DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR

CHAPTER 6: TINSEL & TENDERNESS

Rachel exited her bedroom, carefully shutting the door behind her. She crept down the blue carpet of her hallway, wary of making any sudden noise as she passed Taylor's room. Music could be heard through the closed door, but she didn't want to risk alerting her sister to her presence. She just didn't feel like facing her today.

She reached the stairs at the opposite end of the hallway. A look over her shoulder, and a smirk of satisfaction. Success! Didn't even need to break out any of her old spy moves.

"Hey Rach, where you goin'?"

Her eyes slammed shut, as though a fragile family heirloom had shattered on the ground behind her. They opened as Taylor reached the top of the stairs, holding bowl of soup and a glass of apple juice.

"Hey, Taylor," Rachel muttered. "I'm going to a friend's place. She invited me to help her decorate her Christmas tree."

"Sweet, that sounds like fun," Taylor said with a smile. The short one stepped around her, eyes locked on the front door. Taylor frowned at her back. "Hey. Rach."

Rachel stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She turned her head, though not enough to actually look at her elder sister. "Yes?"

"What's wrong, Rach?"

Rachel remained motionless and silent. What was wrong? Was she serious? "Nothing," she said flatly, and continued to the door. She got her hand on the doorknob before Taylor spoke again.

"Rach."

Rachel partially turned her head again.

"Please put a coat on. It's getting really cold out there."

Kuki sat on the couch in the treehouse common area, knitting as she listened to the KND News Network on the gigantic wall-mounted TV. Normally, she would have gotten bored and changed channels by now, but she wasn't paying it much attention—she really only had it on for the noise. Five stockings were laid out next to her: one red with black toes and heel, one light blue and brown, one green and black, one orange and blue, and one blue and red. She was currently working on a sixth, which was teal and orange.

"Hello?"

Kuki continued working away happily. After a moment, Rachel appeared next to her. "Hey, Numbuh 3."

"Hi, Numbuh 362," Kuki replied cheerfully, maintaining her focus. "How are you doing today?"

Rachel tossed several words around in her head, searching for one she was allowed to say in a child-friendly story. "Meh. Where's everyone else?"

"Haven't seen any of the boys yet. Numbuh 5 is in her room. We were waiting for you to get here before we got started."

"Oh, you guys really didn't need to wait up for me! I didn't mean to keep you from—"

"We wanted to. And like I said, the boys aren't even here yet."

"Hm... Okay." Rachel took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. This whole thing with her family was getting to her... She needed to loosen up. "So watcha got there? Stockings for your team?"

"Yup! I make new ones every year, since they always end up on fire."

"What—"

"And this one's going to be yours!"

"Mine? Why, that's really sweet of you, Numbuh 3, but you don't need to burden yourself—"

"I HAVE SPOKEEEEEN!" Kuki cried, bearing a needle at Rachel, who promptly lost her voice. She let her voice reverberate, then resumed knitting. "Everyone wants you here. Besides, Numbuh 1's really trying to help you be happy this season. I know you guys are good friends, so if you want to be so modest, then at least be happy for him."

Rachel stared. "So... we're waiting for the boys now?"

"We could," said Abby as she entered the room. "Or we could go ahead and get started. Numbuh 5 didn't mind waitin' for you, but the boys tend to take forever when they go to Numbuh 2's house for stuff—always get distracted by video games and whatnot."

Rachel giggled, looking back over to Kuki. "Want to?"

"Okay!"

"Cool."

The three girls didn't talk much for the next few minutes as they set up ladders and began hanging ornaments and wrapping tinsel around the tree. The weather segment of the news had started, and they were listening intently for Numbuh 7 to get to the part they cared about.

"Now, if you're in the northern part of the ol' U-S of A..."

And there it was. They all froze, eyes fixed on the TV.

"...especially around Ohio, you'd better break out the winter gear, 'cause, baby, it's cold outside! And it just gets colder from here! That's right, Sector V, it's only a matter of time until the first snowfall of the year for you!"

Kuki's eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. She looked over to Abby, then over at Rachel. Each one's expression mirrored hers.

"The first snowfall of the year," Abby echoed. "Music to Numbuh 5's ears. Now that the weatherboy has called for it, the next step is for Mother Nature to follow up."

"Yeah!" Kuki agreed, grabbing some more colored orbs from a large box. "There's nothing like the first snow of the year! I can't wait!"

"Maybe we'll even get some snow days from school before Christmas break. That'd be a nice surprise. Numbuh 5 could always do with a little extra time off."

"So could Numbuh 1. He's been kinda tense lately."

"Can't hardly blame him. Things ain't goin' too well between him an' Lizzie. Not that anything involvin' her goes well..."

"Still, it's important to him."

"Yeah, Numbuh 5 knows..."

Rachel stared at her reflection in the green orb she'd just hung. Nigel and Lizzie, coming to an end? Great! He deserved better. But he did seem happy with her, so he was probably feeling down about it, like the others said... But he'd be better off in the long run...

...right?

Either way, her delight from the news was quickly overridden by guilt. The boy was putting forth so much effort to salvage her Christmas cheer, yet hadn't so much as mentioning his own problems. And she hadn't so much as asked him how he was doing. Granted, he probably wouldn't have mentioned it, but still, he was being a much better friend than she was. She sighed, climbing down her ladder to grab another ornament.

"Good riddance," Kuki said, flashing a look of someone eating a vegetable. "She just brings him down. I don't know what he sees in her."

"Numbuh 5 doesn't get it, either. But let's not spoil the mood with talks of Lizzie. How goes the gift hunt for your Secret Santa?"

"Um, I've got some ideas," Kuki said, turning away from Abby as she procured an orange, glittery ornament from her sleeve. She smiled at it for a second before hanging it on the tree. "What about you, Numbuh 362?"

Rachel, having seen Kuki's display, was chuckling to herself. "Um... I still have no idea what I'm gonna get for... them. How about you, Numbuh 5?"

"Bleh. Still nothin'. Numbuh 5 has been kinda preoccupied with practicin' for the play."

"Play? You're doing a play?"

"Yep. At school."

Kuki gasped as though she had spent the last two minutes underwater, almost falling off of her ladder. "You should totally come! It's on the 21st!"

"I'll... I'll try to be there," Rachel said, knowing full well her attendance would depend on how she'd be feeling that day.

"It's gonna be a good one," Abby said. "Guarantee yah won't regret goin'."

"Besides, it'll be a good break from work! Which you need really badly!"

Rachel smiled, though couldn't help following it up with a small sigh.

"You okay over there, Numbuh 362?" asked Abby from somewhere across the tree.

Rachel grimaced. She really needed to keep those sighs in check. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine, girl. C'mon, talk to Auntie Abby. Is it about your family?"

The girl was either very perceptive or a very good guesser. "...yeah."

"What is it, exactly?"

Rachel considered dodging the question. This was just the subject she had come there to escape. But, she didn't want to be rude. And... maybe opening up about it would help.

"It's my sister."

"Taylor?" Kuki asked.

"Yeah. She and I aren't really getting along right now."

"Numbuh 5 can understand that. Did she stop talkin' to you?"

"Well, no, she's talked to me. I guess I just haven't wanted to talk to her."

"Hm... she been mean lately?"

"Well, no..."

"So you're the one not gettin' along with her?"

Pause.

"I don't know about that..."

"Why not just talk to her? Let her know how yah feel an' stuff?"

"Because she knows how I feel!" Rachel growled. She immediately groaned. "Numbuh 5, I'm sorry, I... Taylor and I, we... we didn't just start fighting out of the blue. You see, the other day—"

"It's alright," Abby said, walking into view. "Numbuh 1 gave the team a rundown of what's goin' on, just so nobody gets the wrong idea, or says the wrong thing. So you don't need to explain a thing, girl. And you'd better believe Numbuh 5 knows how stupid teenage sisters can be! You're smart—you'll sort this out."

Rachel stared at Abby's feet. "Don't know how..."

"Doesn't mean you won't figure it out."

"I... guess I can't argue with that." Rachel met Abby's gaze, and the two smiled at each other. "At least someone believes in me."

"You're the only one who doesn't, sir."

Kuki slid down her ladder, landing between them. "So! Did you guys see Muffy on Friday?! She looked sooo cute!"

Both Rachel and Abby burst into laughter. And that was that. For now.

A couple of hours passed. To Rachel, the time had flown by, thanks to the delightful company. The woes of the past week were the furthest from her mind they had been since they started, replaced with the simple joy of being in the moment. And in that moment, she stood between two friends, immersed in the aroma of mint, the taste of gingerbread, the sight of the red and green fir towering before her... It would have been enough to make her forget about her own decommissioning. Well, not really, but you can appreciate the sentiment.

"Wow, Numbuh 5, you were right: the boys do take forever!" she said with a smirk.

"Heh, told yah. Well, Numbuh 5 would almost say we're done here, but it's still lackin' a little somethin'... somethin' to... top it off."

"Good thing we're here, then, 'cause I've got just the thing!"

Nigel, Hoagie, and Wally paraded the room. The speaker, Hoagie, was holding a large paper bag.

"About time!" Kuki said, dramatically throwing her arms up in the air. "We've already finished!"

"Oi, we got the stinkin' tree!" Wally retorted.

"It's not finished yet," Hoagie said. He reached into the bag, and withdrew a large, golden star. "No Christmas tree is complete without a good hat."

Everyone agreed, and started chatting about something. Rachel wasn't really listening, though. Though she was facing the rest of the group, her eyes were on Nigel, looking for any hint of discontentment or anxiety. He didn't seem particularly enthusiastic, but there was nothing to say anything was out of the ordinary. And she had great attention to detail. Even so, she knew all was not well for him, and felt terrible that she was only making it worse.

Nigel had noticed her staring. Her heart leapt, but she didn't waver. She did blink first, but held her ground just the same.

This contest was going nowhere. Rachel took a few steps away from the others. Nigel got the hint and followed. They stopped an arm's length away from the tree, facing it.

"What is it, sir?" he asked quietly. He sounded normal. But she wasn't walking away without an explanation. A sort of revenge for his persistent friendship on the Moonbase a few days before.

"You can drop the act, Numbuh 1," she said, crossing her arms and giving him the stern look of a parent. "I know there's something on your mind. What's wrong?"

"Huh? I don't—"

"Nigel. Please, don't. What's wrong?"

He sighed. "It's... Lizzie. She's threatening to leave me. Again. But she seems serious this time. I thought she'd have cooled down by the time we got back from the camping trip, but she's still... I don't think we're going to recover from this one."

"Look, Nigel," she said, keeping her voice low. The rest of the group was still chatting away, and she didn't want to draw their attention. "I know you're fond of Lizzie. I don't know why, but I know you are. Know that I say this because I'm your friend: you deserve better. She brings you down. I'm guessing you don't see it, but we do. I do. And I hate it, Nigel, I really do. I know you're going to do what you're gonna do, and I'm behind you no matter what. Just, please... stop making us watch you set yourself up for failure."

Nigel stood motionless, his gaze resting somewhere in the mess of fir needles. Once again, Rachel couldn't get a reading on him.

"So who's gunna put it on?" Wally asked, causing Rachel to jump. He had approached without notice, and the proximity of his voice broke her concentration.

"Well," Hoagie said, dropping the paper bag and picking up a FLAPPUH that was conveniently laying nearby. "Considering she's our honorary guest..." He stepped up to Rachel, extending the winged pack and out to her. "...I think Numbuh 362 should have the honor this year."

Rachel's eyes widened as she looked around the group. "I..." She hesitated, then accepted the pack, staring down at it for a moment. She glanced over to Nigel, who smiled and nodded. "Thanks, guys."

She donned the pack, then graciously—and tenderly—accepted the large star from Hoagie, who made a silly face and rendered a salute. Giggling, she hugged the star tightly to her chest. Someone activated the FLAPPUH's wings, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Nigel, who flashed a small grin and gave a thumbs up. She smiled and nodded in return.

"Now, this thing is tricky to fly if you've never used it before," Hoagie explained, stepping between them. "You see, the way it works is—"

Rachel took a couple of steps back, launched up into the air. As one might have expected, she had no trouble navigating to the top of the tree, where she carefully bent the tip so she could slide the star into place. The instant she removed her hands, it lit up, painting the ceiling around it a warm yellow.

Wally chortled, punching Hoagie on the arm. "She figured out how to fly that thing in no time! Took you ages to stop crashin' into walls, and you built stupid thing!"

"True that," Hoagie said, rubbing his new sore spot. "I guess she's not the Supreme Leader for no reason, eh, Numbuh 1?"

"Yeah," Nigel answered quietly, his eyes fixed on Rachel. As she hovered there, admiring the star, the smile on her face... it wasn't the biggest, but it was the most sincere he'd seen on her in quite some time. And when she met his gaze, the star didn't strike him as the brightest thing in the room anymore. "She's pretty great..."