"NOOO!"
Mr. Boss had lost it. He strangled his own neck until it stretched all the way to the ceiling. His head kept banging the walls as he yanked on his hair, and pulled on his skin in fury.
"Whoa, sir, calm down, relax. This is no time to lose your head Mr. Boss, sir," The Tolienator said.
Mr. Boss released his own neck, and allowed it to shrink back to normal. He took deep breaths.
"You're right, you're right. Yes, I am calm, completely calm," he said. He leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. "I am..heartless. I have no feelings whatsoever."
"Sir?" Tolienator asked.
"I feel a sudden onset of clarity, Tolienator. I'll have to kill her myself." Mr. Boss said.
"What," Tolienator asked, puzzled. "you, you mean physically?"
"Well, you know what they say. If you want something done right.." he said.
"But that means you'd have go…up there."
"That's right. I have so many fond memories of Paris. And killing that Numbuh Three brat with my own two hands would be totally satisfying!" Mr. Boss said. He stood up and put his jacket on. "Well, time to go."
"But you're dead! You're falling apart, sir," the Tolienator said in a panic. "How are you supposed to get to Paris in one piece?"
"I thought we'd take the train."
And once again, the cigar came alive as it shot Mr. Boss up toward the surface, with the Tolienator hanging on to his leg and crying out for dear life.
"Yes, I remember it all so well," a girl said in a little house in Paris. Numbuh Five stood behind her, nodding, though doubtful. Numbuh One was completely unconvinced by the girls performance. "Numbuh 142 was from Texas, Numbuh 78 was from Louisiana. And every spring-"
"We filled the Grand Canyon with Rainbow Munchies to celebrate another year of battling adult tyranny," Numbuh One interrupted. "Don't you have something better to do."
"Uh, yeah, uh, you gotta go now. Uh, see ya," Numbuh Five said, shooing the imposter away. "I'm sorry Nigel, that one did seem kind of convincing. But I guess I should've known better. She didn't have the same spark in her eyes that..she did."
She sat down on the couch beside him and handed him a can of soda. "But don't worry," she said. "Numbuh Five won't be fooled next time. I've got some harder questions in mind that only she would know. So hard, that not even-"
"No," Numbuh One said, staring down at his drink.
"What?" Numbuh Five asked.
He turned to look at her. "I can't take it anymore, Abby. I don't want to see anymore girls claiming to be Numbuh Three." With that, he stood up.
"Well, if that's what you want. Where are you going?" she asked.
Nigel shrugged. "Out. Go for a drive, I guess ," he said.
"Oh, okay. Don't use up all the gas," she said.
"I'll try."
Abby sighed when he walked out the door. In the past year, they had probably seen over a hundred different Numbuh Three's, all turning out to be imposters. As if that wasn't hard enough, Numbuh One still blamed himself for the incident, no matter what Abby said to convince him otherwise. Now he had given up all hope that she was out there somewhere…
"Where was Numbuh 78 from?" Wally asked. The group had finally landed in Paris. They were on a bus, heading to Numbuh One and Five's address. Wally stated quizzing Kuki. But Kuki didn't answer. Wally could see how nervous she was by the way she rung her hands.
"Oh, what if Numbuh Five doesn't recognize me?" she asked.
"Of course she will. You're Numbuh Three," Wally assured her.
"Well its just that a week ago, I didn't have any past at all, and now I'm trying to remember an entire lifetime," Kuki said.
"That's why you got me," he said. "Now, where was Numbuh 78 from?"
"Um, Texas?"
After a half an hour, the four of them arrived at Numbuh Five's house. It wasn't a really big house, though it wasn't small either. It was just big enough for the two of them. It used to be a summer home until she and Nigel decided to move in their when Abby received a scholarship for the University of Paris.
They walked up to the front door. Wally pulled his orange hood up over his eyes. He didn't want Numbuh Five to recognize him. The last thing he needed was for her to say something like 'Oh, how are you doing? Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it? Blah, blah, blah.'
Hoagie straightened up, smiled, and knocked on the door. The door opened a few seconds later and Abigail Lincoln stood in the doorway. She felt her cheeks warm and a huge smile spread across her face.
"Abby!" Hoagie cried happily. "Hey baby, somebody better call heaven. Because it looks like they're missing an angel."
Abby leaned against the door frame, folded her arms and smirked at him. "Well, well, well Hoagie P. Gilligan. You arrive at my house, for once, and that's the first thing you say? Seriously, boy, you are hopeless."
"Aw come on, that's the 'hello' I get after all these years?" Hoagie asked, pouting.
Abby laughed and threw her arms around his neck. "Don't beg. Its very unbecoming of you," she joked. Then she leaned in and kissed him. They kissed for almost a minute until Wally cleared his throat. "Right, so um, hehe, uh come on in everyone," Abby said, slightly embarrassed. There's plenty of sodas in the kitchen. Ya'll can make yourselves at home."
To Wally's relief, she didn't spare a second glance at him.
Poor Bradley didn't make it inside, though. The door was slammed in his face before he had a chance to enter.
Hoagie gestured for Kuki to come forward. "May I present The Grand Operative Numbuh Three," he said.
Abby took a good long look at Kuki. She had to admit that out of all the Numbuh Three's she's seen, Kuki was the most resembling. But when Abby look at her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. There was a certain spark in Kuki's eyes, a very familiar spark. But for some reason, the girl looked doubtful herself.
"Wow, she really does look like Numbuh Three. But then, so did many of the others," she said.
Abby and Hoagie sat down on the couch and Kuki took a seat in the chair across from them. Wally stood by the mantle behind the couch, trying to remain unnoticed.
Abby began to interview Kuki. "Where were you born?" she asked.
"At the Nakamura Hospital in Tokyo," Kuki answered.
"Right. And how does Numbuh Three take her coffee?"
"Ew, I don't like coffee. I prefer tea, but not yucky green tea.
"Very good."
Bradley sat in a flower bed right outside the window watching the interview. It went on for about two and a half hours. Kuki answered each question flawlessly.
"And finally," Abby said. The final question! Bradley climbed up to the window.
"You'll probably find this a…bold question, but indulge me. How did you and Numbuh One get out of the treehouse before the explosion?" she asked.
Ah crud, crud, crud. Wally never thought to tell her that. He never told anyone about that, not even Hoagie. The smoke was so thick, that night, that Numbuh One and Three probably didn't even know it was him that got them out. Why would Numbuh Five ask this question. There was no way Kuki would answer it correctly. All that hard work for nothing…
"There was a voice. A voice coming from the smoke. It was a boy, a boy we couldn't see. He opened the floor." Kuki said, holding her necklace. She was staring at the wall, remembering hard.
Wally looked up at her slowly. He stared right at her. That was impossible. There was no possible way she could have possibly known that. Unless she really was..
Then it hit him. Hit him like a blow to the gut. Kuki. She really was Numbuh Three. Wally realized that his subconscious mind had been trying to tell him that all along. Of course she was. It should have been plainly obvious from the beginning. Wally truly felt like an idiot. He had blocked his inner emotions so well, that he didn't see that the one person he truly loved was with him all this time. Suddenly, for the first time in seven years, Wally felt joy. Numbuh Three was alive! Numbuh Three was right here. With him. All along. This was all too overwhelming for him. He needed to step outside to think.
"So? Is she Numbuh Three?" Hoagie asked Abby.
"Well, she did answer every question," she said.
Hoagie cried out happily. "Ya hear that, Kuki? You did it!" He spun her around in a big hug. Kuki laughed. "So when do we see Numbuh One?" he asked.
"Sorry, but you don't," Abby answered, sadly.
"What? What do you mean, babe?" Hoagie asked.
"Well, Nigel just won't allow it," she said.
"Come on Abby. Surely you can figure out some way for us to see him." Hoagie put his arm around her. "Please?"
Abby smirked at him. "What did I say about begging?" she asked.
Hoagie pouted. She rolled her eyes, and thought for a moment.
"Well, uh, do you like Green Day?" she asked Kuki. Hoagie stared at her confused.
"Well, I never really listened to them before," Kuki said.
"Oh, well I just remembered that they're playing in Paris, tonight. Numbuh One and I are huge fans of Green Day. (A/N As am I. They're my favorite band.) We were not planning on missing the concert," she said, winking at Hoagie, who understood and grinned.
Hoagie went outside to were Wally was. "WE DID IT! Were going to see Numbuh one tonight!" He spun Wally around. "We're going to get the eleventy thousand dollars!"
Wally sighed. "Hoagie, she really is Numbuh Three," he said quietly.
Hoagie didn't hear him. "Kuki was amazing! I almost believed her. And Abby.. Ha, ha"
Kuki came running out excitedly with Abby right behind her. "Numbuh Five wants to take us shopping for the concert!" she said. "Shopping in Paris, can you believe it?"
"That's right," Abby said. "So lets move it."
Kuki came out of a super expensive store she never thought she'd shop in. Abby had picked out a cute, purple dress for her to wear rat the moment. But they were still looking for a perfect dress for the concert.
When they walked out, Kuki ran to Wally's side, showing off her dress. Abby went up to a lady selling roses. She bought one for Kuki, and handed another to Hoagie. Wally was thankful that she still didn't notice him. She was probably too caught up in Hoagie.
Abby took Hoagie's arm and smiled at him, then at Kuki.
Welcome, my friend, to Paris.
Here, have a flower on me.
Forget where you're from.
You're in France, children come.
I'll show you that French joie de vivre.
Paris holds the key to your heart.
And all of Paris plays a part.
You stroll to Vadu
Down what we call la rue.
And soon all Paris will be singing to you.
Oh la la, oh la la, oh la la.
Abby led the group down a busy street filled with so many lively people. Kuki saw dancers, painters, and even acrobats, all greeting her with a bonjour.
Paris holds the key to l'amour.
When not even Freud knows the cure.
There's love in the air
At the Folies Bergère.
The French have it down to an art.
Paris holds the key to your heart.
Abby took them to a little restaurant. A few dancers were preparing for their performance.
When you're feeling blue come to Les Moulins.
When you're heart says don't
The French say do.
If you think you can't, you'll find you can-can.
Everyone can can-can.
You can can-can, too.
The group sat down at their table to watch the dancers. Abby tossed her hat out toward the dancers. Hoagie immediately got up to get it for her. When he got it, however, he found himself trapped with the girls can-canning. Kuki giggled at poor Hoagie.
Wally smiled when he heard her laugh. Of course he was ecstatic that she was alive. But after he thought it through, he realized that she was now way out of his league. Since he ran away, avoided decommissioning, and everything, that made him a low-ranking loser. And Numbuh Three was still a high-ranking Grand Operative. Why would she ever go for him now?
Paris holds the key to her past.
Yes Numbuh Three I found you at last.
No more pretend
You'll be gone, that's the end.
Finally, Abby found Kuki the perfect dress to wear for the concert. After buying it, she took them to one last stop before they went to get ready, The Eiffel Tower.
Paris holds the key to you heart.
You'll be très joli and so smart.
Come dance through the night.
And forget all your woes.
A City of Lights
Where a rose is a rose.
And one never knows where to starts.
Paris holds the key
To her
Heart.
Oh la la, oh la la!
Wally and Hoagie were waiting outside the concert hall for the girls to arrive. Hoagie kept pacing around nervously.
"We don't have anything to be nervous about. She's Numbuh Three," Wally said.
"I know, I know," Hoagie said.
"No, no you don't know," Wally looked around him before turning back to Hoagie. "It was me. I was the voice she heard in the treehouse. The one who opened the trapdoor and got them out. She really is Numbuh Three."
Hoagie stopped pacing. He looked at Wally, who nodded. Hoagie sat down on the steps and placed his head in his hands, trying to take it all in. He looked up at Wally once more.
"Its her, Hoagie."
If what Wally said was true then that meant, he was right. "We had her with us all this time," Hoagie said. "We, we found her. Numbuh Three's alive. She really did find her family. Us. And you…"
"Will walk out of her life forever," Wally finished.
"What? But you.."
"Hoagie, I ran away. I turned my back on the Kids Next Door. I don't even deserve to be an operative, let alone a high-ranking operative. You still are because you were sent to follow me. But lets face it. She's way out of my league now."
"But you can't just walk out of her life. After all these years, you, you have to-"
Wally cut him off. "We are going through with this as if nothing has changed," he said.
Hoagie couldn't believe him. "You can't keep avoid your feelings, like you've been doing for seven years. Wally, you love her."
Wally was staring at the ground. He knew Hoagie was right, but he just couldn't do it.
"You have to tell her," Hoagie said.
"Tell me what?" Kuki arrived just then, wearing a jacket over her dress. She hadn't heard any of the conversation.
Wally stood up. "Uh, nothing, just that were, ah, late. And we have to get in there now."
Kuki wondered if there was something he wasn't telling her. But instead of pressing the matter, she just shrugged. "Oh. Okay then, lets go.