Stingy scowled up at the tree house with his hands on his hips. He tapped his shoe in a testy tempo and let out a huff. The small structure up in the branches had been Robbie's halfway house when he had amnesia. Nobody had been up there since then. There was no way to get in with the ladder gone.

Robbie strolled up behind the boy. "Make way, Springy," he said. Stingy jumped to the side before he could help himself.

"What are you doing here?" Stingy asked.

"Not that it's any of your business," Robbie said, "but I thought I'd check on my home away from home."

"The tree house? That's mine," Stingy said. "We built it using my wood and my tools. And besides, how are you planning to get up there?"

"Hey, Robbie," Sportacus called as he came running. He took a forward spring over the brick wall to launch himself the rest of the way and flipped end over end, landing between Robbie and Stingy. "I came as soon as I got your letter. What do you need?"

Robbie spared a smirk for Stingy and pointed up the tree. "I left some things up there. Be a pal and get them for me."

"Of course," Sportacus said with a smile. He crouched and leapt straight up at the hatch on the bottom of the tree house. Stingy's jaw dropped watching as the elf punched the hatch open, then sprung up a second time and caught hold of the open frame to hang there by his fingertips. The man's arms flexed and strained as he heaved himself inside.

"Hey, wait," Stingy said. "I want to go up too!"

"Sorry, Stingy," Sportacus said, sticking his head out the little window. "It's not a good idea for anyone else to come up here without a way down." He disappeared back inside. Stingy narrowed his eyes at Robbie and the tall man tilted his head, giving the child a lazy look.

"You heard the elf," Robbie said. "The tree house is off limits to little boys. In fact, maybe I should store some things up there after all. You wouldn't mind taking some things up for me," Robbie called to Sportacus, "would you?"

"Sure thing," Sportacus said, his feet dangling down from the open hatch. Stingy and Robbie stood back as the blue suited man dropped out of the tree and landed heavily with his arms full of odds and ends from the tree house.

"Wait a second," Stingy blurted, pointing at the bundle of goods. "That teacup is from my house! And those saucers, and that sugar bowl! I thought they were lost!"

"As I recall," Robbie said, "you gave those things to me when I had to move up there in the first place. Or did you forget?"

"We all gave Robbie a few things," Sportacus reminded the boy. "The mayor's overalls are here, and this is some of my spare bedding too, but you're free to keep that, Robbie. Do you need your things back, Stingy?"

"I—" Stingy looked from Sportacus to Robbie and back again. He clenched his hands and lifted his nose up high. "I only meant for Robbie to borrow those things. He wasn't supposed to keep them."

"No skin off my nose," Robbie said with a shrug. He pulled the dishes from Sportacus' cargo and passed it off to Stingy. "I don't need some junky old tea set anyway."

"It's not junk," Stingy snapped. "And I'm sure the mayor will be wanting his clothes back too."

"Will you take them to him, Stingy?" Sportacus asked. "That would be really helpful. Thanks!"

Stingy sputtered but could not form a refusal as the dirty overalls were draped over his arms, muffling the clinking of the dishes. Robbie still had a sly grin on his face as he watched the boy juggle his burden. The man turned his attention back to Sportacus and clapped him on the back, leading him along.

"If you're willing to give up perfectly good pillows and blankets, maybe there's a few more things knocking around in your airship you wouldn't mind giving away?"

Sportacus laughed. "You'll have to come up and see for yourself." Robbie laughed too, a drier chuckle.

"That's one offer I'll have to refuse."

"Really? You always used to want to get into my airship before."

"I've had my fill of flying. The next time you hand out tickets to the airship you can give them to one of those kids."

They continued to talk as they walked away, their voices fading out of Stingy's range. The boy stood rooted to the spot glaring after them. He threw down the overalls and the dishes, cracking the teacup and shattering one of the saucers.