Disclaimer: I do not, and probably never will, own Code Lyoko.
Ulrich and Yumi walked side by side in silence. Just a few more hours, Ulrich thought solemnly, Then I'll be going home. He grimaced, the thought turning sour on his tongue. It was bound to be a lonely Christmas, with Yumi off to Japan, Odd and Aelita were both in Holland, leaving Ulrich and Jeremie alone. Not that they'd see each other much anyway, they didn't exactly live next door.
"That's weird," Yumi muttered from beside him, shaking him from his reverie.
"What?" He asked dumbly, looking up.
"The house was never sold, but there's someone in there." She replied.
"That is weird," Ulrich agreed, they must have walked to Yumi's old house, although he had been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't noticed he had even been walking. Hiroki across the front lawn, a trail of lights behind him.
"Hiroki!" Yumi called.
"Oh Hey Sis!" Hiroki waved back, "It's about time you got here!"
"What? Aren't we leaving in a few hours?" Yumi asked, stepping towards her brother.
"Didn't I tell you, Mom and Dad came back for the holidays, we're not going anywhere!" Hiroki stated.
"No, you didn't tell me!" Yumi growled.
"Calm down Yumi, he probably just forgot." Ulrich said calmly.
"Little Rat." She scoffed, turning to face him. "Not so far away then are we?"
"Nope, but it'll still be pretty lonely." Ulrich said. Just then, footsteps echoed in the cold air.
"Umph!" Ulrich grunted as Odd's arms wrapped themselves around Ulrich's stomach in a bear hug.
"What are you doing here?" Ulrich asked, pulling himself free of Odd.
"We decided to stay here for Christmas. Me and my family are staying at a hotel down the road." Odd replied as Aelita ran up behind him giggling.
"Almost too good to be true." Yumi remarked.
"It is." Ulrich agreed.
"What?" Odd asked, looking at Ulrich and Yumi in confusion.
"Looks like we're going to be together this Christmas, except for Jeremie that is." Ulrich explained. Aelita grinned and glanced at Odd. Odd grinned as well; they looked like they were hiding something.
"What are you hiding?" Yumi prodded.
"Well," Aelita began, a mischievous grin playing on her face.
"Jeremie said he just might be a little closer this year." Odd said, grinning wildly.
"Just a little," Jeremie said from behind Yumi and Ulrich, causing them both to jump. Odd and Aelita laughed, leaning against each other for support.
"Is the world bent on giving me a heart attack today?" Ulrich asked, mockingly grumpy.
"Maybe," Odd said slyly, "You never know, XANA just might turn the supercomputer on by himself again." Odd looked meaningfully at Jeremie, who blushed.
"It was all for a good cause!" Jeremie mumbled.
"Sure, whatever," Odd replied.
"Oh, are you a girl again Odd?" Aelita asked, giggling.
"Do I even wanna know?" Yumi asked, glancing warily at her friends.
"No and no!" Odd said, facing both girls, "Believe me, just no." Aelita burst into another laughing fit and Odd looked hopelessly around.
"Your girlfriend." Ulrich shrugged, seeing a plea for help in Odd's eyes.
Odd opened his mouth to say something but then bit his tongue, Ulrich's eyes widened slightly, realizing that Jeremie was still quite new to the fact that Aelita was Odd's girlfriend. Odd and Ulrich looked apologetically at Jeremie, who just shrugged and waved it away.
"Yumi! Are you out there?" Yumi's mother called from the front door.
"I gotta go," Yumi sighed, waving at her friends, "See you soon!"
"Bye Yumi!" They called after her.
"I'd better go too, my dad will be waiting for me." Ulrich groaned.
"Good luck buddy." Odd said, patting Ulrich on the back as he walked past. Jeremie smiled halfheartedly.
"See you all later." He said, turning to walk back home, leaving Odd and Aelita standing alone.
"We should go then too huh Odd?" Aelita asked.
"Probably." Odd replied, turning to walk back to the hotel.
"Odd," Aelita began.
"Yes?" Odd said, looking up.
"I have a feeling that this will be a Christmas to remember."
Sorry that it's not the best, I got a touch of writer's block. Anyway, I might add something, I might leave it as-is. I need some help on how to make it better. Suggestions are very welcome.