"Hello stranger."

You could tell it hurt to move. Ulrich smiled, lazy, as if he was just resting, and it was okay, and everything was fine. Yumi could not speak. It was as if she couldn't get enough oxygen and she stuttered over thought and action, feeling as if this wasn't her and he was someone else and she had walked into a place she didn't know.

"Are you okay?" Ulrich frowned, trying to angle forward and better assuage her condition. It was too much, and he settled for an exhale and an awkward pause. "I guess I should have told you about this. Yumi," he paused, searching for the words. This meant he didn't know what to say or didn't want to say what he knew. It hurt to know him that well. Yumi sat down, the base of her spine touching the cold hard plastic of the chair that Aelita had left in front of the bed.

"Yumi," Ulrich tried again. "Say something. Anything."

Yumi stared ahead in silence, dragging her palms over her thighs, feeling the fabric hot and coarse beneath her hands. Her vision was focused on an empty vase on a corresponding table, superimposed by the blur of salt and water. Her chest felt tight, fingers cold. Ulrich tried to sit up again, and this time he managed to swing upwards. It was a herculean effort and every moment of it was agony. This was not the boy she met at the cafe, free and strong and undeterred. No, this boy was dying.

His long, lean arms reached her, fingers tracing a misformed line across her cheekbones. They came away wet. Yumi fell into him, her nose brushing the hollow of his neck. She could feel his pulse, and that was oddly comforting, a neat reminder that he was still alive. It was probably uncomfortable for him to sit this way, but it felt safe, and Yumi wanted to savor that for as long as she could. His arms traced her spine, and then folded strings of hairs behind her ears, landing at her shoulders, pushing her in.

Yumi pushed him away, which probably hurt her more than it hurt him and said, "Your parents are here." She straightened her shoulders. "I'm going to talk to them, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Ulrich had the gall to laugh. Yumi frowned, incredulous, "What, aren't you going to fight me on this?"

"Well," Ulrich sighed. "There really is nothing I can do about it. As you can see, I'm confined to this bed. That, and I'm way too tired to argue with you. It takes a lot of energy to argue with you. Besides," he relaxed his shoulders and sunk back into the bed. "I love you. Nothing they say or do is going to change my mind. The only thing they'll accomplish is wasting my time and the oxygen in this room."

"And you decided this when? Because if I remember correctly, you were freaking out the last time I even thought to suggest meeting them." Yumi crossed her arms over her chest, irritated. The only reason he was taking it easy was because all he had to do was play dead while she stood in front of the firing squad. Stupid, stupid men. Yumi was beginning to see where Aelita got her outlook on life.

"Yeah, well it's amazing what near death experiences will do to you." He turned away, thoughtful. The humor was dead space between them now and the only thing that remained was the chirping of machines in the room. "I knew I was going to die and I thought of everyone and how they would feel, what they would do after I was dead. It was strange, thinking about it like that, objectively I mean. Anyway, I was thinking about it, and I couldn't think of what my parents would say outside of making sure that the funeral was classy enough to honor our name and sad enough to inherit them some humanity. In the eyes of the public anyway, I don't think they care for humanity otherwise."

Yumi frowned. "Your parents love you, they have to."

"Yeah," Ulrich sighed. "They just love their money and their name more."

"Ulrich..."

"It's alright," another sigh. "Aelita already tried her whole psychoanalysis, make it all better thing, you don't have to. I'm fine. I'm okay. I've come to terms that being privileged comes with a price. It's just ironic that it's the things that can't be bought that you have to pay with."

Yumi looked down. She wasn't sure what to say, wasn't sure she could say something. Years of perfected politically correct politeness caught at her throat and stayed. She wasn't sure she could say anything to Ulrich that wasn't sincere. It felt wrong to lie to him, and useless.

"Okay," Yumi looked up. "What are you going to do after this?"

Ulrich winced as he shrugged on to his side. "What do you mean?"

"I just - "

"I'll be damned if I cannot see my own son!" A sort of simpering on the outside, followed by a crude crash. "Is that his room? Go see if that's him."

"Now, darling," this voice was all bored, cultured hauteur. "You mustn't make such a mess of things. I swear, everywhere we go, you simply must make absurd demonstrations such as these. I really do lament going out in public with you." A fleeting sigh. "I can clearly see our son over there, can't you? There is also a girl sitting in front of him." Garbled baritone. "Who is she? Why, I don't know. What do you think I am, psychic? Stop being such a brute and follow me."

If Yumi had a white flag she would have raised it. She always thought that it would be a verbal lashing that would take place between Ulrich and his parents, not a physical one. Admittedly, she could be pig headed about many things, but the percentage of her winning a physical fight was not one of them.

"Um," she said, inelegantly. "Does your father usually resolve his problems with fist fights?"

"Well," Ulrich hedged.

Yumi bit her lip. This wasn't a firing squad, it was a guillotine.

To some degree, Yumi should have anticipated that Ulrich's mother would have been beautiful - but beauty seemed trite when used to describe her. Her bone structure was sharp and she had vivid, passionate eyes. Her mouth was generous and cold. Briefly, Yumi thought of Elisabeth and figured why Ulrich's parents had loved her so much. She was just like them - or would be, given time.

"Ulrich, darling," his mother smiled but it was devoid of any affection. "I see you survived. Well, that's good. Funerals are ridiculously expensive these days." Her eyes crawled from him to Yumi. Yumi flinched. "Why hello," her mouth curved. Yumi felt like a butterfly underneath a glass jar. "And who are you?"

"Never mind her," Ulrich's father dismissed her as if she were a flea. He was tall - much taller than Yumi ever imagined a human being could be. Where Ulrich's features were more boyish, his were crueler. He was undeniable attractive but his bite was obviously worse than his bark.

"Mother," Ulrich's mouth thinned into a line. "Father."

"Having us run after you was very unappreciated," his mother chided halfheartedly. Yumi doubted they even moved an inch to find him, they probably paid someone to do it. "I did teach you better, my darling boy. Look at the state you are in - had you stayed you would have never fallen this way." Her mouth quivered but she straightened her shoulders and it simultaneously. She came closer, which seemed to surprise her husband because he watched her with something akin to muted surprise. She leaned over, her coat brushed Yumi's thigh. She kissed Ulrich's forehead. "You are my only son," her words were almost tender but they lacked the fundamental quality of tenderness - love. Her speech was more disappointed than anything else. "You are to cease this ridiculous gallivanting and return home at once."

"You can't force me to return, " Ulrich argued coolly.

His mother smiled her notsmile. "You'd be surprised what money can achieve. You would know if you had not opted for this frugal and pointless lifestyle."

Yumi couldn't believe it. They would pay someone to drag him into a plane if they had to. They were like the spanish inquisition minus the inquisition part.

"I won't go," Ulrich stood his ground, as much as he could anyway. They all knew his words had no substance behind them. All his parents had to do was bribe the hospital staff. If they hadn't already, that is.

Ulrich's father advanced, and it didn't look like he wanted to talk. Ulrich's mother placed her small hands on his arm. There was no force behind the gesture but it stopped him nonetheless. "Darling, can you not? He is coming. Wait outside while I sort things out."

"I will not wait outside while this brat defies me."

Ulrich's mother rolled her eyes. Distinctly, Yumi thought of Aelita. This too was a woman at the height of her power. "Wait outside, I have no time to deal with two children. Have your tantrum outside if you please. You can nurse your bruised ego out there. I am his mother and I know what to do with him."

Ulrich's father did not move. He was like a statue, impassive.

Ulrich's mother rolled her shoulders and snapped her neck so quickly that Yumi thought she'd broken it. Her voice lowered an octave, "I will not repeat myself. Leave or I will force you to."

Yumi couldn't even imagine how they had maintained a marriage without committing homicide. To think she had thought her parents to be the paragon of a dysfunctional marriage. Ulrich's father actually left. That's when Yumi realized that the true horror was Ulrich's mother and not his father. She walked over to the door and closed it. Yumi had the distinct impression that she was going to die a horrible, mangled death.

"Now that I am free of that distraction, who are you again?"

"Who, me?" Yumi asked innocently.

Ulrich's mother narrowed her eyes. "There is nothing more that I despise more than a weak girl. Now tell me who you are or I will give you real reason to have amnesia."

Had this lady just threatened her? Oh no, it was over with. Yumi didn't let her own parents disrespect her and she sure as hell wasn't going to let a paper cut out pretense intimidate her.

"Mother, this is Yumi," Ulrich stepped in for her, smoothly. "She would be my girlfriend."

"I am not your girlfriend," Yumi hissed.

"Okay," Ulrich raised his hands in defeat. "This is Yumi, she is not my girlfriend."

Ulrich's mother quirked an eyebrow, "So then who is she?"

Ulrich sighed dramatically, furrowing his brow in contemplation. "I don't know anymore..."

His mother rolled her eyes at the same time Yumi did.

"While I almost never agree with your father," she started, dismissing the topic of Yumi's identity altogether. "We have both come to the agreement that it is imperative that you return home."

"And why is that?" Ulrich asked.

"Your father has gotten lazy," she shrugged. "That is the truth. He needs someone to take over the business, etc. You know the rest."

"I don't want anything to do with your empire." Ulrich retorted.

"I'm aware," snapped, and then ironed her tone out. "However there is no one else to manage the business. You know it is serious when your father has allowed me to drag him all around the world in search of you despite your little attempts at overthrowing him."

"You disowned me," there was anger there. Yumi felt unwelcome, an intruder in the conversation. "You have no right to ask me for any favors."

"Yes..." His mother looked genuinely put out, but the look was eradicated from her well bred features a moment later. "In actuality, your father intended to hand over the business to some removed cousin or another but I would not allow it. It is half my empire, as you know, and I will not have a stranger handle it. You know I cannot, Ulrich." She paused. "There is nothing I can say or do that will convince you to take up the family business. It would be naive of me to think so. I know I have never been an ideal mother - or mother at all, to you. I understand the resentment and dislike you may harbor for me. I can almost applaud the loathing you have for your father, God knows I can barely stand the man myself..."

"Then why don't you just divorce him?" Yumi blurted out without thinking.

Ulrich's mother actually laughed. "Better now, I think I almost like you, girl. Well, after so many years of marriage, it's almost an obligation to be married to him. Besides, marriage in the upper class is almost never about what you want."

"In any case," she continued. "It needs a leader. You are it. I will have no one else. I am quite certain that most of your reasoning for refuting it is because you so loathe being controlled by us. Rest assured that once you are the head of the business, we will cease to exist. It isn't all about face, darling."

"I don't care. I don't want any part of it."

"Understandable," Ulrich's mother pursed her gloss slick lips. "Darling ... you and I have always been co-conspirators of sorts, haven't we? Your father isn't going to offer this sort of thing again, and I want you to have it. I cannot give you anything else - not even my love. I have simply been sucked dry by society. I am begging you - begging you to accept this. Please. You are what we never could be - warm, loving, selfless. I think the Stern empire needs a revolution, don't you?"

"Why do you care?" Ulrich sounded like a rebellious, petulant child. It would have provoked humor in another place, another time. Now it was like watching an old movie, film tattered at the edges, screen streaked with static.

"From the moment you were born you were placed in the arms of a nanny. You were kept inside and tutored by the best - but still, strangers. Then we sent you off to Kadic. I have done nothing for you. I gave you jewels and cars and high society. None of it matters, none of it lasts. I cannot love you, my darling boy. I gave birth to you, and yet I cannot bring myself to love you. I have always treated you as if you were another doll in my collection and it is too late for me to change. So I am loving you in the only way I know how to - by giving you this. At least I know now that when I die, I will die with one less sin on my chest."

"Money can't buy salvation," Ulrich sniped.

She actually winked, "My dear," she laughed. "Why do you think I have always been a devout catholic - of course it can."

Silence.

"...what guarantee do I have that you'll both disappear?" Ulrich sounded dubious.

"None, of course. You should know by know that I am too spirited a woman to spin intricate lies to trap you. I like the adventure of forcing people to deal with the truth. Everything is as I have presented it to you. Your father and I are going away, for a time. Hopefully I can lose him along the way..."

"And what about the money?" Ulrich asked. "I imagine you're going to need some if you're going to be traveling all over the world all the time. You would constantly need to dip into company funds, which means I will have to see you constantly."

It seemed that, that did hurt her somewhat. She may have been a terrible mother, but he was her son. She must feel something, Yumi rationalized.

"Silly boy," and the mock tenderness was there again. It was slightly clipped, however, almost melancholy. "I have always known the pleasure of economic intelligence. I have my own funds to support any endeavors I wish to pursue. Your father has his own means as well. You will never see us unless you choose to, and it is understandable that you never will."

They shook hands. Or at least, she shook one of his hands. There was no dramatic pause, or awkwardness; it was business.

"Now," she pointedly looked at Yumi. "I advise you to sort this boyfriend-not boyfriend dilemma soon. I also happen to despise indecisiveness."

Yumi wondered if she liked anything at all. Oh right, money. She liked that. What an empty existence.

She crossed the room in quick, concise strides. Didn't look back. Closed the door, and it was over.

A minute passed, then two. A horrible, strangled laughter tumbled out of Yumi's lips. "Well," she said, now knowing that Ulrich was more of an orphan than she was. "That was anti-climatic."

"What?" Ulrich asked. "You were expecting her to come at you with a knife?"

"Yeah," Yumi admitted.

"Yeah." Ulrich complemented quietly.

"So," and her voice sounded empty. "What are you going to do after this?" The question, on repetition, was so much heavier than before. Yumi was almost afraid of the answer, but she was too involved and too awake to be afraid anymore.

"It all depends on you."

Yumi gave him a curious look, "What?"

Ulrich smiled but it was all wrong and Yumi felt her heart sink.

this was supposed to be the last chapter but it was getting too long so i cut it in half. next is the last. speak your mind and tell me how you think this is going to end.