As their boards screeched around another bend, the lyoko warriors minus one continued on their travels. Well they did until Odd began to slow down his skateboard, nudging Yumi to do the same.

"What?" She asked, picking up her skateboard to walk alongside him. "What is it?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Odd fumbled with his skateboard uncharacteristically.

Yumi wasn't really sure what to make of this, but communication of any kind was better than no communication at all. "Ok. What about?"

"You remember when we went to the library? And the movies?" Odd asked. Though there was no reason why she wouldn't because those both happened pretty recently.

"Yes."

"That was really nice. But-"

"Yeah, it was nice," she reminisced. "Sorry, I kind of cut you off, but also, I meant to ask if we could do it again sometime," she suggested.

"That's sort of what I wanted to talk about," Odd began again, hoping she'd listen this time.

"You do want to? Ok, awesome. Friday?"

"No, no," he was trying to stay focused.

"Thursday?" Yumi offered.

"I was talking about something different, just listen."

"So Friday then?"

Odd ran a hand through his hair, getting a little irritated and annoyed, "Sure—just listen a minute."

Yumi did pretty much the exact opposite. "Cool! Can't wait till then!" She threw down her board, jumping on it immediately and zipping down the way.

"Wait—Yumi!" Odd called, but there was no way she'd listen. There was something up with her lately. Something weird—and it made Odd a bit annoyed.

With nothing but his skateboard in hand, Odd continued walking even after Yumi turned a corner and he lost sight of her (Aelita and Jeremie were likely already at the factory by this point because they hadn't bothered to stop). The soft sound of the running water beside him was drowned out by the nagging chatter of the voice inside his head. Oh nice going Odd, you go to tell Yumi it's off between you guys and end up planning another date in the process. Great job Romeo.

Odd saw his breath as he groaned, unaware of the echo it would create throughout the sewer. At the same time he noticed how cold it was down there. The constant lack of sunlight didn't do much to improve the multiple frozen puddles or icicles that decorated the storm sewer, making it almost like winter come-early.

Putting that out of his mind for a minute he figured there wasn't much point to heading to the lab now, it would just be the geniuses busy with their programs again. So, Odd turned around, going back to Kadic.

• • •

Meanwhile at the school, Ulrich was sneaking around in search of the troublesome trio; namely Nicholas Herve and Charlie. He didn't want to say anything infront of the others, but this was too much of a coincidence. First they're plotting suspiciously in the forest, in the rain, and now this gas leak. Even though Jeremie said it was just a normal accident, Ulrich still had his suspicions that a sinister force may have been at fault, just not the sinister force they excpected.

He came back down the path towards the school with eyes wide open. They could be anywhere...but Ulrich figured he would start at the rec room.

As he wandered over, he recalled what he had earlier overheard of their conversation. It was about getting something, something that Herve said didn't grow on trees— Ulrich figured something hard to come by. And another thing about money. By the way they had spoken, he was sure they meant lots of it. And whatever it was, it sounded pretty incriminating already, even without all the details.

He peeked into the rec room through the window and saw that it had reached maximum capacity, but regardless he didn't spot any of the three he was seeking.

A bitter gust of wind made him wish he'd snagged his hoodie before they jumped out the window. Next he turned to the library, which would have been easier to get to if he was allowed to short cut through the main classroom building— which he wasn't. But on the other hand the brisk walk ahead wouldn't be so bad.

Fifteen minutes later Ulrich reacheded the library, starting to lose feeling in his limbs, and not particularly happy with his previously favourite T-shirt. He entered the building and felt his skin tingle with the sudden warmth.

The walk to the library was short, shorter than the length of the hallway, and as he opened the heavy door he attracted a few mindless stares, but continued inside anyways.

Trying not to arouse suspicion he crept up and down the isles, seeing bookshelf, after bookshelf, after bookshelf, and no sign of Charlie, Herve or Nicholas.

A dissapointed sigh exhaled, Ulrich dropped into a creaky wooden chair and scrunched his face into a frown. What was the point of looking anyways? There were tens of millions of other places they could be at the school, and besides that was no guarantee. They could have easily snuck out into the city, or into a school building, or something, making them impossible to track.

Ulrich rested his head on his hands and stared out the window just because it was something to do—not because there was anything going on outside, which he thought there wasn't.

You see, while we consider Ulrich's frustrating situation, we fail to notice that at the moment he is baring witness to a few shadows whipping away into the forest. We, as the readers are too caught up in what's going to happen, and what we expect, and who we suspect of being what, to see it. Ulrich on the other hand, did see it.

Although we don't know much of what went through his mind at that very moment, we do know that he knocked over a couple chairs trying to get out of the library right then, with an expression the librarian could only call madly determined.

• • •

Odd was slouching as he came down the path, nearing the school with every step. He didn't think much of it, until he saw Ulrich darting past, heading to the south side of the forest.

"Hey! Ulrich!" Odd tried to call him over but Ulrich didn't seem to hear—or want to hear. And perfect timing for it too, Odd thought sarcastically, just when I wanted to talk to him.

Where was he running to anyway? Oh well, it didn't really make a difference to Odd. May as well get the awkward conversation out of the way as soon as possible.

• • •

Ulrich didn't waste a second getting on the trio's tail. Another meeting in the woods eh? This time he would catch it all, and not slip up. He just had to know what they were planning.

It was a little surprising when they stopped infront of the science building (at least giving Ulrich a minute to catch up and double check that it was really them—it was). It wasn't a minute until they were inside, luckily for Ulrich only on the bottom floor.

Only as he took a watch spot in a nearby bush did he heard the familiar murmur of weakly articulated words.

"Mmmm...mmm...gas leak sure was-"

"What are we listening to?" Ulrich jumped at the sound of an unexpected voice. He was suddenly aware of a whispering person that had materialized nearby him.

"What the-" He started to exclaim, immediately regretting it, and shoving Odd (beside him) and himself bellow the window sill before heads turned and saw them.

"What are you doing here?" Ulrich hissed at his roommate.

"I could ask you the same thing. You're the one who just pushed me down," he reminded, on his hands and knees.

"Well," Ulrich sighed. His cover was pretty much blown anyways, and he didn't want to explain now, so... He beckoned Odd to follow him away from the bushes and into a less suspicious area of the schoolyard. Once there he jumbled out an answer. "I had a hunch ok? I was following it up. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Yes actually. Right here," Odd replied, relatively straight faced for once. "I'm sorry about what's going on between me and Yumi. Honestly, it wasn't my idea, and as soon as it rose beyond friendship I lost interest."

The emotions rushing through Ulrich's head were mostly jealousy and irritated thoughts along the lines of how Odd always got the best, even if he didn't want it. Without trying he can have anything his heart desires. It must be so easy for him. But he tried to push away those thoughts because no matter how easy Odd may have had it, he was still Ulrich's best buddy, and nobody knew them better than they did each other. That's how he knew Odd was telling the truth, and because of that, Ulrich found it hard to stay angry at him.

As the frown faded he replied, "Ok, ya. I accept your apology."

"Umm," Odd shoved his hands into his pockets sheepishly. "There is one more thing."

"What?"

"Well, er, when I was trying to break it off with Yumi a little while ago, I somehow accidentally got talked into another date."

Ulrich's mood dropped again, although this time while his mouth only said in a let-down tone, "Odd," his eyes spoke entirely different words: how could you do that? How many times are you going to stab me in the back?

"I'm sorry," Odd's gaze fell guiltily. "I'm still going to tell her off. The next time I see her."

"Yeah...ok..." Ulrich began walking, but Odd stopped him to go in the other direction.

"I haven't had dinner yet, have you?" he asked.

"Guess not," past all the madness of the leak, and going to the factory and back, and finding Herve, Nicholas and Charlie, and thinking about Odd and Yumi, he had forgotten about dinner.

• • •

One meal later, Odd and Ulrich exited the lunchroom with their stomached satisfied just as Jim jogged by with his trusty loudspeaker in hand (who ever gave that to him anyways? Worst Christmas present ever for the commanding gym teacher). He was shouting something about the dorms to nobody in particular until he spotted Odd and Ulrich, announcing it to them too. "Dorms are open again! It's safe!"

"Perfect timing," Odd inspected the darkness. Whether his voice croaked a little because he was coming down with a cold, or because he had just spent a dinner time in silence next to Ulrich, I couldn't tell you.

As Jim sped away, the boys set their sights on the dorm building, both happy to be leaving the cold night. But before they reached the entrance, Ulrich glanced up at the sky and noticed something. "Huh, full moon."

"Huh," Odd didn't give it a second thought...at first. And then a cold chill that wasnt just the wind, swept past him.

While he re-thought, turning into something of a wide-eyed fraidy cat, Ulrich continued obliviously. "Maybe that's why all these weird things are happening all at once." And he couldn't have been more right.

A/N:

Since I only got one review (thanks so much Nightfury18!) and in it was said that I should write a Christmassy Little Vampire fic despite the lateness, so I will! I hope you liked this chapter because I'm probably not going to update until after Christmas sometime, so to all of my fans anywhere and everywhere, thank you for reading my fics! Happy holidays, merry Christmas, and best wishes regarding all the other winter holidays out there!