Chapter 12 is up guys. Enjoy.
"Are you working behind our backs? Do you know where Odd is?" Aelita asked Jason. That question had him stunned for a second while he tried to think about how to answer her. Telling her the truth wasn't even a option since dragging Odd inside was dangerous enough and dragging someone else in could cause a catastrophe. It looks like he will need to improvise.
"No Aelita, I promise" he answered her reassuringly "Why would you ask me that?". He noticed her expression fall down and he immediately felt bad for her. It's like this hurted her more that anything else.
"Oh" Aelita quickly said in surprise "I- I don't know. I guess that I need at least some string to hold on". She was quiet for few seconds and she looked like she wanted to talk about something. "Um, Jason, would you mind if I stayed here for a while?" she finally asked him "I just don't feel like being alone tonight".
Jason smiled at her and nodded "Of course Aelita. You don't even need to ask me that. It's your house after all". He led her to the kitchen and walked towards the cabinets "I'm can make you some tea if you want".
Aelita looked at him and nodded "That's nice of you Jas. Thank you". He nodded and started boiling water while he looked at the wall.
"Can I walk around the house while I wait?" she asked him and when he looked at her and smiled she shook her head and chuckled "Right, this is my house after all". Jason answered with a chuckle and focused back on the wall.
Aelita walked inside the hallway and looked around, it brought back memories. She remembered that when she was younger she ran trough this same hallway towards all other rooms. It was silly memory but it was still part of her life. Than she remembered when she came back to this house without knowing what led her here years later and when XANA used her as a bait to trap others with her inside a basement. She walked down the stairs and stepped inside a basement and looked around . To this day she barely remembered anything about this part of the house but there was two events that she clearly remembered. First one happened almost fourteen years ago when man in black finally found her and Franz. It was the only way out of their claws and they used the opportunity to escape. Aelita closed her eyes and she could feel herself shaking while thinking about that day. Than she thought about second event. XANA knocked her out and tossed her inside the boiler room and waited for others to come. Without knowing how long it passed but she suddenly heard them call out for her.
'Aelita! Are you here?! Are you okay?!' she recognized Yumi's voice. She sounded really worried and Aelita felt sorry for causing so much trouble.
'Princess! Please answer us!" this was Ulrich calling out for her. He also worried but there is another thing that she noticed in his voice. Urge to protect her. Like a brother she never had.
'Everything will be okay Princess! We are here now!' and that was Odd. Making her feel safe even without knowing if she is even there, but he was still trying to do so.
Once she regained consciousness she realized that it was all a trap and she tried to warn them but they were already inside the room with her. 'It's a trap' she told them while she tried to get up quickly 'It's XANA, he is going to-'. Suddenly door were about to shut closed but luckily Odd jumped right between the metal door and the wall trying to keep it open so others could get out. That goofball.
'Get Aelita out' he told them while he was starting to lose battle with the door. She successfully crawled out but as soon as she did so metal door closed and almost crushed Odd in the process. Two of them were safe for now but unfortunately Yumi and Ulrich stayed on the other side. Her and Odd tried to get them out but there was anything we could do so after they were told to go to Lyoko and help them that way they did so. Just two of them.
Aelita opened her eyes and sighted. That was enough of this room. She walked back upstairs and she almost got inside kitchen when she suddenly felt something dragging her towards her bedroom. Like something told her to go there. She walked upstairs and entered her old room. It was looking better than few weeks ago but this place held a lot of her memories. She closed her eyes again and let her memories take over. Two moments stood out immediately. One day she came here to cry herself to oblivion after Jeremy shouted at her because he thought that she kissed Nicholas even tho she had no idea what he was talking about. Suddenly Jeremy walked inside the room and apologized to her saying that this was another one of XANA's tricks and than he kissed her. Even tho she didn't know why that kiss sparkled little fire inside of her hearth and made her realize something. She was in love with Jeremy. For real. Even tho it was discovered that this was fake Jeremy, XANA's ghost, that fire never got blown away. Her love for Jeremy was in it's blossom. Her memories rushed few weeks later. She was crying again thinking about what Jeremy told her earlier. Her father was probably gone forever and there is nothing they can do about it. That she should focus on the future, to forget her past.
'I knew that I would find you here' Odd said making her jump in surprise and wipe her tears away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt 'You know, our buddy Einstein is genius for computers and math. But for girls he is, uh-".
'Total idiot' she said angry. Odd walked forward and placed his hand on her shoulder while looking at her sadly.
'But he really loves you, you know' he told her reassuringly knowing how emotional she can get.
'And I really love him too Odd' her voice broke for a moment but she calmed down quickly 'But I still wish that he can understand how I feel. My father is the only thing I have from my past and I can't bear with losing him, I just can't'. She was quiet for few seconds while thinking about something 'I need to go to sector five Odd. I need to find some information about my father'.
'But you heard Jeremy, he isn't so willing to help' Odd told he insecure. He didn't like where this was going.
'We don't need Jeremy, do we?' she asked while getting up to her feet.
Odd was stunned by this. 'Uh, we?' he asked her while pointing his finger between him and her. Aelita looked him in the eyes and nodded.
'Yep, just you and me. What do you say?'. Odd looked like he was thinking about this and Aelita worried that he might refuse her offer but her doubts vanished when she saw him smiling. He turned around with sweet smile on his face and looked her in the eyes.
'You and me against the world Princess? I think I like our odds'.
Aelita kept her eyes closed while she was smiling at that memory. No matter how bad their odds were he would always stay by her side no matter what. It was just like he described it. Him and her against the world. Once she opened her eyes again she decided that it was enough for now and walked back inside the kitchen. Jason was already sitting at the table and drinking his tea.
"Oh, hey" he said it like he just now noticed her entering the room "Sorry, I have been wrapped in my own thoughts". Jason looked down at his tea and sighted again.
Aelita looked at him and sat down opposite of him "Well I guess I'm not the only one". She lowered her head and was silent for some time. Jason noticed that silence was getting heavier so he decided to break the tension.
"What's on your mind Aelita?".
"A lot of things actually" she answered honestly "But I'm mostly thinking about Odd. And Jeremy". She noticed him tensing up for moment but he relaxed quickly and chuckled.
"Let me guess, you don't know what you are feeling right now. You feel like you love both Odd and Jeremy the same. You know how much Jeremy sacrificed so you can be here but you also know how much Odd risked to give you two that chance and he was also the one that settled things between you two. And now you don't know what to do about it" he finished "Am I right?".
She was totally stunned by this "How did you know? No one else guessed that, not even Yumi?". Aelita looked at his face and tried to find even smallest sign if he was kidding but he was serious.
"You are right" she finally confessed and it sounded so strange, even to her "I love them Jas, both of them. Equally. But I still don't know what to do, I simply don't. I'm aware that if I chose one the other will be upset and I don't want them to be upset because of me. They don't deserve that, none of that. Maybe I just need to try and forget these feelings for Odd, it will probably be for the best. He deserves someone better, not some shy clumsy girl. I will stay with Jeremy". Tears started to appear in her eyes.
Jason suddenly got up from his seat and moved his chair next to her. He looked at her and sighted "Listen Aelita. I know how you feel, I really do. Choosing between two persons you love the most is the one of the hardest things to do and it's never fair choice. There will always be the one that's hurt and that's just how it goes. But I know that you know this. Both of them love you as well and both of them want you to be happy, both of them would give everything for you and your happiness. And that thing about trying to forget your feelings for someone is nonsense and you know it. By trying to keep it deep inside your heart will only get worse for you".
She lowered her head and clenched her fists "I understand you Jas, but I don't know how to do it. I don't know how to choose one. Jeremy was the one that gave me my life back without caring about his own health and without asking for anything in return. If I reject him he might feel like all his work is meaningless. But Odd was also there for me. Always. No matter what. It was me and him against the world. I just don't know Jas". She finally broke and started crying, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jason looked at her sadly and hugged her tightly "I know it hurts Aelita and I don't know how to help you with it. But I can give you some advice. Listen to your heart Aelita, it will show you the right way. I promise you that".
Even tho she was still crying Aelita felt better for some reason. She didn't know why, but Jason had that special effect on people, any people. It was like some other force sent him to them to help with their problems of any kind. Once she calmed herself down she looked back at him and wiped her tears away and smiled.
"Thank you Jas. I think I feel better now" she thanked him.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled "Of course Aelita, it was the least I could do".
Suddenly Aelita's phone began to ring and she looked to see who is calling her. It was Jeremy.
"Hey Jeremy, what's-" she was unable to finish her sentence before Jeremy cut her off.
"There is no time to talk Aelita" he told her while trying to catch his breath "Are you with Jason right now?".
She was confused "Yeah, why-".
"Good" Jeremy said quickly "Both of you get to the factory. Something is happening right now".
This is the end of this chapter guys and the next chapter will be the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed it and until next time, peace out.