Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Digimon.

Kunda had promised that Sunday the questions would be over. Ruki thought she should be grateful, since by all the information Yamaki painstakingly pulled from her head, she could easily have told Yamanoue everything from her mother's PIN number to the kind of aftershave Yamaki wore, to a million things infinitely more dangerous.

Yamaki didn't seem a bit surprised about how much she'd told. Four hours of pointed questions, backtracking, becoming sidetracked by a new issue, elaborating on some things and skimming over others. He was the ideal that Yamanoue strove for, and would spend many years to reach. And he wasn't even close to done yet, apparently, since he was now dialing Hypnos to bring in an expert.

Ruki tooked down at the breakfast she'd barely touched and wasn't even very inclined to think about eating now. Rumiko was looking at her with an 'I told you so' expression on her face, as though she fully expect that now Ruki would call it quits.

No, I won't.

"I'm going for a walk," she told nobody in particular, already walking toward the door. She paused, trying to decide a direction.

"Ruki!" Someone--it was either her Mom or Seiko, Ruki wasn't quite sure--called after her.

Ruki ignored them, just looked from one side of the street to the other. "I can't just stay here. I have to go somewhere," she thought out loud. She shook her head and just walked. It didn't matter where she went right now. The only thing that matter was that she didn't stop walking.

"Ruki?"

She almost didn't notice him until they collided, but quick reflexes had the both of them dodging. "Lee?" she looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you," he said. Then looked down at her feet. "Only I'm wearing shoes."

Ruki blushed. She'd been in too much of a hurry to grab them. "I was in a hurry," she explained.

"Okay." He smiled at her. "Going anywhere in particular?"

"Not really. Just walking." She looked at him curiously. "I didn't expect to see you here, though."

He shrugged, glancing away. "Too many memories at home."

She didn't doubt it. Terriermon wasn't as good at going unnoticed as Renamon had been. That was why she'd gone pretty much the opposite way, finding herself unmotivated to go outside, where the memories were. But then, it was hard to be anywhere. Memories were always with you.

He looked at her for a minute, considering her in that way that was so typically him. "Do you want to keep me company?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. Where to?"

"It doesn't matter."

Ruki looked at him worriedly. "Then sure," she said, rather than ask him what was wrong. "I'd be happy to."

"Ryo told me you're working for Digimon now." Lee was looking at her, as if he knew that whatever she did, she'd tell him if only he waited long enough.

"Are you that good of friends?" That was news. But since Lee had become friends with Takato so quickly, probably it wasn't.

"Yeah." He was still looking at her. "He's a good guy, Ruki."

Ruki refused to comment. Ryo did, admittedly, have a few good points. But she just wasn't ready to like him yet.

"You know," Lee continued, "his birthday's coming up soon. Saturday. He asked me to invite you."

She turned to look at him. "Why?"

"Because we're friends. Maybe he thinks that you'll want to go if I ask you instead of him."

He had a point there. Still, if he wanted her to go to his party, why hadn't he asked her yesterday? He was so annoying.

"So, are you going?"

Ruki shrugged, stuck her hands in her pockets. "Maybe."

Note: I hate my brother's computer. Saturday, right before we left, Mom accidently knocked over Grandma's laptop (that I usually write these chapters on). We didn't know until we got back that we broke it. It takes forever to load up, and it crashes every hour after you turn it on because it's constantly overheating. So I am forced to play on my brother's computer until we can get the laptop fixed--which won't happen until the end of the week. :( Because I am stuck on my brother's computer, I won't delude myself by thinking I can catch up. I'll continue trying to update two chapters a day, but there are, of course, no guarantees now. This computer really sucks.

Similarly, this chapter could also be better. Early Saturday morning, I had the beginning half of this chapter written on the laptop. When I tried to write this, I couldn't remember what I wrote to start with, and so the chapter I wrote was very sucky. It is only marginally less sucky because I combined both pieces.

AzNAnGeL07 -- I'm glad you like the story. Writing is always best when you know someone out there enjoys it. :)