Title: Memory

Rated K+

Summary: She had been told that a memory could last a life time in the same way a friendship could last forever Number 11 of the 100 Theme Challenge.

Disclaimer: I don't own KND

A/N: Hello everyone! Here's another 100TC one-shot of mine that I came up with today. I was playing around with years and ages in this one so if someone spots a mistake, feel free to tell me about it. Also, this is a post INTERVIEW one-shot so I'm going by INTERVIEW's plotline for once. For more information on the 100 theme challenge please contact either me, Numbuh 212 or Super Readers for details.

"Oh, let me see!" Kuki squealed with delight as her three best friends pulled out what appeared to be a heavy cylinder container. The young Japanese girl jumped up and down in her spot as she anxiously awaited for it to be opened. "Relax, Kuki." Abigail Lincoln, or Abby, commented after catching her breath for the cylinder container she just helped pull out had been twice her weight. "It's not like it's goin' anywhere. Besides, we've waited five years to open this. Numbuh 5 thinks we can wait a few more seconds."

"What did we put in there?" Hoagie asked in awe as he collapsed next to cylinder.

"If you guys don't get off your lazy butts, we won't find out!" Kuki complained impatiently. Beside her, Wally rolled his eyes. "Let's just open up the cruddy time capsule already so we can go back inside. I don't want to waste my whole Friday night out here."

It had been Abby's idea to dig up their three year-old time capsule so, with a smirk, she obliged and yanked off the clasp that was keeping the cylinder shut. A cloud of dust puffed into her face and she stumbled back, coughing. "Come on, this stuff isn't that old!" Abby grumbled as Hoagie helped her regain balance. "Yay, it's open!" Her best friend cheered as she knelt down beside the capsule to inspect the items. Wally and Hoagie joined her, kneeling down on both her left and right side.

"Aw, I remember you!" Kuki exclaimed with a grin. Abby glanced over as Kuki hugged a somewhat old Rainbow Monkey. She chuckled. "Hard to believe that you actually gave up one of your old Rainbow Monkey for this thing girl." Kuki giggled as she clutched the brown and grey stuffed animal even tighter. "It was meant for this silly. This is a 'Bury Me Now, Dig Me Up Later Special Edition Time Capsule Rainbow Monkey'! It was the only one they had in the store back then!" Wally winced in disgust. "Ugh, figures."

"Hey, so this was what making this thing so heavy." Hoagie declared, pulling out a rusted contraption.

"It looks like primitive 2x4 technology." Abby observed.

"That's because it is primitive 2x4 technology." Hoagie told her with a grin. "Wow, this baby was one of my first real weapon designs. I forgot that I had even put it in here!"

"What did I put in there?" Wally demanded with a bored tone in his voice. Kuki set her Rainbow Monkey aside as she glanced through the capsule once more. She giggled as she pulled out an item that resembled a worn out teddy bear. Wally blushed a brilliant red as Hoagie and Abby snickered. "Aw, come on guys," he stuttered, snatching the bear away from Kuki. "You know I didn't put that in there . . ."

"Uh huh, sure." Abby retorted sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Wally frowned in protest. "Seriously guys!" He whined. "This must be yours Kuki."

"Even though it's adorable that teddy bear isn't mine." Kuki said with a giggle. "My initials aren't W.B silly."

"Oh shut up." Wally snapped at his two best friends who had now erupted into a fit of giggles.

Abby smiled as she collected herself. It was fun going through things that she and her friends buried in past years. The time capsule itself wasn't supposed to be open for another two years, before her thirteenth birthday. The only reason she had suggested this activity the first place had been because of the mood everyone had been in as of late. With Nigel gone, the team seemed broken. It was making Abby sick inside to see everyone sulking. Sure she missed her best friend too. In fact, Abby was certain she had missed him more than all of her teammates combined. It still killed her to see her friends so miserable looking though and as the new leader of Sector V she came up with this solution. Her idea had made Kuki really smile for the first time in over a week and Hoagie and Wally both agreed it would be fun to go through old memories. So, there they were, happily poking through memories from their first days as a real Sector.

"Hey, Numbuh 5, what did you put in the time capsule?" Hoagie asked after his own fit of giggles ended. The question made Abby blink. What had she put in the time capsule? It amazed her that she still remembered that it was still out here in the first place. Curious, she bent over to look inside. Only two items were left: a photograph with a letter attached and two movie ticket stubs.

"You put ticket stubs in the capsule?" Hoagie asked, raising his eyebrow. "Weren't we all too young to go to the movies back then by ourselves?" Abby nodded as she picked the stubs up and observed them. "I remember these. Cree had taken Numbuh 1 and me to this movie," She paused when she noticed the skeptic looks on her friend's faces. "Ya know, before she turned all evil and stuff."
"That was nice." Kuki commented with a small smile. Abby nodded. "Yeah, it was. She had known someone who worked inside the theater so she was able to get us into a PG13 movie even though she was only 12."

"Wow, you guys got to see a PG 13 movie when you were 7?" Hoagie's jaw dropped in admiration; even Wally's own eyes grew a bit big in shock. Abby giggled. "Yeah, it was some movie about space aliens . . . I forgot what the plot was though."

"Where were we?" Kuki demanded, pouting slightly. Abby shrugged. "How should I know?"

"What's that other thing?" Wally asked, pointing to the photo and the letter. His three friends turned to get a better look. "A photo?" Kuki asked.

Abby picked it up after unstitching the letter and putting it aside. It was a picture they had all taken when they first became a real Sector, when Sector V all became best friends. Abby stared at it for a second. It was taken outside the tree house: Numbuh's 3 and 4 had been kneeling on the grass while Hoagie, herself and Nigel had all been standing behind them. Hoagie, Wally, and Kuki all came over so they could see the picture too.

"Oh wow, we were so little back then!" Kuki exclaimed. Hoagie shrugged. "I don't think we've changed much really."

"It is a pretty neat picture though." Wally said. Abby nodded in agreement and suddenly remembered the letter that had been abandoned. "Oh, what does it say?" Kuki asked with excitement. "Go on Numbuh 5, read it out loud." Hoagie encouraged as Abby skimmed the letter from behind Nigel's sunglasses. "It's from Numbuh 1," She informed them; her mouth suddenly seemed dry.

"Dear Sector V of the future,

I'm not sure if it's going to be my team unburying this time capsule or if it's new KND operatives. If new KND operatives are reading this, then congratulations on getting into the Kids Next Door. I'm sure you've earned it. If my old team is reading this then I'm glad you guys are still around. I'm glad Abby suggested this time capsule idea to us, it'll be neat checking all this stuff out in the future. I'm sure we'd probably have been on hundreds of missions by then, and we'd probably have won most of our battles too. I wonder how much has changed. I wonder, if my old Sector is reading this, how much you all have changed. I guess all I can do is wonder, but it's not like I won't find out when we open this time capsule in a few years-"

Abby stopped for a minute, thankful that the tinted shades of the glasses covered the fact that tears were now pricking her eyes. "-I just wanted to write this letter saying that if the old Sector V is reading this now, that you guys are the best friends a kid could ever ask for. Sure we've had a rough start figuring out this teamwork stuff, but now we're completely different people than we were a week ago when we first joined this Sector. I wish you guys the best, and I hope are all still a team by the time this capsule is opened. Don't worry you guys, even if we are decommissioned, even if we get separated, I'll always think of us as the best team ever, as the best Sector ever, no matter what.

From,

Nigel aka Numbuh 1 Age 7

Everyone remained quiet for a moment. Abby was the first one to break the silence. "I'm sorry you guys."
"What? Sorry for what?" Hoagie asked, confused at her apology. Abby sniffed before continuing. "Numbuh 5 didn't want us to think about Nig-Numbuh 1 tonight. She just wanted you all to have fun looking through all this stuff. I forgot that he had put something in here too." Abby finished, switching back to first person dialect, like she always did when she was upset. "But we are having fun Numbuh 5!" Kuki protested, throwing her arms around her best friend in comfort. "I know we've all been upset these past few days, but this was really fun and I'm glad we were able to open the capsule up."

"Kuki's right." Hoagie agreed, giving Abby a faint smile. "It's cool to see all this stuff. I never thought I'd see that thing again." He jabbed a finger at the 2x4 technology that had been long forgotten by this point.

"That teddy bear still isn't mine." Wally declared, crossing his arms in denial. Hoagie and Kuki rolled their eyes.

"Oh please."

"Whatever you say Numbuh 4."

Abby giggled. "Thanks guys." She said sincerely. I just kind of wish Numbuh 1 was here to look at all this stuff with us, you know?"
"Yeah, that would be cool." Hoagie sighed. Another awkward moment went by until Kuki squealed suddenly and jumped up and down in her spot again.

"What?" Wally asked her, looking at her as if she was out of her mind. Kuki ignored this look. "I've got an idea!" She stated proudly.

"What is it, girl?" Abby asked, curious; Hoagie turned his attention on Kuki as well. The youngest of the best friends giggled. "Why don't we all get something from inside and bury everything again with the time capsule. That way, if Numbuh 1 ever comes back here, he'll be able to know that we've already looked through everything and added our own things. What do you say guys?"

"Can I take out the bear and bury it somewhere else?"

"No Wally! You've got to keep it in the time capsule!"

"Aw, come on Kuki!" Wally protested but Hoagie elbowed him to shut up. "That's a cool idea Numbuh 3. I'm sure I've got some new things I can put in here!"

"Yay!" Kuki cheered. "What about you Numbuh 5? Are you going to put something else in here?" She stared intently at her best friend until Abby nodded in defeat. There wasn't any harm in reburying the time capsule after all. Maybe this time, Abby could find something more memorable than ticket stubs. In seconds, Kuki had rushed back inside the tree house, searching for the perfect item to put in the capsule. Sure, Abby was still upset that Nigel wasn't there with them but she couldn't help but smile at Kuki's enthusiasm. As she started pondering over possible items to place in the time capsule, she grinned, wondering how many times the time capsule would be reburied. After all, her mother always told her a memory could last a life time in the same ways a friendship could last forever.

-Fin-

A/N: Okay, well I finished this in the time span of an hour and thirty minutes. I don't like the ending of this one so much, but I didn't know what else to do with it. Thanks for reading everyone, until next time!

"Never let go of the one you truly love"

-December'sRose