A/N: Gah! Why do I feel like this is the worst thing I've ever written? LOL! Thanks a bunch to all the reviewers; you guys are what keep me writing this garbage. ^_^ I'd like to apologize in advance, this is starting out reaaallly slow, even for me, but hopefully the action will come soon. Also like to say there won't be any set schedule for updates, as my current schedule is messed up enough as it is, and I'd hate to make empty promises.
As far as the romance goes in here, well I'm pretty sure it won't be the main basis of the entire fic, oh no! I completely bite when it comes to that kinda stuff, but it will pop up here and there. Besides that, I'm so used to seeing romance/couples fics out there that this is one reason why I tend not to write them. No offense to any of the romance authors out there. I love a good romance story as much as the next person, but basically I'm facing the facts that I can't write them (hehe..leave that to the professionals) and also to the fact that I'm a die hard action fan. ^_^ Anywho, disclaimer, don't own Digimon, and I'll warn you ahead of time when there is a rating change on the chapters! R+R please! It encourages me, really it does! *grins*
Takeru sat impatiently on the cot in the nurse's office, as the young woman inspected his thermometer reading. His legs began to swing idly back and forth as he awaited her verdict. She had given him some pain medication for his headache, which he accepted gratefully, slugging the two pills down with one gulp of water.
"Hmmm…" she said, stroking her chin with her thumb and index finger, as if she were trying to decipher a very complex mathematical equation.
The boy cupped his hand over his mouth in an effort to stifle the yawn that was coming on. His eyelids felt somewhat heavy, and he attributed that to the lack of stimuli in the dull white walled room. Kari had been instructed to wait outside, and she chose that time to make her rounds; informing her teachers of the present situation, and agreeing to come back during lunch and after school to make up her final exams. While she was on that little quest, she decided she might as well let T.K.'s instructors know of his condition, so they wouldn't assume he ditched class.
T.K. wished Kari had been permitted to stay. At least that way he would have someone to talk to. The nurse did not appear to be much of a conversationalist. Glancing down at his watch, he realized he had been there for over twenty minutes. At least the painkillers had kicked in, he mentally noted.
"Well, you don't have a fever, and from your symptoms I'd be willing to bet you are in the first phase of a really nasty virus." The nurse finally spoke.
"Is that it? A virus?" the blonde queried, disappointment evident in his tone.
"I'm afraid so." She nodded, " But you may want to see a doctor anyhow, my opinion isn't the gospel you know."
T.K. sighed miserably. A virus meant all he could do was wait it out, and maybe ease his suffering with some aspirin. It could be worse he shrugged, thankful a visit to the hospital would not be in order.
"I just need to record this on my chart and I'll be right back." She smiled, as she wandered out of the room.
"Great, at her pace I'll be here until Christmas." T.K. moaned. He ran his hand down the length of his face, and then brought it back up, rubbing his eyes. The blonde stopped suddenly when he noticed a telephone sitting on the nurse's desk, behind a box of tissues.
"Yeah." He grinned, hopping down from the make-shift observation table. His eyes darted from left to right as he quietly shut the door, slowly edging it close until he heard a soft click.
With nervous hands he lifted the phone from the receiver and began dialing a number all too familiar to him.
Yamato Ishida lay hunched over his desk, his head buried in his arms, so that the only thing visible that distinguished him at all was the shaggy blonde hair covering his head. He had finished his test twenty minutes early and decided to catch up on some well-needed, not to mention well-earned sleep. His band had been practicing late every night that week, unbeknownst to his father, who worked late anyway. Matt would arrive ten or fifteen minutes before his father pulled up, giving him plenty of time to kick his shoes off, toss his guitar onto the couch, change into his night clothes, and dive into bed, all before Malcolm's key twisted in the lock.
His father would have reprimanded him, advising him that studying was more important than band rehearsal, but Matt figured what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. And besides that he had aced all his classes, or at least managed to maintain a nice average, so what could his dad possibly get mad about.
Tai on the other hand was too awake to sleep and too bored to do much else about it other than doodling soccer balls on his notebook, or staring at Matt as he slept. Wondering if the boy would start snoring, or if he'd wake up in a puddle of drool. That would be entertaining, the brunette thought, a mischievous grin crossing his lips.
Taichi glanced up at the wall clock and slumped back down into his seat. One more minute before they were free! He couldn't take it. Tai Kamiya was never one for patience, and the little bit that he did possess had worn thin after the first fifteen minutes of their exam.
His chocolate brown eyes began to zone out, as he stared blankly at the blackboard. One might assume he was lost in thought, but that notion was highly unlikely in his case. A faint ringing noise caught his attention, causing him to bolt upright in his seat. His head swung side to side, attempting to locate the source of the noise, when his eyes finally rested on Matt's belt loop.
"Hey," Tai whispered, leaning in closer to his friend, all the while keeping his eyes locked on their teacher, who seemed oblivious to the ringing and Tai's pitiful attempts at whispering, as he was engulfed in one of his usual battle of wits with his computer.
"HEY!" Tai urged, this time nudging the blonde's shoulder. Matt's head slowly turned to face him, still resting atop his arms. The boy blinked a few times, his crystal blue eyes peering out from sleepy eyelids.
"Huh?" he groaned at the wild haired teen that had disturbed his slumber.
"Your phone's ringing." Tai responded, pointing to the cellular device attached to Matt's hip.
Matt pushed himself into a sitting position, a look of surprise cast over his features. Who would call him at this hour, especially while he was in class? His eyes immediately shot towards their instructor.
"Don't worry," Tai assured, "You could drop a bomb on his desk and I doubt he'd notice." The brunette snickered, as Matt reached for his phone.
Just as he had grasped the small apparatus, the intermission bell rang.
"Perfect timing," Matt smiled, raising the phone to his ear. "Hey!" he answered, as the sound of shoes shuffling across the carpet and the drone of voices caused the blonde to hold one hand over his ear to better make out the caller on the other end.
"Matt, it's T.K." the younger boy replied.
"T.K.? What's wrong?" Matt's brow furrowed. It wasn't like his brother to call during class. For a moment he feared T.K.'s anxiety attacks had returned.
"Well, I'm in the nurse's office. I wasn't feeling very good. And…" the child of Hope didn't even have time to finish as his brother sent a barrage of questions his way.
"You're sick? Since when? Does mom know? What are you doing at school? Are you okay?" Matt's eyes filled with brotherly concern as Tai patted him on the back.
"Take it easy man, you're gonna blow a gasket." Tai joked, trying to calm the bearer of Friendship.
"Whoa, slow down Matt. I'm fine; the nurse said it's just a virus. And no, I haven't told mom yet, but before you say anything I need to talk to you…at lunch. Will you come to the middle school?"
"Sure." Matt nodded eagerly, and Tai wondered if he realized that T.K. could not see him through the phone.
"You take it easy kid, okay? And I'll be there at lunch, promise." The blonde said as he hung up the phone.
"So what's up?" Tai asked his brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"T.K.'s sick." Matt said, as he absently ran his thumb over the smooth surface of the cell phone in his hand, believing that if he concentrated hard enough on that one task, it would somehow distract his mind from worrying too much.
"Bummer. That means he won't be able to go to your concert tonight." Tai frowned. "It won't be the same without him."
"Don't worry Tai, I'm sure he'll be feeling fine in no time," Matt said, trying to sound convincing, more to himself than to his friend.
It had taken the boy months to gain the control he now had over his emotions. The experience with Murphy had been very traumatic for him, more so than he had let on. And now his mind was in a constant state of readiness. Always prepared for one of T.K.'s nightmares, or those of his own. Something still gnawed at the back of his mind, and he just couldn't put the scar-faced man behind him. Even in his presumed death, the man still taunted him, still tormented him. Of course seeing Takeru go from a strong, happy, and healthy youth, to a paranoid, fearful, and wretched bundle of nerves had affected him greatly. As usual, he put aside his own feelings to be strong for his brother. T.K. didn't need someone to empathize with, he needed support, someone he could count on and Matt was bound and determined to be that someone, even if it meant suffering silently on his own behalf.
Tai knew his best friend was troubled; he had known the teen far too long to miss the dejected look in his eyes as he finally managed to slip his cell phone back onto the belt loop of his pants. Sometimes he wished he could get inside Matt's mind, he never quite understood what made him tick. In fact, Tai found him to be one of the most confusing persons he had ever known. It had taken him quite some time before he realized that Matt's cool exterior was just that, a façade masking his true feelings. Tai knew deep down Matt was the most sensitive of all in their group. All this was discovered during their first trip to the Digital World. Because the two were older brothers, Tai was able to relate with the blonde on many levels. Now things had changed quite considerably and Matt seemed more overbearing now than he had when T.K. was younger, except to a lesser degree since he wasn't able to control the boy's every movement, as he had been able to before. There was uneasiness about him, and Tai suspected it had something to do with this Murphy character, though he hadn't the heart to confront the blonde about it. It was quite evident by looking at his face, observing his actions for the last few months. The spirit that used to beam proudly in his eyes was now reduced to a dull glow. These were pent up emotions that even Yamato Ishida could no longer hide from the world.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Tai asked, placing a hand on Matt's shoulder.
Matt's eyes were cast towards the ground, either lost in deep thought or concentrating intently on a single grain of dirt. "No that's okay." He mumbled.
"You sure?" Tai said, peering around to face Matt. The boy currently had his back to the brunette, and it seemed like the scenery wasn't going to change for Tai as Matt stubbornly shifted so Tai could not look at his face. He was ashamed at what he might find. Deep pools of unshed tears brimmed his eyes, threatening to cascade down the boy's pale cheeks, until his eyelids swiftly beat the tears back.
Now was not the time to weep, though Yamato did remember a time when he had told Gabumon that at one point in his life, all he ever wanted to do was cry and that was when his parents broke up and he and T.K. were separated. He wished he could do so now, but not in front of Tai. Anxiety had led him to this point that was the only explanation he could surmise.
Tai bit the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, until he finally smiled, guessing that Matt needed his space, and that this was something he'd have to do alone.
"Alright man, so that's settled. Let's go before we're late for our next class." Tai began to walk forward and stopped when he realized the blonde did not follow his lead. "Hey," Tai whirled around; this time making sure Matt would not avert his gaze.
The blonde flinched for a second, as though he were going to turn his head, but then his crystal blue orbs met with Tai's revealing to the brunette a pain that refused to be hidden.
Taichi sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he shuffled back over to his friend. This had reminded him of the time the children had been separated by Devimon. Matt's eyes possessed the same look of helplessness that they had had when Tai had him pinned to the ground with his fist pulled back ready to strike.
"He's going to be alright." Tai reassured, "You gotta believe in your brother. He's much stronger than some nasty cold." And with that statement, he gave the boy a warm smile.
It took the determination of Courage to finally pull Friendship from total despair. Matt smiled weakly and nodded, this time sincerely. He was glad he had a friend like Tai. After all, while he was busy looking out for T.K. it was comforting to know someone was looking out for him.
"Thanks Tai." Matt muttered, still trying to reclaim his air of confidence.
"Yeah, don't mention it." Tai grinned, as the two turned to leave.
T.K. paced back and forth warily, anxiously waiting for his older brother to arrive. Matt always seemed to be fashionably late. T.K. closed his eyes and was reminded of their first encounter with Murphy. He had been waiting for his brother then as well, and after Matt finally showed up that's when 'he' came. The blonde shuddered at the thought and pushed the memory back into the nether reaches of his mind. All his pacing had begun to make him quite dizzy and so he stopped and leaned up against the chain link fence surrounding the school.
Lunch was in progress, but the boy didn't feel very much like eating. He had lost his appetite completely after the incident in his first period class. T.K. glanced down at his watch, where was Matt?
A dark figure emerged from behind one of the classroom buildings, standing completely still and quiet. He was the same person that had been disturbing the youth's fragile state of mind all day. Watching his prey intently the past fifteen minutes as he nearly wore a hole in the ground with his constant to and fro actions, the stalker felt compelled to strike at that very moment, seizing it as the perfect opportunity. The boy was alone, secluded from the rest of the student body, and no one would hear his cries for help.
A tattered old boot stepped forward, as the man shifted his weight to the other foot gradually, so as not to create too much noise. His careful approach soon turned to that of a confident swagger as he briskly picked up his pace, closing in on the boy.
Once again, T.K.'s overly charged powers of perception alerted him to a figure not far off and coming in fast. Stealing a cautious glance over his shoulder, he recognized the stranger immediately, as his heart began to pound wildly in his chest.
He started to dart forward and stopped, attempting to harness the emotions that threatened to control him.
Calm down Takeru, you're probably just imagining things again. Yeah, that's it you've been seeing things all day. You're sick, of course! Hallucinations, they're all part of the sickness, aren't they?
T.K. bit his lower lip, his brow furrowed in desperate thought. And who said running from your hallucinations was a bad thing? The young blonde shrugged and shot forward as if someone had fired a gun to start a race. He sprinted down the concrete pathway that led to the front of the school. At seeing this, his stalker took off in pursuit, the sound of the man's large black boots thudding across the pavement as he followed his prey.
Reaching the edge of the path, T.K. made a sharp left and wheeled around the side of one of the classroom buildings. Slamming on the brakes, his pursuer managed to haphazardly turn the corner, nearly stumbling over the curb and onto the grass as he did.
Tearing down the hallway, T.K. suddenly realized that there were two sets of shoes echoing down the corridor. Hallucinations do not echo! He told himself, the sound of the other pair of footsteps serving as an incentive to run faster.
By the time he had made it around the building and back out towards the front of the school again, the footfalls of his assailant were considerably softer, and he thought they had disappeared altogether. This did not stop the panicked teen, as he continued to run, anxious to find anyone besides the black clad figure.
A startled yelp escaped him as he turned to glance back over his shoulder and ran straight into something, or rather somebody. The impact sent both he and the other person flying backwards, but T.K. was the one who had lost the most leverage as he fell to the ground.
The blonde did not lie still for long as he pushed himself into a sitting position and blinked a few times, his vision slightly spinning as the collision had jarred him a bit.
"You…?" he croaked up at the figure standing before him, his blue eyes began to water as he dropped his head in defeat.
"T.K.?" Matt replied in a shaky voice, unsure of what to expect. After all, his brother had slammed into him going full throttle, it was evident that he had been running from someone, or something. He reached down to help the young boy up, but his offer was refused outright, as T.K. jumped to his feet and quickly scanned his surroundings.
Was it all a figment of his imagination? Had he dreamt up the whole thing?
"Matt where have you been!?" the boy shouted, his voice cracked as it rose in volume. He clutched his chest, as his heart was still pounding fiercely.
"T.K. are you alright?" the older blonde queried, a hurt expression on his face. Matt lifted his hand and tried to place it on the younger boy's shoulder, but was slightly taken aback when his little brother shrugged off the comforting gesture.
Yamato drew his hand back as if a snake had bitten him. His deep blue eyes filled with guilt as he mentally cursed himself for not arriving sooner. Something had happened to his younger sibling, and he hadn't been there to protect him. T.K. didn't even notice his brother's forlorn look, as his eyes flew from one end of the schoolyard to the other, still not convinced that his stalker was a manifestation of his paranoia.
"Will you at least tell me what you're looking for?" Matt finally spoke, after a long period of silence between the two.
The bearer of Hope lowered his head and clenched his fists in denial. The man was there, he was gone now, perhaps Matt had scared him off, but he knew he had seen him.
"Just leave me alone!" he blurted in aggravation, as a series of coughs began. He hated this. He hated living his life in fear everyday. He hated being sick, and most of all he hated the fact that he was always forced to turn to his brother in his petty times of crisis.
Matt stood with his mouth agape, his hands slightly raised in the air as if he were preparing to fend off some sort of attack.
"Take it easy squirt…" he said, his voice calm, even though his insides felt like they were being twisted inside out. His brother had never yelled at him that way before, at least not since their time in the digital world when he was much younger, and the words hadn't stung nearly so much as they had now. Before, T.K. was a small child, and spoke out of frustration at his brother's over protectiveness, but this time it just seemed like T.K. was angry with him. Like he was disappointed in him.
"What's the matter? Was it because I was late? I'm really sorry…" the older blonde was cut off there when T.K. rushed towards him, wrapping his arms around his waist and burying his face into Matt's chest.
At first Matt was unsure of what to do, but his brotherly instinct soon kicked in, and he held the younger boy tightly, gently rubbing his back as his choked sobs were muffled in Matt's black shirt.
"Hey, it's alright T.K., I'm here now." He said, trying his best to set the boy's troubled mind at ease.
"I saw him! I know I saw him!" T.K. cried, pushing himself out of the embrace. His crystal blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears while the ones that had already fallen left darkened streaks in their wake, as he locked his gaze with Matt's.
"Saw who?" the older boy asked, and for a minute his heart leapt into his throat, as the face of one man in particular entered his mind.
T.K. held fast to his brother's arms even though he had backed away from the boy to be eye level with him, and he could feel Matt's muscles tense at the mention of seeing 'him.' He hadn't been referring to Murphy, but he knew Matt still believed the man was alive.
"No," T.K. shook his head, "This was somebody different. But I know I saw him, he chased me. He's been watching me all day."
"Are you sure? Has anyone else seen him?"
"Well, no…" T.K. trailed off, lowering his sight to the ground, as if he were ashamed. "I'm not going crazy!!" he pleaded to the older boy.
"I didn't say you were." Matt replied, compassion in his voice, as he stared at T.K.'s tear-stained face.
"You do believe me…don't you?" the younger boy's voice quivered, his lower lip trembling as he awaited his brother's response.
Matt looked at him thoughtfully, coming to the decision that whether he believed the boy or not, he would have to say yes, if only to appease T.K.'s shot nerves.
"I believe you kid." He finally answered.
T.K. sniffled and swiped at his face with the back of his sleeve. "Thanks Matt." He said, a faint smile etched its way across his features.
"Come on T.K., I'll take you home. It'll be safe there and you can rest and get well." Matt forced a smile. He thought his brother had been improving, but now it seemed as though his mind was aflutter with imaginary stalkers. It would take some time to beat his fears back into submission, and Matt was willing to try. His concern for his own sanity was slim compared to that of T.K.'s and at the moment, he didn't care. Whatever it would take to help T.K. be a normal, care-free teenager again was well worth it in Matt's opinion.
"It's alright Matt. Kari promised to take me home after lunch."
"You sure?" Matt asked, insisting that the offer still stood if he wanted to.
"I'm sure." The boy nodded, feeling oddly enough at ease that Matt had believed him. He knew his brother would never let him down.
"But what about that guy?" Matt inquired, a tinge of fear sprang to life in the back of his mind, that perhaps there was some truth to this dark figure, and now he was more concerned than ever.
"Kari will be with me." T.K. assured. He finally realized that he had been asking a lot to have Matt drop everything at the high school to run down here and chase away the boogieman, and now he felt tremendously guilty.
"Alright…" the elder sighed, he was about to issue his farewell and turn to leave, but he found himself glued to that spot. His legs had been unwilling to move. He clenched and unclenched one of his fists nervously; it was if his body would not permit him to leave. "I'll stop by after school to check on you okay?"
"That won't be necessary Matt, really." T.K. tried to convince his brother.
"Then I'll stop off after my concert. How about that?" he offered, anxiously hoping T.K. would consent, as the feeling of dread slowly crept back into his stomach. He just had to make sure his brother was alright, especially after today's events.
"Well…okay." The younger sibling finally agreed, surmising that that would be the only way to get his brother to go, even though his mind was pleading for the older boy to stay.
"Good." Matt stated, as he reached up and ruffled the younger boy's hair despite the white hat that posed as a barrier. He silently turned and shuffled back towards the high school, biting his lip in apprehension, as the urge to look over his shoulder ate away at the back of his thoughts. He shook his head. No, he had to be strong. T.K. was fine, there was no need to give in to his fears, but without any warning, he whipped his head back around and waved at his little brother, silently cursing himself for being so weak.
T.K. smiled genuinely and waved back. Matt sighed; he had been disappointed with his lack of self-control and trust, but at least he was certain that T.K. was out of harm's way.
Was that the worst chapter or what? Oh wait, you haven't read the rest of the story yet. LOL! I know, I know, maybe I'm beating myself up a little too much, but what the heck? It helps me stay focused. Hehe.