Ancestral Ties

Note: A Code Lyoko fan-fiction that reveals Sissi's ancestor Elisabeth Anne Delmas as being quite affluent and part of the plutocracy in an era that was difficult, harsh and proved that survival of the fittest was a factor. Speculative reports on her death said she either died of natural causes or murder.

Many Delmases believe it was the former that took her life. She also discovers that her mother too, was very wealthy herself, more wealthy than she originally thought.

"Many things are a source of power. It all depends on the hands that wield that power."—Lionheartcartoon

Chapter 1—The Delmas Archives

Sissi was horribly bored, and considering it was a rainy day, she didn't much feel like going outside to play. She thought of inviting Odd over and perhaps they could play a few board games as the storm continued. After getting permission from her father, Odd arrived to the mansion in a matter of hours. Before long, he rang the doorbell and Sissi answered it with a big smile on her face. She unexpectedly hugged him, wondering what games he had brought with him from home. He had every board game known to man that he could fit in his backpack, including some more obscure ones that people hardly played any longer. Strangely enough, he could still remember the rules to play many of the old-fashioned games and was happy to teach Sissi how to play as well.

After playing board games for a bit, Lionel offered the two of them snacks and something to drink as they chatted for a bit.

"This is the first time I've been in your house, you know ? I never really thought about it until now.", Odd said, still impressed with the size of it and how articulated and meticulous each little design was. It was so clean, and smelled like fresh irum plucked from a floral garden.

"Would you like a tour ? I could guide you.", Lionel offered, pleasantly.

"Of course I would !", Odd said, following Lionel's lead. Sissi soon followed behind him, amused at each reaction her beloved boyfriend had.

In a while, the two were shown the gargantuan Delmas library. Sissi hadn't been in the library for such a long time that she had forgotten how it dwarfed the library at Kadic. Momentarily, even she was impressed.

"We have all the information here that you could possibly need and want. Some of our articles and materials date from the 1800's and even before then. Our oldest pieces of material are some of the tapestries you see here. Uncle Julian brought those home to France after all of his holidays abroad.", Lionel stated, quite simply.

"My goodness ! Sissi, how could you ever become bored with all of these books ?", Odd said, wide-eyed. Sissi knew that Odd had a point there, but with such hectic schedule and liking to be alone every so often to reflect and wonder about her future, she had forgotten the books were one of her constant companions, well, except for Lionel of course.

"You know my schedule's busy. I feel remiss for forgetting these books, but there are so many…I just don't have time to read through them all. I wouldn't be surprised if I had comic books lurking somewhere from Uncle Julian's collection. You know, he was a lot like you. He loved his comic books.", Sissi chuckled. He would have to check those out later. Right now, an old bound book captured his attention.

"What's this ? Good grief, it's heavy !", Odd said, having to place the book on a table. It came down with a bit of a thud, kicking up some dust. The two sneezed in concert, warranting a chorus of "bless yous" from Lionel who was watching the BBC in another room. Sissi and Odd started flipping through the pages of the large bound tome and found plenty of information about the Delmases.

"That's Aimee, my mother. It appears she came from affluence long before she met papa. I didn't know that. She was the most humble person I know.", Sissi said while reading the articles.

"I already know not all wealthy people act holier-than-thou. I can only assume that comes from knowing your mother. I'm sorry she's not here to see how wonderfully you've grown up. But, I know she would be proud of you in any respect.", Odd said, with a gentle grin. Sissi felt a swell of pride and her cheeks grow rosy at his compliment. She knew what he had said wasn't just because he liked her but because he meant what he had said.

"Oooo…who's that ?", Odd said, turning a few pages and pointing of a black and white daguerreotype of a woman in an elegant hat and the most embellished gown either of them had ever seen.

"I am not sure. The inscription is hard to make out. We'll have to borrow a magnifying glass from my father's study. I am sure he won't miss it.", Sissi said. The two left the book on the table and rushed into Jean-Pierre's study to get the magnifying glass and returned to where they left off in the gigantic book of Delmas history.

Chapter 2—Prim, Proper, Articulate: The Portrait of a Lady

Upon closer inspection, the inscription read,

"Elisabeth Anne Delmas, circa 1900."

"Talk about turn-of-the-century.", Odd said.
"The name seems familiar.", Sissi deduced. She hadn't known anyone else in the family with that name, except for herself.

"It's possible that you're named after her.", Odd pointed out, astutely. She never thought of that. She had always wondered about whom she had been named after. She was curious though. There were only pictures in the tome, and information that was very hard to read since the documents and writing was faded, or written in pencil and difficult to decipher.

"Lionel, could you fetch my father ? I wish to speak to him about this woman.", Sissi said, and Odd nodded. Both of them were extremely inquisitive about the exceptionally dressed woman with the enigmatic grin. After being summoned into the library by Lionel, the two children pointed the daguerreotype of the stunning lady.

"That's your great-great-great grandmother, Elisabeth. She was part of the plutocracy during the Industrial Age. She went through so many tremulous times, particularly an infancy of scarlet fever. She nearly died, but survived. Like those before her, she wished to help the family prosper in a new place that was unlike their original home in Lyon. Not only did your great-great-great grandmother have to face every day upheavals in the political system, but she also dealt with the divorce of her parents. It was a terrible time for Elisabeth, but even though she had been forced to live with her mother, she had been able to see her father from time to time every weekend. She had been groomed to become a leader of the Delmas Empire early in her youth and soon after her mother Teresa died of tuberculosis. Sadly, Elisabeth was only twelve when Teresa died, and her father Terrie soon emancipated her as soon as she turned sixteen. Though Terrie was still a large part of her life, she was on her own running the first factory of many the Delmases would own.", Jean explained. They were expecting a more concise, shorter version of Elisabeth's tragic, yet inspiring tale. Yet, both were incredibly enlightened.

"I wish I could've known her. She sounds like she was fascinating.", Sissi said, watching her father smile softly. He didn't change his expression much on a daily basis, but whenever he recalled stories about his family heritage, it brought up a sense of pride and warmth inside of his heart to be part of such an amazing lineage.

"She was. I never had the privilege of knowing her myself, but grandmother Myrtle always told me stories about her before she died. The only thing Myrtle never knew was how Betty past away. It was said she was either murdered or natural causes took her. I'd like to think the latter happened rather than the former. Though there had been others who were jealous of Betty's wealth, no one I know would've ever harmed her. She was a delicate flower with the strength of an ox. Like all of the Delmases, she was stubborn. She never gave up, not even when the company went into the red once.", Jean said.

"It's refreshing to know Sissi was named after someone so influential. Why haven't you written the information down in this book though ?", Odd questioned.

"Sadly, being so busy has kept me from ever doing that, my young friend.", Jean-Pierre said, with a bit of remorse. He was telling the truth, though. Sissi knew it, especially considering his work always kept him busy. Even at home he was doing something work-related.

"Sir, I could do it for you.", Lionel offered in a whisper.

"I don't wish to impose on your workload, Lionel. Enjoy some time off. You work far too hard for me.", Jean whispered back, but Lionel was intent on inscribing every last bit of Elisabeth Anne's history down. Finding the butler's charm hard to resist, he allowed Lionel the privilege of recording such an illustrious history.

"So, that's all you know about her, then ?", Odd questioned after listening to Jean-Pierre talk to them for a bit. The pitter-patter of the rain was beginning to slow down and low booms of thunder were moving further and further away in the distance.

"Yes, sadly that is everything Myrtle told me. Myrtle was her great-great granddaughter, the mother of my mother, Felicity. The only reason she knew about her was because of Uncle Julian and his visits. He and Elisabeth Anne were close. When Terrie left for his business trips, Julian would come and present Elisabeth Anne with gifts from everywhere. Many of the items here belonged to him.", Jean answered.

"I'd love to meet Felicity, I bet she's fabulous. You never mentioned her before, Elisabeth.", Odd said, with a bit of cheekiness in his voice. Truth be told, Sissi hadn't seen Grandma Felicity since past Christmas, and she heard from her time by time on the phone. Granted, she would be getting back together with her grandmother Felicity and Grandpa Roy.

"I know Odd, but being part of a well-to-do family keeps me on my toes.", Sissi explained. Odd understood how much pressure was put on his darling to act ladylike, but she still had the chance to enjoy a semi-normal adolescent existence. Now with the rain gone, he could take her out for a ride on his scooter. First he asked for permission, and they were given a deadline: be home before 10 pm, and not an hour later.

Chapter 3—At the Movies

Odd had initially wanted to take Sissi to see Arthur and the Minimoys in its original French. She accepted, since she knew one of the characters in the film, the Princess Selenia, looked much like her friend Aelita. She thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and hoped to get it on DVD in the coming months. Odd laughed at that, remembering how many movies she had in her collection. If he ever wanted to borrow a movie on VHS or DVD, she would have it.

"How many films do you have now, Sissi ?", Odd asked, as they walked out of the theatre. Sissi was struggling with a hull stuck in one of her teeth; it was nearly driving her to distraction.

"I am not certain, probably 200 or more. I lost count after that. You know I can't keep track of all of those movies !", Sissi said, laughing. As soon as she had laughed, the popcorn hull fortuitously worked its way out of her incisor. Odd kissed her on the cheek and chuckled as well. She did have a good point there. He wanted to take her to the arcade, but he noticed it was getting rather late.

"We need to go home soon. I don't want to make your father worry.", he said. She always trusted him to take good care of her as he always had. She had done more than enough for him in the past. Sissi agreed, and held Odd tightly as she was brought back home by her boyfriend on his Vespa. For extra protection, they both wore helmets so not to worry Jean-Pierre more than usual. To be honest, he was pleased his daughter was dating such a nice young man, but he hated letting go of the little princess she once was. He knew he couldn't hold onto her forever and she was becoming a young woman, but he was pleased to know that she would be coming home soon and he could actually take some time out of his schedule to help her to bed as he had when she was in her youth.

Chapter 4—Meeting Roy and Felicity, Quite By Accident

The next morning, Odd and Sissi awoke. Her grandparents Felicity and Roy had arrived early to visit and spend some time with their granddaughter. Truth be told, they spoiled her quite a bit, but that was only because they loved her terribly. It was a weekend, so they would more than likely be going into the city to enjoy the sights and sounds it had to offer, but first came the usual greetings and homemade treats that Felicity had made for her beloved son and granddaughter.

"Did you really have to go to all that trouble, mother ? You don't have to make so many confections every time you visit !", Jean-Pierre said, worrying his mother's arthritis would've been a constant problem with such delicate work.

"Don't fret, dear. I do this because I enjoy it and because you deserve it. I see Elisabeth has been growing up into a fine young lady indeed. I know it can't be easy raising a little girl by yourself, but you've done sensationally thus far.", Felicity complimented. Jean-Pierre actually smiled slightly again at his mother's praise. After talking and laughing, the family had decided to go out and enjoy the perfectly clear, peaceful day.

While Sissi was out enjoying the sun and fresh air as she and her grandparents bought potted plants for their garden for transplanting at a later time, she received a call from Odd.

"Are you busy, Sissi ?", he questioned, curiously.

"Yes, I'm at the local shop buying potted plants and we're going to put them in the garden later.", Sissi said. Grandpa Roy asked her who she was talking to, and she told him it was her boyfriend Odd.

"He's a big strong lad, I bet. He can help us plant these flowers if he wants to.", Roy said, with quite a bit of optimism. Odd really wasn't one for chores, but he saw an open opportunity to be with his girlfriend. Besides, he wanted to meet Sissi's grandparents, even if he hadn't planned on meeting them initially.

"I will be there as soon as I can. What time will you be home ?", Odd asked.

"In a few moments. I'll be looking forward to seeing you, then. Take care, sweetie. I love you !", she said, as she shut her phone off and placed it back into her furry pink purse.

After buying a few more plants, Roy, Felicity, Jean-Pierre and Sissi arrived home in their limo. One by one, Lionel opened the doors for them to exit. Before long, Odd had also driven up to the foray by the large fountain and parked his Vespa by it. Removing his helmet, he gave them all a huge, illuminating smile.

"So, when do we start planting flowers, huh ?", he said, with quite a bit of enthusiasm.

"Soon, very soon.", Sissi responded with a flirtatious wink.

Odd found it humorous that Sissi was working in the garden without gloves and especially to see her covered in dirt. She had since changed from her usual dress to something a bit more raggedy in order to work with the plants. The weather was favorable, so it wasn't to terribly hard for them to work.

"I want the lantana to go over here. It'll really liven up the butterfly garden.", Sissi said. Felicity helped her with the flat of lantana plants. She had learned long ago from her grandmother that these plants in particular were terrific for attracting butterflies. Already she had quite a few fluttering about, and Odd was awed at how many he saw. He hadn't seen so many butterflies since his trip to the local zoo in Paris when they were having a special butterfly exhibit. He had fortunately remembered his camera. Like any true artist, he studied the habits of the creatures and took pictures when the time was right. He was scolded gently by Roy, however.

"Odd, we should be working. You will have plenty of time for photos later.", he said, with a bit of a chuckle. Roy saw Odd pick up the pace again. He could be a tremendous worker, if he had the right motivation.

It took about 3 hours for the garden to be finished and the butler had been busy preparing them a meal to satisfy their hunger after a long day's work. It was a favorite meal of the entire Delmas family; meat, potatoes, vegetables, fresh grape juice, milk, fruit, and of course, the confections that were still uneaten.

After "Your garden is stunning, you know ?", Odd said, walking with Sissi as the moon began to rise. The stars speckled the sky and the two sat close together on the patio as the stars lit the sky one by one.

"My grandmother was a landscaping designer, and despite her retirement, she really hasn't outgrown it.", Sissi said, making a deliberate pun. Just then, Odd broke out into a hearty laugh. That had been the first time he actually heard his girlfriend use humor like that before.

"I think I'm starting to rub off on you.", he said, nudging her in the side. She smiled sweetly, leaning against him and looking up at the stars again.

"That's not such a bad thing really. Besides, laughter is the best medicine, and not only that, but it burns calories. It's a good exercise in any event, and it feels terrific.", Sissi said, hugging him. Odd looked at his watch. Grumbling a bit, he kissed her cheek and said his goodbyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Take care, love.", he said, surprising her with a second kiss that was longer and even more tender than the first. Her smile was dreamy as she stroked her love's cheek before he left her. It was bittersweet seeing him speed away on his Vespa, but knowing tomorrow was a school day made her realize he would always be waiting for her whatever tomorrow brought.

Chapter 5—Talking With Grandmamma and Grandpapa

Before she went to bed, Felicity and Roy went on and on about how happy they were to have met Odd for the first time. Sissi didn't realize this, but she and Odd had been dating for a long time now. They were an actual couple. True, they had their tiffs now and then, but every couple fought about silly things every so often. They never yelled, even if they argued. There was always a rational solution to whatever problem they had. Whatever the problem was, they solved it in a logical way. Besides this, Sissi knew she was fortunate to have such a patient, kind and devoted friend and kindred soul.

"So other than the fact that mother was impressed with Elisabeth Anne, what's the real reason I was named after her ?", she asked her grandparents as she was preparing for sleep.

"Well, it's a tradition to name someone after another person that was inspirational in a family line. Particularly in one like ours.", Roy explained.

"Your grand papa's correct. Besides, it was a suitable name. You're an awful lot like her. And I am certain she would absolutely adore you if she could see you now.", Felicity said, as she tucked her granddaughter into bed and placed her little brown stuffed moose, Niny under the crook of her arm.

"Don't ever forget that though. You're strong like her. So if you ever feel you can't do anything, remember what she endured. We Delmases are delicate, but fortuitous.", Roy said, with a certain air of austerity. Sissi yawned, covering her mouth and snuggled with Niny.

"I love you grandma and grandpa. Please come back soon, I want to visit with you again.", she said before she drifted off to sleep. They told her they loved her too before they departed. They would see her again sometime, but no matter how far away they were, they were always close together in their hearts.

Epilogue

It was a bit overcast the next day, but rays of the sun were bursting out of the clouds. It was a rather pastoral setting, except until the bell rang. Rushing as quickly as their legs could carry them, yet in dignified fashion, the students filed into their classes one by one. Sissi and Odd had a class together and before class started, he showed her the library that was on his digital camera. They were photos from Sissi's newly refurbished garden. Odd's shots were nothing less than stunning. She wondered why he didn't become an amateur photographer and begin turning some prophet. She knew what his response would be though.

"Dear, my photography is merely for my enjoyment. These shots are priceless." She smiled and gasped in awe at each one. At least she had been given the privilege of seeing Odd's artwork and wondered what he would be taking photos of next. He would never let her know.

He was always doing something surprising and stunning.

Class droned on as usual. After and hour of lectures, the bell rang again and the children filed out of the classrooms. Odd linked arms with his girlfriend and walked side by side with her before she departed and went home.

"Don't forget about this weekend. I'd like to visit your garden again.", Odd whispered gently in her ear. The feel of his breath upon her earlobe tickled quite a bit. Giggling girlishly, she gratefully accepted.

"You're always welcome. You know that.", she responded.

"I'm glad to hear that. You'll always be my sanctuary.", Odd said before their hands slipped softly apart and they said their goodbyes for the day.

Elisabeth came home, did her homework and watched the sunset on her balcony before she went to bed. She had a copied picture of her great-great-great grandmother on a magnetic poster-board held by a magnetic thumb tack. She smiled gently, thinking how blessed she was to have descended from such a tremendous woman. She only hoped that she could aspire to be half of the woman she had been in such a trying time in history. In any event, she had already done so much in becoming more and more beautiful as the days passed by.

The End