A/N: The final chapter which has been fore-written (which I wrote years ago) so this is the biggie. Should I continue, or not?

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 seven: The future is unclear…we shouldn't be here

General pov

"I won't say it again, Henri. You can't watch the movie, you're too young."

"But I wanna! Taka, tell her to let me watch!"

Tai knelt down to the little boys level, smiling.

"I'll tell you what, Henri. This movie is a very special movie, and it can only be watched by certain people. Now…" he winked "neither of us are one of those people, so I can't watch it either. But…" he leant close to the boy's ear, and whispered "…we can watch an even more special movie upstairs, and the girls won't be allowed to watch!" Henri's eyes widened.

"Really?" he said, large amber eyes filled with excitement. Tai pressed a finger to his lips.

"Shhhhh. If they know, they'll be jealous." He winked. Henri beamed, grabbed Tai's hand and dragged him towards the door. Tai flashed a quick victory sign at his sister before ascending the stairs, listening carefully to Henri's excited babbles.

Kari smiled warmly at Amie.

"Brothers, huh? Never get rid of them." Amie nodded, pushing the video into the player with a soft click and sat back, hugging a pillow to her with skinny arms. Kari frowned.

"Something wrong, Amie?"

Amie shook her head, turning her eyes back to watch the flickering screen, shadows being thrown across her face. Kari smiled.

"Well, if you need to talk, I'm here, 'kay?" she said kindly, her hand on the smaller girls shoulder. Amie nodded curtly, watching the screen.

Kari began to count in her head.

'Three…two…one…'

"Kari?"

Kari smiled to herself. It never failed. She turned to smile encouragingly at the blond haired girl, who looked distinctly awkward.

"What's it like…having a father?"

Kari blinked, and thought for a moment.

"Well…" she began, slowly "…it depends. Sometimes, he seems like a best friend, someone to joke with and laugh with. Sometimes, a shoulder to cry on, someone to turn to. And sometimes, he's someone who makes you feel loved, simply by being there." She smiled. "If that makes sense."

"Sort of."

There was an awkward silence.

"I don't know what he's like."

Kari moved closer to the smaller girl, switching the sound off on the television in order to listen carefully. She waited for Amie to continue.

"Having a father, I mean. Well…he's alive, I guess. But not to me." Kari listened, patiently.

"Mother is only here after we're in bed, and for breakfast in the morning. But even when she is there, it's like she's not. She always has this far off look in her eyes, and…and she winces, whenever she looks at me." Kari put a comforting arm around the younger girls shoulder.

"I've been told I look like him. By everyone, who knew him. Sorry, that should be knows him. I mean, the fact he's a million light-years away doesn't mean he doesn't exist, does it?" she smiled bitterly.

"Do you miss him?" Kari asked gently, carefully squeezing Amie's shoulders in a comforting way.

"How can I? I barely remember him. I know what he looks like well enough, but not what he felt, or smelt like. He was always at work. And when he was here, he kept his distance. Almost like he was afraid of me…of us." She looked at Kari, eyes narrowed.

"He's coming home tomorrow."

Tai tucked the small, red haired boy in, and sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes. A stab of pain seared across them, which he ignored. He had forgotten how hard it was to get a hyperactive five year old to go to sleep. It had been four years since Kari had been that age.

"Oh…yeah…" Tai muttered, padding his way softly across the room and closing the door with a soft click.

"It's been over sixteen years by now…" he sank down the door, and leant his head into his hands, feeling suddenly desperately lonely.

Yamato

Darn, the sun is bright. Well, I suppose after years in space you can expect to be a bit blinded. Oh…..it's so good to be home. Blue skies, green grass…oh yes, I can vouch for the fact that earth is the best darn planet in the entire solar system.

There's no place like home.

Better start walking, I guess. I can't see him yet…but if I know Tai, he came. He would have to, he doesn't let his job down. Besides, I think…I hope…that he has forgiven me enough to be there when I get home. Wait…I am home, what am I saying?

I feel giddy. Somehow, I'm not nervous anymore. It'll be good to see Tai again…even if he's stark raving mad at me, I'll still see him. Tai always makes me feel better, no matter what the situation. Just by looking at him. His smile is infectious. He's the only person not related to me who I have ever been able to be myself around, no matter what.

Well, not related by blood, anyway.

I wonder how many people have a brother in law, who is your best friend.

Or was.

Damn.

"Gabumon?"

"Yes, Matt? What is it?"

"Help!"

"…what should I do, Matt?"

"Uh…hold my hand?"

"…………….."

"It was just a suggestion!"

Oh shit, oh shit, shit shit shit.

I can see him now. He, and Agumon. Standing alongside the officials from the base. I can't see his face from here, as I'm below him, but gaining fast. The transparent glass doors, engraved with the company initials, slide apart. Narrative mode. Yup. Tell it like a story…

I can see him properly now.

God, he's hardly changed. Same height, exactly half a head shorter than me. I remember, when we were fourteen, he stopped growing, and I carried on. He was so horrified; I can still see his expression when I pointed out I was a head above him, minus the hair.

He looks slightly ill…pale, with dark circles beneath his eyes. He can't have been sleeping properly. I feel a pang deep within my chest, constricting my breathing. I am probably the reason for that.

I feel my lips twitch vaguely as I see the small object half concealed within his two clasped olive hands, and glance down at Gabumon. I hoped my partner would be pleased. Agumon certainly appeared smug, giving Gabumon a toothy grin as we approached.

He won't look at me.

Tai's dark eyes are downcast; determinedly prolonging the moment he can deny my presence no longer. I feel a lump grow in my throat, but somehow cannot bear to feel sad, or guilty for calling him here. After two years…I would be glad to see him no matter what the cost.

Taichi

I missed him.

Missed him so much, it hurt just to say his name. After a while, I neglected even speaking of him out loud, keeping him holed inside, waiting.

And now…

I'm torn between beating the shit out of him or glomping him. I study him out of the corner of my eye.

My eyes sting.

I move my gaze to the blue-furred digimon beside him, and feel a grin split my face, the gesture strangely foreign to my features. Oh, how I had missed the St Bernard, too. Gabumon had always been a silent strength I admired greatly. Strong and quiet, never wavering from my friend's side no matter what the peril. A hero. Mans best friend.

I want my best friend.

Slamming my thoughts of Matt into darkness, I turn my attention to the cold metal object between my palms, and approach Gabumon, feeling no qualms in approaching my friend. The tall, blonde figure beside him was obscured in my vision, blurry. Like my subconscious had painted him out in order to stop me from freaking right there and then.

Gabumon smiles up at me, eyes twinkling, and exchanges a meaningful glance with Agumon behind my back. I inhale sharply through my nose, a soft sigh, and then clear my throat as I straighten up, adopting a business like tone to stop it from shaking.

"Digital astronaut bata-two, on behalf of the ONU department of Digital affairs, we are delighted to award you the Armour Egg medal, in affirmation of being the first digital being to enter space within our dimension."

I hope I didn't rush that. I have a terrible knack of gabbling when I'm nervous. I lean forwards, slipping the navy blue ribbon around his neck and allowing the black metal engraved oval to settle against his chest. Then, I briefly wrap my arms around his neck, taking comfort from his soft, blue fur on impulse, not really caring about the assorted officials.

You wouldn't think it, but Gabumon and I are quite close. We share the same problem: Matt. Many a time I would discuss my best friend with the digimon after many an exasperated misunderstanding, talking long into the night before waking the next morning; on Matt's sofa, his longcoat draped over me and his smell invading my nostrils. It was always like that.

Then Matt would apologise profusely over whatever stupid thing we had argued about, we hugged, then Matt put on that ridiculous pink apron before cooking us both breakfast.

I miss that.

Miss him.

But…he's right here. Now.

I don't know what to say.

I pull away from Gabumon, and catch him sending a small smile at his partner, before I step back as the reporters rush forward.

I glance up at him, and our eyes meet for the first time. He doesn't look at them, or the jostling people around us, between us. Even without him speaking, I can almost hear him saying to me, softly;

'I'm sorry.'

Yamato

I try to tell him, through my eyes. He doesn't look at me accusingly. Just with a dead, cold, unfamiliar sort of acceptance. It makes me shudder. His eyes are dark, darker than they should be. They hold nothing. No emotion. A light breeze shifts through the open windows, sending his short, brown hair dancing across his eyes. I remember a time when he would have immediately set that mass of hair back into organized chaos.

He seems so much smaller.

And sad.

Because of me.

I move towards him, slipping between frenzied reporters and around the side of the corridor. He doesn't move, just watches me with a quiet sort of shock in his eyes. I can't quite believe it either.

His lips twitch, and quirk upwards, in the merest flicker, shadow of a smile. I return in kind as I stop beside him, feeling suddenly warm, and yet the deadly weight in my chest is no less of a burden.

I jerk my head at the panelled white door behind us displaying a gentleman's room sign, and he nods almost imperceptibly and places a shaking hand on the handle, pushing it to and slipping inside. I glance behind, my eyes meeting the jaded emerald and crystalline blue of the two digimon waiting patiently by the opposite wall.

Gabumon winks, and I smile, following my friend inside, feeling strangely calm.

Everything is going to be alright.

A/N: Review, and thou shalt recieve buckets of good karma...thanks for reading!