A.N. This is a fic I've had planned for a while now, but I've finally decided to write it, it's can either be just a Matt and Mimi friendship fic or a Mimato - depends how much you read into it! So enjoy... And you know what to do when you've finished, that's right - R & R please! ^_~
I'd like to dedicate this fic to m_dudette, who came up with the title!!! Thanx!
Disclaimer: I don't, and never will, own Digimon.
"Never Let Yesterday Use Up Today."
"Miss Tachikawa? Yes you can see her. Follow me please." the receptionist smiled at Matt, almost sympathetically. She got up and led him through some huge double doors and down a long corridor. Mimi doesn't deserve to be here, he thought as he looked round at the clean white walls, no one deserves to be shut up like this. Her parents should've listened and cared for her themselves, but no, they stuck her in here. As they walked he could hear shouts and banging echoing around almost eerily. The receptionist looked at the box in his hands. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to check that." Matt nodded and reluctantly handed her the present he had spent hours carefully wrapping in pink paper. "She gets so many visitors, it's nice that she has lots of nice friends who care about her. It helps keep her calm." she said as she made a slit in the side of the paper and inspected the contents.
"Yeah." he muttered. He noticed how she had said friends... No mention of the word 'family', just friends. She handed the box back and as they continued to walk his mind wandered back...
..."Ice Wolf Claw!" Metalgarurumon attacked the evil Digimon as Matt protected Mimi.
"I'm sorry I ran away." she wept, shaking violently in his arms.
"Hey it's ok, you're safe now." he whispered into her hair.
"Mimi!" Palmon yelled from behind the evil Digimon.
"Palmon!" she screamed, wriggled out of Matt's grasp and ran to her Digimon. "Digivolve!" her crest began to glow.
"Palmon digivolve to Togemon! Togemon digivolve to Lillymon!" the pretty flower fairy Digimon flew around the Digimon's head. "Hey you!" she got it's attention. "Flower cannon!"
"Wailing Bomb!" the Digimon called it's attack in reply. It totally consumed Lillymon (who was a great deal smaller than the bad Digimon).
"Lillymon!" Mimi screamed as her Digimon de-digivolved to Palmon. Mimi sprinted up as Metalgarurumon finished the attacker off. "Oh Palmon are you ok?"
"Mi... Mi..." Palmon panted, a sweet smile on her face. "Be brave for me."
"Nooooo! Palmooooon!" Mimi wailed as her beloved best friend turned into bits of data.
"It's ok Mimi." Matt tried to comfort her.
"No, it isn't! This is all my fault! If I hadn't ran away she never would've had to fight!"...
Why, why, why, WHY?!?!?! Why do the memories keep coming back? Why don't mom and dad visit? Why did Palmon die? Why did I run away? So many questions ran though Mimi's head, and no answers at all. She hated the room, it was so cold and plain... She knew what it needed - a splash of colour -
"Pink would be perfect." she sighed as she looked at the dingy grey walls and barred windows that surrounded her. She looked at herself in the mirror - in her eyes she looked as cold and plain as the room. She took hold of her brush and ran in through her pink locks- even they looked grey to her. There was a soft knock.
"Miss Tachikawa? You have a visitor." as soon as she heard the word 'visitor' her eyes lit up - maybe it was her parents!
"C... Come in." she brushed her pale blue overalls down and made sure she looked as presentable as she possibly could. The door opened and Matt stuck his head around the door.
"Hey Meems." he said softly. Her face fell slightly as he walked in. "Aren't you pleased to see me?"
"Oh." she smiled again. "Of course I am Matt, I was just kinda hoping you'd be..."
"Your parents?" she nodded sadly. "I'm sorry Mimi."
"It's okay, I'm glad you came - sit down." she offered him a seat. "How are the others?"
"Just fine. They send their love and this." he handed her the box. "I'm sorry the receptionist opened it, security procedures I guess." she smiled fondly at the pink paper. She gingerly opened the paper and set it to one side. Inside was a pink and green (a/n hehehe...) photo frame that said 'friends forever' on it. In the frame was a picture of all her friends.
"Tai... Sora... Kari... TK... Joe... Izzy... Yolei... Davis... Ken... Cody... and you." she whispered, pointing to each of them as she said their name. Matt smiled. "I love it, thank you." she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for visiting as well, please tell the others to come soon and tell them all I love them."
"I will Meems." he put an arm around her shoulder. "How are things anyway?" she shrugged his arm off and stood up.
"Tough." she looked through the barred window at the clear blue sky. "Same as usual really. Get up, exercises, shower, breakfast, group session, lunch, solo counselling, sit in my room moping, dinner, back to my room, rec time, bed." she felt tears sting her eyes.
"Mimi?" Matt said gently.
"All I wanna do is get out... of... here!" she broke down and fell to the ground sobbing. "I want to run on green grass, lie out in the sun, laugh, smile, blow a ridiculous amount of money on a pair of shoes and most of all fall in love..." she whispered the last three words with deep feeling. Matt felt useless - what should he do? Part of him thought he'd better leave, the other half wanted to hold and comfort her. Her sobs became louder and the door creaked open.
"Sir? I think you'd better leave." a doctor said. Matt took one last longing glance at his friend as two attendants tried to calm her down. Another doctor appeared and rubbed Mimi's back gently, before sticking a syringe into her arm.
"Mimi!!" Matt yelled as she flopped down to the ground. He tried to push his way back in but the doctor held him back.
"She'll be alright now, they've sedated her." the door closed, and Matt walked away.
"So she got hysterical again?" Tai murmured. "Man that sucks."
"I wish we could do more for her." Kari spoke up. "I always feel so helpless." the group nodded understandingly.
"Did she like the present?" Joe asked.
"Yeah, she loved it." Matt sighed. "She was a little disappointed that it was only me visiting."
"She still believes her parents will visit, doesn't she?" Sora asked.
"Do you think they ever will?" TK asked.
"Who knows? But for now we have to be there for her no matter what." Tai announced.
"Yes." Izzy said in agreement. "We can't abandon her."
"As if we could even think about that Izzy!" Yolei exclaimed. "Even if her real family won't visit, this family will!"
"Yeah!" Davis jumped up. "The Digi Family!" Davis's outburst lightened the atmosphere slightly and the group laughed. But the mirth didn't last for long as the whole group found themselves thinking of the same thing...
... "Mimi's in a mental hospital." Mr Tachikawa announced.
"WHAT?!" Sora yelled. "Why? How? Which one?"
"She's in the Odaiba Institute for the Unstable." Mrs Tachikawa told them gently. "It's for her own good. She's already tried to commit suicide twice!"
"But she's not insane - just depressed!" Matt exclaimed.
"Do you really think that the psychologists were going to believe all that Digimon stuff?" was all Mr Tachikawa said.
"But you know about the Digimon!" TK said in disbelief.
"Do you think we were going to tell the psychologists that?" Mrs Tachikawa asked. A deathly silence filled the room. "Please visit her, she needs your support."
"Our support?!" Tai spat. "What about you? It's your support she needs you're her fuckin parents!" Mimi's parents glared at him with contempt. He just shook his head with a look of disgust in his eyes. "You make me sick. Come on guys." the DigiDestined walked out of the apartment.
"I can't believe they'd do that to her." Sora murmured.
"I hate them, they're so selfish." Joe muttered.
"In a way they remind me of my parents." Matt sighed, TK nodded in agreement.
"I know what you mean, only doing what's best for them, not for Mimi."
"Do you know what makes this worse?" Matt broke the silence. "The last thing she said to me was that she wants to know what it's like to fall in love."
"Poor, poor Mimi." Kari suddenly broke down. "I feel so... mean! I've got my freedom, and love..." she squeezed TK's hand. "And she has nothing." she got up and ran to the bathroom. Sora quickly followed.
"I wish there was a way we could get her back to the Digital World, to show her Palmon's still there." Izzy sighed.
"Yeah but even if we could - would she want to go?" Cody asked. The group sighed.
"Probably not."
"Well Sora, Kari and I are going to see her tomorrow - anyone else wanna come?" Tai asked.
"I will." TK said. "Anyone else?"
"Can't, I have an exam." Joe sighed. "Actually I better go and revise. See you soon." he got up and left.
"I've got Kendo practise - see ya." Cody followed Joe out.
"Wait Cody I'll walk with ya, I've gotta go look after the store." Yolei excused herself. Just then Sora and Kari appeared.
"I'm gonna go home, I want to write a letter for Mimi." Kari smiled tearily.
"I'll come with you then." Tai stood up and hugged her. "Come to our house at about 10 tomorrow TK" Matt's younger brother nodded.
"I'm going to hit the road too." Sora announced, the others waved as the trio walked out of the cafe.
"Wait for me Kari!" Davis yelled, chasing after her.
"Hey Izzy that new computer program I was telling you about came today - do you want to come to my house to look at it?" Ken asked.
"Prodigious! Of course I want to see it. Bye Matt and TK." Izzy and Ken left and so the only people left were Matt and TK.
"So, what do ya wanna do?" Matt asked.
"I was wondering... Do you think the Institute will let Mimi out with us for a while?"
"Hmm... I dunno. Why?"
"I was just thinking maybe we could take her for a walk around the park or something."
"Maybe that's a bad idea... Remember the last time she saw flowers?"
"Yeah she flipped. Damn." the brothers sat in silence, wondering how on earth they could help their poor friend.
Back at Tai and Kari's house, Kari was fast asleep on the couch and Tai and Sora were discussing the same thing as TK and Matt.
"What can we do? We need to show her that Palmon is alright now." Tai asked out loud.
"Yeah but she still blames herself for causing Palmon's 'death'." Sora sighed.
"Mimi... Nooo... Why?" Kari mumbled from the couch. The others looked at her with concern.
"She's having another nightmare." Sora sighed. Tai sat on the floor in front of his sister and stroked her hair.
"It's ok Kari, it's ok." the girl suddenly sat up, gasping for air and shaking violently.
"Mimi..." she muttered. "Is she alive?"
"Yes Kari, lie down." Sora said soothingly. "She's still half asleep." Tai nodded.
"I really wish these dreams would stop, but I think I'd be the same if I'd have seen what she saw...
..."I hope Mimi likes this!" Kari smiled at TK as he pressed the buzzer on the Tachikawa's apartment wall. Kari was holding a big box which contained a large cake which she, TK and Matt had spent the day making.
"I'm sure she will - I don't think I've ever seen her turn down chocolate cake." Matt said. He pressed the buzzer again and there was a click as someone picked up the speakerphone.
"Hello?" Mrs Tachikawa's bright voice asked.
"Hi Mrs T. It's Kari, TK and Matt. Is Mimi there?" the was another click as the speakerphone was put down and the door opened.
"Why yes she is. Myself and Mr Tachikawa were just going out for a walk, she's in her room." she let them in and she and her husband left. "Have fun!"
"Bye, Mr and Mrs Tachikawa." TK called. "Right let's go and see what she's upto!" they walked to her room and knocked.
"Is it me or is it too quiet?" Matt muttered. "Usually Mimi opens the front door as soon as she hears one of us on the speakerphone."
"Mimi?" Kari whispered. "Are you asleep?"
"Well if she is she's not gonna answer is she?" TK teased.
"Urrrrgh, go away." Mimi's voice called out weakly.
"Mimi are you feeling alright? You don't sound so good." Kari bit her lip.
"Leave me alone, I'm fine. I'm going to see Palmon." that was all Mimi needed to say.
"Shit!" Matt yelled, and tried to open the door - it was locked. "Mimi let us in now!"
"No!" she yelled back. "I told you to go away and leave me in peace!!!" Matt took a few steps back and then ran at the door. After a few attempts it finally burst open. Mimi was lying on her bed looking very pale.
"What have you done Mimi?!" Kari screamed as she noticed a pill bottle on the floor, there were pills everywhere.
"I just wanted to sleep..." the girl murmured. "For a very long time."
"TK get an ambulance!" Matt ordered. The younger blonde sprinted out to the phone. "Kari, see if you can find her parents." Kari was frozen to the spot, staring at Mimi. "NOW!" she snapped out of her trance and ran as fast as she could. Matt had sat Mimi up and was holding onto her tightly, tears falling from his blue eyes. "You bitch Mimi, you fucking, stupid, selfish bitch..."
* * *
"Good afternoon Mimi." the woman only known as Laura to Mimi smiled.
"Good afternoon." the girl muttered, leaning back on the big red couch. She didn't want to be here, she hated counselling so much it was boring. She knew exactly what to say to keep Laura happy.
"So, what have you been doing today so far?"
"Same thing as always, got up, did my exercises, had a shower, ate breakfast, went to my group session then had lunch and now I'm here."
"What did you talk about in your group session?"
"Our dreams."
"Oh. So what are your dreams Mimi?"
"To get out of here and live a normal life again."
"What about the Digiworld Mimi? Would you like to go there again and see Palmon?" Laura said sweetly. Mimi glared at her.
"I know you don't believe me, I know you're only saying that because you have to. But it's real, and Palmon died because of me." Laura nodded, sympathy in her eyes. She leant back on her chair and grabbed a piece of paper and a box of crayons.
"Here Mimi, draw me a picture of Palmon." the pink haired girl glared again then began to draw. "Now, tell me about yesterday. I heard you had a visitor and got upset."
"It was Matt. He brought me a present." she stopped drawing and picked up the picture from beside her on the floor. She took it everywhere.
"Ahhh... Are these your friends?" the counsellor asked. Mimi nodded. "Who is who?" Mimi sat up and pointed at the faces.
"This is Tai, Sora, Tai's sister Kari, Joe, Izzy, Davis, Yolei, Cody, Ken, TK and TK's brother Matt."
"So this is the boy who visited yesterday."
"Yes."
"Why don't you tell me about him while you draw."
"Okay. Well Matt's a real rebel... well he was. He's not so bad now." she began, grabbing a pink crayon from the box.
"Does he have a Digimon?"
"No." Mimi lied, she didn't want any of her friends to get involved with this. "He's in a band, he sings and plays bass guitar. He's very popular and all the girls chase him around - including Davis's annoying big sister Jun." she giggled. "He hates Jun so much, we once pretended we were going out so that she'd go away." Laura tilted her head.
"Ahhh I see. So you and Matt have a strong bond?"
"I guess so. He was always so cold, but now I'd say he's one of my bestest friends."
"Nothing more?"
"What do you mean? Wait do you mean do I like him? Oh no I couldn't." she put the pink down and took a light green.
"Why ever not?"
"Because it wouldn't work, I'm sure he doesn't care about me in that way." Laura smiled.
"Mimi, do you think you could bring your picture everyday? Then you can tell me about each of your friends." Mimi nodded and began to use a red pencil.
"So, why did you get upset yesterday?"
"It was just... I miss being free. I miss the world."
"I understand Mimi, and that's what I'm here for. Whenever you feel like talking just tell someone to find me, alright?" she nodded. "Good, now have you finished the drawing?" Mimi handed over the paper, and Laura turned pale. "This is very... Nice, Mimi. Why don't you go and take a nap now?" Mimi jumped up.
"Goodbye Laura, and thank you I feel much better." she grinned as an attendant led her away. As soon as she was out of the room she dropped the grin and sighed. Meanwhile Laura was still looking at the drawing.
"Well?" another psychologist walked in. Laura showed him the picture.
"Almost exactly the same as the drawings her mother showed us that she did before her second suicide attempt." she went through Mimi's file and found a similar picture, a patch of dark brown stained one corner of the paper...
..."Mimi are you alright?" Mrs Tachikawa knocked on the bathroom door.
"Fine mom thanks." Mimi's voice piped up.
"I'm going to put some clean laundry in your room, will you put it away later?"
"Yup." Mrs Tachikawa smiled and walked to her daughter's room. She placed the laundry on her bed then noticed she had placed it on some paper. She pulled it out and suddenly felt sick when she saw it - it was a drawing of Palmon, that was nothing unusual, Mimi was always drawing pictures of her beloved Digimon; however in this picture Palmon was bleeding and had a knife straight through her. Mimi was also in the picture, holding another knife to the Digimon's head, almost threatening to cut the flower off. On the corner of the paper was a brown stain.
"Blood?" Mrs Tachikawa murmured. Suddenly there was a loud thud from the bathroom. Mimi's mother screamed.
"Mimi? Darling?" she asked shakily, banging on the bathroom door. She opened it and promptly screamed again. Mimi was unconscious on the floor, blood pouring from open wounds on her wrists. A razor blade lay nearby coated in red. The white tiled floor, bath and sink were all covered in blood as well. On the window sill lay two letters - one addressed to her parents, the other to her friends. "Mimi, help!" she screamed again, shaking. Mr Tachikawa sprinted in.
"Oh my god what has she done?" he exclaimed.
"What does it look like?" Mrs Tachikawa wailed. He pulled his cell phone out and prayed that they weren't too late...
"Hello Mimi." Tai whispered as he, Kari, Sora and TK entered. Mimi was lying on her back on the bed. She looked at them and smiled.
"Hey!" she jumped up. "It's so nice to see you." she hugged them all. "Oh, before we start - could you tell Matt I'm really sorry about yesterday." they nodded. "Thank you, I felt so awful about it."
"It's okay, he's really worried about you - we all are." TK told her.
"We brought you some chocolates." Sora smiled, handing her a box of her favourite sweets.
"Yum, thank you." she smiled again. "Sit down. Now how are you keeping? Is Davis still giving you guys trouble TK and Kari?"
"Yeah, he just can't get over the fact that we're dating now." Kari sighed.
"I feel kinda sorry for him, poor guy." Mimi said distantly. "Have you heard anything from my mom and dad?" she looked hopefully at them. They looked down at the ground.
"Sorry Mimi." Tai murmured. The girl's face fell.
"Oh well."
"Oh Mimi, here." Kari handed her a pink envelope. "I wrote it last night, read it when we've gone okay?" Mimi played with the slit in the side of the envelope.
"I wish they wouldn't open my mail." she muttered.
"How was counselling?" Sora asked.
"It was just Laura asked a load of dumb questions about this morning's group session, cleverly adding in Palmon. She then made me draw a picture of Palmon and we talked about Matt." Mimi grumbled. "I hate her, she's just another hypocritical shrink who tries to make out she's your friend." Tai and Sora looked at each other helplessly. TK coughed uncomfortably and Kari just sat in silence. "I'm sorry guys. I shouldn't complain while you're here it's not fair." she changed her expression. "I really appreciate you coming to see me. It gets so lonely..." she moved to look through the bars of her window again. A bird fluttered past singing sweetly and she closed her eyes. "I wish I was a bird, I could just spread my wings and fly out of here." she lifted her arms and flapped them as if she could take off. The others just watched in silence. The door opened and Mimi quickly put her arms down.
"It's time for dinner Miss Tachikawa. You're all welcome to stay if you want." an attendant told them.
"No, go." Mimi told them, moving closer to her friends. "The food here stinks." she whispered.
"At least you have your chocolates for dessert." Tai grinned. She nodded.
"Thanks again for coming - I love you guys so much." she hugged each of them in turn.
"Come on Miss Tachikawa, the canteen awaits." the attendant smiled.
"Yay, I can't wait." she said sarcastically as they left her room.
* * *
One month later...
"You've made so much progress these past few weeks that we've decided to give you a bit more freedom." Laura smiled at Mimi. "Come on, follow me." Mimi leapt off the couch eagerly and they walked out of the office and down the hallway. Finally they came to a room which Mimi had never been in before - the computer room. "Here, this computer can connect to the Internet, so you can keep in touch with your friends."
"But my email and stuff will still be monitored, right?" Mimi asked. Laura nodded.
"Sorry Mimi. You know the rules."
"Can... I go on now?" she asked. Laura smiled.
"Of course." she handed the girl a piece of paper. "Here's your password and email address. Have fun!" Laura left the room, and Mimi's eyes sparkled with joy as she switched the computer on.
"Hey Izzy. Could I check my email on your computer?" Sora asked. "My computer's broken."
"Of course you can Sora." he moved out of his seat and let her sit at the laptop.
"I'm going to visit Mimi tomorrow." Matt announced. "Anyone else?"
"I am." Yolei said. "She sent me a letter the other day asking if I would."
"Do you mind if I tag along?" Izzy asked. "I haven't been for a few weeks now."
"Oh my god! I have an email from Mimi!" Sora exclaimed. The group crowded around the computer to look. "Because she's been doing so well recently they've let her use the computers and she can email us! The messages are being monitored though."
"Wow, I wonder if she emailed all of us?" Kari asked. "Can I check my email next Izzy?"
"Sure." soon all the DigiDestined were begging Izzy to allow them to use his laptop. "Yes, yes!! You're all more than welcome to - but first of all I'm checking mine!" Kari moved after reading her message and let Izzy check his.
"This is great!" Tai grinned. "I'm so pleased she's making so much progress!"
"Yeah." said Matt. "When I went to see her yesterday she seemed a lot more stable. She'd asked me to bring my guitar and she sang! It's been so long since I last heard her sing."
"That's brilliant news. If she keeps going the way she is I'm sure she'll be outta there in no time!" Joe said enthusiatically.
"I sure hope so, seeing her in there makes me think of a songbird trapped in a cage." Matt sighed, taking his turn on the computer.
"Miss Tachikawa?" the attendant knocked on the door for the fifth time. "Miss Tachikawa you missed supper - are you feeling alright?" finally he opened the door. "Miss Tachika..." he stopped as he realised the room was empty. Quickly he hit the alarm in the hallway.
"What's going on?" a doctor appeared.
"It's Mimi Tachikawa - she's not in her room!" the doctor pressed a button and spoke into a microphone built into the wall.
"Tachikawa Mimi is missing from her room - please check your area. I repeat, Tachikawa Mimi is missing..."
The DigiDestined were talking about their last trip to the Digiworld when the phone rang. Tai jumped up to answer it.
"Hello, Kamiya resi... What?! No we haven't seen her..."
"What? What's wrong?" Kari asked as the group fell silent. Tai covered the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand. "It's Mimi parents - she's gone missing."
"WHAT?!" the whole group exclaimed.
"How?" Joe asked. "I thought that place was like a fortress!"
"I don't know what I'm more shocked about - the fact that she's missing or her parents phoning." TK muttered.
"I'm really sorry, I hope they find her." Tai said down the phone. "Goodbye." he hung the phone back up. "Where are you going?" Matt was at the door.
"Where do you think? The Institute." Sora got up as well.
"I'm coming as well."
"We all are!" Izzy announced. "Come on!"
"Hello, we're here about Mimi Tachikawa - we hear she's gone missing." Tai said to the receptionist.
"Has she turned up yet?" Kari asked.
"I'm afraid not." the receptionist told them. Just then two attendants walked through with a man.
"I tell you! She was sucked into the computer!" he said.
"Of course she was Mr Hamotoe." one of the attendants said. The DigiDestined looked at each other and Matt leapt forward.
"Who? Who got sucked through a computer?" he asked.
"Excuse me sir!" one of the attendants exclaimed.
"The girl with pink hair... There was a strange picture on the computer and she held up this little machine and got sucked in!" the man told him. Matt's eyes widened.
"Shit." he snapped, and went back to the others. "She's in the Digiworld."
"Damn." Tai muttered. "Come on guys we'd better go."
"I can't! I promised my parents I'd be back for dinner and now I'm late!" Ken exclaimed.
"Me neither." Cody told them.
"Okay - so how many of us can go?" TK asked. He, Matt, Tai, Sora, Kari, Davis and Izzy raised their hands.
"Seven of us." said Tai. "So that means two groups of two and a group of three."
"Right, let's go." Izzy declared.
"So, how are we splitting up?" Tai asked. They were sat on the beach in the Digital World, planning the search for their friend; Gabumon was with them.
"How about Matt, TK and Kari; myself and you Tai and Davis and Izzy?" Sora suggested. Matt stood up.
"I wanna go alone with Gabumon." the others looked at him.
"What? Matt are you crazy?" TK exclaimed. He shook his head.
"No I'm not. Look, just let me go alright?" Tai threw up his hands in defeat.
"Sure, whatever Matt. Right so I'll go with Sora, TK and Kari and Izzy and Davis."
"Okay." Kari smiled, took TK's hand and headed up the beach with him. Davis reluctantly went with Izzy in the opposite direction and Tai and Sora wandered off into the woods, deciding to head for Primary Village.
"So Matt, where are we going?" Gabumon asked.
"Simple - the place we found her when she ran away last time. I think you should digivolve." Gabumon complied and quickly digivolved to Garurumon. Matt hopped onto his back and they galloped off.
"I'm gonna sing you a sooong..." Mimi sang quietly to herself as she sat on the ledge. She looked down upon the place where she had last seen Palmon. She swung her legs and giggled.
"Mimi!" a voice made her look up.
"Matt, what are you doing here?" she asked. The boy jumped off his Digimon's back. "Garurumon too, it's been a while."
"What are you doing up there? Come down!" Matt yelled at her. The ledge she was stood on was very narrow. "Actually, how the hell did you manage to get up there in the first place?!"
"I climbed of course!" she stood up and began to walk along.
"Be careful!" Matt yelled, once again feeling useless. "If you fall you'll be killed!"
"As if I care Matt!" she yelled back. "I've tried twice already haven't I? At least if I die then I won't have to feel guilty about killing Palmon anymore!!!"
"You didn't kill her Mimi!" he yelled back. "She's was just reconfigured! Remember Whamon and Chuumon? They came back didn't they?" Mimi froze as realisation hit her and looked down at the blonde.
"Matt... I'm scared." she began to cry. "Help!" she began to walk again.
"No Mimi stay still!" he shouted, but suddenly she slipped. "Nooooo!" he watched in horror as the pink haired girl held onto the edge for dear life.
"Maaaaatt!" Mimi screamed as he ran to stand below where she was hanging. Matt felt tears running down his cheeks, and his crest began to glow.
"Garurumon digivolve to Weregarurumon!" the huge wolf-like Digimon climbed up and grabbed Mimi in the nick of time. She was gasping for air as he jumped down with her.
"Mimi!" Matt ran up and threw his arms around the girl. She sobbed gratefully into his chest.
"Deja vu." she whispered.
"What?"
"Deja vu. It's like the day Palmon died. I ran away and you found and saved me."
"Mimi, Palmon's not dead. Let me prove it to you." Matt whispered. She looked up into his eyes and nodded.
"Yes Matt, show me." he helped her up and they walked away together with Gabumon close behind.
Meanwhile Tai and Sora were at Primary Village talking to Elecmon.
"So you haven't seen Mimi anywhere?" the small red and blue Digimon shook his head.
"Sorry guys."
"Any luck?" TK and Kari appeared in the sky. They were riding on Pegasusmon and Nefertimon.
"No, how about you?" the two younger children shook their heads. Izzy and Davis were the next to appear.
"No Mimi?"
"Nope - no sign of Matt yet?" Davis called.
"No." the gang sighed.
"However," Izzy said. "We did find someone..." he took a side step to reveal...
"Palmon!"
"Hey guys, how are you all?"
"Okay, except for the fact that Mimi's vanished." Palmon looked sad.
"Why hasn't she visited me?" she asked. Sora walked up to the plant-like Digimon.
"She was upset about you getting hurt. She blamed herself and she got very sick and ended up in a special hospital."
"But she's better now, right?" a silence drifted across the group.
"Look! It's Matt, Gabumon and Mimi!" TK yelled, running to greet his brother. Mimi was clinging onto his arm tightly.
"You're safe!" Sora said thankfully. The DigiDestined hugged their friend joyfully and she cried with happiness.
"I think there's someone who wants to see you, Mimi." Matt whispered, and pointed to Palmon. Silence reigned once more as the girl and her Digimon stared at each other.
"Mimi..."
"Palmon..."
* * *
"I'm glad you managed to find her." Mrs Tachikawa smiled. They were all back at the mental institute. Mimi was fast asleep in bed and her parents were sat next to her. A blissful look of content was on the slumbering Mimi's face. Matt had gone to see his dad, who was with a news crew reporting the incident.
"Mimi was so pleased to see you." Sora said. "I don't think I've seen her this happy for a long time." Mr and Mrs Tachikawa smiled at each other.
"The doctors say she is a lot more stable since her little 'trip'. That's why we've decided to discharge her and move back to New York." Mr Tachikawa told them.
"Just like that?!" Tai jumped up from his seat. "You shove her in here for 6 months then as soon as she stable take her back? You make me sick!!"
"I don't wanna go!" Mimi mumbled from her bed as she sat up. Matt walked back in.
"What's going on guys?" he asked.
"Mimi's parents are discharging her..."
"Hey great!"
"That's only half of it - they're moving back to New York."
"What?! No way you can't do that she needs her friends around her!"
"I've re-accepted my position out there, and this time there's no turning back. Anyway she has friends out in America..." Mr Tachikawa told him.
"Not real friends. Look, I have a proposition." the Tachikawas looked at him in interest.
"Go ahead Matt."
"I want to look after her."
"Matt you're only 17!" TK exclaimed. "And what's dad gonna say?"
"He's gonna say that he'll be there to help." Mr Ishida walked in. "Look Mr and Mrs Tachikawa it's obvious you have no time for your daughter.
"Excuse me!" Mr Tachikawa stood up in defense. Mr Ishida raised his hands.
"Look, all I ask of you is rent. I have a spare room at my apartment and it seems my son has his heart set on helping your daughter." they all looked over at the bed, where Matt and Mimi were sat. Matt was holding Mimi's hands and they were whispering to one another earnestly. Mimi leant forward into his arms and they hugged. Mrs Tachikawa bit her lip then looked at her husband sadly. He nodded understandingly - almost as if he could read her thoughts.
"Mimi, darling?" Mimi's mother walked upto the bed, and Mimi pulled away from Matt's embrace. "Do you want to stay here with Matt and his father?" she nodded eagerly.
"Yes, if it means I can stop in Odaiba and be with my friends." she held onto Matt's hands tightly.
"What do you think honey?" the woman looked up at her husband. He turned to Mr Ishida.
"We'll send you so much money a month - how about we go and talk figures?" the two men walked out and the DigiDestined cheered.
"Thank you mom." Mimi whispered. Her mother smiled tearily
"Keep in touch, and visit as often as you want."
"I will mom - I love you no matter what." Mrs Tachikawa walked to the door.
"I'll go and help your father. I'll be back soon." as soon as she left the group of teenagers surrounded the bed and hugged each other.
"You're my real family." Mimi told them. "You've been through everything with me. And Matt, thank you so much for what you're doing."
"I promise to never let you down Meems." he whispered to her. "I'll protect you for always." he held her tightly and closed his eyes.
* * *
I still can't believe this is happening, thought Mimi as they stood at the airport, I can't believe my parents are leaving me again... She looked at Matt, who was stood next to her, and smiled. At least they're leaving me in good hands this time, not in that prison. Matt noticed Mimi's smile in the corner of his eye, and smiled himself. The Tachikawas and his father had sorted out all the arrangements for Mimi's accomodation needs and everything was set for her parents to return to New York.
"Are you sure we are doing the right thing?" Mrs Tachikawa asked her husband nervously. He looked over at his daughter.
"Look at her, she looks so happy and free. I think this is going to do her the world of good." Mrs Tachikawa smiled with relief.
"This is the last call for flight 162 to New York. Please make your way to Gate C, thank you." a voice announced. "Come on honey, time to say goodbye." Mr Tachikawa put his arm around his wife's waist and they walked first of all to Mr Ishida.
"Thank you so much for this." Mrs Tachikawa said, tears in her eyes.
"It's no problem whatsoever." Mimi's parents walked upto her. The girl flung herself into their arms.
"I'm going to miss you so much... I hated you for not visiting me and I thought you hated me; but now I realise you love me and that I love you." she wept.
"Oh Mimi, we always loved you. We're sorry we didn't show it." Mrs Tachikawa sobbed.
"Just get in touch when you want to visit and we'll make arrangements." Mimi nodded.
"Make sure you write."
"Oh, everyday!"
"And phone."
"Yes I will!"
"Just to make sure you do, we've arranged for you to have your own line at the Ishida's... We're going to pay the bill."
"Oh thank you sooo much!" Mimi hugged them tightly. "I love you so much!!"
"Come on darling it's time." Mr Tachikawa said gently.
"Oooooooh!" his wife and daughter both wailed.
"Goodbye Mimi see you soon!" they walked to the gate and Mimi ran into Matt's arms.
"They're gone... They're really gone." she whispered.
"Don't worry Mimi, like they said you can visit them whenever you want." he said gently, rocking her in his arms. Have I done the right thing? He suddenly thought, should I have persuaded her parents to let her stay? Shouldn't I have got involved? He began to panic.
"Matt?" Mimi murmured. "Are you alright?" he looked at her tearful face and then at all his friends. In a moment he let go of her and walked away. "Matt!" Mimi ran after him. He stopped and ran his hands through his hair.
"I shouldn't have done this Mimi... You should be on that plane with your parents." he said quietly. Her brown eyes widened and she ran forward and turned him to look at her.
"No, Matt! I wanted to stay here and you made that possible!" she threw herself against his chest. "I'll always love you for that." he slipped his arms round her waist.
"Mimi..." he murmured. "Are you sure?" she nodded.
"Yes Matt, I've never been more sure about anything in my life." he smiled at her.
"Then let's go home." she looked up into his eyes.
"Yes, home."
A.N. There, hope you liked it! Please review! Don't forget there's still time to enter the 'Return of the Mimatos!' fan fic contest! Visit http://www.geocities.com/stellar687