Operation: TRUE LEADUH Chapter 6: A Dancing Lesson, a codename: kids next door fanfic

Like I said, I'm having a lot of fun with this story, and I enjoy writing it whenever I have the inspiration for it (which is, like, almost all the time). But, as someone has pointed out to me, Numbuh 5 really doesn't say her name all the time. She only says it when she's being causal. When she's serious, she doesn't. So, for the sake of sanity, yours and mine, I won't have Numbuh 5 say her name like that all the time (that's actually a lot easier for me).

Another thing that someone pointed out to me (or rather, requested of me) is that I add more 3/4. So, this chapter is dedicated to the both of them. If you're wondering about the title, well……You'll just have to wait and see. But let's just say, this is how some of them deal with boredom.

Continuing Transmission

Numbuh 4 growled, punching the wall as hard as he could without putting a dent in it. He was so bored! "There's absolutely nothin' to do!" he complained loudly, hitting the wall again. He had to remember to control his anger, for if he put another hole in the tree house, Numbuh 1 would come in and rag on him again.

But thinking of Numbuh 1 only seemed to fuel his rage. In all the time Numbuh 1 has been the leader, he couldn't remember when the 'leader' had done any good. He growled again, hitting the wall harder than before, yet still not enough to puncture it.

"All he does is give ordas, or complain about somethin'! And he panics a lot, too! When things are gettin' a little tough, he goes off screamin' like a little girl!"

You've run off screamin' before, when things got a little tough, a small voice in his head reminded him. Everyone here has. You can't blame Numbuh 1 for that, when you yourself have done it. He ignored it.

He continued banging his fists into wall. He hated being bored. He needed something to do. He wasn't meant to be cooped up inside all day. It was so maddening.

But which was better? Being bored, or going on some 'wild goose-chase' mission?

As he continued his assault on the innocent wall, his mind churned through the past few weeks, particularly the argument he and Numbuh 5 had that one day. "I don't see why she would defend him," he muttered. "She knows as well as I do how much he can mess thin's up!"

But you know as well as she does that Numbuh 1 is a good leada, the voice told him again. You've tried fillin' in his shoes, remember? It wasn't easy, tryin' to get tha other Kids to listen to ya. And even when you tried, they didn't. So what makes you think that it's any easier for Numbuh 1? Especially when he's trying to get you ta listen to him as well as the others. Numbuh 5 must be right, you know? Numbuh 1 isn't givin' you these missions on purpose.

But Numbuh 4 didn't want to listen to the voice. For some reason, he didn't want to the voice in his mind to be right. In his anger, he punched the wall harder, seeming to shake the tree house.

"Hey!" an angry voice yelled at him. Spinning around, he was surprised to see Numbuh 3 standing there. Her hands were positioned on her hips, her foot tapping the floor impatiently, as a pout was set on her face.

It took everything he had not to smile, even just the slightest bit. It took a lot of control to keep a frown, as he thought in his mind, 'Numbuh 3 looks kinda cute when she pouts.'

But then again, didn't he think that she looked cute all the time anyway?

"Hey!" she said again, just as angry. "Stop punching the wall like that! It's too loud, and we can't hear the music! You're ruining my party!"
A genuine look of confusion swept his face. "Party? What party?"

"My dance party!" She suddenly smiled, grabbing his hand. "Wanna come? It's lotsa fun!"

"A dance party?" he asked. 'Prob'ly with her stuffed animals or somethin',' he told himself.

"Yeah! A dance party! Comon, it'll be fun!"

"No thanks. Ah dun feel like…"

"Oh, comon, Numbuh 4! Please! I need a date for the party!"

The Aussie boy's face faltered. "A…a date!"

She nodded. "Yeah! All my guests have one! Please, Numbuh 4!"

He groaned slightly as he looked into her pleading eyes. If it had been anyone else, he would have declined immediately. 'But Numbuh 3……it's so hard to say no to her……'

"Well, Ah…Ah guess, but…"

"Yah!" She dragged him out of his room, and down the hall towards her room.

"But…Numbuh 3," he protested a bit, "Ah…Ah dun know how ta……"

She stopped, turning to look at him. "You don't know how to dance?" she asked, accurately guessing what he was going to say.

He blushed, looking down at the ground.

The silence confirmed her suspicion. "You don't, do you, Numbuh 4?"

"Yeah, so Ah don't!" he said angrily. "Ah don't know how to dance! Okay!"

She tilted her head to the side slightly, causing Numbuh 4 to sigh. He couldn't stay mad at her for long, really.

"How come?" she asked.

He looked at her. "How come what?"

"How come you don't know how to dance?"

He looked down at the ground again. "Ah dunno. Ah just neva learned."

She smiled suddenly, grabbing his hand again, pulling him down the hallway. "Then it's time for you to learn, Numbuh 4!"

"Hey, wait…!" But there was nothing he could say to change her mind.

Upon entering the room, Numbuh 4 noticed there was something different about it. Though the room was still cluttered with stuffed animals, they weren't covering the floor…well, at least not that badly. But…there was something strange about the way the stuffed animals were arranged.

"Uh…Numbuh 3? Why are your stuffed toys arranged in pairs?"

"I told you, Numbuh 4, all my guests have dates. So I need one too!"

Numbuh 4 could feel his cheeks burn with heat. He, honestly, was flattered that she had asked him to be her 'date' at this 'party', but something still bothered him a bit. "But couldn't ya 'ave asked someone else?"

He was afraid to hear her answer. If she said yes…he wasn't sure what he'd do.

She looked at him, a look of confusion set on her face, but she smiled suddenly. "Well, I s'ppose I coulda, but I wanted you to come and play with me!"

He blinked. She had somehow answered a yes and no in the same sentence. As she ran over to her sound system to play music, he wondered what exactly she had meant. When he has asked her that question, he was hoping to get some sort of view on how she thought of him. A friend, more than a friend, or something. But with that answer……he wasn't really sure. She had unknowingly dodged it, and he was still as clueless as he had been before.

But did that really matter now? She had asked him to play with her. She had asked him to be her 'date'. He couldn't help but allow the small smile to play on his lips.

Suddenly, up-beat tempo music started up, and Numbuh 3 ran back over to him, dancing. "Comon, Numbuh 4!" she said.

"But Ah dun know how!" he reminded her.

She grabbed his hands, getting him to move his feet. "It's not hard!"

A little confused at first, Numbuh 4 looked down at Numbuh 3's feet. Studying for a minute, he looked down at his own feet, attempting to copy what Numbuh 3 was doing. As he caught into the rhythm of the music, he found that he was swaying his hips as he turned a bit.

Numbuh 3 laughed, grabbing his hand again, spinning under his arm.

About an hour passed, as they continued to dance, laughing and jumping around a bit. Song after song, dance after dance, minutes of countless fun.

After a while, the two took a break, as Numbuh 3 flopped on her bed, and Numbuh 4 stood in front of her, wiping sweat from his brow with his sweater sleeve.

"See?" Numbuh 3 said, breathlessly, sitting up, "I knew you could dance, Numbuh 4."

"Yeah…Well, thanks for teachin' me."

She smiled at him, then got off the bed and went over to the sound system, and changed the CD. "This'll be the last dance for the party."

But Numbuh 4 was slightly surprised when a soft song began playing from the speakers. "Ya can't dance to this."

I Do, I Do
I Do, I Do

She approached him. "Sure ya can! It's just a different kinda dance."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's called a slow dance."

"A slow dance?" he echoed, slightly surprised. "Isn't that a teenaga thin'?"

She laughed. "No, silly. It's really easy. Here, I'll show ya how."

All I am, all I'll be
Everything in this world
All that I'll ever need
Is in your eyes
Shining at me
When you smile I can feel
All my passion unfolding

Taking his hands, he blushed furiously as she placed them on her hips. Then, she placed her own hands on his shoulders, and began to sway softly, taking a few steps to one side, and a few steps to the other.

He looked at their feet, pretending to try copying what Numbuh 3 was doing. He was really looking down so she wouldn't notice the redness of his cheeks, strange shiver running up and down his spine.

Your hand brushes mine
And a thousand sensations
Seduce me 'cause I

He eventually got the whole 'slow dance' thing, but he was still slightly nervous about the whole thing. Still…through his bangs, he looked at Numbuh 3, who seemed blissfully clueless of his uneasiness.

Not that he really minded. He enjoyed being this close to Numbuh 3, even if this was only a game to her. Even if this dance was just for fun, he was really glad to be dancing with her. He just wished that he could tell her that, how he felt.

I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don't have to think twice
I will love you still
From the depths of my soul
It's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to you
If you're asking do I love you this much
I do

Being her 'date' was the least he could do for her, since she had done so much for him. He could always go to her with a problem, and even if she couldn't help him solve it, just having her there to listen was enough.

Even when they were little, before they were part of the Kids Next Door, she was always there for him when he needed her. He couldn't imagine his life without her there with him.

In my world, before you
I lived outside my emotions
Didn't know where I was going'
Till that day I found you
How you opened my life
To a new paradise

Would things be different now that they were getting older? He knew his feelings for her were getting stronger. But could their relationship change because they were getting older? Would things be different between them?

He wanted to stay friends, at least, even though he knew in his heart he wanted more. But if Numbuh 3 didn't want that, then he would just settle for her friendship.

He knew, though, that he would care for her, no matter what.

In a world torn by change
Still with all of my heart'
Till my dying day

He suddenly felt Numbuh 3's head rest on his shoulder. His breath got caught in his throat as she cuddled up against him. Unsure of what to do, he brought one of his hands up and began to stroke her hair. He couldn't help but smile as the feeling inside him welled up in his soul. It wasn't hard to tell that he was enjoying this. He wanted to stay with her, protecting her, caring for her, just like this.

The rest of the dance progressed in silence, the mood surrounding them in a comforting embrace.

If you're asking do I love you this much
Baby I do
I'll cherish you
This much I know its true
From the depths of my soul
It's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to you
If you're asking do I love you this much
Baby I do
Oh oh I do

As the music faded to an end, Numbuh 4 cleared his throat and pulled away from Numbuh 3, blushing more than ever.

"Well…uh…" he said nervously, "…are we done?"

She nodded, beaming him a smile. "Thanks for playing with me, Numbuh 4," she said cheerfully.

"Sure, no problem. Oh…um…could ya not tell tha othas 'bout this?"

She looked at him, blinking, then shrugged. "Okay."

He let out a relieved breath. "Thanks. Well, Ah guess Ah'll go now." And he scurried out of the room quickly.

She smiled as he left, then let out a small sigh. 'I wonder if it meant as much to him as it meant to me…' she thought.

Transmission Interrupted