Taking Back Love

by KarissaEB

I'm BACK! With a full-length fic this time! ^_^ I don't know if this deserves the R rating... some parts probably do, but it's nothing bad, promise. Taiora, with a bit of Takari splashed in for fun ^_~. I don't want to do a full summary, or I'll give

4. EPILOGUE

Taking Back Love

by Kari

A/N: And here's the epilogue! I hope everybody liked my most recent story! Currently I'm working on a new Taiora/Takari that's kinda sci-fi (in response to a request from TK Takaishi ^_^), kinda Christian... It has strong Christian undertones, and Amber told me it sounds like something Logan might write... so I HOPE you all like it! It's currently in the making! But back to the focus... -_-' I tend to go off track like that a lot... ^_^* This is the end, lots of reviews, please! ^_^ Until next time!

Kari :)

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Chapter 4:
EPILOGUE

~^_^~

Tai and Sora sat together at the small table across from Mr. Miura and his wife, Samantha. Mr. Miura had asked Tai and Sora to join him and his wife for dinner, ironically at the same restaurant that Tai had taken Sora to for her birthday a year and a half ago. Since that time, Tai and Mr. Miura, as well as Takeshi, had kept in touch and had become great friends. Mr. Miura was almost like a second father to Tai, especially since an unexpected heart attack had taken Mr. Kamiya's life 4 months ago. Tai and Kari were devastated, and Sora and T.K., having known Mr. Kamiya very well through their significant others, were greatly affected by his passing as well. Mrs. Kamiya was holding up well, considering, and had decided not to remarry.

Kari and T.K. were still together, and right after they had finished their junior year, T.K. had proposed to Kari while they were on a special school trip to France during the summer. They planned to get married right after high school and then go to college together.

"So when's the wedding again?" Mr. Miura asked Tai, taking a bit of his lasagna. Tai squeezed Sora's hand and looked at her as he answered.

"It's in three weeks," he replied. Mr. Miura smiled.

"Are you nervous?" Samantha asked as she picked up her glass of white wine.

"A little," Sora admitted, twirling her ring on her finger with her thumb. "But this is something I've been waiting for my whole life, with the person I've wanted my entire life, so I'm a lot more excited than scared." Tai smiled and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush.

"I'm just excited," Tai shrugged, a grin on his face. Mr. Miura and his wife laughed.

"If I may ask, how did you two meet?" Sora asked Mr. Miura. He sighed and looked once at his wife with a small smile as he digressed.

"Well, when I was a senior in high school, I was sent to America as an exchange student. When I was there, I met Sam here in one of my classes. She was very interested in Japanese culture, and was even trying to learn the language on her own. Not an easy task. She got to know me because she was my tutor in English, and she asked me one day if I would tutor her in Japanese." Samantha took over at this point.

"Our lessons would go like this... he would say a word or phrase in Japanese and tell me what it meant, and I would repeat it aloud to him. During one of our tutoring sessions, he told me 'ai shiteru', and of course I had no idea what it meant. I asked him and he told me it was the most serious way to say 'I love you'. I repeated the same thing, since I felt that for him, and he kissed me. The rest is history."

Tai and Sora smiled, their hands clasped together. "That is SO sweet," Sora gushed. Mr. Miura and his wife blushed a bit.

"I suppose," Samantha laughed. "When Atsushi had to come back I came with him, since we both had graduated and I planned on coming to Japan after high school anyway." Mr. Miura gave his wife's hand a loving squeeze before returning to his dinner. Samantha suddenly stood from her seat. "If you gentlemen would excuse me, I need to use the ladies' room." Sora stood as well.

"I'll go with you, I need to go anyway." Samantha and Sora smiled at Tai and Mr. Miura before heading towards the bathroom. Mr. Miura looked at Tai and laughed.

"Why is it that women always go to the bathroom in groups?"

Tai smirked. "Don't ask me, I'm not one of them!"

A brief silence.

"Whatever happened to Keisuke?" Tai asked suddenly, a bit of linguine still in his mouth. Mr. Miura's smile disappeared.

"I don't know if you knew this, since you were... uh, preoccupied, but when he shot you, Takeshi shot him int he shoulder. When we arrested him, we stopped the bleeding as best we could. Once we got him to the station, a few paramedics were already there waiting for us. Apparently your sister and her boyfriend had called an ambulance when they heard you were shot. I guess they forgot you were wearing a bulletproof vest too, like all of us did. Anyway, the medical personnel tried to treat Keisuke, but not properly for whatever reason. His wound unknowingly became infected and started bleeding uncontrollably one day when he was in jail. They just couldn't stop it and he ended up bleeding to death."

Tai's jaw dropped. "I... I can't believe it... that's terrible."

"Yes, but I can't say he didn't deserve it after what he did."

Tai looked down at his food and frowned. "I guess... but still, I think that he just wanted someone in his life. Maybe that's why he took Sora... she IS the most beautiful girl in the world, after all..."

Mr. Miura chuckled. "I'd have to disagree with you on that one," he grinned. Tai laughed a bit before taking another bite of his linguine.

"You're biased, though."

"So are you."

Both men laughed this time.

"Well, at least it all turned out well in the end," Mr. Miura said after the laughter had died. Tai nodded in agreement, and both men returned to their food, waiting for Samantha and Sora to come back, and anticipating the rest of their lives.

"I'm invited to the wedding right?" Mr. Miura smirked.

"Of course," Tai replied, his face blank. "You haven't gotten your invite yet?"

"No... if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to tell me something..."

Tai gulped and tried to remember if he had sent Mr. Miura an invitation. He couldn't remember not sending him one... he had sent one to almost everybody he knew in Odaiba. "Uh..."

"Tai?"

"I did, I did!"

Mr. Miura smiled and took a sip of his wine. "It wouldn't matter if you did or not... I'd probably crash the party anyway if I wasn't." Tai sweatdropped and gulped audibly, saying nothing. He laughed nervously before returning to his linguine. Mr. Miura looked at Tai and grinned.

That's my boy, he thought fondly.

~^_^~

END!

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A/N: So whaddya think? Was it good? Was it bad? Was it terribly predictable? Was it unpredictable? How about the story itself? Good plot or no? Eh... tell me all, people! I need to know! I want to improve my writing so my stories will be that much more enjoyable to you people! Cuz I know I love a good read! ^_^* I am at your mercy, ffn readers and fellow authors! Hope you liked, review now... it doesn't take that long, promise! (Unless you're like me and you write ridiculously long reviews... but that's a lot of fun too, and it boosts people's self esteem WAY up!) Okay, enough of me... until the next story! I think it's going to be called "Spirit Sojourn"... but that could change. Probably won't, though. Matte ne, minna-san! Love you guys!

Kari :)