-1James: Because you all demanded it, here's Chapter Four!!

Daen: I have a bad feeling… deep in the pit of my stomach…

James: Usual disclaimers and such, and again, If you love Jeremy, beware.

Daen: I still can't shake this feeling, like something bad is going to happen…

Yumi was staring at Aelita as if she had grown two heads.

"What do you mean you're looking forward to it?" said Yumi suspiciously.

Aelita blushed deeper and stammered, "I-it's nothing like that! It's just… I hardly ever have someone to talk to while in my room and Odd can give me some company."

Yumi stared hard at Aelita for a moment but then shrugged.

"Suit yourself, Aelita. Anyway, I suppose we'll have to tell Jeremy the good news." said Yumi. Aelita paled at Jeremy's name and started stammering again.

"Um… uh, you go t-tell him. I really should… get Odd settled in my room, yeah."

Aelita took a step back away from Yumi and then turned and ran back to her room. She didn't want to face Jeremy, not yet anyway. The things she had said to him were cruel and she hated herself for it and was sure that Jeremy did as well.

Yumi stood and watched for a moment in stunned silence as Aelita rushed off back to the girls' dorms, surprised at Aelita's odd reaction. Then, with a shrug, Yumi turned on her heal and walked down the hall to Jeremy's room to tell him about Odd.

She knocked on Jeremy's door but there was no answer. Afraid that Jeremy was still angry at them, she tried the door knob.

"Jeremy? It's Yumi. We need to talk." The door was unlocked so she opened it and stepped inside. "Hello? Are you in here or what?"

The room was empty. It looked as if it had been ransacked. Most of Jeremy's belongings were gone, a hole had been punched in his wall, and Jeremy's favorite poster of Einstein was torn to shreds, the pieces flung about the room. Stepping further into the room she noticed a single word typed out on his computer screen. Yumi read the word over and over again, unable to believe what she was seeing. On the computer screen, typed in red, was the word "Goodbye"

A knock came at the door. Yumi turned, her face becoming a cold mask of calmness as she fought to hold back the tears that were welling up behind her eyes. Ulrich stood in the doorway, his eyes widening as he noticed the state in which the room was in.

"Where's Jeremy?" he demanded. "What happened here?"

It was all too much for Yumi. An hour ago everything was normal, or at least as normal as it got for her and her friends, and now Odd was a cat living with Aelita and Jeremy, the smartest one out of them all, was missing. Her stoic façade crumbled as, with a sob, Yumi rushed to Ulrich, flinging her arms around him, shedding tear after tear on his shoulder.

"He's gone, Ulrich… Jeremy ran away and it's entirely our fault!" she sobbed.

Ulrich was taken aback at Yumi's sudden outburst. Blushing slightly, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders trying to comfort her.

"He can't be very far, Yumi." he whispered to her, trying to calm her. "I'm sure we can find him. Then we can tell him about Odd."

Yumi took a step back, still crying.

"But… we don't even know where to start looking…" she said with a sniff.

Ulrich reached his hand out to Yumi, wiping a tear from her cheek before tipping her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"We'll search the grounds," he said, his strong tone reflecting his confidence. "If we don't find him on campus then we'll look around the city. If we still can't find him then there's only one other place left that I can think of and that's the factory. Like I said, Yumi, he can't be far. We will find him."

It was 3:47 when Yumi and Ulrich started searching and it was almost dawn when they returned tired, hungry, and empty-handed to the dorms. They had searched the grounds and the entire school, they even checked the factory from top to bottom, but there was no sign of Jeremy at all. After checking if Jeremy had returned to his room while they were gone, which he hadn't, Ulrich went back to his room to catch a little more sleep and Yumi went to tell Aelita the bad news.

Aelita had just gotten to sleep when Yumi knocked on the door. Grumbling and yawning, she opened the door, glaring grumpily at Yumi.

"Yumi?" said Aelita with a yawn. "You look like you've been crying, is something wrong?"

Yumi looked thoroughly depressed as she walked in. Even Aelita's bright pink bed hair couldn't lift her spirits. She took a seat at the foot of Aelita's bed and braced herself for the sadness and crying to come.

"Jeremy's missing." she sighed. "He ran away, Aelita… Ulrich and I checked every corner of the campus and the factory but we couldn't find him. Aelita sat in silence for several moments, staring at Odd, fast asleep beside her pillow. The minutes passed and still Aelita said nothing.

"Aelita, are you… alright?" said Yumi, worried for her friend.

Aelita gave an awkward nod, still staring at Odd.

"Yeah, fine. Thanks for telling Me." said Aelita sounding almost… mechanical.

Then Aelita looked up at Yumi, trying far too hard to force a smile that she hoped was bright.

"I'm sure he'll turn up. You must be tired, go on and get some sleep, Yumi." said Aelita.

Stunned and a little disturbed by Aelita's strange reaction to the news, Yumi rose shakily and walked to the door.

"Um… ok, Aelita. Well… 'night I guess." she said, walking out. In her shock, Yumi forgot to close the door.

As soon as Yumi was gone Aelita broke down. She collapsed onto her bed, her body wracked with sobs, not even caring who heard her. Her thoughts turned to how cruel she had been to Jeremy. She had slapped him and said all those horrible things to him. And now he was gone and she felt like she would never forgive herself. He left because of her. She lay to bare all her grief, self-loathing, and guilt with every sob.

"Aelita, why are you crying?"

Aelita looked up, tears flowing in torrents from her bright green, bloodshot eyes. There sat Odd, staring at her with his head tilted slightly to the side and his tail swishing back and forth. Her sobbing must have waked him.

"Oh Odd… it's all my f-fault! J-Jeremy has run away! He… he could be hurt, or… or… Oh I can't even say it!" she said, burying her face in Odd's fur, sobbing against him uncontrollably. Odd, hoping to cheer her up, rubbed his cheek against hers in his way of wiping away her tears.

"It's not your fault Aelita. I heard what happened back in the Scanner room… You were sad, angry, and afraid. You can't be blamed for what you did. If it were me then I'd have probably punched him. I'm sure Jeremy will realize that. We'll find him, you'll see. Now come on, Princess. Stop crying and bless this poor kitty cat with a smile, please?"

And Aelita did smile though her tears did not stop. Odd was right, she knew. But she still could not help but blame herself for all that had happened. She even blamed herself for Odd being a cat. But if Odd wanted her to smile, if he wanted her to be happy, then she would. So she smiled and kissed Odd tenderly on the top of his head.

"Thank you, Odd. Thank you so much. You mean so much to me." she said with only the barest hint of a sob. Odd was purring again and his tail positively quivered.

"Well then, I guess I better go see if I can track down Einstein. Time to put these cat senses to work! I'll bring him back, don't you worry!" And with that Odd was off and out the door.

"Odd, wait don't go!" exclaimed Aelita.

Aelita heaved a sigh. It was too late, Odd was already sprinting down the hall, trying to sniff Jeremy out.

Daen: Oh wow… what to say… I wonder where Jeremy is. I hope he isn't hurt… and poor Aelita, so gripped with grief and guilt.

James: Many tears were shed in this chapter. I really feel sorry for Aelita. But with Odd at her side there is nothing to worry about! …I hope. Please remember that comments are welcome. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Daen: Readers, please, I beg you to review. It's those reviews that drive James to write this and I must know what happens!! Please!

James: See you next time.