"You got a lotta nerve comin' back here to the Candy Bar, lassy." The captain growled at her from behind his huge red beard. "Even if you did help us save me ol' cabin boy the last time we meet, you and I is still sworn enemies!

Abby rolled her eyes. "Stuff it, Sticky. Abby didn't come here for none of that this time." She looked up at the hedge of swords, wielded by the pirates surrounding her. "Say, Cap, how's about you tellin' your boys to sit down and take it easy?"

"I'll do nothing of the kind!" Stickybeard glowered, sucking on a lollipop disconsolately. "After how you tricked me and me cabin boy like that, you got no welcome comin' here! Unless, that is," He suddenly leaned far over the table, a smile on his lips. "ye be looking for a rematch with ol' Stickybeard. We never did do our two out of three."

"Abby beat you fair and square." Numbuh 5 waved derisively. "She didn't come here for no rematch. Abby's lookin' for a new job."

Stickybeard raised an eyebrow. "An' what kind of job would you be lookin' for, me hearty?"

Numbuh 5 skimmed the sugar off the top of Stickybeard's mug before answering. "Abby was thinking to take you up on that candy you was offerin' her that one time."

Growls broke loose from the crew.

Stickybeard pounded the table. "Ye rejected that offer a long time ago, lass! Tis' too late now to try to take it up! I'll hear of no such bargaining!"

"What'sa matter, Sticky?" Numbuh 5 grinned across the table. "Don't got the candy you used'ta? Or are ya just more stingy now?"

The crew nodded, grumbling. Stickybeard looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Now, look here lads, I've always been generous with ye, haven't I? You know yourself, we ain't had a good spot of piratin' since last Easter!" He turned savagely on Numbuh 5. "This here last and her blasted Kids Next Door keep on a-gettin' in the way!"

"Aw, Abby knows all about that." Numbuh 5 licked the sugar from her fingers, ignoring the growing rumbles of anger. "But she ain't in the Kids Next Door no more."

"Ain't ye now?" Stickybeard raised a bushy disbelieving eyebrow.

"Nah." Abby leaned back in her chair. "She couldn't take it no more. They ain't got no time in the KND for the sweetness of life, ya know? So she packed up and left. Numbuh 1 and the others back at the treehouse think she's on vacation right now, but Abby ain't goin' back for nothing!"

"Is that so?" The captain thoughtfully tugged on a blueberry sucker. "Then I suppose yer wouldn't mind givin ol' Stickybeard the access codes to yer blasted KND artic prison, now wouldn't ye?"

Abby snorted. "No. But what would you want those for, Sticky? Heinie isn't there anymore."

Stickybeard stopped and stared. The pirates started back and looked at each other significantly.

Abby seemed not to notice. "You're tryin' to get Heinie loose, aint'cha? Abby knew as soon as she heard about you boys attackin' the artic base." She paused and glanced at Sticky. "Why you so concerned about that, anyway? You never bothered about him before."

The pirates fell silent. Stickybeard seemed a trifle unsettled by the question. "He's my cabin boy, ain't he? Can't a captain try to get his ol' cabin boy back without everyone asking questions?" He glared at Abby. "It be inhuman to keep any being locked up for that long. Ya got no right to treat him that way, and ol' Stickybeard'll see to it that ye don't!"

"Uh-huh." Abby's eyes narrowed. "Anyway, Kids Next Door is awful upset 'bout that whole attacking thing. If they knew where this place was, they'd bomb it off the map as soon as look at it."

"Arr, let them try!" Stickybeard slashed the air savagely. "I've got meself a slew of new hands, and enough fancy gadgets from that Father scallywag to pound half of your blasted KND to oblivion."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Than why didn'tcha take down the prison?"

There was a bit of hesitation at this. Some of the pirates mumbled scattered excuses, others simply looked down at the floor. A number looked hopefully at Stickybeard, who appeared greatly embarrassed. He scratched his beard distractedly. "Well… how was we supposed to know that you confounded kids would have a blasted navy, anyway? Yer all came out of the fog and attacked us from behind." He made a snatch at dignity. "It be a cowardly maneuver, and such as no able seaman would have done!"

"Ye cursed dogs fired brussel sprouts at us!" Came a hoarse shout. "Such things would've made the bravest pirate turn tail!"

"Aye!" cried the crew in unision.

"Huh." Abby looked at the pirates skeptically. "Abby thinks maybe you all ain't as strong as what you think you is. Abby says, you need more hands. And Abby says that you need her."

"And why, in the name of plunder, do I need you?" Stickybeard growled. "Ye may say me cabin boy ain't in that prison of yours, but I got no way of knowin' if ye be fibbin' or not. As for that confounded navy of yours, ye may have taken us by surprise the first time, but we'll be ready for ya the next time."

"Sure ya will." Abby nodded. "And mebbe, after you defeat our great an' mighty navy, and blast your way through all the ice and the operatives and the defenses, and finally find out Heinie isn't there; you'll just waltz on back to your Candy Bar an' start looking all over again."

There were some mutters from the crew. Even Stickybeard looked a trifle nonplussed.

"Now listen here." Abby leaned over the table and looked Stickybeard directly in the eye. "Abby can tell you where Heinie is, how to get to him, where the Kids Next Door navy is hidin' out, and exactly how to take them down; an' all you has to do in return is give her a place to hide out from the Kids Next Door."

The two rivals studied each other, Abby's steady gaze locked on Stickybeard's calculating eyes.

"I did always admire your spirit, lassie." Stickybeard's arm reached beneath the table and brought out long, wicked, peppermint cutlass. "But ol' Stickybeard has a better idea. Why don't you just tell me the lot now, and I let ye out of here with yer life."

Abby ignored the sharp blade edging toward her. "Abby tells you that and goes back to the KND, she might just as well be dead. They'll lock her up until the prison melts on top of her." Her own hand came out from under the table, a small spearmint dagger in its grip. It parried the cutlass and trapped it to the table. "No. Abby told you the deal. If you don't like it, don't take it, but don't try to change it any." She grinned. "I'll tell you what. You just make me one of the boys, forget about the whole first mate thang, and I'll throw in a little something."

Her other hand came out from under the table, bearing a strange packet. "Abby was savin' this for a special occasion, but she guesses this's special as anything." She gave the parcel a light toss across the table, letting it roll to a halt just in front of Stickybeard.

The pirate captain studied it for a moment, glancing up periodically at Abby. The pirates shifted about, anxious with curiosity and suspense.

Abby licked her lips a moment.

Finally, Stickybeard's gloved hand lifted from the table and unfastened the strings. The cloth fell away from the present, and a light glow filled the room.

The pirates gave a gasp. "By the seven Starfruits of the Sargasso!" Stickybeard picked up the glowing gem. "Tis the Blurpleberry Supreme!"

"From nothin' less than King Two-Tons-of-Candy's Tomb." Abby nodded. "Take a good look at it, Sticky. Abby went through a lotta trouble for that pretty trinket."

Stickybeard looked up at her. "Ye… ye be givin' this to me and the lads?"

Abby nodded. "Let's call it a gesture of good faith, Sticky. I tried to give it to Numbuh 1 once, but he didn't want it." She gestured. "So now Abby figured she'd try and see how you feel."

Stickybeard looked at her, then at the gem, then at his crewmates. Finally he seemed to come to a decision. "Ye may try out for the position of crew member." He nodded. "But first, me hearty, ye'll have to pass the test we gives all our new hands! Long John Stupid!" He cried. A large, dull-looking pirate in a rather outlandish outfit appeared at his elbow. "Go make yerself useful an' fetch the Rock!"

"In here, Cap'n?" John thumbed his big nose, looked stupendously confused. Abby suppressed a grin. For some reason, she was reminded of Numbuh 2.

"Yes, in here, you salty sea-brained son of a scallion!" Stickybeard roared. John flinched at the words. "Bring it in here where we all can watch her do it!"

John's lower lip quivered. "Aw, Cap'n, that's a mean thing for you to…"

Stickybeard rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just do it, will ye John?"

John nodded dumbly and ducked out the door, muttering something about hurt feelings. Stickybeard jumped up from the table and began to shout orders. "All right lads, lets get a space cleared here! Nouh! Latier! Move those tables! Bubblelosa! Pick up these chairs and get them out! Butterbar, don't worry, ye'll not suffer any loss. Come on lads!"

The fracas was interrupted by John, who came staggering in under a huge load of…

"Rock candy?" Abby glanced disbelievingly at the captain. "Whaddaya gonna do with a big hunk of rock candy?"

"I'm not going to do anything, lassie." Stickybeard grinned at her. "It's what ye be willin' to do that's the question."

Abby arched an eyebrow. "Sticky, what you tryin' to say here?"

Stickybeard pointed his peppermint hook at the crispy chunk of sugar. "No man—or woman, fer that matter—ever joined ol' Stickybeard's crew without first lifting the Rock off the ground, and ye be no different. Lift the rock, and ye got yourself a new job."

The pirates laughed in enjoyment as Abby stared at the ponderous hunk of candy. "Who you tryin' to fool? You know Abby can't lift that thing!"

"Oh, I think ya can, lassie, if ye only think about it." Stickybeard chuckled, a gleam in his eye. "An' remember that this here gift—" he waved the Blurpleberry Supreme, "—be a gift, and ye can't take it back now. Now, don't look so glum. It's only as heavy as it is big."

Abby glared at him, then at the monstrous boulder. "Oh, thanks."

Stickybeard simply smiled and stood back. "Get a move on with it, lassie! We be all waitin' for ye!"

There was nothing for it. Abby walked up to the stone, and bent over it to get a good grip. "Think fast, Numbuh 5, think fast." She muttered. "Numbuh 5 has got to lift this here stone." She made sure she had a good hold on the stone, braced her knees, and then pulled with all her might.

Nothing happened. A snicker or two could be heard in the crowd.

Abby glared at the crowd, then bent again. This time, she gripped the opposite side and then rocked back and forth on her feet a little before throwing all her weight backwards.

Again, nothing. Several more snickers.

Abby bent low and paused to take a breath. "How is Numbuh 5 gonna do this?" She muttered. "This candy is just too big! Numbuh 5 can't lift any hunk of candy this size…"

Suddenly her eyes went wide. She realized exactly what to do.

Her hands gripped the side, and her arms pulled. A small piece of rock candy broke off in her hand.

Abby grinned and popped it in her mouth.

Amid shouts of "No!" and "She can't do that!", Abby bent again, breaking off the flaking crystals with her hands and stuffing them in her mouth at an incredible rate. Stickybeard roared with laughter, deaf to the protests of his crewmates, as the huge boulder disappeared, piece by piece.

Finally, there was nothing left of the boulder except a small fragment barely the size of a football. Abby grabbed it and triumphantly hoisted it above her head, amid shouts and cheers. "There ya go, Sticky, the Rock is off the ground now."

"Lassie, it took us half a year to find a piece of rock candy that size." Stickybeard chuckled, wiping his eyes. "But I'd go lookin' for a hundred more for a show like that." He laughed heartily. "Welcome to the crew, matey!"

The bar erupted in shouts of jubilation. "Butterbar!" Stickybeard gave a shout. "Bring out a fresh round to all hands! We've got a new man aboard!"

Cheers resounded from the crew. An elderly, bespectacled man with graying hair hurried over and set mugs around the table.

"Take yer first drink as a pirate, me hearty!" Stickybeard shoved one across the table toward her. "Tis your friends and shipmates we shall be for here and for forever! We'll stand by ye shoulder to shoulder and fight alongside ye, man to… Er…." Sticky paused at Abby's glare. "Er… arr…. well, whatever happens, we'll never betray ye, and we'll always welcome ye as a sister!"

Abby leaned over her drink, eyes hidden by her hat. "Thanks, Sticky. Tis' great to be a pirate."

Thanks again for the reviews. They really help a lot, indeed, they're half the reason I keep up this crazy thing, so if you like the story and want to find out how it ends, keep reviewing.

Sorry this took so long. Something weird was going on with the document loader on my computer. I'll try to submit something each Wednesday, if I can.