Hi guys? You ready for another chapter? Sure hope you guys are cuz we got one action packed one for ya. Interesting thing to note is that this one took two times to write before we got it right so I really hope you guys enjoy it.

"AngeGirlmon" - He's getting there. -grins- It was also fun to get Takuya his moments again. Happy is really enjoyable to write.

"Moons shadow" - Glad all you guys are tagged along for the ride. It's great knowing that there are so many people enjoying the fic. Hope you stick around for the rest of it.

"SerenaTheHedgehog" - Yup. He's getting there. He just needs a little more of a push and things should go back to normal.

"Akrisakara" - Fluff is awesome, don't you think? Glad you had fun reading the chapter. We had fun writing it too. Hope you enjoy this new chapter too.

"FlamingWind" - Wow, for all that to happen... I'm sorry for your losses and glad you guys have each other for support. Really hope the fic continues to help if only just a little.

"Something dictionary related" - Um... body swapping? Um, I don't think so. As for the comedic episode... um, I'll take a look into that. I'm sure we got some comedic bits here and there so hopefully that'll be enough for you guys.

"BlueFlamedWolf" - Well, regarding Takuya's family, we're going to be seeing soon enough what's up with the whole thing. And yeah, Ceberumon is still out there and him having Takuya's human data doesn't do much for him at all. Hopefully that gets resolved soon.

"DiaSphere" - ^^ We can afford to give the guy a break here or there and regarding the Kanbaras. We'll be seeing their situation soon enough. Just gotta be a little patient and see what happens. Glad you enjoyed the chapter by the way and hope you enjoy this one too.

"Spirit Dragoness" - My money's on the orange fluff ball. As for later this chapter. Well, I think we'll know who we'll be rooting for.

"the-ice-cold-alchemist" - You're welcome Icy, it was good to get this out but hey, you never know what happens with this story. Thanks for the compliment by the way. I really do hope we have improved since the beginning.

"Slinking Fox" - Well, you'll be enjoying this chapter since we'll be dealing with one of those characters in it. We got some ideas for the future when it regards the Digimon but we'll be keeping those a secret. And sure. I wouldn't mind helping out a fellow writer and checking out your fic.

"The Keeper of Worlds" - I really love that stuff too. Does the soul good. Does the soul real good. Hope you like the chapter friend.

"Digidestinedkid6" - There's gonna be more action in the future so that's something to enjoy. As for Takuya's family, you just have to be a little more patient.

"Bolo42" - Um... granted he has the horns but that's about all there is in similarities. Flamon has a lot more cat like features like with his face and his eyes. You see a lot more of a cat or a fox or something of that degree. At least, that's how we interpret it. Anyway, glad you liked the story.

"Imagine-Davekat" Sorry, had to look that up but it definitely feels right.

Well, with that said, shall we get on with the chapter?

Chapter 37: How to Save a Life.

"So, when will Tommy and Zoe be arriving?" Kouji asked, trying to ease the tension.

"Sometime in the afternoon, Zoe has something with a school group, and Tommy has soccer practice," Kouichi replied quietly.

Kouji noted his brother's quiet reply to his question and heaved a sigh, knowing that it would be a moment before the tension between them faded. "I guess it's just the three of us and JP till they get here."

"JP said he'd be here as soon as he picks up his tools. I think he wants to tinker with your D-Tectors some more." The older twin stated.

"What for?" Kouji asked, a little put off at the idea of having JP continue to mess with the devices.

Kouichi shrugged. "Who knows? JP just likes to tinker with them. That's just what he does. And he really loves trying to figure out how the D-Tectors work."

The answer just made Kouji want to groan. JP was just too curious for his own good.

Takuya smiled and nodded, excited to see his friends again. Kouji smiled a bit. Takuya showed so much progress since he was rescued. His recovery was astonishing.

"Hey guys!" JP greeted from the doorway, hands full with a tool kit and supplies. He set his tools down by the door as Takuya proceeded to pounce on the elder boy. "Whoa Takky!"

The boy grinned, tail wagging. JP pushed him off gently, "Someone's feeling better," he laughed.

"He's been more active and excitable," Kouichi said apologetically, "like before."

Takuya nodded again and got back to his feet, stretching himself out and hearing satisfied pops in his back. "Good."

"He's speaking now too?" JP asked.

"Just small words but yes, though he really shouldn't be pushing himself to speak." Kouichi replied and looked over to the Digimon boy who just smiled at him. "He's really excited about being able to talk again."

JP nodded and opened up his kit. "Yeah, I don't doubt that."

"So, what're you going to do this time?" Kouji asked, keeping his D-Tector safe in his pocket.

The elder boy shrugged. "Nothing major. It's nothing to worry about Kouji. You really need to relax more. I'm not going to break it or anything."

"Uh huh, sure." Kouji looked skeptical.

JP gave the boy a look, "I'm trying to help 'kay? Jeez."

"I know, I know," Kouji muttered. He followed JP into the kitchen where he began to set up shop. He laid out a clean soft surface and arranged the tools around the clean mat.

"May I borrow Takuya's D-Tector?" JP asked, "I want to try and activate the map function again."

Kouichi appeared beside him, "to do what?"

"Find Cerberumon and Takuya's human data," JP replied. "It was Zoe's idea- but it has merit and I think we can make it work."

Kouji sighed. "Well, we don't really have any other ideas." He muttered to himself before turning to the Digimon boy. "Takuya, can we borrow your D-Tector?"

The boy nodded and dug into his pocket, fishing out the device and handing it to his friend. Having been used to JP's tinkering in the past, handing the Digivice was a simple matter to him.

JP smiled and got to work, opening the D-Tector and fishing out his tools to probe at the otherworldly technology. "It might take a moment but I can get it done."

"Well, take your time. There's no rush." Kouichi insisted and took a seat across the table to watch his friend work. "Take all the time you need."

Find there to be not much to do Takuya perched behind JP, looking over his shoulder as he worked.

"Hey Kouji, could you do something with him? It's kind of hard to work with him looking over my shoulder like that." JP asked, fidgeting slightly trying to get comfortable to work.

"Huh?" he glanced at Takuya, "Oh, come on Takuya. Let JP alone." He tugged on the boy's arm, pulling him away.

Takuya sighed, but relented and followed Kouji back into the living room. He sat beside the younger twin, yawning with boredom. He was tired of being confined to the Kimura's home. He understood why and was extremely grateful for their support but he longed to be outside again.

"You okay Takuya?" Kouji asked, seeing the boy's distracted look.

Takuya glanced over at his best friend and motioned to the window, hoping that Kouji would take the hint and allow him to at least step outside.

Luckily Kouji understood what his friend was trying to say, however he seemed rather hesitant about it. "I'm not sure going outside is a good idea right now. I know you want to go outside and all but there's just too much to consider for it."

The Digimon boy sighed and nodded resting his head on the arm of the couch. It was at least worth a shot he supposed. It was such a nice day out though. He really wished he could be out and about.

Seeing Takuya slump down on the couch tugged at Kouji's heartstrings, making him feel bad for denying the boy what he really wanted. "Look, I'll talk to the others and see if we can figure something out, okay? Just not right now."

Takuya nodded again, appreciating the gesture and went back to staring out the window.

"Hey, cheer up- if JP can find Cerberumon with your D-Tector, then you can be human again," Kouji tried to reason. "You want that right?"

The boy nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off the window. Every fiber of his body wanted to be out basking in the warmth of the sun- something he simply could not do. He sighed again and fell silent.

Kouji sighed as well, trying to be sympathetic to Takuya's restlessness. He knew Takuya still hurt regardless of the progress he made. The fresh air could help him feel better but it could put him at risk if anyone saw him.

"Kou?" Takuya spoke up softly, careful not to strain his voice. After getting his friend's attention he tried speaking again, his voice barely a whisper. "What… happens…" another breath, "after… I'm… human again?"

The wolf boy sat up straight and turned to Takuya, caught off guard with Takuya's question. "What?" Kouji asked but stopped when the Fire Digimon started having a coughing fit. "Never mind, just don't strain your voice."

The boy took a deep breath to calm down and sat quietly for a moment to make sure he wouldn't start coughing again.

"Jeez, you need to be more careful with that." Kouji muttered and sat back down in his spot. He then noticed that Takuya was watching him, waiting for any answer he could give him. "I don't know Takuya, we'll… we'll figure it out when we get to it. Right now, we just have to worry about making you human again."

"Oh..." Takuya mumbled. He looked uncertain, frightened even.

Kouji observed the boy sadly. He looked so lost. Kouji honestly didn't know how to help the boy through this anymore. Maybe he couldn't help Takuya any further.

"Hello boys!" Zoe greeted cheerily from the doorway. Her voice jarred both boys out of their thoughts. Takuya smiled a bit at the sight of the blonde. She hugged him lightly and ran her fingers through his mane. "How're you doing Taku?"

"Better-" he rasped weakly.

"Takuya. Save your voice," Kouji said sharply, knowing he would be ignored.

Just as Kouji predicted, his words fell on deaf ears as Takuya just started purring in Zoe's lap as she continued to run her fingers through his mane. It took a bit of effort for Kouji to resist the urge to smack his palm into his face in disbelief.

"What's got you so uptight?" Zoe asked while keeping up her treatment.

"Nothing. Never mind me." The younger twin responded. "JP and Kouichi are in the kitchen trying to get the map function to work." He added to keep the topic off of him.

Zoe perked up, glad that they had gotten to work on her suggestion. "Have they gotten anywhere yet?"

Kouji shrugged in response. "Who knows, but the whiz is bound to have it ready in no time."

"Let's keep our fingers crossed- for Takuya's sake," the girl said with a solemn nod.

Takuya's purrs softened as the boy came back to his senses. He stayed at Zoe's side, curling up against her and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Hey guys! You should come see this!" Kouichi called from the kitchen suddenly. Kouji and Zoe jumped to their feet immediately with Takuya following along close behind them.

JP sat back so everyone could see the device on the table. The screen glowed white and seemed to project a small sphere of data. A lone red light blinked within the sphere.

"Is that...?" Zoe whispered.

"It's Takuya's human data," JP replied with a nod, "We can find it and get it back."

"JP that's fantastic!" the blond hugged her tech savvy friend and looked down at the device. "We can finally get Takuya's human data back!"

Kouji nodded. This was just the lead they needed. They could finally track it now. Now came the next challenge, figuring out a way to defeat Cerberumon once and for all and taking the data back. "Can we figure out how far he is?"

JP shook his head. "Not really. The map was hard to read the first time. It'll just point us in the right direction."

"That's fine. We can work with that." The younger twin stated.

His brother took a curious glance at him. "Do you think you can handle him? You still haven't had a lot of practice fighting against a Digimon."

"I'll be fine. As soon as I find him, I'm taking him down." Kouji answered.

JP cast a concerned look at Kouji before looking to his older twin. He had become very concerned with the wolf boy's ever growing aggression. "Is he going to be okay?"

"It could be the Digimon part of him." Kouichi pondered and sighed. "I'm not really sure but I know he'll be back to normal somehow."

"I hope so buddy." JP shrugged and looked back at the D-Tector. "Anyway, we now have a way of tracking Cerberumon down so I guess next up we try and take him down."

The younger twin nodded in agreement. He had been preparing for the encounter. All his training would finally start to pay off. Kouji felt he was prepared for the inevitable confrontation. "Let's get to it then."

"What about Takuya- he can't come along without drawing a lot of attention..." Zoe pointed out, "And he's still recovering."

The flame Digimon looked to object, before coughing violently. Zoe quickly got the boy some water. He sipped on the water and nodded once his episode subsided; he was no shape to fight Cerberumon again.

"I told you to take it easy," Kouji chided. Takuya stuck out his tongue in response. "I'll go alone then, you guys can follow but stay back- Cerberumon is very dangerous."

Kouichi and JP nodded. "We'll be sure to stay out of the way," JP said with a smile.

"Yeah, We'll be there for the moral support and to scrap you off the pavement," Kouichi added with a grin. Kouji scowled, swatting at his brother playfully.

"Be careful," Zoe warned as the trio headed for the door. "Cerberumon's really scary."

The eldest gave the boy the thumbs up. "We'll be fine and back before you know it." And with that he followed the twins outside, D-Tector in hand.

"So, where're we going JP?" Kouichi inquired and slowed down his pace to walk by JP's side to take a sidelong glance at the device. The compass wasn't hard to read and according to it, they were heading in the right direction.

"Well… if we keep going forward… uh?" JP looked up from the D-Tector and at the area around them. "It looks like we're heading into towards the park. Guess that makes sense since there's not many places for a giant armored dog to hide in the city."

The elder twin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Cerberumon does kinda stick out like a fire truck in a snow storm."

JP snorted in amusement at Kouichi's comment. Kouji remained silent, focusing on the impending battle. "You going to be okay Kouji?" JP asked seeing the younger boy's deadly serious yet absent gaze.

"Huh? Yeah, just... trying to make a plan. I never fought Cerberumon before- I'm not sure what to expect from him."

"Oh yeah... Well... From what I remember, he breaths green fire, has those really long talon things on his paws and he can create these portals to trap you in."

Kouji huffed, "Lovely, anything else?"

"He has a grudge against Takuya," JP stated, "But I think we all know that."

"Well, Takuya was the one who defeated him back in the Digital World, correct?" Kouichi asked and received a simple nod in response. "And it looks like he still has his vendetta against him according to how he demolished the laboratory."

Kouji nodded. "That sounds right. It would explain why he's still here in our world."

JP shrugged. "Sounds as good as any other reason. Anyway, Cerberumon's claws and his Emerald Blaze are his big guns." He then stopped and realized something. "He could easily set the park on fire if things get really out of hand."

"That could be a really big problem…" The older twin muttered weakly.

"We need to take the battle somewhere where he can't burn anything down." Kouji muttered to himself and tried thinking of anywhere to take their fight.

The larger teen bit his lip in thought. "Well, we could try and lure him to the target field we have. It's pretty much isolated thanks to the quarantine."

"I'd rather not bait him and piss him off," Kouji replied, "He seemed fixated on Takuya, maybe we can use that somehow."

Kouichi looked at his brother, "What do you mean?"

"Well, like, he's not entirely there, he just wanted to finish Takuya off. Cerberumon didn't seem very stable," the younger twin explained, "Goblimon seemed very coherent, but Cerberumon seemed... almost distracted."

"Bokomon did say that Digimon who go to the human world go crazy- and Cerberumon's been here a while now. Maybe he cracked," JP suggested.

"I'm not sure that's a good thing," Kouichi countered, "He could be more violent that we're expecting."

Kouji sighed softly. If Cerberumon had truly gone mad then there wasn't really anything they could account for. There wouldn't be a way to really come up with a strategy. "This is just making things even more difficult."

"What're we going to do?" JP asked the younger twin. "The more I think about it, the less confidant I feel about this whole thing."

"I'm the one who's going to be fighting him. Anyway, I'll figure something out. It may be more difficult but we've run into wild Digimon before. This shouldn't be any different." The wolf boy responded. "I just need an opening and I can finish it. Like with Raremon."

The elder teen raised a brow at him. "You mean that giant sludge thing you defeated when you first turned into Lobomon?"

Kouji nodded. "I just had to get one good hit and I beat it despite my lack of familiarity with the Warrior Spirit."

"But brother, you haven't evolved into Lobomon at all yet. How do you know you'll be able to defeat Cerberumon with just Strabimon?" Kouichi asked softly, trying not to upset his twin.

The boy stopped in his tracks, not taking that into account at all. What if he needed Lobomon's power but couldn't access it? The more he thought about it that way, the more suicidal this plan seemed to be. He sighed, he rushed into this headlong, much like Takuya used to do on their adventure in the Digital World.

"Guys... maybe I'm not rea-"Kouji began before a furious howl interrupted him.

"Too late to back down now!" JP said nervously as another enraged snarl tore through the air.

In an instant the large devil dog came down at them, teeth bared and claws poised to slice down on the kids. Luckily Kouji was fast enough to get everyone out of the way before Cerberumon came crashing down on the spot where they were previously standing.

"Aw man…" JP gulped, noticing the concrete split under the force of evil Digimon's attack. "This is really not good…"

The large dog barked viciously at them and prepared to pounce on them again.

"Get out of the way guys!" Kouji commanded and took a breath before being swallowed by a cocoon of light and evolving into Strabimon. He snarled back at Cerberumon, raising his claws as if preparing to meet him head on.

Cerberumon roared at him and breathed a great green blaze at him. "Emerald Blaze!"

Kouji leapt into the air, vaulting over the big demon dog. "Light Claw!" He drove the claws deep into the Digimon's back.

Cerberumon ignored the slash in his back and turned to face Strabimon who had landed agilely behind him. The wild dog lunged forward at the white wolf, aiming to slash his claws into his target.

Again Strabimon was easily able to dodge Cerberumon's attack. There was no strategy to the large dog's attack; they were easy to predict which worked in Kouji's favor for the time being.

"Emerald Blaze!" Cerberumon suddenly attacked, breathing his flames in close proximity.

Kouji yelped but was quickly able to dodge the flames, feeling the heat against his fur. It was too close a call. He couldn't let his guard down, not if he wanted to be burned to a charred crisp.

"Kouji! Aw man…" Kouichi bit his lip, scared as Strabimon continued to jump and maneuver out of the way of each of Cerberumon's attacks. "At this rate Kouji will tire out…"

"This is bad..." JP murmured as they watched the brutal assault continue. Kouji tried to keep his defenses up as Cerberumon went after him. He swatted the boy against a wall, and stood over him.

The beastly dog roared, "Emerald Blaze!" He unleashed a wave of white-hot flames on the white wolf. Kouji held up his arms, trying to fend off the unbearable heat.

"We need to help him!" Kouichi exclaimed, wanting to rush in and pull his brother free from the fire. JP had to hold the elder twin back.

"Kouichi! We have to trust Kouji can pull this off! If you run in there, you'll get hurt too!" JP reasoned, not letting go of the struggling boy. Kouji howled in pain as Cerberumon stuck him again. Kouichi pulled against his friend's grasp.

Kouji tried to pull himself away from the large dog as best as he could. He had completely overestimated his capabilities. Cerberumon was too strong for Kouji in his current form. The boy was, however, able to land a kick in Cerberumon's jaw, which gave him an opening to get some space between them.

Strabimon tried scrambling away but the pain and numb feeling in his paws kept him from running effectively. "Shit… this is bad…"

Cerberumon growled angrily and prowled towards the wolf boy.

"Hey you stupid mutt! Get away from my brother!" Kouichi snapped as JP tried to pull him away from the area. "Kouji! Run! We have to get out of here!"

Kouji wanted to agree at first, but hesitated. Takuya needed his human data back. He had to get it back from Cerberumon but at the same time there was no way he could take on the dog on his own. One look at his burnt paws told him that.

That hesitation cost him. Cerberumon used his tail and slammed Strabimon into a heavy dumpster. Kouji yelped in pain and gasped for air as the dog pounded his paw on his chest.

He winced trying to move away from the demonic dog. Cerberumon, despite being a few cards and a joker short of a full deck, knew he had Kouji cornered. "No where to run, and once I'm through with you, I'm going to rip that whelp apart."

Cerberumon raised a paw, the long blades on his foot gleamed dangerously.

Before Cerberumon could swing his bladed paw down on Kouji he was kicked hard in the face with a blazing foot. The force of the attack caught Cerberumon off guard and knocked him away from the wolf Digimon.

Kouji blinked and looked up at the other seeing Takuya standing before him. "Takuya…? What the hell are you doing here?"

In response Takuya just shrugged nonchalantly and turned his attention back to Cerberumon who had gotten back to its feet and snarled at them.

"There you are whelp." The large dog growled, giving into to the insanity that was ebbing at him. "I'll be rid of you for good!" He then lunged forward, aiming for the fire Digimon.

Takuya quickly dodged to the side and threw a flame in Cerberumon's side as he passed by.

Cerberumon snarled and lunged at the smaller Digimon, aiming to slice him into pieces with his talons. Takuya leapt straight up and over the demon dog, letting Cerberumon plow into a brick wall.

Kouji watched, almost dumb stuck with how fast and accurate Takuya's movements were. It was like the boy could predict Cerberumon's attacks and had a counter strike or evasion prepared to retaliate. As much as it annoyed him that Takuya didn't listen, Kouji owed the boy his life right now.

Takuya ignited both of his fists, and struck Cerberumon with a rapid series of punches, finishing with a strong roundhouse kick to Cerberumon's jaw. The dark beast staggered as Takuya recomposed himself. He offered Kouji a hand and helped the wolf Digimon up.

"Thanks..." Kouji muttered. Takuya smiled and nodded towards Cerberumon, indicating they should defeat him together.

Kouji got the message and nodded, narrowing his gaze at their opponent. His paws were numb with pain but he was able to get his power to surge to the tips of his claws for one more try at an attack.

Cerberumon snarled wildly and charged at the Takuya, paying no mind to the other boy.

The two Digimon dodged to either side and like Takuya did before, struck at Cerberumon's sides with their attacks; Takuya with his blazing fist and Kouji slashing his claws through Cerberumon's rough hide.

The dog howled in pain and turned around and lashed wildly at them.

Takuya jumped over Cerberumon before the attack could connect and tossed a fireball in his face, blinding the dog and creating an opening for Kouji to slash at Cerberumon's face.

Kouji's claws sank deep across the beast's muzzle. Cerberumon howled and reared up in pain. Kouji sprang at the dog, tackling him to the ground.

The flame Digimon smirked as he summoned a fireball in his hand. He threw the ball at the fallen dark dog, engulfing him in a raging inferno. Cerberumon howled in pain as his body began to pixelate and deteriorate. He loosed a frightening howl and fell silent as his body faded away.

"Takuya there!" an orb of data hung in the space Cerberumon once occupied moments before.

He cautiously approached the orb, reaching out to it. It pulsed, and wrapped around him like a ribbon, before engulfing Takuya's body.

JP and Kouichi joined Kouji's side and watched the cocoon of light slowly began to dissipate. Before them no longer stood the fire Digimon Flamon but rather Takuya Kanbara. "He's back! He's human again!" JP cheered.

Takuya smiled weakly but collapsed suddenly, cutting their celebration short. The boy looked battered and beaten, his clothes tattered, ruined, and burnt.

"Oh my god! Takuya!" Kouichi called out as they ran to the fallen boy's side. "What in the world… he's… he's in really bad shape…"

"How did this happen? I mean… l-look at him!" Kouji turned to his brother as he tried to assess Takuya's condition.

The older twin shook his head, not understanding how this was happening. "W-we need to get him to a hospital! I can't take care of him here… I need to call Mom!" he got up and quickly dialed his mother's number.

Kouji knelt beside brunette, shifting back to his human form and draping his jacket over him. JP stood by, eyes wide with shock.

"S-she's called an ambulance. She said to tell them a mugger or something jumped us... so we can stay with him. She'll meet us at the hospital" Kouichi said shakily as he knelt beside Kouji. He began to check their friend's vitals, hoping they were stable.

Sirens jarred the boys from their fretting as the ambulance drew closer. JP flagged down the ambulance as it roared up the street. The EMTs jumped out and immediately tended to Takuya and Kouji much to the younger twin's protests. Kouichi and JP meanwhile spouted some story about running across their friends following an attack.

They ushered the boys into the back after they loaded Takuya onto a gurney and placed him into the back. It wasn't long before they arrived at the hospital and joined up with Ms. Kimura while Takuya was whisked off to the emergency room.

Tomoko pulled her boys into a close hug and whispered, "What happened?"

"W-we found the Digimon that took his human form. We beat it but… for some reason when Takuya changed back to normal… he was like that." Kouichi explained to his mother, his voice shaking. He was still shaken up from the encounter.

"You think he's going to be okay?" Kouji asked, looking up at his mother.

Ms. Kimura bit her lip, not sure of how to reply. From what she had seen, Takuya was in really bad shape. It didn't seem impossible for him to recover though but he did need a lot time and rest.

"They're going to take good care of him. They're doing their best for him. Just give them some time."

The younger twin remained silent, not sure if he liked her answer. Takuya was still recovering from his ordeal at the laboratory. He wasn't sure how much more the boy could take.

For a while, they sat silently waiting for any news about Takuya's condition. It felt like countless hours have passed before a doctor approached them.

"Ms. Kimura?"

The mother stood, and greeted her colleague. "Dr. Ishura. How is he?"

"He's stable now," the man replied with a light smile, "He fought us tooth and nail despite being unconscious, but Mr. Kanbara has been sedated and is resting. I have also notified his parents of his condition. I believe they're coming in to see him later on."

"I'm not sure you should..." Tomoko said softly, earning a questioning look from her colleague, "They abandoned that poor boy when he needed them most. His father wanted to make amends but Takuya... he ran off..."

The doctor looked concerned for a moment, "That would explain why he seems so underweight and frail. Was he in your care before he ran away?"

"No, my ex-husband and his wife kindly took the poor child into their home. My youngest son is his best friend and they wanted to make sure he was cared for," she explained quickly, "He vanished shortly after a meeting with his father and that massive amount of destruction occurred downtown."

"That was well over six months ago." The doctor observed, recalling the incident. A good many people were hurt or worse during the event. They were still trying to repair the damages done. "Well, regardless of the situation, they are still his legal guardians."

Tomoko sighed and nodded. "I understand. I just don't want the boy to suffer anymore than he already has."

"Don't worry, while Mr. Kanbara is still in dire condition we'll be doing our best to make sure his stay here is a pleasant one until he is ready to be checked out." The doctor replied. "By then I'm sure you can go over the legal issues with his parents."

"Yes, of course. I'll be sure to discuss it with them." Tomoko nodded and thanked the doctor for his help, allowing him to continue on with his work. She returned to her spot with her children and shared the news. "They say he's stable and resting now. He should be okay."

The group was relieved to hear the news. Kouichi smiled to his brother and felt his cell phone buzz. Taking a moment to look, he realized Zoe was trying to call them. "Oh crap! We forgot to tell Zoe about what happened!"

"Gods, she's going to freak out..." JP murmured as Kouichi tried to calm the blonde down and explain the situation.

Kouji sighed, "Well Takuya likely just left her behind without telling her anything- I'm surprised she didn't call sooner."

"She did," Kouichi replied looking down at his phone, "I have 37 missed calls. Zoe's on her way now, She'll be here soon."

"She really cares about him, doesn't she," Tomoko observed with a soft knowing smile. "Takuya is lucky to have such dear friends. You all stood by him despite everything that happened."

Kouichi nodded, "And we'd do it again in a heartbeat, right guys?" JP and Kouji nodded back, relieved to finally get some good news and progress with the brunette. Finally, they can get things back to the way they were.