A/N: Here is the final installment of my Jerlita Roleswap AU. Thank you all for sticking with this for as long as you did. It means a lot to me. It seriously just started as a fun little idea to entertain while I worked on my "A World Without Danger" story. Those of you who have visited my DA page will have seen my very first Jerlita Swap art piece (in it, Jérémie's avatar is very different, save for the cape and limb warmers)—that's all I meant for it to be; just an art piece. I never expected it to grow in popularity and have people actually waiting for the ending. Again, thank you.
I hope you all enjoy this final chapter, which I took some creative liberties with.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko in any way, shape, or form.
Beta read by FP7ETDP43
Trigger Warning: Panic Attacks
!~~~J~E~R~L~I~T~A~~R~O~L~E~S~W~A~P~~A~U~~~!
"After their victory against XANA, the Lyokowarriors mourn their losses and what they fear they may lose if they shut down the supercomputer."
Episode 68: Aftershocks
(Based on Echoes)
Jérémie didn't know how he managed to remain standing as he watched the anti-XANA program make its way from the Volcano Replika through the vast internet. His knees were weak with disbelief as he watched the holomap and open program window both keep track of its progress.
It was working. The Replika count was going down, one by one.
This should've been a good thing, and it was. But the joy of seeing this number dwindle was tainted by the knowledge that his parents' deaths were imminent. That it was working because of their sacrifice.
The Replika count and his parents' lifepoints both reached zero at the same time.
And Jérémie forgot how to breathe...
A scream tore up the blonde's throat as he finally awoke from his nightmare. His sheets were twisted around his body, a result from his tossing and turning, and his skin was soaked with cold sweat. His lungs were aching as he struggled to get air in, with tears pouring down his cheeks.
He really did forget how to breathe. It felt like when his parents died, part of his soul died with them.
Jérémie let his instincts take over, and quickly found himself in the boys' shower room, hunched over a sink as he kept trying to get much needed oxygen into his strained lungs. He never realized that he had forgotten his glasses.
But it wasn't working. He couldn't breathe.
"Jérémie?" he thought he heard someone ask, as he collapsed to his knees.
Whoever it was approached him cautiously, like one would an injured animal. Suddenly, the person placed their hands gently on his shoulders, making him jump in fright.
"Breathe, Jérémie," they told him.
He was trying his best, but he couldn't always control his attacks, especially after a nightmare. But he was wrapped in their arms, and he could hear a heartbeat, and somehow, he found himself breathing in tandem with it. It was calming.
Because it was Patrick, his cousin.
Despite his breathing returning to normal, tears continued to fall down Jérémie's cheeks. "I-It's been a week..." he choked out. Seven days since his parents died, since his world fell apart. "I-I thought it would hurt less with time..." He shook his head, "It doesn't..."
Patrick didn't respond, only letting Jérémie cry into his shoulder as tears stung his own eyes. Uncle Michel and Aunt Sophie were gone, forever.
They weren't coming back...
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
The next morning—a lovely Friday—Laura walked through the courtyard, heading towards the cafeteria for breakfast. According to her father, she should have been focused on school work, but she wasn't. Instead, thoughts of William Dunbar invaded her mind.
She was worried about him.
They first met when he requested help studying for his math final last year. Then, he asked her to the end-of-year dance, where she confessed to him that her father's pressure to be top of her class had made her sheltered, in a way. So William had vowed to introduce her to the world once they returned from summer break.
And he kept his promise, from teaching her how to skateboard to sneaking out at night to watch a movie. In return, he allowed her to influence him into being less of a rebel and more of a good student. They were different as day and night, but they went well together. Feelings began to grow, and just recently, they were being spoken aloud—and apparently, his parents had no issues with her.
But last October, he began to become preoccupied with something else. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it had to do with the 'special project' her deputy Odd and his friends were involved with. It was evidently mentally and physically draining, but also important if William felt the need to keep going and not quit.
Something had happened last Thursday. Something bad, because Jérémie's depression had returned tenfold and the others, William included, seemed almost lost. Spikes of bad moods had hit them in the past, but they usually only lasted a day, because they were good at cheering each other up. But this one...they were all still upset a week later.
Laura wished she could help them, but she wasn't sure how. She couldn't help if she didn't know how the problem had started.
Presently, her gaze caught William sitting on a bench. His knees were to his chest and he was staring off into space, with a blank expression on his face. Worry continued to fill her being as she walked over to him.
"William?" she gently called out.
He glanced up at her. "Laura." He managed a tiny smile. "Hey."
So he wasn't lost enough to not recognize her. That was good, right?
"Hey." She sat down next to him. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," he replied, the small smile still on his face, "just–..." He trailed off.
Seeing his hesitation, she gave him a gentle verbal push, "'Just'?"
He paused. To her, it looked like he was making a choice, likely whether or not to tell her all the details. She knew he trusted her, because she had told him right off the bat that she wouldn't say anything about whatever 'secret project' they were working on.
And he made said choice, sighing before unloading on her, "You know that 'project' we were working on?"
She nodded. She should've figured that this was about that.
He continued, "I'll fill you in on all the details later when we're alone, but it's over now. But the price to end it affected Jérémie the most." So that's why his depression had returned. "As for the rest of us...well, we devoted so much of our time to it that we don't know what to do with ourselves now that it's over."
So they were mourning, all of them. She didn't know what the price was, but it apparently wasn't one that Jérémie wanted to pay. In any case, it was over now, so the group had lost what they felt was their sense of purpose. Now that the project was done, they didn't know how to move on.
No wonder they were all upset.
But Laura didn't say anything. She only wrapped William in a much-needed hug. He promptly welcomed her embrace.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
Theo remained at Sissi's side as they moved through the breakfast. He went to sit at their usual table, where Nicolas and Naomi already were, but Sissi didn't follow. Instead, she kept walking.
"Sissi?" he asked. She paused and turned around. "You okay? Our table's right here." Nicolas and Naomi were now listening in, slightly concerned.
She offered him a sad smile, "I know. But I need to sit with my other friends today." Behind her was the table that Aelita and her friends had claimed. "One of them is going through something."
He immediately knew who she was talking about. "It's Jérémie, huh?" Sissi nodded. "Okay. I hope you're successful in cheering him up." The blonde had spent the past week acting the exact same as he did in the week following summer break, only worse.
"Me too," Sissi muttered, before walking away.
She approached the table the other Lyokowarriors were sitting at. Their sorrowful, melancholic mood starkly contrasted the chipper, talkative moods their fellow students surrounding them were in.
Jérémie was resting his head on top of his arms, which were laying flat on the table, with no tray in front of him. Odd was dipping a spoon in his hot chocolate and letting it pour back into the bowl. Ulrich and Yumi's hands were linked, and she was absentmindedly stroking the back of his hand, as he rolled a small ball of food between his fingers. William was rocking back and forth in his chair. Aelita had her head in her hand, with her elbow leaning against the table.
Said pink-ette seemed to be the only one who noticed Sissi sit in the only empty chair left. She offered a forced smile as she lifted her croissant up, "Hey, Sissi. You want my croissant?"
"No, I've got my own," Sissi replied. "And now that I think about it...I'm not that hungry anyway."
"Yeah, me neither," the others, sans Jérémie, all replied. Even Odd—which was surprising. He had a bottomless pit of a stomach.
"Maybe we'd feel better," William softly suggested, ever the optimist, "if we did something fun. This Sunday, why don't we go to the cinema?"
"Or maybe..." Yumi added, just as quiet, "we could finally turn off the supercomputer."
This seemed to press a button for Aelita. "I told you before that it's not a good idea right now. Jérémie's clearly not ready yet."
Said genius finally spoke, "I'm fine, guys. I promise," as he lifted his head from his arms.
"You shouldn't even be here, Jer," Ulrich snapped, purely out of concern. "Don't think Odd and I weren't woken up by your screams last night. You're obviously not ready to do anything, much less go through a daily routine."
"I'm here," Jérémie quietly replied, "because it's a daily routine. It'll help keep me grounded." The others were sending him looks of disbelief, though, so he sighed. "Don't worry. I can handle it."
As if on cue, Hervé approached their table. "Hey, guys! Good morning!" He was cheerful, like their fellow classmates around them. His smile faded, "Ah, still depressed, I see. What's wrong? Why so down? I mean, you guys are acting like someone died or something."
His comment was innocent, because he legitimately had no idea about the truth, but it caused Jérémie to snap.
He promptly stood up, his head down to hide his sudden anxiety. But he couldn't hide his trembling—a sign of an incoming panic attack. He muttered, "I was wrong. I can't handle it," before running out of the building.
Hervé was caught off-guard by this, especially when Aelita quickly followed him, clearly concerned.
"I-I'm sorry," the nerd in green shakily muttered, tightly clutching his tray. "I wasn't expecting that reaction." Great. Might as well add that to the list of things he needed to apologize for.
"It's okay, Hervé," Sissi was the one who replied. "It's not you." He got a good look at her, and noticed that she seemed to believe that.
"Yeah. Last week," Odd explained, "Jérémie got word that his biological parents died just as he reached out to meet them."
Oh. "No wonder he's so torn up." An orphan being forced to confront the fact that, now, the possibility of reuniting with his birth parents was now an impossibility? "Still, I'm sorry."
As he walked away, he missed Jérémie's friends cautiously watching him, and subsequently sharing glances of surprise at his genuine sympathy.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
Aelita following Jérémie into the boys' restroom was immediately met with protests from the boys already in there, Matthew Ducroc and Thomas Jolivet.
"Hey, what are you doing in here, Schaeffer?!" Matthew asked.
"Yo, girls aren't allowed in here!" Thomas quickly added.
"Get out of my way!" she refused to back down. "Jérémie needs me!" She wasn't in the mood to fight right now.
Only when she mentioned Jérémie did they surrender.
"He's in the far-end stall," Matthew quietly told her.
Thomas placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Good luck," before the two left.
And she knew why. To everybody else, Jérémie's depression from the week following summer break had returned. Given how worried they were about him then, it was no surprise that they'd still be concerned now.
The restroom was now empty, so all she could hear was Jérémie's labored breathing. She quickly, yet cautiously opened the stall door and found him sitting on the ground, huffled into a tight ball as he struggled to get air into his lungs. He was clawing at his chest as if trying to communicate to others that he couldn't breathe. She saw the teeth clenching, the rocking back and forth, the many tears that were falling from his eyes, and the mourning behind those tears.
It really pained her to see him like this. He'd never had panic attacks before his parents' deaths last week, and she was starting to wonder if their leaving had actually done more harm than good.
She knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulder, "Deep breaths, Jérémie." She tried her best to sound calming and soothing, to not let her own panic seep through. "Take it easy. I'm here."
He promptly lunged at her and wrapped her in a tight hug, seeing her voice as an anchor he desperately needed. She knew, from past experiences during the last week, that he did this to listen to the person's heartbeat. It comforted him, for some reason. Even now, she didn't know why, though suspected that it stemmed from his new fear of losing anybody else close to him.
The steady rhythm of her heartbeat was working. His breathing was becoming less labored, evening out the longer he spent in her embrace. But the crying remained; he was still upset, and it was no wonder as to why.
"I'm sorry," he croaked out, trying and failing to fight back the tears. "You're right. I'm not ready to shut down the supercomputer yet. I know I'm being selfish, but I can't!" He sniffed back his tears, but failed—if the dampness growing in the shoulder of her jacket was any indication. "If we do, it'll feel like an official 'goodbye' to my parents...and I can't..." He sniffed again. "I know I won't be able to handle that."
"Shh," she gently soothed him. "Don't explain, and don't apologize. You spent the whole war against XANA being selfless, so I think you're allowed to be selfish in this case."
He shook his head, "It still hurts..."
Of course it did. Jérémie just lost his parents, two people that he loved unconditionally. People didn't just recover from that kind of loss overnight, or even over the course of a mere week. The pain would linger on until his own death.
But Aelita didn't say that. Instead, she remained silent, just letting him cry out all his pain into her shoulder.
After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again, his tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Aelita, could you...?"
"Cover for you in class today?" she finished, already knowing what he was going to ask.
"Yeah," he almost choked back a sob. "You guys are right. I'm not ready, and I can't handle it."
She disliked how he felt the need to act strong in front of his friends least of all. These were the same people who were with him when he went through all the processing of his past memories when they suddenly all returned to him, who helped him accept the fact that XANA was his responsibility, who were more than willing to join him in exploring the world that he had no memory of. Especially her; she was there from the very first moment, being the one who found him in the first place.
"No problem," she softly replied. It was the least she could do, because he had essentially asked to be alone. She could do more, but not without his permission. "Take as much time as you need."
He sniffed again, "Thank you."
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
"Roux," Jim was calling roll. He was with the eleventh graders in the gymnasium, about to start today's phys. ed. class.
"Present," Bastien replied.
"Schaeffer," Jim continued. But he didn't get a response. Ulrich and Odd glanced at each other worriedly, not having seen Aelita since she ran out after Jérémie earlier. "Schaeffer!"
The pink-ette suddenly ran into the gym in the proper clothes, "Present!" She was a bit breathless, having run all the way here, as she added, "Sorry."
"It's alright," Jim gently waved her off. "I understand."
Judging by the sympathetic expression on the man's face, he did indeed understand. Everyone else was wearing the same look. That meant only one thing: everyone already knew what had gone down in the cafeteria, and they were not surprised.
Jim continued, "Stern."
"Present," Ulrich said.
"Suares."
"Present," Thierry replied.
As their teacher continued to take roll, Hervé shuffled quietly towards her. "Aelita?" His voice was low. "I'm sorry for my insensitive comment earlier."
Hervé Pichon was apologizing? For something he did to Jérémie? Apparently, miracles did exist. "It's alright," she whispered back. "Though Jérémie's the one you need to apologize to."
"Ürgüp."
"Present," Azra said.
"I know," Hervé replied, sounding genuine. "And I plan to. But you also deserve an apology, Aelita. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. It wasn't fair on you to have to choose between us. You're not a prize to be won. I'm especially sorry for stealing your diary and reading your secrets. That was really creepy of me, and I wish I could turn back the clock and stop myself from doing so. I've decided to file away whatever you wrote as just a fantasy story you were writing."
So he had finally seen the error of his ways. She was glad, and she was also hoping that he meant it.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness," he continued, his voice still low. "I'm just giving you what I owe you." Which was an apology.
"Xao."
"Present," Julien said.
"I can't forgive you yet, Hervé," she made her choice, "but I'm willing to give you a second chance." She looked at him dead in the eye. "But let me warn you now: the others may not be as merciful."
"I know," was his only response.
By this time, Jim finished up the roll call, "Zlicaric."
"Present," Valerie replied.
"Good!" Jim began the day's lecture with his classic vernacular. "Now, today's lesson is RSG. No, RSG does not stand for 'Rough Sports Games', or for 'Raunchy Slobbering Gorilla', or for 'Reeking Stench of Garlic'. No, RSG means 'Rhythmic Sport of Gymnastics', known today as just rhythmic gymnastics."
Sissi let him drone on, as she whispered to Ulrich and Odd beside her, "Ulrich, Odd, can I ask you two a question?"
"Sure," Ulrich replied, just as quiet.
"About RSG?" Odd asked in the same manner, with an amused smile on his face.
"No, about the supercomputer," she replied. "You guys don't want to shut it down."
"Of course not," the brunette boy told her. "Jérémie's not ready."
"No, I mean...you guys aren't ready either," she elaborated. The two boys were quiet, meaning she hit a nail right on the head. "Why not?"
"And you are?" the blonde boy asked her.
"I haven't been around as long as you guys have," Sissi reminded them. "There's so much I don't know. Personally, I don't think there's any harm in using the scanners to develop cures for cancer later down the line, but I have no issues in shutting it off for now."
She was right about that. After all, the reason Lyoko and XANA came into existence in the first place was to get rid of Jérémie's brain tumor—and it worked.
Odd closed his eyes for a brief second, before covering his mouth with his hand as though sharing a secret, "I was afraid I'd miss it."
"Huh?" was Ulrich's response.
"Miss what?" Sissi asked, curiously.
"The fighting, the adventure, the heroics!" Odd explained. "All that fun stuff. The missions to Lyoko were when I felt the most alive, even when I was just doing stunts on my Overboard. I'm afraid that without Lyoko, life will be awfully boring."
"'Boring'?" Sissi asked, amused. "Finally having the time for everything we've had to put on hold because XANA came first is not exactly what I'd call 'boring'!"
That was true. There were so many personal projects they've had to ignore, including schoolwork, because they needed to focus on the war with XANA first and foremost. Now that XANA was gone, they finally had the time to do those things.
"Okay, point for you, Sissi," Odd admitted. "It's true: I know how to have fun when I have the time."
"And you'll also have more time to spend with your girlfriend," Ulrich quipped, earning himself a playful glare from his roommate.
"Hey, Sam is crazy about me already!" Odd defended himself. "I don't need any extra time!"
Ulrich just smiled, amused.
Sissi, however, replied with, "Says the guy who, even after telling Sam his true feelings, still hasn't become official with her yet."
Because she was still too busy, currently focusing on university and occasionally spending free days with her father.
Odd coughed away the awkwardness. "Now that you mention it, a little extra time with Sam wouldn't hurt. You're right. That's two points for you, Delmas."
"Delmas, Stern, Della Robbia!" Jim called out, getting their attention. "If this lesson is disturbing your little private conversation, please let me know!"
"We're sorry, Jim," Ulrich was the one who responded, embarrassed.
Jim just grunted at them in annoyance. "Okay. My first demonstration: the facial dive! One...two...!" He twisted his body a little too quickly, causing him to cry out in pain as he held his back. "My sciatica! I'm stuck! I can't straighten up and it huurts! AAAGH!"
Aelita stepped up in concern, "Um, would you like me to escort you to the infirmary, Jim?"
"Agh! Yes, please," he managed to reply. "C-Class dismissed!"
With that, the pink-ette gingerly helped the man on the long journey (to him) to the infirmary in the administrative building. Meanwhile, the rest of the class made their way to the locker rooms to change back into their normal clothes.
On the way, Sissi turned to her childhood friend, "By the way, Ulrich, what about you?" The brunette turned to her. "Why don't you want to shut down the supercomputer?" Their voices were still low, because people were around, but not at a whisper.
"And don't give us Jim's 'I'd rather not talk about it' routine," Odd quickly added. "Be honest, like we were."
Ulrich looked at his two friends before averting his gaze back in front of him. "Part of me is with you, Odd. I'll miss all the adventures, but I really am glad that I have more time for other things now. But the other part of me is worried that Jérémie's right."
Odd blinked in surprise, as Sissi asked, "Right about what?"
"That without Lyoko, there's nothing holding us together," Ulrich softly revealed. "I mean, we had been friends for two years before we found Lyoko, but the supercomputer is what links us to Jérémie. And without it, William wouldn't be our friend either, and there's a strong chance we'd be splitting farther apart, Sissi."
She chose not to comment, knowing how true that was.
"I know we have to shut it down," he continued, "but...I-I don't wanna lose what we've got together either."
Odd couldn't stop the memory from resurfacing, the one that occured after Michel and Sophie had revived their son and returned his missing fragment to him.
Jérémie continued, "XANA keeps trying to break us up out of jealousy—of me, of our bond, of humanity in general, because we can experience all these wonderful things, but it can't; it's just a computer program. But it very likely doesn't understand such an emotion, even after twelve years." He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Shutting down the supercomputer won't kill XANA anymore. Since it is my responsibility, I'm going to keep up the fight. You guys can back out—now that I'm free, you don't have to force yourselves to keep going. But fighting XANA is my job."
"No, Jérémie," Aelita softly corrected him, as she gently grabbed his hand. "It's our job."
On his other side, Odd was offering his hands to both Jérémie and Yumi, who had joined hands with Ulrich, who in turn had taken Aelita's other hand.
Tears came to Jérémie's eyes as he took Odd's hand.
"Are you sure?" He had to ask.
They were willing to spend more years of their life for his sake. He didn't want any of them to be forced into this. He wanted it to be their choice.
"We're sure," Yumi replied with a smile.
"We told you," Ulrich added, "that we will not stop fighting until all five of us are able to live XANA-free."
"And if XANA despises our friendship so much," Odd shrugged, "then I think we're doing something right."
This time, Jérémie's tears were those of joy.
In the present day, Ulrich continued, "I'm afraid that if we shut down the supercomputer, then his fears will be realized as our friendship is shut down too."
"That's impossible, good buddy," Odd's voice was soft, and his roommate turned to face him. "I understand what you're feeling, but you're wrong. Our friendship is too strong to shut down."
"Right," Sissi swiftly agreed. "And we'll fight anyone who tries to suggest otherwise."
"Yeah!" Odd exclaimed, as he and Sissi shared a high-five of agreement.
Ulrich's response was an emotional smile.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
On the other end of campus, Yumi and William were with their fellow twelfth graders, listening to Mr. Fumet's lecture on the recovery era following World War II—a fitting topic given what the Lyokowarriors were currently going through.
Behind them, Patrick sat with Emilie Leduc. He leaned over the table and gently nudged William's shoulder, "Guys." He was whispering.
William and Yumi both leaned back in their chairs, though maintained their gazes on the board to maintain the illusion that they were paying attention to the lecture.
"What's up?" Yumi quietly asked.
"I heard about what happened earlier at breakfast," Patrick told them, his voice still low. "Is Jérémie okay?"
Yumi and William both shared a concerned glance, before the latter answered, "According to Aelita's recent text, he is for now. He's not in class though. Apparently, he asked to be alone today."
Patrick clearly made a choice in that split second. He stood up, his voice now at a normal volume, "Uh, Mr. Fumet, I don't feel well. Can I please go to the infirmary?"
Said teacher was caught off-guard, but he didn't sense any malicious intent. "Of course. Go on."
"Thank you," Patrick replied, before exiting the room. Everyone bought his excuse, because they didn't know the truth. But Yumi and William did.
Patrick was heading out to find Jérémie.
But they kept quiet, and the lecture continued on like normal. However, they couldn't stop themselves from having a conversation whispered between them.
"So you want to shut the supercomputer down too?" William asked.
"Yeah," Yumi replied. "I just want to move on, but the others insist on taking our time. I mean, did they expect us to keep playing superhero until we're eighty or something? It had to end sometime."
"We're all dealing with the aftermath in our own ways," he reminded her. "The others aren't ready yet, and I certainly understand why Jérémie isn't. But the supercomputer is dangerous, especially in the wrong hands."
Yumi snuck a glance over at her friend. He was clearly remembering his possession at XANA's hands. Thankfully, he managed to redeem himself by protecting the Core last week.
"Don't worry," she reassured him. "They know perfectly well how dangerous it can be. Just give them time. It's not like XANA has a backup system somewhere. The program destroyed all traces of it; thank goodness. Let them be nostalgic."
"And you're not?" he asked her, curiously.
She had a smile on her face from the memories that just resurfaced. "We've had our share of ups and downs, hours of detention and hours of glory. We've gotten used to life with Lyoko. Now it's time for a new life without it."
"Yeah. It's time to close that chapter of our lives," he agreed. "How do you think this new life will turn out?"
Her smile grew. "Different, but just as good."
He met her fond smile with one of his own.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
Jérémie sat curled up on a bench in the park. In his open palm was the pendant his parents had given him when they first introduced him to XANA. Back then, it was just a gift they had given them. After first arriving on Earth, it contained the key to their diary. Now, it was all he had left of them.
"I understand why you had to go," he was talking to the pendant, pretending that he was, by proxy, talking to them, "but at the same time, I also don't. It's this weird irony that keeps me trapped in the moment I saw your shared lifepoints reach zero." He swallowed down the lump in his throat, but it remained. "I don't know what to do now. My life revolved around defeating XANA and bringing you two back here. Now, all three of you are gone, and...I'm the only one left. Please, tell me...what should I do?"
His voice cracked at the end of that last question, and he had to close his eyes to hold back the tears that he now felt returning.
"I thought you'd be at your old house."
Jérémie looked up to see Patrick walking towards him. He didn't bother faking a smile; his cousin understood. "Too many memories."
"So you settled on fresh air instead," Patrick replied. "I get that." He sat down next to the blonde. "I heard about what happened at breakfast."
The genius sighed, not taking his eyes off of the pendant in his hand, "Not surprising. I imagine the whole school knows by now."
"Pretty much," the brunette chose to be honest. "But no one's judging you, you know. Everyone gets it."
"No, they don't," Jérémie fought back a growl, but he was unable to control his anger. "They're not the ones who lost, not one, but two parents in one day! They have no right to claim they understand me!"
"You're not the only orphan at Kadic," Patrick gently reminded him. "Remember, the school has a special program to help the 'less fortunate'. You're also not the only person there who's lost a loved one, and loved ones don't pertain to just parents. And...I lost them too..."
Jérémie glanced back at his cousin with guilt. That's right. His parents were Patrick's uncle and aunt. They were his family too.
"The cover story going around," the brunette continued, "the one about how you're an orphan who just lost your last chance to reunite with your birth parents...that's actually how I feel. I've always wanted to see Uncle Michel and Aunt Sophie again, ever since the police called us and told us you three had gone missing. We reunited, and I got my hopes up. You said they were still alive too, just trapped in the internet...but then, last week happened."
"...I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," Patrick waved him off. "You have every right to be angry."
"I'm apologizing," Jérémie explained, "for not fighting back against their choice hard enough." He turned back to the pendant in his hand.
"Again, don't apologize. You said it was their decision." He did. It was. "And knowing Aunt Sophie, once she made a choice, there was no changing her mind. Gee, I wonder where you got your own stubbornness from."
Jérémie smiled. The last sentence was a joke, meant to cheer him up. And it worked.
In more ways than one. It also made him realize that his parents were still alive through him. He was the result of both of their genes combined—the best of them both—and the result of their thirteen years of hard work on Lyoko. He was still standing, still alive, all thanks to them.
They wouldn't want him moping like this. They'd want him to live, with the friends he now had and the freedom to go outside and travel the world like they knew he'd always wanted.
Patrick caught the moment Jérémie put the pendant back around his neck, and quickly noted the content smile on his face. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah," Jérémie softly replied, as he uncurled himself. "It's over now, thanks to them. Their sacrifice is heartbreaking, of course, but it's allowed the rest of us to keep living. Now, we're all safe from their creation that they let wander out of control. It hurts to think about, but...it had to be them. They saw it as a necessary price to pay for their mistake."
Patrick could sense that he wasn't done. "But...?"
"But now," Jérémie continued, "it's time to move on to something new. Something more carefree. I have a brand new life now, thanks to them and my friends."
The brunette smiled once he saw that his cousin was content. It was okay to hurt, as long as he didn't forget how to live.
Jérémie let out a soft chuckle, "You know, it's funny. And really crazy, when you think of all we did and no one is ever gonna know anything about it."
"Well, no one's stopping you from writing a book," Patrick replied, amused, "or making a TV show."
The blonde laughed, finally happy again, "Actually, I was thinking of a computer game or something."
"Oh, please let me play it. I'm serious."
"We'll see. It's very tempting, but I'd have to talk to the others about it first." It was their stories he'd also be telling, after all.
"Fair." Patrick paused. "Papa and Maman also know. About Uncle Michel and Aunt Sophie. I told them during the past week, but I was waiting until you felt better before I broke the news to you."
"Honestly, it's not surprising," Jérémie replied, his voice soft. "And I'm not mad; they deserve to know. How'd they take the news?"
"As well as I did," Patrick confessed. "Remember, we've spent the last decade thinking you guys were dead. After a good cry over the phone, we accepted the reality before turning our attention to you. They...brought up to me an idea and told me to ask you about it first before they take any steps to make it official."
The blonde blinked in confusion, "Ask me about what?"
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
Yumi waited for Ulrich outside Ms. Hertz's classroom as the final bell rang for the day. Many students rushed out of the rooms. Classes were over and now those that were going could now focus on the dance tonight, the Winter Formal.
Her boyfriend emerged from the room while talking with Odd, Sissi, and Aelita. The three went on ahead as he lingered on behind with Yumi.
"Hey," she gently greeted him. "How was your day?"
"It was fine," he replied, as they followed the other three to the nearest exit. "Worried about Jérémie, because he's been quiet all day. But he makes a good point about having a daily routine."
"That it's a good anchor?"
"Yeah. I mean, not all time," he confessed, "but during the times when you feel lost."
She nodded in agreement, "Mm-hmm. Do you still feel lost?"
He averted his eyes. "I honestly don't know..."
She just smiled, "Oh, yes you do." She knew he did; she could read him better than anyone.
"Well," he came clean, "it's been so great. All the adventures, the ups, the downs—I-I just don't want it to end."
"There will be plenty of other good times," she grabbed his hand, "even without Lyoko. After all, we still have to explore the entire world with Jérémie."
He couldn't deny that, so he smiled, "Promise?"
She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, before softly replying, "I swear."
And he believed her.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
Aelita sat on the planter near the vending machines. Ulrich and Yumi were on their way to the latter's house, so Takeho and Akiko could talk to them before tonight's dance. William was with Laura in the library, as far as she knew. Odd was in the rec room playing foosball with Sam, or so he told her. So, she was alone.
She was gently stroking the photo strip—the first set of photos they had taken with Jérémie—in fondness and concern as she waited for time to pass. They hadn't heard from him since this morning. She was hoping she wouldn't have to head out and find him, not when the sun was making its way below the horizon.
Her reverie was broken when she heard her phone ring. She quickly picked up, fearing the worst out of habit, "Hello?"
"Aelita?" The voice was soft.
She smiled in relief. "Jérémie, are you okay?"
"I'm getting there." At least, he was honest. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"It's okay." It was an instinct now, a force of habit. She'd always worry about him. "Where are you? Because we should talk about our plans tonight, to see if you're still up to them."
"Turn around."
She obeyed, and saw that he was standing right behind her. On his face was a gentle smile as he hung up and slipped his phone back in his pocket. She did the same before rushing up and enveloping him in a hug.
He buried his face in her hair, "I missed you too."
"So you're feeling better?" She forced herself to break the embrace.
"Not quite there yet," he replied, letting her lead him over to the planter and sitting him down next to her. "It still hurts, but...I have lots of things to look forward to." He paused. "Uncle Arthur and Aunt Éloïse have offered to adopt me."
Aelita's heart immediately soared. "Really? That's great!" She mentally prepared herself for the steps she'd have to take to make that happen. They'd have to work with her, because that orphanage didn't actually have a 'Jérémie Belpois' in their files. That also meant that she'd have to impersonate an authority figure.
He softly smiled at her, "I declined."
The good feeling ended here. "Why?"
"I have my reasons," he gently reassured her. "Most of them stem from the fact that I don't want to feel like I'm replacing my actual parents. Especially since they just died."
She couldn't deny that. She'd probably feel the same way.
"Don't worry, they understood," he continued. "I had Patrick call them so I could tell them my answer directly. As long as I know they're still my family and that they'll invite me home for the holidays, I'll be alright."
"Okay." And she relented, ending it there. It was his choice.
"As for tonight," she perked up, "Aelita Schaeffer, are you still willing to be my date?"
"Why, Jérémie Belpois, of course I am."
And he met her smile with one of his own, as the warmth of hope began bubbling in her chest. Maybe now, things would stop being so depressing.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
Later that night, the moon shone brightly in the sky as the Winter Formal was in full swing. Each one of his classmates were enjoying themselves, and that normally would have bothered Jérémie—knowing that the world was still turning despite his loss—but this time...it didn't. Because this time, he was turning with them. (At least, he hoped so.)
He was at the drink table, getting punch for both Aelita and himself, when Hervé came up to him, likely seeing him alone as his chance.
"Hey, Jérémie?" he asked, trying to make himself heard over the music.
The blonde filled with dread, "Oh, hey, Hervé. What do you want?" Hervé hadn't made a nuisance of himself since Patrick arrived, but this was the last thing Jérémie needed right now.
"To apologize." The young genius did a double-take. What? "I'm sorry, for everything. I know this probably isn't the best time for this, but what happened this morning is kinda pushing it to the forefront." So, the comment he made was bothering him? "I didn't mean to provoke you like that. I was just trying to find out what was making you guys so down."
The other offered a reassuring smile, "I forgive you for that, Hervé. You...you didn't know."
"Well, I know now," Hervé softly replied, "and I'm sorry. No longer having that chance...has to hurt..."
Chance? Oh, right. The orphan cover story!
"You don't have to forgive me," the black-haired boy continued, without missing a beat, "but I'm sorry for all the grief I caused you. At first, it was about Aelita, because we both clearly liked her, and it hurt me seeing you with her when she barely gave me the time of day. But then, it extended beyond her. When you started exploring your interests, your list included robotics, and apparently you're far better at it than I am. I felt like you were copying me. To cope, I fell back on what I read in Aelita's diary and it resulted in me going crazy."
As he went on, Jérémie found himself relaxing. There was hope here, after all, so he was going to take it. "We don't have any secrets, Hervé. I am Jérémie Belpois, orphan, age sixteen, eleventh grader, and pen pal of Aelita Schaeffer. That's it."
For once, there was no lie there. Jérémie Périn was legally dead, and he really was an orphan, given how his parents had died just last week. So Belpois was the only identity he had left, and he had embraced it a long time ago. After all, Périn was sick and lonely, but Belpois was healthy and surrounded by friends.
"I know," Hervé replied. "I had misjudged you all this time because of my jealousy. I didn't want to accept reality, but our rivalry was only ever one-sided. Aelita doesn't like me; she never has, and looking back on my behavior, I can't blame her. She's not a prize to be won either, and I regret viewing her as such."
Jérémie took a breath, "I appreciate you coming forward and being honest. I can't forgive you yet, but you're not a bad person. You've certainly made bad choices, but trust me when I say that you're not different from the rest of us. We've all done things we're not proud of."
He'd always regret turning off the supercomputer, thus killing himself, without confiding in the others. He was just so sick and tired of dragging innocent lives into his and his parents' fight with XANA, and their diary just pushed him over the edge. It was a lapse in his judgment that he'd never forgive himself for.
The next few seconds of silence were peaceful, until Hervé broke it, "I'm stepping back."
Jérémie frowned in confusion, "What?"
"I'm letting Aelita go," the other nerd explained. "Like I said, she doesn't like me the way I like her. I knew that before, but I never accepted it until I was talking with her earlier. I want her to be happy, even if it's not with me. It's partly for her, but it's honestly mainly for my own mental health. But if you hurt her, Belpois, you'll have me to answer to."
Jérémie just smiled. "I would never dream of it, Pichon. You know that."
"I know," Hervé replied. "I'm just making sure." He turned around and waved, "I'll see you later," before leaving.
And Jérémie Belpois felt a bit lighter than he did just two minutes prior. There was hope for a normal life, after all.
Out on the dance floor, Ulrich and Yumi were moving their bodies to the upbeat song that William was playing—or more accurately, the song that William was helping Laura mix. Apparently, she had previously expressed interest in his hobby, so he offered to show her the ropes, like he, Aelita, and Odd once did with Jérémie.
"This is bringing up some memories," the geisha said, over the music. "Even the doubling with Milly and Hiroki!"
"Oh, the dance before last year?" the samurai asked, amused. "The one that XANA crashed with a giant teddy bear?"
She nodded with a bright smile.
The duo glanced behind them to sneak another watchful glance at Hiroki, who was dancing with Milly. Just like last time, Yumi's parents one rule for their kids going to the Winter Formal was if they double-dated.
Yumi continued, "We've come so far since then."
He nodded in agreement, as he spun her around. They were much more mature, for one. "I'm glad we figured things out between us."
They were still best friends who were also sparring partners, who always had each other's backs when faced any type of danger. They just built a deeper sense of trust, and their relationship status would allow them to go on some really fun double dates with their friends.
"Me too." She twirled into him and let him dip her. "Though, I will certainly not miss all the drama."
"Neither will I," Ulrich replied. "Now, the only drama we have to worry about is waiting to find out if Johnny and Tamiya will hook up too."
They snuck a glance over at a table, where the said two kids were chatting away excitedly about something.
Yumi just laughed in response.
As the song changed keys and tempos, Odd and Sam decided mutually to take a break.
"Race you to the punch bowl!" he challenged.
"Okay!" And she immediately took off.
It took about a second for him to realize that he didn't even get to say go, but once he did, she was already too far ahead of him. He reached their destination—the refreshments table—only a few seconds after her, and he was slightly out of breath.
"You cheated, you know," he teasingly accused. "You didn't let me say 'go'."
"You should've counted down faster," she teased back.
"Yeah, yeah. Maybe I just let you win because you're beetroot."
He immediately covered his mouth at the slip, as she started to laugh straight from her gut.
"D-Did you say I'm 'beetroot'?!"
"Beautiful! I meant to say 'beautiful'!" he scrambled to explain himself, before sighing in defeat. "I think I've had too much punch. Are we sure someone didn't spike it?"
"One-hundred percent," Sam replied, giggles still rumbling in her chest. "Remember, Jim's here. He's been guarding the food like his life depends on it. I think it's the excitement that got to you. Beetroot! I'm never gonna let you forget that!"
"Geez," he huffed, "I stumble on my words one time!" He shrugged, "Whatever. There's no other beetroots more scrumptious than you."
She giggled, this time more subdued. It meant that she had calmed down. "Thank you, boyfriend."
He immediately blushed. "W-Wait, what? 'Boyfriend'? You mean, we're already official?"
Sam blinked, before laughing out loud again, "Of course, we are! We've been official ever since Aelita's concert! Or didn't you know?" She paused as she thought it over. "Wait, is that what you've been wanting to talk to me about?"
"Yeah! I wanted to make us official!"
"So you feel better talking it out first," she realized. "Noted, and I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions when you were so unsure. I guess that fight we had because of that Icelandic Icicle did more harm than we realized. I kept putting it off because I was afraid that you wanted to break up."
"I'm sorry, too..." Odd trailed off, not wanting to talk about Bringa. That was a girl he'd rather forget. He quickly shrugged it off, "But that's behind us. We're together, and we both know it. But most importantly, we already know there's something we need to fix."
Sam smiled, "Yeah. Now, come on, beetroot. There's still plenty of the night to dance away."
Even though his face turned as red as the aforementioned vegetable, he let her lead him back onto the dance floor.
Right on time, too. Up in the DJ's booth, William toned down the fast-paced song, ending it, as Laura put on the next one: a slow song. The atmosphere of the auditorium immediately changed to match the soft, gentle tempo.
Jérémie and Aelita were among the couples to make their way to the dance floor as soon as the new song came on. They were more slow dancers than fast-paced ones, so they were content as he rested his hands on her waist and her arms around his neck while they both swayed to the beat.
"You really are getting better," she softly commented. "You've been in a good mood all evening."
He gently pressed his forehead against hers, smiling. "That chat with Patrick really helped. Papa and Maman wouldn't want me to mope around."
Hope began bubbling in her chest again. He had realized that his parents only ever wanted him to live. Otherwise, they wouldn't have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into building Lyoko for him, to risk bringing XANA into existence just so he'd have one friend during his isolation.
She felt her face get hotter as he hugged her to him tighter, and placed his cheek against hers. "Thank you," he whispered. "The life I have now—I owe it all to you."
"The others helped, you know."
She felt him shake his head, "I know, but you're the one who gave me the world. You had many chances to give up on me, but you didn't. Every twist and turn, you were always there, and I can't thank you enough for that." Because she cared about him.
"Then don't," she gently told him. "Just live. Just knowing you're happy makes it all worth it." She never once asked for anything else in return, and she never would.
"Deal." She felt him smile against her hair. "It still hurts, knowing my parents are gone, but I've accepted it." He leaned back slightly to look at her face. "I have a brand new life now, one more carefree, one that's all mine. And the first person I want in it is you."
She flushed at the declaration, as his blue eyes were filled with affection.
"R-Really?" she stammered, but a hint of a smile was on her face.
"Of course," he replied. "You've always known that."
Her blush deepened at the indirect mention of the first time they touched—when she was in Virtual Limbo and wasting away because the supercomputer was confusing her for an old file, when the two of them had a bond that connected their thoughts and feelings, and from the mere tips of their fingers, both could see inside each other's hearts completely.
In that moment, the two of them became one, allowing them to see and know the other's deepest feelings. Since then, they always knew what the other has felt about them, always knew that they would end up together one day. It was XANA that always held them back. So, they had agreed to focus on XANA first, and once XANA was out of their lives, for good, then they would talk about their feelings.
There was also the deaths of Jérémie's parents last week, an unforeseen circumstance that caused an unspoken agreement that they would let Jérémie bring up the feelings talk first, when he alone was ready.
"Are you sure about this?" she softly asked.
"I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't," he admitted.
"Right," Aelita's voice was soft, as it was her turn to hug him tighter. "I just don't want what we have now to suffer if anything goes wrong."
She had a point. What they had now was already great, already stable. Sure they had their disagreements, but they always made up in the end, and none of them were ever relationship-ending.
She continued, "The conversations we have are my favorite part of the day. I'd hate to lose that."
"Me too," he replied. "So from now on, we travel the world together."
"Of course," she smiled brightly. "The entire world! We leave no stone unturned! And if you went out and got a sandwich or something, you'll think to get me one too?"
"Complete with a drink," he agreed. "And dessert."
She giggled, the last bad feeling she had in the pit of her stomach fading when she heard him chuckle with her. That laugh was not sad at all, but a carefree one. It was the laugh she always wanted to hear from him. It was what she worked so hard to accomplish. It would always please her to hear it.
"So," she asked, "are you okay?"
"Yeah," he replied, his voice soft, no longer broken. "I am now."
And she believed him.
Her lips tilted upwards a bit more before she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to his. She felt him return the gesture right before she whispered, "Come on, don't freeze up on me."
"Trying not to," he whispered back.
The two were making their relationship official, and that must've been obvious to everybody else. Because no one dared to interrupt them.
Meanwhile, Sissi was surveying her friends with a smile on her face. The sorrowful mood that had blanketed them this past week was finally gone. They were healing and moving on, including her. And she was glad.
"Hey, Sissi."
She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that her date, Theo, had returned with punch for them both. "Hey, Theo," she greeted him, as she took her cup from him.
"Everything okay?" he asked. Behind his smile was a hint of concern. She remembered this morning, and how he had every right to be worried about her, and the other Lyokowarriors.
On top of that, Nicolas had long since moved on from her and was now dating Naomi N'Guyen. Hervé was currently chatting away with other people who didn't have dates. They both seemed happy.
Content, she warmly smiled. "Yep. Everything's fine."
"Good." And he believed her.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
The next afternoon (a Saturday), after classes were over, the seven Lyokowarriors were gathered in the supercomputer room deep in the bowels of the factory.
"Let's take a vote," Aelita was next to the lever. "Who's in favor of shutting down the supercomputer?"
Yumi raised her hand even before the pink-ette finished speaking, followed by William and Sissi, then Ulrich, Odd, and finally Jérémie.
"You sure, Prince Charming?" Ulrich gently nudged the young genius's stomach.
"I'm sure," Jérémie replied, softly smiling. "It's time to close this chapter of our lives and start a new one."
Yumi warmly smiled at him as she slung a comforting around his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Odd cheered, "Yeah! We've already conquered Lyoko, so next stop, world domination!"
A cluster of laughs broke out, and Aelita couldn't contain her giggles, as she turned around and pulled the switch.
The machine beeped as the gold parts of it stopped glowing. With a flash, it descended into the floor and the room darkened. Three panels bearing the emblem of Lyoko closed over the supercomputer and turned into place before locking.
It was done, and they were still here.
!~~C~O~D~E~~L~Y~O~K~O~~!
As the group climbed out of the manhole, they were discussing their next adventure.
"So tomorrow, it's the cinema," Odd was talking plenty for all of them. "After that, what's next?"
"There's the amusement park next month," Aelita replied, holding hands with Jérémie. "The whole school's going."
"Cool!" Odd exclaimed. "And after that?"
Jérémie lightly scoffed in amusement, "What's wrong with just going where the wind takes us?"
"Absolutely nothing," Sissi quickly cut in. "I like that plan the most."
Ulrich had just closed the lid, when Jim stepped out from behind a nearby tree. "Well, if it isn't the Lucky Seven? What kind of trouble are you kids up to now?"
"Oh, nothing at all," Odd replied, acting casual. "We just closed the book on an unforgettable, adventure-filled life with heroism and danger."
Jim's reaction was just as nonchalant, to their surprise, "Yeah, well, we've all been there, Della Robbia. You know, one day, I also gave up my teenage dreams to become an adult."
"No kidding!" Odd joked. "You're actually an adult?"
Jim winked at them, "I'd rather not talk about it."
!~~~J~E~R~L~I~T~A~~R~O~L~E~S~W~A~P~~A~U~~~!
Next Episode: N/A. This is the last chapter of the main story! If you want more Jerlita Roleswap AU content, then follow my "The Girl From the Outside" story. It's a collection of side stories that didn't make the cut for this one but are still canon to the AU. There's also the art requests on DA; they're still open.
A/N: Apparently, 'Echoes' centering around the clipshows was the result of the producers requiring that one of the Season 4 episodes primarily use recycled animated. The writers decided to save this for the final episode and incorporate it into the plot, which is clever in my opinion, thus resulting in "Echoes". That being said, I know I took out the clipshows, but the theme is still the same: the group remembers and realize that it's over. There is one flashback I kept in, and that's the one from 'The Key' chapter (or Chapter 35: Reminiscence).
Now, all pairings I've set up are official. I was just saving Jerlita for last. You're welcome. Also, the 'beetroot' thing is a reference to the canon version of "Countdown", where Odd stumbles on his words following an attack from a spectre, causing him to say random phrases that is only fixed when he's virtualized onto Lyoko. Sam Suares, in EVO, is less than pleased, but Sam Knight is amused and actually turns the tables.
I had to end it on Jim's classic line; there's no better ending than that. It also ends on the group with Jim, the unofficial eighth Lyokowarrior.
And now, a message from FP7ETDP43, the beta reader of Episodes 60-68:
Hello, how are you all doing? This has been one adventure. I discovered this story the day the second chapter was uploaded on FFN. From there, I started speaking with her and it led to many things, including the two side-stories, Code: Memory and me becoming A World Without Danger's beta reader as well.
I really don't know what the future will bring to us, but I hope it will be really good!
Now, before a new roleswap story starts, I just want to say thank you for sticking with us during this past year and a half. We'll see you soon!