"It's my father, I need to go see him" Aelita protests but she's met with the unsure looks of her friends.
"What if it's a trap Aelita? Xana could get the rest of your codes-it's too dangerous" Jeremie said with concern, placing a hand on her shoulder which she immediately brushed off.
"Plus your father…he…" Yumi started, biting her lip
"He's still alive! I know he is" Aelita said, tears in her eyes now, all she wanted was to see her father again. Was that too much to ask.
"You saw it yourself, Franz is gone" Ulrich asserted, maybe a little too harshly, he realized this and his expression softens "Aelita I-"
The pinkette takes one last look at her friends, all looking at her with a mixture of concern and weariness. Odd careful not to make eye contact while he examined the dust on the floor in front of his shoes. Jeremie, with his arms crossed but a regretful look in his eyes. Yumi half turned to reach out to her. Ulrich scanning the room like Aelita was. Finally William, who hadn't yet said anything on the manner, staring seemingly into the distance with his lips pressed together in a tight line.
"Don't pretend you care!" Aelita snapped at Ulrich "None of you understand, I hate you" She left the room in a huff. Jeremie went to pursue her but Yumi grabbed his arm and shook her head "She needs to be alone right now"
After a moment it seemed everyone agreed with Yumi. "Let's go back, i'm starving" Odd joked trying to break the unbearable silence "You're always starving" UIrich countered.
When the three boys started heading back Yumi stayed a moment with William who hadn't moved an inch. "Can you watch Aelita, make sure she doesn't try anything dangerous?" William nodded "Yeah, i'll talk to her. See you later"
With that Yumi left with the others leaving William with his thoughts. After another minute or so of stiffness the teen finally decided on his plan of action. Step one was to find Aelita, but he knew where she would be. The Hermitage.
Aelita sat on what used to be her bed, clutching to her chest as she had so many times before. She had abandoned the doll at the Hermitage after they shut the supercomputer down, it held too many painful memories. But now she clutched it like a life line, now among the musty memories of her past she let herself feel all of her pain that she had been ignoring.
The pinkette ran her fingers over the soft dusty sheets of her bed, remembering the stories her dad told her while she was entangled in their embrace. The times she laid there all day sick with flu while they nursed her back. They are fine comforting sheets but only bring more tears.
"So is that the famous Mr. Puck?" William asked trying to be light hearted, he had heard of the doll but had never seen it before now. Aelita jumped, she hadn't even heard William enter. His words didn't comfort her though, they sent another wave of anger through her.
"Get out of here!" Aelita stands up and William has never seen her this mad "Can't I even have this place? Get out of here I hate you!" she's chucking books at him now and he dodges easily as her aim is off due to her blurry vision. William grabs Aelita's arm and she drops the book, he pulls her into a tight embrace that she first tries to struggle out of, punching his chest and screaming "I hate you!".
William didn't let go though, he held her tight whispering "I know" and "it's going to be ok" after a few moments Aelita stopped screaming and struggling. The older teen ran his fingers through her hair comfortingly, supporting her as she cried herself out. Mr. Puck laid on the bed abandoned.
"Are you done?" William asked receiving only a choked sob in response. "I'm going to take you" He continued anyway and Aelita looked at him in confusion "I'm going to take you to Lyoko, to see your father"
The pinkette smiled at him, returning his embrace. "thank you"