"And I swear I will never rest until I find the source of the teens' pox and totally, utterly, completely destroy it!"
Cree gazed starry-eyed at Maurice. He looked so handsome, standing tall on his bed in his pajamas. She was so focused on admiring him that she had stopped listening to his words.
The next day she was shocked to see him packed up. His room in Sector V's Treehouse was empty.
"Numbuh Nine? What are you doing? Where's all your stuff?"
He smiled at her. "Goodbye, Numbuh Eleven. It was an honor fighting adult tyranny beside you. You're the best Sector leader out there, continue to fight the good fight."
"What? Goodb--? Where are you going?"
"To find the teen's source of chicken pox," he replied, looking slightly offended. "Like I said yesterday."
"But—but you don't have to leave to do that. We can all search for it together."
He shook his head. "This is something I have to do alone. I already asked Numbuh 100, he's given me clearance for this mission."
"But…no, you can't leave. We need you here in Sector V. We've already lost Numbuhs Eight A and Eight B."
"They'll assign new operatives to this Sector. And under your leadership, I'm sure you'll have another awesome team in no time." He saluted her then held out his hand to shake hers.
Cree grasped it with both of hers. "No, don't go. Numbuh—Maurice, stay here…with me. I don't want you to go. Please, stay."
He smiled that distant smile of his, and she knew she was going to lose him.
Suddenly the scene changed. Everything faded to black and Maurice—was it still him?—was ahead of her, leaving.
"Wait!" she called, starting after him. But he was too fast; she soon lost him in the blackness. "Don't go!" she shouted, but it was no use. She still ran, chasing after something she had already lost.
But then a hand reached out from behind and took hers. It was comforting. Who…?
---
"Cree? Cree, wake up, you're dreaming."
She opened her eyes to find herself on the couch in her living room.
"Are you okay?"
She looked up to see the face of her boyfriend peering down at her, and she suddenly remembered that she had been watching TV with him on the couch. She had rested her head on his lap and fallen asleep. It was just a dream, and Maurice was here with her now, and he wouldn't leave. She sat up and held him tight.
"I'm okay. It was just a dream."
"Seemed like a nightmare."
She nodded. "It was about when you left Sector—" she cut herself off. Maurice had been decommissioned, he didn't remember his days as a member of Sector V. Sometimes she wished he remembered; there were so many things they experienced together that she now had to pretend had never happened. She had to rephrase herself. "I dreamt I was losing you." It was true enough.
He was silent.
"Tell me I won't lose you."
---
Maurice sat on the couch. Her head was resting in his lap. It was hard deciding what to do with his hands; he didn't want to touch her more than was necessary. He settled on positioning one on the armrest, and hooking his other arm over the back of the couch.
When he heard the front door open he knew who it would be even before he turned. But he turned anyways.
"Hi, Abby."
"Hi, Maurice."
She was looking at Cree, her head nestled in his lap. It was always so hard to read what Abby was thinking. He looked down at Cree as well. She seemed sound asleep.
"Abby," he said quietly. "I need to talk to you."
She was still gazing at her sister. Cree suddenly stirred and then made a small sound like a whimper.
Maurice stared down at her. Would she always be an obstacle in his way?
"Stop. Don't," Cree talked in her sleep, beginning to thrash slightly.
"You should wake her," Abby told him as Cree murmured, "Stay…don't go." Then she turned away and walked up the stairs.
Maurice watched her leave and sighed before he nudging her sister. "Cree? Cree, wake up, you're dreaming." He reached out and shook her gingerly.
Her eyes opened and she stared around the room.
"Are you okay?"
For a moment she just stared at him, but then she sat up suddenly and entwined her arms around him. "I'm okay. It was just a dream."
"Seemed like a nightmare."
"It was about when you left Sector—"
She stopped and he knew why. She was remembering when he left Sector V. He thought of their last conversation with each other as KND operatives. It seemed so long ago. It was long ago. But he remembered. And looking back now, he realized what he didn't realize then—that even then she cared about him in a way he never did about her.
It was hard pretending not to remember all the times they shared together in Sector V. Things were so much easier back then. Why did life always have to become more complicated?
"I dreamt I was losing you."
He didn't know what to say.
"Tell me I won't lose you."
He wondered sometimes whether this would all be easier if he had the same feelings for her that she had for him. Maybe then holding her close and kissing her wouldn't feel so…demoralizing. Now, every time he looked at her, he was looking straight through her to a place he'd rather be. What did she see when she looked at him? Her loving boyfriend? Could she possibly be that blind?
She was looking at him now with that unseeing gaze. What do you want from me? Another lie? You want me to tell you that you won't lose me? How can you lose something you never had in the first place?
But aloud he said, "You won't."
---
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author's notes: Cree/Maurice. ah, the dysfunctionality. and another Chadless chapter. shock! and stuff.