Background and Timeline for the FIC: In this fic the order of events is that first the original season one cast landed in the Digital World and did their thing there with saving the world and such. Then about a year after, the events of season three of Digimon occurred with the Tamers facing off against the D-Reaper. Half a decade later or so the events of Digimon season two happened with the Digidestined saving the world again and causing events that led to digimon and people sharing both the digital and real world. As a result digimon are present in the real world with their partners as well as their partners being able to travel to the digital world.
When You Need Me
Alone in the apartment he'd shared with his father for years Matt absently looked around him and thought about the fact that the idea of leaving it forever didn't really bother him. It should have, shouldn't it? He'd lived there for years with his old man but really, when he bothered to think about it, it was just a bunch of rooms that he ate and slept in. This place had never been home to him. He'd only really ever had one home, a home with his little brother and his parents years and years ago. Then his parents had split up and his home was sold, every place he'd lived after that simply some rooms he came to when it was needed. At seventeen he was leaving this place and he doubted very much he'd be coming back any time soon which didn't bother him in the least.
)
His father was always working, Matt couldn't remember a time when his workaholic father hadn't. But now his father had decided he was going to slow down and try to spend more time at home only it wasn't because he'd realized his son might want him around, oh no, that was something his father had never clued into. No his father had apparently developed the hots for his station's weather lady and now the two were planning to shack up here together. Matt had no intention of sticking around to see that happen. His father wouldn't have kicked him out of course but the last place Matt wanted to be was around to see his father making an idiot of himself over some idiot girl Matt seriously doubted could spell weather if it wasn't coming up on the TV cues. When he'd begun to realize how far the relationship was going Matt had planned to at least try to stick it out since he didn't really have enough money to strike out on his own. Then he'd found out that his girlfriend of years had had a slight lapse of judgment. Ended up in a hot and heavy make out session with his best friend just hours ago in fact. They didn't even know that he knew. He'd walked into the room, seen, then just as quietly walked out. It had either been that or find something to bash Tai's brains out with. He knew he was capable of it and had known enough to get the hell out before he let that side of him do the talking. Or in this case swinging and bashing, Matt thought with a cruel smile on his lips as he finished throwing some stuff into his backpack, his suitcase already loaded to go. Oh he knew that Tai and Sora hadn't meant to hurt him, that they'd be really sorry and beg his forgiveness. But right now he wasn't in a forgiving mood. He was in a very dark and dangerous mood in fact, barely leashed by the control he'd found over time for moments like this. He knew all their shared friends wouldn't be on his side either. They'd try to play peacemaker and think that some sorries and lousy explanations would make up for it. Yeah right. To make matters worse his little brother was dating Tai's little sister Kari, in other words this could seriously screw up that relationship too so he couldn't even count on his own brother this time. Matt wouldn't hurt his brother T.K. for all the world either which was just one more reason to be angry at this latest lousy hand life had given him. So instead he was gonna pack up and go. Leave everyone behind and head off into the unknown. Well not quite the unknown, he had a destination in mind at least. He hadn't been in that area for a long time but one of his oldest and most like minded friends lived in that area with her grandmother and mother. He knew they'd let him stay with them for a while, it was as good a place to go as any. No one would think to look for him there and he could count on Rika the way he could never count on anyone else.
)
Leaning back against her locker sixteen year old Rika Nonaka's eyes slowly scanned the hallway, keeping an eye out for both friends and foes. Most everyone passing by gave her a wide berth, she had a bad reputation after all and everyone in this school knew it. She was bad news and getting on her bad side, easy enough to do, could get you into a world of trouble. She was a incorrigible delinquent as her principal loved to call her. A trouble maker. The fat old fart would have thrown her out of the school years ago but she was just too smart to give him enough solid evidence to manage it. Though she rarely participated in class and had a tendency to scare the hell out of her classmates Rika was undeniably intelligent and miracle of miracles was a straight A student. Not because she cared about school overly but A, she didn't want to be stuck in school longer then she had to be and B, it meant a lot to her grandmother that Rika did well and did something with herself. As her grandmother was one of the handful of people that actually loved Rika for some reason the girl made an effort to please her, something she wouldn't do for just anyone including her own mother.
"Hey ya." Came a greeting and Rika nodded as her best friend Alice McCoy walked over, the other students in the hall moving out of her way quickly. Her blond hair, streaked with blue highlights swaying down to her back Alice would have been wearing all black as usual if they were anywhere but at school. As it was they were stuck wearing the stupid blue sailor suit type uniforms they'd long since decided had been created by lecherous school officials, desperate to see some female leg since there was no logical reason why the skirts had to be so damn short. In fact their first day at school they'd spray painted that on one of the walls in nice big, bold letters. Of course no on had ever been able to prove they'd done it.
)
"Hey, what's up?" Rika said as she raised an eyebrow at the irritated look on Alice's face.
"Ryo's girlfriend. I swear that one of these days I'm going to grab one of her pom poms and shove it down her throat." Alice snarled as she leaned up against the locker beside Rika, a scowl on her face. Since the whole D-Reaper thing they'd been casual friends with the Mr. Popular of their high school but at the moment that relationship was more then a little strained thanks to Mr. Perfect' Ryo Akiyama's latest bimbo. "What does he see in her?"
"Well isn't that obvious?" Rika said with a cynical smirk on her face. "Big breasts, tiny waist and the intelligence of a goldfish. A guy's perfect fantasy."
"This world would be so much better if we just killed every male on this planet. We'd be national heroes and go down in history as having saved the world from the stupidest invention every created. Man." Alice said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Speaking of cheerleaders Jeri wants us to come to some sort of sleep over deal. Remind me again how we became friends with a perky, happy go lucky cheerleader?"
"Because we were blind to the fact that she'd become one. By the time we realized it we were fond enough of her not to try and make her life miserable like we do with the rest of her squad. Thus we ended up stuck with her as well as the other idiots we so unwillingly associate with now. Speaking of which I had to rescue Kenta from his locker again. I told him to stay away from open lockers after the seventh time but he just doesn't listen or his brain can't retain anything that doesn't involve video games. He won't tell me who stuck him in there though, he's afraid of what I'll do to the guy since I had my little talk with his last bully."
"Is that idiot still in the hospital by the way?"
)
"No, I think he's out now. Word was his parents were going to have him transferred out of this school." Rika said with an amused chuckle. She might think that Kenta was an idiot nerd with bully me tattooed to his forehead but he was still her idiot nerd friend. As a result she had to have little meetings with people that harassed him to get across the idea that Kenta was only to be picked on and belittled by her or a member of their group. Outsiders were to find other victims or pay the price. With her rep all but the stupidest took her advice and ran for it. As a result Kenta and the idiot's best friend Kazu were in general left alone which would have never happened had they not been under the watchful eyes of their friends. Along with Jeri's boyfriend Takato the two were Ryo's willing stooges too which lent them a sort of respect even though Rika thought that that made them just that much stupider.
"Gee, I wonder why." Ryo said sarcastically as he walked over with his peppy little barbie girlfriend beside him along with Henry who's eyes just begged Alice and Rika to behave. "How's it going, ladies?" He added with a wink. It continued to puzzle the student body why the most popular boy in school would want to talk, much less hang out with the lowest people on the school food chain but how could he really explain the connection he had with them? In battle you developed bonds and they were ones that weren't easily broken. Yes Rika and Alice were dark, often hostile and cold individuals and yes Kazu and Kenta were complete geeks but none the less they were his friends, regardless of what everyone else thought.
"Oh look, his head hasn't exploded yet from trying to learn something for once. Surprise, surprise." Rika replied drolly, her own arms crossing in front of her. Actually Ryo was as smart as she was but she preferred to think of him as a stupid jock and nothing more. It gave her more of an excuse not to like him.
"So are you girls going to this sleep over Suzi's been talking about?" Henry asked quickly, hoping to avoid an all out war of mass proportions. Nobody riled Rika like Ryo and the last thing Rika needed was another mark on her permanent school record. There were enough there as it was.
)
"You two were invited?" Ryo's girlfriend, Theresa asked innocently, her voice sweet but with an underlining scorn that Rika heard loud and clear since she was used to veiled insults and double meanings. She'd grown up in the world of fashion after all.
"Yup." Alice said with a small smile, already pondering the pros and cons of all this if she did decide to go now that she got the feeling Jeri's cheerleading buddies might be there. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped in a room with a bunch of giggling cheerleaders but at the same time..oh the possibilities.
"Oh, Rika!" Came a sing song voice and Rika, Alice, Henry and Ryo all looked over in shock to see Theresa's best friend Umi practically bounce over to them, her voice all sweet and perky as she fast walked her way over. "There you are." Umi said as she beamed at Rika like the girl was her best friend and was delighted to have found her.
Morbidly fascinated and weary of the greeting Rika raised a questioning eyebrow as she spoke the words on everyone's mind. "What the hell do you want?"
"I just came to tell you that you have a visitor." Umi replied as she sent Rika her most innocent and friendly look that she could manage. This was, after all, Rika Nonaka. Anyone who didn't give the girl a wide berth was an idiot as far as Umi was concerned. But right now little miss bitch might be her key to landing the hunkiest guy she'd ever laid eyes on. "I offered to come find you for him."
"Him? Who's him?" Rika asked suspiciously, wondering if this was some sort of joke or trap. Cheerleaders were in general stupid enough to attempt something so suicidal. She did often speculate they were dumber then lemmings.
"Uhm his name is Matt?" Umi said with a shrug having been too dazzled to get much information before she'd impulsively offered to find Rika when the gorgeous hunk had said he was here to see Rika Nonaka. "Maybe he's a model friend of your mom's come to pick you up?"
)
"I highly doubt that." Rika replied and hoped she was right. She wouldn't put it past her bubble brained mother to try to increase her daughter's social status by making it appear that Rika had bagged herself a super model for a boyfriend. God she hoped not. "Where is he?" Rika finally said with a sigh, hoping she wasn't going to have to end the day in another fight with her mother. If her mother was even home to yell at.
"I'll take you there." Umi said and motioning her to follow headed off with Rika having no choice but to follow after the little dim wit. Vaguely annoyed when she realized everyone else was coming Rika shot Ryo and his girlfriend a look that said plainly neither of them were wanted but both seemed oblivious to it. Not that that was all that surprising in Theresa's case, Rika thought with a faint smirk. Finally arriving Umi stopped and pointed in the direction of a large group of girls who seemed to have surrounded a tall, blonde male and had no intention of leaving.
Oh God, her mother must have really sent some model here and now she was stuck possibly dealing with some egotistical, brainless male model who either owed her mother a favor or was being paid. She hoped it was the latter so that she could just pay him more the get lost.
"So who is he, Rika?" Alice wanted to know as she stood at Rika's shoulder, sympathetically patting her friend's shoulder. Well used to Rika's mom's stupid ideas Alice could only hope this wasn't going to end in bloodshed. Since Rika couldn't really beat up her mother Alice could see Rika picking a fight with some poor idiot as a result of all this.
"I don't know. Too many girls in the way." Rika said with a roll of her eyes then deciding to take the shortest route took a few steps forward then in her bitchiest voice told the girls to get lost. "All right you idiot pinheads. He's here to see me apparently so get out of my way so I can see who the hell he is."
"Rika?" Came a questioning voice and then the sea of girls slowly parted to reveal a gorgeous blonde in black pants, a white T-shirt and a black leather jacket, his cool blue eyes showing amusement as he made his way over to her with the faintest of grins on his gorgeous face. "Long time no see, Bonnie."
)
"M..M...MATTTT!" Rika yelped out as a huge, very un Rika like smile split her features and to the shock of everyone in the room ran over to the handsome blonde and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her into a hug. "What the hell are you doing here?" Rika demanded to know after a thorough hug before pulling back to give her old friend the once over. "You got an earring."
"Yup, should have seen the look on dad's face when I came home sporting it." Matt said with a good natured grin, feeling better already now that she was here. No one else would really understand but her. "Now what's this about you being some bad ass chick that rules this school with an iron grip? When I told anyone that I was looking for you they looked at me like I had just told them I was the reincarnation of John Lennon."
"What can I say, you were a good teacher." Rika said with a smirk as she good naturedly punched him lightly in the shoulder. "So what the hell are you doing here anyway?"
"Actually I'm moving here or have moved here I guess." Matt said with a grin that got bigger as he added, "To your house specifically."
"To my house?"
"Yup, I'm living at your place for a while if it's okay with you. Your grandmother and mother said it was okay but I figured I should check with you first before it was official." Matt said with a grin though there was a look of uncertainty in his eyes. He didn't know how she'd feel about him moving in, he could only hope she'd be cool with it.
"Seriously? You're moving in with us?" Rika said as her jaw dropped in shock as she stared at him dumbly. "Why? Did you have a fight with your dad or something?"
"Long story." Matt sad simply, his eyes telling Rika all that she needed to know.
)
"Well then of course you can stay with us. This is gonna be awesome." Rika said with her eyes lighting up at the idea that Matt would be living with her. She'd often wished that he could have been her big brother, she'd actually treated Matt's dad's well when he'd been dating her mother for the sole reason that them being together meant she and Matt could be together too.
"So you're a friend of Rika?" Alice asked, interrupting as she came to stand beside Rika then felt her eyes go wide as she recognized the man in front of her. She'd seen them play when she'd been visiting some cousins on her mother's side a year ago during spring break. "I know you. You're the lead singer for the Shinigamis. You guys kick serious musical ass."
"Thanks. We're actually on a break from each other but it's always nice to know that there's someone who would want us to get back together after school is done. Practice was killing some of the others school wise." Matt said with a shrug as he held out his hand, shaking the girl's hand. "Alice right? Rika's shown me pictures but they don't do you justice." Matt added with a charming grin, slipping into the rakish bad boy facade as easily as someone might slip into a jacket. Like Rika he could be just about anyone he wanted to be when the situation called for it. People like them always had plenty of masks to hide behind.
"Don't be hitting on my friends or I'll have to hurt you. Besides you have a girlfriend." Rika said with faint amusement as she tried not to grin at the star struck look on Alice's face. A very rare occurrence indeed.
"Not any more." Matt said, shrugging it off though it was just one more addition to the darkness that swirled within him, eating away at him whenever it was given a chance to feed.
"Did you call her Bonnie?" Henry wanted to know as he walked over to hold out his hand to Matt, pleased when the older man took it. "I'm Henry by the way."
"The guy with the Terriermon right?" Matt said with a nod, liking the look of the kid, reminding him of Izzy for some reason. "And yeah, I did. It's an old joke between us. When we were kids the adults in our lives started referring to us as Bonnie and Clyde because of all the trouble we got ourselves into together. It stuck."
)
"So Rika, aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" Theresa cooed as she came over with Umi, dragging a bemused Ryo behind her.
"Not to you, no." Rika replied with a sugary sweet smile before giving the pom pom princess her back to give Matt her full attention. "So I take it you came to pick me up?"
"Still such a sweet and well mannered girl I see." Matt said with a chuckle at the outrage on the blonde's face. Obviously Rika and this girl didn't get along at all. Then again Rika couldn't stand stuck up girlie girls and this girl had bimbo barbie written all over her. "And ya, I figured we could hang for a bit before heading back to your place. Gabumon's looking forward to seeing you too. I left him with Renamon in the D-World. By the way is it true I have to wear a uniform when I come here? Your grandmother said I have to go to school if I want to stay with you guys rent free. Stupid question I guess since you're wearing that unbelievably short skirt."
"Shut up, Clyde."