I don't own digimon...I should...but I don't....if I did, then woot...we'd have some new seasons and some chicken and rice...

Of Family and Dreams

888

"When can we rest, Stephen?" Mark called out for the seventh time that afternoon. Stephen stopped and looked back at his brother. The angel was at the boy's side.

"We'll stop soon enough," said Stephen and continued on. The other children sighed softly and trudged behind the boy.

"The others are getting tired," remarked Ryuudamon quietly. He was walking at Stephen's side. The black lizard looked up, "maybe it would be best if we rested."

"I said we would," half snapped Stephen. He looked down at his partner, "later."

"If you say so, Stephen," whispered Ryuudamon.

"Look, if you want to rest, fine rest!" shouted Stephen. He stopped and turned to the others, "rest I don't care, but I'm going on, with or without you!"

He then turned and continued to walk. The others looked at each other.

"Stephen!" Mark ran after his older brother.

Stephen didn't stop and kept walking. Mark ran after him and snagged the older boy by the arm. "What do you want?" growled Stephen without looking at the younger child.

"Nothing, you just seemed, mad," said Mark quietly. He held his brother's hand, "Why?"

"Because!" retorted Stephen. He looked down at his brother, "Because, I chased after you, ran in and you didn't even acknowledge my existence!" Stephen bit his lip, "Because this whole island is depending on us and it seems like we're eternally out of the loop."

"Oh, I thought it was because I ran off..." said Mark. The smaller boy looked away, "and then when you saved me...I sort of didn't notice..."

"Don't worry about it...," Stephen growled. He pulled from his brother. "We got to get going!" He walked on. "That's right, you didn't!"

"Stephen..." Mark trailed behind him. "I'm sorry...You risked your life and everything to find me. You cared when the others didn't; I didn't mean to hurt your feelings...but Mud Frigimon did protect me for a while and he was my friend...but no matter what, you'll always be my brother and I'll always love you...I hope you know that..."

Stephen stopped and turned around. Mark looked up at him. The start of a tear twinkled in his eye. Stephen's lips cracked slightly into a small smile. He hugged Mark tightly, "I'm sorry, so, so sorry." He nuzzled against the top of Mark's head, "I'm sorry. I should have understood better. He was your friend; you were just worried about him, just like you were worried about Lucemon..."

"It's ok," whispered Mark. He held his brother, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Please, forgive me."

"It's ok, I understand," said Stephen. He looked up. Michelle and Brendan were watching. Michelle had one of those misty grins and Brendan had a very inquisitive look. The digimon had an equally curious look to them as they watched the boys' interact. Something in Stephen flared, "Ok! Do we look like zoo exhibits!?"

Michelle and Brendan blinked and then blushed. The digimon copied their partners' reaction and looked at the ground.

"Maybe we should keep going," offered Mark he sported a huge smile. "Come on! We got to go, or we won't find the others."

"Mark is right," said Lucemon and the angel glided next to Ryuudamon.

"Yeah, come on, let's go!" Stephen smiled. He looked at Michelle and Brendan. "That is unless you guys need a rest..."

"After that cute scene!" chirped Michelle, "I feel fully refreshed, Brendan?"

"Uh..." Brendan looked at the others. "It was enough of a rest I guess..."

"Right, then this way!" cheered Stephen. He took a step forward.

888

"You're awake," said a voice. Jason opened his eyes. A blurry vision fluttered in his eyes.

"Mother," Jason spoke quietly.

"Yes?" replied the voice.

"It can't be, you," said Jason quietly. "You were stuck in the car..."

"Jason, honey, are you ok?" asked the voice quietly. It sounded almost like it was oblivious to Jason's statement.

"The car, don't you remember, Mother?" asked Jason quietly. He blinked, but his vision still was blurry and obscured his vision, "The truck hit the car, I scrambled out of the car...I tried to help you get out but you were stuck...Then the car...exploded..."

"I was so afraid," whispered the voice. A hand stroked his head, "but why did you just quit? I was so afraid and you just quit..."

"Mother, you were stuck, I tried my best..." whispered Jason quietly. "

"I was so afraid, you just sat there..." answered the voice quietly.

"I couldn't pull you free, I tried to get some help, but when they arrived the car had started on fire," said Jason, his eyes turned to the figure. "I tried to get to you but they held me back, Mother!"

"You didn't try hard enough!" cried the voice.

"I tried as best as I could, Mother!" cried Jason quietly. Something slapped his face.

"You are ungrateful," growled the voice. "You failed me, just like you failed your friend; you are an ungrateful little child..."

"No, Mother..." whispered Jason. The figure was fading away, "No, Mother, don't go....Mother!!!!" The figure faded away. Jason felt the moist warmth forming in his eyes, "I tried Mother, I really tried...MOTHER!!!"

888

"He's having a nightmare," Renamon sat next to Jason. Janet sat next to her. Janet softly smoothed his hair.

"Mother..." whispered Jason quietly.

"Jason..." Janet looked down quietly.

"Mother?" Renamon looked at Janet, "What is a...Mother?"

"His parent..." said Janet quietly. She caught Renamon's curious look. "Umm, let's see, humans have children, and the mother is the parent, or the care giver, that usually has the baby..."

Renamon narrowed her eyes but then nodded quietly. "He is asking for his... mother, his...Elecmon...?"

"Must be..." whispered Janet quietly, "but his mother died in a car accident..."

"Did she return as an egg?" asked Renamon.

"What!?" Janet looked at the fox with a frown.

"An egg, like digimon," asked Renamon. The fox looked up, "Digimon come from digi-eggs, when we're destroyed or our data decays to the point it can't hold a physical form we dissolve and go back to the Village of Origins where we're reformatted and turn back into digi-eggs to be reborn...."

"No, humans don't do that...when we die..." Janet looked at Jason closely. "It's pretty permanent..."

"What a tragedy," whispered Renamon. She looked at Otamamon. The tadpole was nuzzling closer to Jason than he had been. He patted his head with his clawed hands, "Poor, Otamamon, he was closer to losing his best friend than he would ever realize..."

"No, Mother, don't leave! MOTHER!" shouted Jason. He leapt up and his eyes flashed opened angrily. Otamamon fell backwards. Janet caught the tadpole. Jason blinked, "What just happened...?"

"You had a nightmare..." explained Janet. She looked at the boy. "You've been sleeping for a long time now..."

"Where are Kevin and Amy...?" Jason looked around him slowly.

"They went off to find some more food and fire wood," replied Janet quietly. She looked at Renamon and Otamamon. "Maybe you two should go and find them."

"I'm sure Renamon doesn't need my help," said Otamamon. The fox nudged the tadpole.

"Come on, they're this way..." said Renamon and she leapt off. Otamamon followed her and turned to look back.

"I'll be ok," said Jason. Otamamon nodded and continued off.

"You were dreaming about your mother..." said Janet quietly. Jason's eyes expanded and then he collected himself and the two eyes flitted away from Janet's face.

"Yeah, I did," said Jason. He looked down at the ground.

"You must have loved your mother very much..." said Janet quietly. She looked at him softly.

"Eh, she was ok..." Jason flicked his eyes off at the village. "Why are we still in this dump?"

"We were afraid to move you," said Janet quietly, "Otamamon was really worried. He stayed at your side the whole time you were sleeping; he wouldn't eat or move...he was really devoted to you..."

"Why did you let him do a stupid thing like that," Jason's eyes flashed on Janet, "If he'd have died from starvation..."

"You were only asleep a day and a half..." said Janet defensively. "I'd have thought you'd be happy, I guess you kind of disappointed me..."

Jason's eyes widened and looked down, "Yeah, well it happens..."

"What did you dream about?" Janet growled softly she looked at him in the face.

"You said I dreamt about my mother," replied Jason. He turned his head away from her.

"I know how she died," said Janet. She looked at him and grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her. "My mother was one of the Emergency Medical Technicians that reported at the scene! I know you were there, I know you saw it!"

Jason blinked. He scowled angrily, "You know nothing. You think you understand...you think that just because you saved me you know more than I do! I tried damn it!" The tears curled from the ducts and dribbled down his cheek.

"Oh, Jason," Janet, dropped back from her aggressive pose. Janet hugged him. "It wasn't your fault...my mother said they had to just about handcuff you the police car to keep you back...you tried your best, there was nothing you could've done...."

"I should've kept trying, she was relying on me..." whispered Jason quietly. "She was depending on me..."

"You tried your best, and you got help..." Janet patted his back. "You can't blame yourself for something out of your hands...You were only just a little child..."

"Are, are you sure..." Jason looked at her.

"I don't know what you dreamed," said Janet she looked in his eyes, "but no matter what, my mother said there was nothing anyone could do...not you, not the EMTs not anyone...do you understand?"

Jason nodded. He sniffed a bit and then frowned, "I can't believe I cried over something like this..."

"Don't worry," smiled Janet quietly. "I won't tell anyone your secret..."

"Thanks..." whispered Jason.

"Hey, Jason's awake!" Kevin and Amy pushed through the foliage and they ran up to Jason and Janet.

"I was so worried," Amy hugged Jason tightly. Penguinmon and Snow Agumon stood behind Kevin.

"So how was your nap?" smiled Kevin. He stepped forward.

"Tiring," said Jason.

"How are you feeling?" Otamamon hopped forward and nuzzled with Jason.

"I feel ok, other than feeling like I've been hit by a train," said Jason. He stood up shakily.

"Are you sure you should be walking?" Renamon was at his side helping him stabilize.

"I'm fine, now," said Jason. He looked up at the mountain.

"I think we're going to go back to the Gotsumon village," said Kevin quietly. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I am sure they are worried about us."

"Maybe we should think of starting to look for Stephen and the others..." said Janet quietly. "I mean when we fought that Phantomon...we barely made it..."

"Boogeymon was not as powerful as that ghost..." said Renamon with a sniff.

"Even so..." Jason looked up. "If he gains control of a digimon like Phantomon, then we'll be hurting with just the four of us..."

"The boy and the girl are right..." The children jumped and spun around. It was the Elder. The rock man walked forward. "I had figured you were forced to camp here. You said you would come back after retrieving your friends. When you had not returned I worried, but I also believed in you...but I tell you now, Boogeymon is gathering strength...Our patrols observed his army of Fangmon run past. Two digimon were with them...One was like a scarecrow, and one was a wizard..."

"Where were they going?" asked Kevin quietly.

"They were moving south east...towards the mountain..." said the Elder. He narrowed his eyes. "Demi Devimon! I know you are here! Come out!"

"Ack!" the small bat lost his footing and fell from the tree it was hiding in. It glared. "Old man, how did you know I was here!?" The bat looked at the others, "You don't think you can really stop Lord Boogeymon. You can't even stop me!" He opened his wings.

"I got him!" called Renamon. She flashed across the opening towards the bat. The bat tried to take off but Renamon snagged his foot. She lifted him up by the wings and narrowed her eyes. "Talk! What's Boogeymon up to!"

"Let me go you she demon!" shouted Demi Devimon. Renamon whomped the bat on the head.

The Elder stepped forward. "Demi Devimon, you know what he's up to."

"Doesn't mean I'm yapping to you!" shouted Demi Devimon. Renamon's fist came down on his head again. "Ugh...you fools think I'd give up on the master? You can do whatever you think you can; I won't talk!"

"Renamon," the Gotsumon looked up. "Destroy this pest...he's of no use to us."

"My pleasure," Renamon lifted her claws, "It shouldn't be hard..."

"Ack! No, no, I'll talk, I'll talk!" simpered the bat. "Lord Boogeymon has some plans with this temple on Proxy Mountain...that's all I know I swear! I SWEAR!!!!"

"Let him go," said the rock digimon.

Renamon shot a look at Demi Devimon and then at the Elder. The fox nodded and dropped the bat, but to satisfy herself she punted him into the forest.

"We must go back to the village," said the Gotsumon quietly. "I will gather the proper supplies for you, and you all can have a proper rest."

The children nodded and followed the old digimon into the forest.

"This is really starting to heat up..." whispered Janet quietly.

"I know," replied Amy. "I hope we can help at least a little."

"I'm sure we can!" cheered Kevin and jumped ahead of them, "with the help of our digimon we'll wipe the country side with Boogeymon!"

"Uh huh..." said Jason. He saw the Gotsumon's reaction to his utterance. Jason coughed and looked at the rock digimon. "Don't worry you can rely on us..."

"I can rely on those that can rely on themselves," said the Gotsumon quietly. "And I know I can rely on you." He turned and looked at the others. "All of you working together will be the most reliable force in this world."

888

AN: This is an attempt to sort of give this story a bit of a depth, I think it came out as rather...mushy, especially the brotherly love. Don't worry, I'm also working in trying to push ever forward...these last few chapters seemed to be going a bit side ways but I hope that the next one is...very much more forward....