Okay well this is my first fan-fiction… ever. So sorry if I'm kind of nervous. Anyway this is about Rika losing her dad right after losing Renamon, and she's looking for a certain goggle-head to help her through it. Takes place about two weeks after the D-reaper. I like to think Rika and Takato were already going out by Runaway Digimon Express.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon… wish I did cause I'm sure it would pull in a lot of money. But unfortunately I don't, so all these characters belong to the makers of Digimon. Not me.

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Rika Nonaka, also known as the Digimon Queen, was now without a Digimon. She had lost her partner two weeks prior after the Juggernaut was engaged to defeat the D-reaper. Just thinking about it made her want to crawl under a rock and never come out.

"No." Rika said to no-one-in-particular, "I said I wouldn't be upset about it anymore." She was sitting in front of the fountain at the park, where it all happened. "I mean, I'll admit I miss Renamon, but being upset… I wont allow it. It'll just make me weak." Rika sighed.

Weak for what? She thought. It's not like a Digimon can bio-emerge anymore. What do I have to stay strong for? Rika looked up at the sky. For myself. I can't become weak. What if I lost someone else? I need to stay strong, and protect my rep.

Suddenly her phone started ringing, Rika answered it "Hello? Mom… mom! What…? I don't know what you're saying through your blubbering! Uh huh… Okay you know what? I'm coming home right now."

Rika snapped her phone shut. "She probably just broke a nail again." Rika snorted, and started walking towards her house.

Takato Matsuki was standing in front of the old abandoned storage shed, staring at a place where he used to keep his partner, Guilmon, until he lost him when he went back to the Digital World, along with all his friend's partners. He thought about Rika and Henry most. As much as Henry always scolded his partner, Terriermon, for every rude thing he said, Takato knew he missed his little big-eared joke cracking partner. And Rika… She doesn't want to show that she's upset, but Takato could see that deep inside, she was hurting.

His stomach did a few flips at the thought of Rika. He had recently been thinking about Jeri less and less and of Rika more and more. He sighed, and thought of what Rika would do to him if she could read his mind.

"That's a scary thought." Takato thought. He looked deep into the dark, inhabited storage shed. "Oh Guilmon, I wish you were here." Takato took a loaf of bread that looked like Guilmon out of his bag. He smiled thinking about how his partner always consumed ten of them, at once! "This is for you Guilmon!" Takato shouted, and chucked the bread into the shed.

Takato turned to leave, but then his ears caught wind of something. It sounded like a faint beeping noise, coming from inside the tunnel. "What? Did the bread have a computer in it?" Takato asked. He cautiously walked into the shed and down through the tunnel. He turned the corner, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

In front of him, was the swirling vortex of data, the salvation to finding all the Tamer's partners. The Digital Gate. It took a while to register in Takato's mind. But when it did, a huge grin spread across his face. He was going to see Guilmon again! Takato could've jumped for joy, but then he heard something else. Something other then the faint beeping noise coming off the Digital Gate. It sounded a lot like… crying?

Takato climbed out just in time to see Rika run by, bawling her eyes out. "R… Rika?" He said faintly and started running after her.

Rika just kept running, and running and running. She couldn't really see through the tears in her eyes, but it didn't matter. She knew she just had to get away… away… away…

She was just told about her dad, her stupid, stupid dad. She couldn't take it, not right after losing Renamon. Sure, she hardly knew her dad, but he was still family, and Rika had hoped, that maybe one day, he would come back. But now he can't, he's dead. He won't ever come back.

Rika slowly started to register she was in the park. She had just seen the blurry form of Guilmon's shed, and she thought she had heard her name. But she didn't care; she wasn't stopping, not now, not yet.

Finally she had reached the place she was sitting earlier, before the whole world came crashing down on her. She ended up collapsing in front of the fountain, and just cried.

"Rika?" she heard a soft voice say to her. She slowly turned around and saw Takato kneeling beside her, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong?"

She thought about pushing him away. She didn't want anybody to see her so vulnerable. Yet she felt that it would be okay to open up to Takato. He wouldn't laugh or say 'tough' then walk away. She came to a sitting position. "What are you doing here, goggle-head?" Rika asked, wiping tears away from her face.

"I heard you crying, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Takato whispered. I've never seen her like this Thought Takato It must be really bad to make Rika upset. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, thanks goggles, but I'm…" Rika couldn't bring herself to say 'I'm fine', because she wasn't. Rika started crying again. "M… my dad… he died." Rika sobbed. Rika was ready for him to say 'Oh you deserve it' or something like that. But she never expected what he really did.

"Oh, Rika…" He sighed and slowly wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. Rika was stunned, but she relaxed and just cried against his chest. "How did this happen?" Takato asked.

"It's stupid…" Rika sniffed, "He got drunk, and died in a car crash." Telling this made her cry even harder. Takato just held her even tighter.

"I'm so sorry." Takato said, tears filling his own eyes, in pain for his best friend, the girl he liked… maybe even loved. Rika looked up at him.

"It's alright." Rika said. "Thanks for caring… Takato." She wrapped her own arms around him. They stayed like for they don't know how long. Rika started thinking about Takato in a different way. Just being held by him made everything feel… right.

Finally Takato broke the silence. "You know I care about you deeply, Rika." He admitted. "I mean, I know it's weird, saying this now but… I really like you Rika." Takato closed his eyes "I really do." Oh good job, stupid feelings. Not only have you dumped something else on Rika after she's gone through so much, but now she'll probably never talk to you again! Takato scolded himself. "I understand if you don't think of me that way, and if you don't I really want to stay friends. I don't want to lose you." Takato whispered.

Rika was shocked at what Takato just said to her. The thought of anyone, especially Takato, liking her that way, she couldn't believe it. But the question was, does she like him back? She thought about everything they've gone through, the good times and the bad times. She thought about how brave he could be when he put his mind to it, how nice and caring he was… She thought about how being held by him made her feel alive, and she never wanted to let go. Rika came to a decision.

Rika sat up a bit and gave him a tight, yet gentle hug, and rested her head on his shoulder. She whispered in his ear "I like you too, Takato." Takato nearly fainted. Had she just said what he thought she said?

"Rika, I… Thank you, you have no idea how happy that makes me." Takato said, still in a bit of shock. He turned his head slightly, and kissed her on the cheek, then ran his fingers lightly up and down her spine. Rika shuddered and smiled. How could things be so… bitter sweet? They stayed like that a bit longer till they realized how late it was getting. They released each other and got up.

"Rika, you should go home. I know it's the last place you want to be, but you and your family need to be together during a time like this." Takato reasoned. Rika nodded.

"I know." Rika said and pulled him into another hug. "And I'm sorry for breaking down like that, I guess it was hard, just knowing he was gone and all, even though I didn't know him well. And right after Renamon left too…" Rika pulled away to see Takato grinning like an idiot.

"I don't think you should be worried about Renamon anymore." He said, his smile practically the size of a watermelon slice.

Rika cocked her head to the side. "Whys that?" She asked.

Takato smiled even more.

"The Digital Gates open!"

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Everybody with me now! "AWWWWWWW!!" Yay Rukato! What could be more perfect? I'm gonna keep this as a one shot for my first fanfic. Please review, and since it's my first time, suggestions are welcome. But please no flames, I'm a beginner, remember?