Disclaimer: Do not own Treasure Planet or its characters.

Jim felt exhausted, even though he'd gotten a full night's rest. He rubbed his eyes, willing the sand to finally cease and desist its insistent grating.

The frown that had now become a permanent feature inserted more premature laugh lines and it only made him more tired. The reason? A little someone named Tabitha making their lives a living hell at the Benbow.

Well, not all their lives. Sarah had taken a liking to the young woman, who was as gracious and courteous as they came. She helped with dishes and meals and chores, telling everyone it was her way of repaying their kindness since Silver obviously couldn't do it.

BEN was also smitten, because Tobi could be a real chatterbox. About what? It seemed like nothing. Every time Jim caught even a hint of their conversation it was centered around trumpets or snapdragons or the upcoming Find-the-Snaffer tournament. Their conversations never seemed to hit the same topic twice, which was perfect for a scatter-brained robot like BEN. Not to mention she'd dance with him whenever the urge hit.

And then there was Morph, the little traitor. At first, he'd been standoffish of her, just like Jim and Silver. But one day he'd gone outside and found himself pinned by one very hungry cat. It didn't help that Morph kept shifting into creatures that most cats found delectable out of fear. He was a goner until a certain someone came up and literally swept that cat off its feet, chasing the rotten thing out of the yard. Well after that, Morph was all about his 'savior' and Jim had lost a supporter in his campaign.

Not that Tobi had been especially mean to them. In fact, she'd been quite nice and was over every morning and most days to keep an eye on Silver's recovery. She was friendly and polite with both of them, even though neither Jim or Silver tried to make conversation. It didn't seem to bother her in the least, as she would dress the pirate's wounds and manage to keep up steady chatter.

No, what made them wary of her was what they knew was underneath the surface. That threat she'd made to Silver months ago still hung in the air. Oh she knew it was there as well, but never mentioned it. Acted like it'd never happened. But they always double-checked to make sure their valuables were still where they kept them when she left a room.

Despite all that, Silver was making a fast recovery. A little over a month ago he'd finally gotten the okay to get out of bed and move around a little. For a while that meant just walking around the second floor but a few weeks ago he made it up and down the stairs without any assistance, which was a big step in the right direction.

Of course that also meant they were closer to the little 'adventure' Tobi had promised them, of which she'd now started dogging them and they'd taken every opportunity to avoid her. She'd made it perfectly clear that she had every intention of Silver coming on this voyage while he was still recovering, to which the both protested but Tobi ignored.

Which brought Jim back to today. He was on his way to see the Dopplers, partly because he missed them, and partly because he needed any excuse to get out of the inn.

He ambled his way up the front walk and without pausing to knock went in. "Hey, anyone home? It's Jim," he called. For a few moments, it was silent. Then-

"Jim!"

"Uncle Jim!"

"Hey!" he cried as he was assaulted from all sides by small squirming bodies. The Doppler's kids were probably about the friendliest bunch he'd ever met, not that he'd met many. But they loved him and Sarah and everyone at the Benbow as much as their parents and with just as much passion.

Setting each one in front of him, he took a moment to take stock. Little Sophie, who was the oldest and the budding artist, stared up at him in wonder with her bright eyes. Her blonde hair was held back with a decorative flower clip, which he assumed she'd made herself. Jaqueline, or Jackie as she preferred to be called, was a tall skinny thing, even taller than her brother, Nickolas. She was their resident tomboy, always getting in wrestling matches with her brother or some of the local boys. Her brown hair was sprouting from her head like weeds, as if she'd been caught in a wind tunnel. And then there was Madeline, who wasn't the youngest but was definitely the smallest. She was also very shy and even now was hiding behind Sophie, her thumb stick in her mouth.

"Hey Uncle Jim, what are you doing here? Have you gotten any missions? Oh, is that why you're here today, to recruit your crew?" Nick asked.

"Oh, we could do it, Uncle Jim! You know we could!" Jackie parroted. Jim couldn't help but chuckle. Their enthusiasm was incorrigible and they were the spitting images of their parents, all of them. Even the ones who didn't seem like it were adventurers at heart.

He patted Nick's head. "You could say I've got a mission. But I really need to talk to your parents. Do you know where they are?" he asked. They nodded like a bunch of lemmings and dragged him off towards the kitchen.

What greeted him was a sight he'd seen before but would never get used to. Amelia was draped in a white apron, sprinkled liberally with flour and seemed to be arguing with Dilbert, who incidentally was wearing quite possible the frilliest and pinkest apron Jim had ever laid eyes on. He too was covered in a generous layer of flour.

"I don't know how you manage to do it Dilbert but every time-"

"Me? I'm not the one lacking in culinary skills as you may well know_"

This could've gone on longer but Jim felt it was time to save them from the embarrassment. He made sure to clear his throat VERY loudly, startling the other adults. Dilbert at least looked a little ashamed, but Amelia only smiled brightly and whipped off her apron. It seemed he was the perfect excuse to get rid of the thing.

"Jim! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here? Come, let's go into the library. I hope my children haven't been too much of a bother," she said.

"Never," he told her and took his favorite seat by the window. The library was probably one of his favorite rooms of the Doppler residence. It was large and yet still managed to be cozy. The children looked like they had half-a-mind to join them but at that moment Dilbert came along and told them to find entertainment elsewhere. There was a collective groan, but they dispersed. At least they gave the impression of dispersing. Jim was pretty sure they would be behind one of the doors listening in. He knew that's what he would've done.

"So what brings you by, Jim my boy?" the doctor asked. He handed Amelia a towel before taking a seat. It was interesting to watch the two of them, because as much as the bickered and squabbled, they were still very attentive to each others needs.

Jim slumped back in his chair. "It's…complicated," he said. They looked at him expectantly, but he was reluctant to divulge any more information. "There's…this girl," he began.

"Oooohhhh," the pair choursed, forcing Jim upright.

"No it's not what you're thinking! That girl, Tabitha, the one from the Interstellar Academy came by and offered me a job. Except…I'm not so sure about it now," he told them. That of course was putting it delicately. He put his head in his hands as he realized in about another month he'd be sailing into the Creator-only-knows-what.

The Dopplers looked at each other, but neither knew how much help they might be. Dilbert walked over and put a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Where exactly would you be going?" he asked.

"Marias." There was an audible gasp and Jim looked expectantly at Captain Amelia, but she just shook her head and indicated the doctor. His expression…well, Jim wasn't sure if it was elation, shock or he was having palpitations. Then, before the young man could blink, Dilbert had him by the shoulders and was vigorously shaking him.

"You must go! You must! This is the chance of a lifetime! It's just like Treasure Planet, except bigger! You'll be encountering a species of people few get to meet or study in their lifetime! By the Creator, this is extraordinary!" he cried. Jim was stunned and unable to speak, and it seemed the Captain was afflicted with the same curse.

And just as quickly as the light had dawned in the doctor's eyes, it dimmed and died. "Ah, but I can't go. I have, responsibilities here," he muttered and scuffed his foot. He looked like some young pup that had just gotten his candy taken from him. Jim felt bad, because as an astrophysicist Dilbert spent most of his time in a lab or with his nose buried in a book. Rarely, he got to go out and actually experience what he studied, like with Treasure Planet.

Amelia finally went over and put a hand on Dilbert's shoulder. "I know you want to go, but we have our children to think of. We can't just go gallivanting off into an adventure. What if something were to happen to us? Who would take care of our children?" she said. Jim could see that a similar light was dying in Amelia's eyes, and he was suddenly realized how much she had given up for her family. She was an adventurer to her very core, but for the safety and well being of her children, she often captained shipping vessels which was less than ideal for someone of her caliber. He felt guilty for dangling such a prize in front of them, but in that moment a plan began to take root in his mind.

"Well, what if I asked Mom and BEN to watch the kids and you two could come with us?" he said. They looked at him, wary of what he was suggesting.

"I don't know Jim. It's a generous offer but I don't think we can impose like that on your mother. I know BEN would love it but…well, Sarah's getting older and I'm not sure if she can handle four rambunctious children. Not to mention you'll be the captain and Tabitha is an excellent navigator so there's really no reason for me or Dilbert to go," the Captain replied.

"Just…let me ask her. I don't think she would mind, really. And I think it would be fantastic to have to another more experienced captain on board. I don't think Tobi is very confident in my abilities."

"Who?"

"That's what Tabitha likes to be called."

"Ah. But then why would she ask you if she wasn't confident in your abilities?"

"There are…varying reasons. But that's besides the point. Tobi is going to be the navigator but she doesn't cosmic events like the Doctor. Remember on our way to Treasure Planet? That supernova? The doctor's information saved our lives. I very much doubt she's gotten information like that stored under her hat." Both Dilbert and Amelia seemed to be considering his argument and it looked like they were silently conversing with each other.

"Besides, the two of you seem to agree that this is the trip of a lifetime. Do you really want to pass that up?" He knew he was crossing a line and the captain let him know just that with the look she gave him. But it seemed to have been the straw.

"If Sarah agrees that it's alright, then yes. We'll go," Amelia said. Jim jumped up to embrace her, but snickered when he saw the doctor doing a little dance. The captain turned to glare and Dilbert at least had the decency to look sheepish.

Jim couldn't help but laugh. Although he cut it short when he remembered the one important detail he'd left out: That Long John Silver would be joining them. He would have to figure out some way to get the pirate on the ship without Amelia and Dilbert noticing, and when they did find him which he knew they would, they'd be too far out in space for either to contact any authorities.

But he was happy that his two old companions would be joining him. Because if it had just been him, Silver and Tobi, he'd probably toss himself overboard five minutes after leaving port. Silver would just have to fend for himself.

AN: Gah! Evil chapter! I hate chapters like this that are necessary to the progression of the story, but damn if it isn't stubborn and awkward to write. It's like the characters want to be OOC or something. Anyway, I'm hoping to work some more on my fics.