Leia: Aloha peoples!

#1: It took long enough!

Leia: Yup. But that's what happens when you're getting back into school.

#6: can you not see my joyous expression... (Pouting)

Leia: oh, stop it! You'll have a great time in this chapter. All of you!

Disclaimer: you and I both know I only own Janey. Can we get on with the story? By the way, I don't own Yipper either. I just made up the junk about the TV series so they had something to watch.

Review response

Stripified: hope you didn't ruin your keyboard with applesauce. Thanks for the nice review!

InsaneLynx: Fluff is good, isn't it? The last chapter will be mostly fluff. FLUFF IS GOOD!

Numbah Zero: Anvil? Well, thanks for the review! I really appreciate it!

Silent Sage: Thank you as well. I think just about everyone is wondering what the heck will happen to these two. Well, you peoples are just going to have to wait. (Sorry, But it's for the good of the story)

Mark: I know it was long, but it was fun to write, and I'm not much of a fan of billions of short chapters.

- - - - - - - - -

Leia: as I stated in chapter 4, this will be the last 'long' chapter and then I'll have a shorter 6th one. And by the way, I can't write out an Australian accent, so that's why you have to imagine #4's, while I pathetically tried to do #5's accent (I probably shouldn't have, but oh well)

Chapter 5: Preparations

The days had flown by. Everyone (but Janey) had a 'date' to the dance, and was waiting restlessly for the night of the Valentine's (New Assignments) ball.

It was Friday, the thirteenth of February, the day before the KND soiree. Numbuh 6 was slumped on the windowsill, watching the gray clouds dump yet more snow on the surrounding suburbs.

While she grumbled about the 'stupid dance' she didn't notice that the other 2 female operatives come into her multicolor explosion of a room.

"What'cha doing?" 3 chirped, tackling her friend.

The brunette shrugged off the embrace, but mumbled back, "nothin' really."

"Good." Abby said, "Cuz you need to get ready for the dance! Tomorrow we'll be too busy fixin' our hair!"

"Wha?" She said confusedly, "But I'm not going! I have no one to go with!" The other two gave her looks that plainly said they wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Alright, you win. I guess I can enjoy the punch and food, if not a date."

- - - - - -

The next hour was spent in Abby's room, where the girls tried on all sorts of different dresses. Long ones, short ones, patterned ones, shiny ones, plain ones, sequined ones, any kind of dress that seemed appropriate for the occasion.

"Wow, Numbuh 6! That looks pretty!"

"Uhhh, thanks." Janey muttered, examining herself in mirror, wearing the plain red dress that reached the floor. There was nothing extra-special about the garment, but it made her feel better that she would be wearing a pretty dress to this disaster of an evening.

Numbuh 5 came out of her bathroom in a dress similar to Janey's, but was light blue and had a dark blue ribbon tied around the waist.

Kuki squealed with delight and chattered away about the gowns. None of the three knew that the boys were just outside the door, listening to the bits of conversation that drifted into the hallway.

When the girls went quiet again, the boys started a whispered conversation.

"I can't believe we both got the girls we wanted!" #4 said to Hoagie, "I mean, they could have gone with anyone else, but they said yes to us!"

"I know, it's really weird, but kinda funny." He said back, "Hey Numbuh 1, who are you taking? Lizzie as usual?"

Numbuh 1, who was looking pensive at the moment, remained silent, then realized someone had asked him something, "huh? Oh! Yes, I'm taking Lizzie." And with that, he returned to thinking.

"He's kinda...quiet lately, ain't he?" Wally said in an undertone.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't think he really wants to go to the dance." Numbuh 2 responded, keeping a close eye on the contemplative Nigel.

"Of course he don't! Neither would I if I was goin' with Lethal Lizzie!" he spat contemptuously. As they all knew, Lizzie could get very...violent... at times.

"Then who does he really want to go with?"

"Well that's obvious! It's...umm...er...I dunno."

Both boys almost jumped through the ceiling when Nigel said, "Who else could I take?"

They looked at him, then at each other, and then it dawned on them.

"Oohhhhhhhh. But how are you-" Hoagie started, but Wally interrupted.

"Well duh! He's gonna...um...uhh...What are you gonna do?"

"That's exactly the problem. I can't do anything! Lizzie would kill me before I had a chance to even walk away after breaking up with her. And even if I did survive, J- I mean Numbuh 6 probably doesn't like me anyway."

"Das not true, man."

Now, it was a feminine voice that startled them. Numbuh 5 was standing in the hall with them. Apparently, she had gone to see what the noises outside the door were, and had quite enjoyed the conversation.

"Numbuh 5 thinks she'd like you just as much back if you told her." Abby said simply, "Don't even start wit' me. I know I'm right, and you gonna find out yourself."

"Yeah, Numbuh 6 is a good match for you. Maybe she can make ya loosen up!"

"Ha ha, very funny." #1 said, "Now, please don't tell her. I want to be the first to let her know."

"All right,"

"You got it, boss!"

"Fiiiine."

- - - - - - -

Janey was still watching Numbuh 3 try on all sorts of dresses when Abby came back in.

"How does this one look?"

Lying on the bed with her head hanging over the end with a bored expression plastered on her face, Numbuh 6 said, "I don't really think it matters. Numbuh 4 isn't going to really notice. He's a guy."

"Hey, Numbuh 3. How 'bout you jus' wear the one you like the best." Abby said as Janey flipped over into an upright position.

The Asian dashed back into the bathroom and came back out in a stunning, (also floor length) silky, leaf-green gown with her new jewelry sparkling at her neck and wrist.

"There ya go, the perfect dress!" Janey said, "Okey
dokey folks, nothing to see here. Move along so we can clean up this room" she said, pushing Kuki's normal clothes into her hands and shoving her out in the hall.

The two girls hung up the dresses that were scattered everywhere except the ones they would be wearing, which they still held when they were done.

"Well, I guess I have to go find matching shoes and other junk." Janey said, opening the door "see ya at dinner!" she called. Then she poked her head back through the door and asked "Oh, and who's cooking dinner?"

"We ordered a pizza." Wally said, trudging by in the hallway outside. He was happier than usual, but she couldn't tell why.

"Okay..." she said, "thanks?"

Venturing further, she climbed the winding staircase up towards her near-treetop room. Numbuh 2 bounced out of his room, practically singing with joy. He went along with her up the long hallway.

"Oh, Hiya Numbuh 6!" he said, eyes twinkling with a secret.

She gave him an odd look, "You aren't one I would easily picture skipping..." she said, and eyebrow raised at this sudden strange behavior.

"Oh, yeah." He said, changing his mode of movement to walking.

She paused and he didn't realize until he was a few feet ahead of her. He turned around to face her, "What's wrong?"

She stood silent, and when he approached her, she blurted, "Alright, spill it! What's the secret that I have no idea about!?"

Hoagie was shocked by the outburst, but recovered quickly. "I can't tell you, I'm sworn to secrecy."

Janey knew this was coming and replied, "Okaaaay, but what if the newest edition of Yipper were to be accidentally given to you?"

"Urrrmm...I uh-awww, this is too much! fine! I confess! There is someone who will take you to the dance. I can't say any names, though. And you can't tell that I told you."

She smiled and pulled the comic book from the pocket of her red hoodie and gave it to the boy, muttering "No worries, I won't" and continued on to her room.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next day rolled around quickly and the boys woke around noon to the toxic scent of hairspray and shampoos.

They ate breakfast with great difficulty as the smell made their food taste like 'fruity mango splash' or 'solid hold styling gel'.

The girls came down in pajamas with hair all done up, gelled down, and sprayed in place. The boys had by now gotten dressed (normal clothes) and were watching the Yipper Marathon on the cartoon channel.

"Up by 1? Wow, Numbuh 4, that's gotta be a record!" Numbuh 6 joked. Meanwhile, Wally just growled something nobody actually understood, and tuned out the others entirely.

The girls joined them in watching the comic-book-turned-cartoon show until about 3 when Abby rose and said, "C'mon, we gotta get ready. That shuttle's a slow one an' we gotta leave at 4 o'clock." So the 2 other female operatives grudgingly followed, sneaking last glances back at the giant television.

When each reached her room, she immediately went for the dress. After they were entirely dressed, they went their separate ways in preparing for the dance. While Numbuh 3 was busy having a tea party with her stuffed animals, The other two attempted to put on makeup.

Janey pulled out the eyeliner and gave it a fierce look. Abby headed for the lipstick with a determined glare. Both successfully smeared the stuff all over their faces, using way too much and making a total mess.

After cleaning up, they both decided natural was the 'in' look according to them.

- - - Meanwhile - - -

The boys had taken a hint from the girls, and had left shortly after they had. They were all wearing the suits they had worn to the Delightful Children's party, and were ready and waiting when several bangs on the door announced Lizzie's arrival. She sat for the next few minutes, forcing Nigel to complete useless chores for here, while listening to her babbling.

When the clock read 3:45, the other girls glided into the room. Janey looked slightly put out at the sight of Lizzie, but her resolution to have a good time wouldn't be broken so easily.

They filed into the Sector V shuttle and the ship departed for KND Moonbase headquarters.

- - - - - - -

The 7 children were the first there except for the usual Moonbase residents such as Numbuh 86, and any other operatives that happened to be stationed on Moonbase.

After a few minutes, other teams from other sectors began appearing. The music started, and the buffet table opened. Everyone immediately began having a good time.

The infamous Kuki & Wally had immediately taken the center of the dance floor and were dancing, almost dangerously, to a fast-tempo song.

Unsurprisingly, Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5 were at a small table, enjoying a meal from the food tables and watching the dancing couples go crazy to assorted songs blaring from the speakers which were carefully placed out of harm's (or in this case, 3 and 4's) reach.

Out by a window facing empty outer space, Nigel was sick to his stomach and getting angrier and angrier as his girlfriend jabbered on and on about stupid subjects and other annoying things.

"Oh, Niiii-gey! What do you think we should do? Do you want to dance? Should we get something to eat? Or maybe you should get us some punch! Yes, that's it, punch." She said, quickly switching from sentence to sentence, "Nigey, go get me some punch! Nigey? NIGEL UNO!! WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING??!!"

He looked up nonchalantly, and realized that she was angry with him. Adding this to his current frustration, he was sent over the limit.

Calmly and coolly, he began talking through clenched teeth. "Lizzie, I realize we have a relationship," He said the word with much distaste, "But I really don't want to keep it going if you're just going to make me do millions of stupid little things, Hate my friends, and most of all, keep bossing me around! For Pete's sake, Lizzie! I want to have a life too you know!"

Lizzie looked at him as though he'd slapped her in the face. Quickly recovering, she screeched, "FINE! If you hate me so much, I'll find a new boyfriend! A BETTER one! Good bye Nigel Uno, and GOOD RIDDENCE!"

She stomped off in a rage so terrifying, the other operatives gave her a wide berth and only returned to what they had been doing after they were sure she was gone.

Numbuh 1 felt as if a huge weight he had been carrying had disintegrated, and he was free. Free from the tyranny of an iron-fisted dictator/girlfriend.

He ambled over to the buffet line and from where he stood, he watched Lizzie ask 'Herbie' (a.k.a. Numbuh 65.3) to dance. Nigel shook his head, and took a plate to load up on food.

Meanwhile, Janey was on the other side of the buffet table. She had completely missed the feud as she had been in the bathroom, trying not to cry or do something stupid. She too, took a plate and reached for a cookie when another hand reached the food at the same time. Her hand under the other person's, she looked up into the face of her team leader, Numbuh 1.

They both yanked their hands back, blushing furiously, and said, "You can have it!"

They turned away, and blushed deeper, both wishing they could melt into a small puddle on the floor.

Nigel turned back around first, staring at her back, willing her to look at him. Instead she went over to another window overlooking the earth, watching everyone with a false happiness.

He sighed again and grabbed a punch glass from the table. The red in his cheeks increasing as he walked over towards Numbuh 6.

She stood there, waiting for something to happen. The slow songs had started and she was in no mood to dance alone. She wished whoever liked her would come forward. Completely clueless as she was, though, he could be standing right in front of her, but she wouldn't know it. She was about to go back to hiding in the bathroom, when she felt someone's gaze on her back. She tensed up, and subtly checked behind her...

Nobody but a few new inductees into the Kids Next Door, laughing about someone dancing with 65.3. Heaving a sigh, she made her way back to the food table. Cookies were her 'ancient healing medicine' for sadness...and just about everything else.

She reached for a frosted cookie, when someone -a male someone- cleared their throat behind her. Thinking nothing of it, she picked up the sugary morsel and was about to bite into it when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Feeling suddenly dumbstruck, she slowly turned around to face none other than Nigel Uno, the boy who gave her a funny feeling in her stomach whenever she talked to him.

"Hi...uhhh." He shifted around, blushing a ripe tomato red and looking at the floor, "D'you...uh...do you want to dance?"

- - - - - - - - -

Leia: SO? How was it??!! It might have been kind of long, but I couldn't wait, so I crammed it into this chapter. And yes, there will be another chapter. A short one, but still one more.

Janey: THANK YOU MILLIONS!! LIZZIE'S GONE!!!

Leia: yeah, I don't really like her...o well! And thank you very much to the people who have reviewed! I'm sorry it took so long, but like I said, school is a pain for writers like me!