Tried&True

by Boombubble

What do you do when the person you love is with someone else? How do you approach life when your forced out on your own at an early age? Who do you turn to in a world where good friends are few and far between? What path do you choose when your heart's pu

I heard somewhere that the best stories are derived from real life. I took that quote to heart as I began writing this, and it's loosely based off of something that happened to me in my own life. I guess you can call this story alternate reality and it is just that, but the thing is it's set in our own reality. No Digital World in this, no digimon, no digidestined. None of that ever existed in this setting. I'm only focusing on the kids as people in general, several in particular, and what type of paths their lives would take if they had to live in our sometimes harsh world instead of their digital anime fantasy world. I must've rewritten this blasted thing ten times by now over the past four months. For once I'm overjoyed to say I really love something I've worked on. I've really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it as well.

When I started this, I really wasn't aiming for this to be a dark fic, but I'm forced to say it is turning out that way in certain areas at least. I'm going to warn you now that most of the characters are a bit out of character, some more drastic then others, especially Davis and Mimi. I'm not trying to single them out or anything, in fact I can give or take both of them, but I needed a couple of heels and they both fit the bill perfectly. I mention that because I don't want to see any hate mail in my review box saying, "You bleep! Davis or Mimi would never do that, you suck!" I know their characters normally wouldn't act the way I have them do in here. Feel free to criticize me in any way you'd like, but please don't be down right hateful just because you don't like which character is doing what. They'll all be doing some things you wouldn't normally picture their characters doing. Remember, I'm writing them how I might look at them if they were real people instead of merely anime characters. I apologize to Davis and Mimi fans, but for one time only their going to be heels for this story.

(Note-Several minor differences to note. One TK's hatless, Davis goggle-less, and Mimi's a couple years younger then normal. She's around TK and Kari's age instead of a year younger then Tai, Matt, and Sora for this story.)

Warning: This fic contains coarse language, adult themes, and other scenes that could possibly offend certain people. I apologize ahead of time if anything does. Oh yes, and of course lots of mush and sentimental garbage. If that offends you then tough luck buddy.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Digimon.

Tried and True

It was unseasonably warm for the middle of May, at least for that part of the world, but you wouldn't hear too many locals complaining. Not one single cloud trespassed in the clear night sky, giving all stargazers and astronomy lovers a beautiful view of a bright orange 3rd quarter moon surrounded by a supporting cast of millions of stars. Despite all the moon's beauty it proved a rather pathetic source of light, leaving the burden on the streetlamps lining through the small suburban neighborhood to light the way for any lonely traveler walking the streets that night. One of the streetlights blinked on and off several times every so often, as if it were being lulled to sleep by the peaceful and serene feel to the night atmosphere. Each lamp took turns spotting out the image of a young man as he walked underneath their light. His only company were two shadows, one the highly defined but featureless mirror image of himself that followed him at his feet stride for stride, and the other a faded picture of his body in the distance that only came into view every so often when the light would hit him just right. A light but stubborn breeze chilled the air just enough to require the need for at least a light jacket, and now made a further nescience of itself by slapping against the boy's face throwing his short blonde hair every which way but plucking it straight out of his head. He removed his hand from his warm pocket exposing it to the cold chill of the night, and ran it through his hair in a useless attempt to get the situation under control. Realizing just how pointless his efforts actually were he dropped his arm back down to his side, and allowed the wind to restyle his hair as it pleased. The young man returned his gaze to the ground below. No one besides the ones who loved him the most would've been able to tell their once was a brilliant cheery glow to those big blue eyes of his, for now their blinding glow had been reduced to nothing but a dim hopeless flicker.

TK sighed sadly as he stared up at the starry night sky, somehow managing to watch where he was walking at the same time. Not that it mattered for he could've been walking straight through heaven or hell for all he knew or cared, because that was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. All he could think about lately was them. Davis and Kari… Together. The mere thought of it made his blood boil, his stomach churn, his head hurt, his face cringe, and his heartbreak all at the same time. One little picture etched forever in the back of his mind, and sinking towards the bottom of his heart. He asked himself how long it had been since they started dating. A year and a half ago almost? Who was he kidding? Fifteen months, fourteen days, forty-five minutes, and twenty-one seconds. He'd counted every gut wrenching tick off the clock since the day they turned his life upside down. Not that they usually got to him this badly by and means. At first he had gotten over it after a month or two and had grown to accept it, though he didn't like it, for the better part of a year. If it hadn't been for the events of a month prior to this day he wouldn't be near as miserable as he was right now…

During one unforgettable night he held Kari in his arms, and for an all to brief while it seemed like the girl he'd been madly in love with since he was eight actually cared for him as much as he did for her. After that SOB hurt her for the, he'd lost count of how many times by now, Kari came running to him like she always did when Davis was being Davis. An at least weekly event that normally consisted of Kari crying on his shoulder for a few hours, going over every wrong Davis had ever done to her which in itself could sometimes last an entire night, flirting with him slightly, and always ending her rants by swearing never to get back with Davis for the rest of her life. Of course they would always make up, and be making out behind a tree somewhere by the time the sunset the next day. It made TK as sick as a hypochondriac with a head cold, but the boy had forced himself to get use to it. However, this time Davis really must've hurt her because something very different happened. Maybe TK should've contributed that nights events as just the emotional ramblings of a broken hearted girl looking for comfort in her closet friend's arms, but in her shambled state she confessed something to him that made him the happiest guy in the world for at least a few hours. While she sobbed into his chest as he held her against it, through her tears she told him how much she always loved him and how she wished that somehow if things had worked out differently then maybe they could've been together. Overcome with emotion, he stupidly poured out all the hidden feelings he'd felt for her and kept bottled up over the years. Then of course, the very next day that sniveling little bastard Davis came crawling back to her on his hands and knees and Kari took him back with open arms.

Seeing them back together after such an emotional encounter wasn't even the worst part, but in it's place was the fear that he may have went and ruined the friendship he so diligently protected partly by keeping his feelings for her hidden. He was certain Kari would distance herself from him now that his secret passions for her were out in the open. Oddly enough, the exact opposite happened. Kari went on just like nothing had ever happened, which bewildered the hell out of TK since he didn't even know where to begin to accomplish that. Just one more little dagger into his heart that told him she didn't mean what she said to him on that night. Then again, there were other things that made him think to the contrary, and if anything she'd become even closer to him since the days after the incident rather than straying away. She was hanging around him now more then ever, and her once harmless and friendly flirting seemed to be getting much more deliberate with each passing day. That's the thing that was really getting to him. Not knowing how she really felt about him… Where exactly he stood in her life. Was there a deeper meaning to what had been going on, or was she just leading him on?…"

TK couldn't blame Davis for crawling back to her either. TK said himself that Davis would have to be a total moron to let Kari get up and walk out of his life without a fight, but he figured there wasn't a soul alive that stupid. If Davis had been a decent guy TK could've easily lived with the relationship, and even have gotten along with the boy. He truly loved Kari, and all he wished for was to see her happy. However, Davis was a total prick, a mean drunk, an ego-manic, and he treated Kari like shit. Kari definitely deserved better then what she had, and Davis sure as hell didn't deserve her as far as TK was concerned. For some strange reason known only to Kari and maybe God, Kari loved the boy despite how badly he treated her. TK often wondered if Kari was merely holding on to something she thought was there but really wasn't. He couldn't understand how anyone could stay in a relationship where you're constantly fighting, and at odds with each other. They were just one of those couples who called breaking up Thursday. TK knew this all to well, for it was practically a weekly ritual for him. It seemed every Friday night Kari would be at his apartment crying on his shoulder, and then they'd be back together by the end of the weekend. He still couldn't shake the memory of the one that would change life the way he knew it forever…

It all started with an e-mail his so called friends Yolei and Ken sent to Kari telling her of the crush he had on her for literally half his life. He would certainly never trust Ken with any of his secrets ever again, but they did make up for it in a way. As rumor had it, Kari also had a crush on him a while back. Perfect timing huh? Actually, from what he heard Kari allegedly cared about him in ways far beyond the friendship they openly shared. It all happened on a weekend when Davis and Kari had shouted it out in a nasty fight even by their standards. Kari was having doubts about their relationship like never before, and on that weekend started getting closer to TK then he ever would've dreamed of. It was there when TK confessed all the hidden feelings he'd felt for her that he had kept locked inside for so long, and Kari did the same for him. She had even kissed him on the cheek causing TK to fluster, and nearly killed himself by almost falling over the terrace railing where they'd been standing. It was also on that weekend when Kari decided to end her relationship with Davis, and for good this time. For good lasted less then three hours. As soon as Davis assholed his way back into the picture, Kari ran straight back into his arms leaving TK's still beating heart lying limp in his hands. TK somehow managed to keep a straight face when he told her he'd gotten over it within a couple of days just to ease her mind if anything once she finally got the courage to bring the subject up. He would never lie to someone more convincingly in his life. TK did hold one last hope though. One last shining gleam of hope. He knew a sensible girl like Kari wouldn't put up with Davis's crap forever. Even if it wasn't him, he wished she'd do what was best for her and find someone who'd treat her right. He knew Davis would fall flat on his face eventually. He'd definitely be there for Kari as a friend, and just maybe a little more then that…

TK's thoughts were interrupted by the blaring of loud music coming from a car that was parked in the driveway of a house he was walking by. Three young girls all around TK's age were standing around conversing amongst themselves when they noticed TK walked by.

"Hey, isn't that TK Takashi?" one of the girls asked.

"Hey yeah! He's such a hottie!" another girl added. "And sweet too. He held the door open for me once when we were leaving school one day."

One of the young ladies seemed particularly interested in the young man passing by her parent's home. A opportunistic glint flashed in the brown eyes of the curvy blonde, much like a jaguar gets right before she makes her kill. "Yeah… It's a shame he's walking out here all alone… Maybe I can fix that?" She winked at her two friends, causing them to giggle right before she went after TK. "Hey TK! Is that you?! Hey wait up!"

Startled, TK spun around to see who was calling him, and found a young seventeen year old girl literally bouncing up to him. TK immediately recognized the girl for she was very well known around school. Her name was Mimi and she had the entire Junior, Senior, Sophomore, and Freshmen classes drooling all over her. Not that TK could blame them, and he'd be lying if he said she never turned his head while walking by at least once or twice. Her chest bobbed up and down as she bounded over to him, showing an obvious lack of support underneath the small pink shirt and unbuttoned jacket she was wearing. She was well blessed in the chest department, which was the first thing most guys noticed about her but TK just wasn't one of them. If Mimi's reputation lived true to form, then she probably wasn't wearing anything underneath that dangerously short cut skirt she was wearing either. The skirt that covered very little of those long legs of hers that seemed to glisten brightly even in the darkness of night. Parts of her slightly curly blonde hair fell down into her face, and she pushed some strands away as she flashed TK her mind numbing smile that she used to have her way with more then one male over the course of her adolescence. Hell, the first thing TK thought when his eyes landed on her was she might as well be out there buck naked.

"Hey Mimi, what's up?"

"Well, I saw you walking out here all alone and you looked sort of lonely, so I thought I'd stop you and say hi," Mimi flirted in typical teenaged fashion.

"Well thank you, but I'm fine." TK put on his best fake smile. "I'm out enjoying an evening walk, that's all…"

"Are you sure you can't use some company? Why don't you hang out here, and talk with me and my friends for a little while?"

"Well I'd love to, but I'm headed for a friends house at the moment…"

"Come on, you can spare me a few minutes can't you?" Mimi pressed on, never being one to take no for an answer. There were certain areas where she wasn't use to hearing them very often, if at all. "You do like girls don't you? I mean, I find it kind of strange that an attractive young man like yourself has never had a girlfriend or anything… There isn't any particular reason for that is it?"

TK thought it over a moment, not her questioning of his sexuality but her proposal. Sure she was a pretty girl, hell drop dead gorgeous, but she did have a bit of a reputation around school. Let's just say she never kept a boyfriend very long because she was usually caught fooling around behind the bleachers or somewhere with somebody else, or two, or three, sometimes even simultaneously. Not that any of that mattered to TK. After a quick debate he decided he didn't have anything to lose. Maybe he would even have some fun for a change.

********

After a forty-five minute side trip, TK finally found himself staring at the door to his friend's apartment. As it turned out his little conversation with Mimi wasn't fun in the least. He found Mimi and her friends to be rather boring and nothing more than stuck up air headed bimbos. Typical shallow teenagers too absorbed in themselves to notice anything else in the world turning around them except for what they wanted at that moment in time. Of course TK would never tell them that to their faces. Somehow he managed to get himself roped into agreeing to go to some party with her on Friday night. Just one more thing he could look forward to dreading over the next few days.

TK opened up the door of his friend's apartment, and let himself in without bothering to knock. He didn't have to after all, knowing he was always a welcome guest at the Ichijouji household. The sound of the door shutting prompted his long time friend to stick his head out of his bedroom door.

"Hey TK!" Ken greeted him with his usual warm smile. "Where have you been? We were getting worried about you. You were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"Well I would've been, but something interesting happened to me along the way."

"I'll be happy to hear the entire story a little later. We just ordered some pizza about half an hour ago, so why don't you make yourself at home until it gets here."

"Hey Ken! Get in here quick!" TK heard a shrill female voice yell excitedly from inside Ken's bedroom. TK instantly recognized the loud temperamental voice of Ken's girlfriend Yolei. "You won't believe what this idiot just said to me!"

"Excuse me TK, but I gotta go!" Ken said excitedly. "Yolei's pissing people off over the Internet again!"

TK raised his eyebrow teasingly. "Don't you two have anything better to do?!"

"You should know the answer to that is no by now. Oh, and by the way, your share of the pizza comes out to ten bucks."

"Oh gee, thanks Ken." TK giggled knowing full well his friend never paid the full bill for anything. Not that Ken wouldn't if he could, but the kid wasn't made of money. TK did as he was instructed, and took a seat on the living room couch unaware of the slim shadow creeping up behind him. Oddly enough, his mind was on the owner of that shadow when a small couch pillow made contact with the back of his head. "OUCH! Hey, what the?!"

"That's for making me worry about you!" his friend teased, as she tossed the pillow at him. "I was about to drag Ken and Yolei outside to go looking for you!"

TK's face lit up as it usually did whenever his eyes landed upon her. "Kari! What are you doing here?"

"I came here to see my friends silly," she giggled, as she sat down next to him.

"Well obviously. I just figured you'd be out with Davis… Where is he anyway?"

Kari's expression dimmed slightly. "Hell if I know. He's probably out getting drunk with his friends again." Kari smiled weakly at TK, an all too familiar bitter taste of truth dimming her lovely features. "I guess he finds that more interesting then me nowadays."

TK frowned hating to see her normally bright and enchanting smile seem so fake. "If he really thinks that, he's a bigger idiot then I thought. You deserve a lot better then that you know."

"I know," Kari sighed. "That's just the way he is. I can't just change him overnight. I have to hope he loves me enough to help me work him through it."

TK smiled sadly. "You know, if I had the chance I'd treat you right Kari."

"I know." Kari giggled slightly. "You know I'd love to be able to take you up on that one of these days if you really meant it."

"What makes you think I don't?" TK didn't mind her occasional flirting at all, and actually welcomed it. He only wished she really meant it... However he kept his ego in check enough to realize it was all just harmless fun to her. She'd developed deep feelings for Davis in all the time they'd been together. They'd been an item way to long for her to throw it all away just like that. That was merely a testament to the kind of person she was, and one of the things TK loved most about her. Davis had put her through things that would've caused the average woman to terminate the relationship in a heartbeat, but Kari had set her mind to seeing this storm through despite how badly he treated or neglected her. It was a situation that demanded respect, but was sad at the same time. There were times when Kari thought about telling Davis to stick it and running right into TK's arms. She even tried it once, but it just didn't work. Those old feelings for Davis still burned strong inside her chest, and she just couldn't let him go, not yet anyway. TK was well aware the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him along the way, but he had told her himself she should do whatever made her the happiest. He often wondered about her decision. Two people who cared about her, one who treated her like dirt and made her feel miserable more times then not, and one who'd love her and cherish her for the rest of his life. What decision was there for her to make? That cold hard fact acted like a giant boot kicking him into the back of the closet, allowing him to see what place he really stood in her life. Only Kari knew what was going on in her mind and her heart, so no one else could fully understand why she did what she did. If only TK could see the other half of her story…

Within the next several minutes the pizza delivery guy came calling. Ken and Yolei emerged from Ken's bedroom, and the group sat around the coffee table eating and chatting about what was going on in their normally boring lives. Of course the biggest topic of interest was what TK had been doing that made him uncharacteristically late. He told them all about his run in with Mimi, and what they'd discussed while he was detained.

Ken's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow! Mimi Tachikawa came on to you?! You go TK!"

TK smirked in response to his friend's inappropriate gestures. However, the girls didn't seem half as happy for TK as Ken appeared to be. Particularly Kari who rolled her eyes in disgust. "Mimi Tachikawa?! Big deal! She'd hit on a snake if she thought it could help get her off, so I don't see what your so excited about!"

"Oh I see…" TK said, with a hurt look on his face. "So that's what you really think of me isn't it Kari? The truth finally comes out huh?"

Kari's face lit up, panic clear in her expression as she grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry TK! I didn't mean that the way it sounded, I swear to you! It's just that Mimi is… How do I put this?…"

"A slut," Yolei mumbled abruptly.

"Well, I wasn't going to use that strong of a word but yes."

"No, your right Kari," TK said, as he jerked his hand out of hers and stood up from the couch. "After all, no girl has ever given me a second look before today, so I guess when one finally does she has to be either drunk or easy doesn't she?"

"Don't start that bull crap again Takeru!" Kari scolded. "I've seen girls stare you down with goo-goo eyes all the time, you just never notice and your too naïve to tell when someone's flirting with you!"

"Yeah right!" TK laughed, as he walked behind the couch. "That's a bunch of BS if I ever heard it! You all keep telling me that, but then how come I've never seen it with my own eyes? No girl's ever shown any interest in me before today."

"That's another lie TK!" Kari snapped. "I'll have you know that I… I mean ah... Of course they have!"

"A lot of good that does me! I'm seventeen years old, and I've never even been on a date before! I'm getting nowhere fast sitting on my butt, waiting for something to happen… That's one of the reasons I'm leaning towards taking her up on her offer."

Everyone went silent, and turned their focus on TK. The slice of pepperoni and green pepper pizza Ken was eating nearly fell out of his mouth. "What offer?" Yolei asked.

"Well… She invited me to go with her to some party next Friday night as her guest, and I'm considering going…"

"You mean she asked you out on a date?! Cool!" Ken eyed Yolei cautiously, not understanding why she was giving him the death glare at the moment. "What?"

"You can't mean your actually considering going with her?!" Kari panicked.

"Well… Yeah sure I am… It's not very often that any girl at all, let alone a drop dead gorgeous one, just strolls along and falls into my lap! Opportunities like this are few and far between for me, so I need to take advantage of one when it comes along. I have no idea when I might get another chance Kari!"

"So that's it?!" Kari yelped, as she hopped of the couch. "You're just going to throw away your standards, and jump at the first cheap whore that bats an eyelash at you?! You might as well have picked up a prostitute! Oh that's right, she doesn't charge! Well fine! I don't care what you do!… I really need to get some air… Good-bye!"

Kari heard TK call after her as she slammed the door behind her. Whatever he had to say apparently wasn't that important for he didn't bother to come out after her. She stormed down the long hallway, and once she finally reached the staircase looked back to make sure no one had followed her. Seeing the coast was clear, she threw her back up against the wall suddenly finding it hard to breathe. "This isn't happening… Not now!… Why right now?…" With two slow and deep inhalations, she finally managed to bring some air back into her lungs. Just like that, all her anger seemed to leave her body along with everything else she had just exhaled. She just shook her head, and started her slow decent down the stairs.

"Kari!" TK yelled after her, but the only response he received was the slamming of the front door. "What the hell was that all about?!"

"Don't mind her, she's overreacting a bit," Yolei stated the obvious. "She's just a little jealous TK, that's all."

"She has no right to be jealous anyway!" TK barked you'd think she'd be happy for me, but no!"

"What does she have to be jealous over?!"

"You know full well things aren't going well with her and Davis TK," Yolei answered a question TK wasn't really expecting an answer too. "Believe it or not she really does care about you more then you think. She's kind of got it in her mind that she has you to fall back on if things don't work out with Davis, and this is the first time she's ever really had to worry that you wouldn't be there to catch her when she falls. She hasn't made up her mind on what she wants to do yet, so you scared her a little that's all."

TK groaned, and started pacing around the living room. "I thought she'd already made up her mind on Davis… This is ridiculous! She's sending me so many mixed singles it's making my head spin! One minute she's telling me how much she cares about Davis and wants to work things out, and the next something like that happens! I never know what's going on one way or the other with her!"

"Your not really going to go to that party with Mimi are you?" Yolei asked.

"I haven't decided yet. I wasn't all that impressed by my little talk with her. Sure Mimi is a total babe, but she has the personality of a donkey with brain cancer! I may just go to the party anyway however. You never know whom you might meet. Just because I walk in with her doesn't mean I have to walk out with her, or anyone else for that matter. Hey, what have I got to lose?"

"Your virginity for one," Yolei mumbled.

"She has doomed many of your kind before you young Takeru," Ken kidded, mocking the way a sensei would address one of his martial arts students.

"You don't have to worry about me on that guys," TK assured them. "Sure I'm tempted, but I'm not that easy. Once I finally take that step, I want to do my best to make sure it's only with one girl for the rest of my life. I know full well that may be near impossible, but I'm sure as hell going to try. I'm not about to give my morals up for some tart looking for a good time for one evening. That's just not my style."

"It's good to see at least one guy on this Earth still has decent standards, but that's not what I'm trying to get at," Yolei responded, referring to the true reason she didn't want to see TK with Mimi. "I was referring to Kari… You know she's only going to take Davis's shit for so long before she's finally had enough. One of these days he's going to pull something so terrible, even Kari won't be able to forgive him. When that finally happens you don't want to blow your chances with her do you?"

"I can't sit around and wait for something that may never happen Yolei!" TK flared, at a very touchy subject for him. There was a part of him that was still willing to wait forever for the girl, but another more sensible side of him took over telling him he needed to see reality for what it was, look out for his own happiness, and get on with his life. "You know how I feel about Kari, it's no big secret anymore, but I can't just keep on waiting or I may be waiting for the rest of my life! I refuse to put myself through that kind of torment, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone! I've spent too much time on the bench as it is, hoping she was going to come to her senses sooner or later! If she hasn't left Davis by now, it's probably never going to happen. It's been eighteen months for crying out loud! I can't keep torturing myself by continuing to hope something is going to happen when it never will! Even if she does dump Davis, I hear what you guys have been telling me, but I just don't think she feels that way about me… She doesn't want me, she wants to stay with Davis and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Yes there is!" Yolei fired back, not ready to give in just yet. "Push the issue! Let her know what she's missing out on! A circus monkey could out class that overgrown grease ball! I know you have a moral issue with pushing yourself on another guy's girlfriend, but I really think this should be an exception to the rule! Hell, by not doing anything all your really doing is hurting yourself and Kari! If you did you'd finally be happy, and Kari would be happy eventually. Davis will hurt a week then find some cheap booze, a couple of street tramps, and he'll have forgotten all about it by the weekend! Kari already knows you'd be good for her, but I think the way your acting is having the opposite effect of what you had in mind. When you pretend like it doesn't hurt or bother you when she's with Davis, I think she's taking that as a sign that you're not interested in her. I know your merely trying to protect her feelings, but I think it's backfiring on you. Kari is not going to leave Davis unless she thinks she has a legitimate shot with you! Look, you didn't hear this from me, but I have it on good word that she wants you to hit on her a little more. Hell, she loves it! Take a little action TK, and let her know how you really feel! Make her see she's made the wrong decision!"

"That's not the point Yolei! Don't you see?…" TK said sadly, a dim expression of clarity on his face. "It doesn't matter what you and I think or want. Not even Davis! This is Kari's decision, and hers alone! I know you'd much rather have a yeast infection then see Davis with Kari, and I'd prefer passing a stone quite honestly, but there's nothing you nor I can do about it. Lord knows we've tried and tried, but she's the only one who truly knows what's best for her. She needs to do whatever makes her happy. All I've ever wanted was to see her happy. For some reason known only to God, or maybe Satan more likely, Davis seems to make her happy despite how poorly he treats her. I know she's loyal, but she's not stupid. I know we wouldn't cross the street to piss on him if he were on fire and our kidneys were about to explode, but she obviously sees something good in him the rest of just can't find. He can't be all bad if Kari's stuck it out with him this long… That's one of the things I love so much about her. She's loyal to the end… Even if it is to the wrong guy. Despite all of Davis's faults, she's committed herself to seeing their relationship through, and sticking by the choice she made. It's a real shame though. You don't find too many girls around like Kari… Maybe one in a million. It's a shame they all seem to give that love and loyalty to someone less then deserving of it. She made her decision, and I'm going to respect it. Besides… I can't make her want me Yolei. Maybe one day we will be together, but I'm not going to hold my breath any longer or I'm going to go brain dead!"

Yolei hung her head in defeat. "I figured you'd say something like that… Oh well. Still, watch out for Mimi though. If I know her as well as I think I do, she's mostly interested in one particular part of your anatomy if you know what I mean?"

Ken pointed at his crotch jokingly, but the sad thing about it was it was true. Though 99% of men would've been fine with that, TK was among those rare 1% who didn't just look at women as tools to satisfy that one primal male urge.

"Once again, you don't have to worry about me Yolei. You know I'm not like that… It's kind of ironic though. I have the same problem with Kari, except she wants a different kind of dick…" He mumbled the last part referring to Davis, but loud enough for Ken and Yolei to hear.

"I have to hand it to you TK," Ken said, with a mouth full of pizza. He'd trained himself into a master at speaking with his mouth full, and avoiding shooting chunks of food everywhere. Just one of the many things that said he had way too much free time on his hands before meeting Yolei. "Most of us guys wouldn't be able to help ourselves if a girl built like Mimi was hanging all over us. I know if she was flaunting all over me I'd…" The remnants of Ken's dinner came shooting out of his mouth when Yolei whacked him in the back of the head with a couch pillow. "What did I do now?!"

"Just what are you implying Ken?! That you'd fool around with that slut if you had the opportunity?!"

"No, of course not!" Ken yelped defensively. "You didn't let me finish! I have you Yolei, so of course I wouldn't! I was merely trying to say that if I was in TK's situation and I didn't have a girlfriend tying me down I might consider it, but at this time right here and now no!"

"So, now your saying I'm tying you down?!" Yolei barked, steam threatening to go shooting out of her ears. "Would you like me to unknot that tie, so you can go chase around any big-breasted bimbo you want to?!"

"No, no Yolei! I meant being tied down as a good thing, honest! You know I love you Yolei, there's no need to overreact! I was merely trying to tell TK how impressed I was with him for being able to resist Mimi, despite how good she looks! That's all that matters to most guys!"

"Not me," TK said, for the soul purpose of hoping to put out the fire Ken had just inadvertently set. "Mimi may look good, but her personality kind of nullifies that for me. Besides, beauty is different in the eyes of different people. A lot of guys look at me like I'm gay or something because I don't find all those supermodels a lot of guys like to gawk at attractive. I just never liked flashy. They cover their faces in all that make-up like they're trying to hide something. Like they're ashamed to show their real face. I much prefer a girl who can walk around almost normal, and still look great…" TK paused, and smirked slyly. "And I've always been fond of a cute little butt in a really tight pair of jeans."

Yolei laughed out loud. "You are indeed human TK."

"I agree with what you're saying," Ken added. "I've never been one to dwell much on looks either. I much prefer…"

"SO, NOW WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" Yolei demanded. "Not only am I tying you down, but now I'm ugly too?!"

"No, I didn't say that!" Ken yelped in his defense. "I'll admit you're not what most guys would consider a knock out, but I still think you're beautiful!"

That's all Ken would get out before Yolei whacked him under the chin with the couch pillow once again, giving him her own take on what the term 'knock out' meant. Ken fell over, and hung upside down over the chair with his legs draped over the arm. Yolei bent down towards his face, and whispered something to him. "Because you did say I was beautiful to you is the only reason your still breathing right now! When I get back here tomorrow, you better be ready to make it up to me big time!"

TK wisely waited until Yolei was safely out the door before helping Ken to his feet. "Well, looks like we managed to piss the women off today. We've got to be more careful, from the looks of things that could turn out deadly one of these days. Why don't we go to your bedroom, and I'll try to help you pry your foot out of your mouth."

"There's no need for that," Ken said, sporting a broad smile. "Things will be just fine soon enough."

TK looked confused. Ken had always been the laid back type, but this was weird even for him. "I don't get it. You guys fight all the time, but you never seem to get upset by it! You can't tell me you actually enjoy fighting with her!"

"No, it's not the fighting I enjoy TK. It's making up with her that's the fun part!"

********

Tai grunted with relief as he sat behind the wheel of his pick-up after another twelve-hour shift at work. It was merely a small chunk of the sixty-hour workweek he'd have to endure. Not that he saw much of the money from those grilling hours of work, since the government seemed to think they were entitled to a quarter of everything he made. It was a tough and eye-opening way of life for a young man only a couple years out of high school, but a road he'd chosen to take without hesitation despite the hardships he knew he'd have to endure. With their parents long gone he's financially responsible for himself and his younger sister now, and they were counting on every dime to keep them above water. If he was lucky, luck being something he had little of and what little he did always seemed to be bad, he'd only have to go on like this for another year or so until Kari was in college. She already had a full scholarship waiting on the table of a local school, and after that Tai would only have himself to worry about supporting for a while. Not that he wished for his sister to be gone mind you, in fact she was one of the few bright spots in his otherwise dismal life. Still, he had to consider that this way of life could make an old man out of someone way before their time. But he was trying…

Tai started up his truck and practically jumped through the roof, as he was greeted by the blaring sound of what was known on the street as hip-hop. Tai frowned at the radio, barely able to understand what the guy was saying except for a few choice four-letter words and other derogatory remarks. Tai wasn't exactly fond of the days so called 'popular music'. Charlie Daniels was about as hardcore as he'd ever gotten. "Oh, isn't that a nice song, educational too. I wasn't aware there were so many words that rhymed with ass! I've warned Kari about messing with my radio. I have to have a talk with her when I get home. Then again, maybe I should thank her for reminding me why I don't listen to that junk."

Tai played with the dial on his radio, until he located a station more to his liking. Only about a minute later, a newscast came over the airwaves reporting on some horrible crime that had happened not all that far from home. It seemed some sixteen-year-old kid shot his parents, brother, and two of his friends to death in his own home. Not bothering to wait to hear the reason why, Tai shut off the radio disgustedly. "What a bunch of bull shit! He's probably going to whine he was abused! Those kind of people make me sick! I've had a tough life and my dad knocked me around more then my fair share of times, but I never ran around killing anyone because of it! It was probably just some spoiled brat who didn't get what he wanted for a change!"

It was a little more then a twenty-minute ride from Tai's apartment to work and back. As he always did first thing whenever he'd get home from anywhere, he checked to see if his sister was home simply to make sure she was all right. As soon as he walked in the door he heard Kari yelling about something from her bedroom. He looked inside her room through the open door only to watch her slam the phone down in disgust.

"Hey squirt. Something up?"

"Oh, welcome home Taichi… It's nothing just… I don't want to talk about it!"

Tai sighed, and shook his head. "What did Davis do now?"

It never did take very much from Tai to crack his sister's shell. "He's being a jerk as usual! All I did was call, and asked him why I couldn't catch him at home all night last night. I was only worried about him! Almost right away he has to blow up into some speech about me being too possessive and not trusting him! How he should be able to go out with his friends whenever he wants without having to announce it to me! I never told him he had to!"

Tai casually strolled over to Kari's desk where she was seated, and massaged her shoulders with his hands. "That's just the way he is Kari. You can complain about it all you want, he's not going to change. You know that as well as anyone."

"I know… Can we just forget about this! I don't want to talk about him right now!"

"No problem," Tai said loving to do nothing more. Davis had never been Tai's favorite topic of discussion, and never would be. "Have things settled out between you and TK yet?"

Kari's expression didn't change, though she appeared to calm down. "No. I'm not as angry as I was yesterday though, and I probably shouldn't have gotten mad at him like I did. Still, I'm not going to him. If he wants to talk it out then he'll have to come to me."

"Funny, if he's thinking the same thing then you two guys are pretty much screwed." Tai had meant for the little joke to lighten the mood, but his sister's face remained solemn. "Are you okay Kari? Is there something else troubling you besides Davis and TK?"

"No… They have everything to do with it…"

Tai was all too aware of his sister's situation, so he didn't need any clarification on what she meant. "Come here Kari," he said, as he sat on her bed then patted his leg. "Go ahead, and get it off your chest. You know you can talk to me."

Kari didn't need to be told twice. She crawled onto her bed and rested her head in Tai's lap, like she had countless times before. It was almost second nature to her by now, much like it was for Tai to sit there and listen. "I'm so confused, I don't know what to do… One minute my hearts telling me to do one thing , and the next it's saying I'm better off doing another. How do I know which one is right?"

"They're both right Kari," Tai said soothingly, as he ran his hand through his younger siblings hair. "You simply have to decide which one is the best for you."

"But how do I know which one is best for me?"

"Well… Which feeling feels more right?…" Tai hesitated unsure if that question would make any sense to Kari. Apparently it did since she didn't dwell on it.

"Which ever one I'm with at the time," she said followed by a long sigh. "On the other hand there are times when I'm with one, and all I can think about is the other. Oh… My head is spinning!"

Tai scratched his head in confusion. "Now wait a second here Kari. From the way your talking it almost sounds like your still trying to make some sort of decision here. I thought you made your mind up on sticking it out with Davis?"

"I did, I am, and I still plan on it. We've been through too much together just to throw it all away because something that may be a little easier comes along. I just never know what's going to happen … If TK had told me how he felt about me a long time ago I'd never be with Davis in the first place… Besides, I still think there's a chance I can turn Davis around. I just wish he could be more like… Well…"

"TK?" Tai answered for her. Kari's silence was the only answered he needed. "I guess that's your problem huh? You've got two guys in your life here. One's the guy you want, and the other's the type of guy you want. Unfortunately one's not the other, and you can't have both of them. I don't see why this decision is so hard for you anyway. You have one guy who's polite, romantic, and loyal. On the other hand you have a guy who's a drunk, self-centered, and treats you like crap… You claim to be a straight A student don't you?"

"It's not that easy Tai!" Kari chuckled, as she whacked him in the side of the arm. "It might seem like a no-brainer to you, but it's not for me! Either road I chose I'm going to lose something, and I'm going to hurt. Should I take the risk and go after what I want, or do I hold on to what I have now out of fear of what might happen if I loose it? Either one for that matter…"

"I don't know Kari, but you have to let one of them go. If you're not careful you're going to lose both of them. In my opinion you shouldn't be hanging on to Davis for the sake of hanging on. You're obviously not happy with your relationship if your eye is wandering, and that goes for someone like you especially. You've given this relationship more than it's fair share of chances , and it's not working out Kari. Relationships don't work out sometimes, and it's better to see that now before your married and have children! Of course that's just my opinion, but it's something you should consider. Besides, I think you know exactly what you really want Kari, and I'd like to know why you're not going after it."

Kari's eyes dimmed even more as she toggled with that thought. "Tai… I'm just not sure how he really feels about me. If I was it might be a little easier… I don't want to give up on Davis now, only to find out I have nothing left to turn to."

"Kari, you know better then that! The boy obviously has a thing for you. You even said yourself that he told you he loved you at one time, and he's always flirting with you!"

"Yeah… But he just said that because he was trying to comfort me, and he's only teasing me when he flirts," Kari whimpered. "I don't think he really means any of it… Besides, he said he got over me in a couple days, and myself going back to Davis didn't hurt him much. Not that I wanted him too, but it didn't leave me brimming with much confidence about the possibility… And now he's going to some party with this whore from school! Even if he did feel something for me at one time, I've probably done screwed that up. "

"Why don't you just tell him how you're feeling then? You can't keep stringing TK along like this, or yourself for that matter! The longer you drag it out, the more it's going to hurt the both of you when you finally end it. Tell him Kari, it's the only way you're going to find out!"

"I can't just go flat out and do that Tai! I made that mistake once already, and I'm lucky it didn't blow up in my face… I won't risk losing TK Tai… He means too much to me. I can live without him as a lover, but I can't live without him as at least a friend. The only thing worse would be losing you right now…"

Tai released a heavy sigh. "Funny how you never say anything like that about Davis…You have to let one of them go Kari, and it needs to be sooner then later."

Kari groaned in agreement. "What do I do Taichi?"

"I can't answer that question for you Kari. Besides, you already know what my answer would be anyway because you know I'm bias. You have to make that decision for yourself Kari. It doesn't matter what Davis, TK, Yolei, or even I tell you, you're the only one who truly knows how you feel Kari. You have to decide what's best for you, and what will make you happiest in the end Kari. I know you'll make the right choice…" Tai grinned from ear to ear. "Eventually…"

Kari smirked warmly. "You always have to get your two cents in don't you? It's kind of funny actually… That's a modified version of what TK keeps telling me…"

"I guess the boy knows what he's talking about. Seriously, that's just because the boy cares about you. He only wants to see you happy despite whether or not you're ever with him."

"I wonder about that sometimes..." Kari's expression saddened. "I wonder if he keeps telling me things like that as his way of telling me he's not really interested, and I'm better off sticking with what I've got."

"Don't be ridiculous! You really think TK isn't hurt by all this deep down inside?"

Kari rolled over on her other side so her back was facing Tai. "I don't even want to think about that! The last thing I want to do is hurt him…"

"I know you don't Kari, but no matter what you do somebody's going to get hurt. You just have to make sure…"

"It isn't me, I know," Kari interrupted. "TK tells me that all the time too. That's another thing I have to consider… Who would I be hurting more? TK says he's perfectly content with being friends if nothing ever happens between us, but Davis gives me a hard time and makes me feel guilty every time I've ever tried to even talk about breaking it off… It makes me wonder if I should…"

Now it was Tai's turn to intervene. "So your saying that if TK acted like a jerk too, and played his cards more like Davis does he'd have a better shot?"

"I didn't say that!" Kari shouted. "I… I guess that did kind of sound that way didn't it?… I don't know what I'm even talking about anymore!"

Tai shook his head, and sighed. He despised seeing his sister like this, and despised her ignorance and foolishness that got her to where she was. She was just too young to be snared in a love triangle like this as far as Tai was concerned. Then again, he was about the same age when he went through a similar ordeal of his own. Those kind of things were so difficult to deal with, especially for hearts so young. Reaching down deep inside of his soul, he pulled out the best words of brotherly advice he could manage. Not even brother to sister really, but more of one broken heart reaching out to another who has been threatened with the same fate. "It's not easy Kari, and it's not going to get any easier. I'm going to give you my honest opinion, and you can chose to do with it what you like. If you do chose to stick it out with Davis until the end I'll just have to live with it like I've been doing, but I'd much rather see you with someone who'll treat you right and be there for you. You deserve a lot better than what you got, but that's simply my opinion so I'll leave it at that. The only one that matters is yours…"

Whatever Kari's response might've been it would have to wait for another time. Tai thought he had heard a knock on the front door, and when he went to check sure enough there was. He opened the door and found TK standing on the other end, which was all but ready to give up on anybody being home and walk away.

"Well speak of the devil," Tai smirked. "We were just talking about you."

TK smiled nervously. "Oh yeah... Good things I hope…"

Tai's grin grew even bigger. "Get real TK. She's never once had a bad thing to say about you."

"Oh, is that right now?… I bet she had a few not so pleasant things to say about me last night…"

"That doesn't count! She repented almost right after she said them. Now what are you waiting for? Bring your butt inside already. Kari's in her bedroom. She feels bad for the way she acted last night, but of course she isn't going to let you know that unless you squeeze it out of her. Oh, and don't get scared when you see she's upset because it's not with you."

"Why, what happened?" TK asked, as he walked inside. It took about half a second for him to realize he already knew the answer to that question. "Oh, never mind. That's a stupid question isn't it? Davis again?"

"Just being himself. Now you go on, and I'll leave you two alone for a while. I need to take me a shower anyway." TK was one of the few friends of Kari's Tai actually liked. That Ken kid was okay, but there was something about him Tai always found annoying. He always thought Yolei could be a real bitch at times, and he absolutely loathed her boyfriend Davis. Still, she loved the boy, so Tai simply grinned and bared it.

TK crept over to Kari's doorway cautiously, unsure to what kind of mood he was going to catch her in. He peered inside and found Kari sitting on the edge of her bed, her back turned in his direction. "Umm…. Kari? Can I come in?"

Kari smiled at the anxiety in her friend's voice. She knew it was TK at the front door the moment Tai had left to check if someone was knocking. It was just like TK to wait about a day after one of their rare falling outs, mostly to allow Kari some time to cool off, before attempting to set things right even when he hadn't even really done anything wrong. It was one of his little quarks that allowed Kari the luxury to be stubborn in situations like this. The truth was that she was just as nail-bitingly anxious to talk to TK as he was with her, but of course she wasn't about to let him know that just yet. "Do what you want. I'm not going to stop you, or bite your head off if that's what your worried about."

"Umm… Yeah…" TK walked inside slowly, and sat down beside her even more cautiously. TK's tension faded almost immediately when he saw the smirk on Kari's face. Kari turned her head away trying her best not to laugh, but she just couldn't help herself. "I've been had haven't I?"

"Oh, Takeru!" she chuckled, as she gave him a quick hug. "You know I can never stay mad at you. Besides, I had no reason to be and I'm sorry. I'm not sure why I acted the way I did. I guess I'll admit I was just a tiny bit jealous."

A calming sigh escaped TK's lips, doing it's part in revealing just how relieved TK was to be in the good graces of his good friend again. "That's okay, I forgive you Kari. Actually, I kind of like it when you get that way at times. Don't take this the wrong way, but it makes my chances look a little better. Not that it's all that hard to improve from slim to none. Just don't let it become a habit now Hikari. I don't plan on staying single forever."

Kari's expression dimmed slightly, but of course TK was completely oblivious to this. "I know you don't! I still think you can do a lot better then Mimi though! Do you really plan on going to that party with her?"

"I'm not sure yet," TK answered honestly. "I think I'm going to go to the party regardless, and just use her to get through the door."

Kari looked surprised. "But I thought you hated those kind of parties?"

"I do, but I'm interested to see what happens. Who knows whom I'll meet, and what might happen. I'm not getting very far sitting at home, staring at the wall am I? Even I need to get outside and do a little living every now and then. I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone, and I have to start somewhere."

"So, in other words you're going to pick up chicks?" Kari joked, but her smile was slightly overshadowed by a saddened gleam in her eye.

TK blushed. "Well… Technically speaking yes, but I wouldn't quite put it that way! You don't pick up a girl, and I don't care for it when people refer to you ladies as chicks. I'm just a little more respectful than most guys I guess…"

"Always have to be the gentlemen don't you? And here I thought you only had eyes for me," Kari purred, as she rolled her head across TK's shoulder.

TK's heart pumped a little faster, as he felt Kari's slender hand slide around his. He never thought he could get trapped in a moment he feared so much yet enjoyed so immensely when they did occur, but lately the fear was drowning out any sort of enjoyment he use to find in simple little acts like this. Just when he thought the walls of resistance he'd been building around his heart were strong enough to hold making him immune to her innocent nearly blind advances, all she had to do was wink an eye or take his hand like she was doing right now. The smallest little act of defiance came through like a wrecking ball reducing those walls back to rubble, intoxicating him to a point where he was nothing but putty in her hands every time. Not that he would've minded under normal circumstances. TK considered himself lucky that Kari wasn't the type of girl to purposely go out and manipulate or play with the hearts of guys she was perfectly capable of doing those very things to, but she was so blatant with her advances at times she certainly could've fooled him. Truthfully, TK probably wouldn't have been so enthralled with her if she were that type of girl. It was her simple little charms and caring nature, that prompted the boy into his addiction to her every little move, smile, word, and everything else about her for that matter. It required all the resolve and will he could muster but he accomplished something he never would've considered doing in his wildest dreams before, and truthfully didn't really want to do. He pulled away from her. Kari fell forward on her bed as TK stood up, and looked up at him with a puzzled look in her eyes. "TK? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Kari, but we can't do that kind of thing anymore… If I'm lucky enough maybe one day there'll be a time and a place for that, but under the circumstances it just isn't right."

Kari stared him down a moment before a small grin crossed her face. "Don't be silly Takeru. So, we hold hands every once in a while… It's no big deal. We don't mean anything by it."

TK smiled a small, sad grin. "Yeah, that little gesture may seem like nothing to most, but I'm not one of them… I'm sorry to hear it doesn't mean anything to you Kari, but it means a lot to me."

Kari's expression fell. "TK, I didn't mean it that way!"

"I know. Look, I'm sorry. It's not all your fault because I let you do it. Heck, I really enjoy it, but it needs to stop for now. We've been really good friends forever, and things like this may seem natural but they're just not appropriate anymore. Right now I'm at a point where I'm just fine with where our relationship stands, and I don't want to ruin that by doing something that may lead us in over our heads. I care about you a lot Kari but I can't see anything ever resulting from those feelings, and I don't want to see you do anything you'd regret. The truth is Kari, I do still really like you, but the problem is your already taken."

A small trace of hope that gleamed off her face quickly faded. For a moment there it almost sounded like he may hold some kind of deeper feeling for her, but as always he was only looking out for her better interest. It was the same old story, whenever she'd try to get closer to him, he'd just push her further and further away. Still, he sent out so many mixed signals she couldn't help but be the slightest bit optimistic. Maybe if she played off it in her usual teasing yet flirtatious way, she could pry a more truthful response out of him. "But what if I want something to happen TK? I have no way of knowing right now if Davis and I will be together the rest of our lives. Do you still think there's a chance of us ever getting together if anything like that ever happens?"

TK took a long moment, choosing his words carefully. "I don't know Kari. That depends."

Kari's eyes widened in surprised. Before today TK had always answered with a definite yes whenever that question came up. Sure it was only in jest, at least that's what she thought, but it made her feel good. Needless to say, this worried her. "What do you mean depends?…"

"I mean just that, it depends," TK reiterated, as he sat back down next to her. "If I thought I actually had a shot with you then I'd take you in a heartbeat Kari, but I can't see that ever happening anymore. I'm not going to waste my time if it's just another one of those cases where your mad at Davis for a little while just to go running back to him. I've been through that with you twice now, and I won't set myself up to get hurt like that again. I'd have to be convinced it was honestly over between you two if it were ever to happen. I'll wait for you a little longer, but I can't wait forever. I care about you Kari, but I'm not going to be anyone's Plan B."

Kari blushed slightly, and lowered her head. "I never really expected you too… So why are you so interested in girls all of the sudden anyway?"

TK giggled full heartedly. He already had the answer to that question well prepared. "That's simple Kari dear. I like this feeling I get every time I'm around you Kari. I've got a lot of love to give and I want to find someone I can share it with, and that will feel the same way about me. I wish that could've been you, but the chances of that ever happening are very dim right now."

"So in other words your saying you won't be there's no chance for us if things don't work out with Davis?…"

"No, I'm not saying that. Anything is possible. I'm sure you'll come to your senses eventually and realize Davis just isn't right for you, but now I can't promise I'll be available if that ever happens. If I can help it I don't plan to be. I can't wait for something that may never happen Kari, because then where would I be if it doesn't? Besides, you care too much about Davis to end things anytime soon Kari. At the rate you two are going Davis is well on his way to becoming your first ex-husband!"

"TK!" Kari hissed, as she smacked him on the shoulder. "That's not funny… So… What kind of girl are you looking for anyway?"

"You mean besides the one sitting next to me?" TK groaned mentally. "I'm not looking for much… Well maybe in this day and age it is asking a lot. Basically, I just want somebody who wants me. Someone who's loyal and I can trust completely, and I know wouldn't be fooling around behind my back. Someone I can count on to be there for me, and most of all make me feel needed." TK tilted his head towards Kari slowly and smirked. Kari was blushing already knowing exactly what he was going to say next. "Someone just like you actually… It's just my luck that you're already taken. It's a shame really because those types of girls are very few and very far between, and for some strange reason they all seem to be bound to some idiot who doesn't know how to appreciate them."

Kari giggled partly out of frustration. She just never could get a straight answer out of him in one direction or the other. She pushed her face close to TK's ear, and whispered into it. "You know if you'd said something a long time ago we wouldn't have this problem right now would we?"

"That's besides the point," TK whispered back. "I know you'd rather be with him, and it's better off for both of us if you stay that way as long as you feel that way. I'm not going to settle for anyone who's settling for me anyway. Do you know how hard it would be being with somebody you know would much rather be with someone else? Or even being with someone when you'd rather be with someone else… I don't know the feeling either, and it's something I much rather do without."

"Don't be so sure I don't," Kari mumbled, thinking out loud.

TK's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, it was nothing!" Kari lied. She had a lot on her mind, and that was one of the many things swimming around in there. It was probably the last thing she wanted him to hear at the moment, so of course it just happened to slip loose. She was aware that TK had begun speaking again, but she was way to far lost in her thoughts to pick up on anything the boy was saying. "You may not know the feeling, but I'm a lot closer to it then you think TK. Half the time I'm with Davis for one reason or another I end up thinking about you… I don't try to, your just there. The scary thing is I'm not sure if that bothers me or not, but it definitely makes things a whole lot more complicated. Most of the time I find myself comparing the little things you do that I just don't get from him. Like the flattering little comments you throw at me from time to time, or when you hold a door open for me. The part that gets me is your doing it because you want to, not because you feel you have too… You've got me so confused TK. I just don't know what to do anymore… I know how much it'll hurt if I let Davis go… I've tried and it just hasn't worked… Then again, do I want to miss out on what I might be able to have with you somewhere down the road?… Can I grow to love him like I do Davis?… God, sometimes I think I may already do. I'm not even sure if I really love Davis, or if I'm just too kind-hearted to hurt him like that. I know you'd be good for me, but it'll hurt too much to break it off with Davis right now. But which one will hurt more? Losing Davis now or losing him later, and at the same time may have already lost my chances with TK?… I love Davis, but all we do most of the time is fight, and I feel miserable. Whenever I'm with you I feel safe, warm, and happy… I don't know what to do… I know I'll find the answer I'm looking for eventually though. I just hope I don't go crazy before I do!"

"Kari, are you sure your okay?" TK asked worriedly. It was painfully obvious to him that Kari hadn't paid even the slightest bit of attention to a word he'd just said, and that just wasn't like the girl unless she was distracted by something.

"Your putting an awful lot of pressure on me you know?"

"What?! I'm not… If I am I swear I'm not trying to…"

Kari put her hand over his mouth to silence him, as she stared up into his eyes. "You have to be so sweet don't you?"

TK's body went numb. Kari had never quite looked at him in that way before. She removed her hand from his mouth but didn't move her face back an inch, which was dangerously close to his and bearing the wide smile of an angel that TK had always thought of her as being. A bead of sweat dripped down from his forehead, wondering what exactly was going through her mind at that moment. Common sense would've told him to pull away from her, but his brain and muscles were nothing more than applesauce at the moment. All from that look in her eyes that seemed afraid yet openly seductive at the same time. The sweet smell of minted gum on her breath as it gushed into his face. That hypnotic smile etched into a pair of lips separated from his by mere inches, hovering in mid-air like a paperclip being held steady directly in front of a small magnet.

"Okay, that's enough out of you two." The two teens whirled around to find Kari's older brother leaning against the rimming of her doorway wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and white tank top. His normally wild brown hair was even more erratic now that it was wet, and yet to be combed. TK blushed feverously when the reality set in of what they had almost done.

"We weren't doing anything wrong Taichi?!" Kari screeched, unsure if she was more relieved or irritated that Tai had interrupted them.

"I know, I'm only making sure you don't start. Some of the things I heard kind of interested me."

"You were listening in on us?" TK asked pretending to sound hurt. "What's the matter? You don't trust me?"

Tai smirked. "Not in particular. Besides, I wasn't trying to listen in, the walls in that bathroom are paper thin."

Kari moaned, and nodded her head. "He's right, they are. You still could've tried to tone it out if you wanted to!"

Tai's smile widened. "Ah, stop your whining. There is one thing I want to know though. TK, were you talking about the party at Joe Kiddo's house next Saturday?"

"Yeah, I think that was the guys name."

"That's what I thought." Tai sighed, and shook his head. "I might think twice about going if I were you. Joe's always been known as a kegger and a reefer. The only purpose his parties serve are to give teenagers a chance to get stoned and drunk."

"Yeah, I figured that just by the way Mimi is," TK said. "Don't worry about me though. I don't do any of that stuff anyway, and I'm sure not everyone is going to be as excessive as others. I'll keep an eye out for myself."

"See you do." Tai's expression drifted off, as if he were thinking about something. "I never could understand why kids today want to do that crap anyway. I don't have any problem with people drinking, unless they take it too far. All that smoking does is burn out your lungs, and make your breath stink. What the hell is the big deal where everyone under eighteen wants to do that kind of stuff nowadays?"

"Peer pressure mostly," TK replied. "Some people will do just about anything to fit in, and some people think it looks cool for some reason."

Tai looked at him like he was crazy. "Cool? A four-inch stick of fancy dung sticking out of your mouth is supposed to be cool? If you ask me it's one of the ugliest things I've ever seen."

"I know, I'm not saying I agree with it," TK sweat dropped. "I'm merely saying I understand why people do it. Some kids just legitimately like doing things like that for some reason."

"It's easy for us to say we'd never give into those kind of temptations while we're standing here talking amongst ourselves," Kari added. "However, when you have a group of people shoving it in your face, and goading you into trying it it's a much different story."

Tai scoffed, and shook his head. "Bullshit. Trust me, I've been through all that before and told them to stick it up their asses, and I'll do it again. Nobody's going to make me do anything I don't want to do. Oh, and Kari. Don't sit there and try to act like you wouldn't try anything. I know better."

Kari's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Next time don't leave your lighter and empty cartons in your pants when you throw them in the laundry," Tai said, as he walked out of the room. "And if I ever catch you smoking one of them you will be eating the carton for lunch, and I will hunt down your boyfriend for getting them for you!"

Kari grimaced as her brother disappeared into the living room. "Yes Tai…"

TK shook his head and smirked. "You knew you were going to get caught sooner or later."

"I know… I'm trying to quit, I swear it!…" Kari had a follow up statement just itching to fly off her lips when a thought occurred to her. "Wait a second… Did you say that party was Saturday night?… Davis broke a date with me we set a long time ago because he said something came up Saturday…"

"Yeah so? What does that mean?"

"It means I bet you he blew me off, so he could go to that party and get drunk with his friends!" Kari screeched, as she bolted towards her telephone. "After he promised me he'd quit drinking!"

"Wouldn't surprise me one bit," TK muttered under his breath.

TK watched helplessly as Kari rapidly dialed Davis's number on her telephone. That made TK wonder a little bit… Kari had his number on speed dial, so it would only make sense that she had his number on speed dial as well… Maybe in her angered flurry she simply forgot. Kari waited only to get a busy signal, causing her to moan angrily. She waited another second or two before Davis finally answered the beep. "Hey Davis. Yeah it's me again."

"Hey Kari. Can't get enough of me huh?" Davis grinned

"Put the ego in check for a minute okay Davis. I have one quick question to ask you. Where are you planning on going this Saturday?"

"Umm… Just out with some of my friends that's all."

"And where's that? It wouldn't be to Joe Kiddo's party by any chance would it?" Kari could almost feel Davis cringing on the other end.

"Maybe, maybe not," Davis gulped. "What's it to you?"

"What's it to me?! Why else would you be going unless you planned on getting plastered with your buddies! You promised me you'd give up drinking, but every time my back is turned!…"

"Hey, it's none of your business anyway!" Davis fired back. "You need to stop telling me what to do all the time! You don't own me you now! I have the right to go out with my friends and have a little fun once in a while! Besides, I said I wouldn't drink when I was with you, that doesn't include when you're not around!"

"I meant as long as you're with me period! And I never said you had to, I asked you! You promised me, and you went back on it just like you do every time…" Kari cracked, beginning to tear up. "I never asked much of you, and the one thing I did you can never seem to handle…"

"What's going on?" Tai asked TK, as he walked back into the room. Hearing his sister yelling instinctively had drawn him back in there.

"She's on the phone, and she's pissed so guess who's she's talking to?" TK said cynically.

"That's not all you ever asked of me!" Davis barked from the other end of the phone. "Besides, your supposed to love and accept me for who I am aren't you?! I never tried to change you! This is what I like to do, and it's a part of me so you just have to learn to accept that!"

"Well, I just can't do that Davis… Not that part of you anyway. It's not even the drinking that bothers me as much as the lying, and how you always break your promises. If you'd rather have a damn six-pack then me, maybe I should just leave you two alone!…"

"Well, maybe we do need a break from each other for a while. I'm tired of getting second-guessed all the time, and I'm tired of feeling like I have a leash around my neck! I swear sometimes you make me feel like I'm locked in a prison somewhere Kari!"

"Prison?! I don't even see you half the time Davis! And whenever I do all you seem to want from me is…" Kari stopped in mid-sentence nearly forgetting her brother and TK were standing right behind her. To bad for her that she'd already said too much, and both boys had a general idea what she meant. TK's cheeks tinted a light pink while Tai's face went blood red, which may have been caused by the frown burning the skin on his face. "Just forget about it Davis. I can't go on like this anymore. All we do is fight nowadays, and I'm tired of being miserable all the time. The only time we seem to get along is when we're not around each other so maybe…"

"Are you saying it's over?" Davis gulped.

"Maybe I am Davis. I really don't think this is working out…"

"But Kari…" Davis cracked, tears evident in his voice. "I'm sure we can work this out if we tried. We've had our share of good times. All you have to do is work at some of your little downfalls and…"

"I'm not the problem Davis!" Kari barked. "I've sacrificed and compromised a lot for you that I didn't want to, but you've done very little if anything to return the favor! Sure we've had our good times, but the bad ones have really been tipping the scales. You keep promising and promising things are going to be different, but they never change! You act like your getting better for a day or two, and when you think you have me where you want me you go right back to your old ways! I'm tired of it Davis!"

"Well I shouldn't have to change myself for you!" Davis defended himself. "You should accept me for the way I am!"

"You say that, and yet you keep telling me I need to change my attitude! So, it's a one-way street with you isn't it? I should give in and do everything you want me to, and get nothing in return? Your right I shouldn't have to change you, and you shouldn't have to change me either. Maybe we're just not what each other's looking for."

"Then I guess there's nothing left to say… Goodbye Kari…" Davis shut off his phone, and hurled it at the ground. He rubbed at his face with his hands as he muttered every swear word he could remember hearing in his young life. "Damn it, I did it again!… Don't worry Davis. She'll come crawling back to you. She does every time. You have her right where you want her."

Kari slammed her phone back into its holster. "Ewe! He can be such a conceited jerk sometimes!"

Tai, who had been chomping at the bit for this opportunity for over a minute now, stalked over to his sister. "Excuse me Kari but I have a couple questions for you. First, what exactly has Davis been wanting from you, and second…. Have you been giving it to him?!"

"That's none of your business Tai! Please leave me alone, I don't want to talk about that right now!" Kari sat down at her desk, and laid her head down.

Tai was about to insist on the matter when TK grabbed him by the arm, and showing surprising strength, yanked Tai towards the front of the room. "Not right now Tai! She's hurting right now. She needs a little support at the moment, not an interrogation."

Tai sighed in submission, instantly cooling off. "Your right. I'm sorry, it's just the thought of that slimy weasel touching… Oh God, I just got a visual! Look, why don't you try talking to her, and at least keep her company. I doubt she's going to want much to do with me right now."

"Of course I will. Just leave it to me."

"Oh, TK. One more thing." Tai grabbed TK by the arm, and pulled him outside of the room so Kari wouldn't hear him. "You were supposed to save my sister you know. From the sound of things they just broke up again, so maybe this is your chance to make a move."

TK looked at Tai like he'd just asked him to hang his own mother. "Tai! I will do no such thing! She's hurt and vulnerable right now! The last thing I'm going to do is take advantage of her! Besides, before you rescue someone you have to make sure they want to be saved. Kari's happy with Davis most of the time for some sick bizarre reason, and all I care about is seeing her happy. "

A big smile crossed Tai's lips. "I was hoping you'd say something like that. I would've put your lights out if you tried anything with her. Seriously though, just do your best to show her you're the better man. Don't give her any reason to go back to him this time. One more thing, when you say you only want to see her happy, remember that her eyes wouldn't be wandering in your direction if she was completely satisfied with Davis."

TK shook his head sadly. "I have no control over that Tai. She has to make that decision, and if I did anything to try to influence her decision in any way I'd be just as bad as Davis. I'm not sure about Kari looking my way as you put it, but if she is it's only because of the little things that she doesn't see or get from Davis. I'm not going to put any pressure on her. Lord knows she gets enough of that from Davis as it is. My only wish is to see her happy. I don't expect you to understand what I'm going through right now. To understand the reasons I handle this situation the way I do… I mean, when someone you care about is with someone else…"

"You suck it up and live with," Tai finished for him. "When you care about someone you should want what's best for them, and be happy for them as long as their happy no matter how miserable it might make you. I understand what you're going through completely."

"You do?" TK asked in surprised. "How?"

"That's a long story that'll have to wait for another time," Tai told him. "Right now you have someone else who needs your attention a lot more then I do. Oh, and thank you TK."

"Thank you for what?"

"Proving I was right about you," he said, as he walked away.

TK shrugged his shoulders in the air. "I'll never understand these Kamiya's."

TK inched back into Kari's bedroom slowly, finding her in the same position on her desk she was in when he'd left. Now came the really hard part, and the thing about Kari that always frustrated him… Besides Davis anyway. He and Kari had been friends for years, but her personality had the uncanny ability to get so complex at times he still wasn't sure how to handle her sometimes. He wasn't sure if Kari would want him to try to comfort her, or simply leave her the heck alone to wallow in her own self-pity. It varied from heartbreak to heartbreak. Besides that, he had to worry about keeping his own feelings for her in check as well. "Okay TK, you can do this! Remember your only here for her as a friend! Don't let her cuddle up to you, flirt with you, take your hand, or anything like that! Just offer her a shoulder to cry on! Be strong! You can do this! Push any inappropriate feelings you have for her to the side! You can never have her that way so don't even think like that! You can do this without giving in to them!"

"Um… Kari?" he called to her nervously. "You don't need someone to talk to right now do you? If you want me to I can leave right now…"

Kari snapped her head up quickly, and grabbed him by the wrist "Please don't go! I really don't want to be alone right now…"

"Do you want me to get Tai for you?"

"No! I just want you… Please stay…" Kari's teary eyes called out to him quite effectively.

"I'd be more then happy to stay with you a while Kari…" TK held his breath as Kari sat up from her chair. "Stay tough TK! Don't let her get to you! Don't look her in the eye because you know your just going to melt, and don't let her hug you! Don't… Ugh!" TK's body tensed up right before Kari's arms engulfed him tightly. "No don't!… I… Um… I know I was thinking of…. I…. Oh crap."

Realizing it was a lost cause, TK gave up what was a pointless cause anyway, and sat down on Kari's bed. Kari spread out across it still latched on to the young boy's lower body, and for the next ten minutes or so TK pretty much listened to her do nothing but complain about Davis. Not that anything else mattered to him at the moment. Any thoughts of distancing himself from her, or pushing his feelings for her to the side dropped dead the moment he saw those tears splash against her lovely face. During no other time in his life did he feel more saddened then when he was forced to watch his little angel cry, and at no other moment did he ever hold more distain or hatred for the person that brought on those tears. Right now he was completely lost in a world of Kari, with no other thought or concern on his mind. His only plight was doing whatever he could manage to help those tears subside whether it was simply listening as she vented all the troubles in her somewhat warped love life, running his fingertips comfortingly through her hair and against her face, or simply speaking a soothing it'll be okay or there are people here that love you. TK would love nothing more then to take all her pain away with a simple kiss to the cheek, or to tell her how much he loved her and if she'd let him into her life how she'd never have to hurt again. Not that TK was foolish enough to think those little gestures would work, nor that she would accept them if he tried. Little did he know how effective they might be if he only dared to try…

TK cursed himself… Well, a part of him that was secretly enjoying this entire thing. Not enjoying seeing Kari miserable mind you, but having the chance to be close to her like this. To feel her soft skin on his fingertips as he tried to comfort her, and the way she confided in him completely. He valued her trust in him like nothing else he'd ever been granted in his life, and never once dreamed of doing anything to betray it. He only wished it was a fulltime job, and not merely a whenever Davis was being a dick job. Yes, he truly hated himself for getting any kind of enjoyment out of this, but that was something he could easily forgive himself for. In his predicament you're forced to take what you can get. "It sounds really good in your head, but when it comes right down to it you just couldn't handle it could you TK? Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I know I'm only going to get hurt in the end, but I don't care about that right now. She needs me here as a friend right now, and at least I have this for the moment. It may only last for tonight, but at least it's something."

"Why do I only go out with jerks?!" Kari's whine broke TK's train of thought. He hadn't heard whatever proceeded that comment.

TK frowned jokingly. "Hey, wait a second here! You know you did just talk about going with me a little while ago. Does that mean you think I'm a jerk too?"

"No! I didn't mean it that way!" Kari laughed apologetically. "I just seem to find the right ones too late."

"At least I finally got a smile out of you," TK said, while flashing her one of his own. "You've got a smile that could hypnotize the moon you know? Or at least me. I wish I could see it more often. At least your not as upset as you were at first."

"You know, I'm not really all that upset this time," Kari said, still blushing slightly from TK's compliment. "I'm not going to waste my time crying over him. If I can help it, I'm through with him for good this time!"

"Give me a break Kari! The reason you're not upset is because you know your going to be back with him in a day our two. It's easy to break up over the phone, but when you actually have to face and talk to the guy… Come on, this is only the third time you've broken up this month! I actually think you two are improving! Truthfully, I'm kind of looking forward to seeing you on TV. I mean Court TV the first time Davis skimps on his child support!"

Kari searched her bed for anything that might work as a weapon, settling on one of her pillows, and whacked TK over the head with it. "That isn't funny!" Kari left it at that, and let her arms find their way back around TK's waist.

TK bit his lip, not sure if he wanted to say what was on his mind or not. The last thing he wanted was for Kari to think he was hitting on her while she was emotionally wounded, though he wanted to at least show her exactly where he wanted to stand when the smoke cleared. Just like Tai had said, don't be too blunt, but don't sit back and do nothing either based on the small chance it might be exactly what she wanted to hear. "Kari… Please don't take this the wrong way, but I just wanted to tell you… If hell freezes over, and you don't get back with Davis this time just remember it's not the end of the world. I'm sure Davis really does love you and you love him, but I really don't think you guys are right for each other. I do believe there is someone out there that everyone is meant to find. I also believe people can fall in love countless times along the way before they find that person. I also believe very few people ever actually find that person, and most are forced to settle for the next best thing they find along the way. It just doesn't work out sometimes, and that's how you know when it isn't right. Now I'm not jumping out on a limb, and saying it's me or anything though I hope we get the chance to find out one of these days. What I'm saying is, if it's not Davis, then I'm sure you'll find that person someday. I know you care about Davis and you don't want to hurt him, but don't stay with him just because of that. I know it's going to hurt to let go, but your only going to hurt yourself more in the long run if you stay just because of that. Then again, if you really want to stay with him then it's a completely different story all together."

"I really don't know anymore TK… I really don't know." Kari smirked to herself, guessing she should probably feel guilty right about now. She was supposed to be miserable, so why was she enjoying this so much? Contrary to what TK wanted to believe, she wasn't upset because she was with him. The lingering pain of her fight with Davis was still burning a hole in her chest, but that hole's progress was slowed down rapidly with TK's presence. Sure Kari loved her brother, but he just couldn't be there for her the same way TK could and Kari needed. She needed the feeling she got whenever she felt TK's arms around her. She felt safe… Warm… Loved. She felt the same things with Tai, but on a completely different level. Ironically enough, the exact opposite when she was with Davis. The thing was she just didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it.

Kari cringed as the thought of Davis slowly sunk back into her heart, threatening to bring more tears along with it. Kari quickly cleared her mind to more pleasant thoughts. Namely TK… Lying on top of her butt naked. Kari giggled and rolled her head across his chest, as her little fantasy played out in her mind. She wondered if the boy had any clue what she was thinking, and if he did that his gentle caressing of her back and face was only arousing her further. Did he have any idea that it was the sweet and tender way he comforted her at times like this, and presented himself in everyday life that fueled the fire burning in her body right then more than anything else? It was kind of funny… She never really had those kind of thoughts about Davis. He could never really turn her on quite like TK did… And she didn't feel guilty about that at the moment either. All of the sudden the pain came back, as another vision of Davis interrupted her fantasy. She briefly toggled with the thought of saying to hell with everything, and begging TK to make love to her right there and make all her pain go away. To burn those old bridges right there, and never look back. However, the thought was very brief, realizing how ridiculous and impossible that prospect was. Especially with Tai in the house, and the last thing she wanted to do was take the risk of weakening her image in TK's eyes with such a request. She pushed that sudden though potent urge to the side, and tightened her grip on him to accommodate. She did allow herself to cheat slightly, sneaking her hands up the back of his shirt and tracing along the tight muscles on his lower back. Judging by the way the boy failed to react she doubted TK even really noticed.

"One more thing… Just for the record. If things don't work out with Davis you have someone right here who'd be more then happy to have you." TK half expected to be slapped for that comment, but it never came. Kari responded simply by squeezing a little tighter against his waist, and pushing her head slightly harder against his abdomen. For his self-esteem's sake, TK considered this a good sign. They stayed just like that rambling on about virtually nothing for what was left of that day.

"I really wish you meant that TK… I'd love nothing more then to take you up on that… Why don't I? When I'm with Davis all I can think about is you… When I'm with you all I can think about is you… You're sweet, honest, and understanding… Davis is bitter, a liar, and jealous. You go out of your way to try to make me feel special and happy… Davis will only do that if it's in his best interest… Most of all your always here for me to comfort me like this whenever I need you, and have been since we were little. Davis is only there for me when he doesn't have anyplace better to be, and makes me feel like a burden when he doesn't… Why did you have to do this to me TK? Why do you have to be so sweet? Why did you make me fall for you?… Why didn't you tell me how you felt about me sooner if you really do feel that way?… I am sure of one thing though… This is where I want to be. Wrapped up in your arms like this, and not just when I need to cry… I only need to find a way to get here and stay here…"

********

Apparently Kari and TK had much different concepts on how long 'For Good' was because Kari and Davis were back together by the next evening. Of course that was no surprise to TK who'd expected it to happen, but he was a little upset that he had to hear about it three days after the fact from Yolei instead of hearing it from Kari herself.

TK sorted through the keys on his chain, and grumbled in agitation at not being able to find the right one. Finally locating it, it of course being the last key left of the chain to check, he slid the key inside and unlocked the door. Though he probably shouldn't have been, he was surprised to find his older brother Matt laid out across the couch, his back facing TK. The blonde boy knew there were only really two reasons for Matt to be there. TK lived alone with his mother, and Matt had chosen to go stay with their father when their parents divorced some time ago. Matt had been spending quite a few nights at the Takashi household since he hadn't been getting along that well with their father as of late… That was stemming heavily from the other circumstances Matt usually used to crash at their place, and TK was banking on that being the reason as it usually was.

TK took one step forward, and his suspicions were immediately confirmed when the distinctive smell of vomit and cheap booze attacked his nasal passages. TK clutched his mouth to prevent himself from heaving, and waved his hand in front of his nose performing some kind of useless exorcism of the rampant fumes.

TK walked over to the couch, and shook his brother by the shoulder. The older boy groaned, and rolled over on his back. His eyes opened slightly, what little bit of blue TK could see was glazed over and empty, and his breath was putrid with the exact same smell of vomit and beer that was floating around in the air. TK's face cringed in disgust when his nose got too good of a whiff of it. The most disturbing thing of all to anyone who knew Matt well, his normally flawless blonde hair was oily and plastered down flat or hanging erratically off the side of his head, obviously unwashed for at least a days time. The boy would've had to have been horribly ill with something to allow even one of his precious blonde locks to fall out of place. "It's good to see you again Matt… Sort of… What's up? You hung over again?"

"No, I'm not hung over," Matt wheezed. "I had a late night last night, and I thought maybe I should crash here instead of trying to drag myself all the way home…."

"I see... So Matt. You hung over again?"

Matt groaned, and rolled over on his stomach. "Yes…"

Mr. Ishida was openly critical of Matt's drinking, and had warned Matt never to show up on his doorstep with liquor on his breath ever again. Mrs. Takashi wasn't all that thrilled with Matt's little problem either, but she'd much rather have her eldest son passed out on the couch in her living room rather then force him to sleep out in the streets. Matt was bound to get an ear full from their mother once Matt was clear headed enough for any type of lecture to have any affect on him, but Matt always saw her as the lesser of two evils. TK shook his head, and walked into the kitchen that was located right behind the living room. "I don't see why you even want to drink that stuff let alone so much of it. It all tastes like piss to me… Ah!" TK hollered, as he slipped on something moist. "Damn it Matt! If your going to get sick in here at least clean up after yourself!… No wonder it stinks so bad in here!"

"I would if I could move… Sorry, but I couldn't quite make it to the bathroom last time…Anyway, I'm not even sure why I do," Matt murmured, backtracking to TK's question. "I keep telling myself I won't and I'm going to stop, but then I get with the guys and well…The next thing I know we're all drinking ourselves stupid."

TK's eyebrows furrowed. "So your saying the only reason you drink is because the other guys in your band drink? That's as stupid of a reason I've ever heard! Tai runs with you guys from time to time, and he never gave in to falling in with the crowd."

"Tai's made of sterner stuff then I am…" Matt grumbled. His head hurt too much to complain about someone comparing him to Tai again. At least two people he knew anyway. "So, I heard your going to Joe Kiddo's party on Saturday. What in the world possessed you to go anyway? I thought you hated those kind of things."

"I do." TK opened the closet door, and pulled out a mop. "Mimi Tachikawa asked me to go with her, and I accepted."

"Excuse me?!" Temporarily forgetting about his aliment, Matt shot up on the couch and hung his arm off the back. "You're going with Mimi Tachikawa?!"

"Yeah, why do you sound so surprised by that?"

"Oh it's nothing," Matt wheezed, not having meant to offend his younger sibling in the least. "I thought you were still hung up on Kari, that's all."

A sharp queasy feeling ripped through TK's gut as he slapped the mop down on the floor, but it wasn't caused by his brother's little accident. "I've pretty much given up on her Matt. She's in love with Davis, and nothings going to change that. Even if she wasn't, she'd never go for a guy like me anyway. It's time for me to move on, and stop fooling myself."

"Oh, stop that kind of talk TK! That's bullshit, and you kn…" Matt grabbed his stomach, as an all to familiar sensation began pushing up through his stomach and into his throat. TK, who was more than adequately trained for this situation, casually strolled towards the bathroom door while Matt leapt off the couch. TK got the door open just in time for his older brother to come charging through. TK cringed disgustedly, unsure why he was even looking as Matt just barely got the toilet seat raised before emptying the contents of his stomach through his mouth.

"Ah… So I see you had chilidogs last night."

TK waited by the door patiently listening to Matt gag and wheeze for a good two to three minutes. Finally, Matt's aliment seemed to subside at least long enough for him to mumble something to his younger sibling. "TK… Do me a favor, and never take up drinking… It leads to nothing but…" Matt couldn't finish, and instead chocked on his own vomit.

TK winced at the most sickening display yet. "I don't think you have to worry about that Matt… On closer inspection though, I think I can see why you guys like to drink yourselves silly like you do. You look like your having a ball in there."

"It was fun last night *while* I was getting drunk…"

"Well, look on the bright side. At least this time you weren't wakened by Officer Kadaicha in the middle of Odabia Park, wearing nothing but your underwear!"

"Shut up TK!" Matt gurgled. He chocked and continued to rant. "Damn, you Tai, and Sora are never going to let me live that down are you?"

"Not a chance," TK grinned evilly. "I think Boxcar Jimmy's a little upset you haven't come back to visit him. He really misses you."

"I said shut up TK!"

"And from the way it looks at you whenever we walk by it, I still think you may have violated that stray dog that roams around the area…"

"Damn it TK! If you don't shut the hell up this second, once I get through I'm going to grab you by the back of the head, and stick your face in this mess I just made!"

"I'm just kidding Matt, calm down!" TK begged off, trying his best not to double over laughing.

TK had a few more cruel little jokes loaded and ready to fire, but lucky for Matt he was spared from them by the ringing of the telephone. TK took a peek at the Caller ID, and winced sharply at the name flashing on the screen. "Hey Matt… It's Sora…"

"I'm not here!" Matt yelled back quickly.

"If you say so…" TK picked up the phone, and greeted Sora. Sora greeted him back somewhat politely… Kind of like there was something crude and angry raring to roll off of her tongue, but backed off like she wanted to reserve it for the person who truly deserved it. "Matt's kind of well… Busy at the moment. Can I take a message?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he's real busy," Sora answered sarcastically. "No, there's no need for that TK. I don't want to talk to him right now anyway. Do me a favor, and tell him I can't meet him for dinner tonight. I've got other plans. Make sure you tell him that once he's through making out with the toilet okay?"

"Sure thing Sora, bye-bye." TK clicked off the phone, and whooed at the anger and distain in Sora's words. "Maybe I'm better off since I don't have a girlfriend. It might be hazardous to my health."

********

"I swear I'm not sure how much longer I can take it Tai! I've tried everything I can think of to get through to him, and just when I think I finally have he goes and well… I just don't know what to do anymore!"

Tai listened intently to Sora as she ranted all her frustrations about Matt to him. Tai was always the first person Sora came to when she needed someone to talk to, a lot of times even when she wasn't at odds with her boyfriend Matt. They'd been friends ever since Kindergarten, and Sora confided in him as much as anybody. She didn't have any real family to speak of, and she didn't get along well at all with other girls. Tai was always there to offer her a shoulder and an ear, and that was one thing in her life Sora never took for granite. Having someone you could tell your inner most secrets to, and trust completely that those secrets would never leave that persons lips towards another living being was a commodity worth more then words could ever express. So now, here she was sitting on his living room couch venting everything she needed to let lose. Needless to say, he could offer her some pretty good insight since he'd become an expert on this particular subject, holding a lot of experience in listening to the women closet to his heart bitch and moan about their love lives. Tai might seem cold and unapproachable to the common person off the street, but at times like this was when the real Tai came out. The Tai only his closest friends ever had the pleasure to see, a select few you could literally count on one hand. He allowed his real self to show during the little moments like this when he'd be there to catch them when his sister poured her heart and soul out to him, lend an ear when his best friends needed someone to talk to, or to lend a shoulder for one of them to lean on. Above all, Tai took a lot of pride in that and never once considered them a burden. "Get real Sora, you know everything's going to work out okay. You and Matt have been through much tougher times then this."

"I know Tai," Sora cracked, nearly in tears. "I can't stand the drinking… We fight about stupid things sometimes, but other then that are relationship is really good… I never even asked him to quit, just to slow down but he can't even do that for me!"

"I can see why your upset, but the guy is trying Sora. He's doing his absolute best to keep you happy. I really think you should give Matt the benefit of the doubt here."

"Sure, take his side!" Sora whined, as she turned away from him. "Guys always stick together anyway huh?!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side!" Tai draped his arm across her shoulders, and pulled her close to him in a friendly embrace. "And if I did, you know it'd probably be yours. I'm just calling it like I see it Sora. You guys have come to far, and been through too much together to let it all slip away because of something so foolish. You two can work this out, you only need to try."

"I am trying Tai… It's just… Why can't he understand how I feel about alcohol?!" Sora bellowed, as she started to sob into the sleeve of Tai's shirt. "He's never gotten mean while he's drunk before, but I just can't help but worry…"

"Why don't you tell him about it then Sora? I'm sure he'd give it up if he knew why you feel the way you do about it…"

"I don't want him to know Tai! I don't want anyone else to know! Please don't tell anyone… Remember you promised me…"

"Of course I won't tell anyone," Tai reassured her, and he had every intention on keeping it. That promise to lock away that dark little secret she shared only with him over ten years ago, that he kept buried beneath the soil of his deepest memories never to rise to the surface again. To unearth that secret without her consent may be the one thing in the world that could completely destroy their friendship. That day ten years ago marked the very first time Sora came to him like this, and began this cycle they built their relationship upon. "You know anything you tell me never leaves my lips to anyone else… You know if that bastard were still alive today, I'd kill him for what he did to you."

"Please don't talk about him… I don't even want to think about it, so please stop," Sora begged, as she continued to cry into his arm.

"Of course. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." Tai cuddled her softly while her eyes poured liquid pain into the stitching of his shirt. There was a brief time when Tai avoided this type of situation at all costs, but that was then and this is now. Tai had learned how to control his own feelings for her, and those strong urges he got when she was this close to him. Nothing was ever going to come about them, so he taught himself how to suppress them rather then allow them to control his life. "You know between you and Kari it seems all I ever do anymore is sit back while you girls cry into my lap."

Sora giggled weakly, her face still buried against his shoulder. Sora always held a slight sense of guilt whenever she had to come to Tai in this way. She wasn't naïve, she knew exactly how Tai felt about her. Hell, he was very open of his feelings for her, but also very insistent towards her that he'd never try to play off them. That's what kept their relationship so strong over the years, where most people would have let emotions like that crumble any sort of friendship they had into dust. Tai was too big of a man to let that prevent him from being what he'd always been to Sora, her best friend, and she needed him to lean on much to desperately to let him slip away. The sad thing was that Sora did love him with all her heart, it just wasn't in the same way he wanted, and at times she wished she were as well. By all means, normal people should not be able to function together in a situation like this, but somehow they managed it and remained remarkably comfortable around each other. Even Matt didn't mind it much, understanding their bond, and trusted them both completely. Sora's biggest fear was that there were times when she did seem to be leading him on a bit, but Tai understood this and never tried to follow or give in. Friends like that didn't come along everyday, and Sora wouldn't trade Tai in for the world. "What's the matter with Kari? Davis being a prick again? What a shock… I guess we have something in common."

"Don't talk about Matt that way Sora!" Tai frowned. "Besides the drinking problem and his somewhat shitty social skills, Matt's a decent guy. Davis is an all around asshole, so please don't go comparing Matt to Davis alright?"

"I know, I didn't mean it that way Tai. Oh, would you just let me be mad at him!"

"Okay, okay," Tai snickered. His chocolate brown eyes drifted as his thoughts turned to his sister. "Hey Sora… Can you answer me a question? You know I won't tell anybody, so would you please be honest with me?"

"Yeah sure Tai." Sora raised her head off of his shoulder, intrigued by his tone of voice. Her eyes were still moist, but her tears had pretty much stopped. She was a tough girl to begin with, and she never did seem to have to cry very much when she was around Tai. "What's on your mind?"

"Well… Has Matt ever mentioned anything to you regarding how TK feels about Kari?"

Sora smiled at this. "Are you kidding?! That's a nightly topic, whether TK's around or not. But if I tell you remember that you can't say anything, not even to Kari."

"Of course I promise! You should know me better then that by now!" Tai barked, a bit offended that Sora would even suggest he might let something she told him in confidence slip.

"I do know you Tai, and I know how you can get when it comes to your sister," Sora shot back playfully. "If you really want to know Tai… TK's absolutely crazy about Kari! From what I understand he has been since Jr. High. What makes you ask something like that anyway?"

"Because that's the answer I wanted to hear," Tai smirked. "Truthfully, because I think Davis and Kari's relationship is standing on its last leg. I have a feeling once this wagon starts to creek, all four wheels are going to fall off at the same time. She's really tired of Davis's crap, and I know for a fact that her feelings run a lot deeper for TK then she'll let on. She's even gone as far as saying she'd try harder to find a way to end it with Davis for good, if she thought she had a legitimate shot with TK."

"Well, if that's the case then she has nothing to worry about!" Sora giggled happily at the thought of the two youngsters together. "I really wish they would get together. TK's such a sweetie, and he deserves all the happiness in the world. Kari does too. Heck, if he was a little older, and I wasn't hopelessly in love with Matt, I'd be all over him myself."

"Oh, you would now?" Tai asked playfully, trying to sound jealous.

"Come on now Tai," Sora jeered, as she poked Tai on the forehead. "You know full well who'd my second choice would be if I wasn't with Matt."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Well, then that's where the problem is. I'm going to be somebody's one and only, or nothing at all."

"And don't you forget that." Sora laid her head down in his lap. "Actually, you know TK does remind me a lot of you."

Tai looked at her as if she were crazy. "And just what made you come up with that comparison?"

"You do!" Sora insisted. "You're a lot more rough around the edges and grungy while he's more laid back and clean cut. I'm talking more along the lines of your personalities. You guys have a lot of the same views, and say a lot of the same things. You just use a lot more curse words when you express your feelings. That's one of the reasons TK has never gone after Kari. Matt's tried hard to push him into going after her. Personally, I think Matt hates Davis just as much if not worse then you and TK do. He just wants to see his little brother happy, and despises the SOB that's keeping him from it, as Matt likes to put it. Still, TK won't have none of it for a lot of the same reasons you never went after… Well…"

"I see," Tai said, knowing what she was getting at, and not really wanting to hear her say it aloud just as much as she didn't want to say it. Tai got to thinking about TK after that. He didn't know how much or how little he had in common with the Takashi boy, but he was sure now that he could relate to him on one level. Maybe even help him along a little, and get him to where everybody seemingly wanted him to be.

A brief moment of silence passed, before a knock on the door ruined the moment. Sora sat up on the couch, while Tai got up and rumbled towards the door. Tai opened it, only to be greeted by the ugly grin of the spiky-haired demon himself. "Davis…"

"Hey Tai, what's…" Davis started, only to get interrupted by the door suddenly slamming in his face. "Up…" Undeterred, Davis knocked on the door again. "Hey Tai! Can I come in?"

Tai grumbled disgustedly, and walked back over to the door. He figured since the boy probably wouldn't leave until he got whatever it was he wanted, he might as well let him in. "Fine," Tai said, as he opened the door for him. "For your sake, you better hope you didn't chip the wood on the door with your face."

"Umm… Yeah…" Davis mumbled nervously, as he cautiously stepped inside. "Is uh… Kari at home?"

"No, she's out with some friends."

Davis frowned. "With which friends?"

Tai didn't like the accusing tone in Davis's voice at all, and his normally good patience was very thin with this boy for obvious reasons. "With people who are good to her, and don't treat her like she's a doormat to wipe their feet on! Besides that, it's none of your business!"

"Okay, okay, I was just asking!"

Tai grinned contently as Davis backed off. The boy was obviously intimidated by Tai, and Tai absolutely loved it. All he had to do was sink an eyebrow at Davis, and his spine would turn into jelly. Tai milked it for all it was worth to. He considered it justice, for all the times he sent his sister home in tears. "Is that all you came here for, or is there something else you want?"

"No nothing much…" That's when Davis noticed Sora sitting on Tai's couch. He smirked at her rather oddly, prompting Sora to frown back at him showing nothing but contempt. Not really caring to be around the boy at all, Sora felt this would be a good time to excuse herself.

"Excuse me guys, but I need to get a drink of water. You don't mind do you Tai?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answers to Sora," Tai cracked, as Sora was already headed into the kitchen. She waved back at him nonchalantly with her back turned to them.

Davis glanced at Tai with a wolf like grin. "Tai you sly dog. I didn't think you had it in you. Cooped up in here all alone with a lovely lady… Just what were you planning on doing?"

"What the hell are you getting at?! I wasn't planning anything!"

"Well, you should! I heard from Kari that Matt and Sora were having problems… This is a perfect opportunity to make a move on her, and move in on Matt's territory."

"Go to hell Davis!" Tai shouted, completely disgusted Davis would even suggest he'd even dabble with the thought of doing something like that. "I'd never fool around with one of my best friends girlfriend! What kind of guy do you think I am?!"

"Well I'd do it!" Davis stated proudly.

"I'm sure you would, but I'm not a seething pile of horse shit! This may surprise you to hear, but I wouldn't wipe a monkey's ass with what you think or do! Now get the fuck out of here before I pop that ugly bag of puss above your shoulders that you call a head!"

"Fine I'm going!" Davis yelped shakily. "You know you should really consider being nicer to me Tai… I'm probably going to end up being your brother-in-law one of these days."

"Yeah, I know. I have a rope and a footstool waiting in the closet for me in case that day ever comes." Davis had nearly escaped out the door when Tai grabbed him, and shoved him up against the wall. Tai pushed his face right up into Davis's, so close he could feel the kid's sweat trickle down his own cheeks. "Oh and Davis… If I ever hear of you laying a hand on my sister where they aren't wanted, or forcing yourself on her in anyway I'll rip that weenie-tot out from between your legs, and feed it to the stray dogs behind the Taco Bell, you got me?!"

"Got ya…" Davis gulped, as loud as he could with Tai's fingertips practically holding his neck in a chock hold. Tai let go of him, and Davis wasted little time scampering the hell out of there.

Tai slammed the door angrily, just as Sora was approaching from behind him. "Damn that little son of a bitch! Kari Motomiya… The mere thought of that makes me want to vomit!"

"Don't worry, Kari will come to her senses one of these days," Sora assured him, as she wrapped her arms around his waist supportively. "I know he really pushes your buttons at times, but try not to beat the hell out of him. Remember, he's still a minor. At least wait 'til he's eighteen."

"A little jail time might be worth it," Tai grumbled. "What was with that look you gave him? I know you're not crazy about him either, but if looks could kill Kari would be single by now… And that look he gave you for that matter."

"Don't get me started on that little pervert," Sora muffed. "Don't tell anybody this, but a month ago the little terd actually had the nerve to hit on me. He mentioned something about having a Harley Davidson hidden in his pants, and asked if I wanted to see it. I replied by kneeing the little punk in the balls, and told him it felt more like a moped."

Tai giggled slightly at this, but frowned when the thought settled in. "You mean he was actually trying to get in your pants?… That little… I bet you're not the only one either…"

"Probably not. The little geek thinks he's God's gift to women or something."

"God isn't that cruel," Tai scoffed.

"I'd hope not!"

Tai inched his head around slowly, and smiled warmly at her. Sora had her chin resting comfortably on his broad shoulder, leaving their faces just inches apart. She smiled back him, exchanging gushes of warm breath in one another's faces. An all to familiar feeling went rushing through their young bodies, further inflamed by the small amount of space between their lips. This wasn't a place they'd never been before. Two young people as close as they were, with an obvious attraction towards each other. Much deeper then the naked eye could pick up. Sometimes the pull was so strong it almost felt as if their bodies were calling the other to them. When things heated up this way they knew there was only one thing they could do… They pulled away from each other, still smiling but allowing a wall of understanding separate them. That's what set them apart from most people. Most would've given in to those temptations, and end up hurting themselves and the people they love in the process. These two had learned how to keep those urges in check, thus enabling them to carry on the same type of relationship they had enjoyed together through most of their lives. The same friendship that was so very important to both involved.

"I guess it's time for me to get out of her," Sora said, fighting through what her body was telling her. "Before we wind up doing something we'll regret."

"You'd regret it, I wouldn't," Tai smirked. "The only thing I'd regret is hurting Matt."

"Don't be to sure about that."

"But I am sure about it Sora."

"That's not what I meant." Sora gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, before heading out the door. "I mean don't be too sure I'd regret it."

Tai laughed weakly, as Sora closed the door behind her. "I've always got my dreams… Oh, I think I need a bath…"

Tai decided to do just that. First he headed into the kitchen, grabbed three trays of ice cubes from the freezer, and headed straight for the bathroom.

End.

(-Note- I think I've finally gotten all the names straight. I swear I've been to twenty different websites and they all have their ways of spelling some of them! Thanks to the readers who let me know I was still misspelling some of them.)