"Naomi, sweetheart, are you still up looking through those silly pictures of your mother and I?"

Ulrich can see the short, straight black hair from the top of her favorite chair, and when she spins around to face him, she's wearing the biggest grin he has ever seen. It reminded him so much of her mother, even though those delighted smiles were rare when it came to Yumi, it made his heart melt. It's way past her bedtime, but he can't help but allow her this enjoyment, where their daughter sits up and examines every single picture of the many albums Yumi and Aelita put together. Ulrich sits with her, retelling the same stories as always, but she loved it so much.

"So, mommy was a geisha back then?" She questions, dark eyes bouncing from the photographs, to Ulrich's and back again, her toothy smile never faltering. She was fixated with a picture taken one Halloween, when they decided to dress up as their characters on Lyoko.

"Yes. Her character was on Lyoko, but she was the most beautiful geisha I had ever seen." He could practically hear the gears in that little mind of hers begin to spin, and it doesn't take long at all for her to spark another question.

"Can I be a geisha too? I wanna be just like mommy! Pretty, pretty please! I wanna surprise mommy when she gets home from Grandma and Grandpa's house!" Naomi crawled into his lap, curling up into his chest and wrapping her small, thin arms around his neck, holding him close and nuzzling her nose against his. "Please, daddy?"

"Oh, well, you see...Daddy can't really sew anything, darling. He's not that creative and he wouldn't know where to start..." Ulrich trails off, thinking about who might know what could help them in this situation, grinning back at his little girl, who is bouncing around in his lap, bursting with excitement and refusing to sit still.

"Is it aunt Aelita?! Please say yes...I love aunt Aelita! She's so pretty and smart and makes the bestest things I've ever seen! She'd make the awesomest kimono ever!"

Ulrich nodded his head in response, hugging Naomi tightly. "You're so smart! I was thinking aunt Aelita too. But, you have to promise me a few things, okay?" Naomi climbed out of Ulrich's lap, shutting the album close and jumping into her bed and under her covers as quickly as possible.

"Anything in the world, daddy!"

"One, you have to promise me you won't tell mommy what we're doing. It'll be our little surprise for when she gets back. And two, you have to go to sleep for me now, that way I can call aunt Aelita, uncle Jeremie and Maya to see if they can come over for a bit tomorrow, okay? I'll even invite uncle Odd."

"Of course daddy, I promise." Ulrich tucks his daughter into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and kissing her forehead gently.

"I love you, my little geisha."

"Love you too, daddy."

Saturday afternoons were always a bit crazy in their house, but it was about double that when Jeremie, Aelita and their daughter Maya...Not to mention Odd...Are over, all of which were helping Naomi and Ulrich construct their customized kimono. They sat in the kitchen, Aelita sketching out rough sketches based on Yumi's old outfit design and Naomi's enthusiasm about certain aspects, until they all decide on a black and white kimono complete with her own black and red fans and a red sash.

"She's supposed to be home late tomorrow night, is this gonna be enough time to get everything done?" Ulrich asked, concerned. Aelita waves him off with a small grin.

"Of course it is, you're dealing with a professional here." She assures him confidently. Next to her, Odd rolls his eyes dramatically, adjusting the strings of his hoodie while mouthing 'whatever'. Ulrich does everything in his power to keep himself from ranting like an idiot.

It takes most of the Saturday afternoon, a few hours spent at the fabric store and another hour at a diner where Jeremie, Ulrich and Odd screamed louder than Naomi and Maya about Lyoko stats from years ago. Aelita wonders when she had agreed to babysit five children instead of the two little girls. Just a few hours before sunset, they arrive at Ulrich and Yumi's house.

"Thank you aunt Aelita...F-for uhm...Making me look like mommy...I-it means a whole lot to me." Naomi whispered sincerely, sitting at the table beside Aelita for more than an hour just watching her sewing and measuring and crafting her kimono by hand. The pink haired mother paused for a moment, stopping her activities to smile down at the little girl.

"Not a problem, sweetie. Trust me, your kimono is much easier to make than Maya's was. Do you know how hard it was to make a Maya sized purple cat costume? Yeah, that was pretty close to impossible. I'm used to sewing these types of clothes rather than costumes like that. Besides, I can't wait to see your mommy's face when she gets home. You're gonna look just like her."

When night falls later that evening and Ulrich tucks Naomi into bed, the adults sit around the table, Maya keeping herself occupied with some dolls, Ulrich takes the time to thank his friends.

"Thanks again, Princess." He smiled, remembering the days of Xana attacks and Lyoko. "I don't know what I'd do without you quite frankly."

"Well, you wouldn't have an amazing kimono for one thing."

"Okay, yeah...There is that of course."

Come Sunday morning, after much arguments to perfect the design and the nightmare of having Odd spend the night, the outfit was finished and Ulrich happily hung it up on the back of Naomi's door.

"Naomi, sweetheart, wake up. There's a surprise waiting for you."

She stirred lazily, her usual orderly black hair framed her face in unkempt waves. Her eyes fluttered open, rubbing at them tiredly.

"Is my pretty kimono done, daddy?" She asked through of her yawns and Ulrich nods eagerly in response.

"You know it. It's hanging on the back of your door over there."

She refuses to budge from her spot under her covers, nuzzling her cheek to one of her pillows. "That's nice." Ulrich raises an eyebrow, but dismisses it as her sleepy brain being unable to comprehend the information. He smiles, kisses her forehead and ruffles up her already messy hair a bit more before leaving her room.

It was only another thirty minutes before he hears Naomi screech with joy from her room all the way down the hall.

"Daddy, daddy look at me!" Ulrich turns to face his daughter, who has her kimono on and couldn't contain his grin. He swoops down, picking her up and spinning her around.

"Mommy would be proud, my little geisha." She beams at his compliment, wearing once again that beautiful smile that reminded him so much of his wife.

Jeremie, Aelita, Maya and Odd leave sometime after a simple lunch, and Ulrich and Naomi spend the next couple of hours looking through more albums.

"When is mommy gonna be home anyway?" Ulrich glances at the clock, it read nine o'clock.

"Very soon. Why don't yoou go hide in your room and surprise mommy when she gets here?" Naomi bounces off the couch and dashed off to her room. Not even half an hour later, Yumi comes marching through the front door, dropping her bag on the floor and hanging up her jacket, still shivering.

"Hey Ulrich." She calls out to her husband and Ulrich waves her over to the couch.

"Hi, Yumi. How was your trip?" He finishes the sentence with a quick kiss, her lips somehow still warm even though the weather called for harsh winds.

"Freezing cold...I hated it. I'm just glad to be home. How's Naomi? Is she asleep?" Ulrich shakes his head, but before he could even say a word, Naomi's bedroom door comes swinging open with a loud bang.

"Well, that answers that question."

"Mommy, mommy, you're home!"

"Naomi, I-oof!"

Yumi is blindsided by her daughter when she comes racing out from her room and it takes her a second to notice what she'd wearing. Her eyes go wide.

"Naomi, are you...What is...?"

"Do you like it mommy?! Aunt Aelita and Uncle Odd and Uncle Jeremie and even Maya helped make it. Daddy helped too! It has a sash like yours and matching fans! Now I can look as beautiful as you mommy!" She dances about in her new kimono, tossing the fans gently and tumbling around. Ulrich can't help but chuckle. Yumi just sits there on her knees, momentarily stunned.

It's not often Yumi cries. In fact, she can only remember a few...Eight times at most in her entire life. Almost all of them have been because of her husband and their daughter.

"Aw, sweetheart, you're even more beautiful than me! Gimme your best throw, c'mon! Show mommy what her little geisha's got!" She encourages her by lunging for her gently, tickling her sides. She tosses her fans and Yumi catches them. Ulrich is still on the couch, watching his two perfect geishas play on the floor in front of him. He can't help but sigh deeply.

He couldn't have asked for a better life to live.