Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. This fic is really coming along pretty well. Each time I sit down to write, I know exactly what I'm going to write. I only got into the problem of the ages of Henry and Rika. So if anyone is as confused as I am, I'm using the age of ten as when the Digimon Tamers stuff took place. Henry and Rika both left Japan at the age of thirteen which was the same age Rika joined into the new Hypnos. This fic takes place ten years after the two tamers left Japan.

Okay, hopefully that clears things up a bit. At least for me it does. Any questions, feel free to ask. I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. However, I'm not a genius so don't try asking me questions such as "How many rings are there around Uranus while Saturn is in it's forth orbit around the sun during the year 2399?" I'm sorry, those questions are way out of my league.

And to answer some of the questions:

Yes, Makino really is Rika's mother's name in the English dubbed version of Digimon Tamers. Why? I have no clue, but it sounds cool, right? Anyway-

Yes, there will be romance in this fic soon.

Until then...

Disclaimer: I do not own..................

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~Chapter 3~

She gasped. Not again. She'd had that dream again.

Rika sat up and looked around her, realizing that she was in the comfort of her isolated home. The ancient Japanese style sliding doors and the familiar rugs and tables brought her back to reality. She was no longer in the past of her horrid life- the grandmother who had left her; the mother who had abandoned her; and the boy who had walked out of her life.

Her dream had seemed so real to her. As if she had been living through her past once again. It had come back to haunt her, though she'd tried so hard to forget every inch of her memories from the past. Her hand settled on her lap where a smooth covered magazine sat. Maybe it had been something she'd read that triggered that dream, "Ugh! That is the last time I take an afternoon nap after reading-" she looked down at the magazine in her lap and furrowed her brow. She blinked and studied the before and after photo of the familiar blonde model on the front page of LA Teens. The magazine was giving a tribute to older generation models.

She squinted, wondering if the magazine would suddenly change shape on her, but finally leaned back in disgust, "Since when did I start reading this trash." With a swift slap of her hand, the magazine went flying across the room, sprawling, opened to a mini fold out poster. It was the same before and after picture from the front cover.

Rika glanced at the poster for a second, still thinking about how the blonde model looked so familiar to her. Then, she was reminded of her dream. She knew exactly who that model was. Angrily, she moved across the living room, grabbed the magazine and tossed it into the nearest wastebasket.

That was the last person she'd ever wanted to see. Rika scowled at the picture still staring up at her from the wastebasket and remembered her dream once again. Scratch that, Makino Nonaka wasn't the last person she wanted to see. She was on a long list of last people that Rika'd ever want to see again. Makino was at the top of the list... right next to one of her childhood best friends, Henry Wong.

Rika swallowed a lump in her throat. She would not think about him. She would not! She hadn't thought about Henry for ten years. She wasn't going to start today. Not when she'd been living her new life for so long. She didn't want to have to think about him at all. Not now. Not ever.

Then why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

Rika leaned against the counter as she entered the small kitchen of her house. Her nice comfortable Japanese style house. She remembered back a few years when she had secretly ordered that her old house from Japan be moved to her current residence of Los Angeles, California. She'd found an isolated area deep in the thick woods near the edge of the Sierra Nevada range. No one had ever been there and so she decided that this would be her hide-out from the rest of the world. It had cost her a fortune to move her childhood home to this area, but it had also been worth it. It made her less homesick and it reminded her of all the good times she'd used to have with her grandmother. It was comfortable and isolated. Deep in the woods where no one would ever be able to find her even if they tried... and it'd been years since, yet still no one had been able to find out where she resided. She could stay here forever.

Oh, why can't I stop thinking about him? Rika practically yelled at herself. She groaned and glanced around her house. Ironically, this house also brought back the bad memories that she'd been trying for years to forget. The past that she'd been trying to leave behind her. Maybe moving the house here wasn't such a great idea after all. It'd been ten years since he'd walked out of her life. She wasn't about to let the ghost of his past reenter it.

And why? Because she had loved him... and he'd killed her heart. She could remember clearly. She'd remained in Japan when her mother asked her to move to America with her. And why? Partly for him. She hadn't wanted to leave her life in Japan. She hadn't wanted to leave Henry. He'd been the only one who understood her and she didn't want to be away from him. Yes- she was young at the time. But she was sure she knew what love was when it hit her.

She could remember it as if it were only yesterday that she bounded happily back into the herb garden to find her friend after her conversation with her mother. And instead of telling him about her feelings like she'd wanted to before, all she did was ask him to stay for dinner. She remembered that Henry'd expressed concern for Rika's sadness only moments before, of which she explained that her mother would be moving to America soon. She remembered to leave out certain details of how she'd decided to stay because of her grandmother... and because of him. Mostly because of him. It had been at that point that she realized she'd fallen in love with him.

And now, she was even more sure. After ten years, she was still thinking about him. No matter how much she tried to focus on her work- no matter how hard she'd tried to lock away the past- it had come back to haunt her, finally.

She was still in love with him. And even more than ever now. "Time makes the heart grow fonder." Where had she heard of that quote? Stupid quote, Rika thought, It just had to be right.

She had loved him then and she still loved him now. And what had happened? He'd left her. He had walked out of her life... forever...

*flashback*

Completing the rest of her martial arts routine with a few flips and a vertical roundhouse, Rika landed gracefully onto the soft grass of her herb garden. A smile crossed her lips as she wondered what Henry would think after he saw how well she'd mastered that technique he'd suggested for her. It wasn't much, but with the skill she'd already possessed before, she knew she'd be able to kick his butt, no matter how simple the stances of that routine were.

She looked toward the entrance of her garden as she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. They were those same light footed steps that had been entering her garden so much lately. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation for the approaching party.

The auburn haired girl calmed herself though. She breathed in the aromatic scent of the herbs all around her. This was why she enjoyed practicing in the herb garden of her house. This was why she liked being around here all the time. It was so refreshing. So calming and soothing to one's soul. Stress free.

Henry had commented on the tranquil feeling that the garden gave anyone who entered. He, himself loved it too. Is that why he was always there? Rika came back to reality just as the dark haired boy rounded the corner and smiled meekly at her. He stood there, leaning against the door frame.

Rika nodded to him in greeting. She would've smiled too, if not for the fact that she noticed the dark cloud over his head. She bit her lower lip. Something wasn't right. Henry was always a cheery boy. He was the type of person who always found joy in every aspect of life. At least that was what he'd taught her to do. That's why she'd lightened up over the past year. Because he'd been with her, helping her see a more positive side of life. He'd managed to break down the barrier separating the world from the true Rika Nonaka who was, in reality, more caring and kind than she usually let on, and he had become her best friend. But now, he wasn't happy. She could tell that much. Something must've really been wrong. She knew this and her heart ached for him.

"Hey, Rika," Henry stood up straight and walked into the herb garden. As he did so, he took in every scent he could pick up. Every image he could emblazon into his mind. Each and every aspect he tried to remember as if it'd be the last time he would walk in here. He finally stopped right in front of his best friend who only eyed him suspiciously.

"Henry?" Rika began. She looked him in the eye. There was something very wrong. But... would he tell her? They were best friends, after all. There should be no secrets between them. Being just a little hypocritical there, now aren't we, Rika? her subconscious poked at her and she almost screamed back at it.

Henry stood there, staring into Rika's eyes and finally spoke the words that would soon break her heart, though he hadn't, at the time, realized how big of an impact that one little sentence had on Rika Nonaka. He hadn't thought it was that significant. He knew she wouldn't be happy about the fact, just like he wasn't, but never had he thought that his few words would crush her heart and his few little actions would indefinitely kill her soul. He smiled grimly, "I've got bad news, Rika. My dad, he's been offered a job somewhere. And..." He trailed off, but saw the pleading look in his friend's eyes.

"Henry?" Rika questioned. This did not sound good. This did not sound good at all. She didn't like what she was hearing and didn't want to hear it.

Then came the harsh slap from reality, "Rika, we're moving. To America."

Rika stood speechless, not knowing what to say to him until finally, reality kicked into her senses and all she could mutter was a "What?" which was half choked up because of the lump that began to form in her throat.

"Dad's job is in Los Angeles," Henry stated simply, "And we have to move there. Our whole family will be moving there."

"You're- you're leaving?" Rika swallowed, "But- but you can't. This is where you grew up. This is where all your friends are."

"I know," Henry nodded, "I don't want to leave either. But I don't have a choice. This is a great opportunity for my dad and well..." He smiled at Rika again, but his smile wasn't enough to mend the broken heart that his words had caused.

"When?" was all Rika managed to choke out.

"In a few weeks. You're the only person I've told so far. Even Takato doesn't know yet," Henry replied, "In a few weeks, we'll be leaving for America..."

*end flashback*

***

As soon as the elevator began to descend to the bottommost level of the building, Andrew turned toward his left and quickly pulled opened the hidden door which would allow him access to the underground organization of Hypnos. The secret door was no mystery to Andrew anymore. He'd been working for the organization for over ten years and knew the whole building inside out. He watched as the red lasers carefully scanned the palm of his hand once and then once more again for accuracy.

"Destination: Lower Level," the same mechanical female voice only sounded whenever the correct credentials were shown through the scanner- and each and every member of Hypnos was documented into the Hypnos main computer, from their name to the smallest physical detail of their body. Otherwise, it would remain quiet.

Such high tech stuff, he couldn't help but to smirk proudly at how great his job was. Advanced technology, high pay, awesome benefits... He could go on and on with that list. Ever since the people of Hypnos had searched him out, he'd had nothing but a good life. He ran his hands through his jet black hair which had a messy cropped look to it.

In a matter of seconds, the elevator lift stopped at the requested destination. Andrew smiled and turned around as he awaited the back wall of the elevator to open rather than the sliding doors across from the wall. That was the only way to avert suspicion elsewhere. If the police couldn't see the secret doors, then Hypnos would be able to remain secret.

The young man stepped out of the lift and onto the metallic balcony which led to the lower level, where the Hypnos was located. His shoes ruffled the metal as he made his way down the balcony corridor and around to a set of stairs which led to the main room of Hypnos where the few scattered secretarial cubicles were located. Around the main room were doors that lead to offices and hallways that led to more rooms- break rooms, conference rooms, supply rooms, restrooms and more offices. Aside from all those, there were also the locker rooms, the training gyms, the labs and their one simulation training room. And all of these things were hidden underground, beneath the public building of Yuggoth Trade Center that was used as a cover up for Hypnos.

Andrew smirked yet again as he headed down the first hallway to his right, heading toward Break Room #5. He was glad to be working for Hypnos under the genius only known to the rest of the organization as Yamaki. Indeed, Mr. Yamaki was an intelligent and determined man. He'd kept Hypnos a secret for at least ten years and still no one suspected a thing. To the public, the building was just a trade center and museum. To the members of Hypnos, the building hid the underground organization which was dedicated to disrupting black market activity, helping the community, teaching wealthy snobby people their lessons and importing priceless Japanese ancient artifacts back to their native country.

The break rooms were cozy, designed to make sure that the members of Hypnos would be able to feel a sense of comfort. Hypnos not only looked out for the community, but it also looked out for it's people... most times. Break Room #5 was similar to the rest of the break rooms. There were lockers in the back for holding personal possessions, a table in the center, a soft couch sitting off next to the lockers and a few cabinets, a sink, a microwave oven and a refrigerator across from the couch and lockers.

"And I thought I was the first person here," a voice spoke from behind the dark haired man startling him. Andrew turned around to find, standing right behind him, was his friend and fellow K Team member, Sean Jordan. Sean, a tall, cinnamon haired twenty-five year old had been Andrew's best friend ever since the first day they met when they'd been chosen to serve in Hypnos. And since, the two worked as partners on each and every mission they'd been sent on.

"Anyone else here yet?" Andrew questioned, not exactly expecting an answer. He didn't really care about the others who'd be there.

Sean stood thinking for a second before speaking, "Well, like usual, Mr. Yamaki is here. He's in a meeting with Mr. Nonaka and the other superiors." Sean walked past Andrew into the break room, heading straight for the refrigerator. Andrew followed behind and slumped down onto the comfortable couch.

"Oh," Sean spoke up. He emerged from behind the refrigerator door with a box of milk and a bar of chocolate, "A few of the other teams are already here. I think most of them are in the gyms."

"Is that still edible?" Andrew made a face at the bar of chocolate in Sean's hand. If he wasn't mistaken, he could've sworn he'd seen that candy bar in the fridge a few weeks ago.

Sean only stared at the candy bar for a while, studying the half crumpled Hershey's wrapper before ripping it open. He continued to stare at the now exposed chocolate, also wondering whether or not he could eat it without ending up puking his stomach out. He finally just shrugged and took a nice sized bite out of it, causing Andrew to wince a little, since he still believed that the chocolate bar might not be edible.

Sean closed the fridge door and set the milk carton on the table. He then turned around and rummaged through the cabinet for his favorite mug. It was the only cup he would allow himself to use in the whole building. He'd brought it in himself, claiming that it brought him good luck.

"I saw Midnight Fox on my way in," Sean spoke up, half concealing a chuckle at the nickname, as he scoured the cabinets, still in search of his green and white cup which had his name painted on in a rough manner. It seemed someone may have forgotten that it was his cup. He made an angry face and for once, settled on one of the organization's cups that were kept on the lowest shelf- simple, dark blue mugs. Nothing special about them. Sean refrained from becoming angry. He'd just have to ask someone about his own personal mug later.

"What about her?" a scowl was now painted on Andrew's face. Maybe not the whole organization, but he was sure that his whole team had an inkling that he wasn't too fond of the night thief who'd become so famous in the hearts of all of Los Angeles. Also, who in Hypnos didn't know that Rika Nonaka was one of Mr. Yamaki's favorites, just because of her talent, skill and intelligence? They could call it jealousy. They could call it whatever they wanted to. Andrew just didn't like that girl. She was too... good.

"Awe, come on man," Sean shook his head, "It's not like she ever did anything to you." He smirked when his best friend just huffed and turned his head. Of course, being Andrew Chen's best friend, he knew perfectly well about the dark haired boy's dislike for the most well trained agent at Hypnos. He shook his head, "Well, I think Mr. Yamaki may have another big thing for her to do."

"I don't understand," Andrew pulled himself to his feet, "Why is it that Mr. Yamaki never lets any of us take the big jobs? He's always giving them to her. It's not like we can't do it. How much better is she anyway? I don't believe that I wouldn't be able to complete a task that she can! I mean, for crying out loud, she's made a mockery of herself already! I mean, the city calls her 'Midnight Fox.' She sounds like some stupid television clown or superhero of some sort!" He gripped one of the chairs at the table angrily as he spoke.

"Hey," Sean chanced a quick glance at the door, making sure that no one had gone by or heard what Andrew had just been ranting about, "Don't say that. The whole organization knows how great of an asset Nonaka is to this whole ordeal. I mean, in the past ten years that she's been here, she's shown Mr. Yamaki that she can handle anything... and very well too. Don't compete with her, Andrew. You know better. Just let her be. She's only a child, after all."

"She's twenty-three! Not that much younger than we are!" Andrew growled, "Age has nothing to do with anything here!"

"Just leave it be," Sean shook his head, "She does her thing and we do ours. So long as we do what we're supposed to do. And we do our best work too; I'm sure Mr. Yamaki won't over look us. Nonaka is just more well known because her uncle is one of Mr. Yamaki's most trusted people."

"Her uncle," Andrew growled again. He slammed his fist onto the table. He couldn't help but to think that Rika Nonaka probably got the better end of things at Hypnos because of Clarence Nonaka. If that wasn't the case, then he didn't know what was. He had been in the organization longer than that "girl" had been and he knew more about Hypnos than she ever would... well, not that much longer, maybe. He remembered that he'd been one of the first agents to be searched out by Hypnos. A year or two later, Rika Nonaka had joined. It was said that she had stumbled in on accident at the age of thirteen and so Mr. Yamaki decided that it would be okay that she remain as a Hypnos agent. That same year was when she began her training.

But that was beside the point, he knew he paid the organization and the superiors of Hypnos more respect than he'd ever seen from that Nonaka girl. If he remembered correctly, Rika Nonaka seemed to come and go as she pleased. She always did things her own way, only taking orders whenever she wanted to. Not exactly how he felt a Hypnos agent should be acting.

And instead of being lectured on her courtesy toward the organization and the superiors, she was given all the big jobs. Many of the other agents, such as Andrew and Sean, were instead either given dinky little small fry jobs in the ghettos of LA, or were given none at all. The thing about stealing from the ghettos- it was way too easy because no one ever reported missing items if they lived in the ghettos. It was a known fact that it was your own fault if you can't even watch your own possessions long enough for it to not be stolen.

"Calm down, Andrew," Sean placed a reassuring hand on the dark haired boy's shoulder, "One day, we'll be able to show Mr. Yamaki who we really are. And that we are the ones who deserve his praise more than any little girl." He nodded and smiled, hoping that his best friend would see things his way.

Andrew breathed out and his face softened, knowing that this was why Sean Jordan was his best friend and partner. He always knew what to say. Andrew nodded, "We'll show them. I refuse to lose."

***

Rika leaned against one of the vacant desks in a bored manner. She fiddled with her black wrist strap as she awaited her uncle patiently. She almost laughed remembering the old red wrist straps that she had sitting on top of her dresser. The same ones she wore when she was younger. It seemed she didn't really wear any other color except for black anymore. She liked that color. It reflected her mood and present personality- dark, mysterious and full of hate and scorn for the world. Ironic how she was helping the world that she hated so much.

She rolled her eyes around her, spotting the many eager faces of other Hypnos agents who performed the same acts that she did each night. The difference between her and them- she was better. And that proved true considering Hypnos only gave her the hardest jobs... and gave them jobs so small that even a child could take them.

"Rika," the sound of her uncle's voice interrupted her brief thoughts. The auburn haired girl looked up at him through her purple tinted sunglasses, seemingly uninterested at what her next job would be. After all, it was very rare that Hypnos gave her a direct order. Yamaki usually just told her to do what she wished so long as she showed evidence of her work. And that was exactly what she did. She robbed wherever she pleased to rob and she returned whatever she pleased to return, remembering to give Yamaki and her Uncle Clarence a few weekly reports as were necessary. Unlike the other agents of Hypnos, Rika didn't have boundaries on what she did. She smirked, Hypnos knew better than to keep her confined to certain assignments.

She stood up straight, catching the glare from one of the K Team members standing to the side. She never made an effort to remembering any names. She didn't really need to, considering she worked alone. This was another unique thing about Rika. She wasn't assigned to any particular team like the rest of the agents and members of Hypnos. That was also a smart move on Hypnos's behalf. Rika Nonaka worked alone.

She ignored the glares coming her way as she moved toward the door of the conference room where Yamaki would be giving Rika her assignment. She didn't need to think to know who this particular black haired boy was. Andrew Chen. He was the only person in Hypnos who dared to openly show his hatred of her. Jealousy, Rika sneered, He just can't stand to have someone better than him. Who cared what he thought though? Who cared what anyone thought about her at all? She didn't need anyone's approval for what she did. She didn't care if they hated her. That only meant that she'd have one less person to be nice to. All the better, too.

She stopped at the door of the conference room. Without looking at anyone in particular, she turned her nose up in the air, "If you really wanted to show how useful you are, you should try talking less and working more. Only jealous people who can't do their job would badmouth others who've accomplished more in their childhood than you have in your whole life." With that said, Rika entered the conference room, not even caring to see the change in expression from Andrew Chen who immediately looked like he was ready to strangle the younger girl.

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End of chapter. Did you like it? ^_^

Well, let me know what you think. The next chapter will be out soon enough. Until then, keep watching the sky. Maybe you'll be able to figure out how many rings there really are around Uranus. ^_^

Review please. Thanx.