Hope you dont mind, I'm upping the rating to PG-13. I extremly doubt if this fic will get any higher then that, but after Tai and Sora's little 'exploits' in the last chapter lol I dont want parents to start hunting me down.

Couldn't decide what to call this chapter so I'm calling it this:

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Chapter 10: Back to the Future

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MICHEAL J. FOX I LOVE YOU!!!! YOU ARE MY IDOL!!!

(present finally!!!)

Matt sat weakly, leaning up against the bed post, staring blankly past the eyes of his fellow digidestined. They had stayed this way for along while, no one know how or if they should break the silence. After he had finished his tea, Matt's eyes simply went unfocused, and he fell silent.

"Is he alright?" Sora finally asked, breaking the silence.

Stealing a longing glance at Sora, Tai nodded, "He's been doing this off and on since he came here. Usually he'll snap out of it eventually."

"What's wrong with him?" TK asked weakly, guilt clearly lining his words.

Joe shrugged, "This is common for people who have been in though a traumatic event. Basically, he's in shock. It's the only way his mind can deal with the trauma. Tai's right though," Joe added quickly when he noticed the concerned looks, "he'll come out of it on his own."

The group fell into silence once more, until several minutes later, Matt blinked as if waking up from a dream. "Matt?" Kari asked from her perch beside him on the bed.

He looked up, a bit startled, "Yeah?"

"Are you ready to tell us what happened?" Kari asked kindly.

Matt cast a confused glance around the room until his memory caught up and realization struck, "Oh, yeah, right . . . what happened . . ."

Joe cast a worried glance toward Tai, then encouraged Matt to continue, "Yes that's right Matt, we need to know what happened to you so we can help. Can you do that for us? Can you tell us what happened to you?"

Matt was silent for a moment then shook his head, the fear returning to his eyes.

"Matt we need to know. I understand that it's hard, but in order to help we need to know what happened to you." Tai said in a slow tone, uncharacteristic of his usually animated voice.

Suddenly, Matt let out a scream, and scurried to the end of the bed, trying his best to stay out of the light. He shoved his hands over his head and began rocking back and forth, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no—"

"Matt please!" Tai urged, "We don't want to hurt you, but you have to try to tell us. Can you do that? Please Matt, we want to help. But in order to do that we need to know what happened."

The others cast an ever growing look around at each other. This was worse than any of them had expected. His sanity seemed to have disappeared in an instant, being replaced by irrational fear.

Mumbles and groans slowly turned into rambling sentences, "Locked, locked me in the room, poison, I couldn't get out. TAI! NO!!! I have to save you. I won't tell them. I can't tell them. No, I won't. Poison. No, it's locked. It won't open, I'm trapped, he's coming."

Joe became increasingly worried as his ramblings became more desperate, and increased in sound. Perhaps this wasn't such good idea. "Please Matt, its ok. You're safe!" He tried to say over the now wails of despair, but to no avail. It was then that Kari crawled, slowly to the back of the room, and wordlessly took him into her arms.

The wails slowly deteriorated in to mumbles and then heart wrenching sobs. And this is how they stayed for some time, until the sobs became sniffles, and slowly a form of calm returned.

The others looked around the room with intense fear. What had been done to the ever 'calm, cool and collected' Matt to break him so completely? Silent tears slid down many of their faces. How could he over come this? How could any one over come this? The deep fear and pain was just too deep, too all encompassing.

Two hours after they had first entered the apartment, Matt then raised his head from Kari's shoulder, which was now thoughly soaked with tears. Not looking at the others, and in a voice that seemed like it was coming from very far away, he began.

"Two weeks ago, my Dad left to go to Israel . . ."

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Why Israel? To be honest, I have no idea. It's not a political statement or anything, it was just the first place that came to mind. This story is really starting to aggravate me. I can't seem to make the next couple of chapters work out—even when I'm thinking about them in my head. ::sigh:: oh well. Live long and prosper, and don't get sun burned!

Reion

June 27, 2003