1Disclaimer: Don't own Code Lyoko
Pairings: UxY, JxA, OxE
Author's Note: Well...I'm back on track. Faire ended yesterday, so no more worrying about things on weekends. Hope you all will enjoy this chapter:
True to their word, her parents did meet them downstairs in the Lobby at the time they were leaving. Yumi and Ulrich stayed on either side of Odd, looking uncomfortable. At one point, they caught sight of Sissi sending them a smirk. Aelita greeted them warmly, her arm through Jeremie's.
The going was slow. They exchanged many and many a glance on their way. Her father sent out enough anger to quench even Odd's spirits. They arrived just as the cannon sounded and the great gates opened with a creak. The clouds skimmed in front of the sun and Yumi shook her head. "Bad sign," she muttered to Ulrich. He nodded silently.
Elizabeth was standing at the front gates, her hair braided with red roses and a circlet adorning her head. "Good day," she said.
"Good day," Odd said, bowing gracefully and kissing her hand. She giggled and then looked up at the others.
"You must be Yumi's parents?" she asked. At their nods she smiled, holding out her hand. "I'm Elizabeth Huntington," she said still smiling. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Glad to meet you Elizabeth," Mrs. Ishiyama said, shaking her hand. Yumi's father greeted her as well.
"Would you like a tour of the Faire?" she asked.
"No, we'd like to spend time with our daughter...and her friends," her father answered. Her mother sighed, shaking her head a little.
"Your welcome to join us. Perhaps the tour could be woven into it?" Elizabeth nodded, linking arms with Odd. They started off and Elizabeth began rattling off information about the Faire and castle, trying to keep the conversation going.
"And this is the Queen's Gardens. She had the flowers personally imported and tended to," she said a few hours later. They stood in the back gardens and Elizabeth was proudly showing off the flowers, mazes, and ponds like a tour guide. The air was heavy with honeysuckle and rose.
"They're lovely," Mrs. Ishiyama said.
"Jeremie, will we miss the dancing?" Aelita asked.
"Oh, the dance! Are you guys coming?" Jeremie asked, calling over his shoulder as he quickly followed aelita from the gardens.
"We're coming," Odd said, grabbing Elizabeth's hand. She laughed, jumping from the boulder she'd been perched on and followed. "You coming?"
Yumi looked at her parents and her mom smiled. "We'll watch," Mrs. Ishiyama said. They followed the other four to the dance ring and got in line just as the music began.
"What do you think?" Yumi asked quietly.
"I think they'll let you stay," Ulrich replied. She nodded as he spun her around and they continued with the steps. "I don't think they really believed the pictures Sissi sent. At least I hope not..."
"Yeah, I hope so too," she said. She was spun back to Odd and the dance continued. At the end they all joined hands and the dance mistress gave more instructions. Elizabeth grinned at them.
"Whatever you do. Don't let go!" she told them.
Odd smiled at her. "I won't," he said. She blushed, and looked back at the dance mistress. Suddenly they were moving, weaving in and out. And then they were running and being tangled up, then somehow being dragged through and around the other dancers until they spiraled into a center, being crushed until they couldn't move. They were facing away from her parents and Ulrich gave her a quick kiss. She grinned up at him. Out of the corner of his eye, Ulrich saw Jeremie do the same to Aelita. And surprisingly, Odd to Elizabeth.
They broke from the circle laughing and rubbing circulation back into arms and hands. "Yumi, we'd like to speak to you when we get back to the hotel," her father said. She nodded and they went to lunch, then shopping.
"So...gonna keep us in suspense much longer?" Ulrich asked. They were all laying around in the boy's room, Elizabeth included. She was snuggled into Odd's lap and looking quite content, while Kiwi looked quite displaced.
"Yes, what did your parents say?" Aelita asked from her position on Jeremie's bed. They were laying stretched out across it, his arm around her waist.
Ulrich looked at Yumi, she was laying on his bed, her head on his shoulder. "They said," she began, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "That I'm allowed to stay. They saw no reason why I shouldn't be able to. They're going to have a nice, long talk with Sissi though," she added.
They all grinned, throwing themselves on Yumi, hugging her. "Congratulations!" they shouted, hugging her tighter.
"Yeah, I know. I can't believe they're letting me stay," she said when they had returned to their previous positions.
"Maybe you two convinced them last night?" Jeremie asked.
Ulrich and Yumi exchanged looks and laughed. "Yeah...right," Ulrich said. "But who knows how parents think...I mean, I don't know how mine do anyway," he muttered.
"Speaking of...what was your mom talking about when you called to ask her?" Odd asked, sitting up and looking at him curiously.
"Nothing."
"I'd like to know as well," Yumi said, prodding him in the ribs.
Ulrich sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "She was just...asking me...about you," he said, his voice dropping with each word. "And whether you were going since you, at least she thought you were, my girlfriend..."
"She...thought that? Why?" Yumi asked. She looked confused, trying to figure out if she'd ever acted to affectionate towards him when his parents were around. No...none that she could remember.
"Because I always talk about you. And I told her I liked you," he muttered. She stared at him in shock while Odd, Jeremie, Aelita, and Elizabeth burst out laughing.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Practice formula (it improves math skills)!
