The water dripped through the ends of his hair. He had just walked in from the rain, his clothes soaked, his sneakers squeaking as he took them off. His mother was shaking, her face hidden in her hands as she leaned over the kitchen table.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"Nothing TK, nothing...it's just all...so hard..."

"What is?"

"Just...just...go draw me a picture, Takeru..."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"...Can I call Matt?"

She shook and wiped her face so TK wouldn't see the tears. But he did. He always did.

"...sure...of course, honey...I'm going...to take a nap..."

TK took his mother's arm and helped her walk to her bedroom. As she stepped through the door, she glanced at a finger paint stain on the hallway wall. TK hadn't left it there, though... Matt had. Her smile trembled and she quickly said goodnight, closing the bedroom door.

TK stared at the door for a long time. His hands were shaking a little. It had been two years...two years. And he still didn't understand. He tore his gaze away from the door and bolted into his room, where he snatched the phone off the dresser and quickly dialed Matt's number.

There was a tone...the phone rang a few times...his heart sank when he heard the answering machine. It was in Matt's careless voice.

"You've reached the Takaishi residence. If you're selling something, don't leave a message cause we won't by it. If it's my little bro, you better be wearing that hat I got you for you're birthday!"

Beep.

"Don't worry, I'm wearing it. Matt, Mom was really sad tonight and she wouldn't tell me why. I think I did something wrong again, like with Dad. I hope it stops raining before summer camp starts. I'm trying to take care of Mom, Matt, I really am... but I think I made her sad. I don't know what to do. I love you, big brother. Call me back soon."

He put the phone down. The guilt of it all was too deep, too painful. He had let Matt down, he had let his Mom down. As the tears began to flow, he crept into the bathroom. Silently he opened the cupboard and took out his escape, his curse, that small unmarked bag that he transferred all his pain into. He went slowly into the kitchen, creeping past his Mom's room, and opened the freezer.

The salt was there, the ice, the burning. He cried out and collapsed to the floor. When had it started? When would it end? The darkness was inviting him. Matt was crying red tears. His mom turned away from him shamefully.

"Why did you have to do this to us, TK?"

Sobbing, burning, dying. He screamed, the hole in his heart growing. He called for help.

And there she was. Crimson eyes and an angel's smile. The pain vanished

"...Kari..."

TK's eyes didn't open. He was nuzzling something warm, something soft. It smelled like...cinnamon. He wanted to open his eyes, find what smelled so sweet, what felt so right. But red tears, guilt, darkness...

"TK?"

His eyes flickered opened. His heart screeched to a stop, seeing her face so close to his. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair, kiss her, hold her and never let go. Her gaze was so gentle, so caring...so loving...

It's your fault, it's your fault. Salt, guilt, pain...it's your fault...you don't deserve her...

He sat up so quickly that Kari had to catch herself from tumbling over. Gatomon was still sleeping; Hawkmon had gone to gather more wood. TK's blue eyes were wide and unfocused. He struggled in vain to recapture his thoughts, gripping his hair tightly and gazing distractedly into the flames of the fire. Kari sat up instantly and put a hand on his shoulder. She was scared, now, more scared then she had ever been...even with all the evil Digimon she had faced in her time. Something was horribly wrong with TK.

"TK, it's ok, it's alright...please...calm down, it's all ok..." She wrapped her arms around him, gently, resting his head into her shoulder. TK's thoughts vanished. His breathing slowed as he turned and looked into her beautiful eyes. She cared. She cares.

"Kari, I..." then he felt the tears on his cheeks. Shaking, he stumbled back, trying to get out of her embrace. But Kari followed and held onto him firmly.

"TK, tell me what's wrong..." she started, but as she reached out to touch his face, her eyes caught something. TK's shirt, torn open from the fall onto the rocks, exposed a little bit of the teenager's chest. Kari's eyes filled with fear and she looked up at TK. The teenager was frozen, knowing she knew, knowing she had seen. It's all there...just pull down your neckline, roll up your sleeve...

Kari knew. Kari...his Kari...knew what he had done. And as she looked into his eyes, searching for the explanation, he trembled, unable to speak. But it didn't matter.

The scars told their own story.