Ulrich's P.O.V.

Softly I let out a content sigh. Yumi was sprawled on top of my chest sleeping peacefully. Our legs were intertwined and her head was resting right above my heartbeat forming the most intimate position I've ever been in. Ever so carefully I let my fingers graze her bare skin on her waist where her tank top rode up. After all the drama we'd been through the last couple of weeks, I was just glad for a moment of serenity.

"Ughhh." Yumi groaned loudly when someone started banging on the front door, making the noise vibrate the whole house. "You gonna answer the door?"

"I don't wanna." Whining I buried my face in her hair and rolled us over on my side. "Maybe if we ignore it, it'll go away."

"That never works for us." She sighed as the pounding got louder. "I'll answer it then."

Slipping out from my arms, she started making her way to leave our room.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you answer the door in the middle of the night." Pulling her back by the waist I pulled her behind me and entered the hallway.

Laughing she reached her arms around my middle before following me to the front door.

"Who the hell is banging on the door at midnight?" Odd snapped rubbing his eyes in his doorway.

Sam and Aelita came silently out of their room in their pajamas.

"We're about to find out." Answering I finally opened the door and stopped the banging.

"Ulrich Stern?" A voice inquired from the doorstep.

"Yeah, that's me." I responded before two officers rushed into our house.

The ginger male pushed Yumi back away from me before shoving me to the floor and handcuffing me.

"Hands where we can see them!" The blonde female ordered pushing the others back.

Aelita screamed as her and the others dropped to their knees in fear.

"Ulrich Stern you're under arrest for the sexual assault off Ashleigh Simpson." The male cop explained lifting me to my feet. "You have the right to remain silent…"

"Ulrich? What did you do?" Yumi questioned shifting my attention from the officer back to her as tears welled up in her eyes from her spot on the floor.

"Nothing. Yumi, I swear I didn't touch that girl." With my eyes I begged her to believe me.

"Ulrich I'm coming buddy. I'll be right behind you!" Odd yelled as the officers led me out of my house in the night and placed me in the back of the cop car.

Things were finally looking up and Ashleigh had pulled a stunt like this.

A few hours later:

"Okay, the judge granted you a bond. But I'm not letting one of your knuckle head friends bond you out on a charge like this." The blonde officer explained from the outside of the holding cell. "So you need to call someone who can be responsible for you, like your parents."

"Please don't make me call my parents." Pleading I grasped my handcuffed hands together. "I swear I didn't touch her."

"So she's just lying on you for no reason?" The young woman snorted in disbelief before leaning back in her chair.

"Yes! That's the kind of person that Ash is, but I was too blind to see it for years. She's my ex and I even wanted to marry her. But my dad paid her to break up with me. Now we work at the same place and she wants me back but I'm moved on." Explaining I drug my fingers through my messy hair as I sat criss cross on the floor. "I would never harm a girl like that, my dad and I do agree on that. And I love Yumi too much to do anything with another girl."

"One of his knucklehead friends won't be bonding my son out, I will."

Whipping my head up I saw my father standing in the doorway picking a piece of lint off his suit with my mom beside him crying.

"Mom." My voice cracked at seeing my mother for the first time in a year.

My dad and I had been arguing more and more lately so I sacrificed seeing my mom for the sake of not seeing my dad.

"My baby." She choked dropping to her knees and grabbing my face through the bars.

"Mr. JD Stern." The blonde officer stood up shaking my father's hand. "I didn't realize he was your son."

"Don't let him bond me out." I snapped hoarsely, tired from the night's events. "I'd rather take my chances in jail."

My dad and I locked eyes ready for battle. Surprisingly he came forward and joined my mother on the floor.

"You and I may have our differences. But you are still my son and I know you would never do what you're being accused of. I might not have been all the way honest in our conversation about Ashleigh."

"What do you mean?" Eyeing him wearily I wondered where this conversation was going.

"I didn't offer to pay her off to break up with you. She knew I'd never really liked her and wanted you to marry Sissy. She met me at my office one night and offered to leave you alone if I paid her off." The man who looked just like me confessed rubbing the back of his head. "It was a secret I was planning on taking to my grave. I only made it seem like it was my idea, to hurt you when we were arguing. I'm sorry."

"That little bitch." My mom ground out, her fists balling, making my dad and I stare at her wide eyed.

Grace Stern was literally the nicest woman on the face of the earth. I had never heard her say a mean word about anybody and definitely not curse.

"She's vindictive and evil." My mom continued. "I knew there something off about her."

"Sissy may be annoying but she would never do anything like this." My dad continued clearing his throat. "I knew with her that you would have a future and she came from a respectable family."

"Dad, in your own twisted way I know you were just trying to look out for me. But I don't love Sissy, and I never will. I love Yumi." Leaning my head against the bars I confessed. "And you have to let me make my own choices."

"I just wanted to protect you, this last thing I wanted was for you to end up in a situation like this." My dad said softly looking down on the ground.

Mulling over my response, I'd never seen my dad open up like this. He had always been a tyrant over my house, I didn't know he was capable of feelings like this.

"I didn't know you cared about me like this."

"I told you he did, Ulrich." My mom said softly as tears shined in her eyes before turning and smacking my dad on the side of his head. "Tell our son that you love him."

"I love you son." My dad grumbled playfully glaring at my mom.

"I love you too Dad." Smiling I felt a weight lift off of my chest for the first time in years.

"Let's spring you." My dad smiled back before standing up and turning to the officer and saying professionally, "I would like to bond my client out of jail."

"And I have to meet Miss Yumi, who stole my son's heart." My mom whispered wiggling her eyebrows playfully and making me blush.