JTLs Code Lyoko Distortions

Episode 88: Return To The Past

Author James the Lesser

I do not own the characters (Except OCs) Moonscape does

I reread through this series, my favorite after Code Naia, and just love it. The ending especially. I usually/always wrote a happy ending except for this one. Yes Xana was defeated but there was no more Aelita, Bosh, Sanne/Maya, Odd and Ulrich hated each other, Yumi was in Japan again, so different. But after rereading I realized there could be a grandfather clause deal here. How would it play out? I thought about just making this its own spin off but with work and other series I may not update often and the spin off would get buried so putting the spin off here. The ending happened as it did, this is just a spin off not a continuation of that series. Well, here it is... I am writing this on the fly, no real plans like I normally do. If some thing changes then uh, blame it on the time loop/distortion.

Kadic Academy

Jeremie taps his pen on the table as he looks over his laptop. "Deleting Xana would make the Super Computer useful for other things."

Ash, sitting on his bed, nods. "Yes, but I feel the memory I have deletes everything."

"Which means the Super Computer would be in reset mode." He closes his eyes and remembers how he first found the computer. Waiting for the right code to be entered. A blank slate "When I rebooted it, I think it had been wiped."

She perks up a little. "Someone had already used the program to delete Xana and all of the information? Really"

"I think so. I've been looking over things we have found and trying to compare them with the, memories, of the other timeline. There used to be multiple sectors. Now? There is and mix of all of them but you can still see how they separate. And of course,"

"Me. I was once Aelita and Bosh. The reboot partially merged the sectors and myself as well."

"And the monsters." He clicks on the laptop and brings up pictures Odd drew from memory of the original monsters they fought. "Is it because the timelines merged or because the computer was weakened? Damaged in some way?"

"I do not know." She stands up from the bed and stands behind Jeremie. "I know the others are scared. I've talked with Yumi and she says she can't sleep because of her nightmares."

"I've had them as well. Why I've been taking pills." He turns in his chair so he can face her. "You?"

"I'm not sure. I have dreams I know are memories but they don't scare me." She smiles. "Even the ones that should. Knowing you are there, with me, makes me happy. With monsters chasing after us and shooting lasers and bullets, you're still there." She leans down and kisses him lightly on the lips. You are always there with me.

"Maybe I'll try looking at my dreams like you do."

His phone beeps. "It should be ready. We'll go to the Factory and check a few more things and then..."

"We'll get the virus out of me."

News Station

Milly knows that she doesn't have much time. Jeremie and Ash are getting closer and closer to removing a virus from Ash and possibly deleting Xana. If that happens she will lose the story of the century. A story that will win her awards and make her a major name in the world. This blinds her to the fact she will be betraying Jeremie, Ash, and the others.

She walks off the elevator on the third floor of a building down town.

A receptionist sees her and is confused. "Yes dear?"

"Hello." She smiles at the receptionist. "I'm supposed to be meeting with Mr. Marcon."

"You're his five o'clock?" Milly nods. "I'll let him know." The receptionist presses a button. "Mr. Marcon, there is a child,"

"Reporter."

"A reporter here to see you."

"Ms. Solovieff?"

Milly nods

"Yes."

"Send her in."

Milly smiles as she walks towards the door to Mr. Marcon's office.

Factory

Jeremie and Ash go over the program they created. Mostly from memories.

Sitting down at the computer, Jeremie checks the program again. "This should work."

"Should." Ash is nervous as she watches the simulation run again. "Maybe we should wait for another Xana attack."

"You mean another return. If we need one." She nods and smiles. "Ash, the faster we do this the faster we can turn the Super Computer off."

"No!" She stamps her foot on the ground. "We need to delete him. To do that I need my memories."

He turns in the chair. "Any day, any time, he attacks he could kill someone. Including you."

"Or you." She looks in to his eyes. "I know that. Why I need my memories. Even if we shut this off," She motions towards the monitor. "Someone else can find it. Turn it on. Release Xana."

He sighs, taking her hands in his. "I know. I don't want to," They hear the elevator run. "Yumi must be back from wherever she went."

News Office

Milly stands next to Mr. Marcon after inserting a disc she made. With several video clips. "I swear, on my integrity as a journalist, this is all real. I can take you to the Factory any time you want."

"I had that first disc you sent me analyzed. My crew couldn't find any evidence of tampering."

"Because there is none." She clicks on another video. It shows a Xana ghost attack a rabbit, making it grow. "This was from two weeks ago." She shivers at the memory of the bite on her leg. "Xana, the Quantum Computer, and Ash are all real. All beyond anything we know about."

"An AI, from a virtual world, lives and breathes on Earth. And goes to your school."

"Yes." And dates my ex... whatever we were. "I've tried getting Jeremie to tell me more about the history of the computer but I don't think he knows. You might have the resources to figure out who made it, how, and why." If you believe me.

"You brought two more discs, yes?" She nods. "Good. I'll go over everything you brought and if I feel I can trust the source and evidence, I'll ask you to lead a camera crew to this... Factory."

She can barely contain her excitement. "Trust me, this is going to be the biggest news story of your career!"

Factory

Yumi sits on the floor, watching Ash and Jeremie as they tweak the simulation for any chance of an error. She is bored, lonely, as Ulrich is stuck in detention. She never knew Jeremie from before her family moved.

And Ash... isn't even human.

They talked here and there. Ash was filled with curious questions. Her memories helped her know more than any AI should but there are still gaps.

When the elevator starts going back up, she checks the time on her phone. "It has to be Odd. Ulrich is stuck in detention."

"Or Milly and Tamiya."

Yumi rolls her eyes. "I don't know why they would come here."

Ash smiles. "Milly loves asking me questions. She is as curious about me and Lyoko as I am about the world." Her happiness comes out as she thinks about all the time she has spent with Milly.

When the elevator comes back down and the doors open and... "Jeremie? Yumi?" A woman looks over at Ash. "Uh, I don't know who you are."

The three look over and see the woman. An older woman who looks tired. Clothes torn. Blood on the torn clothes. A sadness not known by any of them in her eyes.

"Who are you?" Jeremie gets up from the chair as he cautiously walks towards the woman.

"She's me!" Ash's shout makes the others flinch. "I mean, Aelita." She recognizes the pink hair. Faded with age and stress but still pink. "Aelita, wait, how are you here?"

"How are you all here? What day is it? Year? I meant to go back before Jeremie found me." Tears fill her eyes. "I'm too late. Xana is free. He's going to kill you again." She drops to her knees as she sobs. "I'm so sorry, Jeremie. Please, forgive me."

He rushes over and hugs her. "No, I'm not dead. We're not dead. We can stop him."

Ash walks over slowly. Unsure of what to do. Her former self is here in front of her. "Aelita, why are you here?" How doesn't matter right now.

"Xana, he, he got Jeremie. And Sanne. I can't contact Maya any more." Her arms wrap around Jeremie holding him closer. "Our Code Red has to be done. It is something Jeremie came up with two years ago."

Ash touches her shoulder gently "Code Red?"

"If all was lost, if Xana... If Xana, if Xana won. Whomever was left would go back and delete Xana and the Super Computer. We weren't sure it would work. Grandfather clause. But it was our last hope."

Jeremie whispers in to her ear. "It worked. I've been coming to the Factory for years but never knew why. It means for years the Code Red worked. Until I found my way down here and rebooted,"

"Rebooted?" Aelita pulls away. "Wait, so Lyoko wasn't here when you found the Factory?"

"No, it wasn't here. It didn't exist. Until I rebooted it."

Her eyes close as she thinks. "Grandfather clause means if I go back in time and delete Xana, then I don't need to go back in time. But I did go back. I did delete Xana. And then, what year is it?"

Jeremie tells her.

"Three years. I gave you and the others three years of peace." She stops. "Then why am I here now? How am I here?" She looks over at Ash. "You look like me and Bosh."

"I'm Ash. A merging of you and Bosh."

This is surreal "So I did change the past. Just... time travel is beyond our understanding."

Jeremie nods. "The Universe is not only stranger than we suppose, it is stranger than we can suppose."

Aelita smiles for the first time. "I remember that quote. I guess it is true about time travel as well."

Ash reaches down and pulls a disc case out of Aelita's pocket. "I know what this is." She looks towards the monitor. "This is the program. Isn't it?"

Aelita nods.

"Then we can delete Xana and stop him."

"I mean, the Keys, the virus, Jericho. Has he gotten any of them? Or are you infected? You're here, that's when he put it in me. The other parts, and Odd, wait." This is all too confusing.

"Keys? We don't know of any keys."

"Then there is still a chance he is tied to this Super Computer. He hasn't been freed yet." Which means deleting him will still stop him!

"No, he has not as far as I know." Ash looks down at her. "We can delete him. Right now." She holds her hand out.

Aelita slowly stands up after taking Ash's hand. "Before you do this, I have to ask." She looks at Jeremie, and then Ash. "Are you, and Jeremie, together."

The smile from Ash lights up the room. "Yes! He loves me. I am why he felt compelled to come here for years." Her hand finds Jeremie's. "Our memories help show us how much we mean to each other."

"Memories?"

Jeremie clears his throat. "All of us have memories of another timeline. One with a war, death, our children. I call them nightmares but Ash sees them as proof I love her."

Aelita looks at one and then the other. "When I run the program, I should die. I never come back in time because I never exist." She sighs. If that is even how time travel works.

Ash cocks her head slightly. "And yet here you are even though I am me and you are you."

"Maybe we should wait?"

Everyone turns towards Yumi.

"Wait? The sooner I do this the sooner Xana is dead! He," Aelita stops. "Ash, you are sure you still have the Key to Jericho, right?"

"Jericho?"

"Where the entrance to the internet is." Blank stares are the response Aelita gets. "Show me Lyoko."

The three computer inclined members of the group hurry over to the control panel.

Yumi can only watch in stunned silence. She had plenty of memories with Aelita. Dreams with her. Nightmares.

And now here the woman was. Looking tired, old, and having the program to delete Xana once and for all.

Later That Night

Milly leads Mr. Marcon and a camera crew to the Factory. "The way down is a bit tricky if you don't take the rope."

"Rope?"

"We can take it down but the camera people can't." She walks near the edge of the Factory. "I can show you the way down."

Inside the Control Room, an alarm goes off. "Oh, curfew is almost here." Jeremie puts his phone away.

"You all go back. I can keep going over this."

He shakes his head. "Aelita, I can't begin to understand what is going on. If we delete Xana now we don't know if you will disappear. What if you don't?"

She smiles slightly. "As long as you're safe, I don't care."

Ash can see the warmth Aelita looks at Jeremie with. She knows it is the way she looks at Jeremie. "I have an idea."

The two turn to her.

"I'm an AI, like you. I don't actually have parents. So, if you want," She fidgets with her hands. "And you don't disappear..."

"You'd want me to pretend to be your mother?" She nods. "It would make things easier for you."

"And you could stay close to Jeremie. I know no one else who would do everything they can to make sure he is safe." As long as he is safe that is all that matters to me. He loves me. An AI. He loves me so much he came here for years because he was drawn to me. Having Aelita here will only make him safer.

When the elevator starts running, they wonder who could be coming. "If it was one of the others wouldn't they just text us?"

Aelita brings up the camera in the elevator. When it comes up, they see Milly with a group of strangers. "Is that Milly?"

"Yes." Jeremie is stunned. "She betrayed us? Why?"

"One second," Aelita's fingers fly over the keyboard and the elevator stops. "They're trapped until we let them go." She smirks. "Could just let them starve to death. Watch them kill each other as they get desperate."

Everyone turns to her in stunned silence.

I've seen worse, sadly. "Or we launch a return. Except she will still betray you. You need to wipe her memory. Do you know how to do that?"

"Uh, theoretically,"

"No. We will launch a return then you need to get her here. Have Yumi and Ulrich drag her here."

Yumi shakes her head. "I can't be seen near Kadic Academy."

"Oh, because you go to Jacques? It doesn't mean you can't go to Kadic Academy."

"What? No. I live here."

I missed something. Yumi lives in the Factory? "Fine, then have Ulrich and Odd get her. Text them, let them know what is going on, and then I'll launch a return."

No one notices how quickly Aelita takes control of the group. After years of being in a war, this is nothing for her to deal with.

"What about Tamiya? She's not with Milly and the others."

"You're right, Yumi. Maybe only Milly is behind this? She might be more help than Ulrich and Odd in getting her here."

"We need a story. A reason to get Milly here." If this will even work. How Aelita can be so sure...

Jeremie gets his phone out and texts her SOS Xana. "Right now she doesn't know that we know about her doing this. I say we wait, text her the elevator is locked down, and then launch a return a few minutes later."

Ash nods in agreement. "Have the return place us at before breakfast. Between Tamiya, Ulrich, and Odd we can drag her here. Delete her memory, launch another return, and hope this works."

Ash reaches over and places a hand on Aelita's arm. "What about you? Will you still return when you did or earlier?"

"Shit!" This is not good. "That's right. Because of the rules we don't even understand, I won't be here. So you'll need the program to wipe her memories before we launch a return." Aelita starts typing away at the keyboard.

Jeremie sends a new text to Milly alerting her of the elevator being locked down.

Milly Text- I'll get there asap.

Jeremie Text- Be careful. We don't know what Xana is doing.

Yumi finishes texting Ulrich and Odd the situation and plan. "Uh, I don't have Tamiya's number. Ash?"

"I do!" She takes her phone out and alerts Tamiya to what is going on.

Ash Text- Do not tell her we need to surprise her

Tamiya Text- I got you. I can't believe she is doing this! This totally ruins her credibility as a reporter. A reporter must be able to keep secrets and off the record remarks off the record.

Ash Text- We worked on a story to get her here. We will text her that she needs to get here asap because Xana planted a virus in her and if she doesn't get scanned in the next 20 minutes she will die.

Aelita leans back in the chair. "I know this will make Xana stronger, but we don't have a choice." She looks up at the monitor. "Return to the past, now."

The white bubble comes up reversing time.

Control Room

Yumi sees Aelita sitting in the chair. "Wait, how far back did you go?"

"I, I don't know anymore. I tried for the morning. Can you check the time and date?"

Yumi fishes her phone out and looks. "It is the morning. Just before breakfast." She leans back against the wall. "I'm stuck alone all day today."

"Why? Why aren't you at Jacques?"

Yumi smiles weakly. "I ran away from home. I guess in the original timeline we found Xana and I convinced my family to stay here when my father lost his job." Aelita nods. "That didn't happen this time. Imagine how terrifying it is to see memories, have nightmares, with no idea what is going on. If I hadn't called Ulrich, and he didn't tell me, I'd probably be in a loony bin right now."

"I've dealt with a lot worse." Aelita looks down at her old friend. A friend much younger than the last time she talked with her. A friend that is still alive in this timeline. "So, you live here?"

"For now. I turned eighteen a couple of months ago. After that, it doesn'tt really matter." She fights back tears. "I can't go home. Even after my birthday. My family must be furious with me. I just, Ulrich is here. I've seen an entire world and history of us together. I'll never be able to go back to Japan, without him."

Aelita knows none of this makes sense. She doesn't even exist in this timeline. Ash does. Yet, somehow, she is there. Her friends remember a timeline that can't exist.

A timeline she left. She went back in time to delete Xana. She somehow had. Jeremie found a blank Super Computer. Did the grandfather clause somehow make this happen? Or had her time travel and interfering in such a way split the world in to two different timelines?

They both jump when Yumi's phone beeps. "Oh, the others, they're rushing Milly here right now."

"Tell them to take her straight to the Scanners. I'll delete her memory and launch another return. Since it seems I wasn't supposed to be here, the Super Computer doesn't know what to do with me and leaves me where I am."

Yumi texts Ulrich and the two ladies wait.

Minutes later, when the elevator runs, it goes directly to the Scanner Room. Milly gets inside of the middle Scanner and soon the doors close.

Through the camera, Aelita sees Tamiya has two phones. "What is she doing?"

Yumi looks over her shoulder at the screen. "She has Milly's phone. She's probably deleting everything on there about Xana."

"Then I'll give her a few minutes. Milly is trapped."

Inside the Scanner, Milly starts to panic. "Guys? What's wrong?" She pats her side. Where's my phone? "Guys! Am I getting scanned? You said I only had twenty minutes! Help!"

Odd and Ulrich start to sweat.

Tamiya finishes a factory wipe on Milly's phone. "Okay, we're in the clear." She looks up at the Scanner Milly is in. "I can't believe you did this, Milly. After all this time, we were going to be the greatest." She closes her eyes. "Now, you've proven you don't have the character needed to be a great reporter."

The Scanner powers up and soon the white bubble of the Return program launches again.

Kadic Dorms

Tamiya glares at Milly who is tearing the room apart. "I can't find my phone! Call it again!"

She still has Milly's phone. She has it set to silent. "Fine, but we didn't hear it the first dozen times."

She calls, holding back her anger. She had been working with Milly for years.

Both were going to apply for a media internship when they went to University. They had done everything together for years.

They had... Well, it didn't matter now. Milly had proven she is not the person Tamiya thought she was.

"Nope, went to voicemail."

"I have to find it! Maybe I left it in the gym locker room." She runs out, leaving Tamiya behind.

Tamiya Text- I think it worked. I'm hiding her phone for now so she's distracted.

Ash Text- Thank you! Aelita must still be at the Factory. I'll go now.

Tamiya Text- It is almost curfew

Ash Text- I don't care. This is more important

Factory

Aelita leans back in the chair while Yumi stands next to her. "Ash still has the virus in her?"

"Yes."

"I can fix that."

"I think Ash and Jeremie have it almost fixed."

Fingers fly over the keyboard as Aelita finds the program the two had been working on. "Wow, good thing I'm here. This would fail."

When the elevator starts, Aelita doesn't check the camera. She can already feel who it is.

The doors open and Jeremie, with Ash, step off.

Aelita turns in the chair to greet them. "Hey you two. If you want, I can cure Ash now."

"Really!?" Ash can't help but smile. "And then what?"

"We see what happens when I delete Xana. Again. I'm here and the Super Computer didn't move me. It doesn't seem to recognize me. I am under the belief I will be able to live this time." Which means I'll need to recreate myself with documents. And...

"And then you can be my mom!" Tears flow from Ash's eyes. "I never had one. In this timeline or yours."

"We had Uncle Rob."

"I know and I'll still be an AI but it will be like I'm almost human." She smiles even as she cries. "I'll be like Odd. An AI with a real family."

Aelita can't help but feel the tears in her own eyes. Thinking of her daughters. Two amazing girls who knew nothing but war and death. Now she could have one who... "You will know peace." Aelita turns to the monitor. "Get in the middle Scanner. Please."

Ash nods and takes the elevator down, with Jeremie, to the Scanner Room.

Yumi can't help but watch over Aelita's shoulder as they see Ash step in to the middle Scanner.

When the doors close, Yumi can barely hear the click clack of the keys over the beating of her own heart. Is this it? We clear Ash, delete Xana, and then the war is over before it starts?

Aelita is nervous as she watches the screen. Xana hasn't attacked. Why? Is he afraid of me? Does he even detect I'm here? The Super Computer doesn't. Maybe he can't either? If so, he is really confused as to what is going on.

The Super Scan pops up alerting them of an activated Tower. The last time... "Ha, too bad Xana. I'm here this time." She smirks. "I knew you would do this. Already made it so you can't affect the program."

The screen flashes a few times and then...

"Ash?"

She steps out of the Scanner and sees Jeremie. "Is that it?" She looks down at herself. "I don't feel any different." She pokes herself. "I'm not dreaming."

"No, you're not." Jeremie hugs her.

The Super Scan shows the Tower deactivate on its own.

Aelita motions to Yumi. "Text them to come back up."

She does and soon the elevator runs.

Kadic Academy

Milly comes back without her phone. "I don't get it. It's like my phone disappeared."

Tamiya ignores her, doing something on her phone.

Continuing the search, Milly raises her mattress becoming desperate to find her phone. "What if someone stole it? Tamiya, did anyone else come in here?"

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

Milly, too concerned with her phone, doesn't notice Tamiya's tone.

Tamiya, still on her phone, texts her boyfriend about how she will soon be having more free time.

Factory

Aelita loads the disc in to the Super Computer. "If I don't disappear, great. If I do, know this Jeremie," She leans over and kisses him on the cheek. "You are an amazing man no matter the timeline. Ash, he will love you until death do you part." She fights back her tears. "He proved that in my timeline and has done it in this one." She sighs. "Let his death come much later in this one than in mine." She sees the program load on the screen. "Goodbye, if this is the end."

"Aelita, I-"

She hits enter.

Kadic Academy

Ulrich texts with Yumi as she tells him what is going on.

Odd distracts Jim so he won't find Jeremie and Ash out after curfew.

Milly goes to the shower room, still searching for her phone.

Tamiya smiles as she continues texting with her boyfriend. He is a year older and goes to Jacques.

Tamiya Text- I promise, this weekend, is all yours.

William Text- I'll hold you to that.

Factory

Aelita opens her eyes. "I'm still here."

"We all are." Jeremie reaches down and takes her right hand in his.

Ash reaches down and takes her left hand.

The screen flashes with a C on it. Just like how Jeremie found it months ago.

Xana and Lyoko are gone. Again.

Jericho... if it ever rebooted, is gone.

The Hell from one timeline will never exist. There will be no war. No daughter sent back in time. Jeremie will never have to take a grenade and...

The three cry, as Yumi watches, feeling very uncomfortable. Wishing she could be at Kadic Academy with Ulrich. Hold him in her arms. Tell him how much she loved him, in person. Instead of by text.

Late That Night

Aelita walks Jeremie and Ash to the gates of Kadic Academy. "You'll be in trouble." She smiles. "That's why I'm here."

"Are you sure? Jim might not believe you."

She puts a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Don't worry. I've known him longer than you have." He was one of the first to believe us. Join us. Without him I never would have lived when I went in to labor. Who knew he once apprenticed as a mid wife? Not that he could ever talk about it.

They find Jim sleeping in front of Ash's door. Aelita leans down and studies his face. "Hey!"

His eyes snap open, and see a face only inches from his. "Oh, uh, hello?" He blinks a couple of times. "Who are you? Wait, what time is it?"

Aelita stands up and holds a hand out. "Need a hand up?"

"Sure, thanks Ma'am."

Once Jim is on his feet, he looks Aelita over. They made sure to get her some clean clothes before going to Kadic. "Should I know you?"

"Not yet." She smiles sweetly at an old friend who has no idea who she is. "I kept my daughter and her friend out a little late. We had good food, a good movie, and ended up falling asleep in the living room. I realize it is past their curfew so I felt I should walk them back."

"Well, that is understandable." He looks down at Ash. "Can clearly see the family resemblance. But," He looks back at Aelita. "Aren't you supposed to be in Canada?"

"Well, my husband and I..." She can't help but look avert her eyes towards Jeremie. "It's messy and I felt a trip to France would be what I needed. See my daughter and meet her friends like this fine young man."

"Well, I won't ask any more questions then. Jeremie, Ash, get to bed you still have class tomorrow."

"Thanks mom for walking us home." Ash hugs Aelita and struggles a little to break it. Xana is gone. Jeremie is alive. She is alive. She has a mother for the first time in her existence.

"You have a good night, dear." She pats Ash on the back. "Now, Jim is it?"

"Yes, and you are?"

"Aelita. A pleasure to meet you. However, it is late and I should be getting back. Even after that unplanned nap I'm a little tired from jet lag." With so much on my mind I doubt I'll ever be able to sleep. Am I really in this timeline now? Xana is gone. But will he come back? If all I'm doing is creating new timelines then it won't be as if we ever really defeat him. I should stop thinking about that. In this timeline he's gone. Jeremie is alive. That's all that matters. He is alive. She feels tears start to form in her eyes so she fakes a yawn and mimics wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Like I said, I'm tired."

"I'll escort you to the gate."

She can't help but smile at hearing the voice of an old friend. Memories of their time together. As a teacher or as a friend. A friend who held back a Krabe so she could escape. A friend she never saw again after that. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Jeremie gets on his phone and texts Ash a few minutes later after going to their separate rooms.

Jeremie Text- This is it, isn't it? Xana is gone. The Super Computer is off. In five more months we will graduate from here and then...

Ash Text- This is it! Our future is ours. My mom will be there for both of us.

Jeremie Text- She is more out of place, and time, than you are. I hope we can get everything together for her, and you, soon.

Ash Text- Even when we do, I'll stay here. I like being close to you.

Jeremie Text- I do too.

Hotel

Aelita stares at the ceiling. She hears Yumi snore lightly in the bed next to hers. Too many thoughts go through her head for her brain to turn off and fall asleep.

I am here now. We'll hack whatever documents we need for me. And Ash. My daughter. She's not Maya or Sanne. They, they're gone. Jeremie isn't my husband anymore. He'll be my son in law. I still love him. If Ash wasn't here I... I can't think about that. Even when he turns eighteen later this year. It won't work. I loved him for over twenty years. I can't stop loving him now.

She turns on her side, away from Yumi, hoping to keep her crying quiet enough it doesn't wake Yumi.

I can still love him. Just differently now. I'll be the best mother in law a man could ever have. I know he loves Ash. More than anyone ever could. There is still so much in this timeline I don't know or understand yet. Like why am I here? How? Will another me show up eventually? If Xana is deleted we have no reason to use the Super Computer. No reason to send me back in time. The other timeline still exists, I know it does, but it isn't this one.

Her mind continues going over everything that had happened and worries about the future keeping her awake until the Sun rises.

After Class The Next Day

Tamiya confirms that Milly is clueless about Xana and Lyoko.

Tamiya Text- If that's all, I'm going to meet my boyfriend.

Odd Text- You can come to the Factory, too. You are one of us.

Tamiya Text- No I'm not. I went through like a dozen attacks and don't have the memories like you do.

Odd Text- Then you have fun. I'll go and see everyone.

Odd smiles as he puts his phone in his pocket. "Aelita is a total mil-"

"Odd!" Ulrich yells over to him. "We're supposed to be meeting them now! Get off your ass and hurry."

"You're the one behind me!" He takes off, with Ulrich close behind him.

Hotel

Yumi looks at herself in the mirror. After sleeping on a real bed for the first time in... She couldn't remember.

She had slept better than ever before. The cot in the Factory was nothing like a real bed.

Aelita's crying only woke her up once. Not knowing what to say or do, she pretended she was still asleep. Nothing I could do, is there?

"Hey, we got to get going! I don't want to have the others waiting for us."

"Sorry, I'll be ready soon!" Maybe we could... I mean, I do need a place to stay. That isn't the Factory. She can be my aunt. I'll be a cousin to Ash. Which means I'd be a cousin to Odd. She smiles. He will make a good cousin I'm sure.

Factory

Jeremie and Ash made it first. Too excited for the meeting. "Jeremie, she loves you. More than I do."

"Don't say that." He wipes a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "She loves a different Jeremie."

She shakes her head. "No she doesn't. You are Jeremie. She's loved you for twenty years. Do you think she can just stop? I know I couldn't."

I thought about this. She loves me. Every time she looks at me I can see it. "So things might be... weird with her. She's in her mid thirties, I think."

"I didn't ask her. Did anyone?" He shakes his head. "Oh. Maybe we should?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?"

She looks down at her feet. "Well, I know things might be weird but she will be my mom. If I'm seventeen and she's only thirty two it might raise more questions than we want."

"We'll ask, later. For now?" He raises a hand and lifts her chin. "I'm here with you."

"I know."

He sees the look in Ash's eyes. He can see the love in them. "I love you, Ash."

"I love you, too." They hug each other closely as the others hurry to the Factory.

Soon...

Aelita and Yumi take the elevator down and find Ash and Jeremie hugging.

Yumi sees Ulrich isn't there yet so she goes over to her old cot and sits down on it.

Aelita walks over to the two. "Hey, we're here."

"I know." Ash doesn't let Jeremie go.

"Are you scared?" Please don't be scared. We deleted Xana. He's gone.

"No." Ash doesn't look at her.

"What's wrong?"

Since Ash won't respond, Jeremie does. "We were wondering how old you are. If you're young, ish, then Ash might not be able to pass you off as her mom."

"Oh!" When you're on the run, going from base to base, you do lose track of time. "Thirty three. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

She does the math. "So I was sixteen. Got married young, and now that we're older and after a bit of fighting, I separated from your father. Moved here from Canada." She taps her chin. "We can lie and make myself a year or two older. Age doesn't matter that much to me."

Finally, Ash lets Jeremie go. "I don't want people to think poorly of you. I know teenage pregnancy is looked down upon. People would judge you,"

"It doesn't matter what others say or think." She messes with Ash's hair. "It might help my backstory for why I left your father."

Ash sees Aelita's eyes look at Jeremie.

"What will you do? You, your friends, they aren't here."

"What do you mean? They're all here." All of them are. None of them are dead. They're all alive. I haven't seen some of them in years.

"Well, I guess we are." Yumi fights back the urge to bite her nail. "It might be a little weird, you hanging out with us, at least until we're older."

"Let it be weird. I've lost you. Yumi, you and Ulrich went out to scout a new base and never came back. I told myself maybe you were captured. Still alive. We could rescue you." Aelita has to force the smile on her face. "It was foolish, I knew that. But I wanted you both to have a chance."

She closes her eyes as tears fill them. "Odd, and Samantha, those two took out a control tower. We liberated a third of Portugal. At least, for a few days. We almost..." Until to continue, Aelita sits down on the floor. "We were fools. We were never going to win." She wipes the tears from her eyes and looks at the control panel. "Until now."

Ash reaches out and pulls Aelita in to a hug. "We won because of you. You, you really love Jeremie."

"Of course." Aelita fights back the urge to push Ash away. Fight for Jeremie. This isn't my Jeremie. Ash has him. He loves her. He only met me... Stop. He is Jeremie. I love him. But I can't have him. I will always love him. He died for me.

Her thoughts are too much and the tears flow harder as she starts to sob.

Jeremie feels uncomfortable. Ash wants to give Aelita the world. She has never had a mother. Now one shows up who literally died by deleting herself to save us. No, me. Ash didn't exist until I rebooted the Super Computer. Neither of them existed until... Time travel is weird.

Yumi is happy to hear the elevator run. Hoping Aelita will compose herself before the others come down.

She mostly has when the doors open.

"Wow, uh, did we come at a bad time?"

"No Odd. I, I'm so happy to see you. Hear you." She cocks her head to the side. "Where's Samantha? Is she not in the group?"

"What? No, of course not. I gotta keep my lovely ladies away from this." He smiles at her. "Need a tissue? I have a couple."

"How thoughtful."

"Hey, I might need them too." We did it. The memories I have of the other time... I bet I could convince my dad to pay for therapy if I need it. Maybe let him know I know that I'm an AI.

He is as sweet as I remember him. "Thank you, Odd. I think I'll be okay though. I have my daughter, and my future son in law." She smiles. "I have family here. Not the same as what I left, but, I love them."

Jeremie and Ash both blush.

"So, now what?" Everyone turns to Ulrich. "Xana is dead, right? And Lyoko was deleted. What do we do? Jeremie rebooted the Super Computer once before. What if someone else does in the future?"

Aelita looks at the control panel. "We have a way of destroying Super Computers. It is dangerous but possible."

"Dangerous?" She nods. "More Dangerous than Xana coming back?"

"No. Although I'm not sure where to get Plaston or C4 as a civilian."

Ulrich and the others are stunned.

"Wait, explosives? You just blow them up?" She nods. "That... works."

"How did you think we did it?"

"I, didn't really think about it."

No one else had either.

"We have time. I'll stay nearby with my niece, Yumi. We can keep the Factory under surveillance until I can destroy it."

"What are you doing for money?" Her mischievous smile makes Ulrich guess. "Hacking?"

"Of course. I'll just transfer some money around from oversea bank accounts people can't report as missing money. We did it before, well, in about seven months from now." She chuckles. "Time travel."

"So... How much could you get us?"

"Odd, as much as you want." His eyes go wide. He wasn't expecting that answer. "Later. When you're old enough to have your own bank account without Unkie Rob's supervision."

"Unkie Rob?"

"What we, Bosh and I, always called him. Although, I think I might be the same age as him now. Depending on how many years we add to me."

Odd laughs. "He might be. But he knows about you. I think. I have memories that might be, that. It's hard to explain."

She nods. "He does! Although what a surprise I'll be for him. Ash too. I'd love to see him again. It's been..." She stops. Thinking of how he helped get some survivors from an attack to a medic ward they had hidden away. One that was attacked a few days later. Never seeing him again. "Well, we haven't met yet now."

Time travel would complicate some things. Aelita never existing until now would as well. But, working together, they would get through it.

Five Months Later...

Ash is excited to be moving in with her mom. Having graduated from Kadic Academy, she is now free to move in with her mom.

Aelita. Tech millionaire from Canada after having divorced her husband.

Ash would go to Jacque next fall, with Jeremie and the others. For now, she would get to spend months with her mom. An experience Aelita never had.

Unkie Rob is coming to pick Odd up and to meet his new nieces. After having talked for months, he was handling things better than Aelita expected.

He always did seem to roll with the punches. I'm glad my family gets to grow some more.

Ulrich is helping Yumi move in to her aunt's house. They were together, and very happy.

However, his relationship with his father... If my father thinks he can send me to a school in Germany he's shit out of luck. Aelita already told me she'll pay for any place I want to go. Yumi wants us to go Jacques with the others. So that is where I'm going.

Odd loved having such a cool aunt. One who teased him about his many dates. And maybe slid him an extra Euro or twenty to make sure he was the best gentleman for whichever lady he was with that date.

Aelita was the cool mom, aunt, or old family friend of everyone.

Well, for one person...

Jeremie's Birthday 2 Months Earlier

Aelita pulls him aside after Ash and the others have their plates full of cake.

He is unsure of what she wants. Yes he was now another year older, and Ash and he were... Well, Aelita is acting as her mother so he understood her worries. Not that there was anything to worry about.

She holds up a glass of wine she had been sipping from. "Jeremie, I'm happy you're here."

"Well, you all invited me here for my birthday party."

She smiles. "No, I mean here. You died protecting me. I lost you. Seeing you here, now." I cried myself to sleep for weeks over it. Having you so close. Knowing it won't ever be what I had before. "You're as strong and kind as you ever were in my time line."

"I hope I can be even half the man I see in my memories."

"Oh, you are, and more." She leans closer to him. Her face inches away from him.

Wait, she's had quite a bit to drink today. She might be...

"But know this. Ash, she is me. In a weird twist of the Universe, I am my own mother in a way. I care for her." She leans back. "In my time, we waited until we were married."

Oh! Oh, wait, no.

"I, we haven't, not in this time line. I swear."

"You were always the one to hold me back." Her smile grows. "You are as amazing now as your were in my time. If you," She motions towards him with the hand that has her drink. "Ever want to stay here, I know it will be okay. You two could cuddle together on the couch, watching a movie, any time you want. Spend the night even. I know and trust you."

Is she really saying this?"My parents might not be okay with that."

"So lie, say you're staying with Odd or Ulrich. I don't care. Anything I can do to make you happy. You've risked your life for the others. They have for you. But me? I had them all die to protect me." She looks towards the door to the other room their friends are in. "One way or another, even if they were hundreds of miles away, died for me." She laughs lightly. "Why do you think I am so liberal with my money? If Odd wants a new car, he'll get one. If Ulrich and Yumi want to honeymoon... on the Moon? I'd pay for it. You? If you ever get sick, need an organ, I'll donate it. I'd cut my own heart out and give it to you if that is what it took to keep you going another day."

This time, Jeremie is the one to cry. She had cried so much she wasn't sure she could produce tears any more. For him, this was a gift no one else could give. "Thank you, Aelita."

"No, thank you." For being the man you were, and are. "Wipe those tears off and go get another birthday kiss from Ash. You deserve it."

Now

For one person she was the kindest, most caring, person in the world.

A/N A little... rushed, but got the ending I wanted. Aelita appears due to timey wimey stuff and saves the day! Before Xana can grow strong. Before he discovers Jericho, the internet, and escapes. And then we get a mostly happy ending for the Lyoko Gang.