Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this story and the evil spell-checker that will most likely miss a ton of typos.

Note: This is an alternate universe fic. I've noticed far too many fics where Kari and TK can't be together because their brother's hate one another. Personally, I think that not matter how Tai and Matt felt towards one another, they would allow their brother/sister be together, if that's what makes them happy.

My Sister, His Brother

"People never know how special someone is until they leave, but maybe sometimes its important to leave, so they are given that chance to see how special that someone really is…"

            I looked up at the calendar on the wall. High school is nearly over. I can't believe it's finally come to the point where I'm actually about to leave school. I've never felt like I belonged there. It's always been like I'm an outsider. It didn't feel like that, years ago, in junior high. Back then, I fit in. I had friends. Friends I could count on. Or so I thought.

            I'm not one to normally hold a grudge, don't get me wrong. Everything was going great for me. I had two of the best friends in the world, Sora and Matt. Everyone nicknamed us the Three Musketeers. I suppose we were. If you saw one of us, chances are, the other two were never far behind. In grade nine though, everything changed.

            The grade nine graduation was coming up. I've always had a thing for Sora. Everybody in school knew about it, except her. I was going to ask her out. Matt must have lost something in the translation when I told him. No sooner had I finally gotten the courage when Sora came up to me (she looked like she was on cloud nine) and told me that Matt had asked her to the grad. And she said yes. All I remember is being frozen for all of two seconds before congratulating her. What else could I do?

            I haven't spoken to Matt since. I didn't go to the grad either. I think Matt figured out why I was pissed at him. He tried to make-up, tried rectify what was left of our friendship, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Though, we all get our just desserts at some point in time. Sora ended up dumping Matt. I'm not really sure why, but she and I are still friends and we're going to this graduation together. Matt hangs out with a whole new crowd and we haven't spoken in about four years.

            It's hard to believe that it's actually been four years. I'm leaving for university in August. Kari's coming to high school next year.

            Kari.

            I let out a sigh. She hates that Matt and I aren't friends any more, but for a different reason than seeing two people end a friendship over something stupid. She hates that we're not friends because she likes Matt's brother, TK.

            She doesn't know that I know how she feels, but I've seen how she looks at him at his basketball games. I guess she's afraid that I won't let her go out with him because he's Matt's brother. I only know because I "accidentally" read her diary. I couldn't help it. It was just lying there, on her desk, in her room, where her door was closed, and locked.

            Frankly, I wouldn't mind if she went out with him. TK's a great kid. Sure, he's Matt's brother, but I've nothing against the kid personally. The problem is: Kari will never admit to me that she likes him. She's afraid I'll flip and scare him off just like I scare all of the other guys off. I don't it cause I never want her date (that's what she thinks), but because I want her to be with someone who deserves her.

            I'm trying to think of some way to get her to tell me, but so far, nothing's worked. I doubt if anything will. There's always asking him out for her, but that might cause some major problems.

            Doorbell rang. I got up. It's Saturday morning. Most of the people I know are asleep. It's probably the paper boy. I'll just tell him to get lost. Dad buys the paper at the store. Mom makes him because it's a reason for him to get some exercise, something Mom claims he needs desperately.

            I opened the door. My mouth was all ready to go and tell the boy to leave, but the words got lost somewhere on the way. Here I was, not up more than two hours, still in my boxers and some ratty T-Shirt I've had since the eighth grade, hair still looking like something the cat had dragged in, answering the door. It wasn't the paper boy.

            He stood there, looking at me uneasily. He was dressed in a black leather jacket (fake one, I could tell), dark blue shirt and faded denim jeans. His blonde hair was perfectly gelled so only a few loose strands fell in front of his ocean blue eyes.

Ishida Yamato, my ex-best friend. What the Hell was he doing here?

            "Tai?" he said, nervously. I couldn't help but smirk. He was the one sweating it all out. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

            I glanced at my watch. "Your second's up." I said coldly. I didn't want to deal with Pretty Boy right now. I started to close the door.

            "OK, how about a bit long than a second?" Matt asked, placing his hand on the door. I scowled. He was preventing me from slamming the door in his face.

            "What on earth do we have to talk about? I figured everything was crystal clear. Or do you need it spelled out for you?"

            Matt bit his lip. He felt every nerve in his body tense. He wanted nothing more than to leave and never deal with Tai again. He knew what he had done was wrong, but it was hard enough accepting that on his own time without having Tai there to rub it in his face. Matt squared his shoulders. If it wasn't for TK he'd leave on the spot.

            "No Tai. I understand everything that's happened between us and I'd like nothing better than to just leave right here, right now, but I can't."

            I frowned. What kind of bull is he getting on with? Of course he can leave! I don't want anything to do with him and he knows that. So what's with this whole act? I smell a rat, and I hate rats.

            "Why "can't" you leave?" I hear myself ask.

            Matt let his hand off the door. "I need to talk to you. Alone, if possible. Is that all right with you?"

            I let go of the door and pretend to think. It's not all right. He's obviously let his guilt finally get to him and now wants to make himself feel better. I'm nobody's butt monkey! I'm not somebody to be used, abused, and then tossed away. I have my dignity.

            "Please?"

            I looked at him. His eyes seemed to plead with me. Whatever he wanted to talk about, it obviously meant a lot to him. I sighed. I've never been able to refuse to help someone.

            "Come in and wait. I'll get ready and then we'll go somewhere, cool?"

            Relief passed over his eyes. "Thanks." Matt sounded grateful as he entered the apartment.

            I shook my head as I headed for the bathroom. I'm too nice sometimes. I hopped into the shower and wondered just what was so important to him that he actually had enough nerve to talk to me about it.

            Matt tapped the familiar kitchen table. The Kamiya's apartment had always been more of a home rather than his own. He felt rotten for what he had done to Tai years ago. As soon as he'd realized what he'd done, he tried to fix it by explaining to Tai that he had misunderstood what Tai had told him. Tai had refused to listen to him. After grade nine, there was no going back. They were to never be friends again.

            Matt sighed. Tai probably thought he was nuts. Four years of failing to acknowledge his old friend's existence and then out of the blue, shows up at his front door demanding to talk. Tai probably thought Matt wanted to make-up or something. It was something Matt wanted, but it wasn't why he was there.

            Matt was there because of TK, his brother. Matt grinned at the thought. TK has really strong feelings for Kari, and had told Matt. Matt still remembered the terrified look the fourteen year old had given him. Matt had been given plenty of hard looks over the past few years, but none had ever struck a nerve like the one TK had given him.

            Matt could understand why TK had been afraid to tell him about his feelings for Kari. Matt hadn't exactly kept how he and Tai felt about each other a secret. TK had been afraid that Matt would get angry that TK was in love with his ex-best friend's sister. Personally, Matt didn't care who TK went. In his opinion, TK was old enough to make his own decisions and learn from his own mistakes. Matt had actually promised himself that he would not get involved in TK's personal life, this situation just happened to be a major exception.

            "I'm ready whenever you are." I called out. Matt glanced up, startled. He'd obviously been lost in some shallow, meaningless thought and had forgotten where he was.

            "Cool." Matt responded a moment later. I held back a sigh. Matt was back to acting like his "ultra cool" self. Kami, how that irritated me.

            Matt followed me outside the apartment. The entire way downstairs was filled with a deafening silence. There was to be no peace between us. I made sure of that. People say that time heals all wounds, but it can't. I can't forgive Matt for what he did.

            Outside, the sun came blazing down filling Odaiba with its intense mid-June heat. I couldn't figure out how Matt could wear those clothes. I was wearing a pair of brown cargo shorts and a blue tee and I was still boiling. I shook my head. He'd do anything to be different.

            "You wanna go into the coffee shop?" Matt asked, indicating the small store across the street. It had been one of our favorite places years ago. I don't think I've been in there since grade nine.

            "I got no problem with it."

            Matt nodded curtly and we headed for the air conditioned store. Inside, the scents of freshly brewed coffee and baking pastries overpowered our senses. Glancing around, I noticed that there weren't that many people in the store. Then again, it was about a quarter to nine in the morning.

            Matt headed for a booth in the back. I followed without question. I wasn't exactly keen on anyone catching us together. We had both built our present reputations on hating each other and I had no intention of ruining the one I had just because he had showed up on my doorstep.

            "Tai?"

            Matt's voice pulled me out of my stupor. "What?" I said briskly. I wasn't going to be nice to him.

            Matt winced at my tone. I was confused. Why would anything I say affect him? He was the one who had betrayed me, not the other way around. "Why'd you come see me?"

            Matt took a deep breath. "You know Kari's grad is coming up, right?"

            I looked in his eye. Was he suggesting that he wanted to take my sister to her grad? "What about it?"

            Matt relaxed a bit. "Well, I was wondering if she had a date."

            I clenched my jaw and felt my body tense up. I could lye; tell him that she's got a date with a great guy who would respect her. I could tell him she had decided not to go to her grad. Or I just tell him that he didn't have a chance in Hell of taking her, give him a black eye and leave, never to be bothered by him again. The last option was by far my favorite.

            "I'm asking because I wanted to set TK up with her."

            My jaw dropped. Matt was here for his brother? Talk about coincidence. Just when I had thought about asking TK for Kari.

            Matt watched me. I didn't know what was going on inside his mind, but it was obviously just as messed up as what was going though mine.

            "My band's playing for their grad and TK said the only way he'd go was if he could go with Kari and I was hoping you could talk to her for me…I mean, him. Please?"

            I let myself smile. How could I refuse? "Sure."

            "Seriously?" Matt cried out.

            I nodded. "Kari wants to go with him too, so I don't see any harm in talking to her about it."

            Matt grinned. "Thanks. I gotta go. I have to tell TK. I'll see you later."

            Matt got up and took off. I remained sitting. I smiled. Kari would be psyched. I know grads are always more important to girls, at least, that's how it seems.

            "Tai?"

            I glanced up. Matt had come back. "Yeah?"

            "Listen, about Sora? I'm sorry. I misunderstood what you said, and well, sorry. Bye."

            I sat there. Misunderstood? Was that true? Was that all this had been about? Us despising each other for four years because of he had misunderstood me?

            I made an instant decision and headed home.

            Kari smiled at her reflection. She looked incredible. She had gone to the salon earlier and her hair was now partially piled atop her head surrounded by a few sprigs of baby's breath flowers and there were a few strands left to frame her face. Her gown was pale lavender and flowed from her waist out.

            I couldn't help but grin. I was forcing my few tears to remain unseen because they might mess up my tux. I was going as a chaperone to her grad. Chaperones were normally parents, but I'd managed to convince my parents to let me go instead of one of them.

            "You ready?" I asked.

            Kari turned and faced me. "I hope so."

            I smiled. "You look great. Don't worry. I get the feeling you could turn up in sweats and TK would still think you're best looking girl there. Let's go."

            Kari clenched her fingers to her sides and nodded. She led the way out the door. It was just so tempting that I could resist.

            "After you, your majesty."

            TK fidgeted as Matt attempted to fix his tie. He looked great in Matt's old tux (which had been dry cleaned just for him), but he was still terrified. "Calm down. You'll do fine. You've known this girl for most your life, what do you have to be nervous about?"

            TK glared at his brother. "I can't believe you're joking about this."

            Matt grinned as he completed his task. "Listen to me. Kari really cares about you. You could show up in jeans and that ugly orange shirt Nan gave you last year and she'd still love you. Relax. You're fourteen. You've got all the time in the world to worry about dating. Don't start yet."

            TK took a few deep breaths before sitting down. His mother had gone out not too long ago and her last words had been "good luck."

            TK sighed. With the way he was feeling now, he needed all the luck he could get.

            "Ready?"

            TK glanced up at his brother. Matt had a calm look on his face and for some reason, TK felt reassured that tonight would be all right.

            "Yes."

            Matt grinned. "Then let's go."

            I looked around the gym. The dance was practically over. Kari and TK hadn't left the dance floor since TK's arrival and I spent most of my time guarding the punch bowl and making sure it wasn't spiked. I'll never understand why some people do that. Being drunk only makes a few people happy. It ruins the night for everyone else.

            "OK, this is the last song. We're not gonna play anything. Instead, we'll let the back-up DJ do this one. Enjoy your last dance as junior high kids, cause next year's a whole new ball game." Matt announced.

            I saw him glance over to the DJ, who nodded and pressed a button on the stereo. Moments later, When You Say Nothing At All came blasting out of the speakers. All around me, younger kids held on to one another tightly, as though afraid to let go.

            My gaze soon landed on Kari and TK. They looked as though they were in another world, one no one else could ever enter.

            "They look perfect, don't they?"

            I turned around and smiled at Matt. "Yeah, they are." I glanced back at my sister.

            Somehow, without words being said, I knew Matt and I were friends again. I looked back at him. He returned my smile and I knew that he realized it to.

            "Matt?"

            He glanced back at me. "Yeah?"

            I took a deep breath. "Earlier, you said you had misunderstood me. What did you mean?"

            Matt looked at me for a moment before answering.

            Kari lifted her head up from TK's shoulder and placed herself so her lips were near his ear. "I'm glad we're here together. I was going to ask you myself but I was afraid because of Tai and Matt."

            TK held her all the more tightly. "Same here. It's too bad that they're not friends. They used to be so close."

            Kari lifted her head, looked around the gym, then smiled at him. "I don't think we need to worry about them anymore."

            TK looked over at his brother and grinned as Tai and Matt spoke to one another. "Thank Kami."

            Kari nodded. "TK?"

            TK turned to look at her but was stopped when she kissed him. TK's first instinct was to stop the kiss, but he deepened it.

            "…and that's what happened." Matt finished.

            I just stood there. I felt like a heel. Matt had thought that I had said that I wasn't going to ask Sora to the grad, which is why he had. I hadn't let him speak to me after the grad, so he never got a chance to explain what had happened.

            "No permanent damage done, right?" I said hopefully. Matt grinned and nodded.

            His gaze looked over me and onto the dance floor. His grin widened at something out there. Turning around, I saw Kari and TK kissing.

            They didn't know it, but because of them, what was once lost, had been found.

The End