This is for all you 2/5 fans! Enjoy!

Free of Cree

He always considered himself a ladies' man. He was smooth, nice, and smart…..Everything a girl wanted. Numbuh 2 always thought that, if he tried hard enough, he could win the heart of Cree Lincoln. He had tried to win her heart for years, and yet, it never worked. Ever.

If only he was older. Cree liked Hank, his teen self, after all. She kissed him, didn't she? She went to Romantic Burger with him, didn't she? Hank was the real Hoagie, after all, just in a different body.

She only liked Hank for my looks, Numbuh 2 thought sadly, standing out on the deck near his room in the treehouse. It was dark out, and the stars in the sky twinkled like diamonds in the night. He rubbed his stomach in sadness. Maybe she'd like me if I was skinnier, or more handsome, like Numbuh One and Numbuh Four.

Numbuh One was with Numbuh 362 now. Nigel had dumped Lizzie a month ago. He just didn't love her anymore. Who could? She was mean, obsessive, disrespectful, unappreciative, demanding, and so much more. Lizzie was really upset, but she soon hooked up with some other guy, the poor thing. Nigel didn't care though. He had liked Rachel for years. It took him a few years, but he finally had the courage to ask her out. And soon, they became a couple.

Numbuh Four also was in a relationship. Thanks to Nigel's, Hoagie's, and Abby's pushing, he had finally told Numbuh Three he loved her. He was so surprised when Kuki had said, "I love you too Wally!" They were on dates constantly, and were always hugging. Hoagie even saw them kiss once, without them noticing.

Hoagie was happy for his friends, he really was, but……Besides Numbuh Five, he was the only one that wasn't in a relationship.

Numbuh Five……..Hoagie thought. Lately, she had been giving him really weird feelings lately. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he had stared at her a couple of times, to his surprise. I don't know why she makes me feel the way she does, he thought again, picturing her face in his mind. It can't be love though. I know it's not love. I love Cree, not Abby! Although, I wonder what it would be like to kiss Abby……..

This thought made his eyes pop out. He gently smacked himself in the face. Cut it out, Hoagie! You love Cree, not Abby! Abby is one of your best friends, just like Nigel, Wally, and Kuki! Cree's your woman!

And yet, it didn't make him feel any better.

Soon he heard a sudden knock on the door that led to the deck. He turned around, and there was Abby, in her red had and blue dress with the white stripe down the side. He smiled, and gestured with his hand to come join him. She stepped outside.

"Hey, Numbuh Two!" she greeted him happily. "What are you doin' out here? Isn't it kinda chilly out?"

Numbuh Two put his elbows on the rail of the deck. "Yeah, but it was so pretty out. Besides, I wanted to come out here and….think."

"About Cree?"

He frowned. "How'd you know?!?!?"

She walked next to him and looked at his face. "'Cause Numbuh Four told me what happened today. He told everybody."

Hoagie pounded his fist against the rail. "Aw, man! I told him not to tell anybody! Wait 'till I get my hands on him….."

Abby laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hoagie, it's okay. Don't be mad. Numbuh Four was concerned. He thought we oughta know. And why did you tell him in the first place? You know that Numbuh Five is much easier to talk to than that ding-dong!"

He chuckled. Numbuh Five didn't mean it, but it was funny anyway. "Sorry," he replied. "I don't know why I tell him these things…..He can never keep his mouth shut."

Then there was silence, giving Hoagie some time to think about what had happened that afternoon….

That afternoon….

Hoagie rang the doorbell to the Lincoln house, holding a single rose in his hand. He knew who would answer the door, because he knew Mr. Lincoln was at work and Numbuh Five was at the treehouse. He knew it would be Cree, his princess.

The door opened, and there she was. "Oh great!" she said in disgust. "It's you! What do you want?" She stared at him coldly. Hoagie gulped. His hand that was holding the rose was shaking. "Um, h-hi Cree….." he stuttered. "Um…..I-I was w-wondering…..Would you…Would you like to go to the movies with me sometime? I'll pay……A-and, this is f-for you. A single r-rose, for y-you….." He wasn't being smooth like he usually was with Cree. He was being genuinely sincere, and he was hoping she would say yes.

Cree put her hands on her hips. "Now listen kid…." she said threateningly, eyes slit. "I would never, ever, go out or even be seen with you in a million years, and do you know why? You're fat, you're ugly, you're stupid, and…" She leaned down so her face was inches from his. "You're a worthless little brat that will never be loved. Ever." And she slammed the door in his face.

He stood at the front of the door a few minutes, then slowly turned and walked away, the rose limping in his hands. Tears were endlessly streaming down his face.

His heart was broken.

Then he stopped and whispered, "She's right….She's right!" He threw the rose onto the sidewalk, and stomped on it with his foot until it was destroyed. The petals were everywhere, and the head of the rose was completely off the stem. "She's right!" he yelled. "I'll never be loved! Ever! I'll be alone for the rest of my life! I'm a fat, worthless jerk and that's all I'll ever be!" Then he ran, and just kept running, a waterfall of tears down his face.

"Hoagie? Hoagie, y'all right?" She put her hand on his shoulder again. He flinched at the touch of her hand. "Oh! Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry…." He looked at her and managed to put on a weak smile. Abby looked back, concerned.

"Hoagie….What my sister said…..What Cree said….It's not true," she said, eyes sparkling. He quickly looked away, tears in his eyes.

"Yes, it is. Cree is right. I'm a pathetic loser that'll never be loved. Ever."

"That's not true, you fool!" She smacked him with her hat. "OW!" he yelped, rubbing his shoulder. "What'd you do that for?!?!?"

"Because you don't see what's right in front of you, Hoagie!" she yelled with her arms in the air, her hat in her left hand.

"What? What're you talking about, Abby?!?" He yelled right back. She stepped towards him, their faces inches apart. "You can't see that I love you, Hoagie P. Gillagan Jr."

Silence.

"What?" he asked quietly. Abby put her hat back on. "I said, I love you."

"You…You do?" His heart skipped a beat. Numbuh Five smiled a shy smile, and said, without using third-person, "Yeah, I do….."

"But…..why?" He didn't think anyone could possibly love him, not after what Cree said. Abby blushed. "Because, Hoagie, you're sweet, smart, and friendly. What's not to love about you?"

"Well," he said, blushing. "I don't know….." His heart was pumping. He was actually……Joyful. He was so happy to know that she loved him. And then, instantly, he knew exactly how he felt about her. "But I do know," he started, walking towards her, "That I love you back, Abigail Lincoln."

She put her head up, eyes shining. He looked right back. Then their faces started to get closer, and closer, until, finally, their lips touched.

Both of their eyes were closed, and Abby then put her arms around his neck, and Hoagie put his around her waist. It was a long kiss, and it was a deep kiss. When they finally broke apart, they turned to the end of the balcony. Abby put her head on Hoagie's shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They sighed happily at the same time, and stared at the stars.

Numbuh Two knew now that he genuinely love Numbuh Five, and that she wasn't just a substitute for Cree. His feelings for Abby had been there all along, it just took him a while to figure out.

He was finally free of Cree.