Hey all! I wrote another one shot, but this one is for Hoagie and Abby~ sort of. It's more of a friendship-ish thing, but I like the tone of it, and I hope you do too. I know I have some other stories that I need to keep working on, but so many little ideas have been coming to me and I just have to get them written down or else they may float away!

Anyway, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the KND, or the characters.

-Kat

"Hoagie?" I asked quietly as I let myself into his room. I looked around, but I could not see the boy anywhere. I walked up to the middle of his room; that's when I heard him stir.

"Hoagie?" I asked again, this time looking up into the plane he had been working on for the past few weeks. He had made the mistake of hiding in the cockpit, which was encased in see through glass. Though it was hard, I could just make out the top of his messy auburn hair. I sighed and reached up to grab the first rung of the ladder that would take me up to his level. As I made my ascent, I wondered how much he must be hurting right now, to be hiding away from us and ignoring our calls for him. I reached the glass and looked in to see the boy everyone had been worried about, including myself. I knocked quietly on the glass, and without even a quick glance in my direction, he half-heartedly pressed his finger to a button, opening the hatch in the glass and allowing me entrance. I quickly slid into the chair next to his and marvelled at how spacious the room was, despite its outwards appearance. It reminded me of him in a way… himself being totally different to how the world saw him. I stared at him in silence for a moment, but he did not stir again except to remove his hand from the button once more. His face was sullen, his eyelids drooped and his gaze was empty, vacant, as he stared out into space, not focusing on anything. I couldn't help but feel disheartened by his dishevelled appearance. I realised something was missing, and when I looked down I saw his cherished aviator hat and goggles, clutched tightly in his white knuckled hand. I scooted a little closer to the still silent boy. I hated the silence he omitted; it was far louder than any of his fits of laughter, or any of his childish puns combined.

"Numbuh 1 told Abby… about your dad," I said quietly, trying to get him to move, speak, anything. But he did nothing, just sat there, his mouth forming a thin line across the face… a face that would normally be vibrant with foolish excitement. I sighed, "Abby's sorry Hoags…" Still nothing, just an empty stare. I was starting to regret coming up, for I felt as though I would be leaving more depressed than when I came in. I started to get up when he finally spoke.

"He was everything I ever wanted to be…" he whimpered softly. I was just relieved to see that he still felt emotion, "He was brave, fearless, strong, funny, caring… and the best pilot to ever soar through the skies," I looked back at my friend, tears running down his pale cheeks. He was silent for a moment, obviously trying to compose himself, but I placed a chocolate coloured hand on his shoulder in effort to say 'It's alright.'

"I never thought we'd get that letter… He promised he would come home," he was sobbing now, his head hanging so that I couldn't see his face, "He said he was coming home in May, he only had to make it through 2 more months!" he cried, "I was finally going to see him again! After 5 years, he was going to come home! But they shot him down!" he bellowed. I moved my hand to rub his back as he sobbed into his hands. He slowly quieted down. I tried to think of something to say, anything really, but I just couldn't. For once, I couldn't come up with a plan. There was nothing to say. My best friend had just suffered a loss that I couldn't even imagine. He was broken, like one would expect, but I couldn't help but feel something in myself break too. The one boy I thought would never crack… the one boy who's overly contagious smile seemed to be a constant in my life… the one boy who's sparkling blue eyes always seemed to glow in dim light, was now a blubbering mess. I couldn't help feeling enraged by this. How dare someone steal away his happiness? How dare someone try to chip away at his childhood? Before I could stop myself, I reached for his hat, pried it from his fingers. I gently slid it over his long, shaggy. Chestnut coloured hair, and he looked up questioningly. I ignored him and reached for his goggles, turning his face toward me so I could take one last long look at his glistening blue eyes, before I set his signature eyewear back into place. I smiled, pleased at him looking like… him again. I finally found my tongue.

"If he's everything you ever wanted to be… Abby says you're already well on your way Hoags," He looked a little stunned, but the ghost of a smile that crossed his lips prodded me on, "and Abby says that you're dad would be one proud man," I felt relieved when he choked back his tears and grinned widely at me. I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a comforting pat on the back before I pulled away and smirked at his reddening features. The sparkle in his eyes remained burdened by the pain he had been forced to bear, and I knew in my heart that it would for a long time to come. But the smile on his face was a start.

"Come on Hoagie, let's go get some ice cream, but no sprinkles!" He chuckled at that, and that's when I realised something; every moment that it might take to save this boy from despair, would be more than worth it.