Ebacusta: I don't own Digimon, or the song Gravity from Wolf's Rain. But, I do own this story idea. Thanks to all those who reviewed, but I really don't have time to thank all of you.

Note: Italics, represents thoughts or song. You should be able to figure out which one from the context.

You Could Save Me If You Really Wanted To

By ebacusta

Chapter 9

An Unfortunate Ending

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"Where are they?" Jake asked looking around. Suddenly they heard Alexis and Rachel.

"Jake! It's a trap! Go back!" Alexis yelled.

"It's dangerous! The murder's here!" Rachel yelled.

"What?" Jake asked.

Suddenly hands grabbed Kari roughly clamping over her mouth. The others were not paying attention to her so the only thing she could do was knock over the chair. The others looked around.

"Kari!" they yelled.

"Now, I'll get rid of you once and for all," a deep voice said.

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Kari stood holding onto the arm of a man with black hair. The man looked at Tina who looked shocked the most. He smiled evilly at her. "Thank you for making my job easier. Now I can take out the whole family with just two shots." Kari's eyes widened in shock. She started to struggle. The man brought the knife to her head. He hardly noticed when Sarah darted down the hall and returned a minute later with Alexis and Claire, along with the youngest of the DigiDestined's children.

"You stay still," he snarled. She stopped moving. He brought it down to her neck. Everyone remained silent. Tina looked on the verge of tears.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Tina thought. "How could I have been so stupid? I should have thought this all the way through. D-"

"It's not your fault," Kari said interrupting her thoughts. Before the man yelled, "SHUT UP!" He pushed the knife closer to her neck.

"Please, please, no," Kari said.

"That's where you should have been. You were always rightfully mine. But then that b-" he snarled.

"Don't call him that!" Kari shouted.

The man glared at her but said, "Fine. That goody two-shoes Takeru Takaishi got to you first."

Tina finally spoke, "Who are you?"

"Your real father," the man replied. He turned to TK, who was standing there looking slightly angry. The man grinned, "What's the matter with you?" TK glared at him, but he didn't say anything.

"Lost your nerve?" the man pushed.

"No," TK replied.

The man looked at him smugly, "Then what? What do you have to say?"

TK smiled brightly and in a cheery voice he said, "Get your grubby fat hands off her."

"What?" the man asked the smug look and grin sliding off his face.

TK still with his smile and cheery voice said, "You heard me."

"Argh!" the man yelled. He threw Kari aside. She flew into Jake and together they crashed to the floor. He jumped at TK with the knife outstretched. TK stood their and then at the last moment drew back his foot and kicked the knife out of the man's hand. It went flying across the room. Claire ran out of the way as it fell where she had once been standing. The man wasn't finished. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at TK. He laughed evilly.

"What do you say now?" he snarled.

TK smiles at him and replied, "You can't win."

"WHAT?" the man roared. He fired the gun.

"No!" Tina and Kei yelled. But TK ducked and swept the man's feet out from underneath him. The gun just like the knife flew from his hand and landed on the couch. Kari and Jake got up.

"Are you alright?" Jake asked.

"Yeah," Kari said. "Sorry to land on you like that."

"Oh that's okay," he replied brushing it off. Their conversation was interrupted by the man.

"Say it again," he seethed as he got off the ground.

TK, still with his smile, said, "You can't win."

The man grinned evilly. He spoke in a low voice, "Let's see how tough you talk if one of your friends were involved." He lunged at Tina. Both Kari and TK reacted, but Kari got their first. She drew back her leg, and with such amazing force that sent the man flying a good seven feet away from her, kicked him.

"You shall not harm her!" Kari exclaimed. The man hit the ground. But he still didn't give up. He got up and lunged at TK this time. Kari got in the way. The man, after screaming a rather derogatory name threw Kari out of the way. She landed on the couch.

"Kari," TK said temporarily distracted. The man tackled TK as he tried to go towards her. He pulled out another knife. He drew it back. Kari looked around wildly. She spied the gun next to her. The man brought it down. Kari grabbed the gun, quickly adjusted her position on the couch, and fired. The gunshot passed through the man's side. He fell off TK in shock. Kari rushed over to TK and helped him up.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No!" Sarah screamed before TK could answer. Everyone turned around to see what she was talking about. As Kari turned around, she caught sight of something in the hand of the new man standing before them. A gun. Sarah ran towards him. Before anyone else could react he fired the gun. The gun passed through an area near Kari's heart. She flew through the air. TK caught her. Tears were already forming in his eyes. Blood quickly began seeping out, getting on her clothes, and staining TK's as well.

"Kari don't die. You can't. You have to keep living. Please, don't die. Be strong," TK said.

"Oh no!" Jake exclaimed. They all turned to where he was pointing. Instantly, Tina and Kei started to flicker, and slowly, their left arm began to fade, starting with their fingers. Ford darted out of sight as he ran for the phone. TK sank to the floor with Kari so she rested on his knees.

"Kari, please, hang on," he begged, tears obscuring his vision. Kari's breath was slowly shallowing out. She reached out and grabbed a hold of his shirt.

"TK," she breathed. And then she began to sing, quietly.

- - -

Kari's Mind

- - -

Been a long road to follow

Kari ran along a dirt path that was surrounded on both sides by beautiful fields of grass. There was something she had to do.

Been there and gone tomorrow

She had returned to the white dress she had worn on the way there. She was barefoot and her hair flew out behind her as she ran. There she was, back to her purest form.

Without saying goodbye to yesterday

Running, running, running. She had to hurry, because she only had a limited amount of time. She had to hurry, before she never got the chance again.

Are the memories I hold still valid?

She thought back to TK. Or she tried to... Something was holding her back. She had to be released, released to be free.

Or have the tears deluded them?

Despite the fact that she had a limited time, she seemed strangely happy. She had only one regret. And that wasn't being able to say good-bye to Tai and the other DigiDestined.

Maybe this time tomorrow

Running, running, running. Let me be free.

The rain will cease to follow

The life she'd lived had satisfied her. She had lived her life to the fullest, and even if she never got married to TK, his set of lips were the last set of lips she'd felt.

And the mist will fade into one more today

She was calm, at peace with herself except for one thing. She was still running.

Something somewhere out there keeps calling

Something was calling her name. She could hear it. She could feel it. And then she saw it.

Am I going home?

No matter what happens, I must finish what I set out to do. She could see a tree in the distance.

Will I hear someone singing solace to the silent moon?

She was getting closer. Closer to her freedom.

Zero gravity what's it like?

And then she saw them. Two shadows under the tree.

Am I alone?

As she got closer she could see what they were. She was almost there.

Is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet?

A 12-year-old Tina and a 10-year-old Kei sat under the tree, hunched over crying. She was almost there. Her freedom was almost within her grasp.

Still the road keeps on telling me to go on

She stopped in front of them. Tina and Kei looked up, tears resting in their eyes. Kari looked at them and smiled.

"Tina, Kei," she began. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to do it for you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." I really am, she thought.

Something is pulling me

She began to spin, quietly.

"Mommy, don't leave me," Tina cried out. "Don't leave me all alone like this!"

"I'm sorry," Kari replied. A light breeze picked up, and she spun, her hair and dress flying out gracefully, and slowly, she faded away with the wind. Free at last, free at last.

"Please come back!" Kei screamed. "Mommy! Mommy!" A loud sob racked his body. Tina began sobbing too.

"Mommy... how could you?" she said between sobs. "How could you leave us all alone like this?"

"I'm sorry," Kari's voice echoed. "I'm sorry... but now... I can be free."

I feel the gravity of it all

- - -

Real World

- - -

Tina and Kei's bodies started disappearing. Kari sung the last line and slowly, her eyes closed as the last note rolled off her tongue.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

ebacusta