Love Just Is

Chapter Nine: The Truth

"No!" Courtney shouted as she watched her sister push Tk in to the water. Everyone gasped, but Kari was the first one to move. When Trish saw her coming, she freaked, afraid of being caught off guard and pushed her away. This made Davis furious. His protective self flared, and he used his anger to fuel a strength he didn't know he had. He grabbed a hold of Trish's wrists and turned, just enough so that she would fall to the ground in pain and to stop her. Meanwhile, Courtney rushed to the hole and reached for Tk's hand. "Here! Grab on!" Tk heard her and quickly took her hand, as she and Davis helped pull him back up.

"Gah…" Tk gasped for air. He hadn't been completely helpless, but his shock had been too much. Davis didn't wait for anything else. He ran to Kari's side and helped her up. Tai and Matt took hold of Trish and kept her planted firmly on the ground, so she couldn't hurt anyone anymore. "Courtney…" Tk looked up at her, with a hurt expression on his face. "What was that all about?" She looked away sadly and sighed.

"Tk… this wasn't supposed to be like this. I don't want to tell you, but I know you have a right to know the truth." Courtney pulled the gun out of her pocket and handed it to him. "I was sent here to kill you… all of you, but most importantly, you. But, after you saved me… I couldn't do it. Then, Trish came after you, and…" Tears ran down her cheek. "Why? Why couldn't it have been easy? Assassins aren't supposed to feel this way about anybody!" Tk's eyes widened.

"Assassin, huh? So someone hired you to kill us?" He asked looking around. But, to everyone's surprise, he shook it off. "Oh well… I guess it depends on what you're going to do now. I don't know about you, but I think It's worth more to have people who love you than to have a lot of money… and… I care about you." Tk blushed slightly when Courtney looked up at him with this huge smile on her face.

"When I first came here, I knew I liked you guys. I mean… Davis, you're so sweet! And you love Kari for the most real reasons I've ever seen. I wish my mother and father had been like that. If they had, maybe none of this would have been started. And Kari, you're so nice! You like to help everyone and you never complain. That smile you reserve just for Davis… Every time I see you smile like that, I know that that's how I wanna feel every day of my life, about the person I fall in love with. And… I do."

She looked over at Tk. "I care about you, and I did, even though I wasn't supposed to. Now that it's out in the open and you know the truth, I hope you can still accept me for the person I really am: the person I showed you before. Because… love's precious. And I've decided to pick love over everything else I could have. Tk… I know I didn't know you that long, and I know you used to love Kari… but that was before. And I was hoping that now, maybe, you could learn to love me."

Tk smiled and closed her eyes. "If that's what you've chosen, then I think it's only fair that I tell you the truth. I love you, because the person I met and learned to like was the real Courtney." Her tears turned to tears of joy, and she threw her arms around him in a strong embrace. "I could say that what just happened changed things, but it didn't. Because love doesn't change, and I can't change how I feel…" He looked up at Davis and Kari together and smiled. "Someone who REALLY knew what love was about once told me that 'Love just is,' and I believe that with all my heart.' Kari and Davis looked at each other, at them, and then back at each other again, and then, they both smiled.

Davis wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "He was a genius, right?" Kari said, looking up at him. Davis laughed and waved off the comment that was meant for him. Although he would normally take the chance to boast, he took things in another direction.

"Nope… there's only room in this group for one genius, and that spot's already taken." Davis said, making Kari laugh. "Besides… I consider myself more of a… handsome, charming…" Kari rolled her eyes and turned to face him.

"Shut up." She said, kissing him suddenly. Davis was shocked, but didn't mind at all. He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her closer to him. Tk and Courtney looked at each other and laughed. Sora smiled, looking at Matt and Tai, who were busy keeping Trish under control. Trish was shouting and struggling, but the two men kept her down until the guards came and dragged her away.

"This is perfect." She said, running up to Matt and hugging him. "Even though it was scary, it's good to see everyone so close." Matt nodded in agreement, happy for anything that would bring his girlfriend running to him. He wouldn't admit it, but he thought that, in a way, Davis was right. Although Sora wasn't the kind of girl Matt thought he would end up with, he wouldn't trade her in for any of the girls he imagined himself with before. Because she was special to him.

"Yeah… and no one's fighting yet." Tai grinned. "Well, we should probably head back. Tk and Courtney are soaked and it's so cold." He said. They all agreed on going home, drying off and having some nice warm hot chocolate.

On the way to the vehicle, Kari thought back and remembered that night that she and Davis had gone out in the snow, before they had been brought together. They had hot chocolate afterwards, and it had been so beautiful… 'Why hadn't I seen it then?' She silently asked herself. Davis looked at her, as if he could hear what she was thinking and smiled.

"Don't think so much." He said.

"What? And be like you?" She grinned. "You never think about anything." She said, huffing slightly. Davis laughed and nodded his head defensively.

"Oh yes I do!" Davis said, as they got into the vehicle. Kari climbed in first and Davis let his imagination go for a bit. She looked back at him, wondering what it was that was going on in his head at that moment, what with that goofy grin on his face. One could never know when it comes to that boy.

"And what's that?" She asked, hitting him playfully. Davis couldn't hide a bright smile. "What?" She asked suspiciously.

"I think about you…" Kari blushed and looked at him thoughtfully.

Courtney had been listening and snickered. "That's so cute." She looked over at Tk who was sitting next to her. Apparently, he had been listening too, because he nodded in agreement. Courtney smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. This was like some fairytale dream-come-true. But… what would happen when her family found out? Not only had she failed the mission, but she was not going to her own home on purpose, because she was staying with her supposed target! She fell in love with him, no less!

"I'll protect you." Tk said, as if he knew just what was bothering her. She smiled and nodded, because, for once in her life, it felt good to be loved.

All of them piled out when they got there. Tk and Courtney were anxious to get changed out of their soaking clothes. The others started preparing blankets for all of them in the middle of the floor, in front of the fire and making hot chocolate and popcorn for everyone.

When Tk and Courtney both returned, Tai grinned. "Let's play a game!" He said. Everyone agreed to play a game and sat in a small circle in the middle of the room. The fireplace was nice and hot. Matt had moved the couch so they could have room. The blankets made to keep everyone nice and tasty, too. Add some hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and popcorn with extra butter, and everything was perfect. Now that everything seemed to be behind them, they could have some fun.

"So, Tai." Sora said, looking at him curiously. "What are we going to play?" Tai looked thoughtful for a minute. He hadn't thought about that before hand. Then, in a moment of brilliance, he had an idea! His face lit up and he snickered.

"I know! Let's play…"

I am soooo leaving that cliffhanger, just to keep all my readers interested! Actually, I need an idea for a game… so please send me ideas if you know of a good game. Please explain it just in case I don't know what it is… Thanks a lot!

Sorry I've been so long in continuing this story. I had the longest writers block with this story. I hope you like what I've come up with. If you have any suggestions or ideas, put them in a review, because I KNOW you want to review… pretty please?

And if you have time, please review my other stories, because I worked really hard on them too. I'm working on continuing A Single Candle! Can you believe it? It's been so long, but I think I can please my fans with what's coming next! Yay! Please review!

Christine Lennoire