The thunder rolled and the lightning struck. Rain pitter-patted its way on the tops of the gathered umbrellas, which sheltered the mourners. William was dead. Ulrich noticed Yumi standing a little ways away from the group. Jeremie and his new girlfriend Sissi, had their heads held low. Odd comforted his distraught fiancé Aelita. Ulrich walked away from his friends.

Yumi must feel terrible. Losing her brother like that. And so soon after they found out.

Whispering her name, the name he so longed for,

"Yumi. Let me...help you. Come here."

Yumi was staring at a gravestone. It read "Ishiyama. Beloved Husband, Father, and Friend." Whispering, almost as if she wasn't wanting to disturb those resting in peace, she said,

"Their dead Ulrich. All of them," turning her head to the side to peer at her mothers gravestone, she continued "My mother. My father. And now, the brother I almost never had."

Her tears were barely visible in the cold rain. If it weren't for her sniffling, Ulrich wouldn't even have noticed. Without saying another word, he grabbed her in a hug. He breathed into her hair,

"It'll be alright Yumi. It really will. We're all here to help you through this. Jeremie, Sissi, Aelita, Odd. And myself. We're all here for you. Forever."

He wanted so badly to tell her, but his cowardice was holding him back. That, and he felt this wasn't the right time nor place. Ulrich felt Yumi's breathing become regular again, and he didn't hear the sniffling any longer.

"Come on. Lets head back. They're almost done with the service."

Yumi meekly nodded her head as Ulrich led her by the hand back to the gravesite. Soon, just before the end of the ceremony it stopped raining. The umbrellas slowly folded up, and the service ended. The gathered slowly began to disintegrate, until all that was left was Ulrich and Yumi. He still held her hand.

"You know, I don't think I could have gotten this far at all without you Ulrich. We've been friends since we were kids, and now we're in our 20's. That's a pretty amazing friendship, and I really would be nowhere without you. I guess what I am trying to say is, what I need to say, before my sanity returns is…"

She was cut off by Ulrich.

"Yumi, I love you too."

The rain began to fall in sheets once more. Jeremie ran towards them, holding his jacket above his head.

"Guys! Lets go! Its pouring out...here…"

He simply smiled and walked away, shaking his head. Ulrich was holding Yumi. And they were kissing.

Guys, I am so sorry if you actually read this trash. Please, I write so much better than this, don't hold this pathetic excuse of a fan fiction against me!