A/N: I always wondered how Dee Dee got Koosy back after Dexter imagined him away, so this is my idea. ;) Best understood if you've seen the Dexter's Laboratory episodes "The Koos is Loose," "Dexter Detention," and "Mandarker." Enjoy!

And Koosy Makes Three

PART ONE

"Mandark…I know this is kind of unexpected…I'm usually not this shy…it's just, well, I think you're so dreamy and smart and handsome that I just couldn't get up the courage to talk to you until now. But, well, you're the only guy in the whole entire school I'd ever DREAM of asking to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Oh Mandark, please say you'll go with me, and make me the happiest girl in the world!"

I blinked as a crash of thunder jarred me from my reverie. Ah, the Sadie Hawkins Dance, yes. Frowning, I plucked off one of the flyers which had been plastered (by some idiot on the dance committee) to every wall in the school. November 9th – barely a week away, and all the girls would be forced to decide who they would ask to the dance in this cruel and unjust reversal of roles. Who was I kidding? Like Dee Dee, that golden-haired princess of the sky, would ever ask me to go with her. I knew I was superior in intelligence to every other boy in the school – and in my admiration for Dee Dee I was equally unsurpassed – but I wasn't exactly the suave type. She'd never notice me.

"But," I considered, hanging up my rain-soaked slicker in my locker, "she hasn't asked anyone else either…if only I could get her attention, do her a favor, something really great, she'd consider asking me!" It wasn't impossible. I mean, man had made it to the moon, right?

I usually arrived early to school on Tuesdays, because then I had access to the science labs (and their unlimited store of free supplies, haha) before any other students. Well, except for a certain halfwit who liked to take up valuable oxygen and space on the planet. This halfwit was, in fact, already seated in the lab that morning (in the spot he KNEW I always preferred) and was dimly paging through a thick textbook. I'll admit, I was surprised to find him so unapologetically lazy – at least he was usually faking some kind of busywork. But today it was obvious he was in lalaland.

"Dexter."

"Mandark."

I terminated these superfluous greetings by pulling out a stool, picking up a textbook and calculator, and preparing to get some real work done.

Except for the fact that Dexter, naturally, was thwarting me. I would have launched right into proofing Newton's gravitational theorems, myself, but every time I raised my eyes I caught another glimpse of Dexter paging listlessly through his book. After a few more attempts to study I finally, for the sake of science, demanded, "Hey Dexter, what's your problem anyway?"

"NONE OF YOUR BEESWAX!" he burst out defensively, slamming his book shut. Ha, so something was bothering the grand boy genius! (Not that I cared, apart from being able to privately gloat over it.) He glowered at me, realizing his mistake, and I smirked back. "I mean...," he corrected himself, "nothing is wrong. Nothing at all. But thank you for asking. I know you are the soft emotional sort."

"Nice one, but don't flatter yourself, Dexter. You're not my type." Ha, that shut him up, the freaky little gnome. He frowned, and was about to return to his lollygagging, when his beady eyes caught sight of the dance flyer poking out of my folder.

Drat.

"Ohoh, what have we here?"

"HEY!"

He snatched it, and brought it two millimeters from his glasses so he could read it. "Ah, a poster for the Sadie Hawkins Dance? So Mandark has taken a liking to public humiliation, I see. Of course, I suppose you are unaware of the fact that the "Sadie Hawkins" dance (as it is colloquially called) originated in the early 20th century, and was taken from the so-named event in the Li'l Abner comic strip series? She was "the homeliest gal in all them hills." I guess you two have some things in common."

"Well unlike you, Dexter, I don't tend to base my store of factual knowledge around information from comic strips. But yes, I actually did know that. So ha. And frankly I don't see why you care at all – considering no girl in her right senses would ever ask YOU to the dance!"

"Oh, on the contrary, Mandark," he answered, delicately replacing the folder on my desk with a satisfied smile. "Miss Wimple has, in fact, asked me to accompany her."

Now there are bounds to believability, so I feel perfectly justified in admitting I whirled around in shock. "Huh? What the heck are you TALKING about?" Miss Wimple was an adult, and the best looking one in school besides – what did she want with the Dorkster?

"She asked me to assist her in chaperoning the occasion – and how could I reject her, hm?" He grinned, that sickening, slimy, overbitish Dexter grin. "So I suppose I'll be seeing you there then?"

He was so conceited, so certain that every girl in the school would automatically shun me, that I fumed with indignation. "Yeah Dexter, you bet I'll see you there!"

He raised one eyebrow. "Ah. And I suppose you are hoping my sister will ask you? Ha! Dee Dee may be stupid but she still has a few IQ points to work with."

"Don't you talk about Dee Dee like that!" I fired back. "Just watch, Dexter – I'll show you!"

The bell rang as soon as I spoke, allowing Dexter the easy way out. "Hm, I look forward to that, Mandark." He hopped down from his stool and shouldered his backpack, and without another word he had shuffled off to join the crowd of fourth graders headed for class.

As for me, I was so furious I could barely pack up my own bookbag. Well played, Dexter – he had distracted me from whatever failure or problem he'd been brooding over by insulting not only me, but my one true love as well. Little did he know I was far smarter than he thought.

"I don't know how, but I'll show him. Dee Dee WILL ask me to the dance, and I'll best Dexter in front of everyone. He'll see."

The bell rang again, and I hurried out into the hallway. Math class waited for no man – not even an evil genius with a plan.

-X-

Fortunately for my scheming, Mr. Levinsky had issued a pop quiz – considering it covered only the most basic material (I mean please it was 4th grade math, people), I only had to take the time to physically read and write out my responses, and then I had at least 20 spare minutes to devise my own gameplan. (I also noticed Dexter was particularly slow that day, returning his test a whole 3.527 seconds after me, which confirmed my suspicions of some inner turmoil. Ha!) I realized that, in order to better understand Dee Dee's current frame of mind, I would have to do some friendly spying, and since we didn't share classes and I usually only passed her in a glorious moment in the hall, there was only one course of action. "I'll have to eat in the lunchroom."

For a young man of my intellectual standing, eating in the lunchroom usually means subjecting oneself to the giggles and teasing of foolish girls, the shoves and spitballs of the athletes, and the mind-numbing comic book chatter of common nerds. I therefore usually ate whatever lunch my mother packed me alone, in the classroom.

"But faint heart never won fair maiden," I reminded myself, so ten minutes later I was equipped with a steaming tray of something unidentifiable, and I gingerly squeezed my way between talking kids until I found an empty table in the corner where I could eat and eavesdrop unobserved.

Well, it WOULD have been unobserved, except I had failed to remember that my sister Olga, after one of her periods of hostility towards Dee Dee (and her two cheap copy wannabe friends who paled in comparison to my daffodil) was now on good terms with them again. As soon as I saw Dee Dee and her friends sit down at their table, Olga spotted me.

"What are YOU doing here, dweeb?" she demanded, and every girl at the table instantly swiveled and stared at me.

"I – I'm eating," I managed to choke out under the influence of Dee Dee's eyes. They were the color of the sky.

"Just ignore him," said one of the friends (Mee Mee, I suppose). And so they did. Really well, actually.

Darn you Olga. I picked at my – lunch, for lack of a better word – with a plastic fork. I was afraid to chew anything for fear I would miss part of their conversation.

For the first ten minutes they mostly talked about dance class, ponies, Eleventeen magazine (Shmarky Shmark was on the cover, apparently) and other topics which didn't help me at all! I found, to my dismay, that Dee Dee wasn't saying much of anything, and seemed to be playing with her food without interest. But finally, Mee Mee and Lee Lee propped their elbows up on the lunch table and grinned dimly at each other. "Now it's time for some real girl talk!" Mee Mee giggled. "So Dee Dee, who are you gonna ask to the dance?"

Dee Dee took a sip of milk. "Oh, uh, I dunno…who are you guys asking?" She didn't know! Excellent!

"Well I'm asking Todd. He's dreamy!"

"And I'm asking Johnny. He's dreamier!"

"And I'm not going because it's stupid." (That was my sister.)

"I dunno if I'm going either," Dee Dee sighed. Huh? "I don't think I'll feel like it."

Mee Mee and Lee Lee looked at each other with concern, and I almost fell off my bench straining to hear. "Aw Dee Dee, what's wrong?" Lee Lee asked. "You've been sad all day. And now you don't even wanna go to the dance with us? Something must really be bothering you."

Dee Dee looked up. Her lip trembled. "Well it's just – I don't – OH, I CAN'T TAKE IT! DEXTER – DEXTER IMAGINED KOOSY AWAY!" She burst into tears, and she sobbed so loudly that everyone in the cafeteria turned around and stared at her misery. "HE'S GONE FOREVER AND I – I – I WANT MY KOOSALAGOOPAGOOP BA-AA-ACK!"

Koosalagoopagoop?

Olga was wide-eyed and embarrassed by the scene, and Dee Dee's friends tried unsuccessfully to console her. "Come On, Dee," Mee Mee urged. "He was your imaginary friend! Can't you imagine him back?"

Imaginary friend?

"I TRI-I-IED!" She sniffed and wailed again. "He won't COME back! He's in the great beYONNND!"

"W-well…so there's no way to get him back?" Lee Lee prodded. "I mean there's gotta be some way, Dee Dee."

"Only magic would bring my Koosy back," Dee Dee cried, big fat tears rolling onto the table. "And I don't know anyone who works magic," she added in despair.

Magic?

"I can't – I WON'T go to the dance or have any fun till I get Koosy back. I won't be happy without him! It isn't fair." Dee Dee had evidently cried out all she could, and was wiping her red face with her arm and sniffling loudly. "So there."

But I had to admit, I couldn't remember the last time I had been so happy – more or less. Poor Dee Dee had suffered at the hands of her merciless brother, who apparently loathed her imaginary friend – the creation of that beautiful angel's mind! But I was master at summoning creatures from the other dimensions, especially imaginary ones – I mean heck, I'd even written a whole thesis with the help of Jojo!

"Once more the dark arts will help me," I thought with glee as I gulped down a few bites of lunch. "I will bring back the Koosalagoopagoop – whatever that is – thus thwarting Dexter's attempts to destroy it, restoring Dee Dee's happiness, and securing her admiration for me. Then she'll have to ask me to the dance. Hahaha! Good thing I just got my wizarding robe back from the cleaners'."

-X-

I'd have to talk to Dee Dee alone. Ah…just the thought of her glowing…head, I guess (in my vision the light was all around her so I guess it was coming from her head) was enough to make me shiver in bliss…and maybe a bit of fear. But I swear no other man in history has felt what I do for Dee Dee!

Dee Dee was so popular it would be tricky to catch her alone, away from her two wannabe friends. It would take a brain of my my size to figure that one out.

But wait…

While Mr. Levinsky droned on about King Tutankhamen (and Dexter sat taking notes lest his feeble brain forget), I dived into my bookbag. "Yes…excellent, just as I thought!"

"And that concludes our discussion on King Tut!" Mr. Levinsky finally said, pleased with himself. "Class dismissed!"

I still had my arm shoved elbow-length into my knapsack, and I ignored Dexter's quizzical look as he passed by. I had no time for him now. I had bigger things to worry about.

As the fourth graders filed out into the hallway, I could hear chattering voices coming from the sixth-grade classroom. Perfect.

"And then I said, 'No way! Sparkle Star Pony is WAY better than Purple Rain Pony' – hey, come on Dee Dee, hurry up!"

No, Dee Dee, slow down. I watched as Mee Mee and Lee Lee turned the corner, looking back at my lagging princess, and at that moment I yanked a candy bar and some random lollipops out of my bookbag (Halloween leftovers, hahaha!) and chucked them down the hallway!

While Mee Mee blathered on about ponies, Lee Lee slammed in her tracks. "Mee Mee, wait a second!" She sniffed the air like a bloodhound. "I smell….yes…somewhere in this hall there is – "

"CANDY!" They disappeared faster than you can say Pythagoream Theroem.

Excellent.

"Hey you guys, where did you go?" Dee Dee called, confused, as she finally came out of the classroom. Then she saw me.

"Ugh, get away from me, Mandork!" she groaned, elbowing me as she passed by.

It was then I realized how affected she was by the loss of her imaginary friend. Usually she just rolled her eyes – she was never this harsh!

"Oh, um, Dee Dee, wait, I needed to talk to you!"

She frowned. "But you're always so BORING," she sighed, impatiently.

I don't know how I was any more boring than her brother but I overlooked this.

"Um, uh, really, I'll make it fast! Uh, in the lunchroom today I heard you talking about your, um, Koosalagoopagoop?"

"Yeah." She frowned again, and started playing with a pompom on her backpack. "I miss him."

"Oh, of course you do! But you know – I happen to be an expert on Koosalagoopa…goops." I crossed my fingers and hoped that was the proper plural form.

I guess it was, because her eyes grew huge and she stared at me. "Nuh-uh!"

"Oh yes, I can assure you I am. I've read extensively on the topic – it's just another thing we have in common."

She blinked, and seemed to be calculating something in her head. "Nuh-uh. Cause I'm pretty sure I made them up." She scratched her head, and all her sadness was apparently replaced by curiosity and confusion. "I mean, gee, even Dexter hadn't heard of a Koos – "

DEXTER? "Well just because DEXTER hasn't heard of one doesn't mean anybody with an average intelligence hasn't so maybe he's not as smart as he likes to think and tell everybody he is and it's not impossible that maybe I know a few things he DOESN'T, so ha!"

Dee Dee shrugged. "OKAY, sorry, geez, don't get your underpants in a wrinkle. ANYway, you know about Koosy. So you know he can change size, right?"

Still hung on the way she said "underpants," I supplied a vague "Yeah."

"Hmm, and you know he has a big heart on his tummy that glows when he's happy?"

"Uh…yeah, of course."

"And you know that he's very kind and gentle, and he can make a mean Pepe wrap?"

"Well geez," I replied with a snort, "who DOESN'T?"

She blinked. "Wow, I guess you do know everything there is about Koosy. Not that it matters," she added, with a sniffle. "Stupid Dexter went and imagined him way, so now Koosy is lost forever."

"But you see, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!" I protested. "Not only am I a Koos expert, I am also skilled in the dark arts."

"Yeah, that's how you made that icky goo monster that tried to eat me at the science fair."

"Well…uh…yes. But forget about that! I can do more than summon icky goo monsters…I can also bring the Kooslagoopagoop back - from wherever your horrible brother banished him to."

I could visibly see Dee Dee processing this information as she stared at me. Slowly her face crept into a smile, and then without warning she let out an ear-splitting scream and threw herself at me! "DO IT!" Bring him back, Mandark!" she shrieked, straight into my ear. But I didn't care at all, oh dear no! "Oh KOOSY! EEEEE! YAY! Bring him back TONIGHT!" I couldn't say anything – I was willing myself not to transform into a puddle of goo in her arms.

Probably due to my silence, she suddenly noticed our hug and immediately detached. "Ew gross, get off of me."

I think I apologized. Who cared who hugged who? It was glorious. "Um…okay, come to my lab tonight at 7 then, and we'll get the Koosalagoopagoop back."

Dee Dee screamed again and stood on tiptoe in an improvised ballet move. "EEE, I can't WAIT! YAY! I'll see you then, Mandark! Bye!" She pirouetted, slung her backpack over her shoulder, then danced and leapt and twirled down the hallway, singing and giggling with glee. And it was all thanks to me.

Tonight at 7.

I don't care what you, with your insignificant mind, might think. In my book, that was a date!