Kadic Academy, Library, Saturday 5:30 PM (1 week before exams): Aelita shuffled Odd's first paper back to the top of her pile and quickly wrote his grade, 89%, in the top margin. She slid his paper back to him, smiling as he whooped in triumph over the high grade on his practice exam. "See Odd, that's what you can do when you put your mind to something."

"Yeah, I know princess, but I hope that after these tests I can get away with doing a little less work."

"You and me both," Aelita answered as she started to grade Ulrich's practice exam. She absently looked out the window, wondering how Jeremy and Yumi were doing with his phys ed. She sighed, knowing that he was trying and, most likely, failing.

"Worried about Jeremy?"

Ulrich's voice pulled her back to library and his test, which she looked back at before answering him. "Yeah, I mean it's not like his gym grade will sink us-"

"Yeah," Odd answered in a lighthearted tone, "Swimming is the one subject he does really well in." Neither Aelita nor Ulrich cracked a smile and Odd muttered "tough crowd," while Aelita went back to Ulrich's test and Ulrich concentrated on his history lesson.

Outside, Jeremy jogged beside Yumi who evaluated his condition. He looked tired and his face was flushed, with sweat dripping down from his forehead and his hair matted with the salty liquid as well. His breathing was coming in a heavy pant and he was slowing down considerably. She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, "Ok Jeremy, time to stop."

He looked up at her as she slowed to a stop, "I failed, didn't I?"

Yumi looked away and held her stopwatch so that she could see the display in the sunlight. The device told the tale plainly. It wasn't failing based on the posted standards, but it was well below average. If combined with the record of absences Jeremy had piled up however, Jim would probably be within his authority to give Jeremy a failing grade. But she wasn't about to tell him that and answered based solely on the posted standards. "No, you didn't."

Jeremy looked back at the running track, "What aren't you telling me, I know my performance hasn't improved that much." He looked back up at Yumi, his words having come out harsher than he expected.

She looked back into his eyes with a calming expression that exuded settle down; everything will be just fine, and answered as carefully as she could. "Jeremy, you have improved but, even though you would pass based on the posted standards-"

"But with my absences..." Jeremy let his voice trail off.

Yumi nodded, "But I'm sure we can convince Jim to pass you, and all the teachers will line up behind that too."

"Thanks Yumi," Jeremy replied, though his voice suggested that he wasn't exactly convinced of that.

"Go on up to the dorms, shower and change, then come meet us for dinner. I'll talk to everyone about what we can do to help you out with Jim." Yumi watched him walk a few steps in the right direction then called out to him, "Jeremy, I mean it; we'll get you through gym class. Just get showered, changed and relax for a bit."

Relax? Jeremy thought to himself, how am I supposed to do that?

It was about 45 minutes after he had left the track when Odd came into Jeremy's room, positively giddy about something. "Guess what?" Odd asked jovially.

Jeremy saved and closed the window he had open in two swift movements then turned his chair to face the blond and purple-haired boy. "The menu changed and they're serving mashed potatoes," he answered somewhat darkly, not in the mood to be joking around.

Odd frowned, underwhelmed with Jeremy's lack of enthusiasm, "No!" He giggled a bit, "It's good news about your Gym class."

Jeremy brightened and noted the arrival of the rest of his friends. They had a slightly horrified look from the moment they noticed that Odd had beaten them to Jeremy. Aelita rushed to Jeremy's side, her glare at Odd demanding that he do this kindly. He smiled at her before making the grand announcement. "We convinced Jim to give you two evaluations and." He made a drum roll type noise, obviously enjoying every second of this despite the deadly look Aelita was throwing at him. "Jim has agreed to mistakenly grade your exams as if you were a girl." He grinned at Jeremy's stricken and humiliated expression.

"Odd." Ulrich snapped at the grinning blond boy.

"What?" Odd asked amusedly, "I thought Jeremy would be happy knowing that his best friends were looking out for him and had gotten him an easier way to pass gym, lumping him in with the weaker sex and all."

Yumi and Aelita both scowled and Odd gulped. "Weaker. Sex?" Yumi asked in an angry tone.

Odd looked to Ulrich who held up his hands and backed away. "Sorry good buddy," Ulrich said with some sarcasm, "but you're on your own with that."

Aelita grabbed Jeremy and tugged on his arm, brushing past Odd as she left Jeremy's room with him in tow. "I think we'll go out for dinner."

Ulrich hesitated a moment then spoke, "Yumi, want to skip Kadic's cafeteria food for tonight?"

She gave a last, angry look at Odd, "Yeah."

"Hey, what about me?" Odd called after the retreating groups of two.

"Left all alone?" Sissi answered as she walked in, having seen the general retreat but not really knowing what happened. "I guess you can join Herve and I in the cafeteria." Odd nodded, and headed out the door, closing it behind him. "So what happened?" Odd sighed and began to explain how nobody could take a joke.

Jeremy picked at his food after the waiter had left, and considered his situation. He was the weak link in his pack, and it really hurt knowing how everything everybody had worked so hard for could come down to him and that he'd blow it. A look around the table revealed worried faces and he forced a smile that he didn't feel before he picked up the pace at which he was eating. They didn't need to worry about him now; finals were in a week after all.

Aelita watched Jeremy with a worried expression as he ate, not at all convinced. "Jeremy, you always managed to pull through in the past and, despite Odd's torment, the compromise we worked out is a good one."

"Besides, your grade isn't worth my soccer prowess to Jim. He'll pass you just to keep me on the team." Ulrich added.

Jeremy groaned and Yumi spoke up, "Don't give up on us Jeremy. You know we'll do everything we can for you. Heck, I'll even superglue Odd's mouth shut if he decides to tease you again."

Jeremy cracked a smile, but his "thanks guys" seemed to lack genuine hope. However, as the foursome continued to make small talk, Jeremy's face brightened. A curl of steam from the kitchen got his mind thinking along a track that Aelita and Yumi probably wouldn't like. But they'd like losing Ulrich even less. Of course, the plan would take some work, but there would be time after everyone's session in the library for programming, and after their date tomorrow as well.

[[[[]]]]

Factory, Computer lab, Saturday 9:30 PM: Jeremy watched as Aelita walked out of the elevator and wondered if he would rather have had the upcoming fight on the phone. She hadn't exactly been happy when she came looking for him a little bit after they had broken up the group study for the evening and he wasn't in his room. "Jeremy, you can't just use Lyoko to get through this. However much you don't like it, you'll just have to do your best in gym class and..." Aelita's voice trailed off, unsure of what would be a good way to end that sentence.

Jeremy sighed dramatically, "I'm not up for the quote, special, end-quote, exam that will help make up for my absences. And after all the work Ulrich and Odd put into catching up, I can't fail either."

"But Jeremy, it's only one of our classes and-"

"And Ulrich's father, if he's anything like Ulrich says he is, will use my poor performance as an excuse to pull him from school."

"You don't know that!" Aelita cried, "And we don't know what kind of effects having a specter on your body may have. We already know it can kill a person."

"Ulrich's father sounds like the type who will use any excuse he can to screw over Ulrich." Jeremy shook his head angrily, "I can't let myself be that reason, I can't fail any of you and unless I do this, I will."

"Jeremy," Aelita shouted back, "you are too damn stubborn. Do you not see how much Ulrich and Odd have accomplished because of you! Ulrich's father will do what he does, but no one is going to hold that against you. You did everything you could."

Jeremy looked at the supercomputer, no longer able to stare into the intensity of Aelita's glare. He thought back to the beginning, when Yumi had led him here after his parents had refused his request for yet more robot parts. Because of the supercomputer, he had Aelita, the best friends a guy could ask for, Ulrich's greatly improved grades, and any number of chances to perfect their arguments for Ulrich later. With the power of Lyoko, he could easily ace the fitness exam. "Look Aelita, you had no qualms about using Lyoko as a study hall, no issues with doubling Ulrich's study time with return trips and no trouble using it as a playground. What's so wrong about boosting my strength and stamina so that I can pass a gym test?"

Aelita stared into the back of Jeremy's head for a few seconds, her eyes boring into him like lasers. Then she turned to face the supercomputer terminal, wondering what it was Jeremy was thinking. When he suddenly started speaking she jumped then listened, hearing the frustration in his voice as well as his words. At least he isn't shouting, she thought to herself as she considered his point. But there was still the issue of the danger his plan would present. "Jeremy, Lyoko and return trips are mostly known quantities but the one and only time we used the supercomputer to enhance Odd, he nearly died. Do you really think I want to see that happen to you?"

Jeremy turned back towards Aelita, a note of pleading in his voice as he argued. "Odd was nearly killed because of XANA taking over the tower, without that, Odd would have been fine."

"You can't know that, what if there's a bug in your code, a glitch in the tower's code, sabotage that XANA left behind as a last memento of his death?"

Jeremy's brow creased in concentration as he considered, then dismissed Aelita's point. Well not so much as dismissed but decided it was both a risk that could be mitigated and one that was worth taking. "If it'll make you feel better I can stay up and double check the tower code and energy projection hardware before I try anything."

"That's not the point!" Aelita yelled before she caught herself and reigned her voice in. "You don't have anything to prove, all of us, me especially, love you just as you are and we want you safe and happy."

Jeremy forced his voice to a reasonable level to match Aelita's. "That isn't the point and I know that, about all of you. But I don't think it's too big a risk and aside for the double checking of code, all the programs I need are done so it's not a big deal."

"Maybe the coding is fine," Aelita answered, deciding to concede the point as it was an argument she wasn't likely to win. "But what about the other effects? You'd be powered far beyond a normal human and you'd have pixelation when you used your powers or if you hit something."

Jeremy looked down, he had truthfully forgotten that. But it wasn't like it was a major setback; after all he'd handled bigger problems already. Looking back up, he spoke with confidence. "I can fix that, dial down the power and modify the stabilization programs for the projection systems."

Aelita looked thoughtfully at the computer terminal, her mind already considering how that might be accomplished. She quashed the thought, messing with those programs wouldn't be minor work and it had profound implications for the safety of Jeremy's plan. Fresh anger started to burn its way into her consciousness and she took an argumentative tone, "You can't just modify those programs overnight, they're critical to safety."

"They just need a little tweaking." Jeremy argued back, "besides, if you're scared of it then have a look through the code when I'm done and verify my modifications. Make any corrections you feel need to be made or tell me what you see wrong with the programs and I'll correct the issues."

Aelita stared at him, slightly taken aback at the concession he was offering. But doubt nagged at her, mostly her concern that the few days they had to pull this off wouldn't be enough time. She forced a bigger smile than she really felt like giving, but then frowned as she realized that Jeremy would see right through her if she simply pointed out too many concerns for him to correct. "Jeremy, I still don't think you should go through with this. We already have Jim's concession and the other teachers and staff pulling for you, we don't need to take this risk. There simply isn't enough time."

Jeremy stared back, disbelieving that she was refusing the offer to work with him on this. "Then I'll do it on my own," he huffed. As Aelita walked away, he was already regretting the argument and, even more, was starting to feel her concern as his own. Sitting back in the big chair after hearing the elevator carry Aelita away from him, he worked on code that grew increasingly complex as the hours scrolled by. He sighed, the idea that Aelita was right growing ever more apparent. But if she helped, he was certain that together, they'd be able to handle it. It was a big if though.

Several hours later, Jeremy found himself sneaking back onto the darkened campus. It was after curfew, but not so late that Aelita would kill him over it. Squinting through the darkness, he noticed no one in the hall and darted to his room. A look at the clock revealed an unpleasant truth; it was 1:30 in the morning already. Maybe Aelita would kill him over his late return if she found out about it. He settled into bed and tried not to think about anything, needing to get as much rest as he could so he didn't appear too tired in the morning.

[[[[[]]]]]

Kadic Academy, Dorm building, Aelita's Room, Sunday 10:39 AM: Aelita looked up from her desk and rubbed at her eyes, trying to make the painfully pointless words swimming on her retina go away. She had been working on coming up with a better way of helping Ulrich and Odd memorize their history lessons and it was getting to her. She spared a thought for Jeremy, on the school's track with Yumi working on getting ready for Jim's evaluation. Ulrich and Odd were supposed to be studying on their own. William was on the phone with his parents, or so he answered when she asked if he needed any help via text message. Herve was working with Sissi in the library, or at least that was the plan.

Whoever knocked at her door did so again, a little harder this time. She got up, walked to the door and opened it, her mouth curving into a frown as she saw who was there. She stood her ground, refusing to admit the admittedly apologetic looking blond and purple-haired boy into her room. "Yes Odd?" She asked in a voice that was a bit gruffer than she really intended.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

Yesterday? She thought to herself. And then this morning's Kadic newspaper flashed into her mind and she glared at the blond and purple-haired boy standing in her doorway. She had been trying to forget about that, and about all the laughing about her boyfriend that was going on behind his back. Only one person in her group, Sissi no longer counted as a threat, would leak Jeremy's gym class compromise to the press for a laugh after all. "Go ahead." She answered as she crossed her arms over her chest and remained firmly in place.

"I really didn't mean to hurt either you or Jeremy, I just... I thought we all needed a laugh and-"

"Thought that making Jeremy the laughing stock of the school by leaking that story to Milly and Tamiya would be a good laugh?"

Odd let his head drop. "I didn't give the story to them, but they probably overheard me teasing Jeremy about it," he answered sheepishly.

Aelita looked him over, trying to determine if his shame was real or just an act designed to get her sympathy. After a moment's hesitation, she decided that he was telling the truth and stepped aside to let him into her room. It was not entirely enough to save him however, and after closing the door behind him she let him have a taste of her fury, "Do you have any idea how hard it will be to talk him out of this now that everyone at school thinks he could be the reason Ulrich gets kicked out? One member of the soccer team actually threatened him this morning! Threatened. Him. As if the self-inflicted pressure he felt to use a specter wasn't already enough you've done this!"

Odd looked genuinely shocked, and he actually recoiled a bit at her tone. She wasn't quite shouting, but she clearly wasn't happy either. Once again, he failed to meet her eyes when he spoke. "Aelita, I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." He looked away and then back up, fixing his eyes on Aelita's bed. "But why not let him use a specter?" He asked nervously.

Aelita snapped a reply immediately. "Do you remember what happened to you when we used a specter on you?"

"XANA nearly killed me." Odd answered with a nonchalant shrug, remembering his time as a superhuman fondly. "No XANA, no danger. Right?"

"ARRRG. Jeremy's hung out around you too much. It's not that simple to avoid his being... boosted... being caught. Or have you forgotten about the pixelation effects when superpowers are used? And that's assuming that the tower system wasn't damaged or sabotaged AND that changing the code to reduce those effects doesn't have unwanted side effects."

Odd absently nodded, thinking that perhaps she and Jeremy had had this fight before. But if that was the case, all it took was a little suggestive language and Jeremy was about as pliable as modeling clay. "Well then simply tell him he can't do that. And if that doesn't work, you still have two options. One, he's powerless to resist your feminine charms and two, you can threaten to leave him for me." Odd noted the look on Aelita's face and suddenly found himself looking for any sort of cover he could find because the normally docile girl in front of him looked like she was ready to tear him to shreds. "It was just a joke," he tried to sooth weakly as she advanced and he backed away.

[[[[[[]]]]]]

Kadic Academy, running track, Sunday 10:39 AM: Jeremy walked, as fast as his tired and aching legs would let him, beside Yumi on the outdoor running track. The cool air was welcome as it hit his flushed face and drew away the heat. He wiped at his forehead to prevent the sweat from dripping into his eyes. Yumi looked down at him, the sound of his panting the loudest thing around them both, then looked at the dorm building and hoped Ulrich was doing well on his homework. She turned her attention back to Jeremy, "so what is going on between you and Aelita?"

"Nothing, just a disagreement."

"Over what? She's been mad at you and hadn't recovered until earlier and now she seems mad again."

Jeremy sighed as he formed an answer, his words coming between gulps of air. "I wanted... to form a... program to... use a specter... to minimally... boost my... athletic ability."

"You what!"

"Look at... me. I'm the... weak link... in this group."

Yumi stopped, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face her. He tensed visibly and waited for the hammer to fall. Her own expression softened, "Jeremy, you're not the weak link. And didn't we go over this already? You'll get through gym as long as you show up and try."

"Getting through... isn't enough..." He looked up; glad that she hadn't been here earlier when Kadic's newspaper had made the rounds.

"You know Jeremy," Yumi shook her head, "I could be mad at you. Maybe I should be mad at you for wanting to risk yourself like this. You do remember Odd right?" When Jeremy nodded she continued, "But I'm also impressed that you're here, working out with me rather than being at the factory, working on that program." She gauged his expression for a moment and then realized that he was planning on doing both. This, now that she thought about it, was probably why Aelita was upset with him. Really, it begged the next question. "Why?" She demanded of the genius.

"Aelita's right, I can't rely on the supercomputer to make everything better. But I need to pass this without doubt and..." He hesitated, but then decided that he could risk telling Yumi this. "I guess I need the challenge too. Dating Aelita is better than I'd imagined and helping Ulrich and even Odd isn't bad but, there's nothing on campus that's as challenging as the supercomputer."

Yumi snorted and then laughed, "You're the only one I know who would find the answer to too much studying in computer code."

"Hey," Jeremy answered, not really feeling offended by Yumi's words as he might if anyone else had said them. "There's real beauty in code that complex."

"And there's the fact that the computer got you Aelita, Ulrich and yes, even Odd. But the supercomputer has a dark side as well, and Aelita wants to keep you from becoming like her father, or even suffering like you did when you had no choice but to fight for her with programs."

Jeremy looked at Yumi and considered protesting, telling her that he was in no danger of becoming like Aelita's father. He didn't have the government after him, didn't have a missing and probably dead wife to worry about. But he had Ulrich, along with the rest of the group, to worry over. That, coupled with his natural instinct to work as hard as possible to protect his friends from everything that could hurt them, was slowly leading him down that path. Aelita hadn't completely convinced him that they couldn't make all the modifications in time, nor had she even given it an honest try yet. Both items combined to make it difficult for him to accept that he didn't have to use the supercomputer to pass his upcoming test.

Then he had the article shoved into his face and the entire school population staring at him, talking and laughing behind his back. It was humiliating to be snickered at and being made fun of because he was weak dragged up memories he didn't want to recall. The threat from one student just made things worse, one of his friends would end up in trouble to defend him in all likelihood.

"Jeremy?"

Yumi's concerned voice broke through his thoughts. He focused back on her, his blue eyes taking on a much less haunted, vacant look. "I guess I should just bear with the teasing huh?" He asked absently, betraying his thoughts. "After all, Odd did after Sissi got her revenge."

"Yeah." Yumi answered supportively, "And I hope you realize something. You aren't weak."

Jeremy tilted his head, genuinely curious how Yumi could come to that conclusion.

"You faced an awful lot just to get us through, and sleepless nights spent worrying about the ones you love are just as draining as fighting XANA's monsters. Not everyone would have had the guts to keep working when the problems seemed so insurmountable. But in this case, a program won't solve the problem. We've trusted in you when we couldn't do anything but watch you work and hope for the best. Now it's time to trust us, to let the solution we worked out for you take its course."

Jeremy nodded then looked towards the dorms. "I don't like sitting around and hoping for the best when I could be fighting."

"I know Jer, believe me I know." Yumi looked towards the dorms, "I think that's enough for today, go and see Aelita. Apologize for fighting and say hi for me."

"Tell Ulrich hi from me when you see him."

Yumi smiled and blushed slightly as she walked with Jeremy towards the dorm building.

[[[[[[[]]]]]]]

Kadic Academy, Dorm building, Aelita's room, Sunday 10:44 AM: "Aelita, lighten up, it was just a joke."

"A joke, Odd! I should try to seduce Jeremy into doing what I want, or just throw him away like so much garbage because he disagrees with me on an issue! That's what you call a JOKE!"

"Come on Aelita, I didn't mean it like that." Odd pleaded as he back into a corner.

"No Odd, you did. But now that you actually have to face the consequences of it, you don't want to. All you've ever been is a selfish ass, do you realize that?" She answered angrily as he squished himself into a corner.

Odd looked around, desperate for escape, and not just from her. She was right about him, he only rarely thought about others, and usually only after he'd hurt them badly. Looking back down at the floor, and on some level wondering if he'd be able to identify every strand of carpet on her floor after today, he answered sheepishly, "and now you know why I tried to jump off the factory roof."

Aelita stopped in mid step, and slowly unclenched her fists as she put her foot down to simply stand. "What?" Her voice had dwindled to just above a whisper as memories she didn't want flooded through her.

"I jumped because I figured everyone was better off without me, that it would be easier without me around to hold everyone back."

Aelita's glare softened as sympathy replaced rage. How many times had Jeremy thought she'd be better off without him? And how many times did she think the same, that everyone else would be better off without her? It had been so much easier to hear and simply dismiss those words the first time she had heard them from him. Probably because she was just glad he was alive at the time. She closed her eyes against the emotions she felt and spoke, her voice laced with pain and sympathy. "Odd, we wouldn't be better off without you. You... you take things too far but even Jeremy would admit that we couldn't have made it through without you." She opened her eyes and saw that Odd was looking up at her with a genuinely contrite, but grateful, expression. "We aren't just toys for your amusement Odd and you need to learn that before you push us away for good, or we do the same."

Odd forced a weak smile and nodded. "I know..." He waited while Aelita took a step towards him then took her hand when she extended it and used it to pull himself up. "Aelita, Jeremy doesn't mean any harm with his program, but he's afraid of letting everyone down." Odd looked down at the floor again, sounding shamed and remorseful as he continued. "Especially after this morning. The supercomputer is his mechanism for coping and the one thing he can count on to get through this. For as much as I've made fun of him for not wanting to be in the middle of the action all the time, he's not afraid to do what he needs to for the rest of us."

Aelita sighed, "It's one of his best and worst traits. Just like your paradoxical caring lack of care is for you. But how do I help him get through this? It's a direct attack on his biggest weakness, both actual and imagined."

Odd looked up, his expression brightening. "Stand by him, encourage him to stand up for himself, even defend him some if the situation calls for it. If you really don't want him to work on the program then find something else to re-direct his nervous energy, maybe ask him to show you how to build a robot."

Aelita's face seemed to brighten and she smiled, "I think I'd like that, I've never built anything like the robots I've seen of Jeremy's and I've always been curious as to how he does it."

"So ask," Odd stated lightly "it's not like he wouldn't jump at the chance and you know that once he got absorbed in it he'd forget about his troubles."

Aelita nodded excitedly and grinned, everything from earlier forgotten. "Thanks Odd." She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the forehead.

"Can I get a real, fake kiss?" He asked lightheartedly after positioning himself where he had a clear run to the door, "since you did threaten to kill me earlier."

"Don't push it, Odd." She responded in a falsely dangerous voice.

"Please?" Odd pleaded, using a puppy's wide eyed expression to beg.

"Get out before I change my mind about beating you to a pulp." Aelita replied through her laughter.

She walked back to her desk and sat down, hearing the door close softly as Odd left. She went back to her papers, her mind now elsewhere as she reflected on the boy who had just left. Only about a minute after he had left though, Odd poked his head through the door. "Princess?"

She looked up and at her door, cracked open to half admit Odd back into her room. "Yes Odd?"

"Why didn't you ever get that upset with Jeremy after all the times he blew you off or neglected you, or hurt you?"

Aelita paused for only a fraction of a second, "because it was always easy to see that his heart was in the right place, even if his actions were hurtful or wrong." She answered honestly. "He rarely seemed as selfish, and even when he was, it never seemed malicious. He either didn't understand what was going on, with himself and what he was feeling, with me and what I was feeling, or he was simply overwhelmed by my fight."

"Our fight." Odd corrected. "It was never just Jeremy fighting alone."

"Wasn't it?" Aelita asked with a note of sorrow. "I'm the only one besides Jeremy who wrote any code or analyzed any data. We needed your silliness in a way Odd, but you, Yumi, Ulrich and I on Lyoko only ever delayed XANA's victory. A tower deactivation was nothing more than a draw with XANA and after that it was back to Jeremy to solve the problem while we all played."

"You needed to have your life, if you didn't it wouldn't have been worth the fight."

"Not even Jeremy would disagree with you Odd. But there's no such thing as a free lunch, it was on Jeremy's shoulders that we all dumped responsibility for XANA's defeat. He deserved far more understanding than you, than all of us really, ever gave him."

"Jeremy did that willingly, he even enjoyed it." Odd answered, sounding a little needy.

"Not as much as he'd have enjoyed learning to live with the rest of you guys." Jeremy answered from the otherwise deserted hallway. "But it had to be done. Just like you had to make sure we never took anything too seriously."

Aelita smiled, "Hey Jer." She turned her attention back to Odd, "Odd, we all still love you, even me, but your antics make it easy to get really mad at you."

"And your personality makes it easy to forgive you, mostly." Jeremy added.

Odd backed out of Aelita's room and left, saying "I don't think I'm needed here anymore." Jeremy simply nodded as he walked into the room and closed the door.

[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]

Kadic Academy, Dorm building, Ulrich's room, Sunday 10:57 AM: "No, and for the last time they are not losers!" Ulrich shouted into the phone. "My progress report for this week did not say that! Do you even read the damn things!... I got a 94 percent on that quiz... I know it's not as good as Jeremy or Aelita... Odd! Yes, I know he only got an 81 percent... He isn't a troublemaker and without his humor I wouldn't have survived any of this... You know what, Mom didn't get straight A's either... No I'm not... But... Oh come on, Jeremy is a genius not... He'll pass damn it..." Ulrich's voice got lower and more respectful, "no no no, I'm grateful for."

Yumi watched as Ulrich glared at his phone with disgust before throwing it on the bed with a loud, aggravated noise. He sighed and slumped into his seat, massaging his temples and she took the opportunity to walk over to him, careful to be as silent as she could manage. Though she felt guilty over listening in to Ulrich's half of the conversation with his father, she was glad to be here. Blushing, and looking over her shoulder nervously, she gently put her hands on Ulrich's shoulder and began to massage them. They were hard as rocks, tension and worry having obviously taken their toll on his body.

Ulrich looked up, seeing that Yumi's cheeks had a red coloring that matched his own. But the attention to his shoulders was undeniably good even though he wasn't quite comfortable with sharing physical affection. This, and some encouragement from Odd, Jeremy and Aelita, was going a long way towards alleviating that however.

"So, not a good conversation with your father?"

"Are they ever?"

"No." Yumi replied sadly, "so what was it this time?"

Ulrich faced back towards the desk, his neck growing tired of holding his head up and twisted so that he could look behind himself to see Yumi. Her not being able to see his expression helped him feel a little more comfortable as he told her about the usual stuff, how his grades weren't good enough and Odd's grades were abysmal. Then he lowered his voice and explained that somehow his father had found out about Jeremy's attendance record for gym class. 'My son is not going to be friends with a flunky,' Ulrich mocked his father's voice.

Yumi was startled a bit and it showed as her hands clenched on Ulrich's shoulders for a second or two. "Jeremy does not find out about that."

"Find out about what?" Odd asked, sounding rather curious as he walked into the room without having knocked.

"That Ulrich's father knows about Jeremy's absences in gym class." Yumi answered with a threatening look. "This is serious Odd, Jeremy's already worried enough and he doesn't need to know about this."

Odd nodded, "yeah, I know. Aelita just chewed me out after I agreed with Jeremy's desire to use the supercomputer and then gave her a joking suggestion on how to deal with that since she didn't want him to."

Ulrich rolled his eyes and barely managed to avoid voicing his initial thought. Instead he went with, "Knowing what you would suggest, you probably deserved it." Yumi laughed, apparently thinking along the same lines he was.

Odd simply made a face, "well I did manage to make a reasonable suggestion. Which reminds me, if you need either Jeremy or Aelita, they'll be in the electronics lab after Jeremy takes a shower." Pointedly tracing his eyes down Yumi's arms and to where her hands were still on Ulrich's shoulders, he added, "I think I'll gather my stuff and go to the library to study with Sissi and Herve."

"Do you think he'll really keep a secret?" Yumi asked as she watched Odd gently close the door as he left?

"Of course." Ulrich replied, though he wasn't sure if Yumi meant the secret about Jeremy or the two of them. "Yumi?" he started, feeling more than a little embarrassed. "Do you think you could continue with my shoulders?"

"Um... Yeah sure." She replied, sounding happier than she really wanted to. Well, happier than she wanted anyone else who might come in hear her being anyway. She really was thrilled that Ulrich had told her about his phone call with his father without an argument or a fight. Further, she was glad he'd asked her to continue the massage; he didn't need to be afraid of asking her for comfort since she was his girlfriend after all. She did wish, however, that her happiness came without the burning sensation in her cheeks as she blushed. But that would come with time.

Well, another chapter done and out the proverbial door. Hope everyone enjoyed it.

Dances with pride: Who are you? Commando Wolf and I wrote the chapter, and I did the editing as well. Regarding Odd, I doubt it. He's just not ready for any sort of serious relationship and he's already dated and alienated all the girls in his grade and probably any female of eligible age would know that he's just not a good date.

LyokoDragon: It's a long enough story as is and I want it over, not longer. Sorry, no Samantha. Hiroki and Milly isn't a bad idea, but those characters just don't figure into the story in a big enough way to pair them. Sorry.

Krem: Are you sure it's not number 2? But seriously, Commando Wolf and I do manage to write pretty similarly and I polished her sections a bit to make them feel more like my voice. Glad you're still enjoying my story.

Peter Kim: I don't think they will be giving her a full education on Lyoko and its capabilities. Lyoko won't really be factoring into the much anymore. At least as I'm thinking it'll go right now.

Spyrofan777: I stand by that pairing as one that isn't normally considered and thus interesting. however I don't really plan to have it take too much of the spotlight.