I'm back once again

I'm back once again!! I must say that, regretfully, this MIGHT be the last update for awhile. *glares as everyone starts to cheer* Unfortunately, school starts for me pretty quick, so I won't have as much time to write. That aside, I would like to now express my sincere apologies to Pikachumaniac, for the mentioning of not nice things happening to Joe. Sorry, but it had to be done. And now, please put your hands together for Davis, performing his rendition of my disclaimer!

Davis: *ahem* She doesn't own Digimon, or any of it's trademarked characters or merchandise. Including me. Thank you. *bows*

Me: *wiping away tears* That way absolutely stunning. *sniff* Comparable even to your performance as the announcer on Season 3.

Davis: Wow, do you really think so?

Me: Yep. Now on with the fic.

The Difference

Chapter 5

"Damn. My connection's been terminated," Izzy swore under his breath.

How was he supposed to save the world with such a lousy Internet provider? He couldn't exactly e-mail the other digidestined while he was off-line, could he?

However, another thought was nagging at the back of his mind. Tai had been their leader, more importantly, their friend. Were they all really prepared to do whatever was necessary to stop him? To kill him if it became apparent that Tai wouldn't go quietly? Izzy wasn't so sure. He knew they might have to. He also knew that some of the others might be able to do it. But, personally… when he came right down to it, he didn't think he'd have the guts. Which really bothered him. Tai was, at this point, just like any of the evil digimon they had fought. He was causing harm to innocent people, and would have to be stopped, using any means possible. Izzy knew that.

Destroying him, killing him… Wouldn't that make us just as bad as he is, though? Wouldn't that be just as wrong as when he killed Davis? Or…would it be right? We would be saving millions of innocent lives… Lives who wouldn't give a damn about what we've sacrificed and done for them. Lives that would continue to hate us until the end of our days…

As he logged back on, Izzy realized that he only really knew one thing. He didn't know. He didn't know at all.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kari stopped outside the door of the flower shop. The sign said CLOSED, but she could see through the glass that the lights were still on. Which meant Sora was probably still there.

The door opened when she tried it, the soft tinkling of the bells giving her a small sense of comfort as she walked inside. Kari breathed in the soft, fresh aroma of the flowers. Sora was so lucky to work in this place. And to own it. It was much better than the coffee shop where Kari herself worked, even if she did get free cappuccinos because her boss thought she was hot. Although, that had stopped once he had found out she was getting married. Now that she thought about it, it was actually kind of degrading. However, she didn't dwell on that. Kari still needed to talk to Sora.

"Sora? Are you still here?" she called out into the seemingly empty room.

"Get out, Tai! I told you to leave!" came the reply, mixed with sobs.

(a/n: I know. I know! How could she possibly mistake Kari's voice for Tai's? When you're that upset, you tend to not really pay attention to those things! Believe me, I know.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Great. Just perfect, Joe thought, sitting on a crate in another apartment in Yolei's uncle's building.

Spending the night in a rat-infested hovel was not the young doctor's idea of a good time. He was exhausted from the day's events, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a nice, warm, soft bed and sleep, but that was not to be. He didn't dare lie down. Some people might not mind, but Joe didn't exactly relish the feeling of rats crawling all over him. He shifted into more of a crouching position so as to prevent the rats from continuing to gnaw on his shoes. Still, it wasn't as bad as the two days he'd spent hiding in a dumpster in LA…

Joe made a heroic effort to start thinking about something else. It wasn't easy to do, but it was better than having vomit added to the stench in the apartment. That's what he knew would happen if he continued to contemplate the feeling of maggots crawling all over his skin.

Just then, his D-terminal began to beep from inside his pants' pocket. He pulled it out to check the message. It was from Izzy.

"Jeez, he just can't give us a break," Joe mumbled.

It seemed that the fates had aligned to keep him from getting any sleep at all that night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Are you sure we should have left him there?" Yolei questioned as they waited in traffic.

"Of course," Ken assured her. "Joe's a big boy, he'll be fine."

"Ken, honnie, the man's a neat-freak! He's probably passed out from the sight of all the rats by now," she said, fiddling with her seatbelt.

"Then he's fine," Ken laughed as the traffic began to clear. "If he's out cold, he won't be able to see some of the worse things, like…"

He was about to say more, when both their D-terminals began to beep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TK sat at a writing desk, trying to finish the sermon for his next service. Well, actually, it wasn't a real service, nor was it a real sermon he was writing. It was a eulogy. For a certain goggle-boy's funeral.

Poor, poor Kari.

"I'll never get this done if I keep dwelling on Kari," he mumbled to himself. "I need to think on the afterlife."

Thinking on it, however, the young reverend didn't see how heaven could be much of a heaven for Davis. Not unless it was like the Digital World. Not unless Veemon was there for him to share it with.

Heaven could be like that, he thought, except, digimon don't die. They just get reconfigured. Which means it's unlikely that any of us will ever see out digimon friends again. I almost wish…

A beeping noise brought him out of his reverie. It was the D-terminal.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Here are the numbers to call in case of emergency. Doctor's, my mother's, the number of the restaurant we'll be at…" the woman continued to rattle off a list that must have been a foot long, but Cody wasn't really listening. Hadn't he watched the twins dozens of times before? He was pretty sure knew what to do by now.

"Don't forget to have them in bed by 9:00. Don't let them have any sugar, or caffeine, especially not caffeine. If they sneak it behind your back, make sure they brush their teeth. Make sure they brush their teeth, anyway, and make sure they do it thoroughly, I can't have my babies getting cavities. Don't let them watch any television shows with violence, crude themes, adult situations, or bad language. In fact, put in a video, but make sure it's not above a G rating and doesn't contain any of the things I mentioned before about the television shows. It's an absolute crime what they will give a G rating these days. If they go on the Internet, make sure they don't go into any obscene sites or chat rooms. Our Net Nanny isn't working, so you'll have to watch them…" the woman kept on talking, even as her husband dragged her outside.

"We should be back by 11:00," he told Cody as he shut the door.

"Come watch TV with us!" the two overly active seven-year-olds began pulling at his sleeves.

He was about to let them drag him to the family room, when he heard a noise.

"What's that beeping?" one girl asked, indicating the sound coming from Cody's back pocket.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Sora, it's Kari. Why was Tai here?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"What?! I am NOT getting out of my car!" Mimi practically yelled at the officer who had pulled her over.

"Ma'am, either come out quietly, or we will use force. Either way, you are going into custody," another officer told her.

"I have a right to an explanation!" she spazed, as she reluctantly came out of the car.

"Actually, miss," the other officer contradicted as she was handcuffed, "you have the right to remain silent."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"K-Kari? I-I… How are you?" Sora had suddenly jumped up from behind the counter, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy.

"Sora, why was Tai here?" Kari repeated her question coldly.

"He… umm… wanted to talk to me," she answered, careful not to look at Kari as she examined one of her flower vases.

"I know you were crying, Sora. Why was he here? What did he do to you?" Kari was practically raving. "Did that bastard that calls himself my brother hurt you? I'll kill him. I'll make him pay for everything he did. He'll pay for killing Davis!" with that, Kari just broke down and sobbed.

"Calm down, Kari, just calm down. Everything's going to be okay," soothed Sora.

"No, it's not! It'll never be okay! Davis is gone, and Tai's the one who killed him! How can anything be okay?" Kari continued to rant.

"Kari, I know it's hard. You just have to try to be strong. Davis wouldn't want you to fall to pieces like this. He'd want you to stay in control of yourself. You know that. And he wouldn't want you to do anything that you'll come to regret," Sora continued trying to calm her down.

"I am in control of myself. And if you mean I'd regret making that bastard pay, that's where you're wrong," Kari's now icy brown eyes stared into Sora's own. The tears were still there, but it no longer seemed like they belonged there. It was as though Kari's eyes belonged to a different person. "I won't let him get away with what he did and is trying to do, Sora. I'm going to make him pay," there was a steely note of determination in her voice as she said this.

Sora felt her own sunset red eyes fill with fresh tears once more as she begged, "Please don't be like this. Please. I-I'm still in love with him, Kari."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"So, how much do I owe you?" Mimi questioned outside the station.

"Not a thing. Of course," Matt laughed, "next time I get arrested, you know who my one phone call will be to."

"Fair enough. But I really don't see what there is for you to laugh about, Matt," she replied, climbing into the passenger side.

Matt continued to laugh, "It's you. And you were arrested. What could possibly be funnier?" Then his tone changed to a more serious one. " If you don't mind me asking, why were you arrested, anyway? You never did bother to tell me."

"Well, if you must know," Mimi began angrily as they drove on the freeway, "I kinda ran a red light…"

What?! They can't arrest you for that!" he exploded, nearly swerving into another car.

"Watch out!!" she shrieked. The danger averted, she continued, "You didn't let me finish. I got pulled over, and I was gonna get a ticket, but the next thing I know, they're telling me to get out of my car, which they had impounded, by the way, and then they handcuffed me, and took me to the station. All because they thought I looked slightly like the suspect in a recent mugging! And since I'm a digidestined, that's two strikes against me! Honestly!"

"Calm down, girl! They put you up for bail, didn't they?" Matt pointed out.

"Only because they caught the real mugger ten minutes later! He didn't look a thing like me, either!" she snapped at him, her temper matching the color of his car – fire red. "I really don't see how this day could get any worse."

Then they both heard the beeping.

"It just got worse," Matt said.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kari was speechless. All she could do was stare at Sora in disbelief. After all he had done… How?

"Sora…"

"I'm sorry, Kari! Please don't hate me for this. I already feel like I've betrayed everyone, but… I-I can't help it. No matter what he says, or what he does, or what he wants to do, he's still Tai," Sora tried desperately to make her understand.

"No. You're wrong," Kari turned away as she spoke. "He's not the same Tai. He's not my brother."

"Kari… Don't say that!" pleaded Sora.

"My brother died the day he got this idea into his head," she stated firmly. Then, in a different tone, she said, "Go home, Sora. Get some sleep. We end this tomorrow."

Hikari Kamiya, the now self-proclaimed only child, walked out the door and into the twilight, the bells jingling after her. Then another noise began.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Guys,

I have it confirmed. It will happen tomorrow. As the idea of sending one team member hasn't worked, we're all going. Be at Tokyo Tower no later than sunset. I would recommend being armed. See you there.

Izzy

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I wonder when Izzy's going to remember to take me off his quick-sender list? Tai thought to himself.

But at least he knew they would all be there. That was important. He wanted them to see it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next day passed rather uneventfully. Cody failed his Physics final, Mimi hunted all over town for a lawyer who would represent her in her lawsuit against the Odiba Police Force. Matt filed more papers, Sora sat daydreaming in the flower shop while she waited for customers that didn't come. Yolei brought Joe some doughnuts from her uncle's Tim Horton's, the rats had a feast while Joe again fought the urge to vomit. Kari sold three cappuccinos and four lattes, TK finished his eulogy. Ken pumped gas and washed windows, and Izzy hacked into Microsoft for about the millionth time.

However, as the evening drew closer, this average day was about to change their lives forever. Again.

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Whoa! That's the longest chapter yet! Sorry, but I wanted to get all this stuff in together. It's getting close to the end now, peeps! Not too many chapters left to go. Hope you're enjoying this! 'Til next time, toodles!! ^_^