For Our Children

Chapter 2

Large balloons with the words 'It's A Boy!' emblazoned on them floated around Sora's hospital bed, and pots of sweet-smelling flowers and plants were crammed onto what little table space there was. Cards of congratulations were piling up in stacks by the bed, and faces beaming with happiness and good wishes surrounded her. All other guests had been cleared out, and only the digidestined were allowed to stay. Unfortunately, Mimi had been unable to come, but had sent a long, long, long letter of congratulations instead. She had even managed to write in a postscript for everyone else. However, even without Mimi the small hospital room was crammed, everyone was almost on top of each other. Yolei and Ken leaned down to look closer at the baby. "Awww, isn't he cute Ken? What's his name?" Yolei asked.
"Kentaro, but we'll probably call him Ken," Matt declared proudly.
Ken, the older Ken of course, looked a trifle pleased that a child had the same name as he did. "He is pretty handsome, isn't he?" Ken observed.
Sora cradled the baby close to her face and bestowed a motherly kiss on his forehead. "Just like his father," she smiled up at Matt.
Izzy pushed Yolei and Ken aside so he could see Kentaro. "Prodigious!" he exclaimed, "He really does look like Matt!" He reached out a hand and carefully stroked the golden fuzz covering the infant's head.
All of the people in the room attempted to crowd around the bed at once. "Look! He's frowning just like Matt used to!" Tai teased his friend.
"Very funny Tai," Matt replied dryly.
Nudging his way forward between TK and Joe, Cody smiled shyly down at the little baby. "Sora, can I hold him?" he asked nervously.
"Geez Cody, you're acting as if this was the first baby you've ever seen!" TK commented.
The youngest of the digidestined only shrugged and held out his arms as Sora gently lowered baby Kentaro into them. Kentaro yawned and snuggled against the young man's chest happily as he made small gurgling sounds. "He really seems to like you," Kari giggled, "I never knew you were so good with children!"
The poor guy blushed an alarming shade of red and held Kentaro out to TK, who was closest to him. "It's only one baby, and I only held him for two seconds," he muttered.
TK and Davis stood cooing over the baby, something that they might not have done in their youth, and the others were tempted to join in. Kari, who's hands were already full with Sakura, edged towards Sora in the bed. "Every time a new baby is born, the baby gets more attention than the mother," she said, making a face.
Amber eyes glowing with pride and love for her family, Sora only smiled, "I'd do the same,"
Kari laughed, "Yeah, I guess I would too,"
~~~
Ding dong.
"Get the door!" Yolei yelled to Ken.
Ken peered out the eyehole in the door and blinked in surprise. "So soon?," he said softly in surprise. He turned to yell at Yolei, who was cooking in the kitchen. "Honey? You better come here. Trust me, you'll want to be here when I open this door,"
There was a clang of kitchen utensils, and Yolei came running out from the kitchen. "What is it?" she grumbled.
She was slightly surprised when Ken grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly. "Look inviting, friendly, and loving," Ken told Yolei, not unkindly.
Yolei grinned at him, "Aren't I always?"
"I'm not kidding Yolei," he said seriously, "Be nice,"
"Ergh…FINE! You should really stop being so serious sometimes…"
The doorbell rang again, and someone pounded on the door. Yolei reached forward, grasped the doorknob, and opened the door.
~~~
Davis and Kari enjoyed their quality time together immensely. They enjoyed it even more when Sakura was asleep and there was some peace and quiet in their cozy apartment. Pictures in brightly coloured frames decorated the blue walls. Kari had insisted on the pictures, and Davis had insisted on the blue paint, so they had compromised. The pictures were actually a nice touch to their living room. The largest picture was of course a family picture taken of Davis, Kari, and Sakura a few months after her birth. Underneath were pictures of friends and family, and there was even a picture of Gatomon and Veemon, grinning like idiots. Many of their friends who were not associated with the digital world marveled at how realistic the picture seemed. At these times, Davis and Kari exchanged glances and smiled, resisting the urge to laugh out loud.
"Mmmmm…you know what I could go for right now?" Kari said contentedly.
Davis looked down at her and shook his head, "Nuh-uh, not tonight,"
It was obvious that Kari was not pleased, "That's not what I meant! Why-oh-why did I have to marry such a sick-minded boy hiding in a man's body?" she groaned.
"Because," Davis grinned evily, "you love me,"
Kari yawned in mock boredom, "Debatable. But we'll discuss that later. What would really hit the spot right now is a cup of hot chocolate. Wanna go make one for me?"
Davis leaned forward to kiss her affectionately on the cheek. "The things I do for you,"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "Am I not worth it?" she teased, and then pushed him towards the kitchen, "Now go make me my hot chocolate!"
As Davis walked towards the kitchen, the phone rang. It's shrill ring cut through the comfortable stillness, and Kari snatched up the phone. "Moshi moshi? Motomiya residence,"
"K-K-Kari?" a voice stammered.
Kari's brows knit together, "Yolei? What's wrong?"
"I…I…we lost…" Yolei's voice indicated she was on the verge of tears.
"Yolei, calm down! Take a breath and start again slowly, okay?"
It seemed to work as Yolei took in a deep breath and released it. "We…Ken and I…adopted a child. Seemed to start off well…" her voice cracked and she started crying.
"Yolei? Yolei!" Kari yelled into the phone, "What happened? Is someone hurt?"
She could barely hear bits and pieces of the conversation on the other side, but some was audible, "Can't…you tell…too much…"
"Yolei…must…wrong…"
"Somebody? Anybody?" Kari tried again.
Davis, who had abandoned the hot chocolate, rushed to her side. "Kari? What's wrong? Who is it?"
Finally, someone picked up the phone, "Hello? Kari?"
"Ken!" Kari said, relief flooding her voice, "I thought you were hurt or something,"
"Look, put me on the phone with Davis, could you?"
Kari nodded, even though she knew Ken couldn't see her, and handed the phone wordlessly to Davis. With a worried look on his face, Davis accepted the phone. "Ken! What?! You adopted the kid? That's grea- What?! WHAT?! You called… Well yeah, yeah! But…all of them? Even Mimi? Why'd you call me last? Sakura? Oh God Sakura!"
The phone clattered to the floor as Davis sprinted for his daughter's room. He flipped the switch and lights flooded the room. The room that he and Kari had so painstakingly prepared for their baby. The crib. The crib that he and TK had built together, had bonded over.
The crib that was empty. Sakura was nowhere to be seen.
No little form half-hidden by the blanket, no small head covered in fine sugar-brown hair, no little button nose, no ears curved just like his. She was gone. "No…" he whispered softly, "No, give her back. I want her back!"
He dropped to his knees, a tear tracking down his face while he pounded a fist against the crib. Running footsteps told him that Kari had heard, and that she was worried. She paused in the doorway, her eyes wide with disbelief. She glanced at Davis on the floor, and then at the empty crib. "No…" her voice was hoarse with emotion, "No…Davis, tell me this is a nightmare. Tell me my baby's safe, tell me she's still in that crib, tell me…tell me…"
She collapsed against the doorway of the room, sliding to the ground as she hid her face in her hands. Davis was embracing her in seconds and she cried into his shoulder. "Ken…Ken said something about e-mail…" she choked out between sobs.
"E-mail…?"
With a quick kiss on his wife's forehead, he rushed to the computer and turned it on. "C'mon, c'mon…" he urged the computer, "Faster, c'mon…" The e-mail window automatically popped up.
There was one new message.
Without hesitation he opened it, and stared unbelievingly.
"Kari! KARI! We have to get to Tai's place,"
"No, NO!" Kari's voice was shrill and frantic, "She has to be here! She has to be somewhere! Maybe she…maybe she wanted us and tried to crawl to us…"
Though troubled, Davis kept his wits about him, "Listen to me. Sakura's not here. Although someone could have kidnapped her, it's doubtful. Ken and Yolei have called everyone else, even Mimi, and someone they love is missing. It might be a new evil in the Digital World,"
"You're telling me that my baby, my poor defenseless baby, is in the hands of a deranged digimon?!" Kari almost shrieked, "It's not possible! It can't be! I…I'll tear that thing to pieces if he does anything to Sakura,"
Kari was flailing around frantically, but Davis only wrapped her in his arms. "No! Let go! I have to go after her, I have to get her back!" she screamed, pounding against his chest.
And then she slapped him. Hard.
A red colour blossomed in his affected cheek, but he only continued to hug her. "Listen to me, you have to calm down. If we go to Tai's the others will be there and we can come up with some way to get Sakura and the others back. Tai's probably calling the police right now, and the sooner we get there, the sooner we'll get our Sakura back. But Kari, you have to calm down,"
Shock and shame washed over Kari's face, "I'm so sorry!" she gasped, "I slapped you! I didn't mean to, I was just so worried, and confused, and terrified…I couldn't control myself! Oh Davis, you know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose, right?"
Davis smiled and only hugged her tighter, "Of course. I love you Kari, and I love Sakura too. I'd do anything to keep you two safe. Let's get to Tai's now, okay?"
Nodding, Kari buried her face in his neck, "Okay," she said quietly, "But I feel so weak, I can't remember how to walk…"
Davis gently guided his wife out the door, and the computer was left on, forgotten. The message scrawled across the screen was bold and clear. YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSIONS…