Warning: Rated for subject matter.

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.


She was cleaning her room one day when she found it, hidden in her underwear drawer behind her panties. A suitable place for it, given what it was.

She took the box out and shook it, thinking it was empty. She was surprised when the box rattled. She opened it and a foil wrapped package fell out.

I can't believe it! There's one left!

Yumi Stern looked at the packet, and remembered.

Her cousin Kichi Sato had given it to her years ago, when she had visited her native Japan. That visit had been exciting in a couple of ways, but what Kichi remembered, and commemorated with her gift, was Yumi's dreams of Ulrich, now her husband. To Urrick, who inspired the songs that serenaded my sleep, Kichi had written in her note.

Both Yumi and Ulrich were surprised when she opened the gift, and appreciative of the thought later on. They were alone, in a secluded spot, and had just been given the one thing that every young couple should have to add to their enjoyment and subtract from their risk. And they enjoyed Kichi's gift every time they used it. So did Yumi's friends.

"Hi, mom, whatcha doin'?"

Yumi pulled herself out of her reverie and looked around. There, standing in the doorway of her bedroom, was her teenage daughter, Abagail.

"Oh, nothing, dear. Just reminiscing."

"About what?"

"Young love."

"Huh," Abagail grunted. Then she asked, "what's that in your hand?"

"This? Oh, it's an old condom. I found it in my underwear drawer and was just thinking back."

"Eeww! Too much information!"

Yumi got a wicked smile on her face, "you realize of course, that I have had sex a time or two. With your father even."

"Aaaaahhhhh! Stop! LA LA LA LA! I'm not hearing what I'm hearing! LA LA LA LA!"

Abagail went on like that for a few more minutes then finally stopped. There was a moment of silence, then Yumi started moaning, "oh Ulrich, more! Give it to me more! More! Oh, YES! OH YES!" She added pelvic gyrations to her words for emphasis.

"Aaaaahhhhh! LA LA LA LA! I'm not hearing what I'm hearing! LA LA LA LA!"

Yumi chuckled at her daughter until she stopped again, then both girls laughed.

"Seriously," Yumi said after they settled down, "I got these from my cousin years ago. I was waaaay too young to be doing what I was doing then, but I had just enough sense to use these when I did. Now, I would like to think that my only daughter, the apple of her father's eye, is as pure as the new fallen snow, but if not, I hope you have enough sense to use some protection."

"Mom, I haven't had the need, nor the desire, honest," Abagail replied.

"What about what's-his-face?"

"Raoul? Not to put too fine a point on it, but Raoul will get between my legs about thirty seconds after Hell freezes over, if then. He's cute, but something about him sets my creepy-meter off. As a matter of fact, I'm going to break it off with him when I see him next."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Abby," Yumi said, secretly relieved. Her daughter was right, Raoul was a creep, and, she suspected, a dangerous one.

After a moment, Yumi said, "dear, I want you to have this," extending the condom package to her daughter, "don't use it, it expired years ago."

"Then why give it to me?" her daughter asked.

"One of these days, you're going to meet someone that you will desire that way. When you do, and when you decide to do something about it, I want you to keep this as a reminder to protect yourself. Not just from the things it was designed to prevent, but from other things as well, like sleeping with the wrong guy, or doing it at the wrong time. Whenever you get that feeling, that it's the right time and he's the right one, pull this packet out and look at it for a second, then ask yourself this question; is it worth stopping long enough to get a new one? If you can't answer 'yes' to that question, then maybe you need to cool it and wait. Because maybe, just maybe, something or someone is pressuring you into doing something you shouldn't do. A guy ought to be able to keep it zipped long enough for you to get a condom, if he cared anything about you."

"And, if I decide it is worth stopping?"

"Then get a condom and live with the consequences of your actions. Only time will ultimately tell whether or not you messed up."

Abagail took the packet from her mother. She looked at it for a moment, then put it in her pocket.

"One more thing," Yumi said, "if you do follow through on your intentions, open the packet after you're done. It's a useless gesture, I know, but doing so will make you a member of the Order."

"The Order?"

"Yes, The Order Of The Green Condom."