Everything we know is about to be tested...

Two worlds, on the edge of a knife...

Evil Digimon from the Dark Lands descend upon our freedom...

New friends and old friends...

We come together in our darkest days...

Alone we are doomed...

Together, united in a pact of justice, we stand a chance...

Digimon, Digital Monsters!

The new "opening" for the series. What started out as a simple VeeGato (and keep in mind, the rest of this particular story still is ) is evolving into a full fledged story. Anyway, on to the story... Veemon and Gatomon finally meet up...and Patamon learns a dark secret... in my opinion the first well written chapter in awhile, sorry for all the boring in-betweens but now we start with the real story.

Chapter 8 - Hold My Hand

"How could I be so foolish..."

Gaomon was muttering under his breath, holding his still bleeding nose, as he walked down a deserted road. To his left, a few yards off, stood a lone Digimon. Around the same height as Gaomon, he was a light shade of blue with black pants, feet and a black mask. Under his arms were a set of small blue wings.

"Well well well, looky see what we have here!"

Gaomon, who had recognized the high pitched and whiny, though still evil and disheartening voice, turned around. He gasped.

"Dr-Dracmon! W-what are you doing here?"

Dracmon had a deliciously evil grin on his face as he approached Gaomon.

"You're suppose to be back in the Dark World... what's a soldier of Phelesmon doing in the human world?"

"Bah, what a daft pooch you are! Doesn't anybody tell you anything around here doggy breath? Lord Beelzemon doesn't think Dagomon can accomplish things anymore, so he told me, personally, to come here and keep an eye on you..."

Gaomon was snarling. If there was anything he found more despicable than Dagomon it was this low life excuse for a Digimon in front of him.

"Listen! I'm finished with this, you hearing me? Do what you want to the girl but I want no part in it!"

He turned around and began to walk away. Dracmon began to cackle.

"Ya see Gaomon, Lord Beelzemon isn't an incompetent fool like Dagomon, he knows how to see a plan through! And when he told me to keep an eye on you..."

Dracmon threw his arms up in front of him, opening his hands. The two eyes in his palms began to flash.

"He wasn't joking!"

Dracmon's evil grin took over his face as the light shot out of his hands and engulfed Gaomon.

"AHHHH! STOP IT, YOU BASTARD!"

Gaomon screamed with all his energy as the dark light slowly calmed his nerves. Dracmon had successfully bended his will and made him his slave.

"Hehehehahahahahaha! Stupid dog! Nobody escapes from Lord Beelzemon!"

"Sorry for my disobedience Master. I will be a good boy from now on."

Gaomon's voice was robotic and emotionless as Dracmon forced him to bow down. He proceded to laugh menaically.

"Now get up! I have a job for you."

"Whatever you command, great and powerful Dracmon sir."

***Meanwhile, back with Veemon...***

Boy... I should really get out more! I've only been walking for a few minutes and I'm already pooped! Guess I should take a rest.

Veemon was wearing a fleezy jacket lent to him by Davis; he never wore it anymore on account of it being from his younger days and it being too small now, though just right for Veemon. He almost forget to grab one, but luckily he decided to go back for it, because today was a particularly cold winter day in Japan. And even with a jacket, Veemon couldn't protect himself from bad physical shape.

"I'll just take a small break, Gatomon wont mind, in fact, she'll probably take longer than me anyway!"

He found a bench off the sidewalk and sat down for a breather. Gentle snowflakes were still falling down as the sky began to turn dark grey. Although it was only a little before 3 o'clock in the afternoon, being December, the day was ending quickly. He inhaled the fresh, cool air. His glutes sufficiently satisfied for now, he got up and began to walk some more. It was a little slippery and he took his time. Finally, he came to a small path in the woods that led straight to the area behind the school.

Gatomon was also on her way. After calling Veemon about 15 minutes ago, she found a nice fluffy, pink scarf from the closet and wrapped it tightly around her neck. Agumon was still watching his television when he noticed her readying for a departure.

"You know something Gatomon, you sure are a weird little cat. One moment you're all sad and then the next you're chiper than Davis after he almost scores a goal! And who are you going out with now? Don't tell me Gaomon sweeped you off your feet again!"

Agumon was smirking something fierce, but Gatomon didn't mind. She smiled back and replied,

"Nope, I'm going to go meet Veemon at the school park."

Agumon jumped up from the couch with a surprised look on his face.

"Veemon! Just how depressed are you, going out with a guy like him! Between the two of them, him and Davis don't equal much on the IQ scale, if you catch my drift!"

"Hey! We're just going to hang out...as friends. Besides, he's not that bad. I think he's sorta cute!"

Agumon facepalmed and sat back down.

"I was right...you ARE hopeless..."

"Love you too! When Kari comes home tell her where I am and that I may be gone for awhile."

Agumon didn't reply but waved an arm above the couch, signalling to her that he heard, though not neccessary understood or even absorbed what she had said.

Now she was on her merry way, in the same situation as Veemon. The sidewalk was slippery with ice and it was getting darker and darker by the minute. She came to a turn in the road, the school just in sight. As she went to cross, she spotted a large, black shape in the sky. It was moving north.

What the... is it a bird? For that matter, is it even a Digimon...?

Standing in a daze, she didn't notice Veemon emerge from the woods and come into a clearing under a street light. He was admiring her beauty; the moon, which had just started to peek it's head out from some clouds, was shooting rays of light down on the crystal clear ice. The light was reflecting off of it, hitting her face. Her scarf was flapping slightly in the cold winter air. The cutest thing was her ears; in the early night, with distant sounds of commerce all around them, they were twitching slightly. She looked down from her interest in the sky and saw him. He was smiling; the streetlight casting a shadow that hid part of his face. His ears, moving to the whistle and whisper of the wind.

[Now Playing: My Will - Dream] (These will pop up every once in awhile, for added effect go play the song in question as you read.)

"...H-hey Gatomon..."

"Veemon..."

She smiled and proceded to finish her crossing, forgetting the current state of the roads. She lost her footing and began to fall. Without hesitation, he jumped forward and caught her, holding her left hand in his right and holding her body up with his left. She blushed, partially out of their current stance, and embarassment out of almost wiping out; being a cat, natures most graceful mammal, falling on one's face is not very much desired if one want's to keep her reputation as such.

She looked up into his eyes. From where he was standing, light from the newly arrived moon was bouncing off the ice and lighting up his face, creating a unique twinkle in his fearful eyes. He, however, was thinking of nothing else but how hard it was to keep her up. She was lost in his eyes.

"Um...G-Gatomon..."

She caught his drift and picked herself up. This made her even more embarassed.

"S-sorry Veemon...It's my fault."

"Of course it is! But it's a good thing I was there!"

She smiled at his remark and placed her paw (again, not the metal ones) into his hand. Now they were both blushing.

"D-don't wanna fall down again like an idiot...hope you don't mind, Veemon..."

Veemon didn't mind at all; nay, the current mental state of our blue friend was anything but annoyance. He was basically living out his most desired dream since, well, the preceding night.

"It's fine... I like your paw...it's warm and quite soft to the touch..."

They both smiled as they began their first steps together. Although the initial plan of the hand holding was to keep either one from falling, at this point it was moot. The ice was at such a state that it felt like, to the both of them, it was trying with all it's might to bring the couple down. They were sliding and losing their balance, but eventually made it the other side. Gatomon, out of a recent trance, forced a question.

"S-so... are you looking forward to the Christmas play?"

Veemon, also focussed on his happy thoughts, didn't take the question fully in for a few moments, finally forcing an answer, despite the fact he had no idea what it was she was talking about.

"Yea, I mean, I love Christmas, you know?"

"Well, who doesn't!"

Veemon chuckled a bit.

"I just meant...it's really special to me, not sure why, it just feels so magical..."

He began to blush yet again; he never talked like this. He began to sound, even to himself, like an old romantic.

"Veemon..."

He looked into her eyes.

"Errr... well I mean, ya know, getting presents is always fun!"

He smiled sheepishly as she looked away for a second.

"Did you hear something?"

He looked in the same direction as she currently was.

"Just you, the wind, and some tree leaves ruffling."

"Guess it was nothing..."

"Hey, I have an idea Gatomon."

He led her over to the swings. He picked her up and placed her on one of them; foolishly not noticing that it was covered with ice and snow. She jumped back up, into his arms, as the absolute zero temperature singed her bottom. He was quite ashamed of his oversight.

"Gatomon! I'm sorry... I should have checked first..."

His head was hung in shame. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"It's fine...this is much better anyways."

Veemon got so red at this point you'd mistake him for an entirely different Digimon if you were to glance at him from an appropriate distance. He held her in his arms as she was peacefully resting her eyes.

Wow this is... I feel so warm with her in my arms. But, what do I do now? Does she want me to hold her here like this...because...

I can't believe how I feel right now... I can feel Veemon's body heat, it's so nice... poor guy is probably about to give out any second now...

She opened her eyes once more and smiled up at him.

"You can put me down now."

Having been holding her for already too long of a time, he basically dropped her like a rock right there. His face was painted with horror as he scrambled to find something to say. It wasn't a very far drop, and she wasn't hurt; she understood that it wasn't his fault. He bent down and helped her up.

"Gatomon! Oh boy I did it again... how can you even stand me...I'm sorry, at this rate you're going to be going home missing an arm or a leg!"

"Don't worry about it Veemon! Honestly, I'm fine! And I thought it was very noble that you held me that long even if it caused you so much pain..."

They locked eyes again as the snow, which had stopped for only a bit right before they met up, had started to fall again; the fluffy white falling on their faces.

"Veemon..."

She looked down at his feet.

"Thank you..."

He blushed again, and she hugged him. As the snow fall all around them, they embraced. Suddenly, a memory hit Veemon so hard in the head he almost physically fell over.

The dream... from last night...this was it...

***Let's not forget our first couple***

Patamon was trying desperatly to keep warm as him and Lalamon were seated at a bench. She had a wool hat pulled over her head, while he had nothing. His teeth chattered as she looked at him.

"Pata... I know you're trying to act hardy...but..."

"Bah! A-are y-you kidding-g m-me? I-I always g-go outside w-without c-clothes, us a-angel Digimon a-are q-quite hardy b-by nature!"

He attempted a serious smile, but this was hard considering how cold he was. She cuddled up close to him. They both blushed.

"Is that better?"

He put his wing around her soft body. As snow fall all around them, they both closed their eyes and peacefully listened to the night's sounds; then, a crash!

"Patamon! What was that?"

With her still in his wings, he got up and looked around. He saw nothing at first, but about a minute it happened again; it was coming from behind them. A few metal trash cans were on their sides; in Patamon's mind, it was a mere product of the wind. Sitting back down, they began to talk again.

"So..." He began, " do you want to get out of here?"

"Oh...you don't like it outside...with me...?"

An expression of fear hit his face, as she sunk.

"NO! I mean, of course not... I'm having the time of my life..."

He smiled at her.

"But...I just thought you might to get a hot chocolate... there's a wonderful place just..."

But he was cut off. From behind them, in the same area as the trash cans, the familar loud, clanking sound was heard. He was a bit angry now and turned around.

"Ok, whoever's there, can you be quiet already..."

Just as he turned around, one of the garbage cans came flying towards his face. He threw Lalamon out of the way as it made contact with his small body. He fell down on the hard cement road.

"Pata!"

"5 eggs please...toast with butter, too!"

He rambled on as a figure in the shadow of some trees approached them.

"Hey you...why'd you do that!"

The figure emerged from the darkness to reveal that it was Gaomon. Patamon just regained his consciousness and beheld his perpertrator.

"Hey wait... are you Gatomon's friend; Gaomon? Why'd you throw that garbage can at me!"

Gaomon didn't answer. Instead, he ran forward towards Patamon.

"Get ready to die, Patamon! Gao Rush!"

Well, that was a load of fun. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, I took my time writing it and I think it came out great.