A/N: I no own Digimon.

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"Mochi mochi?"

"Hi, I'm sorry to be bothering you so late, but is Takeru there?"

"May I ask who is speaking?"

"Yamato Ishida."

A pause. Silence. "Ah. Wouldn't you like to speak to your mother first?"

Yamato had never and still didn't like his step-father. "No, thank you," he said, trying not to be cold. Trying to act like he was a stranger, which he was. "Takeru-san. Is he there?"

Another pause. "Yeah, hold on."

There was some shouting, a thump or too, and something that sounded suspiciously like the phone being tossed down the stairs.

"Matt?"

"Hey TK! How ya doing?"

"I'm a little tired. What's up? Why're you calling?"

"I wanted to ask you something that's fairly important to my future adult life." Yamato paused. "I know you won't like this... just try not to hate me, okay, Takeru?"

"Um... okay... Ooh, Yamato-kun, what did you do? Did you kill somebody? You finally out and murdered Tai, didn't you! I knew it was only a matter of time..."

Yamato laughed. He realized he was shaking. He had been shaking ever since Hikari told him. He stared at his hand and watched it quake for a moment.

"Um, Takeru, I need to tell you something very important about your best friend."

There was a momentary silence. "Hikari-chan? What's wrong with her?"

"For another time, little one," Yamato said. "Tomorrow, actually. She's probably going to kill me when she finds out I've called you, of all people. Anyway, tomorrow, can you be ready tomorrow morning? I want to swing by and pick you up, say, around five; I'm taking Hikari to Tai's tournament."

"Oh, great! Sure I can be ready! Will we be carrying any other passengers?"

"Not if I've got something to say about it."

"Cool. So, tomorrow at five a.m., right?"

"Right."

"What's wrong with her?"

"That's why I'm picking you up with her. Only us three. You'll find out tomorrow, TK, okay?"

"Okay. Good night."

"G'night. Oh, and Takeru-chan?"

"Y- yeah?" it had been a very long time since Yamato had used the suffix 'chan' on him. Quite a while indeed.

"Please try not to hate me." Yamato hung up. He stared at the phone for a moment, then shook his head.

"You called Takeru?" Mr. Ishida asked.

"Yeah. I'm taking him and Hikari to Tai's tournament thing." Yamato smiled a little. "If you get to a TV on time, their representing Tokyo. You'll find the channel, if you want to see."

"Sure." Mr. Ishida checked his watch. "I take it you'll be sleeping on the couch?"

"Problem with that?"

"Nah, except I have to get up and go to bed too."

Yamato laughed as Mr. Ishida stood up.

"Yamato?"

"Yes?"

"I know something happened. I've never seen you so pale or shaking in quite a while. But I also understand that you won't be able to tell me until your ready, and I'll accept that; you have a habit of keeping things to yourself and trying to solve them on your own." Mr. Ishida leaned against the frame to the hallway. "Just, try not to make a bigger mess out of things, okay?"

Yamato glanced out the window at the still raging storm. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

"Good night, Matt."

"Good night, Otousan."

Yamato waited a bit before getting up and taking a shower. Then he grabbed some blankets and a pillow, and threw them on the couch after checking on Hikari. He still couldn't believe it.

How had he managed to do something so stupid? Yamato clenched his fists, resisting the urge to beat his pillow into a feathery pulp. Way to be an idiot, getting his best friend's sister pregnant. She was WAY too young! WAY TOO YOUNG! It was illegal, wasn't it? most definitely.

What would the others do and think? Taichi? His parents? Worse... Takeru... Yamato knew how much he cared for Hikari. That was why he had called Takeru and made plans before he could chicken out. Oh, Takeru.

Takeru, Takeru, Takeru....