Warning: Rated for language, some violence and adult behavior.

The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.


"The next thing I want to talk about is the attack on Yumi a couple of months back," Jeremie Belpois said. Yumi perked up at the mention of her name.

She and Allen Maxwell were sitting in the small conference room of the Kadic Group's offices in Washington DC, listening to Jeremie, Desmond Hopper, Aelita and Yumi's mother relating information the group had been gathering about XANA's followers recently. For the most part, the conversation had been one way. Those on the Paris end of the phone were doing all of the talking, and Allen and Yumi listened.

"Yumi, have you been bothered by the police lately?" Desmond asked.

"No," was the reply, "Detective Barns stopped coming around about three weeks after it happened."

"Okay, then you probably haven't heard any of this," Jeremie said, "we may have a lead on René. We think he may be one René Matisse of Calais. He matches the description you gave the authorities and he was in the United States at the time of the incident. If and when we get a picture of him, we'll forward it to you. We've put his name out with our other info dumps, so maybe something will turn up."

"I hope so," Yumi said, "I would love the opportunity to talk to him again, preferably with a blowtorch."

"Only a blowtorch, huh?" Jeremie said, "I would have thought you would want to really hurt him. Well, anyway, we've also gotten more information on that bug they found in you. A report from the Centers for Disease Control says it is something totally unique, an artificially created single celled organism that seems to target nerve tissue in the body. Once introduced in a body, the things attach themselves to nerve cells and stays there. Past a certain point, they'll just circulate in the body, waiting for the chance to move on."

"Move on where?" Allen asked.

"Another host," Aelita said, "we also intercepted the autopsy report of Raymond Nellis, the other man that kidnapped Yumi. One of the things noted in the report was a strange structure found in his tongue. For lack of a better term, it looks like he had small fangs in his tongue, and they were connected to sacs that had high concentrations of the organism. The doctors couldn't speculate what they were for, but we believe it is the way the organism spreads itself. The fangs in the tongue inject the victim with the bug."

"That explains something that's been bothering me," Yumi said, "remember what I said about the bugger phenomenon? Two people kissing, but not enjoying it? They would hold each other so the other wouldn't move, or escape? And it was like they were frenching each other but more like they were trying to force something in the other's mouth? When René and Raymond did that, René said they 'needed to exchange information.' What if the purpose of those fangs is not only to infect other people, but to exchange the parasites with other infected people?"

"Interesting," Desmond said, "I wonder what 'information' would be passed?"

"We don't know, yet," Jeremie said, "another thing that came out in the report was the DNA structure of the organism is unique. It's more densely packed than human DNA, about one hundred times more dense."

"Whatever for?" Allen asked.

"Yet another question to be answered," came the reply.

The conference continued for about a half hour longer, then Yumi's mother spoke up.

"Dear, how is school?" she asked Yumi.

"Good, mom," was the reply, "I just finished up my last final today. Now it's just a matter of getting through the summer."

"Are you coming home?"

"I'd love to, but there are some things Allen wants me doing over the summer, so I'll probably be staying here."

"What things?" her mother asked.

"Several things actually, Miko," Allen said, "given some of the hoops Yumi has been jumping through, I'm going to set her up in an apartment here, close to the school. That way, she doesn't have to run to the office to change clothes when she has to go out at night. It will also lend a little more credence to her cover story. We're also going to see about getting her a car to get around in. I've also got a few more ideas to fill her free time this summer, but they won't pan out until later on."

"Well, it seems your sugar daddy is taking very good care of you, darling," Mrs. Ishiyama said, "I hope you have been returning the favor."

"Mother!" Yumi shrieked. The sounds of laughter came back to her from the speakerphone.

"You know I'm kidding," she said, "but would you consider coming home for a few weeks? Your friends are graduating from Kadic Academy, and I thought you would want to celebrate with them."

"It's tempting mom, but..."

"Also, Ulrich is graduating. I'm sure he would appreciate seeing you again, your other means of communication not withstanding."

Yumi smiled at the idea. "Does he know?"

"I have not said anything to him," was the reply.

Yumi's smile got bigger, "good. Let's see if I can surprise him."

Keeping the surprise from Ulrich looked to be a difficult task. Supposedly, their bond precluded any secret from being kept, but Yumi had learned that even though something couldn't be hidden from Ulrich, he had to look for it in order to find it. As long as he didn't ask, and she didn't let it slip, he wouldn't find out.


Yumi packed up her things and got ready to clear out for the summer. She would store most of her stuff at the office; she would only be taking a few clothes and other personal necessities home. Jessica sat on her bed, watching the ritual. She was taking summer classes, so she would be staying.

"It bums me out that you're leaving," Jessie said, "it's been fun rooming with you this year."

"Even with my late night serenades?" Yumi asked.

"Especially your serenades," Jessie replied with a smile, "listening to you dream about your boyfriend was better than watching porn sometimes."

Yumi blushed at that.

"So what are you doing for the summer?" Jessie asked.

"I'm going home for a few weeks, then coming back," Yumi replied, "Ulrich is graduating from Ravensbrook, and I'm going to surprise him, hopefully."

"I almost wish I could go with," Jessie said, "I'd love to meet the Phantom Lover in person. I mean, the way you go on about him sometimes, I'd swear he's Tom Cruise with a twenty inch tongue."

"Not quite twenty," Yumi replied, smiling, "but long enough."


The flight back was long. Time-wise, it was about the same duration as her trip to Washington, but time seemed to slow because of her anticipation of home and what she would find.

Yumi had kept in touch with Aelita and Jeremie through the Kadic Group, but most of the time it was business. Jeremie explained that Odd and Sissi usually didn't participate because they had nothing substantial to contribute to the discussion. They always talked among themselves at school or at the factory.

Yumi's mother had sent her pictures of the family, of the gang, and the familiar sights of home. She even sent a picture of Rachael Stern that she took with Ulrich when they visited him at Ravensbrook. Yumi almost cried when she saw the smile on his face, and did cry when she saw the smile on his mother's face, a genuine smile of happiness that somehow broke through all the years of sadness and torment. She longed not only to take her husband in her arms again, but Rachael too; to comfort her somehow and to thank her for the wonderful gift she gave Yumi of her son.


Yumi saw her father waiting for her just outside of the security checkpoint at the airport. She ran over and jumped in his arms, hugging and kissing him.

"Yumi-chan! It's good to see you again!" Takeo said, breaking free of her embrace, "now, we must hurry home. Ulrich called just before I left. There's been trouble and he's bringing his mother over to the house."