Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or the song What's Forever For.
What's Forever For"Hurry up, T.K.," Nancy called from the front of the apartment.
"I'm coming," a 9-year-old blonde haired little boy called, emerging from the back. He walked over to the front door, heaving a large suitcase in front of him. He sat in down, but immediately had to once again pick it back up and carry it out the front door. His mother locked the door behind them and began leading T.K. out to their car.
"All right," his mother said. "Do you have everything?"
T.K. replied, "Yes, mama."
"Do you have your p.j.'s?"
"Yes."
"What about your socks, jacket, shirts, pants, and toothbrush?"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes."
A woman passed by them with her daughter.
"What about your extra pairs of underwear just in case something happens?" his mother asked.
The boy's face turned an interesting shade of red as the little girl grinned at the question from his mother.
"Mama!" he exclaimed after the girls smiling face disappeared from sight.
"Are we all ready to go?" his mother asked, ignoring his outburst. She finished loading the last of the luggage into the trunk.
They climbed into the front of the car and began on their way.
After a few moments of silence, T.K. asked, "Tell me again why we absolutely have to go to this reunion?"
His mother smiled. He was just like his father at times-stubborn.
"We have to go because you need to see your other family, as well. Not just your grandmother."
"Do you think that they wanted to ruin my weekend on purpose? I was going to the arcade with Kari tomorrow." He slumped down in the seat and began to pout.
"Oh, cheer up, T.K.," his mother said thoughtfully. "Kari said that she would have rather you gone to see your family than to the arcade. She knows that this may be the only time that you might get to see some of your relatives. Besides, Matt is going to be there."
They continued for another hour with silence. Then T.K. asked, "Mama, did you and Daddy stop loving each other when you broke up?"
His mother looked at him, surprised. T.K. had never asked anything like that before. It took a few minutes before she could answer.
"T.K.," Nancy said quietly, "just because people stop living together doesn't mean that they stop loving each other. You and Matt stopped living together when your father and I separated, and you still love one another, don't you?"
T.K. nodded his head and said quietly, "But we didn't have a choice."
They once again lapsed into silence. Nancy pulled into a gas station and said, "Bathroom break."
T.K. silently got up and went to the bathroom. Nancy followed suit. She went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She put her head into her hands and began to cry. After a moment, she wiped her eyes and washed her face. She walked back out to the car and saw T.K. waiting on her, already buckled up and ready to go. When she got into the car, she didn't say anything. She started the engine pulled out of the gas station.
T.K. knew that his mother had been crying. Her eyes were still a little red and puffy. He also knew the reason that she had been crying, as well. It was because of the statement that he had made recently. He didn't mean to upset her so badly, but he knew that his parents still loved each other very much. His dad had to walk out of the room when he and Matt had begun talking about his mother too much one time. They found out then that they were still in love. So, Matt and he came up with a plan. They were going to use this reunion to their advantage. T.K. and Matt had come up with a song that T.K. was to sing at the reunion. They were at least going to make their parents see how they felt about the divorce.
After three more hours of driving, they pulled into T.K.'s grandmother's driveway. T.K. got out of the car and ran to meet his dad, who had been standing on the porch waiting for them. His dad picked him up and twirled him around like he was a jet-plane. Then he sat him down again.
"Hiya, Sport," his dad said smiling.
"Hiya, Dad," T.K. said.
Nancy came to the porch with their suitcases in hand. "Hello, John," she said.
"Nancy," he nodded. "It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has," Nancy agreed.
"You look good," John said.
"So do you," Nancy said, returning the comment.
John smiled sympathetically. This was uncomfortable for the both of them, and he knew it. He looked down at the suitcases in her hand.
"Here, let me help you with those," he said, trying to help her in any way.
"Thank you," she said politely.
John took one of the suitcases from her hand. When he did, their hands brushed. A familiar spark rushed through Nancy. Nancy shivered.
John noticed her shiver and said, "Come on inside, it's too cold to be out here."
They made their way inside the house. T.K. saw Matt engrossed in playing his guitar for their Uncle Sam. It was the song that he was supposed to sing tomorrow. He went over to them and sat down next to his Uncle. Matt hadn't seen him yet.
When Matt finished playing the song, he looked up, only to see his little brother sitting beside his crazy Uncle, smiling.
"T.K.," he exclaimed, "when did you get here?"
T.K. giggled. "Just a few minutes ago." Then he got serious. "I asked mom about her and dad."
"What did she do?" Matt asked.
"She pulled into a gas station, went to the bathroom, and cried," T.K. said. "I know that she still loves dad. I just know it!"
"You know, Slick," their Uncle said to T.K., "your mom and dad may still love each other, but that doesn't mean that you're going to get them to admit it."
They had told their Uncle about their plan because he still believed that his brother and ex-wife should get back together. Even he could see that they were still in love.
"I know," said Matt thoughtfully. "But we can still try."
"Hey, trust me, I'm not going to be the one that stands in your way," Sam said defensively. "I want those two back together just as much as you do."
"We know Uncle Sam," T.K. said smiling. "That's why we're going to trust you to set everything up."
Sam winked at them. "Just leave it to me."
@@@
The next day everyone went outside to sit in lounge chairs and enjoy the sunny day. Around noon, Sam told Matt to go and get his guitar. Sam whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. They all turned to him to see what he had to say.
"All right everybody," he said, "We're going to have a little performance. Yesterday, Matt played his guitar for me and I just loved it, so I wanted everyone else to be able to hear him play as well."
Matt stepped to the place where his Uncle had stood after he left. "First off, if my music stinks, you can blame the guitar. Or better yet, you can blame Uncle Sam."
Everyone laughed at his statement.
Matt sat down in a chair that someone had pulled up for him and began to play. When he finished everyone clapped.
"Thank you," he said, "Now, I would like to introduce my little brother T.K."
T.K. stepped up beside his brother. Meanwhile, Sam got everyone's attention by making Nancy and John get out of their seats. He placed two chairs in front of the two brothers that were waiting patiently for him to finish. Then he made John sit down in one of the chairs and Nancy in the other. He looked at Matt and T.K. and nodded for them to continue.
"Now, my brother and I wrote this song for our parents, so, mom and dad don't freak out because you're in front of everybody," Matt said, looking at his parents bewildered expressions.
Matt once again sat back down in the chair and began to play the guitar. When T.K. was to begin singing, Matt looked at him and nodded. T.K. knowing that was his cue, began:
"I been looking at people
And how they change with the times
And lately all I been seein' of people
throwin' love away and losing their minds
Or maybe it's me that gone crazy
'cause I can't understand why
All these people keep hurtin' each other
When good love is so hard to come by
So what's the glory in livin'
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever tell me
What's forever for
Well I've been listening to people
And they say love is the key
It's not my way to let them lead me astray
It's only that I wanna believe
But I see love hungry people
Tryin' their best to survive
While in their hands
Is a dying romance
And their not even tryin' to keep it alive
So what's the glory in livin'
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever tell me
What's forever for
And if love never lasts forever tell me
What's forever
For"
T.K. finished the song and looked around. No one said or did a thing. It was complete and totally silence. Then, Nancy jumped up and ran into the house. John just sat there dazed. Then he got up told the boys to come with him, and went in search of his ex-wife. They found her in the bedroom that she would be staying in during the reunion. She was lying face down on the bed crying. Her body trembled with each sob. John and the boys entered the room. Matt gently closed the door to give them some privacy. John sat down on the bed beside Nancy and softly spoke her name. Nancy sat up slowly and wiped her eyes. She didn't know what to say. Suddenly T.K. and Matt came over to her and hugged her.
"We didn't mean to make you cry, mama," Matt said, calling her a name that he hadn't used in years.
When they backed away, Nancy broke into another sob. She buried her head in her hands. John gently put his arm around his shoulder and guided her to him. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore. She pulled away from John's shoulder and wiped her eyes once again.
"Thank you," she said.
John didn't say anything; he just looked at her. Gently, he reached his hand up and pushed a stray hair from her hair. Nancy looked at him, surprised. He, then, cupped her face with the same hand.
Nancy closed her eyes, trying to block out the sight of his blue eyes. "Please don't, John," she said.
"Why?" he whispered.
Nancy turned away from him and whispered inaudibly, "Because you don't know what it's like to love someone and not know if he loves you back."
John put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around until she was facing him. She refused to look him in the eye, so he cupped her chin and lifted it until she was looking at him.
"Yes, I do," he said quietly.
Nancy's eyes widened in surprise. John gently caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes against his touch.
After a moment, John spoke, "I think that all of need to have a talk."
He motioned for the boys to come over and sit with them.
@@@(12:30 the next morning)
Matt and T.K. were asleep on the bed, while Nancy and John are still talking.
"So what does this mean?" Nancy asked.
John took her hands in his and held them. "I don't know, but I sure would like to find out."
Nancy smiled. "Me too."
"Then we'll take it slow; one day at a time," John said.
"I like the sound of that."
@@@(6 months later)
"Do you John Ishida take Nancy Takashi to be your wedded wife?" an old man asked smiling.
"I do." John replied looking into his soon to be wife again eyes.
"Do you Nancy Takashi take John Ishida to be your wedded husband?"
"I do." Nancy said, staring into John's sky blue eyes.
"Then, I pronounce you husband and wife-again."
Everyone laughed.
The Bishop continued, "You may kiss the bride."
John gently leaned down and kissed his wife and mother of his children to seal the circle that was broken, once again.