Author's Note: Yes, I have, in fact, read Hindsight. To those of you who have not - if you like this story, it probably means you like 2/86, so I can assure you you will enjoy Hindsight. Go read. Maybe not right now, per se (try after you finish this chapter, please), but do read it. There. Shameless plug, but it at least it's not for something I wrote. Also, this chapter is more fluffy than I would like it to be.

Hoagie glanced around to make sure no one was there, then ducked quickly into the library. Fanny was sitting at a table, pretending to read. Hoagie knew she was pretending because the book was upside down. He had told her he didn't give a damn if the others found out about this, but he had lied.

He was terrified they would find out. All he had to do was avoid the places they would hang out, though. The only one who actually did any routine spying anymore was Abby, and she was not a threat because she still hadn't returned from her candy hunting. Her grades were so good that it didn't matter if she ditched a few days, but Hoagie found himself wondering why she always took about six days for these candy expeditions and why she never actually returned with more than a piece or two of the supposedly huge haul she had scored.

But these were thoughts for another day. Fanny had just noticed him, and she waved him over. "Ready to go, toots?" He asked, smirking as he waited for her reaction. He was not waiting long.

"Do not think that I've even forgiven yah for the first time yah called me that," She said through clenched teeth, "Don't give me a reason tah kick yer ass." She got up and pushed her chair under the table.

"All right, all right," Hoagie said with an easy grin, "Ix-nay on the Oots-tay. Got it. Where do you want to go?" he wasn't sure why he asked. He planned to maneuver her away from any spot the other Teens Next Door or Kids Next Door might be in, but it was only polite to ask her where she'd want to go.

Can't go anywhere the TND or KND might be, She thought, her thoughts mirroring Hoagie's exactly. That would only get him into trouble…I am kind of hungry, thought. And that new horror movie's out.. "Well, what about movie and dinner?"

"Now you're starting to make it sound like a date," Hoagie said flirtatiously, planting his hands on the table and leaning in closer to her. She leaned away, glaring at him.

"It was just a suggestion," Fanny said defensively, "Not an excuse for you to start trying to look through my bras again."

"Hey, I was looking at the battle ready armor ones, not the real ones!" Hoagie said, glancing away. This discussion was making it a tad harder for him to make eye contact, the odd temptation to look at her chest making him utterly embarrassed. "But what movie where you thinking?"

"I dunno…" Fanny faked it, wondering if Hoagie even liked horror movies. Well, tough to him if he doesn't, She decided. He invited me out, not the other way around. "There's some movie out called The Rookwood Murders. Supposed tah be pretty scary…"

"I wanted to see that," Hoagie said, smiling. Wow, really glad she didn't say a chick flick. The last thing I need is Fanny Fulbright finding out I cry at those. "Did you just want to eat at the theatre?"

"Sure, sounds good." She said, heading for the door. Hoagie followed after. "Are we taking the bus or walking?"

"Walking," Hoagie said immediately, glad that Fanny wasn't looking at him. He grabbed the handle to the school exit and held the door open for her. They couldn't risk the bus. Kuki, Nigel, and Wally all used it when Hoagie wasn't around to pilot them. And he couldn't take a ship without permission anymore, since the TND was supposed to be kept a secret from the adults.

But if she found it suspicious, Fanny gave no signs of it.

The pair settled into their seats in the theatre, both noting how empty it was today. It wasn't that big of surprise, though. It was a school day, after all. Hoagie swung the arm rest between them up so that he could set the tub of popcorn between them. Fanny grabbed a handful and started snacking.

"Hey…Fanny?"

"What?"

"Why'd you do it?"

Fanny groaned. She did not want to talk about why she'd betrayed the Kids Next Door right now. She just wanted to pretend that part of her life didn't exist. "Hoagie, just leave it alone. I know it was a stupid mistake --"

"I really hope you're thinking the wrong thing." He said, almost looking sad. "I was just wondering why you agreed to come with me."

Fanny tensed, her popcorn falling from her hand to the dirty floor of the theatre. She turned to Hoagie, staring at him as though she had never quite seen something like him. "I…I ..It just seemed like a good idea. Like it might actually be.." she searched for the correct word.

"Fun?" Hoagie suggested. Fanny smiled.

"Yeah…fun."

The advertisements stopped, and the movie started rolling. Within a few minutes, the blood was already all over the place, the kills getting more frequent and more discussing with each passing increment of ten minutes time. Hoagie and Fanny both jumped several times, both of them denying it while trying to tease the other about being scared.

The movie ended, but they both remained in their seats. Neither knew how to vocalize it, but both wanted to spend a bit more time with each other.

But Fanny had never been the type not to go for what she wanted before. "Daddy's out of town for a meeting, and mom's on a spa weekend, so…would you like to come over to my house?"

Hoagie's jaw dropped. He was frozen, unable to blink as he stared at her. For a moment, he'd thought he was having a theatre-grade popcorn hallucination. But he quickly got over it. "Uh..s-s-sure.." he stammered out.

Fanny smiled. "Great. Then let's go."

"Wait, Fanny..what about your brothers?" Hoagie asked, blushing madly already. Nothing had happened, and more likely, nothing would happen, but his hormones didn't seem to realize that as well as his mind did.

"Both at a sleepover for Kids Next Door members," Fanny said with a shrug, locking the door behind them and taking Hoagie by the hand. She lead him up to her bedroom. "Sorry, I just didn't know where else tah go…" She apologized, not meeting his eyes directly. "Plus I had to warn yeh."

"About what?" He was no longer blushing. Her serious tone made him snap out of his fantasies.

"Father isolated what made Grandfather able to change people into Senior Citizombies. He's sending two teens up to the moon base to hack the code module and turn you all into them."

"But we made it so that the code module couldn't be hacked into!" Hoagie cried, "Right after Father turned us all into animals..remember?"

"Yeah…yer exactly right. I remember. Which means I was able to tell them how to hack into it." Fanny looked at the floor. "I know yah hate me now…just like the others, but at least you got a warning."

"I don't hate you, Fanny," Hoagie said slowly, "I wish you hadn't done it, but you're starting to make amends. I looked over the BRA you gave me - wow, that sounds wrong…anyways, I looked it over and was able to find some chinks in it. I forgave you when I found that out."

Not knowing why she did it, Fanny suddenly leaned over and hugged Hoagie, almost tackling him onto her bed. "Sorry…not sure where tha' came from.." she said, trying to pull herself up. But Hoagie wasn't letting go. "Let go o' me, you dolt!"

"No," Hoagie said softly. "I just want to hold you a moment." Fanny went rigid for a moment, blushing, but she allowed herself to give in. No one could make fun of her for it. That was the only upside to not having any friends. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling safe all of the sudden.

It was a feeling she had not had in a very long time.

His arms were encircling her waist, pulling her very close. Despite the fact they were in bed together, neither thought of the implications. They were in their own little world, where nothing aside from the two of them existed. Fanny dozed off a moment later, using Hoagie's stomach as her pillow.

He watched her sleep, planting a kiss on her forehead before letting sleep over take him as well.