DISCLAIMER: Any plot, characters etc. you recognize from the book are property of Cornelia Funke! I own nothing!! Except my character and original plot twists, if you want to get specific.

A/N: …I can't even begin to apologize about how long this took to post. For a while there I had despaired of ever finalizing and posting it, but…lo and behold! Here it is. I hope you enjoy it and that it is worth your while. Next time will NOT take this long!!!

She was drowning in a sea of pain, her thoughts swirling like wind above her, thrashing the water into high waves that slammed her deeper into the sea floor. Faces floated in and out of her vision, some from the past, some unknown…snatches of conversation reached her ears but it meant nothing to her feverish mind. The water was freezing; she shivered uncontrollably. Struggling with all of her will to rise above the surface, she neared consciousness and slowly awareness grew of the presence of people near her, but she still could not open her eyes. The effort was too much, and she finally gave up and let the waves carry her away again.

Hornet glanced at Prosper again over the book page she had read ten times and still retained none of. He had abandoned his chair and now sat on the floor, still patiently watching over the sleeping girl. Poor Prosper, she thought to herself. He had been assigned to watch her by Scipio, who hadn't shown up since he first brought her to the Stella several days before. Hornet would have liked to help, but all her free time lately had been totally taken up with cleaning the musty theatre, organizing their latest acquired possessions for selling and various other mundane tasks. Mosca was busy working on fixing a discarded space heater Riccio had found in preparation for the oncoming winter. Riccio and Bo could hardly be trusted to look after themselves, let alone someone else. In her opinion, Scipio was acting a bit snobbish, foisting his charge on them before disappearing off to who knows where. Ah, well. He was Scipio, after all.

Yet even as these resentful thoughts entered her head, she felt a tap on her shoulder and whiled about in alarm to discover a grinning Scipio stationed behind her.

"Scipio! How long have you been there?" She tried not to show her embarrassment as she wondered if he had seen her staring at Prosper.

Scipio betrayed nothing as he answered, "Just a little while. I'm sorry I haven't been here for a few days. I had to be somewhere."

Hornet studied him closely. "Where could you possibly have to be? Really, where are you always disappearing to for days at a time?"

"Scipio! Scip is here!" Scipio was saved the necessity of answering as Bo's cry of delight cut their conversation short as the small boy raced across the theatre, tripped on his too-long pants and went sprawling, sliding to a breathless halt at Scipio's feet. Catching sight of the sack Scipio hefted over one shoulder, he inquired eagerly, "What did you bring me, Scip?"

Prosper, looking quite appalled by his brother's lack of manners, admonished him sharply. "Bo! You don't deserve anything, with manners like that!"

Scipio just laughed like only Bo could make him. Rummaging in his bag, he produced a package wrapped in brown paper and offered it to the child. Snatching it greedily out of his hands, Bo ripped off the paper to reveal a pair of dark blue pants. He wrinkled his nose, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

"Clothes?"

"Well, I figured you needed some new ones…" Scip winked at Prosper, who blushed embarrassedly. When Bo's pants had mysteriously developed large holes in the knees after an excursion in the city, Prosper had tried to patch them up with a needle and thread-with disastrous results. Bo now wore a pair of Riccio's pants, which were rather too long for him, so that he was constantly tripping about.

Bo was still regarding his present dejectedly when Scipio drew another box out and slyly added, "of course, I brought some cakes too…" Bo yelped in delight and leapt for the box, crash-landing when Scip moved it out of his reach.

Once Riccio and Bo were happily devouring their treat, Scipio drew Hornet and Prosper aside before haltingly inquiring after the girl. Hornet replied, "Her fever was up until yesterday, when it broke in the late afternoon. Now I'd say she's pretty close to coming round, though she probably won't he herself for another week of so. Not that we know what 'herself' means, in this case…" she trailed off accusingly, giving Scipio a meaningful look.

Scipio blushed but did not offer a retort, and Hornet suddenly realized that he was as apprehensive about his decision as the rest of them. Feeling a little badly about trying to make Scipio feel guilty, she wondered why it bothered her so much. They had known nothing about Prosper and Bo at first…Yes, but they were boys…Hornet jumped as her mind unconsciously provided this revelation. Was she jealous of the girl? What was she jealous of-Prosper's care or Scipio's concern? Thoroughly confused and bewildered by now, she looked again at the girl. Unexpectedly, the girl's eyes opened and she looked back. Prosper saw it too and cried out.

"Guys! She's awake!"

And now that I have hopefully refreshed your memories on a story that has long since passed into the abyss…R&R! Disappointing after so long a wait? Or worth it at all?