Hiyas and welcome to my Treasure Planet fiction! The one Tasha's been bugging me about...

Disclaimer: I don't own TP, or the characters, or anything really...

Amelia: ...Right.

Hey! Look who's here to help me with this. Hey, Mimi.

Amelia: He--What...did you just call me?

Umm...Nothing... Hehe...

Special Thanks:

God, for my talent. I love to write so much, and I'm glad I do it well

Tasha - for pushing me to death to write this silly thing, and helping out with the plot. Love ya'

...Is TP a disney movie? I can't remember... Oh, well. Thank you, People-Who-Made-Treasure-Planet!

And all my readers - love you, too. Tanks for all your support.

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"Your father is late again--Carla, stop pulling your brother's ear!" Standing, she crossed to the two siblings, and pried the little girl away from the dog-eared boy, ignoring the whimpers and protesting squeals. Shaking her head, she lifted a hand to brush stray auburn strands of hair from her face, her feline ears flattening back against her head in frustration. Where was he?

"Delbert Doppler!" she snapped as the door opened, turning swiftly on high heel to face the new arrival. Her ears straightened as her expression softened into that of surprise.

"No...Jim Hawkins." James Pleiades Hawkins had poked his head around the cracked-open door. "Nice to meet you."

"Mister Hawkins," she said, shifting the baby girl in her arms as Carla stared at Jim. "I apologize for my...assumption." Her heavily accented voice held a weary note in it. "Please...come in."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he obliged, closing the door behind him. Immediately, the only boy of the litter - Nathan - was at him feet. Jim bent down to pick up the kid. "Hey, gnat." He looked back up as Amelia was putting Carla down to play with her sisters, rather than harassing Nathan.

"Might I inquire as to your purpose for visiting?" asked the feline-like woman, resisting the urge to simply collapse into the nearest chair in exhaustion.

Jim blinked, looking up from the infant in his arms. "What? Oh - oh yeah! Delbert wanted me to tell you something."

"A reason for his failure to show himself, I hope." Her ears flattened back again as she narrowed her keen eyes, hands grasping her hips.

"Heh. Now I know why he doesn't do it himself - you really are very scary sometimes."

Amelia gave him a wry look, almost smirking. But she refrained. "What is it, Mister Hawkins?" she asked. If Delbert had sent Jim to tell her something, she wanted to know what it was, exactly.

"I don't really know." He shrugged, bouncing Nathan. "He just said to tell you he'd be a little late, that's all."

"I see." She stopped forcing herself to stay standing, and let out a resigned little sigh as she sat down in the chair behind her, thoroughly exhausted. "Thank you." A little late. What did he call what had happened every night for the past week?

"Uh...Are you alright?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes. Just a little tired, I'll admit. Nothing too serious, however." Immediately she was on her feet again, straightening her shirt with dignity. Even worn out, she was rather...springy.

Jim blinked. "...Right. Okay then." He shook his head, and lowered Nathan back to the floor. "Well, I think I'd better get back to the Benbow. Mom's having trouble with some kid. If she's going to keep the new and improved inn standing, she'll need some help." He scratched the back of his head.

Amelia quirked a tiny half-smile, and nodded. "I suppose a strapping young lad like you would be a great asset to your mother in those situations. You certainly seem to have a way with Nathan." She looked with just barely masked affection on her son, who was now crawling toward his sisters again.

"Gnat reminds me of someone. Other than Delbert," chuckled Jim. Nathan really did resemble his father greatly, just as Carla, Renae, and Lillian looked much like herself.

"Oh? Who is that?" asked the relatively-new mother, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"Me." He shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Oh well. Don't hurt Delbert when he gets home."

Amelia shook her head. "No promises, my boy," she mused, watching him go. "Alright...bed," she added to the children, who stared up at her. Lifting first Nathan and Renae, she carried them upstairs and to their seperate cribs - it wasn't smart to bed them all down together - before taking the other two up to repeat this ritual.

Babies down for the night, Amelia made herself a cup of hot tea, sitting down again to read until Delbert returned. Several chapters later, she glanced up, having heard a creak. Normally, she would have bruhsed it off. But he wasn't home yet, and everyone but herself was in bed. Scanning the ceiling, she frowned. "Paranoid," she remarked to herself, looking back at the pages.

Then it sounded again. She blinked, and closed the book, setting it on the chair after standing. Something was amiss. She ascended to the second floor, checking on the children. A relieved sigh passed her lips as she saw that they were all sleeping soundly. They were alright. But then...what was the noise?

She shook her head, going back down the stairs. Though, what she saw when she reached the bottom startled and alarmed her somewhat. "Who are you? she asked, immediately taking up a defensive position.

Two brutish men were in her living room, looking as if they had a rather sinister purpose for such. One nodded to the other, and they both advanced. But she wasn't going anywhere without a fight...

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Dundundun! What will happen? -Gasp-

Amelia: ...I don't know. But it had better not--

I don't listen to muses. Just so you know. A fair warning, Mimi. I make their lives miserable, because I love them so. Stay tuned, readers!