Author's Note: This chapter contains gratuitous 3/4 scenes so if you're one of those rare 3/4 haters then I suggest you don't read this chapter. Also, KND does NOT belong to me. The characters in this story exist only in the author's (hopefully sane) imagination. Now on with the fic!

Chaptuh 2

A week had came by and left. Summer was now fall. Outside, the weather turned gray and dreary. Above, the cloudy sky threatened rain. The Kids Next Door of Sector V had not had any updates so far as to the status of their temporary suspension. Numbuh 1 had repeatedly attempted contact with KND moon base via telephone but to no avail. Apparently, children could be just as relentless as adults when it came to forgiveness. By now everyone had become cranky and irritable - even Numbuh 3 had lost that bright, cheery, joie de vivre she usually possessed.

In his room, Hoagie had found some old wires, a computer chip, and a motherboard that Numbuh 86's troops had neglected to confiscate. Secretly, he had been working round the clock

in his room trying to fit the chips into place, so the tree house could have some kind of mainframe. One day, exhausted after all of the tedious mending, welding, and molding of electrical circuits and parts, he decided to take a break and grab a bite.

Walking down the hallway, he heard Numbuh 3's cheerful laughter echoing from the living room and Numbuh 4's angry accusation: "You're cheating! There's no way a girl could beat me three times in a row!"

"I am not cheating!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Prove it!"

"Okay, one more round, but this time I'm callin' the shots!"

He heard them madly pounding away on their control pads and then, Numbuh 3 victoriously declare, "Yay! I'm da winnuh! Again!" Hoagie slowly tiptoed further down the hall and poked his head around the corner. He glanced in the direction of the kitchen and heard his stomach growling, but he decided this was his best chance to spy on the two lovebirds - since Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5 had left earlier - on foot - to buy more nacho cheese and French Onion dip. He deduced that they probably wouldn't be back for another half hour. Now's the chance to see how Numbuh 4 really acts around Numbuh 3 when no one else is around, he thought, grinning mischievously.

"Let's do somethin' else," he heard Numbuh 4 suggest.

"We can play--"

"I'm not goin' to play tea party with you and your stuffed toys, so ya can forget about that!"

"Well, do you have a bettuh idea?" the Japanese girl asked.

"What'cha think Numbuh 2's doin' roight now?"

"Don't bother him! I went by his room earlier to see if he wanted to play with me but he said not to bother him 'cause he's working."

"You did? When?"

"Before I stopped by your room and asked you." She giggled. Hoagie would've given his firstborn to see Numbuh 4's expression at that exact moment. Hoagie knew the Aussie well enough to know that, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he tended to get jealous whenever he wasn't Numbuh 3's first choice to tease or pick on (which was almost never) and, even though Wallabee would never admit it, Hoagie knew the boy liked being pestered incessantly by the girl. To think she would pester Numbuh 1 or Numbuh 2 the way she did Wally was inconceivable. The hurt in his voice barely disguised, Numbuh 4 snapped, "Well, if you wanted to play video games with Numbuh 2 first, I wouldn't've even wasted my bloody time with ya. I could've been doin' somethin' bettuh like perfecting my martial arts moves or watchin' wrestlin' so when we get to go back on missions I can really kick some adult butt!" Hoagie heard a pow! and thud! and saw Numbuh 4 demonstrating his many martial arts moves for Numbuh 3. She only laughed harder before Numbuh 4's face burned a bright red and he snapped, "That's it! I'm outta here." He started to storm off before Numbuh 3 pleaded, "Wait! I wasn't laugh at you, silly. I'm just bored. Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5 won't be back for awhile. I can help you with yuh martial ahts if you want."

"You? What do you know about martial arts or any kind of fightin', fuh that mattuh?" He smirked, looking down at her as she pleaded even harder and latched onto the sleeve of his orange hoodie. Then she suddenly had an idea and let go of his sweater, smugly dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "It just so happens I know a lot more than you." She crossed her arms and gave him a haughty look.

"Oh yeah? Prove it--whoa! Hey!" He landed on his back in one millisecond flat. She had swiftly kicked him behind his knee, hooking her shoe around his leg, causing him to involuntarily lose his balance. He looked up at her in utter shock and disbelief, his mouth forming a wide O, until he finally managed, "What'd ya do that fo'?"

"Because I'm fastuh than you!"

"Why, you--" before he could finish he picked her up and pinned her on the ground underneath him, his face smiling satisfactorily, as she struggled to break free from his hold. Upper body strength wise, she was no match for him, and he effortlessly pinned her sleeved arms above her head.

He gave her a smile that was half cocky, half pity. "Ha! Shows what you know - nevah take your eyes off your opponent." He let out a surprised yelp of pain when she brought her knee up and hit him right in his gut, forcing him to loosen his hold on her.

"Aye!" Then she laughed as she pushed herself up from the floor and ran away, but not before Numbuh 4 had managed to grab her by her ankle and pull her back down on the floor, causing her to land right on her butt. They started to wrestle each other again and he could hear them laughing and struggling on the floor. Hoagie decided this was the perfect opportunity to grab his camera and take some pictures when their laughter had ceased and by this time, Numbuh 4's expression had turned serious. He was staring at Numbuh 3 in an odd way, and she was pinned back underneath him but their faces were only inches away. He's going to kiss her! Haha! I knew it! Hoagie was already counting the number of ways he could blackmail Numbuh 4 if he knew Hoagie had a picture of their uncompromising situation. Then Numbuh 4 blinked, and he released her arms and stood up.

"Ah...ah...ah'm sorry, Numbuh 3...ah...ah...didn't..." the Aussie stuttered, his face was red - so red - in fact, that Hoagie had to cover his mouth to stifle his laughter so they wouldn't hear him. Hoagie quickly ran back to his room as quietly as he could to grab his camera. Moments later he returned, and he was bitterly disappointed to see they were back on the couch - though sitting further apart - and watching television. Darn! You missed your best opportunity, Hoagie! he thought, frustrated. Putting that thought out of his mind, he decided that his stomach needed his full attention. He entered the room and greeted them with a nonchalant, "Hey guys." Numbuh 4's head jerked up and he eyed Hoagie suspiciously, then quickly looked away.

What's the matter, Numbuh 4? Feeling guilty about something? Hoagie couldn't control the huge grin spreading across his face as the image of Numbuh 4 about to kiss Numbuh 3 popped back into his mind again. Numbuh 4 quickly looked up again and shouted, "You saw it!

Didn't you?!" He rose from the sofa and was now staring (almost) face-to-face with the heavier boy.

"Saw what?" Hoagie asked innocently, trying to sound convincing. Thank God I hid that camera in my pocket before I walked in here! Phew! Close call, Numbuh 2. He mentally patted himself on the back.

"You know what you saw." Numbuh 4 was glaring at him. But Hoagie only shrugged as he walked past him and into the kitchen. "Whatever. I'm making myself a super duper subway deluxe supreme sandwich. Anyone else want one?" Hoagie asked, retrieving ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, onions, and ice cream out of the fridge.

"Me!" Numbuh 3 answered, raising her hand. She had not bothered to turn her face away from

the television during this whole scene and Hoagie could only venture a guess that she was just as embarrassed about the "non-kiss" as Numbuh 4.

Numbuh 4 mumbled something under his breath and started toward his room when they heard the front door open and Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5 walk in, groceries and shopping bags in tow.

"Whoa! Who'd you go grocery shoppin' for? The whole country of Florida?" Numbuh 4 asked,eyeing the load of groceries being brought in by their shopping basket.

"Florida is not a country, Numbuh 4. And no. Numbuh 5 and I were talking last night, and we'vedecided the only way to get back on the good side of the Kids Next Door moonbase is to throw a party for them in their honor Saturday night," Numbuh 1 explained to Numbuh 4. He handed him some groceries and gestured for him to take them into the kitchen.

"Cool! A party!" For once, Numbuh 3's face lighted up from excitement and she ran up to

give Numbuh 1 a hug, and then Numbuh 5.

"This could work," Hoagie commented, spreading jam and mustard on two slices of buttered,crack wheat bread."Every kid higher up in command from the Kids Next Door Moon Base will be here so we wantto get this place in tiptop shape by Saturday. We're hoping that by throwing a party and gettingback on their--"

"What he means to say," Numbuh 5 interjected, giving an exaggerated roll of her eyes, "is thatwe hafta kiss their heinies."

"Numbuh 5, you don't have to say it in those exact words." Numbuh 1's cheeks flushed withembarrassment as he looked at each and every one of his teammates' faces. "But, essentially, she's right." Groans.

"Ugh, you mean I have to be nice to Mrs. Frannie Pants?"

"Argh! I'd rather eat dirt!"

"Numbuh 362 will not fall for it!"

"Yeah, she'll know what our real motive is!" Shouts, bitter complaints, unintelligible comments left and right before - "Silence!" Numbuh 1 ordered his teammates. He held up his hand. "Numbuh 4, help Five put these groceries away, and Two and Three, we need to talk about party decorations and how we'll get this place spic and span. I don't want to hear anymore complaints - you hear? Our jobs are on the line here. If we're not assigned a mission anytime soon I think I'll go crazy."

They all let out a collective sigh and nodded in agreement.

One final note: I'm thinking of adding Numbuh 30C into the story but was he actually a KND operative or not? Someone let me know. Thanks for the great reviews!