Rating: PG-13 (Just because I don't feel comfortable rating this lower than that)

Disclaimer: Ellen is the only character/name I own. Disney owns the rest. Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote the book Treasure Island that this movie is based off of owns Livesey.

Author's note: Thank you, Jackie99, for the correct spelling of Jim's middle name…I trust you more than I trust myself right now. Oh, and by the by, please look at my home page for updates, profiles, and a guest-book to ask your questions. Thank you for this attention.

I'm free of my parent's custody, she said, meaning that they are halfway across the world and it wouldn't matter to them where I went because it hasn't for the past three years. She had a solemn face about this matter. She tried to make it sound like her parent's had abandoned her, but she wasn't sure if that's how it came across. She looked up at Ms. Hawkins.

Oh, Sarah said, I'm sorry to hear that…Well then, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want. She smiled warmly and invitingly. It was obvious that she had completely forgotten about the entire police thing. She purposely pushed it from her mind, mainly because, out of everything else she had going on, she didn't need that kind of stress. Jim can show you to a room…um, Jim?

Jim had made his escape to avoid any other scolding he would receive. Ellen saw a staircase next to a door she assumed went to a kitchen. It had no handle, thus ideal for a person with no available hands. She shook hands with Sarah as a custom. I thank you, she said, I'm very grateful, but I might not stay here very long. Please don't feel insulted if I suddenly leave without a word. I tend to do that.

Sarah nodded and watched Ellen as she ran up the steps to find Jim. At the top of the stairs was a long hallway with quite a few doors. She assumed these were guestrooms. She saw a large window at end of the hall, and to the left of that, another staircase. She walked up it as well. The Benbow Inn was quite the antique. It was lit with rusty candle-lamps, the wood on the stairs and upper levels needed replacing. But to Ellen it felt like home, mainly because it reminded her of her life at sea and the large stateroom for the entire crew.

When she reached the top of these stairs, she saw no window. Just three doors, one on each wall of the short hall. She opened the nearest one to her and found out that the inn had indoor plumbing, which was good. She opened the door across the hall and assumed that this was Jim's bedroom. It was a complete mess—a disaster area. The bed was as if it had never been touched in an attempt to straighten the sheets. The floor was hidden by books, action figures, dirty clothes and other things that reminded her of her own childhood toys. She walked in and picked her way so she wouldn't step on anything. On the window sill was a small kid's book. She opened it and watched the holograms.

Flint, she muttered, without waiting for the narration, Such a cute story… A faint tap on the roof made her jump and shut the book suddenly. She listened and heard it again. What's going on up there? she thought.

She pushed the window open and stepped onto the sill. There was the tapping sound again. She grabbed onto the edge of the roof and pulled herself up, hoping to God she didn't fall. The tapping sound came from behind the chimney, so she slowly made her way over there, only to find Jim, bouncing pebbles off the shingles. His eyes were cast down and he looked blue.

Hey, she said to get his attention, You okay? You look upset.

He didn't even look up. He just shrugged and threw another pebble. Define okay, he muttered, Physically, I'm completely fine, and healthy. Other than that, my life sucks and I keep letting my mom down. He was angry about something, his voice betrayed that much.

She sat next to him, leaning against the half of the chimney that he wasn't leaning against. Ah, come on, she said, cheer up. It's not that bad, is it? How many times have you been arrested before? She grabbed the next pebble he threw and tossed it clear to the dock near the inn. She was quite annoyed with the tapping on the roof.

Twelve times, he said, quieter than before, Oh, wait! Counting today, thirteen. A new record…. He let his last pebble roll down the slope of the roof, bumping into the unleveled shingles on the way.

Oh, she gasped, That's bad…really bad. She let their conversation become silence for a short time. It was one of those awkward ones between friends. Who won that race anyway? I guess it doesn't really matter if I won. I won't get either solar surfer.

Jim smiled, remembering his victory. I won, he said. He didn't remember the bargain all too well, so he didn't know what she was talking about with the solar surfer. That is until she reminded him.

Well, then I owe you something, she said, and I never go back on a bargain. She turned his head towards her and kissed him…full on the lips. If anyone else saw this they'd probably laugh their head off at Jim's surprised expression.