"No?"

"No." Yumi repeated solemnly.

"I don't suppose you'd tell me why--"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"And you wouldn't consider, maybe --"

"No."

"Oh."

A pause, and then Ulrich spoke again;

"I've just basically told you my life story--"

"It was very interesting, I assure you." Yumi offered.

"--And confessed my undying love to you --"

"You've done that before," Yumi pointed out.

"Yes, but -- was it because I didn't get down on one knee?"

"... What?"

"It was because I didn't get down on one knee! Honestly, Yumi, I didn't know you wanted me to --"

"I didn't."

"Well, then, I don't know what to say. I guess you just don't love me, then."

"I never said that," Yumi argued.

Ulrich's frown lifted, "So you do love me!"

"I never said that, either."

"You know, you're taking this very well -- you were just in hysterics, if I remember correctly."

"Well, I thought you were a fugitive who had a secret double life as a pimp, but --"

"You what?"

"Well -- yeah. You weren't exactly very specific about what you were hiding from me."

"And you still won't forgive me?"

Yumi's solemn tone returned, "No."

Then --

"Why should I? You haven't done anything to me."

(which was a terrible shame; Yumi thought fleetingly.)

"But I lied to you!" Ulrich retorted, he looked out of sorts. He looked exactly how Yumi had felt only moments earlier. Now she felt much better. Ulrich had, basically, rebelled against his parents, (which everyone does, at some point), partied outrageously, and had a few girlfriends. It really wasn't that bad. In fact, it wasn't bad at all. The boy was practically a saint. Yumi felt oddly giddy. She hadn't realized how much Ulrich's secret had been bothering her; she always imagined it was something so heinous, so terrible that it would change her perception of him forever. The only thing is proved to her was that he couldn't hold his alcohol.

Which was kind of funny, actually.

But yes. She had to keep a straight face. Ulrich had to suffer for keeping her in suspense.

"Yes you did," Yumi agreed. "That was terrible of you. In fact, it makes me doubt your so-called love for me. You're not supposed to lie to the person you're in love with."

"I--" Ulrich seemed at a loss for words. His next statement further proved Yumi's assertion, "... I don't know what to say. I'm sorry?"

Yumi felt momentarily compelled to tell him to go into a corner and think about what he had done, but decided that was going a bit too far. That, and her straight face wouldn't last much longer.

Yumi completely changed the subject, "Do you think Odd is alright?"

"I'm sure he's -- wait, wait a minute. You can't just forget about everything I just said. Yumi, are you even listening to me?"

Yumi had heard him perfectly, "What? I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

Ulrich blanched. His face was too much, Yumi dissolved into laughter. She held her ribs with both arms, very nearly collapsing on the ground in a fit. Yumi was convinced that Ulrich thought she had spiraled into dementia. When he discovered that Yumi was not having convulsions, simply laughing at him, laughing at herself, and laughing at the world, he crossed his arms in distinct irritation.

He was not amused.

He was, or so Yumi thought, actually very angry. It must have been because she hadn't taken him seriously. His foul mood continued until, sobered by his pissy-ness (pissy-ness, Yumi thought. Ha, was that even a word? Then -- maybe I really am losing it. Strangely enough, she didn't care), Yumi simply said, very slowly;

"I'm really cold."

Ever the gentlemen, Ulrich stiffly took off his coat -- which he'd had the mind to grab, unlike Yumi -- and slipped it around her shoulders. Taking advantage of their proximity and his irrefutably stormy expression, Yumi smiled, deciding she had, had her fun and said;

"For what it's worth, I forgive you," and then said, almost as if it were an afterthought. "And I love you." Then, she kissed him.

The End.

Or so, it would have been, but when had things ever worked out the way they were supposed to in her life? Never. In retrospect, what happened next, Yumi should have seen coming.

"Do you know those stories, the ones where the good guy comes in and beats up the bad guy and walks away with a smile?" Odd winced, "This is not one of them."

Aelita patted his shoulder fondly, "There, there. I'll have you fixed in no time."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Odd mumbled.

"What was that," Aelita tugged on his bandages, Odd gritted his teeth. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing," Odd sulked.

Jeremie looked in a similar state, but unlike Odd, he was not wounded. Yumi suspected his sulking was a product of how much Aelita was fussing over Odd. Ulrich rubbed his eye despondently; it was mottled purple and shot through with red.

Odd turned his attention from his misery to Ulrich, "What happened to you, buddy?"

Aelita turned her head, as did Jeremie, evaluating Ulrich's condition. Jeremie said nothing, his expression betrayed nothing, as per usual. Aelita gave Ulrich a sympathetic smile.

"Poor Ulrich," Aelita smiled. "Don't worry, as soon as I'm done with Odd, I'll patch you up."

"Um," Ulrich retreated. "That's not necessary?"

Needless to say, Aelita wasn't the best nurse in the world. She did try though. She tried so hard, in fact, that in hopes of curing Odd twice as fast, she drenched his bandages in alcohol before applying them. Her kindness did not go over well.

"Of course it's necessary," Aelita sniped.

"I never anticipated Elisabeth would do such a thing," Jeremie spoke. Yumi turned her head in his direction, remembering.

Ulrich was a little stunned, but he did get around to kissing her back.

Which was very nice. Until, that is, they were interrupted by something that sounded suspiciously like a banshee.

With no one to hold her back, Elisabeth was determined to put Yumi in her place. Or at least, she attempted to.

"You bitch," she screamed from the last steps of the building. There was a mess of sullied snow at her feet and it seemed she refused to cross it. "How dare you? Do you know how many years I've been after Ulrich?"

The first thing Yumi noticed was that she hadn't been rendered deaf from Elisabeth's outburst, which was good. Elisabeth mistook Yumi wriggling her ears to make sure they worked for indifference, and without further ado, lifted a leg, took off a shoe, and hurled.

Yumi could only guess it was meant for her. The shoe missed, which was good news for Yumi, but hit Ulrich in the eye, which was bad news for him. Elisabeth seemed just as surprised, because a moment later she started spewing apologies at her so-called would be fiancé.

Well, if she hadn't ruined her chances with Ulrich yet, she certainly had now.

Yumi felt a little sorry for Elisabeth, but that quickly ended when Elisabeth attempted to right her wrong with a second shoe. She missed, though not by much, and this was enough to spark Yumi's anger.

Only Ulrich, blindly groping with one eye swelling fast, stopped Yumi.

"So this is how Oedipus felt," Ulrich grumbled as Yumi helped him to his feet.

"Stop being such a baby," Yumi said as Ulrich staggered to keep on his feet. The lack of one eye hindered his balance considerably and they only avoided smashing into the ground by sheer luck.

"Elisabeth Delmas!" an elderly gentleman marched outside. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Daddy," Elisabeth's tone sweetened considerably. Yumi could already see tears starting in her eyes. "Ulrich left me -- for her!"

Yumi might as well have been a disease. Considering that Yumi didn't care what Elisabeth thought of her, Yumi ignored her commentary.

"Is this the way I taught you to behave?" the man reprimanded.

"But, daddy--"

"Inside, now!"

Ulrich finally managed to stand upright, wobbling only slightly. "Are you alright?" Yumi asked, concerned. The skin around his eye was starting to turn an ugly shade.

Being Ulrich, Ulrich clutched one hand to his eye and another to his heart. "Yumi," he said dramatically. "Now that I'm deformed, do you think you can still love me?"

Yumi rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. "Come on," she let Ulrich lean on her. "Let's go find the others so you can get your eye checked."

"What? You don't want to come live with me in my underground lair and sing songs to me while I play the piano?"

His reference to the Phantom of the Opera didn't escape Yumi, however she chose to ignore it.

"Sorry," Yumi replied. "I love Starbucks too much."

"More than me?" Ulrich said, clutching his heart once again. Yumi was starting to wonder if the blow to the eye hadn't affected his head, somehow.

"Sorry," Yumi shrugged her shoulders as best she could with Ulrich leaning on her side. "Starbucks was here first."

As they trudged along the sidewalk, Yumi felt their silence comfortable, not awkward. There were a million questions she wanted to ask Ulrich, but for now, she was content. Even if it wasn't forever, as things were apt to change, Yumi liked the place they were at now.

They. We. Yumi restrained an uncharacteristic giggle.

"Yumi?"

"Yes?"

"You won't take it back, will you?"

Yumi risked a look at Ulrich, "Won't take what back?"

"What you said, that you love me. I'm still thinking that this is all a dream."

"Me too," Yumi murmured. She had been brave. For the first time in a long time, she'd been brave. It felt good. It felt true.

After a silence, Yumi said, "I'm still scared. I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to trust you -- I want to trust you, but, I don't know how."

"It's okay," Ulrich said. Yumi wasn't surprised at his acceptance. It was one of the things about him that charmed her most. How strange and how liberating it was to be able to think such things without having to bite them back.

They found Odd, and concurrently, Jeremie and Aelita. Apparently, despite his noble intentions, Odd had failed to put William in his place. Jeremie, Aelita had explained excitedly, had stepped in and finished William off. Yumi was surprised, she didn't think Jeremie was the type to get into a fight.

Aelita seemed unable to decide who to stand next to, Odd or Jeremie, and settled for in between.

Everything was perfect. That should have been Yumi's first sign that something bad was going to happen.

While Ulrich compressed his eye with an ice cube and a rag, his phone rang unceremoniously.

"Seven days..." Odd cackled. Aelita hit him in the back of the head for which Ulrich thanked her.

"Hello," Ulrich's voice was polite, detached. Yumi glanced at the clock, it was pretty late. Who could be calling at such an hour? Ulrich's face drained of all color, which should have been Yumi's second sign.

"Mother," he said.

"What?" Odd hissed.

Ulrich placed the receiver down in what resembled a near case of chronic shock.

Jeremie didn't waste time, "Where?" Yumi could almost see the gears in his head turning, calculating, re-evaluating.

Ulrich steeled his expression, "Downstairs."

With certainty, Yumi knew that this was, in fact, The End.

Two references in this chapter; one to the phantom of the opera, and the other to the ring. So sorry for the slow updates, [insert believable excuses here]. I need to hear you thoughts on this chapter; on Elisabeth's shoe throwing, Odd losing the fight, and Yumi getting revenge. Things are coming to a close; do you like where the story is going?