Three

Nigel's birthday came and went.

Nothing happened except for the fact that he moved away excatly two days later. Hoagie found out from a source that his father got a transfer back to England. They couldn't figure out if it had been planned or not.

Abby honestly didn't know if it mattered either.

She had run into him the day before he moved and he hadn't given any recognition that he knew her or that they had known each other for years so Abby knew he had been decommissioned.

Which was something that honestly surprised her. She had always thought that out of all the members of her sector he would be the first one on the Teens Next Door list. But obviously he hadn't and she didn't know what to think about it.

Conversations with both Wally and Hoagie brought up that they had thought the same thing. It was admittedly a little suspicious but she couldn't figure it out. Finally she put it down to the fact that Moon base probably needed Sector V's location and that was why they kept the tree and basically kicked Nigel Uno out of it.

"Abigail some kid is here to see you," Cree called up the stairs. She looked confused for a few moments. Some kid? Who on earth would it be? She could only think of two people it could possibly be and one of them wouldn't even count.

She couldn't hide the shock on her face as she spotted Numbuh Three looking well rather worn and she actually couldn't really blame her. Watching all their friends go through decommissioning and then not knowing that three of them actually remembered… well it had to be tough.

"Can Abby help you?" She finally said and Numbuh Three gave Abby a small smile.

"You don't remember me but I was told to give you this by an old friend." Abby forced herself to narrow her eyes at Numbuh Three even though she knew that Nigel had probably asked her.

"Why should Abby trust ya," She asked holding everything back. She knew what she wanted to but she also knew that she couldn't. She had to be like this for the next few months at least.

"Because you used to," Numbuh Three said simply although Abby thought that it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than her. Abby watched as she turned and left.

"She still does Numbuh Three." Abby couldn't help but whisper. She looked at her sister who was looking at her oddly, "what?"

"Nothing. Ya going to stand there all day or what?" This time Abby really did narrow her eyes.

"I would be if you don't move out of the way, Cree," She nearly growled out the hostile she had held back the last few months nearly showing. This was Cree's fault after all. Cree and all the teenagers that had turned traitor on them. That was why they decommissioned teens at thirteen. That was why she had to pretend around others.

She pushed past Cree and went straight for the phone. If Numbuh Three was delivering Nigel's gifts she was going to end up giving one to everyone so she had to warn them.

Wally in particular had to know.

Although he had tried to pretend hard she and Hoagie both knew that he still hadn't gotten over whatever Numbuh Three had said or done before his decommission. She still spotted him from time to time look out the window wistfully thinking about her.

She rang Hoagie first though knowing that he would see her first and she'd rang him just in time halfway through their conversation he spotted Numbuh Three walking up his street.

However curiosity had gotten the better of her and she finally decided to open the package first and then she stared at it. The necklace had an engraved 5 on it. On the back it said 'in case you forget'

She wondered what everyone was thinking about the necklaces and whether or not Hoagie or Wally would actually end up wearing them. She had a feeling they would just for 'old times sake' or something like that but she knew that inwardly they'd wear it because it was for their leader. Who for some strange reason wasn't good enough for the Teens Next Door.

She put the necklace on with a small smile. She'd always remember she knew that. But her Numbuh was part of the past and she hoped that Nigel before getting decommissioned understood that.

Then staring at the phone she gasped remembering that she still hadn't called Wally to warn him. However after four rings he picked up his phone dully.

"Who ever it is bugger off." With that Abby knew she had been too late.

"She's all ready been hasn't she?" It wasn't a question it was more of a statement.

"How could you ever of guessed?" Wally didn't even ask how she had known but then again she figured he had already figured it out, "why'd she have to do this Abby? Why now? When I thought I was just getting…" He trailed off and Abby wasn't too sure if he wanted an answer or not. However after a few seconds she finally replied.

"She was doing a favor to Nigel, Wally. You know that as well as I do, she probably wouldn't have even done it if he hadn't asked. I don't know about you but she was incredibly nervous when she gave me mine." It was quiet over the line for a while and Abby didn't know whether he had gone or not.

"I guess she was nervous," Wally admitted reluctantly. Over the phone he sighed. Abby had no idea what he was thinking nor was she sure that she wanted to know. She knew that it had to be about Numbuh Three but that was it.

"You want me to get Maurice to lay off the missions for a while?" Abby questioned. She knew that he'd say no but she put the offer out for him.

"No." He said firmly and Abby absentmindedly nodded her head, "I better go Ab, I'll see ya at school tomorrow alright?"

"Unless a mission comes up sooner, you know." Abby said with a smile.

"You know it."

She hung up the phone and put it back outside where she found Cree waiting outside her door. Her eyes narrowed at Cree.

"How long have you been here Cree?" She asked forcing herself to sound slightly grumpy but pleasant at the same time- not an easy task.

"Just came to see if you where finished with the phone Crabagial. But out of curiosity… does the Numbuh Eleven mean anything to you?" Abby knew it was a test she just couldn't figure out why she was testing her after all this time.

"I'd thought you had dropped all this Numbuh stuff Cree. It's Number, or can't you spell?" She retorted handing over the phone and then going back inside her room.

She needed time to think. Unfortunately, she didn't have the time. Her communicator started going off almost instantly. She wondered what was going on.

"Talk to me," She listened with detail. She was going on a solo mission to track Cree for a couple of days. It was something she was never comfortable doing because if Cree found out the truth…

Well it was a battle that Abby wasn't looking forward to battling.

It had to be done though it was what she had signed up for when she had joined the Teens Next Door. She had known it was liable to happen being that she was related to one of the known teen ninja's.

She had actually been surprised she hadn't been asked to try and join Father and get information from the inside. But perhaps they already had operatives doing that.

She already had a tracker on Cree's phone and a few days ago Hoagie had managed to put a small camera in Cree's bag so they could try and see what was going on that way. (and not for other uses as Abby had warned Hoagie.)

However following Cree was the hard part. After doing this for a number of years Cree had managed to be one of the best sleuths around. Abby always seemed to loose her at least a few times in the mission.

This one was like no other. She'd kept quiet about it leaving the house a few minutes after Cree had just to give her a head start. She smiled wearily at herself. Thankfully though with Hoagie's help they had managed to build an armor/disguise system much like BRA's though it was through a bracelet (or a watch for males.)

She smiled to herself once again reminded how much the teens next door actually needed some of the kids from the KND it was so different though. Her eyes narrowed however when Cree turned into Gallagar elementary. What was going on?

Why would her sister be so interested in Gallagar Elementary? It seemed odd for a moment. She hid in the background as she watched her sister meet up with somebody hidden in the shadows.

"You sure you want to do this kid?" Cree asked and obviously gave the right answer as Cree continued without blinking, "then on her birthday I want you to rig it so she has a plausible way of escape alright?"

"Alright I know this already Cree," Abby raised an eyebrow at the voice. It sounded like but it couldn't be… could it?

Because that voice sounded an awful like Numbuh Three Hundred and Sixty Two, which would mean that Numbuh Three Hundred and Sixty Two was about to become another traitor and going to make another operative a traitor in the process.

But who could that be? All Abby knew was that it was a girl. Which eliminated half of the twelve-year-old kids next door operatives. But that still left the remaining half. She had to find out more.

"Alright so you know her scheduled decommissioning takes place in two weeks time right?"

"Yeah Cree." Numbuh Three Hundred and Sixty Two sounded impatient, "we've done this before. We can get her on your side."

"It's not that kid. You know that if they find out about this they're going to try and get her back and depending on how much backbone she's grown over the last year, she could give in quiet easily."

"You've convinced harder people before, Cree" Numbuh Three Hundred and Sixty Two pointed out, "You convinced Numbuh Eighty Six for Christ sake."

"That's because she finally had to actually think about decommissioning herself. Something that not any operative would want to do." Cree retorted, "the one we're conceiving has watched all her friends get decommissioned. Being the only one who will remember would have to be hard."

Abby drew in a breath. She needed to check the date of her birthday but if it sounded like who she thought it sounded like then they needed to do something fast.

She snuck out quickly and quietly and pulled out her communicator in record timing. She then punched in the code to contact Hoagie because she knew she needed to talk to him first.

"Abs what's up?" Hoagie questioned looking confused and Abby personally couldn't blame him. She gave him a wry smile.

"Numbuh Three… when's her birthday?" She said instantly and if possible Hoagie grew even more confused.

"In two weeks time. Why?"

"Then it is her," she said more to herself than to Hoagie, "why do they want her then?"

"Abby, what's going on?" Hoagie spoke up bringing Abby back to the conversation. She sighed and started to explain with Hoagie's eyes growing every second.

"And that's why I contacted you." She finished up. Hoagie was silent for a few moments.

"So you think Cree's going to want to go after Numbuh Three?" She nodded, "but that doesn't make any sense why didn't she go after Nigel or you?" this time she shook her head.

"I don't know. That's what I can't figure out." She said honestly. Hoagie's eyes then widened again.

"What are we going to tell Wally?"

Transmission Interrupted.