Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Well, not unless they want to give it to me for free! *smiles hopefully*

A/N: Sorry about the wait, but it's finally here! We'll be getting back to the Digiworld soon, but first a few more chapters to wrap up the day's events. Again, I will recheck the chapter for any mistakes I may have missed. Have fun reading!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 207: Always and Forever

Sam Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Sam hesitated before quietly opening the front door to his home, and stepping into the front hall, he glanced nervously towards the kitchen, unsure of how to proceed. He needed to talk to his mother, but how was he going to confront her alone without his father interfering?

I can't speak to her if Dad's around to hear what I'm saying. He can't know about my dream, about his brother, my uncle...at least not yet. I'm just not ready for that...

Would he ever be ready? He didn't know and that scared him.

It scared him a lot.

Dad...why? Why did it have to turn out like this? Why did the Emperor...why did he have to be you?

Strangely enough, the house seemed unusually quiet, and glancing towards the stairs, he anxiously chewed on his lower lip.

Where was everybody?

He needed to think sensibly, to calm himself, or he'd never work up the nerve to ask his mother for such a very important favour. Nao and Miya were probably in their rooms, and considering the fact that Nao was still a small child, the youngest member of the Ichijouji family was probably already asleep in bed. Miya was most likely doing her homework, or working on one of her crazy science experiments, which always made Sam feel a little nervous. She hadn't yet managed to blow up the house, but at the rate her so-called experiments were going, there was still plenty of opportunity for her to do so.

That was unfortunately one of the setbacks of having a genius for a big sister, which meant if Miya and Nao were in their rooms, his mother was most likely in the kitchen and his father was probably in the living room.

Perfect. The kitchen it is then.

Glancing uneasily at the door leading to the living room, Sam quickly hurried towards the kitchen, and stepping up behind his mother, who was standing at the sink, he plastered what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face. "Hey, Mom."

"Sam!" his mother gasped, whirling around to face him, an instant smile appearing on her face "You're home!"

"Sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. Miya told me you were walking with your friends. It's good to see you're still in one piece."

"I take it Miya and Nao told you what happened in the Digital World today?"

"Yes, your father and I heard the whole story. I swear, that Daichi! How could he have doubted himself like that? Honestly, he isn't the son of that fool Davis for nothing, you know!"

Sam had to laugh and settling himself on one of the kitchen chairs with his elbows propped up on the table, he smiled in amusement, taking note of the fact that his mother had, in her own way of course, just complimented Davis, which no doubt would have taken the former leader by surprise if he had been there to hear it. "Even Dai can't always be sure of himself all the time, Mom."

"Well, even so, I'm glad he was able to get his Spirit Chip to work. I'm sure Tai and Davis must be very proud of him."

"Definitely. I know I am. We couldn't have asked for a better leader."

His mother stared at him for a moment, and sitting down next to him at the table, she said carefully, "So...I hear Izzy wants your father and I to come to the Digital World tomorrow?"

Sam felt himself blushing and gazing self-consciously at his hands, he managed to nod his head. "That's what he said. I...um...Izzy said that...that Dad has to be there because of the...you know, Crest of Kindness, and he figured you'd probably want to come too, since you haven't had a chance to see Hawkmon yet."

"And it's about time! How could Izzy have left me behind for this long! The nerve of him!"

"Er...I'm sure that wasn't his intention, Mom. It just kind of worked out that way."

"Even so, he's going to get a talking to when I see him tomorrow!"

Sam could feel a lump forming in his throat, and unable to look at his mother, he managed to choke out, "I take it this means both you and Dad are coming tomorrow then?"

"Of course we are! You think I'd miss out on an opportunity to see Hawkmon? And your father...well, he doesn't exactly have a choice."

"I know."

"The Spirit Chip of Compassion," his mother said quietly, without looking at him. "I wonder..."

Although his mother wasn't gazing in his direction, Sam could tell instantly what she was thinking.

"You think it belongs to me, don't you. To me and not Ryoko."

"Sam..."

He held up a hand for silence, and reaching out to give her hand a quick squeeze, he said softly, "Mom...could you do me a big favour? I know it might seem kind of odd, but...it's really important to me, so if you could do this one thing for me, I'd really appreciate it."

"You don't need to ask, Sam. Of course I'll do it," his mother insisted, obviously eager to please if it meant helping him in some way, especially since he rarely asked for favours. "What is it you need?"

"Well...like I said, this is going to sound a bit strange, but do you know if Grandma and Grandpa Ichijouji ever kept any old tapes of my uncle? You know...maybe something from a school event, or a birthday, or...something."

His mother stared at him in silence, and folding her hands together, she said slowly, "I'm not sure, but...they probably have something like that. Your Uncle Sam was very important to them and they were really proud of him. He was a genius and he had a promising life ahead of him. I'm sure they would have wanted a physical reminder of some of those more memorable moments."

"Do you think maybe you could ask them?"

His mother continued to stare at him and once again he felt his face heat up. She hadn't said anything, but he could tell from the look on her face that she knew this all had something to do with his father.

"I'll tell you what, Sam. Why don't I head over there to ask them for you?"

"Really? You would do that for me?"

I guess if it means fixing things with my Dad she'll do anything to help me. That's why she's not pestering me with questions like she normally would have. That's why she was so quick to agree to my request. She wants me to forgive Dad. She wants things to go back to the way they used to be. Just like I do. Oh, Mom...I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I've made you worry...

"Yes, but on one condition."

"W-what would that be?"

Uh oh...

"It's late, Sam, and you look tired. I'll head over to your grandparents place right now, but if I do manage to scrounge something up, I don't want you watching it tonight. You need your rest. You can watch it tomorrow morning before school, okay?"

For a moment he had been afraid she might ask him to speak with his father, so although he would have preferred to watch whatever his mother was able to find right now, if she even managed to get her hands on anything at all, having to wait was still a better alternative than having to confront his father.

"Okay, Mom, I promise I'll go right to bed."

"What about dinner?"

"I'm not really hungry at the moment. I'll eat it for breakfast tomorrow, if that's okay?"

"Well...if you're sure..."

It was a relief to avoid the topic of his father, and that made him sad. The more he tried to convince himself that he didn't want to speak to his father, the more it made him want to do just the opposite.

Badly.

Dad...

A soft sound at the door made Sam look up in surprise, and he winced when he spotted his father leaning against the wall next to the fridge, an unreadable expression on his pale face.

"Ken, there you are!" Yolei cried, leaping up from her chair and moving towards the door. "I was just coming to find you."

"How come?"

Sam could feel his father's eyes on him, but he didn't dare acknowledge the man for fear of what might accidentally come out of his mouth.

"I'm just heading out for a little bit. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

Sam almost smiled at the look of surprise on the raven-haired Digidestined's face, and scratching the back of his head in confusion, his father said, "Oh. Um...where are you going?"

"Nowhere special. I'll be back!" his mother said cheerfully, kissing his father on the cheek before sailing out the door and into the front hall.

As soon as she was gone, Sam felt his whole body grow tense. Earlier his mother had acted almost like a shield to protect him from what he didn't want to face, but now that she was gone, he was once again vulnerable to his own fear and despair.

She had left him alone with his father. Now what was he supposed to do?

I wonder what he thinks about the Spirit Chip of Compassion...

After a long moment of uncomfortable silence, his father finally said, "You should probably be going to bed. From what Miya and Nao have told me, it sounds like we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Sam didn't trust himself to speak, so instead he merely nodded and quickly slipped past his father, heading towards the stairs.

It wasn't until he was about halfway up that he realized his father was following him.

He doesn't know. He can't know. Not yet...

Not sure what to do, Sam came to a stop in front of his bedroom door, and just barely glancing over his shoulder, he whispered, "I know what you're thinking, but...just to warn you, don't be surprised if it isn't mine."

He was sure his father tried to respond, but he didn't give the man a chance. Instead, he quickly hurried into his room and slammed the door behind him.

Ken Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Ken stood quietly in front of his son's closed bedroom door, uncertain of what to do. He didn't want to upset Sam, but at the same time he didn't want to leave without even saying goodnight.

I wonder what he was talking to Yolei about...

He desperately wanted to know, but at the same time he was almost afraid to know. Afraid that somehow it would end up hurting him even more than he had already been hurt in the past.

Sam...how can you not see it? As fond of Ryoko as I am, I know the Spirit Chip can't belong to him. He's not the one who needs to learn the true meaning of compassion.

Ryoko already understood and he had other qualities that were even more ingrained inside his heart. The Spirit Chip of Compassion would not be an asset to him.

But to Sam, it would be.

Despite the way the raven-haired Digidestined was acting now, Ken knew the very core of Sam's heart centred around his ability to feel kindness and compassion for everyone around him. He was angry, yes, and blinded by the pain inside his heart, but that did not change who he was on the inside.

Of that, Ken was sure.

I never changed either. My heart might have been swayed by darkness and I may have truly believed I was the Emperor, but that never changed who I was on the inside. The mask of the Emperor may have hid who I was, but it did not change me. With help from Davis and the others, I was able to free myself from the darkness, from the mask, before that could happen, and if I could do it then there's no reason why Sam can't do the same thing. He's stronger than me, and he has so many things I didn't have while growing up.

He couldn't stay silent anymore. He had to speak, and despite the risk he was taking he leaned his forehead against the cool, smooth surface of his son's bedroom door and began to speak.

"Sam, I know you're probably not even listening to me, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm never going to stop believing in you."

His words were greeted by silence, which didn't surprise him, and squeezing his eyes shut, he managed to choke out, "I'll always love you, even if you never speak to me again. Nothing can ever take away how I feel about you. Nothing. I don't really know what you're trying to accomplish by pushing me away, but it won't stop me from caring about you. You won't change my mind, Sam, no matter what you do. I won't let you justify your own guilt by attempting to ease your pain with distance."

I won't leave you. I won't give up on you.

More silence. Just what he had expected.

Did he even listen to me at all?

Ken didn't know, and slowly moving away from the door, he turned to look over his shoulder and said firmly, "You might not want me to be your father anymore, but you're still my son and that Spirit Chip is yours. My past might be a black stain on my heart, but that doesn't mean I have to let it define who I am. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love you, and I'll prove it to you. Even if it's not enough, even if it takes the rest of my life. Emperor, or not. Even your worst enemies know what it feels like to suffer. Maybe...maybe they know best of all."

To fall so far into darkness. Is there any pain greater than losing everything that used to matter to you? To give up everything that used to define you? If I asked DarkAngelicmon that question, I wonder what his answer would be...

He waited, but there was still no reply from Sam, and turning away from the door Ken headed back downstairs with a heavy heart.

Sam Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

In the bedroom, Sam sat curled up on the floor with his back pressed against the door and Glimmermon sleeping quietly in his arms, and listening to the sound of his father's footsteps fading away, he smiled through his tears and whispered, "Goodnight, Dad. I love you too."