author's notes: once again i've taken too long to update. sorry about that, i'll try to do better next time!

---
---

It became increasingly apparent as the meeting went on that Cree called it simply as an excuse to hang out in the back yard in lawn chairs. Or rather, Cree, Abby, and Maurice each had lawn chairs; Chad was left with a regular chair from the kitchen because there were only three. There were probably better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon, but Cree didn't seem to be aware of it. At least this time she provided sodas.

"…and the only other idea I have is to steal the Delightful Children's cake from them before the KND get to it. Which would be funny in theory, but is probably more trouble than it's worth. Plus I can never remember when the next birthday is." She dropped her notes on the grass and stretched.

"So does this mean the meeting's over?" Maurice asked.

"Um…unless you guys have anything else to add?" Cree looked at her boyfriend, who avoided her eyes. She then turned to Abby, but remembering the last mission upon seeing her sister's uncomfortable expression, focused quickly on Chad. "Anything?" she asked.

"We can make them all sit in your backyard in a regular chair instead of a lawn chair," he deadpanned.

Cree made a face at him. "It's your own fault for getting here late. What's the matter, did all the mayo and bologna slow you down?"

"Not at all. I was attacked by rabid squirrels on the way over." In truth he had been attacked by none other than Numbuh 86, who was attempting once again to capture and decommission him. Chad had been in a rather inane mood at the time, and asked her about "that girly Nineteenth Century guy," which turned out to be a mistake. Chad discovered (though he should have already known) that Fanny was even more vicious when teased about her love life. And after that encounter, Chad had to go home to change because he was covered in mustard.

That Chad reeked of the substance that Cree had found on her shirt made Abby very aggravated.

"So any serious ideas?" Cree prodded.

Chad pondered. "Releasing all the prisoners from the Antarctic Base?"

"That's so been done before."

"Then I don't know; let's just give them wedgies and take their pocket money."

Cree laughed. "Okay, I guess this is a waste of time. Meeting's adjourned. But let's have another one same time next week."

Abby quickly stood and without a word to anyone, entered the house. Maurice also stood and lingered a moment. Cree, however, just stretched and settled back in her chair.

"Um…" mumbled Maurice. "See you."

"Okay, later, Honey," she replied as she leaned back, closing her eyes.

Chad watched as Maurice left and then focused back on Cree. He wondered if he should feel guilty for enjoying their apparent lack of affection. He stood and walked over to the lawn chair that Abby had just vacated, the one closest to Cree's.

"This seat taken?"

She opened her eyes. "What are you still doing here?"

"I just wanted to see what I was missing," he said, sitting down

"You still stink of mustard; did you shower in it or something?"

"Pretty close." He frowned at the chair he was now sitting in. "These chairs are really uncomfortable. I think I was better off with the kitchen one."

"Well you're not supposed to sit bolt-upright in them. These chairs are meant for lounging."

And lounge she did, in her skimpy tank top and short cut-offs.

Chad peered over at her. This chair sucks, but it's got a great view.

---

Abby was heading up the stairs when the doorbell rang. She hesitated a moment before descending to answer it. She opened the door to see Maurice.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you out there with Cree?" She asked the question in an even, detached voice, as if she were saying "How do you do?" to a relative stranger. It was unexpectedly easy.

"I wanted to talk to you."

Abby stood in the doorway and regarded him, not letting him in, not turning him away. She was proud and rather surprised at how well she was able to keep her emotions in check.

Maurice wasn't faring nearly as well. He was visibly agitated.

"What do you want to talk about?" Again she was polite, aloof.

"I—I wanted to apologize…for the other day. I didn't mean to—I should have trusted you."

Abby frowned slightly, remembering the pain of that day. But immediately she returned to a neutral expression. "You already apologized for that." She met his eyes with an even gaze and he couldn't keep eye contact with her for long. He was sweating from the strain of the conversation; Abby wondered how long he would last.

"I know…but…."

"You want me to forgive you," she completed the sentence he didn't have the courage to utter. It was a large request. For all her outward impassiveness, she was still angry, and more than that, hurt. How could he not trust me? How could he think that I would betray the Kids Next Door? But then she wondered how much of the blame was her own. I should have talked to him. I should have let him know what my plans were. It's just that talking to him lately was so difficult. She didn't know how to act; she didn't know how to feel. She wished she could be friends with him again. She wished…she wished she knew what she wished from him. Sometimes she just wanted him to leave her alone. But other times….

"No, it's not that," Maurice said, and Abby suddenly remembered they were having a conversation. She quickly reset her poker face.

"I mean—" he continued, "of course I want you to forgive me. But I can't just come up to you and ask you to forgive me. I…have to earn it. And I hope you'll give me a chance to."

It was Abby's turn to break eye contact as she scrambled internally to try to make sense of her feelings. Why was she both happy and angry to hear those words?

"You don't have to say anything," Maurice said quietly, which was good, as Abby had no idea what to say. "And…there's something else…I should say…" he spoke reluctantly. "About you and…Chad."

Abby's eyes darted up to his face to find he was no longer looking at her.

"…I want you to know…though I guess it doesn't matter what I think…but…if he makes you happy, then I'm glad for you. I'm sorry I was so hard on you about your relationship with him."

Abby had to stifle a groan. Again with the misunderstandings. Just as she was trying to decide whether or not to tell him the truth, she heard some commotion coming from the kitchen.

"You'd better go," she said, closing the door just in time as Cree and Chad entered the living room.

"…chair tried to eat me!" Abby heard Chad exclaim as he pushed through the door.

"It's just a scratch." She headed towards the bathroom and then emerged with an alcohol wipe.

"I'm missing most of the skin off my left arm!"

"Quit whining; you're not even bleeding." She handed him the wipe when she noticed Abby with her hand on the front door. "Was someone at the door?"

"No. I was just going to go out. What happened?" she asked, though in truth wasn't all that interested.

"Cree failed to warn me that those lawn chairs are actually death traps," Chad griped as he gingerly dabbed at his wound.

"Oh, please." Cree rolled her eyes. "It's just a little scrape. Look at this, Abby, and tell Chad he's being a baby." She grabbed his arm to display the injury.

"Ow! Leggo!" Chad protested and yanked his arm away.

Abby really wasn't in the mood to watch their antics. "I'm running late, so…." She turned the doorknob.

As Abby headed out the door, she heard Chad say behind her, "I should get going, too, before you set more lawn furniture on me."

Idiot, Abby thought, leaving together is just as bad as arriving together. Abby grumbled, knowing what would come next.

"Oh…? Oh, right," Cree said, at first surprised but then with a knowing tone. "Have fun, guys."

Abby couldn't help but glower at Chad, who stared back at her with innocent confusion.

"Hold on," Cree called after them, causing them both to turn.

She pulled her little sister aside. "You're going to wear that on your date?" she asked with some disapproval.

It was too much. She couldn't take it anymore. "That's it!" Abby roared, slamming the door shut. Both Cree and Chad jumped.

"This has gone on for too long now!" she yelled. "Would you stop it already with the teasing and the innuendo? I'm sick of it! Chad and I are not dating; do you hear me? Not dating!"

The other two were looking at her with stunned expressions. Cree recovered first.

"Abby," she said in a low voice, "it's one thing to say that when Chad's not around, but right in front of him? That's just…that's just cruel."

Abby sputtered briefly, glaring at her sister in rage before turning on Chad. "You!" she shouted and he flinched. "You tell her right now! Right now!"

Chad gaped at her with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. "T-tell her what?"

"Tell her the truth! Tell her what you should have told her ages ago! Tell her—"

"Tell me what?" asked Cree, approaching the other two with curiosity.

Chad shrunk away from the two Lincoln sisters as they converged on him, one with fury, the other with interest.

"I…I…don't know what…. I…there's nothing to--"

Cree frowned and turned to Abby. "He's just babbling now. What is your boyfriend trying to say?"

Abby groaned in frustration, but Chad seemed to suddenly snap to attention.

"What?" he asked. "What did you--? Did you call me her boyfriend?"

"Yeah. I mean…aren't you?"

"No," he replied, appearing rather troubled at the misunderstanding. "No, Abby and I aren't dating at all."

Cree stared at him quizzically. "Really?"

"No, no, we're just friends."

Cree continued to stare. "Oh…. I…I thought…." Her expression softened as she broke into laughter. "I thought you were dating. All this time. I thought…"

They had started talking over each other, saying, "Why would you think that?" and "I don't know, you just seemed so close all of a sudden," and "That actually explains a lot, sometimes you said things that didn't make any sense," and "I'm sorry, you must have been so confused…."

"Wait a second, wait a second," Abby interrupted. "How come I tell you eleventy billion times that Chad and I aren't dating and you don't believe me, and then Chad says it once, and all of a sudden you do?"

Cree laughed, somewhat embarrassedly. "I…I don't know. I guess it's because…I know Chad. I know he's a lousy liar." She grinned at him with a rather superior air. "I know he couldn't keep any secrets from me."

She didn't make anything of the befuddled expressions on the other two's faces.