Author's Notes: I don't think that Numbuh Three and Numbuh Five get enough recognition as friends. So here's my little contribution.
Disclaimer: I do not own Codename: Kids Next Door.
My Silent Protector.
The rain pounded harshly against the tree house as lighting lit up the sky. Numbuh Three squealed and hauled the covers up over her head as another roll of thunder sounded in the night. She pulled her teddy bear closer to her and closed her eyes tightly. Wishing the storm away, which sadly didn't work. When a lighting bolt struck the ground a bit too close to the tree house for comfort she scrambled out of bed and hurried towards the bedroom door. She yelped when she tripped over a toy, glancing up she saw the shadows dancing across the wall. Numbuh Three started to shake; she could practically see the eyes forming on the monsters. The shadows were going to come alive, she just knew it, they were going to pull away from the wall and gobble her and all her toys up. She scooped her teddy bear up and stumbled over to the door. Tugging at the doorknob she suddenly realised that she couldn't open it up. A whimper escaped Numbuh Three's throat as she continued to pull at the door.
"Oh no." The shadows were crawling off the wall now, she was positive of it, but she didn't dare turn round. Raising a fist she banged it against the door and it swung open. Numbuh Three stepped outside, allowing a small smile to grace her lips.
"Silly me, your supposed to push the door not pull." Her smile faded when there was a resounding crack throughout the tree house. Yelping, she fled down the corridors, slipping every now and again as she ran. She skidded to a stop outside the room, the one where her protector resided. Whimpering she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Nu . . Numbuh Five?" A low groan came from the bed in the far corner and the dark girl poked her head out form underneath her sheets. She eyed the scared girl before her, taking note of the shaking hands, the tight grip on her teddy bear and the unshed tears in her eyes. She didn't say anything; instead she lifted her sheets up, indicating that Numbuh Three could join her. A smile of relief tugged at Numbuh Three's lips as she scampered across the floor and dived into the bed. Numbuh Five lay back down, wrapping the sheets round both of them. Numbuh Three allowed herself to relax, there was no need to worry any more, Numbuh Five was here now. Turning round she eyed the sleeping girl beside her. She wasn't wearing her hat anymore; she always took it off for the night. Numbuh Five had a habit of curling up like a cat when she slept, which always made Numbuh Three think of her as a kitty. She would make a very cute kitty cat. Numbuh Three giggled and patted Numbuh Five on the head. The girl in question opened an eye to look at her friend.
"Whatcha doin' Numbuh Three?"
"You make a cute Kitty."
"Kitty huh?" Numbuh Five muttered, opening both eyes to give her friend an amused look. Numbuh Three nodded and giggled, pulling her teddy bear closer. She jumped when a bolt of lighting lit up the room. Numbuh Five rolled her eyes as Numbuh Three reached out and gabbed onto her arm.
"Nothing's gonna get ya, Numbuh Five's here to look after ya." Numbuh Three smiled in delight and snuggled closer to her friend, who wrapped an arm round her.
Numbuh Five had always looked after her, in her own way. The others never noticed, not that she wanted them to. She didn't want anyone else to ruin their special friendship. It was the small things that mattered, like hurting Numbuh Four if he frightened her, making sure none of her toys were missing, making her breakfast, getting her the right comics, finding her the right sweets and always protecting her. Like now, when she was scared of the storm, Numbuh Five would always comfort her. Numbuh Three was brought out of her thoughts with a cry as a bolt of lightening struck the ground a few feet away the tree house. Screaming Numbuh Three dove under the covers.
"Numbuh Three-" She screamed again when Numbuh Five's hand landed on her back, she crawled away and found herself tumbling over the edge of Numbuh Five's bed. She groaned as the covers were pulled away from her face, she looked up sheepishly into Numbuh Five's smiling face.
"Ya okay?" The Japanese girl nodded and pulled herself to her feet, Numbuh Five joined her. She pulled on her hat, robe and slippers before wrapping an arm round Numbuh Three's shoulders and leading her out the door.
Numbuh Three swung her legs back and forth as she watched Numbuh Five pull ingredients out the cupboards. Holding her teddy bear up she made him dance across the scrubbed wooden table, singing softly under her breath. She went back to her earlier thoughts; she didn't usually think things through this much. Maybe it was the night air or something but at that moment she wanted to know why Numbuh Five protected her. She was a nuisance to the others at times, she knew that, they didn't like the way she always played around. But what was the point in always being serious? It was so boring! She didn't like being serious unless she had too, like when those horrible lice had eaten her toys. She shuddered at the memory and pulled her teddy bear close. She blinked when an arm wrapped round her shoulders, giving her a quick hug. She smiled as Numbuh Five placed a strawberry milkshake in front of her, giggling in delight Numbuh Three started to suck the drink up through the straw. She fingered the worn ear of her teddy bear as she watched Numbuh Five lean back in her chair, chocolate milkshake in hand.
"Numbuh Five?"
"Wassup Girl?" Numbuh Three looked back down at the table surface, unsure how to ask her question. A hand gently ran itself through her hair; the Japanese girl looked up at Numbuh Five.
"Come on, ya know ya can tell Numbuh Five anything." The girl nodded at her friend, tracing patterns across the table with her sleeve covered finger.
"Why do you always take care of me?" Numbuh Five blinked, her shoulders tensing up considerably.
"Someone has ta."
"I know but someone else could, anyway you never let people know that you protect me." She saw Numbuh Five wince and stir the remains of her milkshake with her straw.
"Numbuh Five didn't have a good childhood, my mama died when I was young. And . . . and Numbuh Five's dad wasn't very nice, he yelled and stuff at Numbuh Five all da time. My big sister used to protect me from him but she died . . . in an accident.
"Numbuh Five faced the outside world before she was supposed ta and it hurt. Dat's why Numbuh Five don't talk ta people much and why she don't trust people 'cos everyone she's ever trusted as either hurt her or left. I don't want dat to ever happen ta ya, so I take care of ya."
Numbuh Three allowed her friend words to sink in before she threw herself at Numbuh Five, arms wrapping themselves tightly round the elder girl's neck. Numbuh Five froze, unused to the close contact, when she finally managed to regain use of her limbs she awkwardly wrapped her arms around Numbuh Three.
"You don't have to worry anymore Numbuh Five."
"I don't?" Numbuh Five asked, smiling down at the girl as Numbuh Three began to fiddle with Numbuh Five's hair.
"You don't, I'll protect you now." Numbuh Five rose an eyebrow at her friend.
"Ya'll protect Numbuh Five?"
"Yeah, whenever you're scared or upset you can come to me."
"Numbuh Five gave up being scared along time ago." Numbuh Three looked into her friend's face, her amber eyes were tinted with something she just couldn't understand. And it took her a while to realise it was wisdom, wisdom gained by a long, hard and painful fight against the big bad world.
"You're like my big sister, you know?"
"Huh?" Numbuh Five looked confused at the Japanese girl's sudden declaration. Mind you, she did this sort of thing all the time.
"I never had a big sister and you're like a big sister to me. And sisters always look out for each other."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that you can let yourself be scared again, so that I can protect you when you're frightened." Numbuh Five chuckled as she leaned back in the chair.
"Sho, Numbuh Three, sho." The girl didn't seem to know how much she helped Numbuh Five heal already, by simply being there. The emotional wounds left by years of an uncaring and abusive family were slowly fading. She had a new purpose now and that was to protect Numbuh Three. She wasn't going to let her friend suffer the same fate she did. She wasn't going to let her grow up to quickly, like she had done. Numbuh Five tightened her hold on the half asleep girl in her arms. Numbuh Three had already helped her get over her fears, even if she didn't know it.
The End.
As you can probably tell I'm ignoring the Second series, I just prefer the First and my one-shot wouldn't really have fitted in if I hadn't. This is a 3/5 friendship fic, please remember that. Anyway, hope you like it. MM