Chapter 2
First Mistake

"Ms. Nonaka, may I speak with you?"

"Oh! Renamon, you startled me!"

Renamon had often been told that her habit of suddenly appearing out of nowhere surprised people and made them jumpy, so she had made a particular effort to make a great deal of noise as she walked down the hallway to the living room where Rika's mother was leafing through fashion magazines. Evidently, she hadn't been noisy enough.

"Please excuse me. If you are busy, I can come back later."

"No, no! It's all right. We hardly ever get a chance to talk," Rika's mother said, setting aside the magazine. "Please sit down." The truth was they never had much to talk about. Rumiko Nonaka's life centered nearly exclusively around two things; fashion and personal beauty. The first wouldn't have interested Renamon even if she had worn clothing and the second she achieved simply by being herself. Renamon's life consisted mainly of battling destructive digimon... something that Rumiko aggressively avoided thinking about. The only part of their lives they had in common was Rika.

Renamon lowered herself to the tatami mat across the low table from Rumiko and curled her long tail neatly over her paws. "Thank you, Ms. Nonaka. Please forgive me if what I am about to ask you is embarrassing in any way."

"Oh? No, please... I'm intrigued." In fact, Renamon's polite preface had instantly increased Rumiko's interest in the conversation by an order of magnitude. Following close on the heels of fashion and beauty, gossip was one of Rumiko's delights.

"It's about Rika... and Takato..." Renamon began hesitantly.

Rumiko's eyes widened and she leaned over the table. "Really? They're getting very close, aren't they? What do you know? Rika won't tell me a thing!"

"Uh... " Renamon was a bit taken aback by Rumiko's sudden avid interest but continued on, "...it's just that after their date last night, Rika was acting so strangely it worried me. At first I thought it was the kissing but..."

"Kissing?" Rumiko interrupted. "There was kissing? Oh, why won't Rika talk to me about these things? You have to tell me everything! Oh wait..." Rumiko stood and briefly left the room. When she returned she was carrying a large sake flask and two cups, which she placed on the table. "Gossip goes better with sake, don't you agree?" she said as she sat down again.

Renamon blinked a few times rapidly. She had never partaken of either one and wasn't sure she wanted to. But she felt an overwhelming sense of duty to protect her tamer, if even from herself, and if she could face fearsome physical combat for Rika's sake, she could easily endure this.

Probably.

Rumiko poured for them both and insisted that Renamon finish her cup before they began. Renamon didn't like or dislike the taste of the drink but the alcohol made her nose tingle... not unpleasantly. Rumiko immediately refilled her cup.

"Now, tell me," she urged, "when did they kiss? Did they watch the movie at all, or...?"

"It was on the way home," Renamon told her. "It surprised me... I think it surprised them. They repeated it several times on the way back here."

"I knew it!" Rumiko said smugly. "They kept looking at each other and grinning when they thought I wasn't looking!"

"Does kissing normally affect people that way?" Renamon asked. "I kissed Takato this morning but..."

"What?" Rumiko's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... does Rika know about this?"

"Um... no," Renamon said slowly, unsure of the reason for Rumiko's sudden expression of shock. "Why?"

"Oh dear," Rumiko said in a quiet, serious voice, "and you two are such good friends. I'd hate to see a man come between you two. I know Takato has become a very handsome young boy but, believe me, no man is worth ruining a friendship over!"

Renamon stared at her wide-eyed. She was completely confused but managed to grasp that somehow her actions had endangered her relationship with her tamer. "What... I don't understand... what would ruin..."

"Oh you poor girl!" Rumiko cooed sympathetically, as she refilled Renamon's cup once again, "I know it's hard for women to control our passions but..."

"I'm not a woman," Renamon replied reflexively after draining her cup.

"Oh yes, I know... you've said it often enough... no biology, is it?" Rumiko grinned and poured more sake, "but it doesn't matter. So you're... uhm... electrical... so what? You're still a woman and have feelings that..."

"But I'm not," Renamon said, staring at her sake cup, "I'm a digimon... I... wait, I think we have gotten off track..."

"Oh please! You say that but I've seen your Magna form..."

"Mega," Renamon corrected her without thinking.

"…and that physique doesn't leave any doubt about it!" Rumiko steamrolled on. "Oh, you're way too... curvy to be a model like me, but there are so many men that prefer a zaftig figure." Rumiko drained her own cup and gestured down at her own body. "I think sophisticated men prefer a lean and elegant shape like mine or Rika's but really..." she refilled both their cups and leaned over to stared pointedly at Renamon's lower body, "…there are women who would commit mass murder to have the hips and butt you have right now!" She cocked her head to one side thoughtfully, "Your thighs are a bit thick, though... maybe if you started some aerobics..."

Renamon's head was spinning and the sake was only partly responsible. Rumiko continued chattering as she scooted around the table and prodded at Renamon's thigh with a her fingers. "Oh, poo! That's all solid muscle! You're not going to loose that by exercising. Well, maybe Takato likes the athletic type... not that I'm encouraging you to steal Rika's boyfriend, you understand... but he's the son of a baker! Yes, he's good-looking and polite but I can't help thinking that Rika could do so much better. Oh my! You really do have a lot of muscle under that fur, don't you?"

"I... I'm proud that I'm so strong... so that I can fight well for Rika..." Renamon started to say, puzzled that her tongue seemed to be thick and difficult to move.

"Oh, don't worry, the gym-girl look is very fashionable right now and I'm sure that Takato loves it!" Rumiko said, patting one of Renamon's huge hands as if she were consoling her. "Now, maybe if we can get Rika interested in another, more suitable boy, she wouldn't mind if you stole Takato away..."

"No, wait! Please... you're mish... misunderstanding me!" Renamon broke in desperately. "That's not what I came to ask..." What had she wanted to ask? She shook her head briefly, which only made matters worse, and then recalled the phrase Takato had used. "Yes.. the... The Talk is what he said... he said his mother gave him The Talk and that was what..."

"Oh..." Rumiko said with great solemnity, "...things have gone that far already? Then Rika doesn't have a chance. I hope you're taking precautions... I mean, I don't know if you could get... well, you're both so different from each other... but there are diseases to consider too, not that a nice boy like Takato would... but you never know for sure."

Renamon was so confused she couldn't even begin to think of a question that might even begin to clarify things. She just shook her head in puzzlement. Rumiko got up and took her purse from a side table. "I'm sure I have... yes, here they are!" She crossed back to Renamon and put something in her hand. "Here. Make sure he wears one and don't take no for an answer!"

Renamon held up her hand and stared uncomprehendingly at the little line of foil packets that dangled from between her fingers.

-o-(())-o-

It was late afternoon and Rika was feeding the big, lazy koi in the garden's pond and thinking of Takato when Renamon stumbled out of the house.

"Renamon?" Rika asked, frowning, "are you all right?" The only time she had ever seen her partner move without her usual fluid grace had been when she was completely exhausted or badly injured.

"I'm fine... fine," Renamon replied. "I just want you to know I have no intereshh... interest... in Takato at all. None."

Rika stared at her. "Oh... that's good... I guess?"

"Yes. I don't even like the way he kisses." Renamon assured the girl.

"He... you... what?"

"No... don't like it... puny little human. Guilmon wanted to kiss me but I didn't let him. Had to hold him off when I was in Takato's bedroom this morning..."

Rika's gaped at her in shock. "Bedroom? Renamon, what the hell is... are you drunk?"

Renamon was still talking, mumbling to herself, "Maybe I should have let him... he's a good guy... really strong... huh? What do you mean 'drunk?'" Rika's outraged question had just penetrated her consciousness. "Your mother and I had a little bit of sha... sake, that's all. We gossiped."

"Oh god."

"She shaid men aren't worth all the fuss... we girls need to schtick together!"

"Renamon, will you please tell me exactly what went on with you and Takato." It wasn't a request. Rika's face was grim.

"We... I..." Renamon's face twisted into a grimace and she suddenly put one hand over her stomach, "I... don't feel very well."

Rika's eyes widened in dismay. "Not in the koi pond! Not in the koi pond!"

-o-(())-o-

After Rika had gotten Renamon cleaned up and settled onto a spare futon in her bedroom, she left the house and walked a few blocks to the park where she was fairly confident of not being overheard. Then she fished her cell phone out of the pocket of her jeans and dialed Takato's number.

"Matsuki Bakery," he answered in a polite formal voice.

"It's me." Rika said.

"Rika!" Takato's voice changed to a bright, happy tone, "I'm just closing up now. Are we still on for tonight?"

"That depends," Rika told him, her voice just a s cold as his was warm, "on what you think you were doing with Renamon in your bedroom this morning."

There was a brief silence followed by some sputtered incoherent words. Rika held her phone away from her ear and sighed. She let Takato run on for some time before her expression softened and she relented.

"Okay, okay... she was acting all weirded out last night too, and today... you're not going to believe this... well... let's talk about it over dinner, okay?"

"Oh... yeah! Let's do that!" The relief in Takato's voice made Rika smile.

-o-(())-o-

"Drunk? She was actually drunk?" Takato asked in disbelief as they scanned the menus in the quiet little corner restaurant. He had decided to change the location of their date from the bright, noisy pizza parlor to a place that was more intimate and, unfortunately for his budget, expensive.

Rika nodded. "Barfed all over a flower bed in the garden."

"I can't believe it," Takato said, shaking his head. "She's always so cool and collected... elegant even. The thought of Renamon being... why are you looking at me like that?"

"'Elegant', huh?" Rika glared. "Are you sure there's nothing going on with you two? Maybe you'd rather be dating her?"

Years of experience with Rika's hair-trigger temper came to Takato's rescue. Humor always seemed to work best in situations where it needed to be defused. "Are you kidding? I was spitting out fur for an hour after she kissed me! Yuck!"

It did the trick. Rika chuckled despite herself. "I blame my mother, actually. I have no idea why she poured all that sake down poor Renamon and I only got a very garbled version of what they talked about. But it sure didn't help matters any."

"It'll be okay," Takato said and placed a reassuring hand over one of Rika's.

"Damnit, Takato," She smiled sweetly up at him and laced her fingers between his. "From anybody else I'd think that was patronizing. From you, it makes me feel... I dunno... safe, I guess. How the hell do you do that?"

"It's because I mean it," he told her seriously, "I'll do everything I can to make sure it's okay."

"Well... we saved the whole world... several times," Rika gave his fingers a squeeze. "I think we can handle this... together."

Takato nodded. "There's one good thing about Renamon's little visit this morning."

"What's that?"

"She made me realize something... made me say it out loud, actually."

"Okay... don't keep me in suspense."

"I love you Rika. I have for a long time now." Takato blushed furiously and looked down at the tablecloth. "And I... I know this is going to sound really sappy but... I... well... Renamon isn't the only one who would die for you."

Rika was silent for a long time. Takato finally got the courage to look up and he saw to see her eyes gleaming wetly in the candlelight. "Rika? Are you...?"

"Are you going to kiss me or am I going to have to slug you?" she said gruffly.

He didn't get slugged.

-o-(())-o-

Renamon woke and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She grimaced at the memory of her behavior that afternoon and felt the surge of an emotion she had hardly any experience with; shame. She swore to herself that she would never touch any sort of alcohol again. She looked around the bedroom. It was late and Rika's futon was unoccupied. She still felt unfocused and dull-witted but she also couldn't help feeling concerned for Rika. She should be home and in bed.

Renamon carefully let her senses open to the world. She felt out with that psychic sense that connected her and her tamer. If Rika was in any trouble... Renamon hissed in surprise and her eye flew open wide at the sensation she received from Rika. She only just barely managed to keep her own startled emotions from flowing back to the girl.

Only a few minutes later she was in the park, zeroing in on the dark corner where Rika and Takato were sharing a bench... and each other.

Rika thought it was sweet how careful and respectful Takato was was being. They both had their hands inside each other's clothing but whereas Rika was letting her hands wander wherever she pleased, Takato wouldn't touch her anywhere until she had explicitly given him permission by guiding his hands herself. At that moment, one of his hands rested on her ribs just below her breasts and she could feel how badly he wanted to touch her there. She broke off their kiss, leaned back a bit so she could look him in the face, and covered his hand with one of her own. She paused and made him suffer... just a bit. Did he really expect her to pull his hand away now? She grinned wickedly and slid his hand upward. The expression on his face was something she'd remember for the rest of her life. And his touch on her felt very nice indeed.

"Oh, Rika," Takato breathed, "You're so beautiful! You feel so..."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Screamed Renamon from directly behind the bench.

Both Takato and Rika yelled in surprise and fell away from each other. Takato's shirt tore and buttons scattered across the pavement as he slipped off the bench and landed hard on his butt.

"Rika! Don't you know he could be diseased!" Renamon fumbled the string of condoms out of the top of one of her arm guards and held them out to a still dazed and unbelieving Rika. "Here. Make sure he wears one and don't take no for an answer!" she repeated Rumiko's advice exactly, still having no clue as to what it meant.

"Holy shit!" Takato cursed from his position on the ground. He very rarely swore but the surprise, embarrassment, and fear of the growing expression of fury on Rika's face certainly made for several good excuses for profanity.

Rika's face was flaming red but her voice crackled with ice as she hissed at Renamon in rage, "How... how dare you! Get away from me. Get away from us! I don't care where you go but stay away from us! Do you hear me, you stupid..." But Renamon was already gone.