**Alright, ya'll, here's the next chapter of "Angels Among Us"! This will continue Kari and Yamato's date! Woo hoo! Anyway, something's going to happen tonight, but what? Is everyone going to come out of it okay, or will someone end up dead? You're going to have to read this one to find out who's going to make it and who's not. . .**

Angels Among Us
Chapter 2: Stricken

Yamato parked his car outside the dance club and opened Kari's door for her. Smiling at Yamato's gentlemanly attitude, Kari stepped out of the vehicle and walked into the dimly lit club with him. Together they stepped out onto the floor, wrapping themselves in a slow dance.
"This is nice. I'm having a really good time, Yamato." Kari said sweetly as they swayed to and fro. Yamato smiled down at Kari and nodded.
"Yeah. I'm glad we decided to do this. I've wanted to for a long time, you know." Yamato admitted. Kari's rusty eyes glimmered happily as the song ended and changed into a faster paced song. Kari separated from Yamato as some other girls ran up to her.
"Kari! I didn't know you were here! We're going to do our routine from dance class during the next song, so do you wanna come too?" a taller girl with blonde hair and green eyes cried happily. The other girls nodded and rushed away to grab up some partners for the song that was playing. Kari and Yamato began to dance, moving their bodies to the beat of the music.
"So you're going to do a dance from your studio?" Yamato asked as they danced close together. Kari nodded excitedly.
"Yeah, I choreographed it too. I think I'm beginning to see a future in dance." Kari said as the song began to fade away into nothing. The DJ called for some room on the floor, and Yamato joined a large crowd of people who were watching about five girls including Kari get set for their song. The music cued, and the girls were soon dancing to Britney Spears' "Slave For You". Yamato couldn't take his eyes off Kari as she shook her hips and moved to the music. The dancers ended the dance with a huge leap into splits, making the large crowd go wild with applause. Kari stood up and ran to Yamato, who hugged onto her as she panted from all the dancing she had done.
"That was awesome. The choreography was good enough for Britney herself." Yamato praised. Kari blushed and wrapped her arms around Yamato as another slow song played over the speakers. In the middle of the song, Yamato tilted Kari's head up and met her in a light kiss. Kari felt like she was about to melt completely as she returned the kiss feverishly. The couple remained locked in a kiss until they couldn't hold their breath any longer and parted. Yamato took Kari's hand and walked out of the club with her in tow.
"It's getting late, I better get you home, or Taichi will go crazy." Yamato whispered into Kari's ear. Kari shrugged and got into the car, letting Yamato close her door for her.
"I think I'd rather keep him waiting." Kari whispered back as Yamato got into the car, kissing his lips softly. Yamato blushed and started the car.
"Kari!" Yamato cried. He couldn't believe Kari was thinking the way she was. Not that he didn't want her to, but it was their first date for crying out loud. Yamato turned the car around and headed away from home.
Taichi watched TV quietly, the cordless phone in his hand as he waited for Kari or Sora to call. He wasn't worried about Kari, but if she called he wanted to be ready to go get her. The phone rang, and Taichi answered it hastily.
"Kari?!?" Taichi asked worriedly. Sora laughed on the other end of the line. Taichi blushed and smacked his forehead.
"Sorry Sora. Kari's out on a date tonight, and I'm just a little worried." Taichi explained.
"Ooooh, with who?" Sora asked curiously.
"Yamato." Taichi answered, slightly annoyed. Sora gasped in surprise.
"But they're so different age-wise!" Sora cried.
"I know, but Mimi and Takeru are too. I guess it's not that bad. I mean, she could have gone out with a nineteen year old who we didn't know and trust, you know?" Taichi replied.
"True. I guess you're lucky, huh Taichi?" Sora asked, smiling.
"I guess. So what's up?" Taichi asked after a short pause.
"Nothing, I just missed hearing your voice." Sora answered.
"I missed yours too." Taichi replied, turning off the TV.
Yamato and Kari sat on the swings at Odaiba Elementary and began to swing back and forth. Soon they had found a rhythm and were swinging at the same pace. Kari looked at Yamato, who was looking into space.
"What's the matter?" Kari asked. Yamato turned to Kari and stopped his swing. Kari stopped her swing also and looked at him oddly. He was acting differently than he was a few minutes ago.
"Do you know that when you were at this school, I was in Junior High school? And then when you came to Junior High school, I was already in High school? I mean, we have so much age between us!" Yamato said.
"Age has nothing to do with two people falling for each other. Look at Mimi and Takeru. Then Sora and Taichi. Both couples are in love, despite their ages. Sora and Taichi are just as in love as Mimi and Takeru. Why can't we?" Kari responded.
"I'm sorry, I just was a little nervous about starting something with you because you're so much younger. But you're right, love knows no age, and I don't want it to. I love you Kari, and I want to be with you." Yamato said sincerely. Kari smiled and kissed Yamato's lips gently. They began kissing more feverishly, standing up out of the swings. Yamato wrapped his arms around Kari's waist, and Kari put her hands on Yamato's face as they deepened the kiss. Soon they had to part again, and Kari looked at her watch.
"Uh-oh, it's past time to be home!" Kari cried. Yamato paled as he thought of what Taichi was going to do to his face when he brought Kari home. The couple sprinted to Yamato's car and drove quickly out of the parking lot.
As Yamato drove toward Kari's home, he slowed down to the speed limit. He figured that either way, he was late, it would be stupid to speed and get pulled over. The car neared an intersection, and Yamato stopped, looking both ways. A car approached them, but had a stop light, so Yamato began to go through the intersection. The other car didn't stop. Yamato and Kari screamed as the other car hit the passenger side of their car, sending it crashing into a large truck parked on the other side of the street. The driver of the car got out and began running from the accident. A light came on from the inside of a house, and a man ran out to the accident, where Yamato and Kari lay inside the injured car. Yamato picked his head up off the stearing wheel and looked around groggily. He felt his head and looked at the blood that had oozed through a cut on his forehead. He felt his left arm go numb, and figured it was broken. Yamato looked over at Kari, who was laying against his shoulder with a large head wound. She was battered and bruised already, large cuts covering her body, most likely from broken glass. Her arms were contorted, and Yamato could see that one of her legs were pinned by wreckage.
"Kari. . ." Yamato whispered weakly. Kari didn't move. He heard a man outside the car dialing the police and reporting the hit and run accident.
"The ambulance is coming. . . is the girl okay?" the man asked nervously. Yamato checked for a pulse, and foud a very faint one.
"She's got a very faint pulse. She's trapped." Yamato replied. The man pried open Yamato's door and pulled him out of the car as the ambulance came screaming around the corner, sirens blaring, lights everywhere. The EMTs took Yamato to the ambulance and checked him out as another ambulance came around the corner. They concluded that Yamato had broken his arm and possibly some ribs and needed to be taken to the emergency room right away.
"I can't leave Kari!" Yamato cried as he was placed on a stretcher and put in an ambulance. Yamato cried out to Kari as the doors closed and the vehicle sped away.

**So Yama and Kari are hurt. . .is Kari going to make it? You're going to have to read the next part to find out! Sorry to leave it this way, but I had to! You understand, right? RIGHT? Okay! Check this story out for the next edition!!"