Rumpleteasza: Oh my god. OH. MY. GOD. It's finally done. Finished. Finite incatatem. No, wait, that's Harry Potter. Anyhow, my pretties, HERE IT IS! How amazing. I can't believe I've finished this, I thought the day would never come. Eh, I really should say something witty to commemorate my last chapter, but I think all this last-minute writing has drained me of my creativity. Isn't that just the way.

So, with no further ado, whether you're laughing, crying, wanting to kiss me or stab me, or perhaps don't really care much at all, HERE IT IS, THE FINAL CHAPTER. fanfare Go on, get stuck in. Enjoy.


Chapter Seventeen – Who Says There Are Never Happy Endings?

"Ok!" Matt yelled into his microphone. "It's the last song of the evening, and we're gonna go out with a bang! So tell me, are you ready to rock?"

A huge scream from the crowd was his response, apart from the playful "Cliché, dude!" yelled by Tai from somewhere out in the dance floor. Sticking his tongue out at Tai, causing several fans to swoon and faint, Matt shifted his guitar and played the opening note to his last – and loudest – song.

Tai, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Kari, Tk, Yolei, Izzy and Cody were all squashed up right at the front by the stage, dancing like mad hyenas, laughing themselves silly and not caring a bit how they looked. The dance floor was rammed, everyone was out of their seats, and the hall was a surging mass of happy teenagers in a rainbow of colours.

Sora looked around, scanning the crowd. "Where's Daisuke?" She yelled over the din.

Tai pointed. "Over there, near Jun's crowd."

Sora peered through the mob, catching a few glimpses of Daisuke's red hair. He was on his own – or was he? Was he dancing with someone? She caught Tai's arm. "Hey Tai, who's he dancing with? I can't see them properly."

Tai shrugged. "Some girl. I dunno." He grinned suddenly, grabbing her hand and twirling her. Sora shrieked with laughter and pushed him away.

"Don't!" she giggled, "you'll have me on the floor!"

His eyes twinkled. Sora gasped. "Tai! I didn't mean that!"

He laughed and took her hand again. Beside them, Joe, Izzy and Mimi were dancing madly. Sora mused how confident and happy they looked, especially Izzy, who would normally not be caught dead dancing like a wild thing at an end-of-term party. Looking at Joe, she suddenly remembered a conversation she'd had with him earlier that evening.

"Tai," she shouted over the noise, turning back to him. "I happened to hear about a little bet you made today. About eating yourfootball if I turned out girly?"

Tai groaned. "How did you know about that? Hey, I wasn't serious! It was a spur-of-the-moment thing!"

"No buts mister, you're following that through, and I'm watching every minute of it."

"Ah, but first we need to decide if the bet's been won properly," he said mischievously. "Did you really turn out girly?"

Sora stopped dancing and looked down at herself. "Didn't I? I thought I did." She looked up, confused. "You don't think I look girly? I went through all that today for nothing?"

Tai stopped dancing too. He took a step towards her, looking deeply at her with chocolate eyes.

Sora felt herself go pale. Why is he looking at me like that? What's he doing? "Tai?" she whispered, her voice lost in the deafening music that pounded around them. "Tai? What-"

And before she knew what was happening, Tai put his hands on her waist, drew her towards him gave her a soft, lingering kiss.

Sora nearly fainted. This was Tai. Tai. Her best friend and childhood companion, Tai, Taichi Kamiya, kissing her with a tenderness she never knew existed in him. His hands were cupping her face now, and how could they be so gentle? Those same hands that threw her roughly to the floor in a boy's playfight just three days ago?

Tai broke away. Matt's song finished, to a storm of applause. Sora just stared, open-mouthed.

He leaned next to her ear. "That's for being girly, gorgeous, fun, easy to talk to, a good laugh, brilliant at football, and my best friend ever. That's for being Sora."

Sora almost choked, feeling her eyes fill up.

He leaned in again, grinning. "And about that football. I said I'd eat it if you ever get as hung up over makeup as Mimi does, not if you ever managed to be girly. So I'm still safe, as far as I know." He raised his eyebrows. "But if you ever pull a stunt on me like you did with that poor waiter, you'll be doing worse than eating sports equipment, I can tell you."

Sora looked round at him, puzzled. "That waiter – how do you –" her hand flew to her mouth. "You were there? You were following us?"

Tai couldn't keep the self-satisfied smirk from his lips.

Sora shook her head. "I'm going to kill you. Run, Tai, because I'm going to kill you."

He yelled and took off through the crowds of students leaving the hall, Sora in hot pursuit.

Joe glanced after them, handing Mimi her coat. "What's up with them?"

"Lover's tiff," Mimi said knowingly.

"Lovers?" Cody said, his eyes wide.

Yolei sniggered. "Just an expression, Cody. Tai and Sora aren't lovers. Don't worry, your innocence won't be tarnished."

Cody pulled on his coat, looking disgruntled. "I'm not exactly a kid anymore. I'm not that innocent."

"What's a 69, Cody?" asked Yolei impishly.

"Yolei!" Mimi gasped, giggling. "You're evil!"

"A number," Cody said, puzzled. He looked around at the giggling group, hardly being able to contain their laughter. "What?"


The air was hazy and soft, pleasantly between warm and cool. The sky was peachy pink and baby blue, and the sun was low. The golden light filtered through the leaves, falling in dappled patches on the soft, sweet-smelling grass. It was Sunday evening, and the Digidestined were in Odaiba park in their comfiest clothes, eating ice-cream and watching the sunset. Sora, Daisuke and Tai kicked a football between them as the others watched lazily.

"It's it pretty?" Kari sighed, her face lit by the golden glow. She and TK were leaning against a tree, wound in eachother's arms.

"Beautiful," TK murmured, looking half at the sunset and half at Kari.

"Sunsets are magical, aren't they?" Mimi said happily. "There's just something about them. Sitting like this on a summer evening, listening to the birds sing their last song of the day, the wind rustling in the trees. It really is magical."

"Very poetic, Mi," Joe laughed. His long legs were stretched out in front of him as he gazed through the thin canopy of green above him. Cody was snoozing gently on the ground. Beside him, Yolei was lying on her back, running her fingers through the grass. Izzy sat by her, oblivious to the world, playing idly with her lilac hair.

Out of breath, Sora left Daisuke and Tai kicking the ball to eachother and flopped down next to the others. "That's it. It's too lazy an evening to be doing something active."

"Isn't it always too lazy an evening to be doing active things?" Matt said sleepily, rolling over and looking at her. "I don't understand where you get your energy from."

"Neither do I. But after the dance last night, I'm just worn out."

"Me too," Kari smiled. "It was good though, wasn't it?"

"Brilliant," Tai put in, strolling over to the group with Daisuke, carrying the football under his arm. He sat down with the others. "There'll never be another one as good as that at Odaiba High, that's for certain. A one-off."

"You must have thought so, TK," Daisuke teased, "I saw you nodding off on Kari's shoulder on the way back………"

TK looked up quizzically. There was no hint of over-protectiveness or jealousy in Daisuke's voice, usually a normal occurrence when discussing Kari. What was more, he'd got TK's name right. All he saw in Daisuke's deep brown eyes was a warm friendliness, a sight that made him feel strangely heart-full. He smiled. "I was shattered. Anyhow, we didn't see much of you all evening – who was that girl you were dancing with?"

Daisuke shrugged peaceably. "Dunno. She disappeared after the last song. I had fun, though. It was a good evening."

"Jun phoned me this morning," Mimi said, turning round and addressing the girls. "Her hair's come back with a vengeance."

Sora giggled. "Oh well, at least she knows how to tame it now. She was pretty amazing, wasn't she Matt?"

Matt looked thoughtful. "It's weird. I mean, she was still very Jun-ish, and yet she was completely different. I don't know. She made me think, that's for certain."

Daisuke grinned. "She'll never hear the end of it from me. I want to know how much she paid those hairdressers."

Sora groaned. "Too much, too much. There's a gaping hole in my savings, I don't know about the rest of you girls."

Kari nodded ruefully. "A big, unrepairable, horrible hole. I had to get Mum and Dad to give me an advance on my allowance."

"Better keep it as a yearly event, perhaps," suggested Yolei. Her eyes were closed. "By the way, Iz, we'll have to spend another day on those firewalls. I couldn't keep my mind on it today, I'm just feeling too lazy."

"All the time you want," Izzy murmured contentedly, combing his fingers through her hair, his onyx-dark eyes sleepy.

Sora looked at the sunset, filling her eyes with it until everything burnt amber. It was such a nice evening, she wished she could sit there with all her friends for ever and ever. I'm so lucky, she thought. I have the best friends in the whole world. Who could ever want anyone better- her thoughts were rudely cut off as someone shoved a handful of grass down the back of her neck. "Argh!" She swung round. "Tai!"

He threw another handful at her. Spitting leaves out of her mouth, she tore up a clump herself and scrambled to her feet. Tai bolted for it, laughing, as she leaped onto his back and knocked him to the ground.

"Please, guys!" Matt moaned, putting a hand over his eyes. "It's tiring me out just watching you!"

Mimi giggled, watching Tai and Sora disappear in a blur of flying grass. "It's getting a bit dangerous out here, I think. I'd better get home." She got up, brushing off her skirt.

Joe yawned and stretched, standing up beside her. "Come on then, I'll walk you."

Mimi smiled and pecked him on the cheek. Waving to everyone, they turned and strolled towards the gate.

"Would you look at that." Daisuke whistled as the silhouetted couple's hands met and clasped. "Definitely together, then?"

"Yep, I suppose so," Matt said, watching them turn the corner and walk out of sight. "Mimi and Joe. I wonder how that'll go down with Mimi's 'popular' friends?"

"Oh, they won't be bothered," Yolei said carelessly, ignoring the shrieks of laughter coming from Sora and Tai a few meters away. "They were nice to me, so they'll definitely be nice to Joe. They're a pretty decent crowd."

"All right, I give up!" Sora choked over on the grass, weak with giggles. She collapsed onto the ground, Tai's arms still around her waist. He sat behind her as she leant back against his chest.

"That's payment for that day at soccer practice," Tai warned, giving her a squeeze. "But I won't always let you off so easily."

Sora closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. She wasn't sure what her and Tai's official status was, but to honest, she didn't care. She felt like they were closer than ever before, whether they were just best friends or boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever. They'd just play it by ear. Everything was perfect.

Opening one eye, she gazed round the group. Daisuke was chatting happily with Izzy and Yolei, and though his glance strayed occasionally to Kari, there seemed to be no pain or suppressed heartache in his eyes. Unrequited love may have been making him suffer for years on end, but he finally seemed to be breaking away. Over at the foot of the tree, Matt lay with his hands behind his head, eyes closed, completely at peace with the world. Cody had woken up and was laughing along with something Yolei had just said. And somewhere outside the park gates, Joe and Mimi were strolling through Odaiba hand in hand.

Finally she came to TK and Kari. They were silent, in eachother's arms, as close as they could get, gazing at the waning sunset. Kari's head lay in the hollow of TK's neck, and he was resting his cheek on her temple. Their fingers were intertwined. Definitely soulmates, Sora decided. Destined to be together. Unbreakable. TK and Kari would last forever.

All in all, Sora thought as she listened to Tai play with the grass beside him and felt him give her another squeeze, life is pretty good. Girly or not girly, with friends like these, life is definitely-

But she didn't get to finish. Again, her thoughts were rudely interrupted as Tai jerked his arm in front of her and shoved a wad of grass in her mouth. Spitting in surprise, she whipped around as he crawled away, helpless with laughter at the leaves stuck in her hair. Sora shook her head in disbelief.

Some things never change. She ripped up a handful of green and raced away after him.

fin.


Rumpleteasza: sobbing uncontrollably It's all over! My rampant squealy girliness has no longer any outlet! What will I do?

Anyhow, I'd just like to thank anyone who had EVER reviewed Girl Chat, You're all too bloody generous, that's what I think. Special shouts:

Tani - Love you, honey. Thanks for reviewing anything and everything I've done, and posting it on your beautiful site 'Preserved In Amber'. (gets £20 for the plug)

Hell's Hauntress - (glomp glomp glomp glomp) A multitude of glomps to you, you excellent excellent person. Thanks for giving a strange unknown writer the benefit of the doubt!

Canopy 4 - Thanks for your brilliant email review, I really appreciated it. And for sharing my love of Frodo. Viva la Hobbits! ;;

Callisto Nicol - Thanks for reviewing all my stuff and being so complimentary! (puts 10kg of sherbet in the post to Callisto)

IloveTai128 + TaioraCrazedGirl - I think between you, you must have done all my chapters! Cheerz luvs, you're stars! (immediately puts Tai in a parcel in the post to IloveTai128 + TaioraCrazedGirl)

Kali - Same to you Kali, thanks for doing all my chapters. And the priceless 'Matt and the Lollipop' idea. (dies laughing)

Wolfie - Compliments, suggestions and constructive criticism from you have been really good, and thanks for pointing out stuff I'd missed, stuff I'd done well, and the 'impromptu hair gel'! lol!

Enchantress - Thanks for all the comments, and cheering me up when I was depressed, that was very, very cool of you! (huggles Enchantress)

Lina - ACK! I'm still wondering what that thing is you said you were sending me! Thanks for all your comments Lina!

I'm pretty glad to have got Girl Chat over and done with. The whole thing has been a bit of a bugger to write, because it's such a liquid plot. I hope to god it's turned out all right, but you can never tell when you're the author.

I'm actually at a loss of what to do next, but I'm feeling a bit mentally unstable at the moment. Too much Xena: Warrior Princess may even cause me to do the unthinkable and write a crossover. OH MY GOD. It may never happen, but hey. It's hard to tell when you're as explosive and unpredictable as my inner creative mind.

Koushiro: Live on the edge of a metaphorical knife, don't you dear?

Rumpleteasza: Danger could be my middle name. But it's Louise.

xx