Tamers: Stuck in Paradise - Season 3
Part 10
by Christian "Sid" Lang




"Now what?" Aquaveemon asks, trying to see something in the darkness.
"We have to find Hawkmon. Maybe he needs our help." Veemon mutters.
The two Digimon spend the next few minutes to search the room they are trapped in.
"Have you found him?" Veemon asks after a while.
"No, but I have found something else."
Veemon hurries to where he heard her voice.
"In this corner there is no concrete floor, but normal earth." she tells him.
"So what?"
"It feels as if somebody buried something here... or... got... buried..."
Veemon gulps when he realizes what she is hinting at.
Then he shakes his head.
"Hawkmon would never try to dig his way out. He's a bird, not a mole." he tells her.
"I hope you're right..."

Hawkmon sails through the air with closed eyes.
Gracefully avoiding buildings and other obstacles, he congratulates himself.
He had been quite busy while hiding in the warehouse.
Gatomon's plan could even have worked! A good thing I've been there...
He had found the thermos bottle filled with coffee by accident.
And he had smelled that Gatomon had mixed something into it.
Bet it was something to make them all... mellow-mellow.
Of course he had made sure that they wouldn't find it.
As long as they don't start to dig it out...
He opens his eyes and looks at his talons.
It has been hard digging a hole with his fine talons, but he had been desperate.
But what if her plan still works? he wonders.
He frowns while flying towards his home.
Then he turns into a street leading away from the house.
"I have to know for sure..." he mutters.
He'd wait together with Gatomon. Then he'd be sure.

"Hello, sweetheart..." Davis whispers as Ruki opens the door.
Instead of answering, Ruki gives him a long hug.
"I guess that means you missed me, right?" the DigiDestined chuckles.
"Oh yeah..." Ruki sighs, holding him close to her.
She had feared he might leave her and run to this new girl.
Normal boys would have done so. At least that's what her mother would have said.
But according to her mother, no boy would like her at all.
"Davis, you really love me, don't you?" she asks Davis.
Davis hesitates slightly and gives her a strange look.
For a second, Ruki fears that he might just leave now. That her dream ends here.
"Of course I do, Ruki. I couldn't live witho-"
Davis is silenced by Ruki planting her lips on his.
Then he grunts as the Tamer pushes him against the opposite wall, still kissing him wildly.
Ruki suddenly smiles when she remembers the last night.
At least the few seconds before she had been woken by the nymphomanic cat Digimon.
She admits she had enjoyed the feeling... and the dream she had just before waking up...
"So, any plans for the evening?" Davis finally asks, breaking the kiss.
The Tamer simply smiles. Then her smile becomes a grin.

Veemon sighs as he asks himself once again how he could end up here.
He hears Aquaveemon pace and sighs again.
Bad enough that I'm stuck here. But she doesn't deserve this.
Davis' partner shakes his head. She had been so enthusiastic. And now... this.
"I'm sorry." he mutters.
The warehouse is suddenly very quiet since Aquaveemon has stopped pacing.
"You're sorry? Why?" she asks and starts to approach him.
"That I brought you here. I'm sure this is not the kind of adventure you expected."
She snickers.
"Hey, you didn't bring me here. Both of us came to help."
"You're probably right. But... hm."
"But what?" she asks, coming even closer.
"But I feel guilty."
"Because Hawkmon is your friend and I don't even know him?"
Her sarcasm makes Veemon gulp although he is sure she didn't mean to hurt him.
"No... I guess it's because I feel responsible... Being the so-called leader and all."
"You're the leader of the Digimon?" she asks, sounding surprised.
"Well... Not really. But if there is trouble, everybody asks Davis what to do."
"Ah... And since you're his partner, you have been forced into this role, too?"
Veemon simply sighs.
He looks up when he hears her sit down next to him.
"Know what? It's really nice of you to worry about the other's well-being like this."
"Tsk. The others worry just as much as I do." he tells her.
There is a long pause.
"I think the others really see you as their leader." she finally whispers.
"What makes you think so?"
"I don't know... You're simply... special."

Punch. Punch. Punch.
Maybe it's because of me.
Punch. Punch. Punch.
I didn't leave her some free space.
Punch. Punch. Punch.
But I love her! And she loves me!
Punch. Punch. Pause.
"Doesn't she?" Renamon asks herself and frowns.
The fox Digimon blinks and quickly checks if anybody is watching her.
But the part of the park she is training in is dark and still empty.
She sighs and resumes practicing her punches.
Gatomon's repeated mystery trips were bothering her somehow.
Punch. Punch. Punchpunch.
Why did she tell me not to follow her?
Her punches become faster.
What if she really is dating somebody?
Punchpunch. Punchpunch. Punchpunch.
Somebody... somebody...
Rena starts snarling when she remembers who Gatomon talked to at the airport.
Hawkmon.
Punchpunchpunch. Punchpunchpunch. Punchpunchpunch.
"Hawkmon!"
Her fists become a single blurred motion now.
"HAWKMON!"
Her fists make cracking sounds as they break the sound barrier.
With a scream, Renamon drives her fist against and through a tree.
She gasps and blinks when the large tree starts crashing to the ground.
Only now does she realize that her fist is glowing from the power of her Wisteria Punch.
"Oh Gatomon... this can't be true..." she sighs.
Then she decides not to jump to conclusions.
"I've got to talk with Ruki. Maybe she can give me some advise."
Yes. Yes. I'm just making this up. Gatomon would never...?

Veemon and Aquaveemon try to stay busy by talking.
While he tells her of his time with Davis, she tells her about life in America.
During their chat, they slowly start to come closer to each other.
Somehow Veemon starts to feel happy. He starts to ignore the situation he is in.
He is together with a girl he likes. Alone. And she seems to like him, too.
All his previous plans not to approach her seem to be forgotten.
He simply wants to hold her. Kiss her. Tell her he loves her.
Smiling, he moves closer. Closer.
Then, all of a sudden, the strange feeling is gone.
Thinking straight again, Veemon quickly moves away again.
After some polite coughs from both sides, the two Digimon start to chat again.

Nice try, Gatomon. Really clever. Hawkmon admits.
He takes the CD out of the Discman and slowly crawls out of the ventilation shaft again.
A good thing I approached the building from this side. he tells himself.
It had been luck that he heard the whispering voice coming out of the ventilation shaft.
Gatomon had connected Kari's Discman to some small speakers.
The CD Hawkmon is holding now is filled with whispered messages.
He shakes his head to get rid of the effects of the voice.
I should have guessed that her Cat's Eyes wouldn't be her only hypnosis trick.
Just before he had stopped the playback, the voice had become more commanding.
"Hug her. You are destined for each other. You love her. Kiss her. Kiss her. Kiss-"
He shakes his head again to get rid of the urge to kiss the lamppost he is leaning against.
I just hope I haven't been too late.
He looks at the small disc and flexes his talons. Then he thinks about it.
Maybe I should keep it. It could be useful someday... he thinks and smiles.

Davis Motomiya blinks wildly and tries not to hyperventilate.
His girlfriend, the love of his life, is pressing herself against him. Closely.
And she purrs.
His eyes dart around, scanning the living room Ruki is guiding him into.
"P-p-parents?" he manages to ask, trying not to sweat.
Then he remembers that this is the one question he shouldn't have asked.
But somehow Ruki's smile widens even more.
"My Mom's a complete reality away..." she purrs and kisses his cheek.
"B-B-But... you... me... Kari? Digimon? Her parents?" he stammers.
Even the encounter with MaloMyotismon hasn't prepared him for close contact with a girl.
"Oh yeah. I'm here, you're here. That's all that counts."
The DigiDestined of Courage calms down enough to form complete sentences.
"What're you thinking? We're much too young to actually... well... do you-know-what."
Ruki hesitates and thinks about this.
"Right. But we could just... get to know each other..." she finally purrs.
Finally Davis starts smiling, too.
His smile freezes when he feels her firm grip on his behind.
Guess that's why they're called Tamers... Davis guesses and grins.

Veemon silently curses Gatomon. And Hawkmon.
And all the others who are remotely linked to his current situation.
"It's been over an hour now." he hisses.
When he receives no answer, he turns his head.
In the darkness he can make out the Aquaveemon sitting next to him.
He frowns when he sees that she is hugging her knees - and shivering.
Biting his lower lip, he puts his arm around her and moves a bit closer.
The female Digimon looks up at him.
"Better?" he whispers into her ear.
"T-Thanks. Guess I'm not used to this." she answers and sighs.
"Lucky you." Veemon mutters.
He can feel the warmth of Aquaveemon's body and keeps chewing on his lips.
This is not romantic. This is not romantic. he keeps reminding himself.
"Why lucky me?" Aquaveemon asks after a while.
"Well, I didn't exactly wish for all of this. The danger, the long cold nights..."
"Oh. Sorry. I never saw it this way."
"No problem. We didn't choose our way of life."
He can feel her snuggling closer to him now and frowns.
It's... just getting colder. Have to keep her warm. he tells himself.
Then he hears a stifled yawn and smiles.
"Try to sleep. I'll wake you when something happens." he whispers.
"Thanks. But I think I'll... I gotta... stay..."
Aquaveemon doesn't manage to finish her sentence as she falls asleep instantly.
Veemon sighs and starts to review the evening.
Come on Gatomon. It can't be that hard to find Kari!