Chapter 2:

Nigel immediately took up a defensive stance. His combat skills kicked in instantly; now that Numbuh Four was gone he was the best hand to hand operative in the sector. He only wondered for a split second about who could have gotten this far into the tree house without triggering the Defense Array. That's when he heard it… A LOUD THUMP followed immediately by two hissed words that Nigel never ever thought he'd hear again.

"Oh CRUD!"

Suddenly the lights came on and the source of the thump and the whispered shout could be seen rubbing his stubbed toe, hopping slightly on his other foot. Nigel blinked in utter shock, as he stood with his hand still on the switch. He could not move or even breathe for here right in front of him was the missing (and officially presumed dead) Numbuh Four! Numbuh One's feet began to step of there own accord toward his friend and teammate so before he really knew he was moving, he had crossed the distance and was staring up into Wally's green eyes. Wally had grown taller even than when the team had last seen him seven months ago. He had hit a growth spurt, and was now taller than all the others. He had been in top physical shape before his disappearance, and even now he was semi-fit. Clearly he had not been training wherever he'd been, but he was not too out of shape yet. He smiled very slightly at his leader and Nigel smiled back even though he noticed a depth of sadness and old pain in Wally's eyes.

"Where have you been, Numbuh Four?! We have been searching for you for months! I just received orders to terminate the search a couple of hours ago, the Command Center has officially had you declared dead and I've been up all night trying to figure out how to tell the others, and your family, and especially how I could ever tell Kuki …"

Wally quietly interrupted him, and the intensity in his voice actually frightened Numbuh One a little. "Where is she, Nigel?"

"Who? Oh Numbuh Three? She's in her room asleep like everyone else. It is still really early you know… hey where are you going?" Nigel already knew the answer, but the shock of having Numbuh Four back and the sleep deprivation was making him a bit less – well astute.

Numbuh Four did not stop moving or even slow his pace, but shout-whispered over his shoulder to Numbuh One, "I promise I will tell you everything that I remember in the morning, Nigel. Then you can make your report to whoever needs it. Right now I have to see Kuki."

"Right, Numbuh Four I understand. I'll call the team in for a briefing first thing YAWN in… a couple… of hours… or years… or…" he trailed off utterly exhausted. The briefing would have to wait. Sleep was now an imperative. He had already decided to wait to awaken Numbuhs Two and Five. They could use the sleep before they got the shock of their lives.

Wally's heart had stopped beating when Nigel had mentioned her name and now as he approached Kuki's curtained doorway it was nearly pounding out of his ribcage. It had been seven months – seven months in that place. The one thought he had held onto was that he would see her again. He would get out of this and finally hold her in his arms. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else could keep him sane. Kuki had actually saved him from that horror, and she hadn't even been there. Oh thank god she hadn't been there! If anything like that ever happened to Kuki – Wally stopped short, it was too much to think of. He needed to see her again so much and she was just on the other side of this curtain. Without another thought he brushed past the delicate piece of fabric into the room. He stood a moment to adjust to the dim light so he wouldn't trip over some stuffed animal or other, and blinking he took in the sight of her sleeping form.

The first thing he noticed was that she was sleeping all curled up in a little ball instead of stretched out on the bed like she used to. He had often slipped into her room to watch her sleep when they were younger, especially when he was worried or upset. Just seeing her so open, carefree, and peaceful would soothe him like nothing else could. Something else seemed off to him, and suddenly he realized what it was. Her breathing sounded strange, sort of labored and hitched, almost like she was crying in her sleep. The thought cracked his heart, and he stepped to the bed and very softly knelt beside it. His hand reached out automatically and brushed a strand of onyx silk out of her eyes. He could see now that she was not actually still crying, but it seemed pretty clear that she had been. She had cried herself to sleep. At his feather soft touch Kuki stirred slightly, and seemed to breathe a deep shaky breath in through her nose. For a second Wally froze with his hand still holding the strand of errant hair and then he heard it. Whispered from Kuki's lips was one word said with such heart-wrenching, aching sadness that the crack in Wally's heart gave way – it broke completely in two.

"Wally-", she started to cry a little again and he realized that she was crying over him. His Kuki had actually cried herself to sleep over him! Who knows how many times this had happened to her in all these months? Her agony was beyond his ability to bear. He couldn't stop himself; Wally leaned down very carefully and placed the gentlest kiss on her trembling lips.