Love Returned

Love Returned?

Disclosure- I don't own digimon, etc.

~~*Love strikes us in so many ways; it comes into our lives at a drop of a hat and leaves even faster. There are times when love can be lost in such a way that it can never be regained, but true love will always remain, if only in spirit and in your heart..*~~

Matt sat alone in his room, his shades drawn and the phone off the hook, just the way he liked it to be on weeknights and weekends. This particular weekend was no different, Tai and Sora and the gang had tried to get him to go out with them, but his heart just wasn't into it. It had been 6 months to the day since they had left the Digiworld and six months to the day that Maki gave her life for him.

He remembered that day as if it were yesterday, Maki jumping in front of him protecting him from Pagnomon. Maki lying in his arms dying, her last words were that she loved him; he kissed her softly and told her that he also loved her in return and then she died. At that moment, the moment when her body went limp in his arms and he knew she was dead, part of him died as well, the part of his heart that was just for Maki.

Since their return to their world Matt shrouded himself in seclusion only coming out of his room for classes and for his little bro T.K. His friends had tried numerous times to get Matt to go out with them and still continued to try, but he felt so heavy by his grief, so weighed down that he had no desire to go out with them.

It was Saturday morning and even though the shades were drawn the light still crept in brightening the room. His father was at work, no surprise there. Matt had woken up from a terrible dream; he was reliving his last day in the Digiworld and his last day with Maki. He tried to shake it off as he went into the kitchen. He grabbed a bowl, some milk and a box of CheeriosĀ® and began eating. The apartment was silent except for the ticking of the clock in the living room; tick, tick, tick, tick... Matt listened to the hypnotic ticking as he finished off the rest of his cereal, suddenly sending Matt jumping out the chair; the phone rang in the living room. He thought for a moment about not answering it but decided he would in case it was T.K.

"Hello." He said

"Hey Matt, it's Tai!" Tai said sounding very happy.

"What's up Tai?" Matt asked not really wanting to know.

"Well since you wouldn't come and hang with us last night, we all made plans to hang tonight at my place. My parents and Kari are gone and I thought it would be cool if we all got together and hang out. A party if you will. And I won't take no for an answer!" Tai said.

"Listen Tai, I'm not really in the mood." Matt said trying to find some kind of excuse but only coming up with he didn't want to.

"Matt come on, please!" Tai pleaded. "I'll get down on my knees." He said laughing.

Matt sighed heavily, he really didn't want to especially today. "Look, I'll think about it, ok?"

"OK, 7pm, my place." Tai said.

They said their goodbyes and Matt hung up the phone. I'll just call back later and cancel out. I really don't want to go anywhere tonight, he thought to himself.

Matt jumped in the shower and got dressed; he looked around his room trying to figure out what to do next. He picked up a Stephan King book from his dresser that he had started the night before and decided to read for a while, a nice mindless activity my be just the thing. He climbed back in bed, pulling the covers up and getting himself comfortable before starting to read.

He read for several hours, his eye lids getting heavy until it made reading too difficult to continue. He decided that maybe a nap might be in order so he put the book down and shut off the light by his bed. Sleep took him quickly.

Where am I? He thought to himself. He looked around his surroundings, it was nighttime and he was outside that much was obvious, but where he was exactly he didn't know. There were tall trees everywhere and they were thick, he couldn't make out a path or a road. He certainly wasn't home.

"Matt," a voice called out

He looked all around but couldn't see the source of the voice.

"Matt," the voice called out again, this time it seemed to be coming from behind him.

Matt quickly whipped around to see Maki standing there; she looked like she did the day she died except this time there was soft glow that surrounded her.

"Maki?" Matt asked, not sure if he should believe his eyes.

She looked at him cocking her head to one side and smiled, "Of course silly, who else would it be? You dead dog?"

Matt's jaw dropped, did she talk like this before, he thought. "How do I know it is really you?" he asked.

Maki stood there for a minute biting her lower lip thinking then she looked back at Matt smiling, "What did I say to you last? Right before I died. I told you that I loved you."

"Yeah, but anyone could know that." He said still not believing that it was really she.

"OK, well how is this. The first time you and I really talked was when you found me crying in the woods and you comforted me and gave me your friendship then and I confided in you." Maki said hoping that would convince him.

"Hmmm. And what did you do right before you ended up in the Digiworld?" He asked.

Maki frowned and looked down to the ground, "I... I jumped off a building." She said sadly, now regretting her actions.

Matt took a few steps closer to Maki, "Maki is that really you?" he asked hoping that this was not some sort of cruel dream.

Maki looked back up into his big beautiful blue eyes and smiled, "yes." She said softly.

Matt smiled and grabbed her holding her tightly burying his face into her hair sobbing, "you've come back." He sobbed.

" Well I had to see you Matt, I have missed you so much and I am so worried about you." She said holding him and caressing his hair.

He stepped back and looked at her seriously. "Worried about me? Why?" he asked not understanding what she meant.

"Matt, I have been watching you. I know how you have shut yourself off from your friends, from the people that care about you."

Matt looked at her for a moment running his fingers through his blonde hair. "I just haven't been able to, I miss you Maki. All I do is think about you, dream about you."

Maki smiled raising her hand to his face gently caressing his cheek. "I know Matt and I miss you as well, but you are still living and I... I'm here and can't be with you in the same way."

Matt frowned at her, "What are you telling me!?" he yelled confused and hurt.

Maki looked deep into Matt's eyes and tried to smile through her tears. "Matt..." she whispered as she leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I love you and I always will, but..."

"But what Maki?" Matt said sure that he knew the answer to his own question.

"But you have to go on." Maki said.

"I don't understand." Matt said knowing full well he knew exactly what Maki meant.

Maki smiled and touched his cheek, "Yes you do Matt. You know exactly what I mean. It's time for you to take back your life and go on living."

Matt glared at Maki, "I don't want to." He screamed at her. "I don't want to go on with this if this is what life is like. I mean I find a girl and fall in love with her and then she gets killed because of me! And now!" he broke down sobbing falling to his knees.

Maki sat down next to Matt and placed her hand on his shoulder as he continued to cry. "Matt, part of life is death. And my death is not because of you. I died to save you, that is true, but if I hadn't stepped in the way when I did Pagnomon would have killed you because he knew of my love for you. I couldn't let that happen."

Matt shook his head, his face still buried in his hands. "Well maybe I don't want to be alive anymore, maybe I would rather be with you."

Maki frowned, "Matt you don't mean that, you know that deep down you really don't."

"Yes I do." He yelled

"Matt... Not being with you... It hurts me too... But I will never be truly dead and gone as long as you remember me. And I will always be watching you, looking after you." She said rubbing his back softly.

"Maki" he said looking up at her, " it just hurts so much."

"I know it does. But that is why you need to let your friends in, let them help you. Please?" she said

"I just don't know anything anymore." He said quietly

"For me, for me, please let your friends in and just try." Maki said as she hugged Matt tightly in her arms, her cheek touching his.

He nodded slowly not wanting the embrace to end.

Maki smiled and kissed him softly again. "Now. Wake up. It's time for you to go to Tai's."

As if on cue Matt awoke in his bed, he looked at the clock, it was 10 of 6. Just enough time to get over to Tai's....

To be continued??

A/N~ OK peeps here is my sequel and yes there is more to come, but I had to start out somewhere. Tell me what you think. And I hope you enjoyed it.

Dedication~ This for you Seth....