Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko, despite how much I wish I did.

Chapter 1

"So, with the information I've gathered from the replika, I should be able to upgrade the Skid," ended Jeremie. He and the others were in his room. Jeremie had called an important meeting, which meant in simpler terms that he would confuse everyone but Aelita.

"Einstein, all of those scientist terms make our brains hurt!" complained Odd, his stomach grumbling because Jeremie made all of them miss lunch.

"Cool it, Odd, Jeremie's just trying to tell us what's going on," defended Aelita, scowling at him.

"Easy, Princess, you're the only one who understands Jeremie's babbling after all," said Ulrich, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Guys, can we focus?" asked Jeremie, turning back to his computer. "Now, I've almost- hey, what's this?"

"What's what?" asked Aelita, looking over his shoulder at the screen. "Communication requested?"

"Who wants to communicate with us?" asked Yumi, watching a window pop open on the screen.

"I'm not sure," said Jeremie, watching static move on the screen. "It seems like they want to talk to us by webcam, or something similar at least."

The air was still for a few seconds as the person on the other end tried to establish a better connection. The picture became clearer, and no one could deny who that person was on the other end.

"Franz Hopper!" gasped the five, watching the old man in the white lab coat and thick glasses. You could only see his head and shoulders, with the black background behind him.

"Hello," greeted Franz calmly. He seemed completely unfazed at the fact that he was trapped in a computer.

"What are you doing here?" asked Aelita, her eyes wide.

"I've managed to access the network in order to talk to you five," answered Franz. He sighed in exhaustion. "I only have a short time. Xana will cut the connection all too soon, so we have to make this quick."

"Make what quick?" asked Ulrich, still astounded.

"First I'd like to say I'm very proud," said Franz, ignoring Ulrich's question. "You have saved the world hundreds of times, and never get a speck of credit. Next I'd like to say you're very foolish."

"Uh, thank you?" offered Odd, still confused.

"You should have shut down the supercomputer once you found out about Xana," said Franz, adjusting his glasses.

"Aelita would have died, and so would you!" said Jeremie heatedly, quickly getting over his amazement. Aelita rested her hand on his shoulder, calming him down.

"A small price to pay for the world's safety," replied Franz.

"I understand," said Aelita, nodding. The others gaped at her. "People shouldn't have to died to save me. I'm glad no one has."

"But, it's too late now," said Franz wearily. "Xana is free, and shutting down the supercomputer won't do any good."

"Is there anyway to beat him?" asked Odd, looking optimistic.

"I'm not sure," said Franz. "But we'll get to that later. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to each of you individually."

"Uh, sure," said Yumi, shrugging. "Who do you want to see first?"

"Well, why not you, Yumi?" asked Franz. The others nodded and left the room.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hopper," said Yumi sitting down in the chair. The room felt very awkward with her friends out in the hall.

"Very nice to meet you, too," said Franz. "I'd like to thank you in particular."

"What did I do?" asked Yumi

"If you weren't here, Aelita's only friends would be a bunch of boys," said Franz, laughing. "Sure, they're good lads, but you gave her life a woman's touch, and a best friend she can always talk to. I'm very grateful for that."

"Uh, well, sure, Mr. Hopper," said Yumi, blushing. "It was no problem."

"Next, I'd like to talk to you about someone else in the group," said Franz, a slight mischevious look in his eyes, but unseen because of his thick glasses. "Ulrich."

"Wha-?" spluttered Yumi, her eyes going wide. Was she about to be told to make her move from a man who is trapped in a computer?

"I don't want to butt into your life, but your constant argueing will bring down your effectiveness," scolded Franz. "If you admitt your feelings, you'll work better and feel better. Understand?"

"Um, yes sir," answered Yumi, feeling numb.

"As for your preformances on Lyoko, I'd say that you fit your attire perfectly," said Franz. "Your gracefulness and resourcefulness has helped the group in many sticky situations. Please keep it up"

"Thank you sir," said Yumi, feeling embarrassed.

"Thank you for your time," said Franz kindly. "Will you please send in Odd?"

Yumi nodded and went out into the hallway, barely concealing her blush. A few seconds later Odd came in, looking very confident.

"Hiya, Franz!" greeted Odd, sitting down.

"Hello, Odd," chuckled Franz. "Good to see you."

"How's life in the virtual world?" asked Odd, grinning innocently.

"Very tiring," said Franz. "But, now's not the time for that. I've been noticing that you're preformances on Lyoko are very...short."

"Hey, that's not a wisecrack about my height, is it?" asked Odd suspiciously.

"I'm talking about how you're always the first to be devirtualized," said Franz crossly.

"Oh," mumbled Odd, looked embarrassed. "Um, about that-"

"Your ego is becoming a problem," continued Franz. "If you were to deflate your head, you'd be much more helpful in protecting Aelita."

"Looks like living in a virtual universe makes some people cranky," commented Odd, annoyed.

"That may be true, but I'm very concerned for my daughter's safety," said Franz.

"I'll have you know I do an expert job at keeping Aelita safe!" argued Odd, frowning.

"Your spontaneous behavior provides a great risk on Lyoko," said Franz. "On one hand, it could give you the energy to destroy a hornet in about three seconds. On the other, it could be a one way trip into the Digital Void."

"But I haven't ended up in the Digital Void, not once!" countered Odd.

"Still, you need to cool it on Lyoko," said Franz. "And besides, having a small ego will do you wonders with girls."

"It will?" asked Odd, forgetting his anger.

"The ladies love a man who's humble," said Franz, nodding.

"Interesting," said Odd, losing himself in thought.

"That's all I wanted to say," said Franz, jerking Odd back to reality. "Could you send in Jeremie?"

"Sure, Franz," said Odd, still mumbling to himself. He stood up and walked out the door, a few seconds later replaced by Jeremie.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Hopper," said Jeremie, sitting in his chair.

"Wonderful to meet you, Jeremie," said Franz, smiling. "I'd like to say I'm extremely impressed with how well you've kept things under control."

"Uh, me?" question Jeremie, coughing a little. "I really don't do much. All I do is shout directions to the others while their fighting Xana."

"You materialized my daughter, you constructed a virtual submarine, you've cracked millions of codes in order to function the most complex tasks such as returning to the past and virtualization," listed Franz, not needing to stop for breath.

"Really, it's no big deal," interrupted Jeremie, sweating under the pressure.

"Jeremie, if I had the knowledge you did at your age, I would have known better than to ever create Lyoko and Xana," ended Franz, staring at him. "But I'm glad I did."

"You are?" asked Jeremie, very confused. "Why?"

"My little Aelita is happier than she ever was ten years ago," explained Franz. "And you're the reason why."

"I am?" asked Jeremie, now completely confused. "What did I do?"

"You brought her into this world," said Franz. "You showed her caring and comfort. You never let her down. You made her what she is today."

"Oh, um," replied Jeremie, blushing pink.

"And, between a father and a genius," said Franz. "If you ever hurt her, you will know pain far beyond what Xana could ever give."

"U-understood, sir," answered Jeremie shakily. He now felt very afraid. "But, you know that I'd never hurt Aelita, right?"

"Of course, I'm just letting you know the consequences," said Franz in an oddly cheery voice.

"Right," said Jeremie uncomfortably.

"On the subject of Aelita, I'd like to offer you some advice," said Franz. "She has hugged, flirted and kissed you. Jeremie, you're a genius when it comes to technology, but when it's about relationships, you have about as much of a clue as a kankrelat."

"I'm very sorry, sir," said Jeremie, not knowing what else to say.

"Don't apologize to me," said Franz, smirking. " I can't keep very good tabs on you, so I'm trusting you to keep her safe."

"Of course, Mr. Hopper," said Jeremie, nodding.

"And for goodness sake, Jeremie, talk to her!" said Franz. "She's a beautiful young woman, and I don't need a bunch of other boys I don't know trying to ask her out!"

"Yes, sir," said Jeremie meekly. Franz's words stunned him. Was he really that obvious when it came to Aelita?

"And by the way, call me Franz," said Franz, smiling again. "You and I are as good as colleagues, intellectually speaking. Please send in Ulrich."

Jeremie nodded and left the room. Ulrich came in about a minute later, not looking foward to meeting Franz after he saw how three of his friends acted afterwards. Odd was deep in thought, an action Ulrich had never seen from him, Yumi was avoiding looking him in the eye, and Jeremie was blushing even more than usual when Aelita asked how it went.

"Er, hello Mr. Hopper," said Ulrich, sitting in the chair.

"Hello, Ulrich," greeted Franz calmly. "I must say you're quite the warrior."

"Excuse me?" asked Ulrich blankly.

"The warrior," repeated Franz. "You're the strongest and the fastest. You're the most determined when it comes to getting a tower deactivated. You've got the strongest sense of duty and loyalty. You are a warrior."

"Well, um, thank you, sir," said Ulrich, thinking it best to accept compliments when they are given.

"However, there are troubles in your life that could ruin your preformance if you let them grow," said Franz, looking serious.

"Like what?" asked Ulrich, leaning forward.

"Like the conflicts you have with that Elizabeth girl, William, and most importantly, Yumi," listed Franz.

"I don't have a conflict with Yumi," said Ulrich, ignoring the rest of it.

"Ulrich, even I, as busy as I am, can see you're in love with her," said Franz, smiling.

"Uhm, about that," said Ulrich, but something about those hidden eyes said that there was no holding down a lie against them. "Am I that obvious?"

"About as obvious as Jeremie towards Aelita," said Franz, sighing. "Ulrich, I'm going to have to be harsh with you. You need to suck up your pride and take a risk."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ulrich, taken aback.

"You're afraid of losing your friendship with Yumi if you try to take your relationship to the next level," said Franz simply. Ulrich gaped.

"Sir, I don't know who gave you that idea," said Ulrich, trying hard not to blush.

"Then you don't know yourself," replied Franz. "If you really care about the gang and Yumi, you'll get a move on. You can't use up your energy playing this game of 'who likes who.'"

"Yes, sir," said Ulrich, his head hanging.

"If you can do this, then William and Sissi will no longer be a problem," pointed out Franz. "Please send in Aelita."

Ulrich stood up and walked out of the room. Aelita poked her head through the doorway nervously a few minutes later.

"Hi, Dad," said Aelita slowly, walking in and taking a seat.

"It's so good to see you, Aelita," said Franz, smiling widely.

"It's nice to see you too," said Aelita tensely. She still wasn't sure how she felt about this. This was, after all, the man who had imprisoned her in a virtual world for the best of ten years, right?

"I have much to tell you," said Franz. "But we'll start wherever you want to."

"Why?" asked Aelita.

"Well, it should be your choice," said Franz. "I owe you that much."

"No, I meant why did you virtualize me?" asked Aelita, blinking furiously to keep tears out of her eyes. "Why did you steal away my life, why did you create such a horrible place, why did you endanger humanity?"

"Aelita, you have to understand that hardly anything made sense all those years ago," said Franz, with a look of pleading on his face. "I didn't think I was stealing away your life, I thought I was saving it. I thought of Lyoko as a beautiful safe paradise, not the horrible place I see it is now. I never thought I'd be endangering humanity, I though Xana was a simple program."

"I see you were wrong," noted Aelita, not concealing a tone of anger in her voice.

"Yes, I was," admitted Franz. "But you can't honestly say you prefer what could have been to what is."

"What do you mean?" asked Aelita suspiciously.

"Don't you realize that if I hadn't virtualized you, you wouldn't have the life you do now?" asked Franz. "No Yumi, Ulrich, or Odd. No Kadic Academy. No Jeremie."

"Huh?" asked Aelita, perking up at the last one.

"No Jeremie," repeated Franz. "If I hadn't virtualized you, he wouldn't have found you in the supercomputer."

"I hadn't thought about it like that," said Aelita, regretting her harsh words earlier.

"We've all had our fair share of mistakes, Aelita," commented Franz. "Is there anything else you're wondering?"

"Yes," said Aelita, getting an idea. "What happened to my mother?"

"Oh," said Franz, looking troubled. "I suppose this had to come up eventually. Your mother betrayed us."

"Betrayed?" asked Aelita, not fully understanding.

"She found out about my activities and tried to turn me in to the authorities," said Franz, sighing heavily. "One day, she didn't come home from work. I hadn't figured it out until it was too late. So, I had us move to the Hermitage. It was only a matter of time before the men in black found us again, and I virtualized us."

Aelita let these words sink in. So that's what happened to her mother in all of those vague memories. She ratted them out. Aelita couldn't find herself to be angry, as she still remembered what her father had said earlier. If her mother hadn't done that, then her father wouldn't have moved and built the supercomputer near Kadic, and she wouldn't have been found by Jeremie.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to pick the next topic," said Franz kindly, jerking her out of thought. "For instance, Jeremie."

"Oh?" asked Aelita, turning pink.

"I may be trapped by my own program, but I'm still your father," said Franz seriously. "And no father wants his little girl dating."

"But, Jeremie and I aren't dating-" said Aelita, blushing darker.

"Yet," said Franz. "However, if there is one boy that could be suited for you, I think Jeremie is an excellent choice."

"But, Jeremie and I are just friends," replied Aelita, her cheeks burning.

"Right," said Franz sarcastically. "I'd actually prefer it if you were dating, however."

"Huh?" asked Aelita, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if Jeremie's your boyfriend that means no one else is," explained Franz calmly. "At least I know Jeremie."

Aelita nodded her head while she bit her lip. It was very strange to have a conversation like this. She supposed most girls had this kind of talk with there fathers, but most girls weren't considered an A.I. for a long period of time. Most girls didn't have fathers who built supercomputers in abandoned factories.

"As for how you perform on Lyoko," started Franz. "You always seem to have the strangest ideas, and at the best of times."

"I don't get your drift," said Aelita, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, you're like a cross between Yumi and Odd," said Franz. "You have a great imagination, especially when it comes to your creativity. At least you aren't cocky."

"Um, thanks?" said Aelita, not sure how to react.

"Well, I suppose I have only minutes remaining, so could you send in the others?" asked Franz, and it was true. The picture on the screen had static rolling across it. It wouldn't be long before the connection was cut by a certain virus.

Jeremie, Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi came in with Aelita, each in their own fashion. Odd was grinning wickedly like he had some plan. Yumi and Ulrich blushed like made every time they were within six inches of each other. Jeremie and Aelita found themselves scrunched together in the middle of the group, and they were blushing even worse!

"It's been a pleasure speaking to you all," started Franz. "But the connection is breaking even now. I fear I have only moments left. I've supplied each of you with some advice, and I urge you to use it."

"Ok," said Odd, smiling cheerfully. "Thanks for those great words of wisdom you gave me."

"No problem," said Franz, but the words came out indistinct. "I'll try to connect periodically, but I'm not sure of how successful I'll be."

"We'll do all we can to help," said Jeremie, looking determined.

"As for the secret on defeating Xana-" started Franz, but the window was immediately closed.

"Guess Xana didn't want to be deleted," said Odd, frowning. Then he brightened up. "So, what did he tell you guys?"

"Odd, isn't that a personal matter?" asked Yumi, blushing.

"Well, why don't we guess?" asked Odd brightly.

"Odd," said Ulrich dangerously. However, he would love to know what Franz told Yumi.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" said Odd. The others reluctantly nodded. "Great! We'll start with Yumi."

"I'll guess first," said Aelita, sitting cross-legged on the ground. The others followed her lead and made a tight circle. "Did any of it have to do with Ulrich?"

"Um," answered Yumi, but she knew that she couldn't lie to four people who knew her better than she knew herself. "Yes."

"What about?" asked Aelita excitedly.

"You have to guess!" replied Yumi.

"Was it something along the lines of 'your constant argueing is bringing down your effectiveness?'" asked Odd, smiling.

"How'd you know that?" asked Yumi suspiciously.

"I guessed," said Odd, shrugging innocently.

"Did he tell you to admitt your feelings?" asked Jeremie, leaning into the circle.

"Yeah," said Yumi, blushing darkly.

"For who?" asked Aelita slyly.

"Ulrich," whispered Yumi, but she said it loud enough for them to hear.

"YES!" cried Odd, punching the air. "Okay, next up we'll take-"

"Odd," said Ulrich calmly, but his face was brick red. "Let me guess. He told you to not be so cocky?"

"Hey, how did you know that?" asked Odd, no longer happy.

"Anyone could have guessed that," said Jeremie, laughing.

"Fine!" said Odd sourly. "It's your turn, Einstein!"

"Me?" asked Jeremie, turning pink and not looking at Aelita.

"I'm going to say that first he said he was so impressed on how you're handling things," said Odd, grinning. "Then you tried to deny it, but he wouldn't hear it. Then he told you to protect Aelita."

"Yeah," said Jeremie hesitantly. Aelita, who was sitting next to him, rested her head on his shoulder.

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" asked Odd, causing both Jeremie and Aelita to blush. "Next he told you to-"

"Okay, Ulrich's turn!" called out Jeremie, his face hot.

"Uh, uh, you're not getting off that easy," said Ulrich, smirking.

"Next he told you to ask her out, so that no other boy would," continued Odd. "Is that correct?"

"Um, well, yeah," answered Jeremie, reminding himself to kill Odd as soon as possible. Aelita smiled and kept her head where it was. "Now it's Ulrich's turn."

"Let me guess," said Odd, getting a loud groan. "He told you to suck up your pride and take a risk?"

"How do you keep doing that?" asked Ulrich, his cheeks burning.

"Wait, wait, I'm not done yet!" said Odd wickedly. "Before he said that he told you you're such a warrior! But after that, he told you that if you take the risk, William and Sissi wouldn't be a problem."

"Is that true, Ulrich?" asked Aelita, lifting her head up to hear better.

"Yes," said Ulrich bitterly.

"So you do have feelings for Yumi!" said Jeremie joyfully.

"Yes!" admitted Ulrich, not looking at Yumi.

"Now, for Aelita!" said Odd mischeviously. Aelita out of instinct scooted herself closer to Jeremie, feeling slightly scared.

"What about Aelita?" asked Jeremie defensively.

"Well, first Aelita probably got made at Franz for virtualizing her," explained Odd. "But then he pointed out that if he hadn't, there'd be no Ulrich, Yumi, or me in her life. And most importantly, no Jeremie."

"Y-yes," answered Aelita, finding it strange how Odd was right.

"Then he told you stuff about your family," said Odd. "And then he talked to you about a certain genius."

"Odd, don't you think you're taking this a bit far?" asked Ulrich, with Yumi nodding in agreement next to him.

"Hey, we all agreed to guess!" said Odd. "Franz told you to go out with him, didn't he?"

Aelita didn't answer for a few seconds. She put her head on Jeremie's shoulder again and nodded slowly.

"YEAH!" hollered Odd, making everyone jump. "Now we've got two couples!"

"Odd, you've guess correctly this whole time," said Aelita, scowling. "How?"

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to freak out," said Odd. "While we were all out in the hallway, I sat next to the wall and listened in."

"WHAT?" asked the other four, jumping to their feet.

"Hey, it's all for the better now, right?" asked Odd, scrambling to stand up. "Now you all know how you feel about each other!"

"That's not the point, Odd," said Jeremie angrily. "You violated our privacy!"

"So, I suppose it's only fair to say that we all listened in when he talked to you," finished Aelita.

"I can't believe you!" said Odd, grinning. "We're even now!"

"Fine," said Yumi, edging closer to Ulrich.

One Week Later

"Jeremie, I'm a little worried," said Aelita. They were in the lab that night, working on bringing back William.

"About your father?" asked Jeremie, turning his chair around to face her.

"Well, he hasn't contacted us all week," said Aelita, staring at the ground.

"I'm sure he's fine, Aelita," said Jeremie, hopping off his chair and placing his hands around her waist, something he wouldn't have had the nerve to do seven days ago.

"I guess," said Aelita, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer

"You're father's a genius, Aelita," assured Jeremie, rubbing her back. "Xana won't get him that easily."

"Thank you, Jeremie," said Aelita, looking up at him.

"For what?" asked Jeremie, peering into her mint green eyes.

"For this," said Aelita, moving closer to him and closing any distance between them. Jeremie forgot about Franz, Xana, and William. He concentrated on the beauty in front of him, and how some weird twist of fate brought her to him.

"You know, Ulrich, you didn't have to carry my books," said Yumi. Ulrich had decided to be a gentleman and walk her home again, but insisted on carrying her things for her.

"I wanted to, Yumi," said Ulrich, carrying the books effortlessly with one arm. "You'll need your strength in case Hiroki tries to pull anything."

"Very true," said Yumi, laughing. "But why don't we take a break on that bench over there?"

"Okay," said Ulrich, taking a seat on the blue wood. He set the books to the side and Yumi sat next to him. She moved her head to the side and pecked him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" asked Ulrich, blushing.

"For you," said Yumi, her face pink.

"You did it wrong," said Ulrich, blushing even more. He hesitated only for a second before kissing her mouth and cupping her face in his hands. Yumi gasped but returned it eagerly. After a few seconds they broke apart.

"So, we should probably go," said Ulrich, his cheeks burning. He grabbed the books and stood up.

"Yeah, I guess," said Yumi, blushing just as hard. She laced her fingers in his as he walked her home.

"Hi, Odd!" called Claire, quickening her pace. "Wow, you're on time for once!"

"That's right, because the Great Odd-" said Odd, before cutting himself off. "I mean, I didn't want to miss our date."

"Wow, this new modesty kick you're on is great!" said Claire, giggling. "So, should we go to the movies now?"

"After you," said Odd, holding out his arm to her. She giggled some more and they left the school campus.