Chapter 6: They Say that Friendship Resides in a Closet

Only 10:30 in morning, yet by now, today's sun shawn bright with optimism. It was was an optimism which permeated the skyline, illuminating not just the magnificent tree house in its path, but even the sleepy neighbourhood of Ebeneezer Way. Truthfully, it was a beautiful sight to behold. And yet, such beauty seemed all too familiar to the little Irish redhead known as Fanny. Unfortunately, such beauty proved not enough to wipe the scowl settled into her freckled face even as landed her vehicle upon the docking bay. Yet that scowl could only deepen the instant she hopped out of her vehicle, only to look upon her destination; the Sector V tree house. A great, deep disappointment could only shine within her emerald eyes before she let out an aggravated sigh; clearly, she was not looking forward to this, even as she made her way towards the front door.

Quick was she to arrive to the front door, even quick was she to ring the admittedly annoying bell chime Hoagie had installed just recently. Yet clearly what needed work was her patience. It started out simple; she crossed her arms and began to tap her booted foot, wandering into the depths of her mind as she took to the waiting game. And yet two minutes had turned into five, and eventually five minutes became ten. And unfortunately for the poor souls still left in that tree house, it appeared as though her patience had warn thin the instant her impatient expression mutated into one of pure anger.

"Alright, that's it", Fanny shrieked as she forcibly slammed the front door to the tree house open.

"HOAGIE GILLIGAN, you better-", she began, and yet no one answer. In fact, the only thing she could muster was but blank stare at the unusually quiet atmosphere surrounding the area.

"Gilligan?...Gilligan", she screamed at the top of her lungs.

And yet, no answer did she receive but the sound of her own voice shrieking upon reverberation. Regardless she made her way through the empty tree house, yet it was clear that her freckled face indicated a sense of oddity, almost uncomfortably. The sound of a blowtorch however, caught her attention as she found herself following the sound all the way out into the tree-house hangar. Though once more did a scowl permeate her face as she found herself staring at her target; Hoagie P. Gilligan. Like any mechanic, he found himself smothered in grease stains. He couldn't even call himself safe from food stains as he took a bite of his greasy chilli dog, and though his face slump at the notion of having dropped some chilli on his shirt, it seemed of little inconvenience to him as he lopped up another bite of his food. He seemed happy nonetheless, though it was enough to make the bitchy redhead cringe in disgust even as she approached him from behind.

"Gilligan...", she asked, yet received no answer.

"GILLIGAN", she shrieked this time, her voice enough to surprise the plump pilot before he banged his head upon the vehicle hood. Yet even as he rubbed his sore spot, he was quick to turn and face the banshee he had suspected behind him.

"Oh, hi Numbuh 86", Hoagie said, his tone blunt yet slightly nervous despite the scawf he got from his female superior.

"Typical boy; never even noticin' a woman's presence, unless she's-"

"Hey, you try welding a rusted bolt; it not easy", he replied in a mildly frustrated tone, even as he watched her emerald eyes roll at his words.

"That's what they all say", she replied, her arrogant tone enough to upset the usually easy-going pilot. Yet the uneasy look in her eyes seemed enough to soften his angered expression before clearing his throat.

"So...what brings you here today", Hoagie asked as he approached her, his flirty tone enough to make her groan in irritation. "Oh come one; you can't accuse me of acting more "gentlemanly"."

"I'd rather be "romanced" by that monkey Numbuh 4", she replied.

"Yeah, but he'd probably be escorted to the Happy Hotel before that ever happened", he replied rather cheerfully, even giggling at the prospect despite the irritated look clear upon her freckled face.

"Just take it", Fanny responded, her annoyed tone clear in her voice as she shoved the paperwork into his hands.

"Oh, that paperwork I asked for. Thanks Numbuh 86", he responded with giddy glee.

"Yeah, whatever", she replied rather casually as he turned his back away from her momentarily. "If anythin' ye' should thank Numbuh 362 makin' sure they were sent down here."

"Yeah, but you still delivered them despite how upset you look, so it's only fair that I thank you", the plump pilot responded, his words enough to make the Irish girl's vicious emerald eyes widen in surprise.

"What makes ye' say that", she asked as he turned to face her once more.

"Well, you may not say much, but your eyes sure tell a whole story too-", the chubby pilot began in a suave tone, only to feel undercut by the fiery look emitting in his cohort's eyes.

"Uh...right...", he replied, he even chuckled a little before returning to his work station.

In essence, her mission was now complete. And yet, suspicion seemed to have overcome the Irish redhead as she continued to watch the plump boy go about his business. He seemed so chipper, so happy, so carefree. It was the kind of suspicion to keep her still in place, the type to mold her expression into one of suspicion, even make her raise an eyebrow as she opened her mouth to speak.

"You seem chipper", Fanny said, her tone low yet observant.

"What", Hoagie asked, turning to face a now suspicious looking Fanny this time.

"I mean ye' don't seem affected by what today is", she explained in her observant tone.

"Oh, you mean that! Well, there's not much to be fazed by", he sincerely replied, leaving her still suspicious as he turned his attention to his monkey wrench once more.

"Really? Not even that "closet" incident", she asked in a suspicious tone as he turned to face her once more.

"Well if memory serves, that was your fault", he replied, his tone much more irritated despite the angered look upon his superior's face.

"Oh please, I could've dusted those zombies if YOU hadn't kept on blabberin'", she arrogantly replied, emphasizing the word "you" as if to mock him.

"You were the one positioned with a gun to the door", he replied in a irritated tone.

"And you were the one with your noise hole open; end of discussion", she replied in an arrogant tone, furthering the glare her subordinate gave her before finally waving his hands in defeat.

"Fine; believe what you want to believe. But I can promise you this; the day I find that security tape, you regret the day you spoke those words as I finally get to say "Ha! Ha!", to your face", the plump geek replied, his confidence in such words however seemed not enough to scare the smug looking Fanny.

"Go ahead; maybe that'll be the day I finally admit me' closet obsession with Rainbow Monkeys,and start wearin' me' "I Heart Hoagie" t-shirt around Moon Base", the bitchy redhead replied, her mocking tone enough to satisfy the confident looking boy.

"Fair enough", he replied rather suavely. "But will you also eat 5 dozen chilli cheese dogs? Including a Baker's Dozen!"

"Let's make it 6 dozen", she replied in a smug tone, her answer enough to light up Hoagie's face with delight.

"Good, then it's a bet", he replied with glee, though soon was he to return to bolting a tiny screw in the COOL-BUS.

Yet no sooner had he said such words did silence occur between the two cohorts, a silence which seemed not to affect the still suspicious looking Fanny before she opened her mouth to speak seconds later.

"Well, ye' don't have te' hide how ye' feel fer' my sake", she explained despite continuing to eye him as if he were her prey.

"I'm not hiding how I feel", Hoagie explained.

"Yeah, sure-Wait, what", she asked, surprise clear in her tone as she continually took in his words.

"Everything I said just now is how I feel. I mean yeah, I feel a bit upset that I couldn't manage to help Numbuh 1 or spare you guys, but I've just sort of accepted it as something I did wrong. But I guess that's just kind of who I am. So if people want to be angst y about it, I won't mind, it's just not my thing, you know?"

About now is where he felt comfortable with such words, yet if only he could see the surprised look which seemingly dominated the freckled girl's face currently. Every word she took into account, every breath of tone she understood, at least until she cleared her throat to speak once more.

"Well, it's about time someone agreed with me", said Fanny, her tone a mix of anger and arrogance as she spoke. "Ye' see how everyone talks about it on Global Command, it's like they're afraid of somethin'."

"Sounds to me like they just have a harder time talking about their feelings about it", the plump pilot said in an observant tone, even as she scawfed him once more.

"Now you're soundin' like Rachel, and even she's actin' like a hypocrite", she replied, her tone of disbelief a perfect match for her vicious looking emerald eyes.

"Yeah, but you sound like you're hiding stuff too", he said rather honestly.

And with such simple words did the young Irish girl find her eyes widen with shock, her mind beginning to flash towards past images as she felt herself be overcome with shock. Images of a determined Rachel off to play saviour, images of her guilty conscious towards the secret of the Recommissioning Module, images of a crusty old woman in her own clothing terrorizing and shaping the happy-go-lucky boy seen before her. These flashes, they made her shake, they painted her face with fear. In fact, they even made her speak once more.

"R-Right...I should probably get going...See ya'", she replied as she began to head for the door, her shaky tone enough to catch the attention of a now concerned looking Hoagie.

"Hey, Numbuh 86, wait up", he cried out, his tone now clear with panic as he chased after her.

Yet clearly her slim legs were in better shape than his as she quickly made her way out the front entrance and back to her shuttle. Though unbeknownst to her did she hear a cry in the distance, a surprise to her as she turned to face her cohort Hoagie; concern clear upon his face as he ran towards her. Sure, he had to catch his breath upon catching up to her, but none the less did his face detail concern, even with those goggles covering his baby blue eyes.

"What do you want", she asked in her usual tough tone, attempting to mask her shakiness from seconds previous.

"I just wanted to ask if you're going to be okay", he asked in a concerned tone, one which made her raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

"What does it matter to you", she asked, her tone the same as her previous sentence.

"Well, call me an old softie, but I just can't help to see a girl in despair", he replied, his tone genuine if not mildly suave.

It was the type of sentence to make her eyes widen in realization, it even made her blush in fact. But of course, the Irish redhead could only feel her pride overtake her once more before clearing her throat.

"Yeah, as if any girl would be stupid enough te' fall fer' that one", she replied, her mean-spirited tone intact once more despite the clear shade of light pink now emitting from her cheeks.

Slowly but surely did she walk back to her ship, yet the embarrassed look of arrogance remain as clear as day upon her freckled face even as she entered the cockpit. After safely buckling in, her last glimpse of Hoagie caught him waving at her, all the while giving her a smile. True, such a smile did feel comforting. But never once did her pride fade as the ship finally began its course back to the radiant moon in the sky. Unbeknownst to her however, such a lift off was what currently fuelled the smile clear upon the chubby boy's face.

"She'll be fine", Hoagie said in a tone of confidence, one which seemed to slowly fade into slightly saddened yet concerned expression. "I wish I could say the same for Numbuh 1 though."

End chap.6