Okay guys, here's the next chappie. Like I've said before, I don't own
Code: Lyoko, (or anything for that matter) except my imagination and the
character that'll be here in the next two chapters. On with the story!
Meanwhile, Ulrich felt slow, cold breathing on him. He had gained more strength since he passed out and was now able to move a bit more than before. He looked up to see Yumi on his chest, unconscious and still bleeding, though most of the wounds had started to clot. He carefully sat up, being careful not to injure his arm or Yumi anymore and situated Yumi so her head was now on his lap. When he was settled, he knew what his next task would have to be. He would have to wake up Yumi somehow. He tried calling her name and gently rocking her head. None of this was working, he realized, so he would have to do the one thing he didn't want to do; he had to wake her up by causing her pain. He reached for her dislocated shoulder and moved it. Yumi winced first, grabbed Ulrich's arm, then let out a cry of pain. She started crying, and looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Ulrich... why...did...you...do...that? It hurts so badly already, and that didn't help any."
"I'm so sorry Yumi," He said gently, moving the hair out of her eyes.
"But I had to wake you up. You... have to... stay... awake... for me, so I... know you'll... be okay. Don't worry... about me. I was... sleeping. I need... to sleep... again until... Odd and Jeremie... get here. Promise you'll... stay awake."
"I promise. I'll wake you up when he gets here." But Ulrich had already fallen asleep against the wall. About 5 minutes later, Odd came bursting through the side doors.
"Yumi?! Ulrich?! Where are... oh...my..." He said slowly before running as fast as he could toward the desk they were on.
"Yumi, are you okay? You look worse than Ulrich. We need to get to you first."
"No! Take care of Ulrich first. Then you can worry about me." She said forcefully to him. Just then, Jeremie ran through the doors to where Odd and the others were.
"I can use the materialization program to get Aelita so she can help get you bandaged up, Yumi. I'll be back. Odd, carefully pull Ulrich off the desk and onto another table. Yumi, you just chill there. We'll get you guys stable, then figure out what to do with you two." Jeremie told them as he ran to the computer. A few minutes later, Aelita ran in behind Jeremie and went to Yumi like she was told to. She sat Yumi up which caused the dried wounds to open up again. Yumi winced when the air hit her re-opened wounds, but dealt with it for the moment. Aelita slid Yumi off the desk and led her to a bathroom that was especially for the girls of the group, which up until now had been just Yumi. It had changes of clothes for Yumi just in case something happened to her outfit she had on at the time. It also had a giant bathtub and a big shower next to it. Aelita helped Yumi undress and get her in the tub full of warm water. She stayed there just in case something happened, but Yumi washed away all the blood and dirt on her. She forgot all bout her shoulder for the time being. She'd have to get someone strong to pop it back in. As soon as she got out and dried off, she felt as good as new, save for her shoulder. She looked at her back, and there were no cuts, not even a scar! She felt almost 100 percent better.
"Aelita, what was that stuff? I feel almost completely better."
"That was a special Lyoko healing powder I put in the water. It'll heal everything except dislocated joints, ironically. It will heal broken bones though. So if I let Ulrich bathe in it..."
"His broken arm will heal."
"Exactly. He'll be completely healed."
"What're we waiting for then? Let's go tell him." She dressed into her clothes and went to Ulrich's makeshift bed. By this time, Ulrich had woken up again and was sitting up talking every now and then with Jeremie and Odd. They all looked at Yumi as she walked up to them; the only thing bothering her was her shoulder by then.
"Yumi? But how did you...?" Ulrich stared at Yumi.
"This special healing powder that Aelita has. It'll heal everything that's wrong with you. Unfortunately, it couldn't heal my shoulder. I'll need you to put it back in once you're healed. You're the strongest here. No offense you guys." She said looking at Odd and Jeremie.
"Hey don't worry about it. Ulrich is the brawn, I'm just the brains." Jeremie said.
"It's nothing. Ulrich beat the stuffing out of me in our last karate match. But that was only when he caught me." Odd agreed. Yumi gave them an apologetic smile then turned to Aelita when she came back in the room.
"Ulrich, are you ready? The healing water is all set."
"Yeah, Odd, Jeremie, you guys wanna help me there?" The two boys nodded and led him to the bathroom. 15 minutes later, Ulrich came out looking fresh and revived.
"Thank you Aelita. That water made me 100 percent again." He said giving her a thank you hug. He then turned his attention to Yumi, who, by this time, was silently crying when her shoulder so much as shifted.
"Hey guys, can you go check out the elevator's condition? We have to figure out how long it'll take to get it repaired. Yumi and I'll meet you there as soon as I get her shoulder back in place." Ulrich said the last part quieter because he didn't want Yumi to get nervous, but she knew what was coming, and there was no way she could've gotten any more tense. She sat on the desk by the side doors holding her shoulder and dreading the moment it would have to go back in. Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie nodded and walked out the doors with Ulrich following them as far as the doors. He closed them, then turned his attention to Yumi, and walked up to her with a slight smile on his face. He didn't want to be the one to do this, but he also knew that no one else was as strong as he was, and he mentally hit himself because he knew he would have to cause pain to the one he cared for more than anyone else on this planet.
"Hey. You ready to get this over with?" He asked her. She turned her head to him and forced a smile.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She answered with a slight sigh. Ulrich helped her lie down on the desk so her right shoulder faced him.
"Okay, what do I do now Yumi?" He asked her.
"You have to pull my shoulder towards you then move it around until you feel it go back in. Put your left hand over the joint so you know when it goes in. It should pop right back in after you...pull it." She said slowly. Ulrich decided to calm her nerves a bit by having small talk here and there as he got ready to pop her shoulder back in. He looked at her now fragile form, shaking from nervousness and pain. He moved his hand and pushed some hair out from her face and looked at her tenderly. Yumi was a bit taken back by this, but kinda already knew that he had something for her.
"Hey Yumi." He said quietly as he placed his left hand over her shoulder and his right hand on her upper arm.
"Yeah?" She answered just as quietly, still a bit tense. Ulrich leaned in closer right next to her ear as his hands tightened up a bit on her arm and whispered the three words he always wanted to say to her.
"I love you..." She looked at him stunned and completely taken back. This gave Ulrich the opportunity, and he popped it back in.
"Wha-? ARGH!!!" She said as she felt her arm being pulled and popped back into place. After it back in, she jerked away from him and turned her back from him. Yumi jumped off the desk opposite Ulrich and cried silently. Ulrich, by this time, felt completely horrible about having to hurt her. He walked around the desk behind Yumi and hugged her gently. She froze at the contact, but soon accepted it and let Ulrich comfort her. After a few minutes, Ulrich turned Yumi around to face him, his hands on her hips. He wiped away a few tears that flowed from her eyes and looked at her with all the love he had in the world.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's not as bad as it was before." They both fell silent, blushing but not changing their position. Ulrich's face inched closer to Yumi's, who was also starting to close the gap too. She didn't know why she was doing this, but she had wanted to do this for the longest time, longer than he'd wanted to. It seemed an eternity to Yumi, but finally their lips met in a soft but passionate kiss. She decided to let the moment play out and closed her eyes with his as she wrapped her good arm around his neck. They pulled back reluctantly when they needed to breathe, and Yumi blushed a dark crimson.
"Yumi, I was serious back there. I... I love you." He said gently.
"Ulrich, I..." She was about to say when a giant crash rang over them both.
"What was that? It sounded like it came from..." Yumi started.
"Where Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie went to look at he elevator!" Ulrich said quickly. They both looked at each other and nodded. They ran out the doors towards the bridge where the crash came from. When they reached the bridge, they were shocked to find only Odd there, with a piece of the railing of the bridge broken behind him. He was fighting what looked to a crab from Lyoko! He had a chain in his hand and various burns all over his body from where the crab hit him. He was on one knee, hunched over, looking like he was ready for the final and fatal blow.
"ODD!!!" Yumi cried out just as the crab charged its laser gun. Odd looked at Ulrich and Yumi and used what little energy he had left to dodge the blast and clumsily run to them. Ulrich grabbed the chain out of Odd's hand and faced the monster. Yumi caught Odd right before he fell hard on the concrete.
"Yumi, take Odd to a safe place to rest, I'll deal with this." Yumi looked up from Odd to Ulrich, worry plastered all over her face.
"But..."
"Yumi, please. Do this for me. I'll be fine. Just go. Now!" Ulrich said as the charged laser just barely missed him by a couple of inches. Yumi picked him up and ran as fast as she could away from the battle. Odd wanted to go back so bad he was struggling with Yumi to get there.
"Yumi, you don't understand! Jeremie and Aelita fell off the side of the bridge! Jeremie was still holding on, but I didn't see Aelita anywhere. That's when I found out it was the crab that did that. I was protecting Jeremie! I have to go back and help Ulrich!"
"No, you won't. I'll go get Jeremie and Aelita and bring them back here. You have to stay here. I'll get Ulrich's sword and give it to him to fight with, but the most help you can be to anyone is if you stay here!" She told him as she set him down and ran out the doors with Ulrich's sword in her hand. Odd finally gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep in the corner of the control room.
Meanwhile, Ulrich had held his own for a while, but the chain he had could only deal so much damage. He resorted to evasive maneuvers for the past few minutes when he noticed someone running towards him from the corner of his eye. He dodged another shot and looked to see Yumi running to him with his sword at her side unsheathed and poised to strike. She ran underneath the crab and sliced a couple of its legs off. That stunned it long enough for her to toss the sword to Ulrich. He caught it and finished off the crab with a hit to the top of its head. He ran out of the way as it exploded and turned just in time to see Yumi diving off the bridge into the river below.
"Yumi! What're you doing?!" He yelled for her. Ulrich sheathed his sword and ran to the edge and was about to jump after her when he saw Jeremie hanging from a bar just below him. Jeremie was looking at Yumi and yelled at her that he was up here, but looked up to see Ulrich looking at him.
"Ulrich, don't jump! At least pull me up first." He said half sarcastically.
"Of course! I wasn't just gonna let you hang like this. What kinda friend would I be?" Ulrich said chuckling while pulling Jeremie up on the bridge.
"Jeremie, can you walk? Odd's probably unconscious in the control room. I told Yumi to take him there and stay with him, but just a minute ago, I saw her jump off the bridge! Do you know why?" Jeremie turned pale, but nodded.
"Ae...Aelita. I held onto her as long as I could, but she pried my hand off her own... to save me, and fell in the river. I was able to pull myself up onto the bar, and I've been here ever since..." He told him, obviously weak and upset at the fact he couldn't hold on to Aelita. Ulrich placed a reassuring hand on Jeremie's shoulder.
"Hey, Yumi went to look for her. Aelita'll be just fine, I'm sure of it. Yumi won't give up on anything, and I'm pretty sure she's not gonna start now." Jeremie nodded.
"Yeah. Okay, let's go check on Odd. If I know him, he's probably awake and trying to get back over to us. I've got his Gameboy." He laughed pulling out Odd's main source of entertainment from his pocket. They both started laughing on their way to the control room.
Meanwhile, Yumi swam down the cold murky river water, spitting out the nasty taste she got when she first plunged in. She finally came to a place where she could get out and search from a higher place. After about 5 minutes of running down the tunnel searching for any sign of life she came to a secret beach no one knew about. That's probably why it was so beautiful. She ran down the beach looking for anything when she found some footprints that she definitely didn't make. These prints were smaller, with just a smooth mark left from them. Her own prints made swirls that engraved the brand on the sand. These prints led away from the beach into a cave hidden by vines, shrubs, and moss around the edges. Yumi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Finally, a lead to where she is. I gotta hurry, though... the boys must be worried." She walked up to the entrance of the cave and poked her head in to make sure it was safe before she ran in. It was dark and quiet, so Yumi went outside and got a piece of dried wood about 31/2 feet long, wet it all except for the top, and used her lighter to light the top and used it as a torch. She walked into the dark, dank cave and followed the footsteps that went in before her. It seemed like forever walking in the eerie cave before Yumi finally found a sign that Aelita was in that cave. Yumi went and saw what exactly it was.
"Aelita's shoe. She has to be near. Aelita? Aelita. Are you here?" It only took a few minutes of searching after Yumi found Aelita's shoe for her to find Aelita herself. Aelita had made small noises with a rock against the cave wall to attract Yumi's attention. Yumi ran up to Aelita.
"Aelita. Thank goodness you're alive. Jeremie probably would've killed me so I could look for you and bring you back you back from the dead." She said laughing. Aelita smiled but soon grew quiet.
"Aelita. C'mon, you have to stay awake for me. You have to help me get back, plus I need someone to talk to." Yumi pulled Aelita out to the ocean water and splashed the surprisingly cold water on Aelita's face. Aelita shuddered and opened her eyes immediately.
"What happened? Ow! My head... hurts." She said groggily.
"Good Aelita. Now, we need to find the shortest way back to Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremie."
"Jeremie? He's safe?"
"Yeah, I think he's just weak from holding on so long. We need to get back quick so we can do a thorough check to see if you're alright."
"I think I can make it back, then I need to rest."
"That's fine, I'll let you spend a few days at my house, then if you want, you can go back to Lyoko."
"That sounds good. Now let's get going. Everyone's probably worried sick about you."
"I'm fine, just a little tired, and Ulrich knows I'll be fine. Hey, don't tell the others now, but I think Ulrich and I hooked up earlier."
"Really? That's awesome. I'm excited for you two. We all knew you two would get together, we just didn't know when."
"It was that obvious?"
"Yeah." Aelita said snickering. Yumi helped her to her feet and they were off to the control room. They went back the way they came, with Aelita talking to Yumi every few minutes so she knew she was alright. When they reached the bridge, Yumi saw Ulrich looking for them with a telescope towards the other side of the factory. Yumi thought about scaring him, but now was not really a time to play games.
"Hey Ulrich, down here!" She called to him, treading water with Aelita holding herself above the water via Yumi's shoulder. Ulrich turned and waved to them. He then ran into the building and grabbed a rope to pull them up. He threw one end down to them and tied the other end to a bar on the other side of the bridge. He waved as if to say it was okay, and Yumi turned to Aelita.
"Okay, Aelita, tie this to your waist and Ulrich'll pull you up."
"What about you?"
"He'll pull me up after your up there and safe. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I used to be on a swim team when I was smaller."
"Okay. See you up there." Aelita said as she was hoisted up onto the bridge. As soon as she was up on the bridge, Ulrich dropped the rope and pulled up a fatigued Yumi up on the bridge. Ulrich grabbed her hand and pulled her up, then hugged her when she was up safely, not caring that she was completely soaked to the bone. They pulled away, got up, and noticed that Aelita was too weak to move, so Ulrich carried her on his back to the control room. Aelita fell asleep on the way there, and didn't even notice when Ulrich set her down on a desk and laid her down next to Odd. Jeremie was ecstatic when Aelita was safe back with them, and thanked Yumi more than she wanted to be thanked.
"It's okay Jeremie. I know Aelita would've done that if it was me instead of her." Yumi said as she plopped down into a chair, tired and chilled. Ulrich went to a closet in the guy's bathroom and got a few towels. He wrapped Aelita in a few so she wouldn't catch hypothermia, and then walked over to Yumi. Jeremie was next to Odd treating him for burns, so he couldn't see what was going on. Ulrich walked over and wrapped the remaining towels around her now shivering form. She gladly accepted them when Ulrich wrapped them tightly around her shoulders and legs. He then came behind her and wrapped his arms around her and held her close to generate heat on her back. Yumi leaned her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes as she fell into a peaceful slumber. Everyone was safe and healing, which meant her work was done. Jeremie turned around and gave a thumbs up sign to Ulrich to say that Odd would be just fine as would Aelita when he noticed the way Ulrich held Yumi. Then it clicked in his head.
"You two are together now, am I right?" Ulrich gave a smirk and a quiet chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Right after that claw hit her back there, I thought about how close I came to losing her, and about what I would do if she fell. If she would've fallen, I would've jumped after her. Then it hit me. I mentally slapped myself when I finally realized that all that stuff meant I loved her. And I do, Jeremie. I love her with all my heart. I would never harm her, nor let her go into harms way. I want to tell her all that and more, but I'm scared of how she'll react."
"Just tell her exactly that. Tell her you have to talk to her, and take her off into the next room. I'll worry about Odd and Aelita. They're both asleep." Ulrich looked at Yumi.
"I think Yumi is too. I'll tell her when she wakes up. Right now, I think we all need to rest. You go get some sleep; if something comes up, I'll take care of it." Jeremie nodded.
"Okay, Yumi'll need to call her parents that she'll be in late though. They'll worry and suspect something if not."
"You're right. I need to wake her and tell her, but I don't want to. She looks so peaceful. Oh well." He said as he gently shook Yumi awake.
"Huh? Who's there? Ulrich? Why'd you wake me up?"
"You need to tell your parents that you'll be late coming in, and that Aelita's staying with you for a few days." Ulrich told her softly.
"Oh yeah. You got your cell? Mine's in my book bag next to the elevator." "Yeah, here you go." He handed her his cell phone and she walked away to talk to her parents.
"Hey Mom, I have to work on a project for some extra credit in a class, so I'll be in pretty late."
"Okay honey, just be careful getting home." Her mom answered.
"Alright. Hey Mom, can I have a friend over for a few days? She had a fight with her parents and needs a place to crash for a while."
"Oh sure, dear. Any friend of yours is always welcome to stay with us."
"Thanks Mom, she'll be so grateful."
"Alright, Yumi. See you in a while."
"Bye, Mom." Yumi hung up the phone and gave it back to Ulrich.
"My mom said Aelita could stay for a few days, so we're all set."
"Good. See you guys in a bit." Jeremie said walking away towards an empty desk. Ulrich put his phone away after he set an alarm and motioned for Yumi to come back to the way they were before. Yumi complied and leaned back into Ulrich's strong arms which enveloped her, making her feel safe. She closed her eyes.
"I set an alarm that'll wake us up in about an hour and a half."
"Okay." She answered him sleepily.
"Hey Yumi?"
"Yeah?"
"I, uh... nevermind. I'll tell you later. Let's get some rest." And they both drifted off into a peaceful slumber. An hour an a half seemed to fly by in 5 minutes to everyone, and soon, Ulrich had to wake up Yumi and the others. After he woke up Yumi with a kiss on the cheek, he woke up Jeremie, Odd, and Aelita. Jeremie got up easily, but Odd acted like a 2 year old and pitched a fit when he got up. Aelita woke up easier than Odd, but didn't like it when she had to get up. Yumi told Aelita that she told her parents that she had to act like she had a fight with her parents, and Aelita put on her best impression. Jeremie agreed to take an upset Odd back to his dorm, and Ulrich volunteered to take the girls to Yumi's house. Ulrich led Yumi and Aelita back to Yumi's house, each one had one of Ulrich's arms to hold on to. When they got there, Aelita turned to them both.
"I'll leave you two alone so you can say goodnight to each other. Yumi, I'll wait by the door." They nodded and turned to face each other.
"Well, I guess this is goodnight." Ulrich told her. Yumi blushed.
"Yeah. Well, goodni-..." She started to say, but was cut off by Ulrich's lips on hers. His hands slipped around her waist and pulled her closer as her arms stayed in place at her sides. When they broke apart, both out of breath, Yumi was sporting a bright crimson on her cheeks.
"Goodnight." She said, out of breath. Ulrich took a deep breath and kissed her again. After he ended the kiss, still holding her close to him, and his face centimeters from hers, he answered.
"See you tomorrow. Oh, and as for your birthday in a couple of weeks, I know it runs in with that trip that the upperclassmen are taking, so, I'm planning a special treat for all of us."
"No way! Really? That sounds awesome, Ulrich! I can't wait!" She smiled as she gave him a quick thank you hug and kiss, then she ran up the stairs to her house. She waved at Ulrich, who returned the wave, then opened the door and went inside with Aelita close behind. Ulrich watched them get safely inside, then ran all the way back to his dorm, careful not to attract unwanted attention from Jim or anyone else. He reached his room and made it just in time to catch a glimpse of Odd's infamous sleepy randomness.
"But Mommy! I don't wanna ride the pony! I love mustard!" He said with his index finger high up in the air over his head and his pillow in the other, held close to his chest. (Kinda like the statue of liberty.) After that, he collapsed back onto his bed and a snore could be heard coming from his area. Ulrich just rolled his eyes, popped in some earplugs, and fell asleep right there on his bed, still in his damp clothes.
Yumigirl06: Any better than the last one? Send reviews, and helpful constructive criticism.
Odd: Aww, Yumi and Ulrich, sittin' in a tree, (Ulrich goes to slap the back of his head.) k-i-s-s-iiioww! what was that for?
Ulrich pulls his hand away quickly.
Ulrich: Oh, I'm sorry, it slipped.
Odd: Well, you guys did! Let's see one...two......four times!
Jeremie: He does have a point Ulrich.
Aelita: Uh Jeremie, is that a bad thing? To kiss I mean.
Jeremie blushes, while everyone else gets quiet instantly.
Jeremie: Well, no. It lets the other person know that you have feelings for them.
Aelita nods, stares at the floor for a split second, then walks up to Jeremie and kisses him. Everyone in the room is stunned, then starts yelling.
Yumigirl06 and Yumi: Yeah! Go Aelita!
Odd: Whoo-hoo! Jeremie, you dog!
Jeremie and Aelita break apart, and Jeremie looks to Ulrich, who flashes him a thumbs up.
Jeremie: Okay guys, let's get to the next chapter.
Meanwhile, Ulrich felt slow, cold breathing on him. He had gained more strength since he passed out and was now able to move a bit more than before. He looked up to see Yumi on his chest, unconscious and still bleeding, though most of the wounds had started to clot. He carefully sat up, being careful not to injure his arm or Yumi anymore and situated Yumi so her head was now on his lap. When he was settled, he knew what his next task would have to be. He would have to wake up Yumi somehow. He tried calling her name and gently rocking her head. None of this was working, he realized, so he would have to do the one thing he didn't want to do; he had to wake her up by causing her pain. He reached for her dislocated shoulder and moved it. Yumi winced first, grabbed Ulrich's arm, then let out a cry of pain. She started crying, and looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Ulrich... why...did...you...do...that? It hurts so badly already, and that didn't help any."
"I'm so sorry Yumi," He said gently, moving the hair out of her eyes.
"But I had to wake you up. You... have to... stay... awake... for me, so I... know you'll... be okay. Don't worry... about me. I was... sleeping. I need... to sleep... again until... Odd and Jeremie... get here. Promise you'll... stay awake."
"I promise. I'll wake you up when he gets here." But Ulrich had already fallen asleep against the wall. About 5 minutes later, Odd came bursting through the side doors.
"Yumi?! Ulrich?! Where are... oh...my..." He said slowly before running as fast as he could toward the desk they were on.
"Yumi, are you okay? You look worse than Ulrich. We need to get to you first."
"No! Take care of Ulrich first. Then you can worry about me." She said forcefully to him. Just then, Jeremie ran through the doors to where Odd and the others were.
"I can use the materialization program to get Aelita so she can help get you bandaged up, Yumi. I'll be back. Odd, carefully pull Ulrich off the desk and onto another table. Yumi, you just chill there. We'll get you guys stable, then figure out what to do with you two." Jeremie told them as he ran to the computer. A few minutes later, Aelita ran in behind Jeremie and went to Yumi like she was told to. She sat Yumi up which caused the dried wounds to open up again. Yumi winced when the air hit her re-opened wounds, but dealt with it for the moment. Aelita slid Yumi off the desk and led her to a bathroom that was especially for the girls of the group, which up until now had been just Yumi. It had changes of clothes for Yumi just in case something happened to her outfit she had on at the time. It also had a giant bathtub and a big shower next to it. Aelita helped Yumi undress and get her in the tub full of warm water. She stayed there just in case something happened, but Yumi washed away all the blood and dirt on her. She forgot all bout her shoulder for the time being. She'd have to get someone strong to pop it back in. As soon as she got out and dried off, she felt as good as new, save for her shoulder. She looked at her back, and there were no cuts, not even a scar! She felt almost 100 percent better.
"Aelita, what was that stuff? I feel almost completely better."
"That was a special Lyoko healing powder I put in the water. It'll heal everything except dislocated joints, ironically. It will heal broken bones though. So if I let Ulrich bathe in it..."
"His broken arm will heal."
"Exactly. He'll be completely healed."
"What're we waiting for then? Let's go tell him." She dressed into her clothes and went to Ulrich's makeshift bed. By this time, Ulrich had woken up again and was sitting up talking every now and then with Jeremie and Odd. They all looked at Yumi as she walked up to them; the only thing bothering her was her shoulder by then.
"Yumi? But how did you...?" Ulrich stared at Yumi.
"This special healing powder that Aelita has. It'll heal everything that's wrong with you. Unfortunately, it couldn't heal my shoulder. I'll need you to put it back in once you're healed. You're the strongest here. No offense you guys." She said looking at Odd and Jeremie.
"Hey don't worry about it. Ulrich is the brawn, I'm just the brains." Jeremie said.
"It's nothing. Ulrich beat the stuffing out of me in our last karate match. But that was only when he caught me." Odd agreed. Yumi gave them an apologetic smile then turned to Aelita when she came back in the room.
"Ulrich, are you ready? The healing water is all set."
"Yeah, Odd, Jeremie, you guys wanna help me there?" The two boys nodded and led him to the bathroom. 15 minutes later, Ulrich came out looking fresh and revived.
"Thank you Aelita. That water made me 100 percent again." He said giving her a thank you hug. He then turned his attention to Yumi, who, by this time, was silently crying when her shoulder so much as shifted.
"Hey guys, can you go check out the elevator's condition? We have to figure out how long it'll take to get it repaired. Yumi and I'll meet you there as soon as I get her shoulder back in place." Ulrich said the last part quieter because he didn't want Yumi to get nervous, but she knew what was coming, and there was no way she could've gotten any more tense. She sat on the desk by the side doors holding her shoulder and dreading the moment it would have to go back in. Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie nodded and walked out the doors with Ulrich following them as far as the doors. He closed them, then turned his attention to Yumi, and walked up to her with a slight smile on his face. He didn't want to be the one to do this, but he also knew that no one else was as strong as he was, and he mentally hit himself because he knew he would have to cause pain to the one he cared for more than anyone else on this planet.
"Hey. You ready to get this over with?" He asked her. She turned her head to him and forced a smile.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She answered with a slight sigh. Ulrich helped her lie down on the desk so her right shoulder faced him.
"Okay, what do I do now Yumi?" He asked her.
"You have to pull my shoulder towards you then move it around until you feel it go back in. Put your left hand over the joint so you know when it goes in. It should pop right back in after you...pull it." She said slowly. Ulrich decided to calm her nerves a bit by having small talk here and there as he got ready to pop her shoulder back in. He looked at her now fragile form, shaking from nervousness and pain. He moved his hand and pushed some hair out from her face and looked at her tenderly. Yumi was a bit taken back by this, but kinda already knew that he had something for her.
"Hey Yumi." He said quietly as he placed his left hand over her shoulder and his right hand on her upper arm.
"Yeah?" She answered just as quietly, still a bit tense. Ulrich leaned in closer right next to her ear as his hands tightened up a bit on her arm and whispered the three words he always wanted to say to her.
"I love you..." She looked at him stunned and completely taken back. This gave Ulrich the opportunity, and he popped it back in.
"Wha-? ARGH!!!" She said as she felt her arm being pulled and popped back into place. After it back in, she jerked away from him and turned her back from him. Yumi jumped off the desk opposite Ulrich and cried silently. Ulrich, by this time, felt completely horrible about having to hurt her. He walked around the desk behind Yumi and hugged her gently. She froze at the contact, but soon accepted it and let Ulrich comfort her. After a few minutes, Ulrich turned Yumi around to face him, his hands on her hips. He wiped away a few tears that flowed from her eyes and looked at her with all the love he had in the world.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's not as bad as it was before." They both fell silent, blushing but not changing their position. Ulrich's face inched closer to Yumi's, who was also starting to close the gap too. She didn't know why she was doing this, but she had wanted to do this for the longest time, longer than he'd wanted to. It seemed an eternity to Yumi, but finally their lips met in a soft but passionate kiss. She decided to let the moment play out and closed her eyes with his as she wrapped her good arm around his neck. They pulled back reluctantly when they needed to breathe, and Yumi blushed a dark crimson.
"Yumi, I was serious back there. I... I love you." He said gently.
"Ulrich, I..." She was about to say when a giant crash rang over them both.
"What was that? It sounded like it came from..." Yumi started.
"Where Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie went to look at he elevator!" Ulrich said quickly. They both looked at each other and nodded. They ran out the doors towards the bridge where the crash came from. When they reached the bridge, they were shocked to find only Odd there, with a piece of the railing of the bridge broken behind him. He was fighting what looked to a crab from Lyoko! He had a chain in his hand and various burns all over his body from where the crab hit him. He was on one knee, hunched over, looking like he was ready for the final and fatal blow.
"ODD!!!" Yumi cried out just as the crab charged its laser gun. Odd looked at Ulrich and Yumi and used what little energy he had left to dodge the blast and clumsily run to them. Ulrich grabbed the chain out of Odd's hand and faced the monster. Yumi caught Odd right before he fell hard on the concrete.
"Yumi, take Odd to a safe place to rest, I'll deal with this." Yumi looked up from Odd to Ulrich, worry plastered all over her face.
"But..."
"Yumi, please. Do this for me. I'll be fine. Just go. Now!" Ulrich said as the charged laser just barely missed him by a couple of inches. Yumi picked him up and ran as fast as she could away from the battle. Odd wanted to go back so bad he was struggling with Yumi to get there.
"Yumi, you don't understand! Jeremie and Aelita fell off the side of the bridge! Jeremie was still holding on, but I didn't see Aelita anywhere. That's when I found out it was the crab that did that. I was protecting Jeremie! I have to go back and help Ulrich!"
"No, you won't. I'll go get Jeremie and Aelita and bring them back here. You have to stay here. I'll get Ulrich's sword and give it to him to fight with, but the most help you can be to anyone is if you stay here!" She told him as she set him down and ran out the doors with Ulrich's sword in her hand. Odd finally gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep in the corner of the control room.
Meanwhile, Ulrich had held his own for a while, but the chain he had could only deal so much damage. He resorted to evasive maneuvers for the past few minutes when he noticed someone running towards him from the corner of his eye. He dodged another shot and looked to see Yumi running to him with his sword at her side unsheathed and poised to strike. She ran underneath the crab and sliced a couple of its legs off. That stunned it long enough for her to toss the sword to Ulrich. He caught it and finished off the crab with a hit to the top of its head. He ran out of the way as it exploded and turned just in time to see Yumi diving off the bridge into the river below.
"Yumi! What're you doing?!" He yelled for her. Ulrich sheathed his sword and ran to the edge and was about to jump after her when he saw Jeremie hanging from a bar just below him. Jeremie was looking at Yumi and yelled at her that he was up here, but looked up to see Ulrich looking at him.
"Ulrich, don't jump! At least pull me up first." He said half sarcastically.
"Of course! I wasn't just gonna let you hang like this. What kinda friend would I be?" Ulrich said chuckling while pulling Jeremie up on the bridge.
"Jeremie, can you walk? Odd's probably unconscious in the control room. I told Yumi to take him there and stay with him, but just a minute ago, I saw her jump off the bridge! Do you know why?" Jeremie turned pale, but nodded.
"Ae...Aelita. I held onto her as long as I could, but she pried my hand off her own... to save me, and fell in the river. I was able to pull myself up onto the bar, and I've been here ever since..." He told him, obviously weak and upset at the fact he couldn't hold on to Aelita. Ulrich placed a reassuring hand on Jeremie's shoulder.
"Hey, Yumi went to look for her. Aelita'll be just fine, I'm sure of it. Yumi won't give up on anything, and I'm pretty sure she's not gonna start now." Jeremie nodded.
"Yeah. Okay, let's go check on Odd. If I know him, he's probably awake and trying to get back over to us. I've got his Gameboy." He laughed pulling out Odd's main source of entertainment from his pocket. They both started laughing on their way to the control room.
Meanwhile, Yumi swam down the cold murky river water, spitting out the nasty taste she got when she first plunged in. She finally came to a place where she could get out and search from a higher place. After about 5 minutes of running down the tunnel searching for any sign of life she came to a secret beach no one knew about. That's probably why it was so beautiful. She ran down the beach looking for anything when she found some footprints that she definitely didn't make. These prints were smaller, with just a smooth mark left from them. Her own prints made swirls that engraved the brand on the sand. These prints led away from the beach into a cave hidden by vines, shrubs, and moss around the edges. Yumi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Finally, a lead to where she is. I gotta hurry, though... the boys must be worried." She walked up to the entrance of the cave and poked her head in to make sure it was safe before she ran in. It was dark and quiet, so Yumi went outside and got a piece of dried wood about 31/2 feet long, wet it all except for the top, and used her lighter to light the top and used it as a torch. She walked into the dark, dank cave and followed the footsteps that went in before her. It seemed like forever walking in the eerie cave before Yumi finally found a sign that Aelita was in that cave. Yumi went and saw what exactly it was.
"Aelita's shoe. She has to be near. Aelita? Aelita. Are you here?" It only took a few minutes of searching after Yumi found Aelita's shoe for her to find Aelita herself. Aelita had made small noises with a rock against the cave wall to attract Yumi's attention. Yumi ran up to Aelita.
"Aelita. Thank goodness you're alive. Jeremie probably would've killed me so I could look for you and bring you back you back from the dead." She said laughing. Aelita smiled but soon grew quiet.
"Aelita. C'mon, you have to stay awake for me. You have to help me get back, plus I need someone to talk to." Yumi pulled Aelita out to the ocean water and splashed the surprisingly cold water on Aelita's face. Aelita shuddered and opened her eyes immediately.
"What happened? Ow! My head... hurts." She said groggily.
"Good Aelita. Now, we need to find the shortest way back to Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremie."
"Jeremie? He's safe?"
"Yeah, I think he's just weak from holding on so long. We need to get back quick so we can do a thorough check to see if you're alright."
"I think I can make it back, then I need to rest."
"That's fine, I'll let you spend a few days at my house, then if you want, you can go back to Lyoko."
"That sounds good. Now let's get going. Everyone's probably worried sick about you."
"I'm fine, just a little tired, and Ulrich knows I'll be fine. Hey, don't tell the others now, but I think Ulrich and I hooked up earlier."
"Really? That's awesome. I'm excited for you two. We all knew you two would get together, we just didn't know when."
"It was that obvious?"
"Yeah." Aelita said snickering. Yumi helped her to her feet and they were off to the control room. They went back the way they came, with Aelita talking to Yumi every few minutes so she knew she was alright. When they reached the bridge, Yumi saw Ulrich looking for them with a telescope towards the other side of the factory. Yumi thought about scaring him, but now was not really a time to play games.
"Hey Ulrich, down here!" She called to him, treading water with Aelita holding herself above the water via Yumi's shoulder. Ulrich turned and waved to them. He then ran into the building and grabbed a rope to pull them up. He threw one end down to them and tied the other end to a bar on the other side of the bridge. He waved as if to say it was okay, and Yumi turned to Aelita.
"Okay, Aelita, tie this to your waist and Ulrich'll pull you up."
"What about you?"
"He'll pull me up after your up there and safe. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I used to be on a swim team when I was smaller."
"Okay. See you up there." Aelita said as she was hoisted up onto the bridge. As soon as she was up on the bridge, Ulrich dropped the rope and pulled up a fatigued Yumi up on the bridge. Ulrich grabbed her hand and pulled her up, then hugged her when she was up safely, not caring that she was completely soaked to the bone. They pulled away, got up, and noticed that Aelita was too weak to move, so Ulrich carried her on his back to the control room. Aelita fell asleep on the way there, and didn't even notice when Ulrich set her down on a desk and laid her down next to Odd. Jeremie was ecstatic when Aelita was safe back with them, and thanked Yumi more than she wanted to be thanked.
"It's okay Jeremie. I know Aelita would've done that if it was me instead of her." Yumi said as she plopped down into a chair, tired and chilled. Ulrich went to a closet in the guy's bathroom and got a few towels. He wrapped Aelita in a few so she wouldn't catch hypothermia, and then walked over to Yumi. Jeremie was next to Odd treating him for burns, so he couldn't see what was going on. Ulrich walked over and wrapped the remaining towels around her now shivering form. She gladly accepted them when Ulrich wrapped them tightly around her shoulders and legs. He then came behind her and wrapped his arms around her and held her close to generate heat on her back. Yumi leaned her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes as she fell into a peaceful slumber. Everyone was safe and healing, which meant her work was done. Jeremie turned around and gave a thumbs up sign to Ulrich to say that Odd would be just fine as would Aelita when he noticed the way Ulrich held Yumi. Then it clicked in his head.
"You two are together now, am I right?" Ulrich gave a smirk and a quiet chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Right after that claw hit her back there, I thought about how close I came to losing her, and about what I would do if she fell. If she would've fallen, I would've jumped after her. Then it hit me. I mentally slapped myself when I finally realized that all that stuff meant I loved her. And I do, Jeremie. I love her with all my heart. I would never harm her, nor let her go into harms way. I want to tell her all that and more, but I'm scared of how she'll react."
"Just tell her exactly that. Tell her you have to talk to her, and take her off into the next room. I'll worry about Odd and Aelita. They're both asleep." Ulrich looked at Yumi.
"I think Yumi is too. I'll tell her when she wakes up. Right now, I think we all need to rest. You go get some sleep; if something comes up, I'll take care of it." Jeremie nodded.
"Okay, Yumi'll need to call her parents that she'll be in late though. They'll worry and suspect something if not."
"You're right. I need to wake her and tell her, but I don't want to. She looks so peaceful. Oh well." He said as he gently shook Yumi awake.
"Huh? Who's there? Ulrich? Why'd you wake me up?"
"You need to tell your parents that you'll be late coming in, and that Aelita's staying with you for a few days." Ulrich told her softly.
"Oh yeah. You got your cell? Mine's in my book bag next to the elevator." "Yeah, here you go." He handed her his cell phone and she walked away to talk to her parents.
"Hey Mom, I have to work on a project for some extra credit in a class, so I'll be in pretty late."
"Okay honey, just be careful getting home." Her mom answered.
"Alright. Hey Mom, can I have a friend over for a few days? She had a fight with her parents and needs a place to crash for a while."
"Oh sure, dear. Any friend of yours is always welcome to stay with us."
"Thanks Mom, she'll be so grateful."
"Alright, Yumi. See you in a while."
"Bye, Mom." Yumi hung up the phone and gave it back to Ulrich.
"My mom said Aelita could stay for a few days, so we're all set."
"Good. See you guys in a bit." Jeremie said walking away towards an empty desk. Ulrich put his phone away after he set an alarm and motioned for Yumi to come back to the way they were before. Yumi complied and leaned back into Ulrich's strong arms which enveloped her, making her feel safe. She closed her eyes.
"I set an alarm that'll wake us up in about an hour and a half."
"Okay." She answered him sleepily.
"Hey Yumi?"
"Yeah?"
"I, uh... nevermind. I'll tell you later. Let's get some rest." And they both drifted off into a peaceful slumber. An hour an a half seemed to fly by in 5 minutes to everyone, and soon, Ulrich had to wake up Yumi and the others. After he woke up Yumi with a kiss on the cheek, he woke up Jeremie, Odd, and Aelita. Jeremie got up easily, but Odd acted like a 2 year old and pitched a fit when he got up. Aelita woke up easier than Odd, but didn't like it when she had to get up. Yumi told Aelita that she told her parents that she had to act like she had a fight with her parents, and Aelita put on her best impression. Jeremie agreed to take an upset Odd back to his dorm, and Ulrich volunteered to take the girls to Yumi's house. Ulrich led Yumi and Aelita back to Yumi's house, each one had one of Ulrich's arms to hold on to. When they got there, Aelita turned to them both.
"I'll leave you two alone so you can say goodnight to each other. Yumi, I'll wait by the door." They nodded and turned to face each other.
"Well, I guess this is goodnight." Ulrich told her. Yumi blushed.
"Yeah. Well, goodni-..." She started to say, but was cut off by Ulrich's lips on hers. His hands slipped around her waist and pulled her closer as her arms stayed in place at her sides. When they broke apart, both out of breath, Yumi was sporting a bright crimson on her cheeks.
"Goodnight." She said, out of breath. Ulrich took a deep breath and kissed her again. After he ended the kiss, still holding her close to him, and his face centimeters from hers, he answered.
"See you tomorrow. Oh, and as for your birthday in a couple of weeks, I know it runs in with that trip that the upperclassmen are taking, so, I'm planning a special treat for all of us."
"No way! Really? That sounds awesome, Ulrich! I can't wait!" She smiled as she gave him a quick thank you hug and kiss, then she ran up the stairs to her house. She waved at Ulrich, who returned the wave, then opened the door and went inside with Aelita close behind. Ulrich watched them get safely inside, then ran all the way back to his dorm, careful not to attract unwanted attention from Jim or anyone else. He reached his room and made it just in time to catch a glimpse of Odd's infamous sleepy randomness.
"But Mommy! I don't wanna ride the pony! I love mustard!" He said with his index finger high up in the air over his head and his pillow in the other, held close to his chest. (Kinda like the statue of liberty.) After that, he collapsed back onto his bed and a snore could be heard coming from his area. Ulrich just rolled his eyes, popped in some earplugs, and fell asleep right there on his bed, still in his damp clothes.
Yumigirl06: Any better than the last one? Send reviews, and helpful constructive criticism.
Odd: Aww, Yumi and Ulrich, sittin' in a tree, (Ulrich goes to slap the back of his head.) k-i-s-s-iiioww! what was that for?
Ulrich pulls his hand away quickly.
Ulrich: Oh, I'm sorry, it slipped.
Odd: Well, you guys did! Let's see one...two......four times!
Jeremie: He does have a point Ulrich.
Aelita: Uh Jeremie, is that a bad thing? To kiss I mean.
Jeremie blushes, while everyone else gets quiet instantly.
Jeremie: Well, no. It lets the other person know that you have feelings for them.
Aelita nods, stares at the floor for a split second, then walks up to Jeremie and kisses him. Everyone in the room is stunned, then starts yelling.
Yumigirl06 and Yumi: Yeah! Go Aelita!
Odd: Whoo-hoo! Jeremie, you dog!
Jeremie and Aelita break apart, and Jeremie looks to Ulrich, who flashes him a thumbs up.
Jeremie: Okay guys, let's get to the next chapter.