Disclaimer: I don't own Ned's Declassified.
Author's Notes: I'm a pretty bad liar. Didn't you all know that I was going to write the follow up story that I mentioned I might do? I would have done it regardless of the support from my fan base. I know that my readers for Jimmy, Timmy, Danny are going to resent me a lot for this (Since I've been working on this universe rather than that one) But I will get both done. Promise. I hope my readers from the previous stories stay with me...
From the Notebook of Ned Bigby
This isn't a diary. This is a notebook. For things that I notice that might end up being in my next book. I've never really done this before to write a book. Usually I use the system that I've used since middle school, where I just write down tips and things in categories and put little introductions. Sounds easy but it's harder than it seems. Everything has been insanely stressful in my life lately lately, but I hope I just don't shelve this entirely when I get frustrated. Because that happens. Shit. This IS starting to look like a diary.
The stupid phone won't stop ringing. Who knew that such a tiny electronic device could be such an annoyance? It continues to make noises happily on his nightstand despite the fact that the owner of the phone is ignoring it. He groans and rolls over. Unfortunately, he was already on the edge so he hits his forehead on the nightstand and falls to the floor. As he sits on the floor, trying to collect himself, the phone falls into his lap. He sighs and opens the phone. "What the hell, Cookie!" he glances at the glowing red numbers on his clock. 1 in the morning.
"Shhh" Cookie's voice rings through the line. "She could have heard you"
"Cookie, its 1 in the morning!" Ned growls. "Say what you have to say"
"I have to ask you a favor" Cookie says. "And it's only 9"
"And it couldn't wait until morning?" Ned groans. "Time difference?"
"Nedcanyoucomeoverhereandtakecareofmydaughterfortwoweeks?"
"In English, please?"
"Can you fly out here and take care of Lisette for two weeks?"
"Sure." Ned gazes at his pillow. It looks so soft and welcoming.
"Good, because I just booked you on the next flight at 4 am. I just e-mailed you the information" Ned hears a few keystrokes in the background.
"What?"
"You already said you would do it" Cookie reminds him.
"Yeah. Right. Damn."
"Can I use your apartment?" Cookie requests.
"What?"
"Come on, Ned, you live near the conference hall."
"I do?" Ned asks in bewilderment.
"Yes." Cookie patiently explains. "Please?"
"As long as you do your own laundry" Ned replies. "Seeing as I'm watching your pride and joy on short notice for two weeks of my life"
"I'm sorry" Cookie says. "Johanna says she'll watch her until you can get there, but only until you get there"
Ned grimaces at the thought of leaving his goddaughter with the creature he calls his biological sibling. "Is that supposed to inspire me to pack faster."
"Not really" Cookie pauses. "Okay, maybe a little"
"Love you too, Cookie" Ned sarcastically retorts as he snaps the phone shut.
Ned stares at the phone resting in his palm and then slips it into his pocket. "Oh man" He walks over to the closet and picks some things off the floor of the closet. Then he quickly zips around the room snatching things off of the floor, stuffing them into his usual blue carry on bag. If I forget anything, he reasons, I can always buy it there. Its not like California is deprived of the essentials.
He walks over to his laptop, prints out the confirmation number, shuts down the notebook, and puts it in the bag. Briefly, he thinks about taking it with him, but he decides against it and leaves the bag on the desk chair. Ned grabs his keys and locks up, leaving a spare key with the half-asleep superintendent as he scampers out the door.
Suddenly he realizes something. He dials Cookie's number. "Cookie" He asks calmly as he tries to shift his bag onto the other shoulder.
"What now?" Cookie jokes. "Haven't I helped you enough?"
Ned frantically tries to hail a cab, his duffel smacking against his leg. "How am I supposed to get around, should I rent a car?"
"No..." Cookie distractedly mutters. "Just ask..." His voice falters off slightly.
"That wouldn't work" Ned coldly says, his mind filling in the blank.
"Just take a cab to the house" Cookie fumbles for his extra car keys. "I'll leave them on the key rack by the door."
"Fine." Ned orders the driver. "JFK"
"Got it" says the cabbie.
"Sorry for the trouble" Ned says to Cookie. "But you have to admit, its short notice"
"Eh, it's Lisa's fault" Cookie explains. "She says it was my fault to find a person to watch Lisette"
"It's not a big issue" Ned says goodbye and hangs up. He sighs and collapses against the back of the seat.
"Rough night?" The cabbie asks conversationally.
"No" Ned answers. "But I get the feeling that it's going to be a long tomorrow."
Ned arrives at the airport in a haze. He tumbles out of the cab with a thump after paying the cabdriver.
"Yo, if you got hurt, it ain't my fault" The cabbie barks.
"Yeah, I know" Ned speeds away from the car and into the surprisingly uncrowded airport. He stands in front of the check in desk, where a blond haired clerk is flipping through a Vogue and trying valiantly to stay awake.
"Hey" Ned taps his knuckles on the counter.
The clerk glances up. "When and where are you going?"
"West coast, 4:30"
"Making a quick escape?"
"No, not at all" Ned dimly replies. Why is everyone saying that lately? "A friend called in a favor"
"Well, I hope it's worth it" She punctuates this with a yawn.
"So do I" Ned collects his boarding pass and heads off.
After he gets on the plane, he looks through his wallet until he finds a picture of his goddaughter, Lisette Annabel Zemo-Cook. An incredibly pompous, stuck up name that had been imposed by Cookie and Lisa's parents. Hence why anyone that knew her called her Lissy. The picture is not all a true reflection of the girl. The girl in the picture looks calm and innocent in a frilly pink gown, yet Ned knows her as a wild tomboy. Lissy's curly hair is neatly in two poofy ponytails, yet Ned has never seen her hair tied up like that. Lissy's pale skin, usually covered in mud, is actually clean.
He smiles slightly then realizes with a guilty pang that he hasn't seen her since she was about 1. Idly, he flips through the his wallet, looking through old receipts and other pieces of junk. Then he comes to a picture. Suddenly, he snaps it shut and sighs. Then he can feel his eyes drooping and sleep taking him away.
"Flight 260 unloading passengers now" says the voice that jars Ned from his restful slumber. He hops up in a few seconds and snatches his bag. The plane had a slight delay, according to his watch, so it is later than he thought it would be. He runs in the street, waving his arms madly . Finally, a taxi rolls up with a driver who looks oddly familiar.
"Can you take me to 212 Montgomery Lane?" Ned asks as he slides into the cushy yet worn backseat.
"Yep" The driver nods.
"Hey, you look familiar to me" Ned murmurs.
"You ever been to Manhattan?"
"Yeah, I live there"
"Lucky for you. I've never been there" The cab driver says in response.
"Oh" Ned deflates slightly. "Because you look just like my favorite cab driver"
"Ah. If you were wondering, it was your accent that gave you away" The driver nods. "You're here"
"Yep" Ned passes the money to him and steps out into the darkness. The sidewalk in front of Cookie's house seems to glow. After standing in front of the light less home for a few heartbeats, he stands at the door and lightly taps on the door. I remember the days when I could just walk in here and not have to knock.
There is no sound for a while, so Ned considers knocking again. But he knows how his older sister gets annoyed when he knocks too much, claiming "I was almost there, when you knocked AGAIN!"
"Hold on, Hold on" A voice travels down to the door. Then there's a thump, a crash and a muttered swear word.
Funny, I don't remember Jo's voice sounding like...
The door swings open to reveal a woman standing in the door, wearing sweats and clearly just woken up from sleep.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same" Ned says with a slight hitch in his voice.
Yeah, it is sort of short, but this is really more of a beginning than anything else. In fact, this is going to be long, just taking a glance at it or so... PLEASE REVIEW!