Set right after Season 1 Ep 4 - P.I.R.A.T.E

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SUMMARY: It hadn't been the candy that'd stopped Numbuh Five from letting herself be dragged away. It had been the CHEST.

Set some hours after Numbuh Five's rescue from Sticky Beard. Episode: P.I.R.A.T.E

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Numbuh Five had been seated in the medical ward of the literal ship by Numbuh Three, or Kuk,i as the other liked to be referred to. Abby glanced around for some sort of distraction, anything to keep her mind off her own thoughts. The room she was in was more or less what you'd expect from a med bay, relatively barren, with few accessories. The walls an off white eggshell color, and only one window which was unfortunately located away from her line of sight. Having nothing better to do, and being unable to sleep Numbuh Five groand and thumped her head in a slow rhythmic beat on the bed's headboard.

It was nice of everyone to feel the need to check her over. (Even if she kept insisting that she was fine). The pirates could have done much worse than just tying her to a post. Heck! The worst thing they had done was trying to make her "walk the plank". And though they hadn't succeeded with anything bar taking their candy. Numbuh Five can't help but wince at the way she had reacted when Sticky Beard had found her secret 'stash'. What any good leader- and there was part of the problem… Numbuh Five wasn't the leader, not anymore…It was a topic she wouldn't budge on, and no amount of Numbuh One or Numbuh Two's insisting would EVER make her take the title back. (It was her fault-her fault-hers-) Numbuh Five gasped as her head rebounded off the headboard with a resounding 'THWACK'.

'Ooooooh' she rubbed her head, 'That's ganna' hurt tomorrow…' she massaged her temples in an effort to stall the growing headache she could feel coming on. Mere moments later, and the massage hadn't worked, now, Numbuh Five wasn't just cranky, but also extremely bored. 'This is torture…' She mentally whined, (She would never do that out loud). 'Ugh...I hate the med ward.' And it was true, one Abigail "Abby" Lincoln despised the med ward with a passion that (almost) rivaled that of their Sector Leader. If it were up to Abby, she would have ditched the place hours ago. But she wasn't about to set a bad example with the rest of her team. She was the oldest among them as it was...Although she wouldn't lie to herself, Abby always found it hilarious when Numbuh One fretted over Numbuh 274's near constant 'escape' attempts- (Central command had a room just for him and Numbuh One respectively.) -especially when the younger tended to do the exact same thing as the older. That boy loathed anything relating to hospitals, medications and the occasional needle. And Abby would gladly watch over all of her team, (her family) but is she was honest, she had her hands full with just Nigel's workaholic tendencies, and there was absolutely NO WAY she was going to be adding the next Supreme Leader- (because Abby knew that's what Numbuh 274 was moving up to) -onto the list. Feeling a little less tense but no less restless. Abby began to think on the days events, and even if she hadn't wanted to she was determined to organize her thoughts and feelings on the matter. Even though the day had begun like any other, with no clouds in the sky, and a cool breeze rolling across the skin...it hadn't necessarily ended like any other. When Numbuh Five had made the decision to go after her 'secret' stash. It hadn't been the candy she had wanted back, it had been the chest.

When Numbuh Five had been younger, and more naive...had looked up not to world, or to her well renowned parents, but to her older sister, Cree Lincoln. Cree, as she remembered her- (before she became what she was now) -had always been the smarter one...always the prettier one, the more talented one. Everything Cree touched became art, coveted by everyone including her- little Abigail. When she had been younger, and less world weary...Abby had believed the world revolved around her great older sister. She had liked to think that Cree was the world, and everyone else? The moon.

Abby had grown to see what Cree had become, and Numbuh Five lived in the aftermath of what she had done. But it hadn't always been like that… Once, only a few short years ago, she had been content-no- happy, with how life had been going. Nearly from the day she could walk and talk, Cree had been there every step of the way. Training her in not only the ways of the KND, but, also in life. Cree's friends had become Abby's first friends, and Cree's knowledge had eventually become Numbuh Five's knowledge. It had always been a cycle she hadn't wanted to break...until IT happened. IT, as she referred to it as, was the event in which Numbuh 11 (her sister) became the very definition of what they used to fight. Numbuh 11 became a "teen". Someone cruel, unforgiving, evil. Numbuh Five (Abby) liked to pretend she hadn't heard of the time Cree nearly left a kid to drown. No… in reality, there's A LOT she didn't want to talk about(Sometimes...she wondered…but most of time….she'd rather not.)

She awoke with a great big yawn, the likes of which she hadn't let out since she was younger, and blinked her eyes bleary. Stretching her arms out a bit, Numbuh Five looked out the nearest window to gauge the time.

"It's 6:30 pm, in case you wanted to know." Jumping in place, Numbuh Five nearly gave herself whiplash by turning as quickly as she had.

"Numbuh One!" she cried, "Yall nearly gave Numbuh Fi'ah a heart attack!" she emphasized by bringing a hand to her chest.

"uh...Sorry, Numbuh Five..." The boy replied sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck. "I came in to see how you were feeling…" Blinking, Abby lifted an eyebrow before patting herself down. "Honestly?" she started, "Numbuh Five is feeling great! No need for-" she gestured around the room "-any of this."

Numbuh One shook his head gently, "That's only partially what I meant, Numbuh Five, and you know it." Shoulders slumping slightly, the girl sighed tiredly. She wondered at how she could feel both rested, and oh so tired… Laying her head back, she watched Numbuh One make his way over to her to take a seat by her bed. Already knowing what he would ask, Numbuh Five attempted to stall. "Well," she licked her lips, "Numbuh Five just-"

"-Needs to talk about what happened." Numbuh One interrupted gently, "I know you don't want to...but it'll make you feel better, trust me." he said. "You've done it enough times for all of us. Let me do the same for you." Stunned with how sincer the younger boy was being with her, Numbuh Five's "protective" instincts kicked in. (she didn't - couldn't - put her own worries onto her team.)

"Oh!" she waved her hands in front of herself, "You don't have to worry about me! Numbuh Five's feelin' fine!" Numbuh One gazed at his friend with a raised brow, and Numbuh Five rushed in to insist, "Really!" she laughed haltingly. "I'm good…" she whispered as she looked down onto her lap.

Silence followed her quite replay, and she clenched at the blankets wrapped around her legs.

Nigel could honestly say that he cared for everyone...that was on his team or a friend, that is. And yes, he knew it sounded bad. (It was.) But it wasn't because he 'didn't care". No, it was just that he found himself (often enough) just not being able to... It was like something always stopped his ability to 'connect' with others his own age, but, he shook his head, he wasn't the one with a bigger problem right then. It was about Abby, his friend, and Nigel wasn't about to let her stow in her own sadness. So even though he knew she wouldn't speak about anything right then. It didn't mean she wouldn't do so later. Perhaps he could get the rest of the team in on the "action" that was having Abby speak about her problems...

Perking up, he realized he knew just the thing. Sending a quick message through his communicator, all he had to do know was get Numbuh Five to the Break Room.

Just as Numbuh Five was about to say something, anything in order to break the silence that had settled over the two. Numbuh One broke it with a quiet question,

"Would you like to leave the med ward now?" Startled, but more than overjoyed, Numbuh Five all but threw the covers off herself to stand by where the younger boy sat looking very much startled at her reaction.

Now that's wha' Numbuh Five's talkin' about!" she exclaimed, "She was beginning to think you all were thinking of leaving Numbuh Five here all night!" she punctuated her sentence with a solid shake of her head, "Numbuh Five was ganna-" cutting herself of quickly, she put both her hands to her mouth before glancing down to Numbuh One's still seated position. "Uuuuuh...was ganna' ask if there was any candy left...?" she finished lamley. 'Maaan...Numbuh Five's not on her game today...' she thought miserably 'and it's not like she had her special stash to offer up for the reque...' wincing at her own personal reminder of the one thing she treasured the most next to her hat… she was all but three seconds away from ignoring her own outburst of enthusiasm and deciding to- when she felt a brief pat on the back of her shoulder. Surprised with herself for not having heard the other get off the chair, let alone walk over to where she was standing, Numbuh Five was about to turn to face him when Numbuh One walked past her with a question first.

"How about we go meet with the team in the Break room?" the other paused by the door, "They've got something they'd like to show you." he finished while turning the corner. Baffled, Numbuh Five felt her curiosity spike, and, deciding to follow it. She jogged to catch up to her leader.

The walk to the Break room passed by quickly for Numbuh Five, and although the Treehouse was MASSIVE, but the entire team more or less knew where everything was. SO a walk that should have taken fifteen mins was completed in about eight. Upon seeing the entrance to the break room, Numbuh Five glanced quickly to her right to see Numbuh One engrossed with his communicator. (Numbuh Five thought of them more as walkie-talkies than the cell phone they were based off of, but hey, they worked, and sometimes shot lasers. So who was she to complain.) Briefly wondering at what the other was doing but shaking it off in favor of heading into the Break room, Numbuh Five picked up her pace just enough to walk infront of her friend. Rounding the corner she blinked twice at the darkened room.

"Uuuh, Numbuh One?" She asked while looking over her shoulder at the slow approaching boy, "Are you sure it was the Break room we were supposed to go to?" Humming in response, Numbuh one nodded and gave Numbuh Five a light shove into the dark room. Shouting in surprise, Numbuh Five turned to shoot a small glare at her friend before she heard the tall-tale sounds of the lights being turned on, shielding her eyes with her forearm, Numbuh Five blinked away the white spots in her eyes so she could see properly. Once she was able to see clearly, she went to glare at Numbuh One until she noticed he wasn't standing by the entrance to the Break room anymore. Rolling her eyes, Numbuh Five raised a hand to massage her eyes as she pivoted on her right foot,

"Reeeeeal funny guys," she started "I'm just ganna-"

"SUUUUUUURPRIIIIIIIISE!" Numbuh Five cut herself off while letting her hand drop back down from her wide open eyes. There, right in front of her, chest. A little chipped around the edges, but there. Eyes watering, Numbuh Five rushed to give the nearest person to her a hug. As it so happened, the nearest person had been Numbuh Two. Burying her face into his shoulder she was unable to stop herself from babbling.

"Thank You! Thank You!" she nearly sobbed, "I thought-I thought I'd lost it…" she sniffed, "Thank you…" Smiling lopsidedly at the girl, (not that she could see it,) Numbuh Two gently rubbed circles on her back.

"Its alright Numbuh Five!" he told her cheerfully, "We all know how important it is to you!" distantly, Numbuh Five heard Numbhu Four's "We do?" which was quickly followed by his yelped "OW! What was that for?!" Laughing into Numbuh Two's shoulder, she lifted her head up and apologized to him for the 'waterworks'. Even if the other waved it off.

"It's no biggie." The pilot shrugged, "You listen to us ALL the time!"

"Yha!" she saw Numbuh Three skip to her, "Numbuh Five's always hearing us out! So we should hear Numbuh Five out too!" the asian girl enthusiastically put in. Glancing from Numbuh Two and Three, Abby felt her lips tremble slightly.

"Aaaaw...you guys…" she sniffed "Ya'll are the best…" she said with one hand holding onto her shoulder while looking off to the side.

"Che. " she heard Numbuh Four scoff, "You all with your 'girly' moments, but-" Numbuh Five heard some shuffling, "-you always take care of us...and you always listen to us too...so," lifting her gaze from the floor Numbuh Five barely even glimpsed the tip of an orange hoodie before her arms were full of Numbuh Four. "Thank you." he said into her stomach. Shocked, she glanced up to her friends, which had all gathered around her. Looking back down, she saw Numbuh Fours green eyes staring up at her before the younger retracted his arms from her to stuff them back into his pockets. Feeling the figurative dam fall to pieces, Numbuh Five felt her knees buckle as she broke into tears.

"I j-just…!" she nearly wails "My-my sister-" she tried to say. "She was so good t-to me than…!" she banged a fist on the ground. "I just don't UNDERSTAND!" she sobbed quietly. The rest of the team glanced at each other for a split second before rushing to their distraught friend.

"let it out Abby, just let it out." she heard Nigel say, "we're here now…" he rubbed calming circles on her back.

"Yha," Hoagie added, "We'll always be here for you-"

"-whenever you need it!" Kuki piped up,

"-and there's no getting rid of us." Wallie finished.

"Always!" they said together. Abby's lips slowly wobbled into a smile as she looked up to her friends. Seeing them gathered around her in a protective semi-circle, she let herself calm enough to smile up to them.

"Thank you." she beamed, "for everything."

End

FOOTNOTE:

Eeeeey, Inkay here. *two finger salute* I hope the story was cohesive enough since I don't know what I'm doing half the time. Also! Incase of confusion, my canon is that Numbuh Five's Candy Chest was given to her upon her first successful mission with the KND by her sister (Cree/Numbuh 11 at the time), as a job well done. So, the reason she was so distraught over it was because it held sentimental value. I mean, just imagine all the good memories little Abby must have had with her cool older sister while they fought evil together.

Must have been devastating when the older defected, eh?

Anyways… hope you liked it, and see you all in the next one!

Operation T.E.E.T.H

And yall better buckle in for that one.