Yay! New story! Thanks to the people who read my stories and reviewed they inspired me to write this.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I just abuse them for my own enjoyment
Odd took a sip of the bitter tea. Across from him Aelita did the same. There was a heavy silence in the factory ad it bothered him.
"How's your tea?" he asked trying to break the silence.
"It's fine," she lied. Times were hard and luxuries seemed to have gone extinct ever since that day five years ago.
"Happy eighteenth birthday," he told her after a while.
She smiled at him from behind her mug, "you remembered?"
"Of course," he told her. "I remember everyones birthday." The rare happy moment that was just present in the room had now evaporated. Aelita looked down at her dirty pink Converses.
"Odd please," she pleaded but he wouldn't listen.
"Yumi's is in a few months, Ulrichs just passed and Jeremy's..."
"STOP!" she yelled at him. She covered her ears with her hands and turned her back to him. A few seconds later Odd went over to her and took her hands away from her face.
"Aelita," he said looking straight into her eyes, "we can't forget them, we can't act as if they didn't exist."
"I know," she choked out feeling the tears coming on. "Its just that everytimg I think about them I-I." She couldn't finish. Odd cradled her in his arms.
"Sshh," he cooed softly. "No need to cry to your special day, I'm sorry I brought it up. I have something to make it up to you." He disappeared down the rusty rungs of the ladder and came back with a picture frame. It was the picture of them that Odd drew for Jeremy's birthday when they were twelve. The picture was faded but was still recognizable. Aelita smiled at Odd who smiled back. She cupped his face with her hand.
"Thank you," she said. He nodded his head. Her smile grew even bigger. "You need to shave," she said rubbing his stubble. Odd laughed.
"You don't like the beard I'm trying to grow?" he joked rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The pink-haired woman shook her head. After a while the laughter died out and it was serious again. Odd missed her laugh, it was almost rare. Her happiness made him happy and well, he hadn't been happy in a while.
"I'm going to work on the virtualization program," she said so quietly Odd wondered if he was hearing things.
"No it's your birthday go rest, I'll work on it and keep watch tonight," Odd said sitting on the chair in front of the super computer before she could.
"Sure?" she asked.
"Positive, now go get some sleep, we're going scouting tommorow," he ordered. She went down the ladder into the super computer room that was their 'bedroom' in the factory.
"Hang in their Yumi, Ulrich, we'll get you out of the void, I swear to God," Odd promised as he typed in some codes hat would hopefully create a virtualization program.
"Yumi! Ulrich!" Aelita cried watching her friends fall into the virtual sea. She tried to devirtualize them with her energy fields but it was too late. Two bright columns of light reached up to touch the navy blue sky of the polar region. Aelita dropped to her knees. Odd reachd out and grabbed her.
"C'mon the towers more important," Odd said trying to drag her from the edge of the sector. The girl whirled around to face him. If looks could kill Odd would have been devirtualized a long time ago.
"How can you just leave our friends here?" she demanded screaming in his face.
"Hey, they're my friends too," Odd yelled back. "We still have to deactivate the freaking tower so that XANA doesn't fuck up the world!" Aelita turnd from him fists clenched.
"Aelita," he tried softer." I'm sorry about Yumi and Ulrich but Jeremy can create a virtualization program to bring them back once you stop XANA's attack. There's not much we can do for them right now." Aelita sighed and then turned to face him.
"Ok lets go,"
They hopped on the overboard and headed for the tower. They were gaining fast ground, now about thirty yards from the tower. Odd was having difficulty dodging the manta's attacks and Aelita having more trouble trying to obliviate them but they held them off long enough. Twenty yards from the tower...fifteen yards...ten...five...and then Odd woke up in the scanner room. Aelita was no where to be found.
"What the hell?" he wondered while racing to the elevator.
"Hey Jeremy why did you-oh no," Odd stopped his scolding to see Aelita on the ground cradling Jeremy's body. Her cloths and face were covered in blood, his blood. Next to him laid a rusty metal rod that the poly morphic specter had used. Odd hurried over to Aelita
"Xana won," Jeremy said weakly. He coughed and blood sprayed all over Odd's face. Odd tried not to vomit at the big gaping hole in Jeremy's chest.
"Sshh, don't talk," said Aelita placing a finger to his lips. Jeremy shook his head.
"I'm sorry guys, I failed Yumi and Ulrch and I failed the world," he wheezed.
"No, Jeremy you're a hero," said Odd quickly wiping away his tears. He wouldn't cry, he'd be strong for Jeremy. He placed a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. The dying boy touched Aelita's cheek with his hand.
"I've always loved you," he admitted to her.
"I know...it's kind of obvious," she told him.
"Was it really?" he asked trying his best to sound casual.
"Yeah even the god damn teachers knew," said Odd grasping his friend's hand. It was cool and clammy to the touch, a bad sign. Jeremy laughed but it ended in a horrible coughing fit.
"It's up to you guys to stop XANA...I have faith in you," said Jeremy his voice barely above a whisper. "Take care of her Odd."
"Will do Einstein,"
Jeremy used up all of his strength to reach up and kiss Aelita. She held him there until his body was cold and limp. Slowly she lowered him down to the ground and watched as her salty tears washed away the blood on his face.
Aelita shot awake gasping for breath. She was covered by a thin sheen of sweat. Her cloths and hair stuck to her salty skin. Before she could even turn around to wake Odd she was already in his arms being comforted. She weeped into his chest while clutching his dark grey shirt.
"Nightmares again?" he asked. She nodded.
"Wanna visit him?" he asked again. Another nod. They got up and wrapped their blankets arounf themselves and walked out side into the chilly air. They were silent from the trip from the factory into the woods. They crept quietly to not attract the attention of monster who just happened to be passing by. They walked along a familiar path until they came to a patch of grass with a piece of weather worn cardboard sticking out from it. On it read: Here lies Jeremy Belpois the smartest guy in the world who died saving it in blue magic marker. It wasn't much but they felt he had to be buried and did the best they could. Both placed a flower in front of the piece of cardboard and stood back. Aelita placed her head on his shoulder and started to cry. Odd closed his eyes tight till they hurt so that he wouldn't cry as well.