AN- To CrazyGrL, yes, I know Tai would have definitely been more upset, but you'll find out, in like five seconds, why he didn't. Oh, and I did say that Tai and the rest of them were in their last year in high school, making them about 19, due to the Japanese system of schooling, and Kari and TK are going to be about 16.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer:

Mimi: rubygurl does not own Digimon. I would be very scared if she did. She's only got one line about me in it so far! I'm definitely a main character in the real anime, it's a very good thing that rubygurl does not own me. Hmph, I get no appreciation these days!

rubygurl: So...should I kill her off in this chapter, or the next one?

Mimi: Matte! I mean, rubygurl should definitely own Digimon. She loves them oh so much!

rubygurl: much better.

Last Chance

Chapter 2: Catalytic Discovery


Tai hurriedly dashed into his room, as soon as he got out of Kari's sight. His mind could not comprehend the fact that TK was in Kari's room as this moment. He could just barely hear it, but his cell phone was ringing, and the tone was "If You're Not the One" by Daniel Beddingfield. He knew that it was a corny song, but he rather liked it, and since he was the only one out of his friends who listened to Brit Pop, no one knew what the song meant. This ringer was only set for one person, which he knew was also corny, but it identified her for him.

Sora.

Quickly, and nervously, he picked up.

"Moshi moshi, Tai Kamiya?"

"Tai, this is Sora."

Of course, he knew it was. He perked up immediately as he realized that there was a different tremor to her voice.

"What's wrong?"

She paused. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"Something is wrong, then."

"Hai," she said softly.

Tai felt himself begin to float away in the sky. She was having trouble, and she was calling him? What did this mean? They had always been close, but she had never really stepped over the line as to go to him for help.

"Why didn't you call Mimi?" he asked, not knowing why, but feeling curiosity creep up.

"Tai, can't you just shut up and listen?" she snapped at him.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said immediately.

She sighed, audibly, on the other end. "Listen, I really need to talk to you."

"To me?" Tai pointed to himself, and then realized what a dork he was, so he put his hand down. "Uhh, what do you want to talk about?"

"It's...oh, I just do. I...can you meet me after school?"

"Hai. Do you want me to meet you?"

"No. I'll come over to your house, is that all right?"

Tai mentally ran this through his mind. He could make Kari go to TK's house, and then tell his parents that he had to do a huge science project, or something like that. As long as it was on the basis of schoolwork, his parents left him alone.

He nodded dumbly, realized she couldn't see him, and mentally slapped himself. He was such a dork when it came to her.

"Yes, that's fine. But, uhh...won't..." he quickly tried to remember the guy that Sora was currently dating off the top of his head. "Where'll Akira-kun be?"

There was silence, and Tai knew that had been an unapproachable and inappropriate topic.

"I mean...I'll see you later," he quickly amended.

"Good. I'll see you later, too." She hung up.

Tai went back out to the kitchen, after staring at his phone for a few moments, and was surprised to see TK there.

"What are you," he started, and then he remembered. "Kami-sama, I'm going brain dead," he mumbled to himself. Plus, it was still too early in the morning for him.

"What, onii-chan?" Kari asked, looking at him quizzically.

He shook his head. "Are you guys ready for school? I don't know how we're going to get there, I usually only fit Kari and me on the cycle, but we'll see," he said to TK.

The younger boy looked like he was actually going to enjoy this. "That's fine. Matt drives me around with his girlfriends all of the time. I'm used to it."

Tai stared at TK, and then saw Kari rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. Hurry up, we're going to be late to school!" Kari suddenly screeched as she saw the clock. 7:15. Class started in ten minutes!

It was a tight squeeze on Tai's new cycle, but luckily, all three of them did fit, with Kari sitting more on TK's lap than on the bike. Tai expertly swerved through the morning traffic, and ran through the gates just as they were closing. He had made it.

"Taichi Kamiya."

Darn it. His principal. And Matt wasn't here to back him up. He turned around with a sigh.

Kari laughed in glee as she saw her brother dash off towards his cycle at the end of the day. She knew where he was going, and whom he was meeting. Sora had called her earlier today too, and Kari had listened patiently. However, Sora's story was extremely complicated, and very long. She hadn't had enough time to tell it all to Kari. Kari hoped her brother would understand and be able to listen to the entire story.

School had ended early for her, so she had walked over to TK's school to wait for him.

"Hey," she greeted her boyfriend as he came walking out towards her.

He smiled at her in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, what do you think? Tai says we have to go over to your house. He's having someone...special over."

TK grinned knowingly. "When are they ever going to realize what they feel for each other is love?"

"I don't know," Kari sighed. "I hope it's soon." She could remember, a few months ago, when she had found Tai, deathly pale and sick in his room. She had tried to help him, and he had begged her not to tell their parents. They both knew that if they did, they wouldn't be able to keep their apartment anymore. It was a very selfish and stupid promise and belief, but they followed it.

Kari had almost broken it, a few days later, when she had come home from her school. She had found Tai, by his window, looking very suicidal. He had even had his notes written out, neatly placed on his bed. She had freaked at him, and luckily, their parents had not been home, but were at work, otherwise, they definitely would have heard her yelling.

Tai had never fully explained why he'd felt so desperate and lonesome during those days, but Kari thought that she knew. Sora had gone off on an exchange program to the United States. He had missed her terribly, and when she had gotten back, all she had talked about was the cute guys and the great food and sights they had there. Tai had felt so isolated and left out from her world, and he couldn't stand it.

No one else knew about his close brush with death, and Kari knew that Tai was sane enough now to not go jumping off of apartment buildings. At least he would have enough sense and the resources to go jump off of a cliff in the park or something.

Die gracefully, that's what she wanted to do.

"Kari?" TK's voice brought her back to reality. She smiled sweetly up at him.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering what you wanted to do at my house." They only had a few more blocks to go until they arrived there.

"Oh, anything."

"No one's going to be home," TK said. Kari smiled at his innocent words. He had no idea what he had just implicated, but she did.

"Well, now that you mention it..." she murmured into his ear. "We could...do some new things."

"Like what?" TK asked, a bit confused.

"We can experiment in your room," Kari kissed him gently on his neck. TK blushed immediately. Kari laughed. He was so cute.

"I was just kidding."

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She turned to look at him. How had he seen through her pretense so easily?

"I know you too well," he admitted.

And now he could read her mind?

"Yeah, and I can read your mind."

TK, are we communicating?

Yeah.

This is weird.

He nodded in agreement.

Now what?she asked.

He shrugged.

How come we can communicate?

TK gently picked up her necklace, on which she was wearing her crest, and lifted it up so that she could see it. She gasped in amazement as she realized that it was glowing faintly.

"Wow. TK!" He used his other hand to show her that his was glowing too.

"Why did this just start happening?" Kari asked.

"I'm not sure," TK said, blushing slightly "But I think it might have to do with what we...we were doing last night."

Kari blushed too, remembering.

She had gone to watch a simple movie with TK. She couldn't remember what it was now, they hadn't really paid any attention to it. Kari had spent much more time kissing and talking softly with her boyfriend.

Afterwards, they had walked to the park, and there, they had stayed, talking about everything. TK was a bit worried, now that everyone was graduating. Matt was probably going to take off for Europe with his band. Tai and the others were going to college. They would be the only ones left. Her, TK, Davis, Yolei, and Cody. She didn't know what to do now that this had come about.

It wasn't that it was a big issue, it was just something that she had never gone through before. She wasn't sure how to handle everyone's leaving. Their talking had turned to cuddling, turned to kissing, turned to...they had started on their way home to her house when they had realized that it was ten, on a school night. Mistake number one.

He had left her there, and then gone home. Mistake number two, TK had left his keys at home, and he couldn't get into his apartment. He also couldn't wake his landowner, since it was too late at night, and mistake number four, was that his father was out of town, and Matt was in England.

He had had no choice, but to go back to Kari. She had known something was wrong, and had met him outside of her door before he had even rung the bell. He had slept in her room, next to her. They had both been too tired to do anything, but they had slept next to each other. He had held her tightly against him, feeling slightly comforted, having her presence around him.

It was weird for both of them, but not entirely. It felt like this was how it was supposed to be.

Kari glanced at TK. Yup, he was definitely blushing too. She grinned.

This is going to be very useful.

This was more a TK and Kari chapter, rather than a Tai and Sora one. It'll come up next chapter, I promise!

RR please! Thanks! Rubygurl