Disclaimer: I don't own any of the elements of Treasure Planet. Thank you for anyone who was patient enough to wait for this next chapter. Who'd have thought summer could be so hectic? Ironically enough, I only got time to sit and think of how to continue any writing the week before I start school again. And a special thanks to CreatedInFyre7 for reminding me how great it feels to know anyone takes the time to read this...:D And sorry for not clarifying earlier, but this takes place after Treasure Planet. Three years later, after Jim has completed three years of naval training.

To listen to the music selection mentioned later in the story, here are the Youtube links to the songs I imagined being played in the scenes you'll be reading later:

watch?v=U_nJmn1h2O0 (the Spanish guitar Adam plays throughout the day)

watch?v=dx76YPgZviE (during the Play about the Princess with Cherry Blossoms in her hair; if you like to cut to the chase, I would imagine the Princess in the painting running to the music after 1:23)

watch?v=SBATrLRWySg (during the dance in the square)

I do not own any of these songs...but I do like them and hope you enjoy it as well.

Chapter 3

That night was one of the longest nights we ever took to set up a town square, even if we'd reserved the space long before. Stages were built and acts and music rehearsed all by the light of torches and lanterns. The work couldn't have felt more uncomfortable either what with the port being so humid and all of us in our performing clothes. "It's all for publicity's sake," Charlie explained to one of the newer performers with his charismatic smile. "The brighter we look tonight, the more people that will be interested tomorrow."

"Publicity my ass," Abby mumbled from next to me as I snorted. A few feet away, I could here Adam and Boris chuckling with us. Truth be told, it was all a ruse. Charlie, you see, was convinced that it was good luck if he wore his costume the night before our first performance, ever since we'd started the troupe. We had teased him so much the first time he'd tried it, though, that he decided to exercise his authority as Captain on us, forcing us to go along with him. It became a tradition that stuck like our clothes to our sweaty backs that night, but I had to admit, so far we hadn't met up with any bad business so there might have been some truth to Charlie's inkling. Plus it had transformed our set up to be a part of the show. With everyone practicing their acts and our faces lit orange by the firelight, the street already looked like a sort of festival was taking place.

Passersby and residents watched in awe from streets and windows. The night filled with our racket: music incomparable to anything you could have heard, some tragic, some lighthearted, the bang of hammer against wood, the whoosh and whistle of fire dancing and spiraling in midair, the delightedly shrill screams of children, scales and claws pattering against cobblestone, complaints, laughter, protests, consent, and above all, the silent harmony of a group that had seen and experienced galaxies together. Troublesome as some of our passengers could be, there was no doubting that this was my family. That this colorful mesh of beings and sounds were my home.

It was about three in the morning by the time any of us were allowed to leave the square. Its transformation would only be complete once the sun's rays touched the roofs and wood of our work. Until then, we were all at the point of collapse. Charlie only let us go when he almost fell asleep while hammering the last bit of Paulie's food stand. Abby, Boris, Adam, Jake and I dragged our feet and paws to the Benbow Inn, leaning on each other for support. The warm silence of the night would have lulled my heavy eyes closed so it was a bit of a relief when Abby spoke up, trying to wake herself up. "So what's the Inn look like this time, Val? Did we get another roach coach this time around?"

I shook my head vigorously. "No way. This place is a keeper. Not like that motel those giant bugs were running at the last planet." Adam and Jake shuddered at the reminder. It was in their feline nature to prefer things tidy, and unfortunately for our roommates, the room we'd rented at our last gig was a nightmare even for a Slugantia. Their uneasiness settled once they saw the Inn, though. With the light coming from the windows and the stars that floated as if embracing it, the place looked like the coziest spot in the galaxy.

I ran the last stretch of the way, leaving my four friends behind. Judging from the lights in the first floor windows, someone had to be awake. I rapped at the door before letting myself in. I stepped over the threshold expecting to hear the wood creak against silence, maybe to hear the lone steps of a night-keeper in an empty lobby. Instead, I found myself rudely interrupting a heated discussion. The group looked up at me in awkward silence. The atmosphere in the room was heavy enough to cut through with Abby's pocketknife. Whatever the topic had been, it was clearly a serious matter. All the more reason for me to feel sorry for walking in so boldly. I tried to make the best of the situation. I looked to those at the table, where sat two Carnivora, a robot, a human woman (the innkeeper if her attire said anything), and to my surprise, the young man from before, his resemblance to the innkeeper uncannily close. I swept my hands as if I was a chap with a hat on my head, sweeping my invisible hat off as I bowed gracefully. "I apologize for intruding on your conversation." At that moment, Abby, Jake, Adam, and Boris showed up at the open door. "We were just returning after a long night's work. Please take no offense and pay us no heed." Placing the 'hat' back on, I led the troop upstairs to where our rooms were located. I waited for everyone else to climb the steps before giving them a last, "G'night," and climbing the stairs. Startled, the dog-like Carnivora stuttered out, "Good night."

They then turned back to their ever important discussion.

The Next Morning

We probably had about three hours of sleep. Rubbing at my eyes, I pushed myself up against my bed. Ever the early bird, Abby had beat me to the loo. "Well, that's great," I grumbled. Mornings had never been agreeable with me, whether on land or in space. In the room next door, I could hear Adam and Jake arguing over who would use the thunderhouse after Boris. "I was up way before you!"

"Yeah, but I was born years before you!"

"Don't try to use that excuse again! I get the bathroom next!"

Their bickering was driving me insane. I slammed my fist against the wall hard, threatening the sturdiness of the wall. "Shut up! Jake gets the bloody loo and that's an order, Adam! Or the stars help me, when I'm done with you, you'll never need to use it again!"

Silence, then Adam grumbling in submission, knowing I was less than agreeable in the morning. Behind me, Abby stepped out, bathed in steam and lavender, dressed in a fresh set of clothes and her classic smirk. She covered her lime green tee and gray parachute pants with her black leather apron and put on a pair of olive green gloves. "Anything wrong?" she chirped, having very well heard the whole exchange. She looked so cheerful, it was annoying, but I knew better than to take out my bad mood on her. She egged me on all the time, and when we got to blows, she won out every time. I sighed, trying to let off some steam. "Nothing, just let me at the toothpaste."

I pulled from my bag a new set of blouse, pants, and clean undergarments. The blouse was mint green this time, to match my siblings' clothes and to make sure no one thought I was in the same clothes as last night. Image is everything for a performer. Stepping into the bathroom, I couldn't wait to feel the warm water and steam of the shower. Once I was done, Abby helped me with my hair. Fine, black with a red tinge, and with the slightest tendency to curl, the task proved somewhat difficult; I hadn't gotten the chance to tie it back the day before, either. I still had the hair tie around my wrist from when I'd grabbed it on the ship.

We reached the square at around seven after grabbing a few biscuits from the robot who'd been warming the stove in the kitchen. The whole while he was preparing them, he'd been going on about how they were a from a recipe his old crew had found on a planet where the indigenous species had strange customs like curling their hair with random robots' parts and how difficult it had been to untangle himself from the mess especially when they'd tried to keep his arm as a curling iron, though they didn't have very efficient wire-cutters like the ones you could find back on the planet he'd stayed on for a few hundred years where there was an excellent selection of dangerously sharp objects left in his hangar that he wasn't able to bring when Jim-bo had saved him and flown on his solar sail and...We'd tried to listen the whole way through, but it soon became clear that we'd be late if we hadn't cut the story short.

Charlie, the Warblers, Paulie, the Coquis, and most of the merchant stall owners were already at the square, waiting for early risers. The Coquis were the only actors ready to perform in the mornings; it was in their nature to be up so early. Otherwise, there were only the musicians and stall owners, and Charlie and Jake. Charlie acted as 'supervisor' at times when things were slow, but once a few started coming in, he took on the role of 'Ringmaster,' wooing everyone with his ability to charm tips out of even the shrewdest of hearts. He proved useful when a customer was making a fuss or a spoiled brat sprang crocodile tears. Jake started in the morning with his brother as an eye-catcher along with the musicians to lure the intrigue of our first audience. He could make his flaming staffs dance effortlessly to the music Adam and Boris played. The threesome were just as inseparable in their performance as they were in their lives.

The stalls stood at the edges of the square, the space inside reserved for our other shows. Boris, Adam, and Jake began tuning instruments, setting up their one-man-band equipment and shining staffs at the far left while my sister and I carried our supplies to the far right, near Paulie's refreshments and in the shade of one of the surrounding buildings. I went inside our stall where we'd stored our supplies and pulled everything out. Abby grabbed at the wood planks and her gouges as I dragged out her work bench, covered in screws, screwdrivers, hammers, nails, saws, sandpaper, base coat, polish, brushes and anything else you could imagine essential in a wood shop. Once they were out of the way, I reached for my easel, canvas, paints, palette, and brushes. We set up on either side of our stall window and started on our products for sale.

I mixed paints and stroked brush against canvas to the fast, fiery rhythm of Adam's Spanish guitar and the steady beat of Abby's hammer against wood. Fire whistled through the air once more, and already, I could hear Charlie charming a passersby at the other side of the square.

An hour passed and a crowd had formed. Jake took a break from the heat of the fire and headed to Paulie for a drink. A few girls around his age had been gathered at the stand getting snacks and made way for him, giggling in excitement and awe as every sinew of his arm stretched out for the cup Paulie handed him. When he turned around, the awkward pre-teen grinned uneasily and strode over to Abby, seeking shelter at our place. He peeked at Abby's frame that she had just started carving into and nodded. It was going to be a beautiful piece of work, as always. She was currently working on a frame with a cherry black finish.

Then he came up behind me, curious to see what I'd made this time to try and match it. The quick intake of breath was satisfying as he stared, shocked at what I'd been able to pull on the tiny canvas. The image was of a black Carnivora, slim and elegant as she posed against a blazing orange sunset. She stood in mid-turn, her dress glowing bright scarlet, its folds and ruffles encircling her in the waning light of day. The woman held her hands above her head as she faced the right defiantly, yellow eyes glinting with the pride of a dancer of unsurpassed skill. Waves of black hair held in the breeze, framing her face perfectly, a stray hair complimenting the ferocity in her expression. A single loop of gold hung on her ear, completing the portrait. Senora Pantera, Jake and Adam's mother.

"It was a shame that she had to stay behind on your home planet when we left," I explained. "I thought it was about time she earned some fame out here, too, even if it's only a portion of what she really deserves." Jake bared his fangs in a grin and grabbed me in a hug that would have put any grizzly to shame. "It's perfect. Thanks Val!" He then ran off, no doubt to tell his brother about it. I laughed, glad to see him so happy. Abby turned to me as he left. "You don't plan on selling that do you?"

"Of course I do. How else will I get to tell her story to everyone?" Abby then understood what I meant and smiled. This was my art – paintings and stories. Memories that were to last and be shared with others. Gifts that could last for lifetimes. I wrote the story of Senora Pantera on a sheet of paper from my sketchbook – how the traveling dancer lost her husband to an accident on the cliff near their camp, how she trained her sons alone in the arts of music and dance, how she could oust any dancer that crossed her path, and how despite her sorrow, she let her children go to find their own places in the universe. Then I handed it to Abby to include in the product when she was done with her frame.

I took the canvas and hung it on the outer wall of our stall to dry. A couple of early customers had bought two of the paintings and frames that hung inside, the ones we'd made on our way to Montressor and in our free time visiting other planets. I pulled another canvas from inside the stall, listening to what song was traveling through the square now. Akio's family had joined us by then, taking up space close to the center of the square. I strained my ears to hear the story being told of the princess with cherry blossoms in her hair, lost in the stars, trying to return to her love. The shakuhachi sang her sadness, the shamisen and drums her feet running fervently, the koto the magnificence of the galaxies themselves. I could feel her fear, see her beauty. I knew what to paint next.

"Hey Abby, could you stain you're next frame red?" She nodded, seeing the concentration in my eyes as I pictured the scene. "Sure thing."

Pinks and violets, blues and whites covered the landscape. A field of green and cherry blossom trees in a soft white cloud sky. A river that flowed through it leading to her world's end – to the world of the starry night. And running, losing her way from her world into the galaxies – the human princess. Her long chestnut hair swirled around her, obscuring her face as she runs, in pursuit of her love. The red sash of her pale pink kimono trails behind her, and cherry blossom petals lose themselves in the wind from their position – holding the princess's hair up above her ear. The image grew and grew. The princess's lips are painted rouge against her pale skin. Her fingers are slender and elegant, even as she runs in search of her knight. Distant mountains decorate the skyline of her home.

It was two hours before I finished the picture and noticed the activity around me. A crowd of spectators had formed around me, watching as I lost myself in the world I'd made. Abby had taken the time to finish her first project and the one that I'd requested. At that point, in fact, the first painting and frame were gone and she was trying to keep the crowd back. An argument had broken out as to who would buy the latest painting. She turned to me. "It took you long enough return to Montressor!" she shouted as she scrambled around the people. I shook myself out of my daze. "Sorry!" Then I joined her in abating everyone's tentacles, paws, and other appendages. Once things were semi-under control, I raised my voice. "Whoever wants the painting has to bid for it!"

I used the window of our stall as leverage to push myself up to the edge of the stall roof, which hung a couple of feet above my head. Pulling myself up by the edge, I finally stood and cupped my hands around my mouth. "Starting price is 300 drubloons!" A bargain price for a painting that was anything close to what I'd made, let alone one that was acting as a souvenir. The auction ended quicker than I'd expected, ending at 1,000 drubloons, in cash. The hubbub died down and the crowd dispersed. I climbed off the stall roof and wrote the princess's story and placed it in the frame Abby had prepared along with the painting. The lucky bidder took the set gratefully from my hands. "You've got a talent that's gone scarce in these parts lass," the old cyborg said as he scanned the image with his red eye's laser. I shrugged. "I picked it up from my Mom; it's a family tradition." It still surprised me that something so familiar and everyday to me could have turned out to be virtually extinct in the universe. I guessed that once holograms and technology took the place of paper and hard work, artists had become scarce. Though Charlie wouldn't admit it, Abby and I knew that our stall was one of the Troupe's main source of profit. You couldn't find manyaffordable paintings in the universe nowadays. He extended a mechanical arm towards me. "Well, it was a pleasure doin' business wit' ye', and to meet such a gifted artist as ye' are." I smiled back and shook his hand. "The pleasure was mine." He was about to limp away when he stopped with a "Whoa there!"

"What's wrong?" I asked, wincing as he swung the precious painting dangerously close to the ground. I looked to see what had landed in front of the cyborg. Shivering in fear was a little Carnivora dressed in a small dress shirt and waistcoat, his floppy ears trembling with him. He stared wide-eyed up at the cyborg, as if he was about to cry. I crouched down to his level – he couldn't have been a day older than three. "You're not lost, are you little one?" I asked in a gentle voice.

That did it. He burst into tears, sobs, snot and all. Poor thing. I picked him up off the ground. "Sshh..it's alright. Tell me what happened. I promise, you're safe." His sobs slowed somewhat and I pulled a handkerchief from my satchel and wiped his face. He managed to calm down a bit and hiccuped out the events that led to his misplacement."I-I was l-l-looking at the p-picture, and th-then..." He paused and took a deep breath. "Th-then, all these other p-people c-came and, I-I c-couldn't s-see..." Another bout of tears threatened, so I shushed and bounced him in my arms. I could add up the rest on my own. I looked up at the uneasy cyborg. "I can take care of him. I hope you enjoy the painting." He nodded and limped away, trying to quicken his pace, though why he'd be scared of a three-year-old escaped me. I turned my attention back to the puppy-like boy in my arms. "Now what, my new little friend, is your name?"

He sniffed a bit before answering. "Ph-phineas Doppler, ma'am."

"Well my name, Phineas Doppler, is Valerie Sky, though you, like most of my friends, can call me Val for short. Let's you and me get a treat and then we'll look for your family, okay." He nodded teary-eyed. I leaned him against my shoulder and carried him to Paulie's stand.

The Mikowla took one look at me and immediately went digging for the purp juice. It wasn't the first time a child had gotten lost in our troupe's festivities. He came up from under the counter with a box pf purp juice and one of his specialties – a chocolate cake ball on a stick, laced with red vanilla icing and encircled by floating rings of graham cracker crumbs and sparkling sugar. The boy's eyes lit up at the sight of it. Paulie chirped gently to the little boy. "We'll find yer parents soon 'nuff so cheer up kiddo. Yer in good hands. Val's da best lookerferer we got." He winked, coaxing a smile out of the child. "Consider dis' a gift from me to you." I grinned wide as he reached for the sugary delight. "Thank you," he said before quickly biting into the treat. I made sure to pass Abby by to tell her where I was going, though there seemed no need. When I opened my mouth she held her hammer up. "I know, I know; I saw what happened. Just keep an eye on him while you go looking. You're better with kids anyway."

With that, I carried him to a bench in front of the stage for our actors. The seats would be empty until the next show, and according to the sign up front, that wasn't for another hour and a half.

I checked around the square, scanning for someone who looked remotely like the boy in front of me. Surely they couldn't have gotten far. The boy began to tug at my sleeve. In the few seconds it took to conclude that no one nearby was related to him, he'd vanquished the miniature planet and the juice was no more. They didn't stand a chance against him. I looked down at his chocolate covered face. "How will we find Mommy?" he asked. He was composed now, so there seemed little risk of his crying again. I used a napkin Paulie had given me to wipe his face again. ("Kids tend to pick up dirt easily," he'd said.) "Well first, you and I will meet the Captain and ask if he's seen your parents. Then, we'll take a VIP tour of the place and ask my friends if they've seen your Mum."

I'd never seen a child so excited. I had to run to keep up with the bullet on legs as we circled the square looking for my brother. I prayed that he wasn't out flirting with the locals. To my relief, and surprise, we found him by Jadev's booth, giving out balloons. I pondered over what could possibly have made him act on his nonexistent paternal instincts. Seeing Jadev stifling a laugh explained it all, though: Ever the gambler, it seemed Charlie had lost another bet against our fortune-teller. He wasn't so stupid as to bet that one of the Pychna's predictions wouldn't happen; he just liked the notion that he would be able to predict his own set of events. So far, he had shown little sign of sharing the gift of Precognition.

Phineas ran up to Charlie after I pointed him out as the Captain. Charlie, reaching over to give Phineas a yellow balloon and hopefully rid himself of the kid, was shocked when the boy straightened himself and raised his hand in salute. "Phineas Doppler reporting for duty Cap'n."

"Wha-?" He stopped short when he heard me laughing next to him. "Is this your doing?" he asked eying me.

I raised my own hand in salute, a grin plastered onto my face. "Aye Cap'n!" Facing Phineas, I bowed slightly and indicated to the blonde next to me. "Allow me to introduce you to Cap'n 'Charlie, my brother." I stood up and gestured to Phineas. "This is Mr. Phineas Doppler, sir. We are, at the moment, in search of his family. You haven't by chance-"

"Nope," was the quick reply. Phineas seemed to deflate somewhat at the tactless answer. I glared at Charlie, putting my hands on my hips. "Well, you're a useless Cap'n aren't you?"

"What am I supposed to do lie?!" he demanded. I chopped the side of my hand against his hollow skull. "OWW!"

"You can at least promise to keep an eye out and ask around!" Then I leaned in close to his ear. "The kid is scared as is. Try to be a bit more optimistic for his sake." Charlie softened at that. He of all people could remember the childhood dread of getting lost. He was never found, nor was ever meant to be.

He crouched in front of Phineas and held out the balloon from before. "Even though I haven't seen your folks, I'll be on the lookout for them. You have my word as a Captain." Phineas looked up and smiled softly, gripping the balloon as if his life depended on it. "Thanks, Cap'n."

Nodding in approval, Charlie stood up and wiped his sweaty palm against his shirt. Then, "What does your family look like, Mr. Doppler?"

Phineas milled over this for a moment. "Mommy has orangey hair like Amy, Sarah, and Leena, my sisters, and their ears stand up too, like this." He put up his fingers next to his head. "And their noses are smaller too." Felines "Daddy's ears are floppy like mine, but he wears glasses." And a canine? I wasn't one to talk about strange families, but what Phineas had said was surprising to say the least. Charlie seemed startled as well, but his well-trained face hid it behind a smile. "That's exactly what I needed to hear Mr. Doppler. I'll be keen to look for them." He stuck his free hand out in and they shook just as real spacers would.

After that, I took Phineas's hand and led him through the square. Jadev predicted that we would have a special encounter that would solve our problems soon. Later, Phineas got a three corner hat from Ayu, a skilled hat maker. The Coqui family gave him a specially made pendant. Scottie let Phineas have a try at blowing his bagpipes. The Harplings found a noisemaker that honked when you blew the confetti out of it, and Ludwig waved three of his hands in our direction as he juggled an old blender and an anvil. The Warblers even spared us a moment to sing a children's song for him. Yet, the whole of our troupe hadn't seen the Doppler family. Delighted as he was over the gifts, he couldn't shake the nervousness of losing his family off, and even I was starting to worry. Just when I was pondering over the possibility of taking Phineas to the authorities, his head suddenly jerked up at the sight of something deep within the crowd. He ran before I could stop him, past various knees and skirts. I chased after him to find him on his knees, looking as hopeless as ever in the opening in front of Boris and Adam, resting next to their instruments. The two looked up as I broke through the crowd and he began to sniffle. "I thought...I thought I saw..." Tears welled up as he realized that whoever he thought he'd seen wasn't there.

I picked him up and carried him over to the stage where my friends sat. "I promised that we'll find your fam, didn't I?" He rubbed at his eyes nodding. "It's okay to be sad, but we will find them, no matter what. Okay?" He didn't seem convinced. "Hey, friend. You're looking glum," Adam commented as he pulled up a triangle from pocket. "Would it be alright if you could lend us a hand with our next song? Maybe your parents will hear you playing. Bunches of people have been passing by." He winked at me, and Boris nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and what say we start a dance as well, to attract more attention? It's about the right time for it" He pointed towards the now orange sky. Sunset was the perfect time for starting a dance. Spirits would be so high that people wouldn't leave until midnight. I nodded in agreement. "So that makes me the dancer then?"

"Sure does," the duo said in unison. Once they had donned their one-man-band sets to accommodate the different instruments they'd need, Adam and Boris started up a set of Irish tavern music, quite the change from the Spanish guitar approach they'd had in the beginning. Phineas played his triangle to the happy jig as I bounced and frolicked and spun as gracefully as I could in an attempt at a dance, pulling in onlooking youngsters to join me and egging on the teenagers to join the fun as well. An elderly couple stepped in, and taught us the real way to dance to the tune as they spun in time with the music without missing a beat.

We lost all our worries in the dance. Phineas was glowing with pride and excitement as he played with the band and watched how many people were enjoying the fun. The crowd spread out to make more room for anyone who wanted to jump in. I didn't think anything could go wrong as I laughed and whooped and danced around.

A face broke through the crowd and shoved his way past the onlookers. I didn't notice until he'd stumbled into me as I passed the edge of our dancing circle.

"WHAT-!"

"ACK!"

I caught myself before I could smooch the ground again. The brunette behind me wasn't so lucky. I turned around and recognized the guy. I gave him a crooked smile. "We need to stop meeting like this," I teased, to no avail. He didn't waste his time talking to me and went straight for the stage. "Finn!"

That caught me off guard. Phineas dropped his silver instrument and ran. "Uncle Jim! Uncle Jim!" He was on the verge of tears as 'Jim' picked him up and swung him in a circle, a relieved smile dancing across his face. He ruffled the little guy's hair. "The Doc and I have been looking for you everywhere. The Captain was ready to call a whole squadron for you."

I walked up behind the happy two with my arms crossed. "You're his uncle?" I asked, making no attempt to hide the surprise in my voice. Jim turned around, only then remembering that he'd knocked me down a mere five seconds before. "Sorry about that," he said hesitantly. I waved it off, still smiling. "That's fine; we're even now." I nudged my head in Phineas's direction. "But he and I have been looking for you for the past three hours. If I'd known you were his uncle, I would have brought him straight to the Inn."

I then flashed a smile at the joyous tike in his arms. "Though, I guess it's a good thing I didn't know. You and I had a bloody good time, didn't we?" Phineas nodded so hard, I thought he might hurt his neck. "She let me meet her Cap'n, and we got hats and this balloon, and I got to meet the magician's family. And her friend gave me this cake on a stick and-" Jim held his hand up to Phineas. "Slow down! You're talking like BEN now." I smiled. A family reunion was just the thing to make this dance perfect.

Another person popped out of the crowd and hugged Phineas – I recognized the Carnivora from the night before and gave myself a mental slap in the face. There was no mistaking they were father and son. "Phineas! We've been looking all over for you. Your mother and I were worried sick." Behind us, a commotion had started.

"Ohmigod! He came to the dance?!"

"I'm dancing with him next!"

"No I am!"

"If anyone's dancing with Jim Hawkins it's me!"

Jim Hawkins?

Only when I had heard his full name did I realize who was standing there before me. I gave myself several mental punchesto the noggin. How did I fail to recognize the hero of the RLS Legacy? The boy who'd inspired Charlie, Abby, and me to buy our ship in the first place. Whose picture on the front page hung on the crumbling wall of our room in the orphanage. And whose face had just gone from warmth and relief to pale horror as a parade of young women began tackling down anything in their way to get him to dance with one of them.

They would have been on top of us if it wasn't for Charlie and Abby yanking the four of us deeper into the midst of dancers. "You'd best start dancing along if you want to avoid the Warrior Queens." Charlie hissed, having had experience with mobs more times than he'd like. Abby nodded in agreement and smiled at Dr. Doppler and his son. "I believe Captain Amelia is waiting for you two by the stage." She held out her hand to lead them through.

"And you, my friend," Charlie said pulling Jim closer to my side, "Are going to have the pleasure of dancing with my lovely younger sister."

"What?!" I protested. Charlie turned to me, exasperated. "If those girls see him with someone else, they'll back off for a while, especially if they think you're a couple," he explained as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet. Before I could say anything else, Charlie yanked Jim's arms and placed one on my waist and one in my hand. "Now off you go," he called as he shoved us into the spinning circle of couples.

Before we knew it, we were trying to catch up with the everyone around us. I was having a hard time of it, having until that point only made up steps as I went. On the other hand, Jim, like most of the locals, knew the steps by heart. "Just let me lead, and follow the music!" he shouted over the music and pulled me in closer to him. I did as I was told, and the two of us were soon dancing in time with everyone else. The song and dance then became more complex, but I followed along as best as I could, staying in step as the women jumped into the center and spun back to their partners. As Jim and I skipped along the circle's edges, we began to laugh. "You're a natural at this!" he shouted. "On the contrary, I'm sure I've stepped on at least three of the other ladies' feet!"

"My toes haven't been crushed yet!"

"I stepped on theirs because I was avoiding yours!"

We laughed as the dance went on, enjoying ourselves without intending to. Amid the spinning faces I caught sight of the Doppler family dancing in a circle of their own. There were also quite a few cross young girls, some I remembered from before at the Inn. But as Charlie had said, they kept their distance from Jim and me. The dancing lasted until three in the morning and it was only when Charlie climbed atop the stage and announced its end that everyone stopped and dispersed, more than a few with disappointment on their faces.

My feet felt like they'd danced atop Jake's staffs and my flushed pink cheeks ached from smiling and laughing so much. Jim looked as tired and happy as I felt. We plopped ourselves onto the edge of the stage with the musicians. It took a single glance at each other to set us off laughing again. Jim was the first to recover his breath. "Thanks for the dance," he said. I sighed. "It was my pleasure." I could see the backs of the girls who'd been chasing Jim walking away. "Your fans sounded like they were ready to tear you apart."

He grimaced at that. He'd forgotten the whole reason we'd danced in the first place. I lay my side on the stage, and closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep right then and there. "I'm glad they were, though. Otherwise, we wouldn't have danced together." I peeked at his face. Sure enough, he was smiling again.

A pair of heeled boots blocked my view and above me loomed a female version of Jim. "Well, you two seem to have had fun."

I pushed myself up and stood politely in front of her. "Yes, we did, ma'am." I offered her my hand. "My name is Valerie Sky, though, if you wouldn't mind, you can call me Val. I believe I'll be staying at your lovely Inn for the next month or so." Smiling, she took my hand in hers, her grip firm as any man's would be. This woman clearly wasn't someone to mess with."My name is Sarah Hawkins, and I'm glad to have you as a guest." She smiled at Jim with a mysterious look in her eye while Jim stood himself up as well. "And from the way you two were dancing, you two already know each other from before?"

He raised his hands in front of him as if in defense. "We just met yesterday. And I happened to meet her again here with Phineas when I came to look for him."

"So I heard from the Doctor," she said. She looked like she wanted to ask something more but stopped and smiled at the both of us, her eyes warm with happiness. "How about we head back to the Inn? You two must be exhausted after such a long day. Val, would you like to come with us?"

"I wish I could but-"

Abby came barging in at that moment. "Come on, Val. You've had enough time to prance around. We have to clean up our stall." The redhead dragged me by my arm. She addressed the Hawkins as she made our way to the back of the square. "I'm sorry for being so rude again, but my sister and I have some urgent business to attend to!" I could hear Charlie rallying the troupers in the distance to clean up their assigned areas as I was yanked away from an open-mouthed Jim and a startled Mrs. Hawkins. The shouting died down and in a matter of moments, our brother joined us. "So how did it go?" he asked me nonchalantly.

"Well, none of those girls attacked him," I started, but Charlie shook his head. "That's not what I mean." Then he smiled cunningly. "I was asking 'bout your dance with the spacer."

"YOU! YOU! YOU SET ME UP!" Safe to say I was furious with the scoundrel. I hated being puppet-ed around, let alone by the likes of – of Charlie.

"Of course I did. You thought I was actually generous enough to help some random guy out?" Unfortunately, yes. I didn't dare open my mouth lest someone nearby hear something no set of ears deserves to bear.

"I was just thinking it was about time my sister got herself a boyfriend."

"So you made me date James Hawkins?"

He shrugged. "If you could call that a date. I didn't plan anything, I swear. I just took the opportunity as it presented itself. And that Hawkins guy seemed good enough for you, so why not?"

He said 'Hawkins' as if he hadn't idolized the guy as much as I did. He was the one who went and bought our ship, without letting anyone know he was even going out to the harbor.

"You do understand we're talking about the guy who found Treasure Planet, don't you?"

He winked. "No less for my little sis'."

He ran off before I could strangle him for being such a meddling brother. Abby let go of me and turned around as if nothing had happened. "You sweep and shine while I pick up the trash."

"Deal," I sighed. The day had been a long one and was taking its toll on me already, what with Charlie egging me on like that.

The next few hours were a blur of dust, wood-shavings, and lemon-scented furniture polish. I don't even remember the walk to the Inn. All I can recall is the morning that followed.

The morning my life should have ended.

Charlie grunted as he lifted his youngest sister onto his back from where she'd fallen asleep, leaning against the outer wall of her stall. Abigail watched, well-hidden concern finally surfacing onto her face. "You heard the rumors then too." It was a statement, not a question. Charlie refused to look at her. "Is it that obvious?" he asked, trying to hide the tightness in his voice behind his classic chuckle.

The red-haired sister crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I've known you longer than anyone, Charlie. You always get sentimental when you're worried. Especially when it comes to Val." Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle as she spoke, as if she spoke to a delicate child rather than her nineteen-year-old brother.

Charlie sighed, hinting at the heavy burden he truly carried. "Can you blame me? She's had to deal with more pain than either of us can imagine, and now...Now she's getting sucked back into that torture all over again. Because of us." The blonde spat the last words out, the ugliest things he could think of that had ever passed his lips. Tension filled the silence between them; frustration, anger, tragedy all mixed into one under the starry night sky. Finally, Abigail said, "And that's why you made her dance with Jim."

Charlie looked up at Abigail. "She'll need someone to take care of her once we're gone."

He'd said it so plainly, that phrase they'd been keeping from their minds the whole day. 'Once we're gone.' Both he and Abigail were shocked at how plain the truth was. They would be gone soon. They both knew. Abigail nodded; whether she was approving his decision or accepting their fate wasn't clear, nor was it important. "Let's go then."

The threesome walked together for the last time down the dimly lit path that led to the closest thing they had to 'home'.