Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I know Kari doesn't get a big roll in this chapter, but don't worry. She'll have plenty of opportunities to share moments with her boys in the chapters to come. This chapter was giving me a real headache when I was writing it, so I hope it's okay. (The last half was the worst)

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 63: So Far Away

DarkAngelicmon

Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World

"I assume you have an explanation for your behaviour today?"

DarkAngelicmon knelt in front of the shadowy figure standing before him and bowed his head. "Yes, master. I believe the humans and their digimon are going to be a lot more useful to us than we had first anticipated. I do not think it would be wise to destroy them just yet."

"That still does not explain why you failed to steal two of the six D-Coders!" the dark figure snapped. "Explain yourself!"

Of course, master. Soon you will understand why Vampiramon should never have been chosen to lead us!

DarkAngelicmon slowly looked up at his master and smiled slightly. "You'd be surprised at how much I've learned about the Digidestined in such a short time. I could not have attacked them without losing their trust, and that might be the key to finding the Spirit Chips. Gennai refuses to tell us where they are, and I have a feeling the D-Coders will be useless to us without the humans."

"Really," his master said slowly.

Observation is the key to success. That is something Vampiramon will never understand.

DarkAngelicmon glanced at the robed figure sitting next to the wall and nodded. "Only the humans will be able to do what is necessary with the D-Coders. I know because I've spent a lot of my time watching them closely. Unfortunately Vampiramon has failed to learn the same lesson, and that could cause all of your plans for the Digital World to fall into ruin."

The dark figure stepped forward and gently placed his hand on DarkAngelicmon's head. "You have done well, my faithful servant. Come take a walk with me and tell me more about what you have learned."

"Yes, master," DarkAngelicmon replied. A small smile slipped across his face, and he quickly got to his feet. He was about to leave the room with his master when a sudden voice stopped him.

"Only a fool underestimates the strength and power of the Digidestined."

DarkAngelicmon slowly knelt next to Gennai on the floor and placed a hand against the man's cheek. "For once, I agree with you, Gennai," he said quietly. "We've learned quite a bit from you over the past week, especially about the Spirit Chips, but there are still some things you aren't telling us."

"I will never tell you where the Spirit Chips are," Gennai murmured. "You can torture me all you want, but that is one piece of information I will never reveal."

DarkAngelicmon smiled in amusement and shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay. I'll find out eventually, with or without your help!"

Gennai stared calmly back at him and did not reply.

"Come, DarkAngelicmon. We have much to discuss, and I will not have you wasting your time with fools like Gennai. He will pay for his attempts to thwart me soon enough."

DarkAngelicmon glanced at his master and nodded. "I'm sure he will."

And I'll be the one who makes sure he does!

Unfortunately that would have to wait until after Gennai had given them all the information they needed in order to keep the Digidestined from ruining their plans.

The fallen angel took one last look at Gennai's pale face and quickly followed his master out the door. Soon the Digidestined would be his, and there was nothing Vampiramon, Gennai, or anyone else could do about it.

T.K. Takaishi

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

"Mom! Dad! We're home!"

T.K. looked up from the kitchen table and glanced anxiously towards the front hallway. He could hear Mickey and Matty pulling off their shoes, and a small sigh of relief escaped his lips. Unfortunately it was followed by a lump of fear in his throat, and he swallowed hard.

What if they refuse to tell me anything? I can't force them to talk to me if they really don't want to. If only I could figure out a way to get them to open up to me...

"T.K., you'd better go talk to them," Cody said quietly, poking him in the arm to get his attention.

He glanced across the table at his wife and reached out to take her hand.

She smiled back at him and gently squeezed his fingers. "Cody's right. You should talk to them as soon as possible, and now seems like a good time."

"Aren't you going to come with me?" he asked.

Kari shook her head and kissed his cheek. "I better stay here and get supper ready. Besides, I think they're less likely to tell us their secret if we both go in there and confront them about it. I don't want to intimidate them, T.K., and I don't want them to think we're getting them into trouble either. If they feel like they're being caught in a trap, they're going to try to hide even more things from us, and I definitely don't want them to feel as if they can't trust their own parents with whatever is bothering them, whether it's the secret they have now or one they may have in the future."

T.K. nodded and managed a weak smile. "Good point," he said quietly. "Alright. I'll let you know what happens."

"Daddy, can I-"

"You're staying right here!" Kari said firmly, giving her daughter a stern look.

"Not fair!" Rina grumbled, gazing sullenly at the table.

Rosa laughed and gently pulled Rina into her arms. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure Mickey and Matty will tell you everything later! In the meantime, you and I can help your mom get dinner ready, okay?"

Rina wrinkled her nose and wrapped her arms around Rosa's neck. "Alright," she sighed, looking extremely disappointed.

"Don't worry, T.K. Mickey and Matty are going to be just fine," Cody said seriously.

T.K. nodded and glanced towards the door. He wanted to believe his former DNA partner, but he did not think he would be able to until after he had a chance to talk to his sons.

Well, your chance has finally arrived, so quit stalling and go talk to them!

T.K. slowly stepped out of the kitchen and glanced towards the living room where he had been sitting with Kari and the others earlier. He could hear Mickey and Matty talking quietly to each other, but he was unable to make out exactly what it was they were saying.

They sound really upset about something. I wonder what they're talking about. Obviously something's bothering them, and whatever it is, it can't be good.

"Hello, boys," he said softly, walking into the room with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

Mickey and Matty looked up in surprise, and they both smiled at him.

"Hi, Dad," Mickey said quietly.

T.K. studied his sons' faces for a moment and frowned. They're smiling at me, but their eyes are filled with fear. Are they afraid I might have overheard them talking, or are they afraid of something else?

"Is dinner almost ready?" Matty asked, glancing nervously towards the door.

T.K. nodded and slowly sat down on the couch next to Mickey. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he did not really know where to begin.

Matty yawned loudly and stretched his arms over his head. "That's good. I'm starving, and I'm also sleepy. I think I'm going to have to go to bed early tonight. If I don't, I'll never be able to wake up at a decent time tomorrow!"

T.K. gently placed his hand on Mickey's shoulder and did not reply. Instead, he watched his sons closely and was immediately concerned by what he saw.

Matty was leaning against the arm of the couch, and his feet were curled up underneath him. There was a small frown on his face, and he looked extremely tense. Mickey's feet were propped up on the coffee table, and the older twin had his face turned away from Matty. Although the two of them were sitting close together, their body language made it seem as if they were miles apart. Both of them appeared to be avoiding each other's eyes, and the tension between them was so thick you could almost see it.

I don't understand. Mickey and Matty hardly ever fight. What could have happened to make them act this way towards each other?

He searched his brain for an answer and came up with nothing.

What am I going to do? I would die before I would ever let them hurt each other, but I have a feeling this isn't something I can fix with a few simple words and a couple of hugs.

T.K. gazed at his sons for a moment, and a sad smile slipped across his face. I wonder if Mickey and Matty realize how lucky they are. I would have given anything for a chance to grow up with my brother.

It had taken him a long time to get over his parents' divorce, but the amount of suffering he had had to endure was nothing compared to the pain his brother had been forced to live with.

Matt's a few years older than me, and he can remember what went on during that time better than I can. The years following our parents' divorce were really hard. We were lucky if we got to see each other once every couple of weeks. Things got a lot better between us after our first trip to the Digital World, but I still can't help thinking about all the times we couldn't be there for each other when things got tough. The only good thing to come out of our parents' divorce was the fact that it made us even more determined to spend time with each other. We learned to cherish every single moment we had together, and that was something our parents' divorce could never take away from us. After moving to Odaiba, I got to spend even more time with Matt, and it was like we had never been separated. We got to see each other almost every day, and I even got to spend more time with my dad. I know my parents' divorce was probably for the best, but I still can't help wondering if their decision to separate was a choice that could have ended up ruining my relationship with Matt forever...

T.K. squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Mickey's hair. If he had not tried so hard to stay in touch with Matt, things might have turned out a lot differently between them. They could have ended up becoming complete strangers instead of good friends and even better brothers. The thought alone was enough to make him feel sick.

I know Mickey and Matty are going to grow up together, but that doesn't mean they won't start drifting away from each other, especially if they continue to act like they are now. How am I going to stop them from making such a huge mistake? If they start to treat each other like strangers, they're going to regret it. I can't just sit here and do nothing, and I definitely can't let them experience the same kind of pain I had to live with for so many years...

"Boys, what's wrong?" he asked quietly. "You seem upset about something."

Mickey and Matty glanced anxiously at each other and turned to look at their backpacks. Both bags were lying on the floor next to the wall, and they appeared to be unusually full.

"We're not," Mickey mumbled, blushing furiously.

T.K. raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Mickey's green backpack. "It looks like the two of you were given a lot of homework to do over the weekend."

Matty's face turned pure white, and the younger twin tugged nervously on his dark blue, hooded sweater. "We got most of it done at Ryoko's house."

"Yeah. Don't worry, Dad. We're not leaving it until the last minute," Mickey blurted out.

"I know."

T.K. gave his sons a reassuring smile and glanced once more at their backpacks. Are they hiding something in their bags?

He was tempted to check, but guilt prevented him from leaping off the couch and racing over to the wall to make sure his sons were telling him the truth. Mickey and Matty were entitled to a little bit of privacy, and accusing them of anything now would only make them even more reluctant to tell him their big secret.

"Dad, are you okay?" Mickey asked, looking extremely uneasy.

T.K. took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around both of his sons' shoulders. "I had a very confusing conversation with Rina today," he said quietly, pulling them close and resting his cheek against the top of Mickey's head.

His sons slowly turned to look at each other, and their amber eyes filled with horror.

"Dad, we can totally explain!" Matty gasped.

Mickey's eyes began to sparkle with tears, and the older twin buried his face against Matty's shoulder. Both of them looked absolutely terrified, and they were trying unsuccessfully to hide behind each other.

They think I know exactly what's going on, and they're afraid I'm going to start yelling at them. Does that mean they're doing something they shouldn't be doing?

T.K. crossed his arms and gave them a long look. "Explain what?" he asked quietly.

Matty blinked in surprise and slowly loosened his grip on Mickey's green t-shirt. "You mean...you don't know?"

T.K. shook his head and gave Mickey a comforting hug. "Rina didn't tell me anything. She knows why the two of you have been acting so strange lately, but she wouldn't give me any details. She told me to ask you myself, and I promised her I would. Mickey, Matty, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. We're fine," Mickey mumbled, sounding extremely guilty.

Matty nodded in agreement and smiled softly at his brother. The tension between then seemed to have faded a little bit, and it looked like they were no longer avoiding each other's eyes.

Either that or there was never any tension to begin with. Maybe I'm just imagining things. At least, I hope I'm just imagining things...

T.K. frowned and hugged his sons tightly against his chest. "Rina told me you two have a secret, and apparently she's not allowed to tell me what it is. I know I can't force you to tell me anything, but I want both of you to know I'm here if you need someone to talk to. Your mother and I aren't blind. We noticed your odd behaviour a long time ago, and we want to know what's wrong. That's why we asked Rina if she knew what was going on with you two."

Matty's face turned green, and he glanced anxiously at his twin. "Mickey..."

Mickey flinched and quickly turned away from Matty. "No," the older twin said quietly.

"Mickey, they're going to-"

T.K. turned to look at Matty, and the younger twin quickly fell silent.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Mickey whispered. "I want to tell you, but I can't, and neither can Matty."

"You can tell Rina, but you can't tell me?" T.K. said quietly.

Mickey blushed bright red and nervously bit his lip. "She found out by accident. One day we'll tell you and Mom what's going on. I promise."

T.K. gently brushed Mickey's tears away and smiled softly at both of his sons. "How about today?"

"You probably wouldn't believe us anyway," Matty muttered. "Sorry, Dad, but now is definitely not a good time."

"Matty, I'll believe anything. Trust me. I take it the two of you aren't going to tell me anything until it's too late for me to intervene," he said dryly.

Matty glanced at Mickey and rolled his eyes. "Are we really that obvious?"

"Matty, you really need to learn how to keep your mouth shut!" Mickey replied, giving his brother a fond smile.

I still can't believe I had a hand in creating these two amazing human beings. I would have been happy with just one son, and by some miracle, I ended up with two. How in the world did I get to be so lucky?

T.K. felt his eyes start to sting, and he hugged both of his sons as tightly as he could. "I love you both so much," he whispered into their golden hair. "If anything ever happened to either one of you..."

"You don't have to worry, Dad. Everything's going to be okay," Matty said softly.

"We love you, too," Mickey whispered.

T.K. let out a weary sigh and slowly shook his head. "Where's my guardian angel when I need him?" he muttered.

If only Angemon and Angewomon were here. I know they would look after Mickey and Matty, and then I wouldn't have to worry about my sons getting themselves into trouble.

"What was that?"

T.K. turned to look at Matty in surprise and realized his son's face was filled with fear and astonishment. Why is he looking at me like that? There's no way he could know about Angemon...

"Dad, did you just say something about an...angel?" Mickey choked out, glancing frantically at Matty.

T.K. felt his face heat up, and he quickly got to his feet. "Come on, boys. Dinner's probably ready by now, and we don't want to keep your mother waiting. Besides, Cody and Rosa want to see you."

The twins stared uneasily at him for a moment and finally nodded.

"I can't believe Rina kept our secret," Matty said softly, looking very relieved. "She's the best little sister ever!"

Mickey nodded in agreement and smiled at Matty. "We were right about her after all."

"Yes, how unfortunate for me!" T.K. laughed. "I'm sorry for making you upset, Mickey, and you, too, Matty."

"Don't worry about it," Matty said softly.

They don't know about Angemon. They can't...

T.K. pulled his sons into his arms and held them close. "Promise me you'll tell me your secret eventually?"

"We promise," Mickey whispered.

T.K. slowly nodded and watched his sons leave the room.

They'd better keep their promise. I've never been so scared in my life. Oh, Patamon. I wish you were here with me. You'd know exactly what to do in this type of situation.

Unfortunately Patamon was somewhere in the Digital World, and there was no way he could contact the little guy. This time he was on his own, and if he did not find a way to help his sons soon, then there was a good chance he could end up losing them forever...