Chapter 3: A Quiet Meal

Yet that warm, bright sun still felt its as it spilled through the pane glass windows belonging to the McKenzie manor, illuminating corners and spaces once shrouded in darkness for hours on end. Yet even as such glorious rays bathed the beautifully built mansion, it only seemed a hinderence rather than a blessing for exhausted looking Rachel as she made her way down the red-velveted staircase. She groaned, even shied away from such bright rays dancing upon her face even while rubbing some sleep from her chocolate eyes, a small yet subtle yawn even managed to escape her mouth.

"So lets' see; we've had very few if any hazardous catastrophes these past few days, and very little adult activity, which means that our only major concern for today is ensuring our lunch rations arrive as scheduled...", Rachel though to herself in a calm yet calculative manner.

"Yet even with that being the case...how is it that I still get stuck with paperwork on a slow workday", the young girl asked herself, though much more irritated than her previous thoughts despite the small sigh that escaped her mouth.

"Oh well...maybe I'll have some time to work on my Dr. Time Space fan fiction sometime today", she thought, the very notion enough to lighten her previous irritable thoughts as she made her way into the kitchen.

Yet only surprise seemed evident upon her face as walked in upon an unusual sight; it was her brother Harvey, snoring rather loudly as he slept at the table, his head tucked between his crossed arms. Why it was a sight so heart warming it could only bring a small smile to her soft face, not that it ceased the small yet noticeable grin which grazed her face soon after. Slowly she crept towards her sleeping sibling, bending down to his ear before uttering the words "cookie crisp" into his ear. Sure enough, it was all it took for him to awaken from his slumber in startled yet expected panic.

"Who! What! When! Where! Why!", the startled Harvey asked before calming down, only to turn as the sight of his devious looking sister came into his view.

"Good morning Harvey", she replied in a playful, only further her brother's confusion as she gave him a small wave hello.

"Rachel? What-", he began to ask, only a scowl to permeate his face the instant he understood what was going on. " Hey, no fair! You just walk in here, startle me awake and laugh at my expense!"

"You're point being", the young blonde asked her brother, a blunt yet joyful sarcastic tone clear in her voice as she took her seat beside the upset looking chestnut boy.

"Well no offence, but that's suppose to be my job", the buck-toothed boy angrily said to his smirking sister.

""Really? So I shouldn't have been a considerate sister is what you're implying", she asked, still sounding somewhat sarcastic even as she watched her brother's temper cool to usual levels.

"Well, you already fill two nagging positions, three would just make you a banshee", Harvey replied in a more cocky yet bratty demeanour, finally managing to crack the devious smile upon his sister's face as it transformed into an angered, almost insulted looking expression.

"Well, keep talking that way and I'll be sure to live up to such claims by cutting your Sector's mission roster by 80% for the remainder of the week", Rachel said in a more stern tone, her words enough to make her little brother cringe in fear at the very thought.

"Ah...right...", the buck-toothed brat replied, a nervous chuckle enough to escape his throat before clearing it momentarily. "So...what's for breakfast?"

"You're in luck; today, Helga's informed me that we'll be having small fruit bowls, topped with a side of bacon and some chocolate milk to wash it down", the young girl calmly explained, even as she watched her brother's excited look fade into a disappointed looking one.

"You're joking?...Whatever happened to Cookie Crisp", he asked, disappointment clear in his tone.

"Unfortunately Harvey, even loyal operatives need to intake healthier food every once in awhile", the young blonde

calmly yet maturely explained to her little brother, not that it did anything to wipe the scowl permeating his freckled face.

"Oh come on; you can't say that and still call yourself Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door", he complained towards his calm looking sister.

"Well, yes, but with your track record, someone needs to provide the role of mother figure in Helga's absence", she calmly retorted, and just in time to as their stern yet loving maid Helga made her way towards the table, breakfast plates in toe.

"Your sister has a point you know", replied Helga, her tone stern yet commanding as she put their food in place of their respective views.

"Nobody asked you Helga", Harvey commented in a mocking tone.

"Grin and bear it then", the stern maid proclaimed, frightening the bucked-toothed boy momentarily before leaving him and his elder sibling to eat in silence.

Yet silence could only permeate a room for so long as Harvey sat there, his brown eyes spoke of boredom as he eyed the grape rolling back and forth from underneath his fork. Slowly, he eyed his elder sister; she ate in quiet simplicity whilst eating her piece of cantaloupe, seemingly enjoying her meal where he did not. Yet not for much longer before he finally opened his mouth to speak once more.

"So...speaking of missions, is there anything big Sector W can handle today? I'd rather not go through boring paperwork again for a whole day", he asked, catching the attention of his sister as he did so.

"I can't say for certain Harvey; we've had a huge decrease in villain activity these past few days, but I presume that those percentages will increase once today passes", Rachel calmly explained to him while she took a sip of her chocolate milk.

"What? Why would-", Harvey asked in confusion, only to feel his face turn into disbelief upon digging up his own answer.

"Oh yeah, today's the big day, huh", he asked in an annoyed tone of disbelief. The roll of his brown eyes enough to anger his elder sister.

"Harvey, try and at least be more considerate; it's going to be more difficult for some than others", the young blonde tried to explain, her stern tone unable to mask her anger towards her brother's previous words.

"I know that, I just don't get why everyone's holding onto it...You'd think people would just want to forget and move on", he explained, unbeknownst to him however, it seemed as though his words had hit his sister like freight train as her chocolate eyes lowered in sadness.

"Yeah...", was all she could muster, her tone low, almost regretful as she stared at her saddened expression reflected in the milk.

Yet such a moment did not go unnoticed by her buck-toothed brother as it painted a look of concern upon his freckled face, yet was seemingly stopped by the chiming of the grandfather clock before he could speak a word.

"Oh, look at the time; I should probably get going or else I'll miss the next shuttle to Global Command", Rachel said, her attitude and expression much more calm and cheerful than it had been several seconds before as her concerned brother mentally noted.

"You sure you're okay sis", he asked rather affectionately, even as concern ran through it as well.

" Oh yeah, don't worry about it. I'll see you later", she cheerfully remarked before quietly leaving the room, much to the dismay and concern of the little buck-toothed brat as he went to get out of his chair.

"You leave that chair, you get a one-way ticket to bed with no supper", replied the stern Helga, angered the young boy as he gave a brat huff before taking his place back in his seat.

End chap.3