Post-production note: even though season 2 was out by the time this was completed, I decided to ignore it b/c that would have everything I'd already written seem like it was trying to live up to something it couldn't quite reach.

11-1: Absence Makes the Heart Wonder

Last time Janika sacrificed herself to save her twin sister from being deleted on Lyoko, but in the process she disappeared. Odd tried to interfere, but to no avail and now he blames himself for her death. The others aren't taking it so well either (as you will see). Plus, X.A.N.A. isn't about to cut them any slack. He's really mad now!

(((-1-)))

"Thanks again for letting me stay at Kadic, Mom. It really means a lot to me."

"I know, dear," Janika's mother sighed. "I wish I could see you, but I suppose your schoolwork is rather important. Just be sure and give your cousin her birthday present next week. I know she gives you a hard time, but she's still family."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be nice to Sissy, even if she does drive me up the wall," came the reply over the phone. "Take care of yourself."

"Bye, honey!" she called cheerfully before hanging up.

(V)

"Well, that is unfortunate," Principal Delmas said, rubbing his chin. "But your parents said you would be coming back?"

"Yes, Uncle Gene. They said I could go back to school as soon as this whole thing here at home is sorted out. I still can't believe I'm going to be an older sister!" Janika sounded excited over the phone. "Just in case I don't make it back by next week, tell Sissy happy birthday for me, will you?"

"Of course! She's very lucky to have a cousin like you who cares."

"I try. Bye."

(V)

Jeremy hung up and disabled the voice modifier on the supercomputer that made him sound like the girl who was still lost somewhere in Lyoko. Aelita looked over at him, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

Three days. Three full days and still no progress. His nerves were wearing thin and whenever he talked to the pink-haired girl, he snapped sourly.

They had reconfigured the scanning codes seven times and searched Lyoko from corner to corner, even in the virtual nothingness of the Digital Sea. No Janika. She had just vanished.

"When are we going to stop?" Aelita whispered.

"Never!" the boy retorted sharply. He immediately regretted his words as she flinched. Jeremy rested his head heavily on his hands and said in a softer tone, "It's my fault any of this happened. I should have realized Jira wasn't her, and I should have refused when Janika told me to send her to Lyoko, even if she did want to save her sister."

"It's not your fault, Jeremy. Janika made the choice. She never would have forgiven herself if she'd let her sister die. We both know that."

"Yeah…but I still feel like I could have—should have done something to help."

"It's not your fault," she repeated, hugging him from behind. "We'll keep looking."

He nodded numbly. They hadn't spoken to the others in three days either. He wondered how they were handling Janika's absence.

(V)

Ulrich tried to concentrate on his Chemistry homework, but it was worse than ever. The words ran together and always seemed to spell out the strangest things: "Ammonia is highly polarized, due to midnight burgers that have happy toes" or "Nitroglycerin is a dense, oily liquid that brings people out of their glassy rivers with green backs."

It was getting rather unnerving.

The group photo on his desk had been tormenting him for days. They looked so happy, all of them together, acting as if no evil super-virus was breathing down their necks. Janika's green eyes laughed at him, her smile ironic, and the crack that spiderwebbed across the small glass frame etched silver lines across her face.

Odd had thrown it against the wall the day after she disappeared. Ulrich had seen him once or twice since from a distance, but he didn't come back to the room and he didn't answer his cell.

The dark-haired boy wished he could do the same: throw a tantrum and run away. Just break something! Anything!

But Ulrich couldn't do that now. He was the calm, collected, rational member of the group. The one that knew what had to be done and did it, no matter the consequences. Despite his feelings, he had a responsibility to the others and he had to stick to his role.

But he still wished with all his might that he could just scream loud and long.

(V)

Odd stared at his shoes. The sewer tunnels below the surface of the city were damp, dirty and freezing, but he hardly noticed. The blonde boy sat, legs outstretched, near the exit by the factory. He raised his eyes to stare through the bars at the bottom side of the bridge. He remembered that time when she and he had climbed to the other side by that path…

He was supposed to be the joker of the group. Why couldn't he think of anything cheerful? Stupid question.

The day was darkening. Night had begun. How long had he been there? He felt so weak. Odd didn't care, though. He wanted to sleep and dream of her. But his dreams were always of other things. Why couldn't he dream of what he wanted most?

Did he love her? He couldn't say. Not out loud. Not even in his head. What was love anyway? Was it the ache that made him want to die right now? Or the soaring feeling he got whenever she had smiled at him? Had smiled…

(V)

Their noses were inches apart, Telekinesis and fire radiating from their hands against each other's power. The Pawn stared at Yumi, and the Japanese girl at Mekri. Neither surrendered their thoughts, faces blank but for gritted teeth. Their strength dwindled slowly until it vanished. Yumi twitched, giving her opponent the chance she was waiting for.

Without saying a word, Mekri attempted to throw Yumi, but fortunately the girl's twitch had been a ruse. Yumi sidestepped and got beneath the Pawn's guard, throwing her instead out the broken window of the coffee shop and into on-coming traffic!

The scream of screeching tires filled her ears as a driver tried desperately to avoid Mekri, but it was too late…for the driver. The rubber tires popped as they melted under her fierce red gaze and a cruel smile twisted her features as she made the engine combust.

It pained her to throw her power so far, but Yumi managed to protect the woman in the front seat and the little boy strapped in beside her. She pushed them out the side of the ruined vehicle as flames and shrapnel bounced against her barrier. They were safe.

But Mekri was on her feet, no fatigue showing although Yumi herself was almost completely exhausted. She wasn't sure if she could repel another fiery blow. There was no mercy in the Pawn's eyes as she sent a wall of fire at her victim and—

Yumi sat straight up in bed, trembling uncontrollably and her eyes wide with fear. Three days since the final Pawn and dreams continued to haunt her, not only of Mekri but all of them.

The Pawns had been the worst creations X.A.N.A. had ever come up with. He had forced herself and her teammates to battle friends who had nothing to do with this war.

And now they had lost a fellow Warrior. Janika vanished without a trace, sacrificing herself for her sister's life…and now she was gone.

Her thoughts scampered about like frightened rabbits in her groggy, semi-asleep state. The black-haired girl hugged her silly-eyed stuffed cat tightly, refusing to let go in case X.A.N.A. tried to possess it.

(V)

X.A.N.A. knew it was time. He had power, but much of it was leeching away to an unknown source someplace on Earth. He could not retrieve it for some reason and the loss was weakening him little by little. There had to be some way to get it back. The Warriors could do it, but the question was would they?

True, they had no love for him and he had none for them, but there was one card to play; an Ace, if he was not mistaken.

They had lost something very precious to them, and he had decided it would be in his best interest to preserve it. Now was a good time dangle the "carrot" in front of the "donkey". They would listen if they knew he could give them what they wanted, and the cheetah-Warrior would be his bargaining chip…

There, you see? I know it was short, but cut me some slack! School just started and I did good just to write this little piece. I'm actually supposed to be getting my bags packed right now, but you guys were just so important that I am giving that up to do this.
Now, where was I? Oh yeah! If someone asked you what you'd rather give up (your TV, your computer, or your only mode of transportation) what would you say? (I'd totally give up my TV b/c you can watch TV online w/ a computer, but ever since I got my bike…(sigh!) I'm sorry, there's just no room for boys in my life anymore…no one but my sweet bicycle: Clyde)