Okay, chapter four! Wow, I thought it would be more like a week between updates...I guess I'm doing okay then, eh?

Alright, for those of you wondering about Matt, he'll be making his debut...NEXT time! Sorry if you didn't want to wait this long. I guess five chapters is a bit long for fully introducing the major characters in this fic...but the wait is almost over!

Apprehension

Sleep didn't come very easily to the worried digimon, or the curious one, or even the hungry one for that matter. And Patamon was definitely worried. He had been kept up at night by his friend's squirming in his sleep, but had tried to take no notice. TK Takaishi got like that when he had the occasional nightmare about Devimon killing Angemon, but now there were at least three nights in a row where Patamon's blond partner began sweating in his sleep. What didn't help was that TK wouldn't talk about it at all. During the day he was his bright old self, happy and carefree, except for a little extra homework for the weekend, but who did that ever not happen to?

Patamon knew what was troubling the boy, but wondered why he wouldn't just come into the open about the whole thing. From the very first night, TK had begun moaning and murmuring aloud during his dreams, waking Patamon from a fitful sleep. The digimon listened to his friend's senseless mumbling until he heard two distinct words.

"...Patamon...mrgh...Matt!" With that, Patamon could tell TK had woken up, even though they were facing back to back. The boy had stopped his shuffling, and was now quiet and taking deep, slow, but shaky breaths. Patamon waited until TK's breathing had gone down, then ventured a question.

"TK?"

There was a pause, and then, "Yeah, Patamon?"

"What was it this time?"

Again TK took a moment in responding. "Just another dream. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure? It sounded more like a nightmare than anything I've ever heard from you." Patamon turned to look at TK. The latter glanced aside at him. The hair around TK's face was still wet with sweat. "What happened to me and Matt?" The little digimon asked.

Now TK's face took on a confused look. "Was I talking?"

"I heard you calling. You are starting to mumble things in your sleep."

"Well, sorry I woke you up."

The digimon waited for a few uneasy moments. TK was staring at the ceiling. Patamon didn't want to push, but he just had to ask again. "So what was it about?"

TK turned away, not giving his friend the answer he was looking for. "It was only a dream, Patamon. Don't worry about it. I've had nightmares before."

Despite TK's attempt at reassurance, Patamon still had trouble sleeping, and was unaware that TK himself didn't get another wink until morning. That was Friday night, after their latest encounter. Saturday night wasn't much better. Sunday was worse. TK had woken up before one o'clock, leaving him shaky for the rest of the moonlit hours. Still, Patamon tried to pry a hint from TK as to what was really happening. He didn't go at it directly, but rather tried to make a little conversation when the boy couldn't fall back to sleep.

"They must be really real-life like," the rookie ventured. "I'm starting to worry you're going to wet the bed."

"Boy, that would be more embarrassing than anything," TK chuckled, failing to hide a little quiver in his words. He took a deep breath. "But, yeah, they do feel real. Realer than the other dreams about Devimon and Angemon. It's like I'm reliving them, but these times I'm failing."

Patamon cocked his head as best as a patamon could do. TK still wasn't coming out into the open about what "they" were, but the digimon was slowly putting the pieces together. "Do they get Matt?"

"No…they get me." TK's voice almost cracked. Patamon jumped over gently onto his lap, his face serious.

"What about me? Why aren't I saving you?"

TK didn't meet his partner's gaze. "You either aren't there, or they…they get you too."

"That's what makes the dreams different from reality." Patamon smiled, trying to reassure TK. "I'm never leaving, and I'm not going to get beaten by anything!"

TK smiled and hugged his digimon. "I'm glad of that."

The two were still troubled by the aftermath of their visit to the Dark World. What was with these nightmares? In each of the dreams was a flashback to the other times TK had encountered the darkness of that world. Kari. The whirlpool. Yolei. Three times he had rebelled against the darkness and its warnings. He was going to pay, but he already knew that from the beginning. TK did it so the others would be free from darkness. He didn't really spend much time thinking about or fearing what would happen to him. It was Monday night when TK was revisited in his dreams by Devimon, to the boy's great shock and dismay. How did the evil digimon manage to come back?

Tuesday proved to be a rather glum day. They (whatever they were) were no longer confining themselves to his sleeping mind. It was going to come out into the open soon, but the only person alive he wanted to know about the nightmares was his big brother. At least Tuesday was the day that he would see him next, and TK pondered on how he would get some time alone with Matt, since the plan was for the kids to go on a pleasure trip to the DigiWorld.

The morning of the trip, TK was still wondering how he would even break it to his brother that he had been at the Dark Ocean. For those who had encountered the darkness, they mostly liked to keep it under the hat. Speaking of hats, his was the one thing he nearly forgot in his absent-minded preparation to go to school. He couldn't keep his mind focused on anything. He thought about the threats given him by the dark ones. Himself being bound in each dream. Seeing his friends in danger, helpless to do anything but stare in regret as he was restrained.

TK realized he was dying to see his brother again. It had been a while since any of the older kids had managed to make arrangements to go with the younger, excepting Izzy, of course. The wait was over, and TK was more than ready to get the school day done and find a peaceful corner of the DigiWorld to speak to Matt.

The blond walked slowly and wearily to the school, knowing he had time to spare, and prepared himself as best he could for a long, miserable day.

Stay tuned for the next chapter tomorrow!