Sound. That was the first thing his senses registered. The world was full of quite sounds. Wind, almost like a soft voice whispering in his ears. A faint trickle of water, like a water fall in the distance. And movement. A soft laugh, a gentle echoing sound straight out of his dreams. The last sound made his heart rate speed up again.

"Jeremie, you do know you can open your eyes now."

Oh. Yeah. That's what he was supposed to do.

His eyes slide open, only to widen in awe. He had seen it only a few times, after all. The digital beauty of Lyoko. Despite the fact he was now a virtual being, his breath seemed to falter at the vivid green forest that surrounded him. Strange and imperfect, yet perfection.

"I...I forgot how beautiful it was," he muttered, almost to himself.

"The forest is rather peaceful," came the gentle voice, and Jeremie spun so sharply he almost fell over.

Beautiful? Had he described the landscape as beautiful. No. It wasn't.

She was.

Aelita stood there before him, smiling as she watched him watch her, watch the world she had come to fear and respect. He was staring at her, she realized, like she was some sort of statue. Even though she couldn't blush, Aelita's eyebrow raised, trying to ignore the happy little spark disbelieving pride and hope that bounced through her at the awed look on his handsome digital face.

Handsome, she realized, was a bit of understatement.

"Ulrich and Odd lied," she told him, smiling wryly.

Jeremie blinked, and jerked out of his awed staring. "Uh...what?"

Aelita's smile widened. Here, where she couldn't blush, could control her stammering, she could be more honest with out seeming a fool. In theory.

"They lied, those two. They said you looked ridiculous on Lyoko."

Jeremie winced, and looked down at himself. "I do."

Aelita shook her head. "No..." Cocking her head to one side, she began to walk around him slowly. Jeremie nervously turned as she did, confused. When she stopped, her smile nearly stopped his heart. "You're rather dashing, actually."

Jeremie thanked ever god he couldn't name that there was no blushing on Lyoko. Not believe that the simple grey trench coat over a dark blue suit and black belt could look anywhere near dashing, he just shook his head, trying to think of a different subject.

"So...uh...Aelita...what is it that you wanted to show me?"

With his head down, he didn't notice she was walking towards him until she was right there, all in neon pink, only a few inches away. Before he could do little more than look up in surprise, she took his left hand, smiling.

"I...I've been working on something since yesterday, Jeremie." Barely able to concentrate on her words thanks to surprising touch that he could actually feel, despite their both being virtual, Jeremie simply blinked. Aelita's smile widened but her lips trembled slightly, belaying her nerves. "Jeremie...You've done so much for me other the years, no matter what has happened. I...I hope you like the idea, it's all I could think of."

"Idea?" Now she had his full attention. "What idea?"

Aelita smiled, and with the hand holding his, gently pressed two fingers to a tiny blue and deep grey ring around his thumb. Jeremie, watching, frowned and started to ask where that ring had come from, he certainly didn't remember it-

When, suddenly, something pulled him sharply backwards, almost knocking him off his feet. "Whoa-" Trying to catch his balance, he glanced around widely, heart pounding, about to jump in front of Aelita the second he saw a monster.

But there was nothing. In fact, Aelita was smiling still, and had put a hand to her mouth, as if she was trying not to giggle. Utterly confused, Jeremie turned around on the spot, catching a strange soft blue color ever couple of seconds on the edge of his vision.

"What the...Aelita...what is this?"

Aelita grinned now. "Look up, Jeremie."

Jeremie obeyed, and his jaw dropped.

"Wings?!" Powder-blue, they arched over his head, quivering slightly in the breeze.

"You gave me wings, Jeremie," Aelita was saying, her voice gentle. "I thought you deserved the same, since you're the true savior of our band of heros."

He turned back to her, a million emotions running through his head. "I..."

"Plus," Aelita continued quickly, his silence making her nervous. "I thought if you learned how to fly in Lyoko, you might be less afraid of flying."

The class on phobias. Her strange reaction. It all made sense now. Jeremie stared at her. "Aelita...this...you did this? They're...amazing!"

Aelita grinned, and unable to help herself, grabbed him and hugged him for a second. Even there, on Lyoko, the warmth from touching him and being so close made her head spin, and she let go quickly. "You like them? You're not mad at me?"

Jeremie shook his head, trying to reach out and touch one of the feathers. "No! But...how do you fly, exactly?"

Flying...the fear in the back of his kicked into gear, and he looked longingly at the solid ground they were standing on. Aelita noticed his nervous expression and smiled.

"Jeremie, I'll be right here with you. I picked the forest so it won't be easy to fly off the main pathways."

"And land in thin air," Jeremie added, glancing warily at the edges of the forest paths.

"Don't worry, Jeremie." Smiling, she took his hand. "I'll be right here, with you."

Alone with an angel, Jeremie thought giddily, then tried to push such a romantic notion out of his head. No, that was silly...but, still. "Okay." He took a deep breath and smiled. "How do these flying lessons start?"

The ground looked so far away. Jeremie gulped in another lung full of virtual air, trying not be scared. Aelita was right behind him, she would help him, it-

"Jeremie, you know we're only about five feet off the ground, right?"

"Yes, but that g-ground is only five inches away from nothing but air!"

"Five feet, Jeremie. Just five little feet."

The held-back laughter in her voice made him grin sheepishly despite his fears. He glanced back at her. She was hovering effortlessly, while he clung to a tree branch for dear life, trying to convince his stubborn feet to walk forward- into thin air. The angelic image fit her so perfectly, he thought, forgetting for a moment to be scared. Watching her, his nerves relaxed slightly, his heart no longer thudding in panic. Suddenly, his strong grip on the tree slipped, and Jeremie pitched forward, loosing his balance.

"Jeremie!"

Behind, Aelita darted towards him, her heart in her throat. Grabbing his hand, she tried to haul him back up onto the tree, only to sink down herself.

"Jeremie! Jeremie, listening to me, don't look down."

His eyes as wide as saucers behind the blue goggles he wore, Jeremie gapped at the tiny amount of ground below, and the empty air just next to it. "I...I can't do this!" His voice came out as a strangled croak as his legs kicked widely, as if he was trying to somehow find footing on thin air.

"Yes, yes you can do this. Jeremie, please, listen. Look at me."

The calm tone of her voice washed over him, and Jeremie looked up at her. She was smiling, her vivid green eyes belaying no fear. Only trust and patience.

He looked so terrified, Aelita thought wildly, praying that her own fears wouldn't show. He had to calm down. Still forcing herself to smile, she tightened her grip on his hand, refusing to let go. "Jeremie, I'm right here, with you. Are you listening?"

Jeremie started to look down, then yelped and looked back her. "Yes! Yes, I'm listening!" His voice was still more than a gasp of panic, and Aelita's heart squeezed in empathy. She knew how that fear felt. She had to calm him down.

"Okay, Jeremie. You have to think, close your eyes, and think of the wings."

Jeremie stared at her. "Think of the-"

"Think of them. Tell them to move. Mind over matter, Jeremie. You can do this."

Tell them to...Jeremie forced the confusion and panic from his head, and closed his eyes.

"There's a warm power in the back of your head, now, right? That's them. They won't move if you won't recognize that they're there."

Jeremie nodded, then his eyes flipped open again, panic rising back up. "But what if-"

"Jeremie." The nerves racing through her heart firmed her voice, making her sound almost stern. "No what ifs."

Jeremie gulped, then nodded, closing his eyes. Concentrated on that feeling he could almost feel, hovering in the back of his brain. Then- something moved. Shivered.

His eyes flew open. "What was-"

Aelita's face was no longer above his. It was below him, and she was smiling brilliantly.

"You're flying, Jeremie." Happiness and relief beamed from her like a light.

Utter shock made his jaw drop, and he glanced back to see the blue wings, now beating the air slowly and steadily, the movement emitting the soft of thuds, like a gentle heartbeat. Amazed, he looked back at Aelita, who had risen so they were about the same level in the air. Then, with a laugh, Aelita spun away, moving higher with a single graceful throb of her neon wings.

"Coming, Jeremie?" she called, and Jeremie grinned, raising his eyebrows.

"Hey, that's not fair! You've got more experience than me!"

Aelita laughed again, shaking her head. "Experience my foot. Come on, Jeremie Belpois! Catch me if you can!"

Unable to resist the teasing challenge, Jeremie sped after her, his heart leaping even higher than his wings could carry him.

Was it hours? Or minutes? Or days? Jeremie didn't know. Aelita had stopped trying to count. All either of them knew was the time between them seemed to be stopped. It stretched. They twisted, dove, laughed, raced, almost rammed into a tree or two, and teased. Hearts, virtual yet real, pounded with joy, and other emotions both known and unnamed.

Finally, after winning another wild race, Aelita sunk down gracefully until she sat, quite comfortably, on top of one of the towers. Jeremie copied her.

For a moment, neither spoke, both surveying the scenery, enjoy the company of each other. Then, slowly, Jeremie turned to her.

"Aelita?"

The pink haired angel turned, and smiled warmly at him. "Yes?"

Jeremie bit his lip, no longer trying to ignore the warm flutter of nerves and happiness in his chest. "...I..I can't...there's...Thank you." He shook his head. "Just..thank you, so much."

Aelita simply smiled. "No thanks needed." When Jeremie didn't move, she frowned slightly. "Jeremie? Are you okay?"

Jeremie hesitated, then looked at her again. "Is there...is there anything I can do? In return? I mean..." he shrugged.

Aelita raised her eyebrows. "Jeremie, doing this was the only way I could thank YOU, for all that you've done all these years." She shook her head. " All that you've put up with. You never stopped caring, stopped trying."

Never stopped loving you, either, Jeremie thought, and was once again glad he couldn't blush. "Well..uh..." At a loss of words, Jeremie looked down at his feet.

Aelita smiled, watching him. Then after a moment, she slid off the tower and held out a hand to him. "Come on, Jeremie. We should probably go home."

Jeremie took her hand, and tried to slide off as gracefully as she had. Instead, his wings beat too hard, and sent him forward, straight into her.

"Sorry! Sorry" Wincing and apologizing, Jeremie started to pull back- only to freeze.

Inches away, Aelita's eyes had gone wide. Her lips parted as if she was going to say something, but in the silence, neither of them moved.

There is another way to fly, muttered a voice in the back of Jeremie's head. One that doesn't need wings at all.

The wings, blue and pink, beat in unison. A single heartbeat. Aelita forgot how to breathe.

"Thank you..."

Jeremie forgot how to think, yet still the words came out.

"Jeremie..." Green eyes shimmered, closed. Blue eyes behind blue glasses widened, then slide shut.

For a single moment, there in the digital world that had brought them together, their lips met.

The heartbeat, their wings, thudded once. Twice. Three times.

Parting, Aelita blinked slowly, feeling as if she had woken from a dream. Her heart pounded along with her wings. Slowly, meeting Jeremie's eyes, she smiled.

Two feathers, one soft blue, one a glowing pink, fluttered down. Together, blown by the wind, they soared slowly into the distance.

Together.