Jeremie brought Yumi, Aelita, and Ulrich back in after they deactivated the tower.

“Yumi, You’ll be happy to know your headstrong behavior saved your life. Turns out, the tower was what Xana was using to keep the virus in you.” Jeremie said.

“So it was nothing! What a rip off!” Odd said as he bounced the ball on the walls of the computer room.

“The good news is we can all get some sleep tonight.” Aelita said. The others agreed as Yumi started toward the elevator.

“What me to walk you home?” Ulrich asked. Climbing in the elevator before it could close.

“I’d like that.” Yumi said. Ulrich smiled as the door opened and the two headed down the street. This time, Yumi’s head didn’t bother her and she was able to make it home without her parents worrying about her.

“Uh, Yumi.” Ulrich said as she turned to him. “I, uh, kinda should tell you about what happened the night you stayed in me and Odd’s dorm and about what happened at the pool.” Yumi gave him a confused look. “I kinda had to get in bed with you, I didn’t to anything bad, I just had to make sure Jim didn’t see you there or he would have gotten really man.” Ulrich said looking at Yumi to see her reaction. “And um about the pool, you kinda almost drowned so I had to um.” Ulrich scratched the back of his neck trying to find an easy way to tell her about his ‘kiss of life’

“Mouth to mouth?” Yumi guessed blushing and turning away to hid it.

“Yes.” Ulrich said blushing as well as he looked back at her. She still didn’t look at him. “Are you mad at me?” He asked her in a kinda hurt voice. She turned to him.

“No, not at all.” Yumi said. “It’s just a lot has happened over the past few days.”

“Like what? You getting sick can’t be all of it.” Ulrich commented.

“Mom and dad got into an argument again, and Hiroki was up all night a few days ago with their arguing and stayed with me that night.” Yumi said.

“I’m really sorry Yumi.” Ulrich said.

“It’s Ok.” Yumi said. “Ulrich, what do you have to be sorry about though, your parents drive you crazy, no offence.”

“None taken, and my parents never fight like yours which is why I feel bad for you.” Ulrich said.

“I guess I can’t blame you, you did save my life.” Yumi said blushing.

“Just another pool incident we’d rather not talk about.” Ulrich said. “Good-night.” Ulrich said as they got to her house.

“Good-night Ulrich.” Yumi said giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and hurrying inside.

*** Morning the next day ***

“Hey Yumi!” Aelita called happily as Yumi entered the gates of the school.

“Hi Aelita, where are the others?” Yumi asked.

“Jeremie’s on his computer, Odd’s pulling a prank on Sissi again, and Ulrich’s in his room. He seemed really happy last night.” Aelita said obviously interested in what happened.

“Oh.” Yumi said simply.

“What happened?” Aelita asked.

“Nothing. He walked me home, we talked, I kissed him on the cheek, and we said good night.” Yumi said trying to sound casual.

“What?” Aelita asked.

“We said good night?”

“Before that!”

“He walked me home?”

“IN THE MIDDLE!”

“We talked?”

“YUMI!”

“What?”

“In the middle of ‘we talked’ and ‘we said good night’” Aelita said.

“And?” Yumi said.

“YUMI!”

“I kissed him on the cheek?”

“THAT PART!”

“Oh, well.” Yumi said starting to blush.

“I’ll say the same thing to you that you said to me.” Aelita changed to a more mature voice sounding a little like Yumi. “Wouldn’t it be more fun to kiss him on the lips”

“Aelita!”

“You don’t know how do you?”

“Well”

“YUMI! Your 15 don’t you dare tell me you never kissed a guy.” Aelita said.

“I have but still not like Ulrich.” Yumi said. Aelita started laughing lightly. “Don’t laugh! I’ll whip that smile off your face faster then you can say ‘oops’ got it?” Yumi said which was how she teased Aelita.

“Calm down, I’m just teasing you.” Aelita said.

*** Evening ***

Yumi headed home after a day really handing out with her friends. They never had a day when it was just them hanging out in a while. All of a sudden someone grabbed Yumi’s arm.

“Be a good girl and don’t move.” A voice said.

“I’m not goin’ down without a fight!” Yumi said taking her pocket knife out of her pocket the silver blade shining in the moonlight.

“Be careful, knives can be dangerous.” The boy said, Yumi knew it wasn’t a man, the voice wasn’t deep enough. All of a sudden her arm was jerked backward and twisted with a crack. Yumi let out a cry of pain as she whipped the knife behind her at her attacker.

*** Next day ***

“Ulrich!” William’s voice called as he walked up to him.

“What do you want William?” Ulrich asked.

“Look, it’s about Yumi. I was able to get Sissi to get info from her dad, Yumi’s father came and told the teacher she wouldn’t be in school because she was attacked coming home last night.” William said.

“WHAT?!” Ulrich said.

“I’m not done.” William said. “He said something about a knife and an attempt on something, Sissi’s not too good of a listener to get info from.”

“A knife?” Odd asked.

“The police are doing a investigation. They think the knife belongs to Yumi, and her father is to clarify that if it does or not.” William said.

“How would Yumi carry a knife around?” Aelita asked.

“Not a kitchen knife, a pocket knife.” William said. “It’s a Japanese style one so they think it belongs to Yumi.”

“William, I don’t know why your telling us this, but we have a hospital to go to if that’s the case with Yumi. Now where is she?” Aelita stepped in giving William the famous ‘if-you-lie-to-me-your-dead’ look Yumi had used a few times.

“OK, Man, you’ve really have been spending too much time with Yumi, your starting to act like her. She’s at Pine Grove Hospital.” William said. “Her parents might let Aelita in, but they’ll never let you three in.”

“We’ll see about that.” Ulrich said as he walked away. Odd caught sight of her parents and Hiroki heading for the parking lot.

“Hey.” Odd said pointing to the group. Yumi’s father was the first to look at them, her mom look like she had been crying, and Hiroki look sad as it is.

“Odd, Ulrich, such a pleasure to see you two hanging around my daughter.” Mr. Ishiyama said with a threatening ring to his voice as well as sarcasm. Mrs. Ishiyama looked at him as if telling him to be nice.

“Honey be nice, your scaring them.” Mrs. Ishiyama said.

“That’s my job.” Mr. Ishiyama said to his wife.

“Well, your fired. So be nice, Ulrich not such a bad kid, and Odd’s well odd.” Mrs. Ishiyama said. “You never have a problem with Jeremie or Aelita around Yumi.”

“That’s different.” Mr. Ishiyama said heading to the car with Hiroki behind them. “Stubborn. Anyway, I told the principal you five have permission from us to come to the hospital.”

“Oh, thanks Mrs. Ishiyama.” Aelita said. Mrs. Ishiyama motioned them to follow as the two of the Ishiyama cars where parked in the parking spots. Mrs. Ishiyama’s Honda and Mr. Ishiyama Sudan. Mr. Ishiyama and Hiroki where already in the car while the five friends hopped in the Honda while Mrs. Ishiyama lead the two cars to the hospital.

*** Mrs. Ishiyama’s Honda on the way to the Hospital. ***

“What happened?” Aelita asked sitting in the passenger seat.

“We don’t really know, we think it was a murder attempt.” Mrs. Ishiyama said.

“Who would want to murder Yumi?” Odd asked.

“We don’t know.” Mrs. Ishiyama said with a worried voice. “But whoever it was, they wanted something from it.”

“Maybe it was a kidnapping thing, take Yumi and get money for it.” Jeremie said.

“We think it was a teenaged boy, but the police aren’t sure. And if he could have gotten away with it once, this person is probably going to try again.” Mrs. Ishiyama said.

“And the knife?” Aelita asked.

“Her father gave her that when we came here. He told her to use it when she was in trouble. Whoever it was, they where clueless about the knife, and where wounded.”

“So she must have been in real trouble to use it.” Ulrich said.

*** Hospital ***

Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama wanted some time alone with their daughter before they where going to let the others in to see her. About a half an hour later the two let the other go in and see her.

“I have to get back to work.” Mr. Ishiyama told his wife as he left, Hiroki followed as they headed toward the car.

“She’s in room 320 if you want to see her, she out cold though.” Mrs. Ishiyama said as she walked over to talk to one of the doctors. While Ulrich, Odd, Jeremie, and Aelita headed toward the room.

“Ulrich, how bout we leave you and Yumi alone.” Odd said and before Ulrich could answer Odd pushed him in the room and closed the door. Yumi was laying in the hospital bed, her left arm was broken, and her lower neck and left shoulder were bandaged. He sat in her right and laid his hand on top of hers.

“You’re going to be OK.” Ulrich whispered to her. “I promise.”