Disclaimer: (Trying to forge ownership papers) I don't own it, darn it!

AN: Italics are flashbacks. Bold italics are thoughts in flashbacks.

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Chapter 3: Get Up

"I… I don't understand."

Numbuh 1 sat down beside her. "This is the part where I have to fill in the blanks."

"What happened to Cree?"

"After you fell…"

--"ABBY!"

Cree's panicked cry pierced the sounds of battle, and every kid and teenager froze at the pure anguish in her voice.

"Cree! Cree, what's wrong?" One of the teenagers, a slim brown-haired girl with freckles called from where she stood. Cree ignored her, racing down the cliff side, unearthing loose plants and small pebbles.

"Please be okay, please, please, please…"

Cree skidded down to the bottom of the ravine and stopped. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the KND and teenagers began to make their way down.

Numbuh 5 lay sprawled on her side on the ground where she had fallen. Her eyes were shut, and if Cree hadn't known any better, she would have believed her sister was asleep. Her hat lay torn and bruised a little ways away, and her braided hair fell in a gentle loop behind her head. Her clothes were torn and dirty. After a moment, Cree slowly walked over to her sister.

"Abby?" Cree whispered.

Nothing. Not even an eye opening. Her sister lay still, in that perfect calm.

"Get up."

Her voice shook, almost pleading, but still no response from Numbuh 5. Slowly, Cree's denial began to die, but still she clung stubbornly to it.

"Get up!"

It was supposed to be me, it should have been me…

Still nothing, and finally the denial drained from Cree. She sighed heavily, slowly sinking to the ground so she sat over her sister.

Timidly, the teenagers and the kids walked onto the scene. A gasp from Numbuh 3; Numbuh 2's eyes widened. The teenagers exchanged uneasy glances, not used to seeing Cree like this.

Cree gazed at her little sister, grief swelling in her belly and clogging her throat, stopping the hot tears that she wanted to cry. She wanted to scream, she wanted to wail her grief for the entire world to hear, but it wouldn't bring Numbuh 5 back. Gently she ran her hand over Numbuh 5's shoulder, smoothed her hair. She rubbed her back, remembering when her sister had been small.

She remembered times when her parents had been out and she had to baby-sit Numbuh 5, who at the time had been terrified of thunderstorms. So they had sat together on her bed, Numbuh 5 practically curled up in Cree's arms, counting the raindrops that hit the glass. She remembered when she had been Numbuh 11, training her little sister, showing her what she was capable of.

After a moment, Cree lowered her head so her forehead was against Numbuh 5's, and finally she cried, a single tear that said more then sobs could. Numbuh 1 and 4 bowed their heads. Numbuh 3 began to sniffle. Numbuh 2's eyes shined with unshed tears. And the teenagers slowly bowed their heads to.

Cree pulled away, looking at Numbuh 5 one last time. She sighed heavily, slowly getting to her feet.

"No more fighting," she whispered hoarsely. "No more. We're done." She looked at Numbah 1; he nodded. She closed her eyes.

"We're done."—

Numbuh 5's eyes widened.

"That's what happened," Numbuh 1 murmured. "Cree left with the teenagers. She didn't know you were still okay, so I sent her a message a little while ago. I felt she deserves to know." After a moment, he got up to leave.

Numbuh 5 said nothing, lost in thought.

The bond between sisters. I guess they weren't kidding, Cree.

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I originally had Cree bawling, but it didn't seem right for her character, so I went back and changed it to that one tear.

... You know, I liked this chapter so much better when I first wrote it...