This isn't the next fic, but I do want to give this out while it's still finished. The next fic is going to be seven chapters long. I don't own Code Lyoko. This takes place a few years after Evolution, but the fight with XANA is still ongoing.

It wasn't every day—never was something considered "ordinary"—that Lyoko Warrior William Dunbar could sit down on the couch in his apartment and watch his favorite television program The Cook and the Oncologist on Netflix. It was times like these that he felt good about life as of late. He was free from duty, for the moment. He ran his fingers through his raven-black hair.

A knock at the door caught his attention. "May I come in?" asked a shrill-as-hell voice.

"Sure, Odd. Just don't bleed on my floor," he joked, deep voice chuckling.

He walked in, carrying a broad grin. "Happy birthday, William!" He handed him a green-and-red striped wrapped box.

"Thanks," he smiled from ear to ear. "Everyone else was here earlier—at different times of day."

"Einstein was probably the first." Odd sat down on the coffee table.

"Einstein," or Jeremie Belpois, was undergoing advanced studies in science with his rose-haired sweetheart Aelita Stones.

"Yeah," William chuckled, opening his box.

"For some reason, every local criminal gang is terrified of your best friend," the chef's booming voice gradually grew louder.

"ODD!" he yelled. "YOU'RE SITTING ON THE REMOTE AGAIN!"

The wildcard startled off and lowered the volume. "Oops…" He turned to give a sheepish grin.

"It's okay." He sighed. Odd, his pranks for all his intents and purposes, rarely made such a mistake as setting his rump on the thin controller twice. Something was up.

It wasn't easy for any of the Lyoko Warriors when they heard the news that the male purple cat's dog had passed away. Odd was normally a whizz with art, but that had stopped when it happened. "Do you think of Kiwi?"

The sheepish grin faded into a grimace. He had been through a lot. His death had been a surprise. "Yeah…" It happened a while ago. "He helped us a lot of times…" his voice grew softer and somber. "He even reloaded my laser arrows to fight against you and a Tarantula."

"That was pretty interesting," he chuckled a bit.

"I have been thinking about finding myself a new companion. Kiwi would understand."

William looked at him. "What are you thinking about getting?"

"A Chihuahua. My apartment doesn't like large dogs."

"Kiwi wasn't that big to begin with. In any case, that is a terrible, horrible, incredibly foolish idea. Let's do it and see what happens." He patted his friend on his shoulder.

And out the door they went.