Chapter 21

"Where's Toki?" That was the question that had been on everyone's mind since the girl had mysteriously vanished from the hospital the other week.

Freedert frowned and shook her head. "I wish I knew, Daisuke. I haven't seen her since…" She trailed off, wincing at the memory. Elliot, who had been standing silently beside her took her hand into his and squeezed it.

Krad, Dark, Satoshi, Daisuke, Freedert, and Elliot were standing outside of Toki's house. It was time for Daisuke and his friends to leave, but the redhead didn't want to go until he got to say goodbye to Toki. Once the six teens arrived at Toki's house they had used the spare key hidden under the welcome mat to unlock the door and go inside. They had searched the place up and down, but there had been no sign of Toki.

"Daisuke, we can't stay here any longer." Dark stated firmly, his arms crossed over his chest in a no nonsense fashion. "You're family was having a mental breakdown the last time I saw them, and it's been a week now. You can't keep them waiting anymore."

Daisuke nodded his head solemnly. "I know, but I just wanted see if she was okay, and to thank her for paying my hospital bill. It just means I can avoid telling my parents about what happened that much longer."

"You have her phone number, right?"

Daisuke nodded.

"Then call her when you get home."

He frowned at the idea of calling Toki. It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was because it didn't seem personal, and he wanted to make sure Toki understood how grateful he was.

From behind him, Daisuke heard Dark sigh in impatience before speaking in an annoyed voice. "This is going to take some time. Krad? Satoshi? Please get the car while Daisuke says his goodbyes."

"Why don't you-" Krad slammed a hand over Satoshi's mouth, cutting off the bluenette. Satoshi gave Krad the nastiest glare he could manage, but the blonde only smiled devilishly before pulling him away with one hand on Satoshi's mouth and another wrapped around the bluenette's waist.

"I really think Krad should stop dragging Satoshi off," Daisuke mumbled worriedly under his breath. "I don't think Satoshi will be very happy if he continues doing it, and it may be my imagination, but I think Satoshi is the type of person that isn't afraid to punch someone if they begin to annoy him too much."

Dark laughed and waved off Daisuke's fear. "If Satoshi hits him, then Krad will just hit back. In the end they both deserve what they get." Daisuke shook his head in disbelief at Dark's statement, but showed no other signs of disapproval.

"Uh…" Freedert started, but stopped, deciding it would be best to remain silent.

"What is it, Freedert?" Daisuke asked.

The blonde girl blushed and let her eyes glance over at Elliot. The simple act seemed to fill her with courage, for the next moment she was staring Daisuke in the eye with a sad smile on her face. "I just wanted to say goodbye, Daisuke. I'm so grateful for everything you've done for Elliot and me. You risked your own life and the life of your friends to help us, and I don't know how I can ever repay you."

A blush stained Daisuke's cheeks and he looked down at the ground trying to avoid Freedert's eyes. He opened his mouth to say his thanks, but no sound came out. What could he possibly say? He couldn't exactly say it was nothing, and any friend would risk their life for the life of their friends, it would be a lie.

The air was filled with a rich chuckle, a laugh that Daisuke hadn't heard in so long, and he was sure he would never hear it again in his life. As he raised his head, he saw Elliot smiling at him tenderly, those once pain filled eyes sparkling with life, secretly letting Daisuke know everything was okay. "Don't be embarrassed Daisuke. What you and your friends did for us was amazing. I have to admit out of all of us you were the least I expected to become a hero."

"What!" Daisuke screeched and took a step back, bumping into Dark, but he was too frantic to notice. "I'm no hero. You guys are my friends and I had to-"

Elliot raised a hand, silencing Daisuke's rant. "Daisuke, I know you're a humble person by nature, but believe me when I say, you are a hero, you and your marvelous friends."

"I…" Daisuke let his voice fall. Again he was left speechless. How could they say that about him? He had only made things worse in his opinion. He caused everyone to worry, and unleashed a chain of events that probably would have never occurred if he hadn't been there.

"Looks like Krad and Satoshi are going to be here any second now," Dark whispered, but Daisuke heard it and followed Dark's gaze. Turning the corner was a car and inside it was Krad and Satoshi.

Dark and Daisuke's eyes met, and the older teen frowned at seeing the pleading look in his friend's eyes. "I'm sorry, Daisuke, but you're going to have to say your goodbyes now, or I pulling you into the car before you get a chance to."

Turning his mournful stare towards Elliot and Freedert, Daisuke gave them a bittersweet smile. He knew in the end he would have to leave, but the part of him that still missed his home was begging him to stay. To forget about his new life and rejoin his friends and continue his life as it should have gone.

Pushing down the feelings that had been stirred within him, he forced himself to speak. "I guess this is goodbye for now." Elliot and Freedert nodded their understanding.

"Goodbye Daisuke, come visit sometime."

"We'll miss you Daisuke, but remember you can always drop by whenever you want."

Daisuke nodded his head, his smile taking on a more cheerful look, but it still shone with a slight sadness.

"Come on Daisuke," Dark gave the redhead's wrist a light tug toward the car parked in front of them. "It's time to go home."

"Right," Daisuke replied numbly. After that he blanked out. He didn't remember jumping into the backseat with Dark, buckling his seatbelt, the strange looks his friends were giving him, or Freedert and Elliot waving farewell to him. All he remembered was staring out the window as they left the town he had grown up in and seeing a girl dressed in all white standing next to a dirty and bruised boy, who was lying peacefully on the ground. The boy and girl smiled kindly as Daisuke drove past and waved goodbye to him.

When the two teens were almost out of sight Daisuek sat up in his seat, his ruby eyes wide with realization. The girl and the boy had been Toki and Kyle.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

"You ready, Dai-chan?"

"I told you to stop calling me that." Daisuke grumbled while shaking his head. "And no, I'm not ready. My mom and dad will kill me."

"Maybe."

"Oh that is so comforting!" Daisuke's voice was laced with sarcasm, causing Dark to smile. He liked knowing that he could ruffle the boy's feathers so well. It was something only he had mastered, making it all the more special.

"Just open the door already, Dai-chan, because if you don't I'm sure someone will eventually come outside to see what's causing the noise."

Daisuke sighed in defeat, and reached for the doorknob before letting his hand fall to the side. Dark frowned, "Come on, Dai-chan! You can-" Dark stopped. Daisuke had grabbed his hand suddenly, and not that he was complaining, but it was a little awkward. "What are you doing Dai-chan?"

"Hoping that I might be able to steal some of that overconfidence from you," Daisuke remarked teasingly, but Dark could sense the seriousness behind the joke, so he let himself relax, hoping that by relaxing it might help Daisuke calm down, since he heard somewhere that if one person is relaxed then it can cause another person to relax too.

"Let's get this over with. Krad and Satoshi were nice enough to drop you off instead of staying so you wouldn't be humiliated in front of them."

Daisuke glared and opened his mouth to speak, before a sound passed his lips, the door was slammed open. There was a scream and then the next thing he knew he was being embraced so tightly he couldn't breath.

"Oh Daisuke, I thought you had run away! Please don't ever do that again! You had me worried sick! Not only me, but your father and grandfather too! In fact your grandpa's been so worried he stopped everything was doing to come down here and help search for you!" Daisuke was frozen with shock. He was so stunned he didn't feel the tears that fell from his mother's eyes land in his hair.

It had been no secret that ever since he had met Dark, Daisuke had felt as if his mother had grown to loathe him, or rather have Dark as her son. There would be nights when he would cry his eyes out because of it, but here she was now, crying over him. Telling him how worried she had been, and she was sorry if she caused him to run away. Sure, every now and then there was some yelling, but for the first time in months he felt as if she truly loved him.

Clutching the arm that was wrapped tightly against his neck, he buried his face in that same arm and let tears of both relief and happiness roll down his cheeks. She cared. She cared for him, and at that moment that was all that mattered.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

Summer heat makes me lazy. (hits self on head) Don't worry, I'm alive. I'm just trying to find some time when I can use the computer when it's not a hundred degrees in the room.

I'll be trying to get the next chapter up sooner but don't worry.