Throw sticks and stones at me. I'm so horrible. I can't believe how bad I'm being right now. Grr. Half-way through summer and I haven't updated a thing for months. Am I the worst or what?

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"Why would Heather do that?" Theo asked emotionless in his car- his best friend in the passenger seat. They had planned on going home, but decided to drive around for awhile and clear their heads. The city was pretty during the night, "Do you really think Denis has anything to with it?"

"No. I don't. But then again, I don't think Heather has anything to with it either." Ulrich looked out the window. The darkness of the town reminded him of the darkness of his heart, "I wish I knew where to look, Theo."

Theo turned into a gas station, "I know, Ulrich, I know. But Yumi's a big girl. She knows how to deal with situations like this. She's a professional. Don't worry about it."

They both exited the vehicle when it stopped. Ulrich pulled out a couple Euros to buy something sweet as Theo started to fill up his car. When Ulrich arrived back with skittles in hand, he tapped his friend on the shoulder.

"What's up?"

"What's over there?" Ulrich pointed to a fork in the road. The path on the left had working lights, the one on the right had nothing.

Theo took a couple steps back, "I don't really know to be honest. I've never gone to the almost ancient part of town." He took noticed of the candy in his partner's hands and stole the bag, "Hey, hey. Cool it. It's Monday. I need the sugar."

"I had to buy the thing." Whined Ulrich as he stole it back, "I want to go look there."

"Fine, we'll check it out. I don't think anything's over there." Theo sucked on the skittles in his mouth, "Don't be disappointed if we can't find anything, okay? There's a reason there's no lights anymore. No one goes there."

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Ulrich sneered with a smile as he fell into the passenger seat.

He's been on this part of town so many times before, but he had never noticed the fork in the road. He was probably too busy with chasing someone, or too busy doing nothing.

"Oh, fuck."

That didn't sound good.

Ulrich popped his head out, "What's wrong, Theo?"

"I'm short four euros. I'll be right back. Lemme get to an ATM or something." Theo jogged off into the convenience store.

Ulrich rolled his eyes- this was typical Theo for you.

His eyes met the black path ahead of him. Curiosity killed him. He had to know. Was there anything over there anyway? It was probably just plains that animals roamed on. It didn't matter what it was, really, as long as he knew.

Theo jumped back into his car, "Okay. Ready to go." Driving out of the gas station, they turned onto the main road and took the gravel path on the right, "See, Ulrich? Nothing."

"Hold up." Ulrich pointed out a dark figure walking ahead of them, "Follow him."

Theo couldn't help but laugh, "This guy's smart. If he wanted to do something illegal, he should do something in a crowd."

The car was silent, other than the hum of the engine, which apparently didn't bother the man. Ulrich and Theo had a mini-heart-attack when Ulrich's phone starting singing in his pocket.

"Hello?"

"GUYS!" It was Odd, "PUT ME ON SPEAKER." Ulrich did so, "I KNOW WHERE YUMI IS!!" He was singing now. There was definitely a reason he didn't make it into choir his junior year.

"Dude, really? Where? Don't fake this, man." Ulrich hissed at him.

Jeremie read off the address- the abandoned hotel of 1813. It was still standing and was still usable, but was rather disgusting due to lack of people to clean it regularly. There was no reason anymore- it was abandoned so long ago.

"Where is that?" Theo asked quietly.

The genius of them all had to Google map it since he wasn't familiar with the area, "Um, apparently, it's on a gravel road right off of San Lanta."

Theo and Ulrich met glances- that's where they were, "Wow, Ulrich. I'm glad you wanted to visit. Jer, good buddy, how far is it from Shell on San Lanta?"

Another couple clicks and their answer was, "Not very. It'll be hard to see at night, but it's a tall building and it's wide. I don't know what's out there. It might be the only building over there."

The car stopped by now, so the driver and his partner could take in the instructions, "I hope we can find it. It's really dark out here."

"Call us back, this phone is about to d-" The call ended.

Theo sighed, "Looks like Odd didn't change much. Still forgetting to charge his cell phone, huh?"

"I'm sure his girlfriend does it for him."

"What doesn't Sam do for him?"

"Oh, dude, stop. I'm getting sick images." Ulrich had to laugh a little.

Theo had to hush the both of them, "Where did our little buddy go?" Ulrich gave him a look, "You know, that normal dude that decided to take a stroll in the middle of the night?"

"Oh, right. Well, he probably went back home."

This time, Theo's phone went off. He answered it quickly.

"Hey, sorry. Odd's stupid sometimes." Jeremie answered on the other line, Theo put it on speaker and threw the phone at Ulrich, "Have you guys found the hotel yet?"

"No, but we're look—"

"THERE!" Ulrich shouted as he pointed out forward and to the left, "I see a large parking space, the building must be over there. Get closer and we might see it."

Theo sighed, "God, Ulrich. I'm right here. No need to yell." The steering wheel turned lightly toward where they estimated the hotel to be, "But your senses are incredible and that's why I keep you around."

There, stood the abandoned hotel of 1813. It's structure was rather well put for it's age.

"Did you guys find it? What's your GPS number? I'm trying to see if I hack into the satellite and track you guys." Jeremie answered. He sounded just as anxious as the others in the back ground.

"Um, seven five three, hyphen, thirty-two seventeen, hyphen, fifty-two twenty-one." Theo read off the numbers.

"Wait," Odd started off and waited for everyone to be quiet, "Has anyone heard of Aelita since she went back to work?"

XxX

She was home alone. That was rare. Where was Nicolas? He was at work, but he even left early. She thought he was going home, but apparently not.

She gasped- he wasn't cheating was he?

What? Of course not. What was she saying? As a doctor, he had nearly a million things to do. She had given him a list of groceries they needed at the house and he probably went to get them. That's all.

Charlie clawed at her ankles, barking as if he'd never forgive her for leaving him. Aelita hushed him silently, "What? What is it? Boy, what's wrong?" His empty food bowl was the answer.

Nicolas really didn't do crap at the house. Why did she marry him in the first place again? She knew the purpose of dating him- to make Jeremie drop to his knees in jealousy- but marriage was so… so… permanent.

As she shook the bag of dog food into the tiny bowl on the kitchen floor, she kept searching her brain for what happened. What made her so head over heels to marry him?

Jeremie had taken her to prom, which she remembered. Something happened there, something really bad happened there- what it was, she couldn't remember. That was why she started dating Nicolas. They, Jeremie and Aelita, kept in touch for almost three months after graduation, but lost it altogether when he moved for his work.

She was so desperate for compassion at the time, then she turned to Nicolas. He and Sissi were the only Kadic graduates she's heard from.

Until now, that is. And now, one of her dearest friends- Yumi- had been kidnapped. What a life.

She slumped up the stairs. Nicolas was going to bug her endlessly for children. Maybe she should actually put some real thought into it. They had the money, they had the room, they had everything- but the baby itself.

She winced, and child-birth wasn't the most fascinating thing she wanted to do.

She had just turned the shower's hot water on when the home phone started bawling at her. In a robe, she skipped over to the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey Aelita! It's Sam- and, you know, the boys. We just wanted to call and make sure everything's okay!"

"Everything's peachy, thanks. Nicolas isn't here. In fact, I haven't seen him home for a while now. I usually go to bed by the time he gets home. And I know he's not at work."

Sam must've noticed her discomfort, "Do you think he's cheating on you?"

"I don't know, really."

"I really doubt it. What bad could Nicolas do?"

"He became a doctor, don't forget."

"Yeah, still in shock about that one."

"Same here." Aelita rolled her eyes.

"Well, we were a little worried about you since we didn't hear form you for a while." Sam explained incase her friend wanted a full explanation.

She smiled. She had missed them too much, "I'm glad you care! I'll make sure to call more. Keep me posted about Yumi."

"Will do! Talk to you later."

Aelita was able to enjoy shower after that.

XxX

Well, it could be worse, right?

Um, no. Actually, no. It really can't get much worse than this.

Yumi, trying desperately to hold on to her tough-girl front, was losing to the ugly truth reality had to offer her. She was going to die. Nicolas, a high-school peer, was going to kill her.

He had no heart.

He was… a hitman.

Yumi never thought sweet, innocent, quiet Nicolas would ever fit in such a life of crime (she never thought he'd make it into the medical field either, but he's surprised her enough as it is) let alone, kill people.

Crime. That's a generous word for what Nicolas was committing. He was committing a crime. He was committing a homicide. And Yumi was next.

She had time to sit and think about her situation- think of possibilities- any way to save her life or stall him any longer, but she couldn't get the past the fact that this was the end. She was never going to get married- never going to have children- she was going to be six feet under- and what will anyone remember her for?

Nothing. Just like Alice.

Alice was the news for the longest time- until, finally, everything was called off and searches and detectives were sent in private. Yumi, now the head-lines in newspapers, would be the same.

She'd be on the news for a week, at the most. And then she'd slowly disappear off the face of the earth- Even buried deep within it's crusts. It was the worst thing she could ever think of.

After everything she's done- after everything she's gone through.

Errrk!

She jumped off the chair. The window was wooded up, there was no way she could see anything. But, for sure, there was a car around her. It was her only hope to survive.

She screamed. She would cry and scream and shout to the heavens until God came down to shut her up if she had to.

However, her cries stopped when she heard the car drive away. They didn't hear her.

This was unbearable. She was going to go crazy. She may even kill herself before Nicolas dares to get back anyway. What in God's name was she going to do now?

She was dead. She was already dead. Nothing was going to save her now.

Thanks a lot, Ulrich.

XxX

"We'll have to check it out in the morning. You can't see anything in the dark." Theo told Jeremie from the car.

Ulrich sighed. He had made the car swerve to go to the old hotel when Theo had already told him he wasn't going to.

"And Ulrich's eating himself up about it."

"Incase you've forgotten," Ulrich spat at his partner, "I kinda love her? Like you said? Remember high-school? The never ending torment of Stern and Ishiyama? Well, yeah. That was true. It took me forever to admit it, but you were right. I'm in love with her. So I sorta don't want her to die."

Theo sneered back, "Hey, incase you've forgotten. We're all her friends; none of us want her to die. So chill out. You were never this interested when it was some random person in the city. Think about it- think about Alice's parents. They felt the same way. How about you think about others sometime?"

"I swear, Theo. If I had my taser-gun right now, you'd be in some deep trouble."

"I'll kick you out of this very car, Ulrich. Don't fuck around with me."

"Do it, I dare you. You don't have the balls."

Ulrich rubbed his head and watched the break lights turn off as his friend's car rushed away, "Fuck you, Theo."

XxX

She couldn't sleep.

It wasn't because Nicolas wasn't home. Oh, she slept well when he wasn't home. She found that out recently. He's been out a lot, and she knew she should be concerned (and she slightly was) but she didn't love him, right? So what did it matter if he was sleeping around.

… Then who's his whore-friend he's with?

Aelita sat up. This wasn't going to work. Better call him. She took the wireless phone off the nightstand and dialed his phone. He didn't pick up. She tried again.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nicolas, baby." Aelita began. What was she going to say? "I've been thinking about, you know, having kids." She was so going to regret bringing this up.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." But it was the only way she knew for sure he'd stay with her, "If you really want kids and everything."

Nicolas wasn't in the mood to talk nonsense with her. He wanted her to get the point already, "What are you saying, sweetheart?"

"I'm ready."

XxX

"No hard feelings, right Ulrich?"

The next morning, Ulrich had found his way back to the hotel- on foot. The gang was still there, relieved to see him still alive and well. Theo was trying to apologize, but Ulrich wasn't letting him off the hook so easily.

He clenched his fist and punched Theo, hard, in the cheek, "It's cool."

"Guys, guys, please." Jeremy broke them up before Theo could pounce, "We're in the middle of a crisis. Can't we put our testosterone aside and fight later? Right now, we need to find Yumi."

Theo threw a punch into Ulrich's gut, "I could've ran you over last night."

Ulrich scrunched over, forced to stare at his shoes, "I wish you would've."

Jeremy quieted down. Sam and Odd tried to ignore the fight which was easier said than done. As if the group didn't have enough problems.

"Let's investigate the hotel." Theo announced as he held his purple cheek.

"Right now?"

"No, in twenty years." Sneered Theo back at Odd. He only shriveled up into Sam, "What do you guys say?"

Ulrich passed on the idea, "As much as I'd love to, I'm so beat from having to walk all the way back to the hotellast night. I'm going to take a twelve-hour nap." He already made a path toward the elevator.

Theo sighed, "Anyone else in?"

"I'll go!" Sam squealed, "I've never been in a detective kinda scene before. I always see the bad guys after they've been sold out."

Jeremy hummed, "We'll need someone who can flick out clues like bad milk in the milk isle."

"That would be Yumi, but we're trying to find her." Odd answered.

"Right." Jeremy pushed his glasses higher upon his nose, "But there's another answer. Would you like to phone a friend?"

Theo snapped his fingers, "William!"

XxX

Night night world.

CLANKCLANKCLANKCLANK

Okay, never mind world.

Ulrich's drowsy eyes shot back open. He heard his friends small talk until the door made a soft creek.

"William, we need your help."

The officer hopped onto his feet and jumped around for his clothes. There was no way he was going to let William get all the credit if something was to be found at the hotel. It was his idea to look over there in the first place.

"I'm honored you all asked me. I'd love to help. What do you guys need?"

"We need someone with an eyesight to point out clues." Sam stated, "You being a detective and all, we were hoping you'd be our secret weapon."

William's smile could be compared to nothing. Brighter than the stars and bigger than his face, his teeth and his eyes sparkled, "I'd be honored. However, Yumi was more like my mentor and teacher. She's better at this than I am. I had just been promoted a couple weeks before the McClear case."

"That's a couple more weeks of lessons you'd had than we have." Theo projected, "Would you like to help us? Do you know your way around the area?"

William made a so-so sign, "I don't know the back-roads, but I used to drive through this city almost every day to get to work before the promotion."

Jeremy lifted his hand to let Theo know that the interview on his part would be over, "Just one question."

"Shoot."

"Do you know anything about the Abandoned Hotel of 1813?"

William smiled, "It just so happens that I did a report on it back in college."

Sam took William's hand and shook it, "You're hired!"

XxX

Ring-ring-ring…. Ring-ring-ring….

"Heather if you don't pick up, I swear to god I'll skip Yumi and kill you." Nicolas muttered into his cell phone. He had eventually gone home to find Aelita fast asleep. This depressed him slightly, he was positive tonight was baby-making night, but maybe not.

"Hi!"

"HEATHER!"

"You've reached Heather! I'm not available right now, so please leave a message after the beep. Or, try sending a text message. Thank you! Beep!"

Nicolas sighed, "Hello Heather. It's me. There's some serious things we need to talk about. Your job, one of them. Your right to live, another. Call me back as quickly as you can. Bye."

Heather was probably the worst client he had ever had the unpleasant coincidence to work for. Her reasons to kill were fuzzy and mostly out of jealousy. Her personal life made her thrill for the enemy's blood.

He didn't want to kill Yumi. They went way back. Sure she ignored him year after year to fawn over that Stern guy who treated her like dirt the majority of their youth. She never stood up for him while he took endless mental blows from Sissi when he defended her. She had nothing to do with him as far as she was concerned. She was practically his world.

"Nicolas?" Princess had woken up.

Time to play the hardest act yet: Mr. I'm-the-most-perfect-husband-in-the-world-so-forgive-my-few-flaws.

"Aelita?"

"You're not at work."

"No, I'm not."

She wiped at her eyes, "Why not?"

"I wanted us to have a little talk."

She tip-toed down the stairs into the kitchen, "About what? What's wrong, honey?"

He smiled up at her, "Nothing. Just this children business. The more and more I think about it, maybe we're not ready for any."

She took the chair next to him, "What do you mean? You've been edging about kids since we got married. Suddenly you don't want them anymore because I want to?"

"Are you positive we're financially stable for a child?"

She gave him a are-you-really-asking-me-this look, "Just half your salary alone is enough to maintain a family of eight. I think we're okay."

"Do you- Are you sure you want to have a kid?" Nicolas asked silently, "I don't want you to feel like I pressured you into children. Being a parent is something you want, not something you feel you have to do."

Aelita's face twinkled, "I'd love to be a mother. Are you not ready to be a father?"

"No, no. I'm totally cool with all this." Nicolas smiled back, "Just- between both of our hectic schedules. Like, now that we're actually putting this into prospective, maybe we're just not a couple to have children. Not everyone does."

Aelita scooped Nicolas's hand, "Listen, Nick. I could quit or take maternity leave. We both have years of vacation days. Besides, now that we've reunited with our friends, I'm sure they'd love to babysit every once in a while. There's plenty of options."

"I don't really know."

Aelita shrugged and sighed, "Well, we have plenty of time to decide. But time slips away quickly. I'm going to get ready. Maybe you can skip a day of work, but I sure can't."

Just as the wife skipped away, Nicolas's phone started buzzing. Heather must've been calling back, "Hello?"

"Hey Nicolas. Sorry I missed your call. I slept in this morning." Heather answered annoyed, "What's the problem?"

"I can't meet her today. I'm having a bit of a family crisis, but I'm not one to starve someone to death so I need you to come over and get the things I was supposed to give her."

"Why the hell would I do that? I actually want her dead."

"Fine, but I'll testify against you."

"Me? You're the hit-man."

"That's right. I am. You better watch your back because we never signed a peace treaty." God she's such a bitch.

Heather took a heavy sigh, "Fineee. When?"

"After Aelita leaves, so maybe like ten-thirty. Can you do that?"

"That's in like fifteen minutes."

"And I repeat myself, can you do that?"

Heather was silent on the other side, "Fine. But I won't be recommending your work to any of my friends."

Nicolas laughed, "And I won't bail you out of jail. I think we're even." The call ended.

XxX

Yumi shook he cereal box for any crumbs that had somehow hidden from her the night before. Nothing landed in her hands. She tried the second box. Again, nothing. Her stomach roared for food.

"I'd take a bullet over starvation anyday." She muttered to herself, glancing around the room for anything to munch on. Even if it were a one-hundred year old mint, she'd take it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

She drenched herself in half a bottle of water. She felt so—dirty.

What did she do to deserve this?

Who wanted her dead?

Was it someone she knew?

Her stomach rumbled again. She squeezed her knees to her chest and rested her head upon her knees.

Sleep-tight.