(Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon and its characters. The plot is pulled from several other stories I enjoy.

A/N: Please refrain from flaming the writer personally; we're only writing fanfiction. If you're not a fan of the characters being shipped, simply don't read it because everybody is entitled to their own preferences without deserving to be disrespected.

Fast forward 6 years from the last update – This story is a rewrite. I just felt like my portrayal of Mimi was very much out of character. I also changed up a couple of things so I hope you all will take the time to re-read it and review. Thank you!)

Yamato, Taichi, Sora – 18
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 17
Takeru, Hikari, Daisuke, Ken – 15
Miyako – 16
Jou – 19
Iori – 14

Hearts and Daggers

Chapter 1: Life in America

New York City, Tachikawa Residence

Mimi woke up with the smell of French toast and maple syrup in the air. She yawned and looked at her alarm clock. 5:30 am. She realized it hadn't rung and that she had woken up an hour early. She got up out of bed and headed for the shower.

She attended one of the top private schools in New York City and this particular one, unfortunately, meant having to wear uniforms. She wore a white button up shirt with a navy blue and light blue striped tie, navy blue pleaded skirt, black socks and her white high-top shoes. She applied dark brown mascara and a cheek and lip stain and arranged her hair in a messy top bun. Just because she had to wear a boring uniform doesn't mean she can't look cute.

"Good morning, honey! I was just about to wake you." Satoe called out from the kitchen as Mimi approached.

"Thank you, mom but, no need for that. Where's daddy?" She sat down on the seat by the counter and took a swig of her orange juice, eyeing the extra plate. "Shouldn't he be at work already?"

"He's still sleeping. There were some changes at work, but he didn't tell me. He said he'd talk to us later when you get home from school." Mimi's mother sat down next to her and took a helping of her breakfast.

"Do you think it's something bad?"

"I have no idea. Now go finish your breakfast or you'll be late for school!"

Mimi finished the last of her French toast and headed to the washroom to brush her teeth. She wondered about the inevitable conversation and hoped her father had not lost his job.

"I'm off. Thanks for breakfast!" She headed for the door and put on her shoes. "See you after school!"

Central Park

Mimi leaned against the side of her lime-green Volkswagen Beetle convertible as she waited impatiently for Michael to meet her. She checked her phone and wondered what could possibly be keeping him this time. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. For the past several months of them dating, Michael has not failed to keep Mimi waiting. She knew it yet she couldn't stop herself from being irritated.

A group of young men whistled and catcalled as they passed by. She thought about showing them a certain finger but thought better; she was alone and not in any position to attract trouble. She rolled her eyes and turned away. Just when one of the men broke off and started heading towards her general vicinity, Michael emerged from the side of the street, running towards her.

He waved. "Sorry I'm late!"

"You're always late," Mimi deadpanned but there was no hiding the irritation evident in her voice. "What is it this time? You forgot to charge your phone and your alarm didn't go off? Saved a puppy from a burning building?"

He ignored her sarcastic remarks and leaned in to kiss her just as she turned away.

"Next time you make me wait, you're walking to school, mister." She got up and opened her car door.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been relying on you a lot lately."

"You should've thought about that before you wrecked your car last week, Michael. Not only do I have to give you a ride to school every day, but you're not even appreciative enough to show up on time. On top of that, I have to give you rides all over the damn place every time your friends have plans. At least pay for my gas! I'm not a chauffeur, you know."

Michael furrowed his brows and crossed his arms, he clearly didn't want to have this conversation so early in the morning. "I said I was sorry. How many times do we have to have this argument?"

Mimi stopped at the stoplight and snapped, "How many times are you going to say sorry and actually mean it? I'm your girlfriend, Michael. Every time you do something reckless, it affects me. Please be mindful of that."

"Okay already, I got it. Sorry."

Mimi sighed. She knew he would get away with it. He always did. "So what was it you needed to talk to me about?"

"Oh yeah, my dad told me last night a script was finalized this week for an upcoming project that's supposed to start pre-production in Japan. He was chosen for the lead role."

"Michael, that's great! Please send my congratulations to your father."

"He's taking me with him."

Mimi quickly turned to him, eyes wide. "What?"

Michael shrugged. "I don't have a choice this time. I haven't seen him in almost a year and he insisted I go with him this time. Something about feeling bad for missing my birthday, etc."

"Great. So what do you expect me to do, Michael? Wait for you to come back? You don't seem worried at all about this!"

He shook his head and smiled. "Let's not worry about it right now. You'll know the details later."

"What's that supposed to mean? Tell me, right now," she demanded as she pulled into the school lot.

"I can't. My father will be upset that I even spilled the beans about it."

Mimi glared daggers at him as she gathered her things and got out of the car. "Fine, Michael. I'm not going to argue any further but you owe me a full explanation later."

"Thanks, babe." Michael planted a quick kiss on her cheek as he raced off to join his friends.

Leman Manhattan Preparatory High School

Being head cheerleader and majorette attracted a lot of people to Mimi. After all, she was one of the most talented and attractive people in school. As popular as she was, a part of her remained detached. Her father's job required flexible living situations meaning moving whenever corporate needed him to. Mimi couldn't bear the thought of emotionally investing herself if it meant possibly having to leave them. She had already done that once and it hurt a lot. The Chosen Children did their best to keep in touch with her but international communication was tough. Texts and emails wasn't the same as speaking to them over the phone and over time, there were even less and less of those. It's been about four years since they last saved the world and four years since she saw her friends.

Being in a relationship with Michael didn't make re-establishing the communication any easier either. She's been with him for a year and although the first few months were magical, it soon turned into tearful, sleepless nights as Michael became engulfed in more family drama. She can't blame him either but his rapidly changing personality worries her. Ever since she rejected his sexual advances, he spends more and more time with his friends who, in her opinion, were not the best of influences. With more personal time on her hands, she fills in the gaps with extra-curricular activities such as dance, singing, and piano.

She glanced toward Michael's direction from her locker and saw a cute freshman flirting with him. To her chagrin, there was a huge smile plastered on his face throughout the exchange. She bit her lip. She knew all too well her relationship was heading in the wrong direction, but she couldn't find it in herself to break it off. Not only were they friends for a long time, but he's also one of the Chosen Children and there's an unbreakable bond with being a part of that. She didn't want to believe that he'd become completely corrupted by adolescence. She believed that the kind-hearted boy she met is still there… somewhere.

She slammed her locker shut. She was tired—emotionally more than anything. She flew through finals and was closing out the school year strong but she still had a lot on her plate. She couldn't deny that 90% of her woes are caused by Michael drama. She let out a deep sigh as she headed to class, meeting with a group of girlfriends along the way.

Tachikawa Residence

It was rare but Michael's father picked him up from school which meant Mimi couldn't corner him and make him tell her more about the conversation they were having earlier. She sped home, eager to hear what her own father had to say.

She went straight to her room and changed out of her uniform. Not having any homework, she checked her email to see if there were any from her friends. None. She was used to it but it still stung. She felt like they have completely moved on with their lives. Her father would not be home for another hour so she spent the rest of her time playing songs on her piano.

"Mimi, honey, can we talk?" A soft knock interrupted the music.

She got up and opened the door with an apprehensive smile, "Of course, daddy. Always."

"Your mother just got done making dinner. Let's eat first."

"Okay, I'll be right down." She followed her father to the dining room where her mother served slow-cooked chicken with roasted vegetables.

They ate in silence, apprehension growing with each passing minute. Her mother made attempts to ask her about her extra-curricular activities only to receive short answers.

Keisuke cleared his throat. "Okay, I know I've kept you in suspense and I'm sorry. I just found out from the CEO yesterday that he wants to expand internationally. I have been made the head of the branch opening in Japan."

Mimi was stunned. Of course they have to move again. At least they're moving back to Japan and her father did just receive a huge promotion. "Whereabouts?"

"Tokyo. Preparations for the move are to start as soon as possible. This couldn't be better timing since you're finishing up school this week. All moving expenses and housing will be taken care of by the company," he smiled weakly, his eyes looking more and more tired. He hated putting his family through this. He felt like he was subjecting his princess to a nomadic lifestyle and he worried if her social life was suffering because of it.

Sensing her father's worries, she put her hand over his and smiled brightly. "Don't fret, daddy. You got promoted and we're going home! This is good news!"

He sighed with relief and looked at his wife who nodded in agreeance. It was as if a dam broke and he couldn't contain his excitement. "I dreaded having to tell you but I'm so glad to see you both happy about this. Princess, you've been enrolled in Odaiba High School with your friends! School starts in a week—I know you won't be able to enjoy summer break—but I put a down payment on a nice townhouse somewhere between the high school and university so you won't have to make the commute from Tokyo. Sad as I am to see my beautiful daughter live away from me, I have accepted that allowing you to have your own place is a progressive step towards adulthood. Besides, we'll be a stone's throw away if you need us."

Mimi grinned at her father. Everything was changing for the better and she couldn't be happier. That is until she thought about her conversation with Michael. He, too, was moving to Japan but where? She said her goodnight's and excused herself to her room. She had to talk to Michael to share the news.

Mimi's Room

She took a deep breath as she pushed herself off the door and texted on her cell phone. She threw on a pair of jeans and a cardigan as she waited for a reply. After hearing the familiar chime, she put her phone in the back of her jean pocket and made sure her door was locked before heading out her bedroom window.

Central Park

Michael was already waiting for Mimi by the time she got there. Mimi looked at him in surprise. "Michael… you're here before me."

"Yeah, I didn't want to make you wait," he smiled, "And I figured your father would've talked to you by now."

Mimi sat on the bench and curled up against his outstretched arm. "How long have you known?"

"Just last night. I overheard my stepmom talking about a branch that just opened in Tokyo and heard her mention your father's name. I made an assumption without all the facts and didn't feel like it was right for me to tell you. I'm sorry."

Mimi shook her head. "It's okay, don't be sorry."

Michael put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "How are you handling this?"

"Great, actually. I'm excited to see my friends! It's been so long. And my parents got me my own place. Can you imagine? My own place at 17!" Mimi beamed at the thought.

"Well, that's a good deal, isn't it? I could even move in with you."

"What?" Mimi jerked in surprise. She had not anticipated that suggestion. "Move in with me?"

"I know it may seem inappropriate but we've been dating for a year and as you can see, I still haven't taken advantage of you. You can trust me. I just feel like we're mature enough for this."

He looked so sincere, Mimi didn't know how to feel about it. "I… I think it's great," she stammered. "I'm not sure daddy will be okay with that though."

He kissed her then winked, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes, "He doesn't have to know."

She gasped at him, her cheeks reddening. She had to admit, he made a valid point. And if she was hoping to salvage their relationship, this may just be the thing they need. She nodded slowly, a smile creeping on her lovely face, "Okay, Barton. But if my father finds out, you'll be sorry!"