A mother knows. They always know when if something is wrong and Megumi felt it. The winds changed. Mornings seemed a little less bright. Sweets are less sweet. Laughter duller and for the last few days now weeks she's been burning the eggs for breakfast. Something was wrong. Something was going on with you.

No call. No text. No Tuesday and Thursday family dinners, when you'd come over to eat with everyone. Maki hasn't really talked about or asked for you. She was seemed to always be with Takura who said Yamato allowed her to stay with him.

None of it made sense. She knew she should have stayed with you for a little longer after you came back from the hot spring, she sensed something wasn't right when you returned. But you assured her you where fine. Right as rain. Even Jaspermon vouched for you.

Still...something in her gut that twisted away told her...that you weren't well. And it was true, not from the calls Mimi did to her, it was when Megumi went over to your place and immediately called Yamato.

The rest...

The rest...

"Sorry, we ran out of sugar. Honey?" Yuuko offered, setting the drink and condiment before Megumi.

"Yes. Thank you." She opened the little bear and squeezed about two teaspoons of the golden liquid.

For a moment her eyes fixed on it and brimmed with sadness. You loved this substance ever since you were a child. Something you inherited from her, there wasn't one thing of dessert or peanut butter sandwich you didn't add the liquid. Even your drinks had to have some form of honey in them. It was the sweetest part of you, Megumi would say. It was something you didn't like and often found it embarrassing but she knew deep down you did.

And now...

Yuuko reached a hand out and laid gently on distressing mother, "I'm sorry Megumi-san," she consoled, taking a seat next to her, took a moment to search for the right words to say. While searching Megumi's face now swallowed up by tears that dropped like rain, "Megumi-san." Yuuko drew her close, squeezing every tear out that came until there was none left that could come.

"Thank you," Megumi sniffed patting her eyes with the tissue Yuuko gave, after a few minutes of her fallen tears she was alright. Crying wasn't what she came over to do, she had another reason but they weren't here yet. "the last time I cried like that..." a small chuckle slipped out mixing with the distress in her voice, "...was when Amane..."she paused her words that trembled on her lower lip at the memory, one that was still clear as day despite being years ago. It brought both sorrow and trembles of fear as it did before. Followed by a shroud of dread that swallowed something up inside when you...when you...

Even so, she as your mother cast such feelings aside refusing to worship them as they demanded, you where her daughter and she was always going to be your mother. No matter the circumstance she held, even if the smallest drop of belief knew in her hearts of hearts pass her own motherly concerns you were...you had to be alright..even if you wouldn't say or tell anyone anything. She'd find out something, so one would tell her something. And she hoped Karai would be able too, she held that connection with you as Takeru and to some extension Ken(who wasn't home), would be able to tell her something.

Someone had too.

How powerless she felt at times...and wished she wasn't, just as she did years ago with you and...this. You ran away then because of-

"Mom, I'm home," Hikari announced from the door, walking in surprise to find Megumi. Sitting with her mom, she wasn't the only one either Taichi walking in a few seconds after eyes widen for a moment, meeting the women's before breaking away quickly and excusing himself hastily from the room and situation before anyone could say anything, to his room.

Hikari conflicted, wasn't sure what to say that could explain or excuse his behavior, neither could Yuuko despite the betrayal of her hot harden crease of her eyebrows. Tempted to go after her son, Yuuko pushed that aside, it wasn't important right now. Turning her attention back to Megumi and her daughter tells her to come over. Tentatively Hikari does, she bows respectfully to Megumi already knowing what she came for and felt her face muddle with sadness and eyes fill with regret. Instantly Megumi knew and hung her head for a moment taking it in as her tears slowly returned. Yuuko signaled to her daughter to get some more tissue, Hikari quickly retrieved them apologizing repeatedly, watching her mother comfort the women until she was done. After the last tear fell, Hikari, swallowing her knotting anger dug up her courage and told Megumi some...good news that might help.

She hoped.

With this new information, Megumi thanked them and left and arrived at her new destination.

Sitting at his computer Izzy was working momentarily on the piece of that polymorphic code he had (the digimon doing their thing, Jaspermon seemed a bit more in high spirits), when Megumi entered just as he was about to crack the code.

"Ishida-san!?" he stood abruptly confused and startled by her presence, he quickly bowed to her and took out his manners for the moment and escorted her into one of his sofas.

"Thank you," she refused to sit and stood before him, her eyes worn yet fiercely determined that reminded him of yours. Of the look, you'd get and still do when it came in the face of adversary or the need to protect. "Koushiro-chan-"

"Megumi-chan!" Jaspermon exclaimed, interrupting her after noticing her presence. "Megumi-chan!"

She turned to the digimon, surprised to see them all nevertheless warmly smiled at each one especially Jaspermon who overcome with joy pushed herself out of the server and ran over to her. Jumping up right into her arms, the others topple out and go over to her. Gatomon respectfully greets her as always. Agumon tugged a little on leg asking if she brought any of her yummy treats from her bakery. Before she could answer the others bombard her expressing their happiness seeing her again. Patamon rested on her head. Gabumon asking if she was alright and if she wanted to sit down. They were like children, she thought smiling to herself, they hadn't changed one bit. As tender of a moment as it was and as much as she wanted to give them the attention they wanted, she came here for a particular reason and the look she passed to Izzy told him.

"Have you come to take me home?" Jaspermon innocently yet hopefully asked.

Silence swept the room, Izzy held his breath carefully watching Megumi as the digimon did. She did her best holding herself together, Gatomon's ears folded knowing that struggle look she had and comfortingly took hold of her hand, as she had done years ago when they stood and watched when...he (she hissed quietly) snatched you away. Just like the Gatomon could feel her trembles even if she didn't show it.

"Jaspermon..."Megumi whispered tightening the arm she held her in as any mother would do. "Jaspermon." She was unsure what to say, her heart wanted to take her home, but Izzy quickly informed her that she had to stay here for safety. To the digimon's sorrow. She apologized.

"It's forever, Jaspermon," Izzy tried to comfort her, but it did little to ease her. "Ishida-san, is there something I can help you with?"

There was. "Koushiro-chan," her hand trembled upon Jaspermon's back and in Gatomon's hand. But held herself together casting out any cracks or breaks in her voice That tried to come, again it reminded him of something you do. To discredit your true emotions. Mother like daughter he supposed, "my Amane..Amane..."her eyes move past him the monitors on his desk, Jaspermon nuzzled closer and Gatomon held her hand tighter. "have you managed to find her?"

His heart dropped along with his eyes unable to meet her gaze fully. Just like Hikari. "...I...I..."he stammered when suddenly something clicked from what she said, it went off like an alarm in his mind. He wasn't sure...he could wrong then again...

Taking his lack of response as a no, Megumi's felt her heart...no her spirit splinter into a thousand pieces. With her pain she did not hold any anger to him or the others, the digimon saw it, Gatomon was about to say something but Megumi took her hand back and set Jaspermon on the floor with the others. Tearfully and tenderly she looked into their eyes with a small smile and stood.

"Megumi-sama-" Tentamon and Gabumon tried to console.

"I promise next time to bring something really delicious," she said sweetly, patting Agumon lightly on the head, while taking Patamon off her head setting him down with the others. "I'll bring a box for each of you. Alright?"

They didn't know what to say, Jaspermon's tears came back pleaded to her to take her and to not leave. She almost threw herself on the woman, if not for the others holding her back. Holding back her own tears and desire, Megumi apologized once again, then to Izzy who was too wrapped up in his mind to notice she left.

Hurrying back to his desk, the digimon did their best to comfort Jaspermon Tentomon went to get her something, Izzy quickly pulled up the file of the polymorphic code then another file of a copy he had of everyone's digivice's code, scrolling down he finds yours and opens it. Reading the information from both, typing rapidly pairing up the similarities that each held. Tedious it was but he kept it up despite the many ERROR that appeared on his screen. Pausing for a moment thinking of the distortion brings them up hoping to connect them in some way. Again, ERROR blaring across the monitor. He kept it up, there was something here...he knew it...he could feel it. After what Megumi said...it just had to make sense...could that be why this code or maybe virus was polymorphic...

Thinking again back on you, what he saw at the spa...what Daigo told them...then the infected digimon...all the signs where pointed there...for a moment he thought of Joe...if he was here he'd be able to assist and assess. He was good at that.

ERROR.

Again.

What was he missing?

He had a piece of the code...he should be able to figure it out and see what it was...every part of it...but it was as though it intuitively knew what he was trying to do and was keeping him out. It was a stubborn thing. But he knew the more he chipped away at it...the weaker it was becoming, having already found a small trace of the virus in it, that was slowly eating away it, breaking down...Izzy believed it to be its membrane.

Pushing harder, gulping down two bottles of tea, blocking out the digimon drove all in, crossing everything; pressed enter. Held his breath for a second and...

...And Joe wasn't expecting to receive this when he returned home, a package addressed to him though no returned address, waiting for him on his desk. It was a small cube size like a Rubix cube size twice the size. Picking it up, he shakes it hearing something rattle in it. Curious, he opens it, and what he found utterly shocked him.

A brown and lavender colored digivice.

Your digivice.