**So I have decided to continue this fic, after a long period of time. I had originally decided to discontinue it, mainly due to the fact that no one reviewed, and I figured no one read it. But I have had a change of heart after reading some reviews that recently came in, and voila! Another chapter!**
Still Standing
Chapter Two: Letters
~Kari~
TK's coming over? Could something be wrong? I can't help but get an eerie feeling about this whole situation. I mean, who calls in the dead of night to ask if they can drop their son off at someone else's house? Something must be wrong.
It's been so long since I have even talked to TK. I don't even know what to say anymore. Last time I knew, he was still in therapy and grief counseling. It's so hard for me to talk to him, because eventually Matt will become the subject, as it always did in those last couple months of our relationship. He's always on TK's mind, and he's on mine too. Matt's haunted all our thoughts for all this time. Even Sora and Tai are bothered by nightmares every now and then, and they're almost twenty years old! Someone's at the door. It must be them. No one else would be here at 12:34 in the morning.
~Omniscant~
TK and his mother walked in after Mrs Takenouchi opened the door. TK was shocked to see Tai, Sora and Kari all sitting on the couch in their pajamas, looks of confusion written on their faces.
"TK's going to stay with us for a couple days." Mrs Takenouchi announced. She walked away with Ms Takaishi, leaving the four in an awkward silence. Sora was the first to break it.
"How have you been, TK?" Sora asked. TK nodded, glancing over his shoulder. Tai noticed the boy's frightened attitude, and focused on his appearance. He looked almost identical to his dead brother, the only thing separating them was their eye shapes.
"He's back, isn't he?" Tai asked suddenly. Kari cringed with a vision of TK and Matt's dad as it rushed through her head.
"Yea, I think so. I mean, I don't know. Someone was outside my window, and I thought it was dad. I got a card last night telling me to enjoy my birthday, because it would be my last. Obviously, someone's out to get me." TK stammered. Kari stood up and walked over to her ex boyfriend. For a moment the two looked at each other, then Kari took a step forward and hugged him gently.
'You're going to be okay. No one's after you. I swear. And if there is, we'll call the police. No one's going to let you go, TK." Kari whispered. TK held Kari gently, savoring her scent. Kari let go, but felt the urge to kiss him right then and there.
'No, Kari. You two are over. There's no need to start something up again.' She thought mentally. Kari and TK walked over to the couch and sat on opposite ends, Kari beside Sora, and TK beside Tai. The four teens listened intently to the mothers talking in the hall.
"If anything happens, come back here, Nancy." Mrs. Takenouchi stated.
"You know I will. Thank you for watching my son. I'm just worried about leaving him there, especially if that monster is back in town." Ms Takaishi replied. The women walked back into the living room, and Ms Takaishi embraced her son closely.
"Be careful, mom." TK whispered. His mother nodded, then walked out of the apartment and got into her car. TK slumped back onto the couch, his eyes showing his frustration.
"Well, I know tomorrow's Saturday, but you all need some sleep. Let's turn in, okay?" Mrs. Takenouchi declared, leading the kids to their rooms. TK crawled into bed beside Tai, and Sora shared her bed with Kari.
"Goodnight everyone." TK murmured. A chorus of goodnights followed, and TK soon found himself drifting into a dreamless sleep.
Tai lay awake in bed beside TK. His thoughts were centered on the blonde next to him, and how his life was in as much danger as his older brothers was, if not more.
'Ms Takaishi would die if her only living son was taken by that man. Someone's got to do something. Before it's too late.' Tai thought to himself. He thought about the time Matt was in the hospital, and how he was thinking about killing himself if he had to go back to his dad's home.
**Flash**
"I swear, Tai. I can't take it anymore." Matt whispered. He was bandaged and bruised, but had survived the severe beating.
"Don't you talk like that. You're my friend. I'll save you from this, no matter what I have to do." Tai cried, his tears hot on his cheek. Matt began to sob, the salty liquid leaking into one of his cuts on his cheek.
**End**
A short time after that conversation, Matt was dead. Tai had done nothing, and he carried the guilt with him everywhere he went. Now he glanced over at TK and sighed. He resembled Matt so strongly, it was like the dead boy came to life within TK's living body. Tears welled in Tai's eyes as he thought about his best friend.
'All this could have been prevented. I shouldn't have had to bury my best friend. We were only fourteen!' Tai thought angrily.
'Well I'm not going to let this happen to you, TK. I'm not going to let some sick man beat you until you can't go on. I'm not going to watch you die like your brother. I'm going to save you. I might have failed Matt, but not you. I can't fail twice.' Tai thought. The brown eyed boy became drowsy, and despite his best effort to stay awake, he fell asleep.
**This is kinda short, but I'm sorry, it's late here in the good old USA! This might be Takari if you all want it, and it is most definitely Taiora if you want that too. What's going to happen next, you might ask. Well, read and review. Five will get more.**
Still Standing
Chapter Two: Letters
~Kari~
TK's coming over? Could something be wrong? I can't help but get an eerie feeling about this whole situation. I mean, who calls in the dead of night to ask if they can drop their son off at someone else's house? Something must be wrong.
It's been so long since I have even talked to TK. I don't even know what to say anymore. Last time I knew, he was still in therapy and grief counseling. It's so hard for me to talk to him, because eventually Matt will become the subject, as it always did in those last couple months of our relationship. He's always on TK's mind, and he's on mine too. Matt's haunted all our thoughts for all this time. Even Sora and Tai are bothered by nightmares every now and then, and they're almost twenty years old! Someone's at the door. It must be them. No one else would be here at 12:34 in the morning.
~Omniscant~
TK and his mother walked in after Mrs Takenouchi opened the door. TK was shocked to see Tai, Sora and Kari all sitting on the couch in their pajamas, looks of confusion written on their faces.
"TK's going to stay with us for a couple days." Mrs Takenouchi announced. She walked away with Ms Takaishi, leaving the four in an awkward silence. Sora was the first to break it.
"How have you been, TK?" Sora asked. TK nodded, glancing over his shoulder. Tai noticed the boy's frightened attitude, and focused on his appearance. He looked almost identical to his dead brother, the only thing separating them was their eye shapes.
"He's back, isn't he?" Tai asked suddenly. Kari cringed with a vision of TK and Matt's dad as it rushed through her head.
"Yea, I think so. I mean, I don't know. Someone was outside my window, and I thought it was dad. I got a card last night telling me to enjoy my birthday, because it would be my last. Obviously, someone's out to get me." TK stammered. Kari stood up and walked over to her ex boyfriend. For a moment the two looked at each other, then Kari took a step forward and hugged him gently.
'You're going to be okay. No one's after you. I swear. And if there is, we'll call the police. No one's going to let you go, TK." Kari whispered. TK held Kari gently, savoring her scent. Kari let go, but felt the urge to kiss him right then and there.
'No, Kari. You two are over. There's no need to start something up again.' She thought mentally. Kari and TK walked over to the couch and sat on opposite ends, Kari beside Sora, and TK beside Tai. The four teens listened intently to the mothers talking in the hall.
"If anything happens, come back here, Nancy." Mrs. Takenouchi stated.
"You know I will. Thank you for watching my son. I'm just worried about leaving him there, especially if that monster is back in town." Ms Takaishi replied. The women walked back into the living room, and Ms Takaishi embraced her son closely.
"Be careful, mom." TK whispered. His mother nodded, then walked out of the apartment and got into her car. TK slumped back onto the couch, his eyes showing his frustration.
"Well, I know tomorrow's Saturday, but you all need some sleep. Let's turn in, okay?" Mrs. Takenouchi declared, leading the kids to their rooms. TK crawled into bed beside Tai, and Sora shared her bed with Kari.
"Goodnight everyone." TK murmured. A chorus of goodnights followed, and TK soon found himself drifting into a dreamless sleep.
Tai lay awake in bed beside TK. His thoughts were centered on the blonde next to him, and how his life was in as much danger as his older brothers was, if not more.
'Ms Takaishi would die if her only living son was taken by that man. Someone's got to do something. Before it's too late.' Tai thought to himself. He thought about the time Matt was in the hospital, and how he was thinking about killing himself if he had to go back to his dad's home.
**Flash**
"I swear, Tai. I can't take it anymore." Matt whispered. He was bandaged and bruised, but had survived the severe beating.
"Don't you talk like that. You're my friend. I'll save you from this, no matter what I have to do." Tai cried, his tears hot on his cheek. Matt began to sob, the salty liquid leaking into one of his cuts on his cheek.
**End**
A short time after that conversation, Matt was dead. Tai had done nothing, and he carried the guilt with him everywhere he went. Now he glanced over at TK and sighed. He resembled Matt so strongly, it was like the dead boy came to life within TK's living body. Tears welled in Tai's eyes as he thought about his best friend.
'All this could have been prevented. I shouldn't have had to bury my best friend. We were only fourteen!' Tai thought angrily.
'Well I'm not going to let this happen to you, TK. I'm not going to let some sick man beat you until you can't go on. I'm not going to watch you die like your brother. I'm going to save you. I might have failed Matt, but not you. I can't fail twice.' Tai thought. The brown eyed boy became drowsy, and despite his best effort to stay awake, he fell asleep.
**This is kinda short, but I'm sorry, it's late here in the good old USA! This might be Takari if you all want it, and it is most definitely Taiora if you want that too. What's going to happen next, you might ask. Well, read and review. Five will get more.**