Operation: C.L.O.S.E.T

Full Summary

Hoagie and Fanny are unexpectedly locked in the janitor's closet overnight. Though they may have no escape until school starting the next morning, it doesn't stop the raging wars. But Hoagie experiences a tale of another kind of war, one effecting Fanny in more ways than one…

'As I sat at my desk, analyzing the pinkeye incident for the bumillionth time, I couldn't help but wonder; why didn't the bin incident "dump" my mood?'

Hoagie grinned at his mindset joke. It was a personal favourite to him, and yet his friends didn't see eye-to-eye…

"You're in here, AGAIN?!?" Came an all too familiar voice to the stocky boy. A voice of pure venom for the male population, and of pure dominance. Fanny took a step in, her ocean green eyes narrowed in a sour manner, her hands placed heavily upon her hips. "SO, when are you planning to grow up?"

Hoagie's eyebrows curved angrily, slowly knitting towards one another. "When you get a personality."

Fanny's eyes burned with anger, her blood curdling as she slapped her upon the desk and bore holes through her inferior with a death stare. "Fighting words Gilligan, but you just made the biggest mistake of your life!"

Her green nailed fingers firmly grasped upon the blue fabric of the boy's freshly cleaned shirt. He was effortlessly dragged over the desk; his fingernails chipping as they were dragged through the jarrah as a result of a pathetic attempt to protest against her actions.

"Ah, the joy of de ja vu." He merely stated with a mumble, before his face became engulfed in paper.

"Well, you obviously didn't learn the first time!" the red head's words frozen as they seeped from her pouty lips, and sending an unpleasant chill down his spine. A sneer formed upon her already sour face as he pulled his head from the bin.

"And you know why?" His eyes dangerously formed an expression of seduction, and he pushed his limitations as he pressed his nose right up against hers. "Because your 'bad girl' attitude makes you so much more attractive to me."

Her eyes bore images of flames, her face flushed to that of her hair, and formed a look of repulsion. Not a word was spoken, and silence surrounded them after a heart wrenching sound of flesh slapping flesh.

Neither said a word, though all was said through the eyes of a now shocked decommissioner. Her hand inches from his face, his arm preventing contact. He knew he had gone too far, and that she was about to go down that same path. Her hand was retracted shamefully, her gaze turned away from him. She expected a rant of some sort, or expected another brawl. But what was said next seemed almost maniacal to her.

"I was hoping you'd try that." His expression was that of a triumphant one.

"What?" Her attention back upon him, her expression however didn't seem so impressed.

"Well, I have been taking lessons in defense, and I knew you'd be the only one to dare lay a finger on me, so…"

Once again, his shirt crumpled, his face dangerously close to hers once again.

"I don't know about you, I recon you deserve to be…" Her voice cut short by a light clicking of a lock. Her fingers decreased their firmness upon the fabric and allowing it to slide through. Her head snapped in the direction to the door, now sealed against the metallic doorframe.

"He didn't." She whispered openly, grasping the knob and innocently turning it until the lock forced it to stop. She tried harder and faster, but to the same fate. Now she continually tried vigorously, but only to be sadly disappointed.

"Great, thanks to you we're stuck here for the night!"

"Thanks to me?" He shot back angrily. "I wasn't the one who was beating the other person up instead of doing what I was supposed to do instead!" He thought for a moment. "So, why were you in here anyway?"

"Well, because someone said you were in here." She stated flatly, sitting down and folding her arms.

"Yeah, but why were you looking for me?"

"Well, I…. because, well…. I-its for work purposes."

He smirked at her pathetic lie. "I knew you wanted to see me last time for another reason. So, what's the real reason for now?"

She looked away. "Ok, I was looking for you because I know you like hiding out here. I needed to hide away for a bit."

"But why? It's not like your life is bad or anything." He said casually, shrugging his shoulders.

She seemed almost offended by his comment. "You don't know what its like to be in my shoes, what its like to be a decommissioner!"

He cringed at her tone, but decided to try and talk it over calmly. He went under his desk, and pulled out a crate of soda. He took one out, and handed it to her. She looked at it for a few seconds, then took it gratefully. Hoagie sat down opposite her, and popped his bottle open. "Well, why don't you tell me what its like then?"

She shook her head. "I wouldn't want to dump it on you, you probably wouldn't understand."

"Try me." He merely stated. "Come on, we've got the whole night to survive each other. If it's because you're embarrassed…"

"It's not that…" She replied quietly.

"Well, what is it then?" He watched her sip some soda quietly. "I can't help if you wont tell me what's wrong."

She looked at him, and hung her head while nodding. "I don't know…"

"Well, why don't we talk about something else until you're comfortable then?"

She looked at him in a way he had only seen once from her. "You really want to help?"

"Well yeah, if I can." He shrugged casually. "But I can wait if you're not comfortable at this time."

She nodded, and they drank in silence.

$--------$

Hoagie checked his watch to see the illuminated lights reading 11:30 pm. Due to his drinking marathon of devouring at least eight bottles of soda; he was almost energetic enough to bounce off the walls. His closet partner on the other hand, seemed a little drunk on pop. Her gaze was glazed, and staring at a certain spot on the floor.

"You alright?" He asked, watching her head slowly nodding. He scooted in a little closer, and occupied the space she was staring at with his face. She looked at him, and nodded with a weak smile.

"Do you know what its like to do my job?" She started, her mouth twitching into a smile every now and again. "You know what its like, to endure the suffering and torture of watching an actual decommission? You know what its like, seeing as these kids go in and get the memory wiped from their brains, and seeing me at the end? I always think as it starts, that the only memory they'll have is me staring down on them. A cold, heartless maniac watching as everything good about the Kids Next Door is taken from them. And when it's all over, they see that same person standing before them."

She snorted a little, then continued. "Sure, I laugh sometimes at a certain few. Heck, I laughed at yours, but you know why?" He shook his head in concern, and she snorted again. "It's because I'm scared. Yeah, I'm actually afraid of my job. Can you believe it?"

She began giggling for a while, then her face slowly moved to sadness. She tried hiding her sorrow with her giggling, but the tears started. "But do you know what's even worse than that? When your friend is the one behind that plunger. When they're strapped to that chair, begging for mercy. And once it's done, they don't remember why they were screaming. They don't even remember who you are, and leave as if there was a mistake or something." She couldn't hold it in any longer, and let the tears flow freely. "But the best bit is…I wont have to do you guys. I'll be gone long before that."

She placed a hand over her mouth, and cried her eyes out. Hoagie moved over to sit by her side, and rubbed her arm. "It's ok, let it all out."

She settled down after a while, and wiped her tears. "I'm sorry, I've never told anyone about this before."

"Well, I can see why. They wouldn't understand." He said softly. "But I do."

"But you know what's scary about this whole thing? I've learnt to be this way. I'm a monster." She bought her knees up, and put her head in her knees.

"You're not a monster, you're just doing a job." Hoagie reassured her, caressing her back. "I can't relate to how you feel, but I am concerned about it."

She looked up, her eyelashes stained with tears. "Why do you care about my feelings anyway?"

Hoagie sighed, and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Because I've known you for a long time, and I see a different side to you."

"A different side? I don't show a different side!"

"Yes you do. You know what I see? I see the girl who was too shy to ask people to hang out with her. The girl who would come to aid if need be. The girl who thought she didn't have many friends, until she fell off the jungle gym. The girl who laughed at my lame jokes." He smiled, and could tell it was making her slowly smile too. "And every time I see you, I see the girl you still are. The girl that's trying to break through this mask you've made. I know you're not cold, and you'd never be heartless."

"A mask?" She pondered for a moment. "I guess you're right. But it takes coldness to lock everyone out. I figured if I didn't get too attached to anyone, then I wouldn't have strong feelings about decommissioning them. If I had no friends, then I' have no shame or hurt from it."

"I know your job is very hard, but it doesn't mean you still can't have friends." Hoagie explained. "Look, this may not make much sense, but when you decommissioned me, I still had a feeling that I was close to my teammates, but I wasn't sure how or why. The feelings were still there, it was just the reason that wasn't. And locking everyone out isn't the way to go. Maybe you should give people a go instead of pushing them away."

"I guess so, but wouldn't it seem weird that I just suddenly change my attitude?"

"Not if you want to change. People who change just because don't seem sincere about their decision. Yet someone who truly wants to, people will see that in them."

Fanny looked down at her feet. "So, you talking to me now means you're giving me a chance? Even after all I've done to you?"

"Because I know this isn't the real you. But, the bad girl attitude is still a good trait to have." He gave her a wink, and it made her smile.

"You know what?" She said after a moment's silence. "I'm going to try and be the girl I used to know too. I know if I become stronger in myself, I'll be able to overcome my job."

"Or you could quit your job and join a Sector?" Hoagie suggested. "Or find another job on the Moon Base. You don't need to keep this job."

"I don't know…" She said, analyzing the possibilities.

"Look, why don't you just think about it." Hoagie suggested, looking at his watch. They had been talking for a while now, to be exact five hours. He was getting tired now, as the soda rush was leaving him. He felt a weight upon his side, and saw Fanny had fallen asleep upon his shoulder. He smiled, as she seemed to try and snuggle in, and gently rested his head upon hers. His eyelids became heavily, and he slowly drifted to sleep.

$------$

There was a beeping of an alarm, and Hoagie stirred from his slumber. He looked around with lazy eyes still intoxicated from sleep, and stopped his watch. He looked to see Fanny was still asleep, so he didn't dare move. He looked around for a bit, analyzing last night's events. He now understood her sudden harsh nature, and knew that she could change if she put her mind to it. He felt her stir, and she blinked a few times as she lifted her head. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and gave him a little smile.

"Have a good sleep?" He asked, now stretching out freely. She nodded and unexpectedly gave him a brief hug.

"What's this?" He enquired, wrapping his arms around her. She smiled, and pecked him on the cheek.

"Saying thank you." She replied, letting go and stretching out. "For last night."

"Hey, no sweat." He looked around for a moment, and a smile crept on his face. "So, we friends?"

She smirked. "Are you kidding? I'm starting slowly." She leant in dangerously close. "And you're not the first person on my list I'm afraid."

"Oh really? Is that so?" He pushed her against the wall gently, and a smirk plastered his face. "Where am I then?"

She playfully struggled in his grasp. "About the bottom, on the next page."

He looked at her for a few moments, and slowly leant in. She watched him curiously, and slowly followed suit. Their lips met in the middle, slowly intertwining with each other. They kept it going for a few seconds more, and didn't notice the lock clicking.

"Fanny and Hoagie sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Came a familiar voice. Hoagie sat up, and frowned at the person in the doorway.

"Numbuh 5, that's not funny." He said, getting up and helping Fanny up. "And since when do you open the Janitor's closet anyway?"

"When Numbuh 5 need paper towels for the girl's bathroom. And because her friend didn't come home last night, that's why. So, what's the deal here?"

"There is no deal." Fanny stated flatly, shoving past both of them and walking down the corridor. Hoagie saw Abby mutter something about her being a nasty little girl as she got what she needed, but Hoagie smiled as he watched her walk down that corridor. As she got closer to the light illuminating from the door and surrounding her figure, he knew she was already one step to changing back to that little girl he always knew.