Hey guys, we're back with another chapter. I'm sorry this took longer to update, been busy all day with my brother's graduation. Before we start FernClaw and I have an issue we'd like to take some time to discuss which will take the place of my review replies for this chapter so we can just make sure the message sets in clear. So, here it is.

"A message to FlamingKitKat and Posse;
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE- Reviews are not a place for silliness, they are for your thoughts on the story and nothing more. It's giving us an inaccurate review count and honestly it's not cool to have a conversation there. I'm asking you once, No more. Just legitimate reviews please!
If this keeps up, We'll have to disable anonymous reviews."

We don't want to do this so please, try to refrain from the excess silliness in reviews. Also, this in no way is insinuated to all anonymous reviews. We appreciate all reviews.

With that said, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 38:

Time had passed slowly since Takuya was brought to the hospital. Needless to say it wasn't without incident. The following morning when Takuya woke up, he was startled to find himself in the hospital room and hooked up to machines.

He panicked, reminded of his time at the laboratory, and of his time having painful and humiliating experiments and tests forced onto him. There wasn't much he could do in his weakened condition but he still attracted the attention of the staff with his ruckus.

The doctors were quick to sedate the injured boy and they made sure to keep a watchful eye in case of any other incidents.

Everyone's almost daily visits brought solace to Takuya. He felt comfortable and safe with them around and they were ecstatic in return, happy that Takuya had finally been able to be human again.

Then came the inevitable. Mr. Kanbara finally made an appearance one Friday evening. The twins intercepted the man in the hallway, having been on their way out to return home. Kouichi grabbed his brother's arm, hoping it would be enough to prevent him from mauling the man.

"Why are you here!?" Kouji snarled, anger dangerously close to boiling over.

Hiroaki Kanbara attempted to ignore the boys and walk around them. No dice, as Kouji broke free from Kouichi's grip and barred the man's path.

"I will not explain myself to you children," Hiroaki stated simply, hoping that his fierce tone would be enough to make them back off.

That only upset the half Digimon and his brother further. "You leave him alone! Takuya's been through enough!" Kouji growled, his eyes rimmed with red.

"He doesn't want to see you," Kouichi added, despite the fact Takuya hadn't even mentioned his family at all.

"That's not your choice, or his for that matter. Takuya is my son and it's not your concern," Mr. Kanbara countered.

"He's our friend! You threw him out like a piece of trash!" Kouji snarled darkly, pinning the man against a wall much to everyone's shock. "I don't care if you are his father, but I will NOT let you hurt him again!"

Hiroaki managed to get over his initial shock and tried to pry the boy's hands off but found that Kouji's vice-like grip could not be moved. "Let me go." He commanded the boy but was met with a cold hard glare in response.

"You're not going anywhere near him!" Kouji snapped, baring sharp teeth at the man. The older twin just watched in shock. His brother's aggression had been startling and terrifying to no end. "K-Kouji…"

"You'd better go back where you came from because I won't let you step even one foot into that room." The wolf boy warned viciously, paying no mind to his brother's attempts to call him back.

"I-if you attack me… I-I'll…" Hiroaki tried to threaten to get the boy off him but the look in Kouji's eyes terrified him. By this point they had turned completely red and had a ferocious glare to them.

Luckily for the man, someone had approached them, a security guard. "What's going on here?"

"N-nothing sir…" Kouichi replied and look to his brother, pleading for him to stop before they could get into trouble.

Kouji released Mr. Kanbara, growling softly under his breath. Kouichi huffed in frustration, knowing his brother wouldn't let the man out of his sight.

The security guard observed the trio before walking away. "Are you out of your mind Kouji!?" Kouichi hissed, "Are you trying to get us into trouble?"

"No..." Kouji muttered quietly, glaring at Mr. Kanbara.

Mr. Kanbara slipped away from the twins and entered Takuya's room. The brunette sat up, eyes widened, "Dad...?"

"Takuya..." The man took a step closer, "My god... What happened to you? I... I was so worried about you..." His voice cracked as he drew closer to the boy's bed.

"I..." Takuya faltered, caught off guard. "Dad... Why are you here?"

"The doctor had called us when you were admitted. I didn't know when I could make it… but I just had to see you." Hiroaki admitted to the boy.

The boy bit his lip, not sure what to say at first. He didn't expect his father to visit him, not after what happened with Dracmon. Just thinking back at it brought back the pain he felt when they kicked him out. "B-but why… why would you come to see me?"

"I-I wanted to make amends…" his father started, shame washing over him. "What I did to you… it was inexcusable… and when you saved me from that… that monster… I just had to try."

Takuya looked down to his hands and tried to recall the battle with ShadowSeraphimon. It was blurry but Takuya did recall his father risking his life to help him. He stood up to the fallen angel for him.

"Takuya…" Mr. Kanbara sat down at the bedside chair and knotted his fingers together, trying to find the words to continue. "Words… words can't even begin to describe how… sorry I am for what I've done to you."

"You hit me with a fire extinguisher…" Takuya muttered weakly, not meeting his father's gaze.

The truth struck the father with guilt. He had forgotten that piece of information. He lowered his gaze shamefully. "Takuya... I'm sorry... I..." Hiroaki couldn't find the words to apologize to his son.

Takuya flinched away from his father when he tried to reach out. "Please... Please go..." Takuya whispered, keeping his head down. He could feel the pain of being cast out and being attacked by his own father rising in his chest.

Mr. Kanbara sighed softly, "Takuya I am truly sorry- for everything. I just want you to come home- to fix this and be a part of the family again." The boy didn't respond or look up as the man stood to leave. "Just give me another chance."

By this point, the twins had reentered the room, Kouji glaring at Mr. Kanbara angrily. "Just leave him alone," Kouji said flatly as the man walked past them to leave, "You've hurt him enough."

Takuya pulled his knees to his chest, shivering as he tried to calm himself down. Kouichi sat beside him trying to offer him some comfort. "It'll be okay Takuya, just relax now."

The ill boy managed a nod and stayed in his protective ball and tried to take comfort in his friend's words. His father had left, though he wasn't sure if it was for good or not.

"I can't believe that guy had the nerve to come in here." Kouji muttered bitterly to himself and crossed his arms.

"Kouji, that's not important right now." His brother chided and turned back to Takuya who was taking slow steady breaths. "Everything's going to be okay now. Just keep trying to relax."

The younger twin sighed irritably and took a moment to calm down himself before going to Takuya's side as well. "I'm sorry about that Takuya. But listen, we're not going to let anything bad happen to you. I promise you."

Takuya finally felt like he could relax and offered a small smile to his friends. "Thanks guys… I…" he stopped, going into a small fit of coughs.

"Easy Takuya… you need to take it easy… you're still recovering." Kouichi warned and got the boy a glass of water from the bed stand.

He nodded, taking small sips once his coughing fit subsided. Kouichi made the brunette lie back and rest. Takuya rolled onto his side, facing away from his friends. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he tried to push the incident out of his mind.

"I hate this..." Takuya murmured, sniffling quietly.

"We know..." Kouji said softly, "It'll be alright. Somehow, it'll be okay Takuya."

Takuya remained silent as his friends sat by his side and did their best to offer him support. They could sense that Takuya was still struggling to get used to being human again, and now his father was stirring the brunette up.

Once the twins were certain Takuya was calm enough, they left for home, trying to come up with a plan to deal with the boy's father.

"I'm going to hurt him if he does that to Takuya again," Kouji growled softly.

Kouichi sighed, "He's Takuya's father- Look we don't have all the details..."

"I know, I just hate him alright? It's always double standard with him it seems..."

"I guess so." Kouichi shrugged and stepped into the kitchen. "I'm not really sure how to look at it though. I mean, I've never seen that guy get so emotional before. He always had that cold and emotionless demeanor. Like a statue."

The younger twin scoffed. "Like it makes a difference."

Kouichi cast a sidelong glance at his brother and sighed. "I get that you hate him. That's blatantly obvious." He added that last bit quietly to himself. "but we seriously need to think of what to do here."

"Do you have anything in mind?" Kouji decided to ask, knowing that Kouichi would chide at him for any idea he had in mind.

"Well, I guess if anything we need to approach the Kanbaras about it. Let them know what we think about this whole situation." Kouichi offered up, earning a strange look from his brother. "What?"

"Haven't we been doing that since the old man came to our house?" Kouji asked, pointing out the obvious. "I mean I'm pretty sure we told him how we feel about his involvement."

Kouichi opened his mouth to object but recalled the incident clearly. They all made their opinions known. "Look, We need to sit down and talk with at least Mr. Kanbara civilly. He's making an effort to make amends- It's got to count for something."

Kouji wanted to argue but knew his brother was right, no matter how much he didn't want to openly admit it. "I guess we could do that... But we need to leave Takuya out of it for now. He still needs to get better, not get stressed out."

"There's the rational brother I swore I had," Kouichi quipped, ducking his brothers incoming swipe.

"Hey!"

The elder boy laughed, "You are so hot blooded these days- you're like Takuya!"

"You take that back Kouichi!" Kouji said sharply, attempting to pounce on the boy.

"Never!"

Unluckily for Kouichi, due to Kouji's enhanced abilities he was easily able to pounce on his brother and effectively pin him to the ground. Kouji smirked evilly and started tickling his brother. "Say uncle!"

Kouichi struggled, shaking his head furiously and all while still laughing. "Never!"

"I won't stop till you take it back!" the wolf boy continued his tickle torture. It took the pair a moment before they realized that their mother was watching from the doorway.

"What're you boys doing?" Tomoko asked, looking curiously at her twin boys on the floor.

"Nothing." Both answered simultaneously.

The mother rolled her eyes at them. "Well, take it to the living room. I have dinner to make." The boys nodded and got up off the floor and made their way to the living room. "How was your visit at the hospital? How is Takuya doing?"

"He's getting better," Kouichi started, "The doctors think he could leave sometime next week."

Tomoko smiled warmly, then faltered seeing a dark look cross her youngest son's face, "What's the bad news then?"

"Mr. Kanbara came by to see Takuya..." Kouichi finished, "It... didn't go over very well..."

"I see- Kouji I hope you didn't harm the man," Tomoko said sharply, knowing the hostility and sheer distain Kouji harbored for the brunette's father.

The boy snorted. "He tried too, but a security guard and I broke it up before Kouji could decapitate him," Kouichi explained shooting his twin a light glare, "Brash just like Takuya."

"I am not!" Kouji exclaimed, "That's not even the point."

"Then what is the point?" Tomoko asked, beginning to prep the food she needed for dinner.

Kouichi sighed, "I think we need to hear Mr. Kanbara out and TRY to see if we can help him and Takuya make amends. The man is trying to reconnect with Takuya. You should have seen the guilt in his eyes..."

"I see…" Tomoko looked deep in thought, thinking for a good moment. "I guess it couldn't hurt to speak with the man. He at least had the sense to try and make things right."

Kouji growled lightly but didn't voice his protest. He didn't like the idea but he just had to put up with it. He was outnumbered.

"I think we should take the time within the following week to go and talk to him before he tries to visit Takuya again." Kouichi offered up. "We might want to speak with Mrs. Kanbara as well."

Tomoko nodded with her son. "We haven't really heard anything from her. It might be good to understand how she feels about the whole thing."

The younger twin mulled the idea over. He didn't hate Mrs. Kanbara. He remembered her being very nice to them whenever Takuya had any of them over. Then again, Yuriko hadn't done anything to look for or try to help the boy.

"Why don't we call the Kanbara residence and schedule a date to talk with them?" Tomoko suggested to her children.

Kouichi nodded. "Sounds fine by me."

One fairly short phone call later, a meeting had been arranged to take place the following afternoon with Mr. Kanbara. Tomoko agreed to meet the man alone at a local coffee shop to discuss Takuya's well being. Both of her sons objected to this but she remained adamant about speaking to him alone.

"Kouji, you'll just spook the man," Tomoko reasoned, getting irritated as she prepared to leave for the meeting.

"I don't trust him," Kouji spat.

Tomoko gave him a serious look, "Kouji, listen to me. I'm just going to talk. I will not let him sway my opinion on Takuya's safety. I want to do what's right for everyone but Takuya's well being will come first- okay?"

"Fine..." Kouji grumbled, while Kouichi rolled his eyes.

"I'll be back soon, Behave. Both of you."

Both boys nodded and the mother stepped out and drove off to meet with the Kanbara.

Tomoko had arrived shortly at the designated meeting place only to find that Mr. Kanbara had already been waiting for her. One look at the man and she could tell he was nervous about their meeting. His eyes had been glued to the watch around his wrist.

"Good afternoon Mr. Kanbara." She greeted, taking the seat across the table.

Hiroaki sighed and greeted back. "Ms. Kimura."

"Let's get down to business shall we?" Tomoko asked, not wasting any time getting to the point. "I want you to give me one good reason as to why I should let you take Takuya back with you."

The man nodded and took another breath. "Listen, I understand what I did was… entirely unacceptable… I have nothing but regret for it…"

Tomoko raised her hand stopping him. "I don't want to hear excuses. I need to know if I can trust you before I even let you near him again."

Hiroaki faltered a bit, not expecting to be judged so harshly by Tomoko. "I understand. I want you to understand that I love my son and I care about him. I will do whatever it takes to be there for him- to support him, even if he doesn't come back home"

The woman nodded, "Takuya... was crushed, needless to say when you threw him out. I understand that the circumstances weren't the best..." Tomoko paused, "Why didn't you come to him sooner?"

"I was afraid..." Mr. Kanbara admitted, "Takuya's... other form... it's fierce and intimidating..."

"It can be, but Takuya is not. He is just a child, a scared and injured child who wanted nothing more than to be accepted for who he is," Tomoko said softly, her tone firm. "Takuya has suffered far more than a child should experience in his entire life time in a few short months. He needs someone to understand and comfort him through this."

"I understand that now… believe me, I do." Hiroaki bit his lip. "When I saw him in that hospital bed…" he shivered as the image played in his mind, "He looked like he had gone through a hell worse than I could imagine… I don't want him to suffer like that again."

Tomoko nodded in agreement, recalling the image herself.

"I just need a chance. Just give me one chance and I swear I will do everything within my power to make Takuya feel safe again." The man pleaded, trying to fight off the shaky tone in his voice. "I want my son back and make everything right again."

"What does your wife think?" Tomoko ventured to ask.

Hiroaki sighed weakly at the question. "She's… in an emotional state as of late."

Tomoko thought about this. Takuya's mother hadn't made any attempts to see the boy, to reach out in any way. It could be viewed she was just afraid and confused, and that she didn't know what to do. On the other hand, she could be trying to distance herself from her eldest son out of pure shock.

"How... emotional?" Tomoko asked tentatively.

"As emotional as any mother would be tying to care for two young kids," Mr. Kanbara replied, "Frazzled, a little edgy but nothing out of her normal range. She misses Takuya dearly, but she's had to put Shinya and the baby first."

Tomoko tilted her head, "baby? As in newborn baby?"

Hiroaki nodded, "She's only a month old... I'd like Takuya to be a part of her life."

Tomoko needed a moment to register the information just given her. She had no idea about the baby. This might change a few things; she wasn't sure though. "I see…"

"Please, I just want my family to be brought back together." Hiroaki added again, hoping it would be enough to help convince Tomoko of the sincerity of his pleas.

The man didn't meet her gaze, which Tomoko took as a sign that he was nervous. She sighed softly and looked out the window, looking in deep thought.

Mr. Kanbara balled his fists tight under the table, the silence ebbing at him.

"You really mean what you said don't you?" She asked, breaking the silence. "You really want to make things right with the poor boy."

"More than anything." He added.

Tomoko took a deep breath and leaned back against her chair.

Hiroaki twiddled his thumbs in his lap, feeling more unnerved than before with Tomoko's silence. He couldn't tell what she was thinking and that did not settle well with him. Hiroaki felt like he was about ready to snap.

The woman looked to the man, earning his full attention. "Okay… you seem pretty genuine in how you feel… and after hearing everything… I think… maybe I can trust you."

Mr. Kanbara blinked and stared into Tomoko's eyes to see if she truly meant what she said. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She nodded, "I am, but only if Takuya is okay with this arrangement- When he's ready and not a moment sooner."

"Thank you- I want to make a difference in my son's life. I want him to feel like he belongs with his family, not like the monster I first saw..." Hiroaki admitted softly.

"Just let Takuya come to you," Tomoko said, rising to her feet. "I'm glad we were able to understand each other."

The adults parted ways and Tomoko made her way back home when he boys anxiously waited to find out what went down. Kouji practically pounced on his mother wanting answers. "What happened? What did you say?"

Tomoko placed her hands on Kouji's shoulders, trying to get him to settle down. "Easy Kouji. I need you to relax. Let's just go sit down and I'll tell you about what happened."

The younger twin felt embarrassed but nodded and followed his mother to the couch and sat next to his brother.

"So… what happened Mom?" Kouichi ventured to ask after they were seated.

"Alright boys." Tomoko looked up at her boys, seeing the anxious looks on their faces. She took a breath, anticipating their reactions. "Okay, after my talk with Hiroaki… I think we can trust him."

"WHAT?!" Kouji barked out in disbelief and fury.

Tomoko glared at him, "Kouji. The man is genuinely trying to make a difference and support Takuya."

"But he-"

"Kouji. I made one condition- Takuya needs to be ready to go home, not forced. It'll be on his terms," the mother tried to explain.

The younger twin snarled under his breath while Kouichi seemed to agree with the terms his mother established. "I think this will be good for Takuya. That way he can ease back into his home life."

"Precisely!" Tomoko said brightly, "Sudden change isn't good for him right now."

Kouji growled, still not happy with his mother's decision but with the look on his mother's and brother's faces showed that they okay with the arrangement. "I can't believe this…"

"Kouji will you trust my judgment on this?" Tomoko asked, wanting her son to understand. "I had a good long talk with him. There's no doubt that he's serious about fixing thing with Takuya and his family."

Kouichi nodded and looked to his brother. "Come on Kouji. I know you don't like the guy but he's legitimately trying here."

The younger twin snarled in response and got up from his seat and went to walk outside. He was fuming.

"Kouji, where are you going?" Kouichi asked, getting up and walking after him.

"No where," the younger boy snapped, hands shoved into his pockets.

Kouichi sighed and pursued his brother, "Well I coming too."

Kouji stopped and glared, "Go away Kouichi."

"No, you're going to find trouble in this mood, and I'd rather you didn't," The elder twin pointed out, "So I'm coming too."

"Fiiiiinnnne!" groaned the half Digimon, defeated.

They walked in silence for a while, mostly so Kouichi could let his boy cool off before talking. "You know Mom's just trying to help, right?"

"I know," Kouji grumbled, "I just..." He stopped. "You didn't see him Kouichi... You didn't see how... how... broken Takuya was after his father lashed out at him..."

The older twin stopped by his brother's side and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Kouji, we all saw what Takuya was going through… yes we weren't there at that first moment but we did see how it affected him."

"Then you should understand why I can't just trust that bastard anywhere near Takuya." Kouji muttered darkly. "He doesn't deserve to have Takuya back."

"Kouji…" Kouichi bit his lip. "I don't like what this Digimon form is doing to you."

This drew Kouji's attention and he cast his brother a questioning look. "Excuse me?"

Kouichi met his brother's gaze. "Look… ever since you became a Digimon… you've become so much more aggressive and rash… you used to be level headed. I thought it was just me but you've been getting angry a lot and I see that Digimon form is affecting you. The red eyes, the sharp teeth…"

"I... " Kouji hesitated, realizing that his teeth had become sharper and his eyes were likely blood red. He felt ashamed. "Have I really?"

"You have been really edgy brother... But you- and Takuya to an extent, have both changed since you became half Digimon... It worries me that it's affecting you both so badly..."

Kouji looked away, allowing his anger to ebb away. "I didn't even realize..."

"I knew that much," Kouichi said softly, "But you need to be careful Kouji... When you attacked Mr. Kanbara at the hospital? That was out of line."

Kouji pulled away from his brother and leaned against the wall, reflecting on his time spent as half Digimon. He didn't even realize it but he had grown more violent. "I didn't… god Kouichi… I didn't want that."

"I know. I don't blame you for any of it." His brother replied and walked over to Kouji's side. "You just need to be able to control your Digimon half."

"But… how do I do that?" Kouji asked, looking up at him. "I didn't even know it had this kind of influence on me."

"I'm sure you can figure it out…" Kouichi started as a thought came to his mind. "Like with your Beast Spirit. You had trouble controlling it but you managed to do it. You can do the same with your new Digimon form."

The younger twin thought about it, recalling how they used the same method to help Takuya when he first became Flamon. He thought back to his first time as KendoGarurumon, and how he had trouble controlling it.

Kouji sank to the ground, holding his head, "god, I'm a mess..."

Kouichi knelt down beside his brother, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Look Kouji, I know we can help you through this. I know Takuya would be more than happy to help you tame your Digimon side."

"I hope so..." the younger boy murmured. Then something dawned on him. "Mom's gonna be so mad at me!"

"Maybe, I'm sure she'll understand Kouji," Kouichi laughed.

Kouji groaned and lightly banged the back of his head against the wall. "I really hope so Kouichi. Mom can be pretty scary when she's angry."

"You'll be fine." Kouichi replied and got back to his feet. "Let's just look at all the good things that have happened now. We have Takuya back, and though he's in the hospital he's human again and he's recovering, Cerberumon's gone, the Kanbaras are trying to make things right."

The younger twin had to agree that things have been getting better for them to a point. After six months of searching and worrying, they finally had Takuya back. "I suppose…"

"Everything's going to be okay Kouji." Kouichi continued, trying to cheer his brother up.

"I hope so bro," Kouji replied, "I really hope so."

Kouichi grinned, "Ready to face the music?"

"Like hell!" Kouji swatted at his brother, "I am not ready to endure another Kimura lecture."

"And what if I give you one?" Kouichi asked with an evil grin.

Kouji glared, "Kouichi!"

"I'm kidding brother." Kouichi grinned and held his hands up to show he meant no harm. "But seriously, it might be a good idea to get it over with."

The younger twin snorted. "I'd like a while to just calm down before I have to deal with a lecture."

Kouichi huffed. "Oh boy."

"Shut up." Kouji muttered and got up from his spot. "Alright, alright. Let's just go."

The older twin rolled his eyes and led his brother back to the house where Tomoko was waiting for them. Their mother was waiting patiently in her chair and looked up at them when she heard them enter.

"Hey Mom." Kouichi greeted and looked to his brother who was hiding behind him. "Uh… we're back."

"Welcome back boys! Are you hungry?" the mother rose from her place and greeted the twins with a smile.

Kouji edged out from behind his brother, "Um... Mom?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"I'm... sorry about how I acted earlier... and in general... I haven't really been myself since I became Strabimon..." Kouji said apologetically, his voice soft. He keep his gaze trained on the ground in shame.

Tomoko knelt before her youngest and lift his chin to meet her gaze. "I know Kouji. It's okay, you just need time to adjust and you haven't really had it. That and everything has been so out of sorts lately I don't blame you at all sweetheart."

He looked at her, eyes forming tears as weeks of bottled up stress, frustration, and pain finally threatened to burst. "Mom..." his voice cracked as tears formed in his eyes.

She quickly pulled the boy into a firm hug as he became emotional, "Shhh, it's okay Kouji."

Kouji quieted down after a short while, just letting all his pent up stress out. His mother held him tightly in her arms until she was certain he had gotten himself pulled back together. They pulled apart, "Thanks mom," the boy whispered, wiping the tears away from his face.

"Of course sweetheart."