DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR

A/N: As I said in the original posting of this, my friend KNDFANGIRL planted the idea of Rachel's older sister into my head. So that's why she's there.

CHAPTER 3: WE COUNT THE DAYS LEFT...

Rachel strolled across the parking lot, enjoying the clear blue sky and brisk air. The Moonbase was cool and all, but the air was just so... stale. It was good to get some fresh air now and then. Healthy, even. It was a much-needed break from work, and she complimented it with a break from her typical uniform, sporting blue jeans, an orange long-sleeve shirt under a half-zipped teal fleece jacket, and soft brown boots.

Her older sister was nice enough to give her a ride, though Rachel believed it was only because she was heading out for the nearby stores anyway. The two of them had always gotten along so well, but Rachel was still sore about spending Christmas Eve and Day without family. Needless to say, the car ride there was entirely devoid of conversation.

She was nearing the entrance of the colossal Toys 'B' Us. It was a grand place for kids, but she wasn't there for leisure; today, she was there on a mission. Today's task would be the most stressful one she had carried out in quite some time. The objective: find the perfect gift for her Secret Santa. And if you asked her, she had the most difficult one of all. Why couldn't she have gotten Numbuh 3 or something? She'd be easy, just get a Rainbow Monkey. Or any kind of stuffed animal, really. Still, she felt pretty grateful for her target. It would be a good chance for her to repay some of their kindness, as well as doing something nice for a member of her best team.

"I'll find the right present," she assured herself as she stepped through the first set of automatic doors. "Why, I'm sure it's sitting right on the other side of these doors, just waiting for me to come in and claim it!" A smile began to crawl across her face. She had this.

Or so she though. As the second set of doors parted to reveal the ginormous bustling hive that was Toys 'B' Us during the holiday season, her confidence deflated like air out of a whoopee cushion beneath a sumo wrestler. Sure, she expected the place to be set up for the holiday, but it was mesmerizing just the same. Rows and rows of every kind of toy imaginable, displays showcasing the latest and greatest video games, pre-built models of planes and cars and trains, dolls and action figures, waterguns and styrofoam-dart guns of all calibers, RC vehicles of all sorts, sports gear, silly voice changers... It was a sight to behold, what with all the bright colors and flashing lights and loud noises and... and...

Where the heck was she going to find the right present in all this?!

Remember that whole thing from the last chapter about shops this time of year? I probably forgot to mention the hordes of frantic shoppers. They don't really set the mood quite as well as, say, a gingerbread house. Sure, they're pretty passive this early the month, but their numbers and intensity grow exponentially with every passing day. All the more reason to find the right something and get the heck outta Dodge as quickly as possible.

Rachel sighed, feeling like an ant in a supermarket. That perfect gift would have to be a little patient...

Man, there were so many cool toys in here! Wally's jaw hung open as he scanned a wall of action figures. Every decent comic book hero he could think of was there, in solid plastic form. He wanted to take them all home. But he wasn't there for himself. Not this time. But probably next time.

How was he ever going to decide on what to get his Secret Santa this year? Normally, he just grabbed a cheap comic book for each of his teammates. But this year was different. Sure, he could just pick something and call it a day—any of these action figures would be awesome—but, he heard the others. They were all putting real effort into finding top notch gifts. So he needed to do the same.

The Aussie tore his gaze away from the wall of ripped dolls and moved on to the next, though not without a glance back over his shoulder. You'd think he was parting ways with a good friend whom he wouldn't be seeing again for a long time.

He stalked up and down each aisle, examining every item on every shelf, slowly and methodically making his way around the store. There were plenty of things that would have made good presents, but, again, he couldn't settle for good. He needed Great. Or maybe Totally Sweet. Yeah, definitely that one. But what could live up to that kind of hype? Maybe—

Hello, what's this?

Wally had stepped out from an aisle to start on the next one when a familiar face caught his eye. He backed out of sight, then poked his head around the corner.

Numbuh 362? Was she here shopping for her Secret Santa, too?

The girl was walking his way, though was apparently too preoccupied to notice him. Wally hastily jerked back as she drew nearer, then peaked out again as she slogged past him.

"Wow, she was really in the zone! I wonder who she's shopping for." He raised a brow, then leered after her. "I wonder who she's shopping for..."

He allowed her to space out from him a little more before stalking after her. He darted from cover to cover, hiding behind displays and boxes and even a larger woman in an obnoxiously flowery dress. The stalkee stopped several times, picking up a box or eyeing a display with interest. Wally would perk up with anticipation, only to be disappointed when she'd just shake her head and continue on.

This was getting old. He hoped she would hurry up and—

"Ah-hem!"

Wally spun around, already spouting off an alibi. "No I wasn't! I was checkin' out this sweet display of..." He looked over his shoulder at the display he was using for cover. "...of..." He grit his teeth. "...of the Rainbow Monkey Pink Paradise Best Friends collection..."

Abby, arms crossed, scoffed. "Really? That's the best yah got?"

Wally opened his mouth to try again, only to shut it in defeat. "Fine. That's not why I came here, though! I was just looking for a present! For my Secret Santa!"

Abby looked him up and down, then smirked. "Same here. This whole thing is a bigger pain than Abby expected."

"Guessin' that means you ain't found the right gift yet neither, eh?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope. But that's alright, we still got, like, what, 23 days? Well, more like 22."

"That's like two weeks!"

"Uh—"

"That's plenty of time!"

"Heh. Be careful thinkin' that, Wallabee. Time tends to fly by when it's goin' against yah."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Abby chuckled. "Oh, you'll see. Abby's sure of it."

Wally huffed. "So, who'd you get?"

"Ha! You really think Abby would just tell you?"

"Yep!" Wally leaned in, smiling smugly. "Unless you've got me, of course!"

Abby rolled her eyes. "Maybe Abby just doesn't wanna spoil the surprise for anyone. Who've you got, then?"

"Huh! You don't tell me, I don't tell you!" He looked over his shoulder. "Hey! Where'd Numbuh 362 go?"

The two looked around, then shrugged in unison.

"Donno," Abby said, turning to the nearest aisle. "Wonder if she found what she was looking for..."

Rachel sighed as the outermost doors slid out of her way. Every ounce of her disappointment was plastered across her face. She'd checked every item in that place, yet nothing seemed quite right. Everything there just seemed so... generic. Impersonal. Useless for her mission. Guess she'd have to try her luck around town. But that would have to be later; she could see Taylor already waiting for her in the parking lot. Her sister would probably want to go home already.

She stuffed her hands into her pockets and studied the pavement under her feet as she made her way to her sister's car, shivering as a cold breeze caught her off-guard. "Brr! Guess that cold winter's not very far off at all..."

She came up to the blue sedan, opening the door and climbing into the passenger seat. Her sister was slouching in the driver's seat, talking away on her cell phone. Rachel fastened her seatbelt and waited in silence.

"I really can't believe he actually said that to you! That's too funny! You should think about it, though. He's a really nice guy! But hey, listen, Rachel just came back, so I'm gonna head on home. I'll call you once I'm back in my room, alright? Alright, girl. Bye!" Taylor, who looked very much like an older version of Rachel, flipped her phone shut and dropped it down into the cupholder in the middle console. She giggled to herself, probably about whatever her friend had just told her, and looked down at her younger sibling. "You ready to go, Rach?"

Rachel shook her head, turning her head to look out the window. Taylor's smile waned a bit, but returned to full with a turn of the key in the ignition. As she navigated her way out of the parking lot, her music started to play. Rachel recognized the tune as "Carol Of The Bells," though this particular version sounded like it was performed by some rock band. She liked it. The young blonde immersed herself in the music, imagining herself walking through a snow-covered neighborhood somewhere far away.

It wasn't as though the sisters had never gotten along. They'd always been pretty close. Growing up, Taylor had always looked out for her little sister, and often went out of her way to spend time with her. Like now, for example: ever since getting her driver's permit, Taylor was always offering to drive Rachel places. Of course, Rachel figured any show of kindness now was an attempt to distract from her abandonment, and so refused to appreciate it.

Taylor had also been a member of the KND—a spy, no less—which was Rachel's main influence to join. Even after decommissioning, Taylor remained her little sister's hero. She was one of the few teens who actually opposed the Teen Ninjas, advocating the notion of, "if we leave kids alone, they'll return the favor." Of course, the Teen Ninjas seemed to despise kids on principle, but she refused to stoop to their level. Rachel was perplexed by this for a long time, wondering if her elder sister somehow knew she held her old position. But by the time she became Supreme Leader, she was convinced Taylor had no idea she was anything more than a regular member of the nearby sector. For some reason, it gave Rachel a new level of appreciation for her support.

Rachel couldn't have asked for a better sister. At least, not up to this point. There was no doubt why it hurt so much when she decided that she was spending Christmas with her friends, even knowing that left Rachel all alone. It just wasn't the kind of thing she ever expected from her. Maybe she was turning into a regular teenager...

"So," Taylor said as they hit the main road, "who are you gift shopping for?"

Rachel didn't want to answer her. But, she figured there was no point in trying to block her out. After all, she was trapped in the car with her. "A friend."

"From school?"

"No, from work."

"Ah, the Kids Next Door. He a member of one of your sections?"

"Sector. And who said it was a he?"

"Sorry. Is she a member of one of your sectors?"

"Didn't say it was a she, either."

Taylor sighed, side-glancing at Rachel, who crossed her arms stubbornly. "Rach..."

"Yes. My best sector. I need something exceptional. But I have no idea what..."

"Aw, Rach, that's so nice! Well, do you know where you wanna look next?"

"No... I honestly don't know. I guess I'll go store hopping until I find something."

Taylor chuckled. "That could work. But, you know, you don't have to buy him—or her—anything."

Rachel looked over at her sister for the first time in days, brow furrowed. "Huh? I can't just get them nothing. That's terrible."

"I mean, sometimes the best gifts don't appear on a shelf. There are other things. You can even make something yourself. A good gift doesn't come from a store, it comes from the heart."

Rachel pondered her words for a minute. "I get it... but I think I'll still look around some more."

"Okay! I can't today, but if you wanna wait, I'm free for the rest of the week. I wouldn't mind driving you, maybe even help out, if... that's okay?"

Rachel turned back to her window. "Yeah. Sure."