What Now?, a codename: kids next door fanfic

Author's note: Hey. I'm just writing this because as of a few days ago, I was obsessed with this show. Sorry about all the characters. They might be OOC because I haven't really seen the show since I was, maybe, six or eight or so. I actually handwrote the whole thing and decided to type it up. Enjoy, read, and review!

Also, a lot of these words are not spelled incorrectly. They just are written the way the gang would pronounce them, like instead of saying "What?" Wally would say it like "Wot?"

This fanfiction is dedicated to some friends I met at camp: Ben, Keith, and Jonathan, who always knew just how to cheer me up. And just because I have friends who are boys, it doesn't mean I'm some sort of girl who just wants to get a boyfriend, okay? Yeesh, I hate stereotypes.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Codename: Kids Next Door TV show. Duh. Why do we have to do this again?

"Don't go." Abby Lincoln looked desperately at one of her closest friends, Hoagie Gilligan. "Not yet. Don't."

After Numbuh One, Nigel Uno, had been sent to Galactic Kids Next Door, Abby, Numbuh Five, was now the leader of the Kids Next Door Sector V, and of Kids Next Door as a whole, as the Supreme Leader (she only got to stay in the tree house because she hadn't wanted to leave her friends). She had to lead the rest of the group of now three other kids: Kuki Sanban, Numbuh Three, Wallabee (Wally, really) Beetles, Numbuh Four, and Hoagie Gilligan, Numbuh Two. Abby had been sector leader before, long ago, leading the same three (after Numbuh 11 and Numbuh 8a and 8b had gone, of course). But she had introduced Nigel Uno to the sector, and he became Numbuh One, new sector leader (after Abby had made a tremendous mistake). And Abby didn't mind.

But now, in a sickening twist of reality, Abby, now age twelve, two years after Nigel had left, still had to deal with an annoying Kuki Sanban and a Wally Beetles with an even worse temper than before. Nigel had kept Kuki focused and had kept Wally from exploding. But Nigel wasn't here, and Abby was completely overwhelmed.

But they had all changed, in a way. Abby was a bit more serious about Kids Next Door. It felt like just yesterday she was laid-back-and-relaxed Abby.

Kuki had changed, too. It was no longer all about Rainbow Monkeys. Now she was bent over getting Wally to notice her. It was annoying, and in their Jr. High she had was known as "The Flirt."

Wally had gone, finally, completely insane—but had gotten taller in the process.

And Hoagie had finally dropped the fat and now was as skinny as Numbuh One used to be, and he intended to keep it that way.

But yet they were still the same. Abby was still Abby, seriousness and all. She had kept her love of ice cream and still kept her floppy red cap and third-person way of speaking.

Kuki was still silly and naïve, no matter what, and Wally was still short-tempered and always loved a good fight.

And Hoagie was still as geeky as ever, still donning his aviator's cap and goggles.

"What?" Abby was suddenly pushed back into reality, looking at her friend, also twelve-year-old Hoagie. "Why do you want me to stay?"

Abby and Hoagie had been having one of their daily nighttime conversations. They did it a lot; Abby said it made her feel better. It was midnight now, probably about time for their talk to end. But for some reason, Abby wanted Hoagie to stay. "Numbuh Five say she wants to talk more. It ain't a good day fer Numbuh Five tahday."

Hoagie grinned. "Oh, yeah. Remember when Numbuh Three was…" Hoagie paused, looking at the glare on Abby's face, and he smirked. "Never mind."

"Numbuh Two, ya weird, ya know dat? Tryin' ta cheer Abby up like dat?"

Hoagie ran his hand through his reddish-brown hair absentmindedly. "Yeah, I know. In a good way, though?"

"Nah," Abby said, smirking. "In a weird way."

Hoagie said nothing, just shrugged and laughed. "I thought so."

There was a silence, and Hoagie was just trying to decide if it were friendly or awkward when Abby broke the ice. "Numbuh Five heard youse was workin' on sometin' new?"

"Yeah!" Hoagie said, suddenly up. Then he frowned. "No one was supposed to know. Who told you that?"

"Numbuh Four told Numbuh Five," Abby said, her face somber. "Before he told Abby to jump off a cliff."

There was another silence, then Hoagie said, "It was for Numbuh Three's birthday. She's turning twelve, you know."

"Numbuh Five knows," Abby said. "It's tahmorrow." Abby sat back on her bed, and Hoagie spun slowly around in her swivel desk chair.

"What are you getting her?" Hoagie's voice broke through the silence.

Abby shrugged. "Abby got her dat bracelet she wanted," she said. "Abby don't see why it's so great, dough."

Hoagie shrugged and asked, "Could I sit on the bed? This stupid chair is making my butt hurt."

Abby nodded, then grimaced. "Great pic dere, Numbuh Two. Scarred fer life."

Hoagie moved over to the bed and suddenly broke into a smile. "Remember the underwear incident? With the Delightful Children From Down The Lane?"

Abby smiled. "Baby, how could Numbuh Five ferget? Who knew Numbuh One had Rainbow Monkey undies?"

Hoagie grinned. "We had a great time, ripping their pants off, didn't we?" Hoagie stared at the ceiling. "We all had so much fun before Numbuh One left."

Abby said softly, "Numbuh Five wishes he could've stayed." At that moment, Abby put her head on Hoagie's shoulder and shut her eyes. The movement was so unexpected, Hoagie almost jumped up. He winced at the thought. Heck, it would probably give Abby a concussion.

A few moments later, Wally walked into the room. "Numbuh Five, could you help…" he was cut short when he saw Abby's head on Hoagie's shoulder. "Wot 'ave we got 'ere? Numbuh Five?"

Abby took her head off Hoagie's shoulder and said, "Numbuh Four, why ya up dis late, bro?"

Wally smirked. "Same to you and Numbuh Two 'ere."

"Really, Numbuh Four. Whatcha got?"

"Well, Miss Leader," Wally said sarcastically, "Seems Numbuh Three's birthday is tomorrow. And I just found out."

"How's dat, bro?" Abby asked, putting her head back on Hoagie's shoulder.

Wally gave an amused smirk. "Couldn't sleep, so decided to check the calendar. So now I ain't got nothing to give her."

"You never gave her anything, anyways," Hoagie said.

Wally's smirk grew. "And Loverboy speaks," he said. Then he frowned. "Really. Wot should I give her?"

"Why do you care about Numbuh Three so much, anyways?" Hoagie answered. "Well, anyways, you've got, maybe, eight hours. Good luck."

"Numbuh Two," Abby said, "Help da poor boy, wouldja?" Abby frowned, the smirked and said, "Heh. He's right. Good luck."

"Ah! Come on! You're supposed ta be my friends!" Wally cried.

"Shhh!" Abby said sharply, taking her head off of Hoagie's shoulder. "Don't wake up da birthday girl."

"Well, what do I do?" Wally asked, panicked.

Abby grinned. "We go buy your girlfriend a Rainbow Monkey."

Wally quickly declined. "She's not mah girlfriend."

"Oh?" Hoagie snickered. "I guess she still owes you a quarter, then."

Wally felt his face grow hot. "Okay, we go. Now?"

Abby leaped up. "Yeah. Now."

Hoagie got up and said, "Maybe we shouldn't…"

"Eh, don't be such a cruddy girl, Numbuh Two," Wally said. "We go."

"Hey, 'member ta bring sometin' ta pay with, Numbuh Four," Abby said. "Numbuh Five ain't payin' fer ya."

Wally dug through his pockets and dug out a ten and a five dollar bill. "Covered, 'Miss Leader.'"

"And we go."

They walked to a supermarket, on of those cheap ones that were always open. When they walked in, they got a suspicious glare from the 26-or-some lady at the cashier. "Need some help, kids?"

Abby gave her best sweet-innocent-responsible-young-adult smile. "No, thank you, ma'am." After they had walked out of earshot, when they were in the Rainbow Monkeys aisle, she groaned. "It kills Numbuh Five ta talk like dat."

Wally frowned at the long rows of colorful monkeys. "So-o-o…wot do we get her?"

Just then, a clerk walked by and asked, "Need any help?"

Abby gave the same smile. "No, thank you. We're just looking for a birthday present for my friend."

The man smiled and said, "Good luck with that, kids."

As he walked away, Abby grimaced and turned to Wally, saying, "Ya owe Numbuh Five big time."

Hoagie and Wally were studying the shelves. "Yeah, whatever," Wally said. Then he frowned. "How many cruddy Rainbow Monkeys does this stupid store have?"

Hoagie shrugged. "A lot." Then he grinned. "Maybe they sell Yipper cards!"

He started walking away until Wally grabbed him. "Oh, no. You are helping me."

"Well, Brainazoid," Abby said, walking among the colors, "Mebbe ya could've done dis earlier. You're real smart, ya know dat?" she asked sarcastically.

Wally didn't look up from the purple Rainbow Monkey he was examining. "Wotever. Hm," he said, replacing the box. "I think she's got this one."

"What about this one?" Hoagie's voice said. Wally and Abby looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Numbuh Two?" Abby's voice called. "Where are you?"

"Here!" Hoagie called from the next aisle over. He pointed at a colorful Rainbow Monkey. "Does she have this?"

Wally frowned. "Does she even like Rainbow Monkeys anymore?"

"A bit late, genius. Besides, she'd like anything if it came from you." Abby looked at the back of the box. Wally ignored her jab. "Rainbow Colors Rainbow Monkey," Abby said. "Sounds good."

"How much?" Wally asked, digging through his pockets.

"Seven ninety-nine," Hoagie said, peering over Abby's shoulder at the box.

Wally stopped for a second and said, "Aw, crud. That other store cheated me out of ten bucks." He began rooting through his pockets again, dug out a ten, and said, "Okay. Let's go pay."

At the check-out counter, there was a teenager paying for a soda. She looked about sixteen, more or less.

"Crud," Abby said suddenly. Then, softer, she added, "It's Cree."

"What's she doing here?" Hoagie asked. "It's one in the morning!"

"Same for us," Wally said.

"You two pay," Abby said, walking to the store exit. "I'll go. She won't recognize you two." Abby walked away, trying to look casual.

Wally and Hoagie waited in line. As Cree turned to leave, she looked critically at the two twelve-year-olds. A glint of recognization ran over her eyes, then it was gone as she turned away and said, "Get outta mah way, kids."

And they did. As soon as Cree was out of the store, they paid and Hoagie said, "That was close. She almost recognized us."

Wally shrugged and carried the Rainbow Monkey out to where Abby was standing in the parking lot. "Finally. I wuz waitin'."

Hoagie took her hand, and Wally said, "Whatever" as he made a face, disgusted.

As they were walking back to the tree house, Wally spotted Cree. "Get back," he warned.

But they followed her anyway. They saw Cree stealthily climb the tree house. "Hey!" Abby shouted.

Cree looked down, smirked, and climbed into a window.

"That's Numbuh Three's room!" Wally exclaimed. "We've gotta help her!" They broke into a run when they heard Kuki shriek.

"Numbuh Five!" Kuki called. Abby, Hoagie, and Wally ran into the tree house, and Wally hid the Rainbow Monkey behind the couch.

"Hurry it up dere, Numbuh Four!" Abby called, running through the rooms, looking for Kuki. Abby found her hiding in her closet.

"Git out, Numbuh Three!" Abby shouted.

Kuki had tears running down her face and a black eye. "Cree hit me," she said.

"Great ta know, sister," Abby said quickly. "Now let's git ya outta here."

Just as Kuki was getting up, Abby heard Wally shout. "We found Cree!"

They ran to the sound of the voice, Abby's room. "Cree was standing, her pistol aimed at Wally. She had another gun aimed at Hoagie. She aimed to kill. "Heh," she said. "You two from the store. Great ta see ya again." She spotted Abby and said, "Hey, Abs. Didn't recognize your friends at the store. Man, they've changed." She frowned. "But that doesn't mean I won't kill 'em."

Just then, Kuki, who had been standing behind Cree, knocked her unconscious with a book.

Wally sighed, relieved. "We owe ya one, Numbuh Three."

"Now what?" Hoagie asked.

"We tie her up, that's what," tying Cree's hands and legs, then tying her to Abby's swivel desk chair. "Numbuh Five has always wanted ta do dat," Abby said, her voice cracking a bit. "Now we wake her up and question her."

Wally grinned. "Easy." He began happily pulling on Cree's hair.

Abby sighed sadly, closed her eyes, and sat down on the bed, leaning into Hoagie, who was sitting there also.

"It's not working, Numbuh Five!" Wally tugged at Cree's hair more viciously. "Wake up, stupid! You cruddy teenager!" He kicked at the chair.

Abby sighed and looked up from Hoagie's shoulder. "Dump water on her, Numbuh Four." Then she replaced her head on Hoagie's shoulder. Hoagie tentatively put his arm around Abby's shoulders, and she didn't decline. Kuki giggled madly at them, but otherwise said nothing.

Meanwhile, Wally lugged in a bucket of water, pouring it over Cree's head.

Cree woke with a start. "Uh? I'm gonna kill 'em…" Then Cree saw that she was tied in three different ways. "What is this?!"

"My jump rope!" Kuki giggled crazily. Wally shook his head in disbelief.

"Where's Abs?" Cree asked Wally. "And why am I all wet? Darn kids…"

Wally pointed at Abby, whose head was still on Hoagie's shoulder, her eyes still closed, breathing steadily, apparently asleep. Hoagie shook her gently, and she woke up. "Whaddya want, Numbuh Two?" Abby saw Cree and said, sarcastically, "She has awakened."

Cree smirked. "You've become a bit friendly with geek-boy, haven't you?"

"That don't matter," Abby said, sitting up, her head off of Hoagie's shoulder. "What ya doin' here, Cree?"

Cree looked over. "One," she said, struggling to get out of her bonds, "to wish the birthday girl a happy birthday." She smirked. "A black eye really is a great birthday present." Cree strained a bit more. "Two," she said finally, "to finally eliminate the Kids Next Door, starting with Sector V."

"Alone?" Abby asked.

"No," Cree said, as if disbelieving. "Do you think the Teen Ninjas are really that stupid? No, with my friend here, Chad."

The former Kids Next Door operative had silently captured Kuki and was holding a gun to her head. "Anyone moves," he said, "and Numbuh Three dies."

Luckily, this time, it was Wally who had been overlooked. He stepped forward from behind Chad and knocked him unconscious. The gun fell from Chad's hands, and Wally scooped it up while Cree was staring at them, unbelieving.

"How do you kids do that?" Cree asked.

"Now wot?" Wally asked, tying up Chad's hands and feet together with more of Kuki's glittery jump ropes, then playing a bit with the gun in his hands.

Abby shrugged, knocked the gun out of Wally's hands, shaking her head, then said, "Now we send 'em ta decommissionin'."

Hoagie smiled sadly. "Sorta sad to see the legendary Numbuhs Eleven and 274 go."

Abby shrugged again and said, "Numbuh Five say she ain't gonna deliver 'em, dough."

Kuki yawned and rubbed at her eyes with her too-long sleeves. "I'm going back to bed," she said.

"Call up Numbuh 86," Wally said, yawning, "and ask her to come."

"Numbuh Five don't tink she'll be happy 'bout that," Abby said. But it was too late. Wally had gone back to his room.

Abby had been right. Numbuh 86, the Global Tactical Commander and the head of the decommissioning squad, had not been happy to be waken up at two in the morning to pick up a couple of teenagers. "Stupid!" she had said, as she was leaving. "You were very stupid."

Pretty soon, there was only Abby and Hoagie left. "See you tomorrow, Numbuh Five," Hoagie said.

Abby nodded. "Tahmorrow."

And Hoagie left silently and left Abby alone to mourn for her sister in peace.

"It's my birthday!" Abby woke up to the sound of Kuki running through the tree house, squealing. "It's my birthday!"

Abby groaned and looked at the clock. It was nine in the morning, and Abby got up, changed from her pajamas to her typical clothes, and grabbed Kuki's present from her closet. It was wrapped in Rainbow Monkey wrapping paper.

As Abby walked out of her room, she saw Hoagie come out with a little gift bag. It had Rainbow Monkeys on it, dancing happily. Abby laughed. "Did everyone have da same packaging idea?" she asked.

Just then, Wally came out from one of the rooms between Abby's and Hoagie's. "Yeah," he said, looking down at his own Rainbow Monkeys packaging. On it were Rainbow Monkeys cheerfully jumping up and down.

"She'll have a really hoppy birthday," Hoagie joked.

Abby groaned, then said, "I'm surprised ya actually wrapped the thing, Numbuh Four," she said. "And not just in newspapah."

Wally blushed, and they all walked downstairs and handed their presents to Kuki.

She opened Wally's first. "Ooooh! Numbuh Four! How thoughtful!" she said giggling and giving him a hug.

Hoagie's present was next. It was a fountain pen. Kuki looked at it and said, "What is it?"

Hoagie took the pen and said, "This is a camera, gum dispenser, and pen. I've been working on it."

Kuki giggled at the funny contraption and took a few pictures. Then she opened up Abby's present, the bracelet. It was silver and had her name etched onto the beads. Roses spindled around the rest. "Oooh, Numbuh Five!" she cried, giving Abby a friendly hug and slipping on the bracelet. "It's so beautiful!" she giggled.

After that, it was cake. It was strawberry ice cream cake, and it said, in icing the same color as Numbuh Three's sweatshirt, "Happy Birthday, Numbuh Three!" Under the words were some Rainbow Monkeys dancing and hopping around happily in a ring-around-the-rosie type of thing. They sang Happy Birthday, even Wally, and Kuki blew out her candles. Numbuh Five cut the cake, and they ate it.

After that, they watched a movie. Kuki and Wally were relaxing in some beanbag chairs, and Abby and Hoagie were cuddling on the couch.

After the movie, though, Abby got up and said, "Numbuh Five's been robbed. Abby wants her money back."

"That movie sucked," Wally agreed.

"I liked it," Kuki said, giggling and flirting around with Wally. "I thought it was sweet."

"It was stupid," Hoagie said, grinning. "Nothing in it."

"It wuz a rip-off," Abby agreed. "Worst movie Numbuh Five has evah seen."

"I still thought it was sweet!" Kuki squealed.

"Aw, ta heck wit cruddy romances," Wally said. "Next time, Numbuh Five, rent us sometin' wit more fightin'."

"Yeah. Or something set in space," Hoagie added.

"Ya guys are so predictable, ya know dat?" Abby asked.

Kuki giggled happily. "So are so, silly!"

Wally smirked. "And so are you."

Kuki just giggled madly.

Abby and Hoagie watched the flirting session go on for a moment, then Abby said, "Numbuh Five ain't gonna look at dis no more." She got up from the armchair she had moved to after she got up off the couch, and Hoagie followed.

As it came, them leaving to avoid flirting was like Charlie Brown trick-or-treating and actually still expecting to get candy, because a few minutes later, Wally and Kuki found them making out in the middle of the kitchen. (A/N: It is now quite common to see twelve and even eleven year old kids making out with each other.) How they got to that, no one knows.

Kuki stood in the doorway giggling, and Wally said, disgustedly, "Get a room!"

Abby and Hoagie finally stopped their strange brain-sucking, and Hoagie said, hurriedly, "I need to go invent—something. Uh…see you later, Numbuh Five. You too, Numbuh Four. And, uh…you, Numbuh Three."

Kuki was still giggling when Hoagie left.

"Wot was that all about?" Wally turned to ask Abby, but she was gone. "Wotevah."

And he and Kuki had a little couple-fest of their own.

It was the day before Abigail Lincoln's thirteenth birthday. She was to be decommissioned the next morning. The Sector had all had cake and ice cream. But no one was really extremely cheerful. Not even Kuki.

Abby, Hoagie, Wally, and Kuki were in Abby's room.

"We'll miss you, Numbuh Five!" Kuki said. "I'll give you my Moved-Away Rainbow Monkey!"

Wally smirked. "She's not moving away."

Kuki giggled and clapped her cheerleader pompoms together. She was the only 7th-grade cheerleader in the whole junior high. Heck, she started cheerleading at the junior high. "I know, silly!" she laughed.

"Will we forget?" The question came from Hoagie. Tears ran down his face.

When no one answered, he said, "We will, won't we?" He wiped his eyes and continued. "We'll forget each other. All that we've been through, everything we've ever done together. Just…gone."

There was an awkward silence that no one could really understand.

Then Abby said, "We was all decommissioned before. Didn't we remembah?"

Wally smirked. "Do ya tink we would all remembah?"

Abby just sighed and leaned sadly against the headboard of her bed. Hoagie moved over onto the bed, and she shifted to lean into him.

There was another silence, then Abby chuckled sadly and said, "Cree ran away. Numbuh Five ain't gonna run."

Hoagie put his arm around Abby's shoulders. They were both used to the movement by now. Abby's head went onto Hoagie's shoulder, and Kuki and Wally watched on awkwardly.

"Oh!" Kuki jumped up. "I've got cheer practice!" She dragged Wally with her out the door.

Abby sighed. "That girl got ta figure out he only goes ta look at girls."

There was an awkward silence, then Hoagie asked, "How's Cree doing?"

Hoagie saw Abby cringed. He still didn't know why she did that.

Abby answered, "Bettah. She now remembahs her name."

There had been a problem with the decommissioning, and Cree was now in the hospital with amnesia and a brain freeze. No one knew how that had happened, not even Numbuh 86, or Abby, the Supreme Commander herself.

"You're a week aftah me." Abby's voice rung through the silence. "Your birthday. Aftah mine."

"I'll miss you, Numbuh Five." He paused and said, "I'll try to remember you."

Abby smiled. "Ya, too, Numbuh Two."

They kissed, and Hoagie said, "I'll miss that."

Abby sighed. "Numbuh Five hopes we remembah."

Hoagie and Abby actually sat and talked until midnight. Five hours they sat and talked.

And made out with each other.

At midnight, Hoagie left, and Abby laid on her bed to tough it out alone.

The next morning, when they woke up, Abby was gone. She had been decommissioned at two in the morning just because she didn't want to say goodbye.

There were notes on everyone's desk. Kuki woke up first, at seven in the morning, because it was Saturday morning cheer practice. She woke up and began humming cheerfully, digging through her closet for her cheerleader outfit. After she put it on, she grabbed her pompoms from her desk. A piece of folded notebook paper was sitting on the desk, where the pompoms had been. She opened it, and it read:

Deah Numbuh Three,

Ya've always been a great girl. Try ta be a bit less silly and more…normal. Numbuh Five won't ask ya ta be serious, cuz she knows ya can't. Othahwise, you're not bad. Numbuh Five'll miss ya.

Rainbow Monkey Powah,

Numbuh Five, now permanently Abigail Lincoln

P.S. Numbuh Four thinks ya're hawt.

Kuki looked at the note and burst into tears.

Wally woke up next. He really woke up early on Saturday mornings to see the cheerleaders practice. They were hot. Especially Kuki.

Wally threw some stuff onto his desk, and he heard a fluttering of paper. He picked it up. He would have no problem reading it. He had finally learned to read in the sixth grade. The paper said:

Deah Numbuh Four,

Sorry Numbuh Five had ta leave so soon. She didn't want ta say goodbye. You know her. She and you are like—brothah and sistah or sometin'. Numbuh Five'll miss ya.

Like a sis,

Numbuh Five, now permanently Abigail Lincoln

Wally looked at the note. He swallowed. Then he swallowed again. And again.

He couldn't hold it back any longer.

The tears ran down his face.

Hoagie woke up at nine. He had no plans for Saturday, now that Abby had gone.

He sat at his desk, looking through his invention plans, and saw an unfamiliar scrap of paper, folded in half. He picked it up and unfolded it. It said:

Deah Numbuh Two:

Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Numbuh Five loves ya so much. She doesn't wanna leave ya. But she has ta.

Numbuh Five loves ya. She misses ya already, jest writin' dis. She loves ya.

Numbuh Five will miss ya all so much. She loves ya the most evah.

Love,

Numbuh Five, now permanently Abigail Lincoln

Hoagie read the note and let out a wavering sigh. The tears ran down his cheeks.

"Hi, we're here to visit Abby!" Kuki's cheerful voice rang happily.

Abby's mother smiled. "Oh, yes. Abby stays over at your homes so much."

The three preteens shifted uncomfortably, and Abby's mother said, "Come on in. She's in her room."

Abby was in her room, reading. "Hi," Abby said. "Who are you…?"

"Crud!" Wally shouted. "Ya see? She dudn't remembah us!"

"I brought a scrapbook just in case," Hoagie said. "It's got all of us in it. Even Nigel." It was weird calling everyone by first name, but they could get used to it. He handed Abby the scrapbook, who opened it and peered curiously at the pictures.

The first picture was of the four of them, and Nigel was there, too. They were ten-year-olds, and they were all happy. Of course, Wally just had to make funny faces at the camera, and the rest of them were laughing hysterically.

Abby opened her mouth a bit, as if to say something, then closed it.

The next picture was of Hoagie and Abby making out in the middle of the kitchen one day. Wally had taken the picture as a joke, and then had stuck it into the scrapbook. It didn't help that he had messily scrawled under the picture, in handwriting that could only be his, in spelling that could only be his, the words "Wuz Abby bettre dan Cree?"

Hoagie, at the sight of the caption, blushed furiously. "Remember now?" he asked.

Abby smiled. "Shure. Abby always remembahed who ya all was. She was jest messin' with yer heads." Then she frowned. "Bet where were dose pictures taken?"

"Eh, nowhere," Wally said. "Just a place we use ta hang out." Everyone was surprised that Wally was actually smart enough to cover up the secret of KND.

"Oh," Abby said, shrugging. "'Kay." She leaned over and kissed Hoagie. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he said, leaning back on her bed. "Remember yesterday?"

Abby leaned against him. "No," she said. "Actually, everything before dis mornin' is real fuzzy."

"Hmmm," Kuki said cheerfully. "Okay!" She looked down at the alarm clock on Abby's nightstand. "Cheer practice is now!" Kuki ran out, with Wally following close behind.

Hoagie stood up. "I have to go. I promised to play with Tommy today. He wants me to play Monopoly with him." Hoagie smirked. "I think that's where the word monotony came from." Abby and Hoagie hugged and had a whole mushy scene.

Then Abby said, "Do ya tink Tommy would mind if Abby came? He remembahs Numbuh Five, right?" She paused, then said, "Why did Abby call herself Numbuh Five?"

Hoagie laughed uncomfortably and said nothing.

In the end, Abby did end up going—just to see Tommy act like a real idiot.

"Hey, Numbuh F—I mean, Abby, could you pass me the dice?" he would say. Or "Oh, Num—eh, I mean, Abby, I bought Reading Railroad. Could you hand over the deed?"

Hoagie shot glares at him the whole time, and Abby sat with a confused expression plastered on her face.

When she left, Hoagie turned to his brother. "You are such an idiot."

The now ten-year-old smirked. "I know."

It was Hoagie's night, the night before his thirteenth birthday. They went through the same thing they went through with Abby—except without Abby.

That night, at about three in the morning, he decided to do what Abby did—write notes to the rest, and leave in the middle of the night.

It didn't take long. For Wally he wrote:

Hey Numbuh Four,

I decided to do the same thing Numbuh Five did. I'll miss you. We had always been best friends, ever since you moved to Virginia. I helped Numbuh One save you from those bullies, remember?

You'd better learn not to blow too much stuff up. Ha.

Your Friend,

Numbuh Two

P.S. Kuki likes you.

When Hoagie finished with that note, he started on Kuki's. He wrote:

Hey Kuki,

We've known each other since you moved to Virginia. I helped you with getting to know more people, remember? I introduced you to Numbuh One and Four and Five. You sat behind me in first grade.

I'll miss you and Wally. You guys were such great friends.

Your Friend,

Numbuh Two

P.S. Wally thinks you're hot.

Hoagie took the notes and snuck first into Wally's room. He had learned to be stealthy over the years.

But Wally was quicker. He shot out of his bed, stood up, and said, "I should've known ya'd try ta sneak out like Numbuh Five did." He sighed. "I'm not lettin' ya by. G'bye, ole' mate."

"Goodbye," Hoagie said sadly. "I'll leave this here for you anyway. Read it tomorrow." He paused. "Is Numbuh Three awake?"

Wally smirked. "It was her idea to stay awake all night in the first place. She's not a complete airhead, ya know."

Hoagie grinned. "I know."

Kuki heard a sound. Someone was opening her door. She sat up in her bed cheerfully. "Hello Numbuh Two!"

Hoagie laughed. "Hi. Read this in the morning, okay?" He handed her the note.

To keep from being sad, Kuki played dumb and cheerful. She always acted like an airhead to keep from feeling depressed whenever she was down. "But where will you be tomorrow?"

"Gone," Hoagie said. "Goodbye."

"Bye!" Kuki shrieked happily. She watched as Hoagie walked out and closed the door. Quietly, she said, after the door was shut, sadly, "Bye."

Hoagie was gone. Abby was gone. Wally and Kuki were all alone. They spent their time talking. They didn't go on missions. They couldn't handle it.

Rachel, Numbuh 362, had offered them temporary leave to get them out of their misery for a while. But they said no; Wally couldn't handle not having stuff to blow up or punch.

They did finally get together as boyfriend and girlfriend, but a few months later, Wally was decommissioned.

And Kuki was all alone.

Kuki couldn't be cheerful anymore. It was too impossible. Everyone was gone. She couldn't hide her sadness with dumbness now. It was useless. There was nobody. She couldn't confide in her Rainbow Monkeys anymore. She had outgrown them.

Instead, she confided in her diary. She wrote, one day, when she was feeling particularly lonely:

I'm sad. Everyone is gone. Abby, my best friend: Decommissioned about a half-year ago. Hoagie, who could always cheer everyone up with his really old jokes, was like a week after that.

And Wally, who I really, really, really liked, is now gone. We can't hang out with each other anymore. Only the decommissioned people can hang with each other. When Abby was decommissioned, we tried hanging out, but it was hard. So now, the three of them can all hang out together. But I'm alone.

There's a week left until my own thirteenth birthday. But no one to celebrate with except for Mushi and her idiotic boyfriend King Sandy. He's not even a king. I realize it now. He's just a little kid who's stuck in his own imagination.

Maybe we'll get recommissioned if we all get into the TND, which I don't think will happen. There are rumors that it will, though. All I can do is hope.

Love,

Kuki

It was Kuki's turn for decommissioning. And she had to go through it alone. She thought it was horrible.

Which, of course, it was.

She stepped into the decommissioning chamber.

Numbuh 83, ten-year-old Sonya, was the new Supreme Commander after Abigail Lincoln had been decommissioned—and she had to get to decommissioning chamber two, fast.

Kuki Sanban was about to be decommissioned. She couldn't let that happen.

Sonya's best friend, Lee, was running beside her. He was faster and got to the chamber first, stopping the Head of Decommissioning from decommissioning Kuki.

"Thanks, Lee," Sonya said, skidding to a stop in front of the chamber. A dazed Kuki stepped out.

"Sorry, Numbuh Three!" Sonya said. "But you're not supposed to be decommissioned!"

"But why not?" Kuki demanded.

"Because you and the rest of Sector V are going into the Teens Next Door," Sonya said, looking down at her clipboard. "Your friends right now are being recommissioned."

"Cool," Lee said simply, playing around happily with his yo-yo.

Kuki squealed happily, a bit more of her old silly nature coming back. "All of Sector V?"

Sonya smiled. "All."

"Thank you, Supreme Commander Numbuh 83 sir!" Kuki said in one breath.

"It's not me," Sonya said innocently, like the little kid she always was. "It's the Supreme Commander of the TND—Rachel McKenzie."

Kuki gasped happily. "Numbuh 362?"

Sonya said, "Yes, but Rachel now. They go by name as teens," she explained.

"Cool," Lee said again, his eyes sparkling under his ushanka as the rest of the former Sector V came in.

Abby saluted at Sonya as she came in, and Wally and Hoagie happily followed suit. "Hello Kids Next Door Supreme Commandah Sir!" Abby said happily in one breath. "The formah Sector V ready to go inta da TND!"

Kuki squealed and gave Abby a fierce hug.

They all smiled contentedly.

They were ready.

They had a treehouse in the TND, too—actually, the same one they had when they were in the KND. The new KND Sector V would have another treehouse at their Sector Leader's home.

"Those kids who replaced us are a bunch of twerps," Wally said, smirking.

"Now, be nice!" Kuki said, her cheerful sadness-covering self back. "They're not that bad!"

"Not that bad!" Wally stood up off the armchair he was sitting on. "They're little freaks!" They're worse than that Numbuh 363, the little buck-toothed jerk."

"Aw, Wally," Abby said, sitting on the couch with Hoagie, "Come on. Abby don't believe it could be dat bad."

"They are!" Wally persuaded. "They're a bunch of annoying little jerks."

"That really isn't nice," Hoagie said, thinking. "We were seven once, too, you know, Wally."

"But they're…uh…UH!" Wally shouted, throwing his hands up.

"They're uh?" Hoagie asked, receiving a smack with Abby's cap. "Ow! What'd I do this time?"

"They're not 'uh,' you idiot!" Abby said, laughing and placing her head on Hoagie's shoulder.

Kuki giggled. "He's just mad!"

"I knew that," Hoagie said, annoyed.

"Well, those kids shouldn't be in the KND at all!" Wally said, fuming. "They don't even know how ta pilot a SCAMPER!"

"They could always walk," Hoagie offered.

"Not ta the Moonbase they can't," Wally argued.

"Will everybody just shut up?" Abby asked. "Abby's gettin' annoyed from all da arguin'."

Kuki was trying to play paddleball. The rubber ball went up, down, up, down. Then she missed, and started to cry.

Wally started. "Aw, Kuki, come on…" He patted her awkwardly on the back. "It's just a paddleball…"

She stopped crying and giggled. The little kid in her said, "Let's clap, Abby!"

Abby sighed. "Kuki, you're thirteen. Really."

Kuki just pouted. Abby sighed and said, "Fine. Abby'll clap."

Kuki let out a cheerful squeal, and started clapping with Abby. "Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black…"

Abby just kept mouthing "Help me" towards Hoagie, who shook his head no. He enjoyed watching the two doing something Kuki herself liked. It was entertaining.

After maybe thirty seconds, Abby was about to be driven insane.

Kuki giggled. "She asked her mother, mother, mother, for fifty cents, cents, cents…"

"Girl, Abby say we stop now." Abby was going nuts.

"But why?" Kuki asked, her giggling stopping.

"Because Abby don't wanna play anymore."

"Why?" Kuki was back on the verge of tears.

"Kuki," Wally whined.

"Abby—" Hoagie started.

"I'm sick 'n tired of your little kid games!" Abby shouted. "We're not kids anymore, Kuki!"

Kuki ran off to her room in tears. "Kuki…" Wally ran after her.

Hoagie looked straight at Abby, as if he were reading her like a book. "You don't feel like you can handle being leader, can you?"

Abby was shaking. She had always hated being under pressure. She had hidden it before. Now she had just snapped. "No," she lied.

Hoagie wrapped Abby up in a hug. "Really."

Abby sighed. "No," she said. "I—Abby—I—can't handle it. You were right ta like Cree bettah than her—me."

"Wow. It's not like you to get emotional, Abby. It's like me actually telling a good joke. Like my negative counterpart or something." Hoagie chuckled.

"Wuz that supposed ta be a joke, Hoagie?" Abby asked, her head buried in his chest.

Hoagie shrugged. "I don't know." He looked down at Abby. "Was it?"

"No." Abby wrapped her arms around Hoagie's chest. "But dat's okay. Ya know, Hoagie, sometimes you ain't that bad."

"I know."

Yes, I do know Numbuh 274 (Or Chad…) was really helping the KND all along, okay? I just wanted another someone for Numbuh Four to tie up. And so the Teen Ninjas wouldn't look so incredibly stupid for only sending one person to Sector V.

Review, please. It makes a starving author like me happy.

If you want me to continue, send me a PM or put it in a review. I'll continue if you want.