TIE DYE PENCILS! For being late on your updates and not really doing so well, for punishment, you're going to have to be in a room with Steven Moffat!

Nooo…actually, that doesn't sound too bad.

Fair warning, this is a bit of a filler chapter. I hope you enjoy anyways! I do not own Bones or Zack Addy. Abby is mine.


Ever since that day, Abby and Zack (or A-Z between the two of them) had met every morning by the big tree before going to their separate classes. Then, they would meet up at their usual bench at the first recess, and at second recess they would play by the playground, because all the big kids would still be eating their lunches.

They had started playing out The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Abby, by default, was Dorothy, and Zack played the Scarecrow. They would just pretend that someone else was there to play the Tin Man.

But today, Abby wasn't in any of those places.

She wasn't by the tree, or the bench, or even the playground. After school, Zack had gone over to their house, but their car was gone and the lights were out. "They could be somewhere, Zack," Elijah remarked.

"Abby would have told me," Zack mumbled.

The next day, Zack decided to go to Mr. Franken's classroom during recess to see why Abby was absent.

"I'm sorry Zack, Abby isn't here," Mr. Franken said. "Her parents called her in sick. She had something that's been going around."

"The influenza. One of my sisters has it," Zack replied. He had made sure his parents gave him a flu shot-but not all his siblings agreed to do so. Thus, Sammy was not at school today.

Mr. Franken looked taken a back at Zack's response. "How do you know its full name?" he asked, his fake teacher's voice loosing its charm.

"Well, I asked my father, and he told me." Zack said, stealing a quick glance outside, excepting to see Abby out on their bench.

"Well, either go and play with the other kids, or play by yourself, Zack. Abby won't be here for a few days. Maybe a week."

A few days? Maybe a WEEK?! Zack didn't think he could make it without Abby for a week. The bullies would get for him for sure.

Instead of arguing, Zack went outside and sat on his and Abby's bench. He watched the other kids play without him. No one came and asked to play with him. No one even looked over at him. He felt like crying.

Today was one of the worst days of his life.


When Zack went home, he saw Abby's dad's green pick-up truck in her driveway. He felt the urge to knock on the door and ask if Abby was available. And so he did.

Abby's mom answered the door. "Hello, Mrs. Zeckory. I didn't see Abby at school and I came by to see if she was ok."

"That's very kind of you, Zack. Abby's got the flu; she isn't feeling well. Thank you for stopping by, though."

When Mrs. Zeckory tried to close the door on Zack, he put up his foot as a doorstop. "I was wondering if I could see her," Zack continued.

"Zack, she's sick," Mrs. Zeckory explained slowly, as if she were talking to a child of low intelligence. "You might get sick too."

"I know."

After that, Mrs. Zeckory demanded that Zack leave and go to his own house, or she would call his mother. Zack left with his head cast downward. When he got home, Sarah was waiting by the door for him. "Did you get to see Abby?" she asked.

Zack shock his head and went inside. What to do, he asked himself. All of his other siblings had homework or were playing with their friends. There was no one for Zack to play with.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He ran to the downstairs bathroom, where, since Sammy got the flu, there were surgeon's masks, so that Sammy wouldn't cough on the other kids. Zack gabbed on and fixed it behind his ears. Then, when no one was at the door, Zack crept out and trudged across the dividing line between the two houses.

When he got to Abby's front door, he knocked again, hoping that Mrs. Zeckory would agree to his plan.

Abby's mother answered the door again. When she saw the surgeon's mask on Zack's face, she chuckled. "Come on in, Zack," she greeted. "I'm sure Abby will be glad to see you."

Zack had memorized the Zeckory's house, so he knew where Abby's room was. When he saw the door with the A on it, he knocked.

"I don't want any more soup, mom," came the answer.

Zack couldn't help giggling. "I'm not your mother," he said, his voice muffled by the surgeon's mask.

"Well, who are you?"

Zack opened the door to a dark, quiet bedroom. Abby was on her bed, many covers thrown over her. There was a bowl of soup with not much eaten out of it.

Abby looked over at Zack and started to laugh, which immediately went to coughing. "Why are you here?" she asked between coughs.

Zack thought about his answer. Finally, he said, "I missed you today. And yesterday." He went over to the bookshelf and pulled out the dark green book. "I thought I'd read to you," he continued.

Abby smiled. "Thanks, Zack," she said.

Zack returned the smile, and began to read. He read to her until four o'clock, until it was time for Abby to take a her medicine and Zack to go home.

Yet, Zack felt really good about what he just did. He hoped that things would stay like this: him and Abby. Abby and him.

Didn't everybody?


How did you like it? Be sure to tell me in the reviews!

Yeah, kind of a feel-good chapter. To be honest, the idea looked better in my mind. Next week's though. Next week's. (Clearly has no plan)