Alya looked where Ulrich had stood a second ago for a moment and then started to giggle. "He's never going to get over it, is he?" She asked, facing Odd, who was now smiling so hard as he struggled not to laugh. "Nope, I'm his best friend, and you," wrapped his arms around his waist. "Are like a sister to him. Then he wakes up in the mornings to find in my bed, on top of me." "Yea, well," Alya leaned forward a little more. "Nothing happened, and he knows nothing happened." Odd leaned forwards as well and kissed her. "Want to change that?" He whispered into her ear and she giggled and kissed him back. "Maybe some other time." She pushed herself off the bed. "Aww, why do you insist on doing that?" Odd whined, and Alya shrugged. "Keeps ya coming back, doesn't it?"
When Alya came down the stairs five minuets later, Odd in tow, Aelita was in the kitchen making cereal, Ulrich was watching TV (still yelling a it) and Jeremie was at the table working on his laptop. They walked into the Kitchen to join Aelita. "What did you two do to piss off Ulrich this time?" She accused, smiling with forged anger. Alya shrugged. "He came in Odd's room to find me on top of him. We weren't doing anything this time though…" Alya explained and Odd scowled. "Oh come on Odd! I told you just not right now. We're going to be busy this morning." Odd sighed and Aelita laughed. "Yea, we're going shopping." "Shopping?" Odd asked. "Yea, like grocery shopping, we just got here, the only food we have is what he brought, so we're running out of cereal." Aelita said, turning the box over above the sink as a few pieces fell out. "What 'bout breakfast if there's none left?" "How 'bout we go out to breakfast for once!" Alya suggested. "Okay." The two agreed in union. " Hey Ulrich. We're going out to breakfast, wanna come?" Ulrich nodded. "Alright…I guess I'll come." "Go get Jeremie too! We can all go out."
"Come on Odd. Let's go get dressed." Alya suggested and headed up stairs with Odd in tow. "Hey Alya?" Odd asked as they reached her room and she turned to looked at him. "Would you like to start, I don't know, just sleeping in my bed. You wouldn't be sleep walking anymore." Alya smiled. "Sure, I think I'd like that. But I get to keep my own room, right?" Odd smiled. "Yea," "Okay then! Another thing to bug Ulrich with! Now, I've got to change, shoo!" "Awww, you're mean." "No, you're perverted. You don't expect me to sleep naked in your bed, do you?" Odd looked to think for a while. "Hmmm, would you?" And Alya laughed. "No! Not tonight anyway."
After everyone had changed, they gathered into the car and left. Ulrich was driving, Jeremie in the passenger seat, and Aelita, Odd and Alya, sitting in the backseat. "So where are we going for breakfast, anyway?" Ulrich asked as he went down the street. "I don't know. How 'bout Salt 'n Pepper's?" Aelita suggested, and the rest shrugged and nodded and agreement. "It's settled then." About another ten minuets later they arrived in a parking lot. Two small restaurants, a bakery, a grocery store and a book store surrounding it. "Okay we're here." They got out and headed into one of the restaurants. Inside they took a seat at one of the booths. They filed in, Jeremie and Ulrich at the ends, Aelita next to Jeremie, Alya next to Aelita, Odd next to Alya and Ulrich next to Odd. After a waiter came, telling them the specials for the morning and handing out menus, Alya nudged Odd. "Maybe we should tell them 'bout the change in Christmas Plans?" Ulrich raised an eyebrow questionably, and Odd nodded. "You changed the plans?" Jeremie asked. "Well, my mom did." Odd shrugged. "She called this morning, decided it's been far too long since I've visited home and insisted that I come home for Christmas. And you know how my mom can be…" And Ulrich, Jeremie and Aelita nodded, Alya however, had no idea. "Alya's coming with me." Odd mentioned, giving Alya a smile and she stared at him, she hadn't really expected him to invite her along. "I want you to meet my parents." He decided.
Ulrich glared down at the table, he seemed uneasy. "What about the mountains?" He asked. "Are we suppose to go up there like we usually do, every year?" "Well we were wondering if we could go after Christmas." Odd asked. "Or maybe we could meet you up there!" Alya suggested. "Okay." Jeremie and Aelita said together. "Great…" Ulrich however didn't seem too happy. "When are you leaving?" Alya looked to Odd. She just realized she hadn't asked Odd when he was going to leave. "In bout three days. Christmas is only about a week away." "I guess we better not buy too much groceries then. We only want enough that Ulrich, Jeremie and I will eat. Plus the Christmas dinner." Aelita suggested. "Wait? When are you coming back?" asked Ulrich. "Hmm…the twenty eighth, we'll meet you in the mountains then." "Great, I'm gonna be a third wheel for almost two weeks." And everyone laughed. "
The waiter came back and they ordered their breakfast. They talked about the mountains, and New Years, and the new Lyoko Video Game Until the subject turned to Christmas again. "What did you guys want, anyway?" Jeremie asked. "Haven't you done the shopping already?" Alya joked and Jeremie nodded. "Yea, back in February. " And everyone laughed, though they weren't sure if this was a joke or not. "I bet I can guess what everyone got me!" Alya said proudly and Ulrich raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been peeking again, have you?" "Me? Peeking?" She played innocent. "Of course not! Not this time anyway," She looked to Ulrich. "You got me that new novel series." Alya stated. "And you," She nodded towards Jeremie. "You got me that new program thing. Aelita, you got me a sketch book kit, complete with charcoal, ink, and brushes." And then she looked over to Odd and blushed. "I'm not even going to tell them what you got me." And he laughed. "That's why you love me, right?" He teased, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "Yes, I suppose it is." "Oh, come on you two! You can do it at home, but not here!" Ulrich, whisper shouted. "And to think, that's exactly what I told them when we were younger." Odd smirked.
They finished breakfast and bout an hour later they were done shopping and headed home. "We should start packing when we get home." Alya told Odd. "Yea, I guess you're right." So when the arrived home Alya and Odd went to their rooms and got out their suitcases. Aelita wondered into Alya's room. "Would you like to some help?" Alya looked up at her. She was holding a light blue shirt in her hands. "Sure." Aelita placed the suitcase on the bed and started grabbing pairs of jeans she knew Alya would take with her and folding them up. "I know I've been with Odd for a long time, but lately it seems, everything's started speeding up." Alya said, packing the shirt. "What'd you mean?" "Well, before a few nights ago, I hadn't lived in the same house with him. I had only spent the night over at his and Ulrich's place. And this morning, he asked me if I wanted to start sleeping in his bed with him." Aelita gave her a look and Alya shook her head. "Not like that, it's just I wind up in there so often anyway." "Uh huh." "And now, I'm going to meet his parents." "Is this a bad thing or a good thing?" Alya suitcase was now half way full. "Well it's not bad. I want to move forward with him. Just not all at once, but I suppose, he's been taking it so slow the last few years because of it." Aelita nodded in agreement. "He didn't want you to have too much on your plate at once. I mean if someone asked me to marry him while I was going through something like you're going through. I wouldn't know what to do, no matter how much I wanted to marry him, I'd probably say-" and Alya cut her off right there. "Marry him? What are you talking about?" Alya's eyebrow furred up in confusion. "Did Odd say something about marrying him?" Aelita shook her head. "I overheard the guys talking about a ring and "popping the question" they didn't say who it was, he might not have been any of them, could've been Hiroki with his girlfriend for all I know. But it made a good example, and we all know you and Odd want to someday."
Alya nodded. "Yea. Someday, but not now." Aelita shook her head again. "I'm sorry, they were just saying the best way to do it was, it could've been just some random conversation they got from watching too much TV, or one of their friends who just did it some strange way." Alya did a deep intake of breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it has nothing to do with me at all, it could be you for all we know." And Alya smirked at Aelita shocked look. "Didn't think of that did you?" And she continued packing. "Okay." She said closing the suitcase. "I'm sure that's enough clothes. I can wash them if I need to, and before I leave. I'm going to come home and leave again the next morning for the mountains." "You're coming back here first?" Aelita asked. "Yea, we thought it'd be best to, we're not getting home till late."
Ulrich walked into Odd's room as he almost finished packing. "So, how long have you known?" Odd raised an eyebrow. "What'd you mean?" "It isn't like your mom to do things last minuet like this. How long have you known you were going to America for the holidays, and how long had to been planning to Alya along?" "A while. I wanted her to meet them a few years ago, but too much was going on. Things seem to slowed down a bit for her and Yumi, so I thought maybe now, I could try and move forward a bit for her." Ulrich nodded. "How far 'further' do you plan on taking her?" "Not much. Nothing she won't want to do." Odd was becoming strangely out of character. For more serious than usual, which is usually not at all. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt her. I have no intention of letting her go." Ulrich looked down. "I know you won't mean to, but I'm afraid you might. She's been so fragile since-" "No, she's not." And Ulrich looked Odd. "She's not fragile or delicate. She just got a bit lost for a while and I'm trying to help her find the rest of the way back." "By what? Getting into her pants?" "I don't really mean any of that when I say it! She knows I don't or else she would've thrown me out a long time ago. No, I'm trying to get her into bed or anything, just trying to make some solid ground to return to." Ulrich was quiet for a little while. "Okay. You've been my best friend for a long time, she's been my cousin forever and you two have been going out for years. I was never really happy about it to begin with. You being, you know, the way you were at Kadic. I always got that memory of you, but when the time comes," He suddenly smiled. "I'm gonna be the first to welcome you to the family." And Odd looked slightly takes aback. "I wasn't thinking about asking her to marry me." "I know but, you will, someday."