A/N: This is the end, folks. I did my best not to make the end seem rush. Enjoy and leave that beautiful review at the end. I'll give you a whole stash jellybeans. Promise! «throws jbs» See?
Lol!
And go read my new story "Can I Keep You?" It's a «Tai x Sora x Matt» where you decide every chapter who it'll be. See you!
Under the moonlight close to the beach the following evening with only the stars as witnesses sat the two most talked about couple at that point in time in the media on a blanket. Yamato had packed dinner in a picnic basket showing Sora a bit of the American culture ways that he learned. At the time this idea seemed great. But if someone would pass by, which was unlikely, they would think Sora was trying to stab something in her bowl to death. Love could be vicious – with good reasons at times, of course.
He reached out cupping her hands chuckling a laugh. He readjusted the silverware in her right hand. "Try holding the fork like this."
"I am," she insisted. "It's not working."
"You killed the food already," he answered amused. "Here, hold it like you're holding a pencil, fork the food, and turn it in circles."
She scrunched her auburn eyebrows in concentration and made a stab for the noodles in her bowl again. Success!
"Alright! I'm officially an American! Or Canadian! Or whatever place that uses forks!" she exclaimed. She then lifted her bowl in the air as a salute. "To Fork Night!"
He lifted his clinking his dish with hers. "To Fork Night! Wait until you try the fried chicken."
"Yamato, I figured it out," she declared as she tried to stick the food on her fork again. "As of five tomorrow evening you are appointed the DJ."
If they were in a movie and music was playing in the background, surprisingly, the music would have been ripped to a stop. "The DJ?" he asked perplexed.
She paused, confused from his reaction while some of the noodles hung from her mouth. She quickly slurped it. "Why not?"
"No, nothing. I…Well, I just thought I could have been working with the lights."
"Do you want to work with the lights? The music would be on a burned CD. I mean, all you do is take your cue from me when to switch it on and off and when to play another CD."
He grinned shortly after thinking about her suggestion. "Will I be away from sight and media?"
"Of course."
"And can I have my own microphone and ear piece?"
"Why would you need your own microphone and ear piece?"
"So I can whisper sweet things in your ear."
She almost snorted a laugh at the same time trying to swallow. Because of the moonlight he saw her blush. "It might be distracting for me. I'm announcing the clothes as the models walk."
He laid his weight resting on one hand raising a knee. "I'll only speak when you're not."
Sora played with her food smirking. "You've never watched my show on the web each year, have you?"
"I love you too, Sora," was his flirty answer.
"Sorry I'm late!" Daisuke apologized rushing into their fixed meeting area to discuss their plans for Operation Hot Stuff. He nearly toppled the others since they gave up walking out the door. This time it was the day of the show with five minutes into it. They were late for Sora's big début.
"I had to brush my teeth with this new toothpaste the dentist gave me. Turns out not only my teeth are sensitive to muffins but they aren't as white as I want them to be. No wonder Hikari hasn't notice me yet."
He flashed a smile which caused Taichi, Ken, Wormmon, and Veemonto hide their faces from the blinding bright shine.
"Was there bleach in there, buddy?" Taichi asked.
The Noodle Cook frowned. "She won't be able to resist me. Just you wait and see."
Veemon stood up for his partner answering nonchalantly. "The words were too big to read. If bleach was in there I would have seen."
Ken held a hand over his forehead from the innocence shown.
"Let's just go. We're half an hour late." Taichi led the way out onward to the fashion show. "This is what Sora told me in secret. The only reason why she's kept her distance was because she didn't want to be in Yamato's way in his career. When I asked her if she still had feelings for her neighbor, Ritsuo, she admitted that she was torn."
"No way," Daisuke spoke. "She's digging another guy? That can't happen."
Taichi stepped aside on the sidewalk momentarily allowing a woman with kids to pass by then caught up with the guys. "The only reason she likes Ritsuo is because his personality is similar to our space friend. It was like the constant comfort of a duplicate living next door, but the constant agony of the family she's wanted and of pushing Yamato away."
Ken's detective's mind began to piece things together. "It makes sense. No wonder it's been a big misunderstanding. But I'm still a bit confused."
Daisuke did a double take. "Did you figure it out? Dude! I should have brought some popcorn to munch on. This feels like a movie with the climax building."
"What do you mean a big misunderstanding?" Taichi asked.
"Guess I should say this before we get there. Wormmon and I spoke with Jyou yesterday."
The big event arrived. Every year the crowd attendance increased and more buyers showed up to evaluate and negotiate. The selected families the money would go to were seated towards the front watching the digital scale of donations rise with every new outfit shown. Yamato did his job incognito and Sora announced throughout the show. Sora invited all the Digidestined paying for their tickets. She couldn't help but feel sadden when seeing several seats empty. Taichi's wife promised to deal with him in a prompt manner, as did Miyako.
Sora turned away from the crowd speaking into her private microphone to Yamato before she announced to everyone the end of the show. "I can't believe it. Of all people Taichi didn't show. This is the first time he didn't show up to support me."
"He might be working overtime, sweetheart."
"But that's not like him."
"I know. I bet he has a good logical explanation."
"Yeah…Okay, shoot to the last CD and take a break. It's over."
"That quick?"
She laughed. "Like I said, you've never watched my show in the web before. We've met our goal with plenty leftover." She then turned to the audience switching her audience microphone on when the last model walked off stage.
"Thank you all for supporting our 5th Annual Support Our Families fundraiser. Because of you their lives have been changed for the better. Because of you from this day forward their destiny may have changed. Remember, if you'd like to further support a family there are green note cards in the back room with the description of the family. And, as always, if you'd like to speak to a designer, there are red note cards in the back. Let's all give the families a hand! Thank you and good night!"
"Gooo-oood night, nurse!" Yamato joked in her earpiece.
She suddenly laughed then slapped a hand over her mouth. The audience microphone was still on. Guess what the audience did? She hurried to the back putting the audience microphone aside. Wouldn't everyone like to see what tomorrow's review in the newspaper would be?
Before entering the side room to where Yamato was a hand had grabbed her arm. She whipped around meeting a tall, blonde with such intense, deep blue eyes. If it wasn't for a double take the fashion designer would have confused him for someone else.
"Ritsuo! Goodness, what are you doing back here? That was a quick business trip. Did you donate today?"
His grip loosened while his smile was quickly wiped off. "Our date; didn't we set a date?"
"A date - !" How could that slip her mind! The worst part was both males were here. Think, think, think! What to do? "Uh, Ritsuo," she began stepping back outside to the stage as he followed. A portion of the audience had emptied out. "There's been a mistake."
"Mistake? Sora, I get the feeling that you've fallen for your friend. Why was I led on?"
She gasped for words. Lead him on? What? "Ritsuo, you are an…amazing guy. You…Why look at how well behaved Keiko is." She mentally slapped herself. "It's just not –"
"Stop right there," he held a hand out sighing. Taking a look around the auditorium gave him time to collect his thoughts. It was enough to make Sora nervous. "I've watched the way Keiko looks at you, how she cherishes you. I care a lot about you, Sora, and I've seen how you reciprocate the same way I look at you. Won't you reconsider? Let's bring a family together."
A strong wrenching sensation waved through her stomach region. She hugged her stomach bending over as she forced herself to speak. What Ritsuo told her scared her. It was the wrong blonde. "A relationship means nothing if it's based on kids instead of love."
"Are you okay?" he hurried to her side.
"Yeah," she stood up backing away ignoring the pain. "I'm sorry for leading you on. I love Yamato, Ritsuo."
"Hey, you had your chance, buddy! Leave my girlfriend alone," Yamato demanded rushing to Sora's aid. He pulled her aside yanking his earpiece out having heard the conversation. He had figured out who the father of Sora's baby was."What's wrong, Sora? Should I take you back to Jyou? How's the baby?"
"Baby?" Ritsuo repeated in disbelief. "You're pregnant?"
Sora reacted the same way with her jaw dropping, eyes batting back and forth from both males. "Baby?"
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute," Taichi shook his head confused as the three entered the building where the fashion show had just ended pushing past the people that were leaving. "Sora's not pregnant?"
"Why would she tell him that she was?" Daisuke asked.
Ken agreed. "Mmhmm. That's where I'm confused."
Taichi pointed to the auditorium entrance leading the way to the stage. Maybe she was backstage. "So all we know from Jyou is she's not pregnant. She only has stomach pains like last week that landed her in the hospital. That's why she's constantly touching her stomach. He said the pains are job-stress related?"
Ken added to the information. "Remember, too, the tapped conversation. I think she also touches her stomach whenever she thinks of having a family. It may be psychological as well."
"Is that Ritsuo?" asked Worrmmon. They found the other three. At the same time the rest of the Digidestined had joined the three confused at the argument.
"Baby?" Sora repeated again in disbelief. "What baby?"
"What's going on?" Ritsuo asked.
She ignored Ritsuo's question. Instead, she took a step towards Yamato perplexed. "What in the world would give you that idea? How would you get that idea?"
The blonde astronaut couldn't compute why she'd deny her child. "N…No. It's a girl The crib you bought yesterday and the baby formula. What about that? And the stomach pains. Sit down. You must be tired."
"Yamato-kun," Sora insisted, "just like Fluffy, the crib and formula went to the family I supported today. I'm not pregnant. The pains are from stress. You don't get bad pains if you're pregnant. If you do then there's a problem. Jyou said if I don't learn how to deal with it I'll end up with ulcers – My God! You convinced yourself I'm having a girl? How? Immaculate conception?"
His face turned read from embarrassment and anger. "if you weren't, then why did Mimi ask at the hospital, and I quote, "What's her name"?"
She crossed her arms. It took a minute from her to pinpoint. "Fluffy's a girl."
"Then why'd you tell me you were!" He asked fed up. "Which is it then!"
"I never did!"
"Yes, you did!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did!"
"When?" she demanded to know. "Tell me."
"I have to say? Come on, Sora. When I came back and we were talking on the phone. I asked how you were and we were talking in English. That was when you flat told me you were pregnant and Taichi's darn cell phone died on me. Ring a bell?"
She stood there rethinking the moment intensely and lightly mouthing the past conversation in English. Did she say the wrong word like she previously feared? Hold on. Something wasn't right.
"Hee…Heello," Sora spoke in English. "H-How are you?"
Yamato blinked turning his head to the right slightly. He answered her in Japanese. "What are you doing?"
She responded in English trying to keep her cool. "How are you?"
"…Puzzled," he responded in English. Maybe she was getting somewhere.
"Huh?" was her natural response back in Japanese.
He quickly pinched his eyes trying to think of a simpler English word. "Eehh…I'm fine. How's work?"
She switched back to English. "I am buuss…bees…"Sora blew air in frustration, the same as last time. And just as before, she switched to a simpler world. "I am pragmatic."
Or, so she found for herself.
That's when it hit her. Out of the blue the fashion designer left her lady manners aside and gasped pushing the man away forcefully at the chest. "Oh my God! What's wrong with you!" she said back in Japanese. "I told you in English that I was busy; not pregnant! Don't make me doubt my English."
She did another, this time louder, gasp noticing her Digidestine friends surrounding the stage from below. "Did you tell them…Did you guys think I was –"
At that moment camera flashes went off around the auditorium as the reporters came flooding the floors yelling their questions in the air holding tape recorders in the air. In the mist of all the drama they had forgotten about he exiting crowd. What a terrific fiction story will be published for the whole country to read? 'Upcoming Fashion Designer Soon To Give Birth To Poka Dot Four-Eyed Cat This Summer'? Great. Perfect. Brilliant.
"Pragmatic?" Yamato repeated to her not believing his ears. A part of him felt relieved to hear she wasn't. The other saddened that he wouldn't be a father.
"Pragmatic!" she yelled fed up with the misunderstanding with tears rolling down her eyes. "Learn English!"
Ken nudged Taichi and Daisuke. "There's the missing puzzle to the piece. A simple miscommunication. That explains the rest."
"Honey," Yamato drew Sora into a hug ignoring the reporters. "I'm so sorry. The phone call cut off right there. I misinterpreted. Let me take you home."
Ritsuo, feeling awkward in the situation gave a quick bow. "I think I'll just leave…"
Taichi turned to the crowd of reporters doing his best to control the damage in his Ambassador-like ways. It was the least he could do so the couple could take off and have some alone time. So much for his Operation Hot Stuff.
The couple sat in Sora's apartment couch, he, upright, she, with her head on his lap, in the dark holding hands and cuddling in silence. They said nothing on the way back. But for them that was normal; the silence. It allowed for their minds to clear and calm. Imagine, all the hoopla for nothing. Yamato spoke.
"I was all psyched up about being a step-father. I wanted a girl like her momma," he referred to Sora. "I don't care what happened between you and that guy, nor do I want to know if anything did. But do you still have feelings for him?"
"Keiko's father? He may look like you, but he'll never replace you in my book."
He kissed her hair satisfied with her answer. "When we have kids we'll live in the country like you always wanted. We'll have an amazing marriage, and a tree house, and I'll get all of our kids skateboards and soccer balls. We'll teach them soccer. Won't Uncle Taichi be happy?"
She giggled releasing her frustration. "I think he'll be over everyday."
"I'll need a punching bag anyway."
"Yamato-kun, remember when you proposed to me on our first date?"
The Astronaut brushed his hand on her cheek nodding.
She took hold of it letting her fingers trace his hand. "We both said where we wanted to be ten years from then. When you told me it being all about moments all adding together, about it showing what your soul desires it left an impression. I could never forget that. Like all these little moments happened for a moment like this."
He chuckled shaking his head. "Who would have thought all this had to happen for us to be here right now."
Sora turned her head upward since it was lying on his lap to look straight in his eyes. "Forget what the media will say or do. We made it through your groupies. We're out of college like you first asked. Marry me, Superman."
He looked her surprised then grinned kissing the back of her hand. "I'm supposed to ask that." Sliding off the couch he kneeled to one knee. "Takenouchi Sora, will you marry me – and the other millions of reporters that will show unannounced to the wedding?" he proposed. He couldn't help adding the humor despite the truth.
She sat up joining in. "You, kind sir, I will. The others can wait. It's hard to please one man as it is. Under one condition."
"What's that?"
"We won't ever converse in English to each other again."
They both laughed, Yamato jumping on her to kiss her. "That's a deal."