Chapter Fourteen:

The Party

(two years later)

'It's hard to believe now the adventure we all had two years ago. Rika and I now engaged, Tai and Yuuki are married with a child on the way and the other are the same as they always were.'Ryo thought as he looked out the window waiting for his girlfriend and her sister. 'But I know that one day we'll be called back. Some how I can tell that he isn't done with us yet and I hope that when we do face him once more, that we'll be ready.'

"Hey Ryo, come on." Kari said, snapping Ryo out of his thought as she walked up the stairs of Rika's new house. "You guys are going to miss Taiyou's going away party."

"Huh? Oh right." Ryo said walking out the door. "Hey Rika, you guys ready?"

'Taiyou is having a going away party because she was going to study abroad for a year.' Kari thought as she watched Ryo and Rika talk and put their jackets on. 'TK and I have been going strong, I think he's going to propose soon. Then of course Sora and Matt will soon be married and everyone else is just how they've always been.' she continued thinking. 'But I still feel that something isn't right. Yuuki believes the same as I do, but neither one of us wants to believe it I don't think..'

"Hey Kari come on." Rika laughed. "Quite your daydreaming."

"Huh? Oh yeah, right." she laughed as well. "Let's go."

TK sighed as he stood by the door at the party. As he watched Kari he fiddled with a small leather box. He wanted to talk to Kari back he didn't know how to, nor did he really want to at Taiyou's party. Just then Rika walked up to him and smiled.

"Whatcha got there?" she asked, although she had a good idea already as to what it was.

"Huh? Oh n-nothing" he said quickly putting the box pack in his pocket.

"Uh-huh, sure it's not. It looks like to me that someone is going to be a very happy woman by the end of the party."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Rika." TK said blushing as Rika laughed and walked away. TK sighed again, and pulled the box back out and just started to fiddle with it again. He did want to ask her, but her was afraid to. He didn't want the two of them to end up like his parents had.

Sora looked over to where TK was standing and smiled, then she looked at Matt, who nodded. So she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey look, just breath and pull her somewhere private. I'm sure that she'll say yes."

"How is it that everyone knows?" TK groaned. "Both you and Rika..."

"She probably saw you playing with the ring box." Sora said smiling. "That's how I figured it out."

"I don't know Sora." TK sighed. "I know we have a lot in common but..."

"But what?" Sora prompted "What are you so worried about? I mean you love her don't you?"

"Of course I do, and it's the reason I have this problem."

"What problem? What are you so worried about? What has you so nervous?"

"It's my parents." TK said a little sharply. "They got divorced and it sort of has me scared alright?"

"Scared of what?"

"Being in a damn relationship." TK said sharply shocking Sora. She had never heard him take a tone with anyone. Sure he had lost his cool once or twice two years ago when they were facing Devimon, but that was something she could understand about.

"So you're worried that you'll end up like your parents." Sora said softly. "You know I understand that. Honestly I'm worried that I might end up like my mom, alone and bitter, but I won't let that fear control me."

"I guess you're right Sora." TK said. "Excuse me." he added, then he walked up to Kari. "Can we talk?"

"Um sure. Us everything okay TK?" she asked worried.

"Yeah, but can we um, talk outside for a minute?"

"Okay..." Kari said confused following TK outside as Rika and Ryo watched them.

"Are you worried Rika?" Ryo asked looking at his girlfriend.

"No, I know Kari. She'll be ecstatic and will definitely say yes." Rika told him. "TK just needs to get over his fear. I understand about having fears, but he can't let it run his life. No one can."

"Yeah I know the feeling well." Ryo said taking Rika's hand. "Thanks for helping me through my fears when I needed it."

"Always." she said squeezing his hand and smiling. She knew that Ryo of all people knew well what it was like to have fear control someone's life. Thanks to what he went through with Millenniummon when he was a child, Ryo spent his entire life in fear. Until two years ago that was, when she and Ryo started dating after they returned from the Digital World. When he began to pull away from her again, he finally told her that he was worried Millenniummon wasn't gone and he was still within him. Once Rika knew what Ryo was going through, she helped him get through it all.

"Hey Kari?" TK asked as they walked out to the little pond in the back yard.

"Yes, TK?"

"Do you miss them?" he asked, his hand deep in his pocket. "Gatomon and the others?"

"Sometimes, why?"

"J-Just wondering." he said, then sighed.

"Is everything okay, TK?" Kari asked "You seem really nervous about something."

"Yeah you could say I'm nervous." TK said getting down on one knee and pulled out his hand. "Will you marry me?"