My, my, my, I didn't know I was going to get that many reviews (that were sort of on the flamey side… but they keep me warm in this COLD weather! [Cold for Southern California anyways]) for the last chapter. They are appreciated. =D Even if they're a bit flamey. hee hee. And because of your impatience… heh heh… you get a new chapter! Be happy—this may be the last one you get in a while.
TogetherAgain: Hey! Your user name matches the title of my story! How awesome is that? =D Thanks for your reviews, they make me happy.
Now calm down, everyone, this is not going to be a Daikari. I promise. [I agree with you all… Takari is the best! Yay!] But you didn't think everything was going to be all happy, did you? That would be too… unoriginal. Anyways, all will be explained in this chapter. And… when I write the sequel, a lot of it refers back to this chapter. (You'll see what I mean when I begin the sequel and post it.) So keep that in mind. This story is almost done, but not quite… so yeah. Just read.
And a poll for you all: who should find out that they're meeting first? Should Hope tell T.K. first, or should Aaron tell Kari who his friend really is? Let me know. It'll affect the next two chapters. =D
Okay on to the story, but not before a word from our sponsors…
Disclaimer: *sigh* Digimon isn't mine. Get over it.
Together Again: Chapter 4
Breakthrough
-POV: Aaron-
The four of us stood there in shocked silence, until I abruptly told Mom, "I'm going to my room. We'll talk later." Then I turned to Kendall, who was still in shock, and said, "Hey. I'll keep in touch, okay?" I grabbed the notepad off the table by the door and scribbled some stuff onto it. "Here. Take care, okay?" She nodded and then we hugged. Trying to ignore my mom and Kendall's dad, I took my stuff and retreated to my room. I caught a glimpse of my laptop in the corner, and on impulse, I looked at the clock. 12:06 a.m. It's only 9 pm in California. I really needed to talk to Hope.
Setting my stuff down, I logged on and punched in Hope's name into my Buddy List (AN: think AIM here). Sure enough, her screen name appeared, and I sent her an IM.
the write stuff: Hope? It's Aaron. We need to talk… something's wrong.
CaliGurlHope06: aaron!
CaliGurlHope06: did you just get home? you sure got on fast. but it's good to see you.
CaliGurlHope06: what's wrong?
the write stuff: Well, I just got here, and Mom was with someone. But she wasn't just with someone, she was WITH someone… if you know what I mean.
CaliGurlHope06: like… WITH someone? *gasp* don't tell me these things, aaron! are you, like, trying to corrupt me or something?
the write stuff: NO! Hope, they were only kissing.
CaliGurlHope06: only?!?!?!
the write stuff: Yes, only. But the worst part of it all is… it was Kendall's dad.
CaliGurlHope06: oh, no… so are they like dating? i hope not… we have to get mom and dad back together though!
the write stuff: I know! But at the moment, I don't know if Mom and Kendall's dad are going out. (I hope not… she's kinda cute.)
CaliGurlHope06: ooh, aaron likes kendall, aaron likes kendall…
the write stuff: Be quiet, she's still here!
CaliGurlHope06: she is? let me talk to her!
I heard the door close and Mom call, "Aaron? We need to talk. Come out here."
That's an understatement, I thought bitterly. "Hold on, Mom—give me two minutes!" I called back, then turned back to the computer.
the write stuff: She just left. Anyways, I have to go. I'm going to find out what exactly is going on with Mom and Kendall's dad.
CaliGurlHope06: okay. e-mail me, okay? i want to know what's up.
the write stuff: I promise I will. I'll ttyl, okay?
CaliGurlHope06: okay. bye aaron!
the write stuff: Bye!
the write stuff signed off at 12:11:31 A.M.
-POV: Kari-
As I waited for Aaron to come out, I thought back to when Davis came over earlier…
*Flashback*
I was listening to the CD that Aaron gave me again when the buzzer rang. I went over to the speaker. "Hello?"
"Kari? It's Davis. Can I come up?"
"Well you came all the way from Brooklyn, so I guess." I smiled as I pushed the button to let him in.
A few minutes later, a knock came at the door. "Hey, Kari," Davis greeted me.
"Hey, Davis. Come on in." I let him in and we sat at the table. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.
It all came tumbling out: how lonely I felt, not just because Aaron was at camp, but especially because of the song that reminded me of T.K. and Hope. Davis nodded, then somehow got us talking about our pasts, reminiscing back to when we were younger than our kids and in the Digital World. And then…
"Kari, do you remember how I used to have the biggest crush on you, back when we were really young?"
I laughed softly. "All that chasing after me and offering to do me all these things? That's not hard to forget."
"Good."
I looked up at him with a confused expression. "Davis, what are you—"
But I didn't get a chance to finish, because Davis had leaned over the table and pressed his lips against mine. What was he doing? I didn't like him that way—I never have—but… somehow, I got lost in the moment, maybe because I was feeling so lonely. Thankfully, common sense regained control in my brain and I tried to push him away, but he only sought to deepen our kiss.
*Real time*
"And then they came in and saw everything," I said to myself.
"Mom." I looked up at the entrance to the hallway and saw my son standing there. For a brief moment, he reminded me so much of T.K.—his stance, his build, his hair, that looked like Tai's more than anyone else's—and the stern look he was giving me. "Aaron, don't look at me like that." For goodness sakes, I'm his mother and yet he's trying to act as if I was his daughter!
"Mom, I understand that you'd like to see new people, but…" Aaron sighed. I patted the seat next to me on the sofa and he sat down. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"There's nothing to tell. Other than what you walked into was a compromising position, but it was also an accident."
"An accident?" Aaron looked confused now. "Kisses are never accidents."
I raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you speak from experience."
Aaron flushed a bit. "That's not the point. Go on."
I nodded. "That was Davis Motomiya, a good friend of mine from back in junior high and high school. He's the owner of the franchise of those noodle stores—"
"I know." Aaron cut me off. "If you didn't notice, I walked in with his daughter. I met her at camp."
"You did?"
"Yeah… along with a lot of other cool people." His expression changed subtly; but I didn't have the time or the energy to call him on it. So I continued. "Anyway, that song that you gave me… it reminded me a lot about the divorce and everything, and I needed to talk to someone. So he came over, since he's the closest one of my good friends around, and we talked, and the next thing I know, he was kissing me. It was weird, and I didn't want him to do it, and I wasn't expecting it. I was trying to push him away when you came in."
"I see." Aaron leaned back against the couch, folding his arms. He was quiet for a few minutes, until I asked softly, "Aaron?"
"Yeah? I'm not mad at you… well, not really."
"And why would you be mad at me?" I prodded.
A shadow suddenly passed through his face momentarily, as if he had his own little agenda. "I have my reasons. But, Mom," he asked, changing the subject, "what did you think of that CD I gave you? Other than the already stated, I mean."
"It was really good, Aaron. Good enough to stir up memories that I haven't touched in a while. Who was she?"
"My friend," Aaron stated simply. "So do you think that she can come here to consult with you?"
"Not quite yet. I have to submit her demo to my boss. But tell me a bit more about her."
-POV: Aaron-
I squirmed a bit. I tried to figure out a way to do this without giving away the fact that Hope was her own daughter. "Well… she just turned sixteen, and she lives in southern California. She's really pretty… she's got long blonde hair, she's pretty tall, and she really wants this deal," I told my mom, choosing my words carefully.
"You seem to be very fond of her," my mom noted. "Do you like her?"
"No," I replied, a bit too abruptly for my taste. "I mean… she's my—like, she's like a sister to me." Dang. I needed sleep.
"Oh."
"So… when will you know if she can come out here and talk to you guys?" I asked eagerly.
"If I submit this to my boss… maybe in a week."
"Okay." I yawned. "Mom… I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions earlier."
Mom waved her hand. "Don't worry… it was a compromising position." She smiled wearily. "It's good to have you back. I missed you." She ruffled my hair like she used to when I was little, and I smiled sheepishly. "Mooom."
"Sorry. Did you have fun?"
"Yeah. I probably had the best experience of my life. Thank you for sending me there."
"Aaron, it was for you. I just pitched in a bit."
"Still, Mom… I have you to thank. But I have to get going, or else I'm going to fall asleep here."
We both laughed. "Then good night, Aaron. I'll talk to you in the morning?"
"Sure thing." I kissed my mom good night and walked to my room. I had a lot to write about to Hope when I woke up.
-POV: Hope-
I sighed as Aaron left. This was not going well… Mom and Kendall's dad. I shook my head. Then I vaguely remember reading in one of my dad's novels about a girl named Kari—that would be my mom—and how this guy always liked her, and acted as if my mom was "his girl" and all this other stuff… and he used to call my dad T.S. or T.E. or something, anything other than his real name. But what was his name? I wondered. I started searching through the computer to see if I could find anything in one of my dad's stories. I looked into the folder that my dad keeps all his writing files, and I clicked on one in general. But it wasn't what I was expecting.
It started out very simply, with this dedication:
To Kari
I looked at the date that my dad had started this on—he always dates his files—and realized that he had started on this story when I was up at camp. In fact, it was dated July twenty-first—my birthday. Curiously, I scrolled down to the end, which was about at least seventy-five pages from the top.
Let me tell you, it doesn't feel the same anymore. Yes, I have our daughter, but she's grown up without a mother, one that she deserves to know. And isn't it true that you can't have hope without light? That's what it feels like for me… a world without hope, because there is no light. The love in my heart that I have for my Light will never fade, even after all this time.
I leaned back, intrigued. So, my dad still was in love with my mom. He had to be… I once found a box in which he kept all the stuff that they shared—wedding pictures, old photo albums, and some other things. He also kept letters that they exchanged when they were dating. There was still hope for them.
"Hope? You should be resting now," my dad called. And from the sound of it, he was in pretty close proximity. Hurriedly, I shoved a disk into the drive and anxiously waited as it s l o w l y saved. Just as the light had turned off in the disk drive and the document had been closed, my dad walked in. "Hi."
"Hi, Daddy," I greeted him. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything," he replied, sitting on the couch behind me.
"You know that one series of stories you wrote that were based on your adventures in the Digital World?" I began.
He nodded. "Yeah?"
"Who was that one guy who always called you T.P. or T.A. or whatever?"
Dad got a distant look in his eyes, as if he was remembering some good times. "Oh, that was Davis. He didn't like me because—" He stopped abruptly, and I knew why; he was remembering my mom.
"He didn't like me because he thought I liked that this girl that he liked and that she liked me," he finally said. "Oh, those were some good times. I wonder what ever happened to him…"
-POV: the all-knowing narrator (me!)-
The next morning, Aaron rose at ten-thirty… quite a late hour for him, but he figured since he was up since past midnight, it was well deserved. He went out to the kitchen and got some stuff out of the fridge, and found a note on the table.
Aaron,
I probably won't be home until late tonight, so I hope you can find something productive to do. I'm bringing your friend's demo today, and if all goes well, we can have her here in about a week, more or less. I'm hoping she can come… she's got a lot of talent. I'm also probably going to need a picture of her, too, so if you can give me one, that'd be great. I'll talk to you as soon as I get home. Take care.
Love, Mom
"Hmm… pictures would be a good thing," Aaron thought, as he bit into a croissant. He took his plate of food and went to his computer, where there was an e-mail waiting for him.
From: CaliGurlHope06@aol.com
To: the_write_stuff@hotmail.com
Subject: i hit the jackpot!!!!
aaron!!!! you will not believe what i found last night! i was browsing through my dad's files to see if i could find something on kendall's dad ('cause i forgot his name) and i found this one file, and dad dedicated it to mom. it looks like a new story. as i read through it, i realized it was the story of how they came to be together, and what happened when they got divorced and everything. but aaron, OMG, the last few lines of the story… dad still loves mom, even after all these years! can you believe it? if only she felt the same way… *sigh* anyway, so what happened with all that crazy business? are mom and kendall's dad together or what? let me know! (sorry i just couldn't wait to e-mail you, i was so excited when i found that document thing.) i'll try to talk to you soon, okay? write me back!
love always,
hope =D
~*without light there is no hope, and without hope there is no light*~
Aaron's eyes widened as he read the e-mail. This was perfect! All he needed to do was his mom's go-ahead to get them here to NYC, and the sparks would fly. Aaron smiled, then replied to Hope's e-mail.
From: the_write_stuff@hotmail.com
To: CaliGurlHope06@aol.com
Subject: good news!
Hello Hope!
Don't worry, the Mom + Kendall's dad thing was just a false alarm. Mom doesn't like him like that at all… but he apparently does. So all is well. And—guess what? Mom is bringing in your demo today, so she'll probably be ready to see you by the end of the week. So make plans! I can't wait to see you (and Dad, don't forget about him). She said your song made her think about memories that she hadn't thought about in a while. Hmm… that's interesting. Anyways, I gotta go. I have to finish eating and find that picture that I took of you, so I can give it to Mom so she can give it to her boss. (Don't worry, I'll give them a good one.) I'll e-mail you when I know when you can come in. Take care, little sister!
--Aaron
p.s.: If you can, can you send me the file with that story on it? I'd like to read it. Thanks!
Aaron sent the e-mail and then started rummaging around in his stuff for his film that he had taken at camp. Aaron was a budding photographer—much to the happiness of his mother, who shared his love for photography—and the Kamiyas had set up a darkroom in one of the rooms of their apartment. He took the film out from the canister and proceeded to develop the film, hoping he could find some good pictures.
-Later-
As the pictures dried, Aaron walked carefully out of the darkroom, trying to let in as little light as possible. He closed the door and went to the phone, dialing a number left on his cell phone. Aaron was trying to reach someone, but had no idea if this was even the right number. But as luck would have it…
"Moshi-moshi, this is Kendall speaking!" a voice chirped happily on the other side. Aaron smiled.
"Kendall? Hey, it's Aaron, you know, from camp?"
"Aaron? Hey! What's up? To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"I was wondering… do you want to go out and do something today? I have nothing to do all day, and no one to hang out with."
"Sure! I'd love to go around and see New York anyway," Kendall agreed.
"Cool. So what do you say we meet at noon?"
"Okay! Where?"
Aaron sighed. "I don't know. Do you want me to come and pick you up? I mean you probably don't know your way around too well, huh?"
"Yeah, I don't. But I can ask my dad to drop me off somewhere."
"Okay. Tell him to take you back to my place, okay? Or you can just ring the buzzer and wait for me, and I'll meet you down there."
"Okay, cool. Hold on." I heard muffled talking and guessed that Kendall was asking her dad. "My dad says it's all right. So I'll meet you in the lobby of your building at noon?"
"Yeah. Is that okay?"
"Yeah! I'll see you then!"
"Okay, cool. Later!"
"Bye, Aaron!" With that, she hung up the phone. Aaron smiled. This was going to be fun.
They're almost on their way to meeting! YAY! No more Daikari! YAY! YAY! =D T.K. is still in love with Kari! YAY! YAY! YAY! hehe… you know the drill… review, or else you won't know what happens next! (And updates may not be as frequent from now on… I am SO busy right now it's not even funny.)