A/N: This is an idea I came up with a month or so ago, and it took me awhile because this one shot is an absolute monster xD Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy!
Operation F.A.R.E.W.E.L.L.- Forlorn Absence Regarding Existing Without Exciting Lifelong Leadership
The four friends stood in front of their beloved treehouse. The place they had spent the last few years going on crazy adventures together, while fighting against adult tyranny.
Even though the sun was only beginning to set, the treehouse had a dark shadow cast upon it. It was empty, dark, cold. The house that stood beneath it was the same, with only a dim light in one of the windows trying to brighten things up.
The cold breeze made the children shiver, as they stood together in a bundle. Usually they'd have the warmth of each other, but tonight they all felt the same.
Empty, dark, cold.
Their eyes were red and puffy, some still with tears in their eyes. Their noses sniffled as they tried to contain the snot. The only thing that could make them feel better was knowing that they were all suffering from the same kind of pain.
The pain of losing someone they had all relied on for years, someone who they knew cares deeply about each and every one of them, someone whom they considered a close friend.
He didn't die, but he might as well have.
It had been only a couple of hours since his departure, yet grief had already wreaked havoc in their souls.
It was getting late, and they all knew that they needed to let their parents know what was going on.
"I...I already told my mom that I-I'd be staying with you guys t-tonight," Numbuh 2, said, wiping his nose.
The others shook their heads in agreement.
Numbuh 3 spoke between sobs. "I-I really d-don't want t-to go in the t-treehouse knowing that N-Numbuh 1 isn't there," she managed to choke out before hiding her face in the sleeves of her sweater.
The new leader of Sector V looked at her grief-stricken teammates. Numbuh 2 had managed to calm himself enough so that he could rub Numbuh 3's back, and Numbuh 4...oh he was pitiful too. He was currently face first in her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her stomach as she tried her best to calm him.
She felt a few tears run down her face as she spoke. "Okay, guys listen here."
The other operatives looked at her.
"Numbuh 5 doesn't like this anymore than you guys do," she continued, patting Numbuh 4's head. "I know that being in that treehouse right now would cause us all to be even more upset."
"B-But, what other options are there?", Numbuh 4 asked, sniffling.
She sighed and looked down at him. She watched as Numbuh 2 took off his cap, and Numbuh 3 gasped. Numbuh 4 looked around, confused.
"I don't get it," he said. "What are we doing?"
She sighed again. "Num-I mean, Wally…", she knelt to look at him. "Where do we usually sleep when we're not at the treehouse?"
He gasped as a new set of tears formed in his eyes. "No...please, no."
The group gave one last hug before splitting off and heading in different directions.
At first, they thought that being together would help calm their feelings, but they all new deep down that maybe, being away for a bit could help sooth things over.
Besides, they all had their own ways of dealing with things.
For Numbuh 2, he often liked to shut himself away in his room and build things. His house may not have had as many parts as the treehouse, but he would make do.
His house wasn't very far from the treehouse, only a few streets away. Though, the walk felt like it was taking forever. Maybe it was because of how he was walking with his arms to his side, dragging his cap across the ground, or because his eyes were so puffy that it was hard to see.
The last thing he wanted to think about was having to deal with his family when he got there. He could shut himself away in his room, and his mom wouldn't ask why. It was his little brother and grandmother he had to worry about.
Though, if he was lucky, maybe she'd be asleep when he got there. He hoped maybe his brother would be up in his room, doing who knows what.
All he knew was that at this moment, the last thing he wanted to do was deal with his family.
He finally made it to his house, lifting his head to see the white exterior. The house had many glass windows, some of which were already dark. He noticed that the big ones on the bottom were lit up, indicating what he was afraid of.
There were still people in there.
He sighed as he stepped up onto the porch, taking in deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. One advantage he had over his friends was that he had his pilot cap, making it easy to hide his face. He grabbed it with both hands and slipped it over his face.
He took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob. The door creaked as he opened it, causing him to close his eyes.
Shutting it behind him as quietly as he could, he looked around. The television in in the living room was left on, but the room was empty. A smell filled his nose, and if it weren't for his current emotional state, it would have made his mouth water.
"Oh, Hoagie! There you are."
He jumped slightly as he heard his mom yell from the kitchen.
"Uh, y-yeah Mom it's me," he said. "Sorry I was out so long."
"Oh, don't worry about it, sweetie," she said, stirring something on the stove. "I'm just glad you made it back in time to eat."
"Heh, yeah," he said, rubbing his neck. "I'll be up in my room for a bit."
"Okay, well don't stay long," she said. "I'll let you know when to come down."
"O-okay, thanks," he said, already heading up the stairs.
A feeling of relief flooded him as he was able to make it upstairs without a single questioning. The doors on the second floor were all closed, including the one that belonged to his little brother, Tommy. Weird sounds could be heard from inside, but he wasn't going to question it.
Hoagie went into the door next to that one, his room. It felt a bit off to him as his stepped inside. The room wasn't small by any means, but compared to his room back at the treehouse, it was suffocating.
Still, the room functioned as his sanctuary when he needed it. Sometimes things back at the treehouse got kinda hectic, and he would take a break, coming back to his room at home.
It was full of things he'd made over the years, like model airplanes and those weird paintings from art class. Nothing he'd made here was as exciting as what he made for his teammates, though.
Teammates…
Thinking about them was still a bit painful, and the last thing he wanted to do was cry again, especially before dinner.
He turned on the light, and walked over to his bed, looking underneath. There were many boxes, a few of which were the parts to model vehicles that he'd been saving for times like this.
Most of them were cars, or trains. His favorite were the airplanes, which he only had a few of. He saved those for times when he really needed something to distract himself.
The times when his grandmother wouldn't stop yelling at him for no reason, or on the anniversary of his father's death.
When he lost one of his best friends.
He shook his head as he grabbed the box, and sat it on his bed, climbing up with it. He took a pair of scissors he kept in a drawer next to his bed and began opening it.
It was a bigger aircraft, like a passenger plane. It was his favorite color too, a pretty, shiny blue.
Hoagie took the pieces out and spread them across his bed, making sure they didn't fall off.
As he began to put them all together, he hardly noticed, but a small smile formed on his face.
One of his favorite parts of being in the Kids Next Door was his job as the 2x4 technology officer and pilot. The task of taking household objects and turning them into weapons, was not an easy task. It took months for him to figure out some things, but now he was recognized as being one of the best in the organization.
They all were, he and his team.
They always had people who praised them so much that, sometimes, they felt as though they weren't allowed to make mistakes.
Nigel was there to tell them otherwise, though. Whenever any of them felt bad about making a mistake during a mission, he'd tell them to just do better next time. He was always good at that.
Nigel was more than a teammate to him, though. Hoagie felt his eyes water as he remembered their first moments together.
They'd met back in Kindergarten, on the first day. He remembered telling Nigel that he talked funny, and they laughed. During that time, they did everything together.
They had their on spot in the classroom that was just theirs, where they had their favorite toys. They always put their mats next to each other at nap time and played together at recess.
He remembered when they got a new student later in the year, and some of the kids were so mean to him. Nigel was there to stand up for him, and that's how Wally became their close friend too.
Hoagie wiped his eyes and looked down at the plane. Only a few pieces were left before it was completed, and he could add yet another to his collection.
Remembering things like that was hard now, but he knew, deep in his heart, that even though Nigel wasn't there with him…
…He'd always remember the good times they had together, and how he had one of his best friends as his leader.
He knew that the team would never be the same with only the four of them, but they'd make it work.
Nigel wouldn't want them all to stop doing what they love because he left, he'd be disappointed if they did.
He yawned and sat the plane on his nightstand.
Not even bothering to change into his pajamas, he threw off his shoes, and slipped into his covers. He grabbed his phone and clicked into their group chat.
Before drifting to sleep, he sent them a message that read:
Good night, guys. I hope you all feel better tomorrow, or at least somewhat. Maybe…we can all get together again soon? I miss you guys already…
Hoagie
He hit send and laid his phone on his night stand. He rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes.
"Good night, Nigel," he whispered at the window next to him. "I'll never forget you, I promise."
Numbuh 3 felt as though the walk to her own house took forever. It was hard to see because of the tears in her eyes, the sidewalk was merely a blur. Her sweater sleeves were soaked with tears and snot, and so was her purple Rainbow Monkey.
She hugged it close to her chest. "Oh, I-I'm so sorry," she said. "I'll clean you up soon, I promise. Just…not right n-now."
Finally, she saw the roof of her house. The entrance was clear, and it was awfully dark inside. Both cars were gone, indicating both of her parents were out. They both worked late, something she was only now getting used to since her dad had just gotten a new job.
Her little sister had been forever grounded to her room, only coming out for special occasions. This meant she was often alone in her house.
Being alone wasn't something she enjoyed. Her kind, and carefree spirit always requires her to be in the presence of someone else, usually a friend.
She'd been staying at the treehouse lately, but of course, tonight that was out of the question.
Her cries became softer as she reached for the doorknob and headed inside. Every room was dark, with only a small light in the kitchen guiding her along.
In a way, it was a relief that her parents were gone. She knew that they'd ask her what was going on, and she knew that she wasn't really allowed to explain. She'd have to lie, and she absolutely hated lying.
Before she could go upstairs, something caught her eye. On the door to the kitchen, there was a small note. It read:
Kuki,
I'm so sorry that you and your sister have been left alone lately. I promise, the next day off I have, we'll go and do something, okay? I thought I'd do something special tonight, so I bought you both a kid's meal from The Rusty Burger. Make sure Mushi stays in her room, though. I love you both.
Mom
A small smile made its way to Kuki's face as she read the note. Sometimes it felt as though her parents didn't care all that much, but deep down she knew they did.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in awhile, and there was a burger calling her name. She went into the kitchen, retrieving both meals from the microwave.
She thought that maybe her sister would want hers now, but the thought of dealing with her at that moment was unbearable. It's not that she didn't care about Mushi, of course she did, but her sister had a hard time understanding the feelings of others' lately.
Still, she figured that she'd give herself enough time to calm down so that she didn't walk into her sister's room with a snotty nose and puffy eyes.
Kuki sat down at the small island in the middle of the kitchen. The food had been purchased recently, as it was still warm to the touch. She opened the box and examined the contents.
She felt a rush of happiness run through her when she saw that her mom had gotten her favorite: a cheeseburger with cheese fries. It was rare, seeing as her parents had the whole "You eat what I buy you" mindset.
She pulled each item out of the box and placed them on the counter in front of her. Her eye caught an item she had overlooked: a small toy wrapped in plastic.
Her eyes widened as she recognized it immediately. It was small, pink, and felt soft to the touch.
As much as she hated how she felt right then, she knew she couldn't resist a Rainbow Monkey.
She quickly pulled it out of its plastic and held it in her hands. It was so small, it fit right in her palms.
"I-I can't believe it," Kuki said. "I got a mini surprise Rainbow Monkey, which is the rarest of all the kids meal toys."
Her heart skipped a beat at how excited she had suddenly gotten. After feeling miserable all day, it was good to see that her happiness was still there.
She hugged the small toy to her chest, new tears running down her face. "Oh, how I love you."
The food she had in front of her was now ignored, along with the growls of her empty stomach.
Kuki felt a new surge of happiness, and a longing she knew was all too familiar. She looked down at the bulge in her pocket, her Rainbow Monkey phone case sticking out just a bit.
Her heart yearned for it, to do what she always did when she was excited.
She wanted to talk to her team.
Knowing that a part of it was gone made her heart ache. They really were all her best friends, but she knew in her heart that it wouldn't be the same without Nigel.
Each of her friendships with them were unique.
Hoagie likes to make her laugh a lot, and they shared a love for Bradley that the others couldn't understand. She and Abby were the only girls, and they often found themselves together at night, away from the boys just talking about girl things.
Wally was a complicated one. She enjoyed spending time with him, despite how he could be quite mean to her sometimes. He could be silly, and it made for a lot of fun they could share together. He was also pretty cute, and sometimes she'd catch herself staring at him until both their cheeks blushed.
Her friendship with Nigel was important to her as well.
She remembered when she first joined the Kids Next Door and being so nervous. Abby and Nigel were already in Sector V, and they were so sweet to her the first day. Her biggest fear was that she wouldn't make any friends.
The friendships she'd made over the last few years meant so much to her, the others weren't just her teammates. They were her best friends.
Nigel didn't think she was an airhead, and she'll always remember that as their last conversation together. He was the best leader she could've ever asked for, and the best thing about their friendship was that he always believed in her.
She sighed, sitting the toy down in front of her. Her stomach growled again, and she reached inside of the box to grab a few fries. As she stuffed them in her mouth, her eyes made their way to her pocket.
It wasn't hard to reach down and grab her phone, yet her fingers shook at the thought.
One part of her felt as though maybe her friends wanted some space from each other. She knew in her heart, though, that space wasn't what any of them needed right now.
Kuki looked down as she felt her phone vibrate against her thigh. It seemed as though someone was listening to her, answering her thoughts.
She pulled out her phone, and smiled when she saw a big "one" on the group chat app. Her fingers didn't hesitate to click on it, and she sighed in relief when she read Hoagie's message.
Finding the right words to respond was hard, as she had many things to say, and could ramble on. She felt it was best to leave it short, and sweet.
Oh, of course we can hang out soon! Seeing your message made me feel a bit better, you guys are the best. I also have something to show you guys! I'm going to bed soon, good night!
Kuki
After hitting the "send" button, she held her phone to her chest, crying tears mixed with happiness and sorrow.
Knowing her friends, or at least one of them, wanted to hang out soon was enough to make her want to finish her food. She knew she needed sleep, and maybe she needed to feed her sister, too.
One thing was for sure though. Nigel may have been gone, leaving a hole in their team, but they wouldn't let that stop them.
She went to sleep that night, knowing that things would soon get better, especially with the help of such great friends.
Numbuh 4 felt another pair of arms pull him away from Numbuh 5. The sleeves of her green sweater were drenched with tears as she wrapped her arms around him.
"K-Kuki?", he looked up at her, his vision blurred from the tears.
She pulled him tighter into her chest. "I-It's okay, Wally," she said. "I thought you could use a hug, too."
He felt his face become warm as he returned her embrace, burying his face into her sweater. "T-thanks, Kuki," he said, his voice shaky.
They listened to each other's cries, making it feel like it was only the two of them. Normally, Wally would be opposed to this amount of affection, but even he needed a hug every once in awhile.
She pulled away from him. "I g-guess we should get going now."
He looked up at her, his lips quivering. "Y-Yeah, I guess so."
Before turning around to leave, she leaned down, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "See ya soon, Wally," she said, a small smile on her face.
His face felt like it was on fire. He placed a hand on his cheek, rubbing it. Usually he'd have some sort of comeback at her, but this felt really…nice. A little smile formed through the tears.
He turned, as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You w-want me to walk home with you, Wally?", Hoagie said, squeezing his shoulder.
Wally lived on the other side of town, and it could be scary at night.
"T-Thanks, but I can handle it," he said, reassuringly. "R-Really."
Hoagie rubbed Wally's hair. "Okay, just…be careful."
Wally sniffled, as he waved to his friend.
The walk back to his house was long, but he didn't care. It gave him enough time to let out his feelings, and hopefully come home with a dry face.
He knew his parents would be home, or at least his mom was, and they always wanted to know what was going on with him. They'd ask him questions, and he knew he couldn't answer them. He knew that meant that they cared a lot about him, but that didn't make it any less annoying.
As he stepped into the driveway, he stopped to wipe his face on his orange sleeve. He took his hands and brushed his blond hair, making sure it fell in front of his face. The last thing he wanted to do was walk in the front door with his puffy eyes visible.
The lights were on, just as he thought. Dinner was just about over, so he figured his parents would be busy cleaning up and putting his brother to sleep. It made for the perfect time to come in the front door.
He slowly opened the door, making sure to close it softly behind him. He jumped back as he heard someone coming down the stairs. Hiding was an option, but something inside told him not to do it.
His mom turned toward the door as she came to the last step, smiling when she saw him.
"Oh, there's my Wallabee!", she said, coming towards him. "You missed dinner, deary. I put your food in the fridge for ya."
Wally nodded. "Okay," he said, his voice hoarse.
Her expression changed from a smile to a small frown. "Is everything okay, sweetheart?", she asked, examining his face. "You look like you've been crying."
He grumbled, wiping his face again. Those darn tear stains. "I'm fine."
She sighed, getting down to his level. "Okay, I won't pester ya, but you know I'm here if you wanna talk about it," she said, kissing his forehead.
He resisted the urge to wipe his face, smiling a bit at his mother's tenderness. "T-Thanks, Mom," he managed to say. "I just wanna go to my room."
Mrs. Beetles stood back up and rubbed his hair. "That's fine, just be kinda quiet, okay?", she said. "I just put Joey down, and you know how he gets if he doesn't get enough sleep."
Wally nodded, and began walking up the stairs to his room.
The exchange went better than he thought it would. His parents knew how he was when he gets upset. He liked to be alone, whether it be to punch his pillows or cry into them. Sometimes he would give into the feeling of loneliness, and seek out the comfort of one of his parents. That is, if none of his friends were available.
He was just glad they knew not to keep asking him what his problem was.
Finally, he made it to the top of the stairs, and began to walk down the hall to his room.
"Wawee!"
He turned towards the room next to him, the door was open. Inside, was his baby brother. The infant was standing up in his crib, reaching out his hands.
Wally took a step closer, stepping into the room a bit.
Joey continued to call his name, stretching out his arms more each time.
He walked closer so that he was next to the crib. "No, no Joey, you're supposed to be asleep."
His brother looked at him with a sad face. "Wawee!", he called out, sitting down in his crib. He started to whimper, to Wally's misfortune.
"Shh, it's okay," he tried to shush the infant. He watched as Joey began to calm down, and reached his arms out again.
Wally sighed. "Alright, alright, but we can't let mom or dad see, okay?"
Joey smiled, nodding. "Gaa ga," he babbled.
He unlatched the crib, letting the side fall. As soon as he was within reach, Joey latched onto him.
"Wawee!", Joey babbled, wrapping his arms around his big brother's neck.
"Yeah, yeah it's me," he said. "Now, what do you want?"
Joey didn't make any sound. All he did was lay his head on Wally's shoulder, nestling his face in his neck.
Wally grimaced as he felt his brother drooling on his sweatshirt, but his face didn't stay that way for long.
The infant lifted his head up, moving so that he was close to Wally's face.
His grimace turned into a grin, as Joey gave him a kiss on the cheek. He turned to him, to see a small trail of drool on both of their faces.
Wally normally didn't like affection from his brother, especially when he left his slobber everywhere. After the day he'd had though, it was more than welcome.
Joey giggled as Wally sat him down on the carpet. He wiped the saliva off of his cheek, and sat down across from his brother. "You think you're funny, eh Joey?"
"Wawee mwah," Joey responded, making a kissing sound with his mouth. He crawled forward and sat in Wally's lap, wrapping his small arms around him. "Wawee cwy."
"I'm not crying," Wally said, crossing his arms. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Joey pointed to the wet spots on his sweatshirt. "Cwy."
"Those are from your slobber," he said.
The infant shook his head. "Uh uh."
Joey was just a baby, but he was extremely smart. He'd beaten a wizard at dodgeball, helped save the city from giant robots, and moved kids with his dancing. Being able to tell that his big brother was sad, was nothing he couldn't figure out.
"So what if I was crying," Wally said. "What can you do about it?"
Joey kissed his cheek again. "Muah," he babbled.
"Kisses…won't bring Numbuh 1 back," Wally said, his eyes welling up again. "Nothing can. He's…he's gone forever, Joey."
He felt Joey's arms tighten around him, the infant squeezing him as tight as his arms would allow him. "You can't help, I can't help, no one can help," he continued. "I'm..not even sure if I can go back to the treehouse anymore."
Wally wrapped his arms around Joey, bringing him close to his body. "H-How can I? Our team will never be the same," he sobbed, wetting his brother's hair.
Joey frowned when he saw his big brother's face. It wasn't often he saw him like this, and it was enough to make him feel like crying himself. He was strong though, and would do his best to help him.
"Kids…Next…Dowa?", he asked, looking up at Wally.
Wally sighed. "What about the Kids Next Door?", he said, sniffling. "It doesn't matter anymore."
Joey freed himself from his brother's embrace. He crawled a few feet away, to the dresser on the edge of the room. He turned around, motioning for Wally to come closer.
He crawled over to the dresser, sitting next to Joey. "Oh come on," he said, wiping his eyes. "What's so special about some drawer?"
"Hmph," Joey crossed his arms. He opened the drawer, a light beaming from inside.
Wally's eyes widened. "Whoa…", he said, moving closer to look inside. His eyes had trouble seeing everything that was inside.
Somehow, Joey had his own stash of 2x4 technology. An entire drawer of Kids Next Door weapons made from household objects.
He turned to him. "Joey, where did you get this stuff?"
"Gaga," he pointed to Wally.
Wally turned back to look at the drawer. "These…are mine?" Sure enough, be recognized every one of them. The MUSKET he often used, a GUMZOOKA, as well as his all time favorite, the SPLANKER.
Joey nodded, reaching into the drawer. He picked out the GUMZOOKA, aiming it at Wally.
He jumped back. "Wait, Joey, don't shoot me with that," he said, holding his hands in front of him.
He watched as his brother pulled the trigger, a smirk on his face. Wally covered his face with hands, bracing for impact.
Joey pulled the trigger, making the sound of a gun. "Pew pew!" He laughed as he watched Wally's reaction.
"That thing was empty?!", he said, his eyes wide. "Why you little stinker."
The infant continued to laugh, until he felt his brother pick him up. Dropping the gun next to him, he looked up.
Wally held Joey close to him, wrapping both his arms around him. A stream of tears still running down his face, he kissed his baby brother's hair.
"You'll make an awesome Kids Next Door Operative someday, Joey," he said, sniffling. "I just know it."
Joey blinked, taking a second to register what was just said to him. Once he understood, he returned his brother's hug, snuggling into his neck.
"I wuv you, Wawee," he babbled.
"I-I love you too, Joey," Wally said.
They stood there for a few minutes, until little snores could be heard coming from Joey. Wally felt a small smile form on his face as he walked over to the crib.
He laid the infant down on his pillow, pulling the blanket over him. He watched as he yawned, rolling over into the fetal position.
Wally leaned into the crib, and gave Joey a kiss on the forehead. "Good night, baby brother." He locked the latch on the crib, and headed outside of the room.
Closing the door behind him quietly, he stepped out into the hallway. He turned to his left, his room calling his name.
"Finally," he said, his voice hoarse. Before he could head that way, though, his phone vibrated.
He picked it up, squinting from the bright light.
Two new messages from 54321 V
He clicked on the notification, and his heart skipped a beat as he read the messages from his friends.
He thought for a moment of how he wanted to respond, or if he should respond at all. Finally, he began to type.
Seeing messages from you guys has made me really…happy. I feel that it will be a long time before I'm truly okay, but for now, being with you guys helps. Hope to see everyone soon.
Wally
He sent the message, placing the phone back in his pocket. The distractions helped for a while, but he soon felt the need to cry again.
He squinted his eyes as he felt the hot tears begin to stream down his face. All the energy he had to walk to his room, was now gone. The weakness in his legs was enough to knock him to the floor. He laid there, outstretched.
Wally put his hands over his face as he sobbed. All his thoughts from earlier rushed back. Without his leader, he wasn't sure if his team would ever be the same. He knew, deep down, that it wouldn't be, but he was too afraid to admit it.
The feeling of uncertainty was enough to make him nauseous. He thought about never going back to the treehouse. If Nigel wasn't there, what was the point?
A sudden pain formed in his chest at the thought of never going back to his team. Never getting to go on missions ever again, never getting to eat all the ice cream and candy he wanted.
Never getting to go flying with Hoagie, never getting Abby to help him with his homework, never…getting to tell Kuki how he felt about her.
He sat up, taking deep breaths. "What on earth is wrong with you, Wallabee?", he said to himself, once he found the energy to speak. He gulped, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Everything will be okay, eventually."
That was when he got up, and finally made it to his room. That night was hard, but after the small moment with his little brother, and talking to his friends, he knew everything would be okay.
It may take him weeks, maybe months, even years, but Wally was certain about one thing. Both the Kids Next Door and Sector V would be okay.
Numbuh 5 could her the faint sounds of her parents' voices from inside the house. It was like music to her ears. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their good mood with her bad one.
She moved away from the bush she was squatting in. The branches poked at her, threatening to tear her shirt.
She looked over to the windows at the back of the house. The stairs to her room were close to the back door, so it was an easy target.
She jumped to the next bush, and began crawling on the ground. Her goal was to stay away from the line of sight in the windows.
Finally, she found herself sitting on the step leading to the back door. She stood up, and leaned against the screen door. Her parents could still be heard, but it sounded like they were in the next room.
The coast was clear.
She began to open it, her eyes squinting as it squeaked. For all she knew, her presence could be noticed now. She opened the main door, tip toeing slowly until she was fully inside.
She closed the door behind her, sighing a sigh of relief. She was standing in a small hallway that led to the kitchen. Her eyes moved to the stairs to her right.
Finally, freedom.
"Hey, Abby."
…Or so she thought.
Abby jumped as she heard a voice call her name. Her older sister, Cree, appeared in front of her.
"You stayed out pretty late, don't ya think?", she said with a smirk on her face.
Abby stares back at her with a blank face.
"I don't think Mom and Dad will be very happy to hear that their precious little Abigail stayed out past curfew," she said, laughing.
Abby blinked away the tears forming in her eyes. "You can tell them, I don't care."
She watched as Cree began to snicker, but then her expression became soft.
"Abby…are you okay?", she asked.
She pulled her red hat in front of her eyes. "I'm fine," she said, sniffling.
Cree knelt down in front of her. "Come on, I'm your big sister," she said, her voice soft. "You can tell me anything."
"You'll just find some way to use it against me," Abby said. "You always do."
Her older sister gasped, and shook her head. "You're right, I do that a lot don't I?"
Abby nodded, wiping her eyes.
Cree sighed, a put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Look, Abby, I know we have our differences, but I'm still your big sister regardless," she said. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I hate seeing you cry."
Abby looked up at her, tears falling down her face.
Cree used her free hand to wipe her sister's eyes. "Whatever it is, even if it's some dumb Kids Next Door thing, I promise," she began. "I won't tell anyone."
Numbuh 5 thought for a moment. Her sister used to be her best friend, back when they were in Sector V together. She used to think she was the coolest person in the world.
When she became a teenager though, she betrayed her team. She'd never, ever let her forgive that.
As much as she hated to admit it though, she really did care a lot about her sister still. There had been many times over the last couple years she stopped her team from harming her in any way.
They thought she was crazy for that.
Abby looked up at her. "You really promise, sis?", she asked.
Cree smiled. "I do, Abby, I promise."
Abby sighed. "Well, can we at least go to my room, then?"
She nodded, and together they walked upstairs to Abby's room.
Once there, they sat together on her bed.
Cree grabbed a box of tissues from the table, and handed them to her. "Okay, now tell me what's the matter."
Abby grabbed the box from her, and used a tissue to blow her nose. "I-It's hard to explain," she began. "I'm really n-not supposed to tell anyone."
"Don't tell me everything, then," Cree said. "Just…enough for me to understand why you're upset."
Abby thought back to earlier that day. They'd spent the whole day doing that scavenger hunt, scouring the globe for various items from missions they'd been on before. Watching her team almost fail, while Sector W almost won.
Rescuing them from Father, who almost incinerated them all. It was a very eventful day.
Then came the hardest part. Saying goodbye to her leader, and best friend. Seeing all of her teammates say goodbye to him was one of the hardest things she's ever had to watch.
Her turn came and…she almost lost it.
"W-We lost our leader today," she managed to say. "He left…and he's never coming back."
Cree blinked. "Nigel? He's gone?", she asked, surprised. "I…whoa."
Abby nodded, grabbing another tissue. "Yeah, we all had to say goodbye to him, and now I have to lead Sector V again."
Her voice broke as she began to cry. "I-I don't think I can do it again, not after what happened last time," she said. "B-But I promised Nigel that I would."
Cree watched as her little sister broke down, and she leaned forward to give her a hug. "Oh, Abby…", she said. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
Abby hugged her back, burying her face in her shoulder. "There's nothing I can do it about it either," she said. "I just don't know what to do."
Cree rubbed her back. "Sometimes, we get put in a situation where there's no way out," she said. "Right now, I think the best thing you can do is remember the fun times you had together as a team."
"I…know I don't like to talk about it much, but being in the Kids Next Door was a really fun time for me," she continued. "I think that's what is important now."
"You've led Sector V before, I wasn't there for it," she said. "But I bet you were great. And, your friends need you. Hoagie, Kuki, and Wallabee, you all need each other."
Abby opened her eyes. "You know what, Cree?", she said. "I…think you're right."
She smiled. "Did I help any?"
Abby pulled away from her, and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I think you did," she said. "And I know what I need to do now."
She got up from her bed, and went to the door. "Oh, and one more thing sis," she said, turning around. "I don't say this enough. I love you."
Cree smiled at her. "I love you too, Abby."
Abby smiled back, and ran off to do what she needed to do.
She went outside to the front porch, and sat down in the swing. She got her phone from her pocket, and squinted as the bright screen lit up.
There was big, red number three, and clicked on it.
It opened up there group chat, and showed three new messages from her friends. She read through them all, and felt her heart swell.
She sat back, tapping her fingers on her leg as she thought of what to type. Her message was simple.
I got y'all's messages, and it seems we were all thinking the same thing. I care about you guys more than you know, really. I have an idea. Meet me in front of the treehouse as soon as you all wake up. See you soon.
Abby, your new leader.
She laid her phone in her lap, and kicked her feet. The swing swung forward and back, the wind making her braid move with it.
She knew it would be hard, but she had friends who needed her, and she needed them.
She wanted to make Nigel proud, and she'd try her best. He was one of the few people in her life who truly believed in her, and for that she would always be thankful.
She knew once her parents saw her, she'd probably get in trouble for being out late. That didn't bother her much though. It was a small price to pay for everything she'd been through.
Abby finally decided to go inside, maybe get some food and sleep. She looked forward to seeing her friends the next morning, and she knew they'd be happy to see her too.
Sector V Treehouse: 9am
The four friends stood there, arms intertwined. They looked up the place they'd spent the last couple years together. The place where they went on dangerous missions to protect kids everywhere. The place they could get away from their parents. They place they could eat all the ice cream they wanted.
The place where they had become best friends.
They looked at each other, and soon were entangled in a group hug. They hugged each other as tight as they could, as if they'd all drift away in the wind.
The tears on their faces didn't matter anymore, all the pain would go away one day. They'd work through it together, they were a team after all.
"I promise guys," Numbuh 5 spoke up. "I won't be as good as Numbuh 1 was, but I want to be the best leader I can be."
"We believe in you, Abby," Numbuh 4 said.
The others nodded.
"Hey guys?", Numbuh 3 asked. "Do you…do you think Numbuh 1 is looking at us from here?"
Numbuh 5 wiped a tear from her face. "Yeah, Kuki," she said, looking up at the sky. "I believe he is."
The other three joined in, and looked up at the sky. Nigel may not be around anymore, but they knew in their hearts that they would make him proud.
It's what he'd want.
"D-Do you guys wanna go inside?", Numbuh 2 asked, sniffling.
Numbuhs 3 and 4 nodded, following him as he began walking towards the entrance.
"You coming, Numbuh 5?", Numbuh 4 asked, turning around.
She looked at him. "Yeah, I am," she said, and looked up at the sky once again. "Goodbye, Nigel, I hope you're having fun wherever you are."
She saluted him one last time, and went to join her friends.
End Transmission.