AN: Sequel to my old fic, Strong Enough. I'm reposting it after a few changes. So enjoy.
Cake Dreams
"I know we normally use our birthday and our cake to make a trap for the Kids Next Door, but how about this year we eat our cake and open our presents before they show up?" I ask hopefully.
My brother and sisters glare at me. I just wanted to have some cake, at least this once.
"No, we will continue with our plans as we discussed. Stop acting so strangely Alfred." The all tell me and give me looks I'd rather forget.
Of course the Kids Next door did show up, they ruined our scheme, they did take our cake and our gifts. Except I noticed one gift had been missed, as my siblings looked as our enemies vanish while laughing at our defeat.
I grab it and open it.
"A football helmet." I comment. "It looks nice." They all turn to me.
"If you like it so much keep it, wear it, in fact if you love it so much, why don't you wear it all the time!" They scream as they push past me grumbling. I sigh and look at the helmet.
It fits very well on my head. Hey, it had been a long while since I've gotten a gift and have not had it stolen.
I didn't know I would be wearing that helmet for a long, long time.
Alfred shifted uncomfortably in his sleep, as he was plagued by his normal dreams.
"But father, we would have won if not for Alfred's blundering." My siblings insisted. I look shocked, but my helmet hides my expression.
How could they say that? "I am not the one to blame for what happened; the Kids Next Door foiled our scheme."
"Alfred had miss fired with the really, really, really outstandingly powerful laser. If he had just aimed it correctly the Kids Next Door would have been destroyed." My siblings accused to our father.
Father's eyes narrowed on me. "Very well, leave my children, except you Alfred. You and I must talk."
My brothers and sisters left, abandoning me. They simply glared, furious at me for my failure.
Father grabbed my arm. "Your failure will not go unpunished, you will become perfect, or you are of no use to me." He dragged me to the silent room. The room we all have to go when punished.
I forced to spend a week there, no one talking to me. My food shoved in through a slot in the door. It was hell.
Alfred twisted, throwing his sheet around. He could not stand these memories, these nightmares.
"You rotten brats, you've foiled us again. But we will get you someday Kids Next Door; your bad behavior will be punished." my siblings and I day in synch, as we always do when facing the Kids Next Door.
Filth surrounded us. Mud was splatter everywhere; my outfit would need to be cleaned. Oh well, that will teach us to never try and destroy our enemies with a giant mud monster again.
My siblings were cleaner then I was. But Abigail grabbed a hand full of mud and tossed it at us. "Numbuh 5 says clean up your act delightful dorks!" It hits Orlando, my tall brown haired brother, who stumbled back knocking the others face down in the mud.
I sidestepped out of the way, avoiding falling down with them.
They slip and slide around in their attempts to stand up, making themselves look even sillier.
I bite me lip and try desperately not to laugh. But I simply cannot stop myself; I break out into a fit of laughter.
My siblings look to me, they are surprised and not amused. I turn from them, and notice that the Kids Next Door are giving me strange looks as well.
My siblings get up and turn around. "We're leaving; father will punish you for your undelightful behavior Alfred!"
There were right he did.
Alfred's eyes shot open.
Why do I keep having to remember all of this? He wondered sadly.
He shut his eyes and attempted to get back to sleep.
"I'm sorry, this has to end. I will no longer help you and father with these mad schemes." I finally told them. I had been thinking about it for so long, and I was so tired of fighting.
I needed to be my own person, not simply father's tool. I know my siblings well, and I knew this would make them furious.
"You are a weak link! We do not need you. Very well Alfred, remove yourself from this family. You are no longer our brother."
Their words cut like knives. And they never spoke to me after that, months passed. I feared father would punish me, but instead he ignored me as well.
The only company I had was our butler, who could barely speak at all, and one encounter with Kuki, who was able to see my depression.
The loneliness then drove me to attempting to kill myself. I made the error of believing I could go nowhere, and would be alone forever.
But the Kids Next Door saved me, much to my surprise.
Alfred awoke again. He knew he would never get any sleep at this rate. He looked to his helmet, which stood on the dresser, since he joined the Kids Next Door the number 6 had been painted on the side.
He sighed and stood up, took his blanket, pillow and walked out of his room. There was only one way he would stop these nightmares. He quietly moved through the tree house base, until he reached a door and opened it.
It was almost scary how cute Kuki's room was. With her precious Rainbow monkeys and stuffed animals everywhere. This wasn't the first time he came here to end his nightmares, he wasn't sure why but being near Kuki seemed to help.
He placed his pillow on the floor and covered himself with the blanket as he lay down. He tried to make as little noise as possible, but noticed Kuki eyes open slightly.
"Numbuh Six?" She asked curiously.
"Kuki please, call me Lenny or Alfred, only call me Numbuh Six when we're on a mission." He requested lightly. Lenny was actually his middle name. His first name was Alfred. People just seemed more comfortable calling him Lenny though. Except for his siblings, his father and Kuki.
She smiled. "Sorry."
Alfred suddenly felt bad, here he was sneaking into her room and she was apologizing to him?
"No I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snuck in, it's just..."
"Nightmares again?" She finished.
He nodded. "They just seem to refuse to go away."
She looked sympathetic. "I get bad dreams to sometimes Alfred."
He nodded "We all do, but mine are all about things that had happened, things I'd rather forget."
She sat up and looked to him saddened. "Like what?"
"Kuki, maybe you should just go back to sleep." He offered. But she shook her head. He sighed in resignation.
"Well, one dream was about my...accident." He did not need to further explain the comment, she new what he was talking about. She nodded.
"One of the nightmares was about that time we sent that mud monster after you, remember? All my siblings kept slipping and falling around in the mud." She nodded smiling, remembering that occasion. It was hilarious.
"My father punished me for my laughter." He revealed. That stopped all the joy Kuki felt.
Punished, for laughing? That was the most horrible thing she'd ever heard.
"My first one was about one of the first birthday parties my siblings and I held. It was the year I got my helmet; it wasn't really a nightmare, but still a bit disturbing." Alfred comment.
He gave s slight smile. "You know, you and the others always took our cake. I have never even got to try cake."
Kuki's eyes shot open. "You've never had cake?" She asked shocked. He nodded. "I'd be having bad dreams too, if I never got to have cake."
He laughed lightly at that comment. "I am afraid it is not that simple. But, sleeping in your room has helped my dreams before, if you don't mind I'd like to sleep here again."
"Okay." She said instantly. "But don't sleep on the floor, it's not soft." She moved to one side of her bed and pointed her arm in the direction of the big empty place on her bed.
His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "No, Kuki I couldn't."
"Come on, it's comfortable." She offered.
He smiled slightly knowing he'd never convincer to let him lie on the floor. He walked over to the bed and lay down. She hugged him tightly.
"Sweet dreams Alfred!" She then let go and fell back asleep. Alfred drifted to unconsciousness as well. His dreams were pleasant ones for the rest of the night.
Alfred awoke with a yawn. He stretched his arms and looked around, light poured in through the window and brightened the room.
He looked beside him, Kuki was gone, she must have already gotten up. He then noticed something placed on the edge of the bed.
He looked to it, it was a cake with vanilla frosting.
'Hope This Helps Give You Good Dreams' was written with green frosting on it.
He laughed a little.
And oddly enough, it did help his dreams. Not the fact he had finally had cake, but that he had a friend who cared enough to make him one.
The End