A/N: Hooray, I kept my promise! Thank you for your reviews :). Lovely to read them. Here is 'part 2' of the ELITA visit. As told before, this chapter is shorter than others. Any other new information wouldn't fit in this chapter. Enjoy the read!

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko :)! Nor any games that are similar to the one described! Only my imagination :)!


Yumi, Aelita and Jeremie eyed the chocolate cake in front of them. "Is that the special dessert? Plain chocolate cake?" Jeremie quirked a brow. He wasn't too fond of cake. "Yeah, it's the best there is," Ulrich grinned as he handed each of them a piece. Yumi had thoroughly studied Ulrich's face for any signs that he had heard Aelita's question, but she had found none.

The young women took a bite at the same time and absolutely loved the flavour and taste. "This is really good, right Jeremie?" Aelita nudged him, teasing him. "If you say so," Jeremie did eat everything, albeit reluctantly. Aelita laughed. "Thanks Ulrich," she said.

"Told you it was good," he said, satisfied that they all liked it. "As delicious as it might have been," Jeremie began slightly sarcastic, "I'm sure Aelita will be more than happy to show you our latest project," he turned to his girlfriend, "right?" There was a spark in her eyes. "You'll definitely like it!" She beamed.

The four of them got up and went back to ELITA. Aelita led them to the classified area on the third floor. "Here we are!" She stated excitedly while showing them the spacious room. There was little lighting inside. A few floor lamps along the bottom edge of the walls provided for enough light to see where you were, but it didn't create a welcoming atmosphere. Yumi and Ulrich were confused.

Aelita started up the computer in the corner of the room and a large spherical hologram appeared from the projector in the middle of the room.

It showed a world they were all familiar with. Although there was a different vibe. Yumi and Ulrich were mesmerized by it. "This looks just like Lyoko!" Yumi said in awe. "You're right," Jeremie stepped next to her, "Aelita and I programmed this together. It indeed looks similar to Lyoko, but it's entirely different. This consists of only – what we would call it – one sector. You can say it's a mixture of the desert and mountain sectors. It contains various grounds, which makes for a great adventure."

"Adventure? So what exactly is all this for?" Ulrich asked, intrigued by the amount of detail. Aelita pressed some keys on the keyboard and the display changed to a video. "It's still a work in progress, but this will become a Virtual Reality video game. The main goal of this game is to let players feel the adventure we have been through years ago. A player will enter this world with a weapon of choice, much like how our Lyoko identities were created. They will all have the right to choose one power out of five, for example telekinesis. Then the idea is to defeat as many monsters as possible before reaching the final boss. The monsters come in waves. The increase in difficulty per level depends on the mode you choose, multiplayer or single player. For your information, the final boss is twice as hard as the Kolussus," Aelita explained.

"That sounds awesome. As expected from this pair of geniuses," Yumi complimented them. "But that's not all," Aelita added. "We've been working on a special edition of this game, a limited edition," she revealed. "But it's a secret until we're completely finished," she teased. "Way to leave us hanging," Ulrich told her. "I look forward to seeing both," Yumi said. Ulrich agreed.

After the sneak peek, Aelita took over for Jeremie. He was needed somewhere else. She guided them through parts of the building they hadn't visited yet, including the video game department. "I guess you're in charge of the fun stuff," Ulrich remarked. Aelita and Yumi laughed. "No, Jeremie plays a part in every little thing," the pinkette defended her boyfriend. "I think he was being modest in the morning. He has a lot on his shoulders," Yumi shared her thoughts. "Yes, he does, but we're still getting used to it all. It's only been a few months. As time passes, I believe we'll be able to have a routine which will keep us at the top," she confidently claimed.

"I wish you all the best, Aelita," Yumi sincerely told her. "Thank you, Yumi," she smiled and checked the time. "I think it's time for us to head back to Jeremie." They returned to his office.

"Hey guys, how was the remaining part of the tour?" He asked them. "Not as boring as the first half," Ulrich joked. Yumi hit him in his stomach. "He meant, just as informative as the first half," she corrected on his behalf. "Great," Jeremie said. "Shall we get some dinner then?"

"Sound good," Ulrich said. The stinging sensation of Yumi's hit had already subsided.

They made their way over to their cars to get to a restaurant of Jeremie's choice. Yumi and Ulrich once again had silence as company in the car. "That's Einstein for you. I never doubted that he would make it big, but this is amazing," he suddenly said. Yumi understood what he felt. Anyone who heard that story would realize what they had put together was truly fantastic. "Yeah, it is," Yumi quietly concurred.


During dinner they talked about the absence of Odd. His presence would have fully completed their reunion, but none of them knew where he was. Yumi knew one thing though. "I think he might be in a relationship with the receptionist at our company. They're going to live together soon," Yumi disclosed. "With Kelly?" Ulrich confirmed. "Yes," was the reply.

"Then maybe you can ask her for his number. He changed it last year. I don't know if he failed to relay his new number to us or if he forgot, but we haven't been able to contact him via e-mail either," Aelita spoke up. "True, it's definitely strange," Jeremie said, a thoughtful expression on his face. The Japanese woman stilled. Was this going to be the moment they would demand answers from her?

But nobody did. Her relief went paired with another dose of guilt. But she shook it off.

Yumi decided not to let them know that she hadn't told Kelly she knew Odd. She'd deal with that herself. "Maybe I can…," she trailed off. The couple smiled at each other before showing Yumi their excited faces. Apparently, she was going to be working on finding a good moment to talk with Kelly, soon.

At the end of dinner, right before they split up into different cars, they exchanged numbers again. Only Jeremie's number had changed, because he wanted to keep work separated from his private life. So Ulrich and Yumi set Jeremie's old number to "Jeremie Work" and the new one was saved under their usually designated name for their friend.

"Well, good night and see you again soon," Jeremie said as he put his arm around Aelita to guide her to their car. "Same to you and until next time," Yumi said. Ulrich and Jeremie gave each other a firm handshake. Then the couple walked away to their car that was parked a row further. Yumi looked at the couple. They emitted a peaceful and romantic aura that put a smile to her face. "Time to go home," Ulrich said as he opened the door for Yumi. She nodded and got in.

Ulrich dropped her off at the entrance to the apartment complex she lived in. "Thanks for the rides," she said, grinning at him outside the window. He had opened it when she had stepped out of the car. "No problem," he said. Yumi lingered a second longer, before turning around to walk inside. Ulrich called out to her. "The necklace looks great on you." Yumi's hand automatically went to her necklace, her heart racing a little faster than before. She turned around again to wave at him as he drove away. No reply other than a simple "thanks" came to mind when he said that. But even that word didn't leave her mouth. She thought it a stupid response, because the gift came from him. And anything else hadn't been conjured in time.


Inside her apartment, she threw her bag on the sofa in her living room and went to take a shower. She wrapped herself in a bathrobe afterwards and walked to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Then she plopped down on her sofa and turned on the TV. Nothing caught her interest as she zapped through all the channels. Her phone rang and she smiled at the caller's ID. "Hi Aelita," Yumi answered.

"Hey, Yumi," she heard her friend say.

"What's the matter?" Yumi asked.

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk some more. Because the last time we really talked was ages ago," Aelita told her.

Yumi smiled. She knew what Aelita was going to ask. But she was a close friend and most importantly someone she could confide in. She thanked fate for bringing her friend back into her life. Maybe she should let it all out. Maybe another insight in her situation would help her out of her current chaotic world.

"I have a better idea," she started. "Why don't you come over? You can stay the night."

"I would love to, but I haven't prepared anything to give you," Aelita referred to a housewarming gift.

"I have been living by myself long enough now. Don't worry about something like that. Let's have fun," Yumi assured her.

"Well, then I'll take you up on your offer," was the response.

"Great, I'll text you the address. See you later then," she said and hung up. She messaged Aelita afterwards and received a reply that her friend was on her way.

Yumi prepared some snacks and filled her kettle with water again. When it finished boiling the water, she made tea and poured it in a thermos flask to keep it warm. Then she sat down again, to mentally prepare herself.

She felt nervous, despite being the one who suggested it. She had wanted this, right? Someone to talk to. Aelita was apparently very willing to give up her time for this. There was no way out. Besides, wasn't it time that she straightened everything out? This wasn't only about Ulrich's sudden return in her life. Neither was it merely about their little reunion. There was the guilt she coped with for various things. Secrets she was keeping from her friends, including Kelly, for no reason. The tension that hung between William and her, which has had numerous peaks and valleys.

Yumi also had a hunch that Aelita wasn't happy with their unfinished conversation from lunch. She was feeling troubled. How much should she tell? It felt unfair to bombard her with all of her problems, when she wasn't even involved in more than half of them. Although, she did believe Aelita would listen to her no matter what, Yumi hoped that Aelita wouldn't judge her. She sighed. Wasn't her excessive thought pattern making it harder for herself?

She decided to continue reading the book she had been reading days ago, while waiting for Aelita.

Twenty minutes had passed when the doorbell finally rang. Confirming it to be Aelita through the hole, she opened the door. "Hi Yumi," she said calmly. "Hey Aelita, come in." Yumi let her friend inside. Aelita had taken off her shoes. She was holding a sports bag, presumably with necessities for the sleepover. "You can put that in the living room," she told her. Aelita nodded and walked passed her. Yumi closed the door and firmly held the handle before turning around and following Aelita to the living room. The pinkette went back to the hallway to hang up her coat. Yumi went to the kitchen to get the snacks and the tea.

"It'll be okay," Yumi mentally told herself.

It was time to start solving her own puzzle, piece by piece.


A/N: So you'll have to wait until next chapter to read Yumi's answers to Aelita's questions :)! Leave your thoughts in a review! Thanks! By the way, do you think Ulrich really didn't hear the question? I really wonder..