Chapter 7: After the match
Within the fully equipped nurse station of the hotel, Jeremy cupped his hands together on Aelita's, hearing the beeping to her heart monitor along with her soft breathing. He hated how he couldn't do anything to help, besides sit by her side and wish for the best.
The nurse informed the team that she was literally scared into a coma; Team Kiwi couldn't believe that Team Sin would go this far to win the tournament. They knew that team was a bunch of sadistic cold-blooded jerks but this defiantly crossed the line, yet sadly not the rules.
Odd walked into the room, holding a bouquet of pink roses that he put down on the table with the others. He could barely stand seeing his cousin ending up like this; he wasn't going to let the Sins get away with something like that. He knew it was his fault as well, if he wasn't so cocky at the time he probably would have done a better job protecting her.
Walking over to his Controller's side; he placed a reassuring hand on his good friend's shoulder. "Come on Jeremy, it has been five hours since the match, you have to eat something," Odd knew this was defiantly not the time to be in his usual joking mood, he had to be strong, "Aelita wouldn't want you to get sick because of her."
But Jeremy didn't budge, what happened last year just flashed into his mind; how he felt so useless when she needed him the most; how could he be a good boyfriend to her if he never could protect her? Thinking that it would have been better for her to have just to AD Tech High, maybe she would have found someone that could protect her.
He rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hand; she just seemed so fragile as she lied there. Sometimes he even thought that if he were to kiss her she would wake up, chuckling to himself for even thinking that idea.
Odd now shook his good buddy gently. "Come on Einstein, they have Brussels sprouts," he couldn't help to hold back that twisted look on his face, the only food he didn't like, "I'll even let you have mine."
"I-I'll, eat later," Team Kiwi's Controller was able to get out.
"Jeremy, I know my cousin is stronger then she looks; I bet she will wake up out of this in no time. So come with me and let's get something to eat."
"Just another... ten minutes," taking in a deep breath, before exhaling, "that's all I'm asking Odd, ten minutes."
The Bodyguard nodded. "All right, but that's all I'm giving you. After ten minutes I'm dragging you out of here whether you like it or not."
Yumi headed to the location given to her on the small hand-written map in her hand; she wanted to talk to Susan about her actions in Lyoko so the Team Sin member gave her the map to meet at a coffee shop for their discussion; she was always a strange one so Yumi wasn't going to let her guard down.
Once she turned the corner there she was, sitting at an outdoor table. Sword Hunter also seemed to quickly notice the dark attired teammate of Kiwi, waving erratically while calling out cheerfully; you wouldn't believe a girl like her could scare someone into a coma.
Covering her face up from the sheer embarrassment till she took her seat across from the Sin, who quickly started a discussion when she held up the menu. "So what kind of coffee do you like, I heard this shop has some of the finest in all of Paris."
"You know that's not why I'm here Susan," Yumi answered in a dark tone.
"Awe come on, you really need to loosen up and try new things. I'll buy," the women smiled, but it was replied by a dark glare from her favorite enemy. So she became serious. "So you just want to get to business?"
"Yes I do, what would drive you into scaring my friend into a coma, not to mention why you would even go after Aelita, you would always go after my boyfriend," she accused.
Susan's eyes quickly went from cheery to sincere, looking out into the streets. "Remember what I told you last year, of how I ended up becoming a member of Team Sin?"
Yumi nodded. "Yeah, you kept transferring schools because of all of the sexual harassment from the students and teachers, but what does that have to do with Aelita?"
The Bodyguard of Team Kiwi could see it in Susan's eyes, those old wounds were quickly coming back to this girl, like she was about to break into tears at any moment. "Last night," her voice quivered, "your Deactivator thought her researching skills on people were as good as the Sins; she accused me of moving from one school to another because I was getting," she couldn't even finish that sentence as the flood of tears poured out, using her arm to wipe it away but the flow didn't seem to stop.
The Japanese girl quickly went for a folded up napkin she kept in her pocket, handing it over to the teen who defiantly needed it at the moment.
"Thanks," Sword Hunter said, using the napkin to dry her eyes before she continued, "she accused me of being nothing more then a common harlot, thinking I would just whore out my body to every guy at school till I got bored and moved on to the next one. I couldn't let her get away after calling me that."
"But still, you didn't have to go so far; my friend is in a coma because of what you and your friends did to her."
"Believe me, she got off with a slap on the wrist compared to what I could have done to her," her voice still quivering as her hand gripped the sheath of her katana tightly, to the point it started shaking.
The teen was a bit horrified to what she guessed Susan was suggesting. "You're not saying..."
"What you're thinking is exactly what I'm saying," she blurted with watery eyes, "I'm not going to be called a tramp from someone like her; it took everything I had to hold back," her skin was covered in goose bumps, her body was shaking even on this warm day, "haven't you ever felt like that Yumi? If a certain person did something so horrible to you, would you be able to hold back?"
She was about to answer the question with a quick no, but the events of what William Dunbar did to her flooded her mind, along with some of the nightmares she recently had. If he was alive today, would she be able to hold back? "Haven't you talked to your team about this?"
Susan nodded. "Of course, I would never keep anything from my friends; they know everything about my past and I know of theirs; but something like this is better to talk with another girl and with Virus at College and her IM is off, you get what I mean?"
She agreed with her, but something else about what she said came to mind. "Wait, what do you mean by, 'from someone like her' when you were talking about Aelita?"
Sword Hunter was finally able to dry her eyes. "You will have to figure out that by yourself, I can't believe after all these years your team is still keeping secrets from each other. Like your," the then focused intensely on her friend, "grandma."
Yumi's eyes went wide from that comment; no one besides her family knew she was visiting a psychiatrist. But what would Team Sin do with that information, there was nothing they could blackmail her for and she knew that they would never want any team to drop out of the tournament. "How did you find out about that? Those sessions are classified!" she frantically asked, yet keeping her voice down so no one else heard.
"You forget Yumi, we are Team Sin, its our specialty to get dirt on other teams for our own amusement," shooting the member of Team Kiwi a sly grin, "not to mention you are just making it too easy for us to get dirt on your team, it almost ruins the fun in finding it."
"What are you going to do with that information?" Yumi was quick to ask.
Sword Hunter just smiled and shook her head. "Shadow was planning on something but I told him to leave it alone, no fun in beating a dead horse." The young teen then looked over at the girl in black clothing with a sincere smile. "But as your friend, I do hope you get over this soon; if you don't I might just accept Ero's little proposal instead."
For a friend Susan was a weird one, but before Yumi could counter that little suggestion the member of Team Sin giggled. "Don't worry, I was only kidding," where she quickly lifted the menu once again, "now come on, order any drink you like, I'm buying."
"Please forgive me!" Spec pleaded to the next heirs of the Tempus family in their room; on his knees, white gloved hands on the ground, and his masked face looking up at them. "I should have been there to protect you especially with Sphinx Corp. on the loose; it is entirely my fault for not being by your side."
Each member of the Masters Family is assigned to help each branch of the Tempus family. They aren't slaves in the least: a 401K, two weeks paid vacation, full health and dental benefits. They have served the Tempus family since the time of Caesar reign on the Roman Empire.
And Spec Masters, being the youngest of his generation, to have the responsibility of looking after the next heirs to the head family, was that of the highest honor. "For letting such a deed commence I deserve three marks over my left eye immediately."
The Masters family each wore a white mask over the face and completely forbidden to remove it while in the presences of the Tempus family. These masks have red claw marks over their eyes; on the right showed rank, three being the highest which he was the youngest member in his family to receive, one of the reasons he has the honor to look after the next heirs, but if the claw marks are on the left eye, it shows how many times one has gone against the family, three means expulsion which has yet to happen.
However, if something would come to Alex and Karen's safety he would tend to overreact. "Spec, please stand up," Lady Karen's tender voice spoke, calming down the teen in front of her.
Spec brushed himself off before standing erect; ready to accept any punishment to the full extent. "My dear friend, you really should calm down," Alex's calmly spoke, giving Spec that warm smile of his, "we are both all right and without injury, if it is anyone's fault for putting us in harms danger it would be me."
"Sir Alex I can not let you think that way," Spec pleaded to the next heir, "I should have stood by my job and looked over your safety."
But Alex waved his hand to calm down his good friend, still wearing that peaceful smile on his face. "Anyway you look at it, it was completely my fault. I gave you a direct order to take today off; it was sheer coincidence the same time we would be attacked. But if you still feel responsible all I ask to for you to make up for it is from today on you look over my beloved Keikei's safety until we are to return home."
Spec bowed. "I will protect her with my life," except he stood back up, "but what about your safety, Sir Alex?"
He shook his head. "I can take care of myself," turning to look down on his beloved sister, looking down into her ocean blue eyes with his and cupping her small snow fragile hands, "your safety is what I am most concern about, I don't know what I would do if something were to ever happen to you."
Lady Karen's snow white face started to turn a faint shade of red with those warm eyes looking into hers, she always wondered how she could be so lucky to have the best older brother in the world; always so kind and caring to her. "But Beloved Brother," her angelic voice was shaky at best, not wanting to loose him either, "what if you are to become injured, or worse?"
"It was me who asked for our most trusted friends R and Doris to help flush out the head of Sphinx Corp., hoping he would slip up somehow at the chance of the next Tempus heirs being out in the open. If anyone of us is to be injured it should be me and me alone," Alex was able to explain without a hint of fear or worry in his voice, gently pulling his sister close to him in a warm embrace, "besides, if anything was to happen to you I don't think I would be able to go on; so please let Spec stay by your side until this is all over."
She could feel her face heating up in his warm embrace; even though she loved her brother to no end she also wondered if she ever could be as confident as he was; if the worse outcome was to happen would she be able to take over as the next heir of the family. But for the time being she nodded. "Yes Beloved Brother, I will be by Spec's side till we are to return back to school."
She hated when he let go of his embrace, always feeling so secure and warm while he hugged her; strong yet gentle. "I'm glad to hear of it," breaking his eye contact with her to look at Spec, "I will now figure out how to arrange he rooms so you are able to look after her twenty-four seven, please take her out for ice-cream for the time being."
Spec bowed to the next heir. "As you wish, Sir Alex," for only being eighteen years old, he took his job very seriously; willing to do whatever necessary to fulfill the orders from Alex Tempus.
The clock just struck two-thirteen inside that nurse's station and Jeremy was asleep in that chair; resting his head on the bed with his hand cupped in Aelita's. Only getting to sleep less then an hour ago and only because he could no longer keep his eyelids open.
But he woke up quickly once he felt a gentle hand caressing the back of his head; his tired eyes focusing on his girlfriend smiling down at him. "Hey there sleepy head," her heavenly voice said, "did I miss anything?"
Before his mind could react, he shot up from his seat and wrapped his arms around the pink haired girl's back in a tight hug; almost like if he were to let go of her it would turn out to be just a dream. "Aelita, are you alright?"
Aelita nodded softly; nothing could have made her happier then seeing her boyfriend the moment she woke up. Ever since last year she always wondered how she could be so lucky to deserve such a kind and caring guy like him.
"Yes," her innocent voice made his heart skip a beat, he almost started to believe he would never hear it again, "I fine; I hope I didn't make you worry too much."
She didn't want that hug of his to end, strong and warm around her; feeling like nothing could hurt her while in his embrace. But he let go of her to look her in the eyes, like if making sure that she was really all right. "I'm so glad... you are all right; I was so worried that you wouldn't wake up."
She giggled; how he loved the sound of her laugh, another thing he feared he would have never heard again. "Don't worry, it will take a lot more then some threats to keep me down," she game him that warm, soft smile of hers, "I am stronger then I look."
It was so hard to keep up that smile in front of him, holding back how much her body wanted to shake from that horrible incident; she had never been more terrified in her life. She originally thought that nothing could have been more frightening then those times against that XANA virus, but how Sword Hunter acting back there was a thousand-times worse, nearly passing out again just thinking about it.
Jeremy reached out, caressing his hand against her warm pink skin, so soft it was to the touch. Feeling her move into his hand he wished there was more he could do to help her. "Are you hungry? I got some food for you that I could microwave if you are."
Her stomach was faster then her words to answer, giggling a little from that as well. "My body speaks for itself it seems.
To Be Continued
Sorry for the long wait, I will have more heart breaks and disasters soon; read and review.
