Author: TippierCoffee

Disclaimer: I do not own—nor do I claim the rights to—any of the characters from the show Codename: Kids Next Door. All credit goes to rightful owner: Mr. Tom Warburton.

LTLY series: 1. Learning To Love You; 2. Again; 3. Alone; 4. Ever After.

OBS: I gave Wally's parents names. Mum: Kayla Beetles, Dad: Wilbert Beetles.

Enjoy :)


Second discovery.

Kuki strolled the hallway on her own, sharing the occasional glance with Ace. Talking to him again after so many years had been nice, but somehow she had found she wasn't interested in him in that way. She did feel a bit bad about that because they'd been spending a lot of time together after Amber had made them 'accidentally' bump into each other, maybe hoping she could get something romantically going with him, which had led her to accidentally lead him on. If just a bit.

He had even had her home for dinner one of the evenings where one of his cousins had been over for a visit. It was someone on his mother's side, who wasn't of Spanish descent, if his father was even Spanish. Kuki wasn't entirely sure as she had never seen Ace's father, so she didn't know if he really was half Spanish or if he just tossed in Spanish words in hopes to seem smooth and wow girls.

His cousin, Derick Marsh—however—had somehow ended up catching her interest without really meaning to. Something about him and Kuki had just clicked and they had started talking a lot together, leaving out a pissed Ace, who had spend the day after to mope about Kuki ogling over his cousin, which essentially had led to Kuki having to tell him the truth about how it was just something silly and pretentious. She was really sorry for having played him by accident, but at the very least she had realised and told, even if it had made him mad enough to ditch her.

Essentially she had just spend more time with her friends Abby, Rachel, Nigel and Hoagie. Nigel and Hoagie would every now and again go to the table where the soccer guys were seated, and sometime Nigel and Rachel would sit on their own and talk secretively together, while sneaking glances at each other and holding hands under the table. Kuki wasn't sure why they were trying to keep their relationship—or whatever it was—on a down low when their friends had figured out about it some time a go.

Wally would rarely go to 'their table' with Amber, mostly she would just take him to the 'cheerleaders table' and brag about how Wally had saved her, how heroic he was and this and that. It had started to bug him a little from what he had told Kuki, but he didn't really mention it much to Amber, because whenever he tried to she seemed to get a bit upset about it. In the end none of them had kept their promise well, though fair to say Wally at least tried harder than Amber, and still hung out with Kuki and had fun with her, and did things together with her, which they had dubbed 'their thing'. Like watching pointless romcoms together, playing the occasional video games, doing homework together and sharing stories about their siblings.

However Wally had started being with her on more rare occasions, because Amber one day had had a fit about how Wally only payed attention to Kuki and not her, which was a complete lie. From Kuki's perspective—and anyone else seeing it from the outside—Wally sometimes went out of his way and did things he didn't really enjoy doing, just to spend time with Amber. He even went out of his way and gave her extreme amounts of public affection, which had earned them a few yells of getting a room whenever Amber had gotten him to snog her. Not that Wally seemed to entirely mind it, but from the outside it was pretty easy to see he wasn't exactly comfortable doing it either just for the sake of Amber being able to brag about it, but he did it nonetheless.

"Hey girl." Abby said, snapping Kuki back to the real world where she sat on the benches and watched the soccer players practice while the cheerleaders cheered for them; probably because Amber had convinced them to so she could watch Wally.

"Hello." Kuki sighed, giving Abby a little smile.

"You seem down." Abby said concerned.

"I guess I'm just a bit upset that Amber ended up turning into one of those somewhat possessive girlfriends. She promised she wouldn't come in between Wally's and my friendship, but now he can hardly even look at me without her scolding him. It must be tiring for him I think, and I get a little lonely."

"There are always the rest of us, and that Derick guy you've been sending texts regularly; and don't go trying to deny it, Abby has seen you send him way too many texts." Abby gave Kuki a little wink while enjoying the blush on her face.

"Well, I guess we do have a bit of a thing going." Kuki admitted shyly. "That doesn't mean I don't miss my best friends. You're right though Abby, I still have the rest of you guys." She gave Abby a little smile of gratitude.


Wednesday December 20, 10pm

Christmas break was always something Wally had liked. It was the one break where his family always seemed to forgive everything and treat him a little better, and he had somehow also always found it in him to treat them better and with more gratitude. To be fair though, it was probably not until now he fully appreciated everything they'd ever done for him and realised that they deserved his gratitude and kinder behaviour on a yearly basis. Sure, he had a temper and they had never denied him that, all they had asked of him was to try and clear his head and think before acting, and they had always been right. They had more experience than him, so of course they were right, especially when it came to the fact that they at the very least deserved his respect. They didn't boss him around that much anymore, but he still knew they had the last word, they always would have as long as he lived home. They were his parents after all.

This break started out with him being at Amber's place however, at least until December twenty second where her parents would return from their business trip one day prior to the original plans, so they could buy a pine tree and decorate it for Christmas together, which they hadn't done in a long while.

He wasn't entirely sure what had possessed him to say yes when in reality he just wanted to be with his family too, but then he remembered that it of course had been because Amber had started making scenes about it. She had started talking about how he would rather be with Kuki than with her, even though he had said his family, and it wasn't exactly because he didn't love Amber, but he had enjoyed their relationship a lot more in the start where she had been kinder. He wasn't sure why she had started behaving the way she had, but the longer they had been together—even though they had only been together shortly—the more obsessed and distrustful she seemed to have gotten.

He sat at her bed with her next to him, kissing her softly and as passionately as he could manage, though most of his passion for her was fading because of the way she treated him, but he couldn't really show her that. He felt a little trapped when he thought about breaking up with Amber, not so much because he though it would be overly hard to do, but because he knew Amber would start blabbering on and on about him having something going on with Kuki.

Amber stroked his neck softly, and while a part of him was truly feeling pleased because of the touch, he wasn't sure it actually turned him on. He didn't have much of a choice but to let her do what she wanted tough, so she let her deepen the kiss while climbing onto his lap and cupping his jaw. He guided his hands to the lower of her back to make both her and himself believe that there still was something there, because he did like her—at least he thought he might.

She started moving a little on top of him, making him feel strangely uncomfortable, yet he still found he couldn't stop her. She proceeded to push him down and push him further onto her bed, he took it with a sinking feeling in his stomach while he let her do whatever she wanted. Just like she was used to.

He let her crawl her hands up his chest underneath his shirt while listening to her heavy breathing as she kept sucking on his tongue until he felt like he was being strangled, and a feeling of gratitude overflowed his mind when she left his mouth to suck on his neck. Not that he enjoyed either of them much, but at least like this he could breathe somewhat freely.

She rolled him onto his back while placing herself over him, and then she started guiding his hands along her shirt to take it off while she stuffed her tongue down his throat again, suffocating him all over. He could feel his hands stroking her sides and gracing her ribs right until they were touching the edge of her bra still being guided upwards to he breasts. He really didn't want to go there, he didn't even want to continue, so he found himself thinking Screw this before pulling away and pushing her off of him. There was also the fact about what he had done to her, it sometimes made him tense even when he tried to please himself.

"I can't do this." He gasped, desperately taking in air in large heaves while trying to forget the unpleasant memory of Amber's skin against his hands. "It's too fats to be honest."

"What the hell?" Amber scoffed offended. "Are you a girl or something?"

"No, I'm a human being Amber!" He snapped, having had enough of her weird mood swings and attitude. "I swear you piss me off sometimes. If this had been you telling me you weren't completely ready yet, I'd have to accept it otherwise you would have gotten offended."

"I would not." She scoffed.

"No?" Wally challenged. "It seems these days you become upset no matter what I do. Can I do anything right in your eyes?"

"You could go through with what I want to do right now." She lectured, smiling mischievously at him, as though she thought he was joking around. "Stop being like that and show me you love me."

"Don't I show every day?" Wally muttered, sitting up with a bit of a frown. "This also isn't your relationship, it's our relationship. We both have to be ready for this and that, or whatever."

"You sound like a girl" Amber snorted with a smile, sitting up next to him while nibbling his neck. "Don't tell me you weren't excited."

"I never said I wasn't. " He sighed, partly out of annoyance and partly out of unwanted pleasure. "I just think we're moving too fast, even if that makes me sound like a cruddy sheila."

"You're so full of it." Amber teased, crawling to his side and pushing him back a little. "Bet you wouldn't be hesitant if I were Kuki."

"I wouldn't even be touching you like this if you were Kuki." He muttered annoyed, kissing her deeply, if nothing else then to shut her up.

However her reaction set him completely on edge and made him feel agitated once again. Her hands against his chest pushing him backwards, her tongue being shoved halfway down his throat, her hands clawing at his neck. He awkwardly tried to get up and away to breathe, tried to push her off to give her the picture that while he didn't exactly mind innocent cuddling this was too much, too suffocating. He kept wiggling under her weight until he somehow pushed her off of him, and he was just about to yell to her what the hell she thought she was doing when his head hit the shelve above her bed and send a picture tilting down to it; which in turn made Amber laugh hysterically at his misfortune.

"Didn't I just cruddy tell you to stop doing that?" He complained, rubbing his aching head.

"But you're so tasty." She whined playfully, looking to the picture that had fallen down, then her expression changed.

Wally followed her sorrowful eyes to the picture frame which she slowly picked up in her hands, watching the thick silver outline with roses decorated on it, he scooted a little closer, if nothing else then to make sure she was okay, otherwise he'd have to hear about that later on too. But when he saw the photograph inside the frame his heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened. He was quite sure he for a moment forgot how to breathe as he found his eyes fixating on the face which he wished he didn't know, but unfortunately it was far to familiar—the same picture as he had of her.

Her deep blue eyes glimmered in the lights, accompanying the magnificent Colgate smile she showed, and her blood red hair framed her face perfectly. It had been set up so part of it—which would have been her fringe if she'd had one—was pulled back and tied behind her head, exposing the glimmering circular earrings, with the bow at the outer line and two chains hanging from below the lower parts of the circles and stopping at the middle of her neck. Seeing her reminded him anew why Kris had chosen her in particular back then; she was absolutely stunning. With most things beautiful, however, came tragedy, and this was one tragedy Wally hated having in his mind.

Her voice screaming for help, which he could imagine clearly though he had never really heard it, her eyes begging for mercy which he could see visibly, though he had never actually seen them for real. His stomach started turning on itself, tying knots and pressing his dinner closer to his throat which was blocked by invisible barriers, his tears burned behind his eyes while his mind kept screaming at him that he couldn't break down here in front of Amber because she would ask, and he would have to tell.

"Wh-who's that?" He found himself stuttering in a low voice. "If you don't mind telling of course."

"This?" Amber said, a saddened expression upon her lips, her body slumped together. All of her lust seemed gone almost as fast as it had come—if not faster. "She's my… Was my cousin."

Wally felt how his throat went dry as a desert and he had to swallow hard, hoping to get some air down as well when he heard that. He could practically feel the vomit pressing on in his throat.

"Was?" he asked, heaving to get air, although he tried desperately not to let her hear it.

"Some pricks though it would be funny to hurt her badly." Amber said with a shaking voice. "I don't feel like talking about it."

"Okay." Wally mumbled, observing her put the picture back in place with shaking hands then she lay down to sleep, and even though Amber was getting on his nerves he didn't exactly dislike her, so he decided that he would hold her close. Just for tonight.


Wally and Amber were going for a walk in the heated midsummer, the sun was embracing them warmly brightening their moods which were already high because they for once didn't quarrel. Wally found himself smiling gratefully at Amber who send him a warmhearted laughter, a laughter that sounded differently than her own but he couldn't really place who she sounded like.

He put his arm around her and pecked her cheek, which caused her to turn her head and kiss him softly, just the way she was supposed to. Not too heated not too suffocating, but soft and careful giving him room to agree on deepening it. He was just about to do it when a sudden mist started spreading over the ground and the weather got colder. Winds started blowing around them chilling them to the bone and suddenly they got transported to a far away forest which Wally found eerily recognisable.

"Where are we?" Amber asked, stepping closer to Wally so she wouldn't freeze.

"I'm not sure." He muttered, holding her closer into him. "Let's try and see if we can find a way out though."

They shuffled through the forest, its ground suddenly covered by brown fallen leaves and a thin layer of frost, the cold seemed to bite at their skin so they stepped a little closer still while everything went colder. In the distance, mixed with the whistling winds, they could hear subtle careful footsteps coming closer to them. It caused Amber to take a firmer hold of Wally whose heart was hammering so loudly in his ears it had become the only sound there. He knew who it was from the moment he had seen the silhouette's blood red hair. Unfortunately for him, so did Amber.

"Rosalind?" She asked breathlessly, tears springing to her eyes; however it didn't seem like the girl heard her. It was as though she was walking around, looking for something, or someone. "Rose?"

By the sound of her nickname Rose raised her head and turned it to looks at them. Wally couldn't make out her face from here, he could hardly even make out her silhouette, so he guessed the same went for her. He couldn't do anything, safe from watching as Rose stepped closer and closer to where him and Amber were so she could make out who they were. From what he could tell, her eyes were glued to Amber; for now.

"Amber." She breath out with a gentle smile, when she finally got close enough to properly see them.

"Rose…" Amber breath, tears starting to stream out of her eyes. "Rose."

Rose just simply smiled at the speechless Amber, who kept looking to her not understanding how this all was possible. Amber started trembling as tears of joy began falling out of her eyes. For a moment the two of them just stood there, exchanging glances and smiles, as if that was all they needed to do to catch up on lost time, but when Wally saw Amber was trembling so vehemently, that she was about to fall he felt his legs move, and before he knew of it he was by her side holding her upright. He could sense Rose's warm eyes turn cold as her smile turned into a deep frown.

"Amber. What are you doing with him?" She asked coldly, catching Amber's attention who looked confused between Wally and Rose. "Don't you know who he is? What he did?"

"Don't" Wally heard himself whisper, but it was to no avail.

Before he could even get to blink or understand what was happening around him the scenery changed once again, taking them deeper into the cold forest while clearing the fog. They got to an isolated shag, which stood alone in a place where anyone seldom came, and no one would be able to hear if anyone let out a scream, and between the fallen leaves lay Rose's body. Above her stood a blonde haired boy, laughing his head off as he stabbed her repeatedly with a glimmer of insanity in his emerald eyes.

Wally stood paralysed watching his younger self stab Rose with a cackle, enjoying as the life left her, and next to him Amber stood just as paralysed and just as speechless, and just as unable to breathe. She looked from the younger Wally to Wally beside her, and suddenly she stepped away from him with trembling legs and a quivering bottom lip, her breaths coming out in heavy wheezes as she cried silently out of fear and spite. Her head started turning red while her veins began throbbing visibly in it and on her neck, then she pointed to Wally, while her horrified expression turned into one of pure hatred.

"You, you!" she spat, breathing in heavily through her nose.

"No." Wally cried desperately, watching Rose's ghost soar up next to Amber, while winds started picking up beside her, creating a typhoon around the two of them. "Amber you've got to believe me! I didn't do that, I would never. I swear, I promise, I didn't touch your cousin!"

"Promise?" Rose spat with a sneer, while she seemed to start falling apart, her stab wounds opening on her torso. Then she flew right in front of Wally's face and screamed with all of her might. "You promised!"

Wally covered his ears from Rose's scream, from the wheezing winds, but then he heard something else. Amber's scream. It was somewhere in front of him accompanied by the laughter of three guys, and even though Rose was still in front of him—and for some reason was trying to hold him back—he found himself pushing his way through the winds. As though they were hands holding onto him, shoving him, falling through him and chilling everything inside him . His ears stated ringing because of the many sounds mixing together, so much that it felt like he was going deaf because suddenly every sound, sounded the same way they would if he was submerged under water.

"Amber!" He screamed as he kept pushing through, right until he saw her silhouette laying on the ground, surrounded by three guys. Three guys he recognised, not because of TV, but because he'd known them. "Stop it! Please!"

They just laughed at his pleas, watching as he fell to the ground and had to crawl, his body exhausted and his head spinning. He would faint soon, unable to save Amber, just as he had been unable to save Rose. He couldn't breathe.

A choir of voices joined everything, both Amber's and Rose's voice being the ones he could hear the best. They stood around him while the winds seemed to tears of his clothes, but everything was so loud and painful, he had to cover his ears, had to curl together into a ball, voices laughing and pointing, before in unison they started screaming in a sing-song-manner.

"Liar, liar, liar, liar!" Louder and louder, until Wally couldn't take it and let out a scream in agony, being lifted up somewhere by Rose. So high he couldn't see the ground, so painful he was going numb. He was sure this was the closest he would get to know what it felt like to freeze to death.

He observed Rose's dead eyes, staring at him from her dead face, tears of blood streaming out, while she lifted him higher and higher, her hands on his shoulders. He knew what she wanted to do next, knew what she was planning probably before she even knew.

"Please." He heard himself say weakly, tears springing to his eyes. "I didn't know, I swear. I thought they'd leave you alone."

"You promised." She cried weakly, then she started pushing them down with a furious speed, and Wally heard his terrified scream mix with Rose's painful one, as he fell, fell, fell, fell...


He was woken abruptly when he landed on the floor in Amber's room, Amber looking to him with worried eyes. He took a second to look around, trying to orientate himself, but once he caught Amber's eyes, it was like everything he'd just discovered and dreamed came crashing down on him, and he couldn't handle it. He crawled shakily, with cold sweat gracing his entire body, to the toilet where he started coughing vehemently right until his stomach rid him of his dinner.

"Wally?" Amber asked concerned. "What happened? You started screaming and now…"

She looked to him while he wiped his mouth with a piece of toilet paper, his body still trembling below him. He looked to her with weak eyes, hardly able to breathe, the sweat hailing off of his body and was just about to answer her, but something within him changed her into Rose, and he found himself vomiting all over again.

"Baby, you're sick." Amber whined lowly, stroking his back softly. He wasn't really sure if he liked it or found it uncomfortable, but it reminded him of why he was still sticking around as her boyfriend. She was a nice girl after all.

"I'm sorry." He moaned weakly. "I might have to go home… I promised too." You promised. He found his stomach turning again, making his throat and nostrils burn.

"Nonsense." Amber comforted softly, stroking his back. "I shouldn't keep you like this."

"But…" He looked to her gentle eyes, feeling like he somehow fell all over for her again. The way she looked at him reminded him so much of… Of who?

"No buts." She smiled. "Let me drive you home."


Thursday December 21st, 11am.

Wally looked into his ceiling not feeling too hot under the weather. He hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before, after Amber had dropped him of at his house somewhere around midnight. He remembered how she'd helped him up to his room, stripping him down to his boxers before finding out a tank top for his upper body which she put on him, then she'd stroked his hair and kissed his forehead softly—almost like a mother caring for her sick child.

She'd left again after that, probably not locking the door, which had also been one of the things to keep Wally up all night, but it was not the main thing. He'd heard her leave, then ten minutes had passed of so before she had send him a text message telling him to get better soon.

He sighed heavily while his head debated and spun on itself. He didn't hate Amber, not at all, but maybe he didn't love her either? He honestly didn't know anymore, not about his feelings right now or whether or not they had been true to start with. Was he just fooling himself and Amber as well? Why had he fallen for her again? He tried to think back to what had made him feel some sort of affection for Amber, it had been because, because…

-Because she wasn't scared of me after I fought- He reminded himself.

That had been the reason he had started feeling something towards Amber, something deeper than friendship. It was an affection for sure, but maybe it had all just been an infatuation, or some sort of crush, that had gone overboard. He needed to really find out inside of himself why he liked Amber, if he liked Amber. It was so impossible when he kept seeing Rose whenever he though of Amber; impossible when his mind kept screaming at him that he missed hanging out with Kuki. He had abandoned her too hadn't he? Both him and Amber, although mostly Amber. What kind of friend was he?

Tiredly, with a little sigh, he felt himself fishing for his phone in the left pocket of his pants, then he proceeded to pull on some clothes before staring emptily at the screen. He shuffled around on his phone for a while, reading through the texts he had shared with Kuki, feeling a smile creep over his lips. He missed those days with her, those wonderful days when they'd sit on that stupid worn out couch and fight over the remote.

-When did that happen?- He felt like something was missing, but he couldn't really figure it out. He knew he had just been imagining him and Kuki fighting over a remote control, but they had never done that—maybe he wanted to do that with her her though? He gave out one last sigh and started typing on his phone.

I miss you… He didn't know why, but that was what he ended up writing and sending her. What a stupid thing to send, she would laugh at him for sure, because he sounded like a cruddy girl right now. He was just about to put away his phone when he got a reply.

I miss you too :(

It's been a while, he wrote, think you can come over or something?

I thought you were at Amber's? She replied.

Fell ill and had to go home. I feel a little better I think, figured I'd ask if you wanted to hang out. This sounded dumb and needy even to him, he couldn't really imagine Kuki would actually say yes. He had neglected her so many times, it seemed, since he and Amber had started dating, so why would she even consider coming over now?

I'll be there in two Came her reply. Wally reread the text at least five times to make sure his eyes hadn't fooled him, which it turned out they hadn't, because only about one minute got to pass before he heard a knocking on the front door.

"I'll get it!" Wally called, jogging to the door and opening it.

When he opened and stood face to face with Kuki, whose smile was a mixture of happiness and hurt, he could feel his heart starting to pound hard against his chest while shattering all at once. It had been at least two weeks since they had spend time together after school if he remembered correctly, it must have been so difficult and hard for her to lose two of her best friends just like that.

He stepped aside while holding the door, gesturing for her to step inside, watching her as she did so with her small smile still planted upon her lips. He missed the smile he was used to see on her, the one that went from ear to ear and seemed to brighten up the world around her. He watched her take of her coat which she hadn't eve closed and her shoes, which she hadn't even tied. When he was satisfied she was done he took a hold of her shoulders while giving her an uncertain smile which she returned. He saw how her smile brightened and felt like everything that had shattered started healing, but it still hurt in his chest; hurt to know he had left her so alone.

Without thinking he pulled her closer into him and embraced her tightly, holding her steady while letting her pull at his clothes as if she was scared to lose him again if she let go, which he wouldn't blame her for. He held her a little closer too, let her cry silently into his shoulders, or was she laughing?

"I'm sorry." He muttered, stroking her hair carefully. "Sorry for leaving you alone."

"That's okay." She chirped with a little laughter. "None of us thought Amber would turn into one of those possessive types. At least you tried harder than her, who seems to just have wanted to hook me up with Ace so we could double date."

Wally gave a little snort, feeling some of his affection for Amber oozing out once again. He couldn't believe Amber had actually wanted to hook Kuki up with anyone, just for the sake of double dating. As if she suddenly needed that as an excuse to even see Kuki, when Kuki was one of her best friends.

"You know." Kuki said, breaking the hug with a smile. "I recently got a new romcom."

She fished a DVD up from a bag Wally hadn't even noticed her having until now, but seeing it made him laugh warmheartedly and forget all of his bad fortune for just a moment. At least they would still have their little rituals and at least Kuki had prepared for something, which was more than he could really say. But he did want to show her something, after the romcom.


2013 Rewrite. Originally written between October 21st 2010 - March 31st 2011. I hope you enjoyed this rewrite.

Criticism and/or advices on improvement is/are highly appreciated and welcome :)

~*~TippierCoffee~*~