OPERATION: F.R.I.E.N.D.S.H.I.P

Fanny's

Remembrance

Is

Erased,

Now

Dealing With

Silent

Heartache

In

Proximity

The two stared at one another.

Tension smothered the atmosphere, weighing down upon them. No words uttered as they just stood there, completely frozen. Wally with his eyes wide with fear and Fanny with hers narrowed in determination. Seconds ticked by and Wally felt a bead of sweat drip down his face, questioning if he could even handle this.

Handle talking to her.

Meeting Kuki was a knife in his heart, and he knew the longer he stayed with Fanny that the more that knife would twist and break him.

"We're either really good friends, or you know something about why I can't remember anything."

Fanny's voice was a mere whisper, but in the presence of only silence . . . it was deafening. She stared at him before continuing.

"After all, Da, wouldn't leave meh alone with a boy . . . especially a cute one like yew." Her voice became softer as she finished her sentence. A pink hue rose up to her cheeks as she realized that she said that out loud. She stared over at Wally who had a look of bafflement upon his face. "Why did Ah say that?" She chastised herself as she facepalmed.

A memory popped into Wally's mind.

He was strapped into a chair, his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He heard the complaints and whimpers of his friends and comrades. All of them in the dark as to what was happening. He stared over at the only person that he could see.

Numbuh 86.

She stood before them, a look of pure confidence on her face. She exuded power that came with her position as Head of Decommissions. She was dressed in her full uniform, her helmet perfectly framing her face. She told them all about the process that they were about to go on through . . . but then her attitude changed when she got finished. There was a nervous look upon her freckled visage. She glanced to the side, a faint hue of pink making itself known to Wally.

What came next surprised Wally to no end.

"Since none o' yew will remember what's been said here. Ah'd like t'say something on a personal note. Ah uhh well um A-Ah always thought yew were kind o' cute Numbuh 4."

Wally blinked away the memory and stared back at Fanny, completely astonished. He had to admit that she had more guts than he ever did. She could go against her own pride and speak her mind back then.

And it seemed that being decommissioned didn't change this fact.

"Don't ya worry, Oi won't let anyone know ya said that. Oi never told anyone the last time that ya called me cute." Wally nervously chuckled, feeling the heat rise up to his own face. He was certain that he looked like a tomato by this point.

Fanny stared at him for a moment, processing this information.

"So, Ah said that to yew before." She murmured to herself, glancing down at her shoes. Her lips pursed together, brows furrowing in thought. Her hand gripped her arm and suddenly she looked so small, so vulnerable. It was nothing like the fiery girl that he was so used to. He wondered what it was about decommissioning that could change a person.

Did they lose all their development that they had while in the Kids Next Door? Or do they lose a reason to keep acting a certain way?

"Well . . . in your defense . . . the last time ya said it, ya thought ya weren't going t' see meh again."

It was like dealing with a brand new person.

One that wore the face of an old friend.

"Not going t' see yew again?" Fanny repeated his words, "What? Did Ah think yew were going t' die?"

He could tell her that she was part of a secret organization and she was one of its top operatives. That she was an inspiration to kids across the globe. That she helped save the world from adult tyranny . . . but he couldn't tell her.

He had to lie.

"No. Not exactly. Someone uhh told ya a lie that Oi was . . . movin' away." He wanted to help her, wanted to tell her everything, but the weight of the secrets held his tongue like chains. Each second in this lie was suffocating him more.

"Right. Ah suppose . . . that makes sense." There was a hint of frustration in her voice. Anger coming out, not aimed at the Australian, but at herself. She felt that she should know this, that she should remember this.

But there was nothing.

"Do yew . . . do yew know why Ah don't remember anythin'?" She questioned him, taking a step towards him. There was a flash of fire in her eyes. For a moment, he thought that he could see Fanny there . . . but it was just that, a flash. One that was soon to be replaced by a desperate girl, who nervously stood in front of him.

"N-No . . . " He took a breath, steadying himself. He needed to say this without any look of doubt on his face. He needed her to believe him,"No." There was resolution in his voice. "Oi don't know why ya can't remember anything. If Oi knew . . . Oi would have told ya."

" . . . Ah see." In an instant her hope was dashed. A deep frown marred her freckled visage. For a moment, the room was engulfed in silence. The tension returned with a vengeance, and the two kids stood around awkwardly.

And once again, it was Fanny who cut through the tension.

Once again it was her who shattered the silence with her voice.

" . . . Then we were good friends?" She asked, hope once again swelling up within her. After all, her father would not leave her here with a boy that she barely knew. They had to be good friends for Mr. Fulbright to leave them alone.

"We weren't always . . . we were both in the same friend group." He said, glancing to the side. He was hiding his frown from her,"But . . . th' group split apart and it was . . . well we were th' only ones that really stuck around."

They started out as comrades, but became friends after the slumber party incident. It was like that for a long time, until everyone around them started getting decommissioned. When they realized that they were going to be some of the last ones left of their little group.

Well . . . they clung together like two scared little kids.

And it was there that they became real good friends.

But they weren't friends anymore. She had lost all her memories of him, they were effectively strangers now. It was the story of all his friendships from the Kids Next Door. Abby didn't know he existed. Hoagy only knew him as a stranger. Kuki thought he was some rude kid.

All of his friends were gone.

He was alone.

Even while being so close to Fanny, even when seeing her with his eyes . . . He had never been more alone.

"Ah see . . . and why did our friend group split apart?" Fanny asked him, wanting answers, desperate for anything that would click within her brain. That would make her recollect something.

" . . . They grew up." Wally croaked out, pain now evident in his voice. "They didn't want t' play the games we used t' play."

"What . . . what games did we play?" Another question from Fanny.

He couldn't answer her.

There was no lie he could tell her that would satiate this curiosity and the truth? The truth would get him decommissioned. He couldn't do anything here . . . he was absolutely useless.

Wally felt himself swell up with frustration as he stared over at her. He questioned why he even agreed to Mr. Boss' offer . . . because he couldn't handle this. This whole day had been a bust for him. His parents teasing him, the nightmare, seeing Kuki, being picked on by the adult villains and now this.

"Forget this!" Wally screamed out causing Fanny to flinch,"Oi can't help ya! Oi can't help anyone! Oi can't help mahself!" He ranted as he turned around and his fist went sailing into the wall. There was a resounding thud as flesh met reinforced plaster. His fist was halfway embedded into it, before he let out another scream. "Just forget this! Oi was never here!"

He moved to storm out only to be stopped as Fanny grabbed his arm.

"S-sorry." She stuttered out. Wally froze at how vulnerable she looked and then chastised himself for bringing her more pain. "Ah know . . . Ah know yew came 'ere to help me . . . and Ah thank ye for that." She continued, nervousness clear in her voice. "And Ah'm sorry that Ah can't remember. It must hurt t' see me like this . . . but please don't leave." Her voice broke at the very end. All she knew was that Wally was someone who was supposed to be a friend, and now she had managed to drive him off.

She didn't want to be alone.

She wouldn't be able to handle that.

He closed his eyes, telling himself over and over and over again to not turn around to look at her. His legs moved on their own, turning on the back of his heel. His eyes forced themselves open and his heart broke. "Foine." He muttered out, agreeing to stay here with her. "But . . . no more questions."

"Aye . . . Ah can do that." She agreed as she hesitantly let go of his arm. "Ah know ya jus' want th'old Fanny . . . Da wants it to . . . an' so do Ah, but she's not 'ere right now. U-until she comes back, can ye be friends with this Fanny?"

She was begging.

He could not say no.

He knew that it was going to hurt him. To keep seeing her, to keep talking to her and know what she was supposed to be . . . but can't ever be. To look at her and momentarily be tricked by his own memories and think that she was here with him, only for the illusion to shatter once she speaks.

But he could not say no.

She was begging.

"Alroigh'." Wally slowly nodded, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Oi'll be yer friend, ya cruddy girl." He told her and Fanny could not help but beam at him, even when he called her a 'cruddy girl'.

She was just happy that she had someone in her corner . . . that she wasn't alone.

Grrrrrrrrrrumble

A noise ripped through them, and Wally glanced to the side. His face became red in embarrassment as they both realized the point of origin was his stomach.

"Sorry, Oi jus' . . . Oi haven't had anythin' t'snack on y'know. Kind of famished." He looked sheepish as he said this.

"Don't be sorreh." Fanny let out a nervous chuckle,"Ah mean, Ah haven't had a bite all day . . . an' that cookout is startin' t'seem mighty enticin' . . . How about weh go an' finally get fed." She suggested. Wally rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, the rawness of the moment still fresh in the air. But Fanny's suggestion, accompanied by the soft rumble of his stomach, gave him an excuse to step out of the weight of their conversation—just for a little while.

The two exited the house and entered the backyard.

As Wally and Fanny walked side by side, the weight of their earlier conversation still lingered in the air. Neither of them spoke at first, both wrapped in their own thoughts. Wally's hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his gaze on the ground, while Fanny fiddled nervously with the hem of her sleeve.

The backyard was alive with the sounds of sizzling food and chatter. The smell of grilled burgers, hotdogs, and all sorts of snacks filled the air, mixing with the laughter of people enjoying a sunny afternoon. Kids ran around, some throwing frisbees while others splashed in a small inflatable pool.

Wally's stomach rumbled again, reminding him of why he agreed to come out here in the first place. "So, uh . . . food," he muttered awkwardly, glancing at the long table set up with plates of burgers, snacks, and drinks.

Fanny gave him a weak smile, still shaken by their conversation but clearly trying to lighten the mood. "Aye, food. Let's eat before yer stomach starts yellin' at us again."

The pair made their way to the table, but as Wally reached for a plate, his eyes caught a familiar face across the yard.

Kuki.

She was sitting with a group of kids, laughing as if nothing in the world could bother her. A pang of sorrow twisted inside him. He had only seen her earlier that day, but seeing her again like this, so carefree, so unaware of everything they used to be—it hurt. His fingers trembled as they hovered over the food.

"Yew okay?" Fanny's voice broke through his thoughts. She was standing next to him, a burger in her hand, watching him carefully.

"Yeah . . . yeah, Oi'm fine," Wally mumbled, forcing a smile. "Jus' hungry."

He quickly grabbed a plate and piled it with food, hoping the act of eating would distract him from the ache in his chest. They found a spot under a shady tree to sit, and for a few moments, the silence between them was filled with the sounds of chewing.

But Wally couldn't keep his mind quiet. Seeing Kuki like that, seeing Fanny trying so hard to be someone she no longer was—it all felt too overwhelming. He wanted to scream, to punch something again, to run away from all of it.

Instead, he swallowed hard and kept quiet.

Fanny, who had barely touched her food, glanced up at him again. "Ah didn't mean t' upset yew earlier . . . Ah jus'—"

"Oi know, Fanny," Wally cut in softly, avoiding her gaze. He didn't want to talk about it. He couldn't talk about it, not without unraveling.

Wally sat under the tree, staring down at his half-eaten plate. He poked at his burger with a fork, not feeling particularly hungry anymore. The silence between him and Fanny wasn't tense, but it was there, hanging in the air like a quiet, lingering presence.

"So . . . this is a nice cookout," Fanny commented, clearly trying to fill the silence with something, anything.

"Yeah," Wally replied, nodding a bit too quickly. "Food's good." He shoved another bite of his burger into his mouth to avoid saying anything else.

They both chewed in relative quiet, the sounds of the cookout around them filling the gaps. Kids were laughing and playing, a few adults chatting near the grill. Wally noticed Fanny glance over at them, watching the adults carefully. Her brow furrowed, like she was trying to make sense of something.

"Y'ever feel like everyone's in on some joke an' we're jus' sittin' here not gettin' it?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on the scene before her.

Wally blinked. That was a weirdly deep question for what was supposed to be casual. He shifted uncomfortably but gave a shrug. "Yeah . . . sometimes."

She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest as she rested her chin on them. "Ah dunno. Feels like Ah should be doin' more than jus' sittin' here, y'know? Like . . . there's somethin' Ah'm missin'." She stared over at the more costumed adults, feeling like she should be doing something.

But nothing was coming into mind.

Wally swallowed hard. She wasn't supposed to be thinking like that. He searched for a way to steer the conversation somewhere safer. He supposed that he would have to give her a bit of honesty, if it were to calm her down and get her off this track of thinking.

"Eh." He shrugged. "Ya always were takin' lead an' givin' orders." He said, glancing up at the sky. "It's gettin' late. Yer probably kickin' yerself and gearin' up t'get people t'clean up."

Fanny gave a small smile. "Aye, guess yer right." She nodded. "Mah brothers do seem like th'kind of folk that need a good kick in th'behind t'get them t'do anythin'." His words just felt right to her. Like it was a puzzle piece going into its proper place and she couldn't help but feel more at ease.

Fanny stretched her arms and yawned, leaning back against the tree. "Ah think Ah could take a nap right 'ere," she joked, her voice sleepy.

"Oi wouldn't recommend it," Wally said, smirking. "Ya'd get covered in ants. They're everywhere."

"Ugh, gross. Ah don't need any stoopid ants gettin' one over me." She wrinkled her nose, pulling her knees back up to her chest. "Maybe Ah'll wait till Ah get back inside."

Wally chuckled softly, and for the first time in what felt like forever, things felt a little bit normal. Sure, it wasn't the same as before, but it was something. And right now, that was enough.

They fell into silence again, but this time it felt almost comfortable, like neither of them felt the need to force the conversation anymore. They just sat there, side by side, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the yard.

Two kids from a past neither of them could fully grasp—one who remembered too much, and one who couldn't remember at all.

But at least, for now, they weren't alone.

Here's another chapter!

This is the most I've ever written for a single interaction! So, I can understand if you're not a big fan of the chapter. But trust me things are going to heat up soon!

In fact, I do need some help. If you'd like, you can send me your OC's in the comments below. They'll show up as KND cadets in training in the future chapters.

Also, go ahead and make your thoughts known in comments! They always encourage me to write more ^u^

Hope you enjoyed.