Y/N: I was laughing for about half of this chapter while reading it. Urazamay did a pretty good job on it I think, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
U/N: This chapter, was... hard i guess... at first. I mean, switching to the future, but it served to be a particularly good story telling device as i got to some parts which were really unnecessary. The little excerpts from the kids helped move it along... and i also... went a little... too far into how i met your mother here... if you've watched the show you should know what i mean... but i like this chapters sooo... yeah... enjoy :P
Title: How Iori Met Their Mother
By: Yukira and Urazamay King
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or its characters.
Part 2: Careful Not To Get Hugged
Iori:
"Finally," Elliot said exasperatedly. "I thought you would never make it there. You need to work on your story-telling skills…"
"Don't be mean," Louisa chastised.
"You thought so too," Elliot said with a smirk.
"But she'd never say it," Kana said smiling. "But he's right dad that was really long…"
"Well, if you don't want to see where the story is going…"
"We do!" the two girls called out at once.
"Then sit back and let me tell it my way," I told them. "It won't be that much longer."
Then there was a knock on the door. I sighed, but went to answer it anyway. Yamato was standing on the other side of the door in his leather jacket.
"What are you up to today, Iori?" he asked.
"I'm telling the kids a story," I told him awkwardly. It wasn't like him to simply show up anywhere, without his kids in any case.
"What about?"
"That time we went to New York," I said.
"Ah, when we met Tatum," he said in understanding. "Right. Where'd you get to?"
"We just got to the terminal actually, in New York. They were holding up the sign and we were headed over to them…"
"Right," he said walking passed me into the room where the kids were seated on the couch.
"Who wants Uncle Yamato to take over the story?" he said rather loudly. I groaned. This was not how I planned this day going.
"Yeah!" the kids all shouted excitedly. I guess I was out of a job.
"Okay, well, we were at the terminal…"
Yamato:
Mimi was freaking out, and I mean literally freaking out. She was bouncing up and down as if she was a rubber ball and she was crying and laughing at the same time as squealing. It was annoying, and yet flattering to see how excited she was to see us, so I couldn't complain really. Michael was far less excited and he was standing protectively around his girlfriend as if any one of us might just try to steal her from him. And Willis, well I can't remember exactly where he went but I do know that Hikari, Miyako, Takeru and Daisuke also disappeared so he probably left with them.
"Willis left with Hikari, and Miyako and Takeru ran off to spy on her. Daisuke ran after them because he thought they were having some sort of secret party." Iori cut in, "I know this story better than you do, just let me tell it."
"Dad," Kana said demandingly, "Share the spotlight, okay?"
Iori rolled his eyes and sank back into his chair as I continued my story.
Anyway, after Mimi finished her freak out session she took a few deep breaths and then started telling us a bunch of boring facts about New York, and finally decided to lead us somewhere so we were out of the way of the surplus of people coming from the plane terminals.
"My house is this way," Mimi explained, "I would take a taxi but there's no way we'd all fit."
"I offered to allow us to make use of one of my father's many limousines—" Michael said, pulling his hair out of his eyes and standing with his hands on his hips to show us that he was more important than us here in his own home country.
"Stop showing off Michael." Mimi snapped, "We're going to walk."
"We're going to drag all of our stuff down the streets of New York?" Sora asked, her expression was flat as she released all of her things and allowed them to fall to the ground.
"Sora's right," Taichi said, "That doesn't seem safe—I hear America is infested with thieves."
"That's not true." Michael said.
"Yes it is Michael..." Mimi sighed, "I suppose you're right... Michael would you call your father?"
"Fine..." Michael groaned, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and dialling a number.
"So what's the plan, Mimi?" Ken asked shyly, "What are we going to do here?"
"I have a bunch of things planned for you guys!" Mimi giggled, "First we're going to go see the Statue of Liberty, and then—"
"That sounds fascinating!" Koushiro exclaimed causing most of us to try to hide our laughter, resulting in snorts and fake coughs. Koushiro looked around in anger at us as if he wasn't sure why we were laughing, but that had to have been one of the most obvious attempts to make Mimi like him ever. But at the same time I could tell he was actually interested in the statue.
"I'm really not in the mood to go sightseeing." I said flatly, "Mimi let's do something fun..."
"Let's play American video games!" Taichi suggested.
"They all stink." Mimi sighed, "I've already tried them."
"How about we go listen to American rock music?" I tried.
"I can't understand what they're saying and I speak English..." Mimi responded simply.
"What about—" Sora tried.
"We're going to see the statue!" Mimi roared, "Where is Takeru?" She shot at me. I could tell Mimi was dead set on this sightseeing thing... she had clearly been planning it for a while, and I couldn't help but laugh at the evil glare she was sending my way.
"I have no idea," I said looking around. I was panicked at first, but I knew he'd be fine so I just let it slide.
"And Hikari?" Mimi asked Taichi who shrugged his shoulders looking for me for answers. "Where's Miyako and Daisuke?" She snapped to Ken.
"I-I-I dunno..." Ken shrunk back and hid behind Sora and Jou.
"Where's Willis?" Her face was suddenly calm, but I could tell she wanted to cry. "Willis and I had a script—we planned the whole week! Where did he go?"
We all looked around, shrugging our shoulders. Mimi looked like she was about to explode as Michael came back around and smiled.
"Dad said he'll come get us—but he won't be here for another hour." Michael explained half heartedly.
Mimi turned around and punched him in the face.
"That didn't happen!" Iori interjected, "She did not punch him! Yet..."
"But wouldn't it have been funny if she did?" I asked.
The three kids started laughing and Iori groaned, "You are the worst story teller ever!"
"He may not have the facts right..." Louisa said giggling.
"But it's funnier this way," Elliot finished.
"Come on dad..." Kana laughed, "Let him tell the story his way."
"No!" Iori said angrily, "Next thing you know he'll have aliens coming to take over the world!"
"Oh hush up little one. Let me finish." I laughed.
Mimi rounded on Michael and tore his skin off, revealing that he was an alien, and then—
The three kids roared with laughter as Iori punched me in the arm. "I was telling a true story here. Please show me the respect of continuing it seriously?"
"Fine..." I groaned.
So Mimi nodded slowly as Michael finished his sentence and then she fell to the ground in tears.
"Mimi!" Jou said quickly, "Don't cry Mimi!" He rushed to her side and sat down next to her. "It'll be ok!"
"Jou's right," Iori said, "We have all week to do what you had planned... We can just cut out some of the boring things..."
"Like bathroom breaks—and lunch." Taichi said, trying to comfort her.
Mimi looked up to him, eyes wide, "I forgot to set aside time to eat!"
"We'll just sleep less than you planned..." Jou said, looking as though he too wanted to cry.
"Sleep?" Mimi groaned, "I forgot sleeping too!"
Taichi and I began laughing at her, but we stopped abruptly when Sora elbowed the both of us and then stepped forward toward Mimi. "Mimi there's no reason to panic," She said, "Just because your plan won't work out exactly the way you planned doesn't mean that we won't have fun with you! We'll just make a new plan—go with the flow. That's how we used to do things, so why shouldn't we do that here too?"
Mimi nodded, "You're right Sora... ok... so we'll wait here for an hour—"
"Sorry guys—" Willis cut in as he slid into the group, a smile spread across his face. Daisuke was standing by his side looking a little put out. "I just had to show Hikari the park... she's there with Takeru and Miyako—"
"Why?" Taichi said quickly.
"She was feeling sick." Willis said, "I've been around her long enough to know how to make her feel better."
"You live in New York—since when have you been around her?" Taichi asked.
"While you've been off at school all year I've been visiting for a week every month." Willis said.
"Why didn't I know about this?" Taichi asked. "Is there anyone else spending more time with my sister than I am that I don't know about?"
Daisuke began whistling loudly and looking to the sky, clearly trying to hide something but Taichi didn't notice.
"Where's the park?" Ken asked. "I should go or Miyako might think I like Mimi more than her and I'm just really not up for another fight right now."
"It's just over there," Willis replied, pointing behind him, "Just around the corner you'll see it."
"Thanks," Ken smiled as he ran off the way Willis had pointed.
"As I was saying." Mimi said slowly, "We'll wait here for an hour, and then we'll take our bags back to Michael's house and then go straight to the statue of liberty. I suppose we may be able to still get everything done if we take the car... we could go faster."
Michael laughed, "Are you kidding Mimi? You know New York traffic... it won't be any faster."
And then Mimi stood up and stared him right in the eyes and she—
"She didn't punch him." Iori cut in.
"I know that!" I growled, "Come on Iori loosen up just let me build up the suspense."
"This isn't a suspense story—" Iori assured me, "this is just how I met—"
"Dad!" Kana hissed, "Just let him tell the story."
I smiled triumphantly to Iori, pleased that his own daughter was siding with me instead of him and then I continued.
And before she could do anything Daisuke piped up. "I'm really hungry." He said.
"Me too..." Iori agreed.
"Didn't you guys eat on the plane?" Sora asked.
They both shook their heads. "I fell asleep..." Iori admitted.
"And I just hate plane food..." Daisuke sighed.
"You hate food?" I gasped, "You eat...everything!"
"Not plane food." Daisuke sighed.
"I know a great restaurant just down the street from here if you guys want to come." Willis said slowly, looking to Daisuke and Iori who both nodded slowly.
"You mean-?" Michael started.
"Yup." Willis nodded, "That's the one."
"We're coming too kay babe?"
"Can you leave out the word 'babe'?" Elliot asked, "It's gross."
Louisa nodded, "It's an objectifying term, I don't much like the use of it either." She smiled and put her hair behind her ear, "I much prefer the term 'darling' or 'honey' because they're sweet and romantic."
I rolled my eyes and continued.
"We're coming too, kay honey?" Michael said. The quiet girl next to him smiled and nodded and then Michael and Willis lead the way for Iori and Daisuke to go to the restaurant. Before Iori left I heard him whispering to Koushiro behind me. "I'm at a hundred and seventy."
"No way!" Koushiro growled.
"Yup, I was talking to Jou a minute ago." Iori laughed before running off after Daisuke and the others.
"Jou!" Koushiro smiled, "how are you?"
I figured I'd ignore the fact that they were still playing their game and just let them go on in secret as they clearly were intending to do so anyway.
We were splitting up even here in New York... I found the fact rather amusing... it reminded me how we were never able to stay together in the digital world, and then here we were struggling to remain a group even in a simple city.
"We can still have fun with just the seven of us right?"
"Seven?" I asked counting heads, and after the third time counting through my eyes rested on Meiyomon who was standing next to Taichi looking really awkward.
"Can I go with Iori?" Meiyomon asked, "I'm ... I wanna."
"Why wouldn't you be able to?" Sora asked.
"Iori says sometimes that he wants breaks from me, does he still want a break?" Meiyomon asked.
"I—" Sora paused, "I'm sorry, I don't know."
"I'll just go see Miyako and Ken then... kay?" Meiyomon asked, running off the way Ken had gone earlier.
"You shouldn't run off alone!" Mimi yelled, "He's just a little kid! He could be—"
"Hugged." Iori cut in loudly, "She said hugged. Nothing else... hugged."
I laughed loudly.
"He could be hugged!" Mimi cried out.
"He's just going around the corner Mimi..." I said quietly, "I think he'll make it—plus, if anyone tries to hug him, he'll blow them up."
"Good point." Mimi smiled, hopping to her feet. "So we'll just wait here with everyone's luggage..."
"I'm going for a walk..." Taichi said, and without another word he was gone.
"Taichi—didn't I just inform you about huggers?" Mimi asked, "You could be hugged!"
He didn't respond, he just kept walking.
"He can't blow people up Yamato." Mimi argued. "Go get him back."
"Come on Sora..." I said taking her hand, "Let's go save Taichi from being hugged."
Sora nodded and we began walking immediately. I wasn't really planning on helping Taichi because he was heading toward the park and I knew he was going to go check up on his sister—or that was what I assumed he was doing anyway, so Sora and I just walked behind him for a while until we got to the corner and then casually crossed the street toward the park.
"It's really pretty..." Sora said looking at the trees and the grass, "Too bad the rest of the city isn't like this..."
"You don't like New York?" I asked her.
"It's hard to say, we've only been down one street." Sora laughed, "But so far? No." She sighed, "No I don't."
"I don't like it much either." I said stepping onto the grass in the park. "But we're here to see Mimi, not the city."
"Then why aren't we still with her?" Sora asked.
"We... have all week to see Mimi," I laughed, "Let's just enjoy the park for now... just for a bit..."
And that was exactly what we did. I remembered that Sora had been planning to go on a date at some point throughout the week... and she had asked Taichi about it, which was hilarious in itself.
We walked around the perimeter of the park just talking about how school was going for a while and then I sang her the chorus of that new song I had told her about on the plane which she seemed to enjoy and—
"I don't wanna hear about your date with whats-her-face." Elliot grumbled.
"Her name is Sora!" Louisa argued, "And the date sounds very sweet!"
"Fine... I'll skip ahead." I sighed.
"No!" Louisa cried out loudly as Elliot laughed triumphantly to himself.
As we came around the park for the second time I spotted Takeru and Hikari sitting underneath a tree and at the other side of the tree Miyako and Ken were sitting, staring out at an open part of the park where Meyiomon was running around jumping up and catching butterflies. I had to admit it was pretty cute.
"Where's Taichi?" I asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"Where is he?" I asked again, "I figured he was coming to see Hikari..."
"Oh... I guess he didn't." She shrugged.
"Then why did he come to the park?" I asked.
"I—there." She said, pointing to a bridge in the middle of the park. "He's there... do you see him?"
I nodded, "It's hard to miss him... his hair is pretty big." I laughed.
She giggled a little and then started dragging me along with her across the park toward the bridge. It was clear that our date was over as we stepped up toward Taichi.
Taichi was standing by himself on the bridge, leaning against the edge of it and staring down into the river down below. He didn't look toward us but it was clear that he was unhappy.
"What's wrong?" Sora asked him, stepping up beside him and placing her hand on his shoulder.
"What exactly does this have to do with the story?" Iori asked, "I'm not even here anymore... let me take over."
"But I want to know what was wrong with Taichi!" Kana moaned, "Please Dad?"
Iori once again pouted and retreated back into his chair. I straightened my back and smiled.
He looked toward us, his eyes were red as if he was about to cry and I knew that it would be best for Sora to take control of this situation so I said nothing.
"Doesn't matter," Taichi said turning away.
"Taichi... you've always been very closed in about your feelings... you should let them out. Tell me about them?" Sora tried.
"What is there to tell?" Taichi asked. "I'm not in a good mood. That's all."
"Well... who is Rei Saiba?" Sora asked.
"I don't want to talk about it." Taichi said flatly.
"This is exactly what I mean; you need to stop bottling up your emotions Taichi." Sora said, "It's not healthy. Yamato and I have been your best friends forever. There's no reason for you to hide what you're thinking from us. We're here to help you."
I felt like there was a bit too much anger in her voice as she argued with him, and as she finished there was an incredible amount of tension in the air around us as Taichi balled his fists and looked the other way. Slowly he relaxed and said, "It's Hikari."
I nodded, I had a feeling I knew where he was going to be heading with this now that he mentioned his sister.
"She's really sick and I... I totally forgot." He muttered.
"Well that's not your fault." Sora said, "She's strong Taichi, she's been acting as if she wasn't sick at all."
"But... Willis knew. He could tell." Taichi said.
"He said he's been spending a lot of time with her." I added.
Taichi rounded on the two of us angrily, "But she's my sister!"
"Calm down." Sora said without an ounce of comfort in her voice. I was glad she knew how to handle a sad Taichi because I had never once had to deal with him like this...
"Sorry..." He said slowly, "I just... I should know! I should be able to tell! I lived with her since she was born—I should be able to tell when she's sick."
"You just haven't been around her much." I added, "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."
"I'm not really blaming myself..." Taichi said, "I'm just sad..."
"Why are you sad?" Sora asked.
There was a long moment of silence in which Taichi turned back to the waters to try pretending as if we weren't there at all. But after a full minute of silence he realized we weren't going to leave and so he forced the next sentence out of his mouth. "She doesn't need me anymore." He took a deep breath and continued, still looking away from us, "Through all of the time when she did need me I was a horrible brother—taking her to the park to play resulting in her being hospitalized, ignoring her for a full year just because I was scared..."
"You weren't a horrible brother Taichi." I said, "You were always a good brother—to Hikari and Takeru. Even though he wasn't your brother, you acted as one because I was too stupid to do so. I was too stuck up and nervous to accept Takeru as my brother, and so he clung to you. I was jealous of you because of how good you were with the two of them... but eventually I learned from you. I learned to become a good brother because of you."
Taichi nodded, "I... I guess... but—"
"But nothing." Sora said flatly, "You were always a good brother—well except when you were ignoring her... that was just mean, but you got over that, the two of you are really close again."
"I know." Taichi said, "I just feel like I should still be the one taking care of her... but instead Willis and Takeru are—and even Daisuke."
"That's what happens when girls grow up." Sora said, "She gets interested in boys."
Taichi laughed, "I know... but I just wish I could help her with that too... I wish I could show her the way—which one to pick but that's all her choice."
"Who would you pick for her?" Sora asked.
"Probably Daisuke..." Taichi admitted.
"Ok, so now you know why Taichi was sad." Iori said, "Let's move on."
"I'm almost done." I growled, "Just let me finish."
"So what are you guys doing here?" Taichi asked, wiping his eyes to make sure no tears had escaped.
"We were sent to make sure you didn't get hugged." I said laughing.
"Mimi was a little paranoid." Sora said, rolling her eyes.
"I saw you guys walking around..." Taichi said, "Was that... a date? Did you stop looking for me to go on a date?"
We both shook our heads.
"What? No..." I said quickly.
"That's preposterous." Sora said slowly, "We were just looking for you, I swear."
"Well... would you mind if we walked a little more before we went back to the others...? I think I need a little time before I jump back into being the fun and amazing me." Taichi said.
Sora and I laughed and nodded. Even though he was totally joining in our date... I didn't mind too much. He was after all my best friend.
Next Time on How Iori Met Their Mother: Well, we still don't know of the mystery girl, but we had a little adventure and a 'romantic' date I suppose. Next time someone else will take up the reins of the story…who will it be?