A/N: Hey, since I don't think I can reply to reviews on this, I would like to thank: tehrandomkitten, LiStEn2UrHeArT2, Kay, I lub Norbert, tcg/animefan, Pretear Fan, and Amaherst.

I loved all of your reviews, and I am soooo happy that I got any reviews at all! I didn't think I would! I love you guys! tear seriously, I wasn't in a good mood, I just had a fight with a really good friend, then I read ur reviews, I luv ya all!

Oh, and just to clarify this, when this chapter starts, it will be Sunday…everywhere: in France, Japan and the Us cuz I'm too lazy to fix and change other information. School ended for all of them on Friday. On June 16th. Yumi's birthday is on the 19th.

Dedication

tehrandomkitten: for being my first reviewer for this story

LiStEn2UrHeArT2: for giving me a GIGANTIC ego boost

Forward to the Past

Chapter 2 : Cody& Oh So Very Close

By: devilofheaven

At France-No One's Pov

"Hi you four. Hi Theo!" Sissy exclaims. "So what are you talking about?" When Theo began to answer her, Tamiya cut in, and basically told her off. Sissy glared at the two younger girls for a second, then her eyes flickered over to the couple, and finally her gaze shifted and lingered on Theo. "Call me when you're done hanging out with these losers." She sniffed, and walked away with her help up high. She just might have looked dignified, that is, if she hadn't run into Emily on her way.

"You don't have to be so rude." Theo argues.

"Actually, we do." Milly filled in.

"Then I don't want to hang out with you anymore. Tell Yumi I said Happy Birthday." He growled, following Sissy.

"He's acting as if we wanted him to join us." Aelita rolls her eyes.

"As if." Jeremy scoffs.

"So, you've already sent the gifts?" Aelita asks.

"Yup, she should get them right on time." Jeremy gleefully replies, leaning back on his chair with a peaceful look on his face."

Japan – no one's pov

"So what do you think?" Yumi asks, tucking her hair behind her ear once again.

"Not too shabby Miss Ishiyama." Brian says nodding his head. Just then the doorbell rings. "Let me guess, Cody?"

"Just leave it alone and go away." Yumi rolls her eyes. Cody was one of her close friends here in Japan.

Jake and Brian silently leave Yumi's room. The girl giggles at her overprotective brothers and bounces down the stairs to open the door. Sadly, the twins beat her to it.

"Is Yumi here?" Cody asks a little nervously, he had heard about the twins from Yumi's stories, and he wasn't too happy to meet them.

"Why? You don't like us?" Amy pouts.

"Why do you want to hang out with curveless Yumi, when you could have one of us?" Maimee bluntly says.

"I'm a year younger than you." Cody frantically says.

"We always said that 'the younger, the better'." The twins say in unison.

"Can you guys stop it?" Yumi harshly calls out, dragging Cody away.

Cody speaks up when we finally reach the safety of my own room. "You're right. They're sluts."

He said it with so much disgust that Yumi began laughing hard, and soon he joined her. Yet, after two minutes, he poked Yumi to see if she was still alive, and then cracked a joke about how fat she was. But, Yumi's pillow in contact with Cody's body quickly stooped him to apologize on both knees.

Ah, how could life get any better? Yumi had no idea that soon, her life would get even better, and she had no idea that it would just be in a matter of hours.

Airplane – no ones pov

Ulrich growls under his breath, causing a little boy to look up at him in wide eyes. 'Where did he sneak off to?' When Ulrich had made his way quietly over to Odd, Odd had practically sprinted away. Ulrich rolls his eyes, knowing that Odd would probably stay in the same spot for a while, and of course, Odd deserved that punishment. The brunette makes his way back to his seat and slumps in it. Chasing after a yellow haired boy was not fun, well actually, it was. Just not when he wouldn't show up.

He tries to keep his eyes open with deep concentration, but soon he is asleep. Dreaming peacefully.

------------------------hours later-----------------------------------------

"We are now getting ready to land. Please put your seatbelts back on. I repeat. Put your seatbelts back on." The pilot screeches into the intercom. Ulrich yawns and stretches, rubbing his eyes cutely.

"Finally you wake up." Flamingo – I mean Kitten yawns.

"It looks like you just did too." Ulrich rolls his eyes as Kitten squeals, getting out her makeup. "So anyways, where are you going?" He asks after a while of her scrambling to put on a LOT of heavy make up.

"Where ever you are, dear."

Ulrich groans inwardly. 'Not again.' "I don't think so."

The plane lands and begins to slowly stop. "And why not?" She asks a little crossly.

"Because we're going into a gay function, if you came with us, they'd think we'd betrayed them." Odd jumps in shrugging.

Kitten jumps up. "I KNEW IT! EK, GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yells, running through the crowd. Didn't she bring any luggage?

"Nice cover." Ulrich sarcastically says while reaching up for his bag.

Odd licks his lips. "Well you know me." Odd jokes, popping up his collar.

The two boys jump off the plane and quickly stride off toward the huge room. Ulrich's bag slinging over his back and Odd's bag slinging on one side of his back, added to their looks caused a mysterious and sexy atmosphere around them. Which helped them gain stares from many girls and glares from some males who protectively put their arms around the girls they were with. Odd being Odd just smirks passing random winks while he walked. Ulrich being Ulrich, obliviously didn't notice any of this.

The handsome boys walk around slowly, looking for any sign to reveal the person they were waiting for. Odd stops suddenly, and begins walking to this lady while Ulrich lags behind him.

"Ulrich and Odd, I presume?" The kind lady asks. Both of the boys nod, and say something in greeting. "Well, I'm Mrs. Marianna, Yumi's foster 'mother'." They both nod in reconization. "I believe we should go get the rest of your bags?"

In Japan with Yumi

"Hey Randy, when's Marianne getting home? I thought she was supposed to be here by now." The half gothic girl curiously asks the older man. Yumi, inside, had first hesitated on calling them 'mom' or 'dad'. But before she could think much more of it, they both informed to call them by their names or they wouldn't respond.

"I think she may have gone shopping." Randy replied with a sneaky look on his face, luckily for him, Yumi didn't notice it. However, Cody did. Randy sighs, he never was good at keeping secrets. How did Marianne expect him to keep this a secret? "And you know how she gets once she's started." Yumi laughs, and continues back into her room.

"I'm gonna get a snack, be right there." Cody calls out. He waits until Yumi was far gone. "What's up?"

"I'm not good at keeping secrets am I?" Randy sighs. Cody shakes his head with a tiny smile. "Well, has Yumi ever talked about her best friends from France?"

"At random times, she said she felt sad when she thought about them."

"Yes, well, two of them moved to the United States, and those two are coming to visit Yumi for her sweet sixteen. There arriving late tonight to surprise Yumi at midnight. After a week or two, they'll leave, but also bring Yumi with them. Yumi will be back after a month or so with her friends."

"Oh. Wow, well she's lucky to have friends like that." Cody says a little dumbstruck with getting information to not be able to see his good friend for a while. "Well, um, I better get back to her."

"Don't let anything out to her." Randy warns fatherly and walks to his study.

Cody shakes his head, clearing the thoughts away for now. Slowly he grabs onto the handrail and takes a small step onto the first step onto the stairs. He felt something sticky and wet. Gradually he lifts his feet back down to get a closer look at the step. He wrinkled his nose, it looks like pudding drops. Probably from Rachel. A loud scream is heard from upstairs followed by the word 'pudding' and some foul incoherent words. Correction, from Rachel AND Henry.

Taking one more step up, he notices two books on the floor. From Ben and Kelly most likely. He rolls his eyes and continues walking up the stairs, looking at the steps carefully, trying to avoid something else, something that he wouldn't be able to identify.

The angels were NOT on his side today. He bumps right smack into Brian and Jake. "Cody." They sneer. Oh great, not another of their lectures.

"That is incorrect! Your equation is way off!" Bryant yells.

"Bry, don't worry, it's just a stupid problem!" Jessica 'comforts'.

"Really stupid." Maimee accentuates, probably looking at her nails for cracks.

"You would know." Amy scowls, already bored with the subject.

"Do you EVER shut up?" Brent screams agitated.

Brian and Jake look at each other exasperatedly. Obviously they just had a silent conversation, making an agreement, sprinting up to stop the fight.

Perhaps the angels were on my side this time?

"What took ya so long?" Yumi asks placing her camera to the side when Cody enters the room.

"Couldn't find what I wanted." Codyshrugs. 'What if Yumi will hang out with them more? What if he takes her away from me? No, what am I thinking. Her best friends are girls. Wait, on second thought, how do I know that for sure? She never actually told me.'

In the car with Ulrich and Odd

"Oooh! What's that?" Odd excitedly asks, jumping up and down in his seat while pointing out his window.

"A tree, smart one." Ulrich rolls his eyes. "Not any different than France, New York, or California. You really need to calm down."

Marianne chuckles at both of them. Yumi was one lucky girl to have friends like this, first she was very surprised and happy that two of her friends brought up the idea. Now, however she was even happier that they were such nice boys. What if –

"LOOK!" Odd jumps, his nose pressed against the window, his face blocking the whole screen. "Can you see it, huh Ulrich?"

"Uh, no, Odd. Your head is in the way." Ulrich says with amusement, not even trying to look past his friend's head. In fact, he was sitting in his seat, slumped with his arms across his chest.

"Well, look!" Odd shouts, ducking immediately to Ulrich could get a quick look.

"I don't see anything special." Ulrich replies in a monotone voice, staring at the opposite window.

"Huh?" Odd slowly moves upward to the window. "Aw man, you missed it! But you should have seen it!"

Ulrich once again rolls his eyes and tunes Odd out. "So, Mrs., I mean Marianne, how many children do you have?" Ulrich, in fact did know how many she had, because of Yumi, but just wanted to start up a conversation with the poor, most likely bored, elderly lady.

"Let's see…twelve including Yumi."

"Sounds like Cheaper than the Dozen." Odd includes, taking a break from his window watching. Ulrich smacks him in the head.

Yet, Marianne just giggled. Yes, giggled. "You could say that, they're all so…weird." She laughs again. "But they are all wonderful, and there is constant fighting. Lucky for me and Randy, we have Yumi, Brian, and Jake. Mind you, Brian and Jake start fights too. Make that just Yumi."

Ulrich smiles. Peacemaker Yumi Ishyama. Tree Hugger Yumi St- Ishyama. Ulrich blushes with his mistake.

"Bad thoughts Ulrich?" Odd smirks.

Ulrich blushes even more, mumbling a warning about Marianne hearing, then he mutters once again, "No Odd, not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter."

To Ulrich's dismay, and Odd's happiness, Marianne heard their conversation and laughed. What a weird person! "I' m sure you wouldn't think like that Ulrich." She replies, half sarcastically, to which Odd burst out laughing.

Ulrich blush lightened as the conversation drifted to Odd's love life. Marianne was one hell of a mother. She didn't even look a day past twenty five, but she was thirty two. A bit young you think? Well do remember, she ADOPTED all of her children.

Back to the House

"Okay, I'll see you later." Cody says to Yumi, walking out of her door around seven. He jumps off the stairs by two, to find himself in the presence of Jake. He moans and rubs his head. 'Not again!'

"Hello Cody." Jake coldly says.

"Hey." Cody quickly says, trying to rush through the door.

"Not so fast." Jake frostily replies, blocking the way. "I want a talk to you." Jake pulls Cody by the elbow into a different room. "I don't want you hurting her."

"Seriously, I'm just her friend!" Cody argues.

"I know that you are right now, but how do I know what's going in your mind? I don't trust guys with Yumi that easily. So, right now, I'm warning you, break her heart, or make her cry, or even betray her, I'll be watching." Jake finishes his lecture chillily.

"I'm going now." Cody says agitated, storming out of the house. "How dare he?" He mutters to himself, walking over to his house, two streets away.

To Yumi

"Okay, I'll see you later." Cody says to Yumi and rushes out of the door.

Yumi sighs and stretches out her arms and legs. Then she looks over to her left wrist which held her watch. The Micky Mouse hand pointed to the seven. Just three more hours, and it would officially be her day of birth. She was born on June nineteenth. At one minute past midnight. She couldn't wait! Ulrich said that he would specially call me on exactly the time my birthday started. There is NO way I'm going to sleep through that. We haven't talked on the phone together for ages!

Knock, knock. "Yumi, open up!" Jessica yells.

"Why?"

"Because you locked it!" Followed after that statement, there were a few useless attempts to open the door.

"No!" Yumi gasps in sarcamic (is that a word? Oh well, if not, I made it up) shock. Then she returns to her normal voice. "There's a reason for why it's locked. And it's my room. You can't come barging in whenever you want."

Jessica groans, "Please Yumi?"

"Depends what do you want?" Yumi asks, not really paying attention.

"Uh…nothing really." Jessica sheepishly says.

"Get away from the door squirt." Brent says, from what Yumi could hear, it sounded like Brent had pushed Jessica out of the way. There was a mumble of protest, "Hey!"

"What do you want Brent?" Yumi asks, annoyed with her sudden guests.

"Did you take my calculator?" Brent asks.

"No, check with Harold or Rachel." I suggest.

"Yumi?" I hear a soft voice call out, unconsciously I smile and open the door, and Kelly and Ben stumble in. Both had their hands over their heads, most likely covering themselves from junk being thrown across the rooms. "Can we hide in your room?" Kelly asks, pulling out her famous puppy eyes.

Yumi laughs, and lifts her hands up in surrender. "Hey, you know my weakness."

"She learned it from me!" Ben whispers behind his back hand. Kelly swats him like a fly. "Hey!" He protests.

Yumi rolls her eyes with a small smile, and grabs one of her books from the shelf. She opens up to a marked page and continues to read to her favorite little siblings.

a few hours later

"Brian." Jake calls out from down the hallway, Brian immediately stops and turns around to talk to him.

"Yes?"

"I really don't trust Cody. He just bugs me, there's something about him." Jake says annoyed.

"That's what you say every time." Brent rolls his eyes at them, peeking through his door.

"BRENT GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR CONVERSATION!" Brian yells, showing obvious anger at his triplet.

"OH AND WHY THE HELL SHOULD I?" Brent screams.

"WILL BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP?" Amy roars.

"WHERE TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP!" Maimiee shrieks.

"YES, LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE!" Bryant bellows.

"Will all of you stop it?" Yumi's cool voice broke into the chaotic mess.

"OKAY!" Jake yells. Yumi looks at Jake weirdly, obviously thinking why in the world Jake was still yelling. Jake notices the look, and shrugs, continuing in his normal voice. "I was the only one who hadn't yelled. It felt weird." Brent, Bryant, Amy, and Maimiee look at Jake in disgust and all slam their doors simultaneously.

"What just fhwappened?" Rachel asks, cocking her head to the side. (it's supposed to be spelled that way, she likes to talk weirdly…even though she's about six now)

"Nothing." Yumi comforts, and gives her a soft push in the direction of her room. After everyone's safe in their rooms, Yumi grabs her both of her brother's hands and pull them down the stairs, once their down, she whips around and hisses, "What are you two doing?"

"Recreating the World Wars." Brian shrugs, grabbing an apple and jumping onto the couth.

"Why?"

"Because Cody is EV-AAAAHL!" Jake says widening his eyes, and moving his fingers in a weird way to draw effect.

Yumi rolls her eyes. Ever since Jake and Brian met Cody, they instantly hated him, for no reason! She puts both of her hand on her hips and sighs. 'When will they get over it?' "Look, Jake, Brian, I love you two, but please don't bug my friends, correction, guy friends. OR flirt with my female friends…PLEASE!"

"Well," Jake begins, also jumping onto the couch and stealing Brian's apple. "I'll think about the first part, but I can't help it if girls are attracted to me." He winks, and tosses the apple up and down; managing to keep it out of reach from the pissed off Brian. Finally, Jake stops his continuous bobbing and takes a swift bite out of the apple, and throwing it to Brian who wore a look of disgust on his face. "But, I'm not promising anything." Jake concludes, bringing his index finger up to Yumi's face.

"Fine." Yumi sighs, bringing her hands up in surrender. "That's better than nothing I guess."

"Yes it is." Brian agrees, walking towards Yumi and hitting his brother on the head on the way.

in the car

"So what time is it?" Odd asks curiously.

"Around nine fifteen." Marianne says, taking a quick glance at the clock fitted in the car. "We'll be there around tenish."

"But, what if Yumi sees us?" Ulrich asks concerned.

"I'm sure Randy's taking care of that." Marianne reassures, looking in the back view mirror. Both of the boys were sitting in the back, in normal circumstances, it would seem very rude to do so. But in this situation, it was perfectly nice; Marianne had bags strewn all over the front seat.

nine fifty-five

"Yumi dear! Let's…uh…go." Randy urgently yells.

"Go where?" Yumi yells from her room up the stairs.

"Uh…just go!" Randy bellows randomly. Just a few seconds agohis wife had called him to inform him that they would be there very very soon. Five minutes worth.

Yumi came bouncing down the stairs. "What where you saying Randy?"

"Let's go miniature golfing." Randy suggests wildly.

"Sure, let me get ready, I'll be back down in ten minutes." Yumi exclaims happily, jumping up the stairs. "Anyone else coming?"

"Uh…no, just us two for once. Wait dear, ten minutes?" Randy yells exasperatedly.

"Randy, don't forget, I am a girl." Yumi giggles, slamming her door closed.

The man sighs, and sits down, rubbing the spot in the middle of his forehead. Four minutes later, we find him pacing downstairs, right inbetween the garage and stairs. Feverishly, he takes a peek at his watch. Five, four, three, two, one…The garage door begins to slowly open. Randy gasps girlishly.

"Is that Mary?" Yumi asks.

"No, sweetie, it's me, uh…I thought I should be ready when you come done." Randy answers anxiously, running into the garage.

Randy sprints over to the car which was slowly creeping into the room. Gasping, he warns his wife about Yumi's lateness. With a fleeting last glance, his eyes wander to the two curious boys in the back, and rushes back into the house and almost runs right into his adopted daughter. "AAAAH-Ah, Yumi."

"I'm ready, and I'm early!" Yumi brightly announces, taking a few steps to the garage. Randy jumps in front of her and explains how he decided to take his car from the front yard. When they both walk out the front door, to the poor man's luck, the garage was closed, and the car was waiting out for them in the driveway. "Let's go." Yumi hops in.

Randy sighs, wiping his forehead with his head. 'That was way to close. I really am getting too old for this type of stuff.'

Okay, I know you might be getting bored with all this background information, but it's important to know how Marianne likes Ulrich and Odd, and how Brian and Jake don't like Cody, and so on.

And I want you to know that Jake isn't bad at all, he's just a really overprotective like-brother. Cody, also, is not a bad guy, he's just her friend, and he doesn't have much friends so he doesn't want to lose her. He thinks a guy between them will ruin their friendship. That's it.

(Now, btw, they are this old)

Maimee and Amy : eighteen

Brian, Bryant, and Brent: sixteen

Jessica: fourteen

Harold: nine

Rachel: six

Kelly: eleven

Ben: twelve

Jake: seventeen