AAANNNDDD another chapter! Really on a roll here. Maybe I'll just update the whole story now. Or not. Who knows? Well read and review and enjoy, And as usual, I own nothing. Besides Stella, Feymon and her digivolutions

Izzy squinted at his computer. It had been two days since they had left the beach house, and Stella had admitted to her lie. He got it, he kept secrets from people, but this was a frustrating situation, and it was important that they defeated the enemy. But at least she came forwards. He was currently trying to figure out which direction they should head. Ever since Spiral Mountain, things weren't all in the same place as they originally had been.

While Izzy studied maps Gennai had sent him, the rest of the group sat in small circles, talking. Everyone at this point had mostly accepted Stella's lie, and slowly everyone had begun treating her as before. Matt, however, was still pissed, at her and at Tai. He couldn't believe Tai had kept this huge, game changing secret from the group, and from him. They were best friends, and he didn't like that Tai chose to hide the secret of a girl they barely knew. And he was furious at Stella, for obvious reasons.

"Matt." He looked up to see Tai standing in front of him with Sora, and Stella standing a few feet behind, looking worried. "Dude, you've avoided me since we left. You pissed or something?"

Matt stood up. "You know what, I am. So why don't you just walk back over to that lying girl and let me be."

At this, Sora sighed, and shook her head, and Tai started to look pretty mad.

"Tai, Stella kept a secret that affects everyone here, in this group. That affects both worlds. And because you wanted some ass," Sora winced and Stella's expression went from worried to hurt, "or something, you decided to keep it for her. And you expect me to just be okay with that? No way. I don't give a fuck what fucked up shit happened in her life, this is bigger than her, or any of us."

Tai glared at Matt, "I did the right thing Matt. If she doesn't believe she can trust people, do you really think that blabbing her secret would help with that? And she came around and told everyone when she felt comfortable. I doubt she would be here now if I had told her secret to everyone. And where the hell does me 'wanting some ass' come from? That has nothing to do with this." Seeing where this was going, Mimi jumped up, with her help Sora tried to quickly guide Stella away from the arguing friends, but she couldn't stop her from hearing Matt's response.

"Yeah, sure it doesn't. You're telling me that the guy who has his pick of any girl he wants in school, and takes full advantage of it, suddenly isn't interested in that? That he actually wants a relationship, and to do the right thing? Come on Tai, you can pull every trick in your book on her, but don't try to trick me. You've known her less than two months. You've known me years. We need to focus here. Trying to play nice isn't going to save either world. Just screw her and be done with it. Or does she actually think you're interested in her? Maybe I should tell her about all the conquest's you've told me about."

Matt would've kept going, but Tai's fist connecting with his jaw put a halt to his rant. Falling over, he scrambled to his feet to see Tai storming away with Agumon and Izzy close behind. Blood boiling, he went to go after Tai, but TK grabbed his arms, muttering, "Bro, fighting isn't going to help either. Come on, let's go talk and calm down."

Walking down the shore a bit, the two blonde brothers sat, Matt rubbing his jaw while glaring at the water. "Fucking Tai. Why is he messing around with this chick anyways. He's just going to do what he always does, make a girl think he really cares, and then after he gets what he wants or he gets bored he drops them. And as pissed I am she didn't tell us from the get-go, we need her. He can't just screw her and be done with it."

TK was quiet for a few minutes. "I think that all three of you were at fault, and all three of you caused this situation. Yes, Stella should have come forwards from the beginning. But bro, we're an intimidating group to encounter, and she hasn't exactly had good experiences with people. Give her credit for coming forwards at all. Try to not be so harsh towards her. She's actually a cool person. You two would get along if you actually had a conversation."

He continued talking, Matt silently listening. "And Tai shouldn't have punched you, but you did provoke him. Maybe he should've told us what she told him, but I see where he's coming from. And I think this girl is different. Those 'conquests' of his are usually girls who throw themselves at him at parties, and you know he will give them a chance. They just aren't right for him, and she's completely the opposite. Tai told me that she left because he blew up after she admitted something to him, which I guess was about her crest. She isn't the usual college bimbo trying to become the girlfriend of the star soccer player. Matt, the guy BLUSHED when I asked him about her, and when Kari told him off for being overly protective and to go stare at Stella, he turned even redder. Plus, think about how panicked he was when she vanished. And come on, either way it wasn't cool to say all that in front of her."

Now that his chin wasn't pounding, Matt saw TK's points, but was unwilling to admit he was in the wrong. He simply muttered "Whatever, I thought that big brother's were supposed to give the advice, not the other way around," and TK rolled his eyes.

"The dick actually had the nerve to say that shit in front of Stella?" Furious, Tai was pacing back and forth with Izzy and Agumon watching, trying to squeeze a word in. "Who the fuck gave him that right? I swear, if this ruins things between Stella and myself, I'm going to kick Matt's ass."

Izzy cleared his throat, "Well, Tai, you do kind of have-"

Tai cut him off. "I mean, sure, I haven't been the relationship type, and maybe it appears I have been a bit of a player to people, but maybe I just hadn't met the right girl? Maybe meeting someone who didn't just want to get with Tai the Soccer Player and who actually could hold a decent conversation, who was smart, and could handle her own in a fight was what I was waiting for? Who I actually found interesting without the help of tequila? Just because he lucked out with Sora doesn't mean that the rest of us are so blessed. And Matt knows all of this. He totally blew it all way over the top."

"Tai, if i might just say-" Agumon attempted to speak, but Tai started up again.

"I didn't tell anyone for a reason, I promised. And if I broke it, how would that look? Not good to the holder of the crest of faith, who has ZERO faith. She's going to hate me now. She finally let me in, and thanks to Matt I'm back out again. She isn't an idiot. I would've given up every girl I've hooked up if it meant that I could've met her sooner. And I know that the digital world and our world are screwed if we can't win. I take this really fucking seriously. How could he not think I do? I'm the leader, I worry about what we're going to do every day. FUCK!" Tai punched his fist into a nearby log, then massaged his knuckles, wincing.

Izzy, knowing that Tai was done, or at least on a short break, hurried to speak before he got going again. "Tai, you should've told us. I get why you didn't tell the whole group, but you should've at least told myself, or Matt, or Sora. And you do have a reputation as a bit of a player, even if we know it isn't what people…. Eventually Stella would have found out. It shouldn't have been like this but you would have to have told her at some point, if you were really serious."

Tai opened his mouth but Izzy kept going, "But you must like her a lot, I don't remember the last time you punched Matt that hard. Which you shouldn't have done, even if he was provoking you. You're both blockheads. So go sort it out. We need you two working as a team." Agumon nodded his agreement.

Tai glowered at Izzy, and muttered "I'll apologize when that jackass apologizes to Stella, and to me," before stalking away. Izzy and Agumon exchanged sighs, and followed him back to the group.

Inland, Stella, Mimi, and Sora sat on the top of a hill overlooking the shoreline. They could see the Tai and Matt off talking to the others, and Sora was touching her jaw, feeling sympathy pain for her finacé. Poor Stella. That sure wasn't what any girl wants to hear about the guy she has feelings for. And Matt kinda attacked her. I see why he was upset, but he should've just talked with her. "Was all that true?"

Sora started, her thoughts interrupted by Stella. "Huh?"

"Is what Matt said true? Am I really just a number for Tai? All we've done is kiss, but we haven't had time alone. If we did would he just want to…. 'screw' and be done with me? And Matt hates me, doesn't he? I know I should have come forwards sooner, but I was scared." She drew circles in the sand with her finger.

Sora spoke up: "Matt doesn't hate you. He's just, well, being Matt. He can be a bit standoffish and an ass at times. He was just frustrated that you didn't share this before, and I think he's a little hurt that Tai didn't share with him. They've been friends for years. I understand you were scared and didn't want to come forwards right away. I was the same way with my crest. I hid away from the others and thought my crest was stupid because I didn't think i was capable of love. Eventually I realised that I should've just come forwards in the beginning instead of hiding."

"You're avoiding the main question here."

"Erm…."

"That's my answer then. Damnit, I'm so stupid. I let someone in and this happens. Seems about right." Stella gently punched the sand in a slow motion over and over again. Mimi rubbed her back and looked at Sora, silently imploring her to say something else.

"No, it's not that. Tai… Tai is Tai. Matt was right, he does have girls chasing after him left and right, just like Matt. But the difference was that Matt had me before those girls came along, so he never bothered acting on it like Tai has. I think Tai was a bit jealous that I ended up with Matt, just because the three of us were always so close. He never had romantic feelings for me, but still, seeing us together reminded him he didn't have anyone. And when he got to college and became a starter on the team, girls were all over him. It didn't hurt that he's handsome, and nice. But I think that he wanted someone he could share the digital world with, and since that was out of the question, just settled for filling that space with these girls. But you're not one of those girls. You're tough, smart, and you're not throwing yourself at him. He was so distraught when you left, and wanted to go looking for you then and there, but we told him that it would be better to wait until morning, and see if you came back. Please don't hold what Matt said, with the intention of getting Tai pissed, against him."

"I don't know, what if you're wrong? I'm not exactly Miss. Perfect either." Stella told Sora and Mimi everything she had told Tai on the beach, including the details she had left out when she came clean with the group. "And so, that's why I'm so shut off. But what if Tai just wants a quick hook up? That's not my game. I don't know if I can handle that possibility. Gods be damned, I really like him too. I felt safe for the first time in years with him."

Stella, sweetie," Mimi said gently, "don't let what Tai's past is affect what you want. He's a guy, so he automatically is going to fuck up. But I can tell he doesn't look at you the same way he did girls at school. We all visited, and saw how it went. Matt was upset and blew it out of proportion a bit. He was never interested, and was usually drunk when he talked to any girl. If he wasn't at a party drinking half a bottle of tequila, he ignored any and every girl. But he wants to be around you. He looks at you when you aren't looking like Matt looks at Sora, TK looks at Kari, and Ken looks at Yolei. And how I assume Joe looks at me."

"Thanks…. I just don't know." The three girls sat there, until Mimi stood up and held out her hand.

"Well, until you know what you want, you can stick with us." Stella smiled and took Mimi's hand. The three girls linked arms, and walked down the hill.