Author's notes: I don't own the characters, just a very big fan. Lots of love to Davis, I didn't like him to start with but he grew on me.
Kari Kamiya stretched and yawned as she woke up; the sunlight was streaming through the open curtains. The young teenager blinked and sat up. Her older brother, Tai, passed her door.
"Come on, Kari, you don't want to be late for breakfast." He paused then made a face. "Then again, maybe you do."
Kari laughed, their mother wasn't the best at cooking but then again she did have to get up now anyway. She joined her family at the breakfast table. Their father was sifting through the mail.
"There's one here for you, Kari." He handed her a plain white envelope with her name written in blue ink. She didn't recognise the handwriting. She excused herself from the table and went to read it.
She had only been away a few minutes when she yelled for her brother. Tai rushed in, he paused in surprise at Kari because she was holding back tears clutching on to the letter.
"Kari, what's wrong?" Tai asked alarmed.
"It's Davis, he's run away!" She told him.
An hour later the Digi-Destined were assembled in the Kamiya living room. Tai, Kari, TK, Matt, Sora, Joe, Yolei, Izzy, Cody and Ken. Mimi was still in America and, of course, Davis was who they were here to talk about. Kari still had a hold of the letter. She coughed and began reading.
Dear Kari,
Don't panic Kari, but I've had to leave for a while. I'm sure you'll want to know why and that's why I've wrote to you. But maybe first you should get the others, save you repeating the same story over and over.
Well I guess I should start by saying this. It's none of you guys' fault that I'm gone; I just needed to get away from it all for a bit.
I know that you guys think I have no problems or worries. Well everyone does, I just keep mine more hidden than most. Mine are so hidden not even Malomyotismon could find them and use them against me.
I'll be frank. It's my dad; he wants me to be an intelligent, popular jock. Well I've got the jock part down, maybe even the popular part but I'm not intelligent.
Remember TK when you asked about the bruises on my arm?
'It was just before finals this semester.'
TK jogged up to Davis as they were getting changed for P.E.
"Hey Davis! Been studying for tomorrow's geometry test?" TK asked. Davis sighed.
"What's the point of studying if I never understood it the first time round?" TK gave him a sympathetic look.
"I'll tell you what; come round mine tonight and I'll see if I can help you." TK offered. Davis grinned.
"Thanks TK, I owe ya one." Davis pulled off his shirt. TK spotted something and frowned.
"Where did you get those bruises?"
"What bruises?" Davis asked in a guarded tone.
"These bruises." TK grabbed his arm just above the elbow and just below four fingertip shaped bruises.
'I fobbed you off with some lame ass excuse.'
"Oh some guy warned me off his girlfriend, he thought I was hitting on her." Davis answered carelessly. TK looked sceptical.
'At first I didn't think you bought it.'
TK laughed shaking his head.
"Trust you! Come on! We're gonna be last picked if we don't hurry up!" He turned away, not catching Davis's look of relief.
'Well anyway this is how I really got them. I was watching TV the night before when my dad came in...'
Mr Motimiya stood in front of the couch but he didn't sit.
"You've got finals coming up, haven't you?" He asked. Davis nodded.
"Yeah why?" Davis asked looking around.
"No real reason, just hope you do better than last time." Mr Motimiya walked over to where his son was sat on the floor.
"Dad please…"
"Get up." Davis stood up apprehensively. Mr Motimiya grabbed his arm squeezing it. "I'm tired of having to make excuses about you to other people. My boss' kid gets straight 'A's. All you bring me is straight 'F's. I want to see you passing all your finals this time Davis, or else."
'I swear it felt like I had my arm caught in a vice with that grip. So you know when you have to do something right and you get stressed about it so then you end up doing bad anyway? Well that's how it was with my grades. I'd try hard enough but then I'd panic when I couldn't understand it. So earlier this week the results came back in the post.'
Davis was waiting nervously by the letterbox. The post came in and Davis grabbed the letter with the school header on it and rushed to his room.
'I'd managed to pull a C in geometry (Thanks TK) a B in Science (Thanks Yolei) and another B in Music (Thanks Matt) but I'd failed the rest. I knew at the table dad would ask for the report card. I figure that by this point you might be wondering where my mum and Jun were in all this. Well Mum has to go to work early at the hospital, she usually has to finish late too and Jun's social life is so booming I barely ever see her. Most of the time it's just me and Dad.'
Davis gulped down his breakfast nervously and sat watching his dad leisurely eat his.
"Did your report card come today?" He asked once he had finished.
"Yes." Davis asked pulling it out from his pocket.
"Let's see it then." Mr Motimiya held out his hand for it.
'I could have lied about having the results but he would have found me out and it would have been worse. Best to get it over with or so I thought.'
Davis sat in terrified silence as his dad read over the grades. Mr Motimiya stood up slowly.
"Come with me, Davis." The teenager followed him obediently in to the study.
"What was our agreement?" Mr Motimiya asked once the door was closed.
"If I passed all my finals I could get a new bike." Davis answered softly.
"And what did you get?" The tone was growing hostile.
"I g-got 2 'B's and a C." Davis was stuttering now. Mr Motimiya slammed his hand down on the desk making the teenager jump.
"Big deal! 3 passes out of 20!" Mr Motimiya was about to go on.
"15." Davis piped up softly.
"What?!" Flecks of spit had begun to form at the corners of his father's mouth.
"15… I only d-do 15 subjects." Davis repeated himself.
'If I live till I'm 100 I'll never know what made me answer him back this time. Maybe I was too proud of my 2 'B's and C to let him dismiss them like that. But anyway if I had just stayed quiet then I could have gotten away with a few bruises in easy to hide places. God knows what I looked like to you, Tai, when you came to see me the other afternoon.'
The doorbell rang. Jun answered it.
"Davis, it's Tai for you!" Tai had a soccer ball under one arm. He looked concerned as Davis limped to the door. His right arm was in a sling and his face was decorated with a black eye and a cut lip.
"What in the world happened to you?" Tai demanded. Davis managed a smile.
"Just got in to a fight I couldn't handle." His voice carefree and nonchalant. Tai frowned.
"Who was it? I'll sort them out!" Tai asked punching his fist in to his palm.
"No! Don't bother I deserved it!" Davis insisted to him.
"You deserved to get a shiner like that?" Tai asked grabbing his chin and studying his face.
'I wasn't really lying to you, Tai. I had got in to a fight I couldn't handle and I did deserve it, well kinda.
So that's it, now you know the truth. Please don't say anything to my dad about what I told you. He'll kill me.
I couldn't go on living like that! Please don't go on about how I should have told someone. You have no idea how hard it was to write this letter, I wanted to just leave but I couldn't. I knew you'd all worry and I felt you deserved some sort of explanation.
I'll be back, I promise. Keep a light on for me.
Davis Motimiya
The people in the living room sat in stunned silence until Cody broke it.
"I can't believe he didn't tell us!" Joe put an arm round him.
"You heard what he said; he believes his dad would kill him."
"Not if I kill his dad first!" That outburst was from Tai who was shaking with rage.
"Calm down, Tai" Sora told him softly; knowing that going after Mr Motimiya wasn't going to help matters.
"Calm down?!" Tai asked incredulously. "I was the one that saw how beat up he was and you're telling me to calm down? What kind of man does that to his own son? I'm gonna pay him back twice for all the pain he's caused Davis!"
"I'm all for stringing the guy up myself." Matt interjected, ever the voice of reason. "But may I remind you that we have one 14 year old out wandering the streets somewhere - one injured 14 year old."
"Matt's right, we need to find Davis first and then deal with his dad." TK answered. Tai nodded slowly.
"Ok knowing Davis being injured wouldn't have slowed him down much. We need to split up. Kari and TK, take the mall, Yolei, Cody the soccer fields. Sora, Ken check his usual haunts around the school. Joe, Izzy try the Digital world. Matt and I will try the park. We all have D-terminals so keep in touch."
Davis limped painfully along, ignoring the curious looks from passerbys. Kari would have got his letter by now. She was the only one of the group that wouldn't march out on her own to find him, seriously denting his head start. He had a rucksack on his back stuffed with the essentials. He had set out early that morning intent on hitch hiking out of town but his common sense started yelling that there was a better solution. So that's why he was wandering around the park trying to figure out what it was.
Matt and Tai arrived at the park within ten minutes.
"Hey Tai! What makes you think Davis is even in the city anymore? He might be long gone!" Voicing a doubt that had been gnawing at his stomach.
"Because no matter what Davis's 'father' says." Tai spat the word out. "Davis isn't stupid and knows that running away is a bad idea." Matt nodded satisfied with that.
"Let's split up, you go that way, I'll go this way."
"Anyone would think you didn't like my company." Tai teased. Matt sighed with a shake of his head.
"Just look."
Matt was half walking half-jogging trying to spot the maroon locks and tanned skin which announced Davis usually. His blood boiled as he thought about the way Davis had been treated, he wanted nothing more than to march up to Mr Motimiya and give him what for. Suddenly the Sun reflected something up ahead. Matt grinned, bless those idiotic goggles!
"Davis!" Matt yelled delighted. Davis looked up alarmed and took off in the opposite direction. Matt blinked, man that kid could run.
Davis didn't know what possessed him to run from Matt, the keeper of the Crest of Friendship and his mentor. But the fear of having to face him, with him now knowing everything was surpassing his common sense. His ankle protested its misuse and his ribs hurt like Hell. Suddenly he was tackled from behind. He landed with an 'oof' and a yelp of pain. The older boy flipped him on to his back pinning him down as Davis thrashed.
"I'm not going back!" Davis was shocked and horrified that his voice was shaking and that he could hardly see Matt for tears "I can't take it anymore! I'm not going back!" Matt got off of him and pulled the boy in to a firm hug and rocked him.
"Shush Davis, you're not going back to him, not ever, understand?" Matt comforted him. Davis looked up at him with sparkling chocolate eyes.
"Really?" The voice was so small, so dependant and so scared. So not Davis.
"Really, you are coming home with me now, my dad won't mind once I tell him…."
"No! You can't tell him, you can't tell anyone! He'll kill me for sure!" Davis had exploded into hysterical crying again.
Tai ran over to them, shocked to see Davis sobbing in to Matt's chest. He knelt down beside them and put a hand on the quivering boy's shoulder.
"Hey, hey, hey! No more crying, we're here now." He whispered softly to Davis. He stroked an unruly curl from his eyes. Tai and Matt helped the exhausted boy to stand.
"Everyone has been so worried about you, Davis, we had no idea." Tai told him gently. Suddenly unable to look at the black eye and swollen lip knowing where they really came from.
"As I said, I kept it hidden well." Davis answered flatly. Matt gave a mirthless chuckle.
"Tai, tell the others we found him and to meet at my place."
Davis felt like he was going to drown in hugs and kisses. Everyone was so glad to see him and so mad at his father. His throat hurt from the amount of times he had to plead with them not to go after his dad because then Mr Motimiya would know he told. Admist the love and condemnation of Mr Motimiya, they were discussing where to put Davis because no one wanted him near that monster ever again.
"He can stay here for now." Matt told them handing a ravenous Davis a sandwich and nearly losing a hand in the process.
"I'm afraid we'll have to tell someone about your father, Davis, if we don't the authorities can take you back and what about your mother and Jun? Don't they have a right to know what's been happening? And that you are safe?" Izzy always in with the practical reasoning. The forlorn look was back on Davis's face.
"Ok, phone Jun, tell her I'm ok at least." Matt nodded getting up to do it.
Joe had looked over Davis's injuries slowly.
"Sprained wrist, twisted ankle, bruised ribs and the obvious facial injuries. You do realise, Davis, that what this comes down to is child abuse. Your dad could be arrested." The eldest of the group told Davis. He looked stunned and blinked before whispering.
"Arrested?" Sora sat by the abused 14 year old and gave him a hug.
"It's ok, Davis, your father deserves everything that's coming to him." Davis rested his head on her shoulder and yawned, it was so big that TK spotted his tonsils.
"I think some needs a rest." Kari commented with a chuckle.
"I wonder who that could be?" Davis answered rhetorically with a smile. Matt pulled him up.
"Come on Davis, you can have my bed." Matt offered.
"Where you gonna sleep?" Davis asked.
"Probably with you." The teasing voice of Tai yelled. Matt threw him a withering glance.
Once they had left the room Kari let out a sigh,
"What are we going to do? Davis is terrified to do anything in case his dad finds out." She looked around for ideas.
"For starters, we should get him to the doctors, I am not happy about his ribs." Joe told them.
"But his mother is a doctor and works there, he won't go." TK reminded them.
"We could take him to the doctors in my town." Ken suggested.
"We are all overlooking the obvious fact that Davis' injuries are going to make the doctors ask questions and the last thing Davis needs right now is more stress" Izzy told them. They nodded agreeing.
"I've never seen the kid cry like that and I hope never to see it again." Matt told them walking in.
"How's he doing?" Yolei asked.
"Sleeping, the poor guy's exhausted." Matt answered.
They were interrupted by a sudden pounding at the door making them all jump. Matt walked over and opened it.
"Where's my son?" An angry voice demanded.
"If you mean Davis then he's not here." Matt was surprised by his own calmness of voice.
"Yes he is, you phoned Jun to tell her that Davis was fine, which means he's here or you know where he is." Mr Motimiya demanded again. Matt stared at him, not answering and Mr Motimiya turned to leave.
"Is that Davis' dad?" Someone asked. When it was confirmed true the same voice asked. "Excuse me, sir…" Mr Motimiya began to turn around, a fist connected hard with his jaw, hard enough to send him a few steps backwards. He stared at the blue haired, indigo-eyed boy glaring at him rubbing his knuckles. Mr Motimiya turned and left.
"Way to go, Ken!" Cody yelled.
"I so wanted to do that do him." Tai muttered, Matt shook his head slightly.
"But now he knows that we know something and is going to do his best to get to Davis to make him retract his confession." Matt told them as the closed the door to the apartment. TK looked at his watch.
"It's getting on, I should be heading home." There was a murmur of agreement.
"Yeah, my dad's gonna be home soon and I need to break the news that we have a new houseguest." Matt told them.
"Call us tomorrow with any news." Sora instructed him. Matt nodded. His friends left slowly if not reluctantly. Matt went to check on Davis who was curled up on his side in bed, hugging the pillow tightly. Matt smiled "I'll bet he has a teddy bear at his place."
The door opened and clicked shut.
"Matt? You in?" Someone called. Matt went out in to the hallway to greet his father.
"Hey Dad! Good day at work?" Matt asked.
"Better than normal, how about you? You rushed out of the house so fast this morning." There was slight worry in his voice.
"Um… Dad? You remember my friend Davis?" Matt started apprehensively.
"The little brother of the girl who used to stalk you right?" Mr Ishida had a slightly cheeky smile.
"Yeah, well he's in my room at the moment. He doesn't want to go home and I don't think he should." Matt's blue eyes flashed with his determination and concern. Mr Ishida went to get himself a cup of coffee.
"Let's sit down, Matt, and then you can tell me everything…."
A little while later Matt had finished retelling the day's events. Mr Ishida's face was like stone, not betraying any emotion as he silently listened.
"Davis is really afraid of what his dad might do if he goes back." Matt summarised. Mr Ishida stood up.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Matt asked.
"To phone the police." He replied. Matt grinned.
"Does that mean Davis can stay?"
"Of course it does… for now at least." Matt's dad picked up the phone and dialled. After he finished the conversation, he placed the phone down softly.
"They'll want us there first thing tomorrow." Mr Ishida told his son. Matt nodded; he smiled as his dad ruffled his hair affectionately as he went past.
"Hey! Leave the hair!" Matt protested half-heartedly.
Davis felt himself slipping back into consciousness; there was a hand on his shoulder gently shaking him. Davis groaned waving the hand off. He heard a soft chuckle,
"Come on Davis, we are going to be late."
"For what?" The barely distinguishable grunt asked from underneath the covers.
"We are wanted down at the police station." That woke Davis up. He sat up suddenly, too suddenly for his ribs that protested. He stared horrified at Matt.
"You told!" He gasped.
"No, he didn't, I told the police." A voice from the door informed him. Davis looked at the man with large chocolate eyes. "It's in your best interest to tell the police, Davis, even if your dad gets away scott free, he won't be allowed to look after you anymore." Mr Ishida explained to him. Davis nodded slowly. He got up from the bed.
"Ok I'll go," He told them, he turned to Matt. "But you've got to come with me."
Matt grinned "Of course I am." Mr Ishida watched as Davis got ready. He smiled at the way Matt had taken the boy under his wing. He sighed at the thought of what might happen to him in foster care, being a reporter he had seen some horrible cases. He nodded to himself as he made a decision.
Detective Inspector Druce was very sympathetic to Davis. He patted the boy on the shoulder.
"It took a lot of courage to come in here and tell us that." That made Davis and Matt share a secret smile. "But I'm afraid the chances of us bringing your father down are slim if not nil, it will be your word against his."
"Bu… but you believe me don't you?" Davis asked him, pleaded with him.
"Yes I do, Davis, though if someone else from your family would stand forward then that would improve our chances greatly." The Detective told him. Davis's eyes filled with tears.
"But they can't!" He wailed "It was always me and dad on our own." Mr Ishida hugged him slightly.
"Easy, Davis." He whispered in to the maroon locks, "Isn't there anything you can do?"
"We will be bringing Mr Motimiya in for questioning. Probably the mother too." Detective Druce answered. Mr Ishida nodded.
"Davis is staying with me for now, you have the number?"
"I do, sir, I'll be giving you a call later." The D.I replied. The three left slowly, Davis was trembling slightly but he seemed unaware of it.
"Buck up, Davis!" Mr Ishida told him "You can't clear out the spare room when you are depressed."
"Clear out the spare room? What for?" Davis asked.
"Well I can't have you sleeping in Matt's bed all the while now can I?" Mr Ishida's face broke in to a grin. Davis and Matt's followed as the light dawned on them.
"Thank you!" Davis yelled throwing his arms around Mr Ishida's neck and hugging him tightly. Matt grabbed Davis by the wrist.
"Come on! Let's go phone the others!" He began pulling Davis off.
"Hey! Spare room remember?" Mr Ishida reminded them.
"Oh yeah! Well we can phone them when we get home" Matt laughed.
It was a couple of hours later. Mr Ishida, Matt and Davis slumped against each other exhausted. Tai and TK slumped together near them. They had offered to help once they found out Davis was going to be staying.
"I can just see where all the soccer posters are going to be." Tai nudged Davis with a smile. Davis laughed.
"I'd settle for a bed right about now!"
"Now we just need Davis's stuff." Matt told them. TK caught his eye, then looked to Tai.
"We'll go if you want Davis." He offered. Davis shook his head.
"If we have to go we'd better go now, before I lose my nerve." Davis replied. Mr Ishida nodded getting up.
"Let's go then.
They arrived at the Motimiya apartment, as expected, it was empty or so they thought.
"Davis!" Someone exclaimed. Davis whirled around until he was face to face with his sister, Jun.
"Ah! Jun! What are you doing here? Where's Mum and D-dad?" Davis asked stuttering.
"Dad's down at the police station and Mum's with him." Jun told him, watching her brother pale.
"Both are livid, Dad's saying you are a manipulative, attention seeking liar." Davis growled.
"I am not manipulative! Or a liar!" Davis shouted before biting down on his lip hard. TK put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. Jun sighed slightly.
"Calm down, Davis, look you'd better get your stuff and go." She told him. Davis and the others went to get Davis's things.
Mr Ishida stayed back.
"Davis's own mother doesn't believe him, why should you?" Mr Ishida asked. Leading Jun to sit down. He was curious to know why Jun was less shocked to hear Davis's accusations. Jun looked as though she was about to lie, then changed her mind.
"Well Mr Ishida" Jun sighed "It's like this: Davis came home from school one night a while back - he'd got an 'F' on some test. Dad didn't seem too bothered about it at the time. I went out coz I had a date but it ended early so I came home. I was about to yell 'I'm home!' when I heard raised voices from my Dad's study. I went closer and I heard him yelling really nasty things at Davis… a-and what sounded like him hitting him.
I was so shocked but I didn't do anything about it, I just went out again. When I came back everything seemed normal again, except Davis had a slight limp. I didn't know what to do, so I stayed silent." Jun rubbed a hand over her eyes. "I knew the story about Davis getting in to a fight was all bull, Davis doesn't like fighting, he avoids them unless he's really mad. I tried to tell Mum but she wasn't even open to the suggestion that Dad was lying about where the injuries came from." Mr Ishida gave her a sympathetic smile.
"You know, Jun, Davis' case would go a lot smoother if someone testified on his behalf." He told her softly.
"Oh, I don't know, Mr Ishida. What about my parents?" She asked. Then she spotted Davis watching her from the doorway with his big puppy dog eyes, she smiled. "What the Hell! It's about time I moved out anyway." Davis cheered rushing in to his sister's arms.
"Guess what, Jun? Mr Ishida's gonna let me live with him!" He was hugging her around the middle and looking up at her.
"That's great, little bro; it will put my mind at ease to know he's looking after ya." Jun disentangled herself from Davis and approached Matt.
"Always said we'd end up being related." She joked slightly if not shyly, unsure of how to talk to her ex-crush. Matt laughed then grew serious again.
"Where will you go, Jun?" Matt asked.
"Oh don't worry about me; a mate of mine is looking for a new roomie." She informed him "You look after my little brother you hear?" She half threatened. Matt nodded.
"Of course I will." He promised. Davis, Tai, TK and Mr Ishida had packed all the stuff in to the van. Matt chuckled as Davis tried to hide a worn out stuffed rabbit.
"Need a lift anywhere, Jun?" Mr Ishida offered.
"Drop me off at the police station." She responded jumping in besides her brother.
Epilogue:
(2 months down the line)
Mr Ishida folded up the paper with a sigh. Mr Motimiya had been sentenced to 18 months in prison but he was eligible for parole in 6 months.
Davis had been officially adopted in to the Ishida family but he decided to keep his own last name. Davis still continually called Mr Ishida 'Mr Ishida' despite protests that it was too formal.
Plus Davis's grades had improved slowly but surely now that the pressure was off, he had a lot of tutors. He was passing three quarters of his classes. He was actually getting an 'A' in music; Matt helped him a lot.
"Mr Ishida! Can I go out and play soccer with Tai, TK and Ken?" Davis yelled from the front door.
"Yes but keep calling me Mr Ishida and I'll have to ground you." He mock threatened "And don't forget you got rehearsals in an hour" The surprise factor from Davis was he could sing. They had discovered this talent when they walked in to the flat after leaving Davis home alone and he had Jon Bon Jovi's 'It's my Life' on full blast, singing at the top of his voice. Matt had convinced Davis to come with him to sing with the Teenage Wolves but was yet to convince the kid to sing in front of an audience. All in all things were going better for Davis Motimiya.