The darkness had labeled her when she awoke, drenched in sweat and heaving. Casting a worn glance around her, she quickly surveyed that she was in a room full of nonbeing. What had happened to all of her stuffed animals? All of her brilliant posters? Her eyes rolled lazily towards the ceiling, almost wishing she could see her brain so she could scrutinize it for any information. Nil.

Oh, that's right- she remembered now. The color from her world had been drained from her body a long time ago. Like the thick, pulsating blood from a slit wrist, slowly dripping from her very being. And nothing she did could ever bring that life-giving blood back. So instead of being enveloped by mock colors that were no more than mere shells of their actual namesake, she got rid of them. Every. Bloody. Pseudo color.

But she had already dealt with that, had come to terms with her mind-frame long ago, so her mind quickly skipped over her inner turmoil to ask more pressing questions, such as what the time was.

Her eyes flickered lazily once more around her room, this time scourging for a clock of some sort. There was none that her tired, red eyes found. She was sure she had a clock around here somewhere. Oh well, she couldn't hear any noises coming from outside, and it's not like it really mattered anyways.

Four's Room

"No..." The blonde boy whispered into the cold air, his legs pressed firmly to his chest. He had dreamt again, of the time when... When... A sob slowly escaped his lips. I say slowly, because he spent almost two minutes trying to fight it. If he showed any weakness, she might... Get hurt...

Already squinted eyes shut themselves tighter. The air outside the tree house managed to find it's way into his room, assaulting his exposed back. Another sob, this time not covered.

Silent shudders that weren't caused by the cold air, or tears, sent their way up and down his spine. If he wasn't careful...

Wallabee Beatles wasn't without his demons.

Eyes slowly opened, reddened from his plight, and stared unseeingly ahead. In his mind, he was replaying everything. Every fitful expression, every hateful remark. Every threat...

'You like her, don't you?'
'N-no!' 'Don't lie to me boy! We wouldn't want anything happening to her, now would we? Any sudden... Unexplainable disappearances on her part. After all, there are a lot of sickos in this world; we wouldn't want her to fall prey to them. Would we?'
There was no answer.
'WOULD WE?!'
'No. No we wouldn't.'
'Damnit, answer me when I'm speaking to you!'

A whimper, a whisper, another memory.

The pain he felt from the bruises alone was like nothing he had ever experienced. There was no quarter given to him, just a small boy. He was to be the perfect child, the perfect, soulless, thoughtless, unfeeling child. If he wasn't perfect, terrible things would happen.
'Now let's try to get this right shall we?' The evil voice he had come to loath spilled into the room, leaving a foul taste hanging in the air. The boy almost shivered.
But he couldn't. He had to be perfect. So he continued playing, he continued pretending to love.
The music his small fingers made was wonderful, but not quite perfect. There was a stumble right- there. And then a sudden smack, a stifled cry of pain as his hair was roughly grabbed.
He was drug across the floor.
He had to be perfect.

He wouldn't want her to go through that. He didn't want to go through that, but he did.

His parents had gotten the dream job they wanted, so he had lived alone almost the entire three years they were gone. Then his mom died.

He wasn't sure how, he never asked. But his dad had changed; he became a perfectionist neat freak. Nothing was to be out of place, everything had to be just right. And that meant his son as well. His son was to be the definition of perfection- he had to walk on water.

That wasn't his life, he reminded himself. Those weren't his bruises, his cuts. Those weren't his emotional scars that ran deep. It was all merely a play he was watching, closed off to the rest of the world- his personal Hell.

And now with the discovery of her pain, he had to be doubly careful. His father wasn't to see her, touch her, he wasn't to do anything.

So perfection could save her, if that's what it took, that's what he'd be.

Five

'They'll be there today, they said they'd be there... I know they'll be there.' Five's almost fevered mind kept repeating. She had woken up just ten minutes ago, to the sound of Four punching some nameless item.

"I'm the Good Child now, not Cree. They'll forget her, and they'll come home," Five was pacing back and forth in her room now. She was so sure that her parents would love her again, so sure that Cree would no longer take precedence in their heart over her.

She bit her lip, felt the blood ooze slowly into her mouth, and continued her ramblings. She would have to go home soon, to be with her family.

She knew they'd be there... They had to be...

Three's POV

I can hear noises outside my door now, I guess it's time to get up. I wonder what time it is now? Oh well.

My stomach muscles hurt, I can barely stand the pain, why does my stomach hurt so much? The mirror across from my bed is telling me that I have dark circles under my eyes, my hair still perfectly straight. It makes me wonder- did I even sleep at all?

That would make everything so much easier to handle. I didn't dream last night.

The noises outside are louder, so deciding that I've kept everyone waiting long enough, I rise from my bed and walk on jellied legs towards my still- cracked door. I should've boughten a poster while I was still at the mall.

Outside By The Christmas Tree

Three's door creaked open, and Four watched as she slipped out, trying to remain unnoticed. She hadn't looked up from the floor yet.

"Hey Three! Get over here! We can't open the presents without you!" One's voice drifted over to her tired ears, and she looked up, smiling. She let out a small gasp when she noticed the decorations.

"Who put these up?" She asked everyone in the room. Four smiled at her gleeful expression, and Five answered her.

"Numbuh Two left a note, he said he would love to celebrate Christmas Eve with us, but his family really needs him right now. He said that he was sorry he didn't wake us, but that we all looked so tired, so he went ahead and decorated by himself." Five smiled sadly at the note, she would miss having Numbuh Two's corny sayings every time someone opened up a gift.

Three's smile grew even wider, and she nodded slightly. "Well? What're we waiting for?" She asked the now-quiet room as she jumped onto Numbuh Four to reach the presents before him.

Five laughed at their antics as she watched Four reach up and tickle her, then pin her to the ground while he reached for one of his presents.

"Hold it!" One's commanding voice pierced the air as he walked over to the Charlie-Brown like tree, and picked up a gift; Four's hand was just centimeters away from one of his presents. "Ok, you may now continue." One then sat down on the floor and ripped through his neatly wrapped gift.

Four was still stretching out for his gift with a wriggling Three beneath him, when Five jumped into the fray and swiped the present away from his hand. This caused enough of a distraction for Three to shove her way out from underneath him.

"Hey Five! Toss it here!" Three waved her arms madly around, trying her dandiest to catch Five's attention. Five smirked, and waited for Four to charge her, she then threw it over Four's head, and towards Three who caught it neatly.

Three then smiled innocently at Four, and threw it back over his head towards Five, "ooh... What's the matter? Short lil' Numbuh Four can't reach his present?" Three teased Four, as she caught the gift again. She was too pleased with herself to really take notice that Four was charging at her.

He had crashed into her, making her fall to the ground, before she had the chance to throw the gift at Five. As it was, the gift dropped from her hands and fell slightly above her head.

"Ah don't know whot you're talkin' 'bout- After all, ahm WAY taller than you," Four smirked at her, and he shifted his body to be sitting on her stomach, and then he reached above her for his present, opening it as slowly as he could.

Five laughed at Three's frustrated movements while she opened her own gift. "You brought it on yourself girl," Five laughed harder when Three glared at her.

"Lemme' up! Lemme' up!" Three continued to wiggle, and Four allowed a little more of his weight to pin her down. "Please? I promise I won't do that again until next- oof!" Three let out a small grunt of pain as Four shifted his weight again.

"Oh cool! Thanks One!" Four had finally finished opening it, completely ignoring Three's protests. One had gotten him piano sheet music to Evanescence's CD Fallen, along with a giant bag of York Peppermint Patties.

"Four! Let me up!" Three was practically wailing, thus causing Five and One to laugh hysterically. Four still ignored her, intent with opening his next present (One had handed it to him, and had suffered the wrath of Three's 'glare').

Four was almost done unwrapping his second present (One and Five had stopped opening theirs in favor of watching the free and immensely entertaining show. They now say together on the couch) when Three managed to sit up and lean closer to Four. He had stopped what he was doing and stared straight ahead of him the second her lips touched his cheek.

His face burned a bright red, and he momentarily forgot what he had been doing, thus giving Three the opportunity she had been waiting for to get free.

"HA!" She screamed as she stood up, beginning to dance around to no particular beat. "I beat you! I beat you!" She then dived for one of her presents and ran over to one of the chairs before Four could do anything.

One and Five were laughing themselves silly, and having the hardest time breathing.

One lifted a shaky finger, and pointed it towards Four, "Y-your face! You should've seen your f-f-f-face!" He exclaimed over the sound of ripping gift-wrap.

Four managed to gain his senses, and whipped around towards where Three was sitting, holding up a dress and a black dragon candle. She squealed happily, and leaving her gifts by the chair ran over to One, enveloping him in a giant hug.

"Thank you One! Thank you!" She said aloud, and then quietly, she whispered "you remembered..." she then let him go, and walked back towards the tree. Tactfully avoiding Four. She quickly picked up a gift and ran back towards her chair, trying to outrun Four.

She held the gift in front of her, and as Four once again tackled her, the gift flew out of her hands, and miraculously landed directly on her cushy chair, Five noticeably exhaled in relief- that present was breakable.

He began to tickle her mercilessly, saying loudly, "don't EVAH do tha' again."

After about five minutes she was finally able to giggle an "ok, ok!" and the tickling immediately stopped, along with Wallabee sitting on her. She could barely breathe, but managed to stand up and shakily make her way to the chair.

She opened the gift still sitting innocently on the chair's cushion, and smiled at the glass tea set. She wouldn't be using it ever, but it was the thought that counts.

"Thanks Five!" Three yelled out over the noise of ripping paper. Five smiled back at her, giving a thumbs-up, and then continued what she was doing.

One and Five were once again opening their presents, letting out exclamations of thanks every now and then.

Four was tearing through his third present, Three's hadn't arrived yet, and he smiled down happily at his new collection of comic books.

Three then made her way towards her third gift, from Numbuh Two.

Three smiled as she saw all of her friends happily opening their gifts, and she squeezed the dark green stuffed animal frog she had just unwrapped even harder than she had been two minutes ago. And in that moment, she wished more than anything that her friends and herself would have a happy ending.

"Hey Three, I have to leave soon, but I wanted to give you your gift from me personally," Four said as he got up and walked to his room. He came back out several minutes later carrying a small black cat.

Three melted on the spot, staring at the tiny kitten, and smiled happily down at him when it was handed to her.

"He's so cute," Three exclaimed, as she looked back up at Four (who was also carrying a litter box and some cat food). She then got back up and hugged Four as tight as she could with one arm and trying not to squish the kitten.

Four didn't get the chance to say anything before a car horn was interrupting the festivities.

"Roight. That'll be mah dad, got ta' go, ah'll see you guys latah!" Four waved happily at his friends and climbed down the ladder that would lead him to his doom. His smile faded almost instantly, but he dare not scowl.

Five sighed heavily as she stood up as well, and announced that she had to be going over to her house also. So soon it was just Three and One left to clean up the mess created that morning.

With Four

He had gotten into the car silently, and hadn't asked where they were going. It was obvious that his dad wasn't taking him back home.

Of course, he probably should be happy about that, he reasoned with himself.

"Hey slugga', here we are!" His dad announced cheerfully, his Australian accent faded some-what since first moving here. Wallabee pried his tired eyes from the window, and looked up at where they had stopped... A yogurt shop.

Yogurt- what were they doing here? He had always thought that his dad had a firm belief that yogurt was created by the neo-Marxists to take over the world... Hey, he never said that his dad was sane.

"But dad- what about the whole 'taking-over-the-world-with-yogurt-revenue' thing?" He asked his dad. Bad mistake. His dad cast a dark glance over his shoulder at him.

"I'll deal with ungrateful kids when we get home. But right now I am speaking with a business partner, and I'd appreciate if you didn't mention anything about the 'yogurt' theory. In fact, don't speak at all, just smile and if asked a question say "My name's Wallabee Beatles," that's all you need to know." His dad then turned around, and not waiting for his son to follow him, walked into the yogurt shop.

Grumbling to himself, he mentally prepared himself to play the happy kid role.

Numbuh Five

The walk home was nothing compared to actually being home. It had been short, and lonely. There were only a couple of last-minute shoppers in their cars that rode along the street she decided to take.

She had been splashed with slush, dirty slush; and she could swear that some of it was even yellow. A bird had decided that it would try to take the hair from her braid to make a nest. And then to top it off she had forgotten to bring boots, and her shoes were thin.

Needless to say, once she finally got to her house, she took a shower and changed into some different clothes. Her parents weren't there yet, so she put her clothes into the washer. She usually did her own laundry anyways.

Everything was perfect. The heater was running, she was drinking hot cocoa, and even watching a Christmas special. Yep, everything was perfect; this Christmas was shaping up to be exactly like last year's Christmas. Which was the problem.

Well, it was only about mid-day, her parents still had time to make it, and it wouldn't matter if they were a little late.

One TV special swiftly replaced another, four paper cups that had once been filled with hot cocoa were now laying in the garbage, and it had gotten too hot inside the house, so she turned off the heater.

Ok, no big deal, after all, it was only about six. They still had a couple more hours to get here....

Tears slowly fell down her cheeks as she watched the TV and prepared another cup for herself. She should make two other cups, so that they would have some when they got there. Yes, that would be good.

Numbuh One

He didn't want to go home, Holidays were never fun with his parents. What with the continued arguing and the occasional drunken fights. But he wouldn't tell anyone about that, least of all Three who was too innocent to taint with the horrors of his life.

He could rival Stephan King with some of the things he's seen- granted most of them were from behind the couch. But the point was, that he didn't want his teammates knowing about the true horrors of life, the actual reason that he joined the Kids Next Door.

But no matter how much he didn't want to go, he knew he'd have to. Once again leaving Three behind, why didn't she leave to go over to her parent's house? He knew they'd be out of town this time of year- they always were according to her, visiting relatives in Montana or some-such thing, but her grandma was still there.

Oh well, they were her affairs, if she wanted him to know, she'd tell him. Sometimes he thought she was the only one who knew how to stay out of other people's business. Five had repeatedly questioned him when he came back last Christmas with a black eye. After much persuading, he had finally convinced her that him and his dad had been playing in the snow, and his dad had accidentally thrown a miss-aimed snowball. Well, it was kind of true, in a way.

Well, here comes Three, he had better start acting like the well-composed leader everyone expected him to be.

"Hello Numbuh Three, to what do I owe your presence?" he asked her in a hoarse voice, wincing slightly at the sound, and being very glad that nothing could be seen behind his sunglasses. Three just looked at him funny, he sighed, supposing that she didn't understand what he had just said. He opened his mouth to try again when Three cut him off.

"Oh stop this crap One, it's just me and you, stop pretending. I'm tired of the constant pretending." One was stumped. How had she known he was pretending? Not even Five, the stealth agent, had known that he was pretending.

"That's not what I came here for though, I actually came to say thanks for the candle, I'm surprised you remembered," Three was looking at him in a way that couldn't keep him from smiling sheepishly. It wasn't that he liked her, Four would probably kill him if he did, it was just that, well, she had that effect on people.

"Well... erm... yes.... Are you going to light it tonight?" He asked, trying to hide the blush that he was sure was beginning to form. She laughed slightly, tactfully ignoring his embarrassment.

"Yea, I plan on it." Her cat gave a large yowl, and looked up at her with hungry eyes. "Well, I need to feed this little runt, I'll see you later I guess...?" She walked away from him carrying the black fluff in her arms. He waved to her back, and scuttled to his room and collect his things. If he was to go home, he'd have to bring the necessary provisions.

Closing the door behind him, he sighed and then gathered his belongings. Half-way through, he began thinking back to the candle. He really didn't know quite why it was a dragon, but he found the thought of lighting a candle neat, in a sadistic way. She had told him the first year that he found out she lit one every year just before Christmas that it was to signal to her dead relatives where she was.

She believed firmly that her deceased relatives, of whom she had never spoken about, were looking down on her, and would worry if they couldn't see her. So she lit a candle to let them know that she was fine.

Picking up his bag he began the decent of the ladder and the short track to his house.

When One left, Three silently slipped out of the tree house as well, she had this feeling that she needed to check on Numbuh Four. There was just something off... The little cat managed to follow her somehow, and she didn't question it's reasoning in coming. She was just happy for the company.

Four

The blood ran down his back as the small holes re-opened with yet another hit with the cleats. He didn't cry out, that would get her hurt as well.

Soon enough it would all be over, everything would be fine. He'd get bored, and then move on to the television, or perhaps another beer. It didn't matter, as long as he moved on.

"You filthy little ass! That meeting was very important to me! He asked a simple question: do you and your dad come here often? And what did you answer?! Hi, my name's Wallabee Beatles," another hit with the shoes. He had long since gotten over using the whip. To this day he still didn't know how his dad had gotten hold of it.

And oh how it had been all he could do from screaming out at the yogurt shop, 'my dad hates me, and when I get home I'm going to go through Hell!' but he hadn't. He had followed his dad's orders. But he supposed that he would go through Hell either way. So he might as well make it comical, right?

And there was the freedom. He had finally gotten bored. Finally. It didn't matter really, now did it? As long as she was safe, that's all he cared about. It was his personal chant, 'every hit I take ensures that she will feel one less, she is safe, my pain ensures her happiness, she is safe.'

And then the worst thing imaginable happened.

His dad had taken in four beers within the last half an hour already, so it was not surprise that he was already halfway drunk. Sober enough to know what he was doing, but drunk enough to not really care.

The doorbell had rung, and after checking to make sure his son wasn't visible from the doorway, he answered it. There in front of him was a small child, female obviously, asking him if she could see Wallabee.

He recognized her at once, how could he not? So smiling politely, he nodded and told her that he was in the kitchen. She smiled thankfully, and hopped off into the said room. The door shut and locked with a soft 'click.' The lock was above her head, so there was no way she could get out....

Five

Screw them, they're not coming. There's no way they'll come. They had forgotten her, again.

Well then she'd just forget them. She thought to herself. She's go over to One's house, she was sure that he'd welcome her there.

So she grabbed her bag, and prepared herself to leave behind this evil house forever, there would be no coming back at all.

The door opened slowly, and there in the doorway stood her best friend, Nigel, with a giant bruise on his cheek and tears streaming down his face.

She gasped, dropping her bag she ran over to him. The door shut quietly behind him, and she whisked him into the living room.

"Numbuh One.... Nigel, what happened?" came her shaky voice, she didn't think it was hers at first. But there was no time to ponder on whom had asked the question, it was out, and that's all that mattered.

One took in a shaky breath, and looked at her with what could only be labeled as turmoil and indecision. He didn't want to tell her now that he was here. It had seemed like a good idea when he left the house, but he didn't want to now.

Sooner or later the question would get asked again through, so sooner or later he would have to answer. He wanted it to be later.

So instead of answering his best friend's question, he leaned into her neck and clutched onto the back of her shirt for dear life, letting the silent tears fall down his face.

Two

She woke up! She woke up! He couldn't believe it! This was the best Christmas ever! She woke up!

Tommy was currently curled up into a ball on the bed next to her, and his dad was fast asleep in the chair closest to her.

Two was the only one that wasn't able to sleep, he was bouncing off the walls with joy, the adrenaline rush of seeing his mom wake up not fully leaving him yet.

That changed when he saw an old woman being carted down the hallway at break-neck speed. He heard snippets of what was happening, and from the gist of things the lady was going into surgery that would last all night.

But... Wasn't that Three's grandma?

Three

She had heard the door shut behind her, and a shiver of fear went down her spine. But she was just being silly; after all, who would keep the door open in this weather?

She turned the corner to where the kitchen was, and let out a gasp of horror.

"Wallabee!!" She screamed, noticing the blood oozing off his back and onto the dirty floor. He looked up at her, and through the pain she saw worry. Not really caring why he was worried she moved closer to him, and looked around the room for something to place over his wounds. There was nothing, she took off her sweater, and placed it over his back.

Underneath her sweater she was wearing a black tank top. Why she was wearing a tank top was a complete mystery, but she was.

She began pressing down firmly on his book, trying to ignore the grunts of pain coming from him. This was the only way to stop the bleeding. He had already lost too much blood.

"Kuki, you need... to leave....not... safe...." He managed to choke out.

"Shhh... I'm not going anywhere without you." She replied to him, trying to calm him down.

"Aww, 'n' that ssshweet? I can ssssee why you liiiike her Wallace." Came a slurred voice from behind her, blocking off the only exit from the kitchen. There were no windows.

Wallabee managed to sit up, much to Kuki's protests. "Leave... her alone! I did what you... asked..." He was wheezing for breath, but still managed to move in front of her. She continued applying pressure to his back as if nothing was happening in the entire world.

"I see no reason to. After all, you've disobeyed direct orders, and I feel that you must pay. Now step aside son, before I make you." There was no slur this time, and a steel cold glint shined in the man's eyes. This time Kuki did respond, she backed as far away as she could, until she ran into a wall. Wallabee still didn't move.

"Damnit boy!" the older man backhanded his son, and then stepped over him. "For that I will be justified." He picked up the girl by her hair, and drug her along the floor, screaming the whole time.

One/Five

"....and then, he hit me." One was still crying into Five's shirt. He was ashamed of his tears, but he had held them in for far too long, and he didn't think he could hold them in for much longer.

"One, yo should have told me sooner," Fine didn't know what to say, she had a feeling something was wrong with him, but the stubborn leader had refused to let her know. Now she knew, and not only did she know that he didn't deserve whatever it was his parents had done or told to him, but she also knew that she had to get him away from there.

"Come on One, we need to go to the tree house, you'll be safe there, I promise..." She quietly said, leading her best friend towards their sanctuary.

I don't want to be the one

Who battles always choose

Cuz inside I realize

That I'm the one confused

I don't know what's worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream

I don't know why I instigate

And say what I don't mean

I don't know how I got this way

I'll never be alright

So I'm breaking the habit

I'm breaking the habit tonight

Ok, that was the re-make of chapter three, I didn't like the first one. And to end any confused people, the tree house in this story isn't in any way connected to Numbuh One's house, it's just there standing on its own.