Every Rose Has It's Thorns
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Disclaimer: As usual, Digimon does not belong to me, it belongs to the people at Toei and Bandai and all of them. You know what I mean. Also, the first set of lyrics are from Savage Garden's "The Lover After Me" they belong to Columbia records, not to me. The second set of lyrics belongs to, well is copyrighted by Nintendo. It is from the Pokemon Movie Album. *Dodges flying things* Aah! Hey, well, it fit perfectly, I just felt that either I use that, or I write my own song, and this option seemed the easiest. K? Oh, also, for that PKMN song, I had to improvise a little on the lyrics ( Gomen *_*;;;), cause I couldn't really get them. I tried, I searched the Internet, but I couldn't find them, so I had to get them from off the CD cause the little booklet thing didn't have the lyrics. K? Also, the third set of lyrics are from the Celine Dion CD, Let's Talk About Love. It's the song, "Love Is on the Way." That's not mine either.Well, any mention of Celeste and Natalie, belongs to me. The plot idea also belongs to me. Well, that's all for the disclaimer. Onto the Author's Note!
Author's Note: Well, as promised, Matt will play a major part in this part! ( But I have to bash him a little.) It's almost completely from his P.O.V. except for like a few tiny parts that have to do with Mimi all right? Also, in this part, Matt's in Florida. K? Oh, BTW, this story begins about a day or so after Mimi left the hospital. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you read part one. Also, the Soldier of Sincerity and the Knight of Fiendship are partly from Sailor Moon, but I still created the idea . K? The time frame is sorta messed up I think, but bear with it. Please. Be forewarned, this gets a bit scary in parts!Well onto the story!
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Part Two: Reunion
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Matt came out of his daydream and it took him a second to realize where he was. He looked around and realized that he was in his car. Then, he remembered the traffic light. He looked up at it again, expecting it to have changed already. Once again, but not really to his surprise, he found that it still hadn't changed.
All right, he thought, this is *really* getting on my nerves! Is this light *ever* going to change???
He tapped impatiently on the steering wheel and looked around at nothing before realizing that the radio was on. He managed to ' tune' his mind back in in time to hear the announcer say, " Up next, 'The Lover After Me' by Savage Garden. Enjoy the music and drive safely."
Huh? He thought, How weird! This sounds like it would fit my previous thoughts perfectly! But enough about me and my stray thoughts, I really do feel horrible about the way I treated Mimi (A/N: Geez, you should!) I just can't help but wonder what ever happened to her. I wonder, did she ever find another person to love? His thoughts were cut short as the song began.
Here I go again I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today
It's ben seven months and counting
You've moved on
I still feel exactly the same
It's just that everywhere I go
All the buildings know your name
Like photographed memories of love
Steel and granite reminders
The city calls your name and I can't pretend
Ever since you've been gone
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me.
Am I all alone in the universe?
There's no love on there streets
I have given mine away to a world that didn't want it anyway
So this is my new freedom
It's funny
I don't remember being chained
But nothing seems to make sense anymore
Without you I'm always twenty minutes late
Ever since you've been gone
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me
And time goes by so slowly
The nights are cold and lonely
I shouldn't be holding on
But I'm still holding on for you.
Here I go again,
I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today
But I'm standing at your doorway
I'm calling out your name because I can't move on
Ever since you've been gone
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me.
As the song faded away, he thought of how often he had wondered what had happened to her. In fact, after every failed relationship, he thought of seeking her out again, but he never got around to it for some bizarre reason.
He had heard of her often, seeing as she was a famous model. She was in New York around the same time he had been, but he had never made any attempts to contact her. For some reason, he thought that if she really wanted to talk, that she'd contact him first, but no such luck for him. He'd hung aroun din New York for quite a bit before he met Miriam, and, as said before, had attempted to locate his friend, but he didn't find them either. In fact, there was no sign of anyone he knew. As for her, she might not have even known that he was there because of her busy schedule or something along those lines. But,he thought, why should she even think about talking to you after what you did? Maybe she really does hate you. You really do have no right to ask for her forgiveness, even if you did what you did to help her, you shouldn't have done it that way! You shouldn't have! You could've found some other way! You should've! Now I realize only part of the pain that she must've felt! He pounded his fists on the steering wheel again. I just wish I could tell her I was sorry, but who am I to think that she'd talk to me after what I did? Who?
Another noisy cacophony of car horns and yells jerked him out of his reviere in time to realize that the everlasting traffic light had finally changed. Eager to get out of the city and away from these hideously long traffic lights, he hit the gas and sped onto the Turnpike and out of sight of the city.
***
Outside the Orlando Airport…
" Are you sure you'll be okay," Izzy asked.
" Yeah," reiterated Joe, " we're only in Florida for three days for this business trip then we have to fly back to Japan, but I'm sure that we could get you a ticket if you think it'll be safer there…"
" No," Mimi said cutting him off with a wave of her hand. " That's probably the first place he'll look for me. I don't think that hed expect me to still be in the States. I'll probably be safe for a while here."
" But, Mi.." began Joe.
" Not that, I'm Lin now, remember?"
" Oh, right," said Joe, " Lin."
" But Lin," he began, " I mean, he found you at the airport and I assume that he knows your new name too. Who knows? He might already be in Florida!"
" Joe," Mimi began, " you're still the pessimist aren't you?"
" Yeah…well," he muttered.
" Anyway," Mimi continued, " I'll be fine here. I can always get out of here if anything comes up."
" Okay," Izzy said hesitantly, " but, if you ever come to Japan in need of help, you can go to Tai and Sora. Here's their address." He scribble something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. She took it and stared at it before putting it in her purse.
" Huh?" Mimi asked, " what do you mean their address?"
" You mean, you didn't know?" Joe asked. " They got married about a year or two ago!"
" They did?!" Mimi exclaimed excitedly, " Oh! I wish I could've been there!"
" Sora really wanted all the Digidestined to be there, she even invited Daisuke, Miyako and Iori. She tried to get in contact with you, but she didn't know where to call."
Mimi giggled. " There must've been trouble between T.K. and Daisuke!"
" You bet there was!" exclaimed Joe. " They almost started a fist fight during the banquet!"
" It must've been so funny!" she exclaimed.
Izzy nodded in agreement and said, " Luckily, Kari got wise to this and worked out some kind of deal with the both of them."
" She sounds like she's grown up a lot," she said.
" Yeah and all the others have."
" Well," said Izzy, " not everyone."
" What do you mean?" she asked.
" Well, for example," Izzy began, " T.K. and Daisuke, although older, still fight but not as bad as they used to."
" And," added Joe, " Tai and Matt used to fight too until Matt moved to America."
" He moved here!" she exclaimed, shocked, " when?!"
" I don't know exactly," said Izzy, " I'm guessing about 6 years ago, but it's probably been longer."
" Oh," she sighed. " I wish I'd known sooner," she whispered. It took her a couple of moments to realize that she had voice that aloud. She turned around, red-faced to Izzy and Joe who seemed to have heard nothing. Either that, or they were feigning ignorance. Relieved that they didn't appear the have heard that, she turned to look at the never-ending stream of cars that flowed through the airport, trying to hail a taxi.
***
A little while later…
It had taken them forever, but somehow, eventually, the three Digidestined managed to hail a cab using methods more…appropriate than those they had used when they first returned from digiworld to find the 8th child. Mimi, turned to her two friends, sorry to say goodbye, but at the same time, she knew that she had to if she was going to continue on with her life. Her duffel bag had been put in the trunk, but she kept her purse with her. Joe and Izzy had already paid the driver, seeing as she had little money with her.
Not wanting to say goodbye, she tried to avoid saying it by standing in silence.
As if reading her thoughts, Joe said, " Hey, it's not goodbye yet. We'll probably all run into each other again. All right?"
Sadly, she nodded and said, " I guess…I'll see both of you around then. So, I'd better get going. Once I get things settled here, I'll come and visit you all. I promise. Ok?"
" Yeah," said Joe. " You'd better get going, as had we. We've got a meeting to get to. See you soon," he said as he walked away.
" Same here," said Izzy hurriedly as he too walked away.
She stood on the curb and stared sadly into the crowd, wishing that her friends didn't have to leave, but she knew that she had to stay here. This was probably the safest place for her. She didn't want it to be that way, but she knew it had to be. It was safe here, well, at least she thought it was. Still, though, something nagged at her mind, as though she'd left something behind, something that could alert him to where she was, but she couldn't place her finger on it.
She would have thought about it even more, but the cabbie said gruffly, " Hey lady, are you gonna get in?"
" Uh, yeah," she said brokenly as she turned around to enter the cab. When she had gotten in and seated herself, she pulled the greasy seatbelt across her and secured it and told the cabbie that she was ready to go.
" Sure thing, lady," said the cabbie as he looked out the window to see when he could reenter the normal traffic flow. He sat for a few minutes and looked out at the flow whereas Mimi was staring out of the window for no particular reason. She just felt like looking out of the window.
Thoughts flew through her mind, thoughts about her life since Digiworld, her career, her loves. Somehow, thoughts of Frank found their way to her mind, and she tried to shut them away, and she was partly successful. She turned away from the window. Determined to be happy, she tried to think what it would've been like to go to Tai and Sora's wedding. She could almost imagine the joy in the air, and then the tension between T.K. and Daisuke. She giggled softly at that, glad for them, but at the same time wishing that she could be experiencing happiness rather than fear.
Then, unexpectedly, she had the unrelenting urge to look out of the window again. She didn't fight it and soon found herself looking back towards the terminal again. At first, she didn't know why she had to look out the window, but she soon found reason enough. In the middle of the crowd, Izzy and Joe came running back towards the cab. They both had looks of fear and apprehension on their faces and they both looked a bit dishelved. Chills raced up and down her spine. Why would they come back when they were already running the risk of taking the heat from their superiors? It would only be if something was really wrong.
She felt the cabbie began to ease the car into the flow of traffic, but she shouted, " Please wait a minute!"
The cabbie, in response, hit the brakes and halted the car. " Sure lady," he muttered.
She pushed open the door and stepped out to meet her friends again.
" Joe, what's going on?" she asked, nervously.
" You might want to get back in the cab," Izzy said. " We just received a disturbing call from one of our business associates who was supposed to travel down here at a later date, about a week from now. He said that he had gone to the airport to collect his E-ticket early. He had done so, but, as he was walking in the parking lot to his car, he was ambushed by a man with a gun who fit Frank's description."
She gasped. " Is he all right?"
" Yes," said Joe hurriedly, " but, the man, stole our friend's ticket, passport and wallet. Somehow, Frank knew that our friend was coming down here and somehow, he knows you're down here too! You have to escape. Got to Japan!"
" No!" she said firmly. " I'm not leaving! He's coming a week from now. By that time, he'll have little chance of finding me. I'm not going! I'm not running! I'm not going to let him control my life!"
With that, she turned and climbed back into the cab. Through the glass of the window, she could hear Izzy say, " But Mi..Lin!"
She didn't pay attention to them, she just kept staring straight ahead as she told the cabbie to go this time.
" Sure, lady," said the cabbie again as he pulled out into the traffic. She turned to look back at them one more time, and the looks on their faces tore at her heart. She knew that they were only trying to protect her, but she was adamant that he was not going to make her run like a scared animal. She was going to stand her ground. If there was one thing her experiences in the Digiworld had taught her, it was that.
***
A while later…
" Thanks again," Mimi said to the cabbie as he climbed back into his cab. ( He had helped her get her bag out of the trunk.)
" Sure Lady," said the cabbie as he drove off leaving her in front of a tall, brown apartment building. During the cab ride, she'd pulled out the papers that Teresa had given her and found a handwritten note that said:
Mimi,
Well, Lin anyway, if you are reading this, it obviously means that I have given you a plane ticket with this. I hope you did get away from New York, for your own safety. The reason I have given you this note, is to warn you. What I am about to tell you may seem unbelievable, but I am asking you to Trust me. That is all I ask. *Hint hint* I have had a glimpse of the future and I must tell you this, you will be safe in Florida, but only for a little while. I do not know how long, but I would tell you if I did. I want you to be careful! Try to stay one step ahead of him.
As for your time in Florida, I lied. I have no half cousin in Florida ( but if I did, I doubt you would have gone to her anyway) Still, I knew where you are going to go, ( or are if you are reading this in Florida) so, I have taken the liberty of getting a job for you. It may seem like nothing, but believe me if you take any other job, your future will be…not as happy as if you take this one, So, if you don't get my point, TAKE THIS JOB!!!! Okay?
As for a place for you to stay, I know that you will be ( or are) standing in front of a large brown apartment building, so, go in, and tell the landlord that you are Lin Hishika. She will give you a key for an apartment on the fourth floor. It is already furnished; it has everything you need for your stay.
As for the job, if you look to your right, you should see a small building, that on the front, says All Night Diner. That's where your job is. You are scheduled to begin work the night you arrive in Florida, so I suggest you hurry. The hours are long, but the job will be rewarding. I'm counting on your skills as a former waitress to help you. Trust me on this. All right.
Well, since you start tonight, I suggest that you don't stand and stare at this paper. Get going! Your shift starts at 3:00 P.M. and ends at 12:00 A.M. all right? Well, see you around, Lin!
Teresa Foster
"Trust me"
Mimi folded the letter and put it back in her purse. She smiled at the humor in the letter, and she was grateful for all of Teresa's help. She did all that for me. Mimi smiled as she thought, Thank you. Thank you for everything Teresa…
She looked down at her watch and saw that it was 2:30 P.M.
" Oh!" she said to herself. " I'd better get going! I don't want to be late for my first day on the job!" She turned looked up at the apartment building. " But, first things first."
She picked up her duffel bag and walked into the building.
***
Inside the building.
As she walked, Mimi took in the scheme of the building. Ugh! She thought, This place is hideous! Look at that color scheme! Who picked it?! The walls were painted, what had probably once been a blue color, but now had faded and left the walls paint bare in places. The carpet, on the other hand, was probably at one time a crimson color, but it was now more of a dull brownish-red. Like blood, she thought with a shiver before turning back to the hallway.
The hallway was rather short, but from what she could see, Mimi could tell that this had probably been an old hotel, for there was a reception desk to her left. On the desk, she saw a small silver bell with a sign next to it that said, Please Ring for Assistance, in bold, black letters. She rang the bell, but from a room adjacent to the desk, she heard a woman's voice say, " Sorry, all of our apartments are rented out. Try the building down the street."
Mimi looked over at the key rack across from her and saw two sets of keys hanging next to each other. " But there are two sets of keys left," she said.
" Yes," came the woman's voice, " but those rooms are rented."
" Oh," said Mimi defeated. " I thought my friend booked one of those rooms for me. My name is Lin Hishika…"
" Oh!" exclaimed the woman as she came out of the room. She looked about 50 with gray hair that had probably once been blond, tied up in a bun on the back of her head. She was very tall and very skinny. " You're Lin Hishika?"
" Yes I am," said Mimi.
" Oh, oh oh!" exclaimed the woman. " I'm so sorry! I should've asked your name first! How foolish of me!"
The woman reached over to the key rack and removed one of the sets of keys from the rack and handed one of them to Mimi.
" Now," said the woman, " my name is Laura Richen, the landlord. If you have any problems with anything, call me, my number is posted next to the phone. Your apartment number is 436. It's on the fourth floor. You take the stairs, sorry we don't have an elevator, up to the 4th floor. Once you're there, you turn left and head all the way down the corridor. When you get to the very end of the hallway, the room is the one on the left. Now, all of your bills have been paid for the next year, so you don't have to worry about that. Got all that?"
" Yeah," Mimi nodded, " but where are the stairs?"
" Over there," said Laura as she pointed to a set of double doors. " Anything else?"
" Yes," she paused, " this is sorta dificult to ask, but, um, is there another way out of the apartment, other than the stairs?"
" Oh yes," said Laura as though every person who came in asked that, " the fire escape is right outside your window. Anything else?"
" Oh, no," said Mimi. "Thank you Laura."
" Good luck, Ms. Lin," she said, " and remember, call me if you need anything."
" All right," said Mimi as she walked away.
***
Four flights of stairs and many steps later…
" Well," Mimi said to herself, " this is it." She stood outside the door of her apartment. She knew it was hers because there were big brass numbers on it that proclaimed 436. Setting down the duffel bag, she inserted the key into the lock and turned. She pushed the door open and carried her things inside with her, not forgetting to lock the door behind her.
She took a quick tour of the room which had once been a hotel room. She knew for certain now. As soon as you walked in the door, to your right, there was a small hollow in which to put whatever you had brought with you, and on your left was a small bathroom. Directly ahead of her, was the bedroom with a large window. Half of the bedroom had been converted to a kitchen.
In the bathroom, there was a small shower, sink and toilet. Just enough for her. In the bedroom, there was a large queen sized bed which was surprising. She shrugged it off and welcomed the extra room. The bedroom was carpeted in a rich royal blue and the walls were painted white. The corner that had become the kitchen however, was lined with linouleum. In the kitched, there was a small couter which had a sink on top of it anda small cupboard under the sink. Next to the sink, there was a small, ancient stove/oven. Next to the stove, there was an empty counter top and next to that, there was a coffee maker, and next to that, there was a fridge. Near the window, there was a small circular table with a cheap lamp on top of it. There was also two chairs. Near the table, there hung a wall mounted phone.
Then there was the bed. On either side of that, there were two wall mounted lamps and a small side table with drawers. On top of one, there was a clock, and on top of the other, there was a small radio. Across from her bed, there was a tv mounted on the wall.
That was bascially it for the apartment, but it was enough for her. She put her duffel bag into the space near the door and she sat down on her bed for a second, wondering what to do.
Something bothered her about Laura. She was nice and all that, but for some reason, when Mimi had said that her name was Lin Hishika, the woman became excruciatingly friendly. Maybe there was something to that, but still, there was something about her that convinced Mimi she was a friend. Mimi, uncertain what to do, looked at her watch. It read 2:50.
" Uh oh," she said. " I'd better get to work!" She picked up her purse and keys and walked out the door, which she locked after she left the apartment. She tossed the keys into her bag and bolted down the stairs. On her way out, she said ,bye, to Laura who in turn smiled at her and watched her leave.
When Mimi was gone, Laura smiled to herself and turned to walk out of the desk area. As she turned, a long jacket which she had been wearing, lifted a bit and a glimpse of magenta was seen, but nothing more after that as she walked out the door.
***
Mimi stood outside of the building for a few minutes, uncertain of which way to go, but then she remembered what Teresa had told her. Go right…
At first, Mimi headed to her right, but she felt that wasn't right somehow. Then she remembered that she had been facing the building when she had read the letter, so she headed to what was now her left.
After walking a short distance and crossing a small street, she found herself in front of a building that read, All Night Diner in big red letters on the window.
Well, this is it, she thought as she pushed the door open. A small bell jingled softly to announce her arrival, and a few people looked up from what they were doing to see who had come in. For a moment, she stood on the threshold of the door, uncertain whether or not to proceed. Her choice was taken from her, when a woman about her age, with short brown hair and green eyes, whose name tag read, Suzie, came up to her and asked, " Excuse me, Ma'am," she began, " but are you Lin Hishika?"
Before Mimi had a chance to reply, another woman interrupted. She was tall, with black hair and brown eyes. Her name tag read Hilary.
" Give it a rest, Suzie," said Hilary. " Stop bothering the customers." Suzie gave an apologetic look, but Mimi waved it away and said. " Yes, I am Lin Hishika. Nice to meet you, Suzie, Hilary."
Their eyes widened for a moment, but then another woman who had overheard, came running up to Mimi and handed her a bag with an apron, a notepad, a pen and a name tag that read Lin, in it.
The woman herself was probably a little older that Suzie. She had brown hair and brown eyes. Her name tag read Rachel. " Here," said the woman without introducing herself. She pointed to a small door. " You can put your purse in there. I suppose you know how to wait on tables, so I'll leave you to it. Any tips you get, you keep." With that, Rachel ran off, leaving Mimi with a surprised look on her face.
" Don't worry, Lin," said Suzie reassuringly, " you'll get used to her with time." With that, she and Hilary ran off also.
Without another thought, Mimi went into the side room and hung her purse on an empty hook. She removed the apron from the bag and secured it over he clothes. She found a large pocket in it, so she put he notebook and pen in it; she pinned the name tag on her apron and walked out into the crowded restaurant and went to work.
***
Somewhere on the Florida Turnpike…
Matt put down his cellphone on the empty passenger seat. It looked like he had a place to stay for tonight, but after tonight, he would be gone again. He couldn't believe his luck. He got the last room in the apartment building nearest the turnpike exit in a city with which he was familiar.He didn't know why he just didn't rent a hotel room, but something told him that renting an apartment, might be better. Come to think of it, the landlord had given him a good deal. It was far cheaper than a hotel room. ( $27 dollars for the night.) But still, something told him to take that room, something, something…
Oh stop it! He shouted at himself. You're going to drive yourself crazy! Stop it!
Trying to take his mind off things, he turned the radio up. Right now, there was a weather report on, and up next, the traffic report, then the current news.
Good, he thought, I haven't had a chance to keep up with the news lately. Mabye now, I'll find out what's going on in the world.
A minute later, the weather report was done, and the traffic report was on. As far as he could see, the traffic was pretty good. Right now, he was going as fast as the limit would allow without him getting a ticket. He was still upset about what happened with Lisa, but right now, he felt a million miles away. He increased the speed a little bit more.
Now, the current news was on and he paid attention to this.
" And now," said the announcer, " in current news, the missing Andrew's child has not been located yet. He is five years old, with black hair and black eyes. He was last seen a week ago. The police have offered a $10,000 dollar reward for any information leading to his return."
Poor kid, he thought, I hope they find him soon.
" Also, another unidentified body had been found in a ditch along I-95. It seems that this murder is the work of the Highway Killer. This is his fifth victim, and the police still have no idea as to his identity or whereabouts."
Whoa! Thought Matt, I hope they catch him soon!
" Hurricane Kate has been downgraded to a Tropical storm. The downgrade was made last night, by the weather bureau. Clean-ups are still continuing in the Keys which were badly hit by Kate."
Poor people, he thought.
He was getting impatient of listening to the news. He wanted to hear some music, so he reached over to turn the radio dial, but the next words out of the announcer's mouth stopped him.
The announcer's voice became grim.
" Folks," he said. " for those of you who have been keeping up with the news, you know that the world has lost a great woman, and today as every other day for the past week, this station is going to honor her. As most of you know, we have been holding a moment of silence in her honor, every day since she died, and we will continue to do so until a memorial service is scheduled. For those of you who have not kept up with the news, I will tell you who we are talking about."
That would be me, he thought, Mr. Clueless.
" The woman we are talking about was a great asset to many industries, and she helped many people and inspired many others. Not only was she beautiful, she was a great and talented singer."
Something in him snapped and his heart clenched fearfully. No, he thought, please no…
" I will give the rest again, so that we may honor her memory and prevent such tragedies in the future. Model and actress, Mimi Tachikawa, after being in a coma for the past four months caused by her abusive fiancée, went into cardiac arrest and died a week ago."
