Escape

By Henrika

Disclaimer- I don't own digimon. Is that perfectly clear?

Henrika-Ach, I never meant to leave this chapter alone for so long. Sorry!

IMPORTANT- My next story has a twisted version of a Meramon with black- green flames. I had originally intended to call him FireDaemon, but there are a lot of Daemons out there. So should I keep the name or think of something else. Name suggestions would be appreciated if you don't like the one I have. Thanks. Review while you're at it.

Chapter 8

Rika gasped as she peered through the crack in the door. In the corner, she could see a familiar splotch of blue hair. "Henry!" She shouted, forgetting her current situation of being trapped. Rika ran to the small window seat that gazed out on the digital ocean to find Henry slumped against the wall of it. "Henry?'

Slowly, he turned his head to face her. A bit of shock registered on both faces. Henry's eyes were rather puffy and Henry was just shocked that Rika was standing in front of him. Then the anger set in. "I thought I told you not to come after me." He said with a hint of ice in his voice.

"We're your friends. Of course we came to look for you." Rika responded. 'Something is wrong with him.' Rika decided.

Henry did a very un-Henry like thing. He smirked. "Friends?"

He had gone too far on Rika's short patience. "What friends? What do you mean what friends?"

"I mean, who would bother to care that I'm gone?" Henry snapped.

"I would!" Rika said as she grabbed his collar, then blushing slightly as she realized what she said she added, "And all the other tamers too! Now you are going to tell me why you tried to commit suicide!"

She released her grip on Henry and he slumped back against the wall in defeat. " I assume Renamon showed you the knife. Do you want the truth?" He asked softly.

Rika was surprised by the sudden mood change, but she had enough sense to nod. Henry turned his head to the ocean and breathed deep. "There were a few reasons. My own dad betrayed me. He used me." He said bitterly.

"That doesn't justify killing yourself Wong. What are the other reasons?" Rika said, taking a seat across from him on the window seat.

"How about the fact that I hated myself?" He paused. "It was my fault the digimon went away. I should have known what my dad was up to. I hated myself every time I couldn't keep my anger from hurting people. I hated myself for not being a stronger tamer. Mostly, I just hated myself for always being a pacifist. I could never protect anyone I cared for."

"Henry." Rika started in a compassionate tone, but he wasn't finished.

"When you went out on a date with Ryo, it just proved to me that I wasn't important to anyone and that I was the same coward I've always been."

"What do you mean, coward?" Rika questioned.

Henry seemed to stare harder at the ocean. "Coward that I didn't have the courage to tell you how I feel."

Rika stared dumbfounded at him. 'Does he mean he loves me?' Rika wondered. Out loud she said, "Henry, you are not a coward. And for your information, my entire so-called date with Ryo, I was thinking about you! You are not worthless. Everything is not your fault! There are people that care about you too, you know!"

"Like?"

"Like me."

Rika was caught off-guard when Henry closed the gap and hugged her, tears spilling from his eyes. Even Rika felt her eyes water up a bit.

"You had no right to kill yourself Henry." Rika whispered. "You can't just leave us all behind."

"Thank you Rika." He whispered, and then pulled back from their hug suddenly. "Wait a second, did you say the others were here with you?"

"Yeah, why?" She said. "Oh." Rika said as she realized what had happened before she found Henry.

"They're probably looking for you."

"We can't get out of here though." Rika realized with a jolt. "The door is blocking the way."

Henry smiled. "That's alright. I know the way out. C'mon."

He grabbed Rika's hand and pulled her up, then started down the hall with her. "I hope they aren't too worried." Rika said as they made it to the door.

"Concentrate on being calm." Henry said as he placed both of their hands on the door. They started to slide through and emerged in a cloud of smoke.

*************

The other tamers were leaning forward in the anticipation that the combined attacks of the digimon had blown the door to pieces. The smoke finally settled and revealed a very solid-looking door and two figures.

Takato was the first to recover form the shock. "Rika!" He shouted as he spotted her. Then in amazement, "Henry!"

"Hi guys." He said a bit sheepishly. Several shocked faces were staring at him. Terriermon moved away from the group, turning his back on his tamer. "Terriermon?" Henry said as he walked over to the small digimon and knelt beside him. "Can you ever forgive me for being such a bad tamer and abandoning you?"

Terriermon stayed still for a moment, then slowly turned around. "Momentai." He said, accenting each syllable. "Of course I can forgive you." Henry swept his partner into a hug and turned to the others while Rika and Renamon reunited.

"Guess I have some explaining to do." Henry said.

"You sure do chumly." Kazu said.

"Yeah." Ryo agreed.

"It can wait." Jeri said with uncommon resolve. "Our first priority is getting out of here."

"Good idea Jeri." Takato said.

"Um guys, how do we get out of here?" Kenta posed the pertinent question. There was a collective sweat drop from everyone in the group.

They turned in surprise as Henry laughed. "Follow me." He took off down the hall, still holding Rika's hand. "It's the same portal I used to get here in the first place." He said as they stopped in front of a metal door. He dropped Rika's hand and studied the door. "It almost looks like a D-power fits here." He pointed to an indention in the door.

"Then you'll need this." Rika said as she suddenly remembered the green digivice clipped to her belt.

"Thanks." He said softly, placing the D-power in the slot. The metal door swung open, revealing the lived digital gate.

"That's a pretty light Takatomon." Guilmon said goofily.

"Puh." Marine Angemon said in agreement.

The tamers and digimon walked into the light. Henry and Rika were the last to go through. "Guess I'm going to have to do a lot of explaining when we get back." Henry said.

"Yeah, but we'll do it together." The pair stepped through, hand in hand.

Henrika- Short and out of character. SORRY! One more chapter left, I think. Please vote on my dilemma in the notes at top. Since you've already read the story, go ahead and review it. Please?