Hi all, havent' been here since 2010. Been a while.
Lyrics used are by Chris De Burgh. I don't own anything, don't shoot me.
English is not my first language so I apologize beforehead for any errors, grammatical or otherwise, that you may find.
R&R,
God bless.

THE SNOWS OF NEW YORK

The ambulances were pulling out of the plant's gate. Jou pressed his forehead against the cool glass wearily, as he watched the firefighters putting out the last remains of the big fire that had just all but destroyed the Terinishi chemical plant.
The fire started at the offices where some clerk, working overtime, fell asleep at his desk, dropping the cigarette on a pile of papers. Fifteen minutes later, at quater to midnight, after the personel tried and failed to handle the situation by themselves, desperate calls began to pour to local fire station. By the time fire engines and ambulances arrived to the plant, the fire was getting dangerously close to the warehouses containing explosive chemicals and it took about two hours to subdue it.
Now, heading back to the hospital, Jou was spent. There were people suffering from smoke poisoning, burns, one middle-aged clerk with a heart attack, but lucky for him, they were all taken away in other ambulances, which meant once his EMT team was back to the hospital, they could punch out and wrap up their shift.
"I need a vacation," sighed Anjoh, sitting next to him. "This job is killing me."
"Well then take one already and quit whining," snorted Nobunaga.
"Nah, I'll wait and take some days off towards the New Year. I've promised Yuki I'll take her out on New Years' Eve. Fancy dinner and all that."
"It's two weeks from now," Nobunaga said. "You better talk to Omori-san soon and make sure you get those days off otherwise you'll be sleeping on the couch all through the winter."
"Shut up, you. What about you, Kido? You haven't been on vacation like forever... Kido?"
Jou didn't answer, as his eyes, half-closed, watched the shaky glimpses of fire slowly disappearing in the dark. Two weeks before the New Year. December seventeen, he remembered now. On this day five years ago he had last seen Mimi.

I can see you now by the light of the dawn

And the sun is rising slow

We have talked all night and I can't talk anymore

But I must stay and you must go

"I'm going to be a star, Jou", she said softly, sipping beer from the can. It was dark in the living room of Takenouchi apartment where Mimi was staying during her last trip to Japan. It was probably going to be her last one in a good few years, as, having just graduated from high school, she was about to continue her education, and dead serious about it, too.
The time was five a.m., four hours before her flight back to New York. The farewell party was over; everyone was gone save for Taichi, who was snoring quietly on the couch (in about an hour he was to drive Mimi to the airport), and Yamato, whom Sora had slipped into her room. And, of course, Jou. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the arm chair, Mimi's head resting comfortably on his knees. "I'm going to be a star. Want to know how I'll do it?"
He kept quiet. Mimi wasn't really expecting an answer. She did the talking, he did the listening. That's how he liked it.
"Through the stage. Most of those airheads think they just get on the plane, land in Hollywood, and will get noticed right away by some director and get a big role just because they have long legs, big boobs and a pretty face." she chuckled. "Silly girls. I'm going to do it the right way. Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, ever heard of it?"
Jou nodded, stealing a peek at her own long legs, stretched out. Mimi took another sip from the can.
"That's how I'm going to do it. I enroll, I graduate, I'll do some plays, gain some experience. And then I'll make my move." she drawed out in a quiet, dreamy whisper. "Al Pachino, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie... Mimi Tachikawa. Sounds right, wouldn't you say?"
"Of course," he smiled.
"I wish they would call it a night already," Mimi commented, rolling her eyes at the door of Sora's room, where muffed giggling, sighs, and constant soft squeaking of bed springs were coming from. "I mean I'm happy for them and everything, but they've been going for two hours. They're going to get dehydrated, or wake Takenouchi-san up. I'm not looking forward to either."
"At least they're trying to keep it down," Jou muttered, feeling rather awkward. Mimi got up and walked to the window.
"They look really cute together, though." she sighed, her back to Jou. She yawned, a hand came up in front of her mouth. "What about you, sempai? It's time you got yourself a girlfriend. I know you're allergic to many things, but girls isn't one of them, I'm sure."
"Oh, I'm too busy for that right now," Jou said, admiring her slim figure. "Studies and everything, you know. I've got the university exams to prepare for."
"Live a little, tiger."
"You don't have a boyfriend either," he pointed out. Mimi stretched her hands over her head. "Yes, well, it didn't work out between Mike and I, but hey, at least I had that."
She walked back to lay her head down on his knees, taking another can of beer from the table on the way.
"I'd probably go out with you if I was still living in Japan."
Jou's throat went dry. Mimi carried on,
"I mean, you're kind of cute. I've always liked you, back since we first got to the Digital world. I still remember how you would go out of your way to look out for me there. You were my councellor at that summer camp, remember? And you know, when I needed someone to talk to, other than the girls, you've always been there for me. I mean, who else? The sleeping beauty there on the couch, his solution to every problem is to punch it in the face if it has a pulse and smash it to pieces if it doesn't. Koushiro is probably a better listener, but he tends to treat every subject like it was a computer programm. Know what I mean? Yamato, God knows he has enough issues of his own. You though..." She reached out and patted his forearm with her delicate soft hand. "Yeah, I'd definitely give it a try."
Jou cleared his throat. He was about to say something when Sora's room's door creaked slightly.
"Hush!" Mimi whispered. Out of the dark room emerged Yamato, dressed only in his jeans and barefoot, and walked to the kitchen. A minute later he returned, carrying a glass of water. Noticing two pairs of eyes watching him, the blond froze like a deer in the headlights.
"I thought you guys were asleep," he stammered. Jou could see him turning red even in the dark. "We're... we're just talking there, went to Sora's room so we don't wake you up with our chattering."
"Well that's very nice of you, sugar plum," Mimi cooed. Jou brought a fist to his mouth, faking a fit of cough to supress laughter. "So what was I saying?" she whispered, once Yamato left. "Oh, yes. I've tried the macho type in the past, didn't quite work out. So if I was living in Japan, I wouldn't mind going out with a nerd... no offence, Jou."
"None taken," he smiled and squeezed her hand in his lightly.
"I'll just close my eyes for a minute," the girl said sleepily. "You mind?"
"Not at all. I'll wake you up in an hour. You need to rest a little."
"Aw, you're so sweet", Mimi murmured, slurring her words. A minute later Jou heard her quiet, even breathing. He sat still, smiling a weary, a little sad smile and stared at the starry sky in the window. Mimi's hand was still resting in his.

You have always been such a good friend to me

Through the thunder and the rain

And when you're feeling lost in the snows of New York

Lift your heart and think of me

"Meems, it's not what you think," her boyfriend stuttered, then sighed, probably realizing it was a stupid thing to say in his current position.
Mimi closed her eyes for a second and exhaled. Then she spoke, tried to speak at least, in calm, rational tone.
"Owen, sunshine, you are in bed with Heather. Both of you are naked and she was busy pretending she's at the rodeo when I walked in. What exactly am I supposed to think? By all means, do tell."
Owen kept silent, his head hung in shame. Heather peeped from underneath the sheet she hid under when Mimi caught them, but before the girl could speak, Mimi pointed a finger in her direction.
"Not a word from you, cowgirl. I am this close to doing something stupid. Just go back under the covers."
"Honey...", Owen tried again, but Mimi wouldn't let him speak either.
"Well then, it's over between us, isn't it? And I guess this means I'm done with the troupe too. Oh well. Think I better go now, because I really don't want to do something stupid and go to jail because of you guys."
At the doorway Mimi turned to the couple.
"Sex cures the flu, it turns out. Who knew. Speedy recovery, Owen."
She struggled to keep her composure as she strode down the snow-covered street, but the longer Mimi walked, the harder it became. Soon, tears began to slip down her burning cheeks. Too shaken at first, she was beginning to comprehend what just happened, the greif set in, and she started to whimper quietly. Ultimately, Mimi had to stop and take a few deep breaths. She felt the cold engulfing her, creeping underneath her clothes, inside her very self. Cold. So very, very cold.
Mimi looked around, her eyes searching for some sort of haven, a shelter. And there it was, a small diner across the street, located on the first floor of an eight-storey building. Perhaps some time over a cup of steamy coffee was just what she needed to get herself together. Going back to rehearsal was out of question, so why not?
The girl crossed the street, and a couple of minutes latter settled at the table by the window, clutching a hot cup of coffee with both hands. She was not crying anymore, but depression began to softly wrap her up with it's heavy, dark tentacles. It didn't help that when she pulled out her cell phone to check the time there were four unanswered calls from Owen. Mimi slammed the phone on the table and cursed under her breath in Japanese. Then smiled unwillingly and shook her head. How unladylike.
The TV set, placed above the counter, was humming softly, but the patrons, all four of them, were not paying much attention. Mimi sipped her coffee as she listened absent-mindedly to the news anchor: the trail of Hassan Al-Basri, the leader of Middle-Eastern State of God terror group, who was captured a few months back by the US-led coalition, is nearing it's end, Al-Basri will probably get life in prison, or, if he's not lucky, capital punishment; meanwhile the State of God guerrilas are demanding their leader's immediate release and promising to open the gates of hell in America if their demands are not met. The girl sighed. The world's gone crazy, but whatever. At the moment, she had her own personal hell to deal with. News item: one Mimi Tachikawa, who's been dreaming about a career in Hollywood ever since she was twelve, graduates from Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, twenty one at the time, does a couple of plays, and then at one of said plays meets Owen O'Shaunessy, ten years her older, and a director at the James Silver theatre on Broadway. Mr. O'Shaunessy is rather fascinated with the young actress's talent, especially her singing ability, and offers her a small part in "The King and I" musical. She does good, and more parts come her way. Somewhere between "Wicked" and "Jersey Boys" Owen and Mimi become lovers. Two years later, she's still doing musicals, and though Mimi never abandoned her Hollywood dream, she is happy with where she is at the moment, both personal-and professional life-wise. Keisuke and Satoe Tachikawa are proudly telling their friends, and everyone willing to listen for that matter, how their little girl is now a star on Broadway; she is very much in love with Owen and has no reasons to believe it is not mutual. She is busy rehearsing the part of Rumpleteazer in "Cats", brought back after almost fifteen years of hiatus, and then one day Owen does not show up for the rehearsals, text messaging Mimi about a vicious flu he woke up with in the morning. During lunch break the girl catches a cab to her boyfriend's place, intending to surprise him and nurse him back to health with a big bowl of chicken soup. And finds him in bed indeed, though quite busy with Heather, a young actress who had just recently joined the troupe. Mimi sighed and took another sip of coffee. She felt urgent need to talk to someone about what happened, to find a shoulder to cry on, but could think of no one. Her parents, had she turned to them, would probably get even more upset than Mimi herself was at the moment. A couple of her girlfriends would do, but then they loved their gossip more than anything (though Mimi was just as guilty when it came to gossiping, she admitted to herself), and she did not want the story of her being cheated on to start making rounds. Sora, Miyako, or Kari? Probably a better choice, but that would have to wait; it was night time in Japan at the moment. "Jou would've never done that to me."
This thought seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and was so random that Mimi's eyes widened in surprise. Jou? She hasn't talked to Jou for almost a year. It was no one's fault - he was extremely busy at the hospital and still studying, and anyway Mimi, while remaining friends, of course, was not as close with the Chosen boys as she was with the girls of the team. She still liked him very much, liked his mellow, caring demeanor, even his little "you name it, I'm allergic to it" quirks, they just... grew apart, that's all. A shame, really, but then life is not fair, she thought. I should call Kido-sempai sometime and check out on him. I-
Out of nowhere came a deafening roar; Mimi felt herself being lifted in the air and thrown into the wall of the diner. For a brief moment she saw the window she was just sitting by was smashed, and out on the street there raged a tornado of fire; rubble was raining down from the sky on the hoods of burning cars.
"What is it, another Digimon attack?" Mimi thought, and then the world collapsed on top of her and everything went black.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. No worries. Just get me the hell out of here!"
"Sir, you can not know if you're okay," Jou protested. "You have been trapped here for over fourty eight hours."
"And do you think during these damn fourty eight hours I didn't find the time to make sure all of my limbs are still intact? I'm fine. Not even hungry. Had a bag full of groceries with me. My wife is sure going to kill me, but other than that I'm fine. Jesus! Get me out of here already!" the man roared. Two rescuers knelt over and pulled him from underneath the pile of debris, while Jou was begging them to be careful about it. Once free, the man, short and squat, with long graying moustache, stood on uneven legs, looking in amazement at the devastation around him.
"Sir, if you would just let me check..." Jou started, but he wasn't listening.
"What the hell happened?" the man wondered out loud. "An earthquake?"
"It was a terror attack, sir," said Jou. "Now if you could please let me run a quick check on you to see if you are alright and give us your name and-"
"How about I give you a boot in the ass, son? I've got to get home! If anything happened to Maria-"
"Where do you live, sir?" asked one of the rescuers patientely.
"Bensonhurst!" the man barked. "Now get out of my way!"
"There were no attacks in Bensonhurst, sir, relax. The medic here needs to make sure you're fine, it will only take a minute..."
"Those damn towel heads!" he yelled, then cut himself short, as the rescuer, olive-skinned and bearded, sighed and rolled his eyes. "Crap... Sorry, son, I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay, sir." said the rescuer. "Please, just let the medic do his job."
He took the man by the elbow and excorted him aside. Jou smiled as he followed them. This one got off easy it seemed, but there were still hundreds, maybe thousands of others, still buried under the crumbled buildings. And it looked like Mimi was amongst them.
Everything happened so fast. He was just starting another night shift when people started to gather under the TV set on the wall of one of the hospital's hallways. The pictures flickering on the screen were terrifying - burning, half ruined buildings, skeletons of cars engulfed in flames, people, bloodied and dazed, wandering around. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars and National Guard tanks on the streets of dozens of cities and towns, from Seattle to Boston; the anchor was reporting about dozens of trucks, filled with explosives, simultaniously ramming into buildings and crumbling many of them, drivers crying out "God is great" seconds before dying. And then came footage from New York. Jou stood shocked into a stupor when he saw war planes circling above Manhattan and Bronx, bombs exploding on Union Square, burning trees in Central park, blood on snow-covered land. Once out of bombs, three of the planes rammed into Empire State Building; another was shot down and fell into the ocean before he could crash into the Statue of Liberty. The State of God, the anchor stated, was behind the attacks; it appeared it's sleepers were the ones who had hijacked the bombers from the air force base in New Jersey. Four more planes were shot down as they were on their way to bomb Washington.
Jou, heart sinking to the pit of his gut, forced himself to walk away from the TV; after all, he was on duty. Mimi is fine,he tried to tell himself. New York is a huge city. Chances of her getting hurt in the attacks are slim, aren't they? Minutes later, despite the late hour, messages from other Chosen began to pour in via their WhatsApp group, one after another - how's Mimi? anyone heard from her? is she alright? Then came a hysterical call from Miyako. "I can't reach her on the phone," she sobbed desperately. "She's not answering the phone!" In a daze, Jou finished his shift, and instead of going home he found himself at the emergency personel meeting. "We're sending the EMT teams to New York." said the CMO. "They're not coping on their own there. The Europeans, I'm told, had already sent some of their medical and rescue teams. Russia, Turkey, and Israel, too. We must not fall behind." When the CMO asked if there were any volunteers, Jou's hand raised before he could comprehend what he was doing. And here he was now, in New York, almost delirious with fatigue, working at one of the bombing sites, along with other EMTs, rescuers and civilian volunteers.
"Please be alright, Mimi" he kept repeating to himself like a mantra. "Please be alright."

The pain. God, the pain. Her head was about to split in two. She was thirsty and nauseous.
"Kelly and her parties. I always wake up with a hangover the morning after. Oh, my head..."
Mimi attempted to bring a hand up to her throbbing temple and couldn't. Confused, she opened her eyes and let out an agonizing groan. It was all coming back to her now. It was no hangover. She was trapped in the ruins of the diner, and the pain came from a deep cut in her temple; her hair was stuck together,sticky with blood . Her right hand was jammed between the wall and what Mimi assumed was the remains of the counter, and went numb, but at the moment, she was grateful for that. The girl was lying on the icy-cold floor, unable to get up, as the ceiling had caved in and was now merely inches from her face; the only source of air and light was a thin, barely visible crack in the concrete right above her mouth.
Light-headed from pain and blood loss, Mimi kept falling unconscious; this was probably a second or a third time she came back to her senses. At first she would call for help, but to no avail; as the time went by and she became weaker and weaker, she started having trouble remembering what happened and how she ended up in this concrete tomb. Now she recalled there was someone there with her before she blacked out again; a woman, who would only cry and complain about the pain; apparently, she was trapped under the fragment of the wall, which was slowly crushing her. "I can't breathe," she would whimper. "God, please, get this thing off of me, I can't breathe...".
"Ma'am?" Mimi called,barely recognizing her own voice. It came out a hoarse, shaky whisper. "Ma'am, can you hear me? Ma'am?"
There was silence. The girl closed her eyes and started to cry. Soon, she began to slowly sink into unconsciousness again. Her thoughts in a blur, she remembered Jou. He will sure come and rescue her in no time. After all, he was her councellor at the summer camp, it's his duty to look after her and make sure she is secure and safe. No worries. Kido-sempai will make everything better. Kido-sempai will make the pain go away.
But no. She's not at the summer camp anymore. It's... it's probably the Digital world, and she's trapped in this cold and dark cave, separated from Palmon... It's alright though, Jou looked after her there, too. Him, Gomamon and the rest of the team are probably on their way to save her...
No, wait. That was years ago. She does not even live in Japan anymore, only visits from time to time. Right... what was that she said to Jou on that night five years ago? Something about taking him out on a date? Yes, that's right. Once she gets out of this place she will definitely do that. They could go to the beach or something. Someplace sunny and warm.
Her eyes closed, body shaking from the cold, Mimi lay in the darkness, whispering feverishly.

In my dream we walked, you and I, to the shore

Leaving footprints by the sea

And then there was just one set of prints in the send

It was when you carried me

"Damn it!"
Jou was so tired he was falling off his feet - metaphorically, and now literally too. He was climbing up the pile of debris, that apparently once used to be a large brownstone, when his foot became trapped in a crack, invisible under a thin layer of snow, and he fell on the cold, hard concrete.
"Whoa, whoa! You okay, buddy?"
A couple of EMTs rushed over to him. Jou could've easily waved them off and get up - he was not hurt, perhaps just a bruise or a scratch - , but he was so exhausted he allowed himself to just lay there and close his eyes for just a moment, pressing his cheek to the freezing stone. I'll get up in a second, he thought. Just a little break and I'll be good as new. I have to be, for Mimi's sake.

You have always been such a good friend to me

Through the thunder and the rain

And when you're feeling lost in the snows of New York

Lift your heart and think of me

"Kido-sempai..."
Jou's eyes flew wide open.
"Kido-sempai will get me out of here. It will be okay. Everything will be okay."
"Huh?.."
Faint, barely audible whisper was coming from under the big concrete plate he was lying on. "Mimi?!"
"He will come and save us, right, Palmon? Don't... don't worry. It's all going to be... fine."
"Mimi! Mimi ,I'm here, hang in there! Please, just hang in there!"
The EMTs stopped on their tracks astonished, frightened even, as this thin, tall Japanese medic who's been working like mad through the last two days, collected and calm at the sight of wounded, disfigured, barely alive people he was helping to save, leapt to his knees and clawed the frozen surface, wild-eyed, calling out something in his native language.

She could feel the darkness being replaced by soft grey light behind her shut eyelids; suddenly, it was easier for her to breathe. A familiar was calling her name, over and over. Then, some other voices chimed in: "Easy, easy... get her on the stretcher. Watch the arm, I think it's broken. And get the infusion ready, she's dehydrated!" She felt herself being lifted carefuly, and opened her eyes, immediately shutting them again, not used to the daylight after what seemed an eternity in the dark.
"Kido-sempai?... J-jou?"
"I'm here," a familiar voice whispered near her ear, and a warm hand squeezed hers. "Hush. Don't talk. It's alright. Everything's alright. You will be fine."
Mimi smiled a small, tired smile.
"Well you're here, Jou,of course I will be fine."
"Don't talk. Please. You mustn't-"
"Just one more thing,okay?" she whispered. "Lean in closer for a moment."
A second later Mimi felt the warmth emanating from his skin on hers. She lifted her head a little, and without opening her eyes muttered "Thank you".
And pressed her lips to Jou's.

The end.