So... I was planning on this being a one and done deal.

Keyword: planning.

"And that's all there is to it," Aelita said, putting her pen down. She looked down at him with a proud sort of look, though whether or not it was intended for him, he wasn't entirely sure. He was too stunned to comprehend.

"How do you do that?" He asked suddenly.

She raised a brow. "Really? I just showed you,"

"No, not that." He shook his head. "I mean, how do you remember it so easily?" He clarified, motioning to the paper that was filled with her markings. They were all steps to some complicated math equation that Ulrich was certain he would never use outside of physics class, and she remembered them all without even a glance at her notes.

And that wasn't the only time that ever happened. Outside of helping him study, he rarely ever saw Aelita studying anything beyond maybe Italian or maybe history. And she still somehow managed a 95 grade point average.

She gave a sad smirk. "Spending 10 years of your life inside a quantum computer does have its benefits,"

He snorted. "Gee, I'll have to try it some time." The smirk he had vanished completely when he saw the vacant look in her eyes. Her eyes, while not glazed over, were unfocused and staring at something beyond the desk in front of them. Ulrich decided to let the moment pass in silence, interrupted only by his pen clicking.

She jumped at one click about a minute later. She look around for a momentt, looked at Ulrich, then away again with a sheepish expression.

"Sorry," she muttered, fiddling a bit with some loose strands of hair. He let out a hum of acknowledgment. His fingers rapped loudly and rhythmically against the desk as a thought came to him.

"Do you ever wonder about it sometimes?" He asked suddenly.

"Wonder about what?" she asked quietly.

"About what your life would be like without the supercomputer?"

She was silent at that. She closed her eyes. "I..." she sighed. "Yeah, I really do. Does that sound bad?"

"No, it just means I don't have to call you out for lying," Ulrich commented, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

Aelita looked up towards the window with her brow furrowed. "How can I not think about it? It's played such a big part in my life and impacted it so much," she looked back down again, eyeing a picture that Ulrich had of the five of them on the desk. "Impacted all of our lives so much."

Kiwi popped his head out at that moment. One look toward Aelita and Kiwi was rushing to her, just waiting to be pet. She gave the mutt a small smile as she rubbed him behind his ears. He let out a content moan and closed his eyes, satisfied with the attention given to him.

Ulrich stared at the photo. It was a picture taken during his birthday. Odd had wanted a party, much to Ulrich's chagrin. It ended up not being so bad, just the five of them eating more sweets than they probably should've and playing some board games they had lying around. Ulrich frowned at the photo, regardless of the happy memories.

"What do you think your life would've been like without Lyoko?" Aelita then asked, still focusing on petting Kiwi.

"Life without it?" Ulrich repeated. "Well, more boring I guess. Wouldn't have to sneak around after hours and try and get out of class every other day." He left it at that, but he knew there was so much more; too much to say it all.

He and Jeremy probably would've never been anything more than acquaintances, let alone friends.

Odd might not even have still been there, given his initial opinions on Kiwi and wanting him gone.

And then Yumi... He didn't even want to know what would've happened with her. Would they have become friends? Stayed as they'd been?

Been something more?

He almost choked at the last thought and felt his face turn red. He stared back down at his desk again, towards the photo. He felt his gaze go over to Aelita's face in the picture, a smile partially obscured by the card she had up from whatever game they'd been playing.

"What about you?" he asked, then turned to her face. "How would your life be?"

She went quiet, wearing a thoughtful expression, then stopped petting Kiwi and pushed him aside, much to the dog's dismay. "Different in more ways than I can count,"

She let out a wistful sigh and closed her eyes. But what surprised Ulrich most of all, was that when she opened them again, a smile returned to her lips as well. "But I think it all worked out for the best, given the circumstance."

"Huh?"

"My father built the supercomputer for a reason, Ulrich: to escape from whoever his 'enemies' were. Even if he hadn't built it, those men in black still would've found us, one way or another. Just like they did when they took my mother," she frowned at the memory. "And then who knows what my life would've been life: maybe it would've all worked out just fine, and I would've had a normal life. But maybe I would've lived a life of fear and in hiding. Or worse,"

Ulrich stared at her, his pen twirling in his hand, and a look of slight awe on his face. Here was a girl who'd been through so much in her life, and she still managed to find a positive in the outcome.

"You've given this a lot of thought," he noted after another beat of silence. He felt dumb saying that, of course she had, it encompassed a part of her life that she could never get back. "I'm not sure I could ever see it like that,"

Aelita shrugged. "I can't change any of it, no return to the past could ever change it, even if I wanted to." Much to Kiwi's dismay, it was this time that Aelita scooted him off her lap. "I don't see any reason to dwell on the lost possibilities at this point. Yes, I lost my family, and I've accepted that. But this entire ordeal has given me a second—potentially better—one."

"Second family?"

"Of course. Odd's a great, if a little annoying cousin, and you and Yumi are the best siblings I could ever ask for," Aelita said, another smile creeping on her face.

Ulrich's thoughts drifted to his own family only for a moment.

Aelita was right, this one they'd forged was definitely preferable.

"Hey, wait a sec. What about Jeremy? You didn't mention him," Ulrich pointed out. The squeak Aelita let out at that was both adorable, and extremely satisfying.

"I'll uh... let you know when we figure that out," Aelita stammered, her face turning a broght red. Ulrich cackled. "Don't you have more physics work to do?"

"Oh no you don't! You never let up on me and Yumi, it's only fair you get it back!" He grinned wickedly. "Besides, from what I hear, older brothers are supposed tk guve their siblings hell about everything."

"Ulrich Micheal Stern, you are terrible and I take back ever nice thing I've said about you,"

I realize this is mega uneelated to the last one, but it's like 1:30 in the morning and I'm procrastinating on my research paper draft.

Oh yeah, and I got accepted into college. *Insert party noises here*

Anyways, I may make this just fun oneshots between Ulrich and Aelita? Would anyone like that? Not updated super frequently, but since the world needs mlre brotp content with them, I'd do it.

You can leave ideas to if you want. Nothing romantic between the two, but fun stuff, headcanons and such. I've got a fee ideas already, but given how bad my writersblock has been lately, anything is appreciated.

I dunno. What do you think?