Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko.

Claimer: I own my O/Cs and the plot. :D

Chapter 10

I shook my head, "N-n-no!"

"It's not an option." Jeremie said sternly.

I choked, and fell to my knees, bursting into tears. I put my face in my hands and let salty tears roll off my face. Someone patted my back and said it would be ok, but my sobs made whoever it was unidentifiable.

The group hung around in an awkward silence, watching my breakdown. When I finally finished crying, I stood back up, my face red and raw and I turned to Jeremie. Looking at him straight in the eye I said, "No."

"But it might be the key to figuring out this whole thing!"

"No."

"Fay, listen to yourself!"

I threw my hands up in the air and wished he understood. That placed lied, cheated, and manipulated everyone. And once you were in, there was rarely a way out. If you escaped, you didn't want to go back. You knew too much, and you would be too easily identified. I would be too easily identified.

My lower lip trembled, but I stood my ground, "No."

"Why?"

"When you go in, you never go out."

"You did."

I turned away and remembered the scars and bruises I had when I first arrived. I was hurt, hungry, and scared. I chewed on my lower lip as more tears fell from my face.

"Think of all the people you'd be helping." Jeremie said.

Flashes of Nick and Sister went through my mind. I stiffened, choked, and buried my face in my hands once more.

As more time passed, although it felt more like it was frozen, the group shifted, until they were all surrounding me, waiting for my answer. When I finished crying for the second time, I recomposed my self and whispered, "I'll help you."

..::.. ..::.. ..::..

They didn't waste any time. Shortly after I said I'd be helping them, they made a plan of when they were leaving, how long they'd be gone, what they were bringing.

As the group chattered amongst themselves, I sat on Jeremie's bed, not saying anything. I watched as they got excited that they got a lead to solve their twisted mystery. I played with my hair absentmindedly, wishing I was never brought into this mess in the first place.

"Fay…what do we need for a place like this?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Yumi asked.

"I mean, nothing."

The group exchanged glances, and I could tell that they didn't understand what I meant.

"They take away your stuff. If someone comes in from the outside world, they do a total body scan. You can't bring in anything except yourself and the clothes on your body."

I clammed up again and closed my eyes, wishing that they could go without me. As the afternoon continued with Jeremie attempting to do research (which was pointless), Aelita getting excited (which was stupid), Ulrich and Yumi acting passively (possibly the smartest idea), and Odd trying to make me laugh (which was also pointless) I continued to sit and say nothing, simply twisting my hair and rubbing my bruises.

"When are we leaving?" I finally asked, almost inaudibly.

When at first they didn't reply, I thought they didn't hear me, but Jeremie finally turned away from his computer, pushed up his glasses, and said, "Tonight."

..::.. ..::.. ..::..

It was harder than I thought sneaking out of Sissi's room. Everyone else had it easy, and I knew they hated having to wait for me, but it wasn't my fault. Sissi, as it turns out, likes to read trashy fashion magazines underneath the covers. I had to wait until she was done and asleep before I could make my attempt at escaping.

I ran down the corridor with slippers on my feet, sunglasses in one hand, a pair of scissors in another, and a sweater tied around my waist.

I pushed open the doors as quietly as I could, but they still gave a loud squeak, much to my dismay. I heard a door from down the hall unlock, and I hurried outside and ran behind a tree. Everyone looked at me strangely, but I hushed them and motioned for them to go and hide.

The doors opened again and out stepped Mrs. Hertz with a flashlight. She looked around and shook her head, mumbling. I let out a huge sigh as a strong gust of wind blew, blowing my hair in many directions.

I quickly tamed my hair and glanced at the others, who were all looking at me curiously. I quickly put my hair in a low ponytail, leaving enough room so my hair would hit just under my chin.

"What are you doing?" Odd asked.

"They'd recognize me." I said, bringing the scissors to the base of the ponytail. With my hands quivering, I snipped at the hair, and let it fall to the ground. I ran a hand through my new hair and gave a small smile.

"You didn't have to cut your hair." Odd said sadly, and he seemed more broken up about me cutting my hair than I did.

I shrugged and tossed the scissors into the bushes and grabbed my hair, also tossing it into the bushes. I nodded and started walking.

I could tell that they were all talking about me. Yumi was saying, "How do we know we can trust her?" and, "What if this is one of XANA's tricks?"

Ulrich continually shushed her, but I could tell that they all agreed with what she was saying. Except for maybe Odd, as he was quietly defending me, probably thinking that I couldn't hear him, even if he was only five feet away.

But Ulrich and Yumi and the others were right to think the way that they did. If I were them, I wouldn't a practically mute girl with no proof of where she was from. The journey to the 'home' was a death walk in itself.

We walked through the forest until we reached a creek with a fast current. I started hopping from stone to stone until I reached the other side, but when I turned back, I saw that none of them have moved an inch. I shook my head and sighed, knowing I should have told them that the journey wasn't going to be easy.

"Is there a bridge?" Aelita asked.

"Or a part with slower currents?" Jeremie asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

I shook my head, and even in the dark, I know that they saw me. They all started crossing the water, hesitantly and shaky.

We continued until we crossed miniature mountains, bramble bushes, and a couple more small creeks. Then we reached a large meadow. It was sunrise by now, and I knew we were close.

I looked back at the group, who looked like I did when I first ran away. Tired, beat up, hungry. I looked forward and saw an outline of houses. I started walking to it, almost hypnotically.

"Where are you going?" Odd asked.

I continued to walk. I knew without looking back that they were following.

..::.. ..::.. ..::..

"Fay! Fay! Slow down!"

"We're here."

The group stopped complaining and looked at the rusty iron gates that led into the home of hell. I growled slightly, my memories of the place rushing back to me.

I pulled on my sunglasses and sweater, "I'm blind."

They nodded, understanding that the sunglasses hid a lot of my face, so I wouldn't be well recognized in the city. Aelita was the one to push on the iron gates, and they opened with ease, almost knowing that we were going to be here.

I was the last to walk in, with Odd as my "guide" and I swore I heard someone snicker and say, "Welcome home."

A/N: Filler, I know…don't kill me.

I've been busy and such, and if I continued this chapter, it would ruin the mood.

Well, that's my excuse anyways.

XD

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