CHAPTER 6: Some of Us Finally Understand
Mimi shivered. "I knew I should've brought a coat," she said to herself, the night air being cold.
She stopped by the alley with the message on it. She hadn't seen any signs of Dave in a month, so she had started to relax.
She smiled to herself, remembering how Tai had pompously promised her that he'd punch Dave's head in if he came near her.
Sighing, she walked past.
She had only gone a few steps when a clatter issued from the alley in front of her.
Curiously, she peered in the dark, trying to see. Seeing nothing, she shrugged and continued walking.
Out of nowhere, hands appeared and covered her mouth. They pulled her into the dark alley.
Mimi stifled a gasp. She knew very well who this was, yet she hoped that it wasn't…
Her kidnapper stepped into the faint light, and she felt fear come over her.
It was Dave.
"Hey Mimi," he said in a rough voice, "I was wondering when I'd see you alone here. I've been waiting."
Mimi felt the tears sting her eyes as she stared up in horror at him.
"I followed you across the world, Mimi. If you thought that I'd leave without anything as a reward…you're sadly mistaken." He pushed her against the wall and smiled. "I think I'm just about to be rewarded."
Her tears overflowed, and Dave slid his hand off her mouth to caress her cheek. "Don't cry, Mimi. We have all night to be together…"
She begged, "Please, Dave! No!"
He smiled. "I'm ready for you, babe."
He moved closer to her. She took a deep breath.
"Leave her alone!"
Mimi's eyes flew open, and she stared at her rescuer.
Matt breathed quickly, his anger rising. He knew that he'd never forget how he had felt when he had heard her pleading voice and found a guy on top of her in a deserted alley.
"Leave her alone," he repeated, "or else."
He heard Mimi choke back a sob, it only added to his anger.
The guy, Dave, stood and grinned. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I'll kill you," Matt answered in a low voice.
Dave pushed Mimi violently towards him. Matt caught her in his arms, hoping that she wasn't hurt.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gruff with emotion.
"I-I'm fine," she answered in a shaky voice.
Without warning, a fist was flying towards them.
Matt acted instinctively. He pushed Mimi out of the way, and found a fist crashing into his jaw.
With a furious roar, he leaped up and began punching Dave.
He couldn't think, he was just acting. Suddenly, a fierce pain shot through his side as Dave pushed him to the ground.
"You should have left us alone," he said in a dangerous voice.
Matt felt his end was coming. He stared up at Dave defiantly. He just wished that Mimi had known how he had felt…
CRASH!
Mimi watched in cold satisfaction as Dave toppled over, the brick nearly slipping out of her hands. Breathing heavily, she stared at the body, thoughts flying at speeds she could not process.
Forgetting that Matt was there, she said in a low voice, "You had that coming to you, Dave. For months in New York, *you* were the reason that I never went anywhere alone. *You* were the reason I moved to Tokyo. *You* were the reason that I went everywhere with Tai.
"Do you know how much I suffered because of you?" she asked bitterly. "How much you scared me? Of course not. Well, forget it, Dave. I'm not standing for your stalking me anymore."
Matt stared at Mimi's flushed face as she glared at Dave's body. Dave had been…stalking her?
His mind went back to the night he and Sora had met Mimi with Tai.
[Flashback]
"Don't worry, Mimi, if he dares shows his face around here, I'll pound his head in…"
"You're right, you're still impulsive. I think I can sleep at night now."
"Yeah, and rest assured, Mimi, if he comes anywhere near you, I'll make him pay…"
[End Flashback]
Matt gasped softly as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. That night, Dave had something to do with why Tai had been so protective, and why he had been carrying Mimi…
Mimi's eyes filled with tears, tears of joy, relief that it was all over.
The brick suddenly felt so heavy in her hands, she had to drop it. She collapsed onto the ground, crying.
Suddenly someone had his arms around her, and she looked up tearfully to see Matt's worried face. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'll be fine." She fell silent, realizing that she was where she had dreamed for a long to be…in Matt's arms…
Clearing her throat, she asked, "How did you find me?"
"I…I was looking for you…"
Matt held her closer. She was so delicate and beautiful, why would anyone ever want to hurt her?
"Why?" Mimi asked.
Matt suddenly felt nervous. This wasn't the time to tell Mimi about Tai and Sora; it would only break her heart…
"Um, nothing…"
"What is it, Matt? Please, tell me."
Matt blinked slowly, unable to think when those beautiful brown eyes were pleading with him so. "I…I was going to tell you that I saw Tai…"
"Tai?"
"…with Sora at the park…kissing…"
Matt looked at her worriedly, preparing himself for the look of betrayal that was sure to be on her face.
To his surprise, she laughed.
"Mimi?" he asked uncertainly.
Mimi smiled, relief and happiness sweeping over her. "Were they kissing, really?" she asked.
Matt answered, "Yes…"
Mimi couldn't help laughing again. "Wonderful! I knew she loved him! Great, he didn't chicken out in telling her, then…This is just great!"
"You…You're not mad?"
Mimi smiled. Matt was *so* cute. "No, not at all! In fact, I'm really happy for Tai, he deserved to get his dream girl, to be happy!"
"But…he was cheating on you…" Matt said weakly. He couldn't believe that Mimi was actually *happy* about this.
"Cheating? On me? What gave you that idea?" Mimi asked, with genuine surprise.
"You two were going out, weren't you?" Matt said desperately.
Mimi smiled. "Tai and me? Going out? I don't think so! We're just friends."
"F-Friends?" Matt stuttered, not believing his luck.
"Okay, okay, we're best friends. But still, I couldn't go out with Tai! He's like a brother to me!" Mimi giggled. "Me and Tai? Unbelievable!"
Mimi grinned. Tai was right, people really *did* believe that they were going out.
"So…he wasn't cheating on you because you two weren't even going out in the first place?" Matt asked.
"Right. I knew that he was in love with Sora, and *he* knew that I was in love with y…"
Mimi slapped her hand over her mouth. She had nearly said it!
Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "Matt?"
He looked up. "What?"
"One question. Why did you break up with Sora? I mean, I knew she loved Tai, but Sora said that *you* broke up with *her*. Why?"
He looked at her for a long moment before saying, "I…I broke up with her because I was in love…"
Taking a deep breath, he finished, "…because I was in love with *you*."
Matt wouldn't look at her. She'd hate him for sure now. He should never have told her how he felt.
"Matt…"
Her voice was filled with emotion, and she seemed to have choked it out. Sighing, he forced himself to look at her.
Her eyes were filled with tears. "You…you really mean that, don't you?"
Matt sighed. "Yes, I…"
"Oh Matt!"
His arms instinctively encircled her as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I-I thought you hated me…"
"I could never hate you," he whispered.
Then, she said the words that he'd only dreamed of her saying: "I love you, Matt."
He pulled away and looked at her, at her eyes shining with love for him. His throat was tight, and he couldn't say anything…
So he let his heart take over.
Swiftly, he leaned down and kissed her.
Mimi shivered. "I knew I should've brought a coat," she said to herself, the night air being cold.
She stopped by the alley with the message on it. She hadn't seen any signs of Dave in a month, so she had started to relax.
She smiled to herself, remembering how Tai had pompously promised her that he'd punch Dave's head in if he came near her.
Sighing, she walked past.
She had only gone a few steps when a clatter issued from the alley in front of her.
Curiously, she peered in the dark, trying to see. Seeing nothing, she shrugged and continued walking.
Out of nowhere, hands appeared and covered her mouth. They pulled her into the dark alley.
Mimi stifled a gasp. She knew very well who this was, yet she hoped that it wasn't…
Her kidnapper stepped into the faint light, and she felt fear come over her.
It was Dave.
"Hey Mimi," he said in a rough voice, "I was wondering when I'd see you alone here. I've been waiting."
Mimi felt the tears sting her eyes as she stared up in horror at him.
"I followed you across the world, Mimi. If you thought that I'd leave without anything as a reward…you're sadly mistaken." He pushed her against the wall and smiled. "I think I'm just about to be rewarded."
Her tears overflowed, and Dave slid his hand off her mouth to caress her cheek. "Don't cry, Mimi. We have all night to be together…"
She begged, "Please, Dave! No!"
He smiled. "I'm ready for you, babe."
He moved closer to her. She took a deep breath.
"Leave her alone!"
Mimi's eyes flew open, and she stared at her rescuer.
Matt breathed quickly, his anger rising. He knew that he'd never forget how he had felt when he had heard her pleading voice and found a guy on top of her in a deserted alley.
"Leave her alone," he repeated, "or else."
He heard Mimi choke back a sob, it only added to his anger.
The guy, Dave, stood and grinned. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I'll kill you," Matt answered in a low voice.
Dave pushed Mimi violently towards him. Matt caught her in his arms, hoping that she wasn't hurt.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gruff with emotion.
"I-I'm fine," she answered in a shaky voice.
Without warning, a fist was flying towards them.
Matt acted instinctively. He pushed Mimi out of the way, and found a fist crashing into his jaw.
With a furious roar, he leaped up and began punching Dave.
He couldn't think, he was just acting. Suddenly, a fierce pain shot through his side as Dave pushed him to the ground.
"You should have left us alone," he said in a dangerous voice.
Matt felt his end was coming. He stared up at Dave defiantly. He just wished that Mimi had known how he had felt…
CRASH!
Mimi watched in cold satisfaction as Dave toppled over, the brick nearly slipping out of her hands. Breathing heavily, she stared at the body, thoughts flying at speeds she could not process.
Forgetting that Matt was there, she said in a low voice, "You had that coming to you, Dave. For months in New York, *you* were the reason that I never went anywhere alone. *You* were the reason I moved to Tokyo. *You* were the reason that I went everywhere with Tai.
"Do you know how much I suffered because of you?" she asked bitterly. "How much you scared me? Of course not. Well, forget it, Dave. I'm not standing for your stalking me anymore."
Matt stared at Mimi's flushed face as she glared at Dave's body. Dave had been…stalking her?
His mind went back to the night he and Sora had met Mimi with Tai.
[Flashback]
"Don't worry, Mimi, if he dares shows his face around here, I'll pound his head in…"
"You're right, you're still impulsive. I think I can sleep at night now."
"Yeah, and rest assured, Mimi, if he comes anywhere near you, I'll make him pay…"
[End Flashback]
Matt gasped softly as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. That night, Dave had something to do with why Tai had been so protective, and why he had been carrying Mimi…
Mimi's eyes filled with tears, tears of joy, relief that it was all over.
The brick suddenly felt so heavy in her hands, she had to drop it. She collapsed onto the ground, crying.
Suddenly someone had his arms around her, and she looked up tearfully to see Matt's worried face. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'll be fine." She fell silent, realizing that she was where she had dreamed for a long to be…in Matt's arms…
Clearing her throat, she asked, "How did you find me?"
"I…I was looking for you…"
Matt held her closer. She was so delicate and beautiful, why would anyone ever want to hurt her?
"Why?" Mimi asked.
Matt suddenly felt nervous. This wasn't the time to tell Mimi about Tai and Sora; it would only break her heart…
"Um, nothing…"
"What is it, Matt? Please, tell me."
Matt blinked slowly, unable to think when those beautiful brown eyes were pleading with him so. "I…I was going to tell you that I saw Tai…"
"Tai?"
"…with Sora at the park…kissing…"
Matt looked at her worriedly, preparing himself for the look of betrayal that was sure to be on her face.
To his surprise, she laughed.
"Mimi?" he asked uncertainly.
Mimi smiled, relief and happiness sweeping over her. "Were they kissing, really?" she asked.
Matt answered, "Yes…"
Mimi couldn't help laughing again. "Wonderful! I knew she loved him! Great, he didn't chicken out in telling her, then…This is just great!"
"You…You're not mad?"
Mimi smiled. Matt was *so* cute. "No, not at all! In fact, I'm really happy for Tai, he deserved to get his dream girl, to be happy!"
"But…he was cheating on you…" Matt said weakly. He couldn't believe that Mimi was actually *happy* about this.
"Cheating? On me? What gave you that idea?" Mimi asked, with genuine surprise.
"You two were going out, weren't you?" Matt said desperately.
Mimi smiled. "Tai and me? Going out? I don't think so! We're just friends."
"F-Friends?" Matt stuttered, not believing his luck.
"Okay, okay, we're best friends. But still, I couldn't go out with Tai! He's like a brother to me!" Mimi giggled. "Me and Tai? Unbelievable!"
Mimi grinned. Tai was right, people really *did* believe that they were going out.
"So…he wasn't cheating on you because you two weren't even going out in the first place?" Matt asked.
"Right. I knew that he was in love with Sora, and *he* knew that I was in love with y…"
Mimi slapped her hand over her mouth. She had nearly said it!
Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "Matt?"
He looked up. "What?"
"One question. Why did you break up with Sora? I mean, I knew she loved Tai, but Sora said that *you* broke up with *her*. Why?"
He looked at her for a long moment before saying, "I…I broke up with her because I was in love…"
Taking a deep breath, he finished, "…because I was in love with *you*."
Matt wouldn't look at her. She'd hate him for sure now. He should never have told her how he felt.
"Matt…"
Her voice was filled with emotion, and she seemed to have choked it out. Sighing, he forced himself to look at her.
Her eyes were filled with tears. "You…you really mean that, don't you?"
Matt sighed. "Yes, I…"
"Oh Matt!"
His arms instinctively encircled her as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I-I thought you hated me…"
"I could never hate you," he whispered.
Then, she said the words that he'd only dreamed of her saying: "I love you, Matt."
He pulled away and looked at her, at her eyes shining with love for him. His throat was tight, and he couldn't say anything…
So he let his heart take over.
Swiftly, he leaned down and kissed her.