"Many of you are scared of things, whether you'd admit it or not. Yes, even you, Della-Robera. Some fears are natural, while others...can turn into phobias. Would someone like to give me a definition of phobia? Yes...Ms. Stones."

"A phobia, sir, is an irrational and strong fear of something."

"And do you have a phobia, Ms. Stones?"

Caught by surprise, Aelita blinked up at the teacher. "Uh...I guess." Blushing slightly, she shrugged. "I'm afraid of wolves."

The teacher nodded, not notice the slight shiver that went down the girl's spine at the mention of what she feared most. Aelita sighed in relief when the teacher walked off to continue the lesson. Glancing about, a blond boy at the desk diagonally across from her caught her glance, and she smiled. To outside eyes, it would look like Jeremie Belpois was paying rapt attention to the lesson, his eyes on the notes written by the teacher up on the chalkboard. Aelita, however, knew better. His glasses were slowly sliding off his nose again, and Aelita had to tuck her hands under her desk in order to resist the temptation to reach over and push them back for him. The notes he was writing down at lightening speed probably had nothing to do with phobias. He was already three chapters ahead of the class, anyway. So was Aelita, for that matter, but she enjoyed paying attention.

The conversion between teacher and class reverberated back to her ears, and Aelita made her self stop staring at her friend, who was obviously so intent on his research he hadn't even noticed. Until, of course, the teacher called on him.

"What about you, Belpois? Jeremie Belpois!"

Jeremie jumped about a foot, his glasses slipping down to land hard on the floor. Most of the students giggled as the teacher raised an eyebrow at the boy, who blushed vividly.

"I..I uh..." Jeremie glanced back, and saw Aelita was holding out his glasses too him, smiling. "Thanks," he mouthed, still quite pink. Aelita grinned, trying to ignore the happy little spark that went up her arm when the tips of his fingers flicked hers. "Phobias," she mouthed back, gesturing with her eyes back toward the teacher. Jeremie jumped again, and turned around quickly, his heart now pounding from more than just embarrassment and nerves at being called on.

"I...I don't really have a phobia, sir," he answered quickly, ignore the snort of disbelief coming from Odd or Ulrich in the back. The teacher's eyebrow arched higher and Jeremie stuttered, feeling the blush go back into his face. "Well...Planes...flying. Flying in general."

The teacher nodded. "Another common fear. Good."

Aelita tuned out to the rest of the lesson, watching her best friend closely. Had she known he was afraid of flying? Frowning slightly, she began to doodle absently as she wondered. Jeremie had helped so much in the years since he had woken her from her digital sleep in Lyoko. He had always tried to chase her fears away, even when-

The bell rang, and Aelita jumped, jolted out of her thoughts. Blinking, she started collecting her books, only to find a paper thrust under her nose. Following the long finger hand that was holding out to her, she found herself looking up, and into Jeremie's blue eyes, half hidden by his glasses.

"You...you ah...dropped this, Aelita," he mumbled, his face slightly pink. Aelita smiled up at him, trying to ignore how quickly her heart-rate had sped up.

"Thanks, Jeremie." She cocked her head to one side. "You look pale, are you okay?" Forgetting to stop herself, she reached out and put a hand against his cheek. His skin was cooler than usual, yet still the touch set a jolt over her own skin. Aelita blushed, and pulled her hand back quickly. Jeremie had also turned redder, but he just shook his head.

"Naw, I'm okay." He winced. "Except for now Ulrich and Odd will be trying prank me into getting on every plane from here to Paris."

Aelita smiled wryly. It sounded like something those two boys would do. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Is there anyway to ease the phobia? Like you helped me with mine?"

Jeremie blinked at her, then shook his head again. "No-"

The second bell rang, and they both jumped. "Shoot, we're late for class!" Jeremie exclaimed, glancing at his watch. "Its..what...biology next?"

Aelita shook her head, unable to hold back the grin. "Jeremie, it's lunch time. We're not late for anything." Watching Jeremie blush once more, she glanced down at the paper he handed back to her a few minutes ago. And frowned.

"Aelita?"

Blinking, Aelita looked back up at him, and Jeremie raised his eyebrows. "Are you okay? Now you look confused."

Aelita felt the heat creep into her face, but smiled just the same. "No, I'm okay. But..." she glanced back down at the doodle of feathers she had made. "But I have something I gotta work on. I'll see you later, Jeremie."

"But what about lunch?"

Aelita shook her head and hurried off, the feather drawing clenched tightly in her hand.

Jeremie sighed and glared half-heartedly at his computer. Glancing at the clock, he sighed again, pushing his hands through his already at-end hair. It was already 5 in the afternoon, and he had so much to work on. Class had been no help, giving him another mound of homework to pile on his barely used bed.

And Aelita hadn't shown up for lunch or dinner.

That fact tickled nervously in the back of his head, not letting him concentrate. She had seem alright after english class, but she had ran off- and practically avoided him all together for the rest of day.

Rubbing his face in frustration, he looked over to where his cell phone was sitting next to the keyboard. Not for the first time that day, he considered calling her to see if she was okay. Jeremie hesitated, started to reach out for the phone, then stopped. What if he was intruding on something? But...what if she was sick? What if XANA had attacked and captured her? No, there was no towers activated. But what if-

"Come on, you idiot," Jeremie muttered, cursing his own shyness. "Just do it." Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the phone, and before he could talk himself out of it, dialed her number, and put the phone it his ear.

One ring...two ring...

"Hello?"

Jeremie actually jumped a bit when she answered. "Aelita! I...I.. uh..." Why couldn't he form a single coherent thought when he was around her? Jeremie clenched his empty fist and forced his brain to work. "Uh...I just was wondering where...I mean how you were...I mean...you missed dinner. Yeah. We missed you at dinner."

On the other end, Aelita let out a soft laugh. "Isn't that my line, Jeremie?"

Jeremie smiled, happy for once that she wasn't in the same room as he so she couldn't see how red his face was. "Well, still..."

When he trailed off, Aelita continued, the smile he couldn't see ringing in her voice. "But, actually, Jeremie, it's good you called. Are you busy?"

Jeremie blinked, not even glancing at his computer and the homework he had to do. Instead, he already was turning toward the door. "No, not really, what's up?"

"Nothing...just...I wouldn't like you to see something I've been working on. At the factory."

Jeremie frowned slightly. "The..the factory?"

"Yep!" The chipper reply forced the frown from his face, and Jeremie smiled again.

"Okay, then, Princess. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Okay. Thanks, Jeremie." Click went the phone.

Picking up his laptop bag, Jeremie turned and walked out the door.

Aelita paced back and forth slowly, her footsteps echoing hollowly on the metal floor of the factory. Every couple seconds she'd glance up at the super computer, the screen giving a detailed read out of her latest project.

"What if he doesn't like it? How...what if it...no, it can't go wrong, it's safe. But..still..."

Just then the hum of the elevator brought her out of her worries. Trying to ignore the flutters of her nerves in her stomach, she hurried to the door, hoping he wouldn't notice the readout. It was a surprise, after all.

A moment later, the elevator door slide open and Jeremie walked toward, her, already smiling slightly, one eyebrow raised. "Hey there, Aelita. What's all this about-"

Aelita grinned, and motioned for him to follow her back into the elevator. "You'll see in a minute, Jeremie. Thanks for coming."

Jeremie blinked at her. "As if I wouldn't have," he retorted teasingly, and Aelita's smile just widened. After a moment, Jeremie took a hesitant step closer to her. "But...you are alright, right Aelita?"

Aelita started at him for a second, then smiled brightly. In the tiny space of the elevator, she had to practically fight not to notice how close he was. "N-never better." Oh, great, now she was the one stammering. Aelita forced her heart to stop skipping happily from being so close to him.

"Aelita..." Jeremie took a step closer, and Aelita made the mistake of meeting his eyes. THe breath expelled itself from her lungs and for a second her mind simply stopped thinking.

The elevator slammed open, and both of them jumped, taking a step back. Relief mixed with disappointment flooded through her, but Aelita ignored it, leading Jeremie into the scanner room. Glancing back, she realized the look of warmth that had been in his face a moment ago had melted into confusion. Her heart clenched again, but this time with nerves. What if he didn't like the idea...the surprise?

"Aelita...why are we here?"

Aelita took a deep breath and faced him full on. "I'd like to show you something in Lyoko, Jeremie." Jeremie frowned slightly, but before he could open his mouth, Aelita rattled on nervously. "Don't worry, it's totally safe I did a scan so you don't have to worry and I even checked the-" Jeremie was smiling now, a wry sort of grin as he watched her try to justify her idea at top speed. Had she ever been this nervous? Realizing how fast she was talking and how little sense she was making, Aelita shut her mouth, turning almost as pink as her hair.

"Well." Jeremie glanced from her to the scanners and back again, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "Well."

Aelita winced, mistaking his silence for annoyance or disapproval. "I know you don't like going into Lyoko, but-"

"No, it's okay." Jeremie smiled gently at her, and after a moment, took her hand, blushing slightly. "This is obviously important to you, and..." his blush got brighter. "As long as you don't laugh at how stupid I look in there..."

Aelita smiled, now even more relieved. "I won't, I promise. You could never look stupid, Jeremie." Jeremie blushed even more and shook his head. "So...does this mean you'll come into Lyoko with me?"

For a moment, Jeremie simply started at her, then he smiled again. "Of course. But...what is this that you want me to see?"

Aelita's grin flashed. "You'll see. I set the countdown virtualization, so we should get in."

Jeremie blinked, then nodded, suddenly nervous again. The last time he had gotten into one of those things...

Shaking his fears off, he watched her step into the scanner in the middle, then made himself copy her. The doors clanged shut around him, and he jumped, his heart now pounding in his chest.

Across from him, he swore he could hear Aelita humming. The sound, the fact that he wouldn't be alone, that he was going...he was finally going to be in Lyoko...alone, with her. Aelita...His heart didn't slow down, exactly, but it began to pound anew, for a different reason. Closing his eyes, he felt the air against his face, and let the scanner take him into another world.