Maki looked up at all of them somewhat sheepishly and waved. "H-hi," she said.

"I told Maki-chan not to come but she wouldn't listen," Dream said.

"Sounds like Netto-kun," Rockman said to Dream in a dry tone.

"What are you doing here?" Netto yelled.

Maki dried her eyes and stood up as high as she possibly could. "I am waiting for you to go on a mission!" she said. "I know that's what this is for."

Netto tried very hard not to yell at Maki. "No, it's not. This is a sleepover, Maki-chan."

Maki blinked, "Really?" she asked.

All three boys nodded.

Maki squealed with delight. "Ooooo! Can I come?"

Everyone else tried to deal with the mood change while Maki quivered excitedly. No one knew quite what to say.

"You're already here, Maki-chan," Dream reminded her softly.

Maki blinked, "Oh right! Well then, can I stay?"

"It's storming outside, Maki-chan," Dream said again.

Maki giggled, "I forgot. So, whatcha guys gonna do?" she asked.

Everyone else was snapped out of their disbelief rather quickly. "I… don't know," Netto said.

"Oers!" Maki said excitedly. "Can we make cookies?"

"I don't know if Enzan even has the stuff to make cookies," Netto said looking at Enzan, all of his anger forgotten for the moment.

Enzan crossed his arms. "I do, Netto I have to eat you know."

"What, you're not part of the undead legions?" Netto asked in a fake surprised voice.

"Netto-kun, you've been watching too many late night movies," Rockman said.

"Shut up, Rockman," Netto growled. "It was a joke. At least I don't think the undead are real."

"I don't think the undead are real!" Rockman said. "Just… ghosts," he added as an afterthought.

Maki giggled and Dream gave an amused smile from inside her PET. Netto sighed and rolled his eyes. Then he looked at Enzan, "Do you even know how to cook?" he asked.

"I can make pancakes," Enzan said. "I don't remember you being a very good cook either."

"Netto-kun isn't a bad cook," Rockman said, "He's just… messy."

"Thank you Rockman," Netto said sarcastically.

"Can we make cookies?" Maki asked again.

"You shouldn't even be here!" Netto said.

"But I am," Maki said in a matter of fact voice. "Now, can we make cookies?"

"I… guess?" Enzan said uncertainly. Netto had never heard him use that voice before.

"Not used to little kids?" he asked quietly as Maki ran towards the kitchen squealing happily.

"Let's see… no," Enzan hissed.

"All right, all right," Netto said. "No need to get crabby."

There was a flash of lightning followed closely by a crack of thunder that made everyone jump. Maki's lower lip trembled and Netto ran into the kitchen to keep her from freaking out.

Laika actually smiled, "Cookies huh?"

Enzan groaned, "Do any of us know how to cook?"

"We're about to find out," Laika replied.

Searchman and Blues exchanged nervous glances but didn't say anything.

Laika and Enzan went into the kitchen to make sure Maki and Netto didn't do anything. Enzan found his mother's old cook book and Maki leafed through the pages. "Ooooh, let's make chocolate chip cookies!" she said.

Netto shrugged, "It can't be that hard," he muttered.

Enzan and Laika looked at him like he had just said defeating the net mafia's weren't that hard. "Netto, I ask this with as much sincerity as I can muster, do you even know how to cook?"

Netto crossed his arms, "Of course I do!" he said.

Rockman sniggered.

"Shut up," Netto muttered.

"What was that for?" Laika asked.

"Nothing," Rockman said and looked up at the ceiling of the net to keep himself from laughing.

Blues and Searchman looked at Rockman, then at each other. Then they decided to find out what exactly Rockman didn't want to tell them. In the real world Netto and the others started to get the things needed to make chocolate chip cookies.

"Let's put in lots of chocolate chips!" Maki said.

"Maki, you're going to make yourself sick eating that much chocolate," Laika said calmly.

"Nuh uhh… I once ate a whole chocolate Easter Bunny all by myself in one day!" she said proudly.

Netto coughed and it sounded like he was desperately trying not to laugh.

"Netto?" Enzan asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Maki-chan, only one bag of chocolate chips," he said.

Maki gave a heartfelt, "Awwwww," but didn't argue beyond that.

Later on, when it came time to mix the ingredients Maki begged to use the mixer.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Enzan said calmly.

"But it's fun! Please?" Maki asked.

"Let Laika do it," Enzan said.

"Why me?" Laika asked.

"Because I don't want to," Enzan muttered.

Netto watched the exchange with an amused look on his face. "Then let Maki-chan do it," he said.

Laika and Enzan looked at him. "Why don't you do it?" they said together.

"Trust me," Rockman said quickly. "You don't want him to."

"Rockman, shut up," Netto said.

Laika and Enzan got the gist of Rockman's message and sighed. "Okay how about Laika starts it, then Maki can take over," Enzan said.

"Why me?" Laika asked again.

Enzan glared at him and Maki silently cheered in the back ground.

/This is way too amusing. I wish I had a video camera/ Netto laughed to his brother.

/Netto-kun, do you really think they should let Maki-chan use the mixer/ Rockman replied.

/What's the worst that could happen/ Netto asked easily.

/Do you want me to answer that/ Rockman replied.

Netto paused. /No, not really/ he said.

Laika picked up the mixer and looked at it like it was an alien being from another planet.

/Rockman, take a picture/ Netto said.

/But Netto-kun/ Rockman started.

/Please! His expression is too funny/ Netto said. /And I can't laugh right now or he'll kill me./

Rockman sighed and took a freeze frame picture with the PET.

Laika turned on the mixer and started to mix the ingredients together. It was a slow process because he refused to go any higher then the lowest setting. Netto, Maki and Enzan all peered over his shoulder to see how it was coming. Rockman took a picture of that too.

When it was mostly mixed Maki yelled out, "My turn!"

Laika sighed and handed it to her, "All right, but keep it on the setting that it's at."

"But it's so slow!" Maki said. "Just a little higher," she murmured and turned it on high.

"No!" Everyone else yelled but it was too late, the bowl literally exploded with cookie goo and it got everywhere. Netto reached over and pulled the plug out of the wall and the mixer died.

There was cookie dough everywhere, even though half of it was still in the bowl. Maki, Netto, Laika and Enzan were all covered and Rockman and Dream couldn't stop laughing. Blues and Searchman were trying not to laugh and Laika and Enzan weren't very happy. Netto looked at the bowl then the kitchen and said, "Cookie dough anyone?"

Maki started to laugh and licked some of the cookie dough off her hand. "Mmm, it's good," she said.

"Well, we still have half of it," Laika sighed.

Netto looked at the oven. "Ummm… no one preheated the oven," he said.

Enzan and Laika looked at each other. "Preheat?" they asked.

Rockman laughed even harder and Blues and Searchman both had sudden cough attacks.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Netto dragged Maki to the upstairs bathroom to clean her and himself of the cookie mess. There was nothing he could do about her clothes and he made do with scrubbing them as best as he could and letting them dry out as he brushed the goo out of Maki's hair.

"Laika told you not to turn it up," he said as she winced.

"But it was taking so long!" Maki said.

Netto wetted the brush in the sink and continued to brush her hair. "I know, but patience isn't such a bad thing."

"You're not patient," Maki huffed.

Netto sweatdropped and Rockman's muffled laugh could be heard from inside his PET.

/You, hush/ Netto said irritably.

/I'm just going to see how Laika and Enzan are doing/ Rockman said quickly and left his PET. Once safely in the hall monitor he started to laugh and didn't stop for a long while.

Downstairs Laika and Enzan managed to put the cookies on a greased pan and put them into the oven for ten minutes while they cleaned up the kitchen and themselves.

Netto had to take off his bandana because he also got quite a bit of goo in his hair and Maki was more then willing to help him get it out. In the process she also managed to pull out some of Netto's hair but it really didn't matter. Not to her anyway.

Enzan and Laika had a bit more luck and were nice and clean when Netto and Maki came downstairs. Netto had washed his bandana and was waiting for it to dry, and for his headache to go away before he put it in his hair again.

"We have about 20 cookies," Laika said.

"Really?" Netto asked. "That must have been a really big recipe."

Laika nodded and pointed to the cookies on the sheets. "They have to cool though."

Netto nodded and Maki bounced up and down. "So, now what?"

Netto blinked and sighed. "Maki-chan, how about we eat the cookies before anything else?"

"Okay!" Maki said happily.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ten minutes later everyone was sitting around the TV watching the latest "Starpotter" movie and eating cookies. Even Enzan and Laika had to admit they didn't turn out badly. It wasn't until the movie was almost over when it dawned on Netto and Rockman that letting Maki eat chocolate at 10 PM might not have been the greatest idea.

"Now what do we do?" she asked very quickly.

Enzan looked at her warily. "Maki, its 10, maybe we should sleep?"

Maki's eyes widened. "Sleep at a sleepover?" she asked in a disbelieving voice.

"Yes, novel idea isn't it," Laika said dryly.

Maki gasped, "You can't sleep at a sleep over. It's like a law or something!"

"It is?" Enzan said skeptically.

"Yeah, just like you can't sleep on Christmas Eve," she said. "It's impossible!"

"Well then, what do you want to do?" Rockman asked.

"Play hide and seek?" she asked.

Enzan shook his head, "Not in this house."

Maki stuck out her lower lip, "Awwww, why?" she asked.

"Maki, this house is huge, you would probably get lost," Enzan said.

"But…" Maki started.

Netto shook his head, "No buts, this is Enzan's house."

Maki crossed her arms, "Fine then what should we do?"

"Not make any more cookies," Laika said softly.

Searchman hid a smile within a cough but Rockman and Blues noted it with a touch of amusement.

"How about we try and calm down," said Enzan.

Netto snorted and earned himself a glare from Enzan. "What?" he asked.

"You're not helping," Enzan muttered to Netto.

"Enzan, you've clearly never been around little kids before. They don't calm down," Netto said. "Especially after they've eaten 6 chocolate chip cookies."

"Well then, what do you propose we do?" Enzan asked tightly.

"I don't know, do you have any suggestions?"

"Hey!" Maki said trying to get everyone's attention but Netto and Enzan kept muttering to each other and Laika was talking to his navi. She frowned and jumped on the couch, "Hey!" she yelled. Dream, Rockman and Blues watched her but didn't say anything. Everyone kept on ignoring her and she grabbed a pillow and flung it at Netto and Enzan, "I said hey!" she yelled.

It hit Netto on the head and landed on the floor. He glared at Maki who returned the glare all too happily. "Maki-chan, what did you do that for?" Netto asked.

"You were ignoring me!" she said.

"What?" Netto asked.

"I said you were ignoring me!" Maki yelled.

"No, I mean what did you want?" Netto said, his nerves were ever so slightly starting to fray.

Maki blinked, looked up in a thoughtful manner and shrugged sheepishly, "I don't remember."

Netto growled and threw the pillow back at her, "When you remember tell me," he said.

Maki caught the pillow in her arms and grinned. She looked around the room and flung the pillow straight at Laika. Laika was somewhat surprised when a large red couch pillow flew right into his face and Netto burst out laughing. Enzan looked from Laika to Maki unsure of what to say.

Laika picked up the pillow with an annoyed look and looked at who threw it at them. Maki squeaked and jumped off the couch and ran to hide behind Netto. Laika had no qualms with throwing the pillow at Netto. It hit Netto in the face and he glared at Laika while Maki giggled madly.

Netto threw the pillow at Laika but it missed and hit Enzan instead who was less then happy about the intrusion of his personal space. Maki smiled and picked up another pillow. Netto, Laika and Enzan all saw her do this and armed themselves just in case. Maki threw it at Enzan who deflected it with his own pillow onto Netto. Netto was more then happy to throw one at Enzan who received one from Laika.

The navi's watched in silent amusement but did not say a word.

Ten minutes later the living room was a mess and there were pillows everywhere. Maki was collapsed on Netto who was sprawled out in the middle of the floor. Enzan was lying on the couch and Laika was in a chair. "Tired now?" Netto asked Maki.

Maki, whose eyes were half shut, shook her head slowly. Netto smirked and nodded, "I thought so," he said.

They waited only ten more minutes before Maki fell asleep in Netto's lap. Netto gave a sigh of relief and said "Thank goodness."

Enzan nodded. "Oh, Netto?"

"Hm?" Netto asked.

"Tell anyone what happens tonight and you will pay," he said in a dead serious tone.

Laika nodded, "I second that."

Netto stuck his tongue out at them and laughed. "What, afraid your reputations as being jerks will get ruined."

Laika halfheartedly threw a pillow at Netto who caught it before it landed on Maki. Netto giggled and set the pillow on the floor. Then he laid Maki on the pillow. She curled up and murmured something but stayed asleep.

Enzan yawned, "What time is it?" he asked.

Netto looked at his PET. "It's 11:25, kinda early if you ask me," Netto said.

"Not everyone stays up till three playing video games, Netto-kun," Rockman said.

"Shut up," Netto grumbled.

"I think we should all go to sleep," Laika said.

"But no one goes to sleep at a sleep over!" Netto said in a reflection of what Maki had told them so fervently an hour before.

"We do," Laika and Enzan said simultaneously.

Netto stuck his tongue out at them.

"Netto, this may be fun but don't forget the reason we're doing this is so you don't get hurt," Enzan reminded him.

Netto crossed his arms, "Thanks for the info, Mr. Happy."

/Netto-kun, they're just trying to remind you why you're here/ Rockman said gently.

/I don't want to be reminded/ Netto told his twin huffily.

/They're worried about you/ Rockman said gently.

Netto sighed and stretched out next to Maki.

Enzan picked up one of the many pillows that were lying haphazardly all over the room and tossed it to Netto. Netto caught it and lay down. It's not that he was tired, but lying down did have its appeals at that moment.

Enzan lay down on the couch and Laika fell asleep on the chair, not that he wasn't used to it. Blues and Searchman noted everything silently and Blues made sure to turn off all the lights once he was sure that everyone was asleep.

There was a distant rumble of thunder and Maki shined softly. Dream was afraid that she might wake up but instead she pressed herself into Netto's arms who half woke up and obliged to the snuggling as long as it meant that Maki wouldn't start crying about the thunder.

Rockman smiled, "Netto-kun has been taking care of Maki-chan for some time, don't worry about them Dream."

Dream smiled and yawned herself. "I know, but Maki seems to be a little overzealous at times."

Rockman smiled at Dream and put his hand on her head. "I think you should go to sleep too," he said softly.

Dream nodded happily and linked to her PET where she went into stasis mode. Rockman, Blues and Searchman stayed up for a bit longer.

"Do you think everything will turn out all right?" Rockman asked.

Blues and Searchman looked at one another, "What do you mean?" Blues asked.

"Well, what with that artifact being stolen and everything that's happened in the last few days, do you think it will be all right?" Rockman asked again.

Searchman nodded. "I can't tell the future but I do know that everything does normally turn out for you as long as we're one step ahead."

"Are we?" asked Rockman.

"Well, that don't know where you are," Searchman said. "And even if they do you're still safe."

Rockman smiled, "Yeah. I'd just like to know what they're planning."

"Wouldn't we all," Blues said.

Obsidian watched the conversation from above, "Oh, I know you would," she smirked.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The cookie chapter…. Ye GODS that was the most fun to write chapter ever. Hope you liked it X3 I know I did.