A/N: (Hums) I watched Digimon the movie today. T'was goooood. Ah well, here's the chappy!

Summary: (Season 1) Mistakes are dangerous things. Is it even possible to walk straight into the future, just like that? The digidestines didn't think so. Until now.

Disclaimer: Do I look like I'm rich enough to own Digimon? (eyes scruffy jeans)

Warnings: Um…dodgy, confusing plot line? Potential slash. Nothing heavy.

I'd like to think I've improved as a writer since this was written; but comments would be appreciated nonetheless.

Chapter five: It's all about perspective

After a short car journey, they stopped outside a large, gleaming white house in a long terraced street lined with beech trees. The house had a small, neat brick wall with a sharply cut green hedge, a paved garden path and steep, gleaming white steps leading up to a bottle green front door with a brass knocker. A black cat stared out at them with narrowed eyes from behind a lace net curtain. The street was peaceful, with a half-hearted birdsong occasionally breaking the silence. There was a short pause as Taichi turned off the engine.

"Uncle Tai?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

Amie leaned over Taichi's seat and looked him in the eye.

"Why are we home already?"

Taichi sighed.

"I'm sorry, Amie, but I really don't have time to have you round to play today. I've got an important meeting, and Aino has a piano lesson."

Amie's eyes narrowed.

"You're lying."

Taichi stared her in the eye.

"Have you been talking to Jun?"

Amie smiled slightly, then sighed.

"Well, okay then. When's Mom going to be back?"

Taichi bit his lip. Henri looked between them.

"Late, I should think." Henri glared.

"But, you've got some guests round to look after you. Your Mom and I decided that it's unfair for you to be home by yourselves, so we got some exchange students to come stay for the Summer term." He paused as Amie opened her mouth.

"I know you can take care of yourselves, Amie, and I really am sorry. But they're nice kids. Relations of mine, actually, distantly. They're called Takato and Kimley. Just…give them a chance, okay? I can come in for a minute, if you like." Amie considered this thought.

"No." she said, slowly. "That's okay. Thanks for trying, Uncle Tai." She gave him a brief hug, then opened the car door, pulling her younger brother with her. She paused as they stood on the grass curb.

"This wouldn't happen if he was here." She muttered, before slamming the car door and turning, hand in hand with her brother to walk up the path. Taichi sighed as he started that car, and they waved as they drove away.

TK looked at Taichi.

Taichi checked Aino, who had fallen asleep in the back seat.

"Who's 'he'?" he asked, feeling he knew the answer.

Taichi looked at TK, and pulled in a few roads away from the house.

"Listen, TK. You're a smart kid, and I know you've worked it all out already, but anyway…I suppose I'd better tell you; Matt married Sora when they were both twenty. Soon after, they had Amie, then two years later, Henri. They're sweet kids, and for a while everything was perfect." Taichi paused, hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles.

"Then…Matt got a job at NASA. He didn't tell anyone, until the day he was commissioned on a mission. To Mars." TK stared, as Taichi ran his left hand over his face, a ring on his finger twinkling in the sunlight.

"When he told Sora, she went mad. Threw him out of the house. I had the kids stay over while she calmed down, although nobody told me why she was angry. Amie was six, and Henri was four, then. Soon after, I saw on the news the lift off, although the astronauts were not named, so I still had no idea. A few months after, Sora rung up in tears, telling me she was sending NASA copies of divorce papers."

TK stared at him. He was staring out of the window, at something TK couldn't see. Taichi slumped in his chair.

"That was two years ago."

The drive back to Taichi's house was in complete silence, two occupants of the car lost in thought.

Matt

Matt heard the front door open, and leaned his head around the corner of the banister. From his viewpoint, he could see the form of TK, taking off his shoes.

"And Mr Kouji said I could join the league soccer tryouts in a year, Daddy! Then I can play real games, and tackle people, and score goals and win all by myself!" an excited voice exclaimed. Matt froze.

"Well, Aino, we'll see. But that's great, it really is." Taichi's voice came, and three figures emerged. Matt made his way down the stairs cautiously, eyeing the newcomer with dismay.

It was a mini Tai.

Oh, hell. Three Tai's! Damn.

The little boy stared at him, before smiling shyly and exclaiming with a protruding finger:

"You look like Amie!"

Taichi came forward smiling.

"Aino, this is…Yama. Yama, this is my son, Aino." He gave Matt a meaningful look, and although Matt wasn't overly fond of the name, it would have to do. Aino bounded over to him and stuck out a hand, which Matt took a little warily.

"Hi, I'm Aino, I'm nine and I like soccer and Mr Kouji said I could go to the big soccer club!" he gabbled in a rush. Matt found himself smiling despite his initial shock reaction. Although the child looked almost precisely like his father, his eyes were a slightly lighter colour with a hazel tint, and they held more of a childish innocence than Matt had ever seen from the Tai he knew. Still, he had never actually known Tai at this age, so…

Aino, holding Matt's hand tightly, led him into the living room, asking if he could show 'Yama' the garden.

Taichi raised his eyebrows at Matt, who found himself nodding without meaning to. Taichi beamed, a true smile Matt had not seen for a long time, and turned to TK

"Do you want to see the garden too, TK?" he asked. TK nodded and raced over to join his brother and newly acquired friend in pulling on shoes at the shoe rack. Aino prattled on in an enthusiastic and cheery voice, and Matt was forcibly reminded of Tai when he was excited about something. He was surprised at himself.

Normally, when a person gabbled incessantly at him, he would become annoyed, but he found this child's cheery flow of random comments made him smile. He let the chatter fade into the background as the phone rang, and Taichi went to answer it.

Matt was just at the back door with one foot on the step outside, when Taichi's voice made him stop.

Taichi

The phone rang, making me jump, my heart thumping violently in my chest. Maybe I was becoming paranoid. I had noticed I was becoming more and more jittery as I got older. Especially after…well, that was neither here nor there. I must gather my wits.

What's that ringing sound?

Oh, the phone!

"Kamiya residence?"

The voice on the other end of the line is female, and official sounding. I shake my head, trying to think clearly. Oh, I feel so tired…

"Ambassador Taichi Kamiya?"

"Yes, that is I."

"This is the NASA department of offworld affairs and connections. We must inform you of the scheduled return of the spacecraft 'Destiny 5', timed at approximately 04:00 am tomorrow morning. Can you confirm lack of knowledge on this subject?"

I reach out blindly with one hand, finding the wicker chair in the hallway's arm, and collapse into it.

"Uh…n-no, I had no idea…so soon?"

The voice sounded amused now.

"Yes, sir. You may not remember, but I was the initiate who re-transmitted your first message to the spaceship-I have moved up the ranks since then, and I have been asked as a personal favour from astronaut bata-one to inform you because…ah…he commented on 'how well things went down when last he didn't tell you.' I trust you understand this is in the strictest confidence?"

I closed my eyes, leaning back in the chair, my head smacking against the wall with a painful throb.

"Yes, I…understand."

"Also, arrangements befitting the award of the armour egg medal to the first digital being in outer space in our dimension have been confirmed. You have been designated the person to present it, and therefore are required to be at the landing by special request and consent of officials. The subject shall be present at terminal 79 shortly after the landing."

I opened my eyes, afraid they would slip shut again for good.

"Right…so, how am I going to get there, if I don't even know where this 'top secret' landing site is?"

"A car will be sent to your house early tomorrow morning, at 02:00 hours. I trust this is not a problem?"

"Well…no, not as such…"

"Good. We shall expect you in terminal 78 at 04:00, then. Thank you, Mr Kamiya."

"You're…welcome."

The phone went dead. I felt anger rise in me…then just as quickly, it died down. I had not the strength to hate him as much as I would like.

"Why, the evil…cunning…sneaky…manipulating…bastard!"

I heard myself murmur in frustration. He had planned this, I know he did. He must have…I wonder if Sora was told…yes, they would have informed her, close family regulations insisted upon that…

Ohhh…it was all so…well, how to begin?

I pressed the palms of my hands into my eyelids, trying to create a distraction from their insistent throbbing.

Glancing up, I saw Matt standing at the back door, watching with an intense gaze. Of course, he never missed anything. God, it was weird seeing him 'in the prime' again…

Well, I suppose he heard anyway.

I smiled as much as I could. A tired smile, I imagined. It's strange, I've felt worse, and yet…the dread is heavier than it has ever been for perhaps years on end. He approached, showing no signs of emotion, only a curious questioning, eyebrows raised slightly.

"I have to go somewhere tomorrow."

He said nothing.

"I have to leave early, so…I really need to get some shut off. You can order a pizza or something, here…" I scribbled the familiar digits and handed it to him.

"Aino's bedtime is 08:30. Read him a story if you have time, and if you feel like it. I'll be up at 02:00 tomorrow, so…oh, here's Sora's number. She can get you something to do. I'll be back late tomorrow, I guess. No specific time." I paused, uncertain.

"I'm sorry." He looked confused. I smiled, then turned to trudge up the stairs. Maybe after some sleep, the world won't seem so bad, after all…

Aino

Daddy's leaving again tomorrow.

I wonder why? Daddy usually says where he's going.

He said it was important. I'll miss him, but I've got Yama to play with.

Yama's really nice, he read me a story before I went to bed. He can't do the voices like Daddy, they are all high pitched and funny. I didn't say anything, though. Daddy said it's rude.

I wonder why I didn't see Amie and Henri after school today?

Yama looks like Amie.

Maybe their related? Long lost brother and sister!

But…

Uncle Matt and Auntie Sora weren't married when Yama would be born, and Daddy says when a man and a woman have a baby they have to be married. At least, I think they weren't. I was never good at maths, and I don't know how old Yama is.

Yama looks like Uncle Matt.

I don't know why.

I'll ask Daddy.

When he gets back…

A/N: (Twiddles thumbs) Wow, I really must have been dedicated when I was young...alas for those days...reviews are very much appreciated!