Transmission Re-established. . .

Posted: July 17, 2004

Chapter Seven:

"There's a long and dark hall," Hoagie began. "There are flashes of light." He tried hard to remember. "I can see me, Abby and Wally begin strapped down into chairs, but there's something off, I can see myself."

Wally jumped in. "It's a reflection." He caught himself by surprise as it came to him. "Upper operatives, used to watch. To make sure everything went as planned."

"We were being. . . brainwashed?" Abby kind of asked.

"No, decommissioned." Nigel's head shot up from looking at the floor. "When an agent turned thirteen, their memory was erased of anything that had to do with the Kids Next Door."

"Wait, that doesn't make sense. Don't we all have different birthdays? Why were we decommissioned at the same time?" Wally asked. No one said anything for along time.

"Because we loved each other." Everyone looked at Kuki. "We had all started our training at the same and were assigned to the same unit." She giggled, she had a memory. "We were a team and we had done everything together." She looked at Hoagie and Abby. "But you guys were forced to transfer a year and half before the decommissioning."

"No." Hoagie shook his head. "I put in a request to transfer and I asked Abby to come with me."

"Why?" Wally asked.

Hoagie looked at Nigel then at Abby. He turned his head towards Wally. "It was personal."

"But you guys came back," Kuki continued. "Abby's thirteenth birthday was coming up. And we had promised each other a long time ago, that we would all go together. It was unheard of, but they complied."

"Why don't I remember you or Nigel on that day?" Hoagie asked Kuki.

"We were there." Nigel stepped in. "But in another room. For some reason, I still can't remember, they wanted us separated."

"They thought it was strange, that we wanted to all go at the same time. They separated us in case we had something planned," Abby stated.

Mushi watched for hours at the five former teammates as they regained their past, their memories, and the love they once all felt for each other. It made Mushi feel good as she heard her sister laugh and slowly start to become someone she thought she would never see again.

"Abby can I talk to you?" Nigel asked. Abby looked at Hoagie and he didn't seem too concerned.

"Sure." Abby led Nigel to the dinning room table, which was out of earshot of the living room. "What is it?" she asked as they took a seat.

"Do you remember that night?" He took a deep breath. "That night I asked you to transfer with Hoagie?" Abby shook her head. "I asked you to go with him because I was trying to be a good friend. I knew he loved you, but he was unsure about how you felt and frankly so was I."

"Where are you going with this Nigel?"

"I loved you back then Abby and I've realized today that I still do. I wish I had let you choose that night, because I think you would have chosen me."

"I'm sorry Nigel, but I love Hoagie, and I would have chose him." Nigel couldn't tell if it was a lie.

"What about now?" Nigel asked.

"I don't understand."

"Do you honestly think, no one sees that bruise across your face, you've tried to cover up?"

"How dare you." She wanted to shout, but she kept her voice down.

"I'm just trying to say, I would never do that to you."

"Look, me and Hoagie have had our ups and downs." Abby tried to explain. "And he has given me a lot of outs, and I, him. But we have stuck it out and I don't plan to give up on that."

"So there was never a chance between us?" Nigel asked.

"Nothing more than the love a friend. Which I hope we can remain."

"Of, course. There are no hard feelings here, but I did have to know. Besides all of us have already lost each other once. I don't think none of us would want that again." He smiled. "Should we join the others?" Abby nodded.

Nigel and Abby joined the others just as Kuki was saying. "Was I really that much of an airhead?" Wally, Hoagie, and Mushi started laughing.

Nigel went and took a seat as Abby went and sat next to Hoagie before taking his hand. "I've always been partial to the name Bradley, for a little boy," she whispered. "I love you."

"I know," he whispered back.

End Transmission

A/N: There was something I forgot, but didn't know were to put it in the story, and that was how Abby and Wally knew each other.

The short version: They knew each other in middle school and she moved in the tenth grade to the school Hoagie was going to.