Mocha Flavored Snow

By: Leelei

Disclaimer: I don't own Code: Lyoko

Author's Note: Wow…I had originally planned on posting this two weeks ago. My, how time flies! Anyway, this is technically a one-shot, but since it ended up a lot longer than I had thought it would be, I decided to post it in three parts for easier reading. Hope you like it!

Sissi Delmas peeked out from behind a large, frost-covered tree in the schoolyard late one winter night as she delighted herself in spying on a young couple in the distance. She knew it was nearing curfew for the boarding students at Kadic Jr. High that Friday evening, but she couldn't help herself to stay and watch for something interesting to happen.

In the distance, standing near a grove of trees near one of the dorms, she could see a warmly bundled Jeremie Belpois was rubbing the arms of his thick winter coat with gloved hands. He watched his breath as he exhaled, showing just how cold he had become during the walk he was on with his girlfriend. He took his close friend's hands in his and longingly looked into her eyes.

"That Aelita…" Sissi fumed quietly from her hidden position as she zipped up her own coat, also feeling the frigid breeze as it blew by her. She glared at the pink-haired girl, with her brand new dark magenta winter jacket with the matching ear muffs and gloves, jealous of the loving looks she received from her boyfriend.

Aelita della Robbia (as Odd introduced her to their class at the beginning of that new school year, claiming that she was a distant cousin from his father's side of the family. Although, the keen principal's daughter could have sworn she heard Yumi once refer to the new student as Aelita Lyoko) was experiencing her first winter in Paris that year, as well as her first time at a French boarding school. Sissi blew her off right away after they had met, her own envy of Aelita's immediate acceptance into Ulrich's circle of friends and all the care and kindness she received from them already frustrating and angering her.

And if it wasn't enough for her to be friends with Ulrich, the last straw for Sissi was hearing that she and Jeremie had quickly become an official couple. The dark-haired teen found herself spying on the two more often after she learned of their relationship, telling herself that she only wanted something new to gossip about, but was truly fueled only by her raging jealousy.

She continued to watch Aelita and Jeremie as the two leaned in for a soft, quick kiss before Jeremie walked his girlfriend back to their dormitory building. They held hands and strolled closely together as they went, with Aelita's light giggling and laughter heard from her along the way.

Sissi felt the emotions of greed and hate flood through her. Although she was shivering then undoubtedly from the freezing temperature, part of her trembling was due in part to her bottled in rage. She knew that if she didn't let it out soon, she would snap.

"I'll find a way to bring that little princess down," she snarled to herself, an evil grin appearing on her features. "Then her life won't be so picture perfect anymore."

As Jeremie and Aelita neared their dorm building, a question popped into the young girl's mind. "Jeremie," Aelita asked as she stopped to turn and face him, Jeremie doing the same and taking a hold of both her hands again.

"Yes, Aelita?" he asked, ready to fulfill any request of hers, as he had been doing ever since he perfected an anti-virus late that summer, allowing her to remain on Earth, free of X.A.N.A.'s viruses and control.

"Where did you say we were going to tomorrow?" Aelita inquired, a questioning look on her perplexed features.

Jeremie couldn't help but smile. He considered her to look cute when she was confused or asking questions about simple things on Earth, one of her characteristics that he had fallen in love with. "To the ice rink. Remember the small, frozen pond we passed by earlier on our walk in the grove near town?" He continued after a nod from Aelita, "Well, they block that off every winter and open it up for skating when the water freezes and the ice becomes thick enough. Ice skating is when you glide along the ice instead of walking, and to do it you need to wear special shoes called skates that have a very thin, extremely sharp blade underneath that allow you to stay balanced."

"Oh. Are you going ice skating?" asked Aelita.

"No," Jeremie replied. "Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and I have been asked to work the drink stand. Tomorrow is their annual charity skate day. Instead of keeping the money the city receives for admissions to skate, they promised to donate it to a needy cause, like a shelter for the homeless or for a struggling local family. A lot of kids usually show up for it, so they ask Kadic to set up a refreshment stand every year. You wouldn't mind helping would you?"

Aelita still looked puzzled. "I don't think I understand. We sell…drinks? In the wintertime? When it's cold?"

"Yes," answered Jeremie. "But ones considered to be 'wintertime' drinks, like hot cocoa and coffee. Sometimes, people don't like to drink a lot of cold things during winter like the soda pop and all that artificial fruit juice Odd has hooked you on."

"Well, I would be glad to help. It sounds like it will be fun, too," said Aelita. "Especially since our friends will be there with us."

Jeremie smiled, remembering the other past years he had worked the drink table with his friends before meeting Aelita. "Yeah…this is the first time we've been able to help out there in a while. Last year, well…we were too busy fighting X.A.N.A. to even have a chance to go that day."

Aelita looked to the ground, a sudden guilty feeling washing over her. "I'm sorry…"

Jeremie let go of one of her hands and gently raised her chin, looking into her eyes again and smiling. "You don't have to apologize."

"But now I keep finding out just how much you and the others have sacrificed," replied Aelita. "And everyday I see here on Earth now, I'm reminded of everything you all had given up."

"And everything we went through is all worth it for moments like these, Aelita." He pulled her in close and whispered, "And many, many more to come…" The two kissed again. When they parted, Jeremie reached for the door and opened it. "After you, milady."

Aelita smiled. "Why thank you, kind sir," she replied with a laugh, as Yumi had jokingly told her to do one day, and walked in. Jeremie followed behind her and ended their time together at her dorm room door, promising to come for her early before breakfast the next morning so he could walk her to the ice rink. Then he hurried off to his own room on the next floor, crossing his fingers the entire way to evade that night what was referred to by the students at Kadic Jr. High as "Jim Patrol."

While in her own room, Aelita smiled to herself. She looked around at her still new surroundings. About a year after her first visit on Earth, Jeremie had finally found the key to unlocking an anti-virus for her. The whole Lyoko team rejoiced to finally see the end of X.A.N.A., and quickly forged the papers at Kadic for her to attend school with them once again, just at the beginning of the new school year that previous fall. Jeremie was even able to tap into the system and enroll her as a boarding student, Yumi convincing him that asking her parents to practically adopt a girl they had technically never met was out of the question, since Aelita's visit with them would be permanent after the summer was over.

The once virtual girl grinned at all the nice things they had filled her dorm with; books, stuffed animals, pretty glass trinkets, lovely little music boxes, soft pillows, lots of CD's and music, and much more. Jeremie had taken a habit of using all of his allowance to spoil her any chance he had, buying her nice clothes, candies, and even going out of his way to purchase an expensive Encyclopedia set she had asked him for to learn more about Earth, the pink-haired girl not fully understanding then the value of money created by mankind. Overall, the "Princess" nickname Odd gave her on Lyoko had definitely followed her along to Earth, finding its way to describe her materialized form as well.

With a contented sigh, she made her way over to her window, looking out and watching the stars in the night sky, as she did every night. In the recent months, she adored the snow and thought it made the landscape of the school simply beautiful, especially in a night setting. She rested her arms against the windowsill and peered out, always treasuring the chance just to be there and see it all.

After a few, long moments, Aelita suddenly noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. Sitting up and looking down towards the sidewalk leading from the building, she noticed Jeremie had his coat on again and was leaving.

"Jeremie?" she asked out loud, not understanding where he was going, since he always either had her with him when he went somewhere, or told her exactly where he would be. Feeling confused, she tried to open her window. After finding it locked, she tried her best to knock loudly on the glass. "Jeremie!" she called, trying to shout through it.

Finding her attempts useless, she turned and walked back over to the door, but as she reached for the handle she could hear Jim walking through the hall and chastising another student for being out late. She remembered Odd and Ulrich's warnings about being caught by Jim, since they had so many first-hand experiences at late night meetings with the principal of their own, and knew she couldn't go out there. Hurrying back to the window, all she could do was watch in utter disbelief as she saw Jeremie continue on his way.

Back outside, Sissi was finally returning to the dorms for the evening, sneaking by behind each tree as she tried her best to hide from any teachers that might have been outside for watch duty on the grounds. She was startled at the sight of Jeremie walking down the sidewalk and leaving, the entrance gates not closed yet as it was still just a few minutes before curfew went into effect. She almost laughed as she sarcastically wished him luck in her thoughts at getting back in, but, after thinking to herself, she could recall him and his friends slipping away unnoticed hundreds of times before, and had no doubt then that he could return just as easily.

Looking back at the building to see if any teachers had noticed Jeremie's departure and were following after him, her attention found its way to a small figure in one of the lower floor windows. It was Aelita, and as Sissi made her way closer to the building, unnoticed by the other girl, she realized just how troubled the pink-haired student seemed to look.

After making the connection of Aelita's worried features and Jeremie's sudden late-night expedition, Sissi quickly devised a plan. "Oh, this is gold…" she muttered quietly to herself. "This…is…gold."

What do you think? A hell of a lot different from Death and the Swordsman, huh? ; ) Well, I hope you come back for part two tomorrow!