Disclaimer;
All I own are the oc's and the plot. -cackles-
I'm just so freakin' psyched about this fanfiction.
Also I've finally finished mapping out the novel I'm going to start!
:3
Which means I'm in a very creative and good mood. Hopefully I follow through with this idea. XP
Anyways, continuing with THIS story...
Paulagirl- Awz, don't be embarassed for thinking it's awesome. I like it when people think things I create are awesome, it makes me all happy and fuzzy and warm. :3 Charles? Lawlz, he is lovable isn't he? Don't worry, I'll fit him in here soon...not in this chapter because it's too full of other stuff. But you'll see him again someday.
TheSuperSkitty- ... ... ... ... I dun' know what to say...
super ario- Indeed. :3
Foxx- HA! See what I did there? Took you up on your offer that's what. -cackles- I wrote faster for you, just don't be sad...
Simpering- Shame on you! -tsks- Lol, you made me laugh. XP
sstoons3425- Yup, all I could see was him being completely nonchalant about everything. I love the snot out of that kid. I just want to cuddle the snot out of him. -glomps Hoagie-
Chapter Ten- Some TLC
Abby
It took nearly an hour just to get him to the shelter they had found that first day. Now, as she walked through the jungle alone, the clouds completely hid the sun. The air was cold, and it was heavy with the chance of rain. Abby tilted her gaze so that she was looking up at the sky. "Please don't let it rain."
If it rained then it could flood. They really needed to reconsider the shelter they had picked. Abby removed her hat, which she had missed more than she had realized, and filled it with some fruit. Hoagie needed food, and pretty badly. Still, she would have to make sure he didn't scarf it all down. It wouldn't do if he got himself sick.
Abby still can't hardly believe he's alright. She thought, remembering how she kept finding her hands touching his. Just to make sure he was still there. She felt a flash of irritation at herself, She's acting like a love-sick school girl.
Maybe she was. Abby wasn't exactly the kind of person who beat around the bush with most things in her life, and she had to consider her attraction to the boy eventually. Even as kids she had been drawn to his simple-minded endeavors. She chuckled a little at the memory. Hoagie had changed in many ways, but in a way he was still the kind-hearted boy she had met back in her KND days.
Abby can't believe he would act like that. She thought to herself, biting her lip. As if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't spent nearly a week at her wits end with grief and guilt over him. Abby snorted in anger. The guy was about ready to tip over from sheer exhaustion but he still couldn't find the time to be serious.
Yet wasn't that what made her care for him so much? It wasn't like Hoagie didn't take things seriously, he just didn't face them that way. On the surface he was always smiling, and that was certainly something commendable. Sure some of the things he said or did made her want to bash his brains in with a stick or something but he was...himself. Hoagie was always true to himself, somehow she couldn't imagine him being any different in his head than he was on the outside.
So was she falling for him? Abby snapped a branch back as the thought crossed her mind. Why not? He was a handsome guy, and she always found herself smiling around him. Abby sighed heavily. Yeah girl, you like him. Maybe it sounds awful but Abby don't think she would have been so broken up about anyone but Hoagie. It felt like somebody tore Abby's heart from her chest...
Abby dawdled on her trip back to the underground caves. How odd was it that she wanted time to herself now that she had run into her friend again? Abby lingered at the mouth of the cave for a moment. Abby's attracted to him, we've already figured that one out girl. Where that goes...well Abby can't exactly say she's fallen for him when he's technically only known her for a few days now can she?
The girl smiled a little to herself as she ducked into the cavern. The lighting was very dim thanks to the fact that the fire was low. Hoagie was on his back, and completely asleep. Abby chuckled to herself and placed some kindling on the fire so that it flared up. As she sat down he stirred and looked over at her blurrily, "Hi Abby..." He said with a smile, and her heart twinged with worry. Good lord he was weak. "Hey! FOOD!"
"Hold on." Abby said, snatching her hat filled with fruit away and glaring at him a little. "You have to pace yourself you hear? If you eat to fast you'll just make yourself sick and defeat the purpose. Abby got fruit because the natural sugars should help give you some energy, she wishes she could get you some meat though."
"It's great!" Hoagie said, reaching over her and snatching a fruit from the hat she held above her head. Oh, right, he was taller than her. Abby snorted as he bit into it hungrily, but he seemed to be making an effort at eating it slowly at least. "You're my hero."
"You've already said that." Abby said, looking at the fire for a moment. She stayed quiet as Hoagie slowly ate the fruit, and looked at her imploringly. She sighed and handed him another one, but pushed her hat so that he'd have to crawl around the fire to get at any of the others. "How'd you survive."
Hoagie paused in his eating, and at least had the decency to swallow his food before saying with a crooked grin, "I grew wings and flew. Unfortunately some evil scientists came along and chopped them off for research. I'm sorry to say that I no longer can fly, but the scientist was kind enough to invite me to tea."
"Seriously Hoagie." Abby said, giving him a look that made him laugh a little nervously. "Tell Abby what happened or she'll find the most bitter thing on this damn island and that'll be all you're eating until you can walk."
"That's evil!" Hoagie said, looking at her as if she were about to commit some kind of blasphemy. The boy sighed, removing his goggles as he ran his hand through his messy auburn hair. "I don't even know where to start to be honest with you."
"Try when you first fell." Abby said softly, he winced at the memory and she felt herself mentally flinching away from it as well. Still, she had to know how her friend had made it...she wasn't exactly sure WHY but it seemed like the kind of thing two people should discuss with each other if they were stuck on an island together.
Hoagie
Easy for you to say. Hoagie thought, wincing a little at Abby's last words. You're not exactly sitting on the fact that you suddenly remembered being a secret agent kid. What the heck do I say? Hey Abby, how ya doin'? Did I mention that I remember being a adult-fighting kid, which is something I'm consequently supposed to forget? Only, not exactly sure I'm SUPPOSED to forget, perhaps you could fill in that little detail for me.
Still after a moment he sighed heavily. "Well when the vine finally snapped, thanks to my heroic endeavors." Hoagie yelped as Abby tossed a rock at his head, luckily he moved said head fast enough not to be brained with it. "Hey! Are you trying to kill me? Sheesh...okay okay! Don't hit me!"
This last part was hastily said because she had raised her fist and looked ready to sock him in the face with it. Abby's eyes flashed with amusement as he cringed away from her, "Just get on with the story you ego-maniac."
"I am not an ego-maniac!" Hoagie said, feeling slightly offended. She gave him a warning glance and he coughed a little nervously. "Fine, as I was saying before I was oh-so rudely interrupted...sheesh! Alright I get it. As I was saying...after the vine snapped I kind of fell...because that's the way gravity works you know. Don't glare at me Abby. I'm TRYING okay? Luckily I didn't fall to my death because there was a ledge just below me."
"A ledge?" Abby said, blinking at him. "Talk about a lucky break."
Hoagie laughed dryly, "I didn't exactly think so at the time. Well, actually at the time I didn't have much time to think. My ankle buckled and I hit my head...again. I've noticed something slightly unpleasant about our friendship. Ever since I met you my head has decided it really likes being hit on hard stuff. Anyways, I hit my head and I passed out." He decided to say this next part while watching Abby closely. He was still trying to figure out whether or not he had just made up the fact that he had been a kick-butt adult-fighting kid. "Mmmm, while I was passed out I had the weirdest dream actually. I was walking down a school hallway with my friend Wally. Weird thing is that we didn't hang out when we were kids...at least not that I could remember. Also I called him...Numbuh Four..."
There it was, a barely perceptable twitch to her fingers as she clenched her hand on the rock she had been holding. Her brown eyes looked a little guarded and she said, "Oh, is that so?"
"That's not the weirdest part, you were in it too only you were a kid. You were a cutey you know." Hoagie winked at her and felt a twinge of satisfaction as her cheeks darkened with a blush. Ho-ho, but she was looking at him as though slightly surprised. Hoagie sighed, "The rest of the time was kind of spotty. Nothing too important happened, I considered...erm, well anyways your hat fell on the ledge and I picked it up. That's what made me decide to go through the cave. Oh jeez, I didn't mention a cave. There was a cave, just so you know."
"So you crawled through the cave and that's how you got out." Abby said, "So you were on that ledge for...for five days and Abby just left you there. Dammit."
"Hey, no, you had no way of knowing I was stuck on there anyways." Hoagie said, laughing and rubbing the back of his head. "It was kind of my fault anyways. I'm the idiot who decided to go cliff-climbing without the proper equipment. Don't blame yourself alright?"
Abby
Sheer willpower. Abby glanced over at her friend and felt a twinge of anger at the organization she worked for. If there was any person who deserved to have remained fighting against adult-tyranny it was this kid here. Hoagie, who had somehow found the strength to move himself through a cave while half starved to death.
Then there was the dream he had. Some part of him had definitely remembered their days as KND operatives. Wally's codename had been Numbuh Four, and to say that he saw her as a kid...Abby frowned, her thoughts swirling in her head. It was hard to determine whether or not that was a good or bad thing. It depended on whose side Hoagie was on.
"Hoagie?" Abby asked, noticing that the silence had stretched between them for a moment. "Tell Abby...you said you were in a lot of clubs...did you ever...pick on little kids?"
"You mean like bully?" Hoagie said, "No, do I look like a bully to you? I'm too nerdy for that, and I don't like giving kids the same treatment I got when I was little. You know it's weird, but none of my friends are into that even though it's a really popular trend in our school. Good lord what kind of place is Cleveland? Anyways, Wally kicked the crap out of a guy once for pushing down a little girl. He couldn't even explain why he was so mad about it. Maybe it was because Kuki was pretty unhappy over it."
"You must get along with them very well, you talk about them alot." Abby said, smiling a little at the thought of her old friends. What would it be like to see them again? Would they even survive to have a chance to? She hoped so. She suddenly severely missed Wally's tough-guy attitude and Kuki's sweetness. "Abby always knew those two would get together."
"They were destined for it..." Hoagie agreed, a sly smile creeping acrossed his features. Abby blinked in surprise, hadn't he even noticed that she had said that like she knew them. "Yeah, we get along really well. Wally's family is like a second home to me, and I've even hung out at Kuki's with her once. Her little sister hates me though, and I'm not exactly sure why. When I first met her she flung a fork at my head and screamed something about revenge at me."
Abby chuckled. "Sounds like you have a way with children." She said sarcastically, he snorted with laughter and looked into the fire. Abby watched as he looked up and placed his goggles over his eyes again with a heavy sigh. She arched an eyebrow at him, "What's up with you?"
"Alright, I've decided that the best route for me to go is honest." Hoagie said, narrowing his blue eyes behind those goggles. Abby chuckled warmly and he held up a hand. "Hold on, just...let me put something out here for you before I even start talking. Because I have a feeling you're going to think I'm completely insane. That is, if I'm wrong about what I've figured out so far then you'll think I'm insane."
"Abby will listen quietly then." She promised, making a motion with her fingers to zip her lips. Hoagie looked at her with a slightly torn expression for a moment before looking down at the fire again. It cast a hauntingly beautiful light across his features, and Abby had to look away for fear she'd leap at him like a mad woman. Stupid hormones.
"It's about my dream. Okay, first of all dreamSSS because I had two of them. I'm sorry, I kind of panicked and couldn't figure out a way to fit the other one in the explanation. Anyways, the other one was about me as a kid again with Wally, Kuki, me, and you of course. Oh, and some bald kid. Nice guy, I think though he seemed a teensy bit uptight from my view-point. We kicked some robot's big fat arse and sent it clambering away. Okay, it blue up, but we sent the creepy people driving it clambering away. Losing track of the point here." Hoagie laughed, "I think...that I've kind of figured out what those dreams are for. This is where the crazy thing comes in Abby. I think...that when I was a kid I fought against adults to...give more rights to kids? Yeah, that sounds about right. I wasn't the only one of course, it was quite the operation I believe. So what I want to know is this..."
Abby found herself looking into his eyes, "What?" She said quietly, her head spinning. He figured it out, holy shit he'd figured it all out. What was she supposed to do in this situation? She'd never heard of somebody recommissioning themselves before.
"Am I right? Were WE part of that group of kids? Because I'm thinking we were, and I'm thinking that if I'm right you still can remember all of it for some reason. So tell me Abby, did you used to be one of my best friends?" Hoagie paused and added softly, "Did I really...care for you as much as I did back then?"
Hoagie
In case you were wondering, confessing something like that and waiting for a long time for the answer is unbearable. It's about twenty times more unbearable when the person you just said something to is so level-headed that they can hide their emotions pretty dang successfully. Hoagie felt a little like he was dying in the corner.
He didn't know why he threw in that last bit. Just that when he had seen Abby in his dreams he felt differently about her than he did about the others. She had somehow been more than a friend to him, and he felt like he should express that right now. Hoagie watched Abby nervously, wondering if he could bail himself out by laughing and calling it a joke when she started to chuckle. Then laugh, she laughed so hard that tears started to roll down her cheeks.
"Um..." Hoagie said, not knowing whether to feel wounded or worried. At least her laugh was pretty. There, a silver lining in this incredibly uncomfortable situation was that. Hoagie gave a half-hearted little laugh as she started to wipe the tears from her cheeks and heaved a sigh that sounded genuinely happy.
"You're smarter than Abby ever gave you credit for." She finally said, and looked at him with bright brown eyes. Hoagie couldn't help but smile back at those eyes. "Yeah, Hoagie, I used to live in Cleveland. You, me, Wally, Kuki and Nigel were all part of an orginization that fought against adults called the Kids Next Door."
"Nigel...that's the bald guy isn't it?" Hoagie said, feeling his memories stir at the name. "So wait, I'm right? Forgive me for saying this, but that is so freakin' SWEET! Hey, I mean, how many kids in the world can say they used to fight crazy people who can't seem to do anything more with their lives but terrorize kids?"
Abby chuckled, and looked over at him. "So...how much do you remember then?" She seemed nervous, and Hoagie glanced down at his hands again with a forlorn sigh.
"I've got the main parts down I think, but I can't remember very many details. I just know that we were really close...a-all of us I mean." Hoagie coughed and turned his head away, "But I really liked you, at least I think I liked you back then. I mean I'm pretty sure I had a crush on you then. Hehehe...okay, wait, that sounded bad. Not that I don't have a cru...cripe there's no way out of this I've gone and backed myself into a corner."
"You must be mixin' Abby up with her sister Cree, you were over the moon for that girl." Abby said, wrinkling her nose as if the very thought of it disgusted her. She looked a little embarassed too.
"Noooo..." Hoagie said, "I'm thinking that might have been a kiddy crush, nothing compared to the stuff I feel for you. Felt, I meant felt, I mean. ARGH just put a sock in it Hoagie!"
"Oh, so you have a crush on Abby now?" Abby said, a mischevious smile lighting up her features. Hoagie blushed so badly that he looked like he painted his face red or something. He held up his hands and let out a nervous laugh that echoed loudly around them.
"What!? Don't be ridiculous!" Hoagie laughed, and then noticed that her eyes narrowed slightly. He suddenly realized what he'd technically said and blanched, "No, wait, not that you wouldn't be crushing on material. You definitely are, you're very hot. Beautiful, GACK!"
"It's fine if you like Abby, Hoagie." She laughed, and Hoagie blinked at her as she lowered her hat to cover her eyes. Still, he could see her lips twist up in a little smile. "Abby happens to kind of like you to."
Hoagie stared, and suddenly remembered how Wally and Kuki had gotten together so quickly. Abby remembered him from being a kid, and he kind of remembered her right? She was beautiful, and he couldn't lie to himself and say that he wasn't attracted to her. Oh yes, she was beautiful but her personality...
"Y-you mean? Well, that's kind of confusing. What in the world does a guy do when they're pushed into this situation? I...think you're...beautiful...but...why...would you pick...me..." Hoagie realized that he was wondering why she would ever like him. He fell silent as she leaned forward and her face was just inches from his. His mouth suddenly felt a little dry.
"Shut up and kiss Abby you idiot." She replied, and her mouth was on his. Hoagie put his arms around her, and they both fell back onto the underground cave floor. He couldn't help but think that he just did the thing that was right for him, that he had just completed himself.
DAW! Isn't that cute!?
I luffles the snot out of those two...