Back at the other Digi destined's campfire, everyone lay asleep except for Izzy and Mimi, or so they thought. Tentamon and Palmon crouched behind a rock, watching the two humans whisper to each other.
"Oh Izzy! Why can't we go somewhere to be alone together for a while?"
"Mimi, we can't leave the others. We have to stick together until we can be guaranteed that we're completely safe."
"Well when are we going to know that?"
"I think the one who'll be able to tell us that is Gennai."
"So we couldn't just be completely alone, even for a teeny tiny bit?"
"No. Mimi. We need to stay together."
"Well I guess we'll just have to improvise then won't we?"
"Huh?"
"Mmmm! Come here you!"
"Mimi! Shouldn't we wait until- mph! Hmmmmm... maybe we could improvise just for a little while."
"Hmmmm. And to think my friends told me I should hook up with Matt!"
"They did? Well I'm glad you didn't listen. Mmmm... Uh Mimi?"
"Yes Izzy?"
"Don't you think you should do that when we're alone, instead of out in the woods with everyone else asleep next to us? I mean, I don't think everyone wants to wake up and see you trying to take my shirt off."
"Hmph! You're no fun in the woods!"
Then there was a crash and the cry of "Caffeine charge!" woke up everyone else.
"It's Candymon!" Yelled Gatomon, "She's digivolved into Goobermon!"
"If my hunch it right," Izzy calculated, "The 9th child doesn't have her crest yet, so she can't digivolve without her digi destined being in trouble. So-"
"Shut up Izzy!" Matt smacked Izzy in the back of the head as he ran by him, "The 9th child is in trouble! We need to help! Not calculate! Garurumon!" There was another flash and Gabumon became Garurumon. Then the air was filled with everyone else calling out the names of their digimon.
"Greymon!"
"Birdramon!"
"Kabuterimon!"
"Togemon!"
Each of the digimon digivolved, except Gatomon and Patomon. Then they all rushed out into the woods, following the shouts. When they arrived, they saw Joe helping Emily shove the nuemomon into his duffel bag, while Gomamon and Candymon were putting Emily's guitar back in it's case. "What happened?" Tai seemed irritated that he had missed out on a fight.
"Forget about that! Are you all right?" Sora shoved Tai out of the way. Then she extended her hand to Emily, "Hi! I'm Sora!"
"I'm Emily! Joe's told me all about you guys!"
"Hi! I'm Kari! I'm the 8th child!" Kari bounded up next to Sora.
"Hi Kari! I'm Emily, the 9th child!" The others gathered around to greet Emily and Joe. As Emily promised, she made sure Joe wasn't left out of the circle. In fact, she made him stay at her side the whole time, "To be around someone she knew."
The other digimon de-digivolved back to their rookie forms and crowded around Candymon and Gomamon to hear what had happened on the way over.
"You should have seen it! They all rushed over and attacked us! Then Joe yelled 'Ikkakumon! Go!' and I digivolved! Then Candymon used her sugar beat and caught a bunch of nuemomon." Gomamon was getting excited.
"Your sugar beat still works pretty good, doesn't it Candymon?" Gatomon asked.
"Oh yeah. Once you've got it, you've go it!" Candymon tried to look cool.
"And then Candymon digivolved into Goobermon!" Gomamon bounced up and down excitedly, "And saved Emily with her caffeine charge!"
"You wanna hear something really cool?" whispered Gomamon and Candymon. The other digimon gathered around, eager to hear.
"I think Joe likes Emily!" Gomamon whispered to Agumon, Tentamon, and Gabumon at the same time that Candymon whispered "I think Emily likes Joe!" to Biyomon, Palmon, and Gatomon.
"How do you know?"
"She kissed him!"
"Oooooooh!"
"Ahem! Speaking of kissing!" All digimon eyes turned to Tentamon.
"Izzy and Mimi were kissing!" Palmon blurted out, "And Mimi tried to take off Izzy's-"
"What about Mimi and Izzy?" Sora joined the circle of digimon and was followed by Kari and TK.
"Oh. Nothing" Palmon blushed.
"The next time Mimi and Izzy want to be alone, they should try harder to find a more secluded area." muttered Tentamon. Sora heard him.
"What do you mean 'be alone?'"
"Well, you know..." Palmom glared at Tentamon for blowing the secret.
"You don't mean-? Izzy and... and Mimi were...? And She tried to...? Oh my god!" Sora laughed nervously.
"Hey guys! What's going on?" It was Mimi.
"Ah! Oh we're just talking. Don't worry. You didn't kiss- I mean miss anything."
"Are you all right Sora? This doesn't sound like you."
"Oh I'm ok." Sora lied, just as Izzy came up behind Mimi. Sora thought she saw their fingers touch longingly, "It's probably from all this sleeping on the shirt- I mean dirt! Bad for my back I guess."
"Ok, but if you start to get all dizzy, let me know ok?" Mimi walked off and Sora breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Sora?"
"What is it TK?"
"Why was Mimi trying to do what Palmon said she did to Izzy?"
"Ummm I think that's something that Matt will tell you about when you're older. Don't worry about it kiddo, ok?"
"Okay!"
"Hey Sora! Come on! We're taking Emily and Candymon back to camp!" Biyomon called as everyone trailed after Tai and Agumon back to where they'd decided to camp.
That night, Tai and Sora couldn't sleep. Tai couldn't sleep because of his excitement of finding the 9th child, but he drifted off eventually. Sora couldn't sleep because she thought she heard something move.
She sat up and looked around. TK was asleep with his head on Matt's lap. Gabumon was asleep on the other side of Matt, keeping him warm with his fur. Patomon was curled up next to TK. Kari was asleep with her head on Tai's shoulder. Gatomon was asleep in her lap. Agumon was curled up in a ball next to Kari. Biyomon was asleep a few feet away from Sora. Joe was asleep over in front of his tree. He had his back against it and his head slumped to one side. Emily was asleep next to Joe, with her head on his shoulder. Gomamon was asleep on Joe's lap and Candymon was asleep on Emily's lap.
But someone was missing. Sora turned to see Palmon and Tentamon crouching behind a rock a few yards away. Sora realized that Izzy and Mimi were the ones who were missing, so she slid over to where Palmon was and joined them. "Hi you guys."
"Shh!" Palmon and Tentamon went back to watching what was happening on the other side of the rock.
The rock was more like a mini-slope that slid down about two feet, then hit solid ground again. Izzy and Mimi sat with their backs to Sora and the other two, taking no notice.
"I wish Gennai would contact us soon," pouted Mimi, "I want to know when we can find a safe place to be together."
"We'll just have to be patient. Besides," Izzy put his hand on Mimi's knee, "We'll be more satisfied if we can hold out until then. I'm under too much stress right now as it is."
"I know," Mimi sighed and lay her head in Izzy's lap, "I just can be impatient sometimes."
"It's ok. Just go to sleep. I'll protect you." Izzy stroked Mimi's hair and then leaned back a little bit and closed his eyes. Mimi sighed and fell asleep.
Sora ducked back down behind the rock she and Palmon and Tentamon were hiding behind. "I can't believe it! I never thought those two would be-"
"Believe it," Tentamon sighed, "After what we've been through, anything's possible."
"I think it's sweet!" Palmon got a romantic look in her eyes, "I like Izzy. I think they make a cute couple."
"Yes, Izzy does have an agreeably personality" Tentamon agreed.
"Well, now that I know the secret of Izzy and Mimi," Sora yawned, "Why don't we all go to sleep now. I'm exhausted."
"I'm going to go and sleep with Mimi," Palmon slide down the slope and made herself comfortable next to Mimi.
"I think I'll join you." Tentamon slid down and curled up next to Izzy.
"Good night you guys," whispered Sora. Then she went back next to Tai and fell asleep.