Part One-

"Yamato, what are you doing here?" Taichi asked, his voice quivering.

"Well, I know that we went trying to find Sora, and all this happened. You disappeared, and well, I found
you." I smiled, "Don't worry, Taichi, everything's gonna be OK now."

"Where's Takeru?" He asked, his gaze never leaving the horizon.

"I don't know, but I'll go and find him as soon as I can." And who knows when that'll be? Even though he's
gone, I can still hear him… calling me. Wanting me to find him. And, I can't do anything to help!
I've done everything, searching…everything…then, I come across Taichi, lying in the sand on a deserted
beach, Agumon no where around. And he's hurt too.

"Well, you just go on and look for him, 'k?" Taichi offered, smiling although I could tell he was in obvious
pain. How…selfless of him.

"I couldn't do that!" I snapped, "I can't leave you like this!" I honestly don't mean to be like that to him,
but he always just…draws me like that.

He looked shocked, "Why not? I just told you to, and I'm the leader. Go." He tried to sit up, so that he
could shove my legs, "Go."

I kneeled down next to him, "No. Right now, you're more of a priority."

"Why's that?"

"You're sick. And I think there's something wrong with your arm, the way you're babying it."

He sighed, "And? Anything else, oh great doctor?" Taichi started to shiver, slightly, but I still noticed it.

"We gotta get you off of this beach. It's way too cold." I tried to help him up, but his legs didn't seem to
work. "Here." I said, offering my arm, "I'll lift you up."

"No, I'm fine. Go find Takeru."

"Taichi Kamiya! Get that out of your head right now! I will not abandon a friend in need! And it looks
like you really need me right now!"

Taichi mumbled something, but I chose to ignore it. Probably another remark to try to get me to go.
Well. Since he wasn't going to be cooperating, there wasn't much I could do.

"You're coming with me." I said, picking him up. It seemed like he was light as a feather, perhaps just
a bigger feather than Takeru. I carried him a little ways down the beach, where there was a little
shelter, some one had built a storage shed of some kind, but now it was empty.

"And if I don't want to?"

"Too dang bad." Why was he so averse to being with me? It's like he really didn't want to be around
me at all. Ah well, he needs me, especially right now. I'm the only one here. "Say, where's Agumon?"

"Where's Gabumon?"

"I sent him on to find Takeru when I found you. He's just as protective of him as I am."

"Hm." He said, quieting for the first time in a while. I think that he fell asleep, snuggling up closer
to me. My guess? Just trying to keep warm, sub-consciously of course. I mean…there was no way
that he, Taichi Kamiya, could um…hate me?

I wouldn't blame him, for the way that I treat him sometimes.

But still…I mean, I'm taking care of him, not going for Takeru. That has to stand for something, right?

"Hey, Yamato, I'm cold…" he whispered, "Can you build a fire or something?"

"No, I don't have anything to do it with…sorry…"
Just then, it hit me. I could keep him warm. "Here, this should help." I said, pulling him closer to me,
wrapping my arms around him. I listened to his breathing, slowly, it regulated.

"Is that better?" I asked, smiling.

"Yeah, thanks."

I lay there, just listening to him. It's amazing when he's quiet. He looks almost…cute.


Then, I fell asleep.


"C'mon, wake up! Boy you sleep late!" Taichi said, poking me in the forehead.

"You are obviously feeling better…" I grumbled.

"Of course! With your great care, how can I not be?" Taichi grinned, "But then…you'd make a great
mother!"

"OK…if you weren't as pathetic as you were last night, I'd take you down." I said, smiling slyly. I loved
to mess with him.

"What do you mean, pathetic? At least I'm not a mother hen!" Taichi growled, smiling just as slyly
as I was. He leaned down, like a cat getting ready to pounce. "I'll take you down, not the other way
around!"

Well, he did pounce, but I easily dodged him. "Do you like how dirt tastes, Taichi?"

"Well, you'll find out soon enough," he said, getting up and spitting the rest of the dirt out of his mouth.

Then, he leapt again, this time, actually grabbing my arm and taking me down with him. "See, I said that
I'd take you down!" He said, holding my arms to the ground. I didn't struggle, he'd won, fair and well,
I guess square.

"Yeah, you did. Now could you let me up?"

"Not until you finally admit that I'm better than you." He said, then added, "At least at this kinda thing."

I could tell he thought that I wasn't going to say that, even though I'd intended to. Well, I'm a nice guy,
so I don't disappoint people.

"Never!" I yelled, shoving my arms up with all my might. When that didn't work, I decided that I'd just
lift him in the air with my legs, considering that he was sitting on them. That didn't work too well either.

"I've got you right where I want you, now admit it, Yamato!"

Slightly confused, I asked, "Right where you want me for what?"

Taichi looked slightly flustered, "N-nothing! I just want you to say I'm better!"

"Eh…you want me to tell you who I like, then, hm?" I asked, I'd traveled into unknown territory with the
other one, so I'd rescue him with this one.

"Yeah! AND I want you to tell me I'm better!"

"So, you have low self-esteem too, eh? Want me to tell you that you're the greatest friend on Earth and
the Digiworld too?"

"No, just that I won."

"Well, you ARE the best friend a guy could have, and you won. Ya happy?"

"Thanks, Yamato." Taichi said, letting go of my arms. He still sat on my legs though. "Now, what's to
eat around here?"

"I don't know, and I haven't had time to go foraging in that grove of trees over there." I said, pointing
out the window.

"Alright, then let's go, together." He said, stepping off of me and helping me up.

We stood there, face to face for a few seconds, "Um, Taichi, you can let go of my hand now. I don't
think you're scared of anything here, are you?"

He dropped my hand, "No, I'm not."

I smiled, "Let's go and get some food! Maybe we'll find the others too. And maybe they already found
Sora!"

"Yeah, I've been worried about her." He said, opening the door.

"So have I."

"Do you like her?"

"Of course, and Mimi, and Jou, and Koushiro, and I love Takeru…"

Taichi slapped his head, "I meant really like her, like, like-like her."

"Oh, that kind of like."

"Well, do you?"

"No."

"Good. Otherwise, I'd have to take you down again."

"Why's that?"

"Because, Koushiro has a crush on her, and if you did, I'd have to hurt you."

"That's one thing I like about you, Taichi, you show people you care about them, and protect them.
That proves that you're a good leader."

He smiled at me, and I don't think I've ever seen a more genuine expression on his features, "Thanks,
that really means a lot, Yamato."

"Well, be a good leader and lead me to food, I'm hungry too."

So, we looked around for a while, him leading while I followed not too far behind. After about an hour,
we found some berries, thanks to Taichi falling over an exposed root.

"Hey! It's Yamato and Taichi!" Sora yelled, "Come on, everyone!"

"Taichi!" Agumon yelled, running towards us.

"Yamato!" Gabumon yelled, doing likewise.

"Gabumon, did you find Takeru?" I asked, following him.

"Yes, he's with Koushiro right now. He's learning about HTML."

"HTML? Isn't that a computer language?"

"I think so, but I'm not too sure," Sora said, leading us back to where everyone was.

"Where did you go, Sora?" I asked, I'd been worried about her. Missing her was like missing Taichi.
We didn't seem quite whole. I guess that's the way if anyone of us is missing. We each contribute
something to the group, individual as each of us. I suppose that's what our crests were trying to
teach us, our differences are our strengths.

"I don't know. I fell asleep with you guys, and woke up here. Biyomon didn't notice anything either,
did you Biyomon?" She answered, looking down at Biyomon, her constant companion.

"No, I didn't!" Biyomon answered, brightly.

"Hmm…maybe another Digimon just got lonely for the night and thought that Sora looked nice enough.
Anyway, we're all back together!" Taichi said, running over to where the rest of the group was, leaving
me and Sora to ourselves.

"I missed you guys. Especially you, Yamato." Sora said, walking close to me as we followed Taichi.

I knew I was blushing. My face felt hot. "Why especially me?"

"Because…" she said, looking down, "I like you."

"Eh?!?"

"I do, Yamato…I like you a lot…"

Just then, saving me from answering her, Takeru came up and hugged me, "Yamato! Onii-chan!"

"Takeru! I missed you!"

"I missed you too! Gabumon found me though! And he said that you'd be here soon, and he was right!
And you found Tai-kun!"

"Yes, I did." I said, smiling. It's amazing how much Takeru looks up to me. I never really did anything
for him, and he admires me like I'm a god.

"Where'd you find him?" Sora asked. She looked a little angry. I wasn't surprised.

"Over by that body of water. He was lying on the beach."

"Oh."

"Wow! Did you have an adventure?" Takeru asked, grabbing my hand and dragging me back to the group.

"You bet! There were dragons and they breathed fire!" Taichi said, walking towards us.
He was smiling, and he winked at me, hoping I'd play along.

"Really?" Takeru said, his eyes wide in awe. "Were you guys scared?"

"Nope, Taichi was there, and how can you be afraid with him around?" I said, kneeling down next to
my brother. He hugged me and said, "I'm glad that you are alright. I don't know what I'd do if you and
Tai-kun were burned to death!"

Taichi kneeled next to us and hugged the both of us, "You don't have to worry about us, Takeru,
Yamato and I make the best team ever! That is…" He stopped, smacking me in the arm, "When we're
not fighting!" He got up and ran away, hiding behind Sora.

"I'm not playing with you right now, Taichi…" I sighed. Sometimes, that kid just has way too much energy.

"Oh, alright." He said, walking back to where everyone was.

"What happened to you guys?" Koushiro asked, not looking up from his computer. "You seem more
friendly than you did before, Yamato, and Taichi, you are even more giddy and euphoric than before."

I had no idea what to say to that.

"It's almost if…" Koushiro said, putting his hand to his jaw, thinking, "never mind. It's nothing."


Taichi and I looked at each other; he was as clueless as I was! That is, until I realized what Koushiro
had seen and understood.

I was talking freely with everyone.

I wasn't being cold with anyone.

I was being more open with emotions.

I was being nice to Taichi.

Then, I saw Taichi sit on the ground, dazed. I ran over to him, "Is something wrong? Are you OK?"

"I'm f-fine, Yamato." He said, waving me away. He put his head between his knees and started to
breathe really deeply.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, running over and sitting next to Taichi.

Suddenly, everyone had made a circle, with Taichi at its center.

"Get back! He needs room to breathe!" I said, trying to gently shove the group away. "Koushiro,
figure out what's wrong!" I ordered, yelling. He walked calmly over to Taichi, took my hand, and
smiled. Just then, I had all confidence in him, with that computer of his, he could figure out anything!
Koushiro set to work, figuring out Taichi's symptoms and plugging them into his computer.


"Onii-chan! What's wrong with Tai-kun?" Takeru screamed, clutching my waist, almost cutting off
the circulation to my legs.

I started to smooth his hair, petting him, "I don't know, but Koushiro-kun will find out in just a little bit."

That had to have been the longest 5 minutes of my life. I sat there, with Takeru in my arms, holding
my breath. Taichi was now laid out on his back, breathing sporadically, and sweating profusely.

I was nervous. I was very nervous. Hell, nervous doesn't even BEGIN to describe it. Here was my
(I just realized) best friend, writhing in agony on the ground in front of me!







All I can say is, I was never quite the same after that, and I don't think that Taichi was either.

AN- Please...be kind...this is my first Digimon ficcie! This gets better...a lot better, so please, read on
when I eventually all up!!!
I'd really like to know what everyone thinks, so please, either review or email me! I'm nervous to see
how this is going to be accepted...*mumbles...shoulda stayed with Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing,
Konie...you are *much* better with those...*
Please review!!! Thanks!!!!