The college trip had its ups and downs, but I did manage to get the chapter finished… I've got most of this planned out… I have been playing with some ideas though to possibly switch some stuff up… But because nothing's final yet, I'm curious about my readers' input… You know by now that this story will mostly center around the kids from the first two seasons. But season three and four were part of my childhood and dear to my heart also. I'm considering adding them in a little later into the story. I have a way they could fit in, but I could also tweak those plans to leave it at just the Adventure and 02 crowd. Thoughts?

Thank you so much for reviewing chapter three: Guest, ToastyToaster22, and Sweet Cari! Much appreciated!

Chapter Four: Absent

The shelter was little more than a big, empty warehouse. Its electricity had been knocked out, just as the lights were out in every other building that night. But the warehouse was on the other side of the river, and that made it feel just the tiniest bit safer. However, the sounds of destruction were still reaching them loud and clear, and the sirens sounded too far off to be reassuring.

A particularly high-pitched shriek cut through the others. Kari had been watching her brother quickly losing patience with simply sitting back and waiting. This last sound had him shooting to his feet. "That's it. I'm going back out."

"What?" She couldn't say she hadn't been expecting it, but the declaration sent a jolt of terror through her all the same. "But you can't! You said it yourself; it's not safe."

He kneeled back down to be on her level and smiled reassuringly. This image burned very clearly in her memory. It was so quintessential Tai. His warm brown eyes, his confident grin. Tai's hair—always wild—seemed to be sticking up in a few extra places. Unsurprising, given they'd both been asleep in bed not an hour earlier.

"There are people out there who need my help," he explained in as gentle a voice as Tai had ever managed. She remembered being annoyed at the time that he had trusted her as an equal on so many other 'missions' in the past, but now, when it really mattered, he was treating her like a kid.

"I want to help too," she'd protested, unwilling to be left behind in the dark.

"No." And he'd seemed almost panicked at the thought. "I need you to stay here, where it's safe."

"But why? You're not staying where it's safe," she'd accused, dangerously close to tearing up.

He had definitely picked up on the tremble in her voice, and his eyes softened further. "I won't be able to concentrate, knowing you're out there with me. And I need someone to stay here and convince all the other kids I bring back to stay put. Your job is just as important, you see? You're my right-hand man."

"Woman," she corrected automatically, but this familiar slip-up, of all things, was what finally managed to reassure her. More solemnly, she promised, "Always."

His grin became cheerful and confident once more. "I wouldn't dream of replacing you." He straightened up. "All right. I'll be back soon. I'm counting on you."

…

The blaring of her alarm clock put an abrupt end to the dream, not that there was much more to it. She'd remained in that shelter all night, living up to her promise. She was younger than many of the kids Tai sent her way, but she made sure to be the first friendly face each new arrival saw, welcoming them inside, drifting from one group to another to make sure no one's spirits ever dropped too far.

But Tai had not upheld his end of the deal. He did not return as promised. That parting scene had been the last time she'd seen him until—Kari still had not been able to finish that sentence. It would remain open-ended until their reunion, whenever that may be.

"Kari, are you awake yet?" she heard her mother call from down the hall. She was pleased to hear an alertness that had not been in her mother's voice these past few days. Perhaps her parents were finally recovering as well.

"I'm getting up now," she called back, finally silencing her alarm.

She did not have to wonder why that particular memory came back to her now, and in such startling clarity. Kari suspected TK's sudden appearance in her life must have stirred up something in the back of her mind. Perhaps as some way to compensate for his own amnesia.

As she got out of bed and dressed for the day, her mind drifted to the other families. She'd mentally marked TK's return as the moment they all started drifting apart. But there had always been a divide between the families. She hadn't fully understood it at the time. To eight-year-old Kari, loss was loss. But she could see now the fundamental difference between those who had lost their child… And those who had lost their only child. For a short while, TK's parents had been the most tragic of all. The only pair to have lost all of their children… And then the only pair to have been reunited with one.

"Hey, Mom?" she spoke suddenly, looking up from her breakfast. She could tell from the look on her mother's face that she'd been interrupted. "Oh, sorry."

"It's fine. You've been distracted all morning. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah. Um, I was wondering… Do you ever hear from the Takaishis?"

"I believe they're the Ishidas, actually… If I remember correctly, Takaishi was Nancy's maiden name. Though I suppose she may have taken it back after their divorce…" her mother began tangentially. "But no, I haven't spoken to either of them in years. Why do you ask?"

"It's just… TK transferred into my class yesterday."

"Really?" Her mother's hands had stilled where she was washing dishes at the sink. "What's he like?"

Her mother seemed just as curious as she had been. Kari supposed TK was still something of a mystery to her. She just couldn't help feeling like there was something yet to be seen underneath that smile of his. So she worded her answer carefully. "I guess… I don't really know yet. He seems nice. But he's kind of hard to read."

Her mother seemed to relax, smiling sympathetically. "Well, it has only been one day. Perhaps you two will be good for each other. I'm sure he's under a lot of pressure from this whole mess too."

It was the closest her mother had ever come to addressing that night directly. As far as Kari could remember, after the initial panic, it had been as if her mother could not bear to speak aloud of the tragedy that had befallen them. Sure, she had been the one to bring him up, but… Already, this was the effect TK was having on her life. And she knew this was just the beginning.

…

But the more drastic changes she was on guard for were slow coming. The difference in Kari's daily routine was more of a shift than a change.

TK had indeed seemed to have 'found his group' as Davis had put it. A group that Davis had also apparently become a member of, at least as long as TK was hanging around. And Cody, perhaps drawn by the power struggle, was spending a lot more time with them as well. Well, maybe 'power struggle' wasn't the right word for it. But TK's responses to Davis's challenges were becoming increasingly glib. Kari was convinced he was playing some sort of game here—a game sure to go right over Davis's head. But even she couldn't be sure of this game's point. Once again, she took to wondering what was hiding behind that smile. At any rate, the days when it was just Kari and Yolei at their lunch table were long gone.

And, once the initial shock had passed, the new group dynamic was surprisingly easy to adapt to. Kari would even say she enjoyed the banter between Davis and Yolei. Her days were certainly a lot livelier at least. But then, just as Kari was starting to settle into this new routine, TK threw her for a loop once again.

The week had been nothing unusual thus far. Just the ordinary monotony of classes. Spring had settled in as well, beginning to more closely resemble summer. The warm weather was beginning to take its toll on the students, making them restless for the extended summer break. Already, their talk at the lunch table had moved on to plans for that break. Plans involving all five of them. They truly had become one unit.

And then, one day, TK was missing from homeroom. It was his first absence since he'd transferred to their school and, up until lunch, Kari had been certain he was merely late. She wasn't sure why she had been so surprised when only four people were present at their table. Everyone got sick sometimes, right? She knew that well enough herself. And it was an especially nice day. It was possible he was just ditching. They'd only been acquainted for a few weeks. Perhaps this was entirely in the norm for TK. Even so, something about his absence just didn't sit right with her.

No one else was terribly concerned. Like Kari, they assumed he was just sick or playing hooky. Davis didn't seem to care why TK was absent. He just seemed to be glad for a chance to relax from his 'guard' duties. Yolei lamented their own responsibility when they could be out enjoying the sunshine too.

"What I wouldn't give to be at the beach right now," she groaned, glancing down distastefully at the lackluster school lunch on the table before her before addressing Kari directly. "We should take a leaf out of TK's book if it's this warm again tomorrow."

Cody smirked, one of his rare teasing moments. "They probably wouldn't even mark you late until first period was over… given your usual attitude when it comes to punctuality."

Yolei was taken aback for a moment but was surprised out of her stupor by Kari's sudden laughter. Davis—who'd been searching his mind to define 'punctuality'—laughed along with her easily, and the conversation effortlessly moved on to the next topic.

The other three were equally unconcerned when TK didn't show up the next day either, though by day three, they were all at least a little worried. Even Davis lost his smug smile. It just wasn't in his nature to hold petty grudges. Kari had to give him points for that. He may have been an idiot, but he was a pure-hearted idiot.

The weekend gave her worries a break, but they returned full force on Monday morning when the final bell rang, yet there was still no sign of TK. They were all wearing grim expressions when they gathered at the lunch table.

"Maybe he's, like, really sick," Yolei mused. "I haven't heard of anything going around, but…"

"I don't suppose any of you knows where he lives?" Kari asked without much hope. "Or even a phone number?"

She wasn't terribly surprised when they all shook their heads.

"Now that you mention it, TK hasn't shared much of anything about his personal life since we've known him," Cody commented quietly.

So she wasn't the only one to have noticed an air of mystery about him. TK always seemed to be holding something back. With no way to contact or check in on their new friend in person, Kari was left again to wonder what lurked behind TK's easygoing smiles.

…

Tuesday morning found the two girls rushing into class at the last minute for the umpteenth time that year. Kari had just slid breathlessly into her seat when Davis appeared at her shoulder. She was surprised when he bent down to whisper in her ear—Davis wasn't exactly known for subtlety—but her gaze followed his finger as he pointed to the front of the room.

"Hey, look who's back," he whispered. Well, in Davis's approximation of a whisper, anyway.

She hadn't taken much notice of what exactly had her teacher distracted. (For in truth, she and Yolei had been at the tail end of that last minute.) But now the sight sent a little shock through her. It was TK standing up by the blackboard, discussing, no doubt, all the make-up work he must have after his long absence. Not that this seemed to worry him. Kari couldn't hear their conversation over the other students' chatter, but all she saw on his face was that now-familiar smile.

Yolei, having easily overheard Davis's whisper, had also turned to stare. TK didn't seem to notice as the teacher took his spot at the front of the room and he moved to take his seat behind Kari. At least, until Davis remained rooted to the spot, blocking his way.

"It's good to see you all again. I hope Cody is well too?" His easy deflection caught them all a little off-guard but, from this proximity, Kari thought she saw something a little bothered about his smile after all. Something sad.

"Dude, where have you been?" Davis wasn't one to be redirected so easily. "You just disappeared for, like, a week."

TK's smile never wavered. "This is a hard time of year for my family. I guess, in all the excitement of moving, it took a while to catch up to us."

"Mr. Motomiya, is there a problem?" Their teacher was an unenthusiastic sort of man, but he did hold some authority. The two boys finally returned to their seats, this conversation put on hold for now.

But, under the cover of the morning announcements, TK leaned forward and whispered, "I'm sorry if I worried you."

Kari just nodded, unsure what to think.

Review please!

I don't own Digimon.

And that's one more piece set up… We should be getting into the bigger story soon.