Chapter 4

Jim's Return

The next day, the sun barely having broken over the horizon, Amelia was shaken awake with calls of "Mommy! Mommy, wake up! Wake up! Uncle Jim is back!"

Gruff stood beside his Mom, bouncing up and down in excitement. "Gruff. What the devil are you--- He is? Quickly, Gruff! Tell your father to round up your sisters!"

Gruff gave his mother a childish, but well-meant salute, saying, "Aye aye, Mom!" and ran from the room. Amelia jumped quickly out of bed, threw on some clothes, and headed for the bathroom. She drew some cold water and splashed her face, coming up sputtering but awake. She then drew a comb through her reddish locks, smoothing them in place, gave her clothes a critical once over, and then flew from her room, heading down the stairs.

Needless to say, she gaped in surprise when she saw Jim standing proudly looking up at her from the foyer. He had a black eye and a bandaged knee. "And what, my dear Captain, does the other fellow look like?" she asked, one side of her mouth quirking up in a smile.

Jim laughed, whooped once, and said, "Who cares! We won!"

Morph came and turned himself into a poster with a brightly painted Number 1 emblazoned on it. Amelia could not help but laugh at such a scene.

"Oh, and here…I'm returning your coat and hat, ma'am," Jim said proudly, and gave Amelia a spotless uniform back. "Didn't even muss the jacket, Captain," he added, giving her a clever wink. "Hey, I gotta go now. See you later, okay?" he told and left in a rush. "Bye!"

"Bye, Uncle Jim!" the kids called, as he ran down the path towards Benbow, turning once to wave back at his nieces and nephew.

Amelia saw the look of the kids face. One of excitement and expectance of some sort. Amelia then leaned over to speak conspiratorially to her four darling children. "Would any of you lot care to see your old Mom back in her uniform?"

Her children squealed, "Yeah!" and danced about excitedly. Amelia gave them all a grin, and left to don her snug uniform trousers and boots, as well as her shirt and jacket. In moments, she returned, where Gruff handed over her gloves. She pulled the long white leather gloves on, being careful to slip her long claws through the slits in the fingers of each glove.

"Ah, my Captain is back, I see," Delbert observed upon seeing his proud wife, resplendent again in her Captain's uniform. "Why, do you know what this reminds me of, dear?" he asked.

"What, darling?" Amelia asked. Her children looked on in glee at this cheerful interplay between their parents.

Delbert grinned, adding, "Do you recall…back when Jim and I first met you…you remember, in your stateroom?"

"Well, yes," Amelia replied, just a little embarrassed. She had not treated poor Delbert or Jim very nicely back then.

Delbert smiled warmly at his wife, then looked over to his children. "You see, children, your Uncle Jim and I had never been on a Light Ship before, so we were what your mother would call a pair of neophytes. She was a busy lady back then---and still is, you know---and really didn't have much time to get us up to speed. So, I'm rather afraid she was…well, a trifle short with the two of us, and most likely, rightfully so. But, what I was getting to, Amelia, is…seeing you in that uniform, and Jim now being a Captain and all, I just remember when you two first met. Do you remember how that conversation went, dear?"

Amelia smiled, and began, "Indeed I do, dear." She then clasped her hands behind her back, her posture straight and proud. "You're Uncle Jim, children, was none too impressed with me, I'm afraid. He had---how shall I put this?---a problem with authority figures. And I was the very symbol of authority to him. Well, let me tell you, I was having none of that! So when he was flip with me, here's what I told him."

Amelia gave her children a hard stare, spoke in her most professional voice, "I'm Captain Amelia, and while you're on my ship, you shall address me as 'Captain' or 'Ma'am'. Is that clear?"

The kids blinked, then laughed, and Amelia began to tell them about the adventure to Treasure planet. Amelia looked at them all and began to think. Gruff was right. My family is my crew now, and that's how things are. Nothing can change that.

The End