Yumi's world had turned upside down the moment X.A.N.A. had taken him over. It kept playing over and over in her mind; her blank white ceiling serving as a projector as she lay face up in her bed. She had been crying silent tears ever since she had been home. She hadn't moved from that spot or spoken a word. Thoughts of William flooded her mind like they have never done before. He had stolen part of her heart now he can't return it. She could hardly restrain her feelings when he was defeated on Lyoko. If I hadn't stayed that night, if I had just gone to Lyoko and never gave him a second thought then he would've been okay. He'd still be here, she thought. She found herself needy for his gentle touch like waves brushing against a golden sanded shore, his soft clean scent like fresh rain, his steely hypnotic gaze, his voice so comforting yet so intense. She gripped her phone in her right hand. She rose it to eye level and navigated to her contacts she scrolled down to William and pressed talk. With a single tear cascading down her face she brought the phone to her ear. With every ring her heart beat faster, as if anticipating his answer.

"Hey, this is William. Apparently I'm too busy to answer your call. Leave me a message and I'll consider getting back to you." Yumi mouthed along with his voicemail. A short beep followed. She took a deep shuddering breath and released it.

"I promise I won't cry." Yumi started. "William, I just want you to know that I miss you. This isn't your fault at all, It's mine. If I had just left you in my room then you'd still be here. Of course we wouldn't have gotten together then, but I believe you would have confronted me sooner or later . . . ." she paused for a moment, her voice was breaking. "I miss you so much. I feel so out of place without you. I'd never thought I'd fall for you so hard or so quickly. It's only been about three days and I feel like I can't live without you. I wanna see you again, I wanna touch you again, I wanna hold you again . . . ." Yumi sobbed, she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "But what good is this doing? You'll never hear this. I guess this is goodbye . . . aishiteru." she slid her thumb to the end key as she limply released her phone. Her eyes quickly overflowed with tears.

"What's the matter?" Hiroki chuckled, peeking his head in her doorway. "William broke up with you?"

"Leave me alone, Hiroki." Yumi sighed.

"But you've got work to do; I just got a huge stack of homework today and I've got to cut the grass, my mistake, you've got to - -"

"Just shut up! I don't care who you tell about William and I now, you hear? He's gone so it doesn't even matter anymore. I'm not doing your chores or homework so get out of my room." Yumi yelled. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She grabbed her cell phone and buried her head into one of her pillows.

". . . So, what? Ulrich's mad at you, too?" Hiroki asked.

"Just get out Hiroki." Yumi sobbed nearly inaudibly. Hiroki slowly shut Yumi's door.

"Just for the record, I hope you find someone better." he whispered before closing the door.

"Thanks Hiroki." Yumi whispered. "But I never will." She gripped her phone and clenched her teeth. Jeremy would find a way. He said he would, she thought. He'll bring him back, Einstein will bring him back to me. She suddenly jumped at her phone vibrating. She lazily brought her phone to her face. Someone had sent her a text message. 'I know this will sound strange and I will understand if you don't respond but if you want one last chance to see him without being under X.A.N.A.'s influence, come to the factory. Further instructions will be given there. Franz Hopper.' Franz Hopper? How does he even know about us? Her phone vibrated again. 'If you're wondering how I know about the two of you, the assembly line in the factory is fully operational, even the cameras.'

Yumi made her way into the elevator in the factory. The extra time gave her opportunity to consider if this was a trap or not considering that Ulrich, Odd, Aelita, Jeremy and her numbers were in the supercomputer and are just as easily accessed by X.A.N.A. When she reached the floor, she entered the passcode to open the door. When she entered she noticed that the holomap showed Sector Five and that the scanners were ready for virtualization. So, regardless of the odds that this was a trap, she continued to the elevator to the scanner room. She walked up to the center scanner, the same one William took when he was scanned for immunity to the return trips.

"I've activated all the way towers in every sector to pull William up and keep him out of X.A.N.A.'s hands for about seven minutes. You need to hurry. He's waiting for you in the forest region." Hopper echoed. Yumi nodded and stepped into the scanner. She closed her eyes as she was virtualizing into Lyoko and when she opened them she stood no more than 20 feet from her white knight.

"Hey there!" he yelled. Yumi's eyes widened.

"William!" She quickly sprinted towards her cheesy Casanova and he accepted her with open arms.

"Can't resist the old Dunbar charm." he smirked.

"I missed you so much. I thought I had lost you for good." Yumi sobbed.

"Relax, Yumi. It hasn't even been a day yet." William said softly. "Besides if you cry like that you'll run your make up stuff."

"How can you be so calm about this? Do you understand what happened to you?" Yumi breathed.

"Duh, I completely understand, but I'm not worried because I know your friends are trustworthy. And as long as you're out there, you'll do whatever it takes to get me out of here." William smiled. He rested his head in Yumi's soft hair. "I have full trust in you Yumi."

"Thank you William." Yumi whispered. Yumi felt like a burden was lifted from her with those words. Knowing that William had full trust in her made her feel like she had found the right one. All the time she spent with Ulrich not knowing whether or not he trusted her pretty much lead their relationship apart and ushered Yumi right into William's open arms.

"I just want you to know that I love you, Yumi." William said. "I know I say it all the time but I mean it now more than any other time. I'm going to miss you alot."

"Oh, you'll see quite a bit of me, I'm sure." Yumi said.

"I wish there was a way that I could stay like this, but that guy said it would only be for a few minutes." William sighed.

"I needed these few minutes. I was going crazy without you." Yumi held onto him tighter.

"I was too. I feel like a prisoner in my own body. No matter what I can't get control of myself. I know that if we encounter each other out here that I might attack you. That'll tear me up inside. But I'm sure, as much as I hate to admit this, Ulrich will protect you." William grumbled.

"I'm happy I get to rough you up a bit." Yumi giggled.

"As long as you fix me up again like you did before you can do whatever you want to me." William chuckled. Yumi pushed him away playfully.

"Is that all you think about?" Yumi said with a smile.

"No." William smirked. He walked back towards her and grabbed both her hands. "I think about how smart you are, how beautiful you are, how talented you are and how dumb I was to let you slip away from me as long as I did."

"William . . . ." Yumi blushed.

"I also think about how happy you make me when you're with me. How you fit so perfectly in my arms. How your hands always find the right place to situate in mine. How you draw my attention with everything you do. How attractive you look when you do your work next to me, do I need to go on?" William said softly.

"You've got three more minutes you two." came Hoppers voice.

". . . . Well, you want to say anything about me?" William asked swinging Yumi's arms in and out. "You know, something mushy that'll make me cry."

"There's not too much I can say. I can't put words into how you make me feel." Yumi smiled. "But I know that if I had stayed with Ulrich that I'd never truly be happy."

"I'd been trying to tell you that forever." William replied.

"Well I listened so stop complaining." Yumi said.

"When I get outta here what do you want to do?" William asked.

"I want to go to school so I can tell everyone about us." Yumi smirked.

"Really?" William looked more confused than surprised. "Why the change of heart?"

"Because it doesn't matter what anyone thinks about us." Yumi thumbed William's knuckles like he had done hers before. "I don't want to have to sneak around anymore."

"I was starting to have fun sneaking around." William whined. "But whatever works for you is fine with me." He pulled her into his arms, cradling her against him.

"Thank you William." she replied softly. She softly sighed, trying to relish the moment while she could. "I don't know what I'll do without you. I don't even know how long- -"

"Hey!" WIlliam hushed her with a finger to her lips. "Don't waste our time thinking about stuff like that. Think about that when you get out of here."

"You're right." Yumi said. She draped her arms around his neck. and pulled him as close as she could. He placed his hands on her waist, resting his fingers in the folds of her sash. William softly kissed her and a few seconds past when their eyes both eased open before they broke the kiss.

"It's not the same." Willam sighed. "You don't fell that . . . umph."

"I guess . . . ." Yumi said slowly.

"One minute and counting, you two. After that whatever William does is out of my control. Your best bet is to devirtualize her right before time's up." Franz Hopper said.

"He's right. I already fell in the digital sea once and I don't want to do it again." Yumi said. "So come on and get it over with time's almost up."

"I can't just devirtualize you now. Not with you looking me right in the eyes." William said as he lowered his head to her shoulder. "Just stay with me a bit longer."

"Oh, no. Last time you did this, William, I had to do Hiroki's chores and homework for the rest of his life." Yumi said pushing him back and retreating a few steps.

"Fine," William said, pulling his sword from its sheath on his back. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Sooner than you think," Yumi sighed. "I love you."

William raised the sword high over his head, trying to ensure that he wouldn't have to do it again. "I love you, too." he winked. "Oh, and don't go cheating on me while you're out there."

"I don't know, Ulrich is kinda cute." Yumi smiled.

"Goodbye Yumi." William said as he sliced right through her and watched as she faded away. He sighed and looked at the digital sky. "X.A.N.A., I hope you're enjoying this while it lasts because they're gonna do everything within their power to get me outta here. And when I do, I'll tell them exactly how to free Aelita from your clutches and you'll be shut down. I, on the other hand, will be with my girl when they do it. You're days are numbered so enjoy the power you have over me while you can."