Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko or pretty much anything else except John, Lily and Jenny. Please ask me before using.
A/N: Alrighty, I'm going to try and make this chapter extra-long and get the guys back in their respective bodies. But! Does that mean the story is over? Not by a freaking long shot! I've even got a sequel in the—I mean, nothing. After the story is done, that's it. Yes. (shifty glance) Also, I noticed there was a typo in John's last sentence in his little 'rant' about mankind- "There are out for their own needs!" or something to that effect. It should be "They are out for their own needs!" I apologize. I must have been thinking about typing one thing and ended up typing something else.
And don't forget to visit my other CL fic, Digital Love. Please?
The Switch
Part Seven
The gang remained silent as they all stepped off of the bus and into the airport. John finally finished sniffling and just walked on almost as if he was a condemned man walking to the gallows. Jeremie worried even more about the mental state of John, Ulrich tended to Yumi's bruised and possibly broken nose and Odd was slowly munching on a candy bar he put in his backpack, still a little shaken by John's outburst (A/N for lack of a better word).
They all walked silently onto the plane, taking the same seating positions they had on the bus; Ulrich next to Yumi, Odd by himself and Jeremie next to John (with John still not happy about it.)
"Why do you INSIST on sitting next to me?!" John said.
"Because I want to help you!"
"Oh yeah, just like how you 'helped me' on the bus. Talking sure did help there."
"Ignoring that…why do you want to sit by yourself all the time? We haven't been mean to you yet, have we?"
"No. But that's because I'm in Girly's body. Once I get in my own body, you're all going to have a fricking field day on me."
"No. We're not. So please, just relax and savor the time you have with friends."
"…Friends?" John said. The word felt rusty, unused after such a long time.
"Friends…" he said again. "It's going to be a very, very long time before we hit 'friend' status, Jeremie."
"You have trust issues, don't you…?" Odd said.
"You're just now noticing this, Dog-boy?" John asked.
"Dog-boy?!...WHY YOU LITTLE!" Odd yelled, jumping at John.
Ulrich and Jeremie managed to catch Odd before he reached John, with John cringing slightly and turning his head towards the window.
"Point proven…" John said quietly.
"Well, maybe if you didn't insult Odd, he wouldn't have attacked you!" Ulrich cried.
"Still." John said, and with that, stared out the window and fell asleep.
Dream Sequence
John's dreams were scattered, and many, so I'm going to try and describe them the best I can…
Dream 1
John was walking down a hall in Kadic with Lily, who was laughing gently. John looked over at Lily. She was stunningly beautiful. John's heart always sped up a few miles every time he looked at her.
"Lily, I have something to tell you.."
"Yes, John?" she said, gazing at John.
"I…I love you."
"I love you too, John." Lily said, smiling, and the two leaned in to kiss.
Dream 2
John looked around, then to his feet. Lily was laying there, dead, having been stabbed several times in the back and heart. John yelped in surprise and looked around to see a man running away. John knew he could never catch up with the man at this point, so he merely dropped to his knees and sobbed into the ground.
Dream 3
John was sitting in a living room with his arm around Lily's head. The two were watching TV as a little boy with messy black hair and icy blue-green eyes ran around the room with a toy boat. A little girl sat on John's lap, eyes intent on the TV. Lily laughed to herself, and John gave Lily a quick kiss. He took a sip of his coffee, and then the scene changed once more.
Dream 4
John was standing over a rather large hole with a coffin over it. The gravestone read 'Lily Rilef, 1991-2006'. John began crying once more. Nobody else was at the service, just John. He quietly left and got in his car, but continued to sob for hours.
Dream 5
John was at a wedding, one with John's son and a strange looking girl with pink-blond hair and deep blue-green eyes. (A/N You should know what I'm getting at here!) Lily was standing next John, sipping on a glass of champagne. John began clapping happily, and everyone else did too. He began laughing just out of sheer delight.
Dream 6
John was sitting on a couch alone in a dingy apartment. Lily had been dead for 3 years now, and John finally figured enough was enough. He slowly brought a shiny revolver to his forehead and whispered a quick prayer. He pulled the trigger.
End Dreams
John woke up abruptly with Jeremie shaking her gently.
"NYAAAAAAH!" she yelled.
"Sssshh!" Jeremie said. "What's wrong? You were talking in your sleep."
John turned the same color pink as Aelita's hair and asked, "…I was? What was I saying?"
"Something about Lily. Her being dead or something like that?"
"…Yeah. Bad dreams mixed in with good. Stuff like that."
"You like Lily, don't you?" Jeremie asked, smiling.
"What? No! Of course not!" John said.
"Then why are you still blushing?"
"…You there, shut the fuck up." John said, turning.
"Listen. Make friends with Lily. She's led pretty much the same life you have, save having a close friend killed in a freak accident."
"Oh? How's that?"
"She's an outcast. She sits by herself at every meal, everyday. She is subject to much torment by Sissi and her goons. And she has no friends."
"Nonsense. She was nice and kind to me in the infirmary after I ran into the steel pole."
"You ran into a steel pole?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
"Anyhow. Yes. She has gone through all that, and has still managed to be kind and nice to other people."
"Meh. I'll have to talk to her later."
"You should do that." Jeremie said, and nothing more was said about the matter.
A few hours later, the plane landed and the gang filed out of the plane to see Aelita sitting in a bench, munching on what looked like a cinnamon bun from Cinnabon (A/N Yummy!).
John immediately saw him and ran over to him.
"BODY!!" she yelled giddily, jumping on Aelita.
"AAACK!" Aelita yelled, getting smothered by John.
(A/N Okay, things are about to get –really- confusing. Those who are easily confused by stuff may want to stop reading now.)
"Oh, body, it's so good to see you!" John said.
"Okay…" Aelita said, getting up.
"Aelita! Are you alright?!" Jeremie asked.
"Jeremie! I'm fine, thanks…how have things been?"
"Boring, to be honest…and don't worry, John hasn't made you a laughingstock."
"Good. I'd have to beat him up if he did." Aelita said with a laugh.
John got up off the floor and walked over to the rest of the gang.
"Hey, you mind if I do a few things while I'm here?" John asked.
"Eh…Sure, we've got a few hours before we have to get on the next plane. But what is it you want to do?" Jeremie replied.
"Fetch my iPod…I might go insane soon. Plus I wanted to give Michael a visit." John said, grinning evilly.
Aelita turned. "Michael? Let me come with you," he said, giving an equally evil grin.
"Gladly, Girly." John said. "Ulrich. Dog-boy. Would you mind coming with us?" he asked, gesturing at the two of them.
"Who's this Michael guy?" Odd asked.
"He's the guy that made me unconscious for over 12 hours…" Aelita said, voice dark and angry.
Ulrich and Odd gasped simultaneously. "We'd love to." They said, wearing the same expression as Aelita and John.
Ulrich, Odd, Aelita and John ran off to accomplish their plans while Jeremie and Yumi stayed behind. (A/N I know what you're thinking; no, there will be no JxY.)
With John, Aelita, Ulrich and Odd
The foursome ran out of the airport and down the street.
"Where are we headed exactly?" Odd asked.
"To Michael's. He lives right next to my house." John answered.
"And your house is where?" Ulrich asked.
John said nothing, just turned left and stopped in front of a medium sized house painted a bright blue.
"Right here." John answered.
"Wow. It's nicer than I expected." Odd said.
"That's what they all say. Come in, I need to give you guys some things…" John said.
John kicked open the door to his house, resulting in a large crash.
"DAD! I'M HOME!" she yelled.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Aelita asked.
"Going to give my dad a little going away present…" John said, grabbing a golf club from the umbrella bin.
"Why is there a golf club in the…?" Odd half asked.
"My dad's a drunk. Puts stuff everywhere."
"JOHN! THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" came a roar from the upstairs.
"Come to give ya a little present, you asshole!" John yelled.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
"I'd love to see ya try!"
"John is PISSED…" Ulrich whispered to Odd.
"Ya think?" Odd replied.
John's father came running down the stairs holding what appeared to be a rolling pin.
"John, you were dead the minute your mother gave birth to you."
"Sven, you were dead the minute I stepped inside."
"Why you cheeky little bastard."
"Thank you," John said, smiling.
"Wait a minute. You're talking, but your lips aren't moving…how?" Sven asked.
"Simple, Sven…I'm in a different body…look to your left." John said.
"What the hell are you talking about, boy?" Sven said.
Sven looked to his left, and saw John standing there in a battle-ready stance, holding the golf club defensively. John's face was locked in an expression of fury and somewhat of an 'I'm smarter than you are' kind of thing. Sven immediately knew it was John, he always used that expression and stance.
"I always knew you were a girl on the inside, John. And now it comes out." Sven said, walking closer to John.
"You dirty sunnuvabitch." John said, lunging at Sven with the golf club.
Back at the airport
Yumi and Jeremie were sitting on a bench in the airport waiting for John and the others to come. Jeremie was quietly chewing on the rest of the cinnamon bun Aelita had left behind.
"Jeremie, you seem stressed." Yumi said, stating the obvious.
"This is all just so strange with John. It seems impossible that one human being doesn't have one person who cares for them for almost a year."
"I don't know; did you have friends before you found the supercomputer?" Yumi replied.
"No, but I had loving parents. From what John tells us, he doesn't have those. Who knows how warped his psyche has become due to this." Jeremie sighed.
Back at John's house
"Time for your beating, boy!" Sven yelled, diving at John with the rolling pin.
"Never again, old man!" John cried, and swung the golf club at Sven's head, meeting its target right at the temples.
"ARGH!" he cried, clutching his head in pain.
Aelita, Ulrich and Odd took a few steps back to avoid being hit by John or Sven's assault. They could do nothing but stare with their mouths wide open as they witnessed the amazing sight of son and father fighting.
"Yeah, you like that, you dirty bastard?" John asked, whacking him once more with the golf club.
"Shut up, John, and prepare to take your lumps!" Sven cried, swinging the rolling pin and having it meet with John's golf club in mid-air. It was like a pseudo Star Wars moment.
"Why, Sven? Why do you hate me so?" John asked.
"Because you aren't mine." Sven said, struggling against John's golf club.
"W-What?" John said; face changing from fury to confusion.
"Your mother cheated on me…you were some other guy's kid. You were never my kid. That's why your mother and I split up." Sven said, brushing a strand of blond hair out of his eyes.
"Somehow, I'm not surprised…" John said, and kicked Sven in the crotch.
"Dammit!" Sven said, and passed out.
John lifted up her 'father's' body and threw it into the river in the backyard.
"All righty then…now that we've got that unpleasantry out of the way…" John said, clapping her hands together. "Ready to go meet Michael, Ulrich? Odd?" John asked, smiling brightly.
Aelita, Ulrich and Odd just took a few steps back again.
"You…you just knocked out and possibly killed your father…" Odd said.
"He wasn't my father. I don't care. Plus, the bastard deserved it. Now. Let me fetch my iPod and we can be off." John said, running upstairs.
Back at the Airport…again
"Why do you care so much, Jeremie?" Yumi asked.
"I don't know. After hearing that kid's story, I just don't want him to end up screwed for all eternity. I want him to have at least an okay life." Jeremie said, taking another bite of the cinnamon bun.
"I know what you mean. I want to help him, but he's just so intolerant of other people." Yumi said.
"He might not be able to trust people ever again. If he does, he'll still have a bit of paranoia, constantly fretting that his friends will stab him in the back later, either literally or metaphorically." Jeremie said.
"And by his friends, you mean us?" Yumi asked.
"Us and that girl he met earlier, Lily. I think he's taken a shine to her. No, scratch that, I know he has. Now we just need to teach him to trust us." Jeremie said.
"That's going to be really difficult." Yumi said.
"Harder than finding the anti-virus or the materialization program, that's for sure." Jeremie replied.
Jeremie looked over to his left to see John and the rest of them running back. He also noticed John looked happy for once.
"About time you got here!" Jeremie yelled.
"Yeah, well, we got sidetracked." John said.
Jeremie looked down to see what looked like a large red stain on John's shirt.
"What's that stain there?" he asked.
"Oh, blood, most likely." John said as if it was nothing.
"Blood?! From what?!" Jeremie inquired astonishingly.
"Oh, I was forced to cut Michael a bit." John said.
Jeremie looked over to the other three, who wore expressions that looked as though they had just seen a great crime against nature.
"What--"
"Never, ever, ever ask." Ulrich said. "EVER."
A Few Hours Later, On the Plane
Jeremie was sitting next to Aelita, John next to Odd and Ulrich next to Yumi (duh).
"Aelita, are you alright?" Jeremie asked.
"Yes, I am. I'm just glad to be out of that hellhole." Aelita responded, smiling.
"Amen to that!" John cried.
Everyone laughed. "John seems to be warming up to the group well." Aelita commented.
"It's about time; he had a total breakdown on the bus earlier." Jeremie said.
"He did?" Aelita asked.
Jeremie recounted the mishap on the bus to Aelita.
Aelita gasped. "Wow. And I thought John's life sucked enough as is."
"The important thing is, he's happy now. But it might just be a mood swing." Jeremie said, sighing.
"Mood swing? Why?" Aelita asked.
"Well, your body is making hormones that conflict with his hormones, sending him into a state of emotional confusion."
"I think I actually understood that for once," Aelita said, smiling.
Across the aisle, Yumi was worried at Ulrich's silence. She tried to start a conversation, but nothing worked.
"Ulrich, what happened?" she tried.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked.
"Yes. Tell me, what the devil went on?"
"Alright. First, we went to John's house, where John beat up and possibly killed his dad, who turned out to in fact not be his dad because his mom cheated on him. Then John went to Michael's house, where he beat him with the golf club and cut his leg 'accidentally'. He beat on him some more and threw him into the river behind his house. After that we left and came to the airport. I think John really enjoyed torturing Michael, which sort of creeped me out a bit."
Yumi stared at Ulrich, mouth agape. "…You're right, let's never speak of that again…" she said, turning and staring out the window.
Another few hours later, back in France. (A/N I'm sorry, but I can't think of any other good transitions…)
The gang stepped off of the bus into blinding sunlight.
"Ack! Light!" John said, shielding her eyes.
"Alright, let's head to the factory so we can get you guys back in your own bodies." Jeremie said, starting off.
"Good, I'm so tired of being in this body…" Aelita said lethargically.
"I'll second that." John said, following Jeremie.
Walking to the factory, John and Aelita began to talk freely…mainly 'what the hell did you do in my body'.
"Alright, what's the damage?" John asked.
"Excuse me?" Aelita asked.
"What happened while I was trapped in your body?"
"Not much…just got knocked unconscious by Michael." Aelita responded as though it was nothing.
"I see, that's why you were so eager to go whip on Michael…" John said, nodding.
"Although what you did I wouldn't have wished upon anyone except XANA." Aelita remarked.
"If you knew Michael, like I knew Michael…you'd have done the same thing." John said.
"Sure…" Aelita said, climbing down the open sewer drain.
"What the…a sewer? Why the hell are we going in a sewer?" John asked.
"Don't you remember, John?" Ulrich asked.
"No…a lot has happened in the last few hours, and I can't remember too much very well…" John replied.
"Well, come on then, it's just a sewer…" Odd said, restraining himself from laughing.
A few minutes later, they reached the factory.
"Neat! A rope!" John said, and happily jumped on it.
"WHEEEE!!!" she cried. (THUD) "Owww…"
"Watch that first step, it's a doozy!" Jeremie said, laughing.
"Ha-ha, very funny, Bluey." John said, rubbing her sore backside.
Odd could no longer restrain himself and began laughing much to John's discontent.
"BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"Yeah, yeah, shut up, Dog-boy." John said. "Want me to get the golf club out?"
Odd shut up immediately, whimpering at the memory of John with a golf club. (A/N Golf club of DOOOOM!!)
The group entered the elevator, and exited into the supercomputer room where Jeremie brought up the chatroom thingy again.
'Bee-dee-ding!' the computer chimed.
Jeremie: Miss me?
XANA: What do you think?
Jeremie: Heh. Now. I have the subjects here.
XANA: 'Subjects'?
Jeremie: …I couldn't think of a better term, so sue me.
XANA: I could kill you, would that work?
Jeremie: No.
XANA: Damn. Oh well. Nobody ever goes for the killing option.
Jeremie: I wonder why?
XANA: As do I. But anyhow. I suppose you want this done ASAP?
Jeremie: Now, preferably.
XANA: I suppose I can do that…
Meanwhile, the computer began beeping signaling an attack. Two ghosts flew out of the wiring and into both Aelita's and John's body. They both seized up for a moment, but immediately relaxed as their souls were forced out of their respective bodies.
"Hey, is anyone else getting a sudden case of déjà vu?" John asked, looking down at himself. "Hehehe, I'm floating. Neat."
"Well, this is a relief." Aelita said, smiling.
"And now for the fun part!" John laughed.
"Fun part? What's the fun part?" Aelita asked, and then a large suction noise filled the room.
"Yay!" John said, and was sucked back into his body.
Aelita gave a shrill shriek of surprise (A/N Try saying THAT 5 times fast.) as she was sucked back into her body.
John got up off the ground slowly and coughed. "The fun part." he said.
"I see," Aelita said.
Everyone began laughing for reasons that were unknown at the time. It was interrupted by a loud 'Ping' from the computer.
XANA: Will you shut the fuck up?! God! What is it with you people?
XANA has logged out. (Quit: plotting- do not disturb)
"By the way, sorry for punching you earlier Yumi." John said.
"Don't worry about it." Yumi said, touching her nose automatically.
"Anyhow, I should be getting back to the airport…thanks for everything…" John said, frowning and taking his iPod from Aelita's pockets. 'Sorry,' he whispered.
"What? Why?" Odd asked.
"Why do you think? I'm off back to the Bahamas." John said.
"Like hell. You're staying here with us, like I said." Jeremie replied.
"Are you sure?" John asked.
"Yes." Jeremie said sternly.
"All righty then…but how are you going to get me a room here?"
"Already taken care of, as I said. You are John Belpois now, my cousin from the Netherlands." Jeremie said, smirking.
"Huh. How about…err…I.D.?" John asked.
Jeremie merely held up an I.D. with John's picture on it, labeled 'John Belpois, Resident of Kadic Academy'
"When the hell did you get the time to do all this?!" John asked.
"You'd be surprised." Jeremie said.
"Yeah. You should see what he does every night. Just works and works and works…he's like the Energizer bunny or something," Ulrich said, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Jeremie said, face turning a bright pink.
"Oookay…where's my room then? I suppose you have that figured out too?" John asked, wearing an expression of confusion.
"But of course. You'll be staying in the room right next to mine." Jeremie said, walking towards the elevator.
"Anything ELSE?"
"Let's see…you're in all of our classes, 'our' being mine, Aelita's, Odd's and Ulrich's. And that's it." Jeremie said.
"I think I'm just going to go to my room for the moment…" John said, frowning and walking into the elevator.
"Yeah, sounds good to me." Ulrich said. Odd nodded in agreement.
"My parents will have been wondering where I've been; I'll just say I was studying with Aelita…" Yumi mumbled to herself.
Back at the dorm, several hours later, John was lying on his bed, thinking about recent events and listening intently to his iPod.
His mind crossed several things:
-Lily
-Holy shit, I have friends now
-Mom cheated on Dad
-Lily again
-Wow, I'm bored…
-Not to mention Lily
-Assorted nonspecific stuff
-Also Lily
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock and then opening of his door.
"What the hell?" John managed to say before Aelita and Lily came in.
"Hi John!" Aelita said, smiling.
Lily just went wide-eyed and blushed. Fortunately for her, John had no lights on and could not see her embarrassment.
"Yeah…uh…Hey. Why are you in my room?" John asked, heart pounding inside his chest from a combination of surprise and nervousness from seeing Lily.
"We just wanted to tell you that we're going to take you shopping tomorrow," Aelita said happily.
"What?! Why?!" John asked.
"W-Well," Lily started, "It would appear you have almost nothing in the way of clothes and personal items…so we are going to go o-o-out and get you some to make you feel more at home." She said, blushing heavily.
"Bye!" Aelita said, dragging Lily out of the room and closing the door behind her.
John blinked in the darkness.
"…Could someone PLEASE explain to me what the hell just happened?!" John cried.
A/N: And that's the end of a rather long chapter! That's right, clothes shopping and such for John. Bet he's reeeal excited. Anyhow. Also, I was planning to have him sing a song next chapter, so in your review (Which you will give! Please?) please list your answer of either
Things Are Not As They Appear (Song about John's paranoia and distrust in humanity)
or
Dreary, Dreary (Song about John's feelings after the loss of Jenny)
All righty, chapter 8 will be up soon! Polls for songs will end on October 31st, 2006. (Yes, that is sort of early, but I enjoy writing these things so much…I wouldn't want to do it much later.) Later!