air. Jet started sweating, trying desperately to think of anything he could do.

"When you two left, I had no trouble getting inside here." said Theodore, looking around the room, "This boy here tried to shoot me, but he wasn't brave enough to pull the trigger…"

Faye let go of Jet's arm, taking a deep breath, and took a step forward, readying herself to ask Theodore a question.

"What do you want?" she asked, clenching her fists at her side, "Do you want to get our money, or do you want to 'free us from the pain of living', or whatever it is you believe…"

Theodore laughed loudly again, and tapped the gun's barrel twice on Jacob's head. Jet could have killed him easily, seeing how he was enjoying torturing the kid, but Jet couldn't think of anything to do. Time was ticking, and the gun was fully loaded.

"Yes, that is correct…" said Theodore, looking rather pleased, "I will kill this child at his prime, thus stopping him from having to grow up into an adult. You see, the happiest times of your life happen to you when you are a child. Why make this child grow up into a miserable adult? Let him die young so that he has nothing but happiness to look back upon… Do this child a favor, and save him from the misery of living..."

Jet and Faye exchanged glances. Faye stared hopelessly into his eyes, silently begging for Jet to come up with an answer, but Jet couldn't think of anything at all. Faye seemed to pick this up, and closed her eyes as she tried to think. She turned her head to look back at Theodore, taking a gulp and opening her eyes, and looked around the room for a moment, obviously trying to come up with a plan.

Just then, Faye got an idea.

"Spike!" she shouted, pretending to stare at a person behind Theodore, "Spike! Get his gun! He's going to shoot Jacob!"

Theodore turned around, falling for Faye's deception, and Jet lunged forward, grabbing Theodore's arm and moving the gun away from Jacob's head.

The two men struggled, Theodore being a lot stronger then he looked, and Faye grabbed Jacob, shoving him towards the kitchen and telling him to hide.

Just then, Theodore shot the gun that he was struggling to keep. Jet thought he was dead for a moment, figuring the gun was pointing at him, but when Faye let out a painful yell, Jet knew instantly who the bullet had hit.

With all his might, Jet tackled Theodore to the ground. The gun fell from his hand, and it landed on the floor next to him. Theodore kicked Jet in the gut, causing him to fall backwards a bit, and Theodore grabbed his gun, pointing it at Jet's upper body and pulling on the trigger.

Jet rolled aside, not having a gun at the ready, and barely missed a bullet, which shot past him and went flying into the wall. He crawled behind the sofa, jumping in shock as another bullet whizzed past his head, and reached frantically for his gun, pointing it at Theodore as he came running to the other side of the furniture.

The two men stared each other down, their guns pointed directly at one another's heads, and stood there waiting motionless, assuming that the first man to move would be the first one to receive a bullet.

Jet knew what he had to do. The thought of bounty money flew freely from his mind. This guy was a killer, and a complete and total maniac. He killed innocent children, and he killed anyone else who he felt like he should kill. He had shot Faye, tried to shoot Jet, and almost shot Jacob in the back of the head. Jet couldn't let this guy live, and Jet wouldn't let himself be killed by someone so emotionless.

Just then, a gun went off.

Jet hadn't pulled the trigger, and neither had Theodore. Despite this fact, Theodore fell painfully onto his knees. He dropped his gun, coughing as blood spat from the inside of his mouth, and fell onto his face, bleeding all over the floor and taking his final breath.

Jet stood up, panting and trying to process what had just happened, and turned around expecting to see Faye, the bullet wound having not been something fatal.

When Jet turned around, however, he did not see Faye.

What he saw was little Jacob; his face was angry, but tears were running down his cheeks. He was still pointing the gun up in the air, and was panting heavily as though he had just run a 50 mile marathon. Jet stared in shock, not knowing what to say, and Jacob dropped the gun on the floor, finally realizing what he had done.

Well, that's the end of Chapter 9. Leave reviews!