I just can't wait any longer to post it. And so, here it is (finally)- chapter seven! Enjoy :)

Once more Odd found himself wandering the isles of the craft store, searching for Aelita's next ingenious gift. Odd wasn't yet sure exactly what it was he wanted to get Aelita for this day, but he figured that, as with many of the other days, if he just looked long enough then a perfect gift would show its self.

Also, he was hoping that as he searched, gifts for his other friends would also appear.

"There has to be something here," Odd muttered to himself as he rounded a corner, eyes darting around the shelves, which held an eclectic assortment of things, from little teddy bears to fake flowers to ribbons and beads. Odd found it both interesting and a tad intimidating. But even with this mishmash of everything Odd could possibly imagine, after twenty minutes of shopping he still had yet to find what it was he wanted.

That is, until he reached the bath isle.

As soon as he saw it he knew that it was perfect, exactly what he needed for his next gift. Grinning happily at his success, Odd chucked his find into the basket he was carrying with him and then continued on his way. It wasn't long before he found something else perfect for Aelita's gift, the perfect thing to accent his brilliant new idea. And so, with these two things in hand, Odd skipped off towards the register to pay.

Just before he reached the register he noticed a stand filled with bottles of paint. Grinning as another idea came to him, Odd grabbed a bottle of red paint and chucked it into his basket as well.

Three friends down, just one to go.

It was late when Aelita finally returned to her room. After Saturday's session of shortened classes she and Yumi had gone together to Yumi's house, where they planned to wrap their gifts together. She had only planned to stay a few hours, but she and Yumi were quickly distracted from their wrapping of gifts by a long overdue girl chat and before Aelita realized it, it was time for dinner. The Ishiyamas would not hear of Aelita hurrying back to school for dinner, and had her stay with them.

By the time everyone was done eating Aelita needed to rush back to school to get there before she broke curfew, Yumi running back to the school with her and both girls laughing and continuing to chat the whole way.

In all of the excitement of the day Aelita hadn't gotten any of her homework finished, and was thinking about what all she would have to do tomorrow as she reached her room, fishing her key out of her pocket to unlock the door.

Pushing it open Aelita forwent flipping on the light, instead using the light from the window to make it over to her computer, Sitting down with a sigh she checked her email and then, after seeing nothing of importance, stood up to gather her things for the shower.

As she headed for the drawer under her bed, where she kept her toiletries, Aelita noticed a glint from the corner of her eye. It had come from her vanity.

"What was that?" she whispered to herself. A frown forming on her face, Aelita flipped on the light.

Sitting on her vanity was a little display that someone had set up while she was gone. The entirety of the vanity's top was covered in a layer of blue glass pieces, from which a little sign stuck up, which read "Day seven- enjoy!" Scattered across the layer of glass were little yellow rubber duckies. Seven little rubber duckies.

"That's…odd," Aelita said, giving the display a curious look. Figuring she could come back to puzzle over it a little more, Aelita gathered her things for the shower and headed off to the bathroom. Once there she quickly claimed a stall and began setting her things out on the stall's small shelf. After pulling off her clothes and setting them aside as well, Aelita turned on the water, smiling happily as it cascaded down. Aelita let the warm water soak her for a few minutes before grabbing her soap. As she did, she heard someone else enter the bathroom. They were singing something. Aelita paused to listen to the words.

"-seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings-"

Aelita froze. Those things sounded somewhat familiar.

"-calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves-"

Aelita's hand rose to her necklace.

"-and a partridge in a pear tree!"

Standing still, no longer listening as the girl continued on to the next line of her song, Aelita's mind was churning, processing all of the gifts she had received lately. Seven rubber duckies, who were on blue glass, six stone eggs, five onion rings- Ulrich had even called them "golden onion rings"- four cell phones with wings, a stuffed chicken with a French flag, a necklace with two doves, and a pear.

Well, at least now Aelita knew what the purpose of the gifts was.

Now all she needed to know was where they were coming from.