Continuing Transmission

"NO!" Numbuh 5 screamed loudly, shooting up from bed. Her breathing was heavy, as her lungs gasped for air. She wiped the sweat on her brow with the back of her arm before slipping her red cap back on.

'Just a dream,' she thought, rubbing her eyes. 'But, why would Numbuh 5 do dat to…?'

"Numbuh 5?" a familiar, accented voice spoke through the darkness. She looked up to see Numbuh 1 amongst the shadows. Even in the dark, he refused to remove his sunglasses. He was wearing his usual outfit, as if he never changed for bed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Sho. Numbuh 5's fine. Why?"

"I was just passing by your room, when I heard you yell. I came to see what the matter was."

The dark girl looked up at him, then down at the bed sheets. "Guess it was da nightmare dat Numbuh 5 had."

"A nightmare?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

There was a moment of silence, as the dark settled over them. Then, looking up at the boy, Numbuh 5 asked, "What did ya mean when ya said, 'just passin' by'? It's, like, 3 in da mornin'."

"Hm?" he asked, looking at her. "Oh, that. Well, I couldn't sleep again, so I decided to walk around the tree house. I was just passing by when I heard you yell, and came to investigate."

"Ya couldn't sleep 'again'?"

He nodded.

"You turn to a insomniac or somthin'?"

He chuckled softly. "No, nothing like that. I just can't sleep is all."

Another moment of silence passed by, when the young boy turned to his comrade. "Well, I suppose I should let you get back to sleep."

As he turned to go, however, she reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"Actually, Numbuh 1, da nightmare kinda shook me up a bit."

Looking at her, he nodded. "Well, you know what calms me down after I've had a nightmare?"

"Whassat?"

"Some milk and cookies. Care to join me, Numbuh 5?"

She smiled, getting out of bed.

A red streak appeared across Numbuh 1's cheeks as he looked at the large t-shirt the covered his team mate's body and part of her legs. Quickly, he turned away, so his back was facing her. "Um…you might want to put something on…"

She rolled her eyes, grabbing the robe that hung on the bed post at the foot of her bed. She slipped it on and tied the sash around her waist. "Okay, there."

He glanced at her, then nodded, offering his hand to her. Feeling a blush spread over her cheeks, Numbuh 5 thanked the stars that it was dark. Accepting, the two walked down hallway to the kitchen, hand in hand.

'Good thing the othas ain't here,' the dark girl thought with relief. 'They'd be makin' fun of us fow sho. Just like we all did when we found out 'bout Numbuh 1's girlfriend, Lizzie.'

Numbuh 5 bit her tongue at the memory of Lizzie. Numbuh 1's girlfriend. Sure, she had ragged on Numbuh 1 about it like the others did, but that didn't mean that she wanted to. But that was the only way she would be sure that the others wouldn't be suspicious of her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to the others to know her true feelings yet.

When they reached the kitchen, Numbuh 1 went over to the refrigerator and grabbed the milk while Numbuh 5 grabbed a bunch of cookies.

"So, tell me, Numbuh 5," the young boy said, sitting across from her at the table, pouring milk into some cups, "what was this nightmare of yours about?"

Taking one of the cups from him, she sighed. "Well, it started with Numbuh 5 climbin' a mountain with a buncha people…"

"Really? Anyone I know?"

She looked up at him, taking a bite of her cookie, slightly unsure of what to say. 'Should Numbuh 5 tell him that he and the othas were in da dream?'

"No. No one you know."

Numbuh 1 took some cookies from the plate between them. "I see. Go on."

The dark girl wasn't sure if she was glad or not about not telling Numbuh 1 that he and the others were really in the dream. "Well, anyway, we all climbin' up da mountain, right? Da othas were in front of Numbuh 5, and there was dis one guy behind her. Numbuh 5 slipped, but the guy behind caught her. Da otha three got to the top of the mountain before Numbuh 5 and da otha guy. When Numbuh 5 got to da top, da guy asked her to pull the rope so he could get up. Numbuh 5 was gonna, but den da otha three gave Numbuh 5 a knife and told her to cut da rope, so………Numbuh 5 cut it."

She eyed Numbuh 1, who bit into his cookie. What would he say about it?

He chewed thoughtfully for a minute, then swallowed. "It seems to me," he finally said, "that you feel as though you're letting someone down."

"What?" Numbuh 5 asked, taking another cookie.

Taking a sip of milk, he continued. "Well, I'm no expert in dreams, but it seems to me that the mountain in your dream represents a challenge of some kind. You and the others climbing up the mountain seems to mean that you're all trying to overcome that challenge. The one climbing behind you appears to be someone you trust a lot, since he was the one who caught you when you nearly fell.

"When you got to the top, you wanted to help him too. But, you felt cornered by the others, which is why you took the knife and did as they told you to. By cutting the rope, you feel as though you somehow let that person down." He took another sip of milk. "Does that make sense, Numbuh 5?"

She nodded. "But what is Numbuh 5 gonna do 'bout it?"

"The best I can think of is that you do something to help that person as best as you can."

Finishing his milk, Numbuh 1 set the glass down, and Numbuh 5 chuckled slightly.

"What?"

"Ya got a mustache, Numbuh 1."

It took him a minute to understand what exactly what she meant, before he wiped the milk away with the back of his hand. Suddenly, he stood, clearing his throat. "Well, I'm finished. How about you?"

"Yeah, Numbuh 5's done here."

"Would you like me to accompany you back to your room?"

She looked up at him, feeling herself blushing again. 'Numbuh 5's really glad it's dark,' she thought. "No thanks. Numbuh 5 can handle herself."

He gave her one last nod, then walked in the direction where his room was located. "Good night, Numbuh 5," he said, as she got up herself.

"Night," she called back, heading to her own room. Alone in the hallway, with only her thoughts with her, she sighed.

"How is Numbuh 5 s'pposed to help Numbuh 1?" she asked the night quietly. "If Numbuh 5 helps him, will da othas get suspicious? And what's Numbuh 5 s'pposed ta help him with? What's Numbuh 5 gonna do?"

But the night didn't answer her, leaving her with more questions than when she first awoke.

Transmission Interrupted