Undercover

By theladyknight

Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!

A/N: Extra long chapter here for the Easter weekend. I'm now on my Spring Break—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday…-grumbles- Stupid school administration. But thanks to everyone who reads this and don't forget to leave a review!

A/N: UPDATED 12.19.08 So I'm going through and deleting all the review replies; back in the day, it was still legit to go ahead and respond to reviews within the story. That changed about a year and a half into writing this, so to make everything look the same, I went back and have been deleting review replies as I've went. Even though they're gone, I'd still like to extend an enormous thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. You all are awesome!

Ages: Joe (25), Jun (25),Matt (24), Tai (23), Sora (23), Izzy (22), Mimi (22), Catherine (22), Gwen (22), Yolei (21), Kari (20), T.K. (20), Davis (20)...

Chapter 7: Getting to Know You

Sora took one last glance at the man standing behind her before rushing off into the changing room. She could see him wearing an arrogant smirk out of the corner of her eye and wanted nothing more than to rip it off.

I can't believe that was him! How the hell did he get here? And where did he learn how to give such an incredible massage? I cannot believe I just thought that! But I did like it—oh God, Sora get a grip! It's just a guy!

She took a deep, calming breath before walking into the changing rooms, attempting to keep her composure. "Back so soon, Sora Lynn?" Mimi called. She was standing in front of the mirror, applying some makeup to her face. "I thought you had a bit extra time."

"I just remembered I'm supposed to meet an old friend for supper in like half an hour. I need to get there on time." She replied, walking into the bathroom area to change.

"But Meems got reservations for us at this really awesome vegetarian restaurant! Surely, you don't want to miss is!" Catherine exclaimed.

Vegetarian? Sora made a face from within the bathroom. I've got nothing against people who are vegetarians, but I'm by far not one! Thank you for asking me out, Matt, if you'd call it that…"Well, as great as that sounds, I can't back out of these plans."

The redhead pulled her clothes out of the bag, making another disgusted face. Gennai insisted she'd have to add a few skirts to her apparel to add up to her appearance. She sighed. She didn't have a pair of pants with her; she'd been wearing the skirt all day. Ishida's never going to let me live this down.

She unlocked the door five minutes later, being entertained by the gossip and chitchat of the girls around her. "It's one week to the pageant ladies. Let's go celebrate the time we've had together." Yolei smiled.

Jun giggled. "Sounds like a great plan!" They all headed to the door. "We'll see you back at the hotel, Sora Lynn. Have fun with your friend!"

"Bye." She forced a sweet smile and rolled her eyes when the girls left the room. The girl moved in front of the wall length mirror and looked over her appearance. She had a jean miniskirt on along with a v-neck blue sleeveless t-shirt. Sora pulled out some bracelets from her bag. May as well pay Ishida back for the whole massage thing. She put her hair half up in a high ponytail, leaving bangs down to frame her face. With a touch of lip gloss and a spritz of her passion fruit body spray, she was ready to go.

Stepping into her sandals and grabbing her bag and purse, the girl walked out the door. Her target was outside already, and checking her watch, the girl knew she was right on schedule. She saw a familiar face with Matt, noticing it was the cab driver who'd helped them out when they first got to San Antonio.

"So, where are you and your girlfriend headed?"

"She's not my girlfriend," the blond, though for the time being he was still a brunette, replied quickly. "We're just business associates." He tapped his foot against the ground, impatiently waiting for Sora to emerge, not realizing she was already outside watching him. What's taking that girl so long? She's not one to…holy shit!

Lucas, the cabdriver, snickered at the agent's face. "Just business associates, huh? Keep telling yourself that, and you just might start to believe it."

Matt's eyes had widened and mouth dropped open the second Sora made her presence known. She looked so uncharacteristic of Sora Takenouchi that he couldn't help but be shocked. It was noticeable in all aspects. From the way she carried herself, to the outfit she wore, to the sly look she bore, Matt could tell the woman had paid attention in her lessons with Gennai. He couldn't believe how different she looked.

Matt always believed she was beautiful, bearing that true girl next door look all the women who spent hours on their appearance were jealous of. But now in her short jean shirt and tank top, going a bit more feminine for some reason, he thought her beauty was only magnified. She could walk in front of me in muddy jeans and a shirt full of holes but still look like a goddess. Damn, I've got it bad. As she got closer, he could tell she wasn't wearing any makeup. Not that she needs it.

Lucas had gotten back in the cab while Matt stood waiting for her. "Eyes back in your head, Ishida." She whispered, walking past him to the cab.

He only smirked as he joined her inside. "So where to?"

Matt directed his attention to Sora. "As promised, you get to choose."

The girl looked out the window, as if the solution was lying right before her. "I heard there's this great little Mexican place down by the hotel he and I stayed at."

The cabbie chuckled, pulling into the left turnoff lane. "Ma'am, choosin' a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio's like telling me to get you any hotel. But, I do know the one you're referring to, and we should be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Mexican, huh?" Sora's cheeks tinted red though she tried her best to hide it. Matt's warm, husky voice brushed against her ear. "I hope you're not planning on ordering anything with onions in it. That would be a pity…"

"Call me again if you need anything. I'm happy to be of service," Lucas called out after they paid him. He drove off down the road, and Matt turned his attention to the redhead.

"You ready to go?"

"Of course," she responded, walking off to the door of the restaurant. The blond hurried to catch up to her, reaching the door before she did and opening it for her. "Who would've thought you'd be a gentleman?"

"There are many things you don't know about me, Takenouchi. But after tonight, I have a feeling we'll be knowing a lot more about each other."

She gave him a quizzical look before approaching the nearest waiter. "How many in your party, señorita?"

"There are two of us."

The Hispanic man grabbed some menus and motioned for them to follow him. He lead them towards the back of the restaurant, and a dimly lit corner booth with a chandelier provided the only light around them, Latin music playing in the background. "Could I offer the two of you something to drink?"

The redhead smiled. Ishida did say he was paying for it. "I'll have a margarita, please."

Matt raised an eyebrow before smirking. "I'll take a cerveza."

The man nodded after he checked both of their ids. "Here are your menus. I'll be back with your drinks and to take your order."

Agent Ishida casually glanced down at his menu, quite often raising his eyes to study the woman in front of him. Her dark ruby eyes pools met his cerulean orbs, and the girl smirked. "Yes?"

"Nothing…"

They were engulfed in a silence, neither of them really knowing what to say. I don't do this very often, dating. It's awkward right now, the two of us. What should I say to him?

She's probably waiting for me to say something; after all I did ask her out, if you'd call it that.

"Here are your drinks and some chips and salsa to tide you over. Are you ready to order?"

"I'll have the two cheese quesadillas." Sora stated, folding up her menu and silently thanking the waiter for his timely appearance.

"Chicken enchilada with the Spanish rice, please." Unbeknownst to her, he was thinking the exact same thing.

The waiter wrote their selections down, departing back into the kitchen. Sora took a long drink of her margarita and decided she would be the one to break the ice. "So why did you ask me here, Ishida, if you're just going to sit there staring."

"Nothing wrong with watching you,"

She smirked. "Are you saying you're a stalker or something?"

He took a bite of a chip. "Hardly, but if I was, I'd at least be stalking someone who's fine on the eyes."

"Ishida, why'd you demand I join you here?"

Matt remained calm, lifting up his glass and slowly drinking from it. "Were you not listening when I told you before?"

She sighed. "Ishida, I…"

He held up a hand. "Come on, Takenouchi. Tell me something about yourself I never would have guessed."

"Why?"

"I want to get to know you as well as your other friends do. Face it, the two of us fight and yell more than anything else, with the exception of purposely antagonizing the other. Can't we just try to be mature about this? We've got to work together for another week—more if you remember you're being promoted to the FBI. We'll most likely see each other on a daily basis then."

They stared each other down. "I once had a cat named Sam who got half her tail cut off when a window fell down on it."

"…"

She held up her hands in defense. "You asked me to tell you something about myself."

That wasn't quite what I wanted to know but at least she's talking to me. "Back when I was in fourth grade, a couple of my classmates' parents came into our room to talk to us about their jobs. My friend Willis's dad was an astronaut, and it sounded like the coolest job. For awhile I really considered it, but then I got my report card a few years ago and realized science wasn't one of my stronger subjects. I was acing the class, but I didn't really have that love for it I would've needed to be an astronaut. So I set my sights on something more low key."

"You call being an agent for the FBI low key?" the amused redhead asked.

He winked at her, giving her his most dashing grin. The girl resisted the temptation to blush, though it took all her might and focus. "To a certain degree. Now it's your turn."

It was an entertaining game. From the moment she'd first talked to him, Sora had wanted to find out the secrets he held behind his enigmatic exterior. This looked like the perfect opportunity. She couldn't hide her growing fascination with him any longer.

"Freshman year of high school we had this bake sale to raise money for something or other. Well, I decided I was going to bake these really great brownies my mother always made, but the recipe I was using got stuck to the page after it. I ended up making half brownies and half these orange dream bar things, with orange flavoring in them. One taste of these…things…was enough to make you swear off eating brownies, but I didn't have any choice but to bring them. So, I was setting my food up, and Tai came by. Being that the man can't resist food, he popped one into his mouth. His taste buds are incredibly odd, and he loved it. I sold the whole pan to him for five bucks."

Matt snickered. "He ate them all?"

"Yeah and spent the next two days in front of the toilet. Tai demanded I give the money back, but I never did." Sora drained the rest of her margarita, admitting to herself how much she was enjoying this. I love hearing about these crazy things. It sounds like he didn't use to be as mysterious and stoical as he appears now. Maybe I can break through his stony mask. "It's your turn, Ishida."

He thought to himself. "T.K. and I always used to play Candyland when we were little." He paused to take a drink. "That boy could kick my ass over and over again. I never stood a chance. One day, he had to go to the bathroom so I stacked the deck in my favor, just to beat him."

"What a sore loser!" She provoked him.

"I couldn't let my four year old brother beat me every time, now could I?"

"That's sweet," she couldn't stop herself from saying. "Were you and T.K. close growing up?"

Matt nodded, finishing his drink as well. "He was one of my best friends. We had a lot of fun together. He was always the kind of brother everyone dreams about but never gets. When I first met him, though, I never thought that. I yelled and screamed at mom to take him back to the hospital, but my parents refused."

Sora laughed, and the blond noticed what a beautiful sound it was. He vowed from that point on, to make sure she laughed and smiled a whole hell of a lot when he was around her. "I'm an only child, but I always wished my parents would have another kid. Mom went shopping one time—I think I was around six—and asked me if there was anything I wanted. I told her to pick up a baby sister while she was there cause that's what I really wanted."

Her face lit up again, causing Matt to grin as well. "You have a beautiful smile, Takenouchi. You'd better smile for me more so I have something to compliment you on every now and then."

His eyes held a playful twinkle, and the redhead couldn't think of anything to say. Luckily, the waiter walking by saved the day once more. "Excuse me, but could I get another drink? And one for the lady as well?"

"Certainly, señor."

Sora brushed her hand against the arm Matt had left idly sitting on the table, and they both nearly jumped from the contact. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

He chuckled. "No, I just have a feeling the way are stories are going, we're going to be needing a few more drinks…"

Two and a half hours later, each done with their plate of food and on their third drink, they still sat laughing together and sharing memories. "So what was the best game you ever had? How many goals did you score?"

Sora pondered the question. "Four, I think. But one of them might have been a fluke. I was aiming for the left side of the goal, but a defender stepped in the way. The ball hit her and deflected right, right into the goal past the keeper."

Matt laughed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. I've never laughed this much with anyone, not even T.K. when we were growing up before the divorce. There's just something captivating about her. What's she doing to me? "I was never one for sports. Music was my thing."

"Band geek?" She joked, citing the way the media seemingly always portrayed members of the band.

He shook his head. "Nah, I had my own band. We weren't bad at all. Actually, we were pretty damn close to a record deal before the band dissolved." He continued on before she could ask why. "People around the school loved us. I think the only way I avoided getting in trouble a lot was because even the teachers loved me."

"Don't sound so cocky. So if you had all these teachers wrapped around your finger, did you ever get sent to detention?"

"Yeah," he answered as if it was blatantly obvious. "The guys and I were rebels. We were always getting yelled at for something or another. Most of the time, we avoided detention, but on the select few "special" times, we visited the room quite a lot."

"Bad boy rebel is now an FBI agent?" she asked coyly, smirking at him, wanting him to play along with her teasing. I can't stop flirting with him. What's going on? Do I like him that much?

Matt gave her a deviously irresistible grin. "What can I say? So how about you, Miss Perfect? National Honor Society member, student leader, jock…I take it you never got sent to detention." She lowered her head, and his grin got wider. "So even angels have their bad days."

"It wasn't my fault." Sora defended. "We went bowling for PE, and my teacher let the bus leave without two of my classmates and me. We all got in one of my classmates cars and drove down to the bowling alley. Turns out we couldn't do that, but none of us knew that. When we got back to school, we were awarded with detentions. Everyone who heard about it, even a bunch of the other teachers, thought it was unfair and the stupidest thing they'd ever heard."

"Who's the rebel now?" he smirked at her.

The girl rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom."

She grabbed her purse, and as she was about to walk away, stopped at Matt's voice. "Don't worry, Takenouchi, I'll still be here when you come back!"

Dumb ass. Sora made her way to the bathroom, upset at herself for letting him get the upper hand. She walked out the door, fuming to herself. I thought we weren't going to get little revenges on each other. Sora spotted something on her way back that made her stop in her tracks. Well, one more little revenge won't hurt, right...

Matt checked his watch. Nearly 10:00. What's taking her so long? He stifled a yawn and looked up when he heard footsteps. Agent Ishida was about to open his mouth but stopped when he realized it wasn't Sora. He quizzically looked up at the group of waiters standing before him, all bearing different Mexican musical instruments.

"We hear, you señor, have a birthday. Uno, dos, tres!"

"Feliz cumpleaños a ti! Feliz cumpleaños a ti! Feliz cumpleaños a Mateo; feliz cumpleaños a ti!"

The blonde's face had turned bright crimson as every face in the room was staring at him. He looked around, hoping Sora would save him but didn't see her anywhere. Damn it; I bet she planned this.

Sora placed a hand over her mouth to compress the giggles that were floating out. I got him good! The group was serenading him on his "supposed birthday," and she'd never seen him that uncomfortable. He looks so adorable!

She'd be the first to admit, though, he looked great all the time. Tonight was no exception. His outfit of choice consisted of a pair of faded, worn jeans that fit well around all parts of his body, showing off his long legs in the process. He had a blue polo shirt on, striped with shades of blue and white. The first button was undone and it left no doubt to anyone who saw him—especially from the fact the shirt was short sleeved—that Matt Ishida was very well built. But seeing him without a shirt on only proves it. Ah, how does he do this to me? Why am I getting so worked up over some guy! But he's not just some guy; he's—get a grip, Sora!

She mentally chastised herself, finally getting enough control over her thoughts to walk back over to their booth. The waiters all smiled at her as she made her way back there, and they left. "Thank you for alerting us about it being his birthday, señorita."

"Oh it's no problem," she responded.

Matt didn't think it was that funny, though. He glared at her as she sat down. "What was that for?"

"That," the girl stretched out the word, emphasizing it as much as she could, "was for carrying me out of the car the other day."

He blinked. "Can't a guy attempt to do a nice thing?"

"Oh yes, I forgot you were such a gentlemen, Ishida."

"It would serve you well to remember it," Sora rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd say we've been here long enough. What do you say I walk you back to the hotel?"

"The hotel?" She asked incredulously. "But, that's quite a long way away from here."

The blond shrugged. "It's no biggie. I mean, consider it sightseeing. I imagine you haven't gotten to see a lot of the city." They both stood up, and Matt walked up to the front to pay the check.

"With the exception of the guided trips and Mimi's little tours she makes us go on…no. She had reservations for us tonight at some vegetarian restaurant. I've got nothing against vegetarians. Truthfully, every now and then I feel bad about eating animals, but I could never be one for good. Besides, this was better; I got to watch you get embarrassed as a bunch of good singers serenaded you.

The two left the restaurant and headed towards an overpass, leading to the downtown area and the hotel Sora was staying at. They had traveled across the street and now stood on a bridge with a footpath for walkers and bikers, overlooking the outskirts of the city limits. Night was beginning to fall; the moon choosing to finally show its light and illuminate the sky. Matt stopped walking at her comment. "If you thought they were good, I must be at least a hundred times better," he bragged, resting his arms against the rail.

Sora raised her eyebrows, taking the same stance he had. "That's right; you were in a band." She sardonically answered. Then the woman got an idea. "Why don't you sing something for me right now, and I'll be the judge as to who the better singer is. Sing a part of one of your old songs."

"We—well, I—wrote all the songs for the band. You wouldn't know any of them."

The redhead shrugged. "Oh well. You claim to be such a great singer, Ishida. Let's hear it. Knock me off my feet." She turned so her back was resting against the railing, now facing him. "It doesn't have to be much. Just sing something!"

Matt had shut his eyes midway through her little monologue. The blond was searching his mind for an old song, trying to figure out one to sing to her. Sora's eyes widened in shock as a beautiful baritone voice filled the air around her…

A/N: I had to take out the song...It was originally You and Me by Lifehouse, which is not mine. Just pretend Matt is singing something here...

"Did that convince you?" He asked, giving Sora a sly smile.

The woman was clutching the side of the rail with her hand so hard her knuckles were beginning to turn white. She was positive that if she let go she'd melt right there and most likely fall off the edge of the railing, over to the cars and interstate below. The words had a huge affect on her. Maybe it was because of the gorgeous, romantic backdrop surrounding them or maybe it was the three alcoholic beverages speaking, but Sora would swear he was singing it to her. "Wow…and you quit the band because…"

His eyes suddenly grew a stony shade of deep blue, reminding Sora of the way they were when the two first met. "We just…did. How are things going with the other contestants? You haven't scared any of them away yet, have you?" Matt immediately changed the subject, clearly not wanting to discuss the topic.

"Very funny; they're not too bad." She decided to play along, figuring she could breech the subject again later. Maybe then he'd be open to telling her. "There are some really nice ones and, of course, the occasional bitches, but you learn who's who off the bat. The girls I've befriended are all really nice, although we don't have that much in common. All Mimi could talk about today was this guy—oh my God! You'll never believe who she thinks is hot!"

"Me," Matt responded arrogantly. The two continued walking, passing now through an intersection, hotel still a good four blocks away.

Sora let out a laugh. "I highly doubt that,"

He gave a victorious smile. "Well, you think I'm hot."

"I…you…ugh!" She glared at him, cheeks heating up. "She ran into Tai on her morning jog and can't stop talking about him."

"Tai, hot…in the same sentence? Maybe she should get her head checked." He laughed at his own joke. "Tai's not a bad guy. He, in fact, is the reason I found out where you ladies were all headed. He purposely ran into Mimi, flirted with her, and got the information. He may have a knack for doing that, but he's not good looking."

Tai did something that smart? Who would've thought! Sora resisted the urge to say what she thought. "That was mean; Tai's not bad looking."

Matt smirked. "Then why aren't you dating him? Or did you, and it didn't work out?"

She let out a laugh. "He's too much like a brother to ever consider it. It'd be too weird and…yuck! Besides, it would've been just wrong dating someone that I lived with."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Agent Ishida stopped again. "You lived with him?"

"It's a long story,"

He gestured around him, "We've got plenty of time, Takenouchi. Get talking." She looked away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Takenouchi?"

"My parents were killed when I was eleven. Some men robbed my mom's flower shop, and both my parents tried to stop them." She choked back the tears that always came when she thought about the incident. "The Kamiyas were as close as any relative so I opted to live with them. That's the reason I wanted to go into the FBI and police departments; I didn't want others to suffer through the same things I did. There. I told you something you never would've guessed and…"

"You know," she was interrupted by the blond. The girl looked over to him, surprised to find a sympathetic look in his eyes. "We're more alike then I ever thought we could be. You asked why the band broke up…our drummer and his family were found dead on the side of a road when they went on a camping trip. It's horrible to think about; the murderer was never found. I decided I wanted to do something about it, prevent it from happening again. I gave up music to do this."

He looked down at her to see a warm, caring hand resting delicately on his shoulder blade. "I'm sorry, Ishida. No one should have to go through that. It's a really terrible thing. I'm sure you could've been really famous as a rock star or something, but it's really sweet and courageous of you to choose a harder path in life."

Matt hesitated, wrapping a comforting arm around her, afraid she was going to slap him or something. But she didn't. "Thanks, Takenouchi. I'd say the same thing to you. I'm…I'm glad you felt you could share that with me. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

"I appreciate that. I won't tell anyone about your band either."

Both removed their hands, feeling the invitation the other had granted them was up. The two turned and started walking to the hotel, a silence coming between them, though it was not at all awkward…

"Thank you for walking me up here. I could've managed and all…" Sora murmured in a hushed tone.

Matt held up a hand. "Don't worry about it; I wanted to."

They were now inside the hotel the contestants were staying in. It was nearly eleven o'clock—the two had taken their good old time walking back, as if they wanted to stay around each other for as long as they could—and already passed the curfew set for the contestants. Sora looked around a corner, motioning for the blond to follow her.

The two crept up the staircase and to Sora's room without being seen. "Well, I guess it's goodnight then."

He smiled at her. "Yeah, we have a meeting tomorrow night around seven thirty."

Sora nodded. "I'll be there; don't worry."

"I wasn't."

They looked uneasily at one another, neither really knowing how they should say goodbye. A kiss is out of the question. She would definitely slap me. But I've never had such a good time with someone before. There's something about her that was there from the start that really made her stand apart from other women. And after tonight, I really know I like her for more than just her looks and fiery attitude.

A hug is too brash; he wouldn't go for that. And a kiss—Sora, stop thinking like that! One night with him, and I've seen a whole different side of him. He masks his emotions so well, but once I was able to break through…he's just, wow…

Their eyes locked, and the two settled with a handshake. "Tonight was fun. I'm glad we did this."

Matt nodded. "I am too. Goodnight, Taken—"

He was interrupted as they both noticed a bright yellow light coming from down the hallway. "What the hell?"

Sora's eyes darted that direction. "Quick, get inside!" The girl forced her room key into the slot and pushed the blond into the room the second the door clicked open. "Hide in the bathroom. I don't know what's going on."

He nodded, heading for the bathroom. She followed him in and grabbed a fluffy white robe that was hanging from the hook on the door. Slipping it on, she darted out the door, hiding behind a large set of vending machines and the ice machine.

A figure cloaked in black jogged past. Sora was unable to tell if it was a male or female by the baggy clothes the person was wearing. The person sprinted down the stairs before Sora could jump out to surprise him or her. Damn it; that could've saved me the embarrassment of being in the pageant. Huh, what's this?

She bent down, seeing something on the floor that wasn't there before. It was an aspirin bottle, and yet again, another sheet of paper. This person either knows there's a spy from the FBI here or is a really lousy criminal. She picked the two up with her robe so she wouldn't smudge the finger prints but nearly dropped them as another light shone in her face. "What do we have here?..."

A/N: Cliffhanger again, go figure. Please review! And have a Happy Easter weekend!