DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODE LYOKO. IT IS THE RIGHTFUL PROPERTY OF ANTEFILMS/MOONSCOOP.

AN: Hey guys, it's been a long time, hasn't it? I decided I would return with a force, and this is just one of two big fanfics that I hope to complete on here! Now this fic is based on episode 6, 'Cruel Dilemma' with a twist - what if Jeremie chose to save Aelita instead of Yumi? What would be the consequences of that? Whenever I watch the English dub of that scene, where the group contemplates whether to save Aelita or Yumi, I always got the impression that Jeremie somehow would've chosen Aelita (I have no idea, and I'm definitely certain that he wouldn't have anyways).

So that speculation is where this fanfic comes to life. Now because this is an AU, there may be OOCness abound, but I'll try my best to keep the characters as true as possible, even within the different storyline. I always appreciate feedback from you guys on what you enjoy about this, or what you think I need to work on concerning it!

Now I may present to you my new fic - A Beautiful Lie!

Prologue

The only sounds within the room itself came from the computer, the click-clatter of data and programs ignored in favor of mourning. It had only been mere moments ago that they...

"I never thought it was possible, for one of us to become..." spoke up Jeremie, from his position in his chair. His head was averted from the computer screen, and his eyes were turned completely towards his feet.

Jeremie's comment drew partial life back into the room as Ulrich was the next to speak up, his voice poignant with all the remorse that had built within him, "It's all my fault. If I had been faster, she would still be here."

Yumi. They lost Yumi, valued member of their team and close friend. The first casualty in over the year they had been fighting Xana to fall victim to the digital sea. No longer would she attend Kadic Academy with them, or laugh at Odd whenever he attempted to make a stupid joke, or even join in with a bite of sarcasm when it concerned teasing Sissi.

No, she was no longer allowed to enjoy those pleasantries because she was completely erased. Gone, forever.

From the computer screen, Aelita watched her mourning friends. Of course she felt responsible for what had happened. After all, she could've entered the code in faster. If she had been two, three, or even five seconds faster, it would've made a difference. Yumi would've been there with them, and they all would be gathered within the room, joking about how they narrowly escaped Xana's most ambitious assault yet.

But no. Even though time was reset, and the factory completely repaired, there was no bringing back the fallen Lyoko warrior.

Aelita closed her eyes, and suddenly a thought struck her. The materialization program! Of course, they still had the program completed. It wasn't erased when they set time back. If they used it, then Yumi...

Yumi could come back!

"But there is a solution, and Jeremie knows what it is," Aelita spoke out, feeling almost quite giddy about her idea.

All heads lifted to face her. Jeremie looked completely taken aback by her suggestion. "The materialization program? It's operational, but Aelita has to give up her place to Yumi..."

For some reason, Aelita was a bit surprised by Jeremie's lack of response to her idea. She may have not been too knowledgeable in reading tone of voice, as living inside a virtual world had its drawbacks, but she would've expected Jeremie to have one of his 'Aha!' moments. No, to her, he seemed despondent, as though he didn't care for the idea at all.

Her suspicions were interrupted by Ulrich's meek, if hopeful, inquiry. "Can you... bring Yumi back here?"

Jeremie nodded, placing his fingers to his chin in thought. "Yes, but I can only materialize one person. One and only one..."

Aelita cast her gaze off to the side. He still sounded doubtful about her idea. How could he? It was a brilliant idea, in her opinion at least. To the side, she saw Ulrich and Odd nodding their heads in approval.

"Then choose Yumi," said Aelita. "She's part of your world already."

Jeremie's head fell. "But... the program. It'll take months until I can duplicate it again. And I don't even know what keys were used to make it work this time!"

Odd glided into Aelita's view, where he rested his hand on Jeremie's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Einstein. I can drop more candy on your keyboard if you want." He mustered a small grin, not in the usual carefree way he had, which Aelita could not blame him for. This was not a joking matter.

"Don't you understand, Odd? It'll take more months to redo all the work I put into this, and in the meantime Xana will keep doing his dirty tricks. I'm tired of fighting Xana, as I'm sure you all are too. If we bring Aelita, then we can shut down the super computer and-"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" barked Ulrich as he moved into view. Aelita could not help, but agree with his sentiments. There shouldn't be a choice in the matter - Yumi was more valuable than Aelita. She had to come first.

"Are you?" Jeremie's voice rose, and his cheeks began to quickly flush.

Odd moved in between them, hands raised. "Okay, okay, look, we'll settle this all later. Jeremie, just do whatever you gotta do to bring Yumi back and-"

"No."

"What?!" Ulrich moved against Odd, who looked deflated from Jeremie's vehement response. "What do you mean no?!"

Jeremie sniffed, providing no response as he quickly turned back to the computer screen. "Aelita, are you ready?"

Aelita's eyes widened. No, he couldn't possibly be thinking of... "Jeremie, this is crazy!" she cried. If A.I. could cry, then Aelita would have no doubt she would've flooded the tower she was taking refuge in right now. "No, you have to bring back Yumi! I can wait! Jeremy? Jeremy?!"

The blonde-haired boy ignored her protests, mumbling, "I'm starting the virtualization process now."

Aelita had to take a step back from the screen, even as Ulrich finally pushed Odd aside to knock Jeremie out of his chair. She was slowly shaking her head. No... Then, she looked up, and saw what she dreaded. The rings, the ones that would scanner her very being, analyzing her structure, duplicating her into a human body...

No! This couldn't be!

Aelita wanted to run. Maybe if she did, then the rings couldn't scan her... But she felt herself frozen to the spot, as if she was just now facing down a roaring Megatank. She couldn't move her eyes away from the rings of data, the beings that would provide her life beyond Lyoko's domains.

Her fists clenched as they began to scan her, engulfing her in their data streams. No, it should've been Yumi, not me...

She wanted to scream, to protest to the high Heavens over this betrayal. How could he..?

Finally, the scans completed their objective, and Aelita felt her digital avatar fade, the pixels of her being blowing in front of her as though there was a breeze encouraging it. The world became dark, and suddenly Aelita felt like she was falling, and falling hard.

"Ulrich, get a hold of yourself!" Odd shouted, seizing a hold on his friend's arm just before he was about to connect it with Jeremie's face once more.

Below them, Jeremie had his face guarded as well as his arms could protect him, though it had not stopped Ulrich from landing several good blows, one of which ended with Jeremie gaining a bloody lip.

Ulrich, though seething with the anger that was bubbling throughout his being, slackened in Odd's grasp, and finally gained his arm back with one good pull. He turned his head to Jeremie, trying to recompose his figure. "I can't believe you, Jeremy..."

Jeremie uncovered his face, reaching down to gingerly touch his bloodied lip. It stung, but not as much as the realization that finally set in. Did he really just do what he thought he did? Did he choose Aelita over Yumi? Yumi, who had been like a stone at his side, providing support and assistance when he needed it because he knew Ulrich or Odd wouldn't have the faintest idea of what he was talking about?

His body began to tremble, and suddenly he felt like the world was spinning, and never stopping. "Ulrich, I... I'm sorry... I don't know-"

"You're sorry?!" Ulrich whirled back on him again, to which Jeremie recoiled instinctively. Now he had known Ulrich to sulk, and had known for him to be irritable and moody, but never as ferociously angry as he was displaying now. Then again, Jeremie reasoned though it did not make him fear his friend any less, it made sense why Ulrich's iron gridlock on his emotions was giving away now.

"That's all you can say? You're sorry?! I oughta..."

Jeremie had a good idea of what Ulrich's idea was, but he was thankful that Odd, once more, threw himself in between the two, though the look on Odd's face indicated that he was doing it more for Ulrich's behalf than for Jeremie's.

"Come on, we better go check on Aelita in the scanners," suggested Odd. His back now completely turned to Jeremie, he herded Ulrich, whose eyes only focused on Jeremie and nothing else, towards the elevator.

Jeremie struggled to stand up. He really felt like he was going to faint. "I'll go too..."

"Oh no you don't, Jeremie. You've done enough for one evening, don't you think?" scolded Odd, who wagged his index finger to emphasize his point.

"I-I know, but maybe I can... I can help?"

"We don't need your help," snapped Ulrich, his face now turned towards the walls of the elevator. "You did enough for one night."

"Ulrich, I know what I did was wrong!" Jeremie called, hoping that his friend would just turn around to face him.

And Ulrich did just that, the faintest of tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Oh yeah? What, you realized that after you materialized Aelita, and forgot all about Yumi?!"

Jeremie's head fell, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

"If I ever see you near me again, Belpois, I... I..." Ulrich shook his head. "Odd, come on, let's go get Aelita."

"You might not want to be here when we get back," warned Odd, though without the vicious bite that Ulrich had. "Aelita might not be too happy about you either."

"Aelita can help us with Lyoko too," said Ulrich to Odd.

Jeremie couldn't resist jumping in. "What? Wait, are you saying... you're kicking me off the team?"

Ulrich shrugged. "Why wouldn't we? You betrayed us."

"I- Odd, you can't be serious, right?"

Looking uncomfortable, Odd averted his gaze.

"We're serious. You lost your place in our group." Ulrich reached over and pressed the button for the elevator.

Jeremie stumbled, his knees giving up underneath his weight. "Wait guys, please. I am sorry! Really! I-I'll try to reverse everything! I'll make a new program, and we'll recover Yumi's data, and she'll-"

"No, Belpois. We don't need you anymore."

We don't need you anymore. The words stung more than any of Ulrich's punches. Jeremie could only find it in himself to stare helplessly at the elevator doors. This was worse than any Xana attack he had ever experienced.

At least with the Xana attacks, he could return to the past.