The other pirates were already at the meeting place when they returned, waiting. Robinson had been paced back and forth and when he heard them approach, his eyes brightened.

"There you are!" he called, storming over. He gripped Jillian's shoulders. "What happened? Where is your brother?" Jillian was too surprised by his concern to speak properly. As the pirate captain examined her face, his eyes fell on the two kids they had rescued, who were standing right behind her. His usual scowl returned.

"Jillian," he seethed, letting go instantly. "Who...are...they?" His face turned red.

She looked to Sparky for help but he was too involved in speaking with Eye-Eye to notice. Or perhaps he did and was pretending he didn't.

"Ummm...this is Al and Goose," she said, pointing to them each in turn. "We saved them from these people who had kidnapped them." She found herself going faster out of nerves. "And they tried to kidnap us too and there aren't any kids in Brooks at all because-."

Robinson held up a hand to stop her mantra. "Okay, okay. Not that I understood anything but your jabbering gave be a headache. Now breathe and tell me what happened. Slowly." And she told him all that had taken place. Telling him a story yet again remined Jillian how good a listener Robinson was. He never interrupted and nodded and grumbled at all the right parts.

"And so we got stuck with these you ragamuffins," he finished, eyeing the kids skeptically. Jillian nodded, her throat now too dry for words. "Where are you two from?" he asked them.

Al spoke up first. "I'm from Across-the-Sea. I came here when I snuck on a ship of traders. They caught me and left me at a port here."

"Well that's terrible," Sparky said, butting in. "We just make our stowaways walk the plank. No one can be as nice as us, I guess." Rosie and Eye-Eye both punched him as Al's face went pale.

"So, you r-really are pirates?" he stammered, taking a couple steps back.

Robinson kneeled down so the two were face-to-face. "Yes, we are, boy, and if you ever want to see Across-the-Sea again, you better do everything I say, got it?"

Al saluted. "Yes, sir!" Before the pirate could rise up, he was attacked around the middle by a blur of blond hair.

"What-?" he tried to protest. Jillian laughed as he struggled to pry Goose's hands off from around his waist. No one tried to help him.

"My name is Goose!" the little girl said inbetween giggles. "I like you!" She squealed with laughter as Robinson got to his feet, leaving her dangling off the ground by at least a foot.

"Jillian," he cried. "Get this thing off of me!"

They retired to their makeshift campsite to discuss their plan. Robinson had been saved from Goose by Boulder, who held the sleeping girl gently in his big arms. Al quickly attached himself you Rosie, who unknowingly amused the boy with his one-word responses to his unending questions.

Smalls seemed to be the only one who was against their new additions. Perhaps it was jealously at not being the youngest anymore. He took out his frustration by sharpening a stick, which was dangerously getting sharper by the minute.

"We can't reach the giants," Robinson informed, tossing another log into the crackling flames. "Everyone we asked said the only way to reach them was with a beanstalk, but the last one was chopped down by the Giant Slayer about six or seven years ago."

Jillian was appalled by the terrible news. "Couldn't we just grow another one?" She refused to give up.

"And exactly where would you look to find beans for a giant beanstalk, may I ask?" he snapped.

Jillian was at a loss for words. "Hey, Captain," Eye-Eye said tentatively. "We do know of some people who may help-."

"No we don't," Robinson interrupted. "It is great to know that this whole trip was a complete waste of time!"

"No it wasn't!" Jillian shot back, anger churning withing her. The other pirates grew silent and watched the banter unfold. "I've learned alot about who my family is and where they are."

"Where they aren't is a far better description of your discoveries!" Robinson rose went back to pacing again. "We should've just dropped you off at that port and then go back to sea, like Cook said!"

Jillian knew Robinson was livid if he started taking Cook's advice. She should've tried to calm him down but didn't want to. She felt like fighting. "Well go, then!" she yelled, causing veryone to flinch. She saw that Goose that awoken and had been watching the entire exchange with wide eyes. "Don't need you! Its more like you need me! Who saved your from the mermaids? Or the nymphs? Or just now, when we escaped Brooks?" She had never felt this amount of fury at anyone before.

"You've made your point," the captain said, breathing hard. "What do you want me to do?"

"I WANT YOU TO LEAVE!" Jillian flung her arm out and a blot of magic shot out of her hand. Without meaning to, struck him in the torso and he flew back into the brush. With a gasp of horror at what she had done, Jillian clapped her hands over her mouth, all anger draining away.

"Captain!" Sparky cried. Jillian hung back as the other pirates ran to the aid of their leader who lay sprawled on the ground, ice covering the front of his shirt.

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard him mumble, "I'm fine." Robinson shakily got to a sitting position and tried to stand.

Boulder pushing him down. "Let me make sure you aren't frozen anywhere." There was a ripping sound as he pulled open the captain's shirt and a collective hush from the young pirates. Jillian edged closer and saw a dark, nearly black, patch of skin on Robinson's torso. The young man winced as he put his hand to it. "Frostbite," Boulder confirmed.

"I'm so sorry," Jillian whisphered. She took a step closer.

Eye-Eye whirled on her. "Look what you did!" he screamed. "You hurt him! You hurt someone!"

"I didn't-."

"I didn't trust you at first and all anyone did was ridicule me and defend you!" He turned to his comrades. "Didn't I say there was something dangerous about her?" To Jillian, Eye-Eye sounded just like Sheriff Anton.

One by one, the other pirates nodded. She felt tears well up in her eyes. "And no one believed me," Eye-Eye reiterated.

"That's enough," Robinson said. Jillian felt a wash of relief. Was he going to forgive her? "You made your point. And Jillian?" She stared at his cold face. "Go."

Tears streamed down her face. "It was an accident!" she cried. "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" Why was no one defending her? Neither Rosie or Sparky came to her aid.

"You wanted me to leave," Robinson said quietly. "But you are the one that needs to go."

Jillian sniffed. All of her tears had run out. "Fine," she said, numbly. "I'll leave." Without a backwards look at anybody, she turned and walked off into the night.