Disclaimer - X.A.N.A.'s attack and the ensuing return to the past blocked my attempt to steal ownership of Code Lyoko. So definitely don't own it.

A/N: Just a few personal milestones here: 1) First story to break 30K+ words, 2) Longest single chapter by far, and 3) 100K+ total words of fanfiction written. Hopefully this behemoth of a chapter is a good read! Enjoy and let me know watcha think. -Flourish- I now present: Chapter 7!

"How should we wake them up?" Ulrich asks while scratching his head.

"Preferably in some evil method I haven't thought up yet." Odd replies while contemplating the two calm sleepers on the bed. Yumi chuckles and strains for something diabolical.

"Nope, I got nothing guys." Yumi says in a crestfallen tone. "Seems like such a shame when we have them at our mercy." Ulrich rubs her shoulders comfortingly. Guess his girlfriend wasn't the evil type. Hmm, that's both welcome yet disappointing. The black-haired girl gives up and slips out of Ulrich's embrace towards the kitchen. "Might as well start making some eggs. I'm hungry."

"Just be quiet for now in case inspiration strikes, alright?" Odd says over his shoulder quietly. Yumi nods at him and starts carefully cracking eggs into a black pan sitting on the oven. A slight sizzling sound fills the hotel room and Aelita stirs. Ulrich and Odd watch her move but sigh with relief as she snuggles closer to Jeremie and resumes slumber.

Ulrich stomach growls and he rolls his eyes. "I honestly think there's nothing we can do. The smell of bacon will get them up like a shot once we start cooking it. Odd, you got a couple minutes." He claps his friend on the back and goes to help with breakfast.

Odd looks through the balcony window towards the ocean with a faraway look in his eyes. What to do…hmm… Nothing creative or original was popping in to deliver a package that would wake up his friends in a nasty fashion. There was always ice but that's the expected way to do it. Then again, if all else fails why not the general remedy with a twist? Resigning himself to the idea, Odd walks away from the bed and grabs the biggest pitcher he could find. "Hey you two, whatever you do don't wake them up yet. Otherwise I'm going outside for nothing." Odd calls as he quietly slips out the door. Yumi and Ulrich share confused looks and shrug. They honestly didn't want to know. A pang of pity strikes Yumi as the slumbering couple passes into her view again. No matter what Odd chooses it probably won't be fun to wake up to.

The eggs were starting to solidify into something edible just as Odd quietly knocks on the door. Yumi lets him in and notices a large pitcher now filled with greenish-blue water. "Really Odd? Isn't that going to sting a little?" she hisses. He chuckles and starts adding ice to the mixture. Ulrich looks over and grins, his eyes silently congratulating Odd. Yumi rolls her eyes and continues to poke at the eggs with a spatula. Men. Still, she was a little curious to see Jeremie's and Aelita's reaction.

Placing his finger in the pitcher and pulling it back quickly, Odd judges that the temperature of the water would be sufficient. Sucks to be them. Looking far too much like a mad scientist, Odd tiptoes towards his unsuspecting victims with a psychotic grin adorning his face. The seawater contained in the grey pitcher sloshed as if it wanted to be released. Preferably onto someone. Taking a quick peek at the sole inhabitant of the pitcher, Odd begins to chuckle under his breath. He was totally going to die but the looks…and the welts…on their faces would be worth it. Well not too many welts. I'm not that sadistic.

Yumi and Ulrich stop their preparations to watch. Odd stood over his victims now, the pitcher in his hands rising above his head. With a demented look of glee, the boy flips the pitcher over. A stream of green-blue water remains suspended in the air for an eternal moment. Motes of sunlight turn the dark wave into a sparkling crystal of impending ice. The sunlight outlines the ephemeral shape of the creature as it falls to gravity and gets carried with the water. Simultaneous screams fill the room as the glacial stream hits its victims. Odd couldn't help but wince as the jellyfish lands directly on Jeremie's face before the water sluices it off. Oops. I didn't intend that. Nice aim though.

For their part, Aelita and Jeremie regain consciousness into a world of freezing sensation. Jeremie had the additional misfortune of wearing a mask of high-voltage electricity for a split second. The warm cocoon they built the night before collapses into a frigid maw. Their clothes instantly cling to their skin from the deluge. Snapping her stinging eyes open, a shivering Aelita sends a death glare at the one standing in front of her. Ulrich and Yumi are nowhere to be seen but the sound of hysterical laughter floated into her ears from the kitchen. Jeremie buries his face in his hands and tries to battle both the receding pain and the entrenched cold. The pinkette notices the jellyfish a few inches from her leg and releases another scream. Instinctively moving away, she tumbles off the bed with a sodden thump to add insult to injury. Or in this case, injury to insult.

Aelita rubs her sore hip and groans. Jeremie opens his eyes and gasps in relief as his face feels more like skin rather than a layer of voltage. Narrowing his sapphire eyes on the clear and slightly-twitching creature on the bed, Jeremie flicks his eyes at Odd for a second. Odd, laughing too hard to notice any move by Jeremie, doesn't dodge the jellyfish as it strikes his face. He reels back into the chairs and the source of all their trouble drops straight down onto Aelita's cheek. Screaming for the third time, she bats the jellyfish off into the wall. Yumi and Ulrich peer back over the counter before crashing to the floor in hysteria again. Three thoroughly miserable teenagers nurse their respective wounds. Yumi snaps up and notices her eggs burning. Salvaging the majority, she checks the bacon.

Ulrich walks around the counter and raises an eyebrow at the chaos. Jeremie stared at his right hand while holding Aelita with the other. The pinkette had her face buried in his chest while she outlasted the fiery sting on her cheek. Odd leaned against the metal chairs with a wet towel obscuring his features. This is a fine mess. Only us. "Umm…breakfast is about ready." Ulrich comments then immediately runs for the respective safety of the kitchen. Two piercing gazes taught him the value of keeping his mouth shut.

A couple minutes pass; the pain subsides and warmth sinks into their cold bones. Jeremie helps Aelita up and shakes some of the excess water out of his hair. He takes off his glasses and begins to wipe them with his shirt but realizes that the soaked material wouldn't help at all. Growling with anger, the boy finds a dry shirt lying in the corner and cleans off his glasses. The world comes back into focus and he blinks. Aelita had tackled Odd and it looked like she was enjoying herself by inflicting pain. I'm not going to interfere with that. She can hurt me in so many more ways.

Taking the wise option, Jeremie ignores the sound of scuffling and takes a seat at the counter. A still-chuckling Yumi places a plate in front of him and the sodden boy grins. That had been an interesting start to the day but now he had bacon. He daintily entertained vague ideas of revenge against Odd but it still sounded like Aelita had that handled. Once again glad he wasn't Odd, Jeremie digs into his meal. The noise stops and the pinkette sits down next to him with a slight smile on her face. Ulrich wordlessly puts a plate in front of her. She murmurs her thanks and appropriates Jeremie's orange juice for her own. She gives him a twinkling glance and the smile morphs into a full-out grin. "Good morning Jer."

"Good morning Aelita. Enjoy my orange juice." He replies with a chuckle before chomping down on a delicious piece of bacon. A groan from the floor reaches his ears. "Good morning to you too Odd. Feeling alright?" Jeremie smirks.

"Not especially. When did Aelita get such a strong arm?" he moans. Checking his face and chest to make sure nothing was broken, Odd shakily gets to his feet. The ramrod straight position of Aelita's back and her studious ignorance of him tells the boy he wasn't forgiven. And probably never would be. At least I'm still in one piece. I didn't think I'd make it through that alive when Aelita tackled me. Jeez.

Food always contained the power to cheer Odd up. Once a plate filled his hand he forgot about his slightly battered body and devoured his meal. "Thanks Yumi and Ulrich. Excellent breakfast." He compliments and puts his plates in the dishwasher. "Ulrich and Jer, what you two want to do today?" The other boys go through two rather short mental checklists and shrug. Aelita and Yumi share delighted grins. They were going to hit the town in full force. Aelita looks down at herself and shrugs. At least she was mostly dry at this point.

"Alright. Shower time, you three are evicted." Aelita commands and makes a shooing motion. Jeremie laughs and grabs both of her wrists simultaneously while the other two file out the door. Before she could resist he claims her full attention with a kiss. This time he let her respond and Aelita didn't fail him in that regard. Knowing that after a couple minutes this would get rather embarrassing, Aelita regretfully pulls away and nods at the door. "Go!" He kisses her again and she growls against his lips. He doesn't play fair. Pushing the now-familiar desire down, she breaks away and marches him to the door. His parting wink doesn't help her mood and she whirls around to find Yumi chuckling at her.

"He's got you wrapped around his finger." Yumi cackles before flopping onto her bed and turning on the television. Aelita grabs her outfit for the day and deigns to ignore her friend's comment. Fifteen minutes later, the pinkette walks out and motions to Yumi.

"Ready to shop a bit?" she asks while rummaging through her purse to figure out just how much she could spend.

"Hell yeah. I've been saving up a little for this." Yumi grabs her purse and looks up at a growl from Aelita. The pinkette held a small wad of cash and she didn't look all too happy. "What?"

"Jeremie…he put some extra cash in here. He really needs to stop doing that." Aelita shakes her head but drops the dollar bills back into her bag.

"Eh, don't complain that much. He just likes to ensure you're happy." The Japanese girl replies while heading for the door. Aelita considers the statement and nods. She was quite lucky to have Jeremie but sometimes it irked her how much she depended on him. He saved her from X.A.N.A., gave her a human form, and then supplied everything she needed. Aelita was more grateful than she ever could say but she wished she could do something for him in return.

Shelving the dilemma for now, she grins and walks out of the room. Idle chitchat with Yumi carries the two from the hotel into the streets of Kihei. Plenty of vendors hawked their wares and a satisfying hour of just window shopping ensues. Spying a hat store, Aelita shrugs and drags Yumi in. "Wonder what they have here?" The girls walk in and find a seemingly infinite variety of hats. Some were simple affairs; others could only be worn at a horrendous Halloween fashion party. Aelita pokes a large purple hat with a pink feather sticking out and grimaces. Yumi sends it one glance and giggles. "Wear it Aelita. I have to see this." The pinkette considers it and tentatively puts it on. By the expression on her friend's face, the thing didn't match her at all.

"Well?" Aelita asks while slowly prancing around in a circle. Yumi taps a finger on her cheek and tries to find a suitably apt description.

"You look…pimportant." Yumi replies then breaks into laughter at Aelita's stunned expression. Pimportant? That's not a word. Still so awesome.

"What does that mean?" Aelita asks. Yumi struggles to come up with an appropriate description.

"You're like a self-important pimp. The hat shows you're clearly living well, don't care about looks, and only a pimp would wear something so ridiculous. Make sense now?" Aelita muses Yumi's statement and nods. It made sense in whatever fantasy land she and her friends lived in. Other shoppers were sending them glances; clearly this hat seriously clashed with her hair. Setting the horrid thing back on its pedestal, Aelita feels so much better.

Feeling a little adventurous, Aelita buys a pirate hat with a skull and crossbones etched into the front. She was deadly after all. "Hmm…now I need a full set." She complains and Yumi rolls her eyes.

"That's why you have money. Find a nice black dress or something. That'd be an interesting mix." Yumi replies while fingering an elegant black sunhat. The two, bored with that store, wander across the busy street to gaze at jewelry they'd probably never be able to afford. It was fun to stare at the sparkly things for free though. Shiny! Aelita's mind was easily distracted by sparkles; she didn't know why. The pinkette felt especially drawn to the selections of aquamarine and sapphire gems. The reason why was obvious and Freud probably laughed at her from his grave. Twenty minutes pass by happily and the two girls feel a slight growl of hunger in their stomachs. Yumi spies a little café with adorable straw umbrellas and a few tables overlooking a small park in the back.

"How about that place?" Yumi asks and points at it. Aelita follows the line of sight from her friend's finger and shrugs. The hostess greets them with the usual cheerful greeting and leads them to a table behind the restaurant. Palm trees made their presence known with a wave from their position overlooking a small brook. The slight trickle of water reaches their ears and Aelita smiles at the pretty picture greeting her eyes. She really wanted to play with that tiny stream too.

The two chat about their respective boyfriends as they browse the menu for a light snack. Contemplating a grilled fish sandwich, Aelita doesn't hear Yumi's question. A snap of fingers in front of her face brings the pinkette out of her absorption with food and she looks questioningly at Yumi. "Clearly you didn't hear me. How's Jeremie treating ya?" the Japanese girl asks with a grin. Aelita's unfocused gaze at mention of his name answers Yumi's question. "You're going to give me some details here. I already know you're nuts about him."

Conceding the point, Aelita opens her mouth just as the waitress comes up to take their orders. Aelita orders their fish of the day while Yumi decides on calamari. "Really Yumi? What possessed you to choose that?" Aelita murmurs in distaste. The black-haired girl shrugs.

"I like it. I'll make you try it. Now, where were we?" Yumi turns the conversation back to the topic at hand. Aelita grimaces at the thought of trying calamari but resigns herself. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

"He's treating me well of course. You know him Yumi, he wouldn't do anything else." Aelita replies while playing with the straw in her drink. Smirking, the pinkette chuckles to herself at blocking Yumi's hesitant probe. The Japanese girl sighs at Aelita's avoidance of her intended question. She'd have to spell it out.

"Obviously. I'm more curious about incidents like this morning." Yumi replies with a hint of exasperation. Aelita takes a long drink of her water while staring at her friend. Yumi starts tapping her foot. Figuring she'd let it drag on long enough, Aelita pulls the straw out of her mouth and begins to answer the question. Two plates of food dropped in front of them shut her mouth again.

"You've got to be kidding me. Fine. Eat first." Yumi grumbles and begins to stab her squid. Aelita nearly chokes on her first bite thanks to a peal of laughter. A few seconds of hacking clear her airways and the pinkette focuses back on the meal. Yumi drops a piece of calamari onto the plate and Aelita stares at it as if it was one of X.A.N.A.'s monsters. "Come on, try it." Her friend encourages with a slight undertone that said Aelita was going to eat it.

Picking up the fried tendril, Aelita inspects the morsel for a couple seconds. Just eat it already. She pops it into her mouth and starts chewing. The rubbery texture doesn't bother her as much as Aelita expected. Her eyebrows rise as she swallows and nods. "Not bad. I'm assuming its better with the sauce?" Yumi nods in response and Aelita snatches another piece to dip. Now used to the chewiness, Aelita enjoys the taste and smiles at Yumi.

"I could get used to that. Anyways, I have no complaints with Jeremie's err…attentions. Matter of fact he's the one who has the best grip on rationality between us." Aelita replies before taking another bite out of the second half of her sandwich. Yumi thinks about that and nods to herself. I see why that would be the case. She's not used to it yet.

"How good is he?" Yumi asks curiously. Aelita blinks and blushes slightly.

"I don't exactly have a basis of comparison. I do quite enjoy it though…" her voice trails off as the pinkette wonders exactly when she'd get him alone again. Tonight perhaps? Shaking her head to get her mind off Jeremie, Aelita focuses back on Yumi. The Japanese girl was quietly trembling with giggles. Aelita's expression when she thought of her boyfriend had been hilarious. "What about you?"

"Oh everything's fine. You really shouldn't expect something from me though; I'm not that nice." Yumi teases as she takes the bill. Aelita rolls her eyes and polishes off the last bit of tuna sandwich. "Ready for some more shopping 'Lita?" Yumi asks unnecessarily.

"Obviously. Let's be off!" Aelita replies as she stands up and sends another longing glance towards that picturesque brook. The two girls browse the stores of Kihei as the day wears on.

Jeremie couldn't come up with any bright or original ideas so the three decide on the beach again. Odd found a Frisbee who knows where and he intended that his friends would be using it. Yet another almost perfect day greeted them with fleecy clouds lazing their way across the sky. The chatter of tourists and locals alike fills the air as people frolic in the blue-green waves. Finally finding a somewhat-open spot, the three lay out their towels and share a glance.

"So. What's it gonna be?" Ulrich asks. Jeremie eyes the spinning red disc in Odd's hands and blanches. Volleyball had been simple; all he had to do was hit it into the air. Frisbee actually required him to catch. This might not end well.

"Frisbee in the water of course. What better way to make it completely insane? Harder to move and the waves might knock you over." Odd replies. Jeremie groans and covers his face with a hand. Surely if he begged he could relegate this game to the beach. Here he stood a chance of catching it once in a while. Then again…nothing wrong with learning the hard way. Ulrich notices his friend's hesitancy and slaps a comforting arm around Jer's shoulder.

"You aren't that bad. I'm sure if we asked Aelita she'd say you were downright amazing." Jer's blush sends the other two into a paroxysm of laughter. "So I'm right?" Ulrich asks after he can speak again. Jeremie raises his eyebrows.

"What, you want some of my techniques? No can do mate." He retorts. Ulrich chokes and Odd slaps him on the back. The three plod through the pleasantly warm sand towards the ocean. Jeremie wiggles his toes as the soothing coolness of water engulfs them. His eyes take in the vista of humanity at play: children constructing sand castles and other unidentifiable structures, glassy waves lifting surfers into the air and occasionally smashing them into the water, and the multitudes simply enjoying time under the sun.

The boys run into the water and Ulrich decides to trip Jeremie. With a move highly reminiscent of Aelita, the brown-haired boy sticks out his leg but Jeremie had learned his lesson on their first night. He leaps to the side and responds with a sweeping kick that sends Ulrich face first into an incoming wave. Odd notices neither of his friends were alongside him and he taps the Frisbee impatiently against his blue swimming trunks. "Come on you two."

Jer pulls Ulrich up with a wink. "Tough luck Ulrich, Aelita taught me to be a little more observant in the ocean." The other teen concedes the point with a shrug and automatically snatches the Frisbee that Odd threw at him. The three spread out into a rough triangle with about fifteen feet of distance between them.

"Ready Jer? You got this!" Ulrich calls as a practiced flick of his wrist sends the red disc soaring into the sky. Jeremie, knowing a bit about physics, starts trudging to the projected landing spot of the Frisbee. Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to reach it in time, Jer resorts to his usual option. He dives and focuses solely on the glittering circle growing larger in his vision. Both his hands catch it in place as his body crashes into the water and sends a sparkling splash into the air. Ulrich and Odd cheer at the catch. He's definitely getting better.

Now for the hard part. Sure he could catch but throwing was a different matter. Once again using a bit of physics, Jeremie throws it slightly to the right of Odd. Unfortunately he didn't account for the wind that took it far off course. A wave hits him in the chest as if to rebuke his poor throw. Odd tries his best but the red disc lands 5 feet away. He snatches it before a wave could send it floating to shore. The sun performs its usual routine across the atmosphere as the Frisbee flies through the air over and over.

The wind picks up and creates stronger swells in the ocean. Every half an hour the three move closer to shore to avoid the larger ones crashing in. Surfers begin to invade the area and yells of delight ring in their ears. One sadistic wave staggers Jeremie back two feet and the Frisbee careens off his face instead of landing neatly in his hands. Rubbing his sore nose with a groan, the boy absentmindedly flicks it at Ulrich. It arcs perfectly and Ulrich grabs it with a smile. That was Jer's first excellent throw yet. Looks like pain revealed his true talents.

Another hour passes before Odd calls a break. The three friends tiredly force their worn-out muscles to push through the water towards shore. Jer reaches the beach and collapses wearily onto the warm sand. "Let's get a little sun." Ulrich says before stretching out on his towel. Odd grabs his purple shirt and creates a makeshift pillow. Aelita invades Jeremie's thoughts and he smirks at the surprise he had planned for her tonight. It's amazing how useful research proves. She would be pleased. In more ways than one if he had his way. He relaxes in the sun and lets his mind wander.

The sounds of merriment filter into their ears. Each boy is lost in their own thoughts while the sun's touch gradually warms them. Odd smiles in contentment. This was a vacation: his friends by his side and utter relaxation ruling his mind. No homework to worry about, no forthcoming punishments from Jim, and only the teensy-tiny prospect of forthcoming revenge from Aelita. Although he was pretty sure she already claimed her vengeance this morning. His stomach growls and he snaps his eyes open before immediately closing them against the sunlight. A groan escapes his lips and he rolls over on the prickly towel under him.

His hand reaches out for the small bag of mango he had the foresight of bringing. Prying it open, the questing hand grabs the soft fruit and transfers it to Odd's mouth. The sweet taste bursts in his mouth and he rolls over with a satisfied sigh. A few minutes and the bag returned to its forlorn state, empty of any fruit. He peers over at the two slumbering forms next to him and grins. We sure sleep a lot here… Deciding to join his friends, Odd puts his hands under his head and floats off on summer dreams.

Sprinkles of droplets on Jeremie's face snaps his eyes open. The sun had vanished while they slept; now only slate grey clouds floated overhead. A brisk wind with a slight bite to it ruffles his hair and Jeremie shivers. "Guys, wake up!" he calls as he pulls his shirt on. The waves were higher than ever thanks to the increased speed of the currents from the storm. Ulrich and Odd groan at the sky above them and gather their things. Striking with an increased fury, the water streaming to earth plasters Jer's hair to his head. The three make a haphazard dash for the nearby hotel. Palm trees wave them on as the howling wind bends them to bow before their master. Sodden, they run up the steps and into their room gasping. The two girls resting lazily on the bed raise their eyebrows at the soaked trio. "Out a bit late were you?" Yumi chuckles. Aelita peers over the edge of her book and laughs.

"I see the shopping went well." Jeremie gasps. Four white bags stood by the counter filled with packages and boxes. The two girls share a look of satisfaction. "Wait, why are you in here?" Odd asks.

"We felt like it. Since you three need to get cleaned up we'll go over to ours and start dinner. Come on over whenever." Aelita replies and stretches before marking her place in the thick paperback with a finger. She brushes against Jeremie with a wink and quickly motions towards the balcony. Yumi follows with the bags and the two walk out. Odd steals the shower first and Ulrich drips in the kitchen while Jeremie quickly runs on the carpet onto the balcony outside. The boy remaining in the kitchen scratches his head and shrugs.

Jeremie opens the balcony door and slips outside before too much rain could flood into the room. "Woah!" he calls in surprise as his run screeches to a halt. Aelita stood on his balcony a few inches away; he almost plowed right into her.

"You're clumsy. Looks like I still have my ninja skills." The pinkette replies with a small grin and dancing emerald eyes. Jeremie agreed but his thoughts found themselves distracted by the mere sight of her. Her new black bikini was simply breathtaking. He loved black on her; it contrasted with her pink hair so well. That and it marked her devilish nature against her seeming innocence. Innocent? Ha! Aelita's resulting smile at the effect she had on him only made his predicament worse. Jeremie swore he could feel the heat from her sultry smirk evaporating the moisture on his face.

Jeremie collapses into the chair and Aelita swiftly jumps on top of him. After a few minutes of thoroughly enjoying her boyfriend, the pinkette rests her head on his chest. Water made everything so much more…interesting. Jeremie couldn't keep his eyes off her form in that swimsuit and she kept teasing him with quick and passionate kisses just when he least expected them. Well, I did do it to her for the last week so I guess I deserve it. He didn't mind. Aelita moved in for another quick one but Jeremie had prepared himself. His hands tangle in her hair and lock her head in place. Aha, my turn.

Aelita's rationality takes one look at her emotions and sighs. Nothing would get done in the next few minutes that involved anything logical. Sitting back with a brandy, reason takes a quick breather. Aelita wonders briefly at the strangeness of her mind before getting distracted again. It wasn't her fault his lips and tongue completely addled her brain. She blamed him. Looking up from the newspaper ten minutes later, rationality finishes the brandy in the crystal glass and gets back to work. Panting heavily, the pinkette looks at an extremely smug Jeremie and rolls her eyes. "Hmm…I have a surprise for you tonight." The shell-shocked boy murmurs. Aelita raises an eyebrow.

"Oh really? What kind of surprise?" she asks while toying with his hair. His hand rubs her back as he deliberates just how much to tell her.

"You'll see…we'll be taking a walk later tonight though. Bring your swimsuit!" he chuckles. "Preferably that one." Aelita smiles at his added comment. The swimsuit had proved to be worth every penny. The door opens and Yumi pops her head out.

"Dinner you two! There's towels right inside the door; I reminded Ulrich to leave two instead of one. " Aelita slips off his lap with a groan. She needed more than twenty minutes with him. The two slip inside and try to send all the water dripping off their bodies onto the towels rather than the carpet. The housecleaning probably wasn't too happy with the soaked bed and the jellyfish, no need to anger them any further. Satisfied that they were merely damp now, Aelita and Jeremie share a glance and run towards the door. Hunger provided such a good motivation to move faster.

The clattering of silverware reaches Jeremie's ear as he bursts into the other room. Steam rose from the pot of spaghetti cooking on the stove while Yumi tore apart lettuce for salads. "Italian tonight? Mm…" Aelita says while eyeing the meat sauce intensely. That looks delectable. Her nose twitches at the medley of aromas.

Ulrich looks up at the two new arrivals from his spot slicing up tomatoes. "You two will be doing the dishes. Don't try to wiggle out of it." Jeremie puts his hands up defensively and nods. Ignoring the comment, Aelita twines a soft string of pasta around a fork and quickly sucks it into her mouth. "Shit!" the girl yells at her burnt tongue and the fork drops to the floor with a clatter. Jeremie rolls his eyes and Aelita sends him a glare.

"What? Don't expect me to commiserate with you over an idiot move." he responds casually. A fork bouncing off his shoulder cues him into Aelita's less-than-happy reaction. Oh well. Makes tonight a bit more fun. Pretending her friend's chuckles don't exist, the pinkette loads up her plate and the rest follow her example. Conversation gets eschewed for the pleasures of eating in the next few minutes. Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd conspicuously don't clean their plates off and head to the beds for some relaxation. Aelita and Jeremie share a smile and get to work.

Jeremie laughs to himself as he sinks his hands into the soapy water while Aelita waits expectantly with a dry dishtowel hanging from her hand. They made quite the sight: A sodden nerd in damp blue swim trunks with an equally wet stunning girl in a black two-piece. What were they doing? Dishes. The scene struck him as intensely amusing. Aelita raises her eyebrow at her boyfriend's slightly odd behavior and polishes the first plate squeaky clean.

Their movements coordinated with each other; the two quickly transfer the pots and pans to the clean side of the sink while the leftovers find themselves locked in the fridge. Aelita vanishes towards the bathroom and Jeremie wipes the counters down. She returns with emerald shorts and a black hoodie obscuring her swimsuit. She figured Jeremie was taking her somewhere tonight and that it involved water. As usual, the pinkette would find her guess to be correct.

A cry from the bed snaps Jer and 'Lita's attention in their friends' direction. Yumi had her hands in the air and gloated as she took Odd's pile of Monopoly money. "I love hotels. I really do. I also love your horrendous luck." she crows. Ulrich rolls his eyes and takes his move while Odd slumps dejectedly.

"Where'd you three find the Monopoly?" Jeremie asks curiously. Ulrich points to the cabinet under the television and Jer scratches his head. Huh, never noticed. "Well, we're going to walk a bit. Enjoy the game." Aelita's curious eyes ask him where they were going but his slight smile reveals nothing. Resigning herself to the unknown for now, she grabs his hand and the two walk outside. The rain had lessened to a slight drizzle in the last hour. Aelita rubs the sleeve of her hoodie in gratitude for its slight protection against the temperature.

The two simultaneously glance at the hot tub sparkling below their feet and share a thoroughly wicked glance. Well, more shocked on Jeremie's part compared to the bad angel vibe Aelita's smirk gave off. "What, not enough of me for you today?" he asks. Her emerald eyes told him the obvious answer to that question.

Rolling his eyes, Jeremie drags her away from the hotel and along a mostly-deserted road running parallel to the coast. The distant gleam of the ocean filtered through the rustling grasses and leaves. They walked without words, preferring to enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful island around them. Aelita once again wondered how everything could be so perfect. It can't be, obviously. The voice that spoke up was correct but the pinkette had a feeling that any future trials wouldn't be as severe as the ones already behind her. If they turned out to be nasty then she had a measure of experience backing her up.

That problem was for later; now focused on the being that she thought of as hers. Jeremie's fingers felt right slipped in between her own. She had no real experience of relationships or love for that matter. Neither does he; we're learning as we go along. The pinkette shrugs. It didn't really matter as of right now. Change could sweep them onto different paths but Aelita felt only happiness and contentment that they walked side-by-side in life. Done with her interior debate of a sort, she darts her gaze to the pensive face close to her own. "What's on your mind?" she asks with a squeeze of her hand on his.

"Oh, just curious if the guidebooks were right…" he mutters half to himself. Aelita ponders that statement. Right about what exactly? Must be part of his surprise or something. He leads them off the road in the direction of the ocean. Aelita couldn't tell where they were; trees and knee-high grasses loomed all around her. Worried about tripping, she focuses on the muddy path beneath her sandals. His sudden stop causes her to bump into him and look up. A rattling sound reached her ears as Jer played with something in his hands.

"Shit, this is harder than I thought." he groans and pulls a shiny object out of his pocket. Aelita scratches her head and leans in closer to see. Just as she makes out the shadowy form of a lock on the fence in front of them a loud click reaches her ears. Jeremie pulls the lock off and sets it on the ground next to the door. Wait. Did he just pick that lock? Aelita blinks to clear away the dream and groans when everything remains the same.

"What…why did you unlock that?" she asks in a bewildered tone. He grins at her and motions to the dark expanse beyond.

"So we could get down there of course." he answers. The logic made sense to Aelita but still…wasn't this trespassing?

"Are we allowed down there?" she asks timidly. Jer looks over his shoulder at the resistant girl still standing there and grabs her hand.

"Probably not. We won't get noticed though. Besides, the tourist guidebooks show how to pick a lock. Obviously that skill is intended to be used." He replies. Aelita gives in and follows him down the rocky slope. The distant sound of ocean waves crashing against stone steadily grows louder. Think trees became scarcer as the rocky ground mixes with sand. Swatting at an errant bug, the pinkette pushes through a final screen of flora and enters the open area.

A small part in the clouds let the full moon illuminate the area with a phantasmal aura. Two black arms of rock stretched into the sea for twenty feet and created a small protected pool. Waves crashed into the unyielding volcanic stone with tremendous force but couldn't gain access to the tranquility within. Shadowy shapes moving in the translucent water remained oblivious to the two new presences. Aelita could only grab onto Jeremie for support. This was all for the couple alone.

"Jeremie…" her voice trails off and she steps forward in a trance-like state. He grins at her reaction to his surprise and follows her.

"Like it?" Aelita heard the smirk in his voice. That question was rendered unnecessary by the crushing hug he received. Gasping for air, Jeremie pushes Aelita to arms' length.

"How'd you know about this place?" she asks while twining a strand of her hair through her elegantly slim fingers.

"A gentleman never divulges his sources." Jeremie responds with a grin. Aelita raises an eyebrow and casually places a hand on his chest. His heartbeats remained fairly slow….for now.

"I have my interrogation methods you know. Might want to spill before you get hurt." she teases. He rolls his eyes and pulls her closer. Aelita lets out a yelp of surprise. She hadn't expected Jer to actually pick her up.

Psh, she's not heavy. Jeremie smiles at the blinking girl in his arms and moves towards the sea. Fish dart from the intruders as the blonde's feet meet the cool crisp water. Small waves dotted the surface; larger ones broke on the encircling walls. Aelita leaned her head in closer for a taste of Jer and was amply rewarded with the taste of saltwater. Through the foot of water above her head she could see him bent over in laughter. He's going to regret that.

Calmly standing up, Aelita pushes Jeremie back towards the shore. That ever-present trickster of men, curiosity boils up in the boy and he lets his girlfriend lead him onto the damp sand. With a flick of her wrist she knocks him onto his ass and stands over him with a devilish smile. Jeremie could only stare as her body began to…undulate. There really was no other way to describe it. Aelita's hands enticingly grabbed the bottom of her sweatshirt as her plan to torture Jeremie into sweet madness began.

The hoodie traveled so slowly up Aelita's body that Jeremie's hands itched to aid her. But that would be giving in to her little scheme. I'm better than this. His resolve crumbled once the hoodie landed on his face. Okay, so maybe I'm in over my head here. Aelita laughed. The low, sultry sound only made it worse for Jeremie. Her hands toyed with the edge of her green shorts while she continued to dance in place.

Jeremie could only wonder where she learned these skills. Then again that didn't really matter since she was performing them for him alone. The green shorts gave way to her black swimsuit as Aelita teased them down her legs. Her emerald eyes glowed with amusement at the utterly enthralled sapphire eyes staring at her. The shorts hit her feet with a small rustle and she nonchalantly kicked them at Jeremie. He mirrored her casualness by catching them and throwing them to the side. Aelita raised an eyebrow; he held up better than she expected.

Aelita abruptly spun away from the bemused boy and dashed for the ocean. With a clean motion the girl breaks the surface of the water and becomes another shadow floating under the waves. Jeremie didn't have a problem finding her; the fish weren't quite that big. His hands wrap around her waist and he pulls her from the water into his arms like he just made a huge catch. "Hey! I'm not a fish." Aelita responds as her watery world returns to the air.

"Oh really? You sure wiggle like one." Jeremie replies with a glint shining in his eyes. Aelita blushes slightly but resolutely continues to look at him.

"It's a gift. You sure didn't seem to mind." Aelita's wink gives her seemingly innocent statement a whole new meaning. Sighing, Jeremie drops her again. The pinkette comes back up sputtering.

"How many times are you going to do that?" she replies angrily. Jeremie looks her over and grins.

"Well if I followed the same plan for revenge you could always do the same." He teases. Aelita blinks at him before his meaning connects.

"You wish. I'm at least a bit more inventive." Aelita responds with a purr. Jeremie realizes the plight he was in but far too late. With a pounce the pinkette knocks her boyfriend into the shallow water and takes residence on his oh-so-soft chest. Her light touch automatically sends the boy's pulse up a few notches. Let's see how disconcerted I can get him.

Aelita glanced at Jeremie's neck. It was time for her to return the favor. Her hands tangled his hair into an unholy mess as she leaned closer. Jeremie gasped involuntarily at the feeling of her soft lips caressing his skin. Occasional darts of her tongue didn't help his hold on rationality. He didn't do that to her last time! Okay, maybe a couple times…His hands pulled her head up and she smirked at the conflagration turning his eyes into brightly-lit orbs of melting ice.

Well if his neck is out of reach… Aelita leaned forward and claimed his lips with her own. She started out light and slow just to annoy him. Jeremie groaned at the swift but insistent feeling of her lips and upped the tone a bit. Aelita didn't mind in the least. She fought his tongue for dominance and won handily. With a sudden jerk Jeremie rolled over and switched their positions without breaking the kiss.

Aelita pushed him up so they were mere inches from each other's faces. A few gasping breaths settled the fog in their minds. Jeremie surveyed his girlfriend and grinned. Aelita knew that smile couldn't mean anything good for her reason. The being in question, sensing another wave of emotions on the way, takes a break for dinner. Hmm, I really need to stop using that analogy. It's a bit weird. Aelita knew that "normal" would never apply to her though.

Hmm…what to do… Jeremie pondered the possibilities as his eyes memorized every facet and detail of the girl under him. He gently returns his attentions to her mouth and lightly trails his hands down her neck. His fingers tentatively continue downward and he receives no verbal or physical indication of Aelita's displeasure. Rather he received the opposite reaction.

Minutes pass and Jeremie's hesitation fades. He was learning just what she liked and what to avoid. "Damn it…Jer…" Aelita gasps after one particular caress of his hands. Guess typing all the time translated into other benefits. Noticing that she was on the edge of losing control, Jeremie regretfully ceases his explorations. He sinks into the cool water and smiles to himself.

Aelita regains a small sliver of her composure. Well that didn't work out as I planned. He disconcerted me. She closes her eyes and attempts to slow down the rapid beating of her heart. He probably rested in the water with a smirk on his face. Next time he's going to be the one trying to find sanity. Cracking open one emerald eye, Aelita finds her guess to be right. "Don't look so smug." she groans.

"Why not? That worked out quite…nicely." The boy murmurs. Aelita sighs and stands up.

"Okay, I'll grant you that. Now unless you brought a nice bed along, I'm not sleeping here." Jeremie looks at her offered hand and takes it. He gives her another kiss that threatened to send them right back where they were a couple minutes ago. Aelita shakes herself at the sudden loss of his touch after he abruptly breaks away.

"Let's head back then. We were out here a few hours I think." Jeremie replies and throws Aelita's hoodie and shorts to the owner. She puts them on swiftly and sends a longing glance to the peaceful area. Turning back around to face the dark mass of forest in front of her, she wonders briefly how exactly Jer planned on finding his way back. Somehow the boy had memorized the route for they soon found themselves at the silvery fence. Jer closed the door behind him and reattached the lock. Aelita smiled at him; she was quite enjoying his marked reduction in shyness.

The girl entwines her hand in his once more as she tiredly leans into him. They had a couple miles to walk along the desolate road. Good thing she fell asleep so early last night otherwise Jeremie would probably be carrying her back right now. Once again silence reigns. Neither felt like breaking the comforting blanket of nature surrounding them. Something in the air would resent any vocalization.

Upon reaching the hotel, Jeremie gave the exhausted teen a push towards her door. Aelita's imploring glance clearly revealed what she wanted but Jer shook his head no. "Remember this morning? That is not going to happen again." Aelita winces at the remembered sting on her cheek and nods mournfully. She steals another kiss before letting him go.

"Good night Jer." She whispers while stepping into the darkened room in front of her.

"Night princess." The boy replies and closes the door softly behind him. The two mull their respective thoughts on the events of the night while finally getting out of their wet clothes. Slumbering away, Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi never notice Jeremie and Aelita slipping into their respective beds and disappearing into oblivion with twin smiles on their faces.