AAAAAHHH! I'm back! Oh my god it's been too long! Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Last chapter! Last chapter! I have to finish this! The guilt is driving me insane!

I don't own them.

Misunderstandings
Chapter 5: Forgiven

The light faded out, replaced by darkness. His hands were drenched with a warm, wet ooze. He moved his hands to locate them. He could suddenly see something. It looked like his shoe. He moved his hands again. The image grew again. He realized that his hands were covering his eyes. He moved them away. He saw his feet resting on white linoleum. He cautiously looked up. His friends were sitting in seats against the wall. Some had their head in their hands. Some looked up at the ceiling witharms crossed. But all had one thing in common: all were crying. Remembering what happened, he looked at his hands. They were clean: no blood, no cuts, only tears.

"But I… cut myself…" he mumble frantically. "What's going on?"

He looked around again. This time, he realized that he was in a hospital. Did he die and become a ghost like Sora? Did he have to watch all his friends sit around waiting for the terrible news that he was dead? He felt something touch his shoulder. He looked over to see what it was. His mother looked at him worriedly.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Tai stared at her, bewildered. She could see him and she could touch him. She was interacting with him. If he wasn't a ghost, then what the hell happened?

"Mrs. Takenouchi," a doctor called out. She quickly stood to her feet as the doctor approached her. The others watched them in suspense.

"She's finally stabilized and is making progress," he calmly reported.

"Oh thank God," Mrs. Takenouchi sighed heavily.

Tai was certainly missing something. He couldn't figure out what was happening. But then, he spotted someone limping down the hall towards them. A girl in a hospital gown with a large cast on her arm was painstakingly making her way toward the group. Tai gasped. He couldn't believe that it could have been Sora. As she hobbled closer, he noticed the bandage around her head. Her chest was bandaged and she carried her heavy cast with her other hand. Her arms and legs were horribly cut. Her eyes were dazed, but warm: the warmth of life. She was alive. He quickly jumped to his feet.

"Sora!" he shouted. The rest of the party gasped in surprise when they saw her.

"Sora!" he cried out as he ran to her. They stopped in front of one another and studied each other.

"We've been given a second chance, Tai," Sora said weakly. Tai's fists tightened. His body shook. He bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. He stepped toward her and gently placed his arms around her and embraced her. "I'm so sorry."

Sora closed her eyes and relaxed in his comforting embrace. He cried heavily as he felt her soft, warm, living body in his arms. The others could say nothing. They stood silently and watched Tai and Sora, relieved that they were still together.

"For once, Tai Kamiya learned his lesson: I never took Sora for granted again. And we also defeated the threat without a hitch, since we were all together. I visited the grave one last time only to find that the grave never existed. That was a relief. I still feel bad. She's scarred for life because of me. But she's still just as beautiful to me. And I love her just as much."

xxxxxxxxxx(months later)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tai lay in his bed as the morning sun shone through the window. He watched the golden new rays of light filter in, making visible the bits of dust suspended in midair. It was going to be a beautiful day today. Perhaps he would go out and play soccer. Or he could simply stay in bed for a while longer. He glanced to his left where he held Sora securely in his arm. She was still sound asleep, snuggled against him. He smiled happily as she glowed in the morning sunlight like the angel she was. He gently traced the long scar that ran down across her sternum: the horrible reminder of his mistake.

"Sora," he breathed softly. She stirred lightly then settled back into rest. He smiled again. This would surly be a beautiful day today.

xxxxxxxxxxx(one more scene)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Tai said he was going to play soccer with us today," Davis scanned the field, holding his soccer ball at his side. He sighed as he gave up and approached the others at their picnic site.

"Just enjoy lunch," Kari urged him. She smiled softly at a thought. "I'm sure he has a good reason."

Ken smiled as well, glancing at Yolei as she rested against him.

"He's probably with Sora," Matt snickered.

"I guess you're right," Davis agreed. He grinned and lifted his soda can. "Here's to the crazy life we lead and all the fun to come."

The others glanced at one another and shrugged. They lifted their drinks in the toast.

Woo. Now I can focus on Longer, Wronger, and Unadulterated.

Hopefully the end doesn't disappoint anyone. I just wanted to reflect the last paragraph of the first chapter in the opposite way. And I just couldn't leave everyone else hanging in the void called 'So Whatever Happened To Everyone Else?' There's really not much else to write after that. Closure!