Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon Tamers.  WAH!!  Sorry, I'm in a semi-depressed mood, since school is getting nearer, so I'm hopefully shifting into high gear with fanfics.

Sorry for the late chapter, I meant to have this out last Saturday, but I got distracted by my parents.

Thank you for the reviews, and please review this one too!

Also, in the Tamers timeline, this is after the 6th movie.  I found this site that had a manga of the 6th movie.  Unfortunately, the whole thing was in Japanese, so I barely had any idea what was going on, but at least it showed most of the movie.

Rainy Days

It was official.  Ruki Makino absolutely hated the rain.  And this time, she hadn't even remembered to bring an umbrella.

Shinjuku was still in a state of rebuilding after the recent D-Reaper, and Parisimon/Locomon invasions.

Ruki and Renamon had been riding the subway home after some training, as was their usual routine, despite the stares Renamon attracted, but Ruki never really cared.

That was when the trouble started.  First, the line she normally rode home on was reported as broken, due to repairs from D-Reaper, and the rain also.  Thus, their train had been diverted to another line that Ruki wasn't as familiar with as she'd liked, and then the train itself had also broken.

Most of the passengers had grumbled, but had flagged down taxis, or had pulled out umbrellas.  Unfortunately, Ruki didn't have either option, so she just had to run all the way home.  Worse yet, she could barely see where she was going since the rain had intensified and she could barely read any street signs.  Though Renamon was leading her in the general direction of home, it was still slow going.

As such she was very grumpy, and if anybody aside from her Digimon talked to her she would snap at them, much as she used to a year ago.

"Ruki!  What are you doing out in the rain like this?"

Ruki looked up at the familiar voice, and scowled.  Just what she needed, a goggle boy.

"Oh, couldn't you tell, I like the rain so much I decided to skip the subway and the umbrella and just dance in the rain!" she shouted at Takato in frustration.

Takato flinched, but wasn't that discouraged.  He was used to Ruki's remarks.

"Do you need some help, Ruki?" he asked again in, what he hoped, was a friendly tone.

"Listen, gogglehead," she growled, "if I wanted help, I would ask for it, and besides that, what are you doing here?  Are you stalking me again?"

It wasn't quite so dark yet that Ruki couldn't see Takato's cheeks redden at that comment.  "Again?" he asked mildly.

"Yeah, like when you popped up near my house just so conveniently," she said.

"Hey, I was just looking for Culumon then," Takato said defensively.  "We didn't know your house was there!"

Ruki looked up at the sky, and saw the rain was getting even worse, if that was possible.

Takato noticed where she was looking, and, quite presumptuously (at least according to Ruki), stepped closer to her than she normally allowed, sharing his red umbrella.

Ruki grunted thanks, since her mood didn't allow anything more, and finally asked "So, gogglehead, you know a place where we might be able to wait out the rain?"

Takato smiled, which actually seemed to brighten up the space around them.  "Sure, my family's bakery!"

"And just where is your family's bakery, the other side of town?" Ruki asked acidly.

"No, just around the corner," Takato said pointing.

Takato moved away, and Ruki hurried along to keep under the cover of his umbrella and saw that literally just around the corner was the bakery Takato's parents owned.

Ruki sweatdropped.  "Okay, I guess I got more lost than I thought."

Takato shrugged.  "Its okay, I can barely see three feet in front of my face in this rain.  You're lucky I was out here closing up a few windows.  They said this storm might keep going for awhile, so my parents were planning on closing up early.  You and Renamon can stay here until the rain lets up a little."

Ruki smiled at the thought.  "Alright, gogglehead, you win.  Renamon?"

Renamon appeared next to her, also soaking wet.

Ruki blinked.  "I thought your fur didn't absorb water."

"It doesn't absorb much water," Renamon corrected, "and this much rain is too much for me."

"Well, you can dry out in the bakery," Takato said, walking towards the door, which slid open.  "Mom, dad, is it okay if Ruki waits in here with us?"

Takato's mom looked up from where she was counting up the money from the day's sales.  "Of course, Takato," she said absently.

Ruki took a deep breath as she stepped inside the bakery.  Though she would never admit it, she really did enjoy going over to Takato's house.  There was always the smell of fresh bread permeating the place, and it was one of the few places where Renamon wouldn't be too noticed- since most people were busy looking at the red dinosaur mascot.

"Takatomon, you're back!" Guilmon shouted happily as he ran out of the back, holding a large box of bread.

He then noticed who else Takato had brought in.  "Takatomon, why are Rukimon and Renamon here?"

Ruki whirled from the displays she was examining back to the Digimon.  "What did you call me?"

"Rukimon?" Guilmon asked innocently.

Takato sighed.  "Guilmon, its Takato and Ruki­-"

"Sitting in a tree!" added another voice.

Ruki and Takato blushed and then noticed the speaker.  "Culumon!"

"Hi Ruki!" Culumon shouted ecstatically.  "Did you come here to get out the rain too?"

Ruki groaned.  "Yes, and where did you get the idea to say that?"

"Terriermon, Hirokazu, and Kenta," Culumon said.  "They told me that if I heard your names together like that, then I was supposed to say 'sitting in a tree,' and they would give me cream puffs!  Did I get it right?"

Ruki made a fist.  "Remind me to kill those three next time I see them."

Takato sweatdropped at Ruki's anger.  "Uh, tell you what Culumon, if you'll forget about the whole thing, and don't tell those three you did anything, you can have this," and he held up a large container filled with cream puffs.

Culumon squealed and dived into the box, and started nibbling to his heart's content.

Ruki sighed in relief.  "Takato, you're a lifesaver at times."

Takato beamed at the praise from Ruki.  "No problem."

"Though I wouldn't have thought you the type to bribe innocent little Digimon like that," Renamon added, from where she was drying herself off with a towel Takato's mom had given her.

"Ah, anything for Ruki," Takato said.

Ruki stared strangely at him.

"A-a-and any other of my friends, of course," stammered Takato.

"Sometimes I wonder about you gogglehead," she said.

"Hello Takato," called his father as he walked out holding another tray of rolls.  "I see you brought a girl friend here."

"W-what did you say?" Takato and Ruki stammered simultaneously.

"Well, most of the time, only Hirokazu and Kenta come over, and Juri is the only other girl you know," his dad explained as he set the tray down.

Ruki quickly turned around so no one could see her flaming cheeks.  If she didn't know better, she would think there was a conspiracy surrounding her and Takato.

Once she was sure she didn't look a tomato, she turned around and looked at the tray of steaming bread.

"Mr. Matsuda, why are you bringing out more bread?" she asked politely.  "Takato said you were closing up early today."

"We are," answered Mie Matsuda, Takato's mother.  "But you see, we had already started this batch of bread earlier, before we decided on that, so we just had to finish it."

"Besides," said Takehiro, Takato's father, "any extra bread we have left over always goes to Guilmon, so we always have lots of room the next day."

Ruki glanced at Guilmon, and saw that he was already drooling at the sight of bread.

"Here, Ruki," Takato offered as he held out one of the new loaves.  "If I remember right, you always liked this type the best."

Ruki took the warm food gratefully, then realized something.  "How do you know what my favorite type of bread is?"

"Uh, I noticed which type of bread you liked the most when we made a batch here during the

D-Reaper invasion," Takato said, putting one hand behind his head.

"What did you say?" his mother interrupted.  "When did you use the over without one of us around?"

"Uh, nothing," Takato denied, but his mother's penetrating glare broke down his defenses.  "Well, after we got back from the Digital World, and while we were wandering around, we had to eat, so we made our own batch of bread."

Mie sighed.  "Well, I guess that's okay, if you had your friends with you, but please, don't try to do it alone again."

"Yes, mom," Takato quickly agreed, and then quickly grabbed Ruki's hand.  "Come on, Ruki, there are more towels in the back," he said quickly, hoping to escape his mother's interrogation.

"Uh, sure," Ruki said, looking down at his hand holding hers.  She knew from experience how annoying mothers got.

Takato dragged her into the back of the building, which was also boarded up, but was as warm as the bakery had been, luckily, followed by their Digimon.

Takato momentarily left the room, and entered with several towels.  He handed them to Ruki and Renamon, to help them dry off.

"Thanks gogglehead," she said as she attempted to wring out some of the excess water.  "Is it me, or do you get a sense of déjà vu?"

Takato thought for a moment, and then laughed as he remembered.  "Oh yeah, that one time in the park," he said.  "I never really did thank you for helping me out then."

Ruki waved aside the statement.  "It was nothing, it was just what a friend would do."

"We were friends back then?" Takato asked, shifting into a thinking position.

"I'd have to get back to you on that," Ruki said, playing along, and the both laughed.

"Well, I guess we were friends after you stopped trying to load Guilmon's data," Takato said.

Ruki reached up to her hair and pulled out the band that was holding her hair up in the ninja type ponytail.  She couldn't dry her hair while it was up like that, right?

For a moment, Takato just stared at Ruki, it was so rare to see Ruki with her hair down.  In fact, the only time he had seen her like this was after an evolution to Sakuyamon.

"By the way, what did your mom say when you got back home?" Ruki asked.

Takato hung his head.  "Scolded me for getting wet, and then sentenced me to my room."

"Mothers are like that," Ruki said.  "Wonder if I'll ever be like that."  Wait a second, what did I say?!

Takato looked up at that, and blushed.  "Uh, so you're going to get married someday Ruki?"

Ruki also blushed, but luckily, both were so embarrassed, neither noticed.  "Well, just about everybody does," she said evasively.

"Have any ideas yet?" Takato asked.  Now would be a really good time to shut up.

"Not really," Ruki said.  Get a hold of yourself, you're the Digimon Queen, he's a novice, a cute novice, but- stop!

"How about Ryo?" Takato asked, trying to sound neutral.  Okay, I'm dead, either she's going to kill me, or she's going to say yes.  Both would be bad.

Takato waited for an answer, but was startled when he heard Ruki snickering.  He turned around, and looked at her, and so she was trying to control her laughter, but then burst out laughing.

"Ryo?!?" she shouted in between giggles.  "What the hell gave you the idea I liked Ryo?!"

"Uh, no idea," Takato said, joining in the laughter.  Suddenly he remembered something.  "Oh, I'll be right back, Ruki," he said, running back up to his room.

Ruki managed to get herself back under control while Takato was gone, as Renamon walked back into the room, eating a bread loaf.

"What was the laughter about?" she said, curiously.

"Well, Takato thought me and Ryo, well, liked each other," she said, snorting.  "I'd rather date Twiddle Dee and Dum then that stuck-up fool."

"Well, that's an insult," Renamon said.  "Well, since you detest all three of them, about Takato?"

"He's okay," Ruki admitted, and then glared suspiciously at Renamon.  "What are you hinting at Renamon?"

"Nothing," Renamon said, adopting a innocent expression.

"And why are you holding a Guilmon bread behind your back?" Ruki asked.  "I thought you didn't like Guilmon bread?"

"Well," Renamon said, maintaining her dignity, "you try saying no to Guilmon when he starts trying to shove bread down your throat."

"Good point," Ruki conceded.  She looked up the stairs as she heard several crashes.  "Maybe I better make sure Takato didn't fall out the window or something."

She marched up the steps and stepped into Takato's well-lit, and well-clutttered, room.

She looked around, and saw various Digimon memorabilia, an Agumon figurine, and several decks on the dresser.  She glanced at them, and saw they were filled with decent cards, and one or two rare ones.

"Found it!" Takato shouted as he finished rummaging through his drawer and then noticed Ruki in his room.  "Ahh!"

Ruki jumped at his shout, and just said "I was wondering what all the noise was about," as an explanation.

"Well, sorry it took so long," Takato apologized, as he held something behind his back.  "Well, I forgot to give this to you at your party, since you left a bit early, and I didn't want to just leave it in the pile of presents, since I, well, wanted to give it to you personally and…"

Ruki listened to him with one ear as she thought of her last birthday party.  Sight-seeing with her grandma, invaded by Parisimon, possessed by one, rescued by Guilmon and Takato, and having memories of her father forced on her again.  Understandably, she hadn't been too happy at the party, so everyone respected her wishes and left early, leaving their presents.  A Digimon computer game from Jenrya, a dress from Juri (stashed in her closet somewhere), various foods from Hirokazu and Kenta, a set of doll clothes from Shuichon (reserved for later torture of Terriermon), a Queen Device card from Ryo (thrown away since he had already given it to Shuichon once), and surprisingly nothing from Takato, much to her hidden disappointment.

At least now she knew why.

Takato held up a box, and she tentatively took it, and then opened it.

Inside was a crown, homemade, but still, it looked beautiful.  It had several fake gems in it, and various forms of Renamon scattered on it too, all drawn artfully.

Takato smiled at her stunned expression.  "Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else to give you, aside from a crown for the Digimon Queen!"

Ruki was too stunned, but to just pick up the crown, and noticed several cards were stuck in the slits.

She picked them up, and saw that they were cards, Renamon, Kyuubimon, Terriermon, Galgomon, Leomon, Guardromon, MarineAngemon, Taomon, Rapidmon, SaintGalgomon, Sakuyamon and even two-

She held up the two cards that were tucked in at the front.  "A Dukemon card?"

Takato shrugged.  "It took me awhile to draw one in, but I was super careful!" he said proudly.

Ruki shook her head at his enthusiasm, and saw another Dukemon card, but this one was different, with less white, and more red.

"So, what do you call your mode change?" Ruki asked as she glanceed at the card carefully.  It almost looked like a real card, especially since Ruki knew that Takato was better at drawing fake cards than Hirokazu.  Far better.

"Dukemon Crimson Mode?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as she saw the name and attacks.

Takato shrugged.  "I like crimson.  Besides, fighter and paladin were already taken."

"Well its your Digimon," she said.

"Uh, Ruki," Takato fidgeted for a moment before he blurted out "could I put the crown on you?"

Ruki was startled by his boldness, but nodded once, glad her hair was already down, since the crown would never have fit over the spiked ponytail.

She handed the crown back to him, and he carefully put in on her head.

Takato smiled at the image.  "Now you really do look like the Digimon Queen!"

Ruki blushed (she sure does a lot of that now), and nodded.  "Thank you Takato."

"No problem," Takato said.  "And don't worry about the cards, I've still got plenty, but I thought it should have all of our friends' Digimon too!  To show that you're not the ice queen anymore."

"True," Ruki said, struggling not to show how touched she was by the gift.

Suddenly she noticed that the gems were reflecting sunlight.  Sunlight?!

Both Tamers looked out the window and saw a rainbow in the sky.

"Well, I better get home before the weather acts up again," Ruki said regretfully.

"I'll walk you out," Takato offered, and took the crown off of Ruki's head and put it back in the box.

They descended down the steps, and blinked when they saw Guilmon trying to stuff as much bread as possible into Renamon's arms, and unfortunately for her, her mouth was stuffed with a Guilmon bread so she couldn't say anything.

"Renamon, time to go," she said and Renamon quickly nodded, and disappeared, leaving a disappointed Guilmon.

"What are you doing, boy?" Takato asked curiously.  "Why were you trying to give Renamon all that bread?"

"Well, your mom said that we should guests lots of stuff," Guilmon said, "so I was trying to give Renamon bread!"

Takato shook his head.  "You don't have to do that all the time Guilmon?"

"Then why is Ruki holding a box?" Guilmon asked, cocking his head to one side.

"I'll explain later, boy," Takato said, blushing a little.

They walked out together, and Ruki stepped out, and handed Takato the towels she had been using.

"Thanks for the stuff, gogglehead," she said gratefully.

"It was no problem," Takato said bashfully.  "You should come over more often, we've always got more bread."

"I think I've had enough bread for awhile," Renamon said, having mysteriously dumped most of the bread she had been holding somewhere, and she was also holding something else, which she handed to Ruki.

"Oh yeah, you gave this to me awhile ago," Ruki said, handing Takato the paper.  "Since it was the original, I kept meaning to give it back to you, but with the Devas, and the D-Reaper, well…"

Takato held the paper for a moment, and put it back into his pocket.  "Thank Ruki, I was wondering what I had done with it."

"Well, I'll see ya later, gogglehead," she said, and then, on impulse, leaned forward, gave Takato a quick kiss on the lips, and then ran off into the sunset.

***

After Ruki was sure that she had at least several blocks between her and Takato, she stopped panting.

"Well, that was smart," she said to herself.

"Very smart," Renamon agreed, appearing beside her, chewing on a bit of bread.

She looked at Renamon holding the bread.  "I'd thought you had thrown it away."

She just shrugged.  "I stashed it away for a rainy day," she said.

Ruki smiled.  "We just had one.  Maybe the next one you can get more."

Renamon merely smirked at her.  "And from where, would you suggest I get more?"

"Maybe a bakery," Ruki said simply.

"And what will you get next time?" Renamon asked, pointing at the box holding her "crown".

Ruki smiled.  "Who knows?"

***

Takato blinked.  Then he stood there for nearly five minutes, not making any noise.  Guilmon poked him in the side.

"Takato, are you okay?"

Takato finally smiled.  "Well, what do you know, maybe I have a chance after all."

He stepped back into the bakery, and held his lips for a moment, remembering the touch of Ruki's lips.

"Someday," he murmured to himself.

Once he was in his room, and had stored his Guilmon drawing with the rest of them, he smiled to himself.

"Maybe I do like rainy days."

The End.

Well, that's one story done with, three more to go.  I again apologize for taking a bit longer, but I'd gotten writer's block on a good birthday present.

Please, read and review!